two treatises of mr. jeremiah burroughs. the first of earthly-mindedness, wherein is shewed, . what earthly-mindedness is. ... . directions how to get our hearts free from earthly-mindedness. the second treatise. of conversing in heaven, and walking with god. wherein is shewed, . how the saints have their conversation in heaven. ... . rules for our walking with god. the fourth volumn [sic] published by thomas goodwyn. william greenhil. sydrach simpson. philip nye. william bridge. john yates. william adderley. burroughs, jeremiah, - . approx. kb of xml-encoded text transcribed from -bit group-iv tiff page images. text creation partnership, ann arbor, mi ; oxford (uk) : - (eebo-tcp phase ). a wing b a estc r this keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the early english books online text creation partnership. this phase i text is available for reuse, according to the terms of creative commons . universal . the text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. early english books online. (eebo-tcp ; phase , no. a ) transcribed from: (early english books online ; image set ) images scanned from microfilm: (early english books, - ; : ) two treatises of mr. jeremiah burroughs. the first of earthly-mindedness, wherein is shewed, . what earthly-mindedness is. ... . directions how to get our hearts free from earthly-mindedness. the second treatise. of conversing in heaven, and walking with god. wherein is shewed, . how the saints have their conversation in heaven. ... . rules for our walking with god. the fourth volumn [sic] published by thomas goodwyn. william greenhil. sydrach simpson. philip nye. william bridge. john yates. william adderley. burroughs, jeremiah, - . goodwin, thomas, - . [ ], , - , - , - , [ ] p. printed for peter cole, at the printing-press in cornhill, near the royal exchange, london : . 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- ali jakobson sampled and proofread - ali jakobson text and markup reviewed and edited - pfs batch review (qc) and xml conversion two treatises of mr. jeremiah burroughs . the first of earthly-mindedness , wherein is shewed , . what earthly-mindedness is . . the evils of earthly-mindedness . . several convincements of earthly-mindedness . . several reasons of earthly-mindedness . . considerations to take off the heart from earthly-mindedness . . directions how to get our hearts free from earthly-mindedness . the second treatise . of conversing in heaven , and walking with god. wherein is shewed , . how the saints have their conversation in heaven . . how the saints trade for heaven . . evidences of heavenly conversation . . that heavenly conversation is , . convincing . . growing . . brings much glory to god. . brings much glory to the saints . . it will make suffering easie , . brings much joy . . it 's very safe . . directions for heavenly conversation . . what walking with god is . . the excellency of walking with god. . evidences of our walking with god. . rules for our walking with god. the fourth volumn published by thomas goodwyn . william bridge . william greenhil . john yates . sydrach simpson . philip nye . william adderley . london , printed for peter cole , at the printing-press in cornhill , near the royal exchange , . to the reader . it was the saying of a servant of christ , every day a christian spends on earth , is a day lost in heaven ; sure he meant it of the place , not the company , for what makes heaven , but vnion and communion with god in jesus christ ? now this being attainable in this life what hinders but a christian may live in heaven whilst he lives upon earth ? truly our fellowship is with the father , & with his son jesus christ , job . . and our conversation is in heaven ( saith another apostle ) phil. . . and i live , yet not i , but christ liveth in me , and the life which i now live in the flesh , i live by the faith of the son of god , gal. . . these were men on earth , subject to such infirmities as these are , yet lived in heaven ; and there are yet in this declining , wanton , christ-denying age , a generation upon earth thus living , whose lives and graces , though hidden under a mean out side , under many reproaches and infirmities , yet shine inwardly with the glory of christ upon them , who though they be in the world , yet follow the lord with a spirit differing from the spirit of the world ; and amongst these hidden ones of the lord , this blessed man ( the preacher of these sermons , of whom the world was not worthy ) was such a one , who whilst he was upon earth , lived in heaven ; and as thou maiest easily perceive , the end and scope of these sermons is , to winde up thy heart to the like frame and posture ; viz. to take it off from perishing vanities , and to set it upon that which is the real and durable substance : we see upon what weak shoulders the fair neck of all worldly pomp and glory now stands , and how the lord is winding up , and putting an end to the glories of the kingdoms of men , who have not contributed their strength and power to the advancing , but contrariwise , to the pulling down and ecclypsing of the glory of the kingdom of jesus christ : besides what the world tells us , never had any age by the works of providence , more examples laid before them of the worlds vanity , than in our daies ; and therefore our hearts should s●t loose to all things that cannot stretch themselves to eternity : the apostles reason is full of weight , it remains ( saith he ) that both they that have wives , be as though they had none , and they that weep , as though they wept not , and they that rejoyce , as though they rejoyced not , and they that buy , as though they possessed not , and they that use the world , as not abusing it ; and this exhortation he puts on by this argument , the time is short , or as the word is , the remainder of our season is now folding up , as a sail or curtain into a narrow room : time is short , and life shorter , and the end of all things is at hand , and we have greater things to minde , and to set our hearts upon . the divinityy of this holy mans spirit did much appear in this , that having much of the comfort that earth could afford him , he still looked upon all creatures contentments with the eyes of a stranger , and on order to the raising up of his soul to a more holy , humble , serviceable , self denying walking with god. for him that injoyes little or nothing in the world , to speak much of the worlds vanity and emptynesse and of taking the heart off that , the sweetness whereof he never possessed , is not so much , as when a man is surrounded with the confluence of creature-comforts , then by a divine spirit to tread upon the neck of these things , and to be caught up into the third heaven , bathing , solacing and satisfying it self with sweet and higher injoyments , with the more savory and cordial apprehensions it hath of jesus christ ; this is somewhat like him that is made partaker of the divine nature , and that lives above the world in the injoyment of the world ; so that now reader thou hast these sermons twice printed , once in the practice of this holy man , and now again in these papers which we present to thee in this preaching stile ( though we confess things might have been more contracted ) because we find this way more desired , more acceptable to his hearers , and if we mistake not , more working upon the affections , and more profitable to the greatest part of christians . the lord jesus be with thy spirit , and go along with these and all other his precious labors , to the furtherance of the joy of thy faith , building thee up in the inner man , and directing thee in the way to thine eternal rest . thomas goodwyn , william greenhil , sydrach simpson , philip nye , william bridge , john yates , william adderley , thou hast here the names of al the books of mr. jeremiah burroughs , that are published by us , thomas goodwyn , william greenhil , sydrach simpson , philip nye , william bridge , john yates , william adderley . the first volumn the rare jewel of christian contentment . the second volumn gospel worship . the third volumn gospel conversation . the fourth volumn two treatises , the one of earthly-mindedness , the other of conversing in heaven , and walking with god. the contents of the fourth voluumn . philip. . . chap. i. text opened page doctrine there is a great difference between a wicked man and a godly man , the one minds the earth : the other , his conversation is in heaven chap. ii. earthly-mindedness discovered in nine particulars when men look upon earthly things as the greatest things . when the choicest of their thoughts are busied about earthly things ▪ when their hearts cleave to the earth page when their hearts are filled with distracted cares about the earth . when the greatest endeavors of their lives are about things of the earth when they seek any earthly thing for its self and not in subordination to some higher good when they are earthly in spiritual things when they pass by great difficulties about earthly matters and they seem little to them ibid when they conceive of the most heavenly truth in an earthly way page chap. iii. fourteen evils of earthly-mindedness it is adultery it is idolatry ibid object . what idolatry is there in it ? answ . they depart from god they chuse rather to make the earth to be their god , than the infinit first-being of all things ibid it is enmity against god it is opposite and contrary to the work of grace before conversion to the call of conversion to the souls answer to this call ibid to the resigning up of the soul to god as the chiefest good after conversion to their work of grace grace brings a new light to the soul ibid make him a new creature is of an elevating nature ibid is of an enlarging nature ibid grace sanctifies the soul it puts men upon great temptations page it is one of the greatest bindrances to the profit of the ministry it causeth many foolish lusts in the heart it causeth them to follow after things that are vile ibid . it makes them a servant to their servants ibid a man might have more of it , and not mind it so much as he doth you pay a great deal more for it than 't is worth what he doth he must needs undo again they lose the comfort of earthly things before they have them it is the root of apostacy it doth wonderfully dead the heart in the prayer it is just with god , their names should be written in the earth they have the curse of the serpent upon them it is a dishonor to god , and a scandal to religion it doth exceedingly hinder preparation for death it will drown thy soul in perdition preparation to convincements . men may be earthly-minded and yet not know they are so page five things may be wrought in an earthly-minded man his judgment may be convinced that there is a vanity in them he may have some kind of contentment in them ib. they may speak great words about the vanity of this world ibid they may be free from getting any thing by deceit ibid they may dispise some earthly things ibid convincement when a man rests upon earthly props for the good he doth expect convincement when men make most provision for the things of this world for themselves and their children convincement when a man can be content with a slight assurance of heavenly things , but never thinks him sure enough for the matters of the earth convincement when he is contented with a little sanctification , but in things of this world would s●ill have more and more page convincement when they are very wise in matters of the world , but very weak in spiritual convincement when their discourses are of the world convincement when spiritual things must give way to earthliness convincement when they care not how it is with the church so it be well with them in things of the world ibid convincement when the more spiritual a truth is the lesse it takes with their hearts chap. iv. reasons of mens earthly-mindedness . the things of the earth appear reall to them , but heavenly things are but a notion they look upon them as the present necessary things ibid these things are most sutable to mens hearts they have a very fair shew to the flesh ib. men naturally know no better things there are earthly principles continually dropping into men by conversing with other men of the earth ibid the sensible experience they have of their sweetness page chap. v. considerations to take off the hearts of men from earthly-mindedness consideration if thou couldst possess all the things of the earth there is not so much good in them , as to countervail the evil of one sin consideration the chiefest things of the earth have been and are the portion of reprobates ibid consideration . god hath made man for higher things than the things of the earth consideration . the soul of a man is of too high a birth to have the strength of it spent about the things of the earth . consideration . all the things of the earth are uncertain consideration . consider what hath become of such men in former ages consideration . how short thy time is in this world page consid . . a little will serve the turn to carry us through this world consid . . there is no good to be had in them further than god is pleased to let himself through them consid . if you be godly god promiseth to take care of you for the things of the earth ibid consid . . all that are professors of religion should be dead to the world chap. vi exhortation to beware of earthly-mindedness chap. vii directions to get our hearts free from earthly-mindednesse be watchful over your thoughts be humbled for sin ibid set the exampls of the saints before you consider the great accompt we are to give for all earthly things ibid set the lord jesus christ before you the contents of the ensuing treatise of an heavenly-convesation . philippians , . . chap. i how far the examples of godly men should prevail with us page more than other examples more than the examples of rich men ibid more than the example of the multitude ibid more than the examples of those nearly related to us ibid they should be enough to take off prejudices that come from accusations of men ib. they should make us enquire after those waies page we should not oppose those waies they should prepare us to let in any truth they profess ibid they should confirm us in the truth chap. ii. what is to be done when examples of godly men are contrary it puts us to a strict examination which way hath most earthly inducements chap. iii rebuke to those that follow the example of the wicked , and reject the example of the godly page chap. iv two doctrines the saints are citizens of heaven their conversation while they are in this world is in heaven ibid chap. v how the saints are citizens of heaven their names are inroll'd there christ their head bath taken possession of heaven in their names ibid when they actually beleeve they take up their freedom they cannot again be as slaves ibid they have right to all the common stock and treasury of heaven ibid they have the same confirmation of their blessed estate that the angels have ibid they have priviledge of a free rtade to heaven page they have for he present communion with the angels ib. they have the protection of heaven ib. chap. vi how the saints have their conversation in heaven the aim of their hearts is heaven-wards they are acted by heavenly principles in their waies that god is all in all ib. that god is the infinite first being ib. they have communion with the god of heaven ib. they live according to the laws of heaven their soul is where it loves rather than where it lives they deilght in the same things that are done in heaven the sight of gods face the praising of god ib. the keeping a perpetual sabbath ib. they are heavenly in earthly imployments they are heavenly when they converse together their great trade upon earth is for heaven chap. vii the saints trading for heaven opened . they have skill in they commodity they trade for page they have a stock to trade withal they take the advantage of the market for commodities ib. there is much inter course ib. their chief stock is where they trade they are willing to part with any thing here to receive advantage where they trade ib. they trust much chap. vii evidences of mens having their conversations in heaven evidence . they canvilifie all the things on earth evidence they can be content and live comfortably with little in this world ib. evidence they can suffer hard things with joyful hearts evidence . their hearts are filled with heavenly riches evidence they are willing to purchase the priviledges of heavne at a dear rate ib. evidence they are sensible of the stoppages between heaven and their souls page evidence their willingness to die chap. ix reasons why the saints have their conversation in heaven ib. because their souls are from heaven by grace the soul hath a divine nature put into it their most choise things are in heaven god orders it so to wean their hearts from the world chap. x. use . to reprove such as have their conversations in hell chap. xi . use . to reprove hypocrites chap. xii . use . let us not find fault with the strictness of gods waies page chap. xiii . use . to reprove such as are godly and yet fail in this thing chap. xiv . an heavenly conversation is a convincing conversation chap. xv. a heavenly conversation is growing chap. xvi . a heavenly conversation brings much glory to god chap. xvii . a heavenly conversation brings much glory to the saints chap. xviii . a heavenly conversation will make sufferings easie chap. xix . a heavenly conversation brings much joy chap. xx. an heavenly conversation is very safe chap. xxi . an heavenly conversation gives abundant entrance into glory ibid chap. xxii . directions how to get a heavenly conversation direct . . be perswaded that it is attainable page direct . . labor to keep a cleer conscience direct . . watch opportunities for heavenly exercises ibid direct . rest not in formality direct . . labor to beat down your bodies . direct . . labor to be skilful in the mystery of godliness , to draw strength from christ in every thing you do ibid direct . . exercise the grace of faith much the contents of the ensuing treatise of walking with god. genesis , . . chap. i. text opened page chap. ii. doctrine . 't is the excellency of a christian to walk with god chap. iii. how the soul is brought to walk with god every one by nature goes astray from god the lord manifesteth to the soul the way of life ibid the lord makes peace between himself and a sinner . god renders himself lovely to the soul god sends his holy spirit to guide him christ takes the soul and brings it to god the father chap. iv what walking with god is . it causeth the soul to eye god it causeth a man to carry himself as in gods presence he makes gods will the rule of his will page the soul hath the same ends that god hath it suits the soul to the administrations of god to have a holy dependance upon god for direction for protection for assistance ibid for a blessing upon all it doth ibid it makes a man free and ready in the waies of god it consists in communion with god it causeth the soule to follow god more as he reveals himself more chap. v excellencies of walking with god excellency it makes the waies of god easie excellency it is most honorable excellency the soul hath blessed satisfaction in it excellency it is a special part of the covenant of god on our parts excellency there is a blessed safety in walking with god excellency hence the soul enjoys sweet familiarity with god excellency to them god communicates his secrets excellency they find favor in gods eyes for granting their petitions . excellency there is a glory put upon the soul excellency gods presence doth mightily draw forth every grace page excellency the presence of god shall never be terrible to the soul , neither at death nor judgment excellency it will be blessedness in the end chap. vii vses of exhortation vse blesse god that he will be pleased to walk thus with his poor creatures vse what strangers the world are to this walking with god vse what vile hearts are ours that we are so backward to walk with god vse let us keep close to god in our walking wtih him vse if there be so much excellency in walking with god here , what will there be in heaven chap. viii evidence of our walking with god evidence he depends not much upon sence and reason in the course of his life evidence he is the same in private that he is in publick evidence he hath a serious spirit evidence they walk in newness of life evidence when he hath to do with the creature he doth quickly passe through the creature unto god evidence he loves to be much retired from the world evidence he is careful to make even his accounts with god evidence the more spiritual any truth , or ordinance or any company is , the more the soul delights in it evidence he walk in all the commandements of god evidence see how the scripture describes it it is a walk of humility it is a walk of uprightness ibid it is a walk in the fear of god the comfort of the holy ghost is joyned with it it is a walk above they endeavour to walk as christ walked ibid chap. ix rules of direction for walking with god rule be sure there be no way of fin in thee rule labor to withdraw thy heart from earthly and sensual things rule evermore take christ with thee rule be careful to beautifie thy soul rule take heed of halting rule take heed of formality in holy duties rule take heed of secres slidings away from the truths of god rule labor to keep such a tenderness of spirit as to be sensible of the beginnings of declining rule labor to be spiritual in thy solitary times rule go on with a resolution in holy duties though thou see nothing come of them for the present rule make good interpretation of all gods dealings with thee chap. x an objection of gods hiding his face answered it is a good sign when thou art sensible of his withdrawings examine whether thou hast not some times shut out god from thee ibid it is better god withdraw than that we withdraw gods withdrawing his comfort is not alwaies the withdrawing his presence ibid if thou canst not see gods face , hearken to hear his voice keep thy self in a waiting frame for god finis . the names of several books printed by peter cole , at the sign of the printing-press in cornhil , by the exchange , london . a congregational church is a catholike visible church . by samuel stone . twelve several books of mr. william bridg , collected into one volumn . viz. the great gospel-mystery of the saints comfort and holiness , opened and applied from christs priestly office. satans power to tempt ; and christs love to , and care of his people under temptation . thankfulness required in every condition . grace for grace ; or , the overflowings of christs fulness received by all saints . the spiritual actings of faith , through natural impossibilities . evangelical repentance . the spiritual-life , and in-being of christ in all beleevers . the woman of canaan . the saints hiding-place in time of gods anger . christs coming is at our midnight . a vindication of ordinances . grace and love beyond gifts . four several books , by nich. culpeper , gent. student in physick and astrology . a physical directory : or a translation of the dispensatory , made by the colledg of physitians of london . whereunto is added , the key to galen 's method of physick . a directory for midwives ; or a guide for women . galen's art of physick . the english physitian ; being an astrologo-physical discourse of the vulgar herbs of this nation ; wherein is shewed how to cure a mans self of most diseases incident to mans body , with such things as grow in england , and for three-pence charge . also in the same book is shewed , . the time of gathering all herbs both vulgarly and astrologically . . the way of drying and keeping them and their juyces . the way of making and keeping all manner of useful compounds , made of those herbs . . the way of mixing the medicines according to cause , and mixture of the disease , and the part of the body afflicted . a godly and fruitful exposition , on the first epistle of peter . by mr. john rogers , minister of the word of god at dedham in essex . the wonders of the load-stone , by mr. samuel ward of ipswich . an exposition on the gospel of the evangelist st. matthew , by mr. ward . clows chirurgery . marks of salvation . christians engagement for the gospel , by john goodwin . great church ordinance of baptism . mr. love's case , containing his petitions , narrative , and speech . vox pacifica , or a perswasive to peace . dr. prestons saints submission , and satans overthrow . pious mans practice in parliament time. a treatise of the rickets , being a disease common to children ; wherein is shewed , . the essence . . the causes . . the signs . . the remedies of the disease . published in latin by dr. glisson , dr. bale , and dr. regemorter . mr. symsons sermon at westminster . mr. feaks sermon before the lord major . mr. phillips treatise of hell. — of christs geneology . seven books of mr. jeremiah burroughs lately published ; as also the texts of scripture upon which they are grounded . the rare jewel of christian contentment , on phil. . . wherin is shewed , . what contentment is , . it is an holy art and mystery , . the excellencies of it , . the evil of the contrary sin of murmuring , the aggravations of it . gospel-worship , on levit. . . wherin is shewed , . the right manner of the worship of god in general ; and particularly , in hearing the word , receiving the lords supper , and prayer . gospel-conversation , on phil. . . wherin is shewed , . that the conversations of beleevers must be above what could be by the light of nature , . beyond those that lived under the law , . and sutable to what truths the gospel holds forth . to which is added , the misery of those men that have their portion in this life only , on psal . . . a treatise of earthly-mindedness . wherin is shewed , what earthly-mindedness is , the great evil therof , on phil. . part of the . vers . also to the same book is joyned , a treatise of heavenly-mindedness and walking with god , on gen. . . and on phil. . . an exposition , on the fourth , fifth , sixth , and seventh chapters of the prohesie of hosea . an exposition on the eighth , ninth , and tenth chapters of hosea . an exposition on the eleventh , twelfth , and thirteenth chapters of hosea . a treatise of politick power , wherein questions are answered , . whereof power is made , and for what ordained ; . whether kings and governors have an absolute power over the people ; . whether kings and governors be subject to the laws of god , or the laws of their countries ; . how far the people are to obey their governors ; . whether all the people have be their governors ; . whether it be lawful to depose an evil governor ; : . what confidence is to be given to princes . the compassionate samaritan . six sermons , preached by dr. hill , collected into one volumn . dr. sibbs on the philippians . the best and worst magistrate , by obadiah sedgwick . the craft and cruelty of the churches adversaries , by matthew newcomin . a sacred panygrick , by steph. martial , barriffs military discipline . the immortality of mans soul. the anatomist anatomized . a treatise of earthly-mindedness . chap. i. the text opened . philip . . latter part of the . verse . — who mind earthly things . this precious scripture cleerly holds forth the different disposition of wicked and of godly men ; especially of such wicked men , as set themselves against the gospel ; for it relates to such as were professed enemies to the cross of christ , that labored what they could to hinder the success of the ministry of paul. you shall find if you look back a few verses , that this is meant of those kind of men especially , for he tels us , that many walk'd so , as they were enemies to the cross of christ : they were those that opposed the preaching of paul , and his ministry : and he describes those men what they were by divers characters , but i 'le treat of none but this , who mind earthly things . who mind earthly things ; who savour , or relish earthly things , so you may translate the word as well . it is a general word comprehending the actions and operations , both of the understanding and will : it is in scripture applied to both , but most commonly to the actions of the wil and affections ; we are particular in actions of the will. earthly things ] the things that are upon the earth , whatsoever they be , the beauty , the glory , and parentry of the earth ; the profits that are earthly , the pleasures and honors of the world ; who mind any things inordinatly that are sublunary accommodations . but we carry and behave our selves as free denizens of the city of heaven ; for so the words in the original are , if we should thus reade them : our city whereof we are citizens , and whereunto we have right , is heaven . but our conversation , our city converse , it is of things that are above the earth : when the apostle would have men to follow their example and not the example of others , in the . verse , he uses this as an argument , saith he , such and such men are enemies to the cross of christ , and they make their belly their god , and they mind earthly things : do not follow them , do not hearken what they say to you , they come up and down from house to house , and whisper this and that to you , and would take you off from the ways of god , god hath begun to enlighten you , and to stir your consciences , do not let the precious affections of your souls run wast towards them , but be ye followers of us as we are of christ ; for our conversation is in heaven with our lord and master , there comes in the argument in the . verse . so that being the only scope and meaning of the words , take this doctrinal truth . that this is the great difference between a wicked man and a godly man ; one minds earthly things : and the other hath his conversation in heaven . i intend to handle both these in order . one of these minds earthly things : it is a paralel scripture that we have in the . to the rom. . verse , for they that are after the flesh , do mind the things of the flesh . do mind , there is the same word , only here the participle , and there in the verb , but the meaning is the same , as they that are after the earth , mind earthly things : so they that are after the flesh savours fleshly things : the first part of this point , is the discription of wicked men , that are enemies to the crosse of christ , and to the waies of godliness , and they are men that mind earthly things , the more grosse of them are described before , to have their bellies to be their god , some of them are very sensual , druken , unclean , and altogether given to satisfie the flesh in fleshly lusts : but there are others that do not appear to be so brutish , yet they are men of earthly minds , savour only of earthly things , and these are the men that are secret enemies to the crosse of christ , yea , and wil many times appear so to be , it will break out at length : such a man whose spirit hath been earthly for a long time , will appear at length to be an enemy to christs crosse . now in the handling of this point , i will propound these five things to treat of . first . what it is to mind earthly things in a sinfull way : or thus , when a man may be said to be an earthly-minded man , that we may know when a man is an earthly-minded man , what it is to mind earthly things , that the apostle here describes a wicked man by . without the opening of this , al that i shall say afterwards will be but to little purpose . secondly . the great evil that there is in minding of earthly things : and i shall discover to you a greater evil in it than you are aware of . thirdly . lay down some convincements whereby those men and women that ( it may be ) think they are cleer from this sin , yet may have it discovered unto their consciences , that they are the men and women that do mind earthly things . fourthly . i shall search into the reason , why it is that the hearts of men and women are so much after earthly things . fifthly . i shall labour to take off your hearts from earthly things . these are the five things that are to be done in the first part of the point , namely , the character of wicked men here laid down , who mind earthly things . for the first . who they are , that mind earthly things . certainly , they are not all those that enjoy earthly things ; all men that do make use of earthly things , must not be condemned for minding earthly things . paul himself in this very epistle , where he wrote to these philippians , chap. . vers . . though he knew how to want , yet he knew how to abound : he could tell how to make use of earthly things , yea , and he gives charge , that all those that are instructed should make such as had instructed them partakers of all their goods . it may be , they would have said , is not this , to mind earthly things ? to require those that are instructed , to make those that did instruct them partakers of all their goods : paul doth charge this . yea , and christ himself , even in that scripture where he does labor most to take the thoughts of men off from the earth ; as not to take any thought , what they should eat , or drink , yet saith he , your heavenly father knows that yea have need of these things in the . of matthew : and gal. . . let him that is taught in the word communicate unto him that teacheth in all good things : and if there be any pretence against it , yet saith he , be not deceived , god is not mocked ; for whatsoever a man soweth , that shall he also reap . thus therefore it is not here charged , as a note of an evil man , to have earthly things , and doth justly require what is due unto him , as here paul doth ; and the galatians could not charge him , as breaking his own rule which he wrote to the philppians ; and therefore we must enquire out somwhat else that 's here means , by minding earthly things . when a man or woman doth mind earthly things in a sinful way , and for that there are these several particulars considerable . chap. ii. earthly-mindedness discovered in nine particulars . the first is this , when a man looks upon earthly things as the greatest things of all , when he hath a high esteem of earthly things , as the things : as thus , oh if i had such and such things as others have , oh how happy should i be , how happy are such and such men that do enjoy such earthly things at their will , in their dwellings , their furniture , their comings in , oh these are the brave things , these are the delightful things , these are the things wherein felicity and happiness doth consist . when men shall promise to themselves felicity in any earthly things , then they mind earthly things . i remember golden mouth'd chrysostom hath a speech of a covetous man , that he looks upon his money , and he sees more beauty in his money than in the very sun it self that shines in the firmament : when men look upon the things of the earth as the most beautiful things in their eyes : certainly that man is in a distemper , when he puts such a high esteem upon any earthly things , this esteem is not according to what god and his saints do put upon earthly things , god never puts any great eminencie on any earthly thing ; he never made any earthly things to be any great conduit , or means of conveyance of any great good from himsel unto his creature ; if you would know what your heart , are , you may know it by this one sign as much as any what do you account your excellencie ? according to what any man or woman accounts their excellency to consist in , so are their hearts , their hearts are sutable ; in the . chap. of genesis , . . verses . you shall find there isaac blessing of jacob and esau , he blesses them both : but now , what i would observe is this , the difference in the placing of them , you shall observe , the blessing of jacob in the . verse , therefore god giveth of the dew of heaven , and the fatness of the earth , and plenty of corn and wine , that 's jacob's blessing : now look to esau's blessing , for the blessing was sutable to their disposition , and jacob's father answered and said unto him , behold thy dwelling shall be of the fatness of the earth , and of the dew of heaven from above : mark , isaac blesses them both with the dew of heaven and fatness of the earth ; but now , in jacob's blessing the dew of heaven is first , and the fatness of the earth is in the second place ; but in esau's blessing the fatness of the earth is first , and then the dew of heaven : noting this , that a godly man indeed , doth stand in need of the things of the earth , as christ saith , your father knows you stand in need of this things ; i but the great thing in the first place that a godly heart doth mind , it t s , the dew of heaven , and then in the second place , the blessing of the erath ; but now , a carnal heart doth think it hath some need of the things of heaven , it will acknowledge that : i but in the first place it's the fatness of the earth they desire : and secondly the dew of heaven , so that that 's the first thing : earthly minded men look upon these things as the high and chief things , and hence it is that the choise of the thoughts of an earthly-minded man is carried out on worldly objects . secondly , when the cream and choise of the thoughts of men and women are busied about earthly things then they mind earthly things in a sinful manner : you may know what your hearts are by your thoughts as much as any thing , the thoughts are the immediate ebulitions or risings up of the heart ( as i may so call them ) that is the bubbles that come from the heart immediately ; a man cannot know what is in his heart so much by words and actions , as by the thoughts , because the thoughts immediately spring from the heart , as thus , i can tell what the water is in such a fountain better from that that bubbles up immediatly from the fountain-head , than i can tell by the water that runs in the stream a mile or two off , for there may many things intervene in the stream a mile or two off that never came from the fountain-head , but that that immediately bubbles from the fountain-head , that discovers of what nature the fountain is : so the thoughts are as it were the first born of the heart , and therefore the heart may be known what it is by the thoughts , prov. . . saith the holy ghost there , as he thinketh in his heart , so is he ; that which is here spoken in a particular case may be applied in the general , as a man thinks in his heart so is he , as his thoughts are so is he : so is the heart as the thoughts of the mind are , men may keep in words and actions out of by-respects , i but if you could know what the heart is , and look into the haunts of it in secret , that would discover to your selves what you are : as now , many of your servants , when they are in your presence before you or before others they may out of divers respects carry themselves fairly , but if you would find them out , labour to know what they do when they are alone in their private haunts : so , would you know your own hearts ? do not so much look at them , and take a scantling of them by how you behave your selves in words and actions before others , but what they are in your private chambers , what they are in the inward thoughts of the mind , there the heart comes to be discovered most ; and by these thoughts i do not mean every kind of injection , or suggestion , for sometimes the devil may cast in evil thoughts into the most holy ; but i mean such thoughts as are sweet to the soul , whereby the soul comes to suck out sweetness , and contentment , for that 's the minding earthly things , when you find the strength of your thoughts to be upon the things of the earth : and they are more sutable to your hearts than any other : it is not when through weakness the mind may be wandring this way or that way , or through suggestions or temptations ; but now , when men or women are most themselves when alone and free , then for to examine what are the most sutable thoughts to their hearts , can you say when you are alone , oh the very thoughts of god are sweet to me , immediate in his law day and night , and suck out sweetness there as from an hony comb ? but an unclean wretch will suck out sweetness of his unclean thoughts when he is alone ; and so the earthly minded man will suck out the sweetness of his earthly thoughts , and so the ambitious man the sweetness of his pride when he is alone , and these are the most contentful thoughts to him , he can run along if it be two or three hours together and take delight and pleasure in them : here 's earthly-mindedness . the third thing is this , an earthly-minded man , is one whose heart cleaves to the earth : for so i told you the word was , not only to mind , but to savour the things of the earth : his heart doth cleave to the earth : the psalmist in a far differing case said , that his soul did cleave to the dust : but it 's true of many men in this case that i am speaking of , their very souls do cleave to the dust , their spirits are mixed with the earth , and therefore they are drossie : though it may be they have some good common gifts , some good natural parts , and some workings of the holy ghost upon them , yet their spirits are drossie : because they are mixt with the earth : discourse never so much to these men of the vanity of the things of the earth , they will give you the hearing , but when you have done all , their souls do cleave to the earth : and discourse never so much to them of the excellency of heavenly things , they will hear you , but when you have done all , their souls stil cleaves to the earth : as a man whose soul cleaves in love to a woman , ( as it is said of sampson , his soul did cleave to dalilab ) talk what you will against that women , or of the excellency of any other woman , yet his soul cleaves to that woman : so 't is in an earthly minded man , let what will be said against the things of the earth , or what can be said for the setting forth of the excellency of the things of heaven , yet his soul cleaves to the earth : as the serpents belly did to the dust of the ground . that 's an earthly minded man. fourthly , an earthly minded man , it on , whose heart is filled with distracting cares about the earth : what he shall eat and drink , and what he shall put on , how he shall provide for himself and his family , and what shall become of him at such a time , though he be well now yet what may become of him afterwards : when the heart is filled with distracting cares about the things of the earth ; so far as the heart hath these prevailing over it , so far such a man may be judged to be earthly . there are two things that do cause distrating cares about anie businesse the first is , an apprehension of some verie great evil in case i should be disappointed , i look upon my disappointment in such a thing as a most intolerable evil to me , if i should be disappointed i know not what in the world to do that 's the first the second is , an uncertaintie in the means for the preventment of this disappointment : when as i look upon disappointment as a very great evil , so those means that should prevent and help me against disappointment i cannot trust to : i look upon them as too weak to help me , notwithstanding al such means i may yet be desappointed , this causes distracting thoughts ; so , t is in the things of the earth , an earthly minded man or woman hath his thoughts fil'd with distracting cares about the world . that is thus first , they looking upon the things of the world as such great things , they conceive if they should be disappointed they should be undone ; they look upon it as such a fearful unsufferable evil to be depriv'd of their estate and outward comforts in this world . secondly , they don't look upon the means of provision for themselves and families as having anie certaintie in it , which is a main thing to be considered of : as for outward things in the world , they find by experience there is uncertainty in them . and then for any promse that there is in scripture that god will provide for them and their families , alas that they dare not trust to , that 's a thing that of all means they think to be the weakest , lord have mercy upon them ( say they ) if they have nothing else to trust to , but only a word in scripture , they think themselves most miserable and wretched . but now , it would be otherwise with the soul if it were not earthly minded , it would not be at any great pause how things do fall out here in the matters of the world , it 's true , perhaps i may miscarry in such a businesse , and my estate may be taken from me by the caldeans or sabeans as jobs was , but i shall not be undone , my happiness is not gone , i shall have that that will comfort me when all that is gone ; suppose the worst , yet this will not undo me , indeed a man that sends abroad in a venture all his whole estate , he is very solicitous because if there be ill news about it he is undone ; but another man that hath a great deal of riches , house , and lands , and a stock at home to maintain him and his family , if there comes such ill news , i have a stock to live on he thinks , therefore he is not so much solicitous : so a worldly man , all his stock is in the earth , there 's his only portion , and if he miscarries there he is undone ; but a godly man , though he hath the things of the earth , yet he hath something else , treasures in heaven to rest upon besides the earth , and therefore he is not so solicitous . and then for the second , the uncertainty of means and help : if a godly man looks upon outward causes , he sees all is uncertain , but he hath a promise to rest upon , i will never leave you nor forsake you : cast your care upon me for i care for you ; and this he looks upon as a certain means and help , whatsoever fals out , here 's a promise that he can build upon , and therefore this takes off his solicitous cares : but an earthly minded man or woman whose heart is fild with distracting cares , because he look upon himself as undone if he miscarries here , and hath nothing to rest upon for his provision in this world , more than the creature . fifthly , an earthly minded man or woman , is one whose great business of his heart and endeavours of his life are about the things of the earth : he makes it his great business , and the strong endeavours of his spirit are exercised in the things of the earth : he eagerly and greedily works with the strongest intention about these things , his whole soul , the whole man is laid out about the world , it is the adequate object of his soul . you will say , other men they are busie in their callings as well as these that you account earthly minded men , i but mark , they are busie about their callings in obedience to god ; and for outward things set aside their obedience to god , then ( i say ) all the things that they busie themselves about in the world , were it not under that consideration that they were obeying god in it they would not be adequate objects for their souls . i mean by an adequate object , that that is sufficient to take up the whole strength of the soul to lay it out fully : i 'le give you this similitude to express my mind further , to shew you what i mean by an adequate object , you have a little child , he is playing at sports , now this sport it hath as much in it as there is in his spirit , there is a kind of equality between his spirit and such a sport , there is benefit enough a child conceives in such a sport as it's worth the laying out of all his strength and might upon it : now it may be , sometimes a man or woman will play with their child , they will do as the child doth to play with it , but this sport it 's not an addequat object , that 's thus , a man or woman for the while would please themselves with the child , but not so as if there were as much good in this as would fill their souls , so as they would lay out all their mind and might upon this thing as that is fully adequate to the desires of their soul ; but sport is fully adequat to the desires of the soul of the child , but though a man or woman doth sport so with the child , yet these things are not fully adequat to the desires of a man or woman , and they have other matters in their heads than these , and businesses of a higher nature : and so it is in those that are not earthly minded , though they may be busied about the things of this world , yet they use the world as if they used it not , the things of the world are not objects adequat to their hearts , a spiritual heart reserves the chief strength of it for higher things , i follow these things in the world but so , as i reserve the chief strength for a more desirable good : as a man now , if he hath divers friends to come to him , perhaps he hath some of an ordinary rank , they come first , he makes ordinarie provision for them , but if he hath anie choise things for entertainment he reserves them for some choise friends that are coming to him : so a man that is not of the world though he may be busie in earthly things , yet the choise of his heart he both reserve for things of a higher nature . i remember tertullian hath a speech of the christians how they eat , and drank ; when they sup'd , they eat and drank ( saith he ) so as they remembred they were to pray that night before they slept : so a gracious spiritual heart follows his out ward business in the world , but so as he remembers he is to converse with god that night before de sleeps , so that he reserves the strength of his spirit for communion with god ; but now the other laies out all his strength as having nothing to do afterwards : so that in this an earthly , and a spiritual heart are quite contrary ; the apostle you know would have godly men to use the world as if they used it not ; so on the contrary , an earthly-minded man uses spiritual things as if he used them not ; look how an earthly minded mans heart is in spiritual things , so a spiritual mind is in earthly things : an earthly minded man wil do some things that are spiritual , he will come and hear the word , perhaps he wil pray in his familie , and reade a chapter , i but his heart is not much there , he doth it as he did it not , comes and hears as if he heard not , and praies as if he prayed not , he makes it not his business to pray or hear ; so a spiritual minded man he doth the things of the world but as if he did them not , i mean in comparison of his being busie in spiritual things , there he doth it with all his might ; an earthly minded man is like to corab , dathan , and abiram , we reade of them that they were swallowed up of the earth : and so the truth is , the things of the earth , contentments , provision for themselves and families in earthly things , doth as it were open and swallow up the very hearts of earthly-minded men : and that 's the fift thing for the discription of earthly mindedness . sixthly , but suppose a man doth not seem to be so strongly intent , to lay out his whole strength and heart about earthly things , yet when anie man or woman shall seek anie earthlie thing for it self ( observe it ) and not in subordination to some higher good , this is an earthly-minded man so for as this prevailes ; in the cor. . . our apostle paul speaks there of the things that are seen that are but temporal , while we look not at the things that are seen , for the things that are seen are earthly and temporal : the word is as much as to say , while we do not look as our scope upon temporal and earthly things that are seen , we do not make them our end , but we seek them in subordination , there is somewhat else that we look at higher in all these things , as for instance , a man that is godly , he follows his business as other men do , but what is it that he would have ? it 's this , i shew my obedience to god , and i would provide those things that may be helpful to me to serve god in my generation ; that 's my end , i can appeal to god in this , that even in the following my business and all outward things , it is that i might follow god in the use of means for the providing of such things as may enable me to serve him the more in my generation : this is my scope in what i do . but now on the other side , an earthly-minded man makes his scope this , he will follow his business and look about the business of his calling that he might gain , he would get that he might get , he would have more that he might have more , and that he and his children might be somebodie in the world , and it may be that he might have enough to have his will , and lusts , therefore he follows his business very intent , meerly that he may get to satisfie the flesh , yea , indeed all the good things that he doth he brings them in subordination to earthly things . you may take it thus , a spiritual man doth not seek earthly things for himself , but an earthly man doth ; or thus more fully , ( you may mak it a distinct head if you will , ) an earthly man is earthly in all he doth do , both in earthly and spiritual things , and a spiritual minded man is spiritual in all he doth , both in spiritual and in earthly things ; an earthly man when he is in earthly things he is altogether earthly , he looks not at obedience to god in what he doth , as thus , i 'le follow my calling because god hath required it , but an earthly man thinketh , i 'le follow it because i see gain come in by it , this is earth ; though the things be lawful , and it 's your duty to follow your calling , but to follow it meerly for gain , this is earthly : but because it is your duty and the place god hath set you in , that 's spiritualness in earthly things : an earthly man is earthly in earthly things , and he is more earthly in spiritual things : when he performes spiritual duties he hath an earthly end in it , either to get esteem from men , or to cover some evil , or meerly for form and fashion , he doth it in an earthly way , and it may be at the most that that he doth do , it is but meerly for his own quiet , and to satisfie his own conscience , he is earthly in spiritual things . but now , a spiritual man , is spiritual in earthly things . one of a spiritual mind , is more heavenly and spiritual when he is about his calling though the meanest , as hedging , and ditching , or when he is pulling his ropes and lines , or using his ax or hammer , he is more spiritual i say then , than an earthly man is , when he is praying , or hearing , or receiving sacraments ; certainly it is so , and it will be found to be so at the great day of judgment , when the secrets of all hearts shall be disclosed : that 's the sixt thing , when a man seeks earthly things for himself . and that that we may add as a seventh is , that he is earthly in spiritual things . i grant that the best of the saints may have some earthlinesse in spirtual things ; but i speak of the predominancie , it 's that that doth rule in the heart , so that in the performance of spiritual things , his very ends are but earthly , and the frame of his heart is but earthly in spiritual performances . the eight thing wherein we may find an earthly minded man is this , that he passes through many and great difficulties in matters of the earth , and they are very little to him ; and though he hath a great deal of toyl for the matters of the earth , yet he is never weary with it , because he is in his proper element ; and therefore let there be what difficulties there will be , which to another man would be very great , he makes of them as nothing , and though there be much toyl and labour yet he is not weary , why ? because he is in his own element : the fish is not weary with swimming , but a man is quickly weary , i but the fish is in it's element and a man is not ; so , i beseech you observe this , when a mans spirit is in this kind of temper , let him but be busied about earthly things , wherein earthly advantage comes in , no difficulties will hinder him , no wind or weather , he will rise in cold mornings and go abroad , do any thing in the world . oh! what difficulties will men endure in storms at sea , and hazards there , and troubles at land many waies for things of the earth , and sit up late , and rise early , and toyl themselves , and complain of no wearinesse nor no difficulties but now , let them come but to spiritual things , to soul-businesses that concern god and their spiritual estates , every little difficulty puts them aside and discourages them , every mole-hill is a mountain in their way , i would do so and so indeed , but 't is so hard , and 't is tedious to rise in a morning , especially in cold winters morning ; it is very hard and difficult to reade and pray and so he is complaining of the difficulty of these things : and to watch over the heart , it 's a mighty difficulty : to an earthly man any spiritual thing is difficult , and the difficulties doth discourage him , and in spiritual things , oh how weary are they ! as they in the . of micha , . they cryed out , what a weariness is it : but in the businesse of the world they can follow it , from morning to night they are never tired , they can work ( as we say sometimes of men ) like a horse and yet never out of breath : oh i would but desire you try your hearts once , but to endeavour to spend one sabbath exctly , and see what a wearinesse that would be to you , resolve but one sabbath to rise early in the morning , & to have your thoughts spiritual & heavenly as much as you can , and then get up & pray alone in your closet , then reade , and hear , and meditate , and mark what you hear ; and when you go home think of it , and confer about it , and when you come again attend upon the word , and so spend the whole day in hearing , reading , meditating , and conference about good things , calling your family to account , and praying again , and see how tiresom this will be unto your hearts if they be carnal . but now a spiritual heart will call the sabbath a delight unto it : and the sabbath unto such an one is no other than that type and fore runner of that eternal day of rest it shall enjoy in the kingdom of heaven : one that is spiritual accounts the sabbath to be a day of rest , but an earthly man is quickly tired in spiritual things , he will give over his work and not go through it : we reade in the . of nehe. . verse nehemiah having spoken of the great difficulties that they met withal in their work , and yet ( saith he ) the work went on , for they bad a mind to it . so , look how a mans mind is , so he will be able to go through his work ; if a man be an earthly-minded man , such a man will go through stich with his work , if he take up businesse for the world he will go through with it , for he hath a mind to it , he is a man of an earthly mind ; but let him take in hand a spiritual work , and he will lay it aside before it be half done , he will seldom bring to perfection any spiritual work , why ? because he hath no mind to it , whereas were the heart spiritual , and there were any spiritual work undertaken , such a one would go through with it till all was finished . another note about the discription of an earthly-minded man , is this : an earthly-minded man , is one that doth conceive of the most heavenly truths that are revealed in the word in an earthly way , according to his mind , his genious , and disposition of his own heart : and i verily think this is in a special manner meant in this place , for the apostle is speaking of those that did oppose him in his ministery , and that were enemies to the crosse of christ : now ( saith he ) these mind earthly things , their mindes are of an earthly temper , and therefore no marvell ( as if he should say ) though they do not savour those heavenly and spiritual truths that we bring to them , for their minds being earthly , they only apprehend those things after an earthly manner : as now , what was the great truth that the apostle did bring to the philippians ? it was the way of reconciling the world to god , of making our peace with god , and of our justification through jesus christ . now there is no point of religion more spiritual , heavenly , and divine , than the doctrin of reconciliation , and of justification by jesus christ . so that , one that is of an earthly disposition , though he may be convinc'd of a necessity of pardon of sin , and peace with god , yet he apprehends the making of his peace with god , and obtaining pardon of his sin , but in an earthly manner , he hath carnal thoughts and apprehensions about his peace with god , and about obtaining pardon of sin , he thinks it is the same way that one man obtains peace with another when he is fallen out , and of getting pardon from another man that he hath offended , he conceives it in an earthly way , he looks upon his making peace with god , by some thing that he himself must perform ; but for the point of free justification by the grace of god in christ , it 's too divine , spiritual and heavenly for an earthly-minded man to apprehend in the spiritualnesse of it ; an earthly-minded man , his apprehensions of god are but in a carnal , earthly way ; as the prophet speaks in the of isa . the ox knows his owner , and the ass his masters crib : even after that manner doth an earthly-minded man know god ; as an ox his owner , and the ass his masters crib : as thus , the ox knows his owner because he brings him fodder daily , so an earthly-minded man hath no other apprehensions of god but this , he thinks god gives him good things in this world , god makes his corn to grow , or prospers his voyage . an earthly-minded man may rise so high to have apprehensions of god as bringing good things unto him here on earth : but one that is spiritual and heavenly doth apprehend god as god , doth not look upon god meerly as good in respect of the benefit he receives from god here , but he looks upon god as he is in himself , he sees the face of god : as there 's a great deal of difference between a man that knows another man , and a beast that knows a man , the ox knows his owner , the ox knows the man that brings hay or provender to him , but a man knows a man in another way , knows what the nature of a man is , knows what it is to be a rational creature , so one that is spiritual , knows what god is in himself , he sees the face of god , and understands what god is in another way than others do : the difference between the knowledge of god that a spiritual soul hath , one that is pure in heart , and the knowledge of god that an earthly heart hath , is just so much difference as comes to this , as the ox knows the man that drives him to fat pastures , so doth an earthly man know god that gives him good things : but a spiritual heart knows god as one man knows another , not in his full excellency , i mean not so , but there is such a kind of difference in some degree , between the apprehensions of god in a spiritual heart , and the apprehensions of god in an earthly heart : and so we might mention in many other spiritual and divine truths , that an earthly mind doth apprehend but in an earthly way ; consider of heaven its self , how doth an earthly mind apprehend that ? he apprehends that he shall be delivered from pain , and shall have some kind of glory , but knows not what it is , conceives it according to the way of the earth , some pompous , glotious thing , that he shall live in pleasures and not in pain ; and so apprehends all the glory of heaven but in sensuality ; whereas a spiritual heart looks at heaven in another kind of notion , he looks upon the enjoyment of communion with god and jesus christ in heaven , and living of the life of god in heaven ; that 's a thing that an earthly heart hath no skill at all in , neither doth such an heart so much as savour it . thus i have in these several particulars discovered what an earthly-minded man is , oh that you would lay your hands upon your hearts , and every one consider how far these things do reach you . but i have besides these , divers other convincements , to convince the consciences of men and women that yet there is much earthlinesse in them : but of them we shall treat of in their order afterwards . the second head to consider is this . the great evill that there is in earthly-mindedness , they mind earthly things . is that any such great matter ( you will say ) indeed we cannot imagine the transcendency of the evil that there is in this , we think there 's a great deal of evil in swearing , whoring , drinking , and such kind of scandalous sins , and indeed there is , but to have an earthly mind we do not think this to be so exceeding evil ; yet you will find that the scripture doth speak most dreadful things against this , and if god please to set them home upon your hearts , i hope there is much glory may come to god by it , and much good unto you in particular . chap. iii. fourteen evils of earthly-mindedness . the first evil . f●●●● the scripture cals it , adultery : it is spiritual adultery , in jude , . vers . ye adulterers and adulteresses , know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with god. they were adulterers and adulteresses in respect of their love to the world : you that would abhor the thought of a temptation to adultery , yet you may commit spiritual adultery , a man or a woman may be an adulterer or an adulteresse before the lord , though they never commit the act of uncleannesse with another , yet if their hearts be towards another , they be guilty of uncleannesse : for christ saith , whosoever doth but look after a woman to lust after her in his heart , he hath committed adultery already ; that is , hath sinned against that command that forbids adultery : is it so , that if a man do but let his heart go after another woman more than his wife , and a wife after another man more than her husband , this is adultery before the lord. so if our hearts be after any things more than the lord jesus christ , that we profess our selves married to and he to be our husband ; this is adultery in scripture phrase . the second evil . yea further , a worldly or an earthly-mind in scripture phrase , is called idolatry ; in ephes . . . speaking of divers sins that should not be so much as named among them as it became saints , he hath covetousness among the rest , and he ads this ; and covetousness which is idolatry . now what is earthly-mindednesse , but covetousnesse , which is idolaitry ? a man , or woman is an idolater that is of an earthly mind : now idolatry which is a worshiping of stocks and stones , you all account to be a great sin ; but do you , and al others take heed of another idolatry that may be as bad that is , to have your hearts to make the god of this world to be your god , the cursed mammon of unrighteousnesse , to make the things of the earth to be your christ , to fall down and worship the golden-calfe of the world . it 's certain , that that thing a mans heart is most taken with , and set upon , that 's his god : and therefore here in this verse out of which my text is , it 's said , they made earthly things ( their bellies ) their god : the voluptuous , and drunkard makes their belly their god ; and the unclean person , makes his strumpet to be his goddesse and worshppeth that ; whatsoever thy heart is most upon , that 's thy god : therefore , that you must know to be the meaning of the commandement , thou shalt have no other gods before me : that is , thou shalt give me the strength of thy soul , and nothing else : so , i am a god to my creature when i have its strength exercised about me , to lift up me as the highest good ; but if there be any thing else that thy soul is set upon as thy highest good , that 's thy god , and it 's worse than bowing the knee , thou bowest thy soul to that thing : now the meaner any thing is that we make a god of to our selves , the more vile is the idolatry : as when the egyptians worshiped divers sorts of gods , they were accounted the most vile idolaters ; whereas other heathens worshipped more excellent things , the sun , moon , and stars ; the egyptians worshiped dogs , cats , onions , and vile things ; and therefore their idolatry was vile . so , the viler any thing is that a man or woman sets their hearts upon , the more vile is their idolatry ; as for a man that should set his heart upon unclean lusts , now to make that to be a god , the satisfying of those lusts , that 's abominable , and to make any earthly thing to be a god to us , that 's most vile ; for of all the things of the works of creation that god hath made , the earth is the meanest , 't is the basest and lowest thing , and hath the least beauty in it in it's self , and it is the most dul and meanest element of all ; and to make earthly things to be a god to you , this is most vile . object . you will say for this idolatry , what is there in it ? answ . there is two particulars to open the evil of idolatry , or earthly-mindednesse . first . the evil of your idolatry , it is in this . you do depart from god ; in letting out of your hearts to these things , you do ( as it were ) go off from god , and renounce the protection of god , the goodnesse and mercy of god , you leave it all by this : in the . chap. of hofea , . verse . they are said , to go a whoring from under their god. it 's a notable phrase ; that is , by going to idols they did go off from the protection of god ; whereas , while they were worshiping the true god , they then were under the protection of god ; but when they went to idols , they went from under their god , from under his protection : so when thou settest thy heart upon god , and liftest up the infinite first being of all things as the chief good to thy soul , thou art under the influence of this grace and mercy : but when thou doest depart from him , and makest other things to be thy cheef good , thou goest from under his protection , and from his good and mercy . secondly : god is slighted and contemn'd in this , when thou choosest rather to make the earth to be thy god than the infinit blessed first-being of all things ; as a man that doth dispise his wife , and it were abominable sin , if he should choose to go to a queen though the most beautifullest woman in the world , and forsake his wife ; but to leave a queen , or empress that were the beautifullest woman upon the earth , and to have the heart cleave to a base dunghil-raker , were not this a great contempt to the queen that were so beautiful ? yet so it is when thou doest forsake the blessed eternal god as thy chief good , and choosest the things of the earth : for the truth is , the earth is the fink of all the creatures of gods making , and for thee to leave the most blessed and eternal one , and to make that thy god it must needs be a very vile and abominable thing ; and therefore the prophet jeremiah in speaking of this idolatry , he cals the heavens and the earth to be amazed at it . jeremiah , . . be astonished o ye heavens at this , and be horrible afraid , be ye very desolate saith the lord , why ? what 's the matter ? for my people have committed two evils , they have forsaken me the fountain of living waters , and hewed them out cisterns , broken cisterns that can hold no water . so 't is here ; thou forsakest the fountain of living waters , the blessed god , and thy heart cleaves to the dust , and seekest thy contentment and happinesse in cisterns that can hold no water ; let the heavens be astonished at this horrible wickedness . the third evil . thirdly , earthly-mindedness it's enmity against god. thou wouldst be loth to be found an enemy against god ; certainly it 's a truth , and it will be found another day , that an earthly-minded man , or woman is an enemy to god : yea the scripture makes it to be enmity in the very abstract , james , . . know ye not that the love of the world is enmity to god ? observe this , for there 's very much in it , if god would be pleased to make us to lay it to heart , you will find it by experience , that earthly-mindednesse doth make men to be enemies to that that is spiritually good , therefore well might the holy-ghost say , 't is enmity to god , for whatsoever is enmity to any thing that is spiritually good , it is enmity to god ; so much as my heart , or any of your hearts are against any thing that is spiritual , so much mine or any of your hearts are enemies to god. now here in the very text , these earthly-minded men are made enemies to the crosse of christ : that is , enemies to the spiritual preaching of christ , and holding forth christ : indeed , if they would have mixt christ and circumcision together , then they would have been content with it ; but now this spiritual way of preaching christ , and being justified by faith alone , and christian religion in the purity of it , was that that was not sutable to their carnal hearts , and therefore they were enemies to it . oh! earthly-mindednesse doth make us enemies to spiritual things ; where have you greater enemies unto the things of god , unto spiritual things , unto the ministry of the word ( as we had occasion to hint ) and to the work of gods grace upon the hearts of men and women , no greater enemies unto these things than earthly minded men , men that savour the things of the earth , that can go up and down and care not if they can but load themselves with thick clay , grow rich in the world and fare deliciously every day with dives , make provision for the flesh to fulfill the lusts thereof , there is an antipathy in their spirits against jesus christ and al goodnesse . the fourth evill . then fourthly ; there is scarce any disposition more opposite , more contrary to the work of grace , to the work of godlinesse in a mans own heart than earthly-mindednesse , 't is so exceeding crosse to the nature of grace , that it may as well put men or women to be at a stand , and put them upon examination whether there be any grace or no in their hearts if earthly-mindednesse prevail , as almost any other thing ; if god should suffer your corruptions to prevail over you , so as you should break forth into some outward notorious sins , then it may be you would begin to think , can this stand with grace ? and how can that stand with such workings as i have had before ? have not i cause to fear that i am but an hypocrite , a rotten professor ? but now , this earthly-mindednesse hath as much opposition to the nature of grace , and the power of godlinesse in the heart as almost any sin that you can name . it is so quite contrary to the very beginning of the work of grace , not contrary to the degrees only , but to the very begining . the main work of god at the very first , in working grace in the soul , is to disingage the soul from the creature , it is to take it off from the earth , and from all creatures here below : for naturally 't is true , that as we are of the earth , so we are earthly , and have our spirits ingaged to the things of this earth ; but then comes the work of grace upon the soul , and takes it off , and discharges the heart from the earth : and therefore you find that christ laies in this as the first lesson , that he that will be my disciple , must deny himself , and take up his cross and follow me : as if he should say , never think of being a christian except you will deny your selves . self : what 's that ? all natural contentment , natural-self , and sinful-self , to be emptied wholly of your selves , and creature-comforts , and contentments , and take up my cross , to be willing to suffer any thing in regard of earthly comforts , to be willing to lay down all at my feet , and to give up your interest in all , and to take up my cross ; this is the very first beginning of christs bringing disciples to himself . then ( saith the soul ) let me have my sin pardoned , and farewel earth , it 's heaven , holiness , renewing of the image of god , communion , and union with god , and living to the eternal praise of his name in christ that my heart is upon ; i say , this in the beginning of gods working the heart to himself . the work of grace when it is first wrought , it hath the name of vocation : calling , what is it for a man to be called ? give diligence to make your calling & election sure : to be called , is this , and whereas before thou wert altogether digging and dolving in the earth , and seeking for thy happiness in the world , now it pleases god to make thee to hear a voice behind thee , calling thee , and telling thee , o poor soul , thy happiness is not here , there are other things in which thy chief good consists , thou art made for higher and better things than these , god hath nobler thoughts about man-kind than meerly to let him have a few contentments here in the earth , oh soul ! come away and look after higher things ; here 's the first work of grace : and the soul answers unto this call of god and saith , lord , i come , and so gives up it's self to god to dispose of it , and this is in the beginning of the work of grace : now , how contrary is earthly-mindednesse to the work of god in bringing grace into the heart ? conceive it in these three things . . the very work of conversion , it is set out in scripture by gods calling the soul out of the world , whom he hath predestinated ; him he hath called . when god effectually begins to work upon the heart of a sinner , he does cause a voice to be heard in the soul , oh soul , thou hast been busying thy self about many things , but there is one thing necesseary , oh come out of that way of thine that thou art in , thou canst never be happy else , thou wilt be undone in it ; the lord calls the soul out of the world ; and that ( i say ) is the very work of conversion , the souls answearing to gods call : now for one stil to be earthly , and to have a heart cleaving to these things , surely such a one is not as yet effectually called out of the world . . and then from thence follows , upon the souls answer to this call ; the lord difingages the heart from all creature-comforts , and teacheth , the first lesson to deny himself , and to take up christs crosse : now what 's more opposite to self-denial and the taking up of the crosse of christ than earthly-mindednesse ? the text saith here , they are enemies to the cross of christ . and then a third thing in conversion it is , the resigning up of the soul to god as the chief good ; the soul upon the call of god , it learns the lesson of self-denial , and taking up the crosse , and so being disingaged from the creature , now it resigns up it self to god as an infinite soul satisfying good for ever : now you cannot but in the naming of this see how opposite earthly-mindednesse is to it . and then for the work of grace upon the heart , after the heart is converted and turned to god. first , grace brings a new light into the soul : a spiritual and divine light is set up in the soul upon the conversion of a sinner to god ; but now , the earth you know , it 's the dark part of the world , and earthly mindednesse it causeth darknesse to be upon the spirit , as the interposition of the earth between us & the sun , it doth hinder the sight of the sun from us ; and so the interposition that there is of earthlinesse in the soul of man between god and it , doth hinder the sight of god from the soul ; there is a divine light set up in the soul , and when as god works grace that doth discover things of a higher and more excellent and glorious nature , than those things were that before the heart did so much cleave unto . in the second place : the scirpture sets forth the work of grace by the new creature . in the soul all things are made new , old things are past , he that is in crhist is a new creature : now earthly-mindednesse is opposite to the new creation in the soul , it 's the old man that is of the earth , the first man is of the earth earthly ; and so it is apparant that thou art still only in the stock of the first man , of the earth earthly who art an earthly-minded man. but the second man is , the lord from heaven : but now , thou that art an earthly-minded man or woman art yet but a child of adam , of the first man , and so art of the earth earthly , this is opposite to grace , grace works a new creation in the soul . . and grace is of an elevating nature , raises the heart above its self , and above the creature , yea , above the world , in some respect above angels themselves , above principalities and powers , above all created things , grace is of a raising nature ; but an earthly-minded man sinks down to low and base things . and grace ( fourthly ) is of an enlarging nature ; it enlarges the heart , so that it cannot be satisfied with any earthly thing , though god should give the whole world to a heart that hath grace , this would not satisfie that heart , why ? because it is so enlarged by the work of grace , the work of grace it is the divine nature , the image of god in the soul , and therefore works the soul like to god : and it 's said of god in the . of isa . that all the nations of the earth are to him , but as the drop of the bucket , and as the smal dust in the ballance . now grace makes the soul to be like god , to accout all the things of the earth to be as the drop of a bucket , and the dust of the ballance , to be nothing , less than nothing . . and then , grace sanctifies the soul : now what is it to sanctifie , but to take off from all common uses , and to dedicate to god as the highest act of all things ? and therefore , the greek word that is for holy , it is taken from a participle premitive , and a word that signifies the earth , as much as to say , not earthly , and a holy one in the greek language is not an earthly one , according to the usual etimology given of it . now grace it makes the soul holy , it sanctifies the soul , it sets apart the soul for god , and dedicates and consecrates the soul to god : and therfore you see that it is opposite to the work of god in bringing grace into the soul , and to the work of grace , and the power of godliness in the soul of man : this is the great evil of earthly mindedness . the fifth evil. but fifthly : for the discovery of the great evil that there is in earthly-mindedness : it puts men upon very great temptations ; and for that we need no other scripture than that in the of tim. . . saith the apostle there , but they that will be rich , fall into temptation , and a snare . mark , that is , those that have set their hearts so much upon the things of the earth , as they are resolved they must have them whatsoever comes of it : observe the phrase ; they that wil be rich , they apprehend a necessity of the things of the earth , they do not only wish and desire , oh! that we had riches , and had these things of the earth , but they resolve they must have them upon any terms : wel , if the heart go on in obedience to god in the duties of its calling , and if god send in riches and an estate , it doth thankfully accept it from god ; these do not meet with such temptations and a snare as the apostle here speaks of ; but when the heart is set upon it , that it needs must have an estate whatsoever comes on it ; now they that will be so , they ( saith the apostle ) fall into temptations and a snare . there 's dangerous temptations in following after the things of the earth , and there is a snare in them that you do not think of , for you think only of the bravery of the things of the earth , how sumptuously you should live , and how fine you should be , in your house , and cloaths , and what table you may keep , you only think of these things that may give the flesh contentment ; but you do not think of the temptation , and the snare that is in them ; and those whose hearts are set upon these things , they fall into the snare , nay , temptation ; those that are earthly-minded , have great temptations , to shift up and down , to strain their consciences for the things of the earth ; for so it is , that while we live in this world god hath made the things of the earth to be as thorns , and so they are compared in scripture , and it 's hard for one to meddle with thorns without pricking his fingers ; they are as briars , & its hard for the sheep ro get among them but she wil lose some of her wool : and so it 's hard for the heart to be busie about the things of the earth , but it will be prickt and lose some of its fleece , in will fall into temptation and a snare , and be catch'd : oh! how many men and women that have enlightened consciences , & they think sometimes that they would not for all the world do any thing against their consciences , though they might gain all the glory and riches under heaven : well , but yet their hearts being earthly , when it comes to some particular , how ready are they ? at least , to strain conscience , and not to attend to the voice of conscience , and are willing that conscience should have its mouth stop'd for the time : indeed , if their consciences did plainly tell them , that this thing is absolutely sin against god , perhaps they would not do it , but that were not the snare , for t is no snare when i see the danger before me , here 's a deep pit , and if i step a step further i fall into it , this is no snare . but now , there are some that are not catch'd so , by a pit that 's open ; but the devil doth lay upon the pit ( it may ) some green grass , so that they shall not perceive , or very hardly perceive the danger ; thus such as have earthly hearts they fall into a snare and temptation , they are put upon straining of conscience , and wringing it as much as may be , and many shifts that they are put too , oh! a man when once he is got into an earthly business he knows not how in the world to bear it if he be crost in it , it may be i have gone thus far , and i have very great hopes that i shall succeed in it , only there is one stop , now for him to think that for this one stop i am like to lose all , oh it goes to his heart : oh but now , if you would but strain conscience a little you may get over it presently ; an earthly-man will strain hard but he will get over it ; whereas now , were the heart taken off from the earth , though such a man had gone on never so far in a business , if there comes a stop in a matter of conscience , yea , if it were but a doubt that such a thing were sin ; it 's enough to stop him , a meer doubt lest he should sin would be enough for to make him say , let the business fall if it will , there may be a snare in this , and i see some cause to doubt : now if the heart were spiritual it would be taken off ; but an earthly mind will go through very many dreadful things and doth not much trouble himself , and so doth insnare himself exceedingly , that he may get an estate , or preserve it when once he hath got it : that 's the fifth thing . the sixth evil. the sixth thing wherein the danger of earthly-mindednes consists is this : that 't is one of the greatest hinderances in the world to profiting by the ministry of the word . oh! many of you cannot but be convinc'd in your consciences that you have not profited by the word , and sometimes you will complain of the want of profiting under the means , oh that you had but hearts to look into the cause of it , from whence it is that you profit so little : it will appear to come from your earthly-mindedness , you bring a heart full of the world , full of drosse with you , no marvel though you do not see those spiritual and heavenly things that are in the word , when as there is so much drosse in your eyes ; you know travellors in the summer time , travelling in the midst of dust and in company , they have not that freedome of their eyes to see things as at another time : oh! many men com to the word with their thik clay , & a great deal of filth that doth clam up their very eyes , and dead their hearts in the hearing of the word ; you know what christ said to martha , when mary was sitting at christs feet , and hearing his word , but martha was cumbred with many things ; so 't is many times with those that come to hear the word , though they are in the presence of christ , and have the sound of the word in their ears , yet their hearts are cumbred about many things , there 's a great noise in their hearts , they are busied in the world even while they are hearing of the word , as you find it in the . of ezek. . ver . there is an notable discription , i fear it may be of many of you : and they come unto thee ( saith the lord to the prophet ) as the people cometh , and they sit before thee as my people , and they hear thy words ; but they will not do them , for with their mouth they shew much love , but their heart goeth after thir covetousness : they sit befor thee as my people , and they hear thy words , ( mark ) and they shew much love with their mouth ; they will commend the sermon ; it may be they will say , he is an excellent preacher , it 's a very good sermon that we heard this day ; they wil shew love with their mouth ; but yet their hearts go after their covetousnesse for all that ; they heard a man speak fine things , and brought excellent expressions for to set forth his matter that he had in hand ; but yet their hearts are after the things of the earth , and after their covetousness , they had carnal , earthly , drossie hearts , and hence it was , that there was no good came unto them by the ministry of the word : and that famous place which we have for this , which shews it cleerly in the . of matt. . ver . you know the several sorts of ground that had the seed of the word sown into them , but there was but one of them that was good and faithfull , and among others there was the thorny ground ; he also that received seed among the thorns , is he that heareth the word , and the care of this world , and the deceitfulnesse of riches choaks the word and it becometh unfruitful . i beseech you observe it , these that our saviour speaks of here in this parable that get no benefit by the word are not men that live lewdly , your drunkards , swearers and whoremasters , but those that have earthly hearts ; it 's said , the deceitfulness of riches ; the things of the earth do not hinder in an open way , for thousands of men that have earthly hearts , they do not know that they have earthly hearts , no , it is the deceitfulnesse of riches , and it choaks the word , it may be just when they are in hearing of the word it doth affect them , oh they think it 's sweet , and they will remember it , but the deceitfulnesse of riches , and the cares of this world choaks the word , when they come , they have businesses about the world , and their houses , and gardens , and comings in , and full tables , and all the delights that they have in the world , comes and possesses the heart that the word is choakt , it cannot get down into the soul to sink in there , and so to prevail in the soul to bring forth fruit , oh the word is choakt ; oh many of you come here three times on the lords day , and have precious seed sown all those times , and yet , oh! how it is choakt through the cares of this world , and through the deceitfulnesse of the things of this world ! you bring with you , and keep with you , and carry along with you earthly minds , and hence it is that the word prevails not with your hearts : oh! what do you loose through this earthlinesse ? you lose the fruit of the word that should save your souls ; a spiritual heart having received some one truth into it , afterwards blesses god for it , and would not for ten thousand worlds but he had had that truth preached unto his heart at such a time , oh he hath cause to blesse god for such a morning , for such a day that he hath had such a goodly pearl of great price presented to him , and taking root in his heart , ( i say ) it 's more than if god had given them thousands of worlds to possess . but now , many of you , having your thoughts and hearts about some petty thing of this world , all those blessed truths , that you hear from time to time , that the very angels desire to pry into , they are all choak'd and come to be unfruitful . what was the reason when the young man came to christ , to know what he should do to the eternal life that he got no good ? the text saith , that he had great possessions . a man ( no question ) may be a rich man , and yet a godly man , a holy man : but when the heart is in the estate , mixed with the earth , oh! this it was that hindred the young man from imbracing of jesus christ even when he came to him . young men for the most part are rather guilty of fleshlinesse , than seeking after the riches of the world ; yet sometimes it hath been the bain of some young men , at their first setting up ; they were very forward when they were servants , oh! how precious was the word unto them , but when they were got into the world , and found the sweetness of it coming in , oh then the word hath been choak'd to them ; and they have lost the savour they had in the word , they have lost the relish of the word , it is not now sweet to them as formerly it hath been , oh many examples there hath been this way : that 's the great evil of earthly-mindednesse , that it doth hinder the great benefit of the word , and there is much evill in this ; if you had hearts to receive what is delivered your hearts would tremble at the thought of this , oh lord , what shall i be hindred from profiting by this word ? 't is the great blessing of god to the world , it 's that that must save my soul , there 's more worth in it than ten thousand worlds , whatsoever should hinder my profiting by thy word i had need take heed of it ; take heed of earthly-mindednesse , many of your consciences cannot but tell you this , sometimes any businesse will keep an earthly-minded man from coming to the word , and when he doth come there is earth in his heart and ears that keeps him from attending upon the word : and when thy thoughts are about earthly things in the hearing of a sermon , it may be there is some truth passes by thy soul that might have sav'd thee eternally , and thou hast lost that opportunity which perhaps thou shalt never have again . the seventh evil , opened in six particulars . further , in the seventh place , earthly-mindedness , it causes many foolish lusts in the heart , that 's a great evil ; and for that you have the same scripture that was before , for the temptations and snare , tim. . . but they that will be rich fall into temptation and a snare , and into many foolish and hurtfull lusts : lusts that are very foolish and simple . . as for instance ; it causes men to follow after things that are very vile and mean , it causes men to bestow the strength of their immortal souls about things that have no worth at all in them : that 's a foolish lust , to bestow the strength of an immortal soul about vanities : if you should see men that are of excellent parts for to spend their time about trifles and toyes , as about catching of flies , and following of feathers , you would say , surely they begin to be besotted : so for the soul of man , that is capable of such excellency as it is , of communion with god , with the father , son and holy ghost , for such a soul to have the strength of it spent about such poor trifling things that cannot profit in the evil day , oh this is a foolish lust . secondly , foolish lusts , for earthly-mindedness , causes thee to be a servant to thy servants : you would account that man a fool that should be a servant to his servants : so god hath made the things of the earth to be a servant to thee , and yet thou wilt come and put thy neck under thy servants yoke , and art a servant to thy servant : yea , were it not a great deal of folly for a man to expect all his honour and respect to come from his servant rather than from any excellency in himself ; as thus , suppose a man were travelling , & indeed there is respect given to him , but it 's for his servants sake rather than his own ; if he should come to know this , this he would account a great dishonor to himself : but an earthly heart ( i say ) puts himself into such a condition , as indeed he makes it to be his greatest honour to have honour from his estate and riches : so that men do not respect rich men for any worth that there is in themselves , or for any excellency of their own , but only for their riches , as much as to say , a man is not respected for himself but for his servant . take some men that have had estates , but now they are deprived of them , and are become as poor as any almes-men or beggars amongst us ; who doth regard them then ? but now , let a man have grace and holinesse , if he were turned out of all and made as poor as job , yet he were one that the angels of heaven would look upon with honour , and would glory in attending upon him ; this is the difference between the carnal earthly heart , and the spiritual heart . it 's a foolish lust to make himself to be a servant to his servant . . it brings into foolish lusts , for a man might have as much ( it may be ) more of the earth if he did not mind it so much as he doth . now for a man to mind the earth and to indanger himself in the minding of it , when as he might have it as well without so much minding , surely , this is a foolish thing : for a man to bestow a great deal of labour about a thing when as he might have it with lesse labour , he is a fool surely . certainly if you be such as belongs to god , especially you may rather expect god to bless you if you kept your hearts more spiritual , you might expect that god would grant to you more of the good things of this world if you were lesse earthly-minded than you are , and it 's your earthly-mindednesse that makes god cut you short of these things ; i am verily perswaded there are many men that have ill successe in their earthly affairs , and it 's a fruit of gods displeasure upon them because their hearts are so much upon worldly businesses , did you go on in your imployment in obedience to god , and commit it to god for successe , you might be crowned with more successe than you have been : now what a foolish thing is this ? . yea further : it 's a great deal of folly , for any of you to go and buy a thing and to pay a greater price for it than it 's worth : if you send a servant to buy you commodities , and when he comes home you ask him what it cost , and he tells you it cost such a price which is ten times more than it's worth , you will say , thus it is to send a fool to market : so an earthly - minded man manifests himself to god , and his angels and all the saints to be a fool , for why ? thou bestowest that upon this world , that is a thousand times more worth than the things of the world , for thou bestowest that upon the world that might bring thee to heaven ; i may say to an earthly-minded man , those thoughts , and cares , and affections , and endeavours that thou doest spend upon the things of the world , if they had been spent about the things of god might have sav'd thy soul to all eternity , thou mightest have got christ and heaven , and eternity , the lord would have gone along with thee ; and thou maiest come hereafter to see it at the great day when all things shall be opened before men and angels : had i but spent those thoughts and cares , and endeavours , about understanding the waies and things of god and eternal life , my soul might have bin sav'd for ever : not that our works wil do it , but that god would have gone along together with you in such waies as those are ; now for you to spend thoughts and cares about that that perhaps you shall not have , for many men and women spend their souls about the things of the world and never have them , this is a sad thing ; oh! wil not this be folly ? will not you curse your selves hereafter for your folly ? oh that i should spend my self and be spent about that that i have not got neither , and i must be damn'd for that , whereas had i spent time about things that concern'd my soul and eternal life it would have been more like that i should have gotten those things ; for god doth not fail men so in spiritual things as he doth in earthly things , a man may be as diligent as it 's possible for any man to be in business of the earth , and yet he may miscarry ; but give me any man or woman that ever was diligent in seeking the things of god and eternal life that ever did miscarry ; i verily beleeve at the day of judgment there will not be one man found , that shall be able to say , lord , i did improve what talents thou didest give me to the uttermost to save my soul , but lord , because i was not able to do any more , without thy grace , thou didest deny thy grace to me , and therefore now i must be damn'd : i beleeve there will not be any soul that will be able to say so ; but in the matters of the world men do say so , that they have done what they could , nad labour'd and toyl'd , and yet for all that they miscarry . oh what a foolish thing is this then , for thee to toyl and labour about that which is so uncertain : for were it not a foolish thing for a man to bestow all his estate about buying of pibble stones , and that that will afford him no kind of benefit at all : this folly is in the heart of man : i 'le but put this care to you , if two of you should go to the indies , where precious stones are , and one should purchase a lading of precious stones and other rich commodities , and the other that carried as much money with him , he laies out all his money about baubles and trifles , and they both come home laden , both went out with the same stock , both come home laden , and one comes home with precious stones that makes him rich , and his posterity to be great men ; the other brings home nothing but a company of pibble stones which makes him scorn'd and jeer'd at by all his neighbours ; oh! how would he be ready to tear his flesh for his folly in this kind : this will be the difference between men and women at the day of judgment , for the truth is , what is this world but a sea-fare ? we are here sailing in this world , and here we have the market of pearls , or else of that hath no worth at all in it : when you live in the times of the gospel i say there is a market for pearls , for those things that may enrich you to all eternity ; now there 's one man , he bestows the strength of his thoughts and heart about those things that he shall be blessing of god in the highest heavens to all eternity for , and the other man bestows his thoughts and heart but upon the things of the earth , and lades himself with thick clay ( as the scripture phrase is ; ) and now at the day of judgment when it shall appear , here 's a man or woman that shall be to all eternity blessed , that shall joyn with angels and saints in the highest heavens to magnifie the free grace of god in christ : and here 's another had that he bestowed but his thoughts , and heart about the same things he might have been so blessed for ever , but he minding the things of the earth is a cursed fool , and is the scorn and contempt of men and angels to all eternity ; earthly-mindednesse brings men into foolish lusts ( the scipture speaks : ) oh! though men of earthly minds think themselves the only blessed men , i applaud my self at home , let men talk what they will ; but the holy ghost saith , that those iusts that are caused by earthly-mindednesse are foolish lusts . fifthly , that 's folly for a man to do that that he must undo again . now especially those earthly-minded men that have this earthlinesse so to prevail with them as to get any thing of the earth by false waies ; they must certainly undo all they have done : you have got so much of the earth in some cunning cheating way , and you blesse your selves that you have found out such a mystery of iniquity ; this is a foolish lust : foolish , why ? it must be done again , either you must be eternally damn'd , or else you must restore as zacheus did if you be able , though it be to the impoverishing of your selves , yet it must out again , all the sorrow and repentance that can be will not be sufficient , thou canst not be pardoned upon all thy sorrow and repentance if thou dost not restore if thou beest able , what thou hast ill gotten ; i do not know that there was ever any minister of the gospel upon the face of the earth but held this , that it was of absolute necessity to salvation to restore , and this one reason cannot but satisfie any mans conscience , that a man cannot truly repent of a sin , and yet wilfully to continue in it . now except you do restore , you do wilfully continue in it ; for why ? you do not only wrong the man the first hour , but so long as you keep any thing that is his you do wrong him : and if you be able to restore and do not , because you are loth to part with so much mony , or so many goods , you do wilfully continue in the sin : now , no man or woman can truly repent of a sin and yet wilfully persist in that sin : what a foolish lust is this , for a man or woman to go and get the things of this world in such a way as he must undo all again though it be to his shame ; oh! consider what a folly it is . you deceitful servants , that spend away that upon your lusts , that you cheat and cosen your master of ; afterwards when you come to set up for your selves , you must restore what you have purloind , and it may be a great part of your estate must be repaid in way of restitution , it must be done , there 's no gain-saying of it ; and therefore what a foolish lust it is , to be set upon the things of the earth so as to get them in an earthly way . . and then foolish , ( observe this one note ) by earthly-mindednesse , they do lose the comfort of earthly things before they have them . i make it out thus , a man or woman that hath carking thoughts about the things of the earth , and it may be by their inordinate thoughts , and cares , and affections after some earthly things , they contract much guiltinesse upon their own spirits , yet after this perhaps god doth give them that earthly thing ; now when they have got it , if they have any light in their consciences , their convinced consciences will then reflect thus upon them , i have got this indeed , oh! but have i it with the blessing of god ? i have it in my costody , but i got it dearly , it cost me such thoughts and cares , and affections before i had it , and now i have it , i cannot say it comes out of gods love , i rather fear that god hath given it me in his wrath because i got it in such a way ; now all the comfort is gone and lost , whereas had it come in the way of god , and hadst thou given up thy self to god , and then providence had brought such a comfort to thee , thou mightest have enjoyed much of god in it , & bless'd god for it , the lord hath bless'd me in my trading , oh! i have it from the love of god. but now , when thy heart was earthly before it came , when it doth come thou hast no comfort in it , the comfort of all is lost before it comes , thou hast spent so much upon it ; as if a man hath got a thing , & after he hath gotten it , he thinks thus , what hath this cost me ; it hath cost me a great deal more than it's worth ; now the comfort of it is vanished . the eighth evil. earthly-mindednesse , it is the root of apostasie . i 'le give you but one scripture , & compare it with another : tim. . there 's a notable text , that shews how earthly-mindednesse breeds apostasie ; 't is the example of demas , for demas ( saies the apostle ) hath forsaken me : what 's the matter ? having loved this present world . it was that that made demas to be an apostate ; why ? what was demas before ? compare this scripture with that you have in the epistle to the colossians , and you shal see what he was before this time : he was a forward disciple of paul ; and the apostle had some good esteem of him , in the last to the colossians , . vers . mark there in that epistle , where paul was directed by the holy ghost , luke the beloved physitian and demas greet you : paul doth rank demas here among the famous professors of religion ; the apostle , writing to the colossians , saith , demas greets you among the rest . when we send to our friends and say , such a one commends him to you , we use not to name them except they be entire friends . so it appears , and i find that interpreters severally do think it was the same demas , and the word gives us some ground for this ! for in timothy you find , that he names luke there too : it seems that demas and luke were two great assossiates : and paul mentions them together ; when demas had forsaken him , yet luke rode with him , and when paul sends them greeting of luke that was the beloved physitian , he sends the greeting of demas too : but now , one was truly godly , and whatsoever sufferings paul met withal , one cleaved to him , and would not forsake him : but when paul begins to suffer , and demas thought , that there 's no thriving for me , if i should follow this persecuted apostle ; demas now would have no more of paul , he thanks him for his company and fairly departs from him : he hath forsaken me : and what 's the root of it ? he had imbraced this present world . and that 's another note , that though he was a forward proffessor , yet the heart of paul was not so much for him , for saith he , luke the beloved phisitian and demas great you ; he doth not say , the beloved demas ; it 's true , demas was a forward proffessor , and did seem to wear a cloak of religion ; yet paul was directed by the holy-ghost only to speak of him as a proffessor ; but in that the holy-ghost directs him to speek of two together that were two companions , and gives one an epethite , beloved , and the other only his name . by this we may gather , that those that have discerning spirits , may shew some kind of sign in those that are earthly , at least to darken their esteem of them , and to make them somwhat jealous of them : as now , ther 's two men , and both very forward , and two companions together ; yet those that are godly , old disciples can savour one more than the other ; indeed they are both proffessors , and both have excellant parts and gifts , and yet there 's more spiritualness , and greater experiences in one than in the other , so it appears there was in luke rather than in demas , and indeed , your earthly-minded men , afterwards prove to be apostates , usually before their grand apostasy do manifest some deadnesse and waywardness of spirit to that that 's good . yea , their spirits before discover themselves to be earthly spirits , they smell of the earth . as a man before he dies , his breath will smell very earthly ; you will say : oh! such a one cannot live , his breath is so earthly ; so it is with those that are very great proffessors of religion ; that those that have intimate acquaintance with them before they do apostatise they smell their breath to be earthly in their duties , in their conferences : oh take heed of earthly-mindedness , least it be the root of apostasie ; this may be written upon many an apostates grave , this was an earthly minded man or woman in the midest of their profession . and hence it is that they fell off from the truth in times of danger , when they were brought to the tryal , they were base back sliders from god and his truth . the ninth evil. earthly-mindednesse doth wonderfully dead the heart in prayer . it sinks the spirits of men , and straightens them in spiritual duties ; yea , and indeed , doth defile every duty of religion ; in the . psal . . ver . david ( you shall find ) paryes there to god , that he will turn away his eyes from beholding vanity , and that he would quicken him in his law . certainly by the vanity that he speaks of there , he means the things of the world , and by his eyes he understands the eyes of his mind , chiefly the working of the thoughts of his heart after earthly things ; for if you will cast your eyes but to the . verse , faith he there , incline my heart to thy testimonies , and not to covetousness ; oh lord , let not my heart be inclined to covetousness : afterwards , turn away mine eyes from beholding vanity , to the end that my heart may not be inclin'd to covetousness ; lord , let not my thoughts be busied about such vain things , but quicken me in thy law : as if he should say , lord , while my mind is turned to vanity , or my heart to covetousnesse , after the things of this earth , i alwaies find my spirit dull and heavy in any holy duties , i have no quickness at all in my inward man when i come in thy presence , and by experience i find this to be the cause that my heart is so drossie , because my thoughts and mind are set upon earthly things that are but vanity , therefore , lord let not mine heart be inclin'd to covetousness nor mine eyes looking after vanity , but turn away mine eyes from these things and quicken me in thy law : if you would have your hearts quicken'd in gods law , in the duties that god sets you about , take heed of your eyes that they look not after vanity , & your hearts that they follow not after covetousnesse ; for an earthly spirit will be a dead spirit , as the element of earth it 's the sluggishest , and deadest element of all ; so earthlinesse in the heart makes the heart sluggish and dead , and listlesse to any holy and spiritual duty : i appeal to your consciences in this , when you have let out your hearts after the things of this earth , and been exercised in the world , in abundance of businesses , when you have come to enjoy communion with god , oh! how dead have you found your hearts ! a drossie heart must needs be a dead and a straight heart in heavenly exercises : you complain many times of your vain thoughts in performance of holy duties , you cry out of dead spirits then , but there lies the cause , you have given your hearts up so much to the things of the earth at other times , and hence when you should come to have converse with god your hearts are so dead and dull & straight as they are , look at this to be the ground of it ; this is the great root of all , it lies here in your earthly-mindednesse , oh! how many prayers have been quite spoil'd with an earthly heart ! whereas , such as have had spiritual hearts , have enjoyed blessed communion with god at the throne of his grace , and have been sweetly refreshed as a gyant with wine ; the while thou hast gone with a dead heart , and continued so there , and came away with as dead an heart , without anie quicknesse and life , and this is that that comes by , thy earthly-mindednesse , which is such a remora and pulback to duties . the tenth evil. . earthly-mindednesse , is so great an evil wheresoever it prevails , as it were just with god that thy name who art so earthly-minded should be written in the earth . i say , those that are earthly-minded and have this sin prevailing upon their hearts , and are not sensible of it , they have cause to fear least god should write their names in the dust : yea , lest god hath already written their names in the earth ; in the . of jerem. . we reade of such an expression , oh lord , the hope of israel , all that forsake thee shall be ashamed , and they they that depart from thee shall be written in the earth : because they have forsaken the lord the fountain of living waters . and it 's apparant that he speaks of earthly spirits here , for in the . verse he saith , as the partridg sitteth on eggs and hatcheth them not , so he that getteth riches and not by right , shall leave them in the midst of his daies , and at his end shall be a fool : and then he goes on and describes the excellencie of god and his sanctuarie , a glorious high throne from the beginning is the place of our sanctuary , &c. as if he should say , there are a company of foolish vain men that seek after nothing but getting riches and the things of the earth ; but a glorious high throne from the beginning is the place of our sanctuary : oh lord we see an excellencie in thee and in thine ordinances , and thy sanctuary , oh lord the hope of israel in whom there is such excellencie , is there any that do forsake thee who hast so much excellencie in thee , who art the hope of israel , oh lord , just it were that their names should be written in the earth , that they should never come to partake of those good things that there are in thee , the excellent things that there are in thine ordinances , and in thy gospel , but lord , let their names be written in the earth : an earthly spirit ( i say ) may fear least the name of it be written in the earth , lest god write concerning such a man or such a woman , earth shall be their portion , and their mouths shall be fil'd with earth one day , and that 's all the good that they shall have from the almighty : oh those who have known god and the things of eternal life they cannot but apprehend this to be a sad and a grievous evil , for their names to be written in the earth . the eleventh evil. an earthly-minded man hath the curse of the serpent upon him : what was that ? vpon thy belly shalt thou go , and dust shalt thou eat . thou hast the curse of the serpent , thou grove-lest upon the earth ( as it were ) upon thy belly , thy soul cleaves to the ground in a sinful way , and dust thou feedest upon : while the saints are feeding upon jesus christ , upon the very flesh and blood of christ ; when they are refreshing themselves with the hidden mannah , angels bread , corn from heaven ; thou art satiating thy self with the earth , that 's thy food , and that 's the very curse of the serpent ; it 's a sign of a serpentine brood of the old serpent , to be groveling upon the earth and to feed upon it . the twelfth evil. earthly-mindedness is a dishonor to god , and a scandal to religion . what! shalt thou profess an interest in christ ? and are there no higher things to be had in god than such base things as thy heart is upon ? what! doest thou hold forth the everlasting gospel in thy hand to others ; and doest openly professe a nearnesse to god more than others ; and is there no difference between the workings of thy heart and the workings of others after the things of this world ? oh! how does this darken the excellency of grace ! if there be any grace at all : it very much clouds it ; as the mixing of earth and drossie stuff with pure mettle , it takes away the excellencie of the pure mettle ; so the mixing of earth with the profession of religion , blemisheth the beauty and splendor of the profession of religion : thou wilt never be the man or woman that is like to convince any by thy conversation : thou art never likely to be a means to draw any to the love of the waies of godlinesse , because there is so much darknesse and earthlinesse in thy conversation : oh will they say , indeed , he or she makes a great blaze in the world , and talks much of religion , and of ordinances , and such things , but as worldly as any , and groveling in the earth as much as any ; people that are standers by wil think that profession is but a meer verbal thing , or a mock-shew , when as they see as much earthlinesse in your conversation as in the conversation of those that are without : you do bring an ill report on the things of god , as the spies did on the land of canaan . whereas every professor of religion should endeavour to put a lustre upon religion , and to make the waies of god to be beautiful , amiable , and glorious in the eyes of all that do behold them : but now , to give a lye to your gospel-profession by your earthlyconversation , is a very great scandal to the name of christ that is upon you and to his gospel that you seem to stand up for . oh! there 's a great evil in this , and a very ill report comes upon the waies of religion by this means ; many that have had little religion in them , yet have some kind of generousness of spirit , so that they scorn such base sordednesse as some sorts of professors are given unto . oh! for shame let not those that have only common gifts of nature , and education outstrip you , that seem to be the followers of christ ; away with that base , muddy , earthly , saving , pinching disposition , it becomes none but judas that carried the bag and betraied his lord and master for eighteen shillings and four pence . let me argue with you , you that have to deal with any friends or neighbors , that you yet are afraid have not the power of godlinesse in them as you desire , but yet you see they have much ingenuity , and generousnesse , and publickness of spirit in them for publick good ; take heed of scandalizing such men , for certainly such men if they could be brought to the love of religion , to the power & strictness thereof , had they the work of the holy ghost upon their hearts to humble them for sin , and to shew them the excellencie of jesus christ , they would be glorious instruments in the church of god and common-wealth , and therefore it 's a very great evil to scandalize such men as these ; no , you should labor to walk so as they might see a beauty and excellencie in the waies of religion by your conversation ; oh! better , a thousand times better that you be cut short of these things in the world , than that you should scandalize the waies of god , and the profession of the name and gospel of jesus christ . the thirteenth evil. earthly-mindednesse , it doth exceedingly hinder preparation for death , and it is like to make death to be very grievous and terrible to them when it comes ( that are like the rich fool in the gospel ) in the . of luke , the . verse , ( this i have from the scripture ) take heed to your selves ( christ here speaks to his disciples ) lest at any time your hedrts be over-charged with surfitting and drunkenness and cares of this life ; ( he puts them together ) it 's very strange you will say that christ should speak this to his disciples , to forewarn them of this , we do not think that they were drunkards so as to follow after taverns and ale houses , or to reel in the streets ; but by this drunkennesse he means any excesse in the use of the creatures in meat or drink , and professors of religion may be subject to that , to give up themselves too much to sensual delights and excesse in the use of the creature , but besides that , though many there are that would abhor glutteny and drunkennesse , yet the cares of this life takes up their hearts ; therefore saith christ , take heed to your selves lest at any time your hearts he over charged with the cares of this life : why ? what evil would the over-charging of the heart which the cares of this life bring ? mark , ( saith the text ) and so that day come upon you unawares , for as a snare shall it come upon all them that dwell upon the face of the whole earth , watch ye therefore and pray alwaies &c. i may apply this to death : though the scripture be speaking of christs coming ; now in the time of death christ comes particularly , there is a particular day of judgment at the day of death ; it may likewise be applied to the time of any affliction , and then it may be inlarged thus , and so then the evil of earthly-mindednesse appears in this , that it doth hinder the preparation of the soul for afflictions . oh! earthly-mindednesse will make thine affliction to be grievous and heavie to thee : an affliction is a very grievous thing to an earthly spirit ; if god comes to take away any comforts of this world , now because thy heart cleaves so close to them there must be a rending of them from thee , and that will put thee to pain ; a man that hath his garments loose , he can easily put them off when he goes to bed at night , but if a man hath a sore upon his body , and his inward garments shall cleave to the sore , if he puls them off then it puts him to a great deal of pain , oh then he cries out of his pain ! truly , this earthly-mindednesse comes from distemper of spirit , and the things of the earth they cleave to the hearts of men and women that are earthly , as the inward garment should cleave to a sore on a mans body ; and now when afflictions or death comes to take the things of the earth from them , or them from the things of the earth , oh it 's painful to them , it 's grievous to them and for one that hath an earthly spirit , a hundred to one if he hath any light of conscience left in him , but his conscience will trouble him in time of sicknesse and then tell him how he hath spent his time and strength of his spirit about the things of of the earth , whereas they should have bin spent about more excellent things , and when he comes to die then his spirit will be troubled , i am now to leave all these things that i have spent my care and thoughts upon and let out my heart about , and what good is it to me now that i shall leave so much more than my neighbor doth , what great content is this to me when i am upon my sick and death bed ? what comfort can i have in all the good things i have enjoyed ? yes , ( it may be ) through the earthlinesse of my spirit , i have enjoyed but little of them , but i have had carking thoughts about them ; but now , death is like to be to me as a strainer , that strains out the good and leaves the drosse and the dirt behind it . and so all the good of the things of this world is gone , but the guiltinesse that i have contracted upon my spirit with my immoderate care and affections that i have let out upon the world that now is upon my spirit , oh! death hath been very grievous to worldly spirits . i remember there 's one that liv'd in a place not far from the place that i have formerly liv'd in , a covetous , earthly spirit , when he was to die , cals for his money , and fals a swearing , must i leave you now ? ( speaking to his bags , and hugging of them ) what! must i leave you now ? an earthly man that had spent his spirits and strength upon these things , and indeed let out his heart to them as his portion , and then he sees that he must be stript from all , must bid an eternal fare-wel to all , no more houses , nor lands , nor comming-in , nor money : oh! death is grievous to such a one . now , what should be the life of a christian , but a continual preparation for death ? many of the heathens said of philosophy , that it was but a preparation for death . a special excellency of christianity consists in this , that it is a preparative for death ; and therefore you should let out your hearts to the things of this world so , as to be continually thinking of death , that when god cals you to depart from these things , that you may do it with ease , with as much ease as a man when he is going to bed casts off his cloaths that are loose about him ; for so the grave is as a bed to the saints where they fall asleep when they die , and so they may lay down all things and go to their sleep with ease and peace . a man or woman that can have their consciences tell them , i have been diligent in my calling , but god knows through faithfulnesse to him , rather than l●●e to the world ; and i have kept my heart close to god , and faithful to him , i can bid the world now farewel , as the world hath done with me , so i have done with it ; so long as my time was to work for god , god continued those things that this frail nature of mine had need of , and now my work is done , farewell the the comforts of this world , i expect other kind of comforts that i am now going to : so , such a one that is spiritual may die with comfort ; but those that have their hearts overcharged with the cares of this life , they will have the day of christ come upon them unawares . the fourteenth evil earthly-mindednesse , is that that will bring destruction at last , it will drown thy soul in perdition ; there 's those two texts for it ; the first is here in this very scripture wherein my text is , saith the apostle here ( speaking of men who mind earthly things . ) whose end is destruction . they are both joyn'd together , earthly-mindednesse will bring destruction at last : and the forenamed place that for other purposes we have had , in tim. . . where the apostle speaks of bringing them into snares , and foolish lusts : saith he , which drown men in destruction and perdition . some that are washing themselves in the thams , go a little way at first , & then venture a little surther & further , & at length they are over head and ears , and there they are drown , d and cannot recover themselves : so it will be with your hearts if you look not to them ; you think you may venture so far to the things of this world , why ? are they not good , and in themselves lawful ? i get not my estate by wrong , cheating and cousning , and so by degrees your hearts are stoln away from god , and taken with these earthly things , and ye get deeper & deeper into the world , til at length you are plunged over head and ears before you are aware , and you cannot recover your selves ; that man or woman that will give their hearts to the things of this world , and think that they will go no further , but thus and thus far , a hundred to one but when once these things have taken up their hearts they get more and more advantage till they be even drowned in destruction and perdition : a man or woman may be undone by earthlinesse , and be damn'd and perish eternally as well as by adulterie , or drunkenesse , murder , or by any notorious sin , many that are great professors of religion , it 's very like that this will be the sin by which they will perish to oll eternity , the earthlinesse of their minds . do not please your selves in this , that because you keep from those grosse & notorious sins that others live in therefore you hope to be sav'd , your earthlinesse may damn you as well as any thing else : as upon dunghils you cast not only filthy carrion , and such nastie stuff , but your dust , that is swept out of your houses , i may compare hell which is the place where god casts those damned out of his presence , it is ( as it were ) the common dunghil upon which filthy creatures are cast ; now upon that dunghil there are not only carions , and filthy blasphemers , and whoremasters , and theeves , those are as it were the dead dogs carion : but likewise there will be dust cast upon that dunghil , and scrapings that are from your houses will be cast upon the dunghil of hell from the presence of god ; and therefore satisfie not your selves in this , that you do not live in such filthy abominable lusts as others do , but if you have foul earthie hearts you may be cast upon the dunghill as well as those that have liv'd most notoriously wicked ; and therefore take heed of earthly-mindednesse . you will say , by all these particulars that you have discovered to us , there is a great deal of evil and danger in earthly mindednesse . well , the lord keep us from earthly-mindednesse : but you will say , we hope that we are not those earthly-minded men that are here spoken to though we do follow our businesses and callings : we must mind what god sets us about , but we hope we are not of these earthly-minded men that are spoken of here in this scripture . now besides what we spake too in the opening what it was , that might shew as in a glasse the hearts of men and women : i shall inlarge my meditations on this subject , by opening some few convincements , further to convince men and women that there is a great deal of earthly-mindednesse in them . and for preparation i will lay down this . first . that a man or woman may be earthly minded , and yet little think of it themselves , not know that they are so : yea , and it may be even perisheternally through their earthly-mindednesse , and not know of it themselves . six things may be wrought in a man , and yet earthly minded . . a man may have his judgment convinc'd that there is a vanity in all things in this world , and yet be an earthly-minded man for all this : many think they are not earthly-minded , why ? because they are convinc'd that all these things are vanity ; come and speak to them about the things of this world , and they will acknowledg there 's a vanity in all these things , that they are vanity of vanities , al is vanity . . a man may have some kind of contentment in his estate , and yet have an earthly mind ; at the . of gen. . verse , esau that was one of the earth , yet he said he had enough , yet certainly one of an earthly spirit , and his portion was in the earth : how many of you come so far as esau did ? to say for your estates , you have enough : oh 't is a shame for those that are professors of religion , and would seem to be of the seed of jacob , and yet they can never say they have enough , when as an esau can say , he hath enough : i have enough my brother . men and women may speak very great words about the vanity of all the things of this world : when you come to discourse , you may ( i say ) discourse much about them , and yet have a very earthly spirit . . a man may be free from getting any thing of this world by false waies , by deceit , by injustice , &c. and yet be earthly for all that . . through some predominate lust some other way , a man may seem to despise some earthly thing : as manie men that have a lust of ambition , will seem to despise money ; that hath a lust to shew themselves to be generous ; and those that have a lust of sensualitie will seem to despise the things of the world ? manie a man through one lust will seem as if he would hate the other , though the truth is , he doth not hate it as a sin , but for the practice of it his heart is against it , not ( i say ) from the dislike of it as a sin against god , but because it is opposite to some other lust that he hath ; as your prodigals , your young spendthrifts , they will speak against covetousness as if they hated that sin , whereas the truth is , no wicked man hates any sin any further than one sin crosses another , so much he may hate it but not as a sin , in the . of isa . . behold ( saith the text ) i will stir up the medes against them , which shall not regard silver , and as for gold they shall not delight in it : the medes they were heathen wicked people that had no grace in them at all , and yet ( the text saith ) they shall not regard silver , and for gold they shall not delight in it ; some men they think it i● through the work of grace , and because they find that they are above that base covetousness that they see in other men , they do not regard silver and gold , and to be getting all for themselves , and they dispise those men that are of such a base covetous way , and upon that they think their condition good because they think they are got above that lust ; but ye see it is no other than that a mede may get , a heathen may disregard silver and gold , but how ? it is because his spirit is upon another lust , that 's the ground of it : canst thou say this , ( consider what i am now upon ) you that seem to scorn covetousnesse and hate such base sordidnesse as you see in some men : can you say , it comes from hence , the lord hath made me to see the excellent things of the gospel , the treasures of grace that are fountain'd up in jesus christ : the lord hath made me to know what communion with himself in jesus christ doth mean , and since that time i blesse god my heart hath been above all these earthly things , and that 's the ground that makes me look upon all these earthly things as vanity , because the lord hath discovered unto me those excellent and glorious things that are infinitly above these earthly things : i , that 's somewhat indeed , if you can be above earthlinesse upon this ground , that 's a good argument : therefore examine upon what ground it is that your spirit is against such things , whether it be upon the sight and experience of better things , then it 's right : but certainly men and women may go far in seeming to be above earthly things in respect of the sin of covetousnesse and yet still have earthlie minde ; wherefore to give you convicements , besides things that have been hinted . as how a man doth value himself and value others , is it not because that others , or your selves have much of the things of the earth ? can you value a poor man that is godly above the richest man that is wicked ? and so , can you value your selves for the least work of grace upon your hearts to make you more excellent thā the greatest cōmings-in of your estates ? ( but these things we have hinted ) and then , where lies the chief joy and chief sorrow of mens hearts ? what 's that that doth most trouble your hearts ? is it the losse of the light of the face of god , or the losse of an estate , the losse of a voyage , or the commission of a sin ? so , what 's your chief joy , your profitting by the word , or gaining by your bargains ? you have come to the word , and there somtimes god hath reveal'd some truth to you , and you have profited ; can you go away rejoycing because god hath made you to know his law , the lord hath darted some truth into my soul this morning , oh! i go away rejoycing , and having my heart fil'd with more joy than ever i have had upon any bargain wherein i have got never so much of the world : these be two convincements we hinted not before . nine convincements of earthly-mindedness . . conv. for the further convincement of an earthly-minded man , seriously consider this : when a man shall rest upon earthly props , upon worldly helps for the good that he doth expect ; if he can have those things , then his heart seems to be upon the wing , very pleasant ; but there 's nothing else can revive his heart , it 's not a promise that can keep his spirit . now that that a man or woman most trusts unto , that certainly they make to be their god : for that properly belongs to god to put our trust in him ; then we make god to be our god , when we roul our selves upon him. now to trust in earthly things though it be but for the comforts of your life , you will say , i cannot trust in earthly things to bring me to god ; nay , but to trust in them for the comforts of your life , while you are herein this world ; that 's an argument of an earthly spirit : for the truth is , the comfort of a mans life consists not in any earthly thing he doth enjoy . object . you will say , do not these comfort our lives ? answ . yes , so far as god is pleased to let out himself through them , but if thy heart doth rest upon these for comfort , and doth not look higher than these for comfort , even for thy outward support : certainlie thou hast an earthlie heart . and so , when thou art about any businesse , thou hast some earthlie means to further thee . obj. you wil say , god would have us take all outward means to help us . ans . i , but not to trust in any thing ; if riches encrease , set not your hearts upon them : so , if friends encrease , set not your hearts upon them , but trust in the living god , let it be the living god that you rest on even for all outward things in this world . . conv. a second convincement , is this : when men make most provision for the things of this world , both for themselves and for their children . are not these your thoughts ? i do not know what i may want hereafter , and i see many that have lived finely when they have been young , yet afterwards they have lived very miserably , and therefore i must make provision for after-times . thus for the earth . but now , do you reason thus for the things of heaven ? do not i see many that have made a great blaze of religion , and yet afterwards they have come to nothing , they have gone out in a snuffe as men that god hath forsaken , and they have died in horror of conscience ; and therfore let me lay up provision now against an evil time , that i may not miscarrie in the matters of my soul so as others have done ; this were a sign your minds were not earthly . and for your children , god hath sent you children , and oh! how you toile and labour , and your thoughts run in the night , and as soon as you awake in the morning , about what you shall get for their portions , and for an estate for them : now i appeal to your conscience before god ( the searcher of all hearts ) have your cares been to provide in a sutable way for their souls , for their spiritual and eternal estates ? no question but it 's lawful for parents to provide in a providential way for their children , and they that do not are worse than infidels ; but what is your chief provision for ? are your thoughts more solicitous to provide portions for them , than that they should have instruction in the fear of god , an interest in christ , than that they should have grace wrought in their hearts ? you are loth to die before you can bring your estate so clear as you may leave it to your children : ! oh are you not loth die before such time as you see some work of grace wrought in the hearts of your children ? oh! these would your thoughts be if you were spiritual : oh! could i discern but some seeds of grace sown before i was disolved i could rejoyce abundantlie . as ti 's repeated of austen's mother , that the great thing that she desired to live for , was to see her son converted ; and god did grant her desire , and then she found her self willing to die . there 's nothing wil make the spiritual heart of a father or mother more willing to depart from this world , than to find grace wrought in their children ; oh! that i may see before i die my child left under the promise in covenant with god : i , this were somwhat-like indeed : but those whose cares & thoughts are most for these earthlie things , in providing for themselves and children , that 's a convincement that their hearts are earthly . . conv. a third convincement which is very notable ( and i beseech you all to lay this to heart and consider seriously of it ) for this evill of earthly-mindedness is a very secret and close sin , therefore i am the larger in this point : the convincement is this . that man that can be content with a slight assurance in the matters of heaven , but for the matters of earth he never thinks himself sure enough , but is very careful to make all things so infallable as there can be no way that he can be decived in , but he may surely build upon what he hath in the things of this earth . this is an argument of an earthly mind , come to men that are earthly , and discourse with them concerning matters that concern their souls , what assurance have you that you are gone beyond any formal professor , that you are better than the stony or thorny grounds that we reade of in scripture ? what evidence have you that the saving work of grace is wrought in you ? that you have shot the gulf ? that you are translated out of the kingdom of darknesse into the kingdom of jesus christ ? and that your sins are pardoned , and your souls justified ? that you are at peace with god ? what evidences have you of peace made between god and your souls : this answer would be given : i hope i am converted , i trust in gods mercy , sure i have grace , i shall be sav'd , god is merciful . but what evidences can you shew ? they know not scarce what belongs to that , nay , you shall have many of them , because they know not what assurance means , therefore they , will think no body can be assured ; we may hope well but we cannot come to be assured of it : no , a heart that is truly gracious and godly would be loth that should be true for a thousand worlds , they would not lose their parts in the blessing of that , if god would make them kings or queens of the earth . but thou hast an earthlie drossie heart , and doest not much look after assurance for matters of thy soul and eternal estate , thou wilt venture those matters and put them upon a peradventure ; but when it comes to the matters of the earth there thou wilt make all sure , and go from this lawyer to another lawyer to ask council , & to see whether the things are good , and will inrole them ; and if there can be any thing done to make more sure ( if it be any great sum upon which your estates lies ) you will do it . i appeal to you , if you could but hear of any of your neighbors what they had done to make such a thing more certain than you have done ; you would scarce be at rest till you had done so as they have done : is it so in matters of your eternal estate ? do not you hear of many saints of god that walk comfortably in the midst of all afflictions upon the assurance of gods love ? you shall have some will be able to say , i , and it 's this scripture i build upon , and through gods mercie such and such hath the work of god been upon my soul in revealing himself to me , and such a promise i have suck't abundance of honie from . but now generally , come to people upon their sick beds , all that they say is this , they hope in gods mercie . but for the ground of their hope , for shewing how god hath been pleased to bring their hearts and the word together , and what real effects there hath been upon their spirits by the word , that they can shew nothing of : thou hast not therefore got that assurance for thy soul and eternal estate as others have got , and yet thou canst go on quietly , oh! it concerns thee that art so busie in making all sure for thy outward estate , to spend more thoughts and care in the matters of thy soul and eternal estate than ever thou hast done , here 's an earthly-minded man that can be contented with slight assurance for the matters of his soul , and satisfied with no kind of assurance in the matters of the world , but would fain make those things more and more sure continually . . conv. further , an earthly-minded man may be convinc'd of his earthlinesse in this , he is content with a little degree of sanctification , but for the matters of the world , still he would fain have more and more . he looks at those that are the most eminent that are in his rank , and he would fain get up as high as they in the things of this life , but in matters of religion he looks at the lowest christians , and is content to be as low as they ; take an earthly-minded man that is of such a trade , if there be any of his profession or calling that had as little to begin as he , and thrive better , he would fain get up as high as he , and is troubled that he is not so rich as he is ; thus it is in the world . but now , take them in matters of god , there 's such men that began since you began , and had as little means for the good of their souls as you have had , they are thriven and got beyond you abundantly in the matters of god , and doth this trouble you ? and are your thoughts solicitous about this ? oh! that i could attain to that degree of grace as such a one hath got , such an one hath a spiritual mind , and full of the joy of the holy ghost , and full of faith , he is able to depend upon god in the want of all outward comforts , and certainly injoyes much communion with god ; but i am far beneath such and such : do these thoughts trouble you ? it is ordinary for earthly spirits , if they look but at any one that makes profession of religion that is low in his profession , i did as such a one doth ; and i have as much as they have , and that satisfies them , they look upon the meanest christans , and are satisfied that they are like them ; but for the matters of the world they look upon the highest , and are not satified except they come and attain to what they attain to : and that 's a fourth evidence . . conv. then a fift is this , earthly-minded men are very wise in matters of the world , but in matters that are spiritual there they are very weak and simple . you shall have many men , ( which i have wondered at sometimes to see ) that in matters concerning religion there they are very ignorant , if they do but speak in points of saving knowledge they speak like children , so that one would wonder where their understandings were ; now turn such men to the matters of the world , oh! how wise are they in their generation , oh! how subtile , and crafty are they , they can see an objecton there and know how to answer it , they can discern any thing that will let them in their profit , many miles off , and can prevent whereas others cannot ; but now in those things that hinder their souls , they cannot foresee things there , they are wise in their generation , and they have memories for the matters of the world , they can understand things , and remember things , and they can meditate there , but put them to meditate on a point of religion , they are presently at a stand : let me appeal to you , do not your consciences tell you , that in the matter , of the world when you are walking from hence to london , you can run in your thoughts upon one business all the way that you walk , you can plot this , and contrive the other way , and foresee this and the other objection , and answer it thus in your own thoughts ; but i do but put this to you , when you walk over the fields , settle but upon one meditation concerning christ , and see whether you are able to draw out that meditation the while you walk over one field , whereas you can spin out an earthly meditation if it were divers miles ; when you awake in the night season presently your thoughts are upon the things of the world , and you can draw them out , and work there understandingly ; but now in the things of god , oh! how barren , and simple , and weak are you there ! there 's scarce any one can over-reach you in the things of the world , but in the matters of religion you are over-reach't presently , every slight temptation overcomes you there . . conv. and besides , you may know it by the discourse and words of men ; . john , . . they are of the world ; therefore speak they of the world , and the world heareth them : their breath is earthly , oh! it 's an ill sign that ( you use to say of your friends sometimes ) when you come to their bed side , oh! i am afraid they will die their breath smels so earthly , it 's a simptom of the death of the bodie : so your hearts do smel so earthly , and it were somewhat tolerable if it were on other daies when your callings requires it to discourse of businesse , but even that time that god hath set apart for himself , you are sometimes discoursing in your own thoughts concerning the businesses of the world when you are praying , and hearing : whereas the communication and discourses of men should relish of what they have heard out of the world , not presently to go and talk about some earthly exchange occurrances , and so loose all , oh! it 's this that hath lost many precious truths , it may be when you have been hearing , god hath darted in some beam of gospel-light into your souls , and you have lost is before you have got home , and so have come to loose the impression of the truth that you have heard , oh! what a seemly thing were it in those that come to hear the word when they depart that there should be no discourse but tending that way ? oh! how often are you in company and never leave any thing to refresh one anothers spirits , or to further one another in the way to eternal life ; though god gives you allowance to speak about your business , yet still if you be spiritual and heavenly , he would have you to have something about heaven or eternal life before you do depart . . conv a. further convincement is this , when spiritual things must give way to earthlyness upon every little business : prayer must pay for it , if i have any businesse , i will take it out of the time of paayer , or converse in the word the less , or hear the lesse ; when as i say , that earthly things are so high as spiritual things must give way , heaven must stand by ( as ir were ) til earth be served ; this is an evil sign of an earthly spirit : whereas were the spirit heavenly , the very first thing that thou would do when thou awakest in the morning , or arisest , should be to season thy heart with somthing that were spiritual : in psal . . how precious also are thy thoughts unto me o god! how great is the sum of them ? if i count them , they are more in number than the sand : when i awake i am still with thee . oh! that were an argument of a spiritual mind , that upon the awaking presently to be with god : when i awake i am still with thee . but now , i appeal to you , who are you withal when you awake ? can you say , lord , when i awake i am still with thee , i find an inclination in my spirit to be upon the matters of heaven , and when i am up , i had rather my worldly business should give way than spiritual duties . . conv. when a man or woman cares not much how it is with the church , with the kingdom of jesus christ , so it be well with them in the matters of the world : when as there are things stirring abroad in the world ( for we live in stirring times wherein god is shaking the heavens and the earth : ) now he doth not much enquire how things are in respect of the priviledges of the saints , the ark of the church , so his cabbin be safe . truly , there need no oeher thing but the examning of your hearts , how they have been these last years of jacobs trubles . we find eli in the time of war he sat trembling because of the ark of god ; he did not sit trembling because , that if the philistims did prevaile he should be put out of his place , and his estate taken away ; no , but because of the ark of god ; that was an argument of the spiritualnesse of eli's mind . and so it may be an argument of very great comfort to you in these dangerous times ; if our consciences tell us this , that god that knowes all things , knowes that the great thing my heart was solicitous about in these evill dayes , it was , what shall become of thy great name : lord , what shall become of religion : what shall become of thy gospel : lord these were the things that took up my heart , not so much what should become of my estate and outward accommodations and relations in this world : oh! examine your hearts in this , whether the care of your spirts be more for the furtherance of the kingdom of jesus christ or for the furtherance of your estates ? but for that man or woman that is most solicitous about businesse that concerns their outward estates , and do not much care how religion goes , how the way of the kingdom of christ is maintai'd , god at this time doth speak to that soul ; thou art an earthly-minded man or woman , and therefore take heed lest what hath been spoken concerning the great evil that there is in earthly-mindednesse , lest it befals thee , and especially the last of all , whose end is destruction , who art drown'd in perdition ; lest hereafter this be the thing that thou shalt lie crying out of , and cursing thy self for , oh! i had a base and earthly heart , and sought the things of the earth , and made my portion there , and in the mean time the blessed god hath been forsaken ; and i have lost my portion in the holy land , for i had my portion in egypt among the egyptians accoding as i did choose to my self . . conv. that the more spiritual any truth is that is reveal'd , the less doth it take with his heart : some truths of religion perhaps he is moved with , but these are as by-words to him , he minds them not at at all . the more spiritual an ordinance is that is delivered , the lesse is his spirit moved with it ; if indeed he comes to the word and there be mingled some earthly natural excellencie , ( for so i may call it ) as natural parts , wisdom , wit , and eloquence , and learning , that he is mov'd withal , it may be some fine story is more pleasing to him , than the goodly pearls of truth that are revealed in the word ; as now , such truths as these , the enjoyment of communion with god , the longing after jesus christs coming ; the living by faith upon a bare promise , the excellencie that there is in suffering for jesus christ : these truths now are spiritual , the mortifying of the inward lusts , self-denial , these things are little savored by an earthly-minded man ; tell him of the priviledges of the saints , the mysteries of the gospel , any thing that is spiritual it is but as a notion to him ; as 't is with men that are upon the earth , they look up to heaven and see the things of heaven but little ; why is it that the stars seem so smal to us here , but because we are upon the earth , the earth seems a vast bodie to us , but the stars seem but little to us though they are far bigger than the earth : were we in heaven , then the heavenly bodies would seem vast to us , and the earthly bodies would scarce be discerned by us ; were mens hearts heavenly , all the things of the earth would seem little to them ; but because they are earthly , therefore the things of heaven , and spiritual mysteries are very small in their eyes . chap. iv. seven reasons of mens earthly-mindedness . i shall now proceed unto the reasons of the point , why is it that mens hearts are so much set upon the earth , to mind earthly things . i give you briefly these reasons for it . first , the things of the earth appear real to them , but spiritual and heavenly things be but a notion : now that that hath reality in it , takes with the heart most ; though men are deceived in this , for the scripture speaks of spiritual things as the only real things , and earthly things as that that hath no being at all ; in prov. . . wilt thou set thine eyes upon that which is not , ( speaking of the riches of the world ) it hath no reality at all in it . but in the . prov. . . i lead in the way of righteousness , in the midst of the paths of judgment : that i may cause those that love me to inherit substance ; to inherit that which is , that which hath a being , othert hings they are not , the honors of the earth are but a fantasie and vain shew ; you have read of bernice and agrippa , they came with much pomp , with great fansie , so the original is : but to an earthly man these earthly things are real things , and therefore he minds them : and wisdom is a lye unto a fool . secondly , these things they look upon as the present necessary things , though the scripture tels us , but of one thing that is necessiary , but yet they think that these are present now , they may have need of heavenly things hereafter : they may have need of reconciliation with god , pardon of sin , peace of conscience , and such things , they may have need of them , that is , when they depart out of this life . oh! the infinite folly of most hearts to think , that there is no present necessity of spiritual and heavenly things , whereas indeed , our life consists in them for the present , this is eternal life : we may come here in this world to enjoy eternal life ; but the generality of people they look upon all spiritual things only as our good for the future , when we go from hence and are seen no more . thirdly , these things are most sutable to mens hearts . it 's no wonder that they mind earthly things ; they are of the earth , and from the earth , they have nothing but the first adam in them ; now the first man was from the earth earthly . the truth is , the happiness of mans estate even in innocency in the morning of the day of his creation in comparison of the things that are now reveal'd by the gospel , was but earthly : take man when he was in paradice , that paradice was but earthly : but then take man in his fallen and corrupt estate then he must needs be earthly , and every thing closes with that that is sutable to it : comfort , it doth not come so much from the goodness of a thing but from the sutablness of the object with the facultie . now the things of the earth , they are sutable to men that are of the earth , and therefore they mind them : the heart will abundantly run out upon that which is sutable to it . fourthly , these things of the earth have a very fair shew in the flesh , they have a kind of goodly appearance in the eye of sence , yea , and in the eye of that reason that is now corrupted by sin ; we have a most elegant expression of these earthly things , and earthly minded men having their hearts set upon these things , it is in the . to the gal. . verse , as many as desire to make a fair shew in the flesh saith the scripture , the words are to signifie when a man looks smug and neat , as you shall have some men dresse themselves curiously , and having handsom bodys they look so trim , fine , handsom , and very brave to the eye of all that do behold them . so saith he , these men that are the false teachers , they desire to make a fair shew in the flesh , that is , they look upon the things of the flesh as those things that are very brave to the eye , and they love to have all things so compleat about them , that they may look smug , and carry themselves with such beauty before the world ; oh! this is their happiness , this they take content in , they seem to have fine estates , and to have brave cloathing , and all curious things about them , this looks so brave in the eyes of the world , and therefore it is that their hearts are upon them , they are here enemies to the crosse of christ , they think suffering for christ , poverty , disgrace looks but untowardly . but now , those that desire to make a fair shew in the flesh , that would have their countenances well wash'd , fair , and beautiful wheresoever they come , and be as sombody in the world , these do thus and thus , these forsake the truths of god , and seek to provide for themselves in the things of the flesh . fiftly , men naturally never knew better things than the things of the earth : and therefore no marvel though they mind earthly things so much : children that are born in a dungeon and never knew any better place , they can play up and down in the dungeon : so it is with men that never knew what the things of heaven and eternal life meant , they can mind earthly things better than those : but when once the lord opens the eyes of their understandings to see into the reality , excellency , and glory of spiritual things , they then wonder at their former blindness in minding such poor , low , mean foolish rattles , as the things of the earth are . sixtly , there are earthly principles continually dropt into men by converse with other men that are men of the earth : . psal . . and . their inward thoughts is , that their houses shall continue for ever , and their dwelling place to all generations , they call their lands after their own names . their hearts are set upon these things , then in the . verse , this their way is their folly , yet their posterity approve their sayings . they are applauded by men , they see that every body do applaud them in these waies , and when they converse one with another , they do converse about the things of the earth , and the common example of men , they see every body following the things of the earth , and are greedy after these toyes , and that likewise doth incline their minds to the things of the earth . lastly , the sensible experience they have had of the sweetnesse that there is in the things of the earth : this is that that takes off their minds from spiritual things , and makes them to mind the things of the earth . but though these be the reasons why men do thus mind the things of the earth , and an earthly-minded man blesses himself in his way , and thinks he hath good reason for what he doth , and thinks all men fools that do not grovel in the ground like a mole with himself , and looks upon the matter of religion but as meer words and talk , let them do what they will , i find contentment here : yet certainly at length it will prove folly , this their way , as the holy ghost saith in the psal . this their way it is but their folly , and in the end the wise men of the earth , those that have sought the things of the earth , and blesse themselves in their way , they will prove to be the greatest fools , the holy ghost accounts them so : in the . of jere. . verse , as the partridge sitteth on eggs and hatcheth them not , so he that getteth riches and not by right , shall leave them in the midst of his daies , and at his end shall be a fool . he applauds himself for the present in what he hath got , but at the end he shall be a fool . chap. v. now the main thing that is still behind in the point , it is therefore to endeavour to take off the minds of men and women from the things of this earth , that so by it i may make preparation to the next point , which is of infinite concernment , the conversations in heaven . but because their conversations cannot be in heaven till their minds be taken off from the earth , till the disease of earthly-mindednesse be cur'd ; therefore we must now propound those things that may help to take off the minds of men from the earth . eleven considerations to take off mens hearts from earthly-mindedness . first , consider this , that all the things of the earth that thy mind and heart is upon , if thou couldst possess them all as thine own , yet there is not so much good in them as to countervail the evil of the least sin , not of the least sin of thought ; thy heart is mudling upon the things of the earth , and thinkest that thou shouldest be blest if thou badst thus and thus as others have . let me tell thee , if thou hast but one sinful thought , there is more evil in that than there 's good in all that ever thou shalt get all the daies of thy life in the world ; and if this be so , that there is more evil in the least fin than there is good in all the things of the earth , it concerns thee rather to have thy mind how to avoid sin , or how to get the evil of sin to be remov'd , and how to get thy sin to be mortified , that concerns thee more than the minding and plodding about the things of the earth : that 's one consideration . a second consideration . a second is this that may take off the hearts of men from the things of the earth , that the chief things that are in the earth yea , name what terrene excellency possibly a man may be crowned with under heaven , hath been the portion of reprobates heretofore , and is to this day , and shall be the portion of multitudes whom god hates , and hath set apart to glorifie his infinite justice upon eternally . shall thy mind and heart be set upon such things as are the portion of reprobates ? will a reprobates portion content thee ? will it serve thee ? art thou satisfied with dogs meat ? if it will not content thee , why is it that thy mind is so much upon the things of the earth ? it may be thou that art poor and mean in the world ; thy mind is upon some little matter : thou canst never expect to have any great things in the world , and yet thou mindest them as if that there were thy portion , and thy happiness , some small pittance to furnish thy house , to provide for thy self and thy poor family ; oh friend ! if it were possible for thee to get the empire of the whol world under thy foot , yet thou shouldest get no more than hath been the portion of such as god hath hated ; and if so be that kingdoms and empires have been the portion of reprobates , why doest thou mind things that are lower abundantly , and let the strength of thine heart flow out upon such things as these are ? a third consideration . a third consideration is this , surely god hath made man for higher things than the things of this earth . oh! if thou hadst but thy thoughts often working this way , wherefore do i think in my conscience hath god made the children of men , for what end ? why hath he sent them hither into the world ? of all the creatures that god hath here upon the earth , he hath none capable to know him the infinite first being of all things but only the children of men , & god hath given them such a nature as is capable of some converse with him , surely then there be other things that god made man for than to have meat , and drink , and cloathes , and here to live a while only to enjoy creatures . do not we reade often , that jesus christ was god and man , took mans nature upon him , and died for man ? surely there must be some other manner of things that are the fruit of the purchase of the blood of christ than the things of the earth ; oh my brethren ! had you but this setled upon you , that certainly god hath great , glorious , high , and wonderful thoughts about man-kind , this would be a mighty means to take off your hearts from the things of this earth , when thou hast thy heart grovelling here : oh but are these the things that god made man for ? had not god higher thoughts in making of the children of men ? do not i find in the word that when man was made there was a kind of divine consultation with the trinity , come , let vs make man according to our own image ? god had other thoughts of man than of other things . and if man were made for nothing else but meerly to dig in the earth , certainly , the thoughts of god about man have been but very low and mean ( as i may so speak with holy reverence ) for these are but low and mean things here that men enjoy in the earth . the fourth consideration . as god hath higher thoughts concerning man ; so the dignity of mans nature , the rational soul of man is of too high a birth for to have the strength of it spent about the things of the earth . god breathed into man his soul : it 's ( i may say ) a kind of a divine spark , the soul of man it is of the same nature with angels , a spirit as angels are : the thoughts of the minds , the faculties and powers of the soul are more precious things than to be powred out as water upon the ground . if a man have a golden mill , he would not use it only to grind dirt , straws , and rotten sticks in . the mind of man , the thinking faculty is too high to be exercised in the things of this earth ; the mind of man it is of a most excellent capacious nature : it is fit to converse , not only with angels , but with the eternal god himself , with father , son , and holy ghost ; and to bestow the strength of such a faculty that god hath put into the soul of man upon such dirtie , drossie , low , base , mean things , as earthly-minded men and women do bestow it upon , this must needs be a great evil . know , the dignity of your nature , the excellencie of your mind , the soul of man it is of a transcendent being . put all the world into the ballance , with it it 's nothing . therefore you know what christ saith , what shall it profit a man , to gain the whol world , and lose his soul ? the soul of the meanest gally-slave is more precious than heaven and earth , sun , moon , stars , and all the host of them : let me add then , all the silver and golden mines under ground ; and al the unsearchable riches of the great and wide sea , yea put all these together ; and the soul of the most contemptible beggar that cries for a crust of bread at thy door , is unexpressibly more worth than all these : now , if mans soul be of such an high-born nature , if god hath put such a spirit which is a spark of heaven into the bosom , for man of him to imploy it in no other use and service , but meerly to be an earth-worm to creep in and upon the ground : this must needs be a very great evil . the fifth consideration . the fifth consideration is , the vncertainty of all these things , vncertain riches . how may any causuality come and take away from thee al the things of the earth that thy mind is upon ? god sends but a little too much heat into the body , and puts thee into a feavour , and where 's thy delight then ? thy body being either too much heated , or too much coold , what 's become of all thy comfort here in this earth ? thou goest abroad , and art dangerously wounded by an enemy , what refreshing then doest thou receive from all these things ? let me tell thee , thou art in the midst of a thousand thosand casualities here , every moment ready to take away all the comforts of the earth ; and usually at that time ( observe it ) when the minds of men and women are most fixed upon the earth , that 's the time that god hath to strike them in those things , they be then neerest to be depriv'd of the comforts of the earth , when their thoughts and minds be most set upon them . as you know it was with the rich man in the gospel , when he was blessing himself , and crying to his soul , soul soul , take thine ease , thou hast goods laid up for many years ; even that night ( the text saith ) this message came so him , thou fool , this night shall thy soul be taken away from thee , and then , whose shall al these things be ? and at that time that nebuchadnezzer was blessing himself in the pallace that he had built for his honor , then there comes a message to him from heaven , so that he was presently outed of all his court-vanities to graze among the beasts of the field . so you may find it in your own experience , that god hath many times then most crost you in the things of the earth , when your minds and hearts have been most glued to them : and it may be in mercy , yea , it 's a greater mercy to be crost of these things at such a time , than to prosper in the midst of them ; for it may be a good argument that god intends good to a soul , to crosse him at that time when he is most earthly . oh! many that have been godly indeed , but yet have bin earthly minded , and have found god coming at such a time and crossing them in some earthly contentment have seen cause to blesse god for thus dealing with them . whither was i going ? i was going altogether to the earth , and minding such things , my heart was set upon them , and god came in in a seasonable time , to shew me the vanity of my heart , and of those things that my mind was busied about ; oh it was a happy crosse that i had at such a season , there was much of christ that did hang upon it . and that 's the fift consideration . the sixth consideration . do but consider what 's become of those that have been earthly heretofore , that injoyed the greatest accomodations of the earth , what 's become of those men in former ages of the world , that lived here , and vapour'd so much in their generation , who but they at court and in citie , and had all the earth according to their desires ? what 's become of agrippa and bernice with al their pagentry greatness ? now they have acted their parts and are gone off the common stage of the world , all their vanity is buried with them in one grave . what difference is there between the poor and rich when they die ? they go all the same way ; only they were for a little time , and flourished in the things of the earth , and now are gone , but have left a great deal of guiltiness behind them ; look but to their example , and what 's become of theme ? and consider thy case must be as their's within a while , the wheel is turning round , which will bring thee as low as them , so that thou ere long must be numbred amongst the dead . oh! it 's a mightie means to take off our hearts from the things of this earth . the seventh consideration . consider further , how short thy time is that thou hast here in this world . that 's the argument of the apostle , because the time is short , therefore let us use the world as if we used it not , therefore let our hearts be taken off from these things ; we have but a little time , and a great deal of work , we have in this short winter day of life to provide for eternitie , now considering the great weight of the work that doth depend upon us here in this world , it may be a mightie reason for us to bid adue to all the things of this world ; indeed if we had time enough for our work , and were sure of our time then we might spend it about trifles . if a man comes into the citie to do business , of great weight and consequence , and hath but a little time to spend about it , he never minds any thing he sees in the citie , never minds any body that comes by him , or any shews in shops , what braverie there is there , but goes up and down the streets minding only his own business . oh! so it should be with us my brethren ; consider the great work we have to do , and the little time that we have to effect that work in , there depends upon our little short uncertain inch of time matters of more consequence than ten thousand thousand worlds are worth and if we miscarry in this little time of our lives , we are lost and undone for ever , better we had never been born , or had been made toads or serpents , or the vilest beasts whatsoever , than reasonable creatures . oh! have you so much time for the spending the very spirits of your souls upon the things of this earth , can you spare so many hours ? certainly if god did but make known to you what eternitie means , if the lord did but cause the fear of eternitie to fall upon you , you would not mispend so much time as you do ; many times though you complain for want of time for spiritual things , oh how much time do you spend in letting out your thoughts and affections upon the things of the earth , more than you need ? the eighth consideration . consider therefore in the next place , that a little will serve the turn to carry us through this world . we are here but in our pilgrimage , or in our voyage ; now a little will serve the turn here for the carrying of us through this world : men will not take more in a journy than may help them . if a man that is to go a journy should get a whol bundle of staves and lay them upon his shoulder , and you should ask him the reason why he carries that bundle , why saith he , i am going a great journy , and i know not what need i may have of staves to help me ; it 's true , to carry a staff in a mans hand will help him ; thus jacob was helped by his staff over jordan ; but to carrie a bundle upon his shoulder will hinder him : now a little will serve your turn , if you have but meat and drink , food and raiment ( saith the apostle ) be content ; and the servants of god in former time , past through this world with a very little , and manie of them the less they had , the more peace and comfort they had in god , and they were the more fit to die . i remember ecolampagius when he was to die being verie poor , profess'd that he would not have been richer than he was , for he saw what a hindrance it was , and so he could pass out of the world with more ease and quiet a great deal ; certainly a little will serve the turn here : we say , nature is content with a little ; and if there were grace it would be content with less ; and therefore let not our minds be upon the things of the earth : we have not so much need of the things of the earth as we think for . the ninth consideration and then further , consider though upon our minding the things of the earth we should enjoy never so much ; yet there is no comfort , no good to be had in them any further than god will be pleased to let himself through them ; they are but as channels to convey the blessing and goodness of god to us : man lives not by bread , nor meat only , you are deceived to think that if you had such and such things you should certainly have a comfortable life , i say you may be deceived in this , for it is god in these that doth comfort the heart , there is a notable scripture for this in the . psal . where the holy ghost saith at the . verse , trust not in oppression , and become not vain in robbery , if riches increase , set not your hearts upon them , do not mind them , why ? in the . verse , god hath spoken once , twice have i heard this , that power belongeth unto god , if riches increase , set not thy heart upon them ; let not your hearts and minds be upon riches , or any thing in this earth : why ? god hath spoken once , twice have i heard , that is , again and again : god hath spoken effectually to me that all power to do any good belongeth unto him , it 's not in riches , there 's no power there for making of thee happy , but all belongs to him . this i confess is a spiritual meditation that earthly minded men will have but little skill in , yet where earthly-mindedness prevails in any one of the saints , this may do him good , whereas the truth is , it is not in the creature , or creature-comforts can do me good , if i had a thousand times more than i have , i might be miserable in the earth , and have as little comfort as those that have least , and therefore let me set my affections upon things above , and not on things on the earth . the tenth consideration . moreover lay this to heart , if you be godly god promises to take care for you for the things of this earth , and to that end that he might ease you of the burden of your care , cast your care upon god for he careth for you , and take no thought for these things , for your heavenly father knows you have need of them , your heavenly father takes care , see how he cloaths the lillies , and are not you much better than they ? now children they do not much mind the things of the earth to provide for themselves , because they know they have their father to provide for them ; a child that hath his father and friends to make provision for him , it very much easeth him ; but indeed those that are left fatherlesse , and friendlesse , they seem to have some excuse ; i had need take care of my self for . i have no body to provide for me : i but the saints cannot say so , they have a father to provide for them , and all the earth is the lords as well as heaven , and the fulnesse of them both ; now the earth being the lords as well as heaven , the earth being thy fathers , why should thy care be so much upon the things of the earth ? let thy care be to do thy duty to thy father , to walk as a child , but let it not be for the things of the earth , thou dost as much as disavow the care of thy father for thee ; and canst thou beleeve that god shall give his son to thee and not give thee all things else ? hath not godliness the promises of this life as well as of that to come ? oh! thou unworthy child that professest an interest in such a father , or unworthy christian that professest an interest in such promises , and hop'st that god hath done such things for thee as he hath done , and yet hast thy heart in the things of this earth , as if the lord had settled thee only here , and put thee to shift for thy self here from door to door : no certainly , the care of god is over his people in the things of the earth , as truly as it is over them in regard of spiritual and eternal things . some men can think , at least they trust that they do trust god for their souls , but cannot for their bodies so well ; but surely faith wil teach thee to trust god for thy body as wel as thy soul , for god hath care of both , and both were redeem'd by the blood of jesus christ , and hath told thee , that he that fears the lord shall never want any thing that 's good for him : now these considerations may mightily prevail to take off the hearts of men from the things of this earth . the eleventh consideration . the last that i shall name is this , that all that are professors of religion , they are dead to the world , or should be so : nay , if you be truly religious you are so , by profession you do professe your selves to be dead unto the world . the scripture makes this argument to take off mens hearts from the things of this world , in the . colos . , . set your affections on things above , not on things on the earth : why ? for you are dead , and your life is hid with christ in god. ye are dead , the apostle writes to the colossians , and yet he tels them that they were dead ; the sripture speaks much of the death of the saints : as it 's said of women that liv'd in pleasures in timothy , that they were dead while they liv'd : so it may be said of christians that they are dead while they live , dead to the world , i am crucified to the world ( saith the apostle ) and we are dead with christ , i find that some interpret that scripture in the . cor. . . else what shall they do that are baptized for the dead ? they interpret it thus , that all those that came in , which were heathens and converted to christianity and were baptized , they were baptized for dead men ; that is , by their baptizm ; now there was a profession that they did professe themselves from that time for ever as dead men to the world , baptized for the dead ; you have it in some of your books over the dead , but the word is , for , and so it is translated in this last translation , for dead men : your baptizm is administred unto you as a sign of your profession , to be as dead men unto the world , so i find some carry it . this is the profession of christians to be as dead men to the world ; oh do not dishonor your profession of religion , for indeed there is a greater evil ( as we said ) for professors of religion to be earthly minded than for any others , and yet how many are guilty of this ? it 's an observation of luther , when god rivealed himself to abraham and told him , that he would multiply his seed ; he made use of two similitudes , one was this , that he would make his seed as the stars of heaven , and at another time god saith , that he would make his seed as the sand upon the sea shore ; now saith luther , by these two expressions there is signified two sorts of abrahams seed , there are some that are as the stars of heaven , that are heavenly minded ; there are others that are as the sand of the sea : that is , there are some professe themselves to be of abrahams seed but are of earthly spirits : oh now , my brethren , we should labor to have such minds and hearts so as we should appear to be the seed of abraham , as the stars of heaven , to be of the number of those that are as the stars of heaven , that is , through heavenly-mindednesse . but that we shall come to when we come to speak of the conversation of christians , how it ought to be in heaven . but now , if any one should say , may we not mind earthly things and heavenly things too ? know there is a great mistake here , you cannot serve two masters , god and mamon ; and it 's very observable that text of scripture , in the . of colos . . verse , mark the opposition , set your affections on things above , not on things on the earth : they are there opposed one to another : set your affections or minds , for so i think it is the same word with that in my text , who mind earthly things . a man cannot look up to heaven and down to the earth both at the same time , there is an opposition between these two , between the earthly-mindedness that hath been opened to you , and minding of heavenly things . i but you will say , for these things while we are upon the earth we have need of them , how can we do otherwaies but mind them ? when we come to heaven , there we shall have dispositions sutable to heaven , but sure not till then ? to that i answer , though christians do live upon the earth , yet they are not of the earth , there 's a great deal of difference between one that is of the earth , and another that lives upon the earth : christ saith concerning himself , that he was not of the earth , it 's true , though he did live a while upon the earth , yet he was not of it : in the . of john . he that cometh from above , is above all , he that is of the earth is earthly , and speaketh of the earth : now christ while he spake these words he was upon the earth ; but he was not of the earth : and so it is with christians , they are upon the earth , but they are not of the earth , they are a people redeem'd from the earth , therefore that 's not enough : it 's true , these things are things that we need , therefore we must not mind them , for so in the . of mat. where christ speaks against taking thought what we shall eat , or what we shall drink , or what we shall put on . saith he , your heavenly father knows you have need of these things ; you have some need , i but you have need of other things , and greater need of other things than of these things , what need is there for thee to live upon the earth but in order to providing for eternity , and of living to the honor of christ and the praise of his gospel ? i say thou hast no need of any thing on the earth but in subordination to higher things ; there is no need thou shouldest live , but for some other end , and therefore let not that be any such argument to plead for earthliness , as indeed an earthly spirit is very witty in pleading for its self . i shall close this point with some exhortation to you , and directions about this point of earthly-mindedness . chap. vii . exhortation . oh ! considering what hath been delivered , i beseech you lay it seriously to heart , especially you that are yong beginners in the way of religion , lest it proves with you as it doth with many that are digging of veins of gold and silver under ground ; that while they are digging in those mines for riches , the earth many times fals upon them and buries them , so that they never come up out of the mine again : and so it is with many that are beginning in the way of religion , that are digging in the mines of salvation , for unsearchable riches , for that that is abundantly better than gold and silver ; now while you are thus seeking for grace and godliness , oh take heed that you be not covered with the earth while you are digging in the world , but keep wide open some place to heaven , or otherwise if you dig too deep there will come up damps , if the earth falls not upon you , yet i say , there will be damps rise from the earth that may choak you , if there be not a wide space open that you may let the air that comes from heaven in to you . those that are digging into mines they are very careful to leave the place open for fresh air to come in ; and so , though thou maiest follow thy calling , and do the work that god sets thee here for as others do , be as diligent in thy calling as any , yet still keep a passage open to heaven , that there may be fresh gales of grace come into thy soul , if at any time thou beest got into the world , if thou spendest one day and hast not some spiritual air from heaven , take heed , there 's a damp coming up that will choak thee . oh! that christians would consider of this while they are here below ! i remember i have read of austin in his comment upon the . psal the . vers . saith the text , they that dwell in the wilderness shall bow before him , and his enemies shall lick the dust : he in a wittie way applied it to earthlie-minded men , saith he , if you do so lick the dust , by this you will come to be accounted one of the enemies of god. it 's true , the scope of the place is different , but take heed that in this metaphorical sence that you do not lick the dust and so come to be accounted an enemie to god. you that would be accounted as friends and seek reconciliation with god , oh do not lick the dust , to be alwaies here as moles upon the earth , they say moles , though they be blind , yet if they be without the earth then their eyes are opened , and then they shake and tremble : and so though the earth may close the eyes of men here for a while , yet certainly there will be a day when their eyes shall be opened , to see how they have gul'd and deceiv'd themselves . and now it 's worse too in the time of the gospel to be earthly-minded than at other times , it was not such an evil thing to be an earthly minded man in the time of the law , when all the promises of god were carried in a kind of earthly way . though i do not say that all promises that were made to them under the law were meer earthly , but they were carried in an earthly way ; therefore you shall find when god promises his people in the time of the law what great mercies they shall have , it is by earthly expressions , as of gold and silver and such kind of things , and their promises for heaven it went under the expression of living in the land of canaan as being a type of heaven , now though they were taken with earthly things when god reveal'd himself to them in an earthly manner ; yet now in the time of the gospel , lift up your hearts for your calling is from above , now there are heavenly things revealed , he that is from above is come amongst us , and the heavens are broken open , and the glory of it doth shine upon the churches in a far more brighter manner than it did before . and therfore gospel-light doth aggravate the sin of earthly-mindednesse , and therefore now above all times should the hearts of men and women be disingaged from the things of the earth . chap. vii . five directions how to get our hearts freed from earthly-mindedness . first , to that end be watchful over your thoughts , do not take liberty to let your hearts run too far in the things of the earth , what time you have for meditation let it be as much as can be reserved for spiritual things ; most men and women think they may take liberty in their thoughts ; why the thing in its self is not unlawful , i but your thoughts will steal upon you and affect your hearts very much : therefore watch narrowly over your thoughts , keep them within scripture bounds . the second direction be much humbled for sin , that will take off the heart much from earthly-mindedness . your earthly-minded men , who have earthly and drossie hearts , they have not known what the weight and burden of sin hath meant , let god but lay the weight and burden of sin upon the soul , it will take off the soul from earthly things quickly ; oh! those men that have gone on in the world in a secure condition , and never knew what trouble of conscience meant for sin , they grow seer'd in those earthly contentments ; but now those men that have had but the weight of sin lie upon them , know what it is to have to deal with an infinite god , in the bearing of the burden of the wrath of an incensed deity , such know , that they have other things to look after than the things of the earth : if god did but humble your hearts , the humiliation of your spirits would quicken you , and take off the dulness and deadness of your spirits , and stir you up to look after other things than the things of this life . the third direction . further , set the example of the saints before you , that have been the most precious servants of god , in former times ; how they accounted themselves as pilgrims and strangers here in the earth : read at your leisure that scripture in the of the heb. at the . verse , these all died in faith , not having received the promises , but having seen them afar off , and were perswaded of them , and imbraced them , and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth : and mark therefore how it follows in the . verse , they were stoned , they were sawn asunder were tempted , were slain with the sword , they wandred about in sheeps-skins and goats-skins , being destitute , afflicted , tormented . who were these ? they were they of whom the world was no tworthy , they wandered in deserts , and in mountains , and in dens and caves of the earth : and yet such precious saints of god as the world was not worthy of . now when we set before us how joyfully these servants of the most high went through all their wildernesse condition , this should make us ashamed of our earthly-mindedness , and would be a mighty help to us . the fourth direction . and then if we consider the great accompt that we are to give for all earthly things ; you only look upon the comfort of them , but consider the account you must give for them : this would be a means to take off the heart from earthly-mindednesse : and consider , what if you were now to die , and to go the way of all flesh , what good would it be to me to remember what contentments and pleasures i had in the earth ? the fifth direction . but above all , the setting jesus christ before you , and the meditating of the death of jesus christ : ( i say ) that 's the great thing that wil take off the heart from the things of the earth : the looking upon christ crucified ; how he that was the lord of heaven and earth , yet what a low condition he put himself into , meerly for the redeeming of us ! the conversing much with the death of jesus christ deads the heart much to the world . in the . to the philippians we have a notable text for that , in the example of paul , he accounted all things as dung and drosse for jesus christ : at the . verse , i account all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of christ jesus my lord , for whom i have suffered the liss of all things , and do count them but dvng that i may win christ . and then in the . verse , that i may know him , and the power of his resnrrection , and the fellowship of his sufferings being made conformable unto his death . paul desired to be so conformable to the very death of christ , that he accounted all things in the world but as dung and drosse in comparison of that ; paul had the death of christ before his eyes , and meditated much on the death of christ , and that meditation had a great impression upon his spirit , that made him account all these things as drosse , as dogs meat in comparison , and that he might have fellowship with the death of christ , perhaps some of you may think of the glory of christ in heaven , and that may for the present make you lesse worldly ; but let me intreat you to meditate on the death of christ , and know that there is an excellencie in conformity even to the death of christ , such an excellency that may take off your hearts from the things of the world . it 's said of the king of france , that he asking one once about an eclypse , saith he , i have so much businesse in the earth , that i take little notice of the things of heaven . oh my brethren ! for the close of all , i beseech you let not this be said concerning any of you , that you have such and such worldly imployments , that you cannot enquire after jesus christ . plead not that you have such great businesse , that you have so much to do in this earth that you take little notice of the things of heaven ; no , surely , the saints of god have their businesse in heaven , ( as we shall see god willing hereafter : ) their city business , their trading , their aims , their bent , it is higher than the things of this earth . there are things that a man may let out his thoughts and affections too as much as he wil : this shews the vanity of the things af this world , that a man had need be very wary how much he minds them , he cannot enjoy the comforts of this earth without some fear : but now , when he comes to converse with heaven , there he may let out himself to the uttermost ; that shews the excellency of these things . and you that are but poor and mean in the things of this earth , be not discomforted , because there is a charg from god that men should not mind these things ; surely there is no great matter in them , as god charges that we should not mind them : oh the excellency it lies in things above which are heavenly and spiritual , where the saints have their conversation . but of this more at large in this following treatise of heavenly conversation . finis . an heavenly conversation . philippians , . . for our conversation is in heaven . chap. i. of examples of godly men , and how far they should prevail with us : opened in six particulars . some reade this particle [ for ] [ but : ] but our conversation is in heaven . our conversation is not as theirs : certainly the apostle doth intend this , to make a distinction from , or a difference between the saints waies , and the waies of those that were enemies to the crosse of christ : they mind earthly things : but our conversation is in heaven : but because of the particle , [ for ] our conversation ; therefore i think that it hath reference unto the verse , for the . and . verses are in a parenthesis , and therefore if you would know the scope of the apostle in it , and what this hath relation to ; ( for ) it is in the . verse , brethren , be followers together of me , and mark them which walk so as you have us for an ensample ; for our conversation is in heaven , to it is to follow : he made a little degression when he said , make us your example ; then he speaks of others , but many there are that walk thus and thus , and are enemies to the cross of christ , whose belly is their god , whose glory is their shame , whose end is destruction , who mind earthly things ; but our ( or , for our ) conversation is in heaven . as if he should say , take heed of following of those whose belly is their god , who mind earthly things , for their end is destruction ; but rather follow those whose conversation is in heaven , for their end is , salvation : that 's the scope of the words . now then from the scope and the coherance of them , follow us for an example , for our conversation is in heaven ; so they are to be joyn'd together : from whence ( first ) before we come to speak of this heavenly conversation that the apostle mentions , we have this point , that the examples of men whose conversations are heavenly , are to be followed . follow us as an example , for our conversation is in heaven . they are guided by the spirit of god , and the end of their conversation is good , and therefore 't is safe to be followed . in prov. . . there the wise man speaks of an argument , why we should imbrace wisdom , because that would teach you to walk in the way of good men , and to keep the paths of the righteous . we should observe the way of good men , & keep the paths of the righteous . it 's true , that the examples of the best men , though never so holy , are not a sufficient rule for any action , if a man or woman doth any thing , though it be never so good , meerly upon the example of another man , yet this that they do will prove sin to them : i say , though the thing be good & thou doest it upon the example of other good men , yet if that be al thy rule , the action wil be sin to thee ; for that is the rule of christ to us , whatsoever is not of faith is sin . now no example can be a ground sufficient for faith ; therefore , example alone is not a good rule . yea , and somtimes we know that satan himself may transform himself into an angel of light : and may for the prevailing of some evil make a great shew of some holiness : and so , many grosse hypocrites for a time have had much seeming holiness in their lives : and therefore it must be taken for a certain truth that the examples of men never so holy are not a sufficient rule . but yet thus far examples of men that are holy should prevail with us . first , they should prevail with us more than other examples , than examples of the most learned men ; let men be never so great rabbies , the example of one holy man whose conversation is in heaven , should be more to us than the example of many scholers . for many men that are learned may be very corrupt , they may go against their own consciences ; as certainly many do . . it should prevail against the example of great rich men , who have goods laid up for many yeers : you should rather follow the example of those that appear to be holy , than the example of the richest and greatest in the places where you live . . it should be more than the example of the multitude , joel , . . you have a notable scripture there against following of multitudes of men , you may see there that multitudes go to destruction ; multitudes , multitudes in the valley of decision . . it should be more than the example of those that are meerly related unto us : as children should rather look at the example of godly men and women though they be strangers , than of father or mother , or uncle or aunt , or the neerest kindred , though their examples be not rules for our faith , yet they should be more than the examples of any others . secondly , though they should not be rules or grounds of faith , yet they should be enough to take off prejudices that come from accusations of men . if men will accuse the waies of godliness , and if there be any prejudices taken up against the paths of sion without ground , the example of godly men should be enough to make us stand out against them ; it may be you hear many crying out bitterly against such a way of worship , and many false aspersions are cast upon it , because it is not a national way of worship , for few there be that follow it . now do but observe what manner of persons do worship god in that way which some cal heresie , are they not of holy and blameless conversations according to the gospel , the strictest puritans ? now though you must not do as they do meerly from their example , yet their example should have a great deal of power and influence upon you to take off prejudices , and answer accusations , and to calm and sweeten your angry and bitter spirits . thirdly , examples though not sufficient ground and rule for faith , yet they should be enough to make us to enquire after those waies , and to examine and try , whether they have any footing in the word , because the followers of them , are very upright and circumspect in their way . let me at least enquire after these waies , let me examine them by the light of the gospel , surely there is some probability that these waies are the very paths of sion , and lead to the gate of heaven , because the professors of them are such friends of jesus christ ; it 's likely that these men should know the mind of god that do converse with god most , that lie in his bosom , as the beloved disciple in christs : is it not more likely that a man that is a familier friend , and converses daily with such an one that this man should know his secrets , his will rather than a stranger ? so all men in the world are strangers to god , but only the saints : they converse with god , they are the men of his counsel , and his heart , and therefore of all men in the world it 's most likely that they should have all the wils of god revealed unto them : all learning and natural wisdom cannot shew the mind of god so much as converse with god , and an holy humble familiaritie with him ; god loves to open his bosom to his hidden ones , to reveal his mind to them ; and therefore when we see men that are godly whose conversation is in heaven , that they walked in such and such waies , it should make us to think it is like there is , more good in these waies than i am aware of at the present , it 's like that such men as god smiles upon , that they should know the mind of god more than other men : therefore though i will not presently conclude it 's the mind of god , and do it meerly because they do it , yet i 'le examine and search whether it be not the mind of god or no according to the scriptures . fourthly , the example of godly men should prevail thus far , to make us to take heed that we do not oppose those waies except we have very cleer ground to the contrary : then we may oppose them as paul opposed peter , and resisted him to the face , because he did not go in a right way : let men be never so holy and godly , yet they may be opposed in their way ; if upon any examination you see cleerly this is not the way of god , i find it to be otherwise , not others think it 's not the way of god , and such and such are of a contrary mind ; no , but i have been examining it by the word of god , and laying the rule to my conscience , and my conscience to that , and i find it to be disagreeing to the mind of god , then ye may speak or write against it , but do it not otherwise . if ye see men holy , men whose conversations be in heaven , don't oppose it because men do , be sure your ground be good , and you be cleer in it if you do oppose it , otherwise you may be in danger of fighting against god when you oppose them : therefore make so much use of the example of godly , holy men , as not to oppose the way but upon cleer scripture-evidence to the contrary . fiftly , the example of godly men should prevail thus far with us , as to prepare us to let in any truth that they do profess and practice . when we come to examine what is in the waies of god , and heaven , in our examination , come with prepared hearts to let in the truths god shall reveal unto us , the rather because we see such holy & godly men have imbraced those truths before us ; when precious gospel-truths are delivered to us by the hands of the servants of jesus christ , then those very truths in our eye are like apples of gold in pictures of silver , as beautiful as golden fruit in silver dishes . sixtly , the example of godly men should prevail thus far , as after we have examined , and found their way to be according to the truth indeed , then their example should confirm us in the truth : should help to settle us more in the truth , should comfort and encourage us in such and such holy courses ; because we find not only that we are convinc'd of it , and we see it to be the way of god , and have experience of it , but others see it and they are convinc'd of it , others that are so godly they find much communion with god in it ; now this should mightily strengthen and further us in that we go on in the same way that the saints of god go on in : and indeed , it should be a very great grief to any godly man , that he should differ from other godly men , though it cannot be but that we should differ sometimes , because we are imperfect here , yea , and sometimes a weak christian knows that which a strong christian may be ignorant of , ( i say ) it fals out so sometimes , that god in some things reveals himself to those that are weak and hides himself from those that are strong ; so that here in this world it cannot otherwise be expected for the present , till the time that the new jerusalem shall be let down from god out of heaven , and then the saints will be all of one mind and walk all in one way , but till then there cannot be expected but that there should be different waies of the saints ; but yet i say it should be a very great heart-trouble to godly men to see that they are necessitated to go in different waies from other godly men : and on the other side a great encouragment and strengthening when the saints go on in one way together with their faces towards heaven . chap. ii. what 's to be done when examples of godly men are contrary ? if you say , what should we do when we have contrary examples , and both sides godly men ; ye very godly men whose conversation is in heaven , some go one way , and others as godly as they go another way ? what shall people do then , when they see that either way holy men go in ? ans . to that i answer only these two things . first , god by this means puts you to more strict examination of things , and doth teach you by this , that every christian though never so weak , yet should have a bottom and ground for their faith , and practice out of the word themselves , and never did god teach this lesson more strongly than now he doth , that we should all of us , not satisfie our selves in any point of religion , nor in any practice of religion , but what we can our selves find and feel footing for out of the word . in former times christians were very much led by examples , and a few examplary godly professors would carry all the well affected in those places with them , all that did pretend towards godliness would be very loth to go in a different way to some eminent godly men , but though perhaps their affections were good , and god may accept of their good affections , yet certainly they were not so grounded and established in the truth as god would have them ; but now the lord seems to go another way with his people , and puts every one , the weakest , the meanest servant , to search and to find out the truth themselves , and to have the knowledge of it themselves , and we hope the time is at hand for the fulfilling of that promise , that all the people shall be taught of god , shall be taught to understand themselves what are the reasons and grounds of the practice of religion , and those tenents and opinions which they hold , and when people come to understand the grounds themselves , they have a great deal more strength , and they will come to be established more than formerly they have been , this good will come of it . secondly , when you see examples on both sides go contrary one unto the other , and both godly , yet examine but this , which way hath most earthly inducements , for that way that hath most earthly inducements to draw or bias the heart , that way lies under the most suspision ; for men that are godly , yet they are but godly in part , and though they may be as godly as other men in some other things , yet there may be a temptation , the temptation for earthly contentment if it lies more one way than the other , you are to be more wary of one than the other . but that we may passe this point , because it is but from the coherance , by way of use but in a word or two . chap. i rebuke of those that follow the example of the wicked , and reject the example of the godly . if the example of men whose conversation is in heaven is to be followed , hence then are to be rebuked those that rather follow the example of wicked and ungodly ones , if they be great , or learned , or the example of the multitude , will rather follow the example of any than the example of those whose conversation is in heaven : thou doest thus and thus , and yet say , do not others do so ? but who are they that do so ? can you say in your consciences , that you think that they that do so have their conversations in heaven , you will do as they do ? if there be any example that you will follow , they should be such that you can take it upon your consciences , that these are the men who have their conversations above ; you will do as others do , in drinking ; swearing , sabbath-breaking , and in all manner of prophaness ; have these their conversations in heaven ? certainly you that do so , you follow the example of those who have their conversations in hell . but it may be you have some neighbors live by you whose conversations are blameless , yea , they are heavenly , and when you are in your good moods , your consciences witness to them , and you could wish that you might die the death of the righteous ; are there not some that live in the same families , streets , or towns where you live , that though sometimes your hearts are against them , you oppose them , and scorn them , and speak against them , yet when you are in any good temper , or afraid of death , then you could wish that you were as they are , and might die their death ; now will you not follow their example , but rather the example of others , whose examples are in such things as are sutable to your vile , sinful , and base lusts ? we know that these examples of holie men shall rise up in judgment against you another day , the lord will condemn you from their example , and say , did not such and such live in the familie and place where you liv'd , and did not you behold their holie and gracious conversation , and shall the example of such and such vile wretches be followed rather than the example of my saints ? ( i say ) this will stop your mouthes and aggravate your condemnation in the great audit-day : some there are , that are so far from following the example of those whose conversations are in heaven , as they rage and fret against them , and do what they can to darken the glorie of their holie lives , and if they can but have any misreport of them they will follow it what possibly they can to the end that they might eclipse the holiness of their lives , that so they may stop their own consciences , whereas were there not something to darken the luster and beautie of the lives of the saints , certainlie mens hearts would condemn them for walking in contrarie waies unto them , and therefore for relief of their consciences that they may not condemn them for walking in waies contrary to them they do what they can to spew upon their glory , and are glad if they can hear any ill report of them ; and will follow them to their uttermost , and all because their corrupt hearts are against the holiness of their lives and conversations . and then lastly , let those that profess religion labor to walk so as their examples may be convincing others : is there such a power in holy examples to prevail with men ? you that profess religion , make this an argument to work upon your hearts , that your conversation may be more in heaven , that so your example may do the more good in the place where you live : you that profess religion and yet have earthly spirits , and live scandalouslie , and vilie , oh know ! you live to do as much mischief almost as a man can do in this world , no greater mischief than for one to profess religion , and yet for his conversation to be wicked and ungodly , and so to give the lye to his profession . but for that we spake to heretofore , when we treated upon that scripture , only let your conversation be as becomes the gospel . chap. iv. two doctrines observed from the text. thus we proceed to the principal doctrinal truths , for our conversation is in heaven . our citie conversation , our citizen-like behavior , or citie burges estate , for so the word signifies , our carriage like free denizens it is in heaven : now from thence you have , first , that the saints are the citizens of heaven . secondly , that their behavior and conversation even while they are in this world it is in heaven . for the first ( but briefly to make way to the second ) the saints of god , they are the citizens of heaven , they are all free denizens , burgesses of heaven . in the . ephes . . there you may see how god hath gathered all the saints together to be fellow-citizens of heaven : now therefore ye are no more strangers and forreigners , but fellow citizens with the saints and of the houshold of god. they have an heavenly citie here in the church : the church it is a heaven to the saints , and as a type of that heaven that they shal come into to live for ever both with the saints and angels hereafter . and in the . heb. . it 's spoken of abraham , he sojourned in the land of promise , as in a strange country , dwelling in tabernacles with isaac and jacob the heirs with him of the same promise , for he looked for a city which hath foundations , whose builder and maker is god. it seems then that all the cities in the world in comparison of this citie have no foundations ; abraham looked for a citie that hath foundations , and whose builder and maker is god : the builders and makers of these cities are men , the founders of the most famous cities in this world have been men , and manie times wicked and ungodlie men are the builders of them : the first citie that we reade of was built by cain . the builders and makers i say of these cities are men , laboring men : but abraham look'd for a citie that had foundations , whose builder and maker is god. and in the . heb. . but ye are come unto mount sion , and unto the city of the living god , the heavenly jerusalem : mark , and to an innumerable company of angels ; so that you are to have them your fellow citizens , the heavenly jerusalem , that is here in the church : which is in comparison of jerusalem that was in canaan called the heavenly jerusalem , so that they are citizens of heaven even as they are members of the church : the saints of god here in the church are said to dwell in heaven , but in that their citie there are an innumerable company of angels also , that plainly notes that it hath reference unto the glorious heaven of the saints that they are the citizens of ; the saints are the citizens of heaven , there they dwell : in the . of the revelation , and . verses , ( this would serve for proof of this thing and so for the other point that remains , that their conversation it is in heaven ) and he opened his mouth in blasphemy against god , to blaspheme his name and his tabernacle , and them that dwell in heaven . and it was given unto him to make war with the saints , and to overcome them . now these were not in heaven , that is , in their bodies they were not in heaven for the present ; but they are said to dwell in heaven because they are of the church here , and they are free denizens of heaven too , of the heaven of the saints that they shall live in hereafter in a more glorious way ; they are now citizens of it ; and they may be said to dwell in heaven , as we shall see afterward in the opening of their conversations being in heaven . chap. v. how the saints are citizens of heaven , opened in nine particulars . now the saints are citizens of heaven , for , first , their names are all inrold in heaven , they are written in heaven , in the . luke . rejoyce in this , that your names are written in heaven . in heaven is the books of life where all the names of the saints are written . philip. . . whose names ( saith he ) are written in the books of life . secondly , the saints are the citizens of heaven , for they have christ their head gone before to take possession of heaven in their names , therefore they have a right to heaven . as a man may be a citizen , although he should travel in another country , yet his name being inrol'd there , and he having possession there , he may be said to be a citizen though he be in a strange land for the present in his body : so the saints have their names inrold in heaven , they have jesus christ their head that is gone before in their names to take possession for them , and to provide mantions for them ; as in the . john. thirdly , when ever they do actually beleeve , they do take up their freedom ; their names were there inrold from all eternity : and so christ at his ascention went and took possession : but when they beleeve actually , they do as it were take up their freedom in that citie . there 's many men that are born free , yet there 's a time when they take it up : and so others that have serv'd for their freedom , yet it may be a long time before they be made free : and so the saints when they do actually beleeve they come to take up their freedom in the citie of heaven , and are made free burgesses of heaven . and hence ( in the fourth place ) they come no more to be as slaves ; they are not bondslaves as before , they are delivered from bondage being made free of heaven . as if so be that forreigners , or such as are slaves should come to be infranchized , then they have the same freedom as others have , and are admitted to the like city-priviledges , and they are no more to be accounted as slaves : so those that are by nature bondslaves to sin and satan , yea , and such as are under the bondage of the law , yet when they come to beleeve , they are infranchized in heaven , and are delivered from the bondage of the law , sin , and satan , they are said to be free-men of the citie of heaven . fiftly , all the saints have right to all the common stock , treasury , and riches of heaven ; whatsoever priviledges belong to the charter of heaven , the saints have right and title to them all . as in great cities there is a common stock and treasury that is for publick occasions , and every citizen hath some interest in it ; so the saints ( i say ) have interest in all the common-stock and treasury and all the riches that there are in heaven . sixtly , the saints are the citizens of heaven , they have for the present the same confirmation of their happy estate that the angels and those blessed souls have that are rasident in heaven : ( i say ) they have this priviledg now by being citizens of heaven , that though their bodies be not in the highest heavens , yet they have their happiness confirmed as sure as the angels in heaven have , and as any blessed souls in abraham : bosom , look how they are confirmed in a happie estate so as they cannot be made miserable , so is every beleever , though he lives in this world , he hath this priviledg in being a citizen of heaven , that he is confirmed in a happie estate , that all the powers in hell and in the world can never make this soul to be miserable , and this is a mighty priviledg of being a citizen of heaven , he is more priviledged than adam in paradice , for adam he was not confirmed and stablished when he was made in the state of innocencie , but every beleever is confirmed and stablished as the angels in heaven are . seventhly , they have this priviledg , by being citizens , they have priviledg of free-trade to heaven . you know , that free-men in the citie have priviledg of trade more than forreigners have ; forreigners are fain to pay custome and double taxes more than the free-citizens . so the saints , they have the priviledg of free-trade in heaven , for any thing that doth concern them ; they have a freeintercourse with heaven which others have not . eightly , they have now for the present communion with the angels of heaven : there is cōmunion & commerce between the saints here and the angels upon this ground , because they are fellow citizens ; and in that place of the hebrews before quoted , we are come to the heavenly jerusalem , and to the innumerable company of angels : there is a great deal of intercourse between the saints and angels here upon earth , the angels look upon them as their fellow citizens , and are ministring spirits for the good of the elect , and they do very great services for the church-men here in this world upon this ground , because they look upon them as their fellow citizens . ninthly , they have the protection of heaven , being the citizens of heaven : i say , they have heavens protection . as one that is a citizen , he hath the protection of the law of the citie , & of the power of the citie to defend him ; hence we reade of paul , that because he was a roman it was dangerous to meddle with him , as in the . of acts . verse , as they bound him with thongs , paul said unto the centurion that stood by , is it lawful for you to scourge a man that is a roman , and uncondemned ? as if he should say , take heed what you do , i am free of the citie of rome : and mark , ( saith the scripture ) when the centurion heard that , he went and told the chief captain , saying , take heed what thou doest , for this man is a roman , he hath the protection of the city . thus the saints are citizens of heaven , they are not romans , but of the heavenly jerusalem , and when any are about to wrong one of them , they had need take heed what they do for he is a citizen of heaven , the king of heaven is his king to protect him ; and he sits and laughs at the enemies of the church : and the very angels themselves they are their guard , to guard all these citizens , and to protect them , and this is the comfortable estate of all the people of god , that they are the citizens of heaven . our city converse . all this i note out of the signification of the word in the original , and without the understanding of the propriety of the language , and the word , we should not have the understanding of this truth . wheresore my brethren it being thus , it should teach all the people of god to walk as becomes citizens , not to be rude in their behavior ; 't is a dishonor to citizens to be rude in their behavior , it 's enough for country people that never had any education to be rude ; but certainly the saints of god , they have the education of heaven ( this may be added for a tenth particular ) they have the holy ghost to be their instructer , to bring them up in holy and good manners that is sutable to heaven , this the saints have ; and manifest it in your conversations , be not rude in your way , prize your priviledg of being a citizen of heaven ; it 's that that cost jesus christ dear to purchase this infranchizement and liberty for you : we reade in the . of the acts of the captain when he heard that paul was a roman , in the . verse : their chief captain came and said to him , tell me , art thou a roman ? he said , yea. and the chief captain answered , with a great sum obtained i this freedom . and paul answered , i was free-born . they were wont to give great sums to purchase freedoms of the city . oh! this city that here we are speaking of , hath such priviledges as is beyond any in the world : and no man or woman can come to be free of this city but it is by a great purchase : no man can say as paul did here , that he was born free ; no , but if he came to be free of heaven it was with a great purchase , it was with the purchase of the blood of jesus christ that was more worth than all the world . and if the son makes you free , then you shall be free indeed , and therefore prize this as a great mercie ; while you live here in this world , account it as a great mercie that you are a citizen of heaven , account your happiness to consist there , it is more than to have house and lands here ; for a man to have a freedom of some citie , it is more than to have house and land in the wilderness : what though the lord doth order things so as while thou livest in the wilderness of this world thou hast no habitation of thine own , yet certainly the lord hath made thee free of heaven , it was purchased for thee by the blood of jesus christ : now by that price that it cost thou mayest conclude that there is some great matter in it , that thou art a free denizen of heaven . chap. vi. how the saints have their conversation in heaven , opened in nine particulars . but now , our conversation should be answerable ; and now we come more fully up to the scope of the apostle ; but our conversation is in heaven . the conversations of the saints that are free citizens of heaven ought to be answerable ; though their co-habitations be in this world , yet their conversation it should be in heaven ; in the . of dan. . . there you reade of the excellent estate of the saints , but the saints of the most high shall take the kingdom , and possess the kingdom for ever : that that is translated here , the saints of the most high , it is not only meant of the most high god , but the saints of the high places , so 't is translated by some , for the saints are the saints of high places in regard of their interest in heaven , and in regard of their conversations sutable to the place , in the . ephe. . and hath raised us up together , and made us sit together in heavenly places in christ jesus . the saints are set in heavenly places , heavenly dignitie , heavenly privileges , heavenly prerogatives , yea , and they themselves may be said to be in heavenly places though their bodies be upon the earth , their souls are in heavenly places , their conversation is in heaven , they are the saints of the high god , and they are set in high places . you will say , what is this conversation that is in heaven that is here spoken of . i shall open it in these particulars . the first is , the aim and scope of their hearts , it is heaven-ward that the saints look at , as their aim and scope is heaven , they look upon themselves in this world as pilgrims and strangers , heaven 's their home , and their eye is there , their end , their scope , whatsoever they do it is for heaven some way or other to fit them for heaven , and to lay in for heaven against they shall come and live there , their conversation therefore is in heaven : all that they do , eating , drinking , going about their business , yet i say their aim it is heaven . i remember it 's reported of anaragorus a philosopher , that being asked wherefore he liv'd , he said , he was born to contemplate the heavens , he made it the end of his life for which he was born to contemplate heaven ; being a phylosopher and having understanding in the motions of the heavens , he took such delight in it , that he accounted it the end for which he was born . so the saints look at heaven as their center that they aim at , that 's their scope : we ( saith the apostle ) do not look at things that are seen , but at things that are not seen , nothing in the earth is our scope , but heaven is our scope , and so their conversations may be said to be in heaven in that respect . secondly , their conversations are in heaven , for they are acted by heavenly principles in all their waies . heavenly principles you will say , what are they ? this is a heavenly principle , that god is all in all : that 's a principle that the saints are guided by , in heaven they look upon god to be all in all unto them , so do the saints here , in what they do , in what they are , in what they enjoy , they act upon this principle , that it's god that is all in all , whatsoever i see in the creature , yet it 's god that is all in all to me , i act by vertue of this principle . that god the infinite first-being , is infinitely worthy of all love for himself , that 's a heavenly principle : the saints that are in heaven , they look upon the infinite excellencie and glorie of god , they look upon him as the first-being of all things , having all excellencie , and glorie enough to satisfie all creatures for ever , and look upon him as infinitly worthy of all love and service for himself ; know this is a heavenly principle : so the saints their conversation is in heaven , they are acted by heavenly principles ; i look upon such and such things in the world whereby i may go in credit , encrease , or comfort , this is an earthly principle : but when my heart is so upon god , that it looks upon him as infinitly excellent and worthy of all love , service , fear , honor , and worship for himself alone , whatsoever becomes of the creature god is worthy of all for that infinite excellencie in himself ; this is a heavenly principle : and for one to be acted in his life by such a principle as this is , this is to be acted by heavenly principles , not by such low , and base principles as the men of the world are , but by heavenly principles . thirdly , their conversations are in heaven . for here though they live in the world , they have communion with the god of heaven that is above in the whol course of their lives . in the . epistle by john . chap. you have divers excellent expressions about our communion with god. in the . verse , that which we have seen and heard declare we unto you , that ye also may have fellowship with us , and truly , our fellowship is with the father , and with his son jesus christ . and then in another scripture we reade of the communion of the holy ghost , thereis communion with the father , son , and holy ghost . now what makes heaven but god ? we say , where the king is there 's the court , where god is there 's heaven , let god be where he will. there is some controversie among some , where the saints shall be after the resurrection ; some think it shall be still here , and yet with all the glory that the scripture speaks of . now it 's no great matter where it be , so it be where god is , those that have communion with god , they are in heaven , their conversation is in heaven : now it 's that that is the life of the saints , their communion with god ; thy life it is to have communion with the creature , that is for thee to close with the contents of the creature , and the faculty that is in man to tast any thing , or to have any delight in any thing in this world , when there is a sutable object to the facultie , that 's his communion with the creature ; as now a drunkard , there is a kind of communion that he hath meerly with lude company , and with the creature to please his sence for a while , there 's all the communion that he hath : but what a different conversation is this , for one meerly to please his sence in meat and drink a little while , and another to have communion with father , son , and holy ghost ? the saints here in this world have not an imaginary but a real communion with the father son and holy ghost . communion , you will say , what 's that ? by communion with god we mean this , the acting of the soul upon god , and the receiving in the influence of the goodness and love and mercy of god into the soul : when there is a mutual acting of the soul upon god and god upon the soul again ; as when friends have communion one with another , that is , that one acts for the comfort of the other , there is a mutual imbracing and opening of hearts one upon another for the satisfying of the spirits one of another : so communion with god is the mutual actings of the soul upon god , and god upon the soul again : the saints they see the face of god , and god delights in the face of the saints : and they let out their hearts to god , and god lets out his heart to them . we cannot expresse this to strangers , a stranger shall not meddle with this joy , this is a mystery , a riddle to the carnal world . do but you consider this , that what communion you have with your lude company , to sit , and eat , and drink , and play , and tell stories all day long , this you think is a brave life ; but now , that the communion of the saints is raised higher , and the comfort of the saints is not in such poor , low , base things as thine is , the saints have comfort in god the father , son , and holy ghost , in an infinite higher way , and in that respect their conversations are said to be in heaven : and especially when they are with god in his ordinances they cannot be content except they have communion with god there , it 's notenough for them to call upon the name of god , to kneel down and to use some humble broken hearted expressions ; oh but , what communion have i with god and jesus christ and the holy ghost in my duties at this time ! i come to the word and other ordinances , oh! but what communion have i with god in them ? i cannot be satisfied except i tast and see how good the lord is ; i cannot go abroad about my businesse but with a heavy heart except i hear some thing from heaven this morning ; all the comfort of their lives do depend upon this , in having communion with father son and holy ghost . fourthly , their conversation may be said to be in heaven , because they do live according to the laws of heaven : they do not here in this world live according to the laws of men , & the lusts of men , but they look for their direction from heaven , what rule is there from heaven to guide me ? there must be some word from the god of heaven to order and guide them in their waies , or else they cannot tell how to sute with them ; indeed while they live in the cities of the world they must obey the laws of men , but still it is in order to the laws of heaven , the main thing that they submit to , is the statute laws of jesus christ the great law giver ; because there is a law of heaven that doth require them for to obey the laws of men that are according to those laws of heaven , therefore they do obey them ; but the laws of heaven are those that the saints look after for their direction in all their waies , such and such a thing i have a mind to , but will the law of heaven justifie me in this ? have i any word from jesus christ to guide me in such a way ? i dare not do otherwise than according to the will and scepter of christ , they must be my rule in all my waies : whereas before thy lust was thy rule , and thy own ends thy rule ; and the common course of the world thy rule ; but now the laws of heaven are thy rule ; and therfore their conversations are in heaven because they are guided by the laws of heaven : heaven is their aim , they are acted by heavenly principles , they converse with the god of heaven , and then fourthly , they live according to the laws of heaven . fiftly , their thoughts and hearts are set upon heaven , as he saith , the soul is where it loves rather than where it lives ; where the heart is there 's the soul , there the man may be said to be . now the saints have their hearts in heaven , their thoughts in heaven , their meditations in heaven , working there , when i awake i am alwaies with thee ( saith david . ) and oh how sweet are the thoughts of heaven unto the saints ! while thou art mudling in the world , and plodding for thy self in the things of this world , if god should come to thee and say , where art thou ? as he said to adam ; yea sometimes while thou art at prayer and hearing the word , where are thy thoughts , and about what ? even as we say in the proverb , are running about a wool-gathering . but now come to one whose conversation is in heaven , he keeps his thoughts and meditations there continually , meditating on the glorious things that are reserved in heaven . as i remember i have read of that holy man , mr. ward that being in the midst of a dinner , and people wondering what he was a musing about , he presently breaks out , for ever , for ever , for ever , for almost half a quarter of an hour he could not be still'd , but he cries , for ever , for ever , for ever . so far as any man or woman hath their conversation in heaven their thoughts are there , thinking oh eternity , eternitie , to be for ever in heaven , to live for ever with christ and god , and oh the crown of glory that is there ! when will that blessed day come when i shall come to enjoy those good things that are there ? his thoughts will be there , and he is longing to be there , his love and desires and affections will be working there . it 's said of the people of israel , acts , . . that their hearts turned back again to egypt ; they never returned in their bodies to egypt , but their hearts were there , they would fain have the onions and flesh-pots that were in egypt , their hearts were there . so it may be said of many , that though they come and hear the word , yet their hearts are in their shops , their hearts are after their covetousness ; but it 's contrary with the saints , though they live here in this world , yet their hearts are in heaven : as i remember it 's written of queen mary , that she said , if they rip'd her open they should find callis in her heart ; and so it may be said of saints , whose conversations are in heaven ; i speak not of all professors of religion , for it 's said of bodies , ( when paul speaks of the resurrection ) there are bodies celestial , and bodies terrestial , so i may say , there are professors celestial , and professors terrestial , but as for such whose conversations are in heaven , who walk with god , and live here the lives of heaven upon earth , if they were rip'd up , you should find heaven in their hearts ; un-rip many mens hearts , and there 's nothing but the earth , uncleanness , and baseness ; suppose god should come this moment , and rip up all your hearts , and disclose them to all the men of the world , what a deal of filthy stuff would be found in many of your hearts ? but for such whose conversations are in heaven , they would be ready to have god unrip their hearts when he pleaseth , lord , try , lord , search me , lord , examine and see what is in my heart ; i 'le but put this now to you as in the name of god , and let conscience answer , what do you think would be found in your hearts if they should be unrip'd now ? and if your consciences tell you , oh lord ! if my heart should be rip'd up now , there would be a filthy deal of ugly and abominable stuff there , surely i have not had my conversation in heaven , my heart hath been sinking even down to low , and base things : but now , for those whom this text concerns , it will be an exceeding comfort to them ; and i hope that there are divers of you that may be able to say , if the lord should at this present rip our hearts and shew them to all the world , i hope the world should see that heaven is stamped upon our hearts . we account it sad weather when we cannot see the heavens for many daies , when we cannot see heaven many times for a week together ; and we account it an ill dwelling where men dwell in narrow lanes in the city , so that they can scarce see the heavens except they go abroad in the fields . my brethren , surely it 's a sad time with a gracious heart when any one day passes without converse with heaven , without the sight of heaven , and meditations of heaven , and having their hearts there . thus it should be with christians whose conversations are in heaven , they should never love such dwellings wherein they cannot see the beams of the sun ; it 's a most comfortable thing for to see the light , a man that dwels in some dark house , it 's very comfortable for him to walk out into the open air , and to behold the heavens ; oh my brethren ! our souls dwell in dark houses every one of us ; for our bodies are to our souls like a dark and low celler , but the lord gives us liberty to go abroad , to be conversing with the things of heaven that he hath revealed in his word and in his ordinances : and as many citizens that live in dark rooms & keep a long time close to their work , yet at such times as they cal days of recreation , they walk abroad in the fields and take the fresh air , and oh how delightsom is it to them ! the same should be to a gracious heart that hath a great many businesses ( indeed ) in the world , i but on the lords day , oh that he may now enjoy god in his ordinances more than before ; his thoughts are upon those waies wherein he may come to have more of heaven , oh! that i may come to converse more with god than at other times ! and upon that the sabbaths are the joy of his soul , his delight , he longs after the sabbath , he thirsts after ordinances , for indeed his heart is in them , for he finds there is more of heaven in them than in other things ; and in that regard the saints having their thoughts and hearts in heaven , thus he proves to have his conversation to be in heaven . moses never came to canaan , and yet god gave moses a sight of it , carried him up to mount nebo . heavenly meditations are as it were mount nebo , whereby when the heart is raised a little upon the mount , it 's able to see heaven , & behold the glorious things there . the scripture speaks of lucifer , that he had his nest among the stars : a saint hath as it were his nest , his dwelling among the stars , yea , above the stars in the highest heavens . as 't is with wicked men , that when they seem to draw nigh to god , yet their hearts are far from him ; then they are in their shops , they are among their ships when they seem to be worshipping of god : so when the saints seem in regard of their bodies to be far from god , yet their hearts are in heaven in the mean time . sixtly , for the opening of a heavenly conversation , it consists in this , when in the course of mens lives they do converse and delight in the same things that are done in heaven , they make their happiness the same happiness that is in heaven , and make their exercise to be the same exercise that is in heaven : as for instance , what is there in heaven ? there is the fight of the face of god ; blessed are the pure in heart , for they shall see god. and the angels , alwaies behold the face of god. so the saints may be said to have their conversations in heaven because their exercise here while they live , it is in the beholding the face of god , in standing before god seeing his face ; the greatest delight and contentment of their souls , it is , that they can see somewhat of god , what 's to be done further ? the work of heaven , it is in the praisings and blessings of god. what do the saints and angels of heaven , but continually blesse , and magnifie , and praise the name of that god whom they see to be so infinitly worthy of all praise , and honor from his creatures ? then is a mans conversation in heaven when as he doth the same things , when he joyns with angels & saints in doing of the same work , of magnifying and blessing and praising god. what 's done in heaven , but the keeping of a perpetual sabbath ? then are our conversations in heaven , when we delight in gods sabbath , yea and indeed to keep a constant sabbath unto god , though busied about earthly things , yet still we keep a sabbath to god , in resting from sin , and being spiritually imployed . and that 's a sixth thing . seventhly , then our conversation is in heaven , when in earthly imployments , yet we are heavenly : when we use earthly things after a heavenly manner ; it is not the place that god looks at so much , where his saints are , but what they do : though while we live in the earth we use earthly things , yet when we can use them in an heavenly manner , then our conversation may be in heaven though we upon earth . as thus first , when in the use of earthly things , we do quickly passe through earthly things to god , we make use of them , but we do not stick in them ; we make them the means to passe through to god , and get quickly through : a carnal heart sticks in the things of the earth , mingles with the earth ; but a spiritual , and heavenly heart makes earthly things but as conduit● for conveyance of him to heaven , we here carry about with us the flesh , and because we have so much earth , we have need of these earthly things , i but they are means of conveyance to spiritual and heavenly things . and then , when we use earthly things as heavenly , that is , we take a rise of earthly things to meditate of heaven ; upon the enjoyment of any thing in this earth we raise up our thoughts to the things of heaven ; when we see the light , to remember then the glorious light of heaven , and of the inheritance of the saints which are in light ; when we cast any sweetnesse in the creature , if these things be so sweet , oh what is heaven and god then that is the fountain of all good things ! thus to make all earthly things to be but as heavenly rises to us , that 's a heavenly conversation , that in the use of earthly things doth quickly passe through to god , and that makes spiritual and heavenly rises of earthly things . eightly , then is our conversation heavenly when the saints in their converse together are heavenly : when the saints in their converse do look upon themselves as the citizens of heaven , and converse as it beseems those of such a country . when as country men are abroad in forreign parts and they meet together , and there be conferring about the state of their country in their own language , and aboue their friends , and what things there are there among them , they will say one to another , ( as english men ) me thinks we are in england now ; our converse is as if : we were in england . so when the saints in their meetings , they do not meet to jangle , and wrangle , but they meet to converse of heaven , and to confer about their country , and every one telling news of heaven , there 's none of the saints that walk close with god , but when they meet together may tell one another some tidings of salvation from above . when country men meet together in any place commonly the first question is , what news is there from our countrey , from england ; so the saints when they meet together if they be of heavenly conversations , they will be talking somwhat of heaven before they go : what news of our countrie ? what news from heaven ? though they may have leave to refresh themselves being poor earthlie creatures here , with somthing of the earth , yet they will have some talk of heaven before they part one with another : this is a heavenlie conversation when the communion of the saints of heaven is in heavenlie things . the ninth and last thing wherein the conversation of the saints in heaven is , is this , that their great trade while they are upon the earth it is for heaven : though they be not in their bodies there , yet their trading is there , and that 's the special thing that seems to be noted in the verie word in the text ; now their chief trade it is in heaven , the saints that have heavenlie conversations they do not trade for trifles as other men do , but they trade for great things , for high things , in the . of collos . saith the apostle there , if ye be risen with christ , seek those things that are above where christ sitteth at the right hand of god : set your affections on things above and not on things on the earth . they seek the things of god , even those things where christ sitteth at the right hand of god , set your affections on things above and not on things on the earth ; they seek after these things , they merchandize for those goodlie pearls . chap. vii . the saints trading for heaven , opened in seven particulars . now in the saints trading for heaven there are these several things considerable . first , as in trading you know it is requisite in those that are trades-men to any countrie , that they should have skill in the commoditie that they trade for ; so the saints they have skill in heavenly things ; there 's many poor christians who have little skill in the matters of the world , speak to them about them they understand but little , but speak to them about heaven , and you may quickly perceive that they have skill in heavenly commodities , they have a skill from god , they are wise merchants . secondly , a trades-man , he must have a stock to trade withal : now the saints they have a stock to trade withal for heaven , they have grace in their hearts , grace in the heart is a stock for a trade . if you leave your children no lands , yet if you leave them a good trade and a stock , you think you leave them a plentiful portion . now the saints though they have but little in the world , yet they have skill in the commodities of heaven , they have a good trade and a good stock too , they have a stock of grace that shall never be lost , how ever they perhaps may not have those in comes that they do desire somtimes , yet they shall never lose their stock , their portion , and it should be their care to improve their stock for heaven , and indeed then they have their conversation in heaven , when they improve and lay out all their stock that way about heavenly commodities . and then a third thing in trading is , to take advantage of the market for commodities : great bargains may be had sometimes that cannot be had at another ; so the trade of a christian for heaven it is in the observing his advantages that he hath for heavenly things , and those that have their conversations in heaven they are very wise and understanding this way ; they are able to know their times and seasons ; other men that have not skill in the matters of heaven they do not know their times and seasons , and therefore they neglecting their markets , it may be upon their sick and death bed then they begin to think of heaven , and then , oh that they might but know that their souls might go to heaven when they go from their bodies ! i but thou art unskilful in heavenly commodities , thou didest not know thy time , thou shouldest have had thy conversation in heaven in the time of thy life , and so have observed what advantages god gave thee for trading for heaven ; oh that we were but all wise this way , to make it appear that our conversations are in heaven in this respect , namely , that we are wise to observe our advantages , oh! the advantages that god hath given us all at one time or at another for heaven , there 's not any one of you but god hath given you much advantage for heaven had you but taken it , if you will reflect upon your own hearts , the course of your lives in former times , your consciences may tell you , oh sometimes what fair advantages had i for heaven ! how did the spirit of god begin to stir in me ? what truths were there darted into mee at such a season ! what motions flowing in had i at such a time ? oh how happy had i been if i had taken such an advantage for heaven , i had even been in heaven already : now those who do converse with heaven , they watch at those advantages , they come not to hear the word but they watch for the time to have god stirring in their hearts , and they follow that advantage , they watch for the time of the softening of their spirits , and the enlivening of their souls , and they follow hard those advantages , and so trade for heaven , and grow rich in heavenly commodities . fourthly , where there is a trade from one country to another , there 's much intercourse . a man that trades to such a town or country , ther 's much intercourse between that man and those that live there : so a christians trading for heaven is in this , there is very much intercourse between heaven and his soul , every day he sends up to heaven , and every day he hath something from heaven sent down to his soul ! oh do but examine what intercourse there hath been between heaven and you : how is it with many of you ? even as if there were no heaven at all ? men that are no trades-men to the indies , 't is as if there were no such place at all to them . so it is with many that lives even in the bosom of the church , there is very little intercourse between heaven and them ; but a trader for heaven hath much intercourse with heaven . fifthly , a man that trades to any place , if he trade for great matters he hath the chief of his stock where he trades ; though he be not present in his body , yet the chief of his estate is there : if a man be a spanish or a turkish merchant and trade thither , the chief of his estate lies there , in spain or turkey more than here . so it is with one that trades for heaven , the chief part of his estate lies there , he accounts his riches to lie in heaven ; indeed he hath somwhat to live upon here in this world for a while , but there 's his riches , he looks at heaven as the place where his greatest treasure lies . sixthly , a man that trades , is willing to part with something where he is , that he may receive advantage in the place where he trades : so it is with the saints that trade for heaven , they are willing to part with much that they might receive afterwards in heaven : they are willing ( i say ) to part with any thing here in this world , to the end that they may receive it when they come home . a man that is abroad , and is going to his own country , and there he is trading for commodities , he is very willing to part with all his money where he is for receiving commodities in his trade ; or those that give their moneyes here that so they may receive commodities in another place where they are trading : a carnal heart that doth not know the certainty nor excellency of the commodities of heaven , they are willing to part with nothing , but will keep all , they think with themselves , what we have here we are sure of , but that that they talk of heaven we do not know what it is , it may prove to be but an imagination , therefore we wil keep what we have and be sure of that : oh! thou art no trader for heaven , if thou wert thou wouldst be willing to part with any thing here , that so thou mightst receive commodities there , thou wouldest be content to live poorly , and meanly in this world so be it that thou mightest have thy riches when thou comest into thy mansion of glory . seventhly , trades-men that trade for great matters , they must trust much , they cannot expect to have present pay in great sums . it 's true , men that trade for little matters , that trade by retale , they usually take in their pence and two pence as their commodities goes forth ; but it 's not so with merchants that trade for great things in whol-sale : so 't is in traders for heaven , they trust much ; and indeed , the grace of faith it is the great grace that helps in the trading for heaven , they have a little earnest for the present . you that are traders , and go to the exchange and sell bargains for many thousands , you have not perhaps above twelve pence or a crown for the present , it may be only a promise , but you expect the great sums afterwards . so those that are traders for heaven , they have some earnest , they be contented with a little for the present , the first-fruits of the spirit , or a bare promise from christ , this is that that binds the whole bargain , and they expect to have the full pay hereafter when they come to heaven . it is a happy thing when god gives men and women hearts to be willing to trust god for eternity , and if they have but a little comfort and grace now , yet to look at that as an earnest peny of all the glory that jesus christ hath purchased by his blood , and that god hath promised in his word , thou art not fit to be a trades-man for heaven that canst not trust , that canst not be content that great bargains should be bound with a little earnest . but that 's the soul that trades in heaven , that can be content to wait for the fulfilling of promises , & to take what they have from god for the present though it be but a very little , as an earnest to bind all those glorious things that god hath promised in his word . here you see a trader for heaven in these seven things . now put all these things that you have heard together with these ; and you may see what it is to have our conversations in heaven . chap. viii . seven evidences of mens having their conversation in heaven . now then , there are some evidences of christians having their conversation in heaven . as we shewed you som evidences of an earthly conversation , so likewise of a heavenly conversation : that is , some demonstrations plainly to shew , that the conversations of christians are in heaven . in the first place , it 's plain certainly , there are christians that have their conversations in heaven ; first , because there are christians that can vilifie all the things of this earth : surely except they had their conversations higher than the earth they could not so vilifie the things of the earth . it 's an evidence of the height of heaven , that a man is lifted up very high , that shall look vpon the very globe of the earth as a very punctum , as a little thing : so an evidence that the hearts of the saints are on high when they can look on the things of the earth as smal ; it 's true , we that are upon the earth look upon the stars as small , and the earth as great ; but if we were in heaven we would look upon the stars as great and the earth as small , as paul did , accounted all things but as dung and drosse , dogs meat , for the excellency of the knowledge of jesus christ : and luther , that accounted the whol turkish empire but a crumb that the great master of the family casts to his dog : surely here 's an argument that the saints have their conversations in heaven that can look upon the things of the earth as so mean , and so little , as indeed they are . a second evidence is this , that they can be content with so little in this world , and can live such comfortable lives in the enjoyment of so little ; perhaps you cannot tell how to have comfortable lives except you have so much coming in by the yeer , and so much provision : but now , one that is heavenly , a godly man or woman , can tell how to live a joyful and happie life in the want of the things of this world ; though they have but little , though but bread and water , though but mean habitations , mean cloathes , though but of mean esteem in the world , yet can go through the world with a joyful heart , blessing god all his daies , nothing but admiring , praising , and magnifying god for his rich mercie ; and blessing himself in god , and accounting his portion to be a goodly portion , and his lot to be fallen into a fair ground . i verily beleeve that there are very many poor , mean people in this world , yet their houses are more fill'd with blessings of god in one day , than many rich , great , noble men have their houses in twenty or fourty yeers : now this argues that they have their conversations in heaven , that though they want comfort never so much in this world , yet they can live comfortable lives ; surely it is somthing that doth rejoyce them , when they can so rejoyce in the want of these outward things , when their joy depend● 〈◊〉 upon the things of this world ; men that have earthly hearts , if they lose but their outward comforts , they cry our , oh we are undone ! and you may see mightie alteractions in their very countenances , they have nothing to joy their hearts when they lose the things of the world : but it is no● so with the saints , whatsoever crosses they meet withal here in this world , yet still they rejoyce in christ , blessing god , the course of their lives is nothing elle but a continual magnifying , and praising god for his mercie and goodness to them ; surely they have their conversations in heaven . thirdly , not onlie can live joyfullie in the want of manie comforts , but they can suffer the loss of all , yea , suffer hard things , suffer afflictions , suffer torments and tortures with joyful hearts , reade but that . of the heb. at your leisure , , verses , they confessed that they were strangers , and pilgrims on the earth , for they that see such things , declare plainly that they seek a country ( this scripture is to be annexed to the second evidence ) mark , they that seek such things declare plainly that they seek a countrie , surelie there is somthing else that they seek after when they set so light by the things of this world , for the saints are not fools , but there is some reason for what they do , surely there is somthing in it , for they have the same nature as you have , and they have need of comfort as well as you , and had they not some other comfort besides outward comforts , they could not live so comfortably in the want of outward comforts , but they that are content with a little , as pilgrims and strangers : they declare plainly that they seek a country ; that is the second evidence . and then , for the suffering of tortures and pains for the sake of christ . this is another evidence : and so you have in the . heb. . but call to remembrance the former daies in which after ye were illuminated ye endured a great fight of afflictions , partly , whilst ye were made a gazing stock , both by reproaches and afflictions , and partly whilst ye became companions of them that were so used , and then in the . verse , and took joyfully the spoiling of your goods , why ? knowing in your selves that ye have in heaven a better and enduring substance : this made them take joyfully the spoiling of their goods . what ? when their goods were spoil'd , did they take that joyfully ? what were they mad men to rejoyce at the plundering of their estates ? no , it was no madness , it was because they knew in themselves that they had in heaven a better and an enduring substance , and that made them be willing to wander about in sheeps skins , and goats skins , in leather cloathes , as in the latter end of the . of heb. reade but from the . verse to the end : this argued their conversations to be in heaven . if you reade in the storie of the martyrs , you shall find verie often when they came to the stake , still their thoughts were in heaven , and their hearts there , and encouraging one another what they should have in heaven , and of the glorie that they should have there , that being willing to suffer such hard things for christ , and that being able to undergo all with so much joy , is an evidence , that there have been christians in the world that have had their conversations in heaven . a fourth evidence of christians having their conversations in heaven is this , that their hearts are so fill'd with heavenly riches . it is an argument of a man that trades much unto such a place , when he hath his warehouse stor'd with the commodities of such a countrie : as now , though no man should tell me which way his trading lies , that such a man were a spanish or turkish merchant ; yet if i come into his warehouse , & find that constantlie his warehouse is fill'd with those commodities , i may conclude , that certainlie this man is a spanish or turkish merchant : he hath the commodities of the countrie continuallie in his warehouse . so , the saints have much of the riches of heaven in their hearts continuallie , they have much grace , much holinesse , much of the image of god , much spiritual life there is there in a christian , and you may see in his conversation he doth manifest ( i say ) much of the excellencie of heaven , much of the glorie of heaven shines in his face ; surelie his conversation is in heaven who hath so much of the riches of heaven in his heart : the heart of the wicked ( saith the holy ghost ) is little worth : look into the heart of a wicked man , or woman what is there : thy heart that should be thy storehouse , what is it fill'd withal ? it's fill'd with dirt , and drosse , and filth , and uncleanness , the hearts of wicked men are stored with those things : but now , look into the hearts of the saints , they are fill'd with god , with christ , with the holie ghost , with grace , that shews that they have traded much in heaven ; in a constant way you shal find their hearts fild with grace , and manifesting much in their lives , and therefore , surelie their conversation is in heaven . a fifth evidence is this , that they are willing to purchase the priviledges of heaven at so dear a rate ; namely , the ordinances that are part of the priviledges of the kingdom of heaven . now the ordinances that are the means whereby they come to enjoy so much of heaven , they are willing to purchase them at a dear rate , oh how ever i live , yet let me live where i may enjoy the ordinances of god , the wels of salvation , my life cannot be comfortable in the enjoyment of all things in this world if i should be deprived of the breasts of consolation ; surelie they that are willing to purchase heavenly commodities at so dear a rate as the saints will do , this doth evidentlie declare their conversations to be in heaven . sixtlie , when they are so sensible of the stoppages between heaven and their own souls . if there should be a general stoppage of ships that are in france , turkie , or spain , your countriemen are not sensible at all of it ; but your merchants i 'le warrant you would be sensible enough of it , and when they come together upon the exchange , al their converse would be of it . so it is with those that have their conversations in heaven ; and here 's a great difference between those and those that are earthlie minded ; tell those that are earthlie of anie stoppage in the intercourse between them and heaven , and they know not what you mean , they think you are fools and mad : but the saints they are sensible of it , oh it is a sore and sad evil to them , i mean , when at anie time god hides his face from them , when at anie time they go into the presence of god & can hear nothing from him , can receive no letters from heaven ( as i may so say . ) if the post doth not come from such a countrie , the merchants are troubled at it . so when the saints send up their prayers to heaven by which they trade thither and can hear nothing from god again ; and when they cannot feel those influences from heaven let into their souls as heretofore sometimes they have done , oh! they bewail this as a great evil that is upon them above any evil in the world , that influences of heaven are stop'd , and that god seems to be a stranger unto them , oh these things they complain of one to another , and they make their moans when they feel the stoppages of heaven ; this plainlie declares , that they are traders for heaven , and that their conversations are there . the last evidence of a saints having his conversation in heaven is ; his willingness to die , to depart this world : the going out of this world with so much comfort , joy , peace , and triumph as many of the saints have done ; as we might give you the expressions of many of the saints when they were readie to die , rejoycing at the hope of eternal life , at their going out of the world ; surely had they not conversed in heaven while they lived here , their souls would not have been so willing to have departed out of their bodies . a man that hath nothing to do in another country , it may be shall be there as a dead man , he goes but with little joy thither : but now , a man that hath had trading to another country , and he hath great riches , and so thriven there , that whatsoever he seems to be here , yet there he is a great man : oh! how comfortably doth that man go to the country ! how glad is he when he takes ship and sees a fair gale , and prosperous wind to carry him to that country ! and so it is with the saints who have their conversations in heaven , because they have so much riches there , when they come to die they die with joy , and blesse god for that day as the most blessed day that they have seen ; for they are going now to the country that they have been trading to all their daies , and where their riches lies . these are the evidences and demonstrations that the saints have their conversations in heaven . chap. ix . four reasons why the saints have their conversations in heaven . but now , if you demand the reason , why it is that the saints have their conversations in heaven ? to that i answer briefly thus . the first reason . because their souls that are their better part , they are from heaven . you know , that when god made man , he breathed into his nostrils the breath of life . the soul of man , it is as it were , the breath of god : god did not say of mans soul as of other creatures , let it be made , let there be a soul in mans body . no , but when he had formed the body , he breathed the soul into him . it was to note , that the soul of man had a more heavenly , and divine original , than any of the other creatures that are here in this world ; and because the original it is so divine , and heavenly , therefore it is , that when the soul is ( as it were ) its self , is set at liberty , it would be at its original : indeed , though mans soul be of a divine , and heavenly nature , yea through the fall of man , so it is , that the soul of man is even almost turned to be flesh , and so mingled with unclean drossie things as if it had no such divine and heavenly original ? and therefore a natural man is called flesh , that that is born of the flesh , is flesh ; as if he had no soul at all : for i say , the soul of man through his fall , the nature of it seemed to be changed , it is at least depressed down to such vile things , as if it never had such a divine and heavenly original . but now , when god works grace in the soul , the soul of man begins to return to its self , and to know its self , and begins to return to its own nature that it had in its first creation : and as soon as ever the soul begins to know its self , it looks then presently at all these things that are here below as vile things in comparison , as contemptable ; for indeed , all these things in this world are infinitly beneath the soul of a man : [ infinitly ] that is , in comparison , we may even call it an infinite distance between mans soul and all these things that are here below in the world ; the soul of man is neer unto god himself , and therefore when as the soul returne unto its self , it would be some where else than where it is , and would converse with those things that are sutable to its original . as it is with a man that hath a noble birth , suppose a prince is got into another country , and there being a child , is used like a slave , set to rake channels , and such mean imployment ; now all the while that he is there and not know his original , he minds nothing but to get his victuals , and do his work that he is set about ; but if once he come to know from whence he was , namely , born the heir unto such a great prince , or emperour that lives in so much glory in such a country ; then he that liv'd like a slave , his thoughts , and mind , and longings are , to be in the country where his birth was so high , oh that he might be but there , he should be happy then ; and it doth him good to hear any man speak of that country . truly , so it is with the souls of men , they are the birth ( as i may so speak ) of the high god , of the great king of heaven and earth , being breathed so into the nostrils of man. now through mans fall the soul comes to be a slave to the devil , and is set about drudggery to provide for the flesh : but now , when god is pleased to convert the soul , the lord comes then to declare to a man or woman , oh man , woman ! thou art born from on high , thy soul is ( as it were ) a sparkle of the divinity ( as i may so say ) thy father by creation , nay , not only by creation as he is the creator of all creatures , is god , but by a more special work of his , by a more special work ( i say ) than in the first creation of other things ; thy soul is from god , and of a divine nature , and is therefore capable of communion with father , son , and holy ghost ; certainly , thou never hadst such a divine and excellent being given the meerly that thou shouldest delight in the flesh , and be servicable to thy body , in eating , and drinking here a while ; oh! consider of thy country whence thou camest at first ; here 's one work of grace , to know the excellency of our souls , and from whence they came : surely , if grace do this , it must needs turn the heart of one that is converted to god , to have his conversation to be in heaven . that 's the first reason . the second reason . but not only so , because the soul had a heavenly original , and therefore will not be content with a portion here in this world , but secondly , when grace comes there , the soul hath a divine nature put into it beyond the excellency that it had in its first creation : i say , there is a divine nature higher than is meer natural excellency ; in the peter . . . according ( saith he ) as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness , and whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises , that by these you might be partakers of the divine nature . certainly the apostle did not here mean , meerly what adam had in innocency , i never read that that 's cal'd the divine nature ; though it 's true , there is a renewing of the image of god in man when he is converted ; i but there is somewhat more in the soul of man than repairing of this ; the holy ghost coming and dwelling in the soul in a higher way than it dwelt in the soul of adam at the first ; indeed before it was a creature , but such a creature as only had reference to god , as god was the creator , and man was the creature ; but now it hath reference to god as being made one with the second person in trinity , and so one with the father : and therefore of a higher nature than man was in the state of innocency . and you know what is said of adam in paradice , he was of the earth earthly , he was of the earth in comparison of the second adam , ( take adam in innocency in comparison of the second adam , he was but of the earth earthly ) and so his posterity though adam had stood should have been but of the earth earthly , & their portion its like should have bin but in a happines in this world : we never read in scripture of a heavenly condition adam had been in though he had stood ; but the second adam is from heaven heavenly . and the posterity of the second adam that is , those that are by regeneration made the children of the everlasting father , that are made the posterity of jesus christ by faith are from heaven heavenly ; therefore their souls are indued with a divine nature , with such high principles of grace as it must needs carry up their souls to heaven : if a lump of earth should be so changed as to have a spirit and a life put into it , and to be made of such an airial nature as any of the birds are , this lump of earth would fly in the air presently . it is so in the work of conversion , all men and women are earthly , and therefore they fink down to the earth , and the earth is their proper center ; but when once they come to be converted , there is a spirit put into them whereby they come to mount up aloft : it is not more natural for the earth to fall down low , than it is for the fire and air to ascend up high , because every creature doth move towards the center of it , heavie things fall down because below is the proper place of them ; light things rise up , because their proper place is to be above : and so , the conversations of the saints must needs be in heaven , because there 's their center , there 's that that 's sutable to the divine nature that is put into them . the third reason . their conversations must needs be in heaven , because those things that are the most choice things unto them are in heaven . i should have named a great many particulars here to shew what are the choice things that concern the saints , and how they are all in heaven . their father , god , is in heaven : our father which art in heaven . jesus christ he is in heaven ; seek the things above where jesus christ is sitting at the right hand of the father . jesus christ that is their head in heaven . their husband is in heaven . their elder brother is in heaven . their king is in heaven . their treasure is in heaven . their inheritance in heaven . their hope is in heaven . their mantion-house in heaven . their chief friends are in heaven . their substance is in heaven . their reward is in heaven . their wages are in heaven . all these things being in heaven , no marvail though their conversations are in heaven . and they are going to heaven ; now being that they are going that way , travelling towards heaven , they must needs be there in their hearts , heaven is the place that they shal come to ere long , they shal be there , and they know that here in this world they are to be but a while , but for ever to be there , we shall be caught up into the clouds ●nd be for ever with him : yea , their conversations must needs be in heaven , for they have much of heaven alreadie , there 's much of heaven in the saints , the kingdom of heaven it is within them , the scripture saith : they having so much of heaven for the present , it must needs be that their conversation● are there , and so that scripture in the . heb. . knowing in your selves that ye have in heaven a better and enduring substance . you may reade it thus , knowing you have heaven : a better enduring substance in your selves ; so that the words [ knowing in your selves ] hath not only reference to what they know by hear-say , though this be a true note , that they may know heaven by hear-say ; they hear ministers speak of heaven , and reade it in the word of god , but they know it in themselves , they know it by what god hath revealed in their own hearts , yea , though t●●●● were no books that ever they should see more , though they be not book-learn'd , and though they cannot reade a letter in the book , though they should hear no more sermons , yet by what is revealed in themselves , they know in themselves that they have a more better and enduring substance : that 's a truth . but the words may be more proper to the original , read thus : kowing , that you have heaven in your selves , a better and enduring substance : eternal life is begun alreadie in the hearts of the saints , there is heaven alreadie in the saints ; and therefore no marvel though their conversations be in heaven . the fourth reason . god hath so ordered things in this world on purpose , that he might wean the hearts of the saints from the world . the lord loves to have the hearts of his saints to be in heaven where he hath treasured up such glorious things for them , and because that the saints while they are here in the world , & have so much of the world in them , they would feign be living here in the world ; therefore god doth so order things that they shall meet with little content in this world , that they may be weary of it , and be wearied from it : and indeed , here 's the reason why gods people have met with such crosses in the world , why the lord hath kept his saints so low and mean in the world : it may be you are ready to draw ill conclusions from thence , and to think , i am afraid god doth not love me that he keeps me so low and mean , and i meet with such crosses , and others do not . oh! gather not such ill conclusions as these are ; it is , because he would gather your hearts to heaven , and wean you from the world , that you might long to be with him in heaven , for you are absent from him here in this world , and the lord would have the full stream of your affections to run after those things that you shal have with him in heaven . this use you are to make of those afflictions you meet withal , and those crosses that befall you in this world , and thus we have gone through the doctrinal point , of the saints having their conversations in heaven . chap. x. wee have treated long upon that point of an heavenly conversation , and have opened to you , what that heavenly conversation is , wherein it consists in many particulars : but now we shal proceed to the application of al. though as i have gone along , i have endeavoured not only to speak to your heads , but your hearts , and to quicken what i have said , so as might quicken your hearts : yet from the consideration of all , there are divers uses that may be profitable unto you . the first vse . the first is this , if the saints live such a heavenly conversation as hath been opened to you , oh how far are they from being saints , from being godly , who are so far from having their conversations in heaven , as they have their conversations in hell. there are a generation of men that profess themselves to be christians , & say , that they hope to go to heaven ; and yet if you behold their conversation , it is no other than the conversation of hell : certainly , 't is not what men say , but how they live that will cast them another day : he that is of heaven , or for heaven , his conversation is in heaven : and he that is for hell , his conversation is hellish : now that 's a conversation in hell that is like to what is done in hell , what is there in hell , but blaspheming and cursing ? what is there in hell , but hatred and malice ? what is there in hell , but raging and filthiness ? these things are the conversations of many men who are even devils incarnate . in many families there 's the name of god blasphemed , there 's cursing , and railing , and malice , and wrath , and pride , so that though they be here in this world , yet they manifest to what place they do belong . so that as the saints have their conversations in heaven , when they die they go to their own place , that is to heaven where their conversations were : so on the contrary , the wicked having their conversations in hell , when they die they go to their own place : as it was said of judas , he went to his own place : so a wicked man dying , having his conversation in hell while he liv'd , ( i say ) when he dies he goes to his own place , that 's his own proper place , he took content and delight in those things that were done there , and so when he dies , there he shall go . as the tree falls so it lies . as thy conversation is , and the bent of thy heart is there , so it must lie to all eternity . chap. xi . the second vse . this point likewise , rebukes hypocrites , as wicked prophane ones that have their conversations in hell : so there 's another kind of men that are unsound professors , hypocrites , and they have their conversations between heaven and earth : it 's not in heaven nor in hell , nor altogether upon the earth , but between earth , and heaven , and hell. sometimes they seem to be a loft , above ; sometimes very forward and zealous in the profession of religion , sometimes much inlarged in duties , at other times again they are as base earthly spirits as any , yea , somtimes , there 's much of hell in their hearts , and in their waies , they professe themselves the seed of abraham , but they are not as the stars of heaven , but as meteors that are between heaven and earth : we call them blazing stars ; but they are not so bright as the stars , nor are they of such a heavenly nature as the stars , they are but made of a few unclean vapours that come out of the earth , which being got up neer the heavens , do make a shew as if they were some star in heaven , but you find a great deal of difference between the stars and them in this , for within a little while they fall , and vanish , and come to nothing ; and so it is with many hypocrites , they by the word are raised up a little for the present , and seem to be above the stars , and they have a glittering shew as if they had somthing heavenly in them , even like the stars of heaven , they seem to be got above others : your blazing star , a child would think it a great deal bigger than one of the stars that is an hundred times bigger than that is ; so 't is with many hypocrites , they have a greater shew of religion than many that have truth of godliness , and that are truly gracious , they look upon them as wondering at the excellent parts that they have , excellent abilities , it may be , they will discourse sometimes in an excellent manner about heavenly things ; you shall find some that have no soundness at all , yet will have very excellent discourse , they speak the very language of canaan , but it is in such company where they may gain respect by it , but still are but as meteors that hang between heaven and earth : whereas the truth is , while they seem to be so high above others , and so heavenly , yet their hearts are groveling upon the earth : many times while they have most excellent expressions in prayer , yet god sees their hearts basely cleaving to some earthly thing , there is some base earthly contentment that their hearts are upon , while they seem to be so heavenly , much like to the kite that flies on high as if it were an eagle , but the eye of it while it is above in the air is fixed upon some carrion , upon some prey that it hath upon the earth , and as soon as ever it sees a fit opportunity to seise upon the prey , it comes down to seise upon it , and that 's the place the kite would be at , that 's the place he doth most delight in , to be upon his prey : and so an hypocrite , though he rises high in some actions , yet the truth is , his eye is upon some earthly prey , and when he sees his opportunity , thither he goes and finks down to those things , and that 's his most proper place , there he takes most delight and content in his conversation , though his actions may seem to be heavenly , and therefore he will fall down and never attain to the highest heavens that the saints shall go to , but to hell at the last . chap. xii . the third vse . the third use is this , the saints conversation is in heaven . hence then for shame , let us not find fault with strictness in the waies of god , let not man speak against the waies of god , as being too strict , and what need we be so circumspect , and so precise , and so pure ? what need we labor to do so much ? what ! canst thou attain to a more strict and holy conversation than a heavenly conversation ? it is a very carnal expression that some have , why ? we cannot be saints ? we are not saints ; yes , the holy ghost cals all beleevers , all that have the very least degree of true grace , he call them saints . when we come to heaven , then we shall live better , but while we are in this world we cannot . ye● , while you are in this world your conversation is to be in heaven ; surely men either are not acquainted with the word , or they shut their eyes and will not see and consider what the word saith about a strict conversation : sometimes you find in scripture , that we are commanded , to be perfect , as our heavenly father is perfect ; it 's a strange speech , and yet it 's the speech of christ himself . and we must walk as christ walked , and he that hath this hope , purifieth himself as he is pure ; and then our conversation is in heaven . put these together , perfect as our heavenly father is perfect ; walk as christ walked ; purge our selves as he is pure . our conversation is in heaven : what do all these things tend to ? surely it tends to a great deal of strictness and holiness of life . and these things shew that the work of a christian here in this world is a busie work , that a christian-life it is not an idle , dull , heavy , or sluggish life ; you that are christians , you had need quicken up your selves , you had need awaken those drousie spirits of yours , if this be required of you , that you should be perfect as your heavenly father is perfect , walk as christ walked , purifie your selves as he is pure , holy as he is holy , and to have your conversations in heaven , surely , there need be a great deal of quickness and life in the hearts of christians ; and you are not to content your selves in a meer possession , and doing some little matter in the way of religion , or being somewhat better than others , you are to aim at heaven , look up there , and make that to be your pattern . chap. xiii . the fourth vse . and that rebukes even such as are truly godly , many that yet do fail exceeding much in this thing : oh! their conversations are too low , are too earthly ; if they would examine their hearts strictly they cannot say , that their conversations are in heaven , i am a stranger upon earth , saith david . but many may say , that they are strangers in heaven . whereas earth should be the place of our pilgrimage , and heaven our home ; but it 's quite otherwaies , heaven is rather the place where most professors are strangers , and earth is the place of their habitation , they cast up a thought now and then to heaven , as now and then men will cast up their eyes and look upon heaven , but where 's your heart ? where 's the great workings of your spirits ? it 's a speech of the lord , saith he , heaven is my throne , and earth is my foot-stool : spiritual things they are to be look'd upon as the good things , as the throne of god , & those earthly things only as the things of gods foot-stool : but now , how many are there that have earth their throne and heaven their foot-stool ! that is , heavenly things are made subordinate to earthly things ; oh! this should not be in any of those that professe themselves to be christians , none of the saints should satisfie themselves in any life but this , to be able to say , i blesse god , my conversation is in heaven , though god let me live upon the earth , yet my conversation is in heaven . what an unworthy thing it is for one that doth professe to have his portion and his inheritance in heaven , yet to have the heart so mingled here with the earth ; in gen . . saith joseph in sending for his father , regard not your stuffe , for the good of all the land of egypt is yours . regard not the stuff , do not let it grieve you to forsake your stuff , leave all your lumber behind you , for all the good things of egypt are yours . oh what a shameful thing is it , that christians should regard their stuff so much as they do , that hope to have the good things , not of egypt , but of heaven its self to be theirs ! surely if we have seen the things of heaven , one would think that all the things of the earth should be darkened in our eyes : cor. . . that which was glorious ( saies the text ) had no glory in comparison of the greater glory . that scripture i confesse , is spoken in comparing of the law and the gospel , there was a glory in the delivering of the law , but that had no glory in comparison of the greater glory , that is , in comparison of the gospel ; for in the gospel we behold as in a glasse with open face the glory of god , and are changed into the same image , as from glory to glory : but we may apply it thus ; as the things of the earth that were glorious before in your eyes , yet in comparison of the greater glory , should not at all be glorious ; though before conversion these things were glorious , & grant it , that there is some kind of glory upon the things of this world , that they are gilded and varnish't over , but in comparison of the greater glory they are not glorious at all , though they that never saw any thing else as glorious but the things of the world , yet thou that hast seen the greater glory shouldst not account these things glorious : oh therefore christians , lift up your hearts to henven , and let your conversations be in heaven : though god hath so ordered it , that you must live here a while and must be content , for indeed to some christians that have their conversations in heaven , it 's a great part of their self-denial , and of their subjection to god , to be willing to live upon the earth , and to stay from heaven till gods time come ; this is a riddle and a mystery to many , that it should be a part of our salvation , obedience , yea , of self-denial , though they had crowns of glory , though they were kings and princes here in this world , to be willing to stay here . we might come to attain this , if our conversations were in heaven , and our hearts there . as we reade of daniel , though god so ordered it , that he could not live at jerusalem where the temple was , yet he would open his window towards jerusalem , he would ever be looking that way . and so , though god hath so ordered it , that we cannot come yet to live in this heavenly jerusalem bodily , and in that full way as hereafter we expect to do , yet we should open our window , our eyes , and the doors of our hearts should be open towards heaven . i remember i have read of edward the first king of england , that had a mighty mind to go to jerusalem , but because he could not go , for death prevented him , he gave charge to his son to carry his heart thither . and so it should be with us , we should endeavour to have our hearts there , and to have as much of heaven as we can though we cannot be there our selves in nature : every creature hath put into it by the god of nature an instinct to move to its proper place ; as now , because the proper place of fire is above , there is an instinct of nature in fire to ascend to its proper place . and the proper place of earth is below , and therefore it will fall down to the center ! a heavie thing that hath much earth in it , though it breaks its self to pieces yet it will fall down towards its center : and so it will be with a christian , though he break himself to pieces , whatsoever he suffers , yet he hath an instinct to carry him to his proper place ; fire because its proper place is above , if it be kept down by violence , what a mighty power there is in fire to make way for its self that it may get up , that 's the very reason of the mighty force that there is in guns , because there is fire in the pouder that is kept in , when the pouder is once fir'd , because the fire would get up above , therefore it breaks with violence , and if it cannot have vent to get out , it breaks any thing in the world for it must out , that it may get up to it 's own place ; and so it should be with a christian , there should be a strong impetiousness to get up to his own place ; that would be an evidence indeed that heaven is thy proper place : oh christians lift up your hearts , and let your conversations be in heaven . chap. xiv . an heavenly conversation is a convincing conversation . i shall not need to come again and tel you , what heavenly conversation is , it hath been opened at large to you ; but for the setting an edg upon this exhortation : first , know , that a heavenly conversation will be a very convincing conversation ; then you will convince men that you have somwhat more than they have when they see you live heavenly ; for the men of the world they know the things of the world , are the things that their hearts are upon , and that which they mind ; but now , when they see those that professe religion mingle themselves with the earth as they do , then they will think that they are acted by the same principles that themselves are ; but now , heavenly conversations will convince them , when they behold them walking above in the whol course of their lives , when they see an evenness and proportion in their course ; take them at all times , and in all businesses , they carry themselves as men of another world : as a man that is a stranger to a place , may for a while act it so , as he may seem to be one that is a native in the place , but one that is born in the place , will go nigh to find him out in one thing or other : and so , 't is very hard for men to carry themselves so if they have not true grace , though they appear sometimes to be very heavenly , yet one that is a true citizen of heaven will discern them at one time or other if they have not grace ; yea , the truth is , carnal men wil discover themselves that they are born of the earth , and are of their countrie , his speech betrais him , he is a giliadite : but when christians shal in their constant way have their conversations in heaven , then their cōversations are very convincing ; there are the raies of heaven about them , they have the lustre of heaven shining wheresoever they go , and in all company , surely such a man seems to be in heaven continually ; so it will force it from the very consciences of men to say , certainly these are the citizens of heaven ; if there be any denizens of the new jerusalem while they live upon the earth , these they are . i remember it 's said of that martyr dr. taylor , that he did rejoyce that he ever came into the prison to be in company with that angel of god mr. bradford , mr. bradford's conversation , it was angel-like , like an angel of heaven , and did convince almost every where , where he went : oh! 't is of great use that christians should live convincing conversations . you know what dives said to abraham , that he would have one sent to warn his brethren , that they might not come to that place : saith abraham , they have moses and the prophets : oh but saith dives , if one rise from the dead , they would hear him . i may say thus , if god should send one from heaven to live among men , and to preach to them , surely they would regard him . would it not be a great benefit to the world if god should send some one saint from heaven , or angel to converse in a bodily way among us ? truly , christians should live so , as if they came from heaven every day , as if they had been in heaven and conversing with god. when they go to perform duty in a morning , and get alone between god & their souls , they should never leave striving till they get their hearts so in heaven , and get themselves upon the mount , so as when they come down to their family their very faces may shine , so that you may see by their conversations , that certainly they have been with god upon the mount this day . now i appeal to you in this , do you live so , as that your family , and your neighbors may see that you have bin this morning in heaven ? every morning we should have some converse with heaven , which if we had , our conversations would be convincing all the day long , and very profitable it would be to the world ; christians that live heavenly conversations they are ( i say ) of very great use in the places where they live . as i remember it 's said concerning christ , when he ascended up to heaven , he gave gifts to men . and if we could oftener ascend up to heaven , we should be more able to be beneficial to the world . chap. xv. an heavenly conversation is growing . an heavenly conversation is , a growing conversation . oh! they grow mightily , they do thrive in grace exceeding much in a very little time , they grow to attain to a very great measure of communion with god the father , and with jesus christ , and every day they grow more and more spiritual , having so much of heaven within them : it 's true , when they come into heaven , they shall be perfect : but now , the fetching from heaven is that that makes them grow , it must be the influence from heaven that must cause the grouth of saints ; as now , suppose that the ground upon which flowers and herbs grow , be never so fertile in its self , and the herbs or plants be never so well rooted in the earth , yet if there be not an influence of heaven upon them they will not grow much , nay not at all , but quickly wither : so it is with christians , let them have never so much means of growing below , never so many ordinances , yet if they have not rich dews from above they wil not grow , or if there be any growth , yet either they wil bear no fruit , or else it will be very shrifled and sowre fruit . you know , that fruit that hath the most of the beams of the sun that comes from heaven upon it , that fruit grows riper and sweeter than other fruit ; fruit that grows in the shade , that hath the influence of heaven kept off from it , it is sowre fruit . and the reason that the saints have so little fruit , and that it is so sowre , it is because that they have not more influences from heaven , they do not stand in the open sun , their souls are not presented dayly before god , and have the warm beams of the sun of righteousnesse shining from heaven upon them ; but there is something between heaven and their souls : but a conversation in heaven , as it would be a convincing conversation , so it would be a growing conversation . chap. xvi . an heavenly conversation brings much glory to god. and then , it would be a conversation glorifying god much . oh! the glory that god would have from a conversation in heaven ! let your light so shine before men , that others beholding your good works , may glorifie your father which is in heaven . then indeed the image of the god of heaven is held forth when mens conversations are heavenly , the lord takes much delight to have his glory to be dispensed abroad by his saints , to have some reflection upon the world : as in a glasse , though beams of the sun do not shine upon a wall , yet by a glasse you may take the beams of the sun and cast the reflection of them upon a wal : so those beams of the glory of god that shine in heaven , the saints by their heavenly conversation may ( as it were by a glasse ) take them and reflect them upon the world , and upon the faces of men : the hearts of the saints should be as a glasse taking the beams of the glory of god and casting them up and down where they are , and so your heavenly father should come to be glorified by you . let every christian think thus , my conversation is thus and thus ; but what glory do i bring to god by my conversation ? do others glorifie god by beholding the lustre of the holiness of god in me ? do they see cause to blesse god that they see so much of the glory of god in me ? certainly , there is more of the glory of god shines in the gracious , holy , spiritual conversation of a christian , than shines in the sun , moon , and stars , than in heaven , and earth : i mean , for the works of creation and providence that are in heaven and earth ; the creatures that god hath made , as the sun , moon , and stars ; and here in this world , the seas , the earth , the plants , and the like , though they have much of the glory of god , yet a heavenly conversation declares more of the glory of god than all these . you know what the psalmest saith , the heavens declare the glory of god , and the firmament shew his handy work . it may be spoken more fully of heavenly conversations , the heavenly conversations of the saints , declare the glory of god ; and those that shine in the firmament of the church are stars , ( for the church is the firmament , and the saints be there as stars ) & they declare the handy work of god. now though its true , as in heaven there 's one star differs from another star in glory : and so in christians , every one cannot attain to so much glory as another , yet every one is a star , the meanest christian that lives , the weakest beleever that is , yet should be as a star in the firmament , though he cannot shine so gloriously as the sun , or as other stars , yet there should be never a beleever , never a godly man or woman in the church but should shine as a star in the firmament , but should be as the gospel is , even a mirror wherein we might behold the glory of god , in whom we may behold the glory of god even ( as it were ) with open face : an heavenly conversation is a conversation glorifying god. chap. xvii . an heavenly conversation bringeth much glory to the sanits . an heavenly conversation , it 's a conversation that will bring much glory to your selves : though it's true , that the saints should aim at the glory of god most , yet there will come glory to themselves whether they will or no if their conversations be in heaven : it 's impossible but that in the conscience of men they should be honored walking in a heavenly conversation : there 's an excellent scripture , that shews , that in our glorifying of god , we glorifie our selves also : thess . . , . the aplostle he praies for them , wherefore also ( saith he ) we pray alwaies for you , that our god would count you worthy of this calling , and fulfill all the good pleasure of his goodness , and the work of faith with power : to what end ? that the name of our lord jesus christ may be glorified in you , and ye in him , according to the grace of our god , and the lord jesus christ . he praies for the thessalonians , that they might walk so , that they might have so much of the grace of god in them , that the name of our lord jesus christ might be glorified in them . oh! this is that that all the saints should desire , and endeavor after , that the name of our lord jesus christ should be glorified in them ; and ye in him saith he : labor you , that christ may be glorified in your lives , and you shall be glorified in him . we should desire that christ may have glory in our glory , & then we shall have glory in christs glory : this is a sweet and blessed life , when as the saints have such hearts , as they can say , lord , let me have no glory , but that thou mayest have glory in . then saith god , is it so ? doest thou desire no further glory in this world , but that i may have glory in ? then i will have no glory in this world , but what thou shalt have glory in : christ will make us partakers of his glory , as well as we shall make him partaker of our glory . oh! an heavenly conversation that glorifies god , will glorifie the saints too . chap. xviii . an heavenly conversation will make suffering easie . heavenly conversation , it will make all sufferings to be very easie , it will be nothing to suffer any thing you meet withall in this world , if your conversations be in heaven : all revilings , and reproaches , and wrongs , they will be nothing , if you get but a heavenly conversation , you will contemn all these things that the men of the world think to be such great matters : men that have conversed in heaven , never will be much offended for any sufferings : cor. . . for our light afflictions which is but for a moment , worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory : while we look not at the things which are seen , but at things which are not seen ; for the things which are seen are temporal , but the things which are not seen are eternal . all but light afflictions , why ? for our eye is above all these things . and it 's a notable passage that in the gospel , if you examine the place of christs transfiguration upon the mount , there christ shewed his glory unto some disciples , that he carried with him ; and this is that that i would note from it , do but observe in the story who were the disciples that christ carried with him to see his glory , they were , peter , james , and john ; now afterwards if you compare that story with the story of christ being in his agony , which was presently after ; where his soul was heavie unto death , when he was to be betraied , and to be crucified the next day , and fell groveling upon the earth , & sweat clodders of blood through the anguish that was upon his spirit , & cried out , oh lord ! if it be possible let this cup pass from me . here 's a great deal of difference between christ in his agony , and upon the mount in his transfiguration ; and observe , that christ would have none of his disciples see him in his agony , but peter , james , and john , only those three that saw him in his transfiguration upon the mount in his glory . the note from hence is , that those that can converse much with christ in glory , can converse with christ in heaven , can see heaven , they may be permitted to see christ in his agony and it will do them no hurt . but now , for the other disciples that did not see christ in his glory , if they had seen christ in his agony , it might have offended them , is this our lord and master that is in such a fearful agony at this time ? oh! it would have offended them ; but now , the other that saw him glorified , it offended them not ; well , though he be in an agony now , yet we know him to be a glorious savior , and we will beleeve and trust in him still . so , if we can converse with god in glory upon the mount , what ever agony we see christ in afterwards we shall be able to bear it : when stephen had the stones ratling about his ears , yet when he saw the heavens opened it was nothing to him then , he fell asleep , he rejoyced in the expectation of heaven . and if you reade in the book of martyrs , ever when they came to their sufferings you may see how they did rejoyce , when they did think of heaven , and remember eternal life . saith one woman to her child that was going to be burnt , when as the people thought she would have rung her hands , and made great lamentations to have seen her child stepping into the flames , she said nothing but this , remember eternal life my son . oh! conversing with heaven makes all sufferings in the world nothing . chap. xix . heavenly conversation brings much joy . then , oh the sweetness and comfort that there will be while the soul is conversing in heaven ! oh the joy and the peace that will come to the soul in the certain evdience that the soul is partaker in the death , resurrection , and intercession of jesus christ ! ( i say ) those whose conversations are in heaven , by this they come to have certain evidence to their souls , that they have their portion in the death , in the resurrection , in the ascention , in the intercession of jesus christ , and this will afford comfort enough . that scripture in the . colos . . if ye then be risen with christ , seek those things that are above where christ sitteth on the right hand of god ; set your affection on things above , not on things on the earth : for ye are dead and your life is bid with christ in god. when christ who is our life shall appear , then shall ye also appear with him in glory . here 's an evidence that you are risen with christ , that you are dead to the world , and have interest in his ascention , and are partakers of his resurrection , and have part in his intercession . those that have their conversations in heaven now , they may know certainly that they are risen from death to life , that when christ ascended , he went to heaven to take possession for them , yea , that they are in heaven where christ is : he hath set us in heavenly places together with christ jesus : for he is there as a common head : that they are ascended with christ already , and that christ is there as an advocate making intercession for them to the father , these will be the consolations of those that have their conversation in heaven . chap. xx. an heavenly conversation is very safe . and then , a conversation in heaven , is a very safe conversation , you will be free from snares and temptations . as an eearthly conversation subjects unto temptations ; so a heavenly conversation will free us from temptations . when is the bird in danger of the lime-twig or net but when she comes to pick below upon the ground ? but if she could but keep her self above alwaies , she were free then from the snare and net : it 's chrysostoms similitude , keep above , and then ye be free from the snare of the fowler . it 's a safe conversation . chap. xxi . an heavenly conversation gives abundant enterance into glory . and then , it will cause an abundant enterance into the kingdom of heaven . when they come to die , oh how joyfully wil they die ! what abundant enterance will be made into the everlasting kingdom of our lord and savior jesus christ ? for when they die they shall but change their place , they shall not change their company : they shall but go to their fathers house to be partakers of those mansions christ before hath prepared . oh my brethren ! labor to have your conversations in heaven , and know , that this is not a matter only that concerns eminent christians , but all christians ; and see how the apostle charges this upon the thessalonians , . epistle . . as you know how we exhorted and comforted , and charged every one of you , ( as a father doth his children ) that you would walk worthy of god who hath called you unto his kingdom and glory . that is , that you would walk in a conversation answerable to the glorious kingdom of god that you are called to , according to your high calling , we should walk worthy of it : we are charged so to do : and as it 's said concerning christ in the gospel by saint john , he spake concerning himself , but the son of man which is in heaven . so it should be said of every child of god , such a one that is in heaven , not only such a one that shall go to heaven , but that is in heaven for the present . chap. xxii . seven rules , or directions , how to get heavenly conversation . but you will say , how should we do to get this our conversasation to be in heaven ? it's an excellent conversation indeed , oh that we might attain unto it ! the first rule . first , take this rule , be perswaded that it is attainable . let christians conclude thus with themselves , it is possible for me to live a life of heaven while i am upon the earth : there is a heaven to be got , it will mightily stir up the spirit of a christian if he do beleeve this . i may live in heaven here , with god , and christ , and his angels , and saints ; there are some that have attain'd to this ; and how have they attain'd to it ? not by their own strength , they were men subject to the same infirmities that you are , even paul himself that had his conversation in heaven , was subject to many infirmition but through the strength of christ he can do all things , he was nothing in himself ; reade but the . of the romans , paul saith there of himself , that he was even sold under sin , and when he would do good , evil was present with him : and he was led captive , and he found a law in his members rebelling against the law of his mind , and he had many corruptions and was feign to have a prick in the flesh , a messenger of satan to humble him : and he spake of this heavenly conversation , not only that he had it himself , but writing to the philippians they attain'd to it ; they were a church that were very spiritual , but were but poor and mean in respect of some others , and they had not those eminent gifts that the corinthians had , and yet the philippians had their conversations in heaven : therefore it is a thing that is attainable . the second rule . secondly , if you would get your conversations in heaven , labor to keep a cleer conscience , keep a heaven in your conseience . those men that do fully and defile their consciences , they lose their intercourse with heaven , and indeed , the presence of the god of heaven is tedious to them , they be loth to go into his presence when once they have defiled consciences , if there be a hell in a mans conscience , there will not be a heaven in his conversation . , but let men and women labor to keep conscience clean , and a heaven there , and then there will be a heaven in their conversations . the third rule . watch opportunicies for heavenly exercises , though you have much business in the world , watch time . you that are servants , you should not indeed neglect your masters business , for you may serve god in the work of your master , but yet you must watch opportunities ; get alone , and if you cannot have any long time let it be so much the frequenter , watch all opportunities for heavenly exercises , for meditation , for prayer , for reading , for conversing with god : oh! we might get many opportunities to get our souls in heaven if we would but watch ; and those that are diligent to watch opportonities for heavenly exercises , and prize opportunities for them , they are the men and women that will come to attain to a heavenly conversation , that do not ' make it as a light matter whether they have converse with god or no in holy duties : christians that would have their conversations in heaven , they must look upon their opportunities for heavenly exercises , they eye them , as that wherein much of the joy and comfort of their lives consists . the fourth rule . forget not this in the next place , ( i speak now to christians that would feign have their conversations in heaven ) i say to you , take heed and be careful that you rest not in formallity ; watch to get opportunities , but be not formal in duties in them . oh! this will mightily darken your conversations , it will make them very earthly , there will be no beauty at all in them if you come to rest in formallity in holy performances : there 's many christians that we hope may have some good at the bottom , yet growing to a form in religion they never honor their profession , they have little comfort to their own souls , they go on in a dead hearted condition , they know not what it is to have communion with god , oh beware of that ; that we are all by nature subject too ; those that have enlightenings of conscience , they dare not but take opportunities for heavenly duties ; but then comes in the temptation of the devil , and the corruption of our own hearts ; when i have done my task , then it 's over , i have prayed , i but you have been in heaven that while ? what converse with god have you had there ? oh take heed of formallity ! it will exceedingly hinder your conversation . but now , a christian though of never such weak parts , can but chatter to god , and speak a few broken words and half sentences , yet if he doth not rest in formallity he may have much converse with god , whereas others that have excellent parts , yet resting in the work done , never knows what the meaning is of having a conversation in heaven . the fifth rule . labor to beat down your bodies , that is , take heed of making provision for the flesh , beware of sensual lusts ; how came paul to have his conversation in heaven ? saith he , i beat down my body ; the word is , black and blue ; club'd it down ; as if he should say , this body of mine would draw my heart aside from spiritual things , and make me earthly and sensual , i wil keep down my body , i will not give that satisfaction to the flesh , and body so as to strengthen any temptation that should draw my heart off from spiritual , and heavenly things : no , but i beat down my body saith he . there 's no christian that is heavenly but he must be very careful and watchful over his sences while he lives here , to beat down his body , and so he may come to have his conversation in heaven . the sixth rule . labor to be skilful in the mystery of godliness , to draw strength from jesus christ in every thing you do . for my brethren , christ he is jacob's ladder . when jacob lay asleep he saw a ladder on which the angels did descend and ascend up to heaven . now this jacob's ladder is no other but jesus christ to christians , and that must be set up to heaven ; if you would go to heaven , and converse with heaven , it must be by jesus christ , you must be instructed in the mysterie of the gospel in conversing with god through a mediator ; there is such an infinite distance between god and us , that except we have christ the mediator we can never come to god , nor god come to us ; it is only christ the mediator that is the ladder : we need not say who shall go up to heaven to fetch christ down ? no , we may have christ in our hearts , and set up him , and so we may go up to heaven by his mediation . when as a christian comes to live in this manner ; what i do expect from god , i expect to draw it through a mediator , and all the services that i tender up to god i tender them up through the hand and heart of christ : now those that are acquainted with this have much converse with heaven : by jesus christ the mediator i may come up there and present my self there , though no unclean thing may come there , for god looks upon the saints through him as righteous , being cloathed with his righteousness , they may come to their father with boldnesse , having their elder brothers garments upon them , they may come and kneel before the throne of grace , come into heaven as into the presence chamber and kneel every morning for their fathers blessing ; it 's by him what we have accesse unto the father : oh! acquaint thy self with the mystery of godlinesse in drawing all from christ ; and tendering all to god through christ : by this heaven comes down to thee , and by this thou climest up to heaven , this is the jacob's ladder . but those men that only look upon god in a natural way , that 's thus , indeed all good things must come from god ; and so they go to prayer , lord we beseech thee bless us this day , for all good things come from thee . and they serve god , their consciences tell them they must worship , and serve god while they live here : but it is but in a dull natural way : let me leave it in your hearts , all good comes from god through a mediator , through jesus christ the second person in trinity , god-man , and all my services are tendered up to god through him ; there is this mediator god-man that unites god and me together , and so by him i have acceptance both for my person and all my actions , and by him i come to have other manner of blessings than comes from god meerly as creator , god in bounty bestows upon the creature many good things , but when we come to deal with god in christ we come to have heavenly blessings , blessings beyond the power of nature , yea beyond all those blessings that nature can be any conveyance of , beyond the blessings that the conduits of the creature are able to hold forth , they have the blessing from god imediately , imediately i mean in respect of the creature , it 's by the mediation of christ , they enjoy god in christ , and so come to enjoy god in a heavenly , supernatural way : oh this is the way to have our conversations in heaven ; and those christians that are much acquainted with the gospel of christ , they come to live far more heavenly conversations than others that go on in a dull , heavie , and natural kind of way in serving of god : but being not acquainted with this mysterie , their hearts lie low upon the earth , and know not what it is to have their conversations in heaven . the seventh rule . and so the next rule with which i must close all is this , exercise much the grace of faith : there is no way to get above the creature , and above nature , but by exercising the grace of faith. many christians think they must exercise love to god , and exercise sorrow for sin ; the grace of repentance , mourning for sin , that 's good , thou shouldest do that , and thou shouldest exercise patience ; but the great grace that is to be imployed if thou wouldest attain a heavenly life , it is , the exercise of faith : and make conscience to put forth that grace much , for it 's by that that we do converse with god through christ . though christ be the ladder , yet it 's faith that carries us up this ladder , and brings us down again , it 's faith that makes the things of heaven real to the soul , heb. . . it 's faith that is an evidence of things not seen , and the substance of things hoped for , by faith these things come to be made real and substantial things , and as present things , faith it is that gives a great excellency to all the things of heaven its self , and therefore live much by faith , and walk by faith , and not by sence , and then shalt thou be above the world and live in heaven ; and as the fruit of thy faith wait for the appearing of jesus christ . our conversation is in heawen ( saith the apostle ) from whence also we look for the savior the lord jesus christ &c. where a mans conversation is , there his expectations may be ; and where the expectations are , there a mans conversation is ; now our converstaion is in heaven from whence also we look for jesus christ ; as if he should say , it 's not a motion , do not you think that when we speak of conversing in heaven that we please our own fancies ; oh no , saith he , we by faith look upon heaven as the most real thing in the world , for we expect the lord jesus christ ere long to appear in glory bodily , and we shall see him with these eyes , and shall change our vile bodies and make them like his glorious body , we by faith looking upon such glorious things to be so real , and so at hand , and we waiting for these things it 's this that makes our conversation to be in heaven : our hearts and all are there , because that we expect that these things will be made good to us quickly , oh christians do but exercise your faith in this , in jesus christ , and put forth this fruit of faith in waiting for the appearing of jesus christ when he shall come and appear in his glory , this will help to make your conversations to be in heaven ; oh what a blessed time will that be when jesus christ shall come from the heavens , and appear to those that have been waiting for him ! it was a blessed thing to have christ here personally and to live with him when he was upon the earth though it were in the state of his humiliation , oh when he shall come in his glory , how blessed will that be ! and when he shall change our vile bodies that they may be like unto his glorious body , oh this will keep the heart in expectation of christ , for then that vile body of thine that is now a body of sin and death , matter of diseases , a body of weakness , and a lump of clay , now it shall be made like the glorious body of jesus christ to shine more glorious than the sun in the firmament ; this will be when jesus christ shall come with all his angels in his glory ; and this is observable , when all the glory of the creature shall be darkened with the glory of god and jesus christ , yet then the bodies of the saints shall shine gloriously before the face of god and jesus christ , surely they shall be more glorious than the glory of the sun , for that you know will be darkened at the coming of jesus christ ; the great glory of the father , and jeus christ , and the angels shall darken the glory of the sun , moon , and stars , but the glory of the bodies of the saints shall be so great , as all the glory of god , and jesus christ , and the angels shall not darken their glory , but it shall appear with a very great lustre : now if the glory of god , and the angels should darken it , then to what purpose is it that their bodies shall be like to the glorious body of jesus christ ? but certainly it shall not darken their glory : if a candle could be raised to have so much lustre and beauty as if you should put it into the midest of the sun , yet it would shine in the midst of it , it would be a strange kind of light you would say : it shall be so with the bodies of the saints , that though they are put into the midst of the glory of god , and his son , yet their very bodies shall shine in beauty and lustre there : now did we beleeve this , and wait for it every day , how would it change us ! i have a diseased and a lumpish body , and my body hinders me in every duty of worship , and service , wandering and vain thoughts lodge in me now ; i but i 'le wait for that time when christ shall come in all his glory , and make my body to be like unto his glorious body , to make it to be able to look upon the face of god , and to be able to be exercised in holy duties to all eternity without any weariness , and without any intermission : so shall the bodies of the saints be raised to that power , that their bodies shall be so strong , that their souls shall be exercised about the highest things possible for a creature to be exercised with without weariness ; wait for this : i have many things here that trouble my mind , and spirit , and hinders me in my converse with heaven , but within a while the time shall come that i shall be delivered from all troubles here , when christ shall appear with his mighty angels to be admired of his saints , and when he shall come and take the saints to judg the world , and shall set all the saints upon thrones to judg the world : the expectation of this time will raise the heart very much to be in heaven . but then especially , when i consider the glory that shall be upon my soul , let me think thus , if this body of mine that is a lump of flesh shall be by the almighty power of god whereby he is able to subdue all things unto himself , raised to that height of glory , to be more glorious than the sun in the firmament ; then , what height of glory shal my soul be raised too ! but then , take not only my soul , but my grace , the divine nature that is in my soul , what shall that be raised too ? the plants are capable to be raised to a higher excellency than stones ; and the rational creature to a higher excellency than a sensitive creature ; and the sensitive higher than the vegetative , and the supernatural creature to a higher excellency than the natural : then raise your thoughts thus ; my body shall be raised so high , what shall my soul be then ? and what shall my graces that are in my soul be ? oh! wait for this , it is but for a little while before i shall be with god for him to be all in all to my soul enjoying full communion with him ; ( i say ) exercise faith , and wait for it , look for it every day , consider it 's neerer and neerer , your salvation is neerer than when at first you beleeved , god hath a little work for you here , but as soon as this is done this shall be my condition , i shal see my savior , my soul shal presently be with him and enjoy ful communion with him in glory , and my body within a while shal be raised and shall live for ever with him : shall be where he is , and shall enjoy all that he hath purchased by his blood , as much glory as the blood of christ is worth am i capable of ; the text saith , it shall be a weight of glory : i am not here fitted to bear a weight of glory , if the glory of heaven should shine in upon me so much as it might , it would swallow me up presently . we reade in the . of dan. upon the glory of god appearing to him , saith he , i daniel fainted , and was sick certain daies . if god should open the heavens , and dart in some light from heaven into us so as he might , alas we should faint presently and be sick and die , no man can see god and live ; no man here can enjoy that that god hath prepared for his saints in heaven and live ; therefore let us be content for a while to be as we are , and exercise thy faith and hope in what shall be ; thou shalt be able to bear that weight of glory , and be able to stand before the face of god continually to enjoy those things that eye hath not seen , nor ear heard , nor can enter into the heart of man to conceive : nay , though a man hath a spiritual eye , and a spiritual ear , and a spiritual heart enlarged to supernatural things , yet they are things not only beyond the eye of sence , but the eye of reason ; nay , the eye of faith hath not seen them fully , nor ear hath ever heard of , neither can enter into a gracious heart to convince what it is ; but those clusters that we have of this land of canaan do shew that mere is a glorious rest for his people . now by the exercise of your faith and hope work these things upon your souls every day , it would be a mighty help to make your conversation to be in heaven ; where should my heart and thoughts , where should my life and conversation be , but where i expect such things as these are to be revealed very soon in the day of jesus christ , in his appointed time , which is at hand . finis . of walking vvith god genesis , . . and enoch walked with god , and he was not , for god took him . chap. i. text opened in this chapter we have the geneologie from adam to noah : and it 's observable , that god passeth all along and saith , adam he lived so long and begat sons ; and so afterwards they lived and begat sons and daughters and then died . he only mentions them briefly , till he comes to enoch , and there god seems to make a stop : he doth not only tell you how long he lived , and begat sons and daughters , and died ; but he addeth , enoch walked with god. the holy ghost spends three verses upon enoch , he tells you how long he lived and begat methuselah , and enoch walked with god. and in the . verse there he speaks of him again ; and in the . vers . enoch walked with god again . as if the lord should say , oh my servant enoch i must not pass by him , he was an eminent holy man in his generation , i must not pass by him without some especial testimony : as if god should say , oh he was the delight of my soul , he walked with me : enoch walked with god. enoch he was a prophet in his time , he conversed much with god , and god revealed much of his mind to him . we find in the epistle of jude . there the holy ghost mentions him again , enoch also , the seventh from adam , prophesied of these , saying , &c. enoch prophesied , he was a prophet : where do we find enoch's prophesie in all the book of god ? we have the prophesie of isaiah , and jeremiah , and other prophets ; but where the prophesie of enoch ? here the holy ghost saith , that enoch prophesied , saying , behold the lord cometh with ten thousand of his saints , &c. now for the prophesie that is here mentioned by the holy ghost , in this epistle of jude , we have it not set down in words fully , but yet we have somewhat set down even in a verse or two before my text , of enoch's prophesie , and that is in the very name of his son methuselah , there is that very prophesie of enoch that the holy ghost speaks of in the epistle of jude , in the name ( i say ) of his son methuselah , for methuselah signifieth thus much , he dieth , and then the sending out , that is the floud , he dieth and then comes the floud , that 's the signification of the name methuselah : so that enoch prophesied many hundred yeers before the flouds coming ; and that prophesie seem'd to go further , for gods dealing with people in those times , were but as a type of his dealing with men in after-times . that the lord would send forth a floud against all wicked and ungodly men in due time to destroy them , he dieth , and then the sending forth of the floud , for the floud did come in the very last yeer of methuselah , and that 's observable that this methuselah he liv'd longer than ever any man liv'd since the world began , all the daies of methuselah were nine hundred and sixtie nine yeers , and then he died . now this may be one reason of the lengthening out of his life , that he might fulfil the prophesie of enoch , for enoch prophesied that the floud should come when he died , now because god had work to bring about , and to defer the floud for a while after , therefore methuselah must live so long . god doth lengthen out , or shorten mens lives according to the work he hath to do , according to the use he hath to make of them . but thus much for enoch : the person who it was . enoch walked with god. now this phrase of walking with god , sometimes it signifies some special ministration before the lord , as in the sam. . , . wherefore the lord god of israel saith , i said indeed , that thy house , and the house of thy father should walk before me for ever . and then in the . i will raise me up a faithfull priest that shall do according to that which is in my heart , and in my mind and i will build him a sure house , and he shall walk before mine anointed for ever : that is , for a special and holy ministration , so it 's taken sometimes . but here we are to understand it more largely , ( though it 's true , enoch was a prophet and he might be said to walk with god in regard of the special ministration of his prophetical office that he had ; ) for walking with god , in waies of righteousness and holiness : so walking with god , as it 's said of noah , that was his great grand-child , in the . of gen. . these are the generations of noah , noah was a just man and perfect in his generation , and noah walked with god. this his great-grand-child ( no question hearing of his fathers walking with god was a great argument for to move him to the like , and his walking with god is discribed to be in being righteous , and in being perfect with god. the . in their translation turns this that you have in your books walk with god , by the word , he pleased god. and that 's observable that the holy ghost in mentioning enoch in the new testament , doth follow the translation of the septuagent in the . of the heb. there you shall find that enoch is mentioned among the catalogue of the beleevers there : by faith enoch was translated that he should not see death , and was not found , because god had translated him : for before his translation he had this testimony , that he pleased god. that word that you have here in genesis rendered , he walked with god : in the hebrews it is that he had this testimony , that he pleased god : & indeed it comes to one , he walked in the waies that god was pleased and delighted in . he pleased god. ] the calde translates it , he walked in the fear of god ; and so some interpreters quoting the jerusalemie thargum , he served or labored in the truth before the lord : and that 's one thing further in the explication that it 's said , he walked with god after he begat methuselab . some now think that enoch was a wicked man before the time that he begat methuselah , in that sixty and five yeers there 's no mention of his walking with god , but enoch lived sixty five yeers and begat methuselah , and he walked with god after he begat methuselah : but that 's no sufficient ground to conclude , because it 's said after : that he did not before ; it might rather be to note the constancy of his walking with god , that he continued in the constant course of his life in his walking with god. i shall need to speak no further of the explication of this first part of enoch's walking with god. the point of doctrine from it is this . chap. ii. the doctrines raised from the text , and the treatise devided into several parts . that 't is the great excellency and commendations of a godly man , to walk with god : or , that it is the highest testimony that can be given of a man that walks with god. walking with god is a high excellency , and whoever hath this testimony hath the highest testimony that can be given unto a man in this world , that he walks with god. and therefore that 's observable , that god mentions him twice , as if he loved to mention his poor creatures walking with him : at the . verse ; and enoch walked with god. and then in the . verse , and enoch walked with god. oh! as if god should say , this is that that is the delight of my soul indeed . yea , and that 's observable in the testimony of noah , in gen. . . perhaps in the reading of it you may not observe that that i shal observe unto you now , noah ( saith he ) was a just man , and perfect in his generations , and noah walked with god. he doth not say thus , noah was a just man and walked with god : but mark , he repeats noah twice , noah was a just man and perfect in his generations , and noah walked with god : as if he should say , this is the blessed man that lived in a wicked generation , and though that generation was sinful and wicked , yet he kept close with god ; noah was just and perfect , and noah walked with god ; oh i take delight in this noah : consider my servant noah , noah was thus , and noah walked with god. there 's a great emphasis in doubling of his name , and there can be no reason given of it , for the sense would be perfect without it : as if he should say , noah was a just man and perfect in his generation , and walked with god ; but for the putting of a special incomium upon noah , oh! noah was a just man and perfect in his generations , and noah walked with god. oh! 't is the excellency of a man to walk with god , and for god himself to own a man and to say , that he walks with him : men may live in a practice of the duties of religion , eternal duties , and go very far that way , and yet be strangers unto god , never know what it is to walk with god ; they may have by-waies of their own in which their hearts do walk ; as the stars that have a motion turn about by the primum mobile , the first mover , one way , but they have a secret motion the other way themselves : and so , though many in their external profession seem to be moved one way , but secretly their hearts move another way , they do not walk with god all that while , they did pray , and reade , and hear , and come to sermons and make great profession , so as men might think they walked with god , but it was not so . as it is with a ship , you may be bound to such a port , and the ship and the sails blow that way , and yet when the ship goes east , a man may walk up and down in the ship west-ward : so in profession , a man seems to be carried east-ward , yet his private walks may be another way , to his own ends , to his own designs ; but here 's the honor of a man when god himself shall own him , as if god should say concerning enoch , i who am a god that am the seer and searcher of all mens hearts , and i observe the waies of my servant enoch , and i see him not only in the outward profession of godliness , but in the secret of his soul he walks with me , he hath no bye-walks at all , but he keeps himself close with me and walks with me continually ; enoch walked with god. this phrase , walking with god , we have exprest in scripture in divers other phrases that are to the same purpose : as walking before god , gen. . the lord before whom i walk , saith abraham ; and so god bad abraham , walk before me and be upright . and so in the . psal . . i will walk before the lord in the land of the living . remember how i have walked before thee , it 's said of hezekiah . and sometimes the same thing is expressed by walking after the lord ; in the . of deut. . ye shall walk after the lord. as a child walking after his father , though he walks step after step , yet he may be said to walk with him . and sometimes by walking in the name of the lord , micah , . . we will walk in the name of the lord our god. and then fourthly , by walking in the spirit of god , gal. . . and here , walking with god. walking before god. walking after god. walking in the name of god. walking in the spirit of god. or , walking with god. they all come to the same purpose . but for the opening of the point there are these four things that i intend in the handling of it . first , what it is to walk with god , or to discribe the work of god in bringing the soul to walk with him , and the way of the soul in walking with god. secondly , to shew you the excellency that there is in this walking with god : what a blessed thing it is for a christian to walk with god. thirdly , give you some evidences of a mans walking with god. fourthly , to give unto you some rules how you may come to walk with god , to have your lives so as you may have this testimony even from god himself , that you do walk with him . these are the four things . for the first , the discription of walking with god , the work of god in bringing the soul to walk with him , and the way of the soul in walking with god. chap. iii. how the soul is brought to walk with god , discovered in six particulars . first , every one by nature goes astray from god , in the . psal . . it is said of all the wicked , that they are estranged from the wombe , they go astray as soon as they are born , speaking lies . that 's one of the first things wherein wickedness appears in children , but 't is from the very womb that they go astray , before they can speak : 't is natural for the wicked to go astray from god as soon as they have any being . the way wherein men naturally do walk , it is the way of death , it 's the way of their own hearts , of their own counsels , it 's the common course of the world , it is the walk of the flesh . but now , the work of god in bringing the soul to walk with him , it is , first , to cause the soul to make a stop in the way that men naturally walk in ; those that the lord hath left for a while in the way of nature , that walk in the way of death , the lord is pleased to come to them by some mighty work of his to make a stop , by considering , where am i ? what 's my way ; whither am i going ? is the way that i am in like to the way that befeems an immortal soul ? is the way like to end well that i am walking in ? it causes the soul to make a stop in it , and begin to think where it is , whither it is going , and so usually causes some fear , fearing it is in a way like to miscarry , so that it dare not proceed further in that way that it hath been walking in all this while , though never so pleasant a way , though never so sutable to the flesh , the lord forbid that i should go on in that way that i have walked in . there 's a stop caused . secondly , the lord manifests to the soul the way of life , what the way of life is . this stop of the soul is just like to that we reade of saul , that when he was posting on in the way of death , there did shine a light round about him , and caused him to stop so that he could go no further . but then ( i say ) the lord manifests to the soul what the way of life is . in the . of isa . . and thine ears shall hear a word behind thee saying , this is the way , walk ye in it . oh! how many are there that can tell this by experience , that they have been walking in the waies of death , of eternal misery , and blest themselves in those waies ? but there was a blessed time wherein god caused them to hear a voice as it were behind them saying , this is the way , walk-in it ; you are out of the way , but here 's the way of life , if you would not perish eternally , here 's the way , walk in this way ; it is a secret voice that the lord causes to be heard in the soul , but yet a powerful voice : perhaps you have come to the word , and have heard what the way of life is : but yet that never hath given a turn to your hearts : but when god would have the soul to come in to walk with him , he causes the soul ( besides the outward voice of the word ) to hear a voice behind in secret , and yet powerfully , saying , oh! this is the way ; oh thou poor soul that are wandring from the way of life , and art going on in the way of eternall death , come in , come in , here 's another way , this is the way , walk in it : and so the lord gives a mighty turn to the soul by that secret voice . thirdly , the lord makes peace between himself and a sinner ; he doth reveal the doctrine of reconciliation . for a sinner at first when he comes to have his eyes enlightened , when he comes to know himself and to know god ; certainly god at first cannot but appear terrible to a sinner that hath walked in the waies of death formerly , and though i see my way to be dangerous , and i see another way to be good , oh but god is terrible to me , and how can two walk together that are not at peace ? in amos . . can two walk together except they be agreed ? saith the text , oh there is naturally an enmity between man and god , every man in the world is naturally an enemy to god ; and can there be two walking together unless they be agreed ? oh! you that are going on in the waies of enmity with god , surely you are strangers to this way of walking with god , can you walk with god before you are agreed ? no soul can have this testimony given of it , that he hath walked with god , but such a soul as is reconciled to him ; god doth manifest that in some measure to the soul before it's able thus to walk with him , as here enoch did , and certainly enoch came to walk with god by this , for the holy ghost in the forenamed place of the . of the heb. saith , it was by faith that he did it , and without faith it 's impossible to please god , that 's as much as , without faith it 's impossible to walk with god. the holy ghost means the same thing , when the apostle saith , that he did walk by faith , and without faith it 's impossible to please god , therefore there must be a work of faith to bring the soul to be reconcil'd , and that there may be an agreement between the soul and god before it can walk with him . that 's the third thing . fourthly , though there be peace made so that god doth not appear as an enemy against the soul , yet there may be some strangness after peace made . there was peace made between david and absalom , david was passified towards him , yet he would not see his face for a while , he would have been gone from his presence , there should not be that converse with him in that familier way as a child with the father for a while : so though there be peace made , yet there 's requir'd a further work of god for the souls walking with him , that is , that god should render himself in loveliness , and fulness of mercy , and sweetness , and delightfulness unto the soul , that there may be a familiarity between the soul and god ; it 's one thing for me to know god is not as an enemy to me , that he doth not intend wrath and misery against me , and another thing for the soul to apprehend the sweet delightful countenance of god , and the imbracements in the arms of his mercy , and those condescentions of god , that he is willing to come and deal with us as a friend with his friend in a familiar way : therefore that 's a fourth work , the lord is pleased to manifest himself to the soul in the sweetness of his love , and his delight ; not only thou art that soul that shalt not be damn'd , that shalt eternally be sav'd ; but thou art the soul that my soul delights in , thou art one that i take as my friend , and that i love to deal with in all sweetness , and to bring into a familiarity with my self . this is that that is manifested to the soul for the bringing of it to this walking with god that here the holy ghost speaks of concerning enoch . fifthly , the lord is pleased to send his holy spirit to guide the soul to himself , and to guide it in walking with himself : in the . rom. it 's said , all that are the sons of god are led by the spirit of god. as a father when he walks with the child he gives him his hand and leads along the child with himself : when any comes to be a child of god , god puts forth his hand and leads him , and so they walk together . as have you not seen somtimes a father and child walking in the garden , the father puts forth his finger and the child takes hold of it and so walks along with him : even so the lord puts forth his spirit into a gracious soul , and god and the soul thus walks together being led by the spirit of god ; in the . isa . , . there you may see what the lord speaks of the way of the redeemed ones . and an high way shall be there , and a way , and it shall be called the way of holiness , the unclean shall not pass over it , but it shall be for those ; the wayfaring men though fools , shall not err therein : though they be very weak and fools , yet they shall not err therein . and no lyon shall be there , nor any ravenous beast shall go up thereon : it shall not be found there , but the redeemed shall walk there , that 's the priviledg of the redeemed ones . now this way of walking up unto the land of canaan from their captivity , it 's typical , to typifie the walk of the soul with the lord. sixthly , for the souls walking with god , there is this further done by god , christ the son of god he takes the soul and brings it unto god the father , as the spirit leads , so jesus christ . the lord jesus christ he brings the soul unto the father to render god and the soul familier together : in ephes . . . through him we have an acccess by one spirit unto the father : we have an access through him , we have a manuduction , he brings us unto the father , we have access through jesus christ . as if a prince should take a traytor that is reconciled to his father , having his pardon , and his father being passified towards him , the prince comes & takes him by the hand , and saith , come , i 'le bring you unto my father , and i will walk along with you unto my father : so it is , none that ever hath been a sinner can walk with god , but christ must walk together with him ; christ walks along with him , and so god is ever more rendred sweet , aimable , and lovely ; why ? because christ hath him by the hand ( as i may so say ) god the father hath him in one hand , and christ hath him by the other hand , and so the soul walks in this blessed walk , between the hands of god the father and the son ; and the holy ghost leads and guides him too . chap. iv. walking with god what it is , opened in nine particulars . but now , the way of the soul in this walk with god : when the soul is thus brought to god , and by this means enabled to walk with him , then what 's the way of the soul in walking thus with god ? walking with god causes the soul to eye god. in the first place , now the soul being come thus to god , in all the waies of god it ey 's god , and sets god before it . enoch walked with god : that is , enoch in the waies of his life set god before him , and did eye god in his waies ; first beholding the infinite beauty there is in god. secondly , god being the fountain of al good to the soul . thirdly , the soul apprehending god infinitly worthy of all honor . these three things causes the eye to be upon god continually : the lord hath infinit excellency and beauty in him . the lord is the fountain of all good to me : the lord is infinitly worthy of all honor and service ; and a soul walking with god eyes god thus continually . in the . psal . . for thy loving kindness is before mine eyes , and i have walked in thy truth : oh lord ! i see thee aimable , lovely , and gracious , and the fountain of all good , and lord , i have walked in thy truth , setting god before me ; so in psal . . . i have set the lord alwaies before me that i might not fall . a soul that walks with god scarce ey 's any thing but god , when it enjoyes the creature yet the eye is upon god ; as the little child walking with the father looks up to the father ; every soul that walks with god hath his eye upon him , for there 's no such lovely drawing object to the soul as god himself is ; whereas wicked men they do not find god to be such a lovely object , sees no such excellency in him , and therfore they rather turn their eyes away from him , they look another way , psal . . . they do not set god before them ; men that walk according to the lusts of their own hearts in their wicked sinful waies , the lord is not in all their thoughts , as in the . psalm . that 's the first thing in the way of the souls walking with god , he eyes god , and sees god before him . walking with god causeth a man to carry himself as in gods presence . secondly , the soul behaves its self as in gods presence . i see my self in gods presence , and my eye is upon god , oh let me then look to my self , that the carriage of my soul be as beseems one who is in the presence of so holy , so great , so glorious and blessed a god as the lord is , in the cor. . . as of god in the sight of god speak we in christ , saith the apostle ; when we come to do any thing , we do it as of god , in the sight of god , knowing that we are allwayes before god. augustine , speaking concerning noah's walking with god , he hath this expression , noah walked with god , that is , he had god alwaies present before his eyes , walking so holily , and so reverenced god : this is to walk in the fear of god , when the soul upon the apprehention of gods presence shall labor to compose its self as beseeming the presence before whom it is , and this indeed is the walk that you shall find the saints of god in all day long , would you know where to find a saint ? you may know his walk , you shall all the day long find him walking in the fear of the lord , preverbs . . saith the text there , let not thy heart envy sinners : but be thou in the fear of the lord all the day long . he doth not say , do thou fear the lord all the day long , but be thou in the fear of the lord all the day long , oh the walk of a christian should be so from morning to night , to walk in the fear of the lord ; and nothing in this world should put him out of this walk , no temptations should call him out of it , but in the fear of the lord all the day long : this is the walk of a christian , when he labors to behave himself as beseems the presence of god. walking with god is , when we make gods will the rule of our will. thirdly , the soul may be said to walk with god , when the way of it is the same way that god himself goes , the soul doth that that god doth : what 's the way of god , but the way of holiness and righteousness ? when the soul makes the will of god to be the rule of it , i will not be acted by my own will , i will not be acted by any thing but by the will of god : what is it that god wills ? i will the same thing , then the soul walks that way god walks , when it doth sute its self with god , sets the lord as an example before it , as the scripture saith , be ye holy as your heavenly father is holy ; i see the holy and the righteous waies of god , and i labor as a deer child to follow him , and to go in the very same steps that god doth , how doth god carry businesses ? i will labor to carry things so as god doth , that my life shall hold forth a resemblance of god himself ; this is to walk with god , to do as god doth , to imitate god ; that 's a third thing in a souls walking with god. walking with god is , when a soul hath the same ends that god hath . the fourth is this , not only to do the same thing , to make the will of god to be the rule of it , but to have the same ends that god hath : what 's the end that god hath in all his waies ? surely it is , that his blessed name may be magnified , that his glory may be set forth ; i 'le drive on the same design , that shall be the great design of my life , it 's that that my soul shall aim at as the highest end of all things , and all things shall be subordinate to this end even , the glory and honor of god , it 's that that god aims at , and therefore that which i 'le aim at , thus the soul goes along with god ; as now , a man may be said to go along with another man when they do both drive on the same designs : oh! this is a blessed thing indeed . we shall speak to that hereafter : but the very opening what it is shews much of the excellency of it ; and i beseech you as you go along , examine your own hearts , see whether by the very mentioning of these things you be not strangers to god ; examine by the workings of god in bringing your souls to walk with him , or otherwise by the way of the soul , in eying god , in behaving its self as in the presence of god , in making the will of god to be its rule , and in driving on the design that god doth . walking with god , is the observing the administrations of god and suting the soul to them . fifthly , it is the observing of the several administrations of god , and the suting of the soule to the several administrations of god in the world : i open that thus , god sometimes seems to work in one way , sometimes in another way ; now the soul that walks with god observes which are the several waies and administrations of god in the world , and let me ( saith the soul ) labor to sute my heart with them : that 's thus , sometimes the lord is in a way of judgments , in the world , heavie and dreadful afflictions : yea , sometimes against his own saints , and people : then let me sute my heart according to this , oh lord ! we will wait upon thee in the waies of thy judgments , saith the church in isa . are we under gods way of judgments , in a way of afflictions ? lord , we will sute our selves to honor thee there according to that way , we will labor to exercise those graces that are sutable to these administrations of thine . and lord , art thou in a way of mercy ? we will sute our selves accordingly , and labor to draw forth and exercise our graces that are sutable to those waies of thine . and art thou in a way of affliction in my family , or in a way of mercy ? lord , i will labor to exercise those graces that are sutable to those waies of thine . this is to walk with god. as when we walk with a man , if he turn this way , then i set my self to go with him , and if he turns another way , then i sute my self to go with him that way , so though the waies of god be never so variōus , yet the soul that walks with god is sutable to those waies of god ; oh this is a great art , a great mystery to sute a mans self to these several administrations of god in the world . you shall have some that if god go in a way of mercy , oh there they can bless , & praise god , and they think that this is to walk with god ; but if god turns his back upon thee and takes away thy choisestearthly comfort ( it may be ) thy deerest yoke-fellow & so comes in a way of affictions , how canst thou sute with gods waies then ? when god was in a way of mercy , then my exercise was in joy , and thanksgiving , and speaking good of his name ; but now the lord is in a way of afflictions , now i exercise faith on god , now i exercise patience , now i exercise christian wisdom , to know what good i can get out of this hand of god , that what courses soever god takes , yet still a christian hath several graces to exercise in several conditions , and that not only while god is in a smooth path the soul can exercise joy , and thanksgiving , & speaking good of his name : but let god go into a rugged path of very great afflictions , yet the soul doth sute it's self unto god according to his several administrations ; this is to walk with god. walking with god , is , to have a holy dependance upon god. opened in four particulars . sixthly , walking with god , it is , to have a holy dependance upon god in all his waies . for one to live in a holy dependance upon god for these four things . first , in a holy dependance upon god for direction ; oh lead me in the way of thy truth . when a christian looks up to god and depends upon him in the constant course of his life , depends upon him for direction , oh lord ! teach me thy way , lord , lead me in the way of everlasting life , lord , send forth thy light and thy truth to guide me ; thou shalt be my guide even unto death , when the soul dare not go one step further , then it sees god going before it , and therefore it saith , lord , lead me , guide me : i beseech you examine as you go along , can you say , that in the course of your lives this you find ; that you walk in a holy dependance upon god for guidance and direction in every step ? whatsoever you meddle with , yet your walk is thus in a holy dependance upon god for direction in your bufiness , and according as the business is , of lesse or greater conscequence the heart works more after god for guidance and direction for that business . but now , the men of the world they are afraid that god should lead them into hard paths , into ttoublesom waies , and therefore they are shy of gods guidance ; this is the way of wicked hearts , ( i say ) they are shy of the guidance and direction of god ; but a gracious heart saith , let god lead me , and let the way be what it will. the wicked are guided by their own thoughts , by their own counsels , by the examples of other men , what 's most sutable to their own ends , but the way of the saints is this , lord , guide me . secondly , their holy dependance upon god it is for protection to protect them in what they do . lord , i am in the way that thou hast guided me into , i may meet with much trouble and affliction , but lord do thou protect me , do thou defend me in this way of thine . as the child walking with the father , if he hears any noise that doth scare him , he looks up to the father , and depends upon his father to be protected : so when a child of god shall in all his waies walk in a holy dependance upon god for protection , this is to walk with god. thirdly , the soul depends upon god for assistance in any thing that it undertakes . lord , this is the work that thou callest me to , oh let me have strength from thy self in this work , i can do nothing without thee lord , and let me have assistance from thee . whereas the wicked they make flesh their arm , and therefore there 's a curse pronounc'd against them , in jer. . . verse , they are strangers to any such work as this , of dependance upon god for assistance ! now and then at a spurt , they will say , that god must help them and they can do nothing without god : i but to have a holy , gracious frame of spirit to walk in a holy dependance upon god for assistance in every businesse , this is far from the wicked and ungodly . fourthly , the soul walks in a holy dependance upon god for a blessing upon all it doth . walk before me and be upright , i am thine exceeding great reward . as if god should say to abraham , walk in dependance upon me , i am thy reward , though thou hast little encouragment in the world , yet look up to me for thy reward : so when the soul turneth from men , and the world , and minds not so much what encouragement it hath from the world , but looks up to god , lord , i depend upon thee for a blessing , and how ever things seem to go , yet lord , i look up to thee for the bringing all to a good issue ; here 's now a soul walking with god. walking with god makes a man free and ready in the waies of god. seventhly , one that walks with god , in all his waies of holiness and obedience his heart is free in him , he comes off readily to every good work , he is not hall'd and pull'd to god , but he walks with him . there 's a great deal of differenet between one that is dragged after another , ( as if you should drag a prisoner that hath no mind to go that way ) and another that walks up and down with delight and pleasure with you : 't is not enough to walk with god , for to be in the way that god would have you to be , or to do the things that god would have you to do , except your hearts do come off freely in the waies of obidience , except there be a cheerfulness in the waies of obedience , except you choose the waies of holiness as the waies that are most sutable to you , this is the walking with god. in the . psal . . i will walk at liberty , ( saith david ) for i seek thy precepts . it 's a notable scripture . the men of the world they think that there is no walking at liberty but for them to satisfie their defires to the uttermost , to walk after their lusts which is the scripture phrase : no but saith david , my liberty is this , i seek thy precepts . a carnal heart thinks it is the greatest bondage in the world for to seek the precepts of god , and to conform to gods precepts , that i must walk according to rule , that 's a bondage : no , i 'le walk at liberty , for i seek thy precepts . it 's an excellent argument of grace in the heart , to account the precepts of god to be the greatest liberty to the soul : when i am in the waies of sin , i am in the waies of bondage , i am a slave to satan ; but when i seek thy precepts , i am at liberty . as a man when he is walking up and down in the fields , he is at liberty . so when the soul is walking with god it is at liberty , but when the soul is walking without god it is in a dungeon , a prison ; but ( i say ) when it walks with god it is at liberty , it comes off freely in all the waies of obedience . walking with god consists in communion with god. eighthly , walking with god consists in the converse and communion that the soul hath with him in holy duties : there are the special walks of the soul with god , and of god , with the soul in the duties of holy worship . in the . of levit. . saith the lord there , ye shall do my judgments , and keep mine ordinances , to walk therein , i am the lord your god. you must walk in gods ordinances , the ordinances of god they are the walks of a gracious soul , and there the soul meets with god , in the . of levit. , . it 's a notable scripture to shew that in gods ordinances there the soul meets with god. and i will set my tabernacle amongst you , and my soul shall not abhor you , that is , shall delight in you , and i will walk among you , and will be your god , and ye shall be my people . i will set my tabernacle amongst you : what 's that ? that is , mine ordinances , you shall enjoy mine ordinances , you shall have the duties of my worship , and i will walk among you : then god walks among us when we enjoy his ordinances . so that you see in the . of levit. there god saith , you shall walk in mine ordinances , the ordinances are the godly mans walk : then in the . of levit. the ordinances are gods walk ; so that we see they walk the same way , and there god and a gracious heart meet together . the churches enjoying ordinances are the candlesticks that we reade of in the of revel . . in the midst of the seven golden candlesticks was one like unto the son of man , cloathed with a garment down to the feet , and gird about the paps with a golden girdle : the lord jesus christ is in the midst of the candlesticks ; that is , in the midst of the churches , where there are the ordinances of god , there he is , and if you would walk with him you must find him there ; in the . psal . . there likewise you may see what the way of a gracious heart is in walking with god , they have seen thy goings o god , even the going of my god , my king , ( where ? ) in the sanctuary . if you would walk with another you must know where his goings are , observe where he uses to walk , and be going there . they have seen thy going o god , even the goings of my god , my king , in the sanctuary ; there 's the goings of god , if you would meet with god and walk with him , it must be in the sanctuary , it must be in his ordinances . in the . of cant. . verse , it is said , that the king ( speaking of christ ) is held in the galleries ; now what 's that but in the ordinances ? that 's as it were the galleries of the great king of heaven and earth . and you know princes and great men , they have their sumptuous galleries wherein they use to walk , and only chief favourites are permitted and suffered to be there to walk up and down : the king is held in his galleries : that is , when jesus christ is in communion with his saints in his ordinances , in the duties of worship : oh 't is the most pleasant galleries to walk in that he hath , it 's as pleasant a gallery as he hath in heaven it's self , oh! he loves to be there , the king is held there . oh! many a sweet and comfortable turn hath a gracious heart in these galleries , that is , in the ordinances and duties of worship in walking with jesus christ . when the soul is exercised in the ordinances , it hath converse with christ , it hearkens what christ saith , and christ hearkens what such a soul saith , i will hearken what he will say , and the soul knows the voice of christ , . cant. . it is the voice of my beloved , saith the spouse . oh it knows what the voice of christ is when they walk together in ordinances : christ speaks to the soul , and the soul knows his voice , and the soul speaks again to jesus christ , there is a blessed converse between them , christ lets himself into the heart , and the heart opens its self to christ , oh! the communion that a gracious heart hath with jesus christ in ordinances it is unspeakable ! only those that are acquainted with it understand what the meaning of conversing with god there means ; it is with many even as it was with adam , that when god came to walk in the garden , we read that he was hid in the bush : the ordinances and duties of worship are as paradice , as eden ; and god comes many times to walk with us , and would feign have communion and converse with us , yet oh! how many times are many of his servants hid in the bush ; they have walked loosly , and contracted some guiltiness upon their spirits , and so the presence of god is terrible to them , and the more the voice of god , and the presence of god is in an ordinance , the more they are afraid because of some guiltinesse : they are intangled in the bush when as they should be conversing with god , oh the difference that there is between some christians and others in the exercising themselves in the duties of worship ! there are some that when they are worshiping of god , oh what sweet and blessed terms have they with god , and communion between god and their souls ! and others , though ( it may be ) they have some good in them , yet they are intangled in the bryars of the world , and though god be in the midst of his ordinances , yet they have no converse , no communion with him at all . walking with god causeth the soul to follow god more as be reveals himself more . the ninth particular is this : the soul that walks with god , as god reveals himself unto it still more and more , so it follows god more and more , and still seeks to glorifie god more and more , that 's walking : there is a progresse in the waies of godliness where there is a walking . the soul when first it is led by the hand of jesus christ to god , and comes and walks with him , oh 't is sweet and comfortable , but still as god reveals himself more and more to the soul , so the soul still grows up in godlinesse more and more , and still is more holy , and more gracious , and honours god more in the conversation of it than formerly it hath done , it gets neerer and neerer to heaven every day ; this is to walk with god. there 's a notable scripture in the . psal . . david saith there , my soul follows hard after thee , o lord , thy right hand upholdeth me . as a poor child that is walking with the father , it may be he is weak , and cannot go so fast as it doth desire , but the father puts forth his hand and takes hold of him and so upholds and strengthens the child , and it follows hard after the father : so 't is here : oh lord thy right hand upholds me : if it did not uphold me , i could not walk , but thy right hand upholds me , and then my soul follows hard after thee , and so increases in godliness more and more : i will praise thee more and more saith david in another place speaking of the honor that he disir'd to give to god in his way , he profess'd he would still ad to the praise of god , and praise him more and more . these are the principal things wherein walking with god consists . now to all these take in that consideration that we have mentioned all along , and that makes it up , that all these are in a constant course of a mans life , this walking with god. some other men that know not what it is to walk with god , perhaps they may come and walk a step or two in gods waies , but they quickly turn out again , and they find them tedious and irksom to them : but the heart that walks with god doth all this that i have named . that is , eyes god in all his waies . behaves its self as in the presence of god. walks in the same way god doth . observes gods designs . and so likewise the rest , and all this in the constant course of his life . it 's true , through the violence of some temptation there may chance to be a step astray , or there may be perhaps some fall in the way ; but still the heart is god-ward , and still is towards god , it gets up again , and walks again in the way , it doth not meerly go a step into the way of god as some carnal men do ; it may be somtimes when gods hand is upon them , or upon the hearing of some sermon , then their hearts are a little touch'd , and they seem to be a little froward ; but take the constant course of their lives , and it 's in the way of sin ; but the constant course of the waies of the saints , are in the waies of god. as now , a swine may go through a fair meadow , i but that 's not the place that it doth so much regard , but it would be in the mire and dirt , and there it wallows . so it is with many wicked men , they will come and hear , and pray , and do some good duties , this is a swine in a meadow ; but when they come to those waies that may satisfie the lusts of the flesh , there they wallow , that 's their proper place , and therefore far from walking with god. a begger will perhaps follow a man a little way so long as he hath hopes of getting any thing by him : but if the man goes still away from him , he turns aside to another way , he will go no further along with him : so 't is with many men , even many professors they would seem to follow god perhaps for comfort , and for something that they would have from him ; but if they cannot find presently what they would have from god , then they turn aside : whereas ( i beseech you observe this ) the difference between a friends walking with another out of delight of communion with him , and a begger that only goes along with another man begging for an alms ; the man that goes along begging for the alms he doth not regard the company of this man any further than he may have hopes of an alms from him , if he cannot have what he would have , or if he have once what he would have , he turns aside from the man : but a friend that is walking with his friend , that that satisfies him is , the company of his friend , and the converse that he hath with him while he is walking , and so he goes on in a constant way , and walks to the end of the place where his friend is to go , and is sorry that the walk is so short , and still desires to converse with his friend : so i say , this is the difference for all the world in professors , there are some that have some touch of conscience , and they see there is no way for them if they have not mercy from god but they must perish , and perhaps they will be seeking of god , and following of god , and crying to god for mercy : but if they have not comfort according as they expect they turn away from him , and seek for comfort other waies : but a gracious heart that is indeed turned to god , it doth not only seek to god for mercy for its self that it might be delivered from misery , but it sees an excellency in god , and finds sweetness in converse and communion with god , and loves the presence of god , and this is the ground of the constancy of his heart in the waies of holiness , because it loves so much of the presence of god , and communion with god , it is for god himself that the soul is in those waies , and such a one will hold out in the waies of god. indeed one that meerly serves god in a servile way , and seeks himself only in seeking of god , such a one ( i say ) will be ready to turn aside ; but where the soul walks with god out of a sence of communion , sweetness , and good that there is in communion with god , such a one goes on in a constant way to the end and is not tir'd in the waies of god as others are . you know , if you be walking from place to place , if you have good company with you , you are not weary , you account the journy nothing , why ? because you have good company , and especially if you have good discourse all along too ; so it is with christians , oh the waies of god come to be very easie to them upon this ground , and so they hold out . chap. v. twelve several excellencies of walking with god , opened . the next thing is , the excellency that there is in walking with god. the first excellency . and this may be in the first place : the walking with god. oh there is an excellency in it : if it were only this , that it makes the waies of god easie : all the waies of god , how easie are they to the soul that knows what this means , [ of walking with god ] that hath god in his company continually , oh the easiness that there is in the waies of god! it 's that that is worth a world , and it 's a very grievous and sad condition that men and women are in who have convinced consciences , and dare not wilfully go out of gods waies , but are alwaies drooping and find them grievous and tedious to them : but it is because they have not communion with god in them : they are in them meerly , upon necessity because they ought to be in them . but the saints find the waies of god more easie to them , for they have alwaies good company with then . when i awake , i am alwaies with thee , saith david . the very nights are pleasant unto them : when he awakes still he is with god. there 's many men and women cannot lie alone ; those that cannot sleep when they awake , if they have no company with them the nights are tedious ; but if they cannot sleep , and yet when they awake they have some with them the nights are not so tedious to them : when i awake i am ever with thee saith david concerning god. that 's the first thing , for the excellency of this walking with god. the second excellency . but secondly , this walking with god , it is , most honorable . oh 't is an honorable thing to walk with god. attendance upon kings and princes we know is honorable ; the maids of honor that do but attend upon a queen , it 's a great honor ; the attendance upon a king , yea upon noble men : but now , not only attendance , but free converse with princes , that 's more than meer attendance ; to walk with an emperour as a friend up and down in his galleries , in his gardens , in his orchyard . so it is with the saints , abraham is called gods friend . you are not my servants , but my friends , saith christ . god admits the soul to come as a friend and to have converse with him , oh! this is honorable . they were accounted blessed that were in the presence of solomon , that were but his servants to wait at his table ; much more to sit at his table , to see the order of solomons table : then to be alwaies with god , and walking with him , what a blessed and honourable thing is this ! it is the honor of angels themselves , that they do but see the face of god , the angels that are in heaven do behold the face of god ; what honor is it then for christians to be alwaies walking with god ? honor ! 't is that that is the great honor and happiness of the church when she shall be in her glory . mark how christ doth expresse himself , in revel . . . thou hast a few names even in sardis , which have not defiled their garments , what 's promised to them ? and they shall walk with me in white ; for they are worthy . there shall be a glory put upon them , and they shall walk with me , for they are worthy . the walking with christ , that 's the greatest honor that christ could promise unto them . and so in the . of the revelation . it 's said of those that stood upon mount sion with the lamb , having harps in their hands , and singing of a new song ; in the verse , these are they which were not defiled with women , for they are virgins ; these are they which follow the lamb whithersoever he goes ; these were redeemed from among men ; being the first fruit unto god and to the lamb. they follow the lamb whithersoever he goes : this is the honor that is put upon them : oh the walking with god it is most honorable . the third excellency . thirdly , the excellency of walking with god consists in this , in the blessed satisfaction that the soul must needs have in walking with him : to walk with life its self , with glory , with happinesse , and that in a constant way , this must needs satisfie the soul , must i say bring inconceivable satisfaction and peace unto the soul thus walking with him. you know what philip said , let us see the father , and it sufficeth us : what , would it suffice philip to see god ? oh then ! not only to see him , but to walk and be continually with him . people will run many times but to have the fight of a great man , but to be admitted into the same room and to walk with him ; this is more , in the . of exod . and he said , my presence shall go with thee , and i will give thee rest : god promised to moses that his presence should be with him , and then when the presence of god is with the soul , oh the rest that the soul hath by the presence of god! oh the lettings out of joy that there must needs be to the heart that walks with god! in the . psal . . . they shall be abundantly satisfied with the fatness of thy house , and thou shalt make them drink of the rivers of thy pleasures ; for with thee is the fonntain of life : in thy light shall we see light . certainly where god walks there is a glorious light round about , that such a soul never walks in darkness , the light of god shines about it ; as we reade of those that walked with christ to emaus , the text saith , their hearts burn'd within them . certainly the hearts of the saints walking with god must needs be fild with those influences from god that must make their hearts glow within them while they are walking with him : in psal . . , . you have a notable scripture there about the satisfaction of the soul in walking with god , blessed are the people that know the joyfull sound : they shall walk o lord in the light of thy countenance , in thy name shall they rejoyce all the day , and in thy righteousness shall they be exalted . those that walk with god they walk in the light of gods countenance , and in gods name shal they rejoyce all the day , and in his righteousness shall they be exalted . oh! a blessed thing it is to walk with god. the speech of that noble marques galiatius that was of great birth in italy , and forsaking all his honors and friends and coming to geneve , he had this expression , saith he , upon a time feeling his sweet converse with god , cursed ( saith he ) be that man that accounts all the gold and silver in the world worth one daies enjoyment of communion with jesus christ . he had left a great deal of gold and silver , the pope himself was a neer kinsman to him , and great possessions and kindred he had , and left it all to come to geneve , to professe the truth there , and he found all recompenced in cōmunion with christ , and his heart was so ful with it , that he even cursed those that should account all the gold and silver in the world worth the enjoyment of one hours communion with christ : oh an hours walking with christ is more than all the world . i appeal to those souls that have been acquainted with this , whether would you have lost such an hour that you have been conversing with god for all the world ? what would you take for the enjoyment of such an hour as that is ? oh not thousand thousands of worlds a gracious heart would not take for some hours that it hath in enjoyment of communion with god in walking with him ; oh there 's infinite sweetness in walking with god. there 's a great deal of good to be had in walking with the saints , as sometimes i have told you of dr. taylor that was the martyr , when he came to prison he rejoyced that ever he was put in prison there to meet with that angel of god john bradford : now if it be comfortable to have communion with the saints though in prison , oh how sweet is it to have communion with god in walking with him ! i remember i have read of a king , that once beholding plato walking up and down with other phylosophers , he cries out thus ; oh life ! this is life and true happiness ; yonder is true happiness : he did not look upon his kingdom as affording a life to him , and as affording that happiness as he did beleeve plato and the phylosophers had conversing one with another about phylosphie ; as if he should say , 't is not the kings of the earth that live the happy lives , but these phylosophers that walk and converse thus one with another . oh then what life and happiness it is for the soul to walk up and down with god , and to converse with god himself ! what though thou walkest in the velly of bacha , yea what though thou walkest in the shadow of death in respect of outward afflictions , yet walking with god is that that will shine upon thee , and will sweeten thy heart even when thou art walking in the vally of bacha , and in the shadow of death . in the . of the revel . see whither jesus christ leads the soul in walking with him , the lamb which is in the midst of the throne shall feed them , and shall lead them unto living fountains of waters , and god shall wipe away all tears from their eyes . thus when thou walkest with jesus christ , he leads thee to the living fountains of waters that comfort thee ; the comforts that thou hadst in the world were but as dirty puddles ; but those comforts that thou hast in christ when thou walkest with him , they are the fountain of living waters . that 's the third thing wherein the excellency of walking with god consists , the abundance of soul-satisfaction that the heart hath in god. the fourth excellency . the fourth excellency that there is in walking with god is this , it 's a special part of the covenant on our part that god doth make with us , upon which the very blessing of the covenant doth in grreat part depend : as that scripture in the . of gen. doth cleerly shew , where god is coming to make a covenant with abraham , and to be a god to him and to his seed ; what 's that god requires of abraham now ? walk before me and be upright ; then i am god alsufficient , and i enter into covenant with you , to be a god to you , and a god to your seed , walk before me and be upright . as if that were all the thing that god look'd at , that you should walk with him and be upright : [ then ] you shall have the blessing of the covenant . oh this is a great excellency , that it is a special part of the covenant that god makes with his people on their part : and then on his part , he will be a god unto them . what was it that god requir'd , in the . of micah , , . verses , there you may see how god prizes walking with him , that it 's the great thing that god doth look at , whereas there were some that said , wherewith shall i come before the lord , and bow my self before the high god ? shall i come before him with burns offerings ? with calves of a yeer old ? will the lord be pleased with thousands of rams , or with ten thousands of rivers of oyl ? shall i give my first born for my transgression , the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul ? what shall i do to please god ? mark in the . verse , he hath shewed thee , o man , what is good : and what doth the lord require of thee , but to do justly , and to love mercy , and to walk humbly with thy god ? as if he should say , this is the great thing , to walk with thy god ; not only to exercise some particular grace of thy justice , and mercy , but in general , to walk with thy god ; never tell me of any thing that you would do for me , but in the constant course of thy life , walk humbly with thy god. this therefore was the comfort of hezekiah when he had the message of death come to him , in the . of isa . remember o lord ( saith he ) how i have walked before thee in truth , and with a perfect heart ; he turned his face to the wall , and ( the text saith ) he wept ( it was for joy : ) as if he should say , lord , it 's true , there hath been many infirmities in me ; but lord , i have walked before thee in truth , and with a perfect heart ; as if he should say , i may boldly challenge , and i do come now lord to challenge the good of the covenant , that thou wouldst remember me according to the riches of thy mercy , for lord i have walked with thee : as if he should say , lord , was not that the thing that thou didst require of my father abraham ? why lord , i have walked before thee , and i have been upright in some measure ; therefore lord , be a god alsufficient to me , lord , remember thy covenant , be a god to me , be all in all to me because of this . oh my brethren ! is not this worth ten thousand thousand worlds , that the soul may be able to appeal to god that it hath done that which is a special thing that is requir'd in the covenant on our parts ; and so upon it may have the assurance of gods performing the covenant on his part . the fifth excellency . and then the fifth thing is , there is a blessed safety in walking with god. as in the . psal . . there see the prophet david that was a man much exercised in walking with god , saith he , yea though i walk through the vally of the shadow of death , i will fear no evil , for thou art with me , thy rod and thy staff doth comfort me : i am walking with thee , and though i be walking in the shadow of death , i 'le therefore fear no evil . now is it not a blessed thing to be in safety alwaies with god ? and in the . psal . . saith david , though i walk in the midst of trouble thou wilt revive me ; thou shalt stretch forth thine hand against the wrath of mine enemies : and thy right hand shall save me . no matter what the trouble be so god be with the soul ; he that walks uprightly walks surely , in the . of the proverbs , . whereas it 's said of the wicked that they walk upon a snare continually : in the . of job , . the wicked walk upon a snare : the waies of wickednesse that you walk in , they may seem to be pleasant and comfortable to you , but certainly you are upon a snare , and you may be catch'd and undone for ever , though perhaps thou hast escap'd all this while , yet thou art in continual dangers , every step ( i say ) thou goest on in the waies of sin , thou art upon a snare , and in danger to be catch'd to thy eternal destruction ; but he that walks uprightly , he walks surely , and this is a great excellency , for a man to walk surely , i know i am in my way for i am with god : a child doth not fear what way soever it goes in , if he can but see his father . now the soul may know surely , i am in the right way , i am with god ; and i am safe what ever danger comes , for i am walking with god. the sixth excellency . the sixth excellency that there is in walking with god is this , from hence the soul comes to enjoy a holy boldness and a holy familiarity with god. it may be when the soul comes first to god , the presence of the great god strikes some fear , there is some dread of the majesty of god ; but when the soul hath used to converse with him , there is a holy familiarity that the soul hath with god , and a holy boldness , it can have free liberty to say any thing to him now ; and this is the reason that some now that never knew what the spirit of prayer meant , and what the liberty of the soul in opening its self to god meant before , yet when they have come to be acquainted with the waies of god ; oh what liberty have they then in their spirits to open their hearts to god , yea , they can open their hearts to god as one friend to another . i remember it 's said of luther , that when ever he was praying , he could speak to god as to his friend . in job , . . acqusint now thy self with him , and be at peace . the soul comes to have an acquaintance with god , oh what a phrase is here ! what , acquaint our selves with god , that god should be our acquaintance ! i , god is willing to be the acqaintance of the poorest christian in the world , poor men and women , and servants , and others that perhaps some rich men that is by them wil scorn their acquaintance , but they account them rather ( as it 's spoken of some vile people ) fit to be set with the dogs of the flock , yea , perhaps though they be poor godly people , yet they think it too much debasing themselves to have any kind of acquaintance with them : well , but the infinite god though he is so high that he humbles himself to behold the very things that are done in heaven , yet this god thinks not much to be one of thy acquaintance , to be of the acquaintance of any one that hath any godliness in them ; when we see a great man , a man of parts and honor come to some poor man and shake him by the hand , we will say , look what an humble man is this , that will be so familiar with the meanest of all . oh! now acquaint thy self with god , this is the blessedness of walking with god ; the soul comes to have a familiar converse with god , and a holy boldness . the seventh excellency . the seventh benefit or excellency that there is in walking with god is this , the communication of gods secrets . he that walks with god shall come to know the mind of god. it 's impossible for a man to take delight in walking with another but he must discover secrets from him ; there 's never any true friendship where there is a closeness of spirit . but where there is true friendship they will take one another and walk together , and open their hearts each to other : this is comfortable walking indeed . thus it is in walking with god , this is the blessing of it , such souls they have the secrets of god discovered to them , they come to know much of the mind of god ; though they are weak in their natural parts , yet ( i say ) they come to know much of gods mind because they are with god. we reade in the . of proverbs , . vers . saith the holy ghost there , he that walketh with wise men shall be wise . then what shall he be that walks with god ? surely if there be wisdom to be learned from our walking with wise men , then there is wisdom to be learn'd in walking with god : 't is from hence that men that are weak in parts they come to have such excellent knowledg in the great mysteries of the gospel , and you wonder at it : you see such a mean servant that a while ago could understand nothing at all ; yet now comes to understand the great mysteries of the gospel , and that be yond many great scholers : how comes this to passe ? he walks with the god of wisdom , and the god of wisdom doth delight to let out himself to him , and to open his heart to him , they come to know the counsels of god because they walk with him ; those christians that keep close to god in a holy conversation walking with him , certainly they come to know more of the mind of god than others do ; others that walk loosly they know little of the great mysteries of the gospel , they may talk something of them , but certainly they have not a spiritual insight into the great mysteries of the gospel so as those have that walk with god. the eighth excellency . the eighth benefit of walking with god it is , that such find favour in gods eyes for granting their petitions ; for to hear them in their prayers . in the . psal . . ver . delight thy self in the lord , and he shall give thee the desire of thine heart ; walk with god , and enjoy converse and communion with him , so as to delight thy self with him , and he will give thee thy hearts desire , thou shalt have what thou wouldst have . as now , if a man have a petition to give to any great man , if he can but observe him in his walks , then he thinks that surely when he may have such an opportunity , now to present it as he hopes to have audiance , and acceptance of the petition . i remember i have read of one that offered to give a great sum of mony that he might have but liberty to whisper any thing in the kings ear every day , why ? because thereby he thought that he should have a great many people come to him to desire his help for to prefer their petitions , and if he might have but that liberty he should get enough that way . now the soul that hath the liberty of walking with god , what a priviledg hath he ? and what opportunities to present petitions to god ? and the lord delights in hearing of them . if a king will admit a man to walk with him , surely such a man whatsoever he presents it's like to speed . now my brethren , upon this ground it is thus : you shall see a great deal of difference in a formal professor's prayer , & the prayer of a godly man that walks with god ; the difference in the prayers of these two is thus : i 'le set it out by this similitude . you have your beggers , and they pray for an alms , but they stand at the door ; but if you a have special friend , an acquaintance that shall come to desire a favour from you , the door is opened for him , you carry him into the parlour , and there he opens his mind to you , he hath a great deal of priviledg more than the other : both come to ask a favour from you , but one stands at the door , and the other is let into the parlour and walks up and down there , and there opens his mind to you . just for all the world is there this difference between the prayers of formal professors , and the prayers of those that walk with god ; those that make but a meer profession of religion , they will pray as others do , but they are like beggers at the door , they see not gods face all the while , they knock it may be , but the door is not opened for them to come in : but a gracious heart that walks with god , doth not only stand knocking at the door , but it is opened and he comes into the presence chamber , and there saith god , what is thy request o thou soul ? as if a friend should hear another that is his dear friend stand knocking at the door , he presently opens the door and carries him into the best room that he hath , and there saith , tell me what it is that you would have , i am not able to deny you ; and this is the priviledg of those that are gracious and holy , that walk with god : they have much priviledg in prayer , much benefit that way , and freedom with god , and assurance of gods granting of their petitions . the ninth excellency . in the ninth place , there 's this excellency in the souls walking with god , there must needs be a glory put upon the soul . as it was with moses , he went up and was but with god fourty daies upon the mount , and when he came down , his face did shine that the people were not able to behold it : god appeared in a visible manner to him ; but spiritually it 's true now , the soul that is conversing with god fourty daies , yea , in the constant course of his life , hath a beauty , a lustre , a glory put upon it , and such a lustre and glory that those that have enlightened consciences and yet are guilty they are scarce able to bear the fight of them : as i appeal to you , when you have given liberty to some way of sin , and you have come into the presence of those that have been godly and walked very close with god , hath it not struck a terror to you ? for there is a glory and beauty upon those souls that do walk close with god , they do shine in the midst of a crooked and perverce generation . what 's the glory of heaven but the reflection of gods presence upon heaven that makes it so glorious ? and in its measure a gracious heart that walks close with god hath the glory of heaven upon it . the tenth excellency . tenthly , gods presence doth mightily act every grace , doth draw forth every grace : ( and that i lay down as another distinct head in the excellency of walking with god ) i say , it draws forth every grace , the graces of the spirit of god are alwaies kept in action : as now , fire will draw fire . the lord being of infinite holinesse , when the heare is holy it being in the presence of god walking with him , ( i say ) all holinesse must needs be drawn forth , and must be acted ; and this will put a mighty beauty upon men , while they have not only grace in their hearts but it is acted . and this is a great blessing to have our graces acted , drawn forth , and enlarged , and this is the benefit of walking with god. the eleventh excellency . and besides , the presence of god , and familiarity of the soul in walking with him , will make the presence of god neither at death or judgment shall ever be terrible to it . those that now walk with god and have much converse with him , ( i say ) when they come to die , gods presence shall not be terrible to them ; yea when jesus christ shall come in flaming fire to revenge himself upon those that know him not , the presence of christ shal not be terrible to them : why ? because they walked with christ all the daies of their lives : in the . of hosea , . vers . they shall walk after the lord : he shall roar like a lyon. mark how these two are joyned together : wicked and ungodly men they shall tremble at the roaring of a lyon : but for the saints it shal not be terrible to them : and how much is it worth , that when god shall appear in death , and at judgment here and hereafter , the terrour of god shall be taken away ? my brethren , god appears at death , and at the times of judgment ordinarily in another manner than he doth in the time of prosperity ; you see no terror in gods presence now ; but beware of it when death is approaching : wicked men when they lie upon their death-beds , how terrible is the presence of god to them then ! but those that walk with god shall not find it so : when they come to die , then god appears to them ; now am i going to stand before the great god , to have my eternal estate determined one way or other : but what god is this ? he is great indeed ; but he is my friend , i have had converse with him all the daies of my life : and so , when i must come to judgment here comes jesus christ with his thousands of angels in glory , but it is christ that i have conversed with all the daies of my life , this christ hath been my friend before whom i am . this will be the comfort in walking with god. the twelfth excellency . and then , the end of the walk , that makes it belssed indeed . oh! how blessed will that make it ! it 's a blessed thing to walk with god now ; but when you come to the end of this walk you shall find it blessed indeed . if a man did come to enjoy god at last , though it was through never so many difficulties , yet he had cause to blesse god. if one were going to possess a kingdom , though his way were never such a difficult way and hard , yet the end of his way would make it comfortable , because it is to go and take a kingdom : but now , you that are walking with god , you have comfort in your walk , but the end of your walk , oh that will be glorious indeed ! it is to possesse a kingdom , it is to have the crown of glory set upon your heads ; your communion that you have with god here , it is but as the forerunner of that glorious communion that you shall enjoy with him together with the saints and angels to all eternity . and thus we have given you the heads at least of the excellency that there is in , walking with god. no marvel though the holy ghost sets such a commendations upon enoch , above al things , that he walked with god , seeing there is so much good in it . i confesse i had thought not to have left this head without applying of it , and warming it upon your hearts , that you might walk so with god that you might not lose the comfort , and blessing , and sweet excellency that you have had opened to you in walking with god ; only let me say thus much , be in love with it ; know , there is no such good in any other path , the devil doth but gul you , and your own hearts ; and the world doth but deceive you , if it promise any good in any other way that will counter vail this : oh no , the walking with god it is the good of a christian , it 's his happinesse , his glory , his commendations ; oh that this may be recorded of you as it was of enoch ! and enoch walked with god. chap. vii . five vses of exhortation , in walking with god. now we proceed . some use i shall make of this ( briefly ) before i go to the third head , about evidences of walking with god. the first vse . first , bless god that he will be pleased to walk thus with his poor creatures ; bless the lord for his goodness to us : happy are the angels that stand before the lord : how happy are we then that may have this free converse with god! what , we that were not only strangers but enemies to god a while since , now to walk with him . oh! a blessed thing it is : let god be magnified for this his goodness to us , even he that humbleth himself to behold the things that are done in heaven , do but look upon the things that are done in heaven , psalm . . and yet he will condescend fo far to his poor creatures even here on earth , as to walk with them ; were we indeed wholly freed from sin it were somewhat ; but while we are not only so mean in our selves , but so sinful , and yet that god wi●l so walk with us , this we have cause to bless god for if we should see his face hereafter , though we should never see him in this world ; but that god should not only grant unto us this , that we should hereafter , after a wearisome and tedious pilgrimage here in this world come to see his face , but that we should have so much converse with him here , oh magnified and blessed be the name of god for this . the second vse . secondly , what strangers are the most part of the world to this that i am speaking of . that which i am speaking of it's a riddle to most men in the world , this walking with god is but an empty sound to most men , yea , for the greatest part of the world they walk ( as the scripture speaks ) after their own counsels , you shall find divers notable expressions in scripture of the walk of sinners , of wicked men . they walk according to their own counsels . they walk after the flesh . they walk after their lusts . they walk after the course of this world . they walk in the vanity of their minds . they walk contrary unto god. they walk according to men . yea , that 's observable unto this , that the holy ghost condemns , not only walking according to the course of the world , and as men , but to walk in the way of kings is condemn'd in scripture : in chron. . . if to follow the course of any men one would think it might be most cōmendable the following of the king : but here 's a charge against ahaz that he walked in the waies of the kings of israel : and the kings , . . they walked in the statutes of the heathen : here 's to walk as kings walk , and then to walk in the laws of kings , god would not have any men walk in them any further than they are according to his own statutes . not to say , it 's according to law , and i must walk according to law : no , this is charged to walk according to the practice of kings , or their laws being evil . and there 's another scripiure in the i kings , . . he did evil in the sight of the lord , and walked in the waies of his father , and in his sin wherewith he made israel to sin . there 's to walk in the way of great men , and that 's condemned . secondly , to walk in the way of the laws of the places where we live . thirdly , to walk according to our fathers , that 's condemned . and then lastly , to walk according to the common course of the world , that 's condemned ; and yet this is the walk of sinners . and further the scripture saith , that wicked men they walk in darkness : and they walk after their own imaginations , and in the vanity of their minds , they walk in lies , and their hearts walk after the sight of their own eyes , and they walk after their covetousness : we might mention neer twenty such kind of expressions in scripture , and these are the walks of sinners : but the waies of the saints , they are to walk with god , but those that walk in the way of sinners , that is , in the vanity of their minds according to the fight of their own eyes , after their covetousness , and after the flesh , and their lusts , and lasiviousness , and vanity , and such kind of expression as we have in scripture , certainly they shall have the end of their walk to be no other but destruction and eternal misery . the third vse . thirdly , what vile hearts are ours that are so backward to walk with god , seeing god is pleased to admit of his saints to walk with him ! even those that are godly are to be rebuk'd from hence that they should be so backward to come in to walk with god : it is our glory , that is that that would make our lives comfortable , it would make this wilderness of ours to be a paradice , it would make our gardens to be edens , it would make our houses to be churches , and make the church to be a heaven unto us , and yet we are backward unto this . oh that we would but consider of this when we are in our walk & there have vain thoughts : as ordinarily men that are walking in their pleasant gardens , or it may be pleasant rooms , oh the vanity and folly of their thoughts ! i may speak to you , who do you walk withal all this while ; when you are a walking in your galleries , or parlours , or gardens , or alone in the fields , who are you parlying withal ? who are you conversing withal ? are not you walking many times with the devil , and making provision for the flesh ? you should be walking with god : what are you the saints of god ? doth god offer himself to walk and converse with you , and will you walk with the flesh , and converse with the devil ? and be rouling of sin and wickedness up and down in your thoughts ? oh what a vile and sinful thing is this ! the lord humble you for your sinful walks , humble you that are saints , you sometimes have had some walks with god , why is it that you walk no more close with god ? you complain sometimes of your great business in the world , and occasions to converse with the world that you have no time for your communion with god ; and yet when you are off from the world , and when you have time alone wherein you might converse with god , and when you have walks to the citie and from the citie again , what communion might you have with god! but oh! how backward are our hearts even unto this that is our happinesse , and our glory ! that 's a third use by way of reproof even to the saints , which is raised from the consideration of the excellency that there is in our walking with god. the fourth vse . fourthly , by way of exhortation , oh let us keep close to god in our walking with him . we reade of peter , that he saw christ walking upon the water , and he would leap to him to walk with him there : though it were in afflictions to walk with christ it should be comfortable to us . we reade of idolators , that they would have their children p●sse through the fire to get to their idols ; oh let us be willing to pass through any difficulties to get to god , the lord is willing we should cōmunicate our selves to him , and he is willing to communicate himself to us , the lord would communicate word for word , promise for promise , imbrace for imbrace , if we would speak to him he would speak to us , if we would let out our hearts to him , he would let out his heart to us , if we would promise to him , he would promise to us . the lord doth often call us to walk with him ; as sometimes familiar friends will call one another , come , let us walk out together , and those that are very familiar and loving : though they may have some business yet they will lay it aside , seeing their deer friends calls them to walk , they take so much delight in it : many times god our deer friend cals us , come , let us walk out together . when god at any time doth dart in a heavenly thought into your minds , he doth ( as it were ) call you to walk with him there , and would have you follow that thought , the following that heavenly thought that 's darted into your minds , that 's the answering of gods call to walk with him . consider of this one note , oh do not refuse this , you do not know how your lives may be comforted this way , and your hearts may be strengthened . the fifth vse . and then the last thing that i shall name by way of use is this , if there be so much excellency in our walking with god here , what will there be in heaven then ! if our converse with him in this world be so sweet , oh how sweet shall our converse with him in heaven be ! when we shall walk with him in white : when we shall have our garments glorious indeed , and our souls fit to converse with god. now the truth is , we are very unfit to converse with the lord , because of our blindness and darknesse , we do not know god. as now , let an ignorant man come to converse with a learned man , he gets but very little good , for he is not able to put a question to him , nor able to understand what the man saith , especially if he speaks any depth of learning to him . so , many that are very weak when they are in discourse with those that are strong and godly , they are not able to make that use for their discourse as others can , and it 's a great excellency for one to be able to improve his converse with some men that have abilities and strength , to be able ( i say ) to improve their converse it 's a great excellency . alas ! we are not able to improve our converse with god here : but in heaven we shall be able to improve our converse with god , we shall know as we are known , we shall understand god , if god doth but communicate himself we shall be fit to receive all the beams of his glory that he shal be pleased to let out , oh! that wil be an excellent thing indeed when we shall be alwaies walking with god , and conversing with him continually . saith bernard , in the gracious visitations of the spirit of god to his soul , how sweet if it were not so little ! but then it shall be constant , we shall then follow the lamb whithersoever he goes , and walk with him in white according as he speaks . now the church cries out and saith , oh draw us , and we will run ofter thee . the spirit of god had need to draw us here ; but then we shall have no such need of drawing , but we shall of our selves , from the inclination of our own hearts , be alwaies walking and conversing with god , we shall have nothing else to do but to walk continually with the lord , i will walk in thy truth , unite my heart to fear thy name : psal . . . it 's an excellent scripture , i will walk in thy truth saith the prophet , oh unite my heart to the fear of thy name . as if he should say , i find much sweetnesse and good in walking in thy truth here , oh lord unite my heart to the fear of thy name , lord keep me alwaies here , it 's good being here , as peter said when christ was transfigured in his glory : so , when the soul is walking with god , it saith , it is good being here : well , when thou comest to heaven thou shalt alwaies be with the lord as the scripture speaks , and therefore from the excellency that thou findest here , learn to long after heaven , where thou shalt be continually with the lord ; and take only this one note for the setting out of the excellency of heaven , and i confesse only such as have had much sweetness in walking with god here , will understand what i mean by this ; as suppose that all those sweet manifestations of god to thy soul here , and all the dartings in of the spirit of god , all those soul ravishing joys that thou hast had , suppose they were put all together , that thou hadst them all over again at this instant , what a comfortable time would it be ! at such a time may some soul ( that knows what the meaning of this point is ) say , oh the sweet communion i had with god! i would give a world to have it again : well , thou hadst it once , but it was quickly gone , and thou hast had it a second and a third time , yea , many times when i have been with god i have had wonderful , & gracious lettings out of god to my soul , oh that i had them again ! well , suppose thou hadst now in this one quarter of an hour all the comfort and joy that ever thou hadst in all thy life put all the times together , what a comfortable quarter of an hour would this be ! now in heaven to all eternity thou shalt have that in a kind infinitely more than that for milions of yeers , even for ever . oh! what will heaven be ! if i should set out heaven to a carnal man i must tell him of crowns of glory , and there he shall see glorious sights , he shall be freed from all kind of sorrows , and there he shall have a kingdom : but if i would set out heaven to a saint , i must tell him this , he shall have communion with god , and all those soul-ravishing comforts that he hath had in the presence of god in this world , he shall have them all together , and infinitly more than them , oh this is that that will make their souls long after heaven , and set prize upon it . chap. viii . ten several evidences of a mans walking with god. but having set out unto you the excellency of walking with god , you will say , who is it that doth walk with him ? i shall further set out to you the evidences of those men and women that do walk with god. the first evidence . one that walks with god , is one that depends not much upon sence or reason in the course of his life : i say , one that is above the waies of sence and reason in his course , he hath received a principle to go higher . most men in the world they walk according to sence ; and therefore the scripture saith , they walk according to the pleasure of their eyes . but now , one that walks with god , his walk lies beyond sence , and above reason ; though things of sence seem to go this way or that way , quite crosse to him , yea , though reason seem to go quite crosse to him , yet still his heart is not in a hurry , but he hath that that can quiet his heart though sence and reason seem to be contrary : cor. . . there you shal see the walk of a godly man , for we walk by faith and not by sight , saith the apostle ; beyond our sight , either beyond our sight of sence , or the sight of reason ; we walk by faith . but now , this is a great point , a christian walking by faith , and therefore i intend to speak to that by its self from this very text , ( god willing ) in another treatise . the second evidence . one that walks with god , you shall find him in private the same that he is in publick ; what ever holiness doth appear in such a one before others , in his walking in the world , if you trace him and follow him in his private course you shall find him the same man as you do in publik : why ? because he hath not to deal with man so much , he hath to deal with god in all his waies , when he hath any thing to do before others , he walks with god , and when he is alone he is the same man still . in the . psal . see what david saith there concerning his walk in private in his family , i will behave my self wisely in a perfect way ( saith he ) oh when wilt thou come unto me ! i will walk within my house with a perfect heart . as if he should say , i will not walk when i am abroad only , with a perfect heart , but i wil walk within my house with a perfect heart . there are many people that when they are abroad in the world they seem to be very strict in their way , but follow such men to their houses and there you shall see a great deal of difference . you will find many times as much difference between the course of men when they are abroad and in their houses , as you find in their cloaths ; you shall have many men and women when they go abroad they wil be very neat , and though they have but little means , yet they wil lay it upon their backs so that they may be fine abroad ; but come to them in their families and they care not what cloaths they wear there : it is just so in regard of their lives , their lives have as much difference as their cloaths : when they are abroad then they put a good face on things and seem to be very fair in their conversations , and speak good things , but at home there they are froward and perverse , and perhaps in their passions , will swear , there they are prophane , and ungodly , and vent their corruptions in a most ungodly manner ; doest thou walk with god ? if thou hadst to deal with god thou wouldst be the same in thy family that thou art abroad , that thy wife , children , and servants in thy family might give as good a testimony of thee as when thou art abroad with others : yea , and if ye could retire with them into their very closets you should find them the same there in any duties of religion . you shall have many when they come abroad and joyn with others , oh how enlarged are they ! yet dead and dull when they are at home either in family or closet , yea their own consciences tells them so . those that walk with god wil be as spiritual in the one as in the other ; it may be when they are with others , because they are to be the mouth of others they wil sure themselves according to those they pray with ; yet when they are alone and in their families their hearts are as spiritual and as holy in their duties as when they are with others : why ? because they have to deal with god in all : and that 's another evidence of one that walks with god , that he is the same in private as he is in publick . the third evidence . a man that walks with god hath a serious spirit : walking with god will compose the spirits of men and women , will take off that loosness and vanity of spirit : therefore walking in the vanity of the mind , that 's quite crosse to walking with god ; as in the . of the ephe. . there it 's spoken of wicked men , it 's said that they walk in the vanity of their minds : all wicked men they walk in the vanity of their minds ; then all those that walk with god walk in the seriousness of their minds : it must needs be that they must have a seriousness of spirit in all their waies , for it 's with god that they have to deal withal , they take not that liberty to run this way or that way as others do . if servants be walking one with another they can take liberty to go out of their way and talk with this or the other body as they please : but if a servant walk with his master or mistris , he must not take that liberty but must go as they go . so , many that walk only with the creature , they take liberty to run up and down as they please ; but those that walk with god , they must have composed spirits , and walk seriously , and though they may walk seriously , yet cheerfully ; i beseech you consider of this : for that christian knows not the way of christian-rejoycing that doth not know how to mix it with seriousness ; yea , senecha that was a heathen could say , joy , it is a serious thing ; there is a kind of seriousness in true joy , for the joy of a christian is not frothy , it is a composed joy : as thus now , it 's serious : first , a christian in his joy he is able to command himself , he can let out his joy so far and yet at a beck he can command himself to the most spiritual duty in the world from his joy , he doth not profusely let out his heart so as he cannot call it in again . certainly , thou dost not joy as a christian if thou canst not take off thy heart from creature joyes , god gives thee liberty to be merry , but so , as to have it under thy command , as thou shalt be able to call thy heart off from it to the most serious duty in the world . secondly , he cannot only command himself to holy duties in the midst of his joy , but he finds himself the fitter for holy duties by it : now this is a serious joy if it be no other than i can command my self off from it , and that that fits me for that which is holy : christians had need take heed of frothinesse , slightnesse , and vanity , for certainly the walking with god cannot but make them serious , and those that are slight and vain , surely they do not converse with god , for god is such a serious object that it 's impossible but it must work a seriousnesse in the spirits of men . the fourth evidence . those that walk with god , they walk in newness of life : for this is not our walk naturally , our walking with god is that that comes upon a mighty converting that god gives to our spirits : our walk naturally it is with our lusts , and with the devil , and in the way to hell ; but one that walks with god walks in newnesse of life : as the scripture speaks in the . rom. . he walk according to the rule of the new creature . in the . gal. . and as many as walk according to this rule , peace be on them and mercy . you will say , what rule doth the apostle mean here ? i confesse ordinarily you have it applied to this , the walk according to the scriptures : i grant it , that 's a truth , that the word of god should be the rule of our walk , and of our lives , and those that walk according to that rule shall have peace . but i do not think that to be the meaning of this text , but the scope is to be taken from the words of the former verse , for saith he in the . verse , in christ jesus neither circumcision availeth any thing , nor vncircumcision , but a new creature . and as many as walk according to this rule , ( that is , according to the rule of the new creature ; not standing so much upon external things , either circumcision or uncircumcision , not standing so much upon outward duties , though in their kind they must be stood upon ; but the main thing that is to be stood upon , it is , the walk of the new creature ; and those that walk according to the rule of the new creature , those that act the new creature in their walk ) peace be unto them . and that 's the fourth thing in the evidences of a walker with god ; he walks in newness of life , and so according to the rule of the new creature . the fifth evidence . when he hath to deal with the creature be doth quickly passe through the creature unto god. any one ( i say ) that is acquainted with this mystery of godliness in walking with god , though while he is in this world , he hath to deal as other men have , with the creatures , yet he will not stick in the creatures , but soon passes from the creatures to god : as thus , he receives sweetness from the creatures as well as others , but when he hath received , or is in receiving the sweetness of the creatures , his heart is upon god , oh the sweetness there is in god! is the creature so sweet ? how sweet is god then ? when he is in company with friends , is it so sweet to have society with men : how sweet is it to have society with god then ? and when he hath comforts in a wife ; oh what comfort is there in the comforts of my husband jesus christ ! and when he hath comfort in a sweet habitation ; oh what comfort is there in god our habitation ! he is not musling in the world , in the creature , but he relies upon god in al that he doth injoy : now those that when they have any thing in the creature there they stick ; these are not acquainted with this way of walking with god. the sixth evidence . a man that walks with god , he loves to be much retir'd from the world . it 's true , he must follow his occasions in the world , he doth that in obedience unto god , but except he may have his retired times he knows not how to live , it 's true , when he is in his calling he walks with god there , he carries his heart heavenly : there 's a great deal of difference for one to walk with a friend in company with others , and when they are alone , though it 's true , that while the saints of god live in the world they must converse with the men of the world , and they have somewhat of god there : but though they have somewhat of god there , yet that 's not so much as when god and their souls are alone , this is that that is exceeding sweet and comfortable to them , therefore they have their retired times of meditation ; and retired times of prayer ; as we reade of isaac , he went out into the field to meditate , or to pray , for so meditation and prayer is taken sometimes in scripture for all one : i 'le powr forth my meditations to thee , sath david : that was his prayer : so , because they should be both joyned together , isaac went out into the field to meditate . those that walk with god if they live in a house and have no retir'd rooms , they go abroad and have some time or other to be retir'd by themselves ; where-as you have other men , they know not how to spend any retired times , when they are alone their minds wander this way or that way , and they gaze after every feather that flies , and it 's a prison for them to be alone , and they wonder that men and women will shut up themselves alone , surely it 's but their melanchollinesse . oh poor wretch , thou knowest not what walks they have , they are not alone all this time , they would be loth to give their retired times for all the times of thy jollity and bravery ; thou thinkest if thou beest abroad in company , and there art feasting , and having good cheer , and musick , and talking , and laughing that this is a brave life , they would be loth to change their retired times for the times of thy greatest jolity with thy companions : one that walks with god he loves some retir'd times as well as to be busie in the businesse of the world . the seventh evidence . one that walks with god , he is careful to make even his accompts with god , he doth keep his accompts with god even . this is a special thing in walking with god , when they lie down to consider , are my accompts even with god ? is there nothing amisse between god and my soul ? what hath been this day between god and my soul ? for how can two walk together except they be agreed as the prophet saith : therefore they are very careful to keep their agreement with god. indeed jesus christ the great reconciler hath first reconciled their souls to god and so they come to walk with him : but then afterwards in the course of their lives they must keep up their agreement with god , and not to run in areriges with , and so to be insnared in the world , and insnared in the corruptions of their own hearts , as that men and women will be , if they be not careful to keep their accompts with god even daily , they will insnare their souls in the world and in the lusts of their own hearts till god and their souls come to be strangers , yea , til they be afraid almost to think of god ; here 's the reason that many people are loth to come to prayer , loth to come to duties of communion with god , why ? because they have not kept their accompts even with god , but have run in areriges with god , and their hearts are intangled in the world , and in their lusts , and now the presence of god comes to be terrible to them ; oh poor wretch that thou art , what thou that art a christian and yet in such a case that the presence of god should be grievous to thee ! oh thy condition is sad indeed ! whereas thou shouldst be glad when thou thinkest of god , i was glad when they said , come let us go up to the house of the lord : but one that keeps not his accompts with god even , his retired times are grievous to him , indeed he dares not but have retired times , i but it 's grievous to him , why ? because he hath not kept his accompts even with god ; but the soul that keeps even with god , oh that soul rejoyceth in those times when it is to go to god , or doth but think of god. that 's a special thing in a man or womans walking with god , they keep their accompts even : and i beseech you observe it , as it 's an evidence , so it may be given as a rule to help you to walk with god , oh be careful of keeping your accompts daily : though this point that i am treating upon , is perhaps little understood by many , yet if so be that god would by his spirit work your hearts to this , to keep your accompts even with god , you would know more of the meaning of this point . the eighth evidence . that the more spiritual any truth is , or any ordinance is , or any company is , the more doth the soul delight in it : one that is used to god , and converses with god , when such a one meets with a truth that hath much of god in it , oh how it closes with that truth ! when it meets with an ordinance that hath much of god in it , when it meets with company that hath much of god in it , how doth this soul delight in it ! this is sutable to the heart that converses much with god , saith the soul , i have had sweet walks with god , now me thinks i come into such a company , i see the very image of god in these , and oh how sweet and delightsom are these to me ! and so for truths , and ordinances , the more spiritual they are the more such a one doth delight in them : whereas a carnal heart that walks according to the flesh , in the way of the world , if there be some truths that have some kind of humanity in them , as now , some sollid discourse that shews strength of reason , or strength of judgment in a sermon , he will take delight in that , if there be any wit , rhetorick , eloquence he takes delight in that ; but for spiritual truths there 's no such delight in them except they be cloathed with some humane excellency . but now , those that are spiritual , the more spiritual any thing is , the more delight they take in it : as for ordinances , they are but dry meat to those that are carnal except there be something external ; bring the ordinances in the plain simplicity of the gospel to them , where there is only communion of saints , sitting about a table , and eating a piece of bread , and drinking a little wine , they see no excellency there : but a gracious heart , the lesse of man he sees in an ordinance , and the more of god , the more he closes with them , and takes delight in them : here 's one now that walks with god. the ninth evidence . a man that walks with god , is one that walks in all the commandements of god. endeavours to walk in them before him , and blameless before men : in the . of luke , the . it 's said of zacharias , and elizabeth , they were both righteous before god , walking in all the commandements and ordinances of the lord , blameless : here 's a walking with god , not only to walk in some one thing , but in all commandements , and ordinances of god , and not only so , but blameless before men too ; though it 's true , the chief work that he hath , it is , in converse with god , yet he is careful so as to be blameless before men , because it concerns much the honor of god that he should be blameless before men : zacharias and elizabeth they were walkers with god , and their lives are described so that they were conscionable in all the commands of god , and walked blameless before men . now as we go along , apply it , can you say , lord , thou that knowest al things , knowest , that there 's no command of thine , nor no ordinance of thine , but my soul closes with , and i desire to spend my life in them , and to walk blamelesly before men ? there 's a great many that speak much of walking before god , and of the ordinances of god , and yet come to them before men , and they are careless and negligent : ( do but hearken to what the lord speaks this day to thee ) certainly thou never knewest what it was to walk with god except thou doest walk blamelesly before men too . the tenth evidence , opened in five particulars . see but how the scripture describes the walk of the saints with god ; there are some four or five particulars that i shal infist upon , wherein i shal open some scriptures , describing the saints walk with god. as first , their walk it is a walk of humility , a way very humble . the heart that walks with god must needs be very humble in the presence of god ; you know the place in the . of micah , he hath shewn thee , o man , what he would have thee to do , to walk humbly with thy god : that 's more than the offering of thousands of lambs , or ten thousand rivers of oyl , to walk humbly with thy god : a proud man or woman never knows what it is to walk with god. but the walking with god causes much humility , there 's no such thing in the world to humble the heart of a man as to have converse with god , do you see a man proud and haughty , and high in his carriage , surely you may conclude this man hath little converse with god : saith job , i have heard of thee by the hearing of the ear , but now have mine eyes seen thee : what then ? i abhor my self in dust and ashes . secondly , another thing that the scripture speaks of the walk of a christian with god , it is , vprightness ; walk before me , and he upright . i might give you twenty scriptures for that , how uprightness is the walk of a christian with god : i 'le give you only one about this , and that is in the epist . of john , . verse , there it is exprest in the new testament , by walking in the truth : and so sometimes in the old , the walking in vprightness , and walking in the truth , is somewhat the same : i rejoyced greatly ( saith the apostle ) when the brethren came and testified of the truth that is in thee , even as thou walkest in the truth : so that this surely hath reference unto walking according to the truth of the gospel in the truth and sincerity of our hearts : they testified of the truth that is in thee : that is , the word of the gospel that did prevail in thy heart , and prevailing in thy heart thou didst walk-in the strength and power of that truth , and according to the truth ; here 's a walking with god. and no marvel though the soul of this man was in so good a condition as indeed it was ; for you find in the . verse of this epistle a very strange expression of john concerning this gaius : what doth he say of him ? i wish ( saith he ) above al things , that then mayest prosper and be in health even as thy soul prospereth . it seems this gaius had but a poor , weak , sickly body : but a very good soul he was ; and saith john , i wish that thou mayest prosper even as thy soul prospereth . oh! that thou hadst but as good a body as a soul ! it 's a very strange speech . it were a curse to many of you i am afraid . but john could say concerning gaius , oh that this man gaius had as good a body as he hath a soul ! and how came he to have his soul to prosper ? he walked in the truth , and according to the truth ; and al that he did was in the truth and sincerity of his heart , hence his soul came to prosper : and those that have but very weak parts , yet if they walk in the truth , their souls will prosper . the third thing is , walking in the fear of god. and indeed , these two are very neer a kin one to another , so you have it in the . of nehe. . verse , also i said it is not good that ye do , ought ye not to walk in the fear of our god ? and he gives an argument there , because of the reproach of the heathen . so may i say to all christians , that would professe themselves christians and godly ; ought not ye to walk in the fear of our god ? whatsoever other men do , they do thus and thus , and seek to follow their own ends and waies , but ought not ye to walk in the fear of our god ? that 's the walk of a christian , the fear of god it is continually upon him . and observe , we reade in the . of the acts , of the walk of the christians in the primitive times upon which they came so to grow up in the waies of godliness as they did , at the . verse , the text saith , then had the churches rest throughout all judea , and gallilee , and samaira , and were edified ; ( and what then ? ) they walked in the fear of the lord , and in the comfort of the holy ghost , and so came to be multiplied . it 's an excellent scripture ; would you be built up in godliness ? let the fear of god be upon you , and if you walk in the fear of god , you will walk in the joy of the holy ghost . obj. you will say , fear , that may hinder our joy. ans . no , but the way to have true joy in the holy ghost it is , to walk in the fear of god , and though you have a company of vain and wanton spirits , that are nothing but for jolity and mirth , they cannot admit of any kind of seriousness ( that we spake to before : ) but certainly their jolity it 's but frothy and carnal , but those have the best joy in their hearts that walk most in the fear of god : when i see a christian have the fear of god upon him , and that in the whol course of his life , then he will have much of the comfort of the holy ghost . fourthly , the comfort of the holy ghost it 's joyned with the fear of god : and if you see any that talk never so much of the joy that they have ; it 's but a frothy carnal joy except the fear of god be upon them ; oh it will be a means to convince others of the excellency of the wales of god , when they shall see christians walk in the fear of god ; thus saith the text , they were multiplied ; there were many that were convinc'd by it and did joyn with them , because they did see such a beauty and excellency in their way , walking in the fear of god and in the joy of the holy ghost : and this was at a time when they had much rest ; many people it may be when they are in danger , then they wil seem to walk in the fear of god : but mark , this was in a time when this people was freed from their danger , then they walked in the fear of the lord ; and in the joy of the holy ghost , that was encreased in them : and this is the walk of the saints in their walking with god. two or three things more i shall mention . as now , the walk that they walk , it 's above : the way of the saints it is on high , it 's a walk above the world , they keep themselves on high aloft in a spiritual way : it 's true , their hearts are humble before god , and yet they are on high too ; though they look not upon themselves as worthy of the least crumb of bread , yet they look upon themselves again as too good to be vassals to the world , or to their lusts ; and they look upon themselves as being set by god in too a high condition to be satisfied with all the world to be their portion ; their hearts are lifted up on high to converse with the most high god , and so they come to be delivered from the snares of death that are below . yea and also , they endeavor to walk as christ walked : as in the epist . of john , . . they walk as christ himself walked , those that walk with god. who did ever walk with god so as christ did ? who had ever that fellowship with the father and the son so as christ had ? the saints they labor to walk so as christ walked , to look upon christ as the pattern of their lives . and so as christ was anointed with the oyl of joy and gladnes above his fellows ; so they come to have some of the ointment run down upon them , they come to have somewhat of that communion that jesus christ had with the father , christ had much communion with the father in the constant course of his life : now the saints laboring to walk as christ walked , so they come to have communion with god. the lord bring you into this walk , and keep you in such a blessed walk as this is . now for the rules of direction in this our walking with god , that 's to be our subject in the next chapter . chap. ix . twelve rules of direction for walking with god. what rules should be observed for a christian 's walking with god ? you will say to me , you have shewed to us , that it is a most blessed thing to walk with god , and we are convinced of it : but what rules may there be given for it ? the first rule . be sure of this , that there be no way of sin in thee . take heed of giving way to any sin , especially known sin , though it be a little one , though it should be but a sin of omision , the giving way to any known sin , will make the presence of god terrible , and make all thy duties empty ; will estrang god from thy soul : there 's more evil in it than thou art aware of , thou canst have no communion with god while thou art in any way of sin , especially if it be against light , the least sin that is that a christian gives way unto , is like a thorn in a mans foot , but a great sin , & a sin against knowledg is like a great gash in a mans foot ; now if a man hath but a thorn in his foot he cannot walk well , it will make him halt ; if a man hath but a little gravel got into his shoo he will not be able to walk along , he may walk a step or two , but not very long . now small sins are like gravil in the shoo , or like a thorn got into the foot ; but if thou fallest into a great sin , a sin against light , against conscience , oh that is like a great gash that one may cut with a hatchet or an ax ; if a man hath cut a great gash in his foot he wil hardly be able to walk with comfort : even so it is when thou fallest into any great sin , thou hadst need then go to the chyriurgeon , thou hadst need then have salve applied to thee to heal thy soul , or otherwise it wil hinder thee in thy walk with god. the second rule , or direction . secondly , labor to abstract thy heart from earthly and sensual things as much as thou canst that thou mayest be spiritual : a drossie , earthly , sensual heart is unfit to have communion with god , god he is a spirit , and thou must be spiritual in thy converse with him , take heed of mingling thy heart with creature comforts , thou mayest make use of them , but in a spiritual way , do not defile thy heart with them , let not thy heart close with them as adequat objects of thy desires , or of thy love , take heed of being intangled , of being insnar'd with any creature comforts ; a man cannot walk if he hath got into a snare , when men fetter themselves in the world , and intangle themselves with abundance of businesses , & creature contentments , it doth mightily hinder their freedom in walking with god , when mens hearts sink down to the creature they cannot walk with god , for god is above , he is on high , and the way of the wise is on high , and we must keep our selves on high : if so be that christians have sometimes some good affections , their hearts are a little stir'd up to things that are good ; but at other times their hearts sink down to the world , and to sensual , and earthly contentments , they cannot walk freely with god , they can but hault at the best ; as a man that hath one leg shorter than the other , he cannot walk evenly , but he haults as he goes ; so when our affections are up and down , sometimes they are stir'd up to heaven , and sometimes down to the world again , yea , perhaps at the same time when we have some truths heave us upward , and yet a drossie spirit to sink us downward , this will be but haulting , our affections must go even , must not be for heaven and earth together , except it be in subordination one to the other , and so while we are on the earth we are in heaven if we keep our hearts in a subordination to spiritual things when we are busied about earthly ; then is a mans heart spiritual , and separated from the earth when he knows how to have comfort in god alone , when he knows how to make up the want of all creature-comforts in god himself , that 's a spiritual heart . now you will say , we must not be insnar'd in the things of the earth : when is a mans heart spiritual ? it 's then spiritual when it knows how to satisfie its self in god alone , and to make up the want in all creature comforts in god himself , and no christian can walk with god except he attains to that pitch , to know how to make up all in god , and use all in order unto god. the third rule , or direction . thirdly , if thou wouldst walk with god , evermore take christ with thee god and the soul cannot walk together but with christ ; christ , god and man , that mediator , by that i mean this , in all thy converse with god have an eye to christ , look unto god the infinite glorious first . being of all things , but through christ the mediator , or otherwise god will not be rendered amiable , and sweet , and lovely to thee , then is god rendered sweet and amiable , and lovely to the soul , even as a friend that the soul can have familiarity withal when as he is look't upon through jesus christ : do thou act all by christ by the strength of christ , and tender up all thy services to god through christ , those that are not acquainted with the mystery of the gospel in christ , surely they know but little of this walk with god. quest . you will say , enoch did not know much of christ . answ . oh yes ! certainly , though it was so long before christ came , yet his eye was upon christ : for in the . of the heb . verse , the apostle saith , that it was by faith that he walked with him ; it was all by faith . now christ is the object of faith , and so his eye certainly was upon christ : it was through faith , and i will give you one scripture that will shew the use of eying of christ in walking with god , in the . of exod , . verse , thou shalt put the meroy-seat above upon the arke , and in the ark thou shalt put the testimony that i shall give thee , and there will i meet with thee , and i will commune with thee . that is , there at the mercy-seat . they were come to the ark to look up to the mercy-seat , and there saith god , wil i meet with thee , and there will i commune with thee . now what 's the mercy-seat but jesus chaist ? we must look upon god in christ , and so god is rendered amiable , sweet , glorious , and lovely unto us in his son , there doth god meet with his saints , and there he communes with them ; indeed while we look upon god as he is in himself he is a consuming fire , and we cannot epxect to commune with god there , and therefore those that look upon god meerly in a legal way , look upon him as one that doth exact and require such and such services and duties of them , and meerly considering god as a judge ; if they perform not such and such duties they do not meet and commune with god ; but such as look up to the mercy-seat , look up to christ by faith , when they have to deal with god in christ , oh these meet with god , these commune with god , oh there 's much sweet communion between god and their souls , they walk with god , because god through christ comes to be rendered gracious , lovely , sweet , amiable , and familier to them . the fourth rule , or direction . be careful to beautifie thy soul ; or more generally thus , ( first : ) have a great care of thy spirit , look to thy spirit rather than to thy outward actions in thy walking with god ; god is a spirit , and will be worshiped in spirit and truth . one that would walk with god had need be very careful of his spirit , keep thy heart with all diligence , for it is with thy soul that god converses : indeed 't is the proper spheer of a christian to be busie about his heart , to be busie in the inward man , there 's the spheer of a christian : it 's not so much about the outward man , if the hear be kept in a right frame , the outward man will be brought over of its own accord ; but be careful of thy spirit , ( that is ) of the thoughts of thy mind ; take heed of admitting of any uncleannesse in thy very thoughts , for the soul converses with god in thoughts as well as we converse with men in words ; how do you commune and converse with men but by speech ? therefore doth god give speech to men that they may converse one with another , what speech is unto men , that the thoughts are unto god ; we converse much with god by our thoughts , make conscience of thoughts , labor to cleanse thy thoughts , and likewise the affections of thy heart , and the stirrings of thy heart , for god and thy soul doth converse together , in the workings and stirrings of thy heart look to thy spirit ; and labor to beautifie thy soul with that that may make thee aimable and lovely in the eyes of god , and then the lord will delight to converse with thee , and walk with thee . if you were call'd out to walk with a man that were your superior , with some chief in your parish , gentleman , or knight , or noble man , if such a one should call you to walk with him , you would labour then so far as you were able to adorne your selves with such cloaths as were sutable unto the company of such a one : you that professe your selves christians , god doth call you every day to walk with him , and if you would expect to have communion with god , and that god should take delight in you , you must labor to beautifie your souls , to dresse you with those things that may make you aimable in the eyes of god , and not to come dirtily and filthy into the presence of god. now that that makes the soul aimable in the eyes of god it is , holinesse , for that 's the very image of god , and god delights to walk with one where he can see his own image , the more resplendent the image of god is in the soul the more doth the lord delight to walk with such a soul ; labour for the behavior of thy soul to be sutable unto god ; when i walk with one that is my superiour i must have such a demenour as is sutable to his presence , and as it was said before , to walk with god was to walk in the fear of god. and that 's the fourth thing , take heed to thy spirit , beautifie thy soul in that that may make thee aimable and lovely in gods eyes , and carry thy self so as is sutable to the presence of god ; i shall only give you one scripture about the beautifying of the soul , in the . psalm , where it 's spoken of the church and of the saints being brought into the presence of god , in the . verse , the kings daughter , ( that is , the church ) is all glorious within . ( many make great shews of religion without , but the kings daughter is all glorious within , ) her cloathing is of wrought gold : there 's her ornaments : mark what follows in the . verse , she shall be brought unto the king in raiment of needle-work : ( she shall be brought to the king , to jesus christ , with garments of needle-work ) by that is meant , the several graces of the spirit of god that puts a beauty upon the soul : as there is a variety in needle-work that causes a beauty upon the work , and so she shall be brought to the king. so you must have that that may make you aimable and lovely in the eyes of the king. the fifth rule , or direction . take heed of halting . when you walk with him you must not halt between two but give up your self fully to god , you must give up your selves wholly to him in walking with him ; not to have a distracted heart , or a divied heart between two : why halt ye between two opinions ( saith the prophet ? ) if god be god , worship him ; if baal , worship him . so , when the heart is not divided up and down , and is resolved in the way of god , that 's the thing that i mean here ; that is , if i cannot be happy here , i am content to be miserable here ; when the soul is so resolved and doth not halt in gods way , when the soul knows that here is the way that there is happiness to be had in , and whatsoever seems to the contrary to flesh and blood , yet i know that in these waies there 's happiness to be had , there 's enough to blesse my soul for ever , and therefore whatsoever becoms of me , i am resolved upon these waies ; this is one that is fit to walk with god , he will not halt , but will treat strait steps in the waies of god : and that the apostle requires of us in heb. . . make streight paths for your feet , lest that which is lame be turned out of the way . make streight paths , go on in a streight way , not having the heart longing after something else : there are some that have some convictions of conscience , that have their hearts inclinable to the waies of god , and are going on in some of the waies of god , yet they have longings of spirit after something else : but when the heart indeed walks with god , it gives up its self wholly to him , and is resolv'd in these waies : you have had some good thoughts ; but if your hearts be divided between god and the world , you will turn to be apostats in time , that which is lame will be turn'd out of the way , the waies of god will be tedious to you when you do not give up your selves wholly to them ; and this is the reason of the apostafie that there is in the world , they seem to go on in gods waies , but they go on but lamely because they do not give up themselves wholly to the waies of god. the sixth rule , or direction . if you would walk with god , take heed of formality in all holy duties ; be laborious in holy duties , take pains with your hearts in them , labor for the power of godliness in holy duties , you must strive to get up to god in them : it were well if when we perform holie duties we did but keep close to the duty its self , few go so far : but it 's one thing to keep close to the duty , and another thing to keep close to god in the duty ; we must labor not only to mind what we are about , but to keep close to god in the duty , to find god in all duties that we perform , and in the use of all ordinances to take pains to find god there , and not to satisfie & quiet our hearts except we find god in the duties that we do perform ; we have a notable scripture for this , in exod. . . in all places where i record my name , i will come unto thee , and i will bless thee . that is , where ever there is any ordinance , or any holy duty to be perform'd , there 's a recording of gods name . and saith he , i will come unto thee , and there i wil bless thee . if you would walk with god , you must go where god is , and be in those places where god uses to come : now the walk where god uses to walk it is , in his ordinances , in his worship , therefore you must be very spiritual in worship , and sanctifie the name of god there ; ( according to that that we have treated upon at large ) you must take pains there , stir up your hearts and all that is within you to walk with god there , and not be satisfied except you have something of god there . it 's a notable speech of bernard , i never go from thee without thee : when ever i come to any holy duty and leave it , i never leave it but i have thee with it : we must not be satisfied except we meet with god in holy duties . the seventh rule , or direction . take heed of secret declinings , or slidings away from the paths of god into any by paths . for those that professe their desires to walk with god they will not in an open way forsake god , and his waies ; but if you be not very watchful over your hearts , you will have them secretly decline away from the waies of god , from those paths wherein you have had heretofore communion with god , oh take heed of turning out of the paths of god , of any allurements from the flesh , of any temptations , and especially such temptations as are sutable to your corruptions , they will be alluring you to lead you aside out of the waies of god , and seem to promise waies of contentment to the flesh ; oh take heed of any such thing , take heed of being allur'd through the deceitfulness of the flesh , as the apostle speaks in the epist . of peter , . . ( there he speaks of some false teachers ) when they speak great swelling words of vanity , they allure through the lusts of the flesh , through much wantonness , those that were clean escaped from them who live in error . there were some that were escaped from the waies o error , from sinful ungodly waies , and really escaped that is , in their kind , they were not hypocrites , that is , to make shew of one thing and do another , but what they did they did according to the light of their consciences , but yet it was not through the sanctifying saving work of god but through the strength of a natural conscience ; and so they were allur'd through the lusts of the flesh , and through wantonness , by those that taught false doctrine , but they together with their false doctrine came to that that was sutable to the flesh . i beseech you observe it , some that have been walking with god and then met with these that come with fair shews with that which is false , ( and you may know it in this that it gives liberty to the flesh ) they think here 's a fine , even , and smooth way that i may have content to the flesh in ; observe it , there 's no such way to allure such as have by the power of the word escaped from the waies of sin in a great measure , no such way ( i say ) to allure them as to come and shew them how they may make a profession of godliness and yet have liberty to the flesh too : oh the lord deliver yong beginners from the wantons of our age ! the wantons that are in our generation that do allure them through the lusts of the flesh , and promise liberty to them , for so the text saith , while they promise them liberty they themselves are the servants of corruption : themselves : mark , those that promise them liberty , and bring such doctrine of liberty to you , they themselves are in the mean time the servants of corruption : oh take heed of declining to the waies of the flesh after thou hast seem'd to begin in the spirit ; what hast thou to do in the way of asher and in the waies of egypt ? oh thou that heretofore didst seem to converse with god , and to walk with him , what iniquity hast thou found with me saith god ? so what evil hast thou found in the waies of god ? do you find them too difficult for you , oh it is through the baseness of thy heart , because thy heart is not changed and made sutable to that that is spiritual and holy , oh that the lord would be pleased to cause his angel to meet with some that are declining from his good and blessed waies ! as we read in the book of genesis , that the angel met hager when she was flying from abrahams family , from the church of god , and saith he , hager sarah's maid , from whence camest thou ? doest thou come from abraham's family ? art thou going from thence ? and where dost thou think to find so much good as in abraham's family , where the presence of god is ? so , oh that god would meet with such as are declining from the good waies of god , oh thou soul whither art thou going ? thou that hast had the word working upon thy heart and thou wert seem'd to be turned into the good waies of god , whither art thou going ? are these the waies that are like the former waies that thou hast seem'd to walk in ? oh what will be the end of these waies that now thou art in ? indeed they do give contentment unto the flesh more than former waies , but doest thou think that the end of them will be peace ? oh that there were such a messenger from god to meet thee in those waies that thou art walking in , that thou maiest say as the church doth in the . of hosea , . verse , i will return to my first husband , for then it was better with me than it is now : i was wont to have more peace , comfort , and sweetnes in conversing with god in holy duties than now i find , i will return to those waies of god ; howsoever many loose professors seem to make a scorn of them and deride them , but lord i am sure i found more sweetness in them then , than now ; well i will return to them and labor to walk in them . the eighth rule , or direction . or if thou beest declined , labor to keep a tenderness of spirit , so a● to be sensible of the beginnings of declining . it 's true , we have a great deal of corruption while we remain here in this world , and our hearts are drawn quickly from the waies of god , i but if we could keep a spirit sensible of the beginnings of declining , we might yet keep our walk with god : that so soon as we are got but one step from god , if we did but begin to bethink our selves ; where are we ? what are we doing ? oh this would cause us to return , and not to go so far off from god. for a man to go far from god is very dangerous , for then he begins to have many thoughts of dispair , and so many times he growes even desperate in his course , and gives up himself to excesse even to satisfie the lusts of the flesh with greedinesse : there are some men that are convinced in their consciences that they are out of the way , and though they be convinced of it yet still they go further and further off from god. why ( you will say ? ) is that possible ? yes , because having once made profession of religion , and departing from god , now the devil follows him with dispairing thoughts , he thinks now god will not receive him and accept of him upon his returning to him , and therefore he is resolved that he will satisfie himself to the full ; and i verily belee●● this is the great reason why many apostates turn so notoriously wicked as they do : when you see a man that hath been forward in religion , and afterwards not only fall off , but you shall find him to be a drunkard , a whoremaster , a scorner , you may almost conclude that this is the very ground of it , that though his conscience be convinc'd that he is out of the way , yet he is in a desperate manner set to have his pleasure , because he thinks god hath forsaken him , and he hath : forsaken god , and his lusts he will have , and poor creature that 's all that he hath to satisfie himself withal ; oh take heed of getting far from god : hearken to this you that are far from righteousnes as the scripture speaks : oh it 's a terrible thing to be gone far from god , labor to keep thy heart watchful of the beginnings of declining , and be tender and sensible of them . the ninth rule , or direction labor to be spiritual in thy solitary times . if you would walk with god , prize much your solitary times , and labor to be spiritual in them ; do not lose those times when you are alone , when there 's none but god and your selves together . and especially you that have much business in the world ; alas what little use do you for the most part make of your solitary times ! when you are alone you know not what to do ; but a man that would walk with god he had need be careful to be very spiritual there , now i am separated from the world , now i have to deal with god and mine own soul , oh! let me improve this , and get advantage by this , oh! let me not be quiet till i get some converse with god : those christians that are spiritual in their solitary times they will be very spiritual when they come into company . as moses , when he was alone with god upon the mount and came down unto the people his face did shine so as they were not able to bear it : certainly , those that are alone with god , and are spiritual , they will shine in holy conversation when they come down from the mount , when they come to converse with others . the tenth rule , or direction . let gods presence be more to thee than all the world ; account it more engagement to thy soul , that thou art with god that thou hast gods presence with thee , than though thou hadst the eye of all the world upon thee : it would mightily compose the spirits of men and women if they had an awful reverence of the presence of god , and did account it more than al the world besides , and therefore to do nothing in gods presence but what thou wouldest do in the sight of all the world ; or what thou maiest do so as thy conscience may not accuse thee for sin in it . oh look upon the presence of god as more than all the world unto thee . the eleventh rule , or direction . go on with a resolution in the performance of holy duties though thou seest nothing come of them for the present . though i have not what comfort i would , yet i am doing what duty i am commanded , i am yet in gods way ; and that should satisfie every gracious heart , that though i have not what encouragements i would , yet that i am in gods way , and let me keep in that way of god. the twelfth rule , or direction . make good interpretations of all gods waies and dealings with thee . this is a mighty help to us to keep on in the way of god , and to walk with him . if god comes in a way of affliction , make good interpretation of the affliction , do not presently conclude , that god appears like an enemy to thee , that will discourage thee in the waies of god ; but look upon god as intending good unto thee in every thing ; and that will help thee to keep close to him , and to walk close with him in every condition : if god seems to go out of the way of prosperity , and to come in the way of affliction , make good interpretations of it : do not therefore think that god is therefore leaving of thee and forsaking thee , but exercise faith in this , and beleeve that god may intend as much good to thee in that way as in any way whatsoever , and i ground this rule upon that text in the . heb. in the former part of the chapter the apostle speaks of gods chastening of his people , my son despise not thou the chastening of the lord , nor faint when thou art rebuked of him ; for whom the lord loveth he chasteneth , and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth : and in the . verse , if ye endure chastening then god dealeth with you as with sons : for what son is he whom the father chasieneth not ? but if ye be without chastisements whereof all are partakers , then are ye bastards and not sons . so still he goes on in the point of chastisement , in the , , . verses he speaks of nothing but of chastisements , now then in the . verse he draws a conclusion from thence , having laid this as a ground , that we are to look upon god as a father in his chastisements , wherefore then lift up the hands which hang down , and the feeble knees , and make straight paths for your feet , lest that which is lame be turned out of the way . as if he should say , when as you apprehend god in a way of wrath against you , and not in a way of love , your knees will be feeble and you will not be able to go on with that cheerfulness , and to walk with god in that hard way that he seems to call you too : but looking upon your selves as sons , and god intending good unto you , that by chastisements you may be made partakers of his holiness ; now saith he , lift up your hands that hang down , and those feeble knees , those feeble knees that were so weak whereby you were difinabled to walk with god : those feeble knees will be strengthened if you make good interpretation of the waies of god , and beleeve that the lord intends good unto you . and as in other chastisements , so among the rest the chastisements of spiritual discertions ; when god not only comes with outward afflictions upon you , but when the lord shall come against you , even himself with spiritual discertions , and afflictions , even afflicting your souls you must make good interpretations of them . you will say , that 's hardest to walk with god ; indeed we may walk with god , and keep on in communion with him notwithstanding outward afflictions , but when the lord seems to withdraw himself , and when there is both outward and inward too , that 's hard : for outward afflictions , i will give you one notable scripture for a child of god , following hard after god though god seeme to withdraw himself from the soul , in the . psal . where by the title of the psalm you shall find that david was in the wilderness of judah , and that was when saul did persecute him for his life : saul persecuted david and followed him , and david was fain to sculk up and down in the wilderness of judah from place to place , and yet mark , o god , thou art my god , ( for all that ) early will i seek thee , my soul thirsteth for thee , my flesh longeth for thee in a dry and thirsty land , where no water is : and then in the . verse , my soul followeth hard after thee ; though lord thou seem'st to withdraw thy self from me in regard of these outward administrations , yet my soul followeth hard after thee ( saith david ) notwithstanding . if times of affliction , when god seems to withdraw himself by his afflictions , yet our souls should follow hard after god : doth god seem to go from us as if he would not walk with us ? oh run after him : as a poor child if the mother seems to go away from it , and gets over a stile before it , the child cries and runs after : so it was with david , when the lord did seem by those administrations of his to be going away from him , saith he , my soul follows hard after him . and this is an excellent frame of spirit , that the more the lord seems to be gone from a christian , the more hard doth the soul follow after god , nothing can satisfie such a one but god himself ; and therefore he saith , lord , my soul thirsteth after thee in a dry land , he doth not say after water , but after thee . so in any affliction , if thou canst say this , lord , it is not so much the deliverance from an affliction that my soul thirsteth after , but oh lord ! thou knowest my soul thirsts after thee , and may the affliction be but made up in thy self it is sufficient , i never find my soul following more earnestly after thee than now in the time of my affliction . chap. x. an objection concerning gods hiding of his face , answered in six particulars . if it be a spiritual discertion , if the lord seems to withdraw himself from the spirits of his servants , what rules should be given there , for one yet to walk with god in the time of spiritual discertion ? i have divers things to speak to those that god hath seemed to withdraw himself from . object . you will say , you have told us of the excellency of walking with god , and we account it the happiness of our lives to walk with him ; oh but god will not walk with me , but withdraws himself from my soul so that i cannot see him , and hides himself from me . now i have divers things to say to thee : in the first place , be of good comfort ; it 's a good sign , that god hath made thee know what it is to walk with him , that canst be sensible of his withdrawings ; there is a generation of people in the world that go on in a slight kind of way in the profession of religion , and they know not what it is to be sensible of any of gods withdrawings from them , you never hear them complain of any such thing , they know not what it means ; therefore ( i say ) it 's a good sign that thou knowest what it is to walk with god because thou art sensible of any of gods withdrawings from thee . secondly , examine whether thou hast not sometimes shut out god from thee , when god hath offered himself to walk with thee . hath not god sometimes tendred himself , and even taken thee by the hand to walk with thee , and thou hast not bin at leasure then , thy mind hath been about somewhat else ? oh! therefore be humbled before him for all thy unworthy dealings with him , and for all thy declynings from him ; know , god calls thee to this , there hath been many wandrings of thy spirit from god , oh that thou couldst but say in respect of thy spiritual wandrings , as the prophet david saith in respect of his wandrings , in psal . . thou tellest my wandrings , put thou my tears into thy bottle , are they not in thy book ? oh that thou couldst but say so ! lord , there hath been many wandrings of my spirit , but lord , put my tears into thy bottle ; sutable to my wandrings so are my tears , oh! it grieves me to the soul that ever i have grieved thy spirit ; when thy spirit hath even taken me by the hand to walk with thee i have withdrawn my self , and upon that thy spirit hath been grieved ; oh it grieves my soul ! oh lord , thou hast taken notice of my wandrings , take notice of my tears that are sutable . thirdly , it is better that god withdraw , than that we withdraw . i beseech you observe it : if god withdraws from you it is your affliction : but if you withdraw from god , it is your sin ; and sin is worse than affliction , better bear any affliction , yea spiritual afflictions than commit sin ; and that you should labor to be sensible of : you that complain of god's withdrawing from you , and that god will not walk with you ; be you more sensible of your own withdrawings as a greater evil to you than gods ? it 's true , gods withdrawing from me it is a sore affliction above all that ever befell me in this world ; but my withdrawing from him it is a greater burden to me . and it may be if god did not withdraw from thee , thou wouldst withdraw from him : and many times god doth withdraw from his people to prevent his peoples withdrawing from him . as many times the mother will withdraw her selfe from the child that the child may not be wandring from her . and this may be the very end why god withdraws , he sees thy heart begins to be loose , wanton , slight , and vain , and therefore it is that he hides himself , that thou maiest be awakened and sensible of the danger that thou art in by withdrawing thy self from god ; that so thou maiest cleave to him the more fully , and that thy soul may follow more after him , that thou maiest lift up thy heart and cry more earnestly after god. but now , if god be withdrawn , & the soul be not so sensible as to cry after him , or if it should leave off crying ; then such a one is in a dangerous condion indeed . as if a poor child had lost the father or mother and were crying after them ; at length comes some begger with an apple or plumb and steals away the child , and then the child is quiet for the present ; oh take heed of that , depart not from the lord , keep crying after him in all his withdrawings . fourthly , gods withdrawing of comfort is not alwaies the withdrawing of his presence : thou maiest mistake , thou thinkest that god is withdrawn , why ? because he hath withdarwn comfort ; there may be a great mistake in this : god ( i say ) may withdraw comfort , and not withdraw his presence , take this for a certain rule and make much use of it , when comforts are gone : do not say when comforts are gone , therefore the presence of god is gone , there may be as ful and as gracious a presence of god when comforts are gone as ever there was : he may be present with his graces and support ; as in psal . . . my soul followeth hard after thee , thy right hand upholdeth me ; though thou seemest to be gone . so , god may be present to uphold thee , and to strengthen thee , and to exercise thy faith in him , and that may be as acceptable to god : the exercise of faith in the want of comfort may have as much of god in it as all the comfort that ever thou hadst in all thy life ; and therefore do not say , that gods presence is gone because comforts are gone : the beams of the sun in the winter time is not so effectual as the influence of the sun when it is in a cloud in the summer time : is the presence of the sun gone in the summer because there 's a cloud between the sun and you ? it may be a child will think , oh the sun is gone out of the firmament because there 's a cloud : i but i know there 's the sun still , for there 's the influence of the sun , there 's some heat in the day , and there 's some light wherby i may see to do my work , though i have not that lustre as before ; now when the sun shines in winter it shines bright but there 's not that influence of the sun upon the earth as makes the plants grow : so , sometimes the beams of gods presence may be clouded to a christian by reason of outward afflictions , and yet there may be more of gods presence than at another time , when it shall shine in the beauty of it in the comfotrs of a christian for so i compare the shining of the comforts of a christian to the shining of the sun in the winter , that sometimes have no influence to sanctifie the heart , as in winter times the sun hath not that influence to fructifie the ground , but at other times though the sun be clouded yet it hath influence to make the ground fruitful ; so though god may not shine upon thee in regard of outward comforts , yet he may shine in upon thy soul and make thee to increase and grow in goodness more than ever before . fifthly , if thou canst not see gods face , yet hearken and see if thou canst not hear his voice , and follow that . doest thou come to the word and there hear his voice ? is not god pleased to speak to thy soul out of his word ? thou goest perhaps into thy closet and canst not see his face there as thou wert wont to do , yet blesse him that thou canst hear his voice , and follow his voice though it be in the dark . as now , if a child be going with the father and it be lost , yet if the child cries , and the father or mother speaks , that quiets the child very much ; so it is with the children of god , when they cannot see gods face , yet they may hear gods voice : they cannot have those comforts from god as sometimes they have had ; those sweet manifestations of the love of god shed abroad into their hearts ; but when they come to the word , they cannot but say that they hear their fathers voice ; perhaps the word is not a comforting word to thee as hereto fore , i but is it not a directing word , an instructing word , an inlightening word ? oh this now should support thee for the present . sixthly , all that i will say further is this , keep thy self in a waiting frame for god : do not determine that because the lord is gone he will ever be gone ; oh no , but keep still in the waies of god waiting for him , resolve , that though god leaves thee , yet thou wilt not leave the path in which god was heretofore : i am sure that god was once here , oh then keep the path wherein thou wert wont to meet with god , for thou shalt meet with him again : it 's better to keep the path , the ordinary high-way of god , for you are more like to meet with god there than if you should go out of the way : i 'le give you a scripture or two for that and so conclude . the first is in psal . . . i will behave my self wisely in a perfect way , oh when , wilt thou come unto me ! that which i quote this for is this , the resolution of david to behave himself wisely in a perfect way , together with his panting after the presence of god , oh when wilt thou come unto me ! as if he should say , lord , thou art absent from me now , but lord , i will not go out of the way wherein i was wont to find thee , oh when wilt thou come ! i will not determine that i shall never see thee in this way as heretofore i have done , no , but i hope i shal afterwards meet thee . and so in the . psalm , . verse , i will keep thy statutes ; what then ? oh forsake me not utterly . it seems that the lord for the present to davids apprehension had forsaken him : but what was davids resolution ? god hath forsaken me and i 'le forsake him ? oh no , but i 'le keep thy statutes , and oh! leave me not utterly . so keep on in the waies of god still , go on in his way and wait for the presence of god until he come ; and conclude this , surely , he will come . be not like to children , that because they see the sun going down , therefore they conclude that the sun is gone , and will never come again . though god seems to withdraw the light of his face from thee , do not conclude and determine , well , i shall never have those comforts from god , in communion with god , in walking with god , as once i was wont to have ; do not say so , but go on , and keep in the waies of god , wait upon him and look up towards him , and so thou maiest come to have as much communion , sweetness , and joy in god as ever thou hadst in all thy life . and now know , that god cals for the work of faith in such times as these are , now god calls thee to walk by faith and not by sence . finis . an exact alphabetical table of all the chief matters handled in the fourth volumn . a adultery , see earthly-mindedness accompt the saints are carefull to make even their accompts with god page aim the aim of the saints is heaven-ward angel the saints have the same confirmation of their happiness as the angels have page apostacie what the root of apostacie is . astray by nature men go astray from the waies of god b benefit what the benefit of grace is see conscience beleeving by beleeving men take up their freedom of heaven page blessing , see jacob c care whence distracted cares arise what our care should be calling how godly men are busy in their callings calling , see wicked citizen the saints are citizens of heaven , and how we should walk as becomes citizens of heaven see priviledg communion what the word communion signifies communion with god what it is communion see saints content see little conversation heavenly conversations are to be followed how far heavenly conversations are to be followed how the saints conversation is in heaven reasons why the saints conversations are in heaven heavenly conversation is a convincing conversation heavenly conversation is attainable page conversation see faith , hell , evidence , godly , growing , glory , suffering , directions converse what the converse of the saints is contrariety see examples comfort the saints have comfort in little of this world comfort see losses confirmation see angels covenant what the covenant on our parts is conscience the benefits of a cleer conscience covetousness see idolatry creature how the saints deal with the creature all the creatures bring glory to god curse on whom the curse of the serpent is d danger see example death what is that hinders preparation for death devil the devil casts thoughts into the heart of man page delight wherein the delight of the saints lieth delight see sabbath depend for what godly men depend upon god difference , see godly , jacob. direction directions how to get a heavenly conversation a godly soul depends upon god for directions directions how to walk with god destruction earthly mindedness brings destruction distracted see cares doctrine see reconciliation drossie how a drossie heart is known e earth the earth swallows up earthly men earth , look higher . earthly things when men mind earthly things in a sinful manner earthly things carry a fair shew page earthly things are many times the portion of reprobates earthly man when an earthly man is in his element earthly-minded a man may be earthly-minded and not know it what shall become of earthly-minded men earthlimindedness what earthly-mindedness is earthly-mindedness is adultery earthly-mindedness is idolatry see enmity earthly-mindedness deads the heart to prayer earthly-mindedness is a scandal to religion how earthly-mindedness may be known reasons of earthly-mindedness earthly-mindedness brings guilt upon the spirit the effects of earthly-mindedness another day earthly , see heavenly , vilifie , conversation , element , spirituall , godlinesse , temptations , snares , ministry , lusts , death , destruction , vanity , humility inducements egyptians what idolatrous worship the egyptians had page end what it is that causeth a blessed end who they are that have the same ends god hath enoch enoch's prophesie evidence evidences of mens conversations being in heaven evidences of walking with god see walking example examples of godly men should be followed and how far examples of godly men should make us enquire after the waies of godliness examples of godly men should confirm us in the truth what we should do when examples of godly men are contrary see examination danger in following the examples of wicked men examination contrary examples should put us upon examination esau see jacob excellency the excellency of walking with god page excellency see walking eye the souls of the godly eye god f faith the heavenly conversation of others is not the rule of our faith faith must be exercised familarity whence our familarity with god ariseth folly the folly of earthly-mindedness formality formality must not be rested on formality must be taken heed of g genius wicked men fancy heavenly things according to their own genius god god takes care of men , concerning earthly things heavenly conversation brings glory to god see walking what a man trusts to , he makes his god page godly difference between wicked and godly men godly mens conversations should not be earthly godly men carry themselves as in gods presence godly , see calling godliness earthly-mindedness is contrary to the work of godliness and how see waies , my stery . glory heavenly conversation brings glory to the saints what the glory of the soul is . grace what the work of grace is grace , see benefit : presence . growing heavenly conversation is growing h halting the saints must take heed of halting heaven , see saints , profession , conversation , aim . heavenly the saints are heavenly in earthly imploymonts page the saints have great skill in heavenly matters see genius , conversations hell the conversations of wicked men are in hell heart the heart is best known by the thoughts the heart of a wicked man is upon the things of the earth . the vileness yf mens hearts discovered heart , see drossie . higher god made man for higher things than the things of the earth hypocrites hypocrites rebuked honor , see walking humility humility takes the heart off from earthly mindedness . i jacob difference between jacob's blessing and esau's idolater idolaters depart from god idolatry covetousness is idolatry page see earthly-mindedness vileness ill , see success ignorant see religion imployment see heavenly inducement earthty inducements oppose godliness intercourse the saints have much intercourse to heaven joy what the joy of a saint is see world l law the saints are guided by the laws of god little the saints are contented with little in this world . loss the saints have comfort in all their losses lust earthly-mindedness brings in foolish lusts and how m man wherefore god made man see nature mind who they are that know the mind of god page ministry how earthly-mindedness hinders the ministry mystery the mystery of godlinesse ought to be studied n nature what man is by nature p petitions what men they are that shall have their petitions granted pilgrim we are pilgrims here upon earth prayer see earthly-mindedness preparation see death presence gods presence draws forth grace see god principles see saints priviledge what the priviledges of a citizen of heaven are how the priviledges of a citizen of heaven are procured promise wicked men do not trust to a promise page protection the saints have the protection of heaven r reconciliation how a wicked man conceives of the doctrine of reconciliation religion how religion is scandalized why men are ignorant in religion reprobates reprobates have their portion in this life riches the saints have right to the richcs and common stock of heaven riches see uncertainty s saints the saints names are inrolled in heaven the saints are no longer slaves the saints ' are guided by heavenly principles the saints have communion with god the saints trust god with much page the saints are sensible of the stoppage between them and heaven sabbath to whom the sabbath is a delight , and to whom it is a wearinesse the saints keep a a perpetual sabbath saints see citizens , riches , angels , perfection , laws , delight , heavenly , sabbath , trading , intercourse little , comfort losses safty wherein the safty of a saint lies scandal , see religion self what self is secrets what manner of men they are that know gods secrets seriousness what seriousness of spirit is serpent , see curse sinful , see earthly shortness what the shortness of our time here should lead us to snare earthly-mindedness brings men into snares soul of what value the soul of man is page the soul of man is from heaven the soul of man ought to be beautified soul see glory , walk spiritual a wciked man is earthly in spiritual things , a godly man is spiritual in earthly strictness we ought not to find fault with strictness in gods waies stranger the world are strangers to walking with god success the reason of ill success suffering heavenly conversation makes suffering easie t temptation earthly-mindedness puts men upon great temptations thoughts what the thoughts of the saints are which way the thoughts of the sainis tend see devil , heart trade what the saints trade for heaven is page the saints have free trade to heaven trust , see god trusted worldly things are not tobe trusted too u vanity all earthly things are vanity vilifie the saints vilifie the things of the earth uncertainty the uncertainty of riches vileness the vileness of idolatry vocation what vocation is w waies the waies of godlinesse should not be opposed see strictness walk how the soul is brought to walk with god he that walks with god depends not much upon reason he that walks with god is the same in private that he is in publick he that walks with god walks in his commandements page what it is to walk with god walking what walking with god is wherein walking with god consists several excellencies of walking with god the honor of walking with god particular evidences of walking with god page see strangers , excellency . wearinesse , see sabbath . wicked why wicked men are busie in their callings see godly , genius , example , hell. work , see godlinesse , grace . worldly wherein worldly joy consists see trust , strangers . a table of those scriptures which are occasionally cleared and briefly illustrated in the fourth volumn . the first number directs to the chapter , the second to the verse , the third to the page of the book . chap. verse page genesis . exodus . leviticus kings chronicles nehemiah job psalms . proverbs canticles isaiah jeremiah ezekiel daniel hosea micah luke john acts romans corinthians corinthians galatians ephesians philippians colossians thessalonians timothy timothy hebrews james peter john john jude revelation finis . notes, typically marginal, from the original text notes for div a -e 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 muniiceps coelorum nos gerimus . steph. beza , piscat . ad verbú . nostra civilis vita in coelis est . doct. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ab 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 pri . & 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 terra , extra terram , sine terra . beda . acts , . . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 terrae fillii . notes for div a -e 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . cor. . . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 castigo corpus meum . vulg . comundo corpus meum . levidum reddo corpus . agust . est metophorasumpta à pugilibus & suctantibus , qui pugnis & verberibus se mutuo obtundunt . chem. jans . aret. pareus . piscat . notes for div a -e first . for direction secondly . for protection thirdly . for assistance . fourthly . for a blessing upon all it doth . gospel worship foure speeches delivered in guild-hall on friday the sixth of october, . at a common-hall, vpon occasion of desiring the assistance of our brethren of scotland in this warre. / viz. the [brace] . by mr. solicitor. . by mr. edmund calamy. . by mr. jeremiah burroughes. . by mr. obadiah sedgewick. published according to order. this text is an enriched version of the tcp digital transcription a of text r in the english short title catalog (thomason e _ ). textual changes and metadata enrichments aim at making the text more computationally tractable, easier to read, and suitable for network-based collaborative curation by amateur and professional end users from many walks of life. the text has been tokenized and linguistically annotated with morphadorner. the annotation includes standard spellings that support the display of a text in a standardized format that preserves archaic forms ('loveth', 'seekest'). textual changes aim at restoring the text the author or stationer meant to publish. this text has not been fully proofread approx. kb of xml-encoded text transcribed from -bit group-iv tiff page images. earlyprint project evanston,il, notre dame, in, st. louis, mo a wing f thomason e _ estc r this keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the early english books online text creation partnership. this phase i text is available for reuse, according to the terms of creative commons . universal . the text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. early english books online. (eebo-tcp ; phase , no. a ) transcribed from: (early english books online ; image set ) images scanned from microfilm: (thomason tracts ; :e [ ]) foure speeches delivered in guild-hall on friday the sixth of october, . at a common-hall, vpon occasion of desiring the assistance of our brethren of scotland in this warre. / viz. the [brace] . by mr. solicitor. . by mr. edmund calamy. . by mr. jeremiah burroughes. . by mr. obadiah sedgewick. published according to order. gardiner, thomas, sir, - . calamy, edmund, - . burroughs, jeremiah, - . sedgwick, obadiah, ?- . [ ], p. printed by r. cotes, for jo. bellamie, and are to bee sold at his shop at the sign of the three golden lions in cornhill, neer the royall exchange., london, : . mr. solicitor = sir thomas gardiner. the words " . by mr. solicitor. .. sedgewick." are bracketed together on the title page. annotation on thomason copy: may th. reproduction of the original in the british library. eng great britain -- history -- civil war, - -- participation, scottish -- early works to . scotland -- history -- charles i, - -- early works to . a r (thomason e _ ). civilwar no foure speeches delivered in guild-hall on friday the sixth of october, .: at a common-hall, vpon occasion of desiring the assistance of gardiner, thomas, sir d the rate of defects per , words puts this text in the d category of texts with between and defects per , words. - tcp assigned for keying and markup - apex covantage keyed and coded from proquest page images - jonathan blaney sampled and proofread - jonathan blaney text and markup reviewed and edited - pfs batch review (qc) and xml conversion fovre speeches delivered in gvild-hall on friday the sixth of october , . at a common-hall , vpon occasion of desiring the assistance of our brethren of scotland in this warre . viz. the . by mr. solicitor . . by mr. edmund calamy . . by mr. jeremiah burroughes . . by mr. obadiah sedgewick . published according to order . london , printed by r. cotes , for jo. bellamie , and are to bee sold at his shop at the sign of the three golden lions in cornhill , neer the royall exchange . . foure speeches delivered in guild-hall , on friday the sixth of october , . at a common-hall . mr. solicitor his speech at guild-hall , on friday , october . . worthy aldermen , and gentlemen , and citizens of this famous city of london , the cause of the calling of this assembly of this common-hall , it was the businesse of scotland , i thinke it is not unknowne to many of you , that about two months since both the houses of parliament did send a committee into scotland to desire the assistance of our brethren of scotland in this warre : the committee hath from thence sent propositions to both the houses , whereby wee see their willingnesse to come to our assistance : but one part of it is , that without some supplyes of money , they are not able at all to come into this assistance , the houses considering the necessity of their comming in , and of speedy supplyes of money to that purpose , they did send a committee , and did desire that a common-councell might be called , which was done upon munday last , and they did thither send a committee , with desire that the common-councell would take that into consideration , that is , the necessity of their comming , and speedy supplies to bee raised . and for the effecting of this , not having any other means so neare at hand as that , they did desire that the common-councell would appoint a committee out of themselves to consider of this businesse with the committee of the house of commons : these they met , and have been together these two dayes considering of it , that is , wednesday and thursday , and they did intend , and doe still , to send to divers of those that are able and rich of this city , to the intent that they might see , what they would lend to this businesse ; and to tender to them such security , as they conceive to be very convenient and fitting for those that are willing to lend money : but when they had entred upon the businesse , and ▪ considering the speed , and the necessity that the supply should be expedited , they thought that would be too long a way , yet resolved to prosecute it still , but withall they did desire , that my lord major would be pleased to call a court of aldermen this morning , ( which hee did ) and likewise a common-hall , to the intent that the necessity of the raising of this money speedily might be declared to you , because the other would be a longer way ; which though it be intended still to be prosecuted ; yet when you are all here together , we may the better know your affections to this businesse , and that the money may be speedily raised , though not the whole , yet it will be somewhat to the businesse , if some considerable summe might speedily be sent away . i conceive there is no need to acquaint you with the benefits that will redound to this kingdome , and the advantages wee shall have by a nearer association with them , and by their comming in , to this purpose for our assistance ; the benefits certainly when wee consider of them , are many . as first , this great cause which is now in agitation , that by this means will be much secur'd ; it will bee assur'd to us , that the event , and the successe of it ( by gods blessing ) will bee made a great deale the certainer : if they do not come in , then we are to consider how we stand . certainly , the parties they are very equall in this businesse , and where the parties are equall , the successe must needs bee dangerous , and very uncertain . now we all of us see , that all ranks and degrees of men , even from the highest lords , to the meanest commoners , they are engaged on both sides ; and if the advantage be of either side , it is in the other , because that the greater part of the nobility and gentry we know they are the other way . likewise if we consider the citi●● and townes of this kingdom , that there is newcastle , that there is york-shire , that there is shrewsbury , that there is bristoll , that there is chester , and that there is exeter , and divers others cities and great townes in their custody . if we goe through all the counties of the kingdome , wee see there the greatest parts of the northerne parts possess'd wholly by the earle of newcastle , northumberland , cumberland , westmerland , york-shire , and some other parts . so in the west , goe to other counties , there is a mixture in all of them , that we cannot say there is any part of the kingdome free ; so that the mixture seemes to be of the people likewise , if not the greater party the other way . if we consider likewise the events and successes ; as we on the one side have taken portsmouth , chichester , and some other places , so they on the other side have taken exeter , and bristoll , and other places . if we consider the events of the skirmishes , fights , and battailes that have been ; we cannot say , that on any side hath been any compleat victory ; that at edgehill , it pleased god to give us a deliverance , we finde it was no compleat victory , by those things that followed ; so this at newbury lately no compleat victory , for had it been so , the warre had been at an end , so that which way soever we looke , unlesse wee call them in to our assistance , certainly the parties on both sides , are very equally engaged ; and certainly when two men of equall strength doe wrestle , it is an even lay which of them will give the fall ; as long as the ballances stand so even , it is very uncertain which way they will weigh down . we are to consider , ( that in respect that the danger is such , and the event of the warre so uncertaine , without their comming in ) what the cause is that is lost , in case the day should be theirs ; certainly considering that the papists in ireland are wholly engaged , that the papists in england are wholly engaged , that the prelates and their party are wholly engaged , that there are divers that are neuters , and ill-disposed men , that they likewise encline that way : considering that that party is acted by jesuiticall counsells , for certainly they are behinde the curtaine , though they are not so visible to us : i say , when this is considered , who are the parties that shall get this day , it is very easie to prognosticate what the losse will be , no lesse then of religion , and of our lawes , and of our liberties : in a word , if that that party doe prevaile , i am affraid we have lost all ; and therefore those other things , they will not be so considerable which i shall tell you of . wee know the great loanes and contributions that have been made by the worthy citizens of this city , and by divers other well-affected persons throughout the kingdome ; the money , the plate , the horses , and other things for this warre too , they will bee lost : but not onely so , but certainly , that these have been lent to the parliament for the maintaining of the warre , against that party , this will b●e good reason why they should take all away . the publike faith likewise of both houses of parliament , and so the whole kingdome , certainly that must be violated , and if that should bee so , if that we should be ove●born in this cause , it will easily be foreseene , whether any future parliament will be enabled to stand up for the defence of religion , and the liberties of the people . wee may adde to this the charters and the franchises of this great city , it will be easily foreseen , what will be the event of that , whether they wil be continued to you , yea or no , considering what affection you have born to this cause . certainly in former time● , the charters and the priviledges of this city , they have been confirmed by parliaments , as doth appear in king johns time , in henry the third , richard second , & always after the ending of those great wars , whe●in no doubt , the city ( as hath been seen in that ) did engage themselves , as now , in the parliaments cause ; therefore for their security , their charters were alwayes confirmed ; which wee need not doubt will be done in this cause ; but in case the event should bee otherwise , what the losse will be in that way , you may easily see ; so that all is at stake , and if we bring not them in to our assistance , for ought i know , we are at fairs to lose the game , as win●● it , and if any mana estate here , stood upon the like c●su●lty , i believe hee would give some considerable summe to ensure it , in the office of policies ▪ thus we stand in case they are no● called in the losse so great , that is the losse of all , the event so uncertaine . in case they be called in , we are to consider then what alteration this is like to make ▪ we are therefore to consider how it comes about that the party comes to be so equall , that so many should engage themselves on the other party , as we see they doe ; certainly a great many of them doe it , being uncertaine in their judgements to which side to cleave . another party they doe it , because that they out of feare desire to keep their estates , and stand neuters . for the first of those , certainly both at home and abroad , those that are averse , they looke upon us as a protestant kingdom , but divided among our selves ; they heare protestations on both sides , that both parties doe protest to maintaine the protestant religion , the laws of the kingdome , and the liberty of the subject ; and they see and read the declarations that goe out on both sides , and the matter of fact being that that makes the cause , they know not what to believe of that ; for when they read the severall declarations , they see that affirmed by one party , that is denyed of the other , so that indeed they know not which way to bend themselves to beleeve , ( of the matter of fact , i meane : ) but now a great many after the case hath been stated , as it hath been on both sides b● these declarations , when they shall see that this kingdome of scotland , to which declarations have been sent by both parties , ( for so they have , the king hath sent on his side , and the parliament hath sent on their side also ) when they shall see the kingdome of ●cotland hath sent a committee into this kingdom , to informe themselves of the businesse how it stood , to the intent they might know how to carry themselves between both parties ; i say , when after all this , they shall see a whole protestant kingdom , as one man , a protestant kingdome that hath had differences heretofore , and those differences have beene setled , when they have beene in the same distractions as wee have , and so setled , as that it hath beene with a cleare declaration of their innocencies , that they had just cause to doe , what they had dont , and went away as they did , with that full satisfaction they have given to the world : i say , when they shall see such men , as have for so long a time stood by as a third party , and spectators onely , and lookens on ; when they shall see a kingdome , that is altogether unbyass'd , that hath the same king ▪ lives in the same island , that hath the same religion : i say , when they shall behold a whole kingdome to declare for the one party , that is , for our party ; when they shall see them not onely doe so , but enter into a league and covenant , and that by oath with us , for the maintaining of this religion : when they shall see them engaging their whole kingdome as one man , in a war for the maintaining of this cause : i say , certainly that must bee a convincing , silencing argument to all these men , that this is the party that doth maintain really , and in truth , the true protestant religion , the laws of the realme , and the liberties of the subject : that is for the first . the second is , there is another party , that are well enough satisfied in their judgements , but out of feare of their estates , and other sinister , by and base ends , ( for so they may be called , for as this covenant calls it a detestable neutrality ▪ so may wee ) i say , when these parties shall see such an addition of strength to the one side , their owne principles of feare will reach them to goe to that that is the stronger side . but admitting that men stood in their judgments , and in neutrality , as they now doe , and that their comming in did not alter one man ; yet we are to consider what the strength is that they doe bring in wi●h them , and what that is like to doe , admitting the parties to bee as equally engaged , as now they be ; and that is by their owne propositions , that when they come in , they intend to come in with foot , with ▪ dragoneers , and horse , with horse and foot , with a traine of artillery proportionable and suitable to such an army : certainly , by the blessing of god , such a force to bee added to the one party , that is now even , it cannot but in all likelihood cary down the scales , and alter the whole ●ame , and the state of the businesse . why ? certainly two against one in all ●usinesses , that makes oddes . if we have the addition of that whole kingdome to this party that is even with the other , or neare so , now wee may easily judge of the event . this is the first benefit i shall propound to you , wee are like to reap by their comming in , that is , the assuring of this great cause , that so much conc●●nes us . the second is this , which i shall propound to you , that is ▪ that it will bee for our profit , that it will ease the warre , that it will make the charge ▪ and the burthen of it to 〈◊〉 this doth arise partly out of what hath been said , that their comming in , it will shorten the warre , for as long as the parties ar● equall , it must needes lengthen and protract the warre ; when two scales are almost equally ballanced , wee know for a great while it falls on the right hand , and on the left hand , and it is a great while before they stand still ; so that if the war bee protracted and lengthened , that will bee spent in time , and a great deal more , then a good round summe will be in making a sudden conclusion of it ; i think every lessee , hee had rather pay a good round fine , than for many ●●ers together , to sit upon a great rent ▪ this may bee our condition , if wee doe not bring them in , besides the losse of all at last ; but the benefit will appear , by the shortning of the warre , in this further : by those miseries , and that poverty ▪ and that calamity , which a long warre must of necessity bring with it ; the wealth of this kingdome ( i suppose ▪ ) it arises out of the soyle , and the ground of the kingdom , and it arises out of the m●nufactures , and out of the trade of the kingdom ; these again do consist principally in rents and in debts ; certainly debtors by having their estates plundered , and wholly taken away from them , and the lives from many ▪ debts will cease ▪ there will bee no debts to bee paid ; the same will bee likewise of rents , when the cattle shall bee killed up , and the tenants plundered of all they have , there will bee no rents paid : how will it bee like , if the warres continue , that the trade will bee continued ? for the materialls of trade by a long warre , will bee wholly destroyed , and taken from us ; the sheep of the kingdom that bring our woall , and the horses , and the cattle , that bring our leather and our tallow ; these three , the wooll , leather , and tallow , and divers other things , wee know how many hundred trades , even from the greatest merchant , to the lowest handicrafts-man , how many they imploy ▪ these , they will bee destroyed , not onely by the consumption , which the souldier makes , that is wastefull , but even the policy of warre will require of the enemy , ( as wee see of late about gloucester , in the vale of esum , the policy of war will cause , i say , one party ) ●o kill and destroy all cattle , when the necessity of warre r●qui●●●●t , to s●arve out the enemy ; besides the daily losse of towns and cities , what a losse will that bee to trading , and in particular to this city ? i beleeve it is a sensible thing to many of you ▪ the ●aking o●●●●ter , the taking of bris●o● , and the trade of newcastle stopped , and some other cities , what a great losse , even in point of debt , it hath been to many worthy citizens , of this city ; besides , a long warre it will consume , the very materialls of life , of food and rayment , wee shall neither have meat , drink , nor cloathing , if the war con●inue , considering the burnings and devastations that goe along with it ▪ so that for my own part , i think it is a very clear case , that wee had better buy out with a round summe , a short war , then to have a long war continued , though it bee without any charge at all ; if all our horse and foot , and trayn of artillery , and garrisons , were all paid to our hand , wee had better buy a short peace , by bringing them in , than to have a long war without charge , because of that inevitable poverty , that a long war must needs bring to a kingdom ; this first thing that i have offered , is in point of time , the shortening of warre , the benefit and profit that it will bee to the kingdome . secondly , wee all know this warre hath contracted a great debt upon the kingdom , and it will contract farre more ; in case this shall bee hereafter to bee paid in sheere money and coyn , i am afraid the kingdom is not able to pay it at once , ( i beleeve that all men know ) suppose this then shall bee appointed to bee paid at certain yeers and times , what will bee the event of that ? i am afraid the destruction of the kingdom , for then the case will bee thus , the greatest part of the lords and gentry are ingaged in the other way , and here lies a great debt annually to bee paid by the kingdom , and certainly this will disaffect people to all other parliaments , when they shall yeerly bee under the payments of such mo●eys , that the parliament hath contracted upon them ; and then considering who it is will operate upon the other party ▪ for there is another party that will not bee easily reconciled to the party that hath been on the other side , and so this other party striking in the other way , what this is like to produce , is very dangerous to mee ; whereas on the other side , as long as the parties are equally engaged , as wee are , without their comming , i am afraid there will not bee that force on the one side , as to make the other side , ( that is , the papists , and the prelates , and the other malignants ) out of their estates to pay these debts , which their comming in , in all likelihood will make us doe ▪ which if these debts bee paid out of their estates and lands ▪ i know no inconvenience will come to the kingdom by it ; for here is the case , they that have it now in their hands , to imploy i● for the destruction of the kingdom , it will bee onely putting it in their hands , that shew their good affections to the kingdom ; so that way i conceive the debt of the kingdom , will bee no losse at all to the kingdom . the third benefit is , that even the present war it will bee made lesse chargeable to us ▪ and that in this ▪ they not being come in , wee have not newcastle , there is nottingh●mshire , york●●●ir● , that great country , a great part of l●●●olnshire , the bishopri●● of d●rham , northumberland , co●●m●erland , w●●●merland , the great●●● part of the west , the richest part , i know , in this kingdom , except this city ▪ i say , in case they come not in , they are all under contribution ▪ to the other side ; their comming in gaines new●●●●le , it gaines ▪ as much , as the money to bring them in will cost 〈◊〉 the very gaining of that town ; and likewise when they come in , it brings all those countries under contribution ; so that the very contribution ▪ that those northern countries will yeeld , it will not only pay the scotch army , but is likely ( as it is beleeved ) it will make an addition for our other for●●s , that wee shall have to spare for other forces , by that which their comming in will gain of the con●ributions of those 〈◊〉 so that i have now done with those 〈◊〉 that will come ●o you in point of profit , and likewise the assuring of this great cause . the third is this , that 〈◊〉 w●● doe come to a peace , when gods time is come that wee shall have one ▪ yet their co●ming in ▪ in all 〈◊〉 i● will cause●●s to have a better a surer ▪ and b●tter g●dunded 〈◊〉 then if they doe not ●om● in ▪ and likewise , what peace 〈…〉 that it will bee p●r●et and bee the sco●●● for us , 〈◊〉 our posterity to reap the benefit of it : first , that their comming in will make our peace , in all probability the better ; i beseech you , without their comming in , what is it like to bee ? the p●●ties are equall , the partie that is against us , they consist of p●pi●●s , and p●elates , &c. if wee come to compound this businesse , what is it like to bee ? but that our composition will bee indeed the destruction of the protestant religion , and of our liberties ; i am afraid it is very like to bee the ending of that controversie between the two women for the childe , who should bee the mother of it , that is , that the childe should bee divided ; wee know that our division must have caused death , i am afraid wee shall then come to bee half protestants , and half papists , and this neutrality of both , i am afraid it will bee the destruction of the one ; if it prove not destructive , yet certainly it will prove very dangerous to us ; in diseases , if nature bee not able wholly to expell the malignity of the disease , it afterwards breakes out in botches , and one malady o● another : a sore not cured at bottome , it afterwards festers , and breaks out , and afterwards endangers the person , as much as before ; if they come not in , considering the engagements on both sides , and considering the parties , who wee must compound with , i say , the cure is like to bee very imperfect , their comming in i hope will make it perfect ; besides , what ever the peace is , if it bee good without their comming in , it is likely wee and our posterity shall reap the fruit of it , certainly , wee have had great experiences in the times of our ancestors , that when divisions of this nature have been , as when the statute of magna cha●●a , was first obtained , which was with all the care the w●t of man could devise , there was the oath of the king , and all the nobility of the kingdom , yet it was broken within twelve moneths after ; in his sons time twelve of the nobility were appointed to see it kept , that would not doe the work , afterwards they appointed gentlemen in every countrey , that they should see to it ▪ this did not the work , it broke out from time to time ; but what should wee goe further ? those lawes that have been made against papists in our memories , are not the laws full , that no papist is to 〈…〉 how see wee that put in execution , and that two pa●t● of their ●●●ates to bee seized ▪ when wee see nothing at all hath been done ●hat way . for the petition of right , in our memory , how was that kept ? again , our neighbours the netherlanders , when they made that peace with the king of spain , they called in this kingdom and france , to bee witnesses to it ; wee see how that calling us in , to bee witnesses , how that hath engaged both parties to that state at this time , and how wee have been assistant to them , and expresse● our desires to have them thrive ; but how is it like to bee , when there shall not onely bee our own kingdom , but a brother kingdom , an entire kingdom , one of the same religion , with us , one that loves their liberties , as well as wee , when they shall bee engaged in point of interest with us , when the same law , the same acts of parliament that shall compose the differences , when if it hee broken on our parts , in any thing that concerns us , they cannot conceive but it may be their case the next day , because it all depends upon one law , one and the same title , and their interest is the same ; so that it there were nothing else in it , but that wee were like to have the better peace , and on the better termes , and what ever it bee ; it is likely to bee kept the better , to us and our posterity , if nothing else were in it , that were much to our advantage surely , if by some considerable summe of money , wee might have them brought in , and have them at the end of this peace , and interested in it as well as our selves ; so that i have now done with those benefits , i have offered to you , that wee shall have by their assistance and comming in ; i make no doubt but that most of these things were known to you all before , and that this part hath been to very little purpose , that i have spoken ▪ for when that both the houses of parliament , have seen the necessity and benefit of it , when it was propounded to the common councell , that they likewise saw the necessity of it , i know it will ●ee bootlesse to use any further arguments to you , that you may see the benefits that will redownd by their comming to us ▪ but it will bee asked , notwithstanding wee may receive benefit by it , how may wee bee assured that they are willing ? truely , for that , by what hath been done ▪ it will bee sufficiently clear ; both houses sent a committee to them , that in a little time did produce the covenant there , approved of by their assembly of divines , and by the convention of estates , it is co●● hither , it hath been agreed here , it hath been taken here by the house of commons already , and by a great many of this city ; a worthy lord , my lord wharton ( i may name him here ) at a common-councell , he did declare to my lord major and aldermen , that their house would in few dayes likewise take it ; this covenant shews their willingnesse ( in the first place ) for wee by that are bound to the mutuall defence of our religion , and preservation of our civill liberties , for by that we are bound to the preservation of the liberties of parliaments ; and that delinquents and malignants may be brought to their just triall ; so this is already done . it was likewise declared by the commissioners of scotland , that they did not doubt , but by this time they were taking it in that kingdome ; and their commissioners here they have taken it already ; so that they have joyned themselves to us by oath , for the mutuall preservation of religion and lawes . in the second place , they have shewed their consent by the propositions they have sent to us , which are the termes upon which they are to come in ; they have not stayed here but they have proceeded to action ; they have named the generall of their army , which is my lord generall lesley , which was their generall when they came into this kingdome . and likewise they have granted commissions into all the shires of scotland for the raising of horse and foot , and named their colonells , captaines , and other officers , and listed them . there is a further progresse likewise , that is , that we have taken berwicke already , for the facilitating of their comming in , which may bee a place of retreat for them , and a magazine for their ammunition and victualls . and since this hath been taken by the parliament , they have sent some troops of horse , and certain foot for the securing of that town : and if they had before knowne the consent of the parliament for their having the use of berwicke , they had put in their ammunition and victuall before this time into berwicke , which before this time surely they d●● know ; and therefore we doubt not , but they have done the other . likewise further , when they come in , they intend to goe on in their march , though it be farre in the yeare , and not to sit downe in their quarters . wee know my lord of newca●●le did it ●ast yeare , we know they are as farre northern borne , they are both in a colder cly●●te ▪ and therefore wee doubt not of it , and so 〈◊〉 long , we hope to heare of the taking of newcastle , which what reliefe it will be to this city in the point of coales , and other trade , you may easily see : most of this to the common-councell was declared by two worthy commissioners that were sent out of scotland , my lord mackland , and mr. henderson . but it may be said , if they be so willing , and so ready to come , and have all things ready , what is the reason wee heare not of their comming into the kingdome ? they have answered us by their propositions , that it is impossible for them to doe it , without some sum of money : and that this is no pretence , but that it is really so , we have it from our owne committee there , wee have it from all hands there : and if we consider how they have been exhausted heretofore , i thinke we may easily believe it our selves : and that their army that is in ireland have been moneths without any pay at all , they are saine to supply them with necessities , which hath been foure score thousand pound , else that army must have starved . we know they had two years warre , we promised them a brotherly assistance , and there is an act for it , but it is knowne by reason of the troubles we have here at home , we have not paid them that ; so that considering the poverty of that kingdome ( without offence i thinke we may say so ) i say , considering the poverty of that kingdome , it is certaine , it is not a pretence of theirs , but it is really so . neither indeed can we presume it , when as the covenant and oath they take , binde them as well as us , that they should come to our assistance ; it binds them as much to our assistance , as that oath binde our selves to our owne assistance , and therefore wee cannot presume , that they would ( being dis-ingaged of an oath , afterward ) be willing to take that oath , unlesse they did likewise know their owne necessity , that they could not come in without some summe of money ; and truly i suppose that they cannot come in without money , ( as hath been declared to you ) and that we must ground upon and build upon , for wee are assured it on all hands . it will be then said , what is that summe ? why truly the summe that they have sent in their propositions , is l. i confesse a great summ● , and that that i know not how to mention in this assembly , considering how this city hath been exhausted formerly by those great contribution● , and by those aides that they have given in this case . but on the other side , though i cannot indeed tell how , when i consider the sumto presse it : yet when i doe consider the inevitable danger that follows , and the great advantages that we lose by every dayes delay in it . i say , when i consider them , i cannot on the other side but presse it . let us therefore consider , in case this bee not within some convenient time raised , what an infinite disadvantage comes by it to us . first of all , all those preparations they will bee in a manner lost , if that it be not presently raised , there will be no comming in this winter , if there be no comming in this winter , no gaining of newcastle , if no gaining of newcastle , no coales , nor materials for fewell . nay , that is not all , but if they doe not come in now , and if wee doe not provide this money , i shall despaire of their comming in at all , and that upon this ground , that if wee bee not able now to raise the summe of money , the continuance of this warre , it will more and more every day , and that sensible ▪ dis-enable us to doe it at another time . if we cannot doe it now , wee shall be lesse able to doe it , a weeke , a moneth , a quarter of a yeare hence ; for the warre you see destroyes all trade , ( that hath been opened to you before ) wee shall grow poorer , our enemies stronger ; if we be not able to bring them in now , we shall never bee able to bring them in at all . it will be desired , if it bee possible to raise this great summe of money , what is the security shall be given ? for truly it was never desired of this city , that so much mony should be given to them , but it is desired it should be onely lent , for if they come not in in time , the businesse is as good as lost : they have therefore ( considering this ) already engaged the publike faith of that kingdome , with the publike faith of this kingdome , for the raising of l. either by borrowing of it here , or in forain parts . therefore this is the first security that is ●endered to you now , that money is a borrowing in parts beyond the sea ; that mony that is so borrowed , shall goe on towards the repayment of this , what ever it is that shall be lent . but besides this publike faith , there are divers wayes visible how this publike faith will bee dis-engaged , that is , by the sequestrations , for there is an ordinance of both houses for l. to be raised for them out of the sequestrations . now this shall not need to discourage any that so little hath bin raised out of the sequestrations hitherto , for the houses have been preparing the businesses a great while , and now michaelmas is come , all the rents are ready , within few weeks to bring it in ; that is for so much . their comming in , it gaines newcastle , the gaining of newcastle gaines a great masse of coales that are there ready already , when they come in ; and out of that there will bee likewise an annuall or a monethly payment of the coales , for the dis-engaging of those that shall lend this summe . besides , when they come in , if they cleare those countrys , wee know how full of papists , & how full of prelates , those northern countreys are , as york-shire , but especially the whole bishoprick of durham , a whole county , northumberland , cumberland , &c. full of papists , full of those of the prelaticall party , full of malignants , when they come in , those parts are cleared , they will be free for three whole moneths , and ten dayes , for the dis-engaging of this , ( which i forgot to tell you before what the scots are to doe for this l. ) for they are to bring in their traine of artillery , their horse and foot , they are to continue three moneths and ten dayes in your service , after they come into your kingdome , after the payment of this l. so that there is full three moneths and ten dayes for these counties to lie open to the repayment of this mony ; for those three moneths they are to be without pay . these are the principall things , that wee have yet thought upon for the dis-ingaging of us , that wee tender to you ; there are divers others , which the committee hath taken into consideration , which they see as much or more certainty in , than in any of these that hath been propounded ; if it were no more than the publique faith of both kingdoms , as long as the kingdoms subsist , or the cause thrives in the hands of one or other , this must bee dis-ingaged , so that at best it is but a loan , and must bee paid if the cause survive , truely , if it doe not survive , it being our religion , i know not what reason wee have 〈◊〉 desire to survive it , and if wee lose it , i am sure wee lose all . truly gentlemen , thus , i have but one word more to say ; the cause it is gods , if it bee not so , let us repent that ever wee medled with it ; it is the cause of our countrey , if it bee not so , let us now say , wee repent , and leave it ; it is the cause of these three kingdomes , england , ireland , and scotland , it is the cause of christendom , for if this cause be carryed against us , certainly the protestant cause throughout all europe , will fare the worse for it : this is the cause , & this we all know to be the cause . it hath pleased almighty god out of his providence to call even us poor creatures , to be the managers of this great cause of his , we have undertaken it , we have formerly by our protestations engaged our selves to the maintaining of it , wee have all of us , both parliament , city , and all well-affected subjects , of this kingdom , wee have put our shoulders to it , wee have of late manifested to god and all the world , that wee doe not repent of what wee have done , wee have entred into a solemn league and covenant ; i think the solemnest that ever was seen in this kingdom , gentlemen thus , let our cheerfulnesse in this service shew , that wee have taken that covenant , and doe affect this businesse , with our whole hearts ; i have done , pray god give his blessing . mr. edmond calamy his speech in guild-hall on friday the sixt of october , . gentlemen , you have heard a worthy gentleman of the house of commons , it is desired by this grave and reverend assembly of ministers , that three of the ministers of this assembly , should likewise speak unto you concerning this great businesse , and notwithstanding my indisposition of body , being required by them , though that gentleman of the house of commons hath spoken so abundantly to the purpose , yet notwithstanding i am here come to speak something , the rather to declare my willingnesse to appear in this cause , that is every way so just , and every way so honest , and so good , that i may truly say , as the martyr did , that if i had as many lives , as i have haires on my head , i would bee willing to sacrifice all these lives in this cause ; you know the story of craesus , that though hee never spake in his life , yet when hee saw his father ready to bee killed , it untyed the strings of his tongue , and then hee cryed out , that they would not kill his father ; you are not ignorant that england and ireland lye a dying , and though i never appeared in this place , yet i blesse god that hath given mee that health , this day , to speak something in this cause , for the reviving of the dying condition of england , and ireland ; it is such a cause as is able to make a very infant eloquent , and a dumb man to speak that never spake in all his life ; the matter i am desired to speak to , is , concerning the contribution , to perswade you to bee liberall towards the bringing in of the scots , to help us in this our great necessity ; the truth is , it is a great shame that england should stand in need of another nation , to help it to preserve its religion and liberties : that england , that hath been enriched with the gospel of peace , and the peace of the gospel for so many yeers , that england , that hath been blessed with so many rare ministers of god , so many precious , and powerfull servants , that have preached the word of god in season and out of season ; that england , that hath professed the gospel with so much power and purity ; that england should stand in need , of the help of their brethren of scotland , for to preserve that gospel that they have professed so many yeers ; i confesse to mee it seems a very strange prodigie , and a strange wonder ; but it hath pleased almighty god for the sins of england , for our great unthankfulnesse , and for our unthankfulnesse under these means , and for the great blood-guiltinesse , and idolatry , and superstition of this nation , it hath pleased god to suffer a great part of the kingdom , to bee blinded , especially those parts , where the word of god hath not been preached in a powerfull manner ; and there are many in the kingdom , that will not bee perswaded , that there is an intention to bring in popery , and to bring in slavery ; many of them ( i say ) think that though the popish army should prevaile , and the plundering army should prevaile , yet they think all would goe well with religion , and with their liberties ; i say , it hath pleased god to suffer abundance in the kingdom , to bee blinded with this opinion , out of a just judgement to punish us for our unthankfulnesse , and for our ingratitude ; and this is the reason that so many men stand neuters , and that so many are malignants , and disaffected to this great cause , in so much that i am concluded under this , that there is little probability to finish this cause , without the comming in of the scots ( as you heard so worthily by that member of the house of commons ; ) the sons of zerviah are grown so strong , what through our fearfulnesse , what through our covetousnesse , what through our malignity , that there is little hope ( i say ) to finish this great cause , or to bring it to a desired peace , without the help of another nation , and by the assistance of god , by the help of another nation it may be done ; these are two mighty , two omnipotent arguments , to prevaile with you to contribute your utmost aide and assistance to that cause ; since it cannot speedily bee done without their help , & by gods blessing , it may speedily be don by their help . what would the kings party doe , if they could engage another nation to their help ? . if they could engage them to our ruine ; what would they not doe ? how much more should wee be willing to contribute our greatest help to engage a nation , that indeed is part of our own nation , within the same island , and our brethren , so faithfull , and so well affected to this cause , what should wee not bee willing to doe to ingage so great a party ? i would intreat you to remember , that it is not many yeers agoe , since our brethren of scotland came hither into england , in a warlike manner , and yet with peaceable affections , and that you would reminde your selves , what good they did to you , when they were then in england , they were the chiefe causes of this parliament , that now wee doe enjoy , and of all the good that hath been reaped by this parliament ; ( as you may well remember ) by their comming in you know this parliament was procured , and their second comming in ( through gods mercy ) may bee a means to confirm this parliament , and to establish it , and to uphold it in its dignity , and in the priviledges of it , and to keep it from being ruined ; and if the parliament bee ruined , you all well know that our religion , and our liberties are ruined , for the parliament is the great conservatour of religion and liberties ; and i may truly say , as you know caligula did once wish , that all rome were one neck that hee might cut it off at one blow ; they that intend to ruine the parliament , they ruine your religion and liberties , & all england at one blow ; now ( i say ) as their first comming was a meanes to produce this parliament , so their second comming in ( through gods blessing ) may bee a means to establish it , and to confirme it ▪ and when they were here , you know how faithfully they carryed themselves , and when they had done their work , how willingly they went away without doing any hurt , and i doubt not of the same faithfullnesse , nay , you ought all to beleeve , that they will likewise , when they have done the worke they are called too in england , they will likewise with the same faithfullnesse depart , for it is religion that brings them here , and the same religion will make them willingly leave us , and goe home to their owne countrey , when they have done that worke for which they came . i am assured that the great hope at oxford is , that they will never prevaile for the petting of money for to bring them in ; and if they once see the matter of money effected , and if they once heare of the scots comming in , it will worke such a terrour there , as i am assured , that it will ( through gods mercy ) produce a notable complyance of that party with the parliament for an effectuall peace , such as all the godly of the land shall blesse god for . i foresee there are many objections that may be brought to hinder this worke , many mountaines of opposition that will lye in the way : and likewise that the malignants will bu● many things in your eares , if it be possible to put some great rub in the way , to hinder the effecting of this work , but i hope , the love you have to god , and to your religion , and to the gospel , and to yours wives and children , will swallow down all these objections , and conquer them all ; i le name some few objections , and give you some short answer . some it may bee , will put you in minde , to call in question the lawfulnesse of contributing towards the bringing in of the scots to this nation ; but for this , i le give you an easie answer , certainly gentlemen , it is as lawfull for the parliament to call in our brethren of scotland to their help , as it is lawfull for mee , when my house is on fire , and not able to quench it my self , to call in my neighbour to quench my house , that is ready to burn down ; the kingdom is all on fire , wee are not able with that speed to quench it , as wee wish , wee call in our brethren in scotland to help us to quench the flames that are kindled among us ; it is as lawfull as it is for the master and marriners of a ship , when it is ready to sink through a mighty tempest , to call in other marriners to help to keep the ship from sinking ; it is the condition of our kingdom now , it is ready to sink , and it is our desire that our brethren of scotland would come in to our aide , to keep it from sinking . others it may be will object and say to you , it is rebellion , especially to call in another nation to your helpe . but i beseech you give me leave to put you in minde , that when the scots came last into england , there was a proclamation out against them , wherein they were called rebels , and there were prayers to bee said in our churches ( as you well remember ) in which we were to pray against them as rebells , and there was money likewise contributed then , for to hinder their comming in , and to raise an army to drive them out of the kingdome , and i doubt not but you may remember , all the ill-affected did contribute mony to keep them out of this kingdom , and from tarrying in ; but it pleased almighty god through his great mercy , so to change and alter the state of things , that within a little while , the nation of scotland , even by act of parliament , they were proclaimed and made the true and loyall subjects of the king , and in those churches in which they were prayed against as rebells , even in those very churches , they were pronounced the good subjects of the king ; this i doubt not but you remember , & i doubt not , but through the mercy of god , the lord raising up our hearts , i doubt not but the same effect , will come of their second comming into this kingdom ; and they that now tell you they are rebels , and you do an act of rebellion , in the contribution to the bringing of them in . i doubt not but you shall see an act of parliament to call them his loyall subjects , ( wherein i hope our king will concurre with his parliament ) and likewise prayers made ; nay , a day of thanksgiving , as was after their first comming , a day of thanksgiving for the mercy of god , in stirring up their hearts to be willing to come unto our help . but it may be some others will object and say , why should we that are ministers , engage our selves so much in this businesse ? to see a reverend assembly of grave ministers to appeare here in so great an assembly . this it may be , will bee a mighty objection to some , but i beseech you give me leave to give you a short answer did i not think that that that shal be said this day , would mightily conduce to peace , for my part , i would not have been the month of the assembly ; did i thinke any other way to produce a solid and a setled peace , a religious peace . i that am a minister of peace , an ambassador of peace ; i would not have been a trumpeter to this businesse this day : the truth is , if you would have peace with popery , a peace with slavery ; if you would have a judas peace , or a joab his peace , you know the story , he kiss'd amasa , and then killed him ; if you would have a peace that may bring a massacre with it , a french peace , if you would have such a peace , it may be had easily ; but if you would have a peace that may continue the gospel among you , and may bring in a reformation , such as all the godly in the kingdome doe desire , i am concluded under this , and am confident that such a peace cannot bee had without contribution towards the bringing in of the scots , and that is the reason for the promoting of this peace , this blessed peace , that we have appeared here this day : and me thinks ( gentlemen ) the very sight of these worthy divines , me thinkes so many divines , so many orators , so many silent orators to plead with you , to bee willing to engage your selves to the utmost to help forward the nation of scotland to come to our help . and likewise i would put you in mind of the ▪ of numbers , there you shal read that there were two silver trumpets ; and as there were priests appointed for the convocation of their assemblies , so there were priests to sound the silver trumpets to proclaime the warre . and likewise in the . of deuteronomy , you shall finde there , that when the children of israel would goe out to warre , the sonnes of levi , one of the priests , was to make a speech to encourage them . and certainly , if this were the way of god in the old testament , certainly much more in such a cause as this , in which cause religion is so intwin'd , and indeed so interlac'd , that religion and this cause , they are like hippocrates his twins , they must live and die together . and ( gentlemen ) if religion were not concerned in this cause , and mightily concerned ; and if religion did not live and die with it , we had not appeared this day ; and i hope this will be a sufficient answer unto this objection . but there is another objection which i will answer , and then briefly give leave to my other reverend brethren , that likewise are prepared to speake here . the great objection of all is this , that the city is already exhausted , and so much money hath been lent already , that there is no hope of lending any more ; this is the grand objection , but truly ( gentlemen ) for my part , this is one of the chiefe arguments i have to perswade you to lend a little more , because you have lent so much : give me leave to put you in minde of that story , in the kings . the story of king joash , that came to visit the prophet elisha , when he was ready to breath out his last , the prophet elisha gives him a bow and arrows , and bids him shoot , hee shootes , and bids him smite , hee smites the ground thrice , and then he ceased , the prophet was exceeding angry with him , and tells him , you should have smote the ground or times , and then you should have utterly consumed the assyrians , whereas now you shall smite them but three times . give me leave to apply this , gentlemen , you have smote the ground thrice , you have lent once , twice , and thrice , indeed you have been the fame of england , and the repairers of england , and the ornaments of england , you have lent much , but let mee tell you , you must smite the ground or times , if ever you look to consume the assyrians , if ever you look to bring this warre to a happy peace , that your posterities may rejoyce in this peace , you must shoot one arrow more , and then through gods blessing , you may utterly consume these enemies , that you and your posterity may rejoyce in a happy peace ; it is a famous story of johannes eleemozinarius , that when hee had given even almost all hee had to the poore , his friends were exceeding angry with him , and told him hee had undone himself , what was his answer ? o ( saith hee ) i have not yet shed my blood for jesus christ ; jesus christ hee emptied himself of his divinity , to make us rich , hee became poore , and shed his blood for you ; you have not yet made your selves so poore as jesus christ was , that had no house to lodge in , and he did all this for your sakes ; you have not yet shed your blood for the cause of christ ; wee read that moses was willing to bee blotted out of the book of life , for the cause of god ; and wee read of paul , that hee was willing to bee accursed , for the people of israels sake ; and will you not bee willing to venture your earthly provisions for so good a cause as this is , which ( i say ) england was never engaged in the like . religion hath produced all the wealth you have , all your wealth is but the childe of religion , wee have a saying , religio peperit divitias , & divitiae devoravunt matrem ; religion hath begot wealth , and the daughter hath devoured the mother ; & ●●lia devoravit matrem ; but give mee leave , and i hope ( through gods blessing ) you will invert this saying , religion hath got you all the wealth you have , you gentlemen , and i hope the daughter now will preserve the mother ; i hope riches will preserve religion , and not destroy religion . a famous example of polan●● noli●●● , that when hee had given all that hee had away , and being asked , why hee would give so much to the poor , hee gave this answer , v● levi●● ascenderem s●alam ja●c●i , that i might the easier get up jacobs ladder ; and let mee assure you , in the word of a minister , the contributing to this cause for gods sake , and for the glory of god , and for the peace of the gospel , ( i say ) will bee a means to make you the sooner ascend up jacobs ladder ; not for the giving of the money , but for the evidence of your faith , through the merits of the lord jesus christ , by your giving of the money ; and certainly that man will never get up jacobs ladder , that hath the ●ust of his money to ●●ar witnesse against him , at the day of judgement , especially at such a time as this . give mee leave to put you in minde of one other story , and that is of one bernardinu● 〈◊〉 that was so liberall to the poore , that every penny that hee gave to the poore , hee would call it a holy penny , and a happy penny ▪ and hee would blesse god ▪ that hee had that penny to 〈◊〉 indeed hee was a papist , and his ordinary speech was , o happy penny , that hath purchased immortality to mee ; indeed this speech was not good , for it is not our money that doth purchase heaven , that is an evidence of the truth of our faith , that layes hold upon christ for salvation ; but let mee tell you , if ever ( gentlemen ) you might use this speech , o happy penny ; you may use it now , happy money that will purchase my gospel , happy money that will purchase religion , and purchase a reformation , to my posterity , o happy money , and blessed bee god that i have it to lend . and i count it the greatest opportunity that ever god did offer to the godly of this kingdom , to give them some money to lend to this cause ; and i remember in this ordinance of parliament , you call it advance money ; it is called an ordinance to advance money towards the maintaining of the parliaments forces ▪ and truly it is the highest advance of money , to make money an instrument to advance my religion ; the lord give you hearts to beleeve this . you shall have the faiths of both kingdoms ingaged in this cause , the kingdom of scotland , and the kingdom of england , and surely the publique faith of scotland will secure the publique faith of england ; i speak now of secondary causes ▪ through gods blessing . i am informed by the commissioners of scotland , that the nation of scotland are now taking the covenant , ( that wee took the last lord● day in this city ▪ ) and you know that a scotch covenanter is a terrible thing ; you know what mighty things they did , by their last covenant ; you know that the name of a covenanter , the very name of it , did doe wonders ; and i am assured by them , that there is not one person in the kingdom of scotland , that is not a covenanter , and there shall not one abide among them , that will not take this covenant , and there shall not one of those that are to come over in this cause , not one of them shall come , that will not take this covenant , but they must take this covenant before they come ; o that the consideration of these things , might work up your hearts to a high degree of charity , to a superlative degree , and that the lord would make you more active and more liberall in this great cause ; for my part , i speak it in the name of my self , and in the name of these 〈◊〉 ministers , wee will not only speak to perswade you to contribute , but every one of us , that god hath given any estate to , wee will all to our utmost power , wee will not only say it● , but v●●ite , wee will not only speak to you to lend , but every one of us , as wee have already lent , so wee will lend to our utmost power , and blesse god that wee have it to lend ; for indeed it is now a time of action , and not of speaking only , because it is an extraordinary businesse , therefore here is an extraordinary appearance of so many ministers , to encourage you in this cause , that you may see how reall the godly ministery in england , is unto this cause . the gospel it is called a pearl of price , by our saviour christ , and i hope all you merchants , will part with your goodly pearls to buy this pearl of price ; you tradesmen , the gospel is called a treasure hid in the field , so our saviour christ calls it , i hope you will bee willing to part with your earthly treasures , to preserve this blessed treasure , that is hid in the field ; you have parted with some goodly pearls already , i hope you will part with your other goodly pearls : there is an excellent story of one nonlu● a roman senator , that had a pearl that hee did prize above his life , and when anthony the triumvir , one that was then in great power , when hee sent to n●nius to have the pearl , hee would not send it him , and hee told him , that if hee would banish him , hee would bee willingly banished , so hee might save his pearl , if hee would take away his life , hee would dye with his pearl ; hee did not regard his countrey , so hee might have his pearl ▪ hee regarded nothing , so hee might have his pearl ; but hee would not part with his pearl , what ever hee parted withall ; this pearl it is the gospel of jesus christ , that you have professed in this city , and i hope you have professed it with power ; and certainly , you have the name of those that have professed the gospel in the greatest purity of any under heaven ; this pearl is this gospel , i hope you will part with all willingly and cheerfully , rather than part with the gospel , though you goe to prison , carry the gospel with you , nay , though you lose your lives , ●t shall bee with the gospel , and for the gospel ; i hope so . there is one argument more , and then i have done , and that is from the inveterate hatred they have at oxford , against the city of london , and against you for your good , because you have been so well-affected to this cause . gentlemen , i beseech you give mee leave ( that am no statesman , not acquainted with the affaires of policy , yet give mee leave ) to put you in minde of this , that surely the plundering army at oxford conceive that they shall finde a great treasure here in the city , though many pretend they have no money ; though certainly you have done well , and lent much , yet the plundering army give out , that if they get possession of the city , they shall finde a treasury to bee able to pay all they have been at : and if ever you should bee driven ( which god forbid ) to make your peace , it would cost you twenty times as much then to procure your peace , and such a peace it may bee , that would bee rather a warre than a peace , and a death better than that peace , which now you may have for a very little , a most happy peace . there is a famous story of zelimus emperour of constantinople , that after hee had taken aegypt , hee found a great deal of treasure there , and the souldiers came to him , and asked him , what shall wee doe with the citizens of aegypt , for wee have found a great treasure among them , and wee have taken their riches ? o ▪ ( saith hee ) hang them all up , for they are too rich to bee made slaves ; and this was all the thanks they had for the riches they were spoyled of ; and it may be● , though some of you that stand neute●● , or some of you that are dis-affected to the cause of the parliament , may think that if the lord for our sins , should give up this city unto the army that is with the king , you may think that you shall escape , yet bee assured that youngoods will bee roundheads , though you bee not , your goods will bee gybalins , though you bee gwel●s , as 〈…〉 is ; certainly , there will bee no distinction , in the plundering of your goods , between you and others ; and therefore let mee beseech you , that as the lord hath made you instruments to doe a great deal of good already , for indeed you are the preservers of our religion , and you are the preservers of our parliament , by your liberality , and by your former contributions , and by your assistance , and the lord hath made you mighty instruments of our good , let mee beseech you , that you would persevere , and now wee are come to the sheat anchor , wee are now come to the last cast , i beseech you , you would persevere , and hold out ; and o that my words might adde somewhat to help forward this contribution ! it hath pleased god to make mee a setled ministery in this city , and i have now been here almost five yeers in this city , and though i had never done any good in my place , i should now think it a great fr●ite of my comming to this city , if after five yeers unprofitablenesse , i might speak somewhat this afternoon , that might enlarge your hearts to a greater measure of liberality ; all i will say is this : wee divines say , that perseverance is the only grace that crowns a christian ; methushelah lived yeers , if hee had fallen away from grace , at the yeers end , all the good that hee had done before , had been quite forgotten ; i know that god will so uphold his children , that they shall never fall away , but i bring it as a supposition , that suppose that methushelah had forsaken his righteousnesse , all hee had done before , had been quite forgotten ; but god hath made a promise , never to forsake his children , and that grace hee hath begun in them , hee will finish , and i doubt not but that god , that hath put it into your hearts to be● so liberall already , and to doe so much in this cause , and to bee so cordiall , and so reall , and to exceed all other parts of the kingdom , i hope that same god now will finish that good work hee hath begun , and will crown all his graces in you , with the grace of perseverance ; and that god that hath been the author of all the good you have done , i doubt not ; but that god will bee the finisher ; and i beseech god to give a blessing to that hath been spoken . mr. jeremiah burroughes his speech in guild-hall on friday the sixt of october , . gentlemen , providence hath cast this assembly , met for such a weighty occasion ( as indeed it is the weightiest , that hath concerned england in our age ) to bee late , and so perhaps wearisome to many of you , but you may well bee content to stay a while , although you should bee deprived of a great part of your sleep this night , if this evenings businesse may have the hoped successe of it , it may make you sleep quietly and securely many nights after . things of present and absolute necessity , call for action , not deliberation ; this work that you have been called unto , is such , as you must leave objecting against it , and rather fall a blessing god , that you may bee used in it ; in the of chronicles . . when david and the people had come and offered of their estates freely , and bountifully ; david hee humbles himself then , who am i ? and who are wee ? it were happy if you come all with such an humble frame of spirit , to admire that god preserves your lives , and calls you at this time to such a work , so concerning his glory , and the good of three kingdoms , yea of the christian world ; if ever you that have estates had cause to rejoyce in them , then now when god presents such a large opportunity for his service as hee loth ; and wherein consills mans happinesse , but in being serviceable in his generation ? in these dayes to bee acted by that poore , ●ow principle , qui bene lotuit , bene vixit ; that is , let us keep our selves safe , and quiet , keep our estates , take heed of appearing too farre , wee know not which side may prevaile ; this is an argument of a vile and a sordid spirit ; let such a mans name bee writen in the earth ; unworthy is such a man to live in such a generation as this , in which god is doing such great things , as might enliven the deadest heart , quicken the dullest spirit , raise the heaviest , and inlarge the straitest spirit living upon the earth ; in former times indeed there was lesse charge called for , there was lesse trouble , but there was lesse service too , and what doe you think to bee the measure of a mans happinesse , either little trouble , or much service ? a gratious heart thinks it as great a mercy to lay out for god , as to receive from god ; god in these our dayes is risen on high in his administrations , and our hearts should rise together with him ; psalm . , . thy mercy o lord is above the heavens , and thy truth reacheth unto the clouds ▪ what followes ? bee thou then exalted , o lord , above the heavens , and let thy glory bee above all the earth ; this day gods name , gods great works they are above the heavens , they are very high , wee behold them , let our hearts rise in a suitable way , as god rises in his workings , and all say , and doe as wee say , that god may bee exalted now above the heavens indeed . god can doe his work without you , and doe it certainly hee will , howsoever , but seeing hee is now laying a foundation of the most glorious building , that it is like ever hath been in this world , if hee shall bee pleased to call you to bee helpfull in it , it will bee gods mercy , and your glory ; were it that this one principle were raised in the hearts of people , that to doe publique service , it is not onely a duty , but a dignity , how ready , how abundant then would men bee in the work of the lord ? there hath lately been the most blessed union of two nations , as ever was in the world , lifting up their hands to the high god , swearing that they will amend their wayes , and seek to reform themselves according unto the word , let us now reach forth our hands and hearts , unto our brethren in scotland , let us come up fully unto this our engagement , and rejoyce in it , for certainly that nation is a nation that god doth love , a nation that god doth honour , and by those many expressions of his love , shewed that hee doth intend to make them speciall instruments of the great things he hath to doe in this latter age of the world ; it is a nation that is united the most firmely of any people under heaven , wee may truly call it a philadelphia , and brightman ( that famous light in former times , or yeers since ) did parallell the church of philadelphia with the church of scotland ; philadelphia signifies brotherly love ; when was there ever a nation , such a church , that joyned together in such firm covenants as they have done ? had wee had the like union amongst us , o what great things had wee done long before this time ? a nation it is that hath engaged it self to god in a higher way , in a more extraordinary way , than any nation this day upon the face of the earth hath done ; in the most solemn way covenanting with the eternall god , powring forth their prayers , and their tears for joy , together with their covenanting ; a nation that hath reformed their lives for so small a time more than ever any people that wee know of in the world have done , and a people that have risen up against antichrist more in another way , than ever people have done , and that is the great work of god in these times , and therefore god certainly hath a love unto them , because they breake the ice , and begin the work , and arise in such a way as they doe for the pulling down of that man of sin . a nation that god hath honoured by giving as glorious successe unto , as ever he did unto any ; whose low and meane beginnings hee hath raised to as great a height , as ever low beginnings in any countrey were : how hath god dissipated and biasted the counsells of their adversaries ? how hath he discovered all their treacheries ? although they be in themselves ( comparatively at least ) a poor people , and of little strength , ( as the church of philadelphia was ) yet they have kept the word of gods patience , and god hath kept them in the houre of temptation ; god therefore is with them : ( how happy should we bee , if we may have them in a neare union with us ? ) and a people that have carryed themselves with as great honour and faithfulnesse , with as great wisdome and order in the most difficult worke that ever a people did undertake , in those by and intricate paths that were before uncrodden . certainly that they undertooke at the beginning of their wor●e , but a few years since , it could not but be looked upon with the eye of reason , as the most unlikely worke ever to have proceeded , as any work● hath ever done , and yet how hath the lord been with them , and with what wisdome and graciousnesse have they carryed it ? was there ever such an example since the world began , of a people comming out of a poorer countrey , into a fat and richer countrey , and having those opportunities that they had to enrich themselves to goe away so as they did ? ( their greatest enemies they now admire at them . ) a people they are that began to rise for their liberties , when the generality of this people here , were ready basely to bow down their backs , and put their necks under the yoke : and had it not been that they had been willing to have endured the brunt , we had all been slaves ( it is like ) at this day . a people that are exceeding sensible of our condition , witnesse that when our letters from the reverend assembly came unto them , they received them with teares , and much meltings of spirit , in their generall kirke assembly ; witnesse their readinesse and willingnesse to come now , though in winter season , in times that wee dare not venture our selves abroad ; witnesse the temptations that they have had unto the contrary , and yet carryed through all . they now desire l. what is this to l. in pay ? what is this to five counties ? what is this to the plunder of a whole city ? what reasonable termes doe they proffer to come among you ? doe but give them l. advance , and they engage themselves for three moneths and ten dayes , and in the winter time to be in the kingdome , not to have a foot of land granted unto them , or assured them , but willing to depart againe without any more , when they have done their worke ; this certainly cannot but satisfie any spirit that is never so malignant , at least it may stop his mouth . a nation it is that wee are engaged unto likewise , that that now is desired of you , is no more indeed then is their due , it is due already to them , but they desire it not in that way . wherefore shall such an opportunity as this is be lost for want of money ? god forbid ; shall a people to whom god hath given such testimony of his acceptance , be rejected by us , when they would come in and help us ? their liberties are setled , why they , though on the other side of jordan , they are not therein satisfied , to sit still , but are willing to come themselves , and come into the brunt , and hazard themselves , for the setling of their brethren in the inheritance of the lord likewise . and it is not only the number of those that shal come in ● that is our advantage , but the great busines is , the ingagement of a kingdom , the incouragement of such a kingdom , that god hath given such testimony to , that that kingdom shall be by this everlastingly engaged in what is deare unto us , in our peace and our security , that is the advantage of all . and as the lord hath a delight in this place , in this nation , he hath no lesse surely in this renowned city ; this city whom indeed our adversaries have found out nick-names for , and call it the rebellious city , ( as formerly rehum the chancelor , and shimsbai the scribe , ezra . called the city of jerusalem ) but god hath other names for you , it is the city of the lord of hosts , it is the faithfull city , and god hath much mercy certainly for this place . there is no city in the world , that hath such a cloud of incense of prayers goe daily up to heaven ( i verily believe ) as doth from this city . yea , put all the cities of the earth together , i scarce thinke that god is so much honoured in family duties in them all together , as he is in this place . a city that hath had the powerfull preaching of the gospel , beyond all cities upon the face of the earth ; and the ministers of it receiving more encouragement here , then they have done in any other parts of the world . a city that hath more of the power and life of godlinesse , then any place yet upon the face of the earth ; surely god intendeth good to this city , and doth likewise delight in it , and he hath great things for this city to do , and great mercy to bestow upon them . you have been the bulwark of that honourable assembly in both houses of parliament , you have been their safety , you have been their assistance , their lives have been preserved by you , and god will remember it another day , and hee hath mercy in store for that labour of your love , and that hazard that you endured in that thing : you have been the refuge of the banished ministers , and saints of , god in most parts of this kingdome , and in ireland , and the blessing of those that are ready to perish , it is much upon this city night & day . never did the lord stir up so many young ones , as he hath done in this city at this time , that promises great mercy , that speaks aloud to us , that god intendeth to do great things by them . never was there so many godly ones , or more , ( to speak with modesty ) together in place of power in this city , then there is at this day . you have the blessing of all the prayers of all the servants of god throughout this kingdome , parents shall teach their children to blesse god for london , as long as they live , yea for many generations , when they have any fruit by the gospel , they shall teach their children to acknowledge it to the glory of god ; children thanke god for london , thanke god that ever you heard of christ , had it not been for the forwardnesse , the zeale , the activenesse of the spirits of those in london , you had never come to enjoy these liberties of the gospel , as now you doe . and now shall this city withdraw themselves from such a noble and great work of god , as they are called unto at this time , and let it fall because of them ? for it is in your power , either to raise it , or to let it fall , ( that is the english of it ) it is in your power now , either to save us , or to undoe us , and shall this be let fall now out of love of mony ? shall i say , let the mony of those men perish with them ? no , i came not hither to threaten , but to perswade ; consider that the mercies that you have from christ , cost christ more then money ▪ they cost christ his deare heart bloud : who is it that raised your estates more then others ? have not many of you come hither low , as jacob , with your staffe to this city , and now behold these bands , this estate ? who knows but that you are raised for such a time as this ? have not you engaged your selves many times in prayer to god , when first you entred into covenant to god , did not you give up all your estate then to god , to bee employed in his service , god cals for his due at this time from you ? oftentimes upon your sick beds , and death beds ( in your apprehension of death , that they would have been death beds ) you have then given up all again to god , and vowed that if god did raise you up , you would live to his service , you would employ your strength in his service . god calls for all those vows , you have now an opportunity to fulfill all those vowes : and seeing providence hath cast it so , that a reverend assembly of divines , hath appointed us to speake thus unto you , give us leave to speak in the name of god unto you , and to call upon you in the name of god ; for the fulfilling of all the vows that you have made upon your sick beds , to give up your selves and your estates for the service of the lord : and know that if you shall keep your estates otherwise then god would have you , it will be to you as the manna was to the israelites , they kept it longer than they should , and there was wormes in it ; 〈◊〉 that was preserved no longer than gods time , was sweet , but that that was kept afterwards , it had wormes breeding in it ; your estates you have now , you must not think will alwayes bee so sweet as they have been unto you , if you preserve them longer than god would have you , there will wormes breed in them , yea the curse of god will bee in them . have not you s●nt up many prayers to god , for this great cause , that god would blesse it ? ( i appeal to you ) then you have engaged your selves to heaven by all your prayers ; therfore i beseech and intreat you now , by all the prayers you have made , ( as before by your vowes , by all the prayers you have made ) upon your fasting dayes , that god would preserve his cause , that you would now doe as much as in you lies , to maintain his cause , otherwise how doe you trifle with the great god , and mock him in your prayers , that you seek to him to maintain it , and when there is an opportunity in your hands , you will not doe wh●t lies in you . it may bee you will say , w●e have done much already ; wee acknowledge it , and blessed bee god for it , but know the cause is a great cause , and it is a great god that you doe for ; philo judaeus tells us , it was enough among some heathenish people , but to say to them , libertas agitur , the businesse is your liberty , that is afoot , enough to venture their estates and lives ; it is not liberty alone , but religion ( as you have heard : ) but because some may perhaps cast such a scruple into your mindes , a● we have heard of it ; that what warrant have wee to take up armes to maintain religion ? that is not at present to bee discussed , but only this , to satisfie and stop all their mouths with one word : thus farre none can deny it , but it is lawfull to take up armes , to maintain that civill right wee have to our religion , and this wee doe ; for wee have not onely a right to our religion , by the law of god , but wee have a civill right to this our religion , that other christians have not had , and therefore there can bee no scruple in this , to retard you in such a work as this , you have done much , but a gratious heart will ever think what hee hath done for god , it is but poore and low ; that example is famous of david , that had done so much for preparing the temple of god , in the of chronicles . . it was talents of silver , and talents of gold ; which some compute a matter of cart loads of silver , allowing livre. to every cart load , and millions of french crowns of gold , this david had done preparing but for the house of the lord , and yet hee saith that out of his poverty hee had done all this ; all this was but a poor and low thing for him to doe in comparison of the great god ; why , have you done more then this ? therefore seeing it is for the high god , you have done it , look upon what you have done , but as low , and still goe on in the work of the lord ; you have done much , and so have the adversaries too ; wee would have you to weigh this , that the adversary hath been at as much charge , as you have been , as bountifull and free as you have been ; in the of isaiah . wee read that the idolaters did lavish out their gold upon their idols , yea , they lavished their gold out of their bagges : certainly , our adversary hath felt the burthen of this , and hath been at the charge of it , as much as you ; you have done much , but yet you have not gone in a good work so farre as a herod hath done ; josephus in his book of antiquities , and about the chapter , tells us of herod the king , that in the time of scarcity , hee sold away all his moveables , all the plate that was served to his table , and fetched corn from aegypt , and bought it for the poor , and cloathed them , yea , and gave seed corn to the assyrians his neighbours ; why now , in this our kingdom , wee may see much plate still at many noble mens tables ; yea , at many gentlemens tables , a great deal of plate reserved , they have not sold all their moveables , and plate to give away ; it is but a proportion of their estates , and but to lend upon so good security . and take this one consideration further , your having done much , is a mighty preparation , to make your doing now to bee formidable to your adversaries ; for what is the hope of your adversary ? but that you are drawn dry ; they triumph in this , and they tell the world , that there must bee such petty wayes , to seek to the city , to get petty summes of money , and all is even gone , and therefore wee shall have them to bee a prey ere long ; but when they shall see , that after so much hath been expended here , that you have such free spirits , and to come out still abundantly with further treasure , this will more daunt their hearts ; this livre. will daunt their hearts more than li. before hath done ; if you say , why doe wee doe all ? what if god will give the city , the speciall honour , yet the countrey will bee required for a great part besides ; but the lords work now to bee done , it must bee done especially by his servants ; and wee know in ezra , when as the adversaries of judah would have come and helped in the work , they would not suffer them to come and help in the work ; i say not , wee should doe so ; but onely to satisfie ●s in this , that wee should not think it much , that god should especially honour us in such a work as this is ; but yet besides know , that your interest in this businesse , it is more than the interest of other men ; for other men care not what becomes of religion , what care they for reformation ? they are willing to bee slaves to some , that they might have others slaves under them ; but you desire reformation , you therefore shall have the greatest share in the blessing of the issue of this work ; and therefore if others doe not so much , yet you should bee willing to bee forward in the work you are now called to ; and if you bee willing , it is like in a little while , you may get such power , that you may bring others to doe whatsoever may appear to bee just ; if it shall bee said , i , but a great deal is done , but to little purpose all this while ; o ( my brethren ) say not so , it is an unthankfull voyce , this , for much hath been done , there hath been a check given to the adversary , the stream of tyranny and slavery , it hath been stopped , your lives have all this while been preserved by what hath been done ; if you think , but it is too late , and all will bee lost that wee doe ; say not so neither , this is below a roman spirit , the romans when hannibal was at their gates , yet would sell their fields at as great a rate , and as great a consideration , as at any other time ▪ even the field where the enemy was , found buyers , when it was put to sale , there were enow to buy that field ; your spirits would scarce rise so high to give a valuable consideration , for the field of your enemy , to bee fee simple to your selves ; hee not discouraged , you have not only the faith of both kingdomes , ( that hath been offered ) but wee as divines may offer you this day the faith of heaven , the faith of the promises of heaven , they are offered to you , and there is nothing will blast that work more than a discouraged heart ; you know that the very thing that caused god to deprive the children of israel of canaan , when they were at the borders , it was , because they were discouraged , and said , there are children of anak here , and let us not go ; the lord is bringing of us to a blessed 〈◊〉 it is true , wee are in a wildernesse , but wee know god hath brought us into the wildernesse , and hee will speak comfortably to us in it ; and let us not bee afraid of difficulties , lest wee bee deprived of that good land that god is bringing us into ; and little cause have wee to bee discouraged , for those wee have to deal with , their spirits are base and vile ; why should wee fear those uncircumcised philistines ? and wee see god hath been with us , in every thing that wee have undertaken ; wee have never shown our selves like men , but god hath shown himself to be like a god for us . if you say , well , but were it not better wee bent all our forces to some accommodation ? to that wee answer you thus : you have to deal not only with his majesty , but with a popish party that are about him , and what security you can ever have of your peace , ( as was worthily said before ) except the scottish nation comes in for to fasten it , it is easie for any one to judge . i will tell you but one story about that , and because it is suitable unto you , i will therefore relate it here : it is a story that i finde in the chronicles , that in the dayes of king edward the fixt , king edward sends to this city for assistance against the lords , and the lords send to the city for their assistance likewise , against the protectour , the earl of somerset ; and the common councell was called , ( i suppose in this place , ) and there stands up , as the story saith , a wise discreet citizen , in the common councell ▪ and makes this speech unto them ; first , hee acknowledges that the cause was right for the lords , for the kingdom , though it were against the will of the king , because the king would not then put in execution those laws that should bee , but hindered them , but yet ( saith hee ) let mee reminde you of that that i have read in fabians chronicle , ( it was one george stadley that stood up , let mee reminde you of that ) when there was a fight between the lords and the king , the lords send for assistance to the city , the city granted their assistance , the lords prevailed , the king was taken , and his son a prisoner ; afterwards they were both released upon composition , and amongst other things , this was one , that howsoever the city should bee preserved , that the city should suffer nothing for what they had done ; and this composition was confirmed by act of parliament , but ( saith this citizen ) what came of it ? did the king forgive ? no ▪ nor forget , for afterwards all our liberties were taken away , strangers were set over us , for our heads and governours ; the bodies and the estates of the citizens were given away , and one misery followed after another ; and so wee were most miserably persecuted ; and here was their accommodation . wherefore then ( to close all ) you have heard before , that wee come not onely to perswade you , but to ingage our selves as well as to perswade you , and to doe that , that wee would have you doe : for our parts , as wee have in some proportionable manner done it already , so wee are ready to doe it further , and it beseemes us well to doe it ; wee read in the of nebemiah , that the first that did help to repair the city , it was the priests of the city , and about the middle of the city , the priests of the plain ; i suppose it is meant , the city ministers , and the countrey ministers , and you shall finde in that chapter , severall sorts of people were there , there were the rulers these specially mentioned ; i suppose their chief rulers , as their aldermen , &c. they were very forward in that work of the lord ; yea , there were the tradesmen , there you read much of the goldsmiths , two severall times in that chapter , you read of the goldsmiths , more then others , and you read of the apothecaries , that they were ready in their work ; yea , and you read of the daughters of men , how they forwarded their parents ; i would i had to speak to many young ones this day , i hope i should prevail much with them , to bee great forwarders of you that are more ancient , that you may doe this freely , which you are here exhorted to . have not many of you spent your blood in this cause , yea , how many young ones in this city have lost their blood ? mee thinks a spirit of indignation should rise in you , to vindicate the losse of the blood of your servants and children ▪ many precious ones , that might have lived many yeers , to have done good service for the lord ; even the children of the city , they rise and cry , hosanna , hosanna , o blessed is ●ee that commeth in the name of the lord ! o then l●t old citizens bee forward , mee thinks elders should ●ee forward in this cause ▪ for ●●e thinks they should not think themselves men of this world , in the of john , christ speaks of himself , when hee was going out of the world , i am not in the world ; and so should you going out of the world , even say , you are not in the world ; and therefore let your close in going out of the world , be a happy close in such a blessed work as this is . and know there shall come a day , wherein you shall bee calling and crying to god for mercy ; the successe of this evenings work will bee recorded against that day , when you shall cry for mercy . i conclude all with applying the words of jotham to the men of sechem , in the of judges . hearken to me , that god may hearken to you : so ( i say ) hearken to that worthy member of the house of commons , unto that reverend divine before , and to him that shall come after : hearken unto ●s this day , that god may hearken unto you . mr. obadiah sedgewick his speech in guild-hall on friday the sixt of october , . gentlemen , i am commanded by the assembly of divines , and they by a command from the house of commons , to bee present at this solemne and publike meeting , and from them to move for that , which i confidently presume is granted already , a helping heart , and a helping hand , to preserve ( o that we must be forced to say so , and yet blessed be god that we are alive to say so , to preserve ! ) our religion , our lives , and the lives of ours . it is i confesse my happinesse , that i am not to speak unto such who have made our troubles , and that laugh at them , but unto them that see our distresses , & know how to compassionate them : the perswasion is the more hopeful , when the compassion is beforehand afoot : if that honorable gentleman that spake first , had bin sent with fire to destroy your city , or others with swords from that grave senate , to have destroyed your lives , or with armed power to have compelled and plundered your estates ; there i confesse a refusall , nay a contempt had been the most proper answer . but sirs , their addresse unto you is paternall , it is humble and full of efficacy , it is but to request you to preserve your own lives , it is but to request you that you would not suffer your selves , your wives , your children , your city , your religion to be destroyed . i confesse that i had prepared divers things to have worked on you ; but they that have spoken before me , have scarce left me any new matter to say , but all ( which i wish with all my heart were wrought in you , as well as in my selfe , nothing lest but ) to doe . the religion that we have all our lives professed , if it bee not worth thy money , trample it under thy feet : religion ( brethren ) is an invaluable thing , it is farre above our estates , farre above our lives , nay it is far above our soules . for our estates , the heathen say so much , that our estates were not to be insisted on , when religion was in danger , and therefore some of them have according to their imaginary religion , ( the strength of it ) they have neglected their goods to preserve their gods ; nay they hare ( as alvinus did ) neglect his owne wife and children , to take care of that vaine deity that they sacrificed unto . it is ( i confesse to mee ) a most remarkable thing that pliny reports , ( and good gentlemen , let not heathens exceed christians , in love either to their country or religion : ) you know that hanniball was a sore enemy to the romans , and the romans , when they to maintaine themselves against them had exhausted all their publique treasury ▪ a consull in the senate bespake the people that they would all ●ring out their personall estates , ( something like what is this day moved unto you ) it was so instantly , it was so universally relished , that all ●orts of people brought in abundantly , and ( might i give but a suggest unto the grave senators , that ) the citizens , and 〈…〉 senator in rome , left not himselfe , ( so prodigall was 〈◊〉 for th●●●fety of the publike , he left not unto himselfe ) for to keep himselfe and houshold , above the value of crowns . o shal heathens be so prodigall to preserve themselves against a hanniball ▪ & shal not christians be as carefull to preserve their religion against antichrist . well sirs , as that which you are desired to expend something of your estates for is religion , that is farre beyond all your estates , so it is that , that is farre beyond all your lives : for i beseech you what are all your lives for value unto religion , what will your lives bee to you for comfort , when the sunne is taken out of the firmament , and the gospel is removed out of this english horizon ? if ▪ you should outlive the gospel , why ( the lord bee mercifull to you ) what would your lives availe you ? were it not better to make religion and the gospel your executors , then to make idolaters your executors ? were it not better to make religion your executors , then to make your selves , or your posterities heires of idolatry ? when troy was taken , anchises disdained to take his sonnes counsell , to save his life : away ! live when troy is taken ? and truly ( friends ) if there bee in any of you , ( a● i perswade my selfe there is in all of you that heare me this da● ) a sense of god , a sense of your soules , a sense of the gospel of christ , why you must acknowledge now , that all your comforts are lost , that all your hopes on earth are lost , and all your hopes in heaven are gone , if the gospel , if that religion bee gone . nay , ( as i said at the beginning ) it is that , that no not your soules can stand in competition with ; i confesse the soule of man is a precious thing , it is as the ring of gold , yet if i doe not mistake my selfe ) religion is the most precious diamond in that ring . the busines of religion , why , it is the salvation of your souls , no lesse then your souls , and higher i cannot speak . and if this will not move you , at this time to lend out your strength , to preserve your lives , your estates , your religion , that which preserves your soules to eternity , i can say nothing more . but then sirs observe one thing , there is not onely this dignity in religion that may challenge all that you are and have ; but there is likewise an efficacy in religion : it is one of the best masters , and one of the best fathers , true religion is . what you lay out to preserve it , that one day will returne to preserve you . i have ever thought our religion to be our shield ; and as he said of his shield , so religion will say to you , defend me , and i will defend you . it is our shield , why , preserve your shield , you preserve your selfe : o that this large auditory would but remember two or three things , that i will speake unto you . it is better ( friends ) to keep your religion with the expence of all you have , then to keep all you have with the losse of one dram of religion ; and if you should quit the preservation of religion , you shall lose in the event , both religion and your selves too . there will be a double losse ; you may perhaps for the present be at a double cost to keep up religion , but you shall be at a treble losse if you lose religion ; you shall lose your lives , you shall lose the estates that you keep , and you shall lose your soules too ; and if any thing keeps you , it is religion . for if any thing keeps god , that keeps all , it is the keeping of religion . now sirs , a● this argument ( besides al that 〈…〉 for in truth , they have left me almost naked , that i have nothing to say ; as this argument ) ▪ may revive those affections that have been stirred up already , so methinkes , if you looke but upon the very condition of the church this day , i professe unto you , it will break your hearts ; and therefore may certainly open your purses this day : why , ( friends ) if i am able , i may not deny , no , not one day , nor the second day , nor the third day , nor any time , i must not deny to help a poor lazarus ; i must not see lazarus to starve and die at my doores , if that i am able to helpe a poore christian : why , if my bowells must extend themselves , i● 〈◊〉 helpe must extend it selfe to one christian , how shall i , how can i see , the churches of jesus christ , for to ▪ gaspe and give up the ghost at the feet of bloud ? there are two sorts of bloud which will lye heavie upon my soule , if that i should suffer the guilt of them to be upon my soul ▪ there is the bloud of christ , and the bloud of the churches of christ : if abel● bloud , the bloud of a single person , was so heavie upon ●ain , what will the bloud of 〈◊〉 church , of all the churches of christ , let downe upon our fonts ▪ if we should now falle to help the churches of christ ▪ but if there were no other 〈…〉 with you ▪ but onely something that might concerns your selves , i professe , as i am satisfied in my owns spirit , so i am p●rswaded it were enough to perswade you . why , ( friends ) you have done already , ( i speak not to flatter you , you 〈…〉 already ) more then all the land hath done , even to the preservation of all the land , nay more then all the christian world hath done to preserve the cause of christ . and let me tell you , that god hath not been behinde hand with you , god hath looked upon you , as much ( i meane this city ▪ god hath looked upon this city , 〈…〉 if not more , then upon all the land besides . and ●ruly , if you will cast east up all accounts betwixt god and your selves , though you have done very much , yet you are in arre●s ages still unto god ; god is still before-hand with mercies ▪ though in mercy he hath stirred up your hearts to doe thus . these are three things methinks , wherein the lord hath shewed himselfe to you , that may for ever engage your hearts , with all alacrity to spend , and to be spent for his cause : why , the one is , he never would to this day suffer the destroyer , notwithstanding all their intentions , ( he would never suffer the destroyer ) to enter into this city ; he hath still diverted them , as you have observed by some admirable acts of providence , when their resolutions have been to come to this place , ( the lord knowes in what condition you had been by this day , if providence had not ( at one time especially ) diverted them from it ; but notwithstanding all this , god hath not suffered them to this day , to shoot one arrow into your city . but then there is another thing ; as the lord hath not to this day suffered them to come in a publike hostile way , so he hath from time to time discovered all the treacheries , plots , and designes against you . when the enemy could not destroy you above board , but thought to undermine your lives and states , and all ( i need not say much to revive your memories , ) of late dayes , did god unknowne to you , deliver you from destruction , and should you now be backward to doe for this god , that hath preserved all that you have , and all that you are ? nay , consider one thing more ; he hath in all the publike services ; wherein indeed , if any people in the land deserve our acknowledgements and honour , this city hath got it from the whole land . but this is that i was saying , god hath in all the publike services and battails which have of late been fought in the land , god hath hanged the shield of salvation upon your shoulders , he hath been pleased to cast all the glory , not onely of preservation , but of the great successe , and honour , and victory , god hath cast it upon the people of london . and will you , that god hath defended all this while ; will you that god hath preserved from secret treachery ; will you , that god hath given hearts all this while to stand for god above all the people of the earth : will you that god hath done so much for in the times of battaile , more then for all the rest , wil you fail now to do for god ? god forbid , i beseech you rather that your hearts may be doubled and trebled for that god that is so good to you . and not to trouble you long , because the truth is , i am confident there needs no more to be said , you long rather who should most shew his affection at this time to preserve all : why , there is one thing more that might bee spoken too , that is , touching our brethren of scotland : why , so many things have been said already , that i can say nothing . our condition ( worthy sirs , our condition ) of england , mee thinks it is so like the condition of that poore man , that went between jericho and jerusalem , there the priest hee passes by on the one side , never so much as lookes upon him ; our priests and popish party ; and another sordid party that cleaves to them , they doe not so much as consider the lamentable losse of this poore kingdom of england ; the levite he came , and looked on indeed , but hee passes by : i pray god it ●ee not laid to the charge of some churches abroad , to whom wee have been helpfull , that they can have eares , to heare of our distresses , and wounds , but have not hands at all to help us , whether they have tongues to pity us , wee know not ; onely there is the samaritan ( sirs , the samaritan ) that saw this wounded man , and that had compassion , and that went to him , and that bound up his wounds , and that powred in oyle and wine ; truly ( sirs ) the samaritans that wee finde on earth , ( for our great physitian in heaven , wee blesse him still for looking upon us ; but the samaritans , the onely samaritans that wee have on earth ) they are our brethren in scotland ; o the tears that they have shed for poore england ! o the prayers that they have in solemn manner , from time to time , sent up to heaven for poor england ! o the petitions that they unknown for a long time to us , did direct unto his majesty , if it had been possible to take up all differences ! and now yet again , as if their inward compassions , as if their prayings to heaven , as if their petitionings to man were nothing , so sensible , so affectionate are they , to live with us , to dye with us , that they are ready to come in , to adventure their dearest lives , to save our lives ; why ( friends , why ) what will move your hearts , if this doth not move your hearts ? i doe professe it is the greatest equity under heaven , to lend our estates , some of our moneys to them , that are not unwilling to venture their lives for us . i know many objections might bee made ; you have done much already , and the summe is great ; i say no more , there is nothing great , to a minde that is great , and the cause is great , and though the summe of money bee great , yet their love is greater , then all you can lay out to answer their love ; and say not ( grumbling ) wee have done often and often ; i say to you , as christ said to him that asked him , how often must i forgive my brother ▪ why , times times ; so will i say for this publique cause , you must doe , and you must doe , and yet you must doe , and yet you must doe , as long as there is a penny in thy purse , as long as there is strength in thy hand , as long as there is breath in thy body , you must bee all servants to christ , and servants to the churches of jesus christ . and so i beseech the god of heaven , that what hath been delivered unto you this day , ( and much hath been spoken , i think as much as possibly can unto men ) that it may bee effectuall , to move your hearts , that what is done , may bee speedily done , and fully done , lest wee bee for ever undone ; nay , that wee may bee preserved , and not only wee , but all the churches of god preserved . and the lord of heaven make impression upon your hearts . finis . the saints inheritance and the worldlings portion representing the glorious condition of a child of god and the misery of having ones portion in this world, unfolding the state of true happiness with the marks, means, and members thereof / by ier. burroughs. burroughs, jeremiah, - . approx. kb of xml-encoded text transcribed from -bit group-iv tiff page images. text creation partnership, ann arbor, mi ; oxford (uk) : - (eebo-tcp phase ). a wing b estc r ocm this keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the early english books online text creation partnership. this phase i text is available for reuse, according to the terms of creative commons . universal . the text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. early english books online. (eebo-tcp ; phase , no. a ) transcribed from: (early english books online ; image set ) images scanned from microfilm: (early english books, - ; : ) the saints inheritance and the worldlings portion representing the glorious condition of a child of god and the misery of having ones portion in this world, unfolding the state of true happiness with the marks, means, and members thereof / by ier. burroughs. burroughs, jeremiah, - . [ ], p. printed for francis eglesfield, london : . reproduction of original in the union theological seminary library, new york. created by converting tcp files to tei p using tcp tei.xsl, tei @ oxford. re-processed by university of nebraska-lincoln and northwestern, with changes to facilitate morpho-syntactic tagging. gap elements of known extent have been transformed into placeholder characters or elements to simplify the filling in of gaps by user contributors. eebo-tcp is a partnership between the universities of michigan and oxford and the publisher proquest to create accurately transcribed and encoded texts based on the image sets published by proquest via their early english books online (eebo) database (http://eebo.chadwyck.com). the general aim of eebo-tcp is to encode one copy (usually the first edition) of every monographic english-language title published between and available in eebo. eebo-tcp aimed to produce large quantities of textual data within the usual project restraints of time and funding, and therefore chose to create diplomatic transcriptions (as opposed to critical editions) with light-touch, mainly structural encoding based on the text encoding initiative (http://www.tei-c.org). the eebo-tcp project was divided into two phases. the , texts created during phase of the project have been released into the public domain as of january . anyone can now take and use these texts for their own purposes, but we respectfully request that due credit and attribution is given to their original source. users should be aware of the process of creating the tcp texts, and therefore of any assumptions that can be made about the data. text selection was based on the new cambridge bibliography of english literature (ncbel). if an author (or for an anonymous work, the title) appears in ncbel, then their works are eligible for inclusion. selection was intended to range over a wide variety of subject areas, to reflect the true nature of the print record of the period. in general, first editions of a works in english were prioritized, although there are a number of works in other languages, notably latin and welsh, included and sometimes a second or later edition of a work was chosen if there was a compelling reason to do so. image sets were sent to external keying companies for transcription and basic encoding. quality assurance was then carried out by editorial teams in oxford and michigan. % (or pages, whichever is the greater) of each text was proofread for accuracy and those which did not meet qa standards were returned to the keyers to be redone. after proofreading, the encoding was enhanced and/or corrected and characters marked as illegible were corrected where possible up to a limit of instances per text. any remaining illegibles were encoded as <gap>s. understanding these processes should make clear that, while the overall quality of tcp data is very good, some errors will remain and some readable characters will be marked as illegible. users should bear in mind that in all likelihood such instances will never have been looked at by a tcp editor. the texts were encoded and linked to page images in accordance with level of the tei in libraries guidelines. copies of the texts have been issued variously as sgml (tcp schema; ascii text with mnemonic sdata character entities); displayable xml (tcp schema; characters represented either as utf- unicode or text strings within braces); or lossless xml (tei p , characters represented either as utf- unicode or tei g elements). keying and markup guidelines are available at the text creation partnership web site . eng bible. -- o.t. -- psalms xvii, -- criticism, interpretation, etc. christian life. - tcp assigned for keying and markup - spi global keyed and coded from proquest page images - robyn anspach sampled and proofread - robyn anspach text and markup reviewed and edited - pfs batch review (qc) and xml conversion the saints inheritance . and the vvorldlings portion . representing the glorious condition of a child of god , and the misery of having ones portion in this world. vnfolding the state of true happiness with the marks , means , and members thereof . by ier . burroughs . psal . . . blessed is that people whose god is the lord. london , printed for francis eglesfield , at the marigold in st. paul's church-yard , . the authours epistle to the reader . it hath been the way of god in speaking to men , and drawing their hearts to him , to apply himself to them , in those things they have skill of and are acquainted with . when christ was revealed to the wise men that came from the east , it was by a star : they were astronomers , and conversed much in the contemplation of the stars , and god speaks to them accordingly : when our saviour called fishermen to follow him , he tells them . hee will make them fishers of men ; hee expresseth himself unto them in their own way . and it may be the sutablenesse of these subjects may invite some to read this treatise , especially it being the desires of many that heard the same , and found some work of god upon their hearts by them , to have it by them ; at first i was unwilling to let such sudden things appear so publike , but after considering , that some way it may be usefull , and a little good is worth much of my time and labour , who knows what a truth , what a hint fitted to the apprehensions of people in their own way may doe , therefore here you have it , and the lord prosper it to you . yours in christ , ier . burroughs . know christian reader , that part of this work was perfected by the authour in his life time . but it pleased god to take him away before the rest was finished , whereby the copie was for a time mislayed , & with some difficulty at length procured , which is now published for thy good . bless god for preserving such a iewell ; and see thy soul bee inriched by it . let it not be said , there was a prize put into thy hand , but thou hadst not a heart to make use of it . remember thou hast an immortall soul , and art capable of living in immortall glory , therfore be not put off with the things of this life . let not that satisfy thy soul , which may stand with the eternall hatred of the great god , least while others partake of an inheritance above , thou have a portion with reprobates belowe . thou mightst have been past reading or hearing of these things , and have found by sad experience , what it is to be excluded the saints felicities . imbrace the opportunity and pass by the escapes of printing . so farewell . the vvorldlings portion . . psalm . . from men of the world , who have their portion in this life . this psalme is davids moan unto god under sauls persecution ; sine dubio saulum ( saith molerus upon it ) without doubt the psalmist aymes at saul in it , wherein we have these . things . first he appeals unto god to judge the uprightnesse of his heart , towards saul . let my sentence come from my presence ; from saul and his courtiers there comes a hard sentence , they call me traytor , they call me rebell , but lord leave me not unto their sentence , let my sentence come from thy presence that i know will be another sentence , then what cometh from them , for thou hast proved me and tried me , and findest nothing in me ; that is the first thing . secondly , his prayer to god to keep him in his way , his going , and his footsteps from sliding , lord whatsoever the wrath of saul be against me , yet let neither that , nor any other thing put me out of thy way but keep my heart close unto thee , and keep my paths in thy way , let not my footsteps so much as slide from thee , for lord they watch at my halting , if they can find but the least slip from me , they take advantage of it to the utmost , and i am a poor , weak creature ; therefore lord keep me that my footsteps may not slide . thirdly , he prayes for deliverance , shew thy marveillous loving kindnesse to me o lord ; my straights they are marveillous , i know not what to do , nor whether to turn me , but my eyes are towards thee , as my straights are marveillous , so let thy loving kindnesse be marveillous towards me , and keep me as the apple of thy eye , o lord , i am but as a dog , a vile creature in the eyes of saul , and those about him , but blessed be thy name , i can look up to thee , and know that i am dear unto thee , as the apple of thy eye ; all the saints of god are dear to god , at all times , but the persecuted saints , they are the apple of gods eye ; if at any time they are dear to god , then especially when they are most persecuted , they are the apple of his eye , and the apple of an eye you know is weak , and little able to resist any hurt , which makes men the more tender of it ; the more weak and shiftlesse gods people are for themselves , the lord is so much the more tender over them . and one argument that the psalmist useth in praying against his enemies is this , and a speciall one , because they prospered so much in this world , they are inclosed in fat , and have their hearts desire , and thou fillest their bellies with thy hid treasure , they leave to their babes , they have their portion in this life ; lord keep me from them . lastly he doth professe his resolution , yet notwithstanding all the dangers he was in , to go on in the wayes of god , and expects a gratious issue , but i ( saith he ) will behold , thy face in righteousnesse ; indeed i cannot behold the face of the king without danger , there are a great many that run to kill me , and i desire his face , but though i cannot see his face , yet lord i shall behold thy face , i will behold thy face , and it shall be in righteousnesse , i will still keep on in the wayes of righteousnesse , and when i awake , for i believe that these troubles will not hold long : i shall not sleep a perpetuall sleep , but i shall be delivered , and satisfied with thy likenesse , there shall be the manifestation of thy glory to me , that shall satisfy me for all the troubles that i have endured for thy names sake , that my soul shall say , i have enough ; this is the summe of this psalme . now the words read unto you , are a description of davids adversaries , implying an argument , why he would be delivered from them ; they are described to be men of this world , they were onely those that were adversaries to him ; and a comfort it must needs be to the saints of god , to see that none are their enemies , but wordly persons , men of this world , who have their portion in this life ; they have somewhat here , and here is all they are like to have . secondly , it implies the argument , why he would be delivered ; lord deliver me from them , because they are men of this world , who have their portion in this life ; where lies the force of this argument , that he would be delivered from them because they were men of this world , that have their portion in this life ; it consists first in this , lord , they care not what injustice they do , they have no regard of any thing but in this world , therefore be it right or wrong , may they have but their lusts in this world , that is all they care for ; lord deliver me from such men ; secondly , here is all their good , their portion is in this life , and therefore they are greedy upon this , & if they may have this , let it be with the ruine of never so many men , though it be to raise their estates by my ruine , and the ruines of others , that are never so innocent , what care they they are greedy upon having their lusts satisfied , for here is all their portion ; they care not for religion , they will make use of pretences of religion any way for their own ends ; what care they what pretences they make for religion , so they may thrive in the world they regard not anything in religion , so they may have their own ends ; lord , deliver me from such men ; thirdly , they have their portion in this world , hence is it that their hearts are so swelled with pride in their lusts , and so warm , their malice is so heated that it is outragious ; o let not the foot of pride come upon me ; deliver me from proud men that flusht with the enjoyment of their hearts desires ; as long as they may have their own ends , and fulfill their lusts , they will be exceedingly hardened in their own wayes , they will give no glory to thee , but will be so much the more enraged against thy people , by taking that as an argument that their wayes are good , lord , therefore deliver me from those men ; they scorne at prayer , or any thing that is said , concerning the tendernesse of conscience ; they despise conscience and prayer ; lord , let me never fall into the hands of such ; deliver me from the men of this world , who have their portion in this life ; from the men of the world , that is from mortall men , from men though of the world , yet are not like to enjoy the world long , so some translate it , remember how short my time is , saith david how short , what little time i have in this world , the men of this world , shall have but a little time here , the hebrew word that is translated men , with the change of the position of one prick , signifies dead men , mortui , as well as viri , ( i say ) with the change not of a prick , but onely of the position of one prick , of one point , it signifies dead men ; they are men of the world , but such men as are within one prick of death , within one point of death , howsoever they rejoyce in this life ; they are men that have all they have but onely leased for their lives , nay , not so much as leased , they have but an estate of life at the most , and this present life unto them , as in stead of all lives . there are these . doctrinall conclusions in the words , that lie plainly before you ; the first is , there are a generation of men , to whom god gives some outward good things for a while , but these are all that ever they are like to have , they shall never have any more good from god , then that they have here for the present ; secondly , that gods saints do desire to be delivered from such kind of men ; these . contain in them the hope of the holy ghost in the words . first ; there are a generation of men unto whom god gives out a portion , some comforts in this world , and here is all that they are like to have ; and now set your hearts i beseech you , unto what i have to say in this argument , for meditating what to pitch upon for such an assembly , i could not determine of an argument that i thought might more reach unto the hearts of those to whom i was to speak then this , and i hope before i have done , you will find it such a serious argument that concerns us all . i have read of gregory that being advanced to preferment , he professed that there was no scripture that went so to his heart , that struck such a trembling into his spirit , and daunted him so much as that scripture did , here you have your reward , son in your life time you have had your pleasure ; o this was a dreadfull scripture that sounded in his ears continually ; as ierome speaks of that scripture , arise ye dead , and come to judgement ; night and day he thought that scripture sounded in his ears ; so gregory here , you have your reward in this life , you have had your pleasure ; this was the scripture that night and day sounded in his ears ; o that it might please god to assist me so far this day , that i might make this scripture ring in your eares , even when you lie upon your beds , after the sermon is done , that you may not forget the sound of it , men of this world , who have their portion in this life ; if this scripture should prove to be the portion of any one of you , of the richest in this place , woe unto him , that ever he was born , which i shall anon make out fully to you . but ( you 'le say ) do you think to preach to men that have their portion here in this life ? i fear me , i may meet with such , whom it nearly concerns in this congregation , therefore be not any of you too ready to put off this from you , to think your selves , out of the danger of this scripture ; for it was spoken concerning saul , and saul might have ( for ought i know ) as strong arguments of gods love to him , as many of you , i fear have this day . for . saul was a man chosen immediately by god himself to be the first king that ever was over his own people , and was not that a great favour . . saul for his person was one of the godliest men that was amongst all israel ; higher from the shoulders to the head , then any of them ; and for his endowments he was a man , whom god did endow with admirable gifts of government , he caused another spirit to come upon him ; he was a man that when he heard of his preferment , seemed to be very humble , as judging himself unworthy of such a dignity , saying , who am i , and what is my fathers house , that i should be thus exalted ; and when he had been chosen , some that would reject him , notwithstanding gods honouring of him , saul had a mighty power over his spirit , he was very week and a quiet man ; for the text saith , he held his peace , when the children of belial said , what have we to do with him ; yea . . though he were quiet in his own cause , yet he shewed himself to have an excellent spirit in a publick cause , he was full of anger : when it was for the good of the people that he was a governour over : when he heard of a dishonour done to the people of israel , the text saith , that his anger did rise within him ; an excellent pattern for all governours , for all in publick places , to be very silent , quiet , self-denying putting up wrongs , in their own cause , but to be full of zeal for the publick cause ; to reserve their spirits for a publick good ; many , when they are anger'd in their private cause , and so full of violence , and spend their spirit there so much , that they have no spirit at all , when it comes to a publick cause , saul went beyond them in this . further , saul was one who was much troubled at the sin of the people against god , he had not onely a spirit to vindicate publick wrongs , but when he saw the people sin against god , his heart was much troubled thereat , and grieved for it , and being mighty sollicitous and carefull to prevent sin in the people , this you shall have in the first of samuel . . they told saul there that the people had sinned in eating with bloud , upon that , saul shews himself displeased , come ( saith he ) and do not sin against the lord , rowle a stone hither ; he would see with his own eyes , that they did slay the cattle , and they did powre forth the bloud that they might not sin against god in eating bloud ; this was his care ; yea he was very diligent to enquire of god what he should do in businesses of great consequence , he would not go out , till he had first enquired of god. yea more then all this , he was a man that had a very reverend esteem of the prophets of god ; when samuel came to him , o thou blessed of the lord ( saith saul to him ) when samuel shewed unto him , what his sin was , he c●me and confessed it before the people , saying , i have sinned , i have sinned against the lord , meerely at the conviction of one prophet . and god seemed to be with saul very much , shewing great respect to him , to make him an instrument of much good to israel ; he granted unto him as glorious a victory as ever man had in this world , for so we may call it , and if there be any outward thing in the world , might be gather'd as an argument of gods love , such a remarkable victory as he had over his enemies ; well might the victory you shall find in the first of samuel . where the philistins were risen up against him and there were chariots , of his adversaries , and . horsemen , and people as the sand of the sea for multitude ; well , here was a mighty enemie , what had saul to oppose these ? you shall find that there were but . men with saul ; there was of one side . chariots , horsemen , and people as the sand of the sea without number , and saul had but . with him at this time , yea and of those . there was not any one of them , that had a sword , but onely saul and ionathan ; for the philistins were wise enough to disarm all the malignants that they accounted so , and would not let so much as a smith be amongst them ; they would not onely take away their arms , but they would look to them to see that they had no armes supplied unto them , that was the wisedome of the philistins , yet we find , if you read afterwards in the scripture , that god was so far with saul , and blessed him , and gave him victory over all these ; besides all this , god blessed saul with a very gracious child , a godly son of a sweet nature , ionathan , which indeed if any outward argument in the world , might be an argument of gods love ; that might be . now put all these things together , and yet here is the man that hath his portion in this world ; i now challenge him that hath certain evidence of a mighty work of god upon him in christ , let him shew me greater arguments of gods love to him , then saul might have done , and yet it proved to be sauls condition to have onely his portion in this world ; god herein shews that his mercy is his own , and that he will let out his mercy as he pleases , it is your fathers pleasure to give you a kingdom ; the father deals out the portion as he pleases unto his children ; god will let the line of his mercy go thus far to one and there stop , and so far to another and there stop , and then come in a crosse line again unto him . god so disposes of his mercy , that there are some that shall have heaven and earth to be their portion , & there portion is blessed , indeed , there are some that shall have earth , but not heaven , and their portion is poor , and sad ; there are others , that shall have heaven , but not earth , and their portion is rich & blessed ; there are others that shall neither have heaven nor earth , and their portion , ( you 'l say ) is miserable indeed , gods mercy is his owne to dispose off as he will ; we read of abraham : he calleth for ishmael and hagar , and he gives them a piece of bread , a bottle of water and sends them away , there is an end of them ; so jehoshaphat : he gave his other son ( saith the text ) gifts , but the kingdom he gave to iehoram ; so god hath people to whom he gives pieces of bread , bottles of water , yea some , to whom he gives great gifts in this world , but he keeps his inheritance for his isaacs , he keeps the kingdom for iehoram ; esau he had his portion in this world , and such a portion as he thought to be a very good portion too : brother ( saith he ) i have enough . most rich men go not so far as esau , they have their portion , and yet complain of it , esau had his portion , and thought he had enough ; christs auditours , in the . of luke . had their portion in this world , woe to you , here is your consolation , ( saith christ unto them ) o dreadfull speech , wo to this man , wo to such wretches , here is their consolation ; dives he had his portion in this world , son remember in thy life time thou hadst thy pleasure , in thy life time , and thou hadst thy good things , they were thy good things , those things that were measur'd out for thee , thou hadst them in thy life time . in the handling of this argument , i shall divide what i have to say into these . particulars , that you may every one of you go the more readily along with me ; first , why it is that god will deal out somewhat to wicked men in this world , why they shall have any portion at all ; secondly , that this their portion , it is confined to this life ; and why so ; thirdly , some corollaries that you will see will naturally flow from those two ; fourthly , we shall consider the condition of these men , who are such that have their portion in this world ; and fifthly , we shall endeavour to shew unto you , who are those men , to cull out of the congregation , what that man is , & which is that woman , that is like to have their portion in this world , and then sixthly , conclude in the words of exhortation unto you all . first then , god doth give to wicked men a portion , he deals out something to them in this world , because they are his creatures ; saith iehu concerning iezebel , go take away this cursed woman , shew some respect unto her , let her not lye in the streets , for she is the daughter of a king ; so saith god , well , though these be vile persons , yet they are my creatures , some respect they shall have from me , some good i 'le communicate to them . it is not an argument strong enough , that because you are gods creatures , therefore god should be mercifull eternally to you ; but it may be argument strong enough , because you are his creatures , you shall have somewhat here ; for this time of life , is the time of patience , the day of gods long suffering , and therefore somewhat you shall have . secondly , wicked men do somewhat for god here , some kind of service that is at least materially a service for god , and god will not have them clamour upon him , that they have nothing for their work , god will give to every one , what they do for him , though it be never so little , you have a famous place for that in ezekiel : nebuchadnezzar king of babylon caused his army to do great service against tyrus , yet had he no wages for it . therefore god enquires about this , and seems to complain why nebuchadnezzar should be all this while without his wages ; therefore , behold i will give the land of egypt unto him , he shall take her spoil , and her prey , and that shall be his wages . many wicked men , god doth make use of in divers services , and much refreshing and good his churches shall have from them , the lord causes the very earth to help the woman , earthly men to be of use to the church ; and god will not be beholding to them for their work ; a thorn may serve to stop a gap , though it be but a thornbush , and if it serve to stop a gap and be of any use , it hath some benefit by it , all that while it is kept from the fire ; whereas were it not of use , it might presently be brought to the fire ; an argument by the way for all men to be of as much use to the church of god , as possibly they can , it may be that is the very thing that keeps them from the fire ; thou art a thorn , but god hath use of thee , and therefore brings thee not to the fire , but if thou once comest to be unusefull , the fire is the next thing thou shalt hear off , i remember austin , speaking of the romans that had such a flourishing condition for a while , gives this for one reason of it , that the romans had brave spirits , they were men that had excellent morallities , and heroique kind of spirits , they were delivered from that basenesse of spirit , that other people had , and therefore god shewed some kind of respect to them ; many instances might be in this kind . but thirdly , god gives wicked men a portion here to shew the world , what little good there is in all the things that are here below ; certainly if there were much good , they should never have them ; it is an argument , there is no great excellency in the strength of body , for an oxe hath it more then you ; an argument there is no great excellency in agility of body , for a dog hath it more then you ; an argument no great excellency in gay cloaths , for a peacock hath them more then you , it s no argument there is any great excellency in gold and silver , for the indians that know not god , have them more then you ; and if these things had any great worth in them , certainly god would never give them to wicked men ; as it is an argument , there is no great evill in afflictions in this world , because the saints are so much afflicted ; so it s no great argument there is any great good in this world , because the wicked they enjoy so much of it , luther hath such an expression as this . the turkish empire , as great as it is , is but a crumme that the m r of the family casteth to dogs ; such an esteem had luther of the whole turkish empire , and indeed god in giving of them worldly goods to turks and wicked ones , who are his enemies shews there is not much excellency in them ; god therefore casts them promiscuously up and down the world , because he looks upon them as worthlesse things , god doth not so much regard whether subjects be prepar'd to give him his glory of them , yea or no , you shall have them however , he is content to venture them . indeed when god cometh unto his choice mercies in christ , there he looks to have glory from them , and he doth never give them to any , but first he prepares them that they may give him the glory of those mercies ; but it is otherwise with others ; as suppose you see a man but gathering of crabs although swine be under the tree , he cares not much to drive them away , they are but crabs , let them have them ; but if he were gathering any choice and precious fruit , if any swine should come under he drives them away : so as for outward things , crabs , the lord suffers the swine of the world to come grunting and take them up , but when he comes to the choice mercies in his christ , there he makes a distinction ; o that is precious fruit ; a blacksmith that is working upon iron , though a great many cinders and little bits of iron fly up and down he regards them not , but a goldsmith that is working upon gold , he preserveth every ray and every dust of gold ; and a lapidary that is working upon precious stones , every little bit he will be sure to preserve ; a carpenter that is onely hewing of timber , he much regards it not , if chips fly up and down , but it is not so with a lapidary ; so these outward things are but as the chips , and cinders , and such like trash , and therefore god gives a portion to wicked men out of them . and then further , god knows that he hath time enough to manifest his justice upon them , he hath an eternity hereafter for the declaration of his justice against sinners ; and therefore lets them have somewhat , for a while ; as you know it is naturall in all , when they see a man going to execution , that is not like to live above an houre or two , every one is ready to pitty him , and to be any way officious to him , o saith one , the man shall not have comfort long , we cannot do much for him , he will have misery enough , shortly , and it is observable , let a man go to execution for wickednesse , and then he is pittied by all ; but if a man should suffer for godlinesse , then perhaps they will not be so full of pitty towards him ; as i remember in the book of martyrs , there is a story of m r iohn frith , a learned godly minister , and andrew huet that were martyrs , and were to suffer for their consciences , and the story tells us of one d r cooke a parson in london , that openly admonished the people that they should pray for them no more then they would doe for a dog , that charity of theirs that they talk so much of , is such towards them that suffer out of conscience ; & as amongst papists , so amongst ungodly men , let a man suffer out of conscience , they will rather rayle at him , and when they are in their sufferings , they will rather give them gall and vinegar to drink , as they once did christ upon the crosse ; though in other sufferings they will pitty men . fifthly , by this that god gives to the wicked the lord shews what great things he hath reserved for his own children ; surely if the dogs have so much , the father keeps a good house , if the hang-byes may have such doals , certainly there is good provision for the children within , as by the afflictions of the saints , god doth declare to wicked men , and would have them draw such an argument from it ; that there are fearfull things that are like to befall them , if judgement begin at the house of god , where shall the wicked and ungodly appears so by the prosperity that wicked men have in this world , god doth declare to his children , and he would have them argue from thence , what then hath he reserved for his beloved ones , for his saints , for his children that are so dear unto him . sixthly , god fetches a great deal of glory from hence , he fetches about his own ends very much , from the portion that wicked men have ; as sometimes he doth it that they might stumble and harden their hearts , and break their necks at it , and to ripen their sins , hence he lets them go on a long time , and have their wills ; wee to thee who spoilest , and wert not spoiled , and dealest treacherously , and wert not dealt treacherously with all , when thou shalt cease to spoyl , thou shalt be spoiled ; i 'le let thee go on , thou shalt spoil as much as thou wilt , and when thou hast done spoiling , thou shalt be spoiled thy self ; sometimes god doth it , to fetch about this end , namely , to chastise his own people with the prosperity of the wicked , as i have read of one , being a monk was advanced to come into an episcopall seat , and being a lewd wicked man , he began to be proud of his advancement , whereupon hee heard a voice uttering these words , cur superbus o infelix , &c. why art thou so proud , o unhappy man , thou art not advanced , because thou art worthy of this honour , but because this city is so ill , that it deserves such a prelate to be over it , in way of judgement to that place . god advances some man out of wayes of heavy judgements unto others , god gives them such a portion not out of love to them , though they are ready to gather the argument , but out of his displeasure unto others ; and then , he gives a plentifull portion to many , to teach us all to do good unto our enemies , not onely humanitati as they say , but homini not onely to humane nature , but to men , to men that are wicked , some good must be done unto them . and besides the lord would shew hereby , that he would have no argument of love or hatred to be drawn from these outward things ; and indeed because he would not have them to expect any more ; it may be many men that are ungodly , prospering in this world , they gather this argument , that therefore god loves them , & intends mercy to them ; no , you may rather gather an argument quite t'other way because god intendeth no further good unto you hereafter , therefore it is , you have so much now ; we use to answer men that come for their doal , when they come twice , why do you come again , you have had your doal already ; so will god answer to many men , when they shall cry to him for mercy at that day , why come you to me for more , you have had your doal already ; have you not had already more then your works comes to , more then you have done ; you have had your part and portion already ; indeed men speak much of gods mercy , and the mercy of god we acknowledge to be very great , and glorious ; well , god doth shew himself glorious in mercy that thou being so wicked hast so much as thou hast in this world ; and therefore though thou shouldst be denyed of eternall mercy hereafter , yet thou hast cause to tell divels and damned creatures that shall be thy company , that god was very mercifull to thee , while thou diddest live in this world . but secondly , here is all that ever thou art like to have ; . because there are some men whose names are written in the earth , whereas the saints are described to be men that are redeemed from the earth . it is their happinesse to be redeemed from the earth , and all the happinesse thou hast is that thou art written in the earth . . here is their portion , because they are vile in the eyes of god ; if you should ask the question , why you give bones to the dog , and swill to the swine , and nothing else , why the answer would be , because it is a dog that hath it , and because it is a swine , it is dogs meat ; certainly god doth speak exceeding contemptibly of all ungodly ones in the world , let them be never so great in regard , of outwards ; a vile person shall arise saith daniel ; what is this vile person ? interpreters generally consent in this , that it is meant of antiochus epiphanes , that was a mighty great prince , such a prince as when the samaritans did write to him , they writ antiocho magno deo , to antiochus the great god , and his very name shews him to be a great one , antiochus epiphanes , as much as antiochus the illustrious , and the famous , and yet when the holy ghost speaks of him , it is antiochus a vile person , they are vile in the eyes of god ; if there be any in a family that you care not much for , you make no great provision for them ; doth god take care for oxen ? somewhat they have but little ; doth god take care for ungodly men . . here is their portion , it is confin'd to this life , why they chose it themselves , & in that they have no wrong , they make choice of this portion themselves ; moses speaking to the people saith he , i set before you life and death ; so do the ministers of god in preaching to you , they set before you life and death , what do you chuse now ? you chuse the way that goes to death , you have but your choice ; you chuse vanitie to be your portion , god does you no wrong to give you vanitie ; now you that will indent with god for your penny , you cannot take it ill , if when the end of the day comes , god puts you off with your penny . you know those in the vineyard , that agreed for their penny , they began to murmure indeed , when they came to receive their wages ; but saith the m r of the vineyard , did you not agree with me so ? so you agree with god ; all you intend in gods service is , that you may have some present comfort in this world , you dare not trust god for the future , and here is that that god will shew his infinite displeasure against the sin of distrust by , that when the lord propounds now in this day of grace , such glorious and blessed things to the children of men , and for ought you know , any of you may have your portion in them , as well as others , & yet you dare not trust god for these gratious things ; you think rather with your selves , let me have somewhat now , somewhat for the present , that for the present is reall , that which you talk off , is to come , & i know not whether they be imaginations or no ; therefore you mean it seems to serve god for your present pay , & present pay you shall have & no more ; there are some servants that are your day labourers , that expect their pay at night , and if you give them that there is an end , but there are other servants , that will serve you in expectation of a reversion , & expectation of preferment , especially when they serve noble men & princes , though they have no present pay given them at night , yet they go on cheerfully in their service , they expect some great reversions and leases , & preferments afterwards ; & now though they have nothing at present , yet when the other befalls them , they and their posterities are inriched ; this is the direct difference between the men of the world & gods children ; the men of the world will do nothing without present pay , that which is just before them they must needs have , their hearts are upon that ; but the saints they hear what a blessed thing god hath revealed in his word , what a blessed covenant of grace there is , what rich promises of glorious things to come , now they believe god , and trust in god for these , and they say , lord let me have my portion in the life to come , and what ever thou doest with me here , i care not ; as it was the speech of austin , lord , here burn , here cut mee , but spare mee hereafter ; i am content ( lord ) to be burnt , to be cut , to endure any thing in the world , onely hereafter i look for somewhat else , and i 'le wait for hereafter . you 'le not wait for hereafter , but you must have it for the present , and that is the reason you are put off here ; o it is a serious thing , i speak off to you , many a soul will wring its hands , and curse it self eternally , that it was not content to trust god for hereafter , but would have present pay ; you that are great merchants , if you buy a thing that is but a trifle , you pull out your purse , and give the mony down presently , but suppose you go to the exchange and bargain for l. there you may give a little down now , but the great pay must come upon pay dayes afterwards , it is not expected it should be presently done ; so there are some men in the world will trade with god , but they trade with god for pidling things , for their credit , and applause , and for their preferments and estates : god gives down the pay presently , you shall have it , there is your mony presently , it is done ; but now there are other of gods saints that trade with god for great things , for immortality and glory , & a kingdom , and the crown of eternall life , now they expect not to have it down presently they are content to stay ; o these are the best traders , the best merchants , that will trade with god for great things , and be content to stay . further these things that are here , they are the onely suitable things to your hearts , and what will you do with any more hereafter , these things doe exceedingly please you , and give you content as agreable to you , and the things that are to come , are disagreable ; what would men do that are carnall and wicked now , what would they do in heaven , certainly if you hate gods saints now , that have but a little grace , you would hate them infinitely more afterwards , when they are perfect in grace ; & when all your common gifts shall be taken away , for so it shall be ; now the things of god are unsuitable to you , though you have now many common gifts , and you now abhorre the grace of god , though it be imperfect , what then , when all common gifts shall be taken from you , and grace made perfect , how insuitable will it be then to you ; therefore expect nothing hereafter . again . you abuse your portion you have now , what will you do with more , who will trust you with the true riches , you abuse that you have ; indeed men of the world that are wicked , and very rich , and preferr'd to places of honour and power , o what a deal of mischief they do in the world , what dreadfull evills are they unto the earth ; such men , how do they abuse their portions ; why now as it is with a tooth in a mans head , a tooth indeed is preferr'd to have an eminent place in the head , but when the tooth comes to be rotten , painfull , what do we , but pull it out , and throw it away : so though god preferres men to eminent places , when through their wickednesse they grow rotten , and do hurt , the lord pluckes them out in his anger ; they abuse their portion , and do a great deal of mischief , therefore must expect to be thrown away . but above all , the argument is , because they have no interest in iesus christ ; the rich treasures of the infinite grace of god , are let out in christ ; god hath divers conduit pipes , ( as i may say ) of his grace , to let out unto his creatures ; there are some lesser conduit pipes , and those conduit pipes may be opened through the generall bounty of god ; but now the lord hath the great current of his eternall mercies , for some that he doth intend eternall good unto , and this great current of his , it is stopped by justice , the infinite justice of god doth stop this great current , so as it cannot be opened to have any drop of that mercy let out , untill the divine justice comes to be satisfied ; in the mean time the other smaller pipes run , the generall bounty of god still flowes ; christ therefore out of pitty to mankind that they may not be put off , with these generall outward comforts , he comes and satisfies gods infinite justice , that he might open the current , the sluce of his infinite & eternall grace to others ; now happy are those creatures , who have interest in the lord christ , for this is his work to satisfy the justice of the father , that so the great pipe may be opened , and then flowes in all grace , infinite eternall grace , when that comes once to be opened , no mervail though we hear of such glorious things , that the saints of god have in the life to come , no mervaile , why christ doth come and opens the great sluce of gods infinite grace and mercy to them ; as for the men of the world , they have but a little of the drislings of gods generall bountie through some crannies , but the floud-gates of gods grace are opened in christ : therefore till divine justice be satisfied , there can be no further good for poor man , but meerely the fruits of gods generall bountie , and patience . there are some creatures , whom the lord hath left to the course of justice , they shall have what they earne , and no more ; others there are , whom god hath set his heart upon , and whether they earn or no , god intendeth eternal mercies to them , here is the difference of the covenant of works , and the covenant of grace , and therefore the one is left to himself : and the other , christ the head of the covenant comes to undertake for him what he cannot do ; they who are not children , and must not expect childrens portions , as many of you rich men , when you die , you will leave your servants some legacy ; perhaps you 'le give every servant in your house . l. or so , but when you come to your children , to write in your will , what such a son , and such a daughter shall have , that is another manner of businesse , then s . or . l. great things you leave to them . so the world may be divided between children and servants , for though the truth is , all men are at defiance with god , yet god maketh them servants one way or other , and there is some little legacy that servants shall have but they must not expect the childrens portion ; therefore they have it here , but must not have it hereafter . thus saith the lord , if the prince give a gift unto any of his sons , the inheritance shall be his sons , but if to his servant , then it shall be but till iubilee ; this was gods law , that if a prince gave a gift to his son , his son should inherit it for ever , but if he give it to a seruant ; it should continue with him but for a while ; here is the difference of gods administration of all his gifts , he giveth some to servants , and these shall continue for a time , with in a little while all will be called for again , all the good and all the comfort thou hast , god will call for it again ; but now that which he gives to his children , they shall have for ever , their pleasures are durable and their mercies everlasting . again the portion that the world hath here comes from gods patience , now there will be an end of the manifestation of the glory of patience in this world ; as there are some graces of the spirit of god in the saints , that shall have an end in regard of their exercise in this world , so there are some attributes of god that shall have an end in regard of the manifestation of them in that way that god doth now manifest them in this life , and that is the patience of god towards ungodly ones , now if they hold all upon patience ( mark , they hold all upon patience ) when that expires , then all their good is at an end . and ungodly men , shall have to deal with god immediately in the world to come ( i beseech you observe but this answer ) now they have to deal with god through creatures , and while they have to deal with god through creatures , they may get a great deal , & may make shift for much , but when they shall come to have to deal with god immediately , then it will be otherwise with them , as for example , there are a great many hang-byes at great mens houses , perhaps when they come to have to deal with the servants , they get some bits and scraps , and many things of the servants ; but if they know they can have nothing , but from the very hand of the knight or lord of the house himself , then they will expect no great matter ; so wicked men in this world , they are as hang-byes and all that they have , are but as scraps from the servants , they have to deal onely with creatures , they look no further ; but hereafter things shall be setled another way , and all things shall be weighed by god himself , in a ballance of justice , & distributed by the hands of god himself immediately , and then things will be carried after another manner , the lord himself will come to dispose of things . then it was a speech of a german divine , though he were a good man , and lived very innocently , when he lay upon his sick bed and apprehended death , he was in great terrours of spirit , mightily troubled , and some of his friends came to him , & asked him , why should you be so troubled , that have lived so good a life as you have done ? this was his answer : the judgements of god are one , and the judgements of men are another , i have now to deal with god , it is true , i lived thus before men , and men gave their verdict of me as good , and thought i was in a good condition , but o , i am now to go to god , and to deal immediately with him , and gods judgements and mans judgements are different things ; when god shall come to weigh all mens portions out , as it will be , then so much righteousnesse , so much happinesse ; you 'l say then , lord what shall become of us all , all our righteousnesse is as the menstruous cloth ; i but for the saints , the righteousnesse of christ will be put into one scoale , and their portion into the other , and their portion will be weighed by the righteousnesse of christ ; now when thou comest to god , thou must come to the scoale , and thou wilt put in thy good servings of god , and thy coming to church , and some good civill actions and morall things thou hast done , thou wilt put them in the scoale , god will say , that thou hast had already , weighs down all those . hast thou nothing to put into the scoales but this ? thou hast had thy reward already for all this , and much more , then , if there be nothing to put into the scoale but this , thou art undone , and there is nothing for thee for eternity ; and these are the . first things ; now then some corollaries from hence , and then we will proceed unto the other . is it so that wicked men have a portion here , and that is all they shall have . . then , we may see a reason , why the men of the world are so cuning in the things of the world , why they can make a better shift for themselves , in the world , then other men can , why , here is their portion , their very happinesse , and good is here ; no mervail though they speed so well as they do : we have not received the spirit of the world ( saith the apostle , ) we cannot tell how to shift in the world , so as other men doe , for indeed we look further then these things ; you know a swine though it goes away abroad all day wandering up and down , it knows the way to the trough at night ; but if a sheep wander a little out of his place , it knows not how to come back again , but wanders up and down till it be lost ; swine are not so , ungodly men , though they go up and down wandering , they know how to come to their trough at night , they have better skill in the world they are more artificiall in the things of this life , as the scripture speaks , the children of this world , are wiser in their generation , then the children of light ; why is it ? why , their portion is in this world . secondly , here we see the reason , why there are so great ones in the world , that regard religion so little as they do , and the wayes of god , and the church of god , why it is not their portion : those things that concerns another life , is not any part of their portion : they mind what it is that concerns the present life , because this is their portion ; when many come into places of dignitie , and power , what are their thoughts , why now they think of gratifying their servants ; now they think of respect and honour that they shall have abroad in the world , and be accounted some body , now they think of revenging all their wrongs , of making up of all their broken titles , &c. this hath been heretofore very ordinary in men advanced amongst you , these are all their thoughts as for doing service for god , and for the church , and vindicating the truth of god , and his honour , that is scarce in all their thoughts , for they do not look upon that as part of their portion ; here is the reason , why so many magistrates are like to gallio , caring for none of those things ; they were to him but matter of words , and yet they were about the great fundamentall points of religion , whether christ were the true messias , and whether he were god or no , but to gallio these things were but matter of words ; and so the great things of god and religion to carnall hearts , are things , of no great consequence ; yea , when as sosthenes that was the ruler of the sinagogue for countenancing of paul , had the rude multitude of the citie , rose up to apprehend him ; gallio cared for none of these things ; what did he care for rectifying any thing that was amisse in religion . o let us , ( say they , that have their portion here ) what ever becomes of things ) let us have peace ( say they ) that we may live peaceably in our houses , and enjoy that we have quietly , they look no further then that , because their portion is here ; as for truth , how do they reject that , and contemne it ; such a speech ( as is credibly reported ) hath come from a citizen here even in cursing of truth , so , as had he lived amongst the iews , he would certainly have been stoned to death ; let us have peace , and a pox of truth ; i say , such a speech as this , among the iews would have caused him to have been stoned to death , being such horrible blasphemy , but how many are ready to say with pilate ; when as christ talked to him of truth ; truth ( saith pilate ) what is truth ? as if he had said , what a strange man is this , the man is in danger of his life , and he talks of truth , what is truth ? ( saith pilate ) and turns it back upon him presently ; just thus for all the world , are the hearts of many , they think what should we look at truth , or at any thing now , but to preserve our lives and estates , and outward comforts in the world ; what is truth ? they are a company of mad-braind-fellows , that are factious and seditious ; who talk of truth , but know not what they say , come let us have peace though it be upon any terms ; who is there in this place that desires it not , the lord knows , peace it is the desire of those that are accused most for want of desires in this thing ; yea , we dare challenge any of you , with this challenge ; those who have been most at the throne of grace begging unto god for peace for england , let them carry the day those that have put forth most prayers for peace before the throne of grace , we are willing they shall have the day ; we read that amongst all the tribes , that came up in a warlike-way to help the people of god against oppression in iudges : that of all nephtali was the onely tribe , that joyned with zebulun , that jeoparded their lives in the cause of god , that would take up armes to defend themselves and the people against oppression ; surely these . tribes by the others that would not venture themselves , were at that time accounted very factious , and very seditious ; what they onely , zebulun and nephtali ? why , yet that is observable , though there where none joyned with zebulun but onely nepthtali , there is no tribe of which it is so much spoken , to be a tribe full of courtesie and civilitie , of a peaceable & quiet disposition , as nephtali was ; you shall find that , if you read the . of genesis : there are these . things said of nephtali , . that he was as a hinde let loose , & gave goodly words ; i , but they may be but words of complement , and false ; nay , when moses comes with the blessing ( you shall find these . places , one in genesis , and the other in deuteronomie ; when moses comes with the blessing upon nephtali ; nephtali filled with favour , and with the blessing of the lord ; what is the meaning ? nephtali was a tribe that had most courtesy , and civility of all , compared to a goodly hind , of a quiet disposition , and courteous language , one that had the favour of god , and the favour of men , and yet this nepthali was the tribe that would jeopard their lives , and take up armes in defence of the people of god , against oppression in those times , above all . and phinehas that was so zealous , and would make use of the sword , god said , he would make a covenant of peace with him ; even with phinehas that is such a fiery hot man , a covenant of peace must be made with him , by god himself , for he did indeed by that way procure peace to israel ; for so the text saith there in that place of numbers , that because phinehas was so zealous , it was ( saith god ) that i might not consume them in my jealousie ; as if he should have said , if there had not been some amongst them , that had been zealous , and as they account fiery , i would have been zealous my self , and fiery my self , and consumed them ; and it was well they had such amongst them ; and one day those that cry out of them , may come to see cause , to blesse god for them ; we had such , would not have the world put off , and gull'd with the fair name of peace ; we know the divell hath made much use of words in former times , and would fain make use of it , as if those that desir'd truth most , were not greatest friends unto peace , god forbid , but it should be so , why though it is true , we think not we have our portion here , and therefore we would not have peace upon any terms ; indeed we confesse our portion lies higher , and that wherein our portion doth consist , we would have upon any terms ; and therefore desire with paul , if by any means , i may attain to the resurrection of the dead ; so if by any means , upon any terms , that i may have peace at the great day whatsoever i endure here ; we would be glad that all our mountains were mountains of olivet , but yet we would be loth to have them mountains of corruption ; you read in the kings of a mountain of corruption , of offence , so it is in the old latine , now if we compare one scripture with another , we shall find , that was no other but mount olivet ; mount olivet was made a mountain of corruption : there solomon did build idolatrous temples for the honour of the gods of his queen , those gods that his queen did worship , solomon built temples for to gratifie her , & it was upon the mount before ierusalem , which was the mount of olivet , now you know the mount olivet had his name from olives that did grow there , and were emblems of peace , but yet the mount olivet may be made a mount of corruption ; we would be glad that we might live upon mount olivet , all our dayes , but are loth this mount olivet should be made a mount of corruption . give me leave but in a few words , yet to put some considerations to you , and if i speak not reason in them , reject them ; . because that you are so greedy of comforts in this world , you would fain have peace , but i hope a safe peace , and that is all we do desire ; if the peace be not safe , o the bloud that may follow after ; we read in the . of the acts v. . that there was indeed a calme , and the south-wind did blow softly for a while , but presently there did rise a tempestuous wind called euroclydon ; take we heed ( my brethren ) that we be not deluded with the softly south-wind , take heed that there be not an euroclydon , that blows presently after ; were we sure to be delivered from that same euroclydon , we should be glad of continuance of soft blowings of the south-wind . can you think of a safe peace , to live under any arbitrary governments ; no , that you 'l say ; and therefore we account our condition ill now , for we have arbitrary governments amongst us still , do not the parliament themselves govern in that kind ? give me leave in a word to answer this ; consider of the difference between the arbitrary government the parliament complains off , and what now you feel ; . that was then when the kingdom was in a setled way , and especially when there was no contra arbitrary power to oppose it , yet then it went on , and surely then it did but make way for worse arbitrary government , but now it is in a vvay , vvhen the kingdom is unsetled , & in a vvay vvhere there is a necessity of some help beyond the ordinary course of lavv , because of a contra arbitrary povver that is opposed ; and is it possible for any man that hath any vvisedome , or understanding not to see the difference betvveen these tvvo ? but i 'le shevv you a greater difference then this , that that vvas before , those that governed then , suffered nothing in it themselves ; but gained all ; novv those that are accused for the present , if that be arbitrary they suffer themselves as much as vve do , and their posterity suffers as much as ours , therefore the thing is far different from vvhat vvas before . and yet further , if you would not be carried away with words , but judge righteous judgement , consider this : can you think that if the adversaries should prevail , you should be onely at the dispose of the king ? do you not think that those that are with him , & give such strength and assistance to him , that you must not lie at their mercy too , and will that be safe for you ; i put it to every mans conscience , whether he can think that it is safer , for church , or commonwealth to be governed by the king with those that are now about him , and an army of papists , or to be governed by the king with his . houses of parliament , which is the safest way in the consciences of any men living . yet further , consider , if you have your eyes in your heads , that perhaps what you ayme at as your end , your adversaries may ayme to be as their means , and what will become of you then , if that that you would have as an end , they shall look at but as a medium ; consider what consequences , may come of that . and lastly , you that do desire so much peace to preserve your own portions here , would not you willingly have such peace , as those that have appeared for you in houses of parliament , in city , in ministery , that have been most active be preserved too ? are you so desirous of it , as to be willing to leave them to the fury and rage of their adversaries ? were not this one of the horriblest wickednesses that ever was committed in a kingdom , when men from a desire to save their own estates particularly , should betray those that have been faithfull to them in their places of trust . it was a speech of demosthenes , to one that would fain have peace . it is a vain and preposterous thing to desire peace with the flock , upon this condition , that the keepers of the flock may be betrayed ; the fair name of peace will never prevail with a wise man , when this shall come to be the condition of it , ( the good people in chrysostomes time ) thought it such a thing , to have but the mouth of one chrysostome stopped , that they professed , if the sunne should turn back , & keep in her rayes , it were more tollerable , then that the mouth of iohn chrysostome should be stopped ; they had such a high esteem , of a faithfull minister in those times ; therefore if you would be faith full to god , and to his kingdom , and to those that have appeared for you , look after such peace , wherein you and they may be safe . god knows they would have been willing , to have been as silent as you , but suppose all the ministers of the kingdom , and men that had ability to appear publickly , had all been silent , so as the businesse had been wholly betrayed , and at length an army of papists had risen , when you had had no help to have resisted them , would you not have cried to ministers ? would you not have cried to magistrates ? would you not have cried to parliament men ? if they have ventured themselves to be faithfull for you , know , you can have no peace except they have it ; and it were an unworthy thing to think of your safety without theirs . but you 'l say , we would not have our estates , and peace , thus ( as you speak ) upon any terms , without any regard to religion , we have our portion in religion , as well as you , and we have our consciences to look after as well as you ; and god forbid it should be otherwise , but that religion should prosper too with our peace , but we would not have such sects to be maintained in the kingdom ; let us have truth and religion , but away with the sectaries . first understand , who they are , you speak off ; do you know wherein you and they differ ? you cry out of them , as if they were of another religion , when as when it comes to be scann'd , the difference between you and them will prove not to be so great . but . further , i put this to you ; do you spend as much breath in praying for these kind of men , as you do in rayling upon them ? then somewhat may be said . but . it is a vain thing to think , that true religion can be maintain'd , and have the liberty of it , without some difference of opinion amongst us ; indeed the turks have as much peace in their religion , as any religion hath in all the world , and there is as little difference of opinions amongst the turks , as there is in any religion weatsoever ; but well may that coat have no seam , that hath no shape ; if the truth of religion comes to appear , certainly it is impossible , but many differences of opinion must come , and it is a most intollerable pride of heart and tyrannie in any whatsoever to think , by violent means to force all , to be of the same opinions that they are of in matters that are not of the foundation , and that may stand with the peace of a commonwealth , too ; you take upon you in that , more then christ doth , more then the apostles ever did . but you 'l say , if men be in an errour , why should they not be forc'd , shall every man be left to his opinion , to do what he will ? no , i plead not for that neither ; therefore i except all opinions . . against the foundation of religion . . and that are against the foundation of civill government ; take those . aside , and then for other opinions that are of a lower , inferiour nature , ( i say ) there you take too much upon you , whosoever you are , if you should think to force men to be of the same opinion as you are , and there is no such way to make a disturbance in churches , & commonwealths , then to force men to be of the same opinion in things , that are of an inferiour nature . i , but you 'l still say , if it be an errour , they must not be left to live in it , if it be an errour ; nay stay there , a man may be in an errour ; and yet you have nothing to do to offer violence unto him , to bring him out of his errour ; you may seek to convince him as much as you can : but to offer violence , you undertake more , then god hath given you commission to do , what ever you are ; & i give this scripture for it , with is clear in the romans : one believeth that he may eat all things , another eateth hearbs , let not him that eateth , despise him that eateth not , and let not him which eateth not , judge him that eateth ; for who art thou that judgest another ? who art thou that judgest ? certainly one of these was a sin at that time , but yet , though one were a sin , yet they that were in the right must not by violence force those , that were in the vvrong , to their opinion ; but they must leave them to god ; ( i say , ) in matters of such consequence as these , it is a point of antichristian tyranny , and notorious pride in men , that have taken so much upon them , as to force all to be of the same opinion ; this is not the way certainly for true peace ; but thus much for the . corollary ; the . follows . if men have their portion in this world , here is the reason why there is such a stir in the world by men , to maintain this their portion ; what rending and tearing is there among men to preserve their estates ? especially if they have a higher portion in the world then others ; o , what a deal of stir is there to keep up their honour and reputation . there was such striving for the popedome in henry the fourth his dayes , that it cost many thousand mens lives . such blustring men make to be great in the world , it cost the bloud of twenty thousand persons meerely to satisfy the wills of a few ; certainly one day the world will be wiser , and understand that they are men , and not dogs , to be subject to the humours and lusts of others , and that no man hath now any further power over them , but what they have by agreement from them , i hope men will be wise enough to understand this , and not sacrifice their lives , for the satisfying of the wills of a few men in the world ; it is their god , and do you say what ayles me , when you have taken away my gods ? here is the ground of all the stirs and combustions in the world , because carnall hearts look upon what they enjoy as their portion . but how comes it thus to passe , that men should be so greedy of this their portion ? it is such an excellent portion , that they are so greedy of it ? is it worth so much , that they contend so about it ? this maketh way for me to slip into the . particular , to enquire , what kind of portion this is , that these men of the world have , therefore consider . . what poor things they are , that they make such a stir about ; secondly , consider the tenure upon which they hold , what ever they enjoy ; and thirdly , consider the mixture of evill that there is in that they enjoy ; and fourthly , the blessed portion that they loose , and lastly , the dreadfull end that there will be to such men , that have their portion here . first , the poor things that men have here in this world , what are they ? their comforts for the most part , are but imaginary ; in the . of hosea , ephraim feeds upon the wind ; and when a bladder is full of wind , one prick lets it quite out : so when death comes , it lets out all their comforts ; wilt thou set thy heart upon that which is not , it is not , it hath no realitie in it ; in the . of the acts ; when bernice and agrippa came in great pomp , to the assembly ; that which you have in your books translated , great pomp , it is in the greek great fancie ; all the pomp and jollity of the world , is but a meer fancy , this is their portion . and . that they have is of a very low nature ; this would be an argument we might philosophize in , if it were fit , or if we had time , but i 'le quickly passe over these things ; it is of a very low nature , and not much concerns the soul , all the portion they have here , therefore saith the text here , thou fillest their belly ; it is but a belly full , and what is that to the soul ? indeed the rich man in the gospell , could say , soul take thy ease , eat and drink , &c. soul take thy ease ; because you have goods laid up , and because you may eat and drink ; what is all this to the soul ? ambrose hath such a speech upon the place : if the man had had the soul of a swine , what could he have said otherwise ; for indeed these things were suitable to the soul of a swine ; you shall find that a man is not the better , because of outward things not a whit ; the heart of the wicked is little worth ; his estate may be somewhat worth , his house may be somewhat worth , his lands may be somewhat worth ; but the hears of the wicked is little worth , saith solomon . and would , not you think that to be a great evill , that when you go up and down abroad , you should certainly know , that there is no man gives you any entertainment , or any respect , but it is for your servants sake that tends upon you , would not that trouble you ; indeed you come to such a mans house , & he seems to make you wellcome , and you have entertainment ; i but you come to know afterwards , that it was not for your sake , but for your servants sake , that he loved you , would not this discourage you ? the truth is so , all that you have in this world , it is for your servants sake , for your goods , your house and lands : it is not for any worth that is in you . it was aspeech that socrates spake once to one — when he had a fine house , and a many brave things ; what ( saith he ) there are many come to see thy house and thy fine things there , but no body comes to see thee , they know there is a worth in thy fine house , and in thy fine furniture , but they see no worth in thee , indeed all these things are not souls meat , it is not mans meat they feed upon , it is but ashes , it is nothing to the soul of a man. and further , suppose it were for thy soul ; what thou hast here is but a very poor pittance , thou hast not all the world neither , though thou hast thy portion in this world ; if thou hadst the whole world at command , yea , if god should make a . worlds more for thee to command , that were all but a poor pittance , to put off an immortall soul with all ; but what thou hast is but a little minuin in the world . all the nations of the earth are but as the dust of the ballance , and a drop of the bucket to god , what is thy dust then ? what is thy house and land then ? as socrates wittily rebuked the pride of alcibiades , when he was very proud , that he had so much land lay together , he brought the map of the world to him , and ( saith he ) pray shew me , where your land ●ies here , one prick of a pen would make a description of all . england , ireland , and scotland , are but . little spots unto the world , and what are your farmes and your mannours ? you have but a little portion , if you had all it were no great matter ; the truth is all you have in this world , cannot be enough to make you live in fashion in the world , like a man ; it is not enough ( i say ) for to live like a man in the world , to live like one that hath an immortall soul , like one that hath the image of god upon him , and was sent hither into the world , to do so great services , as every one of you were sent hither to do , and therefore it is but a mean thing , little cause you have to rejoyce in it . it is true they that are godly , account themselves unworthy of the least thing they have here in the world ; but i 'le tell you a mistery of religion now , a practicall maxime of religion , that is a great mistery to the world , which is this , that a gracious heart , though he thinks himself unworthy of the least crum of bread , yet all the creatures in heaven and earth , will not serve him to be his portion , will not satisfy him ; though he hath a heart that will be satisfied with any thing , as counting himself unworthy of the meanest condition in this world , as a present gift of god ; but if god should give him heaven and earth , he had such an unsatisfying heart , as he would not be satisfied with heaven and earth , except god gives him himself too ; therefore certainly thy portion , it is a but a very little portion . besides those things thou hast , are things that will vanish , and quickly come to nothing ; it is said of the whole world , that it hangs upon nothing ; so all the things of the earth do : therefore it is said of abraham , that he sought a city , that had foundations ; all other things , are as things that have no foundation at all ; there is a worm in every creature that will consume it in time ; and the scripture calls all our riches uncertain riches . christian , thou art made for an eternall condition ; these things are fading ; when thou comest to enter in upon thy eternall estate , if thou shouldst then ask , what shall i have now , i have now thus much , and thus much in my whole life ; but what shall i have now i come to enter in upon my eternall estate ? truly nothing at all . if a man were to go a great voyage to the indies , and all the provision he makes is this , he gets a vessell that can make shift to carry him as far as gravesend , that he will do , and what need he hath of provision to gravesend , or perhaps to the downs he provides for , he goes on , & should go on now from the downs , and begins his voyage , to go to the indies , and is gotten into the ocean ; alas , his vessell is a rotten vessell ; were not this an unwise man ? truly this is the condition of thousands in the world ; man , woman , thou art made for an eternall condition , god intendeth eternity for every mothers child that is here this day , and god expects that thy life should be spent in making provision for this eternall estate of thine , and thou thinkest of nothing , but that thou mayst provide for a few years here , & live in some fashion , and be some body in the world . o when thou comest to enter upon the ocean of eternitie , thou wilt give a dreadfull shrik , & cry out , i am undone , i am undone , i have nothing provided , for eternall life . again consider whatever thou hast in this world , it is no other , but what may stand with the eternall hatred of an infinite god towards thee : it may be the portion of a reprobate , and will this serve thy turn ? will this satisfie thee ? will that satisfie thy soul , that may be the portion of a reprobate ? there are many that are now sweltring under the wrath of the infinite god , that have had . times as much as any of you have that are here before the lord this day , they have had greater estates then you , and lived merrier lives then you , & yet are now under the wrath of god , will a reprobates portion serve thy turn : therefore consider that to enjoy the dominion of all the world , may stand with gods eternall hatred , but to have the least dram of saving grace , intitles men to the favour of god which is better then life . what a difference is there then , between the having the least dram of grace , and the enjoyment of all the world , and what a goodly portion is there here that thou so much rejoycest in ? certainly , thy heart is strait , that thou thinkest these things to be so big , as in a narrow vessel a thing will appear big , but in a mighty wide vessell it appears little ; so when the lord by grace shall widen and enlarge thy heart , then all the things of the world will be little to thee . indeed if a man be below here , he looks upon that , which is next to him , that hath any bignesse in it , as somewhat great , but if a man were advanced on high , on the top of a pinnacle , then that which seemed great appears but little to him ; so the men of the world that are here , lie graveling below , and the curse of the serpent is upon them , and they think the things of the world great matters , but grace lifteth up the heart on high to god and christ , mounts it up to eternity , and then we look upon all things here below as mean , this was the reason that luther , when he had great gifts sent to him by many of the great men of saxonie , he began to be afraid , least the lord should reward him here in this world , and he hath this expression , i did vehemently protest , god should not put me off so ; that is his word , according to the manner of his language : thus he speaks , when there came in things of the world , and he began to be tickled with honour , and great men did respect him , o ( thought he ) i shall be some body now in the world ; thus corruption began to work , but grace did prevail , and he breaks out with this expression , i did professe , god should not put me off so ; the lord shall not put me off with worldly honors and dignities ; there are other things i look for , things that are better and higher , these are poor pittances , for this soul of mine to be put off with all , there are other things i must have from the lord , or else i cannot be satisfied ; that is the first thing , the poor things of the world , which is the portion of wicked men . secondly consider the tenure by which they hold it ; all you have in the world , you hold it not by very good tenure , it is not held in capite . i confesse this , i think not the men of the world to be usurpers , for what they lawfully get in the world : i think not they shall answer meerely for their using what they do , meerely for their right to use what they have ; but they shall answer for their not right using the same ; they shall not answer ( i say ) for their right to use , but for their not right using ; they have some right , but what right is it . there is a . fold right . . a right of justice , that we may claim to a thing as a due : what is not your right , you cannot claim . . there is a right of creation , that god gave to man at first : you have lost that right now . . there is a right of promise ; god hath promised all good things to his people ; you have not that right neither : you have neither the right of justice to claim , nor the right of your creation , nor the right of promise ; what right then ? there is a fourth right , and that i confesse you have , which is a right of donation ; god is pleased to give to you . and thus you hold all your honours , and estates , that are ungodly men ; just thus , even as a man that is condemned to dye , and there being a little reprieving for . or . dayes , before his execution , the prince out of his indulgence gives order to have provision made for him , according to his qualitie , that if he be a gentleman , he should have such provision , if a knight , or a nobleman , he shall have provision according to his qualitie , till his execution ; now no man can say , this man usurpes , though he hath forfeited all his right to his lands and estates , yet if the king will give him this refreshment , he is no usurper , but it is a poor right he hath , it is a right of donation ; and thus god gives the ungodly men in this world their right to outward comforts ; you have your portion , but you see how you hold it . the next thing to be considered , is , that this portion here , as it is poor in regard of the mean things , and the tenure ; so there is a great deal of mixture there in , and the truth is , all the good things wicked men enjoy in this world , will scarce bear charges ; that is , there is so much trouble they meet withall in this world , with their portion , that what they have will scarce bear charges ; & if a man goes a voyage , we use not to count any thing he spends by the way , to be part of his treasury ; now all we have here in this world is but spending money to bear our charges in religion : god knows we shall be at a great deal of charges , and afflictions we shall meet with here ; but besides , there is a mixture of curse in every portion of an ungodly man ; if any of you think you get such a rich match , you get an heire that is a very rich match , & you get her portion , & if it be in money , there you go & fetch away the bags of gold , that are her portion , but if it should prove that every bag of gold , you have of your wives portion , had the plague in it , it were but a poor portion ; certainly it is thus with all ungodly ones in the world , that all the while they live , whatsoever they enjoy , ( continuing wicked men ) they have a curse of god that goes along with it , and makes way unto eternall misery for them ; as those that are godly have the blessing of god in outward things that makes way for their eternall good ; so thou hast the curse of the lord mingled with all thy outward things that makes way for eternall evill unto thee . and then consider what portion thou loosest , thou hast got one , but thou loosest a great deal more ; if a man had been at the exchange and made a bargain about some petty thing , and afterwards when he comes home , knows that by not being at home , he hath lost a purchase that would have made him , and his posterity : he hath little cause of rejoycing in that bargain ; so though thou hast got a portion , that may seem to satisfie thee somewhat , know thou hast lost a portion of infinite worth and value . it is impossible to shew you , what this portion is ; for the devil could shew christ all the glory of the world in the twinckling of an eye ; but if i should come to shew you the glory of heaven , i had need have eternity to shew you , what the portion of the saints is ; but though i cannot shew it you all , i will onely give you a hint or two , that you know somewhat what it is . . it is such a portion as is fit for the spouse of the lamb , as is fit for the spouse of one that is to marry the son of god , the second person in trinity ; . it is such a portion as is fit and suitable to an heire of life & glory , an heire of heaven and earth ; yea , it is such a portion , as god doth give men , to this very end , to declare what the infinite power of god is able to do , to raise a poor creature to the height of happinesse ; what think you this must be , that ( i say ) it must therefore be done , that it might declare to angels and all creatures , what the infinite power of god is able to do , to raise a poor creature to happinesse & glory ; this must be somewhat . again , it must be such a one as in which , god must attain unto the great designe , that he had from all eternity , in making of heaven and earth , which was to magnifie the riches of his grace to a company , that he had set apart to glory ; it must be such a portion ; and guesse you what this must needs be . yea , it is such a portion as must require the infinite power of god , to support a creature to bear the weight of that glory ; and all this must be now to all eternity ; i remember when esau did but hear isaac his father , tell what a blessing he had given unto iacob , he fell a weeping ; o that god would so strike unto the hearts of men , that have so little minded any thing , but the world : thou hearest but a few words , to what the lord hath reserved to all eternitie , for his saints ; and compare but that with what is thy portion , and thou hast cause to weep . i but more cause you 'l have to weep , if you consider the last thing , and that is , what is like to be the end of all thy portion in this world ; if indeed thou could'st ruffle it out in this world , and enjoy thy hearts desire , and there an end : it were somewhat ; o , but there is somewhat else remains afterwards ; as . . o , the perplexity of spirit , that any worldly man will have when death comes , when he shall see an end of all the comforts of this world , now farewell house , farewell lands , and farewell friends , farewell acquaintance , and all merry meetings , and joviallities , i shall never have comfort more in you ; as it was the speech of pope adrian , when he was to die , o thou my soul , my soul , whither art thou going ? whither art thou going ? thou shalt never have more jests , nor be merry , nor be jocund any more ; where art thou going ? so may a man that hath his portion in this world , say at his death , where is this poor soul of mine going ? i have lived here thus many years , and i have had many merry meetings , i have eaten with the strongest , and have drunk the sweetest , and gone in brave array , but now my day is gone , what shall become of me , what peace have i now , when all is gone . i remember latimer hath a story in one of his sermons , that he preached before king edward , of a rich man , that when he lay upon his sick bed , there came one to him , and tells him , that certainly by all reason they can judge , he was like to be a man for another world , a dead man : assoon as ever he hears but these words , what must i die , send for a phisitian , wounds , sides , heart , must i die ? wounds , sides , heart , must i die ? and thus he goes on , and there could be nothing got from him , but wounds , sides , heart , must i die ? must i die , and go from all these ? here was all , here was the end of this man that made his portion in this world . another rich man that lived not far from the place , that i my self lived in heretofore ; when he heard his sicknesse was deadly , he sends for his bags of money , and hugs them in his arms , o must i leave you ? o must i leave you ? and another , lying upon his sickbed , layed a bag of gold to his heart , and then bids them , take it away , it will not do , it will not do ; another , when he lay upon his sickbed , his servants came to him , & said , what lack you ? would you have any beer ? what do you want ? o ( saith he ) i want onely one thing , peace of conscience , that i would have , it is not beer , nor friends , nor an easy pillow i want , but ease of conscience ; o consider , whether there be not like to be perplexitie in your spirits . and then ( brethren ) you must be called to an account for all , though ( as i told you before ) not to account for the right to use ; but for not right using ; and do but think with your selves , if you now have so much as you cannot reckon , how then will you be able to reckon for it , if now you cannot count , how will you be able to give an account at the last day , especially when you have had no thoughts of this before hand . there will be a dreadfull portion indeed at the day of judgement , o the shame and confusion that will be upon the faces of the men of the world in that houre , when they shall see their poor neighbours have their portion with christ in glory ; perhaps , a poor servant in the house advanced to glory , and they stand on the left hand to be cast out ; perhaps some of these poor hospitall boyes shall be advanced to eternall glorie , when as some of you , that are their great masters , shall be cast out eternally ; what an infinite shame and confusion will this be to you . o now i see what it is to trust in god , and not to trust in him ; those are happy that would trust for the future , but i miserable , that dar'd not trust in him : the lord will rain snares , and fire , and brimstones , here is the portion of the ungodly at last ; appoint him his portion with hypocrites , saith christ , where there is weeping and wayling , and gnashing of teeth ; that is the portion of hypocrites in the conclusion ; now here thou seest the end of all , what dost thou think then of thy portion now ? think but of one text , and i have done . what hope hath an hypocrite though he hath gained , when god takes away his soul ? mark , there are many hypocrites that aymed to get estates in the world , but cannot thrive , god crosses them : well , but suppose thou aymest to gain , and hast got all thou wouldst desire ; what hope hath an hypocrite , though he hath gained ? though he hath grown never so rich , and got all he desires , when god takes away his soul ? this time is coming , it will be ere long , and it may be suddenly , the portion of some that are here present , and perhaps this text of mine , may then ring in their ears , when they lie upon their sick beds , perhaps within a month , or six weeks , when gods time shall be , and then conscience may repeat in your ears ; i heard such a day there were a generation of men that have their portion in this world , and now i am afraid , i am one of them ; and there is an end of my portion , onely i must go to my other portion , that will be very dreadfull . i but who have you spoke too all this while ? who is the man that hath his portion in this world ? it is a poor portion , as you have set out to us , but every one will go away and say , i hope it is not i , i hope god hath a better portion for me then this ; therefore give me leave to speak in the name of god to you , and out of his word , to point out the man and woman that is like to have their portion here , living and dying in such a condition . first , that man to whom god gives in this life , nothing but what belongs to this life , that is the man apparently ; if god give thee thy estate , and if he gives thee not somewhat besides thy estate , that is a principle , that is a seed of eternall life in thee , certainly he never intends good to thee in the world to come . there are many men have a great deal in this world & they say they hope , god will be mercifull to them in the world to come . now this is a certain truth , that man to whom god denies spirituall mercy in this world , god will deny eternall mercy to him in the world to come ; this therefore should be thy care , doth god increase my estate in this world ? o that the lord would give a proportionable measure of grace , or else it is nothing ; lord , thou givest me here a great estate , if thou givest not to me together with it , a proportionable measure of grace to use it to thy name , i had better have been without this . is this thy care ? i put it to thy conscience ; as thy estate encreases , art thou solicitous at the throne of grace , that the lord would give thee a proportionable measure of grace , to manage thy estate for his glory ; then peace be to thee , thou art not the man. you may further examine it , by the workings of your hearts about your present portions ; as. whether you enjoy what you have for it self , and whether your hearts be terminated in what you do enjoy ; one that is godly hath his portion beyond these things , he enjoyes the creatures . i but it is god that he enjoyes in them ; that is sweet to me , that i can see , and taste the love of god in ; i but a carnall heart enjoyes the creatures , and runs away , and is terminated there ; looks much at the creature , but at little in god ; as divers of your hospitall children here , look more at the men that were their friends , to bring them into the hospitall , when they were fatherlesse and motherlesse , and shiftlesse , then they look at the founders of the hospitall , they little think of them , to thank god for them , but if they meet with him that was the next cause to bring them in , they will thank him for his kindnesse ; so it is with most men , they look at outward means and secondary causes , but a godly heart looks at the root of all things ; i remember one that came into the treasurehouse of venice , where he saw tables of gold and silver , and he pointed down , looking at the bottom of the table , whereupon one asked him , why is your eye so at the bottom ? o ( saith he ) i am looking at the root of all this ; alas , it is a small matter for a man that hath a great trade , to have a great stock . a godly man though he hath but a little , yet he looks at the root , at the love of god , and the covenant of grace , which is the spring of all , and the chief thing that satisfies his heart , it is the goodnesse of god that satisfies a gracious heart , and not the bare creature . therefore examine , how your hearts are set upon these things of the world , whether your hearts go out with full strength to them ; if you make your bellies to be your god , then your end will be destruction : that man that hath his heart swallowed up in the world , like corah , dathan , and abiram , that were swallowed in the earth ; if the things of the earth be a gulfe to swallow thy heart up , there is another gulfe to swallow thee up hereafter . consider how do the losse of the things of the world , take thy heart ; dost not thou account thy self an undone man , when thou had lost some comforts ? dost thou not come home to thy wife and children , i say , i am an undone man ? why what is the matter ? i have lost some part of my estate ; o carnall heart ! one that is gods child may have some crosses , but no losses at all ; because he enjoyes all in god , and hath god still . the truth is , if thou wert truly godly , whatever afflictions thou meetest with all , ( as we say , a man may put all his gain in his eye ; so you may , ) if you be godly , put all your crosses in your eyes ; you are so far from being undone . examine then whether these things of the world , be not the onely suitable things to your hearts ? whether you blesse not your selves in these , as in your happinesse ; the ivie will claspe about a rotten tree , and cannot be taken off it , without tearing ; and so the heart of a worldling , will clasp about these rotten comforts , as the onely agreable things . you may hear them sometimes tell with joy that we were in such a place , and were so merry , & had the bravest meeting , and what was there ? there was singing and drinking , and blaspheming of the name of god , & yet it was the bravest meeting that could be . when did you ever come from an ordinance of god , and say , o it was a brave day to me , the lord hath spoken to my heart this day ; did you never go from the word , with as merry a heart , and rejoyce of it amongst your friends , as you did from a merry meeting ? you may fear you are the man that have your portion here . if i were to give but one evidence . whether a man hath grace or no ? i would give this assoon as any one ; suppose thou hast got some estate in the word , i put this to thee , what dost thou account to be the chiefest good of thy estate , more then thou didst before . a man that hath got an estate more then he had before , thinks with himself , now i may live at a better fashion , then i could , now i may have more freedom then before , now i may have more credit in the world then i had now , i may have my own mind , and satisfie my lust more then i did , or then another man can do ; is not this the thing thou most rejoycest in ; nay , is not this a truth , that some of your hearts ( if your hearts were ripped up , this would be the language of them ) most rejoyce in , because hereby you have most fewel for your lusts ; a poor man hath not so much fewel for his uncleanesse as you have , nor so much fewell for his pride and malice as you have , and many rich men account the blessing and happinesse of their estates to consist in this very thing , that now they may have a larger scope for their lusts then ever they could before ; alas , a poor man cannot go abroad , and drink , as you can do ; a poor man cannot lay out so much upon a whore , and an unclean wretch , as you can do , and you rejoyce in this , if this man hath not his portion in this world , who hath ? the lord strike thy wretched heart . a gracious man , when god blesseth him in this world , though there be but a little grace in him , it will work thus : the lord hath raised my condition above my brother , & why ? the lord giveth me a larger opportunitie to do him service , then my brother hath , or then i had before : there is such a poor man , he is an honest man , but ( god knows ) he can do but little in the place where he is , he hath but little means ; but god hath given me means , and this means enlarges my opportunities to do god service , and for this my soul blesseth god , i account my estate happier then before , i now may be of more use , and do god more service then otherwise i could do ; have you such workings in heart , you rich men if : you have not never be at quiet till you get your hearts working in this manner ; this will be a blessed testimony , that god gives you a portion here , and intendeth another portion for you in the world to come . again , what is that thing that you strive to make most sure ? that which a man strives to make most sure , that he counts his happinesse to consist in ; o for thy land , and debts , thou strivest with all thy might to make them sure , but as for the matter of thy salvation , and peace in christ , thou hast a good hope thereof , but takest no pains to make it sure . see what thou dost most admire men for ? o such a man is happy , he hath so much coming in , and hath so much a year ; but dost thou call the vile man happy ? this is a signe that thou hast not thy eye enlightned : canst thou look upon those that are poor and mean in this world , as most happy creatures , because the lord gives them the grace of his spirit ? and think , well , it is true , i have a greater estate then such a poor man that is my neighbour , or then such a poor kindsman , but god knows , he doth god more service then i do , he prayes more , and more heartily in one day then i do in a whole year . o , the lord hath other manner of prayers , and sighes come from his poor cottage , then ever he had from my brave pallace : i have my citie house and my countrey house , but they were never so perfumed with prayers ; some that live in poor cellars , send up more prayers , and god hath more honour from them , then he hath from me ; in my familie ( perhaps ) there is cursing and blaspheming of god , in such poor cottages , there is ( perhaps ) blessing and praysing of god , now canst thou look upon them , as the most happy people in the world . lastly , what art thou most carefull to lay up for thy children ? if the things of the world take up thy care for thy children most , it is an argument thou thinkest , thy children shall have a good portion if thou canst leave them so many thousands ; & it is like it is thy portion too ; if thou countest it theirs . examine also thy services what they are ; dost thou put off god with slight services , then know thy portion is like to be of gods slight mercies ; again , art thou hypocriticall in thy service , dost thou ayme at the praise of men in outward duties , that is a signe thou hast thy reward here ; and are thy services forced , that thou art compelled , it is meerely conscience compells thee , and not an inward agreablenesse between the frame of thy heart , and holy things : then it is like , a servants portion will be thine , and not a childs portion . further , hast thou heretofore been a forward professour in religion , and hast now forsaken the wayes of god ; i 'le give you a dreadfull scripture for this , in the . of ieremiah : all you that forsake the lord shall be ashamed , & they that depart from me , shall be written in the earth ; if thou hast been forward heretofore , and now thou comest to be more ancient , and now thou art dead , and dull , and cold — ; here is a text for thee , go home , & tremble , least thou be a man , whose name is written in the earth . and doth not god for the present curse thy portion ? thou findest the more thou hast , the worse thou growest ; as if a man should eat meat at ones table , and assoon as he hath eaten it , begin to swell , he will conclude certainly the meat was poysoned , so when thy estate rises , thy heart rises with pride , surely it was poysoned with the curse of god that was in it . again i 'le onely name one signe more ; what sayest thou to this , that man that spends his dayes without having some fear , least god should put him off with the things of this world : there may be some danger of that ; it is said of some , that they feed themselves without fear ; you can go to a merry meeting , and feed upon the chear , and eat without fear ; but never have such a thought as this in your heart , what if god should put me off with these things ? i hear indeed there are some menare put of so , what if that should prove to be my portion what a miserable creature were i ? i fear there were some men never had such a thought in their lives , what if it should prove so with me , what a miserable creature were i. i have one word of exhortation to you all , & then i have done , & this exhortation must be divided : first , unto you that have some evidences that god hath given you a better portion , that god hath not put you off with the portion of this world ; o blesse the lord for his goodnesse to you , that ever he hath shewed you better things then the world affoords , your line is fallen into a good ground , you have a goodly inheritance ; though thou hast not so much as others have , yet thou hast that that will make thee happy forever . i have read of one didimus , a learned godly preacher , but he was blind , whereof he complained , & was much troubled for his want of sight , whereupon a christian friend rebuked him sharpely ; what ( saith he ) hath god given you that that is the excellency of an apostle , of a minister of christ ; and are you troubled for want of your sight , that a pismire may have , that a bruit beast may have , for the want of thy sight , that the rats and mice may have , are you troubled with that , and rather not taught to blesse god , that hath given you so great a mercy , as to make you such an instrument of his service ? so may i say to you that are godly , hath god given you iesus christ ? hath he given you his son , hath he given you his spirit , hath he given you himself , to be your portion , and are you troubled that you have not more of that , that beasts may have , as well as your selves ? o be ashamed of any mournfull discontentments for want of the comforts of this world . and do not envy wicked men for their outward prosperity ; i remember a story of a poor souldier that was condemned to die meerely fortaking a bunch of grapes from a vine , for there was a strict law that who ever should take any thing from that place they went through , he should dye for it . now he had taken a bunch of grapes , and was condemned to die , and as he went to execution , he went eating of his bunch of grapes , and some came to him , and said , dost thou go eating thy grapes , thou shouldst think of somewhat else ; he answers , i beseech you ( sir ) do not envy me my grapes , they will cost me dear ; so may i say of all the men of the world ; we have no need to envy them of any thing they have , it will cost them very dear one day . thirdly , live like such as god hath not put off with the portion of this world ? manifest in it your conversations that you look for higher & better things , then what this world affoords ; shew they are but slight in your eyes ; look upon your estates as despicable , be willing to improve them all for publick good , yea , to jeopard not estates onely but your names , your liberties , and your lives in a publick cause ; and those that shall do so , however the world may look upon them in a sad condition , and say , o such a man is like to be undone , and his life is in danger ; i tell you such a one that shall out of a good principle , be willing to venture life and estate and appear for god , that man shall be most honoured , and be found the most happy man at last ; and indeed herein he shews himself to be a man that looks for a higher portion , then these things here ; as those in the hebrews : by that they said and did , they shewed plainly , they looked for another country ; so see you men that might live as comfortably in outward things as you , and ( did their consciences give way ) they could be as quiet as you ; but conscience puts them upon it , that seeing god calls them to a publick place , they can be content to put all at gods feet . now though you may think that such are in most danger , they shew plainly they are men of another countrey , and should be most honoured ; and take but this principle with you , the more any one gives up his estate to god , the more comfort he hath in his estate , whether in the enjoyment of it , or in the losse of it ; i expresse it thus : when one resignes up all he hath , his estate , liberty , name , life to god , the oftener it comes into gods hands , the better it comes , when god gives it him again ; a carnall heart when once he hath these things , he will not trust god with them , but he will have them in his own keeping ; but a gracious heart , though he hath all these from god , yet every day he is willing to give up all to him , and to trust god with them again ; though he be a rich man , he is willing every day to come and beg his bread at his fathers gate , and give up all ; now he gives up all in the truth of his heart to god , and god gives it him all again ; as long as in a lawfull way he enjoyes it , he hath it a fresh from god ; now this ( i say ) the oftener any thing comes out of gods hand , the sweeter & the better it is ; wicked mens estates come but once out of gods hands , and therefore there is not so much comfort in them , but a godly mans estate comes . and . times from god ; for every resignation gives it to god , and god gives it him again ; & therein is comfort , and o blessed are they that live so , as that they declare they look for another countrey , and that their portion is not here ; let the men of the world think them foolish , that will venture themselves so , god and his saints have declared that their portion it not here . and now to you all , the word of exhortation from god is , that every one in this place , would put on to make more sure of another portion , besides the portion of this world ; put on , i say for you are all made capable of higher and better things , then the things of the world ; and never a one here but hath an immortall soul , and is capable of communion with father , son , and holy ghost , and that is another manner of businesse , then to eat and drink , and have pleasure with the flesh , here for a while ; god hath made your natures capable of such glory , do not debase your selves , to rest satisfied with husks , when you may have meat enough in your fathers house ; and therefore put on , and let the poorest sort put on , that have but a little portion here ; yet there is as fair way for you to have the god of heaven and earth to be your portion , to have whatsoever iesus christ hath purchased by his bloud to be your portion , to have eternitie , and immortality to be your portion ; ( i say ) there is as fair a way for it , as for the greatest princes in the earth ; you may come to have a portion here . indeed many a poor apprentice may say ; my father is dead , and hath left me no portion : i , but you that are poor apprentices , and others , and the poor hospitall boyes , that live upon charitie , it is possible some poor wretches there may come to have their portion in god and christ , and immortality , as well as the greatest , and richest of all ; therefore raise up your hearts here , you that are the poorest and meanest , & know you are born for high things . if i should come and tell one that is a poor boy in a blew coat now , what ever you are now , there is such a rich man will adopt you to be his child , and make you his heire , that would raise up his heart ; well , how ever meanely you live now , you may be a glorious creature hereafter , if so be you have now a heart to put upon it , and to seek after it for your portion . but you 'le say , lord what should we do , that our portion may be a higher portion , then in this world ; the first thing i would put you upon , is this ; let the whole course of your life be steared ( as it were ) with the fear of god , have a continuall jealousy , least god should put you off with the things of this life ; hold forth this in every action , that any one may see by your conversation , surely this man , this woman hath some fears , least god should put him off with a portion in this world ; and especially you that have great portions in this life , & have done god little service ; you know there are many poor people that live upon almes , have done god more service then you ; you have most cause to fear ; they that are rulers and governours have mighty cause to fear , unlesse they have good evidence in their hearts ; chrysostome upon the . of the hebrews , speaking of those that are governours ; saith , i wonder that any governour should be saved ; he hath such a speech there : i will not say so , but there is a great deal of hazard ; christ tells us , that a man that hath a great portion in this world , ( though it is possible he may have more hereafter , ) yet it is doubtfull ; whether he shall inherit heaven . it was the counsell of one to a king ; saith he , i desire but this favour , that every day you would think of this text , what profits it a man , to gain the whole world , and to loose his own soul ? spend some little time in considering of it every morning when you arise , and every night when you lie down , what will it advantage me to be great here and miserable hereafter . the same councell i give to you , daily pray to god , to make you understand , what there is in this text , that there are a generation of men , who have their portion in this world only . secondly , if you would not have your portion here , labour to take off your hearts from all outward comforts ; he that will be rich , shall fall into many temptations ; know it is not necessary , you should have an estate in this world , but it is necessary , you should make your peace with god ; it is necessary i should provide for my soul ; but how things go with me here , is not so much necessarie . thirdly , set the glorie of heaven and eternitie daily before your eyes , and be trading for higher things then the world affords : many poor people go up and down the streets , crying some mean thing , and think it well , if they get d. in a whole day , but a rich merchant can go out in the morning , and make a bargain , and perhaps get . l. in an houre , he trades somewhat like ; so the men of this world labour for the meat that perisheth ; but a godly man hath communion with god , and in a quarter of an hour gets that , he would not loose for thousands . it was a speech of cleopatra to anthony , thou art not to fish for gudgeons and trowts , but thou art to angle for castles and cities ; so may i say , if thou hast an immortall soul with thee , thou art not so much to angle for meat and drink , and cloaths , to make provision for the flesh , but for heaven and immortalitie . the next thing is this : honour god with thy substance . lay out thy portion here for god. o , that i could but convince you of one principle of divinitie more , and that is this , that there is more excellency and good in one vertuous action , then there is in all the creatures in heaven and earth , ( besides the blessed angels , and glorious saints above , i say others of the saints , excepting these ) take all creatures , sun , moon , stars , seas , earth , all the pearls & iewels of the world , pearls , put them all together , yet this is true divinitie , that there is more excellency in one vertuous action , then there is , if thou hadst all these things to be thy possession ; if men were convinced of this , they would be abundant in good works : thou thinkest it a brave thing , to have so much coming in by the year , do but one good action for god , out of an upright principle , and there is more excellency in that one action , then there is in thy great revenue , if thou hast . times more added to it . me thinks this should make them that are rich , to be rich in good works ; so saith the scripture , charge them that are rich in this world , that they be rich in good works , o , there is a richnesse in good works , as well as in great revenues ; o , improve , lay out thy estate now for god ; ambrose saith upon that place , of the rich man : is it not more honour , that so many children shall account you as their father , then that so many pieces of gold shall call you their lord ? these pieces of gold , do ( as it were ) call you lord , & there are . or . children shall call you father ; and is it not more excellent to have a couple of poor orphans , while you are alive in this world , to call you father , then to have so many bags of gold call you mr ? o , therefore , give a portion to . and to . again , if you would not be put off with a portion in this world , be sure that all the services you perform to god be choice services , if you expect choice mercies , let your services be choice services , be sure all your works be supernaturall works ; you 'le say how shall i know that ? if i had time , i could make it out clear . a supernaturall work is that that hath a supernaturall principle , done to a supernaturall end , and in a supernaturall manner ; a supernaturall principle , that is grace , which makes it suitable to my heart , not that i do it out of conviction of conscience only , and a supernaturall end , that is , when i ayme at god , and not at my self in any dutie . but what is this supernaturall manner of serving god ? i shall explain it thus . seneca in giving his rule how to know the affections , when they are naturall , and when not ; saith , you shall know a naturall affection by this , if it be kept with in bound , it is naturall , if it be out of bounds , it is not naturall ; i 'le make use of it in another way ; when you come to the service of god , if you think to limit god in his service , this is but a naturall service , you 'l go so far and there stop , but if it be a supernaturall service , you 'l let out your hearts , if it were possible infinitely to god ; you cannot be infinite , that is true , but you 'l propound no bounds , nor limits to your service , & this is indeed the truth of grace , when it hath the impression of gracious infinitenesse upon it ; infinitenesse is that whereby god is without all limits ; so when the soul is without all limits and bounds in the way of grace , it is desirous to honour god , if it were possible in an infinite way ; these are supernaturall works . lastly , would you not have your portion in this world , be willing to cast away whatever of your portion you have got sinfully ; this in the name of god , i declare as a speciall thing ; therefore take it home with you ; what ever man or woman in this place would not have his portion in this world , but would have his portion in the world to come ; whatsoever of thy portion , thou hast got in a sinfull course , cast it away presently , never sleep with it , lye not down one night with it , rest not till thou art cleared of it . it is an old rule , but a true one ; all the repentance in the world , and all your sorrowing for sin whatsoever , will never obtain pardon without restitution , unlesse you restore what you are able , you can never have comfort of the pardon of that sin ; if you have got it when you were young , being an apprentice , or at first setting up , away with it , else it will spoil all , and you 'l never have any other portion from god ; these hands of mine , had that once given them , to restore that was got wrongfully . years before ; the wrong was done . years ago , yet after . years space , the conscience of the man troubles him , and he comes to make restitution , and satisfie the wrong , he had done desiring me to conveye it to such a man whom he had wronged in such a place . know therefore that all the sweet morsels , that at any time you have so delight fully got down , they must up again ; therefore willingly part with them ; resolve before thou go out of this place , whatever thou hast got wrongfully , not to keep it one minute : and do it willingly , else thou canst have no comfort here or hereafter : if there be any true divinitie in the world , this is true divinitie ; and yet it is hard to convince covetous men that have got their means this way . if there be any that have done wrong in things betrusted to them , as those that be maisters of hospitalls , be sure you keep not that , for certainly you 'l curse the time , you ever took it ; therefore let the charge of god be strong upon you this day , cast out whatever you have got falsely . i have read a story of one , who hearing that place of scripture read ; woe to them that joyn house to house , he burst out in a loud cry , woe to me , and to my children then . so you , that are inriched through fraud and circumvention of others , have cause to say , woe to me and my familie , what shall become of us if this be true ? oh cast away this lumber , this trash , preferre your soul before all things whatsoever . and if you would have your portion in another life , be willing to join with the sufferers for christ ; so moses did , though he were in the way of preferment , yet he chose rather to suffer affliction with the people of god , then to enjoy the pleasur's of sin for a season : prise the saints , associate with them , rather then with the jolly blades of the world . it is safer joyning with sufferers , then with those brave spirits that scorne goodnesse , jolly blades of the world , it is safer to join with the sufferers , then to joyn with those that are the jolly , and the brave spirits ; and so i have done ; onely desiring that the lord would settle all home upon your spirits , if it may be , because something may not be so pleasing to the pallat of everie one , as some other , but if for that , you should reject what hath been said , and go away and slight this word of god ; know that this text one day may prove to be as scalding lead in your consciences ; and that what is said concerning doeg , in psalme . . may prove to be your portion . it is spoken of doeg ; this is the man ( saith the psalmist ) that did not make god his trust , but trusted in his great riches ; this is the man. so you may be pointed out one day , this is the man ; doeg was a great courtier , and because he was an officer to king saul , and because he had his favour , he trusted in the favour of the king , and in his riches , and what did he care for david ? yet by the text it appears ? he was one that made some shew of religion too ; in the first of samuel . . he was detained before the lord ; tremelius thinks , either out of some religious vow , or to keep the sabbath ; or somewhat concerning that law , he was detained before the lord ; and yet he was a vile malignant against david , and all because he trusted in the great countenance he had at court ; now this is the man that made not god his trust , but that trusted in his great riches . the lord forbid , this scripture should be made true of any of you ; i leave this text with you that are rich men , take heed . i leave this text with you that are in places of dignitie and honour , take heed . i leave this text with you that are voluptuous men , given up to your pleasure . take heed you hear not one day this , son , remember in thy life time , thou hadst thy pleasure ; i leave it with all that will not trust god , for a portion to come ; and above all , i leave it with all hypocrites , let them take heed , it be not said to them , here is your reward ; consider what hath been said , and the lord give you understanding . finis . the saints inheritance . psalme . . but to the saints that are in the earth , and to the excellent in whom is all my delight . they that understand the whole psalme to foresee the messiah , and foretell of christ , make this place parallel with that of iohn . . and for their sake i sanctifie my self , that they also might be sanctified through the truth . but here in the beginning of the psalme , david prayes to god for preservation , and for deliverance out of some great evill , that it seems was upon him , or that he was in danger of . the argument that he useth , is , first his trust in god , as in the first verse , preserve me o god , for in thee do i put my trust . and it was not an ungrounded and unwarranted trust , but that which proceeded from his interest he had in god , as in the second verse , o my soul , thou hast said unto the lord , thou art my lord : thou art mine , and my onely god , in whom is all my confidence . but what if david should now perish in this distresse , should god be any looser by it ? david seems to acknowledge this , that though he should not be preserved , yet god was bound to preserve his own name , and his own cause ; as it followes in the second verse , my goodnesse extendeth not to thee . though i should live , yet it is little that i could do for thee . but to the saints that are in the earth , though my goodnesse extendeth not unto thee , yet may i be of use to thy people , and unto thy saints while i live ; for it extends to them , and they are those that my soul closeth with and hath delight in . o , therefore do i desire to live , and to be preserved , that i may be usefull to them , that are thy saints . it is a great argument to prevail with god , when any of you are in danger , and seek for preservation , if your hearts work thus to god , that the desire you have to be preserved is , that whatever you are , and whatever you can do , may extend to the saints , that you may live to be of use and service in the world to gods people . many of you when you apprehend your selves to be in trouble , you then cry to god to be preserved : but to what end ? wherefore would you be preserved ? wherefore would you live ? if we may judge of your ends according to your practise , you would live that you may have more time to satisfie your lusts , that you may have more time to dishonour god , that you may have more time to do mischief in the places where you live . there is this in the heart , and god sees it : god sees whatsoever will be after in your lives ; god sees before what was in your hearts when you cried to be preserved . but now one that is gracious , he desires therefore to be preserved : o , saith he , that i might live to be of use in that place where god hath placed me . if god should take me away now , my conscience tells me that it is little service that i have done for him . i have been of little use in the place where god hath set me , o , that i might be preserved for this end , that what i am , or have , or have been might extend to the saints on earth , even the excellent in whom is all my delight . thus you have the scope of the words , and the dependance of them . and in them there are these two things observable . . observation . first , the high esteem of the saints ; they are the excellent of the earth . observation . and secondly , the sweet delight that davids heart had in them ; in whom is all my delight . for the first , the high esteem that david had of the saints , & the saints that were on earth , the excellent . the point is this , that the saints of god , those that are godly , are the excellent in the earth . then secondly , from this that he saith , in whom is all my delight . observe this , that a gracious heart above all things in this world , takes the most contentment in the saints of god ; he is much delighted in them . the first is but a preparation to the second : therefore i shall passe it over briefly . they are the excellent in the earth , therefore my delight is in them . they are the excellent in the earth . let them be what they will in regard of their outward meanness , yet there is an excellency in them . iob scraping upon the dunghill ; and ieremy sticking in the mire in the dungeon , yet they had more glory and beauty upon them , then the greatest potentates of the earth when they sate upon their thrones . though they lie among the pots ( as the psalmist saith ) yet are they as doves , their wings are the wings of doves , whose feathers are of gold , and silver ; psalm . . . beautifull and glorious . you know the judgement that the holy ghost passeth upon the saints in old time , that were outwardly mean enough , there is as much meanness on them as the malice of the world could put : the text saith , they had tryalls of mockings , of scourgings , of bonds , and imprisonments , they were sawen assunder , they were tempted , they wandred in sheepskins , & goats skins : destitute , afflicted , tormented . what kind of creatures were these , surely they were some wretched men , and women that were thus hunted up and down to wander in sheeps-skins and goats-skins , destitute , afflicted and tormented ? no such matter , they were such of whom the world was not worthy : v. . that is the judgement of the holy ghost upon such , the world was not worthy of them . the men of the world would have thought , and did think that they were such as were not worthy to live in the world : but the judgement of the holy ghost was such , that the world was not worthy of them . i remember chrysostome hath this interpretation of the phrase , they are such as are worth more then all the world , more then many thousands of the world ; one of them is worth more then all the men of the world besides . it is a truth so ; one saint of god , though never so mean , one poor youth , one servant that is truly gracious , is worth more then all the men of the world besides that are not so . all the monarchs and princes on earth , have not that excellency in them that one poor child or servant hath that is gracious , and belongs to god. but the ordinary interpretation is thus , they are such as have that excellency , as that the world is not worthy to enjoy them , they are not worthy of their presence , that they should so much as live among them ; they are rather fit to be set as stars in heaven , & be before the lord in his glory : the world is not worthy of them . but what is there in the saints that makes them the excellent in the earth ? the saints that are the excellent . the word in the originall signifies the magnificent ones ; those that have magnificent spirits , and are exceeding glorious . there is this in them ( that i may briefly passe over this first . ) they have the image of god upon them , and therefore they must needs be the excellent on earth . the image of god makes them to resemble god in that which the creature is able to conceive of ; that which is the height of gods excellency : though it be true , whatsoever is in god is god himself : yet we conceiving of god according to our manner of speaking , there is something of god that appears most excellent , and glorious . and it must needs be in regard of that expression , because grace is called the image of god. now when we draw the image of a thing , we draw it as near as we can according to that which is the most proper excellency of that thing . if i would draw the image of a man , i do not draw the likenesse of a piece of flesh , a beast hath that as well as a man ; or i do not draw feet or legs , or the back parts of a man : but when the image of a man is drawn , his face is chiefly looked after to be drawn , which is the most excellentest part of man ; and there we endeavour to expresse his life , and spirit as much as can be : for that is the most excellent part ; and though the spirit cannot be drawn , and there can be no picture of it ; yet because it is shewen most in the face , that is , as near as we can go , that is drawn there . so the image of god , is that wherein the creature resembles god in height of excellency and glory . it is not every resemblance of god that is gods image : there are some things that set out some of the glory of god , and they are but called gods footsteps , or his back parts . all the resemblance of god in his creatures ; and the expressions of his power , and wisedome ; the invisible things of god that we see in the creature , they are all but his footsteps , and back-parts ; they are not his image , why ? because they do not resemble god in that which he hath set out to us to be the height of his glory . what is that ? the holinesse of god , that is the height of his excellency . therefore it is said of god him●elf , holy and reverend is his name . gods name comes to be reverend by holinesse : were it not for his holinesse , notwithstanding all the rest , ( if it were possible to separate them ) his name would not be reverend . therefore when the saints in heaven glorifie god for his chiefest excellency , it is thus holy , holy , holy . we find not in scripture any of gods attributes thrice repeated , wise , wise , wise , or almighty , almighty , almighty , but holy , holy , holy , because the excellency of god consists chiefly in holinesse : the lord only is holy. now because where grace is in the creature , resembling this holinesse of god , there is that principle whereby the creature is able to act as god himself acts : for that is holinesse , the working of god to his own end in all things suitable to his nature . so when the creature works to god as his last end , and in some measure is suitable to that god with which the creature hath to doe , here is the image of god. therefore the scripture expresseth grace by these . things , as the image of god. the life of god. the glory of god , and the divine nature . there are these . expressions for the work of grace . the image of god , it resembles god in his excellency . the life of god himself , ephes . . alienated from the life of god , that notes acting like god himself . and then it is the glory of god himself ; and the divine nature , . pet. . . so that there must needs be excellency in the saints that have grace that is of this nature . certainly , there is more of god in the meanest saint , in the meanest gracious man or woman ; there is more of the glory of god , then in all the world besides , then in heaven and earth . take all the creatures , all the glory of god in the heavens , in the sunne , moon , and stars , and put all into one . take all the glory of god in the seas , those vast oceans , and put that into one ; take all the glory of god that appears in the earth , all the riches of the earth , and all arts and sciences , and what you will ; put all into one , and the meanest youth or servant that hath the least degree of grace , hath more of the glory of god then all this is . there is more of the shining of god in the least degree of grace in the poorest christian in the world , then there is in all these creatures . if there were a quintessence of all the excellency , and glory , extracted , and drawn , and put into one , yet there were not so much of god , god could not see so much of himself in that one creature that should have the excellency of all creatures put together , as he sees in the meanest saint that hath the work of grace . and surely then they are the excellent of the earth , if there be so much of god in them . the work of grace is that which hath most of god in it ; and wheresoever it is , it is that which is the proper work of gods eternall love ; it is a beam of it , therefore there is a great deal of excellency in it . take all other creatures , and it is possible to enjoy all the good that is in all the creatures in heaven and earth ( excepting this onely , the grace of god ) through the bounty of god , and the pleasure of god. there is nothing that the creature hath , but may be communicated as a fruit of gods generall bounty except spirituall blessings in christ : but where ever this is , though in the least degree , it is of that nature , that it cannot come but onely from the eternall election of god. it is that which is the principle of eternall life , wheresoever it is , it is that which will grow up to eternall glory . all common gifts will never grow up to glory , though they grow up to the height of glory , but the grace of god , true grace , it is of the same nature with eternall glory . therefore for the kind of it , it is the greatest good that ever god did , or that ever he will communicate to any creature for all eternity . i say , where ever god hath communicated any dramme of grace , that is the greatest good that ever god did , or ever will communicate to all eternity , to any of his creatures , therefore it is exceeding excellent . onely excepting the work of god in the hypostaticall union of the two natures , wherein he joyned the humane , and the divine nature together in one person ; excepting that , the work of grace in any soul is the greatest work that ever god did from all eternity , or that ever he will do , for the kind of it . now that which hath so much of god in it , & comes from the eternall election and love of god ; and is the greatest work that ever was done , or ever shall be done ; and the greatest good that ever was , or shall be communicated to any creature for ever , truly this must needs be the greatest excellency . for god made the world for that end , that he might communicate his excellency , and glory to the world , to the creature . now that which was the greatest thing that god intended from all eternity ; for the communicating of all his glory , it must needs make the creature excellent . this is the first thing , that the saints are the excellent on earth in regard of the image of god upon them , and the work of grace in them . but secondly , they are the excellent of the earth , in regard of the separating of them for god : they are those that god set his thoughts upon from all eternity , that they might enjoy him . the great counsels that god wrought from all eternity , especially were set on work upon this great thing of separating of certain creatures for himself from the rest of the world . now when god shall set as it were ( to speak after the manner of men ) his thoughts and counsels on work from all eternity to set apart a few creatures for himself ; if these can be known who they are , certainly , we cannot but look on them as the excellent on earth : now wheresoever we see the work of grace in any , we may by that know that these god hath separated for himself , as setting his infinite wisedome on work from all eternity above that . that was the thing he was most exercised in before the world , about the work of separating such and such for himself . the psalmist saith , o ye sons of men , how long will ye turn my glory into shame ? how long will ye love vanity and seek after leasing ? but know , that the lord hath set a part him that is godly , for himself . psalm . . . . here you see that god hath set apart the godly for himself , they are those that are dedicated , & consecrated to god , therefore there is a wonderfull excellency put upon them . as you know any thing that is dedicated and consecrated , though it be never so mean in it self , yet being once dedicated , being once made a consecrated thing , there is a great deal of excellency put upon that thing . as in the law , if it were but a piece of wood in the tabernacle , if it were but a badgers skin ; if it were but brasse or goats hair or any such thing that were meane in it self , yet if it were once consecrated and made holy to god , they looked upon it as having a great deal of excellency on it . now i reason thus ; if a piece of wood , or a little hair , or leather consecrated to god had an excellency in it : what then hath an immortall soul , that hath the graces of the spirit , as so many pearls in it , when that is consecrated & set apart to god to the glory and praise of his grace to all eternity ; here must needs be much excellency and most eminent preheminences . when a thing is consecrated we look on it no more according to the quality of the thing , but to the consecration . as i remember i read of some people in india , that when they have but lost an apes tooth that was consecrated to their god , they will give an unspeakable summe of money for the redemption of it again , because it was a thing that was consecrated to their god . so i read of another that being raised from a mean birth , he took this way to make himself to be highly esteemed of the people , he had a golden bason that he used to wash his feet in , he took that and made an idoll of it , and consecrated it , and then every one fell down , and worshipped it when it was consecrated . nay , saith he , if this which was mean before it was set apart to this use , comes so to be honoured , then i that am mean by birth , being set apart to the government , may as well be honoured by you . thus then if the superstition , and will of man having consecrated a thing , thinks he puts so much excellency on it , how much more when god himself , and the great and speciall work of the holy ghost that he is designed to , it is a speciall work of his office to consecrate souls to god , and to set them apart to himself , what an excellency must this needs be that is put upon them ? they are the excellent of the earth . that is the second . thirdly , if we consider that relation that the saints have to god ; they are the nearest relations that can be exprest . of children to parents ; they are the children of god. of a spouse to her husband ; they are the spouse of iesus christ , the second person in trinity ; and in that regard they are more nearly united to god then the angels themselves are , in being the spouse of the son of god. yea the very members of his body , they have a nearer relation in that respect to the divine nature , to the second person in trinity then the angels themselves : for they have not such a relation as this , therefore they are the excellent of the earth . again , fourthly , if we consider the great priviledges that the saints have , we shal see them the excellent of the earth . not to speak of their deliverance from sin and guiltinesse , and those immunities that they have from others . but consider they have this priviledge , that god in all his attributes and works , he is continually working for their good . there is this excellent prerogative of the saints , there is no attribute of god but it is continually working good to every saint of god. there is no work of gods providence , but it works and acts continually for their good . it would be a mighty excellent honour put upon any man , if but such an honourable assembly as the parliament , should take thought for such an one , and all their purposes and plots , and councels all the time they are sitting should tend to the good of such an one in particular , taking notice in particular of him . it is that which i said , all your wisdome , and power and mercy , and faithfulnesse , and the infinite alsufficiency of god is continually every moment working , not onely for the good of those that love god in generall , but for every particular saint of god. god takes speciall notice of them , and sets all his attributes continually on work for their good , & wellbeing . and the heavens continually work for them . they have this priviledge , that the whole world is made for them , god hath given them the world , they are the heirs of the world ; as it is said of abraham , he was the heir of the world . rom. . abraham had little himself , yet he had the world . now the children inherit their fathers estate ; if the world were abrahams inheritance , then it is the inheritance of every child of abraham : for so the children of abraham are heirs to all that abraham had , that is , as far as concerns them , therefore they that are his heirs , are heirs likewise of the world , so the apostle saith , cor. . . . all are yours , and you are christs , and christ is gods. so that god , and the creatures are theirs , here is a mighty priviledge indeed . again , the priviledges that they have in all the good of the covenant of grace , whatsoever good there is in the covenant of grace , all the rich promises in the covenant of grace are the priviledges of the godly saints . it is admirable priviledges that the precious promises in the scripture speak of , to have interest in them all . besides , not onely the promises , but the immunities that come from the covenant of grace , as this ; that they are not to stand or fall for their eternall estate , by any thing that they are able to do themselves , they are freed from this , their eternall estate hangs not on that which they can do . whereas others , that are not saints , that are not in the covenant of grace , their eternall estate hangs on their endeavours , and actions , god dealing with them according to the covenant of works , being in that condition : though they may be such as may after come to be saints , and as god hath elected , and in love may look on them as he intends towards them : but for the present they are in such a condition , as that they know not , but that their eternall estate depends on that which they do themselves . now to be delivered from this , to have this immunity that such a thing of such a consequence , as our eternall estate should depend upon a sure foundation , upon that which is done by christ , and done already ; it is an infinite priviledge . others cannot challenge to themselves this priviledge , that god will accept of their endeavours ; do what they can , yet not being in the covenant of grace , those endeavours are not accepted . that it pleaseth god to accept the will for the deed ; it is one of the priviledges of the saints , that comes by the covenant of grace : but it belongs not to others , they have not to do with this immunity and priviledge . so i might name divers others , but then i should go out too far . again , this is a glorious priviledge of accesse to the throne of grace , to come to god in prayer . god gives them the key of all his treasures to come , and open them , and take what they will ; it is a glorious priviledge that belongs to the saints in any condition . god gives them a gracious praying heart , and that is the key of all the treasures of god , of all the excellencies of god , that they have liberty to come and take out what they will , be it unto thee as thou wilt . these are the excellent of the earth , that have these priviledges . again , they are the excellent in earth in regard of that which comes from them . as the work of grace is so excellent as hath been spoken of : so every gracious action that comes from a gracious heart there is a wondrous excellency in it . there is not any one gracious action , but it hath more excellency then heaven and earth . not onely grace it self , but any action that comes from grace , hath more of god in it , and god more delights in it , then in all other things in heaven or earth . it is an expression of luther , ( though he were a great advancer of faith , yet he was also an advancer of holinesse as well as of faith ; therefore speaking of any gracious work of a godly man or woman , saith he , preciosa &c. it is more precious then heaven and earth . and then he goes on with another expression i had rather be able to perform any one gracious act , of the poorest woman , or maid ; of the poorest christian that is , then to be able to do all that ever alexander , or iulius caesar had done . the least act that comes from faith , from a sanctified heart , he had rather be able to do it , then to get all the victories of iulius caesar and alexander : all their triumphs and trophies were nothing to the least breathing of the work of grace in those that are godly , that which comes from them are exceeding excellent . now i reason , they must needs be excellent , that have such excellent things come from them . as when there were such excellent things came from the body of paul , that had such virtue in them , that had such virtue in them , that noted that there was a great deal of excellency that god conferred upon that apostle , and a great deal of honour that was put upon him : so when there comes flowing such precious liquor , such precious things from the saints , as an holy action is , it shews that there is a great deal of excellency in them . which ( by the way ) should teach us to abound in holy duties ; though our actions as they are from us corrupted , we look on them as despicable , yet know that god looks on them as the most glorious things in the world , any breathing of a gracious heart , therefore he despiseth not the broken heart , nor the sighing of a contrite spirit . psalm . . . god can despise monarchs , and princes of the world : but god cannot despise a broken heart , nor any breathings from it . though thou mayest despise it thy self , and look on it as despicable , the lord cannot despise it : he sees so much excellency in it , though it be mixed with thy corruptions ; yet there is that remainder of excellency in it , if there be but so much as may denominate it a gracious act , it is a glorious thing in the eye of god. lastly , ( to name no more ) the excellency of the saints appears in this , the great use that they are of in the world . as especially this is one thing that god attains in them his great aim and end in creating the whole world . were it not for a few gracious men , and women , what glory should god have in all the world ? they are those that hold up the glory of god in the world , by which god hath his glory actively ; for that is that god aims at . it is true god can force glory in spight of mens hearts , he will be glorified in spight of devils : but god hath no active glory , but from gracious , godly people ( i speak of the inferiour world ) it is onely the godly that god hath glory from . therefore were it not for them god ( in some kind ) had made all the world for nothing . now those that are imployed in such a great work , and are of this great use in the world , as to bring to god that which he made the world for , the main , and great end that he made heaven and earth for ; certainly these are principall in gods esteem , and excellent . god can say i have my end in these : take any town where there are but two or three that are godly , what glory hath god but of these ? so for other places where hath god glory but for a few contemptibile ones ? they are these that god glorifies in high and great services : these are the lights of the world , the salt of the earth : they are these that are the blessings of the world wheresoever they are ; they are these for whom the world continueth so as it doth . there is a notable expression in isaiah , in that day shall israel be the third with egypt , and with assyria , even a blessing in the middest of the land , whom the lord of hosts shall blesse , saying , blessed be egypt my people , and assyria the work of my hands , and israel mine inheritance . isaiah . . . wheresoever they are in a kingdom , or a family , or a town , they are a blessing in that kingdome , in that town , and in that family . israel shall be a blessing in the middest of the land. these are they that are the excellent of the earth . i would now willingly be over this that i may come to the other , but onely there is a word or two of applicatian . and that is . first , to shew what a vast difference there is between those that are godly , & those that are wicked . many things i might shew that the scripture expresseth of wicked ones in all their glory : let all the glory of the world be put upon them , yet the scripture speaks exceedingly contemptuously of them . i must not spend time in those expressions , onely one , and that is daniel . and in his estate shall stand up a vile person , to whom they shall not give the honour of the kingdome : but he shall come in peaceably , and obtain the kingdom by flatteries . daniel . . it is spoken ( as most interpreters carry it ) of antiochus epiphanes , he is called a vile person , we may observe that david doth here more fully set out the love and affection he bears towards those that feare god by the contrary effect of hatred wherewith he doth prosecute the wicked , as in the . v. of this psalm , & in the . vers . of the foregoing psalm , the psalmist saith , in whose eyes a vile person is contemned , but he honoureth them that fear the lord . psalm . . . of this antiochus there are three things observed , yet he is called a vile person . first , he was a great enemy to many sinnes . secondly , when the iews wrote to him , because they feared his wrath , he being a persecutor of the iews ; there were some that lived in samaria that were samaritans that wrote to him to desire his favour , that were not their own selves iews , but samaritans : and iosephus saith , they wrote to him in this stile , to antiochus , &c. antiochus the mighty god ; they gave him this title of honour . he was a great man on earth accounted where he lived ; among the samaritans , a mighty god ; yet the scripture calls him a vile person . and then his name epiphanes , which is as much as illustrious or glorious . he hath that title of almighty god , and illustrious , and glorious , and yet he was a vile person . thus it is , where god sees not the work of grace . the consideration of this might give us some hope that there will be a time wherein god will appear for his saints . it is not probable that god will alwayes suffer his iewels to be trodden under feet in the world ; that god will alway look upon such as are excellent on earth , and see them so abused in the world , & so contemptible as they are ; surely this will not be alwayes , god hath this time to make it manifest to the world , that they are the excellent of the earth . they are now iewels , yet they are such as are in the dirt , and so are despised & contemned : but there is a promise , that the lord their god shall save them in that day as the flock of his people for they shall be as the stones of a crown , lifted up as an ensign upon his land. zach. . . as the stones of a crown , god will lift them up and make them honourable . and there is another text which is very observable ; for every one to take notice of gods intention to make these excellent ones famous on earth . the governours of iudah shall say in their heart , the inhabitants of ierusalem shall be my strength in the lord of hosts their god. zach. . . there was a time when the governours of iudah despised those that were gracious & godly ; but god hath promised that the governours of iudah shall be convinced of their errour , and shall say in their hearts the inhabitants of ierusalem shall be my strength in the lord of hosts their god : however now through the calumnies of the world ; however now through the reproaches that are cast upon the saints of god , it falls out many time , that even the governours of iudah despise and contemne them , and say they are seduced people , that they are factious and turbulent , and so their hearts are against them , & hate , and abhorre them , & look upon them with such an evill eye , as those that they name puritans : yet there is a time promised when the governours of iudah shall say in their hearts the inhabitants of ierusalem are my strength in the lord of hosts . o ye inhabitants of ierusalem , gods church and people , his sanctified ones ( for ierusalem typified the estate of gods people under the gospell ; gods sanctified ones under the gospell ) shall be such as the governours of iudah in their hearts shall say , my strength is in them . i see they are my best subjects , my chief strength is in them , and they are of principall use for me , and my kingdom is upheld in peace for them , and there is the blessing of god on them , they shall be my strength in the lord of hosts their god. now i see god is their god ; god hears their prayers , and hath done much for them , we are convinced of it . o this will be a blessed time , when it shall be that the governours of iudah shall say so . blessed be god that they do say so in any measure , that the governours of iudah say at all of the inhabitants of ierusalem , of the godly , that their strength is in them : that they may see those that are the excellent of the earth , in any measure to be truly the excellent of the earth . it were a ruefull spectacle , and would draw tears of bloud , to see the excellent ones to have that usage that they have had . but now to see those excellent ones countenanced in a publick way , especially in publick courts of iustice , it is glorious , when the governours of iudah shall do it . and this we are to pray for , that it may be more and more seen amongst us , and to say no more ; let us learn to honour them that god hath honoured : since they are excellent ones , and god hath put excellency upon them , do you so too , look on them according as god esteems them . it is observed , that god in the time of the law did not require them to offer in sacrifice , lions and eagles , those brave creatures ; but lambs and doves , mean creatures , he would have offered in sacrifice . so god doth not regard the brave spirits of the world that strut it out ; but if there be any that be gracious and godly though they he never so poor and mean , as lambs and doves , god honours and respects them , they are a sacrifice to him ; the broken heart is a sacrifice to god. the sacr●fices of god are a broken spirit : a broken and a contrite heart , o lord , thou wilt not despise . therefore when god would lift up himself in glory , he saith , he that dwells in the high and lofty place . what of him ? he looks to those that are of humble , and contrite hearts , and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit . as if there were no other subject in the world worth looking upon , he looks onely to them . as a thing that is before ones eye that he prizeth , his eye is fastned on that : so god looks on them as if they were the onely object to be looked at ; therefore let them be looked at by us with reverence in our hearts : it is fit that we should honour those that god honours . therefore it is observed in the message of the king of babylon to hezekiah , chron. . . when hezekiah was sick , and god had given him a sign of his recovery that the sun did go backward : it was a wondrous honour that god put on him that the sun should go backward . the ambassadours of the king of babylon came to congratulate with hezekiah after his recovery : but what was the businesse ? not onely to congratulate with him for his recovery ; but to enquire of the great miracle , so the text saith , the ambassadours of the prince of babylon were sent unto him to enquire of the wonder that was done in the land ; why did they enquire of this wonder ? there were many wonders done , but they were not sent to enquire of others but of this . because they worshipped the sun for their god and because their god had put such an honour upon hezekiah ; they perceived the altering of the sun that it went backward , and they enquired of the matter , concerning the alteration in the sun , and after enquiry there was news that it was for the sake of hezekiah . now because they worshipped the sun as their god , and so apprehended that their god had put such an honour upon hezekiah , they honoured him too . though hezekiah were king of the iews , and they were enemies one to another , ierusalem and babylon , yet when god had honoured him , they sent to congratulate one another , then they put honour and respect one upon another upon that occasion . that should teach us , if the heathens when they see their god put honour on any , they honour such as god honours , then when you see or hear that god honours gracious & godly men , and women , do you so too ; prize them , let them have high esteem in your hearts . you have heard this day what honour god puts upon his saints , therefore learn you to honour them . and much might be said , to draw the hearts of all people to the love of the people of god. somewhat for the people of god ; to walk as excellent ones , not to defile one another . and for others , if they would be those here in the world that be excellent and glorious ; it is not the outward things of the world that hang on you ; as clothes , and riches that make you excellent ones in the eye of god , but it is grace , and godlinesse . by faith the fathers obtained good report . some think there is no way to get esteem , but by outward bravery , great livings , fine clothes and the like ; and men think that the way to be accounted more eminent then others , is to be rich , and to wear fine cloaths & get honours and such like ; but these are fading and not permanent . so there are many ministers that think to get esteem if they be honoured before great ones , and go brave . but you know by experience , that a faithfull godly minister , that walks faithfully , and conscionably , he gets more esteem in the hearts and consciences not onely of those that are godly , but of those that have enlightned consciences , then a hundred of those ; and they vex at it that they should do so ; why ? they go a way to work to get more esteem , but they are deceived ; they look at excellency where it is not . it is not such things , but in the work of grace , that prevails with the consciences of men . boniface the martyr when he was asked the question , if he might have the sacrament , if he would drink it in a wooden challice ? saith he , the time was that there were wooden cups and golden priests , but now there are golden cups & wooden priests . there was a time in the primitive times , they were very mean , they were content with wooden vessels ; but the men were gold in regard of grace , and godlinesse , and so they were highly esteemed ; but now they have golden cups , that is a great deal of bravery and glory ; but they have wooden priests , those that have no true excellency in them . the heart of the wicked is little worth . it may be his estate , his houses , his lands may be somewhat worth , but what is his heart worth ? he hath nothing in himself to commend himself . but now the excellency of gods people is in that , it is in the soul and heart . it were an uncomfortable thing to any of you , if suppose you have a servant along with you where you go , and all the respect you have is for your servants sake ; if any entertain you into their house , it is not out of respect to you , but respect to your man ; they love your man , and for his sake they entertain you ; this would deject your hearts if you should know that you have no respect for any good in your selves , but for your servants sake . so the men of the world , they have respect , but what is it for ? for their riches , for their honour , for their brave cloaths , for their money ; all servants under them , they have no respect for any thing in themselves , they have no spirituall excellency ; especially when they are to deal with god , and the consciences of men , they have no respect . but godly men have not so many servants to gain respect by outward things : but that respect they have of gods saints , and in the consciences of men they have it from an internall excellency . but we let this go . the second point follows , the excellent of the earth . in whom is all my delight . it is but little that can be done i see , though it were the point i intended most . that that hath been said already makes way abundantly into the heart , that if they be the excellent of the earth , there is cause that we should delight in them . that is the point , that a gracious heart takes great delight in the saints on earth . first in their persons . or secondly in their society , and communion with them . or rather thus ; they take delight in them , severally and jointly . if they look upon any one saint of god , they have deligt in him ▪ but they have more to look on all the saints together jointly ; so they can say their souls delight in them , there is a sweet complacency taken in them jointly . and that is that which i shall speak to at this time ; the delight that is to be taken in the saints jointly together . there is delight in the saints in regard of the sweetnesse of their society and communion with them . for so this delight of david is to be taken in a large sence ; not onely in one particular , because of the good that he saw in their persons : but in regard of all the good he saw in them , and by them in joyning with them take them altogether jointly . all the good that came from them ; so he delighted in them . there is a great deal of delight and contentment to be had in the saints of god , especially jointly . if you look at one sometimes ( though in never so mean a condition ) there is a great deal of delight there . as doctor tayler the martyr , that we read of in the book of martyrs coming to bradford , he professed that it countervailed all his trouble in prison , that he was acquainted with that angel of god iohn bradford , meaning him in particular . and another that professed that he had rather be with cato , ( a heathen ) for his morall excellencies , in prison then with cesar in the senate in all his pomp . to be shut up with one godly man is a great deal of delight and contentment : what a great deal of delight is there then in their being together , and in that way wherein most of their excellencies appear ? such delight is in them jointly . first , because the most comfortable communion that possible can be is enjoyed with them , and in them : for first , is it not a most delightfull thing to see a company of godly people together to behold the resplendent beauty , and glory of the graces of gods spirit ? if there were nothing else , what a delightfull thing is it saith the heart ? the very sight of good men is pleasing and delightfull to those that look upon their faces : wisdome makes their faces shine . the seeing of the resplendent grace of god in them is very delightfull . what is the delight of god , but the seeing of the shining of his glory in his works ? especially when god sees that which is the shining of his highest glory , as his own grace and holinesse , that god delights in most . so when a gracious heart sees his own image , & that grace that god hath wrought in him , he sees it resplendently in others , it is a delightfull object . again , there is a comfortable communion with them in regard of the fragrancie of grace . the beauty of grace is delightfull , but the fragrancy , the breathings of grace , are sweet in the heart . the beholding of it is delightfull to the eye , but the workings of their grace is exceeding sweet , and comfortable to the heart : therefore saith the church , let my beloved go down into the gardens , among the beds of spices to feed in the gardens , and to gather spices . cant. . . all the churches of god in the world are as the garden of christ ; and every particular church in that garden is as a bed of spices ; and every particular saint is as the severall parts of that bed , & especially the fragrant smell is very sweet . it is said of alexander , his very body was of such a constitution , that where ever he went there was a sweet savour came from his body . certainly , where there is but one of gods children , there is sweetnesse from him ; but where there is a company joyntly , there is a wonderfull unspeakable sweetnesse comes from them , it is exceeding comfortable to a gracious heart to be among them . again , their communion is comfortable and delightfull jointly , in regard of the nearnesse ; there being no communion under heaven , wherein there is that nearnesse one to another , as of the saints . observe , ( that you may see how near they come together , and are made one , and so are exceeding delightfull one to another ) any thing the more spirituall they are , the more they are united ; the more corporeall they are , the lesse union . a heap of stones are not united , as the severall beams of the sun , a thousand of them are united in one point , because they are of a spirituall nature . so it is with the spirits of men , the more carnall any men , and any society is , the lesse union : therefore the reason why the people of god many times are divided , and not united is , because they are carnall , are ye not carnall , saith the apostle , when there were divisions ? were you spirituall you would be more united one to another , but carnall men are carnally minded . it is with spirituall society in regard of spirituall union , as it is with the society of wickednesse . there is bodily , fleshly wickednesse , and there is spirituall wickednesse . now those that joyn together in grosse bodily wickednesse , they are not so closely united as those that joyn in spirituall wickednesse . a companion of drunkards or whoremongers , they take delight in one another , and joyn in wickednesse , but it is corporall , therefore they soon fall out , and fly in the faces one of another . but those that joyn in spirituall wickednesse , as politick ambitious men , men that joyn in mischief in a spirituall way , they keep mighty close , and you cannot easily break their bond of union ; they will suffer much before they will discover one another , and break union one with another , because their union is in a way of spirituall wickednesse . so on the contrary , when any are united in the spirit of holinesse , they are mightily united , there is no such union under heaven as that . we read of the curtains of the tabernacle , exod. . there were some of them that were made of purple , & scarlet , and fine linen , and their teaches that held them together were pure gold . there were others of goats hair , and their buckles were brasse . so it may set out the different condition of men in the church : there are some in the church that are truly gracious and godly , that excell in grace ; and they are united by tacks of gold ; their union is mighty strong and glorious in their hearts . there are others in the church , outward professours that are carnall , that are goats hair , goats in the church ; and they maintain a union too , but it is but brasse , the ground and bottome of the union is but mean ; it is not such a golden union , as the union of the hearts of gods people ; there are no people under heaven so united as they . it is true , through their corruption , there is a great deal of dissention ( as there is corruption in the best ) but that is as farre as they are carnall ; the more spirituall they grow , the more near is their union one to another , and the more entire is their love , my beloved is one , saith christ to his church , she is the choice of one of her that bare her , and the daughters saw her and blessed her . there is an onenesse , and intirenesse in the hearts of the saints , and this makes them to be blessed by those that behold them , and makes their communion very delightfull . that is the first particular , their communion is most delightfull of all other communions : therefore david saith , all my delight is in them , taking them together . but then in the second place , a gracious heart must needs delight in the saints , if you take them jointly ; because that when they are together , there god is worshipped : the solemnest worship that god hath is from the saints joyned together . as i told you before that the glory that god had in the world was from them all : but the solemnity of gods worship cannot be but from them jointly together . therefore the great delight of a gracious heart is to be with the saints when they are jointly together : because there the name of god is honoured , and they worship god in a solemne way ; god is honoured among them . christ himself much delights in the saints when they are joyned together in the duties of holy worship , do but compare two texts of scripture , that will both make us in love with the saints , and delight in joynt communion with them . compare psalm . . . with heb. . . the psalme is a prophesie of christ ; and generally all interpreters go this way , that it is so , it appears by the psalme that christ especially is meant : the text saith , i will declare thy name unto my brethren in the middest of the congregation will i praise thee . it is the promise of christ to declare the name of his father to his church and people , and in the middest of the congregation he shall praise god. mark it , in heb. . . the apostle applies it to the saints joyned together , saying , i will declare the name unto my brethren , in the middest of the church , will i sing praise unto thee . this was after christ had been in the flesh , yet the apostle applies this to the church , in the middest of the church , will i sing prayse unto thee . this they gather hence , that christ he delights in being with his people when they are jointly together , because of the solemne worship of god , that is tendered to god by them , and he joynes with them in it as a delightfull work : as they are together to praise god , christ is praising him ; as they worship , christ is worshipping . now every saint of god hath the spirit of christ in him , and so he delights in the society of the saints on this ground , because there is worshipping of god , and god is praised solemnly among them . if there be any place in the world , wherein god hath solemne worship , it cannot be grieve a gracious heart , that he is not with them , for his heart is with them , he delights to be with them , especially in such a work as that ; it grieves him that he cannot be there . it is a note of an interpreter that i have met with upon isaiah . . where the angles cry holy , holy , holy , lord of hosts , the prophet cryes , woe unto me for i am undone , &c. saith he , upon this ground , because he could not joyn with those blessed creatures , and so magnifie , and praise , and worship god ; that he through his sinfulnesse was not able to joyn with them , he cryes , woe is me , i am undone . so when any gracious heart doth but hear , that there is a people in the world that are precious ones , the excellent on earth , that joyn in the worship of god , and honour god in his own way , and enjoy communion with god , and i cannot joyn with them , woe to me that there should be any let or hinderance that i cannot come and joyn with them : for my heart is there , my delight is in the saints when they are jointly together : because gods solemne worship is there . but thirdly , my delight is in the saints jointly , in regard of the wonderfull delight god hath in them . a gracious heart must needs delight in them , because god himself takes so much delight in them : but especially when they are jointly together . there are speciall expressions in scripture of gods taking delight in the saints jointly , as in zephany zeph. . . the lord thy god in the middest of thee is mighty : he will save , he will rejoyce over thee with joy : he will rest in his love , he will joy over thee with singing . what expressions are here of gods delighting in his people ! the lord thy god will rejoyce , he will rejoyce over thee with joy ; he will love , he will rest in his love , and joy , and joy over thee with singing . and in isaiah , you shall find that the church is called hephzibah , gods delight : thou shalt no more be termed , forsaken ; neither shall thy land any more be termed , desolate : but thou shalt be called hephzi bah , and thy land , beulah : for the lord delighteth in thee , and thy land shall be married . isaiah . . it is a wondrous delight that god hath in his saints . there are wonderfull expressions in scripture for the manifesting of gods delight , even to admiration ; especially in the church jointly together . they are such expressions as we could not think or invent : as namely , that he calls his people his portion , his pleasant portion , for the lords portion is his people : iacob is the lot of his inheritance . deut. . . god calls them his inheritance , the lot of his inheritance : ier. . . he calls them the dearly beloved of his soul ; exod. . . he calls them his peculiar treasure . now therefore if ye will obey my voice indeed , and keep my covenant , then ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto me above all people . god hath treasures in the world ; the creatures that are called the good treasures of the lord : deut. . but his people are called his peculiar treasure , there is a particularity : there is another kind of excellency in the people of gods delight , then in all other creatures ; they are his common treasure , but his people are his peculiar treasure . god calls them his glory , i will glorifie the house of my glory , i will place salvation in zion for my glory . isa . . . the crown of his glory , isa . . . he calls them the throne of his glory , isa . . . thou shalt be a crown of glory in the hand of the lord , and a royall diadeem in the hand of thy god. in severall places that i cannot stand on . his glory , the house of his glory , the crown of his glory , the throne of his glory . he calls them the royall diadeem , he calls them his ornament , an ornament set in majesty and glory . there are the expressions , and more i might name of gods delighting in his people . therefore if god delight in them and find satisfaction , much more should we . christs speaks of his church , o my sister , my spouse , my heart is ravished with thee . it is a strange expression , for christ himself to be ravished with his people . it is an expression beseeming the church , to have said so to christ , but for christ to say to the church , it is wonderfull . and again , my love , my dove , my undefiled one , cant. . and at that very time when the church was in a state of security , that christ should call her his love , his dove , his undefiled ; all to expresse the abundance of delight in his people . well if god have such delight in them , much more should the saints . again , if we consider further , the presence of god among his people , it is another argument why the saints of god should take so much delight in other saints , especially when they are joyned together , because god is present there . the lord is here , is the name of all their assemblies , the lord dwells , and hath his tabernacle in sion . it is a strange expression concerning the presence of god , in that he makes his people his habitation . as the people of god call god their habitation : so god calls his church his habitation . god dwells in sion . psal . . would you not delight to keep house with god ? where gods people are , god keeps house : and we should long to have it our own house , and not come as strangers . a man may come as a stranger , and take a bit , and be refreshed in a family ; but it is not his house , but now gods people when they go to others of the saints they see god there , and they have that house for their house . it is called ( as i told you ) the house of his glory ; that house that god desires to dwell in ; he hath a mighty love to that house , to dwell among his people . in psalm . . there are many great and excellent expressions . for the lord hath chosen zion , he hath desired it for his habitation , psal . . , . god desires zion ; what is zion , but onely his saints and people joyned together ? zion was a type of the church : so now all the saints of god together are zion . now god hath a desire to this habitation . god dwells in the high and holy place , the highest heaven is god habitation ; but though god have such a house in heaven , yet he is not ( as it were ) contented with that house , but he desires another house : he hath a desire to zion to be his habitation , and the house where his honour dwelleth . you know a prince may have some houses of meaner regard , when he goes to his sport , he may have a mean house to lodge in for a while : but his pallace where he shews his majestie , and honour , that is more glorious . so the people of god , and the church , is called the house of gods honour , it is not a mean house , but a house of honour . further , it is that house that he means to dwell in for ever , he loves it so well . this is my house , i will dwell in it for ever . i am so well pleased with it , i will rest in it for ever . surely , we have cause to rest our hearts in gods people , when god finds rest there , and for ever . it may be some of you are sometimes acquainted with the people of god , & at the first delight in them : but your hearts being carnall you soon grow weary of them . it is not so with god , he delights in his people , and rests there , and rests there for ever . but you will say , how is god present with his saints more then in other places ; why is god said to dwell among his people , his saints ? i answer , in two regards god is said to dwell among his people in a speciall manner . first , because he makes himself known to his people , more then to all the world besides . there are none that know the counsell and mind of god , so as his saints do . god is known in iudah . psal . . . there god opens himself , in his temple every man speaks of his glory . secondly , because god communicates himself most among his people , god is said to be in heaven . why ? but because there he manifests his glory more then in other places ; therefore heaven is his habitation . if that be his habitation where he manifests himself more , then his people are his habitation , because he manifests himself most there . secondly , heaven is the place of gods residence , because he communicates himself most there : then also gods people are his residence , he communicates himself there . and he communicates himself to them in a speciall manner , in four regards . . he communicates to his people more choise mercies . . he communicates mercies more fully . . he communicates mercies more powerfully . . more universally , then to others . . he communicates goodnesse among his people and saints more choisely , more choise mercies of god. there is a remarkable place in the psalmes , the lord that made heaven and earth blesse thee out of zion . psalm . . ult . he saith not the lord that made heaven and earth blesse thee , either out of heaven or earth , but out of zion , as nothing that the choise mercies that god hath to communicate are out of zion ; among his people joyned together in the way of worship . would you desire that god should blesse you with the chief mercies that he hath ? look upon god as blessing out of zion ; out of zion god communicates his choisest mercies : therefore it concerns all to be in zion , that they may have god to blesse them out of zion ; there runs the sweetest of gods mercies indeed in zion . again , god communicates his mercies more fully among his people then any other way . psalm . . , . how excellent is thy loving kindnesse , o god! therefore the children of men put their trust under the shadow of thy wings . they shall be abundantly satisfied with the fatnesse of thy house , and thou shalt make them drink of the river of thy pleasures . they shall be abundantly satisfied ; how ? not with the creatures , but with the fatnesse of thy house . neither with thy communication to them alone . god hath abundance of mercies for his saints alone : but when they are among the saints jointly together , then they shall be abundantly satisfied with the fatnesse of his house , and he sha●l make them drink of his rivers of pleasures . while they are alone in corners , they may have many sweet drops of pleasure from god , but when they are joyned with the saints , there are rivers of pleasure , and delight that come to their hearts : therefore there is great delight to be had in the saints of god when they are joyned together . thirdly , he communicates them more powerfully , mark , in psal . . . as the dew of hermon , and the dew that descended upon the mountains of zion : for there the lord commanded a blessing , even life for ever more . there was blessing , & the lord commanded it : there went a powerfull work of gods grace upon the hearts of people there , when they were joyned together in zion : there god commanded the blessing . if you would have god speaking powerfully to command a blessing on your souls you must be among his people , you must joyn in a holy fellowship with his people ; there god commands it . in the last place , more universally all the goodnesse of god is communicated among his people , therefore the church is called the perfection of beauty ; psam . . that some translate , the universality of excellency and beauty . there is a universality of all among the church and people of god. and in another place , all my springs are in thee . psam . . speaking of joyning with the people of god , that is , all my springs of truth that are revealed to me ; all the springs of comfort that i have communicated to my soul , all the springs of grace that i have ; to quicken me , they are all in thee in the joynt society and communion with gods people , i find all . thus we see the presence of god among his people in regard of the communication of himself to them , and therefore what a great deal of cause there is to joy , and delight in the saints jointly together . again further there is abundance of cause to delight in them joyned together , in regard of their admirable priviledges as they are joyned together . they have priviledges as they are alone , but as they are joyned they have committed to them the oracles of god , rom. . . all the ordinances by which god conveyes himself . to them are committed the seal of the covenant , you cannot singly have the seal of the covenant , but joyned with the people of god , closing with them . to them is committed the very power of iesus christ : saith the apostle , when ye are together with the power of iesus christ , cor. . . a glorious priviledge . yea , further , take this one thing they are inheritours to all the promises that ever god made to the church from the beginning of the world . there is no society of saints that joyn in christian fellowship , but they are so . see a remarkable place for that in isa . . . no weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper , and every tongue that shall rise against thee in judgement thou shalt condemn : this is the heritage of the servants of the lord , and their righteousness is of me , saith the lord . that promise that god made to the churches before , this is their heritage . and conceive of this one now that is of great use , that all that is said in scripture concerning gods delight to be among his people , and in zion , all were but to type out the excellent condition of gods church in the times of the gospell . the most of the expressions are of gods delight among his people in the time of the law : but know that all those expressions were but meer types , and there is a great deal more in the antitype then in the type : therefore the saints of god joyned under the gospell have abundance more of the glory of god , of the presence of god , and of priviledges , then zion had , or ierusalem could have ; because that was but a type of their happy condition under the time of the gospell . it is an observable place that we have in the hebrews , it is said concerning the state of the church , that the law had but a shadow of good things to come . heb. . . and not the very image of the things . it is not so much as an image : observe , a shadow is not so much as an image ; but an image is not so much as the thing it self : but that was not an image , but a shadow . as a painter that takes an image , he draws first the dark shadow with a cole , there is a great deal of difference between that shadow , and the image in beauty : so much difference there is between all the glory of god in the church in the time of the law , and that glory of god that is among his people in the time of the gospell ▪ we may safely say , there is the like difference between gods manifesting of himself to his people then , and now ; as between a dark shadow drawn with a cole in comparison of an image . but mark , it was but a shadow of the image ; that which we have now is but an image . as there is not so much in a shadow as in the image , so there is not so much in the image as in the thing it self . the presence of god and all his goodnesse to his people , and his glory to his people now , it is but an image to that which shall be ; there shall be another presence of god , another communication , and revelation of god hereafter , in another kind then there is now ; all that we have now is but an image of that which shall be ; all that was in the law was but a shadow of that image : therefore we should have a great deal of delight in the saints . much might be said further , for delighting in them now , because they are those that we shall live for ever with in heaven hereafter . look to the saints especially together , they are those that we shall live eternally together with in heaven , therefore they are those that we should delight in . they are those that we shall be joyned with for ever in everlasting halelujahs , before him that sis upon the throne , and the lamb. look upon any saint , though he be never so mean in gifts and abilities , thou and he shall alway joy in the presence of god in glory . yea to be among gods people is heaven it self ▪ they are not onely those that we shall be with in heaven , but it is heaven . behold , saith the lord , i create a new heaven and a new earth . isa . . . the state of the church is called heaven , for what is there in heaven but is here ? i might shew the resemblance of heaven , and that which is in heaven is here among us , and therefore if heaven be a place to be delighted in , the saints are . therefore have a high esteem of the saints , close with them , and come into as near communion as is possible . if they be so excellent , and to be delighted in , then especially when they are joyned together labour all to come in , and joyn with the saints in the nearest union that is possible , in that fellowship wherein you may ( as near as can be ) have fellowship onely with them , especially that have the appearance of such . the mixture of our communion doth much hinder our delight . cast dirt into the fire , and it will damp it : so the mixture of ungodly ones , their spots and blemishes hinder the delight of gods people one in another . but now to come among those that your hearts may close with , that you have comfortable evidence , that they are not meer talkers of religion and professours at large , but that the image of god is on them , o what closing is there with their hearts , and what admirable good might we enjoy in the communion and society of them . therefore know that it is one of the greatest blessings that you are capable of in this world to have the nearest communion with the saints next to your immediate communion with god himself ; it is that which you should so esteem ; and your hearts should work after . mark that text psalme . . what is said of our joyning with the people of god , how excellent is thy loving kindnesse , wherein appears the excellency ? they shall be satisfied with the fatnesse of thy house . it is a fruit of the excellency of the loving kindnesse of god for people to be of gods house , and to partake of the fatnesse of it . to have abundance of gods creatures , and to have an estate , and friends , it is a fruit of gods kindnesse : but to joyn with gods people in a way of worship and in the nearest union , that is a fruit of the excellent loving kindnesse of god to admiration . how excellent is thy loving kindnesse ? it was so excellent that he was not able to expresse the excellency of it . it is made in scripture to be the proper inheritance even of the elect of god ; to enjoy communion with the people of god , in the type , it is a fruit of the very inheritance of the elect of god ; so as it is opposed to all the vanities of the world . mark what god saith by isaiah , vanity shall take them away , but he that putteth his trust in me shall possesse the land , and shall inherit the holy mountain and shall say , cast ye up , cast ye up , prepare the way , take up the stumbling block out of the way of my people , for thus saith the high and lofty one that inhabiteth eternity , whose name is holy , i dwell in the high and holy place ; with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit , to revive the spirit of the humble , and to revive the heart of the contrite ones . here is a firm inheritance indeed , the saints shall possesse the holy mountain . god dwelleth on high , in the highest heavens , and the saints that are of a contrite and humble spirit with him . do you not perceive a joyfull revolution of the saints , they shall be dwellers with god himself in eternity . iob saith , i shall see my redeemer with these very eyes ; though for a while , they be as it were , closed up in darkness , yet at last they shall be glorified . nay , every part of the bodyes of the saints shall be glorified , christ shall make our vile bodies like his glorious body , saith s. paul. there is no question , but his body is glorified throughout ; there cannot be the least shade of darkness , for he is the sun of righteousness , & so shall all the just , they shall shine as the sun ; every glorified saint by the reflection , not onely of their mind , but if their ocular body upon one another by a mutuall reciprocation of their beams , every one shall shine in every one . the glory of the soul shall transfuse it self , and redound to the body . saint paul in effect speaks as much ; as it is sowen a naturall body , it riseth a spirituall body : as the soul here is swallowed up of the body , to the body as it were shall be swallowed up of the soul , in a word both soul and body shall be turned into glory , and the glory shall be to the saints that are in the earth , and to the excellent in whom is all my delight . finis . the righteous mans refvge . ieremiah . . call unto me , and i will answer thee , and shew thee great & mighty things , which thou knowest not . the prophet ieremiah in this & the foregoing chapter , layes down sundry and eminent mercies that he intends for the good of his elect people ; notwithstanding their provoking of god by their severall relapses & sundry backslidings ; & though their enemies also did threaten them with utter desolation , and that they should be desolate without man , and without inhabitant , and without beast , yet the voice of joy and the voice of gladnesse , the voice of the bridegroom & the voice of the bride , the voice of them that shall say , praise the lord of hosts , for the lord is good ▪ for his mercy endureth for ever ; this voice shall be to the inhabitants of ierusalem . but by what means shall these mercies be bestowed on then ? in this text , he tells them where ever they are afflicted or in any great distresse , call unto me , and i will answer thee . and as christ in the gospell , having the book of the prophet esaias delivered unto him , when he was in the synagogue , read apart of it , then closed the book , and began his sermon to the people ; this day is this scripture fulfilled in your ears , luke . . so may i say of this text , that we have out of this prophecy read unto you . behold this day hath the lord fullfilled this word of his in our ears before our eyes . and therefore is it that we are all here this day met before the lord , that we may witness unto this his good word and promise , call unto me , and i will answer thee , and shew thee great and mighty things , which thou knowest not . in the two last verses of this chapter , the lord promiseth to establish a covenant with david and raise up a deliverance to the seed of iacob , and cause them to return out of their captivities , & he will have mercy on them . that which he saith to his people , he speaks it plainly and openly , i have not spoken in secret , in a dark place of the earth . the heathen gods did speak darkly and ambiguously to their worshippers , that they knew not what to make of their words ; but i have not done so to you , saith god. they would have you worship them , but they cannot help you when you have so done ; it is not so with me , thus saith the lord , if my covenant be not with day and night , and if i have not appointed the ordinances of heaven and earth , then will i cast away the seed of iacob , that is , the church of god , the saints . you will say , why are the people of god called the seed of iacob , rather then the seed of abraham , or the seed of isaac ? the seed of iacob . the reasons may be these two . first , because that all iacobs posterity were the church of god ; all iacobs children the patriarchs , were every one of the church ; all that came from abraham were not so , ishmael was not so ; all that came from isaac were not so , esau was not ; but all iacobs children were : therefore speaking of the people of god , of the church that should be to the end of the world , they are said here to be the seed of iacob , rather then the seed of abraham , or of isaac . then secondly , the seed of iacòb , because the lord is here speaking of the blessing of his seed , namely in the hearing of their prayers . call unto me , and i will answer thee . now because iacob was the most eminent in prayer , ( though abraham and isaac no question were mighty with god in prayer yet , ) the scripture doth not put such an eminency either upon abraham or isaac for prayer as upon iacob . you have the most eminent expression for prayer that ever was spoken of any man , never the like . gen. . . and he said , thy name shall be called no more iacob , but israel : for as a prince hast thou power with god and with men , and hast prevailed . o how eminent was he in prayer . therefore it is rather said , the seed of iacob , then of abraham or isaac . but you will say , then they should rather have been called the seed of israel : for his name of israel was given him upon his prevailing with god. we must not be too inquisitive . these names are used promiscuously . but , this is one reason that is given , and it seemeth to have probability with it . in scripture when god speaks of the church in a low condition , he puts the name of iacob on them rather then israel : fear not , thou worm iacob : and it follows , ye men of israel , isa . . . he puts them in mind of their low condition by this name rather then israel ; fear not thou worm iacob : for before iacobs name was changed , ye know what a low condition , and what streights he was in . so here , the lord speaking of his churches deliverance out of distress , he calls them the seed of iacob , that they might see how by their prayers they were brought from their streights , as iacob was brought from his streights by prayer . when he was iacob before he was israel , he was in great streights : so shall the church be till they seek god. call unto me and i will answer thee , and shew thee great and mighty things which thou knowest not . that is , first , i did require it of them , and my requiring did prevail with them : i did not exhort them to it , or require it , and my words fell to the ground and they did not call unto me ; but what i required of them was effected in them . when god speaks to a people , and they do not what he requires , his word may seem to be slighted , there being no efficacy in his words to prevail . but saith god , call unto mee , and i will answer thee , that is , i called not on my people to call unto me and they went their own way ; but what i spake to them prevailed with them , and in them , and they did that which i required . this is a blessed thing that we do that which the lord requires of us to be done . that is the first observation . secondly , call unto me , and i will answer thee , that is , i did not onely command , but i did promise to answer them . they calling unto me in a right manner , by that way & means which i directed them , i promised to answer their desires , when that they should call unto me . i suppose that the principall scope of the holy ghost is that which the words plainly present to our view ; that we must call upon god , before he will hear and answer our requests . god requires his people to call unto him , and he is pleased to be found of them ; and not onely to answer them , but to do abundantly for them . so then this point ariseth plainly out of the words , when god requires a people to him , he will make it good to them that he will answer them . before i open this point i will give you a scripture or two , one in the old testament , and another in the new , deut. . . for what nation is there so great , who hath god so nigh unto them as the lord our god is in all things that we call upon him for ? here is an experiment of the fruit of calling unto god ; and it is spoken to shew the honour of gods people , the priviledge of the seed of iacob , and the eminent condition they were in . god is nigh to them in all things they call upon him for : therefore they are not required to seek god in vain . so matth. . . and all things whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer , believing , ye shall receive . a very strange expression : here might seem to be a tautologie . one would think that it had been large enough to have said , whatsoever ye shall ask , ye shall receive : but here is , all things whatsoever . we would not speak so in ordinary language . i will give you all things whatsoever . yet it may be , this may be intended , and i believe it is ; and all things , here is the generall promise , that all things that ye ask ye shall receive : and whatsoever , may referre to particulars , every particular thing that ye ask ye shall receive . you will say , any one that understands reason or logick knoweth that particulars are included in the generall . but there is this illogicall reasoning of unbelief ; that though we agree to the premises in generall , yet when we come to particulars , we think they will not be made good to us . i suppose you find your unbelieving hearts so irrationall , that though they believe the generall promise , yet when it comes to particulars , and you cannot but say that such a particular is in the generall , yet your hearts will not come up to it . therefore our saviour saith not onely , all things in generall , but also , whatsoever , in particular . so , jam. . . the effectuall fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much . there is but one word in the originall , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , the working prayer ; but it is translated by two , effectuall , fervent . surely then prayer and seeking of god is the ordinance which he hath appointed for the turning about of the great affairs of the world . t●… is the engine that doth it inwardly ▪ there are indeed a great many outward wheeles used , but the spring of all is within , prayer turns all about . god never made use of any created power so much as of this . he never did such great things by any created power as by the ordinance of prayer . the word is appointed for the converting of souls , but a great part of the blessing of the word dependeth on prayer . in the opening of this point i will first give you some evidences of it ; secondly , shew you what great things prayer will do . thirdly , wherein the efficacy and power of it lyeth . fourthly , the objections of troubled unbelieving spirits against it . and then come to apply all . the evidences hereof are first the many famous records in scripture of the noble and glorious exploits of prayer . if any of you should come to me to ask , as that king did of the prophets servant , . kings . . what great things hath thy master done ? so what great things hath prayer done in the world ? truly we might spend houres and dayes in returning you an answer , a great part of holy scripture being spent in this very argument . and it is a very good exercise for you in the night , when you cannot sleep , or at other times when you are troubled , to do as that king did , esther . . call for the book of the records of prayer . you that read the scriptures , mark what you read . the word of god will tell you how prayer hath stopped the sunne in the firmament , opened heaven , and shut it again , raised from death to life , opened the prison doores , and what not ? secondly , all gods people are able to tell you great stories of what they have gotten by prayer . this poor man cryed , saith david of himself , psalm . . . and the lord heard him . who is it that cannot tell histories of gods gracious dealing with him upon his calling unto him ? to be sure ▪ our nation hath many things to say this way ; and every particular godly soul hath many things to say : they would not lose their income of prayer for all the world . thirdly , surely it is not in vain to call unto god : for there was never any soul that ever would leave off , but would continue as long as he lived seeking him : he would seek his face evermore ; if he had had no answer , he would have left off . when we see a bee stick on a flower , and will not be driven off , or if she be driven off , she will come again , we conclude certainly it finds honey there . so all the saints of god that have ever sought god truly , they would never be beaten off this way . let the world do what it will , persecute them , set spies to watch them in their meetings of prayer , let it punish and imprison them , let all the malice and rage of men be against them , yet they cannot hinder them either from praying in their closets , or from injoying the benefit of the communion of saints in prayer . daniel had rather lose his life then be kept from his prayers , though but for a day : but pray he would , and that openly , yea three times a day , as he was wont ; he would not forbear one time . he did stick to prayer finding honey & sweetnesse in it . oh how unlike are we to daniel , though the performance of this duty was exceeding hazzardable to daniel , yet he would not be deterred from it ; but every light trifle taketh off our hearts . it is not in vain for wicked men to call upon god , though they are not able to seek god as they ought . the prayer of the wicked is abominable , saith solomon . prov. . . that is not to be understood of the prayer of every man that is unregenerate , wickednesse is not so to be taken in that place . for we know that god hath regarded the prayers of men unregenerate . the prayers & fasting of niniveh were regarded of god : the praying & fasting of ahab was regarded of god. god hath granted the wicked some mercies , he hath looked on them as his creatures . though god seeth enough in their prayers to cast them off , yet god hath manifested his regard to them . therefore if it be not in vain for the wicked to call unto the lord , much lesse is it in vain for the seed of iacob , the elect of god , to call unto him . yea , the lord heareth the cry of the very ravens & the beasts , psalme . . and psalme . , , . therefore the people of niniveh would have the beasts eat nothing , that they might cry unto god , ionah . , . surely if the brute beasts and the fouls be heard when they cry , it is good for the people of god , to call unto him . there is very great reason that we should call unto god , because the people of god that have been wise and have conversed with god , and have known much of the mind of god , have given up themselves and all their strength to the duty of prayer . now it were a weak part and an idle thing for any one to give up his strength & all his might to that which in reason we could not expect , and whereby there is no great thing to be obtained . it is said of iehoshaphat . chron. . . that he feared , and set himself to seek the lord. it is translated composuit faciem suam , he set his face , he gave himself up fully to seek the lord. they know what they doe that give up themselves wholly to seek god. indeed carnall hearts condemn the people of god because they see them so earnest in those things that they think to be frivolous : for it argueth weaknesse in any man to give up himself with all his strength to things that are vanity , and have no strength in them . therefore because carnall men look upon the way of religion , as a thing that hath no end , they think it foolish for men to be so earnest to give up their strength & their whole souls for it : but the saints of god know what they do when they give themselves up to seek the lord , they know if they call unto him , he will answer them . again , this is an evidence that there is much advantage by prayer , because men that were wise and holy have so prized the prayers of the saints , and made such high account of them . mark the expression of the apostle , writing to the saints for their prayers . rom. . . now i beseech you , brethren , for the lord iesus christs sake , and for the love of the spirit , that you strive together in prayer with me in your hearts to god for me . the apostle paul , so great a man , and one that had a mighty spirit in prayer , writing to private christians in the church of rome , he beseecheth them for the lords sake , and for the love of the spirit , that they strive in prayer for him : he knew that there was much to be had this way . yea further , god is found of them that sought him not , isaiah , . then surely , the people of god that call upon him , shall receive answer from him . yea yet further , god when he intends to shew no mercy , giveth a streight charge to his people not to pray , or he shutteth up their hearts that they are not able to pray . this is an argument that prayer is prevalent , because when god will not shew mercy , he would not have such a precious thing lost and spent to no purpose . lastly , it is not in vain , because if it should , then a praying heart were not alway a mercy from god : but certainly it is . therefore though perhaps you cannot find the thing granted that you pray for , yet to have a continuall praying heart , know that it is a great mercy from god. and those that are spirituall , prize more the continuance of a praying heart many times , then the granting of the thing they pray for . all these put together are full evidences , that it is not in vain to call unto the lord. there be many other evidences which i passe by one purpose , that i may have as much time as may be for application . but now , wherein doth it appear that it is not in vain to seek the lord ? what doth prayer do ? first , it is not in vain to seek god , if there were nothing else in prayer but the right exercise of the faculties of our souls and of our graces ; this alone were worth our time . the graces of our souls must be exercised about somewhat : now prayer serveth for the exercise of all graces . secondly , it is not in vain if it were nothing but the performance of our duty as creatures to god. there are many people that are weary of prayer , because they have not that by it that they expect : but know that there are two arguments to prayer ; the performance of duty , and the obtaining of mercy : if there were but onely the former , that alone should suffice to keep thee praying as long as thou livest . thirdly , it were not in vain if it were nothing but the tendering that homage and worship that we owe to god. prayer is not onely a duty , but a great part of the worship that god hath in the world . while we are worshipping of god it is worth the time . again , it is not in vain , if there were nothing but this , that we come and shew what side we are of , that we joyn and side with god against his adversaries and for his people . but these are not the things here intended . further , it is not in vain , because there is no faithfull prayer that ever was made but god accepts of it in heaven . there was never one of the seed of iacob , that ever put up a faithfull petition to god , but god took it in his hand and read it . a king or any superiour , when you come with a petition may refuse to take it , but god never refuseth to take any petition from a faithfull soul . therefore saith the psalmist , psal . . . the lord hath heard my supplication , the lord will receive my prayer . he will take it , and look on it , and read it ; and not onely so , but he will also accept it , and take pleasure in it : a prince may take a petition , and look on it , and after frown and shew anger in his countenance ; but god doth not so with the prayers of his people : the prayer of the upright is his delight , prov. . . he never reads a petition that his people tenders , but with a smiling countenance . if it be a faithfull petition , he accepts it of them and receives it graciously . it is an expression of luther speaking of the prayer of a contrite heart , the least sigh of a contrite heart so fills heaven with noise , that there is no noise of any thing in heaven or earth heard at that time , but onely the noise of prayer . certainly a faithfull prayer taketh the heart of god very much , yea every faithfull prayer is recorded in heaven . you keep your letters upon the file , that you may readily find them , when you have occasion to look on such a letter sent from such a countrey : so god hath his file in heaven where all faithfull prayers are kept upon record . as princes have their paper offices , where transaction between one state and another are kept , so the lord hath his prayer-office , where he keeps all the prayers of his saints that ever were put up to him . revel . . . another angel came and stood at the altar , having a golden censer , and there was given him much incense , that he should offer it with the prayers of all saints . where were those prayers of all the saints that he must take a censer and offer incense with ? god had them recorded with him , and now they were to be offered to him . and see what great things follow upon the offering of the prayers of the saints , vers . . the smoak of the incense which came with the prayers of the saints , ascended up before god out of the angels hand . and the angel took the censer , &c. and there were voices , and thunderings , and lightnings , and an earthquake . these followed upon the prayers of the saints . it signified the time wherein all should come in remembrance before the lord , as if an angel were offering , yea , christ the angel of the covenant , hath a time to take the prayers presented long ago , and to offer them to god with his own incense . they are all recorded in heaven , therefore they are not in vain . when a petition is taken and put upon record , the petitioner petitioneth not in vain , his petition is not thrown out . god doth take all the petitions of the saints and recordeth them ; they are all filed up in heaven . yet further , there is no faithfull petition but god puts his fiat to the bottom of it , at the instant that it is put up to him . there is a decree in heaven issued out for mercy , at the very instant that the petition is put up , god dealeth not with us in this kind , as men do who are counted very gracious , if they please to tell us they will consider of our petition : no ; but your petition is presently granted . a petitioner when there is time taken to consider of his petition , trembles and shakes for fear it should not be granted : but the petitions of the saints of god are granted presently . when daniel had been seeking god at the evening sacrifice , an angel comes to him , and tells him , that at the beginning of his prayer there was a decree to grant it , and that he was sent to him at the beginning of his prayer , dan. . . & psa . . . when i cry unto thee , then shall mine enemies turn back : this i know , for god is for me . did not david cry oft , and yet his enemies did not turn their backs when he cryed ? he cryed oft when his enemies prevailed : yet he saith , when i cried then mine enemies turned back : and this i know , why ? for god is for me . the meaning must be this , that at that instant that he cryed , there was a decree in heaven ; the thing was done . he looked on it as done , even as certainly as if he had seen it with his eyes . this is the reason that the saints after they have prayed , though the thing be not actually done , fall to praising and blessing of god. we have a notable example in iehoshaphat , of whom we read . chron. . . that being in a great fear bad set himself to seek the lord , and proclaimed a fast throughout all iudah . he did not seek god slightly , but set himself to seek the lord. and what his prayer was , ye may see from vers . . to . and iehoshaphat said ▪ o lord god of our fathers , art not thou god in heaven , and rulest over all kingdomes ? mark how he pleadeth with god for the covenant he had made , vers . . speaking of the sanctuary they had built for his names sake ; if when evil commeth upon us , as the sword , judgement , or pestilence , or famine , we stand before this house , and in thy presence , ( for thy name is in this house ) and cry unto thee in our affliction , then thou wilt hear and help . he urgeth the promise made to solomon at the dedication of the temple . for that prayer of faith which solomon made , and god accepted , hath the strength of a promise in it . o our god , saith he , wilt thou not judge them ? for we have no might against this great company that cometh against us , neither know we what to do , but our eyes are upon thee . though he profest that his enemies were so many , that he knew not what to do , and that they had no might to resist them , yet after his prayer was done , and before the battell began , when he had consulted with the people , he appointed singers unto the lord , that should praise the beauty of holinesse , as they went out before the army , and to say , praise the lord , for his mercie endureth for ever , vers . . mark : he had not yet gotten the victory , the battell was not fought , yet as soon as he had ended his prayer , he praised the lord for his mercie indureth for ever . he made account that the thing was done : it was decreed in heaven . therefore surely the people of god are answered when they call upon him . nay , it is not onely decreed , but ere long god will satisfie his people , & fill their longing souls with goodnesse , psal . . . a time shall come when they shall they say their prayers are heard , and that they have enough . yea the lord giveth more sometimes then his people mention in their prayer , they ask temporall blessings , and he bestoweth spirituall , yea he giveth them himself , and that is all in all . surely then the prayers of the saints are heard and answered . but wherein lyeth the efficacy of prayer ? what makes prayer so powerfull with god ? one thing is , because god delighteth in mercy , and in communicating himself to the children of men . he taketh more pleasure in doing good , then any can in seeking it ; yea , then any can in enjoying it from him . our hearts cannot be so strongly set to seek for any mercy from god , as he is to communicate mercy to us . who is a god like unto thee , that pardoneth iniquity , and passeth by the transgression of the remnant of his heritage ? he retaineth not his anger for ever , because he delighteth in mercy , mic. . . another thing that rendreth prayer so effectuall , is gods covenant and promise to his people . it was the speech of alchimedes , give me a place to set my engine in , and i will shake the whole earth . let prayer have a sure foundation to set foot on , and it will do mighty things . now the promises are the foundation of prayer , whereof we have great abundance numb . . you shall find abundance of promises to the saints of god , when balaam was brought to curse the people . but in deuter. . there are admirable promises . there is none like unto the god of i●shurun , who rideth upon the heaven in thy help , and on the skie in his excellency . the eternall god is his refuge , and underneath are the everlasting armes : and he shall thrust out the enemy from before thee , and shall say , destroy them . israel then shall dwell in safety alone , the fountain of iacob shall be upon a land of corn and wine , also his heavens shall drop down dew . happy art thou o israel , who is like unto thee , o people saved by the lord , the shield of thy help , and who is that sword of thy excellency , and thine enemies shall be found lyars unto thee , and thou shalt tread upon their high places . here are promises to the saints of god. they shall have all things that are good , and god will manifest himself , especially against his enemies . there must be a mighty efficacy in such a plea , when there are such large promises . so in the . chapt. of this book of isaiah , there are diverse promises for gods people , for the lord will have mercy on iacob , and will yet choose israel and set them in their own land , & the stranger shall be joyned with them , and they shall cleave to the house of iacob , and the people shall take them and bring them to their place : and the house of israel shall possesse them in the land of the lord for servants and handmaids : and they shall take them captives , whose captives they were , and they shall rule over their oppressours . and it shall come to passe that in the day that the lord shall give thee rest from thy sorrow and from thy fear , and from the hard bondage wherein thou wast made to serve , &c. i make no question but some of the people of god have been pleading this promise in prayer where the lord hath promised to have mercy on israel , and to give him rescue from his sorrows , and fears , and hard bondage . it was hard bondage that we were made to serve in , not long ago ; here is a promise that god will give us rest from it ; and upon the pleading of this promise god hath made it good to his people . and in isa . . . there are large promises in that chapter to the saints of god. but thou israel my servant , iacob whom i have chosen , the seed of abraham my friend , thou whom he have taken from the ends of the earth . here are promises for prayer to set foot upon , no marvell if it hath so much power and efficacy . there are divers others , and many things behind of the efficacy of prayer , as it depends upon the promise & covenant that god hath made with his people : for every promise is but a severall branch and expression of the covenant of god : therefore we are to referre them all to the covenant . i will give you but one scripture , ier. . , . therefore fear thou not , o my servant iacob , neither be dismaied o israel : for lo , i will save thee from a far , and thy seed from the land of their captivity , and iacob shall return and be in rest and quiet , and none shall make him afraid . for i am with thee saith the lord , to save thee : though i make a full end of all nations , whither i have scattered thee , yet will i not make a full end of thee : but i will correct thee in measure , and will not leave thee altogether unpunished . there is somewhat that god doth , but yet still he remembers his promise in the middest of affliction , that he will leave nothing of that undone : therefore though his people be under great afflictions , the lord will be good to them according to his promise . now again the lord will regard the prayers of his people ; the efficacy of their prayers depends upon this , because it is gods own work . that which is the work of god is not in vain : god made none of his works in vain . now all their calling upon god , it is from god ; it is gods own work , and a most glorious piece of the work of god. every prayer that comes from the poorest saints of god ; every gracious , and faithfull prayer it is a glorious piece of gods work ; it is a work of the holy ghost , and therefore it is not in vain . again , as their prayers come from god , they seek god from god ; so they seek god for god , they seek the lord for himself . if the people of god seek god onely for corn , and wine , and oyle ; if they did seek him onely for their own ease , and outward liberties , and accommodations , and for the lives of their enemies , perhaps they might seek in vain . no , but when they seek god , they seek god for god , & thence they prevail so much with god , ye ask amisse , that ye may spend it on your lusts . iames . . you pray to god oft to be delivered from enemies , and you think your prayers ( if it be in such a time as this ) they come in vain : no marvell if so you pray that you may have liberty to trade , and deliverance from taxations ; ( these may be sought , ) but the house of iacob seeks god for his name , that that may not be dishonoured , and for his gospell , that that be not taken away , and the power of godlinesse trodden as dirt in the street . when they seek god for god , no question , but god will hear and answer . but the great efficacy of prayer is this , it is part of the purchase of the bloud of christ : that god might hear the prayers of the saints , it comes from the merits of christ , it is a part of his purchase that god should regard them , it is in his name that we pray ; so we are taught . it is by christ that we have accesse to the throne of grace , our priviledge of seeking god is that which christ hath purchased by his bloud . so that our seeking of god is not onely a duty , and beneficiall to us , but it is a high priviledge purchased by the bloud of christ ; by him we have accesse with boldness , the word is , with liberty of speech : liberty of speech is by the bloud of christ , that we may come before the lord , and open our minds fully , certainly there is a great deal of efficacy in prayer . whatsoever our prayers are , as they are from us , though they be vain as they are from us , yet take them as christs purchase , here lies the great efficacy of prayer . think not that the efficacy of prayer lies in earnestnesse , or enlargement : though it be a comfort and an evidence that god enlargeth us by his spirit , ( it is not parts that enlarge , but the spirit ) but the virtue of prayer lies not here : the strength whereby prayer doth great things , it lies in secret , in the purchase of christ . again , christ takes all the prayers of his people , and tenders them up to his father for acceptance . we have a more glorious way of coming to god then adam had in innocency , yea in some respects then the angels themselves , by having such an intercessor that takes all our prayers and carries them to his father . yea , not onely so , but he joins with us to the father . there is a place in the hebrews quoted out of the psalms , that shews that christ praiseth god in the congregation ; it is not onely the saints that praise god but christ himself . heb. . . i will declare thy name unto my brethren , in the middest of the church will i sing praises unto thee . christ in the middest of the church sings praise to god. when people meet to praise god , christ praiseth him . it is a mighty encouragement in praising god. so in prayer , when we meet to seek god christ seeks him : for he is at the right hand of the father , making continuall intercession for the saints ; christ himself joynes with them in the work that their prayers may be heard and answered . again , it is the stile and title that god glories in , to be a god hearing prayer , therefore he will hear and answer . again , prayer is the pouring forth of the spirit to god ; the spirit that is so be beautified with the graces of his own spirit ; now the pouring forth of such a precious spirit to god so beautified , and principled with the graces of the holy ghost , certainly this cannot but be answered by god. indeed , the scripture saith of the heart of the wicked , that it is little worth : let their heart be poured fourh , god doth little mind , or regard it : but the heart of the righteous is much worth ; it is very precious before god : therefore when their hearts are poured out , and god sees the beauty and glory of his graces on them , it is exceeding delightfull to him , and such pouring out of their hearts , are heard and answered . if god have a bottle for all their tears , he hath a bottle also for all their expressions , and pouring out of their hearts in prayer . further , the exceeding delight that god hath in his saints must needs cause god to regard their calling unto him . they are his darlings : now there is no man that loves to deny a suit to any that he delights in . lastly , it were not for the honour of god , that his people should call unto him , and not be answered , nor receive that comfort they pray for . it is reported of titus , though he were a heathen emperour , yet he would not that any man should go sad out of the presence of the prince . god accounts it an honour that none should go sad out of his presence . therefore those are called on to rejoyce that seek the lord. let the hearts of them rejoyce that seek the lord , psalm . . . not onely let the heart of them rejoyce that find the lord , that obtain that they seek , but those that seek the lord , while they are seeking should rejoyce in seeking him . but now i will onely take away that great objection , and reasoning , that is in the hearts of many men against this point , and then come to the application . you tell us that the prayers of gods people are not in vain . but when they call unto him he will answer them , and by gods mercy now and then , we have found some comfortable hearing from heaven : but ordinarily we find it otherwise . how many prayers have we put up to god , and find not the issue ? we pray , and pray , and the enemies prevail , though now and then god give us help . now for the taking away of all unbelieving reasonings against this point , i will not go from the text at this time . therefore the first answer is this : you say you have sought god , and have not what you would have , and therefore god hath not answered when you have called . though perhaps this that you now say is something , yet it makes not the text void . remember what hath been before : heretofore you have sought god , and god had answered your seekings , remember the times of old , let that for the present a little stay you . it was that that stayed the psalmist , he began to reason as you do , that he had sought god without answer , will the lord cast off for ever ? and will he be favourable no more ? is his mercy clean gone for ever ? doth his promise fail for evermore ? &c. psalm , , . here seems to be as much unbelief as in your reasoning , but mark what follows , v. . and i said this is my death : but i will remember the years of the right hand of the most high . o , it is my sinne , and weaknesse that i should reason thus , i consider not what to do when i reason thus : but i will remember the years of the right hand of the most high , vers . . i will remember the works of the lord : sure●y i will remember the wonders of old . v. . i will meditate also of all thy works , and talk of thy doings . thy way o god is in the sanctuary : who is so great a god as our god ? thou art the god that doest wonders , thou hast declared thy strength among the people , v. . thou hast with thine arm redeemed thy people , the sons of iacob and ioseph , v. mark , at length he recovers himself with this , though present things seem to go hard , yet he remembred what god had done ; so do thou in this case . in this book of isaiah , you have a complaint of unbelieving hearts , as if god had been sought in vain . isa . . why sayest thou o iacob , and speakest o israel , my way is hid from the lord , and my judgement is passed over from my god. art thou one of the seed of iacob , and hast sought god and sayest , thou hast had no answer ? god reasons the case , and will confute their unbelief . hast thou not known ? hast thou not heard , that the everlasting god , the lord , the creator of the ends of the earth , fainteth not , neither is weary ? there is no searching of his understanding . he giveth power to the faint , & to them that have no might he increaseth strength . even the youths shall faint and be weary , and the young men shall utterly fall . v. , , , . but they that wait upon the lord shall renew their strength ; they shall mount up with wings as eagles ; they shall run and not be weary and they shall walk & not faint . hath not god done great things heretofore , in . and in the powder plot and at other times ? and though we be in some streights , remember what god did before . this should appease your hearts , what though thou have not present audience for the thing thou seekest : yet think , i deal with a god that hath an understanding that i cannot search . god it may be lets the adversary prevail sometimes , i cannot tell what glory god may get by it , i cannot conceive how god can bring his own glory about when israel flees before the philistines . but why sayest thou so o iacob ? there is no searching of gods understanding , god sees further then thou canst see : that thing that thou thinkest will make against his name may make for it : therefore lay thine hand upon thine heart . he giveth power to the faint , and to them that have no might . god stayes till men have no might , till they faint , and are ready to fail , and then he comes and helps them . that is the meaning of that scripture in luke , where christ saith , god will avenge his elect that cry night and day to him , though he tarry , he will avenge them , he will hear their prayers , he will answer their requests . but it follows upon it , notwithstanding when the sonne of man comes shall he find faith on earth ? i verily think that that want of faith , hath reference to that very promise specially , that god will hear his elect that cry : but god may stay so long , as that the very time when god shall come to perform it , and shall intend to do it , it may be a time when their faith is overcome , and fails in the promise , that they begin to give over , and think they have sought god in vain . and usually the time when god comes to fulfill his promise , and to answer the prayers of his people , it is that very time when they fail and are ready to s●ck . therefore that may be another argument , it may be thou hast not believed this promise . thou sayest thou hast prayed , and thou thinkest thou hast not answer : hast thou believed this promise in the text ? hast thou relyed on it ? god hath commanded it , and hast thou done as he commanded with belief , call unto me and i will answer thee . the word of god shall be made good , but how ? upon our faith : it shall be made good to us upon our believing : though we be never so godly , and pray never so well , yet if we will have the promises made good , it must be upon believing . if thou hast not laid the weight of thy soul on the promise , thou hast no cause to say that god hath not made his word good ; it may be thou hast not faith : learn to believe the word , and then thou shalt have it fulfilled . thou wouldest have it made good , and then thou wouldest believe it ; no , thou must first believe the word , and then expect that god should fulfill his promise . again , god is a great god that we call unto , and it is fit for us to wait , & and to wait long . he is great , and we call for great things , and we are poor , mean , vile wretches . god hath his prerogative sometimes to answer presently , sometimes not so . elias was a great praying man , he is set for an example of prayer ; he prayes at one time for fire to come on the sacrifice , and fire came down presently ; another time he prayed for rain , and then he prayed seven times , and bowed his head between his knees , and sent his servant , and sent him again and again . at one time god comes in at the first , at another time not till the seventh hour ; it is gods prerogative . and take this note ; it is a true sign of a gracious spirit , though god defer , yet still for the soul to cling to god , to think well of god , and of the wayes of god , and of the duty of prayer ; it is an excellent sign , and the ready way to find favour with god. you have sometimes two beggers follow you for alms ; one perhaps hath true need , pure need , and is of a soft tender spirit , the other is a sturdy rugged beggar , you deny them both ; he that hath pure need , and hath a soft tender spirit , he thinks he is unworthy that the other man should be bountifull to him and he falls a weeping : yet he thinks well of the man , and will be ready to beg of him upon another occasion , he hath good thoughts of him . but the sturdy begger rails , & breaks into an angry passionate mood , and he will ask no more ; who of them is like to prevail , the soft spirit that hath an ingenious disposition , or the sturdy spirit that soon breaks off ? thus there are many passionate hearts , that are not froward with men , but with god , they come , and ask mercy of god , but their hearts are stiff , and froward and sturdy , if they have not that they would , they presently break off , and say , why should we wait on god , and cry , it is in vain to seek the lord. but now a gracious , tender , ingenious disposition , though the thing come not that he prayes for , he justifies god in all , and speaks well of god , and well of prayer , and loves that still , and waits on god in that way : this is the soul that is likely to prevail . but further , ( to answer from the text ) it may be thou hast not called unto god , call unto me , saith god. it may be it is somewhat else that thou hast sought in prayer then god : though thou name god in thy prayer , it may be thy heart hath been after creature-helps , and thou hast made more account of the help of the creature , of armies , and strength , thou hast made account that they would do it rather then prayer ; and if there be no help but prayer , thou thinkest it but a dry businesse . a carnall hearted man when he hears of an army of twenty thousand men well clothed and the like , he thinks much may be done , but for the prayers of gods people they think they be nothing . now if thou have sought help by creatures , rather then by god , thou hast not sought god all the while , or if it have been but outward safety , that thou hast sought and not the face of god , thou hast not sought god , seek my face , saith god , psalm . this is the generation of them that seek thy face , o iacob . psalm . . thou seekest not god , without thou seek gods face , without thou seek god for himself . and ordinarily , god is not sought , but thy estate is sought ; and thou cryest out for the danger thou art in . therefore thou hast no cause to say , it is in vain , look to thy prayers , take up thy prayers again . do as the fishermen do ; if they find that there comes nothing up , that they do not catch , they take up their net , it may be there is a hole , a rent in the net . and so the angler , if the fish do not bite he takes up the bait , it may be there is somewhat wanting on the hook . so look to thy prayers , it may be it is not god that thou hast sought , take them up and see what is amisse in them . another answer is this , it may be thy prayers have been vain and therefore no marvell if nothing but vain come of them . surely ; god will not hear vanity , iob . . if there be nothing but vanity , how canst thou expect that god should hear them ? our prayers are ordinarily without form , and void , that is , there is nothing but vanity in them . not that god regards so much the setting of a mans words in form handsomely : for the grones and sighs of the spirit of god are accepted , though they be not methodicall , as the making of a speech to men ; god looks not to that . many pray , and they know not why , but because others do ; but they propound not the true end of prayer . i appeal to thy conscience ; when thou hast gone to pray to god , hast thou propounded this end ? i am going to tender up that worship and homage , that i a poor creature , owe to to the infinite glorious first being of all things : you call your families sometimes to come to prayer , and never think what you do , what you aim at . i and my family are now going to seek the great god in prayer , i am now going to joyn with my father or my master , now that we are altogether in this family to tender up that worship and homage that we poor creatures owe to that infinite glorious first being of all things whereby to testifie our high respect , and esteem of him . now if thy prayer be a customary way of prayer it is vanity , it hath not a right end . it may be thou goest to prayer meerly to satisfie conscience· or some have this by end in prayer , a wicked end , that is , they think to satisfie god for their former sinfull wicked wayes . they take liberty in company to drink and please the flesh , and as they served themselves then , so now they will serve god , and set one against another . sometimes they will give liberty to the flesh to take contentment that way , but they will not alway do so , sometime they will be devout & serve god. there is no man so wicked as to be alwayes in the acts of wickednesse , but they think god must have his turn , and they must have their turn sometimes . and this is the prayer of many people , to put their sins in one scale , and so many devout prayers in the other scale , and the one shall poize the other . this is vanity , this is not the end of prayer . when god doth not see thy expressions filled with the graces of the spirit : this is vanity ; take heed of vain expressions , when there is nothing but nature in prayer ; though there be never so much earnestnesse in prayer , if there be but a naturall spirit it is vanity , we must pray in the spirit as the scripture speaks . and take heed of sluggishnesse in prayer , that makes it vanity . the breath that comes from life in mans body is warm , but the breath that comes from bellows is artificiall and cold , some mens breath in prayer is artificiall and cold , but the prayer that comes from life , is warm breath that comes up to god. again , vanity in prayer is this , when all is eaten out with vain thoughts , thy heart roves in prayer , thou knowest not where thou art , thou canst not call that which thou makest a prayer . a prayer with vain thoughts it like beer , or wine that is dead , and hath lost the spirits . vain thoughts are worms that eat out the strength of a duty : would you present a dish to your superiour that were worm eaten , or that were gnawn on before ? when we let out our thoughts in duties , and present them to god , they are worm-eaten , and torn , the strength of them is quite gone . and after you have prayed , take heed that you make not your prayers vain , by not looking after them , for the accomplishment of them ; or by being proud of your prayers & gifts , by resting in them . and again it is vani●y when thou undoest all as soon as thou hast done , by going contrary to thy prayer in thy life , not adding watchfulnesse to prayer . if a man take pains to weave a web , and spend so many hours in it , and then ravell it out , this man spends his time in vain . so do most people with their prayers , they pray for mercie , and grace , and as soon as they have done they go quite contrarie and ravell and undo all , is not this vanity ? no marvell if thou thinkest it in vain , when there is nothing but vain thoughts in thy prayers . and take heed that you make not the prayers of others vain . luther writes to melancthon angerly , in regard of his fear of the power of his adversaries , saith he . you make our prayers void . so it may be said of many that are cold , and luke-warm , and dead-hearted , and do not take to heart the cause of god ; that fear the displeasure of this bodie , and that bodie ; you make our prayers void . you that have praying friends , it may be fathers , & mothers that are dead whose prayers are put up in heaven , take heed that you make not their prayers void ; that you give them not cause if they should come to live again from the dead to weep and cry out , o how are our prayers made void by the prayers of such and such . but you will say ; lord , what will become of us ? we have abundance of vanitie in our prayers . therefore , that you may not be discouraged , know , that though there be manie vain thoughts in prayer , yet if there be sighing and mourning , and humbling of the soul , and panting of the heart after god in groning , and sighing , & though there be a mixture of vanitie , yet there is a working of the spirit of god , and of grace in the heart after god ; know that the lord will not charge this vanitie on thee , the lord will do away thy sin , therefore let not that discourage thee . the efficacy lies not in the excellencie of thy prayer , but in the merits of christ , and his mediation : onely christ will have somewhat of thy self in thy prayer , he will have thy heart pant , & work after him : but there may be abundance of vanitie , thou drawest a line , and makest a blot , and another line , and another blot , christ draws all fair again , and presents to his father . but another question is this , you say it is vain to pray . can you make good that you are one of the seed of iacob ? this priviledge belongs to them ; it may be you are of the seed of esau . the seed of esau , what is that ? the apostle speaks of esau what his guise was . heb. . . and saith , take heed that none of you be such as esau , lest there be any fornicatour or profane person as esau , who for one morsell of meat sold his birth-right . now if thou prove a fornicatour thou art of the seed of esau , or a profane person ; what is that ? for one morsell of meat he sold his birth-right , that is , to please , and satisfie and content the flesh he sold his birth-right , that was the land of canaan ; & so typified the priviledges of the church of god , and even a type of heaven it was . his birth-right had a spirituall meaning , it had reference to the spirituall priviledges , that the saints of god have to this day in all the ordinances of god. that man or woman that priseth any carnall contentment before spirituall priviledges , they are of the seed of esau , and not of iacob . thou thinkest there is some savour in monie , and in a good trade , and in good chear , and such a day as this november . is better then a fastday , because of the good chear : but for the spirituall duties of this day , to come and magnifie god , and to attend upon his word , thou thinkest they are circumstances , and by matters , and thou art troubled if the sermon be too long to hinder thee of thy dinner ; thou art a prophane esau , all that i have said belongs not to thee , thou dost not belong to iacob but to esau , that preferrest carnall things for the flesh before the spirituall priviledges of the saints . but how shall i know that i am one of the seed of iacob . how do you know such an ones child , but by his likenesse to his father ? one that hath the spirit of iacob is of the seed of iacob . there are manie things that the scripture speaks concerning iacob , and see if you do answer them . first , iacob was a mightie man in prayer , he was a wrestler with god , & he wrestled till the day broke , & was as strong at the last as at the first : hast thou the spirit of thy father iacob ? art thou not discouraged in prayer ? though mercy come not presently , yet dost thou wrestle all night , & resolve whatsoever come , if thou die , thou wilt die wrestling ; here is a child like the father , therefore thou art of the seed of iacob . secondly , iecob was one that feared god , when god appeared to him he looked on the presence of god as dreadfull , how dreadfull is this place ? genesis . because god was there . so dost thou look on the presence of god as dreadfull , that thou canst say the fear of the great god is on thy soul : when thou comest into his presence ? mark , for this is that expression in the psalm , ye that fear the lord praise him , all the seed of iacob glorifie him , and fear him all ye seed of israel , psalm . . . if you will be sure not to seek god in vain , but that you may praise him in seeking him , fear the lord all the seed of iacob . thirdly , iacobs heart was disingaged from the creature , a little of the creature would serve his turn , gen. . lord saith he , if thou wilt give me meat to eat & raiment to put on . he looked no further , he minded no great matters . therefore in ps . . there the generation of iacob is set out , and one thing is , he that hath not lift up his soul to vanity . the men of the world have great things in their eyes , they are vanitie in gods eye , though they be great in theirs , and they lift up their hearts to them . now the sons of iacob do not lift up their hearts to vanitie , though the things of the world be present , their hearts stirre not , they rise not ; but if god and christ , and heavenly things be presented , their hearts are lifted up . if thy heart be lifted up to vanitie , if thy heart be as iron and the vanities of the world come and draw it up , thou art not a son of iacob : a little would serve iacob though he were a great heir , he was a plain man and dwelt in tents , genesis . and had a plain spirit , he did not look after great things ; whereas esau looked after great things abroad . again , he was one of a tender spirit : therefore where it is said he prevailed with the angel , it is said he wept , and made supplication unto him , he found him in bethel , & there he spake with us . that storie of iacob concerns us how god dealt with our father . if now thou have a tender spirit as he had ; if when thou goest into the presence of god thou find thy spirit yield and melt , and relent , thou art one like thy father iacob . again further , iacob did in the time of his streights repair to the covenant , that was a great satisfaction to his heart ; he looked to the covenant , he fastned on that , and there he held as the main support of his spirit . gen. . . and iacob said , o god of my father abraham , and god of my father isaac , the lord which saidst unto me , return unto thy countrey , and to thy kindred , and i will deal well with thee . &c. he heard that esau was coming against him with a great company ; & what doth iacob ? he gets him to god , o god of my father abraham , & of my father isaac , the lord which said unto me return into thy countrey , &c. he repairs to the covenant : remember thy covenant with abraham and isaac , and with me to , i went on thy word . here was the guise of iacob : canst thou in a straight get thee a word , and a promise , and brood thy soul over it , and clasp it close , and say this is the promise that must , and will do me good ? again , iacob was of an humble spirit , i am not worthy of the least of thy mercies . he admired at the mercy of god that he had any thing , & gods mercies made him more humble ; this is an excellent disposition , we are many times humble and lowly when we are under the hand of god in affliction : but when mercies make us humble , that the more god is gracious the more vile we are in our own eyes , this is excellent . and he looked back to his former condition , he looked upon his poor beginning and gives god the glory : i passed over this iordan with my staff ; many of you came with your staff , and god hath given you two bands , you are grown great , are you willing to think of it , and to acknowledge the poor estate that once you were in , and to give god the glorie , i was thus , & thus , of poor parentage , and see how god had dealt with me . another thing remarkable is , that iacob contented himself with god alone , he accounted that he had enough in god alone , though all were taken from him , he did not look upon himself as undone , but he had that that might make him for ever . in gen. . compare the . and . verses , you shall find a notable difference between esau and iacob , yet the word in our books is the same , but this scripture is much wronged by the translation . in vers . . esau when he comes to iacob , when iacob would have given him his present , saith he , what meanest thou by all these droves which i met ? he said these are to find grace in the sight of my lord : and esau said , i have enough my brother . it was a strange speech of esau : a covetous wretch that is alway pyning and murmuring for having no more , and thinks , he shall want before he dye , he doth not come so farre as esau , and esau could say , i have enough , are there not many of you that never say you have enough ? i pray thee take my present saith iacob , for i have all things , nay saith esau , i have enough . the one saith i have enough , the other saith i have all things , for ●o the word is col ; esau had enough , he did not want , he had meat and drink , and he saw none to interrupt him , he was satisfied with his estate , as his portion ; he had enough , he cared for nothing more , they might talk of other things , but that was enough to him . iacob comes , and saith i have enough ; but this was another manner of enough : esaus enough is his estate , but iacobs enough is god , for he saith , i have all , iacob was meaner for his outward condition then esau , for he had nothing but what he had gotten in hard servitude . now esau saith , i have enough : iacob saith , i have all : that is , god is enough in the want of all , if esau should strip him of all he had , yet he had all in god. now one that is of the seed of iacob , in the time of want ( as some of you may be plundered , and then all is gone you say ; ) no , if thou be of the seed of iacob if thou have god thou hast all . there is such a promise , he that overcometh , shall inherit all things . how is that ? and i will be his god , revel . . therefore whatsoever thou wantest if god be thine , if thou be gods child , thou hast all . further , one of the seed of iacob is one of the church of god : for all iacobs posterity was so : therefore the blessing in ruth is , the lord blesse thee like rachel and leah , which two did build up the house of israel . why is it not , the lord blesse thee as rebeccah , or sarah , but as rachel & leah . ( it was a blessing upon a marriage condition ) the reason is , because from rachel and leah , came onely those that were of the church , that were members of the church of god ; but there came others from rebeccah , & of sarah came onely isaac , but abrahams posterity was otherwise . and that church that was then was but a type of that which should be after ; that is of a company of people elected , and called out from the world to be partakers of the priviledges of iesus christ . the people of the iews , the seed of iacob were the church of god , as the seed of such an one . and this typified the church that should be after ; a company that are taken out of the world , to partake of the priviledges of iesus christ . canst thou say that thou art of the church ? the word that we translate church is a company that is called out from the world . canst thou ever tell of a work of god separating thee from the world , that when thou wentest according to the world , god gave thee a mighty call that made a separation between thee and the world ? for it is said so of the seed of iacob , numb . . . from the tops of the rocks i saw him , and from the hills i behold him : lo , the people shall dwell alone , they shall not be reckoned among the nations . all the seed of iacob are called out of the world , they are separated from them by a mighty work of god to partake of christ , and be a member of him . and upon this , such an one mightily longs after all the outward priviledges of the church , to enjoy all the outward ordinances of christ after his way , those that are of the seed of iacob , they prize the excellency of iacob as the greatest excellency , their hearts are towards it , and they rejoyce in that above all the excellency in the world . if you ask what this excellency of iacob is ? it is the joyning of gods people in the way of ordinances , and duties of gods worship in the purity of them . this in scripture is called the excellency of iacob , psal . . . he shall chuse our inheritance for us , the excellency of iacob whom he loved . it is an excellent scripture . o , it is a blessed thing to give all to god , to let god chuse our inheritance . what is our inheritance ? the excellency of iacob whom he loved . what was that ? the worship of god , and his ordinances , joyning with the people of god in the way of his ordinances , in his temple , those were the things that were the ordinances of god in those times ; those are called the excellency of iacob ; and so it is now the excellency of a people to enjoy gods ordinancies . you have another expression to the same purpose . and i will bring forth a seed out of iacob , and out of iudah an inheritour of my mountain , and mine elect shall inherit it , and my servants shall dwell there . isaiah . . what is the mountain of god ? gods ordinances in his church , i will bring a seed out of iacob , and iudah , and they shall inherit my mountain . so that the greatest inheritance of the seed of iacob is the mountain of the lord : communion with the church of god , and his ordinances : if you be of the seed of iacob , your hearts prize , and rejoyce in this , and that you have in psalm . . vers . , , . you shall find how the seed of iacob prize the enjoyment of god in his ordinances . who shall ascend in to the hill of the lord ? who shall stand in his holy place ? he that hath clean hands , and a pure heart ; who hath not lift up his soul unto vanity , nor sworn deceitfully . he shall receive the blessing from the lord , and righteousnesse from the god of his salvation . this is the generation of them that seek him : that seek thy face o iacob . it is so in the book ▪ but the particle o , is not in the originall : and therefore it may be read thus , that seek the face of iacob ; it may be read in the genitive case , as well as in the vocative . this is the generation of them that seek him , even of iacob , and then he turns to god , that seek thy face : but because his heart was full of this , of seeking gods face , ( though he intend to mention what generation it was , the generation of iacob ) he puts in that before , the generation of iacob that seek thy face : that is , this is the generation that so prise god in his ordinances , and account it such a blessing of god ; that joyn themselves to the church of god , and set up his ordinances and wayes ; this is the blessed generation , these are those that seek god truly . we seek not god truly unlesse we seek him in his own wayes , unlesse we seek him in all his ordinances , we cannot comfort our souls that we seek him in truth . for as in the way of obedience , we cannot have comfort in our obedience that it is true , except it be universall to all gods commandments , so we cannot have comfort in our seeking that it is true , except it be in all his ordinances , and wayes : therefore we must be of the generation of them that seek the face of the church , that seek thy face o iacob . so it follows in that place , lift up your heads o ye gates , and be ye lift up ye everlasting doors , that the king of glory may come in . where should the king of glory come but into his church ? who is the king of glory ? the lord , strong and allmighty : still the church is called on to entertain christ in his glory , so this is spoken of the church . thus you may know , whether you be of the seed of iacob . again , if you be the seed of iacob you have the inheritance of iacob , & account it your inheritance . what was iacobs inheritance ? deuter. . . the lord came from sinai and from his right hand came a fiery law . the law of god is a fiery law ; yet in verse . moses commanded us a law , even the inheritance of the congregation of iacob . so that though the law be a fiery law , a strict law , a severe law , yet it is the inheritance of the congregation of iacob . if you be of the congregation of iacob you account the law of god to be part of your inheritance : not onely to be that which you are bound to , that you must obey whether you will or no , but you rejoyce in the law of god as your inheritance . for my part i know not a more sure note of a gracious heart then this ; one that rejoyceth in gods law as his inheritance : as you know what expressions david hath , he rejoyced in it more then in gold and silver , more then in the honey , and the honey-comb . it is one thing to obey gods law , and another to rejoyce in it as an inheritance . if thou be of the seed of iacob , thou hast the inheritance of the seed of jacob . another is , he that is of the seed of iacob is faithfull in the place that god hath set him . iacob in serving of laban , gen. . . though he were churlish , he professeth that withall his power he served his father . it is an excellent text for servants ; you would fain have time to seek god , and god forbid , but there should be some time allowed the poorest and meanest servant to seek god alone . but art thou of the seed of iacob ? then be like him in this , to serve with all , thy power , though thou have a froward master or mistris , as laban was , though they use you hardly , yet shew godlinesse in that relation . and for servants to seem godly , he must go hear , this sermon , this man , and the other man , and be very earnest : ( i blame them not for loving the word and desiring it : but for servants to be earnest in hearing the word , & injoying the ordinances , and crying out against superstition , and antichristianisme , & yet be sluggish , and unfaithfull in their service , and so as to give just offence to their governours , it is a dishonour . shew your godlinesse in your relation : certainly there is no man or woman godly , but those that are so in the relations and places that they are set in : therefore manifest your selves thus to be the seed of iacob . again , the seed of iacob is a taught seed , god teacheth them , psal . . . he hath not dealt so with other nations , he gave his law to iacob , and his word to israel . so in deut. . . levi is appointed to teach iacob . there is never a one of the seed of iacob that is ignorant , that is a fool in matters of religion , he is taught . and then , one of the seed of iacob , is one that hath a care of his family : so we read of iacob , gen. . . god said to iacob , arise , go up to bethel , and dwell there , and make there an altar unto god that appeared unto thee when thou fleddest from the face of esau thy brother . then said iacob to his houshold and to all that were with him , put away the strange gods that are among you , and be clean , &c. when he was to go into gods presence , he laboured to reform his family . when god calls you to fast dayes , and to the sacrament , do you cleanse your families , do you look what evills are in your families , and put out your power to cleanse them ? but there is one more that i may not omit , that is , iacob , when he was to die , though he himself was to go the way of all flesh , yet this was his great comfort and the comfort of those that he left behind , that god would make good his word to his church and people , gen. . . and israel said to ioseph , behold , i die , but god will visit you , and bring you again to the land of your fathers . behold i die , but i die in faith of the promise : because i am taken away shall i think the promise shall be of no effect ? no ; god shall bring you to the land of your fathers . now when god shall cast you on your sick beds can you say , behold i die ; but go you on , god will make good his word , i die in faith that it shall go well with the churches of god : there will be a time when they shall get the victory , when christ shall reign , and the saints shall be delivered from their oppressours ? here was the spirit of iacob : if you be such a seed of iacob you shall not seek gods face in vain , but when you call unto him , he will answer you . but you will say , it is true , some men may call unto god , and he will hear him , but i am a poor contemptible and wretched creature , and if i do call unto him , he will not hear nor answer me . that place in the psalm fully answers any objection against our poverty , or the poverty of our prayers , psalm . . . he will regard the prayer of the destitute , and will not despise their prayers . the prayer of the destitute , the word signifies a poor shrub in the wildernesse , a contemptible shrub , that is trodden on by the feet of beasts , and none regards it ; god regards such prayers . if i could make an excellent prayer it were somewhat : no , he doth not despise thy prayer . it may be thy prayer is such as thou despisest , & that others would despise , but god will not despise it . but this was spoken perhaps to some in those times . mark what follows ; this shall be written for the generation to come . this scripture , this promise of god , it is written for the generations to come . and the people that shall be created shall praise the lord. we that were not made then , but were created since , let us praise the lord for this scripture , that god will regard the prayers of poor shrubs , and not despise them . but they are great things that i stand in need of , and it may be in vain for me to pray for such great things at gods hands ; perhaps if i did pray for ordinary things there might be hope , but i am to pray for great things , mercies for the church and for the kingdom , & people of god ; is it not in vain for such a poor wretch as i to pray for such great things ? we may think that the things we pray for at gods hands are too great for us to beg , but they are not too great for god to give . it is observed of perilla , when alexander would have him ask a dowrie for his daughter ; alexander presently promised him . talents ; it is too much saith he , . talents are sufficient ; alexander answered him , if it be too great for you to ask , it is not too great for me to give . god loves that his people should ask great things of him : yea he loves that the poorest , and meanest of his people should ask him great things ; and therefore he sayes in this text , call unto me & i will answer thee , and shew thee great and mighty things . this is a promise to every one of the seed of iacob . but when i pray in the time of affliction , and gods hand is on me , will it not be in vain to call unto him then ? it is true ; to neglect god in former times , and then to pray onely in affliction , it is a dangerous condition : but this temptation comes upon such as have sought god before . i , now you seek god , but this is in your affliction , and will god regard you now ? i speak it onely to comfort such as are carefull to seek god in the time of their health : yet if thou hast been negligent ; it is possible that god should regard thee in the time of affliction . ionah prayed , and said , i prayed and cryed by reason of mine affliction to the lord , and he heard me , ionah . . but suppose it be affliction for sin : for so the objection may arise . it is true , if i did call unto god in the time of affliction that god did send for tryall , it may be god would hear me : but suppose gods hand be on me for sin , will god hear my prayers ? that one notable example of david may help the people of god against such a temptation : gods hand was on him for his sin , when he fled before absolom , god threatned that warre should not depart from his house : yet david then prayed against that wicked politition , and counsellour , that the lord would turn his counsell to folly ; and god heard davids prayer in his affliction that was for sinne , and the lord turned the counsell of achitophel to folly . let us not be discouraged though polititians work never so craftily ; though gods hand be on us , and we have conscience accusing us , and say , i this is for your sins that god leaves you thus in the hands of your enemies , that god gives them such power ; that they find such favour with the prince as they do , though this be for our sins , yet let us seek to god to turn the counsell of achitopell to folly . it shall not be , nor hath not been in vain , we have found it so , that in our affliction , and affliction for sin , yet crying to god to turn the counsell of achitophel to folly , god hath done so graciously , & hath incouraged us more and more to cry and call unto him for that end . but what need i seek to god , god hath decreed and determined what he will do , what god intends to do , he hath decreed from eternity , therefore whether we pray or no it shall come to passe , if we do not pray it shall come to passe . if god have intended to deliver me out of a sicknesse , it shall be done whether i pray or no ; & when any ones time is come they shall die ; and so when the time of a kingdome is come it shall be destroyed , and not till then ; therefore what good can prayer do ? though i suppose you cannot but be satisfied , and think that this objection hath little weight , yet for answer , i will give you a scripture or two , psalm . . i will declare the decree , the decree of god concerning the advancement of christ in his resurrection , and so of the successe of the work of christs mediation . i will declare the decree , the lord hath said thou art my son this day have i begotten thee : ask of me , and i will give thee the heathen for thine inheritance , and the utmost parts of the earth for thy possession . gods giving of christ the heathen for his inheritance , and the utmost parts of the earth for his possession ; it was decreed of god , yet christ must ask it of his father notwithstanding gods decree . and another text remarkable is in the prophesie of daniel , where the text saith dan. . . in the first year of his reign , i daniel understood by books , the number of the years whereof the word of the lord came to ieremiah the prophet , that he would accomplish . years in the desolation of ierusalem . and i set my face unto the lord god to seek by prayer and supplications . mark , daniel understood by books what god had determined concerning ierusalem ; what need daniel go further , he knew gods mind what he would do whether he did pray or no ? but mark , vers . . i set my face to seek the lord. after he knew what god had decreed , and what he would do , and what he had promised . now we know not gods decree : but if we did certainly know the decree of god in shewing mercy to the land , yet it could no way hinder us , but encourage us to set our faces to seek the lord , and to seek him more earnestly : therefore that is a vain objection . again , it is not in vain to call unto the lord , if we examine all we have had already : though we have not all we would have , yet if we consider the supporting mercies , the preventing mercies , and the guiding mercies that god hath granted us , we shall find that it is not in vain that we have sought him . there are abundance of mercies that thou hast had already . it is an evill thing to complain of gods grace , when god hath bestowed such mercies . thou thinkest thou hast nothing , because thou hast not all thou wouldest have ; as a froward child because it hath not every thing to its mind casts away all . god hath been exceeding gracious to us ; other souls would have adored god , and have blessed him with their faces to the ground , if they had had but the hundred part of those mercies that we have ; yet because we have not all we desire , we are ready to think it is in vain . o let us take heed of dishonouring the grace of god. again , further thou thinkest it is in vain , because god sometimes denies in granting , and grants in denying . many times god grants that we pray for in denying it , and denies that we pray for in granting it : our denyals are grants to us . wo to us , if all were granted to us that we pray for . much good may be gotten out of gods denyalls : and god denyes us to do us good , and to prepare us for mercies : therefore it is not in vain that thou hast fought god , because it is not in vain that thou art denyed . but further , it may be god delights more in thy praying , then in thy praising voice , therefore though thou have not that thou hast sought for , give leave to god to delight in thee which way he pleaseth . there is the praying , and the praising voice of gods people , thou delightest that god should hear thy praising voice , it may be god delights to hear thy praying voice , and it may be he should not if thou haddest what thou wouldest have . saith god to the church , let me hear thy voice , for it is sweet . there is no man that will think the king denies his petition , as long as the king loves to read it . if one present a petition to the king , he doth not say he will presently do it : but if he read it , and when he hath read it , calls for it again , and again , will any man think it in vain that he hath put up that petition ? as long as the king hears it , and delights to read it , it is not in vain . so , as long as god loves to hear thy voice , and to read thy petition it is not in vain . as for thy praising voice , god shall have enough of that in heaven , but he shall have none of thy praying voice : therefore why shouldest thou not be willing that god should have more of thy praying voice here ? all that ever god shall have of thy praying voice it is in this worln , and after a little time god shall never hear us pray more . therefore let us be willing to go on , and continue in prayer , and not to wonder why god keeps us on in a way of praying , because all the time that ever god shall have to delight himself in the praying voice of his people it is in this world : and for our praising voice , we would fain spend all our dayes in praising god for his mercies , but that is reserved for another world . further , it may be gods way to stay till he bring a great deal of mercy together , and not by bitts and drops . as when men deal with great merchants , they expect not to have payments , by six pences or shillings or crowns at once : but though there be two or three or ten pounds due , they stand not on that , but stay for a greater summe . now little traders that deal by retail , they take it in by pence , and little summes , christians that are to deal with god , they deal for great things , and there are great transactions between god and a gracious heart : therefore think not much that god stayes with a greater summe . for as god deals with the wicked in the way of justice , so he deals with godly men in a way of mercy . he lets wicked men go on a great while , he comes not to judgement for sin , but stayes till all come together , till a great summe of wrath and judgement come together . so he deals with the saints he comes not with lesse mercies , but he stayes till abundance come , and when gods time is come mercies will come to the full indeed . further , it may be god hath so much mercy that thou hast not a vessell capable of it . onely know that heaven , and earth and all are working for thee . is the plowing , and the sowing of the husbandman , and all the showers in vain ; because the corn is not in the barn ? we account it not so : so we must not account our prayers lost , because the thing we pray for is not presently graunted and owe prayers answered . now for application . first , if it be so , that god saith , call upon me , and i will answer thee , certainly there are great things for the church to build on : god is to do marvelous things for his people in these latter dayes . why ? because all the saints from the beginning of the world have been seeking god , not onely for their own times but for the church to this very day : all their prayers are upon the fyle , and must be answered one day . o what a glorious harvest will it be ! blessed are they that shall live to partake of it . we have a little , but certainly , there are glorious things for the church ; because everie prayer shall be answered . secondly , you that are the saints of god , know your honour , though you be never so poor otherwise , god hath given you that which makes you rich : you have the key of heaven , you may open the treasures in heaven , and it shall never be in vain . gods people are such as are exceeding honourable in the eyes of god , and in this regard that they have credit in heaven , that their prayers shall be heard and answered . bathsheba saith to solomon , king. . . i desire one petition of thee , i pray thee , say me not nay , it is translated by some , ne confundas faciam , confound not my face . indeed , the denying of a petition , it is a dishonour , and a confounding of the face : but god will not confound the faces of his people . o , here see your priviledge , and your riches , all the prayers that you have made in your life time they are all trading in heaven , they are not lost . if a man have ventured a stock abroad to the indies , and do not hear of it in a great while , he thinks it is lost & gone : but if he hear certain news that all his stock is safe , & in the place where he would have it , and those that are there faithfully improve his stock , he is revived by this , it rejoyceth his spirit , and he can say blessed be god ; i hope to be a rich man for all this . i say to thee be of good comfort thy stock is not lost , it is trading in heaven , and everie prayer that thou hast put up is there . we should account our prayers as riches , as adventures sent to heaven , and not as children that shoot arrows and do not mind them . and then learn this , it is a great priviledge to have a praying friend , a praying companion . manie of you love friends that are delightfull , of a cheerly nature , and merry ; but are they praying ones : praying friends are the speciall friends : because prayer can prevail with god. to have a friend in the court , that can obtain any petition , we think it a priviledge ; to have one great friend in heaven is a great priviledge . many people when they lie on their sick beds , they send to such and such to pray for them : why do they not send to their companions , that they did drink with , and swear with , to pray for them ? o , they dare not . here is enough to convince anie mans conscience , who are the best men , whatsoever they say . suppose thy condition were thus , that thou diddest lie on thy death-bed , and thy life did depend upon the prayers of four or five men . if god should speak thus from heaven , thou art at the brink of destruction , onely this favour thou shalt find ; thou shalt have leave to choose where thou wilt four or five men to pray for thee , and according as they pray so it shall be with thee ; thou hast liberty to choose through the world whom thou wilt . i appeal , would a drunkard choose four or five drunkards , or a swearer choose swearers , or unclean ones that they most delighted in all their life time ? if all should depend upon it thou wouldest not choose such ; therefore thou art convinced in thy conscience , thou knowest that those are not precious in gods eyes , ( however thy lust have prevailed ) but that the other are better men , that are gracious and have more credit in heaven . learn to prise praying friends , that can prevail with god. and let us set the crown upon prayers head , in the mercies we have from god , in publick mercies , and private deliverances of friends ; attribute it not to second means , to fortune and chance , take heed of denying god his glorie . it is a sign of a carnall spirit , when god hath glorified himself in answering the prayers of his people , to attribute it to any other means . as i remember , i read of the porphirian atheists , that followed the atheisme of porphyrie , they darkned the work of god in delivering the children of israel out of egypt thorough the red sea . they say that moses had learned of the egyptians , and they were great astronomers : and moses knew when it would be a low tyde , and what constellations there would be at that time , and that the tyde would prove low then , more then ever in the age of man , and moses took the nick of time , end lead them through the sea . thus atheists would darken the works of god , & put them of to naturall causes . so i find it related of the old prophet in ieroboams time ; iosephus hath it related of him , he sent to ieroboam to stretch out his hand , he tells us that this was by accident , he was wearied all the day long , and now he had the palsie , and after it was restored again ; that which was done by prayer , he would have it by naturall means . iust thus it is , when god hath so magnified his mercy to england , and wrought such wonders yet manie carnall atheisticall spirits , say this was an accidentall thing , and the policie of such men brought it to passe , they attribute all to naturall causes , it is a sign of wretched profane heart : for if god ever magnified prayer he hath done it in these dayes . there are or scriptures that since the world began were never more magnified , then by gods working at this day . one is in exodus . in the thing wherein they dealt proudly , god was above them . never since the world began was that more fulfilled . a second is that in the . psalme , the wicked are snared in the work of their own hands . if ever there were a fulfilling of that scripture since the beginning of the world , it is as this day . a third is this in the text. i said not to the seed of iacob ; seek ye my face in vain . god ( as i said ) hath raised a spirit of prayer among the seed of iacob more then ever any in the world knew ; there was never the like spirit of prayer raised , nor never the like things done for prayer . and the lord the rather honoured the ordinance of prayer now , because men so dishonoured it before and persecuted it , that the people of god could not meet and assemble to fast and pray , but presently it was a conventicle , and they were persecuted as factious people . because god saw this way despised , he hath honoured it , and the former , and the latter mercies that we have received , we are to attribute to the goodnesse of god by prayer , they were obtained by prayer . let us still be incouraged to call unto god for what we would have : for god hath said , call upon me and i will answer thee . there are many of us now that can do little else : if god have delivered you from sicknesse , and other evils , know that god hath delivered you to pray , the lesse you can do otherwise , the more you should do in prayer . i have read of a heathen , nu●a pompylius , that he would never go about any thing but he would go to the temple and pray : you that are instruments intrusted with our lives , and liberties , you had need to pray much , go into your closets and sanctifie all your thoughts and resolutions by prayer , that your help and assistance may not be in vain to us . and all others had need to assist you in seeking god in prayer . this incouragement we have , that there is not any of us that seek god alone , but we joyn with thousands : why should our place be found empty ? why should not our prayers joyn with the rest ? we shall meet manie prayers in heaven ; the prayers of our forefathers ; the prayers of those that are dead and gone that did not live to enjoy the fruit of their prayers , yet when we pray for mercies our prayers meet with theirs in heaven : therefore let us be incouraged to call unto the lord. and if mercies should come , what a daunting would this be to our hearts , that mercies are come , but we have not sought them ? and if mercies come not , conscience will flie in our face that we have been sensuall , carnall creatures , and it is for our neglect of calling unto god , that god hath denied us the mercies that we expected . and then it should be a use of rebuke to those that begin to seek god , and continue not . o wretch , why hast thou left ? whether wilt thou go ? is it in vain to serve the lord ? certainly thou wert never acquainted with god and his wayes ; thou wilt find it a dreadfull change , when it shall appear that thou had left god the fountain of living water , and hast sought after vanitie , and forsaken thine own mercy . but the main of all should have been for the applying of it to the present occasion . the lord hath made good his word this day , call unto me , and i will answer thee· this day testifies it to be true that they are great things that prayer hath done . i have heard manie years ago by credible testimonie , that on this fifth of november , when we had such a great mercie so manie years ago , that verie day it was known , that a great manie godly people in the citie kept in fasting and prayer , so as it was eminently known and delivered from hand to hand of them in the city at that time , and you know what god did . but what hath he done of late ? if our fathers should rise out of their graves , and we should tell them that now the high commission ( that they were so troubled with ) is down ; that there shall be no more star-chamber , that cutting off of ears is gone , they would wonder how this should come to passe . and whereas parliaments were wont to be snapped in sunder , that this parliament is to continue by as firm an act as any thing in the land is made by . and for oppressours , all the courts and bishops chanceries , they are down , and gone , god hath extirpated them : they were first cast out of the house , and now out of the kingdome . and though an armie did rise and seek to bring us into slaverie , yet god hath given us victory ( though some have suffered hardly ) and brought the adversaries very low to surrender their towns , and castles and arms . and here we are to rejoyce in god , and to blesse him for all . if many of our ancestours should rise , and hear what we speak , how we hold up our hands and blesse god , with what hearts would they joyn in the praising of god , and wonder that ever such things should be done ! let not the grace of god be in vain , as god hath not said to us , seek my face in vain . what use shall we make of it ? let us give him reall praise , and not onely come to repeat it , and tell god of it , but make his praise glorious , put a glorie on it ; and then we do it , when we make a right use of his mercies , when we receive not his mercies in vain . what is to make use of the memoriall we celebrate ? first , the remembrance of these mercies must humble us ; that is a sweet humbling ; it is better to be melted by the beams of the sunne , then by the scorching of the fire . you will say , humbled , for what ? there are three things that we have cause to be humbled for , upon the consideration of the mercy of god towards us , first , the sinne of unbelief , consider , when we were straitned at any time , when we heard ill news , that our armies fled , and came to danger , how our spirits were down as if all were gone . let us check our hearts , god rebuked us in a kindly manner , we might have had a furious rebuke . secondly , be humbled for all our murmuring and repining , and discontent , o we did not think that the wars would have held so long , and o what taxations are upon us , and all our estates rent away ? and how manie are there that had rather that all the good that god hath done for his people since these times should never have been done , then that they should suffer in their outward estates . be rebuked for all your murmuring and repyning at such difficulties as you have met with in the great cause of god. the third thing that this mercy should make us humbled for , & look back to , is that if ever there have risen this thought in any of our hearts , that it had been better for me if i had never appeared so much . i see how things are like to be , the enemie prevails and is like to overrun all : had it not been better that i had not ingaged my self so much ? that i had not appeared so much ? are they not wiser men that have kept themselves quiet and silent , and done as little as they could , nothing but what they have been forced to ? and when the kings party come , if they tax us , they can do no more then force us . if thou have such a thought , pray to god to forgive that thought : let this that god hath done rebuke thee . art thou sorry for what thou hast done ? thou seest god will do it without thee . if thou have been a publick instrument , and hast done good and yet if in fear of successe thou hast repented ? god rebukes thee this day . then labour to love prayer as long as you live , as david saith , i will call upon god as long as ever live . prayer casts the scals , and hath the advantage . first , the other side they feared not to suffer much if they were overcome ; they think they have a head and they would be where he was , and he would countenance them , & make good their condition for them , but this side if they had been overcome , they had been men utterly undone : what a mighty advantage was there one way more then another ? then the kings side if he had prevailed he had places of dignitie to bestow ; if the parliaments side prevail , we are but where we were , we do but maintain our own , we cannot expect to raise our condition . but how many broken gentry expected to raise their condition on the other side ? as it is said concerning the pope , and the generall counsell ; the pope prevailed , notwithstanding the generall councell , though that were above him , why ? the pope had cardinall ships , and deaneries to bestow but the councell had none ; they had the advantage that way . again , those that appeared on the one side how were they discouraged extraordinarily ? on the other side they were incouraged to the utmost . on the one side how unfaithfull have they been ? on the other side they have kept to their principles , because their principles are suitable to the flesh : but there are many on this side that have not gracious principles and had a publick cause , therefore they have been unfaithfull . we have use of men that have not principles to act by , but all the other go according to their own principles . the one part acts that they may gratifie mens lusts ; now the generality of the world love it ; they know if the one partie prevail they shall have liberty , and licensciousness , but if the other prevail they shall live under laws . now men would have their lusts ; therefore when they see on the one side they shall have their lusts , and on the other side they shall be more curbed , they strive hard for their lusts . at the first i wondred that men should be so vile to fight to make themselves slaves : but when i considered , they shall have slaves under them , and have their lusts , and the other side be more curbed , then i was satisfied , and wondered that god should cast the scale the other way , they having all the advantages in a carnall way more then the other . only here it is , we have people that have prayed , and this hath cast the scale . love prayer , and praying people , and joyn with them , be on their side , for god is with them , and will not suffer them to pray in vain : a praying christian is a usefull christian in the world . again , make this use of all that hath been done . look how far thou thinkest the adversaries would have been hardned if they had prevailed against the cause of god , be thou so much the more resolute in the cause of god. if they had prevailed how would they have blasphemed ? and manie thousands of atheist ; would have been made more then there was before : what a mightie offence , and stumbling block would this have been ? now since god hath turned it the other way , justifie god and his cause ; settle your hearts in the love of god , and his cause , and settle your selves more strongly in the reformation in hand . further , let us give him reall praise , that we may not receive the grace of god in vain . by this grace we hope that he hath given us our estates that we were afraid would have been rent from us ; we have the continuance of our liberties , and of the gospell . let our hearts be ingaged to god to give up our estates this day ; let us renew our ingagements to god in secret , between god and our souls . lord thou mightest have taken away my estate by the spoylers , it was near it ; and thou hast done it to other of my brethren , and is mine continued ! that estate that should have been spent for their lusts , i am resolved to spend it in thy service that hast preserved it ; and i account it a great mercie that i have an estate to honour thy name , i feared i should not . god expects , that ever henceforward you make a more holy use of your estates then before . and call your hearts to question , what do i do with my estate for god ? what honour hath god from my estate more then before ? god expects more , or else god may justly say , in vain have i preserved this wretched estate : there are manie of my servants , if i had preserved their estates , they would have improved them in the towns and places they lived in , and here is a wretch i have preserved his estate , and he is more greedy and scrapes up for himself , and all his thought is , how to repair what he hath lost by taxations , &c. the lord may repent of what he hath done , and the curse of god may follow such a mans estate . take heed , know that there is an ingagement after this time . and so for the libertie of the gospell , god expects that you should prise the gospell more then ever . lord , we were afraid the gospell would have been gone , if thou hadst given us up into the hands of our enemies , and our eyes should not have seen their teachers ; we should not have heard things that refresh our hearts ; shall we have the gospell , and hope that our posterity shall have it ? we hope that we shall never provoke thee as we have done heretofore to take it away . a man that hath been in danger to loose his estate , and hath recovered it , will be carefull after . our slighting of the gospell because we had it so ordinarie might have caused god to take it from us ; and hath god restored it ? let us take heed we provoke not god now , but attend upon the word more then ever we did . lastly , doth god say to us , call upon me , and i will answer thee , then when god seeks us , let us be found of him . there is all the reason for it in the world . if god be so gracious to poor base worms , sinfull creatures , that if we do but chatter , our prayers are answered : is it not reason when god calls upon us , that we should call upon him ? when god calls out of his word to perform such , and such duties , god seeks thee ; then make use of this text , i have called upon god , and he hath answered my requests . and now i go to hear the word , and out of the word he calls unto me , and seeks me , let me say , lord what sayest thou to thy servant ? the lord is ready to hear your call , be you ready to receive his answer , and go on , go on with encouragement , the lord hath incouraged us this day . and let all your prayers and indeavours break through all difficulties , and the lords mercy shall break through all oppositions : for he hath said , call unto me , and i will answer thee , and shew thee great and mighty things , which thou knowest not . finis . these books are lately printed for francis eglesfield at the marigold in st. paul's church-yard . the leaper cleansed , or the return of richard bellamy of tiverton in devon , from anabaptisme to the truth , wherein their wiles to deceive are also laid open . . treatises . first , the young mans memento . second , now if ever . third , the danger of being almost a christian : published by iohn chishull , minister of gods word at tiverton in devon. these books following are now in the press . mr. david dickson his excellent expositon on all st. paul's epistles lately translated into english , and printing in fol. a new vol. of dr. prestons , never before published . choice and rare experiments both in physick and chirurgery , with variety of excellent receits , for any distemper of the body never before published , discovered by the elaborate pains and industry of mr. tho. collins , practitioner of physick , near the city of glocester . notes, typically marginal, from the original text notes for div a -e verse . verse . verse . the words opened . . psal . . doct. . sam. . . sam. . . sam. . . sam. . . sam. . . sam. . . sam. . & . chapters . . genes . . . chron. . . . genes . . . luke . why god gives any thing to wicked men . . ezekiel . . . aug. de civitate dei . book . chap. luther in g●nes . . isaiah . the portion of the wicked is confined to this life . ierem. . . revel . . . dan. . vse . corinth . . . vse . . acts . . iohn . . iudges . . genes . . . numbers . . . philip. . kings . . . kings . . ● ● rom. . . vse . what poor things worldly men strive for . . acts. . proverbs . . iob . . hebr. luther . . psal . . matth. . . iob . . signes of a man whose portion is in this world . . ierem. . iude . . hebr. . . isaaih . notes for div a -e hebr. . . the saints have the image of god. psalm . . . isai . . revel . . . rev. . . grace is the chiefest good that god doth bestow . the excellency of things consecrated . the saints relation to god. the saints priviledges . the saints immunities that come by the covenant of grace . the saints have accesse to the throne of grace . the saints are the excellent on earth . luther an advancer of faith and holiness . 〈…〉 vse . vse . psalm . . psalm . . . the king of babylons message to hezekiah . boniface . prov. . . observation . communion of saints is comfortable . cor. . . cant. . . cant. . . psal . . . why god is said to dwel● with his saints . observation . isaiah . . notes for div a -e chron. . . who are iacobs seed . who are esaus seed . how are iacobs seed known . gen. . . ruth . . . moses his choice with his eye fixed upon heaven, discovering the happy condition of a self-denying heart, delivered in a treatise upon hebrews ii, , / by jeremiah burroughs. burroughs, jeremiah, - . approx. kb of xml-encoded text transcribed from -bit group-iv tiff page images. text creation partnership, ann arbor, mi ; oxford (uk) : - (eebo-tcp phase ). a wing b estc r ocm this keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the early english books online text creation partnership. this phase i text is available for reuse, according to the terms of creative commons . universal . the text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. early english books online. (eebo-tcp ; phase , no. a ) transcribed from: (early english books online ; image set ) images scanned from microfilm: (early english books, - ; : ) moses his choice with his eye fixed upon heaven, discovering the happy condition of a self-denying heart, delivered in a treatise upon hebrews ii, , / by jeremiah burroughs. burroughs, jeremiah, - . [ ], p. printed by john field, and are to be sold by thomas eglesfeld ..., london : . reproduction of original in huntington library. table of contents: p. 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ascii text with mnemonic sdata character entities); displayable xml (tcp schema; characters represented either as utf- unicode or text strings within braces); or lossless xml (tei p , characters represented either as utf- unicode or tei g elements). keying and markup guidelines are available at the text creation partnership web site . eng moses -- (biblical leader) bible. -- n.t. -- hebrews xi, - -- criticism, interpretation, etc. christian life. - tcp assigned for keying and markup - apex covantage keyed and coded from proquest page images - ali jakobson sampled and proofread - ali jakobson text and markup reviewed and edited - pfs batch review (qc) and xml conversion moses his choice , vvith his eye fixed upon heaven : discovering the happy condition of a self-denying heart . delivered in a treatise upon hebrews . , . by jeremiah burroughs . london : printed by john field , and are to be sold by thomas eglesfield , at the marygold and at the brazen serpent in st. pauls church-yard . mdcl . to the right honorable , robert earl of warwick , baron of leeze , one of the lords of his majesties most honorable privy councel . right honorable , as those who have been of late , and in these days yet are of the antichristian party , may well be accounted men born in an evil time ; because howsoever heretofore was the time of gods long suffering towards such , the time of permission of them to prosper , the set time of antichrists downfal then being further off then now it is . but now gods time of setting his face against antichrist , and all the antichristian party , is come , wherein god is determined to fight against them , and to ruine them ; most wretched men therefore are they who now have spirits set for the upholding , the pleading for that which god hath set himself against . so happy especially now are those whose hearts have been , and still are set to countenance , maintain , to further and honor the truth of the gospel , in the power and purity of it ; these are born and raised up by god , and for god , in a most blessed time , wherein god stretcheth out his holy arm together with them , their hearts are guided by god himself , to the furtherance of that work which is the greatest work that god hath to do in this latter age of the world ; namely , to bring in his truth and ordinances with glory and power , to set up jerusalem as the praise of the earth , to make godliness , and the powerful profession of it , as honorable as ever it hath been contemptible . and now ( right honorable ) god hath been pleased to bless your noble family for many years past , with this so great a blessing , as to make it instrumental to this great work of his , and your self have had a plentiful share in this so great a happiness : your honor hath discountenanced superstitious time-serving spirits , but as for the faithful ministers of the gospel , and the most sincere and godly of your countrey , your honor hath cast much respect upon them , and been the encourager of them , which reflects honor , as upon gods name and his truth , so upon your noble family ; i believe there hath not ascended to heaven more praises to god from any county in england for any noble family , in regard of the placing of a godly , painful , conscionable ministery , as hath ascended from that county , in which your honor , and your truly noble father , hath had such a large opportunity of service for god , and doing good to his people : and i may further confidently affirm , that no noble family in england hath more prayers of the saints ascending to heaven for a blessing upon it , then that family of yours ; neither is there any noble family this day , shall i say in england ? i may without presumption reach it further , which the lord hath blessed , in regard of some branches of it , with more beauty and power of godliness then he hath blessed yours ; in regard whereof , it would be the most miserable thing that could be , if ever the succession of the countenancing and honoring the ways of godliness , should be cut off from such a noble family . cursed be that man who shall be the cutter off of the succession of so great an honor to such an honorable family . psal , . . it is said , the name of christ should endure for ever ; filiabitur nomine ejus , so the words are , it shall be begotten , as one generation is begotten of another , and so there shall be a succession of christs name . it is a most blessed thing when in a family there is a begetting of the name of christ , and so it is left unto the succeeding generation , as the name of the family is left unto it : pliny tells us , that it was accounted a great honor , yea the height of felicity , that in one house and race of the curio's , there were known to be three excellent orators one after another , by descent from the father to the son ; and that the fabii afforded three presidents of the senate , in course one immediately succeeding the other . if this succession be so honorable , so happy , how honorable , how happy doth the succession of religion from father to son , make families to be ? this succession in your noble family , is the subject of the prayers of many precious spirits , exceedingly dear to god : and my lord , although god hath made you exceeding instrumental for much good to his people , which is one of the greatest blessings under heaven , yet let not your lordship rest in this : gods warning to solomon , kings . . is very observable , after solomon had finished that glorious temple for the honor of the lord , after he had assembled all the elders of israel , to bring up the ark of the lord with all solemnity , after he had made such an excellent prayer before all the people , after he had offered to the lord two and twenty thousand oxen , and one hundred and twenty thousand sheep , and in his rejoycing in this great work done to the honor of god , he made a great feast to all the people seven days , and to them he added seven days more , and sent away the people with joyful and glad heaets ; yet after this , god says to him , if thou wilt walk before me as david thy father walked , in integrity of heart , and up rightness , to do according to all that i have commanded thee , then i will establish the throne of thy kingdom . though the things that you have done be great things , yet i expect walking according to all that i have commanded thee , or else all is nothing . it were infinite pity , and god forbid so great an evil , that any one way of sin should ever stand up , to hinder the blessing upon a noble spirit , and such worthy services for the church as you have done , well beseeming that true nobility of such a spirit . your honor hath appeared much for the honor , the safety , peace , liberties of the saints and your countrey ; and how many now have their consciences check them , and shame is upon their faces for that base cowardise and vile time-serving , that the true nobility of your lordships spirit ( scorning such baseness ) delivered you from . god hath now appeared for his people more then ever , in our or our forefathers time , do you now appear more then ever for them ; as god hath mightily enlarged the opportunity of service , so the good god enlarge and heighten with true nobility and christian generousness your noble spirit , that you may be as a chosen shaft in the quiver of the lord , reserved to these times , to be in a high degree instrumental to his praise . it is now near three years since that your lordship lying sick , not without apprehension that gods time to call you from the land of the living was come , i was then for some time daily with your lordship , and all the desires you expressed for life were , that you might live to do god service here : god then spared your life , and now my lord , i beseech your honor to give me leave to minde your lordship of these desires , and those covenants you made with god if ever he restored you . surely the vows of god are upon you , god hath now put an opportunity into your hand to fulfil them , and all other you have ever made unto him , and now he expects the performance of them ; now there are opportunities of that service that may draw forth all that nobility of your spirit , wherein you may give testimony of thankfulness for all mercies so abundantly heaped upon you , and be faithful in performing of all your vows , and blessed be god for this opportunity : this is your honor , to account opportunity of service for god and his people your greatest honor upon earth . go on and prosper , and the lord recompence all that respect you have shewn to his servants , and amongst others to my self ; wherefore in duty to you i here present your honor with this treatise of moses his choice , which ventures to come to the view of the world for furtherance and encouragement in such a happy choice , blessed with such a happy reward as the eye of moses in this his choice was fixed upon ; and herein i gladly take the occasion to make an honorable mention of your name , that i might testifie not onely to your honor , but to all the world , my thankful remembrance and due acknowledgement of your lordships undeserved respects toward me , who am and ever shall be , your honors in all humble and due observance , jeremiah burroughs . the contents of the chapters . chap. i. god will sometimes be honored , rather with the sufferings of men in high places , then with their services , page chap. . the opening of the words , with the several doctrines in this text , chap. . gods people , though dear to god , yet usually have been in an afflicted estate , chap. . what use we should make of gods sparing us from the woful afflictions which have befaln , and do befal others , chap. . the reasons of the afflicted estate of gods people , from the malice of the devil and wicked men , chap. . many reasons why god order things in his providence so , as his beloved should be under sore afflictions in this world , chap. . what use we should make of gods ordering his people to an afflicted condition , chap. . eleven rules for preparation to suffer afflictions , chap. . duties required of us , when god calls us to an afflicted condition , chap. . wicked men have pleasures in ways of sin , while gods people endure much hardship in ways of holiness , chap. . afflicted godliness , is better then delightful wickedness , chap. . who are the truly wise men ; with encouragement to the saints in the happy choice they have made , chap. . the evil of an ill choice , discovered , chap. . the drawing mens hearts to a happy choyce , chap. . the true pleasantness of all the ways of godliness , chap. . a spiritual eye can see an excellency in gods people , though under great affliction , chap. . what we are to learn from that high esteem a gracious heart hath of the saints in their sorest afflictions , chap. . a gracious heart will appear for the people of god , whatsoever sufferings may follow upon it , chap. . enjoyment of communion with gods people is worth the enduring much affliction , chap. . perswasions to draw to the joyning with the people of god in the nearest communion , chap. . objections against joyning with gods people answered , chap. . instructions to those who are joyned in communion with gods people , chap. . how should gods people so walk as to draw others in love with their communion , chap. . we should satisfie our selves in communion with the saints , and improve it to the utmost advantage we can , chap. . whatsoever is but for a season , cannot satisfie a gracious heart , chap. . perswasions to take off the heart from temporal things , chap. . exhortation to seek after eternal things , chap. . how we should know how it will be with us for eternity , and what we should do that it may be well with us eternally , chap. . the review of moses choice , chap. . the condition of gods people is a repoached condition , chap. . what use there is to be made of the reproaches the condition of gods people is liabe to , chap. . how we are to bear reproaches , chap. . what we should do that we may be able to bear reproach , chap. . the reproaches of gods people are the reproaches of christ , chap. . sixteen several consolutions arising to the saints from this consideration , &c. chap. . the dreadful evil there is in reproaching the saints , chap. . seeing christ makes our sufferings his , we should make his sufferings ours , chap. . a gracious heart hath a high esteem of reproaches in the cause of christ , chap. . there is a glorious reward for the people of god , chap. . how far we may aim at the recompence of reward in what we do , chap. . what is this recompence of reward , chap. . the differences between that good we receive here from god , and that we shall have hereafter , chap. . the perfection of the bodies and souls of the saints in glory , chap. . the glory that shall be put upon the saints at the great day , chap. . the saints enjoyment of god to be their portion . their happiness in having his presence , chap. . the happiness of the beatifical vision discovered , chap. . the blessedness of union with god , chap. . the blessedness of communion with god , chap. . the happiness of the saints in their fruition of god , and their perfect rest in him , chap. . the saints happiness in communion with christ , chap. . the happiness of enjoying communion with the saints in glory , chap. . the happiness of gods people in the perpetual sabbath that they shall enjoy , chap. . wherein the power and efficacy of eying the recompence of reward consists , chap. . gods people to be highly honored , chap. . to whom the recompence of reward appertains , chap. . christians should live and dye as becomes heirs of such a glorious estate , chap. . the great things of eternity to be much sought after , chap. . how the recompence of reward may be attained , moses his choice . heb. . . chusing rather to suffer affliction with the people of god , then to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season . chap. i. god will sometimes be honored , rather with the sufferings of men in high places , then with their services . having finished moses his self-denial , namely , what he refused , together with the circumstance of time , and the principle by which he was enabled thereunto : now what it was that he chose , we are to consider ; his appearing for , and the joyning himself with the afflicted people of god , although he knew he must needs partake with them in their afflictions ; he saw that god would rather be honored by him in an afflicted estate , then in the enjoyment of all his glory that he might have had ; he was willing to submit to god in that way . yet he might have had many reasonings in himself , that might have drawn his heart another way ; he might have thought , that in his keeping of the honor and power he had in the court , he might have done a great deal of service for god , in the improving of his favor with pharaoh and his nobles for the people of god ; he might have been of great use for them , that it was a thing of great consequence , for them to have a friend in the court , that might do them so much good , as it was probable he might have done : yea , he might have thought with himself , surely god intends to use me here in some great service for his people , for how wonderful hath his providence been towards me , in bringing me to , in raising of me up , and continuing me in this honor ? what a strange and extraordinary providence of god was it , to dispose of my parents hearts , to hide me in such a maner as they did amongst the rushes ? and that the daughter of pharaoh must come at that time to the river , and that i must be found by her , and no body else ; and that god should dispose of her heart so , as to commiserate my condition , and to be so enclined towards me as she was , that she should not onely preserve my life , but have me brought up as her own son ; that she should have care , that my education might be such , as i might be meet for honor and advancement in her fathers house , whereas she might have brought me up in some base and servile maner , according to the quality of a bondslaves childe , of an hebrew childe , so much abhorred and hated by the egyptians ; and that god should give me that understanding and capacity , that i should come to be learned in all the learning of the egyptians ; and that god should encline the heart of pharaoh to me likewise , that he should countenance me , and prefer me ; and that the favor of pharaohs daughter , and of pharaoh himself , should continue so long as it does , even to my growth up to forty-years ; that i should have favor in the eyes of his nobles , and of all the court , none of them seeking to undermine me , to alienate pharaohs heart from me ? surely god intended to use me in some great service here in the court ; if i should now do any thing to provoke pharaoh against me , to lose that favor , that honor , that power i have , what a loss would this be to the people of god ? what would become of them ? little hope then of any good to them : yea , if pharaoh and the court should frown upon me , it is like they will be more enraged against them , and rather make their burthen heavier , and their bondage sorer : now then what a grievous thing would it be , that such an opportunity as i have in my hands should be lost ? but moses seeing gods minde , that he would rather have him venture himself in joyning with his people in affliction , and that this was the way , whereby god would honor himself by him , he was content to let go all those reasonings , and yield up himself to gods own way : god will sometimes rather be honored by the sufferings and afflictions of men in great places ( who one would think had large opportunities of service ) then in any service that they shall or can do ; and such men should be willing to submit to god herein : it is not what i or others think , how god may be honored this way or another , but what the will of god is , which way he will be honored ; and god expects from men , not onely that they should seek his honor , but that they should seek it his own way : all the intentions and ayms at the glory of god that can possibly be , are nothing ; god cares not for them , if they be out of his own way . it was an excellent resolution of david , sam. . , . if i shall finde favor in the eyes of the lord , he will bring me back again , but if he thus say , i have no delight in thee ; behold , here i am , let him do to me as seemeth good to him . we reade of heman , a man of admirable wisdom , one of the wisest upon earth in his time , as appears king. . . and yet psal . . god kept him down , and low by afflictions all his days from his youth . this god doth ; first , to shew his soveraignty over his creature , that he hath the absolute dispose of all , to use them as he will. secondly , to shew that he hath no need of any for his service , for the bringing about his own ends , he hath thousand thousands of ways to effect his own will , without help from men , although in never such eminent places . thirdly , because he would not have us to put any confidence in man , to think that the work must needs be done by such and such ; god will cast them aside , and bring the work about by other means , that we least thought of . fourthly , that he might have a proof of the self-denial of these men , of their absolute subjection to him ; in the exercise of which grace , god takes exceeding delight . fifthly , that he might teach such , whilest they do enjoy their opportunities of service , to walk in dependence upon him , humbly before him , not attributing much to themselves : wherefore let such men learn not to set too high a price upon their condition , that god hath raised them unto above others : although it is true , that it is one of the greatest happinesses under heaven , to have large opportunities of service for god and his church , yet we should not so value them , as to stretch conscience in the least degree , for the continuance or improvement of them : look to the word , keep close to it , and then regard not what men shall suggest , what a deal of good you might do , how much service , what honor you might bring to god ; why will you hazard your self and the loss of all ? there is much danger in listning to these reasonings , because the opportunities for service , and the keeping up your self in that condition in which you are , being involved together , there may lie much self-love , under the pretence of doing service , and that so secretly , as without diligent and faithful search into your own hearts , you shall not perceive it your selves ; wherefore while you see god offering opportunities of service , while you see his minde in improving you thus , follow it on with all your might , let no opportunity slip , do to the utmost you can for god ; and when you see his minde to lay you aside , and to use you in another way , although it be of affliction , and grievous sufferings , yet be as willing to yield to god in this , as in the former way ; and thereby , first , you shall shew the most glorious work of self-denial that may be ; it is more to deny ones self here then in outward things , there is nothing goes more near to a true generous heart , then to be laid aside , and to be denyed to be used in service . secondly , it may be , if you bring your hearts to lie at gods dispose in this , he will use you the rather , and you shall not be taken off ; this may be the means of continuance of you in his work . thirdly , if you go on with such a disposition as this , it is more like that god will bless your service , while he does use you . fourthly , or if you shall be taken off for a while , and put into an afflicted condition ; wherein it shall not appear that you are of any great use , ( although sometimes sufferings are the greatest services ) yet your afflictions shall but prepare you for higher service afterwards , as it did in moses : how did god use him afterwards in great and high employments ? few men that ever lived upon the earth , were employed more for god then he was . the magdeburgenses centuriatores think that barnabas the apostle was the same that joseph was , who was one of the two , upon whom the lot was cast for the apostleship , when it fell upon matthias , and he was refused , acts . which joseph was afterwards called barnabas by the apostles , acts . . in stead of barsabas ; they making joses to be the same with joseph : joseph was a gracious man , and when he saw it was gods minde not to use him in that work , he was content to go on in that way which god would have him , although it were in a far lower condition , then in the work of an apostle , and therefore afterwards god called him to that high and honorable work . fifthly , howsoever , your reward shall be as great , as if you were used in the greatest service , in the highest highest work you could have desired to be used in : but if you shall not be willing to lay down all when god calls you thereunto , and to be put into any low suffering condition that he shall please to put you into , it is an evident sign that you went on before in your way with self-confidence , that you aymed at your self , that you did not give god the glory of your service ; and if so , although god might use you for the good of others , yet there will come no blessing of it upon your selves . this in the general . chap. ii. the opening of the words , with the several doctrines in this text. but for a more particular handling this verse , i shall first give a short paraphrase of it ; secondly , shew the several doctrinal conclusions contained in it . [ he chose ] choyce notes a comparing of one thing with another , and the deliberating of the minde about the things compared , and at the last a free determination of the will which way to go . thus moses compares the estate of gods people , and the pleasures of sin , one with another ; he deliberates in his minde , which is the safest , and the best way for him to go , and at last freely , yet throughly and fully determines the case ; he chose rather to suffer affliction : he did not choose affliction absolutely , for affliction in it self is an evil , but rather then the pleasures of sin , afflictions are to be chosen : job . . elihu charges job , that he chose sin rather then affliction ; this choyce is an ill choyce , moses his choice was a wise and gracious choice ; he chooses affliction rather then sin . [ affliction ] that is , any affliction , not this or that affliction , but whatsoever affliction god should think fit : many think themselves willing to suffer affliction in the general , until they be called unto some particular affliction , and then they think , oh , if it were any other we could bear it , but this we know not how to bear ; whereas the true subjection of the heart to god , is to bear what god himself shall appoint . he chose [ to suffer affliction , ] not to bring affliction upon himself : religion teaches no man , rashly and headily to bring himself into misery . [ to suffer affliction with the people of god : ] that is , either in joyning with the people of god in the ways of godliness , in which they were ; or in appearing for them ; or in joyning in communion with them . [ then to enjoy the pleasures of sin . ] the words are in the original , then the enjoyment of sin . [ the pleasures of sin ; ] that is , either such pleasures as are in themselves sinful : or secondly , such as cannot be enjoyed , or maintained but in a way of sin : or thirdly , such us would be means to draw the heart unto sin . [ the pleasures of sin for a season : ] that is , either for a short season , or for an uncertain season . the doctrinal conclusions in the words are these : first , the usual condition of gods people in the world , it is an afflicted condition . secondly , when gods people in gods way are under grievous afflictions , wicked men in the way of sin have much pleasure . thirdly , afflicted godliness is to be chosen , rather then pleasant wickedness . fourthly , a spiritual eye can see an excellency in gods people , though they be in never such a low afflicted condition . fifthly , a gracious heart is willing to appear for gods people , to be on their side , although it be with much hazard to its self . sixthly , there is so much good to be had with gods people , that it is worth the enduring hard things to be with them . seventhly , nothing that is but for a season can satisfie a gracious heart , that which must satisfie it , must be beyond any temporary thing , it must be an eternal good . chap. iii. gods people , though dear to god , yet usually have been in an afflicted estate . for the first : gods people , although dear and precious in his eyes , yet they have usually been an afflicted people in all generations unto this day . when god was making his covenant with abraham , gen. . . at the going down of the sun a deep sleep fell upon him : and lo , a horror of great darkness was on him , and ver . . a smoking furnace , and a burning lamp passed between his sacrifice , and the lord tells him of the bondage of his seed in egypt . the afflicted condition of gods people who were to come from abraham , was shewn by the horror of darkness , and the smoking furnace : and this is observable , as at the first great promise that was made for gods choosing of a people to himself out of abrahams loyns , their afflicted estate was set out ; so where we have the great promise of the gospel , the largest of any in the gospel , for the encouragement of those who are willing to part with any thing for christ , even there perfecution is annexed ▪ for so the words are , mark . , . there is no man that hath left house , or brethren , or sisters , or father , or mother , or wife , or children , or lands for my sake , and the gospels , but he shall receive a hundred fold now in this life , houses , and brethren , and sisters , and mothers , and children , and lands , with persecutions , and in the world to come eternal life ; persecutions come in amongst all those great things that are there promised . israel is a people afflicted from their youth , psal . . . when god appeared to moses , to send him a deliverer of his people , he appeared to him in a burning bush , to set out the afflicted estate of his people . if the people of god might have a herald to give arms to them , as some other professions and societies have , the best and most sutable , would be such as mr. hooper that holy martyr had , when he was made bishop of worcester , a lamb in a flaming bush , with rayes of the sun from heaven shining on it : a lamb for meekness , in a bush burning , amongst wicked men , who are as brambles and thorns , burning with malice , and yet the sweet influence and comfortable light of heaven let out upon it . when ignatius came to the wilde beasts , to be devoured of them , and his bones crushed between their teeth ; now ( says he ) i begin to be a christian : blessed mr. bradford writing to the town of walden , to encourage them to suffer , saith , that that christian hath not learned his a. b. c. in christianity , who hath not learned the lesson of the cross . a. christian is a cross-bearer , says luther . as god made the evening and the morning to be the first day , and so the second , &c. so the day of gods people , god hath made to be the evening of troubles here , and the everlasting morning of glory and happiness hereafter . it is an expression of mr. calvin , the godly ( says he ) have their dark shadow of troubles before them , and their brightness of glory behinde to come hereafter , but the men of the world have their brightness before them . men use to bring out their best first , and reserve the worst till afterwards , but gods dealing with his people is otherwise , their worst is first with them . the way to canaan is through the wilderness , even after a sore and tedious bondage ; yea , and when god brought his people into canaan , he brought them into the worst part of canaan first , into the southern part , which was the most dry and barren part of the land . the way to zion is through the valley of baca , psal . . . many are the troubles of the righteous , saith david , psal . . . according to that of the apostles , acts . . through much tribulation we must enter into the kingdom of god. psalm . is a prophetical psalm of christs sufferings , and the title is upon aijeleth shehar , which signifies the morning hart or stag , such a one as the huntsmen sever out in the morning from the rest , to hunt for that day . such was christ , and such is his church , as the morning stag severed out to be hunted and worried by the world . in the world ye shall have tribulation , saith our savior to his disciples , john . . we cannot follow christ , and be his disciples , but upon these terms , mat. . . others use to invite followers with promises of honors and riches , but christ tells the worst at first , what we are like to finde ; we must be content to take up our cross , not to endure it by compulsion , and constraint , but to take it up willingly and cheerfully : secondly , not what cross we will , we must not choose our cross , but what is appointed for us . he must take up his cross . but this cross it may be shall be but now and then . yes , luke . . he must take up his cross daily . but if every day , i hope it is an easie cross . nay , it is a killing cross ; cor. . . i dye daily , saith st. paul. but yet i hope there may be refreshings some part of the day . not so neither ; rom. . . for thy sake are we killed all the day long ; that is , in regard of the danger of death : secondly , in regard of some beginnings that we suffer : thirdly , in regard of our willingness to undergo it . since the days of john baptist the kingdom of heaven suffers violence , and the violent take it by force , mat. . . this is ordinarily taken for the greediness of the peoples embracing johns ministery , but it rather seems to be spoken of another kinde of violence , namely , the violence of opposition and persecution , in which the enemies of the gospel seek to lay violent hands upon it ; for he tells them presently , verse , , . that the jews were as wayward children , that nothing would please them , but said that john had a devil ; they were therefore rather violent against his ministery , then violent in embracing of his ministery . tim. . . all that will live godly , must suffer persecution : first all ] every one must expect it , although it is true , god calls not all to the like sufferings , yet he exempts none from some degree or other , let him be as wise , and as discreet as he will , yet if godly , he shall not escape . christ was the best preacher that ever was , he lived the most inoffensively that ever any did , and yet while he was preaching , the pharisees blew their noses at him in scorn and derision ; for so the word signifies in the original , luke . . which is translated , derided him . and at another time they would have broke his neck , by casting him from a steep hill , after he had done his sermon . saint paul the most famous preacher next to christ , that ever was , and yet he was accounted a babler , a pestilent fellow , his sermons were accounted factious and seditious . secondly , he that will live godly . ] the devil will let a man have many wishes and desires , these are not persecuted ; but he that will , if he be set upon it , absolutely resolved that he will , and nothing shall hinder , then he must make account to suffer : when the woman in the revelations , chap. . was ready to bring forth her childe , the dragon sought to devour it , he medled not with her all the while she was a breeding . thirdly , he that will live . ] if he keep his godliness in his heart , and not discover it in his life , he may go on well enough , but these shews of godliness the world cannot endure . wickedness must appear with open face , but godliness must keep within doors : wickedness trades openly , but godliness must keep in as a bankrupt , that dare not be seen . fourthly , he that will live godly . ] not civilly onely , for a man to live fairly , lovingly , justly amongst men , to keep from crying sins , and here to rest , this man perhaps may escape sufferings ; but if he begins to live godly , to go beyond morality in his profession , then he must expect to suffer . fifthly , he that will live godly in christ jesus : that is , in the vertue , strength and power of christ jesus ; the other may be done without knowledge of christ , but this godliness in christ iesus is that which is persecuted in the world [ godly in christ jesus . ] that is , first real and true godliness , not the shadow of godliness : a wolf flies not upon a painted sheep , we can look upon a painted toad with delight : there are some forms , and shadows of godliness entertained in the world , but the reality and truth of godliness is that which is hated , and opposed . secondly , godliness in christ jesus , is exact godliness , it carries a soul to a higher pitch then morality doth ; now a man begins to live in a higher course of religion , to be strict in his ways , to tremble at the least sin , to devote himself wholly to god , this man must expect to suffer . thirdly , the godliness that is in christ jesus , is a stirring godliness : if a man will be lukewarm , and as gallio , not caring which way things go , then many will speak well of him , he is no busie-body , not so hot , and fierce as others are . we reade exod. . . pharaoh was content to let the people go , onely he would not have them go far ; so , many are content that men should be religious , so be it they do not go too far , revel . . . christ saith to the angel of the church of ephesus , i know thy labor and thy patience ; mark how these two are joyned : if the angel had not labored so much , it is like he had not suffered so much : if ministers and christians will be idle and do little , they are not like to suffer much , a little patience will serve turn ; but those who put forth themselves , who are stirring , active , who labor much , they must expect to suffer much . it is very observable that of the seven churches we reade of in the revelations , there are onely two of whose troubles there are no mention ; and which are they ? the first is sardis , of which it is said , she had a name that she lived , and was dead : the other was laodicea , that was neither hot nor cold : these two escaped troubles , but none of the other . fourthly , the godliness that is in christ iesus , is a powerful godliness , that will not yield and give in ; such as the lord requires in ieremy , let them come in to you , do not you go to them : let men say what they will , let them threaten , rail , flatter , perswade , yet this yields not . now the world judges this to be pride , stubbornness , not knowing what the power of godliness means : a reed that yields , is not shattered by the wind : so those who will be time-servers , whose consciences will bow any way , those shall suffer no great matter ; but if men be unyieldable , especially in things that are counted small , as many of the christians in the primitive times , who would not cast one grain of frankincense into the fire to save their lives , these are hated , contemned and persecuted in the world : antichrist is content to let the name and profession of religion alone , but he persecutes the power of godliness , it is that which witnesseth against him , revel . . . he slays the witnesses , but he lets their carcasses lie openly ; he cares not for the name and profession , so be it the witnessing power be slain . fifthly , godliness in christ jesus , is world-condemning godliness ; noah condemned the world by that he did : other men should be accounted well of , were it not for these ; but this darkens their light , and condemns their way , which they are not able to abide , pet. . . beloved , think it not strange ( saith the apostle ) concerning the fiery tryal , as though some strange thing happened unto you ; be not moved at it , as at the coming of a stranger unexpectedly , you must entertain troubles as ordinary daily guests . it hath been , is , and will be the order of gods providence towards his people , that they shall be in an afflicted condition , and that many times in great extremities ; and hence , chap. . . the apostle prays , that the god of all grace would make them perfect , after they had suffered a while ; as if prayer might not be made for perfection , until we have suffered a while . as soon as st. paul was manifested to be a chosen vessel for the honor of god , it was shewn unto him , what things he should suffer for the name of christ , as if that were a necessary concomitant to the profession of godliness . look over the whole book of god , and consider the history of the lives of gods people in all ages , both in scripture , and in other records , and you shall finde them usually in a poor afflicted condition ; as soon as we hear of any work of religion , we hear of the persecution of abel . noahs ark on the waters , was a type of the condition of the church in afflictions . what hard things did abraham , and the rest of the patriarchs endure in their generations ? how sore was the bondage of the israelites in egypt ? their passage through the red sea and the dismall wilderness into canaan , was a type of the afflicted condition of gods people in after ages , through which they were to pass to heaven : how was david hunted as a partridge in the wilderness ? what bitter and sore complaints do we hear , of the grievous suffering he met withal ? psal . . the church there bemoans her condition , that from her youth up she had been afflicted : what hard usage did the blessed prophets of the lord finde ? eliah was persecuted , and must flie for his life , while four hundred false prophets were fed at iezabels table : micaiah must be fed with the bread of affliction , and the water of adversity . histories tell us , that isaiah was sawn asunder with a wooden saw ; ieremy was put into a dungeon , sticking in the mire ( as some stories say ) even up to the ears , and after was stoned to death in egypt ; ezekiel was slain in babylon ; micah was thrown down a steep place , and his neck broke ; amos was smitten with a club , and so brained : the story of the persecutions of the maccabees prophesied of , dan. . . and recorded by the apostle , heb. . from the verse to the end , is exceeding lamentable ; the texts says , that they were tortured , that they had the tryal of cruel mockings and scourgings , of bonds and imprisonment ; they were stoned , were sawn asunder , slain with the sword , wandred up and down in sheep-skins and goats-skins , being destitute , afflicted , tormented , they wandred in deserts , and mountains , and dens , and caves in the earth . and after , for the christian church , we know what christ himself , the great leader of his people suffered , what contradiction of sinners ? what contempts ? miseries ? scorns ? scourges ? cursed , cruel , shameful death ? when stephen the first christian martyr was stoned , dorotheus witnesseth , that two thousand others which believed on christ , were put to death the same day . all the twelve apostles after many sore and grievous afflictions endured , suffered many violent deaths , john onely excepted : who yet , as the scripture testifieth , was banished into patmos , and as some histories , that he was by domitian thrown into a tun of scalding lead , yet as they say , delivered by a miracle . peter was crucified with his heels upward , because he would not be as christ was , thinking himself unworthy of that honor : andrew was crucified by egeas king of edessa : iames was slain by the sword of herod , as we finde acts : . the beginning : philip was crucified , and stoned to death at hieropolis , a city in phrygia : bartholomew , after divers persecutions , was beaten down with staves as he was preaching in a city of armenia , and then crucified , and after his skin flead off , and beheaded : thomas was slain with a dart at calamina in india : matthew was run through with a sword , or as some write , slain with a spear : iames the son of alpheus , who was called the just man , was set upon the pinacle of the temple , and thrown down , and yet having some life left in him , he was brained with a fullers club ; some histories say , that paul before his conversion , had a special hand in this : lebbeus was slain by agbarus king of edessa : simon the canaanite was crucified in egypt , or as others say , he and iude was slain in a tumult of the people : matthias that came into the number in stead of iudas , was stoned , and then beheaded : paul was beheaded at rome , under nero. those ten fearful perfecutions in the primitive times , from the time of domitius nero , unto constantine , doth set out fully unto us the truth of this argument : for three hundred years together , the name of a christian was death , except now and then , the churches had some little breathings . brightman speaking of the stories of those times , says , that every page , and leaf , is as it were all red , coloured in blood : the covenant of grace is a bloody covenant , both in regard of the blood of christ , first sealing it , and the blood of the blessed martyrs , adding likewise their seals in confirming of it . in that treatise that goes under the name of cyprian , de duplici martyrio ; speaking of that place , iohn . . three bear witness on earth , the spirit , water and blood ; the third is applyed to the blood of the martyrs in those times . it is a most heart-breaking meditation to consider the ragings , madness and fury of the heathens against the christians in those times . ierome in an epistle to cromatius , says , that there was no day in a whole year , unto which the number of five thousand martyrs cannot be ascribed , except onely the first day of ianuary . vincentius reports , that at aquileia , the emperor gave leave to every man that would , to kill the christians ; all the policy , wit , strength of invention , of men and devils , were exercised and stretched out to the utmost , for devising the most miserable torments , and exquisite tortures ; as plates of iron burning hot , laid upon their naked flesh ; pinsers red hot , pulling off the flesh from the bones ; bodkins , pricking and thrusting all over their bodies : casting into lime kilns , and into caldrons of scalding lead : whippings until almost all the flesh was torn off their bodies , and their bones and bowels appeared , and then laid flat upon sharp shels and knives : their skins were flead off alive , and then their raw flesh was rubbed with salt and vineger : their bodies were beaten all over with clubs , until their bones and joynts were beat asunder : they were laid upon gridirons , rosted , and basted with salt and vineger : one member was pulled from another ; by fastening them to the boughs of trees , they rent their bodies apieces : they were tossed upon the horns of bulls , with their bowels hanging out ; they were cast among dogs to be devoured ; they were put under the ice naked into rivers ; they were tortured on the rack , on the wheel , and on the gibbet , with flaming fire under them : they made it their sports , to see them devoured by wilde beasts ; and in the night , in stead of torches , they burnt the bodies of the saints , to give them light for their pastimes . to give you an instance or two , that you may see the miserable extremities the saints of god in former times passed through . i read of one sanctus , upon whom when such intolerable tortures were inflicted , as the persecuters thought , surely they should have heard some words of blasphemy coming from him , yet they could get nothing but this , sum christianus , i am a christian ; at which they being mad , they clapt on plates of brass red hot , to the most tender parts of his body , wherewith although his spirit shrunk not , but still continued constant , yet his body was so drawn together , that it lost the proper shape of a man ; and after he lying in prison a while , they brought him forth again to the common scaffold in the face of the people , and put him to all kinde of torments they could devise , as though he had been put to none before , as scourgings , tearings by wilde beasts ; his body being thus torn , they brought an iron chair red hot with fire , and set him in it , and so fryed and scorched him as upon a gridiron : thus he being made the whole day a spectacle to the people , in stead of their games and sights , they could get nothing from him , but his firt confession , christianus sum , i am a christian . the example of romanus , who was of noble birth , but more noble in his martyrdom , is very famous ; he was first whipped with knaps of lead at the ends of the cords ; he desired them not to spare him for his nobility , not the blood of my progenitors , says he , but christian profession makes me noble : then they lanced him with knives , until the bones appeared white , his face was buffeted , his eye-lids torn with their nails , his hair pulled from his face ; the captain being astonished at his constancy , commanded them to cease from tortures ; he was after brought forth and scourged again upon his old sores ; they plucked out his tongue by the roots : the captain being yet more astonished to see him continue constant , commanded him to be brought into prison , and there be to strangled . the example of vincentius is as remarkable as any ; he was first wracked , all his joynts being stretched out of their place ; then his body was indented with grievous and deadly wounds ; then they tortured his flesh , by saking upon it with iron combs sharply filed ; and then they laid his body upon a grate of iron , opening his flesh with iron hooks , they seared it with fiery plates , sprinkling it with hot burning salt ; then they drew him into a dungeon , where the floor was spread with the sharpest shells that could be gotten , they laid his body upon them , and so left him without all succor . take an example of a woman or two ; one blandina was miserably whipped , tortured by wilde beasts , tormented , and scorched upon a gridiron , and then put into a net , and cast unto the wilde bulls to be gored , and so slain . we read of one eulalila a yong gentlewoman , famous for her godliness and constancy , who was pulled away from the seat of her persecuters by the hair of her head , then one joynt was pulled from another , and the flesh from the bones by cushes and claws of wilde beasts ; then they harrowed her flesh with an iron hurdle , they burnt her body on every side before and behinde with flaming torches , and at last cast her into fire , and consumed her body unto ashes . how lamentable is the hearing of these things unto nice and curious women ? who now must not have the wind to blow on them , who are ready to dye if they be but crossed a little of their wills . it was an excellent speech of a woman martyr , iulitta by name , who being to be put into the fire , spake unto other women thus , cease to acouse the fragility of the feminine sex : what ? are not we made of the same matter that men are ? yea , after gods image are we made as well as they ; god did not use flesh to make women of in token of infirmity , we are bone of his bone , in token we must be strong in the living god. these were the sufferings of those times ; we shrink at every thing , at every scorn and frown . as for after times , it pleased god to stir constantine a christian emperor , and then the church had some rest ; to which some apply that place , rev. . . satan was bound a thousand years , not to rage for a thousand years after , so as he then did , until antichrist got strength : but the text will not bear this interpretation ; we read rev. . . at the opening the first seal , there was silence in heaven half an hour ; that is , a space of intermission , wherein the church had some little breathing for a while , but yet continued not long ; for licinius , who first joyned in the maintenance of christian religion , fell off and turned an outragious persecuter . after that the church endured infinite troubles by the heresie of arrianism , that spread it self mightily abroad , so that the whole world almost was become an arrian ; at this time says hilary , the church was so obscured , as it was not to be sought in any external pomp in publique places , but in prisons and dens ; non in tect is , & exteriori pompa , sed potius in carceribus & speluncis . arrius was a man of excellent parts , and forward in good , but through pride , being disappointed of his expected preferment , fell off . mr. brightman upon revelations . . thinks it was he , that was meant by that star which fell , which was called wormwood , by which the third part of the maters were made bitter , and many dyed of the waters . after that antichrist began to rise more and more , and to bring a fearful darkness over the face of the church ; of which times the holy ghost prophesies , rev. . . the moon , sun , and stars were smitten . the first open and bloody persecution of antichrist , was that of the waldenses , in the year . and . and so on : there is a whole volumn written of the lamentable extremities that these poor people endured , the reading whereof might cause the hardest heart that lives to break . a special agent in this persecution was one dominick , father of the dominicans , of whom his mother dreamed when she was with childe with him , that she had a wolf flaming with fire out of his mouth in her body . in after times we read of the most famous instruments of gods glory , what hard things they endured : as wickliff , huss , ierame of prague , and others . the first time that ever any law was made for burning those that opposed the pope in england , was in henry the fourths time : so it went on to those bloody marian days ; what imprisonments ? what starvings ? stranglings ? gibbets ? fire ? banishments were there then ? what grievous miseries did gods people endure in france , especially in that bloody savage massacre in the year ? the history of it tells us , that near the archbishops prison in lyons , the blood ran warm reeking in the streets , into the river : in thirty days space , there were an hundred thousand poor orphans , widows , and succorless creatures , wandring about without relief . thus both scripture , and the histories of all times , hold forth unto us the truth of this point , that the estate of gods people is an afflicted estate ; they cry out aloud unto us , that through many tribulations we must enter into the kingdom of god. this hath been the way of god even towards those who have been dearest to him , and it is so at this day , but yet a great difference hath god made , between us , and those in former times , in regard of the degree of afflictions ; yea , between us and others of his servants , in other places now : we feel but little of those hard things that many of gods people have felt , and still do feel : we sit under our vines , and fig-trees , in peace and plenty , not onely under the shadows of them , but we taste and eat plentifully of the fruit of them , they are not empty vines , nor empty fig-trees unto us . chap. iv. what use we should make of gods sparing us from the woful afflictions which have befaln , and do befal others . now what use should we make of this difference ? first , we had need examine whether our prosperity be in love or not , whether it be sanctified unto us or not ; for we have a great deal more then gods people use to have : and we shall know it by this , if the chief thing we rejoyce in , in the enjoyment of our prosperity , be the opportunity of service for god , that we have by it . secondly , let us admire gods goodness to us , and bless his name : how favorable is the lord to us , who spares us , that we suffer little or nothing in comparison of what others have done ? we are weak , and if we should have felt such things as others have , what should have become of us ? they endured spoiling of their goods , imprisonment , tortures , but we may go to heaven , and have peace , comfort , the use of the creature , houses , lands , friends : had we onely the blessings of the upper springs , although we wanted wholly the blessings of the nether , we were happy ; but oh the goodness of our god unto us , we do plentifully enjoy both ! though a man do lose all the world , and win his soul , although he beg his bread from door to door , if he be saved at last , he is a happy man , happy that ever he was born : but we may save our souls , and yet have the good things of the world too . but it may be said , a suffering condition is the joyful condition , why then should we thus bless god that we are freed from it ? answ . . sufferings in themselves have no good , but as god uses them , and turns them unto good ; now god can use and turn prosperity into good as well if he please , and prosperity hath good in it self , and in the use of it too . . the apostle saint iames , cap. . . calls for joy in both conditions ; let the brother of high degree rejoyce , when he is abased , and the brother of low degree , in that he is exalted ; it seems we are not fit for sufferings , and therefore our present condition is a mercy . thirdly , seeing god spares us so much from sufferings , and calls us not to such passive obedience as formerly he hath called his servants , let us therefore labor to be more abundant in active obedience , in giving god the glory of that peace and many liberties , and those comforts that we do enjoy , which we might have been deprived of by the malice of men ; let our strength now be employed for god , in doing service , which might have been spent in suffering the rage of man , yea , might have been spent in bearing the wrath of god himself : o how much better is it , that we have it to spend it in doing service for god in an active way , for his praise and our own comfort ! the more peace and outward comforts , the more service is due to god. it is observable that solomons altar was four times as big as moses's . we read exod. . . that moses was to make an altar five cubits long , and five broad , and three high , but solomon made an altar twenty cubits long , and twenty cubits broad . moses was in the wilderness , in an unsetled condition , full of troubles : solomon on his throne , in a peaceable condition , full of prosperity ; as our peace and prosperity is more then others , so our service should be more then theirs , and that in a due proportion . salvian writing about the condition of gods people in their suffering of affliction , answers an objection which some might make . but we do not live under persecuting emperors , as formerly christians did . to that he says , by how much the less they were in their passive obedience , by so much the more they should be in their active obedience . god is content , says he , that our peace should serve him , that we should please him , in the purity of actions undefiled , in the holiness of a life unspotted ; by so much the more is our faithfulness and devotion indebted to him , because he requires of us smaller things , and hath granted greater things unto us : and therefore seeing princes are christians , there is no persecution , religion is not disturbed , we are not compelled to manifest the proof of our faith by harder tryals , we ought so much the more to please the lord in inferior duties . he instanceth in divers particulars : as christ ( says he ) commands us not to strive , and contend with one another , but rather to put up wrong , let us obey him in this , seeing he frees us from such great and dreadful miseries , which others have suffered before us . again , christ would have us do that to others , which we would have others do to us , let us obey him in this . he commands us by his apostle , that we should not seek that which is our own , but every one seek the good of another : he requires of us to love our enemies , and to take heed of the occasions of evil , &c. although duties be never so hard to flesh and blood , yet let us set upon them . it was an excellent speech of eusebius emesenus , our forefathers did strive against sharp piercing griefs , let us be willing to strive against the most excellent pleasures ; they overcame the torments of the flames , let us overcome the fiery darts of vices . fourthly , let us take heed of the least froward murmuring and repining at little crosses , that sometime we meet withal . what , are we discontented at such small afflictions ? at such light things ? when as others ( our betters ) have suffered such hard , such grievous , such lamentable things ; that our hearts do ake at the very hearing of . what is our flesh better then theirs , that we must have ours so pampered , when as theirs was so grievously tormented ? how far are you from resisting unto blood ? o what an unworthy thing is this in christians , to vex and fret at every small cross ; when they read and hear what others have suffered before them ! all our troubles are but as the slivers and chips of that cross , upon which they have been crucified . fifthly , be willing to abate somewhat of your delight in the creature that you do enjoy , do not give liberty to your selves , to satisfie your selves to the full : is it seemly that when gods choice servants have suffered , and still do suffer such hard things , that you should delight and rejoyce to the utmost in giving content unto the flesh ? you know how it was with uriah , while the ark , and his lord joab was in the field , he would not go down to his house to solace himself there . josephus de bello iudaico lib. . reports of titus , when he had by his conquest brought the jews into miserable extremities , that some of the priests petitioning him for their lives , he commanded them to be slain , saying , they were of degenerous mindes that they desired to live , when their people and religion suffered so much as it did : titus a heathen judged thus of them ; of what degenerous mindes then are those , who not onely desire to live , but to live in pomp , in bravery , in giving liberty to themselves in all sensual delights , in abating nothing of their carnal contentments , when they see and hear of the churches of god suffering grievous things , brought unto lamentable straights under the burthen of most heavy and sore afflictions ? the like we finde related of anchises aeneas his father ; when aeneas would have saved his life , far be it from me , says he , that i should desire to live when troy suffers that it does : absit , ut excisa possim supervivere troia . far then be it from us to desire to live diliciously , when not troy , but the churches of god suffer such things as they do . it is reported of alexander , that being in extream thirst , when a little water was offered to him , he thought it a hard thing and not princely , for him alone to quench his thirst , when others in his army had not wherewithal to abate theirs ; wherefore he gives back again the cup with this speech , saying , i cannot bear to drink alone , and here is not enough to divide amongst the rest . sixthly , let us learn to be compassionate towards them that do suffer ; while the bowels of others are torn out by the rage of men , let the bowels of our compassions work towards them , let us be even in bonds with those that are bound , in all our peace , liberties , and comforts , let us remember them , let us pray for them , and as much as we are able , relieve them , and help to bear their burthens . seventhly , let us lay hold upon our opportunities of peace and liberties that we do enjoy , to edifie our selves in our most holy faith : let us make use of our peace to prepare us for the times of affliction , which god may call us unto . this was the care of the churches , when they had got a little rest from their enemies , acts . . then had the churches rest through all iudea , galilee , and samaria , and were edified , and walking in the fear of the lord , and in the comfort of the holy ghost , were multiplyed . it is wisdom while our ship is in the haven , to mend it there , and to prepare it for storms , that it may meet withal at sea ; when storms arise , it is no time then : ships lie in the harbor on purpose to prepare them for the dangers they meet withal afterwards in sea. naturalists tell us , that while the halcyon bird is brooding her eggs , and bringing forth her yong ones , there is usually fair weather ; from whence we call pleasant weather , halcyon days ; she neglects not any of those days , but is diligent in bringing forth her yong : god gives us fair weather , much peace , that we may be diligent in our work , to provide for after-times : let none of those halcyon days be lost . chap. v. the reasons of the afflicted estate of gods people , from the malice of the devil and wicked men . but what are the reasons why it must needs be , that the estate of gods people must be an afflicted estate ? first , as long as there is a devil in the world it must needs be ; he in his instruments is that red dragon , red with fury and rage ; he is that old serpent , full of poyson and deadly malice . pliny speaks of the scorpion , that there is not one minute , wherein it does not put forth the sting , as being unwilling to lose any opportunity of doing mischief . he is called satan , an adversary , the destroyer , roaring lyon , he infinitely hates god , and sins that sin , that is the sin against the holy ghost , every moment : he hates the holiness of god , and the glory of god , ( which especially shines in his saints ) with deadly hatred : he is cast out himself , and therefore envies and vexes at the salvation of any : as one that had committed the sin against the holy ghost said , he wished that his wife , and children , and all the world might be damned together with him : hence he is resolved , that if any be saved , it shall be with as great difficulty as he can procure . secondly , the poyson of this old serpent , ungodly men have sucked up , they swell with it , and by it are enraged against godliness . it is reported of tygers , that they enter into a rage upon the scent of fragrant spices ; so do ungodly men at the blessed savor of godliness . i have read of some barbarous nations , who when the sun shines hot upon them , they shoot up their arrows against it ; so do wicked men at the light and heat of godliness . there is a natural antipathy between the spirits of godly men , and the wicked ; gen. . . i will put enmity between thy seed , and her seed ; prov. . . an unjust man is an abomination to the just , and he that is upright in the way , is an abomination to the wicked . now the contrariety of antipathy is : first , deep rooted , in the very natures of the things : a contrariety of act is not so much , as a contrariety of nature ; two sheep may oppose one another , but there is not that opposition between them , as between a wolf and a sheep . secondly , it is an active opposition , that will presently stir at the first appearance ; the wicked will presently discern a godly man , and their hearts do quickly rise up against him . thirdly , it is a strong vehement opposition . for first , it breaks all bonds of nature , the bond between father and childe , between brother and brother ; and all bonds of love and kindeness : we have a remarkable example for this , numb . . , . moab was irked because of israel , or did fret and vex , so the words ; the same with that , exod. . . there was no cause for the moabites thus to fret , they were allyed to israel , for moab was of lot , to whom abraham was uncle : israel passed by them in peace , and by the slaughter of the amorites they had freed them from evil neighbors , which had before taken away part of their land , and were likely in time to take away more ; yet being of a different religion , malice breaks all these bonds . the like ver . . of the midianites , who came of abraham , gen. . , . the israelites had freed them from sihons yoak , and yet they conspire against them , and seek their ruine . secondly , it is mighty bitter where it is : psal . . . it is said , that god hath ordained his arrows against the persecutors ; the word signifies , such as burn in danger and malice against the godly ; and the word translated ordained , signifies god hath wrought his arrows : he doth not shoot them at random , but he works them against the wicked . illiricus hath a story , which may be a commentary upon this text , in both the parts of it . one felix earl of wartenburg , one of the captains of the emperor charls the fifth , swore in the presence of divers at supper , that before he dyed , he would ride up to the spurs in the blood of the lutherans ; here was one that burnt in malice , but behold how god works his arrows against him : that very night the hand of god so struck him , that he was strangled and choaked in his own blood ; so he rode not , but bathed himself , not up to the spurs , but up to the throat , not in the blood of the lutherans , but in his own blood before he dyed . saint paul , acts . . says of himself before his conversion , that he was exceeding mad against the saints of god ; this bitter malice that is in the hearts of wicked men , against the godly , puts them upon ways of opposition against all reason and common sence . after john huss was burnt , his adversaries got his heart , which was left untouched by the fire , and beat it with their staves . st. paul in thess . . . desires the brethren to pray , that they might be delivered from unreasonable and wicked men ; the word is , absurd men . the malice of wicked mens hearts against the godly , makes them break all bounds of humanity , and go against laws or any thing , in way of opposition against the servants of god. in the history of the persecution of the merindolians , we read of the bishop of aix , being full of rage against them , when the president cassaneus would have allayed it a little , telling him that the arrest of merindol was not definitive , and that the laws and statutes of the realm did not permit the execution thereof without further process ; then said the bishop , if there be either law or statute that do hinder or let you , we carry in our sleeves to dispense therewithal : the president answered , it were a great sin to shed innocent blood ; then said the bishop , the blood of them of merindol be upon us , and upon our successors ; then said the president , i am very well assured , that if the arrest of merindol be put in execution , the king will not be well pleased to have such destruction made of his subjects : the bishop answered , although the king at the first do think it evil done , we will so bring it to pass , that within a short space , he shall think it well enough , for we have the cardinals on our side , and especially the most reverend cardinal of tournon . we read likewise of the unreasonableness of the malice of wicked men against gods servants , in the history of the waldenses : they petitioning , that seeing it was permitted to the turks , saracens , and jews , ( who are mortal enemies to christ ) to dwell peaceably in the fairest cities of christendom , that pity and compassion might be shewed to them , who have their whole religion founded upon the gospel , and worshipping the lord jesus ; and that they might be suffered to live quietly in desolate mountains , and desarts , and valleys , protesting that they would live in all fear and reverence of god , with all due subjection and obedience to their lord and prince , and to his lieutenants and officers ; and yet this petition could not be granted . we read likewise , that when that worthy servant of god , john frith , who was a learned and godly minister , was burnt at the stake , together with one andrew hewet ; that one doctor cook a parson in london , openly admonished all the people , that they should in no wise pray for them , no more then they would for a dog . o what bitterness and rage is there in the hearts of wicked men , against gods servants ! no marvel then , seeing they live amongst them , they suffer so much affliction as they do . the lord tells ezekiel , that he lived amongst bryars and thorns , and that he dwelt amongst scorpions . thus all gods people , living with the men of the world , may be said to live amongst bryars and thorns , and to dwell amongst scorpions ; no marvel then though they be so torn and stung as they are ; some have onely snarling , wrangling , railing spirits , and there is all they can do ; the worst is but to prick and tear the flesh , as a bryar and thorn ; but others are scorpions , able to do a great deal more mischief . fourthly , this opposition of wicked men against the godly , is an universal opposition . as first , opposing all that do belong unto the ways of godliness : as luke . . it is said of the samaritans , that they would not receive christ , because his face was as though he would go to jerusalem ; their hearts were against any inclination , against any thing that tended that way . secondly , if they can have advantage against any one , who makes any shew of religion , they let flye against all , they rage against all , as haman against the whole people of the jews , when he was provoked against mordecai . yea thirdly , they even hate their children after them , they shall fare something the worse for the forwardness of their parents . fifthly , it is a secret opposition , for so antipathies are , there can be no reason given for it , but as he said , this onely can i say , i do not love thee , but i cannot say wherefore : they are convinced that they are better then themselves , in their most serious thoughts , they wish to dye their death , to be in their condition , and yet their hearts do rise against them : as they were wont to say of caius seius , he was a good man , but he was a christian . but it may be said , there is a reason for our opposition , we do not oppose them for their goodness , but because they oppose laws , and we would see the laws to be obeyed ; we do not oppose them for their godliness , but for their hypocrisie . for answer , the devil never opposed religion , but under some colour . pharaoh cryes out of the people of israel that they were idle . haman says , that it was not for the kings profit to suffer the jews . tobiah and sanballat cryes out of them , that they were enemies to kings and government . saint paul was accused of sedition . but surely it is not for the execution of laws , that mens hearts do so rise against such as are forward in the ways of religion , for in other things they count men too busie , when they seek the execution of law. it was tertullians appology in the behalf of the christians against the gentiles , who objected the same thing against them ; o says he , there are other laws more for the good of the common-wealth , that you do not execute ; as he instanceth in laws that were made to restrain men from sumptuousness in feastings , and in apparel , and houshold-stuff , and in their excessive costs about their shows and games , yea , and many ancient laws about religion they regarded not . and as for that plea of hypocrisie , take this one evidence , that it is not that which is opposed , but religion it self : if it were hypocrisie that were opposed , then the better they did grow when they were in their most serious moods , the more they would oppose it ; for that which is evil must needs be so much the more opposed , by how much the more any grows better ; but it is apparent , that howsoever men in the heat of their pride and lusts , set themselves against the servants of god , under that name of hypocrisie , by which they blinde their own consciences ; yet when at any time they are in any serious mood , and their hearts grow into any better disposition , then they are not so set against them as before ; whereas if it were evil that they hate them for upon their sick beds , and death-beds , they would hate them most of all ; but we know it is not so . sixthly and lastly , the opposition that comes from antipathy , is an irreconcileable opposition ; it may be curbed and restrained a little , and for a time , but reconciliation can never be made , except one of the natures be changed ; no arguments , no perswasions , no means can do any good here , it is onely change of nature that can help . now then seeing that there is such an antipathy between the people of god , and the men of the world , with whom they live , how is it possible but that while they live with them , they must needs be afflicted by them ? chap. vi. many reasons why god orders things in his providence so , as his beloved should be under sore afflictions in this world . but though it be true , that the devil and world are malicious ; yet , does not god rule over all ? why then will god suffer his beloved ones thus to be troubled and afflicted ? answ . psal . . . the lord reigneth , let the earth rejoyce ; it is well for us that the lord reigneth , or else his people could never stand before the rage of the world , and devil ; one or two wolves , were able to devour a flock of sheep , what then would many wolves do amongst sheep , if there were not an over-ruling hand ? but as psal . . . surely the wrath of man shall praise thee , the remainder of wrath shalt thou restrain ; god suffers , and orders this so , that he might turn all to his own praise . for , first , sometimes by this means , he scatters his people abroad in the world to disperse his truth , to spread his gospel further then otherwise it would be ; as acts . , . it is said , saul made havock of the church , haling men and women , committing them to prison , therefore they that were scattered abroad , went every where preaching the word ; according to the prophesie of daniel , chap. . . prophesying of the times of the troubles of the church , he says , many shall run to and fro , and knowledge shall be increased . secondly , this god suffers for the manifestation of his glorious power , and that four ways , first , in the continuing of his church , and the profession of his truth , notwithstanding all the rage of men and devils ; gods power was seen in preserving the bush from being consumed , though it were all on a light fire : to preserve a spark of fire alive , in the midst of the waves of the sea , and to keep a light set up , in the midst of storms and tempests , is a great work ; there appears as great a power of god , in preserving his church in the midst of so much opposition , notwithstanding their grievous afflictions and persecutions , as there did appear in the preservation of the three children in the fiery furnace . eliah would have water poured upon the sacrifice , he would have it covered with water , that the power of god might more appear in the fire that came down from heaven upon it ; so god will have afflictions , persecutions , troubles , to befal his people , that he may manifest his power so much the more in their preservation . secondly , the power of god appears not onely in the upholding , but in the raising the spirits of this servants in their afflictions , with what courage , holy magnanimity , heavenly chearfulness that appeareth in them : even weak women and children , triumphing over the most sore afflictions , and grievous distresses , which made a heathen , one calocerius beholding this , break forth with this acclamation , of a truth , great is the god of the christians ! bernard says , those whom god frees from troubles , have experience how sweet the lord is ; and those whom he exercises with many troubles , have experience how strong the lord is . the glory of gods power is as clear in the raising the spirits of his servants in suffering , as if he should deliver them from suffering by miracle . and therefore rupertus saith , that god did more gloriously triumph in st. laurence his patience and constancy when he was broiled on the gridiron , then if he had saved his body from burning by a miracle . . the power of god is glorious , not onely in preserving his church , in raising the spirits of his servants in their greatest afflictions , but in increasing his church by them : if it be a wonder to be upheld in them , it is much more to be encreased by them ; the more we are cut down , the more still we are , saith tertullian . the church never grew so fast , as when it was under most affliction . sulpitius says of the christians in the primitive times , that they then were as greedy of martyrdom , as in his time men were greedy of bishopricks . the blood of martyrs was the seed of the church . pliny reports of the lilly , that it is increased by its own juyce that drops from it : so the church which is the lilly that grows among the thorns , the very blood that falls from them , multiplies them ; the sufferings of one begets many to the love of the truth . mr. knox in his history of scotland , reports of a gentleman one john lindsay , familiar to bishop james bettoun , that he said to the bishop upon the occasion of the burning of mr. patrick hamilton , my lord , if you burn any more , you will destroy your selves ; if you will burn them , let them be burnt in hallow cellars , for the smoak of mr. patrick hamilton hath infected as many as it blew upon . it is a report of one cecilia a virgin , that by her constancy and exhortations , before and at her martyrdom , was the means to convert four hundred people . by blood and prayer the church converts the whole world , says luther . fourthly , god shews the glory of his power , in doing such great things as he doth , by a few afflicted , distressed , persecuted , contemptible people : the greatest things that ever god hath done in the world , have been by these : the more afflicted , the more mean and despised they have been , the more hath the arm of the lord appeared in them . gods power is made perfect in weakness , cor. . what great things hath god done by a few afflicted , persecuted fishermen , the apostles ? what great things by st. paul ? who many times had not rags to cover his nakedness ; who was whipped up and down , and put into stocks , and counted the basest and vilest of men , the very off-scouring of men , and the filth of the earth : and yet never were such great things done in the world , by those who had the greatest learning , the most power , the most valor , the most glory in the world , as was done by these ; they did even subdue the world unto them , and that by preaching the gospel , a doctrine so above nature , so contrary unto nature . chrysostom in a sermon upon the . of matthew , speaking concerning this argument , calls forth plato , and pythagoras , and the rest of the phylosophers , and challenges them to shew what they had done in comparison of these . but because some might say that amongst the heathens there have been most famous captains , who have done great things , as themistocles and pericles : if you compare , says he , what they have done , with what hath been done by these poor fishermen , all their bravest acts will appear but childes plays , and the enterprizes of simple men . thirdly , that which god ayms at , is the tryal of the graces of his people : an afflicting condition is a trying condition : hence , dan. . . some shall fall and be tryed : this is a prophesie of the times of the maccabees under antiochus epiphanes : in the . heb. we have the history of this , where verse . we have the like expression : others had tryals of cruel mockings and scourgings : we read of queen elizabeth in her sister queen maries days , when she was locked up close in the prison , at first she was much daunted , but after she brake forth into this speech , the skill of a pilot is unknown , but in a tempest ; the valor of a captain is unseen , but in battel ; and the worth of a christian does not appear , but in time of tryal and temptation . fire tryes mettals what dross is in them ; strong winds , storms , and tempests , try what our foundation is , whether we be built upon the rock , or upon the sands : they discover what sap the leaves have from the root ; withered leaves when the wind rises , fall off , the green leaves that have sap holds on : they try what soundness is in us : if you hang heavy weights upon the boughs of trees that are rotten , they presently break , but if upon sound , they bear them : hard weather tryes what soundness and health there is in the body ; so afflictions and troubles , what soundness the spirit hath . wooden or earthen vessels , if they be set to the fire empty , they are soon riven , and break , but not when they are filled with liquor : so empty hearts , when they feel the heat of afflictions , they soon break , but if filled with grace , and the comforts of the holy ghost , they hold sound . when a mans cloaths are on , the deformities of his body cannot be seen : but when he is stripped naked , then all appears . in summer time , when the trees are covered with leaves , you cannot see the knots , and rifts , and mossiness of the tree ; but in winter when the leaves are gone , then you may see all . hence the hebrew word that is used for winter , comes from a word , that signifies disgrace and shame , because winter takes away the glory and beauty of the earth , and puts a kinde of shame and disgrace upon it . the deformities and distempers of mens hearts , are much discovered in the winters of their affliction : although there was much glory and beauty on their profession before , yet now they appear most vile and base . we read luke . . that christ was appointed for the fall of many , and for a rock of offence , that is , in regard of the sufferings that should follow upon the profession of the gospel : and mark what god ayms at in this , it is that the thoughts of mens hearts might be revealed ; there are many secret thoughts , secret haunts of evil in mens hearts , secret windings and turnings of mens spirits , that are not revealed until then : when the cause of god , and our own ends come in competition , when they must part one from the other , then is the tryal what we are : as when a serving-man follows two gentlemen , you know not whose he is , until they part one from the other : as we read ezek. . . the king of babylon stood at the parting way , at the head of the two ways , to use divination ; the best divining of men , is at the parting way : although the times of afflictions , in regard of the darkness of them , one way be called the night of afflictions , yet they have light in them , and may be called a day , in regard of the discovery they make of a man what he is . in prosperity a man is apt to judge amiss of himself , not onely because ignorance deceiveth the minde ; but because of the present contentment he hath , he is unwilling to be disquieted with any thoughts of disparagement : adversity though it be a hard tyrant , yet it is a true judge ; though it speaketh roughly , yet it speaketh truly . we read deut. . . that god led his people through the wilderness to humble them , and to prove them , and to know what was in their hearts : god knew before , but he would make themselves and others to know . i read of nazianzen , walking by the sea shore , seeing how the sea wrought in a storm , that it cast up light and empty things , but not things solid and heavy ; he applies this to afflictions , and says , that light and empty spirits are tossed up and down by them , and keep not their constancy ; but solid spirits are like the rock that stands firm , and abides the same : men do not know their own hearts , they finde their hearts otherwise when troubles come , then ever they thought before ; they never thought they had had so much pride , so much impatience , so much unbelief ; they thought before they could have submitted to the hand of god , that they could have born more then is now upon them with patience and meekness ; but now they finde their wretched hearts murmure , repine , fret , vex ; now they finde corruptions stir exceedingly : they had thought they could have depended upon god in straits ; but now they finde their hearts sinking , they finde they have base shifting hearts . when the fire comes to green wood , there comes out abundance of watery stuff that was not discerned before ; so when the fire of affliction comes , much evil runs out that you saw not , that neither you nor others thought to be in your hearts before . when a pond is empty , then appears the mud and the filth , and toads in the bottom : so when god empties men , when he takes from them his blessings , then much filth , many crawling lusts appear that did not before : sometimes more grace appears in afflictions then did before : some of gods people are low in their own eyes , they suspect and fear themselves , they think their graces will fail them in trouble , that their peace is false ; yet when it pleases god to bring them into trouble , they finde more peace , more assurance , more strength then ever they did before , or then they thought they should have done ; never such sweet joy , never such full assurance , never such use of faith , and patience , and love , as in the sorest and strongest afflictions . this indeed is very rare , there are few that finde more good in their hearts in afflictions , then they thought they had before ; but where this is , it may be a sweet seal to the soul , of the sincerity of it ever after . when corn stands in the field we may guess what it may yield , but we cannot know fully , till it come to the flail , and then it yields sometime more , though often less then we made account of . when grapes come to be pressed , then is discerned what is in them . fourthly , an afflicted condition gives opportunity for much exercise of grace , it calls forth whatsoever grace there is in the heart to the exercise of it . rev. . . st. john speaking of the sufferings of the saints , here ( says he ) is the faith and the patience of the saints ; here is matter for their faith and patience to be exercised about , this calls for the working of their faith and patience ; and so for other graces , as humility , self-denyal , love to god. physick stirs up natural heat , and makes it active ; so afflictions the souls physick . what mighty prayers , and lively stirrings of spirit are there many times in afflictions ? esay . . they pour out a prayer , when thy chastening was upon them : our prayers do but drop out before , now they are poured out , and one work of heart do's so follow another , that there is no intermission , it is all but one prayer they have poured out , not prayers , but a prayer ; and it is observable , the word that here is translated prayer , is a word that is used for inchantment 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 because such words were conceived to be full of efficacy , containing much in a little room . so the prayer now is not an empty thing , but full of efficacy , containing much in a few words . the graces of gods spirit are the most lovely things in the world in gods eyes , and therefore god delights much to see the exercise of them . when spices are beaten , then they send forth their fragrant smell ; so when gods servants are in afflictions , then their graces send forth their sweetness , in the activeness of them : when the box is broken , and the precious oyntment is poured forth , then it sends forth its delightful savour ; so when the heart is broken with afflictions , and the grace is poured forth , then they give a sweet smell in the nostrils of god and men . a tool that is daily used , is kept bright and shining ; and so grace , when it is most exercised , it it is most beautiful : the glory of the things of the world minishes in the use of them , but grace is ever better for the wearing . fifthly , in afflictions the power of grace does much appear ; the abiding strong against opposition , is a true argument of strength : this was the honor of josephs strength in his blessing , gen. . , . the archers have sorely grieved him , yet his bow abode in strength . it is nothing for a man to go on in the profession of religion , while all things are well about him , while he feels no trouble , but god hedges about his way : if god should always prosper his people in outward things , who would not be a professor of godliness ? when the people saw how mordecai was raised , then many became jews . i read of one pamachius a heathen , that he said to the pope , make me a bishop , and i will be a christian . every bird can sing in fair sun-shine weather : but here is the power of grace , not to be offended in christs sufferings : blessed are they who are not offended in me , says christ , to desire to know nothing , but christ and him crucified : to embrace christ in his rags , in his poverty , in his shame , in his afflictions and sorrows ; this argues a power of grace indeed : it argues the power of love , that much water cannot quench it . it is a note that josephus hath , writing the history of the time of christ ; at that time , says he , jesus a wise man did many miracles , and although he was condemned to the cross , yet did not those that followed him from the beginning forbear to love him , notwithstanding the ignominy of his death ; he notes it is an argument of great love in his followers , as it was indeed , that they did not forbear to love , notwithstanding his ignominious death . as it is a sign our love to sin is strong , when we have many afflictions to quench our love , when we meet with much trouble and opposition in a way of sin , and yet our love to it is not abated ; so it argues our love to god and godliness is very strong , when the greatest opposition cannot prevail against it : to account christ precious as a tree of life , although we be fastened to him as to a stake to be burned , this is love indeed . it was the glory of scipio , in which he much boasted , that there was not any of his soldiers , but would venture his life for him , if it were to leap into the sea , to cast themselves from a high tower , or any other way that he should require of them , this argued their strong love to him ; and it is the glory of the lord in which the lord delights , that he hath a people whose hearts are closely knit to him , in the most afflicted distressed condition that can befal them , who are content to suffer any thing for him , to submit to his blessed will , to honor him any way that he shal please , though it be in the loss of dearest comforts , and suffering the sorest and hardest afflictions . sixthly , by afflictions the graces of the saints are much increased , as israel never increased so much as when pharaoh most oppressed ; for two hundred and fifteen years before , they increased but to seventy ; but in less time , when they were oppressed , they increased to more then six hundred thousand men fit for war , besides women and children : thus the spiritual increase of the true israel of god is much in afflictions more usually then at other times . gods people to whom afflictions are sanctified , never thrive so much in grace , as when they are watered with their own tears . the rose is sweeter in the still , then upon the stalk . fish thrive better in cold and salt waters , then in warm and fresh : the largest fish are not in the fresh rivers , but in the coldest salt seas . the ground is most fruitful that is most harrowed . the most plentiful summer , follows after the hardest winter : the face of religion is never so beautiful , as when it is washed with its own tears . the walnut tree is most fruitful when it is most beaten : camomel flourisheth most , when it is most trodden on , and pressed down : suffering for truths does much confirm men in them ; that which a man hath bought at a dear rate , he is loath to part with : thus we finde it in men who suffer for errors , they are ever the more stiff in them : like the merchants , holding up their commodity , because it cost them dear . all oppositions , if they do not overcome , they strengthen that which they do oppose : as water cast upon the fire , it makes that fire burn hotter , that it does not quench . wind shaking the tree , makes it grow more steady . thus the tribulations of the godly , and the persecutions they suffer , do oppose their graces , but because they cannot overcome them , they strengthen them : as we read psalm . when the church forsakes all , when she leaves her fathers house , and her kindred , then doth the king greatly delight in her beauty , her beauty is great then , and exceeding delightful in the eyes of the lord : cant. . . o my dove ( says christ to the church ) thy voyce is sweet , thy countenance is comely : let me hear thy voyce , let me see thy countenance : this is spoken of the state of the church , after her deliverance from great afflictions , after her return from captivity ; before her captivity she was loathsom and vile in gods eyes ; god hateth her , as appears , jer. . . mine heritage is unto me as a lyon in the forrest ; it cryeth out against me , therefore i have hated it : but now she is delightful ; christ bids her arise his love , his fair one , and come away . god before cared not for her solemn meetings , they were a burthen to him , as appears esay . , , , &c. but now he expresseth his desire of their solemn meetings , o my dove , that art in the clefts of the rocks , in the secret places of the stairs , thou who worshippest me in secret places , in holes and corners , let me see thy face , let me see thee assembled into the face of a church in my sanctuary ; let me hear thy voice , let me hear thee there calling upon me , singing praises unto me , psal . . . we went through fires , and through waters ( says the church ) but thou broughtest us into a wealthy place . thus god deals with his church spiritually , by bringing them through the fire and water of afflictions , he brings them to a wealthy place , a wealthy estate . the church of iudah before the captivity , was as a vine that brought forth wilde grapes , upon whom the lord resolved to command the clouds not to rain , and from whom he would take the hedge of his protection , esay . but after the captivity he speaks otherwise of it , esay . , . in that day sing ye unto her , a vineyard of red wine ( which was the best wine ) now the lord will keep it , and water it every moment . i have read of a fountain , that at noon-day is cold , at midnight it grows warm : it is thus with many , they are coldest in their prosperity , and the nights of afflictions contract their heat , and intends it : fire never burns so hot as in frosty weather . the winter time of affliction , sometimes proves to be the most fruitful time of a christians life ; contrary to the work of nature , for all things seem dead then , and they flourish and grow onely in the summer ; but a christians winter is sometime better then his summer ; grace flourishes and grows most in his winter . our benoni's , sons of sorrow , prove oftentimes our best benjamins , sons of our right hand : the best corn is that which lies under the clods in frost and snow ; paul rejoyced much in onesimus , whom he had begotten in his bonds , philem. ver . . basil in his sermon upon the forty martyrs , calls them the stars of the world , the flowers of the church . and chrysostome upon acts . speaking of those who were praying for peter in the night , says , that they were made by afflictions more pure then the heaven . and some of the ancients , as chrysostom and salvian , have called afflictions the mother of vertue . manasses his chain was more profitable to him then his crown . hebr. . . god is said to chastise his people for their profit , that they might be partakers of his holiness : god communicates of his own holiness unto the souls of his people by their chastisements , in a special maner : love is often encreased in affliction ; sheep run together when the dog is set on them : after the church was delivered from violent persecution , it suffered much by divisions , the very bowels were rent by their dissentions , it was then in a worse condition then before , the fire of their dissentions being worse then the fire of their persecutions ; the one hindred , but the other furthered their growth . john . . every branch in me my father purgeth , that it may bring forth more fruit : as vines are made fruitful by pruning , so are gods people by the pruning knife of afflictions ; and hence it is , when the lord hath some great employment , some great service for any of his people , he first sends them unto , and trains them in the school of afflictions , as joseph and david . and as our benoni's , our sons of sorrows , that which we get out of our sorrows , proves oftentimes our chiefest benjamins ; so gods chiefest benjamins , whom he useth as the sons of his right hand in special services , are first benoni's , sons of sorrow . there is a great deal of difference , says luther , between a divine in outward pomp , and a divine under the cross . it is a rare thing to have any mans eyes opened as jonathans were , by tasting of honey , by prosperity ; but in afflictions many are : afflictions prove to them , as the clay to the poor mans eyes that gave him sight . they that are afflicted , do better understand scripture , says luther , but those who are secure in their prosperity , read them as a verse in ovid. amongst many others , this is one special means whereby an afflicted condition comes to be useful for the encrease of grace , because in it the soul gains much experience ; experience of god and of his ways , experience of the good there is in , and faithfulness of his word ; as we read , psal . . those who go down into the sea , see the wonders of the lord ; much more those who come into the seas of troubles and afflictions , how do they see the wonders of the lord ? they can tell their friends much of the wonders of the lord towards them : so israel in the time of trouble cryes out , hos . . . my god we know thee ; now we know thee otherwise then before we did : and experience of the evil of sin . it was a speech of a germane divine in his sickness , gasper olevianus ; in this disease i have learned how great god is , and what the evil of sin is , i never knew what god was to purpose before , nor what sin meant . when god spake to job out of the whirlwind , cap. . he answers , cap. . , . behold , i am vile , what shall i answer thee ? i will lay my hand upon my mouth . and experience likewise of our weakness , and the vanity of the creature more now then ever , psal . . . when thou with rebukes doest correct man , thou makest his beauty to consume away like a moth : surely every man is vanity , selah : he can then say surely , and that with a selah , that every man is vanity . it is very observable , that of all the seven churches that christ wrote unto , in the second & third chapters of the revelations , there are onely two which he charges no evil upon ; the church of smyrna , and the church of philadelphia : and these two were exercised with much trouble ; as the church of smyrna , cap. . . is said to have endured much tribulation , and to be in poverty , yet christ commends her , and says she is rich : her poverty made her rich , her tribulations made her glorious in the eyes of christ . and the church of philadelphia , cap. . , . she had but a little strength , she was in a low , poor , afflicted , contemptible condition ; yet she denyed not the name of christ , she kepe the word of christs patience , that word for which she suffered much , being strengthened thereunto by the patience she received from jesus christ . seventhly , afflictions preserve from much sin , they are blessed preventing physick : our falls into sore afflictions , keep us from falls into sin . hosea . . god says , he will hedge the way of his people ; if the hedge of the command will not keep us from transgression , it is a mercy for god to hedge in our way by another hedge , the hedge of afflictions , they are blessed stumbling blocks cast in the way of sin , to hinder us in it . i have read of augustine , that once by wandring out of his way , he escaped one who lay in wait to mischieve him ; it falls out so many times with us , if afflictions did not put us out of our way , we should fall into the power of some sin or other which would mischieve us . gregory saith of solomon , that he left the house of wisdom , because the discipline of afflictions did not preserve him . salt brine preserves from putrifaction : the salt marshes keep the sheep from the rot . eightly , by afflictions , decayed grace comes to be recovered : these are gods files , that file off the rust of security . physitians use to cure a lethargy , by putting their patient into a feaver : the spiritual lethargy of security , is often cured by hot and strong afflictions . when men are in a swound , we use to nip and pinch them , and strike them , and cast cold water upon their faces : gods strokes , and the cold water of afflictions being sanctified by him , recover many from spiritual swounds : many who have so far decayed in their spiritual vigor and activeness , that they have seemed to be even dead , yet they have been recovered this way . job . . god opens their ears in oppression ; many mens ears are clogged up with the world , but when god gives them up for a while to the oppressions of men , then their ears are opened . it is good for me , saith david , that i was afflicted , for before i went astray , but now have i learned thy word . in the . hosea , god threatens the church to strip her naked , and to set her as in the day that she was born , and to make her as a wilderness , to hedge her way with thorns ; and thus the lord did to that church : but mark what he says shal be the fruit of all , verse . then shall she say , i will go and return unto my first husband , for then was it better with me then it is now . when absolom sent for joab once and again , yet he came not unto him , until absolom caused his corn fields to be set on fire , and then he comes : god speaks and calls to his people who are grown secure , once and again , but they neglect god , until god comes with the fire of afflictions , and then they come . afflictions are like the prick at the nightingales brest , that awakes her , and puts her upon her sweet and delightful singing . gulielmus parisensis saith of musk , when it hath lost its sweetness , if it be put into the sink amongst filth , it recovers it ; this he applyed to decayed grace in the times of afflictions , in afflictions it revives , and recovers . ninthly , afflictions are of great use to mortifie lusts , to purge out filth and corruption . isa . . . by this shall the iniquity of jacob be purged , and this is all the fruit thereof . when physitians purge the body , they purge out that which is good , as well as that which is evill , but when god purges in the sanctified use of afflictions , he onely purges out the evil , this is all the fruit thereof . as aloes kills worms , so do bitter afflictions crauling lust in the heart . cold and hard winters do destroy much vermine , which otherwise would be very noisom : so cold and hard afflictions vermine lusts . violent storms and thunder clear the air , strong afflictions clarifie the heart ; by them we are as it were poured from vessel to vessel , from whence the ill savour of our heart-distempers comes to be taken away . ier. . . foul and stained cloathes are made white by laying abroad in cold frosty nights , so the defiled heart . salt marshes purge rank humours , so do the saltness of afflictions rank lusts . men let their armour lye rusting by them in the time of peace , but in the time of war they scour all bright , to make fit for service : so mens hearts in the time of peace grow foul , but in times of trouble , they are then cleansed . it is a great mercy to have the act of sin hindered ; afflictions are very useful for this , and therefore , hosea . . . they are ; as you heard , called a hedge of thorns ; whereby the ways to sin are hedged up : but to have the inward lusts mortified , this is a greater good . all the prophets preachings could not purge the jews from idolatry , so as the babylonish captivity : it is observed , never since that time have idols been found amongst them . tenthly , gods people are often in an afflicted condition , as chastisements for their sins , they bring many evils upon themselves , by their loose walkings , by their indiscretions , by their pride , by their selfseeking , by their forwardness , by their wilfulness , and worldliness : god chastens even whom he loves : the apostle tells the corinthians , that they were chastened of the lord , that they might not be condemned with the world . those whom god would never condemn , yet he will chasten : god will have his children feel something of the evil of their sins , and will have them and others see how displeasing sin is to him , in the fruits of his displeasure , upon those who are his beloved ones , who are exceeding dear , and precious in his eyes : because the lord is careful of his honour , therefore if his children sin , he will chastise them , hence the greek word for chastisement , signifies care of honour . gods children may come to be children under anger , though not children of wrath : yea god usually holds a more strict hand over his people , then over any , he quickly brings them under the rod , when he lets other go on , and rot in their sins ; yet he comes not upon his children as a revenging judge , to destroy the person for the sins sake : but as a gracious father , to destroy the sin for the persons sake : he is angry that they have sinned , but especially angry that they might sin no more . eleventhly , that which god ayms at in the afflictions of his people , is to make them conformable to christ their head , that they may enter into their glory , as christ did into his . ought he not to suffer these things , and so to enter into his glory ? luke . . we read of s. paul , phil. . . that he earnestly desired to be partaker of the fellowship of christs sufferings , and to be conformable to his death ; god will have a conformity to the death of his son. we read of godfrey of bulloin , that he would not be crowned in jerusalem with a crown of gold , where christ was crowned with a crown of thorns ; because he would not have such a great disproportion between him and christ . it is reported of origen , when alexander severus the emperor sent for him , he appearing to be meanly cloathed , there were divers costly garments prepared for him , and sent to him , but he refused them , and when he came near to rome , there was a mule and a chariot sent for him , that he might choose which liked him best , but he refused them likewise , and would not go in pomp to the emperor , saying , he was less then his master christ , of whom he never read that he rode but once . twelfthly , the afflictions of gods people are in just judgement a rock of offence , and a stumbling block to the ungodly . christ in regard of the afflictions that attend the profession of the gospel , is said to be a rock of offence , and so appointed for the fall of many , luke . . how many thousands perish , because they are offended at the mean , afflicted , persecuted estate of christ in this life ? thy heart is set upon vanity and outward pomp , this persecuted estate of godliness is thy stumbling block , at which god in his wrath lets thee stumble , that thou mightest fall , break thy neck , and perish for ever : hence is that speech of christ , blessed are they that are not offended in me : o it s a great mercy of god , not to let this be a stumbling block , it is a mercy that god grants but to a few ; here and there a poor soul , who is able to see the beauty and glory of godliness , through all the dark clouds of troubles , afflictions , persecutious , that attend it : but for the generality of men , this is that which hides the glory of it from them , unto their everlasting perdition . lastly , gods people are here afflicted , that christ in them , and they in christ , may in the conclusion of all be the more glorified . first , in the overcoming of all evils , in the final destruction of all their enemies . secondly , in their happiness after so many evils endured : the bitterness of foregoing grief , commends the sweetness of following joys . thirdly , their afflictions work to the encrease of their glory . cor. . . our light afflictions work for us an exceeding weight of glory . gordius that blessed martyr ( whom st. basil so much commends in an oration of his ) accounted it a loss to him , not to suffer many kindes of tortures ; he says , that tortures are but tradings with god for glory . tertullian hath an expression to that purpose , the greater the combates , the greater are the following rewards . bernard says of persecuters , that they are but his fathers goldsmiths , who are working to adde pearls to the crowns of the saints . the seeds of happiness are sown in the deep furrows of affliction , and the deeper the furrows are , the more precious are the seeds that are there sown , and the more glorious and plentiful will the harvest be . when a curious glorious picture is to be drawn , the grounds use to be laid in black , but not in dirt : so our grounds may be laid here in afflictions , but let them not be laid in sin . here then we see , that although afflictions are a bitter root , yet there spring from them fair flowers , and pleasant fruit : no marvel then though god hath a hand in ordering things so , that his people should be in such an afflicted condition in this world : from gods determining things to be thus , let us learn , chap. vii . what use we should make of gods ordering his people to an afflicted condition . first , that our rest is not here in this world ; let us not promise to our selves any such matter , let us not seek it here : the promise will not bear it , the promise will bear no further , then that we should have onely so much of the things of this world , as shall be sutable to our condition ; that which the prophet speaks in another case , micah . . we may apply to all the things and places of the world ; arise , here is not your rest : this is not the place , this is not the time , here are not the things that god hath appointed for our rest : this is the place and time for troubles , and sorrows , and afflictions , our warfare is here . no man in his warfare , will build himself a strong and sumptuous house in the field ; if we seek for our rest here , we mistake ; as if a man floating upon the waves of the sea , upon a board after shipwrack , should think to lie down and sleep , and settle himself there : or as a bird should build her nest in a bush , floating in the midst of the waves of the sea . god , says bernard , hath not cast man out of paradise , for him to think to finde out another paradise in this world ; no , man is born to labour . why do you seek the living amongst the dead ? why do you seek for living comforts , where you must expect to dye daily ? it is only heaven that is above all winds , storms , and tempests ; rest must be after labour , our rest is the crown of our labour ; to seek it here , is to seek it preposterously , and why do you require that in one place ( says s. ambrose ) which is due in another ? why would you preposterously have the crown before you have overcome ? imagine the most setled condition you can in this world , and although you had it , yet it were but vanity : so says the psalmist , psal . . . man in his best estate , is vanity : the word is in the original , in his setled estate he is vanity ; not onely vain , but vanity it self . it was a heavy charge that s. james , cap. . laid upon some , that they lived in pleasure upon earth : as if he should have said , earth is not the place for pleasure ; this is the place of sorrow , of trouble , of mourning , of affliction . thus abraham charged dives , in your life time , says he , you had your pleasure : the emphasis lies there , in your life time , that should not have been the time : let us take heed we be not too hasty in seeking our rest , our pleasure and delight ; we may perhaps have a little for the while to the flesh , and because we will not be content with that condition that god hath appointed for his people , here we may lose our parts in that glorious eternal rest which god hath prepared for his people hereafter . seek for that which ye do , namely for rest , but do not seek for it where ye do : if we seek our rest in this world , notwithstanding we meet with so many troubles in it , what would we do if the lord should let us prosper ? behold ( saith an ancient ) the world is troublesome , and yet it is loved , what would it be if it were peaceable ? you embrace it though it be filthy , what would you do if it were beautiful ? you cannot keep your hands from the thorns , how earnest would you be then in gathering the flowers ? secondly , hence it appears , that prosperity is not always a sign of love and favor from god. rome makes it a note of the true church : if that were so , then the egyptians were in a righter way then the israelites : the philistims , the ammonites , the midianites , and afterward the babylonians and the persians , might have pleaded that their gods were true gods , and to be worshipped rather then the god of israel : and when the ten tribes broke off from judah , and yet often prevailed against judah , and were more prosperous , they might have pleaded that they were in the right , that their worshipping of god was more accepted , then that which was at jerusalem . and afterwards the heathens might have pleaded this argument against the christians ; and thus indeed they did , as we finde in the . epistle of ambrose : he answers to one symmachus , a great man , who pleaded strongly against the christians , and for the maintenance of idols , by this argument , saying , that they prospered and flourished more in worshipping of their gods , then the christians did in the worshipping of theirs . certainly , the ancient godly fathers could not have heard this argument of outward prosperity , of outward pomp and glory in the world , pleaded as a sign of the true church , and of gods love , but with much indignation ; how cross is this to scripture ? where we finde the estate of gods people hath usually been a poor afflicted estate . and surely , the papists could not always plead this argument ; time hath been when the goths , vandals , hunnes , and turks , have been more prosperous then they . the emperor , henry the fourth , was much hated by the bishop of rome , and yet he was not unprosperous in his way : when the pope cursed him , and made another emperor , namely , rodulphus king of swevia ; yet this emperor of his setting up , prospered not at all , but was overcome , and slain by henry : the pope after set up another , and he was slain by a woman : yea , he set up a third after him against henry the fourth ; he likewise was taken in a mill , and slain by the emperor : at the last , the pope himself was cast out of his seat , and cast into prison , and dyed in extreme dolours of minde , for that he had so wronged the emperor ; and as it is reported , he asked pardon of him . and as outward prosperity hath not been always an argument that they could make use of ; so we hope that time will come , when they shall make use of it no more , when their judgements shall be altered , and this argument wherein now they boast , shall for ever fail them ; but for the present , though now she be crowned with diamonds , and cloathed with scarlet , yet still she is the mother of harlots , and the abominations of the earth . i have not , says luther , a stronger argument against the papal kingdom , then this , that it is without the cross . let none amongst us deceive themselves , by resting upon outward prosperity , as an argument of gods love , for their everlasting estates . many have no other hold to lean upon for their salvation but this ; all those solemn protestations of god against this in his word ; all the works of gods providence towards his own people , in leading them on in an afflicted condition , and towards the wicked in giving them the fat of the earth , will not take mens hearts off from this false reasoning , but still they will think , if god did not love them , surely he would not let them prosper so as he doth . a painted face is as certain an argument of a good complexion , as this is of a good condition . when god shall come hereafter , to take up his own to himsef , he will not look so much amongst the great ones of the earth , the rich , the gorgious attires , sumptuous houses , furnished tables , as amongst the the persecuted , contemned , scorned company ; out of them he will finde his own ; mal. . . in that day when i make up my jewels , saith the lord : the phrase notes , that gods jewels now do lie scattered in the dirt , and god hath his time to make them up ; god passes by pallaces , and looks in at cottages ; he passes by the rich , and takes the poor ; he passes by the honorable , and takes the despised ones . thirdly , hence we have a confirmation of another life after this ; certainly these things cannot always continue , it is impossible that the godly should always be in this poor , afflicted , distressed condition : it is not against the rule of justice to suffer this for a while , that way may be made to other of gods intentions , but that there never should be any righting of their cause , that there should never be seen a difference between him that feareth god , and him that feareth him not ; that god should never appear to judge in the earth , that there should never be a reward for the righteous , this cannot be . the souls that are under the altar , which were of those who were put to death for the testimony of christ , they cry , how long , o lord , holy and true , will it be before thou avengest thy self for the blood of thy saints ? s. paul reasons strongly from this argument , cor. . . to prove the resurrection ; for , saith he , if in this life onely we have hope in christ , we are of all men most miserable . when therefore we see the godly to be wronged , and persecuted , when we see iniquity to be in the place of righteousness , and wickednes in the place of judgement , let us not be offended , but say in our hearts , god shall judge the righteous and the wicked ; for there is a time for every purpose and every work ; and as chap. . . when thou seest the oppression of the poor , and violent perverting of judgement , marvel not at the matter , for he that is higher then the highest regardeth . if god should always prosper his servants in this life , then it would be thought he intended no other for them ; but he withdraws his hand here , that we might be taught to look for another . in the times under the law , god did usually more prosper his people in outward things , then now he does , and the reason may be because then christ was but darkly revealed , the riches of spiritual mercies were not much made known ; there was but little mention made of that eternal life , which is to come hereafter , we have very few texts of scripture in the old testament , wherein there is any clear mention made of eternal life , but in the times of the gospel , god calls his people to a more suffering condition then he did then ; and therefore the mystery of christ , the glorious promises of the gospel , the doctrine of the resurrection , and the ways of god in that eternity which is to come hereafter , are more clearly and fully revealed . it is an excellent expression that luther hath to this purpose : bodily promises , says he , is as the shell or husk that covers the nut , which is christ , and eternal life ; wherefore christ coming , the shell , the husk , is broken and taken off , that is , temporal promises cease , and the spiritual succeed ; he means in comparison of that it was under the law. the reason why the pharisees scorned at christ preaching against seeking the things of the world , luke . . was , because the promises were so large for temporal things . wherefore when christ would teach them not to seek those which they conceived the chief blessings of god contained in the promises , they deride him ; hence christ tells them ver . . the law and the prophets were till iohn , till then the promises ran much upon temporal things , but now the kingdom of heaven suffers violence , there is now another maner of kingdom revealed , sought after in another way then ever formerly . i dare appeal to thy conscience , whosoever thou art ; canst thou think otherwise in thy conscience , but that those who walk close with god , subjecting their hearts and lives unto his fear , must be most beloved of him ? they must needs be nearer that eternal good , and fountain of all happiness , then vile wretched sinners , who walk according to their lusts , who are vile and abominable in their ways . when thou seest gods people to be so low , so distressed , so afflicted , either thou must be convinced strongly that there is a time , wherein all shall be called over again , or else thou art an atheist ; god will convince thee another day by this argument , did you not see what were the ways of my providence towards my people ? might you not have gathered from thence , that there was another time a coming ? fourthly , learn we hence to judge wisely of the poor , of the afflicted , and persecuted . psalm . . far be it from us to think they are forsaken of god : let us not be offended at religion , because troubles follow the profession of it ; the blessing that comes by profession of the truth , consists not in such a peace as frees from trouble , but in giving peace and rest to the soul in the middest of troubles . luther hath an excellent speech for this in one of his epistles ad tonitorem . you seek and affect peace , but preposterously , such as the worlds peace , not christs , who gives peace in the middest of troubles ; as he saith , rule thou in the middest of thine enemies . now the cause of the church calls for a wise judging : how many carnal people are ready to think that popery is rather the truth , and that the religion of protestants is not right , because god hath of late years so grievously afflicted his church ? what , would god suffer his own people ( say they ) his own truth thus to be beaten down ? as they formerly said of christ , let him save him , seeing he delighted in him , so if god delighted in this way , surely he would have saved it , he would not have suffered opposition so far to have prevailed against the professors of it . it is no argument that christ is not in the ship , because tempests and storms arise . it is no argument that our cause is not gods , that christ is not with us , because of our afflictions , it may be we have not awakened him by our prayers , we are not yet fit to enjoy the sweetness of a calm . salvian was fain to write a whole treatise , above eleven hundred years ago , to answer this argument that men had against the people of god , and the profession of the gospel . turks judge all things according to outward success , and so did the heathens of old . we read of brutus , being overcome by anthony , he cryes out , whatsoever things are disputed concerning vertue , are but meer toys and fancies ; for fortune rules in all humane things : but it beseems not christians to judge by this rule . clemens alexandrinus cites plato , expressing himself thus , although a righteous man be tormented , although his eyes be digged out , yet he remains a blessed man. let none judge worse of himself meerly because of afflictions : before you were of the world , it may be you prospered , it shined upon you ; but now since you have given your name to christ , many troubles and afflictions follow you : this is no other but that hath been , is , will be the estate of gods people in this life : we must not draw ill consequences from , or make ill constructions of our afflictions , for this is to charge god foolishly , which job did not , chap. . . there are some kinde of sufferings that a man meets with , that have a kinde of sweet seal of god with them , even in the time of suffering , by which a man is more confirmed in his way to be from god , then ever he was before . fifthly , what shall become then of ungodly and wicked men ? thus saint peter argues , . epist . . , . iudgement must begin at the house of god , and if it first begin at us , what shall the end of them be , that obey not the gospel of god ? if the righteous scarcely be saved , where shall the ungodly and sinners appear ? if it be done thus to the green tree , what shall be done to the dry ? behold , they whose judgement was not to drink of the cup , have assuredly drunken , and art tbou he that shall go altogether unpunished ? thou shalt not go unpunished ; but thou shalt assuredly drink of it , ier. . . certainly there is shame and confusion for you , there are tortures prepared for you . you heard what the martyrs have suffered , but all that is nothing to the least spark of gods revenging wrath , when it is mingled with hatred . that is a fearful expression that we have , psal . . . let their way be slippery , and the angel of the lord persecuting them . it is a more fearful thing to have the angel of the lord persecute , then to be persecuted by men ; but how fearful a thing is it , when god himself , that infinite deity , when he persecutes a man ? when divine justice follows a man from one place to another and persecutes him ? you look upon those poor despised misused servants of god , and you think vilely of them ; let those spectacles strike terror into your hearts every time you see them ! o what is reserved for me then ? sixthly , if this be the usual estate of gods people , let us learn then to prepare for afflictions before they come ; although we have escaped many years , yet we may be called to such an estate at last . polycarpus escaped till he was fourscore and six years old , and then he was called to martyrdom . in the first ten persecutions in the primitive times , the christians in england escaped all the nine , although the gospel not many years after christ was professed in england , yet the tenth and last persecution fell heavy upon them . iulius caesar escaped fifty several battels , in which he was personally present , and yet at last in the senate house , he was unexpectedly murthered . now all is well with you , lay up for times of trouble : this is a gathering time , that will be a spending time ; know that that which will serve turn now , will not serve turn then : many are not able to hold out now , what will they do then ? o what will you do in the day of your visitation ? jer. . . if the footmen have wearied thee , how canst thou contend with horses ? and if in the land of peace , how wilt thou do in the swelling of jordan ? we read of polycarpus , that as he lay in his bed , he saw in a vision the bed set on fire under his head , forewarning him of his martyrdom ; we in our ease should seriously think of our sufferings , now while sun-shine days of peace continue , we should consider of the days of darkness which may be many . oftentimes we are thinking of , and seeking after great things , when we should be preparing for suffering hard things : as mat. . . when christ had been speaking to prepare for sufferings , zebedees children most unseasonably come , seeking for the highest places in his kingdom . this was the fault of baruc , jer. . when god was bringing sore and grievous afflictions to his people , he was seeking great things for himself . chap. viii . eleven rules for preparation to suffer afflictions . first , make account of them , do not say , i shall never be removed ; although you know not what particular afflictions shall befal you , yet make an account , that an afflicted condition will be your portion : according to that of the apostle , acts . , . and now i go bound in the spirit unto jerusalem , not knowing the things that shall befal me there ; save that the holy ghost witnesseth in every city , saying , that bonds and afflictions abide me . it is our wisdom thus to make an account of afflictions , that when they come , they may be no other then were expected before . as is reported of anaxagoras , that when news came to him of the death of his son , and it was thought he would have been much troubled at it ; he answered , i begat him mortal : so when any troubles befal us , we should entertain them with these thoughts , i knew my condition was to be an afflicted condition , i entred upon the ways of godlines upon these terms , to be willing to be in an afflicted condition ; this is gods ordinary way towards his people , it is gods mercy , it is no worse , i expect yet greater tryals then these . if we make use of the scriptures , foretelling troubles beforehand , we cannot for shame complain , when we meet with those we acknowledge we were foretold of . it is a good expression augustine hath , in one of his epistles to victorianus , we must not be so contrary to our selves , as to believe what we read , and yet to complain when the same things are fulfilled . if we make account of evils aforehand , we may have time to gather together the forces of our mindes , which being united are strong , otherwise they will come upon us , when our strength is scattered , and so be very grievous unto us , and likely to prevail against us . those evils , says seneca , that others overcome by a long time suffering , as being used to them , the wise man overcomes by thinking before hand * . secondly , the rule of christ that we have matt. . . is of great use ; if any will follow me , let him deny himself , and so take up his cross . where self is renounced , the cross is easily born : it is self that makes the cross pinch : things puft up with wind , break when they come to the fire , so those who are puft up , and filled with self ; the soul emptied of its self , is onely fit to suffer : there is a six fold self that must be denyed . first , self-opinion : we must be willing to lie quietly under the truth , to be convinced , and to be guided by it . secondly , self-counsels , and self - reasonings , must be denyed ; we must take heed of conferring with flesh and blood : as it was the care of saint paul , gal. . . immediately i conferred not with flesh and blood , if he had begun to do it , he had been in danger . thirdly , self-excellencies ; our parts , our priviledges , our credits , and all those things that are great in our own eyes , and that make us great in the eyes of the world . fourthly , self-will : we must not think it so grievous a thing to have our wills crossed , we must not expect to have our conditions brought to our wills ; and therefore it is our wisdom , whatsoever our condition be , that we bring our wills unto them . as it is reported of socrates , that when the tyrant threatned death unto him , he answered , he was willing : nay then , says he , you shall live against your will ; he answers again , nay whatsoever you do with me , it shall be my will : how much more ought christians to have their wills bow to the holy and blessed will of god in every thing ? the providence of god discovers his will , as well as his word . fifthly , self-comforts : those who give liberty to themselves , to satisfie themselves to the utmost , although in lawful comforts , will be unfit to suffer hardship when god shall call thereunto . tertullian hath such an expression in his treatise de cultu foeminarum , i fear that neck that is used to pearl chains , that it will not give it self to the sword . sixthly , self-ends must be denied ; we must aim at god , and not at our selves , in all our ways , and then how easie will it be for us to bear crosses , considering that gods ends do go on , though our ends be crossed ? thirdly , be sure to lay a good foundation , in a through work of humiliation : the more thou art willing to bear gods hand in the work of humiliation for sin , the lighter will all the burthens of afflictions be unto thee ; the seed that fell upon the stony ground withered ; and although for a while it was received with joy , yet when tribulation and persecution ariseth , by and by he is offended , mat. . . mark the expression of the holy ghost there , by and by , he is presently offended , and all because there was not depth of earth , there was not a through work of humiliation . we read , acts . . that god would shew s. paul , what great things he must suffer for his names sake : and how did god prepare his heart ? you shal finde in the former part of the chapter , that god smote him down to the ground , his heart was smote lower then his body ; he comes trembling and astonished before the lord , saying , lord , what wilt thou have me to do ? he was three days without sight , and neither did eat nor drink ; this was a great preparation of his heart , to those great things he suffered afterwards . you think the burthens of afflictions great , because you never felt what the weight and burthen of sin meant ; i dare pawn my life for that soul , who constantly exerciseth it self in the work of humiliation for sin , who burthens it self with the weight of its sins , and is willing to lie under it , for the further breaking of spirit , that it shall be able to endure crosses , and stand under strong afflictions ; and this must needs be so , first , because the soul is acquainted with the sense of an evil , infinitely greater then any evil it can meet withal in afflictions ; the sense whereof must needs swallow up the sense of lesser evils : as those who are acquainted with the pains of the stone , and strangury , and other dreadful diseases , account lesser pains ( which yet are very grievous unto others ) as nothing . secondly , a soul exercised in the work of humiliation , by it is put under the power of gods soveraignty , dreadful authority , and infinite majesty : it is not man that can terrifie that soul from duty , that lies under the power of these . thirdly , this burthen of sin , felt in the work of humiliation , mortifies those inward lusts , puls down the strength of them , which are so ready to rise against , and withdraw the heart from the truths , and ways of god. fourthly , this soul knows how dear comfort is , if it hath any comfort , it cost dear before it was got , and therefore it will not easily be parted withal . fiftly , where conscience by this is throughly wounded , and deeply struck , it cannot easily gather any such film upon it , as not to remain tender , but it soon feels the evil , yea it is sensible of the danger of the least sin . sixthly , if ever god hath manifested any love in christ unto it , the souls love to god and christ must needs be exceeding great . fourthly , be careful to preserve your inward peace , your peace with god , and your own conscience : if vapours be not got into the earth , and stir not there , they are not all the storms and tempests abroad that can make an earthquake ; but if vapours be within , and work there , an earthquake is caused : so where there is peace within , all troubles and oppositions without , cannot shake the heart ; but if there be no peace within , every little thing troubles the spirit : terrours without , and terrours within , both are very hard , be not thou a terrour to me , o lord , says jeremy , chap. . . for thou art my hope in the day of evil . i care not though all the world be a terrour to me , so be it thou beest not a terrour ; if i have peace with thee , it is enough , what ever evil befal me : oh therefore maintain , and keep this peace above all , it is no matter whether you have peace or no with the world , so be it you have the peace of the gospel in your hearts : it is one special part of that spiritual armory we read of , ephes . . to be shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace : that is , that blessed peace of the gospel , which is a strong preparation to endure any troubles or afflictions that christians meet withal : the reason of that phrase to be shod , is this , because we are to go amongst briars and thorns , in our way to heaven ; we are to meet with many hard things we are to pass through , therefore we had need be well shod ; if a man be not so , he will be as one that goes upon sharp flints bare-foot , or a mongst thorns , or bushes , so that the blood tricles down his feet every step he takes , surely such a man cannot hold out long ; thus it is with the soul that is not fenced with the gospel of peace : be careful in nothing , let not your spirits be divided ( for so is the word ) phil. . , . and the peace of god which passeth all understanding , shall keep your hearts and mindes ; the word is , shall guard your hearts : afflictions and troubles are as enemies , compassing us about , but the peace of god guards our hearts from the evil of them : this enables gods children , though not in the letter , yet in some sort to tread upon the adder and asp , to shake off vipers , and receive no hurt . having peace with god , we glory in tribulations ; we are not onely patient under them , but we glory in them ; how were the spirits of those blessed martyrs , we read , and hear so much of , strengthened with this blessed peace of the gospel ? take heed therefore , that you never maintain peace with any sin . great peace have they that love thy law , and nothing shall offend them , psal . . . oh , how many of you have broke your peace with god! at least the comfort of it is exceedingly darkned : you would fain have outward ease , and peace , but you have neglected the comforts of this peace , and that is the reason you have no strength , to suffer any thing for the truth , nehem. . . the joy of the lord is your strength , that joy that comes from this inward peace , but where this is not , there is nothing to sweeten sorrows , and therefore they must needs be very bitter . that time therefore that god gives you yet respite from afflictions , let it be spent in making up your peace more with god then ever , and getting clearer evidence , and sense of his love . if ever you knew what peace with god meant , i appeal unto you , when at any time , the sense of it hath enlarged your hearts with joy ; whether then , have you not found your selves willing to suffer any thing for god ? you could then go through fire , and water , your spirits could triumph with the apostle , i am per swaded that neither life , nor death , nor principalities , nor powers , nor things present , nor things to come , shal ever be able to seperate me from the love of god in christ jesus . fifthly , labour to see more into the fulness of all good in god : the lord told abraham , that he was god all-sufficient , as the onely means to strengthen him , against whatsoever evils he was like to meet withal . labour to have the insight into gods fulness , in these three particulars . first , look at all the excellency , beauty , comfort , and good in the creature , and know that it is all in him , in a most eminent and glorious maner . there is no good in the effect , but the causes together have it in them : now god is the first cause , and so all causes have their principle in him , and therefore all good must needs be in him . secondly , all possible good is in the lord ; that is , as there is no actual good , but is for the present in him ; so there can be none , but it is in him already ; there is such fulness of good in him , that it is impossible that there should be any good added to him in the least degree . thirdly , look at god as taking infinite delight in communicating himself , in letting out his goodness to his creature ; let god be seen thus , and let these three meditations of the fulness of good in god , be wrought upon the heart , and they will mightily support the spirit in all afflictions : for what is the loss of any thing to me , when i see where i can have it made up ? what is any bitterness , when i see such infinite sweetness to sweeten all . when tempests come upon mariners , and they be in narrow seas , where they want sea-room , there is danger , but if they have sea-room enough , there is no fear . thus if we are acquainted with the infinite fulness of good in god , we should see our selves safe in the midst of all tempests , we should feel our spirits quiet under the sorest afflictions . sixthly : a sixt preparation , for the bearing further crosses , is an humble cheerful bearing of present afflictions , and an humble submitting to the present condition : that soul that is willing to yield to god in the present condition , god will fit it for the future : many cast about in their thoughts what they shall do hereafter , if troubles should befal them , and yet in the mean time they neglect the duties of their present condition . go on therefore humbly , and patiently in the performance of the duties that god calls now for , and they will prepare you for whatsoever duties shall be required of you hereafter : there is no good to be expected from any in a new condition , who are not careful to perform the duties of the present : many are ready to promise , when we shall be in such a condition , then we will do thus or thus ; but what do you in your present ? never think to be able to suffer , if god call you to a new condition , if you cannot be patient under the troubles you meet with now , especially when these troubles are small and petty , in comparison of those you are like to meet withal . mr bilney the martyr used to put his finger into the candle , to prepare him for the burning of his whole body ; a patient bearing of less troubles for the present , will prepare the heart for the bearing of greater afterwards . seventhly , enjoy all your comforts of prosperity as from god , and god in them , and them all for god. first , from god : therefore whatsoever he takes away , it is but his own ; and what are we , that we must always have comfort , and content , who are poor beggerly creatures , who have nothing of our own ? secondly , enjoy god in all : the enjoyment of god in all , is a mystery the world is not acquainted with , onely a gracious heart knows what it is ; it looks at all creatures but as the pipe of conveyance , the sweet , and comfort , and blessing , is god in them ; therefore in any affliction that befals , so long as god may be enjoyed , the comfort , and sweet , and blessing of all is not lost , although the creature be lost . thirdly , all for god : why then should not god have the glory of all his own way ? we in the general acknowledge god should have glory from all that we are or have , but we would have him have it our way , so as may stand with our ease , with our liberties , peace , and ends : but god must have the honor of all , that way that is good in his own eye . and againe , if all we have be for god , then when he is honored by any thing we do enjoy , it hath its end and perfection : a comfort is then the most perfect comfort , when god hath the glory of it , when it is resigned to him , either in a way of service , or suffering , as he calls for it . and lastly , if our comforts be enjoyed for god , then our hearts are not let out to any of them , further then leads us to god ; and if so , then when god calls for the parting with them , in a suffering way , the enjoyment of them cannot lead to god any further , but would draw off the spirit from god ; and therefore such a heart is willing now to part with them , it is not grievous to it to leave them , because the excellency of them is not now in the enjoyment of them , but in the parting with them . eighthly , be often renewing your resignations of all unto god , and your covenant with him , to be at his dispose , that so when any trouble comes at any time , this resignation of heart , and renewal of covenant , may be fresh upon your spirits : the soul will be ready to suffer much , if it be called to it , when an actual resignation , and renewing of covenant hath been a little before , and the power of it is now fresh upon the heart : sometimes immediately after a day of solemn humiliation , where this hath been , the soul thinks then it could do or suffer any thing ; but in a little time , except this be renewed again , the heart grows drossie , and cleaves to present things , and mingles it self with them : the often renewing of this , keeps the heart very loose from the creature ; a thing that hangs loose from another , may soon be taken off from it , but if it cleaves to it , it is not taken off without difficulty , it oftner rends in the taking off : thus it is when the heart cleaves to any creature-content . ninthly , lay up provision against an evil day : there is a threefold provision we should treasure up to prepare us for our afflictions ; first , treasure up the consolations of god that he affords upon occasion , that at any time you feel in the performance of duties , in the exercises of graces , in the use of ordinances . secondly , treasure up the experiences of gods ways towards you , and his gracious dealings with you in former straights . thirdly , treasure up soul-supporting , soul-quickning , soul-reviving , soul-comforting promises , and that of several kindes , sutable to several afflictions , for thou knowest not what kinde of afflictions thou mayest meet with . tenthly , labor much to strengthen every grace , it is strong grace that is suffering grace : a strong wing will flye against the wind : as it is said of the horse , job . because he hath strength , he mocketh at fear , and is not affrighted , neither turneth he back for the sword , ver . . a candle will hold light in the house , but if we go abroad in the air , there is need of a torch , there must be a stronger light there ; weak grace may serve turn to uphold us now , but in time of afflictions it had need be strong , a little grace will soon be spent then , as a candle is soon spent , when it stands in the wind . lastly , set much before you the example of christ and gods people , who have endured very hard things . in the example of christ , consider , first , who it was that suffered : the son of god , who was god blessed for ever , the glory of the father ; when we suffer , base worms worthy to be trodden under foot , suffer . secondly , what he suffered : even the wrath of god , and the curse of the law , he was made a curse in the abstract as the scripture speaks , which was another maner of thing , then any of our afflictions . thirdly , for whom he suffered : it was for us vile worms , wretched sinful creatures , who were enemies to him : we suffer for god , who is infinitely blessed , to whom we owe all we are or have . fourthly , how freely he suffered : it was of his own accord , his own free grace moved him to it , he laid down his life , none could take it from him : it is not in our liberty , whether we will suffer or no , we are under the power of another . fifthly , how meekly he suffered : he was as a sheep before the shearer , his suffering no way disquieted his spirit , but it kept in a sweet quiet frame in the middest of all . sixthly , consider how his strength is with you in your sufferings . and lastly , how he is honored in them : he strives with us in the combate , he joyns with us in the fight of our agony , he crowns and is crowned , says cyprian . bernard would have us never to let go out of our mindes , the thoughts of a crucified christ , let these says he , be meat and drink unto you , let them be your sweetness and consolation , your honey and your desire , your reading and your meditation , your contemplation , your life , death and resurrection : would you learn obedience ? would you learn contempt of honors ? would you see the highest patience ? set a suffering christ before you : sureus reports of a noble earl elzearius , when his wife wondred at his exceeding patience under fore afflictions , he answers her thus , what good will it be to be angry and impatient ? certainly none at all : but i will open my heart unto you ; you know sometimes my heart is ready to rise with indignation against such as wrong me , but i presently turn me to the thoughts of the wrongs offered to christ , and i say thus to my self , desiring to imitate him , although my servants should pull my beard , and strike me on the face , these were nothing to those which thy lord suffered , he suffered more and greater things ; and know assuredly , says he to his wife , i never leave off thinking of the wrongs my savior endured , till my minde be still and quiet . he that is afraid to suffer , cannot be his disciple who suffered so much , says tertullian * . certainly the example of christ , in humbling himself to suffer so much for us , should be mightily prevalent with us ; if he emptyed himself so much , to become the son of man , how much more should we be willing to empty our selves , that we may be the sons of god ? worthy is the lamb that was slain , he is worthy of all honor from us , who being lord of all , was content to be in the form of a servant , to suffer for us , and how can we express our honoring of him , our respect to him , better then in being to suffer for him ? i have read of a roman servant , who knowing his master was sought for by officers to be put to death , he put himself into his masters cloaths , that he might be taken for him , and so he was , and was put to death for him : whereupon his master , in memory of his thankfulness to him , and honor of him , erected a brazen statue . christ who was not a servant , but our lord , yet when he saw we were like to dye , he took upon him the form of a servant , he came in our likeness , that he might dye for us , and he dyed ; he requires not us to erect up brazen statues in memory of him , in honor to him , but that we should be willing to suffer for him , when he calls us thereunto ; let not us put off the cloaths of our christian profession , that we may avoid sufferings for him ( as many do ) who put on the cloaths of our humanity , yea of our servility , that he might suffer for us . the example of the servants of god in all times , suffering in his cause , is likewise a special help to us in our way of suffering : let us warm our hearts often at the meditation of the fiery tryal of the martyrs . consider , what precious choycespirited men they were , how holy , heavenly , spiritual , what service they did for god , and yet that they should suffer such hard things as they did ; what are we in comparison of them ? chrysostom in an oration upon two famous martyrs , raising their honor , and speaking how the worthies of god in former times endured hard things , how is it , says he , that thou , ô christian , must be so delicate , a soldier so dainty ? canst thou overcome without fight , triumph without combate ? and in his sermons upon the colossions , remember the chains of paul , and consider what an absurd thing it is , that he should be in bonds , and you should live deliciously : does the desire of pleasures take ? remember the prison of paul : wouldest thou be cloathed in silks ? remember pauls chains , and silken cloaths will be more vile to thee then filthy rags : wouldest thou be adorned with gold ? remember pauls chains , and they will shew you that such ornaments are no better then the dirt under your feet : would you be beautiful with your hair ? think of the filth of the deformity of paul in the prison , and thy heart will rise with indignation against such beauty , and will account it extream deformity : what , would you have sweet oyntments ? consider of his tears . i have read of phocion an athenian captain , when he was condemned to death by his ungrateful countrey , he saw one tudippus condemned to the same death , but very fearful , he comforts him with these words , * is it not enough for thee , tudippus , that thou art to dye with phocion ? so we may say to our own hearts , is it not enough for us , that we have such a cloud of witnesses , such a noble army of martyrs before us and with us ? be not therefore so afraid of the ways of god , because of afflictions , as thou hast been , but submit thy self to god in this way of his . chap. ix . duties required of us when god calls us to an afflicted condition . seeing god hath so ordered things , that his people must be in an afflicted estate in this world , when god calls us to suffer afflictions , let us know there are three duties required of us . first , that we be willing to yield to gods call , to come under that condition he hath appointed us unto . secondly , that we behave our selves christianly with all humble submission , patience , contentedness , in this condition . thirdly , that we labor to improve our affliction that shall be layed upon us . for the first , when our cross comes , we must be willing to take it up freely , and readily to submit unto it . it was the honor of the three children in daniel , that they yielded their bodies to those fiery flames they were cast into , dan. . . let us not seek to put off sufferings by distinctions ; certainly the best policy in dangerous times , is the greatest purity . the lacedemonians were wont to say , it is a shame for any man to flye , in time of danger ; but for a lacedemonian , it is a shame for him to deliberate : how much more truly may this be said of a christian , when god calls him to suffer ? he should be such a resolved man beforehand , that it should be a shame now for him even to deliberate . it is argument enough for a christian to suffer any thing , because it is the will of god , out of bare submission to god ; but when it is not onely so , but in the cause of god , in witness to his truth , in vindicating his honor , this call to suffer comes with strength indeed : it is unworthy of a christian , once to deliberate the avoyding of this ; how much better is it , to suffer a little to prevent a sin , and so prevent gods wrath , then by avoyding sufferings to fall into sin , which being once committed , gods wrath incensed by it cannot be pacified , though we should be willing to suffer a thousand times as much . our condition is such , that we must suffer one way or another , while we live here ; is it not better then to suffer for god then any other way ? this was chrysostoms argument in his sermons upon the cor. chap. . sermon . if you suffer not for religion , you will suffer for some other unprofitable light cause : seeing then , says he , we following this or the other course of life , we must suffer affliction , why do we not choose such a suffering , which with the affliction brings unspeakable glory ? certainly it is infinitely better to suffer for christ , then for our sin . we read of peace-offerings that were offered , there might be oyl mixed , but not so in sin-offerings : in those afflictions we endure for christ , we offer up our selves as sacrifices of peace-offerings , and in them there is joy , much oyl of gladness is mixed in such offerings ; but when we suffer for our sins , there is no oyl of gladness mixed there ; let us take heed , that we be not found guilty before the lord , when the secrets of all hearts shall be opened , of being shy of the ways of religion , because of affliction ; many when they see they must suffer in those ways , although they be convinced of them , yet they are ready to say with augustine , as he confesses of himself , i do not love to pass through those straits , it is too hard and narrow away for them . if such thoughts work in thee at any time , take these considerations , for the rebuking of thy self , and the raising of thy heart , to a more christian magnanimity of spirit . first , at what a low rate doest thou prize the ways of god , the glory of god , that such and such more low comforts must not be laid down for them , that such light afflictions must not be endured for the maintenance of them ? secondly , consider if christ had stood upon such terms , as to have said , i could be content indeed that these poor creatures might be delivered from misery , but seeing such grievous evils must be suffered for their deliverance , let them perish ; i am not willing to be their deliverer upon such hard terms ; what had become of us , if christ had reasoned thus , if this argument had prevailed with him against us , as it prevails with us against him . thirdly , thou who art so shy of suffering , mayest be forced to suffer in spight of thy heart ; and what a sad thing will that be to thee ? what a sad thing was it to cranmer ? after he had recanted for fear of sufferings , yet he was forced to suffer ; what a darkning was it to this spirit , his cause , and name ? mr. fox relates of a smith in king edwards time , who was the means of conversion of a friend of his , who in queen maries time was cast into prison ; whereupon he sends to this smith , who had been the means of his conversion , wondring that he hears not of his apprehending and imprisonment ; this smith sends him word again , that it was true , that he had taught him such and such things , and those things were certain truths ; but for his part , he could not burn ; but a while after , the house of this smith was on fire , and he was burnt in it ; god made him burn whether he would or no : and so may he make you suffer , whether you will or no , who refuse to suffer for his truth . fourthly , whatsoever prosperity thou enjoyest when god calls thee to suffer for him , is cursed unto thee , if thou blessest thy self in thy estate , thy liberty , thy name , thy life that thou enjoyest , having avoided the way of suffering that god called thee unto , thou deceivest thy self , for there is no blessing in them , they are all accursed unto thee . fifthly , all duties of religion that now thou performest out of a suffering condition , are not now accepted of god ; thou must not think now , having avoided suffering for gods truth , that because thou art willing to perform duties , to be diligent in some service for god , that god now accepts of thee ; no , it was another work that god called thee unto , a work of suffering ; seeing thou hast refused this , do what thou canst , god casts it as dung in thy face and regards it not ; this is a sad condition , what joy can such a man have of his life , if he hath an enlightned conscience ? sixthly , what intolerable pride , and delicacy is this in thee , that thou wilt not venter the loss of any thing , the enduring of any thing for god , and his truth ? the least truth of god is worth more then heaven and earth ; and what is thy ease , thy liberty , thy name , thy life to it ? thou art too delicate , o christian , says tertullian , who must have pleasure in this world . seventhly , how vile is the unbelief of thy heart , who darest not trust god with thy name , estate , liberty ? how canst thou trust god with thy soul , thy eternal estate ? how lightly doest thou regard all the faithfulness , the mercy , goodness , wisdom , power of god , working for his people in their suffering conditions ? of what little account are all these gracious blessed promises of the lord , for their encouragement herein ? thy base shyness , and cowardise of spirit is such , as if there were no god , no faithfulness , mercy , wisdom , power to help , as if there were no promise to support and relieve thee . eighthly , there is a necessity of thy miscarrying in the ways of eternal life ; for if god hath so ordered things in his providence , as that such ways must be in ways of affliction ; and thy heart cannot bear affliction , how is it possible , but that thou must needs miscarry in them ? it is a woeful thing , to have a mans heart opposite to gods order , in any thing , but much more in things of infinite consequence ; if afflictions be a block to thee in the way of life , you must have this block . ninthly , how little love is there in thine heart to god , when thou art so shy of any thing to be suffered for god ? love rejoyces in suffering for the beloved . the avoiding hell , and the getting heaven , are no great things , says chrysostome , where the love of god is : then surely the avoiding outward troubles , and the enjoyment of outward comforts , would be no great matter to us , if the love of god were in us . tenthly , did you never suffer affliction in your ways of sin ? and will you not now be willing to suffer as much in the ways of god ? shall your sins have a greater testimony of respect to them from you , then god himself ? art thou nor confounded at the mention , the thought of such a thing as this , so unreasonable , so vile ? eleventhly , what honor should god have in the world ? where would there be any witness to truth , against the rage and malice of devil and wicked men , if all should do as thou doest ? if there be any christian blood left in thee , if any spirit worthy of thy profession , be ashamed of thy baseness this way , and be not so shy of afflictions . secondly , when thou art under afflictions , let there be an humble contented frame of spirit , as beseems a christian ; seeing thou art now under an ordinance of god , take heed of the least murmuring , repining against god , as if he were a hard master ; or as if his ways were hard and burthensom , because of the afflictions thou meetest withal : when thy spirit begins any way to rise in such workings , charge thy soul to be silent unto god ; it is a great shame for a christian , not to be well skilled in that art , instructed in that mystery of christian contentation . say with thy savior , shall not i drink of that cup my father hath given me to drink ? it is gods appointment , that his people should be in an afflicted estate in this world ; it is the cup of my father , and shall not i quietly , and contentedly drink of that cup ? now thou hast an opportunity to manifest the power and excellency of thy grace , to shew what thy grace can enable thee to do ; strength of reason wil go far , in quieting and calming of the heart under afflictions ; but grace surely , where it is true , will go farther . it is the most unseemly sight in the world , to see a murmuring fretting christian ; if thy god , if christ , if heaven were lost , it were not much to see wringing of hands , and sinking of heart ; but to see this upon loss of a few outward comforts , upon enduring of a few outward afflictions , this is a most unseemly , a vile and an abominable thing in thee . s. augustine upon the . psalm , brings in god , rebuking a discontented christian , thus : what is thy faith ? have i promised thee these things ? what , wert thou made a christian , that thou shouldest flourish here in this world ? well may god , and conscience , and all the saints , upbraid a murmuring fretting christian ; what didst thou expect in the entrance upon profession of christianity ? what was thy aim ? what , didst thou make account to live at ease ? to have no trouble to the flesh ? where there is not quiet of spirit in passive obedience , the sincerity of active obedience may be suspected : how far art thou from rejoycing in tribulations , who hast not a quiet contented spirit in tribulations ? i will not enlarge my self in this argument now , intending a treatise by its self of christian contentation : onely for the present take this one argument , which surely hath much strength in it , to quiet the heart under any affliction ; it is this , god is willing to accept of thy service , that thou tendrest up to him , though it be mixed with much sin ; why shouldst not thou accept of his ways towards thee , though there be a mixture of much affliction ? the sin of our service should be a greater cause for god to be displeased with what comes from us , then the sorrow and affliction that comes in the ways of his providence , can be to cause us to be displeased with what comes from him : that surely is worse that is mixed with sin , then that which is mixed with sorrow ; yet as the one is accepted by god from us , let then the other be accepted by us from god. lastly , let us not onely be contented under gods afflicting hand , but labour to thrive under it , to improve all our afflictions that befal us ; certainly , there is a blessing in every ordinance of god , if we have wisdom and care to draw it forth , to make it our own ; and so in this way of god towards his people , it is indeed a gracious work , to get our hearts lye quietly under affliction , but it is too low a work for a christian to rest there , he must look to improve every affliction for his advantage . by improving them we make our benonies , our benjamins ; that is , the sons of our sorrow , the sons of our right hand . although waters in the sea be salt , yet if they be raised up to the heavens , and sent down again , then they are sweet ; so though afflictions be brackish , yea brine-salt , yet a spiritual heart can spiritualize them , and make them sweet , and wholesom . afflictions are great opportunities for spiritual advantage , if we have hearts to improve them ; and the loss of an affliction is a great loss . s. augustine in his second book of the city of god , cries out against such , who did not profit by gods judgement ; you , says he , have lost the profit of the calamity : he speaks of it as a great loss to them , that it was over , and they had got nothing by it : as it is a sign of great wickedness , to turn blessings into curses ; so it is a sign of great grace , to turn curses into blessings . by this improvement we shall not onely get water , but honey out of the rock . but how should we improve afflictions ? first , be jealous of your selves , lest it should pass away unsanctified ; be more afraid of the affliction leaving of you thus , then of the continuing of it upon you ; and therefore , lay out your strength more for a sanctified use of it , then for deliverance from it . secondly , labor to know gods minde in your afflictions . the man of wisdom sees gods name upon this rod , and understands what god intends . first , whether he sends them for sin , or for other ends ; and if for sin , for what particular . for the first , it is true , god sends affliction sometimes for trial , and other ends , rather then for sin , yet it is sin that makes us capable of such a way of trial ; were we not sinful , god would not deal with us that way , he would bring about his purposes by us some other way , therefore it is good in all to be humbled for sin ; you may be helped in the knowledge of gods end . first , if the affliction be extraordinary , and come in an extraordinary way , and upon examination you finde your self not guilty of any special evil , besides daily incursions , then you may comfortably hope , gods intentions are not specially for sin , but for some other end ; so it was in job and joseph . secondly , you may know from the work of the affliction , which way it tends , and how god follows it , whether in it god settles not sin upon your heart , for humiliation , more then ordinary : or whether the work of gods spirit be not rather for the stirring up of the exercise of some other grace ; for god in his dealings with his people , will work for the attaining the ends he aims at . thirdly , much may be learned from the issue of an affliction ; when god comes chiefly for trial , in the issue his grace does much abound towards his servants , as it did in joseph and in job ; what honor was joseph advanced unto ? and job had given him twice as much as he had before , chap. ult . ver . . in all the land there were no women so fair as the daughters iob , ver . . but when the afflictions is for sin , it doth not use to have such an issue , it is well if the sinner may be restored into such a comfortable condition as he was in before : when david was afflicted for his sin , some scars stuck by him after his deliverance , he scarce ever was brought into that comfortable condition he was in before . but how may we finde out the particular sin ? first , look what sins and afflictions the word hath coupled together ; although every sin deserves all kinde of affliction , yet the word joyns some special correction , to special transgressions ; as god sorts several promises to several graces , so he sorts several afflictions to several sins . secondly , consider what sins and afflictions providence couples in respect of similitude ; god often stamps the likeness of the sin , upon the judgement , iudges . , . thirdly , enquire at the mouth of god , by prayer and humiliation , as david did , sam. . and job cap. . . and those in jeremy , cap. . , . fourthly , hearken to the voice of conscience , that is gods officer in your soul , especially in time of affliction , conscience will deal impartially ; and take this rule for your help herein , after much humiliation , and seeking of god , then listen to the voice of conscience : for as it is with an officer whom you would have search the records , if you would have him diligent indeed in the search , you must give him his fee , else he will do the work but slightly : so you must give conscience , gods register , his fee ; that is , let conscience have much prayer , and humiliation which it calls for , and then it will tell you gods minde more fully . fifthly , consider what truths have been most pressed upon your hearts before the affliction , for afflictions do use to come as seals to instructions , as iob . . a writing hath not that authority with it before it be sealed , as it hath after ; but when the seal is set on , then it comes with authority : so it is in regard of gods instructions ; before , they did not come with power to your hearts , now god seals them , that they may prevail ; and by considering what those instructions were , you may be helped to finde out what god aims at in your afflictions . a third rule is , when you have found out your sin , stir up your heart against it with indignation : this is that which hath caused me all this wo , that hath brought all this trouble and smart . as acts . . the jews took hold on paul , crying , men of israel , help , this is the man , that teacheth every where against the people : so should we take hold on our sin , that we have found out , and cry to the lord , help , o lord , this is that sin that hath made the breach , this is that sin that hath been the cause of so much evil unto me . as we read of antonius , after julius caesar was murthered , he brought forth his coat all bloody and cut , and laid it before the people , look here , says he , you have your emperors coat thus bloody and torn : whereupon the people were presently in an uproar , and cryed out to slay those murtherers , and they took their tables and stools that were in the place , and set them on fire , and ran to the houses of those who had slain caesar , and burnt them . thus the looking upon our afflictions , and considering what mischief sin hath done us , our hearts should be raised to flye upon our sin with indignation , and not to be satisfied without the destruction of that which would have destroyed us . a fourth rule is , when god stirs your heart in affliction , to promise and covenant reformation ; begin the work while the affliction is upon you , do something now presently , do not put off all till you be well , till you be recovered , and think then i will do it : there is much deceit of the heart this way , many miscarry in their vows to god upon this ground , because they put off all till they be out of their affliction , and by that time , the impression that was upon their spirits is abated , their hearts are cooled , and so the duty is neglected ; wherefore do something presently , and be always in doing , till that which is vowed be fully performed . fifthly , let every affliction drive you much to god in prayer . is any man afflicted ? let him pray , says s. james . it is a similitude of chrysostom , as clouds darken the heavens , & cause lowring weather , but being distilled into drops , then sweet sun-shine and fair weather follows : so sorrows and cares in the soul , cloud the soul , till they be distilled in prayer , into tears , and poured forth before the lord , then the sweet beams of gods grace come in , and much blessing follows . sixthly , treasure up all the experiences you have had of god , and your own heart in the time of your affliction , keep them fresh in your heart , and work them upon your spirit , and make use of them as god offers occasion . seventhly , what you wished you had done then , be sure now to set about , and never rest till it be done ; that when affliction comes again , it may not finde it undone , if it does , it will make the affliction very bitter unto you . it was the advice of one theodoricus , to segismund the emperor , who asked him how he should be happy , do , says he , that now , which when you have been tormented with a fit of the stone or the gout , you would wish you had done : that which he said of that particular afflictions , is true of others : we should have glorious reformations , if this rule were well observed ; surely , that which is true in times of affliction , is true out of it , and that which conscience upon ground judges to be right and good then , is right and good now . eighthly , take heed of trusting to your own promises , that you have made to god for obedience , rather then to his promises that he hath made to you for assistance . ninthly , often call your self to account after the affliction is over ; what is become of it ? how was it with me then ? and how is it now ? have i more peace now , then i had then ? and how comes it about ? hath my peace grown upon good grounds , so as it may-hold ? i had workings of spirit then , what are become of them ? have i been faithful to god , and to mine own soul ? and thus we have finished this doctrine of affliction , which by gods ordinance is the portion of his people in this world . they have been , are , and shall be an afflicted people . chap. x. wicked men have pleasures in ways of sin , while gods people endure much hardship in ways of holiness . the second point is , that god sometimes gives wicked men pleasure in the ways of sin , whilest he suffers his own people to endure much affliction . the israelites make the brick , and are under sore bondage , and the egyptians dwell in houses , living in jollity and mirth . thus it was with elijah , he must flye for his life , and live in caves , and be fed by ravens , whilest four hundred false prophets are fed deliciously at jezabels table . while the king and haman sits drinking in the city , shushan is in perplexity , esther . . job says of the wicked , that they take the timbrel and harp , and rejoyce at the sound of the organ , they spend their time in wealth ; but of himself he saith , that his calamity was heavier then the sand of the sea , that the arrows of the almighty were within him , that the poyson of them drank up his spirit , that the terrors of god did set themselves in battle array against him . chap. . , , . and david says of the wicked , that they are not in trouble as other men , their eyes stands out with fatness , they have more then their heart could wish ; but for himself , all the day long he was plagued , and chastened every morning , psal . . christ tells his disciples , the world shall rejoyce , but they shall have trouble . but why does god thus suffer wicked men , to enjoy their pleasure thus in the ways of sin ? first , here is their portion , they are never like to have any other consolation , but that they have here , here is their all. this is as it were their kingdom ; they are upon their own dunghil . secondly , god hath time enough hereafter to torment them , to make sin bitter unto them , and therefore he does not care though they have their pleasure , and go on for a while in the enjoyment of their delights : and god hath time enough to glorifie his saints , to give them everlasting consolation , and therefore although here they be cut short of the pleasures of the flesh , god does not regard that . thirdly , god hereby would shew to all the world , his own fulness , and how little he esteems of these carnal things ; they are but bones , therefore he gives them to dogs ; they are but swill , even the very cream of them , therefore he lets swine have them . luther in his comment upon genesis , cap. . hath a notable vilifying expression of the great things of the world , which god gives to wicked men ; the turkish empire , says he , as great as it is , it is but a crust of bread , which the rich master of the family casts to dogs : when retainers , when dogs have such allowance , it is a sign of a great deal of plenty in the house . fourthly , god grants pleasure and prosperity in just judgement to them , to ripen their sin , to harden them in it . the sun-shine of prosperity ripens the sins of the wicked apace , and so fits them for destruction ; this hardens them against the ways of god , it makes them bless themselves in their way , they spend their days in wealth , therefore they say to god , depart from us , we desire not the knowledge of thy ways ; what is the almighty , that we should serve him ? there is no truer misery , then false joy , says bernard . there is a great difference between the prosperity of the wicked , and that which the godly have ; god carries his people when he exalts them , as the eagle her yong upon her wings , he exalts them to safety , according to that expression that we have , job . . that those which mourn , may be exalted to safety ; but when god exalts the wicked , he lifts them up as the eagle lifts up her prey in her talons , he lifts them up to destroy them . it was a speech of augustine upon the psalm ; many are miserable , by loving hurtful things , but they are more miserable by having them ; it is not what men enjoy , but the principle from whence it comes , that makes them happy . fifthly , god is a patient god , and in the day of his patience , even the wicked are suffered to enjoy their hearts desire . obj. but it may be said , god is patient towards his people , and yet they are afflicted . answ . those afflictions that come upon gods people , may better stand with the glory of patience , then if the same things should be upon the wicked , because in the afflictions of the saints , there is no revenge , there is no hatred in them , but if god should inflict the same things upon the wicked , they would come out of revenge against them , and hatred of them , and so there would not be such manifestation of that glory of patience , that god hath to manifest here in this world . hence let gods people learn not to be greedy in their desires after outward pleasures ; they are but the portion of dogs and reprobates . it is true , godly men may have them , but never as their portion , god hath afforded you better pleasures , hath he not reserved better things for you ? as when we enjoy outward prosperity , we must not bless our selves in it , because it is that which wicked men have ; so when we are afflicted , our hearts must not be dejected , because we are onely deprived of that , which god gives most many times to those that he hates most . god will keep his people from being prevailed against by this temptation . david was in this temptation , psal . . but he says , verse . that god held him by his right hand : when men see how the world lives in pleasure , and the saints are afflicted , they are in danger of stumbling , but god holds his own by his right hand , that they fall not . secondly , let us learn , not to envy the men of the world , who live in pleasures , who wallow in the sensual delights of this life . the reason why they take so much delight in such things , is , because they know no better , they seek after no better . ambrose in his first book de officiis , brings in godly men objecting thus , why do the wicked rejoyce ? why do they riot it out ? why do not they labor as well as i ? he answers , they have not put in for the crown ; yea , says he , if you object thus , the wicked may answer you as the spectators in their olympiack games , if those that labor and wrastle in them , should call the spectators , and say , come you , and labor , and strive here as well as we ; the spectators would answer , you without us shall get the glory of the crown , if you overcome . besides , there is little cause we should envy all their jollity , they must give an account for it , and dear . when a soldier was to dye for taking a bunch of grapes against the generals command , and going to execution he went eating his grapes , one of his fellows rebuked him , what , are you eating your grapes now ? the poor man answers , i pray thee friend do not envy me these grapes , for they cost me dear ; so they did indeed , for they cost him his life : and so will these vain delights of wicked men , they will cost them their lives . and yet further consider , ere long things will turn , gods people shall have pleasure , and the world shall have afflictions : affliction did i say ? nay , misery with torment ; time is at hand , when it shall be said to every wicked man , son , remember in thy life time thou hadst pleasure , and my servants who walked faithfully with me had affliction , but now thou art tormented , and they are comforted . time is at hand when that scripture shall be fulfilled , esay . , . behold , my servants shall eat , and ye shall be hungry ; my servants shall drink , and ye shall be thirsty ; my servants shall rejoyce , and ye shall be ashamed ; my servants shall sing for joy of heart , and ye shall cry for sorrow of heart , and shall howl for vexation of spirit . thirdly , let not wicked men bless themselves in the enjoyment of their pleasures ; you have no other then thousands have had before you , who are now in hell. if that you have were of any great worth , you might be sure you should not have it ; if you knew how the lord brings about your destruction by your pleasures , you would have little cause to rejoyce in them ; haman rejoyced , when esther invited him rather then others to the banquet , but if he had known that in his banquet there was a snare laid for his life , his heart would have faln , it would have been but a sad banquet to him : certainly there is a great deal of evil , and misery , and wrath , in being suffered to go on with delight and pleasure in a sinful way . * bernard says , when god spares men in a sinful way , it is because god is not onely angry with men , but hates them , he calls his mercy more cruel then all indignation . origen in his sermon upon ex. . quotes that place , hos . . . i will not punish your daughters when they commit whoredom ; and he hath this pathetical expression upon it , god chastiseth every soul whom he loveth : but would you hear the terrible voyce of gods indignation , hear him by the prophet hosea , when he had reckoned up many wicked things which the people had committed , and he adds this , i will not visit your daughters when they commit whoredom ; this is terrible , this is in the height . and bernard speaking of the same thing , in the sermon upon the canticles , at the hearing onely of this , says he , i tremble , then god is most angry , when he shews no anger ; god keep me from this mercy , this kinde of mercy is worse then all anger . luther hath an expression much like , upon the . of genesis , o unhappy , and miserable men , whom god leaves to themselves , not resisting their lusts ; wo to them whose sins god seems to wink at . and jerome writing to a sick friend , hath this expression , i account it a part of unhappiness , not to know adversity , i judge you to be miserable , because you have not been miserable . bernard in his book de consolat . cap. . freedom from punishment , is the mother of security , the step-mother of vertue , the poyson of religion , the moth of holiness . yea , this was seen by the purblinde eyes of the heathen . seneca in his fourth chapter of his book of providence , hath the same words , that before was said of jerome , i judge him miserable , that was never miserable . and demetrius , nothing seems more unhappy to me , then he to whom no adversity hath happened . it were easie to multiply abundance in this kinde ; it may be , testimonies of men may have some force to prevail with such , who are given up by god to their pleasures , to the enjoyment of earthly prosperity , and sensual delights ; certainly they are not so happy as they judge themselves to be ; that which god denies to another in mercy , he may give thee in wrath . and thus much for this . i come to that which is a main thing in moses choyce . chap. xi . afflicted godliness , is better then delightful wickedness . notwithstanding both these , though gods people are afflicted , and the wicked have pleasure ; yet , afflicted godliness , is better then delightful wickedness . it is better to joyn with gods people in a way of godliness , in all afflictions , then to enjoy all the pleasures that possibly any man in the world can have , in any way of sin : the tears of the godly , are better then all the jollities of the wicked : it is an expression of an ancient , the very tears of those that are seeking of god , are more sweet , then the joys that any have in the world ; the worst part of godliness , is better then the best part of any way of sin : though christ be a crucified christ , and bring never such afflictions , hard things to his people , yet he is more delightful to them , then all the pleasures that are in the earth , and delightful in another way . it is a notable speech luther hath , i had rather fall with christ , then stand with caesar ; rather suffer any thing in the world with christ , then stand and enjoy all the pleasure of caesars court. thus a godly man , a gracious heart considering and musing of things , and laying one thing with another , had rather have affliction with the people of god , then enjoy all the pleasures of the world for a season . now the main work in this point , is to shew unto you , how a godly heart doth reason with its self , and cast about its self , as it were to bring himself , and his thoughts to this issue , to choose rather afflicted godliness , then all the pleasure of sin . first , it casts about what the ways of godliness are . secondly , what those afflictions are that do attend the ways of godliness . thirdly , it casts about what the ways of sin are , and what the afflictions and pleasures are , that do attend upon them , and puts them into a ballance , and compares them both together , and so makes its choyce . first , a gracious heart considers the ways of godliness . if i walk in them , then i walk with god , i live to the honor of the blessed god , who is infinitely worthy of all honor and praise from his creature ; those ways are the ways of infinite wisdom , they are the ways of holiness , of righteousness , in those ways i attain to that end for which i was made . secondly , in those ways i enjoy peace , peace of conscience to my soul ; whatsoever trouble i meet withal abroad , i am sure i shall have peace within : a little with outward peace , is better then a great deal where outward peace is wanting ; eccles . . . better is a handful with quietness , then both the hands full with travel , and vexation of spirit : a little with outward quiet , is better then a great deal with vexation ; if a man be in a quiet family , a little there , is better then to be where there is a great deal with frowardness and vexation ; surely , a little is better with inward peace , with peace of conscience , then a great deal without ; wherefore these ways wherein i walk with gods people , though the world may rage and persecute , i shall have joy in my own spirit ; a good conscience will be a continual feast : while they rail , conscience will encourage . thirdly , again , when i walk in these ways , my soul shall enjoy the love of god , and that little i have , i shall have it in love , and from the love of god ; now thy love , o lord , is better then wine , better then all the comforts of the world . the lord satisfies his people with love , as with marrow and fatness ; a little that the soul hath that comes from the love of god , by vertue of a promise , how sweet is it ? how sweet is sleep when it comes from that promise ? thou wilt give thy beloved sleep , and all comes this way ; i have all in the love of god , though i have but a little in the world , and though i be in affliction , & am short of that which others have . fourthly , and in those ways , my soul shall enjoy communion with god ; god will let out himself to me in a gracious maner , he will reveal the secrets of heavenly joys to my soul , and one beam of the light of his face , is more worth then all the world , and is able to carry through all the hardships of the world . my soul shal have communion with jesus christ ; and cursed is that man , says that noble marquess galeacius , that counts all the world comparable to one days enjoyment of communion with christ . fifthly , while i walk in these ways , i shall be safe for eternity , i shall not be in danger there ; and when the fear of eternity falls upon the heart , it sees it is a most dreadful thing to miscarry to eternity ; the thoughts of eternity work mightily upon my spirit , let me be safe for eternity , whatsoever become of me in these ways . it is reported of one myrogenes , when great gifts were sent unto him , he sent them back , i onely desire this one thing at your masters hand , to pray for me , that i may be saved for eternity . now in these ways of godliness , i shall walk with god , i shall have peace of conscience , i shall have that i have in love , i shall enjoy communion with the father , with christ , and with the holy ghost ; and i shall be safe for eternity : surely there can be no evil that can countervail this good , whatsoever i suffer , whatsoever i endure in this world , yet my soul shall say , it is good for me to draw near to god ; sure i shall choose , and like well of the ways of godliness , whatsoever i endure . but you look onely upon the best side of godliness , but turn the other side , you shall finde a great many afflictions that attend the ways of godliness , and when you see them , you will not be so in love with these ways . a gracious heart is willing to examine both sides . what are the afflictions you speak of , that will discourage any from delighting in gods ways ? first , they are but such as are upon the body , those things that do afflict the godly are bodily things , they do therefore but bring pain and trouble to this carcase , to this body of clay , to this lump of earth , to this body of sin , to that body that is to be beaten down in this world : to that body of vileness , for so it is called , phil. . . who shall change our vile body ; in the original it is , this body of vileness . it was the speech of a heathen , when as by the tyrant he was commanded to be put into a morter , and be beaten to pieces with an iron pestel , he cryes out to his persecutors , you do but beat the vessel of anaxarchus , you do not beat me , you do but beat the case and vessel , that contains another thing ; yea , the word in the greek , that clemens alex : hath , relating the story , signifies a husk ; his body was to him but as a husk : a heathen counted his body but the case , the husk ; he counted his soul himself : if a man had a precious jewel in a case , and the case was torn in pieces , and the jewel be safe , it is no matter ; and so by all these afflictions a gracious heart knows , it is but the case that is torn in pieces , the jewel is safe . fear not , says christ , those that can kill the body , and do no more ; christ would have us know , afflictions that do but reach the body , are but slight things . and for these troubles , let them be the most terrible that can be , they are such as may stand with gods love , the dearest of gods love , such as the dearest of gods people have met withal : says god in ieremiah , i gave the dearly beloved of my soul , into the hands of her enemies . indeed if they were such as could not fal , but from gods hatred , it were another matter ; but they may stand with gods love , yea , with the very same love wherewithal god the father did love jesus christ , and would you have better love then that ? you may be sure that all your afflictions that you do endure for godliness , and the ways of godliness , they are not such but you may have them in the same love that god loved jesus christ , and one would think that were enough to satisfie any soul in the world . john . ult . there christ prays , that his disciples might be loved , with the same love wherewith he was loved : now notwithstanding the love of the father to the son , he was afflicted , and suffered as much trouble , as you are like to suffer ; and if you in suffering may be in no worse case then he was , and may have the same love that he had , notwithstanding your sufferings , sure your sufferings are no great matter ; there is no more evil in your sufferings , then may stand with the love of god to your souls , the same love wherewith god loved christ : and if a soul knows this , it will not be discouraged from the ways of godliness , notwithstanding afflictions : indeed if in affliction there were the venome of gods wrath , and the curse of the law , it were something , but the sting and venome is taken out , and there is no great evil . again , these afflictions that the world so speak of , they may not onely stand with gods dearest love , but are such as may proceed from gods dearest love ; as thus , they may come as fruits of the love of god , and therefore sure they are no great discouragements from the ways of godliness ; you heard what abundance of good god brought out of the afflictions of his people , and therefore there may be abundance of love from whence they come , they may be onely but to fit , and square , and fashion the soul , to be fit to be laid in the highest place of new jerusalem : the stones that are laid below in some mean place , are not hewed and hacked , as the stones that are in the highest part of the building , or the forefront of the building , to the view of all ; those that are most for the beauty of the building , are most hacked , and framed ; and so those that god does intend to be the most beautiful stones in that glorious temple that is in heaven , god suffers them here to be fashioned and hacked , most afflicted , and therefore they may come from love . besides , they are no great matter , take them at the worst , they are but little things ; these light afflictions : there is no such grievous burthen in them , as the world thinks there is , for there is the hand of christ , to hold them up in all their afflictions : they are but such things , as rather seem grievous then are grievous indeed , as heb. . . no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous , but grievous ; they are things that are grievous in appearance , and in shew onely , rather then in truth ; as the prosperity of the wicked is but in shew , so the affliction of gods people are rather shews , they do rather seem grievous , then have any realty of grief in them , and therefore they are not so much to be feared . again , they are but for a little time , but for a moment : as it was the speech of athanasius , when he was banished , and his friends came to bewail his misery , says he , it is but a little cloud , and will quickly be gone : all the time of the rage and malice of wicked men , is but as an hour ; says christ , this is their hour , and the power of darkness ; it is but an hour , and is quickly gone . christs sufferings both in himself and in his church , is but drinking of the brook , not a spring of water for perpetuity . besides , the afflictions of gods people are in their season ; it is now the very season to be afflicted , and shall we be troubled to have affliction in its season ? this time of our life is appointed for this end , it is our winter time ; will a man be troubled to see frost and snow in winter time ? it is better to see frost and snow in winter time , then to see the corn blooming or earing in january and february : so while we are in the body , the winter of affliction is in season , it is not the time to be delivered from affliction now , that is hereafter , and therefore why should we be troubled that we meet with affliction ? lastly , these afflictions that you say will discourage , they will bring forth a gracious end , they are but as a dark entry into your fathers house , a dirty lane to a palace ; do but shut your eyes , and there will be a change , and as a martyr said , though we have an ill breakfast , we shall have a good dinner : now put all these together , what great matter is there to discourage any from the ways of god ? but now come to the other part : a gracious heart discourses of the ways of sin , what if i should choose the pleasure of sin , and should go on that way ? . if i go on in those ways , i shall be sure to go on in a way of direct opposition against the god of all the world , and so treasure up to my self the wrath of an infinite god. and is it nothing for a poor creature to go on in a way of opposition and enmity to an infinite diety ? how much better were it for me if i had never been born , then thus to do ? . i shall be sure to have no peace in those ways , in my own spirit , in conscience ; i shall have within me a conscience galling , girding , and lashing of me , the worm gnawing of my heart , my conscince continually damping of my soul , telling of me , surely i am not in those ways an immortal soul should walk in ; i shall never have any pleasure , but when my conscience shall be stopped ; and what cursed pleasure is this for a man that he can never have it , but onely when he can stop his conscience ? if his conscience had but the mouth open , he could not have pleasure , and all the pleasure that he hath , he must steal it at that time , when his conscience is asleep , he can never have it upon other terms ; if a mans conscience be enlightned , and awaked , it is impossible to have pleasure in the ways of sin : it is poor living , when a servant or childe can get no victuals , but as they steal it , when the master or mistress is asleep , or is on the to side ; and so it is poor pleasure that the world hath , when it must be stoln when conscience is asleep ; what good is it for a man to have a broken leg , and a silken stocking ? and what great content is it for a man to have outward pleasure , and inward dampings of spirit ? . again , in these ways of sin , as i shall have no peace , so do what i can , i shall have some trouble in spight of my heart ; let me go on in the ways of sin as i will , and seek for my contentment , i shall have some trouble in spight of me ; and how grievous will that trouble be , that shal come with the curse of god , and the wrath of god , and the hatred of god ? what shall i have to support me in trouble ? a little water in a leaden vessel is heavy , so a little trouble in an evil conscience . . and in these ways of sin , i shall be sure to be a stranger from god , never to know what any communion with god means , go up and down in the world as a forlorn , forsaken creature of god ; that when as others of gods people have communion with god , and with christ , and have the light of heaven , and the joy of angels , i shall be set to my swill . . and as for my eternal estate , i shall hazard to miscarry therein ; and oh my soul , dost know what it is to miscarry to eternity ? surely there need be some great matter , that should procure the least peace to a man in the way of sin , much more to procure delight to a man. but you will say , you take sin at the worst side at first , sin hath a delightful side , and that will please you , and allure you , though the other would not ; therefore let us see the fairest side of sin ; a gracious heart will look on every side . the pleasures that you speak of , what are they ? are they not fleshly ? onely reach to the sensual part ? what , must god , heaven , eternal life be neglected for these ? what shall that body , that must within a while be gnawn on by worms , and lie rotting as a filthy carcase , now be so regarded , now have such content given to it , as all that is to be had in god and jesus christ , must be neglected for it ? when thou shalt hereafter at the great day meet with this wretched carcase of thine , and see how vile it is , what confusion will be upon thee ? when thou shalt think , was this the vile carcase that must have such content , for which god , and heaven , and all the good in christ is now lost for ever ? secondly , it hath been the care of all gods dearest servants to keep down their bodies , to deny contentment to the flesh , and wilt thou give it all the content thou canst ? daniel was afraid of taking liberty to his flesh , in eating the kings meat ; and the time when he had his , 〈◊〉 heavenly visions , he ate no pleasant bread , neither came flesh nor wine in his mouth , neither did he anoint himself at all . you know the mean provision that iohn the baptist , the forerunner of christ had , his fare was locusts and wilde honey , and yet there was not a greater born of a woman before him . st. paul was careful to beat down his body , to club it down , even till it was black and blew , so the word signifies . timothy although he was sickly , yet would not take liberty to drink a little wine , but onely water , till paul wrote to him ; and in that liberty there was but a little granted , and that for his stomacks sake , and his often infirmities , not for his lusts sake , and to maintain riotousness . if i should tell you of the mean provision for the flesh , that many of the ancients , who were the most worthy instruments of god , the most eminent in all true excellency , were contented withal , and that before the superstition of popery prevailed , it would be even incredible unto you . basil in an epistle to iulian mentions the mean fare he and others with him lived withal , he ate no flesh , they had need of no cook , the leaves of plants , and a little bread , was all their provision . and ierome reports of hilarion , that he never ate any thing before the sun went down , and that which at any time he ate was very mean : from the fifteenth year of his age to the twentieth , his onely diet was fifteen dryed figs a day ; for three years after that , onely bread and water ; for nine years together , six ounces of barley bread in a day ; yet he lived till he was fourscore years old . and ierome himself lived exceedingly abstemiously , with cold water , and a few dryed figs , so that by him , and others with whom he lived , to eat any thing boyled , was even accouted luxury . and augustine hath such an expression concerning himself ; thou lord hast taught me this , that i should go to my meat as to a medicine : he meant not to satisfie his appetite , but to repair nature . and amongst the heathen likewise , such as have been most eminent with them , have been most above sensual pleasures . when one asked plato , how he got so much knowledge , his answer was , i have spent more oyl in the lamp then wine in the cup. we read of cato , seeing a roman who pampered his belly , had this speech of him , wonder if this man ever do any thing for the honor or good of the commonwealth . these who provide so much for their bellies , have their brains sunk down into the quagmire of their bellies . their parts , those common gifts of understanding they were wont to have , are now as the light of a snuff sunk into the socket , even drowned with the filth of their lusts , and what are such as these fit for ? a fat belly , says bernard , seldom produceth any witty invention . thirdly , what are these pleasures , but such as may stand with the infinite hatred of god , such as reprobates have had as large a portion in , as thou canst ? and art thou so eager upon that , which is no other portion then a reprobate may have ? to have no other portion then a beast may have , is low enough ; but to have no other then a reprobate may have , is lower : how many are now in hell under the eternal hatred of the infinite god , who when they lived , had as much pleasure as ever thou hast had , or ever shalt have ? as many merry meetings , sate it out in drinkings , gaming 's , riot , chambering , wantonness , sports , pastimes ; now what pleasure is it to them to think what mirth and jollity once they had ? fourthly , take them at the best , yet they are such , as the excellency of true vertue consists in the moderation of them , yea , in the raising the heart above them , so as to disdain and contemn them , if they would come in as our portion ; certainly if they were the highest good , the glory of vertue would be in expatiating the heart towards them , in letting out the heart fully to them , in enlarging the heart in enjoyment of them , in satisfying the heart in the sweetness received from them ; but it is otherwise , much of the commendation of vertue , hath been in the ability to moderate affections towards them , to deny themselves in them . it is the beginning of a good minde , says seneca , not to rejoyce in vain things . yea , there is no greater pleasure , says tertullian , then the contempt of pleasures . fifthly , there is much evil in sensual pleasures ; as , first , there is much mixture of much inward sadness , many damps of heart ; in the midst of laughter the heart is sad . ambrose hath a notable expression for this , thou seest , says he , the wicked mans feasting , but question with his conscience , does not that stink more filthily then any sepulchre ? thou seest his joy , his lustiness , thou wondrest at the abundance of his riches , children ; but look within , and see the wounds , the strokes of his soul , the sadness of his heart . secondly , they keep out better delights then themselves : there is an opposition between them and spiritual delights . those who long after the onyons of egypt , cannot taste the spiritual manna : divine comfort is a delicate thing , says bernard , and it is not given to him that admits any other . thirdly , there is a mixture of a curse with them : what good is there in having a brave sute with the plague in it ? is not plain russet or leather better that is free ? what delight is there in feeding upon dainty dishes sweetly poisoned ? is not mean wholsom fare rather to be desired ? we read of agrippina , in poisoning her husband claudius , she tempered it in the meat he most delighted in ; poison in wine works more furiously then in water : poor men who are wicked , have gods curse mingled with the water of their poverty ; and rich men who are wicked , have gods curse mingled with the wine of their prosperity . fourthly , there is much bodily evil comes in by these , they make the bodies of men cinques of filth , and all maner of loathsom diseases . basil hath an expression of the evil of intemperance , that it turns men into mire and dirt , and makes men like vessels , rotten and putrified , fit for no use . the romans were wont to have their funerals at the gates of venus temple : this they did , says plutarch , to signifie that lust was the hastner of death . and clemens alexandrinus observes , that the graecians called the intemperate , and those who wanted health , by the same name , onely with difference of one letter , to shew the great affinity there is between intemperance and sickness : and again in the same place , he says , the graecians call gluttony by the name of bellyphrensie ; for what greater madness , then for a short brutish pleasure to lose the comfort of continual health , and endure the long and tedious pains of sickness , and miserable torturing diseases ? what a folly is it to fill a ship with water , and then to hire pumps to pump it out ; so by intemperance , to fill our bodies with noisom humors , and then to hire physicians to purge them out ? chrysostom in his sermon upon the third to the philippians , demands , what do men gain by their riches , but drunkenness , gluttony , and absurd pleasures of all sorts , which do more hurt and torment us , then most cruel masters their slaves and bondmen ? give me , says he , a voluptuous man that is idle , that hath his health , you cannot finde one ; though he had many hundred physicians , it would not be . fifthly , there is an evil of soul-abasement , they make men become vile . cicero a heathen , thought not that man worthy of the name of a man , who spent a whole day together in sensual pleasures . and plutarch tells of agesilaus , that he cast off voluptuous pleasures to his slaves , as better beseeming a base quality and servile nature , then himself . thou mayest think to live in pleasure is a brave life , but it is the basest life that is ; so god judgeth it : hence the same word which the scripture useth for the sensual glutton , deut. . . is used for a vile person , jer. . . the word is the same in the hebrew . luxurious sporting people have high conceits of themselves , as if they lived the onely brave lives , but pet. . . they are called spots and blemishes , for they are indeed base , the most base spirited men that live . these do most vilely lowre mans nature , they are infinitely beneath the happiness of an immortal soul . the heathen accounted a life of pleasure , a life of beasts : what man would not rather dye , says tully , cited by lactantius , then to be turned into the form of a beast , though he should retain the minde of a man ? how much more miserable is it for one to be in the form of a man , and to have the minde of a beast , yea , of a wilde beast ? guliel . parisiensis calls luxury a scab , and says , the salt-water of tribulation must purge it ; and he brings in augustine giving the same name unto it , confessing that he was wont to delight in the scab of his lusts . this scab , says parisiensis , makes the minde of man ulcerous , running with filthy putrified stuff , and abominable to god , above that , that any man would think , which no bodily filth does . sixthly , the evil of nourishing of all maner of wickedness : all sin in scripture is called flesh , and the work of the flesh , because the pleasure of the flesh is the cause of so much sin in us . when christ spake of the servant who gave himself to riotousness in his masters absence , he calls him the evil servant . there are swarms of all maner of evils in sensual hearts ; they are the fennish grounds , that breed filthy poysonsom creatures ; so all venemous-lusts are bred and nourished by these , job . . it is said , the behemoth lieth in the fens , which guliel . parisiensis applies to the devil in sensual hearts ; he lies in moist places , says he ; that is , in those whose spirits are moistened by their lusts : wherefore it is said of the unclean spirit , that he walks in dry places ; seeking rest , and found none ; but , says he , men giving themselves to pleasures , they seek what they can to give the devil rest in their hearts , and to keep off all that may hinder his quiet . flies and wasps use to come to honey and sugar , and such sweet things : the devil who is called beelzebub , that is , the god of flyes , loves to be in souls glutted with sensual pleasures , yea swarms of devils love to follow such : hence such as these are most desperate enemies unto godliness , contemners and scorners of all religion ; that which is honest , is vile and contemptible to him , who makes too much of his body , says a heathen ; where pleasures reign , vertue connot be , says another . when the jews accuse christ of the worst their malice could devise , they call him a wine-bibber . seventhly , they likewise harden in all maner of evil ; when men are heat in sensual delights , their hearts are so glutted , that they never think of their pain . it is observed , that when the people of israel had got aaron to make the calf , and they set down to drink , and rose up to play , they offered burnt-offerings , but no sin-offerings were thought of : these beset the heart , and make it even uncapable of any spiritual good . st. paul says of the widows that live in pleasures , they are dead while they live , tim. . . let us eat and drink , to morrow we shall dye : why do you say , to morrow ? says chrysostom , ye are dead already . we read ezek. . . that when the waters of the sanctuary flowed , the miry places could not be healed : how seldom does the waters of the sanctuary heal miry souls ? augustine says of such , as the earth by too much rain becomes nothing but mire and dirt , so as it is made unfit for tillage ; so these , whoredom , and wine , and new wine , take away the heart , hos . . . who are the most desperate enemies to the cross of christ , but such whose god is their belly , phil. . , . who are they that cannot cease from sin , but such as sport themselves with their own deceivings , while they feast amongst you , having eyes full of adultery ? pet. . , . who are those that are wholly void of the spirit , and even uncapable of it ? such as walk after their own ungodly lusts , and sensual , jude , . who are they that say to god , depart from us , we desire not the knowledge of thy ways , but such as take the timbrel and harp , and rejoyce at the sound of the organ , and spend their days in wealth ? job . , , . pleasures do not so much delight the flesh , as they endanger the soul ; therefore better it is a great deal to be preserved in brine , then to rot in honey , to be fed upon the salt marshes , and short commons , and to live , then to be glutted in rank pastures , and so fatted up for destruction . and thus you see the evil of them , whereupon chrysostom in one of his sermons concerning the martyrs , the joys of this present world are to be feared by christians ; and certainly so they are , rather then to be desired . sixthly , if there were not so much evil , yet they are vain flashy things , there is no reality in them , they are all res nihili , things of nought . the heathen could say , believe me , true joy is no light thing ; but what windy frothy contents are these pleasures to the flesh ? do they leave any sweetness behinde them , after they are over ? as it was wont to be said of plato's feast , his discourse of phylosophy at the table , though the chear was mean , was sweet divers days after : soul-delights leave a sweet relish in the spirit , after their acts are past ; but the day after fleshly pleasures , what is left but bitter humors in the body , and a sting in conscience ? what wise man can please his thoughts after his pleasures are over , in thinking what pleasures he hath had ? much less will any man of wisdom , glory in what he hath eat or drunk , or that he hath filled his sensual appetite with all the delights he could : who can at night , after a day of sports , and fulness of delights to the flesh , bless god from his soul , that he hath had a day so full of pleasure in his flesh ? plutarch in his morals hath an excellent discourse upon this argument , to prove , that according to the rules of epicurus , no man can live a true pleasurable life ; not that by his rules no man can live a vertuous life , that perhaps would be granted by many ; but that no man can have a life of pleasure by those rules , that is the thing that he undertakes to prove , and amongst other arguments he hath these : first , that it is not probable for any modest and temperate men , to give way to let their thoughts abide upon any such pleasures , he accounts them so vain and slight ; for the pleasures of the minde , men that are wise and sober , delight in the thoughts of such . a second argument that he useth , is , that never , as he says , to this day , were known any that would offer sacrifice to their god , in thankfulness for the enjoyment of their pleasures with their minions ; but wise men have offered sacrifices , in thankfulness for the pleasures of their minde ; as he instances in pythagoras . a third argument that he uses , that we never heard of any so given to their appetite , that would boast of their pleasure , that they had devoured so much , or given to their lusts , that would boast of their lust , how they had satisfied it : ( although if he lived in these days , he might hear of such men ; it seems men are grown more sensual , then they were in those times ) but for the pleasures of the minde , many would break forth in rejoycing and glorying expressions , that they had had them : as he instances in archimedes , when he had found out a phylosophical experiment , that he was so filled with joy , that he ran up and down , crying , i have found it , i have found it . a fourth argument , that no man would so prize their pleasures in belly-chear , as to be willing presently to dye , that they might be filled therewith ; for the pleasures of the minde , many have so delighted in them , so prized them , as they have been willing presently to dye for the enjoyment of them : as he instances in eudoxus , who would be willing to be burnt up by the sun presently , upon condition he might be admitted to come so near it , as to learn the nature of it . thus heathens could argue against the slightness and vanity of sensual pleasures , and the solidness and excellency of the pleasures of the minde . seventhly , as they are slight for the present , so they are soon gone , they are not onely vain , but vanishing . first , they vanish in us , even in the enjoying . secondly , they vanish from us , so that we cannot enjoy them long . for the first , the fashion of this world passeth away , and the lust of it ; it does not onely pass away at the last , but the lust of it passeth away , before the thing it self be gone . although at first sensual things delight , yet within a while they come to be used as necessaries , not as delights , the delightfulness is over , and yet they cannot be without them : in this , such are more miserable then other men , for those things that are superfluous to others , are necessary to them . the more things a man wants that he cannot be without , the more miserable he is . it is gods infinite happiness , that he hath need of nothing out of himself : and the less need a creature hath of any thing out of its self , the nearer it comes to happiness : all their pleasurable things do but serve to make up that imperfection in them , which is not in others ; their pleasures now are but to help against the diseases of nature , now these cannot be so delightful as the true natural delights , that are surable to the principles of nature , which others enjoy . but secondly , they vanish from us presently : solomon compares all the prosperity of the wicked to a candle ; how soon is the candle of the wicked blown out ? all are like a mountain , yea , like a little hill of snow , that melts away presently . pleasure gives us a deadly wound , and is gone , it makes us miserable , and then it leaves us . eighthly , if they should not be soon gone from me , yet i must be soon gone from them . it were something if thou mightest abide by them , and they abide with thee , but within a while , thou and all thy pleasures together must vanish away , you must be dragged from them , if death draw the curtains and look in upon thee , then thou must bid a farewel to all ; never laugh more , never have merry meetings more , never be in jollity more ; all , all , now is gone , as the pope adrian said , when he was to dye , o my soul , whither goest thou ? thou shalt never jest it , sport it out more ; when thou shalt be called to eternity , then all thy delights will leave thee , and bid thee farewel for ever : if you should call to them , o now go with me , now i have most need of you ; alas , they cannot , all now is but a shadow , but a dream that is passed away ; alas , i was made for eternity , and what good is it for me to have such pleasures for a season ? what is it to be jocund , to trifle up and down a year or two , and there an end ? o how doleful will this sound be to you , your season is done , you have had your time , it is gone , it is past , and cannot be recalled ! and yet this is not the season neither , that should be for pleasure . son , remember in thy life time , thou hadst thy pleasure ; it should not have been then : st. james , cap. . lays it as a great charge upon those in his time , that they lived in pleasure upon the earth ; this is a charge of folly . this is a time for vertuous actions , to do the great business for which we were born . it is a notable expression we finde in that tractate , in plutarch's morals , before quoted ; he puts this case there : suppose ( says he ) any man were to dye , and either god , or the king , who had power of his life , should lengthen it out one hour , that he might make use of that hour , either to do some famous action , or to spend it in pleasure , and when that hour is at an end , then to dye again ; what is it like that this man would do ? what , would he rather have his lust with lais ? ( that was in those times a famous whore ) or would he rather drink strong and delightful wine ? or not rather do some famous exploit for his countrey ; as to slay archias , and to deliver athens ? and he determines the case ; i am perswaded , says he , no man in such a case , but would rather chuse the latter : surely our lives are in gods hands , we know not whither so much as an hour be granted us or not , we may be gone to our long home the next hour ; but what do we choose to do ? certainly , did we know that our eternity depended upon this little uncertain time of our lives , we would not think sensual pleasures to be in season now ; this time should be spent , in seeking to make our peace with god , to humble our souls , to get off the guilt of sin : this is a time of suing out our pardon , of mourning , of sorrow , and trouble of spirit , and not the time for jollity and fleshly delights . if a condemned man had two or three days granted him , that he might sue out his pardon , were that a time for pleasure ? and sports ? thus it is with thee , the sentence of death is upon thee , onely a little uncertain time is granted thee to get a pardon ; know then what is thy work thou hast to do , and apply thy self to it . and were it that thou hadst thy pleasure freely , it were another matter ; but they must all be called for again and thou must give a strict account for them all ; eccles . . . rejoyce o yong man in thy youth , walk in the way of thy heart , and in the sight of thine eyes , live after thy lusts , and do what thou wilt ; a thing that yong men love as their lives : it is an ironical confession : but remember withal , there must be an account for these things ; know then this is certain , it is no fancy , a conceit ; know it , be throughly convinced of it , as a thing most certain : for all these things , there is not one merry meeting , not one hour spent in pleasure , yea , not one pleasurable act or thought , but an account must be given for it ; god will bring thee , though thou be unwilling to come , yet thou canst not avoid it , god will bring thee to judgement . you think such delights as you have , are no such things as god takes notice of , they are but matters of sport ; thou thinkest thou hast liberty in them , to do what thou listest , thou shalt never hear of them again ; but assure your self , god will bring you to judgement , to be examined , condemned and punished . of all men , voluptuous men least think of judgement , they put far from them the evil day , amos . . but above all men , god hath an eye upon them , to bring them to judgement , and therefore pet. . , . the lord reserves the unjust unto the day of judgement to be punished , but chiefly them that walk after the flesh , in the lust of uncleanness ; mark , chiefly them ; if it were possible for any to escape , it is impossible for you , for god looks at you chiefly . thou now art riotous , and callest for all the delights thou hast a minde to , but there comes a reckoning behinde that will damp all . there are three heads , upon which the enquiry at the day of judgement will be concerning thy pleasures . first , what kinde of pleasures they were , whether wicked in their own natures , or not . secondly , what time was spent in them . thirdly , how far thy heart was let out upon them . lastly , let the fearful end of these delightful things be considered . those morsels which were so sweet in going down , they must come up again as bitter as gall : job . , . though wickedness be sweet in his mouth , though he hide it under his tongue , though he spare it , and forsake it not , but keep it still within his mouth , yet his meat in his bowels is turned , it is the gall of asps within him . and prov. . , . it is said of the wine that moveth its self , sparkling in the cup , at the last , it biteh like a serpent , and stingeth like an adder . the yong man that follows the enticings of the whore , prov. . , . he goes as an ox to slaughter , and as a fool to the stocks , till a dart strike through his liver , he knows not that it is for his life . and cap. . ver . . he is said to mourn at the last , when his flesh and his body is consumed ; and he cryes out , how have i hated instruction , and my heart despised reproof ? and have not obeyed the voyce of my teachers , nor enclined mine ear to them that instructed me ? sensual pleasure leads to , and fits for destruction . esay . . hell hath enlarged her self , and opened her mouth without measure , he that rejoyceth shall descend into it : job . , . they take the timbrel and harp , and rejoyce at the sound of the organ , they spend their days in wealth , and in a moment go down to hell . the fish swim down pleasantly in jordan , but fall at last into the dead sea : the black sea of eternal horror , is the conclusion of all these sweet delights . as abner to ioab , sam. . . knowest thou not that it will be bitterness in the latter end ? these are they who come to a fearful end , yea many times in this life ; as esay . . behold , all ye that kindle a fire , that compass about your selves with sparks , walk in the light of your fire , and in the sparks that you have kindled , this shall ye have of my hand , ye shall lie down in sorrow . you now frame a delightful life to your self ; well , walk in the light of your fire , enjoy your delight , satisfie your selves in your own ways , but this shall you have of the lord , you shall lie down in sorrow , yea , and that in proportion to your pleasure ; rev. . . how much she hath glorified her self , and lived deliciously , so much torment give her . and how grievous will eternal pain be to thee , who art now altogether for delight and pleasure ? thou canst not now endure any sad thoughts , thou cryest out , they make thee melancholy ; how wilt thou endure the dismal thoughts of an accusing tormenting conscience everlastingly ? those fearful gnawings of that never-dying worm that was bred in thy sweet delights ? now thy flesh is dainty , delicate and tender , it must lie soft , and fare deliciously , it must have all to satisfie it that can be devised ; how will it endure those everlasting burnings ? if after every intemperate draught , there should be a draught of scalding lead poured down , how grievous would it be ? the end of thy intemperate pleasures will be worse ; for , as iob . . thou shalt drink of the wrath of the almighty , and this shall be the portion of thy cup , now thou delightest in thy long sittings at it , thou shalt drink of this eternally , those cursed delights in burning lusts , shall end in eternal burnings . chap. xii . who are the truly wise men ; with the encouragement to the saints in the happy choice they have made . here you see who are the wise men in the earth ; wisdom does most discover its self in choice , for choice requires understanding to compare and weigh things : the will of every man is for some good he would have ; every man wills to be happy ; this is as natural for every reasonable creature , as for the fire to burn : but herein appears wisdom , to make a right choice of those means that may bring us to that happiness that we do will ; here is the infinite mistake of the world , they would be happy , but they choose means that are quite contrary to happiness ; but those that choose right , and pitch upon the means that will indeed bring to that happiness that an immortal soul is capable of , surely those are wise ; this is the wisdom that is from above , that can dispose of such means , as to obtain this end , and the greater the means are , and the more excellent the end is , the greater is the wisdom that orders thereunto , & guides therein : every one can propound an ordinary end to himself , and means to attain it ; but if the business be of high consequence , as for a general to manage an army , his end is a high end , that concerns the prosperity of a whole countrey , and because his end is so high , that wisdom that can order means to attain this end , is admired in the world , it is not an ordinary skil that is able to do this . now the attaining of god himself , the being blessed to all eternity , if there be any end that is high , this must be it ; for one therefore to be able to order and dispose of means , so as not to miscarry in such a high end as this , such a glorious and great work as this , it must be wonderful wisdom . the men of the world think themselves wise men , and bless themselves in their wisdom , because they can order and dispose of means to get money and fine cloaths ; they are poor , and base , and low spirits , who minde and regard no higher , and no better things then these base things that are below ; whereas the godly , because god hath let the fear of eternity fall upon them , and they regard nothing but in subordination to that , therefore they sometimes miscarry in the things of the world ; hereupon the men of the world looking at them , and seeing no higher end but the enjoyment of pleasure , and the like , they count them a company of fools that will undo themselves , and prove to be beggers , and so slight them in that respect . but there is an infinite mistake in this ; were it that gods servants did propound that end to themselves , and had no higher then that which other men have , they would shift as well as they ; but because they have a higher end , therefore their thoughts in wisdom are drawn out about that : as st. paul said , cor. . . we have not received the spirit of the world ; we cannot shift and plot in the world ; but we have received the spirit of god , that spirit that shall order us , and dispose us to enjoy communion with god and his angels for ever . a swine that wanders up and down , can make better shift to get home to the trough , then a sheep that wanders to get home to the fold : the men of this world are indeed wiser in their generation then the children of light , but the children of light have their ends and ways , wherein their wisdom appears to be full of excellency and glory . the wisdom of politicians is seen in this , they will let go things that are low , and be content to be crossed in things that are mean , if their great plots may go on ; so it is in all true spiritual wisdom : a gracious heart , when it looks at the enjoyment of god in the way of godliness , so be it that great plot may go on , it does not so much look at things that are under : and therefore let men know that there is a mistake in this , one day god will make it known , who are those that are wise on the earth . surely the world did not commend daniel for his wisdom , that he would not omit prayer one day to save his life , but had rather lose all : would not the worldly-wise say , what a foolish thing is this , not to omit prayer one day to save a mans life , and he must open his window too ; that spiritual wisdom which god gives unto his people , it is foolishness to a carnal heart ; and therefore you shall have some parents themselves , when children come to be strict in their way , will say , what , shall we have a fool of you ? and one neighbor to another , when they see any have a tender conscience , who before gave himself to the pleasure of the flesh , we shall have a fool of you now : though you count them fools , they know your way is folly . they think the matters of religion are but niceties , and and to venture the loss of so much for such niceties , what a foolish thing is it ? as pilate wondered at christ , when his life was in question , he talks of truth , what is truth ? your life is in danger , and do you now talk of truth ? that which is honest and vertuous , is vile and contemptible to him whose body and sensual part is dear to him , says seneca . i remember lactantius brings in a heathen scorning at the ways of christians in this maner , thinking christians to be fools , when they see they should endure such things , and yet they would be christians ; says he , scorn us , contemn us , and despise us , we know our foolishness profits us , let us alone with our foolishness , we do not envy your wisdom : we do not care though you count us fools , so you disturb us not in our way . true wisdom , says he , lies hid there , where there is the title of folly ; for god with affliction , and with the name of folly , doth hide the beauty of godliness from the eyes of men ; but this is the onely wisdom , to know god , to worship god , to be religious ; and for this , says the same author , with the greatest voyce that i can speak , i testifie and proclaim , and denounce , that this is the greatest wisdom . let us be established in this , that it is the onely wisdom to choose the ways of god upon any terms , let come what will come , let all sorrows and afflictions to the outward man come that possibly can come , this is the absolute wisdom , and this , says he , is my opinion and judgement , it is that i am throughly convinced of , and shall for ever rest , and be setled in . mark how solomon so glorious for wisdom testifies of grace , prov. . , , , . he heapeth up several expressions to manifest what wisdom comes to the heart by godliness , for that is the scope there ; it causes , . to know wisdom ; . instruction ; . to perceive the words of understanding ; . to receive the instruction of wisdom , justice , judgement , equity . . to give subtilty to the simple ; not onely understanding , but subtilty ; and that notwithstanding all natural simplicity , in those who the world accounts simple ones , yet are by grace made subtile , they can descry the danger of subtile temptations , they will not be undermined for their souls , they will not be cousened and cheated by the subtile policies of devil or world , in the matter of their souls , and the great things of eternal life , so as the great wise men of the world are . . knowledge and discretion to the yong man ; of all men , yong men are most ignorant , most rash and heady ; but grace gives knowledge and discretion both , even to the yong man ; how many gracious yong men have more understanding in the ways of god , and can guide their way to heaven more discreetly then many ancient men , who have repute in the world for wise and understanding men ? yea , . grace teaches wise counsels ; their counsels about their spiritual estates are wise . who now dare accuse the ways of godliness , of folly , when the holy ghost hath honored them with so many several expressions of wisdom in them ? this then is true wisdom , to choose with moses , rather to suffer afflictions with the people of god , then to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season . secondly , here is much encouragement to all gods people in their way and choice that they have made . hath god given you a heart to make choice of his ways ? o bless god! there was a time when you went on in giving pleasure to the flesh , and you saw then no better thing then such a kinde of life , and the lord hath been pleased to discover better things to you , so as to make you renounce your former ways , and to make choice of another way , in which your souls have found other maner of comforts , and satisfactions , and contentments then ever you did before : bless god as david did , blessed be the lord that hath given me counsel , and made me to understand aright : so may such a soul say , for had i been left to the counsels of mine own heart , i know what should have become of me . i have as vile a heart as any , and my heart did take as much delight in the flesh as any , and i should have gone on , god knows whither , and might by this time have plunged my self into the bottomless pit : my friends would have given me other counsels to harden me in my ways of sinful pleasure , but blessed be god that hath over-powered my heart . how many do i see every day , whose parts of nature exceed mine , and yet they are mistaken in the things that concern their everlasting welfare ; they minde no other things but the pleasures of the flesh , and stumble at the meanness of gods people , and this hides the beauty of godliness from their eyes ; and what a great mercy is this , that god hath taken this stumbling block from me , and that he hath opened mine eyes to see pearls , though wrapped up in rotten rags , and to see the excellency of godliness , notwithstanding all afflictions that do attend upon them ? certainly it is no other but a beam of gods own light from heaven , that hath shined into thy heart . it is a remarkable passage that we have esay . , . where god shewing the difference between those who forsook the true god , and his people who chose him to be their god ; stirs up his people to remember for ever this mercy of god towards them , that they should be delivered from the deceit and vanity whereby others were deluded , and guided in a right and safe way , to be the servants of the blessed god ; as for the idolater , he feedeth upon ashes , a deceived heart hath turned him aside that he cannot deliver his soul , nor say , is there not a lye in my right hand ? now mark what follows , remember these , o jacob and israel , for thou art my servant , &c. as if he should say , do you see how others have left god , and god hath left them ? they feed upon ashes , a seduced heart hath deceived them ; but it is otherwise with you , god hath put it into your hearts to be my servants , to choose me for your god : remember for ever these things , o jacob ! here is a mercy indeed , never to be forgotten ; how comes it to pass that your hearts should not be so seduced as theirs ? it is gods free grace and rich mercy towards you . and his mercy is the greater , in that it is in such a weighty thing , that the lord hath given thee counsel to make a right choice in : if a man makes an ill choice in a matter that is of moment , that will bring him trouble in his life , how is he grieved ? as in marriage , when he is to make choice in that one thing , upon which he knows , the comfort or trouble of his life does much depend ; if the lord hath so provided for him , that he hath made a good choice onely in that , how does he bless god ? it is that which sweetens all his life : if it be such a mercy , to be guided to make a good choice in marriage ; what a mercy is it to be guided to make a good choice for ones soul , to be happy to all eternity ? if the lord should leave a soul in that choice , what a lamentable condition had the soul been in ? and therefore , those that have any savour of godliness , if they be to change the condition of their lives , they will seek god , and be earnest that god would guide them , and not leave them to themselves , and take advantage to punish their former sins , in their choice now . if you be to make a choice that concerns the outward comforts of your lives , you will earnestly desire god , not to leave you there ; now you are to make your choice for your eternal condition , if god should leave you now , what a lamentable condition would you be in , as he does leave most in the world ? as soon as we come to years of discretion , we come to make our choice , to go on in the ways of god , or in the ways of death ; how many yong ones make a woful choice in the beginning , and go on , and are hardened in their choice , and perish for ever ? and hath the lord looked upon you , and considered how like you would be to fail in your choice ? and hath the lord been pleased to come in with his spirit , and a light from heaven to shew you the way ? have you heard a voyce from heaven , saying , this is the way , walk in it ? though god should leave you in all outward things , yet you are made for ever ; and therefore thou mayest say as judas , not iscariot ; lord , wherefore is it that thou revealest thy self to us ; and not to the world ? lord , wherefore is it , that in this great business of my choice , that concerns my eternal estate , thou art pleased to reveal thy self to me , a poor contemptible creature , rather then to the world ? . hence it is , because thou art one of the chosen ones of the lord , because the lord hath made a choice of thee , and hath separated thee from all eternity , to do good to thy soul : hence it is manifest , that thou art the chosen one of the lord ; when thou seest most in the world , to follow the pleasures of the world , if god hath given thee a heart to choose his ways upon any terms , take this as an argument , that thou art a chosen vessel of god. reciprocal signs of gods grace are the most sweet ; as if i love god , this is an argument god loves me ; if gods honor be dear to me , then my soul is near to god ; so if i choose god , then god hath chosen me . . this choice is that for which thousands of gods people have blessed god upon their death-beds ; they counted it a blessed time , and blessed the means , the word , and the instrument that god was pleased to work by , to incline their hearts to such a choice as this . . yea , this choice of thine , though it be suffering affliction , it is that thou shalt bless god for , to all eternity in the highest heavens ; it is such a great mercy , as this little , poor , span-long life of ours , is not sufficient to give god glory for it , therefore there is an eternity reserved to praise god for it ; when thou shalt see what good comes of thy choice , then thou shalt bless god indeed . certainly , god takes it well at thy hands now . jer. . . i remember the kindeness of thy youth , and the love of thine espousals , when thou wentest after me in the wilderness . god takes it kindely , that men will choose him and his ways in affliction : if there were always prosperity in the ways of god , it were nothing , but when it is with affliction , it is so much the more an argument of thy love to god , and thy sincerity , and therefore he takes it so kindely . bless god for it ; and bless him the rather , because he hath begun with you betimes : if the lord hath given you a heart when you are yong to make this choice , what a great mercy is this ? what abundance of sin does such a one prevent ? if one that is yong , goes on in the ways of religion , though he suffers much in the family wherein he lives , his brethren scorn at him , and his parents hate him ; yet he hath cause to rejoyce , and bless himself in the goodness of the lord. . again , thou hast further cause to bless god , because he hath given thee such encouragements since thou hast made thy choice : thou madest thy choice many years ago ; i ask thee , hast thou not had encouragement in thy choice ? hast any cause to repent thee ? o no! blessed be god , i have found more good then i looked for . . and know , within a while , the end of thy choice will be attained , and then it shall appear before men and angels , thou madest a good choice , and all the world shall bless thee for thy choice . blessed be that man or woman that ever they were born , to make such a choice : and thou shalt be honored of all those that do despise thee now , and they shall wish they had made thy choice . it is reported of a yong man who loved his pleasures , standing by st. ambrose , and seeing his excellent death , he turned to other yong men by him , and said , o that i might live with you , and dye with him ! thou hast little cause to envy them that will choose vanities for their portion , let them have them : though thou hast lost something of thy bravery , of thy carnal delight for this choice , be content , it is made up infinitely here , and shall be made up more hereafter . and seeing god hath thus enclined your heart to himself , be for ever established in your choice : seeing god hath shewn to you his ways , say , as pilate in another case , that i have written , i have written ; so , that i have chosen , i have chosen . if any temptation come to tempt you from your choice , as flesh and blood would be ready to mutter , and think , i might have lived as brave a life as such a one , & might have had as much pleasure as such a one ; i have lost so many friends , and so much means , and brought my self into a great many straights ; indeed , they spake much of gods ordinances , and i was taken with it , and i ventured , and i have brought my self into troubles : and upon the mutterings of flesh and blood , you are beginning to bethink your selves again , and examine things again , and think whether you did wisely or no : o take heed of that first degree of apostacy , namely , that suspition of your choice . many in their yong time are very zealous in the ways of religion , while all is well with them , and now they meet with other things then they looked for , and they begin to think they were too forward , and wish they were not so far engaged as they are : they begin to repent , as chapmen who have out-bid themselves : many go on in a profession , and suffer much , because they are engaged in that way , and they know not how to get off ; if they could get off , they would : take heed of repentings of your choice , lest god lead you out with the workers of iniquity , do not listen to the reasonings of flesh and blood . cassianus reports of a yong man , that had given himself up to a christian life , and his parents misliked that way , and they wrote letters to him , to perswade him from it ; and when he knew they were letters come from them , he would not open them , but threw them into the fire : and so flesh and blood will come and say , do thus and thus , you may do well enough at last ; throw away these letters , these suggestions of flesh and blood , and do not answer them , but be resolved in thine own heart , i know in whom i have believed , i know whom i have chosen , i did not choose rashly , but i felt the power of god upon my heart , before i made my choice , and i had grounds and arguments of my choice ; and what , shall i by such an argument as this be perswaded to the contrary ? therefore go on , and be established in your choice , and the lord confirm you in it , and give my soul part with you in that choice you have made : let flesh , and the world , and temptations say what they will , peace will be in the end . you have found some good already , that might make you say with david , surely it is good for me to draw near to god : and though i do meet with some troubles and temptations that do cry down this way , yet let my soul say , it is good for me to draw near to god : it is good for me that i left such and such things ; it is good for me that i have these ordinances , though it be with the loss of some outward comforts , and my estate be abated , and my trading less : say as david , in the . psalm , truly god is good to israel ; however it be , yet god is good to israel , though many things seem to the contrary : and therefore , conclude with thine own heart , though i should never see good day in the world , yet that comfort i have received in the ways of god , it is enough to make me prize them for ever : if now i should dye , and be annihilated , if god should deprive me of the joys of heaven , and turn me into nothing , yet that good that i have had already in gods ways , should be enough to countervail all the troubles that i have met withal in the world , or ever shall meet withal : though god should withdraw himself in all the course of my life , and i should be in darkness , and have nothing but trouble , yet i have had enough in god already , to countervail all . hath god thus spoken peace to thy soul ? remember that text in psal . . . return not again to folly : the lord hath spoken peace already to thy soul in afflictions , and therefore , god forbid that thou shouldst return to folly , but continue in thy way , and go on constantly in thy way to the end , and the lord bless thee in thy way . and this is for the encouragement of the hearts of gods people , that have with moses made this choice , rather to suffer affliction with the people of god , then to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season . chap. xiii . the evil of an ill choice , discovered . in the third place , hence those are justly rebuked , who have made an ill choice : this was a blessed choice of moses , and whosoever makes this choice , are blessed of the lord ; but how few have we of moses his minde ? it is a woful choice that many make . most people are offended at the afflictions of gods people , their hearts are set upon pleasure and delight , and pleasure they must have ; pleasure to the flesh is that they choose , and that they follow after ; but as for the afflicted ways of godliness , they cannot relish them , their carnal sensual hearts do turn aside from them , they give themselves up to the pleasures of the flesh , and satisfie themselves in the enjoyment of their hearts desires , and god does give them up likewise to their own lusts , to let them have their choice ; so that they shall spend their time in mirth and jollity , in eating and drinking , and gaming , and in this they bless themselves , as those who have wisely provided for themselves , to make their lives so full of comfort , and soul-content as they imagine : these are set upon carnal , frothy , sensual things ; as if the chief good and happiness of man consisted in them , and therefore they give themselves liberty in them , to the utmost . that wherein a mans happiness consists , he may desire infinitely , and he cannot but do it , it is as natural for him to do it , as for the fire to burn , or the stone to descend ; and because men put happiness in the pleasures of the flesh , therefore their hearts are set infinitely upon them ; that is , to set , as they give themselves liberty , without any bounds , and desire that if it were possible , no limits might be set either by god or man. if they have means , they account the chief good of what they have , is , in that they may have larger opportunities then others , to satisfie the flesh in the sensual pleasures of it : and hence is the infinite excess of meats , and drinks , and carnal delights , in those whose means afford them opportunities thereunto . luther speaking of this excess , hath this expression , if adam should now rise again , and see this madness of all sorts of men , i believe he would be so amazed at it , that he would stand as a stone . a. gellius tells of caligula , that he made one supper that cost three hundred thousand crowns . i have read also of vitellius the emperor , that at one supper he was served with two thousand sorts of fishes , and seven thousand several fowls . in such profuse expences , for the satisfying of the flesh , how many do glory , as if it were the highest happiness attainable upon the earth ? and the baser sort of people , seeing the great ones set upon such a kinde of life , in satisfying the flesh , they think there is no other happiness to be had ; therefore all their care , thoughts , endeavors are , how they may live jocundly , and give satisfaction to their lusts . clemens alexandrinus tells of a fish that hath the heart in the belly , differing from other living creatures , which the philosophers call the sea-ass : this is like sensual men whose hearts are onely set upon the things of the belly ; so as it may be said of many in regard of satisfying the flesh , as aurelianus said of one bonoses , he was born , not that he might live , but that he might drink ; so do these seem to be born , not that they might live , but that they might eat and drink , and pamper the flesh ; the whole world is too strait to some for the pampering their bellies . oh , how beneath is this to the true excellency of a rational and immortal soul ! what pity is it , that an immortal reasonable soul should be of no other use , then to keep the body alive to taste the sweet of the flesh of beasts , and of the fruit of the earth ? how many draw all their substance thorow their throats , and their belly ? their houses , lands , yea , and devour their posterity like cannibals ; when men in company spend their estates , their wives and children wanting bread at home , what do they , but even drink the very blood of their wives and children ? it was the prophaneness of esau , for which god hath branded him , that he sold his birth-right for a mess of pottage ; yet that was in the time of extreme hunger ; these men sell god and heaven and all for drink , not to satisfie thirst , but their lust . but o thou vain man , know thou art utterly mistaken in thy choice , if thou continuest in this way of thine , that thou hast chosen to satisfie thy flesh in , thou art undone for ever , thou wilt ere long cry out of this thy choice most bitterly , and curse thy self for it most fearfully : it is a seduced heart that hath deceived thee , and thou feedest upon ashes , and thou canst not say , is there not a lye in my right hand ? esay . . it is true , not onely of idolators , but of all other ways of evil ; thou feedest upon ashes , they are but ashes thou feedest upon , and delightest in , and it is a seduced heart hath turned thee aside from the ways of god , that makes thee offended at them ; it is the god of this world that hath blinded thy eyes , so that thou shouldest not see the glorious excellencies , and beautiful pleasures , and sweet delights , that are in the ways of god , but that thou shouldest please thy self in those ways that tend to death : what hath the whole course of thy life been , but playing with the devils bait , under which is a hook that will snatch thee into the sorrows of eternal death ? howsoever those that live in jollity and delight in the flesh , may bless themselves , yet gods people whose eyes god hath opened , would not be in their condition one quarter of an hour for a thousand worlds . there are divers sorts that come under this use of reprehension , for that ill and woful choice they have made . first , such as choose to satisfie themselves in such pleasures as are in themselves sinful , such who take pleasure in filthiness and ungodliness : these are the dregs of men , these are the basest of all , that can take delight in the very act of sin it self : all that is said concerning the dreadful evils of sin , and that venome and curse that there is in sin , is so far from making sin to be bitter to them , as they account more pleasure to be had in many sinful ways , then there is to be had in the enjoyment of all the glory that there is in god and jesus christ , in heaven and eternity : o cursed heart , and cursed choice is this , that when god hath revealed in his word so much concerning the evil of sin , that might make any heart in the world tremble at it , that thou shouldst not onely not apprehend the evil of it , or not taste any bitterness that is in it , but shouldst count it delightful , yea , shouldst esteem so much pleasure to be had in the act of sin it self , more then there is to be had in god , in christ , or in the promises , or in heaven , or eternity . surely a cursed seduced heart hath deceived thee , these are infinitely out of the way . what is there in sin that is thy pleasure , that thou choosest as the chief contentment of thy soul ? is it possible that the chief contentment of a creature should be in sinning against an infinite god ? that thy chief contentment should be in departing from god ? in striking at god ? so thou doest in the way of sin : that thy chief contentment should be in incensing the wrath of an infinite deity against thy soul ? that thy chief contentment should be in putting thy self under the everlasting curse , that bindes thee over to eternal death ? that thy chief contentment should be in that , which being committed , if ever it comes to be pardoned , must cost more then heaven and earth is worth ? thou goest out in the morning , and goest into thy company , and countest thy self happy that thou hast money to spend , and so takest thy pleasure : this day thou hast done that , which if ever it be pardoned , it must cost more then heaven and earth is worth . there must be a price paid , more worth then a thousand worlds , to purchase the pardon of it . canst thou choose that for thy chief contentment , which was such a dreadful but then to jesus christ ; that made the soul of christ to be heavy to the very death , that squeazed out clods of blood from him ? what is the chief pleasure and delight of thy soul in that , which a true enlightened gracious heart would rather suffer all the torments in the world then do it ? if so be it were put to him , either such a sin must be committed , or else all the tortures that can be devised by all the world must be inflicted upon him ; a gracious heart had rather choose all the tortures that can be inflicted , then do that which thou makest the great pleasure of thy soul : what an infinite difference is between thy base heart , and a gracious heart ? thy wretched heart doth choose this deliberately , as the great pleasure of thy life , which a gracious heart would rather suffer all the torments of the world , then be brought to do it . to delight in sins against conscience , is the most desperate folly in the world : no man rejoyces in any error or fault in other things , but is rather ashamed ; onely in the errors , in the rule of life and obedience men owe to god , they rejoyce in . secondly , those come under this reprehension , who though they do not choose things for their chief pleasures that are sin , yet do choose to themselves pleasures that come in by sin ; and though this be not so ill as the other , yet ill enough ; that is , those that shall strain their consciences to get something in the world , to raise their estates , and when they have got estates , and money , and things well about them , then they can be merry , then their tables are furnished , and they can eat and drink , and this they delight in : o poor deluded heart ! what is this that can give thee so much content ? thou hast cause to look upon thy table , and every morsel that thou eatest , as having death in it ; and every draught you drink , as having the curse of god in it : little cause thou hast , if thou knewest all , to rejoyce in these pleasures that come in by sin , certainly there can be no good that comes in by sin as sin : i know god may turn sin to the good of some , but that which sin brings in of it self , it is impossible good should come of it ; that which thou takest pleasure in , that which thou art merry and jocund in , delighting thy self withal , is , it may be , the calamity and misery of others ; and how hard is that heart , that can make that his mirth and joy , that is the sorrow and distress of his brother ? chrysostom in a sermon against luxury and excess , cryes out against those who riot in those things that they have got by making others miserable , and says , it is the most grievous thing that can be . thirdly , those who do neither of these , they choose not to themselves the pleasures that are sin , nor the pleasures that come in by sin , but such pleasures , in the enjoyment of which they do sin , though the pleasures be in themselves lawful , they choose to let out their hearts unto them , and spend the strength of their spirits on them ; they think because there is no hurt in them in themselves , therefore they may give liberty to themselves ; there is a great deal of mistake in this : we may sin exceedingly in things that are lawful ; when men shall spend so much time ( as many that are professors do ) in giving themselves content in some sports and delights to the flesh , as they cut god short of his time ; that time that should be spent in examining their hearts , humbling their souls , seeking the face of god , is spent in some slight , vain , idle sport . many are guilty of this , especially those that have means , and their callings do not require such a necessity of continual attendance : how is that time spent wherein you have liberty from your callings ? certainly , no good account can be given of that time , much might be gained to your souls in it , and much converse and communion you might have with god ; and what ill choice do you make , when as many poor christians would bless god , if they could have a little liberty from their callings ? on the one side there is this liberty for you to enjoy communion with god , and furnish your souls with heavenly excellencies : on the other side , there is a little vain delight and carnal content , and ease to the flesh , and you rather choose this . it may be , though god hath helped you in the main , you chose right , yet be convinced this day of the evil of this particular choice , in giving such inordinate contentment to your selves , in giving that ease to your bodies , liberties to the sluggishness of your spirits , and reform . you have not honored god as you ought , and therefore your lives are not so beautiful : in the general you continue in the ways of religion , but there is not that convincing lustre and beauty in your lives ; you do not draw others to that love of godliness , because your hearts become so vain , and so slight , in choosing inordinate liberties to your selves , in spending your times and strength in the pleasures of the flesh , and therefore when you come to spiritual employment , you have no strength , but your hearts are dead . i appeal to your consciences , when you have given your selves leave to have content to the flesh , when you come to communion with god , what dead flat hearts have you ? let me speak to such this day from the lord , this liberty you take to your selves in the pleasures of the flesh , hath been the root of the apostacy of many ; as pet. . . those who fell off were allured through the lusts of the flesh ; even though they are said to be clean escaped from them who live in error , yet through wantonness they were drawn aside . wanton professors seldom prove lasting professors , at least in any power of godliness . take this one note about this , that man or woman that shall not esteem the hardest work of godliness at a higher rate , then the most delightful contentment to the flesh , hath not chosen right , and may suspect that yet he is to choose in the way of eternal life . it is true , that the hardest duty of godliness , may be burthensom to the flesh for a while , yet there is no gracious heart , but esteems of this duty at an infinite higher rate , then the pleasures of the flesh , though never so lawful ; it looks upon the pleasures of the flesh as mean low things , though lawful , but looks upon the duties of godliness as precious things , though hard , and those are the things that are most suitable to a gracious frame of spirit . again , fourthly , those come under this reprehension of making an ill choice , who have had some stirrings of the spirit of god , some workings of their consciences , that their way hath not been good , and right , and these have been but for some time , afterward they have given themselves , and do give themselves too too much liberty in satisfying the flesh . these are like the israelites , of whom we read , exod. . . according to the note that some have upon this place , they saw god , and did eat and drink ; that is , say they , although they had seen god , yet they turned again to temporal pleasures , to eating and drinking , in a sensual way , as if it had reference to that sensual eating and drinking , and rising up to play ; upon the dedication of their calf they sate up , which was presently after . thus many , although they have seen the lord , and this sight of god hath wakened conscience , their hearts have been much stirred for a while , yet they have after faln to eating and drinking , to sensual pleasures , all their good beginnings hath come to nothing . these when they have been in company , and come away , they have had many sad thoughts , and next day , or in the night many sad sighs and groans have come from their spirits , because their spirits are enlightened , and make them fear all will not be well in the end ; and yet these continue still in giving themselves pleasure , and delights to the flesh inordinately ; if company call , they cannot refuse : when they are stirred in their consciences , they will take a book and read , or pray ; yet they are presently weary , and cannot bear such a kinde of life , they think they shall grow melancholy , and they must again go to their former ways . many have the pleasures of the flesh , and their consciences strugling together ; and many times the pleasures of the flesh , and conscience struggle a great while , before there be a victory on either side : sometimes conscience gets the victory , and there is a gracious work upon the soul , especially if god set on conscience , by some great affliction or sickness : sometimes conscience is overcome , though conscience does propound a better way , and they see , and are convinced of it , yet at length lust overcomes , and conscience yields , and they become meer sots , hardened in the way of the lusts of their hearts ; and this is a most dreadful thing , when ever this befals any . again , there are others that have had some taste of the ways of god , have begun to make a choice , and have tryed the ways of religion , and continued a while in them , and yet come to be weary and tired : yea , it may be some upon their sick-beds , and death-beds , have cryed out of the folly of their former choice ; and yet , when god hath delivered them again , they have gone on in the same excess of riot , and giving liberty to the satisfying of the flesh , in the same way , if not in a further degree then ever formerly ; what a dreadful thing is this ! to all those that are thus deluded , in making this evil choice , let me speak a word or two . first , wouldst thou be willing at the day of judgement , to be accused and found guilty before the lord of this ; that thou hast esteemed more pleasure to be had , either in sin , or in any lawful content , then in all the pleasures that are to be had in god , so as it should be said before men and angels , lo ! this is the man that made not god his portion ; lo ! here stands the man , that for many years together did account more good to be had in the pleasures of the flesh , then in all the good that was to be enjoyed in all the artributes of god , and all the merits of jesus christ , in all the promises of life , in all the ways of grace ? what doest thou think will be thy condition , when as thou shalt be brought as guilty before men and angels , that all shall look upon thee as a cursed fool in israel ? god and his angels look now upon thee as a fool in israel ; when thou shalt be brought to have all the world look upon thee as guilty of such a cursed folly as this , how bitter will it be to thee ? wouldst thou be willing to be in such a condition as this ? again , wouldst thou be willing at the great day to be found guilty of hating the ways of god ? i i hope i do not so , ( will some say ) though i give pleasure to my flesh . yes , that man or woman that chooseth the way of giving content to the flesh , rather then the strict ways of godliness , such a one hates gods ways , and so hates god himself in hating gods ways : as , mark that place in prov. . for that they hated knowledge , and did not choose the fear of the lord ; how was it proved they hated knowledge ? they hated that truth of god , and that which should bring them into the ways of god , and guide them in it ; how does that appear ? they did not choose the fear of the lord ; if thou doest not choose the ways of god , thou hatest the ways of god , and so by consequent art a hater of god himself . thirdly , wouldst thou willingly have god reject all thy services , and account them as abominable to him ? thus he threatens against those who choose their own ways , esay . . he that killeth an ox , is as if he slew a man ; he that sacrificeth a lamb , as if he cut off a dogs neck ; he that offereth an oblation , as if he offered swines blood ; he that burneth incense , as if he blessed an idol ; and the reason of all is given , they have chosen their own ways , and their soul delighteth in their abominations . there are not such four expressions of gods rejecting a mans services that he tenders up unto him , in all the book of god , and this is given as the reason of all , because they have chosen their own ways . again , wouldst thou not be loath , that in the time of greatest anguish of spirit , and affliction of body , when thou shalt be crying to god for mercy , that god should take pleasure in thy misery , and be so far from relieving of thee , as to mock at thy destruction ? now thou canst laugh , and be merry , and jocund ; but what if it does prove , that this way of mirth and delight to the flesh , shall procure unto thee gods laughing , and gods mocking at thee in thy anguish , and greatest distress that ever thy soul shall be in ? certainly , if thou walkest in the way thou art in , this will be thy portion : mark that place in prov. . . what god says , i have called , and you refused ; i have stretched out my hand , and no man regarded ; but ye have set at naught all my counsel , and would none of my reproof : i also will laugh at your calamity , i will mock when your fear cometh , &c. be it known unto thee , that in whatsoever sin thou blessest thy self , the more thou blessest thy self in it , the more cursed shall it be unto thee . what comfort will the pleasures of the flesh be to thee , when as christ shall come and say , was i content to part with the pleasures of heaven , the bosome of my father to redeem poor man ? and was it not the pleasure of a little meat and drink thou couldst be content to part with for me ? could i be content to part with my blood , and couldst not thou be content to part with thy lusts ? was not all my sufferings worthy of enduring those little things thou wert called to suffer in thy life ? what , was not all that glory of mine that i revealed in my word , and works , sufficient to shew me to be worthy , that thou shouldst have given such a testimony of thy respect , and honor to me , as to be willing to part with such empty , poor , slight things , and to suffer such poor little things ? when god shall bring the saints before thee that did make a better choice , and thou shalt see them to be in a most glorious blessed condition , and thou thy self cast off for ever ; how will this confound thee another day ? consider of this , you that have made an ill choice , now while it is time ; consider of the evil , of the folly , of the danger , of the cursedness of that choice that you have made , in that you have chosen rather to give content to your flesh , then the ways of godliness . wherefore for the following of this in a word of exhortation . chap. xiv . the drawing mens hearts to a happy choice . the lord then perswade thy heart to change thy choice ; change it , or else thou art lost , better thou hadst never been born , then that thou shouldst not change thy choice ; o that now thou hadst wisdom for eternity ! whatsoever your ways have been , now at last in this your day , learn to know the evil of them , to renounce them , to embrace the ways of godliness , and let it be sufficient , that you have spent so much time in the ways of sin , and giving content to your flesh . o that this may be the day of your new choice , that you may bless god for this day , that god did this day dart in some truths , to turn the streams of thy soul another way , to make another , choice ! that there might be before thou goest out of the presence of god , a secret frame of spirit , surrendring thy soul unto god , being convinced of thy evil choice , and say , o lord , how have i lived ? what hath my course been ? the lord knows my course hath been to give content to my flesh , and to live bravely in my life ; now god begins to make me afraid , lest i have been in a dangerous false way ; the lord have mercy upon me , what have i done ? is it not time to look about me ? i have all this time miscarried in the choice of my soul for my everlasting estate , i have chosen the ways of death all this while . o that the fear of god might fall upon your hearts this day ! and then the promise of god is , psal . . . who is the man that feareth the lord , him will he teach in the way that he shall choose . the fear of god will put you into a teachable frame , and the lord delights to teach such ; and surely it is an unspeakable blessing of god , to be taught in the way of our choice . how happy were it , if the lord would put a reasoning frame into your hearts , that you might begin to ponder , and weigh things , and if spiritual arguments cannot prevail , yet let us see whether they you reasonable creatures or no ; esay . . remember , and shew your selves men , bring to minde , o ye transgressors ! come , let us reason together ; is there not infinite reason for gods ways more then those ways you have walked in ? is not god infinitely worthy of honor and praise from you , other maner of honor and praise then he hath had from you , your own consciences being judges ? hath not god given you immortal souls ? and are they not capable of better things then these things that you have chosen for your chiefest good ? hath not god made you for a higher end , then to eat , and drink , and play ? what , did the blessed trinity consult to make a glorious creature , come , let us make man , according to our own image : and when this great work is done , is he made for no other end then to eat and drink , and commit wickedness ? what , is not man to live by rule ? indeed no creatures but angels and men , have a rule to walk by , no creature is capable of knowing a rule but they . what if so be that now thou wert to dye , what would comfort thee ? if god should put an end to thy days , and call thee to an account for thy ways , what account couldst thou give to the great and dreadful god , of thy ways and life ? would thy ways be peace ? it may be thou thinkest thou mayest have thy pleasure , and that which is spoken out of the word by the ministers , thou canst avoid , and there are no such things as thou hearest ; but what if those things that we deliver , concerning the evil of sin , and the danger of that way of sin , should prove true ? then wo unto thee , if all thy comfort depends upon this , thou hopest these things that we preach are not true ; and is not this all the support of thy comfort , which if it fail , thou art lost for ever ? certainly , if that glory of god , and that eternal estate we preach so much of be true , it is worth the venturing of the loss of greater pleasures and delights , then any thou hast in thy seeking after them : make but a supposition , what if it should be so , is it not worth the venturing ? you will do so in other things , the very supposition of a great gain , or possibility of great evil , will make you venture much : god does not call you to venture much , they are poor things that you are perswaded to leave , and be not too confident in your way , all that is written in the word may be true , and if it be but possible , yet be so wise as upon a supposition to venture . o that you would make tryal of the ways of god! if once your hearts were in them , whereby you would be satisfied , as to want none of these pleasures , it would make the moderation of them more pleasant then the excess : you would finde more pleasure in the very act of self-denial , then in all the pleasure of your lives ; and if there be so much pleasure in the denying false pleasure , what then is there in the enjoying true ? surely god hath pleasure enough for you , if you had a heart to trust him with your pleasure ; you shall onely lose your sin , not your pleasure . bernard hath a notable expression in a declamation of his de bonis deserendis ; if you be willing , says he , to sacrifice your isaac , which signifies laughter , that is your pleasure , your isaac , your pleasure shall not dye ; it is the ram , that is , your stoutness of spirit , your self-willedness that shall dye ; but isaac shall live , you shall have pleasure still . do not harbor ill thoughts of god , to think that god is an enemy to your pleasure , and delight , he does not delight to grieve the spirits of men ; if you would trust him with your pleasure , you should have pleasure , it may be in this world , but howsoever in the conclusion you shall have pleasure enough , my soul for thine . you must trust god with your souls , and eternal conditions , and will you not trust him with your pleasures ? do you think christ came to dye , and shed his precious blood to bring men into worser conditions then before ? o no , certainly christ did not come to take away any pleasure from his people , but to bring them the pleasures of heaven , and of earth too , so far as they are needful . is it not more like thou shouldst have pleasure when thou art reconciled to god , then when thou art an enemy ? we read of cajus the emperor , ( agrippa having suffered imprisonment for wishing him to be emperor ) that afterward when he came to be emperor , the first thing he did was to prefer agrippa , and gave him a chain of gold , as heavy as the chain of iron that was upon him in prison : and so if any do suffer for god , do you think that god will let him lose by him ? suppose you have a servant about your business , and he suffers much trouble and opposition , will you not recompence him for that which he suffers for your sake ? do you think that god will let his people sink in their sufferings for him ? god forbid we should have any such thoughts of him . do not judge of the ways of god by outward appearance , but judge according to the true value and worth of things : shall we in other things judge according to the value and worth of things , and onely in the ways of god , judge by outward appearance , and not according to the worth ? do but come near to the ways of godliness , you will finde them other things then you imagine : as peter martyr had a speech in his sermon , that was the means of that marquess galeacius his conversion : if so be , says he , one should see a company of musitians , that are playing and dancing according to their art , a great way off , he would think that they were mad men ; but if he come nearer and nearer , and hear the melodious sound of the musique , and observe their art in all they do , he will be of another minde : and so men of the world look upon gods people afar off , and think them mad men to take such courses ; but if they would come nearer , and observe their ways , and see the equity and reason , and observe the excellency and beauty that is in them , they would be of other mindes . you that have hard thoughts of gods way , you have looked upon them as things a great way off ; come nearer , pry into them a little further , make tryal of them a little , that you may have experience of them , you will think otherwise of them ; if it were possible for you to enter upon gods ways with the same base hearts that you have , gods ways would indeed be tedious , but if you enter into the ways of god , your hearts will be changed , and you will be other men ; and when your hearts are changed , those things that were grievous to you , will be delightful to you . st. augustine in his confessions hath this notable expression : how sweet was it to me of a sudden , to be without those sweet vanities ? and those things which i was afraid to lose , with joy i let go , for thou who art the true and onely sweetness , didst cast out those from me , and instead of them didst enter in thy self , who art more delightful then all pleasure , more clear then all light , but it was not thus with me heretofore when i sate in darkness . now if you have any conviction at all , tell me , are you willing to enter into the ways of god ? do you think them worthy of regard , if it were not for trouble and affliction ? then so it stands , if you were not to suffer affliction , you would embrace them ; and what an ignoble spirit is this , unbeseeming a christian , whose spirit should have true nobility and magnanimity , and you come off thus basely , if you should never suffer , if have no trouble ! truly god is much beholden to you ( as we may speak with holy reverence ; ) you would have god choose you , notwithstanding all your sins that are grievous to him : why will not you choose god and his ways , notwithstanding the afflictions and sufferings that are grievous to you ? do you think the sufferings you are like to meet withal in gods ways , are more grievous to you , then your sins are to him ? yet notwithstanding your sins , he chooses you ; why notwithstanding the sufferings you may meet with , should not you choose him ? suppose christ had stood upon these terms , and said , it is true , i see poor wretched sinful man ready to perish , and must lie under the wrath of an infinite god , and it pities me to see his misery , and i could be content to redeem him , but i must suffer so much , be in the form of a servant , and be despised , and persecuted , and suffer a cursed death , and therefore let him rather perish : if christ had stood at this , what had become of you ? yet you stand at this . gods ways are good , my ways are evil ; i could be content to embrace gods ways ; but i must suffer : if christ did not make a stand at this , when he saw thy misery , but was content to redeem thee , and brake through all sufferings ; why should not you be content to embrace him in his ways through all sufferings ? why should not your hearts be convinced by that which hath so much reason in it ? it is reported of one marinus a soldier , when it fell to him to be preferred in some place , he was like to lose it because he was a christian , and he began to stagger , and to have thoughts rather to leave off religion , then to lose his place : then came one theodistus , and brings him into the temple , and laid by him the sword and the testament , the gospel , and bade him take his choice : here is the sword , which is an emblem of thy place , and here is the gospel , choose the one , you must have but one : then his heart gave in , and so left the sword , and chose the gospel . the wisdom of god this day hath stood , and still stands before you , pleading with you , crying to you to come in and embrace her , to make a happy choice for thy soul ; folly likewise hath her pleadings , and perswasions to draw thee to the lusts of the flesh , both make their offers unto thee ; as they say of hercules when he was yong , he saw vertue and vice in the likeness of two virgins wooing him , vice like a painted harlot , and vertue like a sober chaste virgin , both presenting themselves with wooing offers unto him . it is very observable that we finde , prov. . concerning wisdom and the foolish woman , both pleading to draw the hearts of men to them , and they begin in the same maner , they both make offers to draw the heart , ver . . who so is simple , let him turn in hither ; as for him that wanteth understanding , she saith to him ; and verse . the foolish woman useth the same words to draw after her : and as wisdom is upon the high places of the city , ver . . so is folly , ver . . yet wisdom is above the foolish woman , for the text says of wisdom , she is upon the highest places , and of the foolish woman , it is onely said , she is in the high places : and observe further , wisdom calls to eat her bread , and drink her wine , ver . . and the foolish woman makes her offer , her delights are sweet , she says ; but they are but sweet waters , and that stoln too ; and her bread , she says , is pleasant ; but it is secret , such as she is even ashamed of her self : in the choice that wisdom presents , and that which folly presents , you have life and death set before you ; as moses therefore said to the people , so i to you , i have set before you this day life and death : now what answer will you give to god ? will you go on in the ways of the pleasure of the flesh ? are your hearts so bold and venturous , that you dare venture to go on in these ways ? wo unto you for the cursed hardness of your hearts . were it indeed that you never heard the ways of god opened to you , it were another matter , but in that you have , and yet you go on in your choice after this sermon , god may say , be it unto thee as thou hast chosen ; god may set to his seal , thou hast chosen vanities , and a lye , and base pleasures ; and vanities , and a lye , and base pleasures to thy flesh thou shalt have . wherefore that thou mayest be delivered from this seal this night , o consider what a mercy of god it is that thou hast yet time to make thy choice . how many hath god cast off ? and now it is too late to choose ; god hath determined the business ; o that yet there should be time ! o that this would move your hearts ! we are fain thus to labor , and strive with mens spirits to take them off from vain pleasures , to urge the strength of all arguments we can , with all our might ; were it that mens hearts were not very sensual , and hardened in their sensuality , it would not be needful thus to strive , the very propounding some one argument , might be sufficient to prevail . it was a speech of gregory nyssen , who lived almost thirteen hundred years ago ; he that does but hear of hell , is without any further labor or study taken off from sinful pleasures : mens hearts are grown harder since . but what if i should come in now ? i who have given so much pleasure to the flesh , would god accept of me , and regard me ? be it known unto thee , thou that hast given thy self liberty in injoying the pleasures of the flesh to the utmost , thou that hast been most wretched , if thou hast a heart to come in this day , and turn thy choice , god is yet ready to embrace thee ; we have commission to offer grace and mercy to thee upon thy recalling thy self , yea , we have a promise , you shall have abundance of mercy , if you have a heart to come in . prov. . , . how long ye simple ones will ye love simplicity ? and the scorners delight in their scorning , and fools hate knowledge ? turn you at my reproof , behold i will pour out my spirit unto you , i will make known my words unto you . if any of you have gone so far when we have spoken against the pleasures of the flesh , and for the ways of godliness , you have scorned the word of the lord ; if you have been scorners , and contemners , yet turn and make your choice better . behold , i will pour out my spirit to you ; when god pours forth his spirit , he pours forth his grace , and mercy and goodness ; you see the offer of god , if you have hearts yet to make choice of his ways . and consider , the longer you have stayed in the satisfying your selves in the pleasures of the flesh , the more unfit will you be to suffer hard things for god. o give in your answer , and say , the lord forbid i should go on in my former ways ; i see other things i have to regard , peace with god , pardon of sin that i have to look after , let god reveal to me what his good will and pleasure is , and though i should never enjoy good day in the flesh , yet i give my self up to that way of god. o that there might come this voice up to heaven this night , that your souls may be blessed for ever in this days choice ! and if god do begin to stir your hearts , now take the opportunity , choose the things that please him , and take hold of the covenant ; if you be convinced of the good ways of god , now close with them , cleave to them , let your hearts fasten , take such fast hold of the covenant , as you may never let it go . observe how these two are joyned together , isaiah . . choose the things that please me , and take hold of my covenant ; take hold now , for it is your life . chap. xv. the true pleasantness of all the ways of godliness . now that you may be further convinced that in the choice of the ways of godliness , you shall not lose , but change pleasures ; you shall finde pleasures sweet and satisfying , of a higher nature in them then ever before your souls were acquainted with ; consider what solomon saith of the ways of wisdom ; solomon , who had experience of all other pleasures whatsoever , yet of them he saith , proverbs . . her ways are ways of pleasantness . that the yoke of christ was an easie yoke , and the ways of godliness had ease in them , we have spoken largely : as they have ease , so they have pleasantness , all the ways of godliness are pleasant , to that at this time . ordinarily we cannot expect any dependence in these proverbs , but yet in this you have , there is a dependence of these words upon the . ver . and so from thence there is a connextion of the several proverbs . in the . ver . you have the commendation of wisdom , and the blessed estate of that man set out , that findes wisdom : wisdom is commended by many arguments , and amongst the rest , not to spend time about the other , this is one , because all her ways are ways of pleasantness ; and therefore happy is the man that findes it out . all her ways , that is , the ways of wisdom , the ways of godliness , they are ways of pleasantness , not onely shall be , but they are so , they are ways in themselves pleasant , and lead to pleasantness : they are ways not onely pleasant , but ways of pleasantness in the abstract . wherefore the point that is to be the subject of this exercise , is , as you have it plain in the words : that the ways of godliness are delightful ways , full of pleasure , yea , they are pleasantness it self . there is nothing that mans heart is set more upon then pleasure ; and nothing hinders a man from the ways of godliness , more then fear he shall not finde pleasure in them : wherefore it is an argument of great concernment for us , throughly to be convinced that there is pleasantness in the ways of godliness , they are ways of pleasure ; and i hope i speak unto such , whose hearts close with the point as soon as it is named , who can say , yes , and we finde it so . the ways of wisdom are either the ways of gods ordinances , or the ways of exercise of grace , or ways of obedience ; all these are the ways of pleasantness . how amiable are thy tabernacles , o lord ! they shall be satisfied with the fatness of thy house , the beauty of holiness ; and the like is said of the ordinances of god : the exercises of the graces of the spirit , they are the ways of wisdom , and are full of delight and pleasure : cant. . . the mandrakes give a smell , and at our gates are all maner of fruits , new and old , which i have laid up for thee , o my beloved : in the church of god the exercise of the graces of gods spirit among them is pleasant . the duties of obedience are pleasant : o how i love thy law ! thy law is my delight : and a hundred such expressions in scripture . the scripture sets out the pleasantness of gods ways , by all maner of pleasure that men finde in the world , the pleasure of the eye , of the taste , of the smell , of the ear . the way of the righteous is as a light that shines more and more , to a perfect day : now it is a good and pleasant thing for an eye to behold the light ; no such beauty as in the ways of godliness . the savour of oyntments and spices , in scripture sets out the fragrancy of gods spirit . the melody of the ear , that is also for the setting out of the joy of gods people ; blessed are they that hear the joyful sound . the taste , o come and taste how sweet the lord is . and the delight that gods people have with the lord in his ways , is set out by the marriage delight , that is the greatest natural delight amongst the children of men . but wherein does the pleasantness of the ways of wisdom appear ? what kinde of pleasantness is it ? i shall answer some quaeres about this , and make some application of it , and so proceed . then a master is like to prevail with his scholars , and make them good scholars , when he can make them love their books : and it is the duty of ministers , not only to convince people , that they ought to walk in the ways of godliness , but to make them love them ; that we may make you in love with the ways of godliness , we shall shew what pleasantness is in them : surely they must needs be ways of pleasantness , first , because they are the ways of wisdom : if they were but onely rational ways , such ways as were suitable to the principles of right reason , there were abundance of delight in them : certainly , there are rational delights , as well as sensual delights ; he is not worthy of the name of a man , that does not think there are rational delights , as well as sensual : many of the heathens that knew what rational delights were , those things suitable to the rules of right reason , scorned sensual delights , as inferior to them ; give me that man that hath but the rules of right reason , and i dare undertake to convince him , that all the ways of godliness are suitable to those principles , though some be above them : but being ways of wisdom there is more pleasure , because they are not onely suitable to the rules of right reason , but are able to elevate reason : wisdom does make the face of a man to shine , and puts a lustre upon a man , and puts a glory upon any thing ; the beauty and glory that wisdom hath , is put upon the ways of godliness , therefore pleasant . secondly , they are pleasantness , because in them the soul of a man is in the true and right temper and frame of it : now the delight of nature , it is the right temper and frame , suitable to the principles of nature in every thing ; and therefore , that text that you all know , where it is said , a good conscicience is a continual feast ; the word is in the original , a good heart , a merry heart , and some translate it , a heart that is in a right temper , that is , in such a frame and temper , that is the true right temper of the heart , that affords a continual feast to any . that place in james . if any man be merry , let him sing ; the word is , if any ones minde be right , if his minde be in the right temper , then let him sing : for there is no true mirth , no true joy , but that which arises from the true temper of the spirit . sense hath no delight , but when the sensitive part is in the right temper ; and so it is in the soul : now the soul in the ways of godliness is in the right temper , these put the soul into the right frame , and so comes to be pleasant . thirdly , they are pleasantness , because they are the highest actions of the highest faculties , elevated by the highest principles , about the highest objects , and therefore must needs afford a great deal of pleasure . this is a special consideration of the pleasantness of the ways of godliness , and will let much of the excellency of them into your hearts . what is the highest pleasure of sense , but the highest exercise of the sensitive faculty about such an object as is suitable to sense ? as there is a great deal of pleasure in meat and drink : whence comes this ? it comes from that exercise of the salinal humor in the tongue and frame of the mouth , meeting with another humor in meat and drink , suitable to it , that is all the pleasure in the taste , which is the special pleasure that is sought for in the world . now i beseech you consider , if there be pleasure in joyning two such mean things together , the exercise of the humor in the spittle , meeting with a humor in meat and drink suitable to it ; what pleasure must needs be in the exercising , and acting of a creature , that is of the highest nature that ever god made creature ; and these creatures raised with the highest principles for the kinde that any creature is capable of , and exercised about the highest objects that it is possible for a creature to be exercised about for the kinde , god , and christ , and eternity ? if we see pleasure in the other that is so low , and not in this , certainly we must pull out our eyes , and willingly besot our own hearts , if we yield not that the pleasure herein is abundantly more , and more glorious . so the pleasure of the eye , what is it but the visive spirit that is in the eye ? meeting with colour abroad , it hath pleasure therein : if the visive spirit in the eye , which is a poor mean thing that brute beasts have as well as our selves , meeting with such a poor thing as the colour is , becomes such delight ; what delight must be in exercising the highest faculties , about the highest objects ? and so the smell is nothing but that humor in the nostrils , meeting with another humor that is without : and so of the ear , and of the touch ; we might instance , there the delight comes from nothing but the exercise of the faculty about mean things ; but if godliness exercises such glorious faculties , so elevated about such glorious objects , there must needs be a great deal of pleasantness . fourthly , the ways of wisdom must needs be ways of pleasantness , because they are the life of god himself , the soul in the ways of wisdom does live the very life of god : the scripture speaks of the life of grace , it is the life of god : now all pleasure and comfort , is according to the life that a creature lives ; comfort is nothing else but the feeding of such a kinde of life : sensitive comforts is the feeding of that life , rational comforts the feeding of that life ; and the life of god being a higher life then any other , then sense or reason , that must have its comforts too , and there must be delight and pleasure for the filling up of this ; now the work of grace in the hearts of gods people , & in their lives , it is the life of god , and therefore there must needs be a great deal of comfort in the exercise of such a life . fifthly , much pleasantness there is in the ways of godliness , because in them the people of god do communicate unto god their souls , in all that they have or do , by a letting out of the soul into god that is the fountain of all good : now there is an infinite delight in this . all the delight that there is in god , or in the creature , is in communication . in god himself : because god would have delight in himself , therefore he would have that that he might communicate himself to ; and because he would have infinite delight , according to his infinite nature , therefore he would have that , that he might infinitely communicate himself unto ; and therefore the son of god , the second person of the trinity , is the infinite delight of his father , because the father does infinitely communicate himself unto him . and now because god would have further delight , though there be nothing that he can infinitely communicate himself unto but his son , yet that he may have such delight as his creature may understand , he makes a world ; and the special end why god made the world , is , that he might have creatures to communicate himself unto , in his wisdom , and goodness and glory ; and therefore those creatures that are most capable of gods communicating himself unto , are called gods delight ; god rejoyces in the habitable parts of the earth , because there are creatures that he can communicate himself unto , and especially his pleasure is among his people , because there are creatures that are capable of communicating of himself : thus you see that the delight of gods is communicating himself . and so the delight of the creature is in communicating themselves ; and therefore of all natural delights , that of marriage is the most , because there is the greatest communication of one creature to another : now when as gods delight is in communication , and our delight is in natural communication , then much more when we come to communicate our selves spiritually to god. there is a delight in the life of friendship , because one friend communicates himself to another , but in marriage greater , because that communication is greater ; and according to the degrees of communication , the degrees of delight are ; then the delight in the ways of god must be the greatest , because there is the greatest , and highest , and most glorious communication of a creature , it communicates it self , and le ts out it self fully into the infinite ocean of all good : if there were nothing but a letting out of it self into an ordinary good , it were delight , but to let out it self into an infinite ocean of all delight , this is pleasure , and this is a mystery ; this is a ground why no hypocrite hath the delight of the ways of godliness , because he does not communicate himself fully unto god ; but when the heart comes off fully to communicate it self to god , there is infinite delight in them : the ways of godliness surely are ways of pleasure , if this be in them , as it is . sixthly , the ways of godliness are ways of pleasure , because in them the soul hath the presence of god , and walks with god , walks up and down in the light of his face : there is a blessed shine of gods countenance , and of his love upon the soul , and influences of his graces unto the soul in those ways ; as the soul hath delight in the communication of its self unto god , so they are ways of pleasantness , because in them there is a communication of god unto the soul : that place in psal . . . hath a notable expression of the sweetness of the ways of godliness , and the delight that gods people have in those ways : blessed is the people that know the joyful sound , they shall walk , o lord , in the light of thy countenance . god is in them , and le ts out himself unto them ; now the quintessence of all good put together , is in every beam of gods face , and therefore when god shall let out himself , and be thus the portion of a soul , it must needs be a great deal of delight . seventhly , ways of godliness are the ways of pleasure , because the principles of them all is love : whatsoever comes from love , hath much delight and pleasure , and the principle of every way of god is love : god would have nothing from us but out of love , and that may carry us unto love of god himself , and that love by which the heart is carried unto god , is the chariot of love : there is a sweet expression for this that we have in cant. . , . the estate of the church is set out by solomons making himself a chariot of the wood of lebanon : he made the pillars thereof of silver , the bottom thereof of gold , the covering of it of purple , the midst thereof being paved with love . a strange expression , that the midst of chariot should be paved with love : the chariot whereby christ does carry his people up and down in the world , and bring them to himself , is such a chariot , as the midst thereof is paved with love . at the . ver . he speaks of the bed of solomon , and here of his chariot ; divines interpret these two places , his bed to set out the rest and glory that the saints shall have with christ eternally ; and the chariot of solomon , that is , those ways wherein christ carries his people up and down in the world to himself , and the midst thereof is love ; there must needs then be delight in those ways . eighthly , the ways of god are full of pleasantness , because they are such as are delightful to god : now they must be pleasant , when they are such as god takes delight in , they are such as the church knows christ takes much delight in . what admirable expressions hath that book of the canticles , of gods delight in the graces of his people , and in the ways of godliness ? now there is no man loves a friend , but accounts every good thing that his friend loves , to be a double good : now that which god himself accounts pleasantness , and is his delight , must needs be the delight and pleasure of a gracious heart , because there is so much nearness between god and a gracious heart . ninthly , yet further , there is abundance of pleasantness in the ways of god , in regard of the many encouraging delights that god hath provided for his people while they do live here , and walk with him in these ways , to make their lives to be sweet unto them ; god provides his paradise here for them , to encourage them , they walk in the garden of god ; god hath his eden , his garden , the covenant of grace , and the glorious things prepared , are as the eden and paradise of god , in which the souls of his people walk , wherein they have delightful hills and dales . in the scripture there are the high mysteries of godliness , and the plain and easie truths of religion , as valleys and hills to delight them in their way . they have the sweet springs and rivers of ordinances , that are appointed as sweet streams to refresh them ; and the blessed promises , delightful trees to behold , the tree of life , christ himself , and a feast of fat things in the ordinances , wine upon the lees , making melody in their hearts , they go no further for that , and therefore sure their ways are ways of pleasantness , there being so many encouraging delightful things that god hath provided for them in their way . tenthly , further , ways of pleasantness they are , because that religion does enable them to draw out more delight and pleasure from the creature it self , then any other possibly can do ; there is no principle that can enable to draw out delights from the creature , as godliness does enable a man to do ; for take any other carnal natural man , he can draw out nothing from the creature but that which is carnal and natural ; but gods people have a principle to draw out more , and we are to know this , that every creature hath a natural delight in it , and there is somewhat more in it to a gracious heart , then a natural delight ; as it was with manna , when manna fell , there was a dew that fell together with it ; and so with our meat , and drink , and clothes , and estate , and delights in the world ; it is true , they are manna , and we feed upon them as the carnal israelites fed upon manna , but we do not see the dew ; a carnal heart is not acquainted with the dew that fals with the manna , but those that are godly and religious , and walk in these ways of wisdom , they have a principle to discern and relish the dew that falls with this manna , a secret blessing of god that their souls are enabled to close with in the enjoyment of the creature ; in meat , and drink , and clothes , and recreations , they finde a secret influence of god together with them . take a flower , if a flie come to it , it cannot get out that good which a bee can do : if we take a flower , we can get out the smell , but there is a honey dew , and if we had that principle a bee hath , we might get out more then the smell : so carnal people have many sweet flowers , which are pleasant to the smell , but there is a honey dew that onely the godly can get out : so that he hath not onely the use of all lawful pleasure to the full that any other hath , but he can go and take them as his own , as those that are purchased by the blood of christ , as those his father allows him : if he see the glory of the creature , and delights in it , he looks upon it as gods own delight that he gives him , and looks upon all creatures as his fathers ; he sees no ground , but he says it is his fathers ground ; and he sees springs and rivers , and delights in the creatures as they are his fathers . a wicked man that takes delight in the creature , he travels and walks up and down , and sees other creatures ; but it is as if a man were walking in the orchard and garden of his deadly enemy : suppose a man have a deadly enemy , and he hath a pleasant garden , that hath many fair walks and trees in his garden , and he walks in it as others do ; but where am i now ? i am walking here , and compassed in the garden that is mine enemies , and what if he meet me here ? it may cost me my life : and so it is with all carnal men in the world ; but the people of god enjoy the outward delights of the world , and see the sweet walks , and delightful pleasures that are here , and it is their fathers garden , the garden of him that is their god , that they have an interest in , so that they have more delight in the creatures then any else . yea not onely so , godliness does not only enable to draw more delight from the creatures then others , but raises all natural pleasures on high , and makes them spiritual , it puts a spiritual excellency upon that which is natural , it does not rest in having content to the eye , or ear , or taste in any natural delight , but spiritualizeth all ; there is that vertue in godliness to spiritualize all natural things , to raise the excellency of them . yea not onely so , but in the last place there is that vertue in godliness , to turn all evil into good , if it meet with any thing that hath bitterness ; godliness is like that wood , that made the bitter waters sweet , it hath that excellency to turn evil , and make it not onely profitable , but delightful . so that all these being put together concerning the commendation of the ways of wisdom , we must either put out our eyes , or acknowledge we do not know what the ways of wisdom mean , if we do not subscribe to this truth , that her ways are ways of pleasantness : ways of pleasantness they are , and this pleasantness that is in her ways hath abundance of excellencies in it . very many i thought to have spoken of , and enlarged , take onely the very mention of them , ( because i must not be too long ) and then we will answer to some quaeres , and apply all , and so conclude . for the excellent properties of this pleasantness , it is that which is the sweetest soul-satisfying pleasantness , the very rule it self is sweet , sweeter then honey ; oh how sweet is the souls acting by it ! it hath the very quintessence of all other delights extracted in it , it is the most solid , such as hath not vanity and froth in it , as other delights have ; it is such a delight as ennobles the soul , it spiritualizeth the heart , it is immixt , not dangerous as others are ; it is abiding , not vanishing , it is continually virid and fresh ; though there is a fulness in it , yet it grows not to satiety by use , but grows more and more sweet , for it raiseth and enlargeth the faculty ; it is heavenly , it is divine , it is independent in regard of the creature , there needs no sharking out to the creature for the upholding it , all other delights depend on this ; there is no pleasure had but in the ways of godliness : una guttula malae conscientiae totum marae mundani gaudii absorbet : one drop of an evil conscience swallows up the whole sea of worldly joy , says luther ; but one drop of this delight is enough to sweeten all sorrows ; one drop of gall will imbitter much sweet , but one drop of sweet cannot sweeten much gall ; but here it is otherwise , one drop of this sweet sweetens all bitterness of afflictions , but all the bitter of afflictions cannot imbitter one drop of this delight . yea this pleasure is the rule of all pleasure , and the end of all pleasure , whatsoever pleasure is not regulated by this , and subordinate to this , is evil . but how are the ways of wisdom the ways of pleasantness ? it appears otherwise , for the ways of godliness do abridge men of abundance of pleasure and delight in many things in the world ; what is so great an enemy to the pleasures of men and women as religion ? it causeth them to be cut short of abundance of delightful things that others rejoyce in . to that i answer , first , suppose it were so : you heard in the commendation , that the pleasantness of the ways of godliness was exceeding great , that it hath that excellency in it , to make up whatsoever pleasure it wants : though it should cut you short of abundance of pleasure , if it shall put a principle that shall enable you to stand in no need of that pleasure it cuts you short of , what have you lost ? as suppose a man that is weak , and hath little blood or spirits in him , and is chill , and cold , and puts on many clothes to keep himself warm ; if these clothes should be al taken away , save only his inward garment , if there could be put into him spirits , and blood and marrow , and that which should make him not to be sensible of the want of his clothes , it is a great deal better ; what man that is weak and sickly , and is fain to have abundance of clothes to keep him warm , would not be willing to part with his clothes , if he might have spirits and blood put into him , not to feel the want of those clothes ? so , why is it that your hearts are set upon the delight of the creature ? because you want a principle within to satisfie your souls withal , and therefore you are fain to seek the cloathing of the creature , and to keep your selves warm with the cloathing of the creature ; but if religion take away those things , and give you a principle not to feel the want of them , but have them made up another way and better , you have no cause to complain of the want of pleasantness . secondly , i answer , that godliness abridges us of no lawful pleasure ; if it abridges of any , it is delightfulness to want those delights that godliness abridges us of : what , hast thou delight in that which is sinful ? if it be not sinful , religion does not abridge thee of it , onely such delights in which thou dishonorest god , and provokest him against thee . but secondly , how are the ways of god ways of pleasantness , when they require abundance of humiliation , trouble for sin ; and is not that bitter and grievous ? to that i answer , first , there is more sweetness in that which thou callest bitterness , then in all the delightfulness of the world besides : those waters christ does turn into wine . and to convince you that these are not bitter waters , but that the tears of repentance and humiliation , are sweet refreshing waters of life ; consider from what fountain they come . first , the work of humiliation if it be right , the principle of it is the melting work of the gospel in the soul , the sweetness of the goodness , and mercy of god in jesus christ melting the heart , and causing it to dissolve , and fall down under the hand of god ; certainly that which comes from such a sweet principle , cannot have much bitterness in it . secondly , the soul in the work of humiliation , melting before the lord , eases it self in that melting of abundance of sin ; and much sweetness there must needs be in those tears that ease the soul of , and deliver the soul from much sin . thirdly , in the work of humiliation there is much delight , because the soul hath much delight in looking back to that sorrow it hath had ; and if godliness makes mourning to be delightful , what does it make rejoycing to be ? but if it be said in the third place , but there are many hardthings that gods people do meet withal in the ways of godliness , and the ways of godliness put them upon such things as cause them to meet with sore temptations and trials here in the world ; how then can the ways of godliness be so pleasant ? to that i answer , here is a mighty commendation to the pleasantness of the ways of religion , notwithstanding the hardest , and sorest things a godly heart meets with ; there is that delight in the ways of godliness , as upholds the heart under all , and carries the heart sweetly on . what commendation was it to the grace in the hearts of the martyrs , that did uphold their hearts , and carry their hearts sweetly in the enduring of such hard things ? secondly , these being hard to flesh and blood , hinder not the pleasure of a gracious heart ; it is the highest improvement of all our estates that can be , the highest testimony of giving your respect to god , whereby the soul enjoys most of god all times : the spirit of god and glory resteth upon the soul while it is enduring such things . and how opposite is thy heart , and what difference between christs heart and thine ? christ bids you leap for joy , when you meet with such things , and you think they take away all joy . but we see it in experience contrary ; when people come into the ways of godliness , they do not finde that delight and joy you speak of , their spirits are heavy , and lumpish , and sad . for answer to that , it may be it is but seriousness , and thou thinkest it is sadness . secondly , it may be they are not in their element , and therefore they do not express chearfulness : if the fish be upon the earth , it cannot take delight ; the bird does not sing when it is upon the ground , but when it is got up to the air : those that you say are melancholly and lumpish , put them to religious and gracious exercises , and get up their hearts to god , and they will be merry . thirdly , it may be it is your company makes them so , because they see so much dishonor to god in your company , let them be among their own company , and they know how to be joyful . fourthly , it is not because of religion , but because they are no more religious , because they finde so much want of godliness in their hearts . fifthly , it is not because they have so much cause of sorrow as you , but they come to see more then you ; not because their hearts are not so pleasant as yours , but because god hath discovered the danger of their condition more to them , and the things that concern their souls and eternal estates , such things as if thou didst but see , would sink thy heart into dismal , bottomless sorrow and desperation . thou thinkest much to see them so sad as they are , if thou didst but see that they see , thou wouldst sink down into the gulf of desperation among the damned spirits . it is a mighty argument , they have some mighty work of god to uphold them , and that grace comes from a mighty principle , that they have some chearfulness , notwithstanding they see such things , as if one that were meerly natural should see them , he would sink down into hell , and yet they can hope in god ; and sometimes , notwithstanding all unbelief , do rejoyce in god. alas , thy pleasantness and delight is such , as every little toy is enough to damp ; if thou beest crossed in the least thing in the creature , thou art damped : but what if god should shew thee all his terrors , the infinite evil of sin , and the infinite danger thou art in , in regard of thy eternal estate , that would damp thee indeed ; and therefore acknowledge that that joy that the godly have , considering what they see , is exceeding strong , that upholds them as it doth . sixthly , their joy is a secret inward thing , which strangers shall not intermeddle withal , thou hast no skill in it . what was it for nebuchadnezzar , to say , no nobleman had such pleasure as he , when he was among the beasts ; thou hast no principle to judge of it , and therefore art no meet judge . for application . hence we see one special and great reason , why gods people are taken off so much from carnal pleasure as they are ; they have met with better ; and the sweet of the world is not so much to them , because they have met with that which is abundantly more sweet . it is the sweet savor of christs precious oyntment , that draws the hearts of the saints after him , that makes them cry out , draw us , and we will run after thee , cant. . , . but the savor of base pleasures draws vile hearts after them : — trahit sua quemque voluptas . the light of the sun darkens the light of the candle , and puts out the light of the fire ; the light that gods servants do meet with in the ways of god , do darken all , and take away the lustre of all carnal delight ; and this is the reason that satan does not go that way to work , to tempt a gracious heart with sensual pleasures , because he is so far above them , and therefore he is fain to tempt them with spiritual pride , and lusts of a higher nature : it were a wonderful dishonour for any that profess godliness , to have their hearts taken with any pleasures of the flesh , but onely in order to better pleasures that are to be enjoyed in the ways of godliness , in the ways of wisdom . in the second place ; what infinite cause have we to bless the name of god that gives us such pleasant ways unto glory ? though his ways were never so full of torment , we had cause to bless god ; but for to pave our way to heaven with such delights , and to afford unto us such soul-satisfying contents , here while we live in this our poor pilgrimage , this is praise-worthy : if we were to ascend to heaven in a fiery chariot , we were to praise god ; but this is the chariot of solomon , the midst whereof is paved with love , as you heard ; how are we to bless god for this ? thirdly , if it be so , here is an aggravation of the wickedness of those that shall take delight in sinful pleasures : god sees it is impossible for any of his creatures , but they must seek for pleasures some way , and that god might take our hearts to himself , he hath provided ways wherein we may have pleasure , and an infinite aggravation it will be to your wickedness , to seek for pleasure in the ways of sin , in dishonoring god , when thou mayest have pleasure in honoring of god : consider this , and let thy soul upbraid it self for abominable wickedness and ingratitude : there are ways of delight wherein god may be honored , and my soul satisfied ; there are other ways that have delight , but such ways as god will be dishonored in them , and my soul endangered . now when as god does give me a cup full of all delicacy to satisfie my thirst with , for me to take a cup of poyson to satisfie my thirst with , this is folly , and this is abominable wickedness of mens hearts . god sets his cup of salvation , and tenders it in his ways to satisfie your souls withal , and the devil comes with his cup of poyson , and do but speak of delight , and when you are athirst , you rather take the cup of poyson , then the cup of salvation : the more delight there is in gods ways , the more abominable is thy wickedness to forsake them . fourthly , hence the great scandal of the ways of godliness , that the world stumbles at , is taken away , they call them dumpish ways : the saints of god never knew the minde of god if this be so . the world deals with the ways of god in this case , as they did with the christians in the primitive times ; they used to put christians into bears and dogs skins , or ugly creatures , and then bait them ; and so the men of the world put religion into ugly conceits , and then speak against them : and truly that they speak against , is only their own conceits , and not any thing in themselves ; they are lovely and excellent , and glorious , onely they appear to be sad and evil , by the conceits thou hast put upon them . in the fifth place , by that which hath been said , let all be drawn to the love of the ways of godliness . i have often hinted upon such an argument as this , and therefore will pass lightly over it . fear not pleasure , trust god with it , thou shalt finde enough . wouldst thou never be sad ? live well , says bernard : tell me , wouldst thou embrace the ways of religion , if thou wert sure of pleasure ? i call heaven and earth to record this day , that which i have spoken of the ways of wisdom are truths of god , they are not notions , not conceits , but certain realities . god hath engaged himself to make this good , and abundantly more ; oh come and taste how sweet the lord is , do not stand aloof off ; they may seem to be unpleasant ways a great way off , but when you come near , you will see delight . wherefore all you that have been acquainted with the ways of wisdom , manifest this , that god hath brought you into blessed paths , that these things are true : religion does mightily suffer by the professors of it , when those that look on , see no such things manifested : it is our duty to rejoyce in the lord , and to walk in the ways of wisdom , as it may appear they are ways of pleasantness , to carry ous selves delightfully in these delightful ways . delightfulness in the ways of godliness puts a beauty upon them ; it is an excellent similitude that chrysostom hath to express this , as , says he , a beautiful face at all times is pleasing to the eye , but then especially when there is joy manifested in the countenance : joy in the face puts a new beauty , and makes that which before was beautiful , to be exceeding beautiful , it puts a lustre upon beauty ; so , though the ways of religion be in themselves beautiful , yet when there is spiritual joy added , they appear then beautiful with a double beauty . we have a sweet promise , isa . . . oh that we could see it fulfilled ! i will create jerusalem a rejoycing , and her people a joy ; a joy even in the abstract , not onely joyful , but a joy , and god will create this , it must be gods work ; and though to the eye of flesh and blood there be no matter of joy , yet god will create her people a joy . you know what charges the prophet lays upon this ; what a comely thing it is , and see that in any case you rejoyce . onely take heed you do not mistake in pleasantness ; many that are godly may be pleasant in their way upon that ground , because christians must be pleasant , but do not mistake natural pleasantness for spiritual pleasantness . how shall we know the difference between natural pleasantness in a christian , and spiritual pleasantness . there may be a great many of temporal pleasures that god gives forth to christians in its place ; but you must rise higher then that , and put another maner of lustre upon the ways of religion then natural pleasantness . first , if it be a spiritual pleasantness , it will be serious , such as becomes christian gravity ; yea , not onely seriousness and gravity is to be mixed with pleasantness ; but if it be spiritual pleasantness , secondly , it is such as can stand with fear , and the work of repentance and humiliation ; these do not hinder a spiritual pleasantness , though it hinders that which is natural : you know the scripture that says , rejoyce with trembling ; and blessed is the man that feareth the lord , and greatly delights in his commandments : that is a spiritual pleasantness , which hath a gracious mixture of seriousness and other graces of gods spirit with it . thirdly , again , if it be a gracious pleasantness , it is a delight in all the ways of wisdom ; many can delight in some ways of wisdom , the stony ground received some truths with joy , but others they cannot close with ; but when the pleasantness is spiritual , there is rejoycing in all . fourthly , again , if the pleasantness be spiritual , it is our strength , it carries on the soul in the ways of god more fully , it is oyl that causes the wheels of thy soul to go on more freely in the ways of religion . i appeal to thee , does thy pleasantness carry thee on more sweetly in the ways of religion ? thou hast been merry in company , but does this carry thee on more fully in the ways of god ? if you have had pleasure in natural things , and when you come to spiritual things , your hearts are dead , certainly you went beyond your bounds . fifthly , again , if it be spiritual pleasantness , it will bear up the heart in the want of all outward pleasantness , and though all outward content be taken away . habbak . . , . although the fig-tree shall not blossom , neither shall fruit be in the vines , the labor of the olive shall fail , and the fields shall yield no meat ; the flock shall be cut off from the fold , and there shall be no herd in the stalls : yet i will rejoyce in the lord , i will joy in the god of my salvation . when all is dark abroad in the world , the soul does rejoyce in god alone : a soul that hath but natural pleasantness of spirit , is all amort and down when any affliction befals him . you that have the most delightful spirits , when you have friends , and all that you like , you are jocund and merry , but when affliction comes , how quickly are your spirits down ? and how are you vext and troubled ? whereas if there were this spring of pleasantness in the heatt , it would bear up the heart joyful in affliction ; though servants and friends should cross , this delightfulness of spirit within would carry the heart on chearfully : but those that are delightful when they are well pleased , yet every little thing that crosses them , makes them dumpish . this is another argument , it is not spiritual pleasantness their hearts are filled with , it is not from the delight they have found in the ways of god that makes them so merry . this by way of caution . but if we be sure that our pleasantness is spiritual , let us expatiate our selves to the utmost : it is a work of grace to moderate all carnal pleasures , and to keep them down ; but it is the special work of grace to expatiate the soul to the utmost in all spiritual pleasure : therefore if god hath given thee this spring of delight and pleasure , expatiate it to the glory and praise of god. blessed is the man that greatly delights in the ways of gods commandments : and if god takes pleasure in thee , how much more shouldst thou take pleasure in him ! god gives out his pleasure to be joyned to our pleasantness , and if we should not carry on the ways of religion pleasantly , it will be a dishonor to god , and a disgrace to our selves , and we cannot expect that acceptance from god of what we do , as otherwise we might ; for as god loves a chearful giver , so a chearful server . how shall we carry on the work of god pleasantly ? first , be sure to keep the heart right within , be sure to keep all at peace within thy soul ; you know according to the temper within , so there is the relishing of things without ; he that hath peace within , can easily go through the duties that are required without with joy . further , exercise faith in the work and office of the holy ghost , that office that the holy ghost is designed unto by the father and the son , to be the comforter of his people , to bring joy and comfort to them ; look upon the holy ghost , as designed by the father and the son to bring joy and delight to the souls of his people . what an infinite difference there is between the comforts of a carnal heart , and the comforts of the godly ? the one come from a little meat and drink , and the other come from the exercise of faith about the office of the holy ghost that is designed to this work . thirdly , in all that thou doest , be sure to be upright : though thou beest able to do but a little in any way of god , if thou beest upright , god accepts of it , and and thou wilt finde comfort : thou sayest thy duties are mean ; it may be so , but if thou beest upright , thou mayest have comfort , it becomes the upright to be joyful ; whereas the most glorious performances , if they be not in uprightness , are but abominable . again , sweeten all your duties by spiritual meditation ; a christian that treasures up spiritual meditation , and every duty that he performs brings it in by meditation , and hath a great many meditations to rowl his duty up and down ; in this is delight : to go to duty , and to have a barren heart to act , there is no delight ; but to go to a duty , and to exercise spiritual meditation , this is sweet . again , labor to principle thy heart aright in the ways of godliness , to understand what they are ; if thou understoodest what they are , they would be delightful ; and the reason why many do not go on delightfully is , because they do not understand what is in the ways of god to cause delight . you will say , what is there in the ways of god , to cause delight ? first , every work of godliness , and that ability that grace hath to exercise , is a beam of that infinite , choice , eternal , electing love of god upon thy soul ; if thou lookest upon it so , it will be wonderfully delightful . secondly , look upon every duty of godliness , as having more of the glory of god in it , then the whole frame of heaven and earth besides : take all gods works in the creation , in providence , in the heavens , the sun , moon and stars , in the earth , and the seas , there is not so much of the glory of god in them all , as in one gracious action that a christian performs ; and if you looked at it thus , it could not but have pleasure in it . thirdly , look at that action of grace , as that in which god attains his end in creating heaven and earth , more then in other things besides ; as there is more of god in it , so god attains more in it ; the end of god in his counsels is more attained by any gracious act , then by any thing else that can be done , save of the same nature : how delightful should we be in the ways of godliness , if we looked thus at them ? fourthly , look upon every gracious act , as the seed of glory and eternal life : every work of grace in the heart and life of gods people , is a seed of glory and eternal life . and these four considerations being put upon every gracious act , do confirm that which was said in the opening of the point , they must needs be full of pleasantness : be not satisfied in doing any thing in the ways of god , till you do it pleasantly ; i hear the ways of god are pleasant , i have gone on being haled by conscience , but little have i understood of the pleasantness of them , there is more to be looked after then i have attained to : by this thou shalt come to be mightily strengthened , and it wil be a marvellous help to make thee continue in the ways of godliness : and as i said in handling that argument of the easiness of the ways of godliness , those that are continually thinking of the hardness of gods ways , will fall off ; but by having them pleasant , it will carry thee on against temptations , and the current of all arguments . the last use of all , is , if the ways of wisdom be ways of pleasantness , what is the end of wisdom ? if the neather springs be so sweet , what will the upper be ? if the lower jerusalem be paved with gold , surely that upper jerusalem is paved with pearls . it is an excellent speech of bernard , good art thou , o lord , to the soul that seeks thee ; what art thou then to the soul that findes thee ? how sweet and pleasant are the ways of wisdom then ? how sweet and delightful is the end of wisdom ? if grace be pleasant , how pleasant is glory ? therefore the saints dye so pleasantly , because there is a meeting of grace and glory : grace is delightful , glory more delightful ; but when these both meet together , what delight will there then be ? it is a speech of jerome , speaking of carnal delights ; none can go from delight to delight ; but it is not so spiritually , the more delight we have here , the more we shall have hereafter : and therefore let this be all our prayer , lord give us evermore this pleasure , satisfie our souls with this pleasure ; if the drops be sweet , the rivers of pleasure and joy that are at christs right hand , how sweet are they ? moses his choice . the second part. chap. xvi . a spiritual eye can see an excellency in gods people , though under great affliction . the fourth doctrinal conclusion that was raised from the words , was , that a spiritual eye can see an excellency in gods people , though under never so great affliction . moses chooses rather to suffer affliction with the people of god. who were this people ? a despised people , an afflicted people ; yet moses could see an excellency in them while they were making their brick , while they were whipped by their task-masters , and contemptible in the eyes of all the egyptians ; yet by the eye of faith moses could look upon them as the most excellent of the earth , as the most glorious people that lived in the world , and desires rather to joyn with them , though in the greatest afflictions , then to abide pharaoh's court , in the enjoyment of all worldly delights ; let the world cast what dirt they will upon them , and darken their glory what they can , yet they are precious and honorable in the saints eyes , the excellent of the earth , and the glory of the world . job scraping his sores upon the dunghil , and jeremy sinking into the mire in the dungeon , are more beautiful and glorious , then the great men of the earth , when they are crowned upon their thrones ; though you have lien amongst the pots , says the psalmist , yet you are as the wings of a dove covered with silver , and whose feathers are covered with yellow gold . we read of the christians that lived in the time between the prophets and christ , in the latter end of this chapter , that were as mean as almost the rage of men , and poverty , and disgrace could make them , wandring up and down in sheep-skins , and goat-skins , and in the dens and caves of the earth ; and yet , says the text , they were such as the world were not worthy of : chrysostom carries it thus , take all the men of the world , they are not worth one of the people of god , though never so mean in regard of outwards : but i rather take it thus , the world was not worthy of such a priviledge , to have them live amongst them , they are fitter to be set as stars in heaven , and to be continually before the throne of god. many times under mean outsides , there are precious things within ; in earthen vessels , rich treasures . the tabernacle of god , covered meanly outwardly , and yet precious within . it is said of christ himself , that he had no form and comeliness at all outwardly , isa . . no beauty to a carnal eye : and yet in cant. . where the church is put upon the description of christ , she says , he is altogether lovely ; altogether desires , so it is in the original : see what a different esteem is of christ in the thoughts of the world , and the thoughts of a gracious heart : and as of christ , so of christians , christ is precious to them that do believe ; to you he is precious ( says the apostle ) but to others a rock of offence ; so to a godly gracious heart , the godly are precious , though contemned of those that are ungodly . the arguments that a gracious heart goes upon , or reasons why a spiritual eye should see so much excellency in gods people , under their outward means , are , first , because they judge as god judges ; it is of the spirit of god that they have received , and therefore they must needs judge of things as god judgeth . a childe esteems of things usually as his father doth ; if there be any of you manifest a slight esteem of any among whom you live , before your children , your children will have the like esteem of them ; if you manifest a high esteem of any , your children will do the like : hence it is , if those that are prophane , do despise and scorn at gods people before their children , their children will quickly learn to despise them : now because gods people have gods spirit , and god is their father , they judge as their father does . righteous men and kings , in scripture phrase , are made all one ; those who are righteous , god looks upon as kings , and such as are kings , are not respected of god , if they be not righteous : compare those two scriptures , mat. . . and luke . . in the one it is thus , many prophets and righteous men , have desired to see those things which ye see : but in the other it is , many prophets and kings , have desired to see those things which ye see . god does not judge of men in regard of outwards ; what are outwards before the lord ? what is it to have gold , and fine clothes before god ? those things that are braveries in the world , and take up the eyes of men to admire at them , what are these to god ? god does not esteem of men at all for these things , neither doth he disesteem them for the want of them ; the want of clothes , and of money , and of the things of the world , what is this to god ? does god look at any man the worse for want of these things ? god is no respecter of persons ; if he looks at any with high esteem , he looks at the poor , and humble , and contrite : god delights to look down into the world upon those that are poor ; he reserves a poor people that shall trust in his name , zeph. . . the lord passeth by the great things of the world , he brings down the mighty , and regards the low estate of his handmaid , the low estate of his people : it is a poor and contrite spirit , that he that dwelleth on high looketh at ; the prayer of the destitute he regards , psal . . . the word in the original is , a poor shrub , that which is in the wilderness , and the beasts tread upon , that no man regards , that seems to be altogether worthless . it may be , one comes with brave words , and hath mighty expressions , god throws them as dirt in his face : there comes another , and can hardly groan out his meaning , and yet there being grace , god regards him . if a proud scornful spirit , should hear a poor gracious heart groan out his complaints to god , he would think it non-sence ; but god , knowing the meaning of his spirit , and seeing his grace , he hath respect to him . a broken and contrite heart thou canst not despise ; god can despise princes , and emperors of the earth , when they sit upon their thrones , but a broken and a contrite heart he cannot despise ; let him be never so despicable in the eyes of the world , god cannot despise him , no more then he can deny himself , and cease to be god. it is gods judgement of men , that the righteous is more excellent then bis neighbor , prov. . . let his neighbor be the most excellent , in regard of parts , riches , honors , and other excellencies , and the godly man despised , and every way contemptible in regard of outwards , yet he is more excellent then his neighbor . it is observed , that the eagle and the lyon , those brave creatures , were not offered in sacrifice to god , but the poor lamb , and dove ; god regards the lamb and the dove , before the eagle and the lyon , to note that your great and brave spirits of the world , that are as eagles , high , and lofty , and as the lyon , god regards not those ; but your poor lambs , and doves , your poor meek spirits , that are contemptible in the eyes of the world , those are precious to god. not many mighty , great and noble ; but god hath chosen the base things of the world , the foolish , contemptible things of the world , to confound the wise , and the great things of the world . it is very observable , when john sent to christ , to know whether he were the messiah or no , whether they should look for another , he did not send him a direct answer , but , says he , go tell him , the blinde see , the lame go , the dead are raised , and the poor receive the gospel : mark how christ puts the poors receiving of the gospel amongst the rest ; the other were arguments of gods power and glory , but what argument of christs glory was this , that the poor , a contemptible people , received the gospel ? yes , god does as much glory in the poors receiving the gospel , as in raising up the dead : some would think that this should be an offence to john , that the poor receives the gospel ; one would rather think he were the messiah , if the rich had received the gospel ; no , says he , the poor receive the gospel ; he knew that john had a gracious heart , and would esteem of things as he did , and would not be offended . secondly , gods people , by a spiritual eye , are very highly esteemed , because such an eye looks at spiritual excellencies : god hath made a gracious heart acquainted with true spiritual excellencies , and such a one beholding the beauty and the glory that there is in spiritual excellencies , all the outward glittering glory that there is in the world is darkned : it is true , men and women , so long as they know no better things , judge onely according to these outward mean things . children that know no better things then a gay coat , count it the greatest preferment that can be , to be put into such a coat ; and so a man that knows no better things then the things of the world , he counts it the greatest excellency to have them : but when a childe comes to have reason , and sees higher things , he does not prize such things ; so a soul that comes to see the things of heaven , god , and christ , and grace , and sees into the realities of them , and not as imaginary , he will never admire at any thing below , but onely at grace ; and where there is grace , nothing can darken the light of it , it is so glorious as the light of the sun ; a little smoak cannot darken the light of the sun , when it shines bright ; a little smoak will darken the light of the candle , but cannot darken the light of the sun : and so a little affliction will darken these outward things , to those that esteem them at a high rate ; but spiritual excellencies are of such a nature , that afflictions cannot darken them . but what spiritual excellencies are those that a spiritual eye sees in gods people , that make them to be so precious in its esteem , notwithstanding all their outward meanness ? first , the image of god. secondly , the relation they have to god. thirdly , their spiritual priviledges . fourthly , the preciousness of that which comes from them . fifthly , the great use that they are of here in the world . sixthly , their ends . first , for the work of grace , they have the image of god upon them : now the image of a thing , is not the representing of a thing in some under excellency , or in some mean thing that concerns that which it is made to resemble ; but it is a resemblance of it in that which is the chief excellency . as if i would draw the picture of a man , i would not draw it for to resemble flesh meerly , that a beast hath as well as man , but as near as can be , the very countenance , and life of man ; i will not draw the back parts of a man , but his face , and countenance to life ; so the image of god is not that which hath some little likeness to god , but that which hath a likeness to god in the highest excellency , in his holiness and righteousness , which is ( to speak according as we are able to conceive ) the highest excellency of god ; so that a gracious heart hath that which makes him like unto that which is the top of gods excellency , that which is the image of god himself , and therefore it hath these four titles , the image of god , the divine nature , the life of god , and the glory of god. the image of god , gen. . . that of the divine nature , you have in the pet. . . whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises , that by these you may be partakers of the divine nature . and the life of god , eph. . . being alienated from the life of god , that is , from his grace . and the glory of god , rom. . . for all have sinned , and come short of the glory of god. the work of grace in mens souls , hath that excellency in it , that there is more of god to be seen in it , then in all the works that ever god did make from the beginning of the world , not onely if you take one single work ( onely excepting the hypostatical union of the humane nature of christ ) but take all the creatures that god hath made in heaven and earth , they have not so much of the glory of god to be seen in them , as there is to be seen in the work of grace ; so that take the poorest , meanest christian , that hath the work of grace , though parts be never so weak , and outwardly he be never so contemptible , there is more to be seen in this poor man or woman , then in the whole frame of heaven and earth , then in the sun , moon and stars , then in all the creatures of the world besides , except angels ; and therefore surely outward meanness can never take down the esteem that a gracious heart hath of gods people ; yea , it is the greatest excellency that ever god did bestow upon , or will bestow upon any for the kinde , if it were grown up to the greatest degree , still excepting that hypostatical union of the humane nature of christ with the divine , and therefore must needs gain a precious esteem . it is a principle of eternal happiness , it is that which will grow up to an eternal glory : take all moral and natural excellencies , let them grow up to the highest height they can , they can never grow up to glory ; but this is that eternal seed , if it be let to grow up , it wil grow up to the height of glory : now if grace be thus , if it be that principle whereby a creature is raised to such a high condition , no marvel though those that have a spiritual eye , and can see into the things of god , and judge spiritually of things , must needs esteem those very precious and honorable , that have the work of grace upon them . moral excellencies have been highly esteemed by heathens ; as the fabii and fabritii , that were taken from their dinner and supper of turnips , to rule and govern great armies , because they saw such great excellencies under their mean outsides : if so be the knowledge of moral excellencies can raise the esteem of men in the world , much more then the true and glorious excellencies of grace . secondly , in regard of the relation they have to god : gods people have a near relation to god ; the nearer relation one hath to great ones , the more high he is in the esteem of men ; now gods people though never so mean , have a wonderful near relation to god ; for , first , they are the chosen of god , they are those which the lord in his eternal counsels , hath set apart for himself ; the counsels of god from all eternity have wrought for their good ; and this is manifested unto a gracious heart , the lord hath set apart a godly man for himself , says the psalmist in psal . . they are those that are the consecrated ones of god ; consecrated and devoted things , though they were never so mean , were exceedingly esteemed of ; if it were but leather , or wood , or never so mean a thing that was in the tabernable , and consecrated to god , it was highly esteemed : those that are superstitious , if there be any thing they think is a holy relique , though never so mean , what a high esteem they have of it ? it is reported of apries , a king of egypt , who was of a base birth , for which some despised him ; wherefore of a great bason of gold , in which he and his guests were wont to wash their feet , he made an image , and set it up in an eminent place in the city , and observing the superstitious devotions of the people thereunto , now , says he , though the king be of mean birth , he is not to be respected the less : it is true , the saints of god for their outwards are mean , but their consecration puts glory upon them . i have read of the people of the east-indies , in the isle zeylon , who having an apes tooth got from them , which was a consecrated thing by them , they offered an incredible mass of treasure to recover it ; and if so be a consecrated thing , though so base in it self , be so highly esteemed for the consecration sake , how much more an immortal soul , that hath so many graces , as pearls set glittering in it , being consecrated unto god ? secondly , they are those that are entred into covenant with god , and therefore in nearer relation ( then others ) to god ; therefore they are called the portion of god , the treasure of god , the peculiar ones of god ; they are those that god satisfies himself in ; what higher then such expressions as these ? they are those that god hath set his heart upon , the beloved ones of god : they are the children of the high god ; the spouse of the son , that are married to the son ; in some respect nearer then the angels themselves , for they are not in a mystical union so married to christ , as gods people are ; and gods people having such relations to god , as in these & many other respects might be named , they are worthy of honorable esteem . thirdly , for priviledges ; they are those that are freed from the evil of sin , the evil of punishment . they are those that have whatsoever is in god to be theirs , working for their good : all the attributes of god , and the ways of god in his providence : if there be any thing in god to make a man happy , it is theirs . and all the good that is spoken of in the word , all the glorious promises are theirs : and all that is in the world is theirs , the world continues for their sakes ; says the apostle , all is yours , for you are christs , and christ is gods , cor. . ult . it is a great argument to shew gods greatness , that all the creatures in the world are his , and for him ; what an argument then is it , to shew the greatness of a christian , that heaven , and earth , and christ , and god , and all are his , and for him ? they have free access to the throne of grace , and welcom too : they have that priviledge , to come and put their hands into gods treasure , and take what they will , god gives them the key , giving them the spirit of prayer , he gives them the key of his spiritual treasure : they are the heirs of heaven and eternal life ; yea , and the heirs of the world too , for being the children of god , they inherit their fathers riches ; now rom. . . abraham is said to be the heir of the world . fourthly , consider the precious things that come from them : as there are more excellencies in themselves , then in all creatures in heaven and earth , except angels ; so in every gracious action that comes from them , there is the greatest excellency the world hath . luther hath many high and excellent expressions of the worth of the acts of grace , whereby he shews , though he was a mighty advancer of faith , so he was no enemy to good works : no man , says he , can commend good works magnificently enough ; for one work of a christian , is more prcious then heaven and earth , and therefore all the world in this life , cannot sufficiently reward one good work . and in another place , if i might have my desire , i would rather choose the meanest work of a country christian , or poor maid , then all the victories and triumphs of alexander the great , and of julius caesar . and again , whatsoever the saints do , though never so small and mean , it is great and glorious , because they do all in faith , and by the word . and yet further , let our works be small , servile , womanish , yet let this title be added , the word of the lord , and they are all glorious , such as shall remain eternally . surely they are precious , from whom such precious things do come ; it is a precious fountain , that sends forth such precious streams : these the saints of god send forth plentifully , the excellency of them a spiritual eye sees , and therefore must needs see those to be the excellent of the earth , from whence these come . fifthly , the great use that they are of in the world ; what use is a poor man or woman of , that lives in a poor smoak-hole , that no man regards ? yes , many ways ; these are the onely useful people in the world , they are they from whom god hath all his glory in the world , god attains his end of making the world by them ; were it not for a company of poor contemptible people , what glory should god have in the world ? now for men to be the onely people from whom god hath his glory in the world , is to be of great use : they are they that are the salt of the earth , and the light of the world ; though by some that be applied onely to those disciples and ministers , surely it is to be applied to any disciples of christ : they are they that hold forth the light of the glory of god ; the world would be as a dungeon of dismal darkness , were it not for them : they are they that can prevail with god for mighty things , as jacob , he prevailed with god as a prince : they are they that are employed about high and honorable things ; none have such glorious employments as gods people . turkish history tells us , that the very camels that are used to go to mahomets tomb , are ever after of high esteem amongst them , so as they never after use them in any mean servile way as they did before : though things be never so mean , yet by the use they become honorable ; no use so honorable as that of the saints , where this is seen with a discerning eye , they are exceeding honorable . they are the great blessing of the world : isa . . . there is a promise that israel should be a blessing in the midst of the land. gods people , wheresoever they are , are a blessing to that country , a blessing to the world , howsoever despised of the world ; put all these together , and surely they are precious . lastly , a spiritual eye looks upon gods people as precious , notwithstanding all outward meanness , because it looks upon them as in their ends , though they are now incomparably above all that is in the world besides , yet their glorious end raiseth their worth exceeding high , and a spiritual eye looks much at the end and issue of things , and therefore looking upon the saints in regard of the issue of all , they cannot but have a high esteem of them . eye hath not seen , nor ear heard , neither hath it entred into the heart of man , to conceive the excellent things that god hath prepared for them that love him , cor. . . and now a spiritual eye can see these things , which a natural eye cannot , as if they were present , the glorious things that are to come , and the glorious condition that such a one shall be in , a spiritual eye cannot but fasten upon such a one , and bless him , as the blessed of the lord. we do use to look upon great heirs , that are appointed for great things , and shall have great possessions , with honorable respect , though now they be meanly clothed , in russet cloth , or eating course bread , and playing with beggars children ; so gods servants , howsoever they are in the esteem of the world , yet those that know what they are to inherit , what they shall receive hereafter , cannot but look upon them as honorable : a spiritual eye sees that that body that is now clothed so meanly , within a few years shall shine more bright then the sun in the firmament , and that soul that is weak in parts and gifts , it sees it as a vessel that shall be filled to the brim with all the glory of god , and the image of god to be made perfect , and to have perfect knowledge of god , and of the blessed trinity , and the mystery of the gospel , and all the great works of god : a spiritual eye can see within a little while , when christ shall come in his glory , he will own them before men and angels , and tell men and angels , these are those , for whom the eternal councels of my father did work , and i was content to shed my blood for them ; and all that was intended in the great work of redemption , was for these : a spiritual eye can see , that within a while they shall be taken up with our savior , to judge the whole world , to judge the angels , with crowns upon their heads , and palms in their hands , triumphing , ascending up with christ to see the father , and to enjoy him everlastingly . and if these things be seen , as real and certain , they cannot but raise esteem ; there is so much in gods people here , as not onely does convince a gracious heart , but sometimes will convince one that hath but natural principles of their excellency . some men and women , that do sometime rail at gods people , if we could see into their bosoms , do sometimes bless them , and wish that their condition were such as theirs shall be : as balaam wished he might dye the death of the righteous ; and john the baptist , though he was mean for outwards , yet herod reverenced him , because he saw some glimmerings of the excellency that was in him : and that is observable that we have of joash king of israel , kings . . he was a wicked man , yet when he comes to elisha , and sees the prophet was to dye , says he , o my father , my father , the chariots of israel , and the horsemen thereof ! this is the speech of one that was ungodly , he had a reverend esteem of elisha , and it seems he walked so , as he gained mighty esteem from wicked men ; as in king. . . three kings came down to the prophet to speak with him , they do not send for him ; true it is , one of them was a good man , but the other two were wicked ; it was indeed in the time of their affliction , yet it was a mighty honor the prophet had from them . it is reported of the emperor severus , when origen came to him , he came very meanly cloathed , onely one garment ; severus sent him a chariot , and change of garments , to come in pomp to him , he refused to come in pomp ; and yet when he saw the piety and gravity of the man , he was mightily convinced , and it gained much respect from him : the godly will gain respect from wicked men , much more from a gracious heart , that can judge as god judges , and see the ends of things . chap. xvii . what we are to learn from that high esteem a gracious heart hath of the saints in their sorest afflictions . hence we see what a difference is between the men of the world , and gods people : the men of the world are such , as in all their outward pomp and bravery , are base and wretched , and gods people in all their baseness and meanness , are precious and honorable : the wicked men are so vile , as all the glory that the world hath cannot make them blessed ; and gods people are so blessed , as that all the evil of the world cannot make them any way miserable : if a man had his hearts desire in all things that are here below , he may remain as a base cursed creature ; but let him be gracious , and godly , and let him have all the misery that can be put upon him in the world , he is one that god , and the angels , and saints look upon , as the glory of the earth . that is very observable we have of antiochus epiphanes in dan. . . in his estate shall stand up a vile person , and yet he was the great king of assyria . and josephus reports , the samaritans wrote to him , because he tormented the jews , to excuse themselves that they were no jews ; and they writ , antiochus the mighty god ; and his name epiphanes in english , does signifie one that is illustrious and famous above others : though he was the great king of assyria , and by flattery was called the mighty god , and by his name called illustrious & famous above others , yet by the holy ghost he is called a vile person . but david speaking of gods people , whom he should do good unto , says , they are the excellent of the earth , in whom is my delight , psal . . the word signifies , the magnificent of the earth : the one is called the vile of the earth , in the psalm before , and the other called the magnificent , in this psalm . god hath made a separation between the wicked and the godly , and therefore moses says in exod. . ver . . thou hast separated between us and other people ; the word that is translated separated , is , thou hast wonderfully separated between us and other people ; so god hath wonderfully separated between us and the world ; that the one should be so cursed , that all the good of the world cannot make them blessed ; and the other so blessed , as all the evil of the world cannot make them miserable . when agrippa was so admired , that the people cryed , the voyce of god , and not of man , god gives an angel authority to smite him , and he was eaten up with worms : john though he was mean in the world , the holy ghost calls him the greatest that was born of a woman . secondly , this rebukes those that can see no excellency in those that are godly , more then in others : and if they be afflicted , they look upon them , as the prey of the malice of wicked men , and a poor contemptible people , and pass them by , and see nothing in them to be worthy of any respect . as it was said of herod , when christ came to him , he thought to have seen miracles wrought by him ; and because he appeared as a mean man , herod slighted him ; and so men that judge according to the flesh , if men be great in the world , or have such a one to be their friend , they like that well , but if he be ragged , and mean , they pass him by , as not respecting of him . as hospinian tells us of the dogs , that kept the temple of vulcan , if any came to the temple with brave cloaths , they would let them alone , but if they came in ragged cloaths , they would tear them all in pieces : so men of the world , if they see men in good cloaths , and prosper outwardly , they are somebody ; but for this godliness , and preciseness , they have no skill in it , and therefore despise it , and look contemptibly upon it . so it was with the samaritans , as long as the people of the jews were prosperous outwardly , they would challenge acquaintance , and affinity with them , but if they were in affliction , then they would fall off : but st. paul did not so , for ( says he ) henceforth know i no man after the flesh . it is a great sign of a carnal heart , and opposite to the principle of grace , to look upon things according to outward excellency , and not to see a beauty in gods people for want of outward excellency . some things that are foolish , are onely weakness of reason : some things are opposite to the principles of reason , and where we see such , we account those naturals : so some things are infirmities , and argue weakness of grace ; but other things are quite contrary to the principles of grace , and amongst those i know none more evident then this , for people to judge of things according to outward excellency , and not to see the excellency of gods people through outward meanes : this is an argument that the gospel is hid from thee , and so thou art a lost creature : if the beauty of the gospel be hid , it is hid to those that are lost : it is true likewise of such as profess the gospel , if the beauty of them be hid , it is hid to those that are lost . thirdly , if so that there is such an excellency in gods people , though under great afflictions it should teach us all to manifest our respect to gods people that are mean : it is a most vile thing , to have the faith of christ in respect of persons : says tertullian , we do not judge of faith by persons , but of persons by faith : so do not look at men , to judge of them according to outwards , but look to the inwards of the soul , how they are cloathed within . what a shameful thing is it for those that are christians , that know spiritual excellencies , to look upon those that are gay , and brave outwardly ? what do those that are gay and brave attire themselves for , but to have the eyes of men drawn after them ? let childrens eyes be drawn after them ; but if they have rotten spirits , let them be so looked upon , notwithstanding they be in gay cloaths : but for those that are gracious , jesus christ looks upon them as his glory ; cor. . . the messengers of the church , the glory of christ ; and therefore we should glory in them much more . the apostle s. james speaks very bitterly to those that he wrote unto , for having respect unto persons , says he , are ye not then partial in your selves , and are become judges of evil thoughts ? as if he should say , do not your consciences condemn you ? can this stand with grace ? to have the faith of the lord jesus christ in respect of persons ; are you become judges of evil thoughts ? those evil thoughts of yours , in respecting those that are in brave apparel ; are you judges of those evil thoughts ? that is , to judge according to them : some render it thus ; and are not judges of evil thoughts ? and so the negative , that is joyned to partial , is to be applyed also , to become judges of evil thoughts : have you such evil thoughts as these , and do you not judge them to be evil ? noting there is so much evil in them , as it is to be wondered , that any should have such evil thoughts , and yet not judge them to be naught . but how should we manifest our respect to those that are outwardly mean , that are gracious ? first , own them , and be not ashamed of them , before your bravest kindred , for they are precious to god and christ , and if you be ashamed of them , you are ashamed of christ himself , and it is just christ should be ashamed of you another day : are they the glory of god , the treasure of god , and the portion of god , and the peculiar ones of god , and shall you be ashamed of them ? o no , but those whom god honors , let us honor ; what rule can we have better for our honoring of men , then that honor that our god puts upon them ? it is given as a special reason , why the king of babylon sent ambassadors , and a present to hezekiah , after he had been sick , to testifie his respect to him , and to honor him , because he had heard , how that miracle of the suns going back was for him , as a sign of his recovery ; the sun was the god whom the babylonians worshipped ; now because their god had honored hezekiah so much , the king of babylon would honor him likewise . abulensis in kings . god hath wrought great things for his saints , whereby he hath put much honor upon them , he hath owned them before all the world , let us own them with honorable respect of them . . again , bless god that you may have any communion with them , to have the breathing of gods spirit in them ; reioyce in their communion , and fellowship , and delight more in mourning with them in their afflictions , then in all the jollities of the world , then to be feasting , then to enjoy all their delightful braveries . . again , the more they are contemned in the world , and they suffer in the world , the more do you respect them , and own them ; so long as gods people suffer nothing , but have outward prosperity as well as others , some will make of them ; but if they see them in contempt , then they leave them , and look at them afar off : as it is with a mans ministery , when a mans ministery is approved of by some that are rich , and the assembly be filled with such , they count such a ministery a credit to their church ; but if it be spiritual , so as it may be but few of them understand it , and so discountenanced by such as those are , then his ministery is not regarded : and as in the esteem of the ministery , so in the esteem of the saints ; when they are esteemed in the world , they will esteem of them , but when the esteem of the world is taken away , their esteem is taken away . as it is with the deer that is hunted , when the huntsman goes into the park , he stirs up all , and all run together , but if one be shot , and they see the blood run down , they will all push him out of their company : so while gods people go on , and are in credit , and esteem with the world , others that are slight professors of religion will esteem them , and they shall be welcom into their company , till they be shot , and they see disgrace put upon them , then they look upon them with a lowry countenance . if a man be travelling , and there be a sun-dial by the high-way , if the sun shine , he will go out of his way to take notice of it , but if the sun do not shine , he may go a hundred times by and never regard it ; and so when the sun shines upon gods people , they are much made of , but if a cloudy day do come , and take away the sunshine , they are not esteemed , and many people instead of helping them in their affliction , will adde to their affliction , and say , you needed not to have been so forward , and to have appeared so much ; it was your want of wisdom brought you into this trouble , and the like . if you had a gracious heart , if you saw one of gods servants go on in the way of god , and suffer in that way , though he had failed in some particulars , you would pass them by , and not be ready to take advantage , to speak against him for them : if a man do plead for the king , every circumstance is not taken up , and aggravated against him ; and so for those that are for god , every circumstance should not be aggravated against them : it is better for one to be forward in gods cause , though he should fail in some circumstances , then to be lukewarm . if a man be going earnestly , and do fall forward , there is not so much danger in that , as to fall backward : so a man that is forward in that which is good , though he may carry some things indiscreerly , and suffer somewhat that way , yet his fall is but forward , and there is not so much danger in that , as in a time-server , and apostate that falls backward , he may break his neck . and therefore we should not aggravate the afflictions of the saints , if they be right in the main , we should countenance them , and appear for them , though we venture something , as moses here , he might have saved himself , and yet he had such a high esteem of gods people , as he would venture all for them : but of this in the next point . thirdly , if god does move the hearts of any , preciously to esteem of his people , though afflicted outwardly , hearken to a word of encouragement , certainly thou art blessed of god : it is a note of a wonderful strong eye-sight that thou hast , that thou canst see spiritual excellency , through outward meanness : there is more skill in being able to see the preciousness of a thing , then to see the glory and lustre of it ; that which is not true pearl , may have as much lustre as the true , but the skill of the lapidary is to know , that is not precious , but the other , although it be fullied with dirt . it is a note of sincerity of grace , that thou lovest grace for grace : it is a note of the power of grace , that thou canst pass by that which is a stumbling to so many . certainly god will know thy soul in adversity , and will look through all thy infirmities upon thee , that canst look with an honorable esteem upon his people through all afflictions : and in that time when thou suspectest the work of grace in thee , this may be one argument to uphold thee , though thou canst not discern the work of grace in thine own heart , yet thou canst prize it in another ; it is an argument it is in thy soul , though now thou canst not see it ; though people want other notes , yet this many have . fourthly , you that are the servants of god , and god hath so ordered it , as you are mean in the world , mean in your parts and estates , and mean in regard of your friends , be not discouraged , do not think , i am a poor contemptible man or woman , no body looks at me , or regards me ; god hath a high esteem of you , the angels have a high esteem of you , the saints have a high esteem of you , and therefore be not discouraged . as you have it in isaiah . , . let not the eunuch say , i am a dry tree , for if he will take hold of my name , and keep my sabbath , i will give him an everlasting name , better then of sons and daughters : many , because they are outwardly mean , do go on discouraged , and say of themselves , we are dry trees : if thou didst but see the thoughts of gods people , and see the thoughts of wicked men , as if thou couldst but unfold the consciences of wicked men , they do reverence thee , and wish they were in thy condition , if they were to dye ; though you have not that respect from the godly which they seem to shew to others , that they have more use of , and are more serviceable to them to do their business , and so there is a shew of more outward familiarity , yet do not think but that you are more highly esteemed then they are . but suppose no man should regard you , it is enough that god does regard you ; it is a notable speech of salvian , such as are truly blessed in their own consciences , cannot be miserable by the false judgements of other men : but i say , though that were enough , yet you have more , you have god , and his angels , and saints , and the consciences of wicked men , though we should not regard the esteem of the men of the world , but go on in our way , onely be careful that they may not speak ill of our religion ; but the esteem of the saints is not slightly to be esteemed , for it is a blessing of god , and therefore st. paul was earnest with the romans to pray to god for him , that his service might be accepted of by the saints . on the other side , for one to be in such a condition , as those that are godly , wise , and humble , shall call their estates into question , and be suspitious of them , such need look to themselves : many that are truly godly , may be very guilty of censuring , and so do much wrong , both to those that are godly , and to religion ; but take those that are wise , and humble , and i say , if such should be jealous of me , i should have great cause to be suspitious of my self ; for such have the spirit of god , and do know the things of god , a spiritual man judgeth all things , and therefore we should make good use of their opinions of us ; if they be afraid of us , we should fear our selves , as isaiah says , there is no peace to the wicked , says my god ; that god that my soul hath interest in , says , there is no peace to the wicked ; so when those that have interest in god , shall say to a man , there is no peace to thee , it should make his heart quake . gods people ought so to walk , as to gain respect from the consciences of men ; do you so walk as to gain any such honorable respect ? is there not cause of suspition ? in the name of jesus christ i beseech you , let it be your care so to walk , with such heavenly humble spirits , as to hold forth the beauty of godliness unto others , and to force respect from them . as it is said of god , holy and reverend is his name ; how does gods name come to be reverend , but by being holy ? so it may be said of gods people , holy and reverend are their names ; if they be holy , their names are reverend , they will gain reverence from those that are godly , and will force it from the basest wretches : and therefore you that would have honor , and a name , here is a way ; you would be the finest in all the company , and you think to get a name that way , you seek to get riches , and so to get a name ; this is not the way , this does not cover the filth of sin , this covering is narrower then that you can wrap your self in , isa . . . but if you would get a name indeed , be godly , and gracious , and holy , and then you shall have the testimony of the consciences of men , and that is more then all their words , for there may be flattery in their words . many ministers think if they should be poor and mean , every one would contemn their ministery , and therefore they think the way to have their ministery respected , is to get great livings ; this certainly is a false way : a poor godly man that walks in his ministery faithfully , and conscionably , will gain more respect , then others by all their great preferments . as it was the speech of boniface , that was a martyr ; one askt him , whether it was lawful to give the wine in the sacrament in a wooden cup ; time was , says he , when there were wooden chalices , and golden priests ; but now there are golden chalices , and wooden priests : this was the way of papistry , for to have outward bravery , and thought to gain mens devotion that way ; but when there were wooden chalices , when things were carryed meanly , that did not take away the dignity of the ministery , but by the holiness of their lives , they were esteemed of the more , and the ordinances were not accounted the worse by the outward simplicity of them , but the better . let us that are acquainted with any thing of the minde of god , know that there are better things to gain respect to religion , and to our selves by , then all the outward things ; be not afraid therefore of sufferings , be godly , and let sufferings be never so much , and your name will be precious . those who wandred up and down in sheep-skins , and goat-skins , heb. . yet obtained a good report by faith . lastly , if a gracious eye can see so much excellency in the saints , in outward meanness , how much more shall they see when they come to their glory , when all the treasures of heaven shall come to be opened , and all the good of heaven let out to them , when they shall be wholly free from sin , when the robes shall be brought out , and the glorious garments , and they shal walk with christ in white ? if they be so glorious when they are on the dunghil , what shall they be when they are in their kingdom , when the bride shall come trimmed , when there shall be a suitableness to that bridegroom jesus christ ; and god , and all the angels shall come to solemnize the marriage ? there shall be a time here , when wicked men shall take hold upon the skirt of a iew , and say , i will go with you , for i have heard god is with you : how much more afterwards will the great ones and mighty ones of the earth be ready to catch hold upon the saints , and say , o that we might go with you , though it were but to attend upon you ? this is the day of visitation , pet. . . in which they shall glorifie god. there are three days of visitation , and in all those days of visitation men shall glorifie god in the behalf of gods people . first , when the time shall come that god shall visit their souls , and work any good upon their souls . secondly , the time of affliction , when they are upon their sick-beds : though in prosperity they contemn you , and speak evil of you , yet in the day that god shall visit them , and lay his hand upon them , then they shall say , this is the onely people that live upon the earth , and send for such a one . thirdly , they shall glorifie god in the day of judgement , when they shall see the glory of these , and they shall say , these are those we despised , and called hypocrites , now we see they are no hypocrites : as those foolish virgins that wanted oyl , when the bridegroom came , then they asked oyl of the wise virgins ; it may be before they would not acknowledge it was oyl , it was water with them before , but now it is oyl : so now they shall see they were godly , and not hypocrites , and they were not notions that they heard of , but realities . and thus much of the excellency that a gracious heart does see in those that are godly , though never so mean and afflicted outwardly . the fifth point is , chap. xviii . a gracious heart will appear for the people of god , whatsoever sufferings may follow upon it . a gracious heart will appear outwardly with gods people , and be on their side , whatsoever sufferings may follow upon it . many things useful for the opening and enlarging this point , fall into the former , and therefore i shall be the briefer in it . the point is of great use in these times , wherein god calls for so much appearing in his cause , for his people ; but generally men seek a safe way to themselves as they think , to keep their religion within , and not to venture themselves , by appearing what they are ; and if any shall be so forward , to appear outwardly what they are inwardly , these are deserted . st. pauls complaint , tim. . . and chap. . . may justly be the complaint of many of gods servants in our times ; thou knowest that all they which are in asia be turned away from me , of whom are phygellus , and hermogenes : at my first answer no man stood with me , but all men for sook me . this is no new thing in the world , every age affords many examples in this kinde , and ours excels ; but certainly , it is the duty of all who would approve themselves to god , to be willing to appear with , and for the saints in their troubles . first , the saints are dear to god , therefore god will certainly take it well at the hands of such as shall joyn with them in their affliction , and appear for them : if any should see your childe in affliction , and danger , and hazard himself in joyning with your childe , in his affliction , and danger , you would take it well at his hands . secondly , they hold out the honor of god in the world , in their sufferings , they are gods witnesses ; isaiah . . they stand for god ; in appearing therefore for them , and their cause , ye appear for god himself : the cause is yours as well as theirs , if god be yours . thirdly , they need encouragement , especially in the time of their affliction ; the best have flesh and blood , and if they be deserted in their cause , much advantage is given to temptation ; wo to him that is alone : if any should fail , if any should miscarry through your deserting , or not coming in and joyning with them , it will prove a sore and a fearful evil against you . if any of gods servants in affliction shall go to god , and make their means to him , and in the grief of their souls tell him , how you have left them , how they are alone in so great a cause , whereas such and such might have afforded much help and encouragement ; surely this will witness fearfully against you , and it will go ill with you ; certainly you bring much guilt upon your souls , in deserting the saints in the time of their affliction : hence paul prayed , that god would not lay to the charge of those in asia that left him in his first answer . fourthly , not appearing , is a betraying the truth : it is a speech of zuinglius , in his third epistle ; we may as well with dioclesian , worship at the altar of jupiter or venus , as hide our faith under antichrist : he that is not with me , is against me , says christ . fifthly , christ appears most for his people in their afflictions , when they are at the lowest ; isaiah . . in their affliction he was afflicted , the angel of his presence was then with them , his love and his pity was towards them , he bare them , and carried them : psal . . . the zeal of thine house hath eaten me up , the reproaches of them that reproached thee , are faln upon me . you know the place is spoken of christ , and these words were spoken when the church was in a very ill case , as appears in the psalm . sixthly , times of affliction are the especial times to manifest our true love to the saints , which are near to us in many bonds . it is an ill part of a wife or friend , to forsake husband or friend when in affliction . josephus reports of herodias , wife to herod the tetrarch , who when the emperor had deprived her husband of his tetrarchy , and banished him , annexing his tetrarchy to agrippa his kingdom , understanding that herodias was agrippa's sister , the emperor gave her her husbands substance , supposing that she would not accompany her husband ; but she answered the emperor , there is a cause that hinders me from partaking the benefit of your bounty , the affection i bear to my husband , whom if i should forsake in this his misery , it would very ill beseem me , in that i have been a partner with him in his felicity : the emperor displeased with her answer , banished her likewise with her husband : a brother , a friend , a wife , is for the time of adversity . especially hence it is recorded of davids brethren , and fathers house , sam. . . when david was persecuted , and came to the cave of adullam , when they heard it , they went down thither to him ; they ventured the displeasure , the rage of saul , the forfeiting all their estates , to go down to david their brother , both his father and mother was there , though very old now , as appears ver . . basils forwardness in appearing for his friend in danger , mightily affected chrysostom : he tells of him , that he hazarded himself much , to deliver his friend in danger , and being blamed by some for venturing so much , he gave this answer , i have not learned to love otherwise , i know not how to manifest my love but thus . seventhly , when gods people suffer most in gods cause , it is then most honorable to be called forth to appear for it , to assist in it . amongst the persians , the left hand is accounted the most honorable . xenophon reports of cyrus , that those whom he honored most , he placed at his left hand , upon this ground , because that hand was weakest , and most subject to danger ; the most honorable of the kingdom were set to defend , where there was most weakness and most danger : if the people of god be brought low , if they be brought under by affliction , if the cause of god in them seem to be in danger , then to come in and appear , to stand by them , and for them , this is honorable . eighthly , this appearing for the saints , and joyning with them in their affliction , shall be highly rewarded of god. when david was in his affliction , persecuted by saul , abiathar fled to him with the ephod , and abode with him ; although self-respects might move him , saul having slain his father , and fourscore and four priests of the lord , and if he had not escaped , he had gone to it too ; yet because he was with david in his affliction , mark how solomon respects him for it , kings . . thou art worthy of death , but i will not put thee to death , but go to anathoth , to thine own fields , because thou barest the ark of the lord god before my father david , and because thou hast been afflicted in all wherein my father was afflicted . josephus reports of agrippa , that being bound with chains , and sent to prison by tiberius , for wishing caius in the empire ; one thaumastus one of caius his servants carrying a pitcher of water , met him , and agrippa being very thirsty , desired him to give him drink , which he willingly did ; upon which agrippa said , this service thou hast done in giving me drink , shall do thee good another day : afterwards when caius was emperor , and agrippa was made king ; he first begged thaumastus his liberty of the emperor , and made him a free man , then he made him his chief officer over all his affairs , and after his decease , he took order he should continue in the same office with his son . this agrippa was a wicked man , who thus rewarded him that relieved him in his affliction : it was the same agrippa whom the angel smote , and was eaten up of worms , because he gave not glory unto god : how much more then will christ reward those , who shall give him in his members , cups of water in their affliction , yea , who shall so joyn with them , as to hazard themselves for them ? surely they shall not go without their reward , when christ comes in his glory , he will own them . but how must we appear ? what doth this point require of us ? first , when gods servants , and their cause , are accused , and condemned , you must not be silent , you must not let it pass , as being afraid to be accounted one belonging to them . luther in an epistle to staupitius , a german divine , says , that when jesus christ is condemned and blasphemed , it is no time to fear , but to cry out ; yea he professes , that he had rather be accounted any thing , then to be accused of wicked silence in gods cause ; let me be reputed proud , covetous , an adulterer , a murtherer , an enemy to the pope , guilty of all kinde of vices , so i be not found guilty of wicked silence , when the lord christ suffers . in eusebius his history , l. . c. . we finde a letter that the christians of vienna , and lyons in france , sent to their brethren in asia and phrygia , in which they tell of a notable example of a brave noble man , vetius epagathus , appearing in the cause of the christians , not being able to bear their unjust dealings against them , when he heard those vile accusations against them , and condemnations of them , he desired that he might be heard to plead for the brethren , but those at the tribunal being utterly against it , because he was a noble man , the president would not admit of his petition , but onely asked him if he were a christian , he professed aloud , that he was , and so was taken amongst the number of martyrs , and called the advocate of christians . secondly , appear for them , by visiting them in their troubles ; that is a special duty that christ looks for , and will examine at the great day , whether it hath been performed , be not shy of this , lest you should be suspected to be one of them . chrysostom in an oration upon the praise of two martyrs , says of christians , that they would not be kept from visiting the confessors in prison , although it was forbidden with many threatnings , terrors , and it was great danger to them . thirdly , we must be ready and willing to entertain such as suffer . fourthly , we must use all the interest we have in any friends , improve all opportunities for the relief of such as suffer . theodoret tells a famous story of one terentius , a captain in the emperor valens his army , who returning from armenia with a great victory , the emperor bade him ask what reward he would ; he onely asked as a recompence of all his service , that there might be granted a church to the orthodox in antioch , that they might freely meet in publique : this he knew could not but be exceeding displeasing to valens the emperor , because he was an arrian , and so it proved , for the emperor tore his petition , and bade him ask something else ; but terentius gathered up the torn pieces of the paper , and said , this i ask as a reward of my service , and i will ask nothing else . how few wil now improve such interest in great ones , such opportunities for the relieving the persecuted servants of god ? fifthly , we must improve all our gifts , parts , abilities for them , in pleading for them : thus in the primitive times , god stirred up many of great learning , of excellent parts , to plead for the persecuted christians , who did much service this way : as justin martyr , in his apologies ; and tertullian , and one aristides an athenian phylosopher , a man admirably learned and eloquent , because the emperor then was much delighted in learning , he made use of his eloquence and learning , for christ and his saints , making eloquent orations before the emperor for them : and another quadratus atheniensis , when adrian came to athens , he presented a book to him , pleading for christian religion ; god blessed the endeavors of these much , for the mollifying the emperors heart towards the christians . sixthly , we must be willing to suffer with them ; we must be willing to lay down our lives for the brethren , much more suffer with the brethren : we must be willing to have fellowship with them , not onely in their priviledges , but in their sufferings , rev. . . i john who also am your brother , and companion in tribulation , and in the kingdom and patience of jesus christ : many are willing to be brethren , and companions in the kingdom , but not in tribulation , and in the patience of jesus christ ; heb. . . it was the commendations of those christians mentioned there , that they were companions of those that were ill used for the cause of christ . wherefore for application , let us know our duty , and shew our selves more ready and forward to joyn with , and shew our selves to the servants of god in their persecuted estate ; in the times of their prosperity there is not so much need we should manifest our selves to be for them ; this is the time wherein we are called , especially to manifest our love to them , our siding with them ; the greater their affliction is , the more we must appear for them : when the people of god were in a comfortable estate in egypt , as they were in josephs time , joseph did not leave the court to joyn with them , but when they were in an afflicted estate , as in moses his time , moses left all to joyn with them ; here you have a tryal upon what side you will be , now you have an opportunity to witness for god. those words , hosea . . judah ruleth with god , the old latine hath it , testis descendit cum deo , he descends a witness with god , and so the words will bear , if the pricks be altered , which may be , being according to the opinion of many put in , in latter times ; ribera maintains this reading , and hath two good notes upon it : first , others leave the true worship of god , but iudah continues , and so witnesses to his truth . secondly , he descends , he is content to be in a lower condition ; though he be fewer , and not so flourishing as israel , yet if he may be gods witness , he is content . thus should we be willing to descend to witness for the truth , to leave the flourishing people of the world , and to joyn with the lowest and meanest . ordinarily men deal with the suffering servants of god , as demas dealt with st. paul , they forsake him , embracing this present world ; but if you finde any inclination of heart that way , conceive as if christ were now speaking to you , will you also forsake me ? take heed of flattering your selves , of putting off this duty with any vain pleas , or pretences , or excuses ; god sees what lies at the bottom . we read iudg. . divers of the tribes are blamed , for not coming in to help to joyn with barak and deborah ; and in their rebuke , their excuses are mentioned , as some were to follow their business at sea , they could not come : and especially asher , he was to stand in his own breaches to defend himself , ver . . reuben must follow his business , and look to his sheep , he could not come , ver . . yet these are rebuked , but zebulon and nepthali are commended for a people that jeoparded their lives unto the death , they are honored for this . the people of god were now in a low condition , in great affliction , and no excuse could serve turn , for their not joyning with their brethren ; whatsoever necessities , inabilities we may pretend , that keep us from appearing in the behalf of , and joyning with gods people in their afflicted estate , it will not bear us out before the lord ; in times of storm , all should come in and help . the two tribes and the half on the other side iordan , must not think to abide peaceably in their possessions , while their brethren were warring for theirs , but they must joyn with them in their battels , until they were in their possessions likewise . it is a sore and great evil , not to joyn with gods servants in their troubles ; but how great an evil then is it , to adde affliction to their affliction , to joyn with their enemies against them , especially when they are weak in their suffering condition ? gods wrath against amalek was , because he came out against israel in the wilderness , and not onely so , but smote the hindmost of them , even all that were feeble behinde them , when they were faint and weary , deut. . . now you shall finde that the wrath of god was never so dreadful against any , as against the amalekites : for , first , observe what expressions of indignation the lord hath against them . first , this wickedness of amalek , and his destruction , must be wrote for a memorial in a book , and rehearsed in the ears of ioshua . secondly , god will utterly put out the remembrance of amalek from under heaven . thirdly , the lord swears that he will have war with amalek , from generation to generation ; all these exod. . , . fourthly , gods anger for many years after continued against amalek . numb . . . his latter end shall be , that he perish for ever : and deut. . . moses gives a charge , that after israel was possessed of his inheritance , that he must blot out the remembrance of amalek from under heaven , thou shalt not forget it . and further , although at the first , when amalek came against israel , there was a great slaughter of them , yet more then four hundred years after , sam. . . god says , he remembred what amalek did to israel , and gave a charge to saul to go and smite them , and utterly to destroy all they had , not to spare , but to slay man and woman , infant , suckling , ox , sheep , camel , and ass ; and it is observable , whereas in all other places that were not of canaan , though they did smite the male , yet they were to spare the women , the little ones , and the cattel , and all that was in the city , as deut. . . but not so in amalek , yet amalek was not of canaan ; god had a more special quarrel against amalek , then against any of the other countries : yea , whereas in canaan , although men and women were destroyed , as in ai , iosh . . yet the cattel , and the spoyl of the city they took to themselves , ver . . but they might not do so in amalek , the destroying the cattel , and all there was in it , was for the greater horror , to shew what an abominable , and an accursed thing amalek was . yet further , although in jericho they destroyed men , women , and cattel , and so it was more accursed then ai , for there the cattel were saved ; yet in jericho the gold , silver , brass , iron , were consecrated unto god , iosh . . . but so it must not be in amalek , for that must be more accursed then iericho . and god was so strongly set upon revenge of this people , that because saul spared agag , and the fat of the cattel , though in pity , though under pretence of sacrifice , the lord therefore rejected him , and accounted his sin as rebellion and witchcraft , so as he would not have samuel so much as mourn for him , sam. . . and when agag was brought before samuel , because he was the king of the amalekites , samuel , though he were a loving sweet natured man , yet he took a sword , and himself hewed him in pieces before the lord , being filled with gods indignation against amalek , sam. . . and psalm . . ammon and amalek is joyned together ; god pronounces of the ammonite , that to the tenth generation none of them should enter into the congregation of the lord for ever ; why ? because they met not gods people in the way , with bread and water , when they came up out of egypt , deut. . . but hired balaam to curse them . god expects that his people in their afflicted estate should be relieved , and not cursed ; the curse of the lord will pursue those , who deny help to them in this condition , especially such as seek to adde to their affliction . what was the reason that shimei must not go to his grave in peace ? it was because of his rayling against david , when he was in his affliction ; the jews gave christ gall and vinegar when he was upon the cross , this was a great aggravation of their sin : take heed that you give not the servants of god gall and vinegar when they are upon , or under the cross ; god expects you should bring oyl to their wounds , not pour brine in ; many think they may safely trample upon such as are down ; when the hedge is broken , when a gap begins to be made , every one treads it down lower and lower : but know , when the day of the recompences of sion shall come , all the wrong done to gods servants , who were not able to resist the malice of men , shall be recompenced to the full , especially such wrong as was done them in their affliction ; god takes it ill that any should once look upon his people in the day of their affliction , except it be to pity them , and to relieve them . i am very sore displeased with the heathen , says the lord , zach. . . wherefore ? they helped forward the affliction ; and mark it , it was that affliction that was upon gods people , out of gods displeasure for their sin : and does god take that so ill , that that affliction should be helped forward ? how ill then will he take it , how sorely will he be displeased , when the affliction that his people suffer for his name , is helped forward ? let us take heed of any hand in such an evil as this ; but let us know that it is our honor , and will be great advantage to us , to appear for to be helpful , and comfortable unto the servants of god in their sufferings ; to be obadiahs , ebedmelechs , to the prophets of the lord. obadiah pleads this with the prophet , kings . . was it not told my lord what i did ? when he was afraid of danger , that thereby he might be delivered : and god bade jeremiah , chap. . , . go to ebedmelech , and tell him , behold , i will bring evil upon this city , but i will deliver thee in that day , thou shalt not be given into the hand of the men of whom thou art afraid . we read likewise , sam. . . of a merciful work of gods providence towards the posterity of such , who had been kinde to his servants in the times of their trouble , namely the kenites ; when amalek was to be destroyed , saul sent to the kenites to depart from among the amalekites , lest they be destroyed with them : why ? for ye shewed kindeness to all the children of israel , when they came up out of egypt : who were these kenites ? how long since was his kindeness shewed ? what was this kindeness ? for the first , the kenites were the posterity of jethro , moses his father in law ; this you may see , judges . . for the second , this kindeness was four hundred and twenty years before this time at the least , for so long it was from the children of israels being then in the wilderness , and this time of sauls reign . for the third , it is thought of some to be the kinde visit of iethro , visiting his son in law , and israel in the wilderness ; and besides , directing him in a way of government of the people , that he might not wear away himself , which was a great blessing to israel at that time . and further , whereas moses desired him to go with him to direct him in the way of the wilderness , where they should go ; it is like he did it in part , but though he did not stay with him , but returned to his country , yet it is probable that some of his children staid , and went along with israel , and were helpful to them in their way : for iudges . . the children of the kenite , are said to go up out of the city of palm-trees with the children of iudah , now this is by jericho , the first city the israelites took in cannan , as appears deut. . . therefore it s like that they accompanied israel along in the wilderness , and so shewed kindeness unto them , which the lord here remembers . ye who are willing to shew kindeness to gods people in their affliction , know there is mercy laid up in store for you , and your posterity : that childe not yet born may many years hence have the blessing of this your love . let no vain objections therefore , no carnal reasonings hinder you in this great and honorable service of christ , for appearing for , for defending of , rejoycing in the persecuted , despised , afflicted saints of god , be not ashamed of them , look not shy upon them , deal not ruggedly with them , let your hearts and houses be open to them , let their spirits be comforted , their bowels be refreshed , their names vindicated , their cause maintained , their persons honored , their sorrows eased , their burthens lightened , by what you have , or can do , by your selves or others : if there be any consolation in christ , if any comfort of love , if any fellowship of the spirit , if any bowels and mercies , if any hope , any desire that jesus chirst should know your souls in the day of your adversity , fulfil this truth now opened before you , applyed unto you , this duty urged upon you . it may be some of you have been moses's , such as have been drawn out of the water , out of great afflictions , be you now moses's to others , seek to draw them out if it may be , howsoever to relieve and help them , while they are in the waters ; and the blessing not of moses , but of jesus christ , the mighty savior , the great stander up for , and comforter of his people , in times of straights , be upon you . chap. xix . enjoyment of communion with gods people , is worth the enduring much affliction . we are now come to the sixth doctrinal point that we have here in this part of moses choice , that the enioyment of communion with gods people , is worth the enduring of a great deal of affliction . moses chooses to suffer affliction with the people of god ; he saw they were gods people , and that it was a good thing to be with them , and therefore rather then he would not be with them , he was content to lose all the honors of pharaohs court , and put himself under the sorest affliction that he could meet withal , nothing should hinder him from joyning with them . in the worst times of the church , wherein the hardest things were to be suffered in joyning with gods people , yet even then would those who had gracious hearts choose to be with them upon the hardest terms , rather then to be from them with all outward ease , and carnal delight . it was a very ill time when there was a separation between the ten tribes , and the rest , when the ten tribes left the temple , left the ordinances of god , and followed after jeroboam ; this was a very hard time , and the rather because jeroboam set watchers , to observe who would go from him unto judah to joyn with gods people there , for there remained the true church . and this is the meaning of that place , hos . . . hear ye this o priests , and hearken ye house of israel , and give ye ear o house of the king , for judgement is towards you , because you have been a snare on mizpah , and a net spread upon tabor : now these two places , were places that were between samaria , the ten tribes , and jerusalem ; whosoever should go from them to ierusalem , to joyn with gods people there in the true worship of god , those that were set at mizpah and tabor , would spy them , and so they were ready to be taken : this was the hard condition of gods people then , and they did mightily scorn at those that would go to jerusalem to worship , and to joyn with them in that way of worship . and therefore amaziah said to amos , ( chap. . ver . . ) o thou seer , go , flee thee away into the land of judah , and there eat bread , and prophesie there : as if amaziah should say , judah is a fitter place for you then this , you are so precise , and strict , you had need be gone to judah , we are idolaters here , and no true church but in judah , such as you are , had better be gone to judah : and so it is usual for those that are carnal and prophane , to scorn at those that are godly . yet though things were so hard in these times , that there were watches and spies set to watch over them , and they did contemn those that did look towards judah , yet those that were godly would not be discouraged , but would go , and joyn with gods people notwithstanding all this : and therefore you have it in chron. . . what was the way of gods servants in that time , when it was such a difficult thing to joyn with gods people : all such as set their hearts to seek the lord god of israel : there were a company of them that would stay in samaria , that might have good wishes , that times were better , and things were better , but would not suffer any thing , to go and joyn with gods people , where they might have the ordinances in a pure maner ; but all such as set their hearts to seek the lord , and resolved whatsoever came of it , they would have god in the purity of his ordinances , they went up to jerusalem : and so it was in the primitive times , they were very hard times for gods people , and the people of god , and christians were discovered by their meetings together ; if so be all of them would have separated one from another , and kept their religion to themselves , they might not have been discovered , but though it were with hazard of their lives , they would joyn together , and meet together ; and therefore when any was converted , it is said , they were added to the church . and s. paul , heb. . . lays a charge upon them , though it were at such a time as they hazarded their lives , not to forsake the assembly of the saints , as the maner of some is . and mr. calvin in a sermon upon that text , seek ye my face , interpreting it thus , the face of god is gods ordinances ; as a man is known by his face , so god maketh himself known in his ordinances ; and so he urges that place , seek my face , that all christians in conscience are bound to go where gods ordinances may be enjoyed , if possibly they can : and he says further , it is better they should scrape the ground with their nails , then to be any where else , where they should not ioyn with gods people in the ways of his ordinances . certainly , it is a great blessing to be with them , though upon never such hard terms in regard of afflictions . that is observable that we read of jacob blessing his sons , gen. . . it is said , he blessed every one of them ; how was that ? for you shall finde he rather seemed to curse three of them , reuben , simeon , and levi ; he speaks onely of evil to them ; but because they were not rejected , from being amongst gods people , although they were to be under great and sore afflictions , yet they are said to be blessed . well , but why should we suffer much affliction for the joyning with gods people ? what is there in them , or amongst them , that makes joyning with them to be so desireable ? first , that point we handled before , might be enough to shew the reason of this : they are the excellent of the earth , isaiah . . i do not now speak of them particularly , though every saint is honorable , but especially they are honorable in a way of church communion : now we know it is a credit , and priviledge to have society with those that are honorable ; gods people are so , they are the glory of the world : as for others , god speaks of them as dirt and dross , psal . . , . but now gods people are called the glory of god himself , isaiah . . now it is good being with such as those are . peter , when he saw but two of gods servants together with christ , moses and elias , says , it is good being here , let us make three tabernacles , one for thee , one for moses , and one for elias ; he never thought of himself , it is good being here , though he should lye in the field , and in the rain : and so says a gracious heart , it is good being here with gods people , for they are precious , whatsoever hardship we suffer amongst them . secondly , there is no such comfortable communion in the world , as with gods people . it is comfortable , first , in the very beholding of the shining of the graces of gods spirit in them ; says heathen seneca , the very look of a good man delights me : what is the glory of god himself , but to see his own glory shining in the world , in the works of creation , and providence ? if god delights so much to see the resplendency of that glory that shines in his works , surely it must be a great delight to those that have any work of grace , to see grace shining in others . besides , there is a blessed fragrancy of graces in gods people : as the eye is satisfied in beholding the beauty of them , so the heart is satisfied in the sweetness of them ; cant. . . my beloved is gone down into his garden , to the beds of spices ; the catholike church is as the garden , and every particular church , if it be as it should be , is as a bed of spices , that gives forth a very fragrant smell . it is reported of alexander , his body was of such an exact constitution , that it gave a sweet scent where it went : and so a church is of so good a constitution , that it gives forth a wonderful sweet fragrant smell to those that have their right senses . again , no such comfort as in communion with gods people , in regard of the nearness of their union one with another , their hearts joyn , and are one if they be truly spiritual : other societies are but as the iron and the clay in the toes of nebuchadnezzars image , they may cleave together , but they will not incorporate one into another : the more spiritual any thing is , the more it does unite with that which is spiritual ; spiritual things are more unitive then such things as are bodily ; as if you have a heap of stones , they do not joyn so close together , but now a thousand beams of the sun will unite together in one point , because they are spiritual things in comparison : and this is the reason why there is such a full union between god , and a spiritual heart , because god is so spiritual , and the more spiritual the heart is , the more union ; and so christians having grace , and grace being spiritual , the more grace , the more spiritual , and the more spiritual , the more union : and the reason why in church-fellowship there is so little union , is because they are so carnal , and therefore the apostle says , the contentions that were in the church of corinth , were because they were carnal . if you were more spiritual , there would not be such division between you . as it is in wicked communion , those who are more spiritually wicked , ( for there is a kinde of spiritual wickedness ) they do more unite together , those that are more fleshly wicked , do not so closely unite , as your drunkards , and prophane fellows , though they call good fellows , yet upon every cross word , they are ready to fall out : but others that are wicked in a malicious way against the godly , and wicked in a way of policy , to work to undermine the way of godliness , such as those joyn together a great deal more strongly , then those that joyn together in an outward fleshly way ; now because gods people are spiritual in a gracious way , therefore they have such near union , and union causes abundance of comfort . we read exodus . of two sorts of curtains for the tabernacle , the one , verse . of fine twined linen , blew , purple and scarlet , and the tatches were of gold to couple them ; the other were of goats hair , ver . . and the tatches to couple them were of brass , ver . . which may set forth the several sorts of people in the church ; some are of a finer make then others , more spiritual , and the bonds of their union are golden , others are more course , and the bonds of their union are not so glorious ; but this is a truth for ever , the more spiritual , the more union , the more pure the souls of men are , and of the more excellent temper , the more close , sweet , excellent in their union . again , no such comfort as with gods people , because of the suitableness of that disposition that is in their spirits , one with another , having but one spirit , and but one divine nature , led by the same principles , and rules , and have the same ends , and affections , hopes , and desires , and joys : and where there is such a suitableness , surely there must needs be a great deal of comfort , for all comforts come from a suitableness between the heart and the object ; if the thing be never so good , if there be not a suitableness between the heart and it , there is no comfort ; but no such suitableness as between gods people , and therefore no such comfort . fifthly , no such joy as is to be had in communion with them , because of their entireness of love , entireness of love is a lovely sight . dionisius seeing two entire friends together , wished himself the third . cant. . . my dove is but one , and it follows , the daughters saw her , and blessed her ; an oneness of heart is a blessed thing , no such entireness , such oneness any where as amongst the saints : their love is spiritual , and not upon base grounds , as the love of others is , there is not that base aiming at self as in others : a carnal heart cannot love another , but in some base respect to himself ; but now it is not self self that is the the ground of the love between those that are truly gracious and godly , but god that is between them , and with them , the ground of their love is more spiritual , and therefore it is a kinde of divine love , and not so drossie as others . sixthly , no communion so comfortable in regard of their faithfulness , they dare trust one another . they call themselves brethren , and they will dye for another , says tertullian : the men of the world cry out , of all men i would not trust those that are so precise : indeed , if you do take all refuse that make profession , you may say so , but a gracious heart can savor who is godly , and will not trust every one that talks of religion , but such as are truly godly , they dare trust them , and venture their lives with them : no communion in which we can ease our selves of our burthens , as where there are a company of true gracious humble saints in communion one with another . so that put these together , and you see the second reason why it is worth the enduring so much affliction to have communion with the people of god. thirdly , it is worth the enduring a great deal of affliction , to have communion with them ; because it is in their communion , in which the solemn worship of god is set up ; now it is worth the enduring of a great deal , to be where that is . in judah is god known , and his name is great in israel : he hath honor by others , but his name is great in israel , in his church ; what a comfortable thing is it , and blessed , and worth the enduring of much , to have multitudes of gods people joyn with one heart , in setting out the praises of god , sitting at his table , sitting before him , lifting up the name of the great god , making his praise glorious : when the saints are gathered together for this end , in this work , christ is there present with them , praising god , he joyns with them in this work , heb. . . in the midst of the church will i praise thee ; this is spoken of christ , it is quoted out of psal . . . which is prophetical of christ : who would not be in such acts of worship , to joyn with such as christ joyns with ? if god be our god , and dear to our souls , his worship is dear to us ; and if there be any people in the world , among whom god is truly worshipped , it is a great affliction not to be with them . it is the observation of one interpreter upon that place in isa . . where the cherubims cryed , holy , holy , holy , lord god of hosts , the earth is full of thy glory : the prophet cryes out , wo unto me , i am undone , because i am a man of unclean lips , unfit to joyn with those that are praising of god : howsoever the meaning of that place be , yet thus we may make use of it , to be a great affliction , and cause there is to cry out , wo to our selves , when we hear of gods people crying out , holy , holy , holy , lord god of hosts ; if we be not amongst them , though it be in the wilderness , yet if gods worship be set up , the people of god have a feast : when the israelites were to go from egypt , into the wilderness , moses says , they must go thither to keep a feast unto the lord ; what was that feast in the wilderness , but the setting up the worship of god ? fourthly , no communion , no society in which there is so much profit and benefit , as to be amongst these . as abigail said to david , the lord shall binde up the soul of my lord in the bundle of life : to be amongst gods people , is to be bound up in the bundle of life ; much good we enjoy in them , and the more communion we have , the more interest we have in all their gifts , and graces , and prayers : and therefore we read of daniel , when he had a great work to do , how he makes use of that interest he had in the prayers of the godly , daniel . , . it is a great blessing to have an interest in the prayers of the saints , and so in all their gifts , cor. . , . whether paul , or apollos , or cephas , &c. all are yours , and you are christs : as if he should say , there need no such envying one at another , to say , i am of paul , and another of apollos , and another of cephas , for all are yours ; all the gifts , and graces of all the worthies of the lord , are all yours , they are all for your good , and you have interest in them all : in communion with the saints , there is watching over one another , and quickning one another , and admonishings , and wholesome counsels , and stirring up the graces of god that are in one another : have you not felt your selves , when you have come away from a spiritual communion , to come away with hearts raised , and spirits inflamed for god , and so strengthened , that your resolutions have been up , to do or suffer any thing for the lord ; as in mal. . . those that feared the lord , spake often to one another , quickned the hearts of one another ; and so in acts . . and when silus , and timotheus , was come from macedonia , paul was pressed in spirit , and testified to the iews , that iesus was christ : certainly in their converse together , s. paul found his spirit wrought upon , and refreshed , so that the text says , when timotheus was come , paul was pressed in spirit . fifthly , it is good being with gods servants , though it be in suffering affliction , because god takes so much delight in them ; if god takes delight in being with them , certainly there is great cause we should take delight in them : there are admirable expressions of gods taking delight in them , zeph. . . the lord thy god in the midst of thee is mighty ; he will save thee , he will rejoyce over thee with joy , he will rest in his love , he will joy over thee with singing : one word is heaped upon another , to set out the abundance of delight that god takes in his people : hence the church hath that name given her , hephzibah , because god delighteth in her , isaiah . . and in deut. . . it is said , he loved his people , there is a general love : all his saints are in his hand , and they sate down at his feet , that is more particular : and in cant. . . thou hast ravished my heart , my sister , my spouse , &c. one would think by the reading of the words , they were rather the speech of the spouse to christ ; but it is the speech of christ to his spouse : and so again in cantic . . . open to me , my sister , my love , my dove , my undefiled : these are the expressions of the delight that god hath in his people ; the lord loves the gates of zion , more then all the ling places of jacob , that is , god delights in the publike communion of his people , more then in all their private dwellings : if we be of gods minde , and have gods spirit , our hearts must be where god is , gods bowels yern towards them , i am afflicted with thee in all thy afflictions , and how shall i give thee up ? there is a notable expression in hosea . . where god sets out much of his delight in his church , i found israel like grapes in the wilderness ; as a traveller , wearied , parched in the wilderness , if he findes bunches of grapes , o how sweet and refreshing are they to him ! so , says god , was israel to me : and further , i saw your fathers , as the first ripe in the fig-tree at her first time : fruit when it comes at the first , and is dainty , how is it prized ? some will give an incredible price for some kinde of timely fruit , when it is rare at the first ; thus god sets out his delight , never longer did delight more in some timely rare fruit , then god does in his saints . god takes delight ( you see ) in his people , above all others , and therefore it is good to be with them . sixthly , consider the glorious titles that in scripture are put upon the saints in a way of church communion : as , . they are gods portion , deut. . . the lords portion is his people . . his pleasant portion , jer. . . they have made my pleasant portion a desolate wilderness . . his inheritance , isaiah . . other people are the work of gods hands , but israel is his inheritance . . the dearly beloved of his soul , jer. . . he gave the dearly beloved of his soul into the hands of their enemies . . his treasure , his peculiar treasure , exod. . . ye shall be a peculiar treasure to me above all people , for all the earth is mine : that is called peculium , which the son and heir of the house hath of his own , besides the right of his fathers inheritance , which he may dispose of as he thinks good : so though the earth be the lord christs by inheritance , by right of creation , yet he hath a special interest in his church , above all other . god hath treasure in the works of nature , and it is called his good treasure , deut. . . the lord shall open to thee his good treasure ; but this is his peculiar treasure . . his glory , isaiah . . i will place salvation in zion , for israel my glory . . the house of gods glory , isa . . . . a crown of glory , isa . . . . the throne of god , exod. . . the words may be read thus , because the hand upon the throne of the lord , and so by many they are translated , and then the sense is , because amaleks hand was upon the church , the throne , therefore god threatens war against them : vea , . the throne of glory , jer. . . . the ornament of god , ezek. . . . the beauty of his ornament , ezek. . . . the beauty of his ornament set in majesty , ezek. . . . a royal diadem , isaiah . . many other such expressions you may meet with in scripture , but put these together , and you see it is desireable to be with the saints in their communion . seventhly , there is a special presence of god amongst them ; and to be there , where god is in his especial presence , it is worth the enduring of a great deal of affliction : god is there in a special maner , as in the last words of the prophesie of ezekiel , the church is called by that name , iehova shammah , the lord is there . and the lord filled his tabernacle with his presence : the tabernacle was a type of the church , and did typifie his especial presence with his people in church-communion . and as god is there present , so observe the expressions of his especial presence ; he is said to dwell there , psal . . . in salem is his tabernacle , and his dwelling place in zion : now it is good keeping house with god. you are his house , saith the apostle ; the church of god is his house , and it is good to be in gods house . but though it be his dwelling , is it a dwelling that is lovely to him ? yes , for it is that his soul desires to be in ; as if so be god counted it a kinde of honor ( as we may speak with holy reverence ) to have such a habitation ; psal . . . here will i dwell , for i have desired it : as if he should say , if i might have but a dwelling among my people , i desire no better habitation in the world . now you that are fain to be put into mean holes for your dwellings , if you may be with gods people , do not think it much , for god dwells there , and desires no better habitation : it is strange that god that hath heaven to be his habitation , should desire to dwell with his people , yet says he , i desire to dwell there , and i will dwell there . if a man make a house to do some mean business in , he does not take much delight there , but in that house where the kings majesty is manifested , that is the greatest place in the kingdom : now in psal . . . it is , lord , i have loved the habitation of thy house , where thy honor dwelleth : as if this were the chief house that god had , that god delighteth in this above all other dwellings ; his honor dwells here . but will god stay here ? yea , it is the place that he will dwell in for ever , psal . . , . surely our hearts may rest where god rests , and we should not be weary where god is not weary . and he does not onely dwell here , but he hath his delightful walks here : the walks of god are amongst his people , cor. . . if a man have a house that he rejoyces in , he will have his garden as near his house as he can , that he may have some walks to delight in : and so the church of god is such a house , as hath not onely room for god to rest in , and set his honor in , but he walks there , and walks in them , saith the apostle . thus the lord is pleased to condescend to our weakness , to express his especial presence with his church , and therefore it is good to be with them ; these are the expressions of it . but wherein does the presence of god with his people appear more then with other people ? in these two things especially . first , because there god makes himself known , reveals himself there , and makes his beauty to appear . psal . . . one thing have i desired of the lord , that i will seek after , that i may dwell in the house of the lord all the days of my life , to behold the beauty of the lord , and to enquire in his temple : it is the glory of heaven to see god in his beauty , and this is one of the greatest promises of god to his church , . that they shall see the king in his majesty : we may see some glimmering light of god in the heavens ; sun , moon , and stars ; but in the church , there god shews his beauty , there we may see the face of god ; and this is that which moses did desire ; lord-shew me thy glory : it is much granted to us in the church , in enjoying his ordinances ; and there is no way to see gods face so clearly , as this way : every childe of god that is in the temple , shall speak of gods glory , for they see god in his glory in a special maner . secondly , the especial presence of god with his people , is especially manifested , in that he communicates to his people ; as namely , first , the choice mercies of god are communicated to his people : if you would have any share in gods choice mercies , his peculiar mercies , come amongst gods people , joyn with them : as that place is observable in psal . . . the lord that made heaven and earth , bless thee out of sion : he does not say , the lord that made heaven and earth , bless thee out of heaven and earth ; but the lord that made heaven and earth , bless thee out of sion : as if he should say , the blessings that come out of sion , are the choice blessings , and the peculiar mercies of god , even above any that come out of heaven and earth . secondly , god communicates his mercies more fully then any where else : isa . . . and in this mountain , that is , in the church , i will make a feast of fat things , a feast of wines on the lees , of fat things full of marrow , &c. and psal . . . they shall be abundantly satisfied with the fatness of thy house , and thou shalt make them drink of the river of thy pleasures : in a private way there may be some drops of pleasure from god , but there is not that full communication from god , as with his people in his ordinances : there is in the world , in the creature drops , in private communion there are ponds , but in a pulique church-communion , there are rivers of pleasure , and that is the height of all . thirdly , god communicates his mercies more powerfully in the church then any where else : psal . . . for there the lord commanded the blessing , even life for evermore . god did not onely speak , and said there should be a blessing , but spake in a commanding way ; there : where is that ? there in the church , amongst his people , there god commanded the blessing , even life for evermore . lastly , god blesseth more universally with all kinde of blessing , and therefore he is more present there : and in that respect the psalmist says , psalm . . all my springs are in thee . this whole psalm is to set out the excellent condition of the church , and he concludes the psalm with this , all my springs are in thee : now this expression is very emphatical ; spring is taken two or three ways in scripture : the law of god , the doctrine of gods law is compared to a spring , and heavenly knowledge is compared to a spring ; and then it is thus , all my springs : all the truths i have , all the knowledge i come to be made partaker of , are all in the church . again , all my springs ; all the comforts of my heart , and that good and joy my spirit receives , and all the graces of the spirit that i have , and all the quickning and strengthning i have , is communicated to me this way . and upon this ground , the church is called the very perfection of all beauty , psal . . . out of zion the perfection of all beauty , god hath shined : out of zion , there is his glory wonderfully apparent ; the word that is translated , the perfection of beauty , is translated by some , the universality of beauty ; all kinde of beauty , all kinde of excellency : as if the psalmist should say , put all excellencies together that possibly you can imagine , to make a thing comely and lovely , they are all in the church . thus you see it is good being with gods people , when as god is thus present with them , in a special maner . eighthly , it is good being with gods people , because there is gods special protection ; others are but as the wilderness , the church is as a garden enclosed , cant. . . a man regards his garden that he hath enclosed , and bestowed cost about , more then a wilde field ; the fields have hedges to keep out the beasts , but gardens have brick wals , or wood walls . isa . . . i the lord do keep it , i will water it every moment , lest any hurt it ; i will keep it night and day : how full is this ? his care over it is such , as he threatens those which shall but touch it , jer. . . to pluck them out of their land . zach. . . god promiseth he will be a wall of fire round about his people ; alluding to the custom of travellers in the wilderness , who used to make fires round about them in the night for their safety , because then none of the wilde beasts durst come near them ; such a defence is god to his people . there is nothing in the book of god , wherein god is so full in his expression , as when he comes to this argument , to manifest his affection to his church . christ is the shepherd , and when sheep are together , they are under the protection of the shepherd , when the sheep are scattered , the shepherds eye is not so over them ; and therefore in hosea . . god threatens his people , he would feed them as a lamb in a large place ; as a lamb getting from the fold , goes up and down bleating ; so when gods people are scattered , they are as a lamb in a large place : and when god would threaten the sorest judgement against his people , ezekiel . he says , he will scatter them , and they shall become to be meat to the beasts of the field . and hence it is , that the condition of the church is so stable a condition : and therefore in isaiah . . the church is called an eternal excellency , because it is under the lords protection , and is it not good being there , to be under the wing of god ? ninthly , to be amongst gods people is a blessed thing , because they have so many priviledges from god : every one desires to joyn with such societies as have great priviledges ; now gods people have such as are very great , psal . . . glorious things are spoken of thee , o city of god! what glorious things ? they have glorious priviledges ; what are they ? to them are committed the oracles of god , as the apostle reasons for the church of the jews ; so to every church of god , is committed the oracles and the ordinances of god , and those offices for the dispensation of the mysteries of god ; which were the great gift , that christ triumphingly ascending to heaven gave , and surely that gift must needs be great . the benefit but of one ordinance , the ministery of the word , dispensed rightly , is made an argument by god himself , for the comfort of his people , in all their adversities , isaiah . , . and though the lord give you the bread of adversity , and the water of affliction , yet shall not thy teachers be removed any more into a corner , but thine eyes shall see thy teachers . the word in the ministery of it , in the the right way , is a great blessing : when chrysostom was banished , many godly people were so grieved , that they professed it were more sufferable for the sun to withdraw his beams , and so be darkned , then for the mouth of chrysostom to be stopped . if this one ordinance be so blessed , what a blessing then is the enjoyment of all , and that in a right way ? every church-fellowship is as the pillar , to hold forth the truth to the world , as a light set upon a hill , to hold forth the glory of god. and they have amongst them the broad seal of heaven ; to gods people that are together in a church-fellowship , the seals are committed ; now this is a mighty priviledge . and besides , they have the power of christ with them , cor. . . the power of christ is committed to them . and amongst other priviledges , this is one of great worth , that all the promises of god made to his church in former ages , is the heritage of every present church , isaiah . . these are great and high priviledges , and worth the enduring of a great deal of hardship , to be made partakers of the good of them . tenthly , it is a blessed thing to be with them , though with some hardship , because god is working more and more good for his people every day : now he is about fulfilling the glorious promises that we have in the prophets , to make an end of all the glory that he does intend in the world : now if god be working great things for his people , as we hope he is , to set up jerusalem , as the praise of the whole earth ; is it not good to be with them , that we may be partakers of the glory that god intends to them ? isa . . . there is a promise that the church shall ride upon the high places of the earth : there is a time a coming , that the society of gods people in this world , shall be set above all societies in the world ; and isa . . that the mountain of the lord shall be raised above all mountains : we cannot see how this hath been fulfilled . isaiah . . the sun shall be no more thy light by day , neither for brightness shall the moon give light unto thee , but the lord shall be unto thee an everlasting light , and thy god thy glory . this prophesie is spoken of the estate of the church of god ; when was this fulfilled , that there should be so much glory in the church , that there need not be any sun , or moon , but god should be in stead of sun and moon , and all the glory of his people ? and to be with gods people , when god does such great things for them , is worth the enduring much hardship in the former part of isaiah . v. . god says , he will glorifie the house of his glory ; and mark what follows , ver . . who are those that fly as a cloud , and as the doves to their windows ? seeing god will glorifie the house of his glory , his people should fly to it as a cloud ; those who are of heavenly , not of drossie sensual spirits , will do so , and as doves to their windows ; those who are of dove-like spirits , loving society , and purity , they will do so . and it was the reason why some desired to live , because in a few years , they hoped to see some great things for his people . and so the psalm is a prophetical psalm , into what a happy condition the lord will bring his people ; and in the latter part of the psalm , the psalmist brings in a gracious heart living in those times , bemoaning the condition of it , that it hath a sickly body , and weak , and like to dye , before god would make good those promises made to the church : as if he should say , lord , thou art bringing glorious things to pass for thy church , and thou art gathering the kingdoms to serve thee , lord , then take not me away in the midst of my days ; o god let me live to see all fulfilled . eleventhly , it is good to be with gods people , because they are those people we shal live withal in heaven : if there were a company travelling together in a strange countrey , and knew when they came to their own countrey they should live together , in some great preferment in the court , how would they delight in one another ? so the godly should look upon one another ; here we have communion one with another , and these are they we must joyn in communion withal hereafter , to praise god eternally in the highest heavens . lastly , it is heaven already to joyn with the people of god in communion : the scripture calls the church of god , and church communion , heaven . and therefore where there is a promise of god to restore his church , and recover it from thraldom and misery , isaiah . . behold , says god , i create new heavens , and new earth ; and so in rev. . where the vision of the restoring of the church was shewn to john , it was shewn that way ; there was a new heaven , and a new earth : so that the church of god is heaven , it is not onely a company we shall live withal in heaven hereafter , but it is heaven now ; and therefore our savior says , the least in the kingdom of heaven , shall be greater then john ; the least that lived after john in the christian church , could speak more of christ then john could : the kingdom of heaven is like a man sowing his field with wheat , that is , the estate of the church is a field sown with wheat , and after the adversary sows tares in it . the church , says chrysostom in one of his sermons upon the corinthians , is the place of angels , the palace of heaven , yea heaven it self . and if it be so , that communion with gods people is heaven already , surely it is worth enduring of much affliction to be with them . chap. xx. perswasions to draw to the joyning with the people of god in the nearest communion . hence then let me speak ; first , unto those who yet are not partakers of that good that is to be had with gods people , i mean in nearest communion : though we all have the name of god upon us , and have some kinde of communion with the people of god ; yet , seeing there is much good to be had in communion with them further , it should be the desire of every one , to enjoy the nearest communion with them that can be ; this is a mercy that you should labor to seek after : for a good there is here , which none know the sweetness and benefit of , but onely those that do enjoy it , seek to have it , for great things are spoken concerning it . if there be any realities in the truths that have been opened to you , it cannot but make the communion and joyning with gods people very lovely ; but certainly that which i have said , comes abundantly short of what is in it : for the most things that are used , for the shewing the excellency of this communion , were from some expressions of god to his people under the law , and we come short in the understanding of them ; but if we could understand them fully , they come short of the abundance of priviledges that gods people have under the gospel , and the reason is , not onely because ceremonies were typical , but gods dealing with his church , their way in church order , and government , was but a typical thing , to typifie the estate of gods people under the gospel . now we know there is a great deal more in the antitype , then in the type , the type is but a shadow of that which is typified ; now if the excellency of the estate of the church under the law , was but a type of the estate of the church under the gospel , then all that is said of the excellency of that condition , is but as a shadow of that which is now , heb. . . the law was a shadow of good things to come , and not the very image ; the estate of the church now under the gospel , is the image of that glory that is to be revealed , but the law was but a shadow of that image : as a limner , first draws a dark shadow of a picture in coal , and after makes the image ; look what differenne there is in the excellency of that rude draught by a coal , and the beauty of the image ; such there is between all the excellency of the estate of the church under the law , and that there is under the gospel : and therefore , that which is to be expected now , is a great deal more , and should enflame the desires of all , to seek after such a priviledge . consider , that this good which is to be had in communion with gods people , is a special fruit of the loving kindeness of god ; and would you not all be made partakers of the loving kindeness of the lord ? thriving in your trades , and outward blessings , are a fruit of the common kindeness of the lord , but communion with gods people , is a fruit of his specialloving kindeness : psal . . , . how excellent is thy loving kindeness , o god! therefore the children of men put their trust under the shadow of thy wings . they shall be abundantly satisfied with the fatness of thy house , and thou shalt make them drink of the river of thy pleasures . the satisfaction of the soul with the fatness of gods house , is the fruit of gods loving kindeness , yea , the fruit of gods excellent loving kindeness , and his admirable excellent loving kindeness : it is worth the seeking after , to be satisfied with the fatness of gods house : and thou shalt make them drink of the river of thy pleasures : while you seek after the comforts of the creature , you seek to drink in puddles , but here are rivers of pleasures . it is the inheritance of gods elect ones ; isaiah . . i will bring forth a seed out of jacob , and out of iudah an inheritor of my mountains , mine elect shall inherit it . i do not say , whosoever does enjoy communion with gods people , is elected ; but whosoever does enjoy it , enjoys that which is the inheritance of gods elect , such a fruit of gods loving kindeness , as comes to the elect by inheritance , though some others do get into it , yet none should but onely the elect ones ; and therefore if you have any hope to be the elect of god , desire after this as part of your inheritance ; a man would be loath to lose part of his inheritance . it is an inheritance promised to those who trust in god , and opposed to all the vanity of the world ; isa . . . vanity shall take them , but he that putteth his trust in me , shall inherit my holy mountain . thirdly , it hath been the onely desire of gracious hearts heretofore ; and if god hath wrought any grace in you , sure your grace is suitable to the grace of others , as david , in psal . . . this one thing have i desired of the lord , that will i seek after , that i may dwell in the house of the lord all the days of my life , to behold the beauty of the lord : as if there were nothing were the object of davids desires , but this one thing . and in psal . . what abundance of expressions have we to set out his desires this way ? david was here in his banishment ; we do not finde him complaining , o my kingdom that i am like to lose ! my brave palaces , and my brave chambers , gardens and attendance that i am like to lose ; but the house of god. and in psal . . as the hart panteth after the water-brooks , so panteth my soul after thee , o god! it was not after the enjoyment of god that he might have in his own soul privately , that his heart so panted after , but the appearing before the lord in his house . fourthly , this is the especial work of wisdom : if god hath let out any beam of wisdom into your souls , to shew unto you any thing of the excellency of christ , this will be immediately desired ; as in that parable of the wise merchant , as soon as he had found the pearl , he went and sold all to buy the field : the meaning is , when a soul comes to have any knowledge of christ , that christ is the onely pearl , then it desires to seek to enjoy him , where he is to be enjoyed ; it is in the field , in the church of god , in communion with it ; and the wise merchant would part with any thing , that he might have the field , that is , have communion with gods people in his ordinances , and so come to enjoy the pearl . yea fifthly , the reason why god puts any light or truth into the soul , is to put forth the soul to this , to joyn with his people in this way of communion , psal . . . what was the reason why the prophet would have the light and the truth of god ? but to lead him to the holy hill , and to the tabernacle . sixthly , by joyning your self with the saints , and furthering this work of communion , you set up the honor of god much , god is much glorified by this , and will be more and more ; exod. . . i will build him a tabernacle , the septuagint renders it , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , i will glorifie him : and it is very observable , that as soon as moses was delivered from the egyptians , he thinks of , and resolves , and promises , the building of gods tabernacle , which was a type of the church . if god hath delivered you out of any trouble , out of any sickness , in testimony of thankfulness to god for his mercy , set upon this work , to further the building of gods tabernacle ; seeing god hath spared my life , this shall be one of the first things i will do , i will put in what i can , to the furthering of the building of gods tabernacle . seventhly , we finde in scripture , that there is a fearful threatning against all those that shall neglect this , zach. . . and it shall be , that whoso will not come up of all the families of the earth , unto jerusalem , to worship the king the lord of hosts , even upon them shall be no rain ; that is , no blessing of god. you will say , how does this appear to be meant of gods people now ? it appears the holy ghost did intend the estate of the church in the time of the gospel , and therefore it follows in the . ver . in that day shall there be upon the bells of the horses , holiness unto the lord , and the pots in the lords house shall be like the bowls before the altar . now these expressions are spiritually to be understood of the glorious condition of the church of god in the time of the gospel , and therefore god takes it ill at the hands of any that shall not come to joyn with his people . and further , we have a fearful threat , isaiah . , . against such as forsake , or forget gods holy mountain , i will number you to the sword , and ye shall bow down to the slaughter : you may think to provide for your selves , to live securely , and safely , at your ease , enjoying house , lands , friends , trades ; you are loath to hazard your selves so as others do , to bring your selves into so much trouble , but as ver . , . thus saith the lord , my servants shall eat , and ye shall be hungry , my servants shall drink , and ye shall be thirsty , my servants shall rejoyce , and ye shall be ashamed . eighthly , if any soul have any desire to come and joyn with gods people in his ordinances , there is a blessing given to that desire , psal . . . blessed is the man whose strength is in thee , in whose heart are the ways of them . if the ways of thy ordinances be but in thy heart , thou art blessed , and therefore be very desirous of this blessing , be not satisfied that god gives you outward blessings , and outward comforts in the world , unless you have this ; if you know what communion with god in his people means , you cannot but desire to be with them , there is so much of god with them . if you have any spiritual life , you cannot but desire this , because spiritual life will desire to joyn with that which is like to its self . if you know what the power of any ordinance means , you cannot but desire this ; there is a great mistake of people , they think if they can but live in a place where they may hear good sermons , that is enough : know therefore except you have communion with the saints this way , though you may hear many good sermons , yet there is a great deal of difference between your hearing of them , and their hearing who are in communion with the people of god , you only come to be made partakers of a mans gifts , you cannot depend upon the gift of such a one as being in office by god , set over you , to watch over your souls : there is a great deal of difference between the dispensing of a gift by way of gift , and by way of office : there may be the same thing done in the exercise of gifts , and yet not to be so powerful , as when it is done by vertue of an office : the ordinary officers are pastors , and teachers , for the building up of the church ; therefore if you be acquainted with the way of christ in his ordinances , for the building up of the body , and if you believe your selves to be members of his body , you cannot but desire those ordinances that he hath appointed for the building of his body . the church is set up as a light , or an ensign upon the top of an hill , to draw others that are near unto it , to come under it : and therefore as we have it in rev. . . the spirit , and the bride say , come ; and let him that heareth , say , come ; and let him that is a thirst , come ; and whosoever will , let him take of the water of life freely . the spirit of god covincing your consciences , says , come ; and the bride , the church says , come ; and let all that hear , say , come ; all that hear what hath been said of communion with gods people , say ye to all your friends , come , and let us go up to the mountain of the lord. we have a prophesie , isa . . . that the people of god should encourage one another , and shall say , let us go up into the house of god , for he will teach us his ways , and we will walk in his pathes : o that that prophesie might be fulfilled now , that you might have such a desire to the ways of god , as to encourage others to come and walk in them , that your hearts may be refreshed with the consolations of god in the way of his ordinances . and isaiah . . it is prophesied of the church , that she should be called , sought out : o that it might be so , that we could see the hearts of men so set after it , that we might give it that name ( sought out . ) the blessing that the elders of the city desired upon ruth , cap. . . when she was married to boaz , was , the lord make the woman that is come into thine house , like rachel , and like leah , which two did build the house of israel : why like rachel and leah , and not like rebekah ? did not she build the house of israel likewise ? yes , but all her posterity was not of the church of god , there came an esau from her , as well a as jacob ; but all the children of rachel and leah were of the church of god , they were patriarchs , and this was a special blessing upon them ; it is therefore to be accounted a special blessing to be in the church , and to have all our posterity to be in it . when you have heard these glorious things of the priviledges of gods people , if you should neglect the seeking after , the being made partakers of such things , how will you free your selves from the guilt of prophaneness , that you should prize outward accommodations , more then these spiritual things ? esau was branded for a prophane wretch , because he set no higher price upon his birthright , but set a mess of pottage before it : this is greater then the birth-right they had under the law , and to prize any carnal thing before these heavenly priviledges , is to be a prophane esau . i meet with one who interprets that place , chron. . . these were potters , and those that dwelt amongst plants and hedges , there they dwelt with the king for his work ; to be meant of some baser sort of the jews , who when liberty was proclaimed for their return to jerusalem , where they might enjoy god in his true worship , yet because they got their living by making pots for the king of babylon , they thought themselves well as they were , and they rather choose to stay under the hedges of babylon , then to go to jerusalem ; the holy ghost brands them for base persons . god loves the gates of sion more then all the dwellings of jacob ; take heed you be not found guilty of loving your contentment and gainful dwellings , more then the gates of sion . chap. xxi . objections against joyning with gods people , answered . but you will say , we could be content and should desire to joyn with them , but they are so strict in admitting any into their society , that that hinders . if any that were in communion should prove naught , you would quickly take advantage , and say , you spake so much of communion with gods people , see here is one of them , whose life is thus base and vile : when we know the world would take such advantage if any prove naught , yea , and you your selves will be offended , and cry out of all , for the sin of one ; can you blame us if we be careful in taking any into communion with us ? but there is much difficulty in the way . psal . . . the way to zion , it was through the valley of baca : they might have said , we could have been content to go to zion , and to worship god there , but we must go through that valley , of tears ; but they were content to go through that valley , so that they might appear before god in zion : surely when god moves the hearts of men to joyn with his people , a little difficulty cannot hinder them : isaiah . . they shall bring your brethren as an offering to the lord , upon horses , in chariots , and litters . a litter is used especially for weak sickly people , that are not able to travel otherwise ; although they be weakly , and sickly , unfit to travel , yet they whose hearts god moves , will rather come in litters , then not at all . what difficulty will superstition put a man upon ? it is a note of mr. calvins upon that place , seek ye my face ; that superstitious people will go on pilgrimage to the image of such a lady , or such a saint , and they will go over mountains , and through strange countries , and though they be used hardly , and lose much of their estate , they satisfie themselves in this , i have that i came for : what have they ? the sight of a dumb idol ; if they will endure such hardship for the sight of a dumb idol , how much hardship should we endure to see god in his ordinances ? but it may be said thirdly , whither shall we go to any people , but we shall finde sin there as well as in another place ? for that there is likewise an answer in the same sermon of mr. calvins ; it is true , sin and wickedness will be wheresoever we go , but the case is thus : suppose there should be a general disease , and there should be one place where there were physitians , and means of cure ; shall any say , why should i go thither , there is the disease ? go thither though , for there is the cure ; so though there be sin every where , yet in the church , and in communion with gods people , there is the cure . but may not a man go to heaven without it ? it is true , it is possible for a man to go to heaven without it , yet if god does convince a man of an ordinance , and he neglect it for outward accommodations , it is dangerous : a man may be saved without baptism , but where there is the wilful neglect of it , it is dangerous . how did all that never heard of this way ? it is one thing where there is not that light , and another thing where god hath revealed it . you desire heaven at last , and do you not desire communion with gods people ? when you fail in any thing , you plead infirmity , but when you do neglect any opportunity of gaining strength , how can you plead infirmity ? but how shall we joyn with any ? there is no place but there is brabling , falling out , heart-burning , so as there is no sweet communion . this is a great stumbling , and i would we could deny it : but if you will take offence at this , you must be offended ; it cannot be expected to the end of the world , but there will be dissention amongst the people of god : where there hath not been care in laying a good foundation at the beginning , and where there is much liberty , and some are carnal , what else can be expected ? a company of sheep , when they are worried by the dog , though they were scattered before , they will now run close together ; but in a fair sun-shine day , when there is no dog to scare them , they will one feed here , and another there , distant from one another : and so it is with gods people , though it be a foul shame , and a great sin . again , there is no more dissention then in other places , for though in other places there seem to be more union , what is the reason ? first , because they are in the dark , and all colours will agree in the dark ; but amongst gods people there is light , and so things that differ are soon discerned . secondly , because they are chained together ; as the papists will say , there is no such union between others , as between us ; what is the ground ? they are held together by an antichristian chain : popery does subject the consciences of men to them : they must believe the infalibility of the pope , and they have no liberty to search things by the word ; and they will not suffer them to be reasoning about the points of religion ; they are in darkness , and when they be chained up in darkness , no wonder though they be close together . this is just as if there should be a couple of men chained to a block , and as they are chained together , they see other men go at a distance from one another ; and they that are chained should cry out , see what a distance is between you , we keep close together all the day long ; were this a plea for them ? what is that that keeps them together ? it is but their chain , and if their chain were off , they would be at as great a distance as others ; and therefore though there be great evil in the dissentions of gods people , yet it is not for such as these are to complain of the evil . thirdly , false religions have more peace , because they will admit of mixture ; but our god is a jealous god , he will admit us of no mixture , so of no partner . but that this might not be an offence , so as to keep us from joyning in communion with the people of god , let us know if this might have been offence enough to keep men from joyning with them , it would have kept men in all times from joyning with the churches since christs time : you know what difference was between paul and barnabas , two apostles . and so the apostles do complain of the dissentions , and divisions in the church of corinth , in the primitive times , and if that had been enough to keep out men from joyning with them , then there had been no joyning with the church of corinth , and other churches . basil complains , i have lived now to the age of a man , and i see more union in arts and sciences , then in divinity ; for in the church , i see such dissentions , as do dissipate it , and rend it asunder . and so between chrysostom and epiphanius , the one wished the other might never dye a bishop , and the other wished that he might never go home alive . and between jerome and ruffinus ; and luther and oecolampadius . there is a most sad story we have of those that fled to frankford from england in queen maries time , and when they came there , though they fled for religion , and for their lives , yet there were such grievous breaches , as they sought the lives of one another , picking out some words against the emperor , in a sermon that master knox had preached in england long before , and now accusing him for them to the magistrates of frankford , upon which divers of them were fain to flee . this is through the malice of the devil , in sowing tares , and therefore if you will be offended in this way of scandal , you must be offended yet we must all take heed of giving offence , for though offences will come , yet wo to them by whom they come : howsoever there fall out offences , through the sinful distempers of mens hearts , let not the ordinance of god be challenged as the cause of these offences . joyning in church-fellowship is a special ordinance of god , to maintain love and peace amongst his people , yet by the abuse of it many times , divisions and dissentions are stronger , and more bitter in the church , then elsewhere ; let not gods ordinance be accused as the cause of it , nor declined for this , but let the wickedness of mens hearts be accused , let us seek to have it purged . christ came into the world to dissolve the works of the devil , and yet the devil never more raged , then in christs time , and a while after ; we never read of men so possessed of the devil before christ came , as they were then ; shall we therefore accuse christ for bringing the devil into the world , for being the cause of mens being possessed of the devil ? those who thus reason against the ordinance of christ , because of this evil that falls out by accident upon it , may as well , yea , and certainly would as readily reason against christ , if they lived in his time , because of such possession of devils , which never was so before he came , as it was then ; but as the true reason why the devil thus prevailed upon christs coming , was the just judgement of god against men for contemning and rejecting christ , who came amongst them : so it is here the judgement of god for the evil of mens hearts in abusing such a blessed ordinance of love and peace . so likewise , the sacrament of the lords supper , is a sacrament appointed by god to maintain love and peace in the church , it is an ordinance for communion , it hath the denomination from thence , it is called communion ; yet what hath occasioned such dissentions in the christian world , as the controversies about the sacrament ? shall therefore this ordinance be accused as the cause of dissention ? o let us for ever learn this truth , that whatsoever evil falls out , gods ordinances be not blamed , but mans corruption , let that be condemned , and purged . origen writing to celsus , says , if you will take offence at the dissentions in christian religion , then you may take offence at dissentions in other things . valens the emperor objected the same against christians , nicephorus . . brings in one themistius , answering , that those of the graecian superstition had as great dissentions amongst them . there is dissention amongst merchants , and other trades , you do not say therefore , i will not binde my childe to that trade , they dissent amongst themselves : if there be profit and accommodations in the trade , men will not be hindred by this plea , but joyn with them notwithstanding ; and so come you and joyn with the saints , though there be some dissentions , though there may be some rigid , distemper'd , hot spirited men , that may cause some trouble , yet there is not so much union and love in all the world as with them ; set but aside some , and there are a company , if you be gracious , your soul may take pleasure in , and bless god for ; and therefore away with all such stumbling blocks , and reasonings against the ordinances of god , come you thirsting after the ordinances of god , and my soul for yours , if you do not finde that sweetness in communion with them , as never was found before . there are many objections against this way , and many are a long time ensnared in them , but isa . . . where god promises the inheritance of his holy mountain , ver . . he promises to make the way plain to it . and exod. . . god guides his people in his strength to his holy habitation ; it must be the strength of god that must carry through all objections , all difficulties , over all stumbling blocks , to gods habitation : thus much to those that yet are not joyned in that nearness of communion with gods people which they may be . chap. xxii . instructions to those who are joyned in communion with gods people . secondly , if it be such a blessed thing to enjoy communion with gods people , then there are many things that are to be said to those that are joyned in communion . first , labor to approve to god and your own souls , that you are indeed gods people particularly ; you are his people in a way of outward profession , and to men you do approve your selves , so far as we hope you are gods people , but you must approve your selves to god , and to your consciences : if you be conscious to your selves of any secret filth , and yet dare come and deceive the people of god in joyning with them , you bring your selves in more danger then you are aware . we read deut. . ver . . that if a damsel having defiled her self before marriage , and so deceiving a man , he marries with her , when this is discovered , she is to be stoned to death : uncleanness in such as were single , was not by the law to be punished with death , but she must dye , although her uncleanness was while she was single , because she deceived the man , in marrying to him in her defilement : so know your filth in not joyning to gods people is not so evil , and dangerous , as if you being conscious to your self , dare yet joyn with them ; if you deceive the church herein , god may justly avenge himself of you , it may cost you your life : revel . . . i know the blasphemy of them that say they are jews , and are not . it is by god accounted blasphemy for any to say they are jews , and are not , to make profession of godliness , and not to be godly , is blasphemy ; surely then , it is not sufficient to be with israel , but we must be of israel , not to be a jew outwardly , but a jew inwardly , so as god may own you in the last day , when there shall be a narrow search , who are the true people of god , that then you may be found to be such indeed : it will be a dreadful thing for any of you , that now seem to be of gods people , and that have lived amongst the sheep , if you should be found amongst the goats , standing at the left hand , when you shall see others of gods people stand at the right hand , looking upon you , and say , yonder is one who lived with us , and we could never discover him to be an hypocrite , though sometimes we had jealousies of him , there he stands , now he is discovered ; therefore approve your selves to be of the true israel of god. quest . but who is a true israelite ? answ . such a one as can approve to his own heart , an inward effectual call of god , calling him out of the world , as well as an outward call , by the ordinances , such a one as hath testimony to his own spirit , that he is separated , set apart for god , that he hath an inward sanctification of the holy ghost , such a one as in whose spirit there is no guile ; this is a true israelite indeed . secondly , if it be such a great blessing to be joyned in union , and communion with the people of god , hence labor to bless god for this great blessing , that is such an amiable , desireable condition ; it is your heaven upon earth , that mercy that should sweeten all other mercies , yea , that should sweeten your afflictions to you . gods holy mountain , isaiah . . is promised as an inheritance opposed to vanity , and promised as the blessing upon trusting in the lord , vanity shall take them , but he that putteth his trust in me , shall inherit my holy mountain . let us not enjoy the world in all their vanity , but bless we our selves in our god , let us rejoyce in our inheritance , the mountain of the lord. though we beg our bread , says luther , is it not made up with this , that we are fed with the bread of angels , with eternal life , christ , and the sacraments , & c ? we have cause to bless god that we might be with gods people , though in caves , and woods , and banished from all ; we have much more cause to bless god when we can be with them thus publiquely , and peaceably , and can go from gods house , to our own houses , and have communion there ; this is the rest that the land of canaan did typifie , for which the name of god is to be mganified ; god might so have left us , that we should have had communion onely with the prophane ones , and drunkards ; yea , we might have been cast out from god , to have had communion onely with reprobates , and that now we may have communion with the godly , it is a wonderful mercy . rev. . we read of christ standing upon the mount zion , and having so many people standing up , to joyn with him in church-fellowship ; for that is the meaning of that place , there they were rejoycing at the mercy of the lord , that they were upon the mount with the lamb ; though there might be time , when our harps hanged upon the willows , yet if we be called to the lamb upon mount zion , let us have our harps in our hands . is there nothing in the delight that god hath in his people , and the presence of god with his people , and the great priviledges they have , to raise our hearts to praise the lord , and let it not be verbally , but really . as namely thus ; is it that we are gods delight , let him be our delight ; if we be his treasure , let him be our treasure ; if we be his portion , let him be our portion , if he communicates choice mercies to us , let us give choice endeavors to him ; if he gives us protection , let us protect his truths and name ; if he honor us , let us give him his honor . and so i slip into a third particular , which is a third branch of this exhortation . . if there be so much excellency in communion with the people of god , you that are such , take heed you do not darken that excellency that god hath put in communion with his people ; there are three ways especially that darkens this excellency . first , if we rest in any church-priviledge we have , and make that to be our religion , and the strength of our spirits be let out about these things we enjoy , more then others , so as we begin to decline in the savour and power of godliness ; if others that knew us before , when we had not those priviledges and mercies , that we have now , shall say , what good is to be had there ? i knew such , and me thinks they had more savour and relish in the ways of god then now , more sweetness and warmth to be had in their company then now there is ; take heed of this , of giving occasion to any to say so . it is a very evil and a dangerous thing to rest in church-priviledges , to make all our religion to consist in being in a church-way , we may have this revealed to us , and yet little of heaven revealed . there were two vails of the tabernacle , one covered the holy of holies , the other the place where the priests entred ; it may be we have had the first opened to us , but yet the second which leads to the holy of holies , may still be vailed . many whose hearts are very carnal , may be much for church-ordinances . we have in the . of ezekiel , ver . , . seven several expressions of carnal hearts , prising church-priviledges . first , they accounted them their strength . secondly , the excellency of their strength . thirdly , the desire of their eyes . fourthly , that which their souls pitied . fifthly , their glory . sixthly , the joy of their glory . seventhly , that whereupon they set their mindes . what a noise did they make about the temple of the lord ? the temple of the lord , the temple of the lord , ier. . . and yet they were carnal : take heed therefore you rest not in the church-priviledges , by this you will deceive your selves , and darken the excellency of this blessed communion . secondly , take heed of darkning this by any scandalous way , as those do who profess themselves to be the people of god , and yet by their wretched ways of sensualities , or any other ways , are a scandal unto gods people , this is an evil , and a bitter thing . christ walks amongst the golden candlesticks : every church should be a golden candlestick , holding forth light in the doctrine of it , and golden in the holy conversation of it . we must take heed that there be not so much as a dusting of this golden candlestick of the lord , by the least looseness , or earthliness of our lives . by scandals in the wicked lives of those that are of gods people , there is a stain and blot cast upon church communion ; here the name of god is polluted ; others that are prophane , pollute the creatures , and their own consciences , but gods name is not so much polluted by them ; but gods people do not onely pollute their consciences , by their scandalous lives , but pollute gods name , and it is worse to pollute gods name , then to pollute your consciences : and therefore know , that joyning to the saints is an aggravation to every sin you commit afterward ; and though it be true , that union with the people of god is a mitigation of every cross and affliction , yet it is an aggravation to every sin . yea , if men were born for no other end and purpose , but to do mischief , they could not do more then this , to joyn with the people of god , and then live scandalously . o brethren , let us pray to god , that we may never live to that day , to darken the great excellency of the fellowship of the saints : it were better that god should take a thousand of us out of the world , then that we should live to darken the profession of gods name , in union with his people ; this does more mischief , then all the persecuters under heaven can do . the church of god hath never been in a better condition , then when their persecuters have raged most ; the raging of persecuters have not darkned the excellency of the church , but the scandalous lives of members of a church have darkned the glory of the church : though by persecution others may be afraid to make profession of the truth , yet all the persecution in the world cannot take off mens consciences , and cause them in their consciences to think such are not in the truth , because they are persecuted ; but the scandalous lives of those that are professors , do make men think in their consciences that this way is not right , and therefore make them think they do god good service in hating such men , persecuting such men , and there is more evil in this , to be an occasion to make men think this way is not good , then to make men afraid to venture upon this way . and therefore consider what a great deal of mischief scandalous lives do , and if you finde your hearts inclining to any sensual way , that you are like to give scandal , take heed of it , for it is the greatest mischief that can be devised . those who joyn with the church of god , should walk so , as to be an ornament to it , not a stain , a blot , to cast filth upon it ; isa . . . behold these that gather themselves to thee , thou shalt surely clothe thee with them all , as with an ornament : consider how far many of you are from being an ornament to the church ; are not your lives rather blemishes ? this is a sore evil . better it is to endure any misery , then to do that which shall make gods people ashamed of us . the third thing that darkens the excellency of communion with gods people , is dissentions in judgement or affection , this makes it appear to be black in the eyes of the world . sozomen reports of a devilish policy of julian , to raise a scandal against the church : he sent for those bishops that were banished in constantius his time , on purpose that he might cause dissention in the church by them . take heed you have not a hand in darking this excellent condition , no not in this way . in the body , solutio continui , is more dangerous then the corruption of a humor : let us labor so far as possibly we can , to make it excellent by peaceableness ; this is that which is prophesied of for the church , isa . . . thine eyes shall see jerusalem a quiet habitation : and mark the blessing that follows upon this quietness ; a tabernacle that shall not be taken down ; not one of the stakes thereof shall ever be removed , neither shall any of the cords thereof be broken ; but there the glorious lord will be unto us a place of broad rivers , streams , &c. in zech. . ver . . there is a prophesie , that the lord shall be king over all the earth ; in that day there shall be one lord , and his name one : we now profess one god , but we do as it were call him by several names ; but that will be a blessed time , when as there shall be but one lord , so his name shall be one ; there shall be a blessed agreement in the profession of his name , oneness of heart is a blessing of the new covenant . i remember eusebius reports in the life of constantine , that he was so much troubled for dissentions in the house of god , as he could not sleep in the night , and they did more disquiet him , then all his wars ; yea he says , they caused him to sob and sigh : and so they should be disquietings to our spirits , and we should study to make up breaches . s. augustine , ep . . hath this expression , speaking of the divisions of some of the church , says he , i would fall down at their feet , and desire them with all the might i have they would not do thus and thus , that they would not cast reproaches upon one another . and observe the spirit of st. paul , phil. . , , . if there be any consolation in christ , if any comfort of love , if any fellowship of the spirit , if any bowels and mercies , fulfil ye my joy , that ye be like minded , having the same love , &c. doves cannot endure to be amongst ravens , but where they see meekness and love , there those of dove-like dispositions love to be ; isaiah . . who are they like doves , that flie to their windows ? brethren , if we would expect to grow up in the ways of godliness , it must be by love and union together , colossians . . being knit together in love , unto all riches of full assurance . when hearts are knit together in love , then a church thrives , and grows up to all riches of grace . as it is in the body of a man , when the members of the body are out of joynt , they can neither receive strength from the body , nor be useful to the body . and therefore the apostle would have us be careful , if any were out of joynt , to set him in joynt again , that is the propriety of the word . gal. . . if a man be overtaken in a fault , ye which are spiritual , restore such a one ; set such a one in joynt , that he may thrive , as members in joynt thrive . christ is called the corner stone ; now a corner stone is that which joyns both sides together ; now christ loves to be in the place of joyning , where there is a joyning in mutual fellowship : although there be variety in gifts , although the garment of the kings daughter , the church , be of divers colours , yet why may it not be like christs garment without seam ? for the lords sake let us take heed of divisions and quarrels , especially let us take heed that under the pretence of religion , we do not maintain quarrels , for this is to bring down the holy ghost , from appearing like a dove , to appear in the form of a vulture , or raven ; you know what s. paul says of speaking with several tongues , will not he that comes in say you are mad ? when wicked men hear of so many dissonant opinions , of so many dissentions among you , will they not think you mad ? and because you all pretend religion , will they not think that that kinde of religion which you pretend is a mad thing ? so far shall you be from making the way of christ honorable in their eyes , which yet should be the thing you should more desire , seek after , rejoyce in , then your lives . religion hath the name from binding , and certainly it is the best band of humane societies ; there is great reason then that we seek to keep it in the band of unity . and that is the third thing i would say to those that are in church-fellowship , not to darken the excellency that is in communion with the saints . the fourth exhortation is , that you would walk and live so , as by your walking you may draw others to be in love with this fellowship : as god hath made it to be glorious , so that you would set out the glory of it to others , that all that go by you should say , surely they are the blessed of the lord , certainly god is with them , and therefore we will likewise joyn with them ; o what a blessed thing were it , if we could by our lives convince others , that we are the plants of the lords own planting ! the lives of men convince more strongly then their words : the tongue perswades , but the life commands , is the speech of an ancient . we read in rev. . those that stood with the lamb upon mount zion , enjoying communion there , they had his fathers name written upon their foreheads , the glory of god shined in their foreheads ; a convincing conversation is that which god calls for at your hands . let the name of god be precious to you : is it not a precious thing to live so , as to bring honor to god ? to hold forth the honor of god , is all the glory we can bring to god ; let us be known to be those we profess our selves to be , separated from the world , by the holiness of our lives ; as tertullian says of the christians in his time , they were known to be christians from the amendment of their former lives . you are joyned near to christ , as a girdle about a mans loyns ; take heed you be not as that girdle , jer. . a rotten girdle , fit for nothing , so were the church of the jews at that time ; but you should be as that girdle of christ , rev. . a golden girdle about his paps ; by which the beauty and glorious condition of the church in the primitive times is described . let us walk so , as to manifest and hold forth the beauty and amiableness of godliness in the eyes of all , that they may see it whether they will or no , and to force esteem from the consciences of men . cant. . . it is said of the church , she is terrible as an army with banners ; a church of god that walks close to the rule , is terrible to guilty consciences . let us walk so , as when the balaams of the world look upon us , they may see our comely order , so as to be forced to say , o how goodly are thy tents , o jacob , and thy tabernacles , o israel ! as the valleys are they spread forth , as gardens by the rivers side , as the trees of lign-aloes which the lord hath planted , and as cedars beside the waters , numbers . . st. john epist . . chap. . . expresseth his desire for those whom he wrote to , that they might have fellowship with him , and the rest of the saints ; and he brings this as an argument , truly our fellowship is with the father , and with his son jesus christ ; this would be a mighty prevailing argument indeed , if we walked so before others , as to manifest that we in truth have fellowship with the father , and with his son jesus christ ; then our fellowship would be desireable indeed . chap. xxiii . how should gods people so walk , as to draw others in love with their communion . but how should gods people so walk , as to bring others in love with their communion ? first , in the general , take heed of those sins especially , that those which you converse with are guilty of , that they be not able to spy the same sins in you , which their consciences accuse themselves of : take heed of the pollutions of the world . cant. . . who is she that looketh forth as the morning , fair as the moon , clear as the sun , and terrible as an army with banners ? the church of god ought to be fair as the moon , but the moon hath spots , and therefore it follows , clear as the sun , and then , she is terrible as an army with banners : either she will draw the hearts of others to love her , or she will daunt their hearts . yea , let them not see any defilement answerwable to their defilement : for wicked men , though they cannot spy evils in the godly , yet surely they think they are guilty of the sins which they live in , as well as themselves : as nero , because he was unchast , thought all the world was unchast : and therefore the godly should labor to keep themselves from such sins as the world is guilty of , that they may not spy such in them . a godly man should not onely labor to be kept from outward defilement ; that may be done by the strength of a natural conscience , without any sanctifying grace : and it should be a shame to one that hath grace , if he should not do that ; if he cannot do that , how can he purge himself from secret , and spiritual evils that are in the heart ? secondly , if you would walk so as to draw others in love to communion with you , walk in singleness and uprightness of heart . acts . , . they did eat their bread with gladness , and singleness of heart , praising god : mark what follows ; having favor with all the people , and god added to the church : singleness of heart makes church-communion lovely . but what is that uprightness , and singleness of heart that we are to walk withal ? by that i mean this ; namely , to be sure that there be an answerableness in our conversation unto all those principles of godliness that we profess : for take the most strict principles of religion , and the men of the world cannot speak against them , and when it comes to , this is all they have to say , ah! if it were in truth , and in sincerity , it were something , but they are hypocrites : they acknowledge the principles are right , but they think the principles are so strict , that it is impossible to walk up to them : ah! say they , give me one that does walk up to his principles , and we will say something to you . and therefore , you that are godly , consider of the many principles of godliness that you profess : as namely , that the least sin is a greater evil , then all the evils in the world ; and labor that all your whole life may hold out this principle , fearing the least sin , and the least occasion of sin . it is our principle , that we must make the word the rule of all our actions : now let your conversations hold out this principle before others ; and that the peace of conscience is of infinite more value , then all the delights of the world : hold out this principle ; that the glory of god is the thing to be aimed at in all things . now the care of gods people , if they would so walk , as to draw others in love of communion with them , is not to talk of these things , but to hold them forth in their lives , that men that converse with them , may read them in their lives ; gods people should so walk , that if there were no talking of such principles , yet they may be found in their conversations . thirdly , if you would so walk , as to draw others in love of communion with you , then walk so , that those that are without may see a constant evenness , and proportion in your ways , that one action may be proportionable to another ; let them take us when they will , and where they will , we are always the same : though there be never so much forwardness in some of gods ways , if there be not forwardness in others , there can be no conviction , and there is no beauty : as in nature , so in grace ; the beauty of nature is proportion ; the beauty of nature is not in the greatness of one member , or in colour , but in the proportion : so the beauty of a christians conversation , lies in the proportion of a christians conversation ; that there may be suitableness between one thing and another , that the men of the world may not see us halt : many are hot in some one thing , and remiss in others : i condemn not forwardness in any way of god , but where a man is forward in one thing , and remiss in another , there is a disproportion in his ways , he goes long and short ; as where one leg is shorter then another , there must needs be halting ; this is a dishonor to religion , this takes away the beauty of religion , and such as these are , will never convince any of the excellency that is in communion with the saints . fourthly , if you would walk so , as to draw others in love to communion with you , then labor for to be eminent in those things that the men of the world have skill in . as first , the works of justice : the men of the world think men must be just in all their ways , and all their dealings ; and though it be true there may be justice where there is onely morality , yet there can be no religion where there is not justice , for religion teaches justice more then morality does ; it is a shameful thing for men that make profession of religion , not to be raised above moralities : now when the men of the world that have skill in this , shall see that godliness teaches men to be just , and that their's is a more accurate justice then that which is in the world , this convinces men ; but when they shall see men talking so much of godliness , and church - discipline , and yet when they come to deal with them , they are then so cunning , and will fetch over men as well as any , as griping as any , and men know not where to finde them , these are burthensome members to a church , that wrong religion : your injustice in dealing with men , is a greater evil then the injustice of any moral man , in this regard , the injustice of a moral man does not make men shy of dealing with all moral men , but injustice in you makes men shy of dealing with any that make profession of religion , and to say , none are so deceitful as they ; and though that objection does come usually from malice , yet it cannot be denyed , but those that make profession , give too too much advantage for it . secondly , labor for an eminency in performing the duties of your relations , and your callings . as wives should fulfil their duties , and every one be faithful in the duty that god requires of their places , and if this be not in you , you may talk your hearts out of the excellency of communion with gods people , they will not believe you : and therefore the apostle , when he urges the church of god so to walk as to convince others ; mark how he instances in the duties of relation , pet. . . having your conversation honest amongst the gentiles , that whereas they speak against you as evil doers , they may by your good works which they shall behold , glorifie god in the day of visitation : but what good works must we do , which they beholding shall glorifie god in the day of visitation ? you shall finde he instances in the duties of relation , as between magistrates and subjects , masters and servants , husbands and wives . and therefore , you servants that are under subjection , especially under carnal governors , let them see , since you have joyned with gods people , that you are more faithful and obedient then ever before , and that they never had any servant in their lives , so subject , and obedient , and faithful as you are , that did not make that profession that you do . and so wives , carry such respect , and shew such humility towards your husbands , though they be naught , that they may say , since my wife made this profession of religion , i finde it in her carriage ; and so children . it is a wonderful shameful thing that any servant or childe , that is but civil , should go beyond a godly servant or childe in diligence , and obedience , and faithfulness ; says jerome , what a shameful thing is it , that faith should not enable to do that , which infidels are able to do ? thirdly , the men of the world have skill in peaceable dispositions , labor to be of a peaceable disposition : blessed are the peacemakers ; let them not see rigidness in your ways . the jews observe upon exod. . . that there was no iron amongst the stuff of the tabernacle : what do rigid iron dispositions in gods tabernacle , in gods church ? fourthly , they have skill in affability , and courteousness ; religion does not teach men to be sowre , but as courteousness and affability is a moral vertue , so it is to be carried in a higher way in christians then in others . many men who have no grace , seem to carry themselves like christians ; what a shame then is it for christians , who have grace , not to carry themselves like men ? fifthly , the men of the world have skill in love , and therefore be eminent in that , that they may see your love towards one another , bearing one anothers burthens . as the curtains of the tabernacle were joyned together by loops , so should the members of the church be joyned one to another by love . in the primitive times we finde the heathens , and enemies of the church , did acknowledge there were no people in the world did love one another so as christians did . the church of philadelphia is blamed for nothing ; philadelphia signifies brotherly love ; when brotherly love rules in churches , they grow to a blameless conversation before god and man. sixthly , be bountiful , and liberal : the men of the world having skill in these things , and they seeing no eminency of these in you , they say , let them make what profession they will in those things we have no skill in , we believe them not , they are a company of false hearted people . fifthly , if you would walk so , as to draw others in love to communion with you , labor to manifest the power of godliness , by doing such things as the men of the world cannot do ; if the men of the world can see , that men that make profession of religion are able to do that they cannot do , they see now there is some reality in religion . you know how it was with pharaoh and his magicians ; all the while moses wrought such things that pharaohs magicians could do , pharaoh was not convinced ; but when moses did such things , that the magicians could not do , this convinced them : and so for you to do that the men of the world do , or can do , this does not convince them ; says christ , if i had not done such things as no man did , you had had no sin . what is it to do those things which the men of the world cannot do ? first , the resisting of strong temptations ; every slight temptation overcomes them , but when they shall see you stand out against powerful temptations , they see you have a power beyond theirs . when nebuchadnezzar saw the three children in the fiery furnace , and they were not touched by the fire , he was convinced ; so when the men of the world shall see you in the midst of prevailing temptations , and you keep your selves untouched , they will be convinced , and say , surely there is a power with these that we have not . secondly , the overcoming of strong passions , this convinces them : when as those you live withal , shall know there was a time you were outragious , and forward at every thing that did displease you , and since god hath wrought on your hearts , you can be meek , and patient , and those passions and temptations cannot overcome you now , that did before . when christ commanded the winds and seas , and they were still at his word , they wondred and said , who is this , that the winds and seas obey him ? and so , when you have storms and passions arise in you , and you by the word of god can make all quiet , men will wonder , and say , who is this ? thirdly , if you be able to deny your selves in your wills and ends , this is a thing they cannot do ; but now the godly , if there come any word of god to shew their wills are not right , they do not only change the thing their will is upon , but their will is bowed to gods word . and as it was with david , when he had saul at an advantage , and might have had his own will upon saul , and yet spared him , how did this convince saul ? who having his enemy , would have spared him ? as if he had said , if i had had thee at an advantage , at my own will , i must have had my ends ; and so is there any thing that the men of the world can see you may have your ends in , you should rather deny your selves in them . brethren , gods people are to strive , and contend with the world above all people , and that for god ; now then , that we may manifest unto the world , that when we do contend with them , that it is meerly-for god , when it comes to our selves , and our own causes , we should be the most yieldable people in the world . there is a time when we must contend with the world , our consciences put us upon it , and the cause of god puts us upon it , and then they say we are stubborn proud spirits ; now to take off this reproach , and to convince them , it is not self-will ; therefore when it is onely your own cause , yield to the utmost you can , and this will convince them , when you do not yield , that it is not for self , but for god , and conscience . fourthly , do good for evil , this is that which the men of the world cannot do . we must labor to do some singular thing for god ; if you onely do good for good , the publicans can do so , but we must do good for evil . as it is reported of bishop cranmer , they used to say of him , if they would have bishop cranmer their friend , let them do him some ill turn : do you not think how you may be even with them that have done you an ill turn , but rather go home , and all the way you are going , be musing , and studying how you may return some good to that man that hath done you wrong , and so you shall not be even with him , but above him ; by this you shall heap coals of fire upon his head : this beseems the people of god , that are the peculiar of god. it was a notable speech that balaam had in numbers . . lo , the people shall dwell alone , and shall not be reckoned among the nations : they are a people peculiar amongst themselves ; if they be such a people as are so peculiar , as they must not be reckoned amongst the nations , then they must do such things , as cannot be reckoned amongst the ways and works of the nations . if we should read all authors of the heathens , yet we may finde such things in gods people , as we cannot finde in all the authors . fifthly , be joyful in affliction , rejoycing in god and christ , then when all outward delight fails in very convincing : if people speak so much of faith , and living by faith on the promises , and yet if they be crost in any thing in the world , their hearts are as low and sinking as the hearts of any ; when men of the world see this , they say , where is all their faith ? but if they see when affliction comes , even such as would make their hearts sink , and the people of god carry them out chearfully , they will say , surely there is some real principle in them that we cannot see . as justin martyr , when he saw the christians suffer such great things so chearfully , says he , surely these men have more then the men of the world , they have other principles , and so he enquired what maner of people they were , and so came to embrace the truth . it is not so much to be merry and joyful over their cups ; the people of god cannot be merry and joyful in sensual delights , but put them into afflictions and hardships , and they can be chearful more then you , they are not so dumpish and sad as the men of the world think they are . christ said , i have meat to eat of which you know not of : the light of the candle is fed with stinking tallow , but the light of the sun hath influence from heaven to feed it , and so is not soon blown out : and so the joys of gods people have other matter to feed them , and are not so soon puffed out as the joys of the world . sixthly , in the people of god there should be seriousness mixed with chearfulness , and the mixture of both these makes religion beautiful ; for if professors of religion will be merry , they presently run into a lightness , and vanity of spirit ; and if they think to be serious , they presently grow dumpish and sullen ; but if we could do so , be so chearful in our way , as to manifest seriousness , and so serious , as to manifest chearfulness , this will be a mighty convincement to the world . seventhly , the men of the world cannot be humble in the encrease of gifts ; but the more encrease of gifts gods people have , the more humble they should be . they shall see since the people of god did close one with another , they are encreased in gifts ; a poor boy , or girl , or servant , that understood nothing before , now they can understand more , and with their understanding their hearts are more humble then before ; this is a great convincement , that in the exercise of your gifts , there may not appear much of your selves , but much of god , is that you should much labor after in the exercise of your gifts ; let them see that god hath acquainted you with such divine mysteries , as should make them admire ; gods people should not onely labor to have words that are flat , but to have such gifts , as that they should know the secrets of god , and of their own hearts , and of the hearts of others . you know when he in cor. . that was ignorant came into the church , and saw gifts so exercised , as the secrets of his heart were opened , he said , surely god is there . we should not exercise gifts so , as to shew our parts in them , but exercise them in such an humble maner , as to convince the world of the excellency in communion with the saints . o brethren , labor to practice these things : o what a blessed thing were it that all of us might come to convert souls ! though women may not preach in the church , they may preach abroad in their lives , and in their families , by their humble and godly conversations ; cor. . . what knowest thou , o wife , whether thou shalt save thy husband ? labor so to walk , as some soul may bless god for you , and bless god for your joyning with his people : heretofore i was a poor ignorant wretch , and minded nothing but to satisfie the flesh , and heard many sermons , and they never wrought upon me , but now i see the holy conversation of such , this works upon me ; no member of a church should satisfie himself , until he have seen himself to work upon some by his conversation . the people that god intends to bring to joyn with his church , are said to flye like doves to their windows , isaiah . . now doves love white , clean , and lightsome places ; wherefore such should be our conversations , so white , clean , and lightsome , as those in whom god begins any work of grace , to be of dove-like dispositions , may come flying to us ; and this is the fourth branch of the exhortation . fifthly , if there be so much good to be had in this communion , labor to walk so one with another , that when any come to joyn with you , they may finde that made good which they heard of : though they do suffer affliction to come and joyn with you , yet when they are come in , they may finde all made up , that they may say , before i heard by the speech of others , there was such a comfortable life in communion with such , which made me venture much , and now i have found it made up to the full ; yea , half of it was not told to me : o let us not give occasion to any to go and complain to god , and say , i heard there was much good to be had in communion with thy people , and thereupon i was content to venture much to enjoy it , and now i finde no such thing , i finde nothing but jealousies , and wranglings , and pride , and as much earthliness as before : if you give any occasion to go to god , and to make his moan thus , it will go ill with you ; but give occasion to others to bless god for you : therefore let there be a sweet union among you . it is a promise in zeph. . they shall serve the lord with one consent , with one shoulder , so the words are : so every one of you should set your selves to serve the lord , quickning one anothers spirits , careful for one anothers good . and when you come together , bring your living ends together : when you lay brands together , you do not lay the dead ends together , they will never kindle , but you lay the living burning ends together , and so they kindle : and so when you come together , lay your living ends together , that when you go away , you may say , i feel my heart warmed ; you should never meet together , but that you might bless god for your meeting , and by this you shall shew there is a power in this ordinance of god. it is observable , the great strength that there is in a civil ordinance , one would think there should be more in a spiritual ordinance : how comes it to pass , that two , that it may be a moneth or two before were meer strangers , and yet they coming to joyn in marriage , if it be a true joyning , their hearts close more together , then to father or mother , to their children , that came out of their own bodies , or brother , or sisters that lay in the same womb , they cannot have their hearts so knit together , as these two have : from whence comes this ? from the vertue of gods ordinance ; if it were not an ordinance of god , it could not produce such an effect : if marriage , which is an ordinance of god in civil things , and so a civil ordinance , have such power to unite the heart , how much more spiritual ordinances , and communion , which is the highest ordinance for uniting the heart ? and therefore we should look for more then a natural power in it : for people to love one another , and to do good to one another , hath a natural power to unite the heart ; but do you look upon this communion as having the greatest power to unite the heart , by vertue of an ordinance , that so all who have suffered never so much to joyn with you , may see all recompenced up to the full , and never have a repenting thought for that they have suffered and ventured . chap. xxiv . we should satisfie our selves in communion with the saints , and improve it to the utmost advantage we can . again , another branch of the exhortation is this ; if there be so much good to be had in this communion , labor to satisfie your selves in it , so as to take heed of breaking from it ; the forsaking the assemblies of the saints , is made by the apostle an argument of apostacy , heb. . . not forsaking the assembling our selves together , as the maner of some is . do not think to go and make up your comfort with going , and joyning with the world . certainly , when men that are members of a church shall for form come and joyn with gods people , but their consciences tell them , when they are in the world , their hearts are more content and satisfied ; this is an argument of a carnal heart , that hath dallied with god. it is a dishonor to godly men ; as men that are raised to high priviledges , count it a dishonor to company with those that are mean. those who were free of the city of rome , were not to be free of any other place . it is enough that we are citizens of the new jerusalem , let us satisfie our selves in this . godly men , though never so poor , are to look upon those who are carnal , as base and vile , especially to think to take satisfaction in eating , and drinking , and playing with them , when as there are such holy ordinances , and high priviledges with gods people , to satisfie your selves in , and in those your hearts withdraw from them ; certainly , your hearts must needs be very carnal and sensual : can god take it well at thy hands , to go and shake hands with his enemies ? job . . god will not take the wicked by the hand ; so it is in some of your books ; why then will you ? canst thou be in any place where thou seest god dishonored , and be merry ? certainly , the sight of sin , wheresoever it is committed , should cause horror in the heart ; thus it was with david , psalm . . horror hath taken hold upon me , because of the wicked that forsake thy law : it should make men forbear to come into such company where they see sin committed . it is reported of mezentius the hetrurian tyrant , that he devised this torment , to chain a live man , and a dead man together , and so wheresoever he went , he should have the dead man to rot before him , and stink in his nostrils , till he was poysoned with it : surely this was a great misery , a most grievous death : and gods people should count it as great an evil to have filthy dead wretches , that are unsavoury in any thing that is good , to be joyned with them : david prays in psal . . . gather not my soul with sinners : would you not have your souls gathered with sinners hereafter ? for the present take heed of joyning with them . it was the prayer once that i have heard of a good gentlewoman , when she was to dye , being in much trouble of conscience , o lord , let me not go to hell where the wicked are , for lord thou knowest , i never loved their company here : she prayed with david , lord gather not my soul with sinners : if you would have evidence that god will not gather your souls to sinners , but that he will gather them to the godly , labor to satisfie your souls with gods people . seventhly , if there be so much good in this way , labor to improve it to the utmost : wherefore is there a price in the hand of a fool ? this is a great price ; if many had seen the days that we have seen , how would they have blessed god ? what use would they have made of them ? seeing god therefore hath given you this opportunity , improve it : if you have any advantage in your trading , you will improve it . take heed of such things as may hinder that good you may have in communion with the saints : what are they ? the first thing that i would forewarn christians of , it is sullenness of spirit , that makes them love solitariness rather then communion ; and this is amongst many that have true grace : and certainly it comes sometimes from abundance of pride , for if they come among others , they think they shall discover their weakness , and rather then they will discover their weakness , they will deprive themselves of all that good which they might have . consider how unfaithfully you deal with god , god hath given you a talent , and you are not to wrap it up in a napkin , but to use it for god. again , it is a wrong to the church , for your gifts are not your own , but the church hath an interest in them , and therefore you are to use them for their good . again , you do much wrong to the ordinance of god , when you do prefer the contenting of a pettish humor , before the ordinance of god. god threatens it as a judgement , hosea . . to feed his people as a lamb in a large place ; that is , to scatter them from the fold , that they should go one and one , as a lamb bleating alone in the wilde wilderness : take heed you do not bring it upon your selves . again , there is a great deal of danger in this solitariness of spirit . first , there will soon grow a wonderful driness , and barrenness of spirit : it is just with god to deprive men of gifts , that have not hearts to improve the gifts that god hath given them . again , you will be ready to run into error , and strange conceits ; for if you observe the workings of your hearts , you have strange opinions of things , and think you are sure of them , and when you come amongst others , though you could not see the weakness of your opinions , others can quickly see them , whereas if you will not come amongst them , but be stiff in your opinions , you may run into errors . again , you will be lyable to the temptations of satan ; immoderate solitariness , is joyned with immoderate melancholy , which is the common shop of the devil for to forge his temptations in , and it is a great evil to keep the devils temptations close ; and therefore come into communion with the saints . and secondly , when you do come into communion , take heed of pride ; pride sometimes keeps away from communion , and pride is a great hinderance to the benefit of communion : as round things do not joyn but onely in one point , but take flat things , and they joyn in every point ; and so hearts swoln with pride cannot joyn with others , but onely in such particulars as will serve their turns , but if we have plain hearts , we will close in all things . if a bladder be blown with wind , when you touch it or handle it , it goes away , but when it is pricked , it falls , and you may handle it : so hearts that are swoln with pride , will not close as low humble hearts will. a swoln member is fit for nothing , but all members must serve that ; as a gouty leg , all the members must tend that , but it is unfit to be serviceable to any : and so a proud heart , it expects every one should attend it , but when it comes to be serviceable to any , it is unfit . thirdly , take heed of envying at the gifts and graces of one another ; the wicked men of the world do envy one another , because the good they look upon as their last end , is so strait , that if one have much room , the other is straitned ; but the godly need not be straitned , their good is in god , and they have place enough to expatiate themselves , and satisfie themselves . if men were riding or sailing in a narrow passage , they would envy him that were sailing before them , that hinders ; but in the sea they do not envy them , because they have room enough to sail : so in christians that place their happiness in god , where there is room enough , there should not be envy . fourthly , take heed of pettishness , and frowardness , or passions , these do darken communion : the meek spirit is fit for communion . moses suffered much for communion with gods people , and indeed he was fit to get good , and to do good by communion , he was the meekest man upon earth . fifthly , take heed of self-ends in communion : when men are so politick , as to wheel about their own ends , and not seem to aym at such things , this hinders the sweetness of communion , and though such may carry things a while , as not to be discerned , yet at last they will be discerned to have self-ends , and all will be shy of them . if you would have sweet communion indeed , labor for open hearts to one another , that you may trust one another . sixthly , labor so to improve your communion now , as every time you do enjoy it , it may make your hearts to spring , putting you in minde of that blessed communion you shall have with god , and his people ; and think thus , if we finde so much joy , in enjoying communion with gods people here , what will there be in that communion our souls shall have in heaven , when we shall not onely have communion with some few of gods servants , but with all , abraham , isaac , and jacob , and all the prophets , and patriarchs ? as cicero hath a notable speech concerning the happiness of his death ; o famous day , that i shall go to the counsels of those famous men , that i shall go from this rout of people , and go and converse with those famous men ! but brethren , for us to think that we through gods mercy , here have communion with gods people , and shall hereafter enjoy communion with the saints of god for ever , what is it worth the enduring ? if it were but the enjoying of communion with moses alone , it were worth all you have endured ; and therefore comfort your selves for the present in that you have , and let your hearts be raised in hope of better things hereafter , when you shall have them perfect . now we rejoyce that we are with gods people , if they be conferring about any thing of god and christ ; but hereafter we shall see nothing but god in his saints , we shall see the full glory of god shining in them ; then the very bodies of the saints shall shine more glorious then the sun ; how glorious shall their souls be then ? there shall then be no more danger of fallings out , and frampold carriages , no more jealousies and suspitions , but we shall see the image of god perfectly in them ; and we shall have perfect love to rejoyce in the salvation of any as in your own salvation , and then we shall be with them in all holy exercises : it is good to be with gods people , to trade with them , but better to be with them to pray with them , to receive sacraments with them ; the better the exercise is , the better it is to be with them : then what is it to enjoy communion with them , and to be always in holy exercises , always singing praises to the lamb , and giving glory to him that sitteth on the throne for evermore , blessing god for the great mystery of the gospel ? and therefore improve your communion so here , as not onely to put you in minde of your communion hereafter , but to prepare and fit your souls for it : and thus is this point finished ; and now we are come to the seventh and last doctrinal point , out of moses his choice , which is from the last words of the verse , then to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season . the doctrinal conclusion is this : chap. xxv . whatsoever is but for a season , cannot satisfie a gracious heart . that whatsoever is but for a season , cannot satisfie a gracious heart : or , nothing but that which is eternal , can satisfie a gracious heart . moses , if he would have been satisfied with any thing that abided but for a season , he might have had satisfaction enough ; but his heart was set upon eternity , and therefore could have no satisfaction in things that were but for a season . st. paul says in cor. . . we look not at things that are seen , but at the things which are not seen ; for the things which are seen are temporal , but the things which are not seen are eternal . we do not so much as look at things seen , for they are temporal , but there are other things that our hearts are upon , which are eternal ; we look not at things that are seen , but at things not seen : the word notes these two things especially , not onely that we believe things that are not seen , eternal things , but we look at them , we minde them ; we do not much minde things that are temporal , but eternal things are minded of us . secondly , we do not make things that are seen , that are temporal , to be our scope and aim ; that which satisfies the heart , is that which is looked at as the end , and aim , and scope of the spirit : so that if a man could look at things seen as his aim and scope , they would satisfie him , but nothing that is seen can be the scope and aim of a gracious heart , but eternal things are his scope and aim , and therefore they satisfie him . that nothing which is but for a season , can satisfie a heart rightly principled , appears : first , because there is no proportion between an immortal soul , and fading transitory things ; indeed the sensitive soul that does depend upon the present temper of the body , that is satisfied onely with present things , and the reason is , because it depends upon that which is present ; but the rational soul being immortal , and not depending upon any such thing , whatsoever it be that continues not for ever , cannot satisfie it . secondly , a gracious heart knows the things of eternity after another maner then any other does , god hath revealed eternal things to it , and upon the sight of those eternal things , it comes to know it is taken off from all temporal things ; for all temporal things , be they never so glorious , yet in comparison of eternal , they are but as the point of a centre to an infinite circumference : indeed while a man knows no better then temporal things , the heart is let out upon them , as the greatest good , but when it comes to know the things of eternity , the heart is greatned , and all temporal things are but small to that soul ; when it comes to know what an eternal god is , and what an eternal crown is , and an eternal inheritance , when it knows that god does intend to communicate himself eternally to his creature , it cannot be satisfied , unless it knows it shall live to enjoy those things that god shall communicate eternally . thirdly , a gracious spirit hath received an eternal principle within it , that does work the heart beyond things for a season , that works the heart all to eternity ; for the work of grace that is in the soul , it is begotten of the immortal seed of the word , and it is an eternal principle , that is infused by god into it , and therefore it works beyond things that are for a season ; every creature works according to the nature of its principles ; as sensitive creatures according unto sensitive principles , and rational creatures according unto rational principles , but grace is beyond reason , and is of an everlasting nature , and therefore it works the heart beyond all that is but for a season . fourthly , a gracious heart cannot be satisfied with things that are but for a season , because god hath loved such a heart with an eternal love , and there is the impression of the same love in the soul , that carries the soul to god in some measure with that love wherewith it is loved , that causes the soul to love god with an eternal love , and not to be satisfied with any work of love that it can work in time ; and therefore grace must have eternity for to manifest the love again that it hath to god , or else it hath not a love proportionable in its measure to the love wherewith god hath loved it , but that is in every gracious heart . fifthly , there is a kinde of image of gods infiniteness in the souls of men , and according to this print of gods infiniteness , the enjoyment of god is desired , where the heart is gracious : though it is true , our souls are not infinite creatures in themselves , yet having a print of gods infiniteness upon them , they manifest this in their infinite desires ; and because they cannot enjoy an actual infinite good in themselves , therefore they desire an infinite good in duration at least ; let there be never so much good , yea , as much as an infinite power can let out for present good , yet this does not satisfie the soul , unless it can have it infinitely for duration ; for an enlightned soul knows that it is not capable to hold that good that an infinite god can , and hath a purpose to communicate to his creature , if it should come all together , therefore it desires to enjoy communication of what good it is capable of to all eternity . to receive good from god is not sufficient , except it be received in an infinite way ; now it cannot receive any thing infinite for the present , and therefore it must have it in an infinite way in regard of duration . sixthly , there is nothing that is but for a season , can satisfie a gracious heart , but it must be some eternal thing , because such a one hath received light from god to understand the infinite consequence of eternity , to make any good to be infinite , or any evil to be infinite : when as one enjoys any good , and knows it shall continue infinitely , it makes that present good to have a kinde of infiniteness in it ; and and so for evil , if there be any evil upon the heart , though the evil should be never so little , yet if it be an evil , and the soul knows it must continue infinitely , it puts a kinde of infiniteness to every moment ; and that is the principal thing that makes the misery of the damned to be so miserable , and the happiness of the godly so happy ; they are not onely happy and miserable , because they shall be happy and miserable for ever , but because they know there is continance in happiness , and in misery ; their knowledge of this is that which puts infinite weight upon every moment . suppose a beast should have happiness suitable to its nature for eternity , that would come infinitely short of the happiness of a rational creature , that knows wherein happiness consists , and what eternity is ; for the beast enjoys nothing but the present happiness , but a reasonable creature it hath happiness for the present , and it can by the thoughts of the minde fetch in the infiniteness of the duration , and put it upon the present content it receives , and so have infinite satisfaction every moment : and so for misery ; it were not so much if god by his power should hold a brute beast in the fire eternally , as if a man were in misery ; because though it hath pains , yet it hath no thought of future pains , but what it now feels : but if a rational creature be in misery , by the thoughts of his minde , he can fetch all the pains that shall be in hundred thousands of years , and put them upon that instant , and this makes it to be miserable indeed , in a kinde of infiniteness , beyond that which any other creature is capable of . you think to be tortured with fire is miserable , and to be so eternally is miserable ; but there is something more , every instant you shall be in misery , there shall be a kinde of infiniteness , because you shall by your thoughts bring whatsoever is to come , and put it upon the present moment , and nothing can swallow up a mans spirit so much as this , if he understands eternity . now then a gracious heart that knows this , that knows what the consequence of eternity is , cannot be satisfied , except it hath made good provision for eternity ; whatsoever it enjoys for the present , cannot satisfie the soul , unless it hath made good provision for that which it understands , to be of such infinite consequence as it is . a soul that understands the consequence of eternity , sees it as an infinite ocean , that it is lanching into , and must for ever swim in : now if a man were to go a voyage in the vast ocean , that he must go thousands of miles , could he be content that he had made provision of such a vessel , that he could make shift to get over some narrow water with ? so it is here ; yea , this similitude comes short of the expression of the folly of any that knows any thing concerning eternity , to think to satisfie themselves in any thing that is but for a season ; for any thing that is but for a season , let it be for as long a season as you will , if it were for methuselahs season , that is but as some small brook , and what is this to the going of many thousand miles in the infinite vast ocean ? and therefore a gracious heart knowing the vastness of it , except it hath made some provision for it , can never be quieted with what it can enjoy for a season . seventhly , a gracious heart cannot be satisfied in any thing that is but for a season , because there is nothing that is but for a season , but it can make the end of it as really present ; if so be that the end of things that are but for a season were present , they could not satisfie : now a gracious heart makes the end of all things that are but for a season to be really present : if grace enables a man to make the things of god , and eternal things to be present , much more will grace in the heart make the end of all worldly things to be really present : now a gracious heart being wise , and considering , and looking upon these things that are but for a season , as if the end now were ; hence it is that it hath the same judgement of things that are but for a season now , as it shall have when the end of all shall be : now when the end of all things we enjoy for a season is come , then every man will see the vanity of them , and cry out of them , and say they will not satisfie : yea , we shall not onely see the vanity of them , but in some respect see it a greater misery , then if we had never enjoyed them ; now that thing which will not onely fail us , but when it shall fail us , it will be a greater vexation to us that we had them , then if we had never enjoyed it , certainly they which know this cannot be satisfied with it . eighthly , a gracious heart makes use of all the experiences that it hath had of the vanity of the creature , of all things that are but for a season ; when god in the way of his providence gives to one that is gracious , experience of things , he will treasure up his experience : vain light hearts , though god do give them experience of the vanity of the creature , and of things that are but for a season , they do not treasure up their experiences , but though they cry out of the vanity of the creature at some time , yet they run out again as greedily in their desires after it as before : but a gracious heart findes when god takes away the creature , wherein it had placed a great deal of confidence , god hath shewed it how fading it was , and the setled condition of it is nothing but vanity : and so the experience of the vanity of former things , does take off his heart from any thing that it looks upon as abiding for a season . lastly , that which is but for a season , does want an especial ingredient in it , which is required for satisfaction : the special ingredient unto satisfaction , is security , that there may be soul-safe security . augustine says , the soul cannot enjoy any thing freely with satisfaction , unless it can enjoy it with security : now when the soul enjoys a thing for a season , it cannot be satisfied , because it must be solicitous to provide something when that is gone , which it hath for the present . so that these arguments being put together , you may see evidently , nothing that is for a season can give satisfaction to a gracious heart . having laid these things in the explication of the point , all that we have to do is to apply it . hence we may see the excellency of a true gracious spirit : where there is grace in the soul , it puts a wonderful excellency upon the soul , as in many other respects , so this one does wonderfully declare the excellency of a gracious heart , that it is so raised , so enlarged , so greatned , that nothing that is for a season can satisfie it , but it looks for things beyond a season . let all the world , the things that are in heaven and earth , present themselves to the soul to satisfie it , the soul will say , what are you , temporal or eternal ? if the answer be given temporal , the soul rejects them , and puts them off as too mean things to be satisfaction for it ; if you had brought eternity with you , says the soul , i could have embraced you , and closed with you , and have been satisfied in the enjoyment of you , but if the inscription of eternity be not in you , you are too mean for me , my happiness is not here , i must look higher , i am lost for ever if i do not look higher then these things . when basil was offered money and preferment to tempt him , he answers , give money that may last for ever , and glory that may eternally flourish . chap. xxvi . perswasions to take off the heart from temporal things . secondly , hence let us all make use of this argument , to take off our spirits from all earthly things that are here below ; let us look upon all things in the world as under this notion , that they are but for a season , and let us improve this argument to the utmost that possibly we can , for the working our hearts off from the things of this world . the beauty of all worldly things is but as a fair picture drawn upon the ice , that melts away with it ; the fashion of this world passeth away . when alexander saw himself wounded , and in danger of death , he then saw the vanity of those flatterers that would have perswaded him he was a god : so when we see those things upon which we set our hearts , as if our chief good , as if a deity were in them , to be wounded , and ready to perish , let us learn to alter our thoughts of them , to take off our hearts from them . much may be done in the improving of this argument , of the fading vanishing nature of creature-comforts : the scripture makes much use of it , to take off the hearts of people from them ; why wilt thou set thy heart upon that which is not ? riches have wings and will fly away . it charges them that have riches , that they trust not in uncertain riches : man that is made in honor abides not ; they sing to the tabret and harp , and make merry , and in a moment they go down to hell . this moses argument , is the strong scripture argument : there is nothing but uncertainty , mutability , vanity , upon every creature that is here below . the fashion of the world passeth away , and the lustre of it ; there is no enduring substance here : those in the hebrews were content to part with any thing that endured but for a season , so they might have an enduring substance : and so abraham looked for a city that had foundations , heb. . . these cities have no foundations . all earthly things are like the earth it self , it hangs upon nothing , job . . and therefore there can be no certainty in them , no continuance in the enjoyment of them : neither will the things of this world abide , they perish in the using of them , and that which perishes in the using , we must not set our hearts upon . it s the expression of gregory nyssen , the things of the world are as if a man were writing upon the water with his finger , as any thing is written , the impression vanishes , and nothing appears ; not as one were writing upon the sand or dust , which although any little wind blows smooth , yet it stays a while till the wind riseth : so the creature is not vain onely , because it leaves us after a while , but the comfort of the creature leaves us in the using . seneca says , we live amongst things that are perishing . we hear much of the vanity of the creature , and we can speak much of it , but how is it improved ? how if you perish eternally for setting your hearts upon these things ? and notwithstanding all your talk , this dreadful noise shall be heard from you , we have lost eternity , for setting our hearts upon things that were for a season . it is a notable speech that ambrose hath ; why will you make that which cannot be eternal for use , eternal for punishment ? it is fading , in regard of the use , but it proves to be eternal in regard of the punishment . therefore when any temptation comes , to draw your hearts to any thing that gives content to the flesh for a season , o that you might improve this argument to resist the temptation ! what , shall i while away that time i have to improve for eternity to seek after you , and take content and pleasure in you ? you are not onely temporal your selves , but you do hazard the loss of eternal things , and hazard the bringing of eternal evils . and therefore do not think it much that i press this argument , because it is ordinary : all that perish , perish because they set their hearts upon that which is for a season : and therefore though the knowledge of this in some general notion be ordinary , yet the truth is , to know it powerfully indeed , and effectually , it is a riddle to the world . it is a notable place we have in psalm . , . the whole scope of the psalm , is to shew the happy secure estate of the godly in all troubles , and the vanishing condition of all ungodly in prosperity ; now mark how he calls to us in the beginning of this psalm , to hearken to this argument : we might say , this is an argument we have heard a hundred times , and know what it is , why should we hearken so ? though you think this is an ordinary theam , yet this is the great wisdom , and understanding of a gracious heart to know ; this is the dark saying that i will open , so says the psalmist , my mouth shall speak of wisdom , and the meditation of my heart shall be of understanding , i will open my dark saying : so when you hear us speaking of this argument , you say , this is an ordinary argument ; but the true knowledge of it is a dark hidden thing to the men of the world , and it is the work of the spirit of god , to make men know this truly : and when god works any saving work upon the soul , he begins in this way , to settle upon the soul this truth , that all the things that it hath satisfied it self in , are fading ; and what is a year or two , to enjoy all the contentments my heart can desire , if then i must be gone , and bid farewel to all ? have not i an immortal soul ? and when shall be the time that i shall provide for eternity ? and therefore i beseech you look into this argument , and ponder it a little more . there are three worms that are in every thing of the world , to eat out the strength of it , and make it fading . first , the worm that is bred in the natural principles ; the things that we set our hearts upon , are made of fading principles . secondly , there is the worm of the general curse that is come upon them by mans sin . thirdly , there is another worm , and that is the particular curse that we bring upon the creatures , by our own proper sins , as especially when we set our hearts upon any fading transitory things below : all things in the world are subject to vanity by the general curse , but the particular curse makes them more vain : and shall we think to satisfie our selves in the things of the world , that have these three worms , feeding upon them continually , to eat out the strength of them ? what are your hearts upon ? i urge it upon you as in the name of god , and answer in your secret thoughts , what are your hearts upon ? either upon things that are for a season , or eternal ? things that are eternal , you look upon them as high notional things , that never took up your thoughts much : but to go into company , and eat , and drink , and laugh , and get money ; these are the things that are but for a season , and these your hearts close with , and bless themselves in . what are become of all those that have had as great dealings , and as many merry meetings as you , and have satisfied the flesh as much as you ? they are gone , rotten in their graves , and their souls it may be crying under the wrath of an infinite god , and all their bravery and delight at an end ; would you be in their condition ? it is a good observation of abulensis , to shew to us the vanity of all worldly excellency , that those who have been the most glorious , in what man accounts glorious and excellent , have had inglorious ends , by which their glory hath been stained ; and thereby our hearts might be taken off from such things , and set upon those things which are so glorious as they will make us for ever glorious . he instances in sampson for strength , and yet what a contemptible end had he ? so absolom for beauty ; achitophel for policy ; asael for swiftness ; alexander for great conquests , and yet after twelve years poysoned . he instances likewise in kingdoms ; the chaldaean , persian , graecian , roman , how soon were they gone ? it is a notable speech augustine hath : go , ( says he ) and mark and attend the sepulchres of rich men , and when you see their rotten bones , consider who they once were , and know they do cry unto you ; o you men , why do you seek so much to satisfie your selves in these fading things , and heap upon your selves vexation , to attain happiness for your selves in these things ? consider our bones here , and be struck with astonishment , to abhor your luxury and covetousness ; for , says he , they cry thus to you , you now are , and we were , and time will be , when you shall be what we are . and then consider with your selves , what a doleful condition that man is in , that hath set his heart upon things that are for a season : when those are at an end , he may say , now the thoughts of my heart , and all my hopes are at an end ; now i must bid an eternal farewel to all my comforts , to husband , and wife , and neighbors , and friends , and companions ; i shall never meet with you more , and never have mirth and jollity , and sporting , and gaming any more , but i must bid farewel to all , the sun is set , and the season is at an end for all my comfort , and before me i see an infinite vast ocean , and i must lanch into it ; lord , what provision have i for it ? what a dreadful shreek will that soul give , that sees an infinite ocean it must lanch into , and sees no provision that it hath made for it ? indeed those that dye , and are besotted , and know nothing of this infinite ocean that they must lanch into , they are never troubled ; but those that dye , and their consciences are enlightned , they have given a most dreadful shreek , to see themselves lanching into an infinite ocean of scalding lead , and must swim naked in it for ever . and therefore improve this argument , to take off your hearts from things below , and say , what good will it be to me that i have been merry , and would have my will ? i came to hear the word , and that was working to pull my lust from me , but my heart was set upon my lust , and i would have it : when my lust shall be at an end , what good will it be to me , to remember i had my lust and pleasure , and delight ? this will afford little comfort after it is gone : you may live a year or two , and be drunk many a time that while , and have pleasure in uncleanness , and besot your selves ; consider , many have had pleasures in the flesh , that now are gone , and within two or three years it may be said of you , such a one was at such a sermon , and heard , that all things that endure but for a season would not satisfie , and now he is gone ; and if you will satisfie your selves in these things that are for a season , you may cry out in the anguish of your souls , and say , such a day such an argument was treated upon , and i heard , nothing that is but for a season will satisfie the heart , and how i should hazard my eternal happiness , if i set my heart upon them ; and i heard , i had not onely a little river to swim over , but an infinite ocean to lanch into , and yet i have sought after these things that are but for a season , to satisfie my flesh in them ; now my season is gone , and i am lanching into eternity , the lord knows what shall become of me . it was the sad expression of lysimachus , who had lost his kingdom for one draught of water , for what a short pleasure have i made my self a servant ? so consider what a soul-sinking thought this will be to think hereafter ; o god , for how short pleasure have i made my self a bond-slave to hell for ever ! one who was made according to the image of god , who had means for eternal life , yet now am undone for ever ! it is reported of pope sixtus the fifth , that he sold his soul to the devil , to enjoy the glory and pleasure of the popedom for seven years : what infinite folly possesseth the hearts of the children of men , who were made for eternity , to venture eternal miscarrying for a few years , yea , a few hearts contentment to the flesh ! the lord keep us from this desperate folly . wherefore when we finde our hearts beginning to be let out upon any temporal good , make use of this argument , and let us muse with our selves , this content and pleasure we have , but will it abide ? i was made to abide for ever , i was made for that good that must abide for ever . what are a few years here ? those who abide longest in the enjoyment of health and prosperity , their time is but as a bubble , they are gone , and the memory of them is perished . pliny says , there was a miraculous example of one xenophilus , who lived a hundred and five years without sickness : but what is this to eternity ? lib. . cap. . there is a notabe story of theodorus a yong man , there being a time of great festivity and jollity in egypt , and there was a great deal of feasting and musick , and delight in his fathers house : the yong man withdrew himself from all the company , and got alone , and fell a meditating thus , here is delight and content to the flesh , i may have what i will desire , but how long will it last ? and upon this meditation , thinking with himself ▪ this will not hold long , he withdrew himself into a room private , and fell down upon the earth , and with many tears cryed out thus unto god in prayer ; o lord , ( says he ) my heart is open unto thee , i indeed know not what to ask , but onely this , lord let me not dye eternally ; o lord , thou knowest i love thee , o let me live eternally to praise thee ! and when his mother came to him , and would have had him come to the rest of the company that were bidden , he made an excuse and would not , onely upon this meditation , because he saw this would not hold . o that god would fasten these thoughts upon you , when you are in the midst of your delights ; but will this hold ? is not this one thing that is spoken of amongst the rest , that is but for a season ? think also upon this consideration ; these things that are in the world , if they were a thousand times more then they are , yet being but for a season , this is enough to take off our hearts ; but now when we consider they are but for a season , and but slight things , empty vanities besides , this should take off our hearts abundantly more ; if they had a great deal in them , yet not being eternal , they are not very desireable . how vain then is mans heart , in being set upon such vain things ? well may man be said to be lighter then vanity ; no vanity is so vain , as the trusting in vanity ; all the vanity in the creature amounts not to so much vanity as the trusting in vanity . and yet again consider , that the emptiness that is in these things , would make the eternity of them to be miserable . you will say this is a riddle , how can it be made out ? certainly it is so , there is such an emptiness in the things of the world , that they are fain to borrow succession to make them comfortable , and it is the end of some , and the beginning of others that makes them comfortable , and not the continuance of any outward comfort ; as now the laying in a soft down bed , is easie and comfortable , and delightful ; but if one were condemned to this , to lie there forty years together , and never to come out , it would be a torment , but to lie eternally it would be more , so that eternity puts a misery upon the comfort : and so take any one comfort , and to be tyed to that , if there were not a ceasing of one , and the beginning of another , the comfort would be miserable ; and the reason is , because the comfort is so empty : but the enjoying of god , the eternity of it makes it comfortable ; we shall as much delight in the comforts we have enjoyed of god , after we have enjoyed them hundred thousands of years , as we did at first moment we entred upon them . yet further , let us turn the consideration of this so far , to take off our hearts from the things below , as not to be troubled much for any affliction and misery we have here , for they are but for a season ; the being for a season , takes away the comfort of the creature , and the being for a season , takes away the bitterness of affliction : is there any affliction upon you ? think this is not eternally though , this is not hell . this is the great complaint of a soul in the time of trouble , o how long shall it be ? for ever ? but so we cannot say of any afflictions here in this world , that they shall be for ever . in dan. . . speaking of the great affliction of the church , this is brought to alleviate all , yet the end shall be at the time appointed ; so long as a man can look to the end of an evil , it is not much , it is for a season ; if he can but see banks , he is well . yea , and the evils that we do endure here , as they are but for a little season , so they are but in the due season , they are in this season , and that is that which should comfort us ; because there is not so much danger in any thing we suffer here , while we suffer it in this season . suppose any of you had your ship leak , if it leaks when it comes into harbor , though it be an evil to you , and brings trouble , yet you comfort your selves in this , it is not in the main ocean though : if i had had this leak in the main sea , what had become of me ? and so for troubles and sorrows , you may say , it is upon me , but blessed be god , it is upon me here ; indeed if it should prove to be upon me eternally hereafter , it were a great evil , but it is here . s. augustine said , here lord cut me , do what you will with me , but spare me hereafter ; it was the prayer of fulgentius , lord grant patience here , and pardon hereafter : though i have never so much affliction here , it is no great matter , so i shall have pardon hereafter . yea , the enduring of affliction in this season , shall be that which may deliver us from enduring evils eternally hereafter : god ayms at it , and he hath no other end , but onely to deliver from eternal sorrows , we are chastened , that we might not be condemned with the world , cor. . and that he does by causing a man or woman , when any afflictions are upon them , to think thus ; lord , is this evil and pain so grievous to me that lasts but for a while , what will eternal evils be to me ? drexelius reports of a yong man that was given to his lust , and pleasure , and could not endure to be crossed , but of all things he could not bear it , to be kept from sleep , and to awake in the dark ; and being sick , he was kept awake in the night , and could not sleep , and he began to have these thoughts , and think , what , is it so tedious for to be kept from sleep one night , and to lie a few hours here in the dark ? o what is it to be in torments , and darkness everlastingly ! i am here in my house upon a soft bed in the dark , kept from sleep but one night ; o to lie in flames , and in darkness for ever and ever , how dreadful will that be ? and this was the means of the conversion of that yong man , that was given to all maner of lusts before . o that the lord would settle this argument upon you , so as to work it every way to be useful ; for your pleasures , they are but for a season , why should i set my heart upon them ? and for sorrows , if those be grievous , if a fit of the stone , or of the strangury , or the fever be so grievous , what will that be to be eternally scalding in the wrath of god ? thus you see the consideration , that things are but for a season , how useful it is for to take our hearts from them , and to uphold our hearts in any evils and troubles that we should endure . chap. xxvii . exhortation to seek after eternal things . the last use , is an use of exhortation , that seeing nothing that is for a season , can satisfie the heart , what remains but that we should seek after that which is beyond a season , for the satisfaction of our hearts ? look at the things that will satisfie an immortal soul , let it be of the largest extent that can be , these cannot upon this ground , because they are but for a season : then let our hearts be after eternal things . i am this day to speak to divers hundreds of you here , that must every one of you live in eternity one way or other , yong and old , you must live in a time beyond this season : now having to speak to you that must live eternally , this is that which i have to do , to get your hearts up , to seek after eternal things ; and o that this might be done , if i should never preach more , and you should never hear more , yet if this should be obtained , that you should live eternally , that you should have your hearts got up to eternal things , you should be blessed , and i should think my self happy . philip king of macedon , would have a man come and cry to him every morning , you are mortal ; this is that which i should rather choose , that you might daily here a voyce , that you are immortal ; the better part of you must live eternally : were it that eternity were presented to us in the reality of it , how mightily would it work to draw our hearts to eternal things ? certainly our thoughts are not upon eternity ; the thoughts of eternity are mighty prevailing thoughts , they are over-awing thoughts , soul ballacing thoughts , that would ballast our hearts ; they are infinite pertinent thoughts , that do infinitely concern us . you that have had a company of sleight thoughts , and have set the strength of your spirits in thinking of chaffy things ; o this day here is an object presented to you , to help you against sleight thoughts : this one word eternity , and the thoughts of this word , may be enough for you , to banish vain and chaffy thoughts away for ever ; it concerns us to have the strength of our spirits busied about this . there is a request that i have to every one of you , and i will put it as fair , and easie , and low as may be , because i would not have it denyed ; that is , that every one that god by his providence hath brought this day here into this assembly , would resolve in their own thoughts , and covenant with god , to spend but one half quarter of an hour in meditating of eternity every day ; there is no such great difficulty in it , to have such thoughts as these renewed every day : this body of mine , though frail and mortal , it must live for ever , and this soul of mine , it must live eternally ; i have spent a great deal of time in seeking after contentment to my flesh for the present , but , o lord , what have i done to provide for eternity ? the renewing of this daily , and setling of this daily upon the heart , what might it do ? it cannot be imagined what it might do : precious are the thoughts of eternity , so precious , that there is many a soul , that would not for a thousand worlds , but have had those thoughts to be setled upon them ; so precious , as many souls are now in heaven , magnifying and blessing of god , that they had such serious thoughts of eternity , before they left this world . certainly , until you come to have your thoughts setled in some measure upon this , you do not understand wherefore you were born , nor unto what you were born ; you never have done any thing to purpose about the great business that god hath sent you into the world for , until you come to have serious working thoughts about eternity : you have had all this while a seduced heart , that hath deceived you , and all your life hath been a dream . if god should begin to dart thoughts into your hearts , and stick them upon your minde , about this argument , now you begin to live , and to awake , it were not possible that any lusts should stand before these thoughts : you complain often of weakness , and that you meet with temptations that are very strong , behold here a means to resist strong temptations , to strengthen you against the strongest temptations that you can possibly meet withal in the world , namely the serious thoughts of things that are beyond this season . it is reported of the customs that have been observed amongst the rites and ceremonies , in making of bishops , they had this speech to them , have eternity in your mindes : o that this speech were renewed upon us , in all our conditions and businesses , that so it may prevail with us , to seek after that which is eternal ! and to that end , that what i speak this way , may not vanish , and come to nothing , ( for it is a serious argument that we are about , & i am loth that it should come to nothing ) consider these motives . first , it is onely the rational creature that knows any thing that is beyond this season : this is the excellency of a rational creature , that it hath any notion about any thing that is eternal : now that god hath made us of such a nature , and no creature else , but us , and angels , surely there is something in it : mens hearts do naturally desire eternity , and think this is good if it might last . that is very observable therefore that we have in hos . . . concerning gods expression of himself to his people ; where he would express himself so as to satisfie his people , he says , i will be as the dew unto israel , he shall grow as the lilly , and cast forth his roots as lebanon . the dew and the lilly are sweet things , but the dew though it be sweet is quickly gone , and the lilly is sweet , but it is observed by the naturalists , that the lilly does not take much root in the earth , therefore mark what follows , and he shall cast forth his roots as lebanon ; you shall have the sweetness of the lilly , but you shall have the roots of lebanon ; lebanon was the place of cedars , and the roots of cedars are deep . they that dwell under his shadow shall return , they shall revive as the corn , and grow as the vine . it might be said the corn lasts but a year , therefore god adds , and grow as the vine ; the vine does not onely bud , and send forth his branches and grapes one year , but the next year , and the next year it continues : therefore that god might present his mercies fully to the hearts of his people , he does present them in this satisfying way , that his mercies shall be abiding mercies . why should we be as children , to run after bubbles ? men seek after inheritances , and to have things made sure for perpetuity , so it should be with us . secondly , let us look upon things that are beyond this season , that are eternal , because that in these times of the gospel , god hath revealed eternity , and eternal things abundantly more clearly then ever they were revealed in the law : in the time of the law there was little made known concerning eternity , but the times of the gospel being renewed , now the treasures of eternity are opened ; immortality is brought to light by the gospel , tim. . . now the glorious things of eternity are set before our eyes , and we the ministers of god are commanded to present them to you , and you living under the gospel , where you hear so much of eternity revealed , it would be dreadful if you should be deceived with things that are but for a season . thirdly , every one of you as you are born , are born with your backs upon gods eternity , and your faces towards hells eternity , and therefore you had need look beyond things that are but for a season , and minde the things of your eternal good with all your might . fourthly , all your eternal good does depend upon the short uncertain moment of your lives ; if the thrid be but cut , and you have not provided for your eternal good , you are lost and undone for ever , you do not know but upon every moment depends eternity . fifthly , know you may be far nearer to the ocean of eternity , then you are aware , and therefore you had need have your thoughts fastened upon eternity ; who knows but that before the morning some that are here may understand what eternity means , and be lanching into the infinite ocean of it : there is many a man that is in his jollity , strength , and health , that is called forth by god , suddenly to lanch into this ocean ; if god call you suddenly before you be ready , what will become of you ? now you may be near it . you that are old are certainly near it , within a few years you must know what eternity means , you shall know a great deal of difference between things that are for a season , and beyond a season : and yong ones may , as we have daily examples ; now you that are yong , consider those examples , and put the case , suppose i had been called to la●●h into eternity , when such a one was called , had i been ready ? what had become of me ? o consider how near you may be unto it , and therefore look not upon things that are temporal , but let your hearts be after things that are eternal . again , consider how happy those souls would think themselves that are in their eternal estates , and are miscarried , if they had time to provide for eternity again . many are gone , and snatched away from all things that are for a season , and are swimming in the infinite ocean of eternal misery , and they look about them , and see vastness , no limits , no end , no land : if they could but come back again , and have their time again , how do you think would they carry themselves about things that are but for a season ? do you think temptations would draw their hearts again ? if company should come to draw them to drinking , and uncleanness , would they yield then ? they would with indignation cast away those temptations , and say , god forbid i should be drawn with these things , that are but for a season , i know what eternity means . o now you have time , improve this argument , and labor to provide for eternity : now prayers and tears may do you good for eternity ; within a while , if you could let streams of blood issue from you , it can do you no good , and if this argument prevail to get off your hearts beyond things that are for a season , there will arise these two questions : o that i did but know how it should go with me eternally ! o how shall i get eternal things to be my portion ! chap. xxviii . how we should know how it will be with us for eternity , and what we should do that it may be well with us eternally . if you say , how shall i know how it shall be with me for eternity ? shall it be well , or not well with my soul when i am beyond things that are for a season ? you may have some guess by those thoughts you have had upon things for eternity : you that have given liberty to your selves , to satisfie your selves in the things of the flesh , and your hearts have been fully satisfied in the things of the world , and this point is a strange point to you , you have cause to conclude with your selves , that you are in a miserable condition for eternity ; but if your consciences can testifie that this point , the getting of your hearts from things that are but for a season , and setting them upon the things that are eternal , is that which the lord hath setled upon your hearts for many years , when you wake in the night , or in the morning , the same thoughts that are presented to me by the word , the lord hath presented to me by his spirit , the strength and chief of my thoughts have been busied about this argument . it is a good sign , that god does intend good for that soul to eternity , whom he is pleased to possess with the thoughts of it so deeply for the present . again consider , could you not wish in your hearts , that you might live always ? and that the content and delight in this world , in meat , and drink , and sports do satisfie you , and you think your selves happy in the enjoyment of them ; certainly god hath not yet savingly made known the things of eternity to you . those that god does prepare for his eternal mercies in heaven , god does take off their hearts from all things in the world ; that if it were put to your choice , though you might have a thousand worlds , you would not have them for your portion ; no , there are more glorious , more excellent things for my soul to have , and therefore god forbid i should have my portion in these things , though they were to endure . augustine brings in plotinus , acknowledging it the mercy of god to man , that his soul is in a mortal body , that the body is not immortal , but that after a little time the bodies of men may be dissolved , and so their souls be there for ever where the soul of the world is ; that is his expression . . a third argument that it shall be well with you for eternity , is this , to know what seeds of eternity god hath begun to plant in your hearts . this is a certain truth , there is no soul that god intends eternal life unto , but god begins eternal life in this world . you know what st. john says , he that hates his brother , hath not eternal life abiding in him . eternal life is begun in this world in all that shall be saved ; therefore think with your selves , what seeds of eternity have i put into my soul ? all common graces , and moral vertues are not a seed that will grow up to eternal life , but saving grace will ; though it be under the clods for the present , it will grow up eternity . fourthly , examine the scriptures , look into the book of god , and see whether the scripture speaks well on your side , because that in this book , in this scripture , there god hath revealed the eternal counsels of his will , and the great things about mans eternal estate : there is little in all the book of the creature , the book of creation , revealed of the counsels of gods will , about bringing man to his eternal estate ; but in this book of the scripture he hath revealed his will concerning this ; and therefore confider , does this speak well of your side ? thus by these arguments you may know how it shall be with you for eternity . but what shall we do to get a portion in those things that shall be eternal ? first , labor to bring all things in subordination to eternity , do not make other things your scope , make them an underling , and take no further content in them , then that they may further your souls to eternity . suppose you have an estate encreasing more then another , what will you do with it ? how will you use it ? wherein do you count the good of it to consist ? that by these things i have coming from god , i hope to make use of them , to fit me for eternal mercies , and to treasure up eternal mercies by a sanctified holy use of these things ; but when temporal things come in , and your hearts rest upon them , without subordination to eternal things , this is infinitely dangerous . secondly , make conscience of the little time you have ; o it is but a little time you have , let that be consecrated and devoted to god : it is eternal happiness that you look for hereafter , why should you not be willing to spend as much of this little time for it as can be ? thirdly , labor to be exact in all that you do , for you are working for eternity . as zeuxis the painter , when he was askt , why he was so accurate in his painting , says he , i paint for eternity : let us in our christian profession be exact in our way , because we live for eternity ; there is nothing that does make men so accurate in their way as this ; and let the men of the world know , that this is the reason of the exactness of the ways of gods people , because they know they live to eternity . hypocrites , who in religious duties aim onely at some present , some temporal good , they are not exact , they rest in outsides ; but the saints who make eternity their aym , are exact in all things , especially those things that have a more immediate influence into eternity . fourthly , be sure all you do , you do upon divine and eternal grounds , take heed of being carnal , and earthly in your spiritual services ; but in all duties in gods worship , look to an eternal god , and let your principles , aims , grounds , and intentions be eternal . the temple was called bethgnolam , the house of eternity ; do all you do in the house of god , in his ordinances , in order to eternity , that it may indeed be an house of eternity unto you . lastly , be sure you be constant , abide constantly to the end , do not onely begin , and now and then in a good mood , have some thoughts of a good life , and providing for your souls , but abide , be constant . and if you take these ways , by this you shall come to choose moses choice . o that now in my winding up of all , by all that hath been said , some soul or other may have cause to bless god in being inclined to choose the same choice : if you would choose moses choice , use moses argument ; and this is the special argument that moved moses to make this choice , he looked upon all these things as for a season , and he looked upon eternity : o that you being moved by moses argument , you may this day be brought to choose moses choice , that you may sing moses song , rev. . , . who shall not fear thee , o lord , and glorifie thy name ? for thou only art holy . o that that choice by this argument were made , that so you might sing hereafter this part of moses song ; o lord , there was a time that i never saw thee in thy glory , and never minded thee , but now lord i see , worthy thou art to be feared , and glorified for ever , for thou art holy : the lord give us hearts upon this argument , to make this choice . moses his choice . the third part. heb. . . esteeming the reproach of christ greater riches then the treasures of egypt , for he had respect unto the recompence of the reward . chap. xxix . the review of moses choice . we have finished the choice of moses , the argument upon which moses went in his choice , and now we are come to this . verse , where we have the review of moses choice , looking back to see what he had chosen , to the consequent of it . he sees that while he joyns himself with the people of god , and suffers affliction , he is like to meet with nothing but reproach and scorn for his labor ; this he sees , & yet he repents not : his judgement still is not onely for his choice , but he does esteem of it highly , as accounting that reproach of christ that he was to suffer , great riches ; and the argument that here he hath , is the greatness of the recompence of the reward , he had an eye unto the recompence of the reward . [ esteeming the reproach of christ : ] reproach is taken either materially , or formally ; materially , so it may be taken for the affliction that he did endure with gods people , that outward mean wretched condition that he was like to suffer with the people of god , this was the matter of the reproach . or otherwise formally , the scorn , contempt , reviling , railing , and all the evil that should be spoken of him when he had left the court , and joyned himself with gods people ; and this formal kinde of reproach is that which is especially meant . [ the reproach of christ : ] how could that reproach that moses suffered , be the reproach of christ ? for christ was not then born , it was a long time after before christ came into the world . christ was present unto moses by the eye of faith , though he were not yet come into the world , christ is the same to day , yesterday , and for ever ; he was the same to the patriarchs and prophets , that he is to us . [ esteeming the reproach of christ greater riches then the treasures of egypt ] moses was not onely content to suffer patiently the reproach of christ , but he counted it his glory , his riches , greater riches then the treasures of egypt . egypt was a rich countrey , and full of treasures ; and therefore in psal . . egypt is called by the name of rahab , and the reason is , because of the pride , and power , and insolency of egypt ; because egypt was a fruitful rich place , therefore they had a great deal of strength , and power , and were lift up with pride ; so isa . . . vide hieronym . upon the place . the king of egypt is called a dragon in the waters : and the chief horses that solomon had , in chron. . they came out of egypt ; and the whore in the proverbs , had her fine linen out of egypt . egypt was a very fruitful country , gen. . . the fruitfulness of that place to which lot turned aside , is described to be the garden of the lord , like the land of egypt : it is called by many horreum caeterarum regionum , the granary of other countreys : hence abraham , when famine was in canaan , went into egypt ; and after , jacob in time of famine sent his sons into egypt ; it is said of it , that they sow almost every moneth . and being such a flourishing place , all kinde of learning was there ; and therefore in king. . . where the greatness of solomons wisdom is set out , it is said , it excelled the wisdom of egypt . in egypt was treasures of riches , and treasures of strength , treasures of the riches of the earth , and treasures of merchandize , and treasures of learning , and yet moses esteemed the reproach of christ , greater riches then all the treasures of egypt . now the points that arise from these words , are these : first , that the people of god have been , and usually are a people under reproach . secondly , the reproach of gods people is the reproach of christ . thirdly , a gracious heart is not only willing to bear reproach when god calls unto it , but in the cause of christ , triumphs and rejoyces in that reproach it suffers . fourthly , the strong argument that moves gods people thus to do , is the eye that they have unto the recompence of the reward . to begin with the first , and that is this : chap. xxx . the condition of gods people is a reproached condition . having now to handle this doctrine , concerning the reproaches that are cast upon gods people , before i speak a word concerning the point , i desire to put this caveat , that none upon hearing the estate of gods people being reproached , shall think to wash away all just reprehension and accusation , and think to answer whatsoever they are accused of with this , that all gods people have been reproached , and therefore think their condition to be but the same that usually gods people have been . first , if that were enough to answer any accusation upon this , then there should never be any reprehension and accusation , the church of god should never proceed against any for any evil . secondly , such as think to put off just reprehensions and accusations thus , have their consciences reproach them more then others do or can reproach them . thirdly , it is not for all to make use of this that i am speaking of , but onely such , whose constant and general way is gracious , and inoffensive ; now if they meet with unjust accusations , and reproachful slanders , they may have the benefit of this , to think it is the usual condition of gods people to be reproached ; but if any have been offensive , and evils break out , they cannot have the benefit of this point , for more evil may be in them then appears ; and thus i lay this caveat to pull up evil weeds , before i sow good seed . and now to the point . the condition of gods people is a reproached condition . they have been a people subject to all maner of evil speaking of them . this the church of god complains of in psal . . . they were not onely a reproach , but god himself gave them over to be a scorn and reproach . isaac that was the son of the promise , we know how he was reproached and contemned by ishmael : and it is observable , when the apostle speaks of the reproach of isaac , in gal. . . it is said , ishmael persecuted isaac ; now that persecution was nothing but his mocking and reproaching of isaac . we read of job , a holy man , how lyable he was to reproach and contempt , job . , . there you may read of the bitter reproaches he had from the abjects , such as he would not set with his dogs , that had not bread to eat , and were driven from men to live among bushes and nettles . in psal . . . david complains , the abjects of the people made a scorn of him ; the basest wretches that are , can finde a taunt , and mock at religion ; reproachers are the most base spirits . in nehemiahs time , those that sought to build the temple were scorned ; in nehem. . . it is said , tobiah the servant , one that had been but a slave , a base wretch , he comes and laughs them to scorn . and so in great mens houses , if the masters do scorn at the godly , the basest servants will do so too . david hath many bitter complaints of the reproach he suffered , i was a reproach among all my enemies , but especially among my neighbors . now the reproaches of professors one against another , are the bitterest , and most vile reproaches : and the reason of it is this , because usually reproach arises from some contestation about excellency : for a prince that is a great deal above another , hath not contestation with beggers , he does not reproach them , nor they him , for this distance is too great ; but reproach is between equals , when one stands in the light of the other ; or from inferiors , who have others by them who are above them , and their excellency stands in their light , and they cast dirt upon their excellency , that theirs may appear the brighter . now those that have a contestation about religion , have a contestation about the greatest excellency , and where their hearts are unsavory , their reproaches will be the bitterest reproaches . in psal . . . i became also a reproach unto them , when they looked upon me , they shaked their heads ; and in other places the drunkards made songs of him . david was a man of such an admirable spirit , the sweet singer of israel , and god had blest him with all things that might make him honorable , and had he not been religious , it were impossible that such a man as he should have endured such reproaches . and we have the church complaining in lam. . . he giveth his cheek to him that smiteth him , he is filled full of reproach . so all the prophets that were the most eminent were reproached , as isaiah ; in isa . . precept upon precept , line upon line , that was a scoff they put upon isaiah ; we have nothing but line upon line , and precept upon precept ; the very sound of the words as they are in the original , carries with them a taunting , reproachful expression , zan la zan , kan la kan , manda remanda , manda remanda ; as scornful people by the tone of their voice , and ryming words , scorn at such as they despise . and so jeremy complains in the bitterness of his spirit , that the word of the lord was made a reproach to him . and ezekiel , see how he was scorned , ezek. . , , &c. and as they did the prophets , so christ , and the apostles ; when they were filled with the spirit of god , they mocked them , and said , they were filled with new wine ; and christ tells them , they shall revile them , and speak all maner of evil unto them . and so st. paul , a man of most admirable parts , yet he says of himself , and of the other apostles , cor. . . being defamed , we intreat ; the word translated defamed , signifies blasphemed . we are made as the filth of the world , and are the off-scouring of all things to this day . we are made the filth of the world , as if we were scraped out of the filth of the filth of the world ; there is an emphasis in that word , the filth of the world ; why the world lies in filth , is even nothing else but filth , as in john . . the whole world lieth in wickedness , as a carrion in the slime of it ; to be accounted the filth of such a filth , is a most vile esteem of one indeed , that filthiness must needs be great . mundus hath the name à munditie of cleanness , but as lucus à lucendo , as mons à monendo , quia minimè lucet , minimè monet , so quia minimè mundus est . and further , the off-scouring of all things ; to be the off-scouring of some things , is not so vile , but of all things , the most base , and contemptible things , how vile is that ? the word signifies the dung-cart that goes through the city , into which every one brings his filth , and casts in : every one had some filth to cast upon paul and the rest of the apostles . and in the primitive times , the people of god were then a people under great reproach : what strange things does tertullian tell us they reproached them withal ; as that in their meetings they made thyestes suppers , who invited his brother to a supper , and presented him with a dish of his own flesh ; they charged them with uncleanness , because they met in the night , ( for they durst not meet in the day ) and said , they blew out the candles when they were together , and committed filthiness : they reproached them for ignorance , saying , they were all unlearned ; and therefore the heathens in tertullians time used to paint the god of the christians with an asses head , and a book in his hand , to signifie , that though they pretended learning , yet they were an unlearned silly people , rude and ignorant . bishop jewel in his sermon upon luke . ver . . cites this out of tertullian , and applyes it to his time : does not our adversaries do the like , saith he , at this day , against all those that profess the gospel of christ ? o say they , who are they that favor this way ? they are none but shoomakers , taylors , weavers , and such as never were at the university . they are the bishops own words . he cites likewise tertullian a little after , saying , that the christians were accounted the publike enemy of state. and josephus tells us of apollinaris , speaking concerning the jews and christians , that they were more foolish then any barbarian . and paulus fagius reports a story of an egyptian , concerning the christians , who said , they were a gathering together of a most filthy leacherous people ; and for the keeping of the sabbath , he says , they had a disease that was upon them , and they were fain to rest the seventh day , because of that disease . and so in st. augustines time he hath this expression , any one that begins to be godly , presently he must prepare to suffer reproach from the tongues of adversaries : and this was their usual maner of reproach ; what shall we have of you , an elias ? a jeremy ? and nazianzen in one of his orations , says , it is so ordinary to reproach , that i cannot think to go free my self . and so athanasius , they called him sathanasius , because he was a special instrument against the arrians . and cyprian , they called him coprian , one that gathers up dung , as if all the excellent things he had gathered in his works were but dung . and if we look into the ways of gods permissive providence in these latter times ; what reproachful , and scornful blood hath run in the veins of wicked men , and what horrid things hath been invented upon the most famous persons of our latter times ? as luther , this report came to him , he being yet alive , that luther upon his death-bed had recanted , and he desired the sacrament , and after he was dead , there was a fearful earthquake that shook the place where he lay , and they saw the host he had taken , hanging in the ayr , and when he was put into the grave , they heard a great noise , but they saw nothing , but a filthy stink arose , and his body was taken away . and so of calvin ; though he had a sweet death , yet was it said by the popish party , that he was eaten up with worms , ( as those said of david , an evil disease cleaves fast to him : ) and then when he was to dye , he called upon the devil , and blasphemed the name of god. and so oecolompadius , that he slew himself ; and others reported , that the devil slew him . it were endless to name the reproaches that we finde of the servants of god that were most eminent . yea , i remember seneca hath such an expression concerning philosophy ; says he , you are not yet happy , if the rout of people do not deride you ; if you will be happy , prepare your selves to contemn being contemned . and an other philosopher says , if one does but begin to set himself to the study of philosophy , he must expect to be scorned and derided . now if this be the wickedness of mens hearts , as they cannot so much as endure moral philosophy , much more if a man begins to walk according to the rule of god. this is that which many fear , and they bring it to keep others from gods ways , and say , if you embrace religion , you will be derided at , and scorned : and by this many are kept from the good ways of the lord ; and therefore i being faln upon this argument , i shall labor to take away this stumbling block , that it may not hinder any . thus you have seen the thing it self , that it is so , that gods people are a people under reproach . now the reasons for it : first , because the men of the world look upon the servants of god , as having very poor low spirits ; now those are men that are liable to contempt and reproach . gods people are not for the braveries of the world , and the glory of the world ; and when they see their hearts are taken off from that which they count the bravery of the world , they contemn them . secondly , they look upon their ways as irrational : there is no reason why men should be so afraid of the least sin , they are stricter then they need , and do more then they need : so that the more earnest gods people are upon their way , the more wicked men will scorn them , because they see them earnest upon that which they see no reason for . again , they think the ways of religion are but imaginary things , and notions , and there is no certainty in them , and think it strange men should suffer for things that are to come they know not when , and are they know not what : and therefore one gives that reason , why cyprian was called coprian , because he gathered such fables and tales , ( meaning the gospel ) as they termed them , which they saw no reason for . but especially it does proceed from the pride and malice of wicked men ; from pride , and swelling , and envying one at another ; a proud and envious man will seek to cast disgrace upon that excellency that himself wants , as licinius who was joyned with galerius in the empire , being ignorant himself , not being able so much as to write his own name , he was an enemy to learning , and as eusebius reports of him , he called the liberal arts , a publike poyson and pestilence . what was the reason that should cause sanballat and tobiah to make such a stir to reproach nehemiah ? certainly the ground was this , sanballat and tobiah were in samaria with a mixt people , and they had got a temple , and endeavored to magnifie that ; now they thought that the temple of nebemiah would darken the glory of their temple , and therefore they sought to cast disgrace upon them , to bring them into contempt . and the malice of mens hearts , when it cannot vent its self by open persecution , then it will vent its self by the persecution of the tongue ; malice makes men very watchful , to observe any thing whereby it may gain matter of reproach , and malice will make men exceeding inventive to finde out strange ways of reproach , and exceeding bold in venturing upon reproaches . for the first , that place is remarkable in proverbs . . an ungodly man diggeth up evil , and in his lips there is a burning fire ; if things be not plain and fair enough , because he hath an evil spirit , he will dig up evil , if he can dig up any old business to reproach them for . now the ways of invention , that malice hath to reproach upon the ways of god , are many : as the straining of any word to the utmost , and putting glosses , and false interpretations upon words ; and thus it is easie to make any man a transgressor for a word , yea , for any word , as it was with those , isa . . . they make a man an offender for a word , and lay a snare for him that reproveth in the gate . a second way is , by casting out doubtful speeches ; they will not accuse one directly , because it will be a shame to them , if it be false , but they cast out doubtful speeches , they know some will turn them the worst way , and if they be examined , they can turn them another way , to save themselves . another invention , is some secret intimations that others may gather , and it cannot be said they spake any thing , but by some gesture or the like , others may gather something . fourthly , to speak things as from others , and not from themselves , and in the speaking of them to say , i believe such things are not true , and yet they spread the report . another way is to speak evil , and yet so , as to manifest a great deal of grief and sorrow for such reports , and secretly desire that they may spread , and take where they come . sixthly , when they want apparent matter for reproach , they will pretend some love to get matter for reproach : so you may read in ezra . , . when the adversaries of judah could not reproach them apparently , they pretended love , and this and that , they sought the same god they did , and would sacrifice to him , and therefore would build with them . so sanballat and tobiah desired to meet lovingly with nehemiah to take counsel together , but in this they intended his reproach . yea sometimes , to speak some truths with reproach , to make it to be believed the more . it is said , john . . that there is no lye of the truth , these men make the truth to be serviceable to a lye , they raise the strength of a lye , even out of the truth . we might be abundant in shewing the ways of invention that malice hath , to cast dirt and shame upon those that it hath an evil eye upon . eighthly , if there be any shew of suspition of evil , to make it a certainty , and so to carry it in the report , as if it were surely so , this is a great wrong ; for every man is in possession of his good name , until the contrary be made out , and in doubtful things the possessor hath the advantage , but in this way of malice , this his priviledge is taken away ? ninthly , if there be any thing conceived evil , that hath any nearness or likeness to that which is done , malice will fasten that evil upon what is done , as if it were that ; as appears notably in the example we have ezra . of rehum the chancellor , and shimshai the scribe , and the rest of their companions , as the holy ghost calls them , ver . . in their reproachful accusation of the people of god ; whereas the text speaks onely of their building the temple , yet they accuse them for building the rebellious city , that thereby they might free themselves from subjection to the king. thus while gods people seek to build the temple , to set up the ordinances of christ , they are accused for disturbing the commonwealth ; because they cannot do as others do , because they cannot subject their consciences to men , therefore they are reproached and accused , as disturbers of the state , enemies to government , &c. tenthly , malice will teach men to draw consequences a great way off from the premises , that it may fasten reproach upon those they have an evil eye upon , although in truth there be no dependance of that which they affirm upon that which they draw it from : as in the former example , ezra . ver . . certifie the king , that if this city be built again , and the walls thereof set up , by this means thou shalt have no portion on this side the river ; it was a consequence that they could not conclude from what they affirmed of them . thus it is with many in their reproaches and accusations of religious men , if they be suffered to have their way in that which they pretend is for conscience , they will grow rebels , they will not live under government : surely there is no dependance of rejecting government upon religion , upon subjection to the truth in a conscientious way . and as it is inventive , so it is bold to venture strangely upon such things that men know they may be easily found in . it was the speech of the jesuit campian , reproach valiantly , somewhat will stick , though it may be easily answered by those who know the matter , yet the noise will go further then the examination , and much will stick by it . a fifth reason of the reproach of gods people , is from the malice of the devil , because the devil knows there is no such way to darken religion , and to damp the hearts of people from embracing it . and therefore it is observed of julian , he would not go the way that other emperors did , to oppose religion by open persecution , but sought all means to cast reproaches and contempt upon religion , and by that means many were drawn from religion : and certainly , where we see that reproaches are cast upon such as are religious , this is the end , to suppress religion , there the devil hath a great hand , and hopes to prevail much . again , god ( sometimes ) hath a special hand in this . why does god suffer this ? sometime for the correction of his people ; sometime for the good of his people . first , for the correction of his people : there are seven or eight sins punished in gods people by reproaches that are cast upon them . first , that they have not been so tender of the name of god as they should have been , you have not been affected with the wrongs that have been done to the name of god , and therefore god suffers you to suffer in your names . secondly , the inordinate desire of a name , because we are so ready to desire a name abroad , and to have esteem in the world , and are more solicitous about credit with men , then credit in heaven , therefore god sometimes crosseth his people , and suffers filth and dirt to be cast upon them , to correct this sin . thirdly , it may be you have not done that good to others which you might have done , therefore god uses them as a scourge to you this way . fourthly , it may be it is because you have not been tender of the name of others , and therefore god suffers you to suffer in the same kinde . says chrysostom , when you hear any reproach you , you should think , have not i reproached others ? or , have not i heard the reproaches of others , and been delighted with them ? or , not affected with them , to grieve as i ought ? fifthly , god suffers this , because many times you have taken ill the reprehension of your sins by gods ministers , and have thought your selves disgraced , and therefore god may justly punish this , by casting disgrace upon you , you shall be disgraced indeed by the tougues of wicked men . sixthly , because many times gods people will put fair colours upon evil actions , hence god suffers their enemies to put foul colours upon good actions : we are ready to say , good lord , that ever we should suffer such things , when we labor to walk so strictly , and our consciences witness so well for us , that yet there should be such aspersions ! god punishes this ; you have done evil with fair pretences , and therefore now though your actions be never so good , you shall have foul colours put upon them ; your evil actions you made seem to be glorious , now your good actions shall appear as if they were foul . seventhly , because the people of god have not been careful to finde out the secret evil and filth of their hearts , therefore god will cast outward filth upon them , this is usual . eighthly , though we be conscious of a great deal of evil between god and our hearts , we many times are not ashamed of that , and therefore because god will have us ashamed of our filth , he suffers filth to be cast upon us outwardly . secondly , god intends good to his people , that they might know themselves ; and though the world have not sufficient reason to accuse them as guilty , it may be a slander from another , and yet i know my self guilty ; and though not guilty of that , yet by this i may be put to search some other evil that i am guilty of that is as great . again , they may make them watchful for time to come ; though they be not guilty now , they may be guilty of that evil afterward . now what a mercy of god is this to stop our way , though it be by filth ? if a man be stopped from falling into a dangerous pit , though it be by a heap of dirt , he accounts it a mercy . thirdly , they recover them out of much evil : so that i may compare the reproaches of gods people to the rags of jeremy , when jeremy stuck in the mire in the dungeon , he was pulled out by rags , and so these reproaches of wicked men are rags that may pull us out of evil . fourthly , god sanctifies these to his people , to make them more fruitful ; they may be compared to the dung that husbandmen cast upon their ground , they scrape up filth and dung together to lay upon their ground , whereby it is more fruitful ; so god suffers wicked men to gather up all the filth that can be , and cast upon his people , which is but as dung to make fat the soil , the hearts of gods people , to make them to be more fruitful in their way ; as indeed never do gods people more thrive in the way of godliness , then when many enemies are set to watch them . and thus we have done with the explication of the point . chap. xxxi . what use there is to be made of the reproaches the condition of gods people is liable to . if it be thus , that the estate of gods people is an estate liable to reproaches , then you that have any inclination to the ways of god , examine whether you can take his way upon these terms : can you be content to be made a by-word and reproach , and to have men cast all maner of filth upon you ? he is like to hold out in the ways of godliness , that can be content to be made a by-word and reproach for godliness , it is an argument that the soul is resigned up to god for ever : the reason that some give of that order of the law , concerning the servant that would serve his master for ever , that he must come to the door and have his ear bored , was that he might give an evident demonstration , that he was indeed willing to be his masters for ever , if he would be content to endure such a reproach as that was esteemed to be amongst the jews : boring the ear was a note of ignominy ; his ear was bored , says cajetan , to that end , that if he feared not perpetual servitude , be might at least be afraid of publike ignominy , and therefore he was brought to the door , that he might have many to look on him , and be witnesses of this his shame . secondly , it should teach the godly to be accurate in their way : you live amongst those that will observe you , and cast filth on your faces , take heed you give no just occasion ; it is enough we shall suffer without any just cause , let us take heed they take no filth out of our own bosoms , and cast upon our faces , that will be grievous indeed , when our consciences shall joyn with their reproaches . god threatens , hos . . ult . as a great affliction , that his people shall be derided by the egyptians , this shall be their derision in the land of egypt ; to have the wicked deride us , and that for our sin , is a grievous misery ; make me not a scorn , says david , to fools : it is a great evil for a professor of religion to make himself a scorn to the fools of the world ; if they will reproach us , let it be for forwardness in gods ways , and not for our sin ; sin is onely a just reproach , and therefore when joshua circumcised the people , it is said , he took away their reproach , therefore the place was called gilgal , because their reproach was rouled away ; bodily uncircumcision was a reproach , much more is spiritual uncircumcision : let us take heed we do not manifest any filth to them , being you live among those that will revile you , whose tongues in scripture are compared to three things , a rasor , a sword , and an arrow : a rasor that will take off every little hair , so a reviling tongue will not onely take advantage of every gross sin , but the least thing that another can hardly see . secondly , it is compared to a sword , a sword that wounds , so the tongues of revilers do a great deal of mischief : but a sword can do mischief onely near hand , it cannot do mischief afar off ; and therefore , thirdly , it is compared to an arrow , that can do mischief a great way off , as far as one can see a man , and so revilers do not onely mischief to a man in the town where they live , but a great way off in other towns : now if mens tongues be rasors , and swords , and arrows , the people of god had need take heed how they walk , and walk accurately , to give no just cause of reproach , that so the reproach may fall upon themselves . the third use of the point is this , gods people are a people lyable to reproach : let those who are such , from hence be exhorted , that they do not further this , i mean by reproaching one another ; it is enough that the servants of god are lyable to reproach from the world , and from those that are without , let not this be furthered by those that are within , upon every pettish humor , or every discontent , presently to be casting filth one upon the face of another , this is a thing unbeseeming religion . hereby you come to deprive your selves of that evidence of the truth of grace , from whence many of gods servants receive so much comfort , love to gods people : while they are in your way your hearts are towards them , but if they do cross you , your hearts are as perverse and froward , and appear as malicious as the hearts of any : so that the love you had to them , was because they were in your way , and not because they were the servants of god : now if you have a heart , though you becrossed by them , to put it up without casting dirt upon their faces , your evidence will be strengthned , that you love them though they be opposite to you . do not you tear the flesh of one another by reproaches ? it is enough that the bryers and thorns of the wilderness do tear our flesh and our names ; let there not be bryers and thorns amongst our selves to tear our flesh . if children be casting mire and dirt upon the faces of one another , how unbeseeming is it ? and if the father sees them , how provoked is he to correct them both ? and so if we upon some pettish mood , cast dirt upon one another , expect some severe judgement from god : if children be casting dirt upon one another , this is enough to make them leave , your father sees you : and so you that are brethren of a church , and are casting filth upon one another , know your father sees you : we should not cast reproaches upon an enemy . it is a notable speech reported of one memon , that was general of darius army , when he was fighting against alexander , one of his soldiers reproached alexander ; the general came to him and smote him , says he , i did not hire you to reproach alexander , but to fight against him : if a heathen cannot endure the reproaches of his enemy , how much less should god endure his children reproaching one another ? it was a brave speech of calvin , though luther call me a devil , yet i will honor him as a servant of god : and so though those that are our brethren , do cast reproach upon us , we should honor the grace of god in them , and not cast reproach upon them again , for these reproaches are bitterness . but the main use of the point is an use of direction , how to carry our selves under reproach ; this is the estate of gods people , it hath been so , and does continue so , and is like to continue so ; it should teach us , as to make account of them , so when they befal us , to behave our selves christianly under them . this is a lesson of use , wherefore in this lesson of bearing reproaches , take these things . first , labor to bear your reproaches christianly , not stoically , insensibly ; for certainly they are afflictions : a good name is a precious oyntment , and therefore reproaches , though never so wrongfully , are afflictions , and not to be born insensibly . secondly , not to bear them desperately , not to care what become of your names , as many desperate wretches will do . let men speak the worst of me , i care not , i must appeal to god : though it is true , innocency is a good bulwark , yet we are not onely to care to approve our selves to god , but we are to care to approve our selves to men ; and not onely to have a good esteem in heaven , but to have a good esteem in the world , to provide things honest before all men , especially amongst the people of god , and the churches of god ; for to have an evil name , is a great judgement of god , isa . . . ye shall leave your name for a curse . for people to say , they care not what men say of them , it is a great evil , for by this it appears they are not affected with shame ; and those that are not affected with shame before others , they are deprived of a special bridle that should keep them from evil , and a special means to further repentance . and besides , it is an argument there is no worth , no good in thee who art so careless ; those who have any true worth , will be careful to preserve it , but others are desperate : as a man that hath a good garden , full of good flowers and herbs , will be careful to pull up every weed , but if the place be a dunghil , or over-grown , he neglects it : wherefore let us labor to behave our selves christianly , not carelesly , desperately under reproach . again , we must not carry our selves passionately under reproach ; though it is true , it is good to be sensible of the wrong done to our names , more then the wrong done to our estates , yet neither are the wrongs to our names nor to our estates to be born passionately . there are five evils follow upon this distemper of heart . first , there is a great disturbance to the spirit , and that is a greater evil to have the heart disturbed , then to have a great deal of dirt cast upon us : to have a disturbance within the body , is worse then a violent motion without . secondly , we are made lyable to discover a great deal of evil in us , that though we are unjustly reproached , yet we may discover so much evil , as to be a just cause of reproach . thirdly , we do feed the humor of those that reproach , they have part of their end to see us so disturbed . fourthly , we shew the baseness of our spirits , to be so soon put out of frame . seneca speaking of the complaint of those that are under reproach , they are , says he , the complaint of squeamish spirits . fifthly , it is a means to make others to think we are guilty : there is no means whereby i would think one were guilty of what he is reproached , as that , namely , a mighty inordinate passion at hearing of those things . if you hear a couple disputing , commonly he that wants arguments for his case , will fall into giving ill language , and passion , and therefore those men that have power over their passion in reasoning , do what they can to bring those they reason withal into passion , for then they have them at their will : and so those that are brought into passion , when they are reproached , gives a great suspition of the weakness of their cause , and are thought to be guilty . fourthly , let us not carry our selves revengefully under our reproaches , not to desire the reproachers might have an evil name in the same kinde : it is ordinary for people that are reproached to do thus , but many though they dare not say so , yet secretly they would be willing that those that do reproach them , might have an evil name . but where have we those that do labor to clear the innocency of those that do reproach them ? it would be the glory of christians , to be so far from revenge to those that reproach them , as to clear their innocency , and to speak well of them as occasions serve , as the apostle says , we being defamed , we intreat , and are not glad if they fall into any evil : many people if any have spoken evil of them , and they fall into evil , how does it please them ? let us suffer never so much , god forbid we should think the evil of our reproach so great , as to be glad to have it wiped away with any sin against god : such and such have sinned such and such sins , and by those sins my reproach is wiped away , and therefore i am glad : god forbid we should have the wiping away of our reproaches at so dear a rate . we read in hosea . of the great charge that was laid upon the priests , they eat up the sin of the people , because the priests had some advantage by the sins that the people committed , for they brought sacrifices for their sin , and the priests had part , upon this they set their hearts , upon the sin of the people ; this is an abominable thing , to be glad of the sin of another , because of any advantage that comes to us by it . true it is , god shall have a great deal of glory by clearing the innocency of his servants , but we must not desire that god may have his glory this way by the commission of any sin , nor rejoyce in such a way of gods glory . but the special and most ordinary revenge in the bearing of reproaches , is reviling again , speaking evil for evil , if they call you one ill name , you will call them another , this is unbeseeming christians : and consider what evil is in it . first , this is that which is most opposite to the spirit of jesus christ , and the spirit of gods people ; that place you know , pet. . . who when he was reviled , reviled not again ; if you profess your selves to be christs , you must not revile again when you are reviled : and so the spirits of gods servants , as st. paul and the martyrs , when they were reviled , they would not give ill language again . again , by reviling you come to harden those that reproach you in their sin ; when they sin and see the same sin in you , they think they do not worse then you , so they come to be hardned in their sin , and you come to be guilty of their sin , you turn their sin to be yours , because you harden them in theirs . thirdly , you by this means stir up more corruption , and more sin ; whereas those that know what sin means , and are tender of it , they should by all means labor to suppress it , and beat it down , as when a neighbors house is on fire , we will labor what we can to quench it , and not to put more fire to it ; shall we have more care of our neighbors house , then of our neighbors soul ? his heart is on fire , and his tongue is on fire , and will you bring more fire ? this is abominable . fourthly , you come by this means to adde your sin to his sin : what , is not god dishonored enough by his reviling , but must you adde to gods dishonor ? again fithly , here you shew your exceeding folly , that you do not apprehend a greater evil in the evil of sin , then in the evil of suffering : for if we did apprehend the evil of suffering to be less then the evil of sin , we would never labor to deliver our selves from the evil of suffering by the evil of sin ; let a man come and cast dirt in your face , the worst that can be in this is an evil of suffering at first , till you make your selves guilty , but how will you deliver your selves by the evil of sin ? what ignorance is this ? are you acquainted with the ways of god ? is this the way to clear your selves , by defiling your selves more ? that filth that comes out of you , defiles you more then that which is cast upon you from without . again further , another evil that comes from this reviling , is this , you shew a vile , base spirit , as if you had no other means to deliver you from an ill name , but an ill tongue ; those that know any excellency that they have in themselves , will know that there are a great many other ways to deliver themselves from an ill name , rather then an evil tongue . but you are put to your shifts , you have evil cast upon you , and you have no way to deliver your selves from this evil but by your reviling tongue . it is a sign there is no excellency in you , nothing but baseness in you . seneca says of those that are disorderly affected with reproaches that are cast upon them , they shew that there is no wisdom , nor no confidence of any excellency in themselves to oppose that evil . again , hereby you come to be injurious to your selves , you deprive your selves from any help of god to clear your names : if you had hearts to commit your selves to god , he would provide for you ; but when you seek to clear your selves this way , you put your selves from any care that god should have to provide for you . that we read of david , psal . . , , , . is very observable , they which seek my hurt , saith he , speak mischievous things , and imagine deceits all the day long , but i as a deaf man heard not ; and again , verse . i was as a man that heareth not ; but mark verse . in thee o lord do i hope , thou wilt hear : the less he heard , the more confidence he had in god that he would hear , and could the more comfortably commit his cause to him ; but if he had been too quick to hear himself , god would not readily have heard for him , and what had he got by that ? now by all this you cannot but be convinced in your thoughts , that it is a great evil to revile again , and you that have been guilty of this , let your hearts smite you , and know what cause you have to be humbled before the lord. but is it possible not to revile again ? who can but do so when they come and give such ill language , so injurious , so false ? those that have the spirit of christ can do otherwise . those that know the evil of sin to be a greater evil then the evil of suffering , can do this . and those that are wise , and will not mischief themselves , can do this . can any by reproaches force you to take a knife and cut your selves ! if they force you to commit sin , they force you to worse . certainly you think every man is in bondage ; consider what miserable bondage men should be in , for to be in the power of their enemies , when they list to make them to mischief themselves , can there be any worse bondage ? for an enemy to draw any body where he will , is not so much , but to make me to hurt my self , this is a great and a sore bondage indeed . wherefore there is no contending with reproaches this way by reproaching again , here the overcomer is the loser . when demosthenes was reproached by one , i will not , saith he , strive with thee in this kinde of fight , in which he that is overcome is the better man. fiftly , take heed you be not hindred in your way , or break off your course when you are reproached : what though there be filth cast in the way , shall we decline our way ? though the clouds do arise , and darken the light of the sun , does the sun cease in its course , and cease shining because it is darkned ? no , it goes on its course and shines till it breaks forth : so you are going on , shining in a good conversation , some come and cast reproach upon your way , and darkens your course ; what , shall you cease ? no , go on , and in time you will break through the clouds . was there ever such a fool as to be jeered out of his inheritance ? a man hath an inheritance worth a thousand pounds a year , and a company shall go and scorn him , and contemn him , and reproach him , and he shall be rather willing to part with his inheritance then to be thus jeered ; was there ever any such a fool ? is not our way of religion a greater inheritance to us , then an inheritance of a thousand pounds a year ? if you should be moved to go out of your way upon reproaches , know that this will be infinite more reproach to you , then if all the men of the world did cast reproach upon you ; this will reproach you to your conscience , and that before god and all the angels and saints , before all gods people . and then besides , this will further reproach you before wicked men too , you will be the more scorned and vilified . i remember a speech of a heathen philosopher , if any man begin to embrace philosophy , he must be reproached ; they will say , what , we shall have a philosopher of you by and by , what pride and conceitedness is this ? but do you still go on in your way , and those who reproached you before , will after admire you : but if you fall off , after you have begun ( not being able to bear reproach ) this , says he , deserves a double reproach : your reproachers will reproach you much more , they will say , here is a time-server , who will do any thing as the times serve for his turn . none so much contemned as apostates . those that opposed nehemiah , and sought to hinder his work , did it to reproach him , if he had left his work for reproaching , they would have reproached him much more : how would this cut you to the heart , that those that did reproach you , if you go out of the way , should reproach you much more ? consider , does this beseem the spirit of a christian ? had you ever any experimental knowledge of the evil of sin , or any good in the ways of god ? will this be an answer before god , when you come to give an account why you went out of your way ? lord , i suffered so much reproach , i could not bear it . and again , will it not be just with god , for to suffer you to fall into some vile scandalous sin to be reproached for , after another maner ? because that you would not suffer reproach for his name , you should suffer reproach for your sin . these are the things we are to be warned of . chap. xxxi . how we are to bear reproaches . but how are we to bear reproaches ? we are to bear our reproaches wisely , patiently , fruitfully , joyfully , and to return good for evil . first , we are to bear them wisely : there is a great deal of wisdom required in bearing of reproaches and evils that men are accused of , the exercise of wisdom does appear much in the bearing of reproaches , though we should not be insensible , yet not to take too much notice of every reproach that is castp on us . it was the speech of a philosopher , when one was reproaching of him , some told him they deride thee ; but says he , i am not derided , i will not take to my self that which is cast upon me : it is wisdom for people to go away , and take but little notice of any thing that is cast upon them , and therefore when upon every idle reproach , there come a company tatling , and say , such a one says thus and thus ; such should be sent away with an angry countenance , it is a dishonor to you to receive them , as if you would take notice of every word , and as if you had no other things to take up your thoughts . dionysius having not very well used plato at the court , when he was gone , he feared lest he should write against him , therefore he sent after him , to bid him not to write against him , says he , tell dionysius , i have not so much leisure as to think of him : so we should let those that reproach us to know , that we have not leisure to think of them ; as s. paul , when the viper came upon his hand , he shaked it off , some would have swelled , and almost dyed at the very sight of such a thing but he did but shake it off : and so should we do by our reproaches ; when reproaches are opposed they do grow , as hair the more it is cut the more it grows , when they are despised they will vanish away ; there is a great deal of evil comes by making much ado about reproaches . first , by this means they are kept up in the mouthes of people , and so the evil is worse , as a dunghil stirred stinks the worse . again , it may occasion those that reproach us , to raise up things that were dead a great while ago , and adde that to our reproach . again , it may occasion abundance of new matter , though false , to make our reproaches greater . if a man should undertake to answer every reproachful speech , there would be no end ; for the devils breast , says luther , is very fruitful with lyes : again , our making much stir , does but stir them the more that do reproach us , and by making ado and stir , it comes to be more divulged . lastly , when we do stir , if we do not clear every little minute to the utmost , it will be a means to make us suspected of all , and therefore do not take much notice of reproaches . it is a notable example that we finde of one pericles as he was sitting before others in a meeting , a foul-mouthed fellow railed upon him all the day long ; at night when it was dark , and the meeting broke up , the fellow followed him and railed at him even to his door , and he took no notice of him what he said , but when he came at home , this is all he said , it is dark , i pray let my man light you home . but men will take me for guilty if i let it pass quietly . not so , we know many times christ himself took no notice of a great deal of evil that was said against him , so that the rulers wondred , how is it that they lay these things to your charge , and you answer nothing ? again , rather the other will shew us guilty ; it was a speech of ambrose concerning those that cannot suffer reproach , while they clear themselves guilty , they approve themselves to be more guilty of that evil which is said against them . obj. but we shall hearten them more in accusing of us . answ . no , it will rather be a means to hearten them by keeping a stir , for then they have something to feed upon . obj. how shall we stop their mouthes ? ans . first , walk innocently , innocency wil clear all , and overcome in time ; hence david saith , that thou mayest be clear when thou judgest . st. paul quoting this , rom. . . he hath it , that thou mayest overcome when thou judgest ; he puts overcome for clear , because those who are clear will overcome . but more then this in the second place , you must labor to be eminent in that which is quite contrary to that which you are reproached for : perhaps he reproaches you for one that is a dissembler , labor for the greatest eminency of plainness of heart and sincerity : if it be for covetousness , labor to be eminent in liberality , & doing good wisely , not where they would have you , but in a gracious way , ordering your affairs by discretion : if it be for pride , clear your selves not by yielding to their humor , but labor for an eminency of humility another way , that those that can judge right may see there is humility in you : thus labor to entertain reproaches with wisdom . secondly , labor to bear reproaches patiently . and therein first i shall labor to take away those pleas whereby men are hindred in their patience . secondly , i will shew what powerful arguments there are for bearing reproaches . thirdly , give some means how to bear them patiently . first , to take away the pleas and objections that people have against patience . some will say , if it were not wrongfully , i could bear it , it would never grieve me . one would wonder that ever there should come such a foolish speech out of the mouth of a reasonable creature ; if there be any thing that should uphold your hearts , it should be your innocency , therefore let not such a speech be heard out of a man or womans mouth , much less out of a christians mouth ; if your guilt would encrease the burthen of the reproach , as most certainly it would , then it would be harder to bear it being guilty , then now it is being innocent . but this is that which sinks my heart , it is a reproach that takes away my name , even from those that are godly , and they come by these reproaches to have hard thoughts of me ; and this is the greatest affliction , for an outward affliction , under heaven . it is true , zedekiah feared more to be mocked of the jews then of the chaldeans ; it is certainly a sorer affliction to be reproached by the professors of religion , then by any others ; but yet god is pleased to exercise his people many times with this affliction also ; and it may be god sees this to be the most seasonable and suitable to exercise you withal , because he would wholly take off your hearts from other things , and satisfie your souls with himself alone ; and blessed is that man that can make this use of it , to get his heart the more close and fully to god. it is the blessing of god upon you , that your heart is above the reproaches of other men ; if god will exercise you with an affliction that you are sensible of , it is fit you should yield your self unto him in it : would you have god exercise you in such afflictions as are onely easie to be born , of which you should not be sensible ? it is the bitterness of them that causeth them to work , if they were not bitter , as to make you sensible , it is not like they would be profitable . thirdly , some cannot tell how to bear their reproaches , because it is not onely a disgrace to their name , but it hinders their service in gods church , by this means they come to have ill esteem , and are not like to do so much good in the church of god , which i confess is a great matter . let no man lay so much upon his service he shall do , but let god have his work his own way , and god expects this humility from us , that he may have his work done his own way , and if god pleaseth he may make use of us to do so much work for him , as if our names were never so clear : the prophets were scorned and reproached , and did they never do service ? and st. paul , never any man in the world that ever did god more service , and yet no man that ever was so much reproached as he ; he was whipped up and down as if he had been a rogue , and he was fain to go about in tatters , not having wherewithal to cover his nakedness , and had not bread to put in his body , and was called a seditious fellow , and counted the filth of all things ; and yet this st. paul was used as the most worthy instrument of gods service that ever was since the world began , next christ himself . secondly , the arguments that may move us to bear reproaches patiently . first , a christian is called to do and suffer great things for god , and strong and glorious is the grace of god that is in a man where it is true ; now if christianity shall not enable to bear reproaches , what will it enable you to do ? does not the scripture speak of the excellency , and the glory , and the power of the grace of god ? what excellency , and power , and glory is in it , if it cannot do this ? now christians that are called to do and suffer such great things , should be above the reproaches of the world . seneca would not have them called miseries , but trouble some things , concerning which we cannot say a wise man overcomes them , but he is so far above them , as he is scarce sensible of them ; if it be not out of stupidity or discontentedness , but out of true magnanimity of spirit , that one is not sensible of such things , this beseems a christian well . now if a christian having received the grace of god , should not think much of any misery that he is capable of in this world , then surely he should not have his heart sink when there is but a troublesome thing befaln him . it was the speech of xenophon , when one came and reproached him , says he , you have learned how to reproach , and i have learned how to bear reproach . and aristippus the philosopher said , you are fit to cast reproaches , and i am fit to hear reproaches . secondly , what are you ? or what is your names that you should think much to bear reproach ? when as others that are your betters , that are not so vile , not so guilty as you , not so lyable to reproach as you ; when as others of gods servants , that have been most eminent in grace and parts , have been under exceeding reproach ; yea , others whose names have been far more worth then yours , there have been more use of their names , and credits , and honors , then of yours , and yet god hath so ordered it in his providence , that reproaches and aspersions have been cast upon them , and do you think so much to be reproached ? what do we think of our flesh better then others , that we should not endure trouble in it ? and what do we think of our names , that we cannot endure reproaches in them . yea , not onely others that are better then you , but god and christ is reproached : how is the name of god slighted ? the basest wretch that will tremble before his master , thinks himself good enough to blaspheme the name of god : how is the majesty , soveraignty , and authority of god contemned in the world ? how are the dreadful threatnings of god , and the revelation of gods wrath scorned in the world ? when as we hear out of the word such dreadful manifestations of gods wrath against sin , which calls for trembling hearts , yet how are they slighted in the world ? thus god is reproached , and christ : no man is able to bear so much contempt as christ beares daily , says luther : not to speak of the reproaches that christ endures in his people , but the reproaches that he endured in his person , in his preaching ; how was he contemned in luke . . when he preached against covetousness , the pharisees scorned at him ; the word signifies , they blew their noses at him : you know how he was called a devil , a samaritan , a wine-bibber , a friend of publicans and sinners ; what worse can be imagined then was cast upon christ ? they spit on his face , that blessed face of his , that the waves of the sea were afraid of , and that the sun withdrew its light from , as not being fit to behold it , and yet they put thorns upon his head , and bowed to him in reproach ; yea , in his misery how was he reproached , when he was upon the cross , they nodded their heads at him , and said , he that could save others , let him come down and save himself . again , consider the great mercy of god in concealing the secret sins of your thoughts : there are none , let them be never so innocent in the world , yet there is so much filth and baseness within the heart , that if god should but turn the inside outward , and discover all to the world , certainly it would make them ashamed of the society of men , make them ashamed to come into the congregation ; what confusion , and what matter of reproach would there be then ? now , seeing god in his goodness favors his people so far , as he keeps in much secret evil that he could discover before the world : if he should withdraw himself a little from you , he could let you fall into such sins , as your secret sins should be discovered ; but god favors your names , so as that he hath kept in that secret evil that you have had secret inclinations unto ; now the consideration of gods goodness in tendring you so far , may very well quiet your hearts when you begin to be troubled for every reproach that is cast upon you : now i see my adversaries are fain to watch and search , and pry for occasion of reproach , god might have given them matter enough , and therefore its mercy they have such little matter as they have . it is a great work of nature to keep the filth of the body when it is in a man from being unsavory unto others ; so the filth of the soul , though it be unsavory to god , yet it is gods mercy that keeps it from that unsavoriness that it might be to men . fifthly , consider how much reproach the name of god hath endured for your sakes ; and is it so great a matter for your names to be reproached for his sake ? it is a notable speech chrysostom hath , that for us and for our life our lord should be blasphemed , is worse then if we perished ; hath not the name of god been reproached for your sakes ? not onely in the time of your ignorance , but since ; have there not been occasion given by you , to cause others to reproach the name of the blessed god ? and if god comes to you in your names , do you take it so ill ? again , consider who those are that do reproach you , and for what it is . it is the speech of an ancient , that a reproacher is beneath a man , but the reproached that bear it well , are equal to the angels . the hebrew word that signifies scorners , hath many other significations which set out the vileness , the dangerous evil there is in a scornful spirit ; the seventy , besides that of scorning , have five other words to shew the signification of it , as first , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , in the first psalm , in the chair of scorners , they translate it by a word that signifies the plague , in the chair of plagues , because scorners are a plague to the place where they live , and do infect many ; a second word that they use to express it by , is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , prov. . . which signifies incorrigible , that which cannot be tamed , because scorners are such ; wine is a scorner , res indomita , an unruly thing that cannot be tamed , because it makes men to be so , and so are scorners , there is little hope of such : thirdly , sometimes they translate it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , prov. . . as such as are given up to all kinde of vice , and so are scorners : and fourthly , by a word that signifies proud , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , prov. . . for such likewise are scorners : fifthly , by a word that signifies to deal unjustly , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , psal . . . because scorners are injurious . thus you see what kinde of men those who scorn and reproach the ways and professors of religion are . but besides , they are especially such as have been brought up superstitiously or prophanely ; such as have been bred in superstitious popish families , are many times bitter scorners and reproachers of those who are most forward in the ways of godliness . we read kings . . when elisha went to bethel , there came forth little children out of the city and mocked him , and said unto him , go up thou bald head , go up thou bald head ; that is observable , they came out of bethel , which was that idolatrous city in israel , where the calf of jeroboam was set up , that place was full of scorners at the prophets of the lord ; you may know the temper of the place , by the disposition of the little children , they usually heard their parents and those who were elder scorn at the prophets of the lord , they were brought up in that way , and because it was at bethel , the curse of god was the rather upon their children to destroy them , although they were but children , yet two and forty of them were presently destroyed . hosea . . we read of those who were elder , the great ones in that city , even jeroboam himself , and his courtiers , what scorners they were , in the day of our king , the princes have made him sick with bottles of wine , he stretched out his hand with the scorners . the princes , nobles , officers , great ones of the countrey , jeered and scorned at those , who would not yield to that way of worship that jeroboam had set up , namely of the calves ; o they must be so precise , as no worship will serve their turn , but going up to jerusalem to worship there ; such as ventured the loss of their estates , their offices , their liberties , they accounted them fools , and reproached them as a company of simple silly people . and as superstition is a cause of this , so prophaneness and sensuallity causeth it likewise ; that is observable in the forenamed place of hosea , when he was made sick with wine , then he streched out his hand with scorners ; when wicked men pamper themselves with good cheer , and their hearts are hot with wine , then they scorn at religion , and reproach such as are more strict and forward then others , blessing themselves in the brave life they live , contemning the ways of godliness , and the professors of them , as such who want those brave delights they enjoy , and in regard of that they scorn at , and reproach the ways of god and his people at those times . psalm . . with hypocritical mockers , in feasts , they gnashed upon me with their teeth ; the most cruel scornful reproaches against the saints are at feasts . that place is observable , deut. . , . their wine is the poyson of dragons , and the cruel venom of asps , because of the bitterness of their spirits , against those who are godly , when they are at their cups : but mark what follows , is not this laid up in store , and sealed up among my treasures ? to me belongeth vengeance , and recompence , their foot shall slide in due time . god will remember this , it is laid up in store with him , it is surely sealed up , and shall certainly be brought forth one day . and yet further , who are your reproachers ? they are those that are weak , or ignorant , or such as are malicious . weak and ignorant , for any one that hath wisdom , to be troubled at the reproaches of those that are weak , it is a wonderful disgrace : will any man care that is a workman , to have an unskilful man reproach his work ? it is a notable speech of seneca , some are possest with such great folly and madness , to think they may be reproached by a woman . and for the malicious , alas ! they reproach themselves a great deal more then they reproach you , they do but discover their own filth in it , and therefore are compared to swine ; swine will leave other things , and continually be rooting in dung ; and so those that love to be reproaching , leave the good that is in any , and will always be rooting in their filth , here they shew their swinish dispositions . one compares a reproacher to the stone that struck down nebuchadnezzars image , whose head was of gold , and the breast and upper parts of silver , and the feet of clay , the stone came and struck the feet , the clay , and so struck it down : so reproachers do not look at the gold and silver , the parts and graces of gods people , but if there be any clay , any infirmities or sins , they strike at them , and so fell them down . the godly had need fence their feet of clay and infirmities , that they do not lie open to malicious men . erasmus tells of one who collected all the lame and defective verses in homers works , but passed over all that were excellent : so these , if they can spy any thing defective and evil , they observe it , and gather all they can together , but will take no notice of that which is good and praise-worthy ; like the kite who flies over the fair meadows and flowers , and lights onely upon the carrion , or like flyes that love onely to be upon the sore galled places of the horses back . and what is it you are reproached for ? it is either good or evil ; if it be good , you have no cause to be troubled , if it be evil , it is threefold , the evil of sin , or natural infirmities , or outward meanness . if it be the evil of sin , then either you are guilty or not guilty ; if you be guilty , it is not reproach , but right judgement of thy condition , and if there be such a great evil for others to speak of it , what a great evil is it for thee to be guilty of it ? and therefore you should turn all the trouble that you have for the notice which is taken of it , upon your guiltiness in it : and many times although the thing be true they say of you , yet it is so poor and mean a thing , that you may comfort your self in this , that surely they cannot perceive worse in you , for if they could , they would make use of that . latimer in his last sermon before k. edward , says , he was glad when any objected indiscretion against him in his sermons , for says he , by that i knew the matter was good , else they would soon have condemned that . and if you be not guilty , innocency is bulwark enough . says seneca , he is to be ashamed that does unjustly , and shall you be ashamed that are innocent ? yes , others think i am guilty . but if you go on in an innocent way , whosoever do think so , do disgrace themselves : for suppose one should say the sun were dark , and another should believe it , who is disgraced ? the sun , or the man that either said it or believed it ? so if an aspersion be cast upon those that are godly , and they walk in a shining conversation before others , it will be such a reproach to any that raises the reproach , as it will keep others from believing of it . but if the evil be some natural infirmity , weakness of parts , or the like , then thou mayest comfort thy self in this , that there is no dishonor in natural infirmity , it is onely sin that brings shame , there is a relation between sin and shame , but between nothing else and shame ; it is a sign also they want other things , when they reproach thee for natural infirmities . seventhly , consider what honor god hath put upon you , and what he intends to put upon you : if you be godly , he hath put honor enough upon you , and that may be enough to uphold the heart under all the reproaches and stains that men and devils can cast upon you . hath not the lord been pleased to bring you into the honorable estate of sonship ? and hath put his glory upon your souls , and hath honored you by that near relation you have to christ ? he hath honored you by the glorious priviledges of the gospel , he hath honored you by giving himself and christ to you ; he hath honored you in the hearts of his saints , men of precious spirits , who know much of gods minde , who are able to judge wherein true excellency consists , their hearts are with you , they bless god for you , the esteem of one godly man is more to be regarded then thousands of others , your name is precious amongst the saints , and that is enough . when doeg reproached david with devouring words in sauls court , yet david blessed himself in this , psalm . . but i am a green olive-tree in the house of god ; doeg flourisheth in the court , and my name may be blasted there , but in the house of god , there my name is precious ; i am there as a green olive-tree , and that is more to me then flourishing in sauls court. now shall the reproach of an evil tongue take away the comfort of a godly heart that hath so great honors ? we count it a great evil , and exceeding was the basenes of the spirit of haman , when he was so honored by the king and his nobles , yet that he should be vexed , because mordecai would not bow to him , that all his honor should do him no good : so is it not the baseness of the spirits of gods servants , ( truly it is to be called by no other name ) when as god hath raised them to such glory , when as god hath made them members of , and coheirs with his son , and they are invited to the banquet of the lord , to the great supper of the lamb , and the lord hath provided for them all the glory of heaven , and there are such glorious things spoken of them in the word , yet for all this if they come into wicked company , and have but an evil tongue speak against them , they are so discouraged and cast down , as if all the honor that god had put upon them were nothing : what an evil thing is this ? and how do you derogate from the goodness of god , to walk thus unbeseeming christians ? if you had never so much filth upon you for the present , being there is so much honor to come , what need you to care ? if a man be going to be crowned , and to be glorified , and those that do not know him , as he goes contemn him , what cares he ? he knows that within a few days he shall be honored by those that do reproach him . as david said to michal , samuel . . when she told him of being vile in the eyes of the handmaids , of the maid-servants which thou hast spoken of , of them shall i be had in honor : so even of those men of the world , which now you say do so reproach you , even of them hereafter shall you be had in honor : if we believe there are such things to come , that we shall sit with christ , and judge the angels , and judge the reproachers , why should we be troubled ? there is a famous passage i have met with in chrysostom , to this purpose ; he brings in christ comforting his disciples against reproaches , speaking thus unto them : * what , is the wrong grievous unto you , that now they call you seducers and conjurers ? it will not be long before they shall openly call you the saviors and blessings of the whole world ; that time that shall declare all things that are now hid , shall rebuke them for their lying words against you , and shall kindle the splendor of your vertue ; so they shall be found lyars , evil speakers , false accusers of others , but you shall be more clear and illustrious then the sun , and you shall have all men witnesses of your glory . . again , consider what abundance of reproach and contempt justly many do suffer for their sins and wickedness that indeed they are guilty of , sin carries many men through infinite shameful things : as take one that is given to a base lust , and so as he may enjoy his lust , he cares not what shame he endures , though he be counted the shame of their friends , and the scum of the place where he lives . who are so basely looked upon as base drunkards ? they are looked upon as more vile then the filth and dung of the earth , and yet they go on and bless themselves in the pleasure they have in their lusts , notwithstanding the reproach . if one should be content to go on in his lusts , and please himself therein , notwithstanding all the reproach he endures , what cause have we to go on in the ways of god , and keep close to him , though all the world reproach us ? . again , consider the goodness of god in delivering of you from everlasting reproach . in dan. . . many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake , some to everlasting life , and some to shame and everlasting contempt . we might have been amongst the company of those that shall have all their wickedness opened at the last day of judgement before god himself , and might have had the lord himself mocking at us . . and yet futther , consider that the greatest evil of reproach it is from him that receives it , it is according as we take it . it is a speech of chrysostom ; as it is with meat , so it is with reproaches , it is not the goodness and sweetness of the meat in its self that makes it to be good and sweet to me , but according as my stomack and body is affected : and so in all reproaches , it is not as it comes from him that casts it , that makes it evil , but it is as he that receives it makes it : cast dirt upon dirt , and it will stick , cast dirt upon on a piece of polished brass or iron , and it will fall off ; the greatest part of the evil of reproaches , comes from the affection of the receiver ; then it is in our power to make reproaches to be as nothing , if we can but take pains to get our hearts so affected , as that the reproach may not stick : it is not in the power of any man in the world to stain us , if we by some evil do not make the stain to stick upon our selves . again , if you consider that god hath the care of your names , that may be a great argument to help you to bear reproach : god hath taken the charge of the names of his people , as truly as of their souls , and if god hath the charge of your names , why are you troubled at any thing that befals you in regard of your name ? if you be in gods way , you are to commit your selves to god , he hath charge of you ; when gods servants are meek and quiet , and do not hear reproaches against themselves , yet god hears them , it is no great matter then though they hear them not themselves . it is an excellent place we have for this , psalm . , , . they speak mischievous things , says david , but i as a deaf man heard not ; but mark verse . in thee o lord do i hope , thou wilt hear , o lord my god ; what need david hear , god will hear : the less we hear in this case , the more will god hear , job . . thou shalt be hid from the scourge of the tongue : now there is a twofold hiding from the scourge of the tongue , either by delivering us wholly from it , or otherwise delivering us from the evil of it : as a man may be said to be hid and delivered from a thing that can do him no hurt , and so in this sense at least thou shalt be delivered from the scourge of the tongue ; it may be that god will wholly free us from the scourge of the tongue , or it may be it is fit thou shouldst be scourged , yet thou art hid from it so as it shall do thee no hurt , no not to thy name in the conclusion . and so in psal . . , . commit thy way to the lord , trust also in him , and he shall bring it to pass , and he shall bring forth thy righteousness as the light , and thy judgement as the noon day . this was the argument that upheld david when shimei curst him ; well , says he , it may be god bid him ; my name is in his hand , and he may do with my name what he please . upon this ambrose hath this speech , o the height of the wisdom , prudence , patience of david ! what a worthy plot had he to deliver himself from the evil of reproach . again , it is a greater mercy that god keeps you from the evil of the hands of wicked men , if god beat out the teeth of wicked men , that they onely can bark and not bite , that their tongues and not their hands can onely reach you . the complaint of job might have been thine , ch . . . god hath delivered me to the ungodly , and turned me over into the hands of the wicked ; this would have been grievous indeed . although they send a flood of reproaches after you , as rev. . . the dragon cast out of his mouth a flood after the church , yet thou art far from their reach as she was , therefore be patient under reproaches . it is through the wantonness of our hearts that we are so sensible of the evil of reproaches , because we are not accustomed to suffer greater evils ; those who are in danger of greater evils , have no leisure to think on these things , says seneca , but mindes weakned with too much idleness , and wanton and effeminate through want of sufferings . yet further , consider what a great deal of good there is in bearing reproaches patiently . first , there is a great deal of honor in it : there is more honor in bearing reproaches patiently , then there is disgrace in having them cast wrongfully upon you ; now what do you lose then ? suppose there be hot water , and i put so much cold to it , it loses its warmth , but if i put more warm then cold to it , then the water hath lost nothing of its warmness : so suppose you be reproached , and god brings more honor then the reproach did scandal , then you have lost nothing ; every fool can cast reproach , but it is the part of a wise man to bear it well . again , if we can bear reproaches patiently , what a quiet will it be to our hearts ? otherwise we should never be quiet , for we live amongst those that will cast reproaches , and unless we can get power this way , we shall never have comfortable lives , and we should think it much , that the comfort and quiet of our lives should lie at the mercy of others . thirdly , the bearing of reproaches patiently is a mighty help to the progress of godliness in us : as those that have overcome the evil of shame in a way of sin , grow mightily hardned in their sins ; so those that have got that strength , to go on in the ways of god , so as not much to regard any reproach that is cast upon them in that way , they will mightily grow in those ways . lastly , consider there is much danger in being honored by men , and in many regards , the honors of men are as much , if not more to be feared then their contempts and dishonors . luther writing to a friend of his , says , he would not have the glory and fame of erasmus ; my greatest fear is the praises of men , but my joy is in their reproaches and evil speeches . chap. xxxiii . what we should do , that we may be able to bear reproach . but you will say , these arguments may move us to do it , and convince us we should do it , but how shall we do it ? first , be sure to keep conscience clear , that that do not upbraid thee , be careful of what you do , and then you need not be much careful of what men say ; if conscience do not reproach you , reproach without will not much move you ; consciences testimony for thee , is more then ten thousand slanders against thee : as the storms and winds without do not move the earth , but vapors within that causes earthquakes : as ambrose says of david , he was not much troubled with shimei's railing , because his conscience did abound with good works . if thou canst say with job , chap. . . my heart shall not reproach me as long as i live , thou art safe enough from the evil of reproach . secondly , if you be failing in any thing , begin with your selves before any begin with you , accuse your selves before god first , so some interpret that place in psal . . i am wiser then my enemies ; though my enemies are witty , and do plot , and their malice do help them with invention , yet i am wiser , i can finde out the ways of my own heart , and my own evils , better then all my enemies . thirdly , christians should exercise themselves in great things , in the things of god , and christ , and eternity , and labor to greaten their spirits in a holy maner , and be above reproach . it was a speech of seneca , men that know their greatness , are not troubled with reproaches , he will think himself above reproach ; and therefore , if our spirits be truly greatned ( not with pride , but with the exercising of our spirits in things that are above the world ) reproaches would be nothing in our eyes . it is a notable expression that st. john hath against the evil tongue of diotrephes , ep. . ver . . he prates against us with malicious words , in the original it is , he trifles , although his words were malicious , and diotrephes a great man , yet all was but trifles , so high was st. johns spirit above them . aquinas gives two figns of a weak spirited man ; one , that he delights in light and foolish words ; a second , that he cannot endure contempt ; such a man , says he , although he should work miracles , yet he is beneath the perfection of vertue , his spirit hath no true greatness in it . the sinking of the heart under reproaches , or to be put out of the way by them , argues too vile a pusillanimity , such a poor low spirit as is not consistent with the true magnanimity of a christian . * gulielmus parisiensis in his treatise de virtutibus , hath notable expressions to this purpose , little things , saith he , yea meer nothings cast down poor weak spirited men . the words of vain men are small things , whosoever fears such words so as to do evil , or to leave off good , are the weakest of men ; these are like unto soldiers who are cast down and overcome , not with some violent strong tempest , but with some small weak puff of winde , these are the more ridiculous and not to be reckoned amongst warriers ; nay , they are not to be reckoned amongst men , who fall off for fear of words , which yet have not been spoken , as if a man should fall for fear of the wind which yet blows not , such are those who dare not do good , or leave evil , for fear of reproaches . fourthly , another means is to make your moan to god , and lay your case before him , as hezekiah , when rabshekah came and reviled god , and the people of god , he went and spread the letter before god , and made his moan before god ; if we can do so , there will be that satisfaction to our souls that is unspeakable , and that will be a great argument of our innocency ; many will say , oh they are innocent , and god knows their hearts , but can you go and make your moan before god when you are reproached , and acquaint god with the cause , and receive refreshment that way , as job . . my friends scorn me , but mine eyes pour out tears to god : and david , psal . . , . hold not thy peace , o god of my praise , for the mouth of the wicked , and the mouth of the deceitfal are opened against me , they have spoken against me with a lying tongue ; they have compassed me about with words of hatred , they are mine adversaries , but i prayer ; for so the words are in the original , not i give my self , but onely thus , but i prayer ; as if he should say , as for my part , all that i do to help my self withal , is to pray to god , and make my moan : others have their evil tongues to help them , and run to this witness and that witness , to seek to help themselves , but i prayer , psal . . , . i cry unto god most high , he shall send from heaven and save me from reproach of him that would swallow me up , selah ; god shall send forth his mercy and truth : a carnal heart hath no way to deliver it self , but by reproaches again , by running up and down from one witness to another , but a gracious heart hath other ways to help it self , it cryes to god most high , and looks for help from heaven ; god sends forth his mercy and truth to help , and there is help indeed . fifthly , another help is this , if you can but get your hearts quietly and kindely to lament the condition of your reproachers , this will be a marvellous means tosweeten the heart , and to help to bear reproaches . it was the answer of socrates to one who wondred at his patience towards one who reviled him , if we should meet one , says he , whose body were more unsound then ours , should we be angry with him , and not rather pity him ? why then should we not do the like to him whose soul is more diseased then ours ? the folly of our reproachers should cause us to pity them , to be patient towards them , and pass by the wrong they do unto us ; this was one of the arguments that abigail brought to david , to quiet his spirit that was so stirred against nabal , because of that reproach he cast upon him ; nabal , saith she , is his name , and folly is with him , it is his folly , rather pity him , it is too low a thing for such a spirit as davids is to be stirred with it . instead of being troubled with the reproaches that are upon you , your spirits should be most troubled for their sin : now there is infinite cause we have to be troubled for their sin more then for any evil that befals us . an evil tongue devours , and is an abomination , and in prov. . . god says , the froward mouth he hates : now if you have any love you should think thus , this poor man what hath he done ? he hath brought himself under the hatred of god ; now this should mightily affect the hearts of the godly . as he is an abomination to god , so he is an abomination to men , prov. . . the scorner is an abomination to men ; scornful spirits love to cast shame and ignominy upon others . and in prov. . . a fools mouth is his destruction , and his lips are the snare of his soul ; we should think , he hath but ensnared his own soul , and so fall a lamenting of his wretched condition . and so in isa . . . your breath as fire shall devour you : if the breath of any man devours him , the breath of revilers , and reproachers , and slanderers does . the heathens called a reproacher a three tongued man , because he hurts three at once , he hurts him that he reproaches , and him that heard the reproach , and himself worst of all ; do but get power over your hearts to bewail this sin , and your reproach will not be so troublesom . trilinguis gallesius a writer upon exod. . ver . . observes the exceeding patience of those three emperors , theodosius , honorius , arcadius , towards those who spake evil of them , they would have them subject to no punishment , for they said , if it comes from lightness of spirit , it is to be contemned , if from madness , it is worthy of pity , if from injury , it is to be pardoned , wrongs are to be forgiven . again , labor to possess your souls with the reality of the sweet of , and the honor there is in the ways of god , so no reproach will be grievous to you : as it is said of the covetous man , when some told him , such and such hiss at thee , but says he , i care not , i rejoyce in what i have at home , that i have so much money in my chest : so it should be with a gracious heart , he should say , i have sweet enough in my own heart , what need i trouble my self with what others think or say ? seventhly , labor to satisfie your souls in the glory of god and christ : though my name be cast out as filth , yet the name of god and christ is blessed and glorious , and so shall be for ever , let devils and wicked men do what they can against it ; it was a good speech of luther , writing to his friend spalatinus , bemoaning his condition to him , because of the scorn and contempt he suffered , yet comforting himself in this , that christ lived and reigned , luther is accounted even a devil , but christ lives and reigns , he addes his amen to it . thirdly , it is not enough to bear reproaches patiently , but we must bear them fruitfully : a christian should think he hath not done that which belongs to a christian , unless he hath got some good by them ; a christian should not think it enough to free himself from the scorn of the tongue , but he must improve it for good by it . first , consider what ends god aims at by it , and labor to work them upon your selves , that you may attain to those ends . secondly , labor to draw what good instructions you can from the reproaches of others : as namely thus , when i hear men reproach and revile , o what a deal of evil is there secretly in the heart of man , that is not discovered till it have occasion ? i did not think that such and such could ever have been reproachers , if they had not been provoked . again , do i see another so vigilant over me to finde me out to reproach me ; how vigilant should i be over my self to finde out what is in me to humble me ? again , is there so much evil to be under the stroke of mans tongue , what a great evil is it to be under the stroke of gods justice ? lastly , to be fruitful , that is , set upon what duty god calls for at the present ; surely this is one great general duty , that the less credit i see i have in the world , let me labor to have the more credit in heaven ; i see there is a breach of my name here , let me seek to make up my name in heaven . . and then they must be born joyfully , but we shall speak of that afterwards in the third point , that a gracious heart is not onely willing to bear reproach when god calls unto it , but in the cause of christ to triumph and rejoyce in his reproaches . . lastly , we should return good for evil ; then you come to the top of christianity . this is a sign of great progress in religion : if i be weak , saith ambrose , perhaps i may pardon one charging me falsly ; but if i have profited , although not altogether perfect , though he flows in upon me with reproaches , i hold my peace and answer nothing ; but if i be perfect , i then bless him that reviles me , according to that of st. paul , being reviled , we bless . if you can do thus , if you can heartily pray for your reproachers , and desire good to them , and be willing to take notice of any good in them , to clear up their innocency where there is iust cause , if you can be ready to offer any offices of love , and respect , and kindeness to them , and so heap coals of fire upon them ; this is a great sign of grace , you have made a good progress indeed in gods way : mat. . , . bless them , says christ , that curse you , pray for them that despitely use you , that ye may be the children of your father , &c. why , were they not children before ? yes , but this declares it , now god owns them for his children : if we behave our selves thus , we shall have the comfort of this , that our reproaches come to us as to gods people , whereas others cannot have the comfort of this , you cannot have any comfort from this argument , unless you behave your selves under reproaches after this maner : now what a great evilis this to cut a man off from that comfort which hath been spoken of in this argument ? and if you do behave your selves christianly under reproaches , god is more and more engaged to stand for your names , and you are more prepared for glory . as he is not fit to govern , that is not fit to serve , but he that is fit to serve , is so much the fitter to govern ; so those that can bear disgrace are fit to be honored , and the greater glory will be afterwards ; as the sun that shines through the clouds shines the brightest , so when honor shall come through dishonor , it shall be the greatest honor . and then you shall come to know that honor is sanctified to you , and that it is in love , and you shall be more able to rejoyce in the honor that god shall bring to your names then you would have done , and so your reproachers shall be servants to you . there is onely one place of scripture that i shall adde , and so i have done with this point : job . compare the . verse with the . and . verses ; ver . . he hath made me also a by-word of the people : job was a godly man , and yet he was made a by-word : what then ? at the . verse , upright men shall be astonied at this : how ? two ways , either they shall be astonished at the horrible wickedness of men that shall contemn so godly a man as job was , and say , lord , what boldness is in the hearts of the wicked , that shall presume to dare to contemn such a servant of thine ? or the upright shall be astonished , they shall admire at the wonderful way of god towards his people , that the lord shall suffer wicked men so far to go on in wickedness , as to reproach his people : the innocent , the godly man shall see those that are hypocrites , for not onely gross prophane ones are reproachers often times , but hypocrites : the innocent shall stir up himself against the hypocrite , he shall not be damped , but stir up his thoughts against the hypocrite : the righteous also shall hold on his way , shall not decline ; and not onely so , but he that hath clean hands shall be stronger and stronger : and so i pass to the next point . chap. xxxiv . the reproaches of gods people are the reproaches of christ. if you take the reproaches either materially or formally ; materially , that is when all the sufferings of gods people for which they are meanly esteemed and looked upon as contemptible , all their sufferings are the sufferings of christ : formally , and that is the very scorn that is cast upon them , is the scorn of christ . i intend to handle this point in both these , materially and formally : so that the thing we have to handle , is , that all the sufferings , and contempt , and disesteem of gods people , are the sufferings , and contempt , and disesteem of christ . so that gods people may turn the speech of christ concerning his father , the reproaches of them that have reproached thee , have fallen upon me : but we may say , lord and blessed savior , the reproaches of them that have reproached us , are fallen upon thee ; and mark therefore in heb. . . the reproaches of christs people are called the reproach of christ , let us go forth unto him without the camp , bearing his reproach : and the sufferings of gods servants are called the sufferings of christ . colloss . . . and fill up that which is behinde of the afflictions of chist , they are the afflictions of christ , and every one must make account to fill them up ; not the satisfactory sufferings of christ , but the sufferings of christ in his mystical body , in his members : and so every member is to fill up a share in his sufferings . and so isa . . . in all their afflictions he was afflicted : the sufferings and troubles of gods people are the sufferings and troubles of christ , he is sensible of them ; and therefore in acts . . christ cryes out , saul , saul , why persecutest thou me ? further , compare two places together in one , psal . . ver . , . at the . verse , says the text , we are become a reproach to our neighbors ; a scorn and derision to those that are round about us : and at the twelfth verse it is , render unto our neighbors sevenfold into their bosom , their reproach wherewith they have reproached thee , o lord : he goes on in the same argument , and first he calls them the reproach of the church , and then the reproach of god. but is it said here the reproach of christ ? it may be asked , why not the reproach of god the father , or the reproach of the holy ghost ? the reproaches of gods people are the reproaches of christ in a special maner ; because christ is the head of the church , and it is from the fulness of christ , that they have that grace conveyed which is reproached ; and the union they have with god , and with the spirit , is by christ ; and therefore it is the reproach of christ here named , according to the several workings of the father , and son , and holy ghost : so the three persons are reproached by mans sin : there is a reproach unto god as god , and unto christ as christ , and unto the spirit as the spirit . there is a reproach unto god as he is creator , the preserver of the world , and governor of all things : when the work of god , the first person of the trinity , is reproached , then he is reproached , prov. . . he that oppresseth the poor , reproacheth his maker : it is a work of the father to order things so , as to make one poor , and one rich : and you take an advantage to mock at the poor upon this difference which god hath made in the world , when as you should honor the work of god in making any difference between you and others : but in stead of honoring of it , you cast an aspersion upon his work , and despise others , because god hath put them in a low condition ; you reproach your creator in this . and when the work of redemption is despised , when that is opposed , and when the profession of the gospel hath dishonor put upon it , then christ is reproached : heb. . . the apostle says , those that fall off after they have tasted of the heavenly gift , and the good word of god , and the powers of the world to come , they put the son of god to an open shame . and when enlightning , and drawing , and the quickening and comforting work of the spirit is reproached and vilified , then the spirit is reproached , heb. . . they do despite to the spirit of grace : so that you see both father , son and holy ghost , all three are reproached by mans sin ; not that the sin of man is able to cast the least stain upon the glory of the blessed god , or make god to be less glorious , no more then a little dust cast up into the air can darken the brightness of the sun shining in its strength ; but it keeps the glory of god from shining upon others , and upon himself , so as he and others shall not see it , and admire it , and adore it as they ought . if you ask why the reproaches of gods people are called the reproaches of christ ? i answer , first , as chrysostome , because they do suffer the same things that christ suffers ; you shall finde the reproaches of gods people , and the reproaches of christ are just alike one another . in psal . . , , . there are three things upon which christ seems to be reproached , and they are the three special things upon which christians are reproached : as first the outward means of christ in the world , i am a worm and no man , so the outward , mean and low condition of gods people subjects them to reproach . secondly , christ bore the world in hand that he trusted in god , and depended upon god , and no outward help ; and therefore they said , let us see whether he will deliver him , being he trusted in him ; so the men of the world scorn at gods people , because they speak so much of god , and trusting in god. thirdly , they reproached him , because he said , god delighted in him ; so because the saints of god do profess their relations to god , and do expect an especial love of god , therefore the world reproaches them . secondly , it is the reproach of christ , in regard of the near relation , and close union that is between christ and his people : as the reproach of the wife is the reproach of the husband , and the reproach of the husband is the reproach of the wife , because of their union , and therefore in cor. . the apostle calls the woman , the glory of the man : either in regard that the man may glory in her if she be godly and good , or else because the woman does honor the man , the wife is to honor her husband , and to give glory to him ; as the people of god are called the glory of god , partly because god does glory in them , and partly because they do give glory to god : so the woman should be such a one as the man may glory in her , and such a one as may give glory to her husband : now the church is the glory of christ , as the wife is the glory of the man ; and therefore it is said in cor. . . speaking of titus and others which were messengers of the church , he says , they are the glory of christ , then certainly their reproaches must be the reproaches of christ . nay , there is a nearer union then this , for this is onely by convenant , but there is a union between the head and the members , that is a nearer union ; the church is not onely flesh of christs flesh , and bone of christs bone , but it is the flesh of christ , and the bone of christ , it is the very fulness of the body of christ , eph. . . it is a high expression : yea , and besides this , the church is called christ , mystical christ : cor. . . for as the body is one , and hath many members , & all the members of that one body being many , are one body , so also is christ ; that is , the church having many members , ought to be joyned in union as the body ; yea , there is yet anearer union between christ and his people , the in-being is mutual , christ is in them , and they are in christ , john . . you in me , and in you : the arm is in the body , but the body is not in the arm ; the branch is in the vine , but the vine is not in the branch ; but here as the saints are in christ , so christ is in them : and in regard of this near union between them , their reproaches may well be esteemed the reproaches of christ . thirdly , because they are reproached for the sake of christ : if a dog be abused for the sake of his master , it is the abuse of his master : much more when gods own people are abused for the sake of christ ; and therefore we finde that this hath been the plea of gods people , for thy sake have we been killed all the day long ; it was for christs sake rather then any evil in themselves . and therefore though they be reproached for their sins , it may come to be the reproach of christ , namely thus , when as men shall take advantage the rather against them , because they are professors of religion ; and were it not for this reason , they might justly reproach them ; yet when as they put in this reason , they could bear well enough with the sin , were it not they were professors of religion , then the reproaches that they justly might suffer for their sins , do come to be the reproaches of christ . and further , when in these they will take advantage to reproach the shews of religion , which in others they cannot bear well enough ; as when one that is a professor expresses devotion in lifting up his eyes , or his hands to heaven , they will reproach him for making shews of religion , and presently they are hypocrites : and yet there are others can make mighty shews , and they are commended . again , they are the reproaches of christ , because they are reproached in the work of christ : as when david sent messengers to the children of ammon , to congratulate their king , and they cut off their garments half way , and cut off half of their beards , david presently counted it his reproach ; and so when gods people are in gods work , and reproached , surely it christs reproach . so nehemiah was in gods work , and he suffered a great deal of reproach ; and mark how god is more provoked then nehemiah , nehem. . compare the third verse with the fifth . lastly , it is the spirit of christ that is in them that is reproached : as if so be that the skill or influence that comes from a skilful attificer , that is put into one that hath learned , that does as it were but act his spirit , if he shall see him reproached for that work which is done by vertue of that influence which he had of his spirit in him , then he counts himself reproached : so all the gracious works of gods people are by the influence of the spirit of christ ; and therefore when they are reproached , christ is reproached : we have not received the spirit of the world , but the spirit of god , says the apōstle : this is the reason of all opposition , because of the difference of spirits ; now the spirit of god and the spirit of the world are opposite . but to come to the application of the point . first , if the reproaches of gods people be the reproaches of christ , then certainly christ is wonderfully reproached in the world ; none so reproached as christ is , because he is not onely reproached himself , but all the reproaches that fall upon all his people in the world , not onely since moses time , but from the beginning of the world , they are all the reproaches of christ , none suffers so much as he : consider we then with our selves , how we can love this christ , a reproached christ ? is christ notwithstanding all his reproaches dear and precious to us ? howsoever he be to the world , yet can your souls say with the church , he is altogether lovely , as the apostle peter says , pet. . , . he is a rock , and a stone of offence to those that do not believe , but to you precious ; and so christ , though he be a reproached christ , yet to you he is precious ; to a godly and gracious heart how precious is jesus christ ? there is a notable place concerning the reproaches of christ , and yet of the high esteem that gods people have of him , notwithstanding he is reproached , isa . . , . his visage was so marred more then any mans , and his form more then the sons of men : what then , is there none therefore that shall prize him ? yes ; at the fifteenth verse , so shall he sprinkle many nations : the kings shall shut their mouthes at him , for that which had not been told them shall they see , and that which they had not heard shall they consider ; that is , there shall yet come a time when as the lord shall sprinkle many nations by the work of his spirit , and draw many kings , so as they shall shut their mouthes ; whereas they contemned him , and despised him , now they shall shut their mouthes in a way of admiration , that that had not been told them which they see : as st. paul , he knew christ onely after the flesh , but when he came to know him after another maner , he thought otherwise of him : so when god does sprinkle any with his spirit , that they know christ , though his visage he marred more then any mans , and he is reproached more then any man , yet they shall prize him , and delight in him , and the more he is reproached , the more they shall delight in him : it is a notable speech of bernard , by so much the more christ is vile for me , by so much the more he is dearer to me . chap. xxxv . sixteen several consolatións arising to the saints from this consideration , that their sufferings are christs sufferings . secondly , the consideration of this point is of admirable use for the consolation of all the people of god , in all their sufferings and reproaches . if reproaches and sufferings be the reproaches of christ , christ is engaged in them more then you ; there may be many branches of comfort to gods people from hence , that christ is so engaged in all their sufferings , as they are accounted christs own : it is a great matter , when any one suffers any thing , if they know this , that any great man is engaged in their sufferings : if a subject should have a king so engaged in any thing he undertakes , that he can say , whatsoever i suffer in this , is the suffering of the king , this is a great comfort to him ; so here there are several branches of comfort that may be drawn from this , our sufferings are the sufferings of christ . first , it is a great deal of comfort , that god does take notice of our reproaches : this was the comfort of the psalmist , in psal . . . thou hast known my reproach , and my shame , and my dishonor , my adversaries are all before thee ▪ if a man suffer reproach , and disgrace , and trouble for his friends , while he is abroad from them ; o says he , did but my friends know what i suffer , and suffer for them , it would comfort me : if it be comfort to be known , much more when they shall be accounted their own ; christ is acquainted with all the sufferings of every member : and therefore do not say , i am a poor creature , who takes notice of my sufferings ? heaven takes notice of your sufferings , christ takes notice of them better then your selves . secondly , if they be the sufferings of christ , they are no other but such as are predetermined for you from the beginning of the world ; for certainly the sufferings of christ are determined : it may be said of these sufferings , as truly as of those he suffered in his own person , act. . . they are by the determinate counsel & foreknowledge of god : & therefore it is not in the liberty of man to reproach you as he pleases , but all is by the fore-determinate counsel of god. thirdly , certainly you do not want compassion in your sufferings neither ; for one to suffer much , and to be reproached , and no body to have compassion , is grievous ; but surely you have compassion enough , christ must needs take compassion on you : and it is not a forced compassion , but a natural compassion : was there ever any that was not sensible of the sufferings of his own flesh , unless it be dead ? indeed if you be a dead member of a church , it may be christ does not compassionate your sufferings , but if you be a living member , christ does compassionate your sufferings , and pity you in every lye and slander that is told of you : many times when we hear of the servants of god ( and especially those we know to be godly ) to have such strange reports of them , our hearts begin to break , and to yern towards them . if one member have compassion of another , much more the head ; the head is more sensible of the evils done to the body , then the other members are . fourthly , all these reproaches and sufferings do not argue your rejection , they may stand with the infinite love of god : many of gods people are ready to draw sad conclusions from their reproaches , surely ▪ god would not suffer this if he loved them : they may stand with the same love wherewith the father loved the son , for they are the reproaches of the son. fifthly , they must needs be sanctified to you : those that are the sufferings of christ , are fanctified sufferings ; certainly christ will not suffer them to go away unsanctified ; christ is so holy , that if they come near to him , he will make them holy : and therefore your bodies and souls having union with christ , they come to be sanctified : so all your conditions and sufferings come to be sanctified by union with christ : he is the blessed one of god , and therefore all your sufferings must be blessed from him . sixthly , if they be the reproaches of christ , then you are not left to bear the burthen of them alone , you have but the lighter end of the staff : if a burthen be never so heavy at one end , and a strong man is under that , and the other be light , though a weak man be under that , he does not care : so the weight and burthen of reproaches lie upon the shoulders of christ : and therefore when you think it is hard for one reproach thus to follow upon another , and for one evil to follow another , it will break my heart ; ah , if you did bear it alone , but christ bears the weight of our reproaches . seventhly , if they be the reproaches of christ , then for that part you do bear , although it be but little , you may expect his strength in , you are not left to bear that little by your own strength ; christ gives out his own strength , to bear his own reproaches ; if the burthen be his you bear , you shall have strength from him to bear it . again , this is an eighth stream of comfort , if they be the reproaches of christ , they are the reproaches of all the members of christ , who sympathize with you , and help to bear the burthen with you . ninthly , it may be comfort that your names shall be vindicated , your names are as dear to christ as his own , and it does as much concern christ to vindicate your names as to vindicate his own . again , if our reproaches be christs reproaches , and christ is content to own our reproaches ; surely , he will not leave us to take our sins upon our selves : if his love be such as he will take the burthen of our sufferings upon himself ; surely his love is such as not to see us sink under the burthen of our sins : no , our sins are upon him as well as our sufferings ; not that he takes them upon him to be guilty , but only by imputation : the text says , he was made sin ; what abundance of consolation is this , that christ is willing both to take off our sins and sufferings ? there are nothing but these two that should trouble us in the world , our sins and sufferings , and christ takes them off both . . and yet further , if christ will own our reproaches , proaches , then he will own our services : there is no great difficulty of believing the one , if we believe the other : we may comfortably go to christ and say , blessed savior , wilt thou own upon thy self , the dirt cast upon our faces , and wilt not own the work of thine own spirit ? though we may stain the work of gods grace by our sin , yet christ that is so indulgent to take reproaches , will surely own our services ; he will own our active obedience , as well as our passive obedience . again , then we may be assured there will come good of them , and that we shall be carried through them ; consider three or four things here for our help in this , to assure us of a blessing in these our sufferings . first , were it that we onely did know that god had a love to us , and were merciful to us , that were enough to assure us . but , secondly , god may have love and not binde himself by promise ; but as he hath love , so he hath engaged himself by promise to help his people in sufferings , and that is more . but , thirdly , we have the experience of gods dealings with his people , that he never left them in suffering . and fourthly , we may rise higher , it is gods own case , we have further assurance by this : if a man love me , i hope it will be well with me ; if he promise me , that is more ; if others have had experience , i am more assured : but if it be his own cause , i am sure enough . if a man go to sea , and he knows the mariner hath skill , and he loves me , and the mariner promises he will have care , and others have had experience of his care , this is much : but when i consider , my life is the mariners life , if i perish , he perishes ; this assures me , that as far as the mariner can do it , it shall be well with me . luther writing to melancton troubled with fears ; if we fall , saith he , christ falls . again , here we have a notable ground to go to god in prayer in all sufferings , because we can go with this argument , lord it is thy own name : that was the plea of moses , lord , if thou destroyest thy people , what will become of thy name ? our names are nothing , what though ten thousand such as we are come to nought , and rot ? but if god put his name to ours , and twist them together , there is abundance of safety , then our names are a strong argument . yea , suppose we be in such a condition as we cannot pray , yet here is comfort in this , our sufferings are the sufferings of christ ; and the sufferings of christ do present themselves as a mighty prayer to god : the sufferings of christ , have a mighty cry in the ears of the father , and they will be heard . and yet further , if so be our sufferings be the sufferings of christ , then surely christs sufferings are our sufferings ; if christ have an interest in our sufferings , then we have an interest in his sufferings : for how come our sufferings to be christs , but by vertue of our relation to him ; and therefore his sufferings must be ours , by the relation of christ to us . lastly , there will be an end of sufferings , they cannot last always , for they are the sufferings of christ ; and it cannot stand with infinite justice , that christ which hath undertaken for us , should be eternally under suffering ; & if he shal not suffer always , we shal not always suffer ; for so long as we suffer , he must suffer : the time therefore is a coming , wherein gods people shall be too high for to be reproached , they shall be in such a condition , as it shall be impossible for any to reproach them : for reproach comes from some kinde of apprehension of the reproacher , to be in some measure above the reproached : no man can reproach another for a thing that he fully knows , and certainly believes that he is above him in that thing : and therefore the people of the world do reproach the people of god , because they apprehend themselves to be above gods people in wisdom , or the like ; but time will come , that the dignity of gods people shall be raised to such a heighth , that though wicked men do hate them , they shall not be able to reproach them , they cannot possibly have a conceit to be above gods people in any thing . and these are the consolations that arise from this point , that our sufferings and reproaches are christs : and these considerations being put together , why should we distract our selves , and take immoderate care what shall become of us ; if we be unbelieving , christ will count it a dishonor to him , and say , is it not my case ? we need not take any shifting courses to help our selves ; a man that hath an enemy surprize him , if he have no weapon in his hand , it may be he will take up stones and dirt , but if he have his weapon , he useth that , and scorns to take up stones and dirt : when people are reproached , that have no interest in christ , reproaches come upon them and take them unarmed , and they take up any thing near hand , and reproach and revile again : but those that have interest in christ , have this weapon ; they know all their reproaches are the reproaches of christ , and we shall not need to depend upon any outward comfort for to comfort us ; much less have we need to help our selves by reviling again . the comfort of a christian , is this , that his reproaches are the reproaches of christ ; this is enough to quiet his heart : you need not comfort your selves in your parts , or estates ; this is enough alone : do but answer all your distractions and troublesome workings of your hearts with this , and this will quiet them . quest . but how shall i know that my reproaches are the reproaches of christ ? answ . first , if you be reproached for the sake of christ ; though you be not a member of christ , yet if your adversaries reproach you , because they take you for a member of christ , there is some comfort in this . secondly , if you can under all reproaches bring your hearts in subjection unto christ , and quiet your hearts under reproaches in obedience unto him . thirdly , if you finde the rule by which you are guided and acted in that condition to be the rule of christ . fourthly , if you finde the chiefest comfort that you gather in to help you , to be the comfort of christ . fifthly , if you finde the end you do aim at in your bearing them , is the honor of christ ; and that you do desire rather that christ may be in the conclusion honored , then your selves cleared . sixthly , take this as a special note , if you make those reproaches that christ suffers in his cause , his truth , his people , yours ; then he makes yours his : how does your hearts stand affected to the reproaches christ suffers in others ? zeph. . , . god promises much mercy , to such to whom the reproach of the solemn assemblies were a burthen . that heart that is burthened with the reproaches of gods ways , shall finde ease in the comforts of gods spirit . if these things be in you , certainly these come from the spirit of christ ; and if from the spirit of christ , then you are christs ; and if you be christs , then your reproaches are christs . a third use is this : seeing christ suffers for us , and all our reproaches are the reproaches of christ , let us take heed that he do not suffer by us . now christ may come to suffer by us two ways : first , if so be that we cause the name of christ to be spoken evil of . secondly , when we come to be actors our selves in speaking evil of christ , or of his people . first , if we cause christ or his people to be spoken evil of by any sinful , way of ours , this is the reproach of christ ( but not in that sense i spoke of before . ) christ does not onely suffer in you , but he suffers by you . this is the charge that the apostles lays upon the romans , for your sake is the name of god blasphemed : we had need look to our selves in this . mark what charge the apostle lays upon women , tim. . , . that they should take heed of tatling , and carrying themselves unchristianly ; and that they give none occasion to the adversary to speak reproachfully . that was the reason why nehemiah was so careful in his business , in neh. . . because of the reproach of the heathen . and so i say to you that are gods people , is it not enough that christ hath suffered for you and in you , but must he suffer by you ? o that the fear of god might be upon you , because of the reproach of your adversaries : is christ dear to you ? did christ ever do any thing for you ? is it not better a thousand times that you were crost , and your lives were taken away , and you laid rotting in the grave , if your names could wash away any stain that is upon the name of christ ? know there are many that christ have fuffered reproach by , and you cannot clear your selves of it , and know what an evil and bitter thing it is , that after all the goodness and mercy of christ to you , and the near relation that he hath taken you into ; will you abuse all this mercy , and this near relation ? if christ had never taken you for his own , had you been never so vile , christ had not suffered reproach by you ; but now in regard of your near relation to him , he suffers reproach by you ; and is this the use you make of your near relation ? when therefore you finde your hearts begin to stir , and corruption boil ; consider the name of christ lies prostrate before you , and will you trample upon the name of jesus christ : if one were set upon going to a place to do mischief , and his father and mother should throw themselves in the path , that if he goes on he must tread upon them , and they should say , you shall tread upon the bowels out of which you came , upon the loyns that begat you ; this would be a great stop : and so you that are professors of the gospel , if you have a temptation to a lust , the name of christ calls stay , and says , if you go you shall trample upon me , and my blood , and bring reproach upon me ; will not this stop you ? never think that gain that you get by the reproach of christ . it is true indeed , if we be going on in our duty , and do that we should , though men say the name of christ shall be reproached , we are to go on , and do our duty , and let christ vindicate his name if he will : but if it be any thing that concern out selves , and the satisfaction of our own wills and desires , whereby christ may be reproached , this is a mighty argument to keep us from it : the word hath scarce a stronger argument to keep us from an evil way , then this , the name of christ shal suffer by it : for the people of god to suffer reproach by you , is an evil thing : for a man to have but his kindred ashamed of him , what an evil thing is it ; but that it may be said of one that is a professor of religion , that he is not onely a reproach to the church of god , but a reproach to jesus christ , if you have any ingenuity in you , this might strike to your hearts . it is reported of alexander , having a soldier of his name , and his soldier being a coward , he came to him , and said , either leave off the name of alexander , or be a soldier : and so we have the name of christians , but when we are vile in our lives , christ says , either leave off your profession , your name , or be a christian indeed : do not come in amongst the number of professors , to let profession suffer by you . and so alexander severus the emperor , seeing a company of christians fighting together , he commanded them to leave off the name of christians ; for says he , you profess your selves to be christians , and yet you are thus contending : this is not the spirit of him whom you do profess . it is a lamentable thing that we should profess such a glorious name as we do , and that we should handle the matter so as that it should suffer so much by us . it is said of the high priest , numb . . . he shall not make himself unclean for his father , or for his mother , or for his brother , or for his sister , because he had the holy oyl upon him , the consecration of his god was upon him : so i may say unto you , you have the holy oyl of the profession of the name of christ upon you ; and therefore take heed what you do , says st. paul , it were better for me to dye , then to lose my glorying : were it then not better for us to dye , then to have the glory of christ suffer by us . know , though the name of christ be not dear to you , he will defend his name when you shall rot and perish for ever ; and though it be defiled by you for the present , he can clear it otherwise : but wo to them that be the causes of reproaches that come thus upon christ . but as we must take heed that christ be not reproached by us in this regard , much more that he be not reproached by our selves , so as to speak evil of the ways of god : as we may hear it of those that have been forward in profession of religion , if profession of religion do not come to serve their turns , they are ready to speak evil of that way , and all the professors of it . take heed what you do in reproaching of a member of christ , the name of christ is upon him ; take heed you do not reproach him that the name christ is upon ; the people of god do bear the name of christ upon their foreheads ; take heed you do not spit upon their faces , for it may be you may spit upon the name of christ : as many unskilful hunters will shoot at wilde beasts , and shooting at random may kill a man ; and so many shoot at christians , but they hit christ , they reproach christ . chap. xxxvi . the dreadful evil there is in reproaching the saints . fourthly , the consideration of this calls for a trembling heart unto all those that have been guilty in any degree of casting reproaches upon the people of god. in this use we have three branches : first , those that have done it themselves : secondly , those that rejoyce in the reproaches that others cast upon gods people : thirdly , those that are the divulgers and spreaders of the reproaches of gods people . in zeph. . the holy ghost there rebuking moab for reproaching his people in the eighth and tenth verses , at the eleventh verse it is said , the lord will be terrible to them : there are some of you , that howsoever god have shewn you better things now , yet heretofore you have been guilty , and it may be some of you are guilty of this still ; and if you be guilty , the lord will be terrible to you . god hath contempt and dishonor for you , as you have cast contempt and dishonor upon christ : suitable to your sin shall be your punishment . that is observable that we have in psalm . verse . their sin is , they return at evening , they make a noise like a dog , and go round about the city : thus is their sin , and it is their sin of reproach and scorn , as appears in the following words , verse . they belch out with their mouth : and observe ver . . their judgement is expressed in the same words , and at the evening let them return , and let them make a noise like a dog , and go round about the city . did your reproaches reach no further then the saints themselves , yet in regard of that excellency there is in them , it is an abominable wickedness . mark with what indignation the spirit of god speaks against such as are guilty herein , isa . . , . draw near hither ye sons of the sorceress , the seed of the adulterer , and the whore , against whom do ye sport your selves ? against whom do ye make a wide mouth , and draw out the tongue ? are ye not children of transgression , a seed of falshood ? what , you who are so vile and filthy your selves , will you presume to reproach the saints of god , such as are so precious in the eyes of god , and so near to christ ? know , you have not to deal with them onely , but with christ in them . you think you have to do onely with a company of poor weak creatures that are not able to right themselves ; but know , you have to do with christ himself . mark that expression we have in isa . . . it is spoken concerning rabshekah , whom hast thou reproached ? it is not against hezekiah , it is against the holy one of israel : those that have done thus , have lifted up their mouthes against heaven it self : they set their mouthes against the heavens : thou hast reproached him that is the brightness of the glory of the father ; the character , the engraven image of the father ; he that is the glory of heaven , that hath all the treasures of all good in him ; thou hast cast reproach upon him that must be thy judge ; at whose mercy thou lyest for thy present and eternal estate ; him that is god blessed for ever , that is the infinite delight of the father . you mistake , you have shot at christ all this while : as we read of oedepus , he killed his father laius king of thebes , taking him for his enemy ; your mistake is worse you strike at , you reproach christ , while you think it is but a poor man , yea your enemy . o that ever you should be born to do so much mischief as to cast dirt upon the face of christ ; surely you kick against the pricks : it is an argument that you are not a son of the promise , that you are a successor of ishmael : thou hast cause to fear that god will laugh at thy destruction , and mock when thy fear cometh : thou hast cause to fear that thou art reserved for everlasting shame and contempt , unless god does humble thee for this dreadful guilt that is upon thee . when you take advantage upon the meanness of gods people for to reproach them , you are the men and women that are found guilty in heaven for to reproach christ . but you will say , there are none so vile as to reproach christ , nor the people of christ for their godliness , it is for their hypocrisie . let no man deceive himself thus ; for there never was any devil or man that did reproach godliness under the name of godliness , but they would put some other name upon it , under which it might appear vile and contemptible ; and in this the men of the world do as the persecutors did in the primitive times with the christians , they put the bodies of christians into the skins of wilde beasts , and then they would set dogs upon them , and other wilde beasts , to tear them : so men do to this day ; they put the profession of godliness into the shapes of their own conceits , and their own slanders , and their own apprehensions , to make it ugly , and they fall a reproaching and tearing , and run upon them like a company of wilde beasts : and that which thou sayest is hypocrisie , is but the skin of the wilde beast , thy own unshapen conceits , to make thy self and their adversaries run upon them , that you may the more freely venture ; because the wilde beasts would not venture upon the body of a man so freely , but when they saw the body of a man in the shape of such a beast as they hated , they ran upon it freely : and so thou dealest with gods saints in putting an unshapen form upon them , to let out thine heart more freely upon them . but what if that which thou callest hypocrisie , god account godliness ? yea know , that this thy aspersion upon godliness , to say it is hypocrisie , and upon the people of god , to say they are hypocrites , is the reproach of gods people , and there is a great deal of evil in it more then thou art aware of . in mark . from verse . and so on , when christ cast out devils , they said , he casts them out by beelzebub the prince of devils : well says christ , all sins shall be forgiven unto the sons of men , and blasphemies wherewith soever they shall blaspheme , but he that shall blaspheme against the holy ghost , hath never forgiveness , but is in danger of eternal damnation : so that it seems these pharisees had sinned the sin against the holy ghost , in that they said , he had an unclean spirit , because they attributed that to an unclean spirit , which was done by the spirit of christ ; onely they did this against knowledge , and in malice : i do not say that all reproachers do sin against the holy ghost ; but if it be against knowledge , and in malice , consider how near it comes : as their attributing that to an unclean spirit which came from the spirit of god was it ; so does not thy attributing that to hypocrisie which comes from the spirit of god in sincerity come near it . but lastly , if it be for hypocrisie that thou reproach , and not for godliness , then it is for an evil ; if it be for an evil that thou doest reproach them , then the better thou art , and the better mood thou art in , the more thou wilt reproach them . but we see the contrary evident : wicked men they reproach the godly for hypocrisie , as they say , but they do it when they are in the height of their lusts ; but if they be in a good mood , when they are on their sick beds or death beds , and in their best condition , they reproach them least ; therefore sure it was the good they reproached , and not the evil . but thus much concerning the first branch . the second is this , it calls for a trembling heart from those that shall rejoyce at the reproaches of gods people : perhaps thou art one that wilt not reproach thy self , yet thou mayest rejoyce at the reproaches of gods people : there is a great deal of evil in this : surely thou hast no love to them , for love does not rejoyce in iniquity , corinth . . . when the devil does sow the seed , thou dost come with the harrows to cover the seed , when thou dost rejoyce in their reproaches . proverbs . . the words of a tale-bearer are as wounds , and they go down into the innermost parts of the belly : it may be translated , the words of a tale-bearer are as the words of them tbat are wounded : that is , the tale-bearers that come and tell you things , they come with expressions of a great deal of brokenness of heart , as if their spirits were grieved at that they hear , and they speak as if they spoke in the defence of them , and then they are as wounds ; not the wounds of them they speak of , but the wounds of the wounded : and if any come in this way to cast reproaches upon gods people , they are taken down into the belly , and they go glib down : this is a slight of the devil to make them pass without the least questioning ; for those that reproach , seem to speak out of wounded troubled hearts . but we do not rejoyce in this , that we hear any evil of gods people , but we rejoyce that they are discovered , and this is the work of god. . if so be thy conscience be convinced , that through the concealing of such and such things , there was a great deal of mischief done before , and there is a great deal of good like to come to the publike cause , and the name of god in the discovery , then you may rejoyce . secondly , i appeal to conscience : suppose the discovery do a great deal of hurt , gods name does suffer by it , is there a proportionable measure of grief in thy heart , for the suffering of gods name , unto the joy that is in you for the discovery ? but thirdly , suppose it were one that were near to you ; suppose it were your father or brother , the wife of your bosom , the dearest friend you had that were discovered , would your hearts rejoyce then ? if you rejoyce because god hath glory by the discovery , then would you rejoyce , if the dearest friend you had were discovered ? fourthly , yea , suppose you did suffer much by this discovery , that it were much to your prejudice , you should lose something that your hearts are much set upon , would you rejoyce then ? fifthly , if so be that it were for the discovery that you rejoyce ; then you would not rejoyce , that they are discovered to such as will not honor gods name : you are glad that any know of it , that gods enemies know of it , that will not make a good use of it , but will be hardened in their sin , and dishonor gods name : take heed you do not deceive your selves , to rejoyce so in the discovery of the people of god ; there is a great deal of evil in it , more then you think of . joseph he feared mary , but he feared the name of god might suffer , and therefore he would not make her a publike example . the third branch is to those that are divulgers of the reproaches of gods people . consider what you do , they are the reproaches of christ ; take heed you do not divulge the reproaches of gods people . suppose they prove false , do you think that after gods people have suffered so much , this will be enough to answer god and christ , for all the dirt that hath been cast upon his face , i heard so ; that the names of gods people may suffer much , when they are under false reproaches . as it is with a stick ; a stick when it is in the water , it looks as if it were broken , pull it out of the water , and it is straight : so it is with the names of gods people ; when their names are under reports that go abroad in the world , they look as broken ; but when their names are pulled out from the reports of the world , they appear whole : and therefore take heed of divulging the reproaches of those that are godly ; you may in this do the devils work , and carry the devils pack . the apostle in timothy . . speaking of women , says , that they must be grave , not slanderers ; the word in the original is , that they must not be devils : so that to carry slanders and evil reports up and down , is the work of the devil . again , wilt thou spread the reproaches of gods people , when as it is the great work of god to cover the sins of his people ? and further , consider , doest thou stand in need of so much covering of thy own sins , and wilt thou have a hand in spreading abroad the sins of others ? how just will it be with god to let thee fall into some gross sin , and spread abroad thy shame , seeing his name and the names of his people are not dear in thine eyes ? chap. xxxvii . seeing christ makes our sufferings his , we should make his sufferings ours . fifthly , if christ will take our sufferings and our reproaches , and make them his ; then we are to take christs sufferings , and christ reproaches , and make them ours . it was the burning love of christ , and his zeal to his people , that made him take the reproaches of his people to himself ; and so our burning love to him , and zeal for him , should make us take his reproaches upon our selves . christ is many ways reproached in the world , not onely in his person , when he lived upon the earth , and in his people ; and so we are not onely to take the reproaches of christ upon us in these regards , but in any particular , whatsoever reproach falls upon christ any way , let us account of it as our own : when the doctrine of the gospel is reproached , then he is reproached ; when the ways and light that god hath discovered to his people is reproached , he is reproached ; when the ordinances are slighted , when as the blood of christ is counted a common thing , and every base lust is preferred before it ; when as the blessed authority of christ is villified and slighted , either when it is slighted openly or secretly , if the authority of christ be cast off , then he is reproached , numb . . , . when you put a reed into the hand of christ , and bow to him , and say , hail king of the jews : when you shall profess obedience and subjection unto christ , and in stead of a scepter , put a reed into his hand , then he is reproached . again , when gods people walk unworthy of christ , then christ is reproached . and when christ is reproached in any of these , let us take them to heart , as throughly , as if we were reproached ; yea , take them more to heart , because the reproaches of christ are far worse then our reproaches : those that are first upon christ , and then upon us , are worser then those that are first upon us , and then upon christ : to spit upon the face of a man , is more reproach to the body , then to spit upon some other member of the body is a reproach to the face ; and so the reproach of christ that is the face of the church , is more then the reproach of any other member : and therefore confider , whether your hearts be more broken when christ is reproached , then when you your selves are reproached , this is a good sign of grace . and if you demand what should be the behavior of a gracious heart , when he is in any company that he hears christ reproached in ; i answer , first , thy spirit should rise in indignation against such desperate evils and wickedness as this , that any should dare to be so bold as to reproach the holy one of god , such a blessed one as christ is , that is so infinitely dear to thy soul , and hath done so much for thy soul ; though in our own causes we may be quiet and give way , yet when it comes to the cause of christ , it is good for the heart to rise . it is the speech of oeclampadius to his fellow minister , let our zeal be hot and burning , not when scorns and reproaches are cast upon us , but when the truth is endangered , and the name of god is blasphemed . ye have heard that of king croesus his son , who though he were dumb all his life , yet when one would have struck at his father , the affection to his father broke the bars of his speech , and he said , take heed of killing the king : and so though we be dumb in things that concern our selves , yet when christ comes to be reproached , let our hearts swell in us and break out . again , look upon them with trembling hearts , that ever the patience of god should suffer such wickedness as this : as they did admire at mordecai , when he would not bow to haman , they held their peace , and wondered what would become of that matter . yea , we should , if it were possible , labor to wipe off all the reproach of christ , and take it upon our selves that we might rather be spit upon and contemned then christ . it was a brave speech of ambrose , he wished it would please god to turn all the adversaries from the church upon himself , and let them satisfie their thirst with his blood : this is a true christian heart . and therefore if it be for our sakes , and we have any thing in the business by which christ is reproached , we should be willing rather to sacrifice our selves , then that christ should be reproached : and as jonah , when he knew that the tempest rose for his sake , says he , cast me into the sea : and so nazianzen , when contention rose about him , says he , cast me into the sea , let me lose my place , rather then the name of christ should suffer for me . again , the behaving of a christian should be this , it should take his heart from his own name , so long as christ is reproached : what though i have esteem ? christ is not esteemed , he is contemned . i have these comforts , and i through gods mercy want nothing , and my friends cleave to me , and prize me ; but christ is not cleaved to , he is not prized : and what are all my comforts to me ? they are ichabods , the glory of all is departed from me . and further , we should be willing to interest our selves in the cause of christ : when we hear any of gods people reproached , we should not say , what have we to do with them , let them clear themselves ? but be willing to interest our selves in it , and take it upon our selves , as if our own name were to be cleared . and lastly , we should labor to wipe away the reproach of christ , in laboring to express the convincing power of that grace which is contrary to their carriage for which christ is reproached : such a one is scandalous , and christs name suffers in that , let me labor to make up the breach in being so much the more faithful , and walking in the contrary grace : such a one is proud , let me be more humble ; such a one is covetous , let me be more liberal , that there may be somewhat to answer : as it is said of the wise son , when his father is reproached , he carries himself so as his father hath wherewithal to answer from his good carriage , prov. . . so let christ have wherewithal to answer his reproaches from your godly convincing conversation . suppose others have cast an aspersion upon the ways of godliness , because such are false and covetous , yet walk thou in the contrary , that gods people may answer , though such and such be so , what say you to such an one ? is not the breach made up in those ? and so much for that use . sixthly , we must not onely labor to wipe away the reproach of christ : but if christ have suffered so much in us and for us , let us labor to honor christ as much as we can in the world , and set up the name of christ , as much as others pull it down . how are we to set up the name of christ ? first , in holding forth the beauty and glory of the spirit of christ in our lives , that though christ be reproached in others , he may be glorified in us : others may be forced to say in their consciences , blessed be god that ever i saw such men : i never saw the graces of christ shine more brightly in any , then in them . and then set up christ , in speaking all the good we can of christ , in bringing others in love with him : as they in the canticles said , what is thy beloved more then another beloved ? says she , my beloved is the chiefest among ten thousands . again , let us set up the ordinances of christ , therein appears the honor of christ , and let the beauty of his holiness appear in his ordinances , that men may say , blessed are the people that are in such a case . fourthly , let christ have the honor of our names , and of all our comforts : surely if he have the shame of our reproaches , he should have the honor of our honors : if he have the pain of our sufferings , surely he must have the praise of our comforts : christ hath a share in our sorrows , shall he not have a share in our comforts ? when we are reproached he is reproached ; when we are honored , let him be honored too . what a sad thing will it be , that when you go out of the world , it should be said , christ hath had more dishonor by you , then he hath had honor ? seventhly , if christ suffers in all our sufferings , hence we learn not to rush into sufferings , before we be called to them , nor to withdraw from sufferings , when we are called to them . christ suffers in all our sufferings , then it is not in our liberty to rush into sufferings when we please , though it should be in the cause of christ . indeed if we suffered alone , we might venture , but because christ is interessed in it , we must stay till we know whether christ be willing to suffer ; though our time be come , yet it may be christ will say , my time is not yet come ; because it is in a good cause you think you may suffer in it , but consider , is christs time come ? in proverbs . . it is said , he that winketh with the eye causeth sorrow , but a prating fool shall fall . when a man is loth to stand for those truths of god that shall bring him into suffering , he winks : he that winketh with the eye , causeth sorrow , he will bring sorrow to his heart . but others will say , we will not wink with the eye , it is the cause of god , and we will stand for it , but a prating fool shall fall . a true man may ride in the rode , and fear no danger , yet he will not willingly ride into dangerous places , and so a man is not to ride into danger . as now if you be partners with another , you cannot give what you will , because it is not your own , but it is your partners too . if a man have a cottage of his own alone in a field , he may set it on fire , but if he set his own house on fire in the town , it may cost him his life , because others are interessed in the damage as well as himself . again , if christ do call , we must go freely , because they are the sufferings of christ , it is reported of peter in ecclesiastical story , that he was coming out of rome for fear of suffering ; and as he was coming out of the gates , he met christ , and he asked christ wherefore he came ; says he , i come to be crucified , then he thought christ came to be crucified in him , and therefore he went back and resolved to suffer , and so he was crucified . and so though we be shy of suffering , yet if we know christ calls to it , we must yield , as being willing to suffer in us . but when are we called ? there is an ordinary call , and an extraordinary call . the extraordinary call is by the spirit : and that is first , when there are none that will stand for the cause of god in an ordinary way . secondly , those that god calls extraordinarily , are such as have extraordinary graces : they act not their own natural boldness , but are carried beyond it by a mighty work of gods spirit : and therefore thou mayest suspect thy self , that thou art not called extraordinarily , but after much humiliation , and much abilities to deny thy self . but for an ordinary call ▪ first , then we are called when if we do not suffer , gods cause will suffer . secondly , when god does take away the means and helps of delivering us from suffering . thirdly , the more helps are taken from us , the more we finde the consolation of gods spirit come into us . but when helps are taken away , and the spirit of god does absent it self , shall we fear then that we are not called ? some think , surely they must not suffer , then they shall betray gods cause : if they do , because they do not finde god present with them : if god do give you a fair way to escape when his presence is gone , you may take it ; but if he shut you up that you cannot escape , you may comfortably go on ; though now he be gone , he will return again ; as it was with mr. glover , who wanted the presence of god even till he came to the stake , and then he clapt his hands and cryed , he is come , he is come . the last use of the point is this , if christ suffer in his people , and if all the evil you cast upon gods people is christs , then all the good you do to them is christs : if when you speak evil of gods people and reproach them , you reproach christ ; then when you speak well of gods people , you speak well of christ : if when you persecute gods people , you persecute christ ; then when you relieve gods people , you relief christ ; christ will own the good that is done to his people , as well as the evil : and therefore as the argument once was , relieve all strangers , for some unawares have done good to angels ; so now , do all the good you can to gods people , for unawares you may do much good to christ . and thus i have finished the second point from this verse , that the reproaches of gods people are the reproaches of christ . now we are to proceed to the third . chap. xxxviii . a gracious heart hath a high esteem of reproaches in the cause of christ . that a gracious heart hath a high esteem of the reproaches of christ , he highly esteems of every disesteem he suffers for christ : and not onely bears reproaches and sufferings patiently , but triumphingly ; he is not onely contented with them , but counts himself enriched by them . this is a great riddle and mystery to the world , that sufferings , troubles , miseries and reproaches should be rejoyced in , and esteemed highly of . we are to understand by reproaches is this point likewise , not onely slanders , and mocks , and scorns , the sufferings of gods people in their names formally , but materially their sufferings , they suffer for christ , upon which they come to be contemned : so that whatsoever gods people do suffer in the cause of god , and for christ , they have high thoughts of it : if god should give unto them all the riches and honors of the world , they could not count themselves so enriched as they do by their sufferings . for men to be enriched by the glorious things of heaven , this is no wonder ; but to be enriched by their sufferings and reproaches , this is the great wonder of the world , that onely those that have the spirit of god are acquainted withal . says st. paul in rom. . . we glory in tribulations : there is a patient bearing of tribulation , and a rejoycing in tribulation , and glorying in tribulation ; now they did not onely bear them patiently , and rejoyce in them , but they did esteem them their glory . it is a notable speech in acts . . it is said of the apostles when they were called before the councel , and were very ill handled , they departed from the councel , rejoycing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for his name ; to be worthy of shame , is a strange kinde of phrase : but in the original it is , they counted it honor to be dishonored . in luke . , . you have another text to shew forth unto us this truth clearly , blessed are you when men shall hate you , and when they shall separate you from their company , and shall reproach you , and cast out your name as evil , for the son of mans sake : here is an expression of the greatest dishonor that can be to gods people : what should they do then ? rejoyce in that day , and leap for joy , for , behold your reward is great in heaven : as if christ should say , i do not bid you bear it patiently , but joyfully , and more then an ordinary joy , leap for joy . and that is remarkable of st. paul , in cor. . where he reckons up many things to vindicate his apostleship , wherein he was equal and above others ; you shall finde they are his sufferings principally he endured for christ , at verse . are they the ministers of christ , i speak as a fool , i am more : in labors more abundant , in stripes above measure , in prisons more frequent , in deaths oft : now this is brought to shew the dignity of his apostleship ; and therefore in the conclusion at verse . when he was put upon glorying , he shews what he most gloried in : if i must needs glory , i will glory in things that concern mine infirmities : by infirmities we are not to understand the infirmities of sin , but his weakness , and evils that he endured for christ . and so in chap. . ver . . therefore i take pleasure in infirmities , in reproaches , in persecutions , in distresses for christs sake . and thus the people of god in former times have much gloryed in that they have suffered in the cause of christ . it is the speech of tertullian , your cruelty is our glory . we read of tender mothers beholding their childrens suffering death for christ as their trophees and triumphs , and delighting in their last breathings , as in most melodious musick . and it is reported of balilas , when he was to dye , he required this favor , to have his chains to be buried with him as the ensigns of his honor . it was the maner of the romans , when any had received any wounds for their countrey , they would shew the scars and places of their wounds for their glory . pliny tells us of one , because he got forty five wounds for his countrey , by that he got immortal honor amongst the romans . thus saint paul seems to argue , let no man put me to business , i bear about me the marks of the lord jesus . and ignatius professed , he had rather be a martyr then a monarch . and prudentius tells us of the martyrs in his time , and especially of vincentius , that the great * torments that were presented to them , were but sports and plays to them , they delighted themselves in those things they suffered for christ , they trod upon burning coals as if they had trod upon roses . and so in the primitive time they were wont to call martyrdom by that name , the " crown of martyrdom . i desire to know nothing , says st. paul , but christ and him crucified . and we know how superstitiously they did use the cross of christ in former times , and how high respect they would give unto a piece of wood that christ was crucified upon ; yea , if they had but that piece of wood in imagination : what a deal of business was there made by constantines mother about the cross of christ ? certainly it grew upon this , it was but the abuse of the high esteem that the people of god had of sufferings . the emperor baldwyn thought himself blest , if he had but a piece of the cross of christ ; that he would carry about with him in his arms . it is reported of one king of england , that he bestowed as much upon a cross , as the revenues of his kingdom came to in a year . and that esteem which they had of a piece of wood , the martyrs in the primitive times had of the cross of christ ; namely , of the sufferings they endured for christ . quest. but you will say , wherein does it appear , and how comes it to pass , that gods people do so esteem of their sufferings for christ ? ans . there are great riches in them : first , the riches of evidence : secondly , the riches of preferment : thirdly , the riches of employment : fourthly , riches of improvement : fifthly , riches of experience : sixthly , riches of promises : seventhly , riches of comforts : eighthly , riches of glory . first , they are great riches , because they have rich evidences from them , and that in these four or five particulars . first , by the sufferings they suffer for christ , they have an evidence to themselves , that the way they are in is the right way : they have reproached the footsteps of thine anointed : there was a time when they walked in the ways of sin in their footsteps , and then they were never reproached ; but now they have changed their way , and walk in the footsteps of the anointed , now they are reproached . if a man being going in a way , the end of which is of great consequence , and if he should miscarry in his way , he were undone : if one should tell him some marks of the way ; as you go you shall meet with such a dirty lane , and such a craggy mountain ; though he would be glad they were not , yet when he comes at them he is glad , because they are signs of the way he must go . straight is the gate , and narrow is the way that leads to life . master bradford made use of that place when he came to the stake , and looked upon his sufferings as an evidence to him that he was in the right way . secondly , they are an evidence to him of that difference that god hath made between others and him : there was a time , when as other men could close with me , and agree with me ; now see what a difference there is , they nothing but contemn me and despiseme : i might have gone on and have been a scorner and a mocker as they are ; o the difference that god hath made between me and them ! that god should call me from them , who was as vile as they ; and suffer them to be reproachers of godliness , and make me a sufferer for godliness ! jerome * writ to augustine , that it was a great sign of glory to him , that all hereticks did hate him . thirdly , it is an evidence of the sincerity , and the power of his grace , and his love that he bears to christ : and this is great riches ; for a gracious heart says , lord try me , lord prove me : he would fain have an opportunity to manifest the truth of his love to christ : all the while i go on in a way of prosperity , and have the desire of my heart , wherein appears my love to christ ? but now when i am called to suffering , and to part with much for christ , here is an opportunity to shew i love christ for himself , that my love to him does not depend upon any thing that i gain by him in the world . the apostle says , the tryal of your grace , he speaks of faith , is more precious then silver and gold : and not onely your grace is more precious , but the tryal of grace is more precious then gold and silver . a gracious heart does rejoyce much in evidencing love to christ ; as any dear friend rejoyces much in any opportunity of manifesting his love to another friend , and the greater the opportunity is , the more does he rejoyce . and likewise the power of grace is manifested : as david said to the king achish , thou shalt know what thy servant can do ; and so a gracious heart thinks here is an opportunity to manifest the strength and power that is in grace . fourthly , they are an evidence that much good is done , that satans kingdom is shaken ; in sufferings we see the rage of the devil , and he rages then most when he sends most opposition to his kingdom ; wherefore those against whom he rages most , may have hereby evidence that they were most instrumental against him : i rejoyce , says luther , " that satan does so rage and blaspheme , as often as i do but touch him : he took it as an argument that much good was done , otherwise the devil would not have been so vexed , he would not have raged so much . fifthly , a gracious heart hath an evidence to it self , that god will spare him when others shall suffer from his wrath . certainly , the more any one is called to suffer in the cause of god , and when he findes his heart ready and willing to yield to god in suffering , the more evidence may he have to his soul , that when others shall be called to suffer from gods wrath , he shall be spared : and this is the bottom of the prayer of the psalmist , psal . . . remember lord , the reproach of thy servants ; how i do bear in my bosom the reproach of the mighty people . i read of one escelus , being condemned to be stoned to death , and all the people were ready to cast stones at him ; and his brother came , and run in , and shewed that he had but one hand , and the other hand he had lost for the defence of his countrey , and then none would stone him : and so the marks of the lord jesus , are notable marks to safeguard thee in the time of trouble : when the lord goes out in his wrath , he will set his mark upon those that he will save ; and none more notable marks , then the reproaches and sufferings they bear for christ . this was jeremiahs plea before the lord , chap. . ver . . o lord thou knowest , remember me and visit me ; know that for thy sake i have suffered rebuke . lastly , it is an evidence of salvation , phil. . . not that all that suffer shall be saved : but a gracious heart that suffers in a gracious christian maner , hath god sealing to him by his spirit in his sufferings , his salvation . put these together , and we see one cause why we should count the reproaches of christ great riches , yea , this is greater riches then the riches of egypt . secondly , the reproaches and sufferings which we endure for christ , are riches of preferment . it was a speech of ignatius , when he was to suffer , it is better for me to be a martyr , then a monarch . epist . . ad romanos , euseb . l. . c. . to be preferred to honor , is counted great riches : now there is a preferment of gods people here , these three or four ways : basil upon that famous martyr bar-aam , says , he rejoyced in stripes as in honors , he exulted in the severest punishments , as if praeclara bravia acceperet . first , the saints look upon this as high preferment , because it is a testimony that god hath a high esteem of them : god does not use to call those that are weak and mean to great sufferings , but his servants that are most eminent ; god will dispose of the conditions of his people , suitable to their dispositions , therefore he will not call those to the strongest work that are weakest . a captain does not call out his mean soldiers to a notable enterprize , but he calls out his most able couragious soldiers ; and the more desperate the enterprize is , the more honor the soldier thinks it to be called out : so the greater work god calls one to , the more preferment is in it ; and we have cause to admire that god should deal so with us his poor creatures , rather then others ; as if we were fitter then ' others : though we cannot say we are fitter , because we are conscious to our selves of so much weakness ; but god honors us as if it were so . secondly , by this we come to be honorable in the eyes of the churches , and the saints of god : nothing makes gods people more honorable in the eyes of the saints , then when they are called to suffer much for god. and so in the primitive times , they esteemed much of the martyrs , even too much . chrysostom a speaking of babylas the martyr , calls him a great man , a man to be admired , and says , if i may call him a man : and tertullian b writing to some of the martyrs , says , i am not worthy to speak to you : he writes that it was a custom of some in those times to creep to the chains c of the martyrs , in a way of honor to them . basil * speaking of the forty martyrs , breaks out into this expression , o blessed tongues which put forth such a confession , as the ayr receiving it was even made holy by it . you must suppose the expression to be hyperbolical , yet so as shews how honorable the martyrs were in their professions of christ . thirdly , it is a greater dignity in some degree then god puts upon the angels in heaven ; the angels glorified god in a way of service , but the angels and saints in heaven have not this way to glorifie god , they are not called to suffer in the cause of god ▪ thirdly , the reproaches we suffer for christ , are riches of imployment : in this they are called to be imployed in the greatest work that god hath to do in the world : there are no people in the world imployed so to set out gods praise , as they are that are called to suffer ; this is the lowest subjection that can be to god , but the highest honor . and they are called to be maintainers of the truth of god. says calvin upon this argument , what are we poor worms , full of vanities and lyes , that we should be called to be maintainers of the truth ? the great cause of gods truth , is maintained especially in gods peoples suffering for the truth : here is a glorious contending for the faith of god that is delivered to the saints . those who are in prison , says cyprian * , confess god with a glorious voyce . again , they are imployed in bringing credit to the church of god ; gods people that suffer , are a great honor to the church of god : whereas apostates do disgrace the church of god ; those that stand out in the defence of the truth in suffering , make up that honor that the church hath lost : these are great employments . a gracious heart accounts it as great riches to bring honor to the church , as to have honor himself : of which before . it is a notable expression that cyprian hath , to set out the honor the church hath by such who suffer for the truth ; o blessed church , which in our times is made glorious , by the glorious blood of the martyrs ; it was white by the works of the brethren , now it is purple by the blood of martyrs ; there are neither lillies nor roses wanting in her flowers ; white garlands from their works , and purple from their sufferings . fourthly , they are riches of improvement : first , grace is improved ; grace is never so improved , as it is at that time when a soul suffers for christ ; * they most profit me , says luther , who speak worst of me ? as opposition of sin in the wicked improves their sin , so opposition of grace in the godly improves their grace : lutherus pascitur convitiis , luther made reproaches his food , he was nourished by them : virtutem intelligo animosam & excelsam quam incitat quicquid infestat , sen. ep. . secondly , here is improved whatsoever gods people do enjoy , that they are willing to lose ; no such improvement of a mans credit or estate , as the loss of it for christ : if we would devise how we should improve and lay out all our talents for god , we cannot lay them out better ; we shall quickly gain from five to ten here : if men know how to improve their stocks to the utmost , they count the knowledge of that way , more then if a man had given them many hundred pounds : we come to improve all that we have in a glorious maner , when god calls unto suffering . thirdly , by suffering gods people come to improve the malice and wickedness that is in the devil and men ; that is a great improvement , when i can turn the malice of the devil and wicked men into my riches . it is a notable speech that one vincentius had of his persecutors , never any man did serve me better then you serve me ; and he told them what a great deal he did get by their malice in persecuting of him : if a man were able to turn dirt into riches , how would that enrich a man ? but to have that which can turn the dirt of wicked men and the devil into our riches , that must be a rich thing . again , a childe of god never improves his time so wel , as when he is suffering for god , when he is a doing good , he is improving his time , but when he is suffering , he does as much in a little time , as he was doing a great while before ; god does much reckon upon the time of his people in suffering . fifthly , sufferings and reproaches are riches of experiences . as first , when they are called to suffer for christ , to be reproached for christ , they have experience of gods power in upholding them . secondly , experience of the ways and many passages of the providence of god towards them in all their sufferings . thirdly , they come to have experience of the working of their own hearts . and lastly , they come to have experience what it is to be in a suffering condition : men have another apprehension of a suffering condition before they are called unto it , then when they are called to it ; and therefore they are ready to say , i never knew what a prison meant , and what reproaches meant till now , i do not finde that in them that i was afraid of ; and these experiences are great riches . sixthly , reproaches and sufferings bring in rich promises , and they bring in a great deal : o that christians did but know their riches in regard of the precious promises , pet. . . every promise is a pearl to enrich gods people withal , and where there is true grace , that soul does count it self more enriched by the promises , then by any trading . now the promises that are so rich unto a gracious heart , they are of divers sorts ; as first , the promise of gods presence with them , and they count those promises to be rich things : as the promise of gods gracious presence , and the promise of his glorious presence , and the promise of his abiding presence . for his gracious promise , in isa . . . when thou passest thorow the waters , i will be with thee , and thorow the rivers , they shall not overflow thee ; when thou walkest thorow the fire thou shalt not be burnt , neither shall the flame kindle upon thee . again , his glorious presence and his abiding presence , for that you have one promise take in both together , pet. . . if you be reproached for the name of christ , happy are ye , for the spirit of glory and of god resteth upon you ; there is the spirit of god in all the saints , but there is the spirit of god , and the spirit of glory on those that are reproached for christ , that is , the glorious spirit of god , the spirit of god in a glorious maner . secondly , the spirit of god and of glory rests upon you , it does not pass away , but rests upon you : now what a rich promise is here ; and what is in all the world that may be named with this promise . secondly , promises of direction : says christ , take no thought when you are called before rulers for my names sake , how or what you shall speak , for it shall be given you in that same hour what you shall speak . thirdly , there are promises of assistance ; i will be with you to the end of the world . fourthly , there is a promise of acceptance ; he that forsaketh houses , or brethren , or sisters , or father , or mother , or wife , or children , or lands for my names sake , shall receive a hundred fold , and inherit eternal life . fifthly , a promise of blessing ; blessed are you when men revile you and persecute you , and say all maner of evil falsly on you for my sake . sixthly , a promise of a kingdom ; if we suffer with him , we shall likewise reign with him , luke . , . ye are they which have continued with me in my temptations ; and , i appoint unto you a kingdom , as my father hath appointed unto me : the appointing of a kingdom follows upon their continuing with christ in temptation . brethren , god promises much to those that shall be sensible of the reproaches of others , much more when thou thy self sufferest in the cause of christ . in zeph. . . i will gather them that are sorrowful for the solemn assembly ; time was , when the solemn assemblies of gods people , their gathering together to hear a sermon was their reproach , and they were contemned by many : were you ever in any place where the assemblies of gods people were reproachful , and was this a burthen to your souls , and grievous to you ? mark the blessed promise , i will gather them together : but to be reproached our selves , and to bear our reproaches in a christian maner , great and rich promises are made unto it . seventhly , in reproaches and sufferings for christ , there are rich consolations ; never such consolation let out to a gracious heart , as when it is under reproaches and sorest persecutions : if ever christ does turn water into wine , it is the tears of gods people that are turned into wine of consolation . basil in his oration for barlaam that famous martyr , says , he delighted in the close prison , as in a pleasant green meadow , and he took pleasure in the several inventions of tortures , as in several sweet flowers . and vincentius the martyr speaking of the great things he suffered for christ , hath this expression , i have always desired these dainties . luther reports of that martyr , st. agatha , that as she went to prisons and tortures , she said , she went to banquets and nuptails . and iames bainham said when they kindled the fire at his feet , me thinks you strew roses before me . and mr. saunders hath a most full expression of his consolation , he felt a wonderful sweet refreshment flow from his heart unto all the members of his body , and from all the parts of his body to his heart again . and that martyr hawks , lifts up his hands above his head , and claps them together when he was in the fire , as if he had been in a triumph : this is a special fruit of the spirit of god , and of glory , of which st. peter speaks , pet. . . if ye suffer reproaches , happy are ye , the spirit of god and glory rests upon you , and one consolation , one beam of gods face is worth all the riches of the world . the sun enlightens the world , says cyprian , but he that made the sun is a greater light to you in prison ; that darkness which is the horrible deadly darkness of the place of punishment to others , he irradiates to you with his bright and eternal light . vobis idem qui solem fecit majus in carcere lumen fuit horribiles caeteris atque funest as paenalis loci tenebr as aeterna illa & candida luce radiante , cyp. ep. . eighthly , in reproaches and sufferings there are riches of glory both before the day of judgement and after : riches of glory before ; if so be that opinion of some be true ( which i dare not altogether deny ) of christs coming to reign in the world here before the day of judgement ; though i will not affirm it as a truth , yet if there be not a truth in it , i confess i cannot make any thing of many places of scripture , rev. . . but the rest of the dead lived not again till the thousand years were finished . this is the first resurrection . blessed & holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection ; on such the second death hath no power , but they shall be priests of god , and of christ , and shall reign with him a thousand years . i know this is ordinarily interpreted of the resurrection from sin to grace , and reigning with christ a thousand years , that is , reigning with him in heaven : but this cannot be the meaning of the text ; this thousand years must be before the day of judgement , because satan must be loosed after : now if this prove to be true , o the riches of glory , that those that suffer for christ shall have ! all those that have suffered for christ , they especially shall be raised up to reign with christ on the earth ; and therefore you have it in ver . . and i saw thrones , and they sate upon them , and judgement was given unto them : and i saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of iesus , and for the word of god , and which had not worshipped the beast , neither his image , neither had received his mark upon their foreheads , or in their hands , and reigned with christ a thousand years . suppose it to be so , then the more any do suffer for withdrawing himself from antichrist , the more glory they shall have when christ comes to reign upon the earth . some are loth to receive the mark of the beast upon their foreheads , openly to appear for antichrist ; yet they will have the mark of the beast in their hands ; but here is a promise to them that shall refuse both : and it is not meant onely of those that suffer death in their lives ; the death in our liberties , and death in our estates , and other kinde of deaths shall not go unrewarded ; it is a point that was spoken of in the primitive times , and afterward it was condemned upon this ground , because many grew to be sensual , and thought the kingdom of christ should be for a thousand years in pleasure to the flesh : but take the kingdom of christ to be spiritual in the glory of his ordinances , as i am confident that christ shall reign personally , in his flesh i will not say , but spiritually , farre more gloriously then he hath done . but then at the day of judgement , o the glory of those that suffer for christ , they shall have crowns upon their heads , and palms in their hands , and all their persecutors stand as base creatures before them ! o the imbracings that there shall be then . if a father send his childe abroad about business , and the childe meet with much difficulty , and comes home in a rainy tempestuous day , how gladly his father receives him , and all are busie to tend on him , and to make a fire , and get him dry cloathes ! so when the people of god meet with such hardship in the world , when they shal come and meet with christ for whom they have suffered , how shall they be entertained ? what riches of glory shall they enjoy in the highest heavens for ever hereafter ? our sufferings are but the seeds of our glory ; and the deeper the furrows are , the more plentiful will the harvest be : and therefore gordius * the martyr said , it is to my loss , if you bate me any thing in my sufferings . are you reproached for christ ? blessed are you ; for the brand of reproach ( says basil * ) shall be turned into the glory of an angel. a gracious heart counts it more riches to be conformable to christ , then to have crowns upon his head : as in phil. . . he counted all the things of the world dogs meat , for the fellowship of christs sufferings ; he did not count all the world dogs meat , for the glory he should have by christ onely ; but for the fellowship he should have in the sufferings of christ . truly happy is that soul , and to be equalled with angels , says jerome , who is willing to suffer , if it were possible , as great things for christ , as christ hath suffered for it . vera est illa anima faelix , & angelis aequanda quae pro nomine & opere christi tanta quanta pro nobis ille sustinuit , voluit sustinere , hyeronym . epist . ad oceanum . such as have been followers of eminent men , they highly esteemed to be like their masters , though in things that were some dishonor ; as plato was a man of a crooked back , and his schollars counted it an ornament for to go crooked . and aristotle had a lisping speech , and his schollars thought it an honor to have a lisping speech . and alexander had somewhat a wry neck , and a harsh speech , and his soldiers thought it an honor to be like him : how much more should the godly count their sufferings an honor , because they are comformable to christ ? for application . in the first place , hence we see the excellency of grace , what an excellent and glorious thing it is , wheresoever it is , that it does conduce so far to encrease riches out of any thing : great must needs be the gain of godliness , when it gains from their sufferings and reproaches ; grace is such a thing , as can turn dust into gold : the philosophers stone is counted a rich thing , because it turns dust into gold , grace will do it , the dirt that the world casts upon gods people , is turned into gold : well may it be called the divine nature ; for as god brings light out of darkness , and comfort out of sorrow , and riches out of poverty , and glory out of shame , so does grace . how does grace conduce to the comfortable life of gods people ? as for the service that god employs them in , they count that honorable ; and the sufferings that god calls them to , they count them comfortable ; we need not therefore be so afraid of sufferings ; indeed , if we have not a principle to change the nature of them , we may be afraid , but if god do put a principle into us , to turn our shame into glory , and sufferings into riches , we need not be afraid : if any did see moses his serpent , he would be afraid ; but if he had moses hand , he would not be afraid , because moses hand had a divine vertue with it to turn the serpent into a rod ; and so if we look upon sufferings as a serpent ready to devour us , we may be afraid , but when we consider the excellency of grace , that it hath a divine power to turn the serpent into a rod , you need not be afraid ; labor to prize this jewel of grace , that can do such great things : it was the curse upon the wicked , that god would turn their glory into shame ; it is the blessing of grace , that it will turn shame into glory . secondly , we see a reason of the meekness and quiet behavior of gods people in sufferings : though they are persecuted , they carry themselves meekly , and are ready to forgive , they are not discouraged , and sink in their sufferings , because they look upon sufferings with another eye then the men of the world do , they look upon their sufferings as their glory and riches : when a man hath riches coming in , he is quiet ; and though he were angry , passionate , and vexing before , yet when riches come in , that quiets his heart , and he is ready to do any office of love then ; this is the reason why gods people are ready to do any office of love to them that do persecute them , because they look upon them as their glory . st. paul was a man that had a high esteem of his sufferings , and therefore when he suffered much , and from those that were his friends , in gal. . . see his behavior , brethren , i beseech you , be as i am , for i am as you are , ye have not injured me at all ; as if he should say , how soever you have carried your selves , yet be as i am , i am as you are , let our hearts close and joyn together ; you have not injured me at all : thus his spirit was carryed in this quiet and meek frame , because he had a right understanding of the nature of sufferings . and so we read of stephen , when they were stoning him , says he , lord forgive them : what was the ground of this ? he saw the heavens opened , and christ stand at the right hand of his father , he saw a great deal of glory that was in his sufferings when he suffered thus for christ ; he could pray for his persecutors : what was the reason christ endured all so quietly ? he knew the good that was in his sufferings . indeed , as for those that see no good in them , that finde nothing but trouble and vexation , no marvel though their hearts fret and revile again ; but where a gracious heart findes sweetness and good in suffering , surely there need not be that fretting and vexation of spirit in them as in others . and why should we vex and fret , when we suffer any thing for god ? it must be upon one of these two grounds ; either because of the evil that we do endure , or the evil of those from whom we do endure . the evil that we do endure cannot cause fretting , because it is turned to such great riches . but you will say , the suffering it self i do not care for , but the base malicious hearts of those from whom i suffer , that troubles me . to that i answer , it is reported concerning socrates , being once reproached , and yet behaving himself meekly and quietly , one came and asked him how he could be so meek and quiet , when he was reproached by such a one as he was that did reproach him ? socrates answered , if as we go along we should meet with a man that had a diseased body , more diseased then our bodies , more weak then ours , should we fret at him because we see the disease of his body more grievous then ours : no , this should make us pity him ; then says he , if as we go along , we see the spirit of one more diseased , and more distempered then ours , should this make us fret at him ? it rather calls for pity and commiseration : so if that be the thing that makes thee fret ; namely , the malice of them from whom you suffer , it should rather turn your vexation into commiseration , and look upon his spirit as diseased , and sickly , and weak , and bless god that hath given you a more strong and hail spirit . thirdly , if gods people account sufferings and reproaches greater riches then the treasures of egypt , then here we may see to what a heighth a gracious spirit is raised to , how high above the world ; in that it looks upon the riches , and glory , and sweet contentment of the world , as under the meanest and basest thing that does attend godliness ; namely , as things under reproaches , and under scorns and sufferings ; gods people do not onely look at christ , and grace , and heaven , as above the riches and glory of the world , that they are infinitely above them ; but mark how a gracious heart is raised above the world , take the very dirt that is cast upon the ways of god , and he counts that very dirt to be higher then all the riches , and glory , and dignity of the world ; surely then a gracious heart hath a very low esteem of the world , and the riches and glory of it , howsoever other men that know no better things , esteem highly of them : a man that hath rich revenues , plentiful comings in , he blesses himself in this , and counts himself a great man here ; but know , while you are blessing your selves in these things of the world , that do glitter in carnal eyes , a gracious heart is so far from looking at that which you do so highly esteem of as great matters , as he accounts the very baseness that attends the ways of godliness , as a higher preferment by far then all your glory , and rejoyces more in it , and blesses god more for it ; yea , blesses himself more in the very basest and meanest things that attend godliness , then in all your riches ; so that a godly mans feet are where a wicked mans head is . the head of a worldly man , that is , the chief of his desires , and joys , and endeavors , it is in the riches of the world , and there a godly mans feet stand , and he counts them so low , as he counts the dirt of his feet better : surely it is but a little room that riches have in the heart of a godly man , when as the very reproaches of christ are more to him then all the riches of the world : the very filth that is cast upon him while he is in his way , he does count better . when we would express our most vile esteem of any thing , we use to say , we prize it no more then the dirt under our feet ; then surely a godly man must have a vile esteem of the things of the world , for he does not so much prize it as the dirt that is cast upon him . and so the psalmist in psal . , . speaking of the vile esteem that god hath of the wicked , says he , he treads them down under his feet , and puts them away as dross : gods servants are compared in mal. . . to jewels that are scattered up and down in the dirt , for so the phrase does intimate , but the dirt that is upon his jewels , is highlier esteemed by gods people , then all the jewels of the world : the scrapings and washings that come from the trenchers of men , is the sweetest food unto a swine ; so that which is the sweetest and most delightful things of the men of the world , it is meaner then the basest thing that does belong unto the sufferings of gods people . o the advantage that the saints have above the men of the world ! were there any great matter in the things of the world , howsoever esteemed by men , it could not be that the very reproaches of gods people could be counted better ; but whatsoever esteem the men of the world have of them , it appears by this there is no great matter in them . riches in scripture are compared to thorns , there are five or six things wherein they are like thorns ; first , thorns are the vilest plaints , so riches are to a gracious heart . secondly , in regard of the suddenness of their passing away , if the fire do but touch them , they are quickly gone , so riches soon pass away , it is said , they have wings and fly away . thirdly , in regard of their unfruitfulnes , thorns bear nothing fit for man , so riches are very unfruitful , they make men unfruitful . fourthly , in regard that thorns are such hindrances to better things ; and therefore the scripture says , the seed of the word that was sown among thorns it was choaked , they will not let better things grow by them ; so the riches of the world and cares about them , choak up all , and hinder other things that are good . fifthly , they are compared to thorns , in regard of the prickly nature of them : so there are many snares in riches ; says the holy ghost , they pierce themselves through with many sorrows : it is hard for a man to go through thorns , and not to pierce himself ; he may be in the outside of them , and not pierce himself ; so though a man be busie in the world , he may keep himself from pricking , but if he be over head and ears in the world , he will be pricked ; as the sheep that is got into the thorns will lose part of her fleece , so gods people will lose part of their good amongst the world . lastly , many venomous creatures , as snakes and toads , and the like , are creeping and crawling in the thorns , so many venomous lusts are hidden by riches , an outward glorious estate does hide many filthy lusts . these arguments may for ever teach us to look upon these things as very mean and low . fourthly , if sufferings and reproaches for christ be greater riches then all the riches in the world , o how are they mistaken , how are they deluded that look upon these things as the greatest evils ! that are so shy of sufferings and reproaches for christ , as that they will lose the greatest riches , rather then they will be enriched by them , rather then they will endure them , when as they are so great a good : as first , is not peace of conscience a rich jewel , more then all the riches of the world ; and yet how many are there that will lose the rich jewel of peace of conscience , rather then endure reproaches , rather then be enriched by reproaches ? though they be convinced in their conscience , such ways are according to gods minde , that they are bound to do them , such things ought to be done , and such things ought to be left undone ; yet rather then they will endure reproaches , they are content to part with the riches of the peace of conscience . secondly , is not the truth of god a rich jewel , a precious jewel ? o any one truth is rich , we should prize it above our lives ! o that faith that was once delivered to the saints , how should we prize it ! buy the truth , sell it not : buy it at any rate , sell it not upon any terms . the truth is that , that the blood , the lives of so many dear and precious saints of god that were the glory of the world , have been laid out for the maintenance of , and well laid out too : for though god does esteem of the blood of his saints , and precious in his eyes is the death of the saints , yet god esteems highlier of his truth , that is worth the blood of all that have been spilt for the defence of it . the truth of god is the especial end for which the son of god came into the world , and took mans nature upon him , to testifie to the truth . the truth is more worth then rubies and all precious stones , then gold and silver : whatsoever thou canst desire , is not to be compared to it ; and though there be so many riches in the truth of god , yet how many are there that will rather betray the truth of god , lose the truth of god , rather then suffer reproaches . thirdly , is it not a rich thing to enjoy communion with god ? it was an expression of that truly noble marquis galeacius , that parted with all for christ , when his friends that were very rich , offered him bags of gold and silver to return to them again , he put them all away with this expression of indignation , cursed is that man that counts all the gold and silver in the world , worth the enjoyment of communion with jesus christ : this is riches , yet some had rather lose this then endure reproaches . fourthly , is not the blessing of god upon us , the protection of god over us , the love of god unto us , the care of god for us , and the brightness of the face of god shining upon us , and brightning all our ways , are not these riches ? and yet behold how many are there that are so far from counting reproaches riches , as they will lose these riches , rather then bear reproaches . fifthly , is not the inheritance of the saints , that kingdom of glory , that incorruptible undefiled crown that is reserved for them , riches ? and yet how many are so far from esteeming reproaches riches , as they will venture the loss of that too , rather then they will endure reproaches . lastly , are not the ordinances of god riches , that are the especial conduits and means of conveyance of the choice mercies of god unto his people ; those mercies that have such an immediate dependance upon eternity , are not these riches worth all the world ? yet how many are so far from counting reproaches riches , as will rather lose all the riches of the ordinance , then be reproached : though their conscience tell them , you might enjoy abundance of blessing in the ordinances , were it that you might have them in the power of them , and they have a good minde to them : ah , but my friends will scorn me ; and upon this ground , they forbear coming to the ordinances : and thus they are so far from counting the reproaches they shall endure , riches , as they deprive themselves of all the riches in the ordinances of god , rather then they will endure them : like unto asa , in kings . . he took all the gold , and silver , and riches of the treasure of god , to send them unto benhadad , that he might free him from the king of israel : so men are willing to part with the gold and silver , and all the riches of gods house , and of gods ordinances , so they may be freed from reproaches and sufferings , and from enduring trouble ; was there ever delusion like this delusion , to lose such riches , rather then endure that which in it self is riches ? were it that reproaches were as great evils as you can imagine , suppose you might go to live where you might enjoy the ordinances , though it were in such a place as job speaks of , in job . . a land of darkness , as darkness it self , and of the shadows of death , without any order , and where the light is as darkness ; yet that subjection that your souls do owe to god , does call for a willingness to yield to that , and to yield to reproaches and sufferings , though there were no good in them : but now , when there is so much good , such glorious things mingled together with reproaches , for you now to be so afraid of reproaches , as to be willing to lose so much riches rather then to endure them , how is your heart besotted ? suppose reproaches had such shame in them as you think they have , cannot god put honor upon them ? man can put honor upon mean things : as the garter that is counted an ornament of the highest nobility , that kings wear about their necks as an ensign of their princely order : a garter fell from a lady , and she blushed for shame , the king took it up , well , says he , i will make this an honorable ornament ere long ; and upon that came the order of the garter . if man can put an honor upon that which is mean , surely god can do it : and therefore calvin speaking of sufferings and reproaches , says , they are the ensigns of heavenly nobility ; and if god hath put this honor upon them , shall you be so shy of them , as to lose so much , rather then to endure them ? first , if they were evil , you are to endure them , in regard of your subjection to god. secondly , if there were nothing lost by your drawing from them , and your unwillingness to endure them , it should be a great deal of evil ; but first considering that there is good in them , and so much lost by your unwillingness to endure them , what folly is here ? there is an art and skill in christian religion , that would shew you other things then you see : you would never have such low esteem of reproaches , if you had the skill of christianity : if a man did fling bags of pearls and gold at a dog , he would be afraid of them , and run away , but a man would not , but be ready to catch them ; and so men of the world and base hearts , that are not acquainted with this skill of christianity , they will run way at reproaches and sufferings , but a heart that knows what they are , does not run away . but are you shy of sufferings , and run away ? what a difference is there between the disposition of your hearts , and the disposition of the most worthy servants of god in all ages ? you are afraid of them , as if they were evil like hell it self ; gods people earnestly desire them . i remember a speech of jerome upon that , blessed are you when men speak evil of you , and revile you ; says he , who would not be willing to suffer ? who would not wish to be persecuted for righteousness sake ? who would not desire to be reviled ? o would all the rout of unbelievers did persecute and trouble me for the name of my lord , and for righteousness sake ; i would this foolish world would all rise up against me to reproach me . secondly , gods people have been greedy of them . origen was so earnest to suffer with his father , when he was a youth of sixteen years of age , that if his mother had not kept his clothes from him , he would have run to the place where his father suffered , to profess himself a christian , and to have suffered with him . and so the story of the poor woman in the book of martyrs , that made haste to the place where many christians were to be burned , and meeting with the persecutor , says he , what need you make such haste to that place , there are many to be burned ? ah , says she , that i know , and i am afraid all will be done before i come ; i and my childe would fain suffer with them : and many blessed the day of their suffering . alice drivers expression was , that never neckerchief became her so well , as that chain did : and are you so shy of them ? what difference is between you and their spirits . again , what unthankfulness and dishonor is this to christ , that hath suffered so much for you . christ hath gloried in the sufferings he suffered for you , and why should you be afraid of sufferings for him ? it was a notable speech of an ancient , acceptable is the reproach of the cross to him that is not unthankful to him that was crucified upon the cross . and what confusion will it be upon you another day , when you shall see those that suffered are so glorified , that their sufferings are crowns of such immortal glory ? o consider what you do ; deprive not your selves of such glorious riches . fifthly , let us labor to get this christian magnanimity of spirit , namely , for to glory in all that we suffer for christ : heathens can be patient in sufferings , but christians must go beyond them , and glory in their sufferings . you have been bold in suffering for sin , if you might have your minde and will : now if you may have your minde and will for gods glory in suffering in a good way , why should you not suffer ? mark the expressions that we have of job , did i fear a great multitude , or did the contempt of families terrifie me , that i kept silence , and went not out of the door . o that one would hear me , behold my desire is , that the almighty would answer me , and that mine adversary had written a book : let them say what they can against me , & write a book against me , surely , i would take it upon my shoulder , and binde it as a crown to me : thus it should be with the people of god , they should take their reproaches as an ensign of honor : this indeed is truly in a spiritual sense to tread upon the asp and the adder , that when the asp , and adder , and the old serpent does spit out her venomous poyson , a gracious heart should tread upon them . there are three things that will put a spirit of suffering , and so a holy magnanimity into us : all the arguments in the world will not do it , unless we have a suffering spirit ; and these three things will put a suffering spirit in us . first , if you had a full satisfaction of your own spirits in the cause of god you maintain , and the ways of god , you walk from your own experience you have in them ; if you take upon you the profession of religion by the reports of others , and be carried by the example of others , that will not do it ; but if in your own experiences you finde that sweet and onely satisfying content in the truths and ways of god , this will do it . it was a notable resolution of luther , my purpose is not , says he , to maintain my life or name in respect what men say , or can say of me for my maners , but my purpose is to maintain the cause of god ; let whosoever will tear my life and name in this regard : propositum est mihi neque vitam neque mores tueri , sed solam causam ; lacerent mores meos quicunque velint . luth. ad nicolaū hansman . secondly , if you get your hearts inflamed with love to christ : love delights in opportunities of expressing it self , and it hath never such a full opportunity of expressing the strength and heat of it , as in suffering much for the beloved . thirdly , if you have an eye of faith , and can behold god the father , and christ , and the blessed angels looking upon you when you are in your sufferings ; by the eye of faith look up to heaven , and see god looking upon you , and saying , here is a servant of mine is called to suffer for me , now you shall see his behavior ; and christ and the angels looking upon you to see your behavior , and this will do it ; not onely make you patient , but glory in them . sixthly , if there be so much glory , and such riches in suffering : hence we have an use of abundance of comfort and encouragement to them that are willing to endure reproaches for christ . there are five or six branches of consolation to gods people in this use . first , are you willing to suffer reproaches , and to glory in them ? i remember a notable speech of gulielmus parisiensis , o happy pallat that can taste such delicates ! o it is a blessed thing that god hath given you such a taste ! again , know , if you glory in your sufferings for god , god will glory in doing for you : none shall glory in suffering for him , but he will count it his glory to be doing for them . thirdly , if you glory in your sufferings for christ , god will count it his glory to uphold you in his sufferings . fourthly , do you glory in the low condition you are put into for christ ? certainly god will own your souls , and glory in you when you are in the lowest condition , when your souls shall be in adversity , god will know you then . fifthly , can you glory in a suffering christ , when christ comes in glory , he will own you , when he shall be glorified , his glory shall be yours : those that are ashamed of me , i will be ashamed of them ( says christ ) before my father and the angels : but those that glory in christ , christ shall be their glory . lastly , now you glory in christs sufferings , you shall glory in his praises . seventhly , if so be that gods people account themselves so enriched by sufferings and reproaches , let us take heed we do not despise any that do suffer for christ , that we have not low esteem of them , because of their sufferings : god hath high esteem of them when they suffer , and they themselves see cause to glory in their condition ; and are you that are standers by ashamed of them ? and do you disesteem of them for their sufferings ? while the saints of god flourish in the world , they are esteemed of by many carnal hearts ; but let them suffer any thing and be disgraced , and they withdraw themselves from them , they are despised as a lamp in the snuff , but who do despise those that are ready to fall into trouble ? those that are in ease : when a lamp is bright and shining , every one esteems it ; but when it comes to be in the snuff , men despise it : and so in outward prosperity , many do esteem of them , but when they come into trouble , then they slight them : o let not those that are like to fall into trouble be despised by you : i pray what service do you for god , that you should despise them ? such a one as suffers in the cause of god , does more service for god , then you have done in all your lives , and god hath more honor by him ; and will you despise him , and look with an evil eye upon such a one ? behold him , look upon him , see whether the presence of god be not more with him then ever ; see whether the glory of god does not appear more upon him then ever ? and will you despise him ? it is said , god will not withdraw himself from the righteous , however others do withdraw themselves ; ( that is ) let the righteous be inany condition , though in the poorest meanest condition , god withdraws not himself from him , and shall you withdraw your hearts from him ? you should embrace them , and the more they suffer for god , the more you should delight in them , and be in their company the more , and not be shy of their company , and ashamed to own them . in rev. . . you see how st. john does boast in his tribulation ; he does not say , i john that am an evangelist , who am an apostle , who have revelations revealed unto me , but , i john , who am also your brother and companion in tribulation : this he rejoyces in , that there is a company of gods people that i may joyn with in tribulation for christ . and so it is spoken of the honor of those christians in heb. . . that they were companions of those that were reproached and persecuted : it is therefore well taken at gods hand , when any of gods people are in trouble , that others are willing to be their companions , and not to despise them , but to embrace them . and constantine the emperor , when he came to pagnutius , that had lost his eye for christ , he embraced him , and kissed that eye . eighthly , if gods people do so glory in their sufferings : hence there is discouragement to all wicked men to meddle with them ; certainly they will get nothing by it . you think if they will not do thus and thus , you will make them do it : alas , you are infinitely deceived ; what will you do to make them do it ? you will reproach them , and cast disgrace upon them , and take away their estates , and hunt them up and down : this is that which they glory in , and they count their riches ; you enrich them by this : and therefore if there be any policy in you , leave off this way ; for when are the people of god more setled in the way of godliness , and against the way of antichrist , then when they are persecuted ? nazianzen in his oration upon basil , tells of a famous contestation that basil had with modestus , the emperors lieutenant : what , ( saith modestus ) what do we seem to be to you ? nothing , says basil . what , do you not fear our power ? why should i fear ? what will it do ? what shall i suffer ? what shall you suffer ? ( saith he in indignation ) then he reckons up a company of scaring things , losses of goods , banishment , tortures , death : then , says basil , if you have any thing else , threaten it , for these things are nothing . how is that , says he ? basil answers , for loss of goods , i have nothing but a few torn cloathes , and a few books ; for banishment , i account the whole earth mine ; for death , that will be a benefit to me , you will send me sooner to god , to whom i live , and to whom i hasten ; and a little after he saith , fire , sword , prison , famine , are all a pleasure , they are delightful to me . we read likewise of a notable speech of this lieutenant to the emperor julian : while they suffer , they deride us ( saith he ) and the torments are more fearful to them that stand by , then to the tormented . gulielmus parisiensis " in his tractate de moribus , brings in the patience of the saints triumphing over persecutors , saying , the emperors , and kings , and princes of the world are but cooks to prepare dainties for me , in whose rage appears my glory ; the magnificence and sublimity of those who are mine , and those that seem to dominier in the world , do serve in my kitchin to prepare food for me . and tertullian speaking of the patience of job , and the devils coming to strike him , says , the devil with his own hands did but make a crown for job . and ( says he ) here is the glory , and magnanimity , and sublimity of patience , that it does glory in those things that the world think to get them off from the ways of godliness by . hereticks , says cyprian , do arm us , when they think by their threatnings to terrifie us . do you think reproaches from you will take off their hearts from all the good they had experience of gods ways ? you know not their hearts . in jeremy . . says god , they think to cause my people to forget my name by their dreams , which they tell every man to his neighbor , as their fathers have forgotten my name for baal : because a company of base hypocrites are taken from the ways of godliness , and from the profession of truth by scorns and reproaches , the men of the world think to get gods people to forget his name , but they are infinitely mistaken : although you prevail with hypocrites , do not think to prevail in like maner with gracious hearts . the answer of basil to modestus , that nazianzen in his former oration mentions , is very remarkable ; when modestus heard his bold answers , says he to him , never any man answered me thus , thus boldly as you do : it may be , says basil , you never had to deal with a bishop before . so although perhaps others who make shews of religion , yet not well grounded , will yield to you ; yet if you meet with a true gracious heart , you shall finde another maner of power there to resist whatsoever you can do . do what you can , those who are truly godly , will be above you in whatsoever sufferings they endure from you . it was a notable speech i have read of one cyrus theodorus , to the former modestus , concerning basil : o modestus , basil is above you , you are but a poor pismire to him , though you roar as a lyon ! luther likewise reports of vincentius , that he laughed * at those that slew him ; saying , that to christians tortures and deaths were as sports , and he gloryed when he went upon hot burning coals , as if he trod upon roses . ninthly , if we are to glory so much in the sufferings we endure for christ , then certainly we are to glory in the sufferings that christ hath indured for us : if there be riches in our sufferings for christ , what riches are in christs suffering for us ? i have shewn in eight particulars the riches of sufferings for christ ; i might in as many particulars shew the riches of christs sufferings for us . first , riches of the infinite deep wisdom of god. secondly , the riches of the infinite love of god to mankinde . thirdly , the rich patern of humility . fourthly , there is riches of honor that is put upon the children of men , such a price is paid for them , and such great things are done by the lord for them . fifthly , there is a rich fountain of mercy , cleansing of all pollution , and the healing of all souls in christ . sixthly , there are the riches of the springs of all graces . seventhly , there are the riches of the rich treasure of all consolations . eighthly , a rich purchase ; thus our sufferings for christ are riches , and christs sufferings for us are riches . chrysostom * speaking of christs reproaches , hath this expression , these things which we suffered , are most beautiful and glorious to me , in these i do principally glory ; neither is my spirit less raised by the thousands that be raised from the dead , then by the dolours that suffered . how rich is a christian in regard of sufferings ; as men use to look at their riches , and be thinking of their riches , so let us be viewing and looking at our riches , the riches of our sufferings ; and christ makes us to glory in our riches . it is an expression of chrysostom upon the sermon in matthew . speaking of the sufferings of christ , says he , they are glorious things , he glories more in them , then in raising thousands from the dead , christ glories in them ; and that is observable in the ninth of the acts , where christ appears to saul , says he , saul , saul , why persecutest thou me ? says paul , who art thou ? i am jesus of nazareth ; why does he say , jesus of nazareth ? does any good come out of nazareth ? he does not say , i am the second person of the trinity , the son of god , the king of the church ; no , but i am jesus of nazareth , that was a reproach that was cast upon christ , and christ glories in that , surely we should glory in it then . lastly , if there be so many riches in suffering for christ in reproaches , what riches are there in the crown , in the reward of the reproaches , and sufferings ? men do dig riches out of dark holes and mines in the earth ; here is a hole , though it be dark , yet it is a mine , where-out you may dig great riches , if you have wherewithall to dig , if you have a true christian spirit ; you see out of this deep dark pit you may dig riches . chap. xxxix . there is glorious reward for the people of god. but what was the ground that made moses thus esteem reproaches ? he had respect unto the recompence of reward : from whence the point of doctrine is this , that there is a glorious reward for the people of god , the respect unto which is a great encouragement to gods servants , to go on in a way of suffering and hardship for him . it was this that helped david in the midst of his sore temptation , that did arise from his affliction in the way of god , psalm . . thou shalt guide me mith thy counsel , and afterward receive me to glory : as if he should say , howsoever it be with the men of the world , who enjoy their prosperity according to their desires ; and howsoever it be with me , that i am afflicted , and must endure hard things here , yet this is that which upholds me through all , thou shalt afterward receive me to glory . this is that which upheld the spirit of saint paul , cor. . . where he brings in a most notable and high expression of the glory that is to come , for the upholding his spirit in his suffering ; for our light affliction , which is but for a moment , worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory . this is that which saint paul propounded unto timothy , to uphold his heart in all his sufferings , timothy . . if we suffer , we shall also reign with him . this is that which strengthned the spirits of the christians , that suffered in the times of the maccabees , heb. . . as those clusters of grapes that were brought from the land of canaan , that shewed to the people , what the fruitfulness of that land was , was an encouragement to them , to pass through all difficulties that they were like to meet withalin the possession of the land , to fight against the children of anak ; so that which god hath revealed of heaven , is like those clusters of grapes , those little things that we have made known to us ( in comparison of the glory that is to come ) are to that end revealed to encourage us in our way here . in the handling of this point , there are these five things we shall endeavor to do : first , to shew that there is a reward for the righteous . secondly , how far a christian may have an eye unto this reward . thirdly , shew somewhat what this reward is . fourthly , wherein lies the power of the believing of this , to help us to endure any hardship . lastly , make application of all . that there is a reward . certainly , there is a more blessed condition for gods people hereafter , they have not received that which is prepared for them , there are other maner of things to be revealed , then those that you see . psal . . . verily there is a reward for the righteous ; surely it is so : notwithstanding a carnal sensual heart doth not see it , yet verily there is a reward ; though the ways of gods providence do seem outwardly to work otherwise , yet surely there is a reward : notwithstanding our unbelieving hearts are ready to question it , yet surely there is a reward , verily there is a reward for the righteous . there is a great deal of power in this one thing to raise up our hearts from the creature , from grovelling here below , to make us at least to look upward to know our happiness is not here , to know that there are glorious things to be expected , and that appears : first , god hath infinite riches of glory , infinite treasures of happiness , there are infinite great things in god , and god takes infinite delight to communicate himself , and let out himself unto the creature : now if there be such infinite riches with god , such glorious treasures of happiness , and he delights to communicate himself , certainly there are great things to be communicated then ; for wherefore is it that god hath such infinite riches in him , but that in due time he will make them known , and reveal them , and communicate them ? it is but little that is revealed and communicated for the present ; therefore there are other things to be revealed and communicated from god. secondly , god hath made mankinde to be of such a nature , as to have a kinde of infinite capacity , whereby it is made capable of happiness , beyond that which any creature , besides angels , is capable of : properly no creature but the rational creature is capable of happiness at all , but besides it hath a kinde of infinite capacity , whereby it is made capable of the highest happiness that belongs to the capacity of a creature : and certainly god hath not made this in vain , god does intend to fill this capacity . you will say , an infinite capacity of happiness , how is that ? thus ; for there are two things in the rational part of man , his understanding , and his will : now the capacity of this part , must be judged according to the objects that are suitable unto these two faculties in mans soul : for the understanding , it is not any particular thing that is the object of it , but truth in general : take truth in the utmost latitude of it , in the universality of it , that is the object of mans understanding ; and therefore the understanding is infinite , because it is not satisfied in this or that particular , but truth in the utmost extent . and for the object of the will , it is good in the general , it is not this or that particular good , but good in the universality of its nature ; and therefore till it come to enjoy god , that does eminently contain all good in him , it can never come to have full satisfaction . and here observe the difference between the capacity of mans nature , and the capacity of other creatures : as for other creatures , their faculties can extend no further then some particular good , and they are limited within the narrow bounds of their own nature ; and therefore if so be the eye have colour , it goes no further ; and if the ear have sound , it goes no further ; and so taste , it goes no further then some particular good ; but the intelligent soul , the rational soul goes beyond all particulars . now god having made mans nature of such a capacity for good and happiness , certainly god intends great things for the children of men , other maner of things , then there are in this world ; and if for any , surely for the righteous . thirdly , surely there is a reward , because it is the great design that god had in the making of the world , in all his works to lift up , and advance the glory of the riches of his mercy and grace : now if this be gods great design , to advance the glory of his infinite mercy , then certainly there must needs be a glorious condition for some of the children of men , for that is not yet done ; though there be something of gods mercy manifested , that we have cause to admire at ; yet certainly , god does not reveal that in the world , whereby he should attain to the great design , of lifting up of the glory of his great name . fourthly , the chief of the deep infinite counsels of god , and the works of his wisdom , that have been from all eternity , have been , and are yet exercised about this especially ; namely , to bring mankinde to his eternal estate , and to communicate unto the children of men , that glory that he hath appointed for them , that it might be in the most glorious way that can be : now if god have set his infinite wisdom on work from all eternity about this ; namely , what might be the most glorious way of communication of himself in the riches of his goodness unto mankinde , certainly , when this comes to pass , that god should communicate himself as much as he does intend , it must be infinitely glorious : certainly , there are great things , and glorious things to be communicated hereafter . fifthly , the power of god hath been already exercised , in subserviency to other attributes of his , to make known his wisdom , and his bounty , and his general goodness ; the power of god have been wonderfully manifested in the works of creation and providence : now certainly , the power of god is as well to be put forth in a way of subserviency unto his grace and mercy ; now if there be such a time , as gods infinite power is to be let out , and work unto that end , that it might be subservient unto the infiniteness of his mercy , then certainly there are glorious and great things to be revealed and made known . sixthly , certainly there are glorious and great things for mankinde , in that god hath raised the nature of man unto such a heighth , as he hath done in christ ; namely , to unite mans nature unto himself , unto the second person of the trinity , and that with the nearest union that possibly can be ; namely , an hypostatical union : certainly then god intends great things for the children of men , for that nature , that is one person with the divine nature . this is such a great work of god , as all other of the works of god are darkned in the honor of this great work . seventhly , the great purchase that jesus christ hath made , in that he hath been content to leave so much glory , certainly this was to purchase great glory ; and in that he was content to be made a curse for mans-sin , and to shed his blood , and to give his life for man , surely this was not onely to purchase outward comforts in the world , it was to purchase higher things ; and therefore great must needs be the fruit of the purchase of the blood of christ ; and therefore great are the things that are to be revealed hereafter . eighthly , there are in scripture many glorious promises which yet are not fulfilled , abundant rich and glorious promises , that have infinite treasures of good in them , there must be a time of fulfilling of them all , to the utmost extent of them : and therefore certainly there are great things to be revealed hereafter . thy word o lord is setled for ever in heaven , psal . . . ninthly , the great things that god hath done for his enemies , is a demonstration that there is a glorious condition for gods people afterward , in that god hath filled their bellies with his hid treasure : what treasures hath god to fill the souls of his own people with , when as he does fill the bellies of the wicked , whom he does intend to cast out as accursed ? tenthly , it appears there are great things for the people of god hereafter , because of the great hopes that are wrought in the hearts of gods servants , by the power of the holy ghost . now surely such hopes as are wrought by the power of the holy ghost , they must attain unto glorious things : rom. . . now the god of hope , fill you with all joy and peace in believing , that you may abound in hope , through the power of the holy ghost : the hope of gods people is that which is not onely wrought by the holy ghost , but by the power of the holy ghost ; and such an hope , as god is pleased to stile himself the god of this hope ; and therefore certainly glorious things are to be revealed . another demonstration is this , the very natures and excellency of grace , is to take off our hearts from these present things in the world , and from all the good that is here in the creature , god does give grace for this end ; now then i reason thus : if the chief excellency of grace be to take the hearts of the saints from the things of the world , and to settle them upon higher and better things , then certainly there are glorious things to come . the last demonstration is this , because there are such glorious first fruits of that which is to come , that gods people do finde for the present ; those blessed rays of heavenly consolations , and those beginnings of heaven that they finde here : if there were a thousand worlds filled with that glory that this is filled with , they would not take it for one ray , one beam , that is made known unto them , as the first fruits of that glory they shall have hereafter : now put all these together , and we may conclude , verily there is a reward for the righteous ; verily there is a glorious condition for gods servants ; happy are they that shall be made partakers of these things , certainly there are great things to come . before we go any further , me thinks the thoughts of these should raise our hearts : what do we here minding such poor empty things ? are these the things that god hath made us for ? are not the thoughrs of god concerning the children of men , higher and more glorious then these outward things ? surely there is something else , that god hath made mans immortal soul for , above any thing that it hath seen in the world : men do live for the present , as if there were no other condition for them , no greater good , but onely to cat and drink , and have money , and brave cloathes , and the like : o know there are better things for us to look after ! but thus we pass from the first thing , that there are blessed things for the children of men hereafter . chap. xl. how far we may aym at the recompence of reward in what we do . it is true , will some say , there are glorious things prepared for some of the children of men ; but whether may we look after them ? may we have a respect to the reward ? is not this a mercenary thing , and hypocrisie ? we are not to serve god for reward , but for himself : and therefore how is this that moses had a respect unto the recompence of reward , and how is this a thing that should help us on in our way ? first , this is granted , that we are bound to serve the lord , and to walk with him , and obey him ; if there were no reward to be expected hereafter , god is infinitely worthy of himself , of all our services , of all that we are able to do in this world ; and whatsoever we have , the lord hath more interest in it , then we have in it our selves ; and therefore we owe all that we are , or have , unto him , and righteousness it self is sufficient to cause us to perform the works of it : in the keeping of thy commandments there is great reward , psalm . . not onely for keeping them , but in keeping them there is great reward , and the excellency of our work would be sufficient reward for our work ; though there were no reward that were to come hereafter , we are bound to do all we do . but yet secondly , notwithstanding this , god is pleased to give leave unto us his poor creatures , to help and encourage our selves in the expectation of that reward that is to come ; yea , to make it our aim ( though i will not say the highest aim ) for so the word signifies in cor. . . while we look not at things which are seen , but at the things which are not seen ; the word signifies , while we make things that are not seen our scope and aym , so that god gives us leave to have such respect unto them , as to make them our aym : and so the people of god have looked at the recompence of reward , as a great encouragement to them in their way , psal . . . i have enclined my heart to perform thy statutes alway , even to the end : the same word that signifies end , signifies reward also , because reward is to come at the end of all our works , and therefore the same word is translated reward in psal . . . and so the word seems to carry more , then to the end : as if david should say , i have enclined my heart to perform thy statutes alway , looking unto the reward . in heb. . . it is said of christ himself , that for the joy that was set before him , he endured the cross , and despised the shame : now if christ made use of the joy that was set before him , and that was a help to him to endure the cross , and despise the shame , much more may we make use of it , and it may be a help to us ; so that we have leave to look at it . yea thirdly , we have not onely leave to look at it , but it is our duty to seek to help our selves in eying the reward ; we sin against god if we do it not : and the reason is , because we are bound to make use of the word , in that way that god hath revealed it to us : now god hath revealed the glorious things of the recompence of the reward in a way of encouragement ; and therefore we sin against god if we do not encourage our selves in it . some think , why should we look at the reward , we must look to the rule , and see that our obedience be accordingly : but know , if you do not look to the reward , you do not only hinder your selves of the good you might have , but do sin against god in it . here you deceive your selves , as ahaz did deceive himself in isaiah . . where god bid him ask a sign ; he was modest , and bashful , and would not ask a sign , he would not tempt god , he would believe the lord without a sign , see how the lord is angry : is it a small thing to weary man , but will you weary god also ? when as the lord in favor towards you will vouchsafe you a sign , and you refuse it , as if you had no need , why will you weary god ? so as when god for the help of our weakness , will grant us an argument to help us in our way , and we think it is modesty , or what you will to leave it , in this we sin against the lord our god. fourthly , i never finde that the scripture does accuse any of hypocrisie , of unsoundness , and not to have truth of grace meerly for this , because that they did aym at the reward which is in heaven , for that they did ; you shall finde in scripture many are discovered for hypocrites , for looking at the glory of the world as their aym , for seeking of riches and credit ; but give me an instance where any is accused for unsoundness , for seeking of immortallity , and eternity , and happiness ; this is that which troubles many christians , that which they do is out of self-love , and they aym at themselves ; god did never discover any to be unsound upon this ground , and therefore we should be cautious in accusing our selves of this , as many do , because , for the present they cannot see how they go further then seeking of themselves , though we cannot see how we do go further , yet it is an argument we do go further , if we get up to this . paul made it a mighty work of grace in him , that he could have his heart taken off from all temporal things that are seen , and to look at eternal things that were not seen . fifthly , yet we ought to look at god , and to lift up god beyond our selves , or any thing that concerns our selves , and not to aym at god more then any worldly thing onely ; but to aym at god more then at the glory of heaven . but yet further , though we are to aym at god beyond our own good any way , yet it is the will of god that he would not have us to part with any of our spiritual good , no not for any glory to his own name : if you look at your reward in heaven as spiritual , you may so far look at it , as not to be willing to part with it , for any glory that you conceive may come to god : by spiritual good , i mean grace . now if it could be supposed that god should have never so much glory by my abating the least degree in grace , yet i am so bound to the work of grace , as i must not abate the least degree for the highest glory that can come to god ; yea , though it is true i am to desire the glory of god , and that others should glorifie god : yet i should more desire the furtherance of grace in my own soul , so as i should not be willing to part with the least degree of grace , though thereby all the world should glorifie god. but here lies one objection : paul seems to go otherwise ; for he wished himself accursed , or anathamized from christ for his brethren , his kinsmen after the flesh , so that it seems st. paul did wish the glory of god in others , more then any grace in himself . to this i answer , that separation from christ we must understand rightly ; we are not to understand by separation , that he should be separated from the spirit and grace of christ , but that he might be separated from the comforts of christ , that he might not have that comfort and that happiness that comes in by christ : if he had desired to be separated from the grace of christ , he should have sinned in it ; gods glory and our good are so annexed together , that though we may suffer much for the good of others , yet we are not to desire to be in any sinful condition , though it could save all the world : if it could be conceived , unless i sin the least sin in thought , all the men of the world should be damned , i should suffer them all to be damned , rather then to sin the least sin . i remember st. augustine hath a tractate about an officious lye , to tell a lye for no hurt , but for good ; says he , we are not to tell such a lye , though it were to save all the world : christ had rather all the world should have been damned , then that he should have committed the least sin . in the next place , whosoever does understand what the true reward is that is in heaven , it is impossible , if he desire heaven aright , but he must desire the glory of god above himself : what is the heighth and top of heaven ? it is not any carnal good , any carnal content that is the heighth and top of the glory of heaven ? it is that our souls being in the perfection of them , might live to the praise of god for ever : now if this be the end of all , we shall receive from god in heaven that we might live for ever , to reflect the glory upon god again in our praise ; then it is impossible to desire heaven , but in our desires of heaven , we do desire god above our selves : surely we may freely aym at our reward in heaven , for if we aym at our reward , and know it aright , it is such as we cannot but aym at god above our selves ; yea further , so near is gods glory and our reward joyned together , that we cannot aym at god above our selves , but we shall by that means in the best maner provide for our selves ; and the more we strive to aym at god above our selves , we come in the best maner , that possibly can be , to provide for our selves . and yet lastly , there is a great difference between a gracious heart looking to the reward , and a carnal heart looking to the reward : as first , the difference lies here , a gracious heart does love the reward for the works sake ; a carnal heart does onely love the work for the rewards sake : as a gracious heart loves heaven , and loves the glory of heaven ; but it loves heaven , and the glory of heaven the better , because there is such a blessed way to it . if a man were to go home , and had an ill way , he would love his home ; but if he have a fair smooth way home , he loves his home the better for the ways sake ; therefore many men are at great cost to have a fair going to their houses : and so a gracious heart loves the way , that god does reveal to come to heaven by , and loves heaven the better because of the way : a carnal heart may love heaven , but he does not love heaven the better for the way , but wishes the way to heaven were otherwise ; he looks upon the way to heaven as a necessary burthen to him : as a man that is going out a journey , and must go through a dirty lane , he goes through it , but complaining ; and so , though they desire heaven , yet all the while they are complaining of the way : certainly there is a great deal of difference between the desires of heaven in a carnal heart , and the desires of it in a gracious heart . secondly , the eye that a gracious heaat hath to the recompence of reward , is another maner of eye then any carnal heart can have . what kinde of eye is it ? first , the eye that a gracious heart hath to the reward , it is a clear discerning eye ; he does not take the things of heaven as guesses , and imaginary things , but looks upon them as certain substantial realties : for my own part , i much doubt whether any man in the world be able to see the glorious things in heaven , as certain substantial things , that hath not the truth of grace : the truth of grace it is partly in this thing , in having that principle in the soul , that makes the soul able to look at the things of heaven as the onely real , substantial , excellent things , so as to darken all the glory of the things of the world ; so that when you come thus far , whereas before you heard something of heaven , and they were but imaginary things ; and now there is such a light set up in your souls , as you see the things of heaven as the onely real , substantial , glorious things ; certainly there is the work of grace : the ground of it is that of heb. . . faith is the evidence of things not seen , so that the work of faith is there seen : whosoever speaks of the reward that is in heaven , if the glory of the world be not darkned in their eyes , it argues there is no true saving faith . a second difference is , a gracious heart looks upon the reward by some experimental sweet , and good that he findes in himself , as the beginning of that eternal good he expects ; whereas others look upon the reward as a thing onely to come unto them hereafter : he reads in the word , and hears preachers say so , and so he can speak of them , but it is not from any experimental sweetness that he findes of the beginning of eternal life wrought in him : that place is very remarkable for this , in heb. . . knowing in your selves that ye have in heaven a better and enduring substance : other men may know in others , in books , that there is a reward ; but a gracious heart knows in himself , by that experimental sweetness of the beginning of eternal life that he findes in himself . a third difference is , the eye that a gracious heart hath unto the recompence of reward , is a fixed eye , a setled constant eye : another man that is an hypocrite may have a flash of lightning , even from heaven it self , that may discover something unto him of the glorious condition of the people of god ; as balaam , let me dye the death of the righteous , and let my last end be like his : this was more then natural , i may call it a supernatural work that was upon balaam , yet not saving and gracious : it appeared not to be saving , because it had not a saving power went with it , and it was not constant ; and so many hypocrites that are unfound , when they have enlargement in prayer , they may have some flashes of lightning let into their hearts , they may have some glimmerings of the glorious things of heaven ; and as the holy ghost speaks in heb. . . they may have a taste of the powers of the world to come ; but a gracious heart hath it not as a flash of lightning , but as a constant light that is set up in his soul , and as that light which does transform his spirit into light , and makes him to be a childe of light . fourthly , there is a great deal of difference in this , the eye that a gracious heart hath is truly spiritual , the other is but carnal . a spiritual eye , what is that ? that is , he looks at the reward as a spiritual thing , a carnal heart looks at it carnally : o the flashes of joy to have a crown and a kingdom ! but a spiritual heart looks at the reward spiritually ; time is coming when i shall be wholly free from the body of sin and death ; time is coming , when as the image of god shall be made perfect in my soul ; time is coming , when i shall behold the blessed face of god , and live to the praise of that blessed god , without any intermission , joyning with those blessed creatures that are eternally blessing god : now the heart that looks at it thus spiritually , and looks at the top of it to be a spiritual good ; such an one sees the reward after another maner then any carnal heart doth . the last difference is , the eye of the gracious heart is a believing eye , such an eye , as he looks upon the glorious and blessed things of heaven , as the things that his soul hath an interest in , as the things wherein his riches and happiness does consist ; another may look upon them as glorious things that may be desired ; but for an eye to be fixed upon the promise , so as to be content to venture all upon the bare word of god for such great things , so as to count his riches to consist in these things that he hath but a bare word for ; such a believing eye as this is not the eye of a carnal heart . chap. xli . what is this recompence of reward . now the third thing that we are to come to is , to shew what this reward is ; we can but give you a little glimpse of it : whatsoever will be said , it will rather even darken it then otherwise , in regard of the wonderful excellency of it ; all the stars in heaven , if they were all suns , they would be but a dark shadow to set out this reward , and therefore it is reserved to eternity to be known ; but yet , because the lord hath been pleased to let out a beam of light unto us in his word , we shall endeavor to give a little glimpse of it to you , so that the hearts of christians may be revived in their way , and they may gather up their feet to go on chearfully in their course , having respect with a discerning , experimental , spiritual , fixed , believing eye , unto the glorious recompence of reward . first , take all the beauty , excellency , the sweet and good that there is in all the world ; if there could be a confluence and extract of the quintessence of all good , in all creature in this world , and all to be communicated to one man , yet it were but as a dark shadow of the glory that is to be revealed . secondly , this reward , certainly it is that which is beyond all the expression that we have in scripture of it : great things are spoken in the word , but there is more to be revealed and to be enjoyed , then is yet revealed in all the book of god , isa . . . for since the beginning of the world , men have not heard , nor perceived by the ear , neither hath the eye seen , o god , besides thee , what he hath prepared for him that waiteth for him . and therefore in thess . . . it is said , christ shall come to be glorified in his saints , and to be admired in all them that believe : now the cause of admiration , it is the sight of something more then was known before , that was not thought of , and was not understood ; even then at the first coming of christ , he shall appear in so much glory , as he shall be admired ; as if the saints should say , we heard much concerning christ and his glory , but we never thought that there was so much glory in jesus christ , as now we finde ; and therefore we stand admiring at the glory of christ . thirdly , all those consolations , those admirable soul-ravishing comforts that the saints of god have ever had in this world , have all been but the first fruits of those glorious things that are hereafter to to be revealed , they are but as the clusters of grapes that that blessed land of canaan is so full of . fourthly , then all the expressions that man can give of those things that are to be hereafter , must needs be but dark resemblances of what shall be revealed hereafter : as the infant in the womb knows not what the light , the glory and beauty of the world is ; so we , while we are in this darkness , know little of the beauty and glory of heaven . st. augustine speaking concerning what we can say of it , says , it is but as a little drop of the sea , and a little spark of the great furnace : those good things of eternal life are so many , that they exceed number ; so great , that they exceed measure ; so precious , that they are above all estimation . augustine in one of his epistles hath this relation , that the very same day wherein jerome dyed , he was in his study , and had got pen , ink and paper to write something of the glory of heaven to jerome , suddenly he saw a light breaking into his study , and a sweet swell that came unto him , and this voyce he thought he heard , o augustine , what doest thou ? doest think to put the sea into a little vessel ? when the heavens shall cease from their continual motion , then shalt thou be able to understand what the glory of heaven is , and not before , except you come to feel it as i now do , this therefore is beyond the expression of man. fifthly , all the desires of all the souls of gods saints in the world , they come infinitely short of that which shall be hereafter . we are straightned here in our spirits , in our desires ; if we could enlarge our desires in a spiritual way , it would hereafter adde much to our glory ; our desires are not onely straighter then that we shall have , but the straightness of our desires here hinders much the capacity of the good that hereafter is to be revealed and communicated ; and therefore christians should labor in a spiritual way to enlarge their desires to the utmost , to get their hearts to be working after great things here , so that they may by them engreaten their hearts , and extend their hearts , to prepare them for the great things that are to be revealed . i may say concerning our straight desires , as the prophet did to joash , kings . , . where the prophet bade him strike upon the earth , and he struck thrice ; the prophet was angry , and said , you should have struck five or six times , and so often shouldst thou have smitten thy enemies : so according to the truth and spiritual working of our desires here , shall we be made capable of glory hereafter ; but now if we be straightened in our hearts , and we desire to be in heaven , and to have some good thing there , but our hearts are not after great things , not enlarged in our desires , it will be in some measure , in some proportion according to our desires , and therefore it is an evil thing for christians to have their desires straightned here . there are glorious things to be had in god , and therefore our desires should be more enlarged then they are . it is an excellent expression of basil , * it grieves , it irks , it is tedious to our most munificent , great , glorious king ( he hath one word that expresses as much as all these ) if we ask any thing little of him ; he would have us ask great things of him . again , they are beyond all our hopes : it is said of abraham , he believed above hope ; we cannot believe above hope in this sense , that is above the great things that are hoped for , and yet god loves to have his people raise their hopes high . yea lastly , it is beyond all imagination ; if men and angels should set themselves to imagine what they would have , they would think if such and such things were , that would be a glorious condition , this reward shall be beyond imagination ; we may imagine that which we could not almost desire , but whatsoever you can invent or imagine , you shall have that happiness , or that which is beyond it : sometime we think , what a sweet thing will it be in heaven to meet our father , our mother , our brother or sister , our husband or wife ? these relations shall cease there ; but we may conclude , though we have not that there , we shall have that which shall be better , and that which we would rather chuse . but then if it be thus , that all the world be but a dark shadow , if that which is revealed in the word be but a glimpse , if all the comforts of the saints here be but the first-fruits , if all the expressions of men come beneath , if all our desires come short , if all our hopes reach not to it , if all be above the imagination of men and angels , what is it then ? what is that which is thus great ? we can tell you somewhat of this recompence of reward negatively , and somewhat comparatively , but very little of it positively ; yet somewhat that way too . first , negatively : there shall be no evil , there shall be such an estate of gods people , wherein they shall be fully , absolutely , everlastingly free from all kinde of evil ; in this world evil sticks to every christian , but there they shall be in an estate beyond all evil . when the sun is got to the heighth , there is no shadow ; so when gods people come to the top of their blessedness , there shall be no shadow of any evil at all : that god that is infinite in good , certainly will not suffer evil to be always in his people : freed from all evil of sin , and that is the greatest evil of all ; never troubled with any hard heart any more , never pestered with an unbelieving straightned heart any more , never dull and heavy in gods service any more ; there shall never be any more blindeness and ignorances , any unconstancy , any mistake , any weariness in gods service , delivered wholly from sin ; yea , delivered not onely from the sin that we have , but from the very savor of sin , and from all the remainders of sin : a man may be delivered out of prison , but he may smell of the prison ; men may be healed of a wound , and yet have a scar remain ; so it is with gods people here , they are delivered from the guilt and power of their sin , but they smell of their prison garments , and there are some scars upon them , but all the smells and scars of our sin shall be taken from us ; yea , delivered from the very possibility of sin : to be in an estate without sin , is a blessed estate , but to be in an estate wherein there shall be no possibility to sin , that is a blessed condition indeed : it is a kinde of misery that a godly man counts himself to be in , not onely that he does sin , but that he may sin , that he hath a possibility to sin ; but to be free from that , that is a blessed condition : and this is the happiness of god himself , that there is no possibility that he should do any thing in the least degree to sin . and as they are delivered from sin , so from sorrow , for that is the immediate consequent of sin : all tears shall be wiped from their eyes . and as from moral evil , so from natural evil ; from external and internal evil , from all weakness of parts , and from all pains , and sickness , and deformities , from all labors , all incumbrances here in the world ; freed from the company , and madness , and opposition , and tyranny , and injustice of wicked men ; they shall be above satan , and above the men of the world . gal. . . it is said , that christ hath given himself to deliver us from this present evil world ; it is a part of the purchase of christ , to be wholly freed from all the evils of this present world ; and this purchase of christ we shall have . under the highest regions are the tempests and storms , but above there are none ; so in this world the saints meet with tempests and storms , but above are none . as the psalmist says , in thy light o god we shall see light : so in the light of god we shall see nothing but light : now when gods light does shine into us , it does discover darkness ; but time will come , though gods light shall shine never so brightly , we shall see no darkness , but altogether light . we read concerning moses and elias in luke . in the transfiguration of christ , the text says , they did confer about his decease that should be accomplished at jerusalem : the saints of god shall meet together , and moses , and elias , and the patriarchs , and shall confer no more about deceases , about troubles and sufferings that shall be accomplished ; all those evils shall be done away . we may say of evils all , as moses did to the people of israel concerning the egyptians , those your enemies that now you see , you shall never see any more : so we may say to gods people that go out of the world to partake of the recompence of reward ; be quiet , be still : those evils of sin , of sorrow that now you see , and feel , you shall never see , never feel any more ; that is something though it be negatively . secondly , comparatively , and herein are three things . first , to compare the good , the happiness that shall be hereafter , with all the good and happiness that we have here . secondly , compare it with the condition of adam in the estate of innocency . thirdly , compare it with the happiness of the angels . chap. xlii . the differences between that good we receive here from god , and that we shall have hereafter . first , we will compare that we have here , with that we shall have hereafter : brethren , though we receive many mercies from god , yet look what difference there is between that close place of the womb , that the infant is in before it be born , and this space of the world that the childe comes into when it is born ; such difference is between all this world , and any good and happiness here , and the world that is to come ; this , and much more then this . first , here we receive good from without : first unto our outward senses , and by them it comes into the soul ; but now hereafter god shall first let out good unto the soul , unto the rational part , and from the redundancy of that good and glory that god shall communicate unto the rational soul , there shall flow glory , and sweetness , and good to the body , and outward senses : whereas here we see from without , and so it comes in ; there shall be a spring , and a fountain of good within the soul ; the kingdom of heaven shall be within , and more good shall be in the heart , and flow from thence outwardly , then to be received from without , and so to come inwardly ; for us to receive something in our sences , and so to convey it to the soul , this is but a low way ; but to have a spring and fountain of all good and happiness to be within the soul , and so spread it self and flow out , this shews wonderfully the blessedness of gods people , when god shall communicate himself to them in that way . secondly , here the excellency and eminency of an object does destroy the faculty , if the faculties of our souls be exercised about objects , that are very high above us , that are full of excellency and glory , they destroyed the faculty ; as now though light be the most pleasing to the eye of all things in the world , yet the excellency and glory of light destroys the eye ; so sound is the proper object of the ear , but if the sound be too great , it makes one deaf , but it is otherwise in heaven , the more excellent the object is , the more perfect will the faculty be ; the object shall not onely delight the faculty , but perfect and strengthen the faculty . nature as in a glass , but thus far , that as we see good in the creature now , then we shall see them by knowing god himself , more then by knowing the creature . and the reason is , because all excellency and good that is in the creature is eminently in god ; for all the good of the effects must needs be eminently in all the principles , and the good of all principles in the first principle : if all good in the creature be eminently in god , and the souls of the blessed shall come perfectly to know god , so far as their created understandings shall be capable of , then they must needs see the excellency of the creature in god. we shall know as we are known , cor. . . upon this a learned man hath this note , we shall know as we are known ; now god knows all his works , by knowing himself , by knowing his own power , and will , and nature , and so we shall know as we are known , because we shall know the creatures by knowing god. fourthly , here the mercies and good that we have from god are sweetned unto us by the sense of our wants : but hereafter we shall prize them , and have the sweetness of them in regard of their own fulness : not from such a low relation , as our wants and our necessities ; when god would have us prize any mercy here , he first makes us sensible of the want of the mercy , and so it comes to be sweet to us , and scarce any mercy comes to be sweet , unless we feel the want of it first , for else we would prize the mercy at any time , but in that we do not prize all mercies always alike , it appears the great commendation of gods mercy is from our wants : but hereafter the prizings , and the relish , and the sweet of all shall be from the fulness of the goodness that we finde in god : gods goodness to us here , is but the supplying of some defect , but hereafter gods goodness shall be the glorifying of perfect nature . fifthly , here when we do enjoy any comfort from god , we are much sensible of it at the present enjoyment , but after we have had it a little while , we grow to be less sensible , we begin to be cloyed with it : as the most beautiful sight that we did admire at first , if we see it every day , it does not affect us ; as who is affected at the sight of the sun , because he sees it every day ? but suppose we had lived all our days in a dark dungeon , and this had been the first day we were brought out of the dungeon , and now see the sun , and the earths and seas , how mightily would we be taken with the sights that we see ? but now it is not so with us , because we have the sun every day : and so the melodious sound to the ear , first we are ravished with it , but when we are used to it , it is nothing : and so for the taste ; the taste of sweet things is mightily pleasant to us at first , but afterward it is no more pleasing to us , then the taste of ordinary mean fare is to poor people , who have as much content in their mean fare , as rich men in their delicious fare , because rich men are used to such delicious things ; but this is the excellency of gods maner of communication of himself to his people hereafter , they shall be to all eternity as exactly and fully sensible of the glory of heaven , as they were in the first moment they came into it . the sixth difference between gods communication of himself to us here and hereafter , is , here we have much good from god , but much good is in the habits , and is not always in action : there are many habits of grace , that are not always acting fully , but sometime the act of one habit is called forth , and sometime the act of another ; but here is the blessedness of gods people , there shall be no habits lying still no instant , but every minute to all eternity , they shall act to the utmost of them , so far as may any way conduce to their happiness ; for the end of the habit it is action , and in the enjoyment of our happiness we shall ever be enjoying to the full the highest and last ends ; and therefore there shall always be the utmost activity of the habits of grace : there is a necessity here of cessation of actions , because we grow weary quickly of any action , though it be a gracious action , we must unstring our bows and cease , that some actions may give way to others , for the heart to be always up , it is not able to bear it , but then there shall be no need of any cessation any moment . again , here we are not able to exercise our selves in the works of god without some difficulty : there is difficulty in raising our hearts unto any thing that is good , and to keep our hearts up ; but hereafter there shall be that communication of god unto his people , that they shall be exercised about the highest things , in the highest maner , without any difficulty , but as freely , and readily , and fully as the sun shines : the sun does shine without any difficulty , and the fish draws in water without difficulty ; so there shall be that perfect working of the soul about the highest object , without any difficulty or labor . again , here in this world there cannot be an intention in one faculty , but it does hinder the intention in another ; as if man speak to me , and i be intent in looking upon an object , i do not hear him that speaketh : and so in all faculties , the intention of one faculty does hinder the intention of another ; but in heaven , all the faculties of the soul shall be intens'd to the highest intention , and the intention of the one shall not hinder the intention of the other . again , the good we receive here is in the root , in the promise , in election in great part , but that we shall have hereafter shall be in the fruit , in the actual communication of god : as before all our actings shall be acted upon god , so all the good shall not be contained in the root of his electing love , or in the promise ; but shall be in actual communication . again , here we receive many mercies from god , that we do not understand our selves , that we know but little of , we do not see into the large extent of the mercy that we have from god : but there we shall have no mercy from god but we shall know it fully , in all the circumstances of it , in all the principles of it , and in all the appertainances that do any way concern the mercy we have , and we shall know the issue of it , and the like . again , here we receive great mercies from god , and we know not how to manage them ; gods mercies lie and sowre in us , we turn our mercies many times into afflictions for want of skill : but hereafter we shall have the full improvement of all mercy that we receive from god. again , here we see and desire many good things that we do not enjoy and possess ; but hereafter we shall see no good , nor desire any good , nor will any good , but we shall have it : and as god said concerning the land of canaan , unto the children of israel , in deut. . . every place whereon the soles of your feet shall tread , shall be yours ; so in heaven , whatsoever the saints see they shall have : here we may will a thing , and will it lawfully , and yet it may be cross unto gods secret will , and it shall never come to pass ; the reason is , because the rule of our wills is gods commandment , and not his secret will ; as david did will to build god a house , and god commends him for it , and yet god did not will it : and a childe may will the life of his parent , and yet god may will his parent shall not live , and yet he is not to be blamed , because he wills according to the rule ; but hereafter god shall so far reveal his will to us , and our wills shall be so fully united to god , that there shall not be the least crossing between any thing that we will , and that god wills . again , here it is one especial excellency of the work of grace , for us to keep in our hearts and affections , to restrain them that they be not let out too far in that we do enjoy : but hereafter when we come to the recompence of reward , we shall not need keep in our hearts , we shall have liberty to let them out . object . but we may not let out our hearts too much upon the saints , to love them above god. ans . then we shall love nothing but in god , all shall be swallowed up in god himself , that we shal not need fear the letting out of our hearts to the utmost : though i may love the creature , yet i may let out my heart fully upon it , because i love it onely in god. here many times a thing is more prized before we have it , and when we come to enjoy it , we do not see so much excellency upon it , and so do less prize it ; but though we may set a prize upon heaven , and say , o the blessed time , when we come there , we shall infinitely more prize it and rejoyce in it then we can here . yet further , here we can enjoy nothing that we can be so certain of , but that we can lose it wholly , or in some part ; but the saints of god hereafter shall be so certain of that they have in enjoyment , that they shall not lose any thing of it in the least degree . lastly , that we have from god here , is mediately conveyed through many channels , through the pipes of creatures and ordinances , but that we shall have hereafter , shall be let out immediately from god ; and this is indeed the special difference of all , from whence flow many excellent consequences , which would even require a particular of it self : i may hereafter enlarge my self in this , in some other treatise . and thus you may see the blessed condition of gods people , when they come to the recompence of reward . we have something here , and we rejoyce in it , and bless god for it ; but those ways that god hath to communicate himself to his people hereafter , are glorious ways . o that our hearts were raised to look after that communication of god that we shall have hereafter ! o those base and drossie spirits that we have ! because we receive some goodness of god here , we are ready to be quieted here , and rest here , as if god had nothing to communicate to the children of men , but that we have here . see the vileness of our hearts , we are here ready to rest upon the lowest things that god communicates , and do not so much as rise in our hearts to the highest things that are communicated here ; but a christian heart should rise higher then the most excellent things that are here in the world ; namely , to the most blessed things that are hereafter ; let us shew our selves that we are men of hopes to enjoy god after another maner then here . many do not desire enjoyment of god ; let them have the creature , they never think of any communication of god so much as through the creature , whereas a true christian that hath grace , he receives nothing in the world , but he thinks with himself , how have i god here ? how does god communicate himself to me in meat and drink , and cloathes , and friends , and the like ? it is well if you go thus far , but you must go higher ; are there not choyce mercies ? o yes , there are blessed things communicated through the ordinances , through prayer , and the word , and sacraments , there are blessed things ; few mens hearts look so high as to look to the communication of gods choyce mercies in this world ; but a gracious heart rises higher , & does as it were bathe it self with those refreshments that are to come : through gods mercy i have the creature , and the communication of god through that ; and i have the ordinances , and gods choyce mercies communicated through them ; but there are glorious things to be communicated hereafter , and those my soul rejoyces in . now god does communicate himself onely in that way which is suitable to our condition ; now we are but narrow vessels , and have but narrow mouthes , and are not capable of that greatness of gods communication ; but time will come when as god will communicate himself in a more glorious maner , and in that i bless my self ; and therefore i will not regard any of gods communication of himself to me here , but in order unto that glorious communication of god to me hereafter . and thus we have seen something of the recompence of reward , comparing it with what we have here . now secondly , we are to compare it with the condition of adam in the estate of innocency . as for the estate of adam in paradise , it was a blessed condition , yet far under the happiness of the saints in the recompence of the reward . for adams body was but natural , and his paradise was but a natural paradise ; and a possibility there was he might lose his happiness : and if he should have stood , there should not have been that glorious distinct working of the three persons of the trinity about mans happiness , that there now is : and therein especially lies the difference . thirdly , compare it with the angels , and you shall finde in scripture some expressions of the happiness of the saints , beyond the happiness of the blessed angels themselves . for the union that the saints shall have with the deity , is a nearer union in divers respects , then the union that the angels have with the deity : and the righteousness wherewith the saints stand righteous before the lord , is an higher righteousness , then adam or the angels should have been in . first , the union that the saints have with the deity , is a nearer union then that of the angels . first , the humane nature in general , that is advanced to an higher dignity then all the glory of the angels put together : because there is an hypostatical union between the humane nature and the divine in christ . again , we have many expressions in scripture of the union of saints with the deity ; whereby it appears , their union is nearer then the union of the angels : they are called the friends of christ ; they are said to have fellowship with iesus christ , cor. . . they are the brethren of christ , they are co-heirs with jesus christ ; there are no such expressions of the angels . and yet , there are nearer expressions of their union ; they are the spouse of christ , the bride ; the angels are but as the servants . they are the members of christ , and are made one with christ : they are those that are to be one with the father , as the father and the son are one : iohn . . christ there prays , as thou father art in me , and i in thee , that they also may be one in us : he never prayed so for the angels . lastly , they are said to be loved of the father , with the very same love wherewith he loved the son : now though god loves the angels , yet it is not said that he loved them with the same love that he loved his son : these are the expressions we finde in scripture , concerning the near union that the saints have with the deity in some respects beyond the angels ; but of the union of the saints with the deity , we shall speak of more when we come to speak of the reward positively . and then the righteousness wherewith they stand righteous before god , is greater then the righteousness of adam in paradise , or the angels ; because it is the righteousness of the second person of the trinity ; and that is of an higher nature , and a more glorious righteousness , then the righteousness of any meer creature . now the righteousness of the angels , though it be perfect in its kinde , yet it is not a righteousness of such an high nature , as that righteousness which is the son of god. and thus of this recompence of reward comparatively . chap. xliii . the perfection of the bodies and souls of the saints in glory . now thirdly , let us consider it positively ; now in this positive consideration , these things are to be followed : first , the perfection of their natures that they shall be raised to : secondly , the glory that shall be put upon them at the day of judgement : thirdly , the possession of heaven : fourthly , the having god to be their portion : fifthly , their blessed communion with jesus christ : sixthly , their communion with the saints and angels : lastly , the eternal sabbath that they are to keep in heaven . under these seven heads , all that we have to say concerning the positive reward of the saints , may be contained ; first , the perfection that their natures shall be raised unto ; and in that consider these three things : first , the perfection of their bodies : secondly , the perfection of their souls : thirdly , the perfection of the whole man. first , the perfection of the bodies of the saints is no little matter ; and because so long as we are in the flesh and live by sense , they are bodily things that do affect us ; therefore i will shew a little the perfection of the bodies of the saints : they shall have much of the recompence of the reward in their bodies . in the general , their bodies shall be made like the glorious body of jesus christ , phil. . . certainly the body of christ is very glorious ; in the transfiguration of christ , which was but a little glimpse of his glory , how glorious was the body of christ ? in rev. . saint john had a little glimpse of the representation of christ , and how glorious is it set forth ? the body of the meanest saint shall be like the glorious body of christ : what is that ? i will go no further then that i finde in cor. . , , . and there are four things that set forth the glory of the bodies of the saints , when they come to attain the recompence of reward : first , it is raised in incorruption : secondly , it is raised in glory : thirdly , it is raised in power : fourthly , it is raised a spiritual body . first , every saint of god shall have an incorruptible body , there shall be no more death : it shall be made incorruptible in regard of that fulness of the presence of god with it : if spices , & enbalming of dead bodies can keep them so long as they do sometime from smelling ; surely the glorious presence of god with the body , shall have infinite more power to keep the bodies of the saints incorruptible . what would we give if a physitian were able to give us a potion to make our bodies incorruptible , that they should never dye ? yet as they are now , it is hardly worth the desiring to have them incorruptible ; but when they shall be glorified , and incorruptible too , that is glorious . they shall be incorruptible , not subject to any suffering : as god is able to binde up the active power of a creature that it shall not be able to act , so he can binde up the corruptible power , that it shall not work to corruption : as in fire god can binde up the power of fire , that it cannot burn ; so god can binde up the power of any creature that hath any corruptible power , that there should not be the least passion that tends to corruption . * all sufferings come from the prevailing of the stronger agent over the patient ; and when any suffer , it comes from some kinde of inability of the form of the patient , whereby it begins to leave the matter in some degree : now the bodies of the saints shall be so formed with such an excellent form , and so filled with the glory of it , as that there can be no power external or internal , that shall prevail against this form to weaken it . and besides , the reason that is given why the heavens are incorruptible , may be given why the bodies of the saints shall be incorruptible : the heavens are of so excellent a form , that the capacity of the matter is fully filled up ; and there may be truth in that reason : so the bodies of the saints being in their blessed estate into which they shall be raised , they shal have such full satisfaction with the form wherewith they are informed , that there shall not be the least propension to receive any other from . secondly , it is raised in glory , and that consists in these two things : first , in the admirable beauty of it : secondly , in the wonderful lustre and splendor of it : first , in the admirable beauty of it , having all parts in proportion and exact temper , whatsoever can make one beautiful shall be in the bodies of the saints ; if we could extract all the beauty of all the men and women in the world , and put them into one , it were but as a deformed thing in regard of the meanest of the bodies of the saints in heaven ; and much of the beauty will be not onely from their exact temper and comeliness that god shall put upon them ; but likewise from the excellency of their souls within them , and from the unspeakable joy , and cheerfulness of the heart ; and then the splendor and the lustre of their bodies , says the scripture , they shall shine as the stars in the firmament : look what splendor is in the stars , such shall be in these clay bodies of ours , daniel . . yea , they shall be in greater splendor then the stars , they shall be as the sun , matthew . . he that hath ears to hear let him hear , and believe this , that it shall be so , that the bodies of the saints shall shine more glorious then the sun in its strength . you will say , how is it possible that this should be ? yes , this is but according to that expression in phil. . . who shall change our vile bodies , that it may be fashioned according to his glorious body , according to the working whereby he is able to subdue all things unto himself . it does not require a greater power to raise from the least degree of glory to the highest possibility , as it is to make a thing out of nothing ; and therefore the making of the least creature out of nothing , will argue more power , then making the bodies of the saints to shine brighter then the sun in the firmament . now certainly , god in the glorifying of the saints , will manifest that power that he did in the creating of the world ; and if it does not require so much power to raise their bodies into such a glorious condition , as to create a creature out of nothing ; then there is no reason why we should not believe this . we know when moses had been but forty days on the mount with god , when he came down among the israelites , his face did so shine , that they were not able to behold it : surely the glorified bodies of the saints , being eternally present with god , shall shine far more gloriously then moses face did : and that is for the splendor of them . thirdly , it is sown in weakness , and raised in power : now the strength and power of them appears in these four things : first , in that the body shall be able for to attend the soul in the most high operations ; here if the soul be exercised about any high and glorious object , the body presently fails : as in the extasies of the prophet , when god revealed himself extraordinarily to daniel , his body failed ; he fainted , and was many days sick , dan. . . but there shall be that power in the body , as it shall be serviceable to the soul in the most high and glorious operations that it shall have , when god shall manifest himself in the fullest way that possibly can be . secondly , in that it it shall every moment to all eternity , without any intermission , be exercised in the highest things that a body can be in , without any weariness . thirdly , there must be a great deal of power to be able to bear the weight of glory that shall be put upon them : cor. . . our light affliction which is but for a moment , worketh for us a far more exceeding , and eternal weight of glory ; such a weight , as certainly if the body were not by the power of god upheld , it were impossible it should bear it : here we finde , when there is great joy in the heart , the body is not able to bear it ; but then there shall be a power to bear the weight of glory they shall have . and the last , is that which i finde expressed in luther , namely , the bodies of the saints shall have that power , as to toss the greatest mountains in the world like a ball. and i finde it in an expression of anselem , it shall be such power , as they shall be able to shake the whole earth at their pleasure : and we cannot think this incredible upon that ground that was named before : there is not so much difference between the raising a thing from the lowest degree of power , to the highest possibility ; as in raising a thing from nothing to the lowest degree of power . suppose a creature had but so much power now , as to stir the least mote that is in the sun ; to raise this power so high as to stir the whole earth , does not require so much power as to make a thing out of nothing : and if god do intend to manifest his power in glorifying the saints , and in making of them powerful ; why should we not think , that god will extend that possibility of power that is in the body to that heighth ? certainly , glorious shall be the power of the bodies of the saints : and that is the third thing . fourthly , it is sowen a natural body , and it shall be raised a spiritual body ; not that it shall be turned into a spirit : it shall remain a body ; but the spiritualness consists in three particulars . first , that it shall be in a spiritual condition ; they shall have no more need of meat , or drink , or clothes , or marriage , or the like , that now the body stands in need of : the angels themselves shall have as much need of meat , and drink , and clothes as their bodies shall : so says christ ; they shall not be married , nor given in marriage , but they shall be as the angels in heaven . secondly , the spiritualness of the body consists in the absolute subjection of the body to the spirit , as to be fully and absolutely serviceable to the spirits of the saints , which here they are not . here many times is a strife between the spirit and the flesh ; the spirit is willing , when the flesh is not ; but then there shall be an absolute subjection of the body to the spirit : as here the spirit of a carnal man is called flesh , because his soul is serviceable to the flesh , to make provision for the sins of the flesh , his soul is counted carnal , the wisdom of the flesh is enmity against god : as the soul now is as it were carnal , because it is serviceable to the flesh , so the body shall be spiritual , because it shall be serviceable to the spirit : for you to have such a body as to be serviceable to your souls , as you would desire , it were a great blessing , time will come when it shall be so . thirdly , the spiritualness of the body consists in the agility of the body ; the ability it shall have to move up and down which way it will , and that suddenly ; they shall move in the heavens , as the birds do in the ayr . i remember an expression that luther hath , that the body shall move up and down like a thought . and augustine saith , they shall move to any place they will , as soon as they will. these words we do not finde in scripture ; but lay this for a ground , that whatsoever we can expect for the excellency of a body , it is that we speak of , or beyond it ; and then we have a great deal of liberty to invent what expressions we can for our comfort : certainly there shall be that happiness of the body that shall come to that we speak of , or to more . fourthly , some make the spiritualness of the body to consist in the transparency of it ; aquinas says , it shall be so clear and transparent , that all the veins , and humors , and nerves , and bowels shall be seen , as in a glass . now brethren , the reasons why god will reward the saints in this part , are , first , because humane bodies , as well as humane souls , have an hypostatical union with the second person of the trinity ; and therefore god rejoyces to raise humane bodies , as well as humane souls unto happiness . secondly , christ suffered so much in his body ; therefore god will glorifie the bodies of the saints . thirdly , our bodies are part of the members of christ ; our bodies are joyned in a mystical union with jesus christ . fourthly , our bodies are the temples of the holy ghost , and god will glorifie his own temples . fifthly , our bodies are in part sanctified as well as our souls , and therefore shall also be glorified . lastly , our bodies shall be glorified , for the further terror and confusion of the damned ; because they in their bodies shall see the glory of the saints , and be confounded . here you see a way to get your bodies in a blessed condition : here is a stir for clothing of our bodies , but there shall be a cloathing with immortality : you that have sickly and weak bodies , remember this , you shall one day receive your bodies in another maner then you have them now . eusebius tels us of one of the children of the macchabees that were put to death for the profession of the truth ; when they cut off his members , says he , i have received these from heaven , and now i do give them unto the god of heaven , and i hope i shall have them again : let us be willing to put our bodies to pain ; if our bodies suffer hunger , or thirst , or nakedness , or be tyred , or suffer imprisonment , or any violence be offered to our bodies in the cause of god , what great matter is it ? we shall receive our bodies in another maner . the overcoming of the flesh is the destruction of it , but the overcoming the flesh , is the glory of it . when we speak of the happiness of our souls , we are not so capable of it ; but when we speak of the happiness of our bodies , we are sensible of that . now certainly , there shall be much more for our bodies , here is a way to provide for your bodies : lay up provision for your flesh , is spoken as an argument of a carnal heart , in rom. . . the apostle exhorts them , not to make provision for the flesh , to fulfil the lusts thereof : but there is a way of laying up provision for the flesh that is lawful , and that this day i exhort you too . if you love your bodies , be godly : if you did believe these things were so , would not these make you love godliness ? if i should come unto you , and shew you how you might get some good for your bodies , then i should prevail with you : give some credit to that we say now , if you will not believe these things , i may say unto you as the prophet said unto the noble man that would not believe there could be great plenty , says he , thou shalt see the great plenty with thine eyes , but thou shalt not eat of it ; so if you will not believe the great things that the ministers of god speak of in his name to you , your eyes shall one day see those despicable , contemptible bodies of the saints in this glory , though you shall not be partakers of any of it . now for the perfection of the soul : as the soul is of a far larger extent then the body , so it is more capable of happiness then the body is ; and that being the proper seat of godliness , so it shall be the more rewarded : what splendor shall the soul have ( says bernard ) when the body shall shine gloriously as the sun ? all that we can say for the soul for the present , because we understand so little of the soul , is , that the soul shall not depend upon the body , as it does now for its operation . and the soul shall no way be hindred by the body , as now it is hindred here . and all the faculties of the soul shall be extended to the utmost : now if an infinite power can extend the least degree of power to such an heighth in the members of the body ; much more can an infinite power extend the faculties of an immortal soul , that is capable of a great deal more power then the body is . besides , as the faculties are extended , so all the graces of gods spirit , that the saints of god have here , shall be extended to the heighth , and they are capable of a higher extention then any thing that is natural ; for the more spiritual a thing is , the more capable it is of extention . as the plant is more capable to be drawn out to an higher excellency then a stone , and the sensitive creature to an higher excellency then the plant ; and the rational creature to an higher excellency then the sensitive , and grace , which is supernatural , can be extended to an higher excellency then the natural : besides , what increated excellency we might imagine could possibly be put upon it shall be ; who could have thought that the humane nature should have had an hypostatical union with the body of christ ? and as god hath done for the bodies of men , more then all the angels could have invented : so there is to be communicated to the soul more then can be invented . thirdly , the perfection of body and soul , does consist in the majesty of the person being united together : you know when christ was here in the flesh , in the estate of his humility , when he did let out but one beam of his majesty , those who came to apprehend him were not able to stand , but fell backward ; if christ by letting out some small beams of his majesty , could make men fall backward , how glorious must he needs be , when those full beams of his majesty shall be let out ? the majesty of the saints shall have some proportion with his , and that very great , which must needs follow from that which hath been said . we read of stephen , that when he stood before the councel arraigned as a malefactor , it is said , they looked upon his countenance , and it was as the face of an angel : o what majesty will appear in the countenances of the saints hereafter ! and as in adam in the estate of innocency , there was such majesty in his countenance , that all the beasts were afraid of him , what will be the majesty of god in his saints then , as they shall be hereafter ? it is said of basil , when he was sent for to be taken by his persecutors , being in holy exercises , there appeared such a majesty in his countenance , that those that came to take him , were not able to stand before him . there is a majesty in the countenance of gods people , when they walk close with god ; but how much more will there be majesty in their countenances hereafter ? so that you see gods people shall not onely be glorious within , as the kings daughter is glorious within ; but they shall be glorious outwardly . and so much for the first thing , the perfection of the natures of the saints . chap. xliv . the glory that shall be put upon the saints at the great day . secondly , the glory that shall be put upon them at the day of judgement . first , the glory of the day it self shall be their glory ; for it shall be nothing else , but the solemnity of the marriage of the lamb : here there is a contract between the lamb and his bride , but the solemnity of the marriage is reserved to that great day , and all the glory of the day shall be to set out the solemnity of it ; and god himself shall appear in his glory to make the day glorious . as the parents upon the marriage day , appear in as much glory as they can , that they may honor the day ; so god shall appear in his glory in the solemnizing of the marriage between christ and his spouse : and as the bridegroom comes forth in his glory , so christ will come in his glory , with all his angels in their glory . as all the servants of the bridegroom put on their best array upon the marriage day , so all the angels shall appear in their lustre and beauty ; and this sets out the wonderful glory of the saints that shall be at that day , notwithstanding all the glory of the father , and christ , and the angels that shall be then , yet they shall not lose their glory . the stars lose their shining lustre when the sun rises , because their light is nothing in comparison of the great light ; but the lustre of the saints shall be bright shining and glorious , even in the presence of the glory of the father , and of jesus christ , and of all the blessed angels . great things will be done that day ; there will be the great supper that god will make for the solemnizing of the marriage , and the great meeting of the saints with christ : o what salutations can you imagine will there be between christ and his members ! and being met , the sentence of absolution shall be pronounced before men and angels : christ shall honor the saints before all the world , and say , these are they , these are the men for whom the eternal counsels of my father did work to make them glorious ; these are they for whom i came into the world , and shed my blood , and laid down my life ; these are they in whom i am to be glorified for ever . again , the glory of the day shall be in setting of the saints with christ upon thrones , in judgement , to judge the whole world , the monarchs and great ones of the earth ; and so to be honored in the eyes of those that were their enemies , and contemned , and reproached them , and vilified them before ; and likewise their glory shall be in this , to rejoyce in the execution of the sentence that is pronounced upon those that are condemned . lastly , their glory shall be in their glorious ascension with christ into the highest heavens , ranked in their comely order , with triumph and joy , singing , stand open ye gates , and be ye open ye everlasting doors , that the king of glory and all his redeemed ones may come in . thirdly , the possession of heaven , the kingdom of heaven shall be theirs , the heaven of heavens ; great things are spoken of that ; there are these things considerable in it . first , it is the third heaven ; there is the heaven , that is the space between the visible firmament and the earth ; the second heaven is the orbes wherein the sun , and moon , and stars are ; and then there is an heaven above them , which is the seat of the blessed , which is of an infinite heighth above all : now it as a sweet confideration for the people of god , when you are going out in the evening , and seeing the firmament spangled with the stars , to have such thoughts as these , what shall one day this body of mine be lifted up beyond yonder place ? though now you lie low in some dark hole , there is a time when god shall lift you up to be above that spangled firmament ; that spangled firmament is but the pavement of your fathers house , it is but the outside ; and if the outside and footstool of gods house be so glorious , how glorious is it within ? how glorions is the presence chamber ? this world is made for dogs , for the enemies of god , and those that are more vile then any creatures : he does not think much to have swine live here , but you do not suffer swine to come into the presence chamber , or into the dining-room : now heaven is the presence chamber and dining-room , for that eternal feast to be solemnized in , and that must needs be glorious . secondly , it is called our fathers house : this is not our fathers house ; though we should be caught up where the stars are , that is not our father house , that is but the out-room : says christ , in my fathers house there are many mansions : god was from all eternity a heaven to himself , before the world was ; then he created the highest heavens to be the place of his presence , not that he is comprehended there , but that he would have a place for his glory more fully to shine in . again , it is a place prepared from the beginning of the world , and christ is gone to prepare it for us : if there were such a building here , that all the men of the world had been building from the beginning of the world , and they had all the pearls and jewels of the world to set into it , and all the inventions and strength of men and angels to help them to build , it would be glorious , but in comparison it is but a dungeon to this . the brightness of this is exceeding glorious , says chrysostom ; when you see a sumptuous pallace , you look upon it , and are taken with it , but it is but as a dungeon to your fathers house . the light of that shall be of another nature then the light of the world ; the light that we have here is a material light , but the whole body of heaven is of an higher nature then the body of the sun ; and there shal be such a glorious presence of god , as there shall need no sun , moon and stars to enlighten it ; and then with the brightness of the body of christ , and the brightness of the bodies of the saints , there shall be a glorious lustre . and for the large extent of it : the lowest heavens are but as a prick of the center , in comparison to the starry heaven ; and the starry heaven is but as a prick of the center , to the highest heaven . men boast here , if they have but a few clods of land ; as socrates put a scorn upon alcebiades that boasted of his lands , he brought him to the map of the whole world , and prayed him to shew them there , and there was not one prick vouchsafed for them in it : what is a little land to a countrey ? and what is a countrey to the world ? and the world is but as a prick to the lowest heaven , and the lowest heaven is but as a prick to the starry heaven , and the starry heaven is but as a prick to the highest heaven , and the saints shall possess all that . you that have no possessions here , know there is a possession hereafter , that is more then if you had all the lands in the world . besides , it is of an incorruptible nature , it is an inheritance incorruptible : the reason why the heavens , and so the soul is incorruptible , is because it is not made out of pre-existing principles ; it was made out of nothing , and nothing but an infinite power can annihilate a thing , as well as make a thing out of nothing . much is said of that place for the description of it , jerusalem was but a type of it , and the land of canaan was but a type of it , and paradise was but a type of this glorious place , that is provided for the saints of god. let us therefore raise up our hearts to consider of this . and as we read in gen. . , . where god shewed to abraham the land of canaan , says god , look northward , and southward , and eastward , and westward ; for all the land which thou seest , to thee will i give it , and to thy seed : so consider the vastness of the heavens , and the exceeding extent of them , and consider this is the inheritance of the saints . we know we have an abiding , eternal inheritance ; our bodies shall abide eternally , and the heavens themselves are eternal : this should quiet our hearts , when we finde any discontent in our habitations : it is no matter in what countrey we are here , there is a glorious countrey we are going to ; christ our elder brother is already gone , and hath taken possession of heaven for us : as if so be there were some great inheritance did befal you here , and you cannot go to possess it ; and if you hear one is there for you , who hath taken quiet possession for you , and you shall be sent for in time convenient ; will you not be content ? so we are not fitted for heaven , but christ is gone before to take possession ; and within a while we shall go and live with him . the earth is too mean a place for the saints , and yet the world is not worthy of the saints of god in a mean condition ; then the world shall not be worthy of the saints in their glorious condition ; and therefore there must be a place above the world . yet know , heaven is not enough for the saints : the saints of god are of such spiritual raised spirits , as that they cannot be satisfied with any thing , but god himself . suppose god should cause all the emperors and kings of the world , to come and cast down their crowns before the saints , and say , all these are yours : an heart that is truly raised , would say , this is not enough , this is not god himself . suppose god should bring all the splendors of all the creatures in heaven and earth , and they should be cast at the feet of the saints , they would say , this is not enough , for this is not god. suppose god should cause all the glory of heaven , not onely of sun , moon and stars , but of the highest heaven , to be laid before the saints , they would say , this is not enough , this is not god. if all the angels should come , and say , we are sent to put all our glory upon you , they would say , this is not enough , this is not god ; and therefore when god hath given them heaven , he must give them himself to , or else they are not happy : and that is the fourth thing . chap. xlv . the saints enjoyment of god to be their portion , their happiness in having his presence . god himself will be the portion of the saints . augustine says of the happiness of the saints , if god gives such good things to wicked men , does he keep nothing for the saints ? yes , he keeps heaven it self ; but says he , surely i speak of too low a thing , when i speak of heaven , he will give himself to them . heaven is beautiful , but more beautiful is god himself , the god of heaven : therefore god must give himself to them , or else their souls are not satisfied . it is a sweet and excellent expression that bernard hath , lord , as whatsoever we give unto thee , unless we give our selves , cannot satisfie thee ; so lord , whatsoever thou givest to us , unless thou givest thy self , we cannot be satisfied . the lord said to abraham , fear not , i am thy exceeding great reward ; but says abraham , what wilt thou give me , seeing i go childeless . surely he had respect to christ , or else it could not but be a fault , that abraham should not be fully satisfied in what god said ; for as god does make the saints to be his portion , so god is the portion , and the inheritance of the saints . the enjoyment of god is heaven it self , and therefore in scripture god is called heaven : i have sinned against heaven . in this there are these seven things : first , the presence of god. secondly , the blessed vision of god. thirdly , the happy union with god. fourthly , the glorious communion with god. fifthly , the fruition of god. sixthly , the rest that their souls shal have in god. seventhly , the enjoyment of themselves in god. o beloved ! for preparation to hear these things , that we had spiritual hearts , says one , it is not for your carnal , base , sensual , voluptuous spirits to hear of those things : for those that know no better things , then to eat , and drink , and to be unclean , what is it for them to hear of such excellent things ? as for the pleasures of the flesh , they do infect and defile the soul , and make it unfit for the hearing of such things , we had need of spiritual ears to hear them . god says to abraham in genes . . . i will make thy seed to be as the dust of the earth : afterward in gen. . . he says , he will make his seed as the stars of heaven : the seed of abraham are of two sorts . some are of the seed of abraham that are visible members of a church , and yet have earthly hearts : but there are others of his seed , and they are as the stars of heaven , of spiritual hearts : now as we are of the seed of abraham outwardly in profession , let us not be of that seed that are of the dust of the earth , onely fit to hear of earthly things ; but let us shew that we are of the seed of abraham , that are as the stars of heaven , and shall hereafter come to enjoy the god of heaven . for the first , the presence of god , that glorious presence that the saints shal have of god in heaven , is a great part of their happiness : heaven , it were not heaven without the presence of god : the presence of god in the most miserable place that can be , were a greater happiness then the absence of god in the most glorious place that can be . david would not be afraid , though he walked in the valley of the shadow of death , so that god were with him , psal . . luther would rather be in hell with gods presence , then in heaven god being absent . if the presence of god takes away the dread of the shadow of the valley of death , and makes hell to be more desired then heaven , what will the presence of god make heaven to be ? the three children in the fiery furnace with gods presence were happy ? how happy then are the saints with gods presence in heaven ? the saints desire gods presence even when he is angry , they are loth to be out of his presence then . it is very observable that we have recorded of david , psal . . ver . . he cryes to god to hide his face from his sins , for gods face was then an angry face against him : yet ver . . he cryes again , cast me not away from thy presence ; he was not willing to be out of gods presence howsoever , upon which st. auguhath this expression , whose face he fears , even his face he invocates . god made rich promises to moses , yet he could not be satisfied without the presence of god : if thy presence be not with us , bring us not hence . and the apostle , when he would set out the misery of those that are damned , in thess . . . says the text , they shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the lord ; now the presence of god must needs be the happiness of the saints . first , because this must needs draw out all their graces , in all the sweet savor of them , cant . . while the king sitteth at his table , my spikenard sendeth forth the smell thereof : as it is with the sun , it draws forth all the vertue that there is in the plant , and makes a sweet savor in things ; so the presence of god must much more draw forth the fragrancy of all the graces of his spirit , in the souls of his saints . secondly , the presence of god must needs quicken all the comforts of the souls of his people , and keep them always in vigor and activity ; for as we know , the sun it does quicken things that lay dead ; so the presence of god hath a wonderful quickning power , it keeps the comforts of gods people fresh , so long as we have the presence of god , all our comforts are green and lively . the saints in heaven have always the presence of god , and therefore their comforts are always vigorous and lively . when they shall be presented faultless before the presence of his glory , it shall cause exceeding joy , jude . the word there signifies , leaping , springing , exalting joy . thirdly , the presence of god in heaven shall be the accomplishing of all that sweet and good that ever they have had in gods presence in this world ; they have had by pieces , many sweet manifestations of god unto them ; but often god hath been absent , and they have been fain to seek for their beloved ; but now all those pieces ( as we may so speak ) which they have had , some at one time , and some at another , shall be all joyned together ; and they shall have the accomplishment of all in one , and the perfection of all in one , and so for ever enjoy it . fourthly , the presence of god must needs fill their souls and bodies with glory , for it fills the heaven with glory ; much more it must needs fill an immortal soul with glory , because that is more capable of glory then the heaven : if the sun can put a glory upon these poor dark creatures here below , much more can the presence of god put glory upon the glorified bodies and souls of the saints . further , the presence of god must needs be very glorious unto the souls of the saints , in regard of the maner of the bringing into gods presence , for they shall be brought into it by the hand of christ the bridegroom ; he shall , as it were , take the saints by the hand , and lead them to the father ; he shall say , come now , i will shew you my father that i have spoken so much of to you before , to that end that the father may delight in you . as suppose the prince were married to one , and upon their marriage he takes his spouse by the hand to lead her unto his father , to that end his father may take notice of her , and manifest respect unto her ; so this coming into the presence of god shall be by the hand of christ . there is a glorious leading of our souls into the presence of god in this world , eph. . . in whom we have boldness and access ; the word signifies , a leading by the hand : and in canticles . . it is said of christ , that he brings the spouse into the chambers : he brings the church , the souls of his people into the presence-chamber , and that makes the presence of god sweet unto the church : but hereafter there shall be a more glorious leading of the saints unto god by christ , how much more shall the presence of god be sweet unto them then ? sixthly , what a blessed security must there needs be to the souls of the saints in the presence of god : to be under the shadow of the almighty is a secure condition , to be hid in the secrets of gods presence is a secure condition , but to be in the glorious presence of the almighty , as it shall be in heaven , o the happy security then ! a childe when it is gotten into the presence of his father or mother , thinks it self safe ; the saints then that shall always be in the presence of god , must needs be in an happy security . lastly , hence will follow an holy boldness : the saints of god shall stand in the presence of god with an holy boldness , they shall have nothing whereof they shall be ashamed : though the light of god shall shine most gloriously upon them , yet it shall not discover any thing in them that shall cause any shame or fear in them . it is the promise of god to the diligent , they shall stand before kings : those that are now diligent in making their calling and election sure , in providing for their eternal estate , this is the blessing of them , they shal stand before the king of glory , before the king of heaven with an holy boldness : and this is the first thing which the saints shall have in having god to be their portion , the presence of god. chap. xlvi . the happiness of the beatifical vision discovered . secondly , they shall have the beatifical vision of god , we shall be where he is , and we shall see his face . says christ , father , i will , that those which thou hast given me , be where i am , that is a blessing ; but in rev. . . it is said , they shall see his face , and that is more , they shall know as they are known , cor. . . it is the promise of the pure in heart , that they shall see god : iohn . . behold , now we are the sons of god , and it doth not yet appear what we shall be , but we know , that when he shall appear , we shall be like him , for we shall see him as he is . it is the happiness of the angels that they behold the face of god ; so it shall be the happiness of the saints to behold the face of god in heaven : as for me , i will behold thy face in righteousness , i shall be satisfied when i awake with thy likeness , psal . . . and so we may have the help of divers scriptures to shew , that this is the happiness of the saints . the glory of this may appear in these particulars : first , to see god as the first being of all , or the principle of all good , is a most blessed thing , to see adam the first father , or eve the first mother of mankinde , or for a childe to see his father , or mother , out of whose loyns and bowels he came , whom he hath not seen in many years , this is a joy and comfort ; but to see the creator , the first principle of all things , that must be a great , an infinite contentment ; and to see him that hath done all the good in the world , hath much satisfaction in it . we would rejoyce to see a man that hath been an instrument to do great things in some countrey , as the king of sweden , or the like ; but to see god that hath done all the great things in the world , what a blessed joy and contentment will that be ? the rational creature does naturally desire to know the causes and principles of things , no other creature looks at the principles and causes of things , but the rational creature . if other creatures may have that which is suitable to sense , they look no farther ; but a rational creature cannot be satisfied in whatsoever it hath , unless it knows something of the principles and causes of the thing it hath , and when it knows the cause of one thing , it would know the cause of that , and nothing will quiet it till it comes to see the cause of all ; and when it comes to know that , it hath full contentment : shew us the father , and it sufficeth . secondly , they shall see god in his unity ; whereas now we understand god onely according to his several attributes , as the manifestation of the infinite simple : first , being in one way we call power , in another way we call mercy and bounty , in another way justice , and so we apprehend god according unto the several attributes that god hath manifested himself in ; whereas there are not many things in god , but all those several attributes that we apprehend diversly , are but one excellency in god : as one beam of the sun shining through a red glass , causes a red reflection ; and the same sun shining through a blue glass , causes a blue reflection ; and so the same excellency of god shining one way , and working after one maner , we call by one name ; and the same excellency of god working another way , we call by another name , and yet it is all one in god ; and though we cannot apprehend it now , yet we shall see god in his unity afterward . thirdly , we shall see god in the trinity : though there be but one god , yet there are divers persons : to see how the father begot the son , and how the spirit did proceed from the father and the son , and the difference between the procession of the spirit , and the generation of the son ; the sight of god in the mystery of the trinity , is a most glorious thing . fourthly , we shall see god in his glory , in isa . . . there is a promise , they shall see the king in his beauty , or in his glory ; there is a great deal of difference between seeing the king at an ordinary time , and seeing of him when he is in his robes , with his crown upon his head , and his scepter in his hand , and set upon his throne , with all his nobles about him in all his glory : so god does manifest himself a little now , but this is not all that he does intend : and for to see god now as he does manifest himself , is somewhat , but to see god in his greatest glory that ever he shall manifest himself in , that must be a great happiness . fifthly , to see god in his eminency ; that is , they shall see how all excellencies that are in the creature are eminently contained in the absolute perfection of the divine nature ; all the good that is in the effect , is in the causes , and the good of those causes in their causes , and so at length they come to the first principle : so all the good that we can see in all objects that give content , we may see all eminently in god , and see god in all . the latitude of the object of mans understanding , is such , as it comprehends all beauty , all excellency , all truth in it , and therefore cannot be satisfied till it sees into all ; in god it findes all united , and therefore in him onely it findes blessedness : it is eternal life to know him . sixthly , they shall see god as he is , john . . now there is a great deal in that to see god as he is ; and for explication of that , there are these five branches . that is first not to see him onely negatively , that is , not to see him as he is : the most that we see of god now , is by way of negation , rather then any positive sight ; when we say of god he is incomprehensible , that is , he is such a god as cannot be comprehended , that 's but negation : when we say of god that he is infinite , that is , such a god as hath no bounds of his being , this is stil a negation , to say what god is not : and when we say god is a spirit , though the expression seem to have an affirmation in it , yet it is but the apprehension of god rather by negation , that is , that god hath no bodily substance in him ; for to speak properly , god is not a spirit ; but only that is the most excellent thing that we can conceive of , and by way of negation , that he is no body , and is invisible , one that we cannot see , and feel , and the like : when we say he is holy , he hath no spot of sin , this is by way of negation , but now in heaven we shall not see god onely by negation , but we shall see that positive excellency of god , we shall see him as he is . secondly , we see god much by relation unto other things ; as when we speak of god , and would open the excellency of god , we say , god is the king of heaven and earth , and our father , and the father of our lord jesus christ , and creator and governor of all things , and these are but relative expressions , and a great part of our knowledge of god is by way of relation ; but hereafter we shall see him as he is . thirdly , you shall see god as he is , not by framing any representations of him in our mindes ; there shall be that immediate presence of god to the minde , that there shall not need be any representation , that we now form in our mindes ; as in the sense of seeing , the object of the eye being absent from it , there must be a species to represent it : so there are some kinde of representations of god to our understandings here ; but there shall be that immediate union with god in the understanding , that there shall need no kinde of representation of god , but we shall see him as he is . fourthly , we shall see him , not in his effects in the creature ; the greatest part that we see of god now , is in his effects , and not as he is in himself , we do not see the face of god , but his back parts . we look upon the sun , and there we see somewhat of the power of god , but it is but the effect of gods power , and not gods power it self ; and when we look upon the world , we see much of gods wisdom , we see the effect of gods wisdom , and not the wisdom of god it self . fifthly , we shall see god as he is distinguished from all creatures ; here now we see almost nothing of god , distinguished from created things . say what you will of god , that he is a spirit , that he is a created thing , that he is wise , or holy , or just , or merciful , there is somewhat of all these in the creature , onely he is infinitely above all , and that is by way of negation . but we do not see him in that positive excellency which does difference him from all created things ; but now it will be a blessed thing to see god , as he is differenced from all created things , to see him as he is . sixthly , the saints shall see the counsels of god , and all the ways of god , what have been , and what shall be to all eternity about election ; what his counsels were about creating of things , before they were created , and what the workings of his counsels were about the several ways of his providence , before there was any manifestation of them in his creature ; and so all his counsels about rejection of so many thousands of men and angels . it is an expression of s. augustine , we shall see the reason why one is reprobate , and one elected ; why one is rich , and one is poor : we do not see the reason now , but by seeing god we shall see all things that may make for our happiness : we shall know all the works that ever god did , and that ever he will do to all eternity . it is a great thing for a man to know what is done in his generation : but to know all the ways of god since the beginning of the world , must be a glorious sight . it is not yet six thousand years since god did any thing out of himself , and what is six thousand years to eternity ? and if god have done such great things in six thousand years , what may god do in the next six thousand years , and so in the next , who now can tell ? a workman doth his meanest works at first , and this world is but the beginning of gods works , and for a creature to see what god shall thus work for ever , is an infinite blessed thing . the seventh thing , wherein this blessed vision of the saints appears , is , that they shall look upon all the ways and works of god , as to see their happiness consisting in them : there is a great deal of difference in seeing an object that is excellent in its self , and to see an object that is excellent , wherein consists my happiness . as in riding over a land , one that is a stranger rides over it , another that is an heir ; the stranger rides over it , and takes delight to see the trees , and fruit to grow ; but the heir looks upon it after another maner , as the land for which my father laid out much , and all to enrich me , as the land that is mine inheritance : so , were it that we were but admitted to this glorious sight of god , meerly to have the view of god , it were a great priviledge to the creature , but to see all the shine , and all that excellency that is in god , is to make me happy ; and all the counsels and ways of god are working for my happiness and glory , this is blessedness indeed . there is difference between a stranger looking upon the king , and the queens looking upon a king. a stranger may see beauty and majesty in the king ; but the queen looks upon the king , and his beauty and majesty , as her own ; and so the souls of the saints shall see all in god as their own , to make them happy . eighthly , the blessedness of the sight of god consists in this , that it shall be a transforming sight , such a sight of god , as shall be a transforming , perfecting sight , not onely a perfect sight , but a perfecting , transforming sight : the light that shall come from god upon the minde , shall perfect the minde , and transform the minde into the same likeness with god : it shall not be a meer notional sight ; as men may speak much of god , and have a notional vision of god ; but there is a great deal of difference between the notional vision of god , and the deifical vision of god ; for it is not only beatifical , but deifical , for it does transform a man into the likeness of god. a deformed man may see a beautiful object , and that sight shall not make him like that beautiful object ; but the sight of god shall make the soul glorious , as god is glorious , as you shall have it in iohn . . we shall be like him : what is the ground ? we shall see him as he is . ninthly , the sight of god will be a full sight , a sight whereby the minde shal be raised to that heighth of excellency , as it shall be able to see god in his excellency : we cannot look upon the sun now in its excellency , if we will see the sun , we must see in its reflection ; but the understanding of the saints shal be raised to that heighth , that they shall be able to look full upon the face of god , and this will be the reward especially of faith ; for those that are godly do believe above reason . now because the saints are willing to fear god so far , as to captivate their reason , and to believe upon bare testimony above reason ; therefore hereafter god will give them this rereward , to see things fully , and the reason of things . again , it shall be such a sight of god , as shall be without any discourse , or labor , but there shall be the present vision of god , at the opening of the eye . we are glad if we can come to understand the creature with labor ; but to come to understand god the creator without labor , is a great happiness . again , to have the sight of god so , as never to lose it , that addes much to the happiness of the saints : to have but one glimpse of the face of god , though it were gone presently , it were a great happiness , beyond all that the world affords , but god shall not onely pass by , but stand still : so as the soul shall never lose the sight of god , but it shall have it to all eternity , and the eyes of the soul shall be eternally opened to see god. if a man looks upon a delightful object , he is loth to have the eye drawn from it ; you shall never have your eye drawn from god. further , in the sight of god you shall see all things that do any way concern your selves in ordering of you to all eternity : and this is made by some the ground , why it is impossible for the saints in heaven in the least degree to fall there ; because they shall have a continual view of god , and in him see fully all circumstances of all actions , and all things that any way do or shall concern them to all eternity . for there is no falling , or declining from god , but it comes at first from some * error in the theoretical or practical work of the understanding , or in some inconsiderateness ; but there cannot be the least error in the minde , or the least inconsiderateness ; because the soul shall be so fully taken up with the sight of god : what an infinite delight must this needs be ? it was the desire of a philosopher to see the nature of the sun , though it were to be burnt by it , he could be content ; so if god should grant us this happiness , you shall come to see me , but the sight of me shall destroy you , this were a desireable thing ; but to have a sight of god that is a perfecting sight , and such an excellent and glorious sight , in which our happiness shall consist for ever , how glorious must this needs be ? lastly , to see god in our selves : it is an happiness to see god in the creature , but much more to see god in our selves : the chiefest of the glory of god , next to that which appears in jesus christ , shall appear in the saints , and the chief excellency of god that the saints shall see , shall be within themselves : they shall see more of the glory of god within themselves , then in all the heavens besides . the heavens are glorious now , the sun , moon , and stars are glorious ; but to see the highest heaven , that were more glorious . but the meanest saint of god in heaven , shall see more of god , and of his glory in himself , then does appear in all the heavens beside , and then much more then does appear in all the world. we might make it out , there is more of the glory of god in one saint , then in all the heavens and earth besides ; for the heavens and the earth are but gods foot-stool , not his image , but the saints of god are are his image , and this shall be their happiness , to see the glory of god in themselves . a man may delight to see beautiful colours , but you take more delight , if you can by looking in a glass see your selves beautiful , and see those beautiful colours in your own clothes ; but if we could have the glory of the sun , and the moon , and all the creatures in heaven shining within our bodies , that would be counted glorious indeed ; but to see the divine excellency , and the top of the divine excellency of the infinite god shining within us , this will be a mighty happiness . base sensual carnal hearts think there is no content but in satisfying the flesh . what sweet and content have many , but in their eating and drinking ? and their pallate is pleased , and in that their other senses are satisfied , and they think this is the excellency of man : but take a schollar , that hath but the exercise of his understanding to finde out truths , and those things that are suitable to the rational part , and he sees more excellency there , then in any sensual thing , and he can scorn sensual delights . if there be so much content to the minde in viewing the things here , what content will there be to the minde in beholding god , and his glory ? there are two reasons of content in seeing things ; in regard of the * object , or in regard of the act of seeing it self . let the object be what it will , there is delight in the act of seeing and understanding : for a man to understand that which is evil , it gives delight to the minde , and it is one of the perfections of god that he understands evil as well as good , so that there is content and delight in the act of seeing , though there be no delight in the object : but when the object is pleasing too , that addes much to comfort and delight , therefore content in the sight of god must be the highest content , because there is the highest act of understanding , and the highest object to see that can be . and thus i have endeavored to open unto you the second blessed thing that the saints shall have in gods being their portion , they shall see god. blessed are your eyes , says christ , that you see those things that you see ; and blessed are your ears , that heard those things you hear : so , blessed are the eyes of gods people that do see any thing of god here , and hear any thing of god here ; but blessed are the eyes that shall see god hereafter . that which i labor for in pressing these things , is to take off your hearts from these things below , and that you may see what you are capable of ; and if your hearts be mad upon your sins , and you will perish , you shall know what you lose : me-thinks if men did know what they lose by their sin , they would cast it off with indignation , and therefore when your sin comes and tempts you , say , what , shall i lose all this for such a way of sin ? chap. xlvii . the blessedness of union with god. thirdly , they shall have union with god. sight is higher then presence , and union is higher then sight . john . . christ prays to his father , that they may be one in us , as thou art in me , and i in thee . for the opening of this union with god , you are to know that there is first an union that god hath with all creatures in general . secondly , an union that he hath with the humane nature of christ . thirdly , the union that he hath with the saints . first , the union that god hath with all creatures in general , and that union is twofold : an union of dependance ; or an union of his immense presence : of dependance , because all creatures in the world depend upon god for their being , and continuance of their being every moment , therefore there must be an union of god with them ; for if the union of dependance were broke , evey creature would fall to nothing . as the beams of the sun have an union with the sun , and the beams could not continue if they were not united to the sun ; so all the creatures have an union of dependance with god , without which they cannot continue . and then the union of immense presence , that must be , because god is in every thing , and every where ; there is not the least spire of grass or stone , but there is a way of gods immense presence in that . secondly , there is another kinde of union that god hath with the humane nature of christ , and that we call an hypostatical union : for the humane nature , and the divine nature to be united in one person , this is that the saints and angels of god shall be adoring god for to all eternity ; that ever there should be such an union between the deity and the creature , that if it were not revealed to us in the word , it were impossible to be imagined by any creature . it is a great work of god to unite an immortal soul with such a base creature as our flesh is into one person ; i do not know any one work of god in creation so great as this , and this is to be admired at : but if this be so great a work to unite a rational immortal soul into one person , with a corruptible piece of flesh , then to unite mans nature into one person with the second person in trinity , this is a great work . thirdly , there is an union of god with the saints , and that is in this world , or in heaven . in the world , there is a fourfold union that god hath with the saints . first , there is an union of the inhabitation of the spirit ; for the saints of god in this world , are the temples of the holy ghost , and the spirit of god is said to dwell in them ; and so there is a glorious union by the inhabitation of the holy ghost in them . the second union that the saints of god have in this world , is the union of similitude ; the saints are like god here in some measure , they have the image of god stamped upon them , god sees his face in the saints . the brightest glass in the world to shew gods face , is the souls of the saints ; and there is not onely some likeness of god in the saints , but the likeness of god in his very life . a glass may represent my image , but that image hath not that life that i have , but the image of god in the saints , does not onely represent god , but they have the life of god : those that are converted live the life of god , and by sin we are estranged from the life of god : they work as god works , god understands himself the highest and infinite good ; and god wills himself as the highest and infinite good ; these are the chief actions of gods life . now the saints of god live this life , they in their measure do here understand god , as the highest and infinite good , and do will god as the highest and infinite good . a third union that the saints have with god , is a union of love ; love is an uniting grace , and there is a most entire love between god and every saint , and so their hearts are close united , and mingled by love . again , in this life there is a mystical union , and that is an union higher then any other ; an union with christ , being made members of the son of god , and so they come to have union with the son of god , according to that expression , in john . . that which we have seen and heard , declare we unto you , that ye also may have fellowship with us ; and truly our fellowship is with the father , and with his son iesus christ . there is a mystical union between us and christ , and so we come to have union with god the father also , and to be joyned to the lord , we are one spirit with him . * now for the union that the saints have with god in heaven , there are many intricate notions that some of the schoolmen have about this ; as , that the soul shall be turned into the same idea that god made it of ; and that there shall be an illapsus of god into the soul ; but we must know there can be no union with god , but it must be by vertue of the influence of some good from god ; for speak of what union you will , god cannot in his essence be more present with the creature then he is here , but onely in regard of some manifestation , or communication of himself , in some gift or good thing ; but certainly , there will be a wonderful glorious union between god and the soul in heaven , and that upon these four grounds . first , there is not such distance between god and the soul , but that it is capable of union with god. one would think how is it possible that god should be so united to the soul , being there is such an infinite distance between god and it : but there is not such an infinite distance between god and the soul of man , as that there should not be a glorious union between them : there is a great deal of likeness between god and the soul ; first , in the spirituality , god is a spirit , the soul is a spirit . secondly , in immortality , god is immortal , the soul is immortal . thirdly , in the high excellency of god , the understanding and will , the soul is endued with understanding and will ; the perfection of god as we can conceive , is his understanding and will ; and so it is in the soul . fourthly , in the several operations that the soul hath ; and herein there is more likeness between god and mans soul , then is between god and angels , in that one rational soul should perform so many works , as the same god , the same excellency , working upon the creature , works in one thing one way , and in another thing another way ; so the soul represents god in this , in that one rational soul hath such variety of workings in the body , for understanding , for sense , for vegetation , which angels have not . again , the soul resembles god in the infiniteness ; the soul is not onely infinite in duration , but in regard of the infiniteness of the working of it : and here is a mighty difference between the soul of man , between rational creatures , and all other creatures : for the sensitive creature that onely works about some particular thing that concerns its own preservation , and its own good within its narrow compass , but the object of mans soul is universal , infinite : it is not any particular truth , that will satisfie the understanding , let there be never so many truths revealed , yet the understanding desires infinitely more ; if there be any truth that is not revealed , it would have that . let * the sense have some particular object before it , suitable to sense , it looks no further ; as if the eye have colour , it goes no further , nor the ear goes no further then sound , but the understanding hath desire to all truth : and so for good , the sensitive creature hath no desire of good , but onely that which does preserve sense , but the will of man is for good in general : and this shews how capable the soul is to be raised to such an excellency , as to have communion with god : if we knew what our souls were capable of , we would not think we could satisfie them with such things as bruit beasts are satisfied with . secondly , there may well be a glorious union between god and and the souls of the saints , because god shall see nothing but himself in the souls of the saints : now when god shall see nothing but his own in such a creature , this is a full ground of gods near and most glorious union with it : as when a man comes to see in another much of his own , his heart is united to him ; things that are of a like nature do unite : bring an hot fire-brand to the fire , and it does unite presently , because the fire does finde something of it self there ; if there were some moisture in the brand , it would not so fully unite : and so here we cannot have full union with god , because though god sees somewhat of his own in us , yet there is a great deal in us , that is not gods : but when we shall be wholly free from sin , and god shall see nothing but his own in us , that must needs be a ground of a most glorious union . thirdly , in heaven there shall be nothing in god , but shall be suitable to the nature of a glorified saint , and suitableness is the cause of union : if there be not a suitableness , there cannot be union . there cannot be suitableness between god and other creatures ; but between a glorified saint and god , there shall be an infinite suitableness , and therefore an infinite glorious union . again , there shall be an infinite inflamed love ; here is an union of love , but in heaven there will be a further degree of love , and love being enflamed , there must needs be a most glorious union . fifthly , if you consider what the bond of connexion of the soul and god together is , namely , the mediation of the son , the second person of the trinity , there must needs be an infinite close and glorious union of the saints with god. this vision and union with god , is enough to cause the souls of gods people to be so satisfied , as to say , let all things be taken from me , it is enough ; i have somewhat of gods presence here , but i shall have the glorious presence and vision of god , and union with god hereafter ; and though my eyes should never see good day after , or never see comfortable object in the world , this is enough , i shall see god , and have full union with god : though there be a separation between me and all temporal comforts in the world , though god should rend this creature or that creature , the dearest husband , or the dearest wife , or the dearest comfort in the world , and those things that my soul do most cleave to here , from me ; yet it is enough that god and my soul are somewhat united , and that god and my soul shall have a glorious union hereafter . o that god would raise our hearts to these things , that we may know what is the business we have to do in the world : if you do not know these things shall be your portion , never give satisfaction to your selves in the flesh , till your know these things shall be your portion . chap. xlviii . the blessedness of communion with god. now we come to the fourth thing , communion with god , and this is more then the other three things . union is the ground of communion ; communion is that which riseth from both parts being united , and the saints shall have a glorious communion with god and the trinity ; in this life there is a communion that the scripture speaks of , that we have with god the father , and the son , and the spirit , john . . our fellowship is with the father , and his son jesus christ ; and in cor. . . the communion of the holy ghost be with you , says the apostle ; so that there is a fellowship with the father and the son , and communion with the holy ghost ; but certainly , it shall be another maner of communion that the saints shall have with god in the world to come . now this communion , it stands either in regard of the work of god , upon and towards the saints , or the work of the saints upon and towards god ; for communion is on both sides , and that in these four things : first , in the delight they have one in another . secondly , in wishing all good to one another . thirdly , in the communication of themselves one to another . fourthly , in the blessed familiar converse that they have one with another . first , communion consists in the delight they have in one another : there is a full , actual , mutual , everlasting delight between god and the saints in heaven : first , there is a delight : secondly , full : thirdly , actual : fourthly , mutual : fifthly , everlasting . first , there is a delight : god here rejoyces in them , the scripture says , he rejoyces in the habitable parts of the earth , and his delight is with the sons of men , prov. . . why does god delight in the habitable parts of the earth ? there are other glorious works of god that are not in the habitable parts of the world ; but god delights in the habitable parts of the world , because there are rational creatures there ; but he hath more delight in his church in this world , then in any other part of the habitable parts of the world ; as isa . . . assyria is the work of gods hands , but israel is his inheritance ; but there will be a delight far higher : the delight that god hath in heaven it self , is in regard of the saints that are there , without which heaven were not heaven . first , it is delight in their persons , god takes infinite delight and content in the persons of the saints ; howsoever their persons are mean here , yet as they shall be hereafter , god will take an infinite delight in them . secondly , he delights in conferring blessedness upon his people ; there is much delight in the communication of good , as well as in the enjoyment of it : what good hath a man who hath a great estate more then another , but that he may communicate more good then another . thirdly , he delights in the glory that he hath conferred upon them : as those that have true communion one with another , delight in any good that one another hath , god delights in the glory that is in his saints , and takes much pleasure in it , his soul is satisfied in the glory that he sees upon his own people , and that because he loves them : the former arose from the pleasure in himself in the act of communicating ; this from the love to his people , to see their good . fourthly , god delights in their presence to have them with him , and by him , as the father delights in the presence of his children to have them round about him . fifthly , god delights in their love , that he hath these creatures to love : as a man delights to have love from others ; what pleasure could a man have in all the world , if none loved him ? if he should live in a family or town , and none loved him , he could have no pleasure in his life ; but if a man live where he is loved , it makes up a great many wants , so god is not contented in any thing else he hath to delight himself in , but that which must make up all , in that he hath his people to love him . sixthly , god delights the more in his own glory , because his saints are partakers of it ; it is so much the more sweet unto him , because they have a share in it ; thus it is between entire friends , who have intimate communion one with another , their own happiness pleases them the more , because the other hath a part in it . secondly , it is a full delight that god takes in his people : it is said of his people in this world , in zeph. . . he will rejoyce over them with joy and with singing ; the delight that god hath with his people in heaven must needs be full : first , in regard of the near relation that his people have to his son , and because he takes such infinite delight in the son ; and they being one with him , thence flows that full delight . secondly , because he shall see so much of his own image ; now that is infinitely delightful : that is the reason why the father or mother does delight in their children , because they see themselves in them : so god shall see himself in his people , and that will cause full delight . thirdly , because of the glorious works of god upon the souls of his people , because he shall see his own handy-work to be so glorious and full in them . as a man that makes a work that is very curious and glorious , he takes abundance of delight to look upon it ; and if the work be full and perfect , then his delight is full and perfect . now the great work of god is in the glory of the saints : god loves to look back to the creatures , therefore when he had made the world , he looked upon what he had made , and saw it was good : as a workman when he hath brought his work to some perfection , he will look upon it : now when god shall see what he hath done , in raising such a poor worm to such high excellency , god will take full delight in viewing this full work he hath done . and this is more then all the former ; for besides the delight in the act of communication and delight , because of the love to those to whom good is communicated : this is the delight in his own work , done in the beholding the beauty and glory of it . fourthly , the delight of god must be full , because in them god attains his highest end , the highest end of his greatest design , the highest end of his deepest councels , the highest end of his most glorious work : it is a great delight to a man when he goes about a work , if he have his end ; though a man have some benefit by his work , yet if he be crost in his last end , all his joy is taken away ; and this is the evil of sin , sin seeks to cross god in his highest end that he aims at , but the saints in heaven shall give god his full end : god shall have the highest end that he did aim at , he shall see it accomplished and fulfilled in them ; now those objects in which god 's highest end is fulfilled , he must needs take delight in , and that shall be in the saints . again , the delight of god must be full , because god hath no other object , but rational creatures , angels and saints to let out his delight to ; if god does take any delight in any creature here , it is in order to the angels and the saints : now when god hath no other object to himself , and his son , and his spirit , to let out his delight unto , but the rational creatures , saints and angels , joyned in one ( for the lord christ shall be the head of the saints and angels ) surely his delight in them shall be full . thirdly , this delight shall be actual ; and that is necessary to communion ; for though there be delight , yet if it should lie dead in the habits , there is no communion : if two friends have habitual delight one in another , they are not said to have communion , but when it is actual , so this delight shall be actual ; the nature of delight is to be lively and active , even in us , though it be but an affection in us ; but god being a pure act , there will be an infinite activity in his delight , and it is always vigorous and fresh , so as god shall make the souls of his people to be sensible of the activity of his delight . fourthly , this delight shall be mutual , it shall be on the saints part , as well as on gods part . as god delights in the persons of the saints , so they delight in god himself , not in that they receive from god , but their greatest delight is in the being of god himself ; and as god delights in their glory , so they do delight in all the glory of god , in essential glory that they see in god , and in all the glory that is reflected upon god by his creatures ; and they delight in his presence in being with him , and in his love , and in that they can give any glory to him ; they delight in all they have , more because god hath glory by it , then in that themselves are blessed in it . and it is full likewise ; the delight of the saints of god is full , as well as the delight of god in the saints is full ; and that for the very same grounds that the delight of god in them is full ; namely , the fulness of gods delight in them is their relation to christ ; so the ground of their full delight in god is , because god is the father of the lord jesus christ , and because they see their likeness in god ; what ever excellency they have in themselves , they see it to be infinitely in god ; and as god delights in them , because of his works he sees in them , so the saints shall see all the good that ever they have done , does redound to the glory of god ; howsoever , the works of gods people for the present seem to be mean , yet it shall appear , all the gracious works of the people of god shall be the most glorious things in the world : for god shall own them for the setting out of his glory , as the greatest things in the world ; and this should be an infinite encouragement to us , to be abundant in good works , because god will glorifie our good works : and as the fulness of the delight of god in the saints is , because god attains his end in them , how full must the delight of the saints in god be , because the saints do attain their end in god , the end of all their thoughts , and ways , and performances ? and they shall have no other object to let out their delight to , but onely god : here , though we have some grace , yet the stream is divided , we let out so much to one creature , and so much to another ; the children so much to the parents , and the parents so much to the children ; and husband so much to the wife , and the wife so much to the husband , and so much to our friends , that the stream we let out to god is but little : but when all the delight that we let out to the creatures , shall be taken away , and god shall be the onely object of our delight , then our delight must be full . and as this delight is mutual , so it shall be continual : for being withdrawn from all other objects , it will work upon that , both of them , gods delight in the saints , and the delight of the saints in god , shall be for ever : the saints shall be an eternal excellency , in which god shall delight , and god shall be an eternal excellency in which they delight , they shall be always keeping that feast of the lamb. we read of ahasuerus , he kept a glorious feast , and the gloriousness of it is set forth by the continuance of it , esther . , . it is observable , the difference between the feast that he made with his nobles , and the feast that he made with the common people , and that may lively set out the difference of the goodness of god that he lets out to his own people , and that he lets out to other common people ; he made a feast of a hundred and fourscore days to his nobles , and but seven days to the common people : so when god comes to make a feast of joy to his people , it shall be everlasting . men in the world have some content , but it is but for a little time ; but the comfort and joy that is to be between god and the saints in heaven , is to be eternal , because it is such a feast as is made to his nobles , and to shew the riches of his glorious kingdom , and the honor of his majesty . secondly , in communion there is a mutual wishing and willing of good to one another ; now god shall will all good to the saints , and they wish all good to god : it is true , that god from all eternity did will all good unto his people , but here his people are not of a capacity to receive much ; there is a great deal of difference in willing and determining good to them , before they were in being , or before they were capable of receiving this good , and willing good to them when they shall be made vessels fit to receive good ; the bodies and souls either of the saints or the wicked being united after the resurrection , they shall be vessels infinitely enlarged , capable of abundantly more then they are here , and then to have god will good to them , is far better then to have good willed to them here : the men of the world would fain have good here , while their hearts are narrow , and they cannot receive much from god ; but the saints look for good hereafter , when their hearts shall be enlarged ; when as the wicked , when their souls shall be enlarged , they shall have nothing but misery . there is a twofold love , when one shall will onely good to himself by another , or will good to another ; now the love of good will is most glorious in god , and it is mutual ; god shall will his good to the creature , and the saints shall will all good to god : what good can they will to god ? it is true , there can be no addition to the essential goodness of god , but they can will that this his goodness be honored and praised ; and this shall be in the blessed communion between god and his saints in the mutual working of their wills . thirdly , in communion , there is the communication of what one have unto another ; where there is right communion , there is a communication on both parts ; if on receive good , and the other do not labor to communicate , it is not communion . now there is a glorious communication on gods part : first , immediate : secondly , full : thirdly , free : fourthly , everlasting . first , immediate ; whereas here god communicates himself through creatures , or through ordinances , there are conduits of conveyance ; for there is such distance between god and us , that we cannot expect that immediate conveyance of gods goodness , and of himself to us here , as we shall have in heaven . secondly , the fulness of gods communication : suppose that god should draw out all that beauty , sweetness , goodness , and power that he hath communicated in all creatures in the world , and bring the quintessence of all , and communicate that unto the soul of one saint , certainly it would not serve the turn , for the happiness of one saint , there must be a greater communication : but conceive , if we see one creature have so much power in it by its influence upon the dunghil , as to produce such a glorious creature as life , which is the most glorious thing that ever god did make . saint augustine says , there is more glory in the life of a flie , then in the sun in the firmament : now if the sun have such power to produce life from a piece of dirt , what power shall the influence of an infinite god have upon a glorified soul ? no marvel though the scripture says . that eye hath not seen , neither ear hath heard , neither hath it entred into the heart of man , to conceive what god hath prepared for them that love him . thirdly , it is free , as free as the sun lets out its beams : it is natural to a good thing to communicate , much more for goodness it self : certainly , god being goodness in the abstract , his communication must needs be free . fourthly , it is everlasting ; the letting out of himself to the saints , shall preserve their strength , that he may let out himself unto them ; as if there were that power in some excellent liquor that is let out into a vessel , not onely to sweeten it , but perpetually to preserve it , that it may be letting out it self into it ; so god does everlastingly in communicating himself unto his people , preserve them that he may communicate himself . and then the saints of god do communicate to god in the same way that god does to them . they are always worshipping god immediately , not through ordinances ; as they shall not receive any thing of god through ordinances , so they shall not worship god through ordinances ; but as they receive immediately , so they shall worship god immediately , and their communication shall be full : but as they cannot will any essential good to god , so they cannot communicate any essential good , but they shall communicate themselves , and all that they are or have to god ; or if they were able to make a thousand worlds , they would make them all for the glory of god ; but because that is beyond the power of any creature , therefore they communicate themselves , and all that they are , or have , or can do to god : as a drop of water is let out into an infinite ocean , so they are let out unto god , as into an infinite ocean : and then the communication is free , having the divine nature made perfect in them , that do flow to god , when they see his divine nature : and this communication shall be everlasting , god letting out himself to them , and they letting out themselves to god : this is the reward of the righteous , and this is that which moses had an eye unto , and all gods people that have an eye beyond the vail , behold it with infinite soul-satisfaction . fourthly , in communion with god , there is a familiar converse between god and the saints : and herein are these particulars : first , god manifesting himself in a suitable way to the conditions of his people , so as it were condescending to their condition , that though his majesty be infinite , yet it shall no way be a terror unto them : here if a saint of god sees but an angel , he is amazed ; but because god would have his people enjoy holy familiarity with himself , therefore he will manifest himself so , as though there be an infinite glory , yet there shall be no amazement ; but that they shall be able familiarly to converse with him , as one friend does with another . the scripture speaks of the familiar converse that god hath with his people here , that they are called friends : abraham was called the friend of god , and the disciples were called friends , but hereafter the friendship shall be much more full and sweet ; job shall have his desire , o that the terror of god may not fall upon me : here when god spake by himself , many of the dearest of his saints have been afraid ; but when we come to be made partakers of this blessed recompence of reward , all such fear shall be done away . again , another thing in familiar converse , is the mutual opening of themselves one to another ; much is said of gods opening of himself to his people here , psal . . . prov. . . cor. . . john . . and that is the reason why they are brought into the chamber spoken of in cant. . . because their secrets are discovered ; as they said to the king of judah , concerning the prophet , the prophet that is in israel , does reveal whatsoever thou doest in thy bed-chamber , because in them kings reveal their secrets : the mysteries of the kingdom are revealed to the saints here , much more in heaven , there are many secret things that god hath to tell his people , when they come to have familiarity with him . when a man comes to a woman a stranger , he does not tell her his secrets ; but when she is marryed to him , then he tells her his secrets ; so in heaven , god will reveal his secrets , and they shall not onely see his face , but they shall see gods heart . and they shall open their hearts to god , for they shall have nothing in their hearts that they shall be ashamed of . as the sun-flower , when the sun shines , the flower is open , but when the sun is down , it shuts : so here when gods face shines , their hearts are open to god , but often they lose the shine of gods face , but in heaven gods shine shall be always upon them , and their hearts shall always be open to god. again , in converse there is discoursing one with another , it is much here , cor. . . i will dwell in them , and walk in them : walks of friends are for discourse , in canticles . . the king is held in the galleries : galleries are made for converse , and walking ; so the church is compared to the galleries in which christ is held : there is converse with god here , but much more in heaven . and then in familiarity there is abundance of delight , not onely in one another , but in receiving one from another ; when men do converse , they delight in being receiving , and being useful to one onother ; so god will rejoyce in any thing that they shall be able to give him , as they shall rejoyce in what god does give them . and the ground of all , is because they live the same life of god ; as now there cannot be a converse between plants and beasts , because they do not live the same life ; but between one beast and another , there may be converse , because they live the same life ; and so there cannot be converse between beasts and men , because they do not live the same life ; nor between god and man , unless they live the same life ; but there shall be a glorious life hereafter , fitting the souls of the saints for converse with god : no creature is capable of converse with god , but the rational creature , because no creature can live the life of god , but the rational creature : and the ground the converse that the saints have with god , is from the near familiarity that god hath with christ . zach. . . awake , o sword , against my shepherd , and against the man that is my fellow ; it is the voice of god concerning christ : now because there is this familiarity between christ and his father ; this is the ground why the father hath such a sweet familiar converse with the saints . and from all this communion that is between the saints of god , and god himself ; hence it is that the saints are carried to god , as the universal latitude of good ; it is as natural for the will to will good in general , as it is for the fire to burn , or for the sun to shine ; but here is the mistake , some mistake good , they will good in general , but they look for good in this creature and that creature , or in this lust or that lust : but here is the happiness of the saints ; as it is natural for their wills to will good , so it shall be as natural for their wills to will god as an universal good ! this is the blessed communion that the saints shall have with god , and this is the accomplishment and issue of all the communion we have with god here . chap. xlix . the happiness of the saints in their fruition of god , and their perfect rest in him . the fifth thing in the saints having god to be their portion , is fruition of god , enjoyment of god : gods people shall not onely be in his presence , and see him , and have union with him , and communion with him , but they shall have fruition and enjoyment of him : the fruition of god consists in these four things . the first is , the reflect act of the soul , whereby it comes to know what it hath ; it hath a god , and it knows it , by a reflect act ; and upon this it is , that there is no creature can be said to enjoy a thing properly , but the rational creature ; the beasts and plants have many things communicated to them , but they have no reflect act to know what they have , this is proper to the rational creature . if one have never so great a good , if he were ignorant of it , and did not know it , he could not be said to enjoy it : as one that hath an inheritance given him , if he knows not of it , he is far enough from the enjoyment of it . this will adde much to the happiness of gods people , they shall be filled with happiness and glory , filled with god , and they shall know all their happiness : there are many excellencies that other creatures have , but they know not of their excellency ; and many of gods people have abundance of mercy from god , god communicates much to them here , but they cannot be said properly to enjoy it , because they do not know it ; but time will come , though god lets out himself fully , yet he shall let out himself no further then we shall know him . secondly , there is in fruition the having use of all ; if a man be never so rich , and have never so great possessions , if he have not the actual use of what he hath , he cannot be said to enjoy them ; a man may have right to a thing , and yet for the present not enjoy the use of it . but now the people of god , as they shall have god to be their portion , so they shall enjoy god fully , to have what use they will of all the attributes of god , and all that is in god : and this is an infinite good and happiness to the people of god , that they shall have as much use of gods infinite wisdom , of the infinite power of god , and of the infinite mercy of god as they will ; and they cannot will it so soon , but they shall have it , nor so easily , as they may enjoy it : then we do enjoy the benefit of friendship , when one friend says to another , make use of all i have as your own , as you will : so god shall come to his people , and bid them make use of all his riches , and glory , and excellency as they will : hence it is , that god is not onely the happiness of his saints , causally or effectually , but he is formally the happiness of the saints : he is not causally the happiness of the saints ; that is , that he should cause some good to come from him to the saints ; but he is formally the happiness of the saints , because they have god himself to enjoy , and have the use of himself . the sun is causally great good to the world , it causeth the herbs and plants to grow ; but it is not formally the good of the creature here below : but god is not onely causually good to the saints , but formally : god is theirs , to be used unto the utmost that they are capable of . the third thing in fruition , is to have the sweet and comfort of all that we do use , or else we do not enjoy that we have . if a man should have the use of his estate , and meat , and drink , if he have not the sweet and comfort of it , he cannot be said to enjoy it ; but when the comfort is let out , that the soul is sensible of it , then he may be said to enjoy it : and hence it is that god is said to give all things to us richly to enjoy , tim. . . there is no creature can give us to enjoy another ; another may give a man such and such things in which may be comfort , but he cannot give him comfort in the thing , it must be god that must give to enjoy ; no creature can properly give the enjoyment of another , because though it gives the thing , it cannot give the comfort with it , but god gives the thing , and he gives the comfort with it , and so a man is said to enjoy it . fourthly , it is such an enjoyment , as the having of it does perfect that which does enjoy it , and by that we shall understand the difference between other creatures attaining to their end , and the rational creature attaining his end ; the other creatures , when they attain their end they perish , so as they cannot be said to enjoy their end ; the plants and beasts that god hath made for the use of man , when man comes to have the use of them , then they come to have their end , but they do not enjoy their end , because in having their end , they are destroyed ; but the rational creature , when he comes to have his end , then he comes to have the highest perfection ; and so he may be said to enjoy it , because when he comes to have his end , he is made the more perfect ; so take these four together , and you may know what i mean by fruition of god : and that is the fifth particular . . the sixth particular , in having god to be their portion , is the rest that the foul hath in god : the term of all motion is rest , every thing that moves , moves that it may have rest : now here in this world the creature is altogether in motion , and especially man , because he is not here in his proper place ; every thing moves to its center , till it comes to its place , psal . . . my heart panteth ; the word in the original signifies , such a kinde of motion , running up and down , as merchants run up and down , from one countrey to another ; and it is observable , there is the two last radical letters double ; and that is to note , that it is more then an ordinary stirring and motion of the spirit , because it is not come to its rest ; but when the foul comes to the term unto which it moves , then it comes to have rest . god hath let out good things to other creatures , and they never return back again directly to him ; but the good that god lets out to mankinde , and to his people , it returns back again to god : the saints are made by god , and they come and return to the first fountain from whence they came , whereas other creatures do not : as the wicked , they come from god , but do not return to god again as their rest : and therefore it is an expression of jeremy , those that seek onely after the satisfying of their senses , they go out from god like unto rivers that run from the fountain , but there is no regress of them , they do not return back again ; but the godly come from god , and have their returns back again unto god , unto their fountain , there to rest , and to have their happiness , psal . . . the wicked walk on every side ; the wicked move up and down in a circle , but never unto the center , onely keep their round from one creature to another , but never have any direct motion unto god , to come to him as their center , and so to finde true rest in him : return , o my soul , unto thy rest , psal . . . the word translated rest , is in the plural number , return , o my soul , unto thy rests : god is the rest of the souls of the saints . rest and glory seldom meets in this world ; they who are in glory have not the quietest life , and they who have most rest , are furthest off from being glorious : issachars condition likes some , gen. . . rest was good to him , though under burthens ; and if a man will have a name amongst the great ones of the earth , farewel rest ; but in heaven rest and glory do both happily and perfectly meet together . the rabbies have a note from the name jehovah , that all the letters of that name are quiescentes , and they say , there is a mystery in it , to shew that all our rest is in god. some creatures god hath made so , as there is no other good they are capable of , but to continue in their beings ; and therefore they onely seek for their place , and no more , and there they rest ; as the fire , and ayr , and the earth , these creatures have no other good , but to continue in their beings : and you shall observe , if they be out of their places , with what violence will they move to their proper place : as if there be fire or ayr got into the earth , it causeth earthquakes , it moves there with that violence , that it shakes the whole earth , that it may come to its proper place , because it hath no other good but that . then i would reason thus ; if those creatures that have no other good , but onely to be in their proper place , if they be out , to get that good shall move with such violence ; then considering what a good mans soul is capable of , if he have not obtained that good , with what violence should he move ? how should the kingdom of heaven suffer violence ? how should we work toward god , who is our proper place and center , in whom is so much good ? but there are other creatures that have an higher good then being in their place ; as the plants have a vegetative place , and therefore they grow to it , and if they have attained that there , they rest ; then the sensitive creature hath an higher good , and that moves till it hath got its end ; namely , to all things that are agreeable to sense , and they go no further . the rational creature looks to that which is suitable to reason . and where there is grace , grace looks to attain that which is the proper perfection of the life of grace , and there it rests , and never else : therefore it is the expression of an ancient : o lord , thou hast made us for thee , and our hearts are unquiet till they come to enjoy thee ; and when the soul comes to rest in god , that is glorious , and that is the saints happiness to attain the end of their motion , and the more glorious is the rest , when the end is attained : and the glory of the end may be discovered much , by the glory of the means that tend to it : as if a man will bestow a great deal of cost and charges to get his health , then he accounts health worth all those charges ; and the greater charges are laid out for health , argues his greater esteem of it ; and so if a man be at great charge about a voyage , it is because he accounts much of the excellency of the end of his voyage : and if this be so , how excellent is the end of gods people , if we consider the most glorious means that are used to attain this end and rest ? as namely , the work of god in sending the second person in the trinity to take mans nature upon him ; and all the works of god in election , in redemption , in adoption , in justification , in sanctification ; yea , all the works of god in creation , in providence , the designing the holy ghost to that office he is designed to , and all the ordinances of god ; look what preciousness is in all these works of god and means , it sets out unto us the preciousness , and excellency , and glory that there is in the last end , whereunto gods people shall attain , and that rest they shall have . the seventh and last thing in having god to be their portion , is the enjoyment of themselves in god : as they shall enjoy god , and god in themselves ; so they shall enjoy themselves in god , living in god continually : the fish does not more truly live in the water , and move in the water , then the souls of the saints shall live in god , and move in god : col. . . your life is hid with christ in god : the life of saints here is an hidden life , and it is hidden in god , but then it shall be a revealed life , and revealed in god , and enjoyed in god. hence is that phrase , enter into your masters joy ; that enters not into you , but you must enter into it : it is your masters joy , not onely that joy that your master gives , but the same joy your master hath , that you shall enter into and live in . it is said of saint john , in rev. . that he was on the lords day in the spirit ; it is not said that the spirit was in him , but it is said , he was in the spirit ; that was as a beginning of the glorious condition of the saints of god , that they shall be in the spirit of god , not onely god in them , but they in god , as a drop of water in the sea , swallowed up in it . put a drop of wine into the sea , it is changed into the nature of the sea ; and so though we cannot be changed into the divine nature , yet we shall be swallowed up in god , so as we shal not any further minde our selves , our own good as a created thing , nor our selves as creatures , but altogether god : our mindes shall be so wholly upon god , as if they were wholly emptyed of any created good , and had nothing to do but with an increated good ; it shall not will any thing to it self , nor to any other creature , but all to god , and so wholly taken upon with god , and upon that ground , because they have that likeness unto god , and partake of the divine nature : here we do good to others , because of their likeness to our selves ; but the saints shall will all good to god , not because god is like them , but because they are like to god , so that they shall love themselves for god. there are three degrees of love to god , loving of god for our selves , and loving god for himself , and loving our selves for god : the one is but a natural love , the second is a gracious love , the third is a love of the glorified saints : first , to love god for our selves , so an hypocrite may love god , because he hath gifts and many blessings from god , this is but a natural love . but grace goes further then nature , that is to love god for himself ; though we should never have any thing , yet if we be gracious , we love god for himself : but the glorified saints go further then grace , and that is to love themselves for god , whereas heretofore we did onely love god for our selves , or for himself , now we come to love our selves for god : and in this kinde of love of god , and enjoyment of our selves in him , the soul shall be ravished with god , and be in a kinde of extasie eternally . now there is a twofold extasie , one that is through the weakness of the inferior faculties of the soul ; when the minde of a man is taken up about an high object seriously , the other faculties being weak they fail , and so men come to be in a trance and extasie ; many have had great joy , that they have even dyed with it ; the heart hath so dilated it self , as the vital spirits have flown out . but there is an extasie comes from the excellency of the object , that the minde is busied about , but without any weariness of any inferior faculty . if then we put all together , that hath been said about god , and the enjoyment of god , and having god to be the portion of the saints , you see the principal part of heaven , and the spiritual part of the glory of the saints . here is faith called for , and why should not our faith go beyond reason to rectifie reason , as reason rectifies sense ? these things be high , and great mysteries . when as reason says , how can this be ? as when christ was speaking of the new birth , says nicodemus , how can this be ? let but faith get as far above reason , as reason hath got above sense , and we may easily see how they can be by sense . if a man look up to the firmament , and see the sun shine , he would think it were little bigger then a bushel , or the like , now reason will tell men otherwise ; reason that tells men that this creature , that appears to be but in this bigness , it is many hundred times bigger then the earth ; now if reason can rectifie sense so far , why should not faith go beyond reason as far ? now reason will tell us of much happiness that may be had : we may conceive by reason , by understanding , that the rational creature is capable of abundance of glory : but when you hear things delivered by the word , which are more then reason can conceive , let us get faith to rectifie reason , and we shall not call those truths into question , and yet know that our glory will be beyond our faith , as our faith is beyond our reason . here you may see that most people in the world mistake heaven , and look at heaven in a sensual maner : when we speak of heaven , where have we a man or woman that looks at heaven , in these spiritual excellencies , about enjoying god in this maner ? as the jews looked for a carnal messiah , whose kingdom should be in the earth , and whose glory should be external , not considering the spiritual kingdom of christ : so most in the world look but for a carnal heaven . it is a good evidence of the truth of grace , if you can look to heaven with a right eye , in a right maner , to look at the spiritual part , and spiritual excellency in heaven . but that which makes people to call these things in question , is ; first , because they are not acquainted with god , but are sensual , their hearts are acquainted with nothing but sensual and earthly things , and therefore their hearts are not raised to these things , but they look at them as notions ; but that soul that is acquainted with god , and the counsels of god , and knows the minde of god , that soul can know how to savor these things , and know the reality of them . again , another reason why these things are above the reach of most people , is , because they are not acquainted with the mysteries of the gospel , and what in them is revealed concerning mankinde : if we were acquainted with the mysteries of the gospel , we would not think these things strange that are revealed . thirdly , because mens hearts are not enlarged with gods image for the present , therefore they cannot savor any thing , but that which hath some savor of the creature . fourthly , because they are not acquainted with the first-fruits of heaven ; whereas those that are godly , have some beginnings of eternal life wrought in them here , and upon that , these things are not so strange to them , their hearts can close with them , and suck out abundance of comfort from them . and thus we have finished the fourth thing of the reward , namely , to have god for their portion . chap. l. the saints happiness in communion with christ . now the fifth particular in the reward of the saints , is the communion that they shall have with jesus christ , god and man : there are divers things in which the happiness of the saints consists in having communion with christ , god and man. it was one of saint augustines three wishes , to see christ in the flesh : it would be a great delight to you to see christ in the flesh . many make much of the picture of christ , and if they had it right , they would make more of it ; but if christ should come to any of your houses , as he did when he lived upon the earth , in his mean condition , would it not greatly delight you ? but when we come to enjoy communion with christ in heaven , it will be another maner of communion , then that upon earth : we accounted the apostles blessed men , that lived with christ upon the earth ; what a blessed condition will it be , to live with christ in heaven ? if there were such vertue in christ upon earth , that there came such vertue from the hem of his garment , what glory will there be in christ , in his full glory ? if christ were so glorious when he was in his transfiguration , how glorious is he , being glorified before men and angels eternally in heaven , with the glory that he had with his father , before the beginning of the world ! if there was so much vertue in the apostles of christ , in regard of the reference they had to christ , as from the shadow of peter , and the napkins that were taken from pauls body , there was such power as to heal diseases , what vertue must needs come from christ , when we shall come to enjoy him , when we come to see christ that was the author of all our good ? we read of the poor cripple , when he was healed by the two disciples , he ran and catched hold on them , and was loth to go from them , who had been the instruments of so great good to him ; but for the saints to come and be with christ , who hath been the instrument of so great good to them , as christ hath been , what an infinite happiness will this be ? we read of many that would go long journeys , to see those men that had any excellency in them ; as some would go from the utmost parts of greece to rome , to see livie , themistocles : to see christ then , in whom is so much excellency , will be glorious . and then to have communion with him : it is he in whom god the father takes full satisfaction ; surely he must be the full satisfaction of the saints : this is that which christ prays for ; first , he prays for his own glory , and then he prays for the disciples , and all believers , that they might be with him to see his glory . o to see the lord jesus glorified as he shall be glorified , must be a glorious thing ! as to see his glory in regard of the lustre of his divinity , through his humanity ; when christ pleased to let out any lustre of his divinity , through his humanity here , men were not able to bear it ; as those that came to apprehend him , when he said , i am he , they fell down backward : now in heaven the lustre of christs divinity , shall shine mightily through his humanity ; so in him our bodily eyes shall come to see god as much as it is possible for any creature to see him ; because god shall be let out through the humanity of christ , as much as it is possible for the divinity to appear in any corporeal substance , or in any creature : we shall see him with these our eyes , as iob says . we shall see how the power of an infinite god can convey the lustre of a deity into a creature . certainly , angels and men will be continually viewing of christ , he shall come to be admired of the saints , he shall be admired at the day of judgement in the saints , but in heaven they shall see such excellency in christ , god and man , as they shall be admiring at him to all eternity , as much as they did at the first moment ; here if we see any thing that is excellent , we admire at first , but after a while we do not so : but there will be so much excellency in christ , as we shall so admire at it , to all eternity , as we did at the first moment ; for there shall be no abatement of our being taken with the glory of the sight of christ . blessed are your eyes , says christ , that see those things you see ; and blessed are your ears that hear those things you hear : it is a blessed thing to see the things we may see here ; but to see the divinity shine through the humanity , this will be a great blessing . and we shall see him in the glory that the father will put upon him ; certainly , god will put an infinite glory upon his son , because the lord was so infinitely well pleased with the satisfaction of his son : because he subjected himself to the death of the cross , therefore he hath given him a name above all names . and we shall see the glory of christ , when all the angels shall be worshipping of him , and all the saints shall be singing with praises and hallalujahs to him . and this shall be the business in heaven , eternally to be admiring christ , and praising god for christ . and then we shall see him in his glory triumphing over all his enemies , in bringing them down ; and in his glory when he shall have brought to perfection that great work that he did undertake : now to see christ thus glorified , and for us to enjoy communion with christ thus in his glory , this will be a glorious reward for gods people . this glory of christ , will be made the glory of the saints : as a queen that sees the prince in his glory , she delights in it , because it is her glory : and so the church , when she shall see christ her husband in his glory , she shall rejoyce in it , because she looks upon it as her own , i speak of the triumphant church : the angels shall admire at it ; o that these poor worms should be raised from this low estate to such a glorious condition ! they pry into the mystery of salvation . then the love of christ shall be enflamed to his people , that love which caused him to plead with god for his people from all eternity , that caused him to undertake this great work for his people ; from this love , there will be most glorious embracements . if at one salutation of the mother of our lord , john baptist springs in the womb for joy , how shall the heart of a glorified saint spring at the glorious embracements of christ himself , when he is in his glory ? and when we shall be in such a condition as we shall be fitted for communion with him , we shall be able to understand christ in another way ; we shall know the hypostatical union of his two natures , and know christ fully , and be fitter to entertain the manifestation of his love , whereas here we are not able to entertain much ; christ looks through the lattess , and we have but some few drops of his love , but then when his love shall be enflamed and fully let out , we shall be fitted for it . and it shall be such a communion with christ , as we shall never leave , but follow the lamb wheresoever he goes : there shall be no moment to all eternity , wherein christ shall be out of the sight of so many thousand thousands of saints : and though that text in the revelations be meant of the church in this world , and the following of christ wheresoever he goeth here , following of him in the ordinances ; but if it be an happiness here to follow the lamb wheresoever he goes , much more in heaven : you that are willing to suffer any thing , to follow the lamb in his ordinances here , know there is enough to pay for all , you shall be always following the lamb in heaven , and you shall always be in the company of christ ; and this is the fifth particular , namely , the communion that the souls of gods people shall have with christ . there are yet two things to be opened in this branch , to shew what the recompence of reward of gods people is ; and they are the enjoyment of communion with the angels and saints , and the keeping a perpetual sabbath in heaven . the enjoyment of communion with the angels and saints : the angels and saints are joyned together under one head ; the angels rejoyce here in being ministring spirits unto the saints ; o what rejoycing will there be then in communion with them ! the saints of god shall enjoy communion with the angels in a familiar way , they shall be fitted for communion with god and christ himself , much more fitted for communion with angels ; yea , the angels shall account it part of their happiness to have communion with the saints : the sight of an angel to us now in the flesh , though he comes to bring good tidings , is a great amazement ; but then the sight of the angels shall be no amazement , but we shall look upon them as our fellow creatures , to have communion with them , heb. . . ye are come vnto mount sion , and to the city of the living god , the heavenly jerusalem , and to the company of innumerable angels : this is spoken of the priviledge of the gospel ; before by the law there was nothing but terror , that made moses to fear and quake ; now we are not to come to mount sinai , but to mount zion , and unto the city of the living god : before , without christ we were vagabonds , wandring up and down in the wilderness of the word , but by christ we are gathered unto the city of the living god , and the heavenly ierusalem ; there were nothing but troubles before , but now they are gathered to ierusalem into peace , and to an innumerable company of angels : before the angels were as gods host , ready to revenge the quarrel of god upon us , but now we are come to the innumerable company of angels , who are ministring spirits to us here , and we shall enjoy communion with them : the angels are full of wisdom , and therefore when the scripture would set forth the excellency of wisdom , it sets it forth by the wisdom of the angels . doctor taylor the martyr , rejoyced that he came into prison with master bradford , that angel bradford , though he was but one that had the likeness of an angel , and in prison , yet he rejoyced in being with him : what rejoycing will there be to be with all the angels that are angels indeed , and that in our fathers house ? the way and maner of the converse of saints with angels is very obscure ; how spirits do converse one with another , we know but little ; we converse one with another by speaking , there can be no such way of converse with spirits . the schoolmen say , by the act of their wills , they come to make known what is in their mindes , but we shall know more of the maner of converse with them afterwards . chap. li. the happiness of enjoying communion with the saints in glory . but it is more familiar to us , to know our excellency in the converse with the saints , heb. . . to the general assembly , and church of the first-born , which are written in heaven , &c. to enjoy communion with the saints here is sweet , to enjoy communion with all the saints , with all the patriarchs , abraham , isaac and iacob , and moses , and aaron , and ioshua , and all the good prophets , and the good kings , and all martyrs , and worthies of the lord : if to have communion with one or two be sweet , then to have communion with all at once must needs be sweet ; it is worth the enduring much to get to heaven , if it were onely to have communion with the saints . secondly , to have communion with none but them : to have communion with the saints is sweet , though we are forced to have communion with the world , but to have communion with the choicest of gods servants , & with none else , that is sweet indeed . thirdly , to have communion with them made perfect : the best now have many weaknesses , and many frampold moods , and offensive carriages , that there must be a great deal born in communion with the best ; but then we shall be delivered from imperfections , there shall be no ignorance , but we shall have communion with those that are knowing , and perfectly glorified . the life of my lord shall be bound up in the bundle of life ; it is the blessing of abigail to david : now interpreters expound it thus , it is a metaphor , taken from binding up of yong plants that are removed from one place to be set in another : now there is a great deal of difference between a bundle of plants laid in the water , to preserve them till they be set in the garden , and those plants growing and flourishing in the garden : it is a great blessing to be bound up amongst gods people here , that are plants that have life ; but we are here but as plants , bound up and laid in water , reserved till we shall come to be planted in heaven , and there to flourish : there is much difference between gods people , what they are here , and what they shall be in heaven , as there is between a plant that is bound up , and laid in water to be kept alive , and when it is in the orchard , green and flourishing , and bringing forth fruit . fourthly , to have communion with them , when we shall know one another perfectly : it is an opinion of thomas , as you heard , that the bodies of the saints shall be so transparent , that they shall be able to see through one anothers bodies , as through a glass : howsoever that be , yet the souls of one another , and the graces , and goodness of one another , shall be fully made known to one another : if now we did converse with a company of people , that we knew certainly had all true grace , and were all elected from all eternity , what an admirable comfort would this be ? our communion is comfortable , because we have some hopes of their election , and we see some signs of grace ; but if we were certain of this , if god should speak from heaven concerning the poorest member of a church , and say , this man , or woman , is the man or woman that i have had thoughts upon from all eternity , and have elected to everlasting glory ; would we not prize such a one , and rejoyce to have such a one in our families and houses ? now when we come to heaven , we shall certainly know every one was elected from all eternity , and so shall live with us to eternity ; we shall never have any fears or suspitions of them , lest they should be hypocrites , as there are fears and suspitions given of one another now . and then to have communion with them , when there shall be perfect love and union of heart to one another , that one shall love another as well as himself , and rejoyce in the glory and prosperity of one another , as well as his own : if one have more glory then another , he that hath least glory , shall rejoyce in him that hath more glory , as if it were his own , and therefore there shall not be any want of glory to any ; says anselm , every saint shall love god above himself , and love one another as himself , and god shall love them all , more then they either love themselves or one another ; and he gives the reason of it , says he , they love both themselves and one another for god , and by god , and god loves himself and them for himself , and by himself ; and therefore as they shall love god above themselves , so they shall love one another like themselves , and rejoyce in the happiness of another , as in their own happiness : now what an heaven upon earth is it to have brethren live together in unity ? if it be in family communion , or in church communion , to have entire love without any breaches , this is a blessing ; but howsoever , while we are in this world , there will be breaches , yet there is an heavenly jerusalem coming , where we shall live without breaches . and then likewise to have communion one with another always in holy exercises : to have communion one with another in our civil converse , to eat , and drink at one anothers tables , and in recreating our selves , this is sweet ; but communion in holy ordinances , and holy duties , that is sweetest . men love communion and society here , that they may play together , and eat and drink together ; indeed , if it be in a moderate christian way , there may be some delight in it ; but know , it is an evident sign of a carnal heart , when as thy chief affections shall be let out in the exercising thy self that way : if the chief joy of your hearts be not in exercising your selves in holy duties , your hearts are carnal : there is a great deal of difference between that day , in which a company of gracious men have communion with one another in recreating themselves , and that day wherein they shall have communion with one another in exercising themselves in holy ordinances , in praying together , and hearing the word together ; and therefore examine whether you finde a day of communion with gods people in holy exercises , better then a day of communion in outward society . again , it is such a communion as we shall never part with , such a communion as we shall always enjoy : here we have communion , but it is often darkned , because we are often in our dumps , and many times there is an occasion of sorrow given ; but to have communion where there shall be always joy , continual being at the feast , the supper of the lamb , that must needs be sweet . therefore that text you have of lazarus in abrahams bosom , sets out the continual feast of the lamb that the saints shall have , because that was the maner of the jews feasting , to lean in the bosom of one another ; and therefore john when he sate to eat with christ , he leaned in his bosom , noting that the saints shall be always as the children of the bride-chamber : there is a question made by some , of the knowing of one anoanother in heaven . it is reported of luther , the night before he dyed , he was reasonable well , and sate with his friends at the table , and the matter of their discourse was , whether they should know one another in heaven or no , whether the father should know the childe , or the childe the father ? luther held it affirmatively ; and this was one reason he gave , as it was with adam , as soon as he saw eve , he knew what eve was , not by discourse , but by the spirit of god , telling him what she was ; and so we being filled with the spirit of god , we shall come to know one another , we shall sit down with abraham , isaac and iacob ; we shall have communion with them , not onely as godly men , but as with abraham , isaac and jacob , and if with them , why not with others ? this we have in scripture , that spiritual relations shall adde much to the glory of the people of god in heaven , though natural relations shall be taken away ; as the father , if he know the childe , there shall not be that natural affection to the childe as is now ; yet the scripture seems to speak of spiritual relations , that they shall continue even in heaven for the glory of the saints ; and therefore st. paul says to the philippians , you are our crown , and our rejoycing in the day of christ : it shall be known , who were converted by such a ministery , and it shall be a crown to a minister , that such were converted , and edified , and built up by him . but we need not trouble our selves about this question , because we have one thing that will satisfie us , about all questions that are not clear : either we shall have all that happiness we do think in our thoughts , or can think , or else we shall have that ( we being our own judges and choosers ) that shall be as good or better : so that if a parent thinks what an happiness were it for me to see my childe in heaven ; and the childe shall think , what an happiness were it for me to see my parents in heaven , you think so here : we guess at things thus childishly , but yet either this shall be , or that which is as good or better then this . as suppose i should think , how glad should i be if such a one would give me a shilling , if after i come to know he will give me this , or a twenty shilling piece , i do not trouble my self to know whether he will give me a shilling or no. and so much for communion with the angels and saints . chap. lii . the happiness of gods people in the perpetual sabbath that they shall enjoy . now the last thing in the explication is , to shew wherein the happiness of the saints consists , is that perpetual sabbath that they shall keep with god , whereof this sabbath is but a type , heb. . . sabbaths here are comfortable , and we have felt some sweet , and some comfort in some sabbaths ; but take all the comfort that ever you had in all the sabbaths you have had here , and put all into one , that would be a comfortable sabbath ; but that perpetual sabbath that shall be hereafter , will be the accomplishment of all those sabbaths , and that will be sweet . now i shall express my self in these six or seven particulars , to shew the happiness of gods people in that perpetual sabbath . first , they shall be exercised in the highest employments that any creature can be exercised in , or that they are capable to be exercised in : the happiness of a creature consists much in that which it is exercised in ; as there is a great deal of difference between the happiness of a noble-man in court , and the happiness of one that is employed onely in cleansing channels , and the meanest employment that is , because their exercise is different ; the one is exercised about business that concerns a king , and a state , and the other is imployed about mean things ; therefore according as the exercise is , that any creature is raised to , so is the dignity and excellency of that creature : now we are exercised in mean things here , in comparison of what we shall be hereafter , and yet our business here in making provision for the flesh , in getting meat , and drink , and clothes , and money , is sweet ; but though out of obedience to god , we ought to go on comfortably in our callings and places wherein god hath set us , because god calls us to these low mean things , yet we are to account them a mean condition , in regard of that which our natures are capable of , it is but a sore travel that is laid upon man , and this shall not satisfie us , as if we were capable of no higher things ; but when we shall be raised to be busied about the highest employments that a created substance is capable to be busied about , that must be comfortable ; as the psalmist speaks , the high praises of god shall be in their mouthes : they shall be always busied in the high contemplations of god , and of the trinity ; and they shall be always singing praises to god , and to him that sits upon the throne , and to every verse of the song that they shall sing to the lamb , there shall be a selah put to it ; it must be glorious , because this is the highest glory that god hath , not onely from his works here , but from all the counsels of his wisdom about the great mystery of redemption , from all his works in heaven , and the highest glory , that he hath from all the communications of himself to the saints in heaven , in his praises that they shall be exercised in : all the happiness that we have from god here , is a way of subserviency unto the actual praising of god ; there whatsoever god communicates to his creature , the top of all is not that the creature should have it , but that it should reflect the praise of all upon god. the end of all that god does in the world is his glory that he shall have in heaven , and the end of all he does in heaven , is the actual working of the souls of his saints upon himself . secondly , the happiness of the perpetual sabbath , may be expressed in this , in that the souls of gods people shall be always up , and fit for these high works : god calls us many times to most excellent things , to be exercised about himself , but our hearts are not fit for these exercises ; sometimes we finde our hearts enlarged , and when our hearts are up , we take delight in holy exercises ; but at other times , how hardly are we drawn to them ? and we are weary in obedience , and count it a slavery , those exercises are heavy to us ; but there is a time coming , when our hearts shall be always up , never to seek , but shall be always upon the highest pin , enflamed with heat continually : as it is an heavy curse for a mans heart to be suitable and fitted for temptation , when a temptation shall come ; so it is a wonderful blessing to be fitted for any holy employment , when we are called to it ; this there shal be always in the saints in heaven , in keeping this their perpetual sabbath . it is reported of anselm , as he was walking out of his house , he saw a bird , that was fluttering to fly up , and could not get up , but fell down , and looking upon it wishly , he saw a string tyed to the leg , and a stone at the end ; upon this his heart broke , and he bemoaned himself , this is my condition , says he , though sometimes i would fain get up in holy exercises with god , o but this burthen of sin , and weight of sin , is like a stone , and presses me down , when i am got up a little way , i am pull'd down again , my heart is seldom fitted for holy exercises : so it is with us usually , though through gods grace there are some wings to move up a little , yet this weight and burthen of sins presses us down , and makes us unfit for holy duties ; let us go humbly a while under that sore burthen , but know we shall be freed from it ere long . thirdly , the happiness of the sabbath consists in this , there shall be no intermission , but they shall continue day and night ( though there shall be no night ) then we shall not go to duty and break off again , and go again , and break off again , no , there shall be no other imployment ; though the duties of gods worship here be of an excellent nature , yet we are not to spend all our time in them ; but then there shall be nothing else to spend one moment of time in to all eternity . fourthly , there shall be no weariness ; though we do spend some time in holy exercises here , we are quickly weary before we have done , though the spirit be willing , the flesh is weak ; but when we shall have been praising of god millions of years , we shall be as fresh at the end of them , as at the first moment ; when we are exercised in holy duties with others , it is good to consider of their weakness , whether they be able to hold out , and joyn with us ; but there we shall not need fear weariness in our selves , or any others . again , we shall see nothing else done by no body else : here we get together , and sing , and pray , and hear the word , and this is comfortable ; but we see the sabbath broken by others , and that damps our hearts ; but there is a sabbath coming shall be so kept , as we shall see none break it , but every one we have to deal withal shall keep it : but yet by the way , it is better in a place where it is not altogether so well kept , and is in a rising way , then in a place where it is better kept for the present , but is in a declining way ; but though it be a grief to us to see the sabbath broken , yet know , there is a sabbath coming that we shall keep , and none shall break it . again , the happiness of the sabbath consists in this , to keep this sabbath in these high exercises , when so many thousands shall be yelling and roaring under the wrath of an infinite god ; they shall consider , we are now in the presence of god , keeping a sabbath unto him , as the children of the bride-chamber , singing songs of triumph to him that sits upon the throne for ever ; whereas others are cast out from god , and are roaring and yelling under the burthen of the wrath of an infinite god , and that might have been our portion : this addes to the glory of the saints ; and therefore the scripture hath this expression , without shall be dogs : that expression is taken from the maner of the iews marriages , usually they were in the night , and the bridegroom and his bride and their company were taken in with torches and delight into the bride-chamber , others were without without light , & not taken into the chamber : so in heaven , some shall be taken to be exercised in these glorious things , and others are cast out : as would it not adde much to ones happiness , to think thus with ones self ; i am now going into a place where i shall have abundance of mirth and joy with my friends ; and others in the mean time lie in the cold , starving in the dungeon , and i might have been there as well as they : if a man should go along with the king in triumph , and be at the right hand of the king in glory , and as he goes by , he should hear a company of poor wretches out of a dungeon , crying , yelling , this sets out his glory : so to be at that time , thus exercised in those heavenly employments , when as others shall be cursing themselves , and the time that they were born , and blaspheme the name of god : it is a comfort to a company of gracious hearts when they are got together in holy exercises , to think there are others in the tavern , drinking and swilling , and blaspheming : what difference is between our condition this day , and their condition ? this does mightily refresh ones heart , and enlarge it to praise god for his mercy ; and so in heaven the saints shall know every instant when they are keeping this sabbath ; others are howling under the wrath of god , and cursing the time they were born . lastly , this sabbath is to be kept in our fathers house : we shall not sing the songs of zion in a strange land , but in our fathers house . those godly persons in the times of the maccabees , accounted themselves happy , that they might worship and serve god though in the dens , and caves of the earth ; it will be more happiness to serve god in heaven , and in our fathers house . i remember i read of one marcellus a godly man , being cast into a stinking place , he did make that his temple to god , and perfumed it with his prayers , and after the christians built a temple in that place ; and so we may make a filthy dungeon a temple ; but if it be comfortable to be exercised in holy duties in the most filthy and vile places , much more comfortable shall it be when we come to heaven , in our fathers house . in rev. . we read of those that sung the song of moses , they stood upon the sea of glass mingled with fire ; to sing the song of moses , though it be upon the sea of glass , this uncertain life of ours full of trouble , it is comfortable , but to sing it in our fathers house , will be comfortable indeed ; though we do meet with troubles here , yet if we can enjoy the sabbath , we comfort our selves , but we shall have a better sabbath then these , even a perpetual sabbath in our fathers house ; put these together , and you shall see what this perpetual sabbath is that gods people shall have in heaven . now put all together that we have said negatively , comparatively and positively , the perfection of their natures , their bodies , and souls , and whole persons ; their glory at the day of judgement , their possession of heaven , their having god to be their portion , their communion with christ , their communion with the angels and saints , and this perpetual sabbath that they shall keep , and do but apprehend what infinite joy must flow from all these ; these are as the several streams of this paradise of god. in gen. . we read of paradise that god made for adam , and there were four streams that were to water it ; this paradise of heaven have these seven streams to water it , to make the saints happy ; do but consider what infinite joy must flow from all these put together ; every one does cause joy , but put them all together , and the joy that comes from hence is a most pure joy , and a most spiritual joy , and a full joy , and a divine joy . first , pure ; that is , not onely free from any mixture of sorrow , but without any thing that should sully it , without any sin : here all our pleasures are mixed . and spiritual : if it were to rejoyce in the good that our bodies shall have , it were admirable joy , but the joy shall not be so much in regard of the happiness of our bodies , but in regard that god is our portion , it shall be spiritual ; yea , the happiness of our bodies shall be spiritual and supernatural . and it shall be full : how full must it needs be , they shall enter into their joy , because the joy cannot enter into them : we rejoyce in believing with joy unspeakable and glorious : if the seed time be so glorious , how glorious will the harvest be ? says cyprian , they shall not taste , but they shall be abundantly satisfied with the fatness of thy house : the fatness of gods house in the world does abundantly satisfie the souls of gods people , but the fatness of gods house hereafter , how will that satisfie them ? the people of god shall have such objects to rejoyce in , as is the essential glory of god , and all the glory that is put upon him by all his creatures , and all the good they have by gods communication of himself to them , and all the glory of one another : look how many saints shall be in heaven , they shall rejoyce in every ones happiness as in their own ; their own happiness will cause joy , but so many saints as shall be happy , so many times shall their joy be double , and therefore it must be full joy : comfort proceeds from the suitableness between the faculty and the object ; now here is the greatest suitableness between the faculty and the object that can be , because here is not onely good in the concreat , but goodness in the abstract ; and union with goodness it self , is more then union with a good thing . surely the joys of heaven must needs be great , because a little taste of them here that the martyrs have had , hath made exquisite tortures , grievous and dreadful pains , not onely tolerable , but comfortable . and it is divine joy : it may be said to be divine in three respects : first , it comes from god : secondly , it is in god : thirdly , it is with god. first , it comes from god , being caused by the spirit of god , and that is another maner of joy then the men of the world have . secondly , it is in god , rejoycing in god , and that is other maner of joy then rejoycing in meat and drink : look what difference there is between the excellency that is in god , and the excellency that there is in meat , and drink , and idle sports , so much difference is between the joy that gods people have in god , and the joy that wicked men have in the creature : and it is divine , in regard that it is joy with god , it is the same joy that god himself hath ; carnal hearts rejoyce one with another in sensual things , but god does not rejoyce in those things you rejoyce in , but the saints in heaven shall be exercised in the same joy that god himself hath , and rejoyce in the same things that god shall rejoyce in ; to have the beams of our joy mingle with the beams of gods joy , and so to have gods joy and ours put into one , that must needs be admirable joy . notwithstanding this joy of the saints shall be thus glorious , yet the utmost happiness of man consists not in it ; though joy be a necessary concomitant to mans blessedness , yet mans blessedness consists not in it . we do not seek the enjoyment of god , that we might delight in this enjoyment , but we seek delight in the enjoyment , because the enjoyment is the greatest good . and besides all this , there are some circumstances that serve to set out all that i have said yet further , and to make the happiness of gods people yet more glorious . first , it is a prepared happiness , that happiness that god hath had his thoughts upon from all eternity , and laid the ground of it from all eternity , god hath been working from all eternity to provide this . secondly , in that it comes to the people of god , by such a glorious way , as the purchase of jesus christ , that i have it , and that i have it by such a glorious way , that will be exceeding comfortable . thirdly , that we who are so vile , and so wretched , and so abominable as we are in our selves , that we who by nature are but firebrands of hell and fuel for eternal wrath , that we should be raised to such a height of happiness . fourthly , that we are so few : not many wise , nor rich , nor noble , but the mean ones of the world , that there should be so many of the world , and the great ones of the world cast out , and a handful of poor contemptible people should be raised to this glory , this is a mighty aggravation of the happiness of gods people . fifthly , that this should be a reward for that which we owe in a way of obedience ; we owe all our services in a way of obedience to god , and we may say , when we have done all , we are unprofitable servants ; and that we do , we are bound to do as creatures , and yet that god should reward that which we owe to him in a way of obedience , this aggravates the happiness of the saints : as if a master should give his servant all his estate for doing that which he is bound to do : we have more then wages here , then how much more is that we shall have hereafter ? again , that which god is pleased to reward , it is but poor mixt service : take our duties at the best , they are such as deserve hell ; there is no one act , but if god should observe what is amiss , you deserve to be cast from god for ever for it ; now when we rather deserve that god should cast us down to hell , yet that god should reward us with all this glory , what a glorious thing is this ? again , that the lord is pleased to make this sure to us : if god had left it to uncertainty , and bidden us work , it might be well with us , and may be he will think of us , this might have been a comfort to us : but that god is pleased to binde himself thus , and to make all sure : as if a king should make his crown & kingdom sure to a poor wretch , in the way of reward for a poor service ; so does god , he makes this glory ours by reward , in a way of covenant and testament ; by covenant , such a covenant as he does not only cause to be written in his word , but in our hearts ; & we have witness of this in heaven and earth , three bear witness in heaven , and three in earth ; and he gives us seals to confirm this covenant , and he confirms it by an oath , he swears by himself , because there is no greater to swear by ; and he makes it sure by way of testament : covenant we think we may break , but that which is given by testament , and confirmed by the death of the testator , that is sure , and thus hath god made it sure unto us . again , all things that do befal us in this world , and all the ways of gods providence , do but tend to the furtherance of us to our reward , and to the encrease of our reward , and that is the wonderful happiness of gods people , this should sweeten all conditions : if i be in a meaner condition then another , yet this is in order to my reward , and this is more then if i had a kingdom in the world , if it were not in order to that ; but whatsoever i have in the world , though never so hard to flesh and blood , it is in order to this , this satisfies . again , this reward is near , we shall not stay long for it : if god required of us to be burning a thousand years , and then to have it , we had yet cause to rejoyce ; but it is at hand , and nearer at hand to us in this latter age of the world , then to our fore-fathers ; god hath but a few things to do in the world , to gather but a few more of the gentiles , and his own people the jews , and to pull down antichrist , and then all is done : the time is short , says the scripture ; the word that is translated short , in cor. . . is a metaphor taken from a piece of cloth that is rolled up , onely a little left at the end ; so god hath rolled up all his works , onely he hath a little left at the end , and then all this glory shall appear ; the frame of heaven and earth does but stand till that time , and if that time were come , the frame of heaven and earth should presently be dissolved , and the ways of gods providence in this world should be at an end , the heavens and earth groan for this time . it is said of doctor taylor , when he was near at the stake , he fetch'd a leap , and said , i have but two stiles to my fathers house . we in our way here are as travellers , some ride it may be a little faster , and get to the inn first , and then another comes a quarter or half an hour after , but it is but a short time in comparison ; he hath promised , and he will come quickly , with the glory of his father , and all the glory of heaven with him . and then this shall be after all our troubles : as painters first draw all black , and then the other beautiful colours ; so all our troubles here are but as the black ground-work , to make our glory the more beautiful hereafter : to see land after a long and dangerous voyage , how joyful is it ? as the trojans , after they had been wandring a long time in the mediterranean and aegean seas , as soon as they espied italy , they cryed out with exulting joys , italy , italy ; how much more the saints after they have passed this troublesom world , and come to heaven , what acclamations of joy will the heavens ring of ? heaven , heaven . lastly , all these things are eternal ; this puts an infiniteness of worth upon every particular : how was haman puffed up by esthers inviting of him to one banquet ? how shall the hearts of the saints be taken with that eternal supper of the lamb ? obed-edom was blessed in having the ark but three moneths in his house , how blessed they who shall have gods not onely gracious but glorious presence eternally ? and so i come to the fourth particular , which was propounded in the handling of this point ; namely , . wherein lies the power of the consideration of the recompence of reward to help a man through sufferings . much hath been said , but more may be said , to shew that there is a mighty power in it to enable the heart to suffer any thing for god ; it is that which hath mightily wrought upon the saints of god heretofore : that is an observable place that we have concerning christs transfiguration , and christs agony : when he was transfigured upon the mount , and his glory was shewed , even a glimpse of the glory of heaven ; christ took with him onely three disciples , peter , james and iohn ; afterward when christ was to come to his agony , when his soul was heavy to death , and he sweat clods of blood , he onely took those three disciples that had seen him in his glory , to see him in his sufferings ; to shew , that those that know what the glory of christ means , those are the fittest to joyn with christ in his agony , and to endure the greatest sufferings that they can meet withal . see in dan. . there is mention made of a cruel tyrant that should make war with the saints , and should persecute gods people , that devoured and brake in pieces , yet there were some that should bear out all , that should have the kingdom given them , and god should reward them gloriously ; who are they ? at the verse , the saints of the most high : so you read it , or , the saints of the highest ; not onely of the highest god , but of the highest places , of the highest things , they are those to whom the kingdom shall be given , those saints that did see the most glorious things of the kingdom of god , they had the reward , for they held out in sufferings , but others , whose hearts were low in the earth , they did not hold out . so those that should hold out in the time of antichrist , and should not worship the beast , rev. . , , . were such as dwelt in heaven . he opened his mouth in blasphemy against god , to blaspheme his name , and his tabernacle , and them that dwelt in heaven : in many places of the revelations , heaven is taken for the church of god , and the people of god , and so interpreters take it here : and it was given to him to war with the saints , and to overcome them : but though he prevailed against the saints to kill them , yet he could not prevail against them that dwelt in heaven to worship him : but all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him ; all that know no higher good then the earth , they shall follow antichrist and worship him . here we see the reason why people will not endure the sufferings inflicted by the beast , but follow the beast , & have his mark either upon their foreheads openly , or in their hands secretly , because they do not apprehend the glory of heaven ; but if they can come to see those glorious things of heaven , though antichrist do persecute them , they would not worship him : in these latter times of the world antichrist will prevail to get many to worship him , but the sight of these glorious things will keep us we shall not worship him . in rev. . the church who is compared to a woman that was cloathed with the glory of the sun , she had the moon , and all sublunary things under her feet : when the soul is seeking after the glory of heaven , and that is always in its eye , this causes it to have the moon , by which is signified all things below that are subject to changes , under its feet . i read of a martyr that was whipped , and almost scourged to death , and then being led to the execution , he met with his mother , who being a godly gracious woman , did not fall of tearing her hair , and rending her cloathes as other women used to do ; but cryed , son , remember eternal life ; look up to heaven , and see him that reigns there : hence we see that having an eye to the recompence of reward , does make the heart to choose the choice of moses , to suffer affliction with the people of god , and to esteem the reproach of christ greater riches then the treasures of egypt ; you see there is a great deal of power and efficacy in it ; but wherein does this power consist ? in divers particulars . chap. liii . wherein the power and efficacy of eying the recompence of reward consists . first , there is a great deal of power in looking to this glorious recompence of reward ; because the glory of this does so much darken all the glory of the things of the world that we are called to part withal , when we are called to suffer any thing : now then the argument lies thus ; that which darkens all the glory of the world , and makes it appear to be nothing , that must needs have a great deal of power to enable the heart to part with any thing in the world in the cause of god : those who by the eye of faith are able to behold the reality and certainty of those glorious things , they look upon all things below as poor , mean , slight , contemptible things : as we know the glory of the light of the sun , darkens the glory of the light of a candle ; the light of a candle is comfortable in the night , in the dark , but when the light of the sun riseth , that is nothing : so long as the men of the world are in darkness , the light and comfort of the creature is a great matter to them ; but when god lets the glory of the things of his kingdom appear to them , then the comfort of the creature is nothing . a glow-worm glisters in the dark , but when the day comes , the brightness and the glistering of the glow-worm is not seen : so all the brightness and glistering of the creature that takes the hearts of men , is gone when god lifts up his light upon them , and shews them the greatness of his kingdom . and the reason why people are so hardly brought to suffer any thing for god , is because they have such high esteem of these things ; that which a man hath high esteem of , he is loth to part withal ; but when a mans heart is taken from them , as there is no longer a high esteem of them , he is willing to part with them . as saint paul said , i am ready not to be bound onely , but also to dye for the name of the lord jesus ; his life was not dear to him , he accounted it not worth the least degree of glory to god : a gracious heart , as it accounts nothing low in any duty that tends to this glorious reward , so it accounts nothing high to part with for the recompence of reward . it is a notable passage we have of joseph to his father jacob , gen. . . regard not your stuff , for the good of all the land of egypt is yours : it may be joseph thought his father jacob might think , i have many goods here , and what , shall i leave all that i have here to go to egypt , into a strange countrey ? he might think this might be some let to his father ; but ioseph calls it all stuff : you have a deal of stuff and lumber , but let it not grieve you to leave your stuff and lumber , all the good of the land of egypt is yours : so god says to a gracious heart , when it looks upon any thing it should part withal , and it is loth to part with it , says god , regard not your stuff , and lumber you have here ; for not the good of all the land of egypt is yours , but all the good that is in heaven is yours , and the good that is in the god of heaven , and the good that is in christ is all yours : that soul that understands the glory of heaven , and the interest that it hath in it , shall hear a voyce tell it , that all the good in heaven , and in god , and in christ , is its own ; and therefore he will not regard any thing here : if we knew no better things then these , we would be loth to part with them ; if we had never seen the light of the sun , we would have accounted the moon a glorious creature , and as a mighty ornament to heaven , and to the world ; but when we come to see the glory of the sun , that is nothing to us in comparison . children that are born in a dungeon , and know no better things , would be loth to part with that they have there ; but when they come to know what is in the world , then all they had before is nothing to them ; greater glory diminisheth that which is less . so that we may apply that the apostle speaks concerning the comparison of the gospel with the law , to this we are speaking of , cor. . . that which was made glorious , had no glory in this respect , by reason of the glory that excelleth ; though there was some glory in the administration of the law , yet it is no glory in comparison of that which excelleth : so though there may be glory in the outward comforts of the world , yet there is no glory in comparison of that glory which excelleth , in comparison of that glory which hath been opened ; and that is the first thing . secondly , as the glory of the world is darkned by having respect to this glorious recompence of reward , so all the evils of the world are wonderfully lessened : you know what the apostle says , in rom. . . that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that shall be revealed in us : as we use to say , it is not to be named the same day , not to be reckoned with the glory that shall be revealed in us : a father upon that place hath a notable gloss , says he , sufferings are not to be compared & looked upon , in respect , first of the punishment that we have deserved , which is passed by , and pardoned ; and then not to be compared and reckoned with the present grace and comfort that gods people have here : but then much less is to be compared and reckoned with the weight of glory that is to come , that is promised to us . and so in cor. . , . while we look at things that are eternal , not temporal , this light affliction ; all is but light , and nothing in comparison : what is it for one to have a rainy day , who is going to take possession of a crown ? there is no man would be much sensible of a little cold in his head , if it were uncovered a while to have a crown of gold put on . i have read of a foolish woman that was afraid her son should get cold by putting off his night-cap to have a crown set upon his head ; but no wise man would much consider the cold he should get in his head upon that ground : great things swallow up small things , and great joys will swallow up small evils ; there is no comparison between the evil we suffer here , and the glory that is to come ; what is a drop of vinegar put into an ocean of sweet wine ? it is not so much as taken notice of ; here when a man receives a great good , he is not affected with lesser evils : as for example in saul , when saul had the kingdom , some did despise him , samuel . . but saul held his peace ; he was not troubled at that , though he was a man afterward froward enough ; he thought , this good of the kingdom is enough to take away the apprehension of any evil in being despised ; what though a company of poor people despise me , and speak against me when as i have the kingdom , and am anointed of god , and have this dignity put upon me ? a man that knows any thing of his own worth , and that god hath bestowed much upon him ; this takes off any other evil , that appears to be in others prating of him ; but now when men do not understand any great good in themselves , then they account the evil of the world despising them a great evil : many men judge of themselves rather by the esteem other men have of them , then by any good they know in themselves , and no marvel though these men be so much troubled at other mens despising of them . if a merchant have a ship come home laden with many thousand pounds worth of rich commodities , though his servant should do something amiss that day , he would not be froward at it , but pass it by , because he hath such great profit and good coming in ; so the evils of the world are nothing in comparison to that soul that knows the great things of the kingdom of god to be its own . thirdly , there is a mighty deal of power in it ; because this respect unto the recompence of reward , does so much take up the faculties of the soul , the intention of the minde being taken up about so great an object , other things are not minded in comparison ; and this is the reason why those that are in a phrensie , are insensible of what you do unto them ; because their mindes are taken up about that which they apprehend so strongly , as nothing else is minded by them ; and if there was any object made known to take up the minde of man , it must be such great things as these , made certain and real to the soul by faith . it is a property peculiar to god , that though he hath many glorious things that he exercises his wisdom about , yet he does minde the least thing , the least creature in the world , as much as if there were nothing else to minde ; but no creature can do so , no creature can minde great things with intention of minde , and yet minde inferior things with any strength of intention too , but if he mindes great things with intention , other things must be lightly minded . an ecclesiastical historian tells us of the christians they did so minde the glory of god , and the glory of heaven , as that the pains they suffered were as in the bodies of other men , and not in their own bodies . it is reported of archimides , who was a great mathematician , that when the city was taken wherein he was , and the warlike instruments of death clattering about his ears , and all was in a tumult , yet he was so busie about drawing his lines , that he did not know there was any danger , and heard no noise : if such objects as these can take up the intention of the minde , so as not to minde other things , then much more such an object as eternal life , and eternal glory and happiness . and therefore that place is very observable , in cor. . . we faint not in our sufferings , because we look not at things that are seen , but at things that are not seen : we are so intense about heaven , and the glory of god , that we do not give a look at things that are seen . so in heb. . , . they were not so much as mindeful of that countrey from whence they came , because they sought a countrey that was better , and heavenly . it is a notable expression that basil hath concerning the martyrs , says he , they do not look at the danger they are in , but at the crown : and again he says , they do not look at the officers , and executioners that are whipping of them , but they look to the angels that are giving acclamations , and that are encouraging of them . as a carnal heart , a man that mindes earthly things , his minde is so taken up about them , because they are an object suitable to him ; as when all the glory of god , and of christ , and of heaven is set before him , he lets it pass without any minding ; so a gracious heart that by faith can see into the reality of the glory of heaven , and eternal life so taken up with them , as not to minde earthly things ; and that is the third particular . fourthly , the respect unto the recompence of the reward hath a mighty power to carry on the soul in a way of suffering , because the soul by this comes to see how infinitely well pleased god is with it , and with that it undertakes for his names sake , in suffering any thing in his cause ; and this does mightily prevail with a gracious heart . if god does but give his command to do a thing , this might be enough to shew gods good pleasure in that action ; but when with command god reveals such infinite glorious things that he will reward that action withal , this discovers more of the infinite good pleasure of god ; so that the soul in this does not onely see its own happiness , but sees the infinite good pleasure of god in it ; and reasons thus , how hath god set his heart upon me ? and what infinite good pleasure is it that he takes , in that i poor worm shall suffer for his names sake , when he does not onely tell me it is according to his will , but he hath such infinite glorious things to reward that i do , except his heart were much upon it , & taken with it , there would never such great and glorious things have been for the rewarding of it ; but in that these things are so revealed , and i in some measure see them , i cannot but think god takes infinite delight in these sufferings , for his names sake , & god forbid that any thing in the world should take off my heart from that which i see god takes such infinite pleasure in : when a gracious heart shall see god holding forth a crown to set on his head in suffering , it sets the soul on fire in suffering for god ; if thou hadst onely given forth thy command , it had been enough to make all creatures obedient to thee ; but that thou shouldest manifest thy self thus to crown them with this glory , and to lay up these treasures of the riches of thy glory for them , who would not do and suffer any thing in thy cause , o blessed god! the fifth particular , wherein the power of this argument consists , is the abundance of sweet that there is in the hope of this reward , to fill the heart with joy and peace ; the more joy and peace the heart is filled withal , the more certainly it is able to do great things . so nehemiah tells the people when he would have them rejoyce , the joy of the lord is your strength , neh. . . when as the heart is strengthned with joy , it is able to do mighty things ; now the hope of these glorious things do mightily fill the heart with joy , and so strengthens the heart : a man that hath his body strong , he can endure cold , and bear great burthens that a weak body cannot bear ; and nothing strengthens the heart more then this joy of the lord , where the heart is filled with it . vessels that are empty will soon be broke with the heat of the fire , which they will not be if they be full : this hope of the glorious reward fills the heart with precious liquor , that you may set it by the fire , and put it into troubles , it will not break . as a gyant refreshed with wine , hath great strength to undertake any thing , so the soul that is filled with this comfort of the hope of heaven and glory , can go forth as a gyant refreshed with wine , and make nothing of those things that others make great matters of . when the heart is filled with joy & hope of believing , and so filled with light within , whatsoever darkness is abroad it cares not . as oecolampadius when he was to dye , and they spoke of the light without , says he , what is the light without ? i have light enough within ; and so a gracious heart says , there is enough within to strengthen me , let there be without what there will. when alexander gave away great things , almost all he had , one of his officers aked him what he would have left for himself , says he , hope : so says a gracious heart , though all things be gone , yet it is enough to fill my heart with joy , that i have hope of the glory that is to be reveald . a natural chearful spirit can be able to undergo great things , that one that is naturally timorous cannot ; the wise man saith , the spirit of a man shall sustain his infirmities : a man that hath a natural chearful spirit , is able to sustain many infirmities that others cannot ; as for melancholy spirits , every thing that comes cross to them is ready to sink them , and they cannot undergo . those troubles which a chearful spirit can , because they want the sweetness within ; what strength is there then in the filling the heart with joy in believing of these things ? as a man that hath his bones filled with marrow , and hath abundance of good blood , and fresh spirits in his body , he can endure to go with less cloathes then another , because he is well lined within ; so it is with a heart that hath a great deal of fat and marrow , joy and peace within , though such a one hath not many cloathes , and outward comforts to strengthen him , he will go through troubles well enough ; proverbs . . a good man is satisfied from himself : and it is enough for good men to know within themselves that they have an enduring substance , heb. . . a tree that hath a great deal of sap within , can bear great weights and burthens that others cannot ; and that is the fifth ground , because the hope of these things does fill the heart with joy , and so strengthens the heart . a sixth thing wherein the power of having respect to the recompence of reward appears , is in that it hath a great deal of power to resist any temptation of satan , and to quench the fiery darts of satan . in ephes . . where the spiritual armor is spoken of , the helmet , the armor that is for the head , and keeps that from being hurt with any stroke , is the hope of salvation , and the hope of glory ; so that whatsoever temptations of the devil comes , by this helmet they are kept off , that they do not so much as take the judgement : as we might instance in the several temptations that the devil hath to keep one from sufferings ; as when he comes and says , why will you undo your selves in such a way as this ? presently the hope of salvation is held up , and the soul answers , it is so far from undoing of me , that it is the onely way to provide for my self ; he that will save his life shall lose it , and he that will lose his life for my sake , shall save it . if the devil comes with this temptation , surely god does not require such things of his people , to be brought into such straits , and suffer such hard things : the soul that hath the hope of his glory , holds it up , and makes this answer ; why , seeing the lord hath laid up such glorious things hereafter , why should i not think that god may require hard things for the present ? if he comes with this temptation , why will you go on in a singular way from others ? a gracious heart upon this argument , answers , i expect choice and singular mercies from god , and why should i think much to go on in a way that is singular ? though others do otherwise , it may be they shal never be partakers of such singular things . if the devil comes and say , surely god does not love you , if he did , he would not suffer such great calamities , and sore troubles to befal you , and if it were his cause , he would assist you in it : the soul answers , hath the lord laid up such glorious things for me hereafter , and shall i call gods love in question , because i am deprived of these mean things , and undergo such afflictions as these ? certainly those things that god hath laid up for me shall so uphold my heart , as that i shall never call in question gods love , though i suffer never so much here ; and that is the sixth particular . seventhly , there is a great deal of power in this argument to help on the soul in a way of suffering , because by looking at this recompence of reward , the soul comes to see what glorious things sufferings do prepare for , hasten unto , and work to the encrease of . first , what glorious things sufferings prepare for : as it is a notable expression mr. hawks hath in a letter he writ to encourage mr. philpot , being cast into the bishops cole-house , says he , this bishops cole-house is but to scour you , and make you bright , and to fit you to be set up upon the high shelf , meaning heaven ; as when you would set up vessels of brass , or iron , you first take cinders or ashes and scour them , and by rubbing them with such things , they are fit to be set up ; so all sufferings are but the means that god uses to scour his people to make them bright , to set them up on high ; god will not set up his servants on the high shelf , till first he hath made them bright , and he uses this way to do it , and then they hasten to great things ; the more one suffers , the nearer he comes to glory , and to heaven : let the world do the worst it can , it can but take away your estates , and meat , and drink , and put you in the cold , and hasten death , and the hastening of death is the hastening of glory : the greatest sufferings of gods people , are but as the fiery chariots to carry gods people home in . this was the answer of basil to the emperors lieutenant , when he threatned death to him , death is a benefit to me , it will send me sooner to god , to whom i live , to whom i desire to hasten . and then they do encrease glory , it is but a trade of less things to encrease greater ; all sufferings are the seeds of glory . eighthly , there is a great deal of power in this to carry on the soul in a way of suffering , because it does mightily enflame the soul with love to god , and jesus christ ; it seeing that the bottom and ground of all this glorious recompence of reward is in the free and eternal love of god in jesus christ , that did work about this before the foundation of the world was laid ; this does mightily enflame the heart with love to god , and therefore it wishes as that martyr did , o that i had as many lives as i have hairs on my head to lay down for christ . and it is sorry that it hath no other opportunity to testifie its love to god , the soul says , i have but this little time to testifie my love to god , and i can but testifie little in doing : o what a happiness is it , that that which i want of testifying my love in doing , i have it in testifying my love in suffering ! shall a dog that hath but a few crums or bones from his master , be willing to venture his life in defence of his master ; and shall not a gracious heart , that expects not crums and bones , but crowns , and unconceiveable glory in heaven , be willing to venture life for god in the cause of god ? ninthly , there is a great deal of power in having respect to the recompence of reward to carry on a soul in suffering : because according to the things that are apprehended , there is the like impression left upon the spirit : as a gracious heart apprehending holy things is made holy , and apprehending spiritual things , is made spiritual , and apprehending great things , is made great , thee is a holy gracious magnanimity put into the heart : a man that is lift up on high upon a high tower , or a high mountain , he looks upon things below as little things : the apprehension of this glory lifts the soul on high , and puts an impression of greatness and glory upon the heart , and so causeth an heroical spirit in the heart , to look upon all things below as small : as the martyrs , though they were weak spirits by nature , even women and children , yet apprehending such great things , they had heroical magnanimious spirits , and looked upon their sufferings as small things , because they had an impression of the object they beheld left upon their spirits , and in some measure were made like it . lastly , there is a mighty deal of power in looking to the recompence of reward to help in sufferings , because it hath much power to cleanse the heart : every one that hath this hope purgeth himself , iohn . and hence the christians in the primitive times fering . those that write the stories of egypt , report that there is no country in which there are more venemous creatures then in egypt ; and also they write , there is no country hath so many antidotes to help against poyson : so godliness brings with it many troubles and sufferings , but then godliness hath much in it to help against troubles and sufferings . thirdly , hence we come to see the reason why so many are overcome in a way of suffering , and do yield , and so basely apostatize , rather then they will go on in a way of suffering for god : they have not an eye to look up to heaven , and to see all the glory that is revealed : they do not know within themselves that there are such things , as it is said of those in heb. . . they knew within themselves what they had in heaven ; they look upon these things as conceits and imaginations . in phil. . . the apostle speaks of some that were enemies to the cross of christ , but what were they ? they were men that minded earthly things : but says the apostle , our conversation is in heaven . what was the reason that demas forsook paul ? it was for this present world ; he was not acquainted with the powers of the world to come , and therefore he forsook paul , rather then he would suffer in the cause of god with paul. certainly , those that fall off in the time of suffering , are such as never had a taste of the powers to come , or have lost it : this dew of heaven hath not faln upon their hearts to moisten them , and therefore every suffering does scorch up the root : if the root be kept moist , though scorching heat come , it does not dry up the plant , but it is green and flouwere so able to suffer , because they had their hearts so purged by faith , acts . . take a man that was strong , if he have many ill humors in his body , all his strength is gone , but if the phisitian gives him something to purge out his ill humors , though hee have no cordials given him to strengthen him , yet he is strong , and he is able to endure , and to do more then before : so those spirits that are full of distempered humors , that are unsound , they can bear nothing , undergo no difficulty , but when there is any thing to purge the heart and make it clean , then it is able to do or suffer more : sin lies rotting at the heart , and by rotting does weaken ; a rotten rag hath no strength to bear any thing , so those that have old sins lie rotting , they can bear nothing : the spirit of power , and of a sound minde is put together , tim. . . now the hope of this glorious reward purges the heart , and makes it sound , and so carries it on in power . now put all these together , and no marvel that moses by having an eye to the recompence of reward could suffer so much : many are afraid of suffering hard things in the cause of christ ; but you see what will enable you to endure all . now i should apply this in many particulars . first , if there be such power in this to help to suffering , then surely there is power in this to help to service : you that know what these things mean , be ashamed to complain of any difficulty in any service . secondly , hence we see cause much to bless god that reveals such things to us , to carry us through sufferings ; though godliness brings much suffering , yet it brings that which will strengthen against sufrishing still : it is the dew of heaven , the hope of the glory of heaven that keeps our root moist , and so we shall hold out in the time of suffering : it is given as the cause of the seed in the stony ground not come to perfection , luke . . because it wanted moisture ; many froward people in religion prove like the stony ground , they have not moisture , this dew of heaven lies not at their hearts : and the reason why many do not hold out , is because they want the anchor of hope : in a tempest if there be not an anchor well fastened , the ship will be carried upon the rocks or the sands : now hope is the anchor that must hold the soul in all affliction , if that hold , let storms and winds be never so loud , yet the heart will be kept from being split upon the rocks , and swallowed up in the sands : but many have but a paper anchor , a conceited hope , not a strong hope fastned upon the infallibility of god in his word and promises , and therefore they cannot hold out in the time of danger . to conclude all , we see what will do it , what will carry us through sufferings . let us make use of this argument , and not look upon the greatness of our sufferings , to think my sufferings are greater then others , but rather let us look up on high to our god , and the greater things that are prepared for us . as st. augustine speaking to a christian that was to suffer , do not so much attend what punishment thou hast , what share thou hast in the whip , or in correction , but what thou hast in the testament , in gods word , what is revealed there for tby encouragement . and labor to have the light within you , or else all will never do ; though many things have been revealed to your eyes , and so you may have light outwardly ; yet if you have not the inward light , this outward light will never strengthen you to hold out : and labor for faith to put life in all these arguments that have been spoken of ; unless faith come and breathe the breath of life upon them , they will all lie dead . labor that nothing be between your eye and heaven , and if any thing of the world , or vain reasonings shall come between your eye and heaven , labor to remove it , keep all clear , that upon the turning of your eye you may see beyond the vail ; and be not onely thinking of these things , and make them lively by faith , but let your conversation be much in heaven , sending up your spirits to heaven , and opening your hearts to receive the influence of heaven , and then you will be able to endure what god calls you to : who knows what god will call us to ? god is stirring in the world , as if he intended to do some great things in the world , and therefore we had need of strong arguments to keep our hearts close to him , when many thousand hypocrites shall fall . and thus we have finished four things in the opening of this point : first , that there is a reward for gods people . secondly , how far they may have respect to this reward . thirdly , what the reward is . fourthly , wherein the power of having respect to this reward lay to undergo any suffering . now the fifth thing that remains , is , the application of all that hath been said . and if there be such a glorious reward for the people of god , then in the first place the offence of the cross is taken away ; let us be ashamed ever to be hindred in the way of god , because of the cross , because of any thing we shall suffer in the way of god , when as there is such a glorious reward hereafter . no storm of the raging sea should terrifie us , considering that everlasting calm that is a coming , says jerome : let no man speak hardly of gods ways any more . i remember i read of st. augustine before his conversion , he said he was convinced of the ways of god , but says he , i did not like to go through those straits : he found the ways of god difficult , and that he was like to suffer much , and that hindred him ; and so it does many , they see straits , they must deny themselves , and suffer hard things , and upon this they are hindred ; but let us never be hindred more by this , seeing there are such great things revealed of the reward of gods people hereafter : why should we be so shy of the way , afflictions that lead thither ; is not here enough to pay for all ? god will not , says lactantius , have the path that leads to this immortal blessedness , be a delicate path . certainly , if any of you should be hindred from the ways of god by any hardship you are like to meet withal , how will this confound you , when god shall come and say , did not i shew unto you those glorious things i intended for my people ? and was not all that sufficient to draw your hearts over these difficulties ? in the primitive times , the offence of the cross was taken away , after once they came to be enlightned in such glorious things as these ; in heb. . . call to remembrance the former days , in which after you were illuminated , you endured a great fight of afflictions ; before they were not able to indure that fight of afflictions , but after they were illuminated they were ; so howsoever you might have some hard thoughts of the ways of god before , yet now being illuminated , having the light of this blessed truth of the reward that is to come , revealed to you , be willing to endure any fight of afflictions ; do not look at this stumbling block , look up to heaven , and that wil keep you from stumbling . when men walk upon the earth , if they look upward , they may stumble upon stones & blocks ; but it is otherwise in our walking in religion , our looking upwards to heaven does keep us from stumbling : wisdom is on high ; the way of the righteous is a high way , he is lifted above all stumbling blocks by looking at this recompence of reward . st. paul when he had his thoughts about this , says he , neither life , nor death , principalities , nor powers , nor any thing should be able to separate him from the love of god. secondly , if there be such a glorious reward , consider , that this is a mighty aggravation of the evil of sin , that when god hath revealed himself so gracious , as to lay up such glorious things for those that walk in the way of obedience , for any after this yet to embrace the ways of sin , must needs aggravate the horrid and desperate wickedness of mans heart : there is evil enough in sin , though we should lose nothing by it , that it is a disobedience to god , a breach of the law , and going against the minde of god ; but for men to venture upon the ways of sin , although they know they shall lose such an infinite good as this is , here is not onely desperate wickedness , but desperate folly ; it is a sign that mans heart is desperately set upon sin , that he wil go on in sin , though it be with the loss of all this glory , and these blessed things . i remember ambrose reports of one theotimus , that having a disease upon his body , and the physitian told him , except he did abstain from intemperance , drunkenness or uncleanness , he was like to lose his eyes ; his heart was desperately fet upon his sin , that he said , farewel sweet light then ; as if he should say , i must have my pleasure in that sin , if i must lose my eyes , then farewel eyes , farewel the light . i suppose there is none of you dare reason thus desperately , when we come to you in the name of god , and speak of some particular sin that your consciences tell you you are guilty of , and profess unto you as in the name of god , that that way you take cannot stand with eternal life , that you must eternally perish , and lose all that happiness that god hath prepared for the saints , perhaps none dare say , farewel god , and christ , and eternal life , and all , i must have my sin : though you do not say so directly , yet if after you have heard all this , you go on in a sinful way , you do in effect say so ; for the scripture says , know you not that no drunkard , nor whoremonger , nor covetous , nor unclean person , nor extortioner , and the like , shall enter into the kingdom of god : you know this , it is not possible that any should be so ignorant , but he knows such shall never enter into the kingdom of god ; you going on then in such a way , you do as it were say , farewel god , and heaven , and farewel all that christ hath purchased by his blood , rather then i will lose my sin : how will this confound you another day ? how will conscience accuse you ? when it shall tell you what you have heard , and what you might have had , and you have lost all for your lust : god shall say , i revealed to you what my ways and counsels were concerning man , that this was the great work and design , that i intended to make wretched man happy , to bring vile dust into glory ; and was that my great master-piece , that i intended nothing in your eyes , but must it be despised for the satisfying of your lusts ? christ shall plead against you , was i content to leave the bosom of my father , and to be in the form of a servant , and to be made a curse , & to lose my precious blood , & my life , to purchase glory for man , and must this be slighted for your base lusts ? how will the spirit of god plead against you ? what , was not i in the mouth of my ministers to reveal these glorious things , and deep things of god , that now in the gospel are made known , and must all that work of mine be neglected and slighted for your base lusts ? yea , how may all the creatures in the earth come to plead against you ? lord , thou didst not make us capable of any such happiness as thou didst the children of men , and yet we did honor and serve thee in our order , but thou madest this creature capable of eternal happiness , and yet all is despised for the satisfying of their base lusts . yea , how may the devils come and plead against thee ? lord , when we were once fallen , thou wouldst never enter into covenant with us , to give us any hope of any mercy at all , much less hope to receive any such great things ; there was hope for these wretched creatures to be eternally happy , and yet they neglected all for their lusts , & therefore shal their punishment be no more then ours ? shall their fire be no hotter then ours ? these things that i have delivered , though they be comfortable to the people of god , they will be terrible things to the wicked , and will be a dreadful aggravation to sin , as heb. . . of how much sorer punishment do you think those worthy of , that in neglect of these things do even tread under foot the blood of the son of god , as cap. , . how shall we escape , if we neglect so great salvation ? if the salvation that we speak of were not great salvation , it would not deserve such great punishment for the neglect of it : see how great the mercy of god is in revealing such great salvation , so great shall the punishment be of those that neglect such great salvation : we use to say to some that will be bold to venture upon such ways as others will not , they may say and do what they will , they have nothing to lose , but if a man have any thing to lose he is more wary ; it is true , if we had nothing to lose , it were not so much for us to go on boldly and carelesly in our way , but know we are capable of abundance of glory , that we are in danger to lose if we go on carelesly : consider what you are like to lose , and let that raise your heart against the ways of sin , nothing can make it up . for one to do any thing that shall prejudice the right to a crown , this is counted a great offence , and is not past by without blood : sin seeks to deprive us of a crown , of heaven , of immortality ; o the mischief that is in sin ! let our hearts rise against it with hatred to death : when any temptation comes , let us use this argument as a help to answer temptation , o in this temptation there is that will deprive me of all my hope of heaven , & of glory , and of my crown , and of all my good , if i take not heed ; and therefore now shal i sin ? will any sin do you that good as will countervail the cutting you off the hope of all this glory ? will it make you amends for this evil ? if a man might have a whole world given him for to lose his eyes , no wise man would lose the benefit of his fight for the whole world ; wilt thou venture the loss of the sight of god , and of christ , and of all communion to be had with them for a lust , and for a base pleasure ? what worth is in it to make thee so venturous ? when a temptation to sin comes , make use of this argument , as saul did to his men , what , can the son of jesse give you vineyards , and oliveyards ? so you may say to every temptation , to the ways of sin , what , can my sin give me heaven , and glory , and immortality ? can my sin reward me as god will reward me if i walk in his way ? if a chapman should come to you who are merchants , and offer you for a commodity twenty times less then it is worth , your hearts will rise against him , in disdain and contempt of him : now when sin comes to offer any pleasure or content to the flesh , let your hearts rise in disdain against it , it offers you infinitely to your loss , base momentary pleasure for heaven , and all the glory that hath been opened to you . as one said when a harlot askt a great price for pleasure with her one night , i will not buy repentance at such a rate : and so when sin comes , say , i will not buy pleasure at such a rate . it was an aggravation of the sin of israel , that they would return into egypt , because the land of canaan was so good a land ; so it argues base hearts in people to despise all that is in heaven , and the glory of it for to turn to egypt , to some base lust . thirdly , if there be such a glorious reward for the saints , this rebukes all base worldly drossie spirits , that seek for no higher good then meerly to enjoy the use and comforts of the creature , and content to their flesh for a while : how many are there in the world that would bless themselves in these things ? might i have but such an estate , and such content in the world , it were enough , they should think themselves happy . as that duke of burbone in france , if he might have his palace in paris , he would not change it for paradise . a company of base drossie spirits that could be content to have the things of this world for their portion , it argues you have low thoughts of an immortal soul ; you know not what an immortal soul is capable of , who can think your selves satisfied in any creature . you have but low thoughts of god ; are there no richer treasures in god then onely a few outward delights , meat , and drink , and sports here ? hath god nothing else to communicate to the creature ? what mean thoughts hast thou of christ , and of all the purchase of the blood of christ ? what , hath christ come and laid down his blood to purchase nothing but this , to have content in the creature ? certainly the god of this world hath blinded thine eyes , that thou shouldst not see into the glorious things of eternal life that are in the gospel , and in the word : how many would frame to themselves a kinde of heaven here , an imaginary heaven ? as i have read of a king of persia , that he would have an imaginary heaven , and therefore he made a brave palace , and in the top he made the heavens , and painted sun , moon and stars , and underneath clouds , that with art moved up and down , and distilled rain , and made thunder , and he had a brave throne glistering above those clouds , this might be sufficient for a heathen ; and yet how many christians are guilty of this , to imagine heaven to themselves ? if they had but this and this , that were heaven . certainly thou wilt finde the loss of these things a hell , if there were no pain ; but know , thou canst not lose heaven , but thou must of necessity be plunged into hell ; you cannot lose all this glory , but you must of necessity be under that misery which is contrary to this glory ; whosoever loses the one , though that be ill enough , he must be under the misery of the other . and know , whatsoever thy heart is set upon in this world , if it be not in order to this reward , it is cursed to thee , for the blessing of all comfort does consist in order to this last end . o that men were throughly principled in this one principle , namely , that the good of all things in the world , consists in the subordination they have unto the highest and last end for which they were made : now whatsoever a man hath , if there be not a subordination of it unto the last end , it is all cursed : o know thy folly , that hast sought to satisfie thy self in the things of the world ! know thy folly , that thou hast in this , like a swine sought to take contentment in swill and husks , when as you hear there is bread enough in your fathers house . mark what the psalmist says in psal . . . how long will you turn my glory into shame ? how long will you love vanity and seek after lyes ? by your loving vanity , and seeking after lyes , you turn the glory of god into shame ; so all carnal hearts that seek for their portion in this world , put a shame upon all that glory that god hath opened to you in this recompence of reward : o be not guilty of this , when as you have heard of these glorious things in the recompence of reward , do not you cast shame and filth upon them , as if they were all imaginations . know those things that you esteem to be real and substantial , are vanities and imaginations , and all substances and realities are in this recompence of reward . fourthly , if there be such a glorious recompence of reward for the saints , those also are to be rebuked who seem to go on in those ways that might bring this reward , and yet through the wickedness of their hearts do deprive themselves of this reward , and these are hypocrites . there are three sorts of these : first , such as though they go on in the hearts same ways that gods people go in , yet there are so base and vile therein , as they seek no greater things in them then their own base ends , and so lose all . secondly , such as go on in the ways that tend to this reward , and yet perish at last for some one base lust . thirdly , such as go on in those ways , and are in a good forwardness , and yet prove to be apostates , and so lose all their labor , and all their reward . first , such as go on in the ways that lead to this reward , the ways of religion and godliness , they do the same things that gods people do for this reward , but onely this , their ends are different ; they pray as much , hear as much , and receive sacraments , make a great profession in religion , and their hearts seem to be mightily up in duty ; yea , perhaps they suffer much in the ways of god , and are resolute in the ways of godliness , and yet lose all in the conclusion upon this ground , because though they be in the ways that lead to this reward , yet their ends are so base and low , they do not look at the glorious reward in these actions , but look at some under thing ; as to give content to men , and applause of men ; and to be accounted some body in the place where they live , and to gain some outward respect from such and such , and this is the highest pitch their hearts rise unto in the duties of religion : if ever there were any sottish desperate delusion of heart , this is it , to undertake to do that which others do , that come to enjoy all this glorious reward ; and though you do as much as they , and take as much pains as they , yet you in the conclusion miss of all , and lose all upon your base ends : you follow christ as others do , but a gracious heart follows christ for christ , but you follow him only that your own mindes and wills may be satisfied , it may be you know not how to live : and this is that you aym at in following christ , and in prayer , and in speaking of good things , all that you aym at , is that you may be accounted those that have parts and gifts ; and in giving of alms , you onely look upon some low and base ends which you shall attain , and this is like to be all your reward , so says christ , wo to you hypocrites , you have your reward : and wo indeed when this shall be said , you are forward in religion , to gain to your selves such base things , you shall have them , says god , and this is all the reward you shall have . o be ashamed and confounded in your own hearts , that you should perform the duties of religion , and take such pains in the ways of god , that do lead to such glorious things , and yet your ends are so low ; by having such low ends in religious duties , you make earth your throne , and heaven your footstool , whereas god says , heaven is my throne , and earth is my footstool ; why should you be so cross to god in the foolish ways of your vile hearts ? some there are that perform these duties to satisfie natural conscience , and so they may be unsound , and their consciences not accuse them ; but these hypocrites are the basest that can be , their consciences cannot but accuse them , that they undertake the ways of religion , to employ them for no more then for the attaining such low ends . yea , many that are now in heaven , and have this glorious reward , did not finde so much difficulty in the ways of religion as many hypocrites do . there are three reasons for it . first , that they do is by their own strength , and when one comes to perform the duties of religion by his own strength , they are hard to him ; a gracious heart hath strength from heaven , and from christ ; now when a man hath received strength , he can do that with ease that was difficult before : a man that hath a base unclean heart , the ways of religion must be tedious to such a one ; as a mans body being corrupted , whatsoever he does is tedious to him , if he were sound it would not be so tedious ; and so the ways of religion are tedious to an hypocrite , because he does all in his own strength , and his soul is corrupted . besides , the ways of religion are not suitable to his principles , but he is fain to force himself to them , and all forced things are tedious ; but a gracious heart goes on in the ways of religion as suitable to his principles . besides , an hypocrite hath not those comforts as those that are gracious have in their ways , they have the assurance of gods acceptance , and the light of god shining upon them , which hypocrites have not ; so that the ways of god are more difficult to hypocrites , then to the godly ; and yet they get nothing by them but some base ends , and the godly that do not endure so much difficulty , get heaven , and immortality , and a crown of glory , and all because their ends are different : o be sure your ends be right , you see what vast difference mens ends may make ! as if two should go to sea , it may be they go out both together , and one endures as much tempest and storm as the other , and they are at the like charge ; perhaps yet the one comes home richly laden , and the other brings nothing but cockle shells , and a little gravel ; when he that brought home the cockle shells and the gravel , shall see the difference between him and the other , when as they were at like charge , and endured the same difficulty , how will he be ashamed ? this is the difference between a gracious heart and an hypocrite , both go out in religion , the one makes as much stir as the other , and suffers as much disgrace and contempt as the other ; the one enjoys all the riches of the kingdom of god ; the other , what does all his profession come to ? he gains a little respect from some , that this body or that body says , he is a man of good parts , and here is all . o miserable voyage that such as these are have made , when all their profession comes but to this ! yea , it may be they do not so much as gain respect from those that are wise and judicious , but onely from a company of pratlers , that will speak well of you when you please them , and when you do not please them , they will speak as ill of you : like a great blaze that a little fire will make in straw for the present , and when it is past , you see nothing but a few black ashes ; so many professors make a great blaze , and a great noise and shew , and all that it comes to , is , that they get a little esteem in the world ; or , like kites they will flutter up a little , but their eye is upon the carrion ; so many seem to be above in the ayr in the profession of religion , and yet their eyes are upon the carrion , they make things below their aym . what dishonor is this unto the ways of godliness ? those ways that are the most precious things in the world , all the world is nothing to the profession of godliness ; and those ways that god hath appointed to lead to such glorious things as these are , how are they vilified and abased ? you do not onely vilifie your selves , but you vilifie gods ways , when as they tend to such a glorious end , you put them under your base ends : if a man were a nobleman by birth , what greater dishonor could be done to him , then to make him serviceable to a drudge ? so the ways of god that are so glorious , to make them serviceable to your base ends , what dishonor is put upon the ways of god in this ? certainly god cannot take it well at your hands ; to make the meanest creature of god , our own civil actions serviceable to our lusts , is a great sin ; but to make prayer , and the word , and the sacraments , and the ways of godliness to be serviceable to our lusts , this is most horrible impiety . again , how do you pollute that which is holy ? the way of god is a holy thing , and take heed of polluting of it , by having such low ends in it . again , consider how you do take the name of god in vain ; the name of god is in the ways of religion , and for you to have no higher ends in religion , but such base ones , you take gods name in vain , and god will not hold you guiltless . these two men , a gracious heart , and a hypocrite , may be compared to two men that follow the king ; one that follows the king for some dukedom , and place of office , to obtain some great thing from the king ; and a begger that knows not the king , but runs after him for an alms , and if he may have six pence or a shilling , he goes away quieted : so in the ways of religion , both seem to follow god , a gracious heart follows god , and knows what god is , he knows that god is a blessed god , a glorious god , and that there are wonderful great and glorious things to be communicated from god to the souls of his people , and therefore he follows god for great things , for heaven , and eternity , and glory , and immortality ; an hypocrite , he knows little of god , and he follows god that he may have a little credit and content for a while , and he looks no higher : o base ignoble spirits , that have no higher thoughts in the ways of god! though we must take heed of high thoughts of our selves , yet in the ways of god we must lift up our selves , and have high thoughts , and high ayms . o what difference is there between an hypocrite and a true gracious heart ! a gracious heart hath high ends for god in the meanest actions , in eating , and drinking , and an hypocrite hath low ends in his highest actions , in the most solemn duties of divine worship . secondly , those hypocrites are to be rebuked that go on fairly in the profession of religion , and make conscience of secret sins , and not onely in shews , but really are escaped many pollutions of the world , and yet at last lose all for cleaving to some one sin : but there is a great deal of difference between a real escaping , and true sanctifying escaping ; many may really forsake many pollutions , and many sins , and yet at last lose all this reward for closing with some secret sin . o take heed lest this be any of your portions , you have been vile , and you have reformed your ways in many things , and are not guilty of such and such sins as you were before ; but look to your selves that you do not lose all this reward for some one sin at last : let them do what they will in profession , if their hearts do not come off from every sin , it is all nothing ; not but that there may be some remainders of sin , and yet the heart be taken off from every sin ; but if there be any secret closing with any sin , all your profession , and the leaving of all the other is to no purpose , it will never bring you to this reward : as suppose a wife should be very serviceable to her husband in many things , and forsake many lovers , yet if she entertain but any one lover besides her husband , her husband does not care for all her service and respect ; and so it is with those that make profession : look that there be no one secret sin lodge in your hearts , if there be you will lose all . it was a vexation to lysimachus a king , that his staying to drink one draught of water , lost him his kingdom : and so it will be a vexation to any that have gone on in the ways of godliness , that he hath lost heaven for one sin . it was a grievous affliction upon moses , that he came towards canaan within the sight of it , and yet for one sin , not sanctifying gods name at the water of meribah , he was deprived of it , it went to his heart ; and so it will be a grievous thing when you shall come towards heaven , and for one sin , not sanctifying gods name as you ought , you shall be deprived of heavenly canaan . many prodigals have an inheritance , and at one cast of the dice lose it ; to lose this inheritance at one cast , is a grievous thing . a man may scape many wounds , and shots in the wars , and yet may be killed at last with the wound of a pen-knife , or the wound of a pin or needle : so many that have escaped many gross sins , may by some little secret lust be deprived of the glory of heaven . you that are going on in this way , that tend to the reward , take heed you do not lose all for some one sin . thirdly , those that apostatize are to be rebuked ; apostates go far , and lose all this reward , because they do not endure to the end , but go back and decline : you were once in a blessed way , and had a blessed gale , and you were going on apace to heaven , and now you are turned back again ; o what have you done ! it may be you were near your end , as christ said to the yong man , he is not far from the kingdom of heaven : as the israelites were within a few days journey of canaan , and yet lost it ; so many , though they be near in their profession , and have had as it were the taste of heaven , yet turning back again , they lose all . as if a man were going a rich voyage , and just as he was entring into the haven , there should come a gust of wind and blow him home again , how does it grieve him ? i was just at the haven , and if i had entred i had been enriched for ever : so many have gone on in the profession of religion , if they had continued , who knows but that they might have had all this reward ? but for want of continuance they have lost all , and they are come short of the glory of god. we may say to them , as the angel said to hagar ; hagar , from whence comest thou , and whither goest thou ? so it may be said to an apostata , poor creature , from whence comest thou , and whither goest thou ? thou comest from heaven and eternal life , and thou art going to hell and eternal death . you know how earnest the apostle was with the galatians , when they had once received the faith , and drew back again , says he , who hath bewitched you ? was there ever such wickedness like this ? to receive that faith that brings such happiness , and after you have received it to turn back again ; who hath bewitched you ? and this is the fourth use . fifthly , if there be such a glorious recompence of reward for the people of god ; this should then encourage such as are looking towards , and such as are walking in the ways of god. first , it may encourage to begin betimes in gods ways : it is your wisdom to begin to work at the first hour , seeing god will reward so richly . if you were to work for another , and you knew he would give you a great sum of money for every hour you wrought , you would be sure to be betimes at work that day : you that are yong , you are deferring , and putting off your repentance ; what a sottish delusion is this ? what do you lose , you lose a great deal of the reward you might have : therefore you little ones , as soon you come to know any thing of the ways of god , embrace them , for you shall be rewarded abundantly for every minute of an hour : therefore the losing the time of youth , yea , the losing of any opportunity of doing any gracious action , is an eternal loss : for if god reward every one according to his works , then the loss of an opportunity to do a good work , is an eternal loss ; they that have neglected opportunities , let them consider what they have lost , and you that have your time before you , begin betimes ; if a man were working , and knew not when he should be paid , or how he should get his wages , he would come late to work , and would be negligent , but god would not have you come into his vineyard upon those terms , but promises he will reward you , and therefore begin betimes . secondly , here is an incouragement to gods people to be strict , if we look for such a glorious reward , we had need be accurate ; many cry out , what need men be so strict ? indeed if they had no higher ends then your base ends , you might say so ; a base hypocrite what need he be so strict ? but for a gracious heart , that hath such high , and noble , and glorious ends as these are in his work , as a crown , and glory , and the like , he had need be strict and precise . in ordinary pieces of work , by which workmen do not expect much , they are not so strict and exact ; but if a man be about some curious work , that he expects some great matter for , then he will be very strict : and so because gods people do expect such great matters for religion , no wonder that they are so strict and precise . thirdly , if there be such a glorious reward , here is an encouragement to be very fervent and zealous in the ways of god , because they serve such a god , and shall have such reward , says the apostle , in rom. . . be fervent in spirit , serving the lord ; as if he should say , do you know whom you serve ? you serve the lord , the high , and mighty , and glorious , and infinite god ; and therefore you had need be fervent in spirit ; do that you do with all your might and power , for it is for that god that will do such great things for you . as david when he danced before the ark , he did it with all his might : michol not knowing his meaning , scorned him in her heart ; but says he , it was before the lord that chose me before your fathers house , that hath bestowed such mercies upon me , and will bestow more mercies , and if this be to be vile , i will be more vile . carnal hearts cannot endure earnestness , and fervency in gods service ; as the wilde beasts cannot endure fire , so beastly carnal spirits cannot endure fire , fervency , and zeal in gods ways ; but suppose they should oppose you for fervency in gods ways , you might answer them , if this be to be vile , i will be more vile ; it is for that god that hath done great things for me , and that i hope to receive great things from hereafter eternally . fourthly , if there be such a glorious reward , be encouraged to be abundant in gods service ; this is the argument of the apostle , in cor. . . be ye stedfast , unmoveable , always abounding in the work of the lord , forasmuch as you know your labor is not in vain in the lord. by that which hath been said , you may know your labor is not in vain with the lord ; be abundant in service , there shall not be one tear , nor one sigh , nor one prayer lost ; many say , why do you so much , will not less serve ? the godly do not onely aym at the reward , that will require abundance , but they would have the heigth of the reward , and therefore they think they never have done enough . it is an expression of austin , if a man should serve the lord a thousand years , it would not deserve an hour of the reward in heaven , much less an eternity : though it is true , the grace of the lord is glorious , and he does accept of his grace , as the most glorious thing in the world , yet considering what our actions are , how much corruption is mingled with them , it would not deserve a moment in heaven , and therefore we had need do as much as we can . peter . . seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved , what maner of persons ought ye to be in all maner of holy conversation and godliness ? we should be ashamed and confounded in our thoughts that we can do no more ; and if there should be shame in heaven , when the saints shall see and enjoy so much there , would they not be ashamed that they have done no more for that god so glorious in his bounty & goodness here ? fifthly , if there be such a glorious recompence of reward , then let us labor to be faithful with god , because we have such a good master , that is so good and gracious to us . princes make account they engage the hearts of their subjects that are about them , to be faithful with them by their great rewards , and by keeping of them in expectation of great things : the great things that god hath prepared for us , do lay more engagements upon our hearts to be faithful with him : let us not be false to such a god as this is ; god expects we should be faithful upon this ground , isaiah . , . there are large expressions of the goodness of the lord unto his people ; and what follows , surely they are my people , children that will not lye : as if he should say , these are a people that i expect should be satisfied with me . in psal . . . there god joyns his mercy and his faithfulness both together : as gods mercies and faithfulness are joyned together , so let the hope of gods mercies to us , and our faithfulness unto god , be joyned together . it was an argument of god unto abraham , i am god all-sufficient , and i am your exceeding great reward , walk before me , and be upright : as if he should say , you need not go and shark unto any other creature , you have reward enough in me , therefore walk before me , and be upright : so by all that which god hath revealed unto you concerning this glorious reward of his people , god says , you need not go and seek any thing else , you need not be sharking up and down after the creature , is there not enough in me to satisfie any creature living ? the ground why any depart from god in a way of unfaithfulness , is because they have distrustful thoughts , and think there is not enough to be had in god , but they had need shift for themselves another way : if we understand this glorious reward , and our hearts close with it , this temptation could not have power to draw our hearts from it : therefore god is so plentiful in the manifestation of his goodness , because his people should not have any shifting thoughts ; there is enough in god , and in the treasures of his grace to make up all . now by that which hath been said , be encouraged to go on in those ways in which you have no present encouragement ; there are many ways in which you have no encouragement from god or men ; you pray , and hear , and perform duties , and do not finde god come in that way , let the reward that is to come be enough to encourage you . you do many good things , and men are ungrateful , and will not requite them ; well , let this quiet you , there is a glorious reward to come . i remember a speech of luther , that servitude to men , though it be to ungrateful men , does please god , and god , says he , wil abundantly reward you for it , and that should be more sweet to us then all the treasures in the world . in isa . . . says the prophet , i have labored in vain , i have spent my strength for nought and in vain ; yet truly my judgement is with the lord , and my work with my god. it is a speech of latimer , speaking of ministers that would leave their flock because they did no good ; says he , it is very naughtily done , we must look to that which god commands us , and leave the issue to god : christ saith , follow me , me , me , ( three times he hath it ) and not your own lusts ; let us do our own work , and leave the reward with god : though it be a sweet encouragement for the ministers of god to see something of their labor , yet if they do not , it is enough to make them go on in a way of obedience for the present , because god commands it though there were no reward , but when we do obey god , and please god for the present , and it shall be rewarded so gloriously hereafter , let not this be any excuse , we can do no good : if you be convinced of a duty , whether there be good or no good come of it , whether there be present encouragement or not , it is enough that it shall be gloriously rewarded hereafter . sixthly , if there be such a glorious reward , such blessed things as these reserved for the people of god : hence then let us dwell a little in admiring at the goodness of god , at the infinite treasures of the riches of the glory of the grace of god towards the children of men : certainly , brethren , great are the thoughts of god towards mankinde , wonderful are his ways to this poor creature of his : what is man , says the psalmist , nay , what is man indeed ? when as we consider what god hath done for him . in rom. . . after the apostle had spoke of glorification , and of the blessed estate of gods people hereafter , says the apostle , what shall we say to these things ? so seeing these things are so that are revealed , what shall we say to these things ? o the heighth , and length , and depth , and breadth of the loving kindeness of the lord ! how unsearchable are his judgements ! shall we say , how unsearchable are his mercies ? and his mercies past finding out . o how great is thy goodness which thou hast laid up for them that fear thee , which thou hast wrought before the sons of men ! psal . . . if ever god wrought about any thing , it was about the communication of his goodness to mankinde ; yea , how great is it before the sons of men , before us that have but a little made known to us ? how great is it before angels then , and before god himself ? in psal . . . it is said , god humbleth to behold things that are done in heaven : it is much that god should vouchsafe to behold any thing in heaven ; but now that god should vouchsafe to behold such a poor wretched creature as man is here upon earth , and not to behold him onely , but to work thus gloriously for him , and that from all eternity , to make it his great work to communicate himself to man ; o how does god humble himself here , and how is his mercy and goodness to be admired and adored by the sons of men ! god is to be praised for the least of his mercies here , but he is to be admired in the glory of his rich grace in heaven . we read psal . . god is praised twenty five times for his mercies , but the conclusion of all is , praise the god of heaven , for his mercies endure for ever ; his mercies , as he is the god of heaven , they are the glorious mercies indeed . when the scripture would set forth the excellency of a thing , it expresseth it by heaven , as the excellency of christ , he is the lord from heaven , cor. . . the excellency of god , the god of heaven , jonah . . it is made the top of christs glory , that he is made higher then the heavens , heb. . . when christ would shew the excellency of the bread of life , he says , it is bread from heaven ; the excellency of spiritual blessings is set out in this , that they are blessings in heavenly places , eph. . because gold is the most precious mettal , therefore we lay it over other things , not onely wood and cloth , but silver it self : so because heaven is so excellent , the lord gilds as it were his choicest blessings with this adjunct , and all to shew the wonderful excellency there is in heaven it self . brethren , god hath therefore revealed these things to us , to that end that the glory of his grace might be great in the world : god would have us have high , and honorable , and glorious thoughts of his goodness ; god would have the high praises of his grace to be in the hearts and in the mouthes of his saints ; it is a great evil to have low and mean apprehensions of the glorious grace of god to mankinde ; you do not know what dishonor you bring to god in it : if your hearts be not raised on high , and enlarged in the thoughts of the free and glorious grace of god to mankinde , it is an exceeding dishonor to him . to see the riches of gods glorious grace to the children of men , it is a mighty work of faith , and such a work as the soul is enabled to do onely by a mighty and glorious work of the holy ghost in it ; indeed there is in the world a base , and poor , and mean apprehension of the grace of god in christ , such as does not work at all to raise , and enlarge , and glorifie the heart of a man , but the true sight of the riches of gods glorious grace , it hath a mighty power to raise , and enlarge , and glorifie the hearts of the children of men while they are here ; as mark the expressions of the apostle in his prayer for the ephesians , ephes . . . that the god of our lord jesus christ , the father of glory , may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him ; the eyes of your understanding being enlightned , that ye may know what is the hope of his calling , and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints : not the inheritance of the saints , but the inheritance in the saints , and the glory of the inheritance , and the riches of the glory , and they must not onely have understanding to know this , but the eyes of their understanding must be enlightened , and this must come from the knowledge of christ , from the spirit of wisdom and revelation , and from the father of glory , the god of our lord jesus christ . the sight of the excellency and riches of gods grace here , it is that that is the work of god shining into the heart , cor. . . for god who commanded the light to shine out of darkness , hath shined in our hearts , to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of god in the face of jesus christ : the unsearchable truths of the gospel are in that which hath been revealed so far as we are able to wade into them . the sight of gods rich glory , is that which the princes of the world have not known , it is that which requires a work of the spirit of god , of that spirit which searcheth the deep things of god. o brethren , if you had a true spiritual sight of the richness of the goodness of god in the way of his communication of happiness and glory to the children of men , then you see into the great design of god , into the deep counsels of his wisdom , then god hath laid open his heart unto you , god hath brought you into the treasures of his riches , and given you a view of them ; the very secrets of gods soul are imparted to you , and blessed are your eyes that have seen these things : if the sight of gods glory in his grace towards mankinde be seen in true beauty and height , and glory indeed , there is no fear that they should do hurt to any soul ; it is true , the apprehension of the grace of god in a natural way , is the cause of security or presumption in many , but there was never any in the world that was furthered in a way of security and presumption upon the spiritual sight and view they have had of the heighth and depth of the riches of the glory of the grace of god in the face of jesus christ : that sight of gods grace that is the cause of security in people , is that which is grounded meerly upon a natural light , which hath no efficacy to raise , and enlarge , and to purge the heart : but this true spiritual sight of gods grace , it hath a mighty efficacy , and nothing more , to raise , and enlarge , and purge the heart . in corinth . . . says the apostle , we beholding the glory of the lord as in a mirror : what then , are we secure and presumptuous upon this ? no , we are changed into the same image from glory to glory . what was that glory that the apostle did behold ? the glory of god in the mirror of the gospel , the glory of god in the riches of his grace towards the saints : now says he , while we behold , as in a mirror , this glory of god , this is the fruit of it , we are changed from glory to glory . people talk of gods mercy , but how few ever had a spiritual sight of gods mercy ? they would have ministers preach much of gods mercy , but if people had eyes to behold it in the glory of it , how would it change their hearts ? wherefore then , i beseech you , labor to have more then a natural sight of gods mercy and goodness towards mankinde . a man by a low apprehension of gods mercy and goodness may think thus : so long as i serve god , it shall be well with me , god will bless me , and be merciful to me ; but that spiritual and supernatural sight of the riches of the glory of gods mercy , is this , for a soul though it sees it self a base vile wretched worm , a lump of filth , and sees it self standing guilty before the lord , and god seems to look with an angry face upon it , and conscience within it accuses it , and the threats of the fiery law come out against it ; yet for a soul to be able to look into the deep bowels of gods infinite compassion that are in christ , and in them to look upon it self for all this as an heir of glory and eternal life , so as to have the soul raised , and enlarged , and devoted to the magnifying , praising and adoring the riches of gods grace , and to venture all upon this , this is more then a natural sight of gods grace , and of his mercy towards mankinde . you will say , we could admire gods grace and mercy towards mankinde , and praise him , and bless him for it , and our hearts would be enlarged , if we were sure these things did belong to us , and that we had any interest in them ; there is enough in them to enlarge and raise our hearts , but this is that which hinders , we do not know that we have an interest therein . to that i answer , that this very work of god it self , that gives this sight of his grace to raise up the heart to close with it , and to make the soul venture all upon it , that does bring the soul to devote it self to the praise and honor of it ; this very work of it self does interest your souls in it , therefore do not say , if i were interested in these things , then i could praise and magnifie god for them : if you can do this , you are interested in them , for this is an immediate work of faith , and it is from a divine principle to be able to do this , and therefore though you know no good at all in your selves before , and you had no arguments to encourage you before , and you had no preparation in your own apprehensions before , yet if you have but this work of grace , it does interest your souls in all that which hath been revealed concerning the recompence of reward of the saints of god. but may we not presume to think that such great things belong to us ? to that i answer , where ever presumption is , it is built upon a natural sight of gods grace , and that is a poor low flat dead thing , that hath no such efficacy to raise the heart to such a glorious work as this is , and therefore if the heart be raised to such a glorious work as this , by the appprehension of the riches of the grace and goodness of god towards mankinde , that is not presumption : and this is the sixth use . chap. liv. gods people to be highly honored . seventhly , if there be such blessed things reserved for the people of god : hence let us look upon all the servants of god as honorable in our eyes , and let them be honored in our thoughts , for great are the thoughts of god upon them and towards them , and therefore great and honorable should be our thoughts of them , though they be never so poor and mean in the world . we use to look upon great heirs with admiring thoughts , and blessing of them every time we look upon them . do you see one walking in the ways of god ? whatsoever he be for his outwards , let your hearts bless him , and say , here is one indeed born to great things , other maner of things then any the world affords . did we know what were the things that the people of god should be possessed of within a while , we would say in our hearts , o blessed that ever they were born , blessed is the womb that bare them , and blessed are the paps that gave them suck : did we with a spiritual believing eye behold what things they should have , and saw them as now possessed of them , we would see cause to fall down and kiss the ground upon which they tread : the blessed angels look upon them as great ones , as the glory of the world , and therefore do joyfully minister unto them , because they know they are the great heirs of heaven , for whom such great things are prepared : great things are spoken of thee , o thou city of god , says the psalmist ; great things are spoken of you , o ye saints of god. if heaven must be so glorious to entertain the saints , how glorious are those for whom heaven is prepared ? says ahasuerus , what shall be done to the man whom the king will honor ? o what shall be done to those whom an infinite god hath set his heart upon to raise to honor , and to manifest to angels , and to all the world , what his infinite power is able to do in raising of a creature to glory : in the saints there is a meeting , as it were of the beams of gods grace and goodness as in a center , and that must needs be very warm and hot indeed . the beams of the sun in the circumference scattered in the ayr , are warm ; but in a glass , where they are united together as it were in a center , there they warm after another maner , there they burn ; so all the works of gods grace abroad in the world , they are as the beams of the sun in the circumference , that are scattered abroad ; but in his people there is the center where they are united together , and there they burn , and are glorious indeed , and therefore high and honorable thoughts you ought to have of the saints . it is a great argument to shew gods greatness , that all the creatures in the world are his , and for him . what an argument then is it to set forth the greatness of a christian , that heaven , and god , and christ , and all are his and for him ? and this hath been shewn in this glorious recompence of reward : how great and honorable then should they be in our eyes ? eighthly , if there be such a glorious reward , and great things prepared for gods people , then what love is due to christ , and to the gospel , and to the ways of godliness ? first , love to the lord christ , who is the cause of all this . secondly , to the gospel that reveals these things to us . thirdly , to the ways of godliness that leads to all this : great and blessed are the things of the kingdom of heaven ; from whence is all this ? it is the lord jesus christ , from whom all this comes , another reward was due to us , we were wretched guilty creatures , fire-brands of hell , children of perdition , cast out unto an eternal curse ; but the lord christ , who was the wisdom of the father , set his heart upon us , and spake for us from all eternity , and would not satisfie himself in delivering of mankinde from that miserable and lost condition in which they were , but so set his heart upon them , as he intended to make it his great work for the manifestation of the riches of his grace , to raise this poor wretched creature to a height of happiness and glory , that it might appear to angels , to the world , yea to the blessed trinity it self , what the son of god is able to do , to raise a creature from misery unto glory ; and so his heart was set upon mankinde , that though it must cost him the eclipsing of his own glory , though he must come to be made a prey to the world , and if a man , a man of sorrows , yea , made a curse it self in the abstract , that man might have this glory and happiness , and yet he was content with all ; and at last this is all he prays for as a fruit of his sufferings and merits , father , i will that they also whom thou hast given me , be where i am , that they may behold my glory which thou hast given me ; as if he should say , if i can but have this , i am well , i have enough for all the sufferings that i did endure . this indeed is called a reward , but it is the reward of another maner of righteousness then our own ; were it that there were no other righteousness but our own , though our own should be true righteousness , the reward would never come to this height ; but this is first the reward of the merit , of the death , of the blood , and of the perfect righteousness of the son of god , and so in him it comes to be our reward , therefore it is christ that is our life , and happiness , and glory . o let us joyn with those blessed elders in rev. . , . that fell down before the lamb , having all harps in their hands , and golden vials full of odours , and sung , worthy art thou who wast slain , and hast redeemed us unto god by thy blood , to receive honor , and blessing , and glory ; and that we might joyn in that blessed melody that st. john heard in that chapter , in verse . he heard all creatures in heaven , and on earth , and under the earth , and in the sea , saying , blessing , honor , glory and power , be unto him that sitteth upon the throne , and unto the lamb for ever and ever ; that we might say amen to this . if any man wish good to us , we count it worthy of love ; but the lord christ having wrought such infinite good for us as this , how should our hearts be enflamed to him , and that none should be dear to us , and prized of us in comparison of christ : let us cry out with that blessed martyr , none but christ , none but christ . again , how should our souls love the gospel , and prize the gospel , that hath revealed all this to us ? in tim. . . it is said , life and immortality is brought to light by the gospel : these are the things that in comparison were kept hid from the beginning of the world , before the manifestation of the gospel , but now they are revealed : o blessed be god that we had the preaching of the gospel amongst us , to open the treasures of grace to us in this maner . what poor low thoughts should we have had of the happiness of mankinde , had not god made known these glorious things in the ministery of the gospel ? many wise men by the light of nature have risen high in the contemplations of happiness , that mans nature is capable of , but how far beneath these things have their highest thoughts been ? it is a great part of the glory of the gospel , that it sets out unto us these high and glorious things . and then the ways of godliness , those we should love , because those are the ways that lead and tend to all this ; godliness hath the promise of the life to come , as well as the promise of this life annexed to it : were the ways of godliness never so hard and rough , never so difficult , yet they are glorious ways , and to be loved , because of the glorious end they tend unto : great is the gain of godliness , if these things be believed . you that are merchants love and prize trading and merchandizing that brings in great gain ; as some in a way of trading and merchandizing , by a bargain in a morning will bring in a hundred pounds , when as many other poor people are fain to work hard to get a shilling or eighteen pence a day ; now you prize that trade that with a few words can get in so much : o prize the trade of godliness then , there is gain to be had . i may compare all the works of morality , and common grace , to the poor mean trade of the laboring man , that is fain to work hard for a shilling or eight pence a day , they work , and get but some few outward blessings from god , but godliness is the trade of merchandising , that brings in hundreds together , and that our hearts should be upon ; god would have our hearts to be after great and glorious things . it is an expression of cleopatra to marcus antonius , it is not for you to be fishing for gudgeons , but for towns , and forts , and castles : and so those that are acquainted with the ways of godliness , it is not for them to be trading for poor things , but for eternal life , glory and immortality . the ninth use , is an use of examination , to know who those are that have interest in these glorious things , to the answering of that question in psalm . who shall abide in thy tabernable ? who shall dwell in thy holy hill ? i confess that psalm does principally aim at communion with the church of god ; such as are fit for communion with a church , are fit for heaven , and therefore the question may be true , who shall dwell in thy holy hill ? who shall be partakers of these things ? blessed are they that shall eat bread in the kingdom of god ; but who are they ? it is necessary you should labor to make this sure , because it is a matter so great , and so glorious , and not to lay the weight of that which is of infinite consequence , upon poor , weak , slight , and sandy foundations ; certainly we do not know what the grace of god towards mankinde is , if we content our selves with slight hopes ; but if god hath enlightned your souls to know the reality and glory of them , they wil never be at rest , till you have got certain and infallible grounds for them . in things of small consequence we are content with slight evidences , but if a man have to deal in any business upon which his whole estate depends , he would not have any man think it ill if he does make sure , if he will have bonds and seals : so we should make sure of heaven , and of glory , because it is such a great matter . some i suppose , that meerly upon the hearing of the greatness of these things , cannot but have some misgiving thoughts ; if these things be so great , surely they concern not me , they belong not to me ; can i think in my conscience that i am that man or woman that god should have such great thoughts upon , and should look upon me , so as to make it the greatest design that he hath to glorifie the riches of his mercy upon me ? what work of gods grace have i ever had upon me ? i would not have those that are affected with the greatness of gods grace to mankinde , think that these things do not belong to them because they are great . but those that never had their hearts affected with the excellency and glory of gods grace toward man , when they hear of the greatness and glory of those things that are reserved for the saints , they may justly have their consciences misgive them , and think surely they do not belong to them . canst thou that art a base drunkard , that prizest nothing but a little drink , and some outward things , think that god should make it the greatest work that he hath in the world , for to communicate the riches of his grace and goodness unto thee ? the greatness of these things may be enough to cast thee off ; as it is with a beggar , a beggar comes and asks an alms , if a man put his hand in his pocket , and take out a peny or two pence , he hath hope to have that ; but if he take out a piece of gold , he hath no hope of that , because it is so much : so when men have but natural thoughts of heaven and happiness hereafter , you think you might have that , but when you come to have heaven opened to you , and you see it is such a great and glorious thing , your hearts may justly think it is not for us . cast a bone to a dog , he falls to it presently , but set a joynt of meat before him well drest , in a large dish , and he goes away , he dares not venture upon that : so for these things in the world , the ordinary favors of god , these bones that god casts to dogs , you may fall upon them , and think these are for you ; but when you come to the dainties , and infinite treasures of god , can such a swinish heart , such a base , filthy , unclean spirit as yours is , that never minded nothing but the satisfying of your base lusts , think that these are for you ? you cannot but have misgiving thoughts , and think either these things are but notions , or else i have no part in them . chap. lv. to whom the recompence of reward appertains . but how may any know that they shall have this glorious reward ? carnal and sensual hearts , because they have no principles of gods grace , to shew them the great things of god , and the minde of god , they think no man can know ; we must have hopes , and hope well , but who can know what god hath in heaven for us ? those that are acquainted with the mysteries of god in the gospel , they know what gods minde hath been from all eternity concerning them , and what god will do for them to all eternity . how do they know ? first , would you know whether you shall have this recompence of reward ? have you made moses choice ? certainly , those that have made moses choice , shall have moses reward : what moses choice was you have heard , moses chose rather to suffer affliction with the people of god , then to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season : moses might have had honor and esteem enough in egypt , but he accounted afflictions with the people of god , in gods ways a great deal better ; he esteemed the reproach of christ greater riches then all ; so i may have christ and communion with his people , let me be reproached , and contemned , and despised , i care not . now do you finde this ? though there was a time my heart was taken with the glittering shews of things here , and i saw no excellency in the ways of god , they were but notions to me ; at length god wrought mightily upon my soul , and shewed me the vanity of all things that i accounted for glorious things , and shewed me a beauty in gods people , and began to knit my heart to them , so as i was willing to part with any thing to have communion with them , and to venture all upon the bare word and promise of god , for those glorious things that are revealed in it , and this choice i have made , and my soul is setled in it , whatsoever befals me in this world ; hath there been such a work upon your souls , that you have made moses choice ? then you shall have moses reward . secondly , are you begotten unto the hope of these glorious things ? whosoever shall be partaker of this glorious reward , must be one that is born to it . there are some dignities in the world that are got no way , except they be born to them ; so if you have this reward , you must be born to it , pet. . . blessed be the god and father of our lord jesus christ , who according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us unto a lively hope : whosoever hath the true hope of heaven , it is one that is begotten to it , that is , there must be a mighty work of god upon your hearts , a new birth , a regeneration in you , otherwise there is nothing you have done or can do that can get this reward . in mat. . . says christ unto his disciples , after peter had spoken what they had left for him , ye that have followed me in the regeneration , when the son of man shall sit in the throne of his glory , ye shall also sit upon twelve thrones , judging the twelve tribes of israel : as if christ should say , peter , you have forsaken all and followed me , but know , the bare forsaking is not enough , but you who have felt the work of god regenerating your souls , upon which you have followed me , you shall sit upon twelve thrones : some do interpret this place regeneration , the estate of the gospel , and so make it not to be the work of god upon the soul , but the work of god upon the world , to make a new world ; as the glorious estate of the church under the gospel is called a new heaven , and a new earth , and so take it , ye that have followed me in this new world , ye shall sit upon twelve thrones , &c. but i rather take it the other way , not wholly excluding this , they are onely those that follow christ in the regeneration , that shall have this reward . it is called the new birth , because there is such a strange change ; there is a new spirit , and a new life put into a man : suppose a rational soul were put into a beast , what a change would be in that creature ? suppose an angelical nature were put upon us , what a change would there be ? by the change that is wrought in regeneration there is a greater difference ; the highest degree of glory in heaven is not so different from the lowest degree of grace here , as the lowest degree of grace here is different from the highest excellency of nature , because the difference between the highest degree of the glory of heaven from the lowest degree of grace , is but a gradual difference , but the difference that is between the lowest degree of grace , and the highest excellency of nature , is a specifical difference . therefore you that hope for glory , know there must be a regeneration , that work of god upon your souls that must cause a greater difference in you from that you were by nature , then there is in the glorified saints , that have the highest degree of glory , from the meanest saint in the world ; as the reward is a mighty glorious thing , so the work of god in preparing a soul for this reward is a mighty glorious work . and therefore do not content your selves in every poor slight thought of heaven , know heaven lies upon that which is a mighty work of god in you . thirdly , if you ever come to heaven , there is a principle of heaven put into your souls here , that is , a heavenly principle that carries you heavenward , i mean the work of god , causing you to have heavenly mindes , and heavenly hearts ; our conversation is in heaven , says the apostle . in cant. . . the church is compared to pillars of smoke that ascend upward to heaven ; though the church be black and dark in regard of her infirmities , yet it hath a principle to carry it upward to heaven . the saints are compared to eagles that fly aloft towards heaven , though their bodies are not there , their hearts and souls are there ; if our treasures be in heaven , our hearts are there already . i read of edward the first , who had a mighty desire to go to the holy land , to ierusalem , and because he was hindred , and could not get thither , he gave his son a charge upon his death-bed to carry his heart thither ; and he prepared two and thirty thousand pound to carry his heart thither : so the saints , though they have not their bodies in heaven , their hearts are there , and they take much pains , and are at great charges to get their hearts thither . all things in nature have a principle to carry them to their proper place ; because the place of fire is on high , therefore fire hath a principle to carry it on high ; and because the place of earth is below , therefore earth hath a principle to carry it downward : so if the place and center of the heart be in heaven , then certainly it hath a principle to move naturally thither , to move upward to heaven ; and therefore that soul that hath nothing but a principle to carry it downward to the earth , and to the lusts of it to these things below , heaven is not the proper place for such a soul , and when the soul goes out of the body , it wil not go to heaven : take earth , and close it in a vessel , and take fire , and put into a vessel , open the vessels , and let them out , and they go both to their places ; so the souls of men when they are gone out of the body , they go to the place whither they had a principle to carry them , therefore do not think the principle shall be put into them when you dye , but you must have a principle before : if your hearts be prest down by earthly things , when you dye they will fall down ; and therefore observe which way your souls work : can you say , as in the presence of god , my soul works heavenward , though i have weights of corruption that would weigh me down , yet i have a principle that does work to heaven ? but the consciences of many tell them their souls work downward , to vanity and sensuality , and you have no other principle , and therefore when your souls depart , they fall downward . fourthly , what soul soever hath an interest in heaven , heaven is in that soul already : the kingdom of god is in them , and they have taken hold of eternal life , now eternal life abides in them ; whom he hath justified , he hath glorified already , they have the glory of heaven begun ; you heard what that was . in heaven there is the perfection of our natures , the image of god shall be renewed ; now is the image of god begun ? hath god marked you , and set the stamp of his image upon you ? there is no soul that god does intend to put glory upon , but he marks that soul , and stamps his image upon it in the work of conversion , and says , here is a soul i set the stamp of my image upon , because i mark it out to glory : if ever you come to heaven , god must see his own image and superscription upon you . as the beast set his mark upon men , and would suffer none to trade but those that had his mark : so god will set his mark upon his people , and none shall come into his kingdom but those that have his mark : now a mans image is upon a thing , when by beholding of it i am put in minde of him that it is an image of ; so if you have this image and stamp of god , a man that knows god , as soon as he looks upon you , as soon as he beholds your conversation , he is put in minde of god , and he says , i have heard and read much of god , of the holiness and righteousness of god , and by this mans conversation i am put in minde of that holiness and righteousness of god , the brightness of which i see shining here . again , in heaven you know god himself is the portion of the saints , they have the presence of god : what presence of god do you enjoy here ? were your souls ever acquainted with the presence of god in the ordinances ? what blessed vision have you of god here ? those who come to heaven , god gives a sight of himself here . and what union have you with god ? what union of grace ? what mystical union between god and your souls ? and what fruition have you of god ? is it god that you enjoy in the creature ? and god in all things ? god in the ordinances ? and what rest do your souls finde in god ? though you be tost up and down in regard of the uncertainty of the creature , yet is god your rest : yea , do you enjoy your selves in god ? the beginning of all these are now for the present . and likewise for communion with jesus christ , what communion and converse is there between your souls and jesus christ ? is it not a riddle to you ? are you delighted in the communion of the saints ? are the sabbaths your delight , as a beginning of the eternal sabbath you shall keep in heaven ? therefore now do you ask , who shall have heaven ? and , who shall ascend into the mount ? those whom the mount now comes down unto . many hope they shall have god when they dye , but surely if god be not so merciful as to give you spiritual mercies for the present , he will not be so merciful as to give you eternal mercies hereafter ; if he do not give you mercies of grace here , he will not give you mercies of glory hereafter . fifthly , what are the apprehensions that you have of this reward ? there may be a special note drawn from thence , whereby you may see whether this reward shall be yours or no. what is it that you apprehend to be the heighth and excellency of that reward and glory that you expect ? is it that spiritual and supernatural good that is in heaven ? do you not apprehend heaven after a carnal and natural way , when you hear speaking of crowns , and dignity , and happiness , and glory , and the like ? but hath god shewed you that the heighth and top of all consists in those spiritual and supernatural things , in the image of god , and in communion with god , and those things that have been opened ? are your hearts more after these then after any thing else ? then it is like that heaven is for you , for these things are kept hid from those that heaven is not for . sixthly , consider what your hopes are for this recompence of reward . first , where hopes are true , they are such as are wrought by the power of the holy ghost . secondly , they are purging hopes . first , they are such hopes as are wrought by the power of the holy ghost , rom. . . certainly , hopes of such great things as these , must be raised by a great power , they are hopes that could never be raised by any natural apprehensions , by any work of reason : you have hopes of heaven , and of the glorious reward ; how came you by them ? what almighty power of the holy ghost have you felt that hath raised these hopes ? if you have no other hopes but those that may spring out of nature , natural conceits and apprehensions , you are far short of this recompence of reward : but this recompence of reward being glorious , it hath a glorious principle to raise hopes , such hopes as can bear down strong difficulties that shall oppose them : the holy ghost does stretch out the hopes of the soul beyond that which nature can do . in the hebrew that word that signifies hope , signifies a line , because by hope the heart is stretched out as in a line to the thing it hopes for : now the hopes that nature raises is but in a short line , and they stretch out the heart but a little way , but the hopes that are wrought by the power of the holy ghost , are such hopes as the heart is stretched out very far by them ; and there must be a mighty stretching out of the heart , and that by a mighty power , to make it hope for such great things as these , that god should bring such a poor worm to such high things as these are : ordinary base drossie hopes that have nothing in them , they are not stretched out to these things , they have some confused apprehensions , and slight opinions about heaven , & they are loth to think they should be damned for ever , and cast from god , and therefore they will have some conceits it shall be well with them , and they hope well ; but to have their hearts stretched out to expect these blessed things as the happiness of their souls , and as the real , substantial , and onely good , this is by the mighty power of the holy ghost . secondly , they are purging hopes ; john . . and every man that hath this hope in him , purifieth himself even as he is pure : it is a lively working hope , pet. . . blessed be god who hath begotten us again to a lively hope . as a fountain that hath dirt cast into it , it being a living fountain , it works , and works , and never leaves till it hath got the dirt out ; cast dirt into a puddle , and it lies there , and putrifies : and this is the difference between the sin of one that is natural , and one that hath hope of eternal life : when sin comes into a carnal natural heart , it lies there and putrifies ; but where sin comes into a gracious heart , that hath hope of eternal life , such a heart by these hopes are as a living fountain , that will never leave working till it be pure again : such a soul as apprehends it self a vessel of such rich and glorious mercies as these , do labor to cleanse it self to the utmost : if you have a vessel that you put ordinary water into , you care not though there be some dust in the bottom , but if you will put in some precious liquor , you will cleanse it again , and again , and will not suffer any dust to be there : so carnal hearts that do not know what great things god hath laid up for his people , that are not vessels of mercy , but onely look for some common things , they can suffer their hearts to filled with noysom lusts , but where the soul does apprehend it self a vessel of mercy , such a one as god will fill with these glorious things , it would not have any filth and corruption abiding in it . in tim. . . the apostle speaks of two sorts of vessels that are in gods house , that is , in the church , vessels of honor , and vessels of dishonor ; but how shall we know we are vessels of honor , or of dishonor ? if therefore a man purge himself from these , he shall be a vessel of honor ; a vessel of dishonor is an unclean vessel , a vessel of honor is a clean vessel : if therefore your hopes be such as can stand with any beloved sin against knowledge , you are vessels of dishonor : and here is the liveliness of this hope ; if thou hast a hope to be a vessel of honor , it purges you from filth , and by that purging from filth , there comes to be a readiness and preparation to every good work , here is such a one as shall ascend up into the holy hill of god. this is the sixth note . seventhly , examine what thy claim is , whether thy claim to heaven , and eternal life , and this recompence of reward do lie right in the point of justification or no ? if you look at nothing but the works that you do , though they be never so glorious and good , & do not lay your claim first right in the point of justification , you will mistake and miscarry , and be disappointed of all this recompence of reward . therefore paul , in rom. . . says , whom he hath justified , them he also glorified ; so that glorification does depend upon justification : now then the first thing that a soul is to look after for the assurance of its portion in this recompence of reward , is to make sure in the point of justification , for there lies the claim to heaven , and all the rest comes but as a consequent of this . now the laying our claim right in the point of justification consists in this , when a soul comes to apprehend the infinite need it hath of a perfect righteousness of a mediator , and looks upon that righteousness of the mediator as well pleasing to god , as sufficient to absolve it from former sins , and to discharge it from former guiltiness , whereby another reward was due to it , and by faith applies this righteousness , whereby it comes to be perfect before god , and lays the weight of all its confidence of heaven , and of glory upon this ; then you may hope to have interest in this recompence of reward : but if your claim come in any other way then this , it does not give you any interest to heaven ; and therefore look much to the point of justification , and be sure that your hearts have laid the claim and interest it hath to heaven and eternal life right there , and then there may be great hope of the recompence of reward , though afterward there be many failings in your works and services : and if you will look at any work whereby you should have the reward , especially look at the work of believing , closing with the righteousness of christ in the apprehension of your own unworthiness ; this is the greatest work that any man is able to do , that shall have the greatest reward in heaven . you think if you were able to perform duties , and do such and such things , to keep your hearts up for god , you should have this reward ; but the greatest work of god that ever any creature did , is when it apprehends its own unworthiness , to venture upon the righteousness of christ ; if you were able to perform full obedience to every particular of the moral law , it were not so great a work , not so accepted of god , not so well pleasing in his eyes , nor should not be so gloriously rewarded in heaven , as this one work of believing in his son. god takes such infinite delight in his son , as he looks more at that work of the souls believing in his son , and venturing it self and its eternal estate upon his son , then he does upon all works besides : and therefore look upon the point of justification by faith first , and if that be right , the assurance of the reward will come in : divers objections will rise , that can never be answered , till the heart be setled in the point of justification . all the objections that rise from our weakness and sinful infirmity comes from this , because we do not settle our selves well in the claim we make to the recompence of reward in the point of justification , in the righteousness of christ by faith . eighthly , examine what your works are , see whether they be such as shall attain to this recompence of reward : if all the excellencies of all the moralities of all the men in the world were put into one , these could never reach to this reward ; it is a supernatural thing , and therefore if you would know whether you shall have it , there must be something supernatural in you . but when is a work supernatural , so as i must have some comfortable hope , that it shall reach unto this supernatural reward ? a supernatural work hath , first , supernatural principles . secondly , it hath supernatural ends . thirdly , it is performed in a supernatural maner . first , the principles are supernatural ; first , they are above nature ; and secondly , they are fetched from a fountain that nature hath no skill of . for the first , there is something above nature , that puts you upon duties ; you do not onely go on in the ways of godliness , because you know you are bound to them , you cannot be saved else , but because you finde a new light let out by god from heaven , that shews an infinite excellency and beauty that is in the way of godliness . and you finde a principle of divine nature put into you , that makes the ways of godliness agreeable to you ; and the more spiritual and divine they are , the more suitableness you finde between your souls and those ways . and secondly , do you finde that you draw your principles that enables you to any good work from a mediator ? the natural principles come at highest but from reason , it sees reason for such and such things to be done ; but a supernatural principle is drawn from a mediator , from god-man , from god in christ , and by vertue of the promise , and so it comes to be an evangelical obedience . and it hath supernatural ends , beyond self , and all self , and creature respects : that work that is natural rises no higher then nature in its ends ; as the water ascends no higher then from the place it descends : so all natural works have some self or creature respects , but when you finde your hearts are raised above self and creature respects in your obedience to god , there is a supernatural end . and then they are performed in a supernatural maner . seneca hath this expression of desires ; you may know it is not a natural desire when it rises beyond bounds : he applies it to evil desires , when a man desires things without bounds , that is no natural desire : now that which he applyes to the corruption of nature , we may rather apply to the perfection of nature . all the desires of nature are such as are limited in a narrow compass ; no natural man in the world does go on in the ways of obedience with an infinite desire to dilate himself infinitely as far as he is capable , but is always limited in a little narrow compass , so far he will go , and no further ; but when the soul comes to walk with god in a way of supernatural obedience , it comes to be without bounds , all those bounds that did limit the soul are taken away , and there is a letting out of the heart to god in the ways of godliness in an infinite maner ; and this is a most clear evidence of a supernatural work , that will go for currant in heaven , and shall be rewarded there ; there is the impression of gods infiniteness upon the heart in every work that is performed ; examine whether your works be not like those that the apostle speaks of , in cor. . . where he speaks of the works that shall burn ; therefore let us consider whether our works be such as when they come to the tryal , shall be found to be stubble , and burn . there are a great many whose works are like to burn , and themselves too : many of the works of gods people are like to burn , but look too your selves for your main and principal works , whether they will hold when they are examined by the rule of heaven , and shall be rewarded : it is nothing what your works are before men , the people of god may highly esteem of your works , but when they come to be examined in heaven , they shall be examined strictly , and unless god see a supernatural stamp upon them , they will burn ; and therefore look to your works , see whether they be supernatural in the principles , in the ends , and in the maner of doing of them : and examine by these rules the assurance of this reward . mr. latimer says , the assurance of heaven , is the sweet meats of the feast of a good conscience : in great feasts there are good meats and banquets : there are other dainty dishes in this feast , and the assurance of heaven is the sweet meats and the banquet . now that we may have the feast of a good conscience made full , let us take pains in examining whether this recompence of reward be ours : if we did but apprehend this reward to be ours , it would make us go on with power in our way , whereas now every little thing is ready to turn us aside . again , if upon examining by these arguments you finde some comfortable hope that the recompence of reward is yours , what concerns you , but patience to wait for it ; and in the mean time to live as those that shall have these things , and labor to dye so ? first , patiently to wait ; st. iames says , the husbandman waits for the precious seed till the harvest come : though it be precious seed , the husbandman casts it into the earth , he is not discontent because he hath not harvest next week , but he is content to let the winter , the frost and snow go over it ; and so we must be content to have many troubles between the hope of the reward , and the possession of it . we must work in the vineyard of the lord , and endure the heat of the day , and not expect our peny till night . mark how the apostle would have those to walk who have the hope of heaven , rom. . . to them , who by patient continuance in well-doing , seek for glory , and honor , and immortality , and eternal life . great things are to be expected and waited for ; if a man have a great venture at sea , that he expects some mighty profit by , he is content to wait two or three years , because he thinks it will make amends for all : so in your way of merchandizing , if a man go and buy a commodity of five or ten shillings , he lays down present money , but if the commodity come to a great sum of many hundred pounds , he does but give something in earnest , the great pay is to come many moneths after : so when men will bargain with god for their obedience to have credit and esteem in the world , yea , those men that aspire after the greatest things in the world , these are poor trifling matters , and god gives them presently : but because the covenant that is between god and christ , & so between christ and us , is about great matters , and god intends to reward his people with glorious things eternally in the heavens , they have but the first-fruits of them for the present , and they must not expect the fulness of them suddenly . great men have two kinde of servants usually , some servants that they hire by the day , or the moneth , or the year , that they shall have so much wages , and so their wages is paid them , it may be every night , or every week ; other servants have not their wages presently , but that which they serve for , is the expectation of some great office or living that their lord should give to them after many years service , and therefore they go on in their service , though nothing come presently . here is the difference between the men of the world and others , i speak of those who live the best lives who are not truly gracious ; they in some measure are the servants of god , they do god some service , onely such service as poor laboring men do that are hired in a great mans house , that have their pay every week , or day ; so you have your pay every day , you have meat and drink , and the comfort of the creatures ; but god hath other greater servants , godly people , christians , and though they have not so much pay presently , as wicked men have , yet there are reversions , and some glorious things that they expect hereafter , and therefore they go on patiently , though for the present they have not so much as others . and you have no cause to envy others : if there be two servants in a great mans house , the one sees the poor laboring man have his shilling given him , shall he envy him , and say , i have served many years , and have not had a shilling ? no , he does not envy him , because he expects some great things : and so when you see the men of the world have the great things of the world , do not envy them , because you serve god for greater things . queen elizabeth , she envyed the milk-maid when she was in prison , but if she had known what a glorious reign she should have had for four and forty years , she would not have envyed her . wait therefore patiently , because the things are great , and the longer you wait , the greater they will be : as it was the speech of the son of an emperor , says he , the longer the cooks are preparing the meat , there will be the better chear , meaning , the longer he staid for the empire , the greater it would be ; so go on in your way , wait patiently , the longer you wait , the better it will be at the last : and it is sure enough , christ is gone before to take possession , and god never so wrought to make any thing sure , as he hath wrought for the assuring of the good in the covenant of grace . yet long after it and desire it . in rom. . . it is said , the creature groaneth to be delivered from the bondage of corruption , to come into the glorious liberty of the children of god ; and therefore we our selves should much more desire it , and pant after that time , we should cry out with david , though with patience , when shall i appear before god , the living god ? chap. lvi . christians should live and dye as becomes heirs of such a glorious estate . secondly , learn , if there be such a glorious reward , to live and dye as becomes such glorious heirs : this is the exhortation of the holy ghost unto us by st. paul , in his epistle unto the thessalonians , as you know how we exhorted , and comforted , and charged every one of you that ye would walk worthy of god that hath called you unto his kingdom and glory : here is an exhortation , and in the name of god a charge upon every soul that does expect to have the portion of it in these great things , that they would walk worthy of god , who hath called them unto his kingdom and glory : it is a great charge to walk worthy of god , but to walk worthy of god who hath called us to his kingdom and glory , this is great , but the life of a christian must be thus . now consider , what life have i ? is my life such as may be said to be worthy of god , and that god that hath called me unto his kingdom and glory ? surely great things must be in the lives of gods people : people talk much of strictness , and preciseness , that they may be too precise ; what do you think must this life be that must be worthy of god who hath called us to his kingdom and glory ? it must not be a dead-hearted life , go on with a holy and heavenly chearfulness and courage in gods ways : it becomes the children of the bride-chamber to be joyful : see that in any case you rejoyce before the lord ; comfort your selves and one another by these sayings . we belye the truth of god , if we do not walk joyfully : rejoyce in this , that your names are written in the book of life ; says christ , they rejoyced that the devils fell down before them : if there were any thing in the world to be rejoyced in , one would think they might rejoyce in that , but christ would not have them rejoyce in that , in comparison of this . caesar when he was sad , he said to himself , think thou art caesar , that that might take away his sadness ; and so say i to a christian , think of your crown and glory , let your lives be such as may make it appear you have your portion in these things . i may say to some , as jonadab said to amnon , why art thou lean from day to day , being the kings son ? so may i say to every childe of god , why is thy heart so troubled , and why walkest thou so dumpishly in the ways of god , being the king of heavens son ? possibilities of heaven is enough to take away the sting of afflictions , but having comfortable hope of these things , this should take away even the sense of them , at least , so far as that they be no way disturbing to us ; seneca says , that vertue does not consider what it suffers , but whither it tends . it beseems them well enough , but not you , it beseems swine to follow the trough , but not the heirs of a kingdom . plutarch tells of themistocles , that he accounted it not to stand with his state to stoop down to take up the spoyls the enemy had scattered in flight , but says to one of his followers , you may , for you are not themistocles . thus may it be said to worldly spirits , you may be greedy of these things , for here is your portion , your names are written in the earth , you are not the heirs of the kingdom . secondly , walk above the world , above all things that are here below , take heed of ensnarling your hearts , & of too much mixing your selves with them . there is a generation whose names are written in the earth , ier. . . and it beseems them to look after the things of the earth , because their portion is there , it is their all : but gods people have their names written in heaven , and therefore they should not regard the things below as they do . whosoever was free of the city of rome , might not accept of any other freedom in any other city ; they counted it a dishonor to the freedom of rome , to take freedom any where else : so those that are free of the kingdom of heaven , should not seek to be free here , but they should be satisfied with a mean condition here , and take heed they do not entangle themselves too much in the things below . besides , those that have hopes of heaven , they should labor to have their lives like to heaven : it is that we pray for , that the will of god may be done in earth as it is done in heaven : how is it done in heaven ? the saints and angels there do it fervently , universally , readily , constantly , and therefore the angels are called by the name of seraphims , it notes burning , because they burn with zeal for god ; labor to conform your life to the life of heaven . again , labor to be much trading for heaven in this world , let there be much intercourse between you and heaven , let your conversation be in heaven , phil. . . if a man intend to live in another countrey , he will have much traffique in that countrey before he goes ; and if we believe we shall come to heaven , let there be much trading that way . our conversations should be so in heaven , as all the mercies we enjoy here should raise our hearts to heaven . we read exod. . that upon the table of shew-bread there was set a crown of gold . in those provisions that we have here for souls and bodies , our hearts must be raised to that crown of glory reserved for us ; for the shew-bread set before the lord was to signifie gods provision for us , and the dedication of our bread of all our provision to god. again , let us labor to encrease heaven in our hearts , and to bring as much of heaven into them as possibly we can . and keep your selves in a continual readiness whensoever god shall call you to such a glorious recompence of reward as this is . it is said of daniel , though he was in babylon , he opened his windows towards jerusalem , he kept his heart in a readiness to go : so you should do , keep your hearts in a heavenly frame ready for heaven , waiting upon the bridegroom with your lamps burning , that when he comes you may open immediately to him . there is a difference between a wife that hath been faithful to her husband , and waits for his coming home , and another that hath been unfaithful to her husband , and hath other lovers in the house when her husband knocks ; if her husband knocks , she doth not go immediately , but there is shuffling up and down , and she delays the time , till she have got the other out of the house ; but a faithful wife , she immediately opens ; it is true , though the wife be not unfaithful , yet if the house be not handsom , and things be not prepared , she is loth to open : so christians they have been dallying with their lusts , and their hearts are out of frame , and they are loth to open to christ ; but we should keep our hearts in such a readiness , as immediately to open to christ , and to be willing to dye . and when we dye , to dye as heirs of such things , not to respect things below , house or lands , or any thing here . we read of pope adrian , when he was to dye , he laments his condition , because he was to leave all his delights and pompous vanities , and cryes out , o my soul , whither goest thou ? thou shalt never be merry more ; he was loth to leave these things , because he did not know whither he went ; but a soul that knows what inheritance it shall have hereafter , it is not loth to go hence : many are loth to dye , because they have treasures in the world , as those ten men said , in isa . . . slay us not , for we have treasures in the field , of wheat , and of barley , and of oyl ; but a godly man is willing to dye , because he hath treasures in heaven . keep open the eye of faith , exercise faith to see god that is now sending for his childe home : and look upon christ as having that prayer granted , father , i will that those whom thou hast given me be where i am : by faith you shall see heaven opened , and the crown prepared , and see god in his glory , that you may express chearfulness of heart in going to take possession of that glorious recompence of reward ; behold the angels of god coming to take you up into heaven . it was an expression of the honor of one hugh bishop of lincoln , that king john and his nobles would carry him to the grave ; more honor shall the saints have , for god to send his angels to convey them to that place of glory . and further , let you spirits work mightily after heaven ; now when they draw near to it , as the nearer any thing is to the center , the more strongly and swiftly it moves ; as a stone that falls down from a high place , it moves more swiftly when it is nearer the ground , then when it was higher ; so at death , the soul is nearer its center , grace is changing to glory , and when grace and glory is to meet , there must need be a mighty working of heart , and mighty shouts : as it is reported of the duke of bulloin and his company , when they went to jerusalem , as soon as his company saw the high turrets , they gave a mighty shout , that the earth rang : and so when the soul sees the turrets of this heavenly jerusalem , and when you see your selves ready to go and possess it , what mighty workings and shoutings of your heart will there be ? and when you are to dye , speak well of god , and of the ways of godliness to all that are about you . christians should now labor so to live , as there may appear a mighty difference between their deaths , and the death of others ; whereas ordinarily such is the vanity and drossiness of the hearts of christians in their lives , as when they come to dye , they are so heavy and sad , as if no such things were prepared for them . in pet. . . the apostle having exhorted them before to adde one grace to another , and to give all diligence to make their calling and election sure , says he , so an entrance shall be ministred unto you abundantly , into the everlasting kingdom of our lord and savior jesus christ : christians should labor so to live , as when they come to dye , they may not onely have an entrance into the everlasting kingdom of our lord administred unto them , but that they may have an entrance administred unto them abundantly : many make shift to get to heaven , but they have not an entrance administred abundantly . as a ship may make shift to get into harbor , but with the anchors lost , and cables rent , and sayls torn , and the masts broke ; another ship comes in with the sayls up , and the flags up , and trumpets sounding , and comes bravely into haven ; so much difference is sometime between true christians ; some through carelesness , and unbelief , and sadness , and sullenness of spirit , although they make shift with much ado to get into heaven , yet so as their anchor of hope was even gone , and they had little or no comfort at all ; but those that have added one vertue to another , and have been diligent to make their calling and election sure , they come to heaven with much glory and joy , and that should be our care so to live in adding one grace to another , that when we dye our deaths may be glorious . yet further , from the consideration of this glory revealed , which god hath prepared for his saints , we are to draw this meditation , if heaven be so glorious , then we had need fill up the comfort of our lives by doing and getting as much good as we can while we live here , that we may as much as possibly we can recompence that which we suffer in the staying from the possession of such glorious things reserved for us ; when we hear of such things as these are , we cannot but think in our selves , it were better for us many ways to be in heaven , this life is but a bondage to us while we are absent from such things , and therefore we had need have something to recompence this bondage ; we had need do much good , and get much good , while we live , to pay the charges of our lives ; what a tedious thing is it to us to live so much to sense as we must necessarily do here , when we are heirs of such glorious things ? if we do not do much good , and get much good here , what have we to sweeten and recompence this tediousness ? if a man be from home , and by his absence suffers much loss of what he might have had at home , he is the more diligent and careful in his journey to get something that may recompence this loss ; so it should be with us : it costs us dear ( as i may so speak ) to live in the world , for it costs us the forbearance of such glorious things ; if we fill not up our lives with service for god , what have we to pay our charges to countervail this that our lives here cost us ? chap. lvii . the great things of eternity to be much sought after . the last use is an use of exhortation to all , now to set your hearts to seek after these great and blessed things of eternal life that have been opened : o that now the hearts of people that have been wandring after other things might be brought in , and set upon eternal life and heaven : let every soul reason with it self : are there indeed such things to be had ? hath god such intentions to communicate himself thus to mankinde ? and am i the man or woman that shall lose all this ? that shall never be partaker of this ? o wo unto me that ever i was born ! in luke . . the law and the prophets , says christ , were till john , but since that time the kingdom of god suffereth violence : the law and the prophets did but darkly reveal the things of the kingdom of god , but st. john he did more clearly reveal the things of that kingdom , and since that time the kingdom of heaven suffereth violence : o that it might be said concerning any man or woman that have heard this argument opened ; since that time that the recompence of reward was opened , the kingdom of heaven hath suffered violence : surely there is strength enough in that which hath been said to draw forth the heart with violence after it . i remember plutarch reports in the life of camillus of the gauls , that after they had once a taste of the sweet wine of the grapes that grew in italy , they inquired in what countrey such sweet wine was , and after they understood where the grape of that wine grew , they would never be at rest till they got to that countrey where such sweet and pleasant things grew . i have endeavored in the opening of this point , to bring unto you some of the clusters of canaan , and some of that wine which is to be drunk in the kingdom of heaven ; now if you account it to be sweet and good , let not your hearts be at rest till you come at that countrey , till you come to enjoy the sweet and good of that countrey . it is reported of one adrianus , who seeing the martyrs suffer such grievous things in the cause of christ , he asked what was that which caused them to suffer such things ; and one of them named that text , eye hath not seen , nor ear hath not heard , neither hath it entred into the heart of man to conceive what is laid up for those that love god ; and the naming of that text converted him , and had such an effect as made him to profess religion , and so to profess it , as to be a martyr for it : you have not onely one text named , but many have been used about this argument , let not all be in vain . we read in mark . . of a yong man that came running , and kneeled before christ , and asked him , good master , what shall i do that i may inherit eternal life ? o that god would move the hearts now of some yong ones , that hearing what eternal life means , they may now come running to get part in it , that that activity and vigor of their youth may be exercised and spent about this , what may i do that i likewise may be partaker of eternal life , and of these glorious and blessed truths that are here revealed ? you that are in a poor condition in the world , that have little here , here are great things for your hearts to make after , here are glorious things that are as obvious for you ac for the greatest in the world ; you cannot expect to have great matters in the earth , but here you may expect to have great matters . you that are old likewise , though you have not been acquainted with the excellency of the kingdom of god , now bless god that you may yet further know more concerning it . if a man come to know more of an inheritance that did befal him , or of any outward gain then before , he is glad that he lived to that time ; so bless god that you may know yet more concerning eternal life before this life be at an end . what is it that your hearts are set upon ? there are none but their hearts are set upon some good that they apprehend to be good ; now what is that good ? certainly there is an eminency of all good contained in this . it was a charge of god unto baruch , that we read of in jer. . ult . seekest thou great things for thy self ? seek them not , for i will bring evil upon all flesh , and that which i have planted i will pluck up : the argument runs thus , seekest thou great things for thy self in any outward matter ? do not seek them , for i am about to bring evil upon my people , the time of publique calamity is coming , and doest thou seek great things for thy self ? but when we are about this argument , the glory of the kingdom of god , doest thou seek great things for thy self ? we cannot say , seek them not : god would have his people seek glorious things for themselves , seek them to the utmost that possibly you can : so follow these things as not to be satisfied with any thing under these . god would have his servants to be of such spirits , as though content with the least mercies they do enjoy , to acknowledge themselves unworthy of them , yet not to be satisfied with the greatest things in the world for their portion . what , will a reprobates portion serve you ? certainly , the glory of the world , if you had it all , it were but the portion of a reprobate . what , will a dogs portion satisfie you ? all the things of the world are but dogs meat , so the apostle calls them in phil. . i account all things in the world as dross and dung , or dogs meat ; and will this satisfie you ? is there nothing else for you to seek after ? first seek the kingdom of god ( says christ ) and the righteousness of it , let that be your first endeavor : strive to enter into the strait gate , though it be never so strait , yet if it be the way unto life , and unto these things , strive to enter : we have not spoken more then that is real . it is a saying of one , neither christ , nor heaven can be hyperbolized ; that is , there cannot be more said of the excellency of christ , and of heaven , then it is in its self , and therefore do not think any thing that hath been spoken is an hyperbole , but a real expression of some little glimpse of the glory of the recompence of reward . it may be some of your hearts when you hear much of the wrath of god against sin , and the dreadfulness of gods displeasure , your hearts are ready to rise , and belk , and these are hard things , and hard sayings , and who can bear them ? but now you have not heard so much concerning that , but you have heard of the goodness of god , and of the glory of god , and of the riches of the grace of god , and of the wonderful thoughts that god hath for the everlasting good of mankinde , how do your hearts work now ? shall your hearts stir when you hear gods wrath , and when you hear of gods grace shall not your hearts stir then ? if god does intend good to any soul , he will cause that soul to see into the reality and excellency of these things , and that all things should be neglected ( in comparison ) in seeking after these . consider that god hath given unto you natures capable of these glorious things ; god might have made you worms or bruit beasts , and there would have been an end of you presently , you had not been any way capable of these things ; but god hath made you of such a nature , such creatures , as ye are capable of the highest excellency that ever any creature that god made was capable of , and therefore being of such a nature , of such a large extent , it concerns you to seek after those things which might fill it ; they are not little things that can fill large capacities , now mans nature an immortal soul , is of a large capacity ; and when the time shall come that god shall discover to any soul what it was capable of , how infinitely will it be confounded in it self , when it shall know what poor things it sought after and minded ? men live here in the world as though they were capable of no other happiness but meat , and drink , and clothes , and such kinde of things , as if there were no higher things that concerned the souls of men . heathens were mighty inquisitive what should be the true happiness of man , they did think surely man was made for higher things then those that are here , and there were mighty disputes about it what it should be , there were fourscore opinions that were amongst them about the happiness of man ; they did but beat the bush , god hath given us christians the bird , and we have the gospel that reveals glory , and immortality , and happiness unto us . the heathens would have counted it a great good to have known wherein the true happiness of man did consist : and those who had most wisdom did come near that wherein we seek happiness , and yet wavered in their thoughts , but we are assured of it , we have god himself revealing from heaven , wherein our true and utmost high good consists , and therefore if we should not seek after that happiness which god tells us is happiness , but should follow our own ways still , how just will our condemnation be . again , this is not the time that god will communicate much of himself in , and therefore we must look beyond this life . it is a witty elegant speech bernard hath , god reserves his new and best wine until afterward . amongst the latins they call prosperous things second things , because they are to be had hereafter , they are not the first things . so true prosperity is not to be expected here in the first way of gods communication of himself to the creature , but in the second way , in the life that is to come : if a man have good wine , he reserves it till the last ; so god reserves the riches of his grace , and the treasures of his goodness , his best wine , till they shall come and drink with him in his own presence before him continually . and know further , that christ hath wrought hard to provide happiness for mankinde ; and shall we neglect it ? in his working for the glory of mankinde , and this happiness of the children of men , he sweat at it , and so sweat , as clods of blood trickled down his flesh in the garden , though it were in the winter time , and a cold night , and he lay upon the ground , and shall it now be neglected by us ? you that have neglected this all this while , who might justly have had your reward amongst those creatures that are cast out from the presence of god : yet know there is a possibility for that tongue of thine that hath been guilty of so many blasphemies , to be singing allelujahs to the lord , and to the lamb that sits upon the throne for ever . who knows but that body of thine that hath been so intemperate , and but a sink of filthy lusts , may be made glorious like the body of christ ? and what is it that god requires of you for all this ? nothing but onely to work his own work in you , and it is not a dishonorable work , but a glorious work , that in which there is more excellency then in any thing in the world : were it that there were no reward of godliness , the very excellency of godliness it self , hath more in it then the whole world : but take godliness with that excellency which it hath in its own nature , and take it with its glorious end , and who would not come into this way ? many men care not what base thing they do , so they may be a little regarded , but now to have the highest reward that ever god will communicate to any creature , and that for doing those things which are the highest honor for the present , this would encourage any living to come into this way . alexander inviting many to a supper , he provided a crown of a hundred and eighty pound to be given to those that did drink most , and in that he did like a heathen ; but though it was such a base work , and so dangerous to themselves , yet there was one and forty that killed themselves with drinking to get that crown : thus we may see the baseness of mens hearts , that to get a little honor in the world , will not onely do somewhat that is base , but the basest things of all , and that although they be dangerous too . what shame and confusion will this be , that any should do more for the things of the world , yea more for a lust , then we shall do for heaven ? how shall we ever think to get heaven , when this may be said , you do not so much for heaven and glory , as many will do for their lusts , for their filthy sins . i have read of the panther , that it does love the dung of man so much , as if it be hanged a height from it , it will skip and leap up , and never leave till it have burst it self in pieces for to get it , and that is the way they get that creature : we may apply it to the filthy base lusts of mens hearts which are like dung , & yet so are many men set upon them , that they wil venture all for them , and labor after them , though they burst themselves , and damn themselves eternally for them : what an infinite shame is this , that men should be content to labor , and suffer so much for their lusts , and that we should do no more for glory ? if men do so much for the things of the world , why should we be backward in doing for heaven ? how will men endure the cutting off the members , and much pain for health and life , and yet for this reward , and this inheritance , how little is done in the world ? sorun , says the apostle , that you may obtain , not a corruptible , but an incorruptible crown : those that run a race for a corruptible crown will be temperate , and deny themselves in their diet , but we , says the apostle , strive for an incorruptible crown ; therefore let all our ways be such as it may appear to all the world that we are striving for an incorruptible crown , and that god hath shewn us glory and salvation to draw our hearts more then any thing in the world ; and strive , for now by striving you may come to the reward , but if you stay but a while , you must be eternally receiving the reward of sin , then though you would do a thousand times more , god will not care for it ; if then you should say , now lord i will seek thy face , and do any thing thou wilt have me to do , god will not then regard it . as one lamachus a commander said to one of his soldiers that was brought before him for a misbehavior , who pleaded , he would do so no more ; says he , no man must offend twice in war : so god will not suffer men twice to neglect the day of grace ; if it be neglected once , it is neglected for ever , if you lose this reward here , you lose it eternally ; and therefore now look about you to attain this here , that you may not cry out in the anguish of your spirits hereafter , that god , and christ , and heaven are eternally gone . chap. lviii . how the recompence of reward may be attained . but what is to be done that we may attain to this glorious recompence of reward ? i answer , are your hearts serious in asking this question ? do your souls ask this question indeed in the earnestness of them ? as they did , men and brethren , what shall we do to be saved ? so as to be willing to yield to whatsoever god shall reveal : if you have such a resolution , know this comes from heaven , and if it be followed to purpose , it will bring you to heaven : but for direction , if you would make your selves partakers of this reward , first , consider the infinite distance that is between you and heaven naturally . that blessed martyr mr. hooper , though he was a gracious man , yet he cryed out , lord , thou art heaven , and i am hell ; if he cryed out so , how much more may many of you , whose consciences may accuse you , lord , thou art heaven , but i am one not onely that deserve hell , but that am hell it self ? what ever wickedness is in hell , is in every mans heart naturally ; when as any are cast into hell , certainly hell puts no new sin into them , there is but the venting of that sin which was there before , and all the wickedness of mens hearts that was restrained , is now let open : now look what infinite distance is between hell , and all this glory , and the glorious thoughts of god for the salvation of a poor creature , the same difference is between this glory and that condition a man is in naturally : o labor to see this , and be convinced of this , and work this upon your hearts , what is that reward that you do deserve , make your hearts truly sensible of that . secondly , it concerns us much , if we would not miscarry here , to acquaint our selves with the mystery of the covenant of grace , for it is upon that your eternal estate depends more then any thing else ; onely in the covenant of grace is revealed the counsels of god concerning bringing mankinde to eternal happiness , and how he will bring about this glory , and without some knowledge of the covenant of life and grace in christ , all that can be done in the world , can never bring any soul to heaven ; and that soul is in a very good forwardness to eternal life , that is acquainted with the covenant of grace . thirdly , consider what is the special sin that your heart is naturally most inclined unto , and you finde the corruption of your hearts vent it self most in , and look to that , take heed that be not your bane in the conclusion , let there be a renouncing of that , or else all is to no purpose , all your serving of god is nothing . st. paul when he spoke concerning his running the race , and attaining an incorruptible crown , says , i therefore so run , not as uncertainly , and so fight i , as not one that beateth the air ; as if he should say , i hope my labors and endeavors after heaven and this incorruptible crown shall not be in vain , as one that beateth the air : how so ? because i keep under my body , and bring it into subjection , lest that by any means when i have preached to others , my self should be cast away . he was afraid of that body of his , wherein corruption did stir , and his giving way to some bodily fleshly content that he found stirring in him should disappoint him , and therefore says he , i keep down my body , in the original it is , i beat my body black and blew , i club it down : his conscience was convinced of gods ways , but he felt the flesh and body of his working in some sinful way , and his conscience began so far to reflect upon himself , as to think if i do not look to this body of mine , i shall lose this incorruptible crown , and i shall but beat the ayr , therefore says he , i keep under my body . what shall st. paul , such a glorious apostle , so filled with the grace of god as he was , have such thoughts , for fear he should labor after heaven and the incorruptible crown , as one that beateth the ayr ; what shall become of a company of wretched creatures , that do nothing but satisfie the flesh , & minde nothing but to give full satisfaction to the desires of the flesh every way , their thoughts are after nothing else but to make provision for the flesh . if you will not labor after heaven as one that beats the ayr , beat down your bodies ; if you do not beat down your bodies , there is little hope of the salvation of your souls : it was st. pauls care , let it be yours . again further , if you would have this recompence of reward , labor to unsnarl your selves from the creature , labor to get your hearts loose and untangled from whatsoever is in the world , from all earthly engagements . it is a speech that i have read of one demades , when the emperor sent to his countreymen of athens , to give him divine honor , and they were loth to yield unto it , but consulted about it , says he , take heed you be not so busie about heavenly matters , as to lose your earthly possessions ; that indeed is the voyce of a carnal heart , let not me look after the high conceits of heavenly matters as to lose my earthly possessions : but rather turn it the other way , take heed you be not so busie about earthly matters , as to lose your heavenly possessions . i have read of antipater king of macedonia , that when one presented him a book treating of happiness , his answer was , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , i have no leisure ; you have been presented with sermons , and now with a book treating of heavens happiness , take heed that no earthly entanglements so take your heart , that you should put off all with such a thought , i must minde and follow my occasions ; let no other things take up your heads or hearts , that you should have no liberty to your spirits to seek after these glorious things , or at least not so to seek after them as becomes things of such a high and glorious nature as these are . the apostle in tim. . . says , they that will be rich , fall into a temptation , and a snare , and into many foolish and hurtful lusts , which drown men in destruction and perdition : they that set their hearts upon the creature , they must have so much of the creature , they drown themselves in the creature . as a man when he is drowning , he catcheth hold of any thing that is next him , and by fastening upon that which is next him , he loses fastening upon that which might save his life : so those that have their hearts engaged to the creature , and resolve they must have so much of the creature , they are drowning in perdition , and they catch hold upon that which is next them , some present content and pleasure ; and though something be cast to deliver them , they let that go : we in the gospel cast forth a line to you to help you from drowning , ( for every man naturally is sinking in perdition ) but because your hearts are set upon the creature , and engaged there , you falling down to the ground , catch hold upon that which is next you , some contentment in the creature , and that drowns you in perdition , and all our preaching is not available to such a soul that hath fastened it self upon any creature contentment here , you take not hold on our line that we throw out to you , and so you drown in eternal perdition , take heed therefore of all creature earthly engagements . again , if you will obtain this recompence of reward , follow that scripture , and make much use of it , in psalm . . . guide me with thy counsel , and afterward receive me to glory : would you be brought to glory ? be willing to be guided by the counsels of god : what do you think in your consciences are the counsels of god concerning you ? take heed it be not said of you , as it was of the pharisees . , they rejected the counsels of god : never talk of hoping and trusting in gods mercy , if you neglect the counsels of god revealed in his word : those counsels of his which were in his heart from all eternity , that should be the way of bringing men to happiness . it is all one with that of the psalmist , in psalm . . . as for me , i will behold thy face in righteousness , i shall be satisfied when i awake with thy likeness ; as if he should say , i look to receive satisfaction from the likeness of god , by beholding his face in righteousness . now i appeal to thee , canst thou behold the face of god in righteousness ? are they such righteous ways as thou walkest in , as thou canst look upon his face , and behold him with comfort ? this is the way to come to this recompence of reward , for so the scripture says , god hath called us to glory and vertue ; if you would come to glory , go on in the way of vertue . lastly , be willing to endure any difficulty , any hardship in the world ; the stone will fall down to come to its own place , though it breaks it self in pieces : so we , that we may get to our center which is upward , though it be to break our souls in pieces , that should suffice us . it is said of cyrus , one day he set his soldiers to hew wood , and to do hard work ; the next day he feasted them , with a great deal of delight and pleasure , then he asked them , which day they had rather have ? they said , the latter : he says to them , if you would always have such days , you must be willing for a while to strive with your enemies , and then you shall have the spoil , and always have such merry days : and this he did to put heart into them . shall eating , and drinking , and a little pleasure here , put heart into men to suffer hardships , to endure difficulties ? how much more should the obtaining of this glorious recompence of reward , put heart into us to endure any difficulty ? we read of the devil , he came to christ , and shewed him all the glory of the world , and said , fall down and worship me , and all this will i give thee : but here is another maner of invitation to worship god ; god says to every man and woman , fall down and worship me , and all the glory of heaven will i give thee : it was but the glory of the world that the devil shewed , and he could not give it him ; it was but the devil that offered it , and it was by worshiping of the devil to get it ; but it is the god of glory that hath all glory at his dispose , that calls to you this day to worship him , that is so infinitely worthy of all worship ; fall down and worship me , and not onely the glory of this world , but the glory of heaven , and of an incorruptible crown , will i give unto you , i will make it sure to you . god does out-bid all the world : when sin and temptation comes to offerany thing to you , know that god out-bids them , they cannot give that which will reach this . if a chapman come and bids for a commodity , and another man comes and out-bids him , he carries it away : hath any temptation come to draw away your hearts from god ? god comes and out-bids all temptations in the world , to that end you may come and fall down and worship the lord. o do not stick in the dross and mire of your filthiness still . i have met with a text in chron. . . which one interprets to be meant of the baseness of people , that regard base things , rather then joyning in church-communion with gods people , god speaks of them in away of disgrace , these were the potters , & those that dwelt , &c. when the people of god should return to ierusalem , they would still dwell with the king of babylon , and live amongst their pots , so they might have maintenance , rather then return to ierusalem , where the true worship of god was , their own country , and a type of heaven , these are those base spirits . it may be applyed to many , if they live in places where they may follow their callings , make pots so as to get a livelihood for themselves , and their families , rather then they would venture any thing to joyn with the people of god , they would stay there . but how much more base is it , for people still to stick in the mire and dross , rather then to seek after these glorious things ? wherefore for conclusion of the exhortation ; as st. john preached , and so christ himself , repent , repent , the kingdom of heaven is at hand : so say i ; repent , repent , break off sin , reform , for the kingdom of heaven , not onely the kingdom of the gospel , and of grace , but the kingdom of glory is at hand . and therefore what remains , but as we read in rom. . . the apostle speaking of the glory of heaven , says , there is glory to be revealed in us . we have had in the opening of this point , the glory of heaven revealed to us ; the lord grant that the glory of heaven may be revealed in us . and thus we have finished the application of the glorious recompence of the reward of gods people ; the great argument that encouraged , that strengthned , that confirmed moses in this his blessed choice . finis . notes, typically marginal, from the original text notes for div a -e plin. lib. c. . notes for div a -e . . . . . . . . . . a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . . . . . . . christianus cructanus : qui non est crucianus , non est christianus . luther in gen. c. ecclesia cst haeres crucis . . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . . . . . what it is to live godly in christ . . . . . . contentus est devs noster , ut et pax nostra serviat , ut ci immaculatorum . actuum puritate et vitae incōtaminabilis sanctitate placeamus : plus ei fides & devotio nostra debet quia minora a nobis exigit & majora concessit , & ideo cum principes christiava sint & persecutio nulla fit & religio non inquietetur , qui ad probandam fidem experimentis durioribus non compellimur , inferioribus saltem officiis domino plus placere debemus : demittamus ergo illa quae beatissimus paulces pentulit , ●ide●mus , si in illis sulte● religiosae 〈…〉 obsequtis quae minora atque communia , &c. salvian . de gubernatione dei. lib. . dimicave runt patres nostri contra asperimos dolores nos è contrario dimicimus contra nobilissimas voluptates ; vicerunt tormenta flammarum , nos vincamus ignea tela vitiorum . euseh . emes . homilia natalis sancti genesii . . . cum extrema siti laboraret oblatam aquam accipere noluit , quia durum putabat & parum regium , si ipse solus sitim extingueret aut levaret suam , cum alii eo tempore nihil haberent , quo arida corpora resicerent ; tunc poculo pleno sicut oblatum fuit redito , nec solus ( inquit ) bibere sustinco nec tam exigu um dividere omnibus possum . quintus curtius . l. . quest . answ . . si videris iliquando persecutorem tuum nimis saevientem scito quia ab ascensore suo daemone er urgetur . ber. de inter. domo c. . . . . . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . ezek. . . . non possum dicere quare : hoc tantum possum dicere non am● te . bonus vir caius seius , sed christianus . tertul. apol. ad versus gentes . c. . . . . . . vere magnus est deus christianorum . quam suavis dominus , quam fortis dominus berde conscientia , ca. . plures effitimur quoties metimur . ecclesia totum mundum sanguine , & oratione convertit . luth. t. . ubi plato , ubi pythagoras , ubi stoicorum turba ? sed fuerunt apud gentiles illustrissimi , duces qualis themistocles ille , qualis pericles : puerorum , ludos , & ineptorum studia res gestas judicabis , si cum bis , quae piscatores gesserunt conferre volueris . . apparet virtus arguiturque malis , ovid. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 nemo vi●es suas in pace cogno●cit , si enim bella desunt , virtu●um expe●imenta non prodeunt improvidus est miles qui fortem se in pace gloriatur . greg. mor l. . c. . orat. . . . fac me pontificem & ero christianus . joseph . l. . c. . . tolle congeriem malorum & non cri● plenitudo virtutum . chrysost hom. de apsu . adami . pomponi ' mela : fons tognomento solis in cyrenaica regione . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . puriores oelo afflictione facti chrysost . in hom. . in acta . virtutum nater . mul●ū interest inter theologum gloriae & theologum crucis . qui tribulantur sacras literas melivs intelligunt , securi & fortunati eas legunt ficut . ovidii . carmen . hoc morbo didici quanta majestas dei & quid sit peccatum . vexatio dat intellectum . schola crucis schola lucis . cyp. ser. de . immort . . cor solomonis idcirco funditus donum sapi●ntiae deseruit quoniam ipsum nulla disciplina interius cu stodivit . greg. in pastorali . . traditam nobis divi nitus disciplinam pax longa corruperat , jacentem fidem & pene dixerim dormientem censura coelestis crexit cyp. ser . de lapsis . . muscus odorem amissum juxta ster cora vel ad latrinam positus recuperat ; fic humilitas . guliel . paris . de motibus fol. . . venit tribulatio mea veniet & purgatio mea . august . in ps . . tribulatio est aqua salsa quae scabiem purgat & abstergit . guliel . paris . de moribus . qui tribulationem meis parant balneum eis & lavatorium exhibent . guliel . paris . ibid. . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . filii sub ira , non filii irae . . . amaritudo prae cunt is doloris cōnendat amplius gaudia sequutura . hier. ad virginem in ex lium missam . majora certamina majora sequuntur praemia . turtu ! ad scapulam . sape per dulcedinem fructus placet , quod amarum horruit in radice . hieronym . ep . at virginem in exilium missam . terra malis scalet adversis pelagusque redundant . non ad hoc nos de paradiso voluptatis ejecit , ut alterum hic sibi paradisum adinventio humana pararet homo ad laborem natus . ber. declamat . ecce reliqomnia . quid alibi poscis quod alibi debetur ? quid praeproperè coronam exigis antequam vin cas ? quid cpulari gestis antequam stadium solvatur ? ambr. offic . l. . cap. . quaerite quod quaeritis , sed non ubi quaeritis . august . confes l. ecce , turbatus mun dus , & amatur ; quid si tranquillus esset ? formoso quomodo haereris , qui sic amplecteris foedum ? flores ejus quomodo colligeres , qui à spinis non revocas manum ? . non omne quod faeliciter bene , neque in hac vita omne quod bene faeliciter greg mor l. . c . ambrose f. p. . petra dedit petro , petrus diidema rodulpho . whitake●us de eccles . controversia quinta . c : . ego non habeo aliu● contra papae regnum robustius argument● quam quod sine cruce regnat . luth. t. ● . . eccles . . , . quid ni terrenas divitias possiderent sancti cum sola adhuc terrena palam promitterentur à deo bern. declamat . de istis verbis promissio corporalis est ceu nux quae tegit nucem christū & aeternam vitam , itaque veniente christo testa seu cortex frangitur , inquem nucleus inclusus est , hoc est , cessat premisso temporalis & succedit spiritualis , luth. in gen c. pacem tu quaeris & effect as , led praeposterè , qui● quomodo mundus dat tu quaeris , non quomodo christus deus pacem suam possu it in medi um nullus pacis , id est omnium tentationū sicut dicit , dominare in medimedio inimicorū tuorum . brutus victus ab autonio exclamat , quacunque de virtute disputātur meras esse nugas , quia fortuna dominetur in rebus humanis . clemens alex. strom. l. . p. . esay . . non debemus tam nobis ipsis esse contrarii , ut credamus quando leguntur , & queramur ●●ando complentur . pracogitati mali nollis actus sen ep . . * quae alii diu patiendo levia faciunt , vir sapiens levia facit diu cogitando . a sixfold self to be denyed . . . . . . . timeo cervicem ne mar garitarum & sm aragdorum laqueisocc upata locum spathae non dat . tertul. de cultu . soem . c. . . . . deep humiliation fits us to endure great afflictions . . . . . . . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 rom. . , , . . the fulness of god discovered . . . . . . how to enjoy all our comforts in , from , and for god. . . . . . how to be prepared for any affliction . . . the sufferings of christ described . . . . . . ipse luctutur in nobis ipse congrelitur , ipse in certamine agouis nostri , & coronat pariter , & coronatur . cypr. ep . noveris me interdum sentiri aliquam inanimo adversus in festantes meindignationem , sed illico me converto ad cogitan das injurias christo illatas dicoque mihi ipsi , cum imitari cupiens , etiam si famuli tui , barbam tuam convellerent , & colaphos tibi impingerent , nihil hoc totum esset prae illis quae dominus tuus & plura & majora perpessus est ; certoque habeas ( conjux mea ) me nunquam cessare à commomorandis injuriis salvatoris mei donec animus meus planè sit tranquillus , in vita ejus , c. . apud surium to. . * non potest qui pati timet , ejus esse qui passus est . tertul. de fuga in persecut . the best of saints have been in sufferings . unde tu christiane , delicatus es miles ? putas te posse sine pugna vincere , sine certamine triumphare ? chrys . in orat . in juventiuū & maximum . memor esto vinculorū pauli , & vide quam sit absurdū illum esse in vinculis te verò deliciari : deliciarum concupiscentia prehenderis ? recordare carceris pauli : velles sericis indui ? memor esto vinculorū pauli , & videbuntur tibi serica indumenta faetulentis panniculis abjectiora : velles aureis indumentis amiciri ? recordare vinculorum pauli , & ostendent tibi nibil illa coeno protrito melius habere : vis ornari capillis formosaque videri ? considera squalorem pauli in carcerc , & accenderis erga illam pulchritudinem , hancque extremam deformitatem esse putabis : vis odoramenta ? coopta illius lacrymas . chrysost . hom. . in coloss . * non tibi satis est tudippe cum phocione mori ? . the cross should be submitted to readily . siquidem etiam si hac ratione non affigaris , alia tamen ex causa , eaque in utili , affligiōnino necesse est : quum igitur sive hanc siveillam sectemur vitae rationem , afflictiones perpeti necesse est , quarquare hanc non eligimus quae cum afflictione innumeras adfert coronas ? non placet transire per istas angustias . . . . . . . nimis delicatus es christiane , qui voluptatem hoc seculo concupiscis . . . . chrysost . de amore dei & tolerantia in adversis . . . . submission of spirit requisite under affliction . haeccine est fides tua ? haeccine tibi promisi , aut ad hoc factus es christianus , ut seculo floreres ? aug. in enar . . in ps . . afflictions to be improved . perdidist is utilitatem calamitatis august . de civit . l. . c. . quest . answ . how to improve our afflictions . . . . how to discern gods end in afflicting us . . . quest . answ . how to know the particular sin which causeth our trouble . . . . . . . . chryst . in hom . de in comp . ●at . dei. . . . . doct. . iob . . . quest . answ . . why the wicked prosper in this world . . turcicum imperium quantum quantū est nihil est nisi panis mica quam dives pater familias projicit ca nibus . luth. in gen. cap. . iob . , . nulla verior miseriae quàm falsa laetitia . bern. tract . de gratia & lib. arbit . multi amando res noxias suni miseri , habendo miseriores . august in psal . . obj. answ . use . ne magni pendamus terrenam faelicitatem quae malis etiam perunque conceditur . august . lib. . de civ . dei. c. . cur impi● letātur cur luxuriantur ? cur etiam ipsi non mecum laborant ? non subscripserint ad coronam . veni nobis . cum , &c. laborate vos , sine nobis coronae gloriā , si viceritis vindi cabitis . ambros . li. . offic c. . use . * parcitur virga quoniā invenitur iniquitas ejus ad odiū utique non ad irā : he calls it misericordiam omni indignatione crudeliorem . ber. declamat . ecce reliquim● omnia . vis audire indignātis dei terribi lem vocem ? audi quod dicit per prophetam , non visitabo super filias vestras , &c. hoc est terribile , hoc est extremum , cum non corriprimur , propeccat is . orig. hom. . in exod. . o infoelices & miseros quando relinquit deus homines sibi ipsis , nec resistit eorū furori & cupidi . tatibus , sed vae illis ad quorū peccata connivet deus . luther in gen. c. . infoelicitatis est adversa neseire ; miserū tejudico quod non fuisti miser ierom ad amicum . aegrot . impunitas ●ecuritatis mater , virtutum noverca , religionis virus , tenia sanctitatis . ber. nihil nihi videtur infilicias eo cui nihil unquam evenit adversi . apud . sen. de . prov. doct. . dulciores lacrymae orautium quàm gaudia theatrorum . aug. in psal . . malem ruere cum christo quam stare cum caesarare . luth. why afflicted godliness is preferred before delightful wickednes . . . . . . obj. answ . . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . clem. alex storm p. . ●unde vasculum anaxar●hi . or as others have it , ●●psam anaxarchi . . nuhecula est , citò transibit . . . misery of a sinful way . obj. answ . . . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ut coctum iccepisse luxuria sit . ep. . ●d eustochium . hoc me docuisti , ut tanquam medicamenta , sic alimenta sumpturus iccedam . august . l : to conf. sicut ad crucem , sic acced as ad cibum nunquā voluptate sed necessitate , bern. form . hon . vit . c. cum quid ā interrogasset platonem , unde , tibi sapientia tanta ? respondit plus olei consumpsi in lāpade , quam vini in calice . miror si is quicquā in laudem & decus reipubliae praestare posset . pinguis venter non gignet tenuem sensum . bern. de ord . vit . initium bonae mentis non gaudere vanis . nulla major voluptas quàn voluptatis fastidium . tertul. despect . vides conviviū peccatores : interrogaje us conscientiā . noune gravius omnibus foetet sepulchris ? intuer is laetitiam ejus & salubritatem corporis , filiorum atque opum ●bandantiam : introspiceulcera , vibices anime cjus , cordisque maestitudinem . amb. offic . l. . c. . . divina consolatio delicata , & non datur admittentibus alienam . bern. . . basil de ingluv . & cbrietate , concio . . quod quidem eos fecisse ad significandum quòd voluptuosa craut causa mortis & sepulchri . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , intemperautes . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , valetudinarios . cl. alex paed l. . c. . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . cl. al. ib. chrys . phil. . ser. . damthiho minem sanum qui pinguescit et laboribus caret , non invenies : nam licèt sexcentorum melicorum turba ad●eniat à morbis illum nequa quā liberare poterunt . ch. in act. . hom . . nemo est dignus nomine hominis qui unum diem velit esse in voluptate . cicero lib. de fin. plut. in lacon . apoph l. arist . ethic l. . c. . praeclare m. tul. si nemo est quin emori malit quàm converti in aliquam figuram bestiae , quamvis hominis sit mentem habiturus , quanto est miscrius in hominis figura animo esse efferato ? lact. l. . c. . tribulatio est aqua salsa quae scabiem purgat , abstergit . haecscabies luxurla est ; delectabar scalpi scabiem libidinum mearum . facit animam humanam ulcerosam , sanie abominabili , defluentem , propter hoc deo deo incred i biliter abominabilem . in locis dormit humentibus , hoc est in omnibus lelitiis madentibus ; propter quod luc. . dicitur quòd immundus spiritus ambulans per loca arid● & inaquosa quaerens requiem & non invenit , g. par. de morribus p. . honestum ci vile cui corpus nimis carum est . senecop . . kegno . voluptatis virtus non potest consistere . cicero de senectute . . aug. de . vitanda ebriet . vae , v. e tibt clerice , mors in olla mors in ollis carniam , mors in hujusmodi delitiis est . bern. declamat . ecce , reliquimus omnia . timenda sunt christianis praesentis seculi gaulia chrys de martyr . serm. . . crede mihi res severa est gaudiū verū . sen. quid nobis cū fabulis . cum risu ? non solum profusos , sel etiam omnes jocos arbitror declinandos ber. de ordin . vitae . . the vani●y of sensu●l deligh●s . . . . . . honestum ei vile est eui corpus nimis carum est . sen. ep . . contemnite , ridete , si libet ; nobis enim stultitia nostra prodest , non invid emus sapientiae vestrae hanc stultitiam malumus , hanc amplectimur . lact. lib. . c. . illic potissimum esse quaerendum ubi stultitiae titulus apparet cujus velamento deus thesaurum sapientiae & veritatis abscondit . lact. lib. . c. . omnis sapientia hominis in hoc uno est ut deum cognoscat & colat , hoc nostrum dogma , hoec sententia est ; quanta itaquae voce possum , testificor , proclamo , denuntio . lact. lib. . c. . . the happiness of a gracious soul . . . . . use . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , aut jucundè aut non omnino . si nunc adam resurgeret & videret hanc insaniam omnium ordinū , profect●● credo quòd prae stupore tanquā lapis staret . luth. in gen c. syono● . patrich . p . church-story . arist . eth l. . c. . plebii mācipiorum prorsus simules , dum p●cudū vitam praecligūt ; habent autem hanc causā quòd multi ex iis , qui rerū haberi potestatem , simili modo afficiantur cl. al l. paed. c. . non ut vivat , sed ut bibat natus suit . totus orbis ventri nir●is angustus est . vae illi qui tunc babuit ●erminum luxuriae , quando vitae . bern. de ord . vit . divers sorts of evil choosers . . omnium aliarum artium peccata artificibus pudori sunt , offenduntque de errantem vitae peccata delectāt . sen. ep . . chr. hom. contra luxū & crapulam , omnibus gravius est , inquit , quòd ex alienis calamitatibus collecta sunt . . licitis perimus omnes . . . . misery of a sinful choice . who are haters of god. . . use . non isaac , sed arics morietur ; non peribit tibi laetitia sed contumacia : non mactabitur isaac , sed vivet : si vocem domini audicris ut offeras isaac , id est , ut gaudium immoles , constauter obedire ne timeas . ipsa est beata vita gaudere ad te , de te , & propter te domine , ipsa est et non altera . aug conf. c. . non nego indulgendū corpori , serviendū nego . sen. ep. . quā suave mihi subito factum est carctib suavitatibus nugarum ! & quas amittere metas fuit , dimittere gaudiū erat : cjiciebas enim à ne , vera tu & summa sua vitas , cjiciebas , et intrabas pro tis , omni voluptate dulcior , sed non carni et sanguini , omni luce clarior , sed non jam sedenti in tenebris , &c. aug. con l. . c. . quest. answ . mercy to be had for the greatest sinners quest. answ . the pleasantness of gods ways . . . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . . . . . . . quest . . answ . . how the ways of wisdom ar ways of pleasantness . . quest . . answ . . . . si adeò dulce flere prote , quàm dulce erit gaudere de te ? ber. quest . . answ . . quest. . answ . . . . . . . use . . use . use . vis nunquam esse tristis ? bene vive . bern. de intern . dom . c. quest . answ . difference between natural pleasantness , and spiritual pleasantness . . . . . . si quid boni tristis feceris fit de te potius quam facis prosper quest. answ . how to carry on the work of god pleasantly . . . . quest . ans . . . what there is in the ways to cause delight . . . bonus es domine , animae quaerenti ; quid invenienti ? doct. . why a gracious heart sees so mueh excellency in gods people , under outward meanness . . . quest. answ . . the saints likeness to god. . the saints near relation to god. . the saints priviledges . . nemo potest bona opera satis magnificè cōmendare ; quis vel unius operis quod christianus ex fide & in fide , faeit utilitatem & fructū satis praedicare potest ? est enim pretiofius quam coelum & terra . luth tom. . . and again in gen. c. . & in c. . sint exilia , servilia , muliebria opera nostra , tamen idscrib●mus hunc titulum , verbum domini , quo fiunt gloriosa omnia , & in eternum mansura . sancti quantumvis exiguum & sordidum faciunt , magnum est & gloriosum , quia omnia factunt in side . and in gen. . si darctur mihi ottio , eligerem christiani rustici , aut ancillae sordidissimum & maximè agreste opus praeomnibus victoriis & triumphis alexandria magni , & iulii caesaris . . the usefulness of gods people in the world . . the excellency of gods people in regard of their ends . use . . . non ex personis fidem , sed ex fide personas . jam. . . quest . answ . . . how to manifest our respect to gracious persons , that are outwardly mean. . . . doct. . why we should own the saints in their sufferings . . . . ad aras jovis , aut veneris adorare , ac sub antichristo fidem occulture . zuingl . ep . . . . chrys . l. . de sacerd. ego aliter amare non didici . . . joseph . antiq. l. . c. . quest . answ . how to ●p●e●r for gods people in their sufferings . inveniar sane superbus , avarus , adulter , homicida , antipapa , & omnium vitiorum reus , modo impii silentii non arguar dum dominus patitur . luth. ep . ad staupitium . . tame● si multis terroribus , minis & periculis interdictū crat chr. in ●uv●ntinum . & maximum orat. . . theod. l. . bist . eccl . c. . . euseb . l. c. . cent. magd. cent. . c. . p. . . use . obadiah . . doct. . quest. answ . . . the excellency of the communion of saints . . ipse aspectus boni viri delectat . . . . . . apellant se fratres & mori volūt prose invicem . tertul apud ●uel . ser. in luc. . . . why it is worth enduring of affliction to enjoy the communion of saints . . . . the glorious titles of the saints . abulensis in exod. . quest . answ . . wherein the presence of god with his people , appears more then with others . . . . . . universitate decoris . . . tolerabili us fuisse si sol radios suos retraxisset obscuratus , quàm quòd ●s johānis tacuit . t. . ep . . . . . ecclesia est locus angelorum , regia coel● coelum ipsum chry. hom. in . ad cor. use . . . . . . . obj. . answ . obj. . answ . obj. . answ . obj. . answ . obj. . answ . obj. . answ . . . . qui contentionum gratia christinam vituperabit doctriuam , iste etiam socraticam & platonicam colem nomine rejicit . graecae superstitiones cultores pluribus dissentionibus quàm ecclesiae membra laborare . use . . men dicato pane hic vivamus , annon hoc pulchrè sarcitur in eo quòd pascimur pane cum angelis et vita aeterna christo & sacramentis . luth. in ps . . . how the excellency of the saints communion is darkned malo miserandum quam erube secudum tert. de fuga . pers . . episcopos regnante constantio exilio addictos domū revocavit , eo tantum fine ut ipse ob mutuam inter se contentionē bello intestino oppugnarent ecclesiam . ad pedes prociderem & flerem quantum possum . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . in veste varietas sit , scissura non sit . religio à religando . jubeat vita , persuadeat liugua athā . exhort . ad monachos nec aliunde noscibiles quā de em endatione prestinorū . tertul. ad scapulam . quest. answ . quest . answ . what singleness of heart is . . . . . ut non praestet sides , quod praestitit infidelitas . . . . . quest . answ . . wherein a christian outstrips the men of the world . . . . . . . . . what hinders our profiting by the saints communion . danger of solitariness . . . . . . . . . o praeclarum diem , cúm ad illud animorū concili um coetumque proficiscar ; & cum ex hac turba & colluvione discedam : proficiscar enim non ad cos solum viros de quibus ante dixi , sed etiam ad catonem meum , &c. cicero de senectute . doct. . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 no temporal thing can satisfie a spiritual heart . . . . . no love can be satisfying , when i love tanquam osurus . . . use . pecuniam da quae permaneat ac cōtin●ò duret , gloriam quae semper floreat . basil in . martyrs . . nulla res longa mortalium est , omnisque foelicitas seculi dum tenctur amittitur . hieron . in esay . inter peritura vivimus . cur cae quae ad usum diuturna esse non possunt , ad supplicium diuturna deposces ? ambrose in luc. . t. . abulenfis in . regū c. . q . & in c. . q. quoties juxta sepulchrum divit is transit is , rogo vos ut diligenter inspiciat is , ubi sunt eorū divitiae vel ornamenta , ubi gloria , ubi luxuriae , ubi voluptas , & c ? attende ad me et intellige , considera me , & vel fic tibi horreat luxuria tua , vel araritia tua , hoc quod tu es ego fui , et quod ego sum , modo tu eris ; vide pulverē meum , & relinque defiderium tuum . aug. serm. . ad fratres in eremo o dii , quā brevis voluptatis gratia ex rege me feci servum ? qui aeternitaten mente concepit , nul los horret exercitus , non terretur turba , null is ad timorem minis agitur . sen. ep . . hic ure , sc ca ; ibi parce . . motives to minde eternity . hos . . . . . . . . . de civ . dei lib. . c. . . ut ipsae ibi forent semper , ubi est anima mundi . aug. de civ . dei. l . ca. . . how to get eternal things to be our portion . quest . . . . . aeternitati pingo . . quest . answ . prov. . gen. . . . . . point . . . . ps . . . psa . . . the reproaches of professors the bitterest . ier. . . publici hostis . cyprianus , co prianus nondū foelix es si nondū te turba deriserit . si beatus vis esse hoc cogita primū contemnere ab aliis cōtemni . sen. lib. de moribus . why gods people are so reproached ●n the world . . . . euseb . eccl . hist . l. c. . . malice is fruitful in inventing reproaches . . . . . . neh. . . . . iudubiis melior est conditio possessoris . . . fortiter calumniare aliquid haerebit . . . the sins of gods people , oft punished by reproaches . . . . . si quid simile aliis tu unquam fecisti . si libenter alios talia aicentes audisti , quod absque culpa esse non potest . . . . . . the benefit gods people reap by reproaches . . . use . ut si non horreret servitutem horreret saltem ignominiam publicam . ut multos habeat inspectores & testes . use . the evii of a reviling tongue . use . use . how to carry our selves under reproaches . . . . the evil of being passionate under reproaches . . . . . qui vocem nisi querelas animi nauseantis . sen. . . innocency seeks not revenge . the danger of reviling again . i. . . . . . neque prudentiae quicquam in se esse , nec fiduciae obstendit , qui contumclia afficitur . sen. in sap. non cad . injur . . quest . answ . nolim te●ū in hoc genus certamiais descendere , in quo qi vincitur , ipso victore est melier . . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . epict. enchirid. c. . . derident te ; at ego non dtridcor . sapiens à nullo connemnituditem suamnovit . sen. in sap. non cad . injur . the evil of much stirring when reproaches are upon us . . . . est enim satanae pectus faecundissimū mendaciis . luth. . . plutarch in vita peric . object . answ . convitia si trascare , agnita videntur ; spreta exlescūt tacitus lib . qui cito injuria movetur fecit se dig●ū videri contumelia sū vult ca indignus probari : melior est itaque qui contēnit injuriam quā qui dolet . ambros . de offic . l . c. . psal . . . nec prudentiae quicquā in se esse nec fiduciae ostendit , qui contumelia afficitur . sen. in sap non cad . injur . . obj. . answ . obj. . answ . ier. . obj. . answ . why reproaches should be born patiently . . sapiens à nullo concemnitur , magnitudinem suam novit , omnes bas quas non miscrias sed molestias dixerim non vincet , sed ne sentit quidem . sen in sap . non cad . injur . c. . tu proferendis ego audiendis cōtumellis idoneus . . nullus homo potest ferre tantū contemptum sui , quantū deus fert quotidite . luth. in ps . . in faciem illam quam fluctus maris reveriti sunt , quam sol in cruce vivendo radios occuluit . chrysost . hom. . ex cap. . in mat. . perditione nostra multo pejus est quod dominus noster propter nos vitamque nostram blasphematur . chris hom. & variis in mat. locis . ille quidem homine pejor , hic angelis par . chrysost . in act. hom. . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a malis vituperari laudari est . sen. obj. answ . die queso , si quis solē tenebrarum autorem existimet , soline an sibi detraxit ? sibi , viz. ipsi , cum furiosi et insaniētis opinionē cōsequatur eodem profectò modo qui bonos pravos esse putant seipsos vituperant chrysost . hom. mat. cap. . . satis magnum alter alteri theatrum . * an gra vis injuria est quia seductores ci magos vos vocāt ? certe non multo post salvatores vos benefuctoresque totius orbis praedicabunt . tepus enim quod obum brata ōnia declarat illorum adversus vos emētittita verba redarguet , virtutis vestre splē dorem accendet ; sic illi menda ces , maleduci falsique aliorum accusatores videbuntur vos autem vel sole ipso clariores atque illustriores testcsque claritatis vestrae universos habebit is homines . voluptas non in ciborum apparatu , sed in comedentium affectu fita est , hoc de contumelia dico , quod contumelia non è con tumeliantium sententia , sed à petitentium affectu constituitur vel destruitur ; si contum●liam deri seris , cōtumelia non passus es . chrysost . hom. . ad pop. antioch . pars major constat vitio interpretantis . senec. . o altitudo prudentiae ! o altitudo patientiae ! ô devorandae contumeliae grande inventum ! ambr. apol. de david . c. . . non vacat haec notare cui pejora instant ; nimio otto ingenia infirma & muliebria & inopia verae injuriae lascivientia bis commoventur . sen. . . the benenefit of bearing repoaches patiently . . . haud vclim erasmi gloria aut nomine vehi ; major est mihi timor in laudibus , gaudium verò in maledictis & blasphemiis luth. ep . ad nicolaum hansmannum . . bene sibi cōscius falsis non debet moveri necastimare plus pōderis in alieno esse convitto , quā in suo testimonio . ambr. off . l. . c. . qui sibi nihil conscius est , plurimum laetabitur , itá ut quo amjorem dixeris tribulationem , hoc majorem dicas voluptatem . chrysost hom : in acta . non ergo movebatur convitiis qui abundabat bonorum operū ō scientia . ambr de off l. . c conscia mens recti famae men dacia ridet . si magnanimus fueris nunqu ā judicabis tibi contumcliā fieri . sen , de . . virt . si quem verbis lcvibus nugisque delectari , ac agre ferre se contemni , scito hunc non esse perfectum etiamsi miracula faciat . * non solū magna , sed etiā modica , interdū & nihila ( ut ita dicam ) dejiciunt : modica enim in rebus sunt vani loquorum hominum , qui ergo hujusmodi verba timent metu eorum vel mala facientes , vel bona facere dimittentes , omnium hominum imbecilliores sunt . hi sunt milites , qui non vento valido , sed levi sibilo tenuissimoque susurro dejiciuntur atque vincuntur . hi ridiculofiores sunt & in numero bellatorum nullatenus habendi , nec hominum nomine censendi , qui vorbis quae hecdum dicta sunt , quasi vento qui nondum flavit , depulsi cadunt , bona facere , vel mala dimittere metu hujusmodi non audentes . guliel . paris . de virtutibus . . si ex levitate cōtemnendum , si ex insania miseratione dignum , si ab injuria remittendum . . mihi ipsi domi plaudo , nummos in area . . prorsus satan est lutherus , sed christus vivit & regnat amen . luther ad spalat . . how to bear reproaches fruitfully . . . mihi infirmo siquis injuriam facit forfican licet infirmus donem injuriā meam ; si verò is sum qui proficiam & si nondū perfectus , non retorqueo contuneliam , etsi influat ille ●onvitiis et invadat au ●es meas ●ontumeliis go taceo et ●ihil respōleo : si verò perfectus sim benedi●o maledipenti , ficut & paulus malediei●ur & be●edi●imus . ambr. off ● . . c. . point . object . answ . why the reproaches of gods people are called the reproaches of christ . . . . . use . quanto pro me vilius , tanto mibi charius . bern. use . . comfort against reproaches . . . . . . . . . . . . si nos ruit mus ruet e christus , saith luth. . . . . how to know that our reproaches are the reproaches of christ . . . . . . . . rom. . . how christ is reproached by us . use . psal . . object . answ . . object . answ . . . . . . . use . . how a gracious heart behaves its self , when he hears christ reproached . . . . . . use . . . how we may honor christ in the world . . . . use . quest . answ . when we are called to suffering . use . point . . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 crudelit as vestra , glorea nostra , tertul. ad scapul . spectabat laeta fileorū funera tot trophia & morientium vocibus tanquā psallentium cantibus delectabatur . & pietatis barmoniam pulcherimā veutris sui either am in filiis cernens omni lyrae numero dulciorem . ambros . offic . l. . c. . * tormenta carcer ungulae stridcnsque flā mis lumina atque ipsa paenarū ultima mors christianis lu dus est . prudentius hymno in laudem vincentii sanctus vincentius ridens occisores suos dixit nortem & cruces esse christianis quaedam jocularia & ludicra & super prunas incidēs gloriabatur se super rosas ire . s agatha ad epulas & ●●p●ias ire se dixit cum id carceres & torment● iret , lutherus to. . p. . " corona martyrii . . . dura videtur , sed ipsa est tuta via alia forte deli●ias habet , sed latronibus plena est , aug. in ps . . ego nisi illos tumultus viderē , verbū dei in mundo nou esse dicerem . luther . . * quod signum major is gloria est omnes haretici letestantur hyeron . ad august epist . inter epistolas augustini . . . " gaudeo sic satana indignari & blasphemare quoties à me tangitur . luther . epist . ad amsdorsium . . . novam gloriam nibi annū●ias quod aduter principum vocer quales mihi glorias hi●●nnis satā●xcitavit . amajori ●raeaorum ornamenta ●unt vuln●●a . hiero ●ym . ad ●micum ●grotum est enim ●edra dig●atio etiam contumelia ●ffici & ligari chry●ost . in acta hom. . ●s consessor ●erus & ●llustris de ●uo non c●ubescit ecclesia , sed gloria●ur . cyp. ep. . a magnus atque admirabil is vir si modo viri nominc disignare ●llum fas ●st chris . oratione contra gentiles . b non ●antus sum ●t vos alloquar . c reptare ad vincula * o beatus linquas que sacrā vocē istam imiserunt quā●er quidem ●ecipiens , sacer fictus est . basil hom in marty● thirdly , the honor they have in conformity to christ . hi sunt utilissimi credentibus qui sunt cis nocentissimi , modo recte ferātur , luth o beatem ecclesiam , quam temporibus nostris gloriosus martyrum sanguis illustrat , erat in operibus fratrū candida , nunc facta est in martyrum cruore purjurea ; floribus ejus nec lilia uec rosae desunt , de operibus coronae candidae , de passione purpureae , cypr. ep. . * gloriosa voce deum confessi qui in carcere , cypr. ep. . * mihi maximè prosunt , qui mei possime miminerūt . luth. ep ad spalatinum . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . has epulas ego semper desideravi , guliel . paris . de moribus . ad epulas & nuptias ire se dixit , cum ad carceres & tormenta iret , apud lutherum t. . . * majora certamina majora scqu untur premiae , tertul. ad s●●pulam * propter-christ no nen afficeris ignominia , bea●us es , quouiam injusta tibi ●gnominiae labes in augeli gloriā cōmutabitur , basil . orat de pat . neque nobis ignominia est pati equod passus st christus cypr. ep . use . use . how riches do resemble thorns . . . . . . . use . . the benefit of sufferings . . . . . . . qu is post hujusmodi vocem tentari se non sinat ? quis ab bominibus ersequi se justitiae causa non optet ? quis se non maledici desi deret ? utinam ob domini mei nomen atque justitiam cuncta infidclium turba me persequatur et tribulet : utinam in opprobrium meum stolidus hic mundus exurgat . hieronym . ep . ad ocean . ambienda bominum maledictio quae acquirit domini benedictionem . amb ep. . lib. ep. . grata ignominia crucis qua ei qui crucifixus fuit non cst ingratus . use . iob . , . how to get a suffering ●pirit . . . use . . incouragement to sufferrs . . foelix palatum tali● saporare potest . . . . . . use . sufferers for christ not to be despised . . " coqui mei sunt omnes tyranni , sive imperatores , sive reges sive , principes in his apparet gloria mea & magnificētia & sublimitas meorum in eujus coquina servierunt : servire non cessant toto to studio & viribus qui toto mundo imperare & dominari videantur . guliel . paris . de morib . armant nos haeretici , dum putant nos sua comminatione terrere , ep. . * ridens occisores suos dixit mortem & cruces effe christianis quaedam jocularia & ludiera , & super prunas incedens gloriabatur se super rosas ire , apud luther . t. . . * haec pul cherima & gloricsissima sunt , in his ego summopere glorior nec minus me hi sui dolores . sublimem efferunt , quam mille mortui quos excitavit , chrysost . hom. . in cap. . mat. use . point . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . . . . . object . answ . . . . . difference between a gracious mans aim at the reward , and one that is carnal . . . . . . . de illa ineffabili letitia & mansione aterna nunc ex parte narrantes evangeliza vimus , tanquā si quis è pelagomaris aquaeguttā digito suo auferat . s. ephraem lib. de iud. cap. . . . . . quicquid homo dixerit , quasi stilla de mari , quasi scintilla de foco : bonavitae eternae , tam multa ut numerum , tam magna ut mensu●ā , tam pre ciosa , ut estimationem omnem excedant , august . de triplicihabitu , cap. . * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . basil coust . mon. c. . . . . what the recompence of reward is . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . * omnis passio fit per victoriam agentis super patiens , impossibile est autē , ut quid dominetur super patiens , nisi in quantum debi itatur dominium formae pro priae super materiam patientis : corpus autem humanum & quicquid in eo est , erit perfectè subjectum animae rationale sicut anima per fectè subjecta crit deo. & i deo in corpore glorioso non poterit esse aliqua mutatio contia dispositionē illam quâ perficitur ab anima ; & hac ratione corpora erunt impassibilia , thom. in add. q. . art. . . . . . . . in futuro seculo sic justus fortis erit , ut etiam si velit , terram commovere possit ; et sic è converso injustus imbecillis ut nec etiā vermes amovere queat ab occulis suis ansel . li. de simil . cap. . . . . . ubi velit spiritus ibi protinus crit corpus aug. li. . de civit. cap. ult . . corpora beatorum non tantum fore extrinsecus splendida sed etiàm intrinsecus diaphana ac transparentia ; ut occulis intuentium appareant venae humores , viscera , ●ervi , ac tota omniū partium harmonia . thom. in ad. q. . art. . ad vlp. . . . ne vincat caro iu suā perditionē , el vincatur in gloriam . . qualis erit splendor animarum cum solis splendorem habebit lux ●orporum ? psal . . . . a description of of heaven . . . . . guliel . paris . exhorting to sobriety , if we would understand the happiness of the saints in heaven ; and inweighing against the pleasures of the flesh , saith , ista enim sunt quae subvertunt , inebriant , captivant , maculant , obtenebrant , deprimunt & absorbent mentem humanam & palatum ejus inficiunt , & transvertunt . tractat. de retributionibus sancto rum . malim presente deo esse in inferno quam absente deo in coelo luth. in gen. cap. . quid tibi videbitur prima lux , cum illam loco suo videris . cujus faciem timet cjus faciem invocat . . . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . . . . . . mat. . . mat. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . * beatus sēper videt in deo omnes res & ●ctiones ad se pertinentes ; & omnes circumstantias quae possunt voluntatem rectam officere , & ad malum inclinare , est enim principium phylosophiae , non posse voluntatem peccare nisi praecedente aliquo defectu in intellectu practico , vel speculativo errore , vel inconsideratione . quia ergo illa viso excludit omnem defectum , tum erroris , tum considerationis circa res agend as ideo facit voluntatem impeccabilem . suarez . de bear. disp . . sect. . n. . * visio est delectabilis dupliciter ; uno modo ex parte objecti in quantum id quod videtur delectabile est , alio modo ex parte visionis in quantum ipsum videre delectabile est : delectamur enim cognosendo , mala , quam vis ipsamala nos non delect ent : quia ergo visio beati fica est perfectissima , ideò utroque modo delectabilis . est . tom. aquin. . . . . . . * impossibile est deum uniri speciali modo substantiae animae nostrae nullo interveniente domo , vel effectu ereate , quem deus in anim â efficiat , ratione cujus dicitur specialitèr esse in illà , essentiâ divinitatis intimè . est in essentiâ animae vi immensitatis , now this presence of god cannot be greater or less , sed so lum ratione alicujus novi effectus , suar. tract . de beat . sect . . . . . * impossibile est sensum corporeum elevari ad deum , prout in se est , quia nullo modo comprehenditur deus sub objecto ejus ; hâc enim ratione non potest visus elevari ad percipiendum sonum , nec auditus ad percipiendū colorem & fic de aliis potentiis , in quo multum differt intellectus à sensu ; nam intellectus absolutè continet deum sub objecto suo ; & ideò elevare potest ad percipiendum illum perfectius , quàm naturalitèr posset ; quia tota illa elevatio est intra latitudinem objecti intellectus , suarez . de beat. disp . . sect. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . amor amicitiae , amor bene volentiae . . . . . . . . . . . . . videbit deum ad voluntatem , habebit ad voluptatem , fruetur ad jucunditatem , ber. serm. de tripl . gen. bon. . . . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 domine fecisti nos pro te , & inquietum est cor nostrum donec veniat ad te . august . . the discovery of our love to god. spiritual extasic , how discerned . the great mistake of heaven , & whence it arises . . . . . iohn . rev. . . . . . . . iusti diligunt deum plusquam seipsos , & anvicem tanquam seipsos & deus illos plusquam illi seipsos , quia illi illum , & se , & invicem per illum , & ille se & illos per seipsum , anselm . in prosol . c. . . . . psa . . . . . . . o gaudium super gaudium , gaudium vincens omne gaudium , extra quod non est gaudium , aug. sol c . the excellency of the saints joy in heaven . . usque adcò nulia cst sincera volupts , sclicitumque aliquid lae tis interve ait . . . non gustabunt , sed satiabuntur & implebuntur . . . . . si delectatio sit ultimus finis , tum actus aliquis elicitus voluntat is potest esse ultimus finis , sed non — nam objectū voluntatis est finis , sicut objectum visus est color , it a ut impossibile est , quòd primum visibile fit ipsum videre , quia omne videre est alicujus objecta visibilis , ita impossibile est quòd primum appetibile quo● est finis sit ipsum vell● tho. . . q. . art. . ad secund . apprehensio sensitiva non attingit ad communem rationem boui , sed ad aliquod bonum , particulare quod est delectabile , & ideo secundum appetitum sensitivum operationes sunt propter delectationem , sed intellectus apprehendit universalem rationem boni ad cujus consequutionem sequitur delectatio , unde principaliùs intendit bonum quàm delectationem . thom. . . q. . art. ad . . second . . . . . . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . . italiam , italiā primus conclamat achates , italiam socii laeto clamore salutant . . semper erunt , quòd sunt aternae gaudia vitae , gaudenti quoniam causa erit ipse deus , prosper in epigram . . mala vitae presentis tanto duriùs animus sentit , quāto pensare bonū quod sequitur , negligit . greg moral . l. . c. ● . . non sunt condignae passiones ad praeteritam culpam quae remittitur , ad presentis consolation is gratiam quae immititur , ad futuram gloriam quae promittitur . bern. pericula non respicit martyr , coronas respicit ; plagas non horret praemium numerat ; non videt lictores inferuè dagellantes , sed angelos superne acclamantes . bas . hom. de barluā martyr . . . hic sat lucis : clapping his hand upon his breast . . . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . . . . . . noli attendere quam poenam habeas in flagello , sed quem locam in testamēto , august . in ps . . nec illa nos insurgentis pelagi debet terrere tempestas , cum ventura nostra sit nunquā finienda tranquillitas . hiero ad virg. in exilium missam . non per istas transire angustias . noluit deus hominem ad immortalem illam beatitudinem delicato itinere pervenire , lactant. de officio dei. c. . use . vale lumen amicum non tanti emam poenitere . use . the good of all things here consists in subordination to the supreme good hercister . use . . a gracious heart follows christ , for christ . natural conscience a spur to duty . . . . . . use . . . . . . . cor. . . object . ans . object . ans . . . . . . what love is due to christ . . how we should love the ways of godliness . . quest . ans . . . . phil. . ul● fox acts and monuments , de edvardo primo . . . . how to discern the truth of our hopes for heaven . . . . . quest. answ . what a supernatural work is . . . . . . thess . . , . cogita te caesarum esse . quo tendat , non quid passura sit , cogitat . sen. de gubeanat . mundi . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . . . . . . use . . fugiendū est ad clarissimam patriam ibi pater , ibi omnia plotinus . apud august . lib. de civit. . c. . gods people are satisfied with no worldly good for their portion . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . nec christus , nec coelum patitur hyperbolem . res secundae . non licet in bello his peccare . quest . ans . i. . . cor. . , . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . . . the glorious name of god, the lord of hosts opened in two sermons, at michaels cornhill, london, vindicating the commission from this lord of hosts, to subjects, in some case, to take up arms : with a post-script, briefly answering a late treatise by henry ferne, d.d. / by jer. burroughes. burroughs, jeremiah, - . approx. kb of xml-encoded text transcribed from -bit group-iv tiff page images. text creation partnership, ann arbor, mi ; 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(eebo-tcp ; phase , no. a ) transcribed from: (early english books online ; image set ) images scanned from microfilm: (early english books, - ; : ) the glorious name of god, the lord of hosts opened in two sermons, at michaels cornhill, london, vindicating the commission from this lord of hosts, to subjects, in some case, to take up arms : with a post-script, briefly answering a late treatise by henry ferne, d.d. / by jer. burroughes. burroughs, jeremiah, - . [ ], , p. printed for r. dawlman, london : . errors in paging. marginal notes. reproduction of original in duke university library. created by converting tcp files to tei p using tcp tei.xsl, tei @ oxford. re-processed by university of nebraska-lincoln and northwestern, with changes to facilitate morpho-syntactic tagging. gap elements of known extent have been transformed into placeholder characters or elements to simplify the filling in of gaps by user contributors. eebo-tcp is a partnership between the universities of michigan and oxford and the publisher proquest to create accurately transcribed and encoded texts based on the image sets published by proquest via their early english books online (eebo) database (http://eebo.chadwyck.com). the general aim of eebo-tcp is to encode one copy (usually the first edition) of every monographic english-language title published between and available in eebo. eebo-tcp aimed to produce large quantities of textual data within the usual project restraints of time and funding, and therefore chose to create diplomatic transcriptions (as opposed to critical editions) with light-touch, mainly structural encoding based on the text encoding initiative (http://www.tei-c.org). the eebo-tcp project was divided into two phases. the , texts created during phase of the project have been released into the public domain as of january . anyone can now take and use these texts for their own purposes, but we respectfully request that due credit and attribution is given to their original source. users should be aware of the process of creating the tcp texts, and therefore of any assumptions that can be made about the data. text selection was based on the new cambridge bibliography of english literature (ncbel). if an author (or for an anonymous work, the title) appears in ncbel, then their works are eligible for inclusion. selection was intended to range over a wide variety of subject areas, to reflect the true nature of the print record of the period. in general, first editions of a works in english were prioritized, although there are a number of works in other languages, notably latin and welsh, included and sometimes a second or later edition of a work was chosen if there was a compelling reason to do so. image sets were sent to external keying companies for transcription and basic encoding. quality assurance was then carried out by editorial teams in oxford and michigan. % (or pages, whichever is the greater) of each text was proofread for accuracy and those which did not meet qa standards were returned to the keyers to be redone. after proofreading, the encoding was enhanced and/or corrected and characters marked as illegible were corrected where possible up to a limit of instances per text. any remaining illegibles were encoded as <gap>s. understanding these processes should make clear that, while the overall quality of tcp data is very good, some errors will remain and some readable characters will be marked as illegible. users should bear in mind that in all likelihood such instances will never have been looked at by a tcp editor. the texts were encoded and linked to page images in accordance with level of the tei in libraries guidelines. copies of the texts have been issued variously as sgml (tcp schema; ascii text with mnemonic sdata character entities); displayable xml (tcp schema; characters represented either as utf- unicode or text strings within braces); or lossless xml (tei p , characters represented either as utf- unicode or tei g elements). keying and markup guidelines are available at the text creation partnership web site . eng ferne, h. -- (henry), - . -- resolving of conscience. god -- early works to . - tcp assigned for keying and markup - apex covantage keyed and coded from proquest page images - ali jakobson sampled and proofread - ali jakobson text and markup reviewed and edited - pfs batch review (qc) and xml conversion the glorious name of god , the lord of hosts . opened in two sermons , at michaels cornhill , london . vindicating the commission from this lord of hosts , to subjects , in some case , to take up arms. with a post-script , briefly answering a late treatise by henry ferne , d. d. by jer . burroughes . psal. . . as we have heard , so have we seen , in the city of the lord of hosts . london , printed for r. dawlman . . to his excellencie , robert , earle of essex , viscount hereford , baron ferrars of chartley , lord bourchier and lovaine , one of his majesties most honourable privie counsel , and general of the army raised by the parliament in defence of the true protestant religion , his majesties person , the laws and liberties of the kingdom , and the priviledges of parliament . there is no man this day upon the face of the earth whom it more concernes to have this name of god the lord of hosts presented to him in the due lustre & glory of it , then your excellencie , whom the lord hath not onely honoured to stand up even in the fore front to maintain his cause , and the cause of his people , but he hath even put upon you this his owne name , he hath made you the lord of his hosts . it is that which every souldier may justly glory in , that god himselfe seems to affect the glory of arms , when he causeth himselfe to be as it were sir-named the lord of hosts . the beams of this glorious name puts some lustre upon the meanest in an army ; what a lustre then doth it put upon your excellencie , who stand so neare it ? happy the time that ever you were borne to be made use of by god and his people in so noble and honourable a service as this . we reade zech. . . of joshua , that great instrument of reformation , in the returne of judah from her captivity , that he stood in filthy garments , but the angel spake to those who stood before him , saying , take away the filthy garments from him : and unto him he said , behold , i have caused thine iniquity to passe from thee , and i wil cloathe thee with change of rayment . those who stand up most eminent and forward in the cause of god and his people , shal ever have some who wil seek to stain their glory by slanders and reproachfull names , to put them into vile garments : what viler garment can there be then the garment of treason and rebellion ? but the angel stands by to take off these vile garments , and to clense his servants even from this nominall iniquity : he will put change of rayment upon them , he will one day make it appeare that there were none so faithfull to god , their king and countrey , as they : the lord that hath chosen jerusalem , saith the text , ver . . wil rebuke them who thus stand up against his servants . the lord who hath set his heart to bring mercie to jerusalem , to his church , will certainly rebuke such as stand to resist the great instruments thereof . wherefore that which the angel of the lord protested to joshua , v. . i may in the name of the lord with a little change protest unto your excellencie , thus saith the lord of hosts , if you will walke in my wayes , and if you will keepe my charge , then you shall have an eminencie in my house , and i will give you places among these that stand by . that is , among the blessed angels in the heavens . if a cup of cold water shall not go without a reward , surely then the venturing estate , liberty , limbes , honour , bloud , life for the cause of christ , shall not goe without its reward . wherefore most noble lord of our hosts , yea of the hosts of god , goe on with true heroicke magnanimity , and prosper , in the name of this glorious lord of hosts . the prayers of the churches are for you , the blessings of the saints are upon you . i beleeve never any generall upon the earth hath been mentioned more in heaven then your excellencie hath been , and yet is in this cause . that which is storyed of the crosse appearing to constantine , with these words , hoc vinces , i may with far more confidence apply to this name of god , the lord of hosts . this i present unto your excellence , with this motto , hoc vinces : the name is in it selfe a box of sweet ointment , give me leave to open it before your excellencie , that it may be fragrant indeed , and adde quickning and strength . to that true noble heroick spirit fit for great actions , that god hath honoured you withall , i here humbly present it opened and poured forth . the blessing of it be upon you , and those great things undertaken by you , which is and shal be the prayer of your excellencies in all humble service and duty , jer. burroughes . to the reader . the necessity of the time put me to preach upon this subject , the city being in great feare of a great army comming against it in the name of the king , and the necessity of the subject for this time made me not unwilling to yeeld to the making my meditations upon this subject , yet more publike . something i have enlarged , especially in the argument of justifying the present taking up armes so much cryed down , as if it were against the king , to be by commission from the lord of hosts , which is discussed page . and so on : the satisfation of the consciences of men in this thing is of so great consequence in this time , that every man is bound to afford what help hereunto he is able . i should have had guilt lye grating upon mine own conscience if i had stifled what i might afford to the helping towards the satisfaction of others ; although therefore i am not ignorant , but sensible enough that it is an argument wherein a man runs hazard enough ; yet whatsoever i suffer in it , may i be usefull , i have enough . this i can say , if i ever did , or am like to publish any thing in the uprightnes of my heart , aiming at the glory of god , and thy good , i blesse god i have comfort in this ; and in this ( whatsoever the issue be ) i shal rejoyce . certainly things had never come to that passe they are at , if mens consciences had bin rightly informed in the liberties god hath given them . the infusing contrary principles , and making men beleeve that the subject must and would suffer any thing rather then rise up to maintaine his own right hath beene the cause of the bold adventures of many amongst us . what i have said is breife , comming to you as a sermon , it could not admit of larger discourse , but if there be need it would not be very difficult to enlarge these things in another way . read for thy profit , and i have my end . yours to serve for christ , jer : burroughes . it is ordered this first day of december , . by the committee of the house of commons in parliament , concerning printing , that this book entituled [ the glorious name of god , the lord of hosts ] be printed by robert dawlman , appointed thereunto by m. ieremy burroughes , the author thereof . john white . the glorious name of god , the lord of hosts . esay . . the lord of hosts is his name . in this chapter wee have gods mercie to his church , threatning the destruction of babylon . when babylon is used as gods rod , it is then cast into the fire . if israel when god was about to deliver from babylonish captivity should aske the question that moses thought would be asked upon his sending to be their deliverer from the egyptian bondage , what is his name ? exod. . . the prophet answers here , the lord of hosts is his name . there , his name was i am ; here it is , the lord of hosts . and if they should say , but how can this deliverance be here ? can babylon bee destroyed ? babylon is strong , who shall bring downe her power ? yes , there is one can doe it , the lord our redeemer , the lord of hosts is his name . here then we have this glorious title of the lord , for the comfort of his people in their distresse , and the terrour of their enemies in their pride , the lord of hosts , the lord of armies . the english word hosts is from the latine hostis , because an army is either for defence , or offence against enemies . the redeemer of gods people is the lord of hosts . the work then i have to do in this sermon , is to teach you how to sanctifie the name of the lord in this his glorious title , the lord of hosts . it is the duty of the saints to observe what the way of god is in the times of their generation ; to see what name of god is most conspicuous in his administration , & accordingly to sanctifie that name of his . we may say of this name of god , the lord of hosts , as god himselfe sayes of his name jehovah , exod. . . by my name jehovah was i not known to them : so by this name , the lord of hosts , god hath scarce been known to us here in england ; but now he appears to us by this name in a glorious way : and we shall not know how to sanctifie it , except wee search into it , to see how much of gods glory there is in it , which we shall find much more then at first view seems to be , then most of us have ever thought ; all gods titles are full of excellencie . the excellencie of this i shall open unto you , that this name of god may not be taken in vain by you , but be sanctified as it is worthy . it is a title that god hath heretofore delighted much , yea gloryed much in ; we find it not lesse then two hundred times in the old testament , and most frequently in the prophecie of zechariah , chap. . ver . . we have it three times in one verse , and in one short chapter , zech. . we have it there eighteene times . but why is it used so frequently in that prophecie more then others ? because the scope of that prophecie was to encourage the people of god in building up ierusalem and the temple , in which work they had many enemies , and therefore they had need of a spirit of magnanimity and fortitude in it . hence it was the lord revealed himselfe to them so much by the name of the lord of hosts . times of reformation , temple-work , usually meets with much , with strong opposition . we had need therefore to have this name of god in our eye , and sanctifie it in our hearts , in such times , while such work is on foot . it is true , god did this work without bloud-shed , it was done not by power or by might , but by the spirit of the lord , as we have it zech. . . but because the work was such , as in regard of second causes , needed an army to effect it ; although god did it himselfe , yet his name was to be sanctified in it , as the lord of hosts . in the new testament we seldome find this title ; it is but twice that i remember in all the new testament , and in one of those two places it is quoted out of the old testament , rom. . . there the hebrew word is retained , the lord of sabbaoth , not of sabbath , as many take it . there is a great difference between these two , the lord of sabbath , and the lord of sabbaoth : the one is the lord of rest , the other is the lord of hosts : those words come from a different root in the hebrew . the second place is james . . and there you have not the english word hosts , but the hebrew word sabbaoth likewise . in the new testament we have gods titles fuller of sweetnesse and grace , as the father of our lord jesus christ , the god of all consolation , the father of mercies , the god of peace , &c. the more cause have we to be humbled , who live in the times of the gospel , and yet are come to such times wherein god hath changed as it were his name , and even in the times of the gospel appears to us in this dreadfull name of his , the lord of hosts . this title is in it selfe a very fearfull one , and yet before we have done with it we shall find it like that name of christ , cant. . . thy name is as an ointment poured forth , a sweet refreshing pleasant ointment . in the . of sam. chap. . ver . . the lord speaks of this name of his set between the cherubims , whose name is called by the name of the lord of hosts that dwelleth between the cherubims . now you know the mercy-seat was between the cherubims , and that which i shall endeavour this day is , to shew you this name of the lord of hosts written upon the mercy-seat between the cherubims . although it be dreadfull in it selfe , yet all gods saints shall have it this day presented to them from the mercie-seat : a name as full of goodnesse and mercy , as our hearts can desire . we have already seen in this kingdom the lord of hosts upon his mercy-seat , making this his dreadfull title to be amiable and lovely to us , from thence dispensing grace and abundance of mercy in the manifestation of this his glorious title . it is comfortable to behold the lord of hosts sitting upon his mercy-seat : and thus am i to present him this day unto you . now god is called the lord of hosts in two respects : first , because all creatures in heaven and in earth are his armies . he is the absolute great lord over them all ; the angels , sunne , moon , stars , the dragons , the deeps , the fire , haile , snow , wind , the mountains , trees , cedars , the beasts , and all creeping things , the flying fowles , the kings of the earth , and all people are the hosts of the lord. psal . . ver . . &c. secondly , in regard of that speciall providence of god in the great affaires of wars and battels in the world . it is true , the providence of god is over the least things in the world , but god challengeth a more speciall and peculiar ackowledgment of his work of providence about war-like affaires , in regard whereof he takes this title to himselfe , the lord of hosts . if i should speak of the first , the time would soon be gone , for there is much in it , it is more generall : therefore i will confine my selfe to the second , the more speciall , and now most seasonable . god is the god of armies . that he might expresse himselfe the more clearly , and fully interested in war-like affaires , exod. . . he styles himselfe a man of war. god seemes to glory much in his workings about war-like affaires . hence psal . . . who is the king of glory ? the lord strong , mighty , the lord mighty in battell . the providence of god is great in all wars , but especially in those wars that concerne his people , whether in a way of chastising them , or defensive to save them , or offensive in avenging himselfe upon their enemies . i doe not know any one thing wherein the providence of god is more fully set out in scripture , then in the workings of it about wars , as in these many particulars will be fully presented to you : first , god works in the raising of warres , when and how he pleaseth . he is the great generall , and all battels are appointed by him . he calls for them before they come ; and when he calls , they certainly come upon a people . jer. . . behold i begin to bring evill upon the city which is called by my name , &c. for i will call for a sword . god doth not onely call for a sword upon the heathen , but upon the cities called by his name . certainly there is as much of god in this city , as in any city this day in the world ; yet god may call for a sword upon you , be not you secure ; yea doe you not heare god now calling for it upon you ? esay . . god will hisse for the nations from the ends of the earth , and behold they shall come with speede swiftly . and esay . . and it shall come to passe in that day , that the lord shall hisse for the fly that is in the uttermost part of the rivers of egypt , and for the bee that is in the land of assyria , and they shall come . let god but give a hisse , the least intimation of his mind , and they shall come . it was a proud speech of pompey , when one of his officers told him they wanted men , let me ( sayes he ) but stampe with my foote upon the ground of italy , and i shall have men enough , footmen and horsemen come from every corner . although it was a proud speech in him , and when it came to he was disappointed , yet it is alwayes true of this lord of hosts , let him but speak the least word , doe the least thing to gather armies , they presently come together , to fight his battels : when he pleaseth he can stir up the hearts of the kings of the earth to hate the whore , to make war with her , rev. . . the ten kings shall hate the whore , and make her desolate and naked ; they shall eate her flesh , and burne her with fire . it is a wonder that they stay all this while , that they rise not with a spirit of indignation against her , considering what base bondage they are in under her . it is such a bondage , wherein both soule , and body , and estate is in such a servile subjection to her , as one would think the spirit of a man could not beare it , much lesse the spirit of a king. but when gods time is come , the spirits of the kings of the earth shall be suddenly raised to war against her . it is an observation of abulensis upon chro. . . that gods providence was very observable towards david , that he should have no wars raised against him by the philistims those seven yeers he was in hebron , which time he was but weak , being king onely over the house of judah ; but when all israel came to him , and he was established king over them all , then came the philistims against him : so doe wee not see the mighty providence of god towards us , that he did not call for the sword against us all this time till now , untill we had a parliament , and that made indissoluble but by their owne consent , untill our militia in the kingdome was well-nigh setled , until we had an army to resist ? if god had called for the sword before these things , what had become of us ? oh the mercifull providence of god towards england in this thing ! god is much seen in the provocations to wars , consultations about them , enclining mens hearts to them , taking them off from peace , &c. it was from the lord that pharaohs heart was so hardned against the people of israel , to goe forth to battel against them , because god had a purpose to destroy him . it was of god that rehoboam was so set to hearken to the counsel of young cavalliers , and to harden his heart against his wise counsellors , that god might rend ten tribes from him . it was of god that ahab should be so set to goe to war against ramoth gilead , that he might be destroyed . secondly , the lord sets up his standard in warre : thus he expresseth himselfe , esay . . he will lift up an ensigne to the nations . whosoever is the standard-bearer , it is god himselfe that sets up the standard . thirdly , it is god that musters up the army , esay . . the lord of hosts mustereth the host of the battel , the lord of hosts is himselfe the muster-master in armies . he thus condescends in his expressions , that he might the more particularly , and so the more fully shew the workings of his providence in military affaires . fourthly , the lord brings forth weapons out of his armory , jer. . . the lord hath opened his armory , and brought forth the weapons of his indignation , for this is the work of the lord of hosts . god hath his magazine , his armory that he opens in times of warre : from whencesoever armes come , from beyond sea or else where , not one peece can come but out of gods magazine . if god did not open his armory , neither we nor our enemies could have arms. there was a time when god shut up his armory from israel , and then there was neither sword nor speare found in the hand of any of the people that were with saul and jonathan , onely with saul and jonathan there was found . sam. . . fiftly , it is the lord that gives his people their banners to display , psal . . . thou hast given a banner to them that fear thee , that it may be displayed because of the truth . there are a generation of men that fight against the truth , they would take away the gospel from them , and because of this thou hast given them banners that they may be dispayed , because of this truth ; god would have us contend for the truth , jude . . yea earnestly contend , fight for it , if that comes in question , if we be in danger to lose that , god gives us our banners , not to be folden up , but to be displayed because of the truth . sixtly , god himselfe comes into the field with his people , he tels them often that he is with them there . deut. . . the lord your god is he that goeth with you to fight . when god sayes , i am with you , you may write down what you will to make up this promise a compleat one for your safety and comfort ; as thus , i am with you to assist you , i am with you to direct you , i am with you to encourage you , to blesse , to save you , to comfort you , to reward you , &c. i am with you , saies god. this is as it were a piece of a line that our faith must make up ; if we once have this promise got into our hearts , whatsoever we want , we may adde to it , and then our peace and joy may be full . we reade , judges . . barak would not goe into the field , except deborah would goe with him . it is ill going into the field , except god goe with you ; but if you have this promise in your hearts , you cannot but have strength in your hands . zac. . . they shall be as mighty men which tread downe their enemies as mire in the streets , in the battell , and they shall fight , because the lord is with them , and the riders on horses shall be confounded . . god is not onely with his people in their fight , but he goes before them , as their captain to lead them . that one place will suffice for all , josh . . . joshua saw a man with his sword drawn in his hand , and joshua went to him , and said , art thou for us , or for our adversaries ? and he said , nay , but a captaine of the host of the lord am i now come . it is apparent this was christ , for joshua fell on his face , and worshipped , and said , what saith my lord unto his servant ? and the captaine of the lords host said unto joshua , loose thy shoes from off thy feet , for the place where thou standest is holy . . god condescends lower , even to be the trumpeter in the wars of his people . it is accounted too mean a work for a generall to blow the trumpet to his armie ; but this great generall , the lord of hosts , that he might encourage his people the more in his battels , he blows the trumpet himselfe to them , zach. . . and the lord shall blow the trumpet , and shall goe with the whirle-winds of the south . why of the south ? those winds are hottest , and therefore swiftest . if ye see the south-wind , ye say it will be hot , ( sayes christ ) and so it commeth to passe , luk. . , . if we think our general follows too slowly , this great general , the lord of hosts , follows swiftly enough . in the words before , the arrowes of the lord are said to goe forth like lightning . swiftnesse in an army is of great consequence , it hath been a special advantage to our adversaries . we doe little , except in this we equall them . . god is the rereward of his people in times of battail . isa . . . ye shall not go out with haste , nor by slight : for the lord will goe before you : and the god of israel will be your rereward . not the reward , but rereward , the guard & defence behind . when an army is strong in the rereward as wel as in the front , it is safe , god is both before and behind in the armies of his people . . gods providence in wars works in the continuance of them . how long they shall abide in a land , and when they shall cease , is wholly from the appointment of the lord of hosts . he workes in the upholding parties , bringing in supplyes , breaking asunder treaties , &c. we are ready presently to cry out , how long shall the sword devour ? but when god gives commission to the sword , it must stay ; it must goe on devouring till the commission be out . jer. . , . oh thou sword of the lord , how long will it be ere thou be quiet ? put up thy self into the scabbard , rest and be still . the answer is there , how can it be quiet , seeing the lord hath given it a charge against askelon , & against the sea shore ? there hath he appointed it . hos . . . the sword shall abide on his cities , and consume his branches , and shall devour them , because of their own counsels . we are troubled at the sword comming neare our cities ; but how sore would the misery be , if it should come into our cities ? but if abide in our cities , what miserable spoile and ruine would there be ? if wee would be delivered from so great an evill , let us take heed of our own counsels : if god leaves parliament or city to their own counsels , the sword will abide amongst us longer time then we for the present imagine , even until it hath devoured . god usually is a long time before he draws his sword ; he is whetting , preparing , delaying it ; but when it is once drawn , he many times will not put it up again , untill it bee bathed , filled , fatted , satiated , drunke with blood . all these expressions we finde in scripture . esay . , . my sword shall be bathed in heaven , it shall come downe upon idumea , upon the people of my curse . when gods sword hath to deale with the people of his curse , then it shall be bathed indeede ; and surely god hath a people of his curse amongst us this day ; who they are , is easie to know : you may know them to bee cursed of god by the horrid blasphemies , and hideous , unheard-of curses that come out of their mouthes . the earth was never stained with such dreadfull execrations and blasphemies since man lived upon the face of it , as now it is by these men . surely the brand of gods curse is upon them , feare them not . ver. . it is said , the sword of the lord is filled with blood , it is made fat with fatnesse : and jer. . . the sword shall devoure , it shall be satiate and drunke with their blood . and when god is pleased to give the word , hee makes wars to cease . psal . . . he makes wars to cease unto the end of the earth , he breaketh the bow , and cutteth the speare in sunder , he burneth the chariot in fire . of gods worke in stilling wars , we have a most admirable example , kings . . we have not the like in all the booke of god , neither was there ever the like before or since in the world . king rehoboam was incensed against the ten tribes falling off from him , he was in as great a heat and rage against them as we can imagine a man could be put into . this fire of his rage was blowne up to the height by those young daring cavaliers that were about him , he had got an army together , strong enough , an hundred and fourescore thousand men , a mighty force , and it was but to bring the kingdome to the house of david : well , their power was great , their rage was fierce , their cause they questioned not , they were going forth with a high hand , with cruel and bloody intentions . how was all stilled now ? you shall find , that the word of the lord came to shemaiah the prophet , saying , speak to rehoboam , — thus saith the lord , ye shall not goe up to fight against your brethren , returne every man to his house . the text sayes , they hearkned to the word of the lord , and returned to depart , according to the word of the lord. what a mighty work of god was this ? what power hath god over the spirits of men , yea of the greatest , who think it an unsufferable dishonor to be controlled in any thing they have set their hearts upon ? rehoboam , a wicked man , in the heighth of his pride and wrath , thus strong , apprehending himselfe exceedingly wronged , so much of his kingdome rent from him , and there comes onely a poore prophet and speakes to him in the name of this lord of hosts , that hee should not fight against his brethren , and all is stayed , he returnes back again , and sits down quiet . oh that now some prophet of the lord might have accesse to his majesty , and tell him that hee must not goe this way he doth , that he is drawn aside by evill men about him , that there is a misunderstanding betweene him and his people , that nothing is done by us but according to the minde of god , that we doe not endeavour to deprive him of any lawfull power he hath given him by god or man , but onely to preserve our lawfull liberties as truly ours as he is born unto the crown , and that we might with peace enjoy the gospell , and serve the lord and his majesty in our own land. . the providence of god in war is great , in removing it from one place to another : the lord of hosts gives the sword commission to ride circuite from one land to another countrey , and from one part of a kingdome unto another . ezech. . . or if i bring a sword upon that land , and say , sword goe through the land , so that i cut off man and beast in it : the sword hath beene in many parts of our land already , even in the utmost parts , northumberland and cornwall , the two extremities of the land , as dan and bersheba in the land of canaan . just were it with god to give it commission to goe up and downe in the midst of it , yea , in great part hee hath done it already , and how is it devouring , even almost round about us ? the guilt of the misery our brethren have suffered , the guilt of their blood is upon the whole kingdome , in as much as the whole kingdome hath not risen even as one man to prevent it , but wee suffer our brethren in severall places to bee devoured one after another : one countrey hopes it will not come there , and another countrey hopes it shall escape , and in the meane time wee suffer our brethren to bee spoyled . jer. . . the spoilers are come upon all high places through the wildernesse . ( they are come from the countrey to the city , the countrey is to them but as a wildernesse in comparison of the city ) for the sword shall devoure from the one end of the land to the other , no flesh shall have peace , jer. . . the lord bade the prophet take the cup of the wine of his fury , and cause all the nations to whom i send thee to drink it : god hath given other nations this cup of his fury , france , holland , germany , have beene drinking these . yeeres , spain , italy have had it , a little of the top of it scotland had ; we were afraid of it then here , and they and we cryed to god , if it be possible let this cup of blood passe from us , and god in his great mercie caused it to passe from us , but it went to our brethren in ireland , they have drunke deepe of it , and still are drinking , and whether god intends that wee shall drinke the dregs of it we know not , wee had neede doe as christ did in his agonie , luk. . . yet pray more earnestly , the second and third time , if it be possible , let this cup of bloud passe from us . if an agony cause christs spirit to rise in prayer , it should then do ours ; it is a sad thing to have our spirits heavy , dull and strait in such a time as this . . the work of this lord of hosts in warre is to give wisdome and counsell for the managing of the affaires of it , and hee takes away wisdome and counsell when he pleaseth . sam. . . thou teachest my hands to war , and my fingers to fight . the same wee have , psal . . . other generals have their councell of war to help them , that they may not miscarry in it ; but this lord of hosts gives all the counsell and wisdome from himselfe to all under him : and in this there is much of gods glory . esay . , , , . the lord accounts it his glory that hee teacheth the plowman to plow his ground , to sow his seede , to thresh his corne , his god doth instruct him to discretion , the text sayes ; much more then is the glory of god in giving wisdome to order and to leade armies . and when the lord pleaseth , he takes away counsail , he besots men in their counsails , & mingles a perverse spirit amongst them , & befools them ; he turns their counsails upside downward , and insnares them in the work of their own hands : this made david pray against the counsaile of achitophel , sam. . . o lord turne the counsail of achitophel into foolishnesse ; what counsail that was you may finde sam. . . fall upon him while he is weary and weake . this war was raised up against david for his sin , and yet god heares davids prayer against achitophel : the same counsell was given against our army of late by a great achitophel , when the question was , whether they should come to the city or fall upon the army , the counsail cast it upon the army , because they were weary and weake , not being together , and how hath god turned that counsail into folly ? it hath bin our safety and preservation , but their shame . there god wrought for david in that achitophels counsail was not followed , although it was a more politique counsail , it had more warlike wisdome in it then hushaies had , but for us god wrought , in that achitophels counsail was followed . thus isai . . . surely the princes of zoan are fooles , the counsails of the wise counsellors of pharaoh are become brutish , where are they ? where are the wise men ? and again , the princes of zoan are become fooles . why are the princes of zoan so much mentioned there ? because zoan was the metropolis of egypt , where the great counsail of egypt was , and verse . the lord hath mingled a perverse spirit in the midst thereof : and they have caused egypt to erre in every worke thereof , as a drunkenman staggereth in his vomit . jerom upon the place adds this to expresse the meaning , non solum ebrii , sed & vomentes furorē draconū & furorē aspidum insanabilem : not onely drunken , but vomiting the fury of dragons , the incurable fury of aspes . and is not this the vomit of our adversaries at this day , who are drunke with malice and rage against us , yea , against christ himselfe and his saints ? . the spirit of valour and courage is also from this lord of hosts . when the spirit of the lord came upon sampson , gideon , and others of the worthies of the lord , what great things did they ? heb. . , . who through faith subdued kingdomes , stopped the mouthes of lyons , out of weaknesse were made strong , waxed valiant in sight , turned to slight the armies of the aliens . it was through faith they were enabled to doe all this , faith fetcht valour and courage from this lord of hosts . hag. . . the lord stirred up the spirit of zerubbabel and the spirit of joshua , and the spirit of all the remnant of the people , and they came and did worke in the house of the lord of hosts their god. it was a warlike spirit to resist their enemies , to encounter with dangers . god hath stirred up a spirit in many of our nobles , in our worthies of parliament , in some of our people ; if a spirit were now stirred up in the remnant of our people , our worke would soone bee at an end . it were the unworthiest , yea , the most horrible thing that ever was in this world , that now people should forsake nobility , those they have chosen in parliament , and ministers who have had a spirit to stand up for god and their liberties . oh that a spirit of indignation would arise in the whole kingdome , that they may not suffer themselves to be baffled out of their religion , their liberties , their estates , by a generation of vile men that are risen up amongst us . zac. . , . the lord of hosts hath visited his flock the house of judah , and hath made them as his goodly horse in the battel . they shall be as mighty men which tread down their enemies in the mire of the streets in the battel . it seems they presumed to come into their towns and cities , therefore sayes the text , they shall tread them down us mire in the streets . they are vile , and therefore to be trodden down as mire in the streets . the spirits of those that seem to be the greatest terror amongst us , are mean and base : what worthy thing have they ever done ? have they ever stood before those that opposed them ? all their valour is in going up and down to countrey houses in a poore unworthy manner , pillaging and pilfring : a spirit in people raised by god , would scorne to be brought under by men of such spirits as these . further , as god gives a spirit of courage , so he takes it away when he pleases , is . . . and in that day shall egypt be like unto women , and fear because of the shaking of the hand of the lord of hosts , which he shaketh over it ; and the land of judah shal be a terror unto egypt , every one that maketh mention thereof shal be afraid in himself , because of the counsell of the lord of hosts . it may be they will not confesse that they are afraid , but may make their boast as if they had got the better : but marke the words , every one shall be afraid in himself : if we could look into their bosoms , we should see blacknes , tremblings , the terror of the lord upon them . ps . . the stout hearted are spoiled , they have slept their sleep , & none of the men of might have found their hands , at thy rebuke , o lord , the horse & chariot are cast into a dead sleep : and v. . he shal cut off the spirit of princes , he is terrible to the kings of the earth , he shall wipe them off as a man will doe a flower between his fingers , or as easily as a bunch of grapes is cut off from the vine . . the lord of hosts hath the absolute power over all weapons in battel , to let them prosper or not prosper as he pleaseth : this is beyond all the generals in the world . isay . . no weapons formed against thee shall prosper . if any shal say , this is a speciall promise to them at that time ; mark what follows , this is the heritage of the servants of the lord : this ( that is , this promise of the lord ) is the inheritance of his servants . now we of late have had the benefit of this our inheritance , the last lords day fortnight we did inherit this promise , when there were . canons discharged from the adversary , and not one man slain by them . how was this made good , that no weapon formed against thee shall prosper ? the adversary was enraged at this , they said , they thought the devil was in the powder : no , it was god that was there , fulfilling this promise of his to his servants . . all the successe in battels is from the lord of hosts . it is not in men , nor ammunition , nor in advantages . eccles . . . the battel is not to the strong . a horse is but a vaine thing for safety , psal . . . behold , is it not of the lord of hosts that the people shall labour in the very fire , and the people shall weary themselves for very vanity ? hab. . . yea lastly , the whole battel is the lords , when it is a just cause . sam. . . the battel is the lords . now you see what the scripture saith about gods providence in battel . you have the summe presented here together , in which is a full and strong encouragement to those who fight the battels of the lord. now if the question be asked , why doth the lord thus work in armies ? the answer is , . because the lives of men are precious to him . in them multitudes of creatures are cast for their eternall estates . if not a sparrow , not a haire from the head falls to the ground without providence , much lesse the life of a creature appointed for eternity . . because of the great things of consequence that depend upon war : the mighty turnes of nations , and changes of kingdoms depend upon them . but how comes it to passe , seeing god is thus the lord of hosts , that yet the adversaries of gods people doe often prevaile in battel ? . it is for the chastisement of his people . ashur is made sometimes the rod of gods anger . jer. . . i have given the dearly beloved of my soule into the hands of her enemies . she is the dearly beloved of gods soule , yet she is given into the hands of her enemies . we must not judge by the present prevailing , that god loves those who have the day , and hath rejected those who seeme to have the worst . god sometimes for chastisement , brings the worst of men upon them . ezek. . . i will bring the worst of the heathen , and they shall possesse their houses . the lord hath raised up against us many that are the worst , the vilest upon the face of the earth , and they have possessed the houses of many of his saints , the dearly beloved of gods soule . we use to take the vilest , the worst of men to be hangmen ; the worst rags and clouts to scoure withall . it is an argument that we are very foule , that god hath chosen such wisps and clots to scoure us with . secondly , god suffers this , because his people are not humbled throughly . the want of through humiliation before god , cost the lives of forty thousand men , iudges . although in that battel they had a good cause . a good cause is not enough for safety in time of battel ; there must be humiliation before this great god. thirdly , the adversary may prevaile , because the saints doe not awaken the lord of hosts by prayer . psal . . . thou therefore o lord god of hosts the god of israel , awake to visit all the heathen , be not mercifull to wicked transgressors . esay . . awake , awake , put on strength , o arme of the lord , awake as in the ancient dayes , as in the generations of old . art not thou he that hast cut rahab , and wounded the dragon ? we have here in one verse three times crying to god to awake . god hath strength enough to help his people . there is an arme of the lord , but yet this arme of the lord may be for a time as it were asleep , therefore the church cryes , awake o arme of the lord : and that shee may be sure the lord should heare , she cries again and again , awake , awake , o arme of the lord , put on strength . we are now to look back to former times , to see how god hath manifested himself the lord of hosts , and to cry to him , that now in our dayes hee would shew forth the glory of this glorious title of his , as he hath done in the generations of old . lastly , god hath many secret passages of his providence to be brought about , which in after times we come to see clearely , but for a time are hidden , and therefore the adversary is suffered to prevaile . the . psalme speakes much about the fury of the adversary , and of this title of the lord ; and the title of that psalme is , a song upon alamoth , which word signifies secrets , because of the hidden counsailes of god in wars . thus you have had the doctrinall part of one branch of this glorious title of the lord presented to you : the application neerely concernes us in these times . first , it beseemes then those who are in armies , to be godly , because their great generall is the lord of hosts ; and this lord of hosts is likewise the holy one of israel . even in this verse , holinesse is joyned to his warlike greatnesse . and exod. . he is magnified as a man of war overthrowing the enemy : and ver . . hee is said to bee glorious in holinesse : and esay . . where the cherubims and seraphims are magnifying his glory , they cry out , holy , holy , holy , lord of hosts . it is very observable , that gods holinesse is joyned with this title of his the lord of hosts ; surely then holinesse and valour in us are not onely consistent one with another , but subservient one to another . it it is an abominable maxime of machiavil , that religion makes men cowards ; the most valorous souldiers in the world have beene the most eminent in religion . souldiers use to endeavour to be like their generall in any thing , yea , in their naevis : alexanders souldiers accounted it a gracefull posture to hold their heads aside , because alexander their generall did so ; surely then to be like the lord of hosts in that which is his excellencie and glory , must needs put a lustre upon those who are his souldiers . plutarch reports of a theban band of souldiers which they called the holy band , in which there was more considence put then in any , because they prospered above others . the lord of hosts , who is holy , will delight to be amongst them that are godly , to blesse them in their way . deut. . . when the host goeth forth against the enemy , then keep thee from every wicked thing , yea they must keep from outward bodily uncleannesse , they must carry a paddle with them to cover it , ver . . the reason is there given , for the lord thy god walketh in the middest of thy campe , therefore shall thy campe be holy , that he see no uncleane thing in thee , and turne away from thee . it is true , god lookes more at the cause then at the instrument ; yet he rejoyceth most to use instruments that are fitted to give him the praise of his worke . one day the lord will convince the world , that the strength of nations and kingdomes consist in the interest that the godly have in this lord of hosts . zach. . . and the governours of judah shall say in their hearts , our strength is in the inhabitants of jerusalem , in the lord of hosts their god : oh that this prophesie were fulfilled ! it begins to be more now then ever in our dayes or our forefathers ; even those who have beene accounted hypocrites , factious heretofore , yet now even the governours of judah begin to see their strength is in them . who hath the burden of the great worke in this state layne upon but the religious party ? hath it not beene published in your city by chiefe men in the army , that the great things in the army were done by those that are called round-heads ? we hope our governours will every day be more and more convinced that their strength is in these . revel . . . hee is the lord of hosts , the king of kings , and they that are with him are called , and chosen , and faithfull , and therefore it is said the lamb shall overcome : they are not such as are called faithfull , but such as are called and faithfull : there was one in our army whose name was faithfull that turned head against us , but these that are with the lamb are called and faithfull . it is a blessed thing for a kingdome when their army may be said to be as it was said of that army , luke . . a heavenly host . this great lord of hosts , who is the god of heaven will certainly doe great things by such an host . secondly , if god be the lord of hosts , if this be one of gods glorious titles , then the worke of a souldier is an honourable imployment . as the estate of marriage is much honoured in that christ is pleased to expresse ( the great mystery of the gospel ) the blessed union betweene him and his church by it ; which is a great engagement to those in such a condition , that they walke so as their lives may put in minde of the excellencie of christs communion with his church : so the calling of a souldier is much honoured in this , that god himselfe will set forth his glory by this title , the lord of hosts ; or , the lord of armies . psalm . . the lord of hosts is the king of glory ; surely some beame of this glory must needes shine upon souldiers that serve under him . the romans honoured a souldier much : the latine expresses a souldier and a knight by the same word , miles . the serving under this or that captaine , they expressed by this phrase , mereri sub hoc vel illo duce . hence , miles emeritus , for an old souldier that was to take his ease . in any lawfull service , you serve under the lord of hosts ; but the more the service concerns his glory and the good of his saints , the more will god own it . the very chronicles or records of the wars of the church , the lord is pleased to have styled , the booke of the wars of the lord , numbers . . the name of the lord is exceedingly much interessed in these wars . you young ones , who are willing to offer and venture your selves in this service , you honour your selves betimes ; yea , god and his people doe and will honour you ; god will remember the kindnesse of your youth . you tender-hearted mothers , bee not unwilling to give up your children , the fruit of your wombes to this service , but blesse god that ever ye bare any in your wombes to be of that use , to stand up for god and his people , as your children have an opportunity now to doe : if ( as you heard ) when god hissed for the fly and for the bee they came , much more doe you come when god calls , and that aloud , to come and help him against the mighty . and when you are in the service , seeing it is so honourable , take heed you stain it not as others have done , of whom it may be said as it was of the children of ephraim , psal . . . the children of ephraim being armed turned back in the day of battel , they kept not the covenant of god. the covenant of a souldier is the covenant of god. hence the oath that a souldier took when he came to his captain , the romans called sacramentum . a brand of dishonour was upon ephraim , judges . . yee fugitives of ephraim . let not such a brand be upon any of you , ye fugitives of such a county , of such a town ; your general the lord of hosts is worthy of all you can possibly do for him . plutarch tells of scipio africanus , shewing a friend of his three hundred of his souldiers exercising their armes neare the sea where there was a high tower , there is never a one of all these , said he , but if i bid him climbe up that steepe tower , and from the top of it cast himself down into the sea , but he will readily do it . what , will not you be ready to shew more respect to your general this lord of hosts , then any heathen shall do to a heathen general ? be willing to venture your lives for him ; this is your glory , for he accounts it his . if in this cause you should turn your backes upon your enemies , with what face could you ever after look upon your friends ? psal . . . let not them that waite for thee o lord of hosts , be ashamed for my sake . take this text with you into the army , and pray to god , o lord grant that i may so behave my selfe in this great businesse i have undertaken , that none of those that waite on the lord , that have prayed for , and now wayte for the salvation of god , may be ashamed for my sake . i have read of one abaga a tartarian , that had this device to make cowards valiant , he caused them that ran away from the battell ever after to weare womens clothes ; i do not say that there should be this brand of dishonour , but one brand or other it is fit should be upon such as basely forsake such an honourable worke , such an honourable cause as this is . thirdly , if god be the lord of hosts , hence there is no war to be undertaken but for god and according to gods will , it must bee by commission from this great general . to goe into the field without him is dangerous , but to go against him is desperate . ps . . . in the name of the lord will we set up our banners . but if any shall say , we are afraid we goe not by the commission of the lord of hosts , because we goe against the king : doth god give commission for subjects to fight against the king ? for answer , the sound of these words in the eares of men , oh what an efficacie have they ! but when they are examined and applyed to this businesse , the truth is , there is nothing at all in them to any man that will be rationall . for first , it is not against the king , it is defensive onely , to defend our lawfull liberties , our estates , which we inherit as truly as the king inherits any thing he hath . it is to defend our religion , which is our chiefe inheritance . the law of nature and scripture teacheth us to defend our selves from violence and wrong . god hath not put man , and whole kingdoms into a worse condition then brute creatures , and yet they by an instinct of nature defend themselves against man that vvould hurt them : and yet they vvere made for man ; but kingdoms vvere not made for kings , but kings rather for kingdoms . and the scripture warrants this , you know david gathered . souldiers together to defend himselfe against any injury saul intended and indeavoured against him . and when the children of benjamin and judah came to him to the hold , chron. . , , . the spirit came upon amasai , and he said , peace be to thee , and peace be unto thy helpers , for thy god helpeth thee . what david did in this kind was no other but what god helped him in . . it is not against the king , but for the king ; it is for the preservation of true regall power in the king and his posteritie ; it is to rescue him out of the hands of evil men , who are his greatest enemies . the scripture bids , that the wicked should be taken from the throne of the king ; who should take them away ? if he had a mind to doe it himselfe , he need not suffer them to come to his throne ; but when he does suffer them to come there and abide there , yet they must be taken away ; if a representative kingdome hath not power to take them away , who hath ? . that which is done is not done against the power of the king ; his power is that which the lawes of the land invests him withall . the scripture bids us be subject to the higher powers , rom. . . it doth not bid us to be subject to the wills of those who are in highest place . if we be either actively or passively subject to the lawes of that country wherein we live , we fulfill the very letter of that scripture that commands us to be subject to the highest powers . wherefore that which is now done , is not against the king ; though it be against the personal command of the king , yet it is not against the legall power of the king ; when we speak of a king , we mean such a man invested with a regal power by the lawes & constitutions of that country he is the king of . now if nothing be done against this power that the laws and constitutions of our country invests him with , then nothing can be said to be done against the king. people are much mistaken who do not distinguish between a man in authority and the authority of that man. a man in authority may command what authority does not command . but may we go against the command of the king ? it is not against his authorative command . many , if not most men mistake in this , they think the authorative commands of the king chiefly consist in his personall verbal commands , but the truth is , his authority is in his commands by his officers seals , and courts of justice ; we may appeale from his personal verball command , to his command in his courts of justice , & whatsoever is his command in one court of justice , may be appealed from to a superior court , and so to the highest , and there we must rest . but the king sayes , that this which is done , is done against law. if when the most inferior court of justice determines any thing to be law , it is not the kings personall dissent , and saying it is not law that disanuls it , but the judgement of some superior court ; then if the highest court in the land , which is the parliament , shall judge a thing to be law , surely the personall dissent of the king , and saying it is not law , cannot disanul it . but although the parliament tels us that what they doe is law , yet they doe not shew where that law is ; where shall we finde it extant ? we are to know that our common-wealth is governed not onely by statute law , but by the common law ; now this common law is nothing else but recta ratio , right reason , so adjudged by judges appointed thereunto by law , and this is various according as cases doe occur ; so that although some presidents , some generall maximes of this law be extant , yet if new cases arise , then there must bee determination according to the nature of such a new case , which determination by such as are appointed judges is now law , although it were no where written before . and certainly we have now such things faln out , as no former time can shew presidents of : as , that a king should goe from his parliament , so as ours doth : that a king should take up arms , as now he doth ; with many other things of consequence , of a high nature , which our houses of parl. in their declarations publish , which our eares tingle to hear of , and our hearts tremble at the mention of . these things were never heard of since england was a kingdom , therefore we can expect no presidents of what determinations there can be in these cases ; and some determinations of necessity we must have , or else wee shall run to confusion . the determination then of the highest court of justice in the kingdome , wee must account law in this case . this is the way of determining cases that fall out in the common law. first , the determination must not be against any statute law , and so is the determination of parliament now , there is no statute law against it . secondly , it must be according to some generall maximes of that law. now this is one great maxime of it , salus populi suprema lex , the safety of the people is the supreame law : and according to this their determination is . thirdly , when any inferior judge makes this determination against any party that thinks himselfe wronged , he makes his appeale to the kings bench : if at the kings bench that be judged law against a man , which he thinks is not right , then he hath a writ of appeale ad proximum parliamentum , to the next parliament ; so that it is apparent by the frame of government in our kingdom , that the parliament is supreame judge of what is recta ratio , right reason in cases of difficulty and controversie ; and this not being against any former statute law , & agreeable to the received maximes of common law , it is to be accounted law , although we finde not that case , or that determination written in any book before . this is needefull for the satisfying mens consciences , that things are carried according to the constitution of the government of our kingdom , & therefore in this we do not sin against authority . if mens consciences be not satisfied in these things , what shal they do ? now therefore because that which is urged upon mens consciences is the authority of man , that we must obey , we can never satisfie our consciences untill we know what this authority of man is ; & that we cannot know but by the law of the kingdom . it is necessary therefore that men understand what kind of government they live under , that they may know when they offend against authority , and when not ; that they may not be deluded , and brought into snares , and things of dangerous consequence , meerly by the name of authority . but yet it may further be said , grant the parliament to be the judge , how can it judge without the king ? for the parliament consists of three estates , the house of commons , the house of lords , and the king : how can that then be said to be the determination of the parliament , which is not the determination of the king ? it is true , for the making any statute , the passing any thing by way of bill , all the three estates of the kingdome are required to joyne : but for the determination of what is law , that may be done by both the houses , in the absence of , or without the knowledge of the king , as usually it is : in cases that are brought before them in the punishment of delinquents , they doe not send to the king for his assent to joyne with them in their determinations , but in those proceed as a court of justice themselves . but what if authority be abused , may we resist ? is not passive obedience required , if active cannot be given ? there is a great deale of difference between the commands that are from abused authority , and the commands that are from the wils of men in authority , but not from the authority of those men . that is abused authority , when those to whom power of making laws belongs , shall make evill laws ; in this case there is no help , but passive obedience , or flying , untill some way may be taken for rectifying that authority that is abused . but when men that are in authority command any thing out of their owne wils , which is no law , it is not authority that doth command it ; in this case there is no resisting of authority at all , although the thing be denyed that is commanded ; in such a case if we neither yeeld active nor passive obedience , we cannot be said therefore to resist authority : for as samson said in another case , if you doe thus and thus unto me , i shall be but as another man : so if these men who are in place of authority , do such things as the laws and government of the countrey will not bear them out in , they are but as other men ; yet some reverence ought to be shewed to their persons , both in words and actions , in regard of their place . what say you to the kings of judah ? many of them did otherwise then they ought , and yet we doe not reade they were resisted , but obeyed . . in a defensive way they were resisted , as appears by what was said before in the case of david , gathering up . men to defend himselfe against saul . . yea when saul would have killed jonathan , the people resisted him , and would not suffer him . . we reade , king. . . when the king of israel sent a messenger to kill the prophet , the prophet being amongst the elders of the people , calls the king the son of a murtherer , and bade that they should shut the door against the messenger , and hold him fast at the door . the former translation hath it , handle him roughly , though sent by the king : yea the king himself was following , yet his messenger comming with his command must be handled roughly . the hebrew word is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 you shall oppresse him , so arias montanus translates it , opprimet is , you shall use great rigour to him . it is a vaine conceit in people to think that the command of the king is enough to bear out an officer in illegall and unjust acts , as if every one were bound to obey , if he comes by the command of the king : there is no such thing : if any man doth any thing illegal , although the king bids him , he must answer for it as if it were his own act : therefore it is that the acts of authority that come from the king , they come by officers , because the subject may have some to call to account in case of injury , not being fit to molest the kings own person for every dammage the subject suffers . these three examples are out of question justifiable : and if we would goe to bare example , we shall finde that ten tribes brake off from rehoboam , because he would follow the counsel of his young cavaliers , to make their yoaks heavie , to make his little finger heavier then his fathers loynes : yea and god sayes it was of him vvhat was done . but further , this is no certain rule , that just what power the kings of judah had , that and no more should all kings have ; if in some things they may have more , then it cannot follow , because they had this or that power , therefore all kings must have the same . if their examples be the rule for all kings power , then their examples must as well be to limit the power of kings , as enlarge it : but kings would think it much to be limited by their power , therefore they must not urge the enlargement from their power too hard . i will instance in one thing , wherein the kings of england vvould not vvillingly be limited by their example , namely , the confining of their succession to the heire male . the daughters of the kings of judah did not inherit , onely the males ; but the daughters of our kings do . if this question be asked , why in some countreyes onely the male inherits , as in france ; in others , the females likewise , as in england ; why in some countries the king is elective , as in denmark and others ; in others it is hereditary , as with us : the answer will be given , this is from the diversity of the laws of kingdoms . so then it follows not , because some kings in scripture were thus and thus , therefore all kings must needs be so ; but according to the diversity of the laws of kingdoms , so is the diversity of the power of kings . every countrey in the first constitution of the government , hath power to divide the government , so much to the king , so much to the nobles , so much to the commons , as they shall see best sutable to the condition of their countrey : so that we are not to goe by such a rule , what power such and such kings have had , but what power every king hath in the countrey where he is king. civil government is left to the wisdome and justice of every country , in the constitution of it : they may confer power upon severall magistrates by severall portions , as shal be most for the good of that countrey . that there should be civil government , god hath appointed ; but that it should be thus or thus , all in one , or divided into many , that is left to humane prudence , going according to rules of justice , for the publique good . if the kinds of civil government were of divine institution , it must be all the same in every compleat common-wealth , which no man that i know wil affirm . ecclesiastical government , because it is spirituall , and hath a spirituall efficacie in it , must therefore of necessity be of divine institution , & so the same in all places in the world where churches are cōpleat . but what shal wee say to the example of the christians in the primitive times , who suffered so much wrong under tyrants , and would never resist ? the civil government under which they lived was such , as it gave power to those emperors to doe such things as they did ; the laws of those countries being against them , they could not help themselves , but it is not so with us : the laws of our countrey are for us , and we seek nothing but to maintain those liberties we have by law ; we have legall wayes to help our selves , which they had not . but above all objections this sticks most with us , doth not the scripture straitly charge us not to touch gods anointed ? first , this doth nothing concerne this raising of armes , for it is for defence of our selves , not offence against gods anointed . but further , that i may satisfie fully , i wil say three things to this objection : first , we will examine the scripture out of which this objection is raised , and see whether there be any such sense in it as is ordinarily taken for granted : secondly , i shall shew that anointing is not proper to kings , but belongs to others as well as kings : thirdly , i will shew the difference betweene that anointing that kings had in time of the law , from that they have now . for the first , this scripture is chron. . . and psal . . . it is the same in both places . . they both speak of times before ever there had been any kings of israel . . the anointing here is apparently meant of the people of god , of the church , of the saints ; god gives here a charge , that none , no not kings should touch them to doe them any hurt . it is not here meant that people should not touch kings that are anointed , but that kings should not touch people that are gods anointed . the church of god being separated from the world to god , being consecrated to god , gods sanctified ones are here called gods anointed : and that it is meant of people , it is plain if you consider this scripture , from the . ver . to this . ver . when they were but few in number , and strangers in the land , when they went from one nation to another , from one kingdom to another people , he suffered no man to doe them wrong , yea , he reproved kings for their sakes , saying , touch not mine anointed : to whom did he say it ? he said it even to kings : whom should they not touch ? not them that were few in number , that went from one countrey to another ; them for whose sakes kings were reproved , he said that these anointed ones must not be touched : though the kings and people of the world thought them to be but ordinary ones , yet god accounts them his anointed ones , and will not have them touched ; but if kings shall meddle with them to doe them any hurt , he will reprove thē for their sakes . you may see how god reproved that king nebuchadnezar , for their sakes , jer. . . this nebuchadnezar hath broken their bones ; observe the expression , this nebuchadnezar : he makes but a [ this ] of nebuchadnezar a great king , when he comes to reprove him for the sake of his anointed ones : and mark further how the reproofe is , when their inheritance is but touched , jer. . . thus saith the lord against all the evill neighbours that touch the inheritance , &c. behold i will pluck them out of the land ; if they do but touch my peoples inheritance , i will pluck them out of the land. and isa . . . all this care of god over his people is laid upon their anointment , the burden shall be taken off their shoulder , and the yoake from their neck , and the yoake shall be destroyed because of the anointing . i suppose now every one that lookes into this scripture , touch not mine anointed , will see that it hath been grosly abused , and made to speak rather the conceits of men then the meaning of the holy ghost . but for futher satisfaction , consider , it is not peculiar to kings to be anointed ; it is true , they were anointed in the time of the law ; but as they were anointed , so priests were anointed , prophets were anointed , yea other magistrates and captaines of gods people are called the anointed ones . first , for priests , numb . . . these are the names of the sons of aaron the priest that were anointed . and you know the prophet elijah anointed elisha . and zac. . . speaking of zerubbabel and joshua , the text saies , these are the anointed of the lord : now then if this meaning could be put upon the words , that those which are gods anointed must not be touched , whatsoever they do , then priests and prophets whatsoever they do , must not be touched , for they are as truely gods anointed , as kings are : yea captaines and inferior magistrates must not be touched , because they are gods anointed also . the third thing is the difference between kings anointing then , as david , and solomon , and others were , and kings anointing now . then god chose such himselfe by revealing from heaven that they should be kings ; it was the immediate choice of god ; and then they were upon this , submitted to by the people : but now the people first agree that such a one shall be king , the kingly power shall be in such a family successively , and then god establisheth this choise or agreement . there is a great difference between these two ; first , gods chusing , and then the peoples establishing ; and this , the peoples chusing , and then gods establishing . there the kingly power was not conferred by way of compact or covenant , but with us it was , and so is with others . but what if the kingdom be got by conquest , & the right come in that way ? those who plead thus for kings , know not what they do in making this plea : for if there were no other right , neither precedent nor consequent , but meerly because such a one was the stronger and got it , and so holds it now , then whosoever is the strongest at any time he hath right , if a stronger then he comes he shall have the right . this is no good divinity nor polity to plead thus ; that which subjects my conscience to such a one , is the submission upon some compact , covenant or agreement . this may be when kings are elective , but what will you say concerning kings that are hereditary ? kings that inherit , inherit no more then their fathers had , and their fathers no more then those before them , so that you must come at length to the root , to the first who had this kingly power invested upon him ; and by whom was he invested with this , but by the people ? and what subjected the consciences of people to acknowledge this man or this family , more then another man , or another family , but only the agreement that passed between this people , and such a man or family ? but there is yet one objection more out of scripture ; we reade that davids heart smote him , but for cutting off the lap of sauls garment , because saul was gods anointed . the consequence that follows from hence is cleerly this , that no private man in his own cause , ( for so was david then ) by his own power may seize upon the person of a king in an offensive way , especially such a king which had his call immediatly from heaven : what further consequence that concerns our busines in hand , let any shew from this place that can . but is not this a popish tenet , that in case of religion subjects may rise up against their king ? papists hold and practice against this , and for this , and beyond this ; as they see they may serve their own turns : in their practises especially of late they have laboured to infuse into people , yea , and into princes an opinion of their absolute power , as conceiving it for the present most conducing to their ends , who have preached up that all is the kings , that his wil is our law , that whatsoever he cōmands must be obeyed , either by doing or suffering . prelates and prelatical men have infused this doctrine , so that to question this was dangerous enough , yea not to bee zealous in it was enough to have the brand of an antimonarchical puritan . and the reason why the popish party labours so much to cry up absolute and arbitrary government in kings , is , because their being but few , they hope to gain some of them at least to them , and then this absolute power shall be made use of for the extirpation of the truth , and upholding popery : in gaining one king they gaine almost the whole kingdome , if this king may rule by his absolute power ; if once he be a papist , then this absolute power is the popes absolute power , it is the prelates absolute power , for if he useth it not as they please , they can excommunicate him , they can free their subjects from their allegiance : yea , being by them excommunicated . marke what follows , it is one of the canons of pope urbans , we take them not in any wise to be man slayers , who in a certaine heate of zeale towards the catholique church their mother , shall happen to kill an excommunicated person . this they teach and practice , if they doe not gaine them to be full papists , yet if they can by popish matches , or by any popish party in the kingdom gain them to be inclinable any way to them , or remisse in the profession of the truth , they get a great advantage by this absolute power of the king ; the prelats have upheld their tyrannicall power by infusing this principle of the absolute power of kings into their eares and the cares of the people ; but if the papist sees he hath no hope to gaine the king , or advantage by him , then he turnes his tenets another way , and sayes that for the promoting of the catholique cause , yea , although kings do governe by the laws of their kingdom , yet because they are against the catholique religion , subjects may rise up against their king and kill him . this doctrine of theirs we abhor , wee say , that if power be given to kings by law , yea , or to other magistrates , though it be against religion , we have no help but suffering or flying until we can be helped by a legall way ; but if when we have laws for our religion and liberty , the king out of his own will , or seduced by others , shall in an illegal way seeke to deprive us of them , now we may defend our selves , and in this we resist not the kingly authority , but the wil of such a man. and yet further , if it be possible that we may give satisfaction in this thing , the mistake whereof is so exceeding dangerous : consider , if the taking up arms to defend religion and liberties that we have by law be treason or rebellion , then all the reformed churches are traytors and rebels : have not the reformed churches in holland , in france , in germany done this ? did not queene elizabeth take the holanders taking up armes to defend their religion and liberty against their king into her protection , and assist them with money , men , ammunition ? king james in his answer to perron defends the protestants in france for what they did : he sayes , their civill wars was not taking up arms against their king , it was but standing upon their guard . and did not our king charles send aid to the protestants in france , defending their religion and liberty against their king at the isle of ree ? and is not the prince of aurania , whom we usually call the prince of orange , the general to the army of the states , defending themselves against the k. of spain , whose countries those once were ? yea , and hath not our king acknowledged our brethren the scots his loyal subjects , and yet they did as much as we , yea , a great deale more ? they were indeed at first called traitors and rebels , in the prayers the prelates sent about and commanded to bee read in churches , but upon due consideration they were found and so styled loving and loyal subjects , and so in time we hope we shall . but if we shall thus plead and stand for our liberties , how can we expect the king should ever look upon us with any respect , or confide in us ? wil it not set the kings heart against us ? god forbid we should do any thing justly meriting the losse of his majesties favour , and his heart confiding in us : the happines of a kingdom is in princes ruling as fathers , and subjects obeying out of love rather then meer necessity . k. james so renowned for learning and deep understanding was fully of that minde , that his brother the k. of france had no better subjects in his kingdome then the protestants , which yet stood up to defend their liberties by force of armes . his words in answer to perron are these : i dare promise to my selfe that my most honoured brother the king of france will beare in mind the great and faithfull service of those who in matter of religion dissent from his majesty , as of the onely men that have preserved and saved the crown for the king his father , of most glorious memory . i am perswaded my brother of france will beleeve , that his liege people pretended by the lord cardinall to be hereticks , are nor half so bad as my roman catholike subjects , who by secret practices undermine my life , serve a forraigne soveraigne , are bound ( by the maximes and rules published and maintained in favour of the pope , before this full and famous assembly of the estates of paris ) to hold me for no lawfull king , are by his lordship there taught and instructed , that pauls commandment concerning subjection to the higher powers , adverse to their professed religion , is onely a provisionall precept , framed to the times , and watching for opportunity to shake off the yoke . surely then it is impossible but that his majesties heart must needs confide in us , ( although seeking to maintain our lawfull liberties ) rather then in any papists whatsoever . yea yet further , heare what k. james his thoughts were of the protestants in france , towards the latter end of his former answer to cardinall perron he hath these words , during the minority of k. francis the second , the protestants of france were only a refuge & succour to the princes of bloud , when they were kept from the kings presence ; and by the over-powring power of their enemies , were no better then plain driven and chased from the court. i meane the grandfather of the king now raigning , and the grandfather of the prince of conde , when they had no place of safe retreat besides in the whole kingdome . in regard of which worthy and honourable service , it may seeme the french king hath reason to hold the protestants in the princely ark of his gracious remembrance . ( shall protestants be kept in the princely ark of the gracious remembrance of a popish king , and shall protestants be cast out of the heart of a protestant king , and that onely for defending their lawfull liberties in a just way ? god forbid . ) yet further , heare the fidelity of protestants to their prince . in all the heat of revolts and rebellions raised in the greatest part of the kingdome by the pope , and the more part of the clergie , they stood to their king to beare up the crown when tottering and ready to fall . and at this day the king of france hath in pay betweene three and forescore thousand protestant souldiers for the defence of himselfe and his dominions , he maintains so many yeerly , his chief commanders being protestants , as confiding especially in protestants for their fidelity ; and certainly so may our king doe , he should finde none more faithfull to him , and ready to venture their estates and lives in defence of him and his legall power , then the parliament , and those who adhere to them , and this no question even those about his majesty doe beleeve in their hearts , whatsoever they say ; they otherwise would never venture to put his majesty upon such wayes as might exasperate them so as they doe . was it ever knowne when parliaments have been papists , and the kingdome papists , that ever any dared venture to put kings upon such things as might provoke such a parliament , and the people that then would adhere to them ? certainly other manner of effects would have followed the provocation of them at such times . why was it that the laws against papists have been so remissely followed , and not onely law , but will against the puritans have beene so hotly pursued , but this , they were afraid of papists that they would doe some mischiefe , but for puritans , they were confident they would not stir , they would doe no hurt but beare , and therefore they might doe what they list with them , they needed not feare exasperating them , they were taught obedience to governors out of conscience , and so they had them sure enough ; but the principles of the others would not bear too hard usage , therefore they must be more fairely dealt withall . i am confident , if wee could have seene into many of their bosomes , we should have found these reasonings in them , it is true , puritans have beene taught obedience to authority out of conscience , and howsoever princes may bee exasperated against puritanicall preachers , as they call them , yet they are as much beholding to them as to any people in their kingdomes for bringing people out of conscience to obey authority ; whereas others obey only upon necessities , & so serve princes as they may serve themselves by them , but in their teaching obedience to authority they never taught obedience out of conscience to any mens bare wils . how far obedience is due i have shewne before . wherefore although honest men are still bitterly inveighed against by the name of brownists and sectaries , and papists seldome or never mentioned , yet we cannot thinke but they in their consciences are perswaded that they are not the dangerous men for resisting authority . how is it possible for any man to thinke that a brownist , who onely differs from us in manner of church discipline , but agrees with us in doctrine and civil-government , yet that he may not be suffered to live in a kingdom , when a papist may be embraced in a bosome ? surely the consciences of the meanest are as dear to them as the consciences of the greatest . but it is said that a great part of the army of the parliaments are anabaptists . there is no great feare they can do much hurt , if there be . papists to oppose one anabaptist ; but surely it is an unhappy mistake to say that there is any one anabaptist in the army , but a mistake , like many others . for it is one of the tenets that anabaptists stifly maintain , that it is unlawfull to take up armes upon any occasion : and therefore they are never found to weare sword , nor in their ships to carry canons for their own defence . but doth not the king professe that he will maintain the protestant religion , and governe onely by the laws ? what need we trouble our selves then any farther ? the answer to the kings professions and protestations the parliament hath already given ; it is far more fit for them to answer , then that any particular should : onely this thing let me say , i put it to every mans conscience to judge , whether he can think that it is more likely for the king with those cavaliers that are now about him , and the aid of papists comming in , and called in unto him , to maintain the protestant religion , and government by the laws , then the king , together with his parl. to maintaine the protestant religion , and governe by the laws . surely we must unreason our selves before we can think so . but yet further , perhaps some may say , we doe not take that which is done to be done by both houses of parliament , many of them are gone , but few remaining . . some are gone , but compare those who are gone with those that abide , and you may easily see which way the stream of things would goe , if those that stay , and the kingdome with them , had not hearts to appeare for the maintaining what god and nature , and the laws of the kingdome have made their owne . . there are not so many gone as are pretended ; if they were the greater part that disliked the others proceedings , they might come and out-vote them , and carry what they would against them . . when i heare of such and such men going from the parliament , who ought to stay , it puts me in mind of what i have read of aeneas sylvius , before he was pope himselfe , he was of that judgement that a generall counsel was above the pope , and some yet wondring why so many forsook the counsel , and would cleave to the pope , he gave this reason , the pope had bishopricks , and deanaries , and prebendaries , & fat benefices to bestow , but the counsel had no such things ; they saw which way preferment went , and which way it was like to goe ; they have not seen offices and great places of preferment bestowed by the parliament . . suppose more were gone then yet are , yet the kingdome hath a parliament in being , untill both houses have agreed to dissolve it ; and if so , then either those that are gone , or those that remain , are the parliament ; those who are gone , dare not challenge it to themselves , nor none for them . they remember that the prelats were too bold in nullifying what was done in parliament , because they were absent . those that stay then are the houses of parl. and if their determinations must not be valid , because some of their members be gone , then we may cal into question all determinations of parl. that ever have been before us ; for vvho knows hovv many vvere present or absent vvhen it vvas resolved upon the question ? . if a country should choose a representative body to elect a king over them , and the choice being made by that representative body , aftervvards the country should refuse obedience upon that scruple , that many vvere not present at that time the choice vvas made , some did dislike it ; vvould not the king for all that account it rebellion in such , vvho upon such scruples should cast off their obedience ? but even in the houses , are not things carryed on in a faction ? are they not led by a fevv ? . if there be this liberty to object against the highest court of judicature in a kingdome , vvhen can vve rest in any determinations that can be in any civil polity ? . what is this but to charge the vvhole kingdome vvith folly , to choose some unfaithfull ; and the houses of parliament simple , that will be led by those that are unfaithfull ? . if any thing for the kings prerogative were propounded by some , and followed by others , dare any accuse the proceedings to be factious ? why then , when any thing is propounded by some for the good of the kingdome , and followed by others , should it come under such a censure ? . there was more danger of faction in the prelates convocations , where the most of the members were bishops and their creatures , in servile subjection to them . there is no such danger in either houses , there is no such distance between the members amongst themselves ; there is no such dependance of one upon the other . . faction cannot bee the act of a body that depends not upon another ; but in particular members of a body , dividing themselves from it unwarrantably , and turbulently seeking to get others to joyne against the body . heretofore the not submitting unto the illegall canons and decrees , injunctions , orders of every prelat , yea every paltry commissaries court was accounted schisme and faction ; but who is the schismatike , who are the factious men now ? now although there be ordinances from the highest court of judicature in a kingdom , these men forget what arguments they were wont to use to poore country men in their courts to be obedient to authority , and and what are you wiser then the governours of the church , who presume to shew themselves wiser then their governours now . if any shall say , howsoever those who yeeld not to ordinances of parl. cannot be accounted schismatiques , because that is a rending from the church . the house of parl. may as truly have the denomination of the church as the prelats , their chancellors , commissaries & officials ; will they not acknowledge the house of parl . to have as much power to govern the church as they have ? surely they dare not speak out . yea , the houses of parl. are as truly gods clergie , although there be never a prelat there , as the bishops or ministers are ; it is a proud arrogation of theirs to make themselves gods clergie , that is , gods lot or heritage , thereby distinguishing themselves from the people , when as the scripture makes the people gods clergie by way of distinction from the ministers ; but never the ministers gods clergie by way of distinction from the people , as . pet. . . neither as being lords over gods heritage ; hee speakes to ministers , that they may not lord over the clergie ; 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , so the words are : let any shew me now where ministers in distinction from people are called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , from whence their word clergie comes , but thus in matters of church government , as well as in civill , have people been deluded . but are not many , if not most of the house of commons men of meane quality in comparison , and what must the great affaires of king and kingdome be ordered by them ? . would you know why so many of the gentry in most counties throughout the kingdome are so malignant ? surely it lies in great part in this objection ; they look with an envious eye at the parliament , because they think themselves as good men , yea , and far better then many of them there , and why should not they have been chosen in as well as those that are ? this pride and envie of theirs makes them swel at every thing the house of cōmons doth ; it makes them forget that the liberties of themselves and posterities , together with the whole commons of the kingdom are maintained in such a way of choise of the members of that house , howsoever for the present it hath not falne upon themselves ; besides many of thē had rather inslave themselves & their posterities to those above them , then not to have their wils upon those that are under them : they would faine bring it to be with us as it is in france , that the gentry should be under the nobility and courtiers , and all the country people , the pesants , bee under them as slaves , they live in miserable bondage under the gentrey there , who generally are cavalliers . there is no countrey in the world , where countrey men , such as we call the yeomandry , yea , and their farmers and workmen under them , doe live in that fashion and freedome as they doe in england , in all other places they are slaves in comparison , their lives are so miserable as they are not worth the enjoying , they have no influence at all into the government they are under , nothing to doe in the making of laws , or any way consenting to them , but must receive them from others , according to their pleasure ; but in england every free-holder hath an influence into the making and consenting every law he is under , and enjoyes his owne with as true a title as the nobleman enjoyes whatsoever is his . this freedome many of the proud gentry are vexed at , and hence it is their hearts rise so against those that are chosen by them , and against their ordinances . but the commons begin to discerne this more then they have done , and to be so wise as to hold their own faster then formerly they have . . whatsoever quality any man is of before he be invested with power , should be no prejudice to his power when once he is invested with it . if a prince should be chosen out of a meane condition , as many have been , must not he be obeyed as a prince , notwithstanding that , as saul , agathocles , and others ? would it not be accounted an high offence , yea treason for any to refuse obedience to a prince upon this ground , that when he and that family was chosen , perhaps neither he nor his family was the fittest and ablest that might have been had ? no , we are to rest in the choice being made . is not the reason the same in this , although the degree inferiour ? the one is the supreme man in authority , the other a member of the supreme court of judicature , and regulating all authority . . yet further , the honour of the members of the house of commons consists much in this ; although personally some of them are not of very high quality , yet they are representative of whole shires , counties , cities ; whereas the noble-men themselves are not thus representative ; every one is there for himself , and for the good of the kingdom , because in regard of his estate and honour that he is born to , hee hath a deeper share then other men in the good of the kingdome . . such is the constitution of the government of this kingdom , that the commons of the land choosing so many to represent them , have that power that they may so moderate the government by nobility & monarchie , that neither of them may grow into a tyrannie , but govern by statute law made by the three estates and the common law , judged by courts of judicature that law hath enabled thereunto . and this power , seeing they have it by the constitution of the government of this kingdome , & that sutable to the very law of nature , both his majesty and the nobles do beleeve , so far as the law of god and nature will give leave , they will maintain with all their might . but what would the lords or commons have ? hath not the king graciously yeelded to them , almost in all things they can desire ? why doe they now stand out so as they doe ? true , we acknowledge with all humble thankfulnesse to god and his majestie for what he hath done ; & what is for the good of the kingdom , surely is for the good of his majestie too ; and if it be so worthy an act of the king to yeeld his royall assent to those things that are so beneficiall for his majesty and the kingdome , then surely the act of commons & lords must have their due praise in preparing such good things first , in voting them and presenting them to his majesty , for his royall assent to them . but then you say , what would they have more ? what doe they stand for more ? they desire that , and stand for that now , without which all is done is nothing , all that they shall doe will be nothing , yea , they themselves wil be nothing : no marvail therefore , although they and the kingdome with them stand for that . but what is that ? it is that the defence of the king , kingdome , and parliament , from the danger of the plots & attempts of papists , and all malignants , may be put into the hands of those that they may confide in . to what purpose are good laws made ? to what purpose is a parl fitting , if papists , prelats , popish and prelatical men , atheists , delinquents so infinitely discontent , whom we had cause enough to fear that they would endeavour to get power that they might disanul all , and according to those fears wee see what is come to passe ; if wee may not have the militia of the kingdome , that is the onely positive legall way next to that we have from the law of nature , to resist such power as would endeavour to undoe all . if a man should be bound to pay me such a debt , and withall to joyn with me to provide safe means of conveying both my self and money to such a place , if this man at the day appointed should pay the debt duly to a farthing , but when i tell him of great danger by the way , many lye in wait to surprise me and my money , and i require of him to joyne with me to afford me such aid as i may goe safely , for go i must , if he refuseth , and will onely consent to such aid as i not without good grounds have cause to suspect to be as dangerous even as those that lie in wait for me , yea , it may be i can prove that even some principal ones of those he would have for my aid & safety , are confederate and of the same company with those that lye in wait for me . now i demand what advantage is it to me that the debt is paid me , supposing i must go & have no other way to help my self but that which he denies to me ? is it not all one to me as if he had refused to pay the debt ? doe you think that good words would be enough to you in such a case , if hee should say , i le warrant you , you may be safe , when i know certainly these men are of the company with those who lie in wait for me , & i have other men by , whom i know will be faithfull , and can be no prejudice to the other party , and i desire him that hee would suffer those to goe along with me for my safety , and he refuseth it ? but howsoever were it not better to harken to peace , if possibly there may be wayes of accommodation ? peace is indeed a most lovely and desirable thing ; we desire with our soules to live in peace . god himselfe knows , there is nothing that would be more acceptable to us , then to serve god & the king in waies of peace ; god forbid but that we should in all our waies shew our selves the children of peace . we could make large orations in commendation of peace , as well as others ; yea in the midst of all the clatterings of our arms , and sounds of war-like instruments , yet peace is in our eyes and hearts : as faithfull ministers in all the terrible threats they denounce in the name of god against impenitent sinners , seeke the true peace of their souls : so the true souldier who is faithfull to god and his countrey , although he hath the sword in one hand , and fire in the other , yet it is with this motto , sic quaerimus pacem . for a full answer to this objection , i shal first answer meerly as a divine out of the scripture , and then we may consider what may be said in true wisdome of politic. for the first . the scripture tels us , james . . the wisdome that is from above , is first pure , then peaceable . such an expression , did it not come from an apostle , would be scorned by many profane atheisticall spirits amongst us ; yea they would accuse james himselfe , if they dared , for a puritan , for speaking thus . the scripture frequently joynes peace and truth , peace and holinesse , peace and righteousnesse , grace and peace together : we must be sure so to seek peace , as we must seek the god of peace , the gospel of peace : that were a fearfull peace that should make war between the god of peace and us , or deprive us of the gospel of peace . let us not dis-joyn or disorder the angels doxologie , glory be to god on high , peace on earth , good will towards men : so peace on earth , as glory may be to god on high , and the good will , the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of this our god towards us . placet ista distributio , sayes bernard , this distribution pleaseth me wel , that god should have glory , & we have peace . oh that this angelical distribution of glory & peace might please us all ! the truth is , peace is sweet , and those which are thought enemies to it , pray a hundred times more to the god of peace , for peace , then those who plead so much for it . peace is to be purchased at any rate , but with the losse of truth ; if this be the price of it , we buy it too deare . we use to say , we may buy gold too deare ; it would be a hard bargaine if the glory of god , if the liberty of his ordinances , that now we have an opportunity to enjoy , if the most religious party in the kingdome should be now sacrificed for a supposed peace , which upon such terms certainly will not hold long : this would make god our enemie , not only because his glory , truth , & saints are dear unto him , but because those who are most religious , have stuck most to the parliament ; they have ventured their estates , their lives , their children , their servants for the safety of king , kingdome and parl. never was parl. so engaged to any party in england , as they are engaged to these now : therefore it were the most horrible injustice that ever was in the world , if the parl. should leave them , yea sacrifice them to their adversaries , only to provide for a false uncertain , dishonourable peace for themselves and others . it cannot be imagined that such a thought could enter into them ; god would never suffer such injustice as this to passe this world , without the expressions of his high indignation against it . and in way of true wisdome of civill polity these foure things must be considered of . . how far treaties may be advantagious to the adversaries . we read dan. . . that through peace many should be destroyed . under the name of peace , there may be fomented the most bloody , cruell war that ever england hath knowne : many people when they hear of the word peace , they are so pleased that they run away with that , not knowing what bloody cruel designes may lye under it , and be promoted by it , and they think that if some follow not the treaty presently , though upon never so great disadvantage , it is because they are bloody and love war ; whereas in truth it is that they might prevent cruel bloodshed , and the outragiousnesse of war as much as in them lies , which they see in all probability may follow upon giving the aversary that advantage he desires , though the standers by see not the cunning of it . . great care must be had in the propositions of , & conditions about peace . we reade sam. . . when the men of jabesh gilead would make a covenant with nahash , he told thē that upon this condition he would make a covenant with them , that he might thrust out all their right eyes , and lay it for a reproach upon all israel . . you must be sure you make such a peace as you may confide in it , so as you may not be afterwards at the mercie of your adversaries , whether they will keep the conditions yea or no : you must take heede of disinabling your selves , to maintain what your conditions of agreement bind to , especially if you have to deale with papists , whose principle is , that no faith is to be kept with heretiques , and for the catholique cause leagues may be broke ; if your peace hinder your strength to maintain your right , what security can you have in your peace one moneth ? . as things now stand great care had neede bee taken that the hearts of people who have shewne themselves forward , venturing their lives , exhausting their estates , may not be discouraged , lest if parliamennts ever neede the people again , they never finde them appeare for them , stick to them ; and cases may fall out that there may be neede of the peoples standing by them hereafter as well as now , or else their priviledges may soone vanish , and their power be over-powred , and so come to nothing . wee know how soon authority is contemned , where power is not joyned with authority . but do not our adversaries grow stronger then we ? if so , it is in vain for us to oppose . it is impossible to conceive they should , except the kingdome be so besotted , as never yet any kingdome was upon the face of the earth . for . how can men of understanding , who have estates in the kingdome , and have posteritie to live here , imagine that the kingdome should be better governed by the king , with those cavalliers about him , then by the king with his parliament ? . if the parliament should now be over-powred and spoiled because they have gone according to their consciences for the good of the kingdom , must not all parliaments hereafter lye at mercie ? . if these men prevaile , is there not danger lest things should be carried as they please ? if they get power into their hands , who knows but that they wil presume to give laws to us , that things shal be done according to their minds rather then the kings ? doth not the king forbid plunderings now , & yet do they not plunder as they please ? if then they get power into their hands fully , what will not they do then ? these things being so obvious to every mans thoughts , that one can hardly bee a man to understand any thing , but he must needes think of those things ; how then is it possible that the kingdome should not generally rise with a spirit of indignation against these men , who are thus risen up to make such spoile and waste in the kingdome ? although they doe not yet stir in many places , hoping there may be some help of these things some other way ; but if they see there be no other help , it cannot be conceived but this spirit of indignation must rise through out the kingdome ; men will never suffer themselves to be baffled out of their religion , their liberties , their estates on this fashion ; they will never so unworthily desert those whom they have chosen , and betrusted with their estates , liberties and lives , those who have been so faithfull to them , spending their strength in their indefatigable labours night and day , wasting their estates , and hazarding their lives for them ; wherefore it cannot be imagined that the adversaries should ever gather more strength then we . . suppose they could be more in number ; yet considering how vile and wicked , what notorious blasphemers and cursers they are , they are not much to be feared . plutarch reports of one cyneas , discoursing of the opinions of the epicurians , that they thought the gods tooke no care of , had no regard of mens doings , and that the onely happinesse was to live in pleasure , for so the gods themselves did : fabritius hearing this , cryed aloud , and said , the gods grant that pyrrus and the samnites were of such opinions , as long as they have wars against us : supposing that if they were thus , and had such vile opinions of the gods , they could never prosper to doe any great matter . we dare not say thus of our adversaries , god grant that they continue thus vile and blasphemous as they are : no , we pray if it be possible that they may see how they fight against god , that their hearts may be changed ; but yet we are of this beliefe , that fabritius was of , that whilest they are so wicked , and speak so vilely of god , and blaspheme his name so as they doe , that they are not much to be feared , they wil never be able to doe any great matters , the wrath of the almighty will pursue them . . and lastly , if they should get more in number , yet if our cause be christs , ( which is cleare to us , for our consciences tell us we desire not , we endeavour not the wrong of any man living , much lesse of our king ) we then have christ with us ; and as antigonus once said to his souldiers , when they said that their enemies were more in number , why how many doe you reckon me for ? so i may say in this case , how many doe you reckon jesus christ for ? if he be not with us , let us lay down all presently . wel , but we are sure for the present there is a wofull disturbance in the kingdom , and mens estates are consumed in the extreme charge of these wars , and what shall we think will become of things at last ? it is true , when a bone is out of joynt , there is much pain ; but if the care be not of setting it right , the very setting will breed much more pain : there is much disturbance , but it is onely the breaking out of what hath layn in the plots and secret workings of our adversaries a long time . it was once the speech of lysonder , that if the lyons skin will not serve , we must help it with the foxes ; contrary now it is with our adversaries ; the foxes would not doe the deed , and therefore now they put on the lyons . it is well for us that things break out , when there may be help to resist ; our condition was as dangerous , though not so troublesome before ; now our disturbance is but the noyse of resisting , a deluge of evil that was flowing in upon us : that man certainly is not a wise man that is not willing the flouds comming in upon him should not bee stopped , because the stopping of them will make a noise . . but consider wisely who have bin the cause of this disturbance ; puritanicall preachers are cryed out of : so elijah was said to be the troubler of israel : amos was said to speak such words , as the land could not bear : paul was accounted a pestilent fellow , a mover of sedition : they cryed out of the apostles , that they turned the world upside down . luther in his time was called tuba rebellionis , the very trumpet of rebellion . but if men wil not shut their eyes , and stop their ears , they cannot but know the cause of our disturbance hath been the pride and cruelty of prelates , forcing illegall things both upon our brethren in scotland , and upon us ; is it not as clear as the sun , that the disturbance began with their imposition of their own service-book upon them ? have not they & their preachers sought to infuse such principles into kings , that all is theirs , to dispose on as they please , that they are bound to no laws ? a doctrine condemned by the heathens . we reade of trajan the emperour , when he ordained any pretor , giving him the sword , he would bid him use the sword against his enemies , in just causes ; and if he himselfe did otherwise then justice , to use then his power against him also . and as ministers , so people that have been most conscientious , they have been cryed out of as disturbers : thus it was in the primitive times , if there were any evils upon the countries where the christians dwelt , they cryed out of them as the cause of all , the voice presently was , christianos ad leones , bring forth the christians to the lyons : so now , the round-heads the cause of all . men that will examine things , and are not mad with malice , wonder how such an apprehension can arise ; they suffer the wrong , and yet they are accused for the trouble of the kingdom ; by reason of their sufferings they are more in the view of people then other men ; and therefore when men are in a rage , they fall upon them that are next hand . they indeed will not yeeld to such illegall things as others will ; they think themselves bound what lies in them to keep the kingdome and their posterities from slavery ; and for this good service , although it cost them deare , they must be accounted the cause of all the evill in the kingdome . did they ever plot any treason , as papists have done from time to time ? did they even in times of popery ever seek to blow up parliament houses , as papists have done ? there is a great deale of stir about these men , but what have they done ? the very foundations of this our land are out of course ; but what have the righteous done ? so far as they can they yeeld active obedience to what law requires of them , & in what they cannot yeeld active , they yeeld passive , and what can man require more of them ? onely they wil not yeeld to mens wils and lusts beyond that authority they have over them , and who wil that hath the spirit of a man in him ? but these are not friends to the king. surely those who obey so far , cannot without extreme malice be accounted enemies to the king ; they pray more for the king , then any people doe : yea they do more for him and his , in a right way then any people doe . who have ventured so much of their estates to reduce ireland to the obedience of the king , as those that are thus called round-heads ? will it not be found that some few of these in the city of london have disbursed more of their estates for the kings service in this thing , to keepe this his lawfull inheritance in his possession , and for his posterity , then all those thousands that are now with the king in his army ? and heretofore , who were the men that were most free with their estates to assist the parl and to have recovered the palatinate , but these kinde of men ? howsoever now god sees , and the world sees they are ill requited at this day . no , no , god , and we hope in time , man also will find our other troublers of the kingdom rather then these . the lord judge between us and our adversaries in this thing . as for the great cost & charge the kingdom is at , . we must know those who have done least in this kind , complaine most ; those upon whom the weight and burden of the work hath layn , you heare not to make such complaints of the charge . . better venture halfe then lose all . in this thing that saying is true , dimidium plus toto : if we be too sparing now , it is the onely way to lose all : it is better to have but a piece sure , then by venturing to keep all , to lose all . if we will keep all , we may soon lose all , as many have done ; they have kept their estates for the spoilers . yea we were better to have lesse , as our own with freedom , then more with bondage at the wils of others . times of extreme danger are no times of complaining of charges ; if a mans house be on fire , were it not absurd for him to cry out against breaking of the tiles , because it wil put him to charges ? there is a story of a man who in discontent hanged himself , & his servant comming into the room at that instant , seeing his master hanging , he presently cuts down the rope , & so saves his life : afterward this man being extreamly covetous , wrangles with his servant because he would rather cut the rope then untye it , & so put him to more charges : doth not all lie at the stake ? is not the very life of the kingdom in danger ? is it not time for us now to have our hearts raised above these things ? let us take heed our covetousnesse be not our undoing ; and if our enemies find treasure with us , then how justly may they mock and jeere us ? when constantinople was taken , in the yeer . it appears by the turkish history that it was lost through the citizens covetousnesse ; the citizens were full of gold and silver when it was taken , but would not pay the souldiers that should have defended them , and so their enemies made merry with their riches . the like is reported of heydelburgh , taken by their enemies not many yeers since , upon the like ground . god hath been beforehand with us in many mercies , and he hath yet more rich and glorious mercies for us , that surely will pay for all at last over and over again . we are unworthy of our liberties , unworthy of the gospell , if we prize them at so low a rate , as if they were not transcendently above all the costs we have been at , or are like to be at . we think these charges much , but there is not one yeare wherein our neighbours in the low countries are not at far more charge then we have been at this chargeable yeare ; all our extraordinary charges are below their ordinary . but although there is nothing can be said , but god allows of these wars , yet were it not better in prudence that i be not seen in them ? for if i be , if the other party prevailes i am undone ; if i be not , yea , although i should do something for that party , yet the parliament will never do me any great hurt . it is true , the lenity of the parliament on the one side , and the cruelty of the other party on the other side , hath been a great prejudice to the one , and advantage to the other : how many delinquents that have been complained of , and brought up with great charge to the countrey , yet have gone away insulting ? but whosoever comes under the power of the other , either must yeeld , or is undone ; yea , it may bee undone , though then hee yeeldes . what blood hath beene of late shed by them , even in coole blood ? but how unreasonable is this so to reason , the parliament is more just and gentle , the other more cruell and mischievous , therefore i will leave the parliament to sink for any help it shall have from me , and joyne my selfe with the other party . god will judge these evill thoughts of yours , and yet you may be mistaken , in this your device to save your estate , you may prove false to the parliament , and yet your estates not so safe as you thinke ; it may befall you as it hath done others , that when these plunderers come to you , if you tell them you are for the king , you are no round-head , then they reason thus with you , if you be indeed for the king , you will be willing to have your estates goe to be helpefull to him , and so they may reason you out of all you have , and so you may be deceived of what you aimed at , by discovering your selves not to be round-heads . whatsoever you be , yet if they prevaile your goods will be found to be round-heads . they are a little faire mannered now and then as yet , because they have not the day ; but if once the day be theirs , and they have power in their hands ; then they will call your goods by what name they please . platina tels us , that when the citizens of papia in italy were at dissention by reason of the faction betweene the guelphes and the gibellines : the gibellines procured a favourer of theirs called facinus cajus to assist them , covenanting that hee should have the goods of the guelphes for his labour ; but he being once come into the citie and prevailing , he spared the goods of neither of them : whereupon the gibellines complained , saying , that their goods also were spoiled ; he answered them that they themselves were gibellines , but their goods were guelphes . you may perhaps be royalists , but your goods will be round-heads . job . . what hope hath an hypocrite though he hath gained , when god taketh away his soule ? if men by hypocriticall devises should gaine as they desire , yet when god takes away their souls , what good have they then ? but how miserable then will it be for them , when god curses them for the present , and when their soules are taken away at last ? what hope can they have then ? it is just that the curse of god should pursue them , who will be of any side for their own advantage . ro. hoved. fo . . reports of brabantes called rutters , that they would serve on any side for wages ; therefore they are called by hoveden , nefando gens , and he saies they were accursed in the lateran councell . whereupon the conclusion from all is , there is nothing required of you in this service by both houses of parliament , but what you may with a good conscience undertake , by commission from this great generall the lord of hosts . be not therefore daunted with such words as those , what ? will you fight against the king ? if you fight against the king , who doe you fight for ? surely it must be for his enemies ? and who are they ? you know , and all the world may know you fight for none but the parliament and the kingdome ; what shall the parliament and the kingdome be accounted enemies to the king ? how can they be under his protection if they be his enemies ? and if the king should put them out of his protection , what doe you thinke would follow upon this ? no certainly , when things come to be examined , you see there is no such matter : no , this businesse is for no hurt to the king. those men who goe up and downe pillaging and plundring , and doing mischiefe to all extremity wheresoever they come , who make a spoile of this kingdome , and that of ireland , and all under the name of the king : these are the men who wrong the king , rendring him to the subject as if he were another maxentius , who reduced the city of rome into such a condition , as there was no forrest of theeves wherein the lives of citizens were not more safe then in their houses . in his orations he made to his souldiers , no words were more frequent then these , fruimini , dissipate , prodigite , enjoy , riot , spend . these men doe what lyes in them to put men upon examining , whether the relation between king and people may not possibly be broke ? whether kingly power be such an indelible character upon any person , as nothing can ever possibly put it out ? whether that which is by compact and covenant , do not bind mutually ? are not they then like to perjudice the king more then any ? if there be any possibity of such thoughts risen in people , what can occasion them sooner then the doing such open violence , and committing such outrages aganst the subjects in all places , and that with boldnesse and confidence in the name of the king ? if it were as they say , if people did beleeve these men , it might cause strange thoughts of heart in them , even such thoughts , as these , how can we bee in a worse condition under any ? what , hath god tyed us , if once a supreame governor be acknowledged , that he must ever be acknowledged , whatsoever he doth against us , even to destroy us ? where doth the scripture say so ? it need be a very cleare scripture that shall tye us to this , to lie down under such intollerable burdens as these are , to see our ruine , & the ruine of our wives & chileren before our faces . we must not resist those who have high power . true , so long as they goe according to their power given them , or as long as they have it , but may they not possibly be discharged of it ? resisting the priests is condemned in scripture ; what ? can nothing therfore discharge the priest of his priestly office , and my acknowledging of his priestly power ? what , did our forefathers so far give all power out of their hands , as they have not left us so much as the benefit of the law of nature to help our selves withall ? what hath god made such difference between man and man , as that one should spoile , and destroy , and do what he list , and whole kingdomes should lie downe under him and say nothing , and doe nothing to helpe themselves ? hath god made all the world to bee under the lusts of twenty or thirty men ? nature hath not made such a difference betweene one man and another , wee see them to bee of the same mould wee are of ; god hath not revealed from heaven by his prophets , that this or that family must be so much above others , rather then other families . that then that now makes the difference between man and man , is from men setting up this family rather then another , or this person rather then another ; but is it possible to conceive that any common-wealth should set up any to their owne ruine ? were it that men kept in due order , or that when the most abominable injustice and violence that is offered , men did not presume so audaciously to make use of the name of the king , these reasonings would never bee occasioned in mens hearts : woe therefore to them by whom such dangerous offences come . the lord deliver us , and the lord deliver his majesty from these men , and such fearefull scandals as they cast upon him . how dangerous a temptation is this to princes , to have such an apprehension infused into them , whatsoever they doe , whatsoever spoile of kingdomes they make , and violence they offer , they shall still enjoy what they had , and be acknowledged as they were ? that land is in a sad condition where these thoughts are applyable to the prince thereof , and lie boiling in the hearts of the people . for our parts we desire as long as ever we are able , to charge onelie even in our very hearts the actors of all the violence and spoile amongst us , and our brethren in ireland , as the authors of it : and therefore we judge it is the best service we can doe for the king , to deliver him from these mischievous men , that his throne being established in righteousnesse , his crown may slourish upon him and his posterity . these things i have spoken out of conscience of my duty to god , and to the kingdome , knowing that if some do not open these things as they are able , to satisfie the ignorant , and doubting , and erroneous consciences of many , they will he found guilty of betraying themselves , their brethren , their posterities , their religion and liberties . now having endeavoured to cleare , that what wee doe , we doe by commission from the lord of hosts , the way is cleare to fetch soul-staying , supporting , satisfying comfort from this glorious name of god. it is not more glorious then comfortable to the church of god. surely we need not feare wars , strength of enemies , roaring of canons , clattering of weapons , beating of drums , neighing of horses , so long as god , our god is the lord of hosts . now i come to what i promised , to shew you this name of god written upon the mercy-seat . xerxes used to pitch his tent on high , and stand looking upon his army , when they were in fight , to encourage them . this our great generall stands on high , looking upon his people in their battels , let them looke up to him , and there is encouragement enough to fill any heart in the world . this title is an exceeding vast treasurie of comfort and encouragement , deut. . , . heare o israel , you approach this day to battell against your enemies , let not your hearts faint , feare not , do not tremble , neither be terrified . observe the variety of expressions , faint not , feare not , tremble not , be not terrified ; why ? for the lord your god is he that goeth with you to fight for you . if so much encouragement meerly from gods going with us to fight for us , what is there from all those severall workings of god in battels , which this lord of hosts is pleased to declare himselfe in ? psal . . . the lord of hosts is with us , the god of jacob is our refuge : and ver . . be still , and know that i am god , i will be exalted : and again , i will be exalted . quiet your hearts in this . if any distracting , sinking , discouraging thoughts arise in your hearts , still them all with this . and therefore ver . . in the next words he repeats that againe , the lord of hosts is with us , the god of jacob is our refuge . luther was wont in sad tumultuous times to say to those about him , come , let us sing the . psal . it is a psalm most sutable for these times to be sung often . isa . . who art thou that thou shouldest be afraid of a man ? surely thou doest not know what thy priviledge is , thou knowest not what interest thou hast in the lord of hosts , that thou art afraid of a man that must die ; wherefore it follows , v. . i am the lord thy god that divided the sea , the lord of hosts is his name . but you will say , ah! if we knew indeed that the lord of hosts were ours , that he were with us , then we might well comfort our selves in these times of wars , but that is all the question to us , for want of the assurance of that our hearts are troubled . first , though you doe not know certainly that you have any speciall interest in him , yet it is a great comfort to know that all things in wars are carryed on by him , yea , though he were a meere stranger to you , and you to him : as suppose you were sure there should be nothing done in all these stirs about wars but by the will of the most wise , the most holy , and most mercifull man in the world , that hath all the holinesse , all the wisdome , all the mercy that all the men in the world ever had , although this man were a stranger to you , you never saw his face in your life , yet would it not be a stay and comfort to your hearts to heare that all things were committed to the dispose of this man , and not a stroke struck , nor any hurt should come to any , but as this man gave out his commissions ? certainly it would quiet our hearts much : but that all is at the dispose of this lord of hosts is far better , whose holinesse , wisdome , and justice is infinite ; although yet we do not know any further of him , wee cannot say we have any speciall interest in him . secondly , although you doe not know your interest in this lord of hosts , yet your hearts may be stayed , yea , comforted in this , that the cause hath a deep interest in the very heart of this lord of hosts , and therefore that shall prosper howsoever . the satisfafaction the soul takes in this is a speciall argument of interest in this god. thirdly , yet further i will tell you how you shall know whether you have any speciall interest in this lord of hosts or not , from that scripture , psal . . . o lord of hosts my king and my god. here are these two , lord of hosts , and my god. now all the question is about the copula , that which joynes these two together : there you have it my king , that is set betweene them ; if then you can say , o lord of hosts my king , you neede not staie there , but may confidentlie goe further to the other , my god : if you can out of the uprightnesse of your hearts say , o lord thou knowest the desires of our soules are that thou mayest rule over us , o when shall we heare that blessed voice , the kingdomes of the earth are the lords & his christs , and he shall reigne for evermore ! o that thy kingdome might come more powerfully in our hearts , and that it might be more conspicuous in church and state ! the speciall reason ( thou knowest ) why we are willing to venture our selves as we do , to endure any hardship , to part with our estates , is that antichrist may never rule amongst us againe , but that we and our posterity may be under the kingdome of jesus christ . surelie this is the voice of those who have the lord of hosts to be their god. that is an everlasting rule , if he be thy king , he is thy god. now then for the full comfort and encouragement the church of god may take from this glorious name , consider the relation that the church hath to this lord of hosts , and the relation this lord of hosts hath to the church . for the first . . the church is the city of the lord of hosts , it is not onelie gods citie , but his citie , under this title , psal . . . as we have heard , so have we seen in the city of the lord of hosts ; wee may comfortablie say , this citie of london is the city of the lord of hosts . god hath precious saints here , abundance of them , and it hath done worthilie for the honour of the lord of hosts of late , and therefore surely the lord of hosts will defend it . if there bee any citie under heaven that may be called the citie of the lord of hosts , then i am confident the citie of london may . but we are to take here the city in a spirituall sense for the church of god , as it is usuall in scripture . now we know when an army hath to do with a city that is in the inheritance of the generall , then if there be any power in generall or army , it will bee all put forth to the utmost , either for the defence , or gaining that city : as the city of breda in the low-countries , when that was besieged , it was soon won by the army of the prince of orange , because that city was the princes own city , his proper inheritance ; he had a speciall eye and care over that city . surely the eye and care of this lord of hosts , though it be over towns and countries , and walled cities , yet it is most over his church ; if he hath any power in all the armies in heaven and earth , it shal be put forth for the defence of , and supplying good unto this city . hence that passage in the prayer of solomon , king. . if thy people go to battell , and shall pray to the lord toward the city which thou hast chosen , then heare in heaven . jerusalem was the city god then chose , which was but a type of every church in the time of the gospel . . the church is the vineyard of the lord of hosts . esay . . for the vineyard of the lord of hosts is the house of israel . certainly god will not suffer the wild beasts and boares of the field to devoure and lay waste his vineyard . a generall will be very carefull in keeping enemies out of fruitfull countries , but especially our of his own vineyard . we reade kin. . , . how loth naboth was to part with his vineyard , though king ahab was sick for it , yet god forbid that i should give the inheritance of my fathers unto thee . gods vineyard is beloved of him and deer to him . esa . . . i the lord keep it , i will water it every moment , lest any hurt it , i will keep it night and day . . it is the mountain of the lord of hosts . zac. . . in which regard god professeth himself very jealous for it : thus saith the lord of hosts , i was jealous for sion with great jealousie , i was jealous for her with great fury , he gives the reason in the latter end of the . ver . jerusalem shall be called the city of truth , and the mountain of the lord of hosts , the holy mountain . as if the lord should say , what ? are they come to hurt my mountaine , my holy mountaine , my church ? fury riseth up in the face of god presently . yea , esa . . . when the lord comes to fight for mount sion , he comes forth as the young lion roaring on his prey , so shall the lord of hosts come downe to fight for mount sion . god will leave heaven to fight for his church ; will not you leave your shops and your houses ? the church is the house of the lord of hosts . hag. . . the text sayes , they did worke in the house of the lord of hosts . which typified gods church . a generall will fight to maintain his own house , it were a signe the enemy had prevailed indeed , if hee should come and plunder the generals own house . in regard of this that is said of the church to bee gods house , vve have that expression , psal . . , . lift up your heads o ye gates , even lift them up ye everlasting doores , and the king of glory shall come in . who is the king of glory ? the lord of hosts he is the king of glory . you know when a prince comes to his own house , the great gates are set open ; when other men come thither , they come in at the wicket , at some lesse doore ; but when he comes himselfe , then all is set wide open . . the church is the place of the name of the lord of hosts , isay . . to the place of the name of the lord of hosts , mount sion ; now gods name is deare and precious to him . it is a great priviledge god grants to his church , that it is the place he chooseth to set his name there , exod. . . nehem. . . as god would have us highly to esteem that place , to seeke after that place , as deut. . . unto the place where god shall choose to put his name , there shall ye seeke , and thither shalt thou come , & thither shall you bring your burnt offerings and sacrifices , &c. — so surely god himself puts a high price upon that place , and he will preserve it . . the church is the place of the glorious reign of the lord of hosts , isa . . . the moon shall be confounded , and the sun ashamed , when the lord of hosts shal reign in mount sion and in jerusalem before his elders gloriously . god hath yet a further and more glorious kingdome to be set up in his church then ever hath been , at which all the glory of the world shall be darkned by reason of the brightnesse of this glory , & it is the lord of hosts that shall thus reigne . surely then all the hosts shall have their strength put forth in defence of , and providing for this place of this glorious reigne of their great generall . . the church is the people of the lord of hosts , zep. . , . this shall they have for their pride , because they have reproached & magnified themselves against the people of the lord of hosts . the lord will be terrible unto them . they in their pride lift up themselves , and magnifie themselves against the saints , as if they were a company of silly weak men , they doe not know that they are the people of the lord of hosts , therefore god threatens there that he will be terrible unto them . and thus you have the relation of the church to god , revealing himselfe in this name , the lord of hosts , yet marke further , the relation that god hath to them in this his name : as . the lord of hosts is the portion of his church , jer. . . the portion of jacob is not like them , hee is the former of all things , the lord of hosts is his name . wherefore if there be any thing in the lord of hosts , that can doe them good , they may challenge it , for god the lord of hosts , is their portion , they may make use of all that is in him for their good . . hs is their redeemer : that you have in the text , our redeemer , the lord of hosts is his name . the lord undertakes the redeeming of his people under this title of his , on purpose that the multitude , the greatnesse , the fury of their enemies might not daunt them . your redeemer is not one that cannot save , he is the lord of hosts , and one you may certainly confide in , for he is the holy one of israel . . he is the pleader , yea the through pleader of the cause of his people . jer. . . their redeemer is strong , the lord of hosts is his name , he shall throughly plead their cause , that he may give rest to the land , and disquiet the inhabitants of babylon . god hath begun to plead the cause of his people already , and hee hath shewne himselfe the lord of hosts in it , but hee hath not yet throughly pleaded their cause as he meanes to doe ; when he shall doe that , he will then give rest to the land , and disquiet the inhabitants of babylon . this work will cost the inhabitants of babylon deare ; they were never so disquieted amongst us as they are at this day . they have troubled the saints , and god now troubles them , but will yet disquiet them more ; although they thinke to defend themselves by gathering armies , yet the lord of hosts shall disquiet them , and give rest to his people : there remaines yet a rest for the people of god , even in this world . . the lord of hosts is the husband of his church , and this is the most neare and sweet relation of all . esa . . , , . feare not , &c. for thy maker is thy husband , the lord of hosts is his name . the lord hath called thee as a woman forsaken , grieved in spirit , when thou wast refused , saith thy god. alas , saith the church , i am a poore desolate widow , a woman forsaken and grieved in spirit , every one neglects me , i am rejected of all . well , sayes god , i took thee when thou wert thus forsaken to be my spouse , i have marryed thee to my selfe , therefore now feare not , i am the lord of hosts , the god of the whole earth . surely a generall if he hath the heart of a man in him , he will fight for his spouse , he will not suffer his spouse to be ravished before his eyes . what sayes ahasuerus concerning haman , will he force the queen before my face ? vile men are risen up , and they seeke to ravish the church , the spouse of the lord of hosts , and do you think he will suffer this before his face ? shall not all the armies in heaven and earth rather come together , and fight for her deliverance ? now then if all these things be thus , we have cause then to quiet our hearts in the midst of all our fears and distractions , to stand still , and see the salvation of god , the salvation that this lord of hosts is working for us . this is the businesse that i have been endeavouring , to enlarge before you the object of your faith , and to lessen the object of your feare . surely if the lord of hosts hath such a relation to his church , and the church such a relation to him , he cannot but be exceedingly provoked against any that shall meddle with his church to doe it hurt . i will give you one notable expression of his anger against such , esa . . . what mean ye that ye beat my people to pieces , and grind the faces of the poore ? saith the lord of hosts . god here speaks angerly , what am i the lord of hosts , and will you offer this ? what mean you ? as when we flie upon a man in anger , ( whom we see doth things to our prejudice , or the prejudice of any neer to us , in an absurd maner ) we say , what doe you mean to do thus ? what are you mad ▪ doe you know what you doe ? doe you know who they are you thus abuse ? from all these gracious expressions of this lord of hosts to the comfort and encouragement of his people , the result is that in the . of esay , . say not , a confederacy to them that say , a confederacy ; oh ! many of their forces are joyned together ; feare not their feare , but sanctifie the lord of hosts himselfe , and let him be your feare , and let him be your dread . the name of god is a strong antidote to drive feare out of the hearts of the weakest . upon what we have seene in this title of god , we may well say to the fearful in heart , be strong , feare not , as we have it isa . . . let women and all such as are naturally feareful , take heed of sinfull feare . the fearfulnesse of women hanging about their husbands , and children , and friends , crying out when they should goe forth in this service , and going up and down wringing their hands , and making dolefull outcries , may do abundance of hurt , exceedingly hinder the work that the lord hath now in hand . let women take heed they be not hindrances , but let them learne to exercise faith and take spirit to themselves , that they may further their husbands , children , and friends in this work of the lord of hosts . marke that scripture , pet. . . yee are the daughters of sarah so long as you do well , and be not afraid with any amazement . yee would all willingly be accounted the daughters of sarah . observe how the holy ghost puts it upon this , that you be not afraid with any amazement : it may be nature may cause some feare , but grace must keepe it that it be not with any amazement . why is it thus put upon this ? as abraham is most commended for his faith , and so by beleeving wee are the children of abraham , so it seemes sarah his wife in those difficulties that abrabam went through , she was no hinderance but a furtherance to him , she did not cry out to him , why will you leave your fathers house , and all your kindred , and go up and downe in a strange country in the middest of dangers and many straits ? no , but shee rather was a helpe to him , and an encourager of him : so saies peter , who speaking to christians who lived in troublesome and dangerous times , you shall shew your selves the daughters of sarah , if you have such a spirit as sarah had , not to be afraid with any amazement , not through your inordinate feare , either hinder your selves , your husbands , or any other in the service of the lord. if god call you or them to suffer , you must not through feare pull backe , but go on with courage undauntedly , then you are indeed the daughters of sarah . and that a spirit may be put even into women in these times that call for all to be above sinfull feares , let them consider these three things . first , the first time that ever any speaking to god called him by this name the lord of hosts , it was a woman , and that was hannah , sam. . . shee vowed a vow , and said , o lord of hosts if thou wilt indeed looke on the affliction of thine handmaid , &c. secondly , one of the principallest psalms wherin this title of the lord of hosts is most magnified , is a psalme tuned to that musical instrument that virgins and women use to play on , from whence the psalme hath its title , a song upon alamoth , ps . . which is as much as a song upon the virginals : for the hebrew word comes of a root that signifies to hide , and so we formerly made use of it : but from thence because virgins used to be covered and hidden , hence gnalamoth signifies virgins , and here used for the musical instrument of virgins . virgins and women it seems had wont to sing this psal . and play to it upon the instrument . now it is supposed that their hearts should be some way sutable to what they sung & played , & here they rejoycingly sing , the lord of hosts is with us , the god of jacob is our refuge , ver . : and again , the lord of hosts is with us , the god of jacob is our refuge , ver . . besides other passages , yea almost all the same tending this way . . the most brave expression of a strong , valiant spirit , triumphing over enemies in time of battel , is from a woman , jud. . . it is the speech of deborah , o my soul , thou hast trodden down strength . as if she should have said , they come with a great deale of strength , that they think to prevail with , but to me all their strength is but as the dirt in the streets , my soul is above it ; though my body be weak , yet o my soul , thou hast troden down strength . where have we a braver expression of a more raised spirit either in scripture amongst any of the lords valiant ones , or in humane story amongst any of the great captaines and conquerours that ever were ? i cannot but repeat it again , o my soule , thou hast trodden down strength . let not women then so complain of their weaknes , as thereby to think to excuse their sinfull feares . i will give you a notable speech comming neer this from another woman that ecclesiasticall story records of , one julitta ; there are many famous things recorded of her , but this speech of hers to other women of her acquaintance is most remarkable , cease to accuse ( sayes she ) the fragility of the foeminine sexe , what ? are not we made of the same matter that men are ? yea after gods image are we made as wel as they . god did not use flesh to make women of , in token of infirmity : we are bone of his bone , in token we must be strong in the living god. if the spirit of the lord of hosts were with you , even you may daunt your enemies . you may make such preparations for your own defence , as not to let your lives go at a cheap rate , but that the losse of every one of yours may cost the life of one of them at least . even you may cast shame upon them . if there were such a spirit in you , they would fly before women , for their spirits are base and vile . if god be the lord of hosts , if he hath such wonderfull workings of his providence in wars and battels , hence in all war and battels there is some speciall thing of god to be looked at . surely this great lord of hosts doth not use to raise war , to go into the field for nothing ; there is some great thing aimed at , especially where he appears in more then an ordinary way ; as certainly he doth in these wars of ours . we should not hearken after or speake of warres onely as matter of news , but observe what the way of god is in them , what his aim looks to in ordering of them , what his intentions work at , how he brings his own ends to passe , & furthers his glory by them . whosoever lives to see the issue of these great stirs and warlike commotions amongst us , shall see that god had a hand in them to bring great things to passe , that the mercy he intended for us was worth all the trouble these have brought upon us , yea all the bloud , the most precious bloud that hath been shed amongst us . god hath many promises to his churches to accomplish , many prophecies to fulfil , many glorious things to declare , many mercies for his saints to bestow , & these stirs amongst us wil make way for all . we have had much mercy from god on free-cost ; that mercie that is to come , it may be is of an higher nature ; therefore god intends it shall be more costly to us , it may cost many of our lives ; but we or our posteritie shall see that when it comes it wil pay for all . that this lord of hosts had great thoughts of heart for the good of england when he raised these civil wars amongst us , though it be the sorest judgement , yet it may make way to the greatest mercy . it is our duty diligently to observe how god works in his providence to the attaining such ends of his . . god is the lord of hosts . hence know from whence it is that we have enjoyed so much peace as we have , with the comfortable fruits of it ; it is from the lord of hosts , who hath all power in his hands , to keep off or bring war as he pleaseth . it it is he alone that hath kept off from us those hideous things others have suffered ; it is from him that we have not all this while wallowed , not sweltred in our bloud ; that our garments have not been rowled in bloud , as our brethrens have ; but we have enjoyed our houses , beds , tables , wives , children ; we have had all comforts for soule and body about us . micah . . they shall sit every man under his vine , and under his fig-tree , and none shall make them afraid . from whence is this ? the words following wil tell you , the mouth of the lord of hosts hath spoken it . the vines and fig-trees we have sate under , have not beene empty vines , nor barren fig-trees to us ; we have not onely had refreshment from the shadow of them , but much comfort from the fruit of them . it was this lord that promised to israel that he would cause their enemies not to desire their land , when they went up to jerusalem to worship . what a mercy is it for us to be as gedeons sleece , dry , when all about us have been wet , not with dew , but with blood ? these beginnings of wars tell many countries and shires in england , what a blessing peace vvas , vvhich they never understood before . peace is sweet and good , but let us take heede we buy not our peace too deare . . this name of god shews us how neerly it concerns all people in times of wars , to seeke to make up their peace with this god. when we goe forth to war against our enemies , vve had need take heed that god be not our enemy too ; if hee be , all our armies and power we can raise are to little purpose to help us . let us deale vvisely for our selves , to make sure that he fights not against us . if this be not done , against whomsoever else vve fight , vve fight with infinite disadvantage . now we must seek to make our peace with him , by our unfained-humiliations before him , and our sincere reformations in turning to him . for the first , we are loth to humble our selves before our enemies ; this we think is our shame . let us humble our selves before this god , this is our glory . you make fortifications , and in that you doe well ; but except you adde thereunto humiliations , it will be to little purpose . esay . , , &c. ye made a ditch also betweene the two walls for the water of the old poole , but ye have not looked to the maker thereof . it follows , and in that day did the lord god of hosts call to weeping , and to mourning , and behold , joy , gladnesse , killing oxen , drinking wine . this was revealed in mine eares by the lord of hosts , surely this iniquity shall not be purged till you dye , saith the lord of hosts . mark , three times in that verse is mention made of the lord of hosts . he takes special notice of this . and the rather should wee get our hearts afflicted and humbled under the mighty hand of this god , because our adversaries are so proud , because of that high hand of pride and blasphemie that they goe forth withall against god. there is no such stratagem of war like this to get the advantage of our adversaries , in this very thing . doe we heare of their pride and blasphemies ? let our hearts be the more humble before the lord ; let us labour so much the more to sanctifie the name of this holy god , whose name the angels celebrate , as holy , holy , holy , the lord of hosts , esay . . with our humiliations , let reformation , turning to this god be added . it must needs be a dangerous thing in times of wars , to carry with us , or harbour amongst us any traitors against this lord of hosts , as the truth is all sins that we retaine are . what acceptance can we then expect from him , or successe by him ? you know what trouble the accursed thing of achan caused in the camp ; it made the children of israel fly before the men of ai. if any accursed thing ( though secret ) be such a disturbance in the camp , much more accursed officers . hos . . , . even the lord god of hosts , the lord is his memoriall , therefore turne thou to thy god. zach. . . say to them , thus saith the lord of hosts , turne ye unto me , saith the lord of hosts , and i will turn unto you , saith the lord of hosts . here we have also this name of god three times , as a provocation to us to returne unto him . let us all know , and especially those who are in service in the army , the great general , the lord of hosts cals to us , he cals to you to returne to him , and promises to returne to us , to return to you . as if he should say , you have been very vile and wicked , your consciences cannot but tell you so , and i know it ; yet returne now to me , and i professe my selfe notwithstanding all that you have done , i am here ready and willing to returne to you , all shall be forgiven , as if it had never been committed . surely there is no such valour , as in a spirit cleared from the guilt and filth of sin . . this name of god shews us our duty to seek him much by prayer in times of war , and to depend upon him wholly for successe in it , for he is the lord of hosts . for the first . where should we seek for light , but in the sun ? where for water , but in the rivers ? where for heat , but in the fire ? where for valour & victory , but in the lord of hosts ? the heathens were wont to offer their sacrifices to god in times of war. hence a sacrifice hath the name hostia , because when they went against enemies , they offered it . saul thought it a very hard thing to goe forth to war , not having offered sacrifice before . sam. . . therefore said i , the philistines will come down now upon me to gilgal , and i have not made supplication unto the lord : i forced my selfe therefore and offered a burnt offering . when jehosaphat heard of an army comming out against him , before he would goe out to battail , he set himselfe to seek the lord , chron. . . he gave his whole selfe , so the words are . moses his hands lift up in prayer , and joshuahs stretched forth in the battel , makes a victorious army : our prayers are our guns , saith luther . prayer hath done mighty things in battels . the praying christians in marcus aurelius his army , were called the thundring legion . sozomen and nicephorus tel us that theodosius by prayer made the weapons of enemies turne upon themselves . i am sure it hath done as great things . one of the strangest victories that ever was heard of , was that we have recorded numb . . . they slew five kings of midian , they slew all the males , and all the women that had known man , and burnt all their cities , and took booty six hundred thousand , and seventy and five thousand sheep , and threescore and twelve thousand beeves , and threescore and one thousand asses , and thirty and two thousand women that had not known man , ver . , , , . now here was the wonder of this battel , that in all this great victory the children of israel lost not one man , for so saies the text plainly , ver . . thy servants have taken the summe of the men of war which are under our charge , and there lacketh not one man of us . and mark what was done when they went forth to this battel , ver . . the holy instruments and the trumpets sounded in the hands of eleazar the priest . it was an ordinance of god amongst them , that the priests should sound with the silver trumpets , when they wentforth to battail , numb . . . which was observed here , and see what a victory was obtained . an army of prayers is as strong as any army of men whatsoever ; yea one man praying may do more then many men fighting . elisha hath his sword to slay , as well as jehu and hazael . king. . , , . when elijah thought there was no help , yes , saith god , goe and anoint hazael , and jehu , and elisha . as if hee should say , i have armies in the field , he that escapes the sword of hazael , shall jehu slay ; he that escapes the sword of jehu , shall elisha slay . how should elisha slay , but by his prayers ? they will reach and cut down a great way off . that scripture is very observable , psal . . , . in salem also is his tabernacle , and his dwelling place in sion , there brake he the arrows of the how , the shield and the sword and the battel . where brake he them ? there in salem , in sion , where his tabernacle was , in the congregation of saints praying , there the arrow of the bow , the shield and the speare is broken . it is reported of the king of sweden , that as soone as he set foot in germany , he fell down to prayer to this lord of hosts , and what great things did he in a little time ? in this gods servants have the advantage of their adversaries , they can pray to the lord of hosts , the other cannot : they can blaspheme , but pray they cannot . in this they have alwayes the advantage of the hill , and the winde of their enemies , and this is a great encouragement in battaile . it puts heart mightily into souldiers that know any thing of god , to thinke that they go forth with the blessing of prayers with them , and that they have prayers continually sent up to heaven for them . at that great fight neere banbury , october . when many ranaway , those that were left fell on with courage , and gave a mighty shout , now for the fruit of prayer , now for the fruit of prayer , and so their spirits were raised to more then an ordinary height , and they prevailed mightily , slaying neer ten to one . wherefore then let us be encouraged to pray ; let us strive with god in prayer , while our brethren are striving with the enemie in battel . they venture their lives for us , and endure great hardship ; shall not wee pray ? yea let us put on now with more earnestnesse , not content our selves in our ordinary way . great workings there are of god in the world , great things depend upon the successe of these wars . he is an unworthy member of church or common-wealth , who hath not an heart to pray now . now we have need of praying christians indeed . every foole can sin , and provoke gods wrath ; but men and women of choice spirits onely can pray , such as have interest in this lord of hosts . it is observable in solomons prayer , king. . three or foure times he prays against enemies , and yet he was in peace ; his time was a time of peace . if then , much more now , when vve have such raging enemies in our own bowels . and as we must pray , so we must trust ; we must relye upon this lord of hosts in all our war-like undertakings . psal . . . some trust in horses , some in chariots , but we will remember the name of the lord our god ; he is our strength , our fortitude , our shield , our buckler : cursed be the man that makes flesh his arme . our adversaries come out to us with sword and canon ; but ( though means are to be used , yet ) let us goe forth against them in the name of the lord of hosts . chron. . . we reade of the sonnes of reuben , the gadites , halfe tribe of manasses , that they were valiant men , skilfull in war , and that there went out of them forty foure thousand seven hundred and sixty : here a compleat army of skilfull warriors , yet they rusted not to their strength or skill , but ver . . they cryed unto the lord , and he was intreated of them because they trusted in him . there must be depending upon god added to crying unto god ; wee must so cry to god as to make account here is good to be done , here is our strength and helpe when all is done . it was a notable speech that josephus reports herod made to his souldiers , it came from the mouth of a herod , but it well beseeme the mouth of the most godly christian captain , some may say , sayes he , our cause is just , but we are few and weak ; where truth and justice is , there is god , and where god is , there wants neither multitude nor fortitude . it was an observation of origen , that others since have observed , that god in all the victories he gave his people to possesse them of canaan , he never used the help of horses . the adversary had horses and chariots , both the egyptian and the canaanites ; but gods people had none . wel , if our enemies should exceed in horses , ( which yet we hope they shall not ) but of that they boast ; yet let us look higher : we may have canaan , though we should want horses . after all our endeavours , then must all be referred to this lord of hosts . it was a most brave expression of a valiant commander of joab , sam. . . be of good courage , let us play the men for our people & for the cityes of our god , and the lord do what seemeth him good . from this glorious name of god , we learne how infinitely fit it is that those who have a speciall interest in this god , who have him to be their god , their father , that they should have spirits full of courage , and fortitude ; such a spirit as beseems the servants , much more children of such a god whose they are , whom they serve . god loves to see the impression of his spirit upon these who are his . he is a god of wisdom , he loves to see the shine of his wisdom upon the spirits of his saints ; he is an infinite holy god , he delights to see the lustre of his holinesse glorious upon them . he is the lord of hosts , he loves to see a spirit of valour , a spirit of magnanimity in them . what captain , what souldier of renown , but delights to see his children and alliance , those who challenge any interest in him to be valiant ? it is reported of manlius torquatus his son , that having by a spirit of valour overthrown the enemies of the romans , and killed with his own hands a man of note in single combat , being full of joy , hee seeks out his father who was the general of the army , bearing in his hands the spoiles of his enemies , and saying aloud : father behold the cause why i may be esteemed your son . if we have a spirit of courage sutable to our father , we may with more comfort and better acceptance come to this lord of hosts to be acknowledged for his children ; but otherwise we shall be a dishonour to him . we read of alexander the great , who having a souldier in his army of his name that was a coward , he comes to him & bad him either change his name or be valiant : if alexander thought it a dishonour to him to have one of his name to be a coward , he would have thought the dishonour much more if he had had one of his blood , his own childe a coward . what an unworthy thing were it for the son of such a brave warrior as the k. of sweden was to be of a low , mean poor , cowardly spirit ? hee would be a reproach to his father , and the very mention of his father would be a reproach to him . christians , do not you professe god to be your father ? do you not know your father is the lord of hosts ? where are your spirits of magnanimity and fortitude , of courage and valour , beseeming the children of such a glorious father the lord of hosts ? if you be of the right breed , you must needes be generous ; it is impossible but you should have something of his spirit in you ; if you be of low , unworthy , sensuall , cowardly spirits , you are not begotten of him ; god hath no children but they have some beam of every excellencie of his that such creatures are capable of . now this is the question , what have you of the spirit of this great god ? the spirit of the devil , although it be a proud spirit , yet it is a base cowardly spirit . if you resist the devill he will fly from you . the truth is , all the men in the world have vile spirits , gods children are men of another spirit . god breeds up all his children to bee souldiers , there are none in heaven but were bred souldiers , & as they grew up were brought up in military discipline . many nations bring up their children to be soldiers , from their tēder yeers they discipline them this way : the parthians bring up their children in teaching them the use of the bow , the scythians in the use of the dart , the germans in the use of the speare . all gods children are here members of the church militant , it is fit for them to be skilful , not onely in the use of the spirituall armour , but of bodily also . who so fit to be used in the battels of the lord , as they who have most interest in the lord ? who so fit to venture his body to the sword in time of war , as he that can give his body to the fire in time of peace ? isay . . souldiers whom god chooseth for his battails are called his sanctified ones , an honourable title given to souldiers , gods sanctified ones , and who so fit to be gods sanctified ones , set apart for such services , as those who are sanctified by his spirit , set apart for himself eternally ? the valour of that people , the gaules , was admired by the romans ; it proceeded from that instruction they had from their druides , of the immortality of the soul . those are fittest to venture their lives in fight , who are able to see beyond life , to see what is on the other side of the shore of this mortality , even eternall life and glory : all the saints , especially in these days , should be ful of spirit , strong in the might of the lord , because jesus christ is about to pul down that great enemy of his , that man of sin , and in his conquest , he is said to come with his garments dipt in blood , apoc. . now that true spirit that beseemes one who hath this lord of hosts to be his father , is . a spirit that scornes to be base , he wil not be a slave to the devill , or any lust of his own or other mens , he thinks himself too good for sin . if you set one that has the spirit of a soldier in him to drudgery , he scornes it ; he thinks himself above any such imployment ; he has the true spirit of a souldier , that has got the victory over himself . in this every souldier of this lord of hosts , hath a spirit above the great renowned souldiers of the world , alexander , pompey , themistocles , &c. they were all vassals to their lusts . and although he be willing to serve men under god , yet he will never be a slave to their lusts , but will maintain the liberty of a man and a christian to himself and posterity . philo judaeus reports of a heathenish people , who in their wars , used onely this expression to put spirit into their souldiers , estote viri , libertas agitur , be men , your liberty is in question . but what is this bondage , that the spirit of a christian will not , should not beare ? there is a naturall slavery , that as a man , he should not , he wil not be subject to , that is in these . things . . to give up his own propriety in what he hath , so as whatsoever god and nature hath given him should not be his own , but wholly at the will of another . . subjection to that government , that he no way either by himselfe or others hath ever yeelded consent unto , neither is bound to by the law of god in his word , nor by the law of nature . . to be in such a condition as that whatsoever service he doth , he shall receive nothing for it by way of justice , but meerly out of favour , this is slavery which an ingenuous spirit cannot beare . and as a christian , he will not subject his conscience to any , but reserves that to doe his homage unto god by it . a spirit of the right breed though it foresees dangers in the cause of god , yet it can and doth resolutely encounter with them . that speech of esther was a speech that came from a brave spirit , though a woman , if i perish , i perish ; but it was a fruit of fasting and prayer . ay , that is the way to get a spirit of courage indeed . the like we have of the three children in daniel , chap. . . o nebuchadnezar , we are not carefull to answer thee in this matter ; behold , our god whom we serve , is able to deliver us out of thine hand , o king : but if not , be it known unto thee , o king , that we wil not serve thy gods , nor worship thy golden image which thou hast set up . that famous expression of paul hath the like true christian valour sparkling in it , when it was prophesyed that he should be bound at jerusalem , at which many of the saints with him fel on weeping , why do you weep and break my heart ? sayes paul : i am not onely ready to be bound at jerusalem , but to dye for the name of christ . that expression that is recorded of ignatius is famous likewise in this kind ; it is in an epistle of his to the congregation of trallis , let the fire , the gallows , the devouring of wild beasts , the breaking of bones , the pulling asunder of my members , the bruising or pressing of my whole body , and the torments of the devill or hell it self come upon me , so that i may win christ jesus . here was one that had the spirit of the lord of hosts in him . the like had luther , when he said , if all the tyles of the houses of the city of wormes were devils , he would go thither , knowing he was called by god to witnesse to the truth there . this resolutenesse of spirit manifests it self in dangerous times , in a readinesse to joyne with our brethren in difficult services , wherein there is much hazard and trouble . a man of a true raised spirit , that hath true courage in it , will not see his brethren in hot services , and let them alone in them to shift out as well as they can ; for his part he is loth to meddle or stir , he may bring himselfe into trouble when he needs not , no , he will not , you cannot bring him to it : to such men it may well be said as moses to the children of gad , and the children of reuben , numb . . . shall your brethren goe to war , and shall ye sit here ? why shall they encounter with dangers , and suffer hard things , and you sit still and have your ease ? you may have shifts and pretences for this , but to you i say this day as moses to them , ver . . if ye will not joyne with your brethren , behold ye have sinned against the lord , and be sure your sin will find you out . . a spirit of valour . such a one as is indeed the spirit of a souldier of this lord of hosts ; when hardnesse , when troubles come , it is able to endure them . tim. . . as a good souldier of jesus christ , endure hardnes . many seem to be resolute before troubles come , but when they come , they cannot bear them . romanū est fortia pati , a speech of mutius scaevola : more true , christianum est fortia pati ; if part of a romane to suffer great things , much more of a christian . if you be dainty , and cannot suffer , you are not fit to be a christian ; nimis delicatus es , saith tertullian , you are too delicate . the eagle shews the generousnesse of her spirit , that though she suffers hunger , she will not make a noise , as other fowls do when they want meat ; it is not for a souldier to complain of cold , of want of a meale or two , of hard lodging , &c. from this ability of his spirit to endure hardnesse , . he doth not repent of his engagements of what he hath undertaken or done , when he meets with troubles , and many sore afflictions in his way , as the base spirit of a coward will do . that scripture exo. . . is very observable for this ; god sayes there , that he would not lead the people of israel through the land of the philistims , although that was neare ; for god said , lest peradventure the people repent them when they see war , and return into egypt . god saw they were of a low , mean spirit , though they groaned under the bondage of egypt , and cryed for deliverance , & god had delivered them with a mighty hand , yet when they met with any danger , they would begin to repent that ever they came out of egypt , and wish themselves there again . and indeed we find in the history of their being in the wildernesse , that upon every strait they were in , they began to murmur , and often said , oh that we were in egypt again : but what would they have done then if they had presently met with wars , when the spies told them of the children of anak , that they must fight with ? when they were even at the borders of canaan , they were disouraged , & were about making themselves a captain to return to egypt : these were men of a poore vile spirit , hence god sware against them , that none of them should ever come into canaan , onely caleb and joshua , who were men of another spirit , as the holy ghost testifies of them , they should go in & possesse the land . thus it is this day with us , how did we not long agoe groan under our bondage ? our liberties , our religion , our estates were almost gone , we scarce knew what was our own ; our ministers were banished , every man that departed from evill made himself a prey , superstition , oppression , cruelty prevailed throughout the land. the whole kingdome was filled with complaints , and sighs , and groans , by reason of their cruel bondage . vile men were exalted , and men of precious spirits were cast out as filth . now when wee knew no means of help , but lay down under our burdens , and were as a kingdome devoted to misery , then did the lord appeare in a glorious manner , when he saw there was no man that would stand up and help . nay such was the malady , as it seemed even to be past help . the lords owne arme hath brought salvation ; never did god more wonderfully appeare for a nation , then he hath done for us ; strange have the workings of the lord bin , and behold how great a deliverance hath he wrought , and he hath given an opportunity to this kingdom to deliver it self fully : if we have hearts , the thing is soon done . but now because some troubles arise , because we see war in our gates , how vile & unworthy are the spirits of many ? they begin to wish themselves to be as formerly , they would rather return into egypt again , we were better be as we were , we were not wont to hear the beatings of the drum , the noise of the cannon , the ratling of warlike instruments amongst us . . this strength of spirit doth so support him under the heaviest , sorest afflictions , that he will never seek to deliver himself out of them , by forsaking the cause of god , or using any shifting indirect means , but as paul told those officers that were sent from the magistrates of philippi to fetch him out of prison , acts . , , . they have cast us into prison , let them come themselves and fetch us out : in this paul shewed what a spirit he had , he stood upon an honourable way of deliverance ; the same doth every true souldier of christ stand upon , god himself hath brought me into affliction , now temptation shewes some back door to get out of it slily , nay , saies a spirit of courage , certainly i will never go out that way , let the lord come himself and fetch me out . fourthly , a spirit beseeming the childe of this great captain , aims at doing great things for god , and enjoying great things from god , although with hazard of great troubles and afflictions , rather then will sit down with small things that are to be done or enjoyed with ease and safety ; sometimes god hath high things of great consequence to bring to passe , rich glorious mercies for his churches , but great difficulties must be passed through to reach these : men of low and meane spirits look upon them as things above them , and so they mind them not much ; they had rather satisfie themselves in lower , meaner things , so they may have ease , and not hazard present comforts . it is otherwise with a true raised spirit that hath courage and magnanimity in it , such an one rejoyceth in gods highnes , as we have the expression , isay . . i have commanded my sanctfied ones , i have also called my mighty ones , even them that rejoyce in my highnesse . if god hath high things to accomplish , these sanctified ones , mighty ones , will rejoyce in this highnesse of god , contrary to that spirit of issachar , of whom gen. . , . issachar is a strong asse couching down betweene two burthens , and he saw that rest was good , and the land that it was pleasant , and bowed his shoulder to beare , and became a servant to tribute : he was loath to hazard his peace , hee had good farms , a fat soile , he had rather live in the countrey , bring up his cattell and be quiet , though he payes great taxes , and be brought to be very servile , yet that he may not be troubled , his spirit can beare that servility ; let who will minde great things , he loves to be quiet : this was a low , poore spirit , and his posterity were for the generall very unworthy and vile : for you shall finde in the division of the land of canaan that issachars lot fell in galile , josh . . from the . ver . to the . the description of their lot there from the cities , as jesreel the first , and the out-goings of their border were at jordan , shews galile was their place . now you know what was said of that place , doth any good come out of galile ? usually it is so , the posterity of men of servile spirits , are vile , and lewd . . difficulties are so far from disheartning men of courage , that they raise their spirits ; they love a busines the better when they hear some difficulty is to bee passed through , as alexander said when he met with a great danger , here is periculum par animo alexandri , here is a danger fit for the spirit of an alexander . the example of david in this case is very remarkable in sam. . when sauls servants told david that he might be the kings sonne in law , david was troubled at it , and did not seeme to entertain the motion , ver . , . but when they after told him of the termes upon which he should have this honour put upon him , that it was to bring an hundred of the foreskins of the philistims , ver . . which was a work of difficulty and hazard , for on sauls part it was propounded on purpose to be a snare to him , for so sayes the text , saul thought to make david fall by the hand of the philistims ; now marke , ver . . when sauls servants told david these things , it pleased david well to be the kings sonne in law : that which he seemed to be troubled at , when it was propounded absolutely , that he is well pleased with , when it is propounded with such a condition as had some difficulty in it , wherby he had an opportunity to shew forth the excellencie of his spirit : a base low spirit would have beene better pleased with it to have had such a thing without any such condition . it is reported of the lyon , that such is his spirit , as if he meetes with a prey that another hath killed before , he will not meddle with it , but he will seeke for one to kil himselfe ; if it be done to his hand , as wee say , he cares not for it , but he will have one that shall be his own , that he must doe something himselfe for it , or else it pleaseth him not . . a spirit of courage and true valour is not onely able to suffer , willing to suffer , raised by sufferings , but can rejoyce , triumph , glory in sufferings , account sufferings in a good cause great riches . when we sit at home by our fire sides , and have our tables furnished with varietie of dishes , and goe to our soft beds , and have the curtains drawne close , we pitty poore souldiers that now lye abroad in the stormes , upon cold earth , who drinke water , and often want bread , yea many that might have fulnesse enough at home : but that warlike spirit of theirs is above these things ; they can rejoyce in their hardships , as much as you in all your abundance . they think their lives more comfortable then yours , because they are in service for the publique ; they have opportunity to doe worthily in their generations ; and you , what do you doe ? you sit at home , and have your ease , and pamper your selves , and doe nothing ; they would not by any meanes live your lives . a true souldier like spirit is in his true element when he is in the midst of all the hardships of warres , he loves to live and dye in such a condition . thus the apostle , a true souldier of christ , rom. . . we glory in tribulations . moses accounted the reproach of christ greater riches then all the treasures of egypt , heb. . . ignatius hath this expression , he had rather be a martyr then a monarch : when he heard his bones crash between the wilde beasts teeth , now , sayes he , i begin to be a christian , cruaelitas vestra est gloria nostra , sayes tertullian to the persecutors , your cruelty is our glory . many of the martyrs prepared themselves for their sufferings , as brides use to prepare themselves for their bridegroomes , with joy and gladnesse of heart . the wounds they receive in the cause of christ have more glory issue forth from them then blood ; they are an ornament to them , they put a beauty upon them . they account it far better to lose for god , then to enjoy for themselves ; that part of their estates they part with in a good cause , they account the best part of their estates ; they account themselves more rich in that , then in what they still retaine . heb. . . they take joyfully the spoiling of their goods . the reason of all is , because their spirits are raised above creature-comforts , their happinesse consists not in them , they are not beholding to them for their peace and joy , they can finde matter of joy in the parting with them , as well as in the having them , through that divine principle of holinesse that god hath put into them . . a spirit of true courage hath all its fears swallowed up in the fear of god ; it hath learned to feare nothing but god ; and in order to god , it sets the fear of god against all other fears . one man fears poverty , but i fear the god of heaven ; another fears reproach , but i fear the god of heaven ; another imprisonment , but i fear the god of heaven ; another death , but i the god of heaven : it sanctifies this lord of hosts , and makes him to be the fear and the dread of it onely . cornelius the souldier , the centurion of the italian band , is commended for his feare of god , act. . . a strange commendation of a souldier to be commended for feare , yes , for the feare of god : this drives out all base fears ; by this he comes to fear nothing else , but to be feared by his enemies . . he reserves all his valour for this lord of hosts , he hath no valour at all for sin , there he is very fearfull , his heart shakes at the very temptation to it , and at the first risings of it : there he seems to a worldling to be a very coward . other men have spirit & valour enough for sin , ( if we may call it valour ) but none for god. this mans valour is all for god ; in his owne cause he is very flexible , he manifests little spirit ; but when the cause is gods , then his heart rises , there you may try him ; many people have passionate gunpowder spirits , soon on fire in their own cause : if they be crossed in their wils , oh how resolute are they ! they will , and they will ; they care not , they care not what becomes of them , as if there were no such men and women of resolution like them ; but in gods cause they have no such spirit , they are far enough from resolutenesse and courage there , they are not valiant for the truth , as jer. speaks , chap. . . but it is our wisdome , if we have any metall in us , any spirit of courage , not to lavish it out in mean and unworthy things , in our own causes , but to reserve it for god , god may call us to such things as we may find need of all the metal and courage we have in our hearts , though it were much more then it is . when soldiers have but a little powder , and feare an enemie , they will not spend that they have vainly , but keep it till they have use of it ; they know not what they may need . be not you so presently on fire ; if you be crossed , keep the activity , the vigour of your spirits for god , for the maintenance of his truth and cause . lastly , hee had rather dye honourable , then live basely . viri fortis est aut pulchrè vivere , aut fortiter mori : it is the part of a valiant man either to live honourably , or to dye valiantly . it was a speech of cyrus , and it was a true one , one of the two he will have , the world cannot hinder him : and as things are now , if we venture our estates and lives to preserve religion , liberties to our selves and our posterity , god may , and we hope he will give us our lives , religion and liberties , and so we may enjoy them with comfort and honour : of if our estates and lives should be lost , suppose the worst , they wil be lost honourably : the losse of them wil be better then that enjoyment we shall have of them ( if i may at all call it an enjoyment ) that wee are like to have of them , if nothing now be ventured ; what will our estates or lives be worth , if our religion be gone , faithful ministers be gone , the saints be fled , imprisoned or massacred ? when our liberties are gone , our lives then wil hardly be worth the account of the lives of men , much lesse of christians . he must needs be very greedy of a life , that desires it upon such terms . wee reade of anchises , aeneas his father , when aeneas would have saved his life in such a way as he judged not to be honourable , he makes this answer to him , absit ut excisa possim supervivere troja , god forbid that i should out-live troy. if it be spoiled , what is my life worth ? wil our lives be worth the taking up in the streets , if we out-live our religion and liberties ? put all these together , and here is a spirit indeed beseeming our relation to this lord of hosts : had wee such spirits , how comfortably may we passe this our pilgrimage ? we might goe through all difficulties and oppositions , conquering and to conquer . the world and devil would have little heart to meddle with us , we should free our selves from many temptations , we should honour our profession , we should do god abundance of service , & at last have an abundant entrance into the everlasting kingdome of our lord and saviour jesus christ . an army of such soldiers would be the most glorioos sight in the world . we reade of the suns standing stil once , and it was to behold the prowesse of joshua , that brave soldier , and to enlighten his conquests : if ever it stand stil againe , it is like it wil be to admire such a glorious sight . let the cosideration of the glory of our god in this his name , teach us to give glory to him , for all the good we enjoy by armies , it is all from him . he hath of late been exceeding gracious to our army ; he shewed himselfe indeed the lord of hosts in that batel at keynton . this was the acknowledgment both of general , captains and souldiers : never lesse of man in such a businesse , never more of god. the lord was seen in the mount ; he shewed us that it should not be by a multitude that hee would helpe us , it was by his spirit comming mightily upon a handful that were left in comparison of the adversaries . when the adversary thought , yea cryed out the day was theirs , god turned it suddenly by a mighty hand . o how free is the grace of the lord to us in this ! that scripture jer. . . is fully made good to us , israel hath not been forsaken , nor judah of his god , of the lord of hosts ; though their land was filled with sin against the holy one of israel . the fulnesse of sin in us hath not abated the fulnesse of grace in god towards us . the lord is god , the lord is god , he is the lord of hosts , holy and reverent is his nause . there have been times wherein the lord hath dealt in another manner , even with his own people : & that i may set forth unto you the fulnesse and freenesse of gods goodnesse to us in our preservation , from being delivered up to the rage of vile men : i will shew you what the severity of god in this kinde hath been towards his own people who were as worthy of mercy as we . we must not think that every particular is to be applyable to us onely in the generall ; thus far the consideration of the grievous afflictions of the church formerly , sets out gods goodnes to us in preventing such evils amongst us : so that it cannot be said it is with us as it was with them . not long after god had delivered his people out of their captivity , therein fulfilling many gracious promises to them , and they being returned , built the temple and the wals of jerusalem , there was a glorious reformation , the work of the lord went on prosperously , through many and great difficulties . yet after a little time , when antiochus rose up against them , god suffered him to prevaile exceedingly in all his warlike affaires against them . dan. . . there came a little horn , which waxed exceeding great , not onely towards the south , and towards the east , but towards the pleasant land , that is , towards the land of judea , for indeede it was a pleasant land. the word signifies decus , gloria , ornamentum , towards the glory and ornament of the whole world . so was that countrey especially in regard the worship of god had beene newly set up againe in that countrey : yet antiochus comes against it , and waxeth great for a while , although at first he was but a little horne , for he was a younger brother , and had beene a prisoner not long before in rome , but now having got liberty and some command , he rageth especially against the people of god , ver . . he waxed great even to the host of heaven . here the church is called the host of heaven ; howsoever despised by the world , yet this lord of hosts accounts his church the host of heaven , and yet antiochus waxeth great against this . we have many through gods mercy in our host , godly and faithfull , but we presume not to give it this title that god gives his people , the host of heaven , and yet god suffers the enemie to prevaile against that host , and is pleased to magnifie his mercy to ours , to give them so great a deliverance , yea so to prevaile against that , as to cast down some of the host , and of the starres down to the ground , and to stamp upon them . he prevailes as if now he had power over the heavens , to pull down the starres , and to stamp upon them . the more eminent any are , the more is he enraged ; if they be starres in this heaven , if he can get to them , he puls them down and stamps upon them . oh the rage of our adversaries against the most eminent ministers of our kingdome ! they stamp for anger that they have them not , and if they had them , how would they stamp then ? that which one antiochus did there , many atheists and papists would gladly doe amongst us if they had power ; but this lord of hosts delivers us in mercie from them : yea , ver . . he magnifies himselfe even to the prince of the host , to this lord of hosts , he sets himselfe against him . oh! what rage even against god himselfe ? what horrid blasphemies are there against this prince of the host of his people ? but although he doth magnifie himselfe and blaspheme , surely he can never prevaile against the prince of this host : yes , he is suffered for the present to take away the daily sacrifice , and to cast down the place of his sanctuary , and ver . . an host was given him against the daily sacrifice by reason of transgression , and cast it down the truth to the ground , and it practised , and prospered , upon which the people of god were exceedingly troubled , ver . . one saint speakes to another saint asking this question , ( with hearts full of sorrow enough , god knowes ) how long shall the vision be concerning the daily sacrifice , and the transgression of desolation , to give both the sanctuary and the host to be troden under foote ? here you see that for any to set himselfe against gods worship , is to set himselfe against god himselfe , proud malicious adversaries , especially aime at this , and god here suffered the adversary to prevaile even against this ; god proceedes against his people for their transgression , an host comes upon them ; yea , the text sayes , if we observe it , that an host was given him against the daily sacrifice , by reason of transgression : antiochus had never been able to raise such an host , had it not beene for the transgressions of gods people ; yea so far was god provoked with the transgression of his people , as that hee suffered this host raised against them , to cast downe the truth to the ground , to practise and to prosper . we have cause to lay our hands upon our hearts , to acknowledge our transgressions as great as any they were charged with ; and yet although god hath thus far chastised us as to raise an host against us , yea such a one ( so many of them being papists , and such horrid blasphemers ) as we have cause enough to feare they would take away the daily sacrifice , and cast down so much of the sanctuary as is built up already , and even cast down the truth to the ground , but oh the riches of the infinite goodnesse of our gracious god! he hath not suffered them , he hath turned the rage of man to his praise , hee hath wrought gloriously for us , he hath delivered us out of their power , ( although many of our brethren suffer hard things ) we may yet have the daily sacrifice and the sanctuary , that is , the true worship of god amongst us if we will , yet the truth is preached in our congregations , it is held forth in the beauty and excellencie of it , it is not cast down to the ground , they indeed have practised , but through gods mercy to us they have not prospered , this is of the lord of hosts , let this glorious name of his bee magnified by us for ever . yea , yet further , for the setting out mercie to us , that glory may be given to this lord of hosts , consider what the holy ghost sayes , ver . , , . of this . chap. concerning gods taking advantage against his people for their sins , which hee hath not done against us , as it appeares this day . when the transgressors are come to the full , a king of fierce countenance , one of an extream bold daring spirit , a prince that will venture upon such desperate things , as few princes in the world would dare to venture upon the like ; if any of his nobles or others come before him and speake any thing to him not agreeable to his designes , he lookes with a fierce countenance upon them , his countenance shewing the extreame fiercenesse of his spirit : hence it was that his name was changed from epiphanes to epimanes , for his fierce cruelty : but beside his fiercenesse , he shall carry things subtilly too , he shall be one that understands dark sentences ; by his wit and subtilty , and by the help of those about him he shall make such expositions of darke things , as a man would wonder at it , no man could have thought that such things could have beene pickt out of passages as he shall pick up , and by this he shall bee able to put such a colour upon the foulest things , as they shall appeare very specious to many . and his power likewise shall be mighty , god will suffer him to grow to a great strength , but not by his own power , so sayes the text , although you could not see how he could raise any such power of his own , yet he shall have a great power , he shall have money , ammunition , strength , from forreigne princes , or as some would have it , god himselfe shall give power to him , beyond what he hath of his own . surely if the power against the church be gods rather then the adversaries own , then the power for deliverance of the church must be acknowledged to bee gods rather then our own , but i rather take the former sense to be the intent of the holy ghost in that place . it follows , he shall prosper and practise , he shall not be alwayes consulting , demurring , delaying , but he shall bee doing , and thereby he shall prosper : the word is faciet , he shall doe something , the prosperous successe of war depends much upon action . alexander was asked , how he did so great things in so little a time ? he answered , by neglecting no advantage . i have read of charles , the sonne of charles duke of anjou , who was king of sicily and jerusalem , he was called carolus cunctator , that is , charles the delayer , but not in that sense that fabius , who was the shield of rome in his time , he was called likewise cunctator , but that was because he used to stay till opportunity came , but the other used to stay till opportunity was lost , antiochus was no such cunctator , stayer till opportunity was lost , he practised and so prospered ; and because he prospered , therefore he stil further practised . but when he saw delaying , and gaining time might advantage him , then hee would seek to put off , and spin out time as much as he could . there is a famous story of pompilius , being sent by the senate of rome to this antiochus , to declare to him the pleasure of the senate , that he must not goe to egypt ; antiochus now requires time to deliberate , but pompilius makes a circle about him with the staffe he had in his hand , and told him he must not goe out of that circle , til he had given his absolute answer , i or no : but antiochus would faine have put him off with a complement , but pompilius rejects his complement , and bids him answer speedily , otherwise he knew what to doe . these speedy resolutions are of mighty advantage in many of the great affaires of the world , esecially when we have to deale with cunning adversaries , who lye to catch advantages . the text farther sayes , he shall destroy wonderfully , he shall make such spoile of faire plentifull countries , make such waste where he comes , leave all so poore and miserable , as will be a wonder for any to see it , who knew the countrey in the plenty and riches of it , but a few weeks before he came into it , yea he shall destroy the mighty and the holy people , men of brave spirits , even gracious , godly men , and stout , valiant men , yet they shall fall before him : and ver . . through his policie also he shall cause craft to prosper in his hand : if there be any devices , shifts , cunning underminings , any false wayes in the world , he will make use of them , and he shall get advantage by them , and he shall magnifie himselfe in his heart . when he hath got an advantage any way , by falsifying promises , protestations , or by what means soever , it shall please him at the heart , he shall magnifie himself in his very heart , and others about him shall puffe him up , and seek to magnifie him , and by peace he shall destroy many : that is , . by promising peace , by treatles of peace , they shall think all is well , now there will be peace , and so being secure , he shall come upon them unawares , and destroy many . or . by peace , that is , by his prosperity that he shal enjoy , all shal account him happy , & thereby be ready to joyn with him ; they shal promise to themselves to be delivered from many troubles by comming in to him , surely he will have the better of it , it is best for our safety ( if we would hold our lands and estates ) to come in & joyne with him , and thus by his peace he shall destroy many . or . in pace , in peace , calvin interprets thus : in a silent quiet way he shall withdraw himselfe and his forces ; there shall not be much noise of him , but hee shall weary the forces of the other and their party , and gaine time and advantages of them . when he seems to be quiet , and comes not against them in a hostile way , even then shall he destroy many , yea hee shall stand up against the prince of princes . he shall not acknowledge the majesty , the power of god , he shal set himself against those waies of providence that are apparently against him , howsoever he will not see it ; but then sayes the text , he shall be broken without hand . god himself in some wonderfull way that you know not of shall break him , when all means faile , and all people shall be afraid that all will come to ruine and misery , then shall he be broken without hand . vve complaine much of sad things that we suffer , but we suffer not such things as the people of god , so deare unto him , suffered in those times . our sins cry as loud as theirs for the like miseries ; but god is free in his grace . it is from the lord of hosts that we are preserved from such fearful evils as these . it may be some may say , why , are we in any danger of such miseries as the jews suffered under antiochus ? if bloody papists , and cursing and blaspheming cavaliers might have their wils on us , our miseries would soon parallel theirs , if not rise above them , seeing so many of them are got together , and they are growne to such a height in their rage , it is onely from this great lord of hosts that they break not in upon us as a deluge of the most hideous woes , and dreadful miseries that ever befel any christian nation upon the face of the earth : but blessed be the lord , who hath not given us as a prey to their teeth . let the crown of all our mercies , and more especially of that great mercy in the late battel be set upon the head of this glorious lord of hosts . we reade sam. . , . when joab fought against rabbah , when the work was almost done , he sent to david to come and take the city , that he might have the glory of it , that the kings crowne which was of gold and precious stones might be , set upon davids head . although god hath made use of instruments in this great work , and due honour is to be given to them , yet let the crown of the work be set upon the head of the lord of hosts . i find in a treatise of plutarchs about the evill of taking honour to ones selfe , a notable relation of one pytho , who having slaine a great enemie of the countrey , whose name was cotys , whilst the officers of the people were striving who should doe him most honour , he speaks thus unto them : these things some of the gods have done ; as for us we have but lent our hands to this work . it is true , the general and many of our captains and souldiers have done worthily , but it is as true that they have onely lent their hands to this work . the lord of hosts hath done this great thing both for them and us ; if we would expresse our respects to the general , and honour him as he hath deserved , in this thing especially , we should doe it to speake well of him before this lord of hosts , and to pray much for him . it was a custome among the romans , when a victory was got , to use solemne processions for many dayes together , offering prayers and sacrifices to their gods in behalfe of their generall . the manner was , after the victory to send to the senate letters dight with laurel , wherein was required that they would decernere supplicationes , appoint such solemne supplications for the generall . the conclusion of all is , the glory of this great work must stick no where , but passe through all , to this our strong redeemer the lord of hosts . let that doxologie of the angels , esay . . be ours this day , holy , holy , holy , lord of hosts . the whole earth is full of thy glory . let our streets , our congregations , our families , our hearts be now full of the glory of this holy , holy , holy , lord of hosts . and thus you have had one part of the glory of this great name of god opened and applyed . if you will give me but a little time more , i will give you some little glimpse of the other part of this glorious name , and wind up all suddenly . god is the lord of hosts in respect of that absolute command he hath over all creatures , he hath all creatures in heaven and earth under him , as a generall hath his souldiers : the angels they are his hosts . psal . . . the charyots of god are twenty thousand , even thousands of angels , the lord is among them as in sinai . in the hebrew , the word is in the singular number the charet , to note the joynt-service of all the angels , they are but as one charet , although they be many thousands , yea myriads of thousands as we have it here , there never is any mutiny amongst these souldiers , their harmony is most blessed , their union firm , indissoluble . that which your english turns , twenty thousand , even thousands , is myriades thousands , and the word translated angels is not elsewhere found in scripture in that signification , it comes of shanah to second , as being second or next to god , the chiefe princes , the nobles of gods court , as dan. . . michael one of the chiefe princes : the seventy translates the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , the chearfull ones , who serve this lord of hosts readily , and freely , and joyfully in his wars , they derive it from the hebrew , shaan , which signifies to bee in tranquility and joy , as in sinai , that is , as god was in sinai with ten thousand of his holy ones when hee gave the law , deut. . . so he is in sion likewise , the angels gods hosts , makes sion as dreadfull to all her enemies , as those angels as appeared to god on mount sinai , made it dreadfull to the people . thus dan. . . the angel tels daniel , that he was to returne to fight with the king of persia ; god hath his angels to stand out against the great princes of the earth , they go forth to fight with them ; they often meete with terrible strokes from angels when they little thinke of them . the stars in heaven they are the hosts of god , judges . . they sought from heaven , the stars in their courses fought against sisera . the waters are gods host , they drowned pharoah in the red sea , and here , ver . . the river kishon swept away the mighty host of sisera : the windes are the hosts of god , psal . . together with the haile , and snow , there reckoned up with many others , fire , and vapour , beasts , and creeping things . livy reports of the windes in cannensi pugna , raising dust in the eyes of the romans while they went in fight that they could not see : the locusts are gods hosts , joel . . . what an host did god muster up against pharaoh ? frogs and flies , lice and caterpillers ; they were all the armies of god against him . god gave commission to the fire and it burnt up sodome ; he gave commission to the earth , and it swallowed up corah , dathan and abiram . but the chiefe thing i intend in this is to shew you the glory of god in this title of his , from this consideration . . god is glorious in this that he hath an exceeding great army : the greatnesse of an army is the glory of a generall , now gods army onely of his angels that are about him , is very great , dan. . . thousand thousands ministred unto him , and ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him . his army of locusts is called a great army , joel . . this then of the angels is much more to be esteemed a great army . . his army is exceeding strong and powerfull , and in this likewise the glory of a general consists much ; god did but send one of his captains he hath with him in heaven , and in one night he slew one hundred fourscore and foure thousand of the host of senacherib , kings . . . he hath multitudes of armies , it is the glory of a great prince to have many armies in the field at once , one in one place , another in another place , and so compassing round about his adversaries with his armies : the lord of hosts hath armies in the heavens , armies in the aire , armies in the seas , armies on the earth dispersed in every countrey , all the whole world is filled with the multitudes of the armies of the lord. . all these armies of the lord are always in a readinesse , they are prepared armies , it is but giving out the word and they fall on ; they are in battel array , evermore ready armed to doe the pleasure of their generall : no prince , no commander hath thus his armies always in readinesse ; many times when they have use of them , much time is lost in getting companies together , and in getting their arms. . gods armies alwaies accomplish what god intends by them , they alwayes prosper in their fight , they are never conquered , but effect what god sends them for . psal . . . fire , haile , snow , vapour , stormy wind , fulfilling his word : many of you mariners wil not fulfil gods word , but god when he hath you at sea he sends stormie winds , and they fulfill gods word upon you . psal . . . blesse ye the lord , yee his angels that excell in strength ; that doe his commandements , hearkning unto the voice of his word . how many men , who think themselves great , demeane themselves as if they thought themselves above gods commandments ? but the angels that excel in strength , they doe his commandments , they hearken to the voice of his word : they stand listening to heare what it is that god hath to command them , and are ready to obey . and that which is said of the angels , is true of all gods hosts , for so it followes , ver . . blesse ye the lord all ye his hosts , ye ministers of his that do his pleasure : blesse ye the lord all his works , in all places of his dominion . god sayes to one , doe this and hee doth it ; to another , come , and he commeth : yea gods armies are ready to destroy themselves in the service of their lord. the command of a generall in an armie is powerfull ; he may keep his armie from spoile if he please . plutarch in the life of pompey tels of him , that hearing of his soldiers offering violence in an unjust way , he caused all their swords to be sealed up , so as no man dared break open the seale without leave . he did more then bid them , yea more then command them that they should not spoile . . yea god forceth his enemies to fight for him , and can turn their weapons against themselves , which is a high power beyond all other captains and generals in the world . sozomen and nicephorus tell us of a great work of god in the defence of that good emperour theodosius , by a mighty wind the arrows of his enemies were turned upon them , which claudian likewise mentions , oh thou beloved so exceeding much of god , for whom the skies and the wind fight , &c. there are no other creatures but devils and men but doe readily and faithfully fight for god , and even these god forces to fight for him whether they will or no , even then when they seeme to fight most against him . as many men who say they defie the devil , yet even then are the slaves of the devil , and doe his will ; so many whose hearts and wayes are opposite to god , yet even then god useth them to fight for him , and to accomplish his own purposes . . the glory of gods infinite wisdom appeares in all his armies , in putting of them into most comely order , guiding , keeping them constantly in their severall ranks ; which order and shining wisdom in it were we able to see , it would amaze us with the lustre of it . joel . . it is said of the locusts , they shall march every one in his wayes , and they shall not breake their ranks , neither shall one thrust another , they shall walk every one in his path . to order and guide in ranks such infinite multitudes of armies , is infinitely beyond the skil of any commander upon the earth . when david psal . . was meditating upon the glory of god in his works , ver . . in the midst of his meditation he could not hold , but breakes forth with admiring expressions at gods wisdome in them all , o lord how manifold are thy works ! in wisdome hast thou made them all , the earth is full of thy riches . let our hearts be raised in our meditations of the riches of gods wisdome , appearing in marshalling all his armies . certainly if wee did look into this , and cause our thoughts to dwel upon it , it would cure us of our atheistical thoughts . how is it possible but a god must needs be acknowledged , where such admirable art and skil appeares , even in the works of nature , which they know nothing of themselves ? is it possible for any man that should see a mighty army marching along all in comely order , and yet think that all these men fell into this order meerly by accident , as they came running together ? must he not needs be convinced that here surely hath been the military art of some skilfull commanders working ? the same conviction of a god , of his wisdome must there needs be , if we saw in what order all creatures are put . . all these armies god maintains every day at his own charge , and so hath done since the beginning of the world . they live wholly upon him , and yet are not at all burdensome unto him . he is yet as rich as ever he was , as able to maintain them all as ever ; yea and many thousands more if he pleased . this surely is a great god. . god is able to put as much power as he pleaseth into the least creature , to raise it above the nature of it , so as though it be never so poore and weak in it selfe , he can make it irresistible . hence it is that god by contemptible means hath so often brought down the power , the rage , the pride of the great ones of the earth : how terrible was he to pharaoh in the very flyes ? that is observable ; whereas upon the judgement of the haile , he did but promise that he would let israel goe , exod. . . but upon gods army of flies he bids them goe , chap. . . but that place joel . is most remarkable for this ; observe what high expressions god hath of a mighty army of his , and the truth is , it was but an army of locusts and caterpillers . ver. . he calls the day of their comming , a day of darknesse , of gloominesse , a day of thick darknesse : hee cals them a great people and a strong , there hath not been ever the like , ver . . a fire devovreth before them , and behind them a flame burneth ; the land is as the garden of eden before them , and behind them a desolate wildernesse , yea and nothing can escape them : and ver . . the appearance of them is as the appearance of horses , and as horsemen , so shall they run . like the noise of chariots on the tops of mountains shall they leape , like the noise of a flame of fire that devoureth the stubble , as a strong people set in battel array . i know some interpret it of the babylonians thus described ; but if the text be looked into , wee shall cleerely see it meant of the locusts and caterpillars , therefore the expressions are metaphorical all along : as horses , as a strong people in battel array : and ver . . before their face the people shall be much pained : all faces shall gather blacknesse , even those who had impudent , brazen foreheads in wayes of wickednesse , & would not feare the mighty god , even these stout hearts shall tremble before the locusts . god will put so much terror into these poore creatures , that all faces shall gather blacknesse , they shall look swarte for feare of them . ver. . they shall run like mighty men , they shall climbe the wall like men of war : and ver . . when they shall fall upon the sword , they shall not be wounded . they shall run to and fro in the city , they shall climb up upon the houses and enter in at the windows . ver. . the earth shall quake before them , the heavens shall tremble ; the sun and the moone shall be darke , and the stars shall withdraw their shining . they shall bring so much terror with them , as even to affect the very heavens , it shall be like as if the sun and moone had lost all their light , as if there were earth-quakes in every place where they come . ver. . and the lord shall utter his voice before his armie . as commanders speak with a voice of majestie before their armies , so the lord shall utter his voice before this his army , he shall even glory to be the leader of such an armie as this ; for saith the text , his camp is very great , and strong that executeth his word : the day of the lord is great , and very terrible , and who can abide it ? all this still is the army of locusts and worms , for so it is ver . . i will restore to you the years that the locusts have eaten , the canker-worm , and the cater-piller , and the palmer-worm , my great army which i sent among you . now if god can raise to this height locusts and worms to be such a dreadful army , how dreadfull then is the lord able to make all his other great hosts ? surely a glorious lord of hosts is this god. . this great generall is himselfe the strength of all his armies , and he hath infinite strength in himselfe alone , beyond what all his armies in heaven and earth have , the power of his hosts is but a little of his power given to them ; amongst men it is otherwise , the strength of a captain a generall , is in the strength of the soldiers of the army , not the strength of the army in their captain or generall ; their wisdome and courage indeede helpes much , but their strength lyes in the army ; if the souldiers leave them , if they faile , what can the general doe ? but it is otherwise here , god gives all the strength , he supports it , he draws stout , he blesseth it , it is onely in the power of his might that any of them is able to doe any thing ; and if all their force were united in one , god hath infinitely more in himselfe without them , and can doe infinitely more by his word alone in an instant , then they can doe as long as the world stands . oh how great is this god , this lord of hosts ! to apply it in a few words . . who would not feare this god then ? job . . shall not his excellencie make you afraid ? behold here a great part of the excellencie of his name ; let it strike a reverentiall feare into our hearts . psal . . . thou art more glorious and excellent then the mountains of prey . the stout-hearted are spoiled : at thy rebuke o god of jacob , the chariot and the horse are cast into a dead sleep . then the inference , ver . . thou , even thou art to be feared , and who may stand in thy sight when once thou art angry ? . surely then it is good being on gods side , to be of his party , this is the strongest side , this certainly will have the victory . it is safest to joyn with the lord , and it is most honourable . you know what christ said to his disciples to strengthen them against feare , i could pray to my father , and he would send me twelve legions of angels . david , psal . . though alone , yet he thinks himselfe safe enough with the lord of hosts , ver . . though an host shall encampe against me , my heart should not feare ; though warre should rise against me , in this will i be confident : in what ? ver . . that the lord is his light , his salvation , and the strength of his life . if we be with the lord , we may be sure that we shall ever have with us more then against us . chron. . , . be strong and couragious , be not afraid nor dismayed for the king of assyria , nor for all the multitude that is with him : for there be moe with us then with him . with him is an arme of flesh , but with us is the lord our god , to help us , and to fight our battels . and the people , sayes the text , rested upon the words of hezekiah . here is a full object for our faith to rest upon . if we look upon god onely in this latter consideration of him as the lord of hosts , we need never feare want of souldiers , seeing all creatures in heaven and earth are his armed trained souldiers , and he himselfe is infinite in himself . oh how happy should we be , if we could in all our straits exercise faith in this lord of hosts , looking upon him in this consideration ! you will say , it is true , this lord of hosts is indeed a full object of faith , were it not that we have sorely provoked him to come out against us ; yea we are afraid he is now appearing in wrath against us . i will give you one text of scripture in such a case as this is , when your provocations of him lye heavy upon you , and it is as sweet , and full , and encouraging a scripture as any i know , zach. . . the lord had professed in the beginning of the chapter , that he had been sore displeased with their fathers , ver . . yea and it appeares by the . and . ver . that they were no better then their fathers , and ver . . it is said , the lord of hosts had had indignation against jerusalem these threescore and ten yeeres ; so that even at that present when the prophet spake to them , it seemes god was in such a way towards them , as his indignation appeared against them : but that their hearts might break , and their faith be raised ; marke what a gracious promise comes in to them even now , in this . ver . cry yet , saying , thus saith the lord of hosts , my cities through prosperity ( or through good , so the word is in the hebrew ) shall yet be spread abroad , and the lord shall yet comfort sion , and shall yet choose jerusalem . mark , here are foure yets in this ver . and they are very gracious ones , cry yet , shall yet be spread , shall yet comfort , and shall yet choose jerusalem , and all these from the lord of hosts , yea and from the lord of hosts sorely dispeased , yea although he was provoked to indignation . we have sinned , — cry yet . we have provoked wrath , — shall yet be spread . we are miserable wretched creatures , — shall yet comfort . we are unworthy , — shall yet choose . o the free grace of our god to his people ! thou troubled , distressed soule , look up to him , as making himselfe knowne by this glorious name , cry to him by this name , lord thou commandest angels , heavens , earth , seas , now let thy power worke for the good of my soule ; give commandement from heaven to this distemperd heart of mine , to yeeld to submit to thee , to these lusts that rise against thee , that they may be subdued , yea destroyed . lord , in any difficulties we finde our selves brought into , let us not be discouraged , we cannot see how antichrist should be brought downe : but revel . . . her plagues shall come in one day , he shall utterly be burnt with sire , for strong is the lord god who judgeth her . and further , it is most honourable to joyne with , to be under this generall . souldiers boast much of the power , greatnesse , magnificence of their generall ; they account themselves honoured by it . the people of god have infinite cause to make their boast of this lord of hosts , under whose banners they fight , he is their praise and their glory . psal . . god is gloriously set forth with his hosts about him . the conclusion , ver . . is this , he is the praise of all his saints : not onely objectively , because the saints are exercised in his praises ; but relatively , he is a praise and honour to his saints ; his saints glory in this , that they serve under such a commander . there are two captains in the world , under whose command all the world serve , this lord of hosts , and the devil , for he also hath his armies fighting for him , the dragon and his angels ; all wicked men are under him , and fight for him : his great lieutenant is antichrist . it is no dishonour to run from these commanders , to get under the banners of the lord of hosts . . let us honour this lord of hosts by being willing to be put into what rank he shall please , to be ordered in what place he shall appoint , and there to keep out ranks . if god wil put us in the fore-front , where there is hottest service , let us not murmur ; the hotter the service is , the greater will the reward be . we must not choose our own places . all other creatures , except the angels , are onely passive to the work of their lord in ordering them . we should be active in yeelding our selves freely to his ordering , and be well pleased with it , and keep our ranks . it is an easie matter to keep rank whilst we march along ; but when we come to fight , we shall not find it so . lastly , how dreadfull must this glorious name of god needs be to all ungodly ones , who walk on in wayes of enmity against such a god ? esay . . woe to him that striveth with his maker : let the potsheard strive with the potsheards of the earth . with what infinite indignation must god needs look upon such vile wormes , who dare resist such a glorious majesty as he is ? god can but speak to any humour of thy body , and it shall make thee lye roaring out in anguish , and grievous torture ; thy life shall be more bitter then death unto thee . this god may give commission to the next crumbe of bread , and it shall choak thee , and send thee down to hell . god himselfe is against thee , he walks contrary to thee in all his attributes . the swords point of his infinite justice is at thine heart . all the creatures of god stand ready armed against thee , and would fly upon thee , if god did but give out the word . the angels stand prepared , lord shall but one of us goe and cut off that wretch who dares presume to blaspheme thy name , to lift up himselfe against thee ? as abishai said to david , sam. . . why should this dead dog curse my lord the king ? let me goe and take off his head . the ayre cryes , lord shall i conveigh infection into his body , and poyson him ? the water , shall i stop his breath ? the fire , shall i seize on him , and burne him ? the earth , shall i open , and swallow him up ? the beasts of the field , shall we run upon him , and tear him ? thy meat , thy drink , shall we choak him , or be bane to him ? thou art in the midst of gods hosts , compassed about on every side . chron. . . when judah looked back , behold the battel was before and behind , and they cryed unto the lord. look about thee oh distressed soule , and see the hosts of the lord before thee and behind thee , and cry to the lord. certainly there is no creature neere thee , but thou hast cause to looke upon it with a shaking heart : thou knowest not but that it may be thy ruine , sent of god to cut thee off , that thou mightest go to thine owne place . certainly it cannot be but ere long some creature or other will break in upon thee , and be an executioner of gods wrath upon thee , if not prevented by thy repentance . when god awakens a guilty conscience , every creature is terrible to it , the wrath of god is seene in the face of every creature . cain cryes out , every one that meets me , will kill me . why ? who was there in the world then to kill him ? not many besides his father and mother , and yet every one will kill him : especially if it be some extraordinary work of god in the heavens , or seas , or elsewhere , as in extreame thunder , stormes and tempests , or the like : how terrible is that to such a conscience , as to caligula and others ? the prophet elisha prayed to god to open the eyes of his servant to see gods hosts about him , to deliver him from feare : my prayer is , that god would open thine eyes , that thou mayst see gods hosts about thee , that thou mayst feare : if thy eyes were open , it would be with thee as it was with those who came there against elisha , when their eyes were opened they saw themselves in the midst of samaria , in the midst of their enemies . certainly so long as god is thine enemy , all creatures in heaven & earth are thine enemies . wherefore consider how unable thou art to stand out against this glorious god ; lay down thy weapons of enmity , cry out bitterly of thy desperate folly , make it thy great work above all things in the world , to make up thy peace with him . god yet offers mercy to thee , as alexander did those he warred against , while the lamp burned : if they staid untill it was out , there was nothing but bloud expected . the lamp of thy life is stil burning ; come in that thy soule may live . there is no standing out against this god , he will have glory from thee in spight of thy heart . finis . a briefe answer to doctor fernes booke , tending to resolve conscience , about the subjects taking up of arms. by jer . burroughes . there came to my hand a book of d. fern , tending to resolve conscience in the case of the subjects taking up armes . i find it carryed on without giving any ill termes , but in saw expressions , sutable to a treatise that concernes conscience , and the more likely to prevail with it . onely now and then some bitternes breakes forth ; i shall very briefly , yet faithfully give you the strength of it : where he speakes right , i will acknowledge it ; and where he mistakes , i will fairly discusse and shew you whence the mistakes arise . i confesse he hath great advantage in the subject , because it is for the king : . because it is safer to plead for the king , though a man mistakes ; but if there be a mistake in lessening the kings right , a man endangers his utter undoing . . truth about this argument , hath alwayes been tenderly handled ; those who have pleaded for the king , have with courage vented themselves to the utmost ; but others have been forced to be silent , or else but even to whisper and speak halfe out , lest they presently meet with ( not arguments , but ) things of another nature to answer them . in which regard the power of kings hath been raised to the height , and men have drunk in such opinions of absolute power in them , as they have heard confidently affirmed , practised , and seen in books , and feeled by many taxations and censures ; but whatsoever might informe them hath layne in the darke , not daring to appeare : therefore well might the d. call what now people begin to heare , and enquire after , a new doctrine ; it is an old truth , but newly discovering it self . the name of king hath taken such impression in the hearts of people , that for a while they will be prejudiced against whatsoever may but sound of limiting his power , or maintaining our right against it . what there is in the epistle that may prejudice any mans conscience , will be answered in what follows . preamble to sect . i. so many good people that are come to a sense of religion and godlinesse , are miserably carryed away by a strange implicite saith , to beleeve whatsoever is said or done in the name of the parliament , &c. to be infallibly true and just . it seems those who have not a sense of religion , do not so easily beleeve the truth and justice of what is done in the name of the parliament . this is most certaine , who are hardest to beleeve what the parliament sayes , but papists , and notorious blasphemers , and prophane livers ? i condemne not all , but compare the generality of the one side , and of the other ; you shall finde an apparent difference in the lives of the one , from the lives of the other : yea , so it is now that if a man as heretofore were not prophane , or loose at least , or zealous for ceremonies , he was accounted a puritan ; so now a round-head , that is , in their ordinary interpretation , one for the parliament . if it be said , this is because religion is pretended on the parliaments side : so it is on the other , with as loud a cry as the parliaments . in such things where i must have regard to humane testimony , to what part i see the most that have the sense of religion to adhere , that side i will be on , except i see better grounds then yet the d. brings to draw me from it . prov. . . that thou mayst walk in the way of good men , and keepe the paths of the righteous . sect . . in this sect. these special things are considerable : . what he grants . what we grant . . what he sayes we grant . he grants we may deny obedience to the king , not onely in things unlawfull by the law of god , but by the established laws of the land. it is well this is granted ; heretofore we know this was the generall tenet , whatsoever was commanded by the king , yea by any men in authority , if but by a prelate , except it were against gods law , we were bound to obey it ; any thing that was not sinne , must be yeelded to and that for conscience sake . the d. in this is ingenuous ; he confesseth that not onely gods law , but mans law limits kings power : this is a great case to many mens consciences to know so much . and further , if this be true , that all those scriptures that urge obedience to kings and men in authority , must be understood with this limitation , that is , if they command according to the laws of god , and according to the laws of the countrey over which they are . . he sayes , in point of resistance we grant it must be in such a case where there are omnes ordines regni consentientes , an unanimous consent of the two houses . there is no determination that the greater part present of either house agrees upon , but is as truly valid and legal , as if there were an unanimous consent of them both . it is so in all bodies where things are carried by vote . . he sayes , we yeeld it must be a meere defensive resistance . if the king should send any to mischiefe us , to say , we must onely defend ourselves , so as not to offend them , is a contradiction ; as for the kings person , is it not the profession of the parl. to defend it ? therefore we neede not dispute now , about defending our selves against it . . he sayes , this likewise is granted that the prince must first be bent to overthrow religion , liberties , and laws , and will not discharge his trust , before there must be resistance . by this he would insinuate that our arms taken up are unlawfull , because the king hath not declared himselfe thus . what need we be put to meddle with any thing but this in the case in hand ? that a kingdom seeing it self in imminent danger of enemies to infringe the liberties of it , may stand-up to defend it selfe ; yea although they come forth against it in the name of the king : this is our case , and if the d. disputes against any thing but this , he sights with his own shadow . if this be case as certainly it is , then a great part of the doctors book is impertinent to the businesse of the parliaments raising forces : for forces may bee raised upon other grounds then the kings being bent to overthrow religion . sect . ii. the strength of this section , and almost all the book , is in that place of rom. . and in this place i beleeve the d. will see , or if he doth not , others will , that he is utterly mistaken in the sense of that place . the apostle sayes expresly , whosoever resists , shall receive damnation . but he doth not say expresly , whosoever resists the highest men shall receive damnation , but whosoever shall resist the power : let every one be subject not to the wills of the highest men , but to the higher power : there is a great deale of difference betweene these two : the higher power , that is , that authority that god , & man hath put upon such a man , it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , that must be subjected to , & not resisted . we professe against resisting power , authority , though abused : if those who have power to make laws , shall make sinfull laws , and so give authority to any to force obedience ; we say here there must either be flying or passive obedience ; but if one that is in authority command out of his own will , and not by law , i resist no power , no authority at all , if i neither actively nor passively obey , no i do not so much as resist abused authority . this may seeme strange at the first ; but if you thinke of it , you will beleeve it . the d. thinkes the answer to this place is onely from the limitation of the person , or the cause of resisting , as if we held that no particular men upon any cause , but states may resist upon such and such causes ; whereas we doe not answer so , but we distinguish betweene the man that hath the power , and the power of that man , and say , although the power must not be resisted according to the letter , and the sense of the text , yet the illegall will and wayes of the man may be resisted , without the least offending against the text. but we shall meete with this scripture again and again , and shall fellow it with answers accordingly . he comes to examples , as first , the peoples rescuing of jonathan from saul . he sayes , the people were in arms already , and did but use a loving violence . this example is onely brought to prove that subjects may withstand illegal commands of kings , and no further , and that it plainly proves ; onely , he sayes , it is a loving violence . well then , it is a violence ; they resolve that the kings command shall not be fulfilled , yea though hee adds an oath to it . it was indeede a loving violence to jonathan ; so is all the violence that the parliament offers , a loving violence to the kingdome , yea and there is true love to the king too in it . the king hath not yet sworn that he will have such things as the parl. will not suffer , so as to come to our cognisince ; but saul swore that he would have such a thing done , and yet the people would not suffer it to be done , and yet you dare not blame them for this , nay you commend them for it . the second example is , david resisting saul , the d. sayes , it was to save his person from cut-throats . and is not our army to save parl & people from cut-throats ? . he sayes , david did no act of hostility , but only defended himselfe . david had no authority over any that followed saul , for he was then a private man ; but our parl. hath authority over delinquents that follow the king. . david was loath indeede to venture upon a pitcht battail , or to exasperate saul or his subjects , because his strength was weake , . to a king , therefore he flies up and downe and takes not every advantage , that if it were possible he might gaine fa●our in the eyes of saul and his subjects : but if they had falne upon him , and his power had beene equall to theirs , who knowes what he would have done ? but we are sure as it is , it is defensive , and that is all it is to prove that subjects may take up arms ●o defend themselves against the injustice of their kings . for that example of david at keilah , all the answer to that is , that it is an uncertain supposition . but examine the place , you shall finde it as certain as a supposition can be ; it appeares plainly that david had some expectation that the men of keilah would have stood to him and kept oft saul comming against him , and if they would , it is apparent by the text , that david would have stood to it though saul had come against him . in the text it is as plain , as this : suppose the king were neere hull going a-against sir j. hotham , and sir j. hotham should seek to make sure of the men of hul , and enquire whether they would deliver him or not if the king came , and he should come to know that certainly they would , and upon that very ground slies away , is this now an uncertaine supposition that sir john hotham would willingly have the town stand to him , and if they would stand to him he would stay there and defend himselfe against the kings forces ? hi , last answer to davids example is , that his example was extraordinary because he was anointed to be king after saul . but yet for the present he was a private man , although god had bestowed somthing extraordinary upon him more then upon other men ; but it follows not therefore that in this case he had an extraordinary power to resist the prince : prince charls hath no more power to resist his father then the parliament hath . for the example of elisha using the kings messenger rough'y , that came to take away his head , he sayes it sayes little to the question in hand . yet he grants as much as it is brought for , that defence is lawful against sudden and illegall assaults of messengers sent by the king ; if against sudden , why not against deliberate and plotted ? for , they are worse : this is one end of the raising of the army , to prevent such assaults : if it be lawful to be done by violence by . or . when the messenger is but one , then it may be done by . or . when the messengers are . for the example of the priests thrusting out the leprous king. that which this is brought to prove , is thus much , that there may be such uncleannesse in a king , that may cause subjects lawfully to resist him , when he would doe a wicked act . the doctor sayes , first gods hand was upon him . so when god shall leave a king to some horrible way of evil , certainly gods hand is upon him then . he answers , but he hasted to goe out himselfe . but the scripture tels us , the priests likewise thrust him out ; they would not suffer him to be in the temple . the next thing in the sect. is , a similitude from the naturall body : though a member may defend it selfe against outward violence , yet no member must be set against the head , for that tends to the dissolution of the whole . if the similitude may be followed , we say , that some members are as necessary to the life of the head , as the head is necessary to the life of those members . . a kingdome may sometimes have one head , sometimes another , but so cannot a naturall body . further , he grants , personall defence doth not strike at the order and power that is over us , but generall resistance by arms ( he saith ) doth . no , it may maintain and regulate order , and there may be as little injustice on the one side as the other . but the case is not as elishaes , for the king professeth he will use no violence , and we cannot know his heart . but that example of elisha is brought to prove the lawfulnes of using force against kings in using violence : and what violence hath been already used , the world knows . page . he comes to scriptures , denying resistance : let us see what full scriptures these are . the first is , num. . . &c. the conspiracie of corah and his company against moses and aaron . it is strange that this example must be paralleld with our parl. taking up arms : was it not a most unjust and vile conspiracie , meerly out of the pride of malicious spirits ? can the d. or any man think , that in justifying arms in some case , we justifie all villanous conspiracies and out-rages ? besides , this place condemns rising up against the priest , as well as the king. yea certainly , if they had risen against the meanest officer that god had appointed in church or common-wealth , as here they did against moses & aaron , it would have bin a very hainous offence ; yea if moses himself should have thus risen against any officer appointed by god , it had bin a vile sin in him ; therefore this proves no more against subjects resisting princes , then princes resisting subjects , or one subject resisting another . further , we do not rise against his majesty , as they rose up against moses & aaron ; we desire not that he should have lesse power then god & the laws have given him , but we would preserve this in him , and keep off the stroke of any further power , so that we need not for this thing so much as examine the cause upon which they rose , whether it were supposed or not , for the case is far differing in the end of the rising . but corah and his company supposed the cause sufficient . supposed causes for any thing is not enough ; now we are not examining the truth of the cause of taking up arms , but whether they may not be taken up by the subject against the mind of the king for any cause . wel , our consciences need not be much scrupled from this scripture : let us examine the rest he brings . the second is , sam. . , . where the oppression of the king is mentioned , and no means of help mentioned but crying to the lord. is the bare relation of the oppression of a king without mention in that place of any means of help , but crying to god , a sufficient proof that though kings oppresse never so much , yet there is no help ? suppose i bring a place of scripture , where there is a relation of subjects rising up in a wicked way against their prince , & in that place there is no other help mentioned , but only the prince committed this to god , & god revenged it , can there be drawn from thence an argument , that when subjects rise against princes that they have no other help against them , but committing the cause to god ? we need not go far for a scripture in this kind , the very place the d. brought before wil do it ; num. . when corah and his company rose against moses , we there read of no other help that moses used , but he committed the thing to god , & god revenged it . but you wil say , yet there are other places that shew that princes may make use of other help . so there is for subjects to make use of other helps against the oppression of their princes , many scriptures have been mentioned formerly and cleered . further , besides this , we answer , that the power of all kings is not alike , it is no argument because one king hath such and such power , therefore all must needs have . the power of kings is limited or enlarged by the severall laws of severall countries . let us see what the third scripture sayes , for yet our consciences are not scrupled , it is numb . . that the people might not go to war but by order from him that had the power of the trumpet . because there was a positive order there that moses must make trumpets and thus use them ; doth it follow that this must be so every where ? you may by as true a consequence urge the necessity of silver trumpets , and that the priests should blow them , as well as the former : the consequence would be full as good . no king can use trumpets in war but by the blowing of the priests , for it is commanded there , as that no people can go to war till the magistrates use the trumpets , because it is so ordered there ; we know the law is judiciall , and for those judiciall laws the equity binds no further then according to rules of prudence and justice , every countrey shall see behoofefull for their conditions . besides if this did binde , then it were a sinne for an act to passe to put the militia for any time into any other hands , for certainly it might not then be done , no , not with moses and aarons consent . the next scripture is , sam. . . who can stretch out his hand against the lords anointed and be guiltlesse ? why doth the d. speake of stretching forth the hand against the lords anointed ? who endeavours it ? doth not the parliament professe the defence of the kings persons . doctor willet upon this place gives you this answer , that indeed it is not lawfull for a private man to lay hands , no not upon a tyrant ; for it is not lawfull for a private man to kill a thiefe of a murderer , much lesse a magistrate , a prince . but secondly , he tels us of some that have laid hands upon a king , and yet have been guiltlesse , as ehud upon eglon king of moab : therefore from that scripture there cannot be a generall proposition drawn , that no man in any case may stretch forth his hand against a king. yea doctor willet answers in the third place , that yet tyrants and wicked governours may be removed by the whole state. he indeed limits this , and sayes , it must be understood of such kingdomes as goe by election , as in polonia , and gives this reason , from whom kings receive their authority , by them may they be constrained to keep within bounds . this it seems was good divinity in those dayes . this distinction he used , to deliver the opinion from opposition in england ; but if the distinction be examined , there will appeare little strength in it : we doe not find that d. willet was ever reproved , or his writings censured for this thing . concerning that restriction of his to kingdomes by election , we shall , when wee come to shew from whence all kings have their power , see , that if it proves true of them , it will prove true of others ; for the foundation of all power that such and such men have over others , will be found either from election or covenant , which will come to all one . d. ferne proceeds thus , if the king had come into the battel , his person might have been hurt as well as any . this had been but accidentally ; if a father should voluntarily goe into the army of the common enemy , against whom the childe is in service , and the child in discharging upon the enemy should slay his father being there , especially he being desired & beseeched by any meanes not to be there , but to withdraw himselfe ; doth the child contract guilt in such a case ? his next argument from scripture is , that the prophet reprechending the kings of israel and judah for idolatry and oppression , none ever called upon the people for this duty of resistance . first , there is much difference betweene kings now , and those kings : the people then did neither give them their power , nor limit their power ; they doe both now when first they are set up . secondly , if this be a good argument , that because when kings oppressed , the prophet did not cal upon people for resistance , therefore all resistance in any case is unlawful ; then , if when people have resisted , & cast oft the government of their king , & the prophets have not reproved them for it ; then it is lawfull for people in some case to resist . he that will harken to his own reason , must acknowledge there is par ratio . if the prophets exhorted not to resistance , then there may be no resistance , sayes the doctor ? then if when there is resistance , the prophets rebuke not that resistance , then there may with as good reason be resistance , say i. when the ten tribes cast off the government of rehoboam for his oppression , and hearkning to his young cavalliers about him , rather then to his ancient grave counsel ; the prophets did not rebuke the ten tribes for what they did , but rather seemed to take their parts . kings . . ●eturn every man to his house , for this thing is from mee . now the d. comes to his great place again , rom. . which he sayes be will free from all exceptions . nay , bare me an ace of that . the truth is , he vever so much as mentions , nor thinks of the great exception , which duly considered , will clear the text to be nothing to his purpose . first he supposes that the king is the supream , as peter calls him , or the higher power , as here . . it is true , peter cals the king supreame , but in the same place he is made an ordinance of man , and therefore to be limited by man. he may be the chiefe man in authority , and yet limited in that authority ; he is supreame , but not absolute ; we grant that the houses of parliament , and we all , are his subjects , but not subjects to his will , but to that power of his that law gives him . . he takes for granted the king is the higher power . here observe his mistake . let it be granted that the king hath the highest power , yet what propriety of speech is it to say that he is the highest power ? it is proper to god to say that he is power in the abstract . well , the king hath the highest power , and we must be subject to this power of his , and not resist it . who denies all this ? when all this is granted , the d. hath got nothing at all ; for if we resist not that power which law hath given him , we do not resist the higher power , although we do not do nor suffer what hee would have us to do or suffer . then he reasons from the person , whosoever , every soule . there was then sayes he , the senate , &c. but what power the senate had for the present upon agreement , or how much of their power was now given up to the emperour by agreement , he shews not ; and if he shews not this , he sayes nothing . then he tels us of the cause christians had to resist , because their emperours were enemies to religion , and had over thrown laws and liberties . to the first we acknowledge we must not resist for religion ; if the laws of the land be against it , we must either suffer , or seek to enjoy our religion in the uttermost ●arts of the earth , rather then resist . for the emperors subverting laws and liberties , he must prove that the people & ●enate had not given absolute power to them for the present , for the preventing further wils they feared , or else it reacheth not our case , for we know our people and senate ●ave not given any such absolute power . we must not be put to prove , they had , for it 〈◊〉 his argument ; therefore if he wil make it good , he must prove they had not . and yet ●ppose they had not , if we should gratifie the d. in that thing , yet the argument would ●e but weak : for the apostle requires them not to resist their power , their 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 : hee ●oth not charge them not to resist their tyrannie . certainly they could have no power at that which was given them by some agreement ; if they challenged further , it was no ●uthority at all : such kind of tyrannie as they would assume to themselves , the apostle ●●rbids not the resistance of in that place . as for that he sayes , that some affirm that prohibition was temporary , let them main●●in it that affirm it : i am ful of the d. mind in that , this prohibition is a standing rule . as for that distinction which he sayes , some make that they resist not the power , but ●e abuse of the power . we answer , it is not resisting abused power , for it is resisting no power at all . abused power is the ill use of what is given to men ; but the ill use of what was never given to them more then to any other , is abuse of their wils , but not abuse of their power . by power i do not mean strength , but authority . further , he sayes , these emperours ruled absolutely , therefore upon that ground men might resist , if for any thing . . although the emperors might use some force to bring themselves to an absolute power , yet whether the people were not brought to consent to prevent farther danger , that must be disproved , when our case ever fals , so as we shall be brought to consent to an absolute power , although it be out of feare ( which god forbid ) then this argument will concerne us , but not before . . what they got and held meerly by force , without any consent and agreement , was no power , no authority at all but might be resisted , no withstanding that prohibition . the last thing in that sect. is , whereas we say that our religion is established by law , theirs was not : he answers . things . . shall the prohibition be good against christians under emperors persecuting religion , & not against subjects enjoying their religion ? if those who have power to make laws should prove so wicked as to make wicked laws against religion , yet i am rather bound to passive obedience in that case , then if men never so good should command according to their own will , and not according to law ; for there is an authority in the one , though abused , but none at all in the other . his second answer is , this prohibition did not concern christians only , but all people under the emperour . as before , . we know not but these people had given up their right . . if they had not that prohibition doth not reach them in those things wherein they had not . thus his scriptures are answered , and i professe i have not answered from a humour of seeking to overcome in a dispute , to put glosses upon the one side , or to seek evasions from the strength of the other , but as in the presence of god to find out truth and to satisfie conscience that hath to doe with god in a speciall manner . sect . iii. the first sect. is spent about the original of the power of kings . he first contends that the power is from god , and that he needs not contend for we grant that the power not only of kings , but of all lawfull authority is gods ordinance , but that such and such men should have this power , and how much of this power should be put upon this man , and how much upon that , that is from man. hence it is very observable when the apostle speaks of the power , rom. . he sayes , it is of god ; bu● when peter speaks of the men upon whom that power is put , whether kings or tho●● sent by him , he sayes , that is a humnne ordinance , pet. . . yea , a humane creation , 〈◊〉 the words are , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . rea the d. grants this , that though the power be from god , yet the designing the person to bear that power , yea , and the qualification and l●mitation is from men by the laws made with consent . the supreme magistrate is called the minister of god , rom. . we acknowledg him so , he is also said in the same place , to minister for thy good . i have said , ye are gods. this is true of inferiour magistrates as well as superiour , and yet none will say , b● inferiors may be resisted . his conclusion is in this sect. that though the power be of god , yet the person d●signed , and the qualification of power in several forms of government , & limitation , this , is by the laws of men : this is as much as we desire . many go no further then th● designation of the person to be from man , but the d. is more fair , he sayes the qualification is from man also . if so , mark what follows , then no man can have any of this ruli●● power , but according as he is designed to it , qualified for it , limited in it by men , whatsover the name be by which you call him , emperor , king , prince , duke , lord , &c. sect . iv. this sect. is about the power of people to re-assume what power they have conferred upon magistrates , although gods power , yet conferred by them . he argues thus , if the power be gods , then people cannot re-assume . if the king gives power to an inferior magistrate , the power that this magistrate hath is likewise from god , for so the scripture sayes , rom. . all power is from god : may not this power be re-assumed therefore ? let none put this off , with saying , but people are not above kings , as kings are above inferior magistrates , for that is nothing to the argument . the argument that he makes is this , if the power be of god , it cannot be re-assumed : now the answer is , that the power of inferiour magistrates is of god , and yet it may be re-assumed , therefore his consequence is not good . further , a servant by stipulation makes a man his master , who was not before : now the power of the master is gods , may he therefore never be deprived of that power ? servants must serve christ in serving their masters , as truely as subjects must obey god in obeying their prince . pastors and teachers have a ruling and a ministeriall power , and this power is gods , may it therefore never be taken away from them . his second argument is , we cannot recall what is once given , as in things devoted . . that can never be proved , that a thing devoted to a religious use , can never lawfully be imployed to no other . this is a groundlesse conceit , because he brings no proofs for it , eadem facilitate rejicitur , qua asseritur . but this that we speake of is a civill thing . and for kings , that the power they have may not be taken away , he gives that reason , because the lords hand and his oyle is upon them . so the lords hand and oyle is upon captains and other magistrates . ioshua and zerubbabel are called the anointed ones . prophets , priests have gods hand and oyle upon them , and cannot the power for no cause be taken from these ? and yet how confidently doth the man conclude , this will not a true informed conscience dare to doe . certainly notwithstanding all the information in this argument , he may doe it . but he proceeds . how can conscience be satisfied , that this their argument grounded upon election and derivation of power can have place in this kingdome , when as the crown descends by inheritance , and hath often been setled by conquest . . there is no body here that yet hath attempted to take any power away from the king that law hath given him . . howsoever , the point of inheritance or conquest cannot hinder ; for first , none inherits but that which his progenitors had , & his progenitors had no more originally then by consent was given them : therefore the difference between kings by inheritance , and kings by election , in this case is not much . and for conquest , that onely settles former right , or makes way to some farther agreement , to adde to , what was former . the right comes not from power to conquer , or act of conquering , but from some agreement , precedent , or consequent . he further argues , it is probable indeed that kings were at first by choice here , as elsewhere ; but can conscience rest upon such remote probabilities for resistance , or think that first election will give power against princes that do not claime by it ? . is it but a remote probabilitie that kings were here first by election ? i demand , what first invested such a family with regall power , more then another ? it must be either god from heaven designing it , as david , or men appointing it , or taken by force : there is no quartum . it was not the first , and to say the third is the right , is an extream wrong to the king if meer force can give right , then whosoever is most forcible hath right ; it must therefore be something else : what can that be but the consent of people to such a family ? which is in effect all one with elect on . you may give it what name you will , it is not therefore a remote probalilitie , but a neere certainty , that even here kings were at first either by choice , or by that which in effect is all one . the doctor sayes , that kings of england doe not claime their right by election . it may be they use not that word ; but if the doctor shall presume to dispute their claime for them , and think to get a better and surer claime then the agreement of people , that the regall power shall be in such a family , surely he will have no thanks for his labour . let him take heed of this . although he is pleased to call election a slender plea , yet i beleeve he cannot bring a stronger . he is at his place in rom. . againe , with the absolute monarchy of romane emperours . this hath been answered againe and againe . the next thing he discusses is the covenant the king enters into , and the oath he takes . and here he tels us our kings are kings before they enter into the covenant , or take this oath . although they be kings before they personally do covenant or sweare , yet their right comes in by their progenitors , who had their right conferred upon them by some agreement or other : so that they have covenanted in them . but this clause in the covenant or oath is not expressed , that in case he will not discharge his trust , it shall be law full to resist . we doe not stand so much upon the oath that every king takes , as upon the originall agreement between people and king , whereby this power was conferred first upon such a family , and for that wee say that no more power was conferred then was done by vertue of that agreement ; and why there should not be the same reason in the covenant between a countrey and a family in matters of so high a nature , as there is in other covenants amongst men , let the doctor shew , or any for him . the doctor confesseth , page . line . that lawes are for the restraint of the power of princes . but at length after the discussion of the businesse , he tels you that to argue any forfeiture of power by breaking his covenant , is an inconsequent argument . you must beleeve him , because he sayes so : if his bare word will not satisfie you , you are like to have nothing else . yet we would have him and all know , that we do not think that every breach of promise , and not performance of covenant in every thing , makes a forfeiture : this indeed were a dangerous consequent . but the question is , whether no breach of covenant may possibly in any case make a forfeiture ? we confesse our selves not willing to dispute this too farre . he presently seemes to grant that there may be some force in the argument in states elective and pactionall , but not in this kingdome . if the ground of all power that one man hath over another in civill government , be some kinde of election , explicite or implicite , or some kind of agreement at the first , let the doctor shew how this kingdome is freed . but what if the king will not keepe to his agreement , may the subject doe nothing ? the dr. 〈◊〉 , yes , they may use faire means by petitions , and they may ●ery him subsidies and ayds . to what purpose are subsidies and ayds denyed , if the king hath power to take our estates when he pleaseth , and there must be no resistance ? though this he sayes may seeme unreasonable to people , and very impolitique to the states-man , yet plain scripture and reason forbids it . but this scripture and reason lies hid from us as yet , we have examined them as they have come , and we have found plain mistakes in the alledging them . sect . v. this section is spent in the argument of meanes of safety to a kingdome in case the king should tyrannize ; if they might not resist , it seemes god hath left them destitute of all helpe , they must needs perish . to this he first answers , that is the same argument that is used for the popes curbing of , or deposing princes in case of heresie , otherwise the church hath no meanes to preserve it selfe . the good of a church is spirituall , and god hath given it spirituall means enough to preserve its spirituall good , although there be no such power of the pope over princes , and we know the church was preserved and flourished in spirituall beautie when there was neither pope nor prince to preserve it . but the good of a kingdom is civill and naturall , therefore it must have civill and naturall meanes to preserve it selfe by in case of danger . hence then although it be no argument that popes may by power of armes curb kings , and because else the good of the church cannot be preserved , yet it may be a good argument the people may in some case take up arms to defend themselves against violence , although the king gives not his consent , because otherwise the civill and naturall good of men in a kingdome cannot be preserved . the second thing he sayes is , what meanes of safety had the christians in and after the apostles times ? god called them then to suffer ; for they were not the state ; though many particular men that are not a state , may easily be brought into such a condition as they have no meanes for safety , but they must needs suffer ; and so many states , when the externall violence is too strong for them ; but when god and nature gives them meanes of deliverance , there is no necessitie they should perish . when the doctor disproves resistance better , wee will either fly or suffer . as for the christians why they could not resist , the dr. speakes of a reason that he seemes to be satisfied in , because things were so enacted by law , therefore they could not resist : therefore he leaves their example , as invalid in our case , and so it were well that every one else would leave off urging , that we may never heare of the example of the christians in the primitive times applyed to our case more : for though it seems to be something at first view , yet it is nothing when it is examined . but then he sayes , the edicts that concerned others were arbitrary . to this the answer hath been already , either the people then gave up their whole right to their emperours , which we have not done to our kings , or otherwise they were not bound to their arbitrary government , but might have resisted for their own preservations . but if parliaments should degenerate and grow tyrannicall , what meanes of safety could there be for a state ? i confesse the condition of such a state would be very dangerous and like to come to confusion ; particular men could not help themselves , and the whole state ought to suffer much before it should helpe it selfe by any wayes of resisting : but if you can suppose a parliament so far to degenerate , as they should all conspire together with the king to destroy the kingdome , and to possesse the lands and riches of the kingdome themselves , in this case whether a law of nature would not allow of standing up to defend our selves , yea to re-assume the power given to them , to discharge them of that power they had , and set up some other , i leave to the light of nature to judge . you will say , this cannot be , because the higher powers must not be resisted by any . this is not properly to resist the power , but to discharge the power , to set the power elsewhere . the servant doth not resist the power of his master , when he upon just grounds leaves him , and goes to another , if he be such a master , as is his master by his owne choice , for such and such ends and purposes , and had his power limited by agreement . i know this will be cryed out of as of dangerous consequence , wherefore god deliver us ( as i hope he will ) for ever making use of such a principle . it is hard to conceive it possible that a parliament can so degenerate , as to make our condition more grievous by unjust acts , then it would be if the power in a kingdom should returne to the law of nature , from whence at first it rose . divers lines together ofter the objection from want of safety in case of degenerating of parliament he spends in commending the temper of our government in the three estates , with complaints of some distemper for the present . in the one i joyn with him : but for the other , i undertake not to satisfie all his apprehensions of distractions in the parliament . the man i beleeve lives at a distance from parliament , and so looks at it through multitudes of reports which usually ( and especially in these times ) are exceeding false mediums to looke through : straight things will seeme crooked , when the object is seen through water that is too thick a medium : reports doe so gather soile before they come to him , that when they come , they are an exceeding thick medium to see parliament proceedings by . whereas it is said , that many see more then one , and there is more safety in the judgement of many then one : he answers , why should an hundred in the house of commons see more then three hundred ? and twenty in the lords house see more then sixty that are of a contrary judgement ? if there were so many of a contrarie judgement more then the others , why do they not come and out-vote them in what things are amisse ? . this addes much validitie in common reason to what they determine , that they are alwaies a competent number , allowable by law to be houses of parliament , and they debate and determine things in such an assembly that is open for so many , which all the countreys and cities in the kingdom have chosen , to come to debate or contradict as they think fit . such determinations , although i do not say they should be accounted infallible , yet they carry with them more likely reason , then those who are carried by a few in some secret way . further , why should such an objection be made against the houses of parliament , that no court of iustice , no societie that carries things by vote , will admit , if it be once set ? that in such assemblies there shall be so many at the least , there may be three times more , yet so many makes up the assembly , so as to enable it to such and such purposes . how can this obiection , without wrangling , be admitted ? oh but many were of another mind , or some belonging to the assembly were not present . after this the doctor proceeds to the commending of monarchy above aristocrasie , and the kings negative voice . this is nothing to our businesse . what though monarchie be the best ? and what though the king should have power of a negative voice in the passing all bils ? this is granted . then he comes again to his . to the rom. the argument from this place is worn exceeding bare by this time . if it were lawfull to resist power abused , it would open a way to people to overthrew powers duely administred . . we do not say that power abused should be resisted ; but will , where there is no power , may be resisted . . true , there is danger in the peoples abusing their liberties , and danger in magistrates abusing their power . he sayes he intends not to lay the least blemish upon the parliament . yet in the page before he sayes , the temper of the parliament is dissolved : and upon that saies , the distractions in the common-wealth , shew the distempers , and the danger of dissolution , and what is the cause of it . it would fill much paper to gather together the blemishes that this man casts upon the parliament , especially in his last page . but that is not my work , i would gladly have consciences resolved . he proceeds to shew the difference between the low-countreys and us , which no question is something , but not so as can make what they have done lawfull , and yet the doctors tents right , nor what we have done unlawfull . he farther enlarges himself in discourse about the evils that accompany resisting of power . still we say power should not be resisted , and where it is resisted sinfully , yea where men in power are resisted , any way , there are like to follow sad consequences of affliction . but what is all this for the satisfaction to conscience about the lawfulnesse or unlawfulnesse of resisting men that have power in any case ? then be comes to the oath of supremacy and the protestation . the answer to this depends upon what hath been said , we swear onely to the legall power , we protest no further then the maintenance of that . he saies , conscience will look at that power he hath as the ordinance of god. true , what power he hath , that is , what the laws give him , we say is an ordinance of god. but his abuse of power is a iudgement of god , that we must cry to god against , and a true informed conscience in that case will rather suffer then resist . he still takes abuse of his power to be the doing whatsoever he please : we denie that to be abuse of his power . we say in that he doth not exercise his authorative power at all , therefore he doth not abuse it . if indeed some uniust law should give him any power to do wrong , the execution of this would be the abuse of his power , and therein it is granted a true informed conscience would rather suffer then resist . but in the other case , when he doth what law inables not to do , all the arguments of the doctor cannot so inform our consciences , as to beleeve the state must rather suffer then resist . now the doctor casts up his reckoning , and thinks he finds it comes to thus much , that he hath found scripture and reason , speak plainly against resisting . he cries victorie to himself , he tels himself what the issue of his own thoughts come to ; but he reckons without his host , his conquest is too hastie , we are not of his mind . i will onely observe one thing more in the conclusion of his section . if any shall be carried away with the name of a parliament , as papists are with the name of the church , &c. if the church could do as much in matters of religion , as the parliament can do in matters of the state , the papists were not so much to be blamed for being taken so much with the name of the church , as we are not for being taken so much with the name of the parliament . for . the church cannot make new articles of faith , or nullifie the old ; but the parliament can make new maximes to be accounted law , that were not before , and undo what were before . . the church hath not a iudiciall power of interpreting the law of god , but the parliament hath a iudiciall power of interpreting the law of the state , so as that is to be accounted law , which they interpret to be so . i do not say that we are bound to beleeve , that whatsoever interpretation they make was the scope and intention of that law when it was first made : but this i say , that their interpretation must be accounted as much binding to us for obedience , as the scope and intention of that parliament that first made that law. thus i have done with his scriptures , and the rationall part of his book ; and i hope others will have done with it too . if mens consciences be satisfied in the lawfulnesse of the thing it self , subiects taking up arms against the will of the king : his other part , every one who understands how things are with us , that is willing to be satisfied , will be soon able to satisfie himself . the substance of all that follows is , suppose that subiects may take up arms ? yet whether there be sufficient cause for us to do it . toward the conclusion of the book the dr. begins to be hot , and somewhat bitter , but i shall not here follow him in particulars , but in the generall thus what the condition of our kingdom is , whether in danger or not ? what the condition of our houses of parliament , whether they be safe or not ? whether their priviledges be broke or not ? iudge you whether doctor ferne or all the remonstrances and declarations we have had from both houses be able best to certifie us : we have received information enough , and seen and felt enough to make us beleeve that our kingdom is in great danger : but it may be the doctor sits in his study like another archimedis drawing his lines , and the swords must be about his eares before he will see or beleeve any danger to wards us . the doctor puts the case thus , whether the conscience can be so perswaded , that the king is such and so minded , as that there may be sufficient cause to take up arms against him ; in this he is as miserably mistaken , as in all his other grounds from scripture , and his reasons , if he thinks this be the controversie . for . we take up no arms against the king , . whatsoever the kings mind be , there is sufficient cause to take up arms to defend our selves against others that seek our ruins we know of the plots of bringing the armies in the north upon parliament and city : we know of the great preparations of arms in forreign parts to send over hither , and time hath discovered their further attempts , although it hath indeed withall discovered they could not bring their attempts to their desired issue . we know of many delinquents that are fled from the iustice of the parliament , which cannot be attached without force ; and if they may so scape as they do , to what purpose doth a parliament sit ? it will soon be made ridiculous in the eyes of the world . we know what is done in the execution of the commission of array , and that by force of arms , and all these things by those who are under the authority of the houses of parliament : wherefore if they cannot prevent these evils imminent , nor rectifie these disorders extant , but by power added to their authoritie , although there be no such horrible things as the doctor speaks of , namely , the kings intentions to subvert religion , and our laws and liberties , if the king do but denie to assist in the delivering us from those dangers , not upon groundlesse jealousies feared , but upon certain proofs we know we are in , and in the delivering up of such delinquents as justice must not , our safety cannot suffer to escape , there is cause enough to satisfie our consciences in the lawfulnesse of our taking up arms. yea , our protestation and duty , though we had never so protested , binds us to maintain by all our strength the parliament in this ; and in maintaining them , we do not at all prejudice the king in any lawfull power of his . this generall is enough to satisfie in what is said in the two last sections : as for particulars mentioned there , many of them are answered alreadie in the former discourse ; others being matters of fact , it is more easie for any one to answer that hath a mind to examine what passages have falne out . to go through them particularly i shall leave to some who have more time to spare then i , they are far more easie to answer then what was before , but not so profitable , and yet the answer would exasperate more , they are subjects more suteable for lawyers and statists to treat about then for divines . wherefore where as in the conclusion of all , the doctor defires those who will run the hazard of this resistance ; first to set their consciences before the tribunall of god , and confider whether they will excuse them there when they have shed blood , to say , we supposed our prince would change religion , overthrow liberties . no doctor , we can comfortably , and will freely and really set our conscience before gods tribunall in this case , but we will not make that our plea , but we will stand thus before the lord. lord thou who art the searcher of our hearts , and our iudge , thou knowest we aimed at no hurt to our king , we desired to live in peace , we according to our solemne vow and protestation , have only endeavoured to deliver our kingdom & parliament from the rage of ungodly , and violent bloody men , to bring forth the wicked unto justice , to preserve what thy maiestie , what the law of nature , and the law of the land hath made our own . if thou wilt please to call us to suffer for thy name , we hope we shall be readie ; but because thou tellest us that it is not the part of a christian but of an infidell , not to provide for his family , therefore we have not submitted our selves , wives and children to the rage of these bloody men : for the substance of what we have done , it hath been in thy name , that we may be faithfull to the king , kingdom , parliament , and to posteritie . what failings thou hast seen in the managing of it , lord pardon to us for christ his sake . thus we are willing to meet the doctor at gods tribunall , but he shall not lay our plea for us , we fear he will have enough to do to answer for himself , yea to answer for that book he hath put forth in such a time as this . for a conclusion of all . let none think that though we thus iustifie taking up arms , that therfore we are of those that delight in war ; god forbid . our souls desire after peace , we pray for peace , we would gladly lay down our lives ( if we know our own hearts ) for peace . lately my name was injuriously added to a printed paper , wherein there was a petition against accommodations : it sayes i went along with it , whereas i knew nothing at all of it , untill neere a week after it was delivered to the house : thus are we at the mercy of every malignant spirit , if he can get a printer to assist him , to be rendred to the world as odious as he pleaseth . as great an injury i suffered before , though in another nature , when a few pieces of a sermon i preached to young men were gathered together , and patched up with a deale of non-sense , and additions of their owne as they pleased , and then put out as mine . although we live amongst men set on fire , yet god forbid but we should follow peace : but it must be the peace of jerusalem , not the peace of babylon . and the truth is , had the people knowne their liberties before , it is very probable these warres would have been prevented . this i am confident hath been the great encouraging , fomenting argument for these warres , if we goe in the name of the king , none will dare to stir against us ; what will they take up arms to resist their king ? had they seen the weaknesse of this their argument , as it is applyed to this businesse in hand , that bloud that hath been shed would have been prevented ; and if the people of the land knew the liberty that god , and nature , and law gives them , there would soone be an end of these warres ; but a few such doctors as this is , may helpe to prolong them , by dividing the people , and putting them into a maze , comming in so plausible a way to informe conscience ; whereas in truth he gives no bottome for conscience to rest on , but rather puts it to a stand , or rather into a labyrinth . there is a necessitie that in these times peoples consciences should be further satisfied in their liberties in this case then formerly , because the time is ( we hope ) at hand for the pulling down of antichrist , and we find by scripture this work at first will be by the people : revel . . . the angel came down from heaven and cried mightily with a strong voice , babylon the great is falne , is falne : and vers . . i heard another voice from heaven , saying , come out of her my people : ver . . reward you her as she hath rewarded you : and so to the . ver . her destruction is threatned . now ver . . the text sayes , the kings of the earth who have committed fornication , and lived deliciously with her , shall bewaile her , and lament for her , saying , alas , alas . ver. . and the merchants of those things which were made rich by her , shall stand weeping and wailing , ver . . all her proctors , and commissaries , and chancellors that grew rich by her , they shall lament . no marvaile then though so many proctors get together to seek for peace upon any terms . here you see babylon must down , and yet the kings lament her fall : who then must pull her down but the people ? not that the people can raise a war meerly for religion , but god will so order things , that the papists shall by their malice be put upon such plots and enterprises , that they shall make themselves lyable to the justice of the law , so that kings shall have no legall power to rescue them from it , but inferiour magistrates , assisted by the people , shall in a just way fall upon them , even then when the kings of the earth and their merchants shall lament them . hence revel . . . the hallelujah that is begun upon the lord god omnipotents raigning , is begun by the people , i heard the voice as of many waters , saying , hallelujah . now the scripture frequently sets forth the people by waters , as revel . . . the waters which thou sawest , were peoples . we reade cant. . . where the glory of christ is set forth , it begins at the head ; but cant. . . where the glory of the church is set forth , it begins at the feet , how beautifull are thy feet ? surely the right knowledge of these liberties god hath given people , will much help forward the great things god hath to doe in this latter age . this makes me willing to publish what help i can in this thing , although i know full well i run the hazard of suffering much in it . let babylon fall , let the church prosper , it is enough , our lives are not much worth . and now i have shewne the commission of the lord of hosts for warres ; i shall not yet cease to pray for peace ; such a peace as may have as good a commission from the prince of peace , as the present wars of the kingdom have from the lord of hosts . that which i have done is but as the taking of my pen to write a letter to a friend ; but a little strength is enough to oppose a little strength . finis . notes, typically marginal, from the original text notes for div a -e doct. quest . answ . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 quievit . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 exe●citus , militia . why god is called the lord of hosts . gods providence in the workings of warre . plutarch . vita ejus . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . god stilleth wars . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . quest . ans . hieron . in isa . . . vindimiabit . quest . answ . why the lord doth work in armies . ob. answ . why the adversary often prevailes . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 abscondit an honourable imployment to bee a souldier . cowardise branded with infamie . use . ob. answ . sam. . . ob. ans . ob. ans . ob. answ . ob. ans . ob. ans . ob. ans . pet . all civill government , even that of kings , is called a humane creation , for so the words are in the originall , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . ob. answ . ob. ans . ob. ans . ob. ans . ob. ob. ans . can. excom . caus . . qu. . cited by k. james , in his answer to perror . ob. answ . ob. ans . ob. ans . ob. ans . ob. ans . ans . ob. answ . ob. ans . ob. answ . ob. ans . ob. answ . isay . . heb. . . rom. . . rom. . . ob. ans . plutarch in the life of pyrrus . ob. ans . plutarch . vita lysandri . reg. . . amos . act. . . act. . . object . answ . use . use . totum se contulit . preces nostrae , bombardae nostra . use . in pacedecus , in bello praesidium . quest . ans . act. . use ult . calvin upon the place . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . o nimium dilecte deo cui f●ndit ab anti is , aeolus armatas acies , cui militat aether et conjurati veniunt ad classica venti . kings . , . notes for div a -e ans . ans . ans . ans . ans . sam. . ans . sam. . ans . sam. . . ans . ans . ans . chro. ans . ans . ans . ans . ans . ans . ans . ans . ans . ans . ans . ans . ans . ans . ans . ans . ans . ans . ans . ans . ans . ans . ans . ans . ans . ans . ans . ans . ans . ans . ans . ans . ans . ans . ans . ans . ans . ans . ans . ans . ans . ans . ans . ans . ans . ans . moses his self-denyall delivered in a treatise upon hebrewes , the . verse, by ieremy burroughs. burroughs, jeremiah, - . approx. kb of xml-encoded text transcribed from -bit group-iv tiff page images. text creation partnership, ann arbor, mi ; 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(eebo-tcp ; phase , no. a ) transcribed from: (early english books online ; image set ) images scanned from microfilm: (early english books, - ; : ) moses his self-denyall delivered in a treatise upon hebrewes , the . verse, by ieremy burroughs. burroughs, jeremiah, - . [ ], , [ ] p. printed by t. paine and are to be sold by h. overton and t. nichols ..., london : . errata: p. 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ascii text with mnemonic sdata character entities); displayable xml (tcp schema; characters represented either as utf- unicode or text strings within braces); or lossless xml (tei p , characters represented either as utf- unicode or tei g elements). keying and markup guidelines are available at the text creation partnership web site . eng bible. -- n.t. -- hebrews xi, -- criticism, interpretation, etc. - tcp assigned for keying and markup - aptara keyed and coded from proquest page images - ali jakobson sampled and proofread - ali jakobson text and markup reviewed and edited - pfs batch review (qc) and xml conversion moses his self-denyall . delivered in a treatise upon hebrewes . the . verse . by ieremy burroughs . luke . . hee that loseth his life for my sake , shall save it . aug. de civit. dei. lib. . non magnanimitatis est magnos petere honores , sed contemnere . london : printed by t. paine , and are to be sold by h. overton and t. nichols , at their shops in popes-head alley . . honoratissimo domino , edvardo , domino mandevill , vice-comiti heroi svmmi candoris , pietatis ac literarum fautori . libellvm hvnc in perpetuae observantiae testimonium , d.d.d. jer . burroughs . to the christian reader . the corruption of nature is exceeding great ; it appeares sundry wayes , in none more then in selvishnesse : hee which at first was made altogether for god , is now altogether for himselfe . the disease is catholike , and spreads to the ends of the earth . phil. . . all seeke their owne . the people flocked after christ by sea and land , here was great seeming selfe-denyall , christ they must see , christ they must heare , a christ they must have , but this christ-seeking was altogether selfe-seeking ; christ tells them that it was not himselfe , his doctrine or miracles that drew them , it was the loaves , they found more vertue in that bread , then in the bread of life . it was selvishnesse that made laban change iacobs wages ten times , and become a deceiver . this made naball churlishly deny reliefe to david and his , in their distresse . this made gehezi run after naaman , and take talents of silver , and change of garments . elishaes excellencie appear'd in his selfe-denyall , and gehezies basenesse in his selfe-seeking . this humour is in all , and predominant in most parties . some great pretenders of holinesse are polluted and poysoned with this venome . you may see it in the jesuites maximes & practise : they say there is not a mixture in every congregation , their society is without spot or wrinkle , they have all living , and no dead members . and againe , their society exceedes all others in this , that they have antidotes and spices , which will preserve them from corruption , so that there is no danger of their degenerating after some centuries of yeares , as other orders have done : happy men , if their sayings and societies were the same . when they deale with princes and potentates , they tell them not of their faults , but those opinions qua liberiorem faciunt conscientiam . thus they doe to advance themselves and their cause , that they may be thought the non-suches of the world ; they boast of their grace , and say the monkes come short of them , they can dally with the fairest women without danger . paul himselfe was not so perfect in that kinde as they are . here is selfe-seeking with a witnesse , they throw downe an apostle to lift up themselves ; they care not who fall , so they may rise ; they blast all others to beautifie themselves : but god in justice hath made them odious even among papists as well as protestants . great selfe-seekers in a church or state ever gaine great hatred . if men will pollute gods worship with their devices , hee will make their names to stinke . nothing makes us more honourable in the eyes of god and man , then the advancing of his worship , and preserving it unmixt . if temporalls come in place of eternalls , and that which is mans , instead of that which is gods , god will make the authours of such evill contemptible before all the people , mal. . , . it is not unknowne how divine providence proceeded against the danish prelates ; had they denyed themselves , maintained the pure worship of god , sought the publike good of prince and people , they might have stood to this day ; but because they were shamefully wicked , and sought themselves too much , they were wholly cast out by prince and people , in the yeare : self-seeking is self-undoing ; absolom and adoniah , whilest they sought themselves , they lost their lives . the argument of this book is selfe-denyall , a hard , yet a safe lesson ; it is no other then christ taught and practised ; if any man will bee my disciple , let him deny himselfe and follow me , matth. . . there 's the doctrine , see his practise , ioh. . . when they would make him a king , hee withdrawes ; the greatnesse and glory that was in royall majesty , could nothing prevaile with his spirit ; hee did not his owne will , but the will of his father . it liked not him to have his workes blowne abroad ; his whole life & death was an absolute self-denyall . this way would he have all his to goe , and it is a way wherein is no death . hee that doth most deny himselfe , he lives most free from sinne . take a true selfe-denying man , and passion is a stranger to him ; he sinnes not with anger , because he rejoyces in his wrongs ; hee swells not with pride , because hee is content to bee contemned ; hee frets not at afflictions , because he deemes himselfe worthy of all punishments . selfe-denyall breeds great joy , and brings great ease . it unburthens a man of himselfe , his sinfull selfe : what joy , what ease was it to joseph to bee rid of his inticing mistresse ? he let goe his coat , and saved his innocencie . and let a christian rid himselfe of his sinfull selfe , and his joy and ease will exceed josephs ; if he let goe his flesh , hee shall advance his spirit . would it not be another heaven to be rid of our sinfull opinions , sinfull wills and affections ? deny thy selfe , and this heaven is thine . a selfe-seeker onely makes himselfe miserable ; hee is an absolute tyrant , his selfe-love turnes charity out of doores , & eates up all the love that god & man should have ; neither others good , nor gods glory are deare to him , hee is a clod of the earth that sucks the sap of his soule onely to himselfe . it is the selfe-denying man that is the man for god and publike good . such a one was moses , heaven and earth have beene honoured by him ; such a one will venture even where danger & difficultie is , selfe shall not hinder publike good . a selfe-denying man will stand by gods cause and people , when others shrinke for feare and shame . one dowglas a scottish knight having heard master whiscart preach , said , i know the governour and cardinall shall heare of it , but say unto them , i will avow it , and not onely maintaine the doctrine , but also the person of the teacher , to the uttermost of my power . had hee minded his credit with great ones , his estate or libertie , he would not have appeared for a persecuted truth and man ; selfe-denyall had stript him of private respects . antoninus pius , when hee undertooke the title of emperour , said he did then forgoe the propertie and interest of a private person ; and when we take the name of christ upon us , wee should then forgoe all selvish and domestick respects . it is the honour of a christian to be like unto his master christ ; hee denyed himselfe throughly , and was acted altogether by the father ; let us doe the like , and be acted wholly by christ . i live not , sayes paul , but christ lives in me ; his judgement , will , affection , life , were transformed into christs : here was no halving , himselfe was fully layd downe , and christ was all in all , and hee gained enough by it ; there is no better way then to denie our selves , and to doe it fully . it is a fayling , and that a great one in many , they will denie themselves in some things , in many things , but not in all ; if they mortifie most lusts , yet to some one they will shew mercie . this mercie to thy lust , is crueltie to thy selfe . iron fetters thou knockest off with indignation , but pleadest for golden shackles , some pettie beloved corruption . why doest thou denie thy selfe in part , and not altogether ? curvis jam pluribus rescissis manere in parvo ligatus . limitations here , will prove thy lamentations ; denie thy selfe wholly , or not at all : if there be not through - selfe-denyall , ere long there will be god-denyall . hast thou loved thy selfe too much heretofore , nunc opus est odisse , now hate thy selfe : hast thou leaned upon thy owne wisedome too much , now despise it , acknowledge god in all thy wayes . the further off thou art from thy selfe , the neerer thou art to god. selfe-seeking sets us at the borders of hell , and selfe-denyall sets us at the gate of heaven . reader , wouldst thou have two heavens , live in heaven on earth , and goe to heaven at death , studie this booke of self-denyall . vergerius , by reading of luther was taken off from poperie ; and pighius , by reading calvin , was brought to be of his mind in point of justification . who knoweth but thou mayest by reading this learned treatise of selfe-denyall , be brought off from all thy selfe-love and selfe-seeking . this author would pull from thee that which would ruine thee . if thou wilt let the physick purge out ill humours , take away ill bloud , to save thy life , be not unwilling that a grave and godly divine should purge out thy selfe-love , and take away sinfull humours , to save thy soule . it is his ayme to doe thee good , follow his counsell , and thou shalt never be troubled with soule-sicknesse . it is our sinfull selfe-seeking , that breedes all the distempers of our spirits . let us denie our selves , and then wee are as god would have us to be ; wee shall make high account of god , and find great sweetnesse in the things of god. they that fast most , find the greatest sweetnesse in their meat : and those that are the greatest selfe-denyers , find the greatest content in god , and most blessings from god. they are ever in the valley of berachah , in the place of blessings and rest : and what the prophet crownes true fasting withall , the same will god crowne selfe-denyall withall , joy , gladnesse , and chearefull feasting . thy friend in christ , w. greenhill . the authours advertisement to the reader . christian reader , mvch of this treatise was preached before an auditory sutable to the subject , especially the former part of it . but many things are added , especially exemplifications of historie and quotations it is not my manner to fill sermons , either with histories or quotations . but i may have leave to put them with my notes , and so you have them here . it may bee they may drawe some to the reading of some things that may sticke by them , which otherwise the very title of the treatise would have caused them to reiect . what you finde sutable to you , take for your profit , and thanke god : what there is else , be not offended at it , but leave it to others who may perhaps gaine something by it . i. b. christan reader by reason of the authors absence diverse faultes have escaped , especially this one , in many places the person is changed , the first is put in for the second and third ; it may seeme harsh and strange that when there is speaking to those of high ranke the authour should speake in the first person wee and ours , but the coppie was otherwise . p. . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 r. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p ▪ partaker ▪ part p. . f. us r. you &c. moses his selfe-deniall . heb. . . by faith moses , when hee was come to yeares , refused to bee called the sonne of pharaohs daughter . in this chapter we have a divine record , a famous catalogue of the worthies of the lord , manifesting the power and life of that blessed grace of faith in the glorious effects of it ; amongst whom moses is one of the most choice & eminent , holding forth unto us the glory & efficacie of his faith , in divers wonderful blessed fruits of it , both actively & passively , in what he did , & in what he suffered ; his wonderfull self-deniall , his strange choice , his fixed eye upon heaven , his undaunted courage , his glorious constancy , his cleare sight of the invisible god. the first is his selfe-deniall , which the holy ghost here records , as a high cōmendation , as a most famous testimony of the pretiousnesse of his faith ; and indeed so it is , faith above all graces fills the heart with the fulnesse of god , but most empties it of its selfe , raises the heart the highest in communion with god , but keepes it downe the lowest in selfe-abasement . by faith moses , when he was come to yeares refused to bee called the sonne of pharaohs daughter . [ he refused ] not a bare willingnes , & contentednesse to be without that honour , but , when he was put upon it , he denyed it , so the word is : yea , horruit , aver satus est , saies chrysostome upon that place , he trembled , hee was astonished at such a thought , that he should embrace the honours of the court , rather then to own the people of god in their most afflicted , distressed condition : he abhorred , he detested the entertaining such a thought in his heart & therfore turned away from it with disdaine . we never reade that he refused , or denied in words , that ever he said to pharaohs daughter , or any other to this effect , that he would not be her heire , or be called her sonne , but actions have as lowd a voyce as words . when moses came downe from the mount , his face shined so gloriously , as the people were not able to behold it ; here his faith raiseth him higher then the mount , and puts an unexpressible lustre & glory up on him . here is a worthy of the lord indeed , bright and glorious in the shining beauty of his faith , set out unto us in the full expressions of it by the holy ghost himselfe . by faith [ moses ] moses a man compleate every way , for his parts admirable , the holy ghost witnesses of him , that hee was learned in all the learning of the egyptians : so act. . . philo iudaeus in vita mosis saies , that there were sent for learned men at exceeding great charge out of forraine parts , to instruct him in the liberall arts , and out of caldaea , such as might instruct him in astrology , besides the most learned of egypt ; and eusebius cites another , affirming that moses was not onely learned in the learning of the egyptians , but that he taught the egyptians the use of letters ; and therefore was honoured of them by the name of mercurius . and clemens alexandrinus cites one , saying , that moses taught the israelites letters , and from the iewes he sayes the phoenicians had them , and from the phoenicians the graecians . for the beauty of his body it was incomparable , when he was borne hee was exceeding faire : so act. . . the words in the greeke have a greater emphasis with them then our english expression hath ; fine , elegant , so as citizens are when they are trimmed up in their bravery , upon dayes of festivity , that is the propriety of the word , and this is said to be exceeding , in the text , it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 fayre to god , divinely beautifull , a kinde of divine beauty was upon him , a beauty beyond humane beautie , such beauty as in his very face a divine lustre appeared . the scripture useth this phrase to signifie the highest degree of a thing , as ionah . a very great citie , it is in the hebrew magna deo : so here , exceeding faire , venusta deo. iosephus reports of him , that by that time hee was three yeares old , god added an admirable grace to his countenance , so that there was none , but was amazed at the beauty of moses , and would leave their serious businesse , to feede their eyes with moses his incomparable beauty , & their eyes were held with it , that they could not tell how to looke enough upon him ; and hee sayes that they never went from him but unwillingly . and for the sweet temper & disposition of his spirit , that was exceeding amiable : the scripture saies that hee was the meekest man upon earth . numb . . . and josephus in his fourth booke , and last chapter , sayes hee was so free from passions , that hee knew no such thing in his owne soule ; he only knew the names of such things , and saw them in others rather then in himselfe . and fourthly , for honour in the world , he was very eminent , the adopted son of pharaohs daughter ; the name of this pharaohs daughter , iosephus tells us , was thermuthis : he sayes likewise she was the onely child pharaoh had , pharaoh had no sonne to inherite the kingdom , and that this his daughter thermuthis had no child , and therefore having found moses , shee set her heart upon him , and feined her selfe to bee with child , and kept moses hid , untill such a time as it might be thought to bee her owne child , to that end , that he might inherite her fathers crowne . and further hee tells us , that this daughter of pharaoh was much beloved of her father , and that , in respect to her , he loved moses also , which appeares in this relation that hee hath . hee saith that when moses was a little one , pharaohs daughter brought him to her father , & put him into his armes , & he , to gratifie his daughter , tooke off his owne diadem , and set it upon moses head . there were likewise divers prognostications that moses should hereafter doe great things . iosephus saith , that amram , moses his father , had a speciall revelation concerning this childe , that he should be delivered from the danger of being slaine , and that hee should bee a deliverer of his people . he tells us likewise , that when pharaoh put his diadem upon his head , hee , though but a little child , tooke it off , and stampt it under his feete ; whereupon some of his magicians would have had him put to death , saying that it was a signe , that this child in time would cast downe pharaohs crowne . and one gualmyn a later writer , writing of the life of moses , hath this relation ; that when moses was three yeares old , pharaoh made a great feast , and his queene holding him by the right hand , and his daughter together with moses by the left , his nobles being bid to sit before him , moses before them all tooke pharaohs crowne from his head , and set it upon his own , whereupon all being amazed , one balaam a magitian , put pharaoh in minde of a dreame hee had had , which was this : there stood before him an old man , having a paire of scales in his hand , and in one of the scales there appeared to him as if all aegypt , the children and women had beene in it , in the other scale hee saw onely one childe , which downe-weighed the whole kingdome , and all that was in the other scale . this is moses , whose faith , whose selfe-deniall is set downe unto us thus glorious in this scripture , one who might have lived a most brave life in the enjoyment of the highest honours , the swetest pleasures , the choisest delights that heart could wish , & yet this moses refused to be called the sonne of pharaohs daughter . this moses chooses rather to suffer afflictions with the people of god : this moses is contented to bee scorned and contemned for christ , he ventures upon the wrath of the king and endures it all . in this excellent argument of the selfe deniall of such a worthy of the lord , we are to consider : first , what he refuses , namely , to bee accounted the sonne of pharaohs daughter : for moses was generally reputed to be her owne sonne , and honoured as her owne son , but he thought it a greater honour , to be a sonne of abraham , to come of the promised seede , to have his pedigree from gods people , this hee accounts more noble , and this hee will rather glory in , though hee does prejudice himselfe in great p●eferments , dignities , and riches , and all kind of outward glory that otherwise hee might have enjoyed : from whence the point is : that nobility of birth , and court honours , and all outward delights are to bee denied for christ . secondly , wee are to consider the time when this was , it was when hee was of full yeares : the words in the originall are , when hee came to bee great , and the observation from this is : that it is then truly honorable indeede , to deny honours and pleasures , when wee have opportunitie to enjoy them to the full , in the very prime of our time . thirdly , wee are to consider the principle which carried him on , which was faith ; and from thence the point is : that faith is the principle , that must carry through , and make honorable all a christians sufferings . for the first . chap. i. sect . . that nobilitie of birth , and all honours and delights whatsoever , are to be denyed for christ . it must bee granted , that nobility of birth in it selfe is a blessing of god : the children of nobles have an honourable mention in scripture , eccle. . . blessed art thou o land , when thy king is the sonne of nobles . the chiefe , the nobles in israel , are called the renowned in the congregation , numb . . . and isay . . that which is translated honorable men , is in the originall their glory , and so by arias montanus , gloria ejus . the nobility are the glory of a kingdome , and iude. . where some are said to speake evill of dignities , the word is glories , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . men in eminent places are , or should be , the glory of those places , and of the whole countrey where they live . soule-nobility is the chiefe , yet i will not say the sole nobility ; naturall nobility must have its due respect . it was a speech of jonadab to amnon , sam. . . why art thou , being a kings sonne , soleane from day to day ? as if to be a kings son , were enough to alay any sorrow , to make any condition full of joy & content : seemeth it a small matter ( saies david ) . sam. . . to bee a kings sonne in law ? but to bee borne of the kings of the earth is accounted more , this is the highest nobility ; that which is under it , birth from other great men of the earth is honourable likwise . this puts great thoughts into mens hearts , this is a honour in which men doe much glory , yet this moses might have had in the account of the world , but hee refuseth it ; for god even this is to bee denyed . it was too high an expression , savouring of flattery , that an orator making an oration , in the praise of constantine the great , had , the first and greatest gift of heaven , was to be borne happie , & as soone to be in the lists of felicity as of nature , meaning the happines of a noble birth : but though this be too much , yet we acknowledge it amongst outward priviledges , not to be one of the meanest , but yet not so great , but that there is infinite reason it should be denied in the cause of christ . for first , though there bee something in it , yet there is not much , not so much as any should thinke it too great a thing to lay downe for god. for first , it is no such thing , but that the greatest enemies of god , hated of him , and cast out for ever from him have had it as well as others ; what a succession of princes and dukes came from the loynes of esau ? there reigned eight kings in edom , before there was a king over the children of israel ; yea before the government of moses , and they flourished till the dayes of obadiah , no lesse then twelve hundred yeares , yea they lived to see the ruine of the second temple , as wee finde it related by josephus : whatsoever is common to wicked men , gods enemies , surely it hath no great excellency in it , neither should it be in high esteeme with us . that is observable that we finde , deut. . . and ver . . . where the lord would teach israel not to insult upon their outward conquests : hee gives this reason , because they were such as hee had given to others before them , who were wicked . in seir , saies the text , the horims dwelt before time , and the sonnes of esau possessed them , and destroyed them from before them , and dwelt in their steade , as israel did unto the land of his possession : [ as israel did ] israel had not yet possessed , but this is spoke prophetically , as it was afterwards in the dayes of ioshua ; as if god should say , this is a favour indeede towards you , to make you conquerours over your enemies , to give their countries into your possession , this is an honour put upon you , but it is no other favour , no higher honour , then wicked prophane esau hath had before you , therefore you have no great cause to bee puffed up with it . that which the lord saith here of conquest , is true of parentage , of riches , of honour , of al outward excellencies , they are indeede favours of the lord , but no such excellent things , but that they have beene made common to the enemies of the lord ; and therefore there is great reason that our hearts should not bee puffed up with them , but sit loose from them . secondly , there is no such great matter in it , because the birth of the greatest is defiled with sinne , in the guilt and uncleannesse of it , as well as the birth of the meanest : the most noble blood upon earth is tainted with high treason against the god of heaven : whatsoever your birth bee from men , yet you are borne a child of wrath , an enemy to god , loathsome and abominable before him , an heyre of hell . when god would humble the iewes who gloried much in their birth , hee shewes them the uncleannesse , the basenesse of it , in that expression , ezek. . your father is an amorite , and your mother an hittite . i come of those parents , saies bernard , by whom i was a damned creature before i was borne : your birth is such , what ever it bee in regard of outward greatnesse , as if there bee not a second birth , it had beene better for you that you had never beene borne , or rather that you had beene of the generation of dragons , or the off-spring of vipers . thirdly , suppose it were not defiled , yet it is an exceeding poore and meane thing in the eyes of god : it may bee something before men , but before god it is nothing , for god is no respecter of persons : so much a man is worth , as hee is worth in gods esteeme : when you come to appeare before god , you must stand amongst the rest without any note of distinction of what house you came . that which pelicane a german divine said concerning his learning , may bee said of all honour of birth . when i appeare before god , saies he , i shall not appeare as a doctor , but as an ordinary christian : so you shall not appeare as noble men when you come before god , but as other ordinary men . i pray tell me , saies chrysostome , what is kindred ? it is nothing but the sound of a word , an emptie thing , which in the last day you shall know very well . that is observable which wee have , exod. . . when god requires a price for the ransome of the soules of his people , all must give halfe a shekell , the rich shall not give more , and the poore shall not give lesse : when they give an offering to the lord , to make an atonement for their soules , god doth not value the rich more then the poore , nor the noble more then the man of meane birth . fourthly , it is not much in the esteeme of men neither , who are wise , and rationall : hence it is observed by some , that wee never reade of any in scripture but three , who solemnized their birth dayes , and they were pharaoh , jeroboam , and herod , by which they gather how little the glory that came from parentage was esteemed ; he that boasts of his pedigree boasts of anothers . seneca in his foure and fortieth epistle writing to a knight of rome who was preferred for his valour , but yet of meane parentage , for which he seemed to bee troubled , seneca cites him a notable speech of plato : there is no king but is raised from those which were servants ; there is no servant but had some of his ancestors kings . rehoboam was of a foolish childish spirit , though above forty yeares old , and yet he came from solomon the wisest upon the earth . nabal , whose name was a foole , whose disposition was accordingly , who was of a sordid churlish spirit , yet hee came from caleb , a man of a most choise & excellent spirit : sam. . . jonathan that was that idole priest we reade of , jud. . . yet he was moses his grandchild , cershoms sonne . honour is but a shaddow , and therefore it neede bee of something that is our owne ; riches , places of dignitie , titles of honour put upon ancestors by princes are accounted now the greatest nobility , and this descendes to the honour of children ; but that nobility which these things now put upon men , heretofore martyrdome was esteemed to doe : and therefore amongst christians , in the primitive times , children were wont to glory in their parentage as noble , if they had beene martyrs : but yet chrysostome in his third sermon upon lazarus labours to take off men from glorying in this , because it was not their owne ; he saies it is a frigid , empty , vaine boasting to boast of this , and gives this reason ; for the vertue of others cannot perfect us . it is not from whence a man comes , that is his true glory , but what he is , and what good he does . it was the expression of a heathen , that he regarded no more his wicked children that came from him , then hee would vermine that came from his body : if we be wicked , wee may be a disgrace to our ancestours , they can be no honour to us . augustus caesar had three daughters , who were lewd , and hee used to call them his three ulcers and cankers , and was wont to cry out , oh that i had lived unmarried , or had died without children . although gold comes from the earth none despiseth it , and although though drosse and rust comes from the gold , none regards it ; the vertuous coming from meane parentage are honorable , and the vitious coming from noble parentage are contemptible . this is the first argument , that there is not much in nobility of birth , that it should be counted too great a thing to be laid downe for god. but secondly , suppose there be some great matter in it , yet god is infinitely worthy that it should bee laid downe for his honour : if there were ten thousand times more honour in it then indeede there is , yet the denying of all were not a sufficient testimony of that respect you owe to the great and glorious god. god is worthy that all the kings , princes , potentates , great ones of the earth , should come and bow , and lye downe flat before him , abased in his presence , that they should all bring their crownes , and pompe , and dignities , and cast them downe at his feete , as revel . . , . the foure and twenty elders fell downe before him who sate upon the throne , and worshipped him that liveth for ever , and cast their crownes before the throne , saying , thou art worthy , o lord , to receive glory , and honour , and power , &c. such infinite distance there is betwixt the excellency and greatnesse of the lord , and all the nobles of the world , that it is a wonderfull favour of god to them , that if he doe but appeare to them , they may live before him ; it is their honour that their lives may bee preserved when god makes knowne his glory , as exod. . , . and they saw the god of israel , &c. and upon the nobles of the children of israel hee laid not his hand , that is , to destroy them , but they were suffered to live in his sight . thirdly , as god is worthy in regard of his infinite excellency , so it is due to him ; because whatsoever excellency & honour there is in the nobility of your birth , * it is he that hath made the difference betweene men : the rainebow is but a common vapour , it is the sunne that gilds it , that enamels it with so many colours ; wee are but a vapour , it is the lord that hath shined upon us and our fathers house , and hath put more beauty , more lustre upon us , then upon other vapours . i may say in this respect , as saint paul saith in another case ; who makes thee to differ ? was not the lump of all mankind in the hand of the lord , as the clay in the hand of the potter , to make one to this outward honour , and another to meannesse & basenesse as he pleaseth : hee might have so ordered things , as wee might have beene , not onely of the most beggerly , and miserable broode , but might have beene begotten a toade , or a serpent , or any other the vilest creature that liveth upon the earth : that honour wee have , god hath put upon us , and therefore it is his , the glory of it is infinitely due unto him . fourthly , there is no such way to adde glory to your nobility , as to bee willing to use it or deny it for god. this proceedes from a noble principle indeede , wheresoever it is . it is nature that causes the one kinde of nobility , but it is the grace of god , a sparkle of the divine nature , a ray of the very glory of god himselfe , shining into the soule , that is the cause of the other . tertullian saies of augustus , that the name of piety was more esteemed of him , then the name of power : and ierom writing the praise of marcella a noble woman , saies of her ; that hee will not make mention of her family , nor the honour of her blood , what proconsulls , and other great men she had to her ancestors ; hee saies hee will praise nothing but what was her owne , and especially he commends her in this , that she was so much the more noble , in as much , as riches and nobility being contemned , she was made the more noble in her poverty and humility . fifthly , christ was the glory of his father , the lustre of his glory , the character & engraven forme of his image , the onely begotten sonne of the father from all eternity : hee thought it no robbery to be equall with god , he was god blessed for ever , and yet how did he empty himselfe ? hee was made a scorne , he was called the carpenters sonne , as one that was contemptible : hee made himselfe of no reputation , he came in the forme of a servant , yea of an evill servant that was to be beaten : yea hee was made a curse , as if he had beene the vilest of men : and yet this was the glory of christ himselfe , because it was all for god , and good of soules : who is hee then , that knowes any thing of iesus christ , that shall thinke much to lay downe all the honour of nobility of birth , or any outward dignitie under heaven for him ? it is a notable expression that bernard in a sermon upon the birth of christ hath : what can bee more unworthy ? what more detestable ? what deserving more grievous punishments then that a man should magnifie himselfe after hee hath seene god humbled ? it is intolerable impudency , that where majesty hath emptyed it selfe , a worme should bee puffed up and swell . sixtly , if wee be godly god hath honoured us with a higher birth then what wee have by blood from our ancestors ; god hath given us a birth from above , he hath begotten us of the immortall seede of his word , to bee sonnes and daughters to him , heires , and coheires with iesus christ : wee are borne of god , and the glory of this birth should darken the other in our eyes : what great matter is it though the glory of the other bee lost , seeing god hath so highly honoured you with this ? this birth hath great efficacie to raise the heart to high and worthy actions : whosoever knowes himselfe to bee the sonne of god , never wonders more at what is humane : saies cyprian , he debases himselfe from the height of true generousnesse , who admires at any thing now besides god himselfe . this birth you may glory in , and it must not bee denyed ; for those who are thus borne againe , if they shall be affraid or ashamed to appeare in the waies of godlinesse , to manifest themselves what they are , they fall to a degree of selfe-deniall ( if i may so call it ) beyond this of moses , but it is a cursed selfe-deniall . moses refuses or denies to be called the sonne of pharaohs daughter , they refuse and deny to be called and accounted the sons of the everliving god. chap. ii. how externall honour and nobility is to be denied . wherein must those who are higher then others in their nobility of birth deny themselves , and refuse the honour of it ? first , by being willing to bee employed in any , even the meanest service that god calls them to ; wee must thinke no worke of god too meane for us , but willingly submit to it , though it darken our honours never so much in the eyes of the world . thus ierome writes to pamachius , a godly young noble man , hee would have him bee eyes to the blind , hands to the weake , feete to the lame , yea if neede were to carry water , and cut wood , &c. and what are all these ( saies he ) to buffettings , to spittings , to whippings , and to death . constantinus , valantinianus , theodosius , three emperours called themselves the vassals of iesus christ , as socrates reports of them . theodosius did manifest it indeede in the worke of his humiliation for his sinne , in the whole church , casting himself downe upon the pavement , weeping , and lamenting for his sinne in the face of the whole congregation , which many haughty spirits , though much inferior to him , would have scorned to doe . meane offices , if in service to princes , are accounted honorable : the master of the horse , the groome of the stoole , they esteeme these offices an honorable addition to their nobility , the chiefest of the nobility of a kingdome thinke themselves not disgraced but honored by them : shall any service then , performed in obedience to , for the honour of the high and blessed god , be accounted dishonorable , too lowfor the highest on earth ? secondly , they must deny themselves in being willing to joyne with those of lower degree in any way of honouring god. thus s. paul , rom. . . exhorts to condescend to men of low degree : saint ierom , in his former epistle to pammachius , would have him equall himselfe with the poore , and vouchsafe to goe into the cells of the needy : the thoughts of nobility and dignity must bee layd downe , they must bee refused , where god may bee honored , and spirituall good attained , in joyning with those that are of an inferior ranke , who it may bee were in christ before us , and their ancestors were more godly then ours , who are farre more honorable in the eyes of god , and his saints , then we : where greater graces sit below us , let us acknowledge their inward dignity , as their inferiority does acknowledge our outward eminency . and when wee are willing to doe thus , know that reason , and religion , teacheth those with whom we have to deale , to know and acknowledge that distance , that god hath put betweene us and them , never a whit the lesse to give us our due honours and respects , because wee are willing to lay them downe , and deny our selves in them ; they will looke on us with that respect that jerom expresses himselfe concerning paula a virgin ( who by her father was descended of aeneas , and the noble house of the gracchi , and by her mother of agamemnon ) saying shee was by birth noble , but by grace more noble ; but let it bee accounted injustice , that outward worth should bee respected which is the meaner , and that wee should not acknowledge inward worth , which is the better . thirdly , we must deny our selves , by being willing to suffer the most disgracefull thing that can be put upon us for the cause of christ : though we should have all our kindred frowne upon us , and cast us off , and scorne , and account us as a disgrace unto them , we must bee willing to be deprived of titles of honour , of all our estates , of all that glory we have , that we are borne unto , to be imprisoned , to endure any kinde of torture , or death that god shall call us unto for his names sake : romanus that blessed martyre was of noble birth , and yet endured extreme tortures for christ , when they whipt his body with cords that had leades at the end of thē , so as they tore his flesh , that his very bowells were seene , yet he cryed out to his tormentors , that they should not spare him for his noble birth . theodoret reports of hormisda a noble man in the king of persia his court , because hee would not deny christ , hee was put into ragged cloathes , deprived of his honours , and set to keepe the camells ; after a long time , the king seeing of him in that base condition hee was , and remembring his former fortunes , he pittied him , & caused him to be brought into the palace , and to bee cloathed againe like a noble man , and then perswades him to deny christ ; hee presently rends his silken cloathes , and sayes , if for these you thinke to have me deny my faith , take them againe : and so with scorne hee was cast out . it is reported likewise of one same 's a noble man , who had and maintained a thousand servants of his owne , yet was deprived of all his estate by the king of persia , and was compelled to serve one of the most abject and base of his owne servants , to whom the king gave his wife , that by this meanes hee might cause him to deny the faith ; but hee not at all moved , kept his faith intire , willingly suffering all this wrong and indignity for christ ; wee have divers later examples of men of noble birth , who have beene willing to suffer great things for iesus christ , and in this have shewne the true greatnesse of their spirits . as that truely noble marquesse of vico , marcus galeacius , whose story is famous , and will make him honorable in all succeeding ages ; hee was a courtier to the emperour charles the fifth , nephew to pope paul the fourth marquesse of vico , which is one of the paradises of naples , naples the paradise of italy , and italy of europe , & europe of the earth ; his father was not onely a marquesse , but was so in favour with the emperour , as hee was joyned equally in commission with the viceroy of naples , to sway the scepter of that kingdome ; his mother was of honorable parentage , her brother was paul the fourth , his lady was the daughter to the duke of niceria , one of the principall peeres of italy : yet being brought to heare a sermon of peter martyrs , god pleased so to work upon his spirit , that he began to enter into serious thoughts , whether his way were right or not , then to take up a constant exercise of reading the scriptures , then to change his former company , and to make choise of better : his father was moved against him with sharpenesse , his lady wrought what shee could by teares , complaints , intreaties , to take him off from that way : the most part of the noble men , in , and about naples , being either his kinred or familiar friends , they continually resorted to him , to take him off to follow their old pleasures together , yet at last having further light let into his soule , to see not onely the necessity of some truthes that he understood not before , but likewise of delivering himselfe from that idolatry that he apprehended himselfe defiled with ; therefore his resolutions were strong to leave court , and father , and honours , and inheritance , to joyne himselfe to a true church of god ; and according to this his resolution he went away : much meanes were used to call him backe , great offers of riches and preferments to draw him ; his children hung about him with dolefull cryes , his friends standing by with watery eyes , which so wrought vpon his tender heart ( hee being of a most loving and sweet disposition ) that , as he hath often said , he thought that all his bowells rouled about within him , and that his heart would have burst presently , and hee should there instantly have dyed : but he denyed himselfe in all , and chose rather to live in a meane condition where hee might enjoy god , and the peace of his conscience , then to have the riches , glory , pleasures of italy , and of the emperours court. the history of the lord cobham , that we have in the booke of martys , is famous in this kind : hee was a man of great birth , and in great favour with king henry the fifth , so as the archbishop thomas arundell durst not meddle with him till hee knew the kings minde : the king when he heard of it , bad them have respect to his noble stocke , and promised to deale with him himselfe ; & after he privately sent for him , admonishing him secretly betweene themselves , to submit to his holy mother the church : unto whom he made this answer ; most worthy prince , i am alwaies prompt , and ready to obey , for as much as i know you an appointed minister of god ; unto you ( next my eternall god ) i owe my whole obedience , and submit thereunto as i have done , ever ready at all times to fulfill whatsoever you shall in the lord command mee ; but as touching the pope and his spirituality , i owe them neither suite , nor service , for as much as i know him by the scripture to be the great antichrist , the sonne of perdition , the open adversary of god , and the abomination standing in the holy place . this was in the darkenesse of popery , above two hundred yeares agoe . the blood-thirsty papists never left till they got his blood , prevailing with the king to consent to his condemnation , and when the sentence of his condemnation was read , the story saith , that this worthy noble man with a chearefull countenance spake after this manner : though yee judge my body , which is but a wretched thing , yet am i certaine and sure , that you can doe no harme to my soule , no more then could sathan to the soule of job ; here were truely noble spirits indeede , shewing their nobility by refusing of it , by being willing to deny it for iesus christ . oh that god would raise up many noble spirits that shall bee thus willing to deny themselves . as iudg. . . my heart is toward the governours of the people , that offered themselves willingly among the people : blesse ye the lord ; the eyes and hearts of gods people are after you the nobles and governours , if ye offer your selves willingly , how shall our hearts be enlarged , and our members opened to besse the lord. as ignatius said concerning christ ; my antiquity is iesus christ : so let us say of him ; our nobility is iesus christ , shewing this , that wee indeede are of the royall seede , that we are of truely noble blood , that wee have the blood of iesus christ running in our veines , that raises our spirits farre above whatsoever honour our naturall births have raised us unto . it were a blessed thing , if those who are of noble parentage , yet in the cause of god , they would not looke at what nature hath advanced them unto ; but wherein it is that they are begotten againe by the almighty worke of the grace of god , by that heavenly principle , the sparkle of that divine nature that is put into them ? that in the cause of god it were with them , as it is said of levi , he must not know father or mother . wee must not say as those iewes , mat. . . we have abraham to our father , we are borne of noble parents ; but as iohn to them , so i say to you , bring forth fruit , or else the axe is laid to the roote of the tree : stand not so much upon the blood wee have , as upon the good we doe . if wee would glory in our parentage , especially glory in our ancestors , who have beene godly , who have made themselves noble indeede by the worthy things they have done for god and his people ; and let it be our honour , to continue this honour to our family , rather resolve to lose our life , then to let this honour of our family die in us ; that it may not be said , how did religion flourish in such a noble family , for two or three or more successions ? but now all is gone , ever since such a sonnes time all is gone , and things are turned another way . it is a blessed thing to have the glorious name of god kept up in succession in a family , psal . . . we have a prophesy that the name of christ shall continue from generation to generation : the words are , filiabitur nomen ejus , it shall be childed , it shall be begotten from one to another ; the lineall descent of christs name , is more honorable then the lineall descent of noble blood . plinie telles us that it was accounted a great honour , even the height of felicity , that in one house & race of the curios , there were knowne to be three excellent oratours , one after another , by descent from the father to the son , & that the fabii afforded three presidents of the senate in course , one immediately succeeding the other : if this succession be so honorable , so happie , how honorable , how happie doth the succession of religion make families to be ? we glory in our ancestors , let our ancestors be made glorious in us : it is better , saies chrysostome , that our parents should glory in us , then that we should glory in our parents : we should doe nothing unworthy of our ancestors . it is reported of boleslaus the fourth , king of poland , that hee used to have the picture of his father hanging about his neck , in a plate of gold , and when he was to speake , or doe any thing of importance , hee tooke this picture , and kissing it said ; deare father i wish i may not doe any thing remissely , unworthy of thy name . oh that many of our nobility , whose ancestors have beene famous for godlinesse , would often have such thoughts as these ; that they would often consider how unworthy of the name of their noble ancestors those waies are , in which now they walke ! certainely our parentage is a mighty engagement unto us for noble and vertuous actions . i see nothing in nobility to be desired , saies jerome , but that noble men are constrained , by a kinde of necessity , not to degenerate from the goodnesse of their ancestors . it is the happinesse of godly parents when they dye , to see hope of their godlinesse to live in their children , to preserve the lives of their godly parents in themselves . ambrose in his funerall oration upon theodosius saies , that though theodosius be gone , yet hee is not wholly gone , for hee hath left honorius with other of his children in whom theodosius still lives . oh that it might bee said of many of our ancient religious nobility , that although they bee gone , yet they are not wholly gone , for they have left their religious truely noble children in whom still they live ! but woe unto us , how many of them are gone , yea they are wholly gone , nothing of their true nobility is left remaining in their family , but onely empty titles . if meannesse of parentage be a dishonour to a child , what dishonour then is the wickednesse of children to noble parentage . it was the speech of one being contemned for his meane birth , to mee , saith he , my parents are made a disgrace ; but we are a disgrace unto our parents , and which in our consciences doe we think to be most eligible ? it is better , saies chrysostome , to be famous from a contemptible family , then to be contemptible from a famous family : this is the priviledge of a truely noble vertuous life , that wee shall not only have those worthies , from whom we have come by a naturall line , to be our ancestors , but all the worthies of the lord , whose vertues and noble services for god survive in us , shall bee accounted our ancestors . what abundance of service might be done for god , and his truth , if the nobles and the great ones of the earth , did give up themselves and their honours to the service of the blessed god : if they did encourage the hearts of their brethren in joyning with them , in doing or suffering whatsoever god calles for ; i say their brethren , for so we have it , nehem. . . certainely christ will take it exceedingly well at their hands ; god is no acepter of persons , yet i know not how , saies bernard , vertue in a noble man does more please , it may bee , because it is more conspicuous . it is an observation of ierom , that saint john who was the beloved disciple was of noblestocke , and therefore the rather beloved , in which regard he saies he was so knowne to the high ▪ priest , and did not feare the iewes , so as the other disciples did ; hee could bring peter into the hall , and he alone of all the disciples could stand before christ at the crosse , and receive to him the mother of our saviour . wherefore let us adde christian nobility to our naturall , and then to our coronets we shall have added a crowne of life , a crowne of glory ; to our costly garments , the glorious shining robe of a saviours righteousnes , to ous jewells and ornaments , the graces of that blessed spirit , more precious then rubies ; to our chaines of gold , the golden chaine of salvation , the linkes whereof are described , rom. . wee have vassalls under us now , the whole frame of creation shall then be under us , and serviceable to us ; to our attendance shall be added the angells , who shall bee our guard , pitching their tents about us , ministring spirits unto us . certainely there will be no honour lost that is ventured for christ . moses who was content to deny himselfe in this honour he might have had , lost no honour by it , for god raised him to the greatest honour that ever any man was raised to before him or in his time . hee who was content to deny the title of the sonne of pharaohs daughter , had after that great and high titles put upon him even by god himselfe , to be called pharaohs god , exod. . . because of that feare of him , that was strucke into pharaohs heart , and the power hee had to execute judgements upon pharaoh and his people : god spake with him face to face , as a man speakes to his friend , god wrought wonderfull things by him , and made him the prince and leader of his people , and that was a greater honour then any hee could have had in pharaohs court. oh therefore let it not bee said of you , when god hath any speciall service to doe , as it was of those nobles in nehem. . . but the nobles put not their neckes to the worke of the lord. it is true , the scripture saies , that there are not many rich , not many noble that are called , and every generation findes the experience of it , but the more rare the more honorable , in those who doe give up themselves to the honour of god , upon whom they , their honours , and all their goods depend . doe not staine the noblenesse of your birth with the filthinesse of sinne : it was a speech of theodorick a king ; what does filthinesse of minde doe in splendor of noble birth : what benefit is it for a river to come from a clear spring , if it be muddy ? yee are the children of nobles , and therefore honorable ; so were the children of israel , but god regarded not their birth , when their lives were wicked : hee speakes this in dishonour of them , amos . . are yee not as children of ethiopians unto me , o children of israel ? what ? children of israel to be as the children of ethiopians ? what a debasement is this ? you are noble , be not as the children of the vilest of the earth before the lord and his people , lay not a foundation of dishonour to your posterity , isay . . the seede of the wicked shall not bee renowned ; they shall not be noble , for it is the same word that , numb . . . is used for nobility . god forbid that any of you should have a thought that the service of god should be a disgrace unto you , that it should be too low a thing for you , that it should bee counted a disparagement to you to stoope unto it , that it should be thought a staine to your honours : oh no , it is sinne onely that spots and staines your honours . take heede of being ashamed of iesus christ in any service of his ; his service in the meanest workes of it , is a greater honour to you , then you can bee to it . it is the unhappinesse of many who are of birth and quality , they lose much spirituall good that they might have in communion with gods servants in their gifts and graces , because of that distance that is betweene them ; and although some duties of religion are taken up by them ▪ which may in their owne thoughts stand with their honours , and correspond with their friends of quality , yet other duties are looked at as too low , as praying in their families when other helpe is wanting , instructing servants , leaving unnecessary occasions and sports , to attend upon the preaching of the word , calling over what of gods minde hath beene made knowne to them . the holy ghost sets it out as an addition to the honour of those noble men of berea , acts . . that they received the word with all readinesse of minde , and searched the scriptures after they had heard paul preach , to examin what had beene delivered to them : after oswald , king of northumberland , was converted by one aidan a bishop , it is reported of him , that he disdained not to preach and expound to his subjects and nobles in the english tongue , that which aidan preached to the saxons in the scottish tongue . it still remaines the glory and renown of that young truly noble lord harrington in the blessed memory of him , that he was so diligent & so constant in those duties of religion which now are accounted so meane and low by many great ones . it is recorded in his life , that he prayed not onely twice a day in secret , but twice with his servants likewise in his chamber , besides the joyning at the appointed times of prayer in the family : he meditated of three or foure sermons that hee had lately heard every day ; every lords day morning hee would repeate the sermons that hee had heard the lords day before , and at night those he heard that day . there is no disproportion betweene such exercises as those , and the dignity of nobility , if things be judged according to righteous judgement : there is in truth no denial of the honour of true noblenesse in these , but because of the perverse judgement of the world , there is neede of much selfe-deniall to submit to them . the conclusion of this point is this : if you would be indeede honorable , as your famous and religious ancestors have beene , be as they were . religion sayes to us , as god to eli , sam. . . them who honour me i will honour . i have read of the lacedaemonians , that for the stirring up of the spirits of yong men to noble and heroicall enterprises , they used to have the statues in marble or brasse of their most famous worthies set up in their senate house , with this epigramme graven in golden characters underneath , si fueritis sicut hi : if you will bee like these , that is , in vertue and famous actions , eritis sicut illi , you shall bee like them in glory and renowne . thus the memory of the succeeding generations after worthy ancestors hath lifted them up in their due honour and their deserved high esteeme , with this motto upon them , si fueritis sicut hi , eritis sicut illi : be we like them in holy desires , for the honour of religion , and the good of our countrey ; and wee shall be now , and in the succeeding generations like them , in a blessed and glorious memoriall of us . honour likewise , and all pleasures and delights that we enjoy , are to bee denyed for christ . it is true , they are the blessings of god in themselves : many of gods servants have enjoyed them , and made much use of ▪ them for god and his people ; as joseph , ester , mordecai , obadiah , ezra , nehemiah , daniel , the lord deputy of cyprus , acts . . the great lord treasurer of the queene of the ethiopians , acts . . so it is said , that he had the charge of all her treasure ; and those that were of caesars houshold , phil. . . and so in after times . church histories relate unto us many worthyes of the lord who lived in the courts of the greatest persecuters of christian religion , and yet they kept their faith intire , and their consciences unspotted . as flavianus in vespasianus his court , dorotheus in dioclesians , terentius in valentinians , and multitude of others might be named in all succeeding generations . court-honours are to bee denied for christ , for they are his , it is hee that hath raised us in these , higher then others . and though they be blessings , yet not so great , that wee should grudge iesus christ the having the honour of them ; the least of his honour hath more excellency in it , then all these in the heigth of them , and ten thousand times more then these : for there is a vanity in them all : we know solomon , who had the highest of them that ever were , yet hee saw , and had the experience of vanity , yea exceeding vanity , and vexation of spirit to be in them : observe his expression ; first vanity , not vaine only , but vanity it self . secondly excessive vanity , for it is vanity of vanitie . thirdly a heape of vanities , for it is in the plural number , vanitie of vanities . fourthly , all is vanity . fifthly , hee addes his name to that he saith ; saies the preacher , choeleth , the word signifies the soule that hath gathered wisedome , or the soule that is gathered to the church , as some . when daniel , chap. . had the vision of the estate of the foure great mornarchies of the world ; the persian , chaldaean , graecian , and romane , it was set out unto him by the foure windes : what are all the empires , all the dignities of the world , but as winde ? there is no reality in these brave court things , which are so admired and magnified by the most . when agrippa and bernice came in great pompe to the judgement seate , acts . . it was all but a meere phancy , for so the words are in the originall : they came with much phansie . honour is but a shaddow , and when it comes from these outward things , it hath not the dignity to be so much as the shaddow of a substance ; for all these outward things are as shaddowes , prov. . . . wisedome there saies , that shee leades in the pathes of righteousnesse , and in the midst of the pathes of judgement , that shee may cause those that love her to inherite substance : the word substance is translated by some id quod est , that which is , that which hath a being , as if nothing had a being , as if nothing could bee called a substance , but that which wisedome ( that is , grace and godlinesse ) gives to inherite . the fashion of this world passeth away , saies the holy ghost : the word in the originall signifies the surface , the outside , as if all the things of the world were a meere surface , & avaine outside . the shadow of a man may be longer or shorter , but the man remaines the same still , it adds nothing to the man : honours & preferments may be more or lesse , but the man remaines the same he did before . no man , saies seneca , whom riches and honours set high , is therefore great , he onely seemes so , because we measure him with his basis ; but set a dwarfe upon a mountaine , hee is not higer , and set a mighty high statue in a pit , it is not the lesse . when gold is raised from twenty shillings to two & twenty , the gold was as good before as it is now , it is the same peece still that then it was , the raising of it is only in the estimation of men . it is said of eliakim , isaiah , chap. . v. . they shall hang the honour of his fathers house upon him ; honour is but an externall additament , there is no internall excellencie in it . great letters in a word set out with gaies , take up more roome then others , make a greater shew in the word then other letters , but they adde no more to the sense of the word then others doe : so men enjoying great honours in the world , they carry a greater porte with them , they make a greater shew then others , but the men are not the better for thē . notwithstanding all the outward honours of antiochus epiphanes , yet still the scripture calles him a vile person , as daniel chap. . . all these things are a meere fable . when augustus caesar was neere to death , who had been emperour fifty yeares , and living in much glory & pompe , commanding almost all the knowne world , yet when he was to die , he saw al that he had enjoyed to bee but a meere fable ; for thus he expresses himself to thē that were about him , have not i seemed to have acted my part sufficiently in this fable of the world ? but if there be no reality in honour , yet it may be there is something in pleasures , men feele something , they thinke there is such a reality in them , that in comparison of them , all other excellencies that are spoken of , are judged by them but meere imaginations : but if the excellency of these may passe , according to the judgement of the holy ghost , if that sentence that he hath passed upon them may stand , there is nothing in these neither ; which appeares by the comparing of two places of scripture . in the sixth chap. of the prophesie of amos , & the fourth verse , he charges the courtiers of riotousnesse ; for it appeares , that though before he was a heards-man , yet now he is a preacher to the court , amos . . that riotousnesse which he charges thē withall , he expresses thus ; that lie upon beds of ivorie , & stretch themselves upon their couches , and eate the lambs out of the flocke , and calves out of the midst of the stall : they would have the best of every thing whatsoever it cost them ; calves in the midst of the stall were the best . they chanted to the sound of the viole , and invented to themselves instruments of musicke like david ; that is , most curious and exquisite instruments , not like davids instruments to praise the lord by , but as david intended the best instruments hee could to serve god by ; so they invented the best that could bee got , and laid out much charge for them , that they might more fully serve their lusts by them . they drinke wine in bowles , and annoynt themselves with the chiefe ointments , and these they give up themselves unto , so as they minde nothing else ; they care not what becomes of any thing , so be it they may freely enjoy the pleasures of their lusts : they are not grieved for the affliction of ioseph . this their life might seeme to some a most brave and desireable life , but marke what the holy ghost saies of it in the same chapter , verse thirteene , ye which rejoyce in a thing of nought , all these pleasures put together were in a true judgement but a thing of nought ; res nihili , they had nothing in them ; when wee feede upon those , wee doe but feede upon ashes , and a seduced heart hath deceived us , isay . . that wee cannot say , is there not a lye in our right hand ? they doe most certainely put a lye into our right hand , that is , they make us to use our chiefest strength for that which is nothing else but a meere lie , and yet they doe so ensnare us , and so grossely seduce us , that wee cannot say , is there not a lye in my right hand ? wee cannot so much as question with our selves : are these the things that wee were borne for ? are these the chiefe good of those that are raised to such an high estate ? are there not other things that god requires of us to looke after ? we cannot thus say in our owne thoughts , is there not a lye in our right hand ? such is the evill & unreasonablenesse of our way , that if we did but say thus in our own heart , we would soone bee ashamed of it , confounded in it , and our hearts would quickly turne away from it . but by the favours of the court , a man may raise his estate so , as to make him , and his , that follow after , great ; there is some reality in riches , is there not ? no , not in riches neither , for so sayes solomon , prov. . . wilt thou set thine eyes upon that which is not : for riches certainely make themselves wings , they flie away as an eagle . observe first , the holy ghost saies that riches are not , are nothing : those things that make men great in the eye of the world , are nothing in the eyes of god : a cipher is nothing in its selfe , yet put a figure to it , and it is something . secondly observe , the holy ghost would not have us so much as set our eyes upon riches , they are not objects worth the looking on . thirdly observe , with what indignation hee speakes against those that will set their eyes upon them ; wilt thou set thine eyes upon that which is not ? as if he should say , what a vaine , unreasonable , sottish , senselesse thing is it ? fourthly observe , that he sayes their parting from us is by way of flight , that is , a sudden , a swift , and irrecoverable motion . fifthly , observe that this flight is by the wings of an eagle , which is the most sudden , the most swift , and irrecoverable motion . sixtly observe , none neede put wings upon them to fly away , for so sayes the text , they make to themselves wings , there is matter enough in themselves to worke their owne corruption , and to put themselves into a flight . wee thinke when wee are called to denie such riches , pleasures , and honours , that then we are called to deny some great thing ; but the truth is , had wee an eye to discerne the vanity of them , we should see that we are called to deny nothing but a meere fancy , a thing of nought , and that which is not . oh that the glory of the world were darkened in our eyes , as one day it shall be , that it might not bee so deare unto us , as to thinke it such a great matter to part●●● with any thing in it , in the cause of iesus christ . riches are too meane things for a truely noble spirit to be taken withall : if generousnesse of spirit cannot raise above money , where is the glory of it . luther professeth that the sin of covetousnesse , hee saw so base and vile , and his spirit was so above it , that hee was not so much as tempted with it . that which is observed of joshua , makes him a glorious example to all great men . he was the divider of the land to israel , & left none to himselfe , & that portion that was given him , and he contented with all , was but a meane one in the barren mountaines . this ierome notes in his epistle upon paula , he saies she visited the sepulchre of ioshua , and marvelled very much , that the divider of the possessions had the hilly and craggy places for himselfe . and yet further know , as there is a vanity and emptinesse of good , so there is a mixture of much evill ; they are as water in the bottome of pits exceeding muddy ; the water is not much , but the mud causes it to be unusefull . if things be so mixt with trouble and cumberance , that the evill of them will not answer the good expected in them , we reject them as things unprofitable . you will deny your selves many times in forty , in a hundred things , to get your minde in some one , and it may be when you have it , it is not worth the while , such a thing as a true noble generous spirit would cast off with scorn ; you get honours , pleasures , and riches , but consider whether all be not muddy water , whether there be not much evill in the getting , and in the enjoyment of them , what feares and suspitions ? what undermining one another ? what disappointments ? what vexations ? what a clutter of businesse crossing one the other ? what snares and temptations lye in your way at every hand ? you walke all the day long upon snares , as iob. . . upon dangerous snares that bring much sinne and guilt , and will bring much sorrow & misery : how little doe you enjoy your selves for the present , nor any thing you have to your selves ? hence some give the reason , why ioseph , although he had power to have advanced his brethren in the court , yet hee would not have them live there , but by themselves in goshen , tending their sheepe ; he had an extraordinary call to be there , but hee knew the encombrance and snares of it , that he sought it not for his brethren . if a thing that is cold , have some heate added to it , and then as much cold as that heate was , the thing is not hotter then it was before ; so you , though you may have much honour , and pleasure , and riches added to your estate , though the world who looke upon these think you happie , yet you your selves knowing that there is as much evill likewise added to your condition , as the good of those come unto , your condition is not at all more happie then it was before . againe further , consider the uncertainty that is in all ; indeede the comforts that nature affords are chiefly to be had with you ; but even nature it selfe is but a wheele , all at uncertainties : as james . . the tongue is said to set the whole course of nature on fire : the word in the originall is the wheele of nature . you know the story of sesostris king of egypt , who would have his chariot drawne with foure kings , and one of them had his eyes continually upon the wheele ; whereupon sesostris asked him what he meant by it ? hee answered , that it put him in minde of the mutability of all earthly things ; for i see , saith hee , that part of the wheele which is now up on high , is presently downe beneath , and that part which is now below , is presently up on high : whereupon sesostris being moved , considering what mutability might be in his owne estate , he would never have his chariot drawne after that manner any more . the relation of this storie , was a meanes to bring downe the stoutnesse and pride of another great prince : for when mauritius sent theodorus his physitian embassadour to chaianus prince of the hunnes , who perceiving the stoutnesse and arrogancy of the prince , related unto him the story of the king of aegypt ; chaianus being moved by it , his spirit yeelded , and he was content to come to conditions of peace with the emperour mauritius . all men in worldly honours are like an houreglasse , now this end is uppermost , by and by this is downe , and the other is up , and this part of it is full , and by and by it is empty , and the other that was before empty is full , what is become of all the great ones of the earth that lived and ruled in the earth but a while agoe ? their glorie is buried in the dust , ps . . . the lord cuts off the spirit of princes : the word is , he slips off , as one should slip off a flower betweene ones fingers , or as one should slippe off a bunch of grapes from a vine , so soone is it done . how great uncertainety have many great ones , by their miserable experience , found in their outward glory , and worldly felicity ? what a change hath a little time made in all their honours , riches , and delights ? that victorious emperour henry the fourth , who had fought two and fifty pitched battells , fell to that poverty before he dyed , as hee was forced to petition to bee a prebend in the church of spier , to maintaine him in his old age . and procopius reports of king gillimer , who was a potent king of the vandalls , who was so low brought , as to intreate his friend to send him a spunge , a loafe of bread , and a harpe ; a spunge to dry up his teares , a loafe of bread to maintaine his life , and a harpe to solace himselfe in his misery . philip de comines reports of a duke of exceter , who thogh hee had married edward the fourths sister , yet hee saw him in the low-countries begging barefoot . bellisarius the onely man living in his time , having his eyes put out , was led at last in a string , crying , give a halfepeny to bellisarius . these are the uncertainties , and mutabilities of all worldly honours : mighty potentates of the world have beene ludibria fortunae , the very scorne of fortune : all the choise things that the world affords , are as water in broken cisternes , not having any spring to feede them , & the cisterne being brokē will let out all ; they are but as a thing without a foundation , which cannot stand long . that is observable that we find in the epistle to the hebrewes , chap. . v. . it is said of abraham , that he sought a citie that had a foundation : noting thereby , that all other cities though never so glorious , and by consequence all other worldly things , have no foundation to uphold them . hence plutarch tells us that the ancient nobility of rome and arcadia , were accustomed to weare moones upon their shooes , that they might have alwaies the mutability of their prosperity before their eyes . that which saint paul saies of riches , tim. . . is true of all worldly things ; trust not in uncertaine riches : so it may bee said , trust not in uncertaine honours , nor in uncertaine pleasures . hence it was that solon , when hee saw croesus puft up with his great riches , and outward glory , thinking himselfe the happiest man that lived , hee said unto him , none was to bee counted happie before death : intending hereby to admonish him of the uncertainty of those riches , in which hee blest himselfe so much , and would have him consider , that before the end of his daies there might bee a great change in his condition : but he while hee enjoyed his outward prosperity , minded not at all what solon had said unto him , untill he came by his miserable experience to finde the uncertainty of his riches , and all that worldly glory that hee had , and then hee could remember solons speech unto him ; for when hee was taken by king cyrus , and condemned to be burnt , and saw the fire preparing for him , then hee cryed out , o solon , solon : cyrus asking him the cause of that outcry , hee answered ; that now hee remembred what solon had told him in his prosperity , that none was to bee accounted happie before death . thus wee have many , who heare much of the uncertainty , and vanity of their outward honours , sensuall pleasures , greate estates and riches they have in the world , but while they enjoy the sweet of them , they little minde what is said , till they come upon their sicke beds , and death beds , and then they cry out most lamentably of the vanity of all worldly things , then they can remember what hath beene said unto them heretofore , concerning the vanity and short continuance of all those things they tooke so much delight in . all things then wisely and duely considered , these honours , pleasures , and riches are not such great things , that we should be so hardly brought to deny our selves in them : a wise understanding heart would quickly cast dirt in the face of them all , a true noble great spirit would trample them as dirt under feete , when once they come in competition with iesus christ . it is an excellent speech of saint augustine ; it is not an argument of a great minde , to seeke for great honours , but rather to contemne them : and indeede ( considering all , at least in the cause of religion ) they are to bee accounted as contemptible and vile things . they are like a candle , which while it is light it hath some lustre , and hath no ill savour , but when it is out it stinkes : so all outward excellencies , while they are as it were enlightned with grace added to them , and a holy use of them , they have some lustre , and are desirable , but take this away , howsoever they may appeare to a carnall eye , yet they are indeede but as a contemptible snuffe , unsavory themselves , and making those who have them unsavory in the nostrils of god. and consider yet further , what iesus christ hath denied for us , if ever we be saved by him . hee came from the bosome of his father , and from that infinite glory he had with him , before the world was ; for so he prayes , joh. . that the father would glorifie him with that glory he had with him , before the world was : hee left the riches and pleasures of heaven , and that honour which hee might have had from angels and men , and all to save poore , wretched , sinfull creatures . and lastly , god hath greater preferments for us , then all these things here below can afford , if we have hearts to denie these for him : we neede take no care for dignities , delights , and riches , or whatsoever may make us happie and glorious ; there are infinite treasures of all with the lord , and hee delights in the communication of them to the children of men . heathens accounted the honour that learning put upon men as great a glory as that which came by places of dignity , as seneca saies of socrates ; patricius socrates non fuit : socrates , he was not of the race of the senators , and yet honorable . cleanthes drew water . philosophy did not finde , but made plato noble . what ? shall they account learning to put honour enough upon men to satisfie them , and shall not christians thinke that godlinesse and the honour which that brings , is sufficient to make them glorious ? surely wee know not that nearenesse that godlinesse hath to god himselfe , that infinite glorious first being , from whom the lustre of all true glorie proceedes ; surely wee know not , how high and great the thoughts of god are towards his people , what honour he hath , what hee will put upon them everlastingly , if this be not enough to satisfie our hearts for ever . chap. iii. how honours , riches , and all delights whatsoever , are to be denied for christ. vve are to deny these for christ . first , by going on in the waies of godlinesse in the strictnesse and power of them , though all these be hazarded ; keepe we on our way , and passe not for them , trust god with them ; if wee doe still enjoy them , so it is ; but if not , yet maintaine a constant strong resolution of keeping on in the waies of gods feare . thus did daniel , when the princes and nobles watched him , in the matter of the lord his god , yet hee abated not one whit , hee went on in his course , notwithstanding all the hazard he was in : the constant course of godlinesse in communion with his god , was more sweet and precious to him a thousand fould , then all his court preferments and pleasures that hee did , or might further enjoy . how resolutely did nehemiah goe on in the worke of the lord , notwithstanding that opposition he had ? such conspirings against him , such complaints , such letters sent to informe against him . and david professeth , psal . . . that he did meditate in gods law , though princes spake against him . secondly , appeare for god and his cause , his truth and his people , though the issue may seeme to bee dangerous , when none else will : as ester did , with that brave resolution of hers , if i perish , i perish : and nehemiah , who though he was something afraid at first to speake to that heathenish king in the behalfe of his religion and his people , yet having lift up his heart to god , he spake freely unto him . let not a publike good cause be dashed and blasted , and none have a heart to appeare for it , for feare of the losse of their own pompe , and carnall delights , and profits ; know that the venturing for a publike good , is a greater honour then the enjoyment of any private . camerarius in his historicall meditations , hath a famous story of the chiefe courtiers , in the time of lewis the eleventh , whom when they saw to intend to establish unjust edicts , they understanding his drift , went all to him in red gownes ; the king asked them , what they would : the president la-vacqueri answers , we are come with a full purpose to lose our lives every one of us , rather then by our connivencie any unjust ordinance should take place : the king being amazed at this answer , and at the constancie and resolution of these peeres , gave them gracious entertainment , and commanded that all the former edicts should be cancelled in his presence . there is a notable relation that wee finde in josephus , concerning agrippa , that upon a time he invited caius the emperour to a supper , and gave the emperour great content in his entertainement ; whereupon the emperour said unto him , let mee gratifie thee by giving thee what thou wilt : agrippa asked ( although it were with the venture of the losse of all hee had ) as followeth ; dread prince , since it is your good pleasure to thinke mee worthy to be honoured by your presence , i beseech you to give commandement , that the statue which you have charged petronius to erect in the temple of the jewes may never be advanced there ; this hee did , although hee knew it was as much as his life was worth , to aske any thing of caius that was not answerable to his humour . many christians would hardly goe so farre in venturing themselves , either for church or countrey , as hee here did for the jewes . theodoret likewise tells us of a noble spirit in one terentius , a captaine of the emperour valens , who being returned out of armenia with a great victory , the emperour bad him aske a reward ; he asked onely that hee would be pleased to grant to those of the orthodox religion , one publike church in antioch : and although the emperour were angry , and tore his petition , and bade him aske something else , yet hee persisted in this , and refused any other reward for all the service hee had done . and eusebius relates a noble example of a great noble man vetius epagathus , appearing in the cause of the christians , not being able to beare the unjust dealings hee saw against the christians , hee demanded that hee might be heard in defence of the brethren , but all that sate at the tribunall being against it , because hee was a noble man , the president asking him if hee were a christian , hee plainely and publikely confest it , and so was taken in amongst the martyrs , being afterwards called , the advocate of christians : where have wee noble men now of such free and disingaged spirits , to venture themselves in any publike cause for god , and their people ? who should bee free to speake , if not you ? gallasius upon exod. . . sayes of augustus , that he was wont to say , that in a free citie tongues ought to be free : where should tongues or hearts be free , if not in your honourable assemblies ? if you would shew your noble mindes , shew the liberty of your spirits , sayes saint chrysostome ; liberty , i say , the same that that blessed saint john had , from whom herod heard againe , and againe , it is not lawfull for you to take your brother philips wife : that liberty also that before him he had , that said to ahab , it is not i , but you and your fathers house that troubles israel . wherefore seeke to get that nobility of minde which the prophets had , and apostles had , which such as serve riches cannot have ; for nothing takes away the liberty of the spirit so much as the desire of worldly things : thus chrysostome . it is beneath true noblenesse of spirit , to aime at no higher pitch in your desires and endeavours , then to provide for your owne ease and safety , when publike causes for god and his people call you out to venture your selves . a seneca in one of his epistles , speaking of a true raised excellent spirit , describes it to be such a one as seekes , where it may live most honestly , and not most safely . nature hath brought us forth magnanimous , sayes hee , it hath given us a glorious and lofty spirit ; what is that ? seeking where it may live best , not where it may be most secure . what though you should suffer something ; it will bee your honour , that while you suffer , the church and your country prospers . it was the honour of the fabii , and the fabritii , that they being poore themselves , they made the common-wealth rich : venture you your selves for god , and his people , and trust god with your honors , estates and posterities , doe not say , you are alone , you know not how many you may have to cleave to you , if you have a heart to appeare ; howsoever desolate righteousnesse , saith jerome , loseth not her comfort , which hath god to be with it , that is more then all . it was a brave resolution of luther , which we finde in one of his epistles to staupitius , wherein hee professeth , that he had rather be accounted any thing , then be accused of wicked silence in gods cause : let mee be accounted , sayes he , proud , covetous , yea a murderer , yea , guilty of all vices , so i bee not proved to be guilty of wicked silence , while the lord and his cause doe suffer . and know , that the more dishonoured , and trampled upon , any cause of god is , the more he expects that you should appeare for it . i have read , that among the persians , the left hand is accounted the more honorable place . xenophon reports of cyrus , that those whō he honoured most , he placed at his left hand , upon this ground , because it was most subject to danger , hee would have those who were most honourable , to stand by him there where he was most weake and lyable to danger . thus where the cause of god is most opposed , and most like to suffer , there god would have the most noble spirits to stand , and to appeare in that ; and to doe this is truely honourable indeed . who knowes whether you bee raised for such a time as this ? who knowes whether you have beene preserved from such and such dangers that you have beene in , that you might bee reserved as a publike blessing for the church of god and your countrey ? i have read of philip king of spaine going from the low-countries into spaine by sea , there fell a grievous storme , in which almost all the fleete was wracked , many men lost , and himselfe hardly escaped , he said he was delivered by the singular providence of god , that he might live to roote out lutheranisme , which hee presently began to doe : this evill use hee made of his great deliverance : some of you have been delivered from great dangers , but for a better purpose , that you might now be of use , to roote out profanenesse , atheisme , and superstition ; and happy are you , and happy shall we be in you , if it may appeare that you are reserved for this worke of the lord. thirdly , let all goe , rather then bee brought to commit any sinne ; we had better have all the world cast shame in our faces , and upbraid us , then that our consciences should cast dirt in them : it is better to endure all the frownes and anger of the greatest of the earth ▪ then to have an angry conscience within our brest : it is better to want all the pleasures that earth can afford , then to lose the delights that a good conscience will bring in . oh let the bird in the brest alwayes be kept singing , whatsoever we suffer for it ▪ it is better to lose all we have , then to make ship-wracke of a good conscience . in this case you must be willing to lose all , or else you are lost in the enjoyment of all . if your greatnesse be enlarged , and you will not bee willing to lose it when god will have you , sayes bernard , you shall bee lost by it . wee have many examples of brave spirits , manifesting themselves in this thing ; the example of flavianus clemens is famous in this , hee was a courtier in domitians court , with whom the emperour was exceeding familiar , and delighted much in him , he was so deare unto him , as he intended to make his sonne to be his successor in his empire ; but this blessed flavianus , rather then he would breake the peace of his conscience in the matter of his religion , hee was content to beare the turning of the great love of the emperour into as great hatred , so as he hated him unto death , and oppressed his whole house . saint augustine hath a good speech to this purpose , what doth it profit a man to have his chest full of goods , and his conscience empty ? and now how happie wee , if god would worke mens spirits to this , who enjoy preferment , delights , and riches above other men : you have power to doe much good , use not your power against god , but for god. o that you had but so much liberty to your spirits , as to bethinke your selves , wherefore god hath raised you above others : but reason and religion are usually drowned in these in their sensuall lusts : they thinke they have enough in their honours , and in their pleasures , to commend them , and make them happie ; but as for religion , that is for private men , who have nothing else to comfort themselves in ▪ even seneca a heathen had this complaint concerning their religion in their times : holinesse ( sayes he ) piety , and faith , are private good things : it seemes that even then those that lived publikely in the world in their honours & delights , they thought their pompe and glory to bee sufficient , and that they neede not the helpe of vertue to commend them . it was likewise the complaint of lucan ; let him goe from the court , that intends to be pious : vertue and great power cannot agree together . but is not opportuity of service for god , and his people , as great a good as any you can have ? is not the excellency of any thing you have above others , in this especially , that you have opportunity to doe more good then others ? and what is a mans happinesse , but his goodnesse ? that which clemens alexandrinus sayes concerning dwelling in magnificent houses , is true of all other pompe and glory in the world . how much more glorious ( sayes hee ) is it to doe good to many , then to dwell magnificently ? who knowes what may bee done in godly courses , if you will begin thē ? how may others be provoked likewise thereunto ? how ever it falls out , it is no great matter that wee hazard ; what is my honour ? my pleasure ? my estate ? my liberty ? my life ? so god may be glorified . there is more honour , and there ought to be more pleasure , and certainely there will be more pleasure , and certainely there will be more profit in the service of god , then in the enjoying all the world to my selfe and my posterity : if gods honour be not deare and precious in mine eyes , how can i thinke that my honours , and my comforts , and my estate , and my posterity should be deare and precious in his eyes ? if the publike good falls , shall i thinke to enjoy my ease and my peace , my estate and my honour upon good termes ? cicero laughed at the folly of those men , which in his time seemed to conceive such a windy hope , that their fish ponds , and places of delight should bee safe , when the common-wealth was lost . in publike calamities , if your person should escape ( which you can have no security of ) yet you cannot expect , that your honours , and riches should escape from being made a prey . platina hath a notable story for this : when the citizens of papia in italy were at dissension by reason of the faction betweene the guelphes , and the gibellines , the gibellines procured a favourer of theirs , called facinus caius , to assist them , covenanting that hee should have the goods of the guelphes for his labour ; but hee being once come into the citie , and prevailing , he spared the goods of neither of them ; whereupon the gibellines complained , saying , that their goods also were spoyled : hee answered them , that indeed they themselves were gibellines , and should bee safe , but their goods were guelphes ; so it may fall out to others , who have beene unfaithfull to god , to religion , though they themselves may prove to be catholikes , yet their goods and places of preferment may bee counted to bee heretickes : though they themselves may bee accounted to be good quiet honest men , that cared not which way things went , sobeit they might live in ease and peace for their time , yet their estates and places of office are liable to bee made a prey . consider yet further ; your example is much , many eyes are upon you , every one is ready to follow your way . augustine in his confession saith that the devill drew men on cunningly to wickednesse , by those poeticall fictions , attributing filthy lusts and wicked uncleannesses to their supposed feigned gods , that those which did such things might blesse themselves in this , they did not imitate base men , but the celestiall gods : thus the devill gets sinne countenanced in the world , by the examples of the great ones , and thinke themselves safe if they have you for their patterne : god hath set you as starres in the firmament of honour , upon your influences depend the whole course of the inferiour world : the people are as the sea , and you as the winde to raise or depresse them , according to your motion . as in evill your examples doe much hurt , so in good they would do much good : how might godlinesse bee honoured if men saw you to prize it , so as to set it above all your honours ? many are offended at the poverty and meanenesse of those that professe religion : you may in great part take away this offence . in the annalls wee reade in the historie of charles the great , that there was one aygolandus a king of africa , of the mohometane sect , who had much warre with charles the great , and that he might better make peace with him , he told him that hee desired to bee a christian . charles being glad of that , tooke him with him to the court , where this aygolandus saw thirty poore people , in meane habits , lying on the ground , & eating without any cloath : he asked charles what they were ; who answered him , they are the servants of god. ( for charles was wont to nourish poore people at his court , on purpose that he might have the object of poverty before him to behold , that thereby hee might moderate his affections in his great fortunes ) aygolandus answered ; and is it so that i see the servants of your god cloathed in such filthy cloathing , and your servants shining and cloathed beautifully , i indeede desired that i might bee baptized , and to give my selfe to the service of your god ; but now i am farre of another mind , when i see the servants of your god so ill entertained and provided for . this offence daily keepes off many , but the conversion of great ones would bring on not onely multitudes of other people , but other great ones also , it is reported of lucius king of england , who was the first king that ever by his authority established christian religion in his kingdome ; which is the honour of our countrey , it was the first kingdome that ever had christian religion established by the supreme magistrate . in the first entrance into the kingdome , he favovored christian religion , as an ancient historian , gildas albanius reports : but yet the religion hee was brought up in stucke so fast in him , that hee could not bee brought off wholly to embrace christian religion . and a great thing that hindered him , was the offence he tooke at the outward meannesse and povertie of christians ; and especially hee looked at the romanes , who were a glorious and victorious people , and the emperour there , who lived in so great glorie and prosperitie ; and hee considered with himselfe , that they did not embrace christian religion , and wherefore then should hee : but after hee learned from the embassadours of caesar , that some of the noble and chiefe of rome , as by name trebellius and pertinax , and others , embraced the religion of christians ; that the emperour himselfe was moved with that miraculous raine , that was caused by the prayers of the christians ; then lucius attended more fully to understand what christian religion was , and was taken off from that which formerly hindered him . whereupon he sent to eleutherius , then bishop of rome , elvanus and medinus his embassadours , to send him some to instruct the brittaines in the doctrine of christ , that hee might establish christian religion in his kingdome , and abolish heathenisme ; this was in the yeere of christ . thus you see what a power religion hath , when it is in great ones . and on the contrarie , the more eminent you are in honours , and in greatnesse , if your examples be evill , they doe the more mischiefe : sinne dressed up with a diamond , or covered with a scarlet robe , carries a brave shew with it : desinunt esse probri loco purpurata flagitia : if your waies bee never so base and unworthy , the generall course of people will follow after you ; as christ said , if the sonne of man bee lifted up , all men will follow him : so if the most base wickednesse in the world bee lifted up in the examples of great ones , all men will follow after it ; that way that they see to be a way of preferment , and to get the countenance of those that are great men , generally they will chuse ; yea how doe wee see many , that they may bee like great ones in their way , and get a little petty preferment by them , they will subject themselves to most sordid things , that otherwise common humanity would loath and abhorre . there is a notable example for this in a relation that contzen hath in his booke that he intitles aulae speculum , in the . page , of one eutropius , an eunuch , hee was the governour of the court , and had in exceeding honour , but favoured and preferred onely such which either were already , or were willing to make themselves eunuches like himselfe ; whereupon , sayes my authour , multitudes of men made themselves and their children eunuches , that they might obtaine the favour of eutropius , and be raised to preferment by him , and many of them dyed of the wounds that were made in their body . thus you see what the power of the countenance and favour of great ones is , which men seeke , by being like them in any base wayes . and have we not many still that would bee content to prostitute themselves , their soules , and their bodies , in the most shamefull wayes that can be , to obtaine the favour of those who are great , to get preferment by them , willing to let humanity , religion , god , conscience , soules and all goe , so they may be countenanced in the world. lastly , remember the great and solemne account that you are to give before the lord another day , of all the mercies you have received from god above others , which have beene abundant , which cannot be reckoned : and if your receipts be so great , as you know not how to reckon them , how shall you be able then to reckon for them ? surely when you come to give an account of all you enjoy , you will have other manner of thoughts of all your outward glory , then you had when you conceived there was so much happinesse in it . consider now what will be peace to your soules , when you must bid an everlasting farewell to all those things which are so glorious in your eyes : doe you thinke that now you doe improve all those mercies that god hath given you , so as when you come upon your death beds , and before the lord , you shall be able to look backe to your former time , and rejoyce in it ? the lord will not regard how you have beene magnified by men , but how you have magnified his great and glorious name : riches will not availe in the day of wrath , the remembrance of all sinfull delights will be bitterer then gall to you , when the accounts of all your honours , riches , and pleasures shall be called for , how they have been improved for god : if you cannot then make your accounts even , either by shewing how you have imployed these talents , or by bringing in an acquittance , and pardon , bought with christs precious bloud , and sealed to you by his holy spirit , you are undone for ever ; so that now those things will prove your burdens , that here were your delights and honours : what will it then profit you to have beene honorable and rich in the world , & have nothing left but guilt in your consciences , and gods vile esteeme of you ? what good shall your passed pleasures bring to you , when they have abandoned you , and nothing remaines but pollution and filth upon your soules , and the just wrath of god whom you have displeased , by pleasing your selves in those pleasures ? or what will it profit you to have gained the whole world , and to have lost your owne soules ? i have read of one francisus xaverius , who writing to john the third , king of portugal , gave this wholsome counsell to him , that every day , for a quarter of an houre , he would meditate of that divine sentence , what shall it profit a man to win the whole world , and to lose his owne soule ? and that he would seeke of god the right understanding of this , that hee might be sensible of it , and that he would make it the close of all his prayers , the repetition of those words , what shall it profit a man , &c. how happy counsell would this be for all our courtiers and great men , if it might be followed ? when you have spent all your estates , and improved your power onely upon sinfull wayes , to satisfie the lusts of your owne hearts , when these shall be taken from you , or you from them , with what confidence can you looke up to god for mercy ? doth it not come from low thoughts of god , and want of the feare of his great and dreadfull name , for you to thinke to spend such great talents upon your lusts , which hee hath betrusted you withall for his honour , and yet to thinke that you can easily do well enough in this matter between god and you ? that this holy , great , and dreadfull god will be pacified by a word or two ? if you had indeed ventured those things that you did enjoy , and so had parted with them in the cause of god , you might then , after all had beene gone , have beene able to looke up to god with much comfort , and to have expected with confidence much mercy from him . it is reported of alphonsus king of arragon , when a knight of his had consumed a great patrimony by lust and luxury , and besides ran into debt , and being to be laid into prison by his creditors , his friends petitioned for him to the king ; the king answered , if hee had spent so much money in the service of his prince , or for the good of his countrey , in relieving his kindred , i would have hearkned ; but seeing hee hath spent so much upon his body , it is fit his body should smart for it : so when you come and looke up to god for mercy in your distresse , when the comforts of the creature shall be gone , god may justly answer ; if you had spent that abundance of the creature that i afforded to you in my service , for the good of my people , i would have heard you , but now it is just you should be left in your distresse , and that so much pleasure as you have had , so much misery should follow . doe not your hearts tremble at that text , cor. . . not many rich , not many noble ? it is enough to make a mans heart to tremble when he heares that of men few are saved , but when salvation is straightned in a more narrow compasse , and god saith of such a sort of men but few , this hath more power in it to strike feare : as if a company in a church should heare that but few of them should goe out alive , it would strike feare into all ; but when those who sit in the chancell , shall heare , but few of those that sit in the chancell shall goe out alive , this strikes feare into such who sit there : as joshua , when search was made for achan amongst the tribes , he had cause to feare , but when the tribe of judah was taken , of which he was , then much more ; but when the family of the zarhites , then much more : so within the straighter compasse god hath said , but few shall be saved ; if you be amongst them , you have cause to feare the more , and not to take more liberty then others , but to be more diligent then others to make your calling and election sure . it s a terrible speech that chrysostome hath in his . sermon upon the hebr. you would thinke it so if it came from us , it may be you will receive it better from him : the speech is this , i wonder , saith hee , if any governour can be saved . howsoever conscience may be quiet and still now , yet when it apprehends it selfe neere the giving up account to god , it will speake , it will sting then . it is reported of philip the third of spaine , although it is said of him , that his life was free from grosse evils , yea so as he professed , he would rather lose all his kingdomes , then offend god knowingly . but being in the agonie of death , and considering more thorowly of his account hee was to give to god , feare struck into him , and these words brake from him : oh , would to god i had never reigned ; oh , that those yeeres i have spent in my kingdome , i had lived a private life in the wildernesse ; oh , that i had lived a solitarie life with god , how much more securely should i now have dyed , how much more confidently should i have gone to the throne of god ? what does all my glory profit me , but that i have so much the more torment in my death ? this storie cornelius à lapide hath upon the second of hosea . in the bohemian historie it is reported of one hermanus , a great courtier , who being to dye , did most lamentably crie out , that he had spent more time in the palace then in the temple ; and that he added to the riotousnesse and vices of the court , which he should have sought to have reformed : and so dyed , to the horror of those that were about him . i confesse , it is no little matter for you , who have so much of the world , to denie your selves in those things that give content to the flesh , considering the corruption that is in the hearts of the children of men : it is a hard thing , and seldome hath successe , to give rules for the ordering of life , to men who are in great prosperitie in this world . hence laertius reports of plato , who being desired by the cyrenians , that he would write down some lawes for them , and that hee would set the estate of their common-wealth in some order , he refused , saying , it was a very hard thing , to make lawes to bind men who were in great prosperity . but the more hard any dutie is , the more honourable is it to yeeld to it ; as saint hieronym . writing to pamachius , hath this expression : it is not a little thing for a noble man , for a rich man , to withdraw himselfe from the companie of great ones , to joyne with those that are meane and poore , and to be made as a common man : but the more low , the more mean he is in doing this , hee is the more sublime , so much the higher in the esteeme of god and his people . there are some who have beene in as faire a way of honours and worldly delights , as any , yet they have denyed themselves , and they rejoyce in it , and blesse god for it ; they finde all they were willing to part with made up abundantly to them , they live most svveet , and joyfull lives , god hath made them honorable in his ovvne eyes , and in the eyes of his people , they are high and precious in the esteeme and hearts of the saints . doe not feare , trust your honours , your dignities and riches vvith god : there vvas never any thing lost in a self-denying vvay for iesus christ ; nothing can make you more honorable then the vvaies of godlinesse , and nothing can cast that contempt , and shame upon you as the vvaies of sinne doe , it being the basest servitude that is , both for your selves and all your estates and honours , to bee under the povver of your lusts : as you vvould account it a greater contempt and shame for you , to bee made to serve in the meanest and basest worke that is , then if an ordinary man should be forced to it : then surely it is more contemptible for you to be under the slavery of sinne , then for an ordinary man. saint chrysostome compares men of great quality in the world who are wicked , to a king taken prisoner of the barbarians , who suffer him still to weare his crowne , and to keepe on his royall apparell , but yet force him to performe all base offices in his royall apparrell , and with his crowne upon his head , as to carry water , to grind in the mill , and drudge in the skullery , in which case his goodly ornaments doe but serve with more despight to put him in minde of his misery , and the more to upbraid , and cast in his teeth the greatnesse of his fall , and the basenesse of his servitude ; there could be nothing could put more scorne and contempt upon him then this . thus whilest you are bravely apparelled , glistering wheresoever you goe , and weare the ensignes of honour upon you , the devill and your owne lusts doe put you upon the basest services , the most dishonorable employments as can be ; for such are the waies of sin , and all your outward glory does but make you more vile and contemptible , while you are under the servitude of your lusts . doe not thinke you have more liberty to sinne then others , your greatnesse cannot beare you out with god : nay in regard that the mercies which you have are greater then others , and your sinnes doe more hurt then the sinnes of others ; you have the least liberty to sinne of all men : there is the least liberty in the greatest fortune , saies a heathen . let it therefore rather bee your glory that you can doe good , then that you have power to have your mindes : it was the high commendation of tiberius , that hee accounted aurum illud adulterinum esse , quod cum subjectorum lacrymis collectum esset , that mony no good coyne , that was levied with his subjects teares . and thus wee have finished the first thing observable in moses selfe-deniall ; namely , the deniall of all worldly honours and delights whatsoever for christ . chap. iiii. sect . . wee must denie all worldly pleasures and preferments in the very prime of our time , when we have opportunity to enjoy them to the full . the second thing observable is the time when he did this . some may thinke , when he refused all this glory he might have had , that surely it was when he knew not what hee did , it was when hee was a child , in some rash fit of his youthfull folly , when he was a novice , before hee came to understand himselfe , it was before hee could have any experience to know what these brave things were : or if not so , it was then when he began to grow old , and to dote , when his honours and pleasures began to leave him , and he was wearied , and discontented with them . no such matter , it was when he came to be of yeres , not a child , and in the ripenesse of his yeares , in his full strength , in the prime and choice of all his time , not in his decrepid age ; it was then when he might have enjoyed all honours and delights to the full , yet now he denies himselfe in them all : it was when his parts were in the ripenesse and full strength of them , yet now hee refuses , for so the words in the originall imply all these , when he came to be great : from whence the observation is , that it is an honorable thing for one to deny himselfe in the prime of his time , when hee is in the midst & height of the enjoyment of the delights , honours , and profits of the world , even , then when the world proffers whatsoever it hath to give content in , when the world courts a man in all her bravery , and presents whatsoever is desirable to flesh and blood , yet then to be above all , to deny ones self in all , to be crucified to the world before the world be crucified to us , then to bee crucified to all , to be crucified to the world , when we may have full possession of it , this is something indeede . necessity takes away the honour of an action ; to doe a thing when wee must needs , when wee are forced to it whether wee will or no , though the thing be good we doe , yet the honour of it is lost in great part . that which we reade of gelimer king of the vandalls was well , being taken captive by bellisarius , and brought to iustinian , when hee saw the emperour set upon his tribunall , and the people standing about him , he cryes out , vanitie of vanitis , all is vanitie , but it was more honorable for solomon , while hee enjoyed the glory of his kingdome , yet then to cry out thus of all the glory of the world , that all was but vanity . augustus when hee was to dye could acknowledge all the pompe of the world to be but a fable , but david while he lived could acknowledge all but as a dreame . commend him , and imitate him , saies seneca , who is not unwilling to die when he may live delightfully . as it is nothing for a man that is at ease , and enjoyes all comforts about him to his hearts desire , then to talke of patience , and contentednesse , & cherefulnesse in the hardest , sorest , and longest afflictions that can befall him : but whē a man is in the depth of them , pressed sorely under them , continuing long in the bitternesse of them , yet now to retaine his sweet chearefull contented frame of spirit , this is something . so when men are kept downe by afflictions , & crossed in the world at every hand , the world frownes on them , they have but little of the comforts of the world , neither have they hopes of ever comming to have much , for these men to talke of the vanity of the world , & all the delights thereof , and that men should not bee proud of that they have , that they should be willing to part with all , for them to say , that al the riches of the world what are they ? they are but drosse , dirt , & honours are but shadowes , and all the pleasures are but froth & vanity , this is nothing : but when they come to enjoy them themselves , or at least to see probably that they may have them ere long , when the world comes in flatteringly upon them , insinuating it selfe into them , when they feele what the delights of it are indeede , yet now to bee above them , & to slight them , and not to have the heart taken with them , this is truly honorable . basil , in his homilie upon the forty martyrs who suffered together , hath this expression : hee that is put upon necessity is not to be accounted strong in suffering , but hee who hath abundance of delightfull things which hee may enjoy , if he holds out in suffering evills . there is a great deale of difference in the working of things upon mens spirits , when they are onely in imagination , and when they come to bee made reall indeede ; men cannot thinke what alteration there will be in their spirits , when things come as reall to worke upon them . we reade , luke . . when christ had preached against covetousnesse , those who were rich and covetous derided him ; the word is in the originall , they blowed their nose at him , manifesting their scorning at what hee said ; as if they should have said , hee may talke what he vvill , but if he had riches himselfe i vvarrant you hee vvould delight in them as vvell as any , if hee savv hovv to come by them , hee vvould bee as greedy as any after them . and thus certainely doe men , who are in honour , thinke of all that speake lightly of their honours : and so those that enjoy the svveet of pleasures . as on the one side , those vvho are in afflictions , and have their spirits sinke under them , they thinke vvithin themselves , let men talke vvhat they vvill , if they felt vvhat i doe , their spirits vvould sinke as much as mine : so on the other side , they vvho enjoy the svveet of prosperity , they thinke , let men say vvhat they vvill , if they had vvhat vvee have , they vvould prize it and delight in it as much as vve . here then is the true and reall honour , when a man is in the height and top of all prosperity , yet then hee can be above all , then he can trample upou all : it was thus with moses ; it was thus with daniel ; it hath beene thus in many worthies of the lord. vincentius reports of one eustochius whom trajane had sent against the barbarians , and he having got the victory , returned home ; the emperour being joyfull goes to meete him , and brings him in gloriously to the citie : now was a time for eustochius to enjoy the favour of the emperour , and what hee could desire ; but at this time , this very day , refusing to sacrifice with the emperour unto apollo , he suffers the martyrdome of himselfe , his wife , and children even now denyes all his present pompe and glory for christ . god hath still choise spirits in the world that can doe this , and certainely there is a great deale of glory in it . chap. v. it is a speciall argument of sincerity , that when the profession of religion proves costly to us , yet we continue in it . first this argues great sincerity : now the truth of grace appeares indeed to be religious , when religion must cost us something ; this is an argument of truth of grace : to be religious , when by religion we may get the comforts of the world , this is no argument of sincerity . hence iewish writers tell us , that in solomons time , when the iewes prospered in all worldly felicity , then they were carefull how they entertained proselytes , because many would be comming then upon worldly respects to joyne with them : but to professe religion when it requires the losse of all outward comforts , and that at those times , when the sweetnesse of them is most enjoyed , this is some thing like : to professe the truth while we may live upō it , this argues no truth ; but to professe it when it must live upon us , upon our honours , upon our profits and pleasures , and earthly contentments , this is a strong argument of truth : as to see the beauty of religiō through troubles , through all outward disrespects , this is something : for to see the evill of sinne through all outward glory , respect and contentment in this world , when it may bee enjoyed to the full , this is much ; surely here is truth , here is a piercing eye that is inlightned and quickned by the spirit of god. it was a true signe that those nobles of israel wee reade of in the king. . . were of iehues side , when they cast downe jezabel who had painted her face ; so when the world comes with her painted face , in her pompe and glory , yet when god saies who is on my side ? then to throw downe this painted jezabel to the ground to the doggs , to licke up her blood ; here is a true argument that we are on gods side . david shewed his true thankefulnesse , when hee would not offer unto god that which cost him nothing , but would have the testimony of his thankefulnesse costly to him : so when the profession of religion proves costly to us , and yet we continue in it , this is a good argument of truth . in times of affliction every hypocrite ; all tag and ragge will be ready to come in to god in an outward profession ; but usually this submission to god at this time is not out of truth . hence that place in the . psalme . v. where it is said , through the greatnesse of thy power shall thy enemies submit unto thee : in the originall it is they shall lye unto thee , and so it is translated by arian montanus , and some others , noting hereby , that a forced submission to god is seldome in truth . secondly , it argues the excellency of grace , that it raises and greatens mens spirits , it lifts them up above the highest of all these things , and so high above them , as the things of the world when at the highest are looded on us under things , and appeared small and contemptible in the eyes of such a raised soule : many poore spirited men are below them , and looke up to them as great matters , and thinke , oh how happie should they bee , if they could attaine to them , they blesse them who have got up to them , but grace is of an elevating nature , and it manifests it selfe to bee from on high , even from heaven , from the god of heaven , who is infinitely above the heavens , and it raiseth the soule to god himselfe , so that not onely the things of the earth , but even heaven it selfe would appeare but a poore low meane thing , beneath the dignity of a soule , made partaker of the divine nature , were it not that the glorious presence of god were there . as it argues the exceeding greatnes of the heavens , that all the earth is but as a point to them , all the huge great mountaines , and vast circumference of the earth is as nothing in comparison of them : so when all the honours , delights , and riches of the earth , which are esteemed such huge and mighty things by the men of the world , yet to a gracious spirit , though enjoyed to the full , are accounted as nothing , this argues a glorious worke of grace , enlarging the heart of a man. god brings it himselfe as an argument of his owne greatnesse , isai . chap. . that all the nations of the earth are as a drop of a bucket , and as a dust of the hallance to him . so when all the braveries and delights of the world are to a soule but as a little dust , looked at as having but a drop of comfort in them , farre from affording any good draught of comfort to quench the thirst of it ; no , it must have the ocean of all comfort to drinke on , even god himselfe , no lesse then an infinite ocean of blessednesse will serve the turne , for it to be satisfied withall , and this argues a spirit great indeed ; and the truth is , let men think what they will , yet it is most certaine , there are no men in the world of great spirits , but onely godly men . thirdly , it argues the power of grace ; to resist powerfull temptations is powerfull grace . it was powerfull grace that enabled joseph to resist such a temptation as hee had from his mistresse . luther sayes , it was no lesse miracle to overcome the flame of lust in this temptation , then it was for those three men to be kept safe in the firy furnace . when the world proffers it selfe in the glory and beauty of it unto us , the temptation is strong to flesh and bloud : hence wee have so many caveats in scripture , that when we are full , wee should beware , that wee forget not god , and take heed wee decline not from him ; then , then is the danger , when corruption hath matter to feed on , yet then to keepe it downe argues strength . it is not the worke of a childe , to governe a horse pampered , full fed in fat pastures . it was an argument that david had much power over his affections , that though the waters of bethleem were so longed for of him , so desirable to him , yet when hee had it before him , and might have drunke of it , yet then hee could deny himselfe , and refused . when esau looked on the pottage of jacob , and saw it was so red , so sutable and pleasing to him , that hee must needes have it , though it cost him his birth-right , hee was not able to deny himselfe in giving contentment to his flesh , at that one time , though he knew it must cost him dear ; but though all the delights of the world be proffered , yet where there is powerfull grace , they are rejected . it is a strong stomacke that can disgest much fat , much honey , and sweet things , that usually clog weake stomackes ; so it is a strong spirit that is not overcome with the sweet of much prosperity . it argued , there was much power in the oath that saul caused his army to take , sam. . . not to eate any thing that day , when though they being faint for want of meate , and yet comming through a wood , where honey dropped from the leaves before them as they went , yet none dared to touch one drop : so here , when men are compassed about with all delights , and they are flesh and bloud as well as others , and they finde the temptation come strongly upon them , yet through the assistance of the grace of god they can abstaine ; this is a great honour to grace , and arguing much power in it . fourthly , it is a testimony of deare love to the lord , to deny ones selfe for his sake , when one is in the highest of enjoyment of all delights to the flesh ; it is an argument , that god is indeed the proper place , the centre of the soul , when although it hath never so much of the creature , to give satisfaction unto it , yet it cannot rest , but workes still to god through all , and from all : as a stone , though it were in never so good a place , although it were in heaven , yet it would desire to descend , because the proper place of it is below ; so let a gracious heart which hath god for the centre be put into any condition never so full of delight , yet it is not satisfied , it is willing to leave all , that it may close with god : to seeke after god , and make much of godlinesse in the times of affliction may argue selfe love , but love to god appeares not then . as god manifests his love to us in not sparing his owne sonne for us , so wee manifest our love to god in not sparing our dearest contentments for him . this god testifies of abraham , hereby hee knew he loved him indeed , in that for his sake , hee did not spare his onely sonne isaac ; as psal . . when the kings daughter is content to forsake her fathers house and dearest kindred , then the king delights in her beauty : to pretend love to christ when the world withdrawes from us whatsoever is lovely in it , this is not much , but now to have our love burning after jesus christ , when the world proffers to us all her lovelinesse , this is true love . love is bountifull , it is shewne to purpose , when it shewes it selfe able and willing to part with much for the beloved ; as that love of god should be for ever accounted deare and pretious , that shewes mercy to one at that time when hee is most wicked , in the height of sinne , even tempting god to destroy him ; so if when you have the strongest temptations to draw your hearts from god , yet even then you can finde your hearts sweetly working towards him , closing with him , delighting in him , here is love unfained , this is love that god will owne and make much of for ever . as the idolatrous jewes shewed their love to their idols , by plucking off their eare rings , and parting with their jewels , and most pretious things they had , for the honour of their idols : so doe the true worshippers of god shew their love to him , when they doe part with much that is pretious and delightfull to flesh and bloud . fifthly , this gives god the glory of all our prosperity , which shewes wee acknowledge it to be from him , and for him , and that wee have it not for our selves , but for the setting forth his praise : when god gives us much of the creature , wee mistake his meaning , if we thinke hee gives it us to enjoy as we please , for hee gives all to use for himselfe , and where this is much acknowledged , there god is much glorified ; if wee mistake not gods meaning , yet at least we forget upon what tearmes wee receive all our comforts from god , namely that wee may returne them againe to him ; they are the words of a heathen , thou forgettest that thou hast received those things ( speaking of worldly prosperity ) to returne them againe . sixthly , this gives testimony to the world , that surely there are wonderfull blessed things , that god acquaints the soule withall in the wayes of godlinesse , that there is much sweet and contentment to be had in those wayes ; they see something more glorious that makes them so little to regard the glory that there is in the things of the world , when men might have all content in what the world affords , and yet they are willing to deny all for christ , surely they finde much sweetnesse in jesus christ , that takes up their hearts , and satisfies their soules , or else they would never doe as they doe ; they have found something better then all these things , something that the world knowes not of , that makes them doe as they doe ; they would not let goe their hold in these outward things , were it not they had found something better . if you see a bee leave a faire flower and sticke upon another , you may conclude , that she findes most honey dew in that flower shee most stickes upon : so here gods people would never leave so many faire flowers in the worlds garden , had they not some other in which they finde most sweetnesse ; christ hath his garden , into which he brings his beloved , and there she findes other manner of flowers then any the world hath , in which there is sweetnesse of a higher nature , even the honey dew of the choise mercy , and goodnesse , and blessing of god himselfe : if gods people doe leave the full brests of the world , it is because they have found the brests of consolation , from which they have suckt other manner of sweetnesse then the brests of the world can afford ; were it not for some who have had much in the world , and yet have denyed themselves for christ , this testimony to the wayes of godlinesse could not have beene given ; but blessed be god , wee have some who doe give this testimony , in which god is much honoured , and which is their honour likewise . seventhly , thus to deny ones selfe is honourable , because wheresoever this is , there surely will be a holding out to the end ; no troubles of adversity can ever make such a one to forsake any wayes of god , who can dny himselfe for god in the midst of the pleasures of prosperity . a man that is able to deny himselfe in prosperity , will be able to beleeve in adversity ; if he bee prosperity proofe , there is no feare but hee will be adversity proofe too . if you read thorow the whole book of god , you shall finde that the pleasures of prosperity have beene the greatest snare , few of gods servants have passed through that condition without dishonour , but the estate of adversity hath ever proved most safe ; seldome any of gods servants but have beene bettered by it . wee read of manna , exod. . . that it was melted with the sunne , but it could endure the heat of fire , for they baked cakes of it : thus it is with many men , they are melted , many good things in them vanish and come to nothing by the heat of prosperity , whom the fire of adversity cannot hurt , but is usefull to them . if a man hath overcome the delights of the world , he hath overcome the great hindrance in the wayes of godlinesse ; the great danger of apostasie , that which causes so many thousands to fall , and to forsake god and his blessed wayes : such a soule hath got over the great stumbling blocke , at which so many stumble , and fall , and breake themselves by , ezek. . . i will lay a stumbling block , saith the lord. vatablus his note upon the place is , i will cause that hee shall have all things prosperous , i will not call him from sinne by affliction . there have beene many who have held out a long time in suffering , and yet after have fallen in prosperity , when the world hath shined on them flatteringly : but where have wee any example of any , who have denyed themselves in prosperity , that ever failed in the times of adversitie . eightly this upbraides those who doe greedily embrace the things of the world , and thinke that it is impossible for any to deny themselves in so great delights as they doe enjoy : as balaak wonders , that upon offers of such great preferments , as hee offered unto balaam , he came not to him , hee thought it impossible , that there should bee any man in the world that would not bee moved with such an argument as that was . so base covetous wretches , and ambitious men , that love their honours , and those that follow after their fleshly pleasures , they think all the world are of their minde , if they had the like opportunityes they would doe as they doe . nero who was so basely uncleane , thought that all men in the world were so too , or would be so , had they fit opportunities for their uncleannesse . men heare speaking of selfe-deniall , but they doe not beleeve there is any such thing in reality , they would gladly see the man that can deny himselfe in such things as they injoy , if he may have them as freely , and as fully as they have : now this practise of gods people convinces them , that there are some , that can doe those things that they thinke to bee impossible : god hath his servants who have done such things , who can and will doe them , and that willingly and joyfully too , with much freedome and chearefulnesse of spirit , and blesse god that they have any comfort in the world , any preferment or estate to loose for god , accounting it a happier thing to loose for god , then to enjoy for themselves . chap. vi. comfort to those who in the midst of earthly contentments have their affections set upon heaven . hence there is much comfort , and encouragement to those whom the lord hath raised above others in outward things , and together with their estates and honour he hath given them hearts to returne the glory of all to himselfe , in the midst of all the comforts they have , yet their hearts are above all for god , and for the things of heaven and eternity . these are to bee praised , their honour is to be published , who have refused to flourish with the flourishing world . blessed be god , there are yet some such in the world , and we hope the lord is raising up of more : blessed are they of the lord , and honorable in the esteeme of the saints . first , this is a most evident argument , that all the good things they have in the world , comes from the spirituall favour and love of god to them , and this is no small matter ; there is more sweetnesse in this knowledge of the principle from whence the good things we have doe come , then in any thing that they afford of themselves . the difference of iacobs blessing from esau's is observable , gen. . . there is iacobs , god give thee the dew of heaven , and the fatnesse of the earth ; esau's blessing is v. . where the dew of heaven and the fatnesse of the earth is likewise given to him , but the reference it hath to god is left out , it is not there , god give thee . a carnall heart cares not , so he may have the thing it selfe , he does not looke to the principle from whence it comes , but the chiefe sweet to a gracious heart is that he can see god , the love and mercy of god in all the blessings he enjoyes . now there is no such argument as this to demonstrate gods love in them ; outward things are no certaine arguments of the love of god : wicked men , the objects of gods hatred may have them as well as the godly , but outward blessings with a heart to give god the glory of them , doe alwaies come from gods love in christ . god does oftentimes give the same thing to one out of speciall favour in christ , to another out of a generall bounty , that god hath raised you above others , this is a mercy ; but that he hath given you this grace , in this he hath raised you indeed , this mercy is of an higher nature , the other things are called the goods of fortune , but this is the fruit of gods eternall love in iesus christ , this is a mercy peculiar to the chosen of the lord. secondly , this is an evident signe that god intends to use you in excellent services , for the honour of his name : as saul collected from the spirit of david , when he saw how he was able to deny himselfe in not taking that advantage he had of him , when he might have had his will upon him to the full : blessed bee thou my sonne david , sayes , saul , thou shalt both doe great things , and shalt also still prevaile , sam. . . so when a man may have his will to the full , and yet can deny himselfe , it is a signe that god intends to use selfe-denying spirits in his service , none to them ; and this selfe-deniall is of the highest kind . thirdly , this is the highest improvement of all outward mercies that may bee : this changes poore meane things into most excellent glorious things ; it is impossible to make so much advantage of any thing in the world any other way as in this way : here is a spirituall divine improvement of naturall , of vaine drossie things , here is a turning of stubble and dirt into gold and pearles , for great , and precious , and glorious are the mercies that god uses to recompence this selfe-deniall withall . fourthly , this selfe-deniall is highly acceptable to god , god glories in such ; daniel kept close to god , and denyed himselfe much in his great prosperity , and hee is called a man greatly beloved , cap. . . vir desideriorum : a man of desires , so the words are , as when a man is compassed with temptation to despaire , a little breathing of faith is acceptable : so when hee is compassed with temptation of satisfying the flesh , of security , of presumption , then a little , much more eminent selfe-deniall , oh how acceptable is it ! fifthly , if you in the fulnesse of all your earthly contentments shall acknowledge iesus christ , and bee willing to lay downe all for him , when he shall come in the fulnesse of his glory hee will acknowledge you , and will put glory upon you , when hee shall come with his mighty angels , full of majestie , to be admired of his saints ; then he shall owne you , and make you partakers of his owne glory , hee will then remember every cup of cold water given for his names sake , much more then the giving him the praise and honour of so much in the things of the world as you have enjoyed . the being made partaker of the fulnesse of christs honour in that day will then a thousand times recompence the emptying of your selves of any fulnesse of outward contentments in the creature you have had here . sixthly , if ever you should live to come to come to any adversity in this world , surely it will bee much sweetned to you , if you bee willing to give god the honour of the sweet of prosperity : though adversity may come , yet god will keepe the bitternesse of it from you : if you so know god in prosperity , as to deny the comforts of it for him , hee will so know you in adversity , as to take off the gall and bitternesse of it from you : in all your seeking of god in the time of trouble , you may have a holy boldnesse , and freedom of spirit , having assurance that it is not out of selfe-love that you seeke him , that it is not out of constraint , because driven to him by afflictions ; but it is out of love to that god to whom your soule flowes , as to a god in whō you have an especiall interest , that god who was so deare to you in the midst of the enjoyment of the abundance of the creature ; so that now in the want of all things , you shall bee freed from those checkes of spirit that others have , damping their hearts when they are about seeking after the lord in the time of their trouble . seventhly , it is so much the more honorable , and may bee so much the more comfortable to you , by how much the more rare it is : god hath but few selfe-denying spirits in the world ; there are a word of people that will be crying to him in the times of affliction , but a few peculiar ones , who have hearts to seeke his face , and honour his name in the height of their prosperity , few that are then humble and selfe-denying : to be set on high , and yet to have the heart kept downe , is hard and unusuall , saies bernard ; but the more unusuall , the more glorious . chap. vii . reproofe of those who greedily pursue sensuall delights , the second use is for reproofe to those who greedily give up their hearts to the enjoyment of all the carnall and sensuall delight that they can take in the abundance of the outward mercies that god hath given them , knowing no higher good of them , then to take their fill of cannall delight from them , blessing themselves in them , little thinking of god , or any service that god calls for at their hands in the use of them ; they know not how to rejoyce , and not to let out themselves to the full beyond all bounds of moderation . they know not how to make any conjunction betweene rejoycing and moderation , they thinke there is such a distance betweene these two , that they can never be joyned in one : but marke how wide these are from the minde of the holy ghost , phil. . , . rejoyce alwaies , and againe i say rejoyce ; what followes ? then let us let out our hearts to the full , let us satisfie our selves to the utmost way , but let your moderation be knowne to all men ; many who care not how they neglect full oportunities for the service of god , or receiving spirituall blessings from god , yet will bee sure to take to the full all the advantage they can of all their outward prosperitie to fatten their hearts in all manner of carnall jollity and brutish sensuality : they let out their hearts to the utmost to this , making the bounty of god but as fuell to their lusts , and meanes to fatt up their hearts to destruction , and to make them the more bold , and impudent in sinning against him . doe you thinke in your consciences that this is the end why god hath given you an abundance of these outward things more then others ? what ? did god aime at no higher end then this ? is there no other way whereby god may bee more glorified by that you have ? will it rejoyce your hearts hereafter to remember what you have done ? how many are there , who have their hearts so glued to the comforts of the creature that they enjoy , that they had rather venture to part with god and conscience , and those blessed things they heare of christ , and of eternity , then venture the losse of these present delights , that they see before them ; as that prophane duke of burbon in france said , he would not give his part in paris , for his part in paradise : what more apparent argument can there be , that you have these things as your portion , you are the man who have your portion in this life ? you are never like to have any other good from god. yea a certaine argument it is , that all these things are for the present cursed to you , you have them with much wrath mingled with them ; you may blesse your selves in your way , but you are most lamentable objects to behold , in the esteeme of all who are gracious and holy : and what a dishonourable thing will it both to god and your selves , then to come in and seeke god , when all outward contentments are gone ; when you have had your lusts to the full , then to come to god to helpe and relieve you in all your straights , with what face can you think to finde acceptance from him ? surely you will curse the time that ever you had such prosperity , so much of the creature as you have had ; if you have thought the comforts and contentments you have enjoyed in a few creatures were too good and too great to part withall for god , hee will thinke his mercy too good and too great for you . but wee use the comforts wee have onely in lawfull things . for answere to this , i will onely propound these considerations . first , doe you feare , are you jealous of your selves , lest you should let out your hearts too farre in them ? doe you seriously consider , that there is a snare in them ? that there may be danger , yea , very great danger , if you take not heed ? in whatsoever things the world smiles on us for a time , there is more ensnarement then ornament , sayes augustine . secondly , are your desires as strong in seeking god for grace , to use them for his honour , as your joyes are in the use of them for satisfying your selves . thirdly , doe you oft examine your hearts and wayes , for feare god should not have that honour from them , that is infinitely due unto him . fourthly , what does conscience say when you are in afflictions ? when you apprehend god is calling you to an account for them , does it not tell you that your hearts have beene let out too greedily after them ? fifthly , answer as in the presence of god , would you prize a lesse estate with more opportunity of service , more then a great estate with lesse opportunity of service , and are you more troubled when you are crossed in opportunity of service , then when you are crossed in your desires and delights in the enjoyment of the creature ? lastly , if you have a care to use that prosperous estate you have for god , either god hath much glory from you in it , or else you have much joy in it ; surely where there are great estates , there are great opportunities of glorifying god ; but hath god great glory from you ? hath hee more then from others in meane estates ? or if not , whether is it the griefe of your soules , that you should enjoy so much from god , and god have so little honour from you ? what strangers are most men to such considerations as these ? they take all the delight they can in the creatures they have , never considering what is gods end in his bounty towards them , or what will be peace to them in their end of the enjoyment of them ; this is a sore and a grievous evill . chap. viii . the fulnesse of creatures comforts to be laid downe at christs feet . the third use is this : let those then that have a fulnesse in all outward contentments , bee perswaded in the feare of the lord , to give god the glory of them his owne way ; if hee please to call for them in any selfe-denying way , let him have them : the lord sayes to you concerning them , as christ to peter , lovest thou mee more then these ? so lovest thou mee more then all those delightfull things you enjoy ? how happy you , if you can upon due examination of your hearts , give in that answer that peter did , lord thou knowest that i love thee , thou knowest that i love thee more then all these things : they are good things in themselves , but thou art infinitely more to mee , thy praise , and thy honour , is a thousand thousand times more to mee then all these things ; lord , thou that knowest all things , knowest that thus i love thee more then these . it may be god gives abundance of these things to try you , to see what is in your heart : as salomon sayes of praise , it is as the sining pot to the silver ; so it may be said of all outward prosperity , that it is as the fining pot to the silver , to discover what drosse there is in it : now upon tryall shall it bee found that these things have more of thy heart , then god himselfe ? if you had a heart to deny your selfe in these things now , while you may injoy them at the height , though it may seeme that much comfort and sweetnesse is lost , that might be had , yet in truth there is nothing lost , no not for the present ; for in the very exercise of selfe-denyall in them , you will finde more sweetnesse then ever was , or can be felt in the enjoyment of them . there is nothing more pleasant to man then to get victory ; to get victory in sports , to get victory over the creature , is full of delight ; to get victory over our enemies , hath more delight in it ; but to get victory over our selves , to bee able to overcome our selves , hath the greatest delight of all in it , especially when it is for god ; no such sweetnesse as this is to the spirit of a man. those doe not enjoy most comfort of their lives , who are mad upon their owne wills and desires , and cannot endure to have their mindes crossed in any thing ; but those have the greatest comfort , who are able to deny themselves most , and it may be you may enjoy all the outward comforts you have , neverthelesse ; the more willing you are to deny your selves in them , the longer you may enjoy them : to have a heart willing to part with them , may bee the onely way to keepe them ; and to be sure while you have them , you shall enjoy them in a better manner , with more comfort then any other enjoy that that they have , whilst your heart in the midst of them , is more upon god then upon them ; they that will lose their lives , and so their estates , their honours and delights , shall save them ; oh how sweet are all outward blessings , when wee have laid them downe at gods feet , and he gives us them againe to enjoy . whereas on the contrary , by the greedinesse of your hearts upon them , and unwillingnesse to part with them , you may have them rent away from you in wrath , so that you shall not enjoy the comfort of them , and yet you may perish for ever , for that distemper of heart , in the inordinate setting of it upon them : many perish in their inordinate affections towards outward things , and yet have them not , others have the comfort and blessing of selfe-denyall , and yet enjoy their outward contentments to the full : oh how much better is it , that when wee are at the height of our prosperity , then to get our hearts to fall , and to deny our selves for god , then that god should even in our height seize upon us in his wrath , as it is gods way often to come upon wicked men , in the very height of all their jollities ? as wee read of absalom , when hee had a purpose to slay his brother amnon , he bade his servants to observe when they saw his heartmerry , and then to fall upon him and slay him . when belshazzar was most in his jollitie , then the hand-writing came out against him . when the people of israel had their own desire , and were satisfying their lusts to the full , psal . . , , . then the wrath of god came upon them . wee read , job . . , . a threatning against the wicked , that in the fulnesse of his sufficiencie hee shall be in straights . when hee is about to fill his belly , god shall cast the fury of his wrath upon him , and shall raine it upon him while hee is eating : oh how much better is it , that in the fulnesse of our sufficiencie , we doe willingly and freely give god glory , in an humble yeelding up of all wee have unto him , then that in the fulnesse of our sufficiencie wee should be brought into most miserable straights , in spight of our hearts , and that by the wrath of god himself ? oh how grievous a condition is that , to be forced by the wrath of god , to part with that , which wee might have parted withall upon such sweet and honourable termes , in the cause of god , in testimony to his truth , in his service , and the expressisions of our dearest love unto him . and howsoever it is not long that you can possibly hold this prosperity , that now you do enjoy : suppose the fairest , that god should let things go on in an ordinary course of bounty and patience , within a little while , all the comforts of the world will leave you , and you must leave them , and what if you did for the cause of god part with them a yeere or two sooner then otherwise you should ? what great matter is this ? what is a yeare or two , or ten yeeres enjoyment of them ? there is no such excellencie in them , as that a few yeeres enjoyment of them should bee prized at any such high rate . are there not arguments enough from all gods love and his mercifull dealings with you , to prevaile with your hearts for such a thing as this ? how hath god spared you in your greatest extremities ? when you have cryed unto him , hee hath beene mercifull to you , hee hath watched over you for good all your dayes , hee hath done great things for you ; oh what infinite reason is there then , that hee should have the honour of your chiefest delights and greate●● prosperitie ? how often , to gratifie the flesh , have many opportunities of spirituall good beene neglected ? why then should not now , for the honour of god , some opportunities for fleshly delights bee denyed ? god never gave you these things upon any other termes , but that you should be willing to part with them , for the honour of his name , whē he calleth for them : god never made you owners , but stewards of them for his service ; and if ever you were brought to christ , into covenant with god in him , you did then resigne up all unto him , you professed to part with all for him , you sold all for the pearle ; that is , you were willing to part with what was sinfull for the present , and as it were enter into bond , to give up whatsoever you were or had to the lord , when it should bee called for ? but may wee not take the comfort of those blessings that god gives us . besides what hath beene said in answer to a former objection of the like nature , consider these two things . first , have you not taken too much comfort already in them ? it may bee you have taken more then your share , more in one moneth then god hath allowed for the whole yeere ; and then you have spent your comfort afore hand , and had neede therefore now bee willing to deny your selfe in that which others may have comfort in , and that which otherwise you might comfortably have enjoyed : as hosea . . rejoyce not oh israel as other people ; so i may say to you , you are not to rejoyce so much as others may . hee that hath but a hundred pound to maintaine him the whole yeare , if he shall spend almost all of it the first moneth , he had neede live very sparingly the rest of the yeare . secondly , what doe you with your comfort when you have it ? doth it fit you for service to god ? hath god so much the more glory from you , then hee hath from others , by how much the more comfort you have then others ? else wherefore would you have comfort , if not to fit you for service ? cursed be that comfort that hath not an higher end , then meerely to satisfie the flesh . and thus much for the time wherein moses denyed himselfe , it was when he was growne up , in the prime of his time , then when he might have enjoyed all his honours , and pleasures to the full . chap. ix . sect . . faith is the principle that must carry through , and make honorable all a christins sufferings . now followes the third thing , which is the principle by which moses did all this : he is willing to part with all the glory of the world , and rather to bee in an afflicted estate : and this he is enabled to doe by faith ; for so saies the text , by faith moses refused , &c. it was not out of any sullen vexing humour , as it is reported of dioclesian and maximian herculius , they suddenly gave over their empires , and cast off their honours , and betooke themselves to a private life . eusebius makes the cause thereof to be a phrenzie : and nicephorus saies it was rage and madnesse , arising from hence , because they saw themselves labour so much in vaine , for the rooting out of the christians . master brightman in his commentary upon the revelation , the sixt chapter and the fifteenth verse , sayes it was the feare and the horrour of the lambe that was struck into their hearts , by the power of iesus christ ; as the fulfilling of that place , where it is said , the kings of the earth , and the great men , and the mighty men hid themselves , for the feare of the lambe . whatsoever their principle was , moses his principle here was of another nature , a divine principle of faith , from whence the point is , faith is the grace that enables to deny the glory and delights of the world , and to endure afflictions in the cause of god. every grace workes to take off the heart from the things of the world , and gives strength to beare afflictions ; but faith hath the principall worke in this , and in this faith manifests much of her glory and excellency . in this chapter we have many excellent fruits of faith , enabling the worthies of the lord to doe great things ; but scarce any so great as this , to enable to that selfe-denyall that here is recorded of moses . it was faith that carried abraham and all the patriarkes through their troubles . david in all his troubles exercises his faith , and findes helpe by it ; hence wee have a most remarkable place in the . psal . v. . where he blesseth god for deliverance from all his enemies : hee shewes what it was carried him through all the troubles hee had by them , namely his faith pitched upon god : for in that one verse hee hath nine severall expressions , to shew god to be the full object of his faith , in the times of all his distresses ; as , first he is jehovah . secondly , he is my rocke . thirdly , he is my fortresse . fourthly , he is my deliverer . fifthly , hee is my god. sixthly , hee is my strength . seventhly , he is my buckler . eighthly , hee is the horne of my salvation . lastly , he is my high tower . and as hee hath trusted in him , so in the same verse , he resolves to trust in him still : for so he saith , my god , my strength , in whom i will trust . the time of habakuk his prophecy , was a time of much trouble to the church of god , and then that which upheld the spirits of godly men , and enabled them to suffer hard things , it was their faith , chap. . . the just by faith shall live , when other mens spirits shall faile , and sinke , and dye in them , then they shall live , faith making just , shall uphold them . faith in this case is like corke , that is upon the nett , though the leade on the one side sinkes it downe , yet the corke on the other keepes it up in the water . david professeth in the psalme v. . that hee had fainted unlesse he had beleeved . beleeving keepes from fainting in the times of trouble . saint paul tells the corinthians in the second epistle and the first chapter , verse . . that by faith they stood : it is faith that makes a man stand in the greatest trialls . and therefore when christ saw how peter should bee tempted , hee tells him that he had prayed , that his faith should not faile : noting that while his faith held , all would bee sure ; when hee began to sinck in the waters , as he was comming to christ , it was because his faith began to faile him : so when our hearts beginne to sinke in afflictions , it is because our faith begins to faile us . we reade , acts . . that saint paul and barnabas exhorted the disciples at iconium and antioch , to continue in the faith ; and presently they adde , that wee must through much tribulation enter into the kingdome of god : noting what use they should have of their faith , to carry them through all . saint paul saies of himselfe , together with the rest of beleevers , in the first epistle of tim. . . therefore wee labour and suffer reproach , because wee trust in the living god. trusting in the living god , is that which will carry a man through service , and suffering , whatsoever it bee . but wherein lies the power of faith to take off the heart from the world , and carry it through sufferings ? first , it is the primary worke of this grace , wherein the very beeing of it consists : for the soule to cast it selfe upon god in christ , for all the good and happinesse it ever expects ; to relye here for all , to roule it selfe upon god , as an al-sufficient good , to make an absolute resignation of all unto him , so as to betrust him with all , and to commit all unto him for ever . now this implies the taking off the heart from the things of the world , for faith takes off the heart from its selfe , therefore much more from any thing in the world ; and where this is , sufferings cannot be very grievous , because the whole good of the soule is now in god , psal . . . rest in the lord , and waite patiently ; where the soule pitches upon god , as the rest , and the al-sufficient good of it , it will waite patiently , whatsoever hard thing befalles it . secondly , by faith the soule comes to have a higher principle to enable it to see god in his glory and majesty , his greatnesse , and infinitenesse , his holinesse , his justice , and goodnesse , then ever it had before . it is true that by the use of reason we may come to understand much of god , but certainely faith presents god to the soule after another manner then ever it formerly saw him , or then any other man can see him ; untill faith comes into the soule , it may well say it never knew god , but now it sees him infinitely glorious and high above all ; it sees the infinite fountaine of all good , and what an infinite dreadfull thing it were to be separated from this god , or to have the wrath of such an infinite diety to bee provoked against his creature . we know by reason , that the world was made by god : but saint paul saith in the third verse of this chapter , that by faith wee understand , that the world was made : so that the same thing may be knowne by reason , and by faith too , but faith being a higher principle , discovers it to the soule in a higher way then reason can . it is made one of the speciall fruits of moses faith , that enabled him to endure in all his sufferings , in the . v. of this chapter , that he saw him who was visible ( of which hereafter ) onely observe for the present , that god is invisible to any eye , but to the eye of faith ; now where god is seene so , as faith presents him to the soule , t is impossible but the feare of such a deity must needes take mighty impression in that soule ; and all the glory of the world must needes be darkned to it ; and the least displeasure of the great god more troubled at , then all the miseries that all creatures under heaven are able to bring upon it . how easie is it for a man to despise the world , when faith gives him a cleare sight of god ? isai . . , . the text saith , the glory of the lord shall be revealed ; and then the voyce said , cry , all flesh is grasse , and all the goodlinesse thereof is as the flower of the field ; and vers . . the latter end , surely the people is grasse . when the glory of god appeares , then all flesh , and all worldly glory , is but as grasse , as the flower of the field , as a contemptible thing . thirdly , faith discovers the reality of the beauty and excellencie of spirituall , supernaturall , and eternall things revealed in the word , which before were looked upon as notions , conceits , and imaginary things . in the first verse of this chapter , faith is said to be the evidence of things not seene : the word there translated evidence , signifies the demonstration that convinces the soule throughly of the certainty and truth of such things , as by reason and naturall parts are not seene . and againe , it is the substance of things hoped for : the word is very significant in the originall ; it is that which gives a substantiall being to the things of eternall life : now when faith comes in , the glorious mysteries of the gospel , the high priviledges of the godly , the excellencie and beauty of grace , the great things that god hath prepared for his servants are manifestly discerned . it is a notable expression of jerome , god would have such stability of faith in us , that the things which we beleeve should be more certaine to us , then the things wee suffer ; and the things hoped for , should be in more reality with us then things sensible to us : these things are now apprehended as reall and certaine things , although they bee such things , as the apostle saith , eye hath not seene , nor eare heard , neither have they entered into the heart of man to conceive , yet god hath revealed them to us by his spirit , even that spirit that searcheth the deepe things of god : now there must be something in us to take this revelation of the spirit , and that is faith . the spirit reveales them not as notions , not as uncertain things , and so faith takes them . the spirit of god , sayes luther , does not write opinions , but assertions in our hearts , more certaine then life it selfe , and all experiences whatsoever . faith can see into those things , that no naturall eye ever saw , it can apprehend that which never entred into the heart of man to conceive . saint paul in the cor. . . sayes , that the things that are eternall , are things not seene ; and yet sayes , that wee looke at things that are not seene ; though they be things that are not seene , yet saint paul , and other beleevers , by the eye of faith could see them , as certaine and reall things . the things of christ , of grace , of heaven , what poore empty notions were they to the soule ? what uncertaine things before faith came in ? but faith makes them to bee glorious things ; faith discovers such reall certaine excellencie in them , and is so sure , that it is not deceived , that it will venture soule and body , the losse of all , that it will beare any hardship , yea it will venture the infinite losse of eternity upon them ; faith discovers such reality and certainty in these things , that now the things of the world , that were before onely reall , sure excellencies in the eyes of a man , now are as fancies , and shadowes , empty imaginary contentments , that have no being , no foundation , no certainty in them ( as formerly hath beene shewed . ) fourthly , faith gives the soule an interest in god , in christ , in all those glorious things in the gospel , and in the things of eternall life . faith is an appropriating , an applying , and uniting grace . it is a blessed thing to have the sight of god , there is much power in it , but to see god in his glory , as my god , to see all the majesty , greatnesse , and goodnesse of god , as those things that my soule hath an interest in , to see how the eternall counsels of god wrought for mee to make mee happy , to see christ in whom all fulnesse dwels , in whom the treasures of all gods riches are , and all those are mine ; to see christ comming from the father for mee , to be my redeemer , all this is the worke of faith by the union of it with god in jesus christ . faith unites the soule to christ , after another manner then any other grace . love causeth a morall and spirituall union , but this causeth a mysticall union ; other graces cause us to be like to christ , but this makes us be one with christ , and so have interest in what christ hath interest in . what is all the world now to such a soule ? where is all the bravery of it , or the malice and opposition of it ? the losse of outward things , or the enduring of afflictions , are great evills to those who have not interest in better ; but to such as have interest in higher things , there is no great matter , though they lose lower . fifthly , faith discharges the soule of the guilt of sinne , and that dreadfull evill that followes upon it ; it gets a generall acquittance from god , a pardon of all sinne , and remission of all punishment thereof , sealed in the blood of his sonne : the soule being made just by faith , is able to live in the middest of many troubles . the just by faith shall live , so it is to be read , not the just shall live by faith , but being made just by faith , so as to stand just and righteous in the court of heaven , it now is able to live : faith cleares all betweene god and the soule ; it may bee there was long humiliation before , many prayers made in seeking of this , many teares shed , many duties performed ; yet all this could not doe , but the guilt lay on still ; but as soon as faith comes , then all is gone , and the soule stands righteous in the presence of god , and all the breach betweene god and it is made up . being justified by faith , wee have peace with god ( sayes saint paul ) rom. . . now the breach being made up , and peace made , marke what followes a little after in that scripture ; there is not onely ability to beare trouble , but to rejoyce in tribulations , yea not onely to rejoyce , but to glory in tribulations . strike lord , strike ( sayes luther ) for i am absolved from my sinnes . now the soule hath got a greater good then the world can afford , and is freed from greater evils then the world can inflict . a man that hath beene with the king , and gotten his pardon for his life , is not troubled though hee lose his glove or handkerchiefe as hee comes out , nor though it should prove a rainy day as he returnes home : truely the losse of all things in the world to such a soule , if it hath faith acting , is but as the one , and the enduring of all evils is but as the other . and besides , by this the soule sees it selfe so infinitely engaged to god , as it is willing to doe or suffer whatsoever god will have it : how readily doth isaiah offer himselfe to god in service to which much suffering was annexed , after god had taken away his sinne ? when god asked whom hee shall send , hee presently answers , here am i lord , send mee : it is enough that my sinne is pardoned , my soule is saved , let mee bee cast into any condition in the world , let mee bee imployed in any service , i have mercie and happinesse enough . chap. x. sixe more particulars wherein the power of faith is seene , in taking the heart off from the world , and carrying it through all afflictions . first faith makes the future good of spirituall and eternall things , to be as present to the soule , & to worke upon the soule as if they were present ; and makes use likewise of things past , as if they were present ; and in these operations of faith , there is much power to carry on the soule with comfort through sufferings ; for present things are apprehended by the minde more fully , & work more strongly upō the will and affections , then things past or to come : if i view a thing afarre off , it appeares small to mee , and little of what the thing is , is conceived by me : but if it be brought neere to me , i see it to the full bignesse , and am better able to judge of the nature of the thing as it is . and againe , it workes more strongly upon my heart : if i see a toade a great way off , my heart stirrs not ; but if i see it neere , as pharaoh saw the froggs crawling upon his bed , then my heart rises with loathing of it . if wee could but see things now , as god hath told us they shall appeare to us hereafter , how mightily would they worke upon the soule , howsoever there are many things that shall be seene hereafter , that yet were never revealed , and those things faith cannot make as present : but such things as god hath revealed in his word , that they shall hereafter come to passe , faith may , and whē it is active doth make them as present to the soule , & workes them upon the heart , as if they did now appeare . the want of this worke of faith is the cause almost of all the evill in the world : and the acting of faith in this her worke , in the lively and constant worke of it , would produce fruites even to admiration . the reason why those threates of god did not worke upon the people , to whom ezekiel preached , god himselfe gives in the . chap. sonne of man , they say thou prophesiest of things a farre off . and so for the mercies of god , and the things of eternall life , because the choyce of them are things to come , the world with her present delights prevailes against them . if you could see that glory of god in christ , and those glorious treasures of mercies , that shall bee communicated , and are now revealed , and those dreadful evills that are now threatned , and shall then be fulfilled ; i say if you could see them with the same eyes that now is manifested you shall see them with hereafter , they would draw the hardest heart that is , and bring downe the stoutest spirit that lives : if you had faith you would bee able to see them so ; and the reason is , because faith sees things as the word makes them knowne , it pitches upon the word in that way that it revealeth the mind of god : now the word speakes of mercies that are to come , as present things , and of evills that god intends to bring herafter , as if god were now in the execution of them , as will appeare in these scriptures . isa . . . . breake forth into joy , sing together yee waste places of ierusalem , for the lord hath comforted his people , he hath redeemed ierusalem : the lord hath made bare his holy arme in the eyes of all the nations : thus the prophet speakes of the deliverance of the church from captivity , as a thing done already , which was not fulfilled many yeares after . and david , psal . . . even then when he fled from saul in the cave , hee lookes upon god as having performed all things for him : the word is , he hath perfected all things : and that is observable , that david uses the same expression of praising god here when hee was in the cave , hiding himselfe to save his life , as hee did when hee triumphed over his enemies , psal . . and psal . . and chron. . from the . verse to the . as soone as jehosaphat had received the promise , he falls on praysing the lord , as if the mercy were already enjoyed : praise ye the lord , for his mercy endures for ever . christ saith of abraham , john . . that he saw his day , and rejoyced , and was glad : christs day was unto him as if it had beene then . and in the . verse of this chapter , it is said of the godly who lived in former ages , that though they saw the promises that were afarre off to be fulfilled , yet the text sayes , they imbraced them ; the word in the originall signifies , they saluted them ; now salutations are not but betweene friends when they meet together . to faith a thousand yeares are but as one day , faith takes hold upon eternall life . tim. . . it takes present possession of the glorious things of the kingdome of god : it makes the soule to be in heaven conversing with god , christ , his saints , and angels already . that which is promised , faith accounts it given , gen. . . and the land which i gave to abraham , to thee will i give it : it was onely promised to abraham , but abrahams faith made it to him as given . so for judgements and threatnings , esay . . howle ye , for the day of the lord is at hand : this is spoken of the destruction of babylon which was a hundred and fifty yeares after ; but the word speakes of it as if it were now , and so faith apprehends it : the like wee may instance in many scriptures , you know it is ordinary , and you who know the worke of faith , you know it is as ordinary for it , to looke at that which god saies , as if it were now done , & things seene so work strongly . what difference is there between mens thoughts and judgements of spirituall and eternall things in times of health , & in times of their sicknesse , in the apprehension of death ? aske them now what they thinke of grace ? of a good conscience ? of the pardon of sin ? of walking strictly with god ? aske them now what their judgement is of gods saints ? aske them what they thinke of eternal separation from god , and the infinite wrath of a deity for evermore ? now you shall finde their judgements otherwise then formerly : and what is the reason of all ? but that things are judged now as present . as despaire brings hell into the soule , and puts the soule as it were into hell for the present , the soule apprehends as if it were already there : many in the horrour of their spirits have cryed out that they were in hell . francis spira in the despaire of his soule cryed out , verily desperation is hell it selfe . so on the contrary , faith brings heaven into the soule , puts it as it were into heaven , so that many of gods people upon their sick beds , when they have beene put in minde of heaven , they have joyfully answered , that they were in heaven already . faith likewise makes use of things past , as if they were present : as the ancient mercies of god shewed to our forefathers , and gods former dealings with our selves . as hosea . . the mercy of god to iacob , when he wrestled with him and prevailed , the church makes use of it , as if it were a present mercy to themselves , for so saith the text , he had power over the angel , and prevailed ; he wept and made supplication unto him ; hee found him in bethel , and there hee spake with us : not onely with iacob , but with us : whatsoever mercy god shewed to him , we make it ours , as if god were speaking with us , and psal . . . hee turned the sea into dry land , they went through the flood on foot , there did we rejoyce in them : the comfort of the mercies of god for many yeares past to their forefathers , they make as theirs , there did wee rejoyce . so all the promises that god hath made to any of his people , though never so long agoe , faith fetches out the comfort of them , as if they were made now to us . compare joshua . . with hebrewes . . god saith to ioshua , i will be with thee , i will not faile thee , nor forsake thee : now in the hebrewes saint paul applyeth it to the beleevers in his time , as if it had beene made to them . be content ( saith he ) with such things as ye have , for hee hath said , i will not leave thee , nor forsake thee . they might have answered , where hath god said so ? hee said it indeede to ioshua , but what is that to us ? yes , all one as if he had spoken to you . vpon this one instance , whatsoever promise god ever made to any of his people , since the beginning of the world , for any good , if our condition comes to be the same , faith will make it her owne , as if god had but now made it to us in particular . so for gods former dealings with our selves , when all sense of gods mercies faile , that god seemes to be as an enemy , faith will fetch life from his former mercies , as if they were now present ; as wee see in david , psal . . , . i have considered the dayes of old , the yeeres of ancient time : i call to remembrance my song in the night , &c. and vers . . i said , this is my infirmity , but i will remember the yeeres of the right hand of the most high. hee checkes himselfe for doubting of gods mercies , because of his former mercies , and hee recovers himselfe by bringing to minde the former dealings of god with them : so psal . . . davids spirit was even overwhelmed within him , and his heart was desolate , yet he recovers himselfe , by remembring the dayes of old , and by meditating upon gods former workes . now in this worke of faith , what abundance of strength doth it bring in from all the mercies of god to our fore-fathers ; from all the promises made to any godly men , though never so long since ; from all gods former dealings in his goodnesse , and makes all these as present to us ? this must needs wonderfully strengthen the heart to any service or suffering : as despaire makes all gods former dealings in his judgements with others , and gods wayes concerning it selfe , as present to fetch terror from them , so faith gods mercies , to fetch comfort and strength from them . secondly , faith is a raising grace , it carries the soule on high , above sense , above reason , above the world : when faith is working , oh how is the soule raised , above the feares and favours of men ! it is said of jehosaphat , chron. . . his heart was lift up in the wayes of god : faith lifts up the heart in the wayes of god. a man raised on high , sees all things under him as small . eusebius tells us of a notable speech that ignatius used , when hee was in his enemies hands , not long before hee was to suffer , which argued a raised spirit to a wonderfull height , above the world , and above himselfe . i care ( sayes hee ) for nothing visible or invisible , that i might get christ : let fire , the crosse , the letting out of beasts upon mee , breaking of my bones , the tearing of my members , the grinding of my whole body , and the torments of the devils come upon me , so be it i may get christ . faith puts a holy magnanimity upon the soule , to slight and to over-looke with a holy contempt , whatsoever the world proffers or threatens . all things are under us while wee are above our selves , and it is onely faith that empties us of our selves , and raises us above our selves ; faith raises the soule to converse with high and glorious things , with the deepe and eternall counsels of god , with the glorious mysteries of the gospel , with communion with god and jesus christ , with the great things of the kingdome of christ , with the great things of heaven and eternall life . men , before faith comes into their soules , have poore low spirits , busied about meane and contemptible things , and therefore every offer of the world prevailes with them , and every little danger of suffering any trouble scares them , and makes them yeeld to any thing ; but when faith comes , there is another manner of spirit in a man. every spirit is not fit for sufferings , but a spirit truely raised by faith , a princely spirit , so luther calls it ; to dare to venture losse of estate and life for the name of christ , to this a princely spirit is required . when valens the emperour sent his officer to basilius , seeking to turne him from the faith , hee first offered him great preferments , but basil rejected them with scorne , offer these things , sayes he , to children ; then he threatens him most grievously : basil contemnes all his threatnings ; threaten , sayes he , your purple gallants , that give themselves to their pleasures . and basil in his homily in quadraginta martyres , brings them in answering the offers of worldly preferments ; why doe you promise us these small things of the world , which you account great , when as the whole world is despised by us ? what great spirits did faith put into some of these worthies mentioned in this chapter , which appeares by the great things that they did by their faith ? vers . . . through faith they subdued kingdomes , they stopped the mouthes of lions : and this is observable , that working righteousnesse , and obtaining the promises are put betweene these two ; as if these were workes of the same ranke , fit to bee joyned with such great things as those were . againe , by faith they quenched the violence of the fire : of weake , they were made strong ; they waxed valiant in fight , they turned to flight the armies of the aliens . certainely , faith is as glorious a grace now as ever it was , and if it be put forth it will enable the soule to doe great things . the raising of the soule above reason and sense , is as great a thing as any of these . the faith of abraham was most glorious , for which hee is stiled the father of the faithfull , and yet the chief for which this is commended , is , that hee beleeved against hope , rom. . . when the soule is in some straight , it lookes up for helpe ; and sense sayes it cannot be ; reason sayes it will never be ; wicked men say it shall not be ; yea , it may bee god in the wayes of his providence seemes to goe so crosse , as if hee would not have it to be ; yet if faith have a word for it , it sayes it shall be . in great difficulties , in sore afflictions , when god seemes to be angry , and to strike in his wrath , when there appeares nothing to sense and reason , but wrath ; yet even then faith hath hold on gods heart , when his hand strikes . if faith by raising the soule above reason and sense , can carry it through even such streights , as the sense and apprehension of the wrath of god himselfe : if it can enable to beare the strokes of god , when they appeare as the strokes of an enemy , much more easily can faith enable to resist the temptations of the world , and to carry it through all the straights that any outward afflictions can bring it to . all the strength that the temptations that come from the allurements of the world , or the troubles that it threatens , have , it is from sense and carnall reasonings , if the soule bee got above them , then it is above the danger of such temptations : by that magnanimity that faith brings into the soule , it is prepared to set upon difficult things , to endure strong oppositions . a beleever is one , whom neither poverty , nor death , nor bonds , nor any outward evils can terrifie . thirdly , faith is a purifying and healing grace , act. . . purifying their hearts by faith. it purges out base desires after the things of the world , and living at ease ; base joyes and delights in the creature , in satisfying the flesh ; the feares of future evils that may come hereafter : faith feares not hunger , saith tertullian . if the heart bee sound , it will be strong ; this purging of it makes it sound , tim. . . god hath not given us the spirit of feare , sayes the apostle , but of power , of love , and a sound minde : the spirit of feare is first purged out , and then there is a spirit of power , and a sound minde ; where there is a sound minde , there is a spirit of power ; what weakens the body but the unsoundnesse of it ? if distempered humours be in the body , 't is not able to endure any thing ; a little cold , oh how tedious is it to it ? but when these humours are purged out , then it is strong and able to doe or suffer much more . that which ill humours are to the body , sinne is to the soule , which being purged out , the soule growes strong to resist temptations , and to endure afflictions : but further , sinne in the soule is not onely as an ill humour to weaken it , but it wounds it too ; now how little can a man doe or suffer with a wounded member : it is faith that heales our wounds , by applying the bloud of christ to them , and so it strengthens . fourthly , faith is a quickning grace , it sets all other graces on worke , it puts life and activitie into them all ; i live by the faith of the sonne of god , sayes saint paul ; and especially it sets love on worke , which is a grace exceedingly powerfull . faith workes by love . if a mans faith be up , all his graces will be so too ; and if that be downe , all other graces are weake and downe with it . gulielmus parisiensis reports of a chrystall , that it hath such a vertue , as when the vertues of other pretious stones are extinct , it will revive them againe : faith is such a chrystall to revive the vertue of all graces . when davids heart was so downe , that he chides himselfe so much , psal . . . why art thou cast down oh my soule ? he labors to recover himselfe by his faith ; still trust in god ; hee is the health of my countenance , and my god. faith brings life , and maintaines life in the soule : for it hath the most immediate union with christ , and therefore the livelinesse and activity of our graces depends much upon it : now where the graces of gods spirit are lively and active , the allurements and threats of the world cannot much prevaile . fifthly , faith is a mighty prevailing grace with god and with jesus christ , as it is said of jacob , gen. . . hee prevailed with god as a prince . luther was a man full of faith , and it was said of him , hee could doe what hee would . faith sets all gods attributes on worke , for the good and reliefe of a beleever : it stirres , as i may so say , the arme of an infinite power ; it opens the sluce that lets out the streames of an infinite mercie , and causes an infinite wisdome to be active , to finde out wayes to relieve in time of distresses ; it brings in all the strength and good of the new covenant : when faith workes , jesus christ is working , to make good all the gracious promises of the gospel , and hee is the mighty god , wonderfull , counsellour , the prince of peace . faith does not strengthen the soule in a way of suffering , by its owne strength , but by the strength that it bringeth in from iesus christ , rev. . . the saints overcame by the blood of the lambe . oh how willingly and joyfully does the protector of faith fight in such servants of his , sayes cyprian ! it is one thing to have interest in god and christ , and another thing to have them working for good in a speciall manner , in particular causes where wee desire helpe and reliefe , although it be true , that god and iesus christ are alwayes working for the good of beleevers , in some kind or other , but yet when faith lyes still and is not active , although wee doe not lose our interest in god , yet we cannot expect such sensible manifestations of the gracious workings of god for us , as when we put forth our faith , and keepe it active and lively ; and then though we be never so weake in our selves , wee set an infinite strength to worke for us . wee have a notable expression of gods stirring up his strength and wisdome for those whose hearts are right with him , chron. . . the eyes of the lord run to and fro throughout the earth , to shew himselfe strong for those whose heart is perfect towards him ; the words are , ad roborandum se , to strengthen himselfe : god strengthens himselfe , hee does as it were stirre up all his strength for such : and although wee be in the darke , and know not how to order our steps , and to discover the subtilties of temptation , yet there is an infinite wisdome working for us ; and although we be never so unworthy and vile , yet wee have an infinite mercy , whose bowels yerne towards us , and will not suffer any evill to befall us ; yea the more weake and succourlesse wee are , in our selves , if the sense of it stirres up faith , to set god on work for us , wee are strong by our weaknesse ; not onely of weake are made strong , but by being weake are made strong . it is said of the church of philadelphia , rev. . . that it had a little strength , and yet it kept gods word , and had not denyed his name : although we have but a little strength , yet if wee have faith to set gods strength on worke , wee shall keep gods word , and not deny his name . hence in the sixt place from all these it followes , that faith is an overcomming grace : this is the victory that overcommeth the world , even our faith , saith saint john , epistle chap. . v. . in this victorie , there are three things . first , there is a conquering of the assaults of the world , so as they can doe us no hurt , bnt wee are able to repell the force of them . but this is not all , there is something further : namely the making use of those things of the world for our good , that would have undone us , that is a full victorie , where the enemies doe not onely resist and breake backe , but he brings the conquered into bondage , so as now he is able to use the adversary to serve his owne turne : so in this conquest of faith , there is not onely an overcomming of the temptations , of the pleasures of the world , but abilitie to use them for god , and the furtherance of our owne good . and so in riches and honours : conquerours doe not use to put to the sword and destroy all they conquer , but they bring them into bondage , to be serviceable to them . some thinke there is no other victory over the world , but to throw all away presently : as wee reade of crates the philosopher , hee cast his goods into the sea with this speech , get you gone into the deepes , i will drowne you , lest i bee drowned of you . but this is not the way of god , wee are to stay till god call us to leave that we doe enjoy ; untill that time , you may enjoy your honours , your riches , and your moderate lawfull pleasures ; but to be able to use these for god , this is a great victory . the devill often makes use of many of gods good blessings , which he gives us for our furtherance in his wayes , to be a meanes to hinder us : so faith makes use of all his oppositions in those waies , which hee intends hinderances , to bee meanes of great furtherance in them . in former times men thought it a good piece of skill , to keepe wilde beasts from doing hurt ; but after they got that skil , not onely to keepe them from that mischiefe they did , but to make use of them for their benefit , to make use of theis skinnes , and their intralls , and divers other waies ; this is the skill of faith in overcomming the world , to make use of those things of the world that heretofore have done them so much hurt . but yet further , there is a third thing in victory , which is triumph : a beleever can triumph over the world , over all his allurements and threats ; as christ did not onely prevaile against his and our enemies , but triumphed over them likewise , as col. . . having spoyled principalities , and powers , he made a shew of them openly , triumphing over them : so christ makes us to triumph : as cor. . . now thankes bee to god , which alwaies causeth us to triumph in christ . and yet further , there is something more then all this in faiths overcomming the world , which is beyond our expressions . by faith we are more then conquerours , rom. . . in all these things wee are more then conquerers , in what things ? in tribulation , in persecution , in famine , in nakednesse , and perill of sword , while we are killed all the day long , and accounted as sheepe for the slaughter : in all these things . but how more then conquerours ? wee gather strength by our opposition , wee conquer in being conquered : persecutors are tyred more in inflicting , then we in suffering . eusebius reports of the tormentors of blandina , who tormented her by turnes , from morning to night , that they fainted for wearinesse , confessing themselves overcome . and gregory nazianzen tells of one of the nobles of iulian , who at the tormenting of marcus bishop of arethusa , said unto him , wee are ashamed o emperour , the christians laugh at your cruelty , and grow the more resolute . rev. . . it is said of the saints , they loved not their lives to the death , and yet they overcame , they overcame in being killed ; and this is to be more then a conquerour . chap. xi . most men are strangers to this precious faith ; the tryall thereof discovered . if this be the work of faith ; if these be the glorious effects of it ; then hence the faith of the most men in the world is discovered not to be right , not to be precious faith , that faith that is the faith of gods elect , because it is altogether void of this vertue and efficacie ; you thinke you have faith , what can you doe with your faith ? what power ? what efficacie hath it ? can it draw your hearts off from all creatures here below ? can it raise your spirits above all the delights , honours , profits of the world ? can it satisfie your soules with god alone , as an infinite all-sufficient good ? surely a precious faith , that is , the faith of gods elect doth this . first , faith hath a mighty power of god put forth for the working of it in the soule : it is the exceeding greatnesse of gods power , the same that raised jesus christ from the dead , that workes faith wheresoever ir is ; and god does not use to put forth his almighty power , in any extraordinary manner , for the wotking of an ordinary thing ; therefore faith must needes bee some extraordinary thing , and have some extraordinary vertue in it , wheresoever it is true , to doe great things . secondly , faith hath the great honour above all other graces , to be the condition of the second covenant ; therefore surely it is some great matter that faith enables to doe ; whatsoever keeps covenant with god , brings strength , though it selfe be never so weake : as sampsons haire , what is weaker then a little haire , yet because the keeping that , was keeping covenant with god , therefore even a little haire was so great strength to sampson : faith then that is the condition of the covenant , in which all grace and mercy is contained , if it be kept , it will cause strength indeed to doe great things . thirdly , faith hath high and glorious things for its object ; it is god himselfe , his electing , redeeming love , the lord iesus christ in his natures and offices , the glorious mysteries of redemption , &c. that it exercises it selfe upon : it could not have to deale with these things , if it were not a most excellent grace , full of admirable vertue and efficacie . fourthly , faith hath high and glorious acts that it performes , that are essentiall to it . fifthly , it hath many glorious effects ; it is that which must carry the soule through all hazards , difficulties , and oppositions to eternall life . surely then this grace hath exceeding great things in it : certainely the world is mistaken in this grace : it is something else that they have taken up for faith all this while ; for there is nothing more dull , flat and dead , then that which they take for faith ; their hope in god , and trusting in god , what empty , heartlesse , livelesse things are they ? no marvell though they thinke it an easie thing to beleeve ; it is easie indeed to beleeve with such a kind of beliefe as theirs is : truly wee had need looke to it , that wee be not mistaken in our faith , for it is of infinite consequence , upon which all depends : if we be mistaken in this , all the mercy in god , all the blood of christ , all the good in the promises can doe nothing for us . consider therefore againe , surely that cannot be right faith , that cannot doe that which the light of nature can doe , that meere civility and morality can doe : suppose it did as much as they can doe , yet if it can doe no more , it is not right , it is not that precious faith , that will save the soule . suppose a simple man should get a stone , and strike fire with it , and hee concludes , surely this is some precious stone , because fire is stricken out of it , why ? every flint , every ordinary stone that lyes in the street , will doe as much as this : so if a man should thinke surely he hath that precious faith , because he can be sober , and temperate , just in his calling , upright in all his dealings , chaste in his body , liberall to the poore ; why ? ordinary heathens can doe this , they were as temperate , as just , as chaste , as liberall as you , there needs no faith for this ; it is enough for a man to be a rationall man to doe this , faith must have higher operations then reason , or else it will never carry to heaven . but what if it does not enable thee to doe as much as a beast can doe ? as to be temperate in meates and drinkes , what kinde of faith doe you thinke this is , when there are such glorious things said of faith , and yet that faith you have , cannot enable you to doe so much good as there is in a beast , will this faith save you ? what if it does not enable you to doe so much as the devils faith ? they beleeve , and tremble ; there are many things concerning god , in his infinite justice , holinesse , wrath , many things concerning sinne , concerning christ , concerning eternity that they beleeve , which thou beleevest not ; or if thou sayest thou dost beleeve , yet thou dost not tremble , but goest on boldly , securely , presumptuously , hard-heartedly , joyfully , in a sinfull and dangerous way , and is this faith ? is this the precious faith that will save a soule ? that which thou callest faith , does not give thee strength to resist any slight temptation ; thou canst not deny a companion , thou canst not venture the losse of any thing , thou canst not endure a reproachfull word for christ , and is this faith ? good lord , what doe wee make of faith , if this be faith ? truely , if faith had nothing else in it , then the faith of the most hath , i would even fall to the vertues of moralitie , for it were farre beneath the meanest of them all . dare you venture your soules and eternall estates upon this faith ? certainely , it were exceeding boldnesse and desperatenesse so to doe . what if god should set all thy sinnes in order before thee , in the most hideous and fearefull nature of them , in the true deformitie and vilenesse of them ? what if thou shouldst see god in his infinite glorie , majestie , holinesse , and iustice ? if he should shew thee how thou hast wronged all his attributes , how thou hast struck at his very being , how thou hast beene an enemie to him all thy life , resisting and opposing of him in all thy wayes , darkened his glorie , contemned , slighted him , and set up the creature , yea , thy lust before him ; this i dare charge every soule as guiltie of , in some degree or other . suppose thou sawest all the creatures abused by thee , pleading against thee , and all gods ordinances prophaned , and all thy time mis-spent , and the bloud of christ crying out against thee . suppose thou sawest the law , full of the brightnesse , of the holinesse , and justice of god , which thou hast broken . suppose thou sawest the rigour , strictnesse , and severitie of it , binding thee over to eternall death for every breach , and putting thee under an eternall curse for every offence . suppose conscience were let out upon thee , and had commission to accuse thee to the full , to flye in thy face for all thy abuses of it . suppose satan were let out , to plead against thee , inject dismall hideous terrors into thy spirit . suppose now all creatures were readie to leave thee , to take their everlasting farewell of thee ; and now the infinite ocean of eternitie were before thee , and thou wert to enter in upon it , either for thy eternall happinesse or eternall miserie . suppose now thou stoodst before the great god , to receive the sentence of thy eternall doome , to have the great question of thy everlasting estate to be absolutely and unalterably determined of . now , would such a faith , as thou hast , carry through these things ? would it uphold thee from sinking into the bottomelesse gulfe of despaire ? this may be thy condition , thou knowest not how soone ; and that faith that thou hast , of what use would it be to thee , in such a condition as this ? if ever thou beest saved , thou must have such a faith as shall be able to uphold thy heart , and keepe it unto god , whensoever such a condition shall befall : though faith be weake , yet if it be true , it enables the soule to lay such fast hold on god , as whatsoever befalls it , can never take off the soule from god againe . be therefore perswaded , that faith is another manner of grace then you imagined it to be : where faith is true , it will doe more then carry through outward streights , and hardships , it will carry through spirituall streights ; into which i have made a little digression , that i might convince men , that they mistake in that which they call faith. chap. xii . no wonder , that men of great parts ( wanting faith ) doe fall off from christ , and betray his cause . if it be faith that must carry men through sufferings , and such a kind of faith as you have had opened to you ; learne then not to be offended , when you see men fall off in the time of tryall ; for all men have not faith : we should be no more troubled at it , then when we see drie leaves fall off the tree by a strong wind : if they want the principle that should carry them through , what wonder is it if they fall away ? whatsoever mens parts or gifts be , whatsoever profession they make , yet if the shine of faith appeares not in them , wee are to expect nothing else from them ; where there are but naturall principles , there it is not to be expected that nature should be denyed , when any great thing comes crosse unto it . many who are weake , are discouraged , when they see men of eminent parts , such who have beene forward in profession ; such as were able to pray , and to speake admirably of divine things ; such as were able to advise , and give counsell unto others ; such as were of high esteeme in the church of god ; yea , preachers , who have beene very eminent , by whom the hearts of many have beene much refreshed : when such in the time of tryall shall fall off , and basely yeeld to the world , betraying the cause of god , rather then they will suffer trouble : vpon this , those that are weake thinke with themselves , what shall become of me then , a poore creature , who have not the hundreth part of those abilities that such had ? surely i shall never hold out . this temptation many times is strong , it hath alwayes beene the way of the enemies of the truth to come with this argument to those who are weake ; such and such have yeelded , and will ye stand out ? are you wiser then they ? chrysostome in an oration , in iuventinum & maximum , two martyrs , brings in this objection of the persecutors against them , and their answer : doe you not see others of your ranke to doe thus ? they answer ; for this very reason wee will manfully stand , and offer our selves as a sacrifice , for the breach that they have made . wherefore , seeing this is that which the adversaries of the truth make such use of , it hath need of the fuller answer . for a more full answer thereunto then , first know , that the least degree of true faith will goe further then all the abilities of naturall parts and gifts that ever were in the world ; and true faith may be , where naturall parts are very weake , and where there is little appearance of common gifts : and on the other side , where these are in the greatest eminencie , yet the soule may be altogether void of faith. you are deceived , if you thinke , where there are stronger parts , and most gifts , there must needes be the greatest measure of faith ; and where parts are weaker , and scarce any common gifts , there must needes be the least : no ; god doth not dispense this glorious grace of faith according to this proportion : not many wise , not many learned , but god chuseth the poore in this world to be rich in faith : when the glorious mysteries of the gospel are hid from the wise of the world , even then are they revealed to those that are babes . gods wayes have usually beene , to choose weake and contemptible things to honour himselfe by , that the glory of his grace and power might the more appeare ; and hath not so ordinarily made use of men of great parts , that have beene eminent and glorious in the world , because in them the grace of god would not be so much honoured , some of the honour would stick to them . consider secondly , if the example of these men were the ground of your profession of religion , then their falling off might justly be your discouragement : but if you had better grounds , if the evidence , the beautie , the authoritie , the power of , and love unto the truth , were your grounds ; then your grounds remaining , and the truth being the same , you should not be discouraged , but goe on in your way . thirdly , if you thinke to hold out by the strength of any degree of excellencie whatsoever that you could see in them , then you might justly be discouraged , because you have not so much as they had ; all that you saw in them , were gifts , and parts , and profession : if you thinke that these should carry you through sufferings , you are utterly mistaken ; but if you make account , that that which should carry you through , be another principle , a hidden one , that cannot be seene in any , then there is no cause of discouragement . fourthly , hath not god acquainted you with the infinite deceitfulnesse of the heart of man ; that it is a bottomlesse depth of evill , and desperately wicked , beyond that which any is able to know but god himselfe ? and will you then depend upon man , and that in a matter of so great consequence , as the cleaving to , or the forsaking of the truth of god ? fifthly , the falls of those who have beene thus eminent , are just judgements of god upon hypocrites , and those that are carnall and naught , to be a stumbling-blocke to them , at which they should fall , and breake themselves , and never rise againe : now , if you should stumble too at this stumbling-blocke , it were an ill signe , and a heavie judgement of god against you ; therefore take heed , that it prevailes not too farre with you . sixtly , how doe you know , but that these men , in the midst of all their profession , had some secret sinne maintained in their bosomes , some secret lusts that lay next their hearts ? and if so , no marvell though all the seeming good they had , vanish and come to nothing , in the time of tryall . lastly , the more glorious they were , and failed , and the more weake and contemptible , either in your owne eyes , or in the eyes of others , you are , the greater is the mercie of god towards you , if he gives you a heart to hold out , and the greater honour will it be for you , both before god and men ; you shall be brought against them , in the day of judgement , to condemne them . chap. xiii . the difference betweene the heat of mens owne resolutions , and the true heat of the heart by faith , in suffering for christ . if faith be the principle that carryes through sufferings , then let men take heed , that they trust not to their owne resolutions ; as if , because now they thinke they would suffer any thing , let men doe what they can against them , therefore they shall be able to goe through : many have deceived themselves in this . the difference betweene the heat of mens resolutions , and the true heat of the heart by faith , is like the difference of the heat of the fowle breeding over her egges , and the heat of the fire ; the one is a heat of life conveying life , but not the other ; faith warmes the heart , so as it conveyes life , but not so our owne resolutions . wee have had many sad experiences of the falsenesse of mens hearts , from time to time in this particular , who before the tryall have beene very confident and resolute , yet they have most shamefully failed , and falne off from the truth , when the tryall came . the example of doctor pendleton , mentioned in the booke of martyrs , is remarkable in this kind , the storie is generally knowne : the doctor was full of confidence and resolution , and professed ▪ that those fat sides of his should frie in the fire , before hee would yeeld ; and yet how shamefully he forsooke the cause of god , you all know . those who vaunt most , have many times the least courage , as those creatures who have the greatest hearts of flesh , are the most timerous , as the stag , the panther , and the hare . it is not enough that men , in the profession of their resolutions , speake as they thinke , and as they are perswaded for the present ; this is not to be trusted to : for he that trusts his owne heart , is a foole , sayes solomon , prov. . it is good counsell luther gives a german minister , in an epistle he writes to him ; walk in feare and contempt of your selfe , and pray to the lord that he may doe all things , and doe not you think to doe any thing , but be you a sabbath unto christ , so his expression is , ( that is ) rest your spirit in christ . what resolutions are those that are like to faile , and to come to nothing in times of tryall . first , rash resolutions , when men resolve without serious consideration , what sufferings meane , what they will cost them , and how hard they will bee to them when they come ; they doe not make them as present to them , by meditation before they resolve ; resolution , in such things , should be the fruit of much meditation ; there neede bee much musing before this fire breake forth . secondly , when there is no brokennesse of spirit joyned with their resolutions , but their hearts are puffed up , pride discovering it selfe , as in other of their wayes , so even in their very resolutions of suffering great things for god. thirdly , when men resolve what they will doe , but for the present they can suffer nothing ; if they be crossed never so little , their hearts rise , they are overcome with distempered passions , they cannot beare any contradiction , but must have their owne wills , and their owne turnes served , or else there can be no quiet with them . fourthly , when men resolve for sufferings hereafter , but have no heart to that present service , which god calls now to , god hath little honour from them that way , they are negligent and loose in present duties ; surely these men , who faile thus in service , are not like to hold out in suffering , let them resolve what they will. fifthly , when men are full of resolutions , and speake great words that way , but they doe nothing to lay up and prepare for sufferings . what care and endeavour is there to cleanse the heart ? to strengthen faith ? to get more full sense of gods love ? to provide spirituall armour ? what prayers ? what teares are sent up to god afore-hand ? strong resolutions , if they bee right , will bring forth strong endeavours ; otherwise they will certainely vanish . sixthly , when mens resolutions come from externall principles , they are acted by something from without them , as the examples of others , or esteeme from others , or perswasions by others , more then from any principle within themselves . we read , heb. . . those christians there mentioned held out in their resolutions , to the suffering the spoiling of their goods with joy , knowing within themselves , that in heaven they had an enduring substance ; they had their principles within themselves . seventhly , when resolutions come meerely from anguish of mens spirits , in regard of present trouble that men are in , from the hand of god upon them , it may be then they will resolve to doe or suffer any thing ; but these resolutions seldome come to any thing : it is strange that men should trust to them , considering the abundances of experiences , both from themselves and others , that they have had of the usuall falsenesse of them . eighthly , when resolution comes meerely from conviction of conscience , and not from any love to truth , although conscience shall tell a man if he forsakes god and his truth , to prevent some present troubles , that that evill which he shall bring upon himselfe ( in regard of the guilt of sinne , and the wrath of god against him ) will be infinitely greater then any hee can suffer , yet if there bee not a true love to the truth , there is no hold of this man , his corrupt heart will breake all the bonds of conscience . ninthly , when men trust to their owne promises they make to god , to stand for his truth , more then to gods promises , that promise strength to enable them to it ; they are confident , because they are resolved they shall goe through , and so let the promise of god lye , and make no use of it ; now these resolutions are not like to carry men through sufferings , at least not in a gracious manner . first , because they are but naturall , and naturall strength can carry no further then it hath naturall props and succours to uphold it , and maintaine it withall , which may all faile in some kinde of suffering that god may call unto . secondly , there is much difference in mens apprehensions from themselves ; at one time they apprehend things strongly one way , at another time another way ; especially when things come to be present , their apprehensions of them are farre different from that they were , when they apprehended them as future . thirdly , there is a great deale of difference in the frame of a mans heart , to his owne feeling when his lusts lye still , from that which there is when they come to be stirring : sometimes mens corruptions are restrained , and are very quiet , and then they have good resolutions , at other times their corruptions are stirring and active , and then they are quite off from that they were , the mind is blinded , the heart is carried on violently in wayes contrary to former resolutions . fourthly , men know not the strength of temptations before they meet with them , they thinke it is an easie matter to encounter with them , but when they come , they finde them farre stronger then they imagined , and they not being prepared for such strength , are overcome by them . fifthly , it may be when sufferings come , men shall not finde that comfort , that encouragement , that they expected either from god or men , they ( it may be ) made account of , and promised to themselves great matters , that surely their paines and troubles would be much eased with the comforts they should have , and many would encourage them , and , it may be , when it comes too , they may be left desolate , as a bottle in the smoak ; as david speaks of himself . god many times even in sufferings withdrawes himselfe from his owne people for a while , for their tryall ; and those from whom they expected comfort may leave them , and grow strange unto them : now if there be no higher principle then ones owne resolutions , the heart will faile : in such a case , there had neede bee faith to carry through . but may wee not resolve then aforehand what we will doe ? many upon hearing how others faile , in performing their resolutions , and that a man may be very confident of what hee will doe , and yet when it comes to tryall , doe nothing ; therefore they thinke it is in vaine to resolve , they goe on in a slight negligent way , and never endeavour to bring their hearts to any resolution at all , they say wee can doe nothing of our selves , god must doe all , no man can know what hee shall be able to doe , before the tryall comes ; but it is apparent , that the cause why these men doe not come to any resolutions , is not from any true sense of their weaknesse : for , first , their hearts are not humbled before god in the sense of it . secondly , they doe nothing to strengthen themselves , to help against any such weaknesse of theirs , as they speake of : if you be so weake , you had need take much paines afore-hand to get strength , to lay up something that may helpe in the time of need : but the reason why you never come to resolution , is : first , because of the sluggishnesse of your spirits ; you will not take paines in examining your hearts , and in endeavouring in the use of meanes to attaine to this . secondly , there are engagements betweene your hearts , and the world , and sinfull distempers , which you are unwilling to breake off , which must be broken off , if ever you come to any true resolutions , which are like to hold . thirdly , sufferings are such tedious things to you , as you cannot endure to thinke of them afore-hand , much lesse make account of them , so as to prepare for them , such thoughts would trouble you , they would damp your carnall joy , you could not goe on so quietly and securely in the enjoyment of your contentments in the world , as now you doe , when you put off all thoughts of suffering any trouble . but let such know , that resolution afore-hand may stand with brokennesse of heart , from the sight and sense of our owne inability ; and when it is a resolution of faith , it ariseth from the sense of our owne weakenesse , and dependence upon god for strength : none are more sensible of their owne weaknesse , then they who are most resolved , whose resolutions are raised by their faith ; for faith is an emptying grace , whereby the soule goes out of it selfe for all strength and supply of all good from another ; and for such resotions which have such a principle , wee ought all to labour . for first , it brings much ease and comfort to a gracious heart , when it is freed from feares and doubts , and is come into a setled and resolved way . secondly , it helpes against many temptations ; the soule will not bee listening to the reasonings of flesh and blood , and to the suggestings of satan , as formerly it did ; neither will satan now so annoy and pester the soule with temptations , as hee was wont to doe , when it was in an unresolved way . thirdly , god accepts of this resolution , as the will for the deed , though a man be never called to suffer , yet hee shall have the crowne of sufferings , because he had the resolution of faith for sufferings . fourthly , this is a strong engagement when sufferings come , to strengthen the soule against them : therefore there may be resolutions afore-hand , yea they are exceeding profitable , of great use , but they must be resolutions of faith , not our owne trusted unto . what are those resolutions that doe come from faith ? first , when knowing our hearts , what principles of apostasie wee have in them , we seeke helpe in christ , and in the promise . secondly , when our resolutions purifie our hearts . thirdly , when they cause us to endeavour to get in all spirituall strength that the word reveales . chap. xiv . how to know the root or principle from whence all that wee doe or suffer comes . examine therefore whether faith be that which carries us on in our sufferings : for it is possible that a man may suffer the losse of much , and endure hard things upon other principles ; as from naturall stoutnesse of spirit , from naturall courage , or from pride , or from naturall conscience , from these there may be resisting oppositions , and suffering much trouble , but not in that gracious way , as to bee a sweet savour unto the lord. where faith is the roote and principle of selfe-denyall , there is another kinde of self-denyall then that which ariseth from any other principle : now this is to be examined , it concernes us much to know the root and principle from whence all that we doe or suffer comes , god looks most at that ; there may be beautifull flowers grow out of a stinking root , glorious actions may proceed from naturall principles . wherefore , for tryall , let us examine the differences that there are betweene one that is carryed through sufferings by naturall stoutnesse of spirit , and another that is carryed through by faith. secondly , the differences betweene pride and faith , in this worke . thirdly , the differences betweene faith , and the strength of naturall conscience . for the first , take these notes . first , where selfe-denyall is from naturall principles , it is but particular , not universall . in some eminent thing , a naturall spirit may denie it selfe ; but upon examination it may appeare , that in other things it makes selfe its end , even in things where god requires selfe-denyall , as much as in the other : whereas , if it came from faith , it would not be partiall , but appeare in one thing as well as in another , so farre as god calls thereunto ; that which workes by rule , workes evenly , impartially , constantly . but there is none , but in some things may at sometimes seeke themselves . there is nothing wherein a gracious spirit gives libertie to its selfe so to doe . if there be true faith , the soule sets it selfe in the bent , frame , and endeavour of it , against all self-seeking , in every thing proportionably , according as the rule requires : if selfe prevailes at any time , it is beyond the scope , intent , frame , resolution , and true endeavour of the soule ; and when that , wherein selfe hath prevailed is taken notice of , it takes revenge upon it selfe in that thing rather then any other . secondly , where suffering troubles come from a naturall root , the soule is not conscious to its selfe of its owne weakenesse ; it knowes not the power of corruption in the heart , it understands not how selfe may be sought , in denying ones selfe : such a one is not acquainted with the secret distempers , those inward windings and turnings of his owne heart ; those depths , those wiles , those devices of satan , and of his owne spirit : he seeth not need of a higher principle , to enable him to any gracious manner of selfe-denyall ; he lookes at it , but as a thing within his owne reach ; he is not fearefull , and jealous of himselfe . but it is otherwise , where selfe-denyall comes from faith ; the businesse and worke of faith , is the getting up on high , and fetching strength from on high , knowing , that the soule in its selfe hath nothing but corruption and weakenesse . thirdly , when it comes from naturall principles , there may be some appearance of selfe-denyall in outward actions , and willingnesse to suffer , but there is little care of mortifying inward lusts ; lusts within are suffered to swell , to rankle ▪ and fester . naturall principles doe not strike at the root of evill ; there may be a restraint of some evill , but the root of bitternesse still remaines in the strength of it : but faith begins within , it workes to the bottome , and strikes at the root of evill , at all the corrupt principles that are in the inwards of the soule ; it empties out selfe from the most secret inward holds that it had , it will not suffer selfe to lye in any secret corner . fourthly , when bearing sufferings arise from naturall stoutnesse , and courage ; such a one does neither begin , nor strengthens himselfe afterwards , upon divine grounds and arguments , so as the beleever doth : his willingnesse to suffer , does not proceed out of love to god , for his infinite excellencie , as infinitely worthy , that whatsoever the creature is , hath , or can doe , or suffer , should be at his dispose ; the lord hath dealt infinitely bountifully with me , he hath beene mercifull to me , and set his love upon me : now , these beames of gods love , warming , and enlarging , and quickening the heart of a beleever , sets him even on fire to doe or suffer any thing for god. but those who are carryed on upon naturall principles , feele no such thing ; neither doe they make use of spirituall weapons , or spirituall arguments , to strengthen them , as faith does . fifthly , where naturall stoutnesse and courage is the principle , there the soule is not raysed higher in its courage for god , then when the cause onely concernes it selfe ; it discovers as much stoutnesse and courage in naturall things , as it does in spirituals : but this strength in sufferings , that comes from faith , is a strength farre more raysed in the cause of god , and spirituall things , then in any other . in other things , it may be the heart is weake , full of feares , knowes not how to withstand any evill : but in the cause of god , it findes a principle , carrying it beyond that it is otherwise ; there it is full of courage , it is able to looke upon the face of any man , to stand out against the proudest persecuters . as that martyr alice driver told the persecuters , that though she was brought up at the plough , yet in the cause of christ she would set her foot against the foot of any of them all . many poore weake women , and children , have manifested that courage and boldnesse in the cause of christ , that hath daunted the hearts of their enemies . as we reade , acts . . when the rulers , elders , and scribes , saw the boldnesse of peter and john , and perceived that they were unlearned and ignorant men , they marvelled , and they tooke knowledge of them , that they had beene with jesus . it was their being with jesus , it was their faith in christ , that raysed them higher then their naturall principles , so as to make their enemies to wonder at them . sixtly , the power of resisting sufferings , that comes from naturall principles , is not a fruit of much humiliation , brokennesse of heart , seeking of god aforehand . when esther was in hazard , when she was to goe about a worke , wherein all her honour and her life must be ventured , shee falls to fasting and prayer , and causeth others to fast and pray for her ; and so shee came to that resolution , if i perish , i perish . men full of stoutnesse , and naturall courage , thinke that mournings for sinne , breakings of the heart in godly sorrow , keeping downe the soule in humiliation , make men timorous , and cowards ; that it abates , if not wholly takes away their valour and stoutnesse : but gods people never find more courage and heavenly fortitude , then after much humiliation for sinne ; the more brokennesse of heart for sinne , the more stoutnesse and courage in resisting of sinne , and in suffering any evill , rather then to admit any sinne . wicked men indeed have stoutnesse and courage , for the maintaining of their lusts , in which the courage and stoutnesse of the world is especially let out ; but all the courage and stoutnesse of godly men , is in opposing of sinne , and in doing and suffering for god. seventhly , if there be onely naturall strength to enable to a willingnesse to venture upon any way of suffering , there cannot be that confidence of a good issue that faith brings with it , where that is the principle . faith can assure the soule , that the issue shall be good , whatsoever seemes to the contrarie ; although the sufferings seeme to be never so black and dismall , faith can looke beyond all to a glorious issue , and through the assurance of this , can keepe the soule in a spirituall heavenly securitie , in the midst of all evils that doe befall it . the confidence of that glorious issue of all sufferings , that the faith of saint paul raysed his heart unto , cor. . , . is very remarkable . for our light affliction , which is but for a moment ( saith he ) worketh for us a farre more exceeding and eternall weight of glory , while wee looke not at things that are seene , but at the things which are not seene , &c. eightly , naturall principles cannot welcome afflictions with such joy and delight as faith can . how have the martyrs kissed and embraced the stake , accounting that day the happiest day that ever they saw . it is said of the christians in the . heb. . that they suffered with joy the spoyling of their goods . faith does not onely enable to suffer with patience , but to suffer with joy . and rom. . . saint paul sayth , wee rejoyce in tribulations . now others by their naturall courage may encounter with afflictions , and perhaps they may endure them with some patience , but they cannot thus rejoyce in them . ninthly , where naturall strength onely enables , there the soule is not more humble , after it hath gone through difficulties , but it is puffed up , as having passed through hard things , and done some great matter ; but where faith is the principle , the soule knowes that it was not from any thing in its selfe ; but if it had beene left to its selfe , it should have basely forsaken the cause of god , it should have dishonoured god and its holy profession ; and therefore it rejoyces not in its selfe , but in that power from on high , that came in and assisted it . i live , saith saint paul , but not i , but christ in me , so i was able to goe through such and such straights , saith a beleeving soule ; no , not i , but the vertue and power of christ in me carried me through . of a truth , saith bernard , to glory in god alone , cannot be but from god alone . tenthly , if the principle bee onely naturall courage , although such a one may be very ready at first in denying himselfe , yet if after hee be crossed more then hee expected , and findes worse successe then hee looked for ; if he does not see some naturall good comming in , hee is soone discouraged , the heart sinkes , as not having sufficient to uphold it and carry it out in that it hath undertaken . yet further , such is the deceit of a mans owne heart , as a man may suffer much out of the pride of his heart : as a man may serve himselfe , in serving god , so he may seeke himselfe in denying himselfe in that which is the cause of god. crates the philosopher before mentioned , who cast his goods into the sea , that hee might not be hindered in the study of philosophy , jerome calls him gloriae animal , and a base slave to popular breath : so many may be content to lose much , and suffer much , and all out of vaine-glory , they may be in base slavery to the applause of men : great things out of pride did heathens suffer for their countrey . were it not that mens hearts are desperately wicked , and deceitfull , one would wonder how this should bee . the men of the world are ready to cast this aspersion upon all that suffer , they say they suffer out of vain-glory , & so if they be forward in service , they still say it is from the pride of their hearts ; when they can say nothing against the things they doe or suffer , then they judge their hearts : this shewes , that to suffer for god , or to be forward in service is a glorious thing , otherwise why should they thinke men doe them to seeke glory by them ; but although it be a slander that arises from their malicious hearts against the truth , to accuse the sufferings of gods people of vaine glory , yet certainely there may bee a principle of pride , that may carry men on even here ; but there is much difference betweene that suffering that a man is carryed through by faith , and that which a man is carried through by pride : as , first , if pride be the principle , a man is ready to put forth himselfe though he be not called : it is true that in some extraordinary causes , a man may have an inward calling , by some extraordinary motion of gods spirit , as some of the martyrs had ; but in an ordinary way , a gracious heart feares it selfe , and dares not venture untill god calls , depending more upon gods call , then any strength it hath to carry it through : faith ever lookes at a word ; it puts on to nothing , but according to the word ; where there is not a word to warrant , there we may conclude , that faith is not the principle that acts , but selfe . true christian fortitude leades into dangers , onely by divine providence or precept , when god bids a man undertake dangers , or bids dangers overtake him . secondly , where pride is the principle , such a one cares not much how the cause of god goeth on , any further then he is interested in it , if god will use others to honour his name by , and further his cause , except hee may some way come in , he regards it not , hee is not more sollicitous , how the cause of god in other things that concerne not his sufferings prospers ; howsoever therefore he may speak much of gods glory , in that cause for which hee suffers , yet if he be not affected with the glory of god in any other cause , that concernes not his particular , it is an argument that it is his owne glory , rather then gods , that is aimed at . . thirdly , a proud heart does not strengthen it selfe so much in sufferings , with the consolations of god , the sweet of the promises , as it doth with its owne-selfe-proud thoughts ; the heart is not taken up so much with the glorious reward of god in heaven , that spirituall and supernaturall glory there , as with some present selfe-good here ; whereas faith is altogether for spirituall and supernaturall good , it carries the soule beyond present things , that are onely sutable to nature . fourthly , where pride is the principle , there is no good got by sufferings , the soule doth not thrive under them , it doth not grow in grace by them , it growes not to a further insight in gods wayes , it growes not more holy , more heavenly , more savoury in all the wayes of it , the lustre and beauty of godlinesse does not encrease upon such a one , hee is not more spirituall , hee doth not cleave closer to god ; hee is not more frequent with god in secret , he doth not enjoy more inward communion with god then formerly ; whereas when our principle is right in suffering , there is never such thriving in grace as then , then the spirit of god , and glory useth to rest upon gods servants ; a godly mans service prepares him for suffering , and his suffering prepares him for service . the church did never shine more bright in holinesse , then when it was under the greatest persecution . fifthly , where pride is the principle , there is not that calmenesse , meeknesse , quietnesse , sweetnesse of spirit in the carriage of the soule in sufferings , as where faith is the principle . pride causes the heart to swell , and belke , to be boisterous and disquiet , to bee fierce and vexing , because it is crossed : but faith brings in the spirit of jesus christ , and that was a quiet and meeke spirit in sufferings , as the sheep before the shearer ; when he was reviled , he reviled not againe ; where there is reviling and giving ill language , surely there pride is stirring in that heart . cyprian speaking of the martyrs contemning death , and yet were gentle and meek , sayes , wee see not that humble loftinesse , or that lofty humility , in any but in the martyrs of christ . a christian doth never tread downe satan so gloriously , as when hee suffers in a right manner for the truth : but it is the god of peace that does it in him ; god as the god of peace treads satan under our feet , but where there is nothing but boisterous tumultuousnesse , bitternesse , vexation , there god does not rule as the god of peace in that heart . sixthly , a proud heart is not sensible of its owne unworthinesse , that god should use him in suffering , or help him through it in any measure , wondering at the mercy of god , and blessing his name , that whereas he might have suffered from his wrath for sinne in hell for ever , that yet god will rather call him to suffer for his names sake : where it is from a spirituall principle , this will be . seventhly , if from vaine-glory , then in such kinde of sufferings that will bee reproachfull to him , and where there are none to honour him in them , there he failes ; if god call him to som kinde of sufferings , wherein he should be laid by , as a vile and contemptible thing , and nobody regarding of him , or taking notice of him , these sufferings would be very tedious to him ; or if he lives in such a place where none will joyne with him , to encourage him , but every man scornes him in them , this will be hard to him ; yea , so hard , that he cannot beare it . but faith will carry through these , if it be the cause of god , it is enough to faith , it is able to rejoyce in the midst of all reproaches , and all scorne and contempt , and filth , that the world can cast upon it : if that which bee done , be acceptable to god , a gracious heart thinkes there is glory enough put upon it : that place , . pet. . . is very observable : what glory is it , if when ye be buffeted for your fault yee take it patiently ? but if when you doe well , and suffer , ye take it patiently , this is acceptable with god. mark the opposition : if it had beene direct , it would have beene thus ; what glory is it , if when yee are buffeted yee take it patiently , but if you doe well , and suffer patiently , this is glorious , there is no glory in the other , but in this is glory , that is the meaning of the apostle , but hee does not say this is glory , but this is acceptable to god ; and in that hee sayes as much , for that is the greatest glory to a gracious heart , that any thing that he does or suffers may be acceptable to god , let it appeare outwardly never so meane and base . eighthly , if it be vaine-glory , then greater respect and honour in some other thing will take him off : if the honour in another thing be greater then that he hath by his sufferings , hee will quickly grow weary of his sufferings , and will finde out some distinction or other to winde himselfe out of them . many who have beene taken off this way , have suffered much a while , but finding it heavie , and seeing another way , wherein they thinke they might better provide for themselves , they have by degrees falne off to it , and proved base time-servers , to the dishonour of god , and their owne everlasting shame . demas suffered a while with paul , but at last he for sooke him , and embraced this present world . ninthly , when a man is acted by his pride , there is joyned with his sufferings a desire of revenge , hee would if he could return evill for evill , and doth as farre as hee dares . the heart is enraged against those from whom they doe suffer ; but those who have faith to be their principle , they commit their cause to god ; though men curse , they blesse , they can heartily pray for their persecuters , as christ and stephen did for theirs . the banner over a gracious heart , in all the troubles that befall it , is love ; and therefore , whatsoever the wrongs be that are offered to such , there is still a spirit of love preserved in it . tenthly , if vaine-glory be the principle , hee loves to make his sufferings knowne , and in the making of them knowne , he will aggravate them with all the circumstances he can , to make them appeare the more grievous , that so hee in the suffering of them , may appeare the more glorious . it is a good observation that master brightman hath upon that expression of saint john , rev. . . i was in the i le that is called patmos , he does not say , i was banished into the i le , by the wicked cruelty and malice of mine enemies ; no , onely thus , i was in the i le . the humble man rather desires that his sufferings might make god knowne , then that himselfe , or any others should make his sufferings knowne ; he desires no further notice should bee taken of them , then whereby god may bee glorified in them . lastly , a proud man makes his boast of himselfe , what he did , and how hee answered , and what successe hee had , whereas the other makes his boast onely of god. the boasting in our selves , in regard of our services or sufferings , makes both us , and all that we doe or suffer , to be vile and base in the eyes of god and man. it is a notable witty expression of luther ; by mens boasting of what they have done ( sayes he ) haec ego feci , haec ego feci , i have done this , and i have done this , they become nothing else but feces , that is , dregges . thirdly , a man may suffer much likewise from a naturall conscience , where there is no principle of faith , yet this is the best principle of all others next to that of faith ; but it may be , where there is true sanctifying and saving grace ; many of the heathens suffered much in their way of religion , out of the principle of a naturall conscience . as socrates was condemned to be poisoned , for opposing the multiplicity of gods , teaching that there was but one god. in a way of justice , the naturall conscience of fabritius set him so strong against any opposition , that it was said of him , that you might sooner turne the course of the sunne , then fabritius from the course of justice . now , naturall conscience may put a man upon a way of suffering , first , by the strength of that conviction it hath of some truths of god , of the equitie of them , of that divine authoritie that there is in them , of the dependance they have upon the prima veritas , the first truth , which is god himselfe . secondly , naturall conscience may be convinced of a greater good that there is in the enjoyment of the peace and quiet of the mind , then in the enjoyment of all outward comforts whatsoever ; and a greater evill in the torment of spirit , and miserie that will follow , if any thing be done against that light it hath , then there is in all evils that the world can inflict . thirdly , naturall conscience may so urge truths upon the soule , it may so follow it with importunitie , casting feares and terrors into the heart , that it will never suffer the soule to be at quiet , in a way of selfe-seeking , in any way of providing for the flesh , contrarie to that light that god hath set up in it . wherefore , although there be not much naturall courage in a man , nor seeking vaine-glory from men ; yet the losse of many comforts , and many evils may be suffered , out of the power of the light that there is in a naturall conscience . but there is much difference betweene this kind of suffering , and that which comes from a principle of faith : as thus : first , where it is onely from a naturall conscience , the soule is urged , and put on by force of a command ; but it is not encouraged by , it receives not strength from , it is not sweetened with the promise ; it findes no promise of the second covenant , at least no abilitie to close with any promise , from whence it receives helpe in the sufferings : but where there is a principle of faith , the soule findes three sorts of promises in the gospel , with which it closeth , from which it findes much helpe : as first , the promises of assistance ; secondly , the promises of acceptance ; thirdly , the promises of reward , both here and eternally hereafter : these , naturall conscience hath no skill in ; it puts on a man to suffer , but it gives no strength ; he goeth to it in his owne strength : conscience urgeth the soule , so as it dares not doe otherwise ; but it doth not assure it , that god accepts either of person or performance : it lookes to present quiet , having nothing to perswade it , that it shall at length attaine unto the glorious reward that god hath promised unto those who suffer out of faith for his name sake . secondly , naturall conscience doth not make a man glad of that light it hath , and the power and activenesse that there is in it ; that it will not suffer him to be at quiet , unlesse he doe denie himselfe in that which is deare unto him : if he had not that light which he hath , he might enjoy himselfe in his owne way , without that trouble and vexation of spirit that now he feeles ; he therefore opposeth and seekes to extinguish his light , rather then to use any meanes to maintaine and cherish it : but where there is a principle of faith , that soule loves that light it hath , and blesseth god for it , accounting of it a great mercie ; and therefore seekes by all meanes to maintaine and encrease it , and joynes side with it all he can . thirdly , where there is onely a naturall conscience , such a one is very hardly brought to suffer any thing ; he seekes to put off the truth as much as he can , that he might not be convinced by it ; there must be wonderfull cleare evidence , that he can by no meanes shift off , or else he will never be convinced ; he will part with nothing , unlesse it be wrung from him with great strength , of undeniable evidence of the truth ; it must so shine upon his face , as that he cannot shut his eyes against it : but where there is a principle of faith , it is not so , the soule being willing and readie to yeeld up all it is , or hath , to god ; it is as willing to entertaine suffering truths as any other , psal . . . as soone as they heare of me , they shall obey me . it is a hard thing to convince a man of a suffering truth , if he hath not a suffering heart : many men will say , if they were convinced , that such a thing were a truth , that if it were a dutie that god requires of them , they would yeeld unto it , whatsoever became of them ; but yet they doe not see it to be so : but the deceit of their hearts lies here , that they knowing they dare not oppose it , if they were convinced , and that it will bring upon them much trouble , if they be forced to yeeld to it ; therefore they are unwilling to be convinced , they shut their eyes against the light : arguments of lesse strength can prevaile to convince them in other things , but here strong light will not doe it , because they fore-see the ha●d consequences that will follow : but where there is a suffering heart , a willingnesse to sacrifice all for the least truth , how soone , how easily is such a one convinced of any truth ? when the mind of the hearer is good , it easily assents to the word of truth , sayes chrysostome . fourthly , a naturall conscience does not prize an opportunitie of suffering , so as those doe who have a principle of faith ; they goe to it as a great mercie , they account it as a great priviledge , that god calls them forth unto , and gives them opportunitie for the testifying of their love to his name , and the expressing the worke of their grace for his prayse ; accounting of it the highest improvement that may be , to lay downe all at gods feet in a way of selfe-denyall : the other may suffer the same thing , but he lookes upon his sufferings as a great part of his miserie , and at the way of gods providence , bringing of him thereunto , as a great evill unto him . fifthly , a naturall conscience rests in the thing done , in the very worke of enduring troubles ; there doth not appeare the grace of god in the manner of his sufferings , in the carriage of his soule in them ; there doth not appeare the glory of god , in the enabling of him to goe through them ; neither is he much sollicitous about that , but onely how he may beare them , and get thorow them : but faith sets on worke all the graces of gods spirit , by which the sufferings of one truly gracious are much beautified , his spirit is exceedingly savourie in them . psal . . . it is said , god is the glory of the strength of his servants : thou art the glory of their strength . now this was in a time of great trouble to the church , as appeares verse . and so forward : but thou hast cast off , and abhorred , thou hast beene wroth with thine anointed ; thou hast made void the covenant of thy servant , thou hast prophaned his crowne , by casting it to the ground ; thou hast broken downe all his hedges , all that passe by the way spoyle him , he is a reproach to his neighbours , &c. yet even at this time , god gives such strength to his people , as that his glory shines in it : therefore surely it is more then can be by any naturall worke . sixthly , a naturall conscience may put a man upon the way of self-denyall , but such a one accounts the wayes of god hard wayes , because of the troubles he meets withall in them , hee is brought out of love with gods wayes , and hee is weary of them , he is even sorry that he came into them , and could be content to with-draw himselfe from them , if hee knew how to doe it ; but a beleever suffering in the wayes of god , hee still likes well of them , hee speakes good of them , his heart cleaves close unto them : sufferings are esteemed the better , because they are in the wayes of god , and the wayes of god are not esteemed the worse , because they are in the wayes of suffering , his suffering confirmes him in them ; a crucified christ , and persecuted godlinesse , are very lovely in his eyes : cant. . . a bundle of myrrh is my beloved unto me , hee shall lye all night betweene my brests ; myrrh is a bitter thing , although christ bee as myrrh , yet he shall lye between my brests , next to my heart , as most lovely and delightfull to me : where there is true godlinesse , such a one whatsoever he meets withall in gods wayes , hee never opens his mouth againe to speake against them , ezek. . . and psal . . , , , , &c. all this is come upon us , yet have we not forgotten thee , neither have we dealt falsely in thy covenant , our heart is not turned backe , neither have our steps declined from thy way , though thou hast sore broken us in the place of dragons , and covered us with the shadow of death , &c. and psal . . from the . verse to the . we read of ethan making a most lamentable complaint for the miseries of the church , and yet he concludes , blessed be the lord for evermore : and this not formally , or slightly , but earnestly with much affection , and therefore he addes amen , and doubles it , amen , amen : as if he should say , let the troubles of the church bee what they will , yet god and his wayes shall be for ever blessed , in mine eyes , in my heart . seventhly , where there is onely a naturall conscience , such a soule is satisfied , rather in its owne peace that it hath , by yeelding to that which conscience puts him upon , then in any glory that god hath by that which is suffered : as he doth not aime at the glory of god , but at the quieting of his conscience , so he lookes not much after the glory of god that should come in by his sufferings . eighthly , naturall conscience may put a man upon denying of the world , and suffering hard things , yet the heart is never by it crucified unto the world , the inward lusts are not mortified , there remaines still as much love to the world as ever there was , there is yet a drossy uncleane spirit within , the corruptions of the heart still remaine in the root , howsoever they be kept in for a while , by the power of conscience , such a one would as gladly enjoy the delight of the world as ever , but hee dares not : but where faith is the principle , there the inward corruptions of the heart are mottified , faith crucifies the heart unto the world , it does not onely enable to deny ones selfe in outward things , but it changes the very frame and temper of the heart ; the inward disposition of the soule is not after any thing in the creature , as it was before , but it is sanctified , it is made heavenly , it is raised above any thing that is here below . ninthly , where the principle is onely naturall conscience , there comes in no new supply of strength in the time of suffering , but all that is done , is by the first strength , that put him upon it , hee is all the while spending his strength , as an armie that fights without any new succours : but faith brings in new supplies , new succours continually ; strength growes even in sufferings ; as the palme tree is not onely kept from being bowed downe by weights , but it growes higher even whilst weights are upon it . hence lastly , where a man is enabled to suffer by a naturall conscience onely , there one suffering does not prepare for another , but the more he suffers , the more shye he is of hazzarding himselfe another time , the more afraid hee is of suffering afterwards . it is in his suffering as it is in his service , one service does not prepare him for another , he is not fitted by one duty to doe another ; but where the heart is truely gracious , as the more such a one does for god , he is still the more ready , and the more fit to doe further service ; so , the more he suffers for god , the more ready hee is to suffer further . wee see by all this what great deceit there is in mans heart , even there where there is the least suspition of it ; wee often thinke our hearts may deceive us in doing , but we doe not feare our hearts in suffering ; let us learne now , that deceit lyes closer then wee thought of , we had need looke well to our principle in suffering , or else wee lose the honour of it . that place is observable , mat. . . . peter tells christ , that hee and the rest of the disciples were content to forsake all for him : well , sayes christ , but many that are first , who suffer much for mee , yet if they looke not well to their principle , if there bee mixture , and nature and selfe appeare in their sufferings , they shall be last ; others who suffer not so much shall be preferred before them ; and cap. . . he give the reason why many who are first , who are very forward , shall be last , because many are called , but few are chosen , many are called to endure hard things for god , but few are chosen , few suffer so , as to be accepted as the chosen ones of the lord. faith puts an excellencie upon what wee receive , upon what we doe , and upon what we suffer ; that which wee have by faith , is better then that wee have any other way ; and that which we doe or suffer by faith , is better then that which is done or suffered any other way . the scripture makes it a great matter that abraham should have a childe when hee was a hundred yeeres old ; why terah his father was a . when he begat abraham , but because abraham had his child by faith , therefore it was a great matter : and so in all other things that wee have , doe , or suffer , if they be by faith , they are great things . chap. xv. comfort to those who have true faith. if faith be that grace that will carry a soule through the hardest things , then here is comfort to those who have true faith , you have that which will uphold you , which will certainly beare you out , and safely , and comfortably carry you through all the troubles that you can meet withall in this world : when you heare of the many afflictions that gods people are exercised withall , and the many troubles through which we must passe to heaven , be not discouraged , you have more then your owne strength . it is a notable speech of cyprian , hee that once overcome death for us , alwayes overcomes death in us ; you have more with you then against you ; god hath given you that which will strengthen you against all , that none of them shall ever separate you from god ; this grace will bee sufficient for you , this is a sure antidote against all poyson ; this is a safe shield against all fiery darts , all the evils that can befall you , will be but the exercise of your faith , to make it more bright and shining , and the tryall of your faith , which is a most precious things , pet. . . the tryall of your faith , sayes the apostle , is more precious then gold that perisheth , although it be tryed with fire ; and this tryall will be found to your praise , and honour , and glory at the appearing of jesus christ . observe how the apostle heapes up words , praise , honour , and glory for the setting out what a blessed thing the very tryall of our faith is , shewing how all the troubles of the saints , considering what a principle they have to carry them through , are a greater good unto them , then if they met with none ; with what confidence , and courage , may a man resist any opposition , when he knowes before-hand , that hee hath that which which will quell it , and that all opposition is but for the exercise and tryall of his strength ; which certainely shall be to his prayse , and honour , and glory . although you thinke you have no strength , to encounter with such great tryals as you are like to meet withall , yet labour to quiet your hearts in the exercise of faith alone , that wil bring in strength enough : whatsoever you thinke would strengthen you , you shall finde it all in the exercise of faith. that place is very observable , isay . . your strength is to sit still : they thought their strength had beene in the helpe of egypt , as if nothing could helpe them but egypt : nay , saith god , if you would quietly rest your spirits in me , you should have an egypt : whatsoever strength you expect from egypt , you shall have it here : for the word translated strength , is the same that is used in scripture to signifie egypt , namely , rahab : and so the sense goes thus ; your egypt is to sit still : by sitting still , you shall have an egypt ; whatsoever succour you might thinke to have that way , you shall have it this way . oh , that we could thus quiet our hearts in the exercise of our faith , in all our feares . this were comfort indeed , if wee were sure our faith were right , and such as would carry us through : but how shall we know that ? i answer : first , if your faith be such as carryes your soules to god , as an universall good , so as you can satisfie your selves in him alone ; then it is this precious faith that will doe this , that we speake of . secondly , if your faith workes a sanctified use of your prosperitie ; if your faith can carry you through the temptations of prosperitie , it will certainely carry you through the tryals of adversitie ; if faith can keepe you from swelling in prosperitie , it will keepe you from breaking in adversitie . but especially , in the third place , if your faith can carry you through spirituall difficulties , it will be much more able to carry you through all outward troubles : i will instance in five spirituall difficulties . first , if it can enable you to venture your soule and eternall estate upon the free grace of god , in the sight and sense of all your owne unworthinesse . this , many will thinke , is not so hard a matter ; but certainely , there is more difficultie in this worke of faith , then in enabling to beare all the miseries of the world : to doe this , when the soule understands throughly what the meaning of sinne is , what that breach is , that it hath made betweene god and it selfe ; when the soule is truly burdened with it , when it hath the sight of gods infinite holinesse , and knowes what the consequence of an eternall estate meanes , and yet for me to venture all , so as , i am lost for ever , if i miscarrie here , and that when i have nothing to commend me to god , when he can see no good in me , nothing but that which his soule loathes and abhorres ; surely , now to venture upon the free grace of god , is a most glorious worke of faith : and that faith that can doe this , we need not feare , but it will carry through all outward troubles . secondly , if your faith can keepe you in love to holy duties , although you find nothing come in by them : you pray , you heare , you reade , you receive sacraments , and yet you finde your hearts as hard , and your corruptions as strong as ever ; yet if still you can continue , not onely the practice of holy duties , but love unto them , this is a great worke of faith. the three latter , are luthers three difficulties of faith , namely , first , to beleeve things impossible to reason ; secondly , to hope for things that are deferred : and thirdly , to love god , when he shewes himselfe to be an enemie . if faith can doe these things , there is no feare , but it will overcome all outward difficulties that possibly can befall . chap. xvi . the meanes to maintaine and strengthen our faith. lastly , if faith be the grace that carryes through all , then it is our wisedome , to labour what wee can , to maintaine and strengthen our faith : let us looke especially to that wherein our chiefe strength lyes ; let not a dalilah , let not any carnall content get away , no , nor in the least degree abate our strength ; let us be sure we looke to our shield , that that be safe and sound . as that heathen epaminondas , being dangerously wounded with a speare , so that hee sunke downe as one dead ; but after comming to himselfe , hee asked if his target were safe , his chiefe care was about that : so should ours be about the shield of our faith. the devill labours above all things against us in this ; hee cares not what men doe , so be it their faith be neglected . especially therefore labour to strengthen your faith in these three things . the first , is the principall and ground of all , namely , the assurance of your interest in the covenant of grace , that you are received by god into that free , rich , glorious covenant of life in christ ; that now you are not to stand or fall , by what is in your selves , or what comes from you , but by the perfect righteousnesse of that blessed mediator , who hath undertaken your cause with god : doubts and fears , about this , doe much weaken the spirits of men , when troubles come upon them . secondly , in the assurance of gods fatherly love unto , and care over you , in the sorest and hardest afflictions that can befall you . as it is an argument of much ignorance , to perswade ones selfe that god loves one , because of present prosperitie ; so it is exceeding weakenesse , to call gods love in question , upon the feeling the smart of affliction , to thinke that none of gods people are afflicted in such a kinde as i am ; if it were in some other kind , it were not so much , but being thus , i am afraid that god never loved mee , and that he hath now quite forsaken mee . thirdly , in the assurance of the blessed issue of all , that all will be peace and comfort at the last : if faith be strong in these , it will be able to encounter with all assaults whatsoever : this strengthening of our faith must be , first , by much meditation in the covenant of grace , the rich promises , and glorious manifestations of gods goodnesse in his word , that so the soule may be acquainted with the promises , and have alwayes a word at hand to relieve it selfe withall . secondly , by keeping conscience cleare , that it may speake peace , and encourage us , that it may not upbraid us , that it may not cast feares into us , that it may not cast camps of spirit within us . thirdly , take heed of listening to the reasonings of flesh and blood , venture we our selves wholly upon the word ; if wee have that , never argue the cause any further . wee read of saint paul , gal. . . that he dared not to consult with flesh and blood , after christ was once revealed in him , if he had , he had never beene able to deny himselfe , as hee did : carnall reasonings are great enemies to faith , they are the strong holds of satan , which must be battered downe : prov. . . trust in the lord with all thy heart , and leave not unto thine owne understanding . there we see that leaning to ones owne understanding , and trusting in god , are opposed one to another . fourthly , keepe faith in continuall exercise upon all occasions ; looke up to god in the strength of a promise , for assistance in all things , for sanctifying , for blessing every thing unto you ; live by faith in whatsoever you undertake or doe , that so when greater tryalls come , faith may be in a readinesse , being alwayes kept active and stirring . fifthly , labour much to keepe up your converse with god , in his ordinances , in all holy duties , that you may be exercised in them with life and power , that there being a holy sweet familiarity between god and the soule , it may be more able freely , and cheerfully , and confidently to repaire unto him in times of trouble , and exercise its faith upon him , as that god , betweene whom and the soule , there is daily a sweet intercourse , god letting himselfe out daily in his love and mercie to the soule , and the soules working up its selfe , and inlarging it selfe in love , and delight , and praise to god againe . and when sufferings come , then stir up , and put forth the grace of faith in the exercise of it , looke up to god for strength and assistance , commit your selfe and cause wholly to him ; plead the promise , plead your call that hee hath called you to this ; plead the cause that it is his . master tindall in a letter of his to master frith , who was then in prison , hath foure expressions of the worke of faith in time of suffering . if you give your selfe , cast your selfe , yield your selfe , commit your selfe wholly and onely to your loving father , then shall his power bee in you , and make you strong , hee shall set out his truth by you wonderfully , and work for you above all your heart can imagine . and observe this rule , labour to strengthen and exercise your faith , before your heart bee too deepely affected with your affliction . wee usually have our first and chiefest thoughts upon our troubles , and spend the strength of our spirits in poring upon them , and tyre our selves in the workings of our unbeleeving discontented spirits , giving libertie to the reasonings of our hearts , so that wee are sunke before any promise can come to us , wee are not able to raise up our selves , to looke at a promise : but our way should be , whatsoever our condition is , first , to endeavour to strengthen our faith , and then to make our moane to god. thus did ethan , psal . . this ethan , king. . is mentioned as one of the wisest men upon the earth , and hee shewes his wisedome much in this , that in a time of the great affliction of the church , hee being sensible of it , and about to make his complaint to god of it , yet hee begins with raising his and the churches faith , in the mercy , and faithfulnesse , and power of god , before hee will make any mention of their calamities ; hee doth not begin to make his moane for the miseries of the church till the thirty eighth verse , but all before is nothing but arguments to raise and strengthen faith , and to put that forth in the exercise of it . thus moses , psalme . being about to complaine of the miseries of gods people , that they were consumed by his anger , and troubled by his wrath , yet begins with the acknowledging of gods goodnesse , with arguments to strengthen faith. lord thou hast been our dwelling place , in all generations , from everlasting to everlasting , thou art god. and thus david , psalme . . before hee beginnes his complaint , hee layes downe this conclusion : truely god is good to israel , even to such as are of a cleane heart . finis . a table of the contents . b. birth of the greatest defiled with sinne . page . god hath honoured us with a higher birth then what we have by bloud from our ancestors . . c. lord cobham his selfe-denyall . . e. examples of great men are very powerfull . . eminencie of parts and gifts not sufficient to carry through a godly course . . f. forsake all , rather then offend god. . faith makes honourable all a christians sufferings . . wherein lyes the power of faith to take off the heart from the world. . tryall of our faith. . no faith , no perseverance . . comfort to those who have true faith. . meanes to maintaine and strengthen faith. . g. marcus galeacius his selfe-denyall . . grace raises men spirits . . h. haters of god have beene nobly borne . . hormisda his self-denyall . . honours to be denyed for christ . . vncertainty of worldly honours . . in the height of our enjoyment of earthly comforts we are to deny our selves . . l. luthers resolution . . a testimony of deare love to christ , to deny ones selfe for his sake . . how to discerne gods love in the things we doe enjoy . . m. moses his parts and breeding . mixture of much evill , in the best worldly good . . n. nobility of birth to bee denyed for christ. . it a very poore and meane thing . . god is infinitely worthy that it should be laid downe for his honour . . no such way to adde glory to our nobility as to be willing to use it , or deny it for god. . wherein nobility of birth is to bee denyed . . p. godly parentage to bee honoured . . pleasures to be denyed for christ . . god hath greater preferments for his , then the things beloved . . persist in godlinesse , though other things be hazarded . . in the prime of our youth and strength , we are to deny our selves . it argues power of grace , to resist powerfull temptations . r. riches to be denyed for christ . . not many rich saved . . religion to be practized , though it cost us deare . . godly resolutions , how discerned . . good resolutions not sufficient to carry godly sufferings . . resolution for christ necessary , and how attained . . s. service of god no disgrace to nobilitie . . self-denyall ever holds out . . sufferings out of naturall stoutnesse , how discerned . . sufferings out of pride , how discerned . . sufferings out of a naturall conscience , how discerned , . v. the best victory is to overcome our selves . victory of faith , wherein it appeares most . . w. worldly blessings not to be over-joyed in . . finis . christian reader , by reason of the authors absence , divers faults have escaped the presse , which thou art intreated favourably to interpret . page . for besse read blesse . p. . f. higer r. higher . p. . f. thogh r. though . p. . f. need r. needed . p. . f. impsosible r. impossible . p. . f. spirituall r. speciall . p. . line . adde , no. p. . f. greateh r. greatest . p. . f. give r. gives . imprimatur , tho. wykes . septemb. . . notes, typically marginal, from the original text notes for div a -e gen. . . king. . augustini ardingelli paradoxa jesuitica . secreta instructio societatis jesu . chryteus chron. saxon . history of church of scots . chron. . . zach. . . notes for div a -e the sense and meaning of the words cleared , & doctrines raised . lib. . de praepar . evan. c. ult . stromat . lib. . . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ioseph . lib. . cap. . . josph . lib. . cap. ult . . ioseph . lib. , cap. . gualmyn de vita mosis . p. . . . . . doct. . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . doct. . doct. point . . mihi deorum immortalium munus & primum videtur & maximum in lucem statim faelicem venire . panegyr . const . . reas . . ioseph . de belle iudaico . lib. . cap. . reas . . de parentibus illis venio qui ante me fecerunt damnatā quam natum bern. in medit. cap. . reas . . tantus quisque est , quantus est apud deum ▪ melchior adam in vita ejus . dic quaeso quid genus est ? nihil aliud certe quam verbi sonitus ab omni re destitutus quod in extremo illo die probe scietis . chrys . in mat. . hom. . dic quaeso quid genus est ? nihil aliud certe quā verbi sonitus ab omni re destitutus quod in extremo illo die probè scietis . chry. in mat. hom. . . nam genus & proavos et quae non secimus ipsi vix ea nostra voco . nemiuem regem non ex servis esse oriundum , neminem servii non ex regibu● omnia ista longa varietas miscuit & sursum deorsum fortuna versavit . sen. epist . . alius , patrem , inquit , habeo martyrem ; alij suae familie viros obijciunt : frigida sunt ista verba . nihil nobis aliorum virtus prodesse valet . aristippus . tres vomi ca● & carcinomata . utinam coelebs vixissem , aut orb●s perissem . . . * longelateque dilatata est magnificentia vestra supraterram , sed audite consilium , studete quod in vobis est hanc gloriam ad illum referre à quo est , si non vultis eam perdere , aut certè perdi ab ea . ber. epist. . gratius ei fuit nomen pietatis quam potestatis . tertull. apol. advers . gentes . c. . non praedicabo illustrem familiam , alti sanguinis decus , & stemmata per proconsules et praefectos decurrentia : nihil in illa laudabo nisi quod proprium est , & eò nobilius , quòd opibus & nobilitate contempta facta est paupertate & humilitate nobilior . epist . ad principiam virginem . mircellae epitaph . quid magis indignum , quid detestandum amplius , quid gravius puniendum , quam ut videns deum parvulum factum homo se magnificet . intolerabilis impudentia est , ut ubi sese exinanivit majestas , vermiculus infletur & intumescat . bern. ser . . de nativ . . nunquam humana opera mirabitur quisquis se cognovexit filium dei : deijcit se de culmine generositatis qui admirari aliquid post deum potest . cypr. lib. de specta● . noli degenerare a praecelsis cogitationibus filiorum dei. quest . ans . . caecorum oculus sis , manus debilium , pes claudorum : ipse aquā portes , ligna concid●● , focum extruas , ubi vincula , ubi alapa , ubi sputa , ubi flagella , ubi patibulum , ubi mors . ep. ad pammach . vasallos christi . deo servire , regnare est . . aequeris p●uperibus inopum cellas dignanter introeas . genere nobilis , sanctitate nobilior . . theod. lib. . cap. . hist . trip. lib. . cap. . antiquitas mea , jesus christus , nobilitas nostra , iesus christus . plin. lib. . cap. . melius est ut inte glorientur parentes , quāuttuin parentibus glorieris . chrys . in mat. . nihil aliud video innobilitate appetendum , nisi quod nobiles quadam necessitate constringuntur ne ab ●utiquorum probitate degenerent . hieron . in epist . theodosius tantus imperator recessit à nobis , sed non totus recessit , reliquit enim nobis liberos suos in quibus debemus eum agnoscere . ambros . in obit . theod. mihi dedecori sunt parentes , tu vero parentibus ▪ melius est de contemptibili clarum fieri , quam de claro genere contemptibilem esse . chrys . in mat. . omnes bi majores tui sunt , si te illis geris dignum sen. ep. . minime deus est acceptor per sonarū , nescio tamen quo pacto virtus in nobili plus placet , forte quia plus claret . bernard . ad sophiā virgin. quid faciunt sordes animorum in splendore natalium cassiod . l. . v●r . . beda . hist . lib. . cap. . ▪ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . nemo istorum quos divitiae & honores in alto fastigio ponunt magnus est , sed ideo magnus videdetur quia illum cum basi sua metiris . pumilio magnus non est , licet in monte constiterit colossus magnitudinem suam servabit , etiamsi ste●erit in puteo . se● . ep. . an non personam meam in hac mundi fabula satis commode egisse videor ? valete ergo , & plaudite . sueton. in aug. pleasures to bee denyed for christ . riches to be denyed for christ . mirata est quod distributor possessionum sibi montana & aspera delegasset . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . date obolum bellisurio . ludibria fortunae . plut. de quaest . rom. . . non magnanimitatis est magnos petere honores , sed contemnere . aug. de civit . dei ▪ lib. . patricius socrates non fuit , cleanthes aquā traxit ; platonem non accepit nobilem philosophia , sed fecit . sen. epist . . . josephus lib. . cap. . theo. lib. . cap. . euseb . lib. . cap. . in libera● civitate liberas esse linguas oportere . chrysost . in mat. . hom. . libertatē mihi animi oftende , libertatem dico eam quam ille vir beatus habe●at , à quo iterum atque iterum herodes audivit , non ●icet tibi fratris tui philippi uxorem habere : quam is quoque habuit ante ipsum , qui dicebat ahab ; non ego , sed tu & domus patris tui israelem pervertis , &c. a seneca epist . . magnanimos nos natura produxit , nobis gloriosum & excelsum spiritum dedit quaerentem ubi honestissime , non ubi tutissime vivat . solatium non perdit desolata justitia , tui consortium deus omni celebritate festivior . hiero. ad virg. in exil . missam . inveniar sane superbus , avarus , adulter , homicida anti-papa , & omnium vitiorum reus , modo impii silentii non arguar , dum dominus pa●itur . luth. ep . ad staupit . . dilata est magni●icentia , &c. si non vultis eam perdere certi perdi ab ea . ber. epi. . baron . ultimo anno domit. ecce quid prodest plena bonis arca , si inanis fit conscientia , &c. august . de verbis domini . ser. . pestifera vis est valere ad nocendum . sanctitas , pietas privata bona sunt . sen. in thyeste ▪ exeat aula qui volet esse pius : virtus , & summa potestas non coeunt . lucan . lib. . clemens alexan. paedag . l. . cap. . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . qui amissa republica , piscuinas suas fore salvas sperare videntur . epist . . ad attic. lib. . lib. . cap. . sabellicus in his hist . quanto illustriores homines in seculo scientia , & genere , tanto pluribus sunt perditionis exemplum . ber. epist . eutropius eunuchus , apud arcadium in pretio fuit , aulae rector , pudendus , avarus & crudelis , spadonibus ille favebat , plurimi mortalium & sibi & liberis virilitatem demere sustinuere ut illi commendarent , atque ad optatas dignitates eveherentur , plerique eorum exvulnere obierunt . quae hic honorant , ibi onerant . si tantam pecuniam vel in sui regis obsequium , vel patriae commodis , vel sublevandis propinquis impendisset , audirem ; nunc quoniam tantas opes impendit corpori , par est ut luat corpore . miror si potest salvari aliquis rectorum . lib. . hist . bohe. plus temporis operaeque se palatio , quam templo impendisse ; luxū & vitia aulae quae corrigere debuisset adjuvisse , auxisse , atque ita multo peccati dolore trepida spe divinae clementiae , plurimo astantium ●orrore , anceps sui anima aeternitatem ingressa est . perdifficile esse condere leges tam felicibus . non est parum virum nobilem , virum locupletem potentium in plateis vitare comitatum , miscere se turbis , adhaerere pauperibus , rusticis copulare , de principe vulgum fieri , sed quanto humilior , tanto sublimior est . in maxima fortuna , minima est licentia . salust . in conjurat . catil . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . paul. diac l. . hist . seneca . ep . . illum lauda & imitare quem non piget mori cum juvet vivere . non magnum est esse humilem in abjectione , magna prorsus & rara virtus humilitas honorata . ber. hom. . super missus est . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . basil . hom. in martyr 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . lib. . cap. . cent. . cap. . mentienter . . virtus est placidis abstinuisse bonis . in tali occasione , & copia peccandi non fuit minus miraculum vincere flammas libidinis , quam quod tres viri ex camino ignes salvi , & incolumes evaserunt . luth. in cap. . . . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 plut. de consol . ad apol. . nulla infelicitas frangit , quem nulla foelicit as corrumpit . aug. in senten . nemo frangitur adversarum molestia , qui prosperarum dilectione non capitur . aug. ser. in monte l. . faciam ut omnia habeat prospera , calamitatibus eum à peccato non revocabo . . vse . laudandi atque praedicandi qui dignati non sunt etiam cum mundo florente florere . aug. ep. . ad armentarium . . . . . . . perpauci sunt quibus contingit & faelices esse & sapere . sen. ep . . difficile est in honore esse sine tumore , in praelatione sine , elatione , in dignitate siu e vanitate . ber. in alto posito non altum sapere difficile est , & omnino inusitatum , sed quanto inusit atius , tanto gloriosius . ber. ep. . vse . object . answ . . qui●quid nobis temporaliter mundus arridet , magis est periculum quam ornamentum nostrum . aug. ser. . t. . . . . . . vse . sam. . . object . answ . . . euseb . lib. . cap. . quest . answ . . . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . tantam in nobis fidei stabilitatem dominus esse desiderat , ut certius esse quod credimus quam quod patimur judicemus , & verius habeamus speranda quam sensibilia . hieronym . ep . ad virginem in exilium missam . tom. . cor. . , . spiritus sanctus non est scepticus nec dubia , aut opiniones in cordibus nostris scripsit , sed assertiones ipsa vita , & omni experientia certiores & firmiores . luth. t. . . . feri domine , feri , nam à peccatis absolutus sum . isai . . . . ezek. . . . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 heb. . . . nihil visibilium moror , nihil invisibilium , ut iesum christum acquiram , ignis & crux , incursus bestiarum , dissipatio ossium , convulsio mēbrorum , totiijs corporis commolitio , ac supplicia diaboli in me veniant , modo iesum christum acquiram . euseb . l. . c. . audere ad nomen christi periculum vitae & fortunatum adire , ad id requiritur spiritus principalis . luth. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . fides libenter accipit quicquid arduum videtur incredulis . quem neque pauperies , neque mors , neque vincula terrent . . fides non timet famem . tertul . . vt vires aliis lapidibus pretiosis extinct is solo at tactu suscitaret . . potuit quicquid voluit . quam laetus & libens in talibus servis pugnavit & vicit protector fidei . cypr. ep . . . abite in profundum , malae cupiditates , ego vos mergam , ne ipse mergar à vobis . non fuga nec absentia , sed vigore animi , & constanti praesentia macrob. l. . satur. . ab ipso ducunt opes animumque ferro . euseb . lib. . cap. . application . . . . . . vse . lapsus majorum , tremor minorum . nonne vidisti alios vestri ordinis idipsum fecisse ? nos hac potissimum ratione viriliter stabimus ▪ & pro illorum ruina nosmetipsos in sacrificia offeremus . . why true faith only will carry men thorow sufferings . . . . . . . vse . ambula in timore & contemptu tui , & ora dominum ut ipse tua omnia faciat , & tu nihil facias , sed sis sabbatum christi : ad gabrielem vydymum pastorem aldenburgensem . quest . answ . . . . . . . . . . why mens own good will not carry them through godly sufferings . . . . . . quest . answ . . . . . . resolutions for christ necessary , and how attained . . . . . quest . answ . . . . vse . sufferings out of naturall stoutnesse . . object . answ . . . . . . . . . revera gloriari in solo deo non nisi à solo deo est . bern. serm. in cant. . . sufferings out of pride . gloriae animal , popularis aurae vile mancipium . hier. ep . ad julianum , consolatoria . vicit amor patriae laudisque immensa cupido . . . . . . nec tumide nec timide . illud humiliter sublime , & sublimiter bumile nisi in christi martyrbus non vidimus . cypr. de dupl . martyr . . . . . . . luther in ps . . . sufferings out of a naturall conscience . . . . . . quando bona audientis & grata mens est , facile assentitur sermonibus veritatis , chrysost . hom. . in mat. . . . . . . . vse . qui pro nobis mortem semel vicit , semper vincit in nobis . cypr. ep . . quest . answ . . . . . how to know whether our faith be right , and such as wil carry us through all troubles . . . credere impossibilia rationi . sperare dilata . . amare deum cum se praebet inimicum . vse . . . . . . . . . qui mihi oneris est author , ipse fiat administrationis adjutor dabit virtutem qui contulit dignitatem . an exposition with practical observations continued upon the eighth, ninth, & tenth chapters of the prophesy of hosea being first delivered in several lectures at michaels cornhil, london / by jeremiah burroughs ; being the seventh book published by thomas goodwin ... [et al.] burroughs, jeremiah, - . approx. kb of xml-encoded text transcribed from -bit group-iv tiff page images. text creation partnership, ann arbor, mi ; oxford (uk) : - (eebo-tcp phase ). a wing b b estc r ocm this keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the early english books online text creation partnership. this phase i text is available for reuse, according to the terms of creative commons . universal . the text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. early english books online. (eebo-tcp ; phase , no. a ) transcribed from: (early english books online ; image set ) images scanned from microfilm: (early english books, - ; : ) an exposition with practical observations continued upon the eighth, ninth, & tenth chapters of the prophesy of hosea being first delivered in several lectures at michaels cornhil, london / by jeremiah burroughs ; being the seventh book published by thomas goodwin ... [et al.] burroughs, jeremiah, - . goodwin, thomas, - . cross, thomas, fl. - . [ ], , [ ] p., [ ] leaf of plates : port. printed by peter cole ..., london : . includes frontispiece portrait of the author signed: cross, sculpt. advertisements: p. [ ]-[ ] of first count. reproduction of original in the huntington library. includes bibliographical references and index. created by converting tcp files to tei p using tcp tei.xsl, tei @ oxford. re-processed by university of nebraska-lincoln and northwestern, with changes to facilitate morpho-syntactic tagging. gap elements of known extent have been transformed into placeholder characters or elements to simplify the filling in of gaps by user contributors. eebo-tcp is a partnership between the universities of michigan and oxford and the publisher proquest to create accurately transcribed and encoded texts based on the image sets published by proquest via their early english books online (eebo) database (http://eebo.chadwyck.com). the general aim of eebo-tcp is to encode one copy (usually the first edition) of every monographic english-language title published between and available in eebo. eebo-tcp aimed to produce large quantities of textual data within the usual project restraints 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users should bear in mind that in all likelihood such instances will never have been looked at by a tcp editor. the texts were encoded and linked to page images in accordance with level of the tei in libraries guidelines. copies of the texts have been issued variously as sgml (tcp schema; ascii text with mnemonic sdata character entities); displayable xml (tcp schema; characters represented either as utf- unicode or text strings within braces); or lossless xml (tei p , characters represented either as utf- unicode or tei g elements). keying and markup guidelines are available at the text creation partnership web site . eng bible. -- o.t. -- hosea viii-x -- commentaries. bible. -- o.t. -- hosea viii-x -- criticism, interpretation, etc. - tcp assigned for keying and markup - aptara keyed and coded from proquest page images - john latta sampled and proofread - john latta text and markup reviewed and edited - pfs batch review (qc) and xml conversion jeremiah bvrroughes gospell-preacher to two of the greatest congregations in england viz. stepney and cripplegate london aetatis suae . . portrait of jeremiah burroughs c●●ss sculpt : iune . . an exposition with practical observations continued upon the eighth , ninth , and tenth chapters of the prophesy of hosea . being first delivered in several lectures at michaels cornhil , london . by jeremiah burroughs . being the sixth book published by thomas goodwin , william greenhil , sydrach simpson , william bridge , john yates , will. adderly . london : printed by peter cole , at the sign of the printing-press in cornhil , near the royal exchange . . to the reader . vvhat we have by way of preface set before the edition of the fourth , fifth , sixth and seventh chapters , may sufficiently serve for a premise to these eighth , ninth and tenth chapters , as holding forth the use and scope of the whol prophesie , and the authors intentions in his comment theron : so as we shall only need now to give letters of credence before the world , to the passing of these , as the best , and most authentick notes that could any way be obtained , both as the extracts of the best notes of sermons , taken from his mouth , and chiefly his own writings , which were more brief . exspect shortly the eleventh , twelfth , and thirteenth chapters from the same hand . we commit them , and the reader to the blessing of god. thomas goodwyn , sydrach simpson , william greenhil , william bridge , john yates , will. adderly . the contents hosea , chap. viii . verse i observation ministers must not only be trumpeters of mercy and peace , but also of judgment page obs . ministers must not be weary of their work though little good come of it obs . the denunciation of threatning in the name of god , is a terrible sound ibid. obs . men flatter themselves when danger is at a distance obs . all the swiftness of an enemy is from god obs . . god doth not presently cast away a church , though it be guilty of many sins . ibid obs . . it is an high expression of the priviledge of a church , that it is the house of the lord. obs . though we be gods house , yet enemies may come upon us . verse ii. opened obs . in affliction men see their need of god. obs . the vilest wretches in time of distress will call for help of god ibid obs . . acknowledgment of god in a formal way , is that hypocrites think will comend them to god obs . degenerate children look for favor for their godly parents sakes . obs . they will think to have the same mercies their fathers had ib. verse iii. obs . the true worship of god is the good thing by way of excellencie obs . gods worship is repelled by carnal hearts ib. obs . though at first men only leave god , yet at last they cast him off with abomination ib. obs when the good of duty is cast off , the evil of punishment will come in verse iv. expounded obs . we may do the thing god would have done , and yet sin highly against god obs . to go about great businesses without consulting with god , is sin . obs . alteration in civil government is a great matter ib. obs . when we are about great businesses we must look at gods ends . ib. obs . we can have no comfort of gods mercies , if we stay not gods time obs . when we have a mercy promised , we must take it by lawful means ib. obs . when we have a mercy we must improve it for god obs . god knows how to make use of mens sins obs . god many times suffers sinners to prosper a long time ib. verse v. obs . though idolaters promise themselves safety by their idols , yet they will leave them at last obs . take heed of engagements in what is evil obs . if by custom in evil we have no power to get out , this will be no excuse ib. verse vi. obs . none are so so●●ish in wicked waies as apostats obs . to he devisers of evil in gods worship is a great aggravation of sin ib. obs . men stick close to their own inventions in gods worship ib. obs . there is no sin more hereditary then idolatry ib. obs . idols must be broken in pieces obs . whatsoever may be broken in pieces we may not make our god ib. obs . deifying a creature makes way for the destruction of the creature verse vii . obs . idolaters are willing to take pains for their false worship use . let us take pains for the the true worship ib. obs . idolaters sow in hope obs . idolaters lay a ground for succession ib. obs . idolaters observe their season ib. obs . many sow the wind who sow the wind some students ib. idolaters ib. formalists vain glorious ib. carnal polititians such as serve themselves of sin . ib. use . comfort for the church that al their enemies do but sow the wind use . ministers must beware of sowing the wind if they bring empty words . their own fancies to the people obs . they that sow the wind , it is just with god they should reap the whirlwind obs . sometimes wicked actions may seem to prosper , though the curse of god be upon them . obs . to have our desires satisfied for a while , and then destroyed , is a great judgment verse viii . expounded verse ix . expounded object . why doth god compare the ten tribes to a wild ass ? answ . . to shew their stubbornness to shew their contemptibleness obj why doth he say [ alone ? ] answ . . to shew they would be under no government that they were fit for no society obs . where we place our confidence , there our love should be placed ib. obs . idolaters wil not stand upon terms if they may have their idols any way obs . it is an evil thing to be drawn to false worship verse x. obs . . it is a great evil when wicked men seem to prosper more than gods people in outward estate obs . many times when men think they provide most for their peace , they provide most for their ruin obs . people many times run headily on in evil waies that will destroy them text opened in diverse particulars obs . . when sinners have brought trouble upon themselves , then they complain much admonition to england ib. obs . . taxes upon mens estates is but a little burden in respect of being brought under the power of the enemy obs . taxes are but little burden in comparison to the carrying of our brethren into captivity obs . it is gods mercy to bring lesser evils upon us thereby to prevent greater ib. obs . . the consideration of little burdens upon us , should move us to turn to god obs . . gods judgments against wicked men are the beginings of further judgments ib. verse xi . opened object . why god would have but one altar ? answ . . these altars did typifie two things that christ was to be the only sacrifice that all our services are accepted only in him ib. . that it might be the bond of the church . other objections answered . obs . mans inventions in gods worship are rejected of god obs . there is no stop in superstitious worship obs . we are ready to imitate our forefathers in what is evil , but not in what is good obs . . take heed distance of time make us not to fear the threatning the less . obs . every age ads something to idolatry and false worship obs . what ever names we give to things it may be god will give other names and titles obs . when mens hearts are set upon fals waies of worship , it is just with god to let them have their desires to the full ib. verse xii . obs . whatsoever is urged or practised in matter of worship , it must have warrant out of the written word of god obs . we should look upon the scriptures as concerning our selves obs . the things of gods worship are to be looked upon as great things . because they are from a great god ib. the lustre of the great god shines in them ib. they are the mysteries of gods will they are of great concernment . they have great power on the heart of man ib. they make all those great that receive them they are great in gods account ib. obs . the word is matter for the greatest spirits to exercise themselves about obs . it is a special means to obedience to have high thoughts of gods law obs . . the worship of god is a great matter the word of god accounted strange as not concerning them strange in their apprehensions . there is no sutableness between their hearts and the doctrine . they use the word as a stranger viz. for their own ends obs . superstitious people that are very zealous in their own way of worship , are very negligent in gods way obs . it is a dangerous thing for men to have their hearts estranged from gods law the degrees of the hearts estrangement from god. his delight in god abates they are less frequent together . ib. he hath hard thoughts of gods word ib he wisheth the things in the word were otherwise ib. he begins to listen to things that are against the word he will not search throughly into truths ib. an engagement in some unlawful practice ib. weighty arguments now become weak ib. he violently rejects the word . ib. obs . that which mens corrupt hearts will not close withal they put it upon christ , as if christ had delivered them from it vers . xiii . obs . men may continue in outward profession , and yet the great things of gods law may be strange to them obs . most men offer up nothing to god in sacrifice but flesh obs . to aim at self in serving god , eats out true devotion obs . if self be regarded , all is rejected obs . men may be much in holy services and yet their sins stand upon the score nevertheless obs . howsoever god may forbear wicked men a time , yet he hath a time to remember all ib. obs . god remembers the sins of wicked people , especially in the performance of holy duties because we come into gods presence ib. holy duties are aggravations of sin . ib. obs . god visits mens sins when they think he neglects them most obs . carnal hearts , when god visits their sins , plot which way to shift for themselves obs . it is one of the most dreadful judgments of god upon a nation , when he hath delivered them from one bondage , to deliver them into the same again obs . it is just with god that those that inherit their fathers sins should inherit their fathers judgments ib. obs . all places are places of misery when god forsakes a people ib. verse xiv . obs . god punisheth for sin when men are most secure obs . it is gods favor that makes a man obs . the greater excellency god raiseth a man to , the viler is his sin to forget god obs . when mens hearts are farthest off from god , then are they forwardest in superstition objections answered obs . men are more subject to secure themselves from outward things than from gods wrath obs . when men bless themselves in their own thoughts , they should consider what are gods thoughts ? obs . brave things are subject to gods devouring fire chap. ix . vers . i. obs . that 's a sad war where the conqueror hath cause to be sad at the conquest vse for england ib. obs . leagues wherein we much rejoyce may prove occasions of sorrow . use . be not greedy of peace before the time ib. obs . carnal hearts bless themselves in in outward prosperity obs . when men be jolly and merry , they should consider whether it be from god or not obs . we may prosper , and yet have no cause of joy ib. obs . carnal hearts are immoderate in joy exhortations . be not taken with the worlds jollity . imitate them not in their waies of rejoycing ib. do not rejoyce as a people rejoyce not profanely ib. rejoyce not as having so much cause as others obs . many that scorn mean men may not be in so good a case as they . ib. obs . although we enjoy the same blessings that othess do , yet we may not have the same cause to rejoyce that they have obs . it is a great argument of mens misery that others rejoyce , when they cannot obs . that which we call little matter in corrupting gods worship , god calls a going a whoring from him obs . a people may be free from the gross evils of another people , and yet be in a worse condition than they proved obs . to be constant to evil principles is not so great an evil , as to be false in good principles ib. obs . the sins of gods people are the greatest sins of all obs . idolaters love outward prosperity because it is a reward of their service to their idols verse ii. obs . god often lets wicked men come near a mercy , and then cuts them off obs . god strikes wicked men in those things their hearts are m●st set upon ib. obs . . the promises of the creature will lye , the promises of the world will not . obs . men shall fail at last in what they think they to get in a way of sin ib. verse iii. obs . it is a great judgment of god to drive men out of a land for sin obs . the state of the church of god is excellent ib. use . to shew the happiness of beleevers ib. use . to shew what a judgment it is to be cast out of the church of god ib. obs . those that make leagues with wicked men , it is just with god they should be enthral'd in their abominations obs . when men are inwardly unclean , god cares not for their outward cleanness ib. obs . a great sin it is for the saints to joyn with the world in evil worship verse iv. obs . those that abuse their joy to lust , it is just with god to take it from them obs . this makes the affliction bitter when the joy in gods service is gone ib. obs . it is a sad thing when a creature would seek to god , and yet god rejects him verse v. opened the perplexity of the wicked in the lords day . all comforts are gone god himself fights against them ib. conscience terrifies them ib. they know not whither to go for help ib. the thoughts of god are terrible to them ib. these miseries are but the beginning of sorrows ib. the saints know what to do in a day of calamity bless god that ever they knew him exercise faith in the word sanctifie the name of god in his judgments ib. ease their souls by prayer . ib. see beyond present evils . ib. verse vi. obs . carnal hearts have alwaies some shifting thoughts how to provide for themselves obs . carnal hearts will rather make any thing their refuge in affliction , than god ● obs . it is a great affliction to be forced to leave ones own country and never return verse vii . obs . god hath his set time for execution of judgment obs . the apprehension of present evil terrifies the soul obs . wicked men will not know till they feel ib. obs . the knowledge men have of god in time of affliction is a working knowledge obs . in time of affliction men cry out that those are fools that seduced them ib. obs . it is no excuse for men to be led aside by their ministers vers . viii . obs . many vile things are hid under glorious titles obs . when the truth is cleer , it is dangerous to seek the opinions of others obs . no cause so ill but will be maintained by some learned obs . it is a great grief to those that have interest in god , to see those that maintain that which is evil , to pretend as much for god as any ib. obs . you must have ground from scripture before you submit to any thing in the worship of god. obs . . those that have interest in god rejoyce when they see faithful ministers keep close to god verse ix . obs . when superstition hath gotten deep root in the heart it is hardly got out vse to england ib. obs . we may find wors usage from those that profess religion than from those which profess it not use . take heed how you carry your selves towards your brethren ib. obs . god may behold those filthy who carry fair shews in religion . ib. obs . for men to stand out impudently in wickedness committed is abominable in the eyes of god obs . to joyn with others to do so is wors ib. applied to some of the gentry and nobility of this kingdom ib. obs . such as do so may prosper a while . obs . at last they shall all perish ib. obs . the sins of the forefathers is an aggravation of the childrens sins ib. verse x. obs . we should lay to heart gods love to our fathers , and seek to continue it to our selves obs . the greatness of gods love is not enough to engage carnal hearts . obs . there is no evil so shameful but a carnal heart wil forsake the glorious god to cleave to it . obs . so to leave god and cleave to wickedness is abominable ib. obs . it is usual for people to be of the religion those are of whom they love . verse xi . obs . multitude of children is a glory to a people by them they are multiplied . ib. what excellency is in their children they look upon it as their own ib. they have hope of continuation from generation to generation by them ib. use . bring up your children in the fear of god ib. obs . godliness brings blessings swiftly , and wickedness drives them away as fast verse xii . obs . many think all is well when they have escaped some judgement . obs . it is a judgment to be deprived of children ib. obs . it is god in the creature that upholds it verse xiii . expounded obs . god may depart from men or kingdoms in their greatest prosperity use take heed when you are in your prosperity ib. obs . . god never shews so much respect to any , but if they forsake him , wrath follows obs . the curs of god goes forward from the parents to the children obs . for the curse to follow from the parents to the children is an heavy curse verse xiiii . obs . . mens sins oftentimes make gods ministers at a stand what to say in prayer obs . the fruitfulness or barrenness of the womb is from god. ib. verse xv. obs . above all sins , the sin of idolatry makes a people hated of god. obs . to take occasion to sin from gods mercy is a thing which god hates obs . 't is a hateful thing to cast off the government that god would have men under obs . some sins provoke god to hatred . obs . . sometimes god manifests his displeasure in the places where we sin . ib. obs . god cannot endure wickedness in his own house . ib. obs . men in authority think it a dishonor to be perswaded to alter their minds obs . engagements work deeply in men when they are engaged in their honors ib. obs . according to peoples interests so they are obs . princes though they should be used with reverence , yet they should not be flattered ib. obs . when princes successively are wicked , there is little hope of good to that people verse xvi obs . god will not alwaies forbear sinners obs . . if god leave governors to revolt the people will be smitten obs . compulsion of authority doth not excuse sin obs . . tbe apprehension of gods hand in smiting should humble the hearts of sinners obs . god hath his time to dry up the roots of sinners verse xvii . obs . . let all the world forsake god a faithful soul will not obs . it is no presumption for a few to chalenge interest in god , when the generality do not use . let thou be offended at the 〈◊〉 of those that keep the faith ib. obs . it is a dreadful thing for wicked men to be declared against by the godly use . do not slight it obs . when men are violent in wickedness , god will be violent in his judgments ib. use . take heed of being violent in the wais of sin obs . in matters of gods worship we must hearken to god ib. obs . it is a judgment to have an unsetled spirit obs . prize the communion of saints . chap. x. vers . i. obs . the church is compared to a vine reasons it hath an unpromising outside ib. it is the most fruitful plant that grows ib. no plant requires so great care ib. it is the most depending creature if not fruitful it is most unprofitable ib. it is the emblem of peace . obs . emptiness of professors is a very great evil reasons . 't is unnatural 't is a dishonor to their root . ib. it frustrates the lord of all his care ib. there is no blessing upon thy soul ib. if there be grace it cannot but bear fruit ib. common gifts shal be taken away an empty spirit is fit for the devil to possess god doth not let us sit empty of blessings ib. the lord hath justly made our vine bleed for its emptiness ib. the evil of emptiness is great according to the greatness of opportunities ib. use if it be evil to be empty , what an evil is it to bring forth ill grapes ib. use let us prize fruitfulness obs . it is all one to be an empty christian , and to bring forth fruit to ones self obs . when god is spoiling a nation it is vain for people to think to provide for themselves obs . to encrease our wickedness by gods blessings is an abominable thing reasons it is against the ingenuity of a christian christian principles are above estate ib. it is against our prayers . ib. obs . the love idolaters have to their idols is according to that ability they have to shew their love . verse ii obs . though men strive never so much to maintain what is evil , god will break it obs . though men be convinced of an evil , yet if the temptation abide they will fall to it again . obs . superstitious images and altars are to be taken away . ib. obs . if we give that respect that is due to god to another thing , the lord will destroy it ib. obs . . if god break down what is evil let not us set it up ib. obs . we must not break down images to make up our own broken estates obs . mens divisions break the neck of what they contend for ib. vers . iii. obs . it is a great evil for a people not to have the protection of a right government obs . it is a great evil not to fear the lord obs . . when men have the countenance of great ones , there is little fear of god amongst them ib. obs . . the taking away of kingly power is a punishment for the want of the fear of god obs . . the times of gods wrath forceth acknowledgment from their hearts that fear not god obs . when the heart is humbled it will not put off the cause of evils to other men obs . when god forsakes a people there is nothing can do them good obs . it is just with god to make those things unuseful which sinful people dote upon ib. obs . . god can soon change the hearts of people in reference to their king obs . the difference between gods people and wicked men ib. obs . the stouter creature confidence is , the more do they sink when they are crost in their hopes obs . when a carnal heart is knockt off from creature confidence then he despairs ib. verse iv. expounded obs . carnal hearts in their straits take shifting courses , because they have no god to go to obs . it is an evil thing for professors to combine with wicked men obs . there is no trust to wicked mens oaths and covenants obs . . breaking covenant , though with wicked men , is a great wicked●ness ib. obs . injustice and oppression is a forerunner of ruin verse v. obs . those that fear god least , are most afraid of any thing else obs . in times of danger we should be most solicitous about the worship of god obs . cities that are safe should be sensible of the miseries of others . obs . idolaters that dedicate themselves to idols , are the people of that idol obs . idolaters account their idol worship glorious verse vi. obs . our depending upon men for help is dearly bought obs . . it is the fashion of idolaters to rejoyce much when they get one anothers gods ib. applied to england ib. obs . mens own counsels in matters of religion bring them to shame . because it is much regarded ib. god leaves them to folly . ib. they provoke god by them . use . . what to avoid in counsels . false principles . ib. wicked men ib. self ends ib. pride and conceitedness ib. flesh and blood ib. passion and frowardness ib. use . what we should attend in our counsels look up to jesus christ pray much ib. let the fear of god be strong keep to the word of god. ib. be not put off with shews of reason be humble ib. consult with an indifferent judgment ib. do as you would be done by ib. whether it may not cost too dear , though good ib. verse vii . obs . vngodly men in their greatest rage are but as foam , if god come against them scripture expressions touching the vanity of great persons vers . viii . obs . god destroies the glorious names of idolatry obs . the nearer a thing comes to the nature of sin , the viler it is . ib. obs . false worship is the great sinne . obs . we may so abuse the creatures , that we may turn them into sin it self ib. obs . when any ordinances of god are abused , they are to be but purged ; but inventions of men are to be destroyed ib. obs . mans sin brings destruction upon the creatures obs . if it be sad that false worship is neglected , how sad is it that true worship is ? obs . the ruin of idolatrous places is more pleasing to god than their pomp obs . what men account highly of in matter of worship , when the enemy coms in he contemns them ib. obs . god can make an alteration in cities and kingdoms obs . it is a great misery to fall into the hands of ones enemies obs . the wrath of god is very dreadful ib. obs . to live in misery is worse than present death obs . the misery of wicked men in affliction is wonderful obs . desperation is a dreadful thing . ib. verse ix . opened obs . to comit the same sins our ancestors did , is greater than theirs was obs . god takes it ill when those whom he hath used to punish others for sin , commit the same sins themselves ib obs . children of iniquity may escape once and again verse x expounded obs . when god hath a mind to bring about a thing , he will gather a people obs . god will chuse his rod he will scourg us with ib. verse xi . obs . such as are divided in prosperity , shall be bound together in bondage obs . it is a sign of a carnal heart to avoid any work god cals to , because it is difficult obs . hypocrites are content with such services as bring present comfort ib. obs . it is a sign of a carnal heart to seek present accommodation obs . god looks with indignation upon such as mind nothing but ease and delicacy obs it is an honor for men to go thorough difficulti●s for god obs . let no men boast they live more at ease than others ib. use . comfort for the afflicted obs . . those that for sake the true worship of god , 't is well if they come into the meanest condition among gods people verse xii . obs . . though the sins of people be great , and judgments near , we know not what an exhortation may do obs . the actions of men are seeds obs . they shal come up in the same kind ib. obs . the seed lies in the ground rotting a while , yet afterwards comes up . ib. obs . the seed sowen comes up through the blessing of god upon it ib. obs . . the better the seed is , the longer it lies under ground obs . the ministers of god are sowers . ib. obs . large oportunities of doing service for god should be our riches ib. obs . it is not every seed will serve the turn obs . as a man sows so shall he reap . use . let the saints set a price upon the actions of righteousness obs . god will give abundantly above our good works obs . the hearts of men naturally are fallow grounds obs . it is high time to seek the lord reasons . god hath been a long time patient ib. mercy is even going ib. it is an acceptable time . ib. obs . it is time for england to seek god obs . god will come to sow righteousnes in time obs . sometimes god doth not presently rain righteousness upon his people that sow it obs . those that seek aright will continue seeking till god comes ib. motives to continue seeking . . thou art doing thy duty . . thou canst not do better . ib. . while you are waiting god is working good ib. . while thou art seeking thou art not without some dews . . when he comes he will come more fully . ib. obs . to those that are content to seek god till he comes , he will come with plentiful showers obs . the help of those that seek god is from heaven obs . when god comes he makes his people fruitful ib. obs . god comes in righteousness to them that seek him obs . though the good we do be our own good yet god rewards us as though he got by it ib. verse xiii . obs . the fruits of false worship is the encrease of sin obs . a man is ready to trust in his own way use , what a shame is it saints should not trust in gods way obs . when great men go along with religion men think it must needs be right obs . great armies are the confidence of carnal hearts use , examine what your confidence is verse xiv . obs . tumults are a token of great wrath of god obs . pollicy will not prevail if god be against us obs . . great is the rage of war if god let it out obs . the sins of parents many times comes upon little ones ib. obs . . the judgments of god when neer us should awaken us . vers . xv. obs . miserable judgments many times arise from causes we little think of obs . from places of idolatry come the greatest evils to a kingdom ib. obs . . false worship is the great sin god is provoked against a nation for obs . . god takes notice not only of mens sins , but their aggravations ib. obs . . according to the greatness of sin is the greatness of wrath obs . when people have some enlightening then gods displeasure breaks out upon them vse for england ib. obs . god loves to draw forth great sinners to the light obs . god will make quick work with great sinners ib. the names of several books printed by peter cole , at the sign of the printing-press in cornhil , by the exchange , in london . a physical directory ; or , a translation of the london dispensatory . whereunto is added , the vertues of the simples and compounds . and in the second edition are . additions , the general heads whereof are these , viz. the dose ( or quantity to be taken at one time ) and use , both of simples and compounds . the method of ordering the body after sweating and purging medicines . cautions ( to all ignorant people ) upon all simples and compounds that are dangerous . with many additions in every page , marked with the letter a. five books of m r jer. burroughs lately published : as also the texts of scripture upon which they are grounded . viz. . the rare jewel of christian contentment , on phil. . . wherein is shewed : what contentment is . it is an holy art and mysterie . the excellencies of it . the evil of the contrary sin of murmuring , and the aggravations of it . . gospel-worship , on levit. . . wherein is shewed : the right māner of the worship of god in general : and particularly , in hearing the word , receiving the lords supper , and prayer . . gospel conversation , on phil. . . wherein is shewed : that the conversations of beleevers must be above what could be by the light of nature . beyond those that lived under the law. and sutable to what truths the gospel holds forth . to which is added , the misery of those men that have their portion in tbis life , on psalm , . . . a treatise of earthly-mindedness . wherein is shewed : what earthly-mindedness is . the great evil thereof , on phil. . part of the . vers . also to the same book is joyned , a treatise of heavenly mindedness , and walking with god , on gen. . . and on phil. . . . an exposition , with practical observations , on the th , th th & th chapters of the prophesie of hosea . twelve several books of m r will. bridge , collected into one volum● . viz. . the great gospel-mysterie of the saints comfort and holiness , opened and applied from christs priestly office. . satans power to tempt ; and christs love to , and care of his people under temptation . . thankfulness required in every condition . . grace for grace ; or , the overflowings of christs fulness received by all saints . . the spiritual actings of faith , through natural impossibilities . . evangelical repentance . . the spiritual-life and in●being of christ in all beleevers . . the woman of canaan . . a vindication of ordinances under the gospel . . grace and love beyond gifts . . the saints hiding-place in time of gods anger . . christs coming is at our midnight . d r hill's works . viz. . the beauty and sweetness of an olive branch of peace , and brotherly accommodation budding . . truth and love happily married in the saints , and in the churches of christ . . the spring of strengthning grace in the rock of ages christ jesus . . the strength of the saints to make jesus christ their strength . the best and worst of paul. . gods eternal preparations for his dying saints . m r j. owens two books . . stedfastness of promises , and the sinfulness of staggering . . the death of christ , the price he paid , &c. the oath of allegiance , and the national covenant proved to be non-obliging , &c. by sam. eaton . d r sibbs on the philippians . the best and worst magistrate , by obadiah sedgwick . barrisf's military discipline . cum multis 〈◊〉 an exposition of the prophesy of hosea . chap. viii . vers . . set the trumpet to thy mouth : he shall come as an eagle against the house of the lord : because they have transgressed my covenant , and trespassed against my law. the prophet still continues the denunciation of judgment against israel , with the declaration and aggravation of their sins . set the trumpet to thy mouth . let there be a full , and free , and open manifestation of the sin and the danger of israel : the same commandement that we have here to the prophet , we have in the of isa . at the beginning to the prophet there , cry aloud , spare not , lift up thy voice like a trumpet , shew my people their transgression , and the house of jacob their sin . ministers must not only be trumpeters of the gospel , trumpeters of mercy and peace , but trumpeters of judgment and of war ; they are set to give warning to people of danger , and wo to them if they do not , god will require the blood of people at their hands . how ever peoples spirits may be against it , against the free and bold work of the ministry in denouncing judgments , yet the spirits of gods ministers must go on in their way : luther in his time for the freedom and boldness of his spirit inveighing against the sins of the times , he was called the very trumpet of rebellion , he enveighs against their sins and threatens judgments , and they exclaim against him , they are as loud against him , and trumpet out their exclamations against him , calling of him the trumpet of rebellion and sedition . if a town be besieged by the enemy , it is not the crying of children or women that must hinder the beating up of the drums , nor the roaring of the canon . god takes it exceeding ill at his ministers hands to be mealy mouthed , when his wrath is incensed ; and therefore he calls the watchmen that did not give warning by an ignominious name , dvmb dogs , that cannot bark , in isa . . . i remember pliny in his . book , . chapter , tells of the dogs in rome , that were set to keep the capitol , because when the gauls did scall the capitol , the dogs being fed too full , lay sleeping and did not give warning ; they therefore not only hanged them up , but every yeer the romans observed that time of the yeer , and on that day , hanged up certain dogs in the city for exemplary justice , by way of crucifying of them alive upon an elder tree , and upon this ground it is thought that the romans did so hate that kind of death , of hanging upon a tree . and therefore it was the more cursed death that christ died to hang upon a tree . it is that that god is exceedingly provoked against his watchmen for , if they give not warning . hosea had proclaimed war before this in the name of the lord , but he must do it again ; from whence the note is further . that gods ministers must not be weary of their work though they see little good come of it ; yea so far from being weary or discouraged as their spirits must rise up in their intentions strength and fervency of it . before hosea's voice was the voice of a man ; but now it is the sound of a trumpet : let wickedness stop her mouth , but let the mouths of gods servants be opened , yea let a trumpet be set against their mouths in disclaiming against the wickedness of the times wherein they live . thirdly , the denunciation of threatning in the name of god , it is a terrible sound , if men be not afraid of this trumpet , and awakened by it , there is a time that shall awaken them , when a trumpet ( i say ) shall awaken them and make them afraid , when the arch angel shall blow his trumpet , those that are most awakned and fears the sound of this trumpet shall have the most comfort when the trumpet of the arch angel shall blow . he shall come as an eagle . luther upon the place thinks this prophesie meant against judah , because of the naming of the house of the lord , as follows after . and then this eagle must be understood of nebuchadnezzer , who is called an eagle in ezek. . . and jer. . . but rather i think it to be meant of the assyrian , for the prophet here is prophesying against the ten tribes , and he seems to take away the two great confidences that they had whereby they hoped that they were not in so great danger . the first was , that they had made a league with egypt which was nigh hand , as for the assyrian he was a great way off , and there was not so much danger to be thought of the assyrians . secondly : as they imagined they had the house of the lord with them , and did worship the true god. now the prophet takes away these two , he shall come as an eagle , against the house of the lord : that is , the assyrian , salmanesser he is called an eagle , and because he was to come with an army , therefore an eagle ; ( and it may be his ensign might be an eagle ) you know the parts of armies are called wings , and so is compared to an eagle , to shew to them that their danger is not so far off as they imagin . he shall come as an eagle , that is swiftly , with a mighty force and vehemency ; and he shall have an eagles spirit , an eagles eye : the eagle is quick sighted , and the spirit of an eagle is not easily daunted : and yet it is observable that in the law the eagle was an unclean bird , though the eagle the king of fowls , and of a brave spirit , yet he was unclean , god would not have the eagle offered in sacrifice , but rather the dove , god many times doth not regard eagles spirits , those that sore aloft and fly on high , but he doth receive dove-like spirits , such as are of meek and quiet spirits . but he shall come as an eagle swiftly , that is upon the prey before it is aware . men flatter themselves when danger is at any distance from them , if it be not just upon them , then think themselves safe , but god can bring evil suddenly and iresistably upon them . in isa . . . he will lift up an ensign to the nations from far , and will hiss unto them from the end of the earth : and behold , they shall come with speed swiftly . gualter upon this place applies it to the turks coming into some part of germany , they were come on a sudden from the uttermost part of europe , yea from asia , and so spain and secily , and italy ; god , to punish the contempt of the gospel , brought them suddenly upon them . howsoever the lord hath delivered us hitherto from forreign nations , we think our selves secure because god hath put work enough into their hands for the present , the danes , french , spaniards , but how easily is it for the lord in an instant when there is no fear of them at all , to bring them swiftly . secondly , all the swiftness , and fierceness and quick-sightedness , and spirit of an enemy is from the lord : if an enemy be swift in his course , and quick-sighted and fierce , and hath a strong spirit we are to attribute this from the lord. thirdly , wicked men in satisfying their rage and malice , they are as eagles ; much more should we be in our service , we should not be slow : if they be to sati●fie their rage as eagles , we should imitate them in this to be much more so in the service of god. but it follows , he shall come as an eagle against the house of the lord. interpreters differ much about this , against the house of the lord : because hosea prophesied against the ten tribes , therefore luther and divers others think that this clause must be meant against judah , as if god threatning israel should say , do not you think to escape , for the enemy shall come as an eagle even against the house of the lord. but we need not strain it so , for it may be meant against the ten tribes notwithstanding this expression , upon this ground : because they called that place , the eminent place , where one of their calves were set up , they call'd it bethel , the house of god : and so ironically here the houses of their idols may be called the house of the lord , because they chose those houses and places instead of the house of the lord. he will come against the house of the lord ; that is , against that which you account so . but i think that is not satisfactory , but rather this : the church of israel though very corrupt , yet before their actual devorce , is call'd the house of the lord , so that from thence then the note is : that god doth not presently cast away a church so as to unchurch it though they may be guilty of many hainous sins . great sins do not ipso facto , do not un-church a church therefore there should be much patience before any do decline from a church by way of renouncing it . it is a high expression of the priviledg of a church , that it is the house of the lord , wheresoever there is any true church , yea though it be very corrupt . but you will say , what do you mean by a true church ? i take it for the present nothing but this : any company of saints in body to set up what ordinance of god they know , that 's a church wheresoever it is , and here god dwels , here god keeps house ; and it is good keeping house with god ; he is worse than an infidel that provides not for his own house : certainly god will provide for his own house : moses was faithful in al the house of god ; that is , in all the church of god : what then though thou dwellest in a poor cottage , so be it thou beest a member of the church of god ? if god give thee this blessing to dwell in his own house , you are well enough . in psal . . . lord i have loved the habitation of thy house , and the place where thine honor dwelleth . the church is not only gods house , but the house wherein the honor of god dwelleth . princes may have some houses where they may retire to for a time , but they have some principal houses to shew their magnificence and glory ; and such a house is the church of god unto the lord ; all then that are in the church , especially officers , must behave themselves and be faithful in the church as in the house of god , he will come against the house of the lord. though we be gods house , yet the enemies may be suffered to come upon us , it will not serve us if we transgress the covenant : joab was pluck'd from the horns of the altar ; and so may we be pluck'd even out of the house of god ; gods own house is no security to sin and wickedness . it follows . because they have transgressed my covenant . god loves to cleer his justice , and to shew what the cause of the evil is that comes upon us , he would have it cleerly charged upon our selves , that we may not put it off to gods decree , that we are predestinated to such and such evils , but the lord hath his time to charge all the evils that comes upon sinners , upon themselves ; thy destruction is of thy self ; the bond that is between god and his church , it is his covenant , and all the good or evil of a church depends upon the covenant ; and therefore it was the way alwaies of the people of god when they were far declined from god , to return unto him by way of renewing covenant ; in psal . . . all the paths of the lord are mercy and truth to them that keep his covenant ; and especially all our good now depends upon the covenant more than formerly the good of the people of the jews did , because the lord hath sealed the covenant now with the blood of jesus christ actually , which was not so then . but for this expression we had it formerly , and somewhat was spoken about the opening of the covenant of the jews and what kind of covenant it was , but yet not then fully opened , and as then i said , so still i look at it as a point that will require a particular exercise of its self . and trespassed against my law. saith calvin upon the place , further to covince them , to shew that it was not through ignorance that they did transgress , they could not say , lord , what is thy covenant ? for saith god , i did make it known cleerly in my law , they had it plainly set out in my law : the heathen can know the mind of god no otherwise but only by looking into the book of the creature , and there the mind of god is written but very darkly , & they can see but little of it there : i but saith god , my people have my law where my mind is written plainly , and they may see it there and know what my covenant is with them , and therefore their sin is so much the greater , they have transgressed against my law. the seventy translate these words , they have dealt ungodlily against my law : and the word especially hath reference to the worship of god that is commanded in the law , they have not worshiped me according to my law ; for though god looks at every part of his law , yet more especially at that that requires his more immediate worship . and in the hebrew it is , they have prevaricated against my law , they have made a shew that they would do what my law requires but they do quite contrary , that 's the propriety of the word in the hebrew . what people is there in the world but will make some shew , that they would obey gods law ? no people but say it is fit that they should be obedient to gods law , what variety of opinions and practices are there among men , and yet all will father their opinions and practices upon gods law ? and mark , but they do prevaricate in this ; they pretend one thing but they go quite the contrary way , and this is that which god charges his people withal , upon which he would send his enemies , even an eagle upon them . it follows . ver . . israel shall cry unto me , my god , we know thee . the words as they are in the hebrew are somewhat different from what they are in your books , for israel in your books is in the first place , but in the hebrew it is in the last , that is , to me they shall cry , my god , we know thee , israel : what difference is this ? yes , the words thus read have more elegancy in them than otherwise , and they hint some observations that would hardly be hinted to us as it is in your books , as thus : if you reade it as it is in your books , then it is only a speech of god to them . but if you reade it according to the hebrew , they shall cry to me , my god , we know thee , israel : they here seem to put god in mind who they were , as if they should say , we are israel who know thee , remember we are not strangers to thee ; they shall cry unto me , my god , we know thee , israel : it 's israel that cries to thee , oh my god! or as if they should put god in mind of their father israel in whom their confidence was ; they shall cry to me , my god , we know thee , israel : oh remember our father israel and deal graciously with us for the sake of our father israel : just like those in matth. that would cry , we have abraham to our father : so here this people would cry ; in their cries in the time of their affliction they would cry to god that they had israel to their father , we have reference to israel who did so prevail as a prince with god , and therefore we hope we shall fare the better for israel ; or thus , they shall cry to me , my god , we know thee , israel : that is , we know thee to be the god of israel , we have known how thy waies have been in former times for the good of thine israel , and lord , remember how thou hast wrought for thine israel heretofore , and work now for us in the same manner : thus there is a great deal in this word , [ israel ] if you set it in the last place in the verse , more than if you set it in the beginning . from hence the notes are these : first , that in affliction men see their need of god. so the chaldae paraphrase upon this place , alwaies when i bring straights upon them then they pray before me and say , now we see plainly that we have no other god besides thee , oh! redeem us because we are thy people israel ; so that 's the meaning . secondly , even hypocrites and the vilest wretches that are , in the time of their distress , will claim interest in god and cry to him ; even those that have departed most from him will be ready to claim interest in him in their distress . what an impudency was it for this people that had so grosly departed from god , that had gone so against their light , and yet they will come boldly and claim their interest in god in the time of their affliction ? truly we see the same spirit in men at this very day , the most wicked and vile ungodly man or woman that is , yet will be ready in afflictions to claim interest in god ; my god. i appeal to you in this congregation , if one should go from one end of the congregation and speak particularly to every one , and ask but this question , do you hope that god is your god ? every one would be ready to say , yes , we hope he is . this is the impudency of mens hearts that will take liberty to go on in a way of rebellion and fighting against god all their lives , and yet in the time of their distress claim interest in god. thirdly , that knowledg and acknowledgment of god in an outward formal way is that which hypocrites think will commend them much to god in time of affliction ; that by which they shall have favour from him because they have made some profession of god : we know thee : as if they should say , lord , we were not as others that had forsaken thee , we continued israel still , we did not turn to be heathens : it is very hard for mens spirits to be taken off from trusting in formality , in outward worship , we are all christians , we are not turned heathens ; so they shall call to me , my god , we know thee , israel ; we continue israel still . oh! how sweet and comfortable is it then to have a true interest in god ? in the time of affliction to be able to say , in truth lord we know thee , and blessed be thy name lord we have known thee , we have had experience of thy goodness , and faithfulness , mercy , love , and tender compassion towards us , we have known thee an infinite al sufficient good , thou hast satisfied our souls with thy love , the light of thy countenance it hath been the joy of our hearts , and blessed be the time that ever we knew thee , oh blessed be the time that ever the lord made himself known to us ; we can say , lord , we have known thee , and therefore now lord have mercy upon us ; oh let us all learn to make more of our interest in god , and to labor to know him more and more , that we may have this comfort in our afflictions , to be able to say in truth , oh lord , thou art our god , and we have known thee . if hypocrites think it to be so great a comfort that they are israel , oh what is it then to be a true israelite in whose heart is no guile ? fourthly , degenerate children they think to have favour for the sake of their godly parents . we have known thee , israel . ] children should imitate the vertues of their godly parents , and then they may draw comfort from the godliness of their parents . but lastly , hypocrites though degenerate will not only think to fare the better for their godly parents , but they will think to have the same mercy as their godly parents had ; they little think of the difference that there is between israel heretofore , and that israel that is now so basely degenerated . it follows . ver . . israel hath cast off the thing that is good : the enemy shall pursue him . they cry , we have known thee : but they cast off the thing that is good ; they profess to know god in word , but in works they deny him . what is it to say , we know god , and to cast off the thing that is good ? now the word that is here translated , cast off , signifies , hath put off a great way , yea , hath abominated the thing that is good : doth not only forsake the thing that is good , but to cast off with a kind of abomination the thing that is good . hath cast off the thing that is good . that is : first , cast off god himself who is as , anselme speaks of him , that good in which there is all good : god the highest and chief good they have cast him off . secondly , the thing that is good indefinitely . that is , they will not be ordered by any rule , they care for the good of no body but only to have their own lusts satisfied . but that which i think is most properly aimed at by this phrase , the thing that is good : is , the worship of god , my worship : they say , we know thee , but in the mean time they cast off that good thing , oh that good thing , that which i hold indeed to be the thing that is good . hence observe : the true worship of god is the good thing by way of excellency . we account our estates are goods , we use to speak in that kind of language , the goods of such a man. is our estates our goods ? are they such good things ? oh! what is the worship of god then ? the worship of god that 's the thing that is good by way of excellency above all our goods , that 's the good thing that a spiritual heart can prize , that 's that which god delights in , and wherein his people enjoy , so much communion with himself ; that 's the thing by which god lets out so much good to his people , it 's the safety , protection , the blessing of a kingdom ; the purity of gods worship where that is all other good things will follow , that 's the good thing ; and it is a sign of a gracious spiritual heart to prize the worship of god in the purity of it as the good thing , above all good things that a kingdom is capable of . secondly , yet gods own worship is by carnal hearts of men repelled , and cast off as evil , if it sute not their own ends , and designs : the spirits of men rise against it , they will not so much as examin things in any peaceable and quiet way , but by prejudice ; because they see it not sutable to their own waies their spirits rise , abominating that which god himself prises . thirdly , though first men do but only leave god , forsake the thing that is good , yet at length they grow to such a ripeness in sin as they cast it off with abomination ; and that 's a great deal worse : meerly to neglect that which is good is an evil , but to cast off that which is good by way of abomination , oh then the sin of a people is grown to an height , then they are neer to judgment indeed , when they cast it off ; thus men who heretofore have been very forward in the profession of religion , and seem to love and delight in the thing that is good , but by degrees their hearts were drawn from the waies of god , now they cannot bear the sight of those things to be presented , nor bear the hearing of those things , their hearts rise against any that they see practice them , they now shut their eyes , and stop their ears , and with violence repel the truth ; according to those in jer. . . as for the word of the lord that thou hast spoken to us , we will not hear thee . oh! are there not some that heretofore have thought they have received much sweetness in the waies of god , and now not only left them , but their hearts rise against them , and if any thing be spoken for them , shut their eyes and ears and cast it off and even abominate such ? let such take heed that god cast not them off for ever . chron. . . ( it is a speech of david to his son solomon ) if thou seek him , he will be found of thee ; but if thou forsake him , he will cast thee off for ever : how much more if thou dost cast off the thing that is good . oh! my brethren , let us take heed of casting off the thing that is good ; we may pass over many truths that it may be god hath convinced us off , but let us take heed of casting off any truth , for then we are ripe to judgment , then the lord may justly cast us off for ever . lastly , if wicked mens hearts be so vile to cast off god , and his worship that hath so much good , how much more should we cast off with abomination , that that is abomination it self ? how much more should we cast off false worship with abomination and say , get thee hence ? and so all kind of evil and sin that would stick so fast upon us ? in rom. . . abhor that which is evil : to abhor it as wel as to abhor hell it self ; it comes from a word that is used for hell. thus we should learn from wicked mens casting off what is good , to cast off that which is evil and wicked . one thing further , whatsoever knowledg of god , or profession we make of worshipping him , yet if we cast off any thing that is good , this deprives us of any interest we have in god , of any comfort in crying to god in our afflictions . i beseech you take notice of this ; they cry to me , my god we know thee , but saith god , they have cast off that that 's good . the note is , to cast off violently and that against light , any one thing that is good ; though it be meant of the worship of god principally , yet it is spoken indefinitely , to cast off any thing that is good , any truth of god , it is that which doth deprive the soul of having comfort and interest in god , or crying to god in the time of distress : oh thou sinner how dearly doest thou pay for thy beloved sin ? at what a dear rate doest thou buy every beloved lust of thine , when as it doth deprive thee of all comfort and interest in god that otherwise thou mightest have in crying to god in the day of distress ? the enemy shall pursue him . when the good of duty is cast off , evil of punishment will come in . by casting off that which is good we cast off mercy , and protection , we open a door to all kind of misery : if we retain that which is good we retain god ; but when that which is good is cast off , we lie exposed and naked to all kind of misery , for god owns us not . it follows . ver . . they have set up kings , but not by me : they have made princes , and i knew it not . here we have their civil apostasie , the other was a moral apostasie ; they have set up their kings , but not by me . though all government it is to hold on god , yet we are to know that god had an especial hand in the government of the people of the jews ; it was as lapide upon the place calls it , a spiritual , and a kind of divine kingdom ; it was not meerly civil , the government that god set over them was typical , it was to typifie the government of christ . and hence we are to take this caution , we may easily be led aside into many mistakes and errors if we argue thus , that because the kings of israel and judah did thus and thus , therefore it is in the power of any king at these times to do so ; for certainly there was a mighty deal of difference between the government then , even the government in that state , and the government now : for state and church was mixt together , and the government then it was typical , it was to typifie the kingdom of jesus christ , therefore though god leaves people , leaves states now to their liberty to set up what government may be best for them , yet it was not permitted to the jews , they were to have only that government that god should reveal from heaven , for their civil state : therefore when they would change the form of their government first from judges to kings , god said , they had rejected him in casting off that . they set up kings , but not by me some think that this hath reference to the chusing of kings at first , because that they did it without gods warrant when they chose a king to themselves at first , and so they have set up kings but not by me . but i rather think that this hath reference to jeroboam and his successors , they set up jeroboam and his successors , and not by god. this you will say , is very strange , for it is cleer in scripture that it was from god that jeroboam should be king , and that the ten tribes should be rent from solomons posterity for the punishment of solomons sin , it was prophesied of by ahijah the shilonite , king . , , . the prophet came to jeroboam , and ren● the garment of jeroboam in twelve pieces , and said to him , take thee ten pie●es : for thus saith the lord the god of israel ; behold , i will rent the kingdom out of the hand of solomon , and will give ten tribes to thee . the lord sent his prophet to tell him expresly , that he would rent ten tribes from the house of solomon , to give them to him ; and yet here it is said , that they have set up kings , but not by me . again in the . chap. and . ver . rehoboam hearkened not unto the people : for the cause was from the lord , that he might perform his saying which the lord spake by ahijah the shilomite unto jeroboam the son of nebat . it was from the lord that rehoboam gave such a churlish answer , was from the lord that he was left to such a tyrannical , cruel spirit , that the lord might fulfil the word that he had spoken by ahijah the shilonite . abulensis thinks that the ten tribes for the matter of the thing did no more than they might do , and he gives this reason , * for saith he , the people , these tribes were free tribes , but rehoboam would bring them into slavery , and he would reign over them as a tyrant , therefore ( saith he ) they might lawfully depart from him and leave him , and make to themselves a new king ; and then he puts the cause , viz. for that a people or common-wealth ( saith he ) they first gave the power to kings and princes , but they did it upon certain conditions at first , therefore as they first gave power unto them so saith he they may diminish it if they abuse it and tyrannize over them , for ( he hath this further expression ) the people did not absolutely give themselves to him , when a people do chuse a chief governor saith he they do not give themselves to them as a man gives to his friend a piece of money , or a horse , so as they give all out of their own possession , and that he might do with them what he will , but upon certain conditions thus and thus : this abulensis hath . now though i do not altogether approve of what he hath said , because at least the case between people and princes now is different from what it was ; then god chalenged a peculiar prerogative over them for tendering their government , yet thus far in divinity is true ; there is more reason that people should now have more power to cast off tyranny than there was , because now none comes * to government over others but by * agreement , therefore if the agreement and law of the country be that they shall be elect and not haereditary , they are so : if that the males shall only inherit , he shall only inherit : and so if the law of the country were for delivering themselves from tyranny , so far certainly god allows it in his word . but now to answer the case more cleerly , they set up kings , but not by me ; though god had foretold that the ten tribes should be rent away from the house of david , and that jeroboam should be set up , yet they did not do this thing in a lawful way as they ought , for they should have consulted with god about the time and manner of it when god would have it done ; it was not enough that god did fortell it should be done , but when they did it they ought to have done it in a way of consulting with god , and they ought to have been ordered by god for the way and manner of it , and they did not do it in way of fulfilling the prophesie , for the people generally knew no such thing but meerly minding their own passions and lusts , they look'd at no further , though god did over-rule it to fulfil his own counsels , yet they aimed at no such thing . whence we have these useful notes for our edification : first , that we may do the thing that god would have done , and yet sin highly against god. god would have jeroboam set up , but they only looking at the matter , and did not observe gods way , god did reject them . secondly , to do that which god would have done , yet if we do not know that it is gods mind , we sin against god : though we do the thing that god would have done in his secret will , yet we sin against god , if we know it not to be his revealed will. now no action can be good , but that which is done ; not only materially good , but formally also , that is which is done in obedience to god ; and that shews the dangerous condition of ignorant people , all their actions are sin because they know not gods mind in them . thirdly , to go about great businesses without consulting with god , it is sin . even the heathens were conscious of this , therefore pullius scipio would never go out about any great business but would go to the capitol to pray to the gods . fourthly , alteration in civil government is a great business . god had need be much consulted withal , especially if there be any church-work mingled with it , there was never a time that england had the calling for such consulting with god as it hath at this . now england is about the greatest and weightiest business that ever it had since it was a nation : the very alteration but of an officer is a great matter and requires much consulting with god , and especially if it be in the church : it is very observable of our savior in luke , . , and . verses , when as christ was to send out his twelve apostles as officers for the church , the text saith , that he was at prayer all night before , then in the morning he calls his disciples and so sends forth twelve of them and gives them his commission . but he makes a preparation all night long in praying to god. surely those that are about chusing church officers , ministers of god to be their pastors and teachers they had need spend daies and nights in prayer . here they did not consult with god in setting jeroboam over them , and therefore saith god , they have made them kings , but not by me . lastly , when we are about great businesses , we must look at gods ends ; we must take heed of our passionate wills , and our own self ends , else we do it not by god. in civil affairs , a man that is a magistrate perhaps doth that which is just , but he is carried on in his passion , but this is not by god ; and so in church affairs , the church elders , the party doth deserve it , yet if they be carried on in passion and self-ends , this is not done by god : they have set up kings , but not by me . and then further ; as the people sin'd and god would not own what which they set up , so jeroboam sin'd too . why jeroboam might say , lord , didest not thou send thy prophet to tell me that i should have the ten tribes , and yet wilt thou not own me ? no , god would not own him . first , because jeroboam did not seek god. and secondly , jeroboam did not stay gods time . as david , he was anointed by god , and though he had many opportunities for to have taken away sauls life , he would not , and to come to the kingdom , but he did wait till he saw the time was come that he should be brought to the kingdom . but jeroboam would not do so . thirdly , jeroboam had not right ends in taking the kingdom . fourthly , jeroboam did not administer the kingdom for god , and therefore god would not own him , and so some reade the words ; they have not administred the kingdom by me ; but administring the kingdom by their own lusts therefore god would not own them . from whence you may have these notes : first , that when god promises a mercy , if we stay not gods time we can have no comfort of the mercy . secondly , when we have a mercy promised we must be brought into it by god , by lawful means ; he that beleeves makes not hast saith the scripture : many they are so greedy of places , and preferments , and other things they desire , that they make so much hast as if they did fear that if they stay for the orderly coming into the place they desire , they fear they should go without it : what blessing then can there be in that which we would seek to get without god in making so much hast . and again , when we have a mercy ( that 's the third note ) when we have what we would have , yet if we do not improve it for god , we do thereby renounce our acknowledgment of it from god. god hath given thee an estate , or honors , or preferment : what doest thou do ? doest thou now abuse this for thine own lusts ? thou doest hereby renounce thy acknowledgement that thou hadst it from god. they have set up kings , but not by me , i will not own that ; why ? because in the way of their administration they have indeed renounced any right i have to their government : and so the seventy translate the words , they have reigned to themselves . yea , but it may be said , how were the people that were living now , guilty of this ? this was a long time ago when the people did thus set up jeroboam and rend themselves from the house of david , how came they to be guilty of this ? the answer is , that they continuing and retaining the government of jeroboam upon the same ground their progenitors first raised it , are guilty of their sins . children going on in the way of their parents , contract the guilt of their parents sin upon them . and mercer upon this place quotes an hebrew , david kimchi : that the people now when they saw what jeroboam and his successors did , that they would keep them from going to jerusalem before the lord , and when they saw that he made them idols , and so forsook gods true worship , they ( saith the hebrew doctor ) should have driven him from the kingdom , that was his opinion : but meerly for religion it cannot be , except the law of the country will bear them out in it ; any farther than the law of a state , the civil law will bear men out in it : and therefore war , it is not meeely undertaken for maintaining religion immediately , but for maintaining those laws by which religion is established , the civil right that men have to the practice of their religion : and so wars may be undertaken . if it were in a place indeed where the law of the kingdom were utterly against religion , could not there be justified , except those that had power likewise for the altering those laws , should alter them , and then take up arms. but now , our taking up arms is justified in this , to maintain the civil right that we have to the practice of our religion ; so that our case is not the case of the christians among the heathens : there is a law of nature ( i confess ) beyond the right of any law , and the right in that cannot be given away by any predecessors . but because the mischief would be infinit great if it were left to every man to judge , when by this law of nature he might resist , and so to resist upon it , this would cause infinit mischief : therfore there is a necessity that men should for their particular suffer , rather than so to resist ; it is necessary for us to stay till we be helped by some orderly legal way . i say , the god of order never leaves people to such miserable inconveniences and mischiefs , and therefore for particulars they are rather to suffer , though they should be tyrannized over against the law of nature . but certainly , for the state or country , they may judg when the law of nature is to be maintained , and right of a kingdom that the law of nature gives , besides that which is given by positive laws ; the right of the law of nature is never taken away by positive laws . it follows . they made princes , and i knew it not . they made some very desperately , and god might well say , i knew not them : but god speaks of them all , not only of those , but even of jeroboam himself , and jehu , though they were in some regard set up by god , yet saith god , i knew it not ; that is , i approve it not , i approved it not in that way they did it , i let them alone in their way and let them go on ; as if god should say , i neither did nor will take cognizance of what they do to bless them in it : when we seek not god for a mercy , when we enjoy it , god will not so much as own it to be his. the seventy translate the words , they have not made it known to me . when we ask not gods mind and seek not a mercy from god ▪ we do as if we would get it without gods knowledg ; we must tell god what we would have before we presume to take it , and by this means we may go to god with more comfort ( if we meet with straights ) for help and direction ; whereas otherwise , whatsoever straights we meet with , if we should seek to god to help us in such a business , god would say , i knew nothing of it , you undertook it without me , and you must shift in it ; but now look to it as you can , sink or swim i will have nothing to do with it . we use to put off men in this manner that have any reference to us , if they will go and undertake a business of their own heads , and if they come to any straights and then they should come for our help , nay , as you underrook it without me so go on without me . so now i make no question but many thousands of the servants of god in this great business of the state where they meet with so many difficulties , they can go to god and say , lord , we did advise with thee , and we undertook this in obedience to thee , and now , lord , help us in our straights ; oh! it is a comfortable thing for to have the use of our seeking god when we meet with straights in a business . and i knew it not . ] further there are these two notes from this . first , god knows how to make use of mens sins , they sin'd and yet god brought about his own ends by it . secondly , many things are done in a sinful way , and yet god suffers them to prosper a long time : even this kingdom of israel that was thus set up without god did prosper outwardly for . yeers together , therefore this is no argument of gods owning a business because it prospers , it is but as a cipher , ad a figure to it indeed then it will make somewhat , if you can warrant it is gods work then you may when it prospers have comfort . it follows . of their silver and gold have they made them idols . see the ill success of it ( so great an evil is it to do any thing and not call upon god ) and all because god was not sought , whatsoever we do to satisfie our passions and lusts for our own ends without seeking god , we cannot think but very il fruit wil come of it ; though god suffered this kingdom to prosper outwardly , yet woful mischievous fruit did come upon the alteration of their government without god ; for this kingdom these two hundred years continued in idolatrous worship , and it came upon this . we had need take heed to our hearts that we be upright , and seek god in setting up any new form of government , lest though it be very specious to our eye , we may think that we are delivered from many yokes and burdens , yet such effects may come of it , that we may be brought hereby under many yokes and burdens . they cast off the house of david because of the burdens that were upon them , but yet they castiug it off from them in a passionate way , now they have brought a greater yoke upon them , for now jeroboam and his successors , he laies a very heavy yoke upon their very consciences , the yoke of idolatry ; it was a burden that before was upon their backs and shoulders , but now it comes to be a burden upon their consciences , and that 's a great deal heavier than upon their backs and shoulders . they have made them idols of their silver and gold . ] god doth instance in this as indeed the ground of all for the setting up of false worship , & is the foundation and ground of all kind of mischief in a common-wealth , they were content to contribute their silver and gold for their idols , they had rather be without that than without their idols : drossie vile spirits had rather be without god and christ and his ordinances , than without their silver and gold , let them have their silver and gold , and let god and christ and his ordinances go ; yet these idolaters say , let us have our idols and let our silver and gold go . yea , they parted with their gold and silver to make them gods ; but many of you keep your gold and silver and make them gods too , the sun ( saith austin ) is a more beautiful thing than thy money , but it is not thy god : that which brings in silver and gold to drossie carnal spirits , that they love ; but if it brings not this in they care not for it whatsoever it be . * chrysostom hath another expression : a covetous man ( saith he ) is not delighted with the beauty of heaven , nor with the motion of the sun : why ? because the sun doth not send forth golden beams into his house . that they may be cut off . the word translated idols , signifies those things that bring them much labor . and then follows : that they may be cut off , as if he should say , they are at a great deal of charge to undoe themselves , many men make their own damnation to be chargable to them ; saith god , they made idols of silver and gold , that they might be cut off . my end was , that they might be cut off , whatsoever their end was . when we are busied to attain plots , god he may be working even by those very things we bless our selves in , and expect great advantage by , god may in the mean time be working our ruin in them ; oh consider of this , while i am plotting for my self in this and the other thing , and i am blessing my self in hope of advantage , but gods thoughts , and counsels , and workings , and ends may be now cross to mine , even intending my ruin , my eternal ruine , where am i then ? whatsoever we do which evil doth necessarily follow it , is accounted by god , as we brought the evil on purpose upon our selves . surely they set not up silver and gold on intention to destroy themselves , but because destruction doth necessarily follow , therefore god accounts it done on purpose : in jer. . . in pro. . . all them that hate me , love death : surely no man loves death : but when you do cast off the instruction of wisdom , you do as mnch as if you should say , you love death : as here , that they might be cut off . it follows . ver . . thy calf , o samaria , hath cast thee off . thy calf , o samariah . he calls the idol a calf by way of contempt . but why is it called the calf of samaria ? it was not set up in samaria : there is two calves only that we reade of , and yet here it is call'd the calf of samaria . the reason is this ; that samaria was the chief city , and because the calf was by the power and riches , and countenance of the chief city of the land maintained , therefore it is call'd the calf of samaria ; where that 's corrupted , the whol land wil quickly be corrupted , & where that stands right it goes well w th the whol land : that 's the reason why the adversaries seek to corrupt and overthrow our chief citie . as all did depend upon what samaria did , therefore the corruption of false worship is attributed to samaria , it is thy calf oh samaria . and therefore if god had not moved the hearts of the people of this city , but we had brought popery in , it might have been said , it was the popery of london : and whereas on the other side , if god please to work their spirits right to go on to the end , the children not yet born may have cause to bless this citie , and say , this is the reformation that we may bless london for . it hath cast thee off . hath cast thee off from me , so some have it . but rather as you have it in your books , thy calf hath cast thee off . whence note . that though idolaters promise to themselves safety and protection by their idols , yet they will leave them at last . all you that go on in the waies of sin , know that those waies of sin of yours will leave you in the lurch at the last : as they say , the devil leaves the witches when they come to the prison : when judas went to the scribes and pharisees in the anguish of his spirit and cast down the money and said , i have sinned , in that i have betrayed the innocent blood . what 's that to us ( say they ) see thou to that ? therfore the best way is to cast off our sin and wickedness first . but god will not do thus , god will not cast off his people in the time of trouble , and when our unbeleeving hearts do think that god will cast us off in the time of trouble we make god an idol , as if god would do as the idols did , cast us off . we may in gods cause be brought into straights but god will never cast us off in them , when we are ready to think our selves to be utterly forsaken in straights , then god may be working the greatest good for us ; we have a most notable scripture for that in isa . . , and . verses , sing oh heavens , and be joyful oh earth , and break forth into singing oh mountains ; for god hath comforted his people , and will have mercy upon his afflicted . but mark , zyon said , the lord hath forsaken me . they were in a singing condition , and god calls the heavens to sing , and the earth to be joyful , and the mountains to break forth into singing , because of so great a work that god was making for his people : but zyon said , the lord hath forsaken me . and so it is with particular souls , they are ready to say , the lord hath forsaken me , but god will not do so . mine anger is kindled against them . when wicked men are brought into the greatest straits then gods wrath is hottest , and then also conscience belks and burns most hot ; as mens countenances change red and pale sometimes with anger , so it is said here , that even the countenance of god grow red and pale with his anger against this people . though superstitious men may think that outward pompous worshipping pleases god most , yet we see here that it doth stir up the anger of god , so that god grows even pale against them with anger . how long will it be ere they attain to innocency . mens hearts are stubborn in their own waies , they will not be taken off , wicked men will be true to their own principles , there is a stubborn constancy in evil , as well as a gracious constancy in good , how long will it be ? again secondly , god is very patient a long time . then , thirdly : continuence in sin is no excuse but an aggravation of sin to make it grievous to god ; when god chastises us we are ready to cry , how long lord ? will he reretain his anger for ever ? know that our continuance in sin , is as great a burden to gods spirit , he cries out when will they be made clean , when shall it once be ? and in jer. . . ver . oh jerusalem wash thine heart from wickedness that thou maiest be saved ; how long shall thy vain thoughts lodg within thee . ere they attain to innocency . the words are , he cannot attain ; that is , he is so deeply engaged that he cannot attain to innocency : when men are engaged in evil waies they cannot get out . take heed of engagements in that which is evil . secondly , if by custom and engagement in evil we have no power to get out , this will be no excuse to us . in pet. . . they have eyes full of adultry , and they cannot cease to sin : this is the aggravation of sin , no excuse . a learned man of late hath an excellent note upon this , they cannot bear innocency : and indeed according to the hebrew this may as well be added for explication , for in the hebrew there is nothing else but this , they cannot innocency ; the word attain , is not in the hebrew , and it may very well sute with the time wherein hosea did prophesie ; and the meaning is this : they cannot bear with those who will not joyn with them but will go to jerusalem to worship , and this provokes the spirit of god against them , because they cannot bear those that would seek to free themselves from defilements in the worship of god : there is nothing in the world wherein men cannot less bear one with another than in dissentions about the worship of god , and commonly the nocent party is the most bitter against the innocent ; as the lutherans they were worse in their waies than the calvinists , specially in the point of superstition , but they were a great deal more bitter against the calvinists than the calvinists were against them ; it was an expression that calvin hath , though luther ( saith he ) should call me devil , yet i would honor him , as a servant of jesus christ . the word here that is translated innocency , signifies cleanness : false worship whatsoever holines may seem to be in it yet they are not clean , but gods worship is clean , the fear of the lord is clean : it is such wickednes as if god should say , you are never like to wash off the guilt of it as long as you live , it is not so easie to get off the guilt of superstitious worship as men are aware of , we cannot but acknowledg to our own shame that we have sullied our selves w th superstition formerly , we had need wash and rinse our hearts again and again , and be willing to lie abroad a frosting whol nights , that we might be clensed from the filth that we heretofore have defiled our selves withal , yea we should not think much , nor mervail though the fire of gods wrath comes out against us and burn hot and long , if it may be but to purge us and not destroy us , it is well ; for it is not easie to be clensed from superstition ; it is only the blood of the immaculate lamb that is able to clense it , ( this filth ) it sticks very fast . and so much for the fifth verse . ver . . for from israel was it also : the workman made it , therefore it is not god : but the calf of samaria shall be broken in pieces . the prophet proceeds in his conviction of israels sin , with the threats of god against it . for from israel was it . that is , their idolatry was from themselves : it was hard to get them off from their idolatrous worship , for it was from themselves . other people worshiped idolatrous images , as being deceived , either made to beleeve that they came from their gods ; as that wise town-cleark of ephesus , in his grave , sage speech , acts , . . saith , their image came down from jupiter , or else they were such as were brought from the temples of other people , whose original they knew not . but saith god , my people are more sottish than any , for from israel themselves doth come these their images that they do worship , they have set them up themselves , they know that the other day they were but pieces of wood , overlaid with gold and silver ; for their calves they were such kind of idols as israel invented themselves , they were not the same as some think with the egyptian apis , that idol , for that was bigger , it was rather a bullock , and it was a live one , and with several spots and divers things wherein it differed from the calves that israel worshiped , so that the calves of israels worship , it was their own invention . hence there is these notes : first , that none are so sottish in wicked waies as apostates . israel was more sottish than any people . and secondly , to be devisers and inventors of evil , and especially of any thing in the worship of god , of false worship , it is a great aggravation of ones sin ; those that are the first inventers and devisers of wickedness , and especially of any false worship , they are most wicked and abominable before god. it was from themselves . thirdly , what comes from our selves we will stick much to in the worship of god. for this is given as a reason why they could not be brought off from that false worship ; it was from themselves : and hereby men shew that they honor their own fancies and own wills above the will of god , and the mind of god : we will a great deal more easily part with the worship of god , that comes from god , than with worship that comes from our selves . for from israel was it also . there is somewhat in that likewise : that is , as formerly in the wilderness they set up a calf ; so here again from israel also : former examples of gods wrath against their progenitors will not deter them , they follow stil the guize of their ancestors in false worship . no sin is more haereditarie than idolatry : hence the second commandement only threatens to visit the sins of the fathers upon the children , because idolatry is so haereditary , from israel also . the workman made it ; therefore it is not god. there are two arguments why their calf was not god. first , from the workman that made it . secondly , because it should be taken in pieces . it 's the greatest folly to look upon that which hath its excellency from our selves to be superior above us , and that in the highest degree . to forsake that god that made us , and to make that to be a god unto us that we have made our selves : the father looks upon his child as inferior to him , because he was the instrument of his being , and so he may well : if any man have maintainance by one , or is raised by him , he expect that he should be serviceable to him . only idolatry makes men go against the very principles of reason : they made it and yet they accounted it their god , and an especial note from hemce it , that man by any work of his own cannot put a divinity upon a creature . they made it , therefore it is not god. man by any work that he can do cannot put divinity upon a creature , no , he cannot so much as put holiness into a creature ; all the workmanship of man by his consecratien or any thing that he can do , cannot make stones and mortar to be holy , so as now it should be a sin to use them to any * common use , man takes too much upon him to think to raise the creature so near to a divinity , he cannot by any work of his put any religious respect on any creature so as that god shall be neerer to him , or he neerer to god than in any other place . whatsoever is of mans work in gods worship it perishes in the use of it , surely then mans creation cannot be god , the work man made it , therefore it is not god. indeed there is a creation of man that the scripture speaks of that is called , god , but not truly , not god really , rather a metaphorical god ; that creature that the scripture speaks of in . pet. . . he cals their kings and governors mans creation , man made them ; and you know the scripture calls governors , gods. i have said , you are gods. * i but it is said , they die like men : this text will shew it : if man made them they cannot be gods. and the former scripture tells us , that kings and governors are mans creation . in your books it 's translated mans ordinance but it is in the greek , mans creation : man made them and therefore they are not gods ; therefore we must not give them the honor of a god , to subject our consciences unto them , no , neither are we bound to subject our outward estates and liberties , and lives to their humors and lusts , meerly to their own wills , for this is proper to god to subject all to his will , meerly because it is his will ; but seeing man made them they are not truly god , and therefore they must not have the honor that is due to god. if all the art , and skill , power and riches , if all the men in the world were put together , and all the wisdom and power of angels joyned to it , to extract all excellency in all things in all creatures , and to make that which should have all created excellency in it , yet this surely could not be a god to us ; i say , if we conceive all art , skill power , and riches , of all the world brought together into one man , yea , all the skill and power of angels put into him too , and if he were able to make an extract of all the excellencies of all creatures , and put into one thing , yet this could not be a god unto us ; because it was made . and shall we say further , god himself by his infinite power cannot make any thing to be a god to us : i say , god himself by his infinite power cannot make any thing to be a god to us ; if he himself were made he could not be god to us ; nay , if god himself were made he could not be god : therefore surely that which the workman hath made cannot be a god. how vile then are our hearts ? and how do we debase our selves , to subject our selves to every vanity , as if it were a god , when as that all the power in god himself cannot raise a created excellency to that height as to be a god to us ? how vain is the heart of men that makes pleasure their god ? as the voluptuous , his belly ; that makes money his god , as the covetous ; that makes honor and the applause of men , as the ambitious , to be a god unto us . bernice and agrippa came with great pomp , they came with much phansie as the word signifies ; the excellency that al their pomp had , it was but that that phansie put upon them . in this god shewes the excellency of an immortal soul , that it is in that excellency that only an infinite eternal being that is of himself can be a god to us . again , this is an argument against the idol of the mass ▪ a vile priest , a filthy whoremaster makes it a god : what a deity is that that is from his maker ? is there any greater stumbling-block to jews , turks , or heathens , to keep them from christian religion than this , that christians should make their god , and eat him when they have done ? that 's the first argument : it is no god , because the workman made it . secondly : but the calf of samaria shall be broken in pieces . no god surely . he speaks here with indignation ( it is not god , it is a clalf ) as he doth in that of the psalmist , he made a calf that eat grass , it shall be broken in pieces , it shal not be able to help it self , much less help them ; it shal be as dagon before the ark , broken all to pieces . hierom upon the place saith , that he learned from an hebrew ( this word , broken in pieces , the word is not a verb , but a noun , shall be breakings in pieces ) he learned from an hebrew , that this word signified a thin web , like spiders webs in the air , as you see in some times of the year in the fields , thin webs , and upon the grass , thin webs like spiders webs that presently dissolves into attoms ; so that their calf shal be like unto those thin webs , like unto spiders webs that dissolves it self and comes to nothing . all the confidence and hopes in any thing we set up in the place of god , it 's such unto us ; what difference is there between such a thing and a strong rock , and an high tower , such as god is to his people . and again , the word signifies saw-dust that comes from timber that is sawn , and so it shal be broken in pieces : look as the calf in the wilderness was broken even to dust , to pouder , and moses made the people drink of it ; so god will serve this calf . and then further observe : idols are to be broken in pieces ; so god commanded , exod. . . deut. . . ezek. . . with many other scriptures ; and thus godly magistrates have ever done , broke idols in pieces . and blessed be god for that that hath been done of late among us that so many idols , and that great idol that was in the eminent place of the city , that god put a spirit into those that were in athority to break it in pieces : it must be done by the magistrate . i remember austin in his sixt sermon upon christs sermon , speaking of that place in deut. . . first , saith he , you must possess the land , and then , you must overthrow their altars . and then notes , that those which have the possession of the land , as now those publick places , men only in authority have the possession of them , and therfore it is for them to break the idols in pieces . in the city of basil we reade , that every ash-wednesday ( as they call it ) is observed a feastival instead of the popish fast on that day , because of the burning of popish images , and they account it a great mercy . and though we have no such warrant to observe such a day as an holy day , yet certainly as a day of an outward civil rejoycing , we have cause to observe those times wherein notorious and abominable idols have been broken in pieces . again , whatsoever it is that is subject to be broken in pieces , certainly we are not to make it to be our god. now all creatures in the world are subject to breaking , your estates are in danger to be broken in pieces , therefore they are not gods ; that 's the argument of the holy ghost here : yea it may be many of your estates are broken in pieces already , oh what poor gods were those that you made to your selves before , and so any creature whatsoever ? therefore oh let 's trust in the lord for ever , for in the lord jehovah is everlasting strength . isa . . . the last note from hence is this , that the putting too much upon a creature , the bringing a creature too neer to god , and deifying of it makes way for the destruction of that creature . the calf of samaria shall be broken in pieces because it was made an idol : if you will make use of your estates as a servant to you , to fit you for gods service you might keep it , but if you would set it up in gods place , it is just with god it should be broken in pieces : whatsoever you set your hearts upon and make a god unto you , it 's just with god it should be broken in pieces ; if you set your husband , your wife , your child , your friend , in the place of god , it 's the only way to undo them , to undo them in respect of you at best . many great instruments of god , god hath been fain to break them to pieces , because that men have set them up in the place of god , and made even gods of them . it follows . ver . . for they have sown the wind , and they shall reap the whirlwind . sowing is a laborious work ; and this idolatrous people were very laborious , took a great deal of pains about their false worship . those that sow they must be abroad in the cold and wind ; idolaters were willing to take pains and go through many difficulties for the furtherance of their false worship . let not us be sluggish then in the true worship of our god , let us be willing to pass through many difficulties to further the service of our god. secondly , sowing is a labor without any present profit coming in by it , the benefit of the labor it lies in expectation for the future . idolaters are content to sow though they gain nothing by their labor , yet in expectation of somewhat hereafter . we are presently weary of a little labor except we find somewhat coming in presently , we cannot wait for the blessing of the former and latter rain upon our endeavours , we must be alwaies reaping or else we are wearied and discouraged ; idolaters would work hard though they get nothing for the present , how much more should we labor for god in expectation of the harvest that god hath provided ? thirdly , sowing it is a work for the maintaining of the succession of provision for one generation to another . idolaters they labor to keep up their false worship for the posterity that is coming after ; they are not content to enjoy it themselves all the while they live , but they take a course to have those they leave behind them to enjoy it when they are gone . thus we should do , and great reason we have to do thus , in the true worship of god , not think it enough to enjoy it our selves , but to take al waies that possibly we can that we may leave our posterity to enjoy it , that we may sow for posterity as well as for our selves , that we may leave a stock of provision for our children afterwards . through gods mercy our forefathers did so , and we have reapt the harvest of their seed , and through their endeavors we have enjoyed much of this worship of god , and the truths of god , let us likewise sow for those that are coming after . fourthly , sowing is a work that must be done in its season or it is in vain . idolaters they will observe their seasons , their fit times for the furtherance of their false worship ; much more should we do for the worship of god. we have had a fair season , and we have seemed to be very busie , the lord grant we do not sow the wind , as it follows in the next words , they have sown to the wind : this is a proverbial speech that signifies , the taking a great deal of pains to little purpose : as a man that should go abroad in the fields , and spread his hands about and take pains , and yet hath nothing but air in his hands . the wind is an empty creature in respect of things that are sollid , therefore the scripture doth often make use of this creature to signifie the vanity of the labors , the hopes , and endeavors of wicked men ; you shall find these several expressions in scripture tending to this purpose : as the laboring for the wind , eccles . . . secondly , to ●eed upon the wind , hos . . . thirdly , to bring forth the wind , isa . . . and fourthly , to inherit the wind , prov. . . and fiftly , here in the text , sowing to the wind . many people do nothing all their lives time but sow the wind , they labor and toil , but what comes of it ? it is no good account that we can give to god of our time , to say , that we have taken a great deal of pains ; we may take pains and yet sow the wind . who are those that sow the wind ? first , men that spend their thoughts and strength about things no way profitable to themselves or others , those sow the wind ; those that do with a great deal of earnestness , do just nothing , or what they do is but a trifle ; many scholers study night and day , they tire themselves with reading , and musing , and writing , and yet they are no way useful ; either their studies have been in useless things , ●aking among rubbish and lumber , or else they know not how to make use of their reading and learning ; and indeed it is a pittiful object to behold , to behold one that hath been all his daies a great studient , and hath beat his brains , and rose early , and gone to bed late , grutch'd the very time of his meat , and yet he is a useless man in the place where he is , he hath no use at all of all his studies , he is of no service to church or common-wealth : here 's a man that hath all his daies sown to the wind . secondly , all those who take pains and are at great cost in superstitious worship , all their intentions that they have to honor god they come to nothing , it 's but a sowing to the wind ; and this is that which is here especially meant , they sow the wind ▪ all idolatrous worshippers that take much pains and are at great cost they do but sow the wind : how many papists have we that dares not for their lives but rise at their hours that they have vowed , to rise at midnight to their beads , or very early , spend many hours every day at their beads , wear out their bodies by their fasting , by their watching , deny themselves the use of the creatures , wear sackcloath , lie very hard , tire their bodies by pilgrimage , forsake their revenues , that that their progeniters had left them , vow perpetual virginity , shut themselves up in cloisters , what a deal of labor and toil is here to the flesh , and all this with conscienciousness , all this with a desire to honor god , and to afflict themselves for their sins ? and yet this not having warrant from god being a will-worship , all this is but sowing the wind , they lose al their labor , cost , and charge , and all their thoughts , and devotions they are all lost . thirdly , such as are formal in the true worship of god , as content themselves in the outward part of gods worship , having no power nor life of godliness in their service they perform : you have many that do things out of custom , content themselves in the deed done , dare not for their lives neglect prayer , not one morning nor evening , nor at other times , and are often with gods people in fasting , or coming to hear the word ; but yet all this while being but formal , they not having the life and power of godliness in these duties , they do but sow the wind , they lose all their labor , and when they shall come upon their sick-beds , and death-beds , and desire comfort from what they have done , they shall find nothing but the wind to feed upon , all will be turned into wind , and they will have no sollid comfort for their souls to feed upon in the day of their distress . fourthly , those men sow the wind , who do all that they do out of vain glory , in hypocrisie , to set up themselves among others , spend a long time in prayer , hath admirable gifts in prayer , sweat and spend their strength in prayer , but yet a principle of vain glory acting of them all this while ; they have been sowing the wind all this time . men that are publick parted and do abundance of good in the church of god , and in the common-wealth , but yet having a principle of self and vain glory that acts them , they lose all , they sow the wind all this while . a fift sort that sows the wind , are such , as leaves the rule of the word , and carry on their actions altogether by the rules of carnal policy , thinking to do great things by the fetches , and reaches they have that way . your carnal polititians that have the word and worship of god as things under their feet , but that which their deep reaches are after , are some higher things ; they sow the wind . and thus the people here at this time , it was carnal policy that carried them in that way they were in , and god cals it all , but sowing the wind ; they thought they had framed to themselves a notable piece of work , but saith god , it is but sowing the wind . sixtly , such as seek to shift for themselves by sinful waies when they are in any straits , such as go out of any lawful courses to help themselves out of trouble , these are they that sow the wind to themselves , there will nothing come of all the labor they take . now first , here the church of god may have much comfort in this thing , that all idolaters , that all false worshipers , that al carnal polititions that are working against them , in al they do , they do but sow the wind , they can never prevail , be not afraid of them . the seed-time of our life is a seed-time for eternity : it 's an evil & dangerous thing therefore now to sow the wind , to lose this seed-time , and to have nothing for our souls to seed upon to all eternity , oh! how sad will it be when we are entring in upon eternity , then to see that we have all our life-time sown the wind ? did men consider of their actions , that their actions were seeds for eternity , certainly they would take more heed what they do . men are very careful of their seed ; what husband-man that is to sow his ground , would go into a merket to buy chaff , to buy blasted stuff to be his seed ; no , he would buy the greatest and plumpest corn of all to be his seed . so should we be careful of all our actions , for they are such seed as must bring forth an harvest of eternal happiness , or else eternal sorrow ; and especially we had need look to our seed when god gives us a fair opportunity of sowing . all hypocrites and formalists , and false-worshipers , they sow the wind , their actions are but as the wind : but the servants of god whose works come from faith , and are indeed godly , they sow to immortallity and glory , their seed will bring forth a glorious harvest . i remember luther , though he were a man that seemed to beat down works very much , yet he hath this passage concerning works : take works out of the cause of justification , and no man can too magnificiently commend good works that come from faith . and speaking of a good work that comes from faith , it is more precious ( saith he ) any one good works , it is a more precious thing than heaven and earth : yea , he himself that is no merit-monger yet he lifts up good works that come from faith , and saith , the whol world is not sufficient reward for one good work that comes from faith : indeed the works of the saints have a great deal of excellency in them , one gracious work hath more of the glory of god in it than all the creation of heaven and earth besides ; i say , the whol frame of heaven and earth hath not so much of the glory of god in it as one good work that comes from the grace of god in the hearts of the saints ; and my reason is this , because a good work that comes from the grace of god in the hearts of the saints , it is a reflection of spiritual life that is the very life of god , the scripture calls it , the life of god , and the divine nature ; now , an action of spiritual life doth more set out the glory of god than any glory that god hath passively ; as the glory that he hath in the frame of the heavens and earth it is but a passive glory , but here the very glory of god is reflected upon his own face , it is a glory of spiritual life : a man doth not account one so much honored in an image that is drawn of him , as when he seeth his child to act as he himself doth act , when his child shall present himself in doing that which he himself doth do . now all the frame of heaven and earth it is not so much as a picture , it is but as the foot-steps of god , and the back-parts of god ; but in one gracious action of the saints there god sees his child act as himself doth , he sees the workings of his own holiness and his own vertues ; we shew forth the vertues of him that hath call'd us out of darkness into his mervailous light . ministers of all men they had need take heed they sow not the wind , god hath made them seeds-men of that eternal seed of his word , if they then either because they are loth to take pains , or to be at the charge for good seed , they sow husks and chaff , and bring meerly empty words unto their people ; or if they do take pains enough , but bring their own fancies and counsels instead of the precious immortal seed of the word , they do but sow the wind . the seventy translate this that we have here : sow the wind : thus ; they sow those things that are corrupted by the wind ; those actions that pride corrupts , will never bring forth good fruit . it follows . and they shall reap the whirlwind . as we sow , so shall we reap . the word in the hebrew ( tremelius upon this place notes ) hath a syllable added more than ordinary ; and that saith he is to encrease the signification of it : to note , that this is not only a whirlwind , but a most terrible whirlwind . and mark : he doth not say they sow the wind , and they shall reap the wind ; no , there is more in the harvest than in the seed ; if men will sow the wind , they must expect to reap the whirlwind . if thou hast but a little pleasure in thy sinful waies , thou must expect a great deal of miseries in the fruit of thy waies . their labor shall not only be in vain , but much evil shall come , sudden and violent destruction shall come of their labors . all sinful actions are like unto the sowing of the wind in the earth : now we know if windy vapors be got into the earth , they cause earthquakes , they break forth into whirlwinds , into violence : and so wicked actions they break forth into violence and irresistable evils , and wil cause heart-quakes at last . great is the power of the whirlwind , the scripture sets it out as very great in kings , . . a strong wind th●● rent the mountains and tore in pieces the rocks , overturned the mountains by the roots . job , . . this it is that breaks the ceders . sabelicos reports that upon a time , cambyse's soldiers being at dinner in a sandy place , there rises up a whirlwind and drives the sand upon them so that it covered them and choaks them al : and yet , what 's the wind , but many vapours being put together ? and yet , oh the mighty strength that there is in them ! by the way this meditation may be raised here : what , shal the addition of many such weak things as vapors are come , to such a mighty strength ? oh then , what 's the strength of the infinite god unto which nothing can be added ? ad many vapors together and it causes strong winds that rends up the mountains by the roots ; if many weak things put together ( i say ) come to that strength , what 's the strength of an infinite god unto which no strength can be added ? but observe out of the words , just with god it is , that those that sow the wind ( in all the former regards , those six particulars that were named ) that they should reap the whirlwind ; should be brought into trouble and vexation , miserable and unremedable distresses : you that spend your time about trifles when as god sets you in the world upon work of great consequence , it is just with god that you should have horror upon your spirits hereafter , when god shall make you to see how you have spent that time upon which eternity depended , upon sowing the wind all your daies : and you that spend your time in false worship and so think to put off god in your false worship , it 's just with god that you should reap the whirlwind . and so you that spend your strength and time in formality of worship and never sanctifying the name of god , it were just with god that horror and distress and trouble should fill your souls . and so you that aim at your own ends and vain glory , when as you should set up the name of god in your waies , it 's just with god that miserable horror should possess you : how many have lain upon their sick-beds and death beds and cried out , oh i have done all in hypocrisie ! and so horror of conscience hath been as a whirlwind unto their souls . and so carnal polititians that have left god and sought to provide for themselves and others , that by sinful courses have sought to deliver themselves out of straights , the lord many times brings them into most dreadful straights and the worm of conscience gnawing upon them , and they have found by experience that they have reapt the whirlwind . and indeed we have begun of late to corrupt the worship of god , and were carried on by wicked devilish carnal policy , how did we sow the wind ? and the lord hath now made us in great measure to reap the whirlwind . job saith the whirlwind comes from the south ; but indeed the truth is , we have had whirlwinds coming from the north and west , and may yet have whirlwinds coming from all parts of the kingdom , for what hath the land done of late but sown the whirlwind ? let us not wonder though god doth at this day speak unto us out of the whirlwind , as once he did to job . yea , but many they say , that that we have sown it hath some substance in it , it is not only the wind , for we see that it comes to a blade , it comes forth . yea , but saith god here , it shall not bring forth a stalk . i beseech you observe the words that follow , it shall not bring forth a stalk : but it may be a stalk may come forth : i but saith god , it shall be crushed before it comes to the bud . but what if it doth bud , it shall be blasted , it shall not come to the meal . i but what if it come to the meal ? then strangers shall devour it saith god ; so it follows , they sow the wind , and reap the whirlwind ; it shal not grow to a stalk , or to the bud , or there shall be no meal , or strangers shall devour it . a most elegant expression it is to shew gods watching over an apostatizing people for evil , and to shew that in whatsoever they may seem to prosper for a while , yet at the last the curse of god will be their ruin . obs . first , though sometimes gods curse is upon wicked actions , so that nothing comes of them ; yet at other times they may be suffered to seem to prosper , to have some degrees of growth , god may let them come to a stalk , or to the bud , or to the meal ; this notes the possibility . it may come to the stalk , possibly to the bud , possibly to the meal , but then all shall come to nothing . my brethren we have found it so by experience , as it was here in this people , for it was spoken of their wicked idolatry , and their carnal policy . and hath it not been so with our adversaries ? some of their actions god hath crush'd them presently , and then they have grown up to a blade , and they have seemed to have meal in them , but then the curse of god hath come upon them : oh! the uncertainty & the vanity of the comforts of ungodly men ! when can they bless themselves in any one project ? when it comes up to the blade ? no saith god , it shal not come to a stalk : god watches there that it seldom comes so far . well , but then , will they bless themselves if it hath gotten up to a stalk ? no , not then neither , god curses them . but if it bud , now may they not bless themselves ? oh! our projects begin to bud , and they thrive bravely , may they not bless themselves now ? no , god watches them there , and curses them in the very bud . i but what if it comes to meal , that it 's ready now to come to a full issue , and ready even to come to be eaten , now that they come to feed upon their projects , and they think all is sure ? no , the curse of god is upon them there , strangers shall devour it . blessed be that god who hath followed our adversaries this way , how often have they blest themselves , and when they have had one design , this will do it , oh how finely it works ! and perhaps they get the very advantage that they themselves desire , and think all is well , and then gods curse comes upon them . we are my brethren too unbeleeving , we are ready to fear if we hear but of any thriving of any plot and project of our adversaries , if any stalk doth appear , and especially if they begin to bud , oh! then we think they ripen ; & we do not look up to the great god who doth take delight in blasting the projects of the adversaries ; as the blessing of god is upon the good actions of his people , so the curse of god is upon the wicked projects of his enemies . god may seem many times to leave many a good action , but god doth carry it through at length , though it seems to have many things that would crush it in the very bud , yet god carries good projects through many difficulties , and god crushes wicked projects through much prosperity . lastly , to have the satisfying of our desires to go on a while , and to have them cut off before we enjoy them , is a great judgment ; but just with god it should be so : for ordinarily we are thus in our obedience , that usually withers before it comes to any ripeness ; if it get up to the stalk it may be it comes not to a bud ; if to meal , some strange lust or other comes in and devours it ; oh how many times doth our strange lusts devour our good actions that comes forth a good way ? how many in their young yeers , we had thought very gracious seed began to sprout forth , and we had thought that the seed grew to a stalk , and when they came to be for themselves , we had thought they had begun to bud in gracious actions , we had thought it came to be meal , to their middle age ; but to their old age strange lusts hath come and devoured all . it 's great judgment for strangers to devour our estates when we have scraped a deal together ; truly , for strange lusts to come to devour thy hopeful beginnings , it 's a greater judgment than for strangers to devour thy estate , that thou hast gotten by a great deal of labor : many men have labored all their lives , and taken pains , and that which they have done hath seemed to come to something ; and the truth is , in the conclusion the devil hath had the advantage of all . and god seems to be out against us in some degree , even in the waies of his judgments at this day ; thus as many of the adversaries projects , so many of ours the lord hath blasted before they come to a stalk , and when they have been budded the lord hath blasted them , by unfaithfulness of some or others ; when we have had our greatest thoughts , the lord hath seem'd to blast us , and what god will do with us we know not , only let us make sure that our seed be good , and though this doth not prosper or the other doth not , yet at last god will bring the greater harvest upon us . ver . . israel is swallowed up : now they shall be among the gentils as a vessel wherein there is no pleasure . israel , they had made so many leagues among other people , til they were even swallowed up by them . and truly my brethren , if there be not a great care had , there is much danger in making leagues with other nations , lest upon the need they see we have of them they should incroach upon us , and at length even have laws given to us by them : it was so with the people of israel , that by their league with other people they were so incroacht upon by them , as at length they gave them laws and swallowed them up . and thus many of the people of god , yea , of the churches of god , by mingling themselves with the world are even swallowed up , so as they lose their beauty ; and there 's no difference appears between them and the men of the world . it 's one thing for wicked men to creep into the church unawares , ( and certainly there 's none can expect that any church in the world can continue but wicked men and hypocrites will mingle themselves ) but it 's one thing when they creep in unawares , and another thing when the fence is broken down , so as it is very hard to see any face of a church among them : thus it was with israel . but now shall they be among the gentils , as a vessel wherein is no pleasure . by these words , vessel of no pleasure , is meant , a vessel that is for the carrying up and down of excrements ; only the scripture when it mentions such vile things , speaks in a modest way ; but that 's the meaning of the word : as if he should say , even my people shal be in a vile contemptible condition among the gentiles , as a vessel that is fit for nothing but excrements . jehoiakim is threatned in jer. . . though a great man , yet he is threatned to be as a vessel wherein is no pleasure , they had wasted their substance in seeking help from the egyptians and assyrians , and these made a prey of them ; so long as they had any thing of value continued , then they made much of them , but their estates being once wasted , and they swallowed up in their very estates , they look now upon them as vile and contemptible in their eyes . and this is the way of wicked men , while wicked men are serving their own turns upon any , they will hug them and make much of them , but if that be done , then they scorn them & contemn them ; non are more scorn'd and contemn'd than professors of religion who have basely crouched to wicked men , and sought to shelter themselves under them , when their estates are once consum'd and gone , they are more scorned by those that served themselves of them than any ; and therefore let us learn wisdom , and how far we venture to make use of men , and do not please our selves in this , that they hug and commend us , if it be but to serve their own turns , when they have gotten what they would have , they will then scorn you , and look upon you as base people , and kick you out . again , a vessel wherein is no pleasure . the seventy translate it , an unprofitable vessel . but there is more intended certainly in this expression ; a vessel imployed in base and contemptible uses ; israel shall be so imployed ; and thereby he shall know a difference between my service , and the service of their enemies : oh it is a sad expression , what israel ! a vessel imployed and received to empty out excrements ! [ . israel were a people precious and honorable in the eyes of god , isa . . . [ . an holy people unto the lord , deut. . . [ . they were gods peculier people above all nations in the world in the same place . [ . gods portion , deut. . . [ . gods inheritance , isa . . . [ . gods , p●●ulier treasure , exod. . . [ . gods glory , isa . . ▪ [ . gods delig●●● isa . . . [ . israel were the deerly beloved of gods soul● ▪ jer. . . and yet now israel is become a vessel only to take in and empty out excrements ; oh what a change doth sin make ! they were holy vessels , imployed in holy services , in attending upon god and his worship , so as no people were ; but now , oh ! what a change hath sin made in them ? how doth sin vilifie men , to be imployed in base services , it is the most against an ingenuous spirit that any thing can be . i remember i have read of a young man of sparta that being taken by antigonus and sold for a slave , ●●l the while that he that brought him did imploy him in any thing that did stand with ingenuity he did it , but when he bid him go and empty a vessel wherein is no pleasure , no saith he , i will not serve you now in such a thing , and his master being angry with him he gets up to the top of the house and falls down and breaks his neck rather than he would empty such a vessel . and certainly there is nothing that is so beneath the excelleney of an immortal soul as sin is , for hereby though thou beest , high in thine own thoughts thou comest to be a vessel for the very devil to empty his excrements into : and that 's lower than to be a scavenger to go up and down to take the filth of the street : in being imployed in the service of the devil thou doest more deba●e thy self than if thou wert a scavenger to carry dung and filth in a dung-cart ; but as if thou wert judged to such a kind of life and imployment , that thou shouldest go from morning to night to carry away the filth in thy very hands and mouth . some men are vessels of mercy , they are chosen vessels , vessels of honor fitted for the masters use : and it is an infinite mercy of god to us when as we have deserved to be cast out as vessels wherein there is no pleasure , that god should imploy any of us to be vessels of his sanctuary , that god should take us out of the common lump , such vessels ; whereas others are vessels of wrath imployed only in base services that are beneath the excellency of an immortal soul. yea , some there are who have been eminent in the church heretofore , who have been vessels fil'd with the gifts of the holy ghost ( i do not say graces ) now they are vessels in which there is no pleasure ; many of the saints heretofore have been refreshed by them , from those gifts of the holy ghost that have been in them , but now their gifts are gone , they are fit for no pleasure , but for pot or pipe : now idle drones that are fit for nothing but to set in the ki●●●in , and ( it may be ) to scum the pot , yea some of them fill'd with poyson , vessels wherein neither god nor man can take pleasure , yea and some very forward professors of religion that once were as the pollished saphirs and are now become more black than the coal , turn'd apostates ; they were as golden vessels in the house of god , and now are become vessels wherein is no pleasure . it was a speech that once demosthenes had to the athenians , he desired them that they would not make an urinal of a wine pot ; for to imploy those men in base services that had been eminent , even those men that god himself hath heretofore made use of for great services in church and common-wealth , the lord hath left them to be vessels of no pleasure . oh! remember al you from whence you are fallen , thy heart is now exercised upon such low things , thy work ( it may be ) now is only to further the wicked designs and desperate malice of other men ; and doest thou think to be a vessel of glory , to stand before the presence of the holy god , and joyn with saints and angels in the eternal praises of his name ? oh! remember from whence thou art fallen , and be not at quiet till the lord hath been pleased to purge thee and make thee fit for thy masters use , and to become a vessel of honor in thy masters house . ver . . for they are gone up to assyria , a wild ass alone by himself ; ephraim hath hired lovers . the lord by the prophet proceeds on in his charge against the ten tribes here . they are gone up to assyria for help . they are gone up ] they look not up to the high god for their help , but they are gone up to assyria , assyria is higher in their eyes than the god of heaven is . how vile a thing is it to forsake confidence in god out of suspitious thoughts of him ; for so it was here , they retained suspitious thoughts of god , as if he would leave them in their extremity , and out of those suspitious thoughts of him , they forsake him and seek help else where ; they expect more good , more faithfulness , more love , not only from the creature than from god , but from the very enemies of god than from god himfelf ; yea , and that people that professed interest in god , that would seem to bless themselves in this , that god was their god , even this people , look'd to have more good and to find more faithfulness in the very enemies of god than in god himself ; let the heavens be astonished at this wickedness : and yet this evil is in the hearts of the children of men . a wild ass , alone by himself . this creature the scripture mentions in divers places for one of the most unruly , and untamable , and fierce creature in the world . such a creature as cannot be brought to be serviceable , it wil not be brought to live with men , no , it cannot be brought to live long with other beasts , no nor to keep company with their own kind , so fierce and savage it is , but runs up and down in the wilderness alone . in job , . . we have mention of this creature . for vain in an would be wise , though man be born like a wild asses colt. and in job , . . who hath sent out the wild ass free ? or who hath loosed the bands of the wild ass ? and in jer. . . to name no more . a wild ass used to the wilderness that snuffeth up the wind at her pleasure ; in her occasion who can turn her away ? all they that seek her will not weary themselves , in her month they shall find her . in her occasion when he hath a mind unto the foemale , she snuffeth up the wind , as the historians say of her , they go up to mountains and there they seek to have the sent of the foemale , or the male , so they snuff up the wind even for the sent of her . and so the naturalists that write the nature of this creature , pliny . in his eighth book and fourty chapter : those that are scholers that desire to know more of the nature of this beast may find divers things there . but now we are only to speak of it as the scripture speaks of it here . why doth god compare ephraim amd the ten tribes to the wild ass ? for two reasons . . to shew the extream stubbornness and fierceness of this people . wicked men that have forsaken god , and are left to themselves , do not only become like unto savage creatures , but the very worst of all savage creatures , they run up and down satisfying the lusts of their own hearts irresistably and bear down all before them , they stamp , and rage , and are mad when at any time they are opposed in their wicked way , this is the scope of the holy ghost here : thus ephraim was when he was opposed . do you not find many so , that are in a violent way set upon wickedness and ungodliness that they will hear nothing , they snuff at the wind and all that is said against them , and run violently upon wicked waies , and upon their own ruin : it may be in their month you shall find them ; that hath reference unto the very last month which the wild ass goes when it is with young , then when it is so big , and till then there is no dealing with them . some historians say that the wild asses are so fierce , that they will tare asunder armor of proof , but only in the very month when they are so big that they cannot weld themselves , then you shall find them . so , though sinners be never so stubborn , yet god hath his month , and perhaps then you shall find them . when at any time you find your children , or servants , or others to be stubborn and stout against whatsoever is said to them , and even rage in their madness for the satisfying of their wicked wills , you may remember this text and creature : they are as wild asses that are alone by themselves ; and among all wicked men idolaters are the most stubborn and stout in their wicked waies , their hearts are set upon their idols , yea as the phrase of scripture is in jer. . , they are mad upon their idols . there 's nothing that can be said to those whose hearts are taken with false worship , nothing will prevail with them without an infinite power of god put forth , and there 's no sinners more bold , more untamable and fierce in their waies , then those that are superstitious , and that 's their reason that if they be opposed in their way of false worship , you know there will be such tumultuousness of people flinging of stones against windows where god is truly worshipped , any thing in the world though they know not what they do , yet because they think themselves condemn'd in their sinful waies , therefore they run like wild beasts in a furious manner even against those that worship god better than themselves . secondly , god compares the ten tribes to the wild ass in way of contempt of them . as in the former place of job , . . vain man would be wise ; though man be born like a wild asses colt : he would fain think himself somebody , yet he is a most base and vile creature . and if any of you be not so fierce in your wicked waies as some others are , if god hath tamed your spirits by his word and spirit , bless god for it , for all men are born like a wild asses colt , they are mad upon their wicked waies to ruin themselves . but because there 's no men that think higher of themselves than stubborn spirits ; for stoutness and stubborness doth evermore proceed from pride , because they think it such a dishonor for their wills to be crost in any thing , therefore the scripture casts the more contempt upon them , and calls such , proud , stout fools , wild asses ; and indeed there are none more contemptible in the eyes of god than stout sinners . it follows . a wild ass , alone , by himself . alone . ] the reason of this expression is , to shew , that ephraim and the ten tribes they would be at their own hands , they would have their own wills ▪ alone : there 's these two things exprest in it . first , that they would be under no government , but alone by themselves , and have liberty to frisk up and down , and do what they list alone , acknowledging no commander ; and so the chalde paraphrase hath it , because that they would walk in the evil of their own lusts , and would acknowledg no comander . and thus many at this day , they love to be alone , that is , to live at their own hand , to be from under government . though it is here , he was alone in the wilderness , he would rather be in the wilderness alone , so be it he may acknowledg no commander , than in the best pastors under any command . thus it is with many , they love to be alone , that is , they are loth to come under any government , they had rather be in the wildernes and suffer never so great straights than come under any government ; it is true of divers sorts of people , even the lowest sort , many that love to live at their own hand , servants that are not able to provide for themselves that if they have but a little sickness are ready to starve , yet that they might live without any command , not under any government , they will chuse rather to endure abundance of hardship that they may live alone ; many times it is so , especially in the foemale sex , which ought to be under government and some protection , yet they love to be alone at their own hand ; i say , and meerly because they cannot endure to come under any kind of government whatsoever . and in the wilderness . ] their lives indeed are as in the wilderness , when they are in any straights and distresses they have no body to look after them and regard them because they loved their liberties so much before . so , many had rather be without all ordinances in the church , or many ordinances , only that they might live as they list , at their own wills , that they may not be under the government of christ , they had rather live in the wilderness of the world so that they might have liberty , rather than be in gods vinyard under the government of christ . these come under the reproof here that ephraim did in this place . secondly , alone by himself , as unfit for society , they were so furious and fierce in their way : some are of such untoward and perverse dispositions that they can agree with no body , so that they are only fit to live in the wilderness : i suppose you have met with in your families that are so extreamly perverse in their waies , and they are of such untoward and crooked dispositions that they are fit to live in no society but alone in the wilderness : and this reproof of ephraim comes likewise upon those . ephraim hath hired lovers . the assyrians and egyptians , and others ; the words signifie loves . before they put their confidence in the assyrians , and now they make them their loves . the thing i note is this . that where we place our confidence , there our love should be placed . if god be the confidence of our hearts , let our love be placed there , yea let god be our loves , in the plural number , for so it is here , they hired lovers ; she would fain have the assyrians to love her . when god is forsaken , when we have lost our interest in gods love , no mervail though there be such a seeking after the creatures love ; men that forsake god they seek to make up what they have not in god in the creature : as a dog when he hath lost his master he is ready to follow every one he meets with . again , he hath hired loves . ] because they had nothing lovely in themselves therefore they hire the love of others to them , they seek even to hyre love , though the truth is , love cannot be hyred nor purchased , although men may fawn and glaver , and flatter , and crouch that they may gain the love of some other , yet if there be no loveliness in themselves to gain love , although those whom they fawn on , and flatter may use them for their own turn , and serve themselves upon them , yet the truth is they will despise them in their hearts , and so often they will discover to their intimate friends how they scorn and contemn them ; therefore if others would have love , there must be some excellency and loveliness in us ; for love cannot be hyred . but , ephraim hath hyred lovers . ] this shews the shamelessness of the ten tribes in seeking after their false worship . other harlots they are hyred to commit uncleanness ; but ephraim will be at charge for their idols : many harlots count it a great dishonor for to seek after loves , to seek after whoremasters , though they can imbrace them when they come unto them , but yet they will rather have a hyre than they will hyre them ; but mark , those that are superstitions they think not upon their honor , but they will hyre , to the commission of spiritual whordom they will go to hyre lovers and be at a great deal of charges , in ezek. . , . they give gifts to all whores ; but thou givest thy gifts to all thy lovers . and the contrary is in thee from other women in thy whordoms , whereas none followeth thee to commit whordoms , and in that thou givest a reward , and no reward is given unto thee ; therefore thou art contrary . as if god should say , you are more vile and base in your uncleannesses than any in the world besides ; for other whores they receive rewards , but you are so set upon your filthy lusts that you will give rewards that you might commit uncleanness . from hence the note is , that idolaters will not stand upon terms if they may have their idols , any way : they care not how they debase themselves , they will not stand upon honor and respect , but let them have their false worship they will submit to any thing . oh! why should we stand upon our terms thus in the matters of the honor of our god , when publick good lies at the stake ? why should not we be willing to suffer shame and disgrace , any thing rather than the publick good should not go on , than the service of god should be hindered ? if others will not seek to us , yet if good may be done , let us seek to them , if god may have glory : though others be never so vile in their carriage towards us , yet let us do what we can to win and convince them , let us be willing to lie under their feet that god may be glorified : if others will not joyn in a good work except they may have the honor of it , let them have it so be it the work may go on , let us reason so , why should i put forth my self and others go away with all the glory ? let the work go on , and if they will s●and for the glory let them have it : so god may be lifted up let us be willing not to be seen : this is that which doth hinder thee the promoting of his causes . but men stand upon terms and they will not go on in a good cause but break off if others be prefer'd before them . if there be two carrying a piece of timber through a narrow passage , and if these two men that are carrying a long piece of timber and they must carry it through a narrow passage , if they should stand striving who should go foremost , one saies i will go first , the other saith , nay but i will go first , they can never carry the timber , if one have one end and the other the other end and they cannot agree which should go first , and he that goes after thinks himself dishonored because his fellow goes before him , they can never carry it through but they must lay it down . so it is many times with a good cause , it is like a piece of timber upon two mens shoulders , and it must go through a narrow passage , and one saith , why should not i have the glory of it ? and the other saith , why should not i have the glory of it ? and the while men stand wrangling who should have the greatest glory , in the mean time the publick cause is exceedingly hindered ; let us be willing to submit and debase our selves any way so be it the true worship of god may go on . further , he hath hyred lovers . ] it 's an evil thing to be drawn to false worship , or bodily uncleanness upon any terms , out of hope of the greatest gain , and to deliver our selves from the greatest affliction : but now , for a man or woman to seek after the waies of sin , to be at cost that they might have their lusts , this is more vile ; for a whore to prostrate her ●elf for money , this is base and abominable though she should have never so much money , but to give money , this is more base and abominable . josephus reports of one decius mundus which was a noble man , that to one paulina , a lady in rome , he offered as much as came to six thousand pounds for to satisfie his lusts but one night , and yet was refused . so certainly uncleanness should be cast off with indignation though it be tempted unto with never so much gain ; but for one to be set upon uncleanness so as to seek after it , and to spend their husbands estates that they might have the free way for the satisfying of their lusts , this is a most abominable thing indeed , and yet thus , many are guilty both in regard of bodily and spiritual adultry . it follows . ver . . yea , though they have hyred among the nations ; now will i gather them , and they shall sorrow a little for the burden of the king of princes . these words in the reading of them seem to be dark , and yet we have much of the mind of god in them , and much concerning our selves . yea , though they have hyred among the nations . this god still takes ill that they should go to the nations for help , when god had made their condition so much above the nations , for in their going to them they did as it were say , that all the love and mercy , and protection from the great god it was no more towards them than the nations had , they did ( as it were ) hold forth to the world that the nations were rather in a better condition than themselves , in that they would go to the nations for their help ; and this went very neer to the heart of god , for god had laid out the very strength of his love , and the riches of his mercy upon this people , and after he had done so much for them yet that they ( because they were in some little afflictions for the present , that they ) should go to the nations that did for the present prosper somewhat outwardly better than themselves oh! this was exceeding grievous to the heart of god : and thence the note is this . that it is a very great evil , when wicked men seem to prosper a little in their outward condition more than gods people ; for those that are the people of god to begin to think that therefore those wicked ones are in a better condition than themselves , this is an evil that doth go very much to the heart of god ; and very ordinarily it is in some degree or other among the people of god , i appeal to your consciences in this very thing , though at some time your souls have had sweet refreshing from the lord in the enjoyment of communion with him , but yet when gods hand hath been out against you , when you look'd upon others though you knew them to be wicked and ungodly yet they have prospered , their ships came home safely and richly , and their trading goes on ; do you not sometimes find such rising of your thoughts within you as if so be that these men were in a ●etter condition than your selves ? oh! if you have but the least thought rising that way , know it is that which doth exceedingly grieve the spirit of god by which you are seal'd , that because they have a few loaves more than you , though you have all the riches of god and christ , though you have the inheritance of saints , yet that you should think them in a better condition than you are in : as a child , if he sees some stranger have a bit of meat better than he hath , he should think presently that his father loves the stranger better than him ; this the father takes ill . how ordinary is it upon this ground for those that have profest themselves to be godly rather to withdraw themselves from the afflicted saints , and seek correspondence with wicked men that prosper . god would have his people see an al sufficiency in himself in their sadest condition , so as they need not go out from him for help , but still wait upon him and keep his way ; the lord by his prophet rebukes jehoshaphat in chron. . . for loving the ungodly and helping them that hate the lord. and is there not as great an evil to seek the love of the wicked and ungodly and help from them that hate the the lord ? certainly the evil is very great , it argues very little love that we have to god , it charges god of unfaithfulness , as if though he hath engaged himself to his people , yet he would leave them in the lurch ; this encourages the wicked in their wicked waies , and it charges god with that which is accounted one of the most vile things among men . what is accounted one of the vilest things among men , that a man should set another men about his work , and then leave them in the lurch when they meet with troubles in their work ? it is as vile a thing as any is among men , and we should look upon such men as should imploy others in any service and then leave them to shift for themselves in their straights , we should look upon them as vile men , unworthy to be dealt withal . now what would we but charge god with this , even that which makes men to be most vile ? and this besides is a most desperaee folly so to do , for when thou art thinking to provide for thy self by correspondence with ungodly men , it may be thou wert just at the very point of deliverance at that very time ; it is gods usual way to come to help his people when they are in the greatest straights ; and therefore it is the greatest folly that when we are in straights then to think of shifting courses , so that then we must forsake our own mercy in thinking of shifting courses ; in straights above all times christians should take heed of thinking of shifting courses , because then above all times those are the times for god to shew his mercy , and just then : wilt thou then be forsaking him ? oh! it is that which should lie neer to your hearts , if any of you have been guilty of this , let but the word of god bring this upon your spirits this day , oh! how do i know but at that very time when i took such a shifting course , that was the very time that god was about to do my soul good and of doing good for my body , and yet then i deprived my self of good , that goodness and mercy of god ? it follows yet , now will i gather them . this gathering among interpreters hath reference either to the nations whom they sought unto , or to themselves . i will gather them ; that is , that nation ; or , i will gather you . if to the nation , then the scope is thus : notwithstanding you hire the nations , yet i will gather them against you , they shall be strengthened against you with the same money that you hyre them withal , i will turn it against you , and now you have provided fair for your selves , have you not ? many times when we think to provide best for our own peace , we make the greatest provision for our own ruin : god many times makes people work their own wo and ruin themselves , and there is no means that doth more fully and directly tend to undo them than what they do themselves ; and thus god over rules the counsels and thoughts of men . what a vain thing is it to plot against god , when god can turn mens arrows against themselves ? no men are greater instruments of gods wrath ( many times ) against us than we are our selves , yea , and than those are that we seek most to correspond withal ; and it is just with god it should be so , that if we wil leave him , to seek correspondence with wicked men , it is just with god that of all men in the world those should be the men that should be made the executioners of gods wrath upon us . but now , if it be to israel , i will gather them among the nations . then the word here gathered is sometimes used for gathering dead corps in an army when they are slain in battel . you go and think to have the nations , but you shall be as a company of dead corps in an army , and lie in heaps there . but i find calvin hath a further note upon it , and takes it as having reference to the former verse . this people are wild , and run up and down , this way and that way to shift for themselves , but i will gather them ; that is , i will keep the● in ; so the words likewise may signifie , i will keep them in , i will gather-in their spirits , there shall be some work of prudence or other to keep them in , i will keep them from those waies wherein they would presently have ruined themselves . people run many times headily on in evil waies that would certainly ruin them ; but when gods time for the execution of his wrath is not yet come , the lord restrains them and keeps them in from such waies ; though their hearts be set upon such waies of undoing themselves , yet they shall not go on in them , i will pity them who cannot pity themselves . but then it follows ( in which the greatest difficulty of the verse is . ) and they shall sorrow a little for the burden of the king of princes . this hath more darkness in it , and yet upon the searching into it , we shall see it cleer , and many excellent truths cleered from it . there are these five things to be enquired after for the opening of these words . first , who is this king of princes that is here meant . secondly , what was this burden of the king of princes . thirdly , why doth he call this the burden ? or rather thirdly thus , when was this threat fulfilled , that they should sorrow for the burden of the king of princes . fourthly , why doth he call it the burden of the king of princes ? fiftly , what 's meant by sorrowing a little . these five things will cleer the text . indeed we cannot see the full meaning of the holy ghost without understanding somewhat of these five . first , who is meant by the king of princes . we are here to understand the king of assyria , because he was a great king whose nobles were princes , and we find this both by scripture and likewise by humane story ; in king. . . how then wilt thou turn away the face of one captain of the least of my masters servants . and in isa . . . hear the word of the great king , the king of assyria . and how wilt thou turn away the face of the captains of the least of my masters servants . his captains and nobles were as princes . and so josephus in his . book , . chapter , as i remember saith , that at the time before sodoms destruction , the assyrians were lords of all asia , so that the assyrian was a great king , and here called the king of princes . thus god suffers his enemies to grow great in the world , an assyrian , a dog , a wicked wretch under the curse of god , and yet is he the great king , even the king of princes ; as luther hath such an expression concerning the empire of turkie , it is ( saith he ) but one crum that the great master of the family doth cast to dogs . what are your estates then ? certainly though you be never so great in the world , what 's any of your estates to the whol turkish empire ? and if that be but a crum that the great master of the family casts to a dog , you should never then bless your selves in the enjoyment of a little of the world . but though the assyrian may be called the king of princes in regard of his power over some great men , yet most properly our lord jesus christ he is the king of kings , and lord of lords : in revel . . . and he hath on his vesture , and on his thigh a name written , king of kings , and lord of lords . why was it written upon his vesture , and why upon his thigh ? vpon his vesture , that is , he will appear openly to be the king of kings ; there was a time when christ seem'd to be ( as it were ) a servant under the dominion of antichrist , but now his name shall be upon his vesture , openly ; and then upon his thigh ; that is , upon his lower parts , his church militant , it shall have the kingly power among them for its good , so as they shall be above the nations , according to the prophesie in isa . . . he will make the place of his feet glorious . ( the church in their low condition ) he doth not say , he will have the name upon his crown , but upon his thigh , that is , upon his lower parts , upon his people , that were in a low condition , he will make the very place of his feet to be glorious , even there shall be written , the king of kings , and lord of lords . but secondly , what was this burden ? this burden was those taxes that were upon the people , whereby they maintained their correspondence with this king of assyria : correspondence with wicked men it is burdensom : for the the more they are sought to , and yeelded to , ordinarily the more burdensom they are : and whatsoever they do for you for a while , it is indeed to serve their own ends , and this they brought upon themselves : for they would go to assyria , and they found the assyrians to be burdensom to them . when men will follow their own waies , and think to have more ease in their own way than in gods , it is just they should find those waies to be burdensom to them . i am perswaded there is not one in this congregation but hath found the experience of this ; when you think your waies will bring more ease to you than gods waies , have not you found your waies burdensom ? but thirdly , when was this fulfilled ? if we would know the meaning of the prophet we must refer to the history of the kings , and in kings , . . there you may find when this prophesie was fulfil'd . phul the king of assyria came against the land , and menahem gave phul a thousand talents of silver that his hand might be with him to confirm the kingdom in his hand . and menahem exacted the money of israel , even of all the mighty men of wealth , of each man fifty sheckles of silver to give to the king of assyria . there was one burden . and then in the . ver . in the daies of pekah king of israel , came tig●ath-pile●er king of assyria , and took jion , and abel-beth maachah , and jauoah , and kedesh , and hazor , and gilead , and galilee , all the land of nephtalie , and carried them captive to assyria . there was a further burden . but yet the whol land was not , it was only the other side of jordan : at these two times was this scripture fulfil'd . fourthly , why doth the holy ghost say , the burden of the king of princes ? in speaking of the burden that was upon the people he doth give the assyrian such an epithite ? why it seems to be a dimunition of their burden rather than any aggravation ; for he speaks of sorrowing but a little , as if it should not be so great a burden as afterwards should be upon them , no●ing thus , that they were burdened a while with taxations from a great king , but they should afterwards come under the power , to be at the wils & lusts of al kind of base people , of the very dregs of people : and it is not so great an evil to be under the power of men of rank and quality , no not under their oppression , as to be under the oppression of many people , of people that are of very mean quality and condition , the very refuse of a nation , to come to be under their power it 's a great deal worse . and by the way this note it should teach us , even those that are of mean breeding , and whose lives have been very low in the world , of mean condition , if they be put into place of any power and authority , to take heed how they behave themselves , for their oppression will be the most grievous to an ingenuous spirit that possibly can be . and there is a great deal of danger in them to grow more oppressing than other men that were born to greatness , and their oppression wil be so intolerable as wil bring the greatest confusion that possibly can be if that be not well lookt to . and therefore here when he would lessen the burden , ( saith he ) you shall sorrow a little for tht burden of the king of princes . but what is it ? you shall sorrow a little . they complained , but saith god , what do you complain of this ? this is but a little burden to that which you are like to have , there 's another manner of burden a coming for you than this ; and from hence the notes are these . first , when sinners have brought trouble upon themselves they will complain much , exceedingly troubled ; but when they complain they are to consider , that what they feel it is but a little to what 's coming after . there are burdens upon you , and you are complaining of these burdens , as if so be that they were the greatest that ever were upon people , oh sinner ! consider of this when you are complaining of your burdens , know , that these burdens that are upon you may prove to be but very trifles in comparison of what 's like to come upon you afterwards , for that 's the scope of the holy ghost here , they shall sorrow a little for this burden , as if he should say , there is other manner of sorrow coming after , and so it did , for afterwards the assyrians carried them all away captives , and the basest of all the people came even to set their feet upon them , and therefore saith the holy ghost , this is but a little : i speak to those that make not up their peace with god ; and do not upon those burdens that are upon them return to god. as the mercies of god to his saints , that which now they have is but a little , they may be said to rejoyce a little for the mercy that now they have . and so the burdens upon the ungodly they are but a little , but if they return not to god upon what they feel , god hath greater burdens than those are that they so vex and fret under . secondly , taxes and impositions upon mens estates are but a little burden in comparison of being brought under the power of the enemy . though there be sore taxes upon you , as here there was fifty shekels of silver laid upon every man that was able , but those taxes are but little burdens in comparison of being given up to the power of the enemy , they would lay burdens indeed upon us , burdens upon our consciences , all our estates , all our lives , all our liberties , whatsoever we are or have must be under their mercy ; now we are troubled , but then their little finger will be more heavy than the loins that now we find to be upon us ; although we dare not say but some may find burdens very sore upon them for the present . a third note , is this ; that , as taxes are a burden , but a little in comparison , so the carrying of our brethren into captivity : though we enjoy our estates our selves , yet if god laies his hand upon any of our brethren though in remote parts of the kingdom , oh we should account this to be a burden . as not only their taxations was a burden , but the carrying away of their brethren that were beyond the river . if there were no other sin among us , it were just with god to bring the enemy upon us , and then we should find that there were other manner of burdens . but there is another burden that we are not sensible enough of , and that is the captivity of our brethren in the remote parts of this land. oh! how little sensible are we of it because we feel it not our selves ? the fourth note from hence is this , that it's gods mercy when we are running on to our utter ruin , not to suffer us to plung our selves irrecoverably into misery , but to bring lesser evils upon us that by them we may come to bethink our selves , and if it be possible to prevent greater . you shall sorrow a little , i will not undo you presently ; but return to me , or else you are utterly undone , but this is my mercy , i wil bring afflictions upon you by piece-meal , and if you do not return to me , then you shall be utterly lost ; for so this people were , they were carried away captive and never returned to this very day . oh! doth god come to you in your family , or person , or estate ? oh! let us consider of this . and this is the last note from it : the consideration of little burdens which is upon us to what might be , should cause us to turn to god ; it should break our hearts , and cause us to seek the face of god , that we may prevent greater evils , that otherwise will certainly come ; the lord in his dealing towards us seems as if he were loth to lose us , and that this nation should perish , oh that this might work kindly upon our hearts to prevent greater evils , that we might not be made a spectacle of the wrath of god to all the nations that are round about us . and yet further , the words translated , they shall sorrow a little , are by some translated , they have begun a little for the burden of the king of princes : and so in deut. . . there is the word that comes from the same root , that that they have felt , it is but the beginning of what is like to come , my wrath is let out upon them in some degree already , and do not you see it , how it is begun to burn upon them ? and that which was lately before your eyes , by that you may come to beleeve my threatnings . gods judgments against wicked men , are the beginnings of further judgments . in deut. . . i will make my arrows drunk with blood ( and my sword shall devour flesh ) and that with the blood of the slain , and of the captives , from the beginning of revenge upon the enemy . all this is but from the beginning of revenges , when i come so terribly upon them , it is but the beginning of revenges . we are ready to think if there be miserable slaughters , surely god hath been revenged enough upon this people . no , all this may prove but the begining of revenges . i may say so concerning our selves , though the lord many times hath made the sword drunk with blood , yet it may prove to be but the beginning of revenges ; truly we cannot say that from the time that these judgments have been upon us , that we have begun scarce to come in to turn to god , yea , th●●●ate of the kingdom is far worse than it was at the beginning of this heavy stroke that is upon us . in matth. . , . ye shall hear of wars , and rumors of wars , and nation should rise against nation , and kingdom against kingdom , and there shall be famines and pestilences , and earth-quakes : all these should be but the beginning of sorrows . secondly , god expects from men , that though they be not sensible of his threats , yet when he begins with them in way of execution of his wrath , they should begin a little . oh! it were well with us if we did prevent gods heavy wrath by our repentance . numbers . . . moses said unto aaron , take a censer , and put fire therein from off the altar , and put on incense , and go quickly to the congregation , and make an atonement for them ; for there is wrath gone out from the lord , the plague is begun . oh! how should we all make hast ? we cannot say only , the plague is begun ( the plague of civil war , which is the greatest of all kind of plagues ) but it hath gone on a great way . but to proceed . ver . . because ephraim hath made many altars to sin , altars shall be unto him to sin . it was the charge of god in scripture , that there should be but one altar for sacrifice , and there was another altar that afterwards was made for incense , and no further , in deut. . . and . ver . there we have the charge of god that there should be none other made , you shall overthrow their altars , and break their pillars , and burn their groves with fire , and you shall hew down the graven images of their gods , and destroy the names of them out of that place &c. and then , take heed to thy self that thou offer not thy burnt offering in every place that thou seest , but in the place which the lord shall chuse &c. and in deut. . . thou shalt build an altar to the lord thy god , an altar of stones : thou shalt not lift up an iron tool upon them . and according to which joshua did , in joshua , . . and hence in joshua , . . now for the altar of god , i shall first shew you a little the meaning of them , and then the reason why god would have but this one altar , in exod. . . there is an injunction of god for the altar of sacrifice ; an altar of earth thou shalt make unto me , and shalt sacrifice thereon thy burnt offering &c. here observe that , that when god would have an altar made for sacrifice it must be but an altar of earth , but if it should be of stone , take heed that thou liftest not up a tool upon it . why , one would think that to carve and paint the stones and do any thing to make it brave would do better , than to have the stones rough ; no saith god , whatsoever you may think that to make my altar brave , by carving of it and painting it , if you do but lift up a tool upon it , you polute my altar ; all mans devices in the worship of god though they be never so pompous they do but polute gods worship : and they must not go up upon steps ( quite contrary to our high altars ) that their nakedness be not discovered therein : noting that when we come into the presence of god we should take heed of our spiritual nakedness , and the pride and vanity of our spirits in prayer ; god would have them make an altar so as they might not go up upon steps , lest their nakedness should be discovered . but now in exod. . , . there you shall find an altar of shittim wood overlaid with brass ; you will say , why was the first with earth and the other with brass ? the reason was , because that the one was to be made when they were in an unsetled condition , and the other to be made afterwards when they were in a more stated condition than formerly , and that it might endure a long time . but mark , it must be according to gods direction , except god doth reveal that it should be of shittim wood and overlaid with brass they were not to do it . and then , the second altar was the altar of burnt incense , and that you have in exod. . , , . verses , and that was to be overlaid with pure gold : that of brass it was , because there was sin offerings to be offered upon it ; but now the altar of incense it was the altar that was just before the vail against the mercy-seat , where there was only incense offered , which was to signifie the intercession of jesus christ presenting his merits , and the prayers of all his people to the father : the prayers of the saints are compar'd to incense , and there 's many things observable about the altar of god , it is said that there should be four horns , and in revel . chap. . ver . . i heard a voice from the four horns of the golden altar which is before god. now saint john speaks of after-times that should be , he heard a voice from the four horns of the altar , that is , from all the prayers of the saints that were in the four corners of the earth , there came a voice from them all and did sound , and did great things in the world . certainly my brethren , the prayers of gods saints in all the corners of the world is that that makes the world ring . it was a speech of a learned man , if there be but one sigh come from a gracious heart , it fills the ears of god so that god hears nothing else ; nay , that 's observable in revel . . . about this altar of incense , and another angel came and stood at the altar , having a golden censer , and there was given unto him much incense , that he should offer it with the prayers of all saints upon the golden altar which was before the throne . thus we see that in our time we are to make use of this golden altar that is before the throne , all our prayers are to be offered up upon that which was a type of jesus christ , and our prayers except they be mingled with the incense which christ did offer himself upon the golden altar , cannot be accepted , and likewise that 's very observable about it that we reade in exod. . . that there was a crown of gold round about it , to typifie the intercession of christ , and the prayers of the saints ; you may see by this that christs intercession , and the prayers of the saints that came from faithful hearts , are accounted the very glory of jesus christ , jesus christ accounts it his dignity and glory , to make intercession for his people , and to take the poor prayers of his people and present them to his father ; he makes account that his crown is set upon his head , when you exercise your faith upon jesus christ that christ might present your prayers with his intercession to the father , then you set the crown upon jesus christs head ; but when you think to be heard your selves , and do not exercise your faith upon christ , you do ( as it were ) take off the crown from the head of jesus christ . and that 's very observable , the difference between this altar that was here enjoyn'd to be made by moses , and so was afterwards made , and the altar that we reade of should be in the times of the gospel . first , christ he is our altar in the gospel , so it is in heb. . . we have an altar that those have no right to eat of it , that serve a● the tabernacle ; that is , such men as shall pertinaciously still stick to the ceremonies of the law , they have no right to partake of jesus christ . and then further , you shall find that in the gospel there is a prophesie of the altar that the church shall have , in ezek. . . the altar that was in the law , the text saith , it was to be a cubit long , and a cubit broad ; but that which must be in the time of the gospel , must be three cubits high , and two cubits long : and this notes thus much , that there shal be a larger extent of the service of god in the time of the gospel , than in the time of the law ; that place in malachi , doth much open this , . . for from the rising of the sun even unto the going down of the same , my name shall be great among the gentiles , and in every place incense shall be offered unto my name , and a pure offering : for my name shall be great among the heathen , saith the lord of hosts . another thing observable is , it was set before the vail by the ark of the testimony , before the mercy-seat . it was to stand in the holy of holiest , but just before the vail , right against the mercy-seat ; and by this you must be helped to understand that scripture in heb. . . which ( as some understand it ) seems to have some variety from this , it is said that the holiest of all had the golden censer , by which they understand the golden altar , in which the censer was ; but we shall find that the golden altar did not stand in the holy of holiest , for we reade in exod. . . and thou shalt put it before the vail that is by the ark of the testimony , before the mercy-seat ; that is , over the testimony . and therefore interpreters reconcile it thus : it is not said here that the golden censer or altar ( if we so take it ) was in it , but it had it , that is , it was for the use of the holy of holiest , and it stood just before the holy of holiest , and just against the mercy-seat , so that the high priest when he was to enter into the holy of holiest he was to take a censer and incense from this altar , and so go into the holiest of all . but this is the note , in that the altar of incense stands just against the mercy-seat , and yet there is a vail between the mercy-seat and it . so when we are to offer up our incense upon the merits of christ and his intercession , though we cannot by the eye of our bodies see the mercy-seat , yet we must act our faith upon the mercy-seat ; and then that 's observable , that the incense must be burnt upon this altar at that very time when the lamps were to be trim'd and lighted , so you shall observe it in exod. . . and that was to note thus much to us : that we are to joyn the word with our prayers , and not to come ignorantly to god , but labor to enlighten our souls with the lamp of his word , when we come to offer up our incense to god. further , there is a command that no strange incense shall be offered upon it . this is to teach us thus much : that we must take heed of bringing any thing to god to offer him in prayer , but what comes from the spirit of god , only gods own incense ; take heed ( i say ) of bringing unsanctified parts , or any thing but that which is from the spirit of god. lastly , once a year an atonement was made upon the horns of the altar , with the blood of the sin-offering ; though the sin offering was not offered upon it , yet once a year an atonement was made upon it with the blood of the sin-offering . this is to note thus much : that even by our incense we defile the altar what in us lies . and thus i have a little digrest , and yet it is still for opening of scripture to you , to shew unto you the meaning of gods altars . but why would god have no other altars , but accounted it so hainous a crime to make any other altars but those ? the reasons are these . first , because these altars did typifie these two things . the altar of burnt-offerings did typifie this : that christ was to be the only sacrifice ; there should be no other sacrifice to pacifie gods wrath but only jesus christ , who was both the sacrifice indeed , and the altar its self , for his human nature was offered to god upon the merits , as it were upon the worthiness of his divine nature : heb. . . how much more shall the blood of jesus christ who through the eternal spirit offered himself without spot to god &c. this altar did signifie the offering of jesus christ . as if god should say , know that what endeavors you do or can use to satisfy my justice , and my wrath it is to no purpose , there 's nothing but only my son and that offering that shall satisfie my wrath : and now for them to make more altars , it was to deny that great point of religion that there was only the sacrifice of christ to satisfie god. secondly , this signified , that in christ only our services which are our spiritual sacrifices are accepted of god ; there must be no altar , but this for the sacrifice , and the other for incense ; god would have this doctrine kept pure from that time and so ever after , that none of our spiritual sacrifices can be accepted any other way but only as they have reference to jesus christ that altar that the lord hath appointed . and then another reason why the lord would have only thi● altar for sacrifice , and the other for incense , and that all the people should come to these altars , it was ; that it might be the bond of the church ; because the people of the jews were a national church , therefore there was to be a national worship , for that all the nation was to joyn not only in the same likeness of worship , but in the very same individual worship ; and this was the bond of their national church . now for my part , i know none living that holds a national church in these daies in this sense , that is to be of divine institution , and joyned in one , by gods commanding any national worship for them . where there are in nations a great many of the saints of god , that they may be called a national church we despute not against that ; but people when they talk of a national church , do not conceive the meaning of it ; certainly this was a special end why god would have them come to this one altar , it was to be the bond of the national church , that they should have such a worship wherein they were all of them to joyn in one , and this it was that made them a national church : it is not enough to have the same kind of worship ; as now , we al pray , and reade the word in all congregations , we have all the same sacraments , but they must joyn in one individual worship . if the nation of the jews had worshiped the same god after the same manner , in divers temples , and upon divers altars , this had not been a national bond to them ; but by coming up to the same temple , and offering upon the same altars , and when the sacrifice and incense was offered for them all , they were joyned in the very act , all of them in that one thing , this was the thing that did unite them into a church-union in another manner than any church-union can be in this world , til we have such a kind of institution as they had . we have no institution for worship but where people may personally joyn together : but for thousands of congregations to be bound by institution to joyn in the very same bond of worship , in the very same individual act , such an union we have not in these daies , and without the understanding of this aright , we understand not the scope why they had but one altar for burnt offerings , and one altar for incense . but now it may be said , that it doth not seem to be such a sin to erect altars , for that 's the sin charged upon ephraim , that they did erect many other altars ; for the scripture speaks of many altars that were gods altars , king , . you know it is the complaint of elias that they had cast down gods altars , they have cast down thine altars ; now this was spoken after the time of the law when there was but only two altars appointed by god , and the prophet did not mean them , the altar for burnt offerings and incense . therefore the answers that divines give to this is ; that this is spoken of those altars that the patriarks and others had built for the honor of god to sacrifice upon , before the time that the law was given by moses , for that one only altar of sacrifice , ( and here he complains they had cast down those altars ) for it was lawful before the command was given to build divers altars , but after the command was given , it was not . yea , but still the objection will be , how could it be a sin to cast down those altars when they were of no further religious use ? for after the command of god for that one altar , then the other were to be demolished ; was it not commended in the godly kings that they cast down high places , and cut down groves ? though some of them formerly were for the true worship of god , yet after god had appointed a peculiar place for his worship and those other places were abused to superstition , then they were to be cast down ; and so there 's no question to be made but all other altars that were built for religious uses were to be cast down , after gods own altars were made . the answer to it therefore is this ; that the evil that elijah complains of , it was the prophaness of the people , their casting off all fear and reverence of god ; because they did not cast down those altars out of love to god , and his worship , upon this principle , that they would not suffer any thing that might be dangerous to superstition , that was not the principle whereby they were acted in casting them down , but they cast them down as led thereunto by malice and rage against religion , and to satisfie their lusts ; and thus if men oppose that which is indeed superstitious , yet if it be not out of a true love to god and his honor , if it be not out of a desire to set up and to maintain the true worship of god , but in a bitterness and rage , meerly out of self-ends to please themselves in a way of revenge , or through any distemper , though ( i say ) the thing be evil that these men do oppose , yet god will not own it as any service to him , it is a sin in them to cast down that which should be cast down , if they do not cast it down out of a right and gracious principle ; then what evil is it for men in bitterness of spirit to oppose that which is in its self good , if god account it sin to oppose that which which should be opposed , if it be through bitterness of spirit , and not through gracious principles . they have made many altars . whatsoever is made by man in a religious worship it is rejected of god , there must be nothing of mans making in divine worship ; the very spirit and life of the second commandement it consists in this , thou shalt not make to thy self any graven image . that 's one instance in the matter of worship , but by that we are to understand any thing in divine worship , we must not make to our selves ; ( i say ) there lies the very life , and the very spirit of the second commandement the making to our selves ; if god will appoint ceremonies significant to put us in mind of heavenly things , and stir up our hearts on high , we are to use them with reverence and respect ; but if we will presume to do things as god hath done ; that 's the ground of all superstitious ceremonies , because they find god makes some , they think that they may presume to make others to imitate god ; now it is a sin against the second commandement for us to presume to make any thing in matters of divine worship . further , they have made many . there 's no stop ( that 's the note ) in superstitious worship , if men leave the rule they know not where to stay : hence is the multiplying of things thus among the papists , five hundred altars in some one temple . and austin in his th epistle complains of the multitude of ceremonies that were in the church in his time . what complaints would he have now ? all things in the church were full of presumptions , they did multiply one thing after another ; and indeed let but the right way once be left and there 's no limits . oh let us take heed how we multiply in gods worship ; there 's much controversie between the papists and us , about multiplying in the worship of god. we would have but one mediator , they would have many ; we would have but one rule of faith , but they will give power to pope , and church to make articles of faith ; we would have but one object of worship , they would have many ; we would have but one sacrifice , they would have many oblations for the quick and dead ; we would have but one satisfaction , they would have many ; we would have but one merit , they would have many : and thus by multiplying , the unity of the church is divided : but we must keep to the unity that we find in the scriptures . and then further , they have made many altars . in the opening what a sin it was to make any other altar but that god hath appointed , i shewed out of joshua , how their progenitors was so provoked when there was made another altar , they did rise against them and made account to destroy them every one , because of making any other altar besides gods ; but now they make many altars . their fathers were careful to keep themselves to one altar , but their successors they make many . hence note that , we are ready to imitate our forefathers in that which is evil , but not in that which is good . their forefathers were great enemies and were mightily incensed against adding but one altar to gods altars , but they will not imitate their forefathers in this good thing , in standing for that one true worship of god ; ordinarily when any thing is evil there we will imitate our forefathers , but we leave them in that which is good . if you would ask the reason why it came to pass that their progenitors were so zealous for gods own altar , and yet now their children after them make many altars , the reason may be this , which will afford a note of very great use unto us , when their progenitors came first into the land af canaan , and joshua assoon as they came in he did according to the commandement of god by moses , set up an altar , and they seeing upon their first coming into the land the goodness of god towards them , they were much taken with this ; but now after they had enjoyed the land a while , after they begun to be setled , to be warm in their nests , and to prosper in the land , then they ventured upon this way of corrup●ing of gods worship , and multiplying altars ; and when they had once ventured , and escaped unpunished , then they thought they were sure : and so by degrees they come to this excess in superstitious worship ▪ the note is this , we must take heed to make any distance of time from the commandement given , or the threatning denounced to make us to fear the breach of the commandement less : they were afraid of the breach of the commandement soon after it was given ; but when there was a distance of time from the commandementt , and when they were setled in a way of prosperity , then they ventured : so that ( i say ) from hence our note is , that we must take heed that the distance of time , or our setling in a prosperous condition doth not make us to fear the commandement less than we did fear it at first when we were not in such a setled way . and for this you have a most excellent scripture in deut. . . saith the text there , when thou shalt beget children , and childrens children , and shalt have remained long in the land , and shall corrupt your selves , and make a graven image , or the likeness of any thing , and shall do evil in the sight of the lord thy god to provoke him to anger . when thou shalt beget children , and childrens children , and shalt remain long in the land , then thou shalt make graven images : there was not so much fear that when they came first into the land , that they should make graven images when they first were delivered out of their bondage , and god had made known his glorious word unto them , their hearts were a little warm , but after they had lived long in the land , then they began to forget god and make graven images . just so it is with us for all the world , when we are newly come out of afflictions , then our hearts are kept a little warm , and then we would serve god according to his own way ; but after we have continued long in the land , and been a while in a prosperous condition and pretty well nessel'd , and find all things pretty well about us , oh! then we begin to be cool and for get the lord in his way . it hath been alwaies so , and it is so , not only in particular persons and nations , but churches too , ordinarily when people are delivered from superstitious vanities and come to worship god in his own way , at first when they come to enjoy the ordinances of god in the purity of them , oh! how glad are they , and they bless god , and their hearts are warmed and enlarged , and their hearts do close one with another , and what sweet union is there together at first ! but after they have lived a while in the land , after they have lived a while in the way of god and enjoyed him a little , they begin to grow more cool , and dead , and begin to fall to wrangling and contending , and so all that spiritualness and that heavenly heat that they had before it vanishes and comes to nothing : i beseech you remember this text , deut. . . take heed after you have abode a while in such a condition ; you thought when you came first into it you would never forget god , oh you blessed god , and rejoyced in gods worship ; well , your hearts are taken at first , but look to your selves , for after you have continued any long time it may prove to be otherwise with you . again further , ephraim hath made many altars : hath multiplied altars , so hierom. so the seventy hath gone on in way of multiplication . they had some altars at first , and their fore-fathers made some , and they afterwards made more , and so stil every generation did multiply their altars . from thence the note is this : that idolatry and false-worship doth not only continue in succession , but in every age there will be an addition . oh my brethren ! let the true worship of god then , not only continue , but multiply . idolaters they will make this no argument , why should we be wiser than our fore-fathers ? no , they will go beyond their fore-fathers in way of false worship , and yet , how many among us wil be pleading against reformation with this argument , why should not we content our selves with what our fore-fathers did ? our fore-fathers knew not of such new waies of worship as you tell us of . but now my brethren , if our fore-fathers reformed a little , let us bless god for what they did , but let us add more , to raise up the worship of god yet higher and higher , as in psal . . . but i will hope continually , and wil yet praise thee more and more . the words may be read thus : i will ad unto thy praise , o lord : thou hast had praise , indeed formerly thou hadst praise from others ; oh! but i will do something to add to thy praise , i will praise thee more and more : so every generation should strive to praise god more & more , to add to gods praise , to find out more of gods truths , to add to the purity of gods worship , and to cast out superstition more than our fore-fathers have done : it was an argument of a great deal of praise in our fore-fathers to do what they did , and ( i say ) we are to bless god for them , that the lord put such a spirit into them , but know that that which was accepted of from our fore-fathers , wil not be accepted of from us , god expects that we should add to the praise of god. men desires to ad more and more to the states of their progenitors , and so your children they will add a little to the estates that you leave them ; and so men account it their ambition to raise their families . my brethren , we should have an holy ambition by practice of religion more and more in every age , as jehu said in king. . . ahab served baal a little , but jehu shall serve him much : so others ; as he said of false worship , though in a fained way ; we should say of the true worship of god , we have served the lord a little , but we will serve him more ; we have more mercies than they had , more light than they had , if they served god a little , we will serve him more . and then , ephraim hath made many altars to sin . god still remembers the first and the chief actors in sin [ ephraim ] he speaks to the ten tribes , and yet only names ephraim , because the governors were of that tribe . the chief in a family , by whom the whol family is corrupted , and the chief in a town or country , god hath an eye upon them , and though others escape they shall not , ephraim hath multiplied altars to sin ; they intended not to sin , it was not their intention when they made altars that they might sin , they thought they pleased god , but god accounts it ●n , and a provocation to him : and from thence the note is only this ; that whatsoever names we may give to things , yet ( it may be ) god will give other names and titles to them ; we may say , that it is devotion , god will say , it is superstition ; we may say , it 's good intention , but god may say , it is presumption ; we may say , it is prudence , and wisdom , but god may give it another name , and say it is temporising , 't is time-serving , god doth use to give other names to things than we do ; in the scripture they call their images their , delectable things : god calls them detestable things . no question if you would ask them why they built altars they would say , to the honor of god ; but saith god , you built altars to sin . and then , altars shall be unto him to sin . shall be to him . ] that 's thus ; seeing they will have them , they shall have them , they shall have enough of them , let them go on in their way , let them multiply their sin . when mens hearts are set upon false waies of worship it 's just with god to let them have their desires to the full ; they shall have their way that they do contend for : they keep a great deal of stir for it , and have it they must , they refuse to see the light , they are prejudiced against the way of gods worship , let them have what they would have ; saith god , they shall have governors to establish what they would have by their authority , and they shall have their teachers that shall defend by subtil arguments those things to be lawful , they multiply altars to sin and they shall be to sin , even to harden them ; and so the seventy seem to take the meaning of these words by their translation of them ; whereas you have it , they shall be to sin , their altars shall be to love , their hearts are set upon them and they will have them , and love them , and they shall be hardened in them : and this is the heavy judgment of god to give unto men their hearts desires in what is evil ; and as it shall be to them for sin , so it shall be to them for their misery for the fruit of sin , for so sin is taken very frequently in scripture for the fruit of sin , they will have them to sin , and they shall find the fruit of sin by what they are so eagerly set upon them . and thus much for the eleventh verse . it follows . ver . . i have written to him the great things of my law , but they were counted as a strange thing . this verse in the reading of it appears a greatness in the very sound of it , and there is as much in it as the sound doth import , and therefore though we pass over other things more briefly , yet because there is very much of gods mind in this , and we should wrong the scripture if we should pass over this too slightly . i have written to him the great things of my law. this is made an aggravation of their sin , they multiply altars to sin , and yet saith god , i have written to them the great things of my law : they find no such things in my law written to them , this was against the very written word of god , and what that written word of god against those many altars was , that you had the last day , but in that from this connexion that these are made sins because they were against the written word of god : from thence the note is , that whatsoever is urged to us , or practised by us in matters of worship , it must have warrant out of the written word of god. it was sin , why ? because i have written to them ( saith he ) the great things of my law , and they counted it a strong thing ; though that which they did had a great deal of seeming devotion in it , yet it was otherwise than that they found written in my law. this question should be put to any that tender to us any way of worship , or doctrine of religion under any specious shew whatsoever ; where is it written ? to the law , and to the testimonie , ( isaiah . . . ) if they speak not according to this word , it is , because they have no light in them ; oh they seem to be very judicious and wise , but if they speak not according to this word they have no light in them , not only to the law and testimonies , but to the written law and testimonies , this must be the standard at which all doctrines and waies of worship must be tried : many may put fair colours upon their waies , that it is for common peace , and a great deal of good may be done by it , and the like ; but is it written ? did i ever command it saith god ? policy may say it's fit , reason may say it's comely , and experience may say it's useful , but doth the written law say it should be ? nay , it 's not enough to say , that we cannot say it is forbidden , but where is it written ? in matters of worship this is a certain rule . saith tertullian about the crowning of the soldier with baies ; if it be said , it is lawful , because the scripture doth not forbid it ; it may equally be retorted , it is therefore not lawful , because the scripture doth not command it . no matter what the thing be ( saith luther ) in matters of religion , but who it is that bids it , who it is that commands it , we must look to that ; never argue thus in any point of religion ( i beseech you consider , it is a point that hath been , is , and may yet further prove to be of great use to us ) never argue thus , why , what hurt is there in it ? is it not very comely ? i cannot think but it may do a great deal of good , these arguments are weak arguments in matters of worship : but to all these arguments we must answer , is it written ? as christ answered the devil and his temptations , it was enough to say , it was written thus and thus : so if you can but bring a word written against it , and if you can put them unto it to shew what they would have you to do , let them shew it where it is written ; in exod. . we find in that chapter at least ten times it is said , they did according to what the lord had commanded moses , and in the conclusion of the chapter moses blessed the people ; the people are blessed when in the matters of worship they keep unto what is commanded . and again , as we must not make what we think the rule for worship , so neither the * opinions of learned men , nor custom , nor ant●quity , must be the rule of our worship , but what 's written ? i have written to them the great things of my law , they must keep to that ; whatsoever use we may make now of the opinions of antients and the like , yet if the antients themselves were alive they would abhor the use that many make of their quotations ; cyprian in one of his epistles saith , we must not look what this man , or that man that were before us ( he speaks of his predecessors ) ▪ what he did , or what he taught , but what he that was before all , namely christ , who alone is the way , the truth , and the life . and so † augustin hath another speech to the same effect , speaking of the antients , of learned men , saving all due respect that is due to them , yet for us to think that we may not cast out , even reject from their writings some things , because they were learned men , this must not be admitted , for ( saith he ) such a one i 'le be in respect of the writings of other men , and such a one would i have those that understand my writings to be to me , i will not think of the writings of any other men before , that there should be nothing cast out nor mended , neither would i have any body think so of my writings . and so ambrose , where the scripture is silent we must not speak . thus we see that those men for the maintaining of that which is evil they will make use of quotation● and antiquities , yet we see the antients did abhor this , christ and his apostles they quoted none of the learned men before them , but moses and the prophets . but you will say , though we must not take that which other men write to be the rule , yet that which other men write may help us to understand the scripture . now i remember luther hath such a speech , that scripture should rather help us to understand mens writings , than mens writings to understand the scripture ; many men they will make mens writings to be as a judg , and to be the rule of understanding scriptures , not the judg of truth , but the rule of understanding scripture , whereas ( saith he ) the scripture should rather be the rule of understanding them . and so hilary , ( saith he ) for the sense of scripture and understanding them , he is the best interpreter , that rather takes the sense from out of scripture , and by comparing one scripture with another , than bring any new sense ; therefore the understanding of scripture is more by scripture than by the writings of any man living . and yet still no question we may make use of the gifts of god in others , but so as to keep us close to the written word for the rule , yea , and for the meaning of the rule ; they may help us to see whether the scripture will justifie this truth , or this sense , for there lies the mistake ; most people in the world will think this indeed , that whatsoever any man writes , if it be contrary to the word , we may not receive it , but we must understand the word in what sense they take it ; now we must not go so far ; for the scripture written , is not only that we might know what the rule is , but it is written , that we might understand the meaning of the rule , and we must fetch out the meaning of scriptures by scripture : now so far as the writings of men wil help us to fetch out the meaning of scripture by scripture , so far we may make use of them ; but we cannot say , this is the meaning , because it is the judgment of such and such learned men ; but such and such learned men will give you reasons , and compare one scripture with another , to shew why it is the meaning of it , and they will shew you the history of the time , and shew you how to compare old and new testament one with another ; and this is the use of writers for understanding the scriptures . then you wil say , why do we make use of writers so much ? why thus , they shew how one scripture looks towards another , and to compare one scripture with another , and shew the coherence of things . the sense of things is to be resolved in the scripture its self , and therefore we must keep our selves very close to what is written . written : it was not so at first , it was delivered but from hand to hand , but afterwards when the church began to multiply , then the word was written . and this is a mighty blessing of god , that we may have the mind of god written , so as we may look into it , and search to know the mind of god , by reading it over and over again , and taking it into our hands , when we are lying upon our beds , if we light a candle in the night , we may be reading and looking into the mind of god ; if we should only hear of such a book that were in the world , that were in china in the uttermost parts of the habitable world , if we should hear that there were such a book , that god had written , or that god had used men to write by an inspiration of his own spirit , a book that was certainly indited by the holy ghost every word of it , wherein the lord had revealed the great counsels of his will concerning mans eternal estate , if we should hear that there came such a book down even from heaven , and this was in the uttermost parts of the earth , oh! what a longing desire should we have to see that book ? what man or woman but would give their whol estate to have a week , or a fortnights time to see and reade in such a book as that is ; if one could , he would be willing to travel to the end of the world to have the use of such a book as that is . no man need say , shall i go to the u●●●rmost parts of the earth ? for it is in your hands , it is in your houses , there is the book wherein the great god hath written his mind , hath written all things unto you which concerns you eternal salvation , hath written there whatsoever he would have you to know and beleeve to eternal life ; this it is that you have in your hands : however we prize it now , heretofore it hath been prized at an high rate ; how many of the martyrs would venture their lives to keep but a few leaves of scripture in their houses ? but how vile is it then for us to neglect the reading of this written word ? i have read of one theodorus a physitian at constantinople , that he sent to gregory the great , a great sum of money for the redeeming of captives , and gregory he commends his liberality ; but though he was so liberal and bountiful to redeem captives , yet he writ back again to him in way of reprehending him for not reading scripture , and uses this expression to him , the emperor of heaven , the lord of the angels and men , hath sent to you , that which concerns your life , and will you neglect to reade them with a fervent , with a zealous spirit ? he would not but blame him even at that time when he sent such gifts to him , it did grieve him to think that such a one so bountiful to the poor should so neglect the reading of scripture . many men and women that have excellent parts and yet for all that they find but little savor in the scripture . there 's no books that are written that should take us off from this written word ; although we have cause to bless god abundantly for what is written , for those excellent helps which we have written , yet we must take heed that there be no written book in the world take us off from this written word of god. luther therefore hath such a speech , i even hate mine own books , and i often times even wish that they were burnt , that they might perish , why ? because i fear lest they should be any way of hinderance to men , or withdraw them from reading the scriptures : and so he fals a comending the scriptures : it is the only fountain of all wisdom ; and further saith he ▪ i am even terrified , i tremble at the example of the former age , upon this , because ( saith he ) many divines spent so much time in reading of aristotle and averres and other writers and spent so little time in reading scripture . and the truth is it was that which brought so much ignorance into the world in the time of the school-men which was a time of great learning and yet the time of the greatest ignorance in the mysteries , of godlines , because they minded scripture very little , but only turn'd things into questions , and disputes that tended not according to scripture ; though we may make use of the labors and gifts of other men , yet look we especially to the written word , and let not other writings take us off from them , hence we say , the scripture in way of excellency we must keep our selves to the written word , and therefore take heed of being led aside by any traditions of men ; that 's a most detestable derrogation from the written word : but we find in the counsel of trent , speaking of the scriptures , saith one of the cannons of the counsel of trent , we ( saith he ) do receive scripture , and reverence scripture , but ( saith he ) moreover we receive and reverence traditions with the same affection of piety and reverence as we do the scripture . those are the very words that all papists are bound to hold , and for them to deny any counsel there were death unto them ; it argues men to be in the dark , to mind traditions so : as the jews , that 's the reason that they vanish so in their thoughts , and understand the scripture so little , because they mind traditions as much as scripture , and more ; for so they say , that divide a mans life into three parts , one part mnst be spent in reading scripture , and two parts more in the two several parts of their talmond , which is their traditions ; and some of them say that this is one tradition among them , that moses did study the scripture in the day time , and those talmoduical traditions that they have they were studied in the night ; and indeed it is night-work , and it is a sign that the world is so much in darkness because they look so much at traditions ; the written word of god which we must look at more than if one came from the dead , or if an angel from heaven came and preached to us : but you will say , that we must not look to it more than if god should reveal any thing to us , suppose it were a voice of god from heaven . we have warrant to have regard to the written word of god more than the voice of god from heaven , peter , . . there it 's spoken of the voice that came down upon the transfiguration at the mountain , but saith the apostle there , we have a more sure word of prophesie , more , more even than that was ; that is , it is more sure to us , and there is not so easie a way to be deceived by resting upon the written word , as if we look for revelations from god , we have a more sure word of prophesie , therefore it is not so much after revelations that we are to look ( especially in such times as these are ) but to the written word of god. there is a generation of men rising now , if not risen , that begin to have vile thoughts of the written word of god , and think to understand the mind of god otherwise , they finding the written word of god to keep their hearts too close and lay too strong bonds upon them , but because they would fain be loose they would feign and imagin to themselves other waies of gods mind , but when they are rotten , and it may be when their souls are perished eternally in hell , the written word of god shall stand and be honorable in the eyes of his saints . i have written . the prophet doth not say , he hath written ; but he brings in god , saying i have written . and that first upon these two reasons . first , to put the greater emphasis upon it , for it is more for god himself to come and say , i have written ; as if a father or master say to his child or servant , i command you to do such a thing , it is more than if a brother or fellow-servant should say , my father hath bidden , or my master hath bidden you to do such a thing . secondly , whosoever were the pen-men of the word , it is i that write it , i take it upon my self . the word is so much his that god claims not only the truths that are in the word , but the very ordering for the words ; and in pet. . . it is said of holy men , they spake as they were moved by the holy ghost : they were carried on with a kind of violence as the word signifies , and not only moved , but carried on with a kind of violence to write what they did , both in their speaking and in their writing , i have written . and i have written to him the great things of my law. from this manner of phrase , first we are to note this , that we should look upon the scripture as concerning our selves . here 's a letter written to you , and you , and you , every man and woman , therefore it is in the singular number , every man & woman must look upon the scripture as written to him , or her particularly ; god writes to thee , he hath written a letter to thee that thou shouldest not commit adultry , nor swear , nor steal , and that thou shouldest keep the sabbath , and that thou shouldest not lye , and that thou shouldest reverence him , and love him , and fear him , and all such kind of rules that god from heaven hath written to thee , and it is a mervailous help to obedience and to awaken mens consciences when they apprehend them written to them . psal . . . thy word is a lamp unto my feet , and a light unto my paths . it is not a light that i see at a distanc a great way off , but as a light that is held to my feet that i make use of for the ordering of mine own steps . many there are that seem to rejoyce in the word of god as a light to reveal truths unto them for matter of discourse , but they make it not as a light to their feet , and a lanthorn to their steps , as applying it to themselves , and it follows , i have sworn and will perform it , that i will keep thy righteous judgments : i have look'd upon thy word as a lanthorn to my feet , as a thing meerly concerning me ; and then i have sworn and i will perform , i have sworn that i will keep thy righteous judgments . it 's a mighty means to stir up a mans spirit , and quicken him up to obedience , to look upon the word as written to himself : as thus , when you come to hear out of gods word and god directs the minister so that you apprehend it as spoken to you , it will stir and awaken you , oh me thought this day every word the minister spake it was to me . and so every word in the scripture that concerns thee , god writes to thee and conceive it so and it will be a mighty means to stir thee up to obedience . as if a man be asleep a great noise will not waken him so soon , as if you call him by his name , john , thomas &c. so when the word of god comes as to our selves in particular it 's a mighty means to stir the heart . again , i have written to him . to those that were the people of god , though the word concerns all men , yet it is written to the church in a more especial manner . as you find in the revelations all the epistles were written to the churches , and indeed all the word of god is in a more peculiar manner written to the church , there are some things concerning all mankind , but that which god aims at in a more especial manner it is to the church , first to the church of the jews , they had that great priviledg that the orracles of god were committed to them in rom. . . when the apostle had taken them off from resting in many of their outward priviledges , he brings an objection : but then may some say , what advantage hath the jew ? he answers , much every way , chiefly , because to them were committed the oracles of god : in this thing they had much advantage of all people in the world , that to them were committed the oracles of god , god gave jacob his law , it was the inheritance of his people ; it is written to them , to them is committed the oracles of god : and this is a great honor which god puts upon his saints , god makes his church to be the keeper of his records , the court of rolls as it were , the church is as it were the court of rolls , and the great records of heaven , god commits to his church , and therfore they should look to it that it be kept faithfully , that there be no corrupting it , for then they do falsifie their trust , shee hath the keeping of scripture but gives no authority to scripture ; in john , . . saith christ there , if ye beleeve not moses writings , how can ye beleeve my words ? mark , christ would have the authority of his words much to be strengthened by the writings that were before in scripture , if ye beleeve not his writings , how can ye beleeve my words ? but now the papists will say , if ye beleeve not our words , how can ye beleeve their writings ? quite the other way , they will take upon them more than christ ; christ saith , if ye beleeve not his writings , how can ye beleeve my words ? say they , if ye beleeve not our words , how can ye beleeve their writings ? for they take the authority of the writing of scripture to depend upon their words ; it is written to the church , and committed to the church , but the authority comes not from the church . it follows . i have written the great things of my law. by law here we are to understand ●he whol word of god , and not in way of distinction of law and gospel , but the whol word of god , and so the word signifies , it comes from one signifying teaching ; the law is a doctrine that is taught , and so though sometimes it may be distinguished from some other parts of scripture , yet now we are to understand the whol mind of god in his word ; when you reade in psal . . how david loved gods law , it is not the ten commandements , but the mind of god revealed in his word . the great things of my law ] the old latin hath it the many laws , and the words in the hebrew seems a little to favor , the multiplicity of my laws . and then it should argue these two things . first , that the word is full and perfect ; that we have rules for every thing that concerns the ordination of our lives to god in his word , there 's a multiplicity of laws and rules for all our waies . secondly , that there are manifold excellencies in gods law ; as the manifold wisdom of god is in christ , so the manifold excellencies of god are kept up together in the word of god. the seventy translates the word , the fulness , or multitude , and according to that tertullian hath an expression , i adore the fulness of the scripture ; oh the multitude of excellent things there are there ! and the fulness that there is there ! i find divers turn this word by many words that have excellent significations in them , and indeed the hebrew word wil bear many expressions of it . some the precious thing , the magnificent thing ; the excellent thing ; the honorable things of my law ; as in acts , . . they spake the wonderful things of god , it is more than the great things , the magnificent great things of god. now the things of the word they are glorious and honorable and very great , they are to be look'd upon as great things , the things of gods word ; that 's the first . and then especially , the things that concern gods worship are to be look'd upon as great things , for so it hath reference to them , but the expression aims at that which is more general , the great things of my law , the honorable , magnificent , and glorious things . now the things of the law are great things . first , because they are from the great god , and they have the stamp of the authority of the great god upon them , there is a dreadful authority in every truth , in every thing that is written in gods law , ( i say ) there is a dreadful authority of the great god , that binds kings and princes in chains , that laies bonds upon the conscience that no created power can , yet this doth ; when we come to hear the word , we come either as to a soveraign to receive laws from , or as to a judg to receive the sentence of death , it hath the dreadful authority of the great god in it , and therefore every thing that is in the word is to be look'd upon as a great thing ; a piece of parchment and a little wax , and a few lines in it what are they ? but having the authority of the great seal of england , such a piece is to be look'd upon as a great thing : the things of gods law are great things , for they have great authority which goes along with them . and secondly , they are great things because of the lustre of the great god that shines in them . take all the creatures that ever god made in heaven and earth , and ( i say ) there is not so much glory of god in sun , moon , stars , sea , and plants , and al things in the world , as there is in some few sentences of holy scripture , therfore they are great things : psal . . . thou hast magnified thy word above all thy name . the name of god appears in his great work of creation , and of providence . we are to look upon gods name as very great ; yet thou hast magnified thy word above all thy name ; it 's more than al gods names besides : it may be when there are some extraordinary works of god in the world , thundring , and lightning &c. we are ready to be affraid , and oh ! the great god that doth appear in these great works ! were our hearts 〈◊〉 they ought to be when we reade the word , we would tremble at that more than at any manifestation of god since the world began in all his works ; and if so be thou dost not see more glory of god in his word than in his works , it is because thou hast little light in thee ; and therfore let the world think of the things of gods law that are written , as they wil , yet they are the great things of his law. thirdly , they are the great mysteries of gods will , the great counsels of god about the souls of men , about his way to honor himself , and to bring mankind to himself , to eternal life ; the great counsels , great mysteries that are contained in the word of god , such as the angels themselves do desire to pry into ; as in prov. . . it is said of wisdom , hear , and i will speak of excellent things . the word of god speaks of excellent things , right excellent things , such great mysteries of gods wisdom as should take up our thoughts , yea , and doth take up the angels , and shall take up the angels and saints to all eternity , to be prying into the great things which are revealed in gods word : psal . . . make me to understand the way of thy precepts , so shall i talk of thy wondrous works . mark how these are joyned together : make me to understand the way of thy precepts , so shall i talk of thy wonderous works : why david , couldest not thou see the wonderous works of god in the book of the creature , in heaven and earth ? oh no , make me to understand the way of thy precepts , and then shall i talk of thy wonderous works . we many times talk about vain and slight things , because we have nothing else to talk of ; but did we understand the way of gods precepts , we should be furnished with discourse of the wondrous works of god. and then , it 's a great word , because that they are of great concernment ; the things of gods law are of great concernment for all our present good or evil depends upon the things of gods law , prov. . . they are life unto thy soul , and grace unt● 〈◊〉 neck . so saith moses in deut. . . set your hearts unto all the words which i testifie unto you this day , for it is not a vain thing , it is your life , they are of great concernment there 's a curse annexed to the breach of every thing in gods law , cursed be every one that abideth not in every thing that is written in the book of the law : is it not a great matter then ? certainly there is nothing in the law that is to be look'd upon as a little matter , because the curse of god is annexed to the breath of every thing that is written in gods law , and there we have the casting of our souls for eternity , and is not that a great matter ? did we come to hear the word , or did we reade the word as the word by which we must be cast for our eternal estates , we would look upon it as a great word . again , the things are great things in gods law , in regard of the great power and efficacy that they have upon the hearts and consciences of men ; when god sets home the things of his law they will bring down the proudest heart and the stoutest stomach that is , they will enlighten the blindest mind , and convert the hardest heart that is in the world , the law hath a mighty power upon the soul , and therefore it is great . further , they are great things , because they make all those great that do receive them ; they make them great even because they have but the keeping of them ▪ much more than if they receive them ; in deut. . . what nation is there so great , that hath statutes and judgments so righteous as all this law that i set before you this day ? what nation so great as you are ? why , wherein are we greater than other people ? wherein ? in this : what nation is so great that hath statutes and judgments so righteous as all this law which i set before you this day ? this was that which made the people of israel a great nation beyond all the nations in the world ; they were not great in multitude , but in that they had the law of god , and the great things of his law revealed to them , in this they became a great nation . the lord honors a nation highly but to reveal the things , of his law to them ; but how great then doth a soul come to be , that doth imbrace those things , that hath all those great and good things reveal'd in the law made to it as its own priviledg ? surely that soul is in an high and honorable condition indeed . further , the things of gods law are great in gods esteem ; they are great because the great god thinks them so : that is to be accounted great that the most judicious and wise men in the world judg so to be ; indeed that which a child thinks to be a great thing is no great thing , a child may think a bauble to be a great thing ; so we may think things great indeed , we think the things of the world are great ; for a man to have an estate , it 's a great matter ; to have riches , and honors , and to be some-body in the world , we think these to be great things ; but what are these in gods eyes ? god despises all these things : but that which the great god will think to be a great thing , certainly that 's great indeed . now mark what a high esteem god hath of his word in that place where christ saith , heaven and earth shall pass away , but not one jot or tittle of my word shall pass away . as if christ should say , the lord will rather withdraw his power from the upholding of heaven and earth , than from making good any one jot or tittle of his law ; you may think it a little matter to break gods law , but god thinks it a great matter , and god would have us to make a great matter of every thing that is written in gods law. i am the willinger to enlarge my self in this , because i know it is the ground of all the wickedness in mens hearts and lives , because they look upon the law as a little matter , well though they dare sin against gods law for the getting of a groat or six pence , but god saith i will rather lose heaven and earth than one jot or tittle of my law shall fall , and he will make it appear one day that the things of his law are great things , in isa . . . he will magnifie the law and make it honorable . you may vilifie it ; a company of wanton spirits we have that consider not what they say , or what they do , running away with the very word of the law , they think to vilifie it , what have we to do with the law ? and under that word ( not understanding what they mean ) they think to cast a vile esteem upon the law ; let them do what they will , yet god will magnifie his law ; and as it is great in the thoughts of god , so it is and shall be for ever great in the thoughts of the saints , the lord will have his people to the end of the world have high thoughts of his law ; the saints they look upon the law of god so great , as they had rather suffer all the miseries and torments that any man in the world , any tyrant can devise , than willingly to break the law in any one thing ; surely they account it a great matter , when a man shal be willing rather to lose his estate , and liberty , yea , and life , to suffer tortures and torments , and all because he will not offend the law of god in any one thing , though he might escape all if he would ; nay , saith a gracious heart , let all go rather than i will venture to break the law of god in any one thing , surely he looks upon the law of god as very great . men of the world think them to be fools , and why will you be content to suffer so much , lose all your friends ? what , venture to lose your estates which have such a fair way of living as you have ? what venture a prison , and venture your life ? the world thinks they are but little things and trifles , and men are more precise than wise , and they need not trouble themselves so much . if god would but shew to you how great a thing his law is , and all the threatnings which are revealed therein , you would account your estates , and lives and all your comforts as little and poor in comparison of that law ; hence in revel . . . i saw under the altar the souls of them that were slain for the word of god , and for the testimony which they held . wherefore were they slain ? surely it was for some great matter that they would venture their lives , it was for the word of god , and for the testimony which they held . and thus the saints of god have ever accounted the law of god a great thing . i have written unto them the great things of my law. hence from what hath been said we may have these notes for observation . here are objects in the word for men of the greatest spirits to exercise themselves about . many mens spirits are raised up and cannot endure to spend their thoughts and time about small matters ; and you shall have some mens spirits are so low that they think it happiness enough if they can be imployed in a gutter and get six pence or twelve pence a day to find them bread at night ; but others have great spirits : oh! let all those who have aspiring spirits , and great spirits , let them exercise themselves much in the law of god , here are objects fit for great spirits , that will greaten our spirits : and indeed there are no men in the world have great spirits , but the saints they have great spirits , for they exercise themselves in the great counsels of god. we account those men to be men of the greatest spirits that are imployed in state-affairs : now the saints they are lifted up above all things in the world , and they look at all these things as little and mean , and they are exercised in the great affairs of the kingdom of jesus christ ; hence it is that the lord would have kings to have the book of the law written , and the judges ; and it is reported of alphonsus king of arragon that in the midst of all his great affairs of his kingdom , he read over the scriptures fourteen times with commentaries upon them . how many have we , men of great estates , and seem to be of great spirits that scarce mind the law of god , they look upon the law of god as under them ; it may be if they can have a book of history and wars , they will be reading over that , but for the scripture it is a thing that hath little in it . another note , it is a special means of obedience to have high thoughts of gods law , to convince and humble them for their disobedience : for that 's the reason why the prophet here speaks thus : i have written to him the great things of my law , but they were accounted as a strange thing . as if he should say , if they had had the things of my law to have been high in their thoughts , they would never have done as they have done , psal . . . thy testimonies are wonderful , therefore doth my soul keep them : i have high thoughts of thy testimonies , i look upon them as glorious things , i see much of thy self in thy testimonies , and therefore doth my soul keep them . he doth not say , therefore do i keep them ; but therefore doth my soul keep them , oh my very soul is in this , in keeping thy testimonies , for i look upon them as wonderful things . it 's a good sign of the spirit of the great god in a man when it doth raise him above other things , to look upon the things of his word as the only great things that are in the world . all flesh is grass ( saith the scripture ) but the word of god endures for ever ; there is a vanity in all things of the world , but in that which the word reveals , oh! there is an eternity there ; we should therefore admire at nothing so as at the word , and we should greatly delight in gods commandements , an ordinary admiration is not sufficient for the commands of god , for the law of god , nor an ordinary delight is not sufficient , but great admiration , and great de-delight there should be in the law of god : and all things that are taken from gods law should be great arguments to prevail with you : it may be there comes such and such temptations to draw you to such and such evils , and you say , they are strong temptations ▪ but that which is in the law , that should be a greater argument , there is that which is greater in gods law than there can be in any temptation whatsoever ; therefore know , it is a dangerous thing for men and women to look at any thing in gods law as a little thing , so as to despise it , and to think it is no great matter though we do such and such things , though we should go from the rule of the word a little , what great matter is it ? are we not all sinners ? prov. . . who so despiseth the word , shall be destroyed . that is : looks upon any thing in gods word as a light thing . it was a speech of one that should say when he was convinc'd of a thing that was evil , that he must make bold with god almighty sometimes . do not you make bold with gods word and secretly jeer at those that are so nice they cannot venture a little ? remember this text in prov. . . who so despiseth the word shall be destroyed ; take the least thing that you think so despicable in gods law , and you will veture upon it , but god will make it a great matter , for when you have broke the law in the least thing all the angels in heaven and men in the world cannot satisfie god for that wrong ; if they should come and say , lord , here 's a poor creature that hath broken thy law but in this one thing that he thought to be a little matter , we are content to be ten thousand yeers in torments to satisfie for thy law. nay saith god , this will not do it . therefore take heed of despising gods law , or despising any thing that is reveal'd by him , for certainly it will prove a great matter , and when the law hath been broken let us not think it is a little matter , that it is but a lord have mercy upon me at the last . again , the prophet is convincing them of false worship , and upon this ground , because they would venture to make altars to worship god in another way than god revealed in his law : from thence note , that the worship of god is a great matter ; every thing in gods worship is to be look'd at as a great matter : they may think it a matter of indifferency whether they do it or no , at least in some things ; my brethren , let us learn to know that every thing in the worship of god is a great matter , god looks much upon it , god doth not say , that he is jealous for any thing , but for his worship . vzzah he thought it a little matter for him to go and catch the ark , and especially having a good intention : it 's true , the law of god is , that it should be carried upon mens shoulders , but may it not as well be carried in a cart ? he thought it but a little matter , but it proved a great matter . so , that which we think little in gods worship is a great matter . so vzziah in chron . no question he thought it no great matter to go into the temple and offer sacrifice , is it not as good that a king offer it as a priest ? it was in the temple , and the true worship , and vzziah because he was a great man he thought he might venture , for there you find that he had an army of three hundred thousand and seven thousand and five hundred soldiers ; a great captain . and nadab and abihu no question they thought it no great matter to go and offer strange fire , and it hath not been forbidden in gods word , this fire ; but it was a great matter before god , for god came with fire from heaven to destroy them . hence it is that god in his word would set out the glory of his worship , to that end that he might take off mens hearts from all false worship , he would have them to think the matters of his worship great things that so they might not have their hearts taken with any false worship , ezek. . . the beauty of his ornament he set in majestie , ( and hereby god aggravates their sin of idolatry , oh my worship and service i made it as beautiful and glorious as could be ) but they worshiped their images , their detestable things . so in jer. . . a glorious high throne from the beginning of our sanctuary . mark what follows , all that forsake thee , shall be ashamed , and they that depart from thee shall be written in the earth : because they have forsaken the lord , the fountain of living waters . as if god should say , oh vile hearts of men when there is such a glorious worship of mine that i present unto them , yet they turn even to their own vile inventions , and not regard that glorious worship of mine . i beseech you brethren labor to look upon gods worship as a glorious thing . but now the reprehension that follows . but they were accounted as a strange thing . here 's the wickedness of people , that though god shews forth his glory in his word , yet they look upon it as a strange thing , as a thing that they shall get little good by if they do obey , or little hurt by if they do disobey . we should now have shewed wherein this people did account gods worship a strange thing , and what particulars of gods law they accounted strange things : but especially this one among the rest they did count strange , viz. that god should so stand upon it , that he must needs be worshiped jerusalem at the temple , and at no other altar whatsoever came of it . now because they thought that if the people went to jerusalem to worship it would be very prejudicial to the state , this was a strange thing , & that which we can see no reason for . so , people are ready to think , if any thing be propounded for the worship of god out of the word , yea , but how can it be with peace ? it wil cause contention now to stand upon such things that they conceive may breed some trouble , they account it a strange thing that god should require such things as may produce such troubles : first men will frame troubles in their own thoughts , and put them upon gods worship , whereas indeed they do not bring such trouble , but if they be examined they may stand well enough with the peace of states . i make no question but this is one especial thing aim'd at by the holy ghost here , that they accounted gods law , that very law of god that reduired them to worship at jerusalem as a strang thing , that they could not see such reason for why they might not venture , and especially when it was for the peace of the civil state. now they accounted this ( and the other particular of gods law ) as a strange thing in four regards . first , as a thing that had little or no reference to them , as a thing that did not much concern them : they took not to heart the breaches of gods law , neither did they much regard the keeping of it , it was no great matter to them , they made account that it was [ ad libitum ] what they did that way , much did not depend upon it , either good or evil : as a stranger accounts it not to concern him what the master commands : or as we account it no great matter what strangers do , what cloaths they wear , or what course they take , we let them pass by and not mind them . secondly , they accounted them as a strange thing ; that is : they were strange things in their apprehension , they could see no reason : as we say of a thing that we do not understand that we see no reason of it , it is strange ( we say : ) so they in the text , that god should say thus and thus when we cannot see that any account can be given for it , they are strange things . strange things that they did not apprehend the reason of , and especially among other things of gods law ( as was said before ) the way of gods worship was a very strange thing to them , that god should stand so much upon it that he must be worshiped no where in the way of publick worship but at jerusalem , at the temple , no sacrifices must be offered but there , yea , that whatsover come of it though people dwelt a great way off , though as they thought it would bring a great deal of disturbance unto the kingdom of israel for to go to jerusalem to worship , yet that god should stand so upon it that they must go , and that the prophets should urge it with that fervencie as they did , that they must go to jerusalem come of it what will , they must venture their peace ; they accounted this a strange thing . and indeed it is very strange unto people to think , that we must look to the exact way of gods worship whatsoever comes of it , whatsoever trouble or disturbance comes of it , we must not go a hair against the way that god hath set for his right worship : this is a strange thing to carnal hearts . and luther upon the place seems to interpret it thus , as if this text had especial reference to this note that i am now speaking of , saith he , they did condemn , and contemn the prophets sermons , as a doctrine that did hurt the common-wealth , the sermons that the prophets taught had in them much anxiety , specially this doctrine , against going up to jerusalem to worship , and they thought it was hurtful to the common-wealth , and upon that they contemn'd it and damn'd it . what strange thoughts have carnal hearts of many parts of gods law ? they think them foolishness , even those very things wherein the wisdom of god is revealed to the children of men , those things wherein the deep connsels of god concerning mans eternal estate is revealed , even those are the things which they acount foolishness . thirdly , they accounted them a strange thing ; that is , there was no sutableness between their hearts and the things that the law did reveal unto them ; they did not make the law of god familiar to them as that which had a sutableness to their spirits . as if a man that goes into strange company , company which are altogether unsutable to him , yea , perhaps they speak another language , and have altogether other customs , and diet than we have , we are weary of them , and we turn from them and are tired in the society , for they are strange things unto us that our hearts are not sutable unto : so when the law of god is look'd upon as unsutable to the dispositions of our hearts , to our ends , to our waies , our hearts turn from those things as from strange things , whereas indeed our hearts should be familiar with the word of god , gods word and the things therein should not be as strrnge things to our souls , but as the holy ghost saith , it should be as our kinswoman , and as our delight continually , prov. . . bind them continually about thy heart , and tie them about thy neck . when thou goest it shall lead thee , when thou sleepest it shall keep thee , and when thou awakest it shall talk with thee ; there should be a familiarity between our hearts and the commandements of god , to talk with us when we awake , and when we are in our journy , we should take the law of god as our companion in our journies , we should awake with it in the night time , and meditate on it day and night ; therefore god would have his people in the law when they rose , to talk of those things ; when they go to bed , when they rose up , when they walked in the way , they should be conferring about the things of gods law to make them familiar to them , that they might not be estranged from them ; god sees that mens hearts would quickly grow strange from his law , therefore commanded that by all snch means and waies they should endeavor to make the law to be familiar to them . fourthly , they use the law as a stranger , that is , they use the law slightly , only for their own turns : as usually men when strangers comes into their country , ( those that have been strangers in other countries know it ) that the natives of the country they use them slightly , but if they do seem to shew any respect unto them it is meerly for their own turns : as they may have any advantage by them so far they shew respect to them and no further . so they accounted the law a strange thing , that is , they made use of the law but meerly to serve their own turns ; so far as obedience to the law sutes to their own ends , so far they yeelded to it , and no further . now it 's very observable , that those who are so forward in their false worship , that the text saith , they did multiply altars , and had special regard to their altars ; yet for the law they accounted that as a strange thing . from whence the note is : that superstitious people who are forward and zealous in their own way of worship , yet they are very slight and negligent in gods way of worship , little regard that . indeed their own altars they were accounted great things , that way which they appointed themselves , they did not care what cost they were at in that way ; but as for gods way , that was as a strange thing unto them . we have seen it very evident , and do see it in great part to this day , how those that are very zealous in superstitious worship , are the most negligent in gods way of worship ; to instance : you know in late times , what a deal of stir did men make with their own forms of worship , with their own ceremonies and waies of worship which they appointed ? how zealous were they in them , and devout were they in them ? when they came in publick congregations to bow and cring , and for other ceremonies that they said were only for the decency of gods worship , how stiff were they in them , that the mouths of the most godly ministers must be stop'd if they would not conform to them ? but even these men would scorn and jeer at strictness in gods waies , and slight any man that would be consciencious in the waies of god , and they were rebels that should not yeild to a ceremony , because it was disobedience to magistracy . for men to be consciencious for little things ( as they thought ) in gods law , seemed strange , when as they would urge men to obey to the uttermost in little things in their own . & so in another point that fals out as full and reasonable for the time , as in the point of their own feastivals and holy daies , those that would persecute to the uttermost men that should work but to get bread for their families on a holy-day , yet they could publish books of sports for the prophanation of the lords day : and thus the great things of gods law they were strange things , but their own things ( holy-daies ) were great matters : surely if it were such a great matter to keep the festival of christs nativity we should have some hint of it from the beginning of matthew to the end of the revelations , but when god gives not the least hint of any such time . and mark it , those people that stand most upon such festivals , they stand least upon gods sabbaths ; and indeed you shall have many people which think it a strange thing for men not to have regard to such festivals , why may not we keep the birth of our savior ! now that you might not think it a strange thing do but consider of this , that when god hath set apart any thing for a holy use it is no strange thing , but it should be strange in man to venture to imitate god in the things of his worship , to do that in gods worship which god himself hath done before ; thus god hath set apart a holy time , viz. the sabbath ; it is set apart for to solemnize all the work of redemption , both the nativity of christ , and his life , and death , and resurrection , and ascention , and the coming of the holy ghost , all the things about mans redemption , ( i say ) god hath set the sabbath apart to that end that we might have a holy day to keep the remembrance of them . now when god hath set one day apart , for man to dare to venture to set another apart , this is presumption . so because christ hath set outward elements and sacraments to be a remembrance for his body and blood ; for man to say , christ hath set apart , a piece of bread and wine , why may not i set some other thing apart ? this you would all say were a great presumption . certainly the presumption is the same in the former . again it is observable in this expression , [ they counted it as a strange thing . ] it is a dangerous thing for men to have their hearts estranged from gods law , and from the other spiritual truths that are in gods word , from the knowledg of that law which we have been educated in , and that heretofore we have made profession of ; for thus it was with this people , they had been educated in gods law , and made profession of it , and whatsoever god should reveal , they would obey ; but now their hearts were estranged from what they were educated in and made profession of . oh! let men take heed of this for ever . you that have had good education , you have been brought up in the knowledg of gods law , you have had gracious principles of gods law dropt into you in your youth , you have made fair profession of gods law , of obedience to it , take heed now of being estranged from those truths that heretofore have been familiar to you , that you have made profession of , and therefore take heed of the several degrees of the estrangement of the heart from the law of god. i will but only name them , to shew how the hearts of men do grow strangers from gods law. first , it fares with his heart , as it doth with a man that grows to be a stranger from his friends , a man that hath a familiar friend he doth not estrange himself suddenly , but by degrees , it may be visit one another less than they were wont to do , and yet there is no contention between them , but by degrees they grow to be strange , and then at length they grow to be very enemies . and thus it is with mens hearts , when men grow strange from the word , that he was acquainted withal before , first he begins to call things in question whether things be so or no , and especially those things which most concern the mortifying of sin , and the strictness of holiness . secondly , he begins upon this , ( or rather i think that 's the first ) he begins to abate his delight in the truths of god , he was wont to take abundance of delight to meditate in the word , oh how sweet it was when he awaked in the night season , he was wont to take a great deal of delight about conferring in gods word , and when he came into any company ▪ but now it is abated , that 's the first : secondly , he calls those things into question that he was very confident in before whether they be so or no. thirdly , he begins to have some hard thoughts of gods word : many men that heretofore did prize the word , and those truths that were the joy of their hearts , yet now they begin to have hard thoughts of them . yea fourthly , he begins to wish that those things which are in the word were otherwise than they are , he cannot see enough to perswade him that the things are true , but his heart coming to be estranged from the word he doth desire they were not true ; as a man that comes to be estranged from another , he could wish he were further off from him . fifthly , he begins to listen to those things which are against the word ; there was a time that he would never regard any things that were said against the strictest way of holiness ; but now he can be ready to listen to objections : as a man when he was intimate with his friend , he could not endure to hear any thing that was said against him , but now being estranged from him , he can drink in any thing which is said against him . sixthly , when the heart is estranged from the word it wil put off thoughts , and through examination of truths , it will not search into things as it was wont to do , but is willing to put off and shut his eyes , and will rather search into any thing that may make against the truth than that which will work for it . ( i beseech you observe these workings of your hearts ) seventhly , there will be an engagement in some practice not allowed by the word . then a man grows further estranged from his friend , when he doth not only refrain coming into his company , but he will engage himself into some others that are against him . eighthly , it comes to have a slight esteem of what before they thought had great weight in it ; there was a time when such & such things were thought to have very great weight in them , but now they are nothing , they are of another judgment : just as when a man is estranged from his friend ; he thought before he had a great deal of excellency in him , but now he esteems him not ; and this is the argument of the estrangement of his heart from him . lastly , if men take not heed when they are by these degrees grown to be estranged from the truth , they will at length violently reject the truths of the word , they will grow to be open enemies to the truth : men that have bin familiar with gods word , and truth , and made profession of them , and seem'd to love them most , by several degrees they have grown to be strangers from them , and at length to be enemies to them . apostates have proved to be the most desperate enemies to the truths of god of any in the world ; take heed therefore of the strangeness of your hearts from the truths of god lest you afterwards prove to be an enemy to god ; it 's an evil thing to account the law of god a strange thing , but much more to account it an enemy to us , and our hearts to be an enemy to it . isa . . . therefore as the fire devoureth the stubble , and the flame consumeth the chaff , so their root shall be rottenness , and their blossom shall go up as dust ? why ? because they have cast away the law of the lord of hosts , and despised the word of the holy one of israel . oh! let us for ever take heed of this , and therefore let our prayer be that of the prophet david in psal . . , . open thou mine eyes that i may behold wondrous things out of thy law. and then it follows , i am a stranger in the earth , hide not thy commandements from me . lord i account my self a stranger here in the world , oh! let not thy word be a stranger to me . i beseech you observe this ; those men and women that account themselves strangers in the world , will never account the law of god a strang thing to them ; but such men as account themselves to be the inhabitants of the world , they will have gods law to be a stranger to them . observe it , and you shall find this to be a note : when your hearts begin to close with the things of the world you do not meditate in gods word so much as you did before , nor delight to reade it ; but now , if you can keep your heart from the things of the world , to use them as if you used them not , then this will be your prayer , lord , hide not thy commandements from me ; oh thy word is sweet unto me as honey and the honey comb . one note more about this ; they accounted this as a strange thing ; men they have a strange way now a daies to estrange the law from them and themselves from the law ; that which their corrupt hearts will not close withal , as for a rule of holiness , that they will put upon christ as if christ had delivered them from it . this is a strange way indeed of estranging themselves from gods law , many men will eestrange themselves from the law of god by too much familiarity in the world , but for people to have this way by their familiarity with jesus christ , because they come now to know christ more therefore they should be greater strangers from the law than they were before , this is a strange way of estranging mens hearts from gods law ; the holy ghost foreseeing such a generation which would be in the times of the gospel , that would boldly assert , that whosoever the people of god were bound to under the old testament , yet in the new testament they have nothing to do with the law of moses , ( it is very observable ) in malac. . . . the very close of the old testament , even then when there is a prophesie of christ to annex the old testament and the new together , saith the text there , vnto you that fear my name shall the sun of righteousness arise with healing in his wings ; to you that fear my name shall christ arise , ( what then ? ) then you shall have nothing to with the law when christ arises . mark then in the th vers . remember ye the law of moses ; almost the last words in the old testament , and the conclusion ; as if the holy ghost should say , now i have done revealing all my mind about the old testament , and you must never expect any more prophets nor any further revelations of my mind till the time of the new testament , but instead of the prophets you shall have the sun of righteousness arise . well then , i hope they shall never have any thing to do with the law of moses more : nay but saith the holy ghost ) remember ye the law of moses my servant &c. ver . . they sacrifice flesh for the sacrifice of mine offering . the jews might object : why , how do we account the law of god a strange thing ? do not we continue in sacrificing , do not we offer our sacrifices to god ? why do you say , we account the law a strange thing ? from the connexion therefore this note may be observed . that men may continue in outward profession and performances of duties of religion , and yet the great things of gods law may be a strange thing to them . they do offer sacrifices still , and yet they accounted gods law as a strange thing to them . do not think that sufficient , that you continue in outward profession of religion ; nay , shall i say more ? i make no qustion but a man may continue in outward duties , and yet apostatize from god so far as to commit the sin against the holy ghost , and that 's evident from the example of the scribes and pharisees , that christ charges for commission of the sin against the holy ghost , and yet they did not forsake the jews religion , they continued in a great deal of outward strictness in religion , and yet had committed that unpardonable sin ; therefore you may apostatize for from god , though you do not forsake the publick ordinances of god. they sacrifice flesh for the sacrifice of mine offering . god call all their sacrifices flesh : that is , in contempt ; as if he should say , you sacrifice , indeed i have a little flesh from you , but do you think that is the thing that i intend in my offering ? i expect faith and obedience , i expect the work of faith relying upon him that is typified by all the sacrifices that you offer ; but you wanting that inward spiritual worship in your souls , i account all your sacrifices but flesh . most people offer nothing up unto god in all their sacrifices , but flesh ; their offerings are flesh ; that 's thus : even in your prayers , in your hearing , in your receiving you offer sacrifice , but all is but flesh , god hath the outward man , and it may be you have fleshly ends in what you do , and fleshly carnal hearts , you offer the flesh ; many a man that hath excellent gifts in prayer , and seems to offer up an excellent sacrifice to god , but it 's nothing but flesh , there 's little of the spirit of god , ( of the sanctifying spirit nothing it may be ) a man that perhaps may preach excellently , yet in fleshly wisdom , nothing but fleshly excellency ; oh my brethren ! what are our sacrifices , if they be nothing but fleshly excellencies ? you know what the scripture saith , all flesh is grass , and as the flower of the field , but the word of god abides for ever ; all a mans parts , all things are but flesh that are not spiritual & the sanctifying work of the spirit of god by the word , but the word of god abides ; that is , the impression of the word of god upon the soul by the sanctifying work of gods spirit abides for ever , but all flesh is grass . you have got a great deal of fleshly excellency in parts , so as others admire your gifts ; i but this flesh is as grass , it will come to nothing , and all your esteem will come to nothing . oh let us take heed ( my brethren ) that our sacrifices be not flesh , for though they may glitter a while in the world , within a few years all will be as grass and will come to nothing . but further : they sacrifice flesh for the sacrifice of mine offering . why god commanded them to sacrifice flesh , [ for the sacrifice of mine offering . ] here seems to be an accusation , not that they sacrificed , but that they sacrificed nothing but the outward part , flesh ; do not think that that 's the main meaning , but this rather : in the burnt offering all the whol sacrifice was tendered up to god ; but now there was another offering that was the peace offering , and there that which was offered , some part of it did belong to the offerer , so as they should eat part of the offering , when they came to offer that they came with their friends , because they were to have some of it ; now saith god , they sacrifice flesh for the sacrifice of mine offering : that is : they change mine ordinance , when as that i look'd for burnt offerings from from them ( the whol offering ) they will rather offer peace offerings wherein they shall have part of the flesh for themselves , and that they can take content in . thus i find interpreters carry it , and i verily think it to be the meaning of the holy ghost . so that from hence the note is : that if there be any thing in gods worship , wherein any self respects may come in , there we are content to be forward ; but yet in that we rather aim at serving our selves then serving the lord , and this usually doth eat out all true devotion . when there is a duty to be done , and part of that duty god requires and we shew respect to god in it , and there 's another part wherein we enjoy our selves ; now such kind of duties as these are , men can be content well enough withal : but the truth is , that part which concerns themselves doth eat out all the true devotion unto god , although the worship of god be pretended , yet self-respects they are that the heart is most upon ; as for instance : in keeping of festivals , they lik'd them well enough , and we do not reade so much charge for the keeping of them because there was something agreeable to the flesh : but now for the day of their fasts saith god , whosoever afflicts not his soul , that soul shall be cut off : they had not so much mind to that , in the tenth day of the seventh month , therefore god threatens , that whosoever did not afflict his soul that day , it should be cut off ; and so you shall find it . that 's the reason indeed why men are so much set upon their feastivals , they pretend gods worship , and honor to their blessed savior and the like , but the truth is , it 's the belly that is the thing , and their sports , and the licence to the flesh that they aim at ; i warrant you let the time ( as now it falls out ) be the time of a fast , it will not be so much regarded , and for any man to keep a feastival when god by his providence calls to fast , certainly that man regards his own belly rather than god. and that by which all these feastivals are upheld it is , because that together with a seeming kind of religion the belly gets so much ; but now , such duties where god is served , and nature denied , they are great testimonies that the spirit of god is in our hearts in the performance of them ; when we can offer up our burnt offerings wholly to god , and our selves denied , they are testimonies that the spirit of god is in us , as i 'le give you an instance in the story of the first of kings the . you reade of the lyon that did slay the prophet that went contrary to gods commandement , now it was a special end of god that sent the lyon to slay him , and that god would give a testimony that the lyon did not come of a chance to fall upon the prophet and kill him , therfore the text observes that the lyon stood by the carcass and did not meddle with it after it was once slain ; it was the nature of the lyon to have fed upon the carcass , but here was an argument that it was meerly from god what the lyon did . so , when any man shall perform a duty meerly for god , and in that duty shall deny himself , shall be content to part with honors or preferment , that 's a sign god is in it : and so in this publick service , oh! who would not venture himself for the publick cause ? i but there is a publick pay too as well as the publick cause ? but now if a man can venture to the uttermost though he hath not that which he expects , yet he is content to venture himself as much as he did before , god is in this man certainly , when he can do a work , and deny himself that work : and truly we should be willing so to do : why ? because god doth not require of us self-denial that shall do us any hurt , god would never have us deny our selves in things that immediately concern our communion with himself , and our eternal good , god expects self-denial but it is only in those things that concern this present life ; now when god is so propitious to us in requiring duty , that he will let us sometimes enjoy our selves , and when he requires self-denial it is in things that are more inferior , we should not much stand upon in denying our selves in them . it follows . but the lord accepteth them not . as if he said : i would not have them , i was not pleased with them : whatsoever our services be , if self be regarded , all is rejected , not only if sin be regarded , if i regard iniquity in my heart the lord will not hear my prayer , but if self be regarded , our services may please our selves but not please god ; and for this you have a famous scripture in amos , . . i will not regard the peace offerings of your fat beasts ; and this text in amos hath a special reference to this very thing , and amos was contemporary with hosea , and so met with the very same thing that here hosea did , this text in amos may help us to understand this in hosea , i will not accept the offering of your fat beasts ; but observe it , they are their peace offerings ; he doth not say , i will not accept the burnt offerings of your fat beasts : but of your peace offerings , because in their peace offerings they eat part of it themselves , and saith god , let your offerings be never such fa● beasts , yet i will not accept of them : so let your duties be never so zealous and abundant , yet if they be only in respect of your selves , god accepts them not . it follows . now will i remember their iniquities . why they did offer their sacrifices to the end that their sins might be done away and had they ex●●rcised faith upon christ the true sacrifice ▪ their sin should have been done away , yea but they offering in regard of themselves , he saith : i will remember your sins for all this . from thence the note is , that many men may perform great services , may exercise themselves much in holy duties , and yet have their sins as much upon the file before god as before they began all their services : and this is a sad thing for a man to kneel down and pray with woful guiltiness upon his spirit , and rise up with the same guiltiness that he kneel'd down withal , and perhaps he hath gone on and prayed , and received the sacrament for these many yeers together , and every sin that was upon him when he first began is upon him now ; whereas those that in holy duties exercise their faith upon christ their mediator , and with the act of faith tender up him to the father , whatsoever sins were upon them before , are now done away the second thing is observable , viz. that god will remember them , and he will remember them now . hence note : that , however god may forbear to come upon wicked men for their sins for a time , yet god hath his time to remember them all ; to remember , that is ; by his judgments to make it appear to them that he doth remember them , when they think that god hath forgotten them . sam. . . thus saith the lord of hosts , i remember that which amaleck did to israel , how he laid wait for him in the way when he came up from egypt : i remember what he did ; why this was four hundred yeers ago that he spoke of . we may commit a sin when we are young and feel nothing of it till we come to be old and then god may remember it against us ; as many a man or woman takes a surfet when they are young and they feel nothing when their bones are full of marrow and their veins with blood , they feel it not for the present , but when they come to be old , oh! then it aches in their flesh and bones , and then they remember their licentiousness and carelesness in their youth : and so many young people they commit sin and conscience never troubles them for it , and they they think all is forgotten , oh! but many yeers after the sin is committed god remembers it and makes them remember it too ; joseph's brethren had committed that sin against their brother , and it was . years before we reade of any remembring of that sin . many things might be said to this point which i cannot now insist upon , only this thing take with you ; let all you that are young ones , yea and others too take heed what you do in sinning against god , for that which you do now may be remembred against you many yeers after , perhaps twenty , thirty , fourty yeers hence , god may come upon you for what you do at this present ; me thinks this should be unto young men a mighty strong motive to take heed of wicked lives , youths sins may prove to be ages terrors . oh! is it not a great deal better that god should remember the kindness of thy youth , than the sins of thy youth ? jer. . . oh you that are young , begin to be godly betimes , that god may remember the kindness of your youth . and oh the blessed condition the saints are in , in comparison of the wicked : you have so many expressions , that god will remember their sins no more , that he will bury them in the bottom of the sea ; there are at least a dozen expressions in scripture , and i had some thoughts to speak of them all , but i see it will be too long to speak of them now , of gods casting away their sins ( the sin of his people . ) but further : now will i remember them . ] that is , in the time of their holy duties . now this is a sad thing , that god should not only remember a mans sin , but even then when he is about to offer sacrifices to god , as in heb . it is said , that the sacrifices of the law did bring sins into remembrance : that is , it was a note of their guiltiness every time they came to offer sacrifice , and their sacrifices did not do away their sins fully , now i will remember them . then when they offered sacrifices in in a careless and ungodly way , surely these sacrifices would bring their sins into remembrance indeed . hence observe : god remembers the sins of wicked men in the performance of holy duties in a special manner : and that upon these two grounds . first , because we come into gods presence . there we come before his eyes in a more especial manner ; we are in gods eyes alwaies , but in holy duties the scripture speaks of it a● a more especial drawing nigh to god. if a malefactor that hath committed a fact a long time since , and he thinks it is forgotten , if he should presume to come into the kings or judges eye , this brings into remembrance what such a man is . so wicked men , when they come into gods eyes , are bold to draw nigh to god in an impudent way although their consciences tels them that they have not sought to do away their sins by faith and repentance , this puts god into remembrance ( to speak of god after the manner of men. ) secondly , because their holy duties are aggravations of their sin , therfore god wil remember them then rather than at any other time ; as thus : for the jews ( in the text ) here to come to sacrifice for their sins : certainly the language of which was this : lord , i acknowledg i do deserve death my self for the sins which i have committed , and i can only have peace with thee through the sacrifice of thy son that i beleeve is to come ; now for them to come and say so and yet continue in their sin still , this ads impudence unto their sin ; it was a sin of infirmity before , it is a sin of presumption now . so , when men shall presume to come before god in prayer , they have lived wickedly heretofore , and now they come before god to testifie their respect that they profess they ow to god , and yet their consciences tells them that they do wickedly depart from god in their lives ; when they come in prayer certainly they come to confess and name their sins before god , and to tell god what sinners they are , and yet still their hearts do close with their sins , yea what an aggravation is this ? yea they came to judg themselves for their sins and yet still to continue in them , oh my brethren if you did but think of the aggravation that such prayer causes of our sins it would make our hearts quake and tremble . but i speak only to those that are hypocrites and live in their sins stil , their holy duties do but aggravate their sins , and therefore no mervail though then god remember their sins in a more special manner . we have cause to wonder that god doth not come upon some of us in his wrath while we are in the midst of our holy duties , as pilat came upon the galileans and mingled their blood with their sacrifices , and so while we compare the lives of men with their prayers ( i say ) it is a mervail that god doth not mingle their blood with their sacrifice ; oh take heed any of you that are conscious to your selves , or your hearts closing with any known sin , take heed the next time you go into gods presence in prayer and confess your sins , and judg your selves , take heed that god doth not then remember your sins ; now will i remember them , even in the time of their holy duties ; you think that 's the time of our greatest pleasing of god , but it may prove to be the time of gods remembring your iniquities against you . and visit their sins . god visits either in mercies or judgments , and in the godly visiting , it is to be understood concerning those things that seem'd before to be neglected , as in the . of genesis , god visited sarah when god seem'd to have neglected her : and so in exod. . he visited the children of israel , that is , when he seem'd wholly to have neglected them : and so , i will visit their sins , though they may think i have neglected them yet i will visit their sins . whence observe , god visits mens sins when they think they are most neglected by god ; god hath his time to make diligent enquiry for all their sins , in exod. . . in the day when i visit , i will visit their sins upon them , then all their sins shall come up together , and that 's the reason that god is content to bear with wicked men and wink at their sins for the present , why ? because god hath a day for to visit them , this sin which they commit now , they shall not hear of it till a great while hence , but i have a day to visit , and then this and the other sins shall come . daies of visitation heretofore were wont to be cal'd daies of vexation , but the day of gods visitation will be a day of vexation indeed to ungodly men . micah . . . the best of them is a bryar , the most upright is sharper than a thorn , the day of the watchmen and thy visitation cometh , now shall be their perplexity . in isa . . . and what will you do in the day of visitation , and the dissolution which shall come from far ? to whom will you flee for help ? and where will you leave your glory ? so i may say to many guilconsciences , oh thou poor wretched sinful creature , what wilt thou do in the day of visitation ? thou canst tell now , thou canst go home and be merry and do what thou list , but what wilt thou do in the day of visitation ? it follows : they shall return ( or as some translate ) they will return to egypt . and so it notes their sin for which god will visit them , and the course that they would take when god was about to visit them , they will return to egypt . whither will ye flee in the day of visitation ? we will fly into egypt say they , if the assyrians power grow too great we will go into egypt for help , and this may seem to have reference to that story in the . of kings , . . the king of assyria found conspiracy in hoshea , for he had sent messengers to so king of egypt . the note from hence is this ; carnal hearts when god is visiting them for their sins they have plots in their heads to shift this way and that way for themselves . vain deluded soul ! thy thoughts should be , how should i make up my peace with god ? how should i seek the face of god ? thou art thinking of this and the other shift , whereas thou shouldest only be thinking of making up thy peace with god. and thus it is with kingdoms , when god is visiting kingdoms you shall have many that sit at the stern , that all their thoughts are about carnal helps , whereas their great thoughts should be , how they might fall down before god , & seek to make peace w th god & the kingdom : thus it was here , i will visit them , and they think to return to egypt . and if you take it as a judgment , it is threatned that they should return to egypt , in deut. . at the latter end , there it is put in the close of all the former judgments , that they should return to egypt . the note is , that it is one of the most dreadful judgments upon a nation , after god hath delivered them from a bondage , to deliver them to the same bondage again : and as it was grievous to be delivered into the bondage of egypt , so more to deliver us into a spiritual egypt : if we should again come under the power of those that have persecuted us and those that have oppressed us , that they should have their full power over us again , oh our bondage would be seven fold more than it is : and yet what cause have we to have our hearts tremble and shake when we think of our abuse of the beginning of deliverance that we had ? but of all judgments let us pray to be delivered from that judgment , that we may never go back again to our prisons . but just with god it is that those who inherit their progenitors sins , they should inherit their progenitors judgments . you continue in their sins , you shall have their judgements also . but were they ever carried into egypt , was this threat ever fulfilled ? no , they were not carried captive into egypt , but they fled into egypt for refuge , and there they lived and died miserably . hence observe , all places are places of misery when god forsakes a people , as all places are comfortable when god is with a people . many men take their course to seek to refuge themselves , to help themselves , and perhaps they have what they would have in part , but when they have had what they would have , even the having of what they desire proves to be the executiō of the wrath of god upon them : you have a mind to go to egypt , you shall return to egypt saith god. it follows in the last verse . ver . . for israel hath forgotten his maker . they have forgotten their maker , but i 'le remember them saith god. when men think least of god , then is gods time to come upon them for their sins , when they are in the greatest security of all : whereas if you would remember your sins god might forget them , or if you would remember god your sins should not be remembred , but you forgetting god , your sins are remembred . it is an abominable thing for us to forget god by whom we had our memory , by whom we are remembred , we should never have been thought of if god had not given us what we have , and therefore for us not to think of god it is a vile sin . now god is forgotten when he is not honored , minded as our confidence , help , refuge , our only good , when he is not obeyed ; if we do but remember sin , we cannot but honor him . how many forget what manifestations once they had of god ? they are passed by from them , and other things take up their thoughts ; oh! what an appearing was there of god to many of your souls heretofore , and what conference between god and your souls ? what lustre of gods spirit upon you ? and you thought you should never forget those things ; but now other things are in your hearts , oh! such men and women have cause to fear that they are under much wrath that they should forget their maker . god challenges remembrance under this title : remember thy creator in the daies of thy youth . there 's no creature but the rational creature that can reflect upon the cause of their being , the first cause , and therefore god would not lose the honor from this creature ; indeed the ox knows his owner , and the ass his masters crib , the beasts can take notice of those that bring them good things ; but to reflect upon the cause of their first being , ( i say ) that 's proper to the rational creature , and therefore it is an honor that god expects from you , and will not lose it . the word here creator , their maker , it is not now meant for gods giving them their being , but gods advancing and blessing of them so as to bring them to that happy condition that now they were in , they have forgotten their maker , oh they have forgotten that god that hath advanced them . so i find the words used in sam. . . the lord that advanced moses and aaron ; but the words in the original are , the lord that made moses and aaron : that is , when god call'd them to the publick work , god made them . indeed for a man to be call'd to publick service is a great honor that god puts upon a man , god makes a man then ; as many times we use that phrase our selves , if a man be raised to any preferment we say , such a man is made for ever . oh that man which god casts his favor upon , and delights to use in publick service , that man is a made-man ; but they have forgotten the lord that made them . that 's the note from hence . it 's gods favor that makes a man. you have an excellent scripture for this in isa . . . i have created him ( saith god ) for my glory , i have formed him , yea i have made him . here 's these three words together . god doth not satisfie himself in this , i have given him his being , or all that he hath , but he makes use of of these three several words to signifie how all our good comes from god ; i do not know such an expression we have in scripture , i have brought him out of nothing , then secondly i have formed him , i have put beauty and glory upon him , yea and thirdly i have made him , i have raised him to the height of all ; god hath created us all , but hath he formed us ? we are to look at gods forming as well as at his creation , how god forms and fashions us unto his own will. they have forgotten god their maker . that should have been the other note , that the greater height of excellency god raises any man to , the more vile and wicked is the sin of forgetting god when they are advanced . many men will remember god when they are low , but when god hath advanced them , then they forget him , and that 's worse . but it follows . and have built temples . how is god forgotten , and they build temples to the honor of god ? you accuse us of forgetting god our maker ; what people in the world doth rememember god so as we do , when we are at such charges as we are at . the word that is translated temples , it signifies palaces . the church is indeed gods palace : but note from hence , that when god is worshiped in any way but his own , then god is forgotten . papists they set up images , and they say it is to put them in mind of god ; but the truth is , they forget god in it . again , when mens hearts depart most desperatly and furthest off from god , they are many times very forward in superstitious worship . as we know it in the primitive times , the hearts of men did close most with the power of godliness , and were more sincere in their worship ; but afterwards when they came to have peace , in , and after constantines time when they had temples , then they forgot god most and grew superstitious . when the christians worshiped god in dens and caves of the earth , they remembred god more than when they had glorious temples built for them . men that have departed from god and have guilty consciences , they must have something to satisfie their consciences . of late our kingdom , how desperatly was it departing from god , and setting its self against all the power of godliness ? but never more for building of temples , that is , more for an outward pompous and glorious worship ; but they forsook the temples of god and persecuted them , and the saints of god that were the temples of the holy ghost , they were neglected . but what was their reason here ( you will say ) why is it a sin to build temples ? i answer : first , it was in them a sin of hypocrisie . secondly , a sin of superstition . a sin of hypocrisie in this , in that they would persecute those that would go to worship at the true temple , and yet that they would bestow so much cost in building temples of their own . and many of the antients have many large invectives against al such as shal bestow a great deal of outward buildings , and yet let the poor saints want . . it was superstition in them , they would not go to jerusalem , to the temple that god had appointed , yet they would set up temples of their own . there are many that hate the true temple , and the true church , that is , the communion of saints , yet magnifie the outward buildings , as if there were no other church but only that . so the jews , when god would have them build his own temple there they were slack enough : in hag. . . & . . vers . what a deal of stir had god by his prophet to get them to build his temple , but their own temples they would build . but wherein was the superstition for them to build temples ? thus : it is superstition for any men to put holiness in any buildings of their own . there were three things that made the temple at jerusalem an holy temple ; and none of them can be attributed to any other place in the world . first , it was set apart by god , so as it was a sin to make any other use of it but holy . secondly , it did sanctifie the very duties that were performed . thirdly , it was a type of jesus christ . there were these three things that were proper to the temple at jerusalem . and therefore you must learn for ever from hence , that there can be no argument drawn from the temple at jerusalem for the holiness of temples now . . it is a superstition in any man to set apart a place so as it should be a sin to make use of it for any common thing . . which is worse , and that is , for any man to set apart a place so as to think that the very place should sanctifie the duty , because the temple of jerusalem did so : now for a man to think that his prayers are sanctified , because they are within such a building as this is , is superstition : hence a company of poor ignorant people they must go behind a piller and pray , as if they were accepted the more because of the place . it 's true , when we come and joyn with the church , then our prayers are accepted , because it is in a way of ordinance . so chrysostom cries out of this superstition , saith he , jeremiah when he stuck in the mud could pray , and job when he was upon the dunghil , and jonah when he was in the belly of the whale , and therefore why should we tie gods hearing of of prayer to such and such places ? besides dedication , they had inchantments : ab auguribus in augurabantur , suis augariis sanctiorum reddebantur , hoc nisi fieret , templa esse non poterant ( teste varrone ) sed aedes sacrae dicebantur . men have been very profuse in this , both heathens and christians , and yet i find in some stories that some of the heathens were against , they thought god too great to be worshiped in any place , the principle it self ( that god was great ) was true , but that therefore he might not be worshiped in any place that had a cover over the head they thought it too much ; so it was reported of zeno the phylosopher , he thought that temples must not be built . and the persians that worshiped the sun , they thought that the whol world was the temple of the sun , and would have no other temple . and xerxes , the wise men perswaded him to burn all the temples of greece , because they would shut up god within walls , so some of the heathens had such thoughts of god , though ordinarily the heathens were very abundant in building of temples to their false gods : and josephus reports of herod that he would seem to honor god by building a glorious temple , in the fifteenth book of his antiquity and the fourteenth chapter , the temple that was in christs time it was of herods building , saith herod , this temple wanteth sixty cubits in height of that which solomon first built . and you know the scripture tels , that those which saw his temple did weep when they saw the second temple which was built , and saith herod because it was not so glorious as the tem●of solomon was , therefore he would build it and make it as glorious as that was , and so he laid out a great sum of money upon it in building it with white marble stones , twenty five cubits long , and eight cubits high , and about some twelve cubits broad , thus superstitious he was . and so many have been in this way , many if they be set upon a way of their own they care not what charge they lay out , but as for those things that concern god they are slack enough . and judah hath multiplied fenced cities . judah seeing gods judgments upon israel , doth not make that use of the judgments of god upon their brethren , so as to consider their own sins , and fall down before the lord and be humbled in his sight , but when they saw that gods hand was against the ten tribes , all their care was to fortifie themselves ; let us build strong cities that we may be delivered from the miseries that are come upon our brethren ; this is that which carnal hearts do , when god expects that they should be put upon humiliation and repentance , and look to it and consider whether they have not the same sins among them that were among their brethren , they regarded nothing but carnal means ; it 's lawful to build strong cities , to fence our selves against enemies , yea but we had need lay the foundation of them in humiliation and reformation , and when they are built they may not be rested in , for saith god , i will send a fire and devour them ; we must not bless our selves in any strong places as if that could deliver us from the wrath of god. i have read of a city that fearing their enemies , they sent to a neighbor prince to come and help them , and charged their embassadors to tell him their strength they had . i but saith the prince , have you got a cover to defend you from heaven , and if not , i will not meddle with you , for you must have something to award gods wrath from you , because you are so wicked a people , and except you have something to deliver you from that i will not assist you . so though we have strong walls , yet we must look for a cover from heaven , which is our peace with god through jesus christ . again , they have multiplied fenced cities . ] for outward safety men think they have never enough , to secure themselves from poverty and from their enemies , but to secure themselves from gods wrath they think they have enough . in spiritual things we are content with a little , but when it comes to our outward security we think we can never be too safe ; and indeed this will be an argument what it is that your hearts are most upon , that that you endeavor to secure your selves most in , that 's your chiefest good , that that you would make most sure of , and if any thing in the world could make you more sure you endeavor to do it : a gracious heart will never say , may i not go to heaven though i do no more ? but can there any thing more be done ? doth god require any thing more of his creature ? god that knows all things knows my heart is ready to do all thingt that he hath reveal'd to me , and if there were any thing more to do , oh that i knew it that i might fulfill even all righteousness . but i 'le send a fire . saith the text , they multiplied cities , but i will send a fire . when we bless our selves most in our own thoughts we should consider , but what are gods thoughts ? we think we will do thus and thus , and i 'le save my self this way or the other way ; poor wretch ! thou saiest thou wilt do thus and thus , yea but think , what if gods thoughts be otherwise at the same time ? thou art plotting to save thy self , but god is plotting to destroy thee : what if there prove to be a disjunction between gods thoughts and my thoughts ? wicked men have plots and devices for themselves , but god comes with his disjunctions , i 'le do thus and thus . and this we are to hope that god will deal graciously with us in regard our enemies they are full of plots , but god hath been pleased to come in with his disjunctions , gods thoughts hath not been as their thoughts blessed be his name . but i 'le send a fire , it may be that they think that their forts are so strong that they cannot be beaten down , but i 'le send a fire to burn them down . but i rather think this fire is meant metaphorically , i 'le send their enemies which shall be as a fire ; and so enemies are call'd a fire many times in scripture . and i 'le send a fire . by whatsoever means fire comes , gods hand is to be look'd upon in all 〈◊〉 ; if there hath been a fire in your streets or houses , you will enquire by what means it came : look up to god whatsoever the means was , it is god that sends the fire . and it shall devour their palaces . brave things they are subject to gods devouring fire , oh let us as when the disciples look'd upon the fair buildings of the temple and wept , saith christ , there shall not be a stone left upon a stone ; so when we look upon our brave palaces , oh let us consider how quickly the fire of gods wrath may come and not leave a stone upon a stone . let us look up to that place where christ is gone to prepare mantions for us , and to that building that is eternal in the heavens , made without hands . and thus through gods mercy and assistance we have gone through this eighth chapter . chap. ix . vers . . rejoyce not , o israel for joy as other people ; for thou hast gone a whoring from thy god , thou hast loved a reward upon every corn-flour . here begins another sermon of the prophets . gualter thinks this to be the sixt sermon that the prophet hosea preached to these ten tribes , wherein he yet goes on in the way as he did before , convincing of sin , and threatning of wrath against israel ; and this sermon was preached in a prosperous time , when israel ( the ten tribes ) seemed to be in their greatest ruff of pride & jolity . it refers according to interpreters to one of these two times : either to some special time when when they prevailed against their enemies , or to the time when they made their league with the assyrians . the time when they prevailed against their enemies , and so it 's thought to refer either to the time th●● we reade of in king. . . the time of jehoash when he beat benhadad three times , and recovered the cities of israel ! or that time in king. . . and jehoash king of israel , took amaziah king of judah , and came to jerusalem , and brake down the wall of jerusalem ; and took all the gold and silver , and all the vessels that were found in the house of the lord , and in the treasures of the kings house , and hostages , and returned to samaria . this certainly was a time of great jolity and mirth among the ten tribes , or in the time of jeroboam king. . . and so in the time of pekah of chronicles , the . that was a time of great jolity and mirth to the ten tribes because of their prevailing , the text saith , they slew in judah an hundred and twenty thousand in one day , all valiant men : and the children of israel carried away captive of their brethren two hundred thousand , women , sons , and daughters , and took also away much spoil from them , and brought the spoil to samaria . now in this time their hearts did swell much , for in vers . . the prophet obed came to them and saith , behold , because the lord god of your fathers was wrath with judah he hath delivered them into your bands , and ye have slain him in a rage that reached up unto heaven . and now ye purpose to keep under the children of judah and jerusalem for bond-men and bond women unto you . but are there not with you , even with you sins against the lord your god ? it seems to be almost the same expression as we have here in the text , as if he should say , now you purpose to keep the children of judah and jerusalem for bond men and bond-women , and you insult and rejoyce , and you think you have gotten the day and you have prevailed ; but are there not sins among you ? just as he saith here , rejoyce not , o israel , for you are gone a whoring from the lord , as if he should have said , though god hath given you a victory and you think you have matter of much joy , yet rejoyce not o israel as other people . as other people . why ? first , because the conquest you have gotten it is over your brethren , therefore rejoyce not as other people , do not rejoyce in your slaying your brethren as other people ( the nations about you ) would rejoyce in the slaying of them . that 's a sad war when the conquerer hath cause to be sad at the very conquest . it were no great matter though if other people had gotten the victory they should triumph , why not ? though you have gotten the day , yet these wars are wars that you should not triumph in , for by this means the nation of the jews is grown weaker and is in more danger to be made a prey to the common enemies , and therefore do not you rejoyce as other people might rejoyce in such a conquest . and indeed such are our wars and victories at this day , we must not rejoyce in our conquests as other people , not so rejoyce as if french or spaniards came among us , or as if we were in a forreign nation , for our conquests weakens our own nation , it is the destruction of our brethren , and therefore in this we are not to rejoyce as other people in their conquests . or secondly : according to others it doth refer to that time when menahem made a league w th the assyrian , king. . . ( for there 's no such way to understand the meaning of the prophets than the reference to the time that they preached in , and that they aim at ) we reade that menahem made a league ( that was the king of the ten tribes of israel ) made a league with the assyrian that great king , that he might be with him to confirm the kingdom in his hand . now people use when leagues of passification , and association are confirmed between them and others , to triumph and rejoyce by outward expressions , to manifest their great content in them , oh! now there is a peace made , now we shall grow stronger than ever we were , and be delivered from many troubles that were heretofore upon us . israel blessed themselves in the assyrian , in that they had got such a rich and mighty prince to be on their side , that now they had made their peace with him , they thought they were safe enough , now they were secure , and contemn'd all threats , and derided all that the prophets should say against them , now the malignants they lift up their heads and insult over them that would say , gods judgments would follow them if they did not joyn with gods people in the true worship of god , they sung away care , and none thought of any danger in regard of their sin , they could not endure to hear of any complaining of any thing that might disturb their jolity and conceipted happiness , that they promised to themselves the continuance of . but now saith the lord by the prophet , rejoyce not wi●h joy as other people , be not too confident with whom you have made such a sure league , for they may prove to be your undoing , it may prove to be the instruments of the greatest wrath of god against you that ever you had , and indeed he was so , the assyrians that they made their peace withal , and joyned in league with , and rejoyced much in he proved to be the greatest instrument of wrath that ever the people these ten tribes had ; you have made your peace with him , and now you rejoyce ; but you have not made your peace with god saith the prophet . what good can passifications , can leagues made with men , peace struck with them do , so lokng as stil ye go a whoring from your god , and break your peace and covenant with him daily , oh rejoyce not therefore ! for observe , though leagues and peace made with such as have been enemies are matter of rejoycing , but they may likewise be such as we may have little cause to rejoyce in ; they have the names of peace and union a while , but suddenly they may change their names , and be call'd a massacre , and ruin , and destruction to a nation , especially if the foundation of our peace be not laid in reformation ; and still a people goes a whoring from their god , rejoyce in no peace that you can make with any whatsoever so long as you go a whoring from the lord. that 's the note from thence , if it hath reference to the time when people have been worn out with wars , they are greedy of any kind of peace , they care not with whom they make it , oh nothing but peace , let us have that , and if there be but a peace concluded once , upon never such unsafe terms , oh! the bells must ring , and bonfires must be made . this seem'd to be the condition of the people at this time , but saith god , you are deceived , this peace you have made will prove your undoing , rejoyce not therefore as other people ? for you have gone a whoring from your god. but those observations that we may take from either of these two times , from the time that they got conquests over their enemies , or secondly from the time of their peace , put them both together are such as these . first , carnal hearts rejoyce and bless themselves in their outward present prosperity , in their health , strength , friends , as if all were wel with them , although they be under much guiltiness , though there be fearful breaches between god and their souls , and how things are between god and them they care not , so be it all may be well with them for outward things ; this is the guize for carnal hearts , they are presently upon the merry pin , and rejoyce and delight much if so be that thy may have but any prosperity , though but for a while , if there be no punishment of sin upon them the guilt and polution of sin never troubles them . saith augustin in his twelfth tract . upon john , the joy of the world is nothing else but their wickedness unpunished ; if god do not punish them presently then they have a great deal of joy . and in amos , . . there you have the discription of the people of israel more at large ( for amos prophesied in the same time that hosea did ) they lie upon beds of ivory , and stretch themselves upon their couches , and eat the lambs our of the flock , and the calves out of the midst of the stall , that chaunt to the sound of the viol , and invent to themselves instruments of musick like david , that drink wine in bowls , and anoint themselves with the chief oyntments ; but they are not grieved for the afflictions of joseph . well ; have not you more reason , you afflicted and distressed saints , to rejoyce in god without the world , than they have to rejoyce in the world without god ? shall not all the wrath of god that hangs over the heads of wicked men , and all the guilt there is upon them damp their joy when they have but meat , and drink , and cloath , and a little outward prosperity , and shall the loss of a few creature comforts , such as many reprobates have to the full , damp your joy , when you have an interest in all there is in god , in christ , in the world , in heaven , in eternity ? when all this is the matter of your joy , what an unreasonable thing is this ? a second observation from the words ; rejoyce not o israel . ] when men are jolly and merry , they should consider , well , but would god have us to rejoyce ? they were jolly and frolick , i but the prophet comes in the name of god and saith , oh! but god is of another opinion . when therefore we find our selves jocund and merry , we should consider , but is god of the same mind that we are of ? many mens rejoycing is so disagreeing to gods mind , as they dare not so much as consult with god or their own consciences to know what god and conscience will tell them concerning their rejoycing ; the more men can prevail with their own consciences to be silent , the more joy they have , yea some there are that have so much guiltinese upon their spirits , as they can have no joy , but at such time when they can take advantage of their own consciences , they are fain to take a time when their consciences are asleep or else they can have no joy ; now cursed be that joy that cannot stand with a free working of a true enlightened conscience . thirdly , men may be in an outward prosperous condition , and yet have little cause to joy in it ; all outward prosperity may stand with the heavy wrath of god hanging over the sinners head , he may be upon the very brink of destruction and yet prosper outwardly , outward prosperity may come in wrath , the curse of god , the poyson of gods curse may be in the wine as well as in the water , wicked men that are poor have their water poysoned , and wicked men that are rich and prosperous have their wine poisoned , and what difference is there between drinking poisoned water and poisoned wine ? the swelling of carnal hearts in their prosperity it is a sign that it is poisoned to them . outward prosperity as it may come in wrath , so it may stand wi●h wrath , and make way to wrath , by it the vessels of wrath may be fitted to destruction ; god many times hath a further reach in suffering wicked men to prosper than they are aware of ; as ester , when she invited hamon to a banquet , he drew such a connexion that he was honored above all the nobles in the land , and he goes away rejoycing and tells his friends of the great honor that was put upon him ; but ester had another design in it than hamon thought of , it was not to honor him but to destroy him . so many people whose estates god raises , they make other manner of connexions from gods dealing with them than ever god intended , they think god hath blessed them , when the truth is god is working their ruin and destruction ; as a painted face is no argument of a good complexion , so a prosperous estate is no argument of a good condition . rejoyce not for joy. carnal hearts in their joy are set upon jolity , their spirits insult and they think of nothing that should moderate their joy , so the words import , rejoyce not for joy ; if you will rejoyce , let there not be meer joy , but some kind of mixture in it ; there should be a mixture of reverence and fear in our rejoycing , we should rejoyce with trembling here in this world . whatsoever blessings we have from god , yet ( i say ) we should rejoyce with trembling here , remembring first our unworthiness of any good we have , there should be that put into our joy . secondly , remember the afflictions of our brethren . thirdly , remember the uncertain and the vanishing nature of all these things we rejoyce in . put these three things alwaies into the cup of our joy , else it will be too sweet and will clog the stomach . mix the cup of your joy with these three meditations . first , your unworthiness of that mercy . secondly , the meditation of the affliction of our brethren , of yours that have done god more service than ever you have done , or are like to do . thirdly , that meditation of the uncertainty of al these things that your hearts are so taken withal . these three ingredients will make a good mixture , that we shall not surfeit with our condition . do not rejoyce : that is , let there not be pure joy. but the strength of this expression lies in the other . rejoyce not with joy as other people . first , be not taken with the bravery and jolity of other people , to think them happy ; oh! it 's a fine life to live as they do . the jolity of other people that are in a different way from us , is many times a great temptation to draw the heart to them , because we see they live merrily and bravely . but that doth not reach yet to the main scope of the prophet . rejoyce not with joy as other people . secondly , therefore do not rejoyce as they do in their idolatrous festivities . dancing and many waies of jolity that they had in their idolatrous feasts ; we must not imitate idolaters in their triumphs . this was the sin of many in the primitive times , because they were come new out of heathenism , they would turn the heathenish feasts into christian feasts , and heathenish customs whereby they were wont before to honor their idol gods into the custom of christians , to honor christ in the same way ; and they thought this was very good , that whereas before they did honor idol gods , now they thought if they did but turn this to honor jesus christ they thought this would be acceptable . no , this was a great sin , and brought a great deal of evil into the christian world , and we do to this day suffer in that way ; if do tender our respects to god , though it be in the same way that idolaters do to their idols , we think we do well : and indeed , here 's the original of keeping this time , both of your christmass and new-years-day , it is but the changing of them from the keeping of the heathenish time , to the honor of christ , and of the saints . i remember this * time two years , through meer providence that scripture came in our way , i will take away their solemn feasts . and there i shewed how these came instead of the heathenish times . now saith the holy ghost here , rejoyce not as other people do , do not you imitate them , they have their idolatrous feasts , but do not you as they do . we must not take liberty to imitate heathens and idolaters in their worship , though we think to tender our respects to god thereby . rejoyce not as other people . not as a people , for the word other is not in the hebrew : do not you rejoyce as if you were to continue a people still , for you are to be carried captive and not to continue as a people , do not you therefore rejoyce as if you were in a setled condition ; you have brought your selves into such a condition as you are not to look upon your selves as a people , do not rejoyce , no not as a people . it 's a miserable spectacle to see those who are ready to be destroyed to be jolly and merry as if there were no such matter . it is said of the dolphin , that it sports most when a storm comes : so , when the storm of gods wrath is arising upon a people then they are most jolly and merry . again . rejoyce not in that manner as others do : others rejoyce & scorn at the threats of god : so ephraim had mixt himself amongst the nations , and so did scorn at what was said by the prophet . do not rejoyce prophanely , do not rejoyce slightly , vainely , do not rejoyce presumptuously , promising to your selves continuance in your prosperity . but that which i think is especially aim'd at , is this : rejoyce not as other people , for , you have not such cause to rejoyce as other people . why ? israel ! though you be israel , yet there is not so much cause for you to rejoyce as other nations have . israel ( the ten tribes ) prides themselves in their priviledges above other people , they despised all people in comparison of themselves . but now god tels them , that their sins had brought them into a worse condition than other people were in , and they must not rejoyce so much as they . and from thence this profitable note may be raised . many who look upon others as mean and low , with scorn and contempt in comparison of themselves , yet even these may be in a worse estate than those are whom they look upon so much beneath them . for instance : it may be you may be a man of parts and of esteem , and a man employed in high employments for church and common-wealth : another is in a mean low condition , is of little use , a weak-parted man , and yet that guilt may be upon you , that you have not such cause to rejoyce as this poor man hath which you so contemn as one laid by and not worth any thing : it may be you have excellent gifts in prayer , and are an eminent professor ; another man or woman is no body in your eyes , they are no professors at all ; i , but if all were known , you have not cause to rejoyce as they have that you contemn . secondly . rejoyce not as other people . although we enjoy the same blessings that others do , yet we have not alwaies the same cause to rejoyce as others have , though we enjoy the same blessings : i say , it may be others have more cause to rejoyce in a little than we have to rejoyce in abundance : do not say in your hearts , others are merry and chearful , why should not i be so too ? i have as good an estate as such a one hath , & as fair a dwelling as he hath , & as comly children as he hath , why should not i be merry ? but it may be ther 's not that breach between god & such a one as between god & thee , it may be there is not so much guilt upon the spirits of such men as upon thy spirit , therefore thou must not rejoyce as they do ; though thou hast the same outward blessings that such and such have , yet it doth not follow that thou shouldest rejoye as such do ; you have cause rather to have your thoughts work thus , such and such men are chearful indeed , yea they may , for they have not provoked god as i have done , i am conscious of those sins that i beleeve they are free from : a man that hath a sore disease about him in his body , when he sees others that are merry he thinks with himself , yea indeed you may be merry , but if you felt that that i do you would have little cause to be merry . the third note is this : rejoyce not as others . when men have brought misery upon themselves , this is one great argument of their misery , that they shall see others rejoycing , but all matter of joy shall be taken from themselves . it 's not for them to rejoyce as others do , that which is the cause of the rejoycing to others you have had and abused it , you have abused those mercies of god , and now you must not rejoyce as other people do : that place is very notable for this in luke , . . there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth : when ye shall see abraham , and isaac , and jacob , and all the prophets in the kingdom of god , and you your selves thrust out . this is the aggravation of our misery to see others in happiness and in a rejoycing condition , and you your selves cast out , you must not rejoice as others do . as if a man were cast into a dungeon neer the street , and there should be a day of triumph , and feastivitie and jolitie , there should be much rejoycing , musick , and bravery without in the citie , and he lying in a dark dungeon and hears the jolitie of the citie : this would be a great aggravation to his misery , yes , would he think , such that have their liberty may rejoyce , but i must not rejoyce as they do ; and this will be the aggravation of the misery of the damned hereafter , when they shall see abraham , isaac , and jacob , and all the prophets in the kingdom of god , and themselves cast out ; it may be the father shall see his child in the kingdom of god , and himself in hell being cast out ; they shal rejoice eternally when i must be in everlasting torments . the reason follows : rejoyce not as other people : for thou hast gone a whoring from thy god. the ground of joy or sorrow is the terms that are between god and us ; sin hath an evil in it to damp all our joy , if we would have joy in any thing let us take heed of defiling it by sin ; of all sins , the sin of forsaking god , forsaking or corrupting gods worship , that 's such an evil as is enough to take away the joy of a nation , whatsoever a nation hath ; if it hath forsaken god in matter of worship it hath little cause of joy , though we should have peace and outward prosperitie , yet if there be not making up of our peace for our going a whoring from god , let there be all the peace that can be made , yet we have little cause to rejoice in it ; but a people retaining the true worship of god , whatsoever it be in other respects , that people hath cause to rejoice . yea and as a whol nation , so any particular soul , particular men or women , christians that live in a nation if their consciences can tell them that they have not complied with the times and gone a whoring from god in waies of false worship as others have done , they have cause to rejoyce whatsoever befals a nation ; whereas the others that have had complying spirits , though the nation should prosper never so much , yet they have little cause to rejoyce in that joy : let us therefore be solicitous about nothing so much as about the true worship of god. yea but this people might say , suppose we have some corruptions in the worship of god , yet we do retain more than other nations do . nay saith god , you have gone a whoring ; and so , you are more guilty than other nations . from whence the notes are : first , that which we may think a little matter in corrupting gods worship , god may call it a going a whoring from him : it 's true ( might they say ) we may fail in some circumstances , we go not up to jerusalem to worship , but still we worship the true god , and we observe the law of moses . no ( saith the lord ) you have gone a whoring from me. i but still , why may not we rejoyce as other people , to be sure we are not worse idolaters than they , therefore though we may not rejoyce more than others , yet why not as others ? they make idols to be their gods , there is nothing so vile among us as among the nations about us ? from whence therefore the observation is this , that god charges them more than others , first , that a people may be free from the gross evils that there are in other people , and may have many good things that other people have not , and yet may be in a worse condition than other people . you will say , how can this be ? thus , there may be some sins that they have among them that may have greater aggravations than any sins that other people have , that may make their condition ( all things considered ) worse . we here in this land have much rejoyced heretofore in this , that we have had the doctrine of religion so pure among us as no people more , and certainly except it hath been through some few that of late daies have sought to corrupt it , certainly that must be said , that the doctrine hath been kept very pure , as the main things of religion , and in some things we have gone beyond other reformed churches , as in the point of the sabbath a great deal beyond them ; and so there hath been here in england for family duties , never had god more honor from any people in the world than he hath had from us in many respects ; but yet for all this it seems by gods dealings with us at this day , that god is more provoked with us than with other people , and the truth is , take these one or two things and i think that no people upon the face of the earth can paralel our guilt , not only no people that are now , but never any people since the world began , as that bitterness of spirit in the hatred of the power of godliness and the opposing of it , and persecuting of it , never was any people so guilty as we have been ; in other reformed churches men may be as forward and zealous as they will and they are not persecuted as they are here , & though they kept the sabbath more loosly , yet they never persecuted men that kept it strictly , & there was never heard that stopping of the mouth of the faithful ministry so generally as here in england , if there were but any stirring ministry in any place , presently fly upon them ; and so it may well be said to us at this day , rejoyce not as other people . god hath spit in our faces , to tell us that our condition is worse than the condition of other people . yea but still , if we be idolaters ( would the ten tribes say ) they are so too . here was one particular aggravation upon israel that was not among other people , and that was this , there was no other people would forsake their gods as israel had forsaken theirs , jer. . . there was never such a thing as for a land to change their god , ( the worst people , for kedar was the worst sort of people , they were a vile people , and yet ) go to kedar and see and search diligently whether any nation hath ever forsaken their gods , but you have forsaken me. and from thence there may be this note . that to be constant to ill principles is not so great an evil , as to be false against good principles . ( i say ) god accounts it not to be so great an evil for men to be constant to their prin●les though they be evil principles as for men to forsake good principles ; as now if a man hath been brought up all his daies in superstition and thinks verily this is the right , certainly this man is not so guilty before god as another that hath been educated in the true worship of god , and hath made profession of the contrary and yet afterward doth apostatize , and backslide : god had rather that men should keep to their principles though they be evil , than entertain good principles and forsake them : there are none so vile in gods eyes as apostates , there is not so much sordidness and baseness of spirit in those men that will keep constant to their principles though they be evil as in such as will betray their principles that are good . and then the principal observation is this ; that the sins of gods people are the greatest sins of all : the sins of the saints are the greatest sins of all , and they are to mourn more than any . in amos , . . you only have i known of all the families of the earth , therefore will i visit you for your iniquities ; your sins are greater . and that in rom. . . tribulation and anguish upon every soul of man that doth evil , of the jew first , and also the gentile . and we have these two excellent texts in jer. . . ask ye now among the heathen , who hath heard such things ? the virgin of israel hath done a very horrible thing ; that 's the aggravation that it is the virgin of israel that hath done such a horrible thing . but especially that text in jer. . . for the children of israel , and the children of judah have only done evil from their youth . now hierom hath such a note upon this . what , the children of israel ( saith he ) and judah only done evil from their youth ? what , hath none done evil but they ? he gives this answer , he that hath the knowledg of god and goes from it , he alone sins in the eyes of god , as for unbeleevers they sin too but it is as if god saw it not , and as if god minded it not , as he saith in the acts , that he winks at the daies of their ignorance , but they only sin that have had the knowledg of god. we reade of this philistims that they ventured to carry the ark upon carts ; god did not manifest himself provoked against them that carried the ark so , but when the levites would presume to carry it upon carts , the lord makes a breach upon them and strikes vzzah with death ; he did bear with it in the philistins , which was a little before , and it may be they presumed and thought the philistins carried the ark upon a cart , why may not we ? that which god will beare from others he will not bear from his own , their sins are against covenant , and that 's a special thing , there hath not been that solemn covenant between me and other people as between you and me : this is a mighty aggravation against the sins of gods people , more than against any people in the world , that they are against covenant . oh! remember this , you that do often covenant with god , when you are in prayer , oh! how do you renew your covenant with god ? what promises do you make with god in prayer , and yet you grow again loose , and false , and vile afterwards ? oh! you must not rejoyce as other people ; you look upon a drunkard that reels in the streets , and hear a swearer blaspheme the name of god , yea , but that may not be so great an evil as the vanity of thy spirit , and why ? the loosness of thy heart , and those secret sins thou art guilty of , because thou hast so covenanted and bound thy self to god : the drunkard was never made sensible of his sin and wrath of god upon his conscience ; but the wrath of god hath been upon thy conscience , and thou hast engaged thy self to god , if he would shew mercy , oh! thou would'st walk holily and strictly before him : now doest thou think that thy sins are as the sins of other people ? they never had such soul-quickning ordinances , but go up and down to taverns and alehouses , and never know what a powerful sermon meant upon their hearts , and had they such means as thou hast , then it 's like it would be with them far better than now ; and the name of god is not so much polluted by them as by thee ; thou that art a professor of religion the eyes of all men are upon thee , and in thy sin thou doest not only disobey god , but thou doest pollute the name of god , thou art a stumbling block unto others , and the cause of the hardning of many hundreds in their sins , and therfore thy sin certainly is worse than others . this would be a great point to shew how the sins of the professors of religion are worse than others , and therefore it is not enough for you to say , we are all sinners : no , we must not excuse our selves in this , that others are guilty as well as we , oh! but consider what aggravations there is of thy sin more than there is of the sins of others ; it is a sign of a very carnal heart to think to go away thus , it 's true , i sin , and others sin as well as i do ; yea , but a true penitent heart wil not only consider that he is a sinner , but what aggravations are there upon his sin more than upon the sins of others ? and so will lay it upon their hearts , it 's true , such and such sin , but had they what i have had , it would not be so with them ; my sin that hath broken through so many terrors of conscience , and that god hath sought by such means to keep me from my sin , it is a sign of the violence of my spirit indeed that hath broken through so much as i have done : it is therefore an abominable thing to make our profession in holy duties a medium to make our sins less , doest thou think that this is a means to make thee escape that wrath ? certainly this is a great aggravation of thy sins . we have a generation of men among us , that because they are beleevers , therefore they need no sorrow for their sin , they must have only joy . now certainly thy being a beleever may aggravate thy sin so much the more , and may make it so much the more vile , and may pierce thy heart so much the more ; for if thou beest a beleever thou knowest what the pardon of thy sins cost ; therefore , certainly gods mercies towards thee are the aggravation of thy sins : the truth is , suppose our sins were not so great as the sins of some other people are , yet it is not alwaies an argument that we may rejoyce as other people . why so ? ( you will say . ) thus : suppose our sins be but equal , or less than the sins of other people , yet it is more than we know whether god will pass by our sins so much as by the sins of others , what if god out of his prerogative damn thee for a little sin , and save others that have committed great sins ? we have such examples in scripture , as in the example of saul , the thing that god cast away saul for , in its self it was not so much as that which david had been guilty of , he had been guilty of groser sins than that which god cast away saul for , saul might have said , this is an offence , but is this like murder and adultry ? what if it be not , god will pardon david , and cast away saul . oh! do not you think to rejoice as other people do ; why , may not god do with his mercie as he pleases , it is his own ; god may pardon one , and damn thee eternally : and therefore let no sinner please himself with what others do , for he is not to do as others do . now it follows . thou hast loved a reward upon every corn-flour . israel saw the nations have a great deal of plentie upon their corn flours , which they attributed to the serving of their idol gods , therefore israel thought to comply with them out of the love to the plentie they had , and since the time that she had complied with the nations about her , she prospered more she thought , and this she loved , by this she was exceeding hardned in her waies of idolatry , and blessed her self in them . this is the scope . god made many promises for provision for israel in his service , but they made accompt to get more in following the waies of the gentiles , than in following gods waies : like harlots , though they have liberal provision from their husbands , yet they hoping to get more by others , they love braverie , and jolitie , and they see that other harlots they live more merrilie , and go finer in cloaths , and can be whol nights in chambering and wantonness , and have good cheer , and they love this , and though they have allowance enough at home , yet they leave their husbands and follow whoremasters . just thus it was with israel , though she might have gods care over her , and provision for her in the waies of his worship , yet she beholding the gentiles living more bravely she would follow after them : at first ( as you heard ) she hired lovers her self , but now she loves a reward upon everie corn-flour , now she expects greater advantage ; this indeed was the matter that put her on , the loving a reward upon every corn-flour ; she might have many pretences , why she did not see but that she might do such and such things , and they were not directly contrary to gods word , but whatsoever she did pretend in the altering the way of gods worship , yet this was the great matter that prevailed with her heart , it was , the loving a reward upon every corn flour : and thus it is with very many that are superstitious , come and speak to them of their waies , they will have very many fair pretences , they think that they have this and that warrant out of the scripture for it , but all the the while there is a pad in the straw , there is their living , and trading , and estates , and friends that they have an eye upon , and it is that which byasses their hearts and spirits . but divers things have been spoken to the same purpose of this , that we met withal before , only this one note , idolaters do love their corn and outward prosperity , because it is a reward of their service to their idols : so the sweetness of our comfort should be in this , because they come from god as a reward of our faithfulness . shall idolaters when they look upon their plenty and attribute it to their idol gods , shall it be so much the sweeter to them ? let all our comforts be so much the sweeter to us when we look upon them as coming from god as a reward of our faithfulness . in psal . . . ( saith david ) this i had , because i kept thy statutes . you will say , can we look upon any thing as a reward of our righteousness ? free-grace , and the gospel-reward may stand together , god may reward according to our works , though not for our works , and god is pleased to call it so for the encouragement of his people . it is very sweet to those that keep close with god when they prosper outwardly , that outward prosperity if it follow our keeping close with god is very sweet , as the cypher when it doth follow the figure it doth ad to the number though it be nothing in its self . but now we come to the second verse . ver . . the flour and the wine press shall not feed them , and the new wine shall fail in her . as when a father sees his admonitions not regarded by a stubborn child he doth withdraw his allowance from him ; and sometimes you will deal so with your little children as they shall go to bed without their suppers , to shew your displeasure against them ; so god deals here , you have had many admonitions , now i will withdraw your allowance . the flour and the wine-press ▪ ] he doth not say , the field but the flour , i will let them bring their corn to the flour ; and he doth not say , the vine , but the wine-press ; the notes are these . god often lets wicked men come neer the enjoyment of a mercy , and them cuts it off : as many times the saints comes neer afflictions , and when they are at the very brink of afflictions then deliverance comes to them . secondly , god doth use to strike wicked men in those things that their hearts are most set upon . they would have their flour and wine-press to afford unto them plenty , in that thing god strikes them . now observe it , whether in gods waies that are against you god doth not strike you especially in that which your hearts are most set upon , if he doth , know there 's the finger of god , and god would have you take special notice of it . the new wine shall fail . the words are in the hebrew , it shall ●e unto them . the like word we have in hab. . . the labor of the olive shall fail : in the hebrew shall lie , ( that is ) it shall not perform what it seems to promise to you ; we are ready to promise to our selves great matters from the creature , or rather think that the creature promises much to us , but we shall find all but a lye ; let us learn to promise nothing to us but from the word that will never lye . whatsoever you promise to your selves ( i say ) let it be grounded upon the word , but if you promise to your selves great matters from any creature , you will find a lye in the conclusion . we often lye to god in not answering our good beginnings , and it 's just with god that the creature should even lye to us , and not accomplish what they seem to promise to us . lastly , that which men think to get in a way of sin , they shall fail in at last ; the way of the wicked shall deceive them , they shall not find what they expected in the waies of sin . the saints they shall find more than ever they expected from god , but the wicked shall find less than that which they expected from the creature . but there is not much difficulty in this verse , therefore we pass it over briefly . ver . . they shall not dwell in the lords land. before god was to them as a father taking maintainance away from them , leaving them to suffer want ; but here his anger encreases , & here he puts them out of his house ; as a father , first he withdraws allowance from his stout son , and when that will not do , then he thrusts him out of his house : so doth god here , the wine-press & the flour shall not feed them . and not only so , saith god , but , they shall not dwell in the lords land. i will cast them out of my house , cast them out of my land , i will not suffer ephraim to dwell any longer there . first , god would make them to know that it was his land , and that they were but tenants at will , and that they did enjoy the land upon conditions of obedience , as appears in levit. . . as if he had said , you are tenants and hold the land by this tenure , we reade in levit. . . of an ordinance that god made there that no land in canaan should be sold for ever , but only to the yeer of jubile , the richest man that was that bought never so much land they could not buy it for ever , he could not have such a tenure as runs amongst us , to have and to hold for ever . but you will say , what is the reason ? it is given in the . vers . the land shall not be sold for ever : why ? for the land is mine : for ye are strangers and sojourners with me ; i have brought you to the land , and ye are but sojourners with me in my land. god may dispose of all as he pleases . it 's a good meditation for us to work upon our hearts thus , that we are gods stewards , the lord is the great land-lord of all the world . when you go abroad into the fields , now you that are godly you may see more land than is your own , but you cannot see more land than is your fathers . the lords land. it may be said of all the land in the world , he that is thy father is the great land-lord of the world ; howsoever men respect their land-lords and are afraid to displease them , but how little respect is given to this great land-lord of the world ! the earth is the lords and the fulness thereof ; well , but though all the world be the lords land , yet this land was the lords land in a peculiar manner , the land of canaan it was the lords land more peculiarly in many respects : first , it was a land that god had espied out for his people . in ezek. . . as a special place . god was over looking all the world ; where should i have a good land ( or country ) to set my people , and the text saith , god had espied it out . secondly , it was the land of promise , therefore the lords land , in heb. . . by faith he sojourned in the land of promise as in a strange country . no land in scripture is called the land of promise but only this . thirdly , the lords land , it was a land given by oath in gen. . . fourthly , it was a land which the lord brought his people into by a strong hand and outstretched arm : many scriptures you have for that , as ezek. . . &c. fifthly , it was a land divided by lot , and so the lords land ; not only all the land , but every piece in it , and the possession that any man had it was ordered by god himself , by lot. sixthly , it was a land wherein god dwelt himself , a land that god call'd his own rest , here will i rest for ever , psal . . and god sware unto them that hardened their hearts in the wilderness , that they should not enter into his rest , that is , that they should not enter into the land of cana●n . it was the land wherein there was the ordinances of god , and the worship of god , and his honor dwelt there , and so it had a peculiar blessing upon it above all the land that was upon the face of the earth . seventhly , it was a land over which gods eye was in a more special manner ; there 's a most excellent scripture for that in deut. . . a land which the lord thy god ●areth for , the eyes of the lord thy god are alwaies upon it , from the beginning of the yeer even to the end thereof . yea further , this land , it was a typical land of the church , and a typical land of heaven , for so the apopostle speaking of that place in the psalms , that he swore in his wrath , that they should not enter in his rest . the apostle in heb. . . seems to apply it unto the rest of the church of heaven , and in chron. . . be ye mindful alwaies of his covenant , the word which he commanded to a thousand generations , even of the covenant which he made with abraham , and of his oath unto isaac , and hath confirmed the same to jacob for a law , and to israel for an everlasting covenant ; saying , vnto thee wil i give the land of canaan , the lot of your inheritance . mark ; that he would give unto them the land of canaan : this must be remembred to a thousand generations , and it must be a law to israel afterwards . certainly this notes that god aim'd at more by the land of canaan than meerly to possess them of so much ground . further , yet there are divers titles that are given to this land ; it is called an holy land in zach. . . and it is called a good land in numb . . . that which is translated in your books exceeding good , is , very very good : it 's a pleasant land in ezek. . ult . a garden of eden in joel , . . a glorious land in dan. . . & . verses . and the glory of all lands , ezek. . . and a goodly heritage jer. . . now ( saith my text ) they shall not abide in the lords land. now from all these titles we are not only to take notice of this : that it should be a great judgment of god to drive them out of such a good land. and observe , it is a great judgment of god , for god through the sins of a people , to drive them out of a good land. truly some times , i suppose when you travel abroad where there are fair prospects , you cannot but have such a meditation , oh! how vile are the sins of this land , that should provoke god to cast us out of such a good land as this is ? and most of the titles , though not all , they may be given to our land that was given to the land of canaan ; and certainly if god should proceed in his wrath to cast us out , it would be a heavy judgment to consider of , they laid the pleasant land desolate . howsoever wicked men may cry out of gods servants that they are the cause of the trouble of the land , yet certainly it is the wicked and ungodly that are false in the worship of god , they are wicked men that lay the land desolate . also we might here observe that , to be cast out of those mercies that god by an extraordinary providence hath brought to us , is a sore and a grievous evil . but now the main end that i name all these epithites , it is this : to shew unto you , the excellency of the state of the church of god. the rest of canaan was a type of the rest that god hath in his church , and all those that are members of the true church of god they have a share in it , to rejoyce in ; to enjoy god in his ordinances , it is to enjoy that which is typified by all this . thou who art a beleever , hast a good land , the garden of eden , a glorious land , and that land which is the glory of all lands , there are abundance of excellent priviledges that do belong to the church of god ; and as it is a jugment to be cast out of such a land as this was , so it sets out the great judgment to be cast out from the church of god , or for god to deny to give unto us the bless●●g of his church ; you know what a great affliction it was to moses to think that he should not come into that good land , oh! how did he pray to god that he might come into canaan ? certainly it is that which we should pray for , that we might live to come into canaan that god is a bringing his people into : now let us not murmur as they did in the wilderness , and their carcasses did fall in it , but let us go on and be as caleb and joshua , of another spirit , and not fear our adversaries , but go on in gods way , and the lord will bring us into the good land ; it 's true , we have deserved to be cut off in the wilderness , but certainly god hath a canaan for his people , a canaan yet to come for his people , the lord hath great things to do for his church , and there are many expressions upon which some think that god even will make use of this canaan yet for to be the place of his chief majestie and glory that shall appear in this world ; but however that be , yet the lord hath a canaan for his people that we may confide in . it follows . but they shall return to egypt , and they shall eat unclean things in assyria . for the returning to that we have had before . but besides that , they shall be brought to that poverty and misery to eat unclean poluted bread , whereas before they had abundance : peter would eat nothing that was unclean till god warned him , but the assyrians would bring them unclean meat and bid them eat , they would say , we cannot , this is against our religion , and against our consciences . your consciences ! what do we care for them , eat it or starve , so they were forced to eat . whence observe , that it is a great misery to be brought under those men that will have no care , no regard of the consciences of men . but that which is especially aimed at here , god would take away all notes of distinction between them and the heathen , this was a means to keep them from mixing with the heathen , but now saith god , all is gone , let them go ( saith god ) and eat unclean things , as for the covenant with me it is wholly abolished , i will own them no more than the very impure heathen , they would make leagues with the assyrians , wel , they shal partake w th them and be filthy and unclean as he ; and they defiled gods worship by mixing heathenish polutions with it , now god gives them up to all heathenish uncleanness , as they were like the heathens in inward uncleanness , so let them be ( saith god ) in outward uncleanness . there is these two notes . first , those that will make leagues with wicked men , it is just with god that afterwards they should come and be inthrall'd in all the wickedness and abominations of those wicked men . they were indeed at a distance from them before , but when once the peace is made , they come now to be all one with them . but the main is this , that , when men are inwardly unclean , god doth not care for their outward cleanness . thus many professors of religion defiling their consciences , and becoming like the wicked in inward sins , at length god leaves them up to themselves that there should be no difference between them and the wicked in their outward abominations . have you not known some examples in this kind ? lastly , if it be such a judgment to eat unclean things with the gentiles , even meat to satisfie thier hunger , certainly then it is a fearful evil for any of the saints to partake with ungodly men in unclean wicked worship . there might be as much excuse for this as one could imagin , why lord ( they might say ) shall we starve ? true , they might no question eat that which was unclean rather than starve , but yet it was a great misery that they were in , that they could have nothing to eat but that which was unclean : but now the other is , not only an affliction , but sin , and indeed the moral of it is to shew the great evil that there is in joyning with any way of false worship ; to joyn false worship it is a great evil , and an argument that when god leaves us to this , he disclaimes us . cyprian dehorts christians from communicating with wicked ministers , from this place : ne sibi plebs in hoc ●●andiat●r , & cum pro hoseam prophetam comminetur & dicat censura divina , &c. i do not speak of not joyning in worship , if there be unclean ones there , ministers , or people . and i am perswaded if it be throughly weighed , there will no body be found to be of that mind ; for it is impossible that any church in the world but in time there will be some that are wicked which will be present : but this is not that that causes many to forbear , ( not the presence of wicked men ) but find the uncleanness of the worship , some things that was done actually there , that their consciences told them to be sin . secondly , because they could not do their duty as they should , but if they can have liberty to do their duty , and the worship be not polluted , i think upon serious consideration there can be no question made : although there should be some that are unclean admitted , yet if there be in the church any order and government , that the unclean may be cast out , and libertie that every one may discharge his duty , as to go and admonish , and take two or three and then tell the church , and so to deliver his own soul , no doubt but they may communicate . ver . . they shall not offer wine-offerings to the lord ; neither shal they be pleasing unto him . the prophet in the name of god proceeds to further threatning of israel ; and this in the th verse is a very dreadful one : they shall not offer wine offerings to the lord ; neither shall they be pleasing unto him . in their offerings there was wont to be wine and oyl ; to note cheerfulness in gods service : thus in numb . . . the fourth part of an hyn of wine for a drink offering shalt thou prepare , and for a meat offering thou shalt prepare two deals of flowr mingled with the third part of an hyn of oyl . but now al joy shal be taken away , there shal be nothing but sadnes and sinking of spirit under their misery , no wine offering . hence note , that , those who abuse their joy to their lusts when they have it , it 's just with god it should be taken from them , that they should have none to give to god though they would never so fain . secondly , this makes an affliction to be bitter and grievous indeed , that all joy and comfort in gods service is gone ; for that 's the scope , they shall offer no wine offerings , all their joy in the service of god shall be gone ; they shall not only have sorrow in their outward afflictions that are upon them , but every time they come to think of any service of god their hearts shall be dejected , all their joy in the service of god shall be taken away : there was a time when some of you were wont to offer wine offerings to the lord , that is , to have much joy and comfort in the service of god , but is not all gone ? where 's your wine offerings to the lord ? you can now perform duties , but your hearts are heavy and dul in the performance of them , there 's no sweetness , there 's no enlargement of spirit in holy duties , all the worship of god is a burden now unto you . now there is no burden of affliction so great a burden as when the duties of gods worship comes to be a burden . the saints , so long as they have a wine offering for the lord in holy duties , so long as their spirits in holy duties can be free and joyful , their afflictions are not very burdensom , they are well enough , this is more delightful to them than all the wine in the world , for they can say of gods love , they love is better than wine ; so they can say of their love to god again , that our love unto him is more comfortable to us than any wine in the world ; now though they be in afflictions , their estates are gone , that they have no wine to drink themselves , yet they have a wine offering to offer unto the lord. it 's no great matter though we have not wine as we were wont to have at our tables , but when we go to worship god , we have a wine offering for him at any time ; and this makes glad the hearts of the saints more than the hearts of all the men in the world can be glad when their corn , and wine , and oyl encreases . they shall offer no wine offerings ; neither shall they be pleasing unto him ; they shall not be sweet to him , whatsoever their offerings be . now that they offer to the lord , god will take no delight in them , they will be but sowre things unto the palate of god , the offerings of the saints in gods way they do cheer the very heart of god ; and hence is the reason of that phrase that we have , that wine doth cheer the heart of god and man , it cheer'd gods heart to have offerings offered in a holy manner to him , the greatest joy that god hath in the world is in the offerings of the saints , which should be the greatest encouragement to them ; men by their wine and good cheer may make themselves merry , may make their friends merry , but by their holy offerings they do cheer the heart of god , they are as sweet-meats to god , all the wine and delightful things in the world they are as sweet ( i say ) to god , as all the wine and delightful things in the world are for men . thou hast a cup of wine for thy friend to cheer him , but hast thou a cup of wine for god to cheer his heart ? that is a gracious holy offering unto god : surely that which is most sweet to the soul of god should be most sweet to our souls : you would wonder to hear a man say that he takes as much delight , and he can recreate himself as much in reading , in praying , in hearing sermons , in holy conference as you can do in all your good cheer , in playing and drinking of wine in bowls ; you think that men are mad to say , that they have as much pleasure in those things , as playing at cards , and merriment , and musick , and good cheer : you call upon them to play at cards with you , or be merry , you say to them , why should you be dumpish and never be merry ? they tell you again , that they can be as merry and as cheerful in hearing the word , and praying , and reading , as you in all your playing , and all that that you account delightful . you say to them , that they have no recreation . they tell you , that those things that are your burdens , are their recreation ; you think it strange . why should you wonder ? surely that that sweetens and joyes the heart of god , that must needs be the rejoycing of the hearts of those that have the spirit of god in them ; you have joy and mirth in such and such things ; these are sweet to you , yea , but do these things rejoyce god , are they sweet to god ? but now , this is the threatning here , they shall not be sweet now to him : nothing that is tendered to god from them shall be pleasing to him ; no saith god , now i will have other waies to glorifie my self in upon you , not by your offerings , i 'le rather glorifie my self in your miseries , and they shall be sweet and delightful to me . if an hypocri●e hath never so great enlargements in duties , these would not be pleasing to god , gods palate is more delicate than to tast such sowre and sapless things , than those are that comes from them . saith tertullian , the spirit of god is a most delicate thing , it hath a delicate palat , and such swill that hath such mixtures of filth as your services have , how can they be sweet to the delicate palat of the spirit of god ? you are hypocrites , your lives are naught and filthy and unclean , therefore none of your offerings can be sweet , they are but swill unto that palat of mine . it follows . their sacrifices shall be unto them as the bread of mourners . the hebrew may be taken substantively , or adjectively , as thus : for the bread of mourning , or the bread of mourners , either of both two may be taken according to the original , now by the bread of mourners is here meant unclean bread . for so it is interpreted afterwards , it shall be unclean . but why the bread of mourners unclean ? this text hath reference to what you reade in numb . . . and . verses , you may reade there , that the dead body of a man it did defile whatsoever touch'd it , yea , whatsoever came neer it , and all those that were at funerals that did mourn for the dead , that came to the place where the dead body was , to mourn with the friends for the dead , they became unclean by the dead body : and that 's observable , that the dead body of a beast did not make men so unclean ( by legal uncleanness ) as the dead body of a man did . the dead body of a beast made one unclean but only till the evening , in numb . . . but the dead body of a man made a man unclean seven daies . so you shall find in the former chap. of numbers , that they must be seven daies before they could be clensed ; and this was to note : that there were more remarkable expressions of the anger of god upon the sin of man in the dead body of a man , than in the dead body of a beast ; one made unclean but till evening , and the other seven daies . but the reason why there was this uncleanness from the dead body , was : first , to note the uncleanness that there is in sin , in dead works , that those that did meddle with them they were polluted , yea , the uncleanness that there is in coming near unto sinners ; the coming but near to them , all that was in the tent was polluted . secondly , it was to shew , how little pleasing to god funeral mournings are , for they were made unclean by them : they were made unclean by their funeral mournings , for this bread of mourners is the bread that they eat in their funerals . the gentils did mourn for their dead in an inordinate manner , exceedingly ; and god would have a difference between his peoples mourning for the dead , and their mourning , because that he would keep up his peopl● faith , and the hope of resurection from the dead , whereas had they had liberty to mourn so excessively as the heathens did , by this means the very faith and hope of resurrection from the dead might in time even almost have been extinguished , therefore god would have them take heed of that , and therefore he did so ordain in the ceremonial law , that al the mourners for the dead they should be unclean for so long a time . as for any that doth give liberty in their natural affections , and doth not hold the reins of them in their mourning for the dead , i would apply to them that scripture , in jer. . , . thus saith the lord , a voice was heard in ramah , lamentation , and bitter weeping , rachel weeping for her children , refused to be comforted for her children , because they were not . but now , thus saith the lord , refrain thy voice from weeping , and thine eyes from tears , thy work shall be rewarded , and thy children shall come back again . so it followed afterwards . do not weep as others , let us not mourn as others that have no hope , remember that the mourners for the dead in the law they were to be unclean for seven daies . thirdly , it was to note this , that god would have cheerfulness in his service , and therefore the bread of mourners is accounted polluted . levit. . . we reade of aaron when there was such an occasion of mourning as ever was ( almost for a man , for the death of his children that were so eminent in office , and were destroyed so with such a visible hand of god ( fire from heaven ) when moses was angry that the priests had not eat of the sin offering , saith aaron , if i had eaten of the sin offering to day , should it have been accepted ? it would have been but as the bread of mourners . i that have bin struck this day , and am in such a dreadful condition , would god have regarded the sin offering ? god required joy in his services in deut. ● . . . verses , and hence that profession was required in deut. . , . verses , then thou shalt say before the lord thy god , i have brought away the hallowed things out of mine house , and also have given them unto the levite , and unto the stranger , to the fatherless , and to the widdow , according to all the commandements which thou hast commanded me , i have not transgressed thy commandements , neither have i forgotten them . and then in the . vers . i have not eaten thereof in my mourning &c. they were to profess this to god , that they had not eaten thereof in their mourning ; this was to shew , that sacrifices offered with a sinking heart in sorrow , is not pleasing to god , god loves a cheerful giver . we must not pine away in our iniquities , sullenness and dumpishness even in sorrow for sin it sowres our spirits and services , and makes them unacceptable to god ; ( i say ) a sullen , dumpishness of spirit , though it be in sorrow for sin , it sowres our spirits and makes our services unacceptable to god. there is a groaning and a sighing one to another ▪ or rather , against one another : that is condemn'd in scripture in jam. . . the words in your books are thus , grudge nor one against another , but in the original , sigh not , or groan not one against another ; you shall have many that in company with others have a pensive dumpish spirit , sighing and groaning , and making their society to be burdensom to others . saith the holy ghost , do not sigh and groan one unto another , there is a sullen dumpish sighing of spirit and dejection of soul that is as unpleasing to god as it is unto men , it polutes the heart , and pollutes duty . but ( you will say ) is all mourning forbidden ? that here the holy ghost should say , their offerings should be as the bread of mourners . christ saith , blessed are the mourners , and the sacrifice of god is a contrite heart . it 's true , an evangelical sorrow is accepted , but that hath sweetness in it , it is not bitter , that 's not a dejected spirit , it 's not a mourning that causes dejection or sullenness , or straightness of spirit , but that mourning doth enlarge the heart and makes it active for god ; hence in ezra , . . although we reade before that ezra was astonished at the sin of the people , yet saith he , at the . verse , i arose from my heaviness at the evening sacrifice , when the time came that i should sacrifice unto god my heaviness did not hinder me in holy duties . but how many are there that sink down in their heaviness , and when god calls upon them for any duty , they cannot arise , they are so over-burdened with heavy spirits ? there they sink down in a sullen way , and shall god accept of such a service as this is ? you may please your selves in it and think it is humiliation , but there may be much pride in dejection ; there is none so proud a spirit as the devil is , and yet no spirit so dejected as the devil is . lead we know it melts soonest , but it consumes in the melting : and many times there may be such a spirit that may be ready to sorrow upon any occasion , and to melt , but it 's such a melting as consumes the strength of it that it is unfit for any service that god calls for , now such services as you in such a mourning way tender up to god are not accepted of him , remember this text , their offering shall be as the bread of mourning . gualter hath a note from this : god would not accept of the offering of mourners , they were unclean , yet ( saith he ) there are many that seek to get their greatest gain from funeral mournings , and fall of enveighing against them that get gain that way ; as their priests and officers that use to tend upon funerals for gain , he calls them vultur● and crows that do flock to dead bodies , and sepulchers dogs , ( those are his words ) that seek to get advantage by funerals . and we know heretofore what abundance of advantage there was gotten by funerals , scarce could you bury a child under three or four pounds , such kind of fees there were , and made them even rejoyce when others did mourn , and getting a great part of of their livelihood from the bread of mourners . and theophylact hath another note from this place , the bread of mourners . that is , those things offered to god gotten by oppression , as thus ; suppose a man or woman gets an estate , and gets it in an oppressing way , it may be they are at home and merry , but it may be the poor children or widdow is mourning for those morsels that thou art rejoycing in , but it is the first note that is the most according to the mind of the holy ghost , the mourning that hath respect to the funerals , and so especially at the dejection of spirit in holy duties . it follows , the bread for their soul shall not come into the house of the lord. the bread for their soul . ] that is ; when they are seeking god even for their very lives . by bread , is to be understood , their oblations more generally , not only bread , but their oblations , as malac. . . ye offer polluted bread upon mine altar : it 's taken generally for all kind of offerings upon gods altar . so , the bread for their souls , that is , those offerings that they did offer for their very lives . now from thence the note is this : that it 's a sad thing when a creature would seek to god for his very life , yet then god rejects him and his offering too . before these people they did reject the voice of the lord at the temple , and they kept others from going to the house of the lord , they thought sacrifices elsewhere would serve the turn as well ; but now they shall be far enough from bringing any sactifices to the house of the lord though they should desire to do it for their very souls . thus many who in the time of their prosperity do neglect the worship of god and slight it , and think there is no great matter in it , but afterwards when they see their very lives , their souls lie at the mercy of god , then they would fain seek god for their lives , they see they are undone if god be not merciful to them , yet then god rejects them , their offerings then for their souls shall not come into the house of the lord , that is ; will not be accepted of god. when a man is crying for an alms , but for a piece of bread , to be rejected is something ; but when a man is crying for his soul , then to be rejected , and by god himself , this is more grievous . secondly , the bread for their soul , that is , the bread they have to maintain their lives withal , if they would offer that to the lord , it should not come into the house of the lord to be accepted ; for by bread for their souls , may be meant , the bread that they have to maintain their lives , for so we find the scripture cals the soul , the life of a man , in mat. . . is not the life more worth than meat ? the words in the original are , is not the soul of man ? it is here the bread for the soul , that is , the very bread that they have to maintain their lives , their necessary bread that they have to live on ; although they should be willing to offer that to the lord , it shall not come unto him . now this is as if the prophet should say to them , now you cannot be brought to them to offer your superfluity to god , but your condition shall be such as if you would offer the necessary bread you have to preserve your lives , if you would offer that to god , god will not accept of it : as if a man were so poor that he were ready to starve , and yet for all that such a man would say , wel , though i starve , yet i wil offer this i have to live on , and i would offer this to god rather than have it my self , now you would think this should be an argument of a great deal of devotion . but the case shall be now , that though you would seek god with such earnestness , yet the heart of god shall be so hardened against you as they will not be accepted . those who in time of prosperity are loth to deny their ease , and loth to lay out any thing of their superfluity for god , but time may come that though they should be willing to bite off their very nails , and pluck out their eyes , and tear their very flesh in indignation for their sin in respect unto god any way , yet this god shall not vouchsafe to have regard unto . therefore this learn by it , to seek god while he may be found , and not to stand upon your own terms with god in the day of your prosperity , and to say , i cannot spare this and that for him ; but if we deny god now what is his due , though we would give to him hereafter that that our lives lay upon , yet it shall not be accepted . . bread for their souls : that is , they shall have no more bread than will serve for their very life from hand to mouth , they shall have nothing to bring to the house of the lord , they shall be so put to it , when they are in captivity , they shall be kept so strictly , as to have nothing but bread and water , nothing but from hand to mouth ; they shall be far enough from having any thing to offer to the lord , to be accepted of him ; if they should think of bringing any thing to the house of the lord , alas ! what have they ? nothing but a little bread for their soul . from whence the note is this , to have no estate to offer to god in his service , in the waies of his publick worship is a great affliction . it follows . ver . . what will ye do in the solemn day , and in the day of the feast of the lord ? now they shall remember their solemn daies , their feasts , and see themselves cut off from any further enjoying of them , it must needs be a great sadning unto their spirits to think what daies once they had , oh what solemn times and feasts that they did keep to god ; for any to sit down in times of affliction and say , i remember what daies of joy in the service of god i once had , but now they are gone , oh! the daies that i was wont to have , how sweet were they ? but all is now past and we must sit down in sorrow and affliction . there was a time ( saith god by the prophet ) that you would not suffer any to go up to the feast , but now you shall be far enough from jerusalem or any other place of worship , and the very remembrance of those solemn daies shall be grievous to you , oh! what will you do in those solemn daies ? those solemn daies were daies of joy , in numb . . . thus i think some carry it , they make those feasts to be the feasts that they should have gone up to jerusalem in ; but i take not this to be the scope of the holy ghost here , but rather thus ; by the solemn daies and feasts of the lord is here meant , the solemn day of gods wrath and vengeance upon them ; now for the making out of that i shall shew first , that in scripture the day of gods wrath is call'd the solemn day , and the day of gods feast is the day of his wrath , a day wherein god feasts . first , the solemn day it is the day of gods wrath , in lament . . . thou hast call'd as in a solemn day , my terrors round about , so that in the day of the lords anger none escaped . so that the solemn day is the day of the lords anger there . and secondly , the day of gods feast , that time when god doth execute his wrath upon wicked men is the day of a feast to god. in revel . . , . verses , ( besides other texts ) an angel cried with a loud voice to all the fowls that fly in the heavens , come , and gather your selves together to the supper of the great god , that ye may eat the flesh of kings , and the flesh of captains , and the flesh of mighty men , and the flesh of horses , and of them that sit on them , and the flesh of all men both free and bond , both smal and great : it is the day of the lords feast . now 't is a solemn day , a day of the execution of gods wrath , because now god executes wrath publickly and brings much wrath together . thou hast call'd as in a solemn day my terrors round about . you know that in the day of a petty sessions there may be some justice done , but more privatly : but in a day of solemn assizes , when there is a full goal delivery , then judgment is done publickly ; so god executes justice sometimes upon men particularly , but god hath his solemn day to execute his judgments publickly before all , and then the lord feasts . the day of execution of gods wrath upon wicked men is a day of feast , upon this ground . first , because the day of their feasts were daies of slaying sacrifices , so they should now be slain , and god would account even their bodies that were slain to be as sacrifices for this great feast of his , in isa . . . the lord hath a sacrifice in bozrah , and a great slaughter in the land of idumea . and in zeph. . . the day of the lord is at hand , the lord hath prepared a sacrifice , he hath bid his guests . and then it shall come to pass in the day of the lords sacrifice , that i will punish the princes , and the kings children &c. he hath bid his guests ; so here 's the feast of god , and the slaughter of great men are here , the dishes as it were of sacrifice that god would have at this his feast , the executioners of gods wrath are now his priests to kill his sacrifices . soldiers and executioners they are turned the priests of god for to kill his sacrifice for this his feast . hence in jer. . . prepare ye war against her , it is in the original , sanctifie the war ; and in another scripture , those that were the executioners of gods wrath , were call'd gods sanctified ones . and then further , a day of feasting is , a day of rejoycing ; this day of the execution of gods wrath upon sinners , especially great sinners that do escape mens hands , it is a day of rejoycing to god , as in a day of feast : and this word that is translated feast , it signifies dancing , it is a day wherein the lords heart doth as it were leap within him because of joy , god rejoyces in the execution of his righteous judgments upon them ; therefore gods wrath in scripture is call'd wine , they shall drink of the wine of his wrath : the lord at length when sinners continue impenitent is as much delighted in the execution of his justice , as men can be in drinking of wine . in deut. . . as the lord rejoyced over you to do you good , so the lord will rejoyce over you for evil . and in ezek. . . thus shall mine anger be accomplished , and i will cause my fury to rest upon them , and i will be comforted . ( it 's a very strange expression . ) oh! let us , my brethren , take heed how we rejoyce in sin , god may rejoyce in the execution of his judgments upon us due to our sin . men have their daies in joy and mirth in sin ; and god hath his daies of joy and mirth in the execution of his wrath ; oh! how sad is the condition of a creature when the infinite merciful god shall rejoyce in his ruin ! surely then , if god doth so rejoyce in the exceution of his wrath upon wicked men , then the saints also may rejoyce ; in psal . . . the righteous shall rejoyce when he seeth the vengeance , he shall wash his feet in the blood of the wicked : taken from the custom of those countries , that were wont after their travels to wash their feet with cold water , and that did refesh them : so the blood of the wicked should be refreshment to the righteous . now this is not an insulting joy over them , but rejoycing in the honor that god hath , and in the good that doth come to the church by the execution of such men , both unto god and to his people . so that it follows in psal . . . verily there is a reward for the righteous ; verily there is a god that judgeth in the earth . the saints may look upon wicked men when they see them executed and pitty them as men ; but they may rejoyce in this , because they see such a spectacle before them as makes this scripture to be good , verily there a reward for the righteous ; verily there is a god that judgeth in the earth . and in psal . . . the righteous shall see , and fear , and laugh : mark , though he may rejoyce , yet he must have fear mixed with it , he shall see , and fear , and laugh . and note , that scripture is spoken of a great courtier , of doeg , one that was a most desperate enemy to gods people , one that watch'd all the waies he could to do mischief , and especially to do mischief to david , and he was the man that came and stir'd up the king against david , this . psalm , is made concerning this doeg , and a prophesie of his destruction , saith the spirit of god , the righteous shall see , and fear , and laugh : if a man can keep his heart spiritiual , sanctifying gods name in the beholding such an object , those that are eminent wicked men brought to execution , he may lawfully according to the mind of god , feast his eyes in the beholding of it , such a day is call'd the feast of the lord. and the lord doth not use to feast himself , but he calls his saints to feast with him ; in prov. . . when it goeth well with the righteous , the city rejoyceth , and when the wicked perish there is shouting . and this is according to gods mind it should be so . and therefore christians above all men should be far from a proud insulting even over these men , but yet when god laies an ▪ object before them wherein they may see the answer of so many prayers , and the fruit of the cries of so many thousands that were oppressed , yea , of so many thousand conscience ▪ oppressed ones , that have cried against such a one , if at the stroke of god , they with hearts lift up to him shall give a shout that shall come up to the heavens , this pleases god , and the holy angels , and it is musick fit for the day of the feast of the lord ; thus the saints may do in the day of the feasts of the lord. yea , but saith the holy ghost here by the prophet , but what will you do ? the saints may do thus when god makes this his feast in the execution of such eminent wicked men , he calls you to it , to rejoyce and bless his name , he bids you look here and see , is it not good waiting upon me ? the saints may do so and bless god , but what will yov do in the day of the feast of the lord ? what will wicked men do in that day ? what will become of all your jolity ? what will become of all your stoutness , and wilfulness , of all your pride , of all your scorning , of all your vain hopes , when this solemn day comes , and when the feast of the lord comes ? in isa . . . we have a scripture paralel to this , what will you do in the day of visitation ? what will you do , and to whom will you fly for help , and where will you leave your glory ? can you tell what in the world to do ? you can tell what to do now , you have your wills , and pride it , and stout it out now , but what will you do in the day of visitation , when gods solemn day and this feast comes ? oh! what can they do but as the great and mighty men , revelations . they cry to the hills to fall upon them , and to the mountains to cover them , for the great day of the lambs wrath is come . those that are the most bold and presumptuous in their sins , when this day of the lord comes they shall be in the most miserable perplexity not knowing what to do , they know not how to bear that which is upon them , nor how to avoid it , nor what course to take , what can you do in such a day ? for , first , all your comforts they are gone , all such things that your hearts closed withal and made as gods to your selves , they are gone . secondly , now god himself fights against you , in isa . . . howl ye , for the day of the lord is at hand , it shall come as a destruction from the almighty . but it may be you look only upon such and such men that are the instruments . no , but it is a destruction from the almighty , and therefore what can you do ? thirdly , conscience in that day that will terrifie you . fourthly , you shall not know whither to go for help : to the creature , that cannot help you , your vain hopes in the creature hath the very heartstrings of them broke , you thought that you might shift and help your selves there , but now you see there is no help there . what then ? you cannot go to god , then the very thoughts of god must needs be terrible to you , and then what will you do ? further , for these miseries they are but the beginning of sorrows , this day of the lord it is but a preparation for another day ; there is yet a more solemn day of the lord in coming than this present . oh! what will ye do in the day of the lord ? howsoever a man may resolve to set a good face upon a thing ; oh! but my brethren , though you cannot see daunting in a countenance , yet did you but see , the black bosom , and the woful guilty spirit that there is by sin within , you would know that they could not in the world tell what do do in the day of the lord. it 's strange what a man may do even before death , in the presence of men , although his own conscience tells him quite otherwise , and though men are ready to be taken with dying mens expressions , yet many times there is much deceipt in them . why you will say ? what a man doth profess when he is ready to die , certainly it must needs be a truth . there is a notable story concerning this that bishop latimer hath , in one of his sermons , he tels of the desperate stoutness of a certain mans heart even when he was to die : as he was ●iding he comes to a place where the execution of a man was to be , he turns aside , and when the people saw him they made way , and he comes to speak with the man , and both he and all that were about him could not get out of him to give glory to god for the guiltiness of the fact for which he was to be executed , but stood out in it , that he was not guilty ; and when they could get nothing out of him they turned the ladder , and the rope being cut and he down , they thought the life had been gone from him , but at length they saw a little motion in him , and by rubbing and cha●ing of him they got life , so as he was able to speak , and then he confest all ; that he was guilty of those very things that he had took upon his death that he was not . thus it 's possible for men in the stoutness of their hearts even at the last rather to venture their souls upon it ; and well may they that ventur'd their souls so much before upon other things , think that they may make bold with god at such a time as this is . but howsoever there is much dejection of spirit , and they know not in the world what to do . well , it 's happy for us to consider what we do , and to lay to heart what we have done , that so in such a day of the lord as this , we may know what to do ; the servants of god who have walked conscionably before him , they know what to do in the day of publick calamity . ` for first ' , they can bless god that ever they knew him , that ever they knew his waies , that ever he put it into their hearts to fear his name . secondly , they know what to do in a day of calamity , they can exercise their faith upon that word in which the lord hath caused them to trust , they can make it to be the support of their souls , and the joy of their hearts , even in such a day . thirdly , they know what to do , they can sanctifie god name in his righteous judgments , they can see mercy and the love of a father in the sorest and heaviest afflictions that do befall them . fourthly , they know what to do ; they can ease their souls by powring them forth into the bosom of a gracious and reconciled father . fifthly , they know what to do ; they can see beyond all these present evils , they can see immortality and glory , they can see that on the other side a little beyond these troubles and afflictions , there is an everlasting joy and day of peace coming to them . a job can tell what to do , he can profess that though god kill him he would trust in him . a david can tell what to do , in the multitude of the sorrows that i had in my heart , thy consolations refresh my soul . a habacuk can tell what to do , although the fig-tree should not blossom , nor fruit be in the vines , the labor of the olive shall fail , and the fields shall yeeld no meat , the flocks shall be cut off from the fold , and there shall be no heard in the stalls : yet will i rejoyce in the lord ; yet will i joy in the god of my salvation : thus you see the saints they know what to do in such a day ; and this is the excellency of grace , that it can never be put so to it , in any strait , but it can tel what to do ; as david said to achish in sam. . . surely thou shalt know what thy servant can do . so the saints in time of common distresses they should set their graces so on work that all may see what their faith , and humility , and patience can do , that they may be able to say , well , you shall see now what the servant of the lord can do : if one should say to one that hath made profession of godliness , you spake much of the excellency of grace , but what can you do with it ? the answer that such a one may well give , is this : when you cannot tell what to do in the world nor which way to turn your selves , yet through gods mercy i can tell what to do . grace will be able to carry a man through fire and water , that faith of mine , and the grace that i have gotten by the word , that you can scorn at , it 's that doth through gods mercy enable my soul to rejoyce , yea , to triumph in tribulations , can you do that ? you can rejoyce now when you are in a tavern , but in the day of tribulation , when a dismal day shall come to the world , what will you do then ? i thank god i have that that can rejoyce my heart in such a day as this is ; and that that i have gotten by the word , and by prayer , and by the ordinances , can enable me to do that that you cannot do ; that 's something , that when a man in times of tribulation can carry himself above all , so that men or devils are not able to put him in such a case as he cannot tell what to do . it follows . ver . . for lo , they are gone , because of destruction . but do you say to us , what will we do in such a day ? why , we know well enough what to do , we have a way to help us ; if all your threatnings should befall us , yet we can have help : why , 't is not like that all this misery and disolation that you prophesie of , it 's not like that it will come suddenly ; then surely we know what to do , we will get to egypt , that 's not far off ; and if we cannot live here in our own country , we will go to memphis , that 's a brave city and there we may live well enough ; many of us are merchants , and memphis is as great a place for mercandize as where we live , and we will get thither . thus carnal hearts have alwaies some shifting thoughts and some plots in their heads thinking of waies to provide for themselves , and indeed it 's this that takes off the hearts of men from humbling themselves before the lord and making their peace with him , because they think they may shift off gods strokes thus and thus , therefore they do not fall down with trembling hearts before the lord , and cry unto him , lord , what wilt thou have us to do ? but they know what to do themselves ; and were it not for this , that their hearts were thus taken off by shifts , oh! what humiliation would there be then before the lord , what subjecting to him , what seeking of him ? isa . . . thou art wearied in the greatness of thy way ; yet saidest thou not , there is no hope : thou hast found the life of thine hand , therefore thou wast not grieved . thou thoughtest thou couldst tell what to do , therefore thou wert not grieved . when god doth intend mercy to men , he takes them off from their vain hopes , from all their shifting reasonings , and then mercy is at hand . when the hearts of men are brought to this , to cry , men and brethren , what shall we do ? and as jehoshaphat , we know not what to do : but our eyes are towards thee : i say , when mens hearts are taken off from all their shifts , and they come to this pass ; as for any thing in our selves we know not what to do , but only our eyes are towards thee ; then is mercy at hand , and never till then . and therefore all the time that you are reasoning thus in your own imaginations , all that while you are far from mercy . for lo , they are gone to egypt , because of destruction . the prophet speaks here of a thing as if it were done already . although they were in samaria , and in the cities of israel , yet saith the prophet , lo , they are gone to aegypt : the wrath of god was too hot for them in their own country , and away they are gone and got to aegypt for a refuge . carnal hearts in straits will rather make any thing to be their refuge than god. and my brethren , just these for all the world have been ( i fear ) and it may be yet are the thoughts of many among us ; why , ( think they ) ministers of god they threaten judgments , that god hath a controversie against us , and we see now some tokens of gods wrath upon us ; well , let the worst come that can , we hope to shift some way or other , we may get into holland , or germany , or france , or new-england , if the worst come that can , i hope we may have time enough to get one way or other to make shift to live ; and these back-doors that their eyes are upon , have made them less solicitous about , and less helpful in the great things that god calls all with a loud voice to joyn together with al their strength , that they may deliver their own land from that heavie wrath that hangs over you . well , notwithstanding mens thoughts are for shifting , it will prove that all will be vain . saith god , you think to shift to this place and the other , you may be disappointed , for egypt shall gather you , and memphis shall bury you , my wrath and sore displeasure shall pursue you thither . it 's a vain thing for men to seek to fly from the presence of god : but certainly in some cases a man may fly from danger : as in regard of mens relations and stations , they see that their work is done in one place , and god by providence opens them a door to another , though not out of distrust , but if when god calls for further work here and there is no door opened by providence , but what 's broken open by themselves out of a distrust and slavish fear only to provide for the flesh , i say , such may expect wrath to pursue them wheresoever they go , their safest places may prove to be their graves , egypt shall gather them , ( that is taken from the gathering of dead bodies ) memphis shall bury them : memphis was a principal city in egypt that now is known by the name of grand caer , your merchants and marriners they know that city that here the holy ghost speaks of by that name ; and then it was call'd memphis upon the name as some think of one of the king of egypts daughters . a city very famous in egypt for the pyramides and the kings sepulchres that were there , and the city that stood very commodious for trafick because it stood upon the river nilus and there was multitudes of streets , i am loth to name you the number for indeed it is incredible , only this thing is remarkable that generally all the streets had at each end of them two gates so that they might be lockt up as a tower ; and it may be the holy ghost may allude the rather to that , in saying , memphis shall bury you , because every place was shut up , and it 's the same city that you reade of in the . of isaih . now say they , we will go to memphis a brave place for trafick , and a very commodious city , a very safe city that hath all the streets like so many towers and we will go and help our selves there . yea , but memphis shall bury you saith god. from thence the note is , that it 's a great affliction to be forced to leave ones own country , and never to return again , but to lay our bones in a strange land. the lord hath sent many of his servants into other countries to live among strangers , some there are that have gone among strangers , yet through gods mercy they have not so gone but god hath given them libertie to return again , and though their going hath been ( as you know ) much aspersed of late , yet when more weighty work may give leave i make no question but you will be fully satisfied so as you shall acknowledg a special hand of god even in their going . but here specially the jews did account it a great misery to die out of their own land. buxtorfious in his book called the jewish synagogue , relates such a tradition that the jews have , they do beleeve that the resurrection at the great day shall be at jerusalem of the jews , that wheresoever any of the jews have lived and died , yet they shall rise up at jerusalem , therefore when many of them that lived a great way off did begin to grow old they would leave their station and go as neer to jerusalem as they could : for this is their tradition , that their bodies shall come through passages of the earth all along to jerusalem , and that they may prevent the trouble of coming so far under the ground , therefore they remove their dwelling to dwell neer jerusalem . and this is the vanity of spirit that they are left unto . but though that be a vanitie , yet certainlie it 's an affliction to anie to be out of their own countrie , and there to live and die ; but if it be a great evil to flie from ones own countrie for fear of destruction , and to have the place they fly 〈◊〉 be made as their grave , what a great evil is it then for men meerlie out of love for advantage to leave places where before they did or might enjoy communion with the saints , to leave the ordinances of god , to go into other places among papists , and heathe●s where they cannot have the freedom of gods worship ? now such as these are should find these places to be labyrinths of miserable perplexity to them , it is just with god it should be so , seeing they out of love to gain would thus venture themselves , and therefore let men take heed of this how they go upon any private respects from places were gods worship may be had to places where they cannot enjoy it . it follows . the pleasant places for their silver , nettles shall possess them ; thornes shall be in their tabernacles . the word that is translated pleasant places for silver , it is , the desire of their silver . first , it may have reference to this , to their furniture of silver , that nettles shall grow where they wear their fine silver things , their fine cupbords of plate , and houshold stuff that they did take so much delight in , as in lament . . . jerusalem remembred in the daies of her affliction , and of her miseries , all her pleasant things that she had in the daies of old . mark but these two things from this text , jerusalem in the daies of her affliction and miserie . my brethren , there may be daies of affliction , and yet no daies of miserie , the saints may meet with daies of afflictions , but not of misery ; the wicked when they meet with daies of affliction , they meet with daies of misery ; but the thing i note that text for is this , they shall remember all the pleasant things that they had . oh! they shall think then , what fine cupbords of plate they were wont to have , and all their fine things ; so here , here 's a threatning that there should nettles grow in the very place where their fine houshold stuff stood , such a place of the house where such a fine cupbord of plate was , all shall be so demolished that perhaps nettles and thorns shall grow there . and then secondly , the places where they hid their silver , as you know in times of war men will hide their silver , and they think they may come back again and have them , but saith god , you shall go far enough from them , and i make no question but another generation may find treasures of silver in the countries , in the midst of nettle bushes and thorn bushes . thirdly , it is their delightful houses adorned with silver , that were so glorious to their eyes , al now is gone saith god , and nettles and thorns shall grow up , they shall inherit , so the word is ; you hope to leave these brave houses to your children to inherit , but now saith god i have other heirs for your houses than your children , i have thorns and nettles to inherit them , for so the word is in the hebrew , they shall inherit . it 's a lamentable spectacle to see places where fair buildings have been that now nettles and thorns should grow , as it is like to be if these wars hold in divers places of this kingdom , that was the complaint heretofore of troy , there was corn grew where once troy was , it was made a plowed field , but to have nettles grow it is worse , for where the plow goes there are inhabitants , but where nettles and thorns are that 's a desolate wilderness . travellers tell us , that in manie places of germany , when they go by where brave buildings were , there 's nothing now but bushes and nettles ; the lord deliver us from such a heavy stroke as this is , this is threatned in isa . . . vpon the land of my people shall come up bry●rs and thorns , yea upon all the houses of joy in the joyous city . would it not be a sad spectacle to see such a city as this to have the buildings overthrown and to have nettles and thorns in your fairest streets come up ? yet sin is such a ruinous thing as this . and then in isa . . . thorns shall come up in her palaces , nettles and brambles in the fortresses thereof , and it shall be a habitation for dragons , and a court for owls ; the owls they shal keep court there . in our courts we know what abundance of sin was there , now the owls shall keep court there instead of these courtiers that lived so bravely there formerly . oh my brethren ! sin is a leprosie that infects the doors of our houses : there 's a notable story in king. . . it said of nebuchadnezzar , that he burnt the house of the lord , and the kings house , and all the houses of jerusalem , and every g●eat mans house burnt be with fire . there is a great deal of sin committed in great mens houses , and at this day how have the great men of the land almost in all places shewed a spirit of malignity against the work of reformation , oh how just with god is it that the houses of these great men should s●ffer ; this that here is threatned in my text , and manie of them have been spoiled already , and if god give them not hearts speedily to see the evil of their waies it 's very probable that within a few years this text of mine may be fulfilled upon them , they shall possess them . it may be they think though the war did keep us from our houses a while , nay though they should be broken down , yet our lands will hold , they cannot take away them . nay saith god , flatter not your selves with thinking to come to it again , for you shall never come to them , for nettles and thorns shall possess it . and thus we have done with the sixth verse , but a very little of the seventh verse . and so , ver . . the daies of visitation are come , the daies of recompence are come . and of recompence . god hath his set time for the execution of judgment . what good is it to a malefactor that he is let alone a while in the prison , when he knows that at such a day of the month must be the day of his execution ? the day of visitation and recompence , i.e. of enquiry for all thy evil . your judgments they are none other but , recompences ; you may have vain pleas and reasons to justifie your selves , but when god comes to visit you he will deal with you in away of recompence proportionable to your waies ; if you would fall down and acknowledg your sins and your need of mercy , then it may be you may find mercy ; but if you will stand to justifie your selves , then expect that god when he comes , will come in a way of recompence . and now my brethren , oh! what a desperate venture is this , that men will venture to deal with god in a way of recompence , whenas you may be dealt withal in a way of mercy ? you will say , who are those that will deal with god in a way of recompence ? certainly those that will plead and justifie themselves , and will say , god knows i do what i can , and this is not so much my fault as others : then expect that god when he comes to deal with you he will have your pleas to be fully examined , and if it prove that your pleas will hold , you shall have accordingly ; and if it prove that your pleas shall be found false , then you shall be dealt withal in a way of justice . will you venture ? dare any of you venture upon your pleas to stand it out ? if you say , you do what you can , you will be tried by it , and you shall be recompenced accordingly ; and if it be found indeed that you do what you can , you shall be saved ; but if it be found you have not done what you could , you shall perish eternally : will you venture ? certainly , whatsoever you stand pleading to justifie your selves by , you may expect that god will deal with you in a way of recompence . the daies of recompence are come . twice come : as it is said , babylon is fallen , is fallen . israel was in a way of recompence and would hardly be moved with any apprehension of danger , and therefore you have it twice repeated . from thence the note is this . that the apprehension of an evil presently coming , that terrifies the soul . you have a notable text for that in ezek. . . an end is come , the end is come ; and then in the next words , behold , it is come again . in one little verse three times , an end is come , the end is come ; behold , it is come . and in the verse before , it comes , and in the verse after , it is come ; five times god tells them that , it is come . then saith my text , israel shall know it . wicked men will not know till they feel ; when they are struck , then they will know . the best knowledg of gods displeasure it is from the causes , but if men will not know from thence , they shall know from the effects . in their prosperity they had many false prophets that soothed them up , so , that they were kept from knowledg , but now when they had felt gods stroke , then they should know ; but he doth not tell you what you should know . they should know these things . first , they should know what a great god it is they have to deal withal . secondly , they should know how vile a thing sin is . thirdly , they should know the vanity of all their shiftings . fourthly , they should know the dreadfulness of divine wrath . fifthly , the faithfulness of gods prophets . sixthly , they should know the wisdom of those who dar'd not do as they did . seventhly , they should know the follie and vanitie of all the false prophets that did seduce them before ; they should know , that the prophet is a fool , and the spiritual man is mad . oh! the knowledg we have of these things in time of affliction , is another manner of knowledg than we know in the time of our prosperitie : it was the speech of a german divine in an affliction , in this disease i know what sin is , and how great god is in this disease . and yet he was a divine , why did he not know before ? no trulie , i never knew what sin and god was so before . now israel shall know . the knowledg that men have of the truth of god in time of affliction , is a working knowledg . i appeal to you ; how manie of you in the time of your sickness and afflictions have known things after another manner than ever you knew them before ? it follows ; the prophet is a fool , and the spiritual man is mad . in the time of affliction they shall cry out that those are fools that did seduce them . one that died not long since by the exchange , cried out of his keeping companie with lewd ministers that did encourage him in his waies , and that did harden him against religion and the saints of god. in former times we know how men would close with wicked ministers , and how they would be hardened in scorning at religion , and puritans , but these will have cause upon their sick beds , and death beds , to crie out of them , for they would tell them that they need not be so strict and so pure : take heed now how you be deceived by those that account themselves spiritual men , they here in the text upon experience find that the prophet did but befool them , and those that had such glorious titles of spiritual men , that they were but mad ; and if you take not heed some that are here may find it hereafter true upon their death beds , that they may cry out of such and such ministers that did perswade them to such and such things . but truly t is no excuse to men , though they should be led aside by ministers and others , for you shall find what 's the reason that they were given up to prophets that were fools , it follows in the text : for the multitude of their iniquity , and for their great hatred . thou hadst a wicked and a vile heart that did hate gods people and the waies of godliness , and therefore it was just with god to give thee up to those that thou seest now to be fools and mad-men ; oh! it 's just with god when mens spirits are against the true prophets of god , to leave them to ministers that should cozen and undo their souls everlastingly . ver . . the watch-man of ephraim was with my god : but the prophet is a snare of a fowler in all his waies , and hatred in the house of his god. in this , and the former verse god charges ( as the cause of much evil in israel ) the false prophets , but yet through the peoples sin , for it was through the multitude of their wickedness that they were so guided by those false prophets , whom they followed in times of their prosperity . but god would have a time wherein they should know they were but fools , and the spiritual man but mad . and this was likewise because of their great hatred , the great hatred of the the true prophets , their spirits were against them , and therefore god gave them up to those that were false : the same argument follows here in the eigth verse , the watchman of ephraim was with my god : but the prophet is a snare of a fowler in all his waies , and hatred in the house of his god. the watch-man . such who profess themselves watchmen , that take upon themselves glorious titles , prophets and ministers of god are called watchmen : and these made great profession that they would be as careful to foresee , and labor as much to prevent danger to the people as any of them all , they profest to be very useful unto the people , and to be as much for god as any , but they were a snare ; and this title of theirs , and this profession of theirs proved to be a snare unto the people . many vile things are hidden under fair and glorious titles , as many excellent things are disgraced under base and ignominious titles : you know what a deal of evil was lately covered among us by names and titles , as the clergie , and the church ; and likewise what abundance of good had dirt cast upon it by titles , as conventicles , and puritans , and the like ; and now the titles of things may be changed into others , but may be as dangerous some other way , as formerly these titles were both one way and the other : let people for ever take heed of titles and examin what lies under them , be not led away one way nor other , either by fair or specious titles , or by ignominious titles ; ordinarilie people that do not examin things to the bottom , they are taken with names and titles . but somewhat of these heretofore . the watchman of ephraim . the people of israel , the ten tribes they had no mind to the true watchmen , because they threatned hard things against them , they were willing to close with any others that would preach more pleasing things , so they might set one against another , and this quieted them ; although the truth was , that these watchmen were a most grievous snare to them . thus many who have carnal hearts , and are not able to bear the evincing and threatning power of the word in the mouths of the true watchmen , of faithful ministers , they seek to help themselves by the opinions & judgments of other ministers , and so think they are safe when they have the opinion and judgment of some that are learned , and have repute of godliness too , for so certainly these watchmen had here ; and then they can set the opinion and judgment of one , against the opinion and judgment of the other , they think they are safe now and may be quiet , yet this proves a dangerous snare . when there is cleer conviction of a truth , it is a dangerous thing out of a lothness to yeeld to that , to seek the opinions of others . i confess when a man hath the opinion and judgments , and if out of love to the truth that he might be confirmed in the truth , or that he might know fully what the truth is , for him to seek help from others is a good thing ; but if out of distast to a truth , if because the heart is weary of it , and would fain not have it to be true , because it may bring some trouble , upon that ground he goes to seek the opinion of some other , and hopes before he goes that he shall find the opinion of others to be contrary , and so he may have something to quiet his spirit ; this is a great snare to the souls of those that have been guilty of it . the watch-man of ephraim : ephraim had watch-men as well as judah . no cause so ill but will have some in the place of watch-men that have the repute of wise , learned , and judicious men to maintain it . the watch-man of ephraim was with my god. they professed more than ordinarie judgment in the knowledg of gods mind , and acquaintance with the waies of god , and yet they were snares to the people . whence observe : every man in his erronious opinion doth pretend to be with god , and for god ; and without this indeed he could never be a snare to those that profess themselves to be the people of god. with my god. it must needs be a great grief to those who have the true knowledg of god , and indeed have interest in him , to see others who are false to maintain that which is evil ; and yet to pretend to god , as if they were for god , and for the glory of god , and to set up god as much as any . the prophet seems to speak in grief and trouble , these watch-men of ephraim , those among the ten tribes , they will pretend to be for god , to be for my god. vatablus hath a further note upon this , ( saith he ) ephraim made to himself a watch-man , and would hear him , and would hear them together with his god , like mad-men would hear them together with god , and so they would worship idols and god too , they would seem to respect the true prophets and false prophet , both which is a meer madness , ( thus he . ) the watchman of ephraim was with my god. they would not wholly depart from god , and yet they would maintain false worship , they would mingle both together . but then , the prophet is a snare , a snare of a fower . that is , he catches poor simple deluded souls as a fowler catches the bird with casting baits that are pleasing unto the bird , hiding from the bird the snare that presently comes upon it : so saith he , the watchmen of ephraim do thus , first they come to the people with very fair and specious things , and labor to drop in those principles , and do not discover what inferences they intend to make of them afterwards , they do not discover what designs they have , and what their scope is , for the present they come to them , and desire them to yeeld to such things that seem to be as fair as any thing in the world , and with much pretence that it is only for their good , and they intend nothing but good , now when they have brought them to yeeld to such things , they know that there are some inferences to be brought from those things that will make them to yeeld to other things , which had they been presented to them at first , they would never have yeelded to , but the inferences lay at a distance as the snare doth , and they not seeing what would follow they are brought to yield to such things , that afterwards they cannot tell how in the world to avoid , but they must yeeld to further things : thus the watchman is as a snare of a fowler , that laies things that seem to be very plausible at first , but intend afterwards to bring the people to yeeld to other things that would be abhorred if at first they were presented to them . good people , as long as you live take heed of the snares of watch-men in this kind . god would not have you submit to any thing , nor do any thing but out of faith . you must understand the ground from scripture , and especially in the matters of gods worship before you yeeld and submit to any thing , for otherwise though things may seem to be very fair at first , yet they may prove to be but snares before you are aware . again and hatred in the house of god. first , this watch-man is an object of gods hatred , in gods house ; wicked officers in the church bringing in their superstition , and importuning and urging the delusions of their own hearts , seeking to comply with the times to preserve themselves in credit and esteem , and enjoyment of their livings , they are an object of gods hatred , these were the watch-men that did comply with the times and sought their own ends , they were the object of the hatred of god ; no people in the world whom god doth hate more than such kind of watch-men in his house . and at this day we see how god hath cast shame and loathsomness in the faces of such . they are hatred by way of exclamation : ô rem odiosamit abominandam domo dei. oh hideous and abominable thing that such watch-men should be pertaining to the sanctuary . or otherwise by way of efficiency , watchmen are hatred , that is , they cause hatred , they cause my people to hate the true prophets , and the servants of god that would worship god in his own way ; and indeed , there are no men in the world that are such causes of the hatred of the faithful ministers of god , the saints of god , as wicked watchmen are , who are the men that do stir up hatred and persecution against the saints and people of god in former times , but evil and wicked ministers ? hatred in the house of my god. but now , wherein doth the false prophets seem to be enveighed against ? i find some ( and i confess not ▪ without som probability ) understand all these of the true prophets , and then the sense will run thus ; you accounted the prophets of the lord , who declared the mind of the lord faithfully to you , to be no other than fools and mad-men , but you shall know that they were no fools , that they were no mad-men ; so i find in king . . wherefore came this mad fellow in ? saith the captain of jehu , and in chron . . they mocked the prophets and messengers of god. here it is thought ezekiels friends and acquaintance bound him , as thinking him mad , chap. . . and so we reade in the gospel of christs kins-folks , they laid hands upon him as thinking him to be mad ; and so paul in cor. . . whether we be besides our selves , it is to god. the true prophets were thought to be as fools and mad-men , and they were scorned and contemned as those that were spiritual mad-men ; but saith the lord , they shall know in the time of their visitation whether they were thus or no : you shall find by your woful experience that these were no such mad-men as you thought them to be . and in time of affliction men have more honorable esteem of the true prophets of god than at other times , those that were jeered at before , oh! they were so wise , so precise and holy , and such tender consciences ! now they shall know how vain their thoughts were of them , when gods hand is upon such men as jeer at the ministers of god for being so holy and the like , yet when the hand of god hath been upon them , they have sent for these men to pray for them above any men . so we reade of the people of antioch , though many of them did give their hands for the banishment of chrysostom , yet being terrified by an earthquake , immediately sent for him again . and so in job , . . speaking of the time of affliction , if there be a messenger with him , an interpreter one among a thousand to shew unto man his uprightness . but further , because of the multitude of thine iniquities , and thy great hatred . if you understand it of the true prophets , the sense will run thus , you shall know in the time of your visitation , whether they were mad men and fools or no ; it was upon the multitude of your iniquity and great hatred that you accounted them so , to be such fools and mad-men before , it was because of the malignity of your spirits and the hatred against the right waies of god ; you had many exceptions against them , but the truth is , you saw nothing , but the malignity of your hearts lay at the bottom , you accounted them fools and mad-men because of the multitude of your iniquities . men who are not so able to judg of things sometimes in controversie , yet they may have this rule to help them to judg of ministers and of their cause , ( who they are that are most like to be in the truth ) by this rule , what is the side that men incline most to as they grow most in godliness ? and what side men incline most unto , as they grow more loose and formal in their waies ? consider of that , if there be a side or partie , you are not able to judge which is in the truth , there 's some good men on one side , and some of the other ; but you being weak and not able to examine the ground of things , take this rule as a help : what is the side that men most encline to as they grow in godliness ? and what side is that that men most cleave to as they grow most loose and most formal in their way and profiting ? when ( i say ) men whose multitude of iniquities encrease , and according to the encrease of the multitude of their iniquities , so they encline to a party ; i cannot but be the more suspicious of it , when i see the other way that the most consciencious men are , and the more the fear of god prevails in them , and the more strict they grow in their waies , they do more encline to another side ; i cannot but think that there may be much of god there . and yet it 's true , that the greatest hereticks that ever were have pretended great holiness , that must be granted too . but still , if this opinion were not of god , those that did indeed grow up in true holiness , the more holy they were , the less did they savour that way , though it had never such a pretence of holines . and if it be but a pretence of holiness and not true , then certainly the more loose and formal professors grow , the more wil they close with that way ( if it be but a pretence ; ) so it is here , their hearts were taken off from the true prophets of god through the multitude of their iniquities ; the more they grew to loosness the more were their hearts taken off from the true prophets of god. further : the watchman of ephraim was with my god. still take it as concerning the true prophets , that is , even ephraim wanted not watchmen to shew them their danger in departing from god ; though the ten tribes did decline from god , yet such was gods goodness to them as they had watchmen that were faithful even among them . they were with my god. that is , they had such whatch-men as lookt upon god , as having to deal with god and not with men , as sent from god , as pleading for god , and hence they could not be taken off from their way , either by threats or flattery , they might have have had preferment as well as others , they needed not have been the but of the hatred and malice of men no more than others , if they would have done as others did . no , but they were with my god , the fear of the great god was upon their spirits , and they dared not do as others did , they resolved to be faithful with god , to approve themselves to god , come of it what would come they went on in their way , they left their means , and estates , and liberties , and lives , and all to god , it was for god to provide for them , it was for them to look to it that they did continue faithful to god. and thus the sense runs , if they were the true prophets that were among the ten tribes , then it is as an aggravation of the sins of the ten tribes , that though they had many false prophets , yet they had watch-men that did continue faithfull with god. and with my god. those who have interest in god they rejoyce when they see faithful ministers of god keep close to god , to set up god in all their waies , when they see them not to be set upon their own designs , not to warp this way or that way , but to make it to be their bent and aim to set up god , and to bring men to the knowledg of god , oh! they rejoyce in this . so the prophet speakes with a joy , ( if it be spoken of the true watchmen ) oh! blessed be god that yet notwithstanding all the defection of the times and corruptions that there were , yet that there were watch-men among ephraim that were faithful with god , oh they had no other designs but to set up god , and were willing to deny themselves in any thing so be it they might bring souls to god , thus the prophet rejoyces . and certainly it 's a great deal of joy for the saints to see ministers of god to have clean spirits this way , to have no designs of their own , but to set up the honor of god among people . but even these prophets as faithful as they were , yet they were accounted no other than a snare of a fowler , and are even hatred in the house of their god , they are accused of being politick subtil men , who have cunning plots and reaches to set up their own way , that they are as bad as jesuites , and such kind of aspersions as these are the devil casts upon them , and gets many good people to drink in these things , and those who , otherwise were accounted godly and of great use in the house of their god are now become even hatred in the house of their god , the devil hath so prevail'd to bespatter and asperse them with such stories about them and reports of them as even these men that were the most faithful with their god , yet now are lookt upon as the troublers of the times , and as snares to people , and are even hatred in the house of their god , even by many people that otherwise have good affections : no way doth the devil drive on his own designs more efficaciously than by this , then by making the most painful , faithful , zealous ministers of god to become even hatred in the house of their god , even among good people that are professors of godliness . thus jer. . . they have digged a pit to take me , and laid snares for my feet . isa . . . they lay a snare for him that reproveth in the gate . further , hatred in the house of his god. ( understand it still of the true prophets ) and then the sense further goes thus : yet he continues in the house of his god , here he makes this his encouragement , that he is in the house of his god , he is in gods work though he be hated for it . gods ministers they should not be offended though they find the like dealings among the professors of religion , yet still they should continue in their work and imployment with all faithfulness that god sets them about , and then all aspersions will wipe off in time , they will vanish and come to nothing . calvin carries the sense of this somewhat different from what hath been said , in a middle way between both , and if not according to the full scope , yet it comes very neer , thus he takes it ; he takes the former part of the verse for true prophets , and the latter part of the verse for the false prophets , as if he should have said thus : there was a time that ephraim had watchmen with my god , and with his people , they had elisha , and elijah , but now the prophet is a snare of a fowler , and hatred , in the house of my god. this is a woful change in places where people have had watch-men that were godly , wise , zealous , faithful with god , but now these are gone , they are dead , many of them are banished , and many are with god in heaven , and they have others now among them , as a just judgment of god who are a snare to them , and hatred in the house of god , others who do succeed these blessed servants of god that are gone , they are like storms , and tempests , that do succeed fair and sun-shine weather , and if we take it thus for both , the true prophets in the former part of the verse , and the false prophets in the other ; then there is a special emphasis in the change of the phrase [ my god ; and his god ] the watch-man with my god , and hatred in the house of his god ; the god of the true watch-men , and the god of the false prophets are not the same : those who pretend to worship god , and yet worship him in a false way , they worship another god , they have not the same god ; and no mervail though there is hatred between true prophets and false then ; they must needs have hatred one against another who have divers gods , my god , and his god , and yet both pretended to be for the same god. yea , but saith the prophet here , no , whatsoever their pretences are , they teach people the worship of god not in a right way , god is not their god : and who they are that have most interest in god , let god himself judge ; not by giving the one more of the favour of the times than the other ; for the false prophets had more of this now : but . by the most appearing of the spirit of god in men . . by the witness of mens consciences when they are going to appear before god. and . by what christ shall own at his appearing . oh! that i could tell how to sweeten these times i speak unto you of . god by providence hath cast me upon this scripture . i know not how to give you the mind of god in this prophesie by being thus plain . the watchman of ephraim was with my god : and their hatred in the house of his god. only one note by the way that arias montanus hath upon the words , saith he , this phrase , hatred in the house of his god ; it 's taken from such men as live in some great families , and seem'd to have a great deal of power with their lords , and abuse the power they have with their lord , being continually by his table & bed side , they are a means to cause a great deal of hatred , and at length to undo others and themselves : so these prophets are just like these men , they are in the house of god , and seem to have much intimacie with god in his house ; but the truth is , they abuse this their intimacie to the hurt of themselves and to the hurt of others . and thus much for the explication of the eighth verse . it follows . ver . . they have deeply corrupted themselves , as in the daies of gibeah . their wickedness hath deeply - rooted its self , so the word here signifies ; there 's little hope to prevail with them , labor what you can , their superstitious and idolatrous waies have gotten such deep root in their hearts that there is no getting of it out . sin , and especially that sin of superstion so deeply roots its self in the hearts of men if it be let alone but a little time that there is no getting of it out . and indeed there is little hope of the reformation that is now in hand , that ever we should see it come to the full beauty and perfection of it until even god himself , either by some extraordinary hand of his should root out those superstitious principles that there are in many men , or at least by his own hand root out those that have such superstitious and idolatrous principles rooted in them . we wonder that men cannot be taken off from superstitious waies , oh! they are deeply rooted , it 's not an easie matter to eraditate those waies and vile words of theirs ; it 's a blessed thing to take sin betimes , and you that are young that have not other wickedness , and especially superstition rooted in you , you are those that it's like god will make use of for the bringing this reformation to perfection , you shall see the glory of it , it may be when others are gone and dead you shall come to see what god intended in all these stirs that have been among us , we find by experience the fruit of this in the hearts of men , what a deal of stir was there to take them off at first ? oh! but the root abides still in mens hearts , and there 's this experiment of it , of the depth and root that superstition take , in mens hearts , that though men be content not to practice those superstitious waies that they did before , because now the times do not favor them , yet this we find , that men cannot be brought to leave off those things as sinful , but as inconvenient , they will be content to forbear the practice of them , but you have but few men , i had almost said but few ministers , but so far i may be bold to say , that many ministers , but especially those who were any thing forward in superstitious waies , such as did not before account them a burden , those though they do leave them off at this time , yet not as things that are sinful , they never could be brought to that , to acknowledg them to be sinful , and so to charge themselves in sinning against god , but they are content to leave them off as things that are inconvenient and as may be burdensom to other men ; but the leaving them off after such a way is no other , but if the times should favor them again there is a principle retained in their hearts , so as they would be in readiness to submit to them again , and to do them as formerly , this bitter root of superstition abides in their hearts ; that 's the meaning of this phrase , they are deeply rooted , that is , their superstition and false worship is deeply rooted in their hearts . well , let their superstition be rooted as deep as it will , yet as christ saith in mat. . every plant that my father hath not planted shall be rooted out : god will either root thee out , or the superstition of thy heart out of thee . and seeing the false worshipers have superstition so rooted in their hearts , oh! how should the true worshipers of god have the truth rooted in their hearts never to be rooted out ; so saint paul in col. . . rooted and built up in him , and stablished in the faith &c. they have deeply corrupted themselves , as in the daies of gibeah . this must cost us a little further time for the opening of it fully : rooted in their evil waies as in the daies of gibeah . what hath this reference to ? the scripture doth note the city gibeah for two notable things ; one , that it was the city of saul , and so then upon that some carry it thus : that as heretofore they cast off my government when they chose saul to be their king over them , so now they cast me off as then formerly they did . but i think that 's not the scope , but rather , as in the daies of gibeah ; this hath reference to that notable story that you have in the . and . chapters of judges , there you shall find what was done in the daies of gibeah . you shall find the story of a levite that had his concubine gone from him and playing the whore , he went to fetch her again , and as he was returning home ( the substance of the story is this ) as he was coming home he would not go by no means ( as his servant would have had him ) to jebus , because those that lived there were not of the children of israel , but he would be sure to lodg in a city that did belong to the children of israel , and when he comes to gibeah , there expecting to have protection from that city , being they were of the children of israel , yet he found it quite otherwise , the people of the city were notorious abominable wicked people and they came by violence in the night to break open the doors where he lodged that they might commit sodomy and filthiness with him , but they obtaining him not , get his concubine and abuse her all night together one after another , till with a long abuse of her they kill'd her , and she lay dead at the door , upon which horrid thing , this being committed in a city that did belong to the people of god , this levite takes a knife and cuts his concubine ( being dead ) into twelve pieces , and sends them all abroad throughout the coasts of israel , and bad them think upon it and consider what should be done . and upon the sight of that , and hearing the occasion of it , the people were amazed and said , never was such a thing done , or seen since the people of israel came out of the land of egypt . wherefore all the people even from dan to beersheba th●y all assembled to consult what should be done , in the . chap. they resolved to go against the city of gibeah ; in the . verse the text saith , all the people were gathered together against the city , as one man : and in the . verse they required those delinquents to be delivered up to them . now those children of belial they stood it out and would not deliver them up ; yea , and they got the benjamites to joyn with them , twenty six thousand armed men to joyn with them to stand in defence of these notorious delinquents , they got up an army which one would not have thought that among the people god there should have been gotten up an army to have defended such notorious villains as those were , yet they did , but the people of israel joyned all together and were resolved that they would have such notorious wickedness to be punished ( there was four hundred thousand joyned together ) now in the . verse , they asked counsel of god what they should do , & god gave them leave to go , and bid that judah should go up first , so they went to require these delinquents and went up against them , but the benjamites the first day got the victory and slew two and twenty thousand men . upon that the children of israel went up to god again and wept before the lord , and god gave them leave to go again , & they went , & the benjamites came out again & slew eighteen thousand more of them : these wicked malignants got the victory two daies and slew fourty thousand of the children of israel that went not only by gods leave , but by his sending , and yet for two daies together they fel before those wicked and vile wretches ; but yet afterwards they went and wept and fasted , they knew that their cause could not but be good , and they were resolved they would go to god again and humble their souls before god , and fast , and pray , and then they overthrew those wicked bonjamites , and these of gibeah ; and whereas there were twenty six thousand came out against them , there was twenty and five thousand and an hundred men slain by the sword , and the city of gibeah was burnt with fire ; so god executed wrath upon them at length . this is the story that the prophet hath reference to . now these men are wicked , as in the daies of gibeah ; look how it was in the daies of gibeah , so now it is ; there 's many remarkable things to be observed from that story , in reference to this which the prophet doth quote it for , the story in general was thus , that they stood out to defend wicked ones so as they did ; it doth concern us fully in our times , and our wars are almost the very same now as then they were , for what is the main cause of our war but to fetch delinquents to the execution of justice ? and who would have thought that such delinquents whose burdens we groaned under in former times , and we accounted the great evil of the times , that these should find an army to defend them ? yet perhaps sometimes we may be overcome by them , and they may for a while prevail , but let us fast before god and humble our selves more throughly , and certainly god will own his cause in time as there he did . but particularly from the story first observe , that when we make use of men as a shelter and to seek protection from them , if they shall deal vilely with us and accuse us , and make a prey upon us , this is a most abominable and cursed wickedness in the eyes of god ; this levite came from jebus and would not lodg with them , but to gibeah , thinking to have had protection there , and yet these deal vily : doth any man put himself under any of you for protection , and do you deal falsely ? oh! this is an abominable thing in the eyes of god. secondly , that sometimes we may meet with worse usage from such who profess religion and more strictness in their waies , than from those who outwardly are further off from profession . it may be if they had gone to jebus they would not have met with such ill usage , as they did when they came to gibeah : sometimes it is so that they that make profession of religion they are guilty of more ill usage to the servants of god than others that are prophane and ungodly , or of another religion . oh! let men take heed of this , how they behave themselves towards their brethren , that they may not have cause to say , lord , were we among the indians or among some moderate papists , or under some of the prelates again we should not find such hard usage as we do from some of our brethren who profess thy name and seek reformation ; this were a sad thing ( i say ) if ever there should be cause for the servants of god to make their moans to heaven and cry to god. god forbid . thirdly , whereas israel thought themselves holy and devout for god in the multitude of their sacrifices , and their devotion , and their services that they tendered up to god , yet god looks upon them as filthy and wicked , as the men of gibeah were that committed sodomy and such kind of filthiness , saith god , you have corrupted your selves as in the daies of gibeah ; whatsoever your fair shews are , and your sacrifices be that you offer , yet you are lookt upon as thus vile and abominable before god. from whence therefore the note may be , that men may have very fair shews in the worship of god , and do that which may seem to be much for the honor of god , and yet god looking with other eyes than men do , god may behold them as filthy , abominable , and loathsom in his sight . god will not be put off with words of reformation and the service of god , for men may have such base ends in it , and may mix so much of themselves to corrupt the right way of god , and to keep out the right service of god with shews of serving him , that this may make them and their services to be as odious to god as the most filthy thing in the world ; that 's the cleer and plain note from thence . we do not reade of such abominable filthiness of body as was in the daies of gibeah , but because of the corruptions of gods worship that they carried fairly , yet the lord lookt upon it as filthy , as that was in the daies of gibeah . fourthly , for men after wickedness is committed , to stand impudently , and boldly in the defence of it , and to be so far from the acknowledgment of their sin , as they will rather venture desperately the undoing of themselves than they will come in to acknowledg or let justice have its course : this is an abominable wickedness in the eyes of god. thus they did in the daies of gibeah . and thus you are ready to do , not only to commit horrible wickedness and sins , but to stand in the defence of it ; there is this desperate stoutness of spirit , and hardness of heart in many men , that when they are once got into the way of sin , rather than they would yield and submit , they will venture the undoing of themselves : the men of gibeah did so , and they were undone accordingly . yea further , not only to stand out our selves in evil , but to joyn with others to defend them , though it be the venturing of our own undoing and others , this is further wickedness ; yet how many have we of the gentry and nobility of the kingdom , that do not only seek to defend themselves , but joyn with the greatest malignants of the kingdom , with those that are the greatest cause of evil , and were like to be the utter undoing of us all ? to defend them from justice will venture the ruin of their own families ; whereas were it that the malignants were given up , they might have saved their estates families and all ; oh! that ever god should leave men in such horrible wickedness as this is ! this is just as it was in the daies of gibeah . sixtly , those who do so stoutly stand to defend wickedness and other men who are wicked , yet they may for a while prosper ; even the men of gibeah and the benjamites may prosper . but yet in the next place , at last , these men shall perish , twenty five thousand and an hundred of these twenty six thousand perished , and all the men of gibeah , and the city was burnt . so , let men stand out as stubbornly and stoutly as they will , and say , what care we ? they will lose their lives and estates rather than they will submit and yeeld , well , they may lose all at lengh ; you have yet ( it may be ) a day ( some victory ) and prevail'd at some time , yea , but let not mens hearts be hardened by that , nor let none of the other side be discouraged , for certainly those that stand desperately out in defending of wickedness they shall perish at last ; so did the gibeonites . yea , but what is this to us ( might the prophets auditors say ? ) yes certainly it 's much to you , for this aggravates your sins , the sins of forefathers ( that 's the note that the prophet makes use of ) what was done in daies of gibeah . from whence is this note , that the sins of forefathers is an aggravation of childrens sins , when they commit the same and others like unto them . and yet such is the delusion of many poor people that they excuse the present sins by the sins of former times : as thus ; suppose ministers or others should complain of the sinfulness of the times , and declaim against the sinfulness of the times , you shall have some can say , why do they keep such a stir of the wickedness of the times , were they not as bad as they are now heretofore ? oh delusion ! this is the great aggravation when that thou livest in those sins thy forefathers did , thou art it seems the child of a wicked parent , and how just had it been with god to have cut thee off presently for the sins of thy parents ? and doest thou say , that thy wickedness is no other than the wickedness of thy forefathers ? certainly if the times be as ill as they were heretofore , they are worse than they were heretofore , for the evil of our forefathers is an aggravation of our present evils , if we continue in them : as the treachery of a parent would be no excuse for the treachery of a child , for him to say , my father was a traytor : for me to excuse the sins of the present times with the sins of the former times , and say , that they were as ill formerly as now ; it is just for all the world such kind of reasoning ; but this is not the reasoning of the spirit of god , he aggravates the sins of israel in hosea's time with the sins that were in the daies of gibeah . god may let men alone in their wickedness for a long time , untill they grow to the heigth of their wickedness , and then god comes upon them . when the sins of the amorites were full , now , he will remember their iniquities , he will visit their sins . but for this phrase of gods remembring , and visiting , that we have had before , therefore we pass it over , and come to the tenth verse . ver . . i found israel like grapes in the wilderness : i saw your fathers as the first ripe in the fig-tree at her first time the scope of the holy ghost in this , it is to upbraid the ten tribes for their wretched ungrateful dealing with god , their sin is aggravated by gods love towards them and their forfathers . i found israel like grapes in the wilderness . that 's thus ; look as a man that hath been travelling in the parched wilderness , and is dry , and weary , and faint , he doth come to a place in the wilderness unexpectedly and finds clusters of grapes , from whence he hath abundance of refreshment to cool and moisten him , and oh how refresh'd is this poor man when he is parched in the dry wilderness and beyond all expectation comes and finds a vine full of clusters of grapes ? this would be the most pleasing thing to such a man that could be ; thus saith god , such kind of delight had i in your forefathers . he names grapes and figs here because they are the most delightful fruit of all kind of fruit to weary travellers : now if this be so that god hath such delight in his people as a man would have in grapes thus in the wilderness , oh! how should god be our delight when we are in the wilderness ? if we being his people are so delightful to him in the wilderness , surely then god himself should be delightful to us in our wilderness , oh! let god in his ordinances be to us in our troubles and afflictions as grapes to a traveller in his wilderness ; surely if god will account us to himself so delightful , there 's great reason that we should account him to us as delightful : some of gods servants have been forced to fly into the wilderness , and though they have not had such outward refreshments as we have had here that have set under our own vines , and fig-trees , yet god hath made them to find grapes in the wilderness , they have sit under gods protection and his ordinances , as a man in the wilderness should sit under a vine of grapes and refresh himself with them . i saw your fathers . we should lay to heart gods love to our fathers , and seek to continue it to our selves : it 's a sad thing to look upon degenerate children who have had fathers whom god took delight in ; your fathers were as clusters of grapes that did refresh the very soul of god ; as it is said of wine , that it doth chear both god and man ; so the grace and holiness of your forefathers , oh! how refreshing were they to the heart of god ? but what are you , you are sowr in the tast of god , what delight can god take in your unsavory and rotten corrupted spirits ? oh! it 's a comfortable thing when a child is able to say , as exod. . . my god , and my fathers god , god was my fathers god , and delighted in my father , and blessed be his name he is my god , and i hope he hath some delight in me : you who are the children of fathers whom god delighted in as grapes in the wilderness , it 's a mighty engagement for you to look to your selves that your hearts and lives be not corrupt , but follow the steps of your fathers , that god may delight likewise in you . but further ; as the first ripe in the fig-tree at her first time . there 's a great deal of elegancy in these expressions . the fig-tree bears twice in the yeer , and here it is , the first of the first time . their fathers were as delightful as grapes in the wilderness , and as the figs , the first figs in her first time . now we know that we prize fruit that is first ripe , as cherries when they are first of all come , when they come it may be two or three into the market , and pease , and such kind of things when they are the first ripe of all , how they are prized ? you shall have many will give any price for them . we say when cherries come at first , that they are ladies meat , or longing meat : now the lord is pleased to condescend so much to express his love to his people , as the love of a longing woman to cherries or other fruit , when they come first of all ; as a woman hath a longing after things when they come and are first ripe ; saith god , never did woman long after any fruit when it was first ripe more than my soul hath longed after you to do you good , i have taken as much pleasure in you as ever woman could take when she had her longing in the most dainty first ripe things : this is the meaning of the holy ghost here , to shew the love of god to his saints . many expressions we have in scripture , as in jer. . . they are call'd his pleasant portion , and the dearly beloved of gods soul , jer. . . and the peculiar treasure of god , exod. . . and here there are two as elegant expressions , as grapes in the wilderness , and as the first ripe of the figs in the first time : thus is gods exceeding goodness to us , though we be sapless in our selves , and have nothing in us to procure delight , yet god in his own free grace is willing to express himself thus to his people , oh! what delight should we have in god who takes such delight in his servants ? and this expression of god we think may very well hint unto us a meditation concerning the delight that god hath in young ones that do begin to give up themselves unto him , the lord loves the first fruits , and the first ripe of things : in mich. . . wo is me , for i am as when they have gathered the summer fruits , as the grape gleanings of the vintage , there is no cluster to eat ; my soul desired the first ripe fruits . so it 's true , by way of allusion at least , we may apply it , the soul of god is a longer , god is a longer ; to what ? to the first ripe fruits , to the first of your years , to you that are young ones : we prize highly nettle buds when they bud out first ; oh! so graciousness when it buds out in youth at first , oh how pleasing is it to god! in exod. . . god would have the first of the first fruits , he would not only have of the first fruits , but the first of the first . god stands much about the first still . and in leviticus , . . there you reade , that the lord is so eager to have the first things ? ( as a longing woman ) that he will not stay till they be ripe , he will have the green ears of corn dried in the fire ; as many women that long they will not stay untill the thing be ripe , but if they can have it ripened by any art , though not by the way of nature they will seek to have it ripened so , and then they must needs have it ; so saith god , my longing is so after the first of things that i will not stay till they be fully ripe , but the corn , though it be green ears , if they may be dried by the fire , i 'le have them then . and so in cant. . . the flowers appear on the earth , the time of the singing of birds is come , the fig tree putteth forth her green figs ; and in cant. . . i went down into the garden of nuts to see the fruits of the valley , and to see whether the vine flourished , and the pomegranates budded . oh! the lord looks up and down in congregations that are as the gardens of god to see such : and so in cant. . . let us get up early to the vineyards , let us see if the vine flourish , whether the tender grape appear , and the pomegranates bud forth ; there will i give thee my loves . oh let us go and see whether the tender grape appear , or the pomegranate bud ; there will i give thee my loves . where god doth see grace beginning and budding in young ones , there god manifests himself ; there will i give my loves . and this only by occasion of gods expressing himself like a longer after the first things . oh! give god his longing you that are yong ones , and begin to be godly betimes , you satisfie the heart of god as the first fruits satisfie a longing woman . it follows : but they went to baal-peor , and separated themselves to that shame . but saith god here , what a but comes after all this ? god doth manifest his delight in them as in the first ripe grapes in the wilderness , and the first ripe fruit , and yet behold , oh! there 's a but for all this . it 's not the greatness of gods love that is enough to engage carnal hearts : this is an evil and a sore thing to see : there was a time that god accepted of this people and delighted much in them , but now they are departed : oh! it 's ordinary for people to degenerate , though a few yeers since , how forward and zealous were they for god , and for reformation , but within a while they grew cold , and dead , and formal , and slight , and begin to leave off all their good beginnings , and decline from god , and from his truth . they went to baal-peor . god complains of this people as a husband of an adultress : though i delighted in her , and loved her , though she had all the content she could desire , yet she goes and forsakes me , and gives up her self to a filthy unclean whoremaster : god takes it exceeding ill that he loses his love . and i beseech you observe : there 's nothing goes neerer to an ingenious heart , than the loss of love ; he had rather lose his money than his love ( such an one hath requited me il for my love : ) this ( i say ) goes to the heart of a man , and there 's nothing more grieves him than that he finds his love is ill bestowed . so certainly it goes to the heart of god that his love should be ill bestowed upon people . they went to baal-peor . many loathsom and obscene things are reported concerning this baal-peor , ( this god that was the god of the ( moabites ) that is unfit for chast ears to hear , therefore we shall not mention such things ; much filthiness was committed in the worship of this their baal-peor , and yet ( saith god ) notwithstanding all my love to their fore-fathers , whereby they might have drawn an argument that they should have had blessings upon themselves , if they had continued in the waies of their forefathers , yet they went from me & went to baal-peor . from whence the notes are : first , the more shameful any thing is , the more abominable is it to forsake god : it 's an abominable thing to forsake god , for the gaining of heaven and earth ( if it could be gained by it ) but for to forsake god for a baal-peor , god takes this ●ll : ( but that we met with before . ) secondly , this is the evil of mans heart , that there is no evil so base and shameful , but he is ready to forsake the blessed and glorious god , that he may cleave to that . as it is reported of the panther , that it doth love the dung of man so well that if it be hung up at a height , it will leap and skip for it till it bursts in pieces . so , many there are that are set upon such base things , that they are content to part with all good that there is in god and jesus christ , if they may but have them , they are content to undo themselves to all eternity . thirdly , so to leave god , as to give up our selves to baseness and wickedness , oh! this is most ab●minable : to be over taken with a sin is vile , but for one to give up himself , or her self to wickedness , this is abominable : and yet this is that that many are guilty of ; at first perhaps sin is fair-mannerd , and saith , do but take some dallies with me at first , but after the soul begins to give up its self in a most desperate way in sinful courses : many an apostate doth thus that had some comfort before in god , but now having gotten a haunt of wickedness they have lost all their comforts in god and christ , and now saith this desperat soul , i cannot have comfort in god and christ , and therefore i will have it in the satisfying of my lusts . oh! my brethren , what a shame is this ? so far as thou art able to be guilty of shaming even god himself and jesus christ ; therfore in heb. . . apostates are said , to put jesus christ to open shame ; and apostate that leaves the waies of god and separates himself to his lusts , he doth put the lord jesus christ to an open shame . oh! how should gods people separate themselves for the lord , and be wholly his , seeing idolaters separate themselves to their idols ? let them look upon themselves as a people separated for the lord. and their abominations were as they loved . that is , first , as they loved , so they were guided , they were not guided by the word , nor by any divine rule , not by right reason , but according as they loved , they followed what they had a mind to , never regarding what gods mind was ; the judgment is soon gone when the heart is taken with a thing . ordinarily people love that way they go , not that way the rule guides them to , but what way their affections carry them on in ; this is a very sinful thing for men to be acted with , and carried upon , meerly by the violence of their affections , and especially this is evil in the matters of gods worship , there we may not do things as we love , that is , because we think such things are very fair and there appears no hurt in them to us , and they like us well ; yea , but we must examine whether we have warrant out of the word for that , we must not do as we love , but according as the rule is . secondly , they were abominable as they loved ; they were turned into the very likeness of what they loved : and indeed our loves what ever they are upon doth turn us into the likeness of the thing , the understanding turns the object into a likeness to it , but the heart is turned into the likeness of its object . austin hath a notable expression for this , saith he , such is every man as his love is , doth a man love the earth ? he is earth ; doth a man love god ? ( what shall i say , saith ( austin ) he shall be even god too . and indeed the scripture saith we are partakers of the divine nature , oh! what care had we need have of what we love , doest thou love a base filthy thing ? then thy soul is base and filthy too . doest thou love the glorious and blessed god ? then thy soul is made like to god : chuse therefore good objects for thy love , love the lord , and love his holy waies , love things that are excellent and glorious , and by the loving of those things thy heart will come to have excellency and glory put upon it ; but if thou lovest that which is drossy and filthy , thou comest to have a base and drossy heart of thy own . mans soul is like to the cameleon that is changed into the color of the object it looks upon . they were abominable as they loved . every man or woman is as he loves . thirdly , they were abominable as they loved . that which is here translated of the concrete , i find it may be as well translated of the abstract , they were abominable as their love : and so it 's carried by interpreters , that is , they were abominable as their idols were that they did love , and their idols were call'd love in the abstract ; as a man cals his wife , his love , so they call'd their idols their love , and they were abominable as their love was , that is , look how abominable baal-peor was , so abominable were they ; so the psalmist saith , that , they that make idols , are like unto them . but fourthly , which i think is especially the scope of the holy ghost here , they were abominable as they love , ( though the other may be taken in ) this scripture hath reference to that that you reade in numb . . . there you find that the people of israel by the wicked counsel of balaam , when they could not be cursed , yet balaam did counsel them that they should come and bring their daughters before them , and so to intice them to commit uncleanness with their daughters , and then they should intice them to idolatry , that was the wicked counsel of balaam , they committed whordom with the daughters of moab ; and they called the people to the sacrifices of their gods . so they were abominable as they loved : that is , they being inticed to bodily uncleanness , by the moabitish women , these drew them likewise to the worship of their idols . and so their loves to their whores was that which drew them to this wickedness . they were abominable as they loved ; that is , they setting their love upon these wicked women that did intice them to uncleanness , according to that love of theirs were they brought unto the love of idolatry . solomons wives drew him to idolatry . and it 's usuall for people to be of that religion that those are that they love , if so be that their hearts be taken with any , if they love any it's usual for them to be of that religion that those are of that they love , according to their kindred , according to their friends , according to the stock that they marry in , so is their religion . many that have been forward in waies of religion , and yet marry into a carnal stock that hath no savour of religion , you shall find they will grow cold according to what their wives dispositions are , according to what they love , so their religion either burns hotter or grows cooler ; as it was usually laid upon ahab for his wickedness , such a one was his wife : and so other kings , the daughter of ahab was his wife , his religion was according as he loved . and my brethren , if those who are in a false way can draw whom they love to it , then certainly those that are in the truth should as wel labor to draw those who they love to the imbracement of the truth : wives that are naught wil draw their husbands to that which they love , to idolatry , to false worship ; popish wives have drawn more husbands to their popery , than godly wives ( i fear ) have drawn husbands to the truth ; why should not gracious wives labor to draw their husbands to good by love , as well as wicked wives to draw them to wickedness by their love . and indeed those who would gain others to good must first gain their love . the women of moab gained the love of the people of israel , and so gained them to themselves in the matters of religion . so if you would do any good to people , first labor to gain their love ; let women that have evil husbands that they would ●ain gain : how would you gain them ? not by reproachful speeches , but do you ( though they be never so evil ) walk lovingly towards them , that they may be convinced that your souls do love them , and so do you by your loving carriage gain their love , and that 's the way to gain them to your god by that means . so divers of the women in the primitive times that had heathenish husbands , we have many stories of them , that by their gracious loving carriage to their heathen husbands they gained them to the truth of religion . and so ministers , if they would gain people to god , they must gain their love , so walk before them in such a gracious holy loving way towards them , as they may gain their love , and then they will gain their souls ; if there be wrangling between minister and people , there 's little hope that they will gain and do any good among that people , for people wil do as they love very much . and so your neighbors and friends if you would gain them to god any way , gain their loves to you , for it 's a mighty motive in matters of religion for people to do as they love . and thus much for this tenth verse . ver . . as for ephraim , their glory shall fly away like a bird from the birth , and from the womb , and from the conception . as for ephraim . ] a pathetical expression , he makes a stop at ephraim , oh ephraim ! how sad , how much to be lamented is thy condition ? as for ephraim , their glory &c. by it is meant , all their pomp , riches , strength , prosperity , but especially by glory here is meant , their numerous progeny in which they did so much glory , ephraim ( the ten tribes ) did prosper very much and were a very great multitude more than judah . this scripture hath reference unto the prosperous estate especially in the time of jeroboam the second , of which you reade in king. . ephraim was in a very prosperous condition and had prospered very much . their glory . children and numerous progeny , is accounted a glory unto people . that in which they do much glory , in prov. . . childrens children are the crown of old men : ( the seventy ) are the glory of old men . parents use to glory and pride themselves much in their children ; ( saith one ) oh! lovely pride of the mother ! so it may be said of many sons and daughters of children , oh! the delightful pride of the father and the mother in such and such children . they accounted it their glory , for , . by their children themselves are multiplied . and , . they see what excellency soever there is in the child , they look upon it as their own , as themselves the cause of it ; and men and women love themselves much , and because they are pieces of themselves therefore they glory in them . and , . they have some hope of continuation from generation to generation in their children ; and this is their glory . but let parents learn to give god the glory of their children , and to bring them up to the glory of god , then they may rejoyce in them indeed as a great mercy of god. in prov. . . a wise son maketh a glad father , but a foolish son is heaviness to his mother . why is a wise son said to be the gladness of the father ? why ? doth not a mother rejoyce in a wise son too ? and why is a foolish son said to be the sorrow of the mother ? why ? doth not the father sorrow and mourn for a foolish son ? the holy ghost not without reason doth express himself thus ; a wise son makes the father glad . first ; because the father usually hath a more strict hand over his son in his education to bring him to wisdom more than the mother , ordinarily mothers are tender over their children , and they co●ker them and so make them fools , some they cannot endure that they should suffer any hardship , and hence their children proves foolish and fit for nothing , and great sorrows to them . and secondly , a wise son is fit for imployment abroad in the world , therfore rejoyces the heart of his father ; but a foolish son is fit for nothing but to be at home in the chimney corner with his mother , and as he grows up grows stout and stubborn against her there . and if children be a glory to their parents , they should labor to be such as they may be a glory and not a shame to them indeed . there are many which instead a glory to their parents are a great shame to them , as it was said of augustus caesar , he had three daughters that were wicked , and he used to call them his three impostumes , and his three ●ankers upon his body . and so children that should be the glory of their parents , and the glory of a family , many times they are but the very impostumes , and cankers of it , and the shame to their parents , every time they come abroad in the world . and if you expect that your children should be a glory to , you must not be a shame to them ; sometimes children are a shame to their parents , and sometimes parents are a shame to their children . it follows . their glory shall fly away like a bird . men glory in their outward pomp and prosperity , and their children , but both these shall fly away like a bird . that is , . suddenly . . swiftly . . irrecoverably . a bird that you have in a cage , you have kept it perhaps many months , and upon some advantage gets out and in a moment she is gone , suddenly , and then she goes away swiftly that you cannot follow her , and then irrecoverably that you can never take her . all outward glory is uncertain ; in prov. . . wilt thou set thine eyes upon that which is not ? certainly riches they make to themselves wings , and fly away as an eagle into heaven ; fly away like a bird , and that bird , the eagle , that flies so swiftly that there is no getting her again : how many lately in ireland , and in our own land , that have had estates in the evening , and all hath been gone away swiftly like a bird before the morning ? they have been rich in the morning and have been even beggars in the evening . let us take our hearts off from glorying in all outward excellencies , and seek that glory that is abiding , that is constant , that is everlasting : we should look upon all outward comforts now as upon the wing ; if ever you had cause to look upon all the outward comforts in the world as upon the wing , you are to do it now , never make account of any settlement in any comforts in the world , at this day they are all upon the wing ; we cannot reason thus , we have enjoyed such prosperity thus long , and therefore we shall still enjoy it longer : no , all outward comforts slies away like the bird : that comes in one moment that before came not in many years . in jer. . . thus saith the lord , let not the wise man glory in his wisdom , neither let the mighty man glory in his might , let not the rich man glory in his riches : but let him that glorieth , glory in this , that he understandeth and knoweth me , that i am the lord , which exercise , loving kindness , judgment , and righteousness in the earth : for in these things i delight saith the lord. your delights are in other vain things , in estates , in bravery ; but in these things i delight , saith the lord god , and if you will glory , do you glory in those things that i my self delight in ; your glory in the midst of your prosperity which flies from you like a bird , but the lord that is the glory of his in the midst of their adversities , flies to them like a bird : ( i say ) the glory of the wicked in the midst of their prosperity flies from them like a bird , and the lord god who is the glory of the saints flies to them in their afflictions like a bird . thus you have this very phrase in isa . . . as birds flying , so will the lord of host defend jerusalem ; defending also he will deliver it , and passing over he will preserve it . [ as birds flying ] it 's a metaphor taken from the bird when she sees the yong ones in any danger of the kite she flies with speed to save them , as birds flying , so will i defend jerusalem . your glory gets away and flies from you in your prosperity , but the glory of the saints flies to them in their adversity . secondly , the glory of their posterity shall flee away like a bird ▪ that is , the lord will cut off their numerous posteritie , their yong men , that there shall be few enough left among them . they gloried in their number . the blessing of god upon abrahams seed came very swiftly after it began to come ; and now god threatens it shall go away as swiftly : as you may find it if you observe the story of the encrease of the seed of abraham , if you reckon it from the time of their going into egypt : there was ( you know ) but threescore and ten souls that went into egypt of abraham's seed : but when they came out of egypt , which was but two hundred and fifteen years after they went in ; for the four hundred and thirty is to be reckoned from the promise to abraham until their coming out of egypt , and it is cleer that there were two hundred and fifteen years from the promise to their going into egypt , so that there were but two hundred and fifteen years from their going in , to their coming out ; and see how swiftly they did encrease , from three score and ten souls ( for there was no more then , but ) there came out from twenty years old and upwards , men of war , six hundred thousand , three thousand , five hundred and fiftie ; there were encreased of abrahams seed in two hundred and fifteen years , six hundred thousand , and three thousand , and five hundred and fifty , as you may see in the book of numbers ; besides , the levites , with the number of the males , from a month old and upwards , was twenty and two thousand ; besides the women and al the other children : and this was in that time when they were in bondage . thus the glory of abrahams seed came very swiftly . and now it shall fly away like a bird , they shall decrease more than they did encrease . godliness brings blessings swiftly , and wickedness it causes blessings to depart away swiftly again like a bird . it follows ; from the birth , and from the womb , and from the conception . gods curse follows the wicked close : sometimes in their birth ; sometimes in the womb ; and sometimes hindering the conception . you see how god hath us at advantage , how he hath us in his hand at every turn ; he might if he had pleased smit us in our conception ; if he had spar'd there , stifled us in the womb ; if spar'd there , made us stick in the birth . wherefore learn we to acknowledg gods mercie in the general , that he is patient , and long suffering , and gracious to us ; let us consider at the several passages of his mercy , to bless god not only for our general preservation , but how he did preserve us in the very conception , preserves us in our mothers womb , and then in the birth , and then in the cradle , and in our childhood , in our youth , and in our middle age , in our old age , for we lie at his mercy at every point of time . their glorie shall flie away like a bird ; from the birth , and from the womb , and from the conception ; of some i 'le hinder the conception , some others in the womb shall die , others when they come to be born there they shall perish in their birth , and so at every time my curse shall follow them , from the conception , from the womb , and from the birth . yea and fourthly , though perhaps some may escape in the conception , and in the womb , and in the birth , yet it follows ; ver . . though they bring up children , yet will i bereave them . the curse of god is here threatned to pursue them , and over-take them , though they escaped the curse that others are under . many think that when they have escaped some judgment that hath come upon some others , then they are safe enough and all is well ; but thy preservation from some judgment that hath struck others , may be thy reservation to greater judgments that god intends for thee afterwards . . it is a judgment to be deprived of children in the womb , in the birth , but when you have endured much pain in bearing and bringing forth your children , much labor and trouble in bringing up your children , when many a thoughtful care in the education of them , much sorrow and grief they have cost you , and now when they come to be hopeful , almost to mens and womens estate , and you think to have comfort in them , now for god to take them away , this is very sad unto parents , it goes exceeding much unto their hearts to be bereaved then ; yet such things as these have befallen many heretofore ; and parents though the condition must be acknowledged very sad , yet they must submit to gods hand in this . perhaps some of you have in the breeding of your children endured much , and through many difficulties they have been brought till they have grown up to be almost at mens and womens estates , and perhaps they have been towardly and hopeful , you had hoped to have had them to have been the staff of your age , and yet god suddenly hath made them fly away like a bird , perhaps be drowned , perhaps some other way , in a most uncomfortable manner the lord hath bereaved you of them . you will say , the condition is sad more than ordinary . therefore god calls you to sanctifie his name more than ordinary , to exercise grace more than ordinary , and the exercise of grace in such an extraordinary stroke of god upon you may be as great a good and comfort , as great a blessing unto you as the enjoyment of your child would have been . if a tender mother that through all her care , and pain , and labor , after breeding and bringing up a child , should have him taken away in some untimely death ( as you call it ) she would think her condition the saddest of any living . be it known to you , perhaps some may be here , or know others of their friends that have had such a hand of god upon them , be but convinced of this one thing which i know you cannot deny , that the exercise of grace sutable to this work of god that is now upon thee , or against thee , conceive it as thou wilt , i say , the exercise of thy grace sutable to this work of god is a greater good to thee than the life of thy child could have been , it could never have done thee that good as the exercise of grace may do in this condition when it is sutable to this stroke of god upon thee ; and this indeed is the only way to make up any losses of children , or loss of any goods , be it a child , be it a husband or the dearest friend , a wife , or thy estate , yet the exercise of thy grace is better than the enjoiment of them all . it follows ; there shall not be a man left . i 'le bereave them when they bring them up , ( the words are [ not a man , ] and left is not in the original ) that they be not men . and sometimes god lets the children of men and women live , and yet they never come to be men , but strikes them in their understandings that they are bereaved of them so far that they never come to be men . i remember it 's reported of s r thomas moore that his wife was mightilie desirous of a boy , ( that was her word ) and she had one that proved a fool , and saith her husband to her , you were never quiet till you had a boy , and now you have one that be all his life a boy . i will bereave them that there shall not be a man left . but i rather think the meaning is , i wil take them away that they shall not live to be men , strong men of war. you boasted your selves that you had so many of your children that were such valiant men of war before , but i 'le bereave you of them ( saith the lord. ) yea , wo to them when i depart from them . surely , even wo to them ; he puts a sureness upon this , wo to them when i depart from them . as if the holy ghost should say , what do i threaten this or the other evil , the great evil of all , the rise of al evils is , gods forsaking them , wo also to them when i depart from them . god departs from a people , or a particular soul , when he withdraws his goodness and mercy from them : and the reason why wicked men for a time do enjoy good things , it is , because gods time is not yet come to depart from them ; but when gods time is come to depart from them , then al vanishes suddenly : as the light continues so long as the sun is in the firmament , but as soon as ever it is gon it grows to be dark , the darkness of the night comes suddenly . a man hath strength and health so long as his vitals hold , but as soon as ever the vitals are struck , the craseis of the body , if that be strucken the strength and health goes . the general presence of god with his creature keeps strength and health , it 's god in the creature that keeps its comforts , and upon gods departing al vanishes and comes to nothing . thou hast thy prosperity now , and thou thinkest thou maiest enjoy it still ; but how canst thou tell but god may suddenly depart , and then all is gone ? the alteration of mans condition is not only from natural causes , but heigher , from gods departing . carnal hearts think themselves safe if they do not see how natural causes shall work their ruin , they see nothing , but as they have enjoyed much good from natural causes , so they see them working still for good to them . yea , but know that thy prosperity , or thy adversity depends not upon natural causes , but upon a higher cause , though thou hast the confluence of all natural causes working for thee as much as ever , yet if god pleases to withdraw himself thou art a lost creature . and so it is with a kingdom . when god pleases to depart from a kingdom , he doth then take away wisdome from the wise , he gives them up to their own counsels , to perverse counsels , he blinds them that they cannot forsee their danger , nor see means to help them , but they shall take waies as if they intended to destroy themselves . if god do but leave them , whatsoever their wisdom was before , all their endeavors they shall be blasted and come to nothing , & in this it is we should sanctifie gods name , and acknowledge it , acknowledge our immediate dependance upon god for all our outward good we enjoy , whatsoever second causes we have to help our selves . wicked men will not take notice of him in their comforts , they cry out of this and the other cause of their evil , but it 's gods departing from them , that is the great thing they should take to heart . particular evils must not be taken so much to heart as this of gods departing : whatsoever our condition be , yet if god be not departing we are well enough , though in the fire , though in the water , i will be with thee saith the lord. mark the ground of the confidence of the saints in the time of affliction : in psalm . . ( luther's psalm it 's called , that is , a psalm that luther was wont to call to his friends to sing , when he heard of any danger that they were in , or any sad thing fallen out , come ( saith he ) let us sing the . psalm , and mark the confidence of the saints ) we will not fear though the earth be removed , and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea . though the waters thereof rore and be troubled , though the mountains shake with the swelling thereof ; though the heathen rage , and the kingdoms be removed , yet al shal not trouble us . why , what 's the ground ? the lord of hosts is with us , the god of jacob is our refuge . and it 's twice repeated in the same words in the psalm , god is not gone , god is not departed , therefore no great matter what men can do unto us : but if one be in misery and have god departed , oh! how dreadful is that condition ! it was a dreadful speech of saul , in sam. . . i am sore distressed ; for the philistins make war against me , and god is departed from me . oh! when the philistins make war upon a people , when there is enemies at our gates , and then our consciences shall tell us , that god is departed from us , this is a sad condition : it was a woful speech of saul ; god is now departed when i have most need of him : wo to them then . for , first , the root of all evil is very deep that is upon us when god is departed : it doth not lie in this particular , or that particular , we might make shift to get over them , the spirit of a man might sustain his infirmity ; but the root of the evil it lies in the departing of god , and what can the creature do when god is departed ? as the king of israel when the women said , help o king. saith he , if the lord doth not help thee , whence shall i help thee ? and as all creatures say , if god be departed , we cannot help , nay , the very devil cannot help if god be gone : in sam. . when saul was sore distressed and he would raise up samuel , and the devil came in the likeness of samuel , saith he , wherefore doest thou ask of me , seeing the lord is departed from thee ? no creatures in the world , nor devils can do good when god is departed , then the evil is only evil when god is gone . an evil may have much good in it , and god may sanctifie it for abundance of blessings to his people so long as he continues with them ; but if he be gone , then the evil is only evil : and if god be gon all protection is gon , and therfore thou liest liable to all kind of evils whatsoever . and however for the present things do seem to be good that are remaining , yet the blessing of it is gone if god be not with thee . and this evil that is upon thee it is no other but the forerunner of eternal evil , and the creature certainly then must needs sink when god is thus departed . oh! if so be that it is so woful a thing for god to depart from a people here in this world in regard of the withdrawing of outward things and mercies from them , what is it then for the lord to depart for ever from the soul ? what an alteration doth the departing of the sun make ? take a delightful sunshine summers day , and how beautiful is it ? now compare that with a winters dark dismal night ; what makes the difference between these two ? the presence of the sun in the one , and the sun is departed from the other . it is but the presence , or the departing of one creature . oh! if the presence or the departing of one creature makes such a difference in the world , what doth the presence or the departing of the infinite god do to the soul ? let the saints who enjoy gods presence prize it , and pray as the prophet did , lord leave us not . oh! how vain is the heart of man that will depart from god ? if thou depart from him , he departs from thee too , and wo to thee whatsoever thou hast when the lord is gone and departed from thee . the lord departs from particular men and women , as well as from kingdoms and nations , and wo to them also : when god departs from a particular man or woman he doth withdraw his common gifts and graces , and comforts that they were wont to have , he doth curse all means for good unto them , and he gives them up unto temptations ; those are the three special things that god doth in departing from any particular soul , he withdraws the common gifts and graces that they had , and the comforts that follows , and curses the means that may do them good , and gives them up to the strength and power of temptation . you will say ( it may be ) many a soul that doth desire further presence of god may be afraid out of this that god is departed . now though god ( no question ) may in some degree withdraw himself even from his saints , so as they may be afraid that god is gone and departed from them ; yet there 's this one evidence to thee , let thy condition be never so sad , yet if thou beest a saint ( i say ) this is one evidence that god is not wholly gone , if he leaves any kind of shine behind him so far as makes thy heart to be longing after him ; god doth not so depart from his saints but he leaves some luster , some little glimmering of himself behind , so much as the soul sees which way god is gone , so much as serves to draw the heart of a poor sinner after himself and makes it restless and unquiet till it comes to be in gods presence again ; as when a candle is taken out of a room , the room is darker than it was , yet there 's a glimmering left behind in that , if you go quickly you may follow : when god departs from hypocrites , he departs so as he leaves nothing behind him , and they have not so much of god as makes them make after god , and so they turn away from god and seek to make up the loss of god in some other thing ; but a saint of god that hath god beginning to depart in any degree , when god is gone , he will not turn aside to seek to make up the loss of god in any other thing else , but he hath so much of god as doth strongly carry his heart after him , that he looks , and sighs , and groans , and cries after the lord , and as david in psal . . . there he shews us that god was in some degree departed from him , ( in his own sense at least ) but mark his expression there , and that one scripture may much help any soul that is afraid that god is departed : i will keep thy statutes : o forsake me not utterly . oh lord , me thinks i feel that thou art a going , i feel that i have not those comforts i was wont to have , those stirrings of thy spirit as i was wont to have , but o lord , yet for all this , i will keep thy statutes ( saith david ) i am resolved though i should never have further comforts from thee , yet lord i will keep thy statutes , do with me what thou wilt , i●le do what i can to honor thee , and lord forsake me not utterly . so long as thy heart can close with this text and say thus as david , lord , i will keep thy statutes , though i feel not thy presence with me as i was wont to do , yet lord i will do what i can to honor thee , though i be in a sad condition , and thou seemest to leave me , yet lord i will keep thy statutes , oh lord forsake me not utterly . so long as thou canst make use of davids expression as thine own , it is an evidence god is not so departed as he uses to depart from hypocrites , and wicked and ungodly men . and if it be so woful a thing when god departs , truly then when god is about departing we had need cry mightily to him , both for kingdoms and particular souls . when a malefactor stands before the judg and is crying for mercy , if the judg be a rising off the bench , then he lifts up his voice , and then shreeks out indeed , good my lord , then he sees if the judg be gone off from the bench , he is a lost man : so when we see god going , as many foot-steps of gods departing from us there have been , and are , and yet still god leaves a light behind , blessed be god we have a light of gods presence , and god is no further departed from us , but so that he hath left so much of himself as we may know where to have him . it follows . ver . . ephraim , as i saw tyrus , is planted in a pleasant place : but ephraim shall bring forth his children to the murderers . what , god departed ? wo to us when god departs from us . why ? but ephraim might bless himself in his prosperous condition in which he was , ephraim ( might say ) what do you speak of gods departing ? we are in a good condition , it 's but your melancholly fears that makes you speak of such fears as these are , we were never stronger , nor never had better fortifications , nor never prospered better than we do ; and as i told you , this hath reference to the time of jerohoam the second , and the prophet grants it , that they were in a prosperous estate , ephraim was like tyrus planted in a pleasant place as tyrus was ; tyrus , it was a brave city , an island in the sea , much like ( as it 's reported ) that famous city in italy , [ venice ] which is in the sea about seven hundred paces from the land , it is built as it were upon a rock in the sea ; and so indeed the word signifies , it comes from a word that in the hebrew signifies a rock : it was a very exceeding strong place . quintus curtius in his fourth book of the story of alexander , saith that , alexander in his conquest had more to do to conquer tyrus than all asia besides , it was such a mighty and strong place . pliny saith the compass of it was nineteen miles . it was the general mart almost of all the world , and it was a city very full of people ; and to this the prophet hath reference , when he saith , ephraim was like tyrus ; because ephraim did so glory in his numerous progeny ; for tyrus was a mighty populous place , as pliny saith of it , that there were three other ancient cities came out of it , as leptis vtica , and that great carthage that was but a spring out of this root , that carthage that was such a famous city that did strive a long time for the empier of rome , and the monarchy and dominion of the whol world ; yea and gades divided ( as it were ) from the rest of the earth , were peopled from hence : we need not go so much to the authors that write about this city and the braveness of it , for in ezek. . you have a description of the city tyrus , as a most brave , rich , and glorious city . oh! thou that art situate at the entry of the sea , which art a merchant of the people for many isles : thus saith the lord god , o tyrus , thou hast said i am of perfect beauty ; thy borders are in the midst of the seas , thy builders have perfected thy beauty . and then in the . verse , when thy wares went forth out of the seas thou filledst many people , thou didest enrich the kings of the earth with the multitude of thy riches and of thy mercandize . now saith the lord here , ephraim is thus , she said to her self , that she was so prosperous , and strong , and rich every way , she was like to tyrus , i grant it saith the prophet , and i have seen it so , ephraim is the very same even then when i am departing from her . so that from hence we may see , that at the very time when god is departing from a kingdom , or a particular man or woman , they may be in the greatest prosperity that ever they were in all their lives : when thou art neerest eternal misery thou maiest be in the highest degree of outward prosperity that ever thou wast in all thy life . physitians say that the uttermst degree of health in the body , is next unto sickness . it 's true here , that the highest degree of outward prosperity , it 's but the forerunner of ruine ; oh! let us learn never to trust in our prosperity , but alwaies to walk with fear and trembling before the lord , never let us think that we are safe and well because we have outward things at our wills , we may have them at our wills and yet that very night the word may come , this night shall thy soul be taken away , as you know it was with the rich man in the gospel , when he had his barns full and was in consultation what to do , yet now shall thy soul be taken from thee . and nebuchadnezzar at that very time when he was glorying in his magnificent pallace that he had made , now the word comes out against him . again , especially it should teach us , not to trust ( as in no outward prosperity so ) not in any fortifications , nor strength . tyrus was an invinceable place ( it seems to be so ) yet god could pul it down : nor to trust in the multitude of soldiers : this example is as famous as any to teach men not to trust in any outwards whatsoever . calvin he carries it in somewhat a different way , and truly not without some probability neither . i saw ephraim that thou wert planted in a pleasant place , as in tyrus , so he carries it thus , that is , thou art a plant like to the plants that were in tyrus . and the word translated , pleasant place , it 's a word that signifies building : because they use to build the most delightful places ; it signifies also a secure place of habitation , now ( saith he ) tyrus it was upon a rock , and therefore they had little ground for orchards , or gardens , or plants , but only such as were made by art , and with a great deal of cost and charges , and ( saith he ) as men when they are striving with nature , if they mean to do any thing at all , they will do it to purpose , and fetch out the most curious plants and bestow a great deal of cost to cover them from the coldness of the winter , as we see in places that are neer the sea , that meerly by art they fetch out a place for a garden or orchard , they are mighty chargable . so ephraim was compared to such a plant , that is , god was at a great deal of charge for it , and very careful he was to preserve them . as you heard the last day , god compar'd his love to his people to a longing woman that longed for the first ripe fruits ; so gods love was towards his people , and here god compares his respect to his people ; as a man or woman would do to a tender plant that is in a garden or orchard that is made with abundance of cost and charge , look how careful they would be to preserve some tender plant in covering of it , and keeping of it from being mixt with the frost , ( saith he ) such was my care towards ephraim , howsoever they have served me . thus to aggravate their sins god doth shew his care of them ( thus calvin . ) but saith the text for all this , though my care hath been thus over them , yet they shall bring forth their children to the murderers . god never shews so much respect to any man or woman , but upon their forsaking of him , wrath doth follow . yet after all this they shall bring forth their children to the murderers , as if so be their children had been born for no other end , but to satisfie the mouth of the sword , to be objects of the fury of the murderers ; and those children that they shall bring forth in their war , they shall send them forth , just as if a man did send a company of beasts to the slaughter-house . they shall bring them forth to the murderers . sometimes indeed in war men are led forth even by the treachery or the spight at least of commanders in the war , only that they might be a prey to the murderers ; if any wicked officers in an army have a spight against a man , or any particular company of men , ordinarily their spight is most against godly men in their army , a wicked , swearing , deboist officer that hath a spight against godly men in an army he will set them upon the most desperat service , there enjoyn them upon pain of death to do service and not to stir , on purpose that they might be cut off , or at least hoping that they will fall into the hand of the murderer . just in this case like to david , for his own ends in another way , that would set vriah in the forefront and would have others withdraw from him ; on purpose that he might fall by the enemy . they shall bring forth children to the murderers . many children have been brought forth to the murderers even in this way . ( but for the observations from the words . ) first , the curse of god stayes not upon the parents ; but goes forwards to the children ; it 's for the sin of the parents that the children are to be brought forth to the murderers , and especially it staies not upon idolaters , but goes to their children . there are two branches in this note . . the curse of god staies not upon the parents , but goes towards the children ; in deut. . . cursed shall be the fruit of thy body , and especially to the children of idolaters . in psal . . . o daughter of babylon , who art to be destroyed ; happy shall he be that rewardeth thee as thou hast served us , happy shall he be that taketh and dasheth thy little ones against the stones . and in isa . . . their bowes also shall dash the young men to pieces , and they shall have no pity on the fruit of the womb ; their eye shall not spare children . so in the second commandement , the lord there threatens , to visit the sins of the fathers , upon the children , to them that hate him , to the third and fourth generation . you wil say , why should children suffer for their parents sins ? you will kill yong vipers and snakes though they never have stung . so , god sees guilt enough in the children of wicked men and of idolaters , so that in justice he may destroy them ; but he doth rather take advantage to destroy them , because they be the children of wicked men and of idolaters : as if a man commit treason , he deserves death then for his own fault ; but if the king hear that his father and grandfather were traitors , he shall die the rather because of them . so it 's true , the children of godly people have sin and guilt in them , as well as the children of wicked men ; yea , but the children of wicked men having guilt , and so liable to gods justice , god will take the advantage the rather to do them justice because their parents was wicked and ungodly ; and this is righteous enough with god. and the children of idolaters above all shall not be spared , and especially those that live to many years , because there is no sin that is so much strengthened from their ancestors , and the example of their forefathers as superstition and idolatry is ; why should we be wiser than our forefathers ? what 's the argument of our superstitious vanities , but our forefathers did thus ? and therefore that 's observable , that there 's no commandement in the ten threatens gods judgments upon the children , but the second commandement , because that there 's no commandement broken from the example and plea of forefathers as the second commandement ; and therefore let the children of idolaters and false worshipers look to it , that they repent from the sins of their forefathers ; instead of pleading for the sins of your forefathers , you should fall down and humble your souls for the sins of your forefathers , or otherwise that 's the very reason that god will punish the sins of the forefathers upon the children , because their fathers did worship god in a false way , and they will do so too . and then another note is this , that as this is a heavy fruit of gods curse upon a people for the parents sins , for god , curse to follow to the children : so this is a special fruit of gods curse upon children , that they shall be brought forth to the murderers . in times of war if you make not your peace with god it 's just with god that things should be ordered so that your children should be brought forth to the murderers . oh! you tender hearted mothers , who are loth that the wind should blow upon your children , look upon them and pity them , how can you endure to see their blood gush out , how can you endure to see your little ones sprawling in the streets , or upon the pikes of the soldiers ? if your hearts cannot endure this , seek to make your peace with god , to deliver your selves and your children from this curse that hath befallen many . we know not what these wars may bring forth , what they have done in ireland we have heard much of , how the parents have lookt upon their children brought forth to the murderers ; and though it 's true , in many cities and places where the enemy hath come they have not generally ( at least ) broke forth to such abominable cruelties as this is , but who knows what a summer or two may bring forth ; for certainly where war continues it drives on with more and more rage . you will say then , oh! let us make peace upon any terms . no , let it rather be your care to make your peace with god , that 's your way to deliver your cildren from being brought forth to the murderers ; for if it be a false peace it may be but a further way to bring forth your children to the murderers . it is an extream sad curse of god , in this especially , when it shall come before their very parents sight , for so the prophet speaks as if they should be brought forth even before them : many of the heathens have very pathetical expressions about the sad condition of parents when their children are slain before their eyes : as that of priamus son polites that was slain by pyrrhus , he cries to his gods , oh! if there be any thing in heaven that doth take care of such things , come and revenge this ( saith he , ) when as pyrrhus slew his son before his eyes . thou hast before the very face of the father even sprinkled the blood of the child upon his face : he was not able to bear it though he saw himself ready to die next , but cries to the very heavens to revenge it . and that was a very sad story of the emperor mauritius , that his sons , and wife , and daughters were brought before his eyes and slain before him : this is the woful evil that falls upon kingdoms . and if your children did but understand this very text that now i am opening , they would even look upon you and cry with tears in their eyes , oh father ! oh mother ! repent , repent , and seek god for your selves and for us , oh! repent , and make up your peace with god that we may not be brought forth to the murderers . oh! but if this be so great an evil for parents to have their children to be brought forth to the murderers here , how great an evil then is it for parents to bring forth children to be fewel for gods wrath for all eternity , to be the firebrands for gods wrath to burn upon , milions of years to all eternity ? you then that are parents , and have children , look upon them and have such thoughts as these that may break your hearts , oh! what a sad thing would it be that such a babe that came out of my womb should be a fire-brand for gods wrath to burn upon to all eternity ? oh! how had i need pray and bring up my children in the fear of god , lest i should be such an unhappy father that out of my loyns , should not only bring forth a child to the murderers , but for the devils in hell ? but let not this discourage you that are godly to venture your children in lawful wars , for when you shall labor to make up your peace with god , in such a cause if you be willing to sacrifice your children to god , if thy child should be brought forth even to death , yet he is but brought forth even to martyrdom , rather than to the murderers : thou shouldest rather rejoyce that thou hast a child to bring forth in such a cause , then to be overprest with sorrow that the life of thy child hath been taken away with the murderers ; & some of your children though with the loss of their own lives , yet they have been a means to keep you , and us all from the hand of the murderer , to keep the city and the kingdom from being over-run with tyranny , idolatry , and all kind of prophanness , and it may be worth the lives of your children that good that hath been done . revel . . . and they overcame by the blood of the lamb , and by the word of their testimony , and they loved not their lives unto the death . therefore rejoyce ye heavens , and ye that dwell in them . they loved not their lives unto the death : therefore rejoyce ye heavens , and them that dwell therein . when parents shall be willing to give up their children in the cause of god , even children shall be willing to sacrifice themselves in gods cause , ( i say having made up their peace with god ) then when they love not their lives unto the death , there shall be joy in heaven , and they shall overcome in dying even as jesus christ did . i remember i have read of zenophon , when he was sacrificing to their idol gods , he wore a crown upon his head , and there came news to him that his child was dead , he presently pulls his crown from off his head in token of sorrow ; but then asking how he died , answer was made , that he died in the wars : then he calls for his crown again . so perhaps some of you have lost your children , nature cannot but work , yea but then ask how they lost their lives , they lost their lives valiantly in a work that did as much concern the glory of god as ever any war did , and seeing they died so , rather bless god than be so sorrowful that they fell into the hand of murderers . it follows . ver . . give them , o lord : what wilt thou give ? give them a miscarrying womb , and dry breasts . this follows , upon this that they shall be brought forth to the murderers hand . then , lord , give them ; what wilt thou give them ? give them a miscarrying womb , and dry breast . some think this was an imprecation by a spirit of prophesie , as if the holy prophet had his heart fill'd with the wrath of god , give them lord ; what wilt thou ? give them a miscarrying womb , and dry breasts , but rather according to most interpreters , i think this expression is rather an expression of commiseration , ( that is ) foreseeing the lamentable condition that the ten tribes should be in ere long , the prophet pities their condition , and would fain come in and pray for them , and he begins , give them , o lord ( saith the prophet ; ) and then he makes a stop , as if he should say , but o lord what shall i say for them , give them , but lord i know not what to ask for them , i am at a stand when i consider what they are , what the many mercies they have had already , what warnings they have had , how hardened they are in their sin , and how thy word is gone forth , but lord give them : shall i say , lord give them deliverance , give them peace , give them prosperity still , lord i dare not , that i cannot ask , all means have been used for to bring them unto thee , and yet they stand out against the lord ; thou knowest they are deer to me , they are of my flesh , and i should be glad that they might be saved , but thy glory is dearer to me then they are , and therefore for that i cannot pray : and therefore the prophet praies , give them , seeing all this misery must befal them , what , shall the enemies be let out upon them ? shall they and their children be made a prey to the murderer ? lord , rather let no more be born of them , rather let those children that otherwise should have been born and might have lived in their own land , lord god , 〈◊〉 them not be born rather than come to live to so great misery ; so he doth not pray for a miscarrying womb and dry breasts absolutely , but compartively . from whence the notes are . first ; that mens sins make many times gods ministers and his saints at a point that they know not what to say in prayer . truly , though there hath bee a mighty spirit of prayer through gods mercy in the kingdom , yet considering that since god hath come to shew himself willing to deliver us , and christ hath been coming even upon his white hors in peace to take the kingdom to himself , since that time such a spirit of malignity hath appeared against christ and his saints as ever was in the kingdom , it puts many of the ministers and saints of god to a non-plus in their prayers , and straightens their very hearts in the day of their fasting , when they are to seek god , that the lord would give forth mercy , the lord knows that the condition we are in is more unfit for mercy than we were at the very first day ; thus a nation , thus particular people may put the servants of god to a stand in their prayers , and straighten their hearts ; oh! were it that people had gone on in the imbracing of reformation as they seem'd to do at the first , oh! how enlarged would the herrts of the saints have been in prayer ? oh lord ! give england mercy , give england deliverance . and then a second note is this , that the fruitfulness , or the barrenness of the womb , it is from god. give them , give them a miscarrying womb and dry breasts . this is from god ; in gen. . . when rachel cried for children , give me children or else i die , the text saith , that jacobs anger was kindled against rachel , and said , am i in gods stead ? paulus phagius ( that learned man ) saith , that the hebrews have this speech , that there are four keys that are in gods hand that he gives not into the hand of any angel. . the key of the rain ; and that you have in deut. . . the lord shall open unto thee his good treasure , the heaven to give thee rain unto thy land in his season . . there 's the key of food ; in ps . . the eyes of all wait upon thee , and thou givest them their meat in due season ; thou openest thine hand and satisfiest the desire of every living thing . . there 's the key of the grave , in ezek. . . behold , oh my people i will open your graves , and cause you to come up out of your graves . . and lastly , the key of the womb , and that is in gen. . . these four keys god keeps in his own hand , and therefore gods providence is to be observed in this , and there ought to be a submission to his hand in it . thirdly , sin may bring such evil time upon a people as better those who live to such times had not been born , or died before those times had come ; give them a miscarrying womb and a dry breast , if they should have children that should live to endure all the miseries of those times that are coming , they had been better not to have been born , or have died long before this time saith the prophet , we must take heed of wishing this upon every little affliction that doth befall us , as it is the frowardness of many people even with god himself , that if their children do but anger them to wish they had never been born , or cold in the mouth many years ago , i wish i had gone to your grave : parents many times are ready to wish their children that they had never been born of them ; but this is frowardness against god himself , and wickedness ; those that are so ready to wish their children had not been born , they are the least sensible of the sin that doth cause the affliction upon which they do wish such a thing as that is . give them a miscarrying womb , and dry breasts . first ; there may be either such miserable slaughters as that parents might even wish that they never had any children . or secondly , they may live under such cruel tyranny for their souls and bodies . or thirdly , they may be drawn from god by false religion , and so may be in a condition worse than if they had not been born . hence parents to whom god denies children or takes them away , they should quiet themselves in gods dispose , especially in such times as these are : it may be god hath taken away your children to deliver them from greater evils : as in the house of jeroboam , there was but one child that had any good in it , and saith god , that child shall die , and gives the reason , because it had some good in it . so that god takes away many that he hath the most love unto , and lets others to live that he hath not so much love unto . yes , ( some may say ) if i were sure that their souls were safe , though god doth take them away , if i were sure of their salvation , then i would be content . that 's true indeed , if your children were saved , what hurt is that to be taken away here and received to heaven , and there to live for ever with christ , not to sin , or sorrow more : but howsoever you may satisfie your selves in these three things . first , that they are under an indefinite promise , though not an universal . secondly , suppose he should not be saved , then it were better that he should be taken away than to live to sin more against god , he might have lived to have done a great deal of mischief in the world if he were one that god did not intend to save , and therefore quiet thy self ; however god sees further than thou doest , either when he denies the● children , or takes them away in such times as these are . further , in times when publick evils are threatned , they are good times to die in ; if better not to be born in evil time , then certainly it is no great evil to die in evil times . good men are taken away from the evil to come . as if a woman had her breast to be launc'd or cut off , would not the tender father take the children out of the room in the mean time ? who knows but god may have the breast of his his church ( our mother ) even to be cut off for a time , yet may suffer heavier things than ever she hath done , and if god shall take away his tender children that will not be able to bear such a sight as that , what great evil is it ? as we reade of god towards moses , when gods glory was to pass by , he puts moses into the hole of a rock ; and truly the graves of the saints are but as the holes of the rock til the glory of gods justice passes by a people . and thirdly , if the sins of parents may be the cause of such things to children as better they had not been born , let those that have children take heed that they lay not up such wrath for an inheritance for their children , as that their children afterwards should even wish they never had been born of such parents , especially if parents be careless in the education of their children not to bring them up in the fear of the lord , hereafter their children may curse the time that ever they were born of them , and say , oh! that i rather had been of the off-spring of vipers , or the generation of dragons than that i had come of such parents , oh! that my mother had had a miscarrying womb , or that she never had had breasts to give me suck . certainly this will be the voice of many children against their parents one day : look to it that there be never a father nor mother in this place that may give cause to their children thus to wish they had never been born of such parents . and certainly if the enduring of sorrows and misery in this world may put them into such a condition , what then wil sin and being the authors of miseries to others do ? those children that are abominable and wicked in their lives , and are causes of mischief to others , how much cause is it that it had been said , that it had been been better his mothers womb had miscarried : as it was said of judas , that it had been better that he had never been born : and so it may be said of abundance at this day , what abundance of evil are some at this day the cause of unto others ? what woful disturbances , distractions and calamities do some men bring upon a nation ? had it not been better that their mothers wombs to have miscarried , and their breasts not to have given them such ? and again , what horrible wickedness are some guilty of ? how many mother 's this day have cause ●o say , oh! that my womb had miscarried of such a child ! oh that my breasts had never given such a child suck ! oh that ever one should come out of my womb to do so much mischief , to take up arms to fight against his country , to fight against the saints , to bring in slavery and tyranny , that ever any out of my womb should have a hand in such a mischievous way as this is ! oh! these breasts of mine every time i look upon them , i wish they had never given such a one suck , for it may be they wil suck my blood too . certainly if ever there were a time to wish their wombs had miscarried , and their breasts never given suck , these are the times many may do so . and this seems to have allusion to that which christ saith in luke . . blessed are the wombs that never bear , and the paps that never gave suck . i say , concerning many particulars in the kingdom in this time , it might have been said , oh! blessed had the womb been that such men were in , had they never been born , and the paps that they suckt , that they had never given suck . this would not have been an interpretation , but a good prayer , if it could have been foreseen , if any prophet could have forseen this , that thou shouldst have been a child , and he should have been an actor in so much mischief as hath been done in this kingdom of late , if any prophet could have forseen this , thou wouldst have said amen to his prayer , lord give this woman a miscarrying womb and dry breasts that she might never have born nor given suck to such an one . it follows . ver . . all their wickedness is in gilgal : for there i hated them . what this gilgal was i opened in the th chapter at the . verse , it was a very famous place for many remarkable things : stones were set up in remembrance of so great a mercy in coming over jordan , and there was the first passeover that ever they had , and there they were circumcised , and the lord said unto joshua , this day have i rolled away the reproach of egypt from off you , from whence it had the name ; they were not circumcised in all that time in the wilderness , from whence it was called gilgal , because the reproach was rolled away ; i shewed abundance of mercy to them in gilgal , there they eat the fruit of the land , and there the reproach was rol'd away , and the monument of my great mercy in bringing them over jordan ; but now they have turned this place to the most abominable place in the country , for because there were such great things done in gilgal , they thought that it was a holy place , and therefore they might justifie their superstitious waies , though god afterwards did chuse another place for his worship , yet they thought to sacrifice and worship in gilgal , they thought it might be justified , because it was a place where such great things were done . now saith god , i never intended that , all their wickedness is in gilgal . superstitious men are proud to put holiness upon places that have had remarkable things done in them in reference to religion . this phrase we have had occasion to meet with before , and therefore i pass it . all their wickedness . that is , their chief wickedness , as if god should say , there is a great deal of wickedness among them , there are murders and thefts , and abundance of other evils , the breaches of the second table ; but yet above all , their wickedness is at gilgal , they think to make use of that place where i shewed so much mercy to them , they think to justifie their superstitious worship , but i 'le have them know that i hate this , there i hated them saith god , i abhor this that they think to be justified by . so that the notes are . above all sins , the sin of idolatry is that that god looks upon as the great wickedness for which he doth hate and abhor a people . because in that sin men think by their own waies of worship to make god amends for their wicked waies , and present their own waies of worship , to justifie themselves in all other kind of wickedness . and again : for men to abuse that wherein god shews mercy : for them to take advantage or occasion by that to turn it into sin against god , this is that which god hates . for there was much mercy they met withal at gilgal , and they made gods mercy an occasion to their wickedness . to make that which should engage us to god to be an occasion of wickedness against god this is abominable in gods eyes : as you reade in the law , that you must not seath a kid in his mothers milk ; that which is the milk to preserve the kid , that must not be a means for a second death , to seath or boyl it in saith god , that 's unnatural , and but cruelty ; so for us to deal with god to take those things that should be a means to engage our hearts further to god to be occasion of further sinning against god , that 's abominable ; there saith god , i hated them . concerning gilgal . their idolatrous priests told them ( as 't is propable ) that that place was a holy place , and surely god that had appeared so to them there would accept of their services in that place rather than any other , and so though god had after chose another place , yet still they doted upon this place , [ gilgal ] and that which was so famous for gods worship became as infamous for superstition and wickedness . polanus upon the text compares that town in germany , [ wittenberg ] to this gilgal . those places where the lord hath been more gracious to people , the devil seeks to corrupt those places most of all ; as in wittenberg was the beginning of reformation by the means of luther , and now ( saith he ) the devil hath made it the theater of divers heresies , and still makes it more and more ; that very place which was a place of gods mercy to the country : so here , that place that was the greatest place of mercy , is here the greatest place of wickedness ; the devil envies it so much the more , and all their wickedness is here . all their wickedness . ] that is , the chief wickedness , their superstition and idolatry is the chief and the great wickedness that provokes god against a people ; not only because of the presumption in it , but because it 's an inlet to all other kind of wickedness . hence observe : . where there is false worship in any place all manner of wickedness follows . and people do most stick unto their superstitious waies more than to any thing , and therefore that 's the chief wickedness , yea and they think to satisfie god with those waies for their other sins , all their wickedness is there . a further note from hence is , that to sin in face of mercies , where there are the testimony of gods abundant mercies , that is very abominable to god. that 's a great aggravation of sin , to sin in the face of the testimonies of the mercies of god , what , where so much mercy , yet here wicked and abominable ? doth god fill thy family , thy chamber , thy closet , thy bed , thy shop with the testimonies of his mercy ? take heed how thou sinnest there where there are abundant testimonies of gods mercy to witness against thee , and to aggravate thy sin . but i find some interpreters , and that not one or two , but many , ( and that makes me speak of this interpretation ) that refer this wickedness to the casting off the government that god had appointed , and the bringing in of a new government : at gilgal was the place where they would have saul to be their king , and cast off the government by judges that god had appointed among them , gilgal was the place ; now this was the ground of all their other obstinate wickedness , and god remembers this a long time after and saith , all their wickedness is in gilgal , and there i hated them . from hence the note is this , that it 's a hateful thing to cast off the government that god would have us under , it is hateful to god ; the jews had both their civil and ecclesiastical government by divine institution , they were both mixt in one there . and though now we have not our civil government by divine institution , but it 's left to the creation of man , according as in prudence men in several countries shall think best ; but ecclesiastical governm●●t certainly is as much by divine institution now , as ever it was , and it must be so , because it is spiritual , and nothing can work in a spiritual way upon the inward man but that that is by divine institution , therefore whatever the government be ( i will not meddle with the particulars ) yet we must take heed how we cast off that which is appointed by god , for that 's hateful , there i hated them ; we had need therefore search and examin to find what that is , and if we think it be not so cleer as their government was to them , we must take so much the more pains to examin , and not think it long that there is so much time spent i● seeking to find out what the government should be , do not think it a light matter : many people they think it but a circumstance , and things that we need not trouble our selves so much about , and why should there be so much time spent in searching it out ; learn from hence to look upon it as a great matter , as a matter upon which the welfare or the evil of a kingdom doth much depend , for so it was here , saith god , because they cast off the government that i would have , there i hated them . thus you may take in both the meanings , both the testimonies of gods mercies in gilgal at first , and the place where they cast off my government and would have another , i hated them there saith god. again , there i hated them . ] there are some sins that provoke god to anger , and some to grief , but some to hatred , and that 's dreadful when our sins shall provoke hatred , the lord hates the works of iniquity . this is the great difference between the sins of the saints and others , the sins of the saints may anger god , may grieve god , but the sin of others they provoke god to hatred . i hated them . again , there i hated them . ] ( there ) sometimes god manifests his hatred in the very places where men do sin against him . as a mans spirit will rise if he comes to a place where he hath been wronged by any ; if you should come into the very place where your children have been murdered , or wives ravished , would not you have your hearts rise with indignation , in this place was my child murdered , in this place was my child ravished ; so saith god , every time he looks upon gilgal , oh! here was this wickedness committed , there i hated them . hence it is that many guilty consciences dare not go into the place where they have committed sin , there i hated them . it follows . i will drive them out of my house . they shall remain no longer in a church-state , they shall remain no longer so to be in my house . those who under the colour of being under the church of god , yet live in the waies of wickedness , god will unchurch them even in regard of the outward appearance of a church estate ; i 'le drive them out of my house : it 's a dreadful expression this , for a father to take his child or servant and drive them out of his house notes great indignation ; to be driven out of gods house is a sore evil , that makes all other evils indeed to be evil , as abiding in gods house is a great blessing , and recompences the want of many outward blessings . if any of you that have been servants to great men , and should be driven out of their houses , and especially for your conscience , yet if god takes you into his house you are well enough , and for that you have a famous scripture in psal . . . but i ( saith david ) am like a green olive tree in the house of god , i trust in the mercy of god for ever and ever ; upon what occasion was this psalm pen'd ? it was when david was driven out of the house of saul by the occasion of doeg , there was a doeg that did exasperate saul against him , and david was driven from his house , so he dared not come into it , but what comfort had david ? but i am like a green olive tree in the house of god ; though i cannot be in sauls house , and enjoy the priviledges of his house , yet blessed be god that i may be in his house , and there thrive and prosper as a green olive tree . i will drive them out of my house . god cannot endure wickedness in his house , neither should we ; god accounts it his dishonor to have wickedness and wicked men in his house , and so should we , as in the church , ungodly men should be driven out of the house of god ; we must not make gods house an hogs-sty , an unclean place for all swine to come in , but they should be driven out as christ drave out the buyers and sellers out of the temple ; yea , and so should all christians drive out of their families wicked and ungodly servants : psal . . . he that worketh deceit shall not dwel within my house ( saith david ) and he that telleth lyes shall not tarry in in his sight . it 's a dishonor for any who make profession of religion , that though themselves be not scandalous in their own lives , yet there are those in their house that live scandalously , they have as wicked servants in their houses as any ; this is a dishonor to religion : god drives out wickedness out of his house , and do you do so to yours . and i will love them no more . by [ love ] here is meant , the communication of outward good things , for that carnal hearts account to be the only love of god : indeed if they may have but outward prosperity here in this world , they make that an argument of gods love unto them : well ( saith god ) though you have had many such kind of arguments of my love , ( such fruits of my love ) yet i will love you no more , i will take away all those priviledges and good things that you have enjoyed , there are priviledges and good things that come from no other love but that which may be taken away ; oh! let not us be satisfied with those , let us be satisfied with nothing else but that which comes from everlasting love . you may have your outward estates , you may have comely bodies , health , strength , success in your labors , comings-in plentifully , yea , you may have church priviledges , and yet all this not come from the everlasting love of god , that can never be taken away ; these fruits of gods love may be taken from you , and god may say as concerning all these , i will love you no more : but there are fruits of love , the sanctifying graces of gods spirit , the fruits of electing love , and god can never say of these , i will love you no more . no more . after many deliverances that this people had in a way of love , god resolves with himself that he will have done with them , he will love them no more , he wil deliver them no more : god may withdraw the sence of his love from his people for a while , but he manifests his love again , the afflictions of the saints they are but a little cloud that soon passes over , the sun soon breaks in again upon them , and love shines ; but the sun of the wicked and ungodly sets , and never rises again : this is dreadful when a mans ruin , or a peoples ruin is thus seal'd by god , whatever mercies you have had heretofore , yet now there 's an end of all , adieu mercie , adieu love , i had gracious manifestations of them once to my soul , but they are now gon , i must never enjoy them more , now god hath changed his administrations towards me , i must expect nothing but wrath , the hand of his sore displeasure to cause ruin , and to be sunk everlastingly : oh! let thy provocations of god be no more , do not thou ad unto them ; i have dealt falsly with god , dallied and trifled with the lord , many times promising fair , but when i was delivered then have dealt wickedly with thee ; but no more lord : oh! take heed , if thou add'st any more unto thy wickedness lest that this dreadful sentence be pronounc'd in heaven against thee , i will love thee no more . the words are in the original , i will add no more ; i have done enough already , i will do good to this wretched creature no more ; my goodness and mercy hath had their turn , no more ; spirit strive with them , no more ; ordinances , no more do them any good ; mercy meddle no more with them , i will love them no more . all their princes are revolters . this is a very strange expression : what all ? yes , even from jeroboam to hoshea's time , every one of them , th● princes of israel were wicked men , for two hundred and fifty yeers space , in all successions every one were naught , and false , and ungodly , all were revolters . it 's an elegant paranomasia that in the original , princes revolters , the words have a greater elegancy in the original than in our english ; the seventy they turn it by this word , men that could not be perswaded , they were all of them men that could not be perswaded , they were set upon their own way , their own ends , and would have their own politick fetches , and let prophets , let any of the godly come to shew them the mind of god , they were resolved in their way , they would not be perswaded , but were wilful , and they would have this way , and whatever came of it they would venture their lives and the loss of their kingdom but they would have it , in a desperate way they were set upon their wills , come of it what would they would go on in this way . men that are great in power and authority they think it a dishonor to them to be perswaded to alter their minds , but rather will go on desperately to the ruin of themselves , and the ruin of their kingdoms , rather than they will hearken to counsel ; they were all of them men that would not be perswaded : and luther upon the place hath this expression ( saith he ) being lift up in the pride of their hearts by their power that they had , they would be above the word it 's self , they think it much to have their hearts come under the authority of the word . this is the wickedness of mens hearts when they grow great they swell above the word of god. they are all wicked , all of them revolters . some of them there were that made some kind of shew at their first coming in , when they came first to the crown they gave great hopes ( some of them ) that they would have better times than they had before , and that things that were evil in former princes reigns would now be reformed , but within a while they went all the same way ; you know jehu , and so some others went in a fair way at first , but they all turned to be revolters ; from whence our notes are : first , see what creature engagements are : see what engagements will work in the hearts of men when they are engaged in their honors , and in their preferments in their great places of dignities and powers , and profits and gain ▪ see what they will do : evil princes being engaged and afraid of losing their power ; if any should go to jerusalem to worship , they all went in one stream , not one of them was taken off from their great engagements ; indeed many in smaller matters may be taken off to god , but if it come to a great matter , then none ; perhaps some poor ministers that had little livings ( you know ) heretofore , they would be taken off , and see the truths of god , and the sinfulness of ceremonies ; but where did your deans , and bishops ? where did any of the prelates that had great engagements ? they would never see the truth that now almost every body sees , their great engagements hindered them . and so the great engagements of princes hindered them though the truth was cleer enough . secondly ; this is brought as the cause of the evil of the people , they were all wicked , no mervail though the people were so , according to peoples interests so they are , as they see those above them go that have power over them , that way people will go . ephraim was wicked , because all their princes were revolters . those that are in places of power they drive the people along before them , for ( i say ) god hath little honor in the world but as it sutes in mens interests , according as they have interest this way or that way . thirdly , they are all revolters . from this the note is this , that princes though they should be used with reverence , yet must not be flattered , but their sins must he shewed plainly unto them , [ they are all revolters , ] though they can hardly bear it . touch the mountains and they will smoke , touch the great men , reprove but them , and presently the heat of their wrath rises and they smoke even w th indignation . but yet those that are faithful about them they should trust god with their places , and estates , and with their lives ; oh had we but those about princes that would deal faithfully and shew to them how far the guilt of blood may be upon them , and the evil of it might be upon them , certainly it would be otherwise with us than it is at this day : had we but latimers and deerings ( that worthy preacher in queen elizabeths time ) it 's said of latimer , that sending a book to king henry the eigth , he writes in the first page of it , whoremongers and adulterers god will judg : and deering in his sermons even before the queen speaking of disorders of the times , and these and these things are thus and thus , and you sit still and do nothing : and again , even before her face , preaching to her , ( saith he ) may we not well say with the prophet , it 's the mercy of the lord that we are not consumed , seeing there is so much disobedience both in subjects , and in prince : certainly much good might come had we men of such spirits as heretofore have been . all their princes are revolters . fourthly , when princes one after another are wicked , there 's little hope of good then to a people . the saints under the persecution of one they groan and cry to god , but another comes and oppresses them more . we had need therefore pray for those in high places , for princes , for it concerns much the people , as we shall see more after . it follows . ver . . ephraim is smitten , their root is dried up , they shall bear no fruit . ephraim is smitten . ] god had threatned ephraim long before , but now he is smitten ; not threatned only , but smitten . observe this note , ( the manner of the phrase is as if he were smitten from heaven by a thunder-bolt , in a dreadful manner god himself smote him ) observe this , god will not alwaies forbear sinners , at last god smote ; he threatens a long time , but he smote at last : god may be a long time bending his bow , and making his arrows ready , and preparing the instruments of death , but at length he smote ; and when he smote he smote terribly . how sad is the condition of a wicked man who hath had many warnings , and much patience of god hath been shewed towards him , and at length this is the news that one neighbor tells another , oh! such a man is smitten of god , the wrath of god hath pursued and hath overtaken such a man , the fearful stroke of god is upon him , and this certainly will be the news of wicked impenitent sinners , secure sinners , this will be the news that will be told of you , such a one is smitten ; oh! and what sad reports are there at this day in all countries about us , even through the world , what 's the news throughout the world almost but this ( the christian world ) england is smitten , the lord hath smote them ? the lord hath smote us with a dreadful stroke and still he continues smiting of us . that scripture in isa . . . is made good upon us this day , the anger of the lord is kindled against his people , and he hath stretched forth his hand against them , and hath smitten them , ( mark what follows ) the hills did tremble ( oh that our hearts did ) and their carkasses were torn in the midst of the streets : ( and so it hath been with us : ) and for all this his anger is not turned away , but his hand is stretched out still : and thus it is with us . and the principal cause that is there given of such woful smiting , it is as you may observe in the . and . verses , the crossness of mens spirits in turning things quite contrary and cross to that which god would have them . as thus , they call evil good , and good evil : they put darkness for light , and light for darkness ; bitter for sweet , and sweet for bitter : justifying the wicked , and taking away the righteousness of the righteous . this is the cause of this smiting , and never was there such perversness in the hearts of men to turn things quite cross , to cry out of truth for falsehood , to cry out of the waies of christ as the waies of sedition , and the great troublers of the kingdom , to cry out of the saints that are for peace , as the great stirrers up of the kingdom , and to justifie the wicked in many places ; what favor hath many malignants ? and those that have most appeared in the cause of god , how are they discountenanced ? this is the cause why god would smite them , and why their carkasses should be torn in the very streets . the lord hath smitten us this day as he did the people in kings , . . the lord shall smite israel as a reed is shaken in the water , ( and then it follows after ) he shall root them out of the good land. so it 's here , ephraim is smitten , and his root dried up . the lord this day hath smote us as a reed is shaken to and fro , that which men cried up at first , they cry down again presently after , and forward for a little while , and then quite the other way again , and wavering and unconstant in all their waies , and know not indeed what they would have ; thus the lord hath smote us , yea the lord hath smitten us so as he hath fetcht blood , fetcht blood , yea , the lord hath smitten us by those that should protect us , and that 's a sore smiting , to smite us by the hand of such as should protect us ; that threatning that is denounc'd in zach. . . oh how is it made good upon us this day , saith the text there , i will no more pity the inhabitatns of the land saith the lord ; but lo , i will deliver the men every one into his neighbors hand , and into the hand of his king , and they shall smite the land ; and out of their hand i will not deliver them . it 's a very strange scripture , i know not the like in all the book of god , god threatens to smite this people , and how ? oh! this is a sore smiting , i will deliver every one into his neighbors hand , and they shall smite one another , and i will deliver every one into the hand of his king. why is it so great an evil to be delivered into the hand of our neighbor , and into the hand of our king ? truly at this time it seems it was : oh! the lord smites us this day , he smites us sorely by giving us up to smite one another . we smite one another with the tongue , in jer. . . come , let us smite with the tongue , say they . when was there ever such smiting with the tongue as there is now ? yea , even good men smite one another : there was a time when the prophet desir'd to be smitten by the righteous , in psal . . . let the righteous smite me ( saith the prophet ) it shall be as oyl to my head ; but now we may justly cry out to god , lord , let not the righteous smite me ; the very smiting of the righteous is a sorer smiting this day than the smiting of enemies , to smite with the tongue , yea and worse too , in isa . . . in the day of their fast , they smite with the fist , and smite with the pen , that is a sorer smiting sometimes than smiting with the sword . and smite with the sword too , for brother is against brother , and father is against child , and child against father , and this is a forerunner of gods smiting the earth with a curse , in malac. . , . verses , the very close of the old testament , there eliah is prophesied to come , and to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children , and the hearts of the children to the fathers , lest ( saith the text ) the lord come and smite the earth with a curse . oh! that eliah might come among us otherwise ? what can be expected but the lords smiting the land with a most dreadful curse ? when was fathers against children , and children against fathers as now , and that in matters of controversie ? it was wont to be a proverbial speech among the jews , when they had any knotty controversie that they could not untie , when elias shall come , then we shall come to know the meaning of this . we may say this day , well , because we see what controversies there are and what differences of this & the other way & judgment , the lord christ ( whose forerunner elias was to be ) he will come ere long , and he will open all things to us , the messias will come again and tell us all , and satisfie us in all our difficulties , and put an end to all our desputes ; but for the present the lord smites us , not only by the sword , but he smites us as he smote the men of sodom , with blindness , and that curse threatned in deut. . . is even upon us , the lord ( saith the text there ) shall smite thee with madness , and blindness , and astonishment of heart , and thou shalt grope at noon daies , as the blind gropeth in darkness , and thou shalt not prosper in thy waies , and thou shalt be only oppressed and spoiled ever more , and no man shall save thee . oh my brethren ! how is this fulfilled at this day ? with what blindness , and madness , and astonishment are the people of the land smote ? if it were not the smiting of god to smite men with blindness , it 's impossible but they should see what should be done in such a time as this is , and you are only oppressed : indeed now almost every man in the kingdom cries of being oppressed and spoiled ever more . we thought that when spoylers and oppressors were amongst us that we were safe and well when it was over , oh! but it is renewed again , and then come the spoilers the second time , and the third time , spoyling ever more , and this is the fruit of gods smiting men with blindness , and madness : and yet who is it that returns to him that smites him ? but lord , seeing thou art a smiting , oh! that thou wouldest smite once more , smite these rocks of ours , these hearts of ours , if thou wilt but smite there , that might free us from other strokes , that there might gush out tears of repentance , smite there that we may every man smite upon his thigh ; oh! that we may smite upon our own hearts . but it follows : their princes are revolters : and ephraim is smitten . only a word more from the connexion of these two , all their princes are revolters : and ephraim is smitten . from thence the note is , if god leaves those who have the chief government in their hands to revolt , the people then will be smitten . oh! pray much for them , and let not them that have the chief government in their hand think much that people enquire into their way , and that they use all means that they can to keep them upright ; for if they should revolt they would not only undo themselves , but undo us , it concerns us to enquire how it is with them , and to be solicitous about them , and they must not bid us that are beneath them to let them alone and meddle with our own business , and follow that which concerns us , certainly it concerns us much what they do : were it indeed that if they miscarried they only should be smitten , then we had less to do to look after them ; but if they revolt we are smitten : if a child should in all humility and reverence beseech his father to leave off such and such a sinful way , or to take heed of it that he be not carried by such and such counsels , if his father should say , meddle you with what you have to do : the child might well answer , oh father ! i hear in the word of god , that god doth visit the sins of the fathers upon the children , and i may feel of these sins of yours when you are dead and gone , therefore i beseech you , oh father , consider what you do ? ( i say ) the same might be answered if we should petition and labor with our governors in all humility to take heed of any evil counsel , and if they should bid us lock to what concerns us , we may well answer , we have heard in the word that when the princes are revolters , the people are smitten , that if governors should any way revolt from any former protestations the people is like to be smitten ; it is we know from the revolting of many of our lords and members of that high court that we have been smitten so as we have been , now many of them have revolted to the enemy ? and these that have been the members of that court , ( i say ) their revolting have been the cause of such a sore smiting which we have had . further : it cannot free ephraim from being smitten ; smitten because their governors are evil , they cannot excuse their sin by that : perhaps the people would plead thus ; what could we do ? we could not help it , those that were in government they enjoyn such things , and if we did not obey them they would undo us , we were not able to bear their smiting of us , therefore we were forced to yield ; oh! better endure the smiting of man than the smiting of god , it is a fearful thing to fall into the hand of the living god. the apprehension of gods hand smiting is that which should humble the hearts of sinners very much . it 's a notable scrip-which you have in chron. . . of vzziah , that when he saw that he was smitten , though he were stout and proud before , yet when he was smitten he made hast out of the temple . it 's no longer standing out , for the lord hath smitten . so when we apprehend god smiting , it is no standing out against the great god , but we had need make hast to reform . and thus much for this expression . it follows . their root is dried up . but though we be smitten we hope we may grow , we may lose our leaves and some of our boughs , but we hope that we shall spring again : perhaps these are the vain apprehensions of some men , but never look to making their peace with god , no saith god , i 'le not only smite to take off your leaves and branches , but i will smite the very root , that shall be dried up : there 's difference between the pruning and lopping off a tree , and the drying up of the root of it , there may be help so long as the root remains alive . i will never trouble my self any further ( saith god ) with them , i have already smote off their boughs , and that doth no good , i will dry up the very root now . it 's a great aggravation of gods smiting when he smites at the root , every smiting it is not a drying up of the root , it is the base unbelief of our hearts , the discontentedness , frowardness , fullenness of our vile spirits that makes us thus to conclude almost upon every stroke of god , that he intends our undoing , if he doth but smite us so as a few leaves are but shaken off , or that our branches are but shak'd , we are presently ready to conclude that god intends to blast us , and to dry up the very root , and ruin us utterly ; how often in our unbelief , when by temptations we have been shaken and the leaves of our comforts have been shaken off , ( our enlargements ) and the like , how often we conclude , oh! the lord is coming against me , and he will certainly blast all , all that i seem to have , the very root of all my hopes and comforts will presently be blasted , oh! this ( i say ) is the evil of our hearts , it comes from our fullenness , frowardness , and unbelief ever so to conclude , it may be god intends only to prune thee and to take away superfluities , that so the sap may go down more at the root , that thou maiest have more humility , and self-denial , and faith , that thou maiest have more exercise of the root-graces , humility , patience , faith , self-denial , and god perhaps smites only to make the sap go down more to the root-graces , though thou concludest that he will dry up the root presently . in this smiting wherewithal the lord hath smote us we hope that he intends not to dry up the root , but we may say of it as in isa . . hath be smitten him as he smote those that smote him ? or is he slain according to the slaughter of them that are slain by him ? the godly party may suffer much , but i make no question but the ungodly party hath suffered as much , and by this shall the iniquity of jacob be purged ; and this is all the fruit to take away his sin , and in the . verse god tells us , that fury is not in him , god is fain to make an apolegie to his people when he is a smiting , though i smite you , yet not so as those that smite you , but in the day of the east wind i stay the rough wind , and fury is not in me , but by this shall the iniquity of jacob be purged : and this is all the fruit thereof to take away his sin . but god hath his time to dry up the roots of sinners , and the roots of nations . . god dries up the roots of many that have made fair profession in former times , they have had no other root but only parts , and common gifts , and morality raised , and this root is dried up ; this day many fair and glorious professors , how are they this day blasted ! sapless , dry spirits , and useless in the world in this time when there is so much service required of them ? and by by being dried up , what are they but prepared for the fire ? old withered , sapless professors ( i say ) whose root is dried up they are fitted for nothing but the fire , they are like those in jude , corrupt trees , trees that are corrupt in the autumn : thus it is with many professors at the time when god expects fruit , now they are sapless , now they are corrupt fruit , they are dried up by the root , and what are they fitted for but for the fire ? and then god hath his time to dry up the root of nations , in isa . . . now we might seek to understand what the root of a nation is , but i think we need not in this place , because it is sufficient only for the metaphor , to shew that god doth not only afflict a nation , but intends the utter ruin and destruction . yet a word or two thus . what was the root of ephraim ? the covenant that god made with him , that was his root in the first place . and when god intends to break his covenant with them , ( because they broke theirs ) then he dries up the root ; and therefore in the next chapter you shall find that god charges them with dealing falsely in making a covenant . and then , the godly among a people are as the root of that people , in isa . . . but yet it shall be a tenth , and it shall return , and shall be eaten : as a teyle tree , and as an oak , whose substance is in them when they cast their leaves : so the holy seed shall be the substance thereof . so here , the holy seed shall be the substance of it . the holy seed in a kingdom is as the root and substance of it ; and yet such is the wretchedness of men , that what do they do but in stirring against them , they would root out the very root of the nation . and the vigor and power of the fundamental laws in a kingdom is as the root of it , from whence flourishes all their outward peace and comfort . and the blessing of god upon the wisdom and faithfulness of those that are put into place , that 's as the root of the good of a nation , in these things especially consists the roots of a nation . we hope that god will not wholly dry up our root , only let us take heed of this ; though there be indeed a difference between the covenant of god with the nation of the jews , and any covenant that god makes with any nation at this day , yet if we be false in the covenant that we make with god , this may root us out ; let us look to it that the vigor and power of the fundamental laws of the kingdom be maintained , and that the godly be maintained , let us not set our selves to root out them , for in so doing we do but seek to root out our selves , and let us pray that the blessing of god may abide upon those that are in place of power , and while these things continue we may hope that the lord intends , though he may scatter and break us in pieces , yet that there may a root stay , and there is little question ( i think we may make ) that god wil preserve our root howsoever ; and that there wil be a root of the saints that shall flourish till jesus christ comes again , the root of the righteous shall not be moved ; though the righteous may be lopt from all their outward comforts , yet their root must not be moved , that lies deeper than my creature-power is able to reach unto . but there is a root , oh! that god would dry up that , a root that the scripture speaks of , a root of bitterness , that brings forth gall and wormwood , oh! what bitter fruit doth that root bring forth ! oh! that god would dry up that root . it follows . they shall bear no fruit . they would bring forth fruit to themselves , and seeing they would bring forth no other fruit but to themselves , they shall bring forth no fruit ( saith god. ) how happy were we if god would say the root of bitterness ( that we speak of ) as he said of the fig-tree , never fruit grow on it more , oh! that that curse of god might be upon the root of bitterness that there is in the hearts of many , that god would say , we shall never hear the evil language , the evil speeches of people , and the bitter expressions as heretofore we have done . yea though they bring forth , yet will i slay even the beloved fruit of their womb. the word translated beloved fruit , it is desirable , the desires of their womb ; children are the desires of the womb , that is , women are very strong in their desires after them , give me children or else i die ( saith rachel : ) indeed harlots are not , they care only for their lust , and would have no fruit of their womb : it 's an excellent emblem for the expression of the vanity of many preachers that care for nothing but to satisfie their lusts , and shew their wit and parts , but care not for any fruit at all , care not for beget-any children to god ; like harlots they desire not the fruit of the womb , but wives that are faithful to their husbands , they do desire it . and the same word that is here for desires , and translated beloved , it is likewise in other scriptures translated beloved , that in dan. . . oh man , greatly beloved ▪ oh man of desires . and so in dan. . where the angel saith , great beloved , it is a man of desire . and so in prov. . . what , my son ! and what , the son of my womb ! and what , the son of my vows ! you may see how solomons mother speaks with a great deal of affection , oh my son ! the son of my womb , and the son of my desires . but indeed the word signifies properly , the son of my vows , oh! i made vows to god , if god would give thee me , and since i have given thee up to god , and by vows dedicated thee to god , what , the son of my vows ! women therefore they should look upon their children as the children of their vows , and shew forth their love unto them in the right way that god would have them . it is a strange place that we have in titus , where aged women are commanded to teach the young women to love their hu●bands ; and to love their children ; it is a strange thing that a mother must be taught to love her children ; thy child is the beloved fruit of thy womb , but yet thou must be taught by god , taught by his people , taught by his word to love thy children , to love them in a right and holy way ; take heed of loving them so as to provoke god to take them from you , take heed that they be not slain for your sakes ; many mothers have slain the fruit of their womb by loving them too much . do not honor your children above god as ely did , when you look upon their natural comeliness consider they have that in them , and that by your means that except they have another birth will make them objects of gods eternal hatred , they are the beloved fruit of your wombs , and you look upon them and see them sweet babes and very comely , yea , but think withal that you are the cause to bring them into that that if they have not another birth , though they be objects of your mirth by being born to you , yet they will be objects of gods hatred by being born in sin by you ; you may look upon them as objects of your delight , but god may look upon them as those that he hath appointed to slay , alas those poor sweet babes , what hurt have they done ? god sees enough in them that in his justice he may slay them . but in this that he saith he will slay the beloved fruit of their womb , or the desirable fruit , take but this one note : if gods honor , and his ordinances , and his saints that are deer to him , be not deer to you , even the very fruit of your womb shall not be regarded by him ; that 's the scope of the threatning : saith he , oh here 's a people that my honor , my ordinances , my saints are not deer to them , therefore even the desirable things of their womb , the very beloved fruit of their womb , that that goes more to their hearts than any thing in the world , that that is the deerest to them i will slay them in mine anger . if you would have what 's deer to you be deer to god , let that that is deer to god be deer to you . and then it follows in the last verse . ver . . my god will cast them away , because they did not hearken unto him ; and they shall be wanderers among the nations . my god ] not their god , but my god. there 's much to be observed from hence . first , the prophets constancy . they forsook god generally , the ten tribes generally went away and forsook god , but the prophet still keeps close to god. let all the world do what they will and forsake god and seek other comforts where they will , but still ( saith a faithful soul ) god shall be my god. hosea he lived in wicked times , generally all the ten tribes went away from god , but still my god , my soul shall keep close to god , i have chosen the lord to be mine , and i have found that soul-satisfying good in him , that he shall be mine for ever , here will i rest for ever ; i have chosen the way of gods true worship , i will not sute my self with the common way of worship where i live , but i will chuse god to be my god whatsoever the world doth . but secondly , this is the comfort of a gracious heart , in ill times when others forsake god , yet one that hath a gracious heart , can have god to be his god : yea , and especially when times of trouble comes , when sore evils are ready to be upon the people generally , yet here 's the comfort of a gracious heart , my god , blessed be god for that interest i have in him ; they may take away my house , my estate , my means , but they cannot take away my god , i have interest yet in god , i have interest still in that god that they cannot take from me . this was the comfort of micah , in chap. . there he described the evil of the times wherein he lived , verse . the good man is perished out of the earth , and there is none upright among men , they all lie in wait for blood , they hunt every man his brother with a net . and then in the . vers . the best of them is a bryar , the most upright is sharper than a thorn hedge . and then the . vers . trust ye not in a friend , put ye not confidence in a guide : keep the doors of thy mouth from her that lieth in thy bosom . but then in the . verse , therefore i will look unto the lord , i will wait for the god of my salvation ; my god will hear me . oh my brethren ! there may come times ere long that the knowledge of god , interest in god may be worth ten thousand thousand worlds unto us . but in the third place : it is no presumption for one , or for a few to challenge a special interest in god , in way of distinction from the multitude , and from the generality . so it is here : how singular was hosea at this time ? this people might think him to be very presumptuous ; what , as if no body had interest in god but he , is not god our god as well as his ? he is bold to speak this in way of distinction : you may forsake god and his worship , but i have cleaved to god , he is my god. when multitudes and generality of men depart from god , yet for two or three , or a few that cleave to the true worship of god , they may challenge god to be their god when he is none of the god of the multitude . in joh. . . you may see how singular john was there : we know that we are of god : and the whole world lieth in wickedness . how could the world take such an expression ? what are you ? a few poor people : and yet we know ( saith he ) that we are of god : and the whol world lieth in wickedness . what are you more than others ? yes , john knew , and would not be discouraged to affirm , that the world did lie in wickedness : and yet we know we are of god. let not men be offended at the fewness of those that keep the truth , and the multitude of those that forsake it . i remember plutarch relates in the life of phocion the athenian , that upon a time there was an oracle of apollo delphias read before the people , which did say , that although all the people did agree , yet there was one man amongst them that dissented from them : now the people began to startle at this ; but phocion stepping forth before them all bid them never seek further for the man , for it was he that liked none of all their doings ; and yet phocion at length gained as much respect from them as ever any man did , and they chose him ( i think ) fourty times to be pretor for all that . and so let never so many go on in a way that thou canst not see light in thy conscience for , keep to thy principles , only examin them , ( so far the respect we do owe to others must lead us ) that if there be a greater party go one way than another , we should call things into the more neerer scrutine , we should think we may possibly be rather in an error than they , and we ought to give all due reverence to the judgments of more men , and more learned and wise than our selves , but still after all , praying to god to shew us his mind , and searching our own hearts to see whether there be no particular engagement , and after all endeavors to find out the truth , and yet then if god doth perswade your consciences after all means used , we should not be discouraged because the greater part go the other way , but keep to that which our consciences tell us is the right . and thus it was with hosea , though they went generally another way , yet he could claim a particular interst in god. and then another point . my god well cast them away . it is a dreadful thing for wicked men to have such as have interest in god to declare against them . god rejection of them , my god will cast them away . those who have interest in god , who know gods mind , and that such a god as he is cannot have communion with such people . thus you know it was with isa . about the . and latter end , there is no peace to the wicked , saith my god. he puts the emphasis there , he saith not , there is no peace to the wicked , saith god , but saith my god. oh! when those ( i say ) that have an interest in god , when such as keep close communion with god , and thereby comes to be acquainted much with gods mind , when they shall declare concerning you , do not slight it , it is a great matter then when they shall say , there is no peace ; if any of them should say : if i know any thing of the mind of god , if i have any interest in god certainly there can be no peace to thee in such a way as thou art in , take heed of the slighting of the very suspition of men that are godly , and humble : it is true , many that may make very great profession of religion , they may be bold to suspect and to censure others , that it may be are better than themselves , but if i see one that walks humbly , strict in his way , holy , and heavenly , and self-denying in other things , if such a man should but have any suspition of my condition , i had need look to it , it should daunt my heart to have such a christian look upon me but with a suspitious eye , because such a one is much acquainted with god and his way , and therefore take heed of slighting such a one . my god will cast them away , with violence and with anger , as a man takes his stubborn child or servant , and thrusts them out of his house . when men are violent in wickedness , they must expect that god will be as violent with them in the waies of his judgments : and for that we have a notable scripture in lament . . . he hath violently taken away his tabernacle . they abused that ordinance of god , abused his tabernacle , and he hath violently taken away his tabernacle . oh! unworthy wretched people , that should enjoy mine ordinances so , and abuse them ; he hath violently taken away , he comes in an anger : as you shall see a man or woman when their passion is raised they will run and snatch away such a thing from another . take heed of being violent in the waies of sin , you will cast the cords away , you will cast away the truths , as you had it before in isa . . so you cast away the truths of god , and his cords away ; take heed thou beest not a cast-away thy self , those that are so full of casting away gods truths , it 's just with god that god should cast them away , as a man casts away a loathsom thing ; as those are discribed in isa . . that cast away their idols as a menstruous cloth , and saith , get theee hence : and you perhaps cast away the truths of god as loathsom now , but the lord will cast thee away as a filthy and loathsom thing . they shall be cast away : but why ? because they did not hearken unto him . this is a notable sentence . saith luther upon the place , this ( he shall cast them away , because they have not hearkned to him ) is a notable sentence , and worthy to be written upon all our walls ; for indeed there is much in it , they would hearken to such and such , and to the rules of their policy , and to their own ends , but not to god. and that 's the special point from hence : that in matters of gods worship we must hearken to god , and the not hearkning to god is that which provokes god with indignation to cast away a people : perhaps other duties we may know by the light of nature ; but when we come to matters of worship , there god must be hearkned to , and not any else ; god expects that his creature should hearken to him in what he saith , we should be all as the servant was with his ear boared ; christ himself had his ear boared , he would hearken to what his father said , therefore the psalm saith , mine ear hath been boared : christ was as a servant with his ear boared , to note , that he would have his ear at the command of his father . and who , or what are you that you should have your ears free ? in isa . . . mark what several expressions we have about calling to hearken . give ye ear , and hear my voice , hearken , and hear my speech . in one littl● verse there 's these four : give ye ear ; there 's hear ; there 's hearken ; there 's hear ; oh! god expects that we should have a hearing ear ; and that 's the way for wisdom : in king , . . solomon praies , give thy servant an understanding heart , but in the hebrew it is , a hearing heart , and so it is turned , that i may have a hearing heart , so as i may be able to judg thy people . those men and women that have not a hearing heart , they have not an understanding heart , and the not hearkening to god , oh! it is that which comes from the pride of heart : in jer. . give ear , be not proud , for the lord hath spoken ; there is no such pride as the turning away our ears from hearkening to god , and turning away our ear from the law of god is that which makes god turn away his ear from hearing our prayers ; it is an evident sign of destruction that is a coming : in chron. . . mark what the prophet saith to amaziah , i know that god hath determined to destroy thee ; because thou hast done this , and hast not hearkened unto my counsel . doest thou come to the word and not hearken to the counsel of god in his word ? it is an evident sign that god intends to destroy thee . oh hear ! hear and your souls shall live , your souls shall live . indeed here lies the ground of all the evil almost in those that are professors of religion , the not hearkening to the truth ; i suppose those that make profession of religion if they have enlightened consciences they dare not sin against a known truth ; but now here 's the evil of thy heart , look to that ; thou saiest , if i knew it were a truth i would not go against it : yea but the corruption of thy heart makes thee unwilling to hearken to the truth , the corruption of mens hearts makes them that they would fain have such a thing not to be a truth . i appeal to you , have you never felt some corruptions stirring this way , that when you are engaged another way , and you see that if you should be taken off from that , a great deal of ease and liberty , and outward comforts would be gone , and upon this your hearts are very loth that that should be true , and therefore you are not willing to hearken , to hearken with a cleer heart , so as to be willing to entertain the truth , if it doth prove to be a truth ; that soul that shall be willing to retain every truth , and be willing to let the truth prevail what ever it be , that 's a sign of a gracious heart ; but the lusts of mens hearts do hinder them from hearkening , and they are loth to hearken to those truths that come neerest to them ; but when a man or woman shall be able in the presence of god upon examination of his or her heart , to say , oh lord , let thy truth prevail , thou knowest that i am willing to hearken to every truth of thine , though it should pluck away all my outward comforts , i would fain know thy truth , and i would know the strictest truths , what truths they are that most concern thy glory , and thy worship in the best manner , whatever becomes of my credit or estate , lord , let thy truth prevail in my heart : ( i say ) here 's a gracious heart that will thus hearken to god and his truth : but they have uncircumcised ears , they cannot hear ( saith jeremiah ; ) so , through the corruption that is in mens spirits they cannot hearken to those things that seem to make against them . but the last words of all here , is the threatning . they shall be wanderers among the nations . it is a judgment to have an unsetled spirit wandring up and down , and can settle to nothing ▪ somtimes in this place , sometimes in that ; sometimes in this way , and sometimes in another ; this is a judgment of god. solomon hath such an expression , the sight of the eyes is better than the wandring of the desires : the wandring of mens appetites and desires , work a great deal of vexation to them . again , observe that , those who are cast away out of gods house , they can have no rest , they go about like the unclean spirit , seeking rest , but can find none . psal . . here will i rest for ever : the church of god and his ordinrnces are gods rest , and should be the rest of the hearts of his people , and they are indeed the rest of the hearts of those that are gracious ; but alas poor soul ! who art wandring from god , whither goest thou ? where indeed will be thy rest ? it was the curse of god upon cain , to be a wanderer up and down upon the face of the earth . but you will say , may not men be wanderers , ( that is ) may not they be cast out of their habitations and countries , and wander up and down , and yet not be cast off from god ? it 's true , we reade in heb. . that the christians wandred up and down in sheep skins , and goats skins , whom the world was not worthy of : but that was in a way of persecution for god , and for his truth ; it was not because they would not hearken , but because they would hearken ; and though thou shouldst be forc'd to wander from thy brethren , and the sweet habitation that thou hadst , and thy friends , perhaps thou art fain to wander up & down even for thy life , yea , but canst thou say , yet i hope i am not one of gods cast-away● ? it 's one of gods epithites that he glories in , that he will gather the out-casts of israel ; man hath cast me out , yea , but i bless god , i carry a good conscience with me ; and that man or woman needs not be troubled with wandring , that can carry a good conscience with them ; you are cast out from your friends , yea , but still thou hast the bird that sings in thy bosome : canst thou say , i have not cast away thy cōmandements , lord ? indeed if a mans conscience tel him , that he hath cast away gods commandements , then if he wanders it is dreadful to him : what , though thou art wandring from thy house , from thy outward comforts , but not from gods commandements ; cast me not out of thy presence , saith david ; though thou beest from thy friends , yet not from god presence : here it is , i will cast them out among the nations . it was a curse in psal . . . thou hast scattered us among the heathen : it was a great judgment of god , to be scattered among the nations , for they were a people that were separated from the nations , and not to be reckoned among the nations , and gods peculiar treasure . there were these three expressions , not only to be wandering among the nations , not only among strangers , but among heathens , among blasphemers , this must needs be a heavy and sore judgment , to be cast among idolaters ; this curse is upon the jews to this very day , how are they wanderers among the nations . let us learn from hence , to prize the communion of saints , let us learn what a blessing it is to live among our own people , especially among the saints , in the enjoyment of gods ordinances , let us make use it now lest god teach us what it is by casting us away and making us to wander among the wicked and ungodly , then your consc●ences will fly in your faces and tell you , oh! what times we once had , and what sweet communion had we ? but we began to neglect the prize that god put into our hand , oh! if we were where once we were , we would meet often , and pray , and confer , and we would labor to edifie one another in our most holy faith , and warm one anothers spirits , not spending all our time in wrangling and jangling , oh! but now those times are ●one , and we are cast away and are wandering up and down among wicked and ungodly people . truly there hath not been a time in many years when the communion of the saints hath been so little improved as at this day , we now wander ( as it were ) among our selves , and little converse one with another , what should we do living together ? just were it with god to bring this judgment upon us , that we should wander among wicked people here and there , and that we should not come to see the face of a saint to have converse or communion with them . thus we have finished this ninth chapter . chap. x. vers . . israel is an empty vine , he bringeth forth fruit unto himself : according to the multitude of his fruit , he hath encreased the altars : according to the goodness of his land , they have made goodly images . here gualter makes the beginning of hosea's seventh sermon . the argument is like unto the former , upbraiding and threatning . hosea had to deal with tough and stought spirits , and therefore he still strikes with sharp rebukes and severe threats . israel is an empty vine . the church is often in scripture compared to a vine , in psal . . . thou hast brought a vine out of egypt : thou hast cast out the heathen and planted it . and in that known place isa . . . now will i sing unto my well beloved a song of my beloved , touching his vinyard . the church is compared to a vine . first , there 's no plant hath a more unpromising outside than the vine hath , the outside of it , how mean is it ? looks as if it were weathered , rugged , grisled , weak , and hollow the stalk of it : and this is the church , the out-side of it is very unpromising , little beauty and comliness ; as christ himself had little beauty and excellency in his outside . but yet secondly , the vine is the most fruitful plant that grows out of the earth ; pliny ( that great naturalist ) tells of very strange fruitfulness of some kind of vines , in his . book , and . chapter , he tells of ten culei ( that 's his word ) that an acre of vines brought forth in a year , which comes to a matter of eighteen hundred gallons : nay in the . chapter of his . book , he tells of one stock , one single vine , that was planted by livia the empress , that yeelded an hundred and eight gallons of good wine yeerly . the vine is a very fruitful thing , though unpromising in the out-side . and what fruit indeed is there brought forth to god in the world but by his churches ? and god expects much fruitfulness among his people ; how ever , as you shall hear , they are charged with being empty . thirdly , no plant requires so great care as the vine ; what a deal of do is there in dressing the vine and underpropping of it , and pruning of it , looking to it continually ? and the lord hath the greatest care of his people , of his church : himself accounts it no dishonor to be the husbandman , as he is said to be in john . and in isa . . . you have a most admirable expression of gods taking care of his church , as his vine . i the lord do keep it : i will water it every moment , lest any hurt it , i will keep it night and day . i will keep it and i will water it , and every moment lest any hurt it , i will keep it ( again ) night and day . and this is the vinyard that he speaks of in the beginning of this chapter , and it was the vinyard that brought out red wine , the best sort of wine . those that bring forth the best sort of wine shall have the best of gods care and charge and protection over them . fourthly , the vine it is the most depending creature in the world , it is not able to under-prop its self , but must have props more than other plants , and therefore nature hath given unto it strings by which it catches hold upon any thing next it : and so the church , the church is weak in its self , and is the most depending thing in the world , depends upon its props that god affords unto it ; you have an excellent place to set out that in isa . . , . ver . there the holy ghost speaks of a vinyard of red wine , and in the . verse , fury is not in me ; which shews that there should come a kind of great storm and tempest , but he would not have his people to be discouraged . fury is not in me . and then in the . verse , let him take hold of my strength , that he may make peace with me , and he shall make his peace with me . let him take hold of my strength ; that is , speaking to his church as a vine , in the time when my fury is abroad , yet do you like the vine , which catches hold upon a pole , and there under-props its self , so let him take hold of my power , let him act faith upon my power in time of storms and tempests and he shall make peace , though he hath never so much trouble abroad in the world with others , yet he may , he shall have peace with me . that 's the nature of the vine to catch hold upon that which is next it , and especially in time of storms , when the strongest oaks are rent in pieces , yet the vine catching hold upon the props it hath , rests there . fifthly , if it be not fruitful , it is the most unprofitablest thing in the world . i suppose you know that place in ezek. . . what is the vine-tree more than any tree , or than a branch which is among the trees of the forrest ? shall wood be taken thereof to do any work , or will men take a pin of it to hang any vessel thereon ? behold , it shall be cast into the fire for fewel ; it is not meet for any work , the vine is meet for nothing , not to make a pin if it be not fruitful . and no people in the world are so unprofitable as professors of religion if they bring not forth the fruit of godliness , and the world may be rid of them better than any people else if they bring not forth their fruit unto god. and then further in the sixt place , a vine is the most spreading plant that is , that spreads larger than other plants , and fills a great deal of room with the spreading of the branches of it , and so you have the promise of the church in isa . . . israel shall blossom and bud , and fill the face of the world with fruit . and then lastly , the vine is the most tender , soft plant , and it is the emblem of peace , the sitting under our vines , it is to set forth peace . and so the people of god they should be of tender soft spirits , not like the bramble , nor the thorn full of pricks , if we sit under thorns and brambles we may be prick'd with them ; but sitting under the vine there is nothing but sweetness and delightfulness there : israel is a vine ; yea but he is an empty vine . the word in the original is a participle , an emptying vine , and yet the sense will come much to one , an empty vine , or an emptying vine : that is , though there be much cost bestowed upon ephraim , so as he might be fruitful , yet he makes himself empty . this shews how he comes to be an empty vine ; not because gods mercy is scant to him , but he makes himself so by his sin , what juyce & moisture he hath he doth empty it forth into other things , and so is empty . israel was a vine full of clusters , refreshing god himself , as you heard in the ninth chapter , that he was to the lord as grapes in the wilderness , as a vine that did bring forth grapes in the wilderness , that was so sweet to a weary and thirsty traveller . israel was once such a one , yea , but now he is come to be an empty vine , though he grows in the vinyard of god , and not in the wilderness . empty ] and no mervail , for as you have heard in the latter end of the former chapter , he would not hearken to the lord , he would not hear the word of the lord , the lord threatens to cast him away , because he hearkened not to him , from whence luther hath this note , the word is like a fruitful rain , there can no true fruit be without the word , those that will not hearken to the word , no mervail though they be empty , it is the word that makes fruitful , it is that that is as the fruitful rain : those that leave and forsake the word , observe them how fruitless they are , what empty spirits they have ; many that heretofore were forward in hearing the word , and loved it , the word was delightful to them , oh! then they were fruitful ; but since they have been taken off from the word , converse with them now and you shall find their spirits empty , and their lives empty ; and there 's no men in the world so empty as those that would worship god in another way than the word appoints , men that would think to worship god after their own fancies , and waies , oh! how empty are they in all their worship they tender up to god ? but the main note and observation is , that emptiness in those that profess themselves to be gods people , is a very great evil . oh! it is a great charge upon those that grow in gods vinyard , that profess themselves to be gods , to be charged with this , that they are empty , an empty vine . when we would speak of a man contemptuously , as one that hath no natural or aquisite excellency in him , we say such a one is an empty , or a slight fellow ; and that 's the meaning of the word that you have in mat. . . whosoever calls his brother , racha , shall be in danger of the counsel ; the word racha , it is empty , it is as much as if he should call his brother an empty fellow , for that 's the signification of the word empty . and in jam. . . knowest thou not , o vain man , that faith without works is dead ? the words ▪ are , oh empty man , knowest thou not , o empty man , that faith without works are dead ? there 's many that keeps a great deal of noise of faith , and of gods free-grace , and yet are extream empty men and understand little of the true excellency of the covenant of grace ; knowest thou not , o empty man , that faith without works is dead ? speak as much as thou wilt of faith and gods grace , yet if there be no works , thou art an empty man. nature will not endure emptiness ; some of the phylosophers have said , that the world would rather be dissolved than there should be any vacuity ; creatures will move contrary to their nature rather than they will suffer a vacuity . certainly an emptiness in the souls of gods people , it is the worst emptiness that is in the world : for , first , it is the most unnatural thing for a vine to be empty . and secondly , for the saints to be empty , they are a dishonor to their root that they do profess they are upon : christ he hath all the fulness of the god-head in him , and of his fulness we are to receive grace for grace : to grow upon him , upon such a root and yet to be empty , oh! what a dishonor is this to jesus christ ! thirdly , this frustrates the lord of all the care , and cost , and charge that he is about , if thou wert another plant that grew in the wilderness it were not much , but a vine , and one in gods vinyard , and yet fruitless , oh this is a sore evil ! fourthly , there 's no blessing upon thy soul if thou beest an empty vine in isa . . . as the new wine is found in the cluster , and one saith , destroy it not , for a blessing is in it . if there be wine in the cluster , then a blessing is found in it , but otherwise destroy it . no blessing is found in those that are of empty spirits . fiftly , if there be grace , it is the divine nature its self , and cannot that bear fruit ? it is an evil in a vine to have but a little moisture , to shoot forth in leaves and bear no fruit ; yea but what is that unto grace that is the divine nature its self , the most glorious thing in the world ? therefore for christians to be without fruit is an exceeding great evil , doest thou know what fruit is ? one gracious action that comes from the sap of the root that is in christ , it is more worth than heaven and earth ; any one gracious act ( i say ) it is more worth than heaven and earth , oh the fruit of the saints is fruit to eternity , and to be without this fruit must needs be a great evil , those that are empty and without fruit ( you know ) they are said in john . to be but as branches , not branches , they that bear no fruit are said to be but as a branch , and then such a branch as must be cut off , god will cut them off , cut off those branches , he will cut them off from their profession and suffer them to fall so as they shal not continue in their eternal profession , and they shall wither , he will curse their very common gifts that they have . . oh! how many that heretofore seemed to flourish , yet but leaves , and bearing no fruit , now their leaves are gon too , and their common gifts are taken away from them , and not only withered , but shall be cast away , cast away from god , and out of the hearts of the saints , and men shall gather them , the men of the world they shall catch them , and so they shall joyn with them , and they shall make use of them , and they shall be cast into the fire and burnt ; cast into the fire , not for a fiery tryal , but cast into the fire that they may be burned : these are the threatnings against those that bear no fruit . it is the glory of gods people , to be filled with the fruits of righteousness , phil. . . to be filled with the spirit , ephes . . . yea , to be filled with all the fulness of god , ephes . . . so it is expected of the saints , that they should be filled with al the fulness of god : oh! how contrary is this to emptying ? and surely fil'd the saints should be with fruit , because they are the very fulness of christ , the fulness of him that fills all in all : in ephes . . last verse , the church is said , to be the fulness of jesus christ himself ; and shall the church be an empty vine , when as it is the very fulness of him that fils al in al ? . an empty spirit is fit for the devil to come to possess ; mat. . . he found his place empty , and then he comes in : where the devil sees an empty spirit , there 's a fit place for him to come . it is an evil thing for you to grow upon gods ground and to cumber it , to cumber any part of gods ground ; it may be if thou wert gon , there might be another in thy family , or place , that might bring forth fruit to god ; but thou hinderest , god might have more rent ( as i may so say ) for all his possessions in the world , the great rent is , the fruit that the church brings forth ; in cant. . . it is said , that solomon let out his vineyard , and it brought him in a thousand pieces of silver for the fruit of it . and god he lets out his vinyard , and his rent ( i say ) it is the fruit that the saints bring forth to him ; what glory hath god in the world , if those that profess themselves to be his people should be empty ? . god doth not let us sit under empty vines ; our vines they have bin fruitful vines , shall we then be empty vines our selves ? . the lord hath justly struck this vine here in england , and our vine bleeds ; it bleeds , and is in danger to bleed to death , and what though it doth , it hath brought forth little fruit , and therefore it 's just with god that he should let this vine even bleed now to death . . according to the greatness of the opportunities that any man hath , or any society of men , so is the greatness of the evil of emptiness : oh! now to be empty , when god puts great opportunities of great service into our hands , now to be empty when god expects great services , oh! it is the most vile thing of all . oh my brethren , that we were but sensible of this . but if this be an evil thing to be empty , than what is it to bring forth the grapes of sodom , and the clusters of gomorrah ? to bring forth the wine of the gall of asps , wild grapes ? and yet a great deal of such fruit there hath been brought forth ; and truly the fruit that most men have brought forth now , they are wild grapes at the best . if men do any thing , yet they do so mingle the vanity of prid , the sowreness of their own spirits , the rigedness of their own nature with what they do , that all is but sowr before god. well , to conclude this , about the emptiness of the vine : oh! let us prize fruitfulness more , and say as the vine that is brought in , in the th of judges , shall i leave my wine which cheereth god and man , and go and reign over you ? oh so , shall we leave our fruitfulness upon any earthly advantage in the world ? let us account it a greater advantage to bring forth much fruit to the glory of god , than to glory in any earthly advantage : no matter what becomes of us , so we may be but fruitful ; though god dung us , though he cast all the filth and reproaches in the world upon us , yet if god will make this but cause us to be fruitful , it is no great matter . but further from the manner of the phrase . israel is a vine emptying its self . that is an aggravation of emptiness when we empty our selves , when god is not wanting to us in means , but we are the cause of it . and what is the cause of emptiness , but the emptying out our strength and spirits to our lusts and the world ? no mervail though we have no fruit for god , and strength in his service , when we let out all to other things . and the old latin here turns it , a leavie vine . and the seventy they have it , a vine that brings forth goodly branches : and yet it 's said here empty , that is , all the strength and juyce of it is let out in the goodliness of the branches and leaves . oh! so , many professors in these daies they empty out all their strength that they have and all their parts meerly into leaves , and have goodly branches , make goodly outward profession , and goodly words they give , and will speak much of religion , but nothing but leaves , nothing but words all this while . pliny in his . book and . chapter , saith of vines , that it is fit ( at least for two years together after their planting ) that they should be cut down to the very ground , that they may not sprout out in leaves , and so to lose their juyce and strength at the root . and truly this is that that hath lost the hopeful beginnings of many yong people in these times , they have presently sprouted out into leaves ; for never was there a more hopeful time of yong people than at the beginning of this parliament , and no greater encouragement was there than from them at that time , ( i will not say it is wholly lost , ) but oh! how many of them that began to understand the waies of god , hath let out all their strength in leaves , and contests , and disputes , and wranglings , and strange kind of opinions , and little fruit is come of any thing ? nay , there is little savor at all in their spirits ; oh! how happy had it been if so be that god had kept them down in a work of humiliation to the very ground for a yeer or two together ? now that 's a thing that is altogether laid aside , any work of humiliation , but presently they sprout out into leaves . my brethren , whatsoever may be said , or whatsoevee heretofore hath seem'd to be preached [ to the contrary ] yet certainly if rightly understood hath been but the same things that must of necessity be acknowledged ; we do not press humiliation as the condition of the covenant of grace , we look not at it so , but humiliation keeps the spirits of men low , and empties them of themselves , and keeps them down , ( i say ) this is that which would have made them a great deal more fruitful , and they could not have run up as meer leaves , and their strength spent : and so , how many of them are fallen off again , not only to be slight and vain , but to be wicked and ungodly , and quite naught , because they were not kept down low for a while , but god ordering things that they should live in times of liberty , oh! how luxurious have they grown that way ? when god lets a people grow rank and prunes them not , they quickly grow barren . we had never so many rank christians as we have at this day that grow out in luxurious branches , and they think they have over-topt all , because they can talk more than others do , when as there are some poor christians that grow low to the ground , and when they get a little comfort it is gone away from them presently , and they walk humbly before god , and no body takes notice of them , but are despised and contemned , o! these will grow and be delightful to the pallate of god , when such rank professors as these shall wither and be cast out . the pruned vines bring forth the best fruit ; and therefore that 's observable : compare isa . . with the . there 's a note very observable : in the . chapter , god complains of his vinyard , that he lookt for grapes , and they brought forth wild grapes ; but there the prophet speaks of the time before the captivity : but in the . chapter there is a scripture that seems to refer to the times after the captivity , and there the vinyard of god is said to be a vinyard of red wine , and god speaks much unto it what it should be after the time of the captivity , it should bring forth the best kind of wine , for then god prun'd it ; they thought that god would come in a furious manner upon them , no ( saith he ) fury is not in me , but this is all the fruit , to purge away their sin . the vines that are prun'd bring forth the best and the most fruit . but i find other interpreters upon this text , [ israel is an empty vine ; ] they turn it thus : is a spoiled vine . and luther refers it to the emptying of the abundance of her riches and prosperity ; indeed these two go together , emptiness of fruit , and being emptied of our comforts and prosperity , to be spoiled : israel hath spoiled her self , and i have for her sins let the spoilers come among them , and so hath emptied her of all her good ; even while she enjoyed her outward prosperity , she was emptied of the blessing of god upon her ; but after the lord emptied her even of all her outward good too . and that 's the note from thence : that sin will empty a land of all the blessings god hath bestowed , or empty a family , or person : sin is an emptying thing , sin empties lands , and families , and persons of all their outward comforts , in isa . . . there god threatens the line of confusion , and the stones of emptiness for sin ; and oh! how hath it emptied many parts of our land ? how hath sin emptied us ? what empty houses are there in many places ? houses that were wont in every room of them to be fill'd with furniture so brave and glistering , now the owners come into their houses and look upon the bare walls and see them empty of all the rich furniture that was in them ; oh! what empty chests , that were fill'd with such brave cloaths heretofore , now they are broken to pieces , and those places that were fill'd with diet and plenty are now empty ; barns empty , purses empty , and bellies empty , and the veins of men emptied even of their very blood ; oh! how are we a spoiled vine now at this day ! the vine that a while since was so delightful to god and man , and so glorious even in the esteem of all round about us , yet oh now ! now hath the lord sent his emptiers to empty us ; as in nahum . . . the lord hath turned away the excellency of jacob , as the excellency of israel : for the emptiers have emptied them out , and marred their vine brances . this text is fulfilled towards many parts of this kingdom at this day . an empty vine , and brings forth fruit to her self . this is very strange , empty , and yet bring forth fruit ; if she brings forth fruit , how empty ? yes , it may very well stand together , she brings forth fruit to her self , but she is empty in regard of any fruit she brings forth to me , but yet she hath juyce and sap enough , to bring forth fruit to her self . oh! how many people that are barren towards god , and have no abilities to do any thing for god , but when they come to themselves to do any thing , oh how active and stirring are they ? but when you put them upon any duty for god then they are weak and unable , & the like : but if it was in a matter that concern'd themselves there they have spirit enough & to much a great deal ; if parents have children that sin against god , they are not sensible at all , but if they do any thing against themselves , oh! how do their spirits rise , and what rage is there in the family ? the truth is , were our hearts as they should be , if we have no strength for god we should have none for our selves , yea , we would even reason so , when as we complain , oh! that we are weak in our memories , and are not able to resist temptation , and we can do nothing for god , we should take a holy revenge upon our selves and say , certainly if i can do nothing for god , i will do nothing for my self neither , if i cannot rejoyce in god i will not rejoyce in my self , and if i cannot take care for god i will not take care for my self ; to be barren to god and fruitful to our selves , this is a great disproportion . he bringeth forth fruit to himself . the old latin is , even like himself , so they turn it , he brings forth fruit like to himself . men of base principles will do base things , corrupt hearts will have corrupt waies . an ingenuous spirit sometimes wonders to see the waies of many men so base and vile as they are , men imployed in publick imployment that have opportunity to do god a great deal of service and when it comes to it , how sordidly and basely do they carry themselves , not caring what becomes of the publick good , of god , and kingdoms , and churches , so be it they may scrape but a little to themselves ? yea , but do not wonder , it is fruit suitable to themselves , they are men of base spirits , of base corrupt principles , and therefore they bring bring forth fruit like themselves , fruit like the stock that they are on . and so many times children are like their parents , their parents are wicked , and they wicked accordingly . like an imp or branch of such a stock , such are the fruits of many . but he brings forth fruit to himself . that is , in all that he doth he aims at himself , he hath regard to his own ends , to fetch about his own designs , to bring his own plots to an issue , and all must be subservient to some design that he drives on ; ephraim had many designs and plots that they drove on to make themselves to be rich , and all their strength , and what they were able to do it was for nothing but to be subservient to their own designs : it was said of judah in their captivity , in zach. . , . they did fast , and eat , and drink to themselves ; all that was done it was nothing but to themselves ; whereas the fruit that they should have brought forth , it should have been to god , and not to themselves : there is a very sweet place for that in cant. . . at our gates are all manner of pleasant fruits new and old , which i have laid up for thee , o my beloved . thus should every gracious heart say , and especially he should say so then when god makes your hearts most fruitful with pleasant fruit new and old ; have ye at any time found your hearts most enlarged to god , and you could melt towards god , and had full expressions in the presence of god , and acting of your graces ? take heed now that this pleasant and sweet fruit that you have , that is new from god , and your old experiences that you have had heretofore of gods goodness , let not corruption reap that that god hath sown , you know it is a curse that one should sow and another reap ; it is god that sows , and shall the flesh reap now ? and shall the devil reap ? oh! let not these sweet fruits , especially the fruit of enlargement in prayer , and the fruit of abilities to do god service in any publick work , oh! take heed that this be not for your selves , do not you take in the glory to your selves , oh! but let this fruit be for your beloved ; at any time when you find your hearts most fruitful , graces most fully exercised , oh think thus , i will lay up this for my beloved , i will lay the experiences of the goodness of god unto me that may ●it me to glorifie god more than heretofore . oh that 's sweet indeed , when god comes in with fruit , and we lay it up for our beloved ; god he is to have all our fruit : you shall observe in cant. . that solomon let out his vinyard , and m●rk , in letting out his vinyard , he must have a thousand pieces of silver , and the husbandmen must have two hundred : if god doth afford to us some wages for what we do , let not us take the greater part unto our selves , let solomon have the thousand , and let us be contented if we may have two hundred ; but ordinarily we take the greater sum , and return the less to god in any fruit : but if you observe the . verse , the difference between solomons vinyard , and christs vinyard , solomon let out his vinyard , but my vinyard , which is mine : and there is noted this difference , that jesus christ he takes the care of his own vinyard , he doth not let it out . and therefore if we have any thing , we must not have it so much for our wages as free gift , for christ doth not let out his vinyard as solomon did , but he keeps it and dresses it himself , and therfore it is fit that he should have all the fruit . in isa . . . that they might be called , trees of righteousness , the planting of the lord , that he might be glorified . such should the saints be , they should bring forth fruits unto god. and in philip. . . being filled with the fruits of righteousness , which are by jesus christ , unto the glory and praise of god. so should the saints be , and all the fruits they bear . but carnal hearts they aim at themselves , all that they do they act from a principle within themselves , and no further , and therefore they cannot go beyond themselves . it 's an argument that all thou doest hath a principle not higher than self , when thou actest for thy self ; whereas the principle that the saints act by , it is the principle of grace that comes from heaven , and therefore it carries unto heaven , as the water is carried as high as the fountain from whence it comes . a selvish heart is a narrow heart ; but a gracious heart is a heart enlarged , it enlarges its self to infiniteness ; and that 's the property of grace , though it cannot be infinite , yet it is enlarged to infiniteness . those that work for themselves , the truth is , they lose themselves in their working , and lose all their fruit ; it is thy worst self that thou aimest at ; there is a kind of selvishness that we may aim at , that is , if we can make god to be our own end , our happiness , as the saints do , no men in the world do more for themselves , than the saints ; yea , but how ? because they make more of their own good to be in god than themselves , and they make themselves to be more in god than in themselves , and therefore they have themselves more than any , but they have themselves in god ; and no men looses themselves more than those that seek themselves most : he that will lose his life , shall save it ; those that will aim at themselves , what is that , but a little money , and credit , and esteem of men ? oh poor base , vile heart , hast thou nothing else but this , when as all the glory that is in god himself may be thy portion , and thy self may be in it , that if god himself be happy , thou maiest be happy , because god himself may come to be thy portion ; and is not that a better self to be emptied into god ? but therein thou darest not trust god , nor thy self to empty thy self into god , but certainly that is the way to enjoy thy self . every man cares for his own ( saith the apostle , ) but no man for the things of jesus christ . oh! this selvishness it is vile at all times , but never so vile as at this time , for men to look and aim at themselves , especially for men that are in publick places , now to be selvish is the most abominable and the most foolish thing in the world : for mariners in the time of a calm then they may look to their several cabins , but in the time of a storm , then to be painting and making fine their cabins , how do they deserve to be pull'd out by the ears , and to be cast into the sea , that shall then be looking to their own cabins ? what is your joy more than the joy of others ? and what are you that you must have ease and content more than others ? in such times as these are if ever god calls us to be emptied from our selves , certainly it is in such times as these are . but the main note is , that it 's all one to be an empty christian , and to bring forth fruit to themselves . men think that which they bring forth to themselves is cleer gain ; but this is an infinite mistake , for that which is for thy self is lost , and that which is for god is gain'd . professors that are selvish are empty . many of you complain of emptiness and unfruitfulness , here 's the reason ; you are so selvish , that prayer is an empty prayer though never so full of words and excellent expressions whose end is self , many of the saints in joyning with such they find their prayers to be such though there be excellent words , because they see selvishness , men that aim at selvishness they had need be cunning to keep it from being seen , let self be seen in a duty though it be never so glorious outwardly yet it is loathsom in the eyes of the very saints ; let but a man appear to affected with himself in what he doth , with the tone of his voice , or carriage , or gesture , any thing affected , we know how abominable it is in the eyes of all ; and so for sermons , where they are selvish , certainly they are empty things ; and so i might instance in every other thing that men do , the fulness of the spirit in a prayer , or sermon , or any other duty , it is the seeking to lift up the name of the blessed god in the duty , that 's the fulness of it ; many that are of weak parts , very poor abilities to exercise themselves , yet their hearts being upon god in a duty , oh! there 's a fulness in that duty , there 's more in that weak expression , in their sighs and groans than in all the eloquence of your empty hypocrits , they not being fill'd with the will of god : in colos . . . it is in your books , that you may stand compleat in all the will of god ; but it is , being fill'd with the will of god ; if thou wouldest have a fulness in what thou doest , a fulness in a prayer , a fulness in thy service , in any thing thou doest , be fil'd with the will of god , and not with thy self-ends . you know empty vessels will break when you set them at the fire , and so will selvish spirits , those that are selvish they quickly grow empty . you that are merchants , if you have factors abroad that trade for themselves , they seldom do any great matters for their masters ; i have known merchants that have been chary of that , for their men to be trading for themselves . and god doth not love to see us trading for our selves , but only as we trade for him , and so account that to be for our selves . and here is an evident demonstration that your selvishness will make you empty for god ; how many are there that complain of emptiness ? oh! they cannot do this , and they cannot do that , why ? because except they find comfort , and that coming in which they aim at , they have no mind to any duty , they go to prayer , and strive to pray , and they come away and say , oh! the empty prayers that we make ; but what is the reason that you cannot pray as you would ? you have no heart to pray , if you would have enlargement in prayer , and present answer of your prayer to get what you would have , oh! then your hearts would be much let out in prayer , and then you would have a mind to pray ; but now though it be your duty to pray , because you shall tender up the worship that a creature owes to god , that is no argument that puts you upon prayer , so it appears that it is selvishness that appears in prayer ; but now trie this way , trie this way but to get above your selves once , and be emptied of your selves , and look with a more single eye to god when you go to prayer , let this be the great motive , o lord , this is that worship that i as a creature owe to thee , and the strength of my body and soul is due to thee , and i let out what i can , though i have not enlargements and comforts , though i feel not that i get by duty to my self , yet in obedience to thee , and that i might lift up thy name , and that i might worship thee , i am resolved to go on in such duties as thou requirest of me ; trie but this way , and see whether you will not grow more fruitful in prayer than you did before . but to pass that , i find that some turn the words thus , ( as pareus ) an empty vine he is , although he treasure up fruit unto himself : and so we may understand emptiness by that word that i have opened to you , a spoiled vine , he is a spoiled vine , and he is emptied of all his prosperity , and riches , and glory , that he had , although he seeks to treasure up unto himself . and indeed in such a kind of reading there is a very profitable note . they seek to treasure and enrich themselves , to lay up and provide for themselves now , that they may have store by them come what will come , but this will not do saith god , israel must be a spoiled empty vine for all this . now that 's the note or meditation hence , that when god is spoiling and emptying a nation , it is a vain thing for men to think to provide for themselves : this certainly is not the time when god is spoiling and emptying of a nation , or other parts of the kingdom for men to have their thoughts now to scrape an estate to themselves and get even from the evils of the times to enrich themselves , by places and by offices to enrich themselves , certainly there can be little honor in such an estate , or little comfort : it is the frame and guize of a vile spirit to think of enriching of themselves in such times as these are , certainly it must needs be a very low spirit that minds the enriching of its self in such times as these are ; what god may cast men in by extraordinary providence at any time we speak not of that , or by some eminent service ; but certainly if it shall prove that god in his mercy shall put an end to such times as these are , when men shall prove to be rich after this storm is over , that had not some eminent providence of god to cast it upon them but only in his ordinary way , ( i say ) whosoever should appear to be rich after these times , it will be little honor to him , or his posterity , it will be the most dishonorable riches that ever was in the world . in jer. . . saith the lord to baruch there ( he was a good man and yet much over seen in this ) behold , that which i have built , will i break down , and that which i have planted , will i pluck up , even this whol land. and seekest thou great things for thy self , seek them not . i am breaking down that which i have built , and plucking up what i have planted , and doest thou seek great things for thy self ? seek them not . in acts , . . saith peter to symon magus , thy money perish with thee . so may i say to many , is this a time for men to treasure to themselves , for men to have their chief care now to gain riches ? oh! it is just with god to say to thee , thy riches perish with thee ; whosoever now will make it his chief care , and think now it is a time of trouble , and now i may gain thus and thus , and it will not appear ; ( i say ) those that shall make this to be their care now , to take advantage of these times to treasure up to themselves , just were it with god to say of them and their riches , thy money and thy riches perish with thee . it follows . according to the multitude of his fruit , he hath encreased the altars : according to the goodness of his land , they have made goodly images . here you have the unthankfulness of ephraim ; you have had his barrenness , and selvishness , in the two former expressions , and now here his unthankfulness : the devil he loves to have superstitious and idolatrous people have good lands , and good possessions , that he might be served accordingly ; idolaters serve their idols according to their lands and possessions that they have , according to the multitude of his fruit , were the multitude of his altars . and certainly it is a great reason why all the papists are so desirous to get england , and contribute so much that they might but get into england , and get possession here , for there is no place that they have , where they should have more goodly images , and more brave things than they should here in england , the fruitfulness of this land is that which makes it to be such a suit to the antichristian party , and to the devil , he thinks that might the popish party get here , oh! the brave things that i should have here ; i began to have fine altars , but if they should begin to have possession of all the riches in the land , then oh what golden monuments should i have ? we began to have great charges to be laid out upon temples ( as they call'd them ) but certainly if they should prevail now , you should have them build them up to the very skies , such pinacles and glorious things there would be , for the land is a great deal more fruitful and goodly than it was heretofore , it is improved mightily now ; what brave buildings were there in our fore-fathers time , witness these that we have neer us , westminster , and pauls , and the like . i remember latimer in one of his sermons before the king tells of his father which was a man that kept good hospitality , and kept a horse for the king , and yet the portion that he gave with his daughter was some five pounds . so i say , if that men were so poor and mean in former times , yet what brave things did superstition do , certainly if the superstitious party should have the possession of the land there would be brave things done ; and therefore the devil seeing that , strives to bring it into their power . to make gods blessings to be the means and the encrease of our wickedness , that is an abominable thing ; to encrease our sins according to the encrease of gods blessings . how many may be charged with this , that when they were of low and mean estates then god had more service from them , than he hath now they are of higher estates ? the higher they are raised in their estates , the lower they are in the work of god : as it is observed of men that grow very fat , they have so much the less blood . and ●o the fatter men are in their estates , many times the less blood and life , and less spirits they have for god. certainly this is against the ingenuity of a christian to be less for god when he hath most from him , when his own turn is served , then to turn his back from the author of all his good , nay it is against a main christian principle so to do . this is a main christian principle , that the good of an estate consists in this ; that it gives a large opportunity in proportion to what it is , in proportion to what it is to the service of god. this is a great christian principle about estates ; an estate either greater or lesser , affords either a lesser or greater opportunity for gods service ; upon this principle doth a christian go in the enjoyment of his estate . now to be less for god , or more for that that is evil , the better his estate is : he goes against that great christian maxim. yea , and it is against thy prayers for a sanctified use of thy estate ; doth god give thee an estate ? i hope thou doest seek that this may be sanctified : now for thee to do less for god , and more for that that is evil by the encrease of thy estate , thou doest go against a sanctifying prayer . but yet the chief point of al i take to be this : mark here : they do according : ( for there lies the very strength of these words ) according to the multitude of his fruit , and according to the goodness of his land , they have made goodly images . there is a great deal of elegancy in the words in the hebrew , so that from these two expressions , according , and according , here is the note : that the love that idolaters bear to their idols , it is proportionable to what abilities they have to shew their love ; according to the multitude of their fruit , and according to the goodness of the land. when idolaters are low they will yet do what they can , and as they grow up they will do more . virgil he hath a very fine expression of the idolater toward his idol there : we now make thee but of marble , but if so be our flock doth encrease , and we have as many lambs as we have sheep , we will make thee of gold. and thus the true worshipers of god should do in their service to god , that must be proportionable ; if they be able to bestow but marble for the present , if god raises their estates , their marble is to be turned into gold , and not only in regard of their estates , but of the gifts , and means they have , any abilities ; know that that which god will accept of when thou art low in thy gifts , and means , and parts , it will not serve turn when god encreases thee in thy gifts , and means , and parts . have you more than others ? account it your shame that it should be said of any in the world , that there is such an one that hath less mercies than i , and yet god hath more service from him than he hath from me . there is no proportion between many of your encreases for god , and your encreases from god. now you must look to the proportion to make it as exact as can be , my encrease from god , and my encrease for god ; oh! be often parallelling these two together , and see whether one do not come longer than mother ; and be not at rest , oh christian ! except thou canst make thy ends be even : those who are rich , must be rich in good works . in tim. . god giveth us richly ; therefore be rich in good works . it is not enough for a rich man to give sixpence , or twelvepence for some great service , but he is to be rich in good works , and for releeving distressed ones , and the maintainance of the gospel ; he is to be rich in good works , and to account their riches to be as well in their good works as in their estates ; thou hast so much comings in more than others , thou art rich in that ; yea , but what works goes from thee more than others ? art thou rich in that ? if we should judg the riches of men and women by their good works , how many rich men would there be accounted very poor ? every man must be serviceable as god hath blessed them , cor. . . oh! this meditation would be of very great use to those whose estates are blessed by god ; think thus , is there such a distance between what service i do for god , and the service others do , as there is between what i receive from god , and what others receive from god ? this meditation ( i say ) would be very useful ; cast up your accounts thus , consider what service doth others for god , and what do i ? i do as well as others , i but is there as much distance between the service that i do , and the service my poor neighbor doth , as between my estate , and his estate ? you perhaps can look upon poor people carrying tankards , earning dearly ten pence or twelve pence a day , and you have many hundreds a yeer coming in , now is there as much difference ? you would be loth to be in such a condition as those are in , oh! but is there as much difference between the glory that god hath from you , and the glory that god hath from them ? it may be some of them when they have been hard at work all day , they get home , and get alone with wife and children and fall a praying , and letting their tears fall down , and blessing god for their bread and drink that they have . and perhaps you in your many hundreds a yeer , and many dishes at your table , are but discontented and froward , oh! consider , that though god hath raised you above others in estates , yet you are lower than many others in good works ; if a man hath encreased his estate more than before you shall quickly see it in his cloaths , and his house shall be finer than before , his furniture shall be finer than before , you shall see his estate raised that way ; but can you see it raised in his good works more than before ? oh! that such a man doth more for the service of god than before , more for the relieving of the wofull necessities of his poor brethren than before : men are ready if so be that men come finer to the exchange than they did before , they think , what is this man grown richer than he was before ? you should ( if god doth raise your estates ) make it appear in being forward with good works , in good works that are chargable , as that men may take notice of your riches by your rich works , rather than your rich cloaths ; except there be a proportion between our plenty and our prosperity , there is no evidence that our prosperity comes in mercy : but if a proportion , then not only an evidence that our prosperitie comes in mercie , but a good addition to the good of our prosperitie . if a merchant hath his ship come home and he hath gootten a thousand pounds by the voyage , now if god raises his heart in a proportionable way to the furtherance of the gospel , that is more than ten thousand pounds ; a man would account that well if he hath gotten so much and he could imploy it to get ten times so much more , think but thus : thou hast gotten in thy estate by being proportionable in service for god , thou doest encrease the blessing ten fold , thou often thinkest of the blessing of god in giving thee an estate more than before , and others think of it , oh what a blessing such a man hath ! yea , but think of the other blessing that follows ; but hath god given him or her a heart to do a great deal of service ; the second blessing is the great blessing indeed . when david had rest , he presentlie thinks of building god an house , and that proportionable in what god had blest him in . and that is very observable in the difference of moses altar and solomons altar ; you know moses he was in times of affliction , and his altar was five cubits long , and three cubits broad ; and solomons was twenty cubits long , and ten broad ; moses he was low for outwards ; solomon he was high ; therefore moses was five cubits high , and three broad ; and solomons was twenty cubits long , and ten broad ▪ god doth proportion his goodness to what we do for him , why should not we proportion our service with what he doth for us ? and therefore when god blesses any of you in your outward estate , it is very good to do somwhat presently , as thus ; a man perhaps heretofore had but a little stock , and lived in a parish where he had but poor and mean preaching , now god raises his estate and he would have his house better , and his cloaths better , why then should not i have better preaching for my soul ? and so many other wayes , if god hath blessed you with good preaching , then help your poor neighbors some way or other that the gospel may be furthered by gods blessing , and that in a proportionable way . they make them goodly images . there is a very fine elegant paranomasy , according to their good lands , so goodly images . now this word that is translated goodly , it signifies also beauty . they that were good benefactors to their images , they made their images beautiful : and it is the same word used in the story of jezebel where she is said to tire her head , it is the same word that is here for making goodly images , she made her self a goodly head . oh how great a shame is it to do so much for images , dead images , & to do so little for the images of god ? shall idolaters not care for what cost they bestow upon their dead images , and shalt thou see a man or woman that carries the image of god with them in a lively way , shalt thou see them naked , and looking hunger-starved , and looking rufully and miserably , and wilt thou deny to one that hath the image of god ? every man hath the image of god in some measure , even in wicked men , but especially in those that are godly there it is a renewed image , there the very life of god doth appear , the divine nature doth appear : and what a charge will this be , when god shall bring idolaters at the day of judgment against thee , that shall bestow so much upon their dead images , and thou shalt let these images of god to suffer want so as they do ? certainly so long as there is any that hath gods image upon them that wants , and wants miserably too , for thee to think of encreasing thy estate now and to be richer than in former times , it must needs be very vile . goodly images . men are taken with outward shews , but a spiritual heart , the ordinances of god though they be never so plain in their outside , oh they are goodly things ! a spiritual heart sees a goodliness in all gods ordinances ; carnal hearts they see goodliness only in their outward bravery , and outward pomp and glory . and lastly , a note that pareus hath : here we see the vain distinction that papists make between their images and idols ; we see here they are charged for making goodly images . it follows ; ver . . their heart is divided ; now shall they be found faulty . my brethren , i know that you would be willing enough that i should in such a point as this is , go beyond an expository way , seeing god hath cast me upon it ; but in regard this point hath been fully handled in a * treatise already printed , ( to which i shall refer you ) i shall pass it , and proceed to the following words : he shall break down their altars : he shall spoil their images . the divisions of this people , of which you have heard so largely * , were much about the way of worship , most of them contending for the way of false worship against the true ; they would have their images and their altars honored : but god saith , he would break them down , and spoil them ; ye keep a stir for them , but you shall not have them : but he will break down their altars . decollabit , the word comes from a root that signifies a neck ; and so that which you have in your books translated , break down , it is , break their necks ; he will break the necks of their altars . ternovius a learned interpreter hath a note upon the place , it hath an allusion ( saith he ) to that that they were wont to have upon their altars , they were wont to have ornamenta quasi capitela , that were ( as it were ) the heads of their altars , they were wont to have brave things upon their altars , and crowns upon their altars : i , but saith the lord , i will break the necks of them all : he will break down their altars , and spoil their images . the notes from thence are briefly these . first , though men make never such a stir to maintain that which is evil , god will break it ; they may by their contending and seeking have it a while , but god will break the neck of it at last , it shall come to nothing . he will break down their altars . why , they were convinced before of the evil of them , for so in the former words , now shall they be found guilty , they shall acknowledg themselves guilty in contending so much for them ; well , but saith god , though you are convinced of your guiltiness , yet that 's not enough , i 'le break them down , for otherwise if they do remain , they may be snares unto you afterwards . from whence then the note is : that though men be convinced of an evil , yet if the temptation shall still abide , they will be ready to fall to it again . wherefore to prevent that evil , the temptations are to be taken away as much as we can , ( saith he ) i will take away the temptation ; you acknowledg your selves guilty when my hand is upon you , but you will fall to it again if the temptation be not taken away . thirdly , superstitious altars and images are to be taken away . it 's the magistrates work to take away those that are in publick place ; but i have met with that heretofore , and i shall not need to speak of it now , only for you to meet with any superstitious pictures , and images , you must not keep them and say , what hurt will these do ? though they do not hurt now , yet they may do hurt afterwards , you are not to sell and make advantage of them , but do as god doth , break them down and spoil them , that they may not hereafter be snares to any others . fourthly , those things that we give that respect to , which is gods due , are liable to the stroke of god. they gave respect to their altars , and images that was due to god , gods spirit rises against that , i 'le break them down and spoil them saith god. so , whatsoever it be that you give that respect to , that god challenges to himself , you may expect that god will spoil them and break them down . if you give respect to your estates , that 's due to god , you may make an idol of them , expect that god will break them ; yea , to your children , your names , your bodies , parts , whatsoever you have , that you rob god of that respect that 's due to him , and give it unto them , expect that god will break such things . fifthly , if it be gods will to break down that which is evil in his worship , let us take heed that we have no hand to set it up , that we do not endeavor to set up false worship , for it 's in gods heart to break it down , let us not set up idols in our hearts neither , or else where . i 'le break down their altars , and will spoil their images . from whence our note is this ; we must not break down superstitious and idolatrous things to make up our own broken estates , for our outward advantage . we should labor the abolishing of those things , and not our own benefit by them ; as certainly many do in breaking down things that are naught and superstitious , they endeavor to make up their broken estates and to gain to themselves that way , and there 's all they aim at : but saith god , i 'le break them down and utterly spoil them ; so should we , and look not to our own advantage . he will break them down . i find some interpreters render the words thus , it shall break them down , and so apply it to their divided hearts . ipsum cor , for so the pronoun that is translated , hee , is relative , and the antecedent according to the former exposition is in that last verse of the former chapter where he had spoken of god ; but according to this interpretation the antecedent is : their heart is divided : their hearts , their very dissentions , their divisions shall break down their altars , and spoil their images . and we may have a hint of a good meditation from thence , if i say the relative should have that antecedent , and their hearts being divided should be a means to break down their altars , then the note is this : that mens divisions and contentions break the neck of that which they contend for ; especially when men in their contentions , are violent , furious , outragious , and heady , they do usually by their rage and headiness , and passion in their contentions , break out and spoil the very thing that they would fain maintain , and their party is very little beholding unto such as seek to maintain them in a furious and in an outragious way , by a spirit of contention . you know those furious violent prelates , did not they break the neck of their prelacie meerly by their furie and outragiousness ? and in any party , those that are the most furious and outragious , do the least service to their party , and many times are the very break-neck of their party , and of their cause : it shall break them down . it follows . ver . . for now they shall say , we have no king. what , break down our altars , and spoil our images ! no , the king will maintain them against you all , let the prophets say what they can and a company of precise fools be against them what they will , we have the king will stand for that , he will rather lose his crown than he will lose these things , he will stand for them to his very life , and therefore we do not fear that they shall be broken down . no , that will not serve your turns ( saith the prophet ) your king shall not be able to help himself , much less to help you in those superstitious waies that you would have . for now shall they say , we have no king. they rejoyced and gloried much in their king , they bore themselves altogether upon their king , no matter for the prophets ; they have the kings commandement to do what they do , they can shew the kings broad seal for what they have done , and they were sure that they had the kings heart with them , their king would bear them out in all . they cared not therefore whatsoever they did , so be it they have the countenance of their king that he would defend them , and not only defend , but by being zealous and forward for his waies they hop'd to have promo●ion by him , they did not fear to be questioned for any thing , no matter whether they went against law or not , they could shelter themselves under the power and favor of the king , the pomp and glory of the court that was a great thing in their eyes , they were bold in their idolatrous way and oppression , because of the power and greatness of the king ; who should controul them in any thing that they did ? but now ( saith the prophet ) you have had your day , you have had your time that you could thus shelter your selves under the power of the king , and do what you list , and oppress , and rage , and no body durst meddle with you , because of the power of the king , but now the case is altered . but now they shall say , we have no king. had they no king ? yes ; hoshea was their king , but the meaning is , it 's all one as if we had no king , his power is so broken that the truth is , he cannot help us . saith drusius upon the place ; he cannot protect us , which is the property of the king , and therefore it is as if we had none ; now they shall say , we have no king ; alas he is not able to save himself , he can do nothing for us , his pomp , his power , bravery is in the dust , he is distressed himself , and we are miserably disappointed of our hopes , we are undone , who can help us now ? whither shall we go ? what shall we do ? our consciences upbraid us now for our bold presumptuous wickedness , oh! how far were our hearts from the fear of the lord , we dar'd the god of heaven and all his prophets , we boldly ventured upon those waies which we were told , yea which we knew in our very consciences were a provocation to the lord , we set up our own worship , we pleased our selves , we made our wills to be the rules of all our actions that we did , we took liberty to satisfie our lusts , we mingled our own waies with gods ordinances , we subjected religion to publick ends , we were riged , we were cruel towards those who differed from us , we upheld the authority of the king against god and his people , and now god hath justly brought this distressed estate upon us , that now the kings power that we trusted so in , is now broken and in a manner gone , oh! now we see we feared not the lord , we have none to help us now , we now know what it is not to fear the great god , god is above us , and therefore now , what can a king do to us ? what could he do for us ? suppose we had him again , alas ! our misery is beyond his help , seeing god is provoked with us , and hath forsaken us , what should a king do for us ? and thus in this short paraphrase you have the scope of the words , as if the people should have spoken in this manner . but now the question is , what times doth this refer to ? now they shall say , we have no king &c. when did they say so ? the times that this refers to , seems to be those that we reade of in king. . if you read that chapter , you shall find the times that this hath reference to ; then they might well say , we have no king ; because we feared not the lord : what then should a king do to us ? for the observations from it , the first is this : it 's a great evil for a people , not to have the protection and the blessing that might be enjoyed in the right government of a king over them : a great evil ; and they complain of it as a great evil , and so far their complaint is right , that they are now deprived of the protection and good that otherwise they might have had from the right government of a king over them . and my brethren , our condition is even such in regard of the personal presence and protection of a king , in those regards we may almost use the same words as here , and say , we have no king among us . and whether it be better for a people to have no king , or to have no protection from their king ? but that which is contrary to protection is a question fitter to be discussed and determined in a parliament than in a pulpit ; and to them i shall leave it . but the church of god shall never have cause to make this complaint , that they have no king ; in psal . , . the lord sitteth king for ever . the lord will give strength unto his people ; the lord will bless his people with peace . in psal . . . thy throne ( o god ) is for ever and ever : the scepter of thy kingdom is a right scepter . psal . . . thy kingdom is an everlasting kingdom : and thy dominion endureth throughout all generations . psal . . . let the children of zion rejoyce in their king. because we feared not the lord. it is a great evil not to fear the lord. fear ye not me ( saith the lord ) who have placed the sands for the bounds of the sea ? it 's an evil , and a bitter thing , that the fear of the lord is not in men . for god is a great god , infinitly above us , cloathed with majestie and honor ; trembling frames of heart becomes his presence : non like unto the lord ; great and mervailous are his works ; oh! who would not fear him ? god hath infinite authority over us , to save , or to destroy us , he hath us all at an infinite advantage by the least word of his mouth to undo us , his wrath is insupportable : who among us shall dwel with the devouring fire ? who amongst us shall dwel with everlasting burnings ? darest thou a vile wretch presume to rebel against any word of the lord , when the next word may sink soul and body into the bottomless gulf of eternal horror and despair ? who art thou that doest not fear the lord ? doest thou not fear the commanding word of the lord , when the next word that proceeds out of his mouth may be a destroying word to undo body and soul for ever ? secondly , they said , we feared not the lord. and observe : in times of prosperity when men have the favor and countenance of great ones , then there is little fear of god among them . now they said , we feared not the lord. oh! those times when we had the favour and countenance of great men , there was little fear of god among us . so long as men have any confidence in the creature , so long they see no need of god , their hearts are swollen with pride , god is not in all their thoughts , they say to god , depart from us , we do not desire the knowledg of thy waies . they set their hearts and tongues against the god of heaven , they can venture upon any thing then ; to tell them it's sin against god , it 's a poor dry business , it 's nothing at all with them ; how vile and foolish are the hearts of wicked men , that the enjoyment of such poor things as they have in the creature should imbolden their hearts against the great god of heaven and earth ? yet thus it is , men little consider but even those things that their hearts do so much rest upon , they are absolutely at the dispose of this god whom their hearts do not fear . but note , let the saints of god take this note with them , shall creature confidence take mens hearts off from gods fear ? then let gods fear take your hearts off from creature confidence : certainly there 's a great deal more reason . oh! 't is infinitely irrational that creature confidence should take the heart from gods fear ; but it 's infinitely rational that gods fear should take our hearts off from creature confidence . thirdly , now they shall say , we feared not the lord. the taking from a people the protection of , and benefit they might have by kingly power , is a punishment of the want of the fear of god in them . we have no king , we are deprived of the benefit of the good that we might have , the protection that we might have by kingly power ; it is , because we feared not the lord ; what evil we feel in this let us attribute it to the want of the fear of god in our selves , and in the people of the land. we complain of a those that are about the king , and of b her that lies in the bosom of the king , and of the evil of his own heart in part ; but whence is it that god hath left him , either to them , or to any evil in his own spirit ? the lord in this punishes the sins of the people : 't is usual for god to punish the sins of the people in leaving governors unto evil courses , in sam. . . you have a remarkable scripture for this , saith the text there , and the anger of the lord was kindled against israel : and what then ? and he moved david against them to say , go number israel and judah . the anger of the lord was kindled against israel , and he moved david against them : to what ? god lets temptations be before david for to fall into that sin that might bring evil upon the people . it was because the anger of the lord was kindled against israel . it 's because that a people fear not god , therefore it is that the lord leaves kings , leaves their governors to those evil waies that they are left unto , and therefore learn we when we hear of any evil that is done by countenance of kings or any power , learn we to lay our hands upon our own hearts , and say , even this is because we feared not the lord : how easie had it been with the lord to have wrought upon his heart , oh! what prayers hath been sent up unto the lord for the heart of one man ? never since the world began more prayers for the heart of one man ; but the lord hath seem'd even to shut his ears against the prayers of his people , now let us lay our hands upon our hearts , god hath denied our prayers , it is because we have not feared him : now certainly there hath been but little fear of god amongst us , and little fear of the great god is still to this day among us . and that 's the third observation , we have no king because we feared not the lord. and then the fourth is this , the times of gods wrath and judgments forces acknowledgment from men that they did not fear god. when god comes against them in waies of wrath , now they can acknowledg that they feared not god ; should the prophet have come to them before and told them , oh! you are a wretched vile people , there is no fear of god among you . why , wherein do not we fear god ? as in malac. . they would not be convinced , but , now shall they say , &c. now when the wrath of god is upon men , now they shall say , we see now apparently we feared not the lord. as it 's said of cardinal wolsie when he was in distress , oh saith he , had i but served god as well as i served the king , it would have been otherwise with me than it is ; but i sought to please the king rather than god , and now i am left in this distressed estate . he would have scorned that any should have told him before that he pleased the king more than god ; but afflictions they will draw forth acknowledgment : for in afflictions god appears dreadful to the soul , it is no dallying , and trifling , and putting off then , we see we have to deal with an infinite , glorious , and dreadful god , and in times of affliction now conscience will brave over men , it will not be quieted and still'd so as in the times of prosperity , but it will speak , as we reade of zebul in judges , . . saith zebul , where now is thy mouth wherewith thou saidest , who is abimelech ? so saith conscience in times of affliction to wretched creatures , where now is that bold and presumptuous heart of thine ? thou scornest at fearing and trembling before god , and slightest his word , but where now is that proud wretched heart of thine ? and in times of afflictions now are mens hearts abased and humbled , and therefore now they are ready to say , it is , because they feared not the lord. mark here , they do not ( when they are in afflictions and troubles ) say , i , we may thank these kind of people , there were a company of factious people and they would not yield to any thing , and we may thank them for all this ; you hear no such words , oh no , but it is , because we feard not the lord. when the heart is in any degree humbled , it will not put off the cause of evils to other men , or other things , but will charge its self as the cause of the evils that are upon it . oh how much better my brethren were it for us to see the want of the fear of god by his word to us , and his spirit in us , than by his wrath against us , or his stroke upon us . let us every day examine our hearts , how hath the fear of god been in me this day ? hath the fear of god acted , and guided me in al my thoughts , counsels , and actions this day ? how happy were it when we ever lie down to rest to have such a short meditation , hath the fear of god been the thing that hath acted , and governed , and guided me in my course this day ? but it follows . what then shall a king do to us ? ( or , for us ? ) suppose we had him , now he is gone , but if we had him , what good would he bring to us if we had him ? as if they should say , we speak much concerning our king , but now we have not the king with us as he was , but if he were with us again , what should he do for us ? what would our condition be better than it is ? and indeed , what good had their kings done for them ? the people of israel they were very desirous of a king , they must needs have a king , god granted to their desires in giving them saul , then afterwards they must have a king again , so they had jeroboam , and he must be the king of the ten tribes . their first king they had , it was in gods wrath , and every one of the kings of israel * was a plague to them , what had they done for them ? all the time they had judges they were in a better case ; israel was in a far better case when they were rul'd by the government of god. and peter martyr in his preface to the book of judges , observes three things wherein israel was better when they were under judges , than kings . for first , ( saith he ) all the time they had judges , they were not let captive out of their own country so as afterwards . secondly , when ever they were oppressed and god raised them up a judg , he did alwaies prevail so as to deliver them from their oppression , before he had done he delivered them from their oppression ; that 's to be observed in the story of the judges : but their kings did not so . and thirdly , we find not any one of their judges are charged or condemn'd by god for evil , that they were evil judges among them , as the kings are ; such a one did evil in the sight of the lord , and such a one did evil , and every one of the kings of israel did so . god doth not charge the judges so ; it was otherwise therefore with them after they had kings . and the truth is , that christ hath been but little beholding to ( i may say ) almost to most of our kings ; yea , little beholding to most of the kings that have lived upon the earth , and he hath taketh as little care of the greater part of them : as they have taken little care of his honor , so he hath taken little care of the greater part of them , of all the roman emperors that were declared by the senate in number sixty three , historians agree that there was but six of al them that had such protection from god as to die a natural death , but six of three score and three ; there were twenty nine of the emperors that did not reign above twenty five years and od months ; yea there were twelve of them that did reign but three yeers and od months : see what havock was made of them : they regarded not the honor of jesus christ , but were enemies unto him , and he regarded as little their safety . what then should a king do to us ? from hence the notes are these : first , when god forsakes a people , there 's nothing can do them good . for they did most dote upon a king that should do them good , and help them . when god forsakes a people , nothing then can do them good , psalm , . at the begining , except the lord build the house , &c. secondly . it 's just with god , to make those things unuseful to men which they sinfully dote upon , and put their confidence in . they sinfully doted upon kings , and put their confidence in them , & god doth now justly make the power of kings unuseful to them : what shall a king do to us ? if we dote upon them , it 's just with god to make them unuseful to us . or if we dote upon our credit , and names , and so upon kings and princes ; if men expect preferment from them , it 's just with god to blast all their hopes , that they should be forced to say , now i see god fights against him , as wel as against me . thus the people spake in respect of their kings . this scripture may well be a comment upon that text we have in psalm , . . put not your trust in princes , &c. do not put your trust in princes , have no confidence in them ; if you put your trust in them , they wil be unuseful to you . and chrysostom upon that very psalm hath this note : whereas they would say , oh! he is a prince . saith chrysostom , let me tell you that which you perhaps will wonder at : because he is a prince , therefore put not your trust in him ( saith chrysostom ) and he gives this reason , because ( saith he ) who is in a more unsafe condition than they ? are not they fain to have their guards go about them to protect them ? they in times of peace when they are in a city that is ruled by good laws , yet they are fain to have the instruments of war round about them , to protect them ; and therefore put not your confidence in them , because they are princes : but then in the psalm , they are call'd to put their confidence in the lord , who made heaven and earth , the sea and all that therein is ; which keepeth truth for ever . alas you may put confidence in princes , but they will not keep truth ; they wil make fair promises to you , that you shall have some great matters by them , but they use you for to serve their own turns ; but put your trust in the lord , and the lord shall reign for ever ; as it is in the . verse , kings do not reign for ever , they are the children of men , the breath is in their nostrils ; but the lord shall reign for ever . and again thirdly , what shall a king do for us ? how great an evil is it to a people then , whose complaints are ; what doth a king not do against us ? musculus upon the forenamed psalm , ( those that reade his coment shall find that note in it ) saith he , you are not to put your trust in princes that are the children of men , they are but men ; yea , but what shall we say to those that are cruel oporessors that are rather like tygers and such kind of wild beasts among men , that seem not to be children of men , how shall we put our trust in them ? oh! it 's a sad condition indeed that a people is in , when they have this cause to complain , when they shall have cause to cry out and complain , oh how ! how doth he run from place to place , plundering , spoiling , breaking , tearing , destroying wheresoever he comes ? that people is in a sad condition , what shall he do for us ? nay , what doth he not do against us continually ? and all this , because we have not feared the lord. that 's the third note . the fourth is , and what shall a king do to us ? see here the alteration of the spirits of these men towards their king ; king , not long ago they put their confidence in their king , and gloried in their king , and now , what shall a king do to us ? hence the note is : god can soon make a great change in the hearts of people in reference to their kings ; that even those that did dote , and admire him , and own no other god but their king , shall even turn their hearts and say , what can a king do for us ? the least turn of god upon the hearts of people will make such a change as this is . again , here observe , the difference between the blessed estate of gods people , and the wretched estate of wicked men ; those who fear god can say , what shal a king , what shall men , what devils do against us ? but other men in their straights , what shall they do for us ? we are in a distressed condition , and what shall they do for us ? but the people of god are never in such a distressed condition but they are able to say , what shall men or devils be able to do against us ? for god is our protector . again sixtly , the more stoutness , and sinfulness , and creature-confidence there is in any , the more do their hearts sink in desperation when they come to be crost in their hopes . they were very stout and full of creature confidence before they were brought into misery , and now what low sordid spirits have they ? now they sink in desperation : there 's no men and women have their hearts sink in desperation , more than those that in ruff of their pride are the most bold and presumptuous against god and his servants . again : what shall a king do to us ? their hearts sink in regard of any hopes that they have from their king. but yet you reade nothing of their hearts being set upon god , and mourning , and working towards god , when they are taken from the creature they say not thus , now we see our vain confidence in our king , and what hopes we had of preferment in him , god hath crost us ; well , we will go and seek to make the king of heaven to be our portion . no , there 's no such thing comes from them as this . a carnal heart when it is knockt off of creature confidence and sinks in desperation in regard of the creature , it doth not take advantage upon this , to have the heart work after god so much the more ; but there it lies sullen & sinking , it hath no interest in god , and cannot go to him to make up what it wants in the creature : but it is otherwise with a gracious heart , that acknowledges the hand of god hath taken off my confidence in the creature , yea , but i hope it is in mercy to my soul , that my heart might have the more confidence in god , and that god might have the more glory from me , and therefore i hope that this taking off my heart from the creature , will for ever unite my heart more to the lord than ever heretofore it hath been . yea , this is a gracious work indeed when the heart is taken off from creature confidence and brought neerer unto the lord. and thus much for the third verse . it follows . ver . . they have spoken words . they are convinced of their sin , that they have not feared god , they cry out of their misery , what shall a king do to them ? but mark what follows ? this follows upon it , they were not gain'd to god ever a whit the more , but they have spoken words , swearing falsly , in making a covenant . when they are taken off from their hopes one way , see how they set upon another . luther upon those words , saith : it 's an hebraism ; they have anxiously consulted . it 's the way of the hebrews so to express an anxious consultation , and for that he quotes that place in isa . . . take counsel together , and it shall come to naught &c. so then the meaning would be this : they have spoken words : ] that is , they get together and contrive one with another what they shall do in such a case as this , how they may any way help themselves . as we reade sometimes of the people of god in malac. . . those that feared god met one with another and spake together ; so these wicked wretches that were thus disappointed of their hopes , they met together , and spake one to another , some such kind of word as these : our case is very sad , oh! who would have thought such things should have befallen us ? we are as much crost of our hopes as ever any men were , we made account we should have over run them , and they would have been but as bread unto us , we should have made a prey upon them , and all their estates would have been ours long before this time ; oh but now , those prophets that told us that god was against us , those ministers that encouraged people in the name of god , and those people that were different from us , now we see that their words are fulfilled , and what they thought would come , is now come upon us , now it 's come to pass what such precise ones among us whose consciences would not submit to our waies & the way of our king said , surely they cannot but look upon us as a most wretched miserable forsaken people , now we are like to lose our houses , estates , honors , and all those delightful things that we hoped to have had , we shall lose all those things that we hoped might have made our lives to have been brave , and prosperous , and merry , and jocund , oh! what shall we do in such a distressed state as this ? we had almost as good die as to endure such a miserable life as we are like to live , to be at the mercy of such men whom we know scorn us and hate us , is there no way to help our selves ? cannot we get some or other to joyn with us ? cannot we call in no help from any strangers , no matter what we yield to them in . thus they toss up and down , and wrig up and down , not knowing what in the world to do in their conference . or thus ; may we not yet possibly make up some peace though we be in this distressed coudition ? whatsoever propositions they shall profer to us , we will rather than fail yield to them all , we may perhaps get some advantage hereafter ●r be in some means in a better case to revenge our selves than now we are , if they will have us take the covenant , & nothing else will satisfie them , we will do it ; and when we have taken it , perhaps they may put some of us in places of trust , and so we may privately work about our own ends that way , and drive on our own designs that way better than in any hostile way , and if together with their covenant they will have oaths , we will take them too , and if we cannot agree to their oaths or covenant hereafter we will say , we were forced to it , and therefore they do not bind us . some such kind of communication it 's like they had . and could you hear the communication of our adversaries when they get together in those straights that god hath brought them into , it 's like you would hear some such kind of stuff as this is , they spake these words one to another . they have spoken words . according to others thus , they spake words , that is , those ( speaking words ) hath reference to the times of the prophets threatning , or when they saw their danger eminent and not fully upon them , so some carry it : and i find the chaldee paraphrase hath it thus , they spake violent words ; and then the sense is thus ; they rage , and fret , they speak proud swelling words , they swear and curse ; for so the curse in swearing signifies , cursing , as well as swearing , they swear and curse ; what , our images be broken down , what shall we be brought under and made to serve our enemies ? we scorn it , we defie all that shall have such a thought as this is , we will do this and that , we will have our minds , we will die for it else , we will enter into leagues with such and such , we will get such and such to conjure together with us , i 'le warrant you we shall make our party thus and thus : thus they speak great things that they will do , yea that they will : thus they speak words , in making a covenant with oaths of vanity ( so you may reade it . ) and indeed if men could prevail with great words , and daring expressions , and bold resolutions , and desperate oaths , and wicked curses , then may some hope to prevail against the god of heaven and his saints ; but saith he , these things shall do them no good . and indeed these things should never move us , though we hear our adversaries speak proud swelling words , and say what they will do , threaten monsterous things , let us not be troubled at it , for they do but hasten the wrath of god against themselves . in the mean time while they are swearing , and cursing , and making brags and boast what they will do , the counsels of the lord they work their ruin , and work the good of his people , they spake words , such kind of words . they speak words , swaring falsely , in making a covenant . what hath this reference to ? what covenant did they make ? and wherein did they swear falsely ? some think it hath reference to the covenant that the people did make with jeroboam at the first , and so with his successors ; that is thus , the people came to him and took their oaths , and entred into solemn league , that they would stand by him in the breach that he made from the house of david , that they would stand by him in opposing those that would not yeeld to him in the alteration of worship : for their princes would not probably have been so strongly set upon the alteration of the waies of worship , had not the people joyned themselves freely to him by way of oaths and covenant ; now when he saw that the people came in floking and willing to yeeld to the oath which he would give them , upon this he was confirm'd in the way that he went in ; and so they took oaths in covenanting with jeroboam which were but oaths of vanity ; for so the same word that signifies false , signifies vain in the hebrew tongue : so i find arias montanus , and vatablus take the words as having reference to that . but now others ( and that more probably ) understand this covenant and swearing to be the covenant that they took with the assyrians , and with the egyptians , the story of which you have in the fornamed place , in king. . hoshea sent messengers to so king of egypt , and brought no present to the king of assyria as he had done year by year . first , he had covenanted with the king of assyria and that was broke , and then they would covenant with so king of egypt , and so they swore falsely , in in making a covenant with the assyrians , and the egyptians . now the observations are , that carnal hearts in their straights have no god to go to , therefore they take shifting courses ; as a dog that hath lost his master , will follow after any for relief . and secondly , it 's an evil thing in straights for men that profess religion to combine with wicked men . god professed he will not take the wicked by the hand , neither should we ; it 's a sign the cause is evil , when men can have no other help but by combining with wicked and ungodly men . just thus it is for all the world with our adversaries ( at this day ) to the parliament , all men generally that have any profession of godliness they see they cannot have help that way , therefore combine and bring into covenant irish rebels , papists , any people in the world , if it were turks , or jews , or any in the world to help themselves withal ; this is the wickedness of mens hearts . and then thirdly , there is no trust to be had to wicked men in their oaths and covenants ; let their protestations be never so solemn , their oaths , their covenants , it is but only to gain time to work about some advantage , that they cannot work about for the present while they have any opposition : if they have not things under their power as they desire , they will promise you any thing in the world , but when once they come to get power in their hands , then who shall require the fulfilling of their promises , their oaths , their covenants ? and therefore certainly , when we have to deal with those that we have had experience to be false , we must ever retain this conclusion , except we see an apparent change in their hearts , for that 's not enough that they are willing to take covenants , that 's no new thing ; but till we see that god hath wrought some mighty work upon their hearts we must carry this conclusion , certainly if they can they will ruin us , therefore our condition cannot be safe but to be so as they can do us no hurt . that 's the third note . and then the fourth is this : that , breaking covenant , though with wicked men , is a very great wickedness , god will be revenged for it . i have heretofore spoken of falseness , and falseness in covenant , and promises , and shewen you the example of saul and zedekiah , therefore i shall not look back to those things . god loves humane societies , which cannot be preserved but by faithfulness ; faithfulness ( it 's the speech of a heathen ) it 's the common safety of all men . i remember i have read of the romans that they did so esteem of faithfulness , by the light of nature in covenants , that they accounted faithfulness to be a godess , and they built , and dedicated a temple unto fidelity as to a godess , in which temple all their leagues , truces , covenants , and bargains were sworn , which were so religiously observed , that whosoever broke them , was to be held as a cursed and damned creature , unworthy to live in humane societies . and the egyptians would punish perjury with death . among the indians the fingers and toes of perjured persons were cut off . and i have likewise reade when tissaphernes the persian warred against the grecians , he broke covenant with the grecians . now agesilaus when he saw that they had broke their covenant , he rejoyced at it greatly , saying thus , for ( saith he ) by this means he hath made the gods to be his enemy , and our friend ; wherefore let us boldly give him battel . we know how our enemies have broken their covenants from time to time , and their conditions that they have made themselves , yea , even lately in that town that we hear such good of now , that we hope the lord is even revenging himself upon them for breaking covenant even in that very place . now my brethren , that even heathens themselves are convinc'd of this great evil , that is so dreadful an evil ; what cause have we to lay our hands upon our hearts this day in respect of that part of our covenant , that concerns one another , for certainly since the time of our solemn covenant there was never more treachery than there hath been in england , and in scotland too , there hath been as much treachery since that time as ever yet was , since either of them were a nation ; we have been false one to another so far as it relates to our selves . but i find that calvin in his notes upon this scripture , understands this oath and covenant not to be a covenant to men , but their covenant with god , in promising repentance and new obedience , and so they spake only words , swearing falsly , they did but deceive him in swearing and making a covenant ; and this indeed is a sore and dreadful evil to swear to the high god , and to covenant with him , to draw so nigh to him and yet to be false , god threatens in levit. . . that he will send a sword to avenge the quarrel of his covenant ; and when we see the sword rageth so as it doth , we may have cause to fear that the lord hath a quarrel against us , in avenging the late covenant that hath been made ( i mean our falseness in it ) and that we may see further our guiltiness and evil in swearing falsly in making a covenant , we must know that many waies our hearts may be false in our covenants with god. it is a dreadful evil to be false any way in covenant with god ; any of you that upon your sick beds have been solemnly promising to god reformation if god restor'd you ; if you be false , oh know , that the lord hath a quarrel against you , and he hath a dreadful evil to charge upon your souls : how many of you have been false in your private covenants ? but to be false in publick covenants , that 's most dreadful . but our hearts may be false divers waies . as , first , if we take our covenant meerly upon politick grounds , we make the solemn worship of god , wherein we express our fidelity for reformation of religion to be meerly subserviant to politick grounds , here 's a falsness of heart , we are false in swearing thus , and making a covenant ; we do not sanctifie the name of god as we ought . or secondly , if we put false interpretations , we are false ; when we shall make our covenant a meer 〈◊〉 to our brethren ; let us consider how far any of us are guilty of this , and let the lord judge between us : i say , when we seek to make it a snare even to our brethren : how have those been accused for the breach of this oath which have not accorded in things that are in controversie with our brethren , as if this oath were put upon all men to determin most abstruse and difficult points of controversie , to bring men to submit to things as are very abstruse and difficult to understand ; this were to make an oath a snare , and to take the name of god in vain in a fearful manner : certainly the lord never would have oaths put to men to this end , that men that are of different waies and opinions in controversal things , for to be forced by way of an oath to be of the same judgement , and to do the same things ; this is a great abuse of this oath wheresoever it is urged so far ; certainly there 's no man guilty of the breach of this oath and covenant , that shall but endeavor what he can to understand what the mind of god is , and then to practice according as he understands , though he should mistake , as in the point of schism in that point of the covenant ; the thing its self being a sin , we may as well swear against it , as david did to keep gods commandements : but now , if david did labor to understand gods commandements , and do as far as he did understand ; suppose he did not understand all things aright , it might be his weakness , but not his perjury . so , let us be in point of schism , or any other point of the covenant , if men do endeavor to understand what is schism by the scripture , and accordingly do in their several places , by what means their consciences tels them is lawful endeavor to oppose it , though they should not think that to be schism that their brethren do think , or perhaps is so , yet they are not forsworn : this is evil , to make a covenant to be a snare unto us , and our hearts so far are false in it . and then thirdly : then is the he heart false in making a covenant , when it doth not fulfill it according to the nature of it , when it goes quite opposite against it . as since our covenant hath been made ; when was there ever greater divisions ? our covenant is for unity : when more ungodliness ; our covenant is against it ; when more injustice ? our covenant is against all these , and yet since england was a nation there was never stronger cries came to heaven for these sins than there hath been since our covenant . and therefore certainly there 's a great breach between god and us in this regard . and then fourthly , when men make their covenant to be a cloak for malignity ; that is , though they have malignant and vile wicked spirits , yet they can but take the covenant and then all is well . here they swear falsely in making a covenant . thus judgment springeth up as hemlock in the furrows of the field . after this their covenant there is a great deal of injustice among them . judgment . ] by judgment , some understand the judgments of god , and then the sense is , those wicked waies of yours are the seeds that brings up gods judgments , that is as hemlock bitter and deadly ; there 's a truth in this interpretation , though i think it is not the full scope of the words here : but it may be the holy ghost , would hint some such thing unto us in it , that our actions are as seeds , and what they are sown here they will bring forth according to the nature of them . wicked actions when they are sown , will bring forth bitter fruit , will bring forth hemlock . it may be ( saith he ) you look for peace and prosperity , but contrary to your expectation , behold hemlock and bitterness . i beseech you take heed of preparing your selves a potion of hemlock against you lie sick and are cast upon your death bed ; a man hath sown his field , he thinks to have a good crop of corn , but judgment , the judgment of god comes up , and there 's hemlock instead of it . but because i think this not to be the scope of the place , therefore i pass it by , and rather think that by judgment is here meant , righteousness , equity , and justice . that whereas there should be righteousness , equity , and justice , as it 's expected : behold instead of this there spings up a crop of oppression , vnrighteousness , and injustice that is bitter as hemlock ; i rather think that this must be the meaning , because i find that in divers scriptures injustice is compared to bitter things , yea , to hemlock its self , in amos , . . ye turn judgment to wormwood , and leave off righteousness in the earth . and in amos , . . shall horses run upon the rock ? will one plow there with oxen ? i will not stand to open the former text , but you see the scripture charges the people by this expression , of sinning against judgment and righteousness , that they turned it to hemlock . now i find three things especially recorded of this herb . first , it is a very venimous herb ; therefore i find pliny records of it in his . book , . chap. of natural history , that the athenians did use to give this to malefactors that were condemn'd to die to execute them withal . and socrates that was so wise a man among them , yet he because he did not yield to their gods , but spake against their false gods , therefore they judged him to die , and he must drink a potion of hemlock , and so died . and secondly , i find the same author saith of it that , the leaves are somewhat like to coriander , but that they be more tender , and a strong stinking smel they have with them : and the seeds like to annis . and so justice seems to have a very fair pretence sometimes , and may seem to do things that are very good ; under very fair pretences men are very injust : the leaves when they come up one would think there should be such a fine fruit , one would think to have coriander , or annis , but the truth is , it comes to hemlock at last . and then the third thing is , that which hierom reports of it , and it is in his comment upon my text , he saith that hemlock grows up very stiff and full of joynts , and at the joynts ( he saith ) it puts forth a stalk , and that doth not only sprout upwards and bear fruit , but downwards to have a root , & he saith that every branch , if it hath but a joynt in it will serve instead of a seed , yea , every sprig of it will serve instead of seed ; yea , he saith , if any pieces falls to the ground , it wil grow up , and so grow up as that it will be very hard to rid the ground of it . and truly thus it doth resemble injustice , if it be let alone but a little , oh how it multiplies one to another and spreads through the whol land quickly . and pliny doth observe many other things too , he saith that the root of it is hollow , and that 's unfit for any use at all ; and so are the hearts of those that are injust , hollow hearts and unfit for any thing . and also he saith , that the leaves are fit for swellings , and against sore eyes . and god doth turn even the injustice that is many times , among a people to be medicines to his people against their swellings , and to open their sore eyes . and he saith , that if hemlock be drank in wine , it will certainly kill a man , and there is no remedy . so if men shall be injust and take delight in it , and take pleasure in it , and scorn and contemn at those that they can oppress by injustice , those men are in a desperate condition indeed . and then lastly , he doth observe by this herb that it kils by cold , those that takes the leaves or seeds , if they get the mastery of any they shall feel themselves begin to was cold in their inward parts , and so die inwardly . oh! how many who have been very hot and zealous , yet having gotten power into their hands they have unrighteously used their power , they have grown cold in what they were formerly zealous in , and still they grow colder , and colder ; and thus their unrighteousness is like to prove to be their death . in the furrows of the field . calvin puts this question , why doth he not say , it springs up in the field , but in the furrows of the field ? and he gives this answer to it ; where there are furrows in the field , there hath the plow come that hath broken up the field , and it is to prepare for good seed when the field is laid in furrows , and it 's less tollerable for hemlock to spring up there than in the field that is not plowed , or in other places . but when a field is plowed and prepared for seed , and one would hope to have much advantage by his field ; to have much justice and righteousness in a country , when we see there hath been great works of god to cast out those that were injust before , and the expectation of all the people is , that certainly now there will be nothing but righteousness , and judgment ; but instead of that comes up injustice , and oppression , as hemlock , it springeth up in such a field that is so prepared for justice . oh! this is that which is a sore evil , that the lord is so provoked against , and so complains of , that judgment springeth up as hemlock in the furrows of the field . thus judgment springeth up as hemlock in the furrows of the field . what the meaning of hemlock in the furrows of the field is , you have heard already : from whence the note is this , that people is in a sad condition , and it is a sign the lord hath forsaken them , that they are neer ruin , when those places where there is most likelihood of justice and equity , that there should be injustice and oppression . oppression and injustice in places where god expects righteousness and equity , is a sad omen , a forerunner of great evil to places . it 's gods complaint in isa . . just before he threatned the utter spoiling of his vinyard , he gives this reason , i ( saith he ) looked that it should bring forth grapes ; and behold , it brought forth wild grapes : and he mentions among the wild grapes , injustice : there it 's call'd wild grapes , as hemlock here , for both are very sowr , and bitter before the lord ; injustice in places from whence justice may be expected , is by the lord accounted a most fearful , a ruining sin : in amos , . . i know ( saith the lord ) your manifold transgressions , and your mighty sins . now the word that is translated [ mighty sins ] it is in the hebrew your boney sins , because the strength of a man it is in his bones ; and therefore he calls the strength of that sin boney ; it is a very strong sin , it cannot easily be resisted ; your sins have great bones in them ( saith he ) and what are they ? you afflict the just , you take a bribe , that you may turn away the poor in the gate from their right : that 's their great and their mighty sins . in jer. . . did not thy father do judgment and justice , and then it was well with him ? he judged the cause of the poor and the needy , and then , it was well with him again . and was not this to know me , saith the lord ? let men talk never so much of reformation , and of setting up the worship of god , and of casting out false worship , yet if they rejoyce in injustice and oppression instead of that , god will not take himself as known ; but saith he , thine eyes and thy heart , are after covetousness , and for oppression , and for violence ; and in amos , . . is a remarkable place for this , saith he , i hate , i despise your feast daies , and i will not smell to your solemn assemblies . you have many feast daies , and daies of thanksgiving , you bless me for what i do for you , but i will not care for your daies of thanksgiving , ( why ? ) in the . verse . let judgment run down as waters , and righteousness as a mighty river ; as if he should say , keep as many daies of thanksgiving as you will , i care for none of them , except judgment run down as water , and righteousness as a mighty stream : mark here the expression of the holy ghost , judgment and righteousness is compared to a river , that is , it should be common for all , that the poorest might come and take of it as well as the richest , it must not be like a pond , or well , inclosed for a mans private use ; but saith he , let judgment run down as water , and righteousness as a river ; it must be as a river : now you know the thames every poor body may come and fetch water there for their relief : so justice should be like the water in the thames that the poorest of all may have it for the very fetching of it : but till then saith he , i regard none of your daies of thanksgiving . and so in isa . . there 's one special reason why the daies of fasting were not regarded , it was , because of their oppression of the poor , and their uncharitableness , and their injuriousness in the courts of justice . we have now many daies of fasting and thanksgiving more than ever yet england knew , & we may think that god wil smel a sweet savor , but oh! this hemlock coming up in the furrow of the field will imbitter all , for if ever god did look for righteousness and judgment from a people , then certainly he looks for righteousness and judgment from us at this day ; oh! for us now , that stand in need of so much mercy , that cry for mercy , and be oppressing at such a time as this is , it is a most dreadful thing : what , is all the cost that god hath bestowed upon us come to this , that there should be no other fruit but hemlock to come up in the furrows in the field ; all the cost of god and man , all the works of god towards us , doth it come but to this issue , only to bring forth hemlock ? was there ever more cries , was there ever more bitter moans and complaints because of injustice than of late hath been in this land ? never were people so frustrated in their expectations . when indeed such as were notoriously wicked were in place , then we expected nothing but hemlock : but now they are cast out of place , and others are come in , we hoped that there had been such a preparation that nothing but fruits of righteousness would have come up . but now to be oppressed by them that are in places of former oppressors , this is grievous . lord , what is man ? in isa . . . therefore ( saith he ) is judgment far from us , neither doth justice overtake us ; we wait for light , but behold obscurity , for brightness , but we walk in darkness , ( this light it is especially spoken of the light of justice ) as if they should say ; the land once indeed was dark , all the courts of judicature , and all the men that had places to judg in , they were darkness , and we had nothing but darkness ; yea , but now we waited for light , we hoped now there would be reformation , it 's spoken after their many daies of fasting and prayer , but yet behold darkness , behold oppression still , oh! many who are come empty into places of power suck harder than some former oppressors did ? and what will be the end of these things ? how many poor men travel many times far , expecting fruits of justice , but they meet with hemlock ? they sigh and lift up their eyes and hearts to heaven , sending up their moans to god , lord , is this the fruit of our labor ? do our hopes come to this ? what , must we go home with sad hearts and be made a scorn and prey to those that are wicked round about us ? oh! these are sad moans at such times as these are . my brethren , it were easie to name many stalks of hemlock that there are come up instead of righteousness and judgment among us . i 'le name one or two . what do you think of this . first , that such as have been notoriously malignant , yea , such as have been upon actual war should yet upon any slight acknowledgment or coming in ▪ or for their own ends taking covenant , should get into committees , and have power there over the well-affected party who have been most forward at the first , but now those who hate them and have spirits full of bitterness against them , should have power over them to tax them as they please . power over their estates , their liberty , power to order the affairs of the country round about them , and that now they should revenge themselves upon them because they were so forward in the beginning ; oh! we may thank you , had it not been for such as you are , we had never gone on so far in the wars , if you had not come in so freely &c. and now they have opportunity to revenge themselves upon them ; what grows in the furrows here but bitter and venimous hemlock ? where the fault lies , that we cannot determine , but such men , doing such things , in such places , it is nothing but hemlock in the furrows of the field . secondly ; here 's another stalk of hemlock , that poor men taken from their families , who were the only means by their livelihood to bring in a livelihood to their wives and children , yet should be so without pay themselves , and wives and children left destitute of bread and cloathing ; and officers in an army who were but mean men heretofore and knew scarce how to live , now they live bravely , glister in their gold and silver lace , what 's this but hemlock ? is not here injustice and oppression ? that thousands should want bread , that widdows and children cry out for bread that liv'd pretty well heretofore , and others which knew not how to live heretofore , yet now shall be brave in a far higher way than ever formerly , is not here hemlock that grows up in the furrows of the field ? i know not neither where to charge this , but yet we see hemlock doth come up . but now though we might name many other stalks of hemlock , yet certainly take this caution along with you . every man in such times of distraction wherein we live , must account to suffer something , things cannot be carried on with that equity as if all things were setled among us , therefore though we may in an humble and peaceable way make our moans one to another , and seek to inform those that are in power , and petition , yet it ought to be our care what ever we suffer in our particular , to preserve what we can the honor of our supream court ; better many particulars suffer hard things than the honor of that should not be kept up ; for by not keeping up that we make way to suffer worse things than ever yet we have done : for how would we have help when we meet with wrong and injustice ? under god there are but three waies , two extreams , and one middle : for men to have right in case of injustice . the two extreams they are ( besides our appeal to god ) i speak to men , whereby a man can have any thought to get help against injustice . . the one extream is , that which heretofore was the kings arbitrary power , acted by those that are about him . we have tasted enough of this hemlock heretofore , would we think to have our help that way ? we know what that hemlock means . the second extream is , the appeal to the people , that were a remedy worse than tbe disease , for then all would seem to come to be in a confusion that way , if the people , the generality of the people should take up the matter we should then have nothing but murders and robberies . then the meanest man that lives in the kingdom if he hath but as strong arms and legs as the richest of all , he is presently equal with them , when things come to be redrest by the tumultuous people . therefore the third way of help in way of injustice it is the mene , and that is by our parliament , that is , as things are now , is the only regular help that we can have , if we see therefore , or feel some things amiss , we may be sensible and seek help too , but in a peaceable and humble way of petitioning , but still we should be more tender of their honor than of our own private right . and an appeal to heaven there may be likewise , but of any seeming way of appeal to either of the two extreams , certainly in that we make our remedy worse than the disease : pray much for them therefore that there may not one stalk of hemlock rise up among them ; or any seed fall down from them , but that they may be as the field which the lord hath blessed , full of the fruits of justice and righteousness , that themselves , and this city , and the kingdom may be the habitation of justice , that mercy and truth may meet together , that righteousness and peace may kiss each other ; that truth may spring out of the earth , and righteousness may look down from heaven ; so you have it in psal . . , , . verses . now there 's one note more that i find tremelius and pareus and divers others have . the furrows of the field ( say they ) there is in the latter end of the word translated [ field ] a jod : which by some is made paragogical [ and an addition of form only ] but others to be an affix for the plural number , and so they translate it to be thus . [ hemlock in the furrows of my field ] and that is a great aggravation . if hemlock should be be in the furrows of any field it 's evil , but what , my people ! men that profess godliness , what those that profess to set up reformation , yet hemlock there in the furrows of my field ! oh! this is sad and evil indeed . in jer. . . thus saith the lord of hosts , the god of israel , as yet they shall use this speech , in the land of judah , and in the cities thereof ; when i shall bring again the captivity thereof , the lord bless thee o habitation of justice , and mountain of holiness . when i bring their captivity again , when i 'le own them to be mine , then there shal be such eminent justice and holiness that this speech shall be used , the lord bless thee , o habitation of justice , and mountain of holiness . so if we would have any evidence to our souls that god doth own us , and that we are his , and god indeed hath delivered us from our captivity , we should labor that justice and holiness may be so eminent that all the people about us may say , the lord bless this land , the habitation of justice , and mountain of holiness . both must go together , we must not think to raise up the ordinances of god , and cast out superstition , but we must be the habitation of justice ; of the lord that the lord hath blessed . it follows . ver . . the inhabitants of samaria shall fear , because of the calves of beth-aven . you heard before that they were convinced in their consciences that they did not fear god , for now they shall say , we have no king , because we feared not the lord. they feared not god , but now they shall fear . from whence the note is this . that those that fear god least , are most afraid of any thing else . where the fear of god is not , other base fear will be , and so much the more , the less we fear god. oh! how much better were it that our fear were set upon god , than upon other things ? you must love something ; were it not better that your love were placed upon god than any thing else ? and you must fear something ; were it not better that your fear were upon god , than any thing else ? and you must rejoyce in something , and sorrow and the like . fear , it is a very troublesom affection , if it be misplaced ; oh! learn to place your affections right , place them upon god : by the fear of god you shall come to fear nothing else ; oh! how excellent is gods fear ! this one thing sets out the excellency of the fear of god : that where the fear of god is setled in the hearts of men and women , all other base fears are rooted out . would not you be glad to be delivered from creature fears , especially you that have liv'd in many dangers a few months since ? oh! if you might be delivered from the fears of the creature , how glad would you bee ? here 's the only way ; let the fear of god be strong in your hearts , and the fear of the creature will not prevail with you . you see it clearly in the example of habakkuk , in hab. . . when i heard ( god revea'd his will ) my belly trembled , my lips quivered at the voice ; rottenness entred into my bones , and i trembled in my self . ( but now habakkuk , why would you trouble your self with so much fear ? ) mark , there was a great good came to him by it , that i might rest in the day of trouble when he cometh up unto the people : when there shall be a coming up unto the people , and the enemy shall prevail , and when the figtree shall not blossom , nor the fruit be in the vine , the labor of the olive shall fail , and the field shall yield no meat , the flock shall be cut off from the fold , and there shall be no herd in the stalls , when things shall be brought into the most sad condition , that men shall be at their wits end and know not what in the world to do , then ( saith he ) i will rejoyce in the lord , i will joy in the god of my salvation . when god spake , then my belly trembled , and my lips quivered at the voice . yea , but when men came in the greatest rage , and when all things were dark and dismal , and black abroad , yet then did i rejoyce in the lord , and joy in the god of my salvation , all fear was gone then . men can rejoyce in the time of their prosperity , but in times of afflictions then they fear ? whereas those that fear the lord in their prosperity , in the times of their affliction then they most rejoyce . it 's a notable speech i remember i have read in nazianzen in his . oration ( saith he ) this is our care , that we are afraid of nothing more , than that we should fear any thing more than god , that 's his expression . here 's an excellent fear , here 's fear rightly set ; would you fear ? fear to fear any thing more than god , and then your fear is set right : but if you do not , &c. though men that have no fear of god they may seem to have bold spirits , and it seems to come through the greatness of their spirits , that they will not fear god , yet these men in the time of danger are the most base cowardly men in the world . i 'le give you a notable instance for this , manasses he was as proud an insolent man , that seem'd to be fearless of any threatning of god , scorn'd his prophets ; but mark , when he came into danger , in chron. . . where did they find manasses ? he was run into the bushes , this brave bold spirited man that dar'd god and his prophets , and car'd not for what was said , yet when he came into any danger , what a base low spirit he had ? he runs and hides himself in a company of bushes and bryars . this is the temper and guize of the spirits of men that will not fear god. they shall fear , because of the calves of beth-aven . you know what they were , those that jeroboam set up in dan and bethel , the golden calves . luther upon the place moves a question , what a wonderful thing is it ( saith he ) that jeroboam should be so bold , to set up calves to worship , when there 's that eminent story of gods revenging himself for the peoples worshiping a calf that aaron set up , that at one time cost the lives of twenty three thousand men which were slain , and yet that jeroboam should presume to set up calves again to worship ? it was a strange bold attempt saith luther , it was a wonderful thing that he should be so bold , and that he should prevail with the people . luther gives the answer to this question , thus : the truth is , there is nothing so horrible and vile but people in a little time will be brought to yield to it , if great ones by their example , and by their endeavor labor to set it up , it will be set up be it never so vile , never so abominable , yet people will be brought to it : that is his answer . and truly we find it so , that set people seem to abhor things never so much , yet if they find it be the sway of great ones , and if it be once set up in a way of power they yeeld to it : one would think it an impossible thing that now god having cast so much odium upon our prelates , one would think it impossible for the people of england ever to be brought to yeeld to them , and i make no question but many of you say so when you meet together ; but do not deceive your selves , if so be that those had prevailed that sought to prevail against us , we should quickly have the spirits of people turned in a moment , and as much for prelates and ceremonies , and altars ( for the generality of the people i mean ) as here they did to these calves again , though they had that sad story in their ears continually , of so many thousands that were slain for calves before . they shall fear , because of the calves of beth-aven . why , were there many calves at beth-aven ? indeed there were calves at dan and bethel , but there was but one at each of them . here beth-aven and bethel was all one , jeroboam was so subtil to set up the calf at bethel because the place took its name from god , but here the holy ghost calls it a house of beth-aven , because it signifies a house of vanity , or iniquity , god calls it by another name : we may call things by names that may hold up some honor and respect , but god will give another name to these things that we would fain put an honor upon . he cals it beth-aven , and the calves of beth-aven . why , was there many calves at beth-aven ? now the answer that some give is this : there was but one at bethel indeed ; but both bethel and dan may have the name bath-aven , ( for they are both houses of vanity ) and so called calves in respect of them both . or others thus ; the calves of beth-aven : as if the prophet should say , set up as many calves as you will , they shall not help you if you had a thousand of them . or rather as i find som , arias montanus with others , they are called the calves of beth-aven , because according to the example of the calf that was set up at beth-aven , their workmen did make other little ones , to be in their houses ; like as demetrius that was the silver-smith for diana , made shrines for diana's temple , it was demetrius's trade to make little kind of temples in silver , either to hang about their necks , or to be in their houses , or ornaments : so it was probable that the calf that was set up at bethaven had so much honor put upon it , as to have little things made with silver or gold according to their estates ; perhaps for mean men , little things made with wood ; and gentlemen with silver , and others with gold , like to those calves , and so had them in their families ; and therefore they are called calves in the plural number . and if this were so , we might have a good note from that : that the true worshipers of god should labor to bring the true worship of god into their families . they would bring the calf into their families , or houses ; so should we bring the ordinances of god into our families , bring the worship of god into our families , and not content our selves with publick worship , but have private worship too ; they did not content themselves with a calf abroad , but had them at home in their houses or families . and further there is a note from it , they are called the calves in the feminine gender , the she calves , that is in a way of contempt of them . the inhabitants of samaria shall fear , because of the calves of beth-aven . why the inhabitants of samariah ? the calves were not there . samaria was their chief city ; as london is to england , so samaria was the chief city to the ten tribes : and samaria shall fear . samaria was a very strong city : and when the assyrians came and carried away the ten tribes captive , they took all the country round about before they took samaria : it was with samaria as with london in these sad times : when there hath bin wars round about in england , london hath bin safe for these three years together : and so when there was wars in al israel , yet samaria continued safe ; yea , not only when some towns , but when every town was taken , samaria was so strong as to be able to endure a siege for three years together : thus you shall find in king. . . that the king of assyria came and besieged samaria three years : yet this it was , and yet the text saith , the inhabitants of samaria shall fear , because of the calves of beth-aven . that is , though they were a strong city , yet when we heard that their gods were taken away , yea , when they did but hear that bethel and dan were in danger to have their gods taken away , oh! they were sensible of this , though they were safe for their outward condition for the present , and had strength enough to resist the enemies , yet they were afraid : that is , there was a solicitous fear in them about the calves of bethaven before they were taken , and when they were taken their hearts were daunted , and knew not what in the world to do . so you see the meaning of the words : from whence the note is this : first , that in times of danger our hearts should be most solicitous about the worship of god. it was so in the time of their danger , their hearts were especially solicitous about bethel , oh! that was the place where they had the worship of their gods. so , are idolaters solicitous in time of danger , not so much because of their outward peace , ( it is not said that they were afraid because the enemies would come and take their corn , or their estates ) but beth-aven , where the calves were , they were afraid of that . when there is any danger that should go next to our hearts , the honor of god , his church , his ordinances : thus it was with old eli in sam. . . the text saith , that eli sat upon a seat by the way side watching ; for his heart trembled for the ark of god : why , he had his sons in the army , his heart did not tremble for them , and that if the enemies should prevail he was like to lose his estate , and there would come woful misery upon the land for the outward condition of it , no , but his heart trembled not for that , but for the ark of god. i appeal to you what was that which your hearts trembled most for in the time of our greatest danger ? was it for the ark of god ? was it because of his ordinances ? oh! if they prevail they will trample the ordinances of the lord and the saints of god under feet , the true worship of god , and the power of godliness , did your hearts tremble because of this ? certainly if your hearts were right they would do so : what , shall idolaters tremble because of their calves , and shall not we have our hearts tremble because of our god ? king. . . if thy people go out to battel against their enemies , whithersoever thou shalt send them , ( what should they do ? ) and look towards the city which thou hast chosen , and towards the house that i have built for thy name ; then hear thou in heaven . they when they are in prayer must look towards the city and the temple ; for the temple was a type of christ , so the city was a type of gods ordinances where the people went up to worship . oh! that should be in our eyes , the city where the ordinances of god are , when we go to war let that be in our eyes , and let that make us fight valiantly , and when we are praying to god , let us not pray so much that we may be delivered from our adversaries , as that the temple and the city of our god may be preserved . again , further ; in that it is said , the inhabitants of samaria should thus fear . from thence the note is . that cities that are strong and safe themselves , should be sensible of the miseries of others . oh! god knows how far we have been wanting in this very thing ; if a stranger should have come out of another country into london , and walk about the streets , could he have imagined that there were such civil wars in this ●and as there is , such wonderful desolations as hath been made in other parts ? oh! how little did we lay the afflictions of others to heart , because they were at some distance from us ? oh! the mercy of our god that hath not brought us into the same evils and miseries , this one sin had been enough to have provok'd god against us , because we were so little sensible of other countries and cities that were about us . this wicked samaria , yet when they heard that bethel and dan , and their other cities , when they heard what dangers they were in , oh! they were mightily affected with it . learn we from hence to be humbled for our want this way , and if ever the lord should yet try us further , let us learn to be sensible of the miseries of others that are about us . lastly , they are afraid because of their calves : when their calves are gone , all their confidence is gone , and then their hearts are over-whelmed with fear . there is no staidness of heart in resting upon any thing but upon the living god. they that stay themselves upon any thing else , if any afflictions or dangers falls out , their hearts are fill'd with fear presently . when men have nothing to rest upon but their own inventions , their own waies , no mervail though they fear in times of danger : they begin to bethink now that all is vanity to them that they rested upon ; yea , the service of god that men in times of prosperity can rest upon and can satisfie their consciences withal , yet in time of danger it will not do , no inventions of men , nor no external duties of religion , especially such as are mixt with superstition , they will not uphold the heart in times of danger , but the heart will be overwhelmed ; it 's only the confidence in the living god , the union of our souls with jesus christ , and enjoyment of communion with him in his own ordinances that can comfort our souls in time of danger . but it 's said of the godly in psal . . . he shall not be afraid of evil tydings : his heart is fixed , trusting in the lord. his heart is established and he shall not be afraid . it 's again repeated , let evil tydings , come what will , his heart is fixed , because he trusts in the lord. it follows . for the people thereof shall mourn over it . the people thereof ] here he speaks about the calf of beth-aven in the singular number , for so i find it 's refer'd by most interpreters , the people of the calf . ( of it ) not of samaria . from thence the note would be thus , that wicked men , idolaters did dedicate themselves to their idols , they are the people of the idol . those that were the very peculiar of god and his treasure , the people of god , now they are called the people of the calf , for they have none to go to for help but only that idol of theirs ; they had forsaken god. and it 's said , that they yet mourn over it . though certainly at first , the setting up of the calf could not but be a very strange thing to the people of israel , yet within a while after they were used to it , they did worship it , and it took their very consciences , so as they loved it , and when it was taken away they mourn'd and were in extream distress and trouble . idolaters they do mourn when their false worship is taken from them . at this day , my brethren , how do many mourn after their superstitious vanities , their superstitious customs that they were wont to have ? now prelates , and service-book , and altars , and such kind of things are taken away , when they come to meet together , oh! now all religion is gone : so they perswade poor people in remote parts , that the parliament hath taken away all religion ; and there is a great mourning in their spirits , they think they know not how in the world to serve god if their book be taken away from them : and i make no question it hath been a cause that many have taken up arms , meerly to defend such superstitious vanities and customs that they were wont to have . their burialls for the dead as they were wont to have , oh! they mourn for this , and they would almost as lieve lose their lives as such kind of things as these are . i remember i have read of the indians that were wont to worship an apes tooth , it was a religious relick among them , and it was taken from them , and there was a great mourning among them , so that they came and offered a very great price , that was valued at thousands to redeem but their apes tooth that was taken from them , because it was a religious relick . and so we have men this day , though their superstitious vanities and customs be no better than a very apes tooth , yet they mourn over them and would be willing to part with a great proportion of their estate to redeem them again , they mourn after their calves . oh! how should we mourn after the true worship of god then , how deer should that be to our souls ? for calves , superstitious relicks , and customs , apes teeth , and such things be so deer to idolaters , oh! those ordinances of god in which our souls have met with so much soul-refreshings , and communion with god , and so much of the spirit of god let out to our souls through them . such enlightenings by them , oh! how should we mourn after them ? you that have gotten any thing by the word . by the ordinances of god , that ever hath known what it hath been to have communion with god in them , you should think with your selves , if these should be taken from me , then i should have cause to mourn indeed : i have lost much of my estate , and my friends many of them are lost , and these are cause of mourning , oh! but if i should lose the ordinances , and worship of god , oh! what cause would there be then of mourning ? it follows . and the priests thereof that rejoyced on it . the priests they especially mourn . the word that is here translated priests , it is in the hebrew chemarims , and i find it signifies three things the word from whence it comes . chemar signifies to sound out , and so some think that it is they are call'd chemarims , because of their clamorous sounds that they were wont to have in their superstitious worship : just as we were wont to have bellowing in their cathedrals , so they were wont to have , and therefore they were call'd chemarims , because of their mighty noises and sounds that they were wont to have . secondly , it signifies , to burn , or to be hot . aud so luther ( i find ) takes the word , and saith , that they were called chemarims from their burning desires after their waies of false worship . but i rather think there is a third , that signifies to be black from burning ; because those things that are burnt , they are made black . when the flame first takes hold upon a thing it makes it black : and so chemarims are as much as black ones , or indeed black coats ; they were wont to be known by their black garments , and therfore they are called by the name chemarims , because of their black garments that they were wont to use : and i find in king. . . that this word that is here priests , is there idolatrous priests , it 's the same word . those black-coats that were then , they accounted it a kind of religion to go in black , from thence they would have the name . and though certainly it 's fit for the ministers of the gospel to go gravely , and decently , and not to express lightness and vanity in their garments , yet to put a kind of superstition upon black , as upon necessity they must wear black coats , and no other garments will serve the turn : as heretofore th●re was a kind of superstitious vanity put on it . now though gravity be required in their very ●arments , yet to stand so much upon the very colour there may be danger in it , and those that are look'd upon as religious men that should differ any way from others , that they should be tied and bound to it , i say , this there is an evil in it ▪ they were wont to do so here : and so almost all your heathens and superstitious people they had alwaies a special colour for the garments of their priests ; as the turks have their green for the colour of the garments of their priests . but thus much only for the name chemarims . their priests that rejoyced . rejoyce ] that is , they that did exult over the calves , oh! the priests , the calves made for them , they got the king to be on their side , and they made the calves brave , and they had brave kind of worship about it , and many pompous ceremonies about it , and the priests they gloried in this , for they had a special hand in all , and because they had the countenance of authority for their calves , that they were able to crush any that spake against them , they exulted the text saith . but now there 's a threatning , that they shall mourn , those priests that did so glory in their calves , as who were they that did glory so much in pompous altars and other braveries but your priests ? they exulted and had all under them , and would quickly crush a man that should not yield to them , they did even brave it over all , and did even call themselves sometimes the triumphant clergie , just like your chemarims ; but now here they were like to lose all , and they should mourn over them . polanus upon this very place , for their fat livings , and parsonages , and such places , our prelates , for their prebendaries , and deanaries , and bishopricks , and such kind of preferments : oh! how do they mourn this day for the loss of these things ? thus they that did so rejoyce to expect preferment , they are gone now , oh! the world is at an end with them , and they mourn one to another because of the loss of such things as these are : and long may they mourn upon this ground . we reade in revel . . these kind of people just set forth , that upon the fall of babylon the text saith , that the merchants of the earth shall weep and mourn over her : for no man buyeth their merchandize any more . and then in the . verse , the fruits that thy soul lusteth after are departed from thee : and in the . verse , the merchants of these things which were made rich by her , stood a far off , weeping and wailing . those that were made rich by the whore of babylon stand a far off , weeping and wailing . and so those that were made rich by the prelates , and superstitious vanities , they stand a far off , weeping and wailing ; and blessed be god that we see them to mourn that did so triumph and rejoyce over the people of god , but god hath made such a change of things as now they hang down their heads and mourn , even because of their calves that are taken from them . for the glory thereof is departed . they sought to make them as glorious as they could , and they accounted them very glorious . now shall wicked men , idolaters account their idol worship glorious , oh! how glorious should the worship of god be in our eyes , the true spiritual worship of god ? let the true ministers of god learn not to glory in the flesh , but desire to know nothing but jesus christ , and him crucified . the glory thereof is departed . ] for divers years together the worship of the calves had a great deal of glory put upon them , but it went away . and so you know what glory was upon our prelates and such kind of worship , as they of late set up , but the glory is departed . and look to it , what ever inventions of men are , if it be not gods , the glory will depart from it . ver . . it shall be also carried unto assyria for a present to king jareb . what king jareb was you heard in the fifth chapter : and his name signifies an helper , as a trophe . as now the king of france , the most christian king. and so our king , the defender of the faith. and so king jareb , the helper . now the calves are to be sent to king jareb , that was their help . some think that they sent it for a present ; but the text will not bear that , but his soldiers taking dan and bethel they rejoyced in getting the calves , and sends them to king jareb as a trophe unto him , as that which they knew he would much rejoyce in , they rested much upon king jareb as a help unto them , and now their kind of religion , their very religion is at jarebs dispose , for he hath now the calves in his hand to do with them what he will. from thence briefly our note is this : our depending upon men for help , is deerly bought , if it comes to that , that they shall have the dispose of our religion . jareb was their helper , and they would have him to help them ; but now their calves are sent to him for a present , and jareb hath the dispose of them for their religion that they had . and then the second note is this . in that they were sent to the king as a present that he would rejoyce in . that it is the way of idolaters , to rejoyce much when they get one anothers gods . as when the philistims got the ark , they rejoyced much , they carried it to dagons temple . also the enemies of the church will rejoyce much if they can get the power to trample upon our religion ; they will rejoyce much if they can get your estates , but they wil rejoyce more if they can do what they will with you in the point of your religion , oh! this would be that which would make them glad at the very heart that they could dispose of us for our religion , oh! let us know this beforehand that may make us cry to god the more earnestly , that the lord what ever he gives them power over , that he would not give them power over our religion ; for that 's the thing that they most aim at . ephraim shall receive shame . hierom upon the place hath this tradition of the jews . ( i 'le but name it to you ) he saith , ( that it was received among them ) that the priests of the calves had taken away the golden calves and put up calves of brass instead of them and only gilt them over with gold , and now the king of israel when he was in straights sent these calves to king jareb for a present to pacifie his anger , now when he had sent these calves the king of assyria made account that they were calves of gold , but afterwards when he found that they were of brass , he sent messengers to the king of israel to tell him how he had but cozened him , and upon that , oh the king and all the people were ashamed . but this is but a tradition of theirs , and not very probable . but this i rather take to be the truth of it . they were ashamed because of their own counsels . that is , their hopes first shall fail them , and they shall see their counsels that they took shall come to nothing , and this shal cause shame and confusion of face upon them . the ten tribes shall receive shame . failing in our hopes that make us to be ashamed . they had good hopes they should prevail because of their calves , but now their calves are taken from them , and now they are ashamed , in job . . . they were confounded , because they had hoped ; they came thither , and were ashamed : they hoped to have relief , but had not , and therefore they were ashamed ; the disappointment of hopes causes great shame . oh then ! what shame and confusion will there be at the great day when we shall be disappointed of our last hopes ? if we had been disappointed of our hopes now in respect of our adversaries , oh! what shame would have been upon the people of god , our adversaries they would have cast shame upon us , and said , what 's become of your fastings and prayers ? as it 's like the assyrians did when they took the calves , oh! now we have got your gods ( say they ) and upon this the people were ashamed : and so if our adversaries had prevailed they would have scorn'd in the like manner . my brethren , we have cause to bless the lord from our souls that he hath delivered us from such a temptation , from such a temptation lest we should be ashamed of our hopes , though the truth is , if we had right we should not have been ashamed , for our hopes was not so much in the saving of our estates as this , that god would own his cause in the conclusion , and so our hopes would not have fail'd ; i but if our hopes had but seemed to have failed in outward appearance , that the enemy should have prevailed , i say , it would have been a mighty temptation for us to have been ashamed of our hopes , oh! blessed be god for preventing this , that the lord hath not made his people to be ashamed of their hopes , and prayers . the ministers of god can stand up and look comfortably in the congregations , because they put on people , and encouraged the hearts of people in this cause ; and they have comfort to their souls in this , that when things were at the lowest yet still they could have their hopes in god , and beleeve yet in god that he would go on in such a cause as this is , and the lord hath not caused the expectation of his poor people to fail . but if it be shame ( i say ) now for the present to be disappointed of some hopes , oh! remember upon all your disappointment of hopes , oh! what shame would it be before men and angels if it should prove that any soul in this place should be so disappointed of their last hopes ? thou hast hope of salvation , and of eternal life , and if it should prove when all secrets are to be made publick before the lord jesus and his angels , if then it should prove that all thy hopes were dash'd , what would become of thee ? it is the prayer of david , o lord , let me not be disappointed of my hope . let that be thy prayer , especially in regard of thy last hopes . in joh. . . abide in him , that when he shall appear we may have confidence , and not be ashamed before him at his coming . oh! that 's the comfort of the saints , that they shall not be ashamed at the coming of jesus christ : and many that are not ashamed now yet at the coming of jesus christ , oh! the shame that shall be cast upon them ? but the main emphasis lies in the words that follow . israel shall be ashamed of his own counsels . now what was that counsel ? what ? why it was this counsel : . the counsel that was between jeroboam & his princes and the priests , together with some eminent of the people , for the setting up of the way of false worship . and secondly , for the forcing of al men that belonged to the ten tribes to forbear going to jerusalem . this was thought a notable plot , a notable counsel , they thought this was the only counsel to keep things in peace among them . why ( say they ) if we shall suffer men , that every one that hath a fancy in his head , that they shall go to jerusalem to worship , we shall have nothing but confusion , and therefore let us take such a course that people shall have a place to worship in , that they worship thus ; it is but only some people that are so strict that they must needs worship in jerusalem , and therefore let us determine this , that we will have a constant way that every one shall be bound unto , and we will have no more going to this jerusalem to worship , but they shall be content to worship at dan and bethel , and this will keep things in peace . now this counsel seem'd to be a fine plot to keep things in order . but saith the lord , they shall be ashamed of it ; though they think they have wise men , that do thus advise , sage men , and some men it may be that seem to have some good in them too , and stand for peace : thus it was a counsel cried up mightily , yet the lord he sits in heaven and laughs at this counsel , and saith he , they shall be ashamed of their counsels ; perhaps now whilst they are let go on and carry all before them , they bless themselves in their counsel , and think it is a very excellent plot , and god favors it ; but when my time shall come , when they shall see what evil it brings upon them , then they shall be ashamed of their counsels . from thence there 's these two notes ; first , that mens own counsels bring them to shame , especially in matters of religion . secondly , that men are strong in their own counsels , till they see some eminent evil to come of them , and then they will be convinced and ashamed , but not before . to speak a little of each of these . mens own counsels bring shame to them , especially in religion . for men naturally are very blind in the things of god , they do not see far in them ; mens hearts are ful of corruption , they are byassed by their corruptions ; seeing there 's much self-love in men . if there be any appearance that is mens own , that 's much regarded , a great deal more than truth that is another mans ; if it be their own they mind that , but let another man speak that which hath truth , that 's little regarded . there is in mens hearts much violence to maintain their own counsels , and therefore very like that their counsels will bring them to shame . there 's nothing that men can bear to be contradicted in , less than in their counsels . and the more men are set upon their own counsels the more it is like to bring shame in the conclusion . and besides , there 's a judgment of god upon mens spirits , that if they will set upon their own counsels , i say , there 's ordinarily a judgment of god upon men to leave them to folly when they rest upon their own counsels : and it 's threatned in psal . . . as a great jugment of god upon men , to give them up to their counsels . saith god , they would not hearken to my counsel , therefore did i give them up to their own counsel : oh! it 's a terrible place : i beseech you consider of it ; these are times wherein every one is plotting , oh! tremble at that text ; i gave them up unto their own covnsels : mens own counsels bring them to shame , often times they come to nothing ; after they have made a great deal of do , and they will do this , and they will go on ; at length it comes to nothing , so that they are fain to sit down and there 's an end of all their labor and stir , perhaps they have labored to put on their counsels by much evil , much sin , much heart burning , and when it comes to all , there it lies , there 's an end of it ; thus they are ashamed of their counsels . yea , many times the counsels of men work quite contrary ; god doth much glory in this , in making use of mens own counsels to bring them into snares . what hath brought our adversaries into snares but their own counsels ? what brought the prelates down but their own counsels ? so that they would bite their very fingers for what they did in their protestation . god hath been pleased to deal thus graciously for us , to bring our enemies into snares by their own counsels : in job , . . 't is verified of many that their own counsels have cast them down . and psal . . toward the latter end , the wicked is snared in the work of his own hands : higgajon selah . you have not those two words put together in all the book of god besides . that is , oh! 't is a thing to be meditated on very much , the wicked is snar'd in the work of his own hands . oh! think of this , consider of this , oh! the work of god in bringing men down by their own counsells ( saith the text . ) and just it may be so ; for men provoke god by their counsels , in psalm . . . oh! the lord looks upon the counsels of men , and is much provoked by them , and therefore just it is with him to make their counsels to be a snare so to them , as that they should be ashamed of them at the last . it concerns us therefore ( my brethren ) to look to our counsels what they are . i 'le give you a few rules about your counsels that you may not be ashamed of them . first , keep out from your counsels those things that would hinder you . . be sure to keep out of your counsels your false principles , be not acted in your counsels by false principles . . keep out of your counsels wicked men , take heed that they do not joyn with you in your counsels , in job . . . their good is not in their hand : the counsel of the wicked is far from me . and so in job , . . oh! keep out wicked men from your counsels . . keep out your own ends , take heed how they come in : if any of a mans ends come into his counsels , they wil warp then . . keep out of your counsels conceiptedness , and pride ; when you come to counsel , oh take heed of a conceited spirit , in leaning to your own understanding ; god doth use to blast such . . keep out of your counsels flesh and blood . i consulted not with flesh and blood , saith paul in the first chap. to the galatians : i did not look unto carnal excellency , but laid aside all carnal kind of excellency ; they would have advised me to this and this , and i should never have done as i did if i had consulted with flesh and blood . . yea , keep out of your counsels passion and frowardness . in job , . . he taketh the wise in their own craftiness ; and the counsel of the froward is carried headlong . if once you find in your counsels your hearts begin to be hot , rather break off ; take heed of such resolutions in your counsels as are in a heat : it 's a safe way for you if you would consult about business of moment , assoon as there begins to be a heat , rather fall to prayer ; we had need of cool and quiet spirits when we are consulting : as if you would weigh a thing exactly with gold scals ( as in councels we should weigh things very exactly ) you would not weigh in the midst of a wind : when mens passions begin to be up they weigh things as a man should weigh gold abroad in the wind : but you cannot weigh exactly . oh! take heed of passion in your councels . divers other things there are that spoyl our councels that we should be aware of . and if we would have our councels right , then observe these further rules in your councels : . be sure to look up first to jesus christ that great counsellor . he is called in isa . . the covnsellor : it 's he that is wonderful in counsel : god hath given a stile to his son to be the counsellor , he is to be the counsellor of thy soul for thy eternal estate , yea , and to be thy counsellor for all matters of religion , and the worship of god , look up to him . and pray much . if you would not have your counsels miscarry , pray much . in prov. . . counsel is mine ( saith wisdom . ) it 's spoken of christ . it 's very observable that some note of the counsel of achitophel , and the counsel of hushai : the counsel of achitophel , the truth is , if we examine it , it was the wiser counsel of both , and absalom loved achitophel exceedingly , and his counsel was ordinarily accounted as the oracle of god , yet at such a time ( because god had an intent to bring down his counsel ) that was rejected , and the counsel of hushai was imbrac'd , and he did hear the prayer of david when he prayed ▪ lord turn the counsel of achitophel into folly . and let us pray much that god would be with our counsellors , that there may be none there that may be like those that are spoken of in ezek. . . these are they that give evil counsel in the city , and that likewise the lord would sway counsels , and that men may yeeld to that that is the safest and the best counsel , to that that is best in the eyes of god. many times when a company meet together , there are som things that are darted in that are neglected by the company , whereas if god were with them , to guide them , that thing ( it may be ) would sway all their counsels : and pray much , guide me with thy counsel , and so bring me to glory , psalm . . . oh! especially in matters that concern our souls and religion , we should pray much that god would guide us by his counsel , and so bring us to glory . . if you would have your counsels right , let the fear of god be strong in your hearts when you come to counsel . oh! it 's a good thing when any are going to counsel about matters of consequence , that they would prepare their hearts before they go with the possession of the fear of the great god upon their hearts , and then they will counsel well : you have a notable scripture for this in ezra , . . come , let us go to do according to the counsel of my lord , and of those that tremble at the commandement of our god. it may be there are some that have deeper reaches than they have ; i , but have they the fear of god in them ? there is hope that they are guided by the lord , and therefore let us do according to the counsel of those that tremble at gods word ; do you see a man whose heart is possess'd with the fear of god and his word ? if his parts be but ordinary you may expect that god will be with him rather than with those that are bold and presumptuous , and slight the word of god. . in your counsels ( especially in matters of religion ) be sure to look at the word ; and think not thus , in way of reason and prudence such a way were better , and would conduce for peace : as i remember luther hath such an expression , reason is a most deadly enemy even to faith , it is dangerous to reason matter of faith. and so in the matters of the worship of god , there 's a great deal of danger . keep to the word therefore in all your counsels , and labor for sincerity of heart in all your counsels : this is that that makes men miscarry in their counsels , their hearts are byassed with some lust or other , and therefore when any thing is spoken to them that is sutable to what they have a mind to , that they imbrace ; and if any thing be spoken to them that is otherwise , that they reject : oh! it 's just with god to answer thee according to the idol that is set up in thy own heart . . in all thy counsels , take heed of being put off with some fair shews . when the lord is leaving any , yet he will suffer those that give evil counsel to mix a great many good things with that which is evil : as some that will put a few brass shillings into a great bag of money , the other is all good currant money , yea but here 's some brass shillings put amongst it . so sometimes in the midst of a great deal of good counsel , there is a little mixture that may turn all : therefore those that would counsel , especially the publick affairs , they had need have their eyes about them , and poise every word and line , and examine every particular , or otherwise they may quickly come to be asham'd of their own counsel . there are many rules might further be given . . god hath promised to direct the humble , therefore come with humility in your counsels , and be sure in what is right to follow : and then you may with the more confidence expect god should help you in other things . . consult with indifferent judgment . . if the thing touch others , think what we would have if we were in their case . . whether it may not cost too dear , though good . consider whether the attaining of it , though good , may not occasion so much evil , as it is not worth it : if it be not of present necessity ( non deliberand . de necessariis ) the rubs attending it may shew it is not good at this time , or not thus , or not for me . they shall be ashamed of their own counsels . when they are come to times of affliction they shall be ashamed of their own counsels . times of affliction makes men asham'd of what they would not be asham'd of before , jer. . . zeph. . . i remember a notable expression that sr. walter rawleigh hath in his story ; when death comes ( saith he ) which hates men and destroies men , when that comes , that 's beleeved ; but god that loves men , and makes men , he is not regarded . oh eloquent ! oh! mighty death ! whom none could advise , thou art able to perswade . that 's thus , men that would never be perswaded by any thing else to beleeve that they were not right , yet when death appears that can perswade them : now afflictions are an evil , but how eloquent are afflictions ? what power have afflictions to perswade men that they were wrong , that would not be perswaded by all the arguments in the world before ? then they shall be ashamed of their own counsels . oh! i beseech you let us take heed of this , let not us go on headily in our own counsels till god bring us into misery , and then we should be forced to cry out of our own counsels and be ashamed of them . ver . . as for samaria her king is cut off , as the foam upon the water . as for samaria her king is cut off , as the foam upon the waters . before god threatned that they should be ashamed of their counsels , and what that counsel was i told you . asham'd of our counsel , we hope not , we shall maintain it , our king is for us , he will venture his life , his kingdom , but he will maintain us in our way . your king ( saith the prophet ) he shall be as foam upon the water , even the king of samaria . yea , but our king is in a strong town , in samaria , a great city , and such a strong city as was able to hold siege for three yeers together ; and yet the king of samaria though he had gotten the chief city in the kingdom to be fully for him , and so much victuals and strength as he could hold out for three yeers , yet ( saith the lord ) he shall be as the foam upon the waters . as foam . the word that is translated foam , sometimes signifies the foam that is in a man that is extreamly angry , so you have it in zach. . . oh the king when he was crost he was in a foam . your king that is crost and doth foam in anger when he is crost , he shall be as foam upon the water ( saith god. ) now the note that is from hence it is this ; that ungodly men in their greatest power and rage , yet if god comes upon them , are nothing but as foam , are poor weak creatures that vanish and come to nothing . the foam when the waters makes a noise , is above it , and hath a great shew above the waters , but stay a while and it is vanish'd and comes to nothing . your king that rages and is above others , and thinks he hath a great deal of power ; stay a while he comes to nothing . the scripture compares men in their greatest power to things of the greatest vanity ; there are in scripture , that i 'le mention to you , a matter of . or . several particulars wherein the scripture compares men in their greatest power , unto that which hath nothing but vanity : yea there are such expressions in scripture , to set out the meanness , vileness , and baseness of men in the greatest power , that it would make christians that understand scripture , & that is of the same judgment w th their father , with god , as he hath reveal'd himself in his word , never to be afraid of the power of men . i 'le name them distinctly to you thus : first , the scripture sometimes calls even kings and great ones , a meer noise , nothing more , in jeremiah , . . pharaoh king of aegypt , is but a noise . that 's the first . secondly , they are but as small dust , in isa . . . the multitude of thy strangers shall be like small dust . yea , thirdly , they are but as chaff , in the same place isa . . . the terrible ones shall be as chaff that passeth away in an instant . who would be afraid of a noise , smal dust , and chaff ? fourthly , they are as nothing , in isa . . . behold , all they that are incensed against thee , shall be as nothing . fiftly , they are as tow ; put a little fire to tow and it quickly comes to nothing . in isa . . . sixthly , they are as dung , in psal . . . as the dung of the earth . seventhly , they are as straw that is troden for dung , in isa . . . as straw troden for the dunghil . eightly , they are compared sometimes to a beast that hath a hook in his nostrils , in isa . . god will put a hook in his nostrils ; now who would be afraid of a beast that hath a hook put into his nostrils ? ninthly , they are as stubble , and as stubble fully dry , ready for the fire , in nahum . . . tenthly , they are as rottenness , and their root is rottenness isa . . . and then , they are as scum , in ezek. . . and as scum ready for the fire . and then again , they are as smoke in psal . . . they are as smoke that is drie . and then they are as grass , as green grass , as grass on the house tops , and as corn blasted before it is grown up ; all these you have together in isa . . . and then they are as wax that melts before the fire , in psal . . . yea , they are as the fat of lambs , in psal . . . they are as a worm , in job , . . they are vanity , lighter than vanity , altogether in their best estate vanity , psal . . . they are as snow melting before the sun. in job , . . they are as the light of a candle that is presently put out prov. . . and then lastly , they are a lye : even great men and princes , for it 's spoken of them in psal . . . thus my brethren , we see how the scripture heaps up expression upon expression . it might have been very profitable to have insisted upon al these particulars , and to have opened them , to shew you how contemptibly the holy-ghost doth speak of men in their great power . now if we could gather these scriptures together , and put them all into one , and so present the power of great men to us , and by these things have the same judgment of them that god hath , it would mightily help us from the fears of men . as for samaria her king is cut off as the foam upon the waters . ver . . the high places also of aven , the sin of israel shall be dedestroyed : the thorn and the thistle shall come up upon their altars . i confess from th●se words to the end of the eleventh verse , there appears at the first reading , much obscurity ; yet they are like unto a mine , that the out-side of it is barren , but dig within , and you shall find rich treasure . israel , the ten tribes did confide in two things , and so strengthened themselves against what the prophet could say against them ; the first was in the power of their king , now that 's gon , that 's as foam , saith god , never confide there in the power of the king , and think that will bear you out , for he shall be as foam . but the second was their sacrifices that they offered , and their devotion , their religion , they were a religious people , and they were very costly in their devotion , they confided much in that : well for the second , saith the lord , the high places of aven , the sin of israel shall be destroyed , the thorn and the thistle shall come up on their altars . though they were never so pompous in their eyes , yet they are the high places of aven ; they were called before beth-aven [ the house of vanitie , ] now it is called aven , [ vanitie it self : ] that place was no other than bethel , whose name signified the house of god , where one of the ca●ves was set up ; now the name of this place did a great deal of hurt among the people ; oh! to go up to bethel , the house of god ; therefore god would take away that name , and calls it beth-aven first , and then calls it aven , that is , instead of calling it the house of god , i will have it called the house vanitie , yea , vanitie it self . aven signifieth vanitie , yea iniquitie it self ; from whence note , that god stands much upon taking people off from specious and glorious names , that are put upon any things that are made use of in ways of false worship , he stands much upon it for , whereas before he had changed it from bethel to beth-aven , he changes it now from beth-aven to aven ; god would obliterate the name of bethel , and would make it to be accounted by the people to be nothing but iniquitie and vanitie . as for the high places , we have spoken to formerly . the sin of israel . the sin , that is , in the very abstract , sin ; 't is more than if he should say , the sinfull things of israel , the very sin of israel . the more any thing comes to have the nature of sin , the more vile and abominable it is . therefore god expresseth it by an expression that should come as near the nature of sin it self , as he could to make it abominable . their sin , that is their idolatrous worship . their false worship , it is the great sin ; and it was the greater sin in isrrel , because that their holiness did especially consist in instituted worship , their holiness was typical , and much stood in instituted worship ; it 's true , god would have true holiness if ever they came to heaven , but that holiness upon which they were called , a holy people , it was in their instituted worship , and it was typical , to set forth the true holiness that should be in all the members of the church now , therefore god was much provoked with their polutions in instituted worship , their holiness consisted so much in it . and then further , in that their idols , and their creatures that they abused to sin are here call'd , their sin , the sin of israel . you may note that , we may so abuse the creatures of god as not only to make them sinful to us , but even to turn them into sin ( as it were ; ) thus many men abuse their bodies so that they may be call'd sin its self . well , that which they accounted holy you see god he accounts not only sinful , but sin , and saith it shall be destroyed . it shall be destroyed . when any ordinances of god are abused , they are but to be purged . but if they be inventions of men they are to be destroyed . they shall be destroyed , the sin of israel shall be destroyed . we must learn for ever to take heed of medling with , or putting any thing of our own in the place of gods worship , we may think in reason this may be good , as well as that , we see no evil in this , why may not this way be as good as that way ? yea , but god he looks upon things according as he himself requires them : and therefore calvin i remember upon this place ( saith ) god he pronounces that sin and sacriledg , and would have it destroyed , those things that may please us ; let us therefore rest in his judgment , it 's not our part to dispute ( saith he ) about matters of worship , we must not dispute , & say , why may not this be ? and this may be for a good use , and a great deal of good may come of it , we must not stand disputing with god , and debating the matter with god , for though it may be very specious in our eyes , yet it may be very odious and abominable to the eyes of god. it shall be destroyed . even all those things that evil men makes use of for sin shall one day be taken from them , you shall not alwaies have the creatures of god to abuse them to sin , there will be a time when god will deliver his creatures from this vanity that they are subject to . and then lastly . they shall be destroyed . mans sin brings destruction upon the creatures . it is as poyson in a glass that causes the glass to be broken and cast upon the dunghil . the thorn and the thistle shall come up on their altars . this expression is , to note , the great vastation that shall be made in those places where they had altars in bethel : ( especially , samaria being besieged for . years together . ) the enemies had bethel in their own hands and they manifested their rage upon their altars , and upon all their religious things presently , they pull'd them down and made them lie in heaps of rubbish , that in the space of three yeers the very thistles and thorns grew up in the place where they had their alters . it 's a usual expression of the devastation of a place , that the grass shall grow where their houses were , shall corn grow where the city was , here there shall be thistles and thorns grow where their altars were . and secondly , it 's an expression of indignation , as if god should have said , i 'le take more delight to see the thorns and thistles grow out of the very rubbish of the altars than of all the images and brave pictures and gildings that are about them . just as if it should have been said about the service-book , oh now you honor it much , and it must be bound bravely , and gilt bravely , and strung curiously , if one should have said about seven or eight yeers ago , this that you do so idolize now , within a while it shall be but wast papers , it shall be thrown to the mice and rats to eat , this would have been an expression of indignation against it . obs . first , if it be sad that places of false worship should not be frequented as formerly they were wont to be , how much more sad is it that places of true worship should be neglected ? as thus , they were wont to go to bethel to worship with their altars : yea , but saith god , they shall go no more thither , but those places shall be fill'd with nettles , thorns , and and thistles ; they accounted that sad . yea , but we should account it sad that the pathes to the true worship of god should not be beaten , as in former times where there was an altar ( as it were ) for the worship of god , those places that were frequented much ; but had our adversaries had their wills we should have had those paths that were wont to be beaten to the true worship of god , to have had nettles and thorns grown up in them . secondly , if it be so sad to have such an ill succession here in false worship , sad to false worshipers , what sadness is there for the true worshipers of god to have an ill succession in the church ? truly much like me thinks it is , when there hath been in a place a godly and a powerful ministry , and afterwards for the sins of the people god takes it away , and instead of a powerful ministry there comes up a pricking thorn , a bryar , a thistle , a nettle , there comes an unworthy man of no gifts or gra●es , but only can gall and prick , and do hurt and mischief , this is a succession like to the succession that god here threatned , that there should be thistles and thorns succeed their altars . and hierom upon the place seems to hint some such kind of meditation , he saith , instead of true doctrine , there shall be a wilderness of very corrupt doctrine , where there was true doctrine taught , now it shall lie wast as a wilderness , and corrupt doctrine shall be taught instead of true . thirdly , god doth account the ruin of the most glorious things abused to sin , a more pleasing object , than when those things were in the greatest pomp and glory . brave building , and brave altars when they were rubbish and grown over with thorns , and bryars , god lookt upon them as more glorious . and so if a man hath a very beautiful comely body and abuse it to sin , when god shall strike him , and he shall be a filthy rotten carkass that the worms shall be gnawing upon , when he shall be covered with worms as a filthy carkass , god will look upon that as a more lovely sight than to see his body deck'd with all kind of ornaments . better that the creature perish than to have it abused to sin , though it be the most glorious creature in the world . and then lastly , those things that men account highly of in the matters of worship , when god lets in their enemies they contemn them . they accounted highly of their calves , but when the assyrians came they contemn'd them , and pull'd them down , and made them rubbish . it 's not only so in matters of false worship , but in matters of true ; those things that we highly esteem and bless god for , and we think what infinite pity it is that they should not be continued , yet if god should let our adversaries in they would scorn us . as now , such liberties as these are , what infinite pity were it that people should be deprived of them , but if god should let our adversaries in upon us they would scorn and contemn these things , as the assyrians did contemn those things that the israelites did account to be as god. it follows . they shall say to the mountains , cover us , and to the hills , fall on us . this is an expression to shew , first , the dreadfulness of their misery . it should be such a great misery as should make them be weary of their lives , should make them rather desire death than life . secondly , it is to note the wonderful desperation that in the apprehension and sence of this their misery they had no whither to go for help , but their hearts should dispair , and all the help that they should expect was , to have the mountains fall upon them , and the hills to cover them . now this expression i find christ makes use of in the setting out the misery of the destruction of the jews by the romans afterwards , in luke , . . and so i find the holy ghost in expressing the misery of the antichristian party , when the wrath of god should come out upon them , their misery shall be so great , as to cry to the mountains to fall upon them , and the hills to cover them , in revel . . . there the princes and the great men , and mighty men , and captains , they call upon the mountains to fall upon them and the hills to cover them . i remember reverend mr. brightman upon that very scripture interpreting , the great men , and the mighty men calling to the mountains to fall upon them , and the hills to cover them , he saith , that it was fulfil'd in the time of constantine , when the heathen emperors were vanquished , and he doth interpret it upon dioclesian that he was so terrified in apprehension of the wrath of the lamb that christ did appear against him , that he drank poyson and kild himself . and maximian ended his life with a haltar , and hanged himself . galerius died of a most noisom and filthy disease . maximinus that he might prevent his death he likewise murdered himself . and so maxentius ran into the bottom of tiberis to hide himself there . and thus they did seek by several waies to hide themselves from the sight of the lamb by violent deaths . i suppose all of you do understand cleerly that it is meant an expression of great anguish and desperation ; but yet that we may see why the holy ghost makes use of this expression rather than others , and to find out the reason of it , you must know that the expression doth arise from hence ; the land of canaan ( where the prophet here prophesies ) it was a land full of mountains and hills , and these mountains were stony and rocky ( many of them ) and they were wont therefore to dig places in the mountains that were stony and rocky for safety in case they should be in any great danger , to dig such holes that they may run into , and that by their narrow passage they might be able to keep out an enemy from them ; and therefore i remember i find in josephus . book of antiquities , . chap. and so his book of the jewish wars , the . book , and . chap. he saith , that those that were theeves and robbers they would make use of such caves and dens in the mountains and hills ; and now to these the scripture doth allude , and by this you may be helped to understand divers places of scripture , in isa . . . and they shall go into the holes of the rocks , and into the caves of the earth , for fear of the lord , and for the glory of his majesty , when he arises to shake terribly the earth . they should go then into the holes of the rocks and caves of the earth , for they were wont to use such things there much . and so that scripture in psal . . . in the lord put i my trust : how say ye to my soul , flee as a bird to your mountain ? in times of danger they were wont to flee to those mountains . and so in psal . . . i will lift up mine eyes unto the hills from whence cometh my help : not only to the temple , but to the hills , because in time of danger they were wont to think of the hills : but ( saith david ) i lift up my heart to god , and that shall be to me instead of an hundred holes in hills . and in psal . . . thy righteousness is like the great mountains . it 's not only because the mountains stand steadily and strongly , but because the mountains were places of refuge and shelter . so the saints have refuge in the faithfulness of god , as they did run to the holes in the mountains , and therefore god is call'd a strong rock that the righteous run to ; why ? not only because a rock is strong and cannot be removed , yea , but what safety is there : suppose a man run to the rock , cannot the enemies follow him and take him in the rock ? therefore it is not only meant when it is said , god is as a rock , not only because the faithfulness of god is steady as a rock , but because they had caves and holes in the rocks that they were wont to run to in time of danger , therefore god is call'd a rock . and so , the strength of the hills is his also , in psal . . . these scriptures we may understand by this , by understanding the manner what they were wont to do in their mountains . in psal . . . but the lord is my defence , and my god is the rock of my refuge . but yet further , that we may understand the meaning of this expression : because when in times of danger they ran to the mountains , and to the rocks , and holes , into their caves , they considered when they were there , oh! the enemy if he should come upon us , how sad would our condition be ? oh! that rather this mountain that is now over us , i would rather that it should sink down and fall upon me than the enemy should take me , and this hill that i am got into a hole of , for my refuge , it were well if this should sink down and press me to nothing . this i take to be the meaning of this phrase , & the rise of it ; they despised the mountain of god , the going up to his mountain , but now they would be glad to have so much use of these mountains that they might crush them in pieces . from thence there are these notes . first , oh! the alteration that god can make in cities and kingdoms : they who were proud and scornful ere while , are now so distressed as would think themselves happy to be crush'd by mountains and hills . secondly , hence we may learn how great is the misery of falling into the hands of our enemies , for that 's the meaning ; when the assyrians should come against them , and they were besieged for three years together , they knew how savigely the enemies had used others in the country , so that they desired to die under the mountains rather than to fal into their hands ; the great misery there is in falling into the hands of enemies . and i remember josephus in one of the forenamed places gives us a notable story of this , he tels us of some that did run into the mountains and holes for safety , and herod he pursued them , and among others there was an old man , and he had seven children and his wife with him , but rather than he would fal into herods hands , he call'd his children one by one unto the mouth of the cave that he had made in the mountain , and when one came he kil'd that before the enemy , and he cal'd another and kill'd him , and so he did till he had killed all the seven , and killed them himself , and afterwards his wife , and when he had cast their dead bodies down the rock , he threw himself down head-long after them , and so he slew himself , and all this rather than he would fall into the hands of his enemies . certainly there is wonderful misery . some of you perhaps have seen or felt somewhat , but that that you have felt and seen hath been nothing to what was like to be , had the enemies gotten full power ; he was fain to deal fairly to get people to himself , but cruelty doth break out now and then , and by that you may see what should have been generally if the lord should deliver you into the power of the enemy : let us bless god then that we are delivered from that , that we have no such cause to cry out to the mountains to cover us and the hills to fall upon us . thirdly , the wrath of god , oh! how dreadful is it ? there is nothing so fearful as the wrath of god : one would think that , that which these poor people should desire here should be dreadful enough , to have the mountains fall upon them , and the hils to cover them : oh! but 't is not so dreadful as gods wrath ; take all the terrors in the world they are nothing to the wrath of the almighty when that is apprehended : sometimes the wrath of god lies more heavie upon a mans conscience than a thousand mountains : and ( my brethren ) if it be so dreadful in outward judgments , how dreadful is it like to be when it shal come to be fully powred out upon the wicked and ungodly ? in revel . . . they shall seek for death , and shall not find it ; they shall desire to die , and death shall flee from them ( saith the text ) oh! when gods wrath appears against the ungodly , it will be dreadful , especially when the full vials of it comes to be powred out . and further , to live in misery is worse than present dreadful death : to live in a lingring way of misery is worse than present death even in this world . i remember suetonius tels of tiberius caesar , that there was one that he had adjudged to death , and he that was adjudged to die , petitioned to him , that he might have his dispatch . he answers him thus , sir , you and i are not friends yet , you must not die , you must be kept in misery . it is worse than death many times to be kept in a lingring way of misery , it is so , even in regard of the miseries of this world , oh! how much worse than death is it then to be kept under the wrath of god to all eternity ? how fearful is it to live in misery for ever then , and never to die ? why it 's better , certainly sence would apprehend it better for a man to be dispacht presently than to live in lingring misery : yet , if we did know all , it were better to live in the greatest misery in the world ( for a wicked man ) than to die the fairest death ; thou wert better to live as a dog , a toad , yea , as a stock-log at the back of the fire ( if it were possible ) than to die , if thou knewest all ( being a wicked man ) but however hereafter in hell , then it were better if it were possible to perish than to live so as thou hast , yet then thou shalt not die , though it would be the greatest happiness to thee ; if thou shouldest after a thousand yeers cry to god , oh lord , that mountains might fall upon me ! the lord would answer : you and i are not friends yet ; and if after a thousand years more thou shouldest cry , oh lord that i might be crush'd to pieces : the lord would answer you still , you and i are not yet friends . saith bernard , oh! i tremble to think of that , that i should fall into the hands of living death , and of dying life , where men do not die , that they might for ever die ( saith he ) they do die that they may for ever die , they are alwaies dying , but never die , but are kept by the almighty power of god on purpose that they might be fewel for his wrath , and subjects for his revenging justice to strike upon . oh! consider of this you that are so ready to desire death , because you are in a lingering misery at any time . is a lingering misery so evil ? then what will be the lingering evil of eternity ? fifthly observe , the wonderful misery of wicked men in their affliction , they have no whither to go for help , they have not god , they have no refuge , but to the mountains and hills , and what 's their refuge there but that they may fall upon them ? oh the difference between a saint of god and a wicked man in times of affliction ? when in times of affliction thou ( if thou beest wicked ) shalt rage and be mad and know not whither to go , and the uttermost help that thou canst think to have is from the hills and mountains to fall upon thee , but then the saints of god shall be able to look up to heaven , and cry , heaven is open for us , open to receive my soul , angels come and guide it , and bear it in , oh arms of mercy , bowels of mercy , spread open your selves to imbrace me : here 's a difference . and is not this better than to cry to mountains to fall upon thee , and hills to cover thee ? and yet such a difference in mens estates doth sin and godliness make . and then the last is , oh the wonderful evil of despair ! what a dreadful thing is desperation ? it suggests nothing else , the greatest benefit it doth suggest it is to be crush'd in pieces : so the help that many have , it is a halter to strangle them , a knife to murder them , the water to drown them . oh desperation is a dreadful thing . francis spira feeling the dreadfulness of desperation , cries out , verily desperation is hell its self . upon all this luther concludes with this exhortation : oh let us stir up our selves to the fear of god , let us fly idolatry , let us beautifie the word by our holy lives , and pray to christ that we might escape such things as these are , that god inflicts upon the contemners of his word . if you would not come into this wonderful despairing condition , oh learn to fall down before the word , fear god now that you may not despair ; you that contemn , and slight , and scorn the word now , this may prove to be your portion ere long , that this desperate cry may be the greatest ease that your forsaken souls can have . ver . . o israel , thou hast sinned from the daies of gibeah . o israel , i am speaking this to you , it meerly concerns you , you have sinned from the daies of gibeah , you think there is no great matter in your sin why there should be these dreadful threatnings , that you should come to this desperate condition ; why ( say the men of isrrel ) what means the prophet to be so terrible in his threatnings ? pray what 's our sin ? yes , you have sinned , as in the daies of gibeah . from the daies of gibeah , so it is in your books , or it may be read , beyond the daies of gibeah , or more than in them , as ezek. . . from the daies of gibeah ; from what time was that ? you may reade the story of gibeah if you reade the . and . of judges , and their sin . i shall not need to spend much time now in opening what gibeah was , or the sin of gibeah was , because that in the . chapter of this prophesie , and the . verse , there i met with those words ; that , they had corrupted themselves as in the daies of gibeah . but it is not only the . and . chapters where we have the story of that horrible wickedness of the abusing of the levites concubine , but likewise that that we have in the . touching their idolatry that there was among the people , there was micahs idol , so that the prophet hath reference to the , , & . chapters of the book of judges . now you have sinned , as in the daies of gibeah : that is , you take it from the daies of gibeah that is of old : oh your forefathers of old have committed idolatry and sin against me , and you are grown rooted in your sin , and have taken it from your forefathers , for it was very antient , that sin of the levites concubine : it doth seem to be before the time of the judges , it seems to be committed between the time of joshua and the time of the judges . ( for though things be set in scripture so that one seems to be after another , yet it is not alwaies so in the time . ) but my reason why that sin of the levites concubine seems to have been then , is this : because you find in that story of the . of judges , when the levite was passing on , his servant would have had him gone into jebus , but his master said unto him , we will not turn aside hither into the city of a stranger that is not of the children of israel , we will pass over to gibeah . so that it seems jerusalem was not taken in by the children of israel ; but if you reade the . of judges you shall find that jerusalem was taken , it was taken before you reade of any particular judg , therefore this sin was very antient that was in the daies of gibeah . you have sinned of old ( saith he ) and you have continued in the succession of sin of old ; that 's the first , if you take it , from the daies of gibeah . but it 's rather i think to be taken pre than otherwise , i.e. your sin is more than the daies of gibeah , it 's greater , what ever you think of your sin , you think you worship and serve god. yet the truth is , was that sin horrible that a whol city should come together to force a levites concubine till she was dead at the door , was that a horrible sin ? yea , and was it horrible for them to stand to defend it ? your sin is greater . your sin is greater ; why ? for first , that was but one particular act , it was all done in one night ; but you go on in a constant setled way . and then secondly , that sin was a sin but of some few of the people ; your sin is more generally . thirdly , that sin they had not so much means against it , nor so much experience of the waies of god as you , and therefore your sin is greater , than the sins that were in the daies of gibeah . yea further , your sin is greater , because that you continuing in your forefathers sin you provoke god more , that god should make use of your forefathers to revenge such a sin as that was and yet you continue in the committing of as great sins as they did commit . that 's the meaning : and for further opening of that sin i shall refer you to that that i delivered in the . chapter . but that their sin was either from the daies of gibeah , or more than the daies of gibeah . from thence the notes are . first , that the same sins continued in from ancestors are greater than theirs were . we are ready to excuse our sin and say , why , we do nothing but that our forefathers did . i , but it may be greater than the sins of thy forefathers , because they had not such means . this would answer those that plead for old superstitious vanities : why should we be wiser than our forefathers ? but know , that if you continue in their sins , it 's worse to you than to them . but this is the special note from hence , that god takes it very ill that those men , or the posterity of those men whom he doth use as instruments to punish sin in others , and to reform others , yet should be guilty of the same sin themselves , or greater . oh! ( saith the prophet ) you may justly expect to have the mountains to fall upon you , and the hills to cover you , for you are more wicked than in the daies of gibeah , though i did use your forfathers to punish that great sin , yet you continue to be viler and worse than they were that were punished by your forfathers . oh my brethren , god cannot endure to see that wickedness continued in men , that they shall be made use of to punish in others : what shall we be used , or any in this generation be used for to execute the anger of god , the displeasure of god upon superstitious people , and shall we continue in the sin of superstition ? shall we be used to cast out mens inventions , and shall we bring in mens inventions ? yea , shall we be used to punish oppression and tyranny , and injustice , and shall we continue in oppression , tyranny , and injustice ? oh! this cries to heaven when it shall be said , well , god stirred up you to make you an instrument to cast out such oppressing courts , such tyranny , and such and men that were so cruel to godly people , you were used to cast out them , and you come and succeed them in such oppressions and tyranny , and injustice , and you make my saints cry to heaven for the burdens that you lay upon them . oh! this would be very heavie . take we heed that when god uses us , or our forfathers to reform any evil , take heed that it be never said , that those evils continue in their children after them . there hath been much ado in our reformation , as there was much ado in the punishment of the sin of gibeah ; it cost much blood to punish that sin ; and so it hath cost much blood to punish oppressors , to bring in delinquents , to cast out those that have been burdens to the people of god. therefore it was worse in their posterity to continue in that sin that had cost so much blood to have it punished . and so the more it costs to cast out our oppressing courts , &c. the more fearful wil our sin be if we continue in oppression our selves . you complain sometimes of ministers if they reprove sins , and be guilty of the same sins they reprove you of , you account that very evil , and so indeed it is . so it may be as wel said of magistrates , for them to punish sins , and yet continue in them themselves . there they stood , the battel in gibeah against the children of iniquity did not overtake them . there they stood ] either this must be meant of the men of gibeah , that they stood , and the battel did not overtake the children of iniquity . or else according to others , it is to be interpreted of the men of israel , there the men of israel stood , and their battel did not overtake the children of iniquity . if it be meant of the men of gibeah , there they stood , then it notes their stoutness , they would stand it out , there they stood . though they had committed such a horrible wickedness , and there was a desire but to have those that were delinquents to be broughts forth for punishment , yet they combine together and would stand it out , they stood stoutly to maintain the wickedness that was committed , especially after their first success , they fought , and in both the daies they slew fourty thousand ; now having the first day , this did hearten them , yea , they had the day the second time , and that made them stout in their way : success will make men stand it out in their wickedness . god manie times gives success on purpose to harden the hearts of men that they may stand it out unto their ruin , for so it proved to the benjamites . be not troubled at the success of adversaries , god gives them success to harden their hearts , to stand it out that they may be ruined at last . or , if you take it for the men of israel , there they stood . i find abundance of strange apprehensions of interpreters and variety about this , and it would cost one a great deal of time , the opening of this verse , to compose but the several interpretations that men have upon this text , but i 'le only give you what i think may be the scope of the holy ghost , or at least what may be fairly hinted from the words . the men of israel stood . that is , ( according to some , ) when they saw in their battel at gibeah they did not prevail at first , they saw their brethren stood out stoutly , and they lost so many thousand men , upon this they were at a stand ; there they stood , they knew not what in the world to do , to think that so good a cause , and a work that they had warrant from god to do , yet they should have such ill success , there they stood . men had need be very well grounded in a good cause when they meet with much difficulty . i beleeve since this cause that we have been about in england hath bin begun , many through unbeleef and cowardize have bin at a stand , they stood and knew not which way to go , lord , is this the cause of god ? is this the truth of god ? what , to have such ill success . many are lost in their spirits only by success . or thus , there they stood ] that is , though they were at a stand , and somewhat troubled , yet they persisted in their work , notwithstanding any difficulties they met withall , they would not fly off , but there they stood to it , they were resolved whatever ill success they had , to go on in the work that god had call'd them to . the battel in gibeah against the children of iniquity did not overtake them . when they did fight against the children of iniquity , yet this battel did not overtake them [ to wit , the benjamites ] not the first day , nor the second day , but they were foil'd twice : though i know others do give other interpretations of this word , yet this seems to be more genuine . but why doth the prophet bring it in here ? the men of israel ( to whom hosea did prophesie ) might say , you tell us that our sin is as in the daies of gibeah , yea , but may we have the first day , and the second day , we hope we shall do well enough . nay ( saith the prophet ) your sin is worse , you may not think that your case is so good as the benjamites , the battel did not overtake them , but it shall overtake you ; and upon this ground the prophet brings in this , that the battel did not overtake them , granting that which they would object , yet so as it should not make for them , but to take away their hopes to escape . and thus you have the meaning . the observations are : first , that the children of iniquity may escape once , and again : though men be children of iniquity , yet the battel may not overtake them . it 's as famous a story to take away the seeming success in an ill cause , and disappointment in a good cause , as any i know in all the book of god : it did not overtake them at first : gods wrath follows many men in this world , and yet for a long time overtakes them not , but god calls it back , psal . . . he being full of compassion , forgave their iniquity , and destroyed them not , yea , many a time turned he his anger away and did not stir up all his wrath . but at length gods wrath overtakes men . in zach. . . did not my words take hold upon your fathers ? i sent out my threatning words and you escaped a long time , but at length my word catcht hold of them . as the dog that follows the hare barking a great while , but at length he overtakes it and ceases upon it and tears it : so , did not my word take hold upon your forefathers ? calvin he gives another interpretation of these words , and some other notes upon it , but i think that this is the main and genuine scope of them . ver . . it is in my desire that i should chastise them . it is in my desire . ] god speaks here as one that hath forborn a long time , and now longs to satisfie himself . tremelius upon the place notes , that the form of the word for chastising here , it is unusual , because ( saith he ) perhaps god would express some more than ordinary way of punishing them . and luther renders it , * exceeding desirously will i chastise them . it is in my will to chastise them . oh! blessed god , do not we find in thy word that the works of thy justice are said to be thy strange works , and that thou art not willing to grieve the children of men , that mercy pleases thee ? but where do we ever find that justice was so pleasing to thee ? it 's true , though at first god seems to forbear the execution of justice as a thing he hath no mind to , yet if sin be continued in , in a stubborn way , now god desires it as a thing that there 's nothing more pleasing to him . he is burdened with mens sins , and desires to bring punishments upon them ; as a man under a great burden desires to be eased ; in isa . . oh! i will ease me of mine adversaries . and in ezek. . . you shall find there that god in threatning of wrath saith , that he would do thus , and thus , and he would be comforted : and in prov. . he laughs at the destruction of wicked men , it 's a thing that rejoyces him at the very heart . and in the revelations the wrath of god is call'd the wine of his wrath , because he takes so much pleasure in the execution of it . . gods justice is god himself as well as any other attribute . . god he doth delight to vindicate his honor , therefore the word that is for chastisement , it signifies somtimes , the vindication of a mans honor : the honor of god is dear to him : your peace and comforts may be dear to you ; i , but my honor is more dear to me . . in chastisements god fulfils his word , the word of god would be slighted & contemn'd else : now this pleases me therfore to chastise them to fulfil my word upon them . oh! the fearful evil of sin that brings the creature into such a condition , as gods heart is delighted in every evil that sinful creatures suffer : this must needs be a sad condition indeed , for the merciful god that delights so much in doing of mercy , yet now to look upon a sinner under his wrath , and delights in it , and loves it , and is wel pleased to see the creature , even the work of his own hands to be under his wrath . hereafter there will be pure justice , god wil delight in the destruction of sinners in hell , in the execution of his justice upon them , he wil there do nothing else but rejoyce in it , there shal be nothing but joy in gods heart to see the execution of his justice upon sinners to all eternity , yea , and god will call all the angels and saints to come to rejoyce with him , come ye angels and saints and rejoyce with me , here 's a wretched sinner that was stubborn & rebellious against me in the time of his life , and see how my power hath overtaken him , see the dreadfulness of my wrath , come and rejoyce with me for ever in this wrath of mine . this will be the condition of sinners eternally in hell. consider this , you that have a desire to sin , a mind to sin , to delight in sin , that are comforted in sin ? is it in your will to sin ? it is gods will to punish : can you rejoyce in sin ? god can rejoyce in the execution of his wrath : are you resolute upon your sin ? god can be resolute in the waies of his wrath . when god chastises his servants for their infirmities , he doth it as a thing he hath no mind at all to , and therefore saith the apostle , if need be , we fall into many temptations , and it is but seeming grievous : and himself is afflicted in all their afflictions . david would have joab go against absolom , but saith he , use the young man kindly , for my sake . so when god doth chastise his servants , he sends an affliction , go ( saith he ) and scourge such an one , yea , but use him kindly for my sake , for all that . the bowels of david did yern towards absolom , even when he sent joab to fight against him . so the bowels of god do yern towards his people when he sends afflictions upon them . but when he comes to deal with wicked and ungodly men , i wil do it to purpose ( saith god ) i wil delight in it , i will be comforted in it , it is my desire , &c. the people shall be gathered against them . that is , i will chastise them after this way , by gathering of people against them . the assyrians when they gathered against them , they did it meerly out of their own ends . yea , but saith god , i have an hand in it , i will gather them against them . and certainly god had a mind to chastise them , when he would gather enemies against them , the assyrians it's like would never have dar'd to presume to come against israel if god had not had an hand in it : and certainly we could never have imagined that it were possible that so many should be gathered together in this publick cause in this land to maintain wickedness , and to fight to make themselves slaves , but only that god had a mind to chastise england . but i find by others that it 's read thus : i will chastise them according to my mind , and so the word will bear it . the septuagint they reade it , * according to my desire . so oecolampadius upon the place , saith , god prescribed a certain time to have this people come in and repent , but saith god , you shal not prescribe me how long i shal stay , but i will do it when i please , both for the time of the chastisment , and for the degree of the chastisement . god when he hath a mind to bring about a thing , he will gather the people when his mind is come . i remember it is said in the life of pompey , a proud speech he was wont to have , when they askt him what they should do when the enemies came against them ? oh ( saith he ) let me but stamp upon the ground of italy and i shall have men enough ; that was a proud speech of him , but it 's a true one in god , let him but stamp with his feet and he can gather people enough together . and then further , god will chuse with what rod he will scurge us , according to his mind , for the degree , and the kind too . many afflictions when they are upon us we mourn and repine , and these discontented expressions comes from us , oh! i could bear any thing but that . but is it fit for thee to chuse thine own rod ? god might have said also , i had rather you had committed some other sin . it may be , because that 's the affliction that is most cross to thy spirit , therfore god wil have it , god sees that that 's more for his honor , and perhaps for thy good , because it is the crossest affliction that god could find out , therefore thou hast that affliction that god might strike thee in the master-vain . therefore let us learn to submit to the will of god. is it fit that thou shouldest chuse thy sin and thy rod too ? no , stay there ; if thou wilt chuse thy sin , god will have liberty to chuse thy rod. when they shall bind themselves in their two furrows . these words have very great obscurity in the first view of them , and i find a mighty deal of puzling among interpreters about them . the difficulty is in the word that is here translated furrows , the same letters of the word , take away the points of the hebrew , and they may be for these two sins , or their two eyes , there 's a little difference in the vau and the jod which are much like one another . and in all these three waies according to to the signification of the word , either furrows , sins , or eyes , the sense may go reasonable well . as thus : first , for sins . and they shal bind themselves . you may turn it as well of gods threatning what he would do ; for it is , bind them , or , in binding them , so it is translated by others , in binding them for their two sins : i will bind them for their two sins , so i find arias montanus hath it , bind them for their two sins . and i find the septuagint translate it so too , chastise them for their two sins , for so it may be , chastise as wel as bind , for the words are very near together that signifies either binding , or chastising . i will chastise them for their two sins : when he binds them he will chastise them . and so i find that luther hath it , for he doubles these . and then they think that it hath reference to the two * calves of dan and bethel : or the two sins , of bodily and spiritual adultery : or otherwise it hath the same sense with that in jer. ▪ . my people have committed two sins : they have forsaken me the fountain of living waters , and hewed them out cisterns , broken cisterns that can hold no water . or if you wil have it in the second place , according as it is in your books , they shall bind themselves in their two furrows , then the meaning of it is this , that i wil bring their enemies upon them , and they shall yoke them like oxen that are yok'd to plow , they shall bring them into servitude , and into bondage , they shall make them plow in their two furrows , ( double work . ) so polanus , because they shall put double work upon them and make them work in a servile way . and the rather do i think this is the meaning of it , because the holy ghost doth follow the metaphor of it , an heifer , as it follows ; and ephraim is as an heifer that is taught and loveth to tread out the corn. and so take it in the third way , the word that signifies an eye , only altering the letter vau for jod , and then this is the sense ; they shall yoke them as the oxen are yoked eye to eye . they yoke the oxen even and set eye to eye ; so the enemies shall come and yoke them so that they shall be like beasts to do their work , and this shall be the condition of ephraim that hath this fair neck . i find others that take this ; they shall bind themselves in their two furrows . that is , they shall covenant together . when the enemy comes upon them then they shal covenant together and joyn together , as oxen that are yok'd together , and judah and israel shall joyn together , and they shall be in their furrows , in their trenches , as in reference to us : that when the people are gathered together , england and scotland shall bind themselves together , and lie together in their several trenches . so i find others take it . but rather from the chief and genuine scope , i suppose the meaning is this , that they shall be brought into miserable bondage , they shall be like oxen : and so saith one interpreter upon the place , when you see oxen yok'd together then be put in mind of the yoke of the enemies ; you live daintily and bravely now , but when god shall let out the enemies upon you , you shall serve as slaves , yea , as beasts . ver . . and ephraim is as an heifer that is taught and loveth to tread out the corn : but i passed over upon her fair neck : i will make ephraim to ride : judah shall plow , jacob shall break his clods . in the . verse you heard much of the divisions of ephraim , and of the ten tribes ; but in the latter end of the . verse you heard how god would joyn them together : but how should they be joyned ? it should be in their bondage , they should be bound together in their furrows : now though it be in your books , they shall bind themselves , which hath likewise a sense which we spake to then , yet you may as well reade the words , they shall bind them together , and so carry the sense , that they should be bound in their furrows , like oxen in the plough , there they should be yok'd ; they would not come in together under gods yoke , but they shall come intogether under the yoke of the adversaries : and that i think is the principal scope of the words , they shall bind them in their two furrows . they that were so divided in their prosperity , when they come into bondage there they shall by their enemies be bound together . it was said of ridly and hooper , they could not agree together till they were in prison , and then they could agree together . and so when we were heretofore in our bondage we could agree better together than now , oh! it were just with god to bring us again under the bondage of our enemies , and bind us in our furrows together . but ephraim thought her self far from this . no , ephraim is not for plowing work , ephraim loves to tread out the corn , but not to plow. they were wont in those times instead of threshing out the seed from the chaff , to have beasts to tread out the seed , or to draw instruments whereby the seed was seperated from the husk . now it was the command of god , that while he was treading out the corn that they should not muzzel the mouth of the ox. first , there was no yoke upon them while they were treading out the corn. and secondly , then they were not to be muzzel'd but to feed all the while as they pleased , while they were treading out the corn ; this by the command of god. now this was a very easie work for them to be without yoke , to run up and down in the corn and so they could feed themselves fat ; they had enough to feed on , certain food , and present food , whereas those heifers that went to plow were fain to be abroad in the storms and cold and wind , and work all day long , and it may be not have a bit of meat till night , and this was a hard work , and ephraim did not love that work ; and it seems to have reference to some of the ten tribes who would stay in their country , and worship at dan and bethel , and would not go to jerusalem , oh! that was hard , and it was better for them to stay in the land where they might enjoy their possessions , their shops , their tradings , their friends , that was easie , but for them to go to jerusalem that might cost them their estates , it would raise an opposition against them , and they must leave all and go for the worship of god , to worship him according to his own way ; this was a plowing-work in respect of the other . now ephraim , those that live among the ten tribes , they loved no such hard work as that was . from whence there are many excellent points observable . as , the first , it 's a sign of a carnal heart for to be set upon easie work in gods service , and to avoid any work that god calls to because it is difficult . [ ephraim loves to tread out the corn. ] it 's a dangerous thing to desire more easie in gods work than god would have us . secondly , those services that bring present contentment , and present comfort , that there is present encouragement goes along with , even such as are carnal and hypocrites can be content withal ; for when they tread out the corn , there was present supply . so it is with men , when they can have present supply in maintenance . i remember it 's a speech of a learned man , even upon this very scripture , saith he , where men see not present gain coming in , they despise christ there . it 's a speech of iernovius , where they may have to eat for the present , there they may be easily brought to beleeve such a way of service and worship that is countenanced , by the state for the present , numb . . . sam. . god allowed no cart to the children of kohath to carry the ark , and that was their sin in putting it upon one , sam. . and where men may enjoy certain comings in whether they work or no , or whether they work negligently or no , there 's a great temptation lies in this ; there 's not such a temptation lies in a mans enjoying encouragement if it be upon uncertainties , and that he shall have it no longer than he doth labor , and labor to purpose ; but when men shall have their estates coming in in a certain way though they labor by themselves , or other , or though negligently , or industriously , here 's a great temptation in this . and then further ; for it is a sign of a carnal heart , only to mind things presently , to labor for an accommodation to themselves for the present . a generous spirit will labor for the posterity that is to come ; if none should plow , how would there be corn to tread out ? we must be willing to plow though we have not present food , though we should have nothing till night , yea , though we should have nothing till the night of death , yea , in all our lives we should be willing to plow in hope . ephraim loved not that work . that 's a generous spirit that is willing to endure difficulty here though he finds no present comings in , though it be for afterwards . and it may be applied it to soul-work , in our seeking to god : many men and women they are content to pray , and follow god and his ordinances so long as they may have present comfort , but if that fails they have no heart to the duty . now we should be willing to plow , that is , to endure difficulty though we have nothing coming in . this is that which caused so many to perish in the world , they must have that which is present content ; whereas the saints of god are willing to trust god though they have nothing in this world , to trust him to have their wages in the world to come . it 's a scripture of very excellet use unto us . it follows . but i passed over upon her fair neck : i will make ephraim to ride . but i passed over upon her fair neck : by her easie work in treading out the corn , and not having the yoke upon her neck to plow , she became to be very delicate , her skin was white and tender , her fair neck : the goodness of her neck , so it is in the hebrew , or her goodly white skin , delicate and tender she was . the meaning of it is , by her fair neck , is the beauty of her prosperity ; and so the delicacy of her neck , through her prosperity , nothing must trouble her , let works that are troublesom and hard let others come to them if they will , but for her part she was tender and delicate and must endure no burdens at all , nor no difficulty at all . first , her fair neck . many are proud of their fair necks and skins , so proud as they grow extream wanton by reason of it , they must lay open therefore their fair necks that others may see them , see how white they are , what fair skins they have , and put black patches likewise to set out their beauty and the whiteness of their fair skins , and if that will not serve , even laying over a paint to make it fair if it be not otherwise so ; nothing but ease , and delicacy , and pleasure is for them , as if they came into the world for no other end but to live bravely and be look'd upon , as if man-kind and all creatures must work and suffer to provide for these nice and delicate wantons , who yet are of no use at all in the world , certainly , god never gave any great estates in the world for no other use but only to be brave withal , and keep their skin white . whatsoever estates men and women have , yet except they endeavor to be useful in the world in a proportionable way unto those estates that they have they can have little true comfort of what they do enjoy , the comfort of the lives of rational creatures certainly it 's not in a fair skin , in a white skin , their comfort is in being useful in the places where god hath set them , their good consists in that . man is born to labor , and there must be labor one way or other , every one is bound to labor ; these fair white skins , and fair necks , oh! what foul souls many of them have , their beauty is but skin-deep . oh! filthy and abominable in the eyes of god , and in the eyes of those that know the corruptions of their hearts . how would these fair necks be able to bear iron chains for christ ? to be naild to the stake , to have such a neck-kercher put upon them as alice driver had ? you have it in the story of the book of martyrs , when they put the chain about her neck to nail her to the stake , she gloried in it , and blest god for it : i but this alice driver was wont to plow , ( for so she saith a little before in the story ) her father did bring her up to plow , she was not brought up so delicately as others were , and she could endure an iron chain upon her neck for christ . it follows : but i passed over upon her fair neck . some carry the words as expressing gods indulgence , as if he was content to let ephraim to prosper and thrive in their way , and not to bring any hard bondage upon them , but it 's more like the other way that i find others to go . i.e. i came upon her fair neck , and made the yoke to pass over . so hierom upon the place , saith when it 's spoken of god ( this phrase , to pass over ) * it 's not only meant here in a way of threatning , but it 's alwaies so meant in scripture , in a way of threatning of gods passing over , and it may very well be here a threatning expression following the similitude , for god is in a way of allegory expressing himself after the manner of husbandry , as when he threatens that they shall be yok'd . and then ephraim is compared to a heifer that is taught , as if he should say , he would not willingly work . from whence the note is , that , god looks upon dainty , tender , delicate people that mind nothing but their ease and delicacie with indignation . what! ephraim must be so tender and delicate that nothing must come upon her neck ! i 'le make the yoke to come upon it ( saith god. ) when people through their delicacy they must live in the world and altogether be tended , and all things must be serviceable to them , and they of no use at all , god cannot bear it . and as for the eminency of any of you , either in estates , or honors in the world above others , it ought not to be the cause of envy , for it is god that puts the difference between one and the other ; we do not envy that some should go finer than others , but this is that which neither god nor man can endure , that men and women should have so much in the world , and yet be so little useful to the world , should be through their delicacy as if they were born for nothing else but like babies to play withal . saith god , i 'le make the yoke to pass over them . but now , there are other manner of works , than servile works , though you do not put your hands to servile labor ; but then you through your delicacy , if you meet with any hard work , will do nothing for god , the lord looks upon such dispositions as sinful , and with indignation , and god hath his time to bring them to hardness , as he hath done to many . how many delicate and fair necks that could not endure any difficulty hath god brought the yoke upon in these daies , that were so nice and tender , and complaining of every little difficulty in any work that god would have them to do ? god hath made the yoke to pass over ther heads , and to lie heavie upon their necks ; god threatens this to the daughters of babylon , to the antichristian party especially , in isa . . , . come down , and sit in the dust , o virgin , daughter of babylon , sit on the ground : there is no throne , o daughter of the caldeans ; for thou shalt no more be call'd , tender , and delicate . take the mill-stones and grind meal ; uncover thy locks , make bare the leg , uncover the thigh , pass over the rivers . and then in the . vers . thy nakedness shall be uncovered , yea thy shame shall be seen : i will take vengeance , and i will not meet thee as a man. that which you cannot endure so much as to hear of now , ( your very ears are so delicate , as well as your necks ) that i 'le bring upon you . oh my brethren ! how much better is it to be willing to endure hardships for god , than to be brought to hardships by our adversaries ? and rather to put our necks under the yoke of jesus christ , than to have god put our necks under the yoke of his wrath and displeasure . but god hath his time to bring upon them hard things , and therefore though god spares you for your bodies , that you need not put your bodies to that servileness that others do ; yet be so much the more willing to do service for god otherwise , venture your selves among your kindred , that 's the work that god calls ladies to do : you meet with carnal friends that are honorable and of great rank in the world , now for one to appear in the midst of them for the cause of god , this is as hard a work as to labor with ones hands , and they may do a great deal more service by such work as this , to speak for those that are godly . when you come in company that is carnal , be willing to put forth your selves to endure hardships in that way that god calls thee to , and god accepts of it ; but if thou through the delicacy and niceness of thy spirit , thy spirit comes to be as delicate as thy skin is , and thou must not displease any , nor suffer any thing for god , it 's just with god to bring thee to suffer in spight of thy heart . but it follows ; i 'le make ephraim to ride . still take this in a way of threatning ; in scripture it 's applied both to a way of mercy and judgment , in isa . . . then shalt thou delight thy self in the lord , and i will cause thee to ride upon the high places of the earth . and i find it in a way of judgment , in job , . , . with thy strong hand thou opposest thy self against me , thou liftest me up to the wind , thou causest me to ride upon it , and dissolvest my substance . and so there might be shown other scriptures where this expression is in a way of judgment , and so it 's thought by interpreters that it hath reference to the speedy captivity of the ten tribes that they shall be carried out of their own country . as if god should say , by his ease , and by his much feeding , in treading out the corn he is grown so fat and lusty that there 's no ruling of him ; yea , but saith god , i will ride him : though he kicks and spurns and is so unruly with his fat feeding , yet i 'le put such a curb into his mouth , as i 'le order him and rule him according as i please . he is so fierce ; for so i find that the word in the hebrew that is for fierceness , tumultuousness , and insolency , it is by divers taken for the word that signifies , to be at peace , because that peace , and ease , and rest makes the hearts of men and women insolent . it was so with ephraim , just like a pamper'd horse that is kept at full feeding , none can ride him ; i but , i 'le cause him to ride , saith god. god hath waies to curb men and women that through their prosperity are delicate and unruly , though they may champ upon the bit , and foam at the mouth , and stamp again , yet god will rule them ; i 'le cause ephraim to ride . and judah shall plow. that is , judah shall take pains and go through many difficulties in the waies of my worship , and shall suffer much while ephraim lives delicately for a long time , yet judah suffered more difficulty , judah suffered much more difficulty and hardship than the ten tribes did . and i think that this scripture hath reference to those two scriptures that we find , the first is in king. . from ver . . to ver . . and the other scripture is in chron. . . judah shall plow and be kept in a great deal of hardship in that time when ephraim was so frolick as he was . in king. . you shall find the great reformation that hezekiah made in the worship of god in judah , and jerusalem : and then for his suffering that you have in chron. . . and king. . . in chron. . . it is said , that pekah the son of remaliah slew in judah an hundred and twenty thousand in one day , which were all valiant men . it 's a very strange scripture , israel , the ten tribes they were worse than judah : israel forsook the true worship of god ; judah kept themselves to the true worship ; and yet god let israel so prosper that they did prevail against judah and the tribe of benjamin , so as to slay in one day an hundred and twenty thousand valiant men . oh! what crying and shreeking was there in the country then , that of two tribes an hundred and twenty thousand valiant men should be slain in one day . we think it 's a dreadful battel to have three thousand slain in the field , but here 's a battel of an hundred and twenty thousand slain in one day , and that of two tribes . and in king. . . hoshea king of israel took amaziah king of judah , the son of jehoash , son the of ahaziah at bethshemesh , and came to jerusalem , and brake down the wall of jerusalem &c. here they were put to a great deal of trouble even by ephraim ; judah and benjamin those two trib● that kept to the worship of god were to put a great deal of afflictions by ephraim ( the ten tribes ) that did forsake the worship of god ; in the forenamed place , king. . there you may see how these reformed , and yet they suffered much difficulty . strange is the counsels of god concerning men . for the first , that judah is said to plow. that is , they shall endure a great deal of trouble in the reforming what is amiss among them . from whence our note is this : that it is an honor for men to labor and go through difficulties for god while others are laboring for taking their ease : be not troubled that you see other people can take liberty to themselves to provide for their estates and comings in , and to live bravely , doth god give you an heart in the mean time to be willing to go through hard work for god ? envie not at them , thou art in the better condition , thou art plowing for god ; while they are providing for their own ease , thou art doing god service , and they are only providing for themselves , oh! thou art far the happier man , the happier woman . and then in the second place , take the plowing for the hard things they suffered for god , aswel as the hard things they did for god. then the note of observation is this : let no men boast they live more at ease than others . others suffer more hardship than thou ; do not think that god loves thee more than others : god loved judah at this time more than ephraim , and yet ephraim lived bravely , and prevailed over judah , and judah was brought under in such a manner as this ; judah was gods true church , and israel did apostatize from god , and yet one had more outward prosperity than the other . thus many times those upon whom gods heart is more set , they suffer hard afflictions : and those that gods heart is not so much upon , they enjoy their prosperity . oh! i beseech you consider of this point ; for at this day , how many of our brethren in the western parts , oh! the plowers have plowed deep furrows upon their backs , while we have been here ( as it were ) treading out the corn ; let not us think that god loves us more than them , they may be more dear to god than we ; judah was far more dear to god than israel , and yet israel must live jocundly and bravely . oh! consider of this you that are of greater rank , all your life is treading out the corn , you see your poor neighbors endure much hardship , oh think not that you are higher in gods thoughts than they , they may be more dear to god than you , and yet they may be put to difficulties , and you may live bravely all your lives . but that that may seem to weaken this note , is only this : viz. they shall plow. but the hebrews do ordinarily make use of the tenses , the future and the preter promiscuously ; but if you put it to the future , that they shall plow hereafter , they interpret it to signifie the captivity of judah , that they shal be carried into captivity , and so be brought under by the babylonians . yea , but , jacob shall break his clods . by jacob , we must understand the ten tribes . as if god should say here , that judah shall be put to some difficulties , yet jacob , the ten tribes must be put to more ; judah shall be carried into captivity ; yea , but jacob shall break the clods . though judah shall plow , yet the breaking the clods is worse than the plowing , for that 's more servil , for the work-master he is the chief , he goes on in plowing , but it is his servant or boy he may set to breake the clods after him . so , though judah shall be brought to difficulties , yet jacob shal be put to more difficulties ; for the captivity of judah was great , yet it was not so great as jacobs . or others thus : judah shall plow , and jacob shall break her clods . that is , [ judahs clods ] the expression we have here , with the reference it hath to judah , seems to carry this with it , that there shall be a time , though now you that are the ten tribes , you are so delicate and proud above judah , judah is lower than you , and you despise them , yet time shall come that you shall be glad to joyn with judah , and be as a servant to judah , to break her clods , when god shall restore his people again ; judah shall return from his captivity and shall be taking pains in the service of god ; and it shall be well for you if you can but come and be as their servant . those that do forsake the true worship of god , though god may have mercy upon them afterwards to joyn them with his people , yet it is well if they may come to be in the meanest condition among gods people , they should be willing to submit unto it ; those that have dishonored god and sham'd themselves in times of tryal , to forsake the truths of god , it 's mercy that ever god will bring them to joyn with his church again ; but if he doth bring them to joyn with his church they should think it a great mercy and be willing to be in the meanest condition , what must those men think to be masters & lords that have forsaken god and his truth and have been very false for their own ends , to save themselves and states in time of tryal , shall they think in times of reformation to bear all before them ? oh! it 's mercy if they may be but admitted to break the clods , to joyn with those servants of god that have been faithful and willing to serve him through difficulties . it follows . ver . . sow to your selves in righteousness , reap in mercy . the holy ghost still goes on in this allegory of husbandry , continuing the metaphor that he had in the threatning , when he comes to exhortation . in the midst of his threats he falls to exhorting . though the sins of a people be great , and judgments neer , yet who knows what an exhortation may do ? who knows what an exhortation may do to the worst people in the world ? oh! there were many things spoken concerning israel that one would have thought it should have discouraged the prophe to meddle with exhortation . but god would have him yet exhort , one cannot tell what an exhortation may do , in the most desperate hardness of mens hearts , and pride and stoutness of mens spirits , therefore the prophet exhorts them , as if he should say , well , if you would not plow , if you would not come under the yoke and be put into the furrows as you were threatned before , why then , sow to your selves , oh! be willing to break up the fallow ground of your hearts , and sow to your selves in righteousness , and so you shall reap in mercy . sow in righteousness , and reap in mercy . i find some of the antients they interpret this somewhat wildly . sow in righteousness : that is , ( saith hierom upon the place ) sow in the law , in obedience to the law , and reap in the grace of the gospel ; that 's his interpretation ; you shall sow in the works of the law , and reap in the gospel . this is far fetcht . i find luther upon the place , as hierom goes somewhat too legal , ( so luther ) because his heart was much in the gospel ; and he brings all scriptures to the uttermost he can for expressing the grace of the gospel , he goes somewhat at the furthest the other way : sow in righteousness : what 's the seeds of righteousness ? that is , saith he , the doctrine of the gospel tendering the righteousness of jesus christ : the attending unto this doctrine of the gospel , and imbracing this , that there is righteousness in jesus christ alone , this is sowing in righteousness : for ( saith he ) what other righteousness is there but this ? when reason would come to the highest degree of righteousness , what is it that it doth , only this , to conclude righteousness to be , to depart from evil , and do things that are good , but what righteousness is this ? but the scripture righteousness is this : for a man to know that he hath no good at all in himself , that all his evil is pardoned in jesus christ , this is the righteousness of the gospel , and this is the seed , the seed of all good works : i name this , though i can hardly think that this is the scope of the prophet at this time , yet there is a very good meditation from this which i see that useful man in the church of god [ luther ] goes on in , saith he , what madness and blindness in the adversary is there , that will urge people to sow , and yet they do reject and cast off this seed that they should sow ? that is the doctrine of the imputation of the righteousness of christ by faith , why saith he , in all pulpits there 's crying out to men for good works , that they would sow in righteousness , but ( saith he ) where have they their seed ? the thing certainly is an excellent truth that he hath upon the place : how vain is it for men to be taught to sow good works till they have got the seed ? and the seed of all good works is , the righteousness that we have by jesus christ ; and therefore he falls a rebuking those that shall blame the doctrine of the gospel as the means of licentiousness , saith he , there 's a great many when we preach of the righteousness of jesus christ , think that we preach licentiousness , and that men may live as they list , it 's quite contrary , when we preach the righteousness of jesu christ , we preach the seed of all good works , and those that have this seed , good works will come out of them . but saith he further , they would have righteousness , but what ? they slight the righteousness of god making , the righteousness of his son , but they must have righteousness of their own to tender up to god & then when they come to good works they wil slight gods good works , and they will be giving to god of their good works , the world doth neglect those as light things , that is , the works of mercy , to receive the saints &c. no , but they will have other brave works , to build churches , and temples , and monastries , and to lavish out gold about them , and they are the chief good works : they will not come to do the work as it were of a servant , but rather the work of a benefactor to god , for in relieving thy poor brother when none but thy self and god knows it thou dost the work of a servant then , but to build brave temples , and monastries , and lavish out gold upon them ; this is for you to be a benefactor to god. but thus much for his speech . sow in righteousness . we know that the prophet , though he would lead the people to christ , yet his preaching was most in a legal way , sow righteousness : that is , go on in the works of righteousness , those works that are right , and just , and equal , such as you may give a good accompt of them before god and man ; as if he should say , do not you think to put me off meerly with outward services , with offering sacrifices , and with this kind of pompous worship , in this superstitious way , i will never accept of these things ; but let me have righteousness , let there be the works of righteousness , according to the rules of righteousness , so work . and the jews if they did but perform the the external works of righteousness , they might have external mercies , if so be there were a proportion between one work and another . if indeed they did some works of righteousness , and not the other , then they could not expect mercy from god ; but though there were no saving grace in them , yet if they did but perform external works of righteousness , and there was a proportion between one and another ; there doth seem to be an external covenant that they were under for outward mercies that they should have for their outward righteousness ; not but that i think for heaven there they must have true grace and godliness , as the saints must have now ; but external mercies were more annexed to external duties than now among us . you will say , we have external promises too . yea , but that 's made to godliness in christ jesus . now from the words we may note , first , that the actions of men they are seeds ; such seeds as wil certainly come up : other seeds may die in the ground & rot and never come up ; but there is never an action that thou performest , but it will come up one way or other , it will come up to something . and secondly , it will come up in the same kind ; the seeds of tares will not come up to wheat ; but it will be a tare ; and so the wheat a wheat : all our actions will come up in the same kind . men neglect their actions , and think that when they have done , it 's over , they forget what they did yesterday or the day before ; but though you may forget it , yet it will come up in the same kind , though you think not of it : i remember pliny reports of some parts in affrica , that when they sow their seeds , they go away and never look after it for many months together : so ●t is in many men they sow but they never mind what they have done , and quite forget what they have done till they must come to reap . but certainly thy actions there they lie and will grow up to something . thirdly , the seed lies in the ground rotting a while , but afterwards comes up : so it is in our actions , they seem as if they were quite forgotten , but they will come up , yea , and good actions they seem as if they were wholly lost many times ; well , though the seed doth rot , rot in the ground for a time , yet it will come up afterwards . fourthly , the seed when it is sown it comes up through the blessing of god upon it ; it 's no endeavor of the husbandman can make the seed come up , but he must leave it to the blessing of god. so the seeds of our actions must be left to god , gods justice will make the seeds of the wicked come up , and his goodness and mercy will make the seeds of the saints to come up ; leave thy actions to the blessing of god. fiftly , the better the seed , is for the most part the longer it lies under ground . when you sow wheat and rye you sow it at this * time of the year , but when you sow barly and oats you sow them in the spring time , but that endures not frost and snow as the wheat doth . and so the best of our actions lies longest under ground . the minister of god they are sowers of the seed of the word ; and the hearers they should be sowers too . the ministers sows the word in thy ears , and then thou shouldest take it from thence and sow it in thy heart , thy life and conversation . if our actions be seeds that we sow , then large opportunities of doing much service for god should be our riches : like a large field , that is sown with good grain , if thou hast a heart to improve those opportunities . oh! that we would but consider of this , that when the lord gives to men and women a large opportunity for service , god lets them out so much land , go ( saith god ) you must husband so much land , and sow it for mine advantage : many of you that are poor people you have not a foot of land in the world , and you think that those that are landed-men they are happy men ; doth god give you opportunity of service to honor him ? oh! thou hast got a great deal of land , the meanest of you that have opportunities of service , god lets you out his land , you have abundance of land and ground that god gives to you , and a man should account himself rich according to the opportunity of his service : as men in the country account themselves rich according to the land that they have to plow and sow , in levit. . . if a man shall sanctifie unto the lord some part of a field of his possession , then thy estemation shall be according to the seed thereof . the meaning is , that if a man will sanctifie a piece of land to god , well , what is this land worth ? why ( saith the holy ghost ) you shall prize it according to the seed thereof , if it be a great piece of land , yet if it be not fit to bear so much seed you must account it worth but little , but if it be a less piece of land yet if it be fit to receive so much seed , then it 's worth so much , thou shalt prize it according to the seed thereof : so the opportunities that are fit to receive much seed , oh! those opportunities should be rich opportunities ; and we should account the price of our lives to be according to the seed thereof : thou livest such a year , what 's thy life worth ? it's according to the seed thereof . and so for these four or five last yeers , oh! what opportunities have we had for service for god ? now they are to be prized according to the seed thereof , that is , as we might do service and work in these yeers . then certainly if we must make the estimation of our lives according to the advantage of service that we might do for god , then these last five years we may reckon for fifty . it 's a great blessing to have a good seed time ; the lord hath blest us with this good seed-time . oh now , what a folly were it for a man out of base penuriousness to save his seed , that he will not sow his ground , because he is loth to venture it , or through love of his ease he is loth to go abroad , it 's somewhat cold , and he will keep by the fire side , and wil not go abroad to sow his seed . oh! thus it is with us , we through our base unbelief , we will venture nothing for god , we are loth to put our selves upon any difficultie , oh this is our folly . well , it is not every seed will serve the turn . be sowers , but sow in righteousness , let it be righteousness , let it be precious seed , in psalm , . . they shall bear precious seed with them : oh! there 's many that sow venemous seed , that will bring forth poysonful fruit , all their daies they have been sowing nothing but seed of unrighteousness , yea , this field that god hath given to us , of opportunity of service for him , what have many done ? what have they sown ? they have sown salt in it : that is , they have sown their passions , they have sown contention , and they have sown the seeds of discord , for that hath been the cause that our field that we have had , those opportunities that we have enjoyed for god hath bin so barren , there hath been so much salt , the salt spirits of men and women have been so manifested in their passion and frowardness , and their contentions one against another , that it hath made us barren : in prov. . . frowardness is in his heart ; he deviseth mischief continually , he soweth discord . and vers . . it is made one of the things that the soul of god doth hate , that a man should sow discord . and so in prov. . . froward men sow strife . oh! how many are there amongst us that go from one place to another , and tell you such a tale , and such a report , and sow nothing but strife and discord ? oh! it 's that that the lord hates . what! in such a time as this is to sow discord ! there could never have been a time wherein the sowing of discord could have been so abominable as in such a time as this is ; oh! let men take heed of sowing discord ; god calls for the seed of righteousness . and reap in mercy . for the opening of this , i find many carry it , mercy to men : that is , do you sow the seeds of righteousness , and let the fruits of mercy be abundant amongst you . but to carry it according to that that is more like to be the scope of the holy ghost . by mercy , we are to understand , the mercy of god. now there 's two things that is to be observed in this phrase . first , that it is in the imparative mood , reap in mercy , not , ye shall reap in mercy . secondly , in the original it is , the mouth of mercy . now for the opening of the words according to these phrases . for the first , that it is in the imparative mood , reap in mercy ; not , ye shall reap in mercy . this signifies these two things . . the certainty of the mercy they shall have . and . the readiness of the mercy , that it is ready at hand for them to possess ; just as if one should say to you in your shops , let me have this commodity and here take your money , that is , here 's your money readie and certain . and then , from the other word , in the mouth of mercie . now if the translators had translated it thus , sow in righteousness , and reap in the mouth of mercy , it would have been obscure : but those that understand the hebrew tongue , know the meaning of this phrase to be nothing but thus much . the mouth of a thing is used for the proportion and measure of a thing , you shall have it thus in lev. . . ( the same scripture that i quoted before for another purpose ) thy estimation shall be according to the seed thereof . now the word in the hebrew is , the estimation shall be to the mouth of the seed , that is , according to the proportion of the seed so shall the estimation be . and so you have it in exod. . . gather every man according to what he shall eat . it is the same here , to the mouth of every man , in a proportion according to what 's fit for every man. you shall sow in righteousness . thus , sow in righteousness , it 's a poor seed that we shall sow : now god doth not say , you shall reap in righteousness , but in mercy , from the mouth of mercy . you take out of the mouth of the sack , and sow , but your poor proportion that you sow , when you come to reap ( if you be faithful ) you shall reap according to the proportion of mercy , what is fit for a merciful god to do , what is sutable to the infiniteness of my mercy , so you shall reap , not sutable to what you do and your proportion , but look what is sutable to the infiniteness of my mercy that you shall reap : it was so towards the jews , if their obedience was but external , yet they should have mercy beyond their outward obedience : but if it be applied to those that live in the times of the gospel , indeed that which comes from you being so mixt as it is , is but poor , yet you may expect to reap , not according to what you do , but according to what may manifest the infinite mercy of an infinite god ; every man that shall in the uprightness of his heart , that is never so weak , and is imployed in very poor , and mean services , yet if their hearts be upright they shall not reap according to the meanness of the work , but look what glory and happiness is sutable for an infinite god in way of infinite mercy to bestow , that they shall have in the mouth of mercy , sutable to mercy . thus you have the meaning of the word . now observe : first , as a man sows so shall he reap ; though he shall reap more than he sows , yet he shall reap in the same kind ; if he sows wickedness , he shall not reap mercy ; but he that sows righteousness , he shall reap mercy . it is a mocking of god , for men to think that though they sow wickedness yet they shall reap mercy , therefore saith the apostle in gal. . . as a man sows , so shall he reap . god is not mocked , if thou thinkest to reap mercy when thou sowest wickedness , thou mockest god to his very face ; if a man should go and sow tares and say , i shall have a good crop of wheat , would not you think that man mad , or he should think you a fool to tell you so and you beleeve him ? so for you to think that either god or man should beleeve that you should have mercy when you sow not righteousness ( i say ) it is to mock god , and know , god is not mocked , for what a man sows , that shall he also reap , and they fruit shall be another manner of fruit , thou shalt rent that which shall be bound in bundels , and thou bound together with it , and cast into unquenchable fire : but those that sow righteousness , there 's never a seed of theirs shall be lost , they shall be recompenc'd for all their pains , & labor , & sufferings , for so saith the lord , ps . . . that those that sow in tears , they shall reap in joy , there shall be an assuring fruit to those that sow in righteousness , for righteousnss it is the most pretious thing in the world , if it be true gospel righteousness , it is ( i say ) more worth , one right act is more worth than heaven and earth ; god will not lose that seed , it 's precious seed , there is more of god in one righteous act of a godly man than there is in all the works of creation and providence , ( except angels and saints ) than in all the whole frame of creation . the reason is this , because in all the creation gods glory is there but passively , god works there and it is passively , and holds forth his glory ; but now , when it comes to the righteous acts of the saints , there is an active way of glorifying god , there 's an act of gods life , there 's an act of the very image of god , and the life of god , and the divine nature is there , and therefore there is more of god in the working of righteousness than in any thing else besides . oh! let the saints get a price upon the actions of righteousness , though there be much evil mingled , yet there 's a great deal of the glory of god in every action . if we were but grounded in this principle it would make us abound in the work of the lord ; so in the morning and in the evening let not thy hand rest , trust god with thy seed , do not be deterred with this difficulty and the other , he that observes the wind ( in eccles . . ) he shall not sow ; and he that regards the clouds , he shall not reap . is it a duty that god requires of thee ; do not think , oh! but it 's windy weather , and ill weather : no , but sow it , sow it in righteousness , and commit it to god , and thou shalt reap . oh! blessed are those who have sown much for god in their life time , oh! the glorious harvest that these shall have , the very angels shall help them to take in their harvest at the great day , and they need not take thought for barns , the very heavens shall be their barns , and oh the joy that there shall be in that harvest , and the angels will help to sing the harvest song that they shall sing that have been sowers in righteousness ; but the confusion of face which will be upon those that were not willing to endure difficulty in plowing and sowing , the sluggard will not plow because it 's cold : and therefore shall beg in harvest , and shall have nothing : in harvest he will be crying for mercy , lord , mercy now ; but what fruits of righteousness ? no fruits of righteousness , no mercy . oh! reap in mercy , that 's a very observable expression as we have in all the book of god , not reap in righteousness , but reap in mercie . from whence our note is , that after all we do , yet we have need of mercy . let us be the most plentiful in sowing the seeds of righteousness , yet we are unprofitable servants after we have done all . it is true , an act of righteousnesse hath much in it . yea , but it's gods , so much as there is in it , it 's bad , and after we have done all we had need come to god as beggars to cry for mercy ; those men that have liv'd the most holy lives that ever men did live in this world , yet wo to them if they have not mercy ; if they have not a righteousness beyond their own , if mercy comes not in to plead for them , wo to abraham , isaac , and jacob if mercy comes not in to plead for them , if at the great day if they have nothing to tender up to god but their own righteousness they are certainly lost and undone for ever . al that we can do is infinitely unworthy of the majesty of god , oh! the text that you have in chron. . . when the people did offer so much to god for the building of his tabernacle , mark how david was affected with it , who am i ( saith david ? ) and what is my people , that we should be able to offer so willingly after this sort ? for all things came of thee , and of thine own have we given thee . and when david in chron. . . when david had provided a thousand thousand talents of silver , and an hundred thousand talents of gold for the building of the temple of god , besides brass and iron , without weight , yet when all comes to all , out of my poverty have i offered this ; so arias montanus turns it : in your books it is , in my trouble have i done this , but the same word that signifies trouble and affliction , signifies poverty likewise , and saith david , after al this , yet in my poverty have i done this ; whereas this was a mighty thing that was offered . i remember sir walter rawlegh● it is in the . chap. of his d part , and th sect. he reckons up the sum of what david did there prepare for the temple of the lord , & he makes it more than any king in the world is worth , he makes it to come to three thousand , three hundred and thirty , and three cart-load of silver , allowing two thousand weight of silver , or six thousand pound sterling , to every cartload ; besides threescore and seventeen millions of french crowns : and yet when he had done all , out of my poverty have i done this . as if he should say , lord , what is this in respect of thee who art the great god ? if thou wilt but accept of this , i shall be infinitly bound to thee . oh my brethren , let us learn for ever after all our duties not to be proud , keep your hearts low and humble before god ; hath god enabled thee to sow in righteousness ? our hearts are puft up presently : oh no , thou must keep thy heart still under . alas ! such is the proudness of our spirits , if we be but enlarged a little in prayer we are ready to be puft up presently : oh! what 's this to the service that a creature owes to the blessed and eternal god ? hadst thou spent all thy daies since thou hadst any understanding , night and day in the work and service of god , hadst thou been the greatest instrument of gods service that ever was in the world , yet thou hast cause to lie down at gods mercy-seat and cry , mercy , lord , mercy for a poor wretched vile creature after thou hast done al , we are so unable to do any thing our selves . it 's an expression of luther , the very act of thanksgiving is from god : and therefore be humbled , and cry , grace , grace to al that hath been : and let all publick instruments not take too much upon them , but lie low , and there 's a man that 's worth his weight in gold , that can be an instrument of great and publick work , and yet lie low before the lord. oh! did we but know god we would be so after our duties , we would be low . there 's a notable story i find concerning cyprian when he came to suffer martyrdom , and ( you will say ) that was a great service , to lay down his life for god : in his last prayer he had these two expressions , which are remarkable in it . the first expression was this , * lord ( saith he ) i am prepared to powr forth the very sacrifice of my blood for thy name sake , yea , lord , i am prepared here to suffer any torment whatsoever . these two expressions he had . you will say , now surely this man might stand upon his terms with god. ( but he goes on ) but when thou doest lift up thy self to shake the earth , lord ( saith he ) under what clift of the rock shall i hide my self , to what mountain shall i speak even to fall upon me ? as if he should say , lord , though i be here ready to give up my body to be massacred for thee , to give up my blood to be an offering , and to suffer any torment , yet when i consider what a god i have to do withal , if thou shouldest deal with me as i am in my self , oh! i must cry to the rocks to cover me , and the hils to fall upon me . oh! this should teach us to keep our hearts low and humble after we have done the greatest work whatsoever . i remember one of the germane devines when he was full of fears and doubts , when he was to die : say some to him , you have been so imployed , and have been so faithful , why should you fear ? oh! ( he gives this answer ) the judgements of man and the judgments of god are different ; i am to go before the great and al-seeing god : though it 's true , god would not have us daunted with any terrible apprehensions of him , but yet he would have us be possest with reverence so as to be humbled when we think what a god it is we have to do withal : you must reap in mercy , oh! this shall be the song of the saints to all eternity , mercy , mercy : not unto us , lord , not unto us , but unto thy name be the praise . and then the other note from that expression that we have there is , that god will give abundantly above our works . oh! it 's a point that hath very much encouragement to poor troubled sinners that are low ; raise up thy faith , it 's not what thy work is , though it be low and mean , and though there be many failings in thy work , yet is there uprightness , are they seeds of righteousness that thou hast sown , thou shalt reap according to what shall honor the mercy of an infinite god at last . i remember alexander when he was giving a gift to a poor man , oh! the poor man dar'd not receive it , it was too great : yea , but saith he , though that be too great for thee to receive , yet it is not too great for me to give . so i may say to poor souls , when they hear of the glorious promises to poor people , oh! their hearts are ready to think , this is too good news to be true , it is too great a mercy for thee to receive , as thou art in thy self , but if god will give according to the proportion of his mercy , it is not too great for him to give . now that 's the way that god will deal with those that are in covenant with him , that have all their fruit to come from the seed of righteousness : christ in the heart . i say there the lord will deal according to the proportion of infinite grace . take this one meditation , that where there is any uprightness when thou shalt come to reap from god thou shalt reap so much from god as must manifest to all angels and saints to all eternity , what the infinite mercy of an infinite god can do , and that'● enough one would think ; the poorest christian that doth but the least for god when he comes to reap shall have an harvest that must manifest the infinite riches of the infinite mercy of god , and what he is able to do for the raising up of a creature to glory . comfort thy self in this , in thy poor low condition in which thou art , and in the performing of thy poor services . thus for the manner of the phrase . break your fallow ground ; for it is time to seek the lord till he come and rain righteousness upon you . break up your fallow ground &c. ] the prophet exhorted them in the words before , to sow in righteousness , that they might reap mercy . but you must not sow without plowing , that were a preposterous way , therefore though the words come after , yet the thing is to be done before . look that you plow up the fallow ground : you have been sinful and ungodly in your way , it will not be enough for you now to set upon some good actions , we will do better , we will do such and such good things that god requires of us : no , that 's not the first work you must fal upon , but it must be to plow , to plow up your fallow grounds . in this expression you have here implyed , first , that the hearts of men naturally are as follow grounds , nothing but thorns and bryars grows upon them , they are unfit for the seed of the word . and by this word is here meant these three things ; when he bids them plow up their fallow grounds . first , the work of humiliation , the truths of god , both of the law and of the gospel must get into their hearts , and rend up their hearts , even rend it up as the plow doth rend up the ground . and secondly , that weeds , thorns , and bryars must be turned up by the roots , the heart must be cleer'd of them ; it is not enough to weed out a weed here and there , and to pluck out a thorn here and there , but plow up the ground , turn all upside down , and get up al the baggagely stuff and thorns that was in your hearts heretofore . and then thirdly , get a softness to be in your hearts ; as when the ground is plowed , that which was before hard on the outside , and bak'd by the heat of the sun , being now turned up there is a soft mould of the ground , and so by the softness of the mould of the ground it is prepared to receive seed . there are many evils in us that we would reform , but we have not been humbled for them , for our ceremonies , and subjection to * false government of the church , who hath bin humbled for these things , as sin ? we reform them as things inconvenient , but not being humbled for them as sin , the very roots of these things are in the hearts of many , so as if times should change , a distinction would serve their turn to come and submit to them again , so that we sow before we plow. i find in jer. . . you have this exhortation even in termiminis , that , they must plow up the fallow-ground of their hearts ( only exprest a little further ) they must not sow among thorns . they must not think to mingle that which is good with that which is evil , it may be a few good seeds are brought into a business , yea , but there is a great deal of evil . my brethren , take heed of being deceived that way ; many though they do not intend to deceive you , yet they may deceive you by mixing some good things with a great many evil , and therefore examin things . but i note this place in jeremiah the rather from the consideration of the time of jeremiahs prophesie . you shall find that the time of jeremiahs prophesie was in josiahs time . now the time of josiah was a time of great reformation , there was very much reformation in his time , yea , but saith jeremia● , what though you did reform , what though you do many things , you sow among thorns , you do not plow up the ground , you are not humbled , the roots of your sin are not got out of you , and therefore though there be a great deal of ill stuff that seems to be cast out , and many good things are set upon in the worship of god that was not formerly , yet you must plow , plow up your fallow grounds . the holy gost joyning of them together , sow righteousness , and plow up your fallow ground . this note i would have you observe , that there are some that do sow , and not plow , and there are others that do plow , and not sow , but we must joyn both together . there are that do plow , and not sow ; that is , they ( it may be ) are troubled for their sin , it may be much humbled for their sin , but they do not reform , after their humiliation there doth not follow reformation . now as reformation , where humiliation hath not gone before , usually comes to little purpose , so humiliation where reformation follows not after , comes likewise to little purpose . in isa . . . doth the husbandman plow all day to sow ? the text is brought to note thus much , that god observes his times ; and that is the scope of the text , that we must not be offended because that the lord doth not do things as we would have him alwaies , that is , he lets wicked men prosper sometimes , and the godly suffer afflictions , but as if the holy ghost should say here , let god alone with his work , god observes his times and seasons , as the plow-man doth , he doth not alwaies plow ; so god hath his times and seasons and knows when to relieve his church and afflict his church , and when the wicked shall prosper and be brought into adversity , god instructs the plow-man to know his season , and so doth he , and therefore be not offended . and so should we know our seasons , we should observe our times to be humbled and reform , to reform and be humbled . but this for the reformation of a state. but the plowing of the heart , that 's the thing that is here especially intended , and i desire to apply it particularly to every man and woman . those who have such sore necks who cannot bear the yoke , yet you must be plow-men and plow-women , for alice driver that i told you of , her father brought her up to plow , and both men and women , the daintiest ladies of all must hold this plow that is here spoken of . now for this plowing of humbling your hearts it is for the getting in of truths into your spirits , that may rend up your hearts , i 'le name some few truths that are as it were the plow-share , that you must not only know them , but labor to get them into your hearts . as first , that such is the vileness of every sin , as it seperates the soul from god and puts it under an eternal curse . this one truth , you must get this into your hearts , and get it deep into your hearts , it will help to unloosen the roots of the thorns and bryars that are there , the setled apprehension of this truth . and then secondly , this truth : that , there is such a breach between god and my soul by sin , that all the power in all the creatures in heaven and earth is not able to make up this breach , here is a sharp plow-share to get into the heart . and then thirdly , this truth , that by nature i am full of this sin , my heart is full of it , all the faculties of my soul are filled with sin that is of such an hainous nature . here is a sharp plow-share to get into the heart . and then fourthly , that every action that ever i have done in all my life , in my unregenerate estate , it is nothing else but sin , nothing else but sin that hath such a vile nature . yea further , that if any sin be pardoned to me it is by vertue of a price paid that is more worth than ten thousand worlds : this truth . now here 's the gospel as well as the law , for the plowing is but the spiritualness of the law , the truths of the law in a gospel way , for you must take notice that the law [ as law ] accepts of no humiliation for sin , it is as it is reveal'd in a gospel way , in a gospel way it doth tend to humiliation , for let men be humbled never so much , the law never accepts of them for their humiliation , but the law in a gospel way so it comes to humble the soul so as to do it good . now therefore the consideration of the truths that the law requires , having reference to the gospel they serve for the humbling of the soul ; now get in these truths and see what they will do in thy soul , you must work them in , and let conscience be put on to draw this plow , these are as the plow-share , and the working of conscience is the drawing of this plow ; while the plow stops ( as when it meets with a thorn and bryar ) now a strong conscience will draw it on , and will make the thorns and bryars to be rent up by the roots , if the conscience be put upon with strength to draw these truths in the soul ; and though they put you to pain , yet you must be content to draw them on in the soul ; and if these and the like truths be got into thy soul , and thou beest at plow , and thy conscience be drawing , this is that i shall say , god speed the plow , yea , god speed these truths that conscience is drawing on in the soul , for it may tend to a great deal of good , to prepare thee for the seed that may bring forth righteousness and mercy to thy soul for ever . i confess it is a hard work to be thus plowing ; indeed for men and women only to hear sermons , and be talking and conferring of good things , these things are pretty easie , but to go to plow , to plow with such truths as these are , to get up the thorns and bryars by the roots , this is a very hard task ; but we must be willing to do it , and to continue plowing ; as the fallow ground must not only be plowed once , but ( it may be ) it may stand in need of plowing the second and third time before it may be fit for the seed to be cast in , and so it must be with our hearts . it may be some of you have got in some truths , and you have been plowing ; yea , but since that time you have had many weeds and thorns grown up , and you must to plowing again ; it may be it is divers yeers ago since you have been thus plowing , and your hearts have lain fallow all this while , do not think it enough that once you have been humbled , but be often plowing up this fallow ground , you were as good have the plow get into your hearts though it be sharp , as to have the sword of gods justice be upon you . we have in these times a wanton generation that have risen up , that cannot endure to go to plow , they would be doing nothing but taking in the sweet , ( as i told you before in a former exercise ) treading ●ut the corn. but this plowing they cry out of meerly through a wantonness , and tenderness of their spirits , a sinful tenderness , because they would have nothing but jolity and licentiousness in their hearts and waies , yet the scripture in luke , . . compares the ministers of the gospel to the plow , he that puts his haud to the plow and looketh back , is not fit for the kingdom of god , not fit to be imployed in the administration of the gospel . though these men cry out so much of humiliation for sin , which is as strange a generation as ever have risen up , that should cry out of that , when there 's nothing more humbles for sin than the price that was paid for sin in the blood of jesus christ , and there is no such sharp plow-share as that . if i were to preach one sermon in all my life for the humbling of men for sin , i would take a text that might shew the great price that was paid for it , and therein open the breach that sin hath made between god and mans soul . but they will not make use of the gospel neither , so much as to be a plow to plow the heart for the work of humiliation . well , god hath prospered this work heretofore , and notwithstanding al the wantoness of mens spirits this way , yet ( i say ) still , god speed the plow , god speed this way of plowing the hearts of men , and getting in those truths that do humble the hearts of men for their sins ; these were the truths that god hath blest in former times , and there 's none that ever did live to the honor of the gospel so much : for this generation that is come up , they talk of the gospel , but they live not to the honor of it , the gospel hath not honor by them , nor jesus christ hath not honor by them . but the former generation of men , though in some things they might fail , yet certainly god blest them in their way so far as it was according to truth . no mervail though these men bring forth such little fruit of righteousness , it is , because they sow among thorns , presently they are up at the top , and so confident presently in their way , their seed is among thorns and therefore it doth not prosper . and thus much for this expression about the plowing up of fallow grounds , both in reference to general reformation , and humiliation , and concerning mens souls in particular . it follows ; for it is time to seek the lord. it is time . first , yet you have time to seek the lord ; 't is well for you that you have time to seek the lord ; it is mercy that there is any time at al to seek the lord. it might have been past time with you for seeking the lord , god might have forc'd his honor from you in another way , have fech't out his glory from you in your eternal ruin , oh! 't is mercy that god will be sought of you , and therefore plow up your fallow ground , and sow in righteousness ; for it is time to seek the lord. oh! you that are the oldest and wickedest , and yet live still , oh! remember this scripture ; yet , you have time to seek the lord , it is mercy that you have any time to seek the lord : if you did but understand what this mercy were , ye would fal down with your faces upon the ground and bless the lord that you have yet time to seek him . what do you think those damned creatures in hell would now give , if it might be said of them , that they have time to seek the lord , if they might have but one hour more to seek the lord with any hope to obtain mercy from him ? what you are now , they were not long since : oh! do you fear and tremble , lest , if you not seeking the lord , you ere long be , as now they are , that it shall be said of you , time is gon , time to seek the lord is past ; i will not now be sought of you ; seek the lord while he may be found , and call upon him while he is near , it was a speech once of a woman in terror of conscience , when divers came to her ( it was in cambridge ) divers ministers and others coming to her in way of comforting of her , she looks with a gastly countenance upon them , and gives them only this answer , call time again : if you can call time again , than there may be hope for me : but time is gone . oh! that we had hearts to prize our time , to seek the lord therefore while he may be found . and when thou goest home , fall down upon thy face before the lord , and bless him that yet it is time to seek the lord. it is time for the publick , through gods mercy it is time , yet for us to seek the lord. it might have been past time ; and who almost that did desire to know any thing of gods mind for seven or eight yeers ago or more , but did think that englands time was even gone of seeking god ? but the lord hath been pleased to lengthen out our time to seek him ; and this we should prize and make use of . secondly , it is high time to seek the lord. for first , god hath been long time patient towards you . he hath been long suffering , there is a time that the lord saith , he will be weary with forbearing , and therefore the lord having suffered so long , it is high time for you to seek him , for you to look about you , lest the lord should say , that he would be weary in forbearing , and forbear no more . it is fit you should seek the lord at all times , but now it is high time when god hath been so long suffering towards you ; how do you know but that the time for the end of patience is at an end ? and that is the second consideration , god hath been long patient . and . mercy it is even going , for judgments are now threatned by the prophet : as if the prophet should say , if ever you will seek him , seek him now , god is going , and judgments are at hand , and therefore it is high time for you to seek the lord. as a prisoner when he is at the bar , he is pleading a great while when the judg is at the bench , but if he sees the judges ready to rise off the bench , and if they be gone , then he is gone and undone for ever , then he lifts up his voice , and cries out , mercy , mercy . so it is high time to seek the lord , high time , mercy is going , judgment is at hand ; god as the judg is going off the bench , now cry , crie out for your lives or you are undone for ever . oh! this may well be applied to us both in the general , and in the particular , it is high time , god hath shewn himself to be going and departing from us , only there hath a company of his saints been crying , and as the lord hath been going from us yet they have lifted up their voice and cried to the lord , so yet he grants us time . and then thirdly , it is an acceptable time , because now god calls upon you , and he holds forth the scepter of his grace towards you , therefore it is now acceptable to seek god , seek him now and he will be found , cor. . now is the accepted time , the day of salvation , while you do enjoy the means of grace , while god is offering mercy in the gospel it is the accepted time , therefore now is the time to seek the lord , the misery of man is great upon him for not knowing his time , in eccles . . . there the wise man saith , there is a time for all things , but therefore is the misery of man great , because he knoweth not his time . oh! 't is true in this regard , we know not our time and therefore is our misery great upon us . o that thou hadest known at least in this thy day those things that concern thy peace ; missing of time is a dangerous thing ; that may be done at one time with ease , that cannot be done at another time with all the labor that possibly may be : thou canst not tell what may depend upon one day , upon one minute , perhaps even eternity may depend upon this moment , upon this day . a man goes abroad from his family and gets into company , perhaps into an ale-house , or tavern to drink , and there spends the day in wickedness ; thou doest not know but upon that time the day of thy eternitie may depend , it may be cast upon that day ; as saul was cast upon that act of his , saith samuel to him , the lord had thought to have established thy kingdom , but now he will not ; so god may say , well , notwithstanding all thy former sins i would have been content to have past by them , if thou hadest sought me upon this day : the consideration of this would make us take heed how we spend our time , how one spends any day in ones life . a marriner may do that at one time that he cannot possibly do at another . he hath a gale of wind and now he may quickly get over sea , but if he staies till another time , if he would give his heart blood to get over he cannot : and so sometimes thou hast such gales of the spirit of god as may do good to thy soul for ever , take heed thou doest not lose them , if thou losest them thou maiest be undone for ever . oh! 't is fit to wait upon god for our time , and if god gives us time take heed we do not trifle and say , we shall have time hereafter : therefore in phil. . . the apostle saith , work out your own salvation with fear and trembling : ( and it follows ) for it is god that worketh in you , both to will and to do . what a connexion is there ? if god work the will and the deed , what need i work at all ? nay , the connexion is thus , do you work out your salvation with fear and trembling , take all opportunities you can , let the fear of god be upon you , so as to omit no opportunity , for you do absolutely depend upon god , that if he doth withdraw himself from you , you are undone for ever , for you can do nothing of your selves , for it is god that worketh the will and the deed. as if we should say to a marriner , be careful , take your wind and sail , for al your voyage depends upon god , if you neglect your opportunity you are gone . it is time for the youngest of all to seek the lord , as soon as ever you begin to have the dawning of reason it is time for you then to seek the lord , oh! that you did but know your time . oh! but what time is it for old ones , for those that have neglected seeking the lord the most part of their lives ; is it not high time for you to seek the lord , who have spent so much of the time of your lives in vanity and folly as you have done ? the remainer of the time you have is uncertain , and yet suppose you should have so long a time as in the course of nature you are like to live , yet many of you cannot have so much time to seek the lord as you have had in departing from god , you cannot have so much time to honor god as you have had to dishonor him : and therefore is it not time for you to seek the lord ? i remember it is said of themistocles , that he died about an hundred and seven years of age , and when he was to die , he was grieved upon this ground , now i am to die ( saith he ) when i begin to be wise . and certainly it cannot but be a grief to a man or woman , though they should be godly , to think , why through gods mercy , the lord hath begun to work grace ( i hope ) in my heart , yea , but assoon as i begin to know god , and have any heart to serve him in this world , i must be taken out of this world : it was a proverbial speech once , weighty things to morrow : you shall find it in plutarchs lives . oh! take heed this proverb be not fulfill'd concerning you , weighty things to morrow , take weighty things , things of infinite consequence while you have time , let weighty things be regarded then . it is time to seek the lord. time , certainly our time is now for the publick as much as ever to seek the lord , for never did god give us such an opportunity for honoring him as of late . never any nation in the world had a greater opportunity for seeking god and honoring of him than we have had ; we were like to have been befool'd of our opportunity of getting mercy from god : but the lord hath given it us again , and betrusted us with an opportunity again after it was got even out of our hands ; oh! let us then catch hold of it now , and bless god that we have it even restor'd to us again , and let it be a strong argument upon us now to seek the lord , seeing we have an opportunity yet to do it , we have the liberty of his ordinances more fully than ever , let us not be befool'd of it . and certainly it is time in a more special manner now for us , because that things are in so great a confusion , that every body is at their wits end almost : alas our wise counsel that is at the stern , yet they are fain to depend upon meer providences , and casualties , and the truth is , there is such a confusion of things , that if god should say to the wisest man in the land , well , do you contrive which way you think things should be best , and i 'le do according to your contrivance , they could scarce tell what to say , or what to determine of , if god should leave it to them : such a confusion there is , that in a rational way you could not tell how to determine of things , is it not time to seek the lord then ? we thought it was time to seek the lord when we were in great danger of the adversaries ; that they would come to our gates . surely it is as great time to seek the lord now , to seek the lord that when he hath delivered us from our enemies that we may not devour one another . and when god hath given us some rest from them and said , well , all that before you were afraid of was , that the enemies would prevail and then you could do nothing , but i have queld their power in a great measure , and now set upon the work of reformation , oh! we are now at a stand and know not what to do , and we go on in such craftie waies one against another that every one is at a stand . oh then , it is time for us to fall down upon our faces , to seek god to direct us , to regard the great opportunity that god hath put into our hands . we only now want light to know what to do , and therefore whereas heretofore we have sought god for power that we might be able ; now we are to seek god for light that we may know how to improve our ability , seeking god ; to labor to put our selves into such a disposition as god doth use to communicate mercy to his people in , besides praying to god. there 's those two things in seeking god , praying to him , and laboring to put our selves into such a way and disposition wherein god doth use to meet with his people , and communicate himself to his people . till i come and rain righteousness upon you . the word that is here translated [ rain ] it doth sometime signifie to teach , it is of the same root ; and the scripture makes use of that similitude of rain , for doctrine ; because of the likeness of doctrines distilling as the rain , therefore one word in the hebrew is used for both . and therefore i find divers in interpreters go that way , ply the work until he teaches righteousness ; and so it is a prophesie of the messias , do you sow righteousness , and plow up your fallow ground , for it is time to seek the lord , till the messias shall come and teach you the righteousness of god. so they carry it . but take it is it is here . vntil he rain righteousnes . and then there is these things in it . first , i 'le open what is meant by righteousness , and then rain . by righteousness is meant , first , that god will deliver them from oppression , that though they have unrighteous dealing with men , yet they shall have righteous dealing with him . and this is a great mercy to a people that god shall undertake that there shall be nothing but righteous dealings betwixt them and himself . secondly , by righteousness is meant , the fruit of gods faithfulness in the fulfilling of all those promises of his for good unto them , wherein the lord doth stile himself righteous . ( saith he ) if you will now plow up your fallow ground , and seek the lord , the lord will deliver you from oppression , and the lord will make good all his faithfulness to you , according to all that good word that he hath promised . and this righteousness it shall be rain , that is : first , to note that all their good and help it must come from heaven as the rain doth , as if the prophet should say , if you look to men , yea , to men in publick place you have little hopes that there should be such righteous dealings , or to expect that the good word of god in all his promises to his people should be fulfilled , yea , but look to heaven , saith god , i 'le rain , it shall come down from heaven by waies that are above nature , that are above the power of man , i 'le rain righteousness ; seek him therefore till he rain righteousness , be not discouraged though you should see those in publick glace to carry things never so unrighteously , yet seek the lord till he rain righteousness . secondly , by raining righteousness is meant , the plenty of righteousness , that righteousness shall come in abundance . it may be now , some men may meet with some righteous dealings and be encouraged when things are at the best among men , but this righteousness comes but by drops , yea , but seek the lord till he rain righteousness . what is it to have a few drops of water ? you may go into your garden , and with a little pot of water , water the herbs ; yea , but when it rains down water , then the earth is refreshed . and so saith the lord here , seek me till i come with a shower of righteousness , and rain it down upon you . thirdly , till he rain righteousness . that is , till i work so graciously in the works of my righteousness to you , as shall make the seeds that you have sown to be fruitful , to grow up to the honor of my name , and to your good . now there are many godly amongst you , and they sow righteousness , they do many good actions , but alas , it is kept down still by the scorching heat of the oppressors ; in places where oppression prevails , many godly , truly godly men and women they sow much seed of righteousness , but there is little good comes of it , and all is kept down : yea but saith the lord , seek me till i rain righteousness , i 'le rain from heaven such showers that shall be the fulfilling of my promises to you , that shall make all your righteous actions grow up to the praise of my name , and the good of your brethren , oh! what a blessed time is this , when there shall be nothing but righteous dealings , and all the faithfulness of god shall be fulfilled , and there shall be plenty . the notes are : first , that god will come to sow righteousness in time . those that plow and sow in righteousness god will come in way of grace and goodness to them ; prov. . . to him that soweth righteousness shall be a sure reward . be not discouraged you that sow righteous seed ; for it is not with the seed of righteousness as with the seed that is sown in the earth , for if that do not come up in such a certain time , it will never come up ; but you cannot say so of the seed of righteousness , it will come up . secondly , god sometimes comes not presently in raining righteousness upon his people that do sow righteousness : seek the lord till he comes and rains righteousness : as if the prophet should say , you have hearts to seek the lord , to be humbled , and reform , to sow in righteousnesse ; well , be not discouraged , continue seeking , stay till he doth rain righteousness . after the seed is sown , you would fain have a shower the next morning , but ( may be ) it will not be the next morning , stay till gods time ; god doth not alwaies hear the prayers of his people so as to answer them when they would . it is very observable concerning elijah , at one time when he cried for fire to come down upon the sacrifice , it came down presently : but when he cried for rain , he was fain to send his servant seven times : elijah did not get rain from heaven so soon as fire from heaven . the third note is this , that those that seek aright will continue seeking god till he comes and rains righteousness . there is an excellent scripture in psalm . . . saith david , i will behave my self wisely in a perfect way ; o when wilt thou come unto me ? i will walk in my house with a perfect heart . as if the prophet should say , why lord , 't is thy presence i desire more than a thousand worlds , and i 'le endeavor to behave my self in my house , in my family , not only in the presence of others , but in my family , in the most perfect way i can : lord , when wilt thou come ? it seems god did not come and manifest himself presently : though david did behave himself in a perfect way in his house , yet david professes he would wait still . there 's many scriptures may be given for this , and many arguments why a gracious heart will not leave over seeking till the lord comes . 't is the lord i seek , and he is a great god , and is fit to be waited on , though he doth not come presently . we think it is a matter of state , because of the distance that there is between one and another to make them stay , why should we think much that we should wait upon the great and infinite god ? and perhaps you pray , and find no benefit ; it is fit for you to wait upon god. there is an infinite distance between god and you , seek till he comes . if you do not get that , that you seek for , yet you are doing your duty , and that is enough . this is a very great evil among many , they are praying and seeking god , but they only have their eyes upon what they shall get by seeking god , and if nothing comes of it , then they are discontented ; whereas meerly the consideration of that , that thou art doing thy duty should be enough to quiet thy heart . and then further , thou canst not be better certainly than seeking god. whither wilt thou go ? if thou leavest seeking god thou turnest from thy own mercy to vanity . and hast thou a temptation to leave off seeking god ? shalt thou get any thing by it ? certainly thou canst not do better , and therefore seek the lord , seek the lord till he comes , isa . . . is a most excellent scripture to uphold the heart in seeking god though god do not seem to come . the lord is a god of judgment ; blessed are they that wait for him . you are not a man or woman of judgment , you know not when it is a fit time that things should be done ; but god is a god of judgment , he knows how to do things in judgment ; and therefore blessed are they that wait for him . think of this , and deny your own judgments , and your own thoughts , and know that you are waiting upon god , that is a god of judgment , that is infinitely wise to come to his people in a fit season , and to come so that at last you would not wish that he had come sooner . and know , that all the while you are waiting , god is working good . we are waiting upon mens doors , and they take no notice of it : but if we knew that all the time we are a waiting our petition were a reading and they in consultation about it , and we only waited for the issue of the consultation , it would satisfie us . and so a gracious heart may be assured of this , hast thou sought the lord in the truth of thy heart ? the thing is not come yet , but ever since thou hast sought the lord the heart of god hath been thinking of that thing which thou soughtest him for , and wilt not thou be seeking god still till he doth come ? and then , while thou art seeking god , thou art not altogether without some dews ; indeed god doth not come and rain in showers , that righteousness that he will hereafter , but surely thou hast dews , thou hast some encouragements , and do not slight those dews of gods grace that thou hast , for then thou maiest stay the longer before the showers of righteousness come ; prize the dews of gods grace and the showers of righteousness they will come the sooner . many christians though they have many dews of gods grace upon their hearts to refresh them , yet because they have not showers they think it is nothing ; what hast thou no dews of grace ? what is it that keeps thy heart so tender as it is ? thou wouldest not for a thousand worlds wilfully sin against god , certainly if thy heart were hardened the truths of god would not get into thy heart so as they do : indeed the rain comes in a visible way ; yea , but there are dews of grace that come in a secret way : thou doest not indeed see the comings in of those dews of grace upon thy heart , yea , but others may see the effect of those dews . and then lastly , seek the lord till he comes ; why ? because when he comes he will come more fully a great deal . it was a notable speech of mr. glover the martyr , when he had been seeking god for the raining of righteousness , he was willing to give his life for god , and yet god had absented himself from him , oh! god was not come , he complain'd to his fellow austin , that god was not come ; well , but saith his friend , he will come ; and give me a sign before you die , if you feel the spirit of god come to your heart : well , the poor man continued all night , when he was to be burnt the next day , and yet he was not come , yea , the sheriff came to carry him to the stake , and yet his heart was dead . but he goes on till he came within the sight of the stake , and then the holy ghost came into his heart , and fil'd him with joy , so that he lifts up his hands and voice , and cries , he is come , he is come . now there came a shower of righteousness upon his heart , he was content to seek the lord till he came . and that may be a fourth note , that those that are content to seek god till he comes , when he comes he will come with plentiful showers in raining righteousness . oh! how many ! how many cursed apostates are there that will curse themselves one day for not continuing seeking of god till he comes ? perhaps there are some that have had some convictions of conscience , and because they have not had encouragement presently they were discouraged , and so thou hast basely gone back , and now god hath left thee , and thou art become a base useless hypocrite , and art a dishonor , and disgrace to religion , and all because thou wouldest not stay till god came : oh! but others staied till god came , and god came at length so fully that now they bless his name that they did stay . i remember i have read of colum●us that was the first that found out the west indies , and the story saith of him , that his men were even weary , he was so long in sailing , & so they were resolved they would come back again , that they would , so that then all their labor had been lost . but columbus he came to them with all intreaties to go on a little time , and at length prevail'd with them to go on but three daies longer . so they were content to venture three daies , and within that three daies they came to see land , and so discovered those parts of the world that were so little known to these parts . now what a miserable thing had it been if they had come back and lost all their voyage ? thus it is with many a soul sailing towards heaven and eternal life , thou hast been a long time tost up and down in the waves of the sea , the waves of temptation , and of trouble , and thou thinkest it's best to come back again : oh! stay a while , do not limit three daies , but go on ; yet it may be said of some that had they proceeded in their voiage but three daies more , they might have come and seen , whereas now they have lost all . oh! seek the lord then till he comes and rains righteousness . and then the fifth is this , the help of those that seek god it is from heaven . till he rain . they do not so much expect help from creatures as from heaven , they look up to heaven for their help ; when all comforts in creatures fail they look upwards and there see their help . and then the sixt note is this , that the fruit of gods coming to his people after seeking , it is , to make them fruitful , that 's the end of gods coming , the end of the mercy of god in coming to people , it is , to make their seeds to grow up and be fruitful . it may be you would have god come , but wherefore , to bring comfort to you ? no , the end of gods coming to his saints , it is , to make them fruitful , and this would be an argument of the sincerity of your hearts in seeking god : when you are seeking him , what do you seek him for , only for comfort , and peace , and to ease you from troubles ? yea , but do you seek god that you may be fruitful ? the hypocrits seek to have grace that they may have comfort , and the godly seeks comfort that they may have grace , so it is , that god may rain righteousness : i am as a dry ground , oh! that god would come with the influence of his grace to make me fruitful in the works of holiness : many of you would have comfort , ( as now in these daies mens ears are altogether set upon comfort ) but is your comfort the showers of god ? doth it make the seeds of righteousness fructifie in your hearts ? certainly you can have little comfort of that comfort that is not as rain from heaven to bring up the fruits of righteousness in your hearts , and in your lives . and then seventhly , gods coming with blessings upon those that seek him , it is , righteousness : that is , the good that they have as a fruit of seeking of him , it is , the fulfilling of gods word , it is but gods faithfulness that was engaged for it . jesus christ had purchased it by his blood , and they had a bond for it before , what ever good they have from god. it is an excellent note to help us both in our seeking god , and in the comforts that we have . when we are seeking god we are not seeking god meerly as a gratuity . though in reference to us it is only free grace , but to christ it is righteousness , it is that which christ hath purchased , therefore saith saint john , if you confess your sins : he doth not say , it is mercy for god to forgive them , but it is just with god. and so when you receive a mercy from god , you are not to look upon it as a meer alms , though in reference to your selves indeed it is so , but in reference to christ your head it is righteousness , it is that which christ hath purchased , and that which god gives you as a fruit of his faithfulness , as wel as of his free grace , when thou art seeking of god let not only the eye of thy faith be upon the grace and mercy of god , but upon the very righteousness of god. and then another note may be , though the good we do is our own good , yet god rewards it as if he got by it : god makes promises to us that if we do thus and thus we shall enjoy such and such mercies . sow to your selves . when we sow , god gives us leave to aim at our selves , but yet when god comes to reward us , he doth reward us as if it were only for him and not for our selves , he rewards us in waies of righteousness . and thus much for this verse of raining righteousness . god hath another rain for the wicked and ungodly , in psalm , . he rains snares , and fire and brimstone upon them . ver . . ye have plowed wickedness , ye have reaped iniquity , ye have eaten the fruit of lyes . notwithstanding all exhortations , and all offers of mercy , yet you have gone quite contrary ( saith the prophet : ) instead of breaking from your iniquities , you have plowed your iniquities . the meaning is this : you have taken pains to propagate that which is evil , you have taken pains to prepare for wicked things and to do all you can for the propagation of that which is evil , both in your selves and others . that is the plowing of wickedness . the plowing of the wicked is sin , their endeavors , ( that is the meaning ) their labor it is especially for the furtherance of sin , the very strength of their spirits is let out for the furtherance of their sin ; in job , . . even as i have seen , they that plow iniquity , and sow wickedness reap the same : to plow it is to endeavor , and labor for iniquity , for so the word that is here translated plow , it signifies , to frame things , to work things , to endeavor any thing with all our might ; that is the signification of the word . you have set your hearts altogether upon this work , for the furthering of wickedness , in thinking of it , in plodding about it , in stirring of one another , and doing all you can in your endeavors for the furtherance of wickedness . yea , you have been willing to go through all difficulties to accomplish your wicked intentions : as we reade in micah , . . it is a notable scripture , it shews the strong endeavors of wicked men after their sin . they do evil ( saith the text ) with both hands earnestly . it is a very strange text , they are willing to take pains and plow for their sin . oh! how many are there that take more pains to go to hell , than others do that go to heaven ? they will so struggle , and suffer for their sin , willing to break with their friends to accomplish their sinful lusts , willing to venture their estates , to hazard their healths , willing to do any thing in the world , they are willing to go through all difficulties that they may have their sin : yet they will not plow for god : oh! they complain of any little difficultie in the waies of god ; but complain of no difficultie in the waies of sin , oh! what a wicked and wretched heart is this , to be offended with any hardness in gods waies , and yet be content to endure any hardness at al in the waies of sin ! oh! that we were but as instrumental for god , and willing to plow , as hard as others do for that which is sin . and oh! when you shall come to die , to reap the fruit of your labor , what terror do you think will this be to your consciences , when it must tell you that you have taken more pains in the waies of wickedness than ever you did in the waies of god ? as it was said of cardinal wolsey , when he was to die , oh! saith he , had i but served god as diligently as i have served the king , he would not have given me over in my gray hairs . so when you shall come to die and your consciences shall say , oh! that i had but broken as much sleep to prayer and seeking god , oh! that i had but ventur'd my estate , and name , as much in the waies of god as in the waies of sin , it had been happy for me ; is it possible that any of you can die in peace of conscience , and yet your consciences shall tell you that you never took that pains for god as you have done for sin ? in a good motion that is for god , if others do it you will agree and go on with them : i , but you will not plow hard for it ; but in things that are sutable to your lusts , you will not only move such a thing , and joyn with others , but you will plow hard for it , oh! what pity is it , that mens parts and strength should be laid out so much upon that which is evil ! men that have active spirits , oh! how instrumental might they be for god if their necks were but in gods yoke ? but they , all the daies of their lives , have their necks in the devils yoke , and are plowing for the devil all their daies , and they will reap accordingly . now this plowing wickedness was especially their way of false worship , oh! they endeavored there , they plowed hard to get up their false worship , their worship at dan and bethel , and not to go to jerusalem to worship . it follows . you have plowed wickedness , ye have reaped iniquity . you do not hear of any sowing ; for the truth is , there need no sowing for wickednss , there need be but the preparation , do but plow , that is , do but prepare the ground , and wickedness will come up alone . when you plow righteousness you must sow the seeds of righteousness . ye reap iniquity . the meaning is this , you have your hearts desire to bring about your own ends , to have what you plowed for . sometimes men do plow and take a great deal of pains in that which is evil , and god crosses them ; but at other times god lets them reap : that is , do you labor for to promote such a thing though it be not according to gods mind , it may be god will let you have it ; well , you plow for it , and you shall have it ; and doest thou bless thy self in that ? oh! wo to thee , it is a woful harvest that thou hast , it is a fearful curse for any man or woman for to have their hearts desires satisfied in their sin , it were a thousand times better that thy plowing were to no purpose at all , that all thy labors and endeavors were quite lost ; thou art loth to lose thy endeavors in the waies of sin , oh! but it were a thousand times better that thy endeavors were all lost than that thou shouldest attain that which thou plowest for . but i find the word that signifies iniquity , is used in scripture to signifie , the punishment of iniquity : for the hebrews have the same word to signifie sin , and the punishment of sin . or thus , which i think the holy ghost hath some aim at , you plow ( saith he ) wickedness , and reap iniquity ; the plowing was for their false worship , and their reaping was iniquity : i beseech you observe this note further . that , the fruit of false worship it is the encrease of sin in a nation . you plow wickedness , for so afterwards it is called , the great wickedness ; and the fruit of that , it is the encrease of much sin , it brings forth a harvest for sin . when men have striven to set up any false worship , and have gotten it up , what is the fruit of it ? there grows presently a formality in religion , men have a religion , and yet they enjoy their lusts , for only the true worship of god is that which will not stand with mens lusts , therefore when men set up any kind of false worship , this will be the fruit , there will be a formality in religion , and this will please men exceeding well , for they can live in worldliness , and licentiousness , and this will be the fruit of it . and verily my brethren , this is one main thing , that makes carnal , loose hearts contend so much for a loose kind of worship , that they may have loosness in their waies so much the more : endeavoring for this kind of evil the fruit of it will be the reaping of iniquity . you have eaten the fruit of lyes . first , what are those lyes that they eate the fruit of ? first , those arguments by which you justifie your selves in your iniquity . yea , but they are but the fruit of lyes . they would set up a way of false worship , but they would have some reasons for it , they would have some arguments to defend it , and those , oh how they hugged and closed with them , and let any one bring and shew them that such a thing may be proved thus and thus by such an argument ; now because they had a mind to the thing , their hearts closed upon those arguments , and they fed upon it , it did them good at their hearts . secondly , you feed upon lyes ; that is , those comforts that you have from the way of false worship , the way that you set up you have a great deal of comfort in it , and you are very glad that it thrives , it is but a lye ( saith god. ) thirdly , their hopes that they had when that way was established of theirs , they had such hopes that all should be so well , and that there should be no more trouble between them and jerusalem : i , but you feed upon lyes ( saith god ) it is but a lye that you feed upon . the fourth lye that they fed upon was , the interpretation of gods dealings , in blessing them for the way of their false worship which they had set up ; then all kind of outward blessings which they had they made this interpretation of them , the goodness of god to them for that which they had done : as that is usual in places where there is any thing in matters of religion altered , though it be not right , yet you shall have men that are for that way , what ever blessing comes upon a nation , they will interpret it as the fruit of that . i , but this will come to nothing . and then fiftly , the fift lye , was , those false reports that came to them against those that did oppose their way of false worship : there were many that would not yield to the way of false worship , and upon that reports were raised upon them , what kind of men they were , and what they had done , and when these reports were brought to them of the other way , oh they did them good at their hearts , i but , you have eaten the fruit of lyes : many mens break-fasts , and dinners , and suppers are nothing else but lyes . surely now this will breed no good nourishment . and what 's the reason that we have such a deal of ill blood among us ? it is , because that men have such course food as they have . because thou didest trust in thy way , and the multitude of mighty men . israel ( the ten tribes ) had two great confidences that are expressed in this lattter part of the . verse . . the confidence of their way . . and the confidence of their mighty men. now the way in which they did trust was , the way of religion that they chose to themselves , that way that was distinct from the way of judah , from the true worship of god. and the mighty men was , the power they had in their state. these are two great confidences of people . first , thou didest trust in thy way ; they were confident that was right , they were not willing to hear any thing to the contrary : and if they did , yet their hearts were so byassed by their false worship , that any thing that was said to the contrary was nothing to them , they were very confident that there was no man able to say anie thing to purpose against them , no , we have so many understanding learned men for this way , no question it is right , there 's none but a company of silly , weak men that are in any other way . thus they trusted in their way , they please themselves , and one another , and did seek to harden themselves , and one another in their way , they have got the day , no question they have laid all upon their backs that have opposed them , there 's a great deal more reason for this way than for any other . there 's no way of peace to the state , to the kingdom , but this , that which others would have , namely to go to jerusalem to worship , it 's a most unreasonable way . yea , they think that god is well pleased with their way , and they do good service in opposing and persecuting those that are not of their way ; thus they trust in their way . from whence the note and point is , that which is a mans own way he is very ready to trust in , to make much of ; whatsoever is a mans own way : we have for this a notable scripture in the book of judges , . . oh the strength of spirit that there is in men when the way is their own , saith the text there , they cease not from their own doings , nor from their stubborn way . i beseech you observe it , 't is but a several expression , own doings , and own way , the doings were their own , such things as they had contriv'd to themselves , their own way ; and then they ceased not from , they would stick to their own way , they were stubborn in their way because their way was their own , prov ▪ . . the way of a fool is right in his own eyes ; but he that hearkeneth to counsel , is wise . a fool , one that understands little , yet if the way be his own , he will not hearken to counsel , he thinks he is sure , he needs not counsel with any , he is so strong in it because it is his own way . it 's a hard thing to get men out of that way that they have contriv'd to themselves in matters of religion : and therefore it 's observable what god saith of all the heathen in jer. . , . have any of the nations changed their gods ? but my people hath ( saith he . ) no nation would change their gods whom they had chose , only gods people they were peculiar in this to make change of their god : why ? because the gods of the nations were of their own making . what waies are of mens own that they stick exceeding much to , they trusted in their own way ; as when an object is too neer the eye , the eye is not able to see it , to see any evil in it ; if a foul thing be put too neer the eye , the eye cannot see it : so the evil that is neer ones self , very neer , that is ones own , that is very hard to see ; and yet what great difference is it between ones being defil'd by ones own dung , and by the dung of another ? if a mans heart be engaged in a way of his own , he will be ready to father it upon god himself , and say , it is gods way , and he will be ready to think that all other waies different from his are mens own . no men are more ready to charge others of pride than proud men ; and no men more ready to charge others of going to their own way , than those that do most stick to their own waies ; it 's one fruit of a mans heart sticking to his own waies and conceits , to think that whosoever differs from him , doth stick to his own conceits and his own waies . it 's a hard thing to make a man or woman that sticks much to their own waies , to own it that it is their own ; but how ever men wil not own what is theirs , but put it upon god many times , yet the lord he will one day discover all the waies of men , discover all the waies of men and women and shew how much is their own in it : it 's a notable text for that in prov. . . every way of man is right in his own eyes ; but the lord pondereth the heart , ( or the lord weigheth the heart ) for pondering and weighing is all one . mark , every way of man is right in his own eyes , but the lord pondereth the heart ; that is , though we chuse waies to our selves , and think they are right , and we are ready to think that our waies are gods , that we might justifie our selves so much the more , but saith the text , god pondereth the heart ; that is , god weigheth exactly how much there is of his own , and how much there is of our own in it , oh! it were a happy thing if we were able to do so , it 's a great part of the skill of a christian to be able so to ponder his own waies as to know how much of god & how much of himself is in a thing . there 's very few in the world knows this , there 's scarce any action that the best of us do but there is somewhat of self in it , there is somewhat of god , and somewhat of self ; but now here 's the skill , to be able to weigh how much of god , and how much of our selves is in an action . it 's a great skill that your goldsmiths have , they can presently tell you how much gold and silver is in a vessel ; an unskilful man looks upon it and thinks it 's all gold , but your refiners will tell you even how much to a drachm is mixed with it . oh! it were an excellent skil to be able in all our actions thus to ponder al our waies , to know how much of god , and how much of our selves is in our waies , for want of thi● it is that we do miscarry so much in our waies as we do ; every way of man is right in his own eyes , but god ponders , god weighs mens actions to see how much of himself ; and how much of us there is in our actions . but now then , is it so , that it is in the hearts of men to trust so much in their own way , because it is their own ? oh! what a shame is it then that we should not have our hearts close with , and trust in gods way ! let a way be never so base and vile , yet if it be a mans own , his heart doth close , and trust , and is strong in it : oh then ! when the way is apparently gods , why should we be so fickle and unsteadie as we are almost alwaies in the way of god ? make but the way of religion to be thy own , and then thou wilt be strong enough in it , but till that time is , till we have given up our wils to the will of god , and we have made gods wil to be our own wil , we are never like to be strong in the waies of god. when there is but one will between god and us , that gods will is our will then we are strong , when gods interest is our interest , when gods glory is our glorie then we come to be strong . oh! happie are they that have so given up themselves to god , as that they look upon their own good to be more in god than themselves , this is the work of grace to look upon ones own good , and wil , and comforts of our hearts and happiness of our lives , to be more in god than in our selves , that 's the way to persevere in godliness ; as thus , as it is between man and wife ; when the wife comes to make the will of her husband her own , then she loves him strongly , and constantly : so when gods will is made to be our own , then we will fol gods will strongly , and shall persevere in it . it follows ; and in the multitude of their mighty men. this made them very confident in their way : why , they had an army to back them , they had an army to fight for them , to maintain that way of theirs , they had countenance from men of power , they had strength enough to crush any that should oppose them . that 's the note that lies plainly before us : when the outward strength of a kingdom goes along with a way of religion then men think it must needs be right , and that all men are but weak men that appears against it . mark the connexion : they trusted in their way : that is , ( as i find generally interpreters go ) the way of religion . and then , their mighty men , these two are put together : so that you see the note is very evident before you , that 's the way that generally men will trust in , and men will go that way ; were the scale turn'd and the strength of the mighty men went another way ; as now , suppose that the strength of the kingdom of the ten tribes had been bent to go up to jerusalem to worship , and not to worship at dan & bethel , do you think there would have been almost any considerable party that would not have gone up to jerusalem , but worshiped at dan & bethel ? but when the strength of the kingdom held the other way , when the mighty men and the way of religion went both in one , the generality of the people went that way that the mighty men went. this is the vanity and the exceeding evil of mens hearts , that which way soever the mighty men go , that way they will trust in . there are very few that will deliberatly say so , i will go that way that i see the mightie men go in : but this is a secret byass & poise upon the spirits of men w ch inclins them to harken to what may be said for that way , & not willingly to what may be said for another . and secondly , it is such a poise upon their spirits , as makes them to be willing and ready to let in any probability , if there be but the least probability for the way that the mighty men go on in they take in that , and when they have taken in one probability , that makes way for another , and another , and so they drink in more and more , & so com to be strengthned for that way , so as to put off the strength of any thing that can be said against the way , except it be so apparent , as whether they will nor no , they must be forced to sin against their consciences directly if they go another way ; i say , when the spirits of men are byassed by seeing the strength of the kingdom go in a way , though ( perhaps ) they may have some good lie at their hearts , yet there is that corruption in mans heart that except we can make the other way so cleer , that notwithstanding all shifts , and all kind af reasonings that may be , they shal be self-condemned in their own consciences , that their consciences shall tell them , they go directly against their light , i say , except we can come thus , we cannot prevail with mens hearts , when the sway of a kingdom goes another way . and there are many truths of god that concerns his worship , that cannot be made so cleer but that a man may have such a diversion to satisfie his conscience in this , that i in going another way , do not go against my conscience ; god would have us , that what is most likely to be his mind that way to go , without any consideration of any outward respects . now if there be a temptation for outward respects that they will come into the ballance , do but turn the ballance ; and suppose in your own heart that all outward respects were in the other ballance , that all the mightie men were of the other way , what would your hearts think ? in revel . . . that when power and authority was given unto antichrist , the whol world wondred after her . so it is ordinary , that way that the mighty men go , that way mens hearts will generally go . oh! the little honor that jesus christ hath by us ! our hearts are swayed for the most part by carnal arguments , and carnal motives . again , they trust in their way and in the multitude of their mighty men. great armies are the things that are the confidence of carnal hearts : when they can get a great army up of a multitude of mighty men , let there be never such threats in the word , yet if they think they have strength enough to bear them out , they bless themselves in that . oh! let us take heed of this carnal confidence : through gods mercie the lord hath given us now , that we have the multitude of mightie men on our side , let us take heed that our faith do not eb and flow as our armies do ; and i wil give you one scripture that shews how far a gracious heart is from making flesh his arm , cursed is that man ( you know the scripture ) that maketh flesh his arm. but an example of a godly man to shew how far he was from trusting in an armie of mighty men , in chron. . . it is nothing ( saith asa ) with thee to help with many , or with them that have no power . why lord , though we have no power , yet thou canst help us . why did asa speak thus ? had he no power ? you shall find in the chapter a little before , that asa had five hundred and fourscore thousand valiant fighting men , almost six hundred thousand valiant men that he had at that time when he is pleading with god , lord thou canst save where there is no power . we account it a great army , if we have twentie , or thirtie , or fourty thousand men ; he hath almost six hundred thousand men , and yet goes to god and praies , lord , thou canst help where there is no power . and yet further from the connexion of these two . their way in which they trusted . ] that is , the way of religion , they thought that was good ; but had they had nothing else to trust in but that , their trust would not have been very sure . from thence the note is this , that those who trust to any way of their own , had need of creature strengths to uphold them . it 's a note of very great use , they had need of bladders to be under their arm-holes , if they trust in a way of their own . but now if the way be the way of god that a man hath confidence in , why then though all outward helps should fail him , though all encouragements should fail in this world , though we should see the creatures at never so great a distance , yet the heart that hath confidence in gods way hath enough to uphold it ; here 's the difference between men trusting in their own way , and in gods way . indeed when men trust in their own way so long as the sun shines upon their way , that they have external helps , they can go on confident , but let outward helps fail , and their hearts sink within them . but now when the heart is upright with god , and trusts in the word , and promises , then it is able to say with habakkuk , in chap. . . that though the fig-tree shall not blossom , neither the fruit be in the vines ; the labor of the olive should fail , and the field should yeeld no meat , the flock should be cut off from the fold , and there should be no herd in the stalls ; yet they will rejoyce in the lord , and joy in the god of their salvation . let heaven and earth meet ●●●ether , whatsoever becomes of armies , and of the policies of men , of friends , and all outward respects ; yet i will bless my self in the lord , and bless the time that ever i knew god , and his waies , my heart yet is confident it is the way of god , and i can venture my state upon it , and my libertie , and my life and soul upon this way ; let all things seem to be under a cloud and never so dismal , yet my heart is steady , and is fixed in this way of god that the lord god graciously hath drawn my heart into . oh! this is an excellent thing . examin your hearts in that ; when at any time you have seen things go very cross , yet then whether you have not had your hearts to shake . i remember it 's an observation that one hath about john baptist . after he was cast into prison , he sends two of his disciples to know whether christ were the messias , or no : they think that though before he was cast into prison he did know that he was so ; behold the lamb of god! but when once he came to sufferings , some think that there was some shaking of his spirit . so it is many times with men , that when they begin to set upon a way and things do somewhat shine upon them , and they have some encouragements outwardly , then they go on , and are perswaded that it is a right way ; but when things fall cross , that they are like to suffer in that way , and the hearts of men are against it , and they are like to meet with more evils than ever they made account of , then they begin to call things into question , and is this the right way ? oh! it is a sign that there was much failing in thy heart ( at first ) when in the time of outward afflictions thou comest to call into question whether it be the way of god , yea or no. it follows . ver . . therefore shall a tumult arise among thy people ; and all thy fortresses shall be spoiled . as if the prophet should say , you have the militia on your side , and you think you shall be able to drive on your design , this your trust is , you have all the strength with you : but ( saith he ) what if there should be seditious tumults within you ; what if the power of the enemy without you should not come upon you , cannot god work your ruin that way that you think not of ; oh! how suddenly may god suffer the discontentments of people to break forth into rage and fury so that a tumult should arise among them , to make tumults and bring all into a most miserable confusion . it 's a great fruit of the wrath of god and a plague upon a city or country when god shall suffer tumults to arise among them . therefore shall a tumult arise among them : as a threatning of gods severe wrath among these people that were so confident in their way . a man may avoid external dangers for his body , yea , but the distempers within his body may be his death . there 's fearful miseries comes upon cities and countries when tumults rises , and there are these two main things that have been the cause of tumults . first , great oppressions secondly , engaging numerous parties in matters controversal . these going both together are very dangerous , for men they will carry on what they have begun , if once they be engaged in it . to engage a rude multitude in a business especially if it be controversal , it 's a very dangerous thing ; for they being once engaged we do not know what they may do to pursue and follow their engagements , the evil it is inconceivable . when the multitude is in a rage , they are like to a tiled house that is on fire ; when houses are on fire in the citie the great part of the evil is , if the flame have gotten to the tiles you cannot come neer the house the tiles flies so about your face : so it is in tumults , there 's no coming neer to talk to them , to convince them , but they are ready to fly presently upon you . and there are none so cruel as the vilest of people when they are got together in a head ; men of no blood care not what blood they shed . in prov. . . a poor man that oppresseth the poor , is like a sweeping rain which leaveth no food . when a poor man comes to oppress ; it 's true , oppressions are great , the evil of tyranny it 's very great ; but the evil of tumults is greater than the evil of tyrannie : we see it many times in men that are of mean rank , sometimes in those committees that some of you complain of . now men could bear oppression a great deal more if it were from those that are much above them , rather than from those that are their equals , or it may be under them in estate , and those that are most under men , if they come to get power any way they are like to be more oppressing than others : we have cause to bless god for delivering of us from tumults in this regard . i might shew you most dreadful examples of tumults in stories . josephus he speaks of many ; for when god was about to destroy the jews at last by the romans , their utter ruin was prepared by tumults and seditions that were among themselves . in his second book of the jewish wars the . chap. he speaks of one eleazar , and alexander that raised a tumult , and murdered as they went , men , women , and children , and so made havock of the country , that the nobles of jerusalem were fain to come out cloathed with sackcloath and ashes upon their heads to beseech them that they would have pitie upon their country , and upon their wives and children , and the temple , the nobles with sackcloath and ashes upon their heads came to aswage the rage of this tumult so grievous was it . and i find in his sixt book and . chap. another story of tumults and seditious spirits , that they being in some straights for food if there were but any places in the city that had their doors shut up they did suspect there was meat and would presentlie break in , and assoon as ever they came in , catch whosoever they found by the throat so as to take the meat out of their very mouths that was half chewed , they would not stand to ask them whether they had any thing or no but would run and catch them by the throat and pull the meat half chewed out of their mouths , and if any of them should let it go down before they could get hold upon their throats they would use them most cruelly for doing so . and in another place he tells that the citizens suffered more by them than when the enemies took it ; so that when the enemies took it they thought that it was rather a relieving of their miserie , than bringing evil upon them , because the evil of the tumults was so great among them . my brethren , we should rather bear much than be any fomenters of the raising of tumults , take heed of that , you know not what the end of such things will be , a tumult shall arise among them . in amos , . . moab shall die with tumult . when god intends the sorest scourge of all , utterly to destroy a people , he suffers tumults to be among them . i find some take this word tumult [ a tumult shall arise ] that is only meant the confusion of the hearts of people when the enemies should come upon them , that they should be all in a confusion , not knowing what to do through fear and terror altogether . as suppose on a sudden an army should come against a citie , people would be wringing of their hands and running up and down from place to place , and paleness in their countenances , and not knowing what in the world to do , all in perplexity and tumult : thus god threatens it should be with them . as if he should say , you are jolly and brave now , but when the assyrians come out upon you then your hearts shall fail , and you shall all run together and not know what to do , the women and children shall cry , not knowing how to help your selves , and so shall be brought into a confused tumult . this is the sense that some carries it in . but the sense may very well go either of these waies . it is a mercy that god hath not tried us this way ; we live in our houses , and follow our tradings , and lie down and sleep in quietness and rise again , but we cannot imagin what woful distractions there would be in the spirits of people in the citie , if there were a considerable army encamped round about it : perhaps some of you here have been in places where the enemies have come suddenly so that you know what this tumult in the spirits of men and women means . bless god ( i say ) that the lord hath delivered us from such tumults as these : and the power and providence of god in government of the world by a few , in keeping people from tumulting , and so bringing all to confusion , it is to be acknowledged , and his name to be sanctified . the word that is translated tumult , it doth indeed seem to import this , the crying of fearful creatures , those that are terrified and scar'd , it signifies the crying out of them . oh! 't is a great mercie for the heart of a man to be so stablished that when all dangers shall be apprehended , yet they can find their hearts fixed in god , and not in a tumultuousness presently . a righteous man , it 's said of him in psalm , . . that when he hears ill tydings , his heart is fixed : but it is a greater blessing , that when we see the armies before us , and hear the neighings of horses , and clattering of the speers , then to be fixed . oh! we should labor in the time of peace to make our calling and election sure . in psalm , . . my heart is fixed , o god , my heart is fixed , i will sing and give praise . awake my glory , awake psaltry and harp , i my self will awake early , i will praise thee , o god , &c. when was this that david cries to awake , and to give glorie to god , and sing praise , and that his heart was fixed ? it was when saul persecuted him , it was when he was in danger of his life , when saul pursued him to take away his life , yet , my heart is fixed , my heart is fixed , i will sing and give praise ( saith david ) even at that time . so in psal . . , . we will not fear though the earth be removed , though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea , though the waters thereof roar and be troubled , though the mountains shake with the swelling thereof . selah . this psalm was wont to be called luthers psalm , for in times of trouble he would say , come and let us sing the . psalm . many scriptures we might have to this purpose . i remember the storie of archimedes , that when the citie of siracuse was taken , and the enemies came in with their drawn swords and hack'd and slew whom they pleased , and abundant of blood-shed there was ; yet he was so setled upon the drawing of his lines ( being a mathematition ) that when the soldiers came in with their swords drawn , he was drawing his lines about his art. which of you could , if you were at prayer , or any serious duty , if you should hear of the breaking in of adversaries , could you have your hearts fixed in a setled constant way , fixed upon god in such a time as this is ? as outward tumults in cities and countries are very great evils , so are likewise spiritual tumults in the heart , when god seems to come against the souls as an enemy , i have a place for spiritual tumults , that is , the trouble and destraction of the heart in the time of the apprehension of gods absence : in psal . . . he brought me up ( saith the psalmist ) out of an horrible pit . now the word is in the original the very same word we have here , from the pit of tumultuousness . oh! it 's true , as if he should say , my heart was fixed indeed , yet at other times i found my heart in a tumultuous condition when i apprehended god not coming in according as i expected , yea but the lord did bring me up out of the pit of tumultuousness . oh! hath not this been the condition of some of you in time of trouble of your spirit , when you have apprehended the absence of god from you ? your hearts have been all in a tumult , hath the lord delivered you ? remember the psalm , the lord hath delivered me out of the pit of tumultuousness ; i was in a tumultuous condition , my heart was even overwhelmed , but the lord hath delivered me out of the pit of tumultuousness . and then in psal , . . from the end of the earth will i cry unto thee , when my heart is overwhelmed ; lead me to the rock that is higher than i. remember that scripture likewise . and all thy fortresses shall he spoiled . what are strong holds for the safeguard of a people when the strong god is against them ? you have made lines , and fortifications , oh! but the strong god is against you . in nahum . . . all thy strong holds shall be like fig trees , with the first ripe figs , if they be shaken they shall even fall into the mouth of the eater . and now my brethren , blessed be god we know this scripture to be true in a way of mercy , god hath made our enemies so to us , and not in a way of judgment : god might have made our strong holds so to them , this scripture might have been fulfilled thus , all thy fortresses shall be spoiled , that is , though we have made fortresses we might have heard , first , of this strong hold spoiled , and the other strong hold in such a place spoiled , this castle taken , and the other castle taken , and we might have been amazed with the news , and have said , how doth god fight against ●s , that though we had such strong holds , and men enough to man them , yet for all that they might have been but as the first ripe figs that being shaken fall into the mouth of the eater ? how were our hearts dejected when we heard but of one strong hold being taken from us , ( bristol ) but i say through gods mercy this summer the lord hath made this text good unto us , all thy strong holds , not all ours , but all the enemies : how have they been spoiled generally ? oh! the lord hath appeared glorious this way , and hath made this last summer to be a continual miracle of mercy to us in this very thing , all thy fortresses shall be spoiled . it follows . as shalman spoiled beth-arbel . hierom reades it , as salmana was destroyed by the house of him that vindicated baal in the day of battel . and so all that follow the old latin , they refer this to the story that we have in judges , . and think it hath reference to that , the story where gideon slew zalmunnah the prince of midian , and so they make arbel to signifie the same with jerubbaal though more short . and the holy ghost doth seem to make that great judgment of god upon salmunna to be exemplary , he makes use of it afterwards in psalm , . . make all their princes like zeba and zalmunna . but now the letters in the hebrew do differ here , and we do not reade of gidion though he did use very much severity upon zeba and zalmunna , yet we do not reade that he dasht the mother upon the children . but luther thinks that it is meant of some notable act of cruelty upon some that was very neer to them ; but the particulars whereof we have not recorded in scripture , but only here mentioned , some notable execution of justice it was upon a city beth-arbel not long before , that god sets forth as an example of his most dreadful wrath that they might expect against themselves ; this beth-arbel we find it not in the canonical scripture but in maccab. . . we find mention of such a place , and afterwards it was very famous for the great overthrow that alexander the great gave to darius , so that it is as if the holy ghost should say , did you not hear of that horrid savage slaughter that shalman caused in beth-arbel when the mother was dashed in pieces upon her children , they had no pity of any sex or condition , the tender hearted mother imbracing of her children she was dashed in pieces upon them ; such dreadful wrath of god your bethel may expect , for so he alludes to that . beth-arbel signifies the house of the insnaring god , the god of policie , and subtiltie , it seems the people that call'd this city by this name , they had a god that they honored for the god of subtilty , that would ensnare all their enemies they thought , and so they trusted in this god . and upon that called the city beth-arbel , the house of the insnaring god . but now this would not do , the more they sought by subtilty to undermine their enemies , the more were their enemies enraged , and therefore when they came upon them they spoiled them , and dashed the mother upon her own children . we might from this very word take notice of such a meditation as that , that we should not think by our plots and policies to prevail , if god be against us . do not think to put off god by plots and policies and to avoid dangers that way ; this people did so because they had a beth-arbel , a god of policy , they thought to prevail , but their misery was so much the greater . mothers and children were dashed in pieces one against another . if you make arbel your god , policy to be your god , you may expect so much the more rage of god , and of the instruments of his wrath against you . and let men take heed how they seek to deceive & cozen other men , for there is no such way to encourage one man against another as this is , when a man sees that he is sought to be undermined by policies , do not deal by that way with your friends , acquaintance , and neighbors , you will encourage them so much the more . but oh ! the fury and rage of war when god lets it out , to dash mother against children . we reade in psal . . concerning the children of idolaters , that when the lord lets out his wrath upon the parents , he will let it out upon the children too , happy shall he be that taketh and dasheth thy little ones against the stones . it 's a very strange phrase . and in isa . . . their children shall be dashed in pieces before their eyes . i remember vrsine in his comment upon that place of isa . he quotes this . psal . and he hath first this note , that though god doth thus execute his wrath , yet usually because it is so dreadful and there is so much savageness in the thing in mans eye , therefore god doth use to do it by wicked men , and we never read that he made use of his own saints to execute that wrath . and then he answers that doubt , i , but is it not said in the psalm , blessed are those that dash their little ones against the stones , it may seem that it is approved of ? now that is his answer , and calvins , and others , that he doth not mean blessed , that is , that they are blessed in their persons , or eternal blessings of mercy ; but it is a prophetical wish that they might have success in the work , that they might have the blessing of success in the work , as an execution of gods wrath , and gods justice , though the instruments did sin in it , they did it to execute their savage cruelty , yet the prophet doth look upon the justice of god in it , and wishes success unto them in such a work as that is , that the justice of god may go on and have its course , speaking in the way of a prophetical spirit . the sins of parents ( you may see ) many times comes upon little ones . what hath the poor infant done ? oh! you tender-hearted mothers , consider of this , how far your sin may reflect upon your children : if ever you should see bloody soldiers to come in in a terrible way , ( as sometimes you have had fears that way ) and dash you upon your children , consider this is your sin that hath done it . but you will say , shall the children suffer for the fathers sin ? do not we reade that god will visit the sins of idolaters unto the third and fourth generation ? indeed were your children innocent , had they no original sin , then it were another matter ; but now considering they have enough in them to make them subjects of gods wrath , god may take advantage the rather because of thy sin , and therefore take heed , ane especially take heed to gods worship , for we do not find in scripture where any children are so threatned as the children of idolaters are . and then a further note is this , that the judgments of god neer to us should awaken us ; we should think , why may it not be upon our selves ? this was a heavy judgment of god upon some city neer , and god would awaken them , oh! what have we heard hath been upon our brethren in other parts , and we have been sottish , and not sensible of it because i● hath not just come upon our gates ; the lord expects when we hear of any dreadful evil upon others , that we should tremble and fear before him . and then one thing further note from hence . as shalman spoiled beth-arbel . the word that is here shalman , it signifies the name of one that is peaceable ; one that is peaceable , and yet he shall exercise his cruelty so , as to dash the mother upon her children , this is not one that bears cruelty in his name , not a tyger , but a shalman , a peaceable man as his name carries it , and yet thus cruel when he comes to have power ? oh! men who have peace in their names , and peace in their mouths , and peace in 〈◊〉 , yet when they come to have power often times are very cruel ; we were like to have found it so , if our adversaries should have prevailed , especially this citie might have been made a beth-arbel , & mothers dashed upon their children . it 's true , when the adversaries did prevail in any place they did not do so , but it was not through any ingenuity or pity , but out of fear , but had they gotten the day then we might have expected even dashing of the mother against the children . ver . . so shall bethel do unto you , because of your great wickedness . so shall bethel . ] what shall bethel rise up against the rest of the ten tribes , and come and destroy mother and children together ? that 's not the meaning . but bethel shall do it ; that is , bethel is the cause of this , that dreadful slaughter that is like to be among you it shall come from bethel . who would ever have thought that ? oh my brethren ! miserable judgments do many times arise from causes we 〈◊〉 think of : that 's the note from thence . i say , miserable judgments do many times arise from causes we little think of , from bethel there should come this slaughter and dreadful blood-shed . and as that note more generally , so more particularly this ; that from places of idolatry comes the greatest evils to kingdoms . as 't is very observable on the contrary , from the places of gods worship comes the greatest good , so from places of idolatry the greatest evil . in psal . . , . in salem is his tabernacle , and his dwelling place i● zion : there brake he the arrows of the b●● , 〈◊〉 shield and the sword , and the battel . did god break them there ? was there a fight in zion , and in salem ? no , that 's not the meaning , but in zion and salem where gods tabernacle was , those servants of god that were worshiping of god in jerusalem , and in zion , and praying to god they got the victory : so we may say that such a place that was fasting and praying in the time of our battels , there god brake the arrow and the bow , in that place where they were praying and seeking god , it was in salem and zion : where the true worship of god is , from thence comes the good of a kingdom . and so in isa . . . whose fire is in zion , and whose furnace is in jerusalem : the lord is there threatning the enemies of his people , and he saith , that his fire is in zion , and his furnace is in jerusalem , there god hath his furnace and from thence it shall go to destroy the adversaries . and so on the contrary , where idolatry is set up , and false worship maintained , from thence comes evils and miseries upon us . because of your great wickedness . the word is , because of the wickedness of your wickedness , so the hebrews express the suparlative degree , by a genetive case , the evil of the evil , the wickedness of the wickedness . from whence observe , other sins are great sins , but this of false worship indeed is the great sin that god is provoked against a people for . whence , let us not make light account of the worship of god , for how little soever gods worship is in our eyes , yet it is a great matter in gods eyes , and though you think that the sins against god in the matter of his worship be but small , yet god saith , it is the great wickedness , it is the wickedness of wickedness : and great wickedness it may be call'd not only in respect of the nature of it , but from many aggravations , and long continuance in it , notwithstanding all their means . you may note further from hence ; god takes notice not only of mens sins , but of the aggravation of their sins . oh! let us do thus , do not only look upon your sins and acknowledg your selves to be sinners , but look upon the aggravations of your sins ; oh! this sin committed against so many mercies , so many prayers , and resolutions , and vows , and covenants , and so many deliverances that i have had ; labor to lay the aggravations of your sins upon your hearts , and this is the way to humble your hearts before the lord. indeed the saints of god they need not seek to excuse their sins , be not afraid to lay the aggravations of sin upon your own hearts , according to what great aggravations there may be . greaten your wickedness before the lord , do not so as ordinarily people do , to extenuate your sins , for if there be any extenuation that possibly can be jesus christ will find out that in his pleading , christ is your advocate who sits at the right hand of the father , and it is his work to plead your cause , and therefore if there can be any thing to extenuate a sin he will do it ; you know that when he was here in this world , when his disciples did offend very much in that sleepiness of theirs , that when christ was to suffer they could not watch with him one hour , that sin might have been aggravated with abundance of circumstances , but saith christ , the flesh is weak , but the spirit is willing ; he falls to extenuate and excuse . now that which christ did there , he wil be ready to do in heaven , for thou that art a saint . and then further , according to greatness of sins so is the greatness of wrath ; great wickedness and great wrath they go together , and therefore according to the greatness of sins should the greatness of our humiliation be . for so it is said of manasses , that he humbled himself greatly , and in lament . . . where the church is humbling its self before god for the great wickedness and the great wrath that was upon them . behold , oh lord , for i am in distress ; my bowels are troubled , mine heart is turned within me ; for i have grevously rebelled . mark , here you have these two points together , the church aggravates her sin , i have grievously rebelled ; and what then ? oh lord , i am in distress ; my bowels are troubled , my heart is turned within me . oh! remember this text you whose consciences do tell you of grievous rebellions . the last words follow ; in a morning shall the king of israel be utterly cut off . now for the understanding of this , we must consider to what this refers , what king of israel this was , and when this was fulfilled . for that if you reade king. . it hath reference to the story there ; and this king of israel that is here spoken of , is hoshea that was the last king of israel , and therefore it 's said , that he shall be utterly cut off : for he , and all his family was utterly cut off , there was an end of the kingdom of israel that had continued so long provoking god ; saith he , i have forborn the kings of israel a long time , but now they shall be utterly cut off in h●shea . this king of israel his spirit was stout enough against god and his prophets , and he would , and he would . my brethren , it is not the stoutness of the greatest men upon earth to say , they will , and they will , and they will venture their lives , and kingdoms . why , if they will , god will too , he hath a will as well as they , at length gods will grows as strong as theirs , and proceeds against them , and against their very families : the king of israel shall be utterly cut off . kings of the earth they suffer little from men . what a brave business i● it for a man that he shall be able to go up and down in countries , and rend , and tear , and oppress , and bring thousands into woful miseries and extremities , and yet be afraid to suffer nothing at all himself , therfore it is fit for god to take in hand those men that are above the power of men ; when men cannot deal with them , it is the lord himself he takes them into hand , and they are so much the more under the imediate justice of the infinite god. shall be utterly cut off . but when shall this be ? in a morning : there is a sad morning coming . but i find cyril carries it thus : god in his patience is compared to a man asleep , and in the execution of judgment is said to awake ; god brings his righteous judgements to light every morning . but that 's a little too forced . but secondly , in a morning : that is , early , betimes ; so in jer. . . o house of david , thus saith the lord , execute judgment in the morning . so the king of israel shall be early cut off ; and indeed this king of israel he was early cut off , he did not reign above eight or nine yeers at most . god doth take some in the morning of their time , in their youth , when their day is but as it were dawning , he takes some sinners sooner than others : in the morning he shall be cut off . but thirdly , in the morning , which comes yet neerer and more full to the sense and the scope of the spirit of god here ; that is , even when the light comes , when they have hopes of further good , then he shall be cut off . and so you shal find if you reade the story in the book of kings , at this time when hoshea was to be cut off , that it was when he had entred into league with the king of egypt , and now hoshea thought a morning would arise , and he should have a brave day , and live many merry daies now ; and when he thought the light began to come , in a morning doth god come to cut him off . oh! so it is many times ( my brethren ) that at that time when people have some enlightening , and they think that now light is breaking out , when after a long night of darkness , then gods displeasure breaks forth upon them . we cannot but acknowledge that the lord hath granted us a morning light , but let us fear and tremble ; for the time of gods displeasure , somtime it is in the morning ; when we think we have light breaking forth , god may have other waies to bring darkness upon us than we are aware of ; we know how dreadful a day it was with sodom after a sun-shine morning . it 's very observable , the difference of gods dealing with his own people , and with those that are carnal and of the world : compare this scripture with zach. . . here , in a morning shall he be utterly cut off . but in zach. . . where god is speaking of mercy to his people , he speaks of a day that should be known to god , and saith he , at evening time it shall be light ; he comforts his people thus . but when he threatens the wicked ( saith he ) when the morning comes it shall be darkness . the lord doth use to turn the darkness of the saints into light , and to turn the light of the wicked and ungodly into darkness . oh! let us learn to fear that god then that is able to turn light into darkness , and darkness into light . amos , . . seek him ( saith the text ) that turneth the shadow of death into the morning , and maketh the day dark with night . he can turn the shadow of death into morning . suppose there be the greatest darkness upon you , god can make that a morning of light : and suppose there be a morning of light , god can turn that into darkness . many men they set upon some waies , and because they have a morning they bless themselves and think all must needs go on according to their way ; it is a very ordinary thing in the hearts of men , especially that are compassing some notable design of their own , if it doth prosper in the begining they think al wil go on : oh! thou maiest be utterly deceived , thy designs may have a morning , and then god may cut thee off and thy designs , and all thy thoughts may then perish . we reade that saul had many victories after that god had pronounced that he should be rejected . and therefore we had need fear that god , that can turn the morning into darkness , and darkness into light . fourthly , god did not discomfit the host of the egyptians until the morning . god loves to draw forth great sinners to the light ; not to come upon them in the dark , but to bring forth his judgments in the morning openly and cleerly . and lastly , in the morning he shall be cut off . that is , suddenly , god will be quick at his work : they thought by their power to hold it out : no , saith god , i will not make a daies work of it , it shal be in the morning , so the old latin turns it , it shall pass as the morning , as the light of the morning quickly passes over ; as you heard before , as the king of israel is compared to the foam , so he is here compared to the morning . now my brethren to close this chapter , oh! what alteration of things god is able to make in a morning ! they ( it may be ) the day before , and over night were jolly and merry , and blest themselves in their way ; they had confidence in their way , and multitude of their mighty men ; but in a morning all is spoiled . god can make mighty alterations in a kingdom in a morning , and in cities , and families , and particular persons , mighty alterations in a morning : my brethren , who knows what a day may bring forth ? who knows what a morning may bring forth ? ezek. . , , . thus saith the lord god , an evil , an only evil , behold , is come . an end is come , the end is come , it watches for thee , behold , it is come . the morning is come unto thee , o thou that dwellest in the land ; the time is come , the day of trouble is near . as if god should say , al this while that thou hast bin in the act of the pride of thy heart , and vanity of thy spirit , i did determin , that such a morning , such an evil should come , and it 's come , it is come , it is come , saith god : again , again , and again , the morning is come . o! think , when you lie down at night , think what thou hast done this day , do not dare to lie down , but first make thy peace with god , thou knowest not what may be in the morning , and when thou risest up in the morning , look up to god , and seek blessing and mercy from the lord ; for though thine eyes be opened , and thou come to see the morning light , yet before the morning be quite gone , thou knowest not what may befal thee , and therefore seek to make thy peace with god , both in the night and in the morning ; for great changes may come to thee both in the night and in the morning , that thou never thoughtest of in all thy life . and thus ( through gods blessing ) we have finished the tenth chapter . finis . an alphabetical table of the eighth , ninth , and tenth chapters of the prophesie of hosea . page a acceptance no acceptance but by jesus christ admonition admonition to saints admonition to england admonitions both to popish and godly wives admonition to those that sin wilfully affliction in affliction men see their need of god affliction teacheth men , and what it teacheth them in affliction god is dreadful age every age ads to idolatry aggravate the sins of parents aggravate the sins of the children agreement all government comes by agreement altars why there were no steps on altars , nor tools lifted up upon them the altar of insence explained why there was but one altar the altar typified out christs sacrifice why it was sin to errect altars ? altars and images to be removed by saints see christ & service-book alphonsus the diligence of alphonsus king of aragon in searching the scripture allegory a fit allegory of a good preacher alteration god can make a speedy alteration in cities ambition we should have an holy ambition in religion ancestors there is more expected of us then of our ancestors , and why antinomians antinomians confuted antinomians reproved antiquity antiquity is no rule for religion apis what manner of idol the egyptian apis was apes an apes tooth worshiped in the indies application application to the court argument there is no argument for the holiness of a church arms , see religion assyrian why the as●yrian army was called an eagle authority compulsion of authority is no excuse for sin b backsliding backsliding is dangerous bare necks the evil of bare necks bassil a custom at bassil black patches the evil of black patches brethren brethren admonished beleevers the happy state of beleevers shewed breeding , see men burden , see kingdom . c calf the calf of samaria why it was so called caution , see kings canaan canaan was the lords land in an especial manner , and why ? cause the cause of god prospers at last alwaies children children should beseech their parents to repent see parents and mothers christ christ is our altar in the time of the gospel christ is little beholding to most kings chemarims what the word chemarim signifieth , and its diverse acceptations christian good christians depend upon the covenant they have made it is a very dangerous thing for christians to be without ordinances christians should not endure wickednesse in their families why christians complain of emptiness a christian principle church god doth not cast off his church though guilty of many sins church officers are to be chosen with great care it is dangerous for the church to mix with the world the church is gods pallace . the church is compared to a vine , and why see national and vine christmass why christmass was wont to be so zealously kept cleaness god regards not outward cleaness where there is inward uncleaness commandement the second commandement expounded the second commandement illustrated comfort , see grace commanders , see villany compulsion , see authority communion to neglect the communion of saints is dangerous controversie the controversie between us and the papists confidence , see fear . consideration a dreadful consideration consideration for men of quality custom custom is no rule for gods worship continue we must continue seeking god and why ? covetous , see idolaters covenant breach of covenant is punished by the sword in what cases men may be false in a covenant made counsels mens own counsels oft deceive them what ought to be avoided in our counsels what ought to be attended in our counsels creature better the creature perish than be abused crown , see princes crosness the crosness of mens spirits in england crucifying why crucifying was so hateful to the romans 〈◊〉 curse a dreadful curse lies upon the jews to this day cyprian cyprian's prayer at his martyrdom d dead dead bodies , why they defiled . death some wicked men put a good face upon the matter even at death delight , see god deering deerings speech in his sermon before queen elizabeth depart when god begins to depart we should cry mightily despairing the sad speech of a despairing woman destruction destruction is the fruit of not hearing the word devil a sinner is a creature the devil empties his excrements into . diffidence the vileness of diffidence in god distance , see time displeasure , see god distress , see hypocrites divine the speech of a german divine at his death divinity man cannot put divinity upon a creature dove why god accepts not the eagle , but the dove duty good duties being cast off bring punishment fulness of duty what it is see sin & enlargement e eagle why the eagle was unclean under the law see assyrian , dove wicked men effigies an effigies of the last times : eli eli's example urged emptiness emptines is unatural to a vine and why encouragement encouragements to fight encouragements for men in mean employments encouragements for poor souls in mean endeavors engagement we must take heed of engagements in evil england england another canaan england more unfit for mercie now than at the first , and why ? england smitten as sodom see admonition and crosness enlargements how we should use our enlargements in duties estrangement the degrees of mans estrangement from god eternity , see life . exhortation exhortation to young ones . exhortation to the godlie . excellency , see soul excrements , see devil . experience an experience worth the tryal see heason . f faces , see painted faithful faithful men discouraged , and how false worship false worship must be cast off it is just with god to let false worship alone till it come to the full see ruin feast why a day is called a feast to god faith how to encrease faith for pardon in holy duties fly when a man may fly forms , see hypocrits forraign forraign leagues are dangerous followed our own waies are not to be followed fear gods fear drives out carnal confidence forefathers we are subject to imitate our forefathers in evil fulness , see duty funeral funeral mournings are hateful to god see gain fruitfulness , see vines furious furious men do the least service g gain gain at funerals makes some rejoyce , whilst others mourn german the speech of a german divine at his death god gods power shewed gods justice over such as sow the wind god takes it ill we should go to nations for help god should be our delight gods delight is in young ones . god is the saints glory gods departing is the cause of wo , and why we should labor to do what we can for god though he seem to leave us god manifests his displeasure in the places where men sin god cannot endure wickedness in his house see church , house , worship , mercy , preservation , depart . generation , see spirit . gentry gentry admonished good works good works are excellent , and why gospel gospel-righteousness is a most excellent thing government the danger of setting up new government goverment is a thing of great consequence see agreement , pains . governors governors are subject to establish false worship grace hypocrits seek grace for comfort , but saints seek comfort for grace gregory gregories speech to theodorus . h happinss , see beleevers heart we ought to search our hearts help helps against injustice see god hemlock injustice compared to hemlock hemlock stalks springing up in england house it is good dwelling in gods house humiliation the benefit of humiliation : how humiliation should be preached hypocrits when hypocrits are in distress they see their need of god hypocrites stand much upon formal waies hypocrites think to fare the better for their parents i idolaters idolaters are prophane , but covetous men are worse idolaters promise themselves safety in their idols idolaters are laborious in their idol worship idolaters sow in hope idolaters lay a ground for sucession idolaters observe their season . ibid. idolaters love outward prosperity we ought to do as much for god , as idolaters do for their images idolatry idolatry drives men against principles of reason idolatry is an hereditary sin . idolatry continues in succession idolatry depends much upon ancestors see succession jeroboam what jeroboam's sinne was : jews the jews custom in time of danger ignorance the miseries attending ignorance images , see altars invention there ought to be no invention of man in gods worship : injustice injustice is sometimes like to justice see hemlock , help justice , see reformation joy means how to regulate our joy see prosperity . josephus josephus his lamentable story . israel israel's prerogatives see nation k keep examin principles wel first , and then keep to them keys four keys in gods hand only , and what they be kings caution in imitating the jewes kings kings were made by men the burden kings are under . see people kingdom , see states . l labor every one bound to labor . lady work for ladies land , see ruin lapsed the evil of lapsed ministers . latimer the speech of bishop latimer before queen elizabeth . latimer's notable story law what the law of god is the law of god is great , and why the law of god moves to obedience see saints leagues leagues of peace may prove occasions of sorrow leagues must not be made with wicked men learned , see opinion life life is the se●d-time for eteruity liberty liberty is exceeding dangerous in yong professors london , see popery love love is not to be bought lord it is a great mercy to have time to seek the lord see quick-sightedness luther luther called by the papists , the trumpet of rebellion and sedition lumpish sorrow for sin must not be lumpish m mass the abominableness of the mass malignants malignants may have great victories meditation meditations for such as are weak in the fields meditations for parents , meditations for rich men meditations at going to bed . men men of mean breeding shold take heed how they behave themselvs when they come into authority mens writings how they help to understand the scripture mercy all mercies must be improved for god see free grace misery , see ignorance ministers ministers must not be weary of their work ministers that count such things as are laid aside only inconvenient , will take them up again ministers must gain the peoples love what ministers should rejoyce in ministers are plow men see lapsed , wind , rule motives motives to continue seeking god mothers tender-hearted mothers admonished mothers fond love s●ayes their children n nation no nation but israel forsook their gods 〈◊〉 our nation to be helped , not to be fled from see god national no national church now nobility nobility admonished o officers , see church opinion the opinions of the learned are no rule for religion opression our opressions are not to be removed , but renewed ordinances , see christian . oyl what the oyl in sacrifices signified p pains pains must be taken about government some take more pains to perish than others do to be saved painted faces the evil of painted faces particular particular persons must suffer , not resist pardon , see faith parents parents must not be a shame to their children parents must give their children good education passions disordered passions cause sad conclusions peace , see leagues people people give power to kings : common people follow the great ones peace many while they provide for peace provide for ruin perplexed why the wicked are perplexed in the day of the lords wrath persevere we ought to persevere in duties though we have no present comfort plow wee should plow in hope all our lives wee must continue plowing : plow-men , see ministers policy , see reason pomp , see superstition . popery popery almost brought in at london pride there is much pride in dejection pride is the root of not hearing see stubborness prayer weak prayer may be strong : preservation gods preservation of us all our daies shewed princes princes when they come first to the crown promise faire : princes are not to be trusted in none so perfidious as princes . prophane , see idolaters prosper we may prosper , and yet have no cause to joy in it prosperity take heed in prosperity professors yong professors should be kept down why professors are empty ? see yong , question . q question a question answered by a professor quick-sightedness the quick-sightedness of the enemy comes from the lord. r racha the word racha explained : religion when arms may be taken for religion good acts in religion may be evil in the doer religion is a saints recreation reason reason , pollicy , and experience may go one way , and yet gods word another redemption , see sabbath recreation , see religion reformation reformation cannot prosper except justice be established revelations revelations besides the word are dangerous riches riches in goods work is the best wealth righteousness what righteousness is rod we must not chuse our sin and rod too romans , see crucifying ruin gods mercy prevents our ruin . false worship is the ruin of a land see peace rule a rule to teach common people how to judge of their ministers cautions to the same rule . see scripture s sabbath the sabbath was appointed for commemoration of our redemption saints the saints prize the law of god the saints should sorrow most for sin how the saints rejoyce in gods vengeance saints admonished the saints should prize the enjoyment of god satan what satans great design is ? scripture the scripture is the rule , and the expositor to understand the rule the scripture should be looked upon as particular to our selves self people stick much at what comes from self self-denial god requirs self-denial in temporal things servants great is the danger of servants at their own hand servants to great men exhorted service to be employed in publick service is the making of a man service-book service-book and altars all some mens religion sin god knows how to make use of mens sins a man may commit the sin against the holy ghost , and yet continue in duties god remembers the sin of wicked men when they perform holy duties , and why see altars , rod. signs signs of much wrath sound , see threatning smiting smiting with the pen is worse than smiting with the sword sinner god may damn a lesser sinner , and save a greater sinner : soul the excellency of the soul●● soldiers soldiers are gods priests sorrow , see lumpish spirit the spirit of god forsaw this generation states states may judg of the right of a kingdom . ● stubborness stubborness is the fruit of pride strong strong places are not to be trusted in success sometimes god gives success in judgment . succession succession ads to idolatry superstition how it was superstition in the israelites to build temples who mourns most for superstition why carnal men contend for superstition superstitious superstitious men regard outward pomp a note to the superstitious superstitious children admonished sword see smiting t taxes taxes upon mens estates are but mean burdens teachers teachers establish worship temple see superstition threatning the threatning of god is a terrible sound men should be sensible of the threatnings of god distance of time in commandements and threatnings is not to be heeded trumpet see luther themistocles the saying of themistocles at his death thoughts the shifting thoughts of carnal hearts in time of danger time evil tim● are good times to die in time for england to seek god see threatning v vanity scripture expressions of the vanity of great persons vessels gods grace to the vessels of mercy vile vile things are many times hid under glorious titles vileness , see diffidence . villany the villany of malicious commanders against the godly . vine the fruitfulness of vines the church compared to a vine ibid. see emptiness unclean why mourners for the dead were so long uncleane : use use for the afflicted w waies , see follow wealth wealth is wicked mens glory wicked men wicked men are as eagles in their rage wicked men first serve their turns of the godly , and then scorn them wicked men are wild upon their lusts wicked men are contemptible see perplexity wind who they are that sow the wind ministers must beware they sow not the wind rules how ib. see god wine wine in sacrifices , what it signified wil-worship will-worship an empty thing . work , see ministers works , see good word it is a singular blessing to have the written word by whom the word is counted strange world , see christ worship gods worship is an excellent thing gods worship is cast off by carnal hearts ibid. gods worship must not be imitated the worship of god is a great matter true worship must be mourned after see false , and invention wrath the wrath of god is many times executed in answering our desires the wrath of god called wine and why see signs writers , see men y yoke christ's yoke easier than the yoke of the enemy young young professors their danger young professors should be kept down see vine young ones , young ones exhorted young ones the hope of a nation youth youths sins are ages terrors . finis . notes, typically marginal, from the original text notes for div a -e . text. . apptic . by paraphrase . obs . luther called the trumpet of rebellion simile pliny why crucifying on a tree was so hateful to the romans . expos . . obser . . the paraphrase . obs . . luther author . the assyrians army , why an eagle . why the eagle was unclean under the law. obs . go● accepts not eagles , but doves . obs . . gualt . applied to england . obs . obs . . luther . author . obs . . obs . . a true church . use . 't is good dwelling in gods house ps . . . explained . officers of the church obs . . the good of christians depends upon the covenant more than formerly . calvin the . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . praevaricati . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the heb. reading . obs . . chaldae pa●ephrase obs . . applicat . obs . . comfortable ; if in truth . obs . . obs . elongavit , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 abominatus est anselm . bonum in quo omnia bona . obs . . obs . . obs . . backsliders from what they have found good in . we should the more cast off fals worship . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . obs . . appli● . obser . lapide caution concerning imitating the kings if the iews expos . . . the authors opinion . * ipsae tribus liberae erant , populusque liberi , rehoboam autem volebat eas in servitutem redigere , easque regere ut tyrannus non ut rex ; poterunt ergo ab eo recedere , et novum regem sibi creare ; populus sui vel resp . principib . & regib . dedit impium in se , sed certis justisque condicionibus , inde & potest illud jisdem auferre vel imminuere , si ipsi eo abutantur & tyranni evadant , non enim populus se absolute dedit regi uti quis aurum vel equum amico , ut omne suum jus in eum transferat , nec unquam illud revocare possit , sed certis pactis intervenientibus . abulensis in reg. . quaest. . t. . * viz. orderly and ordinarily . * scil. formal or tacite . a direct exposit . obs . . obs . . misery of ignoran●s . obs . . publius scipio , obs . . england . luke . , . opened . church-officers with what religious care to be chosen . obs . . ieroboams sin . obs . . obs . . obs . . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . quest . object . r. kimc . ap merc. in loe . quando quidem ridebant quod prohiberet eos , ab ascendendo hierosolyman , in conspectum domini , & fecerat illis vitutos , illorum erat eum regno pellere . when arms may be taken for religion . englands case in this particular . law of nature . particular persons must sufer , not resist . states not so . law destroies not nature . text paraphrased . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . the danger of setting upon any new form of civil government . prophane covetous men worse ●han ido●aters . pulchior est cite sol quam pecunia tua , & tamen iste sol nō est deus tuus . aug. de disciplinâ christianâ . * chrysost . in matth. . hom. . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 finis cujus & finis cui calf of samaria why so called . london . obser . excanduit [ as in hot iron there is whiteness mixt with the redness ] 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 non poterunt innocentiam . obs . . obs . . non poterunt ferre innocentiam . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 exp●s . acts . . apis what kind of idol . the calves of israel not the same . obs . . obs . . obs . . expos . obser . idolatry drives men against principls ▪ of reason . * in case of need . pet. . . kings and magistrates mans creation in some sort . * ps . . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . act. . . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . the excellency of the soul . use . the abominableness of the mass psal , . . rom. . . signifi● of the word a god. obs . . a custom on basil . obs . . obs . . england . obs . . idolaters are laborious . use . obs . . idolaters sow in hope obs . . idolaters lay ground for succession . vse obs . . idolaters observe their season . simile wind. obs . many sows the wind . quest . who sow to the wind . some studients . idolaters ▪ scope of the text. papists . formalists the vain-glorious . prayer . carnal polititians . that serve themselves of sin . use . comforts for the church . life , the seed-time for eternity . simile . good works how excellent why ? simile . pet. . ministers must beware of sowing the wind . how . . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . corrupta vento . . turbo 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 here it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 whirlwinds . gods almighty power . obs . . . tri●lers . superstitious . . formalists . . hypocrites . . carnal polititians england . gradation of the text obs . . england . obs . . young professors . england . forraign leagues . churches mixtures with the world dangerous . wicked men first serve their turns of the godly , and then scorn them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . vas inutile . israels prerogatives . a sinner is the vessel where into the devil empties his excrements . gods free-grace to the vessels of mercy . lapsed ministers . and professors . demosthenes . the vileness of diffidence in god. ier. . . illustrated pliny quest . answ . why the ten tribes compared to a wild asses colt . wicked men wild upon their lusts . in their month , what ? . wicked men contemptible . stubbornness the fruit of pride . alone . . vnder no government . eò quòd ambularunt in voluntate animae suae . servants at their own hand , especially maidens . christians without ordinances 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 obs . . simile . those that have nothing lovely in themselves , will use unworthy means to purchase it . love cannot be bought . obs . . an exhortation to the godly an apt simile . paulina . josephus lib. . cap. . explicatī . obs . . admonition to saints . simile . explicat . obs . . explic. . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 colligore . calvin in loc . colligā eos , retinebo eos . obs . . explic. in . parti●ulars . king of princes , i.e. the king of assyria . joseph . lib. . cap. . antiq. à princip . obs . . luther ▪ iesus christ the true king of princes . revel . . . opened . openly . . church militant . isa . . illustrated . . burthen . use . follow not thine own waies . kings , . . . burden of the king of princes . obs . . use . admonitiō to engl. obs . use . obs . . obs . [ in that generality that they were carried away ] obs . ab 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 incipiam à 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 exalto signif . deut. . . obs . deut. . . illustrated . use for england . obs . . the altar . of earth . . of ston , no tool on it . . no steps . high altars . altar of brass . altar of incense . rev. . opened . rev. . exod . heb. . . mal. . heb. . . calvin . see beza , not major quest . why but one altar . reas . . the altar typified christs only sacrifice . . no acceptation but by him reas . . vinculum unitati ecclesiae . no national church now . yet in some sense . obj. . king. answ , . of others . obj. . . the authors ans . a good act in religion may be evil in the doer . obs . mans inventions in the worship of god rejected . the d commandement . obs . . aust . epist . . ad ianuarin omnia in ecclesiâ presumptionibus plena . controversy between us and the papists about multiplying . iosh . . . obser . obser . deut. . . applicat . deut. . . to be remembred . multiplicavit . hierom. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . observ . ps . . . ●llustrated . more expected of us than of our ancesters . as in outward estates . holy ambition . obs . . obs . . isa . . . ezek. . . obs . . . governors for it . teachers 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . . for sin i.e. for punishment for sin . this verse especially to be considered . expicat . obs . use . . policy . . reason . . experience may be one way ; and yet , . religion and the written word another . luther ▪ exod. . . explained . * opinions of the learned , nor custom nor antiquity the rule of wors●ip , but the written word only † nobis nō liceat saluâ honori●●cent●a quae illis debitur , aliquid in eorum scriptis reprobare atque respuere ? talis ego sum in scriptis aliorum tabesque volo esse intellectores meorum . august . ambrose object . answ . luther . the scripture is both the rule , the exposi or to shew the meaning of the rule . how mens writings may help us to understand scripture . the written word a singular blessing . theodores . physitian . luther schoolmen . synodus pari pietatis affectu & reverentia recipit ac reveratur . concil . trid. sess . . decret prim . quest . answ . pet. . . illustrated . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ▪ more sure than revelation . the danger of revelations beside the word ▪ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . obs . . psal . . . illustrated . use . and vers . . an apt simile . exp●s . law , what . the whol word , of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 docuit . multiplices leges . scribitur 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 legitur . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . . adoro plenitudinem scripturarū tertul. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . simile ps . . illustrated . psal . . . opened ▪ deut. . . applyed . mat. . explained . isa . . noted . contemners of the law antinomians saints prize the law. apoc. . . obs . . deut. . . . illustrated . alphonsus king of aragon . obs . . psa . . . illustrated . isa . . . illustrated . prov. . enlightened . obs . . uzza a levite . uzziah a king. nadab & abihu . ezek . . enlightened . ier. . illustrated . the reprehension . the word accounted strange . . as not concerning us . . strange in their apprehensions luther . no sutableness between their hearts and the doctrine . simile prov. . . applied . vse the word as a stranger , i.e. for our own ends only . obs . . confirmed from the late times in england holy-daies sabbaths . christmass god not to be imitated in his worship . the sabbath is for commemoration of al the particulars of our redemption . obj. . us . of admonition . the degrees of the hearts estrangment from god. . less frequent . . his delight abats which is also the first degree . takes up hard thoughts of spiritual truths . . wisheth the things in the word were other●wise . simile . . harkens to contrary doctrine . simile . . will not search throughly into truths . an engagement in som unlawful practice . . former weighty arguments now weak . simile . . become open enemies . isa . . . psal . . , . obs . . vs . against antinomians . the spirit of god forsaw this generation . mal. . . enterpreted object . answ . obs . . aman may continue strict in duties , and yet have committed the sin against the holy ghost . expos . obs . . prayer . preaching . isa . . . enterpreted gifts and parts . expol. . the authors exp. obs . . instance in feastivals . and fasts . why christmass is so zealously kept . an apt simile . king. in the present war : the cause the pay. god expects self-denial in temporal , not in spiritual things . obs . . amos. . . amos & hosea contemporaries , consent in doctrine . obs . how to exercise faith for pardon in holy duties obs . . sam. . sins of youth punished in age simile . use to young ones and others youth sins ages terror ier. . . heb. . illustrated . obs . . reasons . simile gen. . exod. . obs . . exod. . . micah . isa . . . . it notes their sin . . king. . . obs . . . their judgment . deut. . obs . . applicat . to engl. obs . . quest . answ . ier. . obs . . the answering our desires , is the execution of godswrath oftimes . obs . . a sign of much wrath . eccles . . . sam. . . to be imployed in publick service is the making of a man. obs . isa . . . obs . . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the church is gods palace . obs . . obs . . instanced in the late times in england . quest . answ . their sin in building temples . hag. . ● and . . how superstition in them to build temples . what made the temple at jerusalem holy , and peculiar to it . no argument therfore from thence for the holiness of churches praying in churches no more accepted , unless with the holy congregation . chrysost . hom. . ad populum . some heathens against it . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . dogm . zen the persians . xerxes magi . josephus l. . c. . paule-work . strong places to be dedicated by prayet and reformation . a notable story . obs . . obs . . englands enemies should have considerrd this . expos . . expos . . obs . . obs . . gualt . the time of this prophesie . expos . observ . use for england . a d time the time helps to understand the prophesie . israels malignants . obs . leagues and peace wherin we much rejoyce , may prove occasions of sorrow . us . be not greedy of peace before the time . obs . . seculi laetitia , est impunita nequitia . aug. in john. tract . . amos . . obs . obs . . we may prosper , & yet have no cause of joy an ap● simile . obs . . expos . . . be not taken with the worlds jolity . . imitate them not in waies of rejoycing . * preached in christmass . . not as a people . the dolphin . . not prophanely . . not having so much cause as others . obser . instanced in this nation . obser . an apt simile . luk . . a fit similitude . obs . . obs . . object . answ . object . answ , no nation but israel forsook their gods . ier. . . explained . obs . . a special note . obs . . amos . ▪ rom. . . ier. . . expounded ▪ ier. . . opened . act. . sam. . . with sam. . . noted . some antinomians noted . saints should sorrow must for sin . quest . answ . god hath liberty to damn one for a lesser sin , and save one that is guilty of a greater . instanced in the examples of saul and david . expicat . applicat . observ . simile ▪ simile . explic. obs . . obs . ▪ obs . . obs . simile ▪ levit. . . levit. . . a meditation in our walking into the fields . canaan the lords land in a special manner . reas . . psa . . . heb. . . &c. . . chron. . . obser . england another cana● . corruptors of gods worship the ruin of the land. obser . use . . the happiness of beleevers . use . . obs . . obs . . obs . . wine and oyl in sacrifice , what it signified . obs . . obs . . iudg. . enlightned ▪ duties of religion , a saints recreation . delicatares est spiritm sanctus . tert. num . . . the dead carcass of a beast did not somuch defile , as the carcass of a dead man. numb . . . what this signified . why a dead body defiled . funeral mournings ▪ why , if imōderate ; not pleasing to god ▪ why they were to be so long unclean that mourned for the dead . levit. . . enlightned ▪ deut. . . . chap. . , . illustrated . even sorrow for sin must not bumpish , iam. . . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . a cheerful spirit in company . ezra . . . much pride of times in dejection . as in satan ▪ simile ▪ the gain of funer●ls formerly , made some rejoyce , whē others mourned . theophylact . in loc . expos . . mal. . . observ . applicat . soul put for life . mat. . . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . expos . . obser . use . expos . . obser . explic. ▪ explic. . lam. . ▪ revel . . , . why so called . why a day● of feast to● god. isa . . . zeph. . . souldiers gods priests . ier. . . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ▪ sanctificate super eā bellum . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ▪ gods wrath why called wine . ps . . . rev. . ▪ explic. deut. . . ezek. . . the saints rejoyce in gods vengeance . ps . . illustrated ▪ yet not an insulting joy . ps . . ▪ but joyned with pity . and mixt with fear . psa . . . note . prov. . . iudg. . ult . expos . [ you ] ▪ isa . . . the perplexity of wicked men in the lords day . isa . . . illustrated . some p●t a good face on it even at death , whose souls yet are full of terror . [ see king jame's declaratiō upon the execution of sir w. raleigh . a notable story of b. latimers ▪ iob , . & chap. . . psal . . hab. . ▪ a quest . to a professor ▪ the answ . obs . . this hardens them ▪ isa . . ▪ obs . . applied to england . we should think of helping our own nation , rather than of flying . when a man may fly . memphis . grand-caer . the pyramides there . the number of the fleets . expos . obs . . see vindication in answer to mr ▪ edwards . buxtorf . synagoga iudaica . a iewish tradition . per meatus terrae . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 desiderin argenti . expos . . lam. . . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 seges est , ubi troja fuit . germany . isa . . ● ▪ london . isa . . king. . . obs . . admonitiō obs . . use to those that say they do what they can . expos . obs . . ezek. . obs . . the saying of a germā divine . se melchier adams de vitae theolog. germ. obs . obser . observ . obs . . expos . obs . ▪ obs . . obs . . obs . . vatablus ephraim fecit sibi speculatorum , id est pseudoprophetas eosque vult audire simul cum deo suo , audire & colere tam idola quam deum , tam falsos quam veros prophetas quae est mera insania . obs . . expos . applic. obs . . obs . . quest . answ . expos . . king. ▪ . chron. . . chrysostom ▪ theodoret. lib. . cap. . a rule to help cōmon people to judge of ministers ▪ & of their cause . a caution to the rule ▪ obser . aspersion on good ministers . what satans great design is . calvin . in loc . ar. montan . in loc . dicta est oratio ex similitudine eorum qui in magna familiâ apud dominum plurimum posse videntur &c. obser . use . englands reformatiō ▪ our young ones may see . ministers that counted the things now laid aside , only inconvenient , will take them up again . a note for the superstitious . us . to tru worshipers expos . . . our authors . malignants may have great victories one after another , yet a good cause religiously managed prospers at last ▪ our times such . obs . . obs . ▪ use . admonitiō to some brethren now . obs . . obs . . obs . ▪ use for many of the nobility and gentry of engl. obs . . obs . . obs . . applicat . if present times be as bad as former , then they are worse . simile ▪ expos . applic. god should be our delight in his ordinances ▪ obser . exod. . . ier. . ▪ vers . . exod. ▪ . gods delight is in yong ones . mic. . . exod. . . levit. . . simile ▪ cant. . ▪ chap. . ▪ ●hap . . an exhortation to yong ones . observ . baal-peor deus apertionis , indix interpret . nom . vulg . lat . apud latinos priapus vid. hier. in loc . ne● non drusium . obs . . obs . . the panther . obs . . apostates ▪ obs . not what we see , but what god likes . perit judicium , 〈◊〉 quum res transit in affectum . expos . . quod per voluntatē resolutē & efficaciter vis , hoc absolute es . non faciunt bonos vel malos mores , nisi boni vel mali amores . aug. ep. . ad macedon . the chameleon . plin. lib. . cap. ▪ expos . . expos . prefer'd . numb . . . obs . admonitiō to saints . popish wives . to religious wives . women in the primitive times . ministers must gaine the peoples love . neighbors & friends ▪ expos . king. . obs . . pro. . . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ▪ gloriatio . ô grata superbia mat●is . claudian ▪ de proserpina . re●s . . . . use to parents . pro. . . explained● . tres vomi●as , tria carcinomata . augustus . parents must not be a shame to their children . expos . . pro. . . illustrated . applic. to england . and ireland . ier. ▪ . illustrated ▪ wealth ( wicked mens glory ) flyes from them in prosperity , god ( the saints glory ) flyes to them in adversity . isa . . . enlightned ▪ expos . . the time the israelites abode in egypt . observ . use . gods preservation in our . conception . . womb. . birth . . cradle . . childhood . . [ youth ] ▪ . middle-age . . old-age ▪ . [ death ] ▪ obs . . obs . . especially if untimely deaths . obs . . sr tho. moore . expos . simile . simile obs . . use . psal . . luthers psalm . sam. . . reas . why gods departing is a cause of wo. none can help then . satan him self canuot sam. evil then is evil indeed . it is the forerunner of eternal evil . simile saints should priz the enjoyment of gods presence . use . quest . answ , simile ps . . . illustrated we should labor to do what we can for god though we apprehend he hath le●●●s . when we see god beginning to depart , cry mightily . simile . applic. ●o england . expos . king. venice . rupes . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 quintus cur●ius . lib. . de reb. gestis alexandri . plin. lib. . cap. . the colonies of tyrus . ezek. . obs . . vltimus sanitatis gradus , est morbo proximus . use . take heed in our prosperity . obs . . expos . . calvin in loc . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 obser . the villany of malitious cōmanders in ware against the godly . observ . . part. deut. . . psal . . . isa . . d commandment ▪ object . answ . note . an apt simile . d part. seed of idolaters . idolatry depends much 〈◊〉 ancestors d commandment illustrated superstitious children admonished . obs . tender-hearted mothers . the irish war. the english looking glass . object . answ . dij si qua est in coelo pietas , qui talia curet , praemia reddent delita , patrios foedasti funere vultus . virg. children should beseech their parents to repent . a meditation for parents . revel . . . enlightned zenophon . expos . . . prefer'd obs . . england more unfit for mercy now than at the first obs . . gen. . paulus phagius . four keys in gods hand . . clavis pluviae . . clavis cibitionis . . clavis sepulcronn̄ . clavis sterilitatis . non nuptiae dant liberos , sed qui nuptijs legē dedit deus . theodor. reas . . reas . . reas . . use . . parents to submit . king. . . quest . answ . use . . evil times good times to die in ▪ an apt simile . use . . let not parents cause their childrē to wish they had never been born . by neglect of good education . if better not to be born in respect of tēporal calamities ; what then in respect of eternal ? especially those who are authors of calamities to others . as at this day in eng. luke . . . note . gilgal . chap. . expos . obs . expos . . obs . . obs . . exod. . . expos . wittebergan ob reformationis inititū per lutherū sathanus haeresium theatrum fecit . pol. in loc . see wilkingson against the familists ; print . lon. . pag. . reporting the like of colchester in essex . and in fox act. mon. . edit . p. . a. not untruly obs . . expos . ar. mon. and some hebr. interpreters . obs . . civil and ecclesiastical government united in israel . civil government ecclesiastical government pains must be taken about it . as a thing of great conseque●ce . obs . some sins provoke god to hatred . obs . god manifests his displeasure in the places wher we sin . simile . expos . simile . psal . . . illustrated . obs . god cannot endure wickedness in his house , neither shold christians in their families . ps . . ● expos . original reading ▪ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . qui persuaderi [ ut credant ] non possunt . obs . . elati potētia volebāt superiores esse verbo . luther . expos . princes when they come first to the crown promise fair . obs . . obs . . use . let magistrates consider . obs . . psal . . . reflected on . servants to great men exhorted . latimers and deerlings spirit . note . obs . . the phrase ▪ observ . isa . . . v. . ● . crosness of mens spirits . in engl. malignāts escape : faithful men are discountenanced . king. . . zach. . . scarce parelle●'d in scripture in respect of this nation . ier. . ps . . ▪ inverted . isa . . . smiting with the pen worse than with the sword. malach. . , . quum venerit elias ▪ england smitten as sodom . deut. . . and that evidently by god himself . our opressions not removed , but renewed . obser . an apt simile . applyed to this pres●nt parliament ▪ obs . . compulsion of authority does not excuse sin . obs . . chron. . . observed . expos . disordered passions 〈◊〉 causes sadder conclusions than needs of● times . enlargements . isa . . . vers . . obs . . of persons . iude , . . of nations . isa . . . quest . answ . hos . . isa . . . the root of the righteous . pro. . ▪ a root o● bitterness deut. . . expos . expos . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 honest women very desirous of children harlots not so . which are an allegory of a true preacher & a false . the use of the word translated beloved . tit. . . illustrated . mothers fond love s●aies their children . a meditation for parents ▪ obs . expos . note . obs . . obs . . micah , . . . . . obs . . iob. . . use . plutarch . keep to principles : but carefully examin them : and pray , and searth thy heart . obs . isa . . use . explic. obs . . lam. . . simile . use . psal . . isa . . isa . . haec notabilis est sententia , & digna quae in omnibus parietibus scribatur . luther . obs . . exod. . illustrated , ●y ps . . ▪ isa . . noted . king. . . a hearing heart . pride the root of not hearing . ier. . . destructiō the fruit of it , whereof also it is a sign . chron. . . obs . . eccles . . . in the hebrew it is emphatical 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 then the walking soul , so the bible marg ▪ quest . answ . heb. . psal . . . observ . this curse of wandring upon the iewes to this day . obser . cōmunion of saints neglected in engl. more than formerly . the drnger of it . ps . . . isa . . ●● obs . . reas . . . plin. lib. . . one cul●us is . amphorae , and . amphora is a tankard of gallons , so that the sum is about gallons . the strings in the vine isa ▪ . , explained . ezek. . isa . . . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 expos . chap. . the last v. verbū tanquam foecunda pluvia , sine verbo , nulli possunt veri fructus . luther . wil-worshippers empty . obs . . mat. . racha explained . iam. . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . some antinomians . vacum non datur . reasons . isa . . . ioh. . . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . explained . phil. . eph. . cap. . cap. . ult . caut. . use . . use . . iudg. . vitis frondosa vulg . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . bonos habens palmitis . . worldly professors . plin. lib. . cap. yong professors shold be kept down . the benefit of thorough humiliation . how humiliation shonld be preached . a dangerous thing for yong professors to be in times of liberty . low christians . isa . . compared with chap. . explained . expos . . vitis spoliala , direpta . luther . obs . isa . . applied to england . nah. . . expos . parents . fructus adaequatus est 〈◊〉 . obs . applied to england . simile ▪ expos . zach. . , . song . . ▪ how to use ●ur enlargments in duties . song . . . illustrated , vers . . applied . isa . . explained . phil. . ▪ carnal hearts . simile [ omnia eò , unde . eccles . . . ] phil. . simile obs . why professors are empty . prayer . preaching ▪ what is the fulness of a duty . weak prayer may be strong . colos . . . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . simile . why christians complain of empty duties . try this experimēt expos . . pareus obs . those that gaine by these times noted for unless by som extraordinary providence or eminent service . ier. . . act. . . some make advantage ●f the troubles of the times . expos . latimer obs . applyed . simile . reas . . reas . . a christiā principle . reas . . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 nunc te marm●r●a pro tempore fecimuis , at tu , si foetura gregem suppleveris aureus esto . virg. egl. . tim. . riches in good works the best wealth . cor. . . a meditation for a rich man. david . moses's altar and solomon's , gods example● . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 we should do for gods lively image as much as idolaters do for dead images , viz. to all men : but especially to the saints . obs . obs . * see the several exercises and sermons which he spent ( most seasonably and excellently ) upon this subject , are printed in a trettise by themselves with this title [ irenicvm : heart-divisions opened , &c. ] which is to be taken in here , and then that which follows ( in the subsequent exposition ) to be annexed . * in the treatise of heart-divisions printed by its self . expos . . decollabit 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 cervix . vatabl. obs . . expos . . obs . . obs . . altars & religious images to be removed frō among christians and brokē : not sold . obs . . obs . obs . . expos . . obs . . the late prelates . furious mē do the least service . a graphical paraphrase upon the words . expos . ac si non esset , nam is quam habemus , non potest nos protegere , quod est officium regis . drus . quest . concerning the time this prophesie refers to answ . obs . . applied to england . ps . . . psa . . . ps . . ps . . obs . . isa . . use . obs . . gods fear should destroy in us creature-confidence . obs . . a civil counsellors b queen . sam. . . obs . malach. . cardinal wolsye . in affliction god appears dredful . iudg . . zebul's exprobatiō obs . . a meditation at going to bed . * david and solomon , and many of the kings of judah are excepted : becaus god was their king , sam. . . and chap. . . pet. mar. in prefat . comment . on iudic. christ little behol● to most kings . obs . . ps . . . obs . . ps . . . explained by the text chrys . in psal . . princes , why not to be trusted in . . none so unsafe as they . . none oft times so perfidious . ( and that 's tru of most that are in place and power . ) obs . . musculus in ps . an ●ffigies of the last times . obs . . obs . . obs . . expos . obs . . expos . . obs . . luther in loc . hebrasmus est , pro anxie consultant . isa . . . mal. . covenant . animum in omnia versant , ultro citroque sermones conferunt . ternov . in loc . expos . . loquentur verba violenta . chald. obs . expos . . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a. mont. vatabl. expos . . king. obs . . obs . . applic. to the court-partie . obs . . obs . . fides commune hominis praesidium : cicero . fidei templum struxit numa , sanctissimumque esse jusirandum voluit per fidem . the egyptians . tissaphernes . agesialaus . applicat . expos . . calvin . they did verba da●e . levil . . . violation of the national covenant punished wth the sword . men may be false in covenant . . for politick ends only . . putting false interpretations on it , to make it a snare . psal . . . david swearing to keep all gods commandements explained . . in not fulfilling it acording to the nature of it . . when the covenāt is made a cloak for malignity . obs . expos . . a potion of hemlock . expos . . injustice compared to hemlock amos . . cap. . the nature of hemlock plin lib. . cap. socrates he died for maintaining there was but one god. injustice like to iustice sometimes . hierom in loc . vnjust mē hollow . god sanctifies to his people the iniquity done upon them . those that delight in injustice are in a desperate condition . injustice kils by cooling . calvin . expos . cur potius suprasulcos agri , quam in agro ? obs . obs . . isa . . amos , . . explained . ier. . amos. . . daies of thanksgiving . ver. . explained . isa . . isa . . . expounded illustratde further . som stalks of hemlock in engl. spring up since we hoped for reformatiō . malign . in committees . . the officers pāpred , while the poor soldiers starve . the cry of widows and children . caution . the honor of our svpream covrt should be kept up . three ways to have right in our wrongs the kings prerogative an appeal to the people : which remedies are worse than the disease . by our parliaments ( although sinful ) are of only lawful way . psa . . , , . tremel . pareus . agrorum meorum . ier. . reformation cannot prosper without promotion of justice , and removing of oppression . obs . . hab. . . expounded 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . nazian . orat. . chron. . . the people will follow great ones si impiorū principum studiu●● et exemptum accedat . luther . the prelats . expos . . . . preferred . a. mont. king. . . obs . . sam. . . eli's example urged . king. . . enlightned what shold encourage us to fight . obs . . ps . . . expos . obs . prelats , service-book , and altars , all some mens religion . an apes tooth . we should mourn after the true worship . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 chemarim what it signifies black-coats . [ this is the rabbins interpretation of the word ( and they apply it to the popish munks and nuns ) which calvin rejects , and expounds it to signifie either their clamorous noise in worshiping , as king. . . or to be a common name whereby those idolatrous priests were known as king. . on which place see munster's annotations . ] polanus in loc . revel . . applied . who mourneth most for superstitious places . obs . jareb . obs . obs . applied to england . hierom. see schickards prodromus , or his bechinath haperuchim . expos . iob. . . ministers may be glad ▪ and ( if alwaies faithful to the publick cause ) they may take comfort . ioh. . . expos . a geographical description of politick councels in religion obs . . obs . . doct. reas . . reas . . ps . . mens own counsels ensnare thē instanced in the late enemy , and the prelats . iob , . . psa . . . reas . psal . . . , what to avoid . . false principles . . wicked men . iob , . . cap. . . selfends . conceiptedness . flesh & blood . . passion and frowardness . iob , . . resolve on nothing in heat . simile . , what we should attend in our counsels . . look to christ . isa . . . pray much . prov. . ezek. . ▪ ps . . . let the fear of god be strong . ezr. . . . look at the word , especially in matters of religion . . be not put off with shews of reason . . be humble . . doct. sr walter rawlegh expos . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 zach. . . obser . the benefit of observing the scriptures expressions touching the vanity of great persons . use . two prop● of israels false confidence . bethaven . aven . bethel . vanitas 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 iniquitas , labor . obs . . obs . . obs . . obs . . obs . . calvin in loc . obs . . obs . . expos . obs . . obs . . solitudo pessimae doctrinae . hier. in loc . obs . . mens abused bodies . better the creature perish than be abused . obs . expos . . luke , . . rev. . see mr brightm . in revel . . . the land of canaan . the custom of the iews in time of danger . josephus antiq. lib. . cap. de bello iudaic. lib. , cap. . isa . . . ●llustrated ps . . . also . ps . . in like manner . ps . . . by the same . and psal . . . with psal . . , obs . . obs . . josephus . a lamentable story . obs . . rev. . . obs . . suetonius l. . c. . nondum tecum in gratiam redii . bernard lib. . de consid . c. a dreadful consideration . use to the impatient . obs . obs . . despair chuses crushing , strangling , stabbing , drowning , &c. fr. spira . luther in loc . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 de , ex , à , ab are notes of comparison ezek. . . iudges , , & . chapters referred to the text. when the story of the levites concubine seems to have happened . iudg. . expos . . pre preferred . confirmed obs . . use . obs . . applied to these times ministers . magistrats expos . . god gives succes somtimes in judgment . expos . . variety of interpreters . expos . . applied to england . expos . . expos . obs . . ps . . zach. . . simile . calvin in loc . pro 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 à a communi regula discedit , fortasse voluit inusitatum inuere castigationis modum , insolitâ verbi forma , tremel . * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 [ in desiderio meo , & castigabo eos ] valde cupidè eos castigabo , so luther . see buxtorf . lexic . heh . in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . isa . . ezek. . . . prov. . rev. . . explicated . reas . . use . use of admonition to those in whose will it is to sin . pet. . . expos . . expos . . of the former part of the verse . * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , . iuxta desiderium meum corripiam eos . vulg . oecolampad . in loc . obs . we may not chuse our sin and our rod too . the text very difficult . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in vincire eos in duobus aut succis , aut pecatis , aut occulis , aut fontibus scribetur per 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 legitur à masorethis per 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sulci 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 iniquitates 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 oculi 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 fontes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vid. buxtori● . lexicon heb. in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 arias montanus in corripere eos propter duas iniquitatis . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , . vincire 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 catigare 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but in some moods and tenses they are hardly differenced . propter geminum peccatum ipsorum . luther . * qui erant ut 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 oculi eorū seu amasij . buxtor● in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ier. . . hier. in loc . see diod. in loc . expos . . polanus in loc . expos . . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 expos . . ( calvin ] as engl. and scotl. in the late war. obs . hooper & ridley applied to professors now . expos . deut. . . applied to the ten tribes . obs . . obs . . vbi non vident quaestū , rident christum , ubi datur ut edant , adduci possunt ut credant , ternov . in loc . obs . . all our life we should plow in hope . in duties we should persevere thouh there be no present cōfort ▪ this ● th verse of special use . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 expos . obs . the evil of bare necks and breasts ▪ black patches ▪ and painted faces . great estates ill used . every one bound to labor . fair skins foul souls oftimes . alice drivers neck-kercher . act. and monum . hard breeding fittest for christian suffering . expos . . * quando à deo dicetur semper plagas & adversa significat . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 obs . a caution . examples in our time of the truth of the text . isa . . . ▪ vers . . tender ears . christs yoke easier than the yoke of the enemy ▪ ladies-work . tender spirits . isa . . . iob , . , . expos . vide pagnin , thesaur . majo● . in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 & ▪ obs . expos . king. . - . with ch. . . chr. . . a strang scripture . expos . . obs . . use for workers . expos . . obs . . us . for the afflicted . the sufferings in the west . a consideration for men of quality . object . against the observatiō answered . expos . . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . occabit ei iacob . . expos . . obs . obs . the exposition of hierom too much on the left hand , seminent in justitia i.e. in lege : metant in misericordia ; id est , in gratia evangelij . luther too much on the right . the genuine meaning . the text paraphrased . caution . quest . answ , obs . . obs . . plinie . obs . . obs . . obs . . * preached in october . obs . . obs . . use . levit. . . applied . obs . . ps . . . prov. . . . chap. . . this time most unfit to sow the tares of discord . expos . . expos . . opened . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ad os misericordiae . levit. . . exod. . . men that are in mean imploymēts encouraged . obs . . gal. . . ps . . . gospel-righteousnesse the most precious thing in the world ▪ the reason . use . eccl. . ▪ pro. . . object . answ . chron. . . chap. . . arias mont. translated 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in paupertate afflictione mea● . rawleighs hist . of the world part . c. . § . the quātity of treasure that david offered . chron. . . interpreted . use . ipsa gratiarum actio luth. cyprian's prayer at his martyrdom . * paratus sum propter nomen tuum victimam sanguinis fundere , & quodcunque tormentum sustinere , cum el●vav●ris confringere terrā , sub qua fissura terrar●̄ me absconsurus sum ? cui monti dicturus sum , eadit super me ? cui coll● , tege me ? a german ministers speech at his death ▪ obs . . alexander ▪ an encoraging meditatiō to poor souls in their mean endeavors ▪ expos . the coherence . obs . . see nath. rogers's letter out of new-england concerning this point . * subjection is either passive and involuntary ; or active and willing . again , government may be false essentially and of it self , or per accidents and by reason of some adjuncts . lastly some things are such as the corruptions of them , may be sooner discerned by a consciencious eye : others such as , by reason of their similitude to divine institution or practice , and their antiquity and prescription , cannot so soon , if at all , be certainly concluded evil ; see mr. john cottons letter in new-england to mr. williams , printed london . for benjamin allen in popes-head-alley . printed in lond. for christoph . meredith in pauls-yard . jer. . . isa . . . explained . we must continue plowing , els weeds wil grow again , though many years after . luk. . ▪ ministers are the ylowmen ▪ the probatum est , of preaching the law , and pressing humiliation . the reason ▪ [ this whol discourse is opposite to that , whereby some would comfort beleevers in their sins and sorrows : the sum is , that of our lord christ : repent , and beleeve the gospel : and of the apostle , repentance from dead works and faith toward the lord jesus christ . mark. . . act. . . heb. . . rom. . . cor. . . cor. . . . chap. . . ] expos . . to have time to seek the lord , a great mercy . use ▪ the saying of a dispai●ing woman in cambridge ▪ obs . . reas . . reas . . simile ▪ applicat . obs . . cor. . eccl. . ▪ luk. . . ex hoc momento aeternitas . an apt simile . phil. . ▪ opened . illustrated by a simile ▪ themistocles saying at his death . graviora eras . plut. time for england to seek god. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 jacere . docere . expos . . preferred . righteousness , what ? rain , what ? ob● . . prov. . . obs . . obs . . ps . . . illustrated . simile . motive to continue seeking god ▪ isa . . ▪ explained . mr ▪ glover the martyr . obs . ▪ christoph . columbus . obs . . obs . . hypocrits seek grace for comfort chiefly , saints seek comfort for grace . obs . . joh. . . obs . . expos . in general . prov. . . job , . . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 micah , . . vt benefaciant , munster . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vel nitunter ut ( mala sua ) bonafaciunt ; i.e. justificent . some take more pains to perish than others to be saved , yet complain of any difficulty in gods waies . cardinal wolsey . see the book of martyrs . who cannot die in peace ( without serious repentance ) ▪ expos . in parti● . expos . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 what is here meāt by inniquity . obs . why carnal men contend for superstition . lyes here what ? . reasons for it . . comforts from it . . hopes by it . . interpretation of gods blessings in it . . reports of the cōtrary party . expos . . partie . obs . judg. . . prov. . . jer. . . . opened . simile . a note of one conceited of his own way . prov. . . use . expos . obs . that way the mighty men go that shall be troden rev. . , , . obs . . applic. to engl. chron. ▪ . observed . obs . . hab. . ▪ the confidence of a gracious heart . use . examin . john baptist . when men suffer for a way , then they begin to question it . expos . obs . tumults a token of the great wrath of god. the causes . the multitude not to be engaged in matters controversal . an apt simile ▪ none so cruel a● the vilest of the people when they get power . pro. . ▪ the evil of tumults greater thē the evil of tyranny . joseph . de bell iudic. l. . c. . lib. . cap. . take heed of being occasion of tumults ▪ amos , . ▪ expos . . clamor 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 meticulosorum territorum . ps . . . ps . . . illustrated ▪ ps . . archimedes . a fixed heart in prayer . spiritual tumults ▪ ps . . . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 foveâ tumultus . ps . . . nah. . . applied . bristol ▪ expos . . sicut vastatus est salmana à domo ejus qui vindicavit baal in die prelij &c. vulg . sic fere graec. ps . . ▪ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 expos . . luther . macca . . . at bethel alexander overthrew darius . as if it were 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 dei incidiatoris . the god of subtilty ▪ obs . . use ▪ obs . . psa . . isa . . . ursin . in isa . ps . . ult expounded ▪ calvin ▪ obs . . object . answ . obs . . applic. to engl. pacificus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 pacē colere . expos . obs . . obs . . psa . . , . opened . applied . isa . . . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 obs . . obs . . matth. . . illustrated . obs . . lam. . . king. . expos . hoshea the last king of israel a wilful man ▪ expos . . the expositiō of this part of this verse , as of many other particulars in these exercises , appears to have been very prophesies . expos . . obs . use for england . zach. . . compared with the text , & explained . amos , . . obs . obs . . sicut mane transit , sic pertransit rex israel ezek. . , , . make our peace at night , and seek god whē we rise . a glimpse of sions glory, or, the churches beautie specified published for the good and benefit of all those whose hearts are raised up in the expectation of the glorious liberties of the saints. goodwin, thomas, - . this text is an enriched version of the tcp digital transcription a of text r in the english short title catalog (wing k ). textual changes and metadata enrichments aim at making the text more computationally tractable, easier to read, and suitable for network-based collaborative curation by amateur and professional end users from many walks of life. the text has been tokenized and linguistically annotated with morphadorner. the annotation includes standard spellings that support the display of a text in a standardized format that preserves archaic forms ('loveth', 'seekest'). textual changes aim at restoring the text the author or stationer meant to publish. this text has not been fully proofread approx. kb of xml-encoded text transcribed from -bit group-iv tiff page images. earlyprint project evanston,il, notre dame, in, st. louis, mo a wing k estc r ocm this keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the early english books online text creation partnership. this phase i text is available for reuse, according to the terms of creative commons . universal . the text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. early english books online. (eebo-tcp ; phase , no. a ) transcribed from: (early english books online ; image set ) images scanned from microfilm: (early english books, - ; :e , no ) a glimpse of sions glory, or, the churches beautie specified published for the good and benefit of all those whose hearts are raised up in the expectation of the glorious liberties of the saints. goodwin, thomas, - . burroughs, jeremiah, - . glover, jose, fl. . kiffin, william, - . knollys, hanserd, ?- . [ ], p. printed for william larnar ..., london : . entered in wing under hanserd knollys. attributed also to william kiffin, jeremiah burroughs and jose glover by various sources. reproduction of original in thomason collection, british library. eng church -- biblical teaching -- early works to . a r (wing k ). civilwar no a glimpse of sions glory: or, the churches beautie specified. published for the good and benefit of all those whose hearts are raised up in goodwin, thomas b the rate of defects per , words puts this text in the b category of texts with fewer than defects per , words. - tcp assigned for keying and markup - spi global keyed and coded from proquest page images - robyn anspach sampled and proofread - robyn anspach text and markup reviewed and edited - pfs batch review (qc) and xml conversion a glimpse of sions glory : or , the churches beautie specified . published for the good and benefit of all those whose hearts are raised up in the expectation of the glorious liberties of the saints . psal. . . glorious things are spoken of thee o thou citie of god . esay . . . behold , the lord shall come with might against the strong ones , and his arme shall rule for him , &c. london , printed for william larnar , and are to be sold at his shop at the signe of the golden anchor neere pauls-chaine . mdcxli . the epistle to the reader . christian reader , thou hast here presented to thy view a small tract : the matter whereof is weighty , and of concernment to all that are the professed subjects of iesus christ . it is a thing of sad consequence to consider how we have beene kept under blindnesse and darknesse , although not totally , yet in a great measure , in regard of such truths as doe immediately strike at antichrist and his false power . as namely this great truth , christ the king of his church ; and that christ hath given this power to his church , not to a hierarchy , neither to a nationall presbytery , but to a company of saints in a congregationall way . now these truths strike directly at antichrist , and therefore kept and quell'd downe as errours . and so by reason of this obscurity ( we being halfe blind ) such bright truths seeme strange to us , and goe under many aspersions and calumnies , as carnall , erroneous , absurd , and the like . and truely we have beene so accustomed to the yoke , that we seeme to beat down freedome , with casting up a thousand surmises , dreaming of strange consequents . nay , there is a generation of of men in these times ( some or most of them seeming to plead for christ ) are as inveterate against the one true way of jesus christ , as if it would be the bondage of rehoboam , succeeding the light oppression of solomon : whereas it will prove to bee a haven to our tedious stormes , and a period to many distractions . reader , give over thy wonted censuring of mens labours ; and learne to be more wise ; lay aside all prejudiciall thoughts concerning this tract , and weigh it in the ballance of the sanctuary , comparing it with the word ; if it will hold out there ; then embrace it , and make use of it for thy comfort . indeed it may be beneficiall to thee divers wayes . first , by this thou mayst learne to prize jesus christ more ; what was that among other things that made christ so beloved and excellent in the eyes of his spouse ? his head was of gold . now what is this head of gold , but that excellent government , that is upon his shoulder ? secondly , it will administer comfort to thee , in regard of the former yokes , of which there are hopes , they will bee broken off , at least in the accomplishing of these truths ; nay the day is now dawning , wherein sions peace and comforts shall bee fulfilled , iesus christ set up , the sole and great king of his church . thirdly , it will teach you to make that use of it that the apostle peter doth of the like truths : what manner of persons ought we to be ? the use of it is divers , beyond my reach or weake iudgement to prescribe ; and indeed my commendation of it doth but darken it , i being so far below the matter and the author . but thy experience may make up that of which i fall short . so commending thee ( both in the use of this , and any thing else that beares the stamp and image of truth upon it ) to the teaching of that spirit , that is the author of all truth in the hearts of beleevers , to be taught by it ; i leave thee in the perusing of this small treatise ; hoping thou wilt reape some good by it . farewell . thine in the lord jesus . to command . w. k. a glimpse of sions glory : or , the churches beautie specified . revel. . verse . and i heard as it were the voice of a great multitude , and as the voice of many waters , and as the voice of mighty thundrings , saying hallelviah , for the lord god omnipotent reigneth . at the powring forth of the first viall , there was a voice , saying , babylon is fallen , it is fallen : at the powring forth of the sixth , iohn heares a voice as the voice of many waters , and as the voice of thundrings , saying hallelujah , the lord god omnipotent reigneth , immediately following the other . babylons falling is sions raising babylons destruction is ierusalems salvation . the fourth viall was powred upon the sunne , which is yet doing , ( namely upon the emperour and that house of austria ) and will be till that house be destroyed . the heat of that makes the seat of the beast hot , and prepares it unto the fire , that it is appointed unto ▪ god is beginning the powring forth of the fifth viall , namely , upon the throne of the beast , upon babylon ; this is the worke that is in hand : as soone as ever this is done , that antichrist is downe , babylon fallen , then comes in jesus christ reigning gloriously ; then comes in this hallelujah , the lord god omnipotent reigneth . let christ live , and barrabas die , was the last speech of tremellius : let babylon fall , let ierusalem rise , and christ reigne in his glory ; this is the voice of all the saints this day , and will continue to their last voyce : it is the work of the day to cry downe babylon , that it may fall more and more , and it is the worke of the day to give god no rest , till he sets up ierusalem as the praise of the whole world . bl●ssed is he that dasheth the brats of babylon against the stones : blessed is hee that hath any hand in pulling downe babylon : and beautifull likewise are the feet of them that bring glad tidings unto ierusalem , unto zion , saying , the lord god omnipotent reigneth . this is the work of this exercise ; to shew unto you , how upon the destruction of babylon christ shall reigne gloriously , and how we are to further it . the words then read unto you , they are you see an halleluiah . but what is that to the day of a fast ? is an halleluiah sutable to a fast ? hallelujah is , praise ye the lord ; the worke of a fast is a mourning worke , and yet this hallelujah is sutable to this day of fast . . sutable : first our mourning is to be evangelicall , and therefore to have comfort mixed with it . secondly , because our mourning is a preparation to , and hastning of this hallelujah . thirdly , because we are by faith to speake of things as if they were done : therefore now to shew you what is to be done , and what wee are to looke upon as if it were done this day ; hallelujah is sutable for that . yea further , a day of humiliation is a day of reconciliation too , as well as a day of humiliation ; and the great fruit of our reconciliation with god , is the setting up of the kingdome of his sonne . yea , we read of the churrh of the iewes , that in their returning from the captivity , god did lead them by weeping , . ier. . the argument of deliverance from captivity under antichrist , and the setting up of the kingdome of jesus christ , may stand with our weeping : and we in a weeping and a mourning frame , are fittest to heare such an argument as this is . hallelujah is an hebrew word ; why here used ? first to note the joyning of the church of the gentiles with the jewes , according to the prophesie in the of zachary . the lord shall be king over all the earth , in that day there shall be one lord , and his name one . secondly , because the gentiles are to provoke the church of the iewes to come in , according to the prophecy of isaiah , . c. . . come ye , let us go up to the mountaine of the lord , to the house of the god of jacob , and hee will teach us of his wayes , and wee will walke in his paths ; . verse . o house of jacob , come yee and let us walke in the light of the lord : the gentiles calling upon the iewes to come in : so it shall be at the iewes calling ; and therefore this hebrew word is used , hallelujah , as if the gentiles should provoke the iewes after antichrist is fallen now to praise the lord , because he reignes . in this hallelujah there are these . things considerable . first , what it is for which this hallelujah is sung . secondly , from whom . first , what it is for ? it is for this , because the lord god omnipotent reigneth , the lord god , that is , christ ; christ now appeares to be lord god : his lordship and dominion was much darkned before : now it appeares to all the world , that he is lord god , lord god omnipotent : the name of christ is the mighty god , as . isay , . but hee is but little knowne by this name in comparison : after antichrist is fallen , he shall bee knowne by his owne name , the mighty god , the lord god omnipotent , the lord god omnipotent reigneth ; his crowne and dignity were as it were hidden before in comparison : little of the power of the soveraignty of christ did outwardly appeare before : but now it shall appeare , before the eies of all his enemies , that it is he that reignes , he hath the kingdome of kingdomes , and is the lord of lords . . from whence came this hallelujah , i heard as it were the voice of a great multitude , and as the voice of many waters : by waters we are to understand people ; the voice of many waters , of many people . first , it is the voice of the waters , the voice of jesus christ reigning in his church , comes first from the multitude , the common people , the voice is heard from them first , before it is heard from any others : god uses the common people and the multitude to proclaime that the lord god omnipotent reigneth : as when christ came at first , the poore receive the gospell ; not many wise , not many noble , not many rich , but the poore : so in the reformation of religion , after antichrist began to be discovered , it was the common people that first came to look after christ . in the . cant. . we find the church inquiring for her beloved , which is to be understood of these times of reformation : shee went to the watchmen , the watchmen smote her , despised her , and persecuted her ; at the th . verse she goes to the daughters of ierusalem , and enquires for her beloved , that is , among private christians and common people , and this glorious church that is to come , when the lord god omnipotent reigneth , according as it is here said , the voice will bee first among the multitude . it is observable that wee have in the . cant. . where you find a description of the glorious church that is a comming , wherein christ is to reigne gloriously , the description there begins at the feet , and goes upward : when christ is described . cant. the description of christ is from the head , and so downeward : but when the estate of the church in her glory is described ; shee begins at the feet and goes upward , to note the beginning and the raising of the church is like to bee at first among the meaner sort of people , among the multitude . the hallelujah for babylons downfall was among the multitude , before it came to the foure and twenty elders , as you may see in the beginning of the chapter . the businesse brethren concerning the scots , it is a businesse , in the issue whereof wee hope there will be great things : where began it ? at the very feet , at the very soles of the feet . you that are of the meaner rank , common people , be not discouraged ; for god intends to make use of the common people in the great worke of proclaiming the kingdome of his sonne ; the lord god omnipotent reigneth : the voice that will come of christs reigning , is like to begin from those that are the multitude , that are so contemptible , especially in the eyes and account of antichrists spirits , and the praelacie , the vulgar multitude , the common people ; what more contemned in their mouths then they ? and yet it is from them that this voice doth come ; the lord god omnipotent reigneth . wee read in the . chron. . . that the priests and levites were ashamed in that glorious reformation of hezekiah , they did not prepare themselves as the people did : so it is many times , that in many places where god is doing a great work , and whensoever god sets up the kingdome of his sonne , in that glorious manner that hee doth intend , he wil not begin with the priests and levites , they will not bee so forward , but the people at the first are more forward . in the . nehem. . it is said concerning the building of the temple and ierusalem , that the nobles did not put to their necks , but it is said the people blessed those that came to dwell at jerusalem ; but yet marke further , it came from the multitude as a noise of many waters : though the voice of christs reigne came first from the multitude ; yet it comes but in a confused manner , as the noise of many waters : though the multitude may begin a thing , and their intention may be good in it ; yet it is not for them to bring it to perfection , that which they do commonly is mixed with much confusion , and a great deale of disorder . it was but as the voice of many waters , the people had a hint of somthing ; downe with antichrist , downe with popery , not understanding distinctly what they did ; their voice was but as the voice of many waters : therfore it followes , and as the voice of mighty thundrings , that is , as one paraphrases of it , the voice that is more terrible and piercing like the thunder ; after the beginning of this confused noise among the multitude , god moves the hearts of great ones , of noble , of learned ones , and they come in to the worke , and their voice is as the voice of mighty thundring , a voice that strikes terror , and hath a majestie in it to prevaile . we heare of the voice of the multitude in our owne countrey , as the voice of many waters , they cry up the kingdome of christ , and cry downe the kingdome of antichrist , cry downe babylon , and the praelacie ; but this doth seeme to be the voice of many waters , that the adversaries derided it , scorned it . it is but the multitude , a company of rude people : but blessed bee god , we begin to heare the voice from the thundrings too in a more terrible way : god begins to work upon the great ones of the land , the worthies of the land that are drawne together in that assembly , and they doe begin to come to the land , and beyond the land to our eares , as it is terrible in the eares of the adversaries , that they begin to feare . this is the work of the day , for us to lift up our voice to heaven , that it might bee mighty to bring forth more and more ; the voice of our parliament as a voice of thunder , a terrible voice to the antichristian party , that they may say , the lord god omnipotent reigneth . and let us not be discouraged , for our prayers though they be poore and meane , and scattered , they may further the voice of thundrings : though our prayers bee as the voice of many waters , confused ; we may by them further this worke , so as to heare more of the voice of our worthies that are assembled , as thundrings , saying , the lord god omnipotent reigneth . . sam. . . when samuel did but offer a sucking lamb , there arose thundrings : if wee come before the lord , and it be but a sucking lamb that we are able to offer ; if we come but to present our selves only to testifie on what side we are , there may come that voice of thundrings from our parliament , furthered by our voice , saying , the lord god omnipotent reigneth . how gladly would wee heare this voice come from our nobles , and the king himselfe , and the great ones of the kingdome , to heare them powerfully commanding and speaking for the furtherance of the kingdome of iesus christ , and the setting it up ! but to come more closely to the words : there are these two doctrinall conclusions that contain the scope of them . first , that though the kingdome of christ may be darkned for a while ; yet certainly christ will reigne in his church gloriously , at which the saints will sing hallelujah . secondly , that the beginning of this glorious reigne of christ , the multitude of the people shall bee the furtherers of it , and take speciall notice of it . it is but only the first that i doe intend to speake of , in way of a doctrinall conclusion , it is this though christs kingdome bee for a while darkned , christ shall reigne gloriously , that is implyed : it is revealed to john as a great wonder , as a glorious thing . why , did not christ reigne before ? yes , but not in that manner that now hee is to reigne : the kingdome of christ hath beene exceedingly darkned in the world ; though it now begins to appeare a little more brightly , it hath beene exceedingly darkned . when he came in his owne person , how did he appeare to reigne , and be the lord god omnipotent ? i meane outwardly , he was a man of sorrowes ; one that vvas rather a worme then a man : as it is said of him , he was one , in whom appeared no forme and beauty ; for which hee should be desired . hee was even bruised by his father , hee was in the forme of a servant ; yea in the forme of an evill servant ; being made sinne for us , and beaten like an evill servant ; yea made a curse for us , and that in the abstract ; how did he reigne ? they made him a king in way of derision , put a reed into his hand in stead of a scepter , and bowed the knee in scorne , and called him the king of the iews : and thus he reigned outwardly , and not otherwise , in his own person . and afterwards in the primitive times how did he appeare to be lord god , and to reigne there , when the heathen emperors reigned over his subjects , and had their wills upon them ? his subjects were but a company of poore distressed for lorne people , wandring up and downe , persecuted , and destitute of all comforts . afterwards when god brought constantine the christian emperour and others to reigne , the church enjoyed a little peace , this was but for a little time . in the . of the revelation , it is said there was silence in heaven for halfe an houre , which is applyed to the little time of respite that the church had in constantines time : for litinius who was joyned with constantine in the empire , presently fell off , and grew a persecutor : then spread arianisme over all the world , that all the world seemed to be an arrian , so that he was not acknowledged lord god ; and therefore not reigned . then antichristianisme spread it selfe , and he set up himselfe as lord god , and hee prescribed lawes to the consciences of men , and christ was cast out of his throne : yea , to this day how little hath christ reigned outwardly ? the divell himselfe is a greater king , i meane in regard of multiplicity of subjects . divide the world into thirty parts , and there are not above five of those that acknowledge christ ; and out of those five take them where antichrist reignes , and how little doth christ reigne ? and among them where christ is acknowledged , and antichrist rejected , how is his kingdome persecuted , and of the better sort ? how is his kingdome sleighted , and many forward professors , and zealous ministers have hard thoughts of it . yea , among those that set up his kingdome , in regard of their miscarriages his kingdome is darkned ; so that christ hath but a little reigne in the world : and it is a glorious thing spoken of to iohn , that christ lord god omnipotent reigneth . what shall we say to these things ? that christ should be king of heaven and earth , and should appeare so little in his reigne as he hath done , and yet doth to this day . let us stay a little here , and admire at the infinite depth and wisedome of gods counsells that are past finding out . what god should aym at and meane ( if wee may speake with holy reverence ) to suffer these things , that his owne sonne so infinitely deere unto him , should have his glory so darkned in the world as he hath . we may think of some reasons why god doth suffer this ; but what his ayme and intentions are in the depth of his counsels , is infinitely beyond us . it may be it is to be a stumbling-block to wicked and ungodly men in his just judgement , that they should see and not understand . and it vvas upon this ground that god suffered his kingdome to be darkned hitherto , that antichrist might prevaile , because of much glory that he is intended to bring out of the prevailing of antichrist in the world : therefore in his providence he hath so permitted it , as that the kingdome of his sonne for many yeeres should be darkned . and ( my brethren ) if the kingdome of christ had bin kept in congregations , in that way that we and some other churches are in , it had bin impossible that antichrist should have got head . but god in his providence , because he would permit antichrist to rise and to rule for a long time , and he had many things to bring out the kingdome of antichrist , to worke for his glory ; therefore god hath left this truth to be so darke , the setting up of christ in his kingly office . thirdly , because god would exercise the faith and other graces of his spirit in his children , that they might beleeve in , and love jesus christ for his spirituall beauty , though there appeares nothing but spirituall beauty , though no outward beauty , no outward kingdome doth appeare , but he be as a spirituall king only . it was a great and a glorious worke , in those three wise men that came to christ that offered frankincense , and gold and myrrhe , to christ when he was in a cratch , in a manger ; and so for gods people now to beleeve in him , now to love , now to reioyce in him , to offer all to him , now his kingdome is darkned , now he doth appeare so meane as he is , this is a glorious worke of faith , and we should labour much to exercise this worke of ●aith , in looking vpon this spirituall beauty that is in christ , and satisfying our soules in that , that so we may not be offended at the darkning of christs kingdome outwardly : and the lesse christ doth reigne outwardly in the world , the lesse glorious his kingdome doth appeare outwardly , the more let us labour to bring our hearts under his spirituall reigne : the more others say , we will not have this man reigne over vs , the more let our soules subiect themselves to him , and say , christ is our king , and let him reigne for ever over us , yea let us labour to symphathize with jesus christ in the darkning of his glory and of his kingdome . iesvs christ , though he the glory of his father , the brightnesse of his glory , the character and graven forme , or the image of his father , yet is he contented to have his glory darkned . who are we that we must have glory in this world and outward excellencies , when christ is willing to be without them ; let us be willing to goe like the witnesses , clothed in sackcloth till christ comes to reigne : there are white shining garments prepared , but that time is not yet , though it wil not be long . the bridegroom yet seems to be absent , and therefore it is fit for the spouse to goe low and mean in the mourning weeds as a widdow : the trimming of the bride in her outward glory , may come hereafter , when christ shall come in glory into the world . and lastly the kingdom of christ is darkned for a while outwardly , and therefore it should teach us to blesse god so much the more for that opportunitie that we have of setting vp christ as king amongst us : for yet , the voyce is not heard much , that the lord god omnipotent reigneth abroad in the world , though lately some noise we have heard : but , blessed be god , in our congregations amongst us , we may heare , that the lord god omnipotent reigneth . it is through our wretched wickednesse , if his kingly power be not fully set up amongst us in all his ordinances : and that we should have an opportunity to set up his kingly power amongst us heere , while it is so much opposed , and so little knowne in the world , it is a great mercy . and let us take heed of abusing that opportunity we have , for darkning the kingly power of christ , which we professe to set up : especially in these times , when there comes to be a voyce , though confusedly , from the multitude , and some kind of voyce of thunder from the great ones . but though it be darke for a while , certainly he shall reigne , and the voyce will be glorious and distinct one day , saying , hallelviah the lord god omnipotent reigneth . he shall reigne first personally ; secondly , in his saints . first , personally ; we will not fully determine of the manner of his personall reigning , but thus farre wee may see there is a voice of great waters , though not distinct : but a probability in his person god and man ; he shall reigne vpon the earth , here in this world before that great and solemne day . there are divers scriptures that have somewhat of this in them , we cannot give the distinct voyce of those scriptures , but many of gods saints , they do heare somthing , and when a thing growes neerer and neerer , god will reveale it more distinct ; zachary . . they shall looke upon him whom they have pierced , and shall mourne for him , as one mourneth for his only sonne . it is usually understood either of a spirituall looking by the eye of faith , or beholding christ at the day of iudgment : but why should we take it for a spirituall looking , and looking at the day of iudgment ? that place doth not hold out , that is not the thing intended : they shall mourne every one apart ; this is not like the setting forth of the mourning at the day of iudgement : and take but this one rule , that all texts are to be understood literally , except they make against some other scriptures , or except the very coherence and dependance of the scripture shewes it otherwise , or it makes against the analogy of faith ; now there is nothing against this , but it may bee so . a second scripture that seemes to hold out somewhat is that in the th . of mathew , . i will not henceforth drinke of the fruit of the vine , untill that day , when i drinke it new with you in my fathers kingdome . it is true , this is likewise interpreted in a mysticall sense ; but there is no reason , why wee may not take it literally . not in the kingdome of his father in heaven ; but in that kingdome that hee shall come in here to drinke the fruit of the vine , to have communion with his saints in this world , . thes. . . antichrist shall be destroyed by the brightnesse of christs comming , the brightnesse of his personall comming : and that place revel. . where it is said , the saints shall reigne with him a thousand years , which cannot be meant reigning with him in heaven . it is made as a proper peculiar benefit unto such as had refused antichrists government , especially to the christian church : it is likely divers of the prophets and patriarchs may come in ; but especially it belongs to the christian church : now the reigning with christ a thousand yeeres is not meant reigning with him in heaven , for after these thousand yeares , there shall be many enemies raised against the church , gog and magog shall gather themselves together ; if it were meant of heaven , that could not be ; and therefore it must be meant of iesus christ comming and reigning heere gloriously for a thousand yeares . and although this may seeme to be strange ; yet heretofore it hath not beene accounted so , it hath beene a truth received in the primitive times . iustine martyr , that lived presently after iohn , he spake of this as a thing that all christians acknowledged : and likewise lactantius hath such expressions in divers places of his seventh booke . that there are glorious times comming , wherein shall be plenty and fruitfulnesse in the church , yet first , rome must de burnt , and babylon first downe , and brings the sybills , the heathen oracles for it , and after a little time there shall be stirring up of enemies against them : thus farre they goe ; if they did not beleeve that christ himselfe should come personally to reigne , yet he shall with his saints reigne in a glorious manner , and the church shal be so raised up in the world outwardly , as to be aboue all the men of the world in outward glory . and there are many scriptures full for that which we may be much more confident in , then wee can be of the other . there is a time comming , when there shall be this halleluiah in the church , the lord god omnipotent reigneth . as in the . . dan. . . the fower beasts are the foure monarchies , and the last is the roman monarchy , and that babylon shal goe down together , and immediatly upon that , the saints of the most high shall take the kingdome , and possesse the kingdome for ever and ever : at the . . ver. . verse . and the greatnesse of the kingdome under the whole heaven shall be given to the people of the saints of the most high : the kingdome under heaven is not the kingdome of the world to come . more apparant is that in the th . of dan. which is ordinarily interpreted of the day of iudgment : but surely this text doth not aime at the day of iudgment principally , but at a time before . first , because many that sleepe shall awake , not all , but many . secondly he saies that they that are wise , shall shine as the brightnesse of the firmament : whereas the glory that shall be put upon the saints in heaven shall be as the sunne : though this glory be great , it is inferiour to that which shall be . the third reason is , that daniel must shut up these words , and seale up this book as a great secret : that there should be a resurrection at the last day , a reward of happinesse to the righteous , and of misery to the wicked is no great secret , but this that was revealed to daniel was a great secret . but daniel might say , if the booke be shut up , how shall the truth come to bee knowne ? many shall runne to and fro , and take paines in finding it out , and at last this truth shall come to be found out , and knowledge shall be increased . and certainely it is the antichristian yoke that doth hide this truth . men dare not whisper of any truth , but of such as are held in the church of rome : but when there comes to be liberty of churches , and that men may freely search into this truth , knowledge will be increased . the fourth reason is , because in the last verse , there seemes to be a promise euen to daniel , that hee should have his share and part in this glory : was it such a matter , that daniel in the resurrection should have his lot , and that he should stand up at the day of iudgment ? no! but that he should haue his lot in that resurrection was a great priviledge . againe , for christs reigning with the saints , take two places in the psalmes . psalme . . the vpright shall haue dominion ouer them in the morning , there is a time they shall haue dominion , though now they have a night , a morning shall come that the vpright shall have dominion . psalme , . . and so on : let his saints be ioyfull in glory , &c. and a two edged sword in their hands : to execute vengeance upon the heathen , and punishments upon the people , &c. what shall we make of these scriptures ? indeed if we be put upon allegoricall senses , we may put off any scripture ; but if we take them literally , why should we not ? and the promise that is made to them that overcome , revel. . the latter end of it ; hee that overcommeth and keepeth my words , to him will i give power over the nations , and he shall rule them with a rod of iron , and as the vessels of a potter , they shall be broken to shivers . what shall we make of this ? except the saints shall reigne , and there shall be a glorious reigne of christ with the saints , and so that place of the saints reigning and judging the world , some interpret it of the day of judgement , but these scriptures seeme to have an apparancie to be before ; and therfore christ is said to make them kings and priests unto god spiritually , though not every one properly kings over others ; yet so , as to have power and dominion in the world ; and therefore where it is said in the gospell , that righteous men desired to see those things that you see , and did not : in the th . of luke it is said , kings desired to see those things that you see , and have not seene them : so that christ shall reigne together with his saints . and that there shall be such a reigne of christ ; and this hallelujah appeares by many arguments , as take this one drawne from scripture . if there be many prophesies and promises in scripture that are not yet fulfilled ; and the fulfilling whereof will bring the church into a more glorious condition then ever it was yet in the world : then there is a glorious time a comming . now there are such scriptures wherein are such glorious things promised to be fulfilled to the church , as yet never were fulfilled : and that wee know not what to make of , unlesse there be a truth in this . . isay . . then the moone shall be confounded , and the sunne shall be ashamed , when the lord of hoasts shall reigne in mount zion and in ierusalem : when was this , that there was such a reigne of christ in mount zion , as that the moone was confounded , and the sun ashamed ? certainly this cannot be understood of their returne from their captivity , for the people of the iewes were under contempt after their deliverance from captivity , and came not to such a glory as this , and were under a kind of captivity , and met with such oppositions , that they were as long building the temple as they were in captivity , seventy yeeres . but some that were in captivity saw both the first & the second temple ; how could this be , if it were so long ? the foundation they might see , but not see it finished . and in ahasuerus time they were in captivity , as that had not god wrought mightily , they had all beene cut off by a wicked haman : therefore they were not so glorious . isaiah . . . look upon zion the city of our solemnities : thine eies shall see ierusalem a quiet habitation , a tabernacle that shall not be taken downe : this text neither hath not bin fulfilled hitherto , but must remaine . isay . . oh thou afflicted , tossed with tempests , and not comforted ; behold , j will lay thy stones with faire colours , and thy foundations with saphires , &c. when antichrist shall fall down , and the iewes , called ; and this halleluia sung , the lord god omnipotent reigneth : then this promise may be made good . isay . . if you read the whole chapter , there are glorious things spoken of the reigne of the church : but there have never beene such glorious times since those prophecies , and therefore these we are to expect to be fulfilled . that place of ezekiel , of the dry bones receiving flesh and life is apparant to be the iewes comming , and gods ioyning two stickes together , making iudah and ephraim to be one ; and therefore glorious things are to be expected immediately after the fail of antichrist : and if you may speake of the fall of antichrist as done , you may speake of those promises as done . so in the . . revel. there is a description of the glorious estate of the church , which ordinarily is applied to the glory of heaven : but there is a mistake in applying these things to the glory that is in heaven , and not to thinke of the glory that shall appeare on earth before . it is said , that john saw the new ierusalem come downe from heaven ; if it had been the glory of heaven , more like heaven should have been opened , and he raised up to it . againe , iohn here sayes , that the foundations of the walls had twelve stones , and in them the names of the twelve apostles : that the foundations of heaven should have the names of the twelve apostles is not like . for abraham , isaac and jacob , the patriarchs and prophets shall bee there as well as the apostles ; and why should it not have the names of the patriarchs and prophets as well as the apostles ? and if you read the revelations , you shall finde that the kings and princes came to give in their glory to the church : now that the kings and princes should come in to make heaven glorious , there is no likelihood in that . thus there are these prophesies to be fulfilled , and these promises to bee accomplished , and therefore a time for the lord god with the saints to reigne gloriously : and why should we think it much ? let us but consider the great designes that god hath in honouring of his saints in the world , and we have not cause to thinke much of such a truth as this : for hereafter in heaven christ will be honoured before his saints . but how will ch●ist be honoured before all the world you will say at the day of judgement ? but onely at that time so long as the wicked shall stand for their sentence ? doe we thinke there shall be no further time for christ and his saints to be honoured but just then ? god intends to honour christ and the saints before all the world . christ hath purchased a glorious condition by humbling himselfe so low to the death of the crosse , and therefore was promised the heathen for his inheritance , and the utmost parts of the earth for his possession ; and this must bee given in due time ; and god is pleased to raise the hearts of his people to expect it . and those that are most humble , most godly , most gracious , most spirituall , searching into the scriptures , have their hearts most raised in expectation of this . and it is not like that that work of the spirit of theirs shall be in vaine . but god is beginning to cleere it up more and more : god is beginning to stirre in the world , and to doe great things in the world , the issue whereof ( i hope ) will come to that we speake of . but what shall bee the glorious condition of the church , when the lord god omnipotent reigneth ; for which the saints shall sing this glorious hallelujah ? tell us somthing of this good land . in the generall i answer , it is the resurrection from the dead , as the apostle speakes , rom. . concerning the calling of the iewes . but for particulars ; glorious things are spoken of thee , o thou citie of god . the first thing wherein the happinesse of the church consists , is this : that it shall be delivered from all the enemies of it , and from all molesting troubles , and so be in a most blessed safety and security . the god of peace shall tread downe satan shortly , and all that are of satan . christ is described in this rev. . with his garment dyed in blood , when he doth appeare to come and take the kingdome ; and he appeared with many crownes on his head ; that notes his many victories ▪ and his name was king of kings , and lord of lords . and the saints appeared triumphing with him , clothed with white linnen , and set upon white horses ; is that a cloathing for soldiers ? yes , for the army of christ , that rather comes to triumph then for to fight . christ fighteth and vanquisheth all these enemies : and they come triumphing in white . all teares shall be wiped away from the church , isay . . . revel. . . there shall bee no brier nor thorne , ezek. . . among the people of god ; ezekiel did once live among briers and thornes , but there shall bee no pricking thorne left . and this citie that is described in the revelation , shall have the gates alwayes open , in regard of the secuirty that is there ; no danger at all of any enemy . secondly , there shall be a wonderfull confluence of people to this church , both jew and gentile shall joyne together to flow to the beautifulnes of the lord , dan. . verse . christ is compared to the stone , that shall breake the image , and shall become a mountaine , and fill the whole heaven , isaiah , . they shall come as doves to the windowes . and when iohn came to meathe citie , the church ; it was a great and mighty citie . thirdly , because where there is much confluence , there useth to bee a contraction of much filthinesse . therfore in the third place it shall be most pure , a pure church : yea , in great part , if not altogether . nay we may almost affirme , altogether to be delivered from hypocrites . without there shall be doggs , and whosoever shall worke or make a lye . not without , in hell ; but without the church . hypocrites shall bee discovered and cast out from the church : though many get into the church now ; then the righteous nation shall enter in . in the th . of ezekiel , . there is a description of the church under the gospel : and he shewes that none uncircumcised in heart shall enter in there : but the fulfilling of the prophecies of those chapters in the latter end of ezekiel , will not be till this time ; and then no uncircumcised in heart shall enter , revel. . . there shall in no wise enter into it any thing that defileth , &c. there are two negatives in the originall , they shall not , they shall not enter . as christ sayes , whosoever comes to me , j will in no wise cast out ; i will not , i will not cast out . blessed are they that are called to the supper of the lamb . before , many were called , and few chosen ; but now all that are called are chosen , and none that are made partakers of the first resurrection shall die the second death . it is a most pure church , and therefore is described ; the walls to be precious stones , the citie to be as cleere as glasse , and the pavement to be pure gold . fourthly , there shall be abundance of glorious prophecies fulfilled , and glorious promises accomplished . when you read the prophets , you have prophecies of many glorious things : and the knowledge of this truth will help to understand those prophecies . revel. . it is said there was a booke sealed shewed unto iohn , and none could open the booke but the lambe . the booke of the prophecies prophecies is a sealed book , and especially the booke of the prophecies of the revelatious . but when the lamb , christ , shall come to reigne , this shall be opened to us . and therefore it is said , the holy apostles and prophets should reioyce at the destruction of antichrist , because the prophets should be so cleerely opened , and understood by the people of god . revel. . . these sayings are faithfull and true : and the lord god of the holy prophets sent his angell , to shew unto his servants , the things which must shortly be done . why the lord god of the holy prophets ? that lord god that did intend to make the holy prophets cleere and evident . saies the woman of samaria , when the messiah comes , he shall teach us all things : we may well say it of the comming of christ , heere the meaning of abundance of prophecies and promises , that we know not what to make of , shall be cleere before us . christ is called the word of god , and is said to be faithfull and true , because he wil discover the truth and faithfulnesse of the promises . and this will bee a glorious time , when the prophecies shall be opened , and the promises come to be fulfilled . fifthly , abundance of hidden mysteries of godlines will be cleered then , that now are exceeding darke . . revel. iohn did but see a doore opened in heaven : but afterwards , revel. . he saw heaven opened . noting the cleere revelation of truth that shall be then : and , revel. . . there was seene the arke of the testament : whereas the arke stood before , in the holy of holies , that was shut up , that none was to come into it , but the high priest : but now it is opened to all . in the arke where the secrets a type of the secrets that shall be opened at this time , that were shut up before . glorious truths shall be revealed , and above all , the mystery of the gospell , and the righteousnesse of faith shall bee discovered . before what a little of the mystery of the gospel , and the righteousnesse of faith was discouered ! but this will grow brighter and brighter till that time , which is the great designe of god for his glory to all eternitie . sixtly , the gift of the saints shall be abundantly raised . he that is weake shall bee as david , and he that is strong as the angel of the lord zach. . . and then shall be accomplished that promise , that god will powre his spirit on them ; and their young men shall see visions , and their old men shall dreame dreames . it was fulfilled in part upon the apostles , but the full is not till that time knowledge shall be increased . seventhly , the graces of the saints shall be wonderfully inlarged , even in a manner glorified ; thoughuot so full as afterwards in the highest heaven but mightily raised . the saints shall be all clothed in white linnen which is the righteousnesse of the saints ; that is , the righteousnesse they have by christ , whereby they shall bee righteous before god , and holy before men : holines shall be written upon their pots , and upon their bridles : upon every thing their graces shall shine forth exceedingly to the glory of god . iohn saw a vision of the bride comming downe from heaven , with a heavenly glory , fit to meet christ her bridegroome , to stand in his presence , and serve him day and night . yea further , religion shall bee honoured , and no more be a disgrace . god hath promised to his church that hee will wipe away their reproches for ever . the people of god have been and are a despised people : but their reproach shall be for ever taken away , and they shall not be ashamed of religion : for it shall be glorifyed before the sonnes of men . therfore it is said revel. . they shall have the name of god upon their foreheads , openly to professe religion ; a time shall come when ten men shall take hold on the skirt of a iew , and say , we will go with thee . cant. . . i will kisse thee , yet should i not bee despised : she would embrace christ publikely , and should not be despised : it shall be so honourable , as none shall be able to despise it . there are notable texts of scripture , to shew the great honor that shall be in the wayes of religion , isaiah . . kings shall be thy nursing fathers , and queenes thy nursing mothers ; they shall bow downe to thee , and lick up the dust of thy feet . what a high expression is this for the honour of godlinesse ? so in isaiah , . are a great many of notable expressions , verse , . i will make the place of my feet glorious ; that is , the church . there was a time when as the feet of christ were as burning brasse , to shew the suffering condition of the church : but now the feet of christ , that is the church , shall be made glorious , vers. . you have two notable scriptures for this in the prophesie of zachary . the first in the th . of zachary , . they shall be as the stone of a crowne-lifted up : they are now trampled upon as the stones of the street ; but they shall be as the stones of a crowne ; and not onely so , but as the stones of a crowne lifted up : the second place is in zach. . . the governours of iudah shall say in their hearts , the inhabitants of ierusalem shall be my strength in the lord of hoasts their god . wee know , that now in many places , the governours of iudah , the great ones of the countrey , their spirits have beene set against the saints of god : wee know what reprochfull names they have put upon them , and how they have discountenanced them : though the governours of iudah have counted them factious , and schismaticks , and puritanes ▪ there is a time comming , when the governours of judah shall bee convinced of the excellency of gods people , so convinced as to say in their hearts , that the inhabitants of ierusalem , that is , the saints of god gathered together in a church , are the best common-wealths men : not seditious men , not factious , not disturbers of the state ; but they are our strength in the lord of hosts , they are the strength of a kingdome , and shall be countenanced by them as the strength of a kingdome , as those that will bee most usefull in a kingdome . this will bee a blessed time , when as wicked men and wickednes shall bee despised , and godlinesse as honourable as ever it was contemptible : this shall bee when the lord god omnipotent reigneth in his church . and through gods mercy , wee see light peeping out this way : that the governours of iudah are saying , the inhabitants of ierusalem shall be our strength : religion shall be honoured in the world one day , and not only at the day of iudgement , but here . in the ninth place ; the presence of iesus christ , and of god shall be exceeding glorious in the church : then the name of it shall be called iehovah shammah , the lord is there . they shall follow the lamb wheresoever he goeth : they shall see the king in his beauty and glory . and such a presence of christ will be there , as it is questionable whether there shall be need of ordinances , at least in that way , that now there is . and therefore some interpret that place so : they shall be all taught of god , and shall not need to teach one another . and so that place . peter , . . we have also a moresure word of promise , wherevnto ye doe well that ye take heed untill the day dawne , and the day-starre arise in your hearts . now the morning-starre , the holy ghost applies to them , revel. . . that is such a glorious presence of christ , as shall so instruct them , as if they had not need to take heed to the word of prophesie . and in revelat. . they shall need no temple , nor sunne , nor moone ; for the lamb is the temple and the light thereof : the presence of christ shall bee there , and supply all kind of ordinances . and revel. . christ sayes ; hee will lead them to the fountaine of living waters ; all the ordinances . here are but the streames and conduits ; then they shall be led to the fountaine . though we dare not affirme that there shal be no ordinances ; yet is there some probability at least thus far in comparison ; there shall be such a presence of christ there , as therr shall not be that need of ordinances . in the tenth place . there shall bee the addition of martyrs , and many of the worthies of god that have lived in former times shall rise againe . if you read the th . revel. and th . revel. you cannot but be convinced of this , that those that have suffered martyrdome under antichrist shall have the glory of that time ; and daniel shall come up and stand in his lot ; and as he , so many of the worthies of god in former times : and this shall add to the glory of that time . the eleventh is this : there shall be most blessed union of all the churches of the world . the envy of ephraim and of iudah shall be taken away . isaiah . there shall be one king ; and one name . zach. . . wee all professe one lord , but give him divers names : but then there shall be one lord , and his name one . zeph. . . they shall serve the lord with one consent , with one shoulder , it is in the originall : and if you read that chapter , you may see what reference it hath to a more glorious time , than the returning of the iewes from the captivity . dissentions in any one congregation are evill ; and for one church to dissent from another is a grievous evill . blessed will the time be , when all dissentions shall bee taken away ; and when there shall bee a perfect union of all , and not any distinction of calvinists or lutherans , or the like : but all shall come , and serve god , and be called by one name . the twelfth is the resurrection of the creatures of the world : and so in that regard there shall be abundance of outward glory and prosperity . that place in the th . of the romans . the creature groanes under the burthen that it is in , that it may be delivered into the adoption of the sonnes of god . when the fulnesse of the glory of the adoption of the sonnes of god shall come , the creatures shall be delivered to them . the whole world is purchased by christ , and purchased for the saints , that is christs ayme . all is yours , ( sayes the apostle ) the whole world : and therefore , revel. . . it is said , the saints shall inherit all things . you see that the saints have but little now in the world ; now they are the poorest and the meanest of all ; but then when the adoption of the sonnes of god shall come in the fulnesse of it , the world shall be theirs ; for the world is purchased for them by iesus christ . not onely heaven shall be your kingdome but this world bodily . and so that place , pet. . . where it is said , the heavens shall passe away with a great noise , and the elements shall melt with fervent heat : the apostle speakes as if it were the day of judgement . but there is one passage whereby we may gather that the apostle onely meanes a mighty change that shall be before the day of judgement , verse . we according to his promise look for new heavens and new earth . where hath god promised a new heaven , and a new earth ? i know no place in scripture that i can referre this place unto , but isaiah . . which is apparant to be meant of the church . now the apostle speakes of these times , when there shall be a mighty change in the world : then shall be fulfilled that promise , there shall be new heavens , and a new earth . we can find no such promise but in isaiah , and that is meant of the church , and therefore it is probable the apostle meanes that lactantius sayes , when the thousand yeeres come , the world shall bring forth fruite alone , and the rocke shall distill dew , and no creature shall live upon prey : the dog shall not hunt , the child shall not be afraid of the serpent : making the place of isaiah , which we understand metaphorically , to be understood , literally , of the wolfe and the lambs living together , and the child playing upon the hole of the cockatrice . and all the prayers that ever we put up for the church will be answered , and the blessing of all will come upon the churches . heere we have some degree of blessing : but the blessing of all the prayers of the prophets and apostles will come upon it . in isay , they were to cry to god , and give him no rest , till he made ierusalem the praise of the whole world : that is , till god did bring this time , and ierusalem hath not bin so lifted up . all these prayers that have not given god rest all this while , shall be answered , and ierusalem shall be advanced . lastly , those glorious titles that the church of god hath in the old testament , will be made up to the full ; and that is a resultance from all the former . there are many glorious titles of the church of god in the old testament : now the estate of the church in the old testament was but typicall ; typifying the estate of the gospel . i shall name some of them , and when those come to be fulfilled , it will be glorious . first the lords portion . deut. . . secondly his pleasant portion . ierem. . . thirdly his inheritance . isaiah . . . all people are the worke of his hands , but his church is his inheritance . fourthly , the dearely beloved of his soule . ierem. . . fiftly , gods treasure , and peculiar treasure , exod. . . sixtly , his glory , isaiah , . . seventhly , the house of gods glory , isaiah , . . eightly , a crowne of glory . isaiah , . . ninthly , a royall diademe , in the same place . tenthly , the glory of god . ierem. . . againe , the throne of his glorie . jeremiah , . . againe , the ornament of god : and the beauty of his ornament , ezek. . . againe , the beauty of his ornament in majestie , in the same place . now to have all this made up to the full ; to shew that these are no high expressions , but rather come short of what will bee : it must be a glorious condition . but you will say , are these things true ? to that wee answer ; for the truth of them , i will goe no further then this chapter , verse . these are the true sayings of god . it is a very strange phrase : if they be the sayings of god , they must needs be true . were it not enough to say they were the sayings of god , or true sayings ? no , they are the true sayings of god . and in the originall it is not onely the true sayings of god ; but the true sayings of that god that is true : therfore they are certaine . but how can they be ? zachary , . . if it be marvellous in your eyes ; should it also be marvellous in my eyes , saith the lord of hoasts ? they are marvellous in your eyes ; but they are not so in mine . it is god omnipotent that shall doe these things , by that power , whereby he is able to subdue all things unto himselfe . mountaines shall be made plaine , and hee shall come skipping over mountaines , and over difficulties , nothing shall hinder him . and why should you thinke it strange , that these things should be , though they bee great : god hath done already as great things as these . certainly christians that shall acknowledge the great and never sufficiently admired and adored worke of god in the hypostaticall union of the natures , that god should be man , should never aske this question , how these things should be ? or to think that any object propounded for our faith is too difficult . but when shall these things be ? truly ( brethren ) we hope it is not long before they shall bee ; and the neerer the time comes , the more clearly these things shall bee revealed . and because they begin to be revealed so much as they doe now , we have cause to hope the time is at hand . in daniel , . god bids daniel seale his booke untill the time come , as if then it should be opened . doth god begin to open this booke ? know that the time is at hand . iohn was bidden not to seale the booke , because the time was at hand . the neernesse of the time at hand discovers the booke ; and the neerer the time , the more it is discovered . no place in scripture gives us so much light to know when this shall be as dan. . . and from the time that the dayly sacrifices shall be taken away , and the abomination that maketh desolate set up ; there shall bee a thousand , two hundred and ninety dayes . what is the meaning of this ? the light that i have from this , i acknowledge to be from that worthy instrument of god mr. brightman . a day is usually taken for a yeare , and so many dayes as were set , so many yeares it should be . all the question is about the beginning of the time . this abomination of desolation was in julians time . because then iulian would set up the temple againe that was destroyed , in despight of the christians , and would set up the iewish religion againe : that was the abormination of desolation , sayes he ; and the whole iewish religion was not consumed till that time . now reckon so many yeeres according to the number of the dayes , it comes to , . and it is now . and that place for the abomination of desolation is like to bee it as any that can be named . but it is said , blessed is he that comes to another number : . dayes , that is . years more added , that is , sayes he in . they shall begin ; but it shall bee . yeares , before it comes to full head , and blessed is hee that comes to this day . and he hath hit right in other things , as never the like , in making sardis to be the church of germany , and foretold from thence how things would fall out , and wee see now are . now we have also a voyce from the multitude , as from the waters , and it begins to come from the thundrings . seeing these things shall be , what manner of persons ought we to be ? that is the worke i intended to have done , to have shewed you the duties , these things call for at our hands . if god hath such an intention to glorifie his church , and that in this world : oh , let every one say to his owne heart ; what manner of persons ought wee to be ? and especially , what manner of persons ought yee to be ? because you are beginning this despised worke , gathering a church together , which way god will honour . certainly , the communion of saints , and independency of congregations god will honour . and this worke is a foundation of abundance of glory that god shall have , and will continue till the comming of christ . and blessed are they that are now content to keep the word of gods patience . and doe you keep the word of gods patience , though you suffer for it , as you now doe . and wait , the text sayes , those that testifie against antichrist and antichristianisme , and keep the word of gods patience , god will keep them in the houre of temptation , hee will make them a pillar in his house , and they shall never goe out ; god will open their dore , so as none shall shut it till the comming of christ : and hee will write upon them the name of the new iervsalem . therfore keep the word of gods patience now you have an opportunity in your hands for furthering this great worke . take heed that you loose not this opportunity : certainly , if there should fall out any just cause amongst you of scandall in regard of divisions , or any other way , you may do more hurt to hinder this glorious work , then all the persecutors could doe . for you will perswade the consciences of men , that this is not a way of christ . persecutors cannot doe so . so that the governours of iudah wil not say , our strength is in the inhabitants of ierusalem , those that professe themselves to be the people of ierusalem . finis . notes, typically marginal, from the original text notes for div a e- quaest . answ . quaest . answ . . doct. . doct. doct. reas. . reas. . reas. . object . answere quest . answ . quest . answ . quest . answ . gospel remission, or, a treatise shewing that true blessedness consists in pardon of sin wherein is discovered the many gospel mysteries therein contained, the glorious effects proceeding from it, the great mistakes made about it, the true signs and symptomes of it, the way and means to obtain it / by jeremiah burroughs ; being several sermons preached immediately after those of the evil of sin by the same author, and now published by philip nye ... [et al.] burroughs, jeremiah, - . approx. kb of xml-encoded text transcribed from -bit group-iv tiff page images. text creation partnership, ann arbor, mi ; oxford (uk) : - (eebo-tcp phase ). a wing b estc r ocm this keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the early english books online text creation partnership. this phase i text is available for reuse, according to the terms of creative commons . universal . the text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. early english books online. (eebo-tcp ; phase , no. a ) transcribed from: (early english books online ; image set ) images scanned from microfilm: (early english books, - ; : ) gospel remission, or, a treatise shewing that true blessedness consists in pardon of sin wherein is discovered the many gospel mysteries therein contained, the glorious effects proceeding from it, the great mistakes made about it, the true signs and symptomes of it, the way and means to obtain it / by jeremiah burroughs ; being several sermons preached immediately after those of the evil of sin by the same author, and now published by philip nye ... [et al.] burroughs, jeremiah, - . nye, philip, ?- . [ ], , [ ] p. printed for dor. newman and are to be sold at his shop ..., london : . errata: p. [ ] at beginning. reproduction of original in huntington library. created by converting tcp files to tei p using tcp tei.xsl, tei @ oxford. re-processed by university of nebraska-lincoln and northwestern, with changes to facilitate morpho-syntactic tagging. gap elements of known extent have been transformed into placeholder characters or elements to simplify the filling in of gaps by user contributors. eebo-tcp is a partnership between the universities of michigan and oxford and the publisher proquest to create accurately transcribed and encoded texts based on the image sets published by proquest via their early english books online (eebo) database (http://eebo.chadwyck.com). the general aim of eebo-tcp is to encode one copy (usually the first edition) of every monographic english-language title published between and available in eebo. eebo-tcp aimed to produce large quantities of textual data within the usual project restraints of time and funding, and therefore chose to create diplomatic transcriptions (as opposed to critical editions) with light-touch, mainly structural encoding based on the text encoding initiative (http://www.tei-c.org). the eebo-tcp project was divided into two phases. the , texts created during phase of the project have been released into the public domain as of january . anyone can now take and use these texts for their own purposes, but we respectfully request that due credit and attribution is given to their original source. users should be aware of the process of creating the tcp texts, and therefore of any assumptions that can be made about the data. text selection was based on the new cambridge bibliography of english literature (ncbel). if an author (or for an anonymous work, the title) appears in ncbel, then their works are eligible for inclusion. selection was intended to range over a wide variety of subject areas, to reflect the true nature of the print record of the period. in general, first editions of a works in english were prioritized, although there are a number of works in other languages, notably latin and welsh, included and sometimes a second or later edition of a work was chosen if there was a compelling reason to do so. image sets were sent to external keying companies for transcription and basic encoding. quality assurance was then carried out by editorial teams in oxford and michigan. % (or pages, whichever is the greater) of each text was proofread for accuracy and those which did not meet qa standards were returned to the keyers to be redone. after proofreading, the encoding was enhanced and/or corrected and characters marked as illegible were corrected where possible up to a limit of instances per text. any remaining illegibles were encoded as <gap>s. understanding these processes should make clear that, while the overall quality of tcp data is very good, some errors will remain and some readable characters will be marked as illegible. users should bear in mind that in all likelihood such instances will never have been looked at by a tcp editor. the texts were encoded and linked to page images in accordance with level of the tei in libraries guidelines. copies of the texts have been issued variously as sgml (tcp schema; ascii text with mnemonic sdata character entities); displayable xml (tcp schema; characters represented either as utf- unicode or text strings within braces); or lossless xml (tei p , characters represented either as utf- unicode or tei g elements). keying and markup guidelines are available at the text creation partnership web site . eng salvation -- sermons. salvation -- early works to . sermons, english -- th century. - tcp assigned for keying and markup - spi global keyed and coded from proquest page images - john latta sampled and proofread - john latta text and markup reviewed and edited - pfs batch review (qc) and xml conversion these are to certifie all into whose hands this book shall come , that these sermons contained in this book ( on psal . . . blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven and whose sin is covered , ) entituled gospel remission , and printed for dorman newman stationer , are the painful and profitable labours of mr. jeremiah burroughs , and published by the best and most exact copy extant . jan. . . philip nye , william greenhill , william bridge , william adderly , matth. mead , c. helms . there is now re-printed the christian man's calling , with directions to perform it in all religious duties , natural actions , particular vocations , family directions , his own recreation . in the relations of parents , children , husbands , wives , masters , servants , and in all conditions in his dealings with all men in company , in solitariness , on a week-day from morning to night , in visiting the sick , and on a dying-bed , by geo. swinnock , m.a. late of great kimbal in buckinghamshire . gospel remission , or a treatise shewing , that true blessedness consists in pardon of sin. wherein is discovered the many gospel mysteries therein contained . the glorious effects proceeding from it . the great mistakes made about it . the true signs and symptomes of it . the way and means to obtain it . by jeremiah burroughs . being several sermons preached immediately after those of the evil of sin by the same author . and now published by philip nye , william greenhill , william bridge , william adderly , matth. mead , c. helmes . the inhabitant shall not say , i am sick : the people that dwell therein shall be forgiven their iniquities , isai . . — . london , printed for dor. newman , and are to be sold at his shop at the chirurgions arms in little brittain near the hospital-gate , . to the reader . christian reader , the provident care of god is manifested toward his people in the present preservation of , and provision for them . to have the mouths of lions stopped when we are cast into the mid'st of their den ; the waters to be a wall about us on the right hand and on the left , which in their own nature and tendency would overwhelm us , to have the bush burning , and not consumed , are as evident tokens of the good will of him that dwelt in the bush , of gods presence with and owning of his afflicted people now , as in the days of old ; yea to have hony out of the flinty rock , manna in the wilderness , a voice behind us , saying , this is the way , walk in it ; enforceth as great an obligation to admiration and thankfulness upon us , as upon the israelites of old . among'st the many english prophets who are dead , and yet speak , the reverend author of the ensuing treatise may challenge a place with the first worthies : his works , not my words are the best orators to commend him : that scripture encomium may be written upon his stepney and cripplegate-lectures , — this and that man was born there . for although many now living , do through mercy enjoy able teachers and instructors ; yet do they owe to him the name of father , as an instrument of their conversion . i may boldly apply that saying to holy burrough's , which was once spoken of a learned divine beyond sea : meruerunt viri docti etiam post funera vivere , ac docere scriptis posteros , quos infeliciter post eos nasci contigit ; in eo autem virorum ordine burroughsium reponere , nemo praeter eum , qui propriae diffidit virtuti , prohibebit . these sermons presented to thy view , are with the help of an able learned divine , ( who also heard these sermons preached , ) cast into that form of a tract that now thou seest them in , without any material additions or alterations . the time when the reverend author preached them , was next in order after those convincing sermons , of the sinfulness of sin ; so that this gospel soul-reviving discourse was then a word spoke in due season . in this treatise thou hast gospel grace stated rightly , the justice of god cleared , the mercy of god exalted , poor trembling sinners incouraged to come to the blood of christ for pardon , presumptuous sinners awakened out of their deadly deluding dreams of heaven , when they are ready to drop into hell. in a word , here thou may'st take a view of the love of the father , the grace of the son , the fountain opened for sin and for uncleanness , cordial waters of life for sinking and fainting sinners , here thou may'st behold sin , damning sin , sin that god hates , and cannot but hate ; sin that god punisheth , and cannot but punish , taken off the poor believing sinner and laid upon his surety ; sin condemned and punished in jesus christ , and the believing sinner justified , pardoned , acquitted . if therefore thou prizest peace with god through jesus christ , pray for light to direct thee into a distinct knowledge of this gospel truth , and take up this book and read it , and the lord give thee understanding in all things , answerable to the design of the author , and the prayer of him who heartily wisheth thy salvation , and growth in the knowledge of god , and of our lord and saviour jesus christ . c. helmes . the stationer to the reader . it is now long since i undertook the printing of this book , and as my incouragements were many , so i had obtained of one of those reverend divines that have given their attestation to it , to peruse the work , and had his testimony that he heard those sermons preached ; and upon perusal of them found not any thing material left out , of what the author mr. jer. burroughs delivered ; and knowing that mr. peter cole ( who formerly printed many of the author's works ) had long laid wait and endeavoured to get this copy out of the hands of those that published the author's books , offering as great reward for the same , but could not obtain it . and now at last being so much wished thereunto by his friends ; being assured that as the whole is abundantly spiritual and lovely in its matter , and that wherein the very spirit and style of mr. burroughs is manifested ; so there are many things ( as i am informed ) were never so much as touch 't upon , or handled by any other writer , and yet are of very great importance to be known by all intelligent and sober-minded men , i thought good , having this assurance from them , to certifie so much to the reader . dor. newman . some of the greater faults in printing to be thus amended page . line . for sorrow read terror . p. . l. ult . to children add of men . p. . l. . for thee r. him . p. . l. . for letter r. little . p. . l. . to inlet of add all . p. . l. . after the first word cry add but it may be . p. . l. . after pardon add and. l. . after in add to . l. . for run r. ran . p. . l. . after how add then . p. . l. . after seeing add the heart of . ibid. after holy ghost r. are for is . p. . l. . after horrible add evil . p. . l. . for fourthly r. fifthly . gospel remission . psal. xxxii . . blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven , and whose sin is covered . chap. i. the text opened , and the main doctrine propounded . i have , as you may remember , in many sermons endeavoured to shew unto you the malignity and dreadful evil that there is in sin ; and what more seasonable and suitable argument can we now treat of , than the blessedness of pardon of sin ? how sweet and acceptable will this be to such fou●s , that by the former argument have been made apprehensive of the dreadful evil of it ? how readily will they say , with the prophet , how beautiful are the feet of those that bring ( such ) good tidings ? wherefore , me thinks , while i am reading this text , i should be like a man at an eccho , that hears the words thereof resounded back again , by every broken hearted sinner in this congregation , o , blessed , blessed is the man indeed whose transgressions are forgiven , and whose sin is covered . a word spoken in season ( says solomon ) is like apples of gold in pictures of silver ; and considering , how large i have been in opening of the evil of sin unto you , if ever a word was spoken in due season , i hope it may be out of this text : the word of reconciliation and pardon of sin ; and if god inable me to clear up unto you the excellency of those truths contained in this scripture , i hope they will prove in all your eyes to be as apples of gold in pictures of silver . the words read , are the first words of one of david's penitential psalms , and they are indeed the genuine voyce of a true penitent ; the very character of an humble penitential soul ; he is one that has admiring thoughts of the blessedness of the pardon of sin : i will not spend time in analysing the whole psalm , because the sweetness and blessedness of the argument draws my heart to come presently to it ; and blessed may your ears be , who after hearing of the dreadful evil of sin , may come to hear the blessed doctrine of pardon ; it is that which god has deny'd to many thousands : and who knows but many even of those that in this congregation have heard the sorrow of that doctrine , are now gone ( perhaps to their own place ) and feel what they then heard , and much more , and are past ever hearing the argument of pardon and forgiveness of sin : that blessed sound shall never come to their ears ; but the horrid noise of yelling , roarings , and cursings of damned spirits , for the wrath of god that lies heavy on them for their sin . this psalm in the title of it is a psalm of david maschil ; that is , a psalm of instruction ; or , for instruction : and what is a more useful instruction than to instruct the soul where true blessedness lies ? and what is a better instruction than to tell man the way of the pardon and forgiveness of sin ? the way to true happiness ? the happiness of the reasonable creature is that which many wise men thought to find out , but after all their search , they were much puzled , and in the dark , and could never come to find where it lay , by all the wisdom of the flesh ; only the rational creature is capable of blessedness , because it is capeable of such an act as to reflect upon it self : that is the ground why the rational creature is capable of blessedness , above all other creatures ; no creature can truly be said to be a blessed creature , but only the rational ; because no creature else can reflect upon its own condition to know it self . but then not only to know our selves , but our own happiness , where our blessedness lies ; this must needs be a profitable instruction . no philosopher did ever give such a description of happiness as this is , blessed is the man whose , &c. yea david , who had a monopoly of the comforts of this world to the full , and had the crown upon his head , says not , blessed is he that is crowned and has a kingdom . david that had the riches of this world , did not say , blessed is he that hath this worlds goods . david that had honours , and was reputed among the mighty men , did not say , blessed is he that hath worldly honours . david that had many victories over enemies , says not , blessed is he that rides in triumph over his enemies . david that had sumptuous palaces , and the delights of this world , does not say , blessed is he that has them . but in the midst of all outward good things , david enjoyed in this world , he finds his blessedness to consist in this , the pardon and forgiveness of his sins ; he pronounces them and them only blessed , whose sin is pardoned . this instruction of the blessedness of pardon of sin , as it lies here annexed , is of weight indeed , and of infinite concernment : luther says , the argument of free justification and remission of sin , is that that makes a divine : and this may be added to that , 't is this that makes a christian ; to be instructed rightly in the justification of a sinner , is that that makes a christian . nay , although we had ten thousand instructors in other things , not only in natural knowledge , but in divinity too , in all the points of it ; yet we could never be wise unto salvation , except we were instructed with this instruction , in the blessedness of justification and pardon of sin . luther says , let this doctrine lie dead , and all the whole knowledge of other truths is to little purpose . therefore well may the title of the psalm be a psalm of instruction : blessed is the man whose transgressions are forgiven , and whose iniquities are covered . wherefore our point of doctrine according to the words is this , doct. the blessedness of a man , or of any soul ; consists in the free grace of god forgiving of his sin . that is our point ; the blessedness of any man or woman does not consist in the enjoyment of any thing in all this world , but in the free grace of god forgiving of his sin ; it neither consists in any thing we can do or have , but in the free grace of god forgiving of sin ; and that is the meaning of that text , rom. , , . which st. paul cites from this place of scripture , observe it , 't is to this very purpose , even as david also describeth the blessedness of the man to whom god imputeth righteousness without works , saying , blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven , and whose sins are covered . the scope of the apostle in this place is , to declare the blessing of abraham the father of the faithful , consisted not in any thing he had or did , but in the free grace of god forgiving of his sin , gal. . . says paul , where is the blessedness you spake of ? for , i bear you record , if possible , you would have pluckt out your own eyes , and given them to me : where is then the blessedness you spake of ? what 's the meaning of this blessedness ? certainly this blessedness in my text , it was this blessed doctrine st. paul being first that brought it to the gallatians , concerning the free justification of a poor soul by faith in jesus christ , in the free pardon and remission of his sin by faith in christ ; this is the blessedness spoken of : now , because the galatians at the first hearing of this doctrine were so mightily taken with it , that they cry'd out , o this is a blessed doctrine ; remission of sin by the free grace of god through faith in christ , o this is the blessedest doctrine that ever we heard ; they were so taken with it , that if possible , they would have pluckt out their eyes for paul , that brought them such a doctrine as this at their first hearing and receiving of it . but afterwards , the galatians were turn'd aside by false teachers , that had taken off the edge of their affections to this blessed truth . now paul coming to reprove them , says , where is then the blessedness you spake of , there was a time when i first taught you the doctrine of the free forgiveness of sin by faith in christ , and you said it was a blessed doctrine , and your hearts were mightily taken with it , where is it now ? how comes it to pass that your hearts are so taken off from the esteem you then had of it ? where is then the blessedness you spake of ? thus 't is usually , the ministers of christ come and preach doctrine to people that their hearts are taken with , their spirits stir'd , and they mightily affected with the first hearing of it ; but afterwards by some sin , or the company of carnal friends , their hearts are taken off , though while they were hearing such and such a truth , their hearts glow'd and burn'd within them . god grant it may not be so with some of you , who when you heard lately the doctrine of the evil of sin , your hearts were mightily affected , and you said , o what a dreadful evil is there in sin , in the least sin ; and being convinced of it , you began to reform ; yet afterwards you fell off again . may it not be said of you , where is the sence of the evil of sin you spake of ? where is that bitterness upon your hearts , on the convictions you had of the evil of sin ? where is it ? what is become of it ? as st. paul says , the blessedness you spake of , where is it ? what is become of all that strength and power the doctrine of remission of sin had upon your hearts ? take another scripture , remission of sin is the special blessedness of the second covenant that god made with abraham ; when he came to abraham and told him , in his seed all nations-should be blessed , gal. . . compar'd with the . in the . verse he speaks of the covenant made with abraham , and that the law that was years after , could not disanul the promise that it should be of none effect , vers . . wherefore then served the law ? why says he , it was our schoolmaster to bring us unto christ : the scope of the apostle is to shew , that there is a covenant of grace beyond that of the law , and that the covenant of the law is to bring us to the covenant of grace ; and the principal thing in the covenant of grace is in the . vers . the law , says he , was our schoolmaster to bring us unto christ ▪ that we might be justified by faith , and thereby receive remission of our sins , if the scripture places blessedness in the remission of sin : that it is so , i suppose is clear enough , the main business we have to do , is to shew how it is so ; that is , to open unto you wherein the blessedness of the pardon of sin consists , and shew you in what particulars the blessedness of pardon of sin may appear unto you : and to that there are many things may be said . chap. ii. of the blessedness of the pardon of sin , which appears . negatively in the evil it frees us from . . that , that hath been lately delivered of the evil of sin , may be of great concernment to discover wherein the blessedness of pardon of sin lyes , the deliverance from so great an evil , as you heard , the evil of sin was ; surely , blessed is the man whose sins are forgiven . if sin be so dreadful an evil as you heard , surely , blessed is the man that is delivered from all that evil : if it remain fresh upon your minds , what the evil of sin against god was , and what it brought upon your selves ; you cannot but say , this is one principal thing wherein it appears , that man or woman is blessed that hath his sin pardoned : if any man or woman be in any great danger , or under any great evil or misery ; and if he be delivered from it , we say , that man is a blessed man , or a blessed woman that is quit from such a woful evil that was upon them ; you account your selves happy to be delivered firm any dangerous storms , and to have a calm ; are not they then happy that are delivered from the evil of sin ? let me speak a little to a poor sinner that understands what the meaning of sin is , and that understands somewhat of the dreadful evil of it : i would ask of thee oh poor sinner ; what seest thou ? the answer will be , what see i ? oh i see the angry countenance of an infinite god against me , whose eyes are as a flaming fire looking with indignation upon me ! i see a black dismal cloud of the displeasure of the almighty hanging over me ! i see a most hideous and dreadful sentence of wrath ready to fall upon me ! i see woe , misery , and destruction pursuing of me ! i see blackness of darkness and desolation even surrounding me ! i both see and feel the woful accusations of a guilty conscience within me , condemning me ; continually grating upon my soul , and terrifying me with dreadful visions of eternal miseries to betide me ! i see the chain of black guilt and horrour on my soul , that i carry with me wheresoever i go ! i see the bottomless gulf of eternal horrour and dispair with the mouth of it wide open ready to swallow me up ! now then , this sight being presented before an enlightned and awakened conscience ; now comes in the pardon and forgiveness of sin whereby this dreadful cloud is dispel'd , the tempest is gone ; the darkness and misery vanish't away , and all evil whatsoever the soul is set free from , sin , and from all the dreadful consequences of it . is not this a blessed man , comparing his former condition with his present state , looking on him as even now , having the sense of the dreadful evil of sin upon his conscience , and the heavy burden of it on his back , ready to sink under it , into the gulph of misery , and now pardon of sin comes ; o what a blessed change is this ! o blessed is the man whose sin is pardoned . now what god had laid unto his charge , or his own conscience , the law , the devil , or the world , 't is all done away , all is discharg'd and gone , blessed is the man that is thus delivered ; old things are past away , and all things are become new , cor. . . it is meant not only of sanctification , but of justification also , he is a new creature ; old things are past away , and all become new . brethren , by reason of the sin of man , there is a curse upon the whole creation , and this old creation must come to confusion : therefore it is an evil thing for any man to seek his happiness in any thing here in the old creation , for there is a curse upon it , and it will come to confusion . but there is a new creation of all in christ , of all spiritual things in christ : now a sinner when he comes to have his sin pardoned and be justified , he come's into a new state , that comes in by the new creation ; the happiness of the children comes by , and consists in the new creation ; old things are done away , and he comes to be seated in the new creation in christ ; this is the first thing wherein a man or woman is blessed , negatively , in being delivered from so great an evil . . of the positive blessedness of the pardon of sin. secondly , positively , he 's a blessed man whose sins are forgiven , if we consider , the excellency of that mercy god makes that soul partaker of , whose sins are forgiven , dan. . . to thee lord our god belong mercies and forgivenesses , forgiveness is the fruit of glorious mercies , exod. . . the lord is merciful and gracious , long suffering and abundant in goodness and truth , keeping mercy for thousands , forgiving inquity . now i shall open this positively , and shew the riches of mercy in forgiveness of sin . when the scripture applys mercy to forgiveness of sin , it hath divers expressions , sometimes calls it riches of mercy , ephes . . . sometimes , plenteous mercy , psal . . . sometimes , gods fulness of compassion , psal . . . sometimes , multitude of mercies , psal . . . i might give divers other places , but those may suffice ; it is rich , plenteous , fulness of compassions , and multitude of mercies ; when god forgives sin , he shews mercies in all these expressions . for the opening of it unto you , i shall shew you what abundance of mercy god shows in the forgiveness of sin , consider mery . in the efficient . . in the final cause of it . . of the efficient cause of mercy in forgiveness of sin. first for the efficient cause : there is abundance of mercy god manifests in the forgiveness of sin , he abounds in his mercy , there is a sea , an infinite vast ocean of mercy , in which , the sins of the elect come to be swallowed up , though their sins be many , and great , and committed with many grievous aggravations : yet when they come to an act of justification , to god , to be forgiven ; i say , god comes to the soul as an infinite ocean of mercy , that swallows up all the evil in sin , attend unto it , look as in the mighty ocean , whether you cast in a load or a shovel full of earth , the vast ocean makes little difference of either ; so when a soul comes to god in christ , when it comes to pardon and justification , whether sins be little or great , 't is all one , the mercy of god makes no difference at all ; take heed to what i say , while i am speaking of forgiveness of sin , i shall make known so much grace , that if you abuse it , it will be one of the most dreadful things that ever you did , and therefore while i go along , take heed of abusing it , especially you that desire to hear of the pardoning mercy of god ; whether your sins be little or great , when you come to pardoning mercy , it is an infinite ocean that swallows up all ; those that have not their sins pardoned , whether their sins be little or great , it makes no difference , they are truly damn'd for little as well as great sins , both sinks down into hell , and the infinite ocean of wrath and horrour swallows up all ; so in point of justification , whether your sins be little or great , it matters not , pardoning mercy swallows up all . . of the final cause of mercy in forgiveness of sin. secondly , but further , as mercy is an infinite ocean that swallows up sin , so mercy is the final cause . it is to this end that god might manifest the riches of his grace ; when god forgives any one sin , this forgiveness comes from gods mercy , and it is to this end , that god may declare before men and angels , to all eternity , what the greatness and infinite riches of his grace is , what the grace of god is able to do when god comes to pardon sin ; 't is for this end as if he should say , well , i am about now to pardon thy sin , and this work i am about to do , it is for this very end , that it may be known to men and angels to all eternity , what the infinite riches of the infinite grace of god is able to do for poor sinners . now certainly , that man is a blessed man , if the man whose sins are pardoned hath such mercy shewed to him , and such a blessed work upon him , as is to that end , that god may declare to all eternity what the glorious riches of grace of an infinite god is ; surely this is a great blessedness , when god shall seperate a man or woman for this end , it must be very glorious ; certainly therefore pardon of sin is no light and mean thing , but it must be a most glorious work of god wheresoever it is : and this consideration is a mighty argument to uphold a poor soul under trouble of sin , and a great incouragement for him to come in for pardon : dost thou see o troubled soul gods wrath against thee , and dost thou stand quaking at the apprehension of the evil of sin ? let not thy heart sink , come in , and cast thy self on the free grace of god , there is a possibility for the pardon of thy sin ; for when god comes to pardon sin , the mercy god shews in pardoning of any one sin , he does it to the end that he might magnifie the riches of his grace to all eternity , and such mercy that serves to that end must needs be glorious ; and will not such mercy serve thy turn , as must set out the infinite rich grace of god ? god is pleased to manifest thus much mercy for the forgiveness of thy sin ; and where a sinner is forgiven , it is this mercy that is manifested : when men judge of god by themselves , they think slightly of him , when they judge of gods thoughts by their own : what is the reason that makes sinners have such slight thoughts of sin , but because they judge of god by themselves , that he abhors sin no otherwise than man does , and so hope they may do well enough , measuring the infinite hatred that god hath to sin by their own : so on the other side , the sinner that is convinc't of the dreadful evil of sin , is ready to dispair ; why ? because he judges of god by himself ; as if the mercy of god were no other than the mercy of man ; not considering the mercy of god in pardoning sin , is such mercy as is to shew his grace in the riches of it to all eternity . well then , that man to whom such mercy is shewn must needs be very blessed . chap. iii. of the wonderful mysteries of godliness in forgiveness of sin. thirdly , blessed is the man whose sins are forgiven , because there is a glorious mystery of godliness in forgiving of sin ; the work of god in forgiving a sinner hath abundance of glorious mysteries in it , the argument stands thus ; that man or woman for whom god shall work , such a work as hath multitude of glorious mysteries in it ; that man or woman is blessed : but where ever sin is forgiven , god works for that soul such a strange work , the strangest that ever he did ; a work that hath so many admirable mysteries in it , that in the opening of them will declare every way that this soul is blessed . and this is the business i would now do , to open the mysteries that are in the forgiveness of sin ; and it is to this end , that as i might set before you the great work of god in pardoning sin , so also that you might have higher thoughts of it than ever you had before , for that 's it i aim at , to raise up the thoughts of men to the right understanding of this great point of the justification of a sinner , that so you may sanctifie gods name , by having such thoughts of it as the thing it self calls for . of the first mystery , it is by means of a mediator . . where sin is forgiven , it is by means of a mediator between god and the soul , it is through the mediation of the son of god , observe it , for there is no point in all religion is of greater use to understand , than this point of the way of god in pardoning of sin , because of the many mysteries of god contained in it ; i hope i shall make it appear it is no slight work and business : mark then , when god pardons sin , 't is always done through the mediation of the son of god ; god never pardons any sinner as a prince does ; when a malefactor hath offended him , he comes and humbles himself , casts himself down at his feet , and cryes , i pray sir forgive me , and he says , well , i will forgive you ; god never forgives any sin thus ; and yet it is thus with people when they come to god for pardon , most of them never think of any other way . friends , there must be a great deal more than so : for whosoever hath his sins forgiven , it must be by the vertue of the mediation and intercession of the son of god , he must stand up before the father , and mediate for thy soul : if all the angels in heaven stood up to mediate , it would not be sufficient ; but the son of god alone must do it ; 't is as if a malefactors condition was so , that the mediation of all the nobles could not prevail with the king for a pardon , but there must be the mediation of the prince himself to obtain it : so i say , poor soul , thou mayst think it a slight business , but know if ever thou art forgiven , it must be by the mediation of the son of god , he must stand up to mediate for thee , and plead , oh father let such a poor soul that hath been a sabbath-breaker , a lyer , a drunkard , an unclean person , let his sins be forgiven , and let him not be damn'd , father put in his name for pardon : i shall not speak of it how christ mediates , but that is and has been his work from all eternity , to mediate and make intercession for those he saw before in the eternal council of god should live in such times ; and whatever pardon of god is gotten , it is through him ; and if thou poor man ever com'st to be pardoned , know christ hath been mediating to god the father for thee ; oh father , such a poor creature that dwells , it may be , in such a cottage , or in such an obscure place , let his name be put in for forgiveness . and now , is not this a blessed thing , that thou poor creature should'st have the son of god to mediate for thy name to be put in for pardon ! this of a truth is so , if there be any truth in the divinity of the word , it is in this , that all the forgiveness and pardon any creature hath , it is by the mediation of the son of god , and his heart was upon it from all eternity ; surely here is abundance of grace in this one thing , take heed of abusing it ; this is the first mystery , you must not look for pardon of sin in a natural way to cry for forgiveness , but you must go in the name of the mediator in this mystical way . of the second mystery , it is through christs undertaking the debt upon himself . . the second mystery is this , 't is not christs intreating the father will serve the turn , if ever any sin be forgiven , i beseech you take notice of it , for i speak in the name of god , and therefore must take heed of speaking any thing but the truths of god unto you ; if any sin be pardoned , it is not for the prayer of christ , that will not do it ; but god the father says , son , if you would have the sins of poor souls forgiven , you must take the debt upon your self , you must be their surety , and you must enter into bonds to pay everyfarthing of what debt the sinners owe , you must pay all if you will undertake for them , so it is , for i will never come upon themselves for it , but on you : certainly there are these transactions between god the father , and god the son , from all eternity about the pardoning of any sin , however you commit a sin , and think not of it , and cry , lord have mercy upon me , and so you have done with it , there 's an end , you think that is all : but i say unto thee ; if thy sin be pardoned , christ must take the debt upon himself , and be thy surety , cor. . . he made him to be sin for us that knew no sin ; the way of pardon is by a translation of all our sins upon christ , christ himself god blessed for ever , the delight of the father must be made sin for the soul that hath sinned ; consider this , all the sins thou hast committed , if ever they be pardoned , they must be by vertue of the covenant between god the father and the son : all thy sin must be transmitted on christ , all thy oaths , drunkenness , and wickedness must be put upon him , and he must stand charged with them all : oh you that are so lavish in sin , and take such liberty to do wickedly ; i say , if ever thy sin be pardoned , it must be laid on his shoulders , run on as fast as thou wilt , if ever thou be'st saved , at the best , yet thy sin must be set on him , and charg'd upon his score . i remember that expression of nathan to david , sam. . . the lord hath put away thy sin , the words are to be read out of the original , the lord hath made thy sin to pass over , to pass over from thee unto his son , he hath laid them to his charge : this is the second mystery in point of justification , thou a poor soul stands charged with thy sin , and art in danger of eternal damnation , rather than thou should'st eternally perish , god is contented to pass over thy sins upon his own son. now they must needs be blessed that god does so much for , and know thou if ever thy sin be pardoned , god does do so much for thee . of the third mystery , it is by christ's sufferings : . where ever sin is pardoned , christ stands charged not only with the sin , but to suffer as much punishment for thy sin as if thou wer't eternally damn'd for them ; it is not such a pardon , as that there is no punishment to be suffered , but whosoevers sins are pardoned , there is this agreement between god the father and the son , that his own son shall suffer as much punishment , as if thou shouldst suffer eternally the wrath of god for thy sin , there is this done for thee ; and surely that man is a blessed man for whom christ is content to suffer so much as thy sins comes to , or else thou must have been eternally damn'd , this religion and the gospel teaches us , that we can never come to be pardoned by any other way . of the fourth mystery , where sin is pardoned , the soul stands righteous before god. . there is this mystery in it ; where ever sin is pardoned , god does not only pass by sin and forgive it , but he makes the soul stand righteous before him ; every justified man stands righteous before the lord. a malefactor may come to a prince , and be forgiven his fault , and yet not accounted a righteous man , he may be lookt upon as a wicked wretch still , though out of free grace the prince forgive him : but god never forgives the offence of any one sin , but that man is set righteous before the lord , this is done by an act of justification ; i speak not of sanctification : a prince may forgive a traytor , but the law is not satisfied ; but god when he forgives sin , takes such a course as that the offence is not only forgiven , but the law comes to be satisfied , and the soul stands before god as a righteous person ; and surely he that is righteous must needs be blessed . of the fifth mystery , this righteousness is in another . . this righteousness is in another , and it is a higher righteousness than ever that of adam's was in innocency ; this is a great mystery , that a soul should stand righteous before the lord , and yet in the righteousness of another , not of his own , phil. . , , . st. paul counted his own righteousness as dung that he might be found in him , that is in christ , not having my own righteousness which is of the law , but that which is through the faith of christ , the righteousness of god that comes in by faith ; and so rom. . latter end , christ is said to be our righteousness , ver . . as by the disobedience of one many were made sinners , so by the obedience of one many shall be made righteous ; 't is a righteousness transferr'd upon us beyond our own : mark , in forgiveness , as our sins comes to be transferr'd and put upon christ , so the righteousnes of christ is transferr'd upon a justified soul , and that soul comes to be righteous before god ; surely then , blessed is that man that comes to have the shining garments of christs righteousness upon him : ahasuerus could not think of a better way than this to honour mordica more , than to cloath him with the kings royal rayment , and proclaim before him , this shall be done to the man whom the king delights to honour ; surely that man or woman is honour'd indeed , that god shall cloath with the shining robes of the righteousness of his own son ; thou that wast cloathed with the filthy rags of thy own sin and wickedness , and had'st no other garments to stand in , in the presence of god ; now he puts on thee the righteousness of his own son , and so thy iniquity comes to be covered : oh that is a glorious garment ! all the garments in the world bedest with diamonds are but filthy garments in comparison of the garments of christs righteousness , that is put upon a man when his sins are forforgiven . of the sixth mystery , a near union is made between christ and the soul. . when god comes to forgive sin , the way god takes is this , he brings a man into such a near union with his own son as makes thee to be one with ●●m ; yea , so to be one with christ as no two things in the world are joyn'd so together , as thou and christ art ; the soul god pardons , he does it this way , 't is not thou hast sinn'd and i will pardon thee , 't is no such slight business , as i may say , in a sinners pardon ; no , for when god forgives thee , he makes thee one with his own son , so as no two things in the world are so near together as thou and christ ; therefore the scripture expresses it by the union of branch and root , body and members ; that is a near union of bones and flesh in one body : so also the union between man and wife is a near union , but the union between christ and a justified soul is nearer than any of these : there is one expression in scripture that christ useth , joh. . . you in me , and i in you ; there are no two things so nearly united , though the members be in the body , the body is not in the members ; so the branch , though it be in the root , the root cannot be in the branch ; but the union between christ and us , is christ in us , and we in him ; he that is joyned to the lord is one spirit : it is a spiritual union , and the union of spiritual things is the nearest that can be : now , blessed is the man whose sins are forgiven , because by this means , god brings the soul and christ to such a near union , that all natural unions are but dark shadows of it . of the seventh mystery , it is by faith , yet boasting excluded . . it must be by faith , and that is the most glorious work that ever god inabled a poor creature to do , yet boasting must be excluded , the scripture excludes boasting from both , not only from the law of works , but the law of faith ; but you may say , how can both be excluded both the law of works and the law of faith ? for works they may be excluded say some , because works are our own , but faith is the gift of god ; god inables us to believe , therefore there can be no boasting of faith because it is the gift of god , but works are our own ; this answer is but a fiction , for if we be inabled for the performance of any work , that is of god too ; the work of any grace is the gift of god as really and truly as faith is the gift of god , all gracious works are performed by the grace and gift of god. adam could not do what he did in innocency , 〈◊〉 by the gift of god ; and therefore to say boasting is excluded by faith , because faith is the gift of god , will not serve the turn ; therefore the mystery of justification is a great mystery , that notwithstanding faith is such a glorious work , as it is one of the gloriousest works that ever any creature did , yet that this should be excluded , by this i cannot but be perswaded , that there is more in the work of faith than in any thing adam ever had ; and that faith the power of believing was not in adam in the state of innocency : why ? because it is now made such a grace as excludes all kind of boasting : for were it but the stirring up of any power we had in adam , it would no more exclude boasting , than if god stirr'd up any other grace ; as love , hope , fear , and the like : but that it excludes boasting , this may be the most satisfactory answer ; works they could not exclude boasting ? why , though they were from the grace and gift of god , yet they belong'd to mans nature ; for if god will make a rational creature , he must give it those perfections that are due to that nature : now the image of god was in some regard due to such a nature . but now , god when he comes to give faith , he gives a higher thing than ever was due to the nature of man ; hence there is a greater mystery in faith than in any other grace ; and therefore it is a great mystery that god should justifie a man by faith , and yet this excludes boasting more than any other thing . i , but the scripture says , god imputes faith for righteousness ; and when god inables us to believe , is it not our own ? yea , when we have it , it is our own ; and when we are justified , it is imputed to us for righteousness : but mark what i shall say , it will be useful for the understanding that text in rom. . . where , it says , faith was imputed to him for righteousness ; ye must not understand it thus , that is , that god did through the grace of christ now accept of abraham's faith as his righteousness , whereby he should stand to be justified by it in the sight of god ; he did not thus accept of faith for righteousness ; no , not through the mediation of christ , nor by vertue of any covenant made by god with christ : god did never make any covenant with christ , that whereas man did owe obedience to all the law , and that should have been his righteousnes had he continued in it ; but man now being unable to perform it , that god would be now so favourable to him as that he would accept of faith for righteousness , that is not the meaning of it , for the word in the original translated for righteousness , it is thus , it was imputed unto righteousness , it is the same word used in rom. . . with the heart man believeth unto righteousness , and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation : now confession with the mouth is not made salvation it self , but unto salvation ; so faith is not the righteousness it self , but unto righteousness , that is , by faith we come to get righteousness : but why says the scripture god imputed it unto righteousness ; i take it thus , that forasmuch as faith is so glorious a principle ( infused of god ) above any thing of our own , god is pleased to account of it as if it were our own , and so imputes it unto righteousness ; the truth is , it is not our own ; no not so our own as other graces are our own : but god in point of justification is pleased to impute it as our own , that we may come to have righteousness by it ; as if it were our own : now this is a great mystery , that god in the work of pardon of sin , should do it by the grace of faith , and that this excludes all boasting , and yet righteousness imputed to it as if it were our own . hence by the way , let us take heed of the opinion of those that say , faith it self is imputed for righteousness , and that god through christ accepts of faith as the matter of our righteousness : the papists say we are justified by works , and that god is pleased through christ to accept not of faith only , but of humility , fear , love , repentance , joy , &c. though they be imperfect , yet he is pleased to accept of these for our righteousness ; says the other opinion , faith is our righteousness , though god might require exact obedience to the whole law , yet he is pleased to accept of faith ; both these opinions are besides the truth , and therefore there is the same danger in the one as in the other , and therefore both to avoided . of the eight mystery , god is infinitely just , and yet infinitely merciful . . the eighth particular is this , that shews pardon of sin is a great mystery , because where-ever god pardons sin , he is infinitely just , and yet infinitly merciful ; there is an admirable reconciliation , between gods justice and mercy , which shews it to be a great mystery : there are three great mysteries in religion , . the great mystery of the trinity , that there should be divers persons and yet but one god. the second is , that in the person of christ there should be two natures and yet but one person . and then the third is , the reconciliation of the mercy and justice of god in the forgiveness of a sinner . many people when they seek for pardon of sin , they only think of gods infinite grace and mercy , but not of his justice : but certainly , who ever he be that comes to be pardoned , god shews himself infinitely just as well as merciful ; that he is merciful , that is clear to every one : but how does it appear he is so infinitely just ? for that there is a clear text for it , rom. . . to declare at this time his righteousness that he might be just , and the justifier of him which believeth in jesus ; so that god in the justifying of him that believes in christ is just as well as merciful . now then poor sinner , lay these together , that god should work so strangely in bringing about the pardon of thy sin in such a mysterious way as this is ; certainly it does demonstrate that thou art a blessed man : i beseech you think of what hath been said , and lay it in your breasts ; go away with this upon your spirits , lord , i indeed heard much of the evil of sin , and that it was a greater evil than ever i thought it to be , and now i have begun to hear of the mighty work of god in pardon of sin , i hope i shall for ever retain higher thoughts of it than before . brethren , there is nothing in the world that people have slighter thoughts of , than of the pardon and forgiveness of sin , they think it a slight matter . but if there were any work that ever took up the heart of god from all eternity , and shews god to be a god , it is this about the pardon of sin ; this is a great doctrine , the doctrine of the work of god in the justification of a sinner , 't is one of the greatest doctrines in divinity , and therefore that you might sanctifie the name of god in it , and give him that glory that is due in this great work , it is needful to search , that we may find out what is the work of god in it . of the ninth mystery , when god forgives sin , for the present , he forgives all to come . . the ninth mystery is this , and this may seem one of the strangest of all , when god forgives a sinner any one sin for the present , he likewise forgives him all the sins that ever he shall commit afterward , this is a mighty mystery ; for god when he takes a poor soul and forgives him his sin , he does not only forgive him his present and past sins , but lays in a pardon for all the sins that ever shall be committed by him afterwards ; this is a way of pardoning sin proper to god alone ; there is no creature pardons the offence one of another , so as god pardons here ; therefore the prophet cries out , micah . . who is a god like unto thee that pardoneth iniquity and passeth by the transgressions of the remnant of his heritage ? who is a god like to thee ; who in all the world can pardon sin as god doth ? no father pardons the sin of a child , no prince the sin of a subject as god doth : now , because this is a point of admirable comfort to all the saints of god , 't is fit it be opened and made out , that when god pardons sin at first , he gives in a pardon for all they shall commit afterwards ; i manifest it thus , in rom. . . the apostle says , there is now no condemnation to them that are in christ jesus : from whence i argue , except god did pardon whatsoever sins should be committed when he justifies a sinner , then at any time when a justified person sins , until he renew an act of faith for pardon , there must be condemnation to him ; for whosoever is in such an estate as hath any sin unpardoned , for that instant he is in the state of condemnation : but there is no instant of time , when it can be said of any justified person , that he is in the state of condemnation ; i say no instant of time , for though a justifi'd person may fall into sin after he is justified , yet at that instant when he falls into that sin , there is by god apply'd a pardon , that was laid in before , although an act of faith be not renewed in regard of that particular sin ; that is the point i would make good , though it be true , there is required as our duty an act of faith to lay hold on our pardon , yea also it is required in respect of comfort too ; for we cannot have comfort of the pardon of a new sin committed , except there be a renewal of an act of faith : but yet this renewal of an act of faith , though it be necessary , because commanded ; and for our comfort , yet no absolute necessity to free us from condemnation ; but being once justified by christ , there is a pardon laid up ; so that upon any act of sin newly committed , this pardon is apply'd by god himself , though we be not able by the renewal of a present act of faith , to sue out pardon anew unto our selves . nay the truth is , if this were not so , there could be no instant of time , wherein a believer was not in the state of condemnation ; for there is no instant of time wherein a believer doth not some way or other sin against god : further , it is apparent and undeniable , that there is not a necessity of renewing an act of faith upon every sin committed for the pardon of it , this argument cannot be denyed , because otherwise , there must be a necessity of renewing an act of faith after the last act a believer doth ; for in the last action a believer doth in this world , there is some sin it : now if there be some sin in the last act of all , then there cannot be of necessity required another act , for the applying of the pardon of that sin a believer did do in the very last act he did in this world : those that hold a believer cannot finally fall away , yet say , he may totally ; many hold that if once a man be justified , he can never go to hell ; but yet this they hold , that he may so sin that he may be brought into a state of condemnation ; he may be brought into such a state , , that if he should die at that present he should perish ; but say they , god doth take care that he shall not die , till there be a renewing of an act of faith for pardon : i answer , there is nothing in scripture to prove , there is not any instant of time wherein a believer may not die ; and yet if he do die he must then perish , because an act of faith was not renewed ; true say they further , that all sins bring not into the state of condemnation ; there may be pardon of course for sins of infirmity , but other sins that wast a mans conscience , there a believer is brought into the state of condemnation , till there be a new act of faith renewed for pardon . i answer , if any one sin , bring a believer , into the state of condemnation after conversion , where shall we put the limits ; as to say , if you go but thus far , you are not in a state of condemnation , but if you go a letter further you are ; god puts no such limits in scripture , but all sin in its own nature brings into a state of condemnation , and yet no sin brings a believer into the state of condemnation ; therefore this is a great mystery of god in the pardoning of sin , when god pardons the sin of a believer , he does not only pardon what he hath done at present , but for what he shall do he lays in a pardon , and christ hath purchas 't it for us , for all sins yet to come : 't is like a son running into arrears , his father comes and pays his debts ; but because he sees his son will run further into arrears , he lays in so much as will pay all for time to come , that if he run into arrears he shall not be cast into prison : just so it is with god , god pardons all our sins at first , and then he lays up a pardon , that if we run into arrears we shall not lie in prison to be condemn'd and suffer for them . this is a great mystery , and they that teach otherwise rob the people of god of abundance of comfort that otherwise they might have , were this truth made clearly known unto them . is not this doctrine a doctrine of liberty , if they have knowledge that god when he pardons for what sins are past , and lays in a pardon for what sins are yet to come ; may not people hence take liberty to sin ? may not they say , that though they do sin , yet there is a pardon laid in before hand for them ? here thou speakest as one that understands not the grace of the gospel that thus objectest , it is another manner of thing than thou art aware of ; there is not that malignity in the grace of the gospel to cause such effects in the hearts of believers . luther compares sin to lime , and the law to water , that makes the lime hotter ; but the grace of the gospel says he is like to oyl , and oyl will quench lime , but water will not ; so the oyl of the gospel will quench the sins of men ; and certainly the more there is of the grace of god revealed in the gospel , the more the lusts remaining in the heart of a believer come to be quenched : this is an evident argument of the great difference between the mercy of god revealed in the gospel , and received by faith ; and that which is received only in a natural way : you that are unbelievers , and receives the gospel only in a natural way , your lusts may be nourished , and you may take liberty for wickedness : but if once you come to receive the mercy of god in and through christ jesus , then that mercy will be the greatest opposer of thy lusts and sin , as any thing can be in the world ; certainly , thou know'st not the work of god in christ forgiving sin , that reason'st thus ; i shall shew you plainly , the knowledge of the great work of the propitiation by christ , brings the soul into a hatred of all sin , and is no nourisher of it , joh. . . the apostle speaks of the wonderful grace of god in christ to us ; if we confess our sins , he is not only ready to forgive , but to cleanse us from them : and chap. . . my little children i write unto you that you sin not , that you take not liberty in any sin ; they might say , you write these things that we sin not : but we have sinful natures , and so shall certainly fall into sin for all this : well , for the comfort of saints , if any man sin , says he , we have an advocate with the father ; jesus christ is presently an advocate though you sin through ignorance and negligence , and do not renew present acts of faith to sue out a pardon : yet says the holy ghost , jesus christ is an advocate with the father ; the lord christ stands before the father pleading , that no evil may befal you for your sin ; this is the admirable priviledge of the saints of god , a most blessed priviledge they have by the covenant of grace ; that when they commit a sin , and may be take no notice , and may be conscience is so benum'd at present , that they go not to god to seek a pardon ; but may be lie in sin a long time together ; yet says the text , you have one that pleads your cause : and it is from hence , that gods wrath comes not out against you ; because you have an advocate with the father : well says the d vers . and he is the propitiation not only for our sins , but the sins of the whole world ; he means believers : now in the third vers . says he , hereby we know that we know him , if we keep his commandements ; as if he had said , if we do not take heed of sin and keep his commandements ; we know not this grace of pardon , if any that here us ministers teach this doctrine , and say they know him , and have no care to keep gods commandements , 't is quite contrary to what the apostle says , he says , hereby we know that we know him , if we keep his commandements ; this knowing of him , as it is a means to keep his commandements ; so 't is an argument we do know him when we do keep his commandements : vers . . he that says i know him , that is ; christ to be a propitiation and an advocate , and keeps not his commandements is a liar , and the truth is not in him : that man that reasons thus , and says , well , i believe in jesus christ , and i know my sins are pardoned through faith in him ; yea , and all the sins that shall be committed , a pardon is laid in for them , and i shall never enter into condemnation : dost thou say so , and yet keep'st not gods commandements ? hast not thou the conscience , and the rather upon the knowledge of this , to keep gods commandements ? the holy ghost says , thou art a lyar , and there is no truth in thee ; and thou wer 't never acquainted with this mystery of godliness ; when it is understood in a natural way , men may abuse it ; you may know what i mean by a natural way , and god knows you have need of information ; by a natural way i mean by the light of natural reason , and all other helps of learning on this side the work of the holy ghost : but when men understand it by a powerful work of the holy ghost , they that know it thus , this knowledge will make them more careful and conscionable to keep gods commandements ; and if any man say he knows it thus , and does not keep gods commandements , he is a liar , and the truth is not in him . further , if a man should reason thus ; well , if there be such a mystery in pardon of sin , and that god when he pardons sin at first , lays in a pardon for all sin afterward , this will make way for more sin : take notice here , of the infinite perverseness of the heart of man ; suppose it were not thus , but the contrary were true , that god indeed pardoned the sins of a believer coming to him ; but if ever he sin after pardon , let him look to it , he shall then be under the sentence of death and condemnation ; upon this a mans heart would not be more ingaged to seek after christ , but would reason thus ; well , i may labour and take pains , and suffer much to get a comfortable assurance of the pardon of sin ; but what of all this , the next day , the next hour i may sin again , and be in the same case i was before , so that which way soever things go , men will reason against god for their lusts ; i shall put it to you , or to any heart that may be supposed to have attended on god , yea , and hath received grace ; which of these doctrines ingage the heart most for god ? either this doctrine , or the other ; whether that you believing that god will pardon sin ; yet if you fall into any new sin , you are under a sentence of condemnation ; or thus , that god is so gracious , that he not only pardons sin for present , but for your incouragement he so pardons it , that though you through infirmity fall again into sin , he will not out off his kindness from you ; which of these is the greater incouragement ? certainly to a slavish spirit the one may be more than the other : but to a spirit that may be supposed to have any ingenuity in it , the latter words must needs far more ingage him to walk with god all his days . what , is gods grace so free ? that he should have such pity on poor creatures , not only at their first coming in , and casting themselves on christ , as to pardon all their sins , though they be never so many and great ? but also such a covenant upon my coming in , that god will discharge all sins that shall be committed for time to come , though i be ready to fall into sin dayly , yet i shall not come into condemnation ? o what will so infinitely ingage a gracious and ingenious spirit as this does ! surely nothing like this . now if this be true , that man that is forgiven , is thus forgiven ; not only for time past , but also for time to come : then blessed is the man whose transgressions are forgiven , and whose iniquities are pardoned . of the tenth mystery , god pardons a sinner , not because he is ; but that he might be chang'd . . the tenth mystery is this , ( for i would endeavour to shew you what a mighty work pardon of sin is , and raise up your hearts to have higher thoughts of it than ever you had before ) god does not pardon because a sinner hath his heart and nature changed , but that he might be changed . and thus the pardons of god differ from all other pardons ; a prince pardons a malefactor , or a father a child : but upon what terms ? a prince expects his subject should be changed as far as he can discern ; and a father , ( though never so tender ) will not pardon a child , unless he come in and manifest a change of his disobedient spirit , and then he pardons . god doth not pardon because we are chang'd ; but that we might be chang'd : his pardon comes first , rom. . . a very strange place for this , and may incourage any poor soul that is troubled for sin , to come in and lay hold upon gods mercy in christ ; but to him that worketh not , but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly , his faith is counted unto him for righteousness . mark , when god comes to justifie a sinner , he looks upon him as ungodly ; he stays not till the sinner be made godly and then justifies him , as a prince stays till a malefactors heart be changed , and he become a loyal subject , and then pardons him : god is not so in justifying souls , he justifies the ungodly ; one that is ungodly coming to him , he justifies . this is a mighty argument , i name it for this end ; because i would teach people , that notwithstanding any sin or guilt that lies upon their spirits , yet they have a liberty to come in and lay hold upon christ for justification ; do not say , i am ungodly , i am a great sinner , and have a vile heart , and i find not my nature changed ; and therefore , how dare i lay hold upon gods grace for mercy and pardon ? yea , thou may'st because god justifies the ungodly ; though thy nature be not chang'd and sanctified , as thou say'st : take it thus , thou must lay hold of gods grace for justification that thou may'st be sanctified ; not only pardoned , but sanctified : come but thus with thy heart affected to close with the grace of god , that thou may'st be sanctified as well as pardoned ; though for the present thou feelest not any sanctification , yet thou may'st have right to lay hold upon christ as well as any one whatsoever . will not this be presumption for a sinner thus to lay hold on christ ? if faith were meerly a perswasion that christ dyed for them , or as many men think ; thus , ( well , god is merciful , and he will pardon me , christ having dyed ; ) there may be presumption in laying hold on christ : but now as justification is a great mystery , so is faith ; and faith is a mighty work of the spirit of god in the soul , that causes the soul to roul and cast it self on the free grace of god in christ , and venture it self and all its hopes for good and happiness on him ; there is not only a coming to christ for pardon , but for grace , holiness , light , good and happiness here , and for whatever it doth expect hereafter ; it looks for all from him . now when there is such a work of god upon the soul , in casting it self on god in christ , though there be nothing at present but ungodliness in him appearing , yet such a one may and hath right to come unto god for pardon ; for god justifies the ungodly , rom. . . christ died for the ungodly ; and vers . . if when we were enemies , we were reconciled by the death of his son ; when we were enemies , and had base hearts full of enmity against god , yet then christ died to reconcile us unto god : thou may'st then venture to come to him for pardon , and it is no presumption , though thou seest no change in thy self , yet he pardons that thou may'st be chang'd ; now here 's a glorious work of god in pardoning a sinner , that god should pardon , justifie , and reconcile us when we were enemies to him ; here is a glorious work of god for a sinner to be justified and reconciled , and yet when the sinner was an enemy unto him . of the eleventh mystery , god himself purchases the pardon . . when god pardons a sinner , he himself is fain to purchase the pardon , and this is different from the manner of pardons among men : a prince pardons a malefactor , but the prince himself doth not purchase the pardon ; and if one have offended you , you pardon the offender : but you that are offended do not purchase a pardon for the offender ; possible some friend may come and purchase a pardon at the kings hands for an offender , but the king himself doth not purchase it : yet thus it is with god : god doth not pardon any one sin , but it costs god himself dear before he gets it ; therefore 't is not such a slight thing to be pardoned ; you must not think to go to god and cry mercy , and that he will pardon 〈◊〉 , thus in a natural way god never pardons sin : but it costs god dear , yea that which is more worth than all the world ; if that could have done it , god would rather have dissolved heaven and earth , than have given that that he did give ; what was that ? it was the bloud of his own son : god gave him up to death for the sin of mankind , and for the purchasing a pardon for man : but some may say , what need god have purchast a pardon for man ? could he not have forgiven him by his absolute prerogative ? i answer , there was need , because of the satisfaction of justice , he did purchase it out of the hands of justice ; god was fain to lay down a price to justice , before he himself could pardon one sin : justice must be satisfied before he could give out one pardon : well , take all these together , christ must be our surety , take the debt upon himself , and suffer as much punishment as we should have done in hell to all eternity ; and to make the soul stand righteous before god , yet this righteousness to be in another ; yea , a near union is made between christ and the soul : and yet further , 't is by faith , and yet boasting is excluded ; and god is infinitely merciful , and yet infinitely just ; and when he pardons one sin , he lays in a pardon for al sin for time to come , justifies the ungodly , pardons sin , yet purchases the pardon : these eleven meditations about the pardon of sin make it appear to be a wonderful work of god ; put these together , and then the result according to the point will be clear and full , that , blessed is that man whose sins are forgiven : and surely if there be such a mysterious and glorious work of god in pardoning sin ; that man for whom god shall work such a glorious work is a blessed man indeed . and now having done with this argument of the great mystery of godliness in forgiveness of sin ; i proceed to another , and it is this : chap. iv. that pardon of sin not only is a mercy in it self , but the foundation of many other mercies . pardon of sin makes a m●● blessed ; why ? because it is the foundation of abundance of other mercies ; it is an inlet to many other mercies , therefore a great mercy ; it is a leading mercy , it is as the queen of mercy , that hath a great and glorious train of other mercies attending on her ; indeed , it is the very foundation of all the mercies of the covenant of grace , 't is the principal mercy , and the very foundation of all the mercies that are in the covenant , and the inlet and opening to them all ; the covenant of grace is a rich treasury , hath abundant store of mercy in it , and this opens to them all : the current of all gods mercies was stopt by mans sin ; though god had an infinite ocean of mercy , yet the sourse and vent of all gods mercies was stopt . now , when god pardons sin , he takes away the stop , and opens the sluce , that his infinite grace and goodness may flow forth plentifully and sweetly to the soul , body and state ; yea to all that belongs to a believer : you may conceive gods mercy to be as an infinite stream of goodness , running with a full current towards his creatures ; for god delights in the communication of himself to his creatures : but now mans sin made a dam , and stopt the pipe , that not one drop of mercy could come forth , not a drop of all that mercy that in the eternal purpose of god he hath appointed in time shall come forth to such and such a poor creature ; but when he comes to pardon and justification , he pulls out the plug , and pulls up the flood-gates and sluces , and then mercies come flowing in amain ; when sin is pardoned , then the full streams of all the mercies in the covenant of grace come flowing into the soul ; well then , if it be thus , that pardon of sin is an inlet to other mercies ; then he that hath his sin pardoned is a very blessed man. i shall open this , that pardon of sin is the foundation to , and opens the sluce to let in all other mercies , jer. . . behold , the days come that i will make a new covenant with the house of israel , and the house of judah : here god opens his goodness , and tells them he will make a new covenant , not like that he made with their fathers , vers . . but this shall be the covenant , vers . . and he instances in some particulars , i will put my law into their inward parts , and write it in their hearts , and they shall teach no more every man his neighbour , and every man his brother ; saying , know the lord , for they shall all know me , &c. but what is the foundation of all this ? at the end of the . for i will forgive their iniquity and remember their sin no more . i will make a new covenant with them , and put my law into their inward parts , and they shall all know me ; i will come in with all my mercies and blessings , illumination and sanctification ; he mentions these instead of the rest , as in a grant of great things some particulars are mentioned ; but then he comes in with a general ; for i will forgive their iniquity , and remember their sin no more : as if it should be said , why ? lord wilt thou come in thus to thy people in such an abundant way of mercy more than formerly , and let in these graces of thy covenant ; why ? here 's the ground of all ; for i will forgive their iniquity : so that forgiveness of iniquity is the special inlet of the mercies of the covenant . now more particularly i shall shew you what are those special mercies , pardon of sin is an inlet to , and that will further shew the blessedness of those souls that have their sins pardoned , because pardon of sin is an inlet to many other mercies . as of peace with god , that pardon of sin is an inlet to . . peace with god , rom. . being justified , that is , pardoned through faith ; what follows , we have peace with god through our lord jesus christ ; the ground of our justification and reconciliation , it is not our humiliation , no nor our sanctification ; observe it , the very bottom and foundation of our justification and reconciliation , it is neither of these , ( though we ought to be in the use and exercise of them ) but pardon of sin is through the free grace of god applyed by faith ; this is the ground of all our peace and reconciliation with god : and thus men and women should seek their peace with god ; the main thing they should lay the waight of obtaining peace of god upon , it is the work of faith applying the righteousness of christ for pardon , rather than any work of humiliation or sanctification by the spirit of god ; yet both these are sweet and comfortable , when we found the bottom and main foundation of all our peace on the free grace of god pardoning our sin , and justifying of us through faith in christ ; cod does not say , you that are great sinners , stay till you are humbled and are brought to hate sin , and you shall have peace with god : no , you may be much troubled for sin , and may leave it , and reform in many things , and live better lives than before , and yet your peace not made up with god ; how then shall it be ? thus , being justified by faith , looking up to the free grace of god in christ for pardon of sin , we come to have peace with god ; and this is a great priviledge , but if you consider on the other side , a creature not reconciled , cannot look upon the infinite creator without terror and shakings , and tremblings of spirit ; he cannot have any thoughts of god , but he thinks of him as his enemy ; and that all the excellencies of god are working misery and ruine to him , this is a sad thing : but when pardon of sin comes , god is reconciled , and all fears and terrors from the almighty are gone ; those fears whereby the soul was afraid , god was secretly working ruine to it , are dispell'd ; and if any judgment of god come close and near , and befal any in the sight and hearing of a guilty soul , he would be thinking god is coming to me next : but a justified soul may say , though the judgments of god be never so terrible in the world , and in the word , which before terrified my conscience ; yet now my sin being pardoned , my soul is reconciled , and the word of god speaks nothing but good unto me , and all those fears that before so terrified me are dispell'd . but may not a pardoned man have these fears , or somewhat of the nature of them resting on his spirit after he is pardoned ? yea he may , but the ground of them is dispel'd and gone ; it is not the work of gods spirit that causes these fears , as it did before , rom. . . you have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear , but the spirit of adoption , whereby ye cry abba father ; may be you may have some fears , but being justified by faith , you have not again received the spirit of bondage ; if hereafter you have any fears of gods judgments and wrath against you ; it is not the spirit of bondage , the spirit of god that causes these fears , your own selves may mistake the matter ; for those that once receive the spirit of bondage , never after receive it ; you may have fears through your own mistakes , but not by the spirit of god , as the spirit of bondage shewing us our bondage by our sins , and working terrors on the soul for it , these fears are dispell'd ; for in our peace with god in the pardon of sin , the matter of enemity between god and the soul is taken away ; there is this in it which might have been added in the mysteries : when a prince pardons a malefactor , he gives him his life , and he is glad , goes away , but the prince regards him not any more ; and possibly he may yet have enmity in his heart against the prince still : but god when he pardons a sinner , not only is the enmity taken away , but forthwith that soul is brought into the state of infinite friendship , he receives the soul into his very heart ; so that there shall be a greater and more intimate love and friendship between his majesty and that soul , than ever was between the greatest and dearest friends in the world , this is wonderful , and yet this is so ; for as when god comes to pardon sin , there is not only taking away the guilt of sin , but the soul is made actually righteous in justification ; so also there is not only a taking away of the enmity between god and the soul that was there before , but he receives the soul into infinite love , and takes him into infinite friendship with himself ; oh the sweetness and blessedness of that mans state whose sins are pardoned ! reconciliation with god follows thereupon , and he takes the soul into his bosome-love . further upon this there follows two things , peace in conscience , and with the creatures ; being justified by faith he hath peace with god , and as the immediate consequence thereof , peace in conscience and with all the creatures . . peace in conscience , those fears and grating terrors that arose on guilt of conscience are gone , those dismal accusations of conscience are still'd ; though 't is true , a mans conscience may trouble him after pardon and justification , but it is through mistake , the ground of all those troubles of conscience are gone ; 't is with trouble of conscience after pardon of sin as with the sea , you that are marriners may see the wind at sea raising the boisterous waves on high , yet after the wind is quite down 't is a great while before they be still and quiet ; so in mens souls it is guilt of sin that causes woful disturbances : but when god pardons sin , he comes into the soul as christ in the ship , and bids all be still ; and though through our weakness , after the sting and guilt is removed , conscience is troubled , yet is god pleased to help the weakness of his people sooner or later ; not only to pardon sin in the court of heaven , but in the court of conscience too , and then all fears and troubles are gone ; certainly those that know what the burnings , throbbings and ailings of an accusing conscience means , they know what a blessing it is to have peace of conscience , a great blessing to have all well there , because the soul hath much to do with conscience , and conscience hath much to do with god , yea only to do with god ; and if all be well with that which hath so much to do with the almighty , it is a great blessedness , blessed is the man that is thus pardoned . . there follows this also , peace with the creatures ; if i should meet with these in a full text , each of them might require a sermon themselves , to shew the excellency of a quiet conscience and peace with the creatures . but i must but touch it here : god is lord of hoasts , and all the creatures stand armed ready to avenge gods quarrel , and not only do they stand in readiness , but there is a kind of cry in the creatures to god to make them the executioners of his wrath ; shall i go and strike this drunkard says one ? and shall i strike this blasphemer says another ? all the creatures in heaven & earth cry against thee every day : but when god pardons thy sin , all the creatures presently become thy friends ; when the judge hath quitted a malelefactor , the under-officers have nothing to do with him ; conscience and the creatures they are under-officers , and when god is at peace they are at peace too ; when joab came and stab'd absalom , the ten young men that were his armour-bearers did so too ; so if god come to a sinner unpardoned , and give him a stab , all the creatures will be ready to stab him too ; but when god comes and pardons thy sin , he makes a league with thee and the stones of the field , as the scripture speaks ; that is the first great mercy that flows in to the soul upon pardon of sin , and peace with god. of gods revealing his secrets to those whom he pardons . . this follows upon pardon of sin , god comes in a wonderful gracious way to reveal himself to that soul ; he comes to reveal his secrets to that soul he pardons ; and pardon of sin is the very ground of the revelation of the secrets and mysteries of god by the spirit to that soul , jer. . . among other particulars in the new covenant god promiseth they shall be all taught of god , in heb. . that text is quoted something more fully than in the prophet , vers . , . they shall not teach every man his neighbour , and every man his brother , saying , know the lord ; for they shall all know me from the least to the greatest : mark , for i will be merciful to their unrighteousness , and their sins and iniquities will i remember no more : pardon of sin is made the ground of gods teaching them his covenant , they shall know me from the least to the greatest ; you little ones and young ones , if god please to bring you to christ , and pardon your sin , a glorious light shall come into your souls : god will shew himself in a glorious manner to you , there shall be another manner of light shine into your hearts than ever before ; the mysteries of god will be opened to you , and you shall understand more than many of your fathers , who have not had this mercy to be rightly acquainted with the justification of a sinner ; and therefore you young ones , that much desire knowledge , the main thing to be acquainted with , is this great doctrine of justification and pardon of sin ; as luther said , three things , prayer , meditation , and temptations make a divine ; so i say , the right knowledge of justification makes a christian , and they that have not a clear knowledge in this point , do but bungle and are extream weak in all other points of religion ; but when once the soul comes to be justified , what a glorious light is let into the soul , as you all know , that have been made partakers of this grace ? and you young ones , you may come to have sin pardoned as well as others , and to have the knowledge of the mysteries of god revealed unto you , joh. . . compared with the . i write unto you little children , because your sins are forgiven for his name sake ; even little children , i write to you , your sins are forgiven ; oh 't is a happy thing for young children to have faith wrought in them , and to have their sins forgiven them betimes ! and then in the . verse , i write unto you little children , because you have known the father ; oh what an admirable light springs up in the souls of little children when their sins are pardoned ! they come to the knowledge of the father ; and this is the reason why many great and learned men , that are men of excellent understanding in the knowledge of natural things , are not acquainted with the mysteries of godliness , and think but meanly of them ; marvel not at it , for the knowledge of the mysteries of godliness , comes in by pardon of sin ; when god pardons sin and justifies a soul by faith in christ , then god opens the covenant , and all the glorious mysteries of it to such a soul : a prince reveals not the secrets of state to a traytor that lies under bolts and chains ; but if a prince please to pardon him , and knock off his bolts and chains , and raise him unto favour , bring him into his privy chamber , and open his whole heart and all the mysteries of the kingdom to him , here is a great change ; thus does god to poor sinners that he pardons : a soul that lies under the guilt of sin , is just for all the world like unto a malefactor that lies in a dungeon , that hath bolts and fetters on him ; the guilt of sin is like bolts and fetters on thy soul : well , thou lyest there fast bound ; but when god comes in with pardoning mercy , god sends to thee in this dungeon , and knocks off thy bolts by pardon , and not only so , but calls thee into his privy chamber , and opens his heart and bosome unto thee , and reveals those things that were kept secret from the beginning of the world : princes do not always deal so with malefactors , if they pardon them they think they have done enough for them , they may afterwards go and shift for themselves , they are not call'd into the privy chamber to have the king open his secrets unto them ; but it is certainly so to every soul god pardons ; he pardons none , but whom he calls into his privy chamber , and reveals unto him the great councels of his will , and what has been the great thoughts of his heart , for the good of that soul from all eternity ; though some souls have more light than others , yet to no soul that is pardoned but god comes in with a great and glorious light ; and in respect of the light of nature , it may be call'd a glorious light : there 's not the weakest and poorest creature in the world that is pardoned , but he understands more of the light of gods grace and covenant , than the greatest doctors or rabbins in the world ; and though he cannot speak or talk so much of these things , yet he dares venture his soul on those thoughts he hath of gods good will made known unto him in the covenant ; no rabbin in the world , though he can talk much of these things , yet he dares not venture his soul for the eternal welfare of it and his estate upon god , to do with him as he pleases ; but a believing soul dares venture his name , his estate , his life , yea his eternal life on god , he dares to put them all into his hands , and to such a soul , god will repeal his covenant , psal . . . god will grant this mercy , that he will reveal his covenant , and all the secrets of it shall be made known unto him ; you that complain of dulness of understanding ; you say you hear excellent mysteries and do not understand them , there is surely much in them , i see some weight and excellency in them to be found out , and i hope god in time will discover them unto me , but little i know for present ; you take a course to get understanding by attendance on the outward ordinances , it is good to use all means , as reading and conferring with other christians , and pray over what you hear ; these are excellent : but the great and special means to get saving understanding in the mysteries of the gospel is this ; cast down your souls at the footstool of god , and cry for pardon of sin ; it may be guilt of sin is upon thy heart , let that be thy work to get of the guilt of sin , and cry for gods justifying mercy in christ ; guilt being removed , god will let out to thy soul the revelation of his covenant in a glorious manner , he will reveal his secrets to thee , so that upon this there is a holy boldness a sinner comes to have in the presence of god. suppose a malefactor come to court under his guilt being not pardoned ; alas , he dare scarce look in at court-gate ; and when he comes , he keeps in some out-room , and dares not stir any further than he is call'd ; but take another that is pardoned , he comes in boldly and goes from one room unto another , yea into the very presence-chamber , and there can open his mind fully to the king , and speak out all his heart ; and this is a great difference between one under the guilt of sin and another that is pardoned ; one under the guilt of sin he dare scarce go to prayer , and thinks god casts away his person and his services , and that nothing is regarded ; but when god comes to pardon , he calls the poor sinner that was under trouble before , to come and draw near to him , and saith , fear not , open thy mind and heart to me , lam. . , , . i called upon thy name , o lord , out of the low dungeon . . in the day that i called upon thee thou drewest near , and said'st fear not : every poor soul that is justified , may say , god knows when i was under the guilt of sin , i was cast into the low dungeon , and the chains of guilt were upon me there , but through thy grace thou hast heard my voyce , hide not thy ear at my breathing , at my cry ; thou can'st not cry ; yet if thou beest one whom god hath received to mercy , thou may'st have confidence that god will hear the voyce of thy breathing : thou com'st to prayer , and can'st not tell what to say ; mark , can'st thou breath , gods ear lies open to the breathings of a soul he hath received to mercy , thou cam'st to me , i was a great way off shaking & trembling , and thou drew'st near to me , and said'st fear not , v. . so a poor soul under the guilt of sin he stands shaking and trembling ; but when god comes to pardon , he says to thee fear not , and because thou dar'st not come to him , he comes to thee , and says , peace be to thee , fear not , heb. . . the apostle speaking of the covenant that god will make , in the . verse says , their sins and iniquities will i remember no more ; and . verse , where remission of sin is , there is no more offering for sin ; in the . verse he infers that now therefore , we have boldness to enter into the holiest by the bloud of jesus ; and vers . . having an high priest over the house of god , let us ( verse . ) draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith ; god having made a new covenant , and said , their sins and iniquities i will remember no more ; therefore we have boldness , says the apostle , to enter into the holy of holies : in the time of the law under the jewish pedagogy none might enter into the holy of holies but the high priest , there was but little access into the holyest in the time of the law ; but now when the gospel comes , christ having offered up himself a sacrifice there needs no more sacrifices , he at once having purged away sin by his own blood , has opened a new and a living way that we may come with boldness now into the holiest ; so that a believing soul need now not stand a far off shaking , but may come in to the privy-chamber , and enter into the holy of holies , and draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith ; and this comes from sin pardoned : oh blessed is he that hath his sin pardoned , that has such a priviledge following thereupon , ephes . . . in whom we have boldness and access with confidence by the faith of him , christ being our high priest we have boldness , liberty of speech , so the original ; a great many know not how to pray , and they think all the prayers of the saints have nothing in them but a great deal of non-sense , because they understand not what the work of god is in the hearts of his people ; the saints have by faith in him liberty of speech , there is a blessed freedom a gracious heart hath , being once justified by christ , to open his soul unto god , which connot be done by any other way in the world , to have liberty to pour out our whole souls into his bosom , is from faith , and comes in as a fruit of justification , david pardoned absolon , but would not let him see his face : but god never pardons any soul , but he gives free liberty for that soul , to come into his presence and open it self fully unto him ; this is a second priviledge , pardon of sin is an inlet to many other mercies . of pardon of sin making all other mercies to be mercies . . pardon of sin is not only an inlet to many other mercies , but it is such a mercy as makes all other mercies to be mercies , and without which no other mercies would be mercies ; by this all other mercies are mercies : when once a soul comes to be pardoned , it may look upon all it hath in a far more sweeter way than ever it could before ; by this he may look upon house and land , wife and children , estate and friends , he may look upon these as mercies indeed ; why ? for he has a pardon , his sins are pardoned ; as a man supposing he is charged , found guilty , and condemned , having a fair house , rich furniture , sweet yoak-fellow and children , and all things he could desire ; but says he , what are all these to me seeing i am a condemned man ? well , he goes and gets a pardon unexpectedly , and now he returns to his house , wife and relations again , and all are sweet unto him , when he injoys them with a pardon , he looks upon them with another manner of eye than he did before ; thus there is this difference between the enjoyment of outward comforts in this world when sin is pardoned , and before it was pardoned ; thou hast houses and land , sweet yoak-fellow , and children , trading at sea and land , and all things thou canst desire ; but what is all this to thee , while guilt of sin lies grating on thy conscience ? well , god comes into thee with pardoning mercy , and takes away thy sin , the guilt of which lay corroding on thy conscience , then thou may'st look upon thy estate , wife , children , and all thy comings in to thee , as coming from the same eternal fountain of gods eternal love , that jesus christ himself came from ; this is a mighty argument to perswade men to seek after the pardon of their sin , that you may have your comforts and enjoyments in this world in outward things sweet unto you ; and if there were no other reason to perswade you to seek after forgiveness , this might be enough , that you may have all your outward mercies in mercy to you ; you may have an estate , a sweet yoak-fellow , and sweet children , and all thou canst desire , and these are mercies , but they are but such mercies as god may give to those that are enemies unto him ; they are but outward mercies at the best , coming not to thee as fruits of the covenant , and so are not the sure mercies of david ; nay , not worthy to be accounted mercies . consider but two things ; first , the guilt of sin upon thy soul , is so great an evil , that take all these things at the best , they are but as a grain of sugar put into a tun of gall ; a tun fill'd up with bitter gall , and one grain of sugar put into it , would not all the sweetness of it be swallow'd up in the tun of gall ? so were the monarchy of the whole world made over to thee , yet if thy sin be unpardoned , there is so much evil in it , as all that thou canst enjoy is but as one grain of sugar put into a tun of gall , the evil of sin would swallow it all up . secondly , thou know'st not what thou hast , whether it be out of gods love or hatred ; nay , thou hast rather cause to conclude , it is out of gods anger and hatred , than out of gods love : how canst thou then account it a mercy , when all the comforts thou hast , may come out of gods infinite anger and hatred to thee , rather than out of love ? therefore till thou art assured of pardon , thou hast no mercy , thou canst be assured of , is in mercy to thee : this shews , . the great vanity of men and women that look after pardon of sin , but 't is only at such times as god takes away all other comforts from them ; as thus , they think to satisfie themselves with the creatures while they can enjoy them , while they can go up and down amongst friends , eat good chear , and have all coming in ; but when god takes away all these , as on a sick-bed , then they will cry for pardon ; oh mercy lord ! oh mercy ! i am a wretched miserable sinner , oh mercy ! well , now you would have mercy , why now , and not before ? before you had other things , and you quieted your hearts with them ; and why not now , were not they mercies ? but i know not whether they were out of love or hatred ; well , yet you quieted your hearts with them ; and now they are all going , do you now think it a fit time to cry for mercy ? oh how infinitely wast thou mistaken , that thou did'st not cry for mercy before ! thou think'st it now a fit time to cry for mercy ; why ? thou had'st no mercy that thou could'st take the comfort of as a mercy unless thy sins were pardoned ; and therefore thou hast now cause to cry for pardon , when sickness comes , and god takes away this and the other mercy , thou think'st thou art left naked ; if you knew all , you are naked now : and therefore would you live a comfortable life in this world , and have your house , estate , and all relations mercies to you ; never be at rest till you have got your sins pardoned and forgiven ; this considered , might be a mighty argument and means to draw the hearts of men to get pardon , that all their outward things might be sweetned to them . . if all outward good be not a mercy unless sin be pardoned , then what good wilt thou or any one get by the increase of sin ? thou think'st it to be a good ; why ? all thou hast now is not a good , is not a mercy ; and dost thou think to get good by the increase of sin ? when a temptation comes to draw thee to sin , think thus , i have heard this day that all i have is not a mercy unless my sin be pardoned , and therefore i can never get any mercy by the increase of sin : certainly did men and women understand themselves , they would easily answer the devil by this kind of reasoning . of pardon of sin making all afflictions easie to be born . where-ever sin is pardoned , there follows this , that any thing that befals that man or woman is very easie to be born ; an easie matter it is for any one that hath his sin pardoned to bear any affliction , and this is a great blessedness ; or rather take it thus , that either such a one may be assured , that afflictions shall be removed , or otherwise made easie to be born ; for pardon of sin delivers us from abundance of afflictions that otherwise might befal us in this world ; though it is true , god lays many afflictions on his people after their sins are forgiven , yet it is more than they know , but that if their sins had not bin forgiven they might have had other manner of miseries than they do now meet withal ; perhaps you meet with some now , and more than you did before , but for ought you know , those miseries you meet with now , might have been seven-fold more than now they are , and another manner of wrath than you now think of , isai . . . cry , her warfare is accomplished , for her iniquity is pardoned ; where iniquity is pardoned , there warfare is accomplished ; if afflictions be not quite removed , yet they are made very easie to be born , and that upon two grounds . first , because the greatness of the good that there is in pardon of sin , makes the bitterest and saddest evil that there is in affliction to be as nothing ; as to instance , suppose a malefactor that is condemn'd to some greivous and hideous death , should have a friend at court to sue for pardon , or he comes up up to get pardon ; well , he comes and is admitted to come into the kings presence , and he receives him graciously , pardons him freely , quits him fully of all his guilt , and puts him fully out of all the danger he was in ; perhaps as he is coming from the king he loses his glove or handkerchief ; would not that be an unseemly thing for a man , that after he has got his pardon , yet because he has lost his glove , should whine and wring his hands , because of the loss of his glove ; would not that be an unreasonable thing ? certainly there is as much unreasonableness for any man or woman that hath the pardon of their sin , for them to wring their hands and whine , and keep a stir as though they were undone because they are afflicted : for the greatest affliction that can befal any in this world , compared with the good of pardon of sin , is not so much as the loss of a glove for the saving of any mans life by the kings pardon ; though your afflictions may be more than the loss of a glove ; yet your pardon of sin is greater than any kings pardon in the world : put these together , and know hereby thy unreasonableness , and when to check thy self , ( having any assurance of pardon of sin ) that thou should'st be so troubled at any affliction , and have so much good from god in the pardon of thy sin : further , for those that are troubled at afflictions , i would put this to them ; either they are pardoned , or not pardoned : if ye are pardoned , why are ye so troubled ? if ye are not pardoned , then you had need to spend the strength of your spirits by waving your grief for afflictions to seek pardon of your sins . secondly , pardon of sin will make afflictions easie ▪ because the soul may be assured that the evil of affliction is gone ; he that has his sin pardoned may be assured , that there can nothing befal him in this world , but that if he knew all , he himself would be willing with all his heart it should be so : and is not this a blessed condition for any man , while he lives here in this world , in which there is abundance of evil , yet to be in such a condition as that we shall certainly know , that there shall nothing befal us as long as we live in this world , but that , which if we knew all , we our selves would chuse it , and account it to be a better condition than any other ? this is a blessed estate , to be in such a condition as this is , for god to testifie from heaven unto us , that it shall not be in the power of any creature in the world to do us any hurt ; for certainly so it is when once a man or woman is justified , god does as much as speak from heaven to that poor soul ; saying , soul now you are safe , be certainly assured that there is no creature in all the world can do you any hurt , psal . . . thou may'st say as david there , return unto thy rest o my soul , for the lord hath dealt bountifully with thee ; god has pardoned thy sin , and delivered thee from death ; and n●w my soul return unto thy rest : the word translated rest in the original is plural , return unto thy rests ; there are rests enough for a soul whom god hath delivered and pardoned , all afflictions to him are but as the viper on paul's hand that he may shake off , they will do him no hurt ; the sting of death is sin , and the sting of afflictions is that they are the beginners of death : but to one that has his sin taken away , the property of affliction is altered ; they come not as acts of revenging justice , but as effects of love and mercy ; the principle from whence they come , and the end to which they tend is differenced from what it was before ; when trespasses are forgiven , deliverance from evil will follow after , as it is in the lords prayer ; true as you heard before in the former point , if once we come to have afflictions as the fruits of sin , then they are heavy and grievous indeed ; in this case when affliction comes for sin , and sin comes to prey upon a man in time of affliction , it is just as a bayliffe set on by a cruel creditor , that comes to a poor man in debt , and he lies sick ; the bayliffe takes away his stools , table , bed and pillow , and all he hath to help and comfort him , leaves him not a pillow to rest his weary head upon : so when a sinner lies sick , and under affliction , guilt of sin comes and takes away all thy comforts ; if thou hast any promise , as a pillow to rest thy head upon , guilt of sin will take it away ; guilt of sin pulls and tears away every comfort , and every good that sinners should have to refresh themselves withal in affliction : but when the guilt of sin is gone , thou may'st lay thy head down in quiet , and rest upon a promise , and it will make affliction very easie , that thou shalt have no cause to make complaint as formerly thou had'st , isai . . ult . the inhabitant shall not say , i am sick ; mark the ground of it , for the people that dwell therein shall be forgiven their iniquity ; when god comes to bestow this great mercy of pardon , the inhabitants shall not make such dolorous complaints of affliction and trouble upon them : says luther , strike lord , strike , for i am absolved from my sin ; if once god has absolved thee , or any poor creature from their sin , it is not in the power of any affliction to disturb them , job . . when he gives quietness , who can give trouble ? and when he hides his face , who then can behold him ? when god gives quietness , as he doth in forgiveness of sin , then who can make trouble ? let there be never so many rumors in the world of war , bloud , and miseries , as if heaven and earth met together ; yet if god give quietness to the heart , in assurance of forgiveness of sin , who can bring trouble ? it is not in the power of all the world to disturb his s●ul whose sins are forgiven ; pardon of sin is that peace the world cannot take away ; therefore blessed is the man that hath his sins pardoned . of healing , the fruit of pardoning mercy . . where god pardons sin , he heals that soul and sanctifies it by the immediate fruits of the spirit , wheresoever it is , and this is a great blessedness ; who is there that understands the evil of sin that sees not this a great blessedness , not only to be delivered from the guilt of sin , but also from the uncleanness of sin too ; and that sanctification or freedom from the power and slavery that there is under the bondage of sin is a fruit of forgiveness of sin will appear by divers texts of scripture . i shall not speak to all , but only some that make this blessing to be the consequence or immediate fruits that slow in upon forgiveness , jer. . , there god promises to put his law into our inward parts : but what 's the ground of it ? in the . verse , i will forgive their iniquities and remember their sins no more ; the writing of gods law in our inward parts , delivering us from the power of sin , and sanctifying our hearts comes in as a fruit of gods forgiving us our iniquities , rom. . . sin shall not have dominion over you ; why ? because you are not under the law , but under grace : now this is the great grace of the gospel , forgiveness of sin , you are under that , and therefore it is that sin cannot have dominion over you ; as if the apostle had said , you may resolve against sin , and do what you can to oppose it , and strive as much as possible you are able to subdue it ; yet so long as you remain under the law , sin will certainly have dominion over you , and you will be under the slavery of it , until you come under the grace of the gospel , and partake of that , col. . . ult . and you hath he quickned together with him , having forgiven you all trespasses ; so that quickning and sanctification is a fruit of forgiving of all their trespasses , cor. . , . the sting of death is sin ; and the strength of sin is the law ; but thanks be to god that giveth us the victory through our lord jesus christ , the strength of sin is the law . gods justice in the law giving men up unto sin , there lies the strength of sin . but now god through christ coming to men in the grace of the gospel , there comes deliverance from the strength of sin : perhaps some of you have lain under the burden and power of sin , and you have thought the only way to get victory , hath been to resolve and strive against it , and you have done so , and yet you cannot get power over your sins : i remember one writing to luther , tells him that he had vow'd and covenanted against his sin , and yet his sin prevail'd against him , until he understood the grace of the gospel ; and so may be have you done , and yet your sin prevails because you take not this course : try the work of faith in point of justification ; renew your faith in god , for the forgiveness of your sin through jesus christ , that 's the ready way , try that course ; you that have been tired in labouring against corruption , you have resolv'd and pray'd , and shed tears , and yet that will not do ; try this way , renew your faith dayly in point of justification , by laying hold of the infinite riches of the grace of christ in the gospel for pardon , for healing power to come in to help you against that which holds you , and this will not hinder your duties ; you may pray , resolve , and fast as much as before , but be sure your great care be to renew your faith in point of justification , and there will come more healing power by that in your souls than by any thing else ; if once you can touch christ , the bloody issues of your sins that run before come to be dryed up , which you could not dry up , though you spent your time and pains , and did all you could do ; here 's a great difference between gods forgiveness and mans : a king may forgive , but he cannot change and heal : but when god forgives , he heals and takes away that evil disposition from thee that did so weaken thee for all good ; christ when he comes , he comes with healing in his wings ; now blessed is the man whose sins are forgiven , for that there follows deliverance from the power of sin , and a healing of the soul . of comfort against death following on pardoning mercy . . blessed is he whose sins are forgiven , because such a man may look in the face of death and judgment with comfort ; death when he comes to a natural man , he comes as a messenger of god to arrest the soul at gods suit ; but where sin is forgiven , death is made a means to bring thee to rest ; that , that would have arrested thee is a means to bring thee to thy rest , heb. . , . christ came to die : now what was the great business he came to die for , it was to purchase a pardon for sin , and by his death to take away the power of the devil , and deliver them that through fear of death were all their life time subject to bondage ; through the fear of death , and nothing in all the world can deliver from the fear of death but forgiveness of sin , and then this makes a man look on the day of judgment with comfort ; for one special end of that day is , that there may be a declaration of the infinite mercy of god in forgiving of sin , act. . . repent and be converted , that your sins may be blotted out when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the lord ; when he shall send jesus again which before was preached to you : certainly assoon as ever a man comes to believe , his sins are blotted out ; i but when the times of refreshing shall come , they shall appear to your own selves , and to all the world , men and angels more fully than ever before , some interpreters think ; and i dare not deny it , but that there will be a time of refreshing in this world , before the great and terrible day , that christ will make it appear that the sins of the elect believers are blotted out in another manner than now it doth ; but however it will fully appear at that day , and then that day that will be so terrible to the ungodly , will be refreshing to the saints ; why ? because they shall find their sins blotted out then , and that will make that day a refreshing day unto them ; although the heavens be all on fire , and shrivelled up like a scrowl , and there be dreadful shriekings of ungodly men ; yet it shall be a day of refreshing to the saints , because their sins are blotted out : oh blessed is the man that hath his sins pardoned now ! for he shall have that day to be a day of refreshing to him ; but woe be to thee o soul , who ever thou art , that hast not thy sin pardoned ; if but one sin stand upon the score not blotted out , woe , woe will betide the for ever more ; but they that find their sin pardoned , shall find that day to be a day of such refreshing as ever they beheld ; and therefore blessed is the man that hath his iniquities forgiven . of security against the worlds reproaches , the fruit of pardoning mercy . . where god hath forgiven sin , such a one need not care for the censures of all the world , and the reproaches they cast upon him ; the men of the world cast many reproaches on the saints , and say , they are hypocrites , that though they will not swear , yet they will lie ; that they are false , proud , and the like ; why ? now the soul that finds it self acquitted before the lord , need not care for all the censures and condemnations that can be cast upon him from the men of the world , rom. . . having spoken before of the great grace of god in justification , in vers . . he speaks as if he had made a challenge to all the world , let them all come in , let me see who can lay any thing to the charge of gods elect ? why ? because it is god that justifies : many will charge them of grievous things ; i but it is god that justifies : what will a man care if the prince have given him a pardon , though some kitchin boy , some shakeril about the court should rail against him , so long as the king hath pardoned him ; bernard hath a notable speech concerning david when shimei railed , david was not troubled says he , he did not feel the injury heapt upon him , because he had felt before the grace of god towards him ; the feeling of gods grace towards him in pardoning , made him not feel the railings of shimei ; so christ himself , isai . . ver . . he said before , i gave my back to the smiters , and hid not my face from shame and spitting ; they spit upon him : this is apparently spoken of christ ; but what upheld him , vers . . for the lord god will help me ; therefore shall i not be confounded for all this ; therefore have i set my face like a flint against all scorns , railings , and accusations in the world ; but what was the bottom of all this ? mark , vers . . he is near that justifies me , who will contend with me ? let us stand together : who is my adversary ? let him come near to me ; let my adversary come and do his worst , he is near that justifies me : true , christ had no sin personally to be pardoned ; but he had the sins of all the elect charg'd upon him , and upon that he suffered death . now we are to know , christ is justified as well as believer ; and the very ground why a believer is justified , it is because christ is justified himself ; christ being justified , a believer comes to be justified ; this might have been opened in the mysteries of pardon of sin : there is a justifying first in christ as in a common publick person , and then by faith in our own persons . now though in the fathers justification of christ he justifies us , yet not as particular persons , but in him as a common person in the name of all the elect ; and faith , that comes in that we might be justified in our own particular persons , as before we were in christ as a common person : now christ is justified first , and acquitted from all our sins , and this acquittance is made the ground of his challenge to all his adversaries in the world , though the prince of devils come with all his power ; yet says christ , he is near that justifies me , and he will make my face as a flint , it is god that acquits me , who is my adversary ? let him come near : oh it s a blessed thing when thou hast got the pardon of thy sin ! thou needest not care for all the reproaches the world can cast upon thee ; thou may'st go up and down , and challenge any in the world to come in against thee , cor. . . i pass not for mans judgment , he that judgeth me is the lord ; the world translated judgment , in the greek it is mans day : man has his day here , and he thinks to weary out the people of god ; why says paul , i pass not for mans day , he that hath the supream judgment in his hands , he hath acquitted me , and i am well enough . of the foundation of eternal life laid in pardoning mercy . . blessed is the man that hath his iniquities forgiven ; for this is the foundation of eternal life ; whoever hath this mercy , hath a certain pledge put into his hands of eternal life , rom. . . whom he predestinated , them he called : whom he called , them he justified : and whom he justified , them he glorified : thou who art justified , and hast thy sin pardoned , thou shalt certainly be glorified : a prince may pardon a man , but he cannot assure him of eternal life , though he give him his natural life : but god if he pardon , he makes it known to that soul that he shall live eternally with him in glory : oh blessed is he then that hath his iniquities forgiven , for this is a pledge unto him of eternal life . of pardon of sin being the bottom of all true comfort . . blessed is he that hath his sin pardoned ; for pardon of sin is the very bottom of all true comfort : be of good comfort your sins are forgiven ; if christ speak but this word to a soul , though he be never so much dejected , it is enough to raise any drooping soul from the gates of hell it self . be of good comfort oh soul , thy sins are forgiven thee , isai . . . speak you comfortable to her , for her iniquities are pardoned : god calls to comfort her when her iniquities are pardoned , this is the foundation of all true comfort : if you lay any other foundation to build your comforts on , certainly that building will totter and come to nothing , if this be not the foundation : you would fain have comfort , and you are every one looking out for comfort ; and indeed it is as natural for the soul of man to seek for comfort , as it is for the fire to burn : there 's no man but would fain have comfort ; now look to the foundation if you would not have the building totter , lay a good foundation : many lay the foundation of their comforts in their sins , and others in the creatures ; but thou must lay it in the pardon of thy sin , in the free grace of god justifying thy soul , and that building will hold ; lay it there and thou shalt be comforted here and for ever hereafter . and thus we have done with that particular , that pardon of sin is a great mercy , because it is a foundation and inlet to many other mercies : blessed is the man that hath his iniquities forgiven , that hath such a grand mercy , upon which many other mercies follow . chap. v. of pardoning mercy passing through a great many difficulties . blessed is the man that hath his sins forgiven ; for indeed , it is a mercy that passes through many difficulties before it comes to the soul ; and that that passeth through many difficulties is strong and great indeed , and therefore makes the man blessed , because it is grace that doth pass through many difficulties , it is an argument of a great deal of strength of grace , when grace shall pass through many difficulties ; as it is an argument of the great strength of sin , when sin passes through many difficulties to bring forth ; a soul being set upon sin , there lies a great many difficulties in the way , yet lust to that sin being strong , it will break through all difficulties to get to it ; so in mercy , when god comes with mercy to forgive a soul , this mercy of god must go through abundance of difficulties before it gets to you , which argues it to be wonderful strong mercy , and therefore makes him blessed that partakes of it . when god made the world , it was done with a word speaking , god said , let there be light , and there was light : but when god comes to pardon a sinner , heaven and earth must be moved ; there must be a greater work of god in pardoning of a sinner , than in making of the world ; certainly the work is greater and passes through more difficulties . as first , all the wrongs that ever th●u hast done to god stand betwixt thee and pardon ; never did any man in the world wrong another man as thou hast wronged god : how sin wrongs god has in part been held forth to you , in the evil of sin and how contrary sin is to the infinite holiness of god , yet mercy breaks through that , yea above all , that great and difficult work of the satisfying the infinite justice of god , yet mercy breaks through that , and there stands in that . . this difficulty , that before thou canst be pardoned , god must be made man , and yet must remain the same god he was before ; thou cryest for pardon of sin , or thou art undone ; suppose now , that gods bowels of mercy did even yearn towards thee for to pardon thy sin , yet before this is done , there must be this great work done ; that god must be made man , and yet remain the same god he was before ; here 's a mighty difficult work , a greater work than making of the world , and yet mercy breaks through this . . here 's this stands between sin and pardon , that when god is made man , he must die and be made a curse ; and not only so , but god the father must do it ; he must take his own son and stab him for thee , he must himself take him and put him to death , and himself must pour out his wrath upon his own son , before thy sins can be pardoned . now that god the father should take his own son , the son of his delight , stab him to the heart , and himself put him to death , this is a mighty great work ; and yet this must be done before thou can'st be pardoned . . there 's this difficulty stands in the way , that before sin can be pardoned , the blind , dead , wicked , carnal , sottish heart of man , must be raised up to perform the most glorious act that ever any creature did ; which is an act of believing : yet says god , that thy sin may be pardoned , i will put forth my infinite power to effect it , to raise that blind , dead , sottish , carnal , wicked heart of man so full of all wickedness , to perform the greatest work that ever any creature did , for so is believing ; gods mighty power is put forth to effect this : now there is all these difficulties lying in the way , and yet mercy passes through them all to pardon sin ; surely then , that soul must needs be blessed that hath his sin pardoned ; that god sets his heart upon him so much , that rather than he will not shew mercy unto him , he will pass through all these great difficulties that lie in the way ; and truly on consideration of this , before i pass any further , there are three meditations that may be collected hence , and may come with a great deal of power upon all our souls . first , then it must needs be a great taking the name of god in vain , for any man or woman to have slight thoughts of such a mercy , as pardon of sin is , that comes through so many difficulties . secondly , this may come with power upon our hearts , if gods mercy pass through so many difficulties for the pardon of thy sin thou mayst be content to indure much difficulty in seeking for the pardon of thy sin ; thou seest what an evil sin is , and art more sensible of it than ever thou wert before ; well , thou art seeking for pardon , and thou camplainest , thou hast waited long for pardon , it may be a quarter , or half a year , or it may be twelve months , and thou hast got little assurance of pardon , and thou findest it much more difficult than thou thoughtest it would be , temptations come stronger than ever , and the devil suggests more evil thoughts than ever ; thou findest duties hard to flesh and bloud , and thou art wearied and tired with temptation , these are some difficulties ; but yet art thou about that great work of seeking pardon of sin , be contented to suffer some difficulties , yea ten times more than thou hast ; if god see good to lay it upon thee , for gods mercies pass through difficulties to pardon thy sin , and if thou get'st through , though thou meetest with difficulties , thou hast no cause to complain at all ; why should not you be willing to pass through difficulties in seeking pardon , when as gods mercies pass through many difficulties to come to thy soul ; thou art going to god , and seeking to him for mercies , and there lies many difficulties in the way ; when god was coming to thee , there lay many difficulties in the way , and yet he past through them all ; therefore thou mayst be content though thou meetest with some difficulties in seeking the pardon of thy sins . thirdly , this may make us willing to go through any services , though they be hard , if thou art in getting of pardon ; suppose god set us about some hard work that hath many difficulties in it , do not complain as if god were a hard master , when he sets you about any hard work ; for be it known unto you , thou art never set about any such hard work in all thy life for god , that hath so many difficulties in it , as the work of god in pardoning thy sin hath ; there are more difficulties when god comes to pardon thy soul for sin , than in any service whatever that cod requires of thee ; thou look'st upon the service of god , and there are many difficulties in it ; be contented , do not complain , for god past through many difficulties to pardon thy sin ; and this is another consideration , the difficulties god passes through to pardon sin , is a great argument that that soul is blessed that hath his iniquities forgiven . chap. vi. of pardoning mercy coming from the fountain of gods everlasting love. when god comes to pardon sin , it is such a mercy as comes from the fountain of gods everlasting love ; other mercies do not ; where this is not , you cannot make them evidences of gods eternal love ; if god give you health of body , good voyages at sea , and good comings in in respect of the world , you cannot draw arguments from hence , that god bears eternal love to your souls . but when he comes to pardon your sins , it is a certain evidence , that god hath set his love on thee from all eternity ; if there were a chain let down from heaven , and thou could'st take hold but of one link , it would certainly bring thee thither , both ends would come together . rom. . . here 's a chain of many links let down , and if thou canst catch hold of the link of justification , thou may'st certainly catch hold of predestination ; for all hang together : if thou art justified , then know for certain that thou art a predestinated man or woman ; whom god hath set his heart upon from all eternity to do thee good : and this is a great happiness for a poor creature , while he lives in this world , to know that god hath set his heart upon him from all eternity to do him good ; and indeed , we can never be at rest until we come to this , if thy heart be right , thou can'st not be at rest in the enjoyment of such poor fare as god casts to reprobates , thou must have other comforts than any thing the world can afford ; if thy heart be right , thou wilt never rest until thou come to know gods thoughts in his eternal purposes towards thee ; it is no nicety nor vain curiosity , for men and women to seek to know what were the thoughts of god towards them from all eternity ; it may be known , and god hath revealed it , especially in the times of the gospel , god hath opened his bosome to reveal unto his people the thoughts he had of them from all eternity ; and this makes a pardoned sinner to be so blessed ; and this is more than any malefactor can have from a prince , he may be perswaded to pardon him ; and yet even presently his heart may be as much set against him as against any man ; yet now having got his pardon , he thinks himself blessed , and goes his way : but now , when god pardons , it is not an act of a day , but such an act as god hath set his heart upon from all eternity to do it ; it is such an act as the infinite wisdom of god hath been set on work from all eternity to effect it : if a malefactor come to a prince for pardon , and the prince say , i have been setting my thoughts a work to pardon you , ever since i heard of your crime , this will bring some comfort : but what is this to the comfort god brings to the soul that he pardons ; when god comes to a soul , he does , not only pardon , he says not , soul i pardon thee : but know oh soul for thy comfort , that this is a work that my wisdom and the councils of my will , have been a contriving from all eternity , to bring about thy pardon with my own honour , and here it is for thee , take it as a fruit of my eternal councils ; therefore blessed is the man whose iniquities are forgiven , because such purposes have been taken up in gods eternal councils to effect it . chap. vii . of pardoning mercy , being a work that all the three persons in the trinity are ingaged in . blessed is the man whose iniquities are forgiven , because as there is no one thing hath taken up the heart of god more than this ; so this is a work that all the three persons in the trinity are ingaged in nothing more , god the father , son , and holy ghost ; as to instance . . for god the father , in isai . . . he challengeth this as his own glory , i even i am he that blotteth out thy transgressions for my names sake , and will not remember thy sins ; it is his prerogative , i am he , god glories in it as a peculiar , belonging to none but himself , exod. . . moses desired to see the glory of god , and god promised to make all his goodness pass before him ; and exod. . . he proclaimed , the lord , the lord god , merciful and gracious , long-suffering and abundant in goodness and truth , keeping mercy for thousands ; and then to the point in hand , forgiving iniquity , transgression and sin , here 's the glory of god ; would you have a demonstration indeed , that gods heart was set upon this as the greatest work that ever was done ? take it in this , that the very thoughts of effecting this by the death of his own son , made god very well pleas'd and delighted with his death ; surely then his heart was much set upon it ; for rather than he would not effect it , he would part with his own son : never was there such a hideous thing as the death of the son of god ; and therefore if there were any delight to be taken in it , & that god the father took delight in it ; there must be some great thing to sweeten it , such an horrid thing as the death of the son of god had need have some great thing to sweeten it ; what now sweetned this to god the father , that his own son should be put to death ? why ? nothing but this , that hereby sinners might come to be redeemed , justified and pardoned , nothing else would sweeten it to god the father , but this does , isai . . . it pleased the lord to bruise him ; and again , the pleasure of the lord shall prosper in his hand ; the scripture says , god takes no delight in the death of a sinner ; and yet god did take delight in the death of his son , it pleased god to see his son bruised : when god the father saw his son under his wrath , swetting drops of water and blood under the curse of the law , it pleased god well ; certainly then there must be some mighty thing that must sweeten this , and make the death of his own son a delightful object to him ; why ? the very thing that did it was this , that christ being made a curse , he thereby did redeem us from the curse , procur'd the pardon of our sins , and reconciled us unto god ; and this very thing sweetned the death of the son of god unto god the father , therefore the heart of god was much in it . . for christ , what was the business that brought him from the fathers bosome , made him content to take our nature upon him , to suffer , and to be a man of sorrows , so as to delight in it ? there was a kind of delight to christ in induring the wrath of god ; for with desire ( says christ ) have i desired to eat this passover , because it was the preparation to his death and sufferings of the wrath of god , in all the fruits and effects of it for the sin of man ; and when christ came to institute the sacrament of the lords supper , and to give his blood for the remission of sins , the text says , he gave thanks ; what did he give thanks for ? surely the thing for which he gave thanks for , ( upon which the supper of the lord is called the eucharist , from the greek word that signifies thanksgiving ; ) was this , that by his death remission of sins should be obtain'd : when christ was to die & suffer all the wrath of god that was due for our sins , christ blessed god & thanked god the father for it : surely there must be some great matter to sweeten it ; that he should be so affected as to bless god the father for that that cost him his life , and yet he did : mark what it is that satisfies christ for all this , isa . . . it pleased the lord to bruise him , and his soul was made an offering for sin : all was laid upon christ ; well , but what did christ look for for all this ? vers . . he shall see of the travel of his soul and shall be satisfied ; that that shall satisfie christ for all his pains , labour and sufferings , shall be to see of the travel of his soul ; what is that ? what is the travel of christs soul ? what ? why by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justifie many ; as if christ had said , this is the very thing my soul travels for , in all that i have done or suffered in all my life , that i might but bring this great business to pass , to justifie some souls , to get the sin of those poor souls that are thine elect pardoned , and their persons justified : this my soul travels for , and oh father let me but see this , the travel of my soul , and i am satisfied : christ accounted it worth all the travel of his soul , in all he did and suffered , that he might justifie some souls , as if he had said , he would have no other boon from his father but only this ; father if thou wilt but recompence all my travel with this , i shall for ever account my self that i am satisfied , and have enough : how should we be satified with christ , when christ accounts the pardon of our sins satisfaction enough ? shall christ say , notwithstanding all my sorrows , let thy sin be pardoned , and i have enough ? wilt not thou now say ; and let me have christ and i have enough ? christ says to god the father , let me have those souls pardoned , and i have enough ; oh then do thou say , let me have christ and i have enough : surely christ is enough to satisfie thee , when the pardon of thy sin is enough to satisfie him . . as the heart of god and christ , so the heart of the holy ghost is in this business too ; the great work the holy ghost hath to do in this world , and the great business for which he was sent , it is to convince poor souls of the righteousness there is to be had in christ for justification , joh. . , , . christ will send the comforter ; and first he will convince the world of sin . . of righteousness : what is that ? that is , when the spirit comes , he will clear it up unto believers , and convince them that the righteousness that they must have to stand righteous before god in , is the righteousness of christ alone ; and this is a mighty work of the spirit of god , and a work that would never have been done , had not he come to have done it ; it is such a great mystery that we should be righteous by anothers righteousnes , that it is above the reason of all men and angels ; all men and angels were never able to fathom this infinite depth , it is above their apprehensions that ever we should come to be righteous in christ , and very few yet where christ is made known , are convinced of it : those men that take up religion in a natural way , they never are convinc't of the righteousness of christ , it is a riddle and a mystery to them ; only those few souls whom god intends eternally to save , the spirit of god is sent unto them from the father and the son to clear it unto them , that the righteousness wherewith they must stand righteous before god , is the righteousness of jesus christ ; this is the great work of the spirit of god , and he comes on purpose to enlighten you in this great point , and to witness this great truth unto you , heb. . . whereof the holy ghost is a witness , for after that he had said before , this is the covenant that i will make , &c. vers . . their sins and iniquities will i remember no more , as the principal part of the covenant , and of this the holy ghost is a witness : this great truth of the forgiveness of sins the holy ghost comes to bear witness of , and seal this to thy soul , that thy sins are forgiven ; this is the great work of the holy ghost , after believing to seal up the forgiveness of sin : and this is one great reason why the holy ghost hath the title of comforter , because as he comes to convince of sin , so also to witness and seal up forgiveness of sin to the soul : and indeed , as it shews the excellency of the mercy of forgiveness , because the holy ghost is so much in it ; so the greatness of it , that must have so high a person to witness it : and indeed , the soul is not satisfied until it have this special witness of the holy ghost ; 't is true , there may be probable arguments drawn by signs of gods love unto us ; and the holy ghost may come in those signs : but besides that , there is the immediate witness of the holy ghost : to limit him to witness by signs only , is more than any man can have warrant for ; and this i say further , that all the signs of gods favour that we can have , will not satisfie the soul until there be this special work of the holy ghost sealing and witnessing the favour of god unto us ; joh. . there are many signs of gods favour in that chapter , vers . . he that is born of god doth not commit sin . and vers . . hereby we know we are of the truth , and shall assure our hearts before him ; and he that keepeth his commandemen●s , dwelleth in him , and he in him , that 's another sign , and vers . but the conclusion of all is this ; hereby we know that he abideth in us , by the spirit which he hath given us ; it is the holy ghost must convince & satisfie the soul , of gods love : many there are that would fain have their sins pardoned , and would fain have some signs of it ; and perhaps i may hereafter give some signs . but now know , that all the signs in the world will not serve to quiet the heart , but that it may return again to its former doubts , till god come to pacifie the spirit by the witness of the holy ghost ; for it is so great a matter , where once the soul understands the infinite breach made between god and it by sin , that it must needs be more than an ordinary work to assure the soul of gods reconciliation to it , and nothing can do it satisfactorily but the holy ghost ; he must come to the soul to assure it of this thing : perhaps the case of a poor soul is thus ; suppose a prisoner in goal lies bound in fetters for some great offence against his prince ; and some friend comes and tells him there is hope of pardon ; oh , says he , 't is too good news to be true ; well , another comes to the grate of the prison , and tells that he hears from the court , the king hath sealed pardons , and put such a ones name in , this is some comfort ; but yet this frees him not from fears and doubtings . but now , suppose the favourite of the prince come from the king himself , one that is of the kings bed-chamber , and one to whom the king opens his whole soul , and nothin●●he king doth but he is acquainted with it ; he comes to this poor man , and bids him be of good comfort , i come from the king , and bring you a pardon from him , shews it him , and says there it is , take it ; oh this revives his spirit , when such a special messenger is sent unto him : so in this case i may compare all signs to be like some friend or other , that goes by the grate , and speaks of the happiness of such a man that he is pardoned ; but the soul is under such blindness and fears , by reason of the guilt of sin , that god knows it is no easie matter to perswade it of pardon : but now god for the comfort of those that he intends good will unto , sends his own spirit that lies in his own bosom , and knows all his secrets , to declare the mind of god , and to say to such a soul , peace be to thee , thy sins are forgiven ; now this satisfies the soul . but it may be here objected , how may i know it is the spirit of god that witnesses , and not my own fancies or delusions of satan . i answer , as we know the sun by its own light , so we may know the spirit by its own testimony ; and though there be may some ebbs , yet it will rise again ; there is such a witnessing work of the spirit , by a kind of sweet and secret intercourse between god and the soul , whereby god over-powers all doubts and fears ; though i do not say , every one hath it in a like sensible measure ; yet this i say , when this full assurance comes , although there may be doubts and many questions before in the soul , for fear of being deluded , ( for certainly many are deceived and deluded ) yet then the spirit over-powers all doubts and fears , and witnesses to the soul it s own work : do not you say , because some are deluded with fancies , that there is no witness of the spirit ; when as there is scarce any point in the gospel the scripture speaks more about than this of the witness of the spirit : indeed they that judge of the mysteries of the gospel by humane reason , and understand no further than that reaches too , and that are little acquainted with those converses that are between god and a believing soul , they may slight this witness of the spirit ; but you must know , there is not any soul that has assurance he shall go to heaven , but it is wrought on by a high supernatural and mysterious way ; and if there were no other way to evidence this to the soul but by some signs , this would be no higher evidence than by way of reason : but we are to know , as great is the mystery of godliness , god manifested in the flesh , so also great is the mystery of godliness , god justified in the spirit ; god justified in the spirit is a great mystery , christs incarnation is a great mystery , so is a believers justification as well as christs incarnation ; so also the witness of justification is a great mystery ; and therefore i beseech you look up higher than for such signs as reason may reach unto , and beg of god to reveal this unto you , that thou may'st have the witness of the spirit of god to testifie unto thee that thy sins are pardoned . now blessed is the man , whose iniquities are forgiven , seeing god the father , son , and holy ghost is so much in it . chap. viii . of pardoning mercy being a perfect mercy . blessed is he whose iniquities are forgiven , for this mercy is a perfect mercy , that is , where god doth pardon any sinner , such a one stands as perfect before god in point of justification as abraham , isaac , jacob , or any of the prophets or righteous men that ever lived in the world : thou poor soul , man or woman , youth or servant , if god come unto thee , & pardon any of your sins , thou standest as fully justified as abraham , paul , peter , or any of the apostles and prophets ; though in sanctification thou fallest short of them , yet though art justified as perfectly as ever they were : justification is an act that is done altogether and at once , therefore a perfect work ; and this is an argument of infinite consolation to the saints of god , that the great business between god and them in point of justification is perfected ; psal . . . david prays to god that he would purge him with hysop and he should be clean , that is , that he might be cleansed by justification , by having the guilt of sin taken from his conscience by a renewed act of pardon ; and then as it follows , i shall be whiter than snow : the saints of god though they be sanctified , they are not whiter than the snow in sanctification , but in justification they are whiter than the snow ; no spot at all in them , ephes . . . christ presents his church unto himself without spot ; in point of justification every believing soul is without spot before the lord , numb . . . he hath not beheld iniquity in jacob ; that is , though god knows there is iniquity there , yet he sees is not to charge them with it , or impute it to them ; all is done away in that regard by justification : it is observable to this purpose , what we have in cant. . . thou art all fair my love , there is no spot in thee , no spot in thee ; there are spots in respect of sanctification ; yea , but in respect of justification it may be said of her , there is no spot at all in thee ; thou art all fair my love , it is the words of christ , he comes forth and says , thou art all fair my love : alas , when the believer looks upon himself , his own duties and performances , he sees nothing at all but spots , all besmear'd and bespatter'd all over ; why , though thou lookest on thy self be spotted , yet christ looks upon thee without spot , and god the father looks upon thee through christ without spot , and says , thou art all fair , there is no spot in thee ; thou thinkest it may be , that if god should make a discovery of thy heart to all thy christian friends and acquaintance , thou would'st appear so foul , that they would cast thee out of their society , and never have to do with thee more ; yet for all this , christ says , thou art all fair , there is no spot at all in thee . justification admits of no degrees , no not in heaven , thou art not more justified there than thou art here ; thou art now as perfectly justified as ever , and accepted of christ as ever : sanctification is renewed day by day , it being a work of god within us , we increase in it dayly ; but justification is a work of god without us , and so is perfected at once ; and hence then this makes a pardoned soul blessed , because pardon of sin is of such a nature , that it is a perfect work . hence then i will but touch it , here is . abundance of comfort to a pardoned soul , though thou art weak in sanctification , and it troubles thee to think , how far thou comest short of abraham's david's paul's solomon's wisdom , and job's patience ; yet this know , that thou art equal in justification with abraham , moses , david , and all the prophets ; and this may be a mighty comfort to thee against the weakness of thy sanctification . . this should be a mighty ingagement upon thy spirit ; has god made thee equal to them in justification ? how should'st thou labour to be like to them in sanctification ? think thus with thy self , is the mercy of god so rich and glorious come , though i be a poor , wicked , wretched vile sinner , that i should be made equal to the greatest saints in justification ? oh how should i labour to follow hard after them , and get as near to them as i can in point of sanctification : this argument should come with power and strength upon our hearts , to stir up all our endeavours to be like to them in point of sanctification , that are equal with them in point of justification . how should we imitate moses his meekness , david's love , paul's zeal , and job's patience . chap. ix . of pardoning mercy being an irrevocable mercy . blessed are they that have their iniquities forgiven , for it is an irrevocable mercy ; when god pardons sin , he never revokes it again ; it is true , the soul that is pardoned may afterwards commit many offences , that may provoke the displeasure of god against him , yet he shall never so provoke god , as to cause him to revoke this mercy of pardon to all eternity ; if thou art once pardoned , thou art pardoned for ever : it is not so with god in pardoning as it is with men ; a king pardons a malefactor on condition of his good behaviour afterwards ; though it is true , a believer will be more careful of offending after he is pardoned than ever before : but yet , god does not pardon me so much on condition of my good behaviour as of his free grace , therefore it abides : he does not say to a poor soul , i will pardon you , but it shall be on this condition ; that you behave your self well , and if you be found tripping in any one thing , i will recal my pardon back again : it is so with a princes pardon , a man that is pardoned for his life , if that man afterwards offend , perhaps breaks the peace , which in another man would not be so great a matter , for he could soon satisfie the law for it ; but he that goes under pardon for his life , if he break the peace , it costs him his life ; whereas another , if he strike a man , it is but an assault and battery in him ; but he that has his pardon for his life , for such a thing done by him , his pardon may be revok't again , and it may cost him his life : i hope you will not abuse this grace of god , i know not how to open it to believers but with a great deal of danger to others ; but how much danger soever it may be to others , yet it must be opened and delivered to believers ; it is gods mind that his grace should be made known unto them , he would have them to know it to the full , that his pardoning mercy is irrevocable ; and therefore a believer should not question his justification upon every failing in his sanctification , this is a dishonour to the free and rich grace of god , if on every failing we call in question that great work of the justification of our souls , either to say , or think , i indeed did hope before that god had pardoned the sins of my youth , and all my antient sins , but falling into sin again , i am afraid all is undone ; all that god hath done unto me is undone again , and i must answer for all my sins : this i confess will come upon the conscience , specially upon the committing of any new sin ; but though it do , yet if ever you have been assured of the pardon of of your sin , know , this mercy shall never be recall'd again : the foundation of god standeth sure ; and this is a fundamental mercy that always abides : therefore as we observed in cant. . . christ says , thou art all fair my love , there is no spot in thee ; but in cant. . . you shall find she was in a sleepy secure and sinful condition , as a man or woman asleep , they might do what they would with her ; men might impose what they would upon her , put her in what posture they pleased , and yet she was unsensible ; but yet in this condition her heart was awake , i sleep , but my heart waketh ; there remain'd a principle of grace alive in her : but mark what christ said , though she confest she was asleep ; yet christ says , open to me my sister , my love , my dove , my undefiled : this was spoken when the church was in a secure sinful condition ; yet this is the voyce of christ calling the church his sister , his love , his dove , his undefiled one , when she was in that secure condition ; which shews the grace of god in pardoning sin is not call'd back again : and because this is a point wherein much treasure lies , i shall a little open the irrevocableness of gods mercy in his pardoning and justifying grace ; and for this i shall give you some places of scripture , which being opened , as they will shew the greatness of the mercy ; so they will afford abundant matter of consolation and encouragement to every believing soul . the first scripture expression i shall name is in isai . . . where the lord tells his people , that he blots out their transgressions ; god seems to take much delight in this phrase , and therefore doubles it , i , even i am he that blotteth out thy transgressions for my own sake , and will not remember thy sins : now this phrase of blotting out is taken from the custom of tradesmen that have their books of accounts , wherein they enter all their debts that are owing to them by such and such men : now when these come to be paid , the debt-book is crossed or blotted out ; if any of you owe a debt , when you come to pay it , you call for the debt-book to see it crossed or blotted out , and then you assure your selves you shall never hear of it more . now you must know , that all sinners are debtors to the lord ; they are in a debt of punishment for want or failing in paying him a debt of obedience : many men by their sin run into debt with god dayly , and because god does not call for the debt presently , they think there 's nothing between god and them , but carry it as if all were well ; as many gallants run into tradesmens debt to hang fine cloaths upon their backs , and ruffle it up and down in the world , and never think of their debts till their creditors come and arrest them , and cast them into goal , and there they lie in prison , for all their ruffling it up and down in the world : just so men and women by their sin run into debt with god , and though god do not call for the debt presently , yet they are recorded in heaven ; it is as certain that every sin of any man or woman is set down in gods debt-book , as any debt you owe is set down in your creditors book : and as certainly must your debts be call'd for , and satisfaction and payment made unto god for them , as certain as any tradesman will call for payment of his debt : now this is the work of justification between god and your souls , if ye would know the nature of it . when jesus christ sees a poor soul that god the father hath given to him to save , thus run into debt , christ comes and lays down a price before god the father , to pay this debt ; and christ sees that the debt be blotted out of the book : now when god comes with pardoning mercy to a soul , god shews the debt book to a believer , and causes him to see all his debts blotted out ; and by that he certainly assures the soul his debt shall never be called for again , this is such a mercy as is irrevocable , it shall not be brought back again , the debt being once paid shall never more be call'd for ; this is the first expression , and it is a blessed one : many men that are run into debt , and are in danger every hour to have some bayliffs arrest them , they cannot look out of their doors but they are ready to fall upon them ; they would think themselves happy , if they might have any that would come and lay down all , and satisfie the debt , and that they might see the debt blotted out , they would think themselves happy indeed : well , know that it is so with god when he comes to pardon sin , the debt-book is blotted out , and all bonds cancell'd . secondly , though they be blotted out , yet they may be before gods face , and god may see them , though he will not call for them again ; therefore the scripture tells us , that god will take that course with the sins of believers as that he will cast them behind his back , and never so much as lay the debt before his face to look upon them , isai . . . thou hast cast all my sins behind thy back ; that which hezekiah spake of himself , is true of every believing soul , god casts the sins of every believer behind his back ; when a man casts a thing behind his back , he does it to that end , that he might take no farther notice of it ; but though god cast a mans sins behind his back , yet if they be not very far , he may easily turn his face and look upon them when he will : therefore mark further , thirdly , another scripture expression , psal . . . as far as the east is from the west , so far hath he removed our transgressions from us ; thus god expresseth himself , to satisfie the souls of his people , that their sins shall never be called for again ; the east and west , it is an expression to note out the utmost distance ; the east and west are so remote , that those two points can never come together ; so the sins that god has pardoned to any soul , they shall never be call'd for again . fourthly , though they be remov'd as far as the east is from the west ; yet god's eyes may look a great way off ; though those points be at so great a distance to our eyes , yet not so to the eye of god ; therefore there is another expression that may make it more full , that god will never look upon their sins again that he has once pardoned , he blots them out , he casts them behind his back , he removes them as far as the east is from the west ; and if that be not enough to satisfie thee , micah . . he will cast them into the bottom of the sea ; things that are cast into the bottom of the sea , are utterly thrown out of sight , never to be lookt for again ; well , but though god cast them into the bottom of the sea , he may think upon them . therefore fifthly , mark another expression , further to satisfie thee , god says , he will remember them no more ; they shall be so far from being thought upon , that god says he will not remember them any more ; but you will say , it is impossible for god but to remember them ; yea , but when god pardons , it shall be as irrevocable as if god did never remember them ; there are divers texts remarkable for this , isai . . . i will blot out thy transgressions , — and will not remember thy sins : i , may be not now ( thou may'st say ) but he will hereafter ; see what is said in jer. . . i will forgive their iniquity , and i will remember their sin no more ; neither now nor hereafter , i will remember their sin no more . sixthly , they shall be so forgiven , as that there shall be no more mention of them ; there shall never be the least mention of a believers sins before god , and for that see ezek. . . it is spoken of every godly man indefinitely that turns to god , and is a believer , none of his sins that he hath committed shall be mentioned unto him ; by the way , let men take heed how they upbraid the people of god for any of their former sins : perhaps you knew such a one in the times of his ignorance , and you say he was a lyar , a drunkard ; but now god has reveal'd his mercy to him in the pardon of his sin , and god says he will not mention them any more : take heed how you cast their sins , committed in the times of their ignorance , in their teeth , saying , oh you are so precise now , i knew what you were a little before ; shall the god of heaven say , he will not mention them any more ; and yet will you do it ? god will take it very ill , at your hands : this is admirable comfort to every believer , that god will not remember their sin any more ; he would have thee to remember them , to humble thy soul for them , and to renew thy repentance , but he will not remember them to upbraid thee with them , nor would he have others do it . beza speaking of himself : when he was young , he made some vain and sinful poems , which his enemies upbraided him with afterwards , and casts them in his teeth , says he , these men envy me the grace of god , because god has vouchsaf't to me his grace , they envy me , and cast in my teeth the evil that i have formerly done : oh what a comfort and priviledge is this to thee ! oh thou believing soul , though thou wer 't never so wicked and abominable before , yet i tell thee from god this day , in whose presence thou standest that he will never remember thy sin any more ; and this may be a mighty encouragement for men and women to believe and turn from all their wicked wayes , though thou hast been never so vile , abominable , and wicked : yet be it known unto thee this day , that if thou wilt come in and believe , god will never mention any of thy wickednesses more , they shall be so forgotten as they shall never be mentioned ; thou it may be , art afraid that either here in this life , or at the day of judgment all thy sins shall be charged on thee ; well , be not afraid , perhaps there are many of you that are conscious to your selves of great sins committed ; and you would give a thousand worlds to be discharged of them : oh say some , there are such and such sins committed , that are so great , that they cannot be forgiven ; i may mourn and grieve for them , but what shall i be the better ? the sins of my youth lie so heavy on me , and god and my own conscience upbraids me ; and what comfort can i have in my life , when god and my own soul upbraids me ? well , be of good comfort , and be incouraged , this day to come in and believe this blessed tidings , that where god pardons sin he will mention them no more , and he will take it very ill at the hands of any that shall mention them to upbraid thee for them . seventhly , yet further , to set forth the fulness of this mercy , when god pardons sin , they shall be so done away as that they shall not be found . jer. . . in those days , — the iniquity of israel shall be sought for , and there shall be none ; and the sins of judah , and they shall not be found ; for i will pardon them , whom i reserve ; and if i pardon them , then they shall be so done away , as that they shall not be found . yet further , the righteousness believers have in christ is called an everlasting righteousness , and therefore abides for ever , and cannot be afterwards taken away , dan. . . seventy weeks are determined — to make reconciliation for iniquity , and to bring in everlasting righteousness ; the righteousness that is put upon thy soul by christ , in the pardon of thy sin , it is an everlasting righteousness , and will abide everlastingly . yet further , heb. . . it is said , that christ by one offering , hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified , that is , justified ; justification being call'd by the name of sanctification , or them that are sanctified ; that is , set apart to be made partakers of the great blessing of the new covenant , to have a share in the blood of christ for justification ; christ by one offering has for ever perfected them that are sanctified ; therefore being perfected in justification , there is no recalling this mercy back again . once more , this mercy is set out by the typical service of the scape-goat , levit. . . on whose head they were to put all the sins of the people , all their transgressions , and all their iniquities , and send him into the wilderness , or land of forgetfulness , amongst wild beasts , never to be lookt after again ; so are the sins of all believers laid upon christ , and carried into a land of forgetfulness , and shall never come to be charged any more : so much for that particular of the irrevocableness of pardon of sin , which shews that blessed is that man or woman that hath their sins pardoned , because they shall never be recall'd again . chap. x. of pardoning mercy , being such a mercy as is denyed to the fall'n angels . blessed is the man that hath his iniquities forgiven ; for this is a mercy that god hath denyed to the fall'n angels : god in pardoning thy sin , does more for thee than he would do for those thousand thousand millions of angels ; it is a mercy that god has deny'd to those millions of angels that sinned against him : suppose a poor wretched man be guilty of treason against the king , and as he is , so a great part of the chief nobility of the land are guilty also , as well as he : but now when the king comes to look upon them , he sets his heart on this poor man ( that perhaps begg'd from door to door ) and says this poor creature shall be forgiven ; i will pass by his offence , and not only so , but advance him into high and great favour at the court , and condemns all the nobles : now if this poor man shall see all the noble men in chains , that were guilty but of one offence ; and he perhaps hath been guilty for acting in a treasonable way , , or years ; and the noble men guilty but for one offence ; and this poor wretched creature sees these noble men in chains , and knows that all they and every one of them are condemn'd to suffer most dreadful tortures , to dye a most dreadful torturing tormenting death : now what a mighty aggravation is this of the mercy of the king , that shall pardon the offence of this poor creature ; how will he stand amazed , admiring at the greatness of it ; i that am guilty of the same offence , yea more guilty than they , and that i shall be pardoned , and the chief of the nobility of the kingdom must die a most torturing tormenting death , for their offence ; what a difference hath the kings favour made between me and them : certainly this is the case for all the world , with any poor soul whose sins are pardoned ; god has done as much for thee , to the full ; the angels were the most glorious creatures that ever god made , and thou art but a poor worm in comparison of them ; they sinned against him but once , and thou art guilty of millions of transgressions , and yet god sets his heart on thee , and says , i will do great things for thee , though i pass by thousands , millions of angels ; i will magnifie my rich grace to this poor creature in pardoning his sin , and advance him to high favour , though i condemn them into everlasting chains of darkness ; now when a poor creature comes to see the infinite riches of gods grace that hath made such a difference between him and the angels : how will he stand admiring of it ? me thinks this should mightily work upon the hearts of all poor sinners , and make them to say , what shall god pass by such excellent creatures as the angels , the most excellent creatures that ever god made , and come to me a poor worm , to set his heart on me , and shew mercy to me ; oh let me pass by all the excellencies of the creatures to perform my duty unto him ; hath god past by the most excellent of his creatures that mercy might come to me ? oh let me pass by all the glories and excellencies of any thing in this world , that my soul may come in ; in a way of duty and service unto him : shall god leave the glorious angels to shew mercy to me , and to do good for me ; and shall not i leave my base lusts for him ? shall not i be content to leave any thing to serve him ? shall i satisfie any base lust , with the neglect of him ? god forbid . this is another argument , that they are blessed that have their sins pardoned , because god does that for them that he will not do for the faln angels . chap. xi . of pardoning mercy being given to a few . further , blessed is he that hath his iniquities forgiven , because it is a mercy that is given but to a little handful of the world , the whole world lies in wickedness , as carrion in a ditch , or as prisoners under the chains of guilt of sin , and yet that god should pull some of these out , that lie as in a filthy dungeon ; this is a wonderful mercy . a prince that hath many offenders , usually pardons the most , and executes the fewest ; but god usually executes the most , and pardons fewest . but how comes this to pass , seeing god is a god of more mercy than any prince ; how is it that a prince should pardon most , and execute the fewest , and god do the contrary ? answ . . because the execution of many that are guilty , answ . would be a troublesom and dangerous thing unto a prince ; he cannot do it when the most have offended : but god can easily execute thousands of thousands , and all with one word speaking . further , if a prince should execute all that offend , he answ . should have a want of his subjects : but god wants not the creatures , he has no need of us : but a prince may want his subjects , and therefore if there be any way in the world to preserve them , and keep them in any way subject to him , the prince will not destroy them . besides , the prince executes the fewest , and saves the most ; answ . because the execution of a few may be a means to bring others unto allegiance : but when god comes to execute malefactors , the execution of some cannot be a means to work good on others , especially at the great day ; 't is true , in this world god is long-suffering , and executes a few , that it may be a means to work good on others ; but how is god said to be a god of rich and glorious mercy , and yet pardons very few , and executes most ; for all the world have been in treason against him : how is it that god pardons fewest and destroys most ? i hope to give you very good reason and satisfaction , in shewing you how the infinite glory of the mercy of god appears , and yet but few are pardoned ; yea rather the more , because that few are pardoned : god would thereby manifest the more his glorious mercy . . it may well stand with the glorious riches of the mercy of god , that many are destroy'd and yet but few pardoned ; thus , because that god would have a proportion between his justice and mercy ; you say , he would have a proportion , is not be as merciful as he is just ? then there must be as many pardoned as condemned . no , if god will observe a proportion between his mercy and justice , and that he will have his justice appear as well as his mercy , then more must be damned than saved ; how does that appear ? thus ; because the glory of gods justice in damning twenty hundred , is not so much as the glory of his mercy in saving two ; you may conceive it by what is ordinarily used among men : if the king save but two men that are malefactors , he magnifies his mercy as much in that as his justice if he hang up a hundred : so if god save but two , his mercy is as much magnified as his justice in damning twenty hundred , the reason is this ; because there is something in the creature that calls for gods justice , that requires that : but there is nothing in the creature , that requires his mercy ; when god manifests his justice , he does such a work as is due to the creature ; there is something in the creature that challenges such a work from god : but when god comes to manifest mercy , there is nothing at all in us that should require such a work from god ; no , his mercy is free , altogether from himself , 't is his own work , and proceeds from his own hearts love , and nothing in us that may challenge it from him : now seeing there is that in the creature that challenges justice , and nothing at all that can require mercy ; therefore if god shew mercy but to a few , it is as great a glory to his mercy as it is to his justice , if he condemn a hundred ; but if he should save as many as he condemns , the mercy of god would be beyond all proportion to his justice , but because that cannot be , hence it is that few are saved and many damned . answer . . there are more damn'd than saved , because god would hereby manifest his mercy the more to thee that art saved ; by suffering so many others to perish : this is one end that god hath in it , that their destruction might set out the excellency of the glory of his grace to thee . when a limner would draw a scutcheon , or a picture in or , or any other curious colours , he lays the ground-work in black , and then the beauty of the other colours will thereby most appear : thou oh soul that hast thy sin pardoned , know that god lays the ground-work of thy mercy in the black dismal destruction of multitudes of ungodly sinners , he gives them their due , that that is their right ; but the ultimate aim of god in it rises to this , that their destruction may make the brightness of his glorious grace appear the more gloriously to them that are saved ; that the saints whose sins god hath pardoned , may in heaven have this argument to praise his grace so much the more , because they are cull'd out of the mass and multitude of sinners that are damn'd ; this will mightily inflame the hearts of saints in giving god glory in heaven , when they shall see so many thousands and millions of thousands cast down to eternal destruction ; that god should do this to set off the riches of his grace to them : how will this inflame their hearts in giving god glory , and this god aims at as the top of his glory that he might have a company to be the eternal objects of the riches of his grace ; and this shews the base and low account god hath of wicked men , that he lets them perish eternally , that he might magnifie the glory of his grace to saints ; what an aggravation is it of the greatness of gods mercy to saints , when he is content that so many thousands of others shall perish , that his mercy to them may more gloriously appear ? as when a prince hath a child born , that he might shew his honour to the child in solemnizing the christning of the child ; it may be thousands of oxen and sheep shall loose their lives in the solemnizing of the joy the prince hath in his child : if the solemnity of the joy the prince hath in that little infant may be the cause of thousands of creatures losing their lives , this shews the dear respect he hath to his child , or else he would never let so many creatures go to the shambles , but that he might shew his respect to his little infant : so says god , there is a handful of people that i have thoughts to do good too , to all eternity , and i have set my heart upon them ; and that i may manifest the greatness of my mercy to them , i will let thousand thousands of others perish eternally , to be but as a black ground for that glorious work , that i intend to manifest in the riches of my grace in christ in the pardoning of their sin : thus you see it is a peculiar mercy , and therefore blessed are they that have their iniquities forgiven ; for it is a mercy that is peculiar to them only . oh how ought they to bless god , that he hath call'd them out of the multitude , when he has left others to the sway of their own carnal sottish and malitious hearts to go on against the ways of grace ; and all because he will have mercy on whom he will have mercy . chap. xii . of the possibility of pardoning mercy , how it would be prised by poor souls now under wrath . further , blessed is he that hath his iniquities forgiven , because the very possibility of it to thousands of creatures now under wrath would be prised more , than ten thousand worlds , to have but a possibility of it upon any terms ; those that are now damn'd in hell , and see the stroaks of gods dreadful wrath against them for their sin , that are now swallowed up in the gulf of misery and condemnation ; if they might have but any possibility to have their sins pardoned ; how would they prise it , if such a messenger were sent from god to hell-gates to call there and to cry out , o ye damned spirits , behold a message from the almighty ; i come unto you from him , and this is the message to let you know , that there is a possibility upon some terms ( that god will require ) that your sins may be pardoned , and you delivered from that dreadful wrath you now lie under ? how would the damned spirits sing and rejoyce , and look about them to attend this message ? what acclamations would there be in hell in the mid'st of those fiery flames ? what holding up of hands and rejoycing would there be to hear of such a thing , that there is a possibility on any terms ? they would not stand to enquire what the terms were , whether hard or easie ; they would answer , let them be what they will , if there be but a possibility it is enough , thinking every one it might be he : well then , if the possibility of being saved , would be received with such joyfulness by the damned in hell ; what then is the possession of it , and glorious knowledge of it to a soul that is already pardoned , if they would all cry out , on supposition a message should be delivered of a possibility that some should be freed from hell , and have their sins pardoned ? they would all cry out , oh blessed , blessed indeed is he that shall have his sins pardoned , and be delivered from hell ! if they would give this testimony , let us give it much more ; though there be a blessed difference between their condition and yours , yet not long since there was not , it may be , for ought you know , some of them might go to church with you , sit in the same pew , and hear those sermons of the evil of sin , which now they are gone to feel , and are shut up in the bottomless pit , beyond any possibility of pardon : but this is granted to you all that are before the lord this day , in the name of god i can boldly preach this unto you , that if you come in and believe , there is a possibility , yea even for the worst of all , they may come in and be pardoned , now if the damned in hell would prise it so high , if there were a possibility for them to be pardoned , shall not you prise it as high as they ? as i remember in setting out the evil of sin , that was one thing that aggravated the sin of men above the devils , that the devils believe and tremble , and yet some men will not do so much as the devils ; so now i say , if there were but a possibility of pardon to the damned in hell , how would they rejoyce ; and shall not you rejoyce more than the damned souls in hell would ? bethink your selves , if the damned souls in hell would rejoyce , if they had a message of a possibility for them to be saved ; me thinks you should not be quiet , if you find not the same workings in your hearts as would be in theirs ; shall a poor minister be forc't to say , there is less hopes to prevail with you than if he were to preach to those in hell ? shall he say , there would be better auditors in hell than are here ? god forbid it should be so , that there should be more stirring in hell ( if they might but here of a probability of being pardoned ) than there is with you , if your hearts are not stirr'd at the hearing of this blessed doctrine of the pardon of sin ; that there would be better auditors in hell than you are , whose hearts are not stirr'd in hearing the glorious mysteries of the gospel opened , how a sinner may come to get the pardon of his sins ; god forbid it should be so . chap. xiii . of pardon of sin , being the special end of all gods ordinances . further , blessed is he that hath his iniquities forgiven , because forgiveness of sin it is the special end of all the ordinances of god ; the ordinances of god that he has appointed and set up in his church , attain their end in this blessed effect , in the forgiveness of sin ; and it is an argument their is much blessedness in pardon of sin , because those precious ordinances of christ attain their special ends in it ; there are three great ordinances i shall instance in , the word , sacraments , and discipline ; and the people of god should count themselves in a happy condition when they see those blessed ends wrought on them , which god hath appointed those ordinances to effect . . for hearing , 't is a great ordinance that christ hath appointed , when he ascended on high he gave gifts unto men ; upon christs triumphal ascension to god the father , he gave this great gift unto his church , that his church should have pastors and teachers ; which by the way , argues the horrible wickedness of those that slight pastors and teachers of his church ; because it is part of the glorious gift of christ when he ascended on high : well , did christ ordain pastors and teachers for the preaching the word ; surely it is for some great end and purpose that he hath in it , there is surely some great glory he intends to reap by it . what is the end for which christ hath set up this great ordinance ? cor. . . and all things are of god , who hath reconciled us to himself , and hath committed to us the ministry of reconciliation . ministers of the word are ministers of reconciliation that god hath given to his people : what is that ? read the next verse , to wit , that god was in christ reconciling the world unto himself , not imputing their tresp●sses unto them : now then , there is a word of reconciliation , and this is committed unto us , god hath appointed that we should have this word of reconciliation to convey it unto you ; what is this ? to wit , that god was in christ reconciling the world unto himself , not imputing their sins ; so then forgiveness of sin is the end of this doctrine of reconciliation , that there should be forgiveness and pardon of sin to poor souls in and through christ jesus ; so that this shews the great scope of this ordinance , and the end of it , to wit , forgiveness of sin : therefore no wonder we stick in this point , because the great business we have to do , is to declare the ministry of reconciliation , when a minister is about that , he is about the work that god hath appointed him to do ; all other doctrines are but to make way for this , and to teach people how to walk worthy of it ; and this is the only taking doctrine to all those that god hath appointed this mercy too , though we as ministers of christ preach against the vanities and profits of this world ; but this is not the main thing , not the right method of preaching to work upon the hearts of people , nor the great end of christs ascention , he did not give gifts principally for these things , but that men should be able to reveal the great doctrine of pardon of sin : ministers need not keep a stir to get esteem and love , and to make themselves honourable among the people ; if they did but apply themselves to preach this great doctrine god hath set them about , that god was in christ reconciling the world unto himself not imputing their sins , they cannot but gain honour in the hearts of those that god hath appointed this mercy too ; ( many complain they want respect and honour , let them take pains in this doctrine , and they cannot choose but they must get honour , if once this word of reconciliation take hold on any mans heart by faith and repentance ; let men speak against such a minister never so much , say what they will of him , ) his heart will not be taken off from him , but will be ready to answer as the poor blind man did the scribes and pharisees who raised on christ , joh. . . saying , give glory to god ; but we know this man is a sinner : he answered whether he be a sinner or no , i know not ; one thing i know , that whereas i was blind , now i see , be it was that opened my eyes ; thus he answered their slander : and so when others clamour against a minister , and speak evil of them , that soul that hath his eyes opened , he will say , i am sure god hath done great things for me by him : he hath shew'd me the evil of sin , and the sad condition i was in by nature , and he hath revealed to me the exceeding riches of the mercy and grace of god , and my soul hath sound it so , god hath come to my soul in his preaching : now such a ministry as this will certainly ingage the hearts of people to them ; 't is not the man so much as christ in the man , and this is the end of our ministry , not to tell this or that conceit or story , but to shew you the riches of the grace of god in the pardon of sin , and the justification of your souls through christ jesus , your acceptation and reconciliation through him , this is the first ordinance . . the sacraments , for what purpose hath christ ordained them ? the main end for which they were ordained is for sealing , in the supper is sealed up gods mercy in the pardon of sin , matth. . christ tells his disciples , the cup is the blood of the new testament which is shed for many for the remission of sin ; as if christ had said , this is the great ordinance to seal unto people the pardon of their sins : brethren , the king does not use to set his broad seal to trifles and toys , and fancies , but unto things of great concernment and consequence , they must be such that shall have the broad seal : so here , because pardon of sin is such a blessed thing , the broad seal of heaven is ordained to seal it ; and when the sacrament is administred rightly , it is no other but the broad seal of heaven to seal up the pardon of thy sin ; and so should men and women come to receive the sacrament , they should think this day is a sealing-day ; as in courts of justice they have their sealing-days , and 't is usually said , such a day is a sealing-day , so a sacrament day is a sealing-day , sealing up to you the the great blessedness of forgiveness of sin ; a soul thinks thus , i am a poor wretched vile sinner before the lord , woe unto me ; thus and thus have i done , woe is me . but i have heard of the riches of gods grace in pardoning my sin ; and this day god calls me to come in , and have the pardon of my sin sealed with the broad seal of heaven , that my soul may be assured , and i may go away in peace , and be comforted and quieted in the great business that lies upon me , those sins of mine that have so grated on my conscience , and for which i have had dreadful apprehensions of the clouds of gods displeasure hanging over my head ; this day i am to go to have the sealing of a pardon of them all : thus should men and women come to the sacrament with such thoughts upon their hearts , as an ordinance appointed and ordained by christ for the sealing up the pardon of their sins . . the third ordinance is the ordinance of discipline , whose sins soever you remit they are remitted , joh. . . and those who are cast out of the church , and then received in again , find it to be an ordinance of christ , to assure them of remission of their sins . it casts out those that are scandalous , and when they repent it receives them in again , and thereby assures them of the pardon of their sins . a transition to the application . having done with the explication , if you would run over and make some recollection of what has bin delivered of the glorious blessedness of this mercy of forgiveness of sins , you might see the effects following thereupon . i have shew'd you the abundant grace of god that is declared in the forgiveness of sin . i have shew'd you the many mysteries that there are in it , and that it is an inlet to many other mercies ; i have shewed you the great difficulties it passes through , and how much the heart of god the father , son , and holy ghost , was in this mercy ; i shewed you , it was a perfect and an irrevocable mercy , a mercy denyed to angels , and shewed but to a few of mankind , compared to those that are past by ; i have shewed , it is a mercy , the very possibility of it would make the damned to rejoyce , and it is a mercy , that is the end of all ordinances : and now having come to some period of the explication , methinks that scripture comes presently into my mind , that notable place in rom. . . if these things be so , if god thus gloriously appear , in the riches of his grace for the pardon of sin ; what shall we then say to these things ? the apostle after he had spent some time in opening the doctrine of free justification , for the working it upon the heart of the romans , and his own heart too , says , what shall we say to these things ? the holy apostle stood as a man amazed at the wonderful richness of the grace of god in pardoning of sin ; in the verse before , having said , moreover , whom he did predestinate them he called , and whom he called , them he justified ; and whom he justified , them he also glorified : and having spoken much to the point of justification in this chapter , he concludes at vers . . now what shall we say to those things ? as if he had said , lord , how does thy glory appear in the justification of a sinner , and pardoning his sin through jesus christ ? that we cannot but stand amazed at the greatness of thy glory appearing herein ! that we know not what to say , there is so much of thy glorious grace appears , that our mouths are stopped ; what shall we say to these things ? so now , after we have heard of these glorious things , of the glorious revelation of the grace of god in and through his son , working in such a glorious and mysterious way of godliness for the justifying of a sinner , and pardoning of his sin ; if we could now sit down as men and women amazed and astonished , as having our hearts so fill'd with the glory of these things , as being not able to express our selves , but even sit down amazed at the brightness of the glory of them ; it would be an excellent fruit of our attendance in hearing those things , we should sanctifie the name of god in it ; and t' would be very happy for us ; but if not while we are here together , yet , get into your closets , and look into this mystery of godliness , and recollect what you can of that which you have heard ; and let this consideration lie warm upon your hearts and thoughts : o lord ! what shall we say to these things ? that god should have such thoughts of such mercy and grace in the pardon of sin , as we have heard ; what shall we say to it ? and though for the present your hearts be not able to express more , yet by meditation ; sure the fire will kindle , and bring forth some admirable expressions in glorifying the name of god , or in singing some psalm to his praise , or in doubbling and trebbling that blessed acclamation with the heavenly host , luk. . . glory to god in the highest , on earth peace , good will towards men ; o here is the good will of god towards poor wretched vile men ; glory be to god in the highest ; lord , what is man that thou should'st be so mindful of him ? thou hast made him a little lower than the angels ; nay , as you have heard this day , god has set him above those angels that sinned against him ; christ would not shew mercy to them , they could not be pardoned ; this is for poor sinners in the world , a generation of those that seek him , that have this great mercy of pardon and forgiveness of sin revealed to them ; what shall we say to these things ? the apostles expression may help us to make way to the application , and as i have told you we should sanctifie the name of god , in standing amazed at the wonderful grace of god that gloriously appears in the justification of a sinner , as we have opened in many particulars . and now we have many things to say in the application of these things , for the answer to that question , what shall we say to these things ? attend in the fear of god , and you shall hear in the application what shall be said to those things , you have heard in the former doctrine . chap. xiv . of the dishonour that is done by men to the pardoning grace of god by slighting of it . first , this we have to say to those things , surely if the pardon of sin be so great a mercy as you have heard , and that there is such a wonderful work of god in it ; then it must needs be a horrible and vile thing to sin against this grace that the heart of god is so much in ; to dishonour this great work of god must needs be a very vile and horrible thing : and this hath been my intention , my very plot , as to set forth the greatness of the grace of god in the mercy of forgiveness ; so also to keep you from sinning against this grace . if he be blessed upon whom such a great and glorious work of god is wrought in forgiveness of sin ; then it must needs be a most horrible and dreadful thing for any man or woman to sin against this grace of god ; and horrible to dishonour such a great work of god as this is . but who are they that dishonour this great work of god ? or how many wayes may we be guilty in sinning against this great mercy of god in forgiveness of sin ? i shall shew first who they be that cast dishonour on this great work of god ; and secondly , shew the greatness of the sin , what a dangerous thing it is to sin against this great work of god in pardoning sin . first , they sin against this great work of god in pardoning sin that are altogether careless , who little or nothing mind it , or scarce spend any time about it : there are a generation of men and women in the world , that have sin and guilt enough upon their spirits , yet they scarce ever call to mind , or question what are the terms between god and their own souls , how things stand between god and them ? what god hath to charge them withal ? whether god hath any thing against them , yea or no ? how few of you now this morning that are come into the presence of god , have had your thoughts working thus ? o my soul how is it with thee ? how does matters stand betwixt god and thee ? what guilt is it thou hast upon thy spirit ? what hath divine justice to charge thee withal ? conscience speak freely and fully : what is there in heaven against me ? is there any thing upon record that i am charg'd withal ? how is it between god and me ? o what strangers are most men unto such thoughts as these ! but go on in a sleepy , secure , and dead hearted way , either they believe there is no guilt at all upon their spirits , or no great evil in that guilt , or else think 't is no great matter for god to pardon ; you are very solicitous for the flesh , what you shall eat and drink , and what you shall put on ; and for your estates , how to get and increase in the world : but to make up the records between god and your souls , to get them discharg'd , and the records of heaven cancell'd that are against you : o how seldom do these things take up your thoughts ? know you that are of such careless spirits about this great matter of pardon of sin , that it is a great aggravation of your sin , that you are so careless about that great work of god in pardoning sin , you are careless and spend but a few thoughts about that ; that hath ( as i may so speak with holy reverence ) taken up the heart of the infinite god from all eternity : certainly , there is not any in the world , not any of the works of god towards his creatures hath taken up the thoughts and heart of god so much as this one work of the pardon of sin , & yet your thoughts are not taken up with it , you little mind it : certainly there is a great disproportion between your thoughts and gods ; whereas those that are godly , should labour to work as god works ; and those things that hath taken up the heart of god , should take up their hearts ; whereas those things that are even unworthy of an immortal soul take up your thoughts , and those objects that take up the thoughts & heart of god about pardoning sin , your own consciences can tell you is very little in your thoughts and hearts : certainly my brethren , were the thoughts of men and women taken up about this serious and great business of getting pardon of their sin , it would prevent and cure them of thousands of other vain , slight , foolish and wicked thoughts ; there are , i suppose , many of you begin to be sensible of sin , and of the base wandring , filthy , unclean , and wicked thoughts of your hearts ; and you say , o that we could but help our selves against these wandring , vile and wicked thoughts ; surely this would be a great help , if you would get your thoughts possest with serious subjects , it would have a great deal of waight in it , to help you against those light and vain things your thoughts work about . now of all subjects in the world , this is the most serious about the grace of god ; how his infinite wisdom hath wrought to reconcile himself to your souls , in the bringing about the pardon of sin , and making peace between himself and the children of men . now if you would take up your thoughts about the great business of getting pardon of your sins , it would take off your thoughts from other things : suppose a man have a vain , slight , wandering , foolish heart ; yet if he were condemned to die some dreadful tormenting death , his thoughts would quickly be taken off from other things , and taken up about using means ; if there were any possibility to deliver himself from death ; jerom in one of his epistles hath this relation of one that was troubled with vile thoughts , and he , that he complained unto had this device , i name it not to approve it , but he had this device , he brought the man to have a charge of a crime laid against him , and caused him to be brought before a judge , and put into prison , and afterwards he came to him , and askt him , how is it now with you ? does your vain thoughts still abide with you as they were wont to do ? he gave him this answer , says he , i cannot live , and what shall i now think of uncleanness and fornication ? i am in danger of my life , and i have now no time to think of such things ; and that help't and cured his thoughts : from this we may see , that if a soul was possest of the evil of sin , and the danger of condemnation , the necessity and great consequence of a pardon ; what a mighty means would it be to take off your thoughts from other things , and turn them upon this ; and certainly , who ever you are , whose thoughts are not mightily taken up about this great subject of the pardon of your sins , you take the name of god in vain , and do not sanctifie him in this great work of his ; and know this , you that spend your days sleeping in security , your damnation sleeps and slumbers not ; and until your sin be pardoned , the infinite justice of god is working your doom , for the full satisfaction of it , that is the first thing they dishonour god that go on in secure courses without minding such a great thing as the pardon of sin is . secondly , others dishonour god , who in stead of making it their great business in this world to get their sin pardoned , they make it their great work to increase the guilt of sin , by heaping up more and more guilt and so make the flame greater , and add to it continually ; you would think it a very unreasonable and desperate thing in a man , that being condemn'd to some grievous and dreadful death , yet there being a pardon propounded , and some possibility of it , and a friend for this very end get a reprieval of the king for two or three days , that he might have time to sue out his pardon ; suppose such a thing : now then , if this man in this time of reprieval that is given for this very end , to seek a pardon , should call for good cheer and musick , merriment and sporting , and not only so , but fall into railing against the prince , increase his guilt , and provoke the prince more and more against him ; would not every man say , this man is worthy of the greatest extream tormentingest death that could be devised ? nay , i suppose , should you hear of such an one condemn'd to die , and had his life given him for this very end , you would think , surely this man will spend these days in another manner than ever he spent his time before : you that would think so of such a man , it may be some of you , before the lord this day , are guilty of the same evil , for this is a certain truth , that all the men in the world have been condemn'd to eternal death , and all the time of your life is given you for this very end , a few days that god gives you for this very purpose , meerly that you might have a little liberty to sue out your pardon , and make up your peace with god : o that men and women would but understand this , what they live for , that all the time of their lives is given them to make up their peace with god ; you are to know it is given for this end , meerly as a malefactor hath a reprieve to get his pardon ; this is your very condition , you stand before the lord guilty of eternal death , but god in his patience and long-sufferance gives you a few days to live to sue out your pardon , and if you let this time slip , and these days be gone , i profess to you this day , before the lord , that mercy it self shall never save you ; i would but know of many of you , how you spend these days ? you are not certain of one day , it may be not an hour ; do you spend these days in making it the great business and work of your souls to sue out a pardon ? let me speak to you , and o that you would speak it in secret between god and your own souls , and that you would answer in the name of god every soul present , to this question , soul hast thou made it the great work and business of thy life , above all things in the world , to sue out thy pardon , and seek for reconciliation with thy god , and a discharge of thy sins ? i verily fear that many of you that hear me this day , if we could but hear conscience speak , would answer , what ? i make it the great work and business of my life to sue out a pardon , god knows it hath been the great work and business of my life to increase my guilt ; there is not a day goes over my head , but i have brought more guilt upon my self by wicked oaths , taking gods name in vain , neglecting his worship , abusing of his creatures , perhaps by drunkenness or uncleanness ; methinks your consciences might misgive you , when you are so far from making it the great business of your lives to sue for pardon , that you make it your great work to encrease your guilt ; dost thou think ever to get pardon of thy sin , so long as thou goest on to encrease thy guilt , and make thy self more vile ? the lives of many people are such in a course of wickedness , that it bespeaks them that either they are resolved to perish eternally in their sin , or else to make it to be as great a burden to the mercy of god as can be in the pardoning of their sin ; if it be so mighty a work of god to pardon sin , observe what i say ; it follows from the point wherein i opened the wonderful work of god in pardoning any one sin ; think thus , is it so great a work of god to pardon one sin ? shall i go on then to add sin unto sin to make the work greater ? friend , if god pardon but one sin in thought that thou hast been guilty of in all thy life , it would be a work that would yield thee matter of praise to all eternity ; and wilt thou be so desperate then as to add sin unto sin ? as suppose a man had some grievous disease , and it would be the strangest work to cure him that ever was wrought since the earth and heavens were made , if this man should go on by intemperate courses , to increase the malignity and venom of it day by day more and more ; what a desperate thing would this be esteemed in him , especially if he were in a possibility of cure ; yea , and perhaps he could tell others , that there is some possibility , and yet he goes on to encrease the malignity more and more ; how would every one think this mans courses unreasonable ? o that we would consider of the unreasonableness of the dealings of men with god ; men are ashamed to be unreasonable in their dealings with men , but in their dealings with god , they are as unreasonable as can be imagined ; you are guilty of many sins , have you hope to be forgiven , yes , you will say , you have hope ; have you hope ? if god deliver you from any of your sins , he must do such a work as is greater than the making of heaven and earth ; what do you then to encrease your sin , when it is so great a work to pardon your sin : o! the horrible wickedness of men and women to increase their sin , josh . . . i may allude unto it , and it is an argument of great force , is the iniquity of peor too little , from which we are not cleansed to this day ? so i may say to sinners going on in their sins ; is the iniquity of peor too little , from which you are not cleansed to this day ? what , is the iniquity of your youth too little that you committed , and mispent your time when you were prentice , or lived in such and such a family ? is that sin too little to magnifie the grace of god in pardoning of it , but that you must add more and more unto it , as if you would tempt god to try and see whether god would extend his mercy further and further ? we tell you in the name of god , and say to you , the sins you have committed already are so grievous , that it must needs be a wonderful work of god to forgive them ; and what , must you needs add more and more , and tempt god to extend his mercy further ? take heed of tempting god to extend his mercy further , for though god may be pleased to extend his mercy thus far ; who shall prescribe god how far he shall go ? who can tell but that the thoughts of god towards thee are thus , that he will go thus far to pardon thee , but if thou go on in sin , who can tell whether he will go on to pardon further ? 't is true , when god comes to pardon , he will do them all away ; but know thou that goest on to increase the guilt of thy sin , thou may'st find it , as many thousands have found it a mighty hard thing , which hath cost them much anguish and distress of spirit , to get the pardon of their sin sealed in the court of conscience , though it was sealed before in heaven ; o the anguish of spirit it hath cost them ! and dost thou still go on to heap up more and more sin , as if the pardon of thy sin was nothing ? there is a great deal of reason in this , to cry to sinners to stop in the course of sin ; for thou hast gone on enough already , go no further , that 's a second abuse of the mercy of god in pardoning sin . thirdly , they abuse the mercy of god that have extream slight thoughts of pardon of sin , that think to have it at any time , when they will , 't is but repenting ; as it was said of lewis the xith , king of france , that he wore a crusifix in his hat , and when he had committed a sin , it was but taking it down and kissing of it , and all was well again , so many idolatrous papists , they have as slight thoughts of pardon of sin as can be , if they commit a sin , they make no more of it , but go to a priest to shrieve them , or kneel before a crucifix and knock their breast , which is a thing soon done , and all 's well again ; certainly 't is a great dishonour to god , for any man to have slight thoughts of the pardon of sin : it is such a work as if ever any thing put god to it ( as i may say ) to pardon sin , and yet to salve his justice , it was this work ; and certainly , if ever god have love to thee , thou wilt change thy thoughts about this ; and certainly , the slight thoughts men have about this , is the cause many times why they are held so long under the spirit of bondage ; when god begins to work upon them , and stirs the conscience , and lays the guilt of sin home upon it : how long are they before they can have any assurance of pardon ? and in just judgment it is so , because they had slight thoughts before of the pardon of sin . i remember it is storied of pompey , when one of his captains came to him , and told him he wanted men ; says he , i can but stamp my foot upon the ground and bring forth so many men presently ; but when the enemy came , this captain came to him again , and said , where 's your men now ; but then he could not get them when he was in distress and had great need of them ; as many think they can do great things with a word speaking , as if all must be at their beck presently , but when they come to it , they fail and find it otherwise ; so many make it a small matter to get pardon of sin , they think to do it with a lord have mercy upon us , at their death-bed , or the like ; but when they come to it indeed , god makes them to know , it is the greatest business that ever they had to do in , in all their lives ; there is nothing that god is so jealous of as his honour , and specially about this great work , and certainly , were it not that god is very jealous of his honour , and would cure the slight thoughts that men have of this great work ; there needs never be so much humiliation and workings of the spirit of bondage ; and certainly , did we but know the greatness of this work , how would sinners snatch at any opportunity or hint of gods favour appearing to them ? they would do as the servants of benhadad , king. . . diligently observe if any thing would come from him , and hastily catch at it , they watched that if any thing did come from him , that did make any way to that which they sought after , and did hastily catch at it ; so , did a soul understand the pardon of sin , what a great work it is , he would be so far from having slight thoughts of it , that he would come cloath'd in sackcloath , and every sermon would be watching and enquiring , what hath god spoke any word to my soul or no ? and if any word fall from a minister concerning this great business , such a soul would catch greedily at it , and lose no opportunity to imbrace it , psal . . is very remarkable to this purpose , david found it a very hard thing to get pardon of his own sin , vers . . and he acknowledged it , and god forgave him , vers . . what follows ? vers . . for this shall every man that is godly pray unto thee in a time when thou may'st be found ; as if david in this language spake thus , o all you poor sinners , that sin against god , think it an easie matter to get pardon of sin ; know , i have found it otherwise , it cost me dear before i could get assurance of pardon ; and therefore for this cause let every one that is acquainted with the ways of god , seek to god in due time , and not put it off from time to time , for the business is not so slight to put it off : many abuse the example of david , and think because he sinned , they may take liberty to sin , but they consider not what abundance of sorrow it cost him to get his pardon ; it cost him so much as that he tells them , for this cause every one shall seek god in due time : many think they may put it off till any time ; but mark what david says , for this cause every man that is godly shall seek thee in a time when thou may'st be found ; he does not say , i have found mercy in the pardoning of my great sins , and for this cause men shall be bold to put it off to any time ; no , but for this cause those that are godly , and have any acquaintance in the wayes of god , will seek god in a time that he may be found ; and if those that are godly , that have sin pardoned in the court of heaven , find so hard a matter of it to get it pardoned in their own consciences ; how does it concern thee that perhaps hast thy sin neither pardoned in the court of heaven , nor in thy own conscience , but art in the gall of bitterness and bond of iniquity , how concerns it thee to look to it ? that is a third sort that abuse the mercy of god in having slight thoughts of the pardon of sin . fourthly , those that seek for pardon but are unsensible of the greatness of the work of god in pardoning , they do not put it off , but seek it for the present , but how ? with extream unsensibleness ; they do not come before god with brokenness , trouble and contrition of spirit in seeking after pardon of sin ; many they repeat of their sins before god , and have a gift of prayer ; it is that which would make a mans heart to tremble , to consider how many have a great gift in prayer , and will be praying half an hour , and will repeat abundance of their sins , make catalogues , and tell large stories of their sins , bring in all the aggravations against them for their sins ; judge themselves , and speak mighty words against themselves for their sins , and yet all this while , god knows with a desperate , dull , dead and sensless heart for their sins ; it may be others that joyn with them , their hearts are broken with their expressions , and yet in the mean time thy conscience may tell thee , thy heart is desperately hard before god , and not sensible at all of what thou speakest ; thou wer 't putting up petitions to god , and yet with as dull and senseless a spirit , as if thou wer 't speaking of a matter of no consequence at all ; this is a high degree of taking the blessed name of god in vain ; for we are to know , the name of god in forgiveness of sin is a most glorious name , and we had need to take heed how we speak to god in this business , that we take not his name in vain , for he will not hold him guiltless that takes his name in vain ; we had need to look to the sanctifying of gods name in this thing : many a man will think it of himself , that to swear and blaspheme is a taking of the name of god in vain ; and why is it so ? because it is a sin against the d commandment , thou shalt not take the name of thy god in vain , &c. for my part i cannot but think that to make large confessions of sin , and yet with a sensless dead heart , is a high degree of taking the name of god in vain ; ( mistake me not , if thy heart be sensible of thy unsensibleness , thou art not of those that take the name of god in vain ; god accepts of this , it is the rational part of the soul that is taken with this , and this is pleasing to him , though thou canst not bring the sensitive part of the soul up to this thing ; but i speak it of those that have got a formality in crying and confessing of their sins , and yet are unsensible of them ; yea , it may be , glory in this , that they can in the church thus speak of their sins , and have such expressions before the lord ; take heed of this , if you would shew your parts and abilities , let it be in something else , and not to come before the holy god ; and before others in a holy duty to vent your parts and abilities there : it is a dangerous thing for any to meddle so in this kind , heb. . . as he says there , without shedding of blood there is no remission ; so i may say without the blood of thy heart , without the bleeding of thy heart there is no remission , or at least a being sensible of thy unsensibleness ; if thou can'st not mourn then mourn that thou can'st not mourn , be sensible of thy unsensibleness , and then god may accept of thee ; but otherwise without this kind of blood there is no remission ; that is to sanctifie the name of god , consider this note , it may be of use many ways , that is , to sanctifie the name of god , when there comes to be in my heart a disposition sutable to the work of god i have to deal withal ; sutable to the manifestation of god in that thing i have to deal with god in : if any ask , what is it to sanctifie gods name , i would answer thus ; to sanctifie gods name in any thing , it is to labour to get an answerable disposition to that thing that i have to deal with god in ; when i am to deal with god in any work , according to that work i must have a disposition in my heart sutable to it ; as to instance , i sanctifie gods name in prayer , when i speak of gods glorious attributes and titles then , when there is an answerable disposition in my heart to those glorious titles that i speak of ; so i sanctifie gods name when i confess my sin before god the judge of all the world , in having an answerable disposition in my heart sutable to this judge ; and then i sanctifie gods name in seeking pardon of sin , when i have an answerable disposition in my heart to the greatness of the work of god in pardoning sin ; therefore all of you must be careful , when you intreat god to pardon sin , to intreat him also to sanctifie his name ; how is that ? intreat god to manifest that glorious work to your souls , and then labour to get your hearts into an answerable disposition sutable to that great work ; you that go to god every day in seeking pardon of sin ; have you been apprehensive of the greatness of it ; hath god shewed you the greatness of his work in it ? or further , since the time that you have heard of the greatness of the work ; have you been casting in your souls how to get an answerable disposition sutable to these divine truths ? certainly , so far as you are wanting in that , so far you art short of sanctifying gods name ; and for time to come , this must be the great work of your souls , to get answerable dispositions in seeking pardon of sin , that may be sutable to the great work of god in it ; if one that comes to seek to you , to petition you to remove some evil one that hath offended you , if he come slightly , you will say , you must come after another manner ; shall a poor man or woman expect such a kind of coming from a child , servant , or inferiour ; and yet shall he or she go in a sensless way to god in seeking pardon of sin , and think to obtain it thus ? you go about it unsensibly , and your hearts are not stirr'd , but when christ came he was sensible of it , in seeking to god about this business , heb. . . — in the days of his flesh , observe , christ in the days of his flesh , did offer up prayers and supplications ; how ? with strong cryings and tears , what ? shall christ be so sensible of the waight and burden of sin , when he was to suffer , that he should seek the father with such prayers ? if he had said but one word , it had been a prayer ; but he sought him with prayers , and prayers with cries and supplications ; and not only so , but with strong cries and tears : let thy heart be rebuked this day for the senslessness of it , in going to god in such a slight manner in seeking pardon of thy sins . fifthly , those are to be rebuked that in seeking pardon of sin , d● indeed but dally with god and triffle with him ; they are not at all serious in it ; whereas if there be any business in the world , wherein we had need to be serious , 't is in this ? but you will say , who are they ? there are four or five sorts that do but dally with god in seeking pardon of sin . . those that cry , and seem to be very earnest with god in crying to him for pardon , and yet still continue in love to their sins , and abide in the practice of them in an ordinary course and way ; i do not speak of those that seek truly for the pardon of their sins , and yet may sometimes be overtaken with them agen ; but i speak of the common course of people ; they come to god and intreat him to forgive them , and yet continue still in them , i speak not of those that are sensless in the acts of confession of their sins , but of those that cry mightily unto god for pardon , and yet live in the practice of those sins they cry to god for pardon of : as for instance , consider every one of you what sins have been in your course of life ; i put this to you , either you have prayed to god to forgive them , or you have not prayed ; if you have not prayed , then you are most horrible atheists ; but i thank god , i pray every day : well , you pray to god for forgiveness of sin , and yet live in it dayly : o how do people thus dally with god ; pray against sin , and yet commit sin , and fall to it again ; pray again , and commit it again , and this is the very way that many people take ; they draw out the thread of their lives , and spend out their day of salvation in trifling with god ; they pray that god would be merciful to them in forgiving their sin , and yet go on to commit sin ; they do not think what a strong ingagement against sin praying is ; i beseech you note it , every one of you that pray against any sin , every prayer thou makest for pardon of sin , is a mighty strong ingagement from god to you to take heed of sin afterwards , may be you have not thought of this ; you say , you pray every morning , consider what you do ; if you have any care of your souls , you will not rest meerly in such a form as your fathers and mothers have taught you ; but if you have any care of your souls , you will consider in prayer to god , and say , lord i am guilty of such and such sins , such sins my nature is most prone unto , and such sins i have lately committed ; well , i will humble my soul before god in prayer , and intreat god to forgive me ; 't is not prayer to mumble over a few words , this is to prate and not to pray : but when you solemnly set your selves to examine your own hearts what you are guilty of , and protest against your sins solemnly in the presence of god , and say , lord this and this particular sin i am guilty of ; lord i was drawn to such and such sins the day before in such and such company , o lord forgive my sin , and forgive me these and these particular sins ; this is the way to seek pardon of sin aright : do you do so ? this will be a mighty bond upon your hearts to think thus within your selves ; lord , what have i been setting my self solemnly in the presence of the almighty to confess my sins , and prayed him to forgive them ; what care have i need to take that i fall not into the same sin again ? thou that hast come this day , and confest and prayed against thy sin , do not fall into it again ; you that are apt to break out into passion , when you find your selves begin to wax hot , if you would but take so much liberty as to bethink your selves , that you have been praying to god this morning to forgive such a passion : it would be of mighty concernment to help you from going on in passion , or any other sin , to consider that you have been praying to god for pardon and forgiveness of it ; you that do not consider this , but confess your sins in the morning , and then go on again to commit sin ; you make more work for the next time : you come to confess sin , as in solemn days of humiliation , men will rip up all their sins , but before another day come , they have made work for another and another day ; and this is the reason when men come to confess their sins before god , of their trifling with him and were it not that god is a god of infinite patience , he could not bear it ; might not he say to you , you came seven years ago , and told me of your pride , passion , earthly-mindedness , and the like ; and do you now come and tell me the same again ? were not god infinitely patient , he could never bear this dallying with him , for the truth is , it is nothing else but infinite dallying with god , jer. . . wilt thou not from this time cry unto me , my father , thou art the guide of my youth ? they seem'd to cry to god ; o thou art my father and the guide of my youth , there are but these words named , but it is like they opened their sins before god , and cryed for mercy : o says god unto them , thou hast sp●ken , and cryed out of the anger of mine that is gone out against you for your sins , and yet thou hast spoken and done evil as thou could'st ; this is an evil thing , and heavy to be laid to the charge of any man , to confess sin , and pray for pardon , and yet commit it again ; know this day you that have been confessing sin , and yet go on in sin ; know this thing , i tell you it is but dallying with god : many men and women do ravel out their prayers this way ; they make excellent prayers , and when they have done they ravel all again by falling into the same sin . . a second sort are those that seek earnestly the pardon of some sins , and yet still keep the love of some other sin , and yet think to obtain pardon of them , this is but dallying and trifling with god about this business ; you never set your selves yet seriously about it ; when you cry against some sins that are against the light of nature , and it may be your consciences fly in your faces , and the word of god hath stricken you for them ; but there is some other secret haunts of villanies , that your hearts close withal , and yet you think to obtain of god forgiveness of the other , and go on there : o thou vain soul , thou vain man , know that though thou should'st cry thy heart out for the forgiveness of one or more sins , yet if thy heart secretly close with some other sin that thou hast secret haunts after , the bonds of the guilt of that sin will hold thy soul in chains eternally ; except thy soul be rent from that sin as well as from any other , thou understandest not the way of god in the dispensing of his grace to the soul , if thou thinkest god will pardon some sins , and give thee liberty in others : thou sottish soul , know that when thou goest to god for pardon of sin , thou must go with a heart resigned up from every sin , or else thou losest all thy labour , and art held in the chains of them all . . those that never look after their prayers to call it into question what answer they have had ; i have prayed to god , but have i got any answer in my own heart , or hath god come in , in any ordinance , and sealed to me my pardon ; thus the soul should look after pardon in prayer , and all other means ; many pray , but never look after their prayers whether god hear or no , psal . , . i will hear and hearken what the lord god will speak ; thus the psalmist , and thus it would be with thee , if thou did'st not dally with god ; after thou hast cryed for pardon , thou would'st be listning at heaven gates , and looking towards god : what answer doth god give ? i have prayed and there comes no answer , the soul that sets it self in a solid and serious way to seek for pardon , will be often looking out , and remain much troubled till an answer come : many cry for pardon , but are not troubled till god give answer , they deal with god as pilate did with christ , ask't him what is truth ? but never stayed to have an answer , but went his way ; so we do but dally with god in our prayers and petitions , when we ask for forgiveness of sin , and neglect to look after an answer . . as those that look not after the answer of their prayers dally with god , so those that follow not their prayers with answerable indeavours , they petition that god would be merciful unto them ; but what are the indeavours of your souls after your petitioning ? if there be not indeavours to attend upon the means of grace that god uses to speak peace to souls in , all your prayers are nothing ; but of this i shall speak afterwards , you are to search into the covenant , and enquire after the saints what course they have taken , and what means they have used to obtain pardon . . those that pray for pardon , yet are satisfied with other things ; as thus , they pray for pardon , but if the world come in they are satisfied and quieted with that ; as a child that hath a piece of gold given him and an apple , he will be still'd with the apple ; so many men sue to god for this great work of pardon of sin , but let god give them health and accommodations in the world , they are satisfied and contented with them , and little or never seek after the pardon of their sin ; that is a fifth sort that are charged this day before the lord that do but dally with god about seeking pardon for their sins . sixthly , they that are quiet upon weak and slight evidences dishonour god ; certainly they have not those high thoughts of the mercy of god in pardoning sin , that content themselves with poor evidences about it as most do ; come to many people , and ask them , what ? you hope that god will pardon your sins ; yes we do hope , but upon the poorest evidences imaginable : those evidences they lay the waight of the pardon of their sins upon , are such broken reeds that it would make a man amazed , that understands what the worth of a poor soul is , that they should venture so great a thing on so slight a reed ; what is the reason ? because they have but slight thoughts of the forgiveness of sin : that , that a man puts a high valuation of , he will make sure ; but that which he slights , he is not so intense in ; as to instance , if one give you in payment silver , gold , and farthings , you take the farthings and do not tell them , but you tell the silver , and the gold you not only tell it , but weigh it too ; what is the reason ? because you little esteem of the brass , and so will not tell it , you more esteem the silver , and therefore tell that ; but the gold you not only tell but weigh it , because you have a greater esteem of that than the other ; this is an argument , may convince the men of the world , that their esteem of earthly things is more than of heaven and their souls ; because they labour to make earthly things more sure than the things of heaven ; a worldly man to make sure his estate will have bond upon bond , and seal upon seal , and carry his evidences to counsellors , and say , i beseech you sirs , see whether there be not some flaw in them , i shall lose all my money if there be but a crack in my evidences ; he is mighty careful of this , because he hath such a high esteem of his worldly concerns : but how does it appear that men have but poor low thoughts about the pardon of their sins , because they content themselves with such poor mean evidences ; for had they a high esteem of it , they would labour to make pardon of sin surer than any thing in the world . to wind up all , those that know what pardon of sin is ; how do they spend their time , and lay out themselves to get assurance ? take this one note , because god sees those that are his own people understand what forgiveness is , have a high esteem of it , and are very solicitous about it , he condiscends in his kindness to assure them by all sorts of ways and means ; methinks god deals with them in this manner , the poor soul stands shaking and trembling , crying our , oh! that i might have my sins forgiven , and have assurance of it ; why , says god , what way do you take to make things sure from one to another ? says you , first we give our word one to another , says god you shall have that , i give you my word ; what have you else ? secondly , say you , we cause it to be written ; well says god , you shall have it written , and this is a great mercy , the covenant of grace is written ; we have it not from hand to hand , as our fore-fathers had : what do you else require ? thirdly , you say to have witnesses ; well , says god , you shall have witnesses , in things between man and man , in the mouth of two or three witnesses every thing is established , matth. . . now god in reconciling a soul to himself , brings no less than six witnesses to confirm a believer in assurance of his grace and favour to him , joh. . , . there are three that bear record in heaven , the father , the word , and the holy ghost ; and three that bear witness on earth , the spirit , water , and blood ; three in heaven , and three on earth to assure thee of forgiveness of sin , that is a third way ; is there any other way ? yea lord : fourthly , we use not only to have a word , and this word put in writing , and witnesses affixed to it ; but we use to take an oath : well , says god , i will swear and take an oath , to make my covenant of grace sure to your souls , heb. . . when god made a promise to abraham , because he could swear by no greater , he sware by himself , and this is in the . verse , ( an admirable text of scripture ) that we might have strong consolation , who have fled for refuge to lay hold on the hope set before us ; there is hope of gods grace through the reconciliation of christ jesus , and this hope the soul runs to as to a city of refuge , when his guilt , like the persuer of blood follows him ; well , says god , this poor soul notwithstanding will have doubts of my grace ; now that it might have strong consolation , i have swore that i might make my mercy sure to such a soul , that 's a fourth way : but is there any thing else you use to make things sure between one another ? yea lord , fourthly , we put our seals to it , an oath taken may soon pass over , but a seal that abides : says god , i will do that too , i will give you seals , and there are divers sorts of seals ; there 's first the broad seal of heaven : what is that ? that is nothing else , but the very printing of the image of god on the soul , that is the broad seal of heaven . and as the broad seal of england , hath the picture or image of the king stampt upon it , so the broad seal of heaven is nothing else but the image of god stamp't or imprinted on the soul. . there is the privy seal of the holy spirit of god , which is the perswading and assuring of the soul of its interest it hath in christ and god the father . in tim. . . you have gods privy seal , the lord knows them that are his , and they having his privy seal know themselves to be the lords , cant. . . i am my beloveds , and my beloved is mine ; so paul , gal. . . being sealed with this seal , saith of christ , he loved me , and gave himself for me ; he was perswaded and assured of salvation , tim. . . rom. . , . this privy sealing is like the new name , revel . . . which no man knoweth saving he that receiveth it . and to this you shall have a third seal baptism and the supper of the lord , that is , to assure you , that the end of the sacrament is to seal up pardon of sin ; god saw that his people would be very solicitous , and therefore added all these wayes of assurance to them ; when you therefore come to the sacrament , you should come with a sense upon your souls of the great need you have of the grace of god in pardoning sin , and come to it as to a sealing-day ; you have many fears and doubts ; come so as that you may have the grace of pardon seal'd to your souls ; take heed of coming so as to have your condemation sealed : for certainly , all ordinances if they work not for that end that they are appointed , they turn to another and quite contrary ; as the word , if it be not the savour of life , it is the savour of death ; and so the sacraments , if they seal not the pardon of thy sins up unto thee , they seal up the sentence of death and condemnation ; therefore look to it , as oft as you come unworthily to the sacrament , you have so many seals of death and condemnation set upon your souls : take heed you do not come to take another seal of death ; 't is much to be feared , many in this place come to take the seal of eternal death upon their souls : but those that come worthily , though administrations be not in that due order as they should , yet god may be present with his own ordinance to give them comfort from it , and help their evidences by it ; i must conclude this , those that content themselves with slight evidences about this great work , dishonour the grace of god : you would have us preach of mercy , and indeed it is a blessed argument which our souls delight much to be preaching of , because we find so much sweetness in it , and for which our souls shall expatiate themselves in glorifying god to all eternity ; but we are withal jealous of your dishonouring of god in this mercy , and therefore it is that we labour so with you , after the laying open of this mercy , that you may not abuse it : for certainly my brethren , there is nothing in the world god takes to heart more , than the dishonour that is done to his pardoning mercy ; and nothing more aggravates the sin of people than to have slight thoughts of this great work . seventhly , this is a great dishonour to gods pardoning mercy , for men to put off the seeking of it to the worst times that possible can be ; is it not the ordinary way of most people , to put of the seeking of the grace and favour of god , pardon of sin , and reconciliation , till the time of sickness , and the time of death ? they go on all their life time in sinning against god ; but when they are lying upon their sick-beds and death-beds , lord have mercy upon me , pardon me , forgive me , a wicked wretch that i have been ; these kind of words we hear from men at that time : o that god would forgive and pardon such and such sins , and then perhaps they will tell some particular sins if they think they shall die , they will open themselves to the minister , or to some faithful neighbour in the disclosing of their particular sins , and beseech them to pray to god for mercy ; but if they have any hopes to escape , they will keep them in , and be loath to rip open the sins of their lives : this i say , for any to put off the seeking unto god for his pardoning grace till that time , it is to put a great dishonour upon god , for it is a putting of it off to the worst time that possible can be . and that makes much to the dishonour of god : for first , those men seek pardon of sin , when sin is leaving them , or they must leave sin whether they will or no ; when you have served your own turn of sin , after you have had as much supposed pleasure as you can , then you think to be delivered from the guilt and punishment of sin ; what is there but a meer selfish spirit in seeking god now , and god sees it so ; it is not seeking after pardon of sin that you may honour god in his infinite grace , for then you would seek after it now , and the honour of god would be dear to you now ; but you seek it at such a time meerly out of respect to your selves , this is a great dishonour to god , it is the first born of gods glory to pardon sin ; and for god to see men and women have no higher ends in seeking pardoning grace , but meerly to save their own skins ; how may god look upon them with disdain ? what shall i magnifie the riches of my grace so wonderfully in this work of my pardoning mercy ? and shall my creatures seek after it for no other end , nor higher aims , but meerly to save their own skins ? you bring down the grace of god , that that is the top of his infinite majesty and glory you put to a low and base end ; therefore put not off seeking it to the last , 't is a great dishonour to his grace . . it is the worst time , because you come to seek after pardoning grace when it is the time of gods wrath , prov. . . the time of affliction , and trouble , sickness , and death , is call'd the day of wrath ; riches avail not in the day of gods wrath ; riches avail for comfort at present , but in the day of wrath they will not : god hath his day of affliction , and his day of wrath , he hath his time to come to visit men for their sins : now then , for people to come to seek to have the pardon of their sins when gods time is to visit for sin , that must needs be the worst time that possible can be , i reason thus , and consider of it ; if god does deny his mercy in the day of mercy , is it likely , that he will grant mercy in the day of wrath ? while you are alive , and have liberty , health and opportunity to come to hear the doctrine of the justification of a sinner , and forgiveness of sin opened , you are to know it is the day of gods grace ; now is the acceptable time , now is the day of salvation and of grace ; when god gives liberty and oppertunity , thus to have the mysteries of the gospel opened unto you , this is the day of gods grace : now if god deny you grace in this day of mercy , that you are not so much as inlightned , your souls melted and your hearts stirred ; do you think that now you are upon your sick-beds or death-beds , which is a day of wrath unto you ? for so it is to those that have not their sins pardoned before , it is a day of wrath , and gods time of visiting for sin ; is it likely that god will now shew thee mercy ? i beseech you consider , the usual way of gods working on men is according to his ordinance : now the ordinary way of gods conveying grace is by the ministry of the word ; did god ever appoint any other way to convey christ , and grace to thy soul ? give me a text for it ; where do you find a text in scripture of any other way as an ordinance appointed by god , for the conveying of his pardoning grace in christ to any soul ? no , it is in the ministry of the gospel , and by faith , that lays hold of the pardoning grace of god , by coming to hear the word preached ; now if god come not in that time to work upon thee , and to bestow mercy in his own appointed way , it is not likely he will come any other way : i remember in a treatise of mr. bolton's , he has this expression , let any one give me an example , that ever any one that lived under a powerful ministry , and not savingly wrought upon that way , was ever wrought upon any other way ; many he says may be stirred , but for his part he knew none that was so stirred by affliction to the conversion of their souls , if god had not before in the ordinances of grace wrought upon them : then it must needs be the worst time that can be to seek pardon of sin in a day of trouble or affliction , because that is usually a time of gods wrath visiting for sin . . the work of the soul in seeking after gods pardoning mercy , and applying of it to himself , as it is the excellentest work that ever a creature did perform , so it does require the most exquisite work of the spirit that ever was required , or that ever any creature was set about ; it is the most intensive work of the spirit of man , the applying of the grace of god in christ , and the closing with it for justification , it is the highest , most exquisite , most glorious and most admirable work of the spirit of man that ever was in the world , and it requires the greatest intensness and strength of a mans spirit that ever any work did : now then to put this off till such a time as a mans strength is gone , and he through diseases unfit for any thing , and when as all the strength he hath will be little enough to help him to bear his pain , this must needs be the worst time ; you are mistaken if you think the applying of gods mercy in christ is but in saying lord have mercy upon me ; no , it is gods putting the heart of man to do the most glorious work that hath the greatest operation in it that ever he did . i remember it related of one that lived wickedly , and divers sought to reclaim him , says he , come when i am upon my sick bed , that is time enough ; and afterwards he being sick , was put in mind of it ; you said you would do it then : but then he swore a great oath , saying , what is this a time to repent in ? because he then felt so much trouble and anguish that took up his thoughts , that he was stirr'd with indignation to be put upon repenting then , in a time when he felt so much dolour of spirit by the pains that were upon him ; is this a time to repent in ? if that be not , then do it betimes . . it is the worst time , because god shall lose a great part of his end in pardoning sin ; for when god pardons sin it is to this end , that his poor creatures might honour and worship him in ●his world , and do him service ; but now to seek for gods pardoning grace when thou can'st do him no more service in this world ; how can'st thou think that he will accept thee then ? he came to redeem us , that we might serve him in holiness and righteousness all the days of our lives ; and he knows there is no such way to ingage the heart of man to serve him as pardoning grace ; for when once a soul sees it self delivered from those enemies of sin and of the law that would destroy him , his heart will be mightily set to honour god and serve him in holiness and righteousness all his days ; and therefore to seek for pardon when thou can'st do god no more service in this world , must needs be the worst time ; for how knowest thou that he will accept thee then ? i beseech you observe one text of scripture that is abused by many people ; for i suppose that i am speaking to a great many very ignorant in the ways of god , and therefore i desire to speak plainly unto you , there is one place , though misapprehended and mistaken , that is the main prop of many carnal hearts , as it is read in some books ; at what time soever a sinner repents , &c. i know no such text of scripture ; it is true , there are scriptures tending that way that do not limit the time ; but no scripture does express it so : many people run away with that expression , as if it were so ; there is no text of scripture hath those words ; there is one text of scripture this is taken out of , but that is spoken to another end , and therefore you had need to examine what is spoken , 't is ezek. . . this comes the nearest to those words , mark this scripture , and see what you can have from thence to defer the seeking of gods pardoning mercy and grace till sickness and death ; but if the wicked shall turn from all his sins that he hath committed , and keep all my statutes , and do that which is lawful and right , he shall surely live , he shall not die ; here this scripture does not limit a time , though it says not , at what time soever ; it says , if he turn from all his sins , and keep all my statutes , and do that that is lawful and right ; so that this scripture promises mercy to one that turns from all his sins , and will keep all gods statutes , and so do all that is lawful and right : but now , if you put it off to the time of sickness and death ; how can you do all this ? turn from all sin and keep all gods statutes then , or , how can you do that is lawful and right then ? it must be then when you can keep all gods statutes , as well as turn from all your sins ; so that if you take all together , there is not so much incouragement to that which is so frequent in your mouths ; at what time soever a sinner repents , it must be at such a time as that you must keep all gods statutes : but further , god speaks here to the jews according to the condition of the covenant of works , because they made account to be justified by the law ; says god you will put it off , and think at last to turn from your wicked wayes , and that i will have mercy on you ; i but look to it , if you will repent , it must be such a repentance as must be joyned , with a keeping all my statutes ; therefore those that do not understand the way of the gospel , but depend upon a repentance on their death-beds , god will hold you to this scripture , that you must repent at such a time as that you must keep all gods statutes , then you see , this is the worst time of all , to defer repentance till your sick-beds or death-beds ; for how can you keep all gods statutes then , and do all that is lawful and right then ? . it is the worst time , because all the tag-rag , all the base and v●lest wretches in the world will come in then ; and what hast thou no other spirit , but to defer coming in till then ? hast thou no more care of thy soul , no more love to god and his ways , but to put it off till such a time , as all the abominable wretches in the world will come in ? that is the seventh way in dishonouring the pardoning grace of god , by seeking it in the worst time that possible can be . . the eighth way of dish●nouring the pardoning grace of god , and the most considerable of all , is the seeking and expecting of it any other way , but only through the mediation of the son of god ; i told you in the opening of the glorious mysteries of pardoning grace , that it must be done by a mediator : now , not only gross ignorant people , but many others dishonour the pardoning grace of god , they are not sensible of this ; that it is such grace that only comes through the mediation of the son of god : we have too low thoughts of the pardoning grace of god , if we do think there is a possibility of attaining it any other way than by the mediation of him , that is god-man : if we think our crying to god at any time will do it , or our roaring out in anguish of spirit , forty , fifty , or sixty years is enough to do it : or that there is any thing to attain it by , under the mediation of the son of god , we have too low thoughts of the pardoning grace of god , we give not god that honour that is due unto it . luther has a notable expression to this purpose , it is a horrible blasphemy if you presume to pacifie god by any works , 't is an excellent speech ; so i say , 't is horrible blasphemy and intolerable to think to have any thing in the least of your own , to presume upon that god will be pacified with it , whereas god cannot be pacified by any other means , then by the infinite price of the death and blood of his own son ; one drop of which is more precious , than all the creatures of heaven and earth ; god will say , have i revealed such a way of being reconciled with my creatures , and that at such a rate and infinite price as the death of my own son ? shall his life and blood go to procure pardon ( one drop of which is more worth than ten thousand worlds ) and when all this is done , shall my creature think to put me off by a poor work of their own prayers , tears , good meaning , or the like ; or with the most glorious work that they can perform ? for the greatest and most glorious work that they can perform is not near worth so much as one drop of the blood of christ . and if you have not such high thoughts of gods pardoning mercy , that it must be procured by that which hath more worth in it than all the creation besides , you do dishonour it , by having such low thoughts of it , when as you think to obtain it by any duty that you can do ; you think god is a merciful god , and you hope upon your reforming and performing duties of obedience , that god will be pacified towards you for all that is amiss : certainly when you have these thoughts of gods pardoning grace , you make it to be but as common and ordinary pity towards one in misery ; but the grace of god is a higher thing than common pity and compassion , and it is a mighty dishonour to god to have no higher thoughts of it , that you think of it but as of common pity and compassion that one creature hath unto another ; or if you think it differs from that pity one creature hath to another , it is but a difference in degrees ; ; only you think it is a little higher in degree : but you must look upon it in another way , and as another kind of pity then one creature bears to another ; it is true , gods pardoning his poor creatures is in pity and compassion , but it is through the death and satisfaction of his own son ; and if you think to procure it any other way than by the mediation of the son of god , you look upon it but in a natural way , as nature will dictate unto you ; for nature will dictate , that the beholding of one crying out in misery will move pity and compassion , and you go no further : but you are to know , the pardoning grace of god , is the most supernatural and mysteriousest thing in all the book of god ; therefore when god works in us , we must act faith upon it in a mystical way , or act faith upon it as a great mysterie ; and therefore you that have been made sensible of sin , it may be you have thought of gods grace for the pardon and forgiveness of your sins , and for to quiet the trouble of your spirits ; have you done that ? there is i suppose many a poor soul may say , i have been often with god when no eye saw me , but only gods , seeking the pardon of my sin in trouble of spirit ; you have done so : but has your eye at that time been fastened on the son of god , as the great mediator between god and man , to interceed to god the father for the obtaining this mercy , by making satisfaction to infinite justice : together with your cries for pardon , have your eyes been upon the son of god at the right hand of the father , pleading for man ? have your hearts been taken with the great mysteries of godliness , and wrought upon by the infinite grace of god ? have you put forth a mighty power of the spirit of faith , to tender up to god the father the attonement that his son has made by his blood and death for your sins ? have you seen that the pardoning grace of god is so high , that it is impossible to be reach't unto by any thing you can do , but only by the mediation of the son of god ? if it have been thus with your spirits ? then you have somewhat of the sense of the great work of god in this thing ; but otherwise , though you have been never so much wrought on and have had floods of sorrow , and have cryed never so earnest for the pardon of your sins , yet except you have had some such kind of thoughts of gods grace , as these are , upon your hearts , working after god this way , you were never throughly acquainted with the way of gods pardoning grace , and so you have dishonoured him , by having too low thoughts of it , except your hearts have been raised to this height , psal . . . in that time when david was on repenting , he called unto god to purge him with hysop ; david desired the renewing of the assurance of gods mercy in christ , in the pardoning of that horrible offence he had committed ; and therefore prays that he may be purged with hysop : what is the meaning of that ? there is a great mystery in it ; in the time of the law when the blood was sprinkled , it was done with a bunch of hysop ; and it was a type of the blood of christ that was to make an attonement , levit. . they were to take a bunch of hysop to sprinkle withal ; now says david , purge me with hysop , that is , apply to me the blood of christ , for i have need of fresh applications of the blood of christ ; i have sinned against him , and have done what in me lay to bring my self under gods wrath , and have brought new guilt upon my soul : now for the assurance of thy love to me , let there be fresh applications of the blood of thy son ; let there be a new sprinkling of the blood of thy son upon me : i suppose many of you in reading this place , did not think of the meaning of the spirit of god in it , that may be a great help unto you , when at any time you are seeking the pardon of your sins , to cry to god to be purged with hysop ; o lord ▪ sprinkle the blood of christ afresh upon me ; for i know that all my prayers and tears , and all that i can do , cannot purge me from the guilt of that sin i have committed against thee , except thou purge me with hysop ; that is , by applying of the blood of thy son unto me : and this is the eighth way of dishonouring the grace of god , in seeking for it any other way than through the blood of his son ; and remember when you are seeking it , that it may be the last time ; and therefore remember you look up to god for it in , by , and through the death of his son ; for otherwise , though you are never so earnest in prayer , you dishonour this grace : it is an easie matter to convince men and women , that they are guilty of dishonouring the grace of god , if they seek for pardon in a negligent and sluggish way ; but now , though you are never so sensible , and put forth never so much strength in seeking for it , yet you dishonour god , except you look upon it as such a high thing that can never be reacht unto , but through the mediation of the son of god. . the ninth way of dishonouring the grace of god is , for any one to venture on sin , the rather because they hope they shall be pardoned , that dare to venture on sin on that ground , hoping that god will at last pardon them , i spake before of those that did nothing else but increase their sins in stead of seeking pardon of sin , and of the miserable sad condition of such : but those we now speak of , are not such as are come to this height of sinning , to do nothing else but increase their sins ; but such men and women who being convinc't of sin , and if they were perswaded that god would never pardon that sin , they would find knots enough to stop them from the commission of it : but because they have some hopes that god will pardon , therfore on that very ground they venture on sin ; 't is true , it is an offence , but god is a merciful god , he will forgive though it be an evil : there is more evil and mischeif in this than thou can'st imagin ; what , art thou convinc't of sin , and wilt thou venture on sin meerly on this ground , because thou hopest that god will pardon thee ? i may say unto thee as peter to simon magus , act. . . pray o pray to god , that if it be possible , this thought of thy heart may be forgiven thee ; for this thought of thy heart hath so much malignity in it , and is so great a provocation against god as possible can be imagined , ( except the sin against the holy ghost , ) for any man or women to venture on any sin in hopes of pardon : some will say , what need we be so strict , and trouble our selves so much ? god is merciful , and therefore they think upon that ground ; they need not be so strict ; this is a horrible degree of turning the grace of god into wantenness , jude . the apostle speaks of such there , that profest they did believe in christ ; mark what he says of them , there are certain men crept in unawares , — ungodly men turning the grace of god into laciviousness , and denying the only lord god , and our lord jesus christ ; 't is a most dreadful place , if there be any one in the congregation that have ever had the glorious light of the gospel revealed to them , that can reason thus ? i do such and such things , yet god is merciful ; o that god would convince thee of this evil , give me leave to open it unto you , how men creep in ; they were christians , and were come into the church ; but how ? they crept in cunningly ; the saints of god were not aware of them , they crept in amongst them ; here by the way , we may take notice , that in a church there ought to be none admitted members , but such as there may be some testimony of godliness in them ; for if any be ungodly , they are such as creep in unawares ; the church of god should keep them out , such as creep in unawares should be kept out : many cry out , they will not have communion with any church , because there are some wicked men in it ; and others say , while there is a church on earth , the tares will be among the corn , and chaff will be among the wheat : be not deceived , i know none in the world that does think there is any congregation so pure , but that some ungodly one may creep into it : but consider , to have some evil ones in the church is one thing , and the church to have power to cast them out , that is another thing ; 't is true , they will creep into the church , but when they are crept in , and appear to be ungodly ones , we must do our duty ; tell them of their faults , and if they will not hear us , we must tell it to the church ; and if the church have power and will not deal with them , it need not at all hinder our communicating with them : but here lies the case , whether we should withdraw , because evil ones are among them ? or , whether we can joyn with that church wherein there is no power to keep them out , and after they are crept in to cast them out ? they will creep into the church , they came in unawares ; but the state of the church should be such , that they should suffer no evil men to come in , and if they do come in , it is unawares to the church , by making a profession of religion ; for the church can go no further then what does outwardly appear unto them : if men make a profession of religion , and have a conversation agreeable to it , the church can go no further ; but for a church to admit al , if they be no swearers , no adulterers , of gross livers in any other sin , although they make no profeson ; nay , if they do but hire a house in the parish , it is enough to make them members of the church , and when they are in , there is no power to cast them out ; & if a power heretofore , the remedy was worse than the disease ; it was such a power as was never ordained of god : whether we should joyn with such a church or no ; or whether we should withdraw , because there is some evil ones among them is questionable ? surely none can imagine there should be such a pure church in the world , as that there should be no tares among them ; but if there be a power in every church to admit of none but such as have an appearance of godliness , and if after being crept in , they proving otherwise , that there is a power to cast them out ; let these things be granted , and then though many ungodly ones will unawares creep in , yet it is no hinderance at all to joyn with them in all the ordinances of god : that is the first thing said of them ; they creep in . . he says they were such as were ordained of old to condemnation ; those that turn this grace of god into wantonness ; that is , abuse this pardoning grace of god by taking liberty to sin ; surely they are such as should be kept out of the church , and if they creep in , they should not be accounted members , but should be cast out , when they appear to be such as were of old ordain'd to condemnation : then those that abuse the grace of god to wantonness , and think they may take liberty to sin because god is merciful to forgive sin , the scriptures says , they are of old ordained to condemnation . thirdly , they are ungodly men , such that have no godliness at all in them , but are meer carnal and worldly men ; it is a terrible thing for a minister to say to any of you out of the word of god , thou art an ungodly man or woman . hast thou not turn'd the grace of god into wantonness , and abused it , when thou heardest that god was merciful ? hast thou took liberty to sin ? thou art an ungodly man ; for thou turnest the grace of god into wantonness : the blessed grace of god that should be the chief means to keep men from sin ; thou makest it an advantage to further sin : and mark further , fourthly , thou denyest our lord jesus christ ; thou talkest of gods mercy in christ , but thou deniest the only lord god and our lord jesus christ ; what a heap of expressions are here , to set forth the condition of such men that turn the grace of god into wantonness ? . they creep in . . were of old ordained to condemnation . . they are ungodly : and . they deny the lord jesus christ : methinks this one text should daunt the heart of every one that is before the lord this day ; never to presume upon acting of such horrible wickedness , to sin because of gods pardoning grace , for there is so much evil in this , to presume on sin because god is willing to forgive sin , that those that understand the glory of gods grace , their hearts cannot but stand amazed and rise with indignation against it , rom. . . what shall we say then , shall we continue in sin , that grace may abound ? — some there were that did abuse the grace of god to sin ; how does the apostle rise with indignation against that abominable wickedness ? he does not grant it , but reject it with a horrible indignation , god forbid , what ? to sin that grace may abound , god forbid : what ? to make use of the grace of god to further sin ; shall we stand to answer these men , in the horrible reasoning of their hearts ? no , they are to be cast of with detestation and rejection , with a god forbid , that there should be any of such vile and wicked hearts thus to abuse the pardoning grace of god : suppose you forgive one servant a fault , and another servant should say ; well , my master hath forgiven him , i will do so too ; upon that ground , if thou commit the same offence , he will not forgive thee , because thou offendest presumptuously , which is a most horrid thing . let me a little further reason the case : . it is an argument of an abominable heart , that hath no way to keep it from sin , but only guilt , and fear of wrath and hell ; thou makest not the grace of god an argument to keep thee from sin , nor the evil of sin in it self ; which is a great dishonour and wrong to god ; there is more evil in sin it self , setting a side the consideration of the guilt and punishment of it , there is ten thousand times more evil in sin it self , than all the punishment in hell will countervail ; and thou hast no way to keep thee from sin , but only the guilt and punishment ; it is an argument of a base wicked heart . . suppose there were no evil of guilt or punishment , yet an ingenious gracious spirit would never do it ; what shall i sin , because god will pardon ? shall i venture upon it ? no , i will never do it : grace reasons to a quite contrary end ; that is an excellent scripture in tit. . . the grace of god that brings salvation ; it is this grace that reveals the pardon of sin ; this precious grace of god that brings salvation has appeared to all men : but to what end ? teaching us to deny all ungodliness and worldly lusts ; the grace of god that brings salvation , it teaches us these lessons ; not such a wicked lesson that we should presume to sin , on hopes that god may pardon it : no , but to deny ungodliness and worldly lusts ; and that we should live soberly , righteously , and godly ; and not to take liberty to sin , to lye , steal , be filthy and the like , because god will pardon ; no , it teaches other manner of lessons than these ; and then it follows , looking for that blessed hope and appearance of the great god , and our saviour jesus christ ; mark the text , there is a great deal in it , when the grace of god that brings salvation , and mercy , and pardon of sin is revealed , it teaches us these lessons ; because of the grace and favour of god is revealed to us , that we should deny all ungodliness and worldly lusts , and then we may with comfort look for the blessed hope and appearing of the great god and our saviour jesus christ ; but otherwise you can never look for that blessed hope : let me speak to those that reason thus , that they may venture on sin , because of gods pardoning grace ; does the revelation of the grace of god teach you to live ungodly , and in worldly lusts ? can you look for that blessed hope with comfort , and expect the glorious appearing of the great god and our saviour jesus christ ? 't is impossible , you cannot , 't is not a blessed hope that you have , but a cursed hope ; that all shall be well at last , though you live ungodly and wickedly , and for the appearing of the great god ; certainly it will be a terrible appearing to thee , that made christ who came to dissolve the works of the devil , to be a means to uphold the works of the devil . . did ever any child of god make use of scripture to reason for sin in such a wicked way , for to presume to sin , because god is willing to pardon ? you cannot give me one example in all the scripture of any of those that god hath shewed mercy to , that reasoned after this manner ; i can give you examples to the contrary , how the saints have reasoned otherwise , psal . . . mark the reasoning of a gracious heart , but there is forgiveness with thee , that thou may'st be feared ; he reasons from the pardoning grace of god , to draw up his heart to the fear of god ; as if he should say , lord , i have heard much of the doctrine of the pardon of sin , and the great workings of thy grace to effect it , and of thy readiness to forgive , this is the end of it , that thou mightest be feared ; this is the effect this doctrine works in a gracious soul , and 't is a good sign if you reason after this manner ; but there is forgiveness with thee , that thou may'st be feared : if those sermons you have heard of this doctrine be a means to implant the fear of god in your hearts , this is a blessed sign they have had a good effect upon you ; when you reason thus , because lord , i have had so much of thy grace and mercy in forgiving my sin ; through thy grace my soul shall fear thee more than ever before , and fear to sin more than ever before : those that have hearts answering this text , 't is a good sign that the word has had a powerful efficacy upon them : take another text , psal . . , , . bless the lord , o my soul , and forget not all his benefits ; why ? who forgiveth all thy iniquities : mark , it is a psalm that david made of gods mercy in forgiving of sin , the consideration of which makes him call upon his soul , and all that is within him to bless the lord : do's god shew so much grace as to forgive sin ? then bless the lord o my soul , and all that is within me bless his holy name ; 't is not reasoning thus , god forgives iniquity , and therefore o my soul take liberty ; thou need'st not be so strict : but bless the lord o my soul , and all that is within me bless his holy name : those that have strength to do any thing for god , this is an argument will stir up all within them to bless god , when they see god appearing so infinitely gracious to them in the forgiveness of their sins ; they so reason , that all they have , or can do , should be given unto him . . you that think , you may take liberty to sin because god is gracious , and venture on it , because you conceit that god will never punish ; think of this , the example of the damned in hell , they are flying in the face of god because they know that god will never pardon ; and thou sinnest because thou hopest god will pardon ; which is the worst of the two : the devils and the damned are in such a condition , as that they know that god will never pardon them ; and therefore they always curse god , because they know he will not pardon : but god offers pardon , and tenders grace to you , holds forth jesus christ to you , and his blood and sufferings for the pardoning of you , and you blaspheme because you think he will pardon ; of the two methinks you should judge the second sort worst ; you blaspheme because you hope god will pardon , and the other blaspheme god because they know he will not pardon ; 't is something worse to take liberty to sin , because you hope god will pardon , than they that sin because they are out of all h●p●s of pardon . thou that takest liberty on this ground to blaspheme the name of god ; what thinkest thou will become of thee another day ? now thou dost blaspheme , because thou hopest that god will pardon thee ; ere long thou maist come to that condition to blaspheme god eternally , because , he will not pardon thee : as i make no question , but many swearers , drunkards , unclean persons and the like , have gone on in sin on this ground , because they hoped that god would pardon them ; are now gone to their own place , and blaspheme because they find that god will never pardon : so that thou that blasphemest now , it may be thou shalt blaspheme eternally , but it will be otherwise , thou dost it now on hopes that god will pardon ; thou shalt there do it , because thou shalt have no hopes that he will ever pardon . . thou that sinnest now in hopes that god will pardon , if god inlighten thy mind , these things will be an intolerable burden to thee ; and if there be any thing that will indanger the sinking of thy soul into the bottomless gulf of dispair , it is like to be this ; you now give way to the reasonings of your own hearts , to further sin from the consideration of gods pardoning mercy ; the same reason that furthers sin in you now , from the consideration of pardon , will make you have further thoughts of despairing of gods mercy : suppose thou goest on a great while , and heapest up sin on this presumption : let me put this unto thee , either god will inlighten thy conscience , or he will not do it ; if he never do it , thou art eternally lost ; but if he do it , if he come at length and awaken conscience ; then what a load of anguish and trouble will lie upon thy soul , that will make thee cry out , o lord , i have not only sinned : but now i come to seek for mercy ; my mouth is stop't with the thoughts of that mercy that i have abused : now nothing but free grace can do me good ; my conscience tells me how i have abused this grace , i have presumed on sin because of this , i have made the thoughts i had of this grace a means to further me in sin ; and now with what face can i go to seek this grace and mercy ? these will be stinging thoughts to thee another day ; when a minister shall come to apply the grace of god to thy soul , thou wilt say there is mercy with god to pardon sinners , but not for those that have abused the grace of god as i have done ; manasseh , and paul , 't is true , they committed many great sins ; but did they ever commit any sin upon this ground , in hope of pardon : o look unto it , let none go out from the presence of the lord this day , with thoughts to venture on sin , because ye hope it may be pardoned ; to venture on sin on that ground , is the most horrible cursedest thing that can be . tenthly , a tenth way of dishonouring the grace of gods pardoning mercy ; as to sin in hopes of pardon , so to sin after pardon , after god hath revealed this grace unto you ; then to sin , this is a great dishonour to this grace : many that have been in trouble for their sins , and in their trouble have cryed to god for mercy , and god hath spoke peace to their souls , and hath told them that their sins are pardoned , and that he will cleanse their souls from the guilt of sin by the blood of his own son ; and yet after all this , they have again faln to their former sins : i have spoke before of this degree of dishonouring gods pardoning grace , but now i am speaking of a further degree ; not only to fall into that sin you have sought for pardon of , but to fall into that sin , that you have some comfortable assurance of pardon of , king. . . the lord was angry with solomon , because his heart was turned from the lord , that had appeared to him twice ; remember , hath not god appeared to some of you twice , and given you assurance of his love and pardoning grace ? god came with sweet comforts and rejoyced your souls ; and what do you turn from the lord after he hath appeared twice to you , and said unto thee , thy sins are pardoned ? this is a grievous thing , ezra . . should we again break thy commandements ? — would'st not thou be angry with us , should we again sin , would'st thou not consume us ? so after god has delivered us from condemnation , the guilt of sin , and the spirit of bondage ; what ? to trespass again , it is just with god to be angry with us , psal . . . the lord will speak peace — , but let them not return again to folly ; if god speak peace , o return not again to folly ; i appeal unto you , hath god ever spoke peace to your souls ? have you heard the voyce of gladness speaking in your hearts , saying , son , or daughter be of good chear , go in peace , thy sins are pardoned ? have you not heard this ? if you have not , you had need to get it ; if you have , then return not again to the same sin that god hath graciously pardoned . . return not to the same sin . . return not to any other sin . . return not to the same sin ; it is a question , and a great case of conscience , whether it be possible for a child of god after god hath dealt unto him the pardon of sin , whether he may commit that sin again ? some have denyed it ; i remember some antient divines , origen and tertullian upon those words in heb. . for it is impossible for those that were once inlightened , — if they shall fall away to renew them by repentance ; he applies it to the sin of uncleanness ; and says he , a second repentance is not promised in the name of christ to adulterers and fornicators ; thus i may boldly say , we do not find any certain express example in all the book of god , of any child of god that did fall into the same gross outward sins after an actual repentance , and making up his peace with god for sin ; we find no express scripture : i do not say , we find no example of the children of god that have not committed the same sin again , as peter and lot , but we find no example of any gross sin that they have faln into : mark it , after their repentance and reconciliation ; what was done amiss , was done before they came to have it laid home unto their consciences , and applyed unto their hearts for the humbling of their souls in making their peace with god : true , david committed adultery , but never the second time , after he had his bones broken , he fell not again : and so peter , after he went out and wept bitterly , he never denyed his master again ; and so abraham equivocated , but we read not , that after any actual renewal of faith and repentance , that he committed that sin again : a wound while it is open , and not fully closed , it may bleed again ; but when it is fully closed , to bleed again is dangerous ; and so any of the people of god , after the actual renewal of their faith and repentance , you cannot give me an example that any of them have faln into the same sin again ; i do not absolutely deny it , but i say it is a dangerous thing , god hath not left an example ; he hath left examples that his children have faln , but not after they have renewed their faith and repentance , that they have faln into the same sins again ; i speak not of inward thoughts , i know that they after repentance will return again ; but for any outward gross actual sin after the renewal of faith and repentance , they have not return'd again to commit the same sin : when once a joynt is out , or a leg broke and set , usually that joynt or bone is stronger than before ; and so i m●ght shew you after they have sinned , and been set again , they have been stronger than before : a child of god falling into sin is just like the breaking of a bone , gal. . . and you that are spiritual must restore such a one ; the word in the original is put him in joynt again ; any godly man or member of a church that falls into sin , is as a bone out of joynt , and you that are spiritual must set it again ; if once you have a bone out of joynt , the longer you let it go , the more painful it is ; so if you fall into any sin , the longer you let it go the more unweildy you will be : no marvel you cannot go about your business handsomely , when you have a bone out of joynt ; but has god been so merciful as to put you into joynt again ; you know what christ said to the man , thou art made whole , &c. so i say to you , you that have sinned , and god has pardoned you , set you in joynt again , go your way , you are made whole , take heed of sinning again least , a worse thing befal you . . a second sort that dishonour the grace of god , are such that though they fall not into the same gross sins again after pardoning mercy , yet are negligent in the wayes of god ; loose , slight , v●in , sensual , carnal , dead-hearted in their conversation , and do not answer the grace of god revealed to them , but are more drossie in their spirits than before ; it may be for the time wherein they were seeking this grace of god , they were strick't in their conversation , in their wayes conscientious ; and in every thing walk't close with god , durst not for their lives omit a known duty , attended on the word with a great deal of patience , their hearts closed with it , and it was as meat and drink unto them ; and in their conversation they were very fruitful in the places where they lived : but now having had some comfortable assurance of gods mercy pardoning them , after this they are grown slight , vain , loose , and dead hearted ; this is a very grievous evil where ever it may be charged : it is a very great evil for any to abuse gods general bounty , patience , and long-sufferance , and the good we receive from god in the use of the creature ; but far worse to abuse the grace of god in christ , manifested in pardoning mercy : i shall shew this to be a great evil , and shall labour to convince you of it . . consider and call to remembrance what the dayes of old were ? how in former times it was with you , when you were seeking the pardoning grace of god ? then you thought if ever g●d come in to my soul , and give me any assurance of pardon of sin , how infinitely should my soul be ingaged to bless god , and how shall i for ever be bound to give up my self , soul and body ; what i am , and what i can do to live to the praise of the grace of god ; if god come in to my soul and pardon this sin of mine , the guilt whereof lies so heavy upon my spirit ; i appeal unto your own consciences , did not you think in your own thoughts , that it was impossible that ever you should come to live as you do ? certainly if the thoughts of many people might this day appear , they cannot but say , time was ( when i was seeking after the mercy of god , to pardon my sin that lay upon my conscience ) i thought with my self thus ; he is a blessed man ) indeed that has assurance of this , and if ever i had peace spoken to my soul , i thought my life would have been such , that ( in my apprehension ) i thought it was impossible that i should have grown to this dulness , deadness , slightness , and vanity , that now i see i am , then now as paul said to the galatians , where is the blessedness you spake of , time was you said the pardoning mercy of god it was a blessed thing ; where is that blessedness you spake of , that after you have received it , you should grow wanton , loose , and slight ? what , have you not a mightier argument to draw your hearts to god , after he hath spoke peace , than ever you had before ? the apprehension of guilt , danger , and trouble of spirit for sin , that was an argument to keep you from sin before ; but if god have spoken peace , in applying this pardoning grace ; have you not arguments , of another nature than these , which are far more powe●ful ? certainly , those that know the grace of god in christ know that there is no such powerful argument as the grace of god in christ in pardoning sin , to keep up the heart to god , and to keep from sin as this , no such argument in the world that is like to this ; the eyeing of gods grace is a special thing to quench and keep down lust ; whereas those that sin after this mercy , whose lusts and corruptions overcome the power of this pardoning mercy , they are deprived of the best and most special spiritual helps , that can be to keep from sin ; phil. . . the peace of god which passeth all understanding , shall keep your hearts and minds in christ jesus ; the word in the original is very significant , shall guard your hearts ; this is the emphaticalness of the phrase ; as if the apostle had said , the sweet peace of god , is such as passeth understanding , and shall guard your hearts ; as indeed the peace of god that comes to flow out from the sweetness of the pardoning grace of god is such , as passeth understanding ; but yet after all this , there will be many dangers , and you are to be involved with many temptations ; but this peace of god will be a guard to your souls , to keep you from sin and temptation : the soul of a believer that hath peace spoken to it , is there compared to a captain in war , or a prince that apprehends himself in some danger , sets a strong guard about his person to keep him from danger : now what is the guard , that keeps the soul of a believer from temptation and danger ? it is the peace of god , that is the greatest and strongest guard in the world ; if you complain of sin and temptations , and that you are afraid that sin will surprize you ; what guard would you have to keep you ? the peace of god is the best guard that can be : now after this hath been a guard unto you if thy sin break in upon thee , as fully , and as freely , as if there were no guard at all ; thy condition is very sad . . let me further speak to súch that sin after the pardoning grace of god , and do not walk answerable to that grace that was let forth in witnessing the pardon of sin ; 't is a thousand to one thou wilt loose thy evidence ; 't is true , it is irrevocable in gods heart , yet thou may'st carry it so , that by thy loose walking , thou may'st loose the evidence of it in thy own soul , and it may be as sad with thee as if thou wer 't not at all pardoned ; we are to know that when an evidence is given in , concerning pardon of sin , every renewed act of sin is a blot to that evidence : a man that having evidences of lands , or an estate , will keep them fair ; but if he should suffer them to be blotted , one blot after another , perhaps so blotted as neither he nor any one else is able to read them ; it may cost him a great deal of trouble before he get them renew'd again ; so 't is with a poor creature that hath got some comfortable evidence of the pardon of sin , but giving way to temptation , commits a sin , and there he gets a blot ; and then , the next temptation , coming possibly to worldly mindedness , passion , unbelief , slightness of spirit , vanity , sensuality , and abuse of the creatures ; by often yielding to these , he gets more and renewed blots ; so that if his evidences be lookt into , they will be found so full of blots , that no marvel in a time of temptation they cannot read them ; possibly some that are skilful in the way of god , and the nature of the covenant of grace , may pick out somewhat of the meaning of them ; but thou hast faln so souly from god that thy evidences are so blotted and blur'd , that in thy own apprehension thou can'st see nothing , but that thy condition is as dangerous as ever it was and as uncomfortable , thy evidences are so blotted that thou can'st not read them thy self , and so hast no comfort by them , and 't is to thee as if thou had'st none at all ; this is the duty , and would be the comfort of every christian , that when they have gotten their evidences , that they would keep them so clear , that they might read them every morning , and run and read them , and not stand pooring and beating their brains and hearts , and fret themselves , because they cannot find such and such a thing that was to them an evidence of the pardon of their sins , this is through their neglect ; and if they had been careful to have kept their evidences clear and plain , o the comfort they might have had to have read them every morning : if the pollution of sin recoil back again , no marvel the sense of guilt of sin upon thy conscience recoil back again ; if god have committed such a jewel to thee as the evidence of pardon of sin , and thou makest no better use of it , 't is just with god to take it out of thy hands , and keep it in his own ; and though he shew mercy at last unto thee , yet thou may'st not know it while thou art in this world ; 't is a very hard thing to recover it again : those that have had the pardon of sin seal'd unto them , have by their falling into sin afterwards , so darkned and lost their evidences that they could never recover them again ; as david , see how he cries out , create in me a clean heart , and restore to me the joy of thy salvation ; david saw all was gone , and that there must be a new creation and restoration ; restore to me the joy of thy salvation ; o the joy that once i had , and now have lost ; o lord that i may have it once again : david had a little sensual pleasure for a while , but he paid dear for it , he lost the joy of gods salvation : what think you , david would have given to have got it again ? for ought we know , he never had it so fully as before : those that have had some comfortable evidence of pardoning grace , and afterwards through their negligence , loosness , and vanity , have lost it , may never come to injoy the comfort of it again as formerly they did ; and therefore when peter had sinned against his master ; mark , when christ came to peter , says he , lovest thou me ? he answered , lord thou knowest i love thee ; christ puts it to him again ; lovest thou me ? he would not take his first answer , but puts it to him the second and third time , lovest thou me ? as if christ had said to peter , look to your self , it is not any present sudden work that can recover your evidences again ; you that have sinned and darkned your evidences , had need to put this question to your own hearts again and again , to get it sure , that you love christ , and that christ loves you . . thirdly , let me speak to such as sin after pardon , it may justly provoke god to deal with you , though he do not take away his everlasting love ; yet to deal with you as a slave rather than a child ; i mean , in following you with sore and heavy chastisements , though he may save your souls at last , yet it may cause god to meet you with such sore and evil things in this world , that for that sloath and sluggishness of your hearts you may pay dear for it , before you die ; truly so may be the dealings of god with his own children whom he pardons , jer. . . god is speaking there to his own people : is israel a servant ? is he a home-born slave ? and at vers . . what hast thou to do in the way of egypt ? so thou to whom god hath heretofore received to mercy and pardon ; but thou hast walk't so , that gods ways to thee seem to be such as it may be said , is this man or woman a servant ? is he a home-born slave ? god speaks it with pity , israel is my dear son ; how comes it to pass that he is as a home-born slave ? what , is he a servant , and brought into such a condition as a servant or a slave ? what is the matter ? why ? he is in the way of egypt ; so it may be said to thee who walkest in the sensual drossiness of thy spirit ; hast thou not been in the way of egypt ? are thy ways such , that gods dealings with thee are as if thou wer 't a servant , and a home-born slave ? where is that filial ingenious spirit of thine , that god is fain to deal with thee as now he doth ? . again , thou that sinnest after pardon , thou comest to aggravate thy sins more than the sins of the wicked , in some regards ; those that are wicked , and go on in their vile ways against god , you cry out of them as wretched creatures , base , filthy , drunkards , swearers , lyars , false men and women in their dealings , such as are not to be dealt withal in the world , you think these are wicked ; but you that sin after mercy , your sins have an aggravation upon them beyond theirs ; for they never knew what gods sweet pardoning mercy meant ; they never heard god speak peace to their souls , as thou hast to thine ; they never had the secret visitations of gods spirit , nor the warm beams of gods mercy shining into their hearts ; they were never acquainted with such things ; and therefore though they go on in sin , after which they have bin accustomed , 't is not so much to be wondered at : but thou that haste had a tast of the sweetness of gods love in christ , in pardoning mercy ; for thee to sin after this , 't is a greater aggravation than the sins of the other ; and as 't is a greater aggravation than the sins of the wicked , so thy sin goes more near to the heart of christ than the sins of the wicked and ungodly do ; the sins of the most prophanest wretch in all the town doe not go so near to the heart of christ , as those that are committed after receipts of mercy from christ ; what , you my sons to do thus and thus against me ? i remember 't is reported of caesar , when many with their poinyards came about him , and stab'd him in the senate-house , at length comes brutus , whom he had done much good for , he comes and gives him a blow , he look't upon him , and cries out ; what , thou my son brutus , wilt thou give me a blow and stab ? it went nearer to the heart of caesar , to have brutus come and give him a wound and stab , than for all the other that came round about and stab'd him ; so christ may look upon thee , for whom he has purchas 't pardon , shed his blood , and laid down his life for ; what , thou my son , wilt thou sin against me ? for wicked wretches that are strangers to him , no marvel if they sin against him ; but for you that are his sons , his redeemed ones , that have received such pardoning grace and mercy ; for you to sin : this goes to the heart of christ more than the sins of the ungodlyest wretch in all the parish , and would you not be loath to do more against christ than the vilest wretch in the parish ? you that have received so much mercy from christ : further , other mens sins anger god , but no mens sins grieve the spirit of god so , as the sins of those that have received pardon ; they go to the heart of god , and greive the spirit by which they are sealed ; the spirit of god that hath sealed to your souls the pardon of your sins , let not that spirit be grieved ; 't is a greater sin to grieve the blessed spirit of god than you are aware of . further , yet once more , you bring a disgrace upon the doctrine of assurance of pardon : we preach that a man may not only have some good hopes that his sins are pardoned ; but we say god hath revealed such a fulness of riches of grace in the gospel , that a man may have certain and full assurance of the pardon of his sin ; as if he heard a voyce from heaven , speaking to him by name , thy sins are pardoned ; or as if when christ in the days of his flesh , said to any one , son , go in peace , thy sins are pardoned ; certainly , there may be as full assurance of pardon of sin , by the witness of the spirit of god , as if such a voyce came from heaven : but our adversaries say , open but that gap , and 't is an open way for men to take liberty to commit any sin ; what need men care what sins they commit , when they know they are pardoned ? that has been objected against us ; but now we say , there is such a vertue in the grace of god going along with pardoning of sin , that heals the soul , as well as comforts the soul ; we answer it thus , but you take away our answer , and digrace that blessed doctrine of pardon of sin ; for wherein does it appear , there is such a healing power in the assurance of the pardon of sin ? if it be so , then you would walk more strictly than any man in the world can do , in the time of the greatest horror of conscience that possible can be ; and this would bring an honour to the doctrine of assurance ; but you by sinning after pardon , how do you disgrace this blessed doctrine , and take away the answer out of our mouths ? so much for the present , to be spoken to those that dishonour the pardoning mercy of god by sinning after pardon . chap. xv. of the dishonour done to the grace of god by not resting on it . . of the evil of it . there is one sort more that are great dishonourers of the pardoning grace of god , and they are those that think they honour him , and yet dishonour him exceedingly , such as being apprehensive of the greatness of their sins , the vileness of them and their own misery , by reason whereof lie down in a sullen desperate discouraging mood , under the wait and burden of them , and are ready to turn against themselves , saying ; certainly , my condition is such , as i must expect no other but to lie for ever under the burden of my sins , and bear for ever the punishment of them ; i have heard much indeed of the riches of the pardoning grace of god ; but for my part , my condition is such , that little expectation i have of being made partaker of it ; certainly this kind of sullen discouragement , in lying under our sins , is a mighty aggravation of our sin , and exceedingly dishonourable to the pardoning grace of god ; many that are thus , let them hear never so much opened of the riches of the gospel , and the infiniteness of the grace of god ; all is nothing to them , it raises them not from the sullenness of their hearts , and the dicouragement of spirit that hangs upon them ; they are like to those in exod. . . that moses spake unto , but they hearkened not for anguish of spirit , and for cruel bondage ; god sent moses to shew them the grace ( of god , to deliver them from their bondage ; but says the text , they hearkened not to moses , only for anguish of spirit , and for cruel bondage ; so many people when god comes to awaken their consciences , there is so much anguish in the sense of their sin , that they hearken not to what is said ; let them hear never so much in private or in publick , they are just where they were , the same complaints , sullenness and objections as before : you may answer all their objections against the grace of god , that they know not what to say , but go away for half an hour , and they will have the same objections as if never any thing had been said unto them , certainly there is more evil in this , then you are aware of , this limiting and determining of gods grace : t is true , there is reason to judge your selves unworthy , and that god may deny you , but that god will deny you is another thing ; there is a great deal of difference in these : some when they are put upon the use of means , will confess they ought to attend upon them , and that they will do it , but yet when i have done all , i have little hopes that god will deliver me , but i shall dye and perish in my sins , as that woman kings . . saies she , i am a poor woman , i have but a handful of meal in the barrel , and a little oyl in a cruse , and am gathering two sticks that i may eat it and dye ; so much as i have i am preparing , and when i have eaten this i must dye , thus saies many a soul , i may go hear the word and pray , but to little purpose ; but i will go and do them and then i must dye . it is but little that i can make of prayer , when i have spoken two or three words , i am presently distracted with wandring thoughts . two or three sticks i may lay together , but when i have done that , i must dye . now know and consider this day , what from god shall be said unto you , thou much dishonourest the pardoning grace of god. first , know it is very low thoughts thou hast of the pardoning mercy of god , and what christ hath purchased , and what god hath intended from everlasting , in the covenant of grace , to those souls for whom he intends good ; and though for his intentions he keeps them to himself ( and would not have thee meddle with that ) till he manifest them in the work of grace , yet in the mean time having revealed no further , but that thou maist have it as well as any other , he expects from thee that thou shouldst venture thy self upon his grace through his son jesus christ , and though thou saist thou art vile , unworthy , and after the use of means , that thou art unprofitable , vain , full of wandring thoughts and deadness , and therefore thou canst not expect grace ; know that thou hast but mean thoughts of the grace of god , that sett'st such things as these against it , these are poor low unworthy things to set against the grace of god , and they do lower the grace of god too much ; that set such things as these against it . a schollar would think it a dishonour to him , for one to come to reason with him , and bring nothing but poor low weak objections that are not worth the answering , he would think it a disgrace to him ; certainly it is a dishonour to the grace of god , to set such things as these against it , thou look'st upon it in a natural way , and dost not consider , it is the great designe of god above all things in the world ; to magnify his grace in pardoning of sin ; certainly were this understood , these things would be counted too low and unworthy to be set against such a designe ; when it is the greatest , god hath to magnify his name in . secondly , thou judgest of god according to thy own thoughts , and this god will take exceeding ill , as they psal . . . because i kept silence thou thoughtest i was altogether such a one , as thy self ; 't is a great evil to measure god by our own thoughts , and there are two waies of dishonouring god by it . . the way of the carnal secure sinner ; he measured god by his own thoughts , he thinks god is not so strickt to be angry for every fault ; and if thou offendest , that if we go and cry him mercy , he will be pleased again . we think it an easie matter to please god , and because god is silent , we think he do's not hate sin as he doth , that 's one way of dishonouring god. a second way is when a man comes to be troubled for sin , and conscience enlightened ; then we think slightly of god another way . it may be thou hast a hard heart and wouldst not pardon one that provokes thee again and again , thou wouldst not pass by such and such offences , and thou thinkst god is so too , thou thinkest god to be like thy self , and that he cannot bear with thee in such and such things , because thou canst not bear with others . this is to judge god by our own line , but know , that the thoughts of gods pardoning grace are as far above ours as the heavens are above the earth ; and therefore we must not measure god by our own thoughts . thirdly , thou dishonourest the pardoning grace of god , by haveing low thoughts of it , because it is contrary to the scriptures . for the main scope of all the scriptures is to magnifie the pardoning grace of god , and to set it out in its greatness to to thy soul , and thou mak'st it thy main work to under-value it , luther sais , the scope of the whole scriptures are but this , that we might know and acknowledge god to be a gracious and merciful god , and a greater then luther speaks this ; that is a notable text of scripture in the acts of the apostles . , . and he commanded us to preach unto the people , and to testifie , it is he that was ordained of god to be the judge of quick and dead . to him give all the prophets witness , that through his name ; whosoever believeth in him shall receive remission of sins . marke , to him give all the prophets witness , that through his name ; whosoever believeth in him shall receive remission of sins : so that it is the scope and intention of all the prophets , to witness this to a poor soul , that whosoever believes in him shall receive remission of sin : you will say , whosoever believes on him , but there is all the question : but thou hindrest thy self of believing , thou wouldst have assurance before thou dost believe , thou must believe that thou mayest have it , that is , thou must venture and cast thy soul upon this grace of god ; all the prophets witness this , that whosoever believes on him shall receive remission of sins ; therefore by thy sitting down in these sullen discouraging thoughts of thy heart , thou givest a lye to all the prophets of god , thou giv'st not a lye only to our preaching , for certainly so it is , god sees it so , but to all the prophets of god : now when god makes it the work of all the prophets to witness forgiveness of sins by christ , wilt thou make it thy work to object against it . again , know that thy reasonings are quite contrary to the scriptures , for thou reasonest , that pardoning mercy will not be thine , because thy sins are so great , psal . . . david cries to god to pardon his iniquities for they are great , he makes the greatness of his sins , an argument to drive him too god , not from god , and this is gods own argument . gen. . . i will not again curse the ground any more for mans sake ; why ? for the imaginations of mans heart are evil from his youth ; one would have thought it should have been thus , the imaginations of mans heart are evil , and therefore i will do nothing else but curse the ground . no saies god , i will not , because the imaginations of mans heart are evil from his youth ; as if he should say , if i should never leave cursing till man leave sinning , i should alwayes be cursing , so saies god , if i should never pardon sin till mans sins are less , i should never pardon at all . so in hosea . , . you have god reasoning there like to this here ; she went after her lovers , and forgat me , sais god , . v . therefore will i allure her , and bring her into the wilderness , and speak comfortably unto her . for she had forgotten me , and went after her lovers ; see how the scripture makes that an argument of gods mercy . take another text in isaiah the . . for the iniquity of his covetousness , i was wroth and smote him , i hid me and was wroth , and he went on frowardly in the way of his heart . marke what followes ; i have seen his wayes and will heal him , and will restore comfort to him and to his mourners , he went on frowardly in the perverseness of his spirit saies god , i have seen his ways and will heal him : thus god expresses himself to the end of the chap. to incourage the hearts of those that are sencible of their sins , and would be sensible of the evil of sin , and account it a great misery that they cannot be sencible of it , the lord would incourage them , therefore the greatness of sin is no discouragement at all . further , the way that thou takest is the way to perish , there can be no good in that way , thou mayst pine away in thine iniquity , but for to get any councel , help , comfort , or mercy : be assur'd thou canst not , therefore reason as the lepers , . kings . . if we sit here we shall certainly dye , if we go to the camp of the syrians they can but kill us , let us arise and go : and it was a good going to them , for they met with that , that helpt and relieved them ; so do you say if i sit down thus , there is no way but i must dye , but however though i should never get any comfort or help , yet it is better venture that way than the other : thou knowest not what thou mai'st meet with , may be thou think'st it humility to sit down in this way , but know that most desperate pride may be under it , and stand with such discouragements . we know the most proud spirits may be the most discouraged spirits , as the devil , the scripture sets him forth to be as proud as lucifer , yet none so proud as spirits under such discouragements : there may be much pride in discouragements , therefore take heed least there be any secret pleasing of your selves this way , though you be in some trouble , yet if you feel there is a secret pleasure in that smart that falls upon you , and some kinde of contentedness in going your own way , as many men though they meet with abundance of crosses , yet if they go their own way , it pleases them much ; take heed , there may be desperate pride at the bottom of all this . if this be to dishonour the pardoning grace of god ; what would you have us to do ? ( we would not speak it were it not so , to what end is it for us to study , and pray to god for light and help to open the grace of god , if a little discouragement of heart and sulleness of spirit , shall turn all aside , and make all that we say to be of none effest : therefore great reason there is that we should tell you this is a great dishonouring of the pardoning grace of god : ) but what , would you have us to doubt no more , but go on and perswade our hearts our sins are pardoned and there 's an end ? no , if i should say you could do this , it would be in vain for me to say all this , for it is not in your power to cast off all fears of gods anger , and presently perswade your selves your sins are pardoned ; this is not in your power to do : and therefore this is not the thing i put you upon , it must be the mighty work of god ; in the . of ezech. when the prophet had done in the end of the . chap. the next verse of the . chap. he saies , son of man stand upon thy feet , but that was not enough to raise the prophet , no not for god himself to say son of man stand upon thy feet but together with the voice of god , verse the . there enters into him the spirit of god , and sets him on his feet ; so it is with the ministers of the word , we speak to souls that are cast down under the burden of their sins , to stir up themselves that they may not alwayes lye down drooping , but stand up on their feet ; but together with our speaking , god must speak and convey his spirit to the soul before it is able to stand up . quest well , but what would you have us to do ? answ . these are the things i would have you do . first i would have you turn your fears of presuming , into fears of dishonouring the grace of god. i would have you be as fearful that gods grace should be dishonoured by unbelief , as now you are fearful lest you should presume upon gods grace ; those that are secure , they fear not lest they should presume ; but those whose consciences are awakened , their great fear is least they should presume upon gods grace , and dishonour it by presumption ; if thou fearest thou shouldst dishonour the grace of god by presumption , why shouldst thou not fear lest thou shouldst dishonour it by unbelief , as well as by presumption ? certainly the strength of this temptation is from the devil . those that have their consciences troubled for sin , he labours to keep them from venturing on the grace of god , least they should presume ; but the way to cut the sinews of this temptation , is to fear rather least thou shouldst dishonour the grace of god by unbelief ; many look not at unbelief as a great sin , but god is displeased at thy unbelief , as much as by those that do presume . secondly , the thing i would have you to do , you that are under the checkings of conscience for sin , and full of doubts that god will not pardon , and you cannot be perswaded your sins are pardonable . labour to set the greatness of the pardoning grace of god in the fulness of it , to the utmost you can , before the eye of your souls , that it may be before you ; though you cannot reach to it , yet set it before you ; you do not know what an efficacy the pardoning grace of god hath , by being presented before your souls , and kept there ; no marvel you find not the power of it , when as you set it not before your eyes , the efficacy of gods grace lyes much in presenting it before your souls . the brasen serpent , if they lookt not to it , it would never heal ; so though the pardoning grace of god , be in books and sermons ; yet unless it be before your eyes , and you fix and fasten the eye of your souls upon it ; it will never heal you : therefore keep it before your eyes , psal . . . there is an excellent expression ; in the morning will i direct my prayer unto thee , and will look up . i suppose many of you in the morning will not neglect prayer to god ; but mark the expression , i will direct my prayer ; t is not i will say my prayers , but direct my prayer , there 's a great emphasis in it . i will level my prayer aright , and dart up my soul aright to heaven , and observe the way that god would have me ; and so direct my heart in prayer to him . it may be some of you go thus far , not to content your selves with a dead hearted sluggish prayer : but what do you look to all the day after ? what shall wandring and discouraging thoughts bring you to look down all the day ? would you look up to your morning prayers , and what you prayed for , there would come a great deal of efficacy upon your souls . thirdly , be careful to keep your hearts stirring and active , be afraid of deadness and dulness ; take heed of such thoughts , why should i pray and read , when as i have no heart to perform any duty : up and be doing , and the lord be with you ; if ever your hearts were active at any thing in the world , it ought to be in this , if once you give your selves liberty to lye down , and the activity of your spirits be gone , you are in a sad condition , t will be very difficult to get them up again ; take heed of a sullen heart , you may be very active , and yet calme , quiet , and patient , there 's a great conjunction between these two , when i am active and yet calme , stilling of my heart under god , and yet stirring of my heart unto god , these two are joyned together in those whom god directs unto himself . fourthly , renew thy resolutions , that what ever becomes of thee , whether god will ever speak peace or no to thee yet so long as thou livest , thou will do what thou canst ; to honour his name , and keep from sin : keep thy heart under the power of this resolution . fifthly , keep thy heart in a waiting frame , use the means , lye at the poole , as the man that lay many years waiting for the stirring of the waters met with help at last ; so do thou keep thy heart in a waiting frame , and think with thy self if mercy come at last , it will recompence thee for all thy waitings and pains . sixthly , be willing to catch hold of any beginnings of gods discoverings of himsef , if it be but a little glimpse make much of it , and bless god for it : many in their trouble seek to god for pardon ; but they are always complaining , either to their neighbours or themselves ; but seldom express themselves in thanks-givings : now , you should observe what god hath granted , what beginnings and glimpse of his grace appear ; look and see if there be not a little cloud , the bigness of a mans hand , it may breed a shower , a shower of grace may come after it ; but take notice of it , when it is but the bigness of a mans hand : it is a great evil in such as are under trouble of conscience , because they find not full assurance presently , they think they receive nothing at all : well , wait upon god under these directions , and as you shall not be so guilty of dishonouring the pardoning mercy of god ; so 't will be a means to bring great good unto your souls . we have now done with the several wayes of dishonouring the pardoning grace of god ; and because god is very jealous of this , and takes it exceeding ill ; i have been the larger in it ; now i am to shew the evil of it . of the evil of dishonouring the pardoning grace of god. first , there is this evil in it , because it is a sinning against mercy , which god accounts his glory ; a man takes it exceeding ill , if he be wronged in his goods , or good name , or in any thing he apprehends an excellency in ; and ( mark it ) the greater excellency a man apprehends in any thing , the greater evil he accounts the wrong that is done to him in that thing : as a covetous man , if you wrong him in his estate , he presently as a mad man cannot bear it , because you wrong him of that which he counts his greatest excellency ; so a scholar , a man of parts will rather you wrong him in any thing than account of him as a dunce , because he accounts his parts and learning his greatest excellency , therefore he would not be wronged in that : so you that are marriners , and have skill in sailing , and in the art of navigation , if one vilifie your work , and find fault with you there , 't is as if one touch't your free-hold , you cannot bear it ; why ? because you account it your excellency ; so it is between us and god , if we wrong god in that which he accounts his excellency , he cannot bear it ; now the pardoning mercy of god is that which god counts his excellency and glory , exod. . when god descended to shew moses his glory , his pardoning mercy was one of the great master-pieces , wherein god accounted his glory to consist , more than in the making of heaven and earth : now for god to be contemn'd in that wherein his glory consists , must needs be a great dishonour to him ; the mercy of god comes from the bowels of his compassions ; now if you strike one on the arm or shoulder , it is not so much as if you strike him on his bowels ; when you dishonour the pardoning grace of god , you do as it were spurn at the bowels of god and christ , and he accounts it so : certainly you that can hear this , and neglect it , and prize and prefer every base iust before it , you do as it were go up and down kicking and spurning at the bowels of god ; and that child that should spurn at his mothers bowels , is not so much to be blamed as thou art that goest on in sin , after thou hast heard the pardoning grace of god opened to thee , thy going on in sin is a spurning at the very bowels of god. secondly , this aggravates the sin of such men above the sins of the heathen ; their sins are nothing in comparison of those that live under the gospel , and have the grace of god opened unto them ; at the day of judgment , when thou hearest them condemned for sins against the light of nature , they may say , lord , what shall become of these ? we never heard of such grace and pardoning mercy in christ as you heard of , that have lived in such and such a place , and have had the pardoning mercy of god opened to you ; if they do not plead against you , yet it will be made known before all men and angels what you have heard , and what has been preached unto you , and what god has done for you ; and for you to continue in sin , your sins will thereby be aggravated , and your condemnation heightened . thirdly , your sin is above the sin of the devils ; the sin of the devils is not so great as yours is that live under the light of the gospel , and have the pardoning grace of god preached to you : for though the devils blaspheme god continually , yet their sins have not this aggravation upon them that yours have ; god never came and told them , he was willing to pardon their sins ; nor did christ make any purchase for them by his blood ; but to you is the gospel preacht , and pardon offered dayly to you ▪ are not your sins greater then , than the sins of the devils ? would not you account it a great aggravation of any ones offence , that hath wronged and injured you , and should seek for pardon , and yet you rather seek to him , and offer pardon to him , and sue to him to accept it , and he goes away and contemns you ; would not you account this a great aggravation ? know , thy sinning against this grace , makes thee to be in a worse condition than belzebub himself , that is the chief all the devils ; he had never this aggravation , which is a dreadful one to sin against the pardoning mercy of god ; so that the very devils may complain against you , and say , o lord we sinned against thee , but thou tookest advantage against us presently for one sin ; but how have these sinned against thy pardoning mercy , that has been offered to them again and again , which was never offered us ? fourthly , i might shew you the evil the scripture says of it , take two or three texts , joh. . , . he that believeth not , is condemned already , and vers . ult . he that believeth not , the wrath of god abideth on him ; it sticks fast upon such a one , and that place in heb. . . if they that sinned under moses law died without mercy , who had but little of this grace revealed unto them ; how much sorer punishment shall they have , that sin under the gospel , under the full revelation of this grace ; but to conclude all , there is nothing will be such an aggravation of thy torments in hell , as these sermons of gods pardoning mercy , if thou go on in sin : when we speak of the pardoning grace of god , we cannot do it without trembling hearts ; why ? because we know god will be exceeding quick with those that have the grace of the gospel preacht unto them : and therefore when we come upon this argument , we cannot but do as a physitian that is giving his patient a potion that is of mighty operation , that will either cure him , or dispatch him suddenly , if it cure not : a physitian cannot but come with a trembling hand , with such a potion , when he knows it must work one way or other : we know god is exceeding quick with those to whom he reveals his pardoning mercy in the preaching of the gospel , and those truths we preach , will have a quick operation either to bring you out of your sins to salvation , or else they will quickly dispatch you for condemnation , mark . , . go says christ , and preach the gospel to every creature ; and he that believes shall be saved ; and he that believes not shall be damned : as if christ had said , go open the doctrine of the gospel , and the justification of a sinner by the freeness of the grace of god through christ jesus , and whosoever will come in and believe , and close with it shall be saved ; but he that believes not shall be damned : there is no trifling in the business , he that believes and comes in shall be saved ; but he that believes not shall perish , he shall be damned ; let people know when they have the gospel preach't unto them , there is no trifling , no dallying with it , 't is not to be put off ; he that comes in , shall be saved ; but he that stands off shall perish , shall be damned , and shall know that i will fetch up my glory from him another day , in another way ; as if christ had said , go preach , make quick work of it ; either come in and be saved , or stand out and perish : and so john when he came to preach the doctrine of forgiveness of sin , matth. . . says , now the axe is laid to the root of the tree , every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewen down and cast into the fire : now also the axe is laid to the root of the tree ; why not before ? no , all that while they went on in ignorance , and understood not sin , and the grace of god brought unto them , for the pardon of their sin all that while ; god let them grow , though they bore no fruit , or but ill fruit : but now also the axe is laid to the root , — if he bears not good fruit now , he is hewn down and cast into the fire . now , when you hear of pardon of sin , and grace revealed in the gospel , either you bring forth fruit , or you do not , if you do not , god is peremptory ; if you come in and imbrace the gospel , you shall be saved ; but if you do not , the axe is laid unto your root to cut you down : the gospel makes quick work with you , as paul says in cor. . . it is so strong that it kills with the very savour of it , it has such a savour as it can kill with the very smell of it ; to him that believes , it is the savour of life unto life ; but to him that believes not , it is the savour of death unto death , act , . . in the times of ignorance god winked , when men understood not what the evil of sin was ; but now he commands all men to repent : before you heard the dreadful evil and malignity that is in sin , god might wink at you ; but now he commands you all , having heard so many sermons of the evil nature of sin , to repent , or else god will be very quick with you , heb. . . an excellent place , the word of god is quick and powerful ; but what word is it ? mark , in the d . verse , unto us , says he , was the gospel preached : it was the word of the gospel , and vers . . if jesus had given them rest : it is that rest spoken of in the gospel ; and mark what he says in the beginning ; let us therefore fear , least a promise being left of entering into rest , any of you should seem to come short of it : let us therefore fear , for the word of god is swift , and will make quick dispatch : no sermons make such quick dispatch as sermons of the gospel ; fear least any seem to come short : let us fear , least any of us should go on in any way that makes it seem to appear we reject the gospel . it is very observable what we find in gods dealings with israel of old ; we never find god swearing against them , till they rejected the land of canaan , and preferr'd egypt before it ; when the spies were sent forth to search the land , and brought some of the grapes of it , numb . , . chapters , and told them what an excellent fruitful land it was ; but because of some difficulty in the getting of it , they fell a murmuring ; then god took up a solemn oath they should not enter into it , though they had provoked him ten times , yea forty years in the wilderness , yet god never sware against them till that time : that soul is in a sad condition , that god shall swear in his wrath it shall not enter into his rest : thou that walkest in the wilderness of thy sins , and hast thy heart hardned against all the truths of god. but now , if god has come in to thee , and opened canaan , and brought you any clusters of those grapes ; revealed the mysteries of the gospel and pardoning grace through christ : if you now hang off , and be longing after the onions and garlick of egypt ; fear and tremble , least god should swear you should never enter into rest : you that are wicked , unclean persons , that went on in sin , though you had some light of nature that caused conscience to check you ; yet god was patient , and your condition was not so dangerous then . but now , after the hearing of this grace of the gospel and pardoning mercy , a drunkard , an unclean person , or a vile liver now , is in a thousand times of more danger , least god should swear against him now than before : take heed in every act of the renewal of thy sin , thou art in danger , least god in his wrath swear against thee that thou shalt never enter into rest . well , if the case be so , then you may say ; what shall we do that we might not dishonour this sweet and precious grace , but that we might honour god in it ? is this the frame of thy heart , to be careful above all things in the world , that thou mightest not dishonour this precious grace ? does thy heart work thus ? lord , whatever i have been heretofore , though i have been a negligent vile wretch ; yet for time to come , it shall be the work of my soul to give up my self unto whatever god shall speak unto me , that i may not dishonour god : is this the frame of thy spirit ? the lord keep it so . now that i might direct you in this great point , i shall . shew who they are that are pardoned ; for that will be a foundation for direction ; and then ly , shew you what you ought to do to get it , what we are to put you upon , if you find not evidence of it : and then ly , what is to be done for the honouring of the grace of god by those that have some comfortable evidence of it . chap. xvi . of the several mistakes of men about the pardon of their sins . our work now is to shew who they are that have their sins pardoned ; for there is nothing in all the world so much concerns us , as to know how things stand with us in relation to god and our souls , whether we be pardoned or no ; for a mistake in this is a wonderful mistake ; and yet how many thousands are there that venture the weight of this great business upon poor , weak , and slight grounds , yea rather on meer suggestions of their own hearts ? and therefore we must first labour to convince men of their mistakes about pardon of sin ; and then lay down some sound evidences of pardon , in which there may be true and solid peace . people are exceeding apt to mistake in point of pardon of sin , hoping that god has pardoned them , and that they shall not be laid to their charge , but upon very slight grounds that will deceive them ; and therefore i desire this day you would look upon your selves as arraign'd before the great god , as one day you must be : and let your hearts so hear , and attend to what we deliver , as if god should speak to you , and say , thou sinner , such and such things thou art privy to , and hast been guilty of , what can'st thou say why the sentence of everlasting death should not be past upon thee ? why god should not declare against thee according to his law ? i suppose , scarce any of you but have some hope that god will never proceed against you according to his law ; for indeed , if he do , you are undone for ever . but what are the grounds of your hopes ; why you think god will not proceed against you for your sins , but will pass them by , and forgive you ? let us a little examine the grounds of it , for it is of very great consequence ; and certainly many people are now sunk down into the bottomless pit of hell , by resting upon false grounds ; i shall labour to discover the weakness of their standing , that rest on false grounds , the first , is this many , think that god has pardoned their sin , because it is but little they have been guilty of , and for that they think there is a pardon in course ; were i guilty of such horrible wickedness , and notorious sins , as many others are ; then i think it would go hard with me ; i should be affraid , things between god and me were very grievous , but the sins i have been guilty of , are no such great sins ; i hope god will pass them by : god forbid i should think he were so strickt as not to pass by such small sins as those that i have been guilty of . for answer to this know thou dost not understand , what the evil and malignity of sin means ; if thou thinkst the least sin does not make such a breach between god and thee , as all created power in heaven and earth , can never make up again : if you do not beleive that all those sermons preacht unto you about the evil of sin , are lost unto you . but know , as a little pen-knife may stabb you to death ; as truly as a gash of the greatest sword , and a little shot out of a pistol may kill you as well as a canon bullet ; so a little sin may prove your eternal ruine as well as a great one : and therefore that is no argument that god hath past by your sins , because they are little ones ; and for that consider this one thing i am further speaking of : . gods pardoning mercy is his own , to do with it what he pleases ; and therefore that god may shew his prerogative , he will sometimes to some , pardon their great sins , and others he will damn for little sins ; you think your sins are not so great as other mens , and therefore you think that god will forgive you ; do not deceive your selves with this , god will do with his mercy what he pleases . what if he will pardon the most notorious gross sins in others , and damn thee for thy sins in thoughts ? what if he will pardon the most notorious uncleanness and murder in another , and damn thee for a wanton thought ? he may do it , for his mercy is his own : for this take the example of david and saul compared together , david committed many sins , but especially those two of adultery and murder , and yet god pardoned him , but saul committed far less sins then those , and yet god cast him off for ever ; the things on which god laid the casting off of saul were these two sins . . he did not stay till samuel came , when samuel had appointed a time to come , he deferr'd it to the last minute , and saul was in a great strait , he tarry'd for him long , and he thought he must not go to war except he offer'd sacrifice before , and he ventured to offer it himself , and did not stay out the full time ; he staid so long till he thought that samuel would not come , and then that he did was but to offer sacrifice to god , and yet god laies this very thing unto his charge as a cause why he would cast him off . sam. . . samuel tells him that god had thought to establish the kingdom for ever unto him , but now he will not ; you are gone saul for this sin : the . sin in scripture on which god layes his casting off upon is this , god sent him against the amalekites , and bad him destroy all , but he spar'd the fat of the flock , and the king. now the sparing of the fat of the flock was done out of a good intention , he professes it was that the people might have of the fattest to offer in sacrifice to god , a good intention and yet for this god tells him , that he would rend the kingdom from him , for that thing , sam. . . true it is , that though saul was guilty of other sins , yet if you observe the story , you shall finde that these were the two sins for which god puts the casting away of saul upon . and yet david committed murder and adultery , and was not cast off ; why ? why if god will shew his prerogative , what hath the creature to reason with him for it , if he will damn saul for his sins that were less , and pardon davids that were greater , what hast thou to do with that ? his mercy is his own : thou think'st it may be because thou couldst put a man off with this reason , my sins are small , and therefore i may be forgiven them because they are not so great as others : grant it may be so , yet know that t is not so with god , he may pardon great sins in others , and yet thou maist perish eternally for the least sins of all , and therefore take this for a conclusion ; if thou hast no other ground for the pardon of thy sin ; but because they are little ones ; i pronounce in the name of god against thee this day , thy sins are not pardoned ; but stand upon the file , and thou shalt externally perish in them , if thou hast no other ground then that , to shew for the pardon of them ; and therefore never make that an argument , that they are pardoned , because they are less then others . secondly , others it may be will plead , my sins are not many ; we are all sinners , but i have not multiplied and increased my sins as others have done . i shall answer to that briefly , know that one sin is enough to damn thee , as fully as a million of transgressions reiterated again , and again ; one chain is enough to hold thee in everlasting darkness , and god may damn thee for one sin , as well as for never so many thousands , as you have heard , he did the angels for their first , and but one sin ; and therefore though thy sins are not many , that is no argument at all . further , we may observe in the way of gods pardoning mercy ; he pardons some that have gone a long time on in their sins , and makes quick worke with others that have been but a little time in sin , and that we may see in the example of manasses and amon ; compare those two together , in the example of manasses you shall finde that he raigned some years ; he was a notorious vile sinner against god ; and yet he raigned a long time in it , his conversion was but late . kings . . he was . years old , when he began to raign , and he raigned . years in jerusalem ; and almost all this time he went on in committing most notorious abominations , and yet god pardoned him . but now mark , his son amon comes after him , and perhaps he might reason thus , my father lived thus and thus , and for a long time had his lust and desires , and why may not i venture to do as my father did ; and so he went on in his fathers wickedness ; but now mark , god comes presently upon him , and lets him live but two years , and there 's an end of him . manasses continued . years , and his son comes after him , and he would go on in his fathers steps , and god presently cut him off ; so though some may continue in whoredom , and in other abominations , and perhaps live in outward prosperity many years , or years , yet god may pass them by , and then if thou sinn'st after their example , he may come upon thee for the first or second act , cut the off , and send thee down presently to hell ; and therefore do not say , my sins are but few , and therefore god will pass them by , that is no argument at all . thirdly , the third false ground that others apprehend their sins are pardoned is this , because the guilt of them does not lie upon their consciences ; they think they are not guilty of their sins , and say , they were committed a great while ago , and a long time hath past , and they heard not of them ; and therefore they think they shall never hear of them more , god hath quite past them over , because they were committed a long time since , and they have not heard of them . answ . do not deceive your selves in this , for the sins that you have committed twenty , fourty , or sixty years ago , though thou never heard'st of them since , it is no argument that they are pardoned ; for they may be on the file in heaven , stand there upon record , and lie as a debt against you all , though they were committed eighty years ago ; 't is no argument a malefactor is pardoned , because the assize is not to morrow , or next day ; 't is true , god will have his assize for some sooner ; but for you he hath reserved it till another time ; and therefore 't is you hear not of you sins , exod. . . in the day when i visit , i will visit their sin upon them : god has his day , and perhaps his day is not come to visit ; and therefore thou thinkest thou art discharged , because the day of gods visitation is not come to thee . and secondly , know further , that though thy sins were committed a great while since , yet in regard of gods eternity , they are to him as if they were committed this morning before thou camest to the assembly , although you committed them fourty or fifty years ago , yet to god they are but as a sin committed yesterday ; it may be you think your consciences would fly in your faces , if you were drunk yesternight , and should come to the sacrament this morning ; and certainly he must be a desperate wretch , a monstrous notorious villain , that should dare to come to the sacrament this morning that was drunk the last night , the last week , and never made his peace with god , his conscience may fly in his face if he were not a monster : but now , your sins that were committed fourty or fifty years ago , know they are to god as if they were committed but this morning ; for gods eternity consists not in passing and coming ; but in this , that there is no succession with god , no time past , nor time to come with god ; all time to god is as a perpetual now : and therefore all thy sins that thou hast committed in time past , is in the eye of god as if they were committed this very hour ; there 's a great deal of need to understand this rightly , for the humbling of men and women , by causing them to look back upon their sins , and to lay them to heart ; for they are thus presented before god , as if they were committed this very moment , job . , . dost thou not watch over my sin ? my transgression is sealed up in a bag , and thou sowest up mine iniquity : god watches over your sins , and will come upon you for them ; they are sealed up in a bag : sometimes when i have seen the clerk of the assizes draw out his indictments , such a one for murder , and such a one for felony ; it put me in mind of this text ; those indictments against men were put up in the clerk of the assizes bag , it may be a good while before : and now at the assizes they are drawn out and read openly in the face of the court ; so are thy sins all put in a bag , and god in the day of visitation he pulls them out , and reads them openly before men and angels . we have an example in scripture , how god did come on men for sins committed a long while before , as the example of joseph's brethren , who sold him , and after this they went on and never heard of it till a long time after ; it appears not that their consciences were troubled till two and twenty years after they had committed that sin ; till they came into egypt , and were in affliction , and then their consciences began to fly in their faces ; for the sin they committed against their brother : joseph was seventeen years old when he was sold , and when he stood before pharaoh he was thirty , there 's thirteen years ; and then seven years of plenty , and two years of famine before they came into egypt ; there 's two and twenty years , before their consciences did fly in their faces for their sin against their brother : take heed what you do ; for the sins of your youth may be a torment to your old age : it may be you little think of it ; but remember , when you are old god may come and reckon with you for the sins of your youth : 't is and should be a great argument to make people to take heed of sin ; for those sins thou committest now may do thee a mischief fourty or sixty years hence ; as in the natural body , many young men though they feel no distempers in their bodies for the present , and so care not for their diet , nor how to avoid surfits : yet after they grow old , then they feel their distempers in their joynts and bones , which is no other than their drunkenness and intemperance when they were young ; so 't is in regard of the soul , many in their younger years do greatly follow after wickedness , and because they hear not of it , they go away and never are troubled ; but afterwards in their old age , god comes upon them for the sins of their youth : joab when he was young committed sin , but when his hoary head was on him , god then came to him in wrath for it ; and therefore think not all thy sins are pardoned , because 't is a great while ago since they were committed ; but rather reckon up thy former sins and bewail them , and do not rest on this ground , because 't is long since they were committed , 't is not to be built upon , you must look for other grounds , or else you are undone for ever , for this will certainly fail you . fourthly , others reason that god has pardoned their sins , not only because they have been committed a great while ago ; but they have had prosperity , it hath been well with them , and god has done them good ; and certainly if god had not pardoned their sins , god would never have let them thrive ; i shall speak but little to this , for these reasonings are very vain , ( there are others i shall more insist upon ; know this , thou makest it an argument of gods pardoning mercy , it may rather be an argument of gods eternal curse , for god to suffer a man to prosper much after great sins committed , it is a sign that god hath given that man over to hardness of heart , which is the most dreadful curse in the world ; after god had rejected saul , sam. , . chapters you may read saul had a great deal of success in his way immediately after god had cast him off ; so though god have cast off a man or a woman , yet that man or woman may have much success in their way ; you that are marriners , you cannot draw an argument , that because you have had a good voyage , and have past such dangers , ( though you have committed many sins , ) that god is at peace with you , and that all your faults are past over ; no , you may have many good successes in in your voyages , and yet perish at length for the sins you have committed in your voyages ; and so you may have good success , as saul had good success in war , and yet was cast off for all that . fifthly , others say , we are not so vain to make outward prosperity an argument or ground that our sins are pardoned : but we sorrow for sin , repent of them , and turn from them , and rely on gods mercy through christ that our sins are pardoned , these are arguments of a higher nature than the former ; and if there be true sorrow , unfaigned repentance , reformation , and a trusting in gods mercy through jesus christ , they will be good arguments indeed : but now i shall shew you there may be all these , and yet sin not pardoned ; yea a relying on christ at least , so as people may think they rely upon christ , and yet not sin pardoned . . though these things we mentioned last may seem to be hard , yet the tryal of them is a very safe and wholsome thing , because if you mistake in this , you are undone ; you will examine evidences for your houses and lands ; do so in the great matters between god and your souls : and for sorrow for sin , i shall make it plain , there may be a great deal of sorrow for sin , and yet sin not pardoned ; you know the example of ahab , king. . , to . verses , and it came to pass when ahab heard those words , that he rent his clothes , and put sackcloath upon his flesh , and fasted , and lay in sackcloath and went softly ; when god did but send the prophet to tell him of his sin , presently upon the prophets words he rent his clothes , which was a sign of extream sorrow in those times , and then he put on sackcloath : he put off his princely robes , his brave apparrel , and put on sackcloath , and that not for an outward garment , but upon his flesh , and then fasted and lay in sackcloath , and went softly as a dejected man : the pride and stoutness of his heart seem'd to be so much abated , that god takes notice of it in the . verse , seest thou how ahab humbleth himself before me ; and because he did so , the judgment was deferred for a while ; yet certainly ahab's sin was not , or ever should be pardoned , though he put on sackcloath and humbled himself before the lord : i appeal unto you this morning , are not many of you hoping for pardon of sin , and yet come far short of ahab ? all you do in your repentance , is to say , god be merciful unto me , i am sorry , lord forgive me , and there 's an end , all 's done presently ; but ahab went a great deal further , and yet his sin was not pardoned : take the example of esau , you know what the scripture says of him , he sought the blessing with tears , and yet found no place for repentance ; and in being rejected of the blessing , it was a type of his rejection of heaven ; some carry it thus , to prove there may be tears , and yet no true repentance , that is a truth ; esau was very much troubled , and shed many tears , and yet there was no true repentance : but i rather take the meaning of the text thus ; he found no place of repentance in his father isaac ; his father isaac had given the blessing to jacob , and would not call it back , though he sought it with tears ; there was no place for isaac to recal it any more , though he shed many tears , yet he went without it ; so that there may be much sorrow , and thou may'st seek the blessing with many tears , and yet god may be so turn'd against thee that there will be no place for repentance , that is , god will not call in that that is out against thee . and of judas 't is said when he saw christ was condemn'd , that he repented ; 't is said he did repent , yet judas was not pardoned ; so that you see plainly , there may be repentance , and yet sin never pardoned : indeed , true repentance hath ever pardon going along with it ; but the scripture speaks of a repentance that may be without pardon ; therefore when thou say'st thou repentest , you must not look upon it so , because you repent , therefore your sins are pardoned , as if every repentance was true ; for thou mistakest in the work of repentance , thou thinkest this to be repentance to salvation , for thee to be sorry at the very heart for thy sins ; certainly thou may'st be sorry at the heart , and yet perish for all that ; i make no question but judas was sorry at his heart , and wisht it had never been done , and if it were to do again , he would never do it ; there is as much exprest , he repented , and he brought the pieces again ; he was not only sorrowful , but made satisfaction ; he brought the mony back again that he had got in a wicked way : and therefore if you think this to be true repentance , you are mightily mistaken , but wherein is it that we fail ? it is not for me now to enter on the doctrine of true repentance , i am to speak of it so far as to convince men , that it is not a ground for hope of pardon of sin : mark it , when 't is thus with thee , thou repentest because thou seest that sin will bring thee into danger : now , thou hast had the pleasure or the profit of it , and thou seest now it will bring thee into trouble and danger , thou art sorry that ever thou did'st it : certainly , if god would be satisfied with such kind of sorrow , he might have enough of it in hell ; for there is yelling and sorrow , because of the troubles that sin hath brought upon them : to sorrow because of the trouble that our sins bring on us is meerly natural , and flows from nature it self , and far from a saving work of repentance ; therefore the repentance many hope to have , what is it ? when we tell them of their sins , they say , they hope to repent ; what do they mean ? why ? they would take the pleasure of sin , and when the punishment comes , they would be sorry for it , and repent of it : the ordinary way to put men off from this plea , is to tell them how do you know you shall live , or that your hearts shall not be hardned ? but suppose you do live , and that you have a heart to do as you say , yet your repentance may fail you ; if your repentance be no other than that which comes for sorrow of sin , because of the punishment , it will fail you ; certainly that repentance that must go for current in heaven is of another nature : possibly i may shew afterwards what is true and false sorrow ; but for the present i shall shew where the mistake lies : whosoever therefore that builds their believing of the pardon of their sin meerly on their sorrow , and such kind of sorrow , they are like a man that would erect a great building , and lay the foundation of it in a quag-mire , or on the sand , as the scripture speaks , when storms come the building falls ; i shall speak hereafter to those that build on the sand ; but these build on a quagmire , on a few tears , sorrow and trouble of spirit they have upon the apprehension of punishment of sin : this building will fall in time of straights and danger ; and this is the reason why people that depend upon sorrow never have peace : for how can i tell the measure of sorrow i am to have before peace be spoken , and then if they feel not sorrow , they are questioning again : it is a dangerous thing to lay the hopes of pardon of sin upon our own sorrows ; where or how then shall we lay our hopes ? why , upon the sorrows of jesus christ , there you shall find the surest ground ( there may be some mistake there too , but for the present i shall not stay on that ) we must look ten thousand times more at the sorrows of christ than at our own sorrows ; and therefore when your hearts are troubled , and you look for mercy , depend more ten thousand times on the sorrows of christ than on all your own sorrows ; for your sorrows for sin cannot satisfie gods justice ; and that that must be a ground of hope for the pardon of my sin , must be something that must satisfie the justice of god ; for though there be never so much sorrow , yet it will not satisfie gods justice ; and consider further , true sorrow rather follows the work of justification then preceds it ; as thus , i am not therefore pardoned because i mourn ; but because i am pardoned , therefore i come to mourn ; so stands the truth in divinity in point of justification and repentance : you pervert the order , if you think because you mourn , and are a little sorrowful , that therefore you shall be pardoned ; the truth is , if your mourning and sorrow be a work of true saving grace : you mourn and sorrow because you are justified ; sorrow of true repentance rather flows from pardon , then pardon from it ; when god pardons sin , he lets out the graces of his spirit , and then comes sorrow as a fruit or evidence of gods pardoning love and reconciliation ; for though god may give outward favours to a man that is not pardoned ; yet god never gives his spirit to work any saving grace in the heart till he is reconciled : 't is a fruit of his pardoning grace and favour , and because he has justified thee , he sends his spirit to work sorrow and repentance : many think justification flows from sorrow ; but thou must come to sorrow and repentance another way : know that all true sorrow flows from justification ; all that sorrow before justification , it is but legal sorrow , and reveals something that may hinder the soul from christ , as sin , and the terrors of the law , and the wrath of god ; but it does not interest the soul in christ ; this i affirm as most certain divinity , that there is no sorrow whereby any soul is interested and planted in christ ; the sorrow that is wrought in them before justification , in order of nature , may be a means to bring them to god , and make them enquire after christ , and stir up their hearts to take away those things that do hinder from christ ; but it does not interest the soul in christ : you do not understand the way of the gospel , if you think that sorrow interests the soul in christ ; no , that must be by faith laying hold on him for justification , and then comes sorrow of repentance after ; thou may'st see thy self an undone wretch for sin , and lost for ever , and nothing in the world can quiet thee ; all this may be by the work of the law : but then god comes and shews thee his grace in christ , and enables thee to close with it for justification , and then comes in evangelical sorrow , mourning and melting sorrow more than ever before : but now it comes in another way from the spirit of god melting the soul , because it hath sinned against jesus christ , who hath so graciously appeared to it in his pardoning mercy to the soul ; so that now you sorrow because you are pardoned , for it comes as a fruit of faith laying hold of the pardoning grace of god ; and then there is no such argument in the world to melt the heart with sorrow , as when faith tells the soul that sin is pardoned ; and though thy sorrow was little before , and now is greater , thou need'st not be troubled , if god make thy humiliations greater for sin after the knowledg of thy pardon ; for the revelation of gods grace in the pardon of thy sin , is the most excellent means to humble the soul in the world : the sorrows of gods children after pardon , as they work on their own hearts so on gods heart too ; god is mightily taken with it : when once thy sins are pardoned , then god makes thy heart melt to him as his does to thee : but the sorrow of one that is an enemy to god does not soften gods heart ; there is a great deal of difference between the sorrow of gods children , and the sorrow of others ; they make sorrow the ground of pardon , this god accepts not : 't is true , you may sorrow for sin , because it may be a means to bring you to christ ; but that that justifies the soul is union with christ by faith , and all that sorrow that works repentance to salvation flows , from gods grace in christ , having justified you . justification is the first thing that estates thee in blessedness ; sorrow does not first state thee in a blessed condition , but is meerly a fruit of that blessedness thou art stated in : certainly these things are the truths of god ; so that when you look for blessedness any other way , you look for it meerly in a natural way , or as a heathen may do ; a heathen knows he ought not to offend god , and he knows he had need to have mercy from god , and that he ought to be sorrowful for his sins ; i might give you many examples for it , but i must hasten : those then that seek after pardon of sin this way , do but seek for it meerly in a natural way . secondly , others say , i am not only sorry for my sins , but i reform ; and is not this a ground of pardon ? know likewise , that there may be a leaving of sin , and yet sin not pardoned ; for that take the example of herod , 't is said , he heard john baptist gladly , and reformed in many things ; he was a great deal the better for john's ministry , and yet herod was not pardoned : this is a notable example for you that come to hear sermons , and seem to be much affected , let me ask you in the name of god , and let conscience answer , what is it you reformed since you heard all those sermons of the evil of sin , and now of the pardon of sin ? what evils have you reformed in your families , and in your own hearts ? i cannot but hope that many of you may say , through grace these and these evils were in my family before , but now i have reformed them ; and these evils i did before , but now i have left them ; i hope many can say so , and blessed be god for this fruit of our ministry if any thing be reform'd , if sabbaths be better kept , and duties in family set up , and private exercises of religion performed ; that you are not so proud , passionate , and froward as before : o that it may be said so , 't is worth our labour to restrain sin , that god may not be so much dishonoured , if there were no more done : but we preach for further and higher ends , that souls would not stay in reforming ; for herod heard john baptist , and did many things ; and judas cast away the money , he repented and would not keep the money , there was a kind of reformation in both herod and judas ; but this is no ground to build upon for pardon of sin ; as those that depended on their sorrow for pardon , built on the quagmire ; so those that depend on their reformation , build upon the sand ; the one by his sorrow and trouble for sin , seems as it were to be in the work of humiliation , is like a man that digs deep for a foundation , but does not cast out the old mould , but builds upon it ; the other seems like one that not only digs deep , but casts out the old rubbish , and brings in new mould , new earth : lays by and casts away his former sins , and does the contrary good ; but now , though they go further than the former in casting out the old rubbish , and bringing in of new earth , yet after all this is done they build upon it , and do not build upon the rock christ ; they bring in the new earth of their own performances and duties , and this they build upon , and do not build upon the rock christ for the pardon of their sins , and justification of their souls before god , and here they fail , and this is their undoing , their mistake in this ; and yet it is most sure , that every one of us would mistake in this ; if god did not reveal in the gospel another way to receive pardon and justification in his son , we should certainly all of us rest here , and go no further ; no man or woman in the world , that never heard the gospel went further than this , and so far one may go without the gospel ; we may dig deep , cast out the old rubbish , and bring in new earth ; this we may do , and not hear of the gospel : and therefore we have a great deal of cause to bless god that we may hear the mysteries of the gospel opened unto us ; for certainly we should else go no further , and if we go no further , we should certainly perish ; and therefore if we go but thus far , it is not building on the rock christ ; hence the ground and bottom of faith for justification cannot be in reformation , or in any thing in the creature , it must be in something above and without us , and yet by faith , ( wrought in us ) though without us ; i mean the rock christ , and the foundation that is laid for the forgiveness of our sin in christ , that must be the foundation of our faith , and not in what we do our selves : for . know , that all reformation in the world will not satisfie for the evil that you have done for the time past ; this i would convince you of , and be you willing to hear it , it may be of great use unto you ; when we preach christ and free grace , it is to bring you to christ ; our preaching down of works is not to keep you from doing of them , but from resting in them : that which i aim at , is to bring you into an enquiring frame of spirit , a restless condition , that so we may bring you to that which is the true rest ; and we shall be as glad to bring you into the true rest , as now to bring you into restlesness : know , all reformations for time to come , will not satisfie god for time past , it will not : amongst men , if you have run into arrearages with your landlord for rent , and you bring him a quarters rent when there 's three or four quarters behind , or may be two or three years , if you should think to pay the rent of two or three years with bringing the last quarter , it would be accounted a foolish conceit ; so would it be , if with god you should think the duties you do at present , should satisfie for all the arrearages you have run into for time past : you do not understand gods way , if you think that god will be satisfied for all that is past by what you do at the present : suppose what you do now were perfect , and for all time to come you never committed one sin against god any more , yet all this would not satisfie for time past , this looks but at time to come , and does not at all take off any thing for the time past : besides , you may see matter enough in your best reformations for god to condemn you , not only for your former sins , but sins in your reforming ; but if there were no sin in that , that would be no satisfaction for that which is past : mark this , that which must be the ground of the pardon of thy sin , must be that that must satisfie for thy sin past , and for all thy sins to come ; and that was opened unto you in opening the mysteries of godliness in the pardon and justification of a sinner . . know this , that god accepts of duties , not for the duties themselves , but because he accepts of the person that performs them ; god does not accept of the duties , and then of the person , that is not gods way : but he accepts first of the person , and then of the actions : god never accepts of what we do , till he accepts of our persons ; as abel , god had regard to abel 's person first , and then to his offerings ; so god has first regard to the person of any man , and then to his offerings : thou thinkest thou art a poor wretched creature , and then thou thinkest it may be , if i had such and such parts , and could do thus and thus , then god would accept of me ; i tell thee , all thy parts and performances are cast away , till god accept of thy person ; st. paul was blameless according to the law , and yet he accounted all loss for christ ; for he knew , that when god revealed the gospel to him , that he could not be accepted for his righteousness ; but his person must first be accepted , and then his righteousness : so that the way of new obedience , and the work of sanctification , are the qualifications of the man that is justified ; but not the conditions required for the justification of his person ; 't is not that that justifies the soul , the justification of the soul comes not through these , but these flow from justification ; and until a soul understands this , he never rightly performs duties . therefore further , to conclude this , though good works and new obedience are good nurses unto faith ; yet if you make these the mother of your faith , your faith is but a bastard faith ; these are not the right mother of faith : if your faith be begotten out of your duties and performances , and your faith have no other mother than these , then your faith is illegitimate , and not true born , it has not the right mother ; the right mother of faith , is the manifestation of the freeness of gods grace in the covenant of the gospel , shewed unto the soul through the mediation of the son of god : this laid open to the eye of the soul , by the mighty work of the spirit of god , raises and creates faith in the soul ; this is the generation of true saving faith , the faith of gods elect , as the scripture speaks ; duties and performances cannot be the mother of it ; it is of a higher birth than that birth that arises out of parts , duties , or performances whatsoever ; thy faith will not inherit , if it be base born : through faith we come to inherit the promises ; and if thy faith hath no other foundation than thy sorrows and reformation , thy faith is illegitimate , and not that that shall inherit ; 't is not of the right kind that will bring thee unto salvation : thus you see what mistakes there may be in this great point of the justification of a sinner , and in being made blessed ; and therefore we had need look to it to be sure , that what we rest upon will hold , least when we come to lay claim , and make challenge of blessedness , our hold deceive us : many think the main matters of religion to be nothing but believing in jesus christ , and crying god mercy : you see by these things that i have spoken , that there had need be much workings of spirit in the way of religion , and mighty strong teachings of the holy ghost to lead the soul ; for there may be many mistakes , and to prevent and remove those mistakes that lie in the way to get peace with god , 't is a matter of great concernment , and not a slight business to be done suddenly . . others say , we trust in the mercy of god , and in this i am to speak to two sorts . first , those that are most grosly ignorant , that have no other ground to hope for pardon of sin , but because they hear that god is a merciful god : know thus much , that notwithstanding what you hear of god , that he is merciful , and not willing that men should perish : yet the scripture reveals clearly to us , that notwithstanding god is gracious and merciful , yet the greatest part of the world perish in their sins ; there is nothing more clear then this , that most people in the world do perish ; and therefore to say god is merciful , is not enough ; you may be sorry for sin , reform , and say , god is merciful , and yet perish : if these three were enough , what needed the son of god to come , and take our nature upon him , and be made a curse for mans sin , lay down his life , and shed his precious blood , why might not these three have been joyned together , and so christ never have come ? for though christ had never come , i might have been sorrowful , and i might have reformed and said god is merciful , though christ had never come : those that never knew christ , nor heard of him yet , they may be sorrowful , reforme , and say god is mercifull . i beseech you consider this note , i can never be pardoned and saved , in such a way , as it might be done , though christ had never come ; i can then never be pardoned and saved by all the means i take for pardon and salvation , if those things might be done though christ had never come ; and if you have nothing else but them to rest upon , then you can never be saved ; put this to your hearts , what have i wrought in my heart , that i might not have had , if christ had not come into the world ; certainly the most things that most people have to rest upon , for pardon and salvation ; they might have had though christ had never come into the world . further , thou saist god is merciful , true , the mercy of god is sweet and a blessed argument , and our souls much delight to open the grace and mercy of god ; and i have endeavoured to open to you what is revealed in the gospel ; yet gods mercy is free , though he delight to glorifie his mercy : and he hath thousand thousands of subjects , to glorify his mercy in , though thou perish eternally . though thou perish eternally , yet god may be glorious in the blessedness of his mercy : god hath others to magnifie his mercy unto besides thee : a beggar comes and asks an almes of a man , and he gives him none , that is not an argument the man is not merciful , for he hath other objects , that are more suitable and fit ; though he give not to every one , t is no dishonour to his compassion ; so it is with god , he hath thousands of objects to bestow his mercy on ; though thou perish . further , thou saist god is merciful , and thererefore thou hop'st for pardon : why ? god is and hath been merciful to thee beyond all that thou canst conceive , god hath shew'd his mercy to thee already : thou saist god is merciful , true , or else thou hadst not been alive at this present : that thou shouldst hear and see , and have all thy members whole , and the use of all thy sences , and that thou shouldst stand here this day under the meanes of grace , and that thou shouldst hear god call on thee to repent , and believe in his son , while thou walk'st on in thy sin , and art dead in sins and trespasses : he sends his son and spirit to thee , to tell thee that he would rescue thee , and give life unto thee ; again , is not here rich mercy , perhaps thou hast had thy portion of mercy already , that god intends for thee , yea so much mercy , that all the angels and saints will give acclamations to god , for that mercy thou hast had , though thou perish ; god hath many waies shewd mercy to thee , in so much as that the very devils themselves will acknowledge that god was very good to his poor creatures . further , thou speakest of mercy ; hast not thou abused and turn'd mercy into wantonness ? perhaps the mercy thou speakst of , now is at this very present pleading to god against thee ; saying , how have i been abused by this wretched man ? the more my beauty & excellency hath been displayed , the more wicked he hath grown ; what if mercy be now pleading against thee ? even those mercies that thou hast abused ; and therefore thou hadst need to look for somewhat else to settle thy soul upon then this , to say that god is merciful ; this is to the first sort , those that are grosly ignorant . secondly , there are others that mourne , pray and reform , and then have some kinde of relyance on god to pardon them , for his mercies sake ; and therefore to them i shall say thus much : know , the mercy of god must be received after gods own way ; he hath appointed the communications of it , and so it must be received ; otherwise it can never attain to such an effect as the pardon of thy sin ; note this , that all the mercy in god considered , as he is creator of heaven and earth , and not let out through the mediator christ jesus god-man it never wrought to the pardon of any one sin , and therefore if you looke upon the mercy of god , and do not look to the right way of the conveyance of it , you may most dangerously mistake : the ground and bottom of faith , that justifies is not meerly to cast ones self on the mercy of god , ( for there is none , but in a natural way know that god is a merciful god ) but the main ground of justification , or of justifying faith , is the free grace of god through jesus christ ; that god is merciful through a mediator : otherwise the ground of your faith is but on a meer confused notion of the mercy of god , which will certainly faile you ; a heathen may have as much to be the ground of his faith , that the great creator of heaven and earth , pitties those that are in misery , and i am a poor creature in misery ; i le cry to him , and i le reform my life , and i le relye on him ; thus far a heathen may go : but the ground and bottom of faith is not the mercy of god in general , but the mercy of god in and through a mediator ; observe a little further , the ground of justifying faith is not thus , that god for christs sake will forgive me for what christ hath done to purchase my pardon , but there is another work of faith in the souls of believers , though the soul apprehend it not ; t is not the work of faith in justification , to believe that christ hath paid so much as my debt comes to ; but thus , the work of faith is to bring the soul unto christ , and to pitch it upon the person of christ , to be made mine first , and then the righteousness of christ to be mine : t is not thus , i believe this is my debt , and there is so much money to pay it ; but this is the work of faith , to bring thee to be marryed to such a person ; and so the debt is transacted on him to whom thou art marryed , and he will discharge the debt , because thou art marryed to him ; so that the ground of faith is not to look unto god meerly through his son that so i may have pardon ; but thus , i must come to have christ to be mine ; i must be marryed with christ , and so through my union with the person of christ , i come to have all that christ hath done and suffered to be made over to me ; and therefore when i come to look upon the riches of the grace of god in the mediation of his son ; i must come with an eye of faith , to be marryed unto christ , and christ with me , the riches of gods grace in christ was opened before ; we now make use of it as a trial to shew the danger of false grounds in relying upon god for pardon . further , though it be through the mercy of god to pardon sin ; yet it does not work thus , viz. you have sinned , and my law requires such and such obedience , to be performed on such tearms , or else you must perish , but i through my mercy will remit something of the rigour and strictness of the law : and most people confess , that by the strictness of the law they are condemn'd , but they hope the mercy of god will grant some remission of the law ; as it is with men , if all penal statutes should be executed it would be very hard ; but there is a chancery to abate something of the rigour , and strictness of penal statutes ; and thus men think to come to have pardon , and deal with god after the manner of men ; you think the crying to god for mercy wil abate something of the strictness , and severity of the law ; but you mistake in taking this way to get peace and reconciliation with god ; to look upon gods mercy to lye in this , to remit something of the strictness and severity of the law : no but the work of gods mercy lyes in this , to finde out a surety for you , and to transact the debt upon him . further , consider the work of gods mercy in justification of a sinner , when faith layes hold upon it faith , must not lay hold upon it as a meer single act ; but look at all the concomitants of the work of gods grace , in making way for the justification of a sinner : the mercy of god workes many waies , and faith must exercise it self on gods grace , according to the multiplicity of the work of it , in bringing about the justification of a sinner ; as thus , you have sinned and you cry to god for pardon , but the mercy of god does not work thus to pardon you , as t is a single act , but the mercy of god works thus to mankind . first , he is pleased to enter into a second covenant with mankind after he had broken the first . a second work of gods mercy , is to set his wisdom on work to finde out a way how mankind should be reconciled unto him , and his sin pardoned , and yet that god should be no looser ; this was the work of his infinite wisdom . and thirdly , when this is found out , this can be done no other way , but only through the son of god taking mans nature upon him , and suffer for him ; then here 's the mercy of god , to be willing to send his son to mediate for poor creatures ; and then a further mercy in giving thy soul to his son ; he sent not his son that all might be pardoned , but a certain number that god the father had given to his son from all eternity : now there 's a great work of gods mercy in passing by others , and giving thee to his son : and further , it is a work of gods mercy in the powerful ministry of the gospel to reveal this : and then further , it is a work of gods mercy to draw thee to close with his son , and thereby to unite and marry thee to his son : and then further , it is a work of gods mercy to assure thee of the pardon and justification of thy soul ; 't is a great deal more for faith to look upon god in this manner , than to come in such a way as this ; god is merciful , and i trust in his grace that he will pardon me : we mistake mightily about the mercy of god , when we do not look upon it in an evangelical way , as it is revealed in the gospel : further , know thus much , that if gods mercy will work so far for thee , as to pardon thy sin , and save thy soul : certainly it will work so far as to take away the power of sin , and let thee not live in the filth of thy sin : many think gods mercy will do great matters hereafter , but nothing now in comparison of what he will do hereafter ; they think he will give them outward blessings now , but keep spiritual things till hereafter : certainly this is an infallible truth , if gods mercy work not so powerfully here in this world as to bestow spiritual good things on thee , thou may'st be assured that it will never work so powerful on thee as to save thy soul in the world to come ▪ can it be thought a prince pardons a malefactor that he shall not be hang'd , and yet suffer him to lie in prison and rot in the dungeon ? this were but a poor pardon , a half pardon , to be delivered from the gallows and rot in the prison : certainly , whatever a prince may do , god never pardons a sinner so ; to shew him mercy to save him from hell , and yet to lie rotting all his life long in sin ; no , god when he pardons , he delivers and shakes off the fetters ; as we shall see further ; therefore thou that say'st thou hopest in gods mercy that he will pardon thee ; let me ask , what hath he done for thee ? if thou thinkest that gods mercy will work so strongly hereafter to save thy soul , certainly it will be as strong for thee here to sanctifie thee ; if it work not so strong on thee now as to sanctifie thee , certainly it will never work so strongly for thee hereafter as to save thee . . others say in the last place , we are not only sorry for sin and reform and trust in gods mercy , but we relie upon gods mercy through christ ; and therefore we hope we shall be pardoned : this i might speak much too ; we must rest there , but there is a mistake there too ; the relying on christ is not relying on him by acting of some transient thoughts that passes over , but it is an abiding thing ; when men hear there is no way to be saved but by christ , and they cannot deny it , and because they are loath to think they are such as cannot be saved , they are loath to have such ill thoughts of themselves , & hearing this is the way , and no other , therefore they will perswade themselves that they shall find mercy through christ : now what great work is this so to rely on christ ; the work of faith is a mighty work , it is not a short transient work , a few thoughts upon thy heart to be saved by christ ; no ▪ wheresoever faith is right , and a true reliance on christ ; it is a mighty work of the spirit of god , working this grace in raising the soul higher than it self , and carries it through and above all difficulties : when it brings the soul to relie upon god there may be great mistakes , when people say , they rely upon christ ; and therefore take this for conviction , relying on christ is not barely to think my sins are pardoned by christ , but it is a receiving of christ , a possessing of christ , a coming into christ , a living in christ , and a bringing christ to live in me ; 't is eating of the flesh of christ , and drinking of his blood , and so finds nourishment and strength from him as really as the body by the meat and drink it takes ; that abides with it , is strengthned by it ; so does faith to the soul : therefore faith is not a slight notion like water running through a pipe that leaves nothing behind it ; for so the thoughts of most people are ; but it is such a thing , as brings christ into the soul , and the soul into christ , and so feeds and lives upon him ; this is relying upon christ for pardon ; so as to have the concomitants and comforts of pardon continually going along with it : now you have heard these things , go away and beseech god to settle things aright in your souls , say to your hearts , lord i see that setling of the heart aright upon christ for justification and pardon of sin , is another manner of business then i was aware of , and i am perswaded that if i had died before , i should certainly have dyed under some of these mistakes ; lord settle my heart aright in this great business : do not go away with such thoughts as these , the minister speaks of such mistakes , but i hope it is far otherwise ; do not venture to put off what we say with such slight thoughts ; when we speak unto you we speak in the name of god , and it is a horrible taking of the name of god in vain , if we examine not what we say unto you by the word ; and therefore know you are charged this day in the name of god to look to it , and examine your hearts what grounds you go upon for the pardon of your sin , that you may not mistake ; in which we shall give you some further help in laying down some positive grounds that you may rest upon for the pardon of your sin . chap. xvii . of the true evidences of forgiveness of sin. but if it be asked , who are they that have their sins pardoned ? surely they are not many , this text puts it in the singular number , blessed is he that hath his sin pardoned , and by that which hath been delivered about the mistakes , it appears there are not very many ; but yet some there are , and this is the work of this day in the name of the lord to declare to some poor souls this day their sins are pardoned ; this is the message from the lord i am to speak to them ; ( i hope divers in this place , ) as from christ , son and daughter be of good comfort , thy sins are pardoned ; and blessed is that man and woman that this day shall hear that joyful sound , in their hearts , and that shall have the spirit of god witness unto their spirit ; that as i have heard , so i have felt this day that what signs of forgiveness of sin have been delivered , i have felt them in my own soul ; well then , what are they ? to insist upon them . the first is that the apostle gives in rom. . . moreover whom he did predestinate , them he also called ; and whom he called , them he also justified ; justification consists especially in the remission and pardon of sin : now the holy ghost says , whom he hath , called them he hath justified ; would you know that you are justified , and that your sins are pardoned , the spirit of god shews you , it is not a note of mine , but it is that which comes from the holy ghost ; whom he hath called them he hath justified ; vocation is a certain evidence of justification ; this vocation or calling is the second link that does unite those two links of that golden chain together mentioned in that place , the first link is the foreknowledge of god , gods predestination ; and then there is vocation the next , after that justification , and then glorification ; the first chain in the link is , that god from all eternity predestinates some persons to have their sins pardoned ; but there is vocation comes in between predestination and justification , and after that glorification : so that while i am giving evidences of justification here in this text , i shall give evidences of predestination and glorification too ; for these are linkt altogether : many people look only after justification , they hope their sins are pardoned , but they look not to any other link of the chain , as calling and vocation , whom he hath called , them he hath justified ; but the question then is , what is this calling ? what do you mean by that , how shall we know whether we be called or no ? in pet. . . he bids them there to give diligence to make their calling and election sure : mark , as here predestination and calling are put together , so their calling and election , says he , give diligence to make your calling and election sure : election is first sure in respect of god , but vocation is first in regard of our selves ; make that sure and then you make election sure , justification sure , and glorification sure too ; then what is vocation ? for answer to the question , know , there is an outward call and an inward call ; when god sends the ministers of the word to reveal the gospel , and the way of salvation , that is no other but gods calling mens souls from the ways of sin and death to come into the ways of life ; all that come to hear the sound of the gospel preacht unto them ; let them know , that is gods call to sinners to come in and repent ; god calls to the drunkard , the unclean person , and all others that live in sin to repent ; when you come to hear the word god calls you , and god requires of you , as you would have god to hear your cry when you are calling for mercy in the day of your distress , hear my call , now i call and cry in the ministry of the word ; would you have me to hear you when you cry to me ? do you hear me now i am calling to you : o that people would understand the ministry of the word , that it is the call of god for sinners to return and repent of their sins , that they would look beyond man , and know that it is the voyce of god by them ; and therefore it is a dangerous thing for people to neglect , resist , or rebel against the ministry of the word ; and there is some good hopes that god hath some souls in such a place that he intends everlasting good will unto , where he sends the ministry of the word ; god do's not use to send the call of the gospel to a place , but there are some souls to be called : and therefore secondly , besides the outward call , there is an inward call , and that is it the apostle speaks of : many have the outward call of the word to faith and repentance , and yet they perish eternally : but those whom god intends to save and hath love to indeed , he comes to them with an inward call , and this inward call of god is on this wise : god beholds the poor wretched sinner going on in the ways of sin , death , and perdition , and he comes to him by a secret and powerful voyce , speaking to his very heart , o sinner , consider where thou art , what art thou a doing ? whither art thou a going ? what is the end of thy way like to be ? thou art going from god , from happiness and life , to woful misery and blackness of darkness , to the infinite gulf of eternal perdition ; o turn , turn , o sinner out of these vile abominable dangerous ways , or else thou art undone for ever : behold , here is the way of life set before thee ; behold my son sent into the world for the propitiation of thy sin , and to bring thee into the ways of godliness , which is the way to eternal life ; o turn sinner into these wayes : now this voyce of god calling to the soul of a man or woman , it comes with power , it hath an over powering strength in it , to prevail upon the heart ; it is much like that secret voyce mentioned in isai . . . and thy ears shall hear a word behind thee , saying , this is the way walk in it , when you turn to the right hand , or to the left ; 't is a promise of gods mercy unto his people to convert them unto himself ; those that were only in an outward profession , says god you shall hear a voyce behind you , saying , this is the way , turn in unto it ; and so 't is when god calls a sinner from the ways of death and destruction ; such a sinner hears a voyce behind him ; it may be he has come many times to sermons , and heard a voyce many times without him and before him ; but never before , a voyce within him and behind him , an inward secret voyce speaking to the soul , o sinner turn out of thy sinful ways ; why wilt thou die and perish eternally ? for god to come thus secretly , and to reason with the soul by a voyce behind it ; and 't is not bare reasoning , but a voyce that hath a power and efficacy from god going along with it , that carries on this work in the soul , and causes the heart to listen and to yield unto god ; when god calls to the soul to come into the ways of life , the soul answers , lord i come , and with a trembling frame of heart cries out with saul at his conversion , lord , what wilt thou have me to do ? no more now , what sin will have me to do ? and what this and that ; and the other lust will have me to do ? no , now i see the ways of life and salvation are the only blessed ways ; now lord , what would'st thou have me to do ? now salvation is come to that soul , and reconciliation with jesus christ ; for whom he hath called , them he hath justified . observe the efficacy of that call spoken of in isai . . . thine ears shall hear a word behind thee , &c. and then follows the fruits of it , and ye shall defile also the covering of thy graven images with silver , and the ornament of thy molten images of gold , thou shalt cast them away as a menstruous cloth ; and shall say unto it , get thee hence ; the sins they before lived in was idolatry , and their hearts were much taken with their brave images over-laid with silver and gold ; but when they heard the voyce behind them , they look't upon those things they so much delighted in , that was so brave in their eyes before but as menstruous cloathes , which are the most filthiest things that can be , and cast them away as filthy rags , with indignation , saying , get thee hence ; as one that takes a rag in his hand , and looks on it and sees it all filthy and defiled , presently he throws it away with abomination , and says , get thee hence ; so this is the call of god , when the soul hears behind it a secret voyce that many hear not ; it may be , many thousands hear the outward voyce of the minister telling them of the evil of sin , and their abominations , and a poor servant , or a poor youth that stands in the midst of the crowd , he hears a voyce behind him that others do not , a secret voyce , ( besides the general voyce ) which is a prevailing voyce , that the soul falls down and yields presently , before he goes out of the church , and says , lord this day thou hast convinc't me of the evil of sin , and thou hast this day shewed me the way of life and salvation , lord i come unto thee ; though he saw nothing , and though no body else hear that voyce , yet there is a secret voyce of god unto the soul ; though he stand in the midst of the crowd and no body else hear it , yet at that instant pardon of sin came to that soul , and reconciliation by jesus christ : now when this comes into the soul , he will not let such and such sins be there any longer , but says , get you hence , i will have no more to do with such and such beloved lusts and idols that i set my heart upon , get thee hence ; and those men that god calls to himself , certainly when they hear this voyce behind them , though they now plead for idolatry and superstition , and why should not we do as our forefathers did ? yet if once they come to hear this secret voyce of god , and god shew them the way of his worship in the purity and beauty of it , they will say , get thee hence to those things as vile things , get ye hence , i will have no more to do with you ; this is the way in the ordinary call of god , and though god sanctifie some from the womb , yet afterwards by a mighty work of the spirit he discovers unto them what the soul is by nature ; there is somewhat like this even in those that are sanctified from the womb , though god in an extraordinary way draw the soul out from sin into the ways of life ; but generally there are in the ordinary way of gods working , these three or four voyces calling to the soul . . says god to the soul , o soul thou art made for god , and for eternity . . o soul thou art now in the ways of hell , and of eternal perdition , and must of necessity perish in it . . o soul , behold here are the ways of life and salvation reveal'd unto thee , and set before thee in the gospel of my son. and lastly , o soul come in , and thou shalt have favour and acceptation in my son ; these are the four voyces in gods call ; i do not say every one hears them plainly and distinctly , yet they do for the substance of them in the ordinary way of the dispensation of gods grace : every soul that god justifies they are thus called of god , and 't is a prevailing call , that brings them in to submit unto it : again , concerning this call of god , because the scripture speaks much of it , i shall shew a little further ; mark it , that soul that once hears the call of god to bring it into the ways of life , that soul will evermore depend upon gods call in all other things ; if god hath called me out of the ways of death , into the ways of life in obedience to that call that my soul hath yielded too , i shall be evermore under the power of gods call in all other things , let god call me to what he will , to what service he pleases , to whatsoever difficulties and sufferings he shall think meet , my soul is content , and says , here i am , lord speak , thy servant hears . now for a soul to be so under god , as to wait upon the call of god to any duty , service , and imployment , that it dares not go about any thing but according to the call of god ; this is a good evidence that such a soul hath been acquainted with that great call of god , that powerful call of god to bring him off from the ways of sin into the ways of life and salvation . further , those that have been acquainted with this call of god , there is an answerable frame and disposition in their hearts , to call upon the name of god for assistance , direction , and a blessing on all they undertake ; they delight now to repair unto god and call upon him ; as god calls unto them , so they call unto him ; for that is the way of god according to his work in the soul , he puts a gracious frame into the soul answerable to it : as in election , those whom he elects , when god calls them home he puts a gracious disposition in their hearts for to elect him ; as god chooses the soul from the world , so the soul chooses god above all things in the world , the soul answers to god : god sets his heart on the soul , and says , i will choose thee for me ; the soul again sets its heart upon god , and says , i will choose thee for my god ; as god calls the soul to come and live to him in the ways of grace , while he lives in this world ; so the soul calls on god for his assistance , that he would give his help in unto him on all occasions ; and therefore the scripture gives us this expression for the whole worship of god , rom. . . whosoever calls on the name of the lord shall be saved ; that soul that is acquainted with gods call , that soul calls on god again : and by the way , those that are thus called , are fittest for church-communion ; i mention this , because the word translated church comes from a greek word that signifies to call out ; that which in scripture is usually called a church , signifies nothing else but this , a company of people called out of the ways of sin to the imbracing the ways of godliness ; so that the church should consist of people called out of the ways of sin , by the powerful and efficacious voyce of the spirit of god ; and they that are thus called have their sins pardoned ; you say , you hope god hath justified you ; you read what god says , and what hath been presented unto you ; they who are called they are justified ; then calling , in order of nature , goes before justification ; this you will find in your own hearts , and if not , this you must do , when ever you come before god to hear the outward call , you must come with a waiting frame of heart to hear the inward call , and call upon god with such a disposition ; say , lord i have been taught that there is an outward call of thine in the word , and an inward call , and i am going this day to hear thy word calling me out of the ways of sin , o that i might have together with that the inward call of thy spirit , when shall i hear that secret voyce ; this is the reason , though i have been convinced many times at the hearing of the word , yet my sin hath prevail'd against me , because that inward secret powerful voyce hath not come to my soul ; that is the first evidence , whom he hath justified , them he hath called . a second evidence is this , whomsoever god pardons he receives into covenant with himself ; all pardoned sinners are covenanters with god : god pardons no soul but such an one as he brings into the bond of the covenant with himself , that is the way of the conveyance of the grace of god for the pardon of sin , to bring the soul into the bonds of the covenant ; the scripture is evident in this , that forgiveness of sin is made a special fruit of the new covenant , that is clear enough , jer. . . behold , the days come , saith the lord , that i will make a new covenant with the house of israel , &c. what is the special end of that covenant , i will forgive their iniquities , and remember their sins no more ; but how does that come in ? it comes in by way of covenant , i will make a new covenant ; i will first receive them into covenant , and then they shall have the fruit of this new covenant , that their sins shall be forgiven , and their iniquities remembred no more : the new covenant is a mysterie to most people , and yet it is a certain truth , the pardon of thy sin , and thy eternal good depends upon it ; thou art one that god has brought into covenant with himself , if thou beest or ever shalt be pardoned , as god will manifest to thy soul , that he hath through his son tyed and bound himself to thee to be thy god , that whereas before thou wer 't departed from him , and an enemy to him , yet now he is pleased to call thee to enter into a second covenant after thou had'st broken the first , and wer 't cast off by reason of that breach , god is contented to enter into a second covenant with thee , to be thy god in and through his son ; thou art to come in and joyn in this covenant ; for to a full covenant there must be assent on both sides , there must be a mutual ingagement of either parties ; when god reveals this to thy soul , that though thou be by nature an enemy to me , and hast broken the first covenant that i made with the children of men , and art cast off , yet be it known unto thee o thou wretched soul , i am content to enter into another covenant with thee ; there is a second covenant for life and salvation that i have made with poor man through my son , and i require that thou should'st come in , and give up thy self in an everlasting covenant to make me to be thy god , and to close with me and my son in whatsoever i call thee to , in whatsoever thou hast or can'st do to give up thy self to the power of me and my son ; this thou must ingage and tye thy self unto , in the strongest bonds that can be ; this is the nature of the covenant : we know there were two covenants , and all the good of mankind in the first covenant depended on this , his closing with the tearms of it : now the tearms of the first covenant was , do this and live ; but that is broken , and we have lost our ability : now the second covenant is , believe and live ; and the soul that god pardons , he brings into the bond of the second covenant ; it is brought to come and give it self up to the lord , and to be content to bind it self with all bonds unto god , that he and he only shall be my god , as i desire him to be mine , and his grace and mercy to be mine ; so all that i have or can do , shall be his ; i surrender up my self , and ingage my soul to be his for ever , my estate , abilities , whatever i have , or can do , shall be his : now put this to your own souls , you hope your sins are pardoned : but hath god brought you into the bonds of the covenant ? hath god ingaged himself to you by his word , to be your god ? and on the other side , are your hearts ingaged to him by the strongest bonds that can be ; and if there be any other bonds that are stronger to tye your souls to god ; can your souls say , the lord knows i am content and willing to be ingaged ; and that you will account it your happiness to be tyed in the strongest bonds that can be ? if it be so with thee ? now peace be to thy soul , thy sins are pardoned : as on the one side , god hath made a covenant with thee , so on the other side he hath brought thee to be in covenant with him ; then be of good comfort , thy sins are pardoned . thirdly , those whose sins god hath pardoned , he hath translated them into the kingdom of his son ; the scriptures express these things divers ways , and they have a diverse consideration in them : now i ground this note out of col. , , . who hath delivered us from the power of darkness , and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear son ; mark what follows , in whom we have redemption through his blood the forgiveness of sins ; forgiveness of sin is the end of gods translating of us into the kingdom of his dear son , in giving redemption through his blood , even the forgiveness of sin ; so that whosoever god hath given redemption to through the blood of christ , even the forgiveness of sin , that is , forgiveness of sin being the special part of the redemption we have by the blood of christ , such an one is translated into the kingdom of the dear son of god ; what is that you will say ? . this notes a great change that there must be upon those that are pardoned , because the scripture expresses it thus , they are translated into another kingdom , a kingdom of the son of god , the dear son of god ; it is dear mercy of god that translates a soul into the kingdom of his dear son ; it seems naturally we are in another kingdom , and have another king besides the son of god , and have another soveraign ; 't is certain we are so naturally , we are under the power of satan , and in his kingdom ; but now when god comes to redeem a soul , and grant forgiveness of sin , he translates out of that kingdom , and such a soul refuses to be a subject to satan any longer , or a servant to his lust any longer : but now christ shall be my king , the son of god by whom i expect reconciliation , he shall be my king , and his laws shall rule in my heart , and his scepter shall sway in my soul ; now no more shall my own thoughts , counsels , opinions , will , and affections rule me , but jesus christ shall be set up upon the throne of my soul , and he shall be my king ; i before was led ( a poor vile ignorant wretch ) by the customs of others , and example of others , and what they required of me by their laws in the matters of his worship ; but now christ shall be my king , i will expect my law from him ; and all obedience i do to man , it shall be in order to this christ my king ; this is a translation into the kingdom of god , when the soul feels the power of christ ruling in him , and overswaying him , and the soul looks up to christ for its protection and provision , and desires above all things in the world , to set up jesus christ as his king in all the ways of his government , both in his own heart , and the world too , and longs to hear that voyce , when it shall be said , the kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our lord and saviour j●sus christ , and he shall reign for ever and ever : thus those that have redempt on through the blood of christ , even the forgiveness of sins , they are translated into the kingdom of his dear son ; and as the scripture speaks , they have the kingdom of god within them ; that is an expression of the holy ghost in the gospel . now this you are to examine your hearts upon ; what of the kingdom of christ you have within you ? do you live and walk as one that hath the kingdom of christ within you ? is christ as king and soveraign over your thoughts , words and actions ? and do you look to him for the law of your thoughts , words and actions , and walk before him as your soveraign lord , depending on him to know his will continually , and fear and honour him as a king : if the kingdom of christ be in you , that is , if the gospel have an effectual work upon you ; for the gospel in the power of it is ordinarily exprest by the kingdom of heaven ; when the word comes to any place , the kingdom of heaven is said to come ; it would take up a great deal of time , to shew wherein the holy ghost calls the gospel the kingdom of heaven ; but it is called the kingdom of heaven , because it is the kingdom of christ that is lord from heaven , and christ rules in it by the preaching of the gospel : but now , though it be the kingdom of heaven , and the kingly power of christ be in the preaching of the gospel , yet this does not prevail upon all sorts ; it is like a net that is cast into the sea , the meaning of it seems to be nothing else , but that the preaching of the gospel among a multitude of people , is like a net cast into the sea , wherein some are catcht , and others remain worldly , filthy , and good for nothing , that is the meaning of the text , and not any warrant at all for mixt communions ; but only thus ; where the preaching of the gospel is , there are some fishes good and worthy to be received , and others that are to be cast out : now , as there is an external kingdom , so there is an internal kingdom of christ within our hearts ; jesus christ himself sets up his throne in the hearts of every man and woman whose sins are pardoned , that is a certain truth ; and this day in the name of god i pronounce unto you , that if your sin be pardoned , jesus christ hath set up his throne in your hearts ; and if you find any other throne and lord but christ to rule you , know from god that your souls are yet in the gall of bitterness and the bond of iniquity , and your sins are not pardoned ; but that soul , who in the preaching of the gospel can say , blessed be god i have felt christ come into my heart , and prevailed upon me ; and now christs laws are the laws i desire to be ruled by ; god knows i know but little of them , but i will labour to understand them better ; therefore i come this day , that i might know more of the law of god , and that jesus christ might rule more powerfully in me than ever he hath done ; if this be wrought in thee , i say unto thee in the name of christ , be of good comfort , thy sins are pardoned , god will shew good unto thee when this world is ended ; thou art one that jesus christ hath brought into his kingdom , and set up his throne in thy heart , and therefore thou may'st be assured that he will take thee at last into his everlasting kingdom . fourthly , where god forgives , he gives much ; giving follows forgiving ; god never forgives any , but he gives much to that soul whom he forgives : as in that case when the apostles preacht the doctrine of forgiveness and pardon of sin , the holy ghost fell upon them ; so certainly , where the preaching of pardon of sin hath power through the ministry of the gospel over a soul ; god gives much to that soul ; and there are three things especially that god gives presently unto the soul whom he pardons , which have all been mentioned before in opening the blessedness of pardon of sin ; and therefore i will but mention them now to strengthen this note of tryal . . hath god forgiven thee ? then he hath given his spirit to inlighten thee in the great mysteries of salvation ; thou pleadest thou art ignorant , and art not book-learned ; if god have so great a favour for thee as to pardon thy sin , he will give thee understanding in the mysteries of the gospel , jer. . . where god pardons sin , they shall have this mercy to be taught of him . . god will give this unto thee , he will write his law in thy heart ; that is , he will work in thy heart a sutable frame and disposition to his law ; that thy heart and the law of god shall be like two copies , that have the same things in them , and vary not one title from one another ; there shall be a sutableness between thy heart and the law of god ; not only to do that which god requires , because i must do it ; but because i find it sutable to the new nature bestowed on me : he will write his law in the heart ; and therefore i pronounce before the lord this day again , that whosoever has his sin pardoned , and his iniquities forgiven , that god hath writ his law in the heart of that man or woman by the finger of his own spirit ; that heart of thine that was as a heart of stone , god will write his own law thereon , as he did on the tables that moses broke ; though always thou hast not a real sight of it , yet such a thing is there , and is a comfortable assurance of the pardon of thy sin . . god gives healing mercies to cleanse thee from thy sin , jer. . . i will cleanse them from their iniquities , and pardon all their sins ; cleansing from sin and pardon of sin , they ever go together ; if god pardon thy sin , he cleanses thee from sin ; do not look therefore only after pardoning mercy , but likewise after cleansing mercy ; those whom god hath joyned together , let no man put asunder ; pardoning and cleansing god hath put together : god may bestow other mercies , as health , strength , and success in outward things without pardon ; but never cleansing from sin without pardon of it : and therefore if thou findest thy heart cleansed , peace be to thy soul , thy sins are forgiven . fifthly , besides these , those whom god pardons he puts a glory upon them ; there is a glory put upon all pardoned sinners ; they are indeed glorious creatures in the eyes of god and angels , yea , and there is a glory put upon them that the saints of god are able to see ; perhaps that glory is not seen by the purblind eye of the world that are in darkness ; but those that have their eyes in their heads , may see a glory put upon every soul that is pardoned , and for that , that text is clear , rom. . . moreover , whom he did predestinate , them he also called : and whom he called , them he also justified : and whom he justified , them he also glorified : 't is not spoken only of that glory the saints shall have in the highest heavens , when they shall be in glory with christ ; but of that glory god puts upon the soul in this world , 't is not said , them he will glorifie ; but them he hath also glorified : there is no justified soul but is a glorified soul , this is a certain truth in divinity , that at that instant any soul is justified , at that instant he is glorified ; in jer. . . there is an expression somewhat like unto that , and it follows upon pardon of sin ; and it shall be to me a name of joy , a praise , and an honour before all the nations upon earth , &c. that is , i will put glory upon them , and so they shall be to me a name of joy , a praise , and an honour before all the nations in the world : you will say , how is that ? what is the glory of a justified soul ? certainly the soul that is justified is glorious ; god puts a glory on it by those glorious graces of his holy spirit that he endows the soul withal ; there is no justified soul but hath the glorious graces of the holy spirit put presently upon it , and so 't is beautiful and glorious , yea the only glorious object that the lord jesus christ delights in in all the world : take the poorest soul in the world , god putting his image upon it , there is a greater glory and lustre on that soul than is on all the heavens and the earth besides ; take all other creatures in their greatest glory , and god sees not so much glory on them as on any one soul whom he hath justified ; for so it is , holiness and the graces of gods spirit are called the glory of god himself , rom. . , . for we have all sinned and come short of the glory of god ; what is it to be deprived of the glory of god , but the loss of that image of god that man was made in : but when a man is justified , that glory of god is put upon him a fresh , upon his heart , his understanding , his will and affections , and that makes the lord to delight to dwell with thee , converse and have communion with thee , because of that glory that he hath put upon thee ; so there is a glory also in the life and conversation ; for on every soul that god justifies , there comes presently a new lustre upon their life and conversation : all those that have lived in horrible wickedness and base courses ; now when they are changed , and they manifest the graces of the spirit of god shining in their conversation through the whole course of their lives , in meekness , patience , humility , heavenly-mindedness , and the like ; there is a lustre on their conversations , to those that are able to judge of it , they see it ; and the world many times is dazled with it , they see a glory on them , and are convinc't , that certainly there is a work of god upon these men ; and in their good moods they are wishing to die their deaths , and that their ends might be like theirs : the poorest servant , or child in a family , that was vile before , yet being justified , there is a lustre in their conversations that convinces parents and governours , and makes them see an apparent difference between what they are now , and what they were before ; though they contemn it , yet they know that god will own that difference that he has made to be his own glory , and will declare it one day that this was the thing that was glorious in his eyes : and therefore now would you know whether you are justified ; are you glorified ? what glory of god is come into your hearts , and appears in your lives and conversations ? can you say , my life is so , though i have many weaknesses , yet i hope something of the glory of god appears in me ? for so it must be ; there is no soul god justifies , but god inables him to live so , as the glory of god shines in the conversation of such a one : now if these things be so , what cause have you to fear , you are not a justified person ? but for the present , many times it doth not appear ; for most of you darken the glory of god in your lives : you that are justified should shew it forth more in your conversation among all with whom you have to do , and then what a beauty and evidence of your justification would it be unto you . sixthly , those whom god pardons , he makes them know what pardon means ; thou hopest thy sins are pardoned ; dost thou understand , and know what hath been said about it ? certainly those whom god pardons , he causes admiring thoughts in the soul of the excellency of this blessedness of the pardon of sin ; the soul is taken with the admiration of three things . first , it admires at the freeness and the riches of gods grace . secondly , at the price that was paid for pardon . thirdly , it admires at the wonderful good it is brought into , and that which the soul receives by this blessedness of the pardon of sin ; other things god may bestow on men and women , and they know not the worth of them , and do not mind god in them ; but when god bestows pardon of sin , he makes the soul have admiring thoughts of it , and to know what it is , jer. . . and it shall be to me a name of joy , a praise , and honour , and they shall fear and tremble , for all the goodness and prosperity that i procure unto it ; certainly if others shall do it , much more themselves ; those whom god pardons he bestows such mercies upon , as that the soul shall even stand amazed with a trembling heart and an amazed spirit , to behold all the goodness that the lord shews to it : now , have your hearts been taken with it ? you may know much of your evidences if your hearts have been taken with admiring thoughts of it ; for certainly when god pardons sin , he doth it to magnifie his grace , and set out to men and angels in the infiniteness of it , what his grace can do to poor souls ; if this be gods end , as certainly it is , then it must needs be that those whom god pardons , he gives such grace as shall cause the soul that it shall have admiring thoughts of it ; has thy soul seen so much of the grace of god , that it admires at the greatness and goodness of it ? be of good comfort , thy sins are pardoned . seventhly , the more assurance god gives of pardon , the more the heart melts before god in mourning for the sins that god has pardoned , according to the manifestation of gods mercy in pardoning , so doth the soul by the work of gods grace melt in holy mourning , even for those sins that god has pardoned : many think they must mourn for sin to get pardon , but when they are pardoned , why should they mourn then ? i have spoken to that before , that many mourn to get pardon ; but i say , they mourn , because they are pardoned : i manifest it thus , in this evidence i give of pardon of sin ; that according to the degree of knowledge the soul hath of pardon of sin , the heart melts before god for all sins that are pardoned , the . psal . is exceeding remarkable , david laments his sin exceeding bitterly , but mark the title of that psalm , to the chief musitian , a psalm of david , when nathan the prophet came unto him ; after he had gone in to bathsheba : now would you know what nathan did when he came unto david , you shall find if you read the story of david's adultery and murther , sam. . chap. it was to bring the news unto david of the pardon of his sin ; first nathan convinces him of his sin , that he should do it before israel , and before the sun , and having convinc't him , he says further , the lord hath put away thy sin : now a secure heart might go away , and say , all is well , i shall not dye , god hath pardoned my sin , i need not be troubled any more about that matter : but mark the psalmist how he cries out to god , have mercy o lord upon me , and blot out all my transgressions , wash me , purge me ; and then he prays for restoring mercies for his broken bones , and then cries out for further assurance ; the very grace of god that nathan brought to him of the pardon of his sin , that very grace of god did melt and break his heart so much the more ; after god had sent to him the pardon of his sin , he mourned more than ever before ; we never read that david was so much troubled for his sin as in this . psal . that was after nathan , had come unto him : now if you find that at that time when god is pleas'd to come unto you in the ministry of the word , or in private to declare unto you the pardon of your sin , and to give you the comfortable evidence of it , that then your hearts are most devoted to mourn for them , and to melt before god , be of good comfort , thy sins are pardoned . eightly , another note is this , that according to the degree of pardon of sin , so all other graces grow ; the knowledge and assurance of gods love in christ in the pardon of sin , it causes all other graces to grow proportionably , as you have it in ephes . . . about the knowledge of the love of god in christ ; mark the connection , he desires that they might comprehend with all saints what is the height , and depth , &c. and to know the love of christ which passeth knowledge , and be filled with all the fulness of god ; what is the love of christ ? the love of christ is the procuring cause of the forgiveness of sin be-before god the father ; and when you know this , this will fill you with all the fulness of god : mark , first it brings god in to the soul ; and secondly , fills the soul with god ; and thirdly , fills the soul with the fulness of god ; and fourthly , fills the soul with all the fulness of god ; when you come to know the love of god in christ , if any thing in the world will fill the soul with all the fulness of god , this will : many will say , they hope their sins are pardoned ; do you so ? then you know the love of god in christ ; for this is a special work of the love of god in christ ; to pardon sin ; now the apostel says , when you come to know this , you come to be filled with all the fulness of god ; what is the fulness of god ? as faith increases with the rest of the graces , so you grow fuller and fuller in gods fulness ; and so you grow more into a fuller assurance of pardon of sin : now the soul can say , as i find more assurance of the love of god in his son , so i find my soul more filled with this grace of the fulness of god alas , when i was under the law , god and i were strangers , i felt little of god in me ; but now i begin to know the love of god in the gospel , i begin to have my soul filled with fulness of god , not with chaff and dross and filthy things , which heretofore my thoughts , will , and affections were filled withal ; but now 't is otherwise with me , my soul is now filled with all the fulness of god ; certainly that soul that can say thus , may well go a way with that word of christ spoken to the woman , luk , . . go in peace , thy faith hath saved thee , rom. . . the apostle speaks of pardon of sin , being justified by faith , we have peace with god ; that is , god revealing justification by faith in christ : it brings peace with it ; and , by whom we have access , and rejoyce in hope of the glory of god ; and not only so , but we glory in tribulation , knowing that , &c. what knowledge is this ? it 's this , that we are justified by faith and so come to have peace with god ; how does this cause the heart to be inlarged ? we rejoyce in the hope of the glory of god , and not only so , but we are strengthened and can glory in tribulation ; our hearts grow up to that strength , that whatsoever tribulations we meet withal , we are able to bear them with patience , and not only so , but to glory in them , we not only grow up to bear that which many cannot , but to rejoyce in them , that is more , and then to glory is above rejoycing : now , do you find that the assurance that you have of the love of god , brings strength in to your soul , to inable you to rejoyce in hope of the glory to come ? as if the apostle had said , let what will become of us for the present , what though the world scorn us , hate , persecute us , yet we rejoyce in hope of the glory that is to come ; and this makes us glory in tribulation ; knowing , that tribulation , works patience ; patience , experience ; and experience , hope : here 's a working of several graces together , and this may help many a poor soul ; o says the soul at such a time , i had a great deal of assurance of pardon of sin , and much joy thereupon ; but have not hypocrites joy ? yes certainly , a hypocrite may have wonderful ravishments of spirit , and flashes of pardon of sin , but yet there is somewhat wanting in other graces ; but how shall i know that my assurance of pardon of sin is right ? thus , according to the degree you have of assurance of pardon , you have an answerable degree in the growth of other graces , as humility , patience , heavenly-mindedness , self-denyal , and the rest , according as your faith grows , so you have a proportionable growth in all other graces ; faith is as the root , and the more sap there is in the root , the more will the branches grow : those people that are so full of assurance , and never doubted , as they say ; but as for other graces they are empty , as the fear of god , meekness , patience , self-denyal , heavenly-mindedness and the like ; certainly , if thy faith be so high , and thy other graces so low , thou hast much cause to fear thy faith is not right , 't is not the faith of gods elect , as the scripture speaks , it is not pretious faith ; for according to the degree you have of that , all other graces will grow ; you hope that your sins are pardoned , how come you by it ? the soul that hath true pardon of sin , hath fetch 't it from heaven in a right way , in gods own way ; how is that ? it is on this wi●e ; the soul that sees it self lost and undone through the guilt of sin , god revealing his infinite riches of grace in the gospel , such a soul seeing god on his throne , holding out his son , god-man as mediator to make an attonement , it by a mighty work of faith , closes with that glorious way of reconciliation by the son , that it sees god the father tender to him , and so fetches grace out of the treasury of gods bounty , in the way of the gospel , in an evangelical way that was before opened . examine now , have you fetcht out your pardon through the way of the gospel , that the soul by a mighty act of faith hath been willing to venture its self and its eternal station on the son of god ? have you look't on christ as a mighty mediator , as one able to save you ? then you have acted faith in a gospel way , and your sins are pardoned : again , are you pardoned ? then you are sealed , that you heard likewise of ; there is the broad seal of heaven that stamps the image of god upon the soul , as the image of the king is on the seal of the kingdom ; so the image of god , the broad seal of heaven is stampt upon the soul , which i mention that you may make use of it in examination . ninthly , whomsoever god pardons , there will be an answerable work in thy soul unto the work of god in justifying thee ; as in election and vocation , so in justification ; how is that ? thus , that as god notwithstanding all thy sin , accepts of thee to his grace and love ; so notwithstanding all the trouble and afflictions that are in gods ways , thou wilt accept of god and his ways ; he accepts of thy soul notwithstanding thy sin , thou wilt accept of him and his wayes notwithstanding all evils and afflictions that accompany company them ; there are woful evils of sin that accompany thy soul , yet god will accept of thee ; so there are great evils in the ways of god , afflictions that accompany them , yet thou wilt accept of them and think it reasonable : what , shall god accept of my soul , notwithstanding all the evil of sin ; and shall not i accept of gods ways , notwithstanding all the evil of affliction and trouble ? certainly , the soul that is pardoned , cannot but answer god so far as this ; will god justifie me notwithstanding my sin ? i will justifie god , notwithstanding any trouble , affliction , difficulty , or sufferings that may befal me in his ways , and i will justifie the ways of god ; this is both an evidence and a duty ; god justifies our souls though they be very sinful ; we have cause to justifie gods ways , though they be very troublesom ; if thou dost not so , thou art none of gods child ; for wisdom is justified of her children : thou hopest thy sins are pardoned , and that god will justifie thee ; and wilt not thou justifie him ? does not thy sin hinder gods grace to thee ; and shall trouble and affliction hinder thy glorifying god ? o man ! thou hast too vile a heart , and too base a spirit , to be one of those that god hath pardoned ; if thou wert a child of wisdom , and one whom god hath pardoned , as god hath justified thee , so thou wilt justifie god : this note may meet with those that in company hear ministers and the ways of god cryed out against , and yet have not a word to speak to justifie god , perhaps gentlemen and others spake ill of gods ways , and thou standest speaking , and hast not a word to say for god and his ways ; dost thou think god hath justified thee , and dost thou hear god and his people , and his word reproached , and thou hast not a heart to justifie god ? tenthly and lastly , those whom god pardons and forgives , he puts in them a merciful frame of heart to forgive others ; and that upon divine grounds : there is a kind of natural forgiveness : many will forgive , but it is as a heathen forgives another ; and it is a shame for many that profess themselves christians , that they do not go so far ; but you must forgive in a spiritual way , for that is the way that accompanies padon of sin , to forgive , because i have had more forgiven ; such a one hath offended me ; but how much more have i offended the lord ; and if the lord forgive me , ought not i to forgive him ? you know in the gospel he that had so many talents forgiven him , and afterwards went and took his brother by the throat , how ill the lord took it , that having forgiven him so much , he should exact of his brother the utmost farthing ; hath god forgiven thee thy sin , which had he not , it would have everlastingly chained thee in torments , and wilt not thou forgive ? for as it is an evidence , so it is a duty and a part of prayer in that divine directory called the lords prayer , matth. . forgive us as we forgive ; and in another place it runs thus , forgive , for we forgive ; therefore thou can'st have no evidence that god hath forgiven thy iniquities and pardoned thy trespasses , except others be in thy thoughts forgiven too : i might have given divers scriptures , but i mention it as a duty , that you that have any knowledg of your sin pardoned , would make this as a ground to forgive your brethren ; say , alas poor wretch , hath god forgiven me ; was there ever such a distance between my brother and me , as there was between god and me ; and hath god forgiven , and shall not i forgive my brother ? it is impossible a soul should be made acquainted with the rich mercy of god in forgiveness of sin , and have not a meek spirit to forgive his brother : nothing can take away the rugged sowrness and rigidness of one man towards another , but the oyl of gods grace in pardoning of sin ; and that coming once into the soul , makes the soul to be of a sweet , mild , gentle , kind and tender frame : observe this , you that have rugged natures , you say it is nature , and you cannot help it , if any thing change it , it is the mercy of god in pardoning thy sin ; is there not so much in the grace of god in pardoning thy sin , as to change that rugged nature of thine ? certainly there is : else thou hast little hope that thy sin is pardoned ; therefore if god have pardoned thee , thou must go and do so likewise . i am perswaded many of you hope 't and longed for this * sermon , and i desired to be the larger , because i would lay the evidences full before you ; here you have had the blessed man and woman described unto you , but there is but few of them , few can go away and say , as we have heard , so it is : but i hope divers of you can , it was for you that it was preached and sent from heaven that you should feed upon it , and 't is as needful as the bread you eat . but there is one thing more , that is very meet to annex to all that hath been said for ; without that , i am afraid there are many to whom the consolation of this text and point belongs to , will go away with little comfort , because they know not how to apply them ; and that is to give some rules how to make use of these signs , and be able to apply them ; and by the same rules you may come to know any other notes of trial concerning your spiritual estate , and to make use of them in any other particular whatsoever . chap. xviii . of the rules how to apply the evidences of pardon of sin. it is a matter of great concernment to us , to try whether our sins are forgiven ; for in times of danger our hearts are ready to sink ; but the evidence of this , that our sins are forgiven will hold up our hearts in the midst of the greatest dangers whatsoever ; if heaven and earth should meet together , if i have assurance of this , for so it follows after david had pronounc't him blessed whose sins were forgiven , vers . . surely in the floods of great waters they shall not come nigh unto him ; there may be floods of great waters : but he that hath his sins forgiven , god shall preserve him and compass him about with songs of deliverance ; but they that have their sins compass them about , shall have horrour and terrour to compass them about ; but says david , having assurance his sins were pardoned , thou art my hiding place , and thou shalt compass me about ; therefore if your hearts close with those evidences given , you may have comfort in the great water-floods , god will be a hiding place unto you ; it concerns very much to labour to put this out of doubt , and not to put it off to a sick-bed , or death-bed time of examination ; but now to those evidences there is another thing , which is of great concernment in this point , and that is to give some rules how to make use of those or all other evidences that shall be given at any time for tryal of any : especially for the tryal of our states in point of justification or sanctification , but they will be helpful to the use of any other evidences whatsoever . first is this ( that you may be able to apply those rules of trial and evidences given ) though you cannot find them all , yet if you find but any one of them , you may receive comfort from that , though you feel not the rest ; you may be assured that the rest are there : many a soul , many times hears evidences of the happy condition in point of pardon of sin ; and it may be , there is one , two , or three , that they can catch hold on ; but there are some others they cannot take hold of them : if thou findest but one of them in thy heart , though thou can'st not feel or see the other , yet god doth see the other to be there within , though they be not made so sensible to you ; and therefore soul take hold of that which you can see or feel , and be assured the other are there , though they are not seen ; if thou can'st take hold of one linck of a chain , and all the other be fastened to it , thou may'st be able to draw the whole chain unto thee ; for by taking hold of one link thou takest hold of the whole , though thou touchest not the other ; so in the work of gods graces , they are as a link united to one another , and if you can lay hold of one link you may be assured of the other , although you see them not ; it is with many in this point as it is with some ignorant man , the physitian tells him , he must take such a thing that must have these and these ingredients in it ; and when the apothecary has mingled all , it may be but one of these things can be seen in the colour and outward appearance ; perhaps some one syrup may take up all the colour in the outward part ; and when it is brought to him , says he , i must have so many ingredients in it , and i see but one ; i , but though you see but one , yet there may be the efficacy of all in it , though but one give the colour ; so it is with the graces of gods spirit , though at the present some one appears , yet there may be the efficacy and power of them all in the soul , though there appear but one ; perhaps it is in this case , as among many ingredients you can see and tast but one , yet there may be the power of twenty there , though neither seen nor tasted ; so it is with the work of god in the soul , sometimes it may be , that there is but one grace to be seen , tasted , or felt , and yet where that one is , there are all the other ; so that , that is one rule , when you look for evidences and signs , if you can find but one in your souls , all are there ; as it is in sin , where one sin hath dominion over the soul , though the others be not seen , yet we are to know , that other sins have dominion over the soul too ; though some men live under the slavery of one sin more than another , as one man under the power of covetousness , another under the power of ambition , or any other sin ; this man may be thought to be under the power of but one sin , but the truth is , he is a slave to all sin , every natural man that is out of christ , is under the power of every sin , he is a slave to the devil in every sin ; but by reason of the constitution of his body , and for some outward respects , he may refrain from some particular sins that do not so well suit with him , whereas if it would serve for his own ends and purposes , he could as well commit any sin as that one ; this is a certain truth , whosoever makes not conscience of every sin , he makes conscience of none ; though he refrain from the practice of some others , it is not out of conscience , but for by-ends ; therefore he that is under the power of one sin , is under the power of every sin : many think all men are sinners , and for their parts they have but a few ; such a sin i cannot leave , but i am free from all others ; dost thou keep from all sin but one ? god will find thee under the power of every sin , and god will charge thee at the tribunal as under the power of all sin ; so now on the contrary , gods people are mightily troubled that they cannot find the work of gods graces in all of them ; such an one they find , but they want it in another , because it is not so evidently stirring as the other ; but as the truth is certain on one side , of the wicked ; so it 's true on the other side of the godly ; that where there is one sin there is every sin ; so where there is one grace , there is all grace ; there is the power of godliness in every grace where there 's one grace ; that is the first rule to help us in making use of the evidences before given . the second rule is this , when ever we have found any one evidence , upon serious examination , in the presence of god , and now it appears not positively to the contrary at the present , but thou art meerly dubious of those things that heretofore thou hast felt , because thou dost not feel them now , in this case we may and should have recourse to what god has wrought heretofore , and build upon the former workings of gods spirit upon us ; true it is , when we come to give evidences in our ministry of those that have grace , we may meet at such a time with them as that they have sense of nothing , and in such a condition as that they are not able to know their own hearts , nor feel any workings upon them : now , if it be meerly from want of sense , and that the contrary positive evil appear not , but only the want of feeling of what thou had'st and felt heretofore ; thou art to have recourse to the days of old , as david often speaks that he would remember the days of old ; it may be you will say , some hypocrites have thought they have been in this condition , they have had many slashes , and yet they have proved naught , how can we have recourse to what was before when god did work upon me , i can indeed remember when god did draw my heart , and then i thought i could have closed with any evidence out of the word , i felt such workings in my heart , but i might do all that and yet all be but in hypocrisie . i answer , that certainly the bare want of sense is not ground enough for me to think that all was in hypocrisie ; for this , consider , if i groan under it as under an affliction , and would fain feel those former manifestations i had formerly , and that i can take little comfort in my present case , and that my soul is continually longing and panting after the workings of gods grace that i heretofore had ; if this be so , and that there is nothing to the contrary , thou fallest not off to sin , or to the world to satisfie thy soul in sinful ways , and that thy heart is yet panting after god ; if it be thus with thee , thou may'st take the comfort of what thou had'st before , and feed upon it as provision laid up before hand for thy soul , as if thou had'st it present . but hypocrites that fall off from the visitations of gods spirit , they fall not off only to a want of sense of those former movings and workings of the spirit , but their hearts come to be satisfied with something else , and they take up with some other contentments ; and 't is not a want of feeling only , of what they had heretofore , but their hearts run out from god into other ways of sin and wickedness , so it is with hypocrites , but thou hast this testimony , that it is not so with thee , that although thou dost want the present sense of the work of god upon thee , yet thy heart longs after god , and thou art unsatisfied in this condition , and 't is the greatest affliction that ever befel thee , and there is nothing else that thou lets thy heart run out unto , but thou art longing to get thy heart into that blessed frame that thou wast in heretofore ; then certainly peace be unto thee ; thou art to look back upon what thou hast had heretofore , and wait upon god for his return again , for he will come , and thy soul shall rejoyce again in him ; as that martyr mr. glover , a little before he suffer'd , the spirit of god seem'd to leave him , and he was in extream darkness , and had no feeling of any evidence of gods love to him , yet he was to dye the next day , and all his evidences were lost in his own apprehension , yet his friends told him , that god would appear , and desired him to give them some sign , if god did come unto him ; that night he was in darkness , and until the officers came to carry him to the stake , he had yet no sense or evidence of gods love , but when he was tyed to the stake , he cryed out , he is come , he is come : so that you must not argue , because you have no present sense , that therefore you have no evidence of your good condition ; but if you have had it heretofore , you may build upon it that your state is good , although you have no present sense ; that is the second rule . the third rule is this , to help you how to make use of signs , when you would put your selves on tryal , you must take heed you do not cast your estates for the tryal of your selves on times of temptations ; judg not of your estates by what you find and feel in times of temptation , for they are very unfit times to determine your condition upon a tryal then , as when temptations are exceeding strong , and horrour and fear comes into the soul ; and perhaps some hear may know what i mean , when i speak of horrour and fear coming in strongly upon them , then it is a time that you had rather need to call upon god , and fall down upon your knees to prayer , then to look to the tryal and examination of your selves at that time : it is with many in this case as it hath been with some that have been struck with horrour of death before the judge , and have had the book given them to read , though they have been good scholars , and able to read before , yet when the horrour of death hath been so upon them they have not been able to read one word ; and so it is with many of gods children in times of strong temptations , they are not able to read their evidences ; as children when their eyes are blear'd and blinded , give them the book and they cannot read thereon : so when your hearts are under great temptations and afflictions , this is not a time of trial ; then by the way , if it be not for a godly man , much less for a wicked man : many wicked men put it off to the day of death , and never so much as put themselves to trial till horrour of conscience or fears of death put them upon it ; it is an ill time for gods people to try themselves then : suppose you would weigh gold , you will not do it in a storm or wind ; the trial of our estate is like the weighing of gold ; for we are to weigh our selves by the ballance of the sanctuary , that we may know whether we shall be weight when god comes to weigh us ; for every soul must be weighed , and wo be to those to whom god shall say as he did to belshazzar , when the hand-writing appeared upon the wall , it was so terrible to him , that his knees smote one against another ; but what was that ? thou art weighed in the ballance , and art found too light : such a hand will many find one day : poor soul that thoughtest thy self in a good condition , and that thy sins were pardoned ; thou art weighed in the ballance , and art found too light ; therefore it concerns you now to weigh your selves in the ballance of the sanctuary : when you weigh gold , you must not hold the scales in the mid'st of wind , storms , and tempest that hurries the ballance up and down ; but it must be in such a place that you may hold them steadily that nothing may stir them ; for in the wind the lighter may be blown down , and the heaviest uppermost ; but if you hold them in a still place , you may try to a grain : so the soul of man is like the scales in the wind , in a time of temptation thou wilt have enough to come in to turn the ballance , lift it up , and make thee seem too light ; and therefore when you would weigh your condition , do it when your hearts are composed , and you are your selves ; when your hearts are quiet , then lay your souls to the ballance : many weigh their hearts in a time when trouble and affliction is upon their spirits , but they cannot do it , all they do then is nothing ; there are but two things then to be done , either to open your condition to some or other that may help you ; or else fall down upon your knees in prayer to god , to get help from him to support you under , and deliver you from the temptations that are upon you : but then 't is no time for a man or woman to try themselves , in times of strong temptations , when it may be said , a man or woman then is scarse themselves . the fourth rule for trial of your estates is this , that when you find the word on your side in any thing , never let go your hold of the word , when you are perswaded the word speaks well of your side in such or such a thing , never do any thing against it ; as we must not receive any comfort but by the word , so we must not reject any comforts but by the word ; some may say , i find something in the word that makes for me , but i am afraid i am not thus and thus qualified ; but do you find any thing in the word that gives you ground to think so ? we must rest upon the word both ways , as we must not receive any thing to build our comforts on , but it must be from the word ; so we must not receive any thing to trouble us but it must be from the word ; it must be the word must wound men ; for the consciences of men and women are under the power of no creature , but the word : now as there is no power in any creature in the world to raise a dejected soul , and to comfort a troubled conscience truly but the word ; so the people of god are to know , that they are so above the power of all other things , that nothing in the world should trouble them but the word only : as they should account it a weak vain thing to rest in the opinion of others for the comfort of their souls , that are in a good condition by what they find out of the word ; so they should account it a vain thing to rest on their own conceits in time of trouble , or in the saying of others , besides what they have out of the word ; the soul says , i am affraid my state is not good ; but o my soul , is there any thing in the word that says thus ; that they that are thus and thus are not pardoned : as i must not conclude i am pardoned , but must bring something out of the word that says it , so i must not conclude my state is bad without the word , say so too ; but i find many distempers and many wandrings in my soul ; give me leave to ask you this ; where doth gods word say that such a man that hath a great many wandering thoughts is not justified ? where does the word of god say that a heart that is under the remainder of some corruptions , and the soul labours under them as much as under any burden in the world ; where does the word say that that soul is not justified ? many people in the case of trouble of conscience , although they have some evidences and good ground out of the word for them , yet will have many fears and doubts because of the remainder of such and such corruptions in them ; but now the ground of their doubts is their own fears , and nothing out of the word ; and so when any speaks and applies the word unto them , they cannot say but it is suitable to their condition , and that god hath shewn mercy unto them ; but so soon as you are gone the fears and suggestions of their own hearts prevail against them , to take away all their comforts more than all the applications of the word prevailed to uphold & continue their comforts ; it is just with many that are gracious in the case of fears and doubts , as it is with the wicked in regard of their hopes , a wicked man hath the word against him , that he is not in a good condition , but his own self-love and conce● incourage him to presume that he is in a good estate ; now he regards his own opinion and conceit , and presumes upon that , that his estate is good more than on whatsoever is said unto him out of the word that it is not so : so the people of god , although they are in a good estate , yet their own fears so damps their hearts that makes them question that it is not so , but the ground of it is their own fears , as the ground of the wicked in thinking their estate is good is from their own opinions ; so the people of god many times from their own conceit and opinions , rather than from the word , think their estate is bad : take this rule , as you must receive no comfort but out of the word ; so you must not receive any trouble but from the word ; when you receive trouble any other ways , you do not consider that god has laid your estates so high that all your troubles depend on nothing but the word ; and therefore answer all with scripture , when the devil casts temptations before thee , bid him prove that thy estate is not good from the word , i have this out of the word to prove it is so , and thou hast nothing to the contrary : in other things you will not be baffled , as in your evidences for your estates ; suppose a man come and lay claim unto it , although you cannot perhaps make out your title clear , yet you will bid him prove the contrary , and shew what grounds he hath to lay claim to it ; 't is not the clamours and talking of other men that will make you quit your hold , or satisfie you that it was never rightly yours : but let the devil come and clamour against your souls , and you are ready to joyn with him , and say , it is so indeed , i am an hypocrite , and i have no true grace nor spiritual life , my soul is under the curse of the law and dominion of sin still : how unworthy do you carry it to the blessed spirit of god , and all the grace and goodness of god that has been manifested and made known unto you concerning the pardon of your sins ? how unbefitting is it that on every clamour of satan , and stirring of corruptions in your own hearts , that you should raze the foundation of all your comforts by calling all the work of god presently into question : many a poor creature , that finds by evidences out of the word that their estate is good , they go away chearful , but if the next day there be any stirrings of corruption , they let go all , and raze the foundation of all their comforts : walk not so unworthy of the grace of god , depend upon the word , as for your troubles , so for your comforts ; as you are not comforted with any thing but from what the word of god speaks to you , so be discouraged with nothing , but where you find the word of god against you . the fifth rule is this , when at any time you are put to seek your evidences , and cannot find them , the best way is rather to renew than to spend time in finding of the old ; as suppose any man or woman be searching out such evidences for salvation which they had before , and cannot find them ; it may be they are poring upon their own hearts for such and such workings as they have had heretofore , and cannot find them , and so are ready to conclude that all is naught , and lie down as people disconsolate , because their condition is not good , they cannot find such evidences as heretofore they had ; now in this case , the best way is , if i cannot find my evidences , or the use of them i had before , to renew them , the time i spend in seeking and discouraging of my heart , if i spent it in actings and workings of my heart after god , for the renewing of my evidences , perhaps i might have renewed them in that time ; as in matters between men and women in this world , they have evidences that would clear the matters in differences ; but perhaps they cannot find them , or they are grown so old that they cannot read them , and they spend a great deal of time about them , whereas possibly , did they go to the court of roles , they might have them renewed with less charge and time ; so it is with the soul , when it cannot find such and such evidences , it spends a great deal of time , and sits down in discouragement and disquietness of heart , when as perhaps in less time thou mightest have renewed them ; as thus , suppose thou art looking after this evidence of thy calling , for god calls whom he justifies ; now thou art looking after thy call , and thou art troubled that thou dost not remember how god did work upon thy heart then , or heretofore , and a great deal of time is spent ; cannot you find how 't was with you then ? no , then fall upon this course , listen to what voyce of god thou hearest now in thy heart ; say to thy soul , do not i now find the work of god in me ; do not i find him now drawing of my heart out of the world unto himself , and does not my heart listen unto this call ? for the call of god is not only at first conversion , but god is alwayes calling and drawing the heart from the world unto himself ; if thou can'st not make use of the work of god heretofore , make use of his present work upon thee : again , those whom god justifies , they enter into covenant with god ; for it was by way of covenant ( as i told you ) they give up themselves to god in an everlasting covenant : but when did i come into covenant with god ? i am afraid i am not the man or woman in covenant with god , i cannot remember any such work ; perhaps thy heart sinks down within thee , because thou can'st not clear up this work of entring into covenant with god heretofore : now the time that thou spendest in seeking after this work , spend it in entring now into covenant with god at this present time ; it will be no hinderance to thee that thou can'st not find what was heretofore , if now at this present thou can'st surrender up thy self to god in an everlasting covenant , this is enough , do it : now if you can find your hearts , now come in , and yield up your selves into covenant with god , you may have the comfort of this evidence as fully as if you clearly remembred all the former transactions , and the work of god upon you in your first entring into covenant with god : again , those that had their sins pardoned , i told you , were brought into the kingdom of christ ; but you will say , i cannot remember how i was translated ; take now upon you the scepter of jesus christ ; many trouble themselves , saying , i never found such humiliations and troubles for sin as you speak of , or as others have found ; how is it now with your souls ? do you find sin now a burden to your souls ? is it not the greatest affliction ? if you were put to your choice , had you not rather suffer any thing in the world than sin against god ; and not only out of convictions of conscience , but because you find a frame of spirit in your hearts suitable thereunto ? for an hypocrite he may have convictions of conscience , but the frame of his spirit is not suited thereunto : in you there is a frame of spirit suitable to the convictions of conscience within you , though you cannot remember you have had such sorrows and troubles in convictions for sin , as others have had , while they were under the spirit of bondage , yet you may be comforted by the present frame of spirit that you have ; and so in the like cases , if you cannot find your old evidences , fall to work to renew your evidences , and do not spend time in lying down under the discouragements of your own hearts . the sixth rule is this , when you examine your selves to find out your evidences , carry this thought along with you , that you have to deal with god in the covenant of grace : and this will be of marvellous use unto you ; perhaps to some these are very dry things , and they see but little in them , and scarce know what they be ; but i hope there be many others that have knowledge of an eternal state to be between god and their souls ; i hope i speak things will be very precious to them ; yea , i say unto many of you ; for while i am in this argument , i am speaking to such as have had the fear of god faln upon their hearts , and they have made it the great business of their lives , above all things in this world , to know how tearms are between god and their souls , to know how it stands with them for their everlasting estates ; i know abundance of people scarce ever call these things in question , to whom these rules will be of little or no use at all ; but if i speak to some , or any one troubled soul to help and direct them , though i do no good to others i shall think my time well spent ; wherefore then in your examinations ever carry this with you , that you have to deal with god in the covenant of grace , and not in a covenant of works : certainly , that many are so troubled in their consciences about their eternal estates , it is on this ground , because they look upon god in the way of the covenant of works ; if they find any corruptions stirring and breaking forth , and temptations strong upon them , they think presently all is naught , and that god will never accept of them ; what is the reason ? if we had to deal with god in a covenant of works , the least stirring of corruption , it is enough to cast the soul down into eternal horrour ; as adam , though he had never so much goodness before by the image of god upon him , yet one sin eternally cast him , if there had not come in a covenant of grace : now , though people will acknowledge there is a covenant of grace , yet upon the stirring of their corruption , they carry it as that it serves for no other use than if they had to deal with god in a covenant of works , and as if there were no covenant of grace at all : now , what a dishonour is this to the riches of gods goodness in the covenant of grace , that tells us , we are not to be judged for our eternal estate by the covenant of works ; and tells us , that he that must be our judge for our eternal condition , is our advocate with the father : and tells us also , that god accepts of the uprightness and the sincerity of the heart , and that the want of perfection shall never damn thy soul : he that stands before the lord to make atonement , and to be our advocate to plead with the father for us ; he it is that must be the judge of our eternal estate ; and therefore when i set my self before the lord , i consider that i have to deal with him in a covenant of grace : suppose i find and feel such and such corruptions and weaknesses in me ; is it not possible that my estate is happy by the covenant of grace ? collect your selves , and say , why do i determine of my everlasting condition ? have i to deal with god in the covenant of grace , and cannot these imperfections stand with it ? why do i make such conclusions that my state is naught , because of the stirrings of such and such corruptions ? the doubts and fears of most christians arise from hence , because they have not a clear understanding of the difference between the covenant of grace and the covenant of works ; there is nothing in the world would so satisfie the consciences of men and women , so as a clear understanding of the covenant of grace and the covenant of works : many people cry out of the preachers , that they disquiet and trouble the hearts of people by their preaching ; the truth is , no preachers occasion so much the trouble and perplexity of consciences , as those that preach morality and meerly the way of duty , and never come to make them see clearly the difference between the covenant of grace and the covenant of works ; and i appeal unto you , who are they that most quiet and settle your consciences , and satisfie your spirits ; are they not those preachers that open the difference between the covenant of grace and the covenant of works ? certainly those preachers that shew you what the covenant of grace is , are the only men that quiet and satisfie conscience ; and 't is a truth , that nothing can do it but that : you that are christians , how should you then labour to get a further insight into the covenant of grace ; and instead of other discourses less useful , let this be the subject of your discourse , the difference of the covenant of works and the covenant of grace , or the blessings of this covenant ; and that this is the covenant that we must depend upon , notwithstanding our weaknesses : and now i am speaking of this covenant , that weakness may stand with the covenant of grace , many that have carnal hearts may be ready to abuse it ; take notice how dear the comforts of your souls cost god , and god will have his ministers to comfort you , though the revealing of such things will indanger many a mans soul : god is content to hazard the damnation of other men to comfort you ; for certainly those things that we speak for your comfort will be the damnation of many others : think thus , o lord must the comforts of my soul cost so dear , and that for my comfort many souls are hazarded , who by taking occasion to sin , abuse that grace that is reached forth to me , and so are like eternally to perish : o then , what need had i to make good use of this grace that comes to me with the hazard of the souls of so many others ? if a man should bring some precious balsom to apply to a wound , and tell him there is not one drop of it but cost a thousand pound at least , would not this be highly prized ? now , when we come and shew you any thing that may comfort your hearts and satisfie your souls , we must reveal such things , that not only cost much , but the least dram of gospel-comforts cost that which was of infinite worth , and 't is valuable two ways : first , every drop of the balsom of the gospel cost the blood of christ ; but besides this , the very revealing of it must cost the damnation of many souls , and yet god is content to venture that that you may be comforted : we in the name of god come and preach the grace of the gospel , and we think many will be hardned by it , and grow more secure , and abuse gods mercy ; but then we satisfie our selves with this , that the comforting of any broken troubled soul is so precious in the eyes of jesus christ , that he is content to venture the hardning of many other souls ; if they will be hardned let them be hardned , christ is content to venture it ; and hereby we see how precious these comforts are ; therefore you had need to prize them , and not cast them off : as suppose a captain for the saving of the lives of two or three men should venture the lives of a thousand men meerly to save the lives of two or three , were not these mens lives very precious to him ? so jesus christ he ventures the hardning of the hearts of many for the comforting of a few ; therefore it shews your comforts are precious things , you should not easily put them off , for they cost dear . the seventh rule in applying evidences is this , that when you cannot see the work of faith reaching to assurance , yet labour to put forth the work of faith of adherence ; there may be much of the workings of the faith of adherence , where there cannot be the faith of assurance ; that is certain , there may be true faith adhereing to christ for the pardon of sin where the soul hath no certain assurance of it : many poor creatures are crying out , and saying , if i had faith of assurance , and a full perswasion my sins were pardoned , i could be comforted ; but because they have not attained to a full perswasion and assurance , they think they have no grace at all ; but there may be faith in the pardon of sin , where there is not a reflect act of the soul , whereby i come to know it hath faith , and that its sins are pardoned , . joh. chap. . . he shews there that there may be knowledge , and yet not know they do know ; hereby we know that we do know him , if we keep his commandements , hereby we know that we do know him : now knowing of christ , and knowing that we do know him , is not all one ; there is a knowing , and a knowing that we do know him ; so there is a beleiving and a knowing we do beleive : there may be a true work of grace , that i may know christ , and know him to salvation , and yet not know that i do know him , that is , by a reflect act of faith , a knowing that i do know him ; so then , where there is not a faith of assurance there may be a faith of adherence ; that is , when the soul sticks to christ , and can giue it self unto , and venture it self upon christ for pardon of sin , life and salvation ; that is faith of adherence : suppose in seeking my evidences ( many of them being taken from the effects and friuts of faith ) i cannot find them , and so cannot put forth a reflect act of the soul , which is faith of assurance , yet i may at that time have a faith of adherence ; thou may'st feel thy heart stick to christ , and thou may'st venture thy soul on christ ; that faith will save thee , though you have not a faith of assurance ; that is , though you cannot find such evidences whereby you may draw up such a conclusion , or make up such a judgment that you are pardoned ; yet if you have a faith of adherence , that you can stick to ghrist , and venture your soules on him for life and salvation , and all that is good ; that faith will save you ; and therefore upon examination of your evidences , when you cannot get up to such acts of faith as assurance is , live then by a faith of adherence , stick to christ , say , here i will resolve to live and dye , venture on the grace of god in christ : now for the soul to do this , it is a mighty work of faith ; for if you can venture your souls on christ , you will venture your estates on christ , your names on christ , and all that you have on christ ; and therefore remember , if you have not a faith of assurance , then venture your selves on christ by a faith of adherence , and comfort will come in that way , eightly , if at any time you feel comforts from evidences flow in upon your souls , and that you are able to apply the comforts to your selves , that the lord hath spoken to you by such and such signs of a pardoned sinner , take heed you do not rest much upon evidences ; but then at that very time , think with your selves , though now i have comforts , i may loose them , and god may call me to another condition ; god never granted these helps unto me for my saviours that i should rest upon them , they are but bladders to help me to swim , and god may take away these , and call me to live upon the meer actings of faith , and not at all on sense , that 's certain he may do it , for when we bring these signs and evidences of grace , as they come from faith , and are effects and fruits of it , they are but as bladders to help young swimmers that cannot swim without them , and learn them to swim ; but those that have got the art , though the bladders be taken away , they can swim ; but take them away from the others , and they will sink ; so that these evidences are for young and weak christians that cannot live on primary acts of faith , which a strong christian can do , when all other things are taken away ; and therefore when we feel the comfort of any signs depend not on this , the lord may take them away ; and because he delights in the meer actings of faith , that is the reason why god withdraws himself from the souls of his people , that they shall not have the use of signs and evidences as they had before , because he would teach them to live on the more necessary acts of faith ; god loves the voice of job , though he kill me , yet will i trust in him ; i will venture my soul upon him , whatever becomes of me ; when there 's nothing else to rest on but god , then to live by actings of faith merely on him , he delights much in this ; and therefore take heed you do not rest so much on signs , as if all your comforts were lost and you undone , when you cannot have such use of them as you have had heretofore . ninthly , when you have at any time lost the use of signs , do not determine that all is gone , and that you shall never have the use of them more ; this is that that mightily hinders many poor christians that are in trouble of conscience , because they cannot find the evidence of the pardon of their sins , and that god accepts of them in what they do ; what do they do presently ? they yeild to the horrible sentence of damnation against themselves : gods spirit , say they is now gone , and he will return no more ; he will never come any more unto me : take heed you do not fasten on any such kind of thoughts as those are , to determine of your own estates , or that gods spirit will not come again : but do you humble your souls before the lord , and wait upon him . tenthly , when at any time all signs and evidences fail you , and you are ready to determine that all is gone , yet even then keep up good thoughts of god ; as the spouse in the canticles when her beloved was gone , yet she prized him , and said he is the chiefest of ten thousands in cant. . when she was asked ; what is thy beloved ? says she , he is thus , and thus , & then concludes , he is altogether lovely ; and this was at such a time as he was gone , yet she retain'd good thoughts of him ; so 't is a good sign for any soul , that when trouble of conscience is upon them , or any other trouble , that they retain good thoughts of god and christ and the wayes of god , when the soul says , whatever become of me , though i perish for ever , yet god is good , his word , his ways are good , his gospel , and the covenant in his son is good ; and whatever troubles are upon me , yet god is righteous ; and though god justifie not me , yet i will justifie god ; if there be any soul that cannot find his evidences , or any of those signs before spoken of , you may make use of this ; if you cannot find any other , do what thou can'st to justifie god ; thou art afraid that god will not justifie thee , do thou justifie him ; sometimes it is with many men , as with some wretched servant that has dealt falsly with his master , and may be all the while he can make any advantage of his master for his own ends , he will speak well of him , but if his master turn him out of doors for his wickedness , then he rails on him ; 't is ordinary for bad servants to do so when they are turn'd away for their wickedness ; and so it is with many , when all goes well with them , then they like well of the wayes of god ; but if they come to such a condition as that they think that god will cast them away indeed , and that they are like to perish , then they begin to have hard thoughts of god , and by degrees they speak against god and his ways ; take heed of this , although you want the evidences of his love and mercy , yet retain in your hearts good thoughts of god and of his ways , and this will be a special help to bring into your souls the comfort and assurance of your justification ; and now i have done with this argument , i have shewed you who it is that hath his sins pardoned , i have shewed the several mistakes , and i have shewed you certain infallible grounds from scripture evidences of the pardon of sin , and rules how to make use of those evidences ; and now upon what you have heard , you have testimony and assurance of the pardon of your sins , or you have not ; if you find your hearts do not answer to these evidences , or that you are afraid that your sins are not pardoned , then take a use of exhortation to put you on to seek after this blessedness . chap. xix . of exhortation to seek after pardon of sin , with cautions and rules , how , and what we are to do . i am now come to a use of exhortation , and it concerns us all , either those that are not pardoned , or those that have assurance of the pardon of their sins ; for there is none that have assurance but may make use of it : christ taught his disciples to pray daily for the forgiveness of their trespasses , as well as for their daily bread ; and what we are to pray for , we are to seek after ; so that it concerns all ; blessedness is desirable to all , it is as natural for man as a reasonable creature to desire blessedness as it is for the fire to burn ; only here 's the great mistake in the world , all would have it , but they look not for it in the right way : now after all that has been said , that thou may'st not have slight thoughts of the pardon of sin , and say , i hope they are pardoned , and the like ; i shall speak to awaken thee : suppose thou wer 't now set on the brink of the infinite ocean of eternity , and the bottomless gulf were ready to devour thee , and the records of heaven were opened , and there shewed thee that thy sins were not cancelled , but remain upon the file ? what thou would'st then do , do it now ; for this is our time , and this is the great work of our lives , not to cumber our selves about many things , but about this one thing , to work out our salvation with fear and trembling ; this is the great work to seek to secure this blessing of the pardon of our sins , which is the foundation of all ; in the obtaining of it we obtain all blessings ; it ought to be our chief care , and we ought to lay out our chief strength and indeavours in seeking of it ; and if god would be pleased to put his hand to your hearts , and turn the stream of your thoughts and indeavours , the very turning of your hearts after this business is a great mercy ; there is so much blessedness in it , as not only the obtaining of it , but the very motion of the heart this way is worth all the world , in act. . we read , there were many thousands that had their hearts pricked at hearing the word preached , and they cryed out men and brethren , what shall we do to be saved ? o that there were a disposition in the hearts of men to cry thus ; we see it is our blessedness if we have it ; and if we have it not , we are all cursed for ever ; what shall we do to get it ? mar. . . we read of one came running after christ , saying , what shall i do to be saved ? o that your hearts were now in such a frame to come running after christ , saying , what shall we do that our sins may be pardoned : but before i come to any thing else , it is necessary by way of caution or proviso to say three or four things . first , this ; that although i must seek after god for the pardon of sin , yet know there is nothing in a natural man that is or can be acceptable ; all his endeavours have not that in them that can gain him acceptance with god : but then to what purpose are we to endeavour to do any thing ? yes , we must be striving after the pardon of sin , although without christ we can do nothing ; and a bad tree cannot bring forth good fruit , yet it is to purpose that we be doing , for god likes well the exercise of the work of common gifts ; though they are not saving , and to eternal life , yet god likes the exercise of them so far as there is any thing good and commends them ; when that young man came to christ , mar. . . christ look't upon him and loved him , though not with such a love as to save him and bring him to eternal life , yet god did discover love to such a one ; therefore it is to some purpose that a man should put himself on doing what he can , if it be only for that . . it is to some purpose that the heart be stirring after god and christ , because hereby we shall evidence that we are not so negligent of god and christ , and the things of eternal life as we were before . . it is to some purpose , for in the stirring of the common works of gods spirit , god many times comes in with saving works ; for god works not upon men as upon stocks or stones , but god puts them on by stirring up the common works of his spirit , and at that time when they are most in stirring , it is gods usual way to come in with the saving works of his spirit ; therefore it is not to no purpose that we are putting on poor creatures to do what they can . the second caution is this , that whatsoever any one doth in seeking after christ before he has union with christ , it is not to be reckoned on as the condition of the covenant of grace or a gospel-work ; there are no preparatory works for the receiving of christ , that are the condition of the covenant of grace ; though they be such things as we must follow after , yet they are not the condition of the covenant of grace : now that that is the condition of the covenant of grace sanctifies him that hath it , and follows upon our union with christ ; though god uses to carry on the soul in the way of legal terrors , humiliations , and the like ; yet these are not the work of the covenant of grace ; and therefore this may help many a poor soul about terrors of conscience and humiliations ; that are troubled that they never had those degrees as others have ; why as they do not prepare and fit thee for christ ; so the want of them is no hinderance to the receiving of christ . the third caution is this that follows on the other , that though you put your selves upon the use of all means to the receiving of christ , yet take heed you do not rest in any of those preparatory works , there 's a great deal of danger in that ; many souls mistake , and it is to be feared it is in this , the resting in something that they have done ; it may be god has awakened their consciences , and they fall upon working , upon humbling and reforming themselves , and here they rest ; but this is a mistake , you must not rest until you find you are in christ , and until there be an union with christ and your souls ; the work is not therefore done because you are humbled and reformed , and run another course to what you did before . for rom. . . 't is not of him that willeth , nor of him that runneth , but of god that sheweth mercy ; not of him that willeth , that is , that hath some good affections to it ; nor of him that runneth , that is , though his endeavours be never so strong , yet 't is not of him neither : many think they have peace in their souls upon their good desires and endeavours ; when their hearts are mightily stirr'd , and they wonderfully inlarged , then they make no question but all is done , and they quiet their hearts with that , and think there is no further work to be done ; but it is not so ; not of him that willeth , nor of him that runneth , but of god that sheweth mercy ; though we must ; will , and we must run , yet there may be running and striving to enter in , and yet not enter ; this is a very great point , to let us see all of us what need we have of the free grace of god in pardoning of our sin . fourthly , though god does not tie himself to come in to pardon upon these preparatory works going before , yet it is worthy of the utmost endeavours of any soul in the world , that there is a possibility of the obtaining of it ; though god tie not himself to give pardon on those works , yet there is enough in it to require the utmost endeavours of any one to be laid out , could we do ten thousand times more than we can , even the very possibility of obtaining pardon , is worth the calling forth of all our strength ; know that the very possibility of having sin pardoned , is enough to set all your hearts a work to seek after it , though god do not tie himself to come in then and pardon ; t is not thus , that god would have his creature seek unto him , and then all should be left unto that seeking ; no , for if that were granted , that god did foresee something that his creature would do , and upon that he would give him pardon , then all the world would be saved ; but all the world do not what they can ; if god had tied himself to come in then when men do what they can , all the world might be saved ; but it is not so : god hath left it so that he will have his creature ( do what he can ) to relie upon him ; and when he doth come in , then he enters into the greatest and strongest bonds that can be to do his creature good ; but i come to inforce the exhortation for to seek after the pardon of sin . you will say , how must we seek it ? and what is to be done ? first , in the seeking pardon of your sins set your selves as in the presence of god , and put this upon your souls ; i am now looking after the pardon of sin , but how do i do it ? does my heart work so in it as that i can satisfie my own conscience in the work i do ? that it is such a work , that may testifie my high respect to god from whom i seek it ; is it such a work as manifests that i am sensible , it is a business of the most infinite concernment that i have in all the world ; and am i sensible of the infinite power and majesty of god as one that is infinitly above me ; when you seek after pardon , you must do it so , as that you may be able to satisfie your consciences that your seeking is such a work as does hold forth the glorious greatness of that god that you are seeking after ; many pray slightly , as god be merciful to me , and mumble over a few words , and have done ; does this hold forth that they have such an apprehension of the greatness of the power of that god they seek after , surely no ; that 's the first . secondly , if thou wilt seek after pardon of sin , it must be such a seeking as may testifie that thou dost prize thy life here in this world above all things else in it ; because god gives thee time in it to seek after him ; is thy seeking such that manifests the time of thy life is given the for this very end ? if you were sensible of this , you would seek it in another manner than you do ; you would seek it as a condemn'd man seeks his pardon ; for certainly , every man is a condemn'd man , and the time of your life is like a condemn'd mans time , between his condemnation and execution : now does your seeking testifie and witness that you spend your time , and that your hearts are so stir'd in seeking pardon , as that it holds forth you account your lives pretious , and use it for the same end , to get the pardon of your sin , if a condemn'd man have time to seek a pardon two or three days ; and he followes drinking , playing , and the like , certainly none would apprehend this man spent his time , as if it were given him for to get his pardon ; look upon the courses and lives of most men ; and are they such that does testifie they live to that very end , to seek pardon ? if men were so sensible of it , as they should , they would cry and weep , and lament unto god for the pardon of their sins , and so carry it as would testifie they prize their lives at a high rate for this end , that they may seek the pardon of their sins . thirdly , it must be done so , as that you may have this testimony in your consciences , that you never sought after any thing in the world so as you sought after this ; though it was never so an important occasion , yet there is nothing after which your endevours have been so powerful as after this ; i appeale to you in this place ; is the work of your souls after pardon so ? as that in your own consciences you can say , if any business ever took up my heart , this hath , if ever my spirit was up in any thing in the world it is in this ; certainly , unless it be so , you have not done that that god requires of you . fourthly , you must so do it as apprehending god is ready to be gone , and to turne away from you ; you must so seek after him , as apprehending , for ought you know , that god is just a going away ; and if thou hast it not now , 't is uncertain whether thou shalt ever have it ; the soul must cry as a poor malefactor does when the judge is on the bench , he cries all that while ; but when he is ready to rise , and is going off , then he cries mercy , mercy ; when he thinks , if he let him go , then he shall never see his face more ; he cries then to purpose ; so should it be with every soul that understands the danger of losing of it ; you should so seek after it , as looking on your selves standing before god the judge of all the world , having the sentence of death out against you , yet for the present god is looking on you , and admits of you to look on him ; but so as apprehending god ready to turn aside , and you know not whether ever he will grant you such an opportunity of seeing him any more ; o then if a man would seek after god as ready to turn aside from him , and for ought he knows , he should never see him more : certainly , if you know the evil of sin , and the blessedness of pardon of sin ; what a deep impression would such an apprehension make upon your hearts . fifthly , so seek after it as that thou may'st testifie thou would'st sanctifie the great name of god in it ; i do not say thou can'st do it , but thou must endeavour after it , and desire that that which thou dost may have some resemblance to it ; there is no work that ever god did from all eternity , that hath so much or more of his name in it , than this work of the pardon of sin hath ; this is a positive work of god , and is for this end to declare his name ; the works and counsels of god about this was the greatest thing that ever god did ; you heard much concerning the glory of god in this work , in the opening of the doctrine : now what i put you upon in the use is this , that in seeking pardon of sin , know you are are so to endeavour after it , as your endeavours may hold forth the apprehensions your souls have of the great name of god : certainly this sanctifies gods name when we perform it so , when there is a work upon our souls suitable in some measure to the excellent and glorious name of god that appears in some measure in the work that we are conversant about : as suppose it be the speaking of any attribute of god , then i sanctifie gods name , when there is that reverential respect to god in reference to such an attribute ; so when i give god praise for a mercy , i sanctifie cods name when there is a work upon my heart suitable to that glorious name of god that appears in that mercy bestowed on me ; so if i seek after god for a blessing , then i reverence gods name , when there is such a disposition in my heart , that is somewhat suitable to the glorious name of god that appears in that blessing : so in endeavouring to sanctifie gods name in seeking after pardon of sin , thou dost it then , when there is such a frame in thy heart as may hold forth to men and angels , that this work of thine hath some kind of suitableness to the glorious name of god that appears in it ; this is to sanctifie the name of god , and this is a great work ; this is the great thing for which thou wast made ; and this is the great thing for which the counsels of god , yea the deep counsels of god were set a work from all eternity : now the dispositions of our spirits must be such , as may manifest the great end , the wisdom and counsels of god had in it , and therefore it must be a great work that must manifest that ; for certainly those whom god pardons he makes them understand what pardon means . now th●n , if thy seeking be such as that thou knowest what it is thou seekest after , then it must hold forth also that thou dost understand the name of god is exceeding glorious in it ; and then as thou doest apprehend this , so accordingly thy heart will work after it ; and therefore when you are alone , and you find your hearts working this way , say , what do i do ? do i so call upon him , and seek after him , as that this work of mine declares to god and my own conscience i seek for it so , as that i may manifest the glorious name of the great god is in it ? certainly if i do not do it thus , i take gods name in vain . sixthly , further , you must seek after it as if you were now to answer for all your sins before the lord , as you would wish you had done it then , so do it now ; i put it to every one of you ; have you not been on your sick-beds , and in your apprehension neer unto death ; hath not god wakened your consciences , and you have been afraid upon the account of your sins ; what kind of temper your souls have been in then , know it concerns you every day in the whole course of your lives to have the same apprehensions as you had at that time ; do now as then you would have done : certainly thou dost not understand what pardon of sin means , if thou dost not seek it thus . seaventhly , do it as thou thinkest in thy conscience the damned souls in hell would do if god should give them a possibility , what would they do if god should proclaim unto them a possibility of pardon ? what would they do ? divers things you may conceive they would do ; and here it comes up fully to my hand to put you upon it , ●o say , o! what shall i do ? were we to preach to them in hell , do you think that there is any one of them but would mightily cry to the god of heaven ; 't is not like that any one of such an auditory but would mightily cry to god , if the great counsels of god concerning pardon of sin were preacht to them ; and will not every one of you now mightily cry to god for it ? certainly if they would do it in hell , why should not you do it now ; that which you think they would do , not with a few slight vain expressions , do you do now with all your might . eightly , do this : so seek after it as to desire if it were possible that you might bring as much glory unto god , as he would have had of you if he should have damn'd you for ever ; this is an excellent frame of spirit though you do not know it , but though you do not , yet you should put your selves upon such a kind of work and god may come in ; you cry out for pardon , but never cry out for gods honour , o what shall become of the honour of god that he hath lost by me , and the dishonour i have brought to him , say , o lord i have dishonoured thy name , o that i might so honour thy name as i have dishonoured it ; o lord thou mightest make up thy honour in my eternal damnation ; but o lord , i would if i could do any thing that might make up that dishonour that i have brought by my sin , if i could do any thing that thou mightest have any honour in , i would do it : for a close , i shall put this for a consideration to you ; whatsoever you would do upon any supposition , suppose your danger were as great as ever it was in all your lives , what you would do then do it now ; you must do all that can be done by a creature : now if you would do more on such a supposition as this , after all those sermons you have heard of the evil of sin , and now of the great blessedness of the pardon of sin , if you do not do what a creature is able to do , how can you look for pardon of sin in the face of god ? and therefore what you would do on any such supposition , do now , though thou shouldest not get pardon ; suppose such a thing as if thou wer 't now ready to be damn'd , yet is it not better to do it , than not to do it ? having spoken of these general things , i come now more garticularly to the other part of the question , what is to be done ? first , this is to be done , be sure thou takest off thy heart from all other imaginary blessedness ; certainly there is no man in the world but hath somewhat else his heart was running out after ; now thou must get off thy heart from that thing whatever it be ; it may be thy heart was set upon friends , or upon pleasures of the flesh , and thou thoughtest thy self happy the more thou had'st liberty for thy lust , and the like ; now thou must be convinc't that thou hast fed upon ashes , and hast not been able to say there is a lie in my right hand ; but god hath now shewed me there is a lie , and i have look't for happiness else where ; but now i see it is not there to be found , win thy soul fully to this ; o my soul art thou taken off from all other things , hath god convinc't thee that thou may'st have honours , riches , pleasures , and yet be a reprobate , wo unto me for the time that i have lost , i have laid out my time and mony for another blessedness , that is no where to be found but in the grace of god. secondly , let conscience have free liberty to shew thee thy sins , and charge them upon thee , yea to accuse and condemn thee , and do thou help thy conscience ; when conscience accuses and condemns , then do thou condemn thy self ; if thou would'st be pardoned , then give conscience scope and liberty ; 't is very dangerous when god begins to stir the hearts of men and women , to make any stop or give any check to conscience there , the wisest course is to give conscience liberty , for it will have liberty one day to accuse and condemn you ; why will you not now give it liberty ? conscience will one day bring all thy evil deeds before thee and accuse thee ; now let it accuse and condemn thee , and certainly if thou dost so , thou art in a very good way to come to have absolution of thy sins in thy conscince now ; for at the great day the books shall be opened : now bring as it were a day of judgment upon thy self , contract the throne of god into your own hearts , and call for the book of conscience , and say , conscience ? what say'st thou against me that i may get it blotted out now , that it may not be read against me at the day of judgment ? thirdly , be willing to own all thy sins , confess , discover them with all the heart-breaking circumstances and aggravations thou canst possible , the lord knows thy sins whether thou confessest them or not ; but god will have thee to come and lay them open , god will have thee to come and charge thy self with them : 't is a very good thing to open conscience freely before the lord , not in a slight way , but in a way of anguish and bitterness of spirit bewailing them , and crying by way of prayer and petition against them . fourthly , be willing to accept of the punishment of sin , say , o lord , as thus i do charge and acknowledge , bewail and cry out of my sin ; so here i am lord , ready and willing to accept of the punishment of my sin , and the soul that is in this frame is in a comfortable way of pardon of sin . fifthly , resolve to avoid sin whatever come of it , at that very time when thou art seeking pardon , of sin be sure to resolve never to sin again , for know , that for ought thou knowest , the very next sin thou committest may make god come upon thee for all thy former sins . and then sixthly , cast out whatsoever is gotten by false ways , make restitution , as zacheus did , luk. . seaventhly , be sure that thou be put off with nothing else but pardon of sin ; never rest keeping thy soul always in a waiting frame , looking up to god for pardon : to all these things i shall add , that all these must have reference to the great work of the son of god , when you cry out , what shall we do ? though i have spoken of divers things , yet know all is with reference unto christ the son of god , god-man ; look upon him as the head of the second covenant offering up himself for our sins , let thine eye be upon him , and as thou givest thy conscience liberty to charge thy sins upon thy own soul , so charge them upon christ the head of the second covenant ; have an eye to him for the discharge of them ; dost thou vomit up thy sin by confession , and cry to god for pardon ? remember that thou cry to him through the mediation of jesus christ ; look upon him that must make up the breach , restore thee to favour , and remove the curse : in every work be sure thou eye christ , and make use of these rules so , as may further the venturing of thy soul upon christ ; except thy soul rise to this , to work thee to christ , all the other is but a natural work , though as i said before , that thou shouldest let conscience condemn thee , and that thou have anguish of spirit , know all these are but natural works , any further then they serve in reference unto christ : and now i have shewed you what you are to do , what is it that you will do ? will you set up your resolution , that through the grace of god in christ , whatever hath been told you , you will set about the same , then happy are you ; but if you do it not , it may be you may wish you had done it when sin lies heavy on you ; then you will cry that god would be merciful to you , but then god and conscience will say , i warned you at such a time , in such a place , and were not you there put in a way to seek after pardon ; what did you do after you went away ? the next day you went among your companions , and were as drunk and as wicked as ever before ; if it be so , then trouble will be upon you ; it may be some poor creature that sat in the same pew with thee , had a heart to seek pardon , and is absolved before men and angels , and at the day of judgment shall sit at christs right hand , and thou that heardest the same word , and hast neglected it , now comest to have thy soul for ever lie under the weight and burden of thy sins : god forbid that there should be such a difference made ; thou hast heard the way , seek after the pardon of thy sin ; let it not be in vain that all these sermons have been preach't unto you , act. . . when they preach't about pardon of sin , it says to him give all the prophets witness ; o that you might come in and give witness that this day remission of sin was preach't unto you ; o that while you hear this word , the holy ghost might fall upon you , that you might have your hearts fired with strong resolutions , to set about this work in the power of the holy ghost , and rest not in any thing on this side of a pardon : now i come to give you some incouragements , and they will work two ways , either draw you to christ , or for ever stop your mouths , that you shall have nothing to say against him . i shall name fifteen incouragements unto you . chap. xx. of encouragements to seek after pardon of sin. first , the time of your life is given for this very end , to seek the pardon of your sins ; if a man have any great business to do that concerns his life , and another comes to him , and says , sir , this is the very nick of time that you have taken , or else you had been lost for ever , so this is the very nick of time given you to get pardon of your sins and interest in the blood of christ . secondly , this time is not only afforded for this end , but the means the lord hath brought you under is a great argument that he intends mercy for you , and you may conclude there are more of gods elect may have pardoning mercy than in former times ; the light of the gospel breaks forth , and certainly there is more to be brought in , the gospel is the fruit of christ's death , and given for the elects sake , act. . , . he bids him go end preach , for he had much people ; he should have opposition , but go , be not afraid , for i have much people in that place ; 't is true , the rain will fall upon the tiles as well as on the tender hearbs and grass ; but certainly where god sends his word he hath people to be gathered in ; and if you take notice of gods providence in this point , it may much incourage you to come in , certainly there be many in this congregation , and in others , where the word is preached , that he will pardon , mar. . . the blind man hearing it was christ that past by , he cryed for mercy , and many charged him to hold his peace , but he cried the more , and christ stood still and called him unto him : now if thou seest thy sin , and cryest for pardon , christ will call thee to give pardoning mercy to thee as he did bartimeus . thirdly , it may be thou art not only under the means of grace and the outward call , but thou begin'st to feel an inward call , there are some stirrings of gods spirit within thee ; thou could'st say before , thou wonderedst what the matter was with people to run after sermons , but now thou begin'st to feel the effect of it , and the glory of god appears to thee in this place , when thou art hearing of his word ; thou may'st hence reason , as manoa's wife , judg. . . that certainly if god had intended to have killed us , he would not have received a burnt offering and a meat offering at our hands ; neither would he have shewed us all these things ; so say to thy soul , if god had intended to kill me , he would not have been so willing to have drawn me after him , neither would he have shewed me all these things , and let that be an incouragement unto thee . fourthly , the end why god continues this world in being , is that he might give pardon to his elect ; certainly this world had been dissolved long ago , if it were not that he might bring pardon to his elect , and to those that see their sins ; this must needs be a great incouragement to a soul , viz. to those that see their sins , to come in ; when this pardoning work is done , christ will deliver up his kingdom to his father ; if a malefactor should come to sue out his pardon , and one should say unto him , 't is well sir you are come , for the king would not have kept his court so long here , but that you should come in ; were not this a great incouragement ? so say i , were it not that men should come to get the pardon of their sins , the court of the world would have been broken up long before this time , fifthly , the principal scope of the scriptures is for this very end , to reveal the pardoning grace of god ; you have here the heart of god laid open ; christ wept and mourned that sinners would not come in , that they might be pardoned and saved . i have read a story , that in athens there was a temple , and in that there was a woman weeping , and in one hand she had a bleeding heart , and with the other she was writing pardons ; so christ he stands weeping over you , that you will not come in , and he hath a bleeding heart , bleeding for you in the one hand , and with the other hand he is ready to write you a pardon , luk. . , . nay , he does not only weep : but the sixth incouragement may be , he sends his ambassadors to woe you to come in , and tells them they shall not take a denyal at your hands , cor. . . they intreat and beg as in his name , nay it is the beseechings and intreatings of god himself ; as if a king should send one of the attendants on him to a poor condemned prisoner , and say , go tell such a one that he must come for his pardon , and tell him , i beseech him , and take no denyal of him , i beseech him to come in ; would not this manifest the great willingness of the king to pardon ; god does so , he sends his ministers and beseeches you to come in and take a pardon ; 't is as certain god speaks thus by his ministers , as if you heard god speaking by himself , this should move you to come in , christ begs and intreats you to be reconciled , that his bloud might not be shed in vain : seeing it is so , that god begs of thee to come in , why shouldest not thou come in , and take pardon of thy sin , why can'st not thou come in and give up thy self and all thou hast and art to him . seventhly , know it is the great office and work of christs mediatorship to bind up the broken hearts of wounded sinners , isai . . . the spirit of the lord is upon me , and he hath anointed me , he hath sent me to preach good tidings to the meek ; he hath seat me to bind up the broken hearted , to proclaim liberty to the captives , and the opening of the prison to them that are bound ; this in the new testament is applyed to christ . now this being the great work for which christ came into the world , to bind up the broken-hearted , see whether thou canst not rely on christ by an act of faith , this should be a great incouragement . eighthly , consider that , that god thou hast to deal withal , his nature is mercy in the abstract ; and if so , he is free in his mercy ; as the sun shines , because it 's the nature of it to shine ; so the mercy of god must needs work freely , because it is his nature ; as the fire burns naturally , exod. . & mic. . . god pardons because he delights in mercy ; thou say'st thou art a poor sinner ; well , though it be so , yet thou may'st say , though god can see nothing in me , yet seeing that he is a god that delights in mercy , this may move me to come in : for . he hath more delight in pardoning any sinner than in all the creatures of heaven and earth ; god delights in all the works of his hands ; but in this he delights in more than in all ; he delights in them all , but not so much as in magnifying his grace in jesus christ ; for in this he magnifies his son , and therefore he hath more pleasure , and takes more delight in pardoning a poor humbled sinner , than in all the works of his hands besides . . no one can take so much pleasure in the salvation of his own soul , as god doth in pardoning of thy sin ; and the reason is , because this is the greatest design that god hath , which is the setting out of his glory in his pardoning mercy in christ , and therefore this may be a great encouragement . . god is more delighted in the work of thy heart closing with free grace , than in all the legal works of humiliation ; what says christ ? this is the good will and pleasure of god ; and david was called a man after gods own heart ; why ? because he was a man that would do his will ; so that this is a great incouragement , though many abuse this and pervert it to their own destruction , yet god will have it taught , that thou mightest have the comfort of it , and therefore thou shouldest close with god and come in , and take hold of his pardoning mercy . ninthly , though god hath taken such a way in mercy to pardon sin , yet he loseth nothing in his justice ; christ hath taken such order that his glory shall no way be diminished , his justice shall be satisfied ; and therefore thou need'st not say thus , i have so sinned against god that i know not , that i cannot tell how to make up his glory ; for there is care taken for that already , and therefore that need not discourage thee . tenthly , there are as vile sinners now triumphing in heaven as any of you that are here , be you never so black and vile , and therefore be not discouraged at the greatness of thy sins ; for though they be very great , yet that may not keep thee out , others as vile as thou art , are now in heaven . eleventhly , make the utmost of thy sin thou can'st , yet this need not hinder thee to come to god for : for ought that either men or angels know ▪ thou hast as much interest in christ as any saint in heaven over had , and if thou comest in and layest hold on christ , thy very laying hold on christ will plainly shew thou hast a right unto him , and therefore be not discouraged but come in . twelfthly , vpon thy closing with christ , thou wilt find such a change as was never wrought in any creature besides ; for though thou wer 't vile and filthy , more vile and filthy than a child new born by original and actual sins ingendred in thee , yet thou shalt be made cleaner than a child , and more pure in the eyes of god than any child cleansed from his filthiness ; would not you do any thing to be pure in the eyes of god , make use of what i say , and you shall be clean ; when you hear the ministers utter the threatnings of god you fall out with the man , and say , he preaches nothing but terror ; alas 't is our delight to preach the pardoning grace of god ; but we must shew the evil of sin , and it is that you might come in and imbrace mercy ; for know , we delight to preach mercy more than any thing else ; and know , that if thou desirest that all thy thoughts , ways and actions may be for gods glory , he will not upbraid thee for coming in unto him , joh. . . he that cometh to christ , he will in no wise cast out ; though thou hast been never so great a sinner , yet thou may'st come in and close with christ ; for he that comes to him , be he what he will , he will in no wise cast out . thirteenthly , thou wilt fill heaven with joy , and there will be more melody in heaven than at the coming in of any prince to his kingdom ; and i may say unto you , even in this place , if you come in , the angels will rejoyce at it ; for there are many angels stand about you ; therefore take heed of your carriage , for they come to see your behaviour ; have a special care your hearts be set upon the work you come about , for they are here to see how you carry your selves . fourteenthly , in obtaining pardon of sin and closing with christ by faith , thou art made heir of the whole world , rom. . . how does many of you marriners , and others venture upon dangerous voyages to get great estates in this world , and you count them happy that are born to great estates ; why , by closing with jesus christ by faith for remission of sins , you are made heirs of the whole world , i mean not of that to come , but of this present world , though none of you certainly desire more than may carry you to heaven , yet you are true and proper heirs of the whole world : all is yours , the scripture is very clear in it ; but i cannot now stand to inlarge upon it , cor. . latter end . fifteenthly , for any thing thou knowest , thou art one of gods elect , and there is nothing thou art to do , but god hath promised to inable thee to do it ; for there is such a transaction between god and christ , that he that shall be saved shall not have only savour vouchsaf't unto him , but shall be inabled to do whatsoever god requires of him , there shall be grace given to every one of the elect of god. and now if thou comest in and givest up thy self , and all that thou art , hast or can'st do to christ : how knowest thou but thou art one of those that art elect , and so shall be made for ever happy ? but if after all that has been said , thou goest away with slight thoughts of this rich and transcendent grace of pardoning mercy , and dost not set presently upon the work to obtain it , be thou for ever ashamed and confounded , but let the pardoning mercy of god be for ever magnified . finis . a table of the principal things contain'd in this treatise . chap. i. the text opened , and the main doctrine propounded , viz. pag. doct. that the blessedness of a man , or of any soul , consists in the free grace of god forgiving of his sin . chap. ii. of the blessedness of the pardon of sin , which appears . negatively in the evil it frees us from . ibid. . positively in the good bestowed upon us : therein consider the efficient cause of mercy in forgiveness of sin . ibid. the final cause of mercy in forgiveness of sin . chap. iii. of wonderful mysteries of godliness included in in the great mercy of forgiveness of sin. it is by means of a mediator . it is through christs undertaking the debt upon himself . it is by christs sufferings . sin pardoned makes the soul stands righteous before god. this righteousness is in another . ibid. a near union is made between christ and the soul it is by faith , yet boasting is excluded . god is infinitely just , and yet infinitely merciful . when god forgives sin at present , he forgives all to come god pardons a sinner not because he is , but that he might be changed . god himself purchases the pardon . chap. iv. of pardon of sin , not only being a mercy in it self , but the foundation of many other mercies . peace with god. with conscience . creatures . the revelation of gods secrets to them he pardons . ibid. it makes all other injoyments to be mercies which otherwise are not . by reason of guilt of sin . not known whether they be given in love or hatred . ibid. it makes all afflictions easie to be borne . the great good of pardon makes the bitterest evil nothing . it assures the soul the evil of affliction is gone . pardoning mercy brings healing with it into the soul . comfort against death the effect of pardoning mercy . security against the worlds reproaches . it is the foundation of eternal life . it is the bottom of all true comfort . ibid. chap. v. of pardoning mercy passing through a great many difficulties by reason of the wrong that man hath done to god by sin. god must be made man , and yet remain the same god he was before . he must die and be made a curse . ibid. the dead heart of man must be raised to do the gloriousest work that any creature ever did . hence it is a great taking the name of god in vain , for any man or woman to have slight thoughts of sin . ibid. men should be content to endure much difficulty in seeking of pardon . ibid. the difficulties pardon of sin passes through , should make us willing to undergo any hard services god puts us to . chap. vi. of pardoning mercy coming from the fountain of gods everlasting love. chap. vii . of pardoning mercy being a work that all the three persons in the trinity are ingaged in . god the father's heart was in it . ibid. christ the son's heart was in it . the holy ghost was much in it . chap. viii . of pardoning mercy being a perfect mercy . hence flows out abundance of comfort . great ingagement unto duty . ibid. chap. ix . of pardoning mercy being an irrevocable mercy . this appears in gods blotting out of sin . casting it behind his back . removing it as far as the east is from the west . ibid. casts them in the bottom of the sea. ibid. he will remember them no more . ibid. they shall never be mentioned . ibid. they shall never be found . chap. x. of pardon of sin , being a mercy denyed to fal'n angels . chap. xi . of pardoning mercy being such that it is given but to a few . because god would have a proportion between his justice and mercy . to manifest his mercy the more to those that are saved . ibid. chap. xii . of the possibility of pardoning mercy , how it would be prized by poor souls now under wrath . chap. xiii . of pardon of sin being the special end of all god's ordinances . . hearing of the word . ibid. . the sacraments . discipline . a transition to the application of what is to be said to these things . ibid. chap. xiv . of the dishonour done by men to the pardoning grace of god. by careless ones . by sinful ones who labour to increase guilt . those that have slight thoughts of pardon . such as seek pardon , but are insensible of the greatness of the work . those that dally with god , and that cry for pardon , and yet continue in love to their sin . ibid. that seek the pardon of some sins , yet still keep the love of others . that look not after their prayers . that follow not their prayers with answerable endeavours . ibid. those that pray for pardon , and yet are satisfied with other things . ibid. those that are quiet upon weak and slight evidences , dishonour god , the word . the word put in writing . ibid. witnesses , and they are six in heaven , and on earth . ibid. an oath . ibid. seals . the broad seal of the image of god. ibid. the privy seal of the spirit of god. ibid. baptism and the supper of the lord. ibid. those dishonour gods mercy that defer the seeking of it to the worst times , as sick-bed or death-bed time . because they leave not sin till sin is leaving them . that time is usually the time of gods wrath . ibid. a man is then unfit for the greatness of this work . god will loose a great part of his end in pardoning mercy . it argues a base spirit to put it off till then , that all the tag-rag and rabble-rout will come in ibid. they dishonour the pardoning grace of god that seek it any other way then in and through the mediation of the lord jesus christ . ibid. those that venture on any one sin in hopes they may be pardoned it argues an abominable heart . an ingenious gracious spirit would never do it . ibid. gods children reason to the contrary . in some respect thou art worse than the damned in hell. this will be an intollerable burden to thee , that will indanger the sinking of thy soul in the bottomless gulf of dispair . they dishonour the pardoning grace of god that sin after pardon , as that return to the same sin . that are negligent in the ways of god. they remember not the days of old . are in danger of losing their evidences . this may provoke god to deal with you as a slave , and not as a son . hereby thy sin is aggravated above the sins of the wicked . ibid. chap. xv. of the dishonour done to the grace of god by not resting on it . it argues low thoughts of the pardoning grace of god. thou hereby judgest of god according to thy own thoughts 't is contrary to the main scope of the scriptures , which is to magnifie the pardoning grace of god against the greatness of sin . ibid. the way thou takest 't is the ready way to perish . object . would you have us go on to believe and doubt no more ? answ . no. but turn your fears of presuming into fears of dishonouring the grace of god. set the greatness of the pardoning grace of god before the eye of your souls . ibid. keep your spirits in an active frame . renew your resolutions of honouring god whatever god does with you . ibid. keep thy heart in a waiting frame . ibid. catch hold of any beginnings . of the evil of this sin of dishonouring the pardoning grace of god. ibid. it is a sinning against mercy which god accounts his glory . ibid. it aggravates the sin of such men . . above the sin of the heathen . ibid. above the sin of the devils . the scripture speaks dreadfully of it . ibid. chap. xvi . of the several mistakes of men about the pardon of their sins . many think their sins are pardoned , because it is but little they are guilty of . answ . such understand not the evil that is in the least sin . ibid. gods mercy is his own to do with it as he pleases . ibid. others think they are pardoned , because they have not multiplied and increast them . answ . one sin is enough to damn thee as well as a million of transgressions . ibid. others think they are pardoned , because the guilt of them does not lie upon their consciences . answered . others think they are pardoned , because they have had prosperity , answ . others hope they are pardoned , because they are sorry for them : answ . leave them : answ . all reformation satisfies not for sin . god accepts of duties not for themselves , but because of the person that performs them . others say , we trust in the mercy of god , and they are such as are most grosly ignorant : answ . others more knowing : answ . others say , we rely upon christ : answ . chap. xvii . of the true evidences of forgiveness of sin. they are such as are called ones . they are received into the covenant with god. they are translated into the kingdom of his son. they have much given unto them . the spirit to inlighten them . god will write his law in their hearts . ibid. god will give them cleansing mercies . ibid. they have a glory put upon them . they are made to know what pardon means . they have melting hearts for sin . ibid. they have a growth in grace according to the degrees of pardon . they have an answerable work in their souls to the work of gods grace in pardoning them . they have a merciful frame of heart to forgive others . chap. xviii . of the rules how to apply the evidences of the pardon of sin. if you cannot find all , yet if you find any one of them , you may take comfort because all are there . have recourse to gods former workings . try not your selves in times of temptation . what of the word you find on your side , keep close to that renew your evidences if you cannot find your old ones . remember you are to deal with god in a covenant of grace when you want the faith of assurance , put forth the work of faith of adherence . rest not much upon evidences . when you have lost the use of signs at present , do not determine all is gone . keep up good thoughts of god when you are at the lowest . ibid. chap. xix . of exhortation to seek after pardon of sin , with cautions and rules how to seek , and what we are to do . caution , know , nothing in a natural man can be acceptable to god. what is done before vnion with christ , is not to be reckoned on as the condition of the covenant of grace . rest not on any preparatory works . ibid. yet such works are worthy of our utmost endeavours . rules how to seek set your selves as in the presence of god. see it be such a seeking that may testifie thou prisest thy life here in this world for this end . it must be done so , as that you never sought any thing in this world so us you seek this . do it as apprehending that god is a going . ibid. so seek after it , as that thou may'st testifie thou sanctifiest the name of god in it . so seek as if you were now to answer for all your sins before the lord. do it as thou thinkest in thy conscience the damned souls in hell would do it , if they had a possibility granted them . ibid. seek after it with a desire to bring as much glory to god as if he should damn you . of what is to be done in seeking be sure to take the heart from all other imaginary blessedness . ibid. let conscience have free liberty to shew thee thy sins . be willing to own all thy sins . ibid. be willing to accept of the punishment of sin ▪ resolve to avoid sin whatever come of it . ibid. cast out whatsoever is gotten by false wayes . ibid. be sure thou be put of with nothing else but pardon of sin . ibid. chap. xx. of encouragements to seek after pardon of sin. the time of your life is given you for this end . the means you are under , argues that god intends mercy for you . ibid. from the stirrings of gods spirit thou may'st argue god intends thee good . ibid. the world is continued for this end , that god may gather in his elect. the principal scope of the scriptures is for this end , to reveal the pardoning grace of god. ibid. god sends his ambassadors to wo you . it is the great work of christ's mediatorship to bind up broken hearts . ibid. god whom thou hast to deal withal , his nature is mercy in the abstract . ibid. he more delights in pardoning any one sinner , than in all the creatures of heaven and earth . ibid. he takes more pleasure in saving the● than thou dost thy self . god more delights in the work of the heart closing with 〈◊〉 grace than in all legal humiliations . ibid. christ hath satisfied gods justice . ibid. as vile sinners as thou art , are now in heaven . ibid. make the utmost thou can'st of thy sin , yet this need not hinder thee to come to god. ibid. on closing with christ thou wilt find such a change as was never in any creature besides . thy coming in , will fill heaven and earth with joy . ibid. thou art hereby made heir of the whole world . ibid. for any thing thou knowest thou art one of gods elect , and so there is nothing that thou art to do , but he hath promised to enable thee to do it . finis . notes, typically marginal, from the original text notes for div a -e prov. . . object . answ . object . answ . object . answ . object . answ . . argument . object . answ . sam. . . job . . . . argument . . argument . . argument . . argument . . argument . . argument . . argument . object . . argument . . argument . quest . answ . . quest . answ . . the word . . writing . . witnesses . . oath . . seal . ob. ans . quest . answ . answ . plea. answ . * note the signs were given forth in one sermon . o rich grace . quest . answ . simile . a copy of a remonstrance lately delivered in to the assembly by thomas goodwin, ierem. burroughs, william greenhill, william bridge, philip nie, sidrach simson, and william carter declaring the grounds and reasons of their declining to bring into the assembly their modell of church-government. this text is an enriched version of the tcp digital transcription a of text r in the english short title catalog (wing c ). textual changes and metadata enrichments aim at making the text more computationally tractable, easier to read, and suitable for network-based collaborative curation by amateur and professional end users from many walks of life. the text has been tokenized and linguistically annotated with morphadorner. the annotation includes standard spellings that support the display of a text in a standardized format that preserves archaic forms ('loveth', 'seekest'). textual changes aim at restoring the text the author or stationer meant to publish. this text has not been fully proofread approx. kb of xml-encoded text transcribed from -bit group-iv tiff page images. earlyprint project evanston,il, notre dame, in, st. louis, mo a wing c estc r ocm this keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the early english books online text creation partnership. this phase i text is available for reuse, according to the terms of creative commons . universal . the text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. early english books online. (eebo-tcp ; phase , no. a ) transcribed from: (early english books online ; image set ) images scanned from microfilm: (early english books, - ; : ) a copy of a remonstrance lately delivered in to the assembly by thomas goodwin, ierem. burroughs, william greenhill, william bridge, philip nie, sidrach simson, and william carter declaring the grounds and reasons of their declining to bring into the assembly their modell of church-government. goodwin, thomas, - . burroughs, jeremiah, - . greenhill, william, - . bridge, william, ?- . nye, philip, ?- . simpson, sidrach, ?- . carter, w. (william) p. [s.n.], london : . reproduction of original in the university of illinois (urbana-champaign campus). library. eng church polity. a r (wing c ). civilwar no a copy of a remonstrance lately delivered in to the assembly. by thomas goodwin. ierem: burroughs. william greenhill. william bridge. philip [no entry] c the rate of defects per , words puts this text in the c category of texts with between and defects per , words. - tcp assigned for keying and markup - aptara keyed and coded from proquest page images - emma (leeson) huber sampled and proofread - emma (leeson) huber text and markup reviewed and edited - pfs batch review (qc) and xml conversion a copy of a remonstrance lately delivered in to the assembly . by thomas goodwin . ierem : burroughs . william greenhill . william bridge . philip nie . sidrach simson . and william carter . declaring the grounds and reasons of their declining to bring in to the assembly , their modell of church-government . london : printed in the yeer , . to the reader . the copie of this ensuing remonstrance ( for so i title it , as deeming it no other ) lately delivered in to the assembly by the dissenting brethren , falling under my view ( by a divine providence ) i endeavoured a transcript thereof , ayming at no other end but the reserving it by me for my private and particular satisfaction . since which time upon occasionall converses with divers of the presbyterian party , i have been an often eare-witnesse of many untrue and unjust aspersions which reflected upon the reverend authors , as if the independants ( so they are pleased to call them ) could not , or durst not ( according to the demand of the assembly ) produce a model and bring in thither , such a frame of church-government with the reasons and grounds thereof as they contend for ; or rather , that they had in their conceptions some chima●ra , or some utopian frame , which in the issue would prove either abortive or ridiculous ; and that therefore being privy to the weaknes of their own principles , they have res●●ted onely , instead of a perfect body , an airy , and ( to use some of their own words ) a rayling accusation against the reverend assembly , intending nothing lesse then the product of a compleated frame , and nothing more than the cheating of the people , whom they know do expect such an accomplisht platform . these and the like undue bespatterings , ●asht from the mouthes of some whom i dare not but call brethren , and that upon those who for their personall endowments they themselves acknowledge to be both pious and learned ; and frequently hinted into the minds and thoughts of the godly and well-affected of either part ( who at present by reason thereof are at a losse both in their judgements and expectations ) coming within my hearing and observation ; i found ( weighing the rationall considerations exhibited in this remonstrance for their refusall to deliver in to the assembly their model of church-government , as was imposed on them ) an irresistable dictate from my conscience , to convert the manuscript into a printed copie . wherein the ingenious reader may clearly perceive , and truly judge what was the direct remora that deterred them ( contrary to their primary resolves ) from doing that which was required by the assembly , and what likewise are their reall intentions for the future , namely , to let the churches have the benefit of what they have prepared to that purpose , which i am confident in as convenient a time as is sutable to such a work , they will perfect and exhibit to open view . as for the godly and learned authors themselves , i humbly crave their pardon that i have presumed without their knowledge to present this their copie to the world , professing that no sinister ends at all byassed me : 't was onely the satisfying of my own conscience , and my earnest desires that the truth and candour of their cause , and their proceedings therein , may ( notwithstanding the besmearings that others endeavour to cast on both ) be rightly resented by the godly and judicious , that hath swayed my resolutions : which ends if i attain , i have enough . december . . we gave in reasons of our dissenting , to this assembly , against the subordination of synods , and they were committed to be answered and brought in . april . . an order was made by this assembly , that the brethren of this assembly , who have formerly entred their dissents to the presbyteriall government , shall be a committee to bring in the whole frame of their judgements , concerning church government , in a body with their grounds and reasons . it was also by this assembly , lately imposed on us , to make report of what we had done in the committee . how willing and ready we have been from the beginning of the discussions in this reverend assembly , to make known whatever we hold , concerning church government , as we have had publique testimony in this assembly , so we have manifold instances and evidences of it ; witnesse that constant , free , and open expressing our selves upon all occasions , and in all questions propounded to the debate , with offers to give an open account at any time , in what ever should be asked us by any brother . our profferring divers times to bring in propositions , stated to our sense for the dispute , and when we were made a committee to that purpose , in the point of ordination , and did bring our judgements concerning it for a dispute , it was laid aside . and at another time , when we ourselves brought in papers , giving the state of the question , about that extraordinary way of ordination , which were read , and returned back unto us , it being publiquely professed that that was not an allowed way and course of this assembly , for any of the brethren to bring in papers , unlesse they were made a committee by the assembly it self . and so we were prevented of doing the like for time to come . likewise our frequent complainings of the stating of questions , so that we could not fully argue for our judgements , we being bound up to the questions as stated by you . the usuall answer to our complaints heerin being , that the assembly sate not to argue the opinions of a few men , but that if we had any thing to say to the assertion brought in , we might . as also our earnest contending to have some questions ( which you all know are the greatest and most fundamentall points ) fairly disputed and debated , is a sufficient testimony of this our willingnesse . as in the entrance into the dispute of government , the first day , we pressed the handling of this , that there is a platform of government for the churches , under the gospel , laid down in the scripture , and desired to have discussed , what are the sure and certain wayes , whereby we may judge what of government , is held forth jure divino therein , which should have been fundamentall to all the disputes that were to follow : and this was professedly laid aside by you , which therfore in none of the subsequent debates , we could renew , and thus arguments were cut off , it being that great and necessary medium , by which the particulars should be confirmed , and in a manner , the whole controversie decided ; the greatest difference that were likely to grow betwixt us , being this , that the forms of government , you pretend to , and we deny , are asserted to be jure divino . in like manner that other next great question , about the intire power in congregations , that have a sufficient presbytery for all censures , which as it is in order the first that presents it self for discussion ( as was urged ) so also it is one of the greatest points in difference betwixt us and you : yet the debate of this was not onely denied the first place in the dispute , but was to this day declined by you ; although to have it argued was contended for by us , and not by us onely , but by many of those , that are for a subordinate government thereof to synods . and though earnest desires and motions for it were renewed and inculcated , yet were they as often laid aside . yea and this , although it was once expresly commended by the grand committee of the honorable members of both houses , joyned with twelve divines of the assembly , to be next disputed , as the best means , both of expedition , and of ending the controversie . and over and above all this , to argue this our willingnesse to dispute our way , in the aforesaid honorable committee appointed by an order of the honorable house of commons , to find out wayes , of accommodating different judgements in the assembly , the sub-committee of divines , consisting of two of us , and foure others , appointed by that honorable committee to prepare waies and propositions of accommodation , brought in the main and most of what practically we desired , and we therein added , that if such a libertie shall seem in the wisdome of this honorable committee , to be so prejudiciall to the peace of the church as not to be permitted , we humbly desire , the doctrinall principles wherein we differ about church-government , may be taken into serious consideration , and some other way of accommodation in practise thought upon , as shall seem fit to this honorable committee : and this was presented to that honorable committee and those twelve of the assembly , to be transmitted , whether to the honorable houses , or the assembly as they should think meet . after this , when upon occasion of something brought in by one brother , and intertained , we took hold of that example , and one of us , with consent of the rest , brought in seven propositions , which contained matter of difference betwixt us , professing , that if this reverend assembly would debate them , or any one of them , we would bring in more , untill we had brought in all the frame , and the assembly themselves should pick and chuse what they would debate , and what not . but these propositions were rejected with a refusall to debate any one of them . and after all this , though the main parts of the presbyteriall government , had been then voted by the assembly , and sent up to the honorable houses ( as , namely , that about ordination , and the presbyteriall government over many congregations , as also concerning the subordination of nationall , provinciall and classicall assemblies ) and there was not much remaining about church-government , to be concluded in this assembly : yet this reverend assembly requiring , ( by occasion of a book published , that reflected on these proceedings , that we had no hand in , nor knowledge of ) a whole frame of government , with the grounds and reasons thereof , to be brought in by us , and voted us heerto to be a committee , we yeilded our selves to be a committee , to bring in part by part , in like manner as the presbyteriall government was brought into the assembly , and disputed : but that was not accepted . and then it being said , that there was something in church-government , remaining undiscussed , and unresolved ; and it being further alledged that the assembly ●ad not sent up all that which they had concluded , but meant to present an entire frame and body to the honorable houses : and that we might take away all occasions of any such jealousies that we were unwilling to discover what we held ( which were commonly in mens mouthes abroad ) we yeilded to be a committee , to bring in the whole to this assembly , though upon all the fore-mentioned disadvantages , and were purposed and resolved amongst our selves so to do , and that in as convenient a time as a work of such a compasse could , ( in such a manner as was proposed by you ) be dispatched by us . and as in the debate about making us a committee , the assembly would not declare ( though pressed by us ) what they would do with that modell , and those reasons we should bring in ; so the voting of what yet remained in church-government , was hastened by you . and when not long after , upon occasion of the debate of one particular point , in which we differed from this assembly , we moved it might be deferred , because we should present our judgements and reasons about it , with the rest , ( for therein lay that which we accounted the favour of being made a committee by you ) it was publiquely answered , that therefore the assembly should the rather go on to the concluding of it , because we intended to bring it in ; and before we could dispatch that body we intended , so as to report it unto you according to your order ; ( the collection of the materials whereof , spent us two or three moneths , and we could not obtain the liberty to bring in any thing but the whole ) this assembly had presented to the honorable houses , as well what had been sent up by peeces afore , as what was since concluded , in one intire frame . by all which we perceived , that that which was the main end and use of presenting such a modell to this assembly , would be frustrated . and furthermore , we having given in ( as this assembly knows ) but two heads of dissenting reasons : the one against the presbyterial government over many congregations : the other against the subordination of synods . by the successe of the latter we see , that this assembly can assume the liberty ( if it so please ) to reserve those we shall now present , unanswered , as they have done those our dissenting reasons against subordination of synods , although it contain a great and main part of that wherein we differ , as also is of all other , of the greatest moment , both to this church and state , and hath been given in to this assembly ten moneths since , and their votes concerning thes● subordinations , as long since presented to the honorable houses , but have not been answered by any reply brought in to this assembly , and so not ready to have been sent up to the honorable houses . and if these we might now bring in , should be undertaken to be answered by this assembly , yet we still retain the sense of so much remedilesse prejudice , by being bound from replying again , as doth make us justly wary : we may for ever lie under whatever misinterpretations may happen , ( suppose but through mistake of yours , or imperfection of our expression ) without clearing our meaning , and we may be bound up from further urging or driving home that wherein the strength of any argument lies , if the dint thereof should be avoided by some specious diversion . and although our former reasons given in after dispute to both the honorable houses , according to their order , were therefore not our own , but to be disposed of according to their appointment ; yet what we should now give in , we conceive to be in our own power . upon these considerations we think that this assembly hath no cause now to require a report of us , nor will that our report be of any use , seeing that reports are for debates , and debates are for results to be sent up to the honorable houses , who have already voted another form of government then what we shall present . however it may be of more use some other way , which by this course may be prevented , and therefore we are resolved to wait for some further opportunitie , to improve what we have prepared . finis . the sea-mans direction in time of storme delivered in a sermon upon occasion of a strong stormie wind lately happening. / by ier. burroughs. burroughs, jeremiah, - . this text is an enriched version of the tcp digital transcription a of text s in the english short title catalog (stc ). textual changes and metadata enrichments aim at making the text more computationally tractable, easier to read, and suitable for network-based collaborative curation by amateur and professional end users from many walks of life. the text has been tokenized and linguistically annotated with morphadorner. the annotation includes standard spellings that support the display of a text in a standardized format that preserves archaic forms ('loveth', 'seekest'). textual changes aim at restoring the text the author or stationer meant to publish. this text has not been fully proofread approx. kb of xml-encoded text transcribed from -bit group-iv tiff page images. earlyprint project evanston,il, notre dame, in, st. louis, mo a stc estc s this keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the early english books online text creation partnership. this phase i text is available for reuse, according to the terms of creative commons . universal . the text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. early english books online. (eebo-tcp ; phase , no. a ) transcribed from: (early english books online ; image set ) images scanned from microfilm: (early english books, - ; : ) the sea-mans direction in time of storme delivered in a sermon upon occasion of a strong stormie wind lately happening. / by ier. burroughs. burroughs, jeremiah, - . [ ], , [ ] p. printed by t. paine and m. simmons, london : . reproduction of the original in dr. williams's library. eng sermons -- th century. a s (stc ). civilwar no the sea-mans direction in time of storme. delivered in a sermon upon occasion of a strong stormie wind lately happening. by ier. burroughs. burroughs, jeremiah b the rate of defects per , words puts this text in the b category of texts with fewer than defects per , words. - tcp assigned for keying and markup - apex covantage keyed and coded from proquest page images - ali jakobson sampled and proofread - ali jakobson text and markup reviewed and edited - pfs batch review (qc) and xml conversion the sea-mans direction in time of storme . delivered in a sermon upon occasion of a strong stormie wind lately happening . by ier. burroughs . matth. . . the winds and the sea obey him . london : printed by t. paine and m. simmons . . to the reader . it hath been the way of god in speaking to men , and drawing their hearts to him , to apply himselfe to them , in those things they have skill of and are acquainted with . when christ was revealed to the wise men that came from the east , it was by a star , they were astronomers , and conversed much in the contemplation of the starres , and god speakes to them accordingly : when our saviour called fishermen to follow him , he tels them . hee will make them fishers of men ; hee expresseth himselfe unto them in their owne way : wherefore it being my lot to live where multitudes of mariners , especially of mine owne countrey-men daily come , and my auditors being in great part of such , i was willing to take the opportunity of that great worke of god , that sore and grievous tempest that was lately so terrible as made the hearts of many to shake , to adde the word sutable to gods worke , to labour to conveigh some spirituall truth , by the advantage of that impression that was then upon their hearts , little thinking then that such present thoughts hinted by such an occasion , should ever be more publike then in mine owne congregation : but knowing what need mariners have of sermons , and considering how few they heare , because i could not preach to them where their chiefe businesse lies ( upon the seas ) i was willing to send this sermon to them , that they might have it by them : many sabbaths they spend hearing none , seldome hearing any . it may be the sutablenesse of this subject may invite them to reade , especially it being the desires of many of them who heard it , and found some worke of god upon their hearts by it , to have it by them ; at first i was unwilling to let such sudden things appeare so publike , but after considering , that some poore saylors boy at least might get some good by them , i yeelded . i publish not this sermon because i conceit any speciall excellency in it , that cannot be expected ( it is the same for the frame and substance of it that was preached the next day after the occasion : some things are added and enlarged , especially concerning the nature of the winds . ) but because i know nothing of this subiect published , and some way it may be usefull , and a little good is worth much of my time and labour , who knowes what a truth , what a hint fitted to the apprehensions of people in their owne way may doe ; therefore here you have it , and the lord prosper it to you . yours in christ , i. b. imprimatur , jo. hansley . octob. . . the sea-mans direction in time of storme . psal. . . stormy wind fulfilling his word . a word spoken in season how good is it ! it is like apples of gold with pictures of silver : silver pictures doe set out the golden apples , and the golden apples doe grace the silver pictures ; so words that are gracious fitted to their circumstances , they are graced each by other . a good word spoken at any time is a golden apple , it hath worth in it , but fitted to circumstances , it hath beauty added to it ; and not onely beauty , but efficacie too ; for so it is in the originall , words upon their wheeles , when they are rightly fitted to their circumstances , being spoken in due season , then they goe upon their wheeles , and passe along like a triumphant chariot ; whereas if these bee omitted , they are drawne out as a cart is drawne on without wheeles ; like pharoahs chariots , when god tooke off their wheeles , they drave heavily . as saint augustine said of the outward element in the sacrament , let the word come to the element , and it is made a sacrament ; so i may say of gods workes , let the word be added to gods workes , and they are instructions , great helpes to godlinesse . there is a great threat against those who regard not the workes of god , because they regard not the workes of the lord , nor the operation of his hands , hee shall destroy them and not build them up , psal. . . that such a curse may not befall us for our regardlesnesse of this worke of the lord in this dreadfull stormy wind , i have chose this scripture ; that as job heard the lord speaking out of the whirle-wind , so you this day by this scripture may heare the lord speaking to you out of that stormy tempestuous wind , that but yesterday was so terrible to you : sensitive things move much , yet the impression of them holds not long ; it is good therefore to take the advantage of your hearts , and that presently . the title of this psalme , is hallelujah , praise ye the lord : it is a psalme of praise by way of excellency above others , it begins and ends with , praise ye the lord ; all sorts of creatures in heaven and earth , ayre and seas , are called to joyne in this worke , but especially man : of all creatures in the world god expects his praise from man in a speciall manner ; the wayes of god towards man , being the most glorious above that they are towards any of his other workes , towards him his name indeede is excellent above the earth or heavens ; god will have active and passive praises from man , and amongst men above all from his owne people , his church whom hee hath chosen to be a people neere unto him , the high praises of god are to be in their mouthes , psal. . . they are not onely to rejoyce in their god , and in his glorious workes , but to bee joyfull in a glorious manner , to rejoyce in glory , not onely to sing the praises of the lord , but to sing aloud upon their beds , vers. . god himselfe is the praise of his saints , as we have it in the . verse of this . psalme , not onely the workes of god , but god himselfe , hee is their praise both actively and passively , he is their praise , their glory , their excellencie , and he , even he himselfe is the subject of their praise . gods people are his glory , and god is the glory of his people ; they are his glory , psal. . . hee delivered his strength into captivity , and his glory into their enemies hand ; god is their glory , psal. . . thou art my glory and the lifter up of my head , and thus god and his people glory one in another , every where the name of god is great , but god is knowne in judah , and his name is great in israel , psal. . in his temple every man speakes of his glory , psal. . . wherefore to him be glory in the church , eph. . . the glory that god hath from his people , from his church , is another manner of glory then hee hath from all the world besides ; wherefore let not us faile of giving god the glory of his great workes , of this his mighty worke . our subject then , at this time , is the praise of god in one of his great workes of nature , the worke of god in the wind , the stormy wind fulfilling his word . wherein we have these two things : . what it is wherein god is to bee praised , the subject of his praise ; the stormy wind . the reason why , from the effect , fulfilling his word . for the first , stormy wind , the wind of storme or tempest , so the words are , the tempestuous wind ; the word is sometimes used for a whirl-wind , dan. . . the wind , especially when it is in its strength tempestuous and stormy , hath much in it to set out the glory of god . god is to be praised in this great work of his , god glories much in this creature : the scripture makes much use of it , to set out the greatnesse and majesty of god by it , as : . god challenges his propriety in this , he calls it his wind , psal. . hee causeth his wind to blow , it is gods wind , and therefore the glory of it is peculiar to him , hee it is that is to bee acknovvledged in it , vvee are to rise higher then the naturall causes of it . it is said of the earth , that god hath given it to the children of men , psal. . . but he keepes the propriety of the windes in his ovvne hand , they move in the heavens , and depend upon the heavens , so that the heavens , vvith all that in them is , are the lords in a speciall manner , but the earth hath hee given to man , to subdue unto himselfe for his use , this vvay or that way as he pleaseth : he hath not given any such power over any thing in the heavens , nor over the wind , them he reserves in his owne hands . the wind is one of the wonders of the lord . in which his name is wonderfull , psal. . . . they that goe downe to the sea , see the workes of the lord , and his wonders in the deepe ; what wonders ? he commandeth and raiseth the stormy wind . although something may be knowne of this creature in the naturall causes of it , yet it is a wonder above all that we can know of it . hee is said to walke upon the wings of the wind , psal. . . and this is made one expression wherein god appeares very great , clothed with honour and majesty . . god is said to ride upon the wings of the wind , sam. . . and to flye upon the wings of the wind , psal. . . this is spoken after the manner of men , to shew his glorying in this creature , although god moves not from one place to another , much lesse hath need of any thing to move upon , or to further any motion . in that it is said hee rode upon the cherub , some thinkes it implies , gods governing of the force of the winds by the angels , for the angels are represented by the figure of cherubins , as gen. . . god placed cherubins to keep the way of the tree of life : besides , he is said to ride upon the cherub , alluding unto the arke of the covenant , where gods speciall presence with his people in covenant with him was , where there were two cherubins covering the mercy seat , which was the place where god promised to meet with his people , and to commune with them , exod. . , , . so that this expression here in the psalme is to declare , that that god which appeares so glorious in the wind , is the same god that sits upon the cherubins upon the mercy-seate , that god that is in covenant with his people to be their god , and to doe them good for ever : it is a very usefull note to consider of , when the people of god see his glory in his great workes , and particularly in this of the wind , they should looke higher then other people , and see more of god in it then others can doe ; others can see and acknowledge god to bee the supreme cause of it , but those who are godly , should looke upon god as their god betweene the cherubins upon the mercy-seate ; this power , this glory , is the power and the glory of that god that is in covenant with me , my reconciled father in jesus christ : here would be a comfortable beholding god in the winds indeed . and further here in a song of praise , in the day when david was delivered from the hands of all his enemies , god is said to ride upon the cherub , and to flye upon the wings of the wind , to shew the readinesse and the swiftnesse of gods working for the helpe of his people , he rides upon his chariot , yea , he flyes swiftly to their deliverance ; our motion is dull and heavie in our duty towards god , but god is lively and swift in his wayes of mercy to us . hence we have that notable expression , isa. . . as birds flying , so will the lord of hosts defend jerusalem , defending also hee will deliver it : as a bird that sees her young one in danger , flyes hastily to deliver it : so the lord hasteth to defend jerusalem . againe , he rides upon the cherub : this notes the worke of god governing them this way or that way , as one riding in a chariot : thus the heathens feigned their god aeolus to bridle the windes , and bring them up and downe whither he would . . he holds the winds in his fists , prov. . . the glory of god , isay . . is set out by measuring the waters in the hollow of his hand , and meting out the heavens with his span : it is as great in this , that hee holds the winds in his fist ; for what is more uncapable of holding then the wind ? yet so powerfull and mighty is the hand of god , that hee holds the winds themselves as it were in his fist . the seventie translate the words , in his bosome , and this is sutable to a sixth impression the scripture hath to set out the glory of god in the wind. . he brings the winds out of his treasuries , psal. . . he causeth the vapours to ascend from the ends of the earth , hee maketh lightning for the raine , hee bringeth the wind out of his treasuries : that which wee treasure up is of some worth , and wee therefore treasure it , because wee would keepe it sure and secret . thus the wind is a creature , in which there is much excellencie , much of god in it , of great use , as wee shall further heare ; and god keeps it sure , although nothing seemes to be more uncertaine then the wind , yet god hath every blast locked up in his treasury , and it cannot stirre without him , and the nature and the motions of the wind are very secret and hidden things . all the workes of nature are in gods treasury , god hath a treasury of nature as well as a treasury of grace : the snow and the haile are said to come out of gods treasuries . job . . hast thou seene the treasures of the snow , or hast thou seene the treasures of the haile which i have reserved against the time of trouble ? the lord promises in the . of deut. . to them that obey him , to open unto them his good treasure ; the treasure of nature is a good treasure , there are many good blessings in it , yet such as hee gives sometimes to the wicked , psal. . . hee fills their bellies with his hid treasure ; but gods people as they are a peculiar treasure to god , exod. . . so god hath a peculiar treasure for them , a treasure in heaven , luke . . . god weighes the winds , job . . he makes a weight for the winds , this is made a speciall evidence of gods propriety , in understanding the way of wisdome , as appeares , verse . whence commeth wisdome , and where is the place of understanding , seeing it is hid from the eyes of all living , and kept close from the fowles of the ayre ? by which hierome understands , proud , lofty , aeriall , high spirits , who love to soare aloft , and to be above in the clouds ; wisdome is hid from them : but rather thus , it is to be found in no place in the world , the fowles of the aire never saw that place where it is : destruction and death say , we have heard the fame of it ; that is , such as are now swallowed up of destruction and death , the abstract being put for the concrete , as we have often in scripture , as revel. . . death and hell were cast into the lake of fire . these who are destroyed and dead , they now know something what true wisdome is , they finde by wofull experience , what it is to neglect god , and to cast off his feare , and to follow the vanity of their owne hearts ; now they see what would have done them good , and what hath undone them for ever ; but though men , neither living nor dead , know what true wisdome is , yet god understandeth the way thereof , vers. . how doth that appeare , that only true wisdome dwels with god ? amongst other things this is one speciall , hee maketh a weight for the winds , that is , either by ordering them in a just proportion , that there shall not bee the least particle of them spent further then may serve his purpose ; or thus , he maketh a weight for the winds , he giveth to the windes their poyse , that they should move this way or that way , according as hee pleaseth . . the lord makes the wind his messengers , psal. . . who maketh his angels spirits , so it is in your bookes , but the word translated spirits , signifies winds , and is to be understood of them ; for the scope of the psalmist is to shew the glory of god in his great workes of nature . the word translated angels , signifies messengers in the hebrew , as the greeke : but the apostle in the first of the hebrewes quotes this scripture , and applies it to the angels , vers. . and of the angels he saith , he maketh his angels spirits , and his ministers a flaming fire ; to this , calvin upon the . psalme , justifying the former interpretation , ansvvers , it is not the intent of the apostle to expound the meaning of the prophet , but sets out an analogie or likenesse betvveene that obedience the winds yeeld unto god , and that vvhich is performed by the angels ; and so the meaning is , that as god useth the winds his messengers , to goe hither and thither , as he pleaseth , for the fulfilling his word , so hee useth the angels for his service , and they obey accordingly ; so that this visible sensible world is , as it vvere , a glasse of that glory the lord hath in the higher world above in the heavens , and vve may be the rather induced to conceive that the apostle maketh use onely of an allegoricall sense of that scripture , because vvee finde many times in the new testament places quoted out of the old , and applyed not according to their proper sense , but some according to their typicall , and others their allegoricall sense , as many might be named , i will onely shew you one place quoted out of the psalmes , as this is , and that by the same apostle , the place of the psalme that is quoted , is psal. . vers. . their line is gone out through the earth , and their words to the end of the world ; it is apparent this is spoken concerning the heavens , their line , that is their rule or delineation , which is a meanes to teach the simple , as isay . . or by line is meant a building frame which is made by line and rule ; job . . . speaking of gods creating the earth , hee hath this expression , who hath stretched out the line therof ? the greeke translators translate the word sound , which word the apostle also useth , quoting this place , rom. . . and further , whereas it is said , their words to the end of the world , is meant those testifications that the frame of the heavens have , together with their course and order , to witnesse to the world the glory of god in them , whereby they doe , as it were , cry aloud to men , to behold the glory of the great god : now the apostle in the . to the rom applies this place to the preaching of the gospel by the apostles that were sent out , he brings it to shew that unbeleevers could have no excuse for their unbeleefe : but i say , have they not heard ? yes verily , for their sound went into all the earth , and their words unto the ends of the world ; wherefore , although that place in the . psalme , by way of allegory may bee applyed unto the angels , yet firstly and properly it is to be understood of the winds , every wind is as a messenger of god sent to us about some errand or other , and happy are wee , if wee have that care and skill , that may finde out what their message is , what the meaning of god in them is , that they may never returne without doing the worke for which they were sent , and certainely one way or other they will performe their worke , as we have it in the text , they will fulfill his word : in the . of isay , vers. , . the word is compared to the raine that comes downe from heaven , in that it returnes not in vaine ; so neither will the winds that come from heaven , yea as messengers from the god of heaven , they will not , they cannot returne in vaine . . this is a creature that god delights to make use of , when hee would so speake to men , as to humble their hearts before him ; thus he did , when hee intended so to speake to job , as to humble him so thorowly , as hee might be prepared for deliverance , he speakes againe and againe to him out of the wind , chap. . and . . christ makes use of this creature , in setting out the freenesse of gods grace in the great worke of regeneration , joh. . . the wind bloweth where it listeth , and thou hearest the sound thereof , but canst not tell whence it commeth , nor whither it goeth , so is every one that is borne of the spirit ; and god made use of this miraculous worke of his , in sending the holy ghost upon the apostles , acts. . . there was the rushing of a mighty wind , and filled all the house where they were sitting , and they were filled with the holy ghost ; here was a mighty , glorious , blessed breathing , that came in upon the apostles with this mighty rushing wind ; although there cannot bee expected such a filling with the holy ghost accompanying this mighty rushing wind that we have had ; yet if god blesseth this his word added to it , there may be some worke of the holy ghost upon the hearts of some , not onely at this time , but occasioned by this thing ; yea , the worke of god in the wind making way for the word and spirit to enter into you hearts . thus you see what use the scripture makes of the windes , to set out the glory of god by . but further , there are sixe things wherein the name of god is to bee praised in the wind. . if wee consider the nature of it , what it is , it is a creature , heard , felt , but little understood , some guessings there are at it , but what it is , is a great secret in nature : some say it is only air moved up and downe ; others , vapours raised up to the middle region , and there by the cold beaten back , and so moving in the aire collaterally : hence there are no winds above some mountains which reach beyond where these vapours ascend , and are beaten back , as that mountaine olympus , where the footsteps of ashes strowed abide from yeere to yeere , vapors thickned are clouds , vapors in the clouds rowling when they are heat incensed and break forth they are lightning , and the breaking of the clouds by them the thunder-crack ; if the vapour be beat backe before it be thickned then it is wind , if after the thickning then it is raine , if congealed on high then it is snow , if not congealed till it come to the lower part of the ayre then it is hayle . the reason that is given of the collaterall motion , is , the vapors , being so light as they cannot descend farre , yet being beat downe , and likewise met with by other vapors , hence they are forced to move in a collaterall motion in the ayre . plinie a great searcher out of secrets of nature , in his naturall history , l. . c. . speaks very doubtfully of the wind , whether it be , saith he , the spirit of nature that ingendreth all things wandring to and fro , as it were in some wombe , or rather the ayre broken and driven by the severall influences and rayes of the straying starres and planets , and the multiplicitie of their beames ; plaine it is that they are guided by a rule of nature , not altogether unknowne , although it be not yet unknowne . this great diver into natures secrets , confesses ignorance in this of the winds , & although he had not confessed it , yet that which he sayeth of the nature of them , would have discovered all his knowledge of them to be but a wilde guessing . there is much wisdome in finding out the nature of creatures so farre as they may be knowne . god may have much glory by our sight of his workings in them . pliny in the . chap. of the forenamed booke , speaking further of the winds , marvels , that in so blessed and joyous a time of peace , as he saith his was , wherin they had a prince that took such delight in the progresse of all good arts , & gave such great rewards to learning , that yet men searched after the knowledge of things no more then they did , whereas others before thē sought out the secrets of nature , for no other reward , then to do good unto posterity ; but now , saith he , mens manners are waxen old , & decay , the minds of men are blinded and bent upon nothing but covetousnesse : this is his complaint , much more cause have wee to take up this complaint against christians , who have other manner of motives to provoke them to take paines to finde out the glory of god in the creature , then heathens could have , and if wee labour to see god in his creatures , so as to give glory to him , to feare him , to magnifie him , there is another manner of reward that we may expect , then any they could have to encourage them : howsoever , if we cannot get the knowledge of the secrets of nature in this creature , wherein certainely there would be much of god discovered unto us : yet we may all behold so much of the power and majesty of god in it , as to cause us to feare him , and this is true wisdome beyond all the knowledge of the secrets of nature : for so wee have it , job . . v. . after the glory of god was shewne in the winds , v. . as in other creatures . the conclusion is , unto man hee said , behold the feare of the lord that is wisdome , and to depart from evill is understanding . . god is to be praised in the rise of them . the raising of the winds is a great worke of god , wee can see no cause of the sudden raisings of them ; how calme and still is the ayre for the present , and how suddenly doe the winds arise , psal. . . hee raiseth the stormy wind. our saviour saith , joh. . they blow where they list , no man knowes whence they come , nor whither they goe : we see the winds arise many times when there are no clouds to beat backe any vapors by the thicknesse and coldnesse of them , the second causes that god uses in this , are hidden from us onely , wee are sure of the supreme cause , it is hee that raiseth the stormy wind. . god is to bee praised in the power of them , they are of mighty force , psal. . . thou breakest the ships of tarshis with an east wind ; of power and force to turne over ships , houses , rend trees , to raise dreadfull waves , yea they rend the very earth , the mountaines and the rockes , as king. . . there was a strong wind that rent the mountaines , and tore in pieces the rockes . this is the hand of god , whereby hee overturneth the mountaines by the rootes , of which job speakes , chap. . . this is that voyce of the lord that breaketh the cedars , yea the cedars in lebanon , the strongest cedars of all . this is the voyce of the lord that shaketh the wildernesse , of which the psalmist speakes , psal. . , . sabellicus an historian tells of many thousands of cambyses his souldiers , being at dinner in a sandy place , of a sudden a tempest arose and covered them over with sand and choaked them , that they perished . that a vapor should have such strength , sets forth the mighty power of god ; what is weaker then a vapor , therefore mans life is compared to a vapor , and yet many together , how dreadfull are they ! the waters are called the mighty waters , and yet what is weaker then water , but much congregated hath a mighty force , that carries with it as much majesty almost as any creature whatsoever ; yet a vapor is a weaker thing then water , yet many of these joyned , how fearefull is the force of them in the wind ! god is able to use them for great things , to daunt the proudest , stoutest spirit under heaven , to shake , as the psalmist saith , the cedars in lebanon , not onely literally , but metaphorically , the highest and loftiest spirit that is : how dreadfull then is the power of god himselfe , which hath nothing in it but infinite , and so much as no addition can be made , of many of the weakest things in the world hath such an amazing strength , then that which is so great , as no addition can be made , and all in it infinite ; oh how full of glory and majesty is that power . the naturall cause of the power of the winds that men give , is from the kind of vapour , of which they are : the more earthy vapors are and hot , the stronger the winds : hence many times summer winds are exceeding strong ; and many times in hot countries , because the earth is more open , and the sun having power to draw up more grosse earthy vapors , there are mighty tempestuous winds , exceeding strong whirle-winds , according to that , job . . out of the south commeth the whirle-wind , the southerne parts are hot . . god is to be praised in the variety of the motions of the winds : eccles. . . the wind goeth toward the south , and turneth about unto the north , it whirleth about continually , and returneth againe according to its circuits . it hath its various circuits appointed by god which way it shall turne , although their motion seemes exceeding unsteady and changeable , up and downe without any certaine rule , yet they observe their circuits wherein they runne their compasse , as god appoints them : in some places of the world their motions are steady and constant , which mariners call their trade wind. . god is to be praised in the use of the winds , god hath made them to be of great use in the world : seneca calls them , a mighty benefit of nature , although many times much hurt comes by them , as hee sayes , de caesare majore , it was wont to bee said of him , and hee brings in livy for an author , that it was uncertaine whether it had beene more profitable for the common-wealth that ever he was borne , or that he had not beene borne ; so saith he of the winds , in regard of that harme comes by them , it may be questioned whether the good or the hurt be the greater , but hee meanes principally the hurt that comes by the abuse of them in navigation ; for instead of furthering men to passe up and downe into one anothers countrey , they carry them to warre one with another : god gave the wind , that the good of countries might bee made common , not to carry armies , horsmen , weapons , pernitious to nations ; thus he , but howsoever as himselfe saith , we must not account those things to be good , which by ill use turne to hurt ; it is true of this worke of god , as in all other creatures , they are of speciall use many wayes , as great blessings to us , as , . for purging the ayre , much infection of the ayre is driven away by them , the ayre is cleansed and kept sweet with the motions of thē , which otherwise would corrupt as the standing waters do ; job . . the wind passeth and cleanseth : so jer. . . a dryed wind toward the daughter of my people , not to fan , nor to cleanse : god threatens afflictions to come in wrath , not as the wind comes to fan and cleanse the ayre , but as a whirlewind to destroy . . for the scattering of the clouds here and there , up and downe ▪ in the world , by them god shakes as it were his waterpots , by which he waters the garden of the earth , as job . . also by watering hee wearieth the thicke cloud , he scattereth his bright cloud , and it is turned round about by his counsels , and this is done by the breath of god , as it is , vers. . . for altering of seasons , for bringing in cold or heare , as job . , . out of the south commeth the whirlewind , and cold out of the north , by the breath of god frost is given , and vers. . he quieteth the earth by the south wind , he brings warmth that way . . for navigation in vvhich art there is much of the wisdome of god seene , and if it bee rightly used the goodnesse of god to mankind is very great in it . in the . of esa. from the . v ▪ to the end , the lord challenges to himself the glory of teaching the plow-man the art of plowing the ground and threshing out the corne ; his god , saith the text , vers. . doth instruct him to discretion , and doth teach him , and vers. ▪ this also commeth forth from the lord of hosts , which is wonderfull in councell , and excellent in working . now if this art be from the lord , and if god shewes himselfe wonderfull in counsell , and excellent in working of this , how much more is that excellent art of navigation , whereby men come even to subdue the seas to themselves , to finde out and draw forth the riches of them , whereby they passe up and downe over the whole world , to see the wayes of god , and the riches of god , throughout the earth , whereby the severall parts of the world are knowne each to other , and communicate each to other the wonderfull blessings of god , surely it is god that instructs men in this , it is he that gives them understanding , and in this much more is the lord wonderfull in counsell and excellent in working . how little of god in the great workes of nature should we know and enjoy , were it not for the art of navigation ; but what were mans skill or industry therein , if god did not further it by the use of the winds , the worke of god is very observable in these two workes of nature : the one in scattering of springs and currents of waters up and down in secret veines and in open passages of the earth to make fit for habitation , and the other in appointing the various motion of the winds to work up and downe upon the seas , to make them fit for navigation . . that use that we have here mentioned in the text , fulfilling his word , of which in the next point . . a great worke of god appeares in stilling the winds , and calming them as hee pleaseth , no man knowes whither they goe , when christ rebuked the winds , and bad them be still , mark . . . the wind ceased , and there was a great calme , isa. . . hee stayeth the rough wind : many times when it is most rough and boisterous , he staies it on a sudden ; so as mariners may see much of the hand of god in it towards them , in which god is much to be praised , for by this the lord ruleth the raging of the sea , when the waves thereof arise hee stilleth them ; and marke how the psalmist magnifies god in this worke , psal. . , . o lord god of hosts , who is a strong lord like unto thee , or to thy faithfulnesse round about thee . thou rulest the raging of the sea , when the waves thereof arise thou stillest them . how soever naturall causes may be used by god for this , yet we must acknowledge god in them , and his worke above them in stilling the winds and seas . the naturall causes that are given are the spending the vapors , or the vanishing of those clouds that beate them downe , or the consuming of those vapors they meet with that kept them from falling or constringing the earth that no more arise : something there is in these : hence raine often asswages the winds , by condensing and pressing downe those vapors that before moved collaterally , but let god still bee praised , and have the glory above these : for application first , if god be so glorious in this creature , hence those are justly rebuked , who heare , and feele , yea and see in the effect of it so much of god , and yet doe not give him the glory of it , they doe not praise him in the stormy wind , they can speake of it , and tell you how it was , how suddenly it came , how strong it blew , how it rent their sailes , and split their masts , and tore their cables , and burst their anchors , how it smote upon their houses , and made their beds shake under them ; how dreadfull the noise of it was , with what violence it came , as if the house would have falne upon them , how their hearts did even shake within them for feare , but not a word of god in all this , they say not in their heart , let us now feare this god that raiseth , continueth , calmeth these winds , let us now feare him howsoever heretofore wee did not feare him , although heretofore we were prophane , and vile , and have lived without god in the world , yet let us now feare this god , who is great in power , glorious and excellent in his workings in the heavens , and earth , and seas : when doth there any word come from men , to put one another on to the feare of god upon this ? brethren , god is to bee honoured in the least of his workes , much more in those that have power and majesty in them : wee take gods name in vaine , if when he appeares in his great workes , wee adore him not , we feare him not , wee magnifie him not , we praise him not in them : wee are much led by sense , and if we take not notice of his glory , to have our hearts wrought upon when hee comes to our senses , and that in such a powerfull and glorious way , it is a signe that our hearts are exceedingly stupid , that they are much estranged from god . those workes that we see the second causes of , wee scarce minde god in them at all ( although god should not be the lesse minded , because of second causes , seeing all the work , all the power and efficacie of the second cause , is in the vertue of the first ; as it hath no being but by it , so it is not able to stirre without it ) but now as for this creature , the stormy wind , wee know but very little , scarce any thing of the second causes ; and therefore if god bee not acknowledged and praised in this , in what shall he be acknowledged and praised ? workes that are ordinary wee little minde god in them , which is a great evill in us ; hence the lord , because he would be minded by us , hee comes many times in strange and terrible waies to us in his creatures , raising them higher then ordinary , putting more majesty and terrour in them then ordinary , as he hath done in this , and shall he not be magnified and praised in this ? it is the lowest honour that wee can give to god , to be moved by such workes , wherein his glory comes apparently and powerfully to sense ; there are other manner of things of the glory of god , that appeares to raised reason , were it that the eye of reason were cleare , and but elevated in a naturall way to that height it is capable of ; yea to that height it might be , were it not so much drowned in sense as it is , there were high and glorious things of god to be seen by it , that might make us fall downe upon our faces and adore him : but how great then are the things that appeare to the eye of faith ? those are things to take up the heart indeed , to fill the heart with astonishment , to draw it up with ravishment , to over-power it with the glory and divine lustre of them , to satisfie it with admirable infinite contentment , those are things fit for angels to pry into , for the most spirituall raised heart to contemplate in , for the most enlarged spirit to fill it selfe with ; for by them the saints are filled with all the fulnesse of god , as the scripture speakes , ephes. . . in those things especially a christian should be exercised . the glory of god in these creatures , is for the lowest , the meanest , the dullest of all , for children , for those who are not out of the schoole of nature ; yea , for those who are in the lowest forme of natures schoole ; and therefore it is a good observation of jerome upon that place , mat. . when christ rebuked the winds , and calmed them , the text saith , the men were afraid . the men , saith jerome , that is , the mariners and others which were in the ship , not the disciples ; or if any shall contend and think they were the disciples , yet they are called the men , because yet they knew not our saviour . the workes of god have a voyce as well as his words , as exod. . . if they will not hearken to the voyce of the first signe , they will hearken to the voyce of the latter . god speakes by this voyce to these who are the most dull of hearing ; god hath another voyce to speake to his saints by , the voyce of his word , yea a more inward secret voyce , the voyce of his spirit , although hee speakes to them likewise by his other voyce ; wherefore not to heare the voice of his works , this argues a heart desperately sottish , and even altogether living as without a god in the world . those who are exercised in the highest things of god , should not neglect these , but they must be spirituall in beholding the glory of god in them , in a higher way then others are or can be , they should fill their hearts with spirituall meditations raised from them , they should looke upon the power and glory of god in them , as the power and glory of that god in whom their soules have speciall interest , the power and glory of their father , as psal. . . this god is our god for ever and ever ; the beginning of the psalme is , great is the lord , and greatly to be praised ; and amongst other subjects of his praises , vers. . he instances in this , thou breakest the ships of tarshish with an east wind , and his conclusion is this , god is our god for ever and ever . this power is that which is engaged to work all the good that god intends , or hath promised unto his people ; this glory is that which shall put glory upon his saints for ever , all contained in this , this god is our god for ever . quest . but how are wee to praise god in this stormy wind ? answ. the name of god is great in it , and therefore surely hee is greatly to be praised , . by raising our thoughts to the contemplation of his greatnesse and majesty in it , so as to feare and to tremble before him : o lord how art thou cloathed with glory and majesty , who would not feare and tremble before such a god as thou art ? the voyce of the lord shaketh the wildernesse , psal. . . that is , the wilde beasts of the wildernesse , and shall it not shake our hearts ; shall our hearts be more hard and stupid then the hearts of those wild and savage beasts in the wildernesse ? it shaketh the most lofty cedars , what are our spirits ? how loftie ? how hardned with pride and folly , if they doe not shake , if they tremble not before such a god as this ? it is a notable speech of elihu , job . . at this also my heart trembleth , and is moved out of his place at this ; at what is it that his heart so trembleth ? his voyce roareth , hee thundreth with the voyce of his excellencie , vers. . god thundreth marvellously with his voyce , great things doth he which wee cannot comprehend , vers. . out of the south commeth the whirle-wind , vers. . the wind passeth and cleanseth , vers. . wherefore upon this great worke of god , together with others , he concludes , vers. . with god is terrible majesty , touching the almighty we cannot finde him out . hee is excellent in power , vers. . men doe therefore feare him , vers. . it is a time now indeed to feare the lord , to lye down with low humbled trembling hearts before him ; it s no time to vexe and fret , and rage , as it is the practise of some when grievous tempests and stormes arise , and put them to trouble and danger , they vex and rage against the winds , when the winds cause seas to rage , their hearts are in as great a rage as the seas , swearing and cursing most dreadfully in this their rage , their cursed hearts some out their filth , according to that description of the wicked , which we have , isa. . , . the wicked are like the troubled sea , when it cannot rest , whose waters cast out mire and dirt ; there is no peace , saith my god , to the wicked . oh the abominable mire and dirt that is cast out by such hearts at such times , when god calls for the most feare of him , trembling before him , subjection unto him , what is this but even to dart up our arrowes against the heavens , and to flye even in the very face of god himselfe . i have read of a people in africa , who being troubled with strong winds , driving heaps of sands upon their fields and dwelling places , they gathered an army to fight against them , but with so evill successe , that themselves were buried under hils of sands driven upon them by the winds . it is no lesse madnesse in these who curse and rage in times of tempests , these are fighters against god ; it is the infinite patience of god , that that cursed breath that comes from them at those times is not stopped . . let us praise god in this stormy wind , by considering what poore creatures we are , how infinitely wee depend upon this god that appeares so much above us in it , wee see how he can make a vapor terrible unto us , so that we cannot stand before it ; we see at what advantage hee hath us by the winds , to overturne our houses , to dash our shippes in pieces by it : marke how job was affected when god spake to him out of the whirle-wind , c. . . compared with c. . , . then iob answered the lord , that is , when the lord had spoken to him out of the winds , behold i am vile , what shall i answer thee ? i will lay mine hand upon my mouth : once have i spoken , but i will not answer , yea twice , but i will proceed no further : and againe , compare chap. . . with chap. . , . the lord speakes to him againe out of the whirle-wind : that god delights to make use of this creature to speake to men by , to humble them , you heard before ; but here you see the effect of this , what power there is in it to doe that which god intends by it . i have heard of thee by the hearing of the eare , ( saith job ) but now mine eyes have seene thee , wherefore i abhorre my selfe in dust and ashes : this makes a job , a holy , godly man , to abhorre himself in dust and ashes before this great god . . let us upon this labour to purge our hearts , and keep them cleansed from guilt , that the terrours of god , in this and other of his workes , may not overwhelme them and sinke them . it is a blessed thing to be able to looke upon god in these his glorious workes with comfort and peace , if there were no guilt within in our hearts ( although they would be moved with reverence of god in his great workes ) yet all the tempests in the world could not shake them with any such terrour , as to hinder their comfort , peace , their sweet rest and repose in god , yea they would rather rejoyce the heart , they would raise it to blesse it selfe in this god , as the god of its comfort , and of all its good : were it not for vapors , for wind got into the earth , all stormes and tempestuous winds without , would never make an earthquake were our spirits cleare within : whatsoever comes without , would never cause any slavish despairing , sinking heartquake in us . pliny saith , that the eagle is not afraid of thunder , the greatest tempests of thunder doe not affright her , whereas other fowles shake and tremble at it , and the beasts of the field get into their shelters : thus spirituall hearts who converse much with god , and keep themselves up on high , they are not terrified with such things as fill the hearts of others with amazing terrors : hearts that are heavenly are like the ayre above the middle region , free from tempests and stormes . it is very observable that which wee read of david , psal. . hee there sets out the glory of god in the earthquake and dreadfull tempests ; the earth shooke and trembled , the foundations of the hills moved and were shaken because hee was wroth : there went up a smoake out of his nostrils , and fire out of his mouth devoured , hee did flye upon the wings of the wind , his thick clouds passed , haile-stones and coales of fire . the lord thundered in the heavens , and the highest gave his voyce , &c. yet observe , vers. . david drawes comfort out of all this , he sent from above , he tooke me , he drew me out of many waters . these grievous tempests , these dreadfull stormes were not to over-whelme me , to sinke me in the waters , but the lord tooke me , that god who appeared thus dreadful in these stormes and tempests , yet this god tooke me , and drew mee out of many waters , and vers. . hee delivered mee , because hee delighted in mee . . give glory to god in blessing his name for deliverance from those fearefull judgements that hee makes tempestuous winds and stormes the executioners of upon many others ; some of you it is like may say , and have said , except the wind had turned at such a time i had beene lost , we had certainely been all cast away : and if you had beene cast away , then where had you beene now , it may bee from those dreadfull waters you might have sunke into the lake of unquenchable fire , you might have beene swallowed up of that infinit ocean of gods eternal wrath , but god hath preserved you , & you are alive , and yet enjoy the day of grace : the goodnesse of the lord hath beene to you that which he promised , i say . . a hiding place from the wind , and ● covert from the tempest . it was the free grace of god towards you , onely his goodnesse that hath beene your safety , for what could you doe to helpe yourselfe ? it may be you cryed and prayed to god , but what could your prayers doe , who wert , and it may be still art , a prophane wretched creature , the course of whose life is a way of enmity against the great god of the whole world ? it is reported of bias the philosopher , who sayling among a company of rude mariners , they being in danger by a storme , the mariners fell on praying and crying out to their gods . bias calls to them , to hold their peace , lest the gods should heare them , and so they should all fare the worse for their sakes : the worst that is in such dangers , will cry out , and sometimes fall on praying , but how should that prayer be accepted that comes out of that mouth , out of which so many oathes came a while since , which is defiled with so many blasphemies , and not yet purged by repentance ? wherfore whensoever thou hast been delivered , and others have perished , admire at the free grace of god towards thee , give him the glory of it , and let god bee thus praised in the stormie wind. . give god the glory of this work of his , by seeking him for the raising , ordering , and stilling the wind , according as thy occasion is . i have read of a people who erected an altar to the winds , and once a yeer spent a whole night in their devotions to the winds , to seeke calme winds , because of the great hurt they often suffered by them : but wee have learned otherwise , namely to looke beyond the winds , to seeke god , acknowledge him the raiser and orderer of them ; this is part of that divine worship that is due to god , that he should be acknowledged and sought in these things , although it be but a common worke of his providence , yet hee expects to bee sought to in it ; prayer hath shut the heavens and opened them , prayer hath power over heaven , and earth , and ayre , and seas , and winds : it hath power to prevail with god , much more power over any creature whatsoever . we reade , sam. . , . when samuel offered to god but a sucking lambe , presently a grievous storme arose , the lord thundred with thunder upon the philistines : and revel. . , . the smoake of the incense came with the prayers of the saints ascending before god , then the angel tooke the censer and filled it with the fire of the altar , and cast it into the earth , and there were voyces , and thundrings , and lightnings . all the devils in hell have not that power over the winds , that the prayers of the saints have . we have a famous story of the power of the prayers of the christian souldiers in marcus aurelius his army , recorded by eusebius , who praying to god in time of great drought , when the army was like to perish for thirst , they procured a great tempest against the enemies , which put them to flight , and overthrew them , and a refreshing raine to their owne armie , whereupon they were called the lightning legion ; upon which aurclius was much moved , and favoured the christians much after it , and wrote in their behalfe , acknowledging it the hand of god , as a fruit of their prayers . if prayers have power over the raine , over thundring and lightning , then surely over the stormy wind : if therefore you seeke not god in this , if you thinke it is nothing that prayer can doe , you are more heathenish , and fuller of atheisme , then the most rude heathen . matth. . , . when a tempest arose christ was awaked : when a storme ariseth god must be sought . . consider if stormes and tempests in the aire be so terrible , what then are the stormes and tempests of gods anger in the execution of dreadfull judgements upon nations and kingdomes , and how terrible are stormes and tempests raised and raging in mens consciences . for the first , isa. . , . the lord pronounceth a woe against the drunkards of ephraim , whose glorious beauty is as a fading flower . behold the lord hath a mighty strong tempest , a destroying storme , and a floud of mighty waters . the clouds gather apace , and hang exceeding blacke and dreadfull over many places , as if god had reserved us to fearefull stormy dayes . gods way hath beene in the sweet calme of peace for a long time in the sweet sun-shine of his mercies ; but nahum . . the lord hath his way in the whirl wind , and in the storme ; yea , even that god that is slow to anger , yet hath his way in the storm , and in that way god is seeming now to come . eliah could foresee a great raine by a cloud no bigger then a mans hand , we may fore-see not onely raine , but the great storme and tempest of gods displeasure gathering , neere by clouds that arise which are bigger then a mans hand , for behold even the heavens are blacke : wee have feared the gathering them often , but because they have bin dispelled , wee have promised peace to our selves . god hath his times so to our selves . god hath his times so to gather them , that they shall not be scattered untill they have fulfilled his word ; the prudent man fore-seeth the evill , and hideth himselfe , pro. . . evill men understand not judgement , but they that seeke the lord understand all things . what are the thoughts , the feares of those who doe most seeke the lord ? observe what they doe ; if they understand any thing of gods minde , then a storme is comming . it is observed of the bees , that before a storme you may see them come apace to their hives ; what are the hives of the saints but the publike temples of god : these have the promise of god to be a place of refuge , a covert from storme , isai. . . these are the chambers that god now calls his saints into , isa. . . come my people , enter into your chambers , shut your doores about you , hide your selvss as it were for a little moment , untill the indignation be overpast ; for behold the lord commeth out of his place , to punish the inhabitants of the earth for their iniquity , the earth shall disclose her bloud , and shall no more cover her slaine . these are the pellaes to which god calls you , if you think your selves so setled in your places , as that you cannot stir , take heed lest the storm be to you as it is threatned , job . . the east wind carrieth him away , and a storme hurleth him out of his place . you know the speech of eliah to ahab , when he see the clouds arise , make haste lest the raine prevent you , king. . . so i to you , make haste lest the storme prevent you . when an enemy takes in a towne by storme , it is very terrible . oh how dreadfull then will it bee to that people whom the lord shall come against as an enemy , and after many offers of conditions of peace rejected he shall take them in by storm . it is the pride of mens hearts that is the cause they feare not this ; wherefore , my prayer shall be according to that of the psalmist , psal. . . lord make them afraid of thy storme : i doe not , i will not pray as in the former part of the verse , lord persecute them with thy tempest : oh no , if it may bee , the lord keep it from them , neither doe i pray lord make them afraid with thy storme , but lord make them afraid of thy storme . for the second , how terrible are stormes raised , and raging in mens consciences ? when the wrath of god in a mans soule shall persecute him as the wind , as job complaines , chap. . . terrors are turned upon mee , they pursue my soule as the wind , and chap. . . hee breaketh me with a tempest ; when god shall say to conscience , goe persecute them with thy tempest , and make them afraid with thy storme ; after great calmes there useth to arise grievous stormes : many of you have had a long calme of peace and prosperity , you may expect a storme a comming . god who is said , psal. . . to make the storme a calme , can as soone make thy calme a storme : the vapors that cause the tempest arise insensibly , but when they grow to a tempest they have mighty power ; so sinnes are committed and multiplyed insensibly , they lie by heaps in the conscience ; you feele nothing of them now , but at last if you looke not to it , they will cause a dreadfull tempest , and especially when the hearts of men are most swelling with pride . mariners observe , that usually before great tempests there are great swellings at sea ; it is so usually before great conscience-tempests , the more swelling any wicked mans heart is the neerer , the more dreadfull is the tempest like to be . many of you have in your time beene in most fearefull tempests , that have made your hearts to ake within you , but you must looke for another manner , a more dreadfull tempest , when not vapors in the ayre , but the wrath of an infinite god in the conscience shall shake and rend your hearts , the terrors of the lord following you will cause another manner of rage in the heart , then ever stormy wind caused in the mighty waters , psal. . . vpon the wicked he shall raine snares , fire and brimstone , and an horrible tempest , this is the portion of their cup . it is called the portion of their cup , saith saint augustine upon the place , because of the just measure and proportion gods justice observes in the dealing out punishment to sinners , as we heard before , god is said to have a weight for the winds ; so for this storme and tempest that comes upon the wicked , the lord weighes it , it comes upon them proportionable to their sinne ; were you ever strucke with feare when you have seen the huge flouds of waters rowling and ranging in the seas , being driven by mighty winds ? what fear then will possesse your hearts , when you shall see the flouds of ungodnesse comes in upon you , how will the terrors even of hell then compasse you about ? it is an expression of david , psal. . , . the sorrowes of death compassed mee , and the flouds of ungodlinesse made me afraid : so arias montanus turnes it , howsoever hee may meane of ungodly men , yet the word bearing the other reading , we may also apply it to the ungodlinesse of men , then the sorrowes of hell compassed me . the lord give you a heart to foresee this storme , and to prevent it . wee read , exod. . . when god threatned to send upon egypt a fearefull storme of haile , those who feared the word of the lord , made their servants and cattle to flee into their houses ; so this day you heare from the lord a storme threatned , let every soule that feareth the word of the lord seeke to flee into a shelter , there is no other shelter that can keepe it off , but onely the lord jesus christ ; that which is said , isa. . . is true of him , a man shall be a hiding place from the wind , and a covert from the tempest . . let us yet rise higher in praising god in the stormy wind , by considering in our hearts , if god be so dreadfull now in this one creature , how dreadfull then will he be , when he shall appeare in all his power , in all his wrath , his iustice and holinesse , what shall the glory of the great god be hereafter , of which the scripture speaks so much ? when he shall cloath himselfe in glory and majesty , in the full brightnesse of them , when the heavens shall depart like a scrowle , and the elements melt with fervent heat , when all the world shall be on fire about him , the voyce of the lord hath shaken the earth ; but he saith , yet once more i shake not the earth onely , but also heaven , that will be a dreadfull day indeed , when the starres of heaven shall fall unto the earth , as a fig-tree casteth her untimely figges when shee is shaken of by a mighty wind , when every mountaine and iland shall be moved out of their places , when the kings of the earth , and the great and mighty men shall hide themselves in the dennes , and in the rockes and mountaines , revel. ▪ , , . a stormy wind that shakes off the fruit of trees here , wee account great , but such as shall shake the heavens , and cause the starres to fall as the fruit , the untimely fruit of a fig-tree , how dreadfull must that needes be , beyond all apprehension ? and yet in such a stormy wind will god one day appeare in his glory , when not onely children and women , and a few fearefull people shal be afraid , but the kings , the captaines , and the great ones of the earth shall tremble , and hide themselves , and wish the mountaines to fall upon them , and the hills to cover them from the wrath of the lord . thus i have endeavoured to shew you how you should glorifie god in his worke : to be moved with it in a sensitive way , that is no more then the bruit beasts are ; the swine will runne up and down , and cry in a stormy wind , yea when it is comming , being sensible of it before you are , but job . . god teacheth us more then the beasts of the earth , and maketh us wiser then the foules of heaven ; therefore god lookes for another manner of glory from us men , then from them , and more from us christians then from men ; god hath given to the reasonable creature to search out the causes of things , wee must take heed we doe not stay ●ill wee arise to the supreme , the highest cause . philosophers dispute of the inferiour causes ; it is devillish knowledge that in the contemplation of nature holds us in nature , and keepes us from god , saith calvin upon the . psalme ; and further he hath this expression , if one desires to know a man , hee neglects the looking upon his face , and fastens his eyes upon his nayles , his folly is to bee derided ; so , saith he , while men wholly mind the inferiour causes of things , as workes of nature onely , neglecting god the highest cause of all . and in this our giving glory to god , we must labour to be as spirituall as wee can , then the worke will abide upon our hearts ; but if we be onely moved in a sensitive way , the impression of all will soone vanish , and come to nothing . the second point followes , fulfilling his word . doct. whensoever god sends a stormy wind , he sends it to fulfill his word . the winds you heard before were gods messengers , this is evermore their errand , to fulfill his word . there is a foure-fold word of god that they are sent to fulfill . . the word of his decree : what he hath purposed , determined to bring to passe , this is one creature the lord calls forth out of his treasure to fulfill this , and therefore it shall come at that time , in that place , and worke in that power , and abide that time , that shal be fittest for the accomplishment of this word of his decree . . the word of his command : if god calls for it , it must come if ; god speakes to it , it shall goe and prosper to that he sends it for ; it is one of gods hosts , at the beck of this great lord of hosts , and for the fulfilling this and the other word , the winds are called for out of his treasure of wisdome and power . . the word of his threat : what soever ill god hath threatned against sinners , that comes under the power of this creature to be an executioner of , it fulfils . hence , jer. . . it is called a destroying wind , and ezek. . . a stormy wind in my fury . if there bee any threat against any man in a shippe , or any that have interest in it , the lord many times sends his winds to fulfill that word of his . when jonah sinned against god in flying from his presence , the lord raised a tempestuous wind to follow after him , as a pursevant that would never downe untill it had arrested him , and made him to know what it was to sinne against the word of the lord : that wind and tempest that is now up may be a fruit of gods displeasure for such or such a sinne of thine , it may be committed long since , and so it comes out of the treasury of gods wrath . . his word of promise to convey a blessing : and thus they come out of the treasury of gods mercy , to fulfill that word of promise . all things shall worke together for good to them that love god . godlinesse hath the promise of this life , and that which is to come . when god enters into covenant with his people , all second causes are linked together to work good unto to them , as hos. . , . i will heare the heavens , and they shall hear the earth ; and so it is true of all others ; that which is said of the clouds driven about by the winds , is also true of the winds themselves , job . . he causeth it to come whether for correction or for mercy ; sometimes for correction , and sometimes for mercie . for use , and that first more generally : . here wee may learne to have high and honourable thoughts of the word of the lord , seeing god hath such glorious wayes for the fulfilling of it ; where the word of the lord is , there is power ; heaven and earth shall passe away , but not one jot or tittle of his word . god prizeth every tittle of his word above heaven and earth , hee had rather lose heaven and earth then any part of his word ; howsoever thou prizest it at a low rate , and art not willing to lose a base lust , the least outward advantage for the word , god will shake the heavens and earth for the fulfilling his word ; yea , rather dissolve them , and bring them into nothing , rather then he will not fulfill every particle of it . if god hath made these his glorious worke , to bee subservient for the preservation and accomplishing his word , then surely his word is above them ; wherefore , although much of gods name bee in these , yet there is more of his name in his word : hence is that excellent , place psal. . . thou hast magnified thy word above all thy name ; gods worke is honourable and glorious , psal. . . but his word is in a speciall manner , the very glasse of his holinesse and glory , in which we behold his glory with open face , and so as we are changed into the same image from glory to glory , cor. . . and if gods name be more in his word then in his works , a gracious heart will see god more there , and feare god as appearing there more then in any thing else , as we read of eliah , king ▪ ▪ , ▪ although the mighty wind and fire passed by , yet his heart was not taken with feare so much as when the still voyce came , because the text faith , god was there ; although the voyce was a still voyce , yet because god was there more then in the other , therefore eliah feared more ; this place of scripture is abused by many who bring it against ministers preaching the law in a zealous manner , making god to appeare terrible to sinners ; they say god was not in the fire , nor in the whirlewind , but in the still voyce , but it is cleare , there can bee no such inference gathered from thence , as many seeke to gather , for even in this still voyce , god came with a message of most fearefull wrath against the people ; goe , saith hee , and anoint hazael , jehu and elisha , that hee that escapeth the sword of hazael , jehu may slay , and him that escapeth the sword of jehu , elisha shall slay . see what a terrible threat was this that came from god appearing in that still voyce ; and elias himselfe after gods appearing thus in the still voyce was no lesse terrible in his ministry then before , for in the of kings . see how severe and fiery he was , hee prayeth for fire to come downe from heaven to destroy the captaine and his fifty ; and againe the second time , for fire from heaven to destroy the second captaine and his fifty , he ceased not untill the third came in a way of submission ; and indeed that manner of gods appearing to elias , first in the mighty wind , then in the earthquake , then in the fire , and at last in the still voyce , was to shew elias how he would have him to appeare in his ministry , namely first in terrour , and then more mildly ; and in that it is said that god was not in the wind , nor in the earthquake , nor in the fire , but in the still voyce , it was to shew you that elias , and so other ministers of god should be to the people as that mighty wind , as the earthquake and fire , till god appeares in them , and when they see god in them , then to be as a still voyce unto them : but this by the way , for the clearing this scripture from the abuse of it . vse . if the winds be for the fulfilling gods word , and that in those severall wayes ; hence let us learne that when any great winds and tempests arise , it is not for nothing that they arise , there is some speciall reason that god hath for the raising and continuing of them ; god hath alwayes some speciall aime in them for the fulfilling of some word or other of his ; many people when they heare of and feele grievous tempests , boisterous violent winds , they thinke and say , there is conjuring abroad , and that is all the use they make of them ; god is neglected , hee is not so much as once mentioned by them . i finde a canon in a councell above . yeeres agoe , made against such as shall attribute tempests , thundrings , and lightnings to the devill , as if he caused them ; whosoever beleeves this , saith the councell , as priscillianus did , let him be anathema . it is true , if god will permit the devill , he hath much power over corporall things , to make great changes in them , to doe great things by them , as we know what he did by gods permission against job , and when his children were feasting , there came , saith the text , job . . a great wind and smote the foure corners of the house : it is observed by some , there was a speciall worke of the devill in drawing the wind round about the house ; how could one wind else take the foure corners of the house ? origen thinkes those winds were onely the devils themselves cluttering about the house , and striving who should doe mischiefe soonest : the same word in the hebrew that signifies the wind , signifies also a spirit . certaine it is , if god should let him loose , hee were able to overturne our houses every day , and suddenly to destroy us all ; but howsoever god may permit him sometimes as his executioner , yet the supreme cause of raising and ordering is god , for speciall ends , which the devill is forced against his will to further , and there is not the least vapour , or any of the most contemptible creature that he hath any power over , but by permission , and therefore , neither angel , nor devill , nor any power in heaven and earth can raise or continue any wind , but as an instrument of god . when god hath some worke to doe for the fulfilling his word , it were a great shame for any who professe godlinesse , to bee afraid of the devill in this kinde : the devill , saith tertullian , hath no power over swine , much lesse over gods sheepe : what god hath to doe in that proportion he raiseth the wind , according to that expression you had before , that god had weights for the wind , adde to this that place , psal. . . hee weighed out a path for his anger ; for so are the words : in your bookes , it is onely hee made a way to his anger ; but consider then these two places together , thus , god first weighes a path for his anger , how much hee intends to execute , and then he weighs the means , that is the winds , according to the former expression in job ; just enough for the execution of so much anger and no more , and so proportion them , and this beyond all second causes makes the winds greater or lesse , continuing longer or shorter time , which few thinke of . but thus much for the application more generally , but more particularly from these foure considerations of that word they come to fulfil , from the first , the word of his decree . . hence wee learne the certainty of the fulfilling of all gods decrees , all creatures worke for this end ; wee may purpose and decree things , but every little thing is enough to hinder , but the word of gods decree shall stand for ever , heaven and earth , and ayre , and seas , and all creatures must worke and give forth all their power and efficacie for this , therefore certainely none can faile . . whatsoever falls out by the wind , take notice of it as the fulfilling of the word of gods decree , and make use of it accordingly : doe not thinke it came by ill hap , or chance , or onely through unskilfulnesse , or neglect of such or such , so as to thinke if these things be taken heed of another time , there need be no feare that such things will fall out againe ; yes , if this came to fulfill the word of gods decree , howsoever such and such meanes furthered it , although they had not beene , god could have have had many other wayes to have made these winds to have fulfilled this word of his , and so may do some other time when such meanes shall not fall out . from the second , the word of his command . . here learne the soveraignty and greatnesse of god that hath these creatures at his command . who is this , said the mariners concerning christ , whom the wind and seas obey ? so let us say , who is this lord , how great is his command ? who are you then that dare resist the command of this god ? shall heaven and earth , seas and winds fulfill gods word , and art thou he that darest stand out against it , to resist it , to rebell against it ? job . , ▪ it is said , that god spake to job out of the whirle-wind , and said , who is this that darkneth counsell ? now the lord speake to your hearts out of every stormy wind ; who is this that dares stand out against my command , great things have yeelded and doe daily yeeld to gods word , as psal. . , , . it breaketh the cedars , it divideth the flames of fire . what a heart then hast thou that darest , that canst stand out against it ? . seeing the boisterous winds obey the word of command , when thou feelest boisterous raging lusts in thy heart , looke up to this god , cry to him to give out a powerfull word of command to still them : likewise , o lord , thou who rulest the raging sea and tempestuous winds , and they are still , o that thou wouldest rebuke these raging distempers of my heart , which raise a grievous tempest in my soule , that they may be still . chrysostome upon the . of matthew , speaking of those winds that raised tempest upon the seas , which endangered the shippe wherein christ and his disciples were , makes use of an allegoricall sense comparing the ship to the church , and those winds to the devils that raise tempests to endanger the church ; certainly the lusts of a mans heart are more dangerous winds , they raise a tempest more dangerous then all the devils in hell are able to raise ; but the lord that is able to still the one , is able to still also the other . psal. . . these two are put together , the stilling the noise of the seas , the noise of the waves , and the tumults of the people : it is the same power of god that doth both , and the same power that must still the tumult of a mans own heart . . from the third particular , the winds are sent to fulfill the word of gods threat . vse . how sure then are gods threats to be fulfilled , when all gods creatures are appointed to see them fulfilled ; every creature stands ready as if it said , lord shall i go to make good such a threat gone out against such a man , for such a sinne committed at such a time ? if god saith to the winds , goe pursue him , attach him , never cease until my word be fulfilled against him , certainly they will go and will fulfill gods word to the utmost , although it be for thy utter ruine , and sending thee downe to thine owne place : although some word of gods threat may seeme to lye as it were dead a while , yet god hath wayes to raise it up and to make it good to the full , and amongst other meanes this creature is often used for this end . sam. . . in that day , saith the lord , i will performe all the things which i have spoken against eli. the words are , i will raise up all the words i have spoken against him : it may bee there hath beene some word of threat lien long against thee ; now the winds are sent to raise up this word , let it lye never so long , it must rise at the last , all the powers in heaven and earth will work to raise it up , rather then it shall alwayes lye thus , it certainly must rise at one time or another , and , as it is , vers. . none of the words of the lord shall fall to the ground : the expression is metaphoricall from a dart cast at an enemy , if it be cast by a weak hand , or not directed right , instead of sticking in the thing it is cast at , it falls to the ground ; but gods words spoken by the prophets shall not doe so , they will be as darts that shall certainly sticke in the sides of wicked men , and none of them shall fall to the ground , and amongst other meanes , the mighty winds are sometimes used by god , to carry the dart of the word of his threat strongly upon conscience , to make it sticke fast and to abide untill it fulfills gods purpose , and not fall to the ground . . here you see what a dangerous thing it is to bee , especially to goe to sea under the power of a threat ; as soone as god hath thee at sea , if hee calls for a wind out of the treasures of his wrath , and bids it fulfill such a threat , where art thou ? it is a bold adventure for thee to put out to sea before thou hast cleared all with god and thine owne conscience : if all bee cleare , then the blessing of zebulun , deut. . . may be upon thee , rejoyce o zebulun in thy going out : zebulun was the mariners tribe , and his blessing was to rejoyce in his prosperous voyages , in his expectation of them , to rejoyce when hee went out , when hee set to sea : if before your going out you have made all peace betweene god and you , so that there be no word of threat to be fulfilled upon you , then , but not before , can you rejoyce at your going out . . when thou art in any danger in regard of stormy winds , consider , advise with thy conscience what threat it is , against what sinne of thine the word of the lord is gone forth , that this stormy wind comes to fulfill ; conscience will tell thee , here is a terrible tempest , and it comes to fulfill the word of the lord , that word of the lord that thou hast sleighted , contemned , despised ; now comes this tempest to put honour and majesty upon that word , and to fulfill it : it cryes out to thee , the word of the lord , the word that thou heardest such a day , against such a sinne , in such a place , thou hast escaped it all this while , thou thoughtest thy selfe free from it , out of its danger , but now it pursues thee , it comes in this stormy wind to be fulfilled on thee . thou thoughtest the word was but as wind , and that that wind should shake no corne , as jer. . . the prophets shall become wind , now they become wind indeed . i remember i have read a story , that hospinian in his history of jesuites relates of henricus a jesuite at ingolstate , who said in his sermon , that it was no good signe of a catholike to joy much in hearing of sermons , but rather the signe of an heretike , who delight themselves with those things as the ape with a nut ; for , saith he , sermons passe away presently as wind ; but his delight is to heare many masses : is this a distinguishing sign between a catholike and an heretick , fit for a iesuite to give ; such vile unworthy thoughts have carnall hearts of the word , but it is indeed and shall be wind that shall shake thy heart one day , although for the present it seemes to be hardened as the rocke , isa. . . we read of a threat that their iniquities like the wind should take men away ; the guilt of thine iniquity , together with the stormy wind , is like to take thee , and carry thee away to thine owne place : when the stormy wind blew so as it endangered those mariners in the of jonah , the text saith , they consulted to cast lots , that they might know for whose cause it blew : it is good for thee when thou art in a stormy wind to consult with thine owne heart , is not this tempest raised against me for my sinne ? surely if thou wouldest aske the question to thine owne heart , for what cause is it that it is so dreadfull ; the answer will be , it is because thou hast not fulfilled the word of the lord , by thy humiliation before it , by thy obedience unto it , and therefore it comes now to fulfulfill the word of the lord upon thee . . if ever you have escaped dangerous tempests , learne for ever to have higher thoughts of the word of the lord then you have had , to reverence it , to humble thy soule before it , to obey it : oh let me fulfill the word of the lord now by humiliation , by obedience , that the stormy wind do not doe it so as shall be more grievous to me ; if yet thou darest resist his word , when the lord shall have raised againe another stormy wind , and caused his terror to be upon thee , it may be then thou wilt cry , o lord now i wil fulfill thy word , lord deliver mee , and i shall be more carefull for ever to fulfill thy word , thy word that commands mee to keepe thy sabbaths , thy word that commands mee to sanctifie thy name , thy word that commands me to bee chast and sober and religious ; lord if my life may be spared , it shall appeare i will regard thy word more then ever i have done ; god may then answer , nay , this stormy wind shall fulfill my word , i will rather have my glory out of thee by fulfilling my word upon thee by this tempest , then expect from thee what thou wilt doe to the fulfilling of it . it may be some of you have heretofore in your distresse thus promised the lord , and the lord hath heard your cryes , and hath spared you : if god hath beene gracious to you , doe not now returne to folly . the first time as i remember that pharaoh acknowledged that he had sinned , was upon the dreadfulnesse of the tempest , exo. . . though i have sinned , the lord is righteous , i and my people are wicked : so it may bee you have done , but take heed now it be not with you as it was with pharaoh , vers. . when he saw the tempest was over , hee sinned yet more , and hardned his heart ; you are delivered from the tempest , doe not now sinne more , doe not now harden your hearts ; oh let conscience now pleade with you for the fulfilling your owne word , take heede now , doe not thrust away conscience when it comes to you to put you upon what you have promised to god in your distresse . tim. . . the scripture speakes of some , who make shipwracke of faith , and put away their conscience : when you have escaped one ship-wracke , take heed of a worse ship-wrack , namely that of faith , and of putting away conscience ; the word that is there translated , put away , is more then putting , it is thrusting away , casting off with violence , the same word that is translated in rom. . . . cast off the workes of darknesse , when temptations to the worke of darknesse come , it is good thrusting them away with violence ; but take heed you doe not so with your consciences , when they come upon you , urging on you the performance of what you engaged your selfe to god in the time of danger . it may be in time of danger you cast out your goods to save your lives , now cast out your lusts to save your soules , either your sinnes or your soules must perish : know that though you forget your promises , yet god lookes after them , and vvill call to account what becomes of them , they are to be seeds of a godly life ; now then take heed that when you vowe to and covenant with god , you doe not sowe the wind , that phrase the scripture useth for losing our labour , when nothing comes of our endeavours , as hos. . . but that is not all , that no good comes of our promises , but certainly if in them you sowe the wind , there will something come of them , if not a harvest of a reformed life , yet reape you shall , you shall reape the whirl-wind , they will be the seedes of most dreadfull miseries to you afterwards . that which one theodericus answered to sigismund the emperour when he would know of him what he should doe to be happy , may i say to you ; consider , sayes he , what you would wish you had done at such and such times when you had grievous paine of the stone and gout , and doe that now ; so i unto you , would you bee happy , consider then when you have been in grievous storms and dangerous tempests , what would you wish you had done , doe that now ; when company , when temptations drawes to evill , consider then , will this be my joy if ever god brings mee into the like grievous tempests againe , would i have done thus at that time ? at such times then men are convinced of the wayes of god , and could wish themselves godly : yea , i remember i have read of an expression that xenophon hath , that all men in their sailings desire for their companions to have men rather religious then atheists , because of their often dangers and feares , by reason of tempests ; now your hearts rise against them , but at such a time you could bee glad to bee with them , and to bee as they are , except you be atheists your selves ; o labour now to be , such as then you are convinced is the best and most safest to be , religious : if it be good then , it is good now . there hath beene much feare struck into your hearts at such times , but know there may be much trembling at gods great workes , and yet god not feared ; as at the giving of the law , the people were terrified vvhen they saw and heard those terrible things at mount sinai , and yet afterwards god sayes , oh that there were a heart in this people to feare me . god does not owne all that skaring of theirs before for any true feare of his name ; the lord therefore grant , that that feare which in such times hath possessed your hearts , may prove and appeare to bee not so much the feare of dangers , as the true feare of the great god appearing to you in such great and dreadfull workes of his ; that if there were any stirrings in your consciences before now by such a sight of god causing his feare to be upon you , those beginnings may be brought forth to a good and blessed issue , that though your hearts stucke before , and could not be brought off without much adoe to any thing that was good , yet that now this vvorke of god may bring them off , and now there may be an everlasting divorce between your hearts and those evils which before did cleave so close and fast unto you ; as we read , psal. . that the voyce of the lord in tempest causeth the hindes to calve ; now they are creatures that doe not calve without great difficulty , but the feare that is upon them at such times causeth them to bring forth their young : you have had many stirrings of heart , but yet nothing hath come of them , the lord cause the feare of his great name now to be effectuall , that those stirrings may bring forth something for the honour of god and your owne peace . . let us take notice of gods fulfilling his word by this stormy wind : what word of his was fulfilled amongst us , whatsoever hurt hath beene done by it , whatsoever judgement hath befalne any upon this , it is for the fulfilling some word of the lord , the lord give you all hearts to fulfill that worke of humiliation and obedience that this worke of the lord calls for from you ; there hath not beene knowne in these parts in the memory of man the like effect of a stormy wind , as this hath brought forth : we read of that wind king. . where the text saith , god was not in the wind ; wee cannot say so of this , for verily god was in this wind , and that very remarkably ; o that hee might ▪ bee honoured in it ; that as in nature strong winds cleare the ayre from corruption , so this may bee so blessed by god to cleanse your conscience from some defilement . . from the fourth particular , the word of his promise . when you have prosperous winds , looke at them as comming to fulfill a word of mercy , psal. . , . who is a strong lord like unto thee , or to thy faithfulnesse round about thee : thou rulest the raging of the sea , the waters thereof arise , thou stillest them . the psalmist acknowledgeth the worke of god in the ruling and stilling the waves of the sea ( which hee doth especially by the use of the wind , as a fruit of gods faithfulnesse ) that is ordered by god for the fulfilling the word of his promise ; if you can take this as a fruit of the promise , how comfortable will it bee unto you . gods riding upon the cherub , and flying upon the wings of the wind are put together , psal. ▪ . the cherubins did cover the mercy-seate , when he comes to us upon the wings of the wind , this must needes be full of comfort ; you mariners if you be gratious and godly , whensoever you see the lord comming to you in the winds , you may see him likewise upon the cherub his mercy-seat , and what encouragement is this in the wayes of god , others see him comming from his throne of iustice dividing the flames of fire in his wrath ; if god hath fulfilled any word of mercy by a prosperous wind , let it engage thee to him for ever , and cause thee to improve that mercy thou hast by it for god , we read , deu. . . that zebulun the mariners tribe , as you heard before , when they had a prosperous voyage , they should call the people to the mountaines of the lord , there to offer sacrifices of righteousnesse , because of the fulfilling of gods promise to them , that they should sucke of the abundance of the seas ; hath god given you the blessing of the seas ? then stirre up one another to come to the mountaine of the lord , that is , to the church of god , to offer the sacrifices of righteousnesse , to give god the praises due unto him ▪ and to close all , if a prosperous wind bee comfortable , because it fulfils a word of mercy , how comfortable then are the breathings of gods spirit in the soule fulfilling the good word of the lord , promising to give his spirit to them that aske it , luke . . and take onely one note from hence , so we have done , when god gives his spirit , hee gives all good : the comparing of this place of luke with matth. . . is very observable , there it is , how much more shall your father give good things to them that aske him ; and in luke , how much more shall your father give his spirit to them that aske him ; shewing , that god in giving us his spirit , gives us all good things ; the lord grant unto us evermore the blessed breathings of his spirit . finis . notes, typically marginal, from the original text notes for div a e- pr. . . so arias montanus . super rotis suis . accedat verbum ad elementum & fit sacramentum : accedat verbum ad opera dei , & fiunt documenta pietatis adjumenta . ventus turbinis . vt sciamus ipsos ventorum impetus ejus mandato per angelos gubernari . calv. in psal. . perditio pro perditis , mors pro mortuis . aer motus . l. . c. . . quaest . nat. l. . c. . ingens naturae beneficium . dedit ventos , ut commoda cujusque regionis fierent communia , non ut legiones equitemque gestarent , nec ut pernicios● gentibus arma trāsveberent . non ideo non sunt ista natura sua bona , si vitio male u●entium nocent . herodotus lib. . alex. ab alex. l. . c. . lib. . . . ite ad pellam . sed tranquillitas ista tempest as erit . impietatis sed diabolica est baec scientia , saith calvin upon the . psalm . quae in naturae contemplatione nos retinens a deo avertit . merito ridebitur ejus stultitia . vse . si quis credit quod diabolus tonitrua & fulgura & tempestates sua authoritate facit sicut priscilianus dixit anathema , sit con. b●acarens . c. . nec in porcorum gregem diaboli legio habuit potestatem ; nec potestatem habet ut in oves dei saeviat tertul. de fuga in persec . the excellency of a gracious spirit deliuered in a treatise upon the . of numbers, verse . by ier. burroughes minister of gods word. burroughs, jeremiah, - . approx. kb of xml-encoded text transcribed from -bit group-iv tiff page images. text creation partnership, ann arbor, mi ; oxford (uk) : - (eebo-tcp phase ). a stc estc s this keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the early english books online text creation partnership. this phase i text is available for reuse, according to the terms of creative commons . universal . the text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. early english books online. (eebo-tcp ; phase , no. a ) transcribed from: (early english books online ; image set ) images scanned from microfilm: (early english books, - ; : ) the excellency of a gracious spirit deliuered in a treatise upon the . of numbers, verse . by ier. burroughes minister of gods word. burroughs, jeremiah, - . [ ], , [ ] p. printed by m[iles] f[lesher] for r. dawlman, and l. fawne, at the brazen serpent in pauls church-yard, london : . printer's name from stc. reproduction of the original in the union theological seminary (new york, n.y.). library. created by converting tcp files to tei p using tcp tei.xsl, tei @ oxford. re-processed by university of nebraska-lincoln and northwestern, with changes to facilitate morpho-syntactic tagging. gap elements of known extent have been transformed into placeholder characters or elements to simplify the filling in of gaps by user contributors. eebo-tcp is a partnership between the universities of michigan and oxford and the publisher proquest to create accurately transcribed and encoded texts based on the image sets published by proquest via their early english books online (eebo) database (http://eebo.chadwyck.com). the general aim of eebo-tcp is to encode one copy (usually the first edition) of every monographic english-language title published between and available in eebo. eebo-tcp aimed to produce large quantities of textual data within the usual project restraints of time and funding, and therefore chose to create diplomatic transcriptions (as opposed to critical editions) with light-touch, mainly structural encoding based on the text encoding initiative (http://www.tei-c.org). the eebo-tcp project was divided into two phases. the , texts created during phase of the project have been released into the public domain as of january . anyone can now take and use these texts for their own purposes, but we respectfully request that due credit and attribution is given to their original source. users should be aware of the process of creating the tcp texts, and therefore of any assumptions that can be made about the data. text selection was based on the new cambridge bibliography of english literature (ncbel). if an author (or for an anonymous work, the title) appears in ncbel, then their works are eligible for inclusion. selection was intended to range over a wide variety of subject areas, to reflect the true nature of the print record of the period. in general, first editions of a works in english were prioritized, although there are a number of works in other languages, notably latin and welsh, included and sometimes a second or later edition of a work was chosen if there was a compelling reason to do so. image sets were sent to external keying companies for transcription and basic encoding. quality assurance was then carried out by editorial teams in oxford and michigan. % (or pages, whichever is the greater) of each text was proofread for accuracy and those which did not meet qa standards were returned to the keyers to be redone. after proofreading, the encoding was enhanced and/or corrected and characters marked as illegible were corrected where possible up to a limit of instances per text. any remaining illegibles were encoded as <gap>s. understanding these processes should make clear that, while the overall quality of tcp data is very good, some errors will remain and some readable characters will be marked as illegible. users should bear in mind that in all likelihood such instances will never have been looked at by a tcp editor. the texts were encoded and linked to page images in accordance with level of the tei in libraries guidelines. copies of the texts have been issued variously as sgml (tcp schema; ascii text with mnemonic sdata character entities); displayable xml (tcp schema; characters represented either as utf- unicode or text strings within braces); or lossless xml (tei p , characters represented either as utf- unicode or tei g elements). keying and markup guidelines are available at the text creation partnership web site . eng bible. -- o.t. -- numbers xiv, -- commentaries. - tcp assigned for keying and markup - apex covantage keyed and coded from proquest page images - ali jakobson sampled and proofread - ali jakobson text and markup reviewed and edited - pfs batch review (qc) and xml conversion the excellency of a gracious spirit . delivered in a treatise upon the . of numbers , verse . by ier . burroughes minister of gods word . prov . . . a man of understanding is of an excellent spirit . london , printed by m. f. for r. dawlman , and l. fawne , at the brazen serpent in pauls church-yard . . to the right honorable edvvard , viscount mandeville . right honorable , there is a common slander that hath been raised , and vile aspertion that hath been , and still is cast upon the wayes of godlinesse ; that they dis-ennoble mens spirits , ( which salvian complained of eleven hundred yeares agoe , si quis ex nobilitate converti ad deum coeperit , statim honorem nobilitatis amittit ; o quantus in christiano populo honor christi est , ubi religio ignobilem facit ! ) that they make men rigid , melancholy , sowre , uncivill ; that they dull their parts ; that they take them off from the delights of the things in the world ; that if men take up the power and strictnesse of them , they must resolve never , to keep any correspondence with their friends who are of rank and quality in the world ; and therefore although those who have little of the world , and little to doe in the world , may live strict lives ; yet it is not for such who are borne to great things , whose fortunes are raised higher than other mens , who have references to many of quality & place ; it cannot be expected that they should bee so strict ; this must needs hinder them in their outward accomplishments ; if they begin to take such a course , it is impossible they should be compleate every way , as beseemes such as they are : and thus many are compelled to be evill , lest they should be esteemed vile , as salvian complaines of his time ; mali coguntur esse ne viles habeātur : a notable speech of his , fully sutable to our times . the first observance ( that i remember ) i had of this place in salvian , was from your lordships ownhands , shewing it to me in him , as an expression that your lordship was much affected with . but these men do not consider how much they speak against themselves ; were this true , it were a snare , a judgement to be raised in outward excellencies above others . no ; it is not honour , they are not riches , parts , dignities that hinder godlinesse ; it is the basenesse and corruption of mens spirits , in the enjoyment of these that hinders ; godlinesse raiseth the excellencies of them , it drawes out the chiefe good in them , and puts a higher beauty and glory upon them . god hath raised up your honor , to convince the world of the falsenesse , malice , impiety there is in this evill report that is brought up , upon the good and blessed wayes of godlinesse . malice it self cannot but acknowledge , that godlinesse in the strictnesse of it , & naturall excellencies in the eminency of them , have a blessed conjunction in your honour ; godlinesse as the enameling of pearls in those golden naturall endowments with which god hath mercifully & plentifully enriched you : and were it but for this service only to god and his church , in convincing the world of the vilenesse of this slander ; i may speake without suspition of flattery , happy that ever you were borne ; and i know , that those who know your lordship , will justifie me in that i say . in this god hath honored your lordshipe exceedingly ; were there no other end for which you still live in such a generation , as you doe , but onely this ; yet in this you have great cause to blesse your selfe in god , and in this great honour he hath put upon you , to make you so publike and worthy an instrument of his . who is it that lookes upon you , and sees your wayes , but must needs confesse , now i see that strictnesse and power of religion , may stand with a most noble , generous , sweet , amiable , courteous demeanour ; i see it raiseth and ennobleth parts ; and though it banisheth base and sordid pleasures , which are beneath the dignity of a man , much more of ture nobility and generousnesse ; yet it knowes how to make use of the delights that god affords in this world , and orders and guides them so , as by it they are injoyed with a double sweetnesse , farre above that which others finde . and yet further , there are two more blessed conjuctures which adde much honour to you ; the one is a facile yeeldablenes of spirit to any ( though much inferiour ) in anything , where good may bee done ; and yet a strong , unmoveable , sledfast , resolute spirit against that which is evill . it was the high commendation that nazianzen gave of athanasius , that hee was magnes , & adamas , a loadstone in his sweet , gentle , drawing nature ; and yet an adamant in his resolute slout carriage against those who were evill . the other is this ( which makes all beautifull and lovely indeed ) though god hath raised you high in birth , in abilities , in the esteeme of men both good and bad ; yet the lustre of the humilitie of your spirit shines beautifully thorow all , manifesting it selfe in much gentlenesse and meeknesse ; and this is the height of all true excellency . a man of understanding is of an excellent spirit , saith salomon , prov. . . the word in the originall , is , a coole spirit . in also posito non altum sapere difficile est , & omnino inusitatum ; sed quanto inusitatius , tanto gloriosius , saith bernard , ep . . the lord carry on your truely noble and generous spirit , that you may long hold forth the power , beauty and excellency of his grace . let the height of all your designes be , to list up the name of the great god. cor. . . we labour , saith the apostle , whether present orabsent to bee accepted of him : the word translated , labour , loseth the elegancy of it , it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ; we love the honour of it ; it is such a labour as we account it our honour and glory : we are ambitious ; to have high designes for god is a holy and a blessed ambition ; whereas the ambition of other men is low , & base : infoelix prorsus ambitio , quae ambire magna non novit , saith bernard . account your selfe blessed when your god is blessed . it was the blessing of shem , gen. . . blessed be the lord god of shem ; the chiefe of shems blessing was , that his lord god was blessed . that which i seeke , is to ingage your lordship for god , and to stirr you up to answer fully the esteeme , the expectations that men have of you , whose eyes are upon you as a publike blessing , & an ornament to the prosession of the truth . and yet this i desire your lordship would consider , ( as i know you doe ) that religion is a greater honour , and ornament to you , than you are to it ; it doth and will more honour you , than you ever did , or can honor it s your birth made you honourable , but oh how honourable have you beene , since you have beene pretious in gods eyes ! esay . . your parts were alwayes hopefull , but how apparently have they beene raised since grace hath sanctified them ? although god takes it well at the hands of those whom hee hath raised in the things of the world higher than others , when hee seeth them forward in setting out his praise ; yet he would not have them thinke that he is beholding to them , as if the honour of god depended so upon them , as it would faile , did not they put to their helpe . no , god can raise his honour by other meanes , he can glorifie himselfe , and get himselfe a great name , by low , meane , and contemptible things : it is not because god hath need of honour from you , but because he delights to honour you , that he is pleased to use you in his service ; it is an advancement to whatsoever greatnesse you have in the world , to bee imployed for god , were it but in the meanest service he hath to doe . where the heart is right , even in that , it gloryeth more than in all the dignity that earth can put upon it ; but yet the greater instruments the lord raiseth up for his glory , the greater services he cals them unto , the greater things may wee hope he intends for his church . when s. john saw the elders casting downe their crownes before the throne , saying ; thou art worthy , o lord , to receive glory , and honour , and power , apoc. . . soone after s. john heard every creature in heaven , and on earth , and sea , saying , blessing , honour , glory , and power , be unto him that sitteth upon the throne , and unto the lambe for evermore , cha . . . and soone after that , hee saw christ with his crowne upon him , going forth conquering , and to conquer chap. . . what great mercies might we expect , did we see god raysing up truely noble and generous spirits , more generally in the great ones of the earth ? did we see the elders and nobles , casting downe their crownes before the throne of the lambe , willing to deny all their glory , and excellencies , and estates , for the raising up the glory of iesus christ ? certainly , god hath great things to doe in this latter age of the world , and hee is a god with whom there is as great abundance of spirit as ever , when his time comes , how soone will such a thing bee , as the raising mens spirits to higher and more noble designes , than now we can imagine ? the observing the frame and work of your most pretious noble spirit ( right honourable ) put mee upon the thought of this argument ; the chiefest book that i made use of , for the inlarging 〈◊〉 meditations in it ( next the scripture was that which i joyfully beheld in you 〈…〉 selfe , and your noble and much honorred lady ; highly honoured and lov 〈…〉 and that deservedly , in the esteeme , and hearts of all who know her and the truth , john ep. . ver . . such gracious principles appeared in your spirits , such divine rules by which yee were guided , those high and noble employments in which yee delighted , those blessed qualifications , which as so many diamonds in their lustre , and beauty , sparkled that light , that freenesse , that strength , that publikenesse , that holinesse , &c. those comsorts of a higher nature than the common drossie comforts of the world , that yee chose to your selves , to satisfie your spirits in , and found contentment in the enjoyment of ; that caused the dilating of my thoughts about these things , and now making knowne themselves publikely , they crave patronage from your lordship , who have beene the originall from whence they came . and here i humbly present them to your honour , and to your vertuous and noble lady , as a glasse wherein your selves and others may see the frame and workings of your spirits ; i dare say , that all who know you , and know that i had the happinesse to bee so neare unto you , and to have excited to look about thee , if false . art thou indued with such a spirit as here thou maist find ? nothing in the world , in hell , or in thy flesh , shall be able to conquer thee ; as christ himself , thou shalt indure such crosses and contradiction of sinners , as these times are big with ; thou shalt despise the shame , and be able to resist to bloud , if god should call thee to that honour . what excellency of spirit was in s. paul , when he took it ill that they diswaded him from going up to jerusalem , where he was to meet with sharp afflictions ; what mean you to weepe and break my heart , saith he , for i am ready not to be bound only , but also to die at jerusalem for the name of the lord jesus . moses refuses to be called the son of pharaohs daughter ; though himselfe , or some of his posterity might happily have come to the kingdome by it , and chuses afflictions rather with the people of god , &c. he would not become an egyptian , though of the royall stem ; but abide an hebrew , who were abomination to the egyptians : he knew , that the reproach of the members did redound to the head , and would bee well recompenced by him ; and therefore he will suffer afflictions , and esteeme the reproaches of christ above all the treasures of egypt , a greater patrimony , saith ambrose . so base are many spirits in this age , that they had rather censure than trace his practice . scaliger tels of a tree , to which when a man cometh , ramos constringit ; but when he departs , ramos p●dit : too many are like this tree ; when any ministers or christians , that have the reproach of christ upon them , come neare them , and have to deale with them ; let relations , promises , ingagemēts be what they wil , they shrink up themselves , are troubled , sadded , and perplexed , thinking it disgrace unto thē to have to do with such ; but when they are gone , then their hearts dilate again , & their faces grow pleasant : such an adulterous generation there is , that are ashamed , of christ in any of his poore , reproached , despised members ; & not only ashamed , but like that plant called the tartarean lamb , which in shape and proportion answers the lambe , but grazeth and eateth up the grasse round about it , suffering no green thing to be neare : and these men are lambes in shape , but eating up every green thing that is neare unto them . psa . . . they eate up my people as bread ; they are the food their malice feeds upon . it is observed , the pope was so busie and hot against luther , that he neglected to look to all christendome against the turk ; such basenesse was in a popes brest , that he could easier have digested mahumetisme ; than lutherdnisme ; & may we not think the alcoran would be welcome to those confessors , who have enjoyned their burthened in conscience to burne their bibles for pennance ; this , some living know to be a truth . there is much basenesse in the spirits of men , and upon little occasion it vents it selfe : doeg haead 〈◊〉 malicious murderous spirit in him , & spared not those that ware the linnen ephod . the rich man , luk. . . was all for earth , & nothing for heaven . a great man finding his sicknesse encreasing , caused his bed to be made between , or upon his coffers , where he had much gold ; a lord came to him , and wished him to go to his chamber , and not lie there ; his answer was , i am well where i am , so long as i can tarry , for i am neare unto my friends , meaning his coffers and his gold . what drossie corporall soules have such men ? the gadarens drove christ out of their country ; they esteemed their swine above a saviour : demas embraceth the present world ; ananias and saphyra reserve a portion for themselves : such spirits ever have been , and will be in the world . spirits they are as much beneath common reason , as those mentioned in this work are above it . it is choyce , not common spirits , that will honour god in stormy times . had not a choyce and excellent spirit been in nehemiah , the plots and practices of enemies would have daunted him ; but take a view of his spirit ; should such a man as i am flee ? and who is there , that being as i am , would go into the temple to save his life ? i will not go in . he had a good cause , a good conscience , a good god , which advanced his spirit to such resolvednesse , that hee would not take sanctuary , and disparage either of them by his feare or faint-heartednesse ; whē he saw the sabbath prophaned , he hid not his eyes from it , but contended with the nobles about it . what divine spirits were in the three children ? could nebuchanezars greatnesse , mandates , threats of the fiery fornace , force their spirits to false worship ? be it known unto thee , o king , that we will not serve thy gods . here they did obediently disobey , * knowing that nothing pleases god , but what hee hath commanded in his word : they would not deliberate in this case , wee are not carefull to answer thee , say they . when any enticements come to draw us from the pure worship of god , wee should stop our eares , charme the charmers never so wisely . charles the emperour , and two great persons in this kingdome , solliciting king edward the sixt to allow his sister the lady mary to have ●●asse , would not listen , but bade them be conce●●t , for he would spend his life , and all he had , rather than agree , and grant to that hee knew certainly to be against the truth ; the suit being yet pressed , he brust out into bitter weeping , and sobbing , desiring them to desist . the motioners seeing his zeale , and constancy , wept as fast as he , and told one , he had more divinity in his little finger , than they had in all their bodies . what a choyce spirit was in that young lord harrington , who was a man of prayer : he prayed twice a day in secret ; twice with his servants in his chamber , and joyned at appointed times with the family in prayer : he would never be idle , but alwaies well , if not religiously imployed ; he meditated on . or . sermons every day , retaining five or six in his memory alwayes ; he kept an exact account of his life every day , very conscientious of honouring god to purpose , in publike and private ; on the lords day he would repeat both the sermons with his servants before supper , and write them down in his night booke before hee slept , and on the morning of that day , he would as he made him ready , repeat those sermons hee had heard the lords day before ; and for the sacrament , he received it very frequently , and alwayes fasted the saturday before , spending the whole day in examination ; prayer and humbling himselfe , that so he might be fitted to feast with christ : he gave away the tenth of his estate unto the poore , & pious uses , besides his occasionall charity when he was abroad : here was a choyce spirit , beautified with variety of graces , not unfit for great & mean to propound for their pattern . daniel in babylon would not defile himselfe with the portion of the kings meat , nor with the wine which he dranke ; hee had rather eat pulse than defile his conscience . when the writing was signed , the lions den threatned , did he mussle up his religion , and shrink up his spirit ? he would not shut up his window , nor diminish his prayers , but thrice a day prayed , and gave thankes unto his god , as he did afore time ; here was a spirit for god and his wayes , and not for the times . happily some temporizing politician will charge daniel of indiscretion : no , it was the excellency of his spirit , that in case of danger , and that of life , he would not separate external profession from inward faith , when god should lose by it : and what , dost thou charge him with indiscretion , whom the scripture commends for his wisdome ? it was a proverbiall speech , wiser than daniel , ezek. . . and his heart did not accuse him for that indiscretion , when he was in the lions den ; for he saith , innocency was found in him ; he was not ashamed of his godlinesse ; that had raised him and hee would maintaine the honour of it . such spirits have true excellency in them , & are not shie of the wayes or servants of god , when the flouds of iniquity overflow , & threaten to beare down all . fearefulnesse to appeare in gods cause is a part of the old man , & when god puts into his , another , a new spirit , that wasts thy fearefulnes ; the more thou hast of gods spirit , the more thy old timorous cowardly spirit is abated . mat. . . that is put in to fill up , takes from the garment ; and when grace fils up a man , it takes away from the old man , the old basenesse , feare , and dastardlinesse in the cause of god , and a holy undaunted resolution is begottē in thee to justifie wisdom , although thou dānifie thy self . according to the fulnesse of mens spirits are their carriages , with more or lesse confidence in their undertakings ; if satan have filled the heart , men will boldly serve him , acts . . why hath satan filled thy heart to lie unto the holy ghost ? satan had filled his heart , and therefore he feared not to lie unto god himselfe . dieu saith upon the place , implere cor alterius est audacem eum reddere , & he cites that place , hest . . . quis hic est , qui implevit cor suum ad faciendum sic ? who is he that hath filled his heart ; in our translations , that durst presume in his heart to doe so ? hamans heart was filled with malice , and that made him bold to attempt the destruction of all the jewes : and where godlinesse fils the heart , there will be as venturous & bold attempts for god. paul being filled with the holy ghost set his eyes on elymas , and so thundred and lightned against him , that presently his proud malitious spirit was blasted . when the heart of a man is filled with divine truths , it is not the presence of men in highest place can daunt it . elisha had a double portion of the spirit of elijah ; and did the greatnesse , or wickednesse of iehoram daunt him ? there appeared a deity in his very speech and spirit , kings . . as the lord of hosts liveth before whom i stand , surely were it not that i regard the presence of iehosaphat , the king of iudah , i would not looke towards thee , nor see thee . hee had a fulnesse of gods spirit in him , that could speake thus to one of the gods on earth . when a mans heart is filled with divine influence , he feares not the enemies of goodnes , neither is ashamed of ought accompanies godlinesse , tim. . , . god hath given us the spirit of power , of love , and of a sound mind ; be not thou therefore ashamed of the testimony , &c. when the power of god is in a mans spirit , he will not bee ashamed of the crosse , nor refuse to share in the afflictions of the gospel . it is the honour of religion , to have such disciples as will own her , and stand for her at all times , and that with an undaunted courage , acts . , , , , . peter was filled with the holy ghost , and said ; bee it knowne unto you all , and all the people of israel , that by the name of iesus christ of nazareth , whom you crucified , whom god raised from the dead , even by him doth this man here stand before you whole ; this is the stone which was set at nought of you builders , &c. and after when he and iohn were commanded silence ; what said they ? whether it be right in the sight of god , to hearken unto you more than god , judge yee ; for we cannot but speake the things we have seene and heard . it is a brand upon nicodemus that he came to christ by night ; and so of the chiefe rulers that beleeved on him , but because of the pharisees did not confesse him , lest they should be put out of the synagogues : but it was nicodemus praise , for that he had got boldnesse to speak for christ , when vilified , though himselfe suffered reproach for it : this shewed some excellency and growth in his spirit , that he could both speake and suffer for christ . so ioseph of arimathea was timerous at ioh. . . but being filled with grace , he went in boldly to pilate and craved the body of iesus , mark. . . with what holy boldnesse did those men march through reproaches , afflictions , and persecutions for the truths sake . reader , swallow thou this booke ( as ezekiel did his rowle ) and thou shalt be inabled to doe as much . principle and fill thy spirit with the pretious truths contained in this little treatise , and thou shalt find thy drooping spirit to receive , a heavenly warmth to come upon thee , and a holy boldnesse thrusting thee forward for god and godlinesse . wickednesse is too bold , and godlinesse too shamefast ; it hath lost and suffered much through mens cowardlinesse . reade , meditate , and feast thy spirit with what thou herein findest , and thou mayst walke bold as a lion through the midst of a crooked and perverse generation ; thou shalt daunt wickednesse it selfe , and make religion truely beautifull , and honourable . if thou shouldest say , this book might have been kept in , there are too many already ; i answer thee , there be many , but few to purpose . the sea is full of water , yet god addes daily to it by rivers , and showers . many would read little , if new bookes were not set forth daily bookes do quicken up a drowsie age to the best purpose . new bookes are like new fashions , taken up at first with affection . notwithstanding all the munition of the kingdome , there is new made daily . books are more needfull than armes , the one defends the body , the other the soule . if thy spirit be choice and right , thou wilt acknowledge this worke , solid , spirituall , and such as hitherto thou hast not met with many like it . if trees be knowne by their fruit ; what other sentence may bee passed upon the composer of it , but that hee hath profited in the schoole of christ above thousands ; hath had a large operation of gods spirit in his own soule , attained to a choicenesse and excellency of spirit himselfe , & that he hath clearly differenced betweene pretious and base spirits . i shall appeale to thy selfe , christian reader , when thou hast perused this booke , whether thou wouldest have had it buried in the dark . if he deserves a curse that withholds corne , prov. . . thou wilt blesse god for this corne the authour hath sent to market . god made him a fountaine not to bee sealed up , but to slow for common good . veritatem celare est aurum sepelire . in a fountaine sealed , and treasures hid , the authour knew was little profit . hee hath let out himselfe to advantage thee , taken this off from his owne spirit , to put upon thine . doe thine endeavour to better thy selfe by it , and if thou gettest any good , give unto god glory ; if none , suspect thy spirit , and spare thy censures : the authours spirit is above them , and counts it a very small thing to bee judged of mans judgement . my prayers are , that thou mayest profit much , attaine true excellency of spirit , and follow god fully all thy dayes , that so thy end may bee comfortable , and glorious . thy christian friend , w. gr. a graciovs spirit , a choyce and a pretious spirit . numb . . . but my servant caleb , because he had an other spirit with him , and hath followed me fully , him will i bring into the land , wherein he went ; and his seed shall possesse it . cap. i. what that other spirit is , which a godly man hath differing from the world . in these words we have gods approbation of caleb , accepting his faithfull service in the testimony hee gave of the good land ; encouraging the hearts of his people to goe into it : as for the other that were sent , god determines against them , they shall never see that good land ; but my servant caleb , &c. first , gods commendation of caleb . secondly , his blessing upon him . for the first hee sayes three things of him . he is my servant . he hath another spirit . he hath followed me fully . he is my servant : ] it is a great honor to bee the servant of the blessed god , and to bee acknowledged so by god himselfe : we should not looke at our services to god only as duties injoyned , but as high priviledges , as dignities put upon us ; wee should glory in his service . it was a great part of that glorious reward of those who came out of great tribulation , who washed their robes , and made them white in the bloud of the lambe , that they should bee before the lord , and serve him night and day . apoc. . , . [ my servant ] he hath shewed himselfe to bee my servant indeed ; i will for ever owne him ; what ever others did , hee continued faithfull with me . to bee a servant unto the lord , is an honour ; but to bee acknowledged faithfull , that higher : i have obtained mercy to be faithfull , saith saint paul. to be faithfull in service , is , not only a meanes of obtaining mercy , but it is a great obtained mercy . [ my servant caleb : ] caleb is only mentioned here , and so in the former chap. verse . why is not ioshua mentioned likewise , for surely hee followed the lord fully , as well as caleb ? some thinke that ioshuah at the first did conceale himselfe , although after hee did declare himselfe fully ; but certainly this had been a very great sinne of his , to conceale himselfe in such a cause of god , to have stood as neuter , for the saving himselfe ; hee would not have passed without some signification of gods displeasure against him for this : but verse . god promises ioshua , that hee shall enter into the land together with caleb . others therefore thinke , that at the first caleb was the more forward of the two in speaking , because hee was of the more honourable tribe , one of the chiefe of the tribe of iudah ; and ioshua was of ephraim : and besides ; ioshua being moses minister to attend on him , it might bee the more suspected that he might speake to gratifie moses , against whom the people now murmured , because of the straits they were brought into by him . and besides , others thinke , that moses here relates this by ioshua , that ioshua was used in the penning of this relation , and therefore the lesse is said concerning ioshua . another spirit : the spirits of the rest were base and cowardly , poore , dead , unworthy spirits ; but hee had another spirit , went not that way . there is a strange conceit some of the jewish interpreters have of this other spirit ; that is , say they , caleb and ioshua , when they were in the land , and in their journey ; they said as the rest of the spies did , and concealed their purpose of declaring any other opinion they had of the land , than the others had , and this they did for feare of their lives ; but when they came before moses , and the children of israel , then they had another spirit , and spake plainly what they thought . many such chaffy interpretations of scriptute wee finde amongst them , god having given them over to the spirit of blindnesse . hee sollowed me fully . the words are , hee fufilled to follow mee : nothing could take him off from mee , what ever therefore becomes of the rest , hee shall possesse the land , and his seed with him . i intend only to handle the two latter commendations of caleb . first , that hee was a man of another spirit . secondly , that hee followed god fully . and herein , first , severally ; secondly , in the reference of the one to the other . for the first , the point is ; it is the excellency of godly men to be men of other spirits , of choice spirits , differing from the common spirits of the world , cor. . . we have not received the spirit of the world , sayes the apostle , but the spirit which is of god : there is a great deale of difference betweene our spirits and the common spirits of the world . there is a vile spirit ruling in the world ; as , eph. . . a spirit that workes strongly and actively in the children of disohedience . but of the godly it may be said , as it was of daniel , chap. . . an excellent spirit was found in him ; so surely an excellent spirit is found in them . herein , first , what this other spirit is . secondly , wherein the excellency of it lies . thirdly , apply it . for the first ; it is , first , a spirit that hath other principles , a better principled spirit than the spirit of the world . the spirits of worldly men have base corrupt principles , by which they judge of things , by which they are led , according to which they favour & rellish whatsoever is propounded to them . the vilenesse and power of these , appeares in the wayes of the world ; but the spirits of the godly are acted by divine , heavenly , holy principles , that carry them to god , to divine and heavenly things ; they carry them by a kind of naturall instinct ; the frame of their spirits is so principled , that by as it were a naturall instinct , ( naturall , i mean the new nature ) they savour of spirituall and heavenly things ; their hearts worke after them , cloze with them , unite themselves to them , finde much sweet and contentment in them , are fastned and setled unto them . what is the reason the same truths propounded , set before divers spirits , whose naturall parts are equall ; one sees much excellency in them , receives them , rellishes them ; the other looks on them as mean and foolish things , wonders what men see and finde in them , they are unsavory to them , their hearts turne away from them ? this is from their divers principles . where the spirit is well principled , it is carryed on sweetly and strongly in gods wayes ; though the naturall parts bee weake , though obiections against them many , pretences for evill wayes fayre ; yet these divine principles are as a pondus , a waight upon these spirits , that carries on the soule still towards god : when all is said that can bee against gods wayes , and for sinnefull wayes , it will , it cannot but , hold the conclusion , surely gods wayes are good . as that blessed martyr said , i cannot dispute for the truth , but i can dye for the truth . these principles cause , if not a disputative knowledge , yet a savory knowledge . perswade a man by most subtill arguments , eloquent orations , that what he tasts sweet , is bitter , perhaps he cannot answer all you say ; but yet hee knowes the thing is sweet : so the spirit principled right with grace , having the savour of the knowledge , as the apostle speakes : though many subtill wiles of satan , and cloquent perswasions from the wisdome of the flesh be brought to perswade to the contrary , yet still it sayes , it is good to walke in the wayes of godlinesse . every life hath principles according to the nature of it , receiving to it selfe things sutable , or turning from things disagreeable to it ; the vegetative life according to the nature of it , so the sensitive , and the rationall life , and the life of grace according to it . most mens spirits are led by the principles of a sensitive life , few live so high as rationall principles reach to . there is a death of the soule in this respect ; onely god puts in by a common worke of his spirit , some common notions , which appeare in some , which give but a glimmering light , and are very weake ; but where the life of grace is in any soule , there are principles of an higher nature , full of light and beauty , carrying the soule to high , spirituall , supernaturall things , for the attaining to , and injoyment of the highest good . other creatures under the rationall , are made for the enjoyment of no higher good , than is within the cōpasse of their owne natures ; & therfore their principles are onely to receive in such good things as are sutable to those natures , and in them they rest satisfied ; for they are capable of enjoyment of no higher ; i say , they cannot enjoy any higher : indeed they are of use to , and were made for that end , that they might be serviceable to some higher good than themselves ; but this they enjoy not . the destruction of their natures , is the highest use that creatures which are above them , have of them . but the rationall creature was made for a higher good than is within the compasse of its own nature , and was to enjoy this ; and the fuller it doth enjoy it , the more perfected it is . now then , there are required principles of life accordingly to carry these creatures higher than their owne natures , to have the fruitiō of that good they were made for , and to bee blessed in the enjoyment of it . now these are the principles of grace , with which this other spirit is indued , higher above the principles of reason , than the principles of reason are above the principles of sense ; and thus it is another spirit . secondly , it works by another rule : every thing is guided to its end by some rule , which is a beame of gods wisedome ; no creature under the reasonable , knowes either its end or rule , but is acted by god to that it was made for : but the reasonable creature is of such a nature , as is capable of the knowledge of both , and therefore cannot bee happy without the knowledge of both , and working accordingly . now it is a great mercy not to mistake in the rule that leades to eternall life , to see it , and act by it ; most of the world mistake here , their spirits are led by false rules , they goe according to sense , according to their own carnall apprehēsion of things , accordings to their owne wils , would have the rule of their actions from their own spirits , or else according to the common course of the world , as eph. . . that which men blesse themselves in , that they goe according to the common course , is one of the most apparent arguments that is , that yet they are strangers from the way of life ; but the godly they make the word their rule , they looke up to the minde of god , to see the beame of divine wisdome let down from heaven , to guide them in their way ; they looke to it for direction , give up themselves to it , dare venture their comforts , estates , safeties , soules upon it : thou shalt guide mee by thy counsell , sayes david , and so bring mee to thy glory , psalm . . . a godly man thinkes it a most dishonorable thing to make the examples of men his rules ; it is for beasts to follow the herd : examples of men cannot satisfie his conscience . a godly man workes for eternity : and therefore is carefull to worke by rule ; as a man when hee workes in a worke that concernes his life , erects a frame that must be for continuance ; he makes sure of his rule , layes often his rule to his worke . when god erected the frame of the world , which was to last but for a sew yeares , hee made all by waight and measure : the frame of mans actions here , must be for eternity ; and therefore a godly man dares venture upon no other rule but that which is divine ; hee lookes at the word , not only at the notions of it , and that excellency and beauty he sees in it , shining a great way off ; but as a light to his feet , a lanterne to his steps ; holds it close to his feet , to guide him in his going ; knowing , that every step he goes , is either to hell or to heaven ; and this doing , he may look up with comfort for that blessing of god upon his servants : sam. . . he keeps the feet of his saints : his way is like the way of the mariner , guided by the heavens . . thirdly , another spirit . that is , imployed about other things ; it is not for meane , base services ; but set on worke about high and honourable employments . as men of place and dignity have , or ought to have other spirits differing from ordinary spirits ; they cannot endure to be employed in mean and dishonorable workes : no , those fit for meane , base spirits . while other mens spirits are busied about low , poore things , and are content in these , minding nothing higher ; they are busied about great affaires of state , the high things of the kingdome , consultations about , and transactions of the great businesses of the common-wealth . it was the basenesse , and dishonor of domitians spirit , who though a great emperor , yet busied himselfe and spent great part of his time in catching of flies ; and so of artaxerxes his spirit , who spent a great deale of time in making hafts of knives of boxe . thus godly men account it too mean a thing , for their spirits to bee busied about low base employments ; while the spirits of other men are busied about meat , drink , clothes , play , money , lust , and are taken up in these poore things ; the spirits of the godly are taken up in contemplation of the glory of the blessed god , the beauty and high excellency of jesus christ , the great counsels of god , in the greatest worke that ever he did , the worke of mans redemption , the great mysteries of the gospell , the glorious things of the kingdome of jesus christ , the great things of eternity , the interest they have in all the good in god , christ , heaven , about the setting out the glory of the blessed god in the world , lifting up his name , working together with god in glorifying himselfe , observing gods wayes in his glorious workes of creation , and providence , preparing and fitting themselves for the glorious appearing of the great god ; joyning with those blessed creatures , the angels and saints in heaven , magnifying , praising , worshipping , and adoring the lord of all ; these are things fit for the spirits of the godly , they are not suteable to the spirits of the world , as psal . . . a brutish man knowes not , neither doth a foole understand this . a godly man sometimes may be busied in meane low things , but his spirit not contented , not taken up , not satisfied in those things , as adequate objects for him , as the spirits of the world are , they are objects adequate to any principles they have : a man sometimes that is understanding , may condescend to sport with children in low things , but these take not up his spirit , as adequate objects to what hee hath in him ; if indeed hee should take content and satisfaction in such things , it would argue a childish spirit in him ; so here . fourthly , this spirit is carried to other ends ; the spirit of the world looks at ease , pleasure , honour , gaine , and selfe in all ; it is a low spirit in an ill sense , subjecteth not only ordinary actions , but the best things it doth , even the duties of gods worship to base , low , unworthy ends : at the highest , the most excellent of the heathen , who had the most brave spirits the world had in their time , aimed no higher than to work according to reason , to satisfie the dictates of rationall principles , and a naturall conscience ; knew not what it was to honour god ; to aime at god in all they did : but the spirit of the godly is a raised spirit , looks at god and eternity in all it doth , carries things up to the highest good , restlesse till it gets through all creatures , and closes with god ; it accounts the excellency of what it is , and what it hath , to be in order to god , and directs what it doth to him , and in this comes as neere the working of god himselfe , workes as like him , as may be ; it is the glory of god to bee the first cause , and last end ; and to worke from himselfe , and for himselfe ; no creature can worke from it selfe , but as it hath his principle from god , so it workes for him , giving him the glory , as the first cause , and last end : and this is the great worship that god hath from his creature , both in this world and eternally in heaven . we speake much of honouring god , and serving god , and worshipping of him ; wee doe nothing except wee doe this ; god made the world that hee might have some creatures to worke thus , to make him the highest and last end of all ; many who have excellent naturall parts , are often busied about deeper things then other men , but their spirits being corrupt , not carried to god in that they doe , they dive deepe , but all comes to nothing ; are like children diving deepe in the water , and bring up nothing but shels and gravell . now where the spirit is carried to god as the last end , there first , the beauty , excellency , glory of what ever it hath or doth , is iudged according to the reference it hath to god ; it s true , i have these mercies , i do such and such things ; but is god honoured by all ? al things are as dead to this spirit , where it sees not gods name lifted up : and so the excellency and beauty of what others have or do , if god is not honoured by them , it lookes on them as dead things . secondly , all it hath , is , or doth , lies in an absolute subiection under god , to bee at his dispose ; all things are absolutely subject to the last end . thirdly , where god is aimed at , as the highest end , there gods glory is willed infinitely ; no limits , no bounds set to the desires , or endeavours of the soule after it . fiftly , thjs spirit hath other qualifications ; the spirits of the godly are glorious within : as , . it is an enlightned spirit ; the light of the glory of god , in the face of iesus christ , hath shined into it , and transformed it into the same image . dan. . . they said he was a man in whom the spirit of the holy gods was , because light , and understanding , and wisdome was found in him ; surely , the spirit of the living god is here ; for light , understanding , wisdome is found here ; this is the true light , the light of life , that hath a quickning power , and influence of life in it . there is a great difference between the light of the sunne shining in a garden , and the light of torches ; there is the influence of an inlivening power in the one , not in the other ; such difference there is between the light in the spirits of wicked men , and the light in the spirits of the godly : it is the knowledge of the holy , that is true understanding , prov. . . and a man of such understanding , is of an excellent spirit indeed , prov. . . this is that which the holy ghost calls spirituall understanding , col. . . to distinguish it from that understanding there is in naturall men ; they see into spirituall things after another manner than other men ; they see the reality , beauty , excellency , glory of them , which are hidden from drossie vile spirits : the gospell is said to bee a mystery , revealed to the saints , col. . . the law and testimonies are sealed and bound up amongst the disciples , esay . . the lord delights to reveale himselfe , to men of excellent spirits , who are onely fit to close with divine and spirituall truths . as none can teach so as god teacheth , iob . . so none knowes the things of god so as the godly doe ; they behold them as with open face , they walke on in the light of the face of god , psal . . . their spirits elevated by such a light as is sutable to that light there is in god himselfe , and that lustre of his image , that shines in the face of iesus christ : but the spirit of the world , is a spirit of darknesse ; even that light which is in them is darknesse . secondly , it is a free spirit , psa . . . establish me with thy free spirit , and this freedome makes it indeed , a true , royall princely spirit ; for so the word signifies that is translated in that place , a free spirit . the words are , establish mee with thy royall princely spirit . . a free disingaged spirit , not entangled , nor insnared with base , earthly engagements like the spirits of the world ; but a spirit that is at liberty , where the spirit of the lord is , there is liberty , cor. . . how doe the engagements of worldly spirits miserably enthrall them , that notwithstanding convictions of conscience , notwithstanding much unquietnesse of their hearts in their way , many checks , secret wounds of spirit , sinking damps , and feares , yet they cannot get off their hearts from those engagements they are so miserably , so dangerously entangled in ; this is a woefull bondage . those who are godly can remember a time , since their hearts were thus insnared ; but it was the blessed worke of the lord to set them at liberty , and now they have ease , now sweer quiet , and rest to their spirits . . free from the bondage of sinne , not under the power and command of it ; it hath command over it selfe , over its owne passions ; not in a base slavery to satan , not in servile subjection to men , not brought under the power of any creature . it was a notable free expression of two blessed martyrs , surgius and bacchus , who were two great courtiers , being accused for christians , and commanded to offer unto the idols , they refused to goe to the temple , and gave this answer unto the emperour ; wee , o emperour , are bound unto you , onely in an earthly warfare ; you have no right over our soules ; god onely is the lord of them . it will not be forced to any thing that is base ; god leaves the body and estates of his servants to the power of men oft times but their spirits are free : it is to base a disposition of a servant of god , to plead necessity of sinning ; no creature can compell another to sinne . tertullia● hath an excellent expression to this purpose ; the state of faith doth not admit , the alledging a necessity of sinning in those , to whom the onely necessity is not to offend . . it 's free in regard of slavish feare it 's able to looke upon the face of god with ioy , iob . . thou shalt have delight in the almighty , and shalt li 〈…〉 up thy face to god. the scripture speaks of a spirit of feare , and a spirit of bondage from both which , this spirit is set a liberty ; it can looke upon the power soveraignty , justice , holinesse of god , and rejoyce in them ; glad that god is so holy and just , and that it hath to deale with such a god ; it hath accesse to his presence with boldnesse and liberty of speech , ephes . . . as the word signifies there . it hath sweet and blessed freedome in the performance of holy duties , is not forced and haled to them , doth not take them up as tiresome burdens ; gods commandements are not grievous , they are not as fetters of iron , but as chaines of gold , for beauty and ornament ; there is a readinesse of spirit to what ever is good ; they are vessels of honour , ready prepared to every good worke , . tim. . . it is written in the volume of thy booke , i should doe thy will , and ●o i come , psalm . . , . there is a sutablenesse betweene the law and the spirit ; the law is written in it ; never so in it's element , as when it is in the wayes of obedience ; there is not that straitnesse of spirit as in others ; but here the heart sweetly enlarges it selfe , as the flowre that opens it selfe to the shining of the sunne . thirdly , a sublime spirit , raised high , by spirituall , heavenly influences , not swelling by pride ; a spirit that hath all earthly things under feet , as the holy ghost sets out the church , revel . . . things received with admiration by other spirits , it looks on with contempt , as things infinitely inferiour to it ; a godly mans feet are where other mens heads ; their heads , that is , the pitch and height of all their aimes , is upon things that are on the earth ; but the saints have these things under their feet . when valence sent to offer basil great preferments , to tell him what a great man he might be ; basil answers , offer these things to children , not to christians . when some bade , stoppe luthers mouth with preferment , one of his adversaries answered , it is in vaine , he cares not for gold ; his spirit was too noble and high , to bee tempted with gold ; base , low spirits would have beene taken with such things ; such a spirit as demas , who forsooke paul to imbrace this present world , but a spirit raised by god is above them . how was s. pauls spirit above mony ? when he speaks of lucre , he cals it , silthy lucre , tim. . . a godly mans spirit is sutable to the high dignities put upon it , and priviledges it hath . saul when made a king , had another spirit put upon him , contemning former things , highly esteemed of : a man raised on high , lookes on things below , and they appeare small things to him ; so here , reason may raise the spirits of men above the common sort : a rationall man lookes at many sinnes as too mean and base for him , scornes to staine his excellency with them , as the sinnes of sensuality , and filthy lusts . tully thinkes him not worthy the name of a man , that spends a whole day in the pleasures of the flesh ; and socrates had such a vile esteeme of sinne , as he thinkes , it shall be one of the greatest torments of men in another life , to be tied and bound to the sinnes they most delighted in here . seneca hath a notable expression to this purpose ; i am too great , and borne to greater things , thē that i should be a slave to my body : but if reason raises the spirit so high , how high then doth grace raise it ? this spirit cannot be satisfied with small low things ; as it is reported of luther , when great gifts were sent to him , hee refused them , with this most brave and excellent speech ; i did earnestly protest , that god should not put mee off with these things ; meaning that hee would not be satisfied with anything that was here below . all the things in the world are farre from being able to satisfie this spirit ; it accounts all , yea , if they were a thousand times more than they are , but a poore pittance for the portion of an immortal soule ; if god should make more worlds for it , yet if he give not himselfe to it , it would not be satisfied ; nothing but a god , an infinite , universall , eternall good , can fill up the desires of this spirit . thou hast made us , o lord , for thy selfe , saies saint austin , and our hearts are unquiet till they come unto thee . it is the worke of a base drossy spirit , to thinke , if i had but so much , or so much yearely , i should have enough : how base the spirit of that rich man , blessing himselfe in his goods ! soule take thine ease , thou hast goods laid up for many yeares ; what were all those to his soule , to the happinesse of his soule ? these are spirits that have higher designes thē so , their designes no lesse than a kingdome , yea , than god himselfe , rom. . . they seeke for glory , honour , immortality , eternall life : though they can bee content with little of the world for their use . yet they cannot bee content without that good & happinesse that is infinitely higher , and better than all the world , for their portion . as abraham said concerning his child , when god promised him a great reward , gen. . . lord what will thou give me , so long as i goe childlesse ? lord what is all the reward i can have , except i have this mercy , except i have a child ? because the messias was to come out of his ioines ; so the soule here , if god should promise it never such great things , yet lord what are all these things to me , if i have not thy selfe ? all the gifts that god can give to this spirit , will not satisfie it , except he gives himself to it . as god is not pleased with what wee tender to him , except we give our selves to him : so a godly heart is not contented with all that god gives to it , except hee gives himselfe to it . thus bernard exceeding sweetly , as what i have , if offered to thee , pleaseth not thee , o lord , without my selfe ; so thy good things we have from thee , though they may refresh us , yet they satisfie us not without thy selfe . yea further , the enjoyment of god is not enough , except they may have a full enjoyment of him ; they are not satisfied , except they bee filled with the fulnesse , yea , with all the fulnesse of god , ephes . . . see a notable example of this in moses , exod . . . and so on : the lord had done great things for moses many wayes ; but besides all hee had done for him , hee told him that hee knew him by name , and that he had sound favour in his sight ; one would have thought this might have satisfied him : no , moses must have more , verse . i pray thee , if i have found grace in thy sight , shew me thy way , that 〈◊〉 know thee , and that i may finde grace in thy sight . god grants him this , and rels him , verse . that his presence shall goe with him , and hee will give him rest ; surely , this will satisfie him : no , verse , moses must have yet more , hee must have such a presence ; as the world may know , that god doth goe with him , and that hee and his people are a separated people , from all the people that are upon the face of the earth : and verse . the lord saith to him , i will give thee this thing also that thou hast spoken . surely this will satisfie him : no , moses is not satisfied yet : verse . i beseech thee shew mee thy glory . hee must have more of god yet ; god grants him this also , verse . i will make all my goodnes passe before thee : and so the lord passes by him , and proclaimes his great and glorious name before him : hee shewes him so much of his glory , as he was able to behold . surely moses hath enough now : no , not yet , chap. . . god must pardon the sinne of his people too , and take him and them for his inheritance : hee must have this fruit of gods favour , as a higher than all the rest . see how , as wee may so say with holy reverence , he incroaches as it were , upon god , as one that could never have enough ; and yet this , god liked exceeding well . here 's a spirit indeed , that is not satisfied with meane , and ordinary things . in a spirituall sense the godly doe seeke great things for themselves , and it is their glory so to doe . god delights to have the spirits of his children thus raised ; he would not have them to bee of such sordid spirits , as to minde no higher things than the base drudges of the world doe ; as a prince or noble-man delights to see the spirit of his childe raised to higher designes , than the ordinary sort of men . fourthly , a firme strong spirit : esay . . the spirit of christ is a spirit of might . first , strong to resist strong temptations . secondly , strong to overcome strong corruptions . thirdly , strong to beare strong afflictions . for the first , it is not every temptation that can prevaile with these ; little things will draw weak childish spirits ; but such temptations as others know not how to resist , these can stand before them , and go on in their way , without any alteration of spirit by them ; though they live in the middest of temptations , yet they are able to keep thēselves unspotted ; like the three children , who walked in the fire , and yet the smell of the fire came not upon them , nor their garments ; or like the children of israel , walking on the dry land safely , and the seas on each side of them : they are ashamed to complaine of temptations to excuse themselves by their temptations ; for wherefore hath the worke of god beene so mighty upon their spirits , but to strengthē them against temptations ? many temptations which others thinke to bee strong , they scarce take notice of ; so farre are their spirts above them . luther was so farre above the sin of covetousnesse , as he saith of himself , he found no temptations to that sinne , though his spirit was much pestred with temptations in other kindes . the devill will not set upon such with ordinary temptations , hee knowes it is in vaine ; when he comes upon them , it is with temptations of a higher nature , of stronger efficacy ; as some mens bodies are of such strong constitutions , as that which will work mightily upon others , will not stirre them : so it is with mens spirits , the devill need not trouble himself much about many ; the poorest , sleightest temptatiōs are enough to draw them to what hee would have : yea , and such who account themselves to be of brave , of more than ordinary spirits too , who can stand out strongly against god , and his truth , against the strongest arguments ; the drawing motives , the powerfull perswasions of the word , they move them not at all ; but every poore temptation of the devill drawes them any way ; they have no power to resist , but are led as the oxe to the slaughter , and as the foole to the stocks . the godly man is strong in the lord , and in the power of his might , ephes . . . other men are strong in their lusts , and in the power of them against the lord and his truth . secondly , they can overcome strong corruptions : temptations from without have not such power , as corruptions that are within ; yet when these rise up like a flood , this spirit of the lord in them , sets up a standard against them , esay . . yea , by a contrary streame opposeth and overcomes them . the more sutable any corruption is to the naturall disposition , the more powerfully it hath heretofore prevailed , the more strongly it would now put forth it selfe , the more doth this spirit keepe it under above all others . every ordinary spirit can oppose , and be able to resist some meane , contemptible sinne , which brings little pleasure , or profit with it : when sin is , as it were , weakned and benummned by afflictions ; then they can cast it off : when the strength of it is abated for want of fewell , for want of opportunities of acting , for want of bodily strength to put it forth ; then they can leave their sinne : as simeon and levi came upon the sichemites when they were sore , and overcame them ; so they can come upon their sinne , in times of affliction , and overcome it ; & this they thinke to be repentance , which is a mistake . but this spirit can oppose sinne , when it is in the vigour and strength , and activity of it , and overcome it then . let god put this spirit into one who is yong & strong , whose bones are full of marrow who hath the world smile on him , and may have opportunities to the full to enjoy his lust ; yet now he shall be able to overcome his corruption , & prevaile against the strongest lust . as it is said of moses , hebr. . . when he was of full years , he then could deny himself , and refnse the pleasures of the flesh . the word in the originall , when he was great , when he was growne up to ripenesse , when he might have injoyed his pleasure to the full ; yet now he was able to overcome himself , & the world ; and this requires strength of spirit indeed . thirdly , it is strong to bear strong afflictions , as a strong bodyed man can indure cold and hard weather , which others dare scarce put out their heads into ; such difference is there in the spirits of men , in regard of their bearings of afflictions ; some are alwayes complaining , murmuring , whyning at every little affliction ; their hearts fret , vexe and rage under it ; like some mens flesh , if their skin be but razed with a pin , it presently festers and rankles : iob . . he saith , that his stroke was heavier than his groaning , but these mens groanings are heavier then their strokes : like rotten boughs of trees , if a little waight be hung on them , they presently break . a little thing will break the spirits of these men , a little thing will cause them to sinke and pine away , and in a desperate sullennesse to make away themselves . if thou faintest in adversity , thy strength is small , saith solomon , prov. . . what poore things are they , that many mens spirits are not able to beare ? not a frowne from a great man , not a conceit of the least disparagement that they suffer in any thing , that is but a toy and trifle , which a man of an excellent spirit would scorne to bestow a thought about ; the losse of a little money : as i have read of one who hung himselfe , onely upon a dreame that hee had , that hee had lost his money . others , if they meet but with a little disturbance in their family , from husbands or wives ; if their parents doe but crosse them , if their hopes bee frustrated in things of no great moment , they cannot beare it , but they sinke downe in such desperate discouragements , as their lives are bitter unto them , they are weary of them , and they seeke to ease themselves by putting an end to them . impatient sinking desperatnesse , ever proceeds from base weaknesse of spirit . despaire is a sinne exceeding vile and contemptible . gulielmus parisiensis speaking of despaire , hath this expression ; i despaire ! oh word of eternall reproach and confusion , of dishonour never to be blotted out ! it publisheth the devill to be the conqueror : and would thou didst see the devil crowned as a conquerour , to whom thou dost so shamefully lie under . these sinking sullen-spirited people may please themselves in the froward , sullen distempers of their hearts , and conceit as if they were fruits of humility : but let them know that the devill is the most sullen spirit that is , and yet the most proud . though in thy frowardnesse thou flyest from god , and lettest thy spirit sinke down , even as low as the bottome of the sea , yet even there the wrath of god will follow thee . as , amos . . though they hide themselves in the bottome of the sea , i will command the serpent to bite them . thus those , whose spirits are sunk into the bottome of the sea of desperation , they shall have no ease there , even there the lord will cōmand the serpent to bite them ; the devill shall vexe and torment them there . many while in their prosperity , while the world smiles on them , they seeme to bee of brave and stout spirits ; to bee sure , they are scornefull , proud , and high enough ; they are all for mirth and jollity , they are so afraid of sadnesse , as they banish all seriousnesse : but when affliction comes upon these , when god toucheth them with sicknes , what poor spirited men are they then ? how doe their hearts sinke like lead ? how disconsolate ? how dejected are they then ? none more . manasseh was of a bold presumptuous spirit , and exceeding scornfull in time of his prosperity ; he went on with a high hand against god , as if he meant to contest with heaven it selfe : but marke in the chron. . . when he was brought into trouble , what a poore , base spirit he had : he runnes amongst the thornes , he hides himselfe in the bushes , and from thence he is taken , and bound in fetters . as it was said of alexander , it was nothing for him to carry himselfe bravely , because he alwayes conquered ; but for caesar to behave himselfe wisely , and to uphold his spirit when he was conquered , and others fainted ; this was an high praise unto him . you talke of merry hearts and joyfull spirits , but can you be joyfull in affliction ? will your spirits hold out in tribulation ? can you rejoyce in the greatest troubles ? will your comforts hold out in sore and grievous distresses ? this were a signe of strength of spirit indeed . the spirit of a man can sustaine his infirmity , saith salomon . this is the strength of a mans spirit , to be able to carry it selfe bravely , undauntedly in the middest of greatest afflictions ; your spirits can beare nothing , they are childish , poore weake spirits , not to be accounted the spirits of men . lactantius boasts of the bravenesse of the spirits of the martyrs in his time , in this respect ; our children and women ( not to speake of men ) doe in silence overcome their tormentors and the fire cannot fetch so much as a sigh from them . fiftly , they are generous spirits : as , they are not mercenary , they will not indent with god for what they doe ; so much as they may get by their service , so much service , and no more : no , they goe on in their worke , and leave themselves to god : let the benefit of that they doe , be what it will , they lose not their end if they be imployed for god ; men doe very ill for themselves , in indenting with god for any service ; for their strait spirits cannot imagine , or desire that latitude of good , that the infinite bounty of god would give , if they left themselves wholly to it . seneca reproves the opinion of such , who said a man should choose a friend that he might have one , who might relieve him in his want , who might visit him in his sicknesse , &c. no , saith he , this is mercenary ; but i will choose a friend , that i may have one , to shew love unto , to visit if hee bee sick , to help if hee bee in want : so for men to choose a god unto themselves , that they may be helped out of troubles , that they may have their estates blessed , that they may get such and such things by , to make this the highest end is mercenary , and too low for a true , gracious , generous spirit ; but to choose a god , to be my god , that i may honour , love , fear , worship him for ever , this is true christian generousnesse . a true generous spirit , cannot endure basely to subject it selfe to any ; that is , to flatter , and fawne , and to be serviceable to mens lusts , and base humours for advantage sake . it knowes how to lie under the feet of any to doe them good , where god may have honour : but to be serviceable to any mans lusts whatsoever , it cannot endure : as we reade of dionysius his flatterers , who were so grosse in their flatteries , that when he did spit , they licked up his spittle , and said , it was sweeter than nectar and ambrosia . it is reported likewise of cambyses , who falling in love with his sister , he asked the iudges whether it were lawfull for him to marry her ? they answered , that they had no such law , but they had another , that the king might do whatsoever liked him ; whereupon he married her . such base-spiritednesse , cannot stand with christian generousnesse . a true generous spirit is not ready to take advantages against those that are under it ; men of these spirits , love to pity and relieve those whom they have at advantage , as elisha , king. . . when hee had the syrians in the midst of samaria , and the king of israel askt him , shall i smite them ? shall i smite them ? he answered , thou shalt not smite them ; set bread and water before them that they may eate , and drink , and goe to their master : and he prepared great provision for them , and when they had eaten and drunk , he sent them away . as is reported of the lyon , it spares those things that fall down and submit to it ; but the wolfe , beare , dog , rend and teare what they get hold of . to bee able to doe one hurt and not to doe it , that is truely noble . it is the glory of a king , yea of god himselfe to passe by an offence . to shew mercy , saith s. chrysostome , is a more glorious thing than to raise from the dead , and a greater worke than to build most magnificent temples . many base-spirited men , who will crouch low enough to those who are above them , yet they are imperious , cruell , hard-hearted , rugged , fierce towards those that are under them , & they thinke it the bravenesse & greatnes of their spirits that they can insult over them , and revenge themselves upon them , but there is nothing great in these men but pride , and selfe love : this is the greatest basenesse of spirit that can be , and the more these men formerly did discover their basenesse , in their sordid crouchings unto others that were above them , the more doe they now discover the vilenesse of their spirits , in their cruell insultings over those that are under them ; and this they thinke a goodly and brave thing that they can trample upon others , whereas the kindnesse of a man is the goodlinesse , and beauty , and excellency of a mans spirit . that word in esay . . . that is translated , the goodlinesse of the flower , is the same word which signifies kindnesse . wee reade revel . . the locusts that came out of the smoaking pit , they had faces as the faces of men , and they had haire , as the haire of women ; they had faire countenances , they could looke smiling , and flattering upon men , for their owne ends , but their teeth were the teeth of lions , and they had tailes like scorpions , to tear and sting those that they had at an advantage . an insulting spirit over those that we have at advantage , is farre from true generousnesse , howsoever men may blesse themselves in it . rehoboam was a man of an exceeding imperious , insulting disposition ; my little finger , saith he , shall be thicker than my fathers loynes ; my father put a heavy yoke upon you , but i will put more to your yoke ; my father chastised you with whips , but i will chastise you with scorpions : o , what a spirit was here ! surely he , and those who put him on , rejoyced in this as a brave commanding spirit indeed ; but the holy ghost saith of rehoboam , that he was a poore , weak , childish-spirited man ; yea , he calls him a child , though hee was above forty yeeres old , chron. . . hee was young , the word is a childe , and tender-hearted , that is , of a poore , soft , effeminate spirit . true generousnesse and cruelty are exceeding opposite , one destroys the other . when davids spirit was distempered , when he had lost much of his generousnesse , by that sinne of uncleannesse , as appeares in the . psalme , where hee prayes to god for his free spirit , which word signifies , a royall princely spirit , as you heard before , much of the royall princelinesse of his spirit , was lost by that sinne , and david was never so rigid as hee was at this time , which appeares out of the sam. . , . where he commanded the people whom hee had overcome , to bee brought forth , and put them under sawes ; and under harrowes of iron , and made them passe thorow the brick-kilne , and thus did he unto all the cities of the children of ammon . this was exceeding harsh and rigid ; wee never reade of him , that ever he dealt thus with any before ; now this is observable , that this act of his , was at that time , wherein he lay in his sinne : for ioab had besieged that city before david saw bathsheba , and it was at that siege , that vriah was slaine : and although this fact be related after nathans comming to him , and after solomons birth , yet it is probable it was before , even while hee lay in his sinne , for two reasons ; . because it is not probable that the siege continued ; not onely till the child conceived in adultery was borne , but after the birth of solomon too , as it here stands in the story . . neither is it like , that david newly receiving such mercy from god , as he did in the pardon of his sinne , and when his heart was so broken as it was , that hee should then shew such rigid severity , onely for the abuse of his messengers . the reason why this is set after , is , because in the time of the siege david committed the adultery ; and so the whole story concerning david and bathsheba is first related , and then he comes to the story of the warre againe . . a generous spirit is studious , and diligent to returne good , as well as desirous to receive good , as david , psal . . . what shall i render unto the lord ? saith he : he speaks , as a man pressed in his spirit , troubled untill he did returne something ; he accounts favours received , as great obligations , as any debts in the world . it is infinite basenesse in spirit to be so for ones selfe , as if ones owne turne be served , then neither god nor man is regarded . how many men will crouch , and yeeld to any thing , till they have got their owne turnes served ; but then they grow proud , and regardlesse of those , yea , oftentimes spightfull against those , to whom ( when time was ) they crouched for favours , and from whom they received many , by which they are come to that which now they are . a notable example of this , we have in benhaded , king. . . compared with chap. . . in the former place , he caused his servants to gird themselves with sackcloth on their loynes , and put ropes on their heads , and to come to the king of israel and say , thy servant ▪ benhadad saith , i pray thee let me live , and hee was content to yeeld to any termes , when the king of israel had him at advantage , as verse . the cities which my father tooke from thy father , i will restore , and thou shalt make streets for thee in damascus : but after that he was got out of his hands ; ahab was faine to go to war with him to get those cities , cap. . . and observe the basenesse of the spirit of benhadad , hee , who before had so crouched to ahab for his life , hee now commands his captaines , to fight neither with small nor great , save only with the king of israel : see with what malice he seekes the life of him , who before had saved his . a generous spirit loves to be abundant in service ; it is not satisfied in doing mean and ordinary things , as before they were sublime in that receiving of ordinary things from god would not satisfie them , but they must have great things from him ; so now it is their generousnesse , that they will not be quieted in doing ordinary things for god , but they must doe great things for him : they prize their service as well as their wages , as ioh. . . christ saith he hath finished the work that his father gave him to doe ; he accounts his worke a gift . thus those who have the spirit of christ , account their services to be gifts from god : to live unserviceable they would account to be the greatest burden in the world to them ; they had rather have lesse comforts and more service , than more comforts and lesse service ; they had rather be straitned in comforts than in duties . to what purpose doe we live , if we be of no use ? it is the basenesse of mens spirits ( which a truly godly man abhorres ) who desire to receive great things , but are content in doing little ; they put off god with ordinary , flight services ; but the spirits of the saints are more generous than so , if it were possible they would bee infinite in service to god , they never thinke they have done enough for him : i will yet praise thee more and more , saith david , psal . . . i will adde to thy praise , so the words are in the originall ; as if he should say , god hath had some praise in the world already , i would faine adde something for my part , i would come in withmy share , that he might have some more praise for mee , and this not an ordinary praise , but endeavoures to have the high praises of god in heart and mouth , psal . . . desires to make the praise of god glorious , psal . . . he would faine be eminent in good workes , tit. . . let ours also learne to maintaine good workes , the words are , let them learn to be eminent in good works above others ; there is a holy ambition in them ; to get above others in godlines ; this is , indeed , to walk circumspectly , that the apostle exhorts to in the . eph. . the word there translated circūspectly , signifies to get up to the top of godlines , to perfect holinesse in the fear of god , & therefore he sets the highest pitch of the rule before him , would not have the rule come down to him , but indeavours to get up to the rule , sets before him the highest examples he can ; he is not willing to offer that to god which cost him nothing , but if any thing more choice , more excellent , better then others , it shall be for god ; he loves to bee abundant in duty , hee would not scant god , to give onely that which he must of necessity , but loves to bee fruitfull in all good works . the reasonings of many mens spirits , shewes much basenesse in them ; why are wee bound to doe this ? is it absolutely necessary ? cannot a man bee saved except hee doe thus ? may not such a thing be lawfully done ? if thou hadst a raised , generous spirit for god , it were enough to thee , that such a thing is good , is commendable , it may bee , serviceable ; god may have glory by it , i may do good by it ; and such a thing hath no excellency in it , god shall have no glory by it : this were enough to cause the soul greedily and delightfully to embrace the one , and freely and strongly to reject the other . a generous spirit strives to be abundant in doing good , and leaves it selfe with god , let god doe with him what seemes good in his eyes ; it doth not maintain jealous , suspicious thoughts of god , as if it were best to provide for it selfe , and not dare to venture upon god : base unworthy spirits discover themselves much in this ; they will part with nothing , but first will see what they shall have ; they must have present pay , bee sure of it in the hand ; they are jealous and suspicious of every one , they are conscious to themselves of basenesse this way , and therefore look upon all others , as if there were onely for themselves too : but a generous spirit findes in it selfe a disposition ready to doe good to others , though they can doe little for him ; yet if they need , and he able , he finds hee can freely , and readily doe it ; and this makes him to venture upon others , that they will likewise out of freedome and generousnesse , bee helpfull to him , if occasion , if need serve , though they should not receive recompence from him : and therefore he is not ready to entertaine jealous & suspicious thoughts , as other baser spirits doe . thus in respect of god , hee knowes god is infinitely good , and blessed in himselfe ; and that he out of his own infinite goodnesse is ready to doe good , and helpe those in want , who are able to doe little againe in way of requitall ; but that he for his names sake , shewes mercy and loving-kindnesse to his poore creatures , because mercy pleases him ; and therfore he can venture himselfe upon god. base spirits , as they are very jealous in regard of trust , so they are very suspicious of love ; and thinke , because themselves are conscious to themselves of unworthinesse , and that they themselves love onely for their own ends , therefore they think they cannot be truly beloved of others , but so farre as they are usefull to them . but one of a generous spirit knowes in himselfe , that he can love others , not onely because he receives good from them , but that he may do good to them ; and therfore sees this to be infinitely more in god , and therefore can relie upon gods love in sense of his owne unworthinesse . though the lord can receive no good from me , yet he can doe good unto me ; and this i beleeve is the glorious excellency of the lord , and therefore my spirit shall not give way to suspicious thoughts of his love : as david , sam. . . although ( sayes he ) my house bee not so with god , yet he hath made with me an everlasting covenant ordered in all things , and sure : for this is all my salvation , and all my desire , although hee maketh not to grow . and this is observable , that it is said of him in vers . . that when he spake this , hee was a man who was raised up on high . it is true even in this sense , that that expression of his in verse . was an argument of a man whose spirit was truely raised on high ; and the rather doth a generous spirit abandon base , jealous , suspicious thoughts of gods faithfulnesse and his love , because it knowes in it self that it hath not such a vile disposition , as to abuse this gracious & blessed nature that it apprehends of god , so as to bee the more secure and loose ; to give liberty to it selfe in any evill , because of this : oh no , god forbid ; this , farre from a true generous spirit ; this , the spirit of basenesse ; this , a sordid disposition indeed , that it loathes , it abhorres the thought of it ; it findes in it selfe , that the sight of this grace of god , this blessed nature of god drawes it most sweetly to him , to close with him , to delight in him : it is the strongest motive to draw it up to holinesse ; yea , to perfect holinesse in the fear of god , cor. . . and therefore it casts out jealous & suspicious thoughts of the goodnesse , and love of the blessed god , as fruits of basenesse of spirit . sixthly , though sublime & raised as before , yet withal it is an humble , broken , and contrite spirit , one who is poor in spirit ; this , a blessed cōjunction indeed ; though it thinks it self too good for any lust , yet not too good to be subject to the least commandemēt ; though will not be under the power of any creature , yet will lie flat and trembling under the least word of the lord , esa . . . though not satisfied with meane things , yet accounts it self lesse than the least of all gods mercies . how sublime was pauls spirit , when hee accounted all things dung , yet himselfe could bee contented to bee accounted an off-scouring for christ ? the sublimity of his spirit was not a greater glory to him in the one , than the humility of it was in the other . though a godly man minds high things above others , yet can be well contented to be used in the meanest services for the good of others ; though he be raised above the world , yet judges himselfe lesse than the least of the saints : though he aimes at the highest pitch of godlinesse , yet blesse god for , and makes much of the least breathings of his spirit ; and such a heart is pretious indeed in gods eies : this , o lord , thou canst not despise , psa . . . so the words are . god can despise kings and emperours , god can despise the glory and lustre of the world ; but a humble broken spirit , the lord cannot despise . there is no object that god accounts worth the looking at in the world , but such a one : esa . . . to him will i looke , sayes god. the highest heavens , and the lowest heart , are the two places of gods most glorious residence . seventhly , it is a publike spirit , enlarged for publike good ; not a narrow , base , straightned spirit . godlinesse doth mightily enlarge the heart of a man : the lord perswade iaphet to dwell in the tents of shem ; the words signifie , the lord enlarge the heart of iaphet . when a man is converted , his heart is enlarged ; and it must needs bee so , for now the spirit makes after the enjoyment of god , an infinite universall good : now it opens it selfe to receive and imbrace a god , in whom it expects all good ; before it followed after some poore drops of good in the creature ; but now findes all is to bee enjoyed in god himselfe ; and being thus enlarged to receive an universal good , it desires to enlarge it selfe , as much as it can , to be an universall good , but that is proper to god : yet a publike good it may be , and therefore spreads it selfe as farre as it can . now it loves good as good , not upon particular private grounds ; and therefore the more good , the more beloved . it mindes good , as in reference to god ; and therefore where god may bee most honoured , there the heart most sollicitous , most industrious : it is willing therefore to empty it self of it's private good , that the publike may bee furthered . if nature will venture it 's own particular good , for the generall , ( as heavy things will ascend contrary to their natures , to keep out vacuity , and so to preserve the universe ) much more then will grace . every godly man , one way or other , according to the abilities he hath , is a publike blessing to the place where hee lives . the saints of god are compared to a cloud , heb. . . the comparision is true in this respect ; a cloud waters the earth as a common blessing , so are they ; not as water-pots , that water but a few spots of ground in a garden . and this publikenesse of spirit is then right , and truely gracious ; first , when it is content to doe publike good , where it selfe shall be taken little notice of ; as , many times the engine that doth all in great workes , is ( inward , hidden ) not taken notice of . secondly , when he can bee glad , that any publike good worke goes on , and prospers , though others bee used in it , and not himselfe , to the eclipsing of his light . thirdly , when he is willing to be used in any service , though but to prepare worke for others , which they , not hee , shall have the glory of after he is gone . as luther , writing to melancthon , encouraging him against the strong opposition that they met with in the cause of god ; god ( sayes hee ) is able to preserve his owne cause falling , and to raise it fallen ; if we be not worthy , let it be done by others . such a publike spirit as this is , is an excellent spirit indeed . eighthly , it is a sanctified spirit : thess . . , he hath made us partakers of his holy spirit : chap. , . i pray god sanctisie you throughout , your whole spirit and soule . sanctified , that is , not such a mixt spirit , as the common spirit of the world , hath not that mixture of filth and drosse in it , but is pure ; purity consists in freedome from mixture with that which is of a baser nature , if mixt with that which is of a superiour nature , that doth not make the thing impure ; as when silver is mixed with gold , but when it is mixed with lead or drosse . the spirits of the godly are mixed with grace , but that makes them more excellent and pure ; such mixture of spirituall excellency that is above the excellency of the soule , their spirits close with : but if there come any mixture with that which is base , beneath the excellency of the spirit , this defiles , and this their spirits cannot close with , but are sensible of the evill of it , and never leave working till they have purged it out from them . sanctified , that is , god hath set them apart for himselfe ; as psal . . . know that the lord hath set apart him that is godly for himselfe , and they have devoted , dedicated , and consecrated themselves , to and for god ; they are spirits resigned , given up to the lord. all the parts , abilities , common gifts of this spirit are sanctified , a higher excellency is put upon thē than they have in the spirits of other men ; weake , naturall parts in these , are more excellent than the strongest not sanctisied : as the consecration of wood , and leather , and meane things , put greater excellency upon them , than gold and silver had , that were not so consecrated ; yet the larger the naturall parts are of a sanctified spirit , the more excellent it is . it is able to make a sanctified use of what it meddles withall , of what it hath to deale in ; of all the workes and wayes of god , it makes all to be holy to the lord. ninthly , it is a true heroicall spirit ; none have such brave heroicall spirits as gods servants have ; it is not discouraged by difficulties , it wil set upon things a sluggish spirit thinks impossible ; it will goe through that which such a one thinks can never be ; it breaks through armies of difficulties , that it might goe on in its way , and accomplish its worke , not discouraged as the sluggish spirit , who cries out , there is a lyon in the way . it is not the difficulty of the worke , but the basenesse of our spirits , that ordinarily hinders us in our way ; some difficulties that others count great hinderances , it slights and contemns ; as reproach and scorne in the wayes of god ; it can contemn contemners , and vilifie those who account the wayes of god as vile ; this , the true spirit of iesus christ , of whom it is said , hebr. . . he endured the crosse , and despised the shame , the shame whereby others despised him , was despised of him , not accounting it a thing worthy for his spirit to be troubled at ; no more is a true godly spirit hindered in his way by this , than one riding on with strength in his journey , hindred by the barking of whappets at his horse heeles , hee rides on and minds them not ; and as for railings , and revilings at the wayes of god , by which many are discouraged , the spirit of a godly man can shake them off , as st. paul the viper that hung upon his hand , and feele no hurt ; it beares off many hardships , that are like to bee very grievous to flesh and bloud , that it is like to meet with , which discourages the hearts of many , both from beginning to enter upon gods ways , and from continuance in them after some entrance made ; as the other spies that were sent with caleb and ioshua , their hearts fainted , they tell of great difficulties are like to bee met with ; the land indeed is good , but there are children of anak there , and walls that reach up to heaven ; but this was the brave heroicall spirit of caleb and ioshua , their spirits were undaunted , they would goe up and possesse the land , let what ever could bee stand in their way . thus many have convictiōs of conscience that the wayes of god indeed are good , but the great hardships that they are like to suffer in those ways , keep them off ; but a true godly spirit , is willing to embrace religion , with all the hard terms annex'd unto it ; it is a poore , meane spirit that must indent with god a forehand : if i were sure to hold out , to have at last that which i desire , then i would venture upon the wayes of godlines ; but i am afraid it will never be : and so sinks , and hath no mind to set upon the work . but this spirit will set upon the worke with all the hazards , as ester , if i perish , i perish ; this was a brave spirit indeed . if she had had such a base cowardly spirit as many , to think , alas what good shall i do ? i may hazard my selfe , and bring my selfe into trouble , but no likelihood of any good will come of it : she is content to venture all , upon a meere possibility of good ; to breake thorow armies of difficulties , as davids worthies shewed the excellency of their spirits , in breaking thorow an hoste to gratifie their lord. if the worthies of god in former times , had stood upon every difficulty , what had been done in gods cause ? no , this spirit sets upon that which god cals it to , doth what it can , and leaves it self , and the issue of its work to god , as ioab sam. . . let us play the men for our people , and for the cities of our god , and the lord do that which seemeth him good : it was a brave speech of him , that shewed an excellent brave spirit in him . a poor low spirit , thinks every difficulty an impossibility ; but this spirit will not easily entertain thoughts of impossibility in services that are noble and worthy of choice spirits ; it will rather thinke with it selfe ; was there never any such thing done before ? or was there never any thing that had as much difficulty as this in it ? that was as unlikely as this , to come to a good issue and yet was at last accomplished ? why may not this then be done ? and so sets about it , without any more objectings against it , with this resolution ; quic quid sieri potuit , potest ; that which hath been done , may be done . such a spirit as this is ashamed to see and heare , & reade what great things have beene done by others , and what poor things it hath all this while been imployed in . suetonius reports of iulius caesar , that seeing alexanders statue , he fetched a deepe sigh , because he at that age had done so little . yea , so farre is a true heroicall spirit from being discouraged by difficulties , as it s raised by difficulties ; thus it s said of a true godly man , that hee stirres up himselfe against the hypocrite , that hee holdes on his way , and growes stronger and stronger , iob . , . when a difficulty , when any opposition , or danger comes in gods wayes , now it sees an opportunity offered of shewing so much the more love to iesus christ , so much the more sincerity , and power of grace , to bring so much the more honour to god and his cause , and in this it rejoyces ; this was the reason why the apostles and martyrs , rejoyced so much in their sufferings for christ . when ignatius felt his flesh and bones begin to bee ground betwixt the teeth of wilde beasts , now sayes he , i begin to be a christian . when alexander saw an apparant great danger neare him , his spirit workes on this manner ; now sayes he , here 's a danger fit for the minde of alexander to encounter withall . when david at first heard of being the kings sonne in law , he was troubled at it . sam. . . but when he knew , what a difficult and hazardable service hee was to undertake for it , then saies the text in the , verse it pleased david well to be the kings sonne in law : that which would have discouraged others , who would gladly have had the preferment , that raised the spirit of david , and made him like the offer the better ; and surely this was not an ordinary , common spirit ; it was the true magnanimity of the spirit of david . tenthly , a solid , serious spirit ; other spirits are sleight , empty , vaine , frothy , rash spirits , which are exceeding great evils in the spirits of men ; sleightnesse of spirit , makes men almost uncapable of any good ; what ever judge ment the lord laies upon mee in this world , yet the lord deliver me from a vain , sleight , frothy spirit : how doe the blessed glorious truths of god , which are of infinite consequence , passe by such , and are never minded ; nothing sticks by them , nothing abides with them that may be usefull for their everlasting good : but this spirit is put into a serious , solid frame ; it examines the ground of actions , compares one thing with another , looks much at the issue of things ; & this must needs bee , because the feare of the great god , and the feare of eternity is fallen upon it , esay . . these are joyned together , the spirit of knowledge , wisedome , the spirit of counsell and the fear of the lord ; it converses so much with serious things of high and infinite consequence , that it must needs be put in a serious frame . eleventhy , it is an active , lively spirit , serious but not sullen , not heavy , dull ; solid but not stupid , pet. . . the godly are called lively stones ; stones , because of their solidnesse ; lively , because of their activenesse ; god is himselfe a pure act , and these spirits have some likenesse to him , and nearenesse with him ; the higher things are , the more active ; water more than earth , aire more than water , fire more than all ; these spirits are raised to the highest excellencies of any creature in this world . they are of quick understanding , as esay . . and ready prepared to every good work , as tim. . . the most noble , excellent activenesse is from life , and the more noble & excellent the life , the more noble and excellent activenesse ; as sense more than the plants , and the rationall life more than the sense , and grace more than that , and glory more than all ; the more spirituall , the more active ; the more power the forme hath over the matter , the more active the thing is ; and the more the forme is sunk , as it were into the matter , there the lesse activenesse , as in the earth , and all heavy bodies ; now where life is , there the forme hath most power , and the higher the life , the greater the power ; godly spirits therefore are not melancholy , for melancholy makes dul , but they are active and lively , though they may bee heavy and sad , if put to some imployment not sutable to their spirits ; but put them upon spirituall imployments , and then you shall find them lively and active ; when they have to deale with god , when drawing neare unto him in spirituall exercises , then they are full of life , they are fervent in spirit , serving the lord , as rom. . . boyling in spirit , ( so the word signifies ) when serving the lord. the effectuall fervent prayer of the righteous availes much , saith s. iames . chapter . verse ; the working prayer , so the word signifies , and such a working , that notes the most liveliest activity that can bee . birds , whose motion is on high , fly swiftly when they are got up , but slutter when they are below ; so the spirits of the godly , when they are got up on high to god , in spirituall exercises , then they move lively : but when they are busied in inferiour things , they are oft-times dull and heavy . twelfthly , the spirits of the godly are faithfull spirits , faithfull to god and men , such as will certainly stick to , and will bee true to their principles ; you may know where to finde them , if you know their principles , which are sound & good , as before . the righteous is as an everlasting foundation , prov. . . you may build upon him ; there is an evennesse in all his wayes , a constancy , an universality of truth and faithfulnesse ; for it proceeds from the holinesse of their spirits ; as the faithfulnesse of god proceeds from his holinesse : and therfore those mercies that are called the sure mercies of david , esay . . they are called the holy sure things of david , acts . . gods holinesse makes them sure , being once promised . there may bee a particular faithfulnesse in some things , betweene man and man , where but some common gifts , and the spirit not this choice spirit , but that faithfulnesse comes not from a holy frame ; and therefore there is not an universality in it . these are the speciall qualifications of this other spirit , these are the bright glistering pearles , with which a godly soule , the kings daughter , the spouse of iesus christ , is beautifull within , and enlightned , free , royall , sublime , humble , sanctified , publike , heroicall , serious , active , faithfull spirit ; this is another spirit indeed , not the common ordinary spirit . sixtly , another spirit , it feeds upon other comforts , differing from those that common spirits feed upon : every life draws to it things sutable to the nature of it , and findes some kinde of content and comfort in the enjoyment of such things . we account life no life , except it hath the fillings of it , with things sutable , from whence it may have comfort , according to the variety of severall principles , whereby every creature that hath life , lives ; such is the variety of comforts in the world : so the life of this spirit must have comforts sutable to it , and because it differs from the life of other spirits , therefore the comforts of it are different , it lives upon other comforts . the life of a dog is maintained by carrion , of a swine by swill , of a toade by poyson ; but what doth a man care for these ? though carrion lie in the ditch , though swill bee in the kennell , though poyson cast upon the dunghill , he cares not for them ; for his life is maintained by , and hee feeds upon other comforts . thus though the men of the world living by sense and lust , have no other comforts to feed upon , but such as are sutable to them ; but the godly having a life that hath higher and more noble principles , they feed upon higher and more noble comforts . while nebuchadnezzar lived the life of a beast , hee fed on grasse ; but after , when he was restored to his kingdome , and began to live the life of a king , he had other comforts to feed upon , and delight himselfe in . the joy of the spirits of the godly are like the light of the sunne , fed by heavenly influence ; but the joyes of other men , are as the light of a candle , fed by base and stinking matter : for so solomon , makes the comparison , prov. . . the righteous is as the sunne , that shines more and more unto the perfect day ; and the joyes of the wicked he compares to a candle , prov. . . the candle of the wicked shall be put out . the men of the world have seduced spirits , they seed upon ashes , esa . . . the curse of the serpent is upon them , upon their bellies they goe , dust they eate , while they feed upon their swill and huskes : the spirits of the saints finde bread in their fathers house ; their comforts are inward : a good man is satisfied from himselfe , prov. . . hee hath a spring within in his own brest , he need not shark abroad : godlinesse with contentment is great gaine , saith the apostle , tim. . . godlinesse with selfe-sufficiency , so the word signifies . when oecolampadius lay sick , his friends askt him , whether the light did not offend him ? hee clapt his hand on his brest , and said , hic sat lucis , here is light enough ; this is soirituall comfort , that which arises from a right frame of spirit . hence the word in saint iames chap. . , translated merry , is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , the rectitude of the minde ; noting that all true mirth must come from the right frame of the minde . as for other mirth , i have said of laughter , it is mad , and of mirth , what dost thou ? as when the humours of the body are all in a right temper , there is a sweet sensitive delight in the body ; much more in the spirit , when the faculties and the frame of it are in a right temper . spirituall comforts are such as are above the soule , and therefore put an excellency upon it ; the comforts that are in things beneath the faculty , cannot but bee meane , and doe debase it . how much beneath the excellency of the spirit of a man , is the flesh of beasts , the juyce of the grape , or any vaine sports , or whatsoever may give content to the sensitive part ? but there are comforts that are above the soule , spirituall , heavenly , divine things , and these this spirit feeds upon ; they are comforts that the spirit rejoyces in before the lord : that a sweet and blessed joy indeed , that is enjoyed before the lord ; and when the lord most present , most enjoyed . other vaine sensuall spirits have joy , but not before the lord ; the apprehension of the presence of the lord damps all : and therefore they desire not to have mention made of the name of the lord , amos . . so to rejoyce , as to be able to blesse god for our joy ; so to rejoyce , as to make the presence of god the chief matter of 〈…〉 joy indeed , this , 〈…〉 , for the spirit to feed upon such comforts , is a choyce blessing indeed . they are spirituall comforts , for they are administred to the soule by a speciall worke of the holy ghost : it is the office that the holy ghost is designed to , by the father and the sonne , to bee the comforter , to bring in sutable comforts to the spirits of his setvants ; and surely the holy ghost will not be failing in this worke of his , as the father and the sonne have been full and glorious in all their workes , so is the holy ghost in his ; and therefore such must be the comforts of the spirits of gods servants , as must manifest a glorious worke of the holy ghost , in the discharge of that he is sent to doe by the father and the sonne . no marvaile then though the apostle called this joy , unspeakeable and glorious . consider what a difference must there needes be betweene the comfort that a little meat and drinke , and vaine sports afford , and the comforts of the holy ghost , which hee conveyes into the soules of the godly , by the appointment of the father and the sonne ? surely these must needs be soule-satisfying , soule-ravishing consolations : god is the god of all consolation , & therefore here are all consolations . there is surely infinite good & sweetnesse , treasures of all excellency in god , and what are they all for , but to bee comforts for the spirits of his servants to rejoyce in ? these are not for common ordinary spirits , they have meate the world knowes not of ; a stranger shall not intermeddle in these joyes : men of ranke & quality , as they are in higher condition than others , so their comforts and delights are much different from the delights of ordinary people . as god hath raised the condition of his people higher than other men , so he hath raised their comforts ; childrens bread from the lords owne table , is provided for them , while husks and swill serves worldly spirits . their comforts such , as are the delights of god himselfe , & of iesus christ ; they partake with them in their joyes : and surely , such joyes as they come and joyne with them in , must needs be sweet and glorious indeed . i and my father ( sayes christ ) will come and sup with them , and they shall sup with mee . they have dainties which their spirits feed upon , that are savoury even to the father and the lord iesus christ . surely , the world mistakes , who thinks the life of godlinesse not to be a comfortable life ; as if the most excellent and highest life should have the worst and lowest condition : surely , it is a grosse mistake , to think that the spirits of the saints should bee the most sad and melancholy spirits : gods spirit witnesses of them , that they are the children of the light , yea , that they are light . if they be sad , it is because they meddle too much with things below ; it is when their spirits are down ; when they get up their spirits to heavenly things , then they can rejoyce and sweetly delight themselves ; their hearts are inlarged , their soules are filled with joy . the birds doe not use to sing when they are on the ground , but when got up into the ayre , when on the top of trees , then they sing sweetly . if they be sad and melancholy , it is because they differ no more from the world than they doe , because they retaine so much likenesse to your spirits , stil in them ; were they freed altogether from the likenesse there remaines in them to your spirits , they would never be sad more , but their spirits would be filled with everlasting joy : for the present they joy in things sutable to them , and sutablenes is the thing that causes comfort in any creature . if the swine could expresse it self , it would tell you , that no such comfort as in swill and dung , and wonders that any other creature can take comfort in any other thing like to this , because this is the most sutable to their natures : thus worldly brutish spirits , because these low vile things are so sutable to them , they thinke there can bee no such comfort in any other thing ; these things they rejoyce in , for they know no better : but if their natures were changed , their greatest comfort would be in the despising and vilifying such comforts . s. augustine before his conversion , could not tell how hee should want those delights hee found so much contentment in ; but after , when his nature was changed , when hee had another spirit put into him , then he sayes , o how sweet is it to bee without those former sweet delights ! you thinke we have no comforts , or at least not like yours ; know , we can taste naturall comforts as well as you , if the poyson of sinne bee not mixed with them ; and god gives us leave to reioyce in them : god hath made these outward comforts for his setvants . surely god hath not made the flowers for spiders and frogges , but rather for the bee to suck honey out of them : wee can taste another manner of sweetnesse in them , than you can ; for we can taste the love of god through them ; we can taste them as the comforts that flow from that god , in whom all comfort is ; we can taste them as fore-runners of eternall comforts . a bee can sucke her honey out of a flower , that a flie cannot doe . but besides these , there are other conveyances of comforts , through which our spirits finde comforts to feed on ; namely , the ordinances , where the lord lets out himself in a blessed sweet manner , to the soules of his servants ; and yet besides , god communicates many comforts immediately , thess . . . now our lord iesus christ himselfe , and god even our father , which hath loved us , and hath given us everlasting consolation . doe you thinke we have no comforts ? what , did iesus christ come into the world , suffer so many sorrowes and miseries , die such a painfull death , and all to bring us to a more sorrowfull estate than we had before ? let us alone with our comforts , wee envy not yours . as tertullian sayes , in his apologie against the gentiles , wherein doe we offend you ? if we beleeve there are other pleasures , if wee will not delight in our selves , it is our own wrong ; wee reject those things that please you , and you are not delighted with ours . cap. . wherein the excellencie of this gracious spirit appeares . thus they are men of another spirit , and this is their excellencie : a spirit thus differenced from the world , where all this is found , is an excellent spirit indeed . here is true worth , all the bravery and glory of the world not worthy to be mentioned with this . the soule is the excellencie of a man , and this is the excellencie of the soule : a mans selfe is his soule . hence , whereas in matth. . . it is said , what shall it profit a man if hee gaine the whole world , and lose his soule ? it is said in another evangelist , luke . . what shall it prosit a man if hee gain the world , and lose himselfe ? surely , spirituall excellencies are the highest excellencies ; as , first , these spirituall excellencies have this propriety in them , they make a man a better man , wheresoever they are , which bodily excellencies doe not , nor all the riches nor honours in the world : a man is not the better man because he hath money , cloaths , honours , better dyet than others ; these are but outward things added to him , no intrinsecall excellencies . secondly , these spirituall excellencies are the beginnings of eternall lise , the same life we shall have in heaven : and hence the work of gods spirit in the soule , is called , the earnest of the spirit ; not a pawne , but an earnest : for a pawne is to be returned againe , but an earnest is part of the whole summe that is to follow . that which we have of gods spirit , is part of the same glory we shall have fully in heaven ; it is not onely an evidence unto us that there is glory comming , but it is a beginning of the glory , the fulnesse whereof is to come afterward . such a spirit as hath this life , lives a life farre above the common life of the world , even the life of heaven , the same life that angels and saints do live in heaven , the life of those blessed spirirs there . wee mistake if wee thinke eternall life is only in heaven ; eternall life is in this world , in the excellent frame of the spirits of gods servants , iohn . . life is the chiefe excellency communicated to the creature , and the highest life , the highest excellency . there is more distance between the excellency of the meanest , weakest godly man in the world , and the most eminent man for parts & common gifts onely , than betweene the meanest and weakest godly soule , and the most eminent glorified saint in the highest heavens ; the weakest godly man excels him that is most eminent in common gifts , more than the most eminent saint in heaven excells him : for the glorified saint is onely higher in some degrees in the same excellency , which in the principles , yea , and in some lustre , the meanest saint on earth hath ; hee hath that which will at last grow up to heavens glory : but the distance betweene him , and the man who onely hath the excellencies of parts , learning , common gifts , it is essentiall : all parts and common gifts in the world can never grow up to this . thirdly , yea , this is not onely the life of angels , the life of heaven , but the life of god himselfe ; for so it is called by god himselfe , ephes . . . seneca sayes of reason , that it is part of the divine spirit in mans body , it is much more true of grace , it enables the soul in some resemblance to come the nearest that can be , to live as god lives , to work as god works ; it represents god in his highest glory , and therefore it is called , the lynage of god : this shewes more to the world what god is , than all the frame of gods creation besides . it is not as an image , which hath only the dead lineaments drawne , though there be some beauty in this ; but as the image in a glasse , which presents the motion as wel as the lineaments : yea , and not only so , but as the sonne that beares the image of the father ; and this represents the life : or as if a glasse had life in it , and so could enjoy the sweetnesse , the good of that image it represents unto it self . this spirit is such a living glasse of the blessed god , that it enjoys the good and sweetnesse of that image of god it hath in it : yea , one degree higher , it is called the very divine nature , pet. . . as if it were nothing else but a sparkle of the deity it selfe . seneca has a strong speech concerning mans soule , what can we call the soule ( sayes he ) but god abiding in an humane bodie ? if a soule that hath only naturall excellencies , comes so neare god , how neare then comes it to him , when raised by those spirituall and supernaturall excellencies we have spoke of . yea , yet there is an higher degree than this ; it is called the glory of the lord , rom. 〈◊〉 . . yea , a higher degree than all the former ; the excellencie of this spirit is such , as it is one spirit with god himselfe , cor. . . he that is joyned to the lord , is one spirit . it was the excellencie of ioshua , that hee had the spirit of moses upon him ; of elisha , that hee had the spirit of eliah ; what is it then to have the spirit of god himselfe ? yea to be one spirit with him . put all these then together , godlinesse by which this other spirit is raised higher than common spirits , it is the life of god , the image of god , the divine nature , the glory of god , yea one spirit with god ; and is not here an high and glorious excellencie ? fourthly , this makes him , wheresoever it is , fit to glorifie god in the world , and so the soule thus endued , is not onely a glasse to represent , a living glasse to enjoy the comfort of what it doth represent ; but as a glasse to reflect upō the face of god himself , the glory of his own image , and that by a principle within it self . other glasses can reflect upon the thing whose image it hath , if acted by a hand externally ; but this by an inward living principle , and so gives god his glory actively , which no other creature can doe , but angels , and mens soules , who have these spirituall excellencies in them . were it not for a few of these spirits , what glory would god have in the world ? how little would he be minded , or regarded ? but these are they who have high thoughts of god , who have trembling frames before him , who do reverence , feare , adore , love , cleave to , trust in , magnifie the name of the great god in the world ; these sanctifie his name in his worship , they worship him as a god , they worship him in spirit and truth , and such worshippers god seeks , ioh. . . as these he highly esteemes of , and much rejoyces in ; these take notice of him in all his creatures , in the wayes of his providence , and use the creatures for him , from whom they are ; the glory of god is deare and pretious to these ; this is the excellencie of their spirits , they are not sunke in the dregs of the world , but being kept in some measure in their purity , they worke up to god , doe as it were naturally flow to god , as to their center . fiftly , these are such as are fit to stand before the lord , to have converse , and enjoy communion with him . dan. . . we reade , that those that were judged fit to stand in the kings pallace , before king nebuchadaezzar , they must have no blemish , they must bee well-favoured , and skilfull in all wisdome , and cunning in knowledge , & understanding science , and taught the learning , and the tongue of the caldeans . every spirit is not fit to stand before the king of heaven , to have converse with him ; none but the reasonable creature is capable of any such thing as communion with god , and it must bee the reasonable creature thus raised , they must bee men of other spirits . a man of an excellent spirit , cannot endure converse with base sordid spirits ; much lesse can god , who is that blessed holy spirit . no creature can have communion with another , but such as live the same life ; hence the beast cannot have communion , with man , because mans proper life is rationall ; these are the spirits who being partakers of the life of god , are fitted for converse and communion with him : likenesse is the ground of all liking in communion , it is the likenesse they have to god , that makes god to delight in communion with them ; god loves to dwell with these , and that in a speciall manner . corin. . . as god hath said , i will dwell in them , and walke in them , i will bee their god , and they shall be my people ; the words are very significant in the originall ; i will in-dwell in them , so the words are . there are two in s in the originall , as if god could never have near enough communion with them , psal . . . hee sets them before his face for ever , as loving to look upon them . now how great , how inconceiveable a dignity is this , for the poor creature to have this neare communion with god ? cursed bee that man , saies that noble marquesse , marcus galeaceus , that prizes all the gold and silver in the world , worth one dayes enjoyment of communion with iesus christ ; he was a man of another spirit , who spake from his owne experience , of that sweet he had found of communion with christ , who had parted with much honour and riches for him . enoch and noah , who were men of other spirits in their generations , are said to walke with god : god tooke them up even in this world to walke with him ; many a sweet turne have these spirits with their god ; god delights to have them neare him , that he might reveale and cōmunicate himselfe to them ; these know much of gods minde ; the secrets of the lord are with these , and to them he reveales his covenant , god doth not love to hide his face from these . that hidden wisdome which the princes of the world knew not , which eye hath not seene , eare heard , neither hath entred into the hearts of men to conceive , yet hath the lord revealed them to us by his spirit , saith the apostle , corin. . . even by that spirit , that searches the deepe things of god , and by vertue of this communion , these can prevaile much with god ; as it is said of iacob , gen. . . as a prince hee had power with god and prevailed . hence s. bernard in his meditatiös , giving divers rules of strictnesse , of purging the heart , of being humble & holy , and when thou art thus , saith he , then remember me ; as knowing the prayers of such a one would much prevaile with god for blessing . sixtly , this spirit is fit for any service , any employment god cals it to ; it is a vessell of mercy , sitted for the masters use ; many honourable services god hath to be done in the world ; men of ordinary common spirits , are not sit for them ; if they should be set about them , they would spoile the work , and dishonour god in it . if a man have a choice peece of work , he will not employ one that hath not abilitie to reach to it ; hee knowes the work would faile , and it would be his disgrace . when god would imploy some about building his tabernacle , hee fils them first with his spirit , so he saith of bezaliel , and aholiab . if a man bee employed in government , hee had need be a man in whom the spirit of god is , as pharaoh said concerning ioseph , gen. . . when god chose saul for government , hee gave him another spirit , so that hee was another man : when god had a peece of work to doe of high esteeme , beyond sauls reach , hee lookes out for another , who had a more excellent spirit than saul , and saith , i have found a man according to mine owne heart , who shall fulfill all my will. the excellency of a thing is in the use of it : what can it do ? the excellency of the angels is , in that they are ministring spirits ; and the excellency of man is to be serviceable ; his excellency is not , that he can eat , and drinke , and sport , and goe fine , but that he is of use , fitted for what service god hath to doe in the world , that he can further gods ends in his workes , that god may say of him , i have found a man according to mine owne heart , that is prepared to fulfill all my will. when esay chap. . had his spirit purged , signified by that signe of one of the cherubims , touching his tongue with a coale from the altar , he presently shewes the excellency of his spirit in this , that when god had a choice piece of worke to doe , and askes whom he shall send , the prophet readily and cheerfully answers , lord here am i , send me : doe but set the truth of god before these , it is enough ; their spirits being gracious close with it , yeeld to it , obey it , set about the work it shewes they should doe ; but when mens spirits are corrupt and unsavory , there is such a stirre to convince them of gods mind , in that which is not agreeable to them ; so much a doe to prevaile with them to the practice , though convinced , that it would grieve a man to have to deale with them . the excellency of the spirits of gods people , is set out to us very sweetly in that expression of the psalmist , psalm . . , as soone as they heare , they shall obey me . there is a wilingnesse of spirit to their worke , what god would have , what ever it be ; if they apprehend it above their reach , they cast not off their worke but seeke to god for supply of ability , knowing that there is spirit enough in god , that god hath wayes enough to enable the spirits of his servants unto , and carry them on in any worke he sets them about ; they know that god will never put any man , upon any services , but by one meanes or other , he will fit his spirit for them : for it is the great delight of god , to have men in service , to be of spirits fitted for service . when the devill himselfe hath any worke to doe , he chooseth men who have spirits fitted for his worke , and in them he delights ; if the worke requires boldnesse and impudence , he hath men of daring spirits , who will set upon it , and goe thorow with it ; if it requires subtilty , hee chooseth men of more moderate spirits , who can keepe in their passions , and secretly , and insensibly worke their owne ends . wee reade , revel . . the devill there opposeth gods saints in fiery and open violence , as a dragon ; but afterward , chap. . he gives his power to the beast who had seven heads , who would worke with more subtilty , to draw the world after him ; and as wee reade , hos . . , , , verses , those who laboured to set up the calves in dan , and bethel , were as hot as an oven in their purposes , intentions , and desires ; but because they saw the best way to have the worke succeed , was not to carry it on at first by open violence , therefore they were content to stay ; as the baker ceaseth from raising after he hath kneaded the dough untill it be leavened , and when it is once leavened , then hee puts it into the oven ; so they were content to forbeare a while , untill they had sent fit instruments abroad amongst the people to leaven them , to prepare them , by perswading them , that if such a thing were done , it were no great matter ; they should still worship the true god ; the difference was but the circumstance of the place ; and thus when they were leavened , then they were fit for the oven ; that is , for the purposes and intentions , of those who desired to set up the calves , which were as hot as an oven . according to any service the devill hath for men , he hath devices to raise their spirits to that height of wickednesse , as shall fit them for it . we have a notable relation of hospinian cōcerning this . when the jesuits have made choice of an instrument , for that king-killing service , that they intend to set him about , they doe not put him upon it untill they have first raised , and sitted his spirit for the service by these meanes . . they bring him to a very private place , in a chappell or oratory , where the knife lies wrapt up in a cloth , with an ivory sheath , with divers characters , and agnus dei upon it ; they draw the knife , and bedew it with holy water , and hang on the haft of it some beads consecrated with this indulgence , that so many blowes , as he gives in the killing the king , so many soules hee shall save out of purgatory : then they give the knife to him , commending it to him in these words ; o thou chosen son of god , take to thee the sword of iephte , sampson , david , gideon , iudith , of machaheus , of julius the second , who defended himself from the princes by his sword : goe and bee wisely couragious , and god strengthen thy hand ; then they all fal upon their knees with this praier ; be present , o ye cherubins and seraphins ; bee present yee thrones , powers , holy angels , fill this holy vessell with glory , give him the crowne of all the holy martyrs ; he is no longer ours but your companion ; and thou , o god , strengthen his arme , that he may doe thy will ; give him thyhelmet and wings , to flie from his enemies ; give him thy comforting beames , which may joy him in the midst of all his sorrows ; then they bring him to the altar , where the picture of iacobus clemens is , who killed henry the third of france , the angels protecting of him , and then they shew him a crown of glory , and say , lord respect this thy arme , and executioner of thy justice ; then foure iesuits are appointed privately to speak with him ; they tell him that they see a divine lustre in his face , which moves them to fall downe and kisse his feet , and now he is no more a mortall man ; they envy his happinesse , every one sighing and saying , would to god i were in your roome , that i might escape purgatory , and go immediatly into paradise ; but if they perceive him to shrink and be troubled after all this , they will sometimes affright him with terrible apparitions in the night , and sometimes have the virgin mary , and the angels appear before him , &c. thus you see , how the devill will have mens spirits fit for their worke , and when they are fit , then he uses them , and not before ; much more will god looke to have the spirits of his servants fit for their employments , and then onely he delights to use them , and those are the spirits who are higly accounted of , who are exceedingly honourable in the sight of god , who are fitted for his owne service . seventhly , this puts a lustre of majesty and beautic upon a man. wisedome ( much more all the excellencies of this spirit ) makes a mans face to shine ; as the light of a lanterne puts a lustre upon the lanterne , so the brightnesse of these spirits puts a lustre upon the men in whom they are . men of such spirits as these are , have a daunting presence in the eyes of those who behold them . it is reported of basil , that such was the majesty & lustre of hisspirit , appearing in his very countenance , that when the emperor valens came unto him , while he was in holy exercises , that it struck such a terror into him , that hee reeled , and had sallen , had he not been upheld by those that were with him . when the officers came to take christ , he did but say , i am hee , and let out a beam of the majesty of his deity , it strucke such a feare in them , as made them all fall backward : this spirit hath a beame of this majesty , and somewhat of the daunting power of it : how unable are wicked men to converse with men of such spirits ? they often goe from their company convinced , self-condemned ; their consciencestroubled , and their hearts daunted in them . eighthly , this spirit makes men fit for any condition that god shall put them into ; they know how to yeeld to god , to sinde out gods meaning , to carry themselves in every condition , so as to worke out that which god would have by it ; which men of ordinary spirits cannot doe . s. paul was a man of a most admirable sweet spirit , and he shewes it much in this ; i know ( sayes he ) how to want and how to abound ; how to be full , and how to be empty . hee could goe through good report and evill report , and keep his way still , and carry his work before him . it is the weaknesse and vanity of our spirits that makes us thinke , that if wee were in such and such a condition , then we could doe thus or thus ; this is a temptation to hinder us from the duties of the present condition , by putting our thoughts upon another . it is the excellency of ones spirit , if the present condition bee not sutable to the minde , to make the minde sutable to the condition , that the present which god calls to , may goe on . when a joynt in the body is set right , it enables not onely to move one way without paine , but to move any way according to the use of the member ; so where ones spirit is set right , it doth not onely enable to go on with some comfort in one condition , but in any condition that god calls unto , to carry on the work of that condition with joy : and hence the recovering of the spirit from a distempered condition to a right frame , is compared to the setting of a member in joynt : as , gal. . . if a man be overtaken in a fault , ye which are spirituall , restore such a one in the spirit of meeknesse : the word signifies , put him into joynt againe . and here you have had the discovery , as of what this other spirit is , so wherein the excellencie of this other spirit lies ; now then let us make applicaon of all . cap. iii. a discovery to the men of the world , whereby they may see that their spirits are not like the spirits of godly men . hence let the men of the world see , there is a great difference between their spirits , & the spirits of the godly . there are men indeed of excellent spirits , god hath such in the world , in whom he delights , with whom he converses , whom he employes in high and excellent services : but you are of base , sordid , uncleane spirits ; the spirit of whoredome , of lying , stubbornnesse , vanity , folly is in you ; your spirits drossie , sensuall , froward , malicious , profane , sleight , empty , unsavory , unfaithfull , perverse : what delight can the lord , who is an infinite , holy , glorious spirit , take in such ? how farre are these from any communion with god ? no marvell though nothing of god , or any spirituall thing bee savory to them . oh the corrupt principles that mens spirits are possessed with , the corrupt rules they goe by , and corrupt ends they have in what they doe ! the base imployments they put their spirits to , the noisome distempers of them , and base comforts they feed upon ! the heart of the wicked is little worth , sayes the scripture , pro. . . perhaps your lands , your houses may be something worth , but what are your hearts worth ? they are worth nothing , full of chaffe and drosse ; like childrens pockets , full of stones and dirt , while the spirits of the godly are store-houses of most choice and pretious treasures . when grace is gone from the soule , the excellency is departed from it ; as it was said of ruben , his excellency was departed , in respect of that sinne of his . how many a man or woman , who have faire comely bodies , good complexion , beautifully dressed up ; but within , spirits most ugly and horrid ; spirits full of filth , full of venome & loathsome distempers ; spirits full of wounds and putrified sores , breeding filthinesse continually ; nothing else but filth and corruption issuing out from them : men of corrupt mindes , as the apostle speakes ? how unsavory to any who have the least of god in them ? if the lord should give men but a view of the horrid deformednesse , and filthinesse of their spirits , it would amaze them , and sinke their hearts in wofull horrour ; they could not but abhorre themselves , as loathsome creatures , fit to be cast out from the lord , as an everlasting curse : especially , if together with the filth of their owne spirits , they had a sight of the infinite brightnesse , and glory of the holines of god , who is an infinite , pure , glorious spirit . god abhorrs not any other filthinesse , but the filth of spirits . the devills are abhorred of god , because they are uncleane spirits . there is no other object of gods hatred , but the corruption of spirits . god made mans soule at first , a most excellent creature , the very glasse of his owne infinite wisedome and holinesse ; but now , what an ugly , base , loathsome creature is it , where it is not renewed ? if mens bodies were deformed , and ranne with loathsome issues , and putrified sores , how dejected would they be in their owne thoughts ? but certainly this spirit-defilement is incomparably worse . if mens bodies were so putrisied , that they bred vermine continually ( as it is reported of maximinus ) how grievous would it be to them ? their spirits have these loathsome diseases upon them , by which they are infinitely more miserable . if they had such a distemper of body , as their excrements came from them , when they knew not of it ; this would be accounted a grievous evill : but their spirits so corrupt , that much filth comes from them , and they know not of it . many are so deeply putrified in their spirits , that they usually sweare and speak filthily , and know not of it ; and think this a sufficient excuse , that they did not thinke of it . it is a rule in nature , that the corruption of the best thing , is alwayes the worst ; as a stain in fine cambrick worse than in a courser cloth : so by how much the spirit of a man is more excellent naturally , than the body which is the brutish part ; by so much the corruption of the spirit is a greater evill than any the body is capable of . the reason why the devils are so vile and miserable now , is because sinne seized upon natures which by creation were most excellent . when diseases seize on the naturall spirits in the body , they are the most dangerous & deadly . soul-diseases , of al diseases are the greatest evils , and usually prove deadly ; yea , the least spirit-corruption would most certainly prove deadly , were it not for the application of that blood that is more pretious than ten thousand worlds . spirit-defilement is such a defilement as defiles every thing you meddle with ; as , tit. . . to the impure all things are impure . of what use are men whose spirits are so vile ? many make no other use of their spirits , but to be , as the philosopher said of the sensitive soul of the swine , it served for no other use , but to be as salt to keepe the flesh from stinking . how are many mens spirits employed about nothing else but to make provision for the flesh , and the filthy lusts of it ? o that an immortall spirit capable of eternall communion with the blessed god , and to be employed in such high and heavenly exercises , as for which it was made , should now come to be so farre degenerated and debased ! especially , how vile is this , that men who in regard of estates and place , are raised above others , and be trusted with large and blessed opportunities of worthy services for god and the church ; but they minde nothing but satisfying their lusts , to have their sports ; let the cause of god , church , or common-wealth lie bleeding , they regard not . what a lamentable thing is it , to have the weight of great businesses of consequence , to depend upon such weak-spirited men , who minde nothing but vanity and basenesse ? they have no worthy enterprize in their thoughts , their spirits so effeminated , that they will do or suffer any thing for the satisfying of their lusts ? others there are , who have remaining in them many excellent parts , pretious naturall endowments ; but of what use are they , but to enlarge their spirits to be capable of more wickednesse than the spirits of other men are , wise to doe evill , the fittest instruments for sathans depths ? who such enemies to christ ; as the scribes and pharises , men of the strongest parts ? who such enemies to s. paul when hee came to athens , as the philosophers there ? and no church was founded at athens , which was the place of the greatest learning in the world . and thus it hath beene in other succeeding ages . cap. iv. the reason why the men of the world , and the godly can never agree . hence wee see the reason why the men of the world , and the godly can never agree ; they are men of another spirit . where there is difference of spirits , there can be no agreement . water and oile cannot mingle ; no agreement betweene light and darknesse : they looke at them , as men , whose lives are after another fashion . that apocryphall authour in that book of wisdome , hath an excellent expression to this purpose , chap. . . he brings in wicked men saying of the godly , he is cleane contrary to our doings , he is grievous unto us to behold ; his life is not like other mens , his wayes are of another fashion ; wee are esteemed of him , as counterfeits ; he abstaineth from our wayes , as from filthinesse ; he commendeth greatly the latter end of the just , verse . let us examine him with rebukes and torments , &c. let the relation , and the ingagements be what they will , yet so long as of different spirits , they cannot close . what a differēt spirit was there betweene iacob and esau , who lay in the same wombe at the same time 〈◊〉 there may be outward peace fo 〈…〉 while betweene gods people , and some wicked men ; but inward closing of spirit there can never bee : the spirit that is in you , the world cannot receive , sayes our saviour , iohn . . antipathies are irreconcileable ; no arguments , no meanes ever used can cause an accord , except there be a change in nature . nothing in the world puts mens spirits in such a distance , as grace when that comes ; and therefore where the most eminent grace , there the greatest disagreement betweene them and wicked men . how many wicked men cannot but be convinced of some godly who live with them , that they are better than themselves , that they are conscientious men , whose principles are truly godly , and that they walke close to them ? they are not able to charge them with any ill carriage towards them ; they seeke to doe them all the good they can , and yet their spirits cannot close : but as they were wont to say in former times , caius seius was a good man , but hee was a christian ; so now , such are good men , but they are too strict , & this enough to keepe a perpetuall breach betweene them . cap. v. learne to have a right esteeme of such pretious spirited men . if the godly be of such excellent spirits , learne wee then hence to have a right esteeme of them ; they surely are worthy of pretious account , of most honorable esteem , who are men of such excellent spirits : let them bee what they will , in regard of their outward condition , though never so meane and poore . no matter what the ring bee , if the pearle in it be pretious . many most pretious spirits have very mean outsides . the tabernacle was beaten gold within , but the out side covered with badgers skines . if the treasure be rich , what though the vessell be earthen ? surely , these are the excellency of the earth , the very light and beauty of the world , the glory of gods creation ; they give a lustre to the places where they live , to the families in which they are ; especially if they walke close and faithfully with god indeed , manifesting the excellency of their spirits in their wayes ; so that when they are taken away , the very places where they lived , are darkened . this other spirit of the godly makes a iob scraping his soares on the dung-hill , and a ieremy sticking in the myrie dungeon , more glorious than kings and princes sitting crowned upon their thrones : these are glorious within . god is a spirit , and he looks on men , to see what they are in their spirits ; and he esteems accordingly of them ; and so should we . what doth brave cloathing , what doth money , what doe titles of honour raise the dignity ? what ? are these to the excellency of mans nature ? no certainly ; the excellency of man must bee that which mustmake the most excellent and noble part truly excellent , which is the spirit of a man. if a man would know the excellency of any thing , as of a sword , or of any other instrument , he judges it not by the hilt , or the inferour part ; but by what excellency the principle part hath . there is a spirit in man , and the inspiration is from the almighty ; a spirit inspired by the almighty , and beautified with his heavenly graces ; this innobles a man indeed ; it is the ornament of the hidden man of the heart , the glorious cloathing of that which makes truely beautifull and glorious . how did many of the heathen highly prize those , in whom they saw any naturall excellency of spirit , differing from other men ? those amongst the romanes , who were called the curii , and ●abritii , they lived very poorly and meanly , yet being perceived to have more excellent spirits than other men , they were taken from their dinner of turnips and watercresses , to lead the romane armie : how much more should we honour men in whom we may see divine spirits , the lustre of heavenly graces shining in them ? but to shew more particularly that godly men are to be highly prized in regard of this other spirit ; as they have received a spirit differing from other men , so they are to have esteem and honour differing from other men ; not to bee looked at as common men for , first , this difference of their spirits from other men , is a certaine signe of the eternall love of god unto them ; it comes from the treasure of gods everlasting love , of that choyce speciall love of god , from the bowels of gods deepest mercies : it is a most infallible argument , that god hath set his heart upon them for good ; as for other favours , a man may have them more than other men , yet they are no such but may stand with gods hatred , and with his eternall wrath : and this is a great difference betweene spirituall mercies and outward mercies , which sets an exceeding high prize upon spirituall mercies aboue all others : these are the distinguishing mercies , which others are not . but , secondly , the spirit receiving these spirituall excellencies from gods choyce everlasting love , receives likewise all other mercies from the same fountaine ; though in their owne nature they bee common mercies , yet where this other spirit is , there they are received from another fountaine than other men receive them , which addes much sweetnesse and excellencie to the mercies we have ; they come as fruits of the common bounty and generall goodnesse of god to ordinary men ; but to men thus differenced from others , they come out the spring of the rich treasures of gods grace , tending to the furtherance of eternall mercies . thirdly , the lord hath an especiall eye upon and delight to dwell with these , who are of choice and excellent spirits ; hee will dwell with the contrite heart , to revive the spirit of the humble , esay - . hee hath a speciall care of these spirits , that they doe not faile before him ; hee puts under his hand , to support , comfort , revive them . when wee beate ordinary spices , we heed not so much every dust , but some flies out and falls on the ground ; but if bezar-stone , or some speciall choice costly spice bee beaten , then there is care had of every dust , that the least bee not lost ; so though god may afflict the choicest spirits of his servants , yet hee is very carefull that their spirits faile not before him ; as for other common ordinary spirits , hee cares not much to let them faile , and sinke in their affliction , but this is the mercifull care of god over those spirits , whom he highly esteems of . fourthly , the excellencies of this spirit , are eternall excellencies , they shall abide for ever , not vanish , not be taken away as common gifts and other mercies shall , as , ezech. . . if a prince give of his inheritance to one of his servants , it is to bee his but for a time , and to returne unto the prince againe ; but his inheritance shall be to his sonnes , for them for ever : so when god gives any thing to common men , who are but his servants at best , it must returne againe ; god will call for all his mercies from them againe ; but these soule-mercies of his children , shall be their inheritance for ever . hence god calls his church , an eternall excellency , esay . . but fifthly , and principally , these other spirits are most honourable creatures indeed , because they are reserved for other mercies ; god gives common mercies to common spirits , but hee reserves his choice mercies for choice spirits . with the pure , thou wilt shew thy selfe pure , saith david , in the sam. . . the words are , with the choice thou wilt shew thy selfe choice . abraham gave ishmael and hagar a bottle of water and a few raisins , and sent them away ; but the inheritance was reserved for isaac . so god gives to other men a few ordinary mercies , but his glorious mercies hee reserves for these peculiar ones : and , as it is said of iehosaphat , chron. . . he gave his other sonnes great gifts of silver , gold , precious things , fenced cities , but the kingdome he gave to iehoram , because he was the first borne : so god gives these outward mercies to other men , but the mercies of his kingdome , are reserved for these men of choice spirits , who are the first borne , the chiefe and most excellent of all gods creatures in this world . now we are the sonnes of god , saith s. iohn , but it appeares not what wee shall bee ; there is more to come hereafter , they have not spirits that will be satisfied with the things of this world , and therefore are not as ordinary men , who have their portion in the things of this world . god delights to fill the capacities of all his creatures with sutable good ; now these other spirits , by that choice excellency of them , are made capable of farre higher mercies than the world can afford ; they must be the good things of another world that can fill them , and those are reserved for them . the bodies of the saints , because they are joyned to such pretious soules , shall be like the glory of the sunne , yea , excell in glory . how glorious then shall their souls be , for whose sake their bodies shall bee thus glorious ? wee look upon great heires , who have great inheritances to come , with high esteeme , though they have little for the present : these are the great heires of heaven , coheires with iesus christ himselfe ; these they are , who are delivered from the wrath to come and to be made partakers of the glory that is to be revealed . the lord gives them no great matters in comparison now , because hee hath reserved so much for them afterwards . as nature is not very exquisite in her worke in inferiour things , where she intends some higher excellency ; so the god of nature , intending such high and glorious things hereafter for his saints , doth no so much regard to give them these inferiour things for the present . but what are those reserved mercies you speake of , that god hath for these ? not entending a treatise of that glory , that god hath for his choice ones , onely take these five generals . first , these mercies are prepared mercies , prepared before the foundations of the world were laid , and againe prepared by iesus christ , who is gone before to heaven to that end , as hee tels us himselfe , to prepare mansions for us , iohn . . now this is spoken after the manner of men , who do not use to make long and great preparations but for some great worke in hand : surely , these mercies must needs be great , which the wisedome , power , and mercy of god , hath been from all eternity preparing . secondly , they are other mercies , than adam , than man-kinde should have had , than they could have attained unto , if he had stood in his innocencie . man indeed should then have beene for ever happy , but not according to that height of happinesse , and glory that now is provided for those , who are the beloved of the lord. thirdly , these reserved mercies , are such as must set out gods magnanimity , that god may shew to angels , and all his creatures what his infinite wisdome , power , and goodnesse can do for poore creatures , to raise their conditions to a height of glory ; surely that glory must needs be high , that is raised for that end . if a king should doe any thing of purpose to shew his magnificence , it must needs be some great thing ; it is not a common ordinary thing , that can set forth the magnificence of a king ; much lesse that can set forth the magnificence of the great god. when ahasbuerus would make a feast , and nebuchadnezzar would build a pallace , to shew to their people their greatnesse , they were great things ; so surely here , that which must shew the greatnesse of the great god , must needs be great indeed . fourthly , these mercies must be such , as may shew to angels and all the world , how infinitly well pleased god the father is with the obedience of his sonne , in giving himself up to death , for the purchase of , mercy : surely that mercy thus purchased must needs be great . if there had beene no higher good for man , but to eat and drink , and to have pleasure to the flesh , certainly christ would never have died , to have purchased this ; but there were higher things then these which christ look'd at , these are but poore things for god to shew by them how infinitely he is well pleased with the obedience of his sonne to the death ; that which must demonstrate this , cannot but bee very great what ever it bee , and that , yea the fulnesse of that , is the mercy reserved for these choice ones . fiftly , other mercies ( in some respect higher ) than the very blessed angels themselves have ; for , mans nature is more highly advanced than theirs , being hypostatically united to the divine nature . the righteousnesse whereby the saints come to glory , is a higher righteousnesse , a more excellent righteousnesse than that of the angels ; though theirs be perfect in its kinde , theirs is the righteousnesse but of meere creatures , but the righteousnesse of the saints , is the righteousnesse of that person , which is both god and man. the sonneship of the saints , is founded in a higher right , then that of the angels , namely in the sonneship of the second person in trinity . they are the members of jesus christ , and so in a nearer union with him then any other creature . they are the spouse of the lambe , whereas the angels are but ministring spirits , as the servants of the bridegroome , but the saints are the bride . surely then , the mercies reserved for these choice spirits , are choice and glorious , not onely other mercies then others have , or they themselves have now , but other mercies then they are able to imagine ; these therefore wee are to looke upon , as most blessed and honourable creatures . cap. vi. a rebuke to this vile world , who have vile conceits of this spirit , and abusemen of such excellent spirits . if the spirits of godly men bee thus pretious , how vile then is this base world , which hath such irrationall absurd conceits of this spirit ? and which so scornes and abuses men of such excellent spirits ? there are two branches of this use : in the first , the vile conceits that men of this world have of this spirit , are rebuked ; for , they thinke godlinesse befooles men . they thinke it makes them cowards , to bee men of no metall and valour , poore spirited men . they thinke this spirit to bee a turbulent spirit , as ahab said of elijah , art thou hee that troubles irael ? luther was called the trumpet of rebellion . and lastly , they thinke them to be factious spirits . for the first of these ; what more ordinary , than to cast this aspersion upon godlinesse , that it makes men to be dull , heavie , stupid fooles , not sit for the great and high things of the world , and therefore they labour to stifle any beginnings of godlinesse in their children , or in any neare to them , for feare it should ●inder their parts , and take away the quicknesse of their wits , and bravenesse of their spirits ; except you think that to be the only bravenesse of spirit , to venture upon any thing that may further your owne ends , not to feare sinne , nor the displeasure of an infinite god , to let out your hearts to the utmost , to the satisfying your owne desires , to examine nothing by rule , but to doe whatsoever is good in your owne eyes , to rejoyce in the wayes of sin , and to blesse your selfe in the proud swellings of your owne heart , to be able to scorne at conscience , humiliation for sinne , strictnesse in gods wayes , as too meane a thing for men of such qualitie , of such birth as you are , of such estates , hopes , preferments , and designes as you have , things fitter for poor snakes , meaner people , contemptible silly soules to looke after ; if this be the excellency of your spirits , then , godlinesse debases them indeed , yea , it debases them as low as hell it selfe ; it casts shame in the faces of , and breaks in pieces such haughty , swoln spirits as these are , it brings them down to lie at gods feet , as poore contemptible creatures in their own eyes , loathing and abhorring themselves , as there is infinite cause they should , and judging themselves worthy to bee destroyed ; but as for any true naturall excellency of spirit , godlinesse doth not quench it , but raises it , and beautifies it , and perfects it ; it is either grosse ignorance , or desperate malice , that causes these conceits of the worke of godlinesse in the spirits of men , yea , there is much blasphemy in them . what ? shall the worke of gods grace , wherein the glory of god consists , which is the life of god , the image of god , the divine nature , as hath been shewne ; shall it be the debasing , the besotting , the befooling of mens spirits ? what ? doth holinesse , that makes god glorious , make man contemptible and vile ? doth that which makes god so honourable in the eies of the blessed angels and saints , make man a sott , and a foole in the eyes of men ? oh! that ever there should bee such malice in the hearts of men , against the grace of god , ever to have such vile conceits of it ; pray , if it be possible , that this thought of thy hart may be forgiven thee . did not malice blind men , they might see that the lord hath had , and still hath , some of his saints as eminēt in any outward true excellency , as any in the world ; as great schollers , as brave courtiers as any living ; as deepe in policie , as profound in learning , as compleat every way as any whosoever . who more eminent in learning than moses , who was learned in all the learning of the aegyptians ? who ever had a higher straine of eloquence than esay ? who ever more profound than s. paul ? and in later times , yea , even in our dayes , the church hath not wanted worthy and glorious lights , who have beene exceedingly eminent in all , that naturall excellency could make them , even their enemies being judges . what braver courtiers ever lived , than ioseph , nehemiah , and daniel ? could godlinesse in the power and life of it , in the strictnesse of it , stand with bravenesse of spirit , & naturall excellencies , then ? and can it not do so now ? though god choseth oft-times the poore in the world , to bee rich in faith ; the foolish things in the world , to confound the wise ; and weake things of the world to confound the strong ; and base things , and things despised , &c. cor. . , . yet when men are godly , their parts are not by their godlines debased , but raised ; many poore weake men , who before were of mean naturall abilities , yet put them now upon spirituall things , and what strength of parts doe they shew , in prayer , in conference about the mysteries of god , in discerning the subtilities and wiles of satan , in finding out the corruptions of their owne hearts , in wisely ordering their affaires for god , and the furtherance of their owne eternall good ? wise in the right choice of the highest end , and prudent in the right disposing of the best meanes tending thereunto ; these things are not the works of fooles , of poore silly , simple men ; they require quicknesse of understanding , depth of judgement . there are five reasons why godlines must needs raise a mans parts : because it purges from many lusts , that darken and besot men in their parts . it imployes men in conversing with high , spirituall , and heavenly things . it makes men serious , and so strengthens their judgements , in the apprehension of things . it makes men make conscience to improve their time , in the use of all meanes and helps they can , to enable and fit themselves for service . fifthly , it causeth to imploy their parts faithfully , and so they come to have the blessing of god upon them , for the encrease of them , according to his promise , to him that hath , it shall bee given . againe , godlinesse doth not make men cowards , surely , it hinders not spirituall valour ; who ever were greater souldiers , more eminent in true valour and fortitude , then ioshua , david , gideon , barak , & others , who through faith subdued kingdomes ? hebr. . , . that is basenesse of spirit , and want of valour that makes a man a slave to sin , and the devill ; so a slave , as he hath no heart to any worthy service , to free himselfe from it ; but lies down under it , and carries the fetters and yoake of his bondage about with him , withersoever he goes . that is cowardly basenesse that brings conscience into a servile subjection , that cowardly basenesse that will suffer the cause of god to be betrayed , rather than venture any thing for it ; what greater argument that men want true spirit , than this ? godlinesse puts a spirit of fortitude into men , that will not suffer them to bee thus debased : and where appeares the like courage in any , as in these , when they are called to stand for the truth ? though all the tiles of the houses in the city of wormes , were devils , yet thither would i goe to testifie to the truth , saith luther . againe , it is not a turbulent spirit ; for turbulency of spirit makes men cruell and malicious ; this spirit causes men to love their enemies , to do all the good they can to them : turbulent spirits seeke onely their own ends , they care not what becomes of others ; so it bee that they may but warme themselves , they care not what house bee on fire : they are boysterous in things that concerne themselves . but the saints of god , in whom this other spirit rules , they are meeke and gentle , and yeeldable in their owne cause , ready to put up wrong in all quietnesse : take them in things that onely concerne themselves , and you shall find none so readily , so freely , so chearfully denying themselves , as they . and againe , turbulent spirits doe not love to examine things by rule , to call things to account , but follow their owne fiery humour , and set upon their own will with violence : but godlinesse takes off men from this ruggednesse and turbulency of spirit , & makes them gentle and peaceable : let them bee never so active , never so forward , never so zealous in any thing , yet if you wil call them to examine things by rule , they will meekly and patiently heare you ; yea , a childe shall leade them , esay . . and yet further ; turbulēt they are not , for none more obedient to authoritie than they ; none see that majestie of god in autority , as they doe ; none obey authority out of conscience so as they doe . if the will of men in authority , rather than authority , shall require any thing that the authority of heaven forbids , that they do not ; because they cannot obey , for conscience sake : and so sacred do they account authority , that they would have no obedience performed to it , but obedience for conscience sake . blind obediēce the church of god hath long agoe exploded , as too servile for christian spirits : this were more servile than selling mens bodies in the market for slaves , which christianity abhors . it were too uncharitable a conceit of christian magistrates , to thinke that they should require of , or expect from any , other obedience , than in , and for the lord ; and in this obedience , those who are godly , are so forward , as they are judged turbulent , for being over-forward to maintaine the honor of authority , as some think ; when according to their places they promote the execution of laws made by authority , and that of those lawes which are of the highest consequence for the furtherance of piety and peace . againe , factious spirits they are not , because they seeke above all things to keep to the maintenance of , & obedience to the primitive truth ; that is faction that sides against that . tertullian hath a notable expression in his apology for the christians against the gentiles , to cleare gods people from being men of factious spirits : it seemes that aspersion was cast upon them then , which was about yeares agoe , his expression was this , when good men , when honest men meet together , when godly men are gathered together , it is not to bee called a faction , but a court ; and on the contrary , the name of faction , sayes hee , is to bee applyed to them , who conspire to the hatred of good and honest men . and thus much of the first branch of the vse , which was the reprehension of the vile cōceits that men had of this other spirit ; now the second followes , which is the rebuking of the men of the world , for the ill use they give to men who are of such excellent spirits . the excellencies of the spirits of the godly , do challenge all the good use that can bee , but it is little they meet withall ; they are for the most part abused by the men of this vile world , as if they were the vilest scurfe and filth of the earth : yea , so indeed they account them ; so saith s. paul. . cor. . . we are made as the filth of the world , and are the off-scouring of all things unto this day . why ? what was s. paul , and what were those that were with him , who was so accounted of , were they not men of most excellent and admirable spirits ? s. paul was one of the most excellent spirited men that ever lived upon the earth , and did as much service for god , as ever any meere man did since the beginning of the world ; and yet how vilie was he thought of ? how contemptibly was hee used ? put into stocks , and whipped ; wanted cloathes and victuals ? and for the others that were with s. paul , they were men of whom the holy ghost gives this witnesse , that they were the very glory of jesus christ , cor. . . oh unworthy world , that ever they should have such men live amongst them ! those who are the delight of angels , yea , of god himselfe , how are they abused in this wicked world , as if they were dogges , or the basest scumme and filth of the earth ? what scorne and contempt is cast upon them ? the most abject of men think themselves good enough to reproach and abuse them . were it not a grievous sight to see some base drudge to have power over the body of some noble prince , to abuse it by stripes , or any other contumelious sordid manner ? but a more grievous thing it is to see the vile and base spirits of the world , who are nothing but sinks of filth themselves , to abuse men of such noble and excellent spirits , as if they were more vile than dirt ? it was the bitter complaint of ieremy lament . . . that the pretious sonnes of sion , comparable to fine gold , were esteemed as earthen pitchers . such as blessed spirits would honour , if they had them with them , yet here they are cast out as filth . what griefe sufficent to lament the seeing of such filthy swine to trample under their feet such pretious pearles ? in all ages thus it hath beene . those who were indeed the true honourable upon the earth , such pretious and excellent spirited men , as of whom the world was not worthy ; and yet they have beene most vilely abused , and are so still by this wretched world , who know not wherein true worth and excellency consists . matth. . . christ telling his disciples how ill the world would use them , he tels them , they have as good use from it , as the prophets had before them . how was micaiah ( a man of a very sweet and excellent spirit ) contumeliously used ? hee was strucke on the mouth , shut up in prison to be fed with water & bread ; yea , with the water and bread of affliction , while false prophets , most base spirited men , were fed delicately at iesabels table . how was ieremiah used ? hee was thrown into the dungeon , stuck up almost to the eares in the myre ; the word of the lord was made a reproach unto him daily . david before them , ( a man in whom gods soule delighted , yet he ) complaines of himselfe , that he was a reproach of men , and despised of the people : all that saw him , laughed him to scorne ; they shot out the lip , and shook their head at him , psal . . , . and iob before him , he was made a by-word of the people , and as a tabret unto them ; as he sayes of himselfe , chap. . . the same use had the blessed apostles , who were filled with the spirit of god ; none more scorned , persecuted , cōtemned , than they . the most worthy and famous men in the primitive times , found no better use than these . it were infinite to instance in particulars . ignatius , polycarpus , athanasius , chrysostome , basil , and the rest , reproached , banished from their people ; persecuted , and exceedingly contumeliously used . in later times , the more excellent the spirits of men were , the worse use did they ever finde from the world : wee might instance in wickliffe , hus , luther , zwinglius , musculus , &c. i cannot passe by that sad example of musculus , who was a man of as brave a spirit , as any lived in his time , and a very learned and godly man ; yet after he had much laboured in the work of the lord , in his publike ministery , was so ill used of the world , that he was faine to get into a weavers house , and learne to weave , that by it he might get himselfe and his family bread , and within a while he was accounted unworthy of that preferment , and was thrust out of the house by his master the weaver , and then was forced to goe to the common ditch of the town , and worke with his spade ; to get his living . whose heart bleeds not to heare of these former examples , and divers others , men of most pretious spirits thus ill used by this unworthy world , even such in whom christ rejoyces that ever he shed his blood for them ? esay . . such as hee will glory in , before his father , and the blessed angels ; yet thus are they abused by this wicked world : the more eminently the spirit of christ appeares in any , the more is the rage of evill men against them . as it is reported of tygers , that they rage when they smell the fragrancy of spices ; the fragrancy of the graces of gods spirit in his people , which are delightfull to god & his saints , puts wicked men into a rage ; when as base spirited men have the world smile on them according to their hearts desire . oh the providence of god , who suffers such indignities to bee offered to his most pretious and choice servants ! but by this meanes the excellency of their spirits appears in greater brightnes , their graces shine in the more cleare lustre . all gods servants have his spirit in them , but when any of them suffer reproach and ill use of the world , then the spirit of god , and glory rests on them , then the glorious spirit of god is upon thē , according to the promise of god unto them , pèt. . . and they may in part perceive , even while they are using them ill , that they are men not of common , not of ordinary spirits , who are thus ill used by them : they may see in that meeknesse , that patience , that humility , selfe-denyall , faith , holy carriage , requiting good for evill , praying for , doing all the good they can to those who use them worst ; that constancy , spirituall chearfulnesse , sweet contentednesse ; that holy boldnesse , humble courage , heavenly magnanimity , that it is a wonder their conscience should not misgive them , even while they are abusing of them ; that their conscience doth not tell them , surely these men we doe mistake in , they are led by other principles than we know of ; they have something within that doth support them , wee understand not . it is a wonder men are not afraid to abuse them as they doe . as num. . . . the lord said to miriam and aaron , concerning moses , when they spoke against him , were you not afraid to speake against my servant moses ? the words are very emphaticall in the hebrew , they are thus , were yee not afraid to speak against my servant , against moses ? were hee onely my servant , though he were not moses , were you not afraid ? but when my servant , and moses , that is such an eminent servant of mine , in whom so much of my spirit appeared , were you not afraid to speak against him ? certainly , the lord will not alwayes suffer pretious choice-spirited men to be trampled under feet ; he lookes upō them in their lowest estate as his jewels , even while they are in the dirt ; but time wil come when he will make up his jewels ; as , malac. . . and then there shall be seene a difference between the righteous and the wicked ; betweene him that serveth god , and him that serveth him not , verse . god will owne the excellency of the spirits of his servants , to be the image of himselfe ; and what confusion will this be to the ungodly of the world , when the lord before men and angels shall own that , for the lustre and beauty of his owne excellency , which they , when time was , made matter of their scorn , objects of their hatred ? when god shall come to them , as gideon to zeba and zalmana , iudges . . what manner of men were they , sayes gideon to them , whom ye slew at tabor ? they answered , as thou art , so were they ; each one resembled the children of a king. then hee said , they were my brethren , the sonnes of my mother : as the lord liveth , if you had saved them alive , i would not have slaine you ; but now he sayes to iether his first borne , vp and slay them . so shall god hereafter say to the men of the world , what were those men , and what did they , whom yee so hated and abused ? what ? were they some vile-spirited men ? how did they carry themselves ? your consciences shall be forced then to answer ; o lord , we must confesse , they were those who kept themselves from the common pollutions of the world , they lived strictly in their wayes , they walked unblameable in their course ; they were very forward in the duties of the worship and service of god. the lord shall then answer ; what ? these men they were my saints , this was my holinesse , my image , my glory ; these were not common ordinary men , these were my choice ones ; men pretious in my eyes , separated from the common sort of the world for my praise : if you had loved them , prized them , and honoured them as the choice of the earth ; if if you had followed their example , i had not slain you ; but now you shall perish everlastingly . cap : vii . no dishonor to be singular seven notes to discover that godly mens differing from other men proceeds not from proud humourous singularity , but from the choicenesse and excellencie of their spirits . if godly men be men of another spirit , and this be their commendation ; why then should any account it to be a dishonour to be singular from the world ? singularity is cast upon gods servants as their disgrace , but certainly it is their glory ; they are singular , and their wayes are singular , it is true , and they avouch it , they rejoyce in it , and blesse god for it ; it is impossible but that it should be so , for they are of another spirit , a peculiar people , separated from the world , set apart for god , their separation is a wonderfull separation , exod. . . so shall we bee separated , sayes moses , i and thy people , from all the people that are upon the face of the earth ; the word is in the originall , we shall be wonderfully separated ; no marvell then , though their singularity bee such , as the world , who knowes not their principles , wonder at it . their wayes are different from other men ; i , that is true indeed , who can thinke otherwise ? their principles , their estates , their dignites , their hopes are raised higher then other mens . would saul have been offended , if his former acquaintance had complained ; oh , now , saul , hee mindes other things , goes on in other waies , lives after another fashion then we doe ; i , that is true indeed , for his condition is altered , his estate is raised higher then yours , he hath an other spirit : to complaine of gods servants , that they are singular from others , is all one , as if you should complaine of pearles , that they are more glistering than dirt and gravell . their way , their lives are singular ; why ? how would you have them live ? would you have them live according to the common course of the world ? they cannot , for they have not received the spirit of the world , but another spirit . when the spirit of god would set out , the greatest misery of men , when they are the children of wrath , without god in the world , without hope , it is , that they lived according to the common course of the world , ephes . . . and those two are joyned together , living according to the common couse of the world , and according to that spirit , that rules in the children of disobedience : so long as they were acted by that spirit they did live so , but now there is another spirit , that they are acted by , and would you have them live so still as they did before ? certainly it cannot be ; you cry out of dissimulation , and that justly ; but what is dissimulation , if this be not ? where there is not a sutablenesse between the inward principles , the inward frame , and disposition of the spirit , and the outward actions : now if gods people should not live singular lives , certainly their outward actions would not be agreeable to the inward principles , frames , and dispositions of their spirits , for they are singular , differing from other mens . as there may be dissembling , for a man to seeme better than he is ; so there may be dissembling , to seeme worse than we are ; is there not as much evill in a life differing from the spirit , as in a spirit differing from the life ? if a man seemes to be godly , and is not , it is an argument the man is vile , who will thus play the hypocrite ; but it is a commendation to godlinesse , that men will account the very seeming of it to be honourable ; but if a man hath godlinesse in his heart , and yet his life be no other than other mens , this would argue that a man were ashamed of godlinesse it selfe ; here godlinesse it selfe would suffer ; as if it were such a dishonourable thing , as would bring shame to a man , if it did appeare ; as if though indeed it must be reserved in the heart , for necessity sake , yet it must be kept downe , not suffered to appeare in the life , for feare it be a disgrace to men . is not here then as great an evill , in this way of dissimulation as in the other ? better all the men of the world had shame cast upon them , than that godlinesse should have the least staine . surely then , where the spirits of men be other spirits , singular choice spirits , their lives ought , and must needs be other lives , singular from other men . their conscience witnesse to them , that their spirits are changed , that they are other from that they were ; yea , and witnesses for them , that their lives are other lives , singular from other men ; and in this witnesse their soules rejoyce . but is there not a proud phantasticall singularity ? may not pride , sullennesse , and fancie , carry men on in singular wayes , differing from other men , conceiting themselves to be wiser than others , loving to satisfie some odde humours of their own ? if it were any choicenesse , or excellency of their spirits , it were another matter , we would not speake against them ; but it is this proud , hypocriticall , humorous singularity , we speake against . to this i answer ; if you indeed should do as they doe , if you should live after a different manner from the common course of the world , having no other principles than those you have , it would certainly bee singularity , pride , hypocrisie , and humour in you ; and thus your consciences would tell you , and that because you had not principles to carry you out in this way , you have not spirits sutable to it ; and you judging of others , by that you seele in your selves , this makes you to thinke , the different wayes of gods servants , is onely from pride , and humourous singularity ; yea , and they themselves know , that there was a time indeede , where in if they should have done , as now they doe , it would have beene no other in them , then that you now accuse them of namely , when their spirits were , as other mens spirits are ; but now they know , they have other principles , other qualifications of spirit then formerly they had . but surely , you doe not thinke indeed , that their different lives doe come from proud , and humourous singularitie ; for if you did , why doe your consciences so well approve of them , when you lie on your sicke beds ? when you apprehend your selves going before the great god , then you could wish it were with you as it is with them . but what say you ? if you thought it were not from this pride , and conceitednesse you speake of , then you would thinke it were well ; then you would joyne in justifying of them , if you were sure it were from a choyce , excellent spirit in them . well then , let gods servants rejoyce in this , that they know it is not from pride , that it is not from humour , that they run not into excesse of riot as others doe , but from the worke of god upon their spirits , and this witnesse they have for themselves , this they have to encourage themselves in , that if the men of the world did but know their principles from whence they worke , as they know them themselves , even they would justifie both them and their wayes . but further , wee must know there is a way of god that is reall , that tends to life ; what ever way it be , this is certaine , it must be different from the common course of the world ; and if this be not it , in which gods people doe walke , tell us what is that way , and wee will walke in it . the scripture tells us , the way to life is narrow , and that few walke in it ; and the other way is broad that tends to death ; we cannot therefore but feare , when we see the marke of a way that leads to death . christs flocke is but a little flocke , luke . . feare not little flocke : there are two diminutives in the originall , the word translated , flocke , signifies a little flocke ; but that the exceeding littlenesse of it might appeare , christ addes another word , so the words are , feare not little flock . and s. iohn epist . . . saith , the whole world lies in wickednesse , but wee know that wee are of god. what a singularity was this in s. iohn ? how doth he difference a few odde contemptible people from the whole world ? we are of god , and yet the whole world lies in wickednesse , and the world surely is not growne better since . but that you may see , that the way of the godly is not from singularity , or humour , take these evidences , and judge according as conscience shall tell you is truth . first , where humour and conceited singularity prevailes with men , there is no evennesse , no constancy in their wayes , no porportion of one thing with another in their course ; they are singular and humourous in some odde foolish things ; but in other things where they have as much reason to bee singular , they doe as others doe ; but in gods people you shal see an evennesse , constancie , and proportion in the course of their lives ; that which makes them singular in one thing , makes them so in all other of the same nature ; they are not as humourous people who have their fits , and take them out of their fits , they are other men , they are as different from themselves , as they are from other men ; but where the spirit of god guides , though there be more difference from other men , yet there is lesse difference from themselves . secondly , those who doe things out of singularitie , they care lesse for such things they doe out of that principle , when they come to bee common , then they did before ; but it is not so here in the wayes of godlinesse ; the more common they grow , the better they are , the more doth gods people rejoyce and blesse themselves in them , they are the more lovely , and amiable in their eyes . thirdly , humourous singular men differ exceedingly one from another , one will bee singular in one thing , and another in another ; but gods people goe all the same way , they have the same course with such as they never saw ; observe the spirits and wayes of godly men in all places of the world , though their education , their constitution , their employments , their former principles be exceeding different , yet now for the maine , they are the same , they favour and rellish the same things , they delight in the same way of holinesse , which evidently shews , they are led , acted , by one and the same spirit ; though they may differ in some things of lesser moment one from another , yet they differ very little amongst themselves , in things wherein their difference from the world principally lyes ; in those things for which the world dislikes them and their wayes , there is a generall agreement in the spirits of all godly men in such things ; as in searing of the least sinne , as a greater evill then any outward misery ; in loving the strictest waies of holines ; in labouring to keepe themselves pure , as much as they can , from the sinnes of the times , and places where they live . &c. in these and such like things , which are most proper to godlinesse , and for which they are judged singular , there is a generall agreement of all the spirits of the godly throughout the world . fourthly , proud , conceited singularity acts it self especially in things that are taken notice of by others ; if others looke not after them , and will not vouchsafe to take notice of them , they quikly grow weary of that they doe , and this is the best way to deale with such people , to neglect them ; let them perceive no body thinks them worthy of regarding , of once minding them , and this makes them sooner weary then all the opposing of them that can bee : the end of singularity is , that it might bee observed ; this is the humour of these people , they would faine bee taken notice of for something , let it be what it will bee ; observance is the thing that feeds this humour ; where this is not , it soone growes weary of it selfe ; and hence when these people are alone , when none can observe them , they doe but as other men doe . but now the speciall worke of godlinesse , wherein gods people differ from other men , in which their soules most delight , and are most fully exercised in , it is in secret things , not subject to the view of the world , the kings daughter is all glorious within ; if there bee a little godlinesse outwardly , there is much more inward , as where there is a little wickednesse without , there is abundance in the heart ; godly men are most eminently godly in inward things ; the countenance and voice of the church , is most sweet and comely in secret places , cant. . . my dove that art in the holes of the rocke , in the secret places of the staires , shew me thy sight , let me heare thy voyce , for thy voyce is sweet , and thy sight is comely : godly men dare not indeed , but be godly before men , for so christ commands them , let your light shine before men , that others may see your good works ; but it is one thing to do that which may be seen , and another , to do it to that end that it may be seene , and to make that the highest end . if they make their end , that the light may be seene , and not that themselves may be seene ; and that their father in heaven may be glorified , and not themselves glorified , it is no other than christ would have . but betweene god and their owne soules , there is the chiefe work of godlinesse ; there the soules of gods servants doe most expatiate themselves , there they are most themselves , there is their most proper element ; wherefore surely it is not a humour of singularity . fiftly , if it were humourous singularity , it would not bring them so much sweet peace , and heavenly joy when they are upon their sick beds , and death-beds , and when they have to deale with god in a speciall manner ; when they are to appeare before the great god , to receive the sentence of their eternall doome , when they are to enter upon eternity ; how many then blesse god that ever he put it into their hearts to go another way , not according to the common course of the world ? though humour and conceitednesse may please , and give content for a while , yet it can never bring such peace , and joy in sicknesse , and death , and when the soule sees it hath to deale with such an infinite , holy god , such a dreadfull majesty ; none apprehend the glory and majesty of god , so as the godly doe ; none understand what eternity means so as they doe ; the sight of these things would shake men out of an humour : it is not humour that can stand before god , and the eternall misery , or happinesse of the creature rightly apprehended ; it is time now to lay aside humours , and conceits ; and yet then when these things are most clearely , most powerfully apprehended by gods servants , even then they are most for the wayes of god , in which they differed from the world , than ever they were before ; it is now their greatest griefe , that they have no more differed from them than they have , and if they were to begin againe , they would differ farre more than ever they did . sixtly , surely it is not humourous conceited singularity , because most men who have enlightned consciences , when they are most serious in their best moods , are of this mind . if you will needs go by multitudes , we dare venture upon this , yea we dare challenge upon this argument , onely with these two cautions ; that the men you bring in , be men of inlightned consciences , for what have we to doe with others , who are blind and ignorant ? though there were never so many thousands of them , they can adde nothing at all to the cause . let the judgements of men be taken when they are most serious , when they are best able to judge , doe not take them when they are in passion , when their lusts are up , but when their spirits are calmed , and in the best temper , when conscience hath the most liberty to speake indeed what it thinkes ; and of such men , in such times , we shall have the most on our side ; and therefore surely it is not a humour of singularity , that acts the in the way of godlinesse . seventhly , it is not singularity , for we have the prophets , apostles , martyrs , saints of god before us , cloudes of witnesses , thousand thousands of them , and every one of them worth ten thousands of others , as s. chrysostome hath an expression in one of his sermons , to the people of antioch , it is better to have one pretious stone , than to have many halfpenies ; so one godly man is better than multitudes of others . and s. cyprian hath the like expression in one of his epistles ; doe not attend to the number of them , sayes he ; for one that feares god , is better than a thousand wicked . it is safe to follow the way of good men , according to that in the proverbs , . . walke thou in the wayes of good men , and keep the wayes of the righteous . now then , let neither the wayes of godlinesse , or godly men ever be blamed for their singularity ; other spirits must needs lead into other wayes . it was laid to luthers charge , that he was an apostate ; he confesses himselfe to be one , but a blessed and a holy apostate , one that had fallen off from the devill . so wee confesse , this is singularitie , but a blessed , and a holy singularity , which differences gods servants from this vile wicked world in which they live , whereby they live as men of another world , as indeed they are . cap. viii . blesse god for making this difference betweene your spirit , and the vile spirits of the men of the world . seeing this other spirit is so excellent and blessed , then doe you , to whom god hath given other spirits , learne to blesse god for them ; the mercies of god to mens spirits are the greatest mercies ; though your conditions be meaner than others , in other respects , yet if your spirits be raised to an higher excellency than others , you have infinite cause to blesse the lord , as s. paul , ephes . . . blessed be the lord , which hath blessed us with all spirituall blessings in heavenly things , in christ . what though god hath not abounded to you in outward honours , estates , delights , yet if he hath abounded to you in wisdome , holinesse , faith , humility , &c. you have no cause to complaine : where god gives his spirit , in the gifts and graces of it , there hee gives all good things ; hence whereas s. matthew sayes , chap. . . how much more shall your father in heaven , give good things to them that aske him ? s. luke . . bringing in christ speaking upon the same occasion , sayes , how much more shall your heavenly father give the holy ghost to them that aske him ? as if all one to give his spirit , and to give all good things : spirituall blessings make all outward crosses light and easie , as prov. . . the spirit of a man will sustaine his infirmities . spirituall blessings have this excellency in them , they cause a man to feele no need of many outward things , which others know not how to want ; and it is as good to bee in such an estate , to have no need of a thing , as to enjoy it when we want it . and further , it is the excellency of spirituall blessings , to keep downe the body , and to carry the spirit above the body . it was the excellencie and glory of the martyrs , that their spirits were so satisfied with mercies they had , that they so little regarded their bodies , when they suffered grievous torments , as if they had not been their own ; thus zozomen reports of them . spirituall blessings are such , as inable men to improve all other blessings they enjoy : without these , the greatest of other blessings would prove to bee the greatest curses to us ; and yet further : these blessings upon our spirits , cost god infinitely more , than other blessings doe . other blessings god can give at a lower rate , but these cost the dearest heart blood of his owne sonne , and therefore above all let god have the praise of these . outward bodily mercies we are unworthy of , but when we consider of these , let us say as david , psal . . . come and hearken all ye that feare god , i will tell you what he hath done to my soule : there god hath magnified his mercies toward me indeed . you may remember how base your spirits once were , how blinde , foolish , drossie , sensuall , and it may bee , malicious . this s. paul cals to minde , to stirre up himselfe and others , to praise god for that blessed change he had wrought in his , and in their spirits : tit. . . for we our selves also were in times past ( saith hee ) unwise , disobedient , deceived , serving divers lusts , living in maliciousnesse and envie ; hatefull , and hating one another : but when the bountifulnesse and love of god our saviour appeared , &c. but if your spirits have not beene so vile as some others , if they have been faire and ingenuous , if you have beene of sweet natures , and tractable dispositions , you have cause to blesse god in some respects so much the more , for the change hee hath wrought in them , for his mercie towards you , that you did not rest in those naturall excellencies , and mistake them for saving graces , as many doe with much danger to their soules : and when you see the base corrupt spirits of other men , as those who have any thing to doe in the world , shall meet with exceeding vile corrupt spirits ; not onely in the worst sort of men , but in those who seeme to be faire , in whom a man would never have thought to have met with such base workings of spirit , that would make a man wonder . oh lord , what are the spirits of men ? then , i say , when you see this , blesse the lord , let your spirits , and all that is within them , blesse his name , who hath put such difference betweene your spirits and theirs ; as you cannot but acknowledge , except you should be exceedingly injurious to the grace of god in you . cap. ix . communion and converse with men of such excellent spirits , is a most blessed thing . if the godly be of such excellent spirits , then converse and communion with them is a most blessed thing ; no greater heaven upon earth than this ; for here you may see the beauty and lustre of gods graces shining , the brightnesse of which darkens all the beauty and glory of the world to a spirituall eye . seneca saw so much excellency , that moralitie put upon a man , that hee sayes , that the very looke of a good man delights one : the very sight of such servants of god , who walke close with god , who are carefull to keep their spirits clear and shining ; truly , it is very delightfull , it hath much quickening in it ; the uprightnesse , holines , spirituall enlightnings , that their soules have , will guide them to advise for god in safe and good wayes . the advise of godly men , in things concerning god , is much to be prized . it was a good speech of shechaniah to ezra , chap. . . now therefore let us make a covenant with our god , &c. according to the counsell of the lord , and of those that feare the commandement of our god. it was good to follow their counsell . the spirits of these are favory in their discourse , in their duties , in all their carriage ; their example exceeding powerfull and profitable . the blessing of abigail upon david , was , the lord binde up his soule in the bundle of life . enjoyment of communion with gods people , is the binding up of our soules in the bundle of life , for every one of them hath life in him . doctor taylor the martyr , rejoyced that ever he came into prison , because he came there to have acquaintance with that angel of god iohn bradford , as he cals him . if the society of one sweet heavenly spirited man , bee enough to make a prison chearfull , what a blessing then is the enjoyment of cōmunion with many ? all my delight ( saith david ) is in the saints , in them that excell in the earth . it is the blessing of the gospell , to come to the spirits of just men made perfect , heb. . . when we are amongst them , we may in the beholding the worke of their spirits , come to see many failings in our own , that we saw not before ; and so be humbled for them , and be put on to seeke helpe : we may see the same graces shining in them , that we feele in our owne hearts , and so be strengthened and encouraged in them , and stirred up to blesse god for them ; and the sutablenesse betweene their spirits and ours , if ours be right , will cause such a closing and mingling , as from thence there will arise an unspeakable delight , and incomparable sweetnesse : no society under heaven hath that pleasantnesse & sweetnesse in it , as the society of the saints ; no mens spirits close so fully one with another , as theirs ; no mens spirits bound so firmly by such indissoluble bonds together , as theirs ; they know the excellency of one anothers spirits , so as they can freely open themselves , unbosome their hearts one to another , and venture their lives one upon another : and it is the most honourable society in the world ; for it is the association of the most excellent and glorious creatures ; god himself delights to joyne himselfe with them , to be amongst them : as ; cor. . . i will dwell among them ( saith the lord ) and walke there , and i will be their god , and they shall be my people . but the words are more significant in the originall , they expresse gods delight , not onely to dwell among them , and walke with them , but to dwell in them , and walke in them . and hence that expression of tertullian , that wee made use of before in another case is very pertinent for our purpose here likewise ; when good men meet , ( sayes hee ) when godly men are gathered together , this is not to bee called a faction , but a court. what place is accounted so honourable , and excels in more delights than the courts of princes ? the society of gods saints , communion with gods people , hath more honour , is filled with more delights than any court in the world , where this is wanting : the society of the wicked , that is unsavory and tedious , because their spirits are so vile and corrupt , like the slime and filth there is congealed , when many toades and venomous filthy creatures doe joyne together ; how abominable is their breathings together to a gracious spirit ? how loathsome is the mixture of their spirits ? zach. . . we have a promise , that god will in his due time take away the uncleane spirit out of the land , and oh what a blessed time will that bee ! how happy would gods servants thinke themselves , if they might bee delivered from the noysomnes of corrupt unclean spirits ? let us keep our selves what we can now , from mingling with them ; wee shall within a while be for ever delivered from them . cap. x. that all those whose spirits god hath thus differenced , should improve this mercy , by walking not as other men . if god hath beene mercifull to you , in giving you another spirit , improve this mercy ; shew in all your wayes that you are acted by another spirit : let the renewed spirit guide you , let the beauty and excellency of it appeare : if wee live in the spirit , let us walke in the spirit , sayes the apostle , gal. . . the works of the flesh are manifest , gal. . . why should not the works of the spirit be so too ? god hath beautified your spirits with his owne image , in this hee hath honoured you , that you might honour him , in holding forth the beauty and excellency of his image ; he hath made you a peculiar people , to that end that you might shew forth the vertues of him , who hath called you out of darknes into his marvellous light , pet. . . it is a dishonor to a parent , or any special friend , to hang his picture in some dark hole , in some obscure contemptible place ; it is expected we should make it conspicuous , that we should hang it in some eminent place , so as to manifest that wee rejoyce in it , as an ornament to us . it is a great evill to obscure the graces of gods spirit , to keepe in the work of god upon our spirits , in which hee hath set out the glory of his owne image , to that end , that he might be glorified in us before men & angels . every man delights in the expression of that , wherin he esteems his excellency to consist , be it eloquence , wisdom , or any art , wherin he hath attained any eminency ; yea , if he accounts his excellency to consist in his riches , in his honor , in his beautie , he loves to make them appear before others ; as the prophet in another case , esa . . . arise and shine , for the light is come , and the glory of the lord is risen upon thee . if god hath shined upon your spirits by his grace , let your lights shine before men , that the world may see , there are men of other spirits , who can doe such things as they cannot . oh what beautifull , convincing cōversations would men live , if they were onely acted by this renewed spirit ! as it was said of steven , they could not resist the spirit by which he spake ; so it would be true here , men could not resist that spirit by which you live . what doe you more than other men ? sayes christ to his disciples , matt. . . men of other spirits must manifest in their lives , that they can do more than other men . let me in the name of the lord plead with you for more honour and service for the lord , than he hath from others . first , your birth is from him , you are borne of god in another manner than others are , and therefore it must not be with you as it is with others . men of high birth will not live as other men doe . hence we read of a custome amongst the heathen , they were wont to derive the pedigree of their valiant men from their gods ; to this end , though the thing were not true , yet they beleeving themselves to be a divine off-spring , they might upon confidence there of , undertake higher attempts than others , with the more boldnesse : much higher things should those endeavour after , who are indeed borne of god. secondly , god hath put forth an other manner of power out upon your spirits , than upon other men ; other men have but a generall common influence of gods power let into their spirits : but he hath manifested the exceeding greatnesse of his power in you ; as , eph. . . observe the gradation there ; the apostle speaking of the power of god , put forth upon those that doe beleeve , expresses it in a sixfold gradation . it is his power ; onely the power of a god could doe it . it is the greatnes of his power . it is the exceeding greatnesse of his power . it is the working of his power . it is the working of his mighty power . it is the same power by which he raised christ from the dead , and set him at his right hand in the heavens , farre above all principality , and power , and might . now god doth not use to put forth great power , but for great purposes ; he uses not his extraordinary power , for ordinary things : when supernaturall power is put forth , it is , that it might raise to supernaturall operations . againe , god doth put other abilities into you , that others have not : that grace with which hee hath endued your spirits , is a sparke of his owne divine nature ; as you have heard , it hath a divine power with it , and a divine activity in it ; that is expected from you , that none can doe by an inferiour power , as by the strength of parts , education , morall principles : if your lives bee not beyond the highest of those who have none other principles than such to raise them ; you dishonour god , and his grace , and your holy profession . fourthly , your spirits have beene made acquainted with more truths ; god hath revealed to you the secrets of his counsels , of his kingdome ; he hath showne you himselfe , his glory , his majesty , soveraingty , holinesse ; he hath showne you the reality , beauty , excellency , equity of his blessed wayes : hee hath made known to you the certainty , the infinite consequence of the things of eternitie ; the vilenesse , pollution , poyson , danger of sin : he hath given you experiences of the things of heaven , the sweetnesse of his wayes , the distresse of conscience for sinne . fifthly , he hath separated you for himself , he hath takē you into a near communion unto himselfe ; though god is to be feared by all , yet more especially in a higher degree , hee is to bee feared in the assembly of his saints , and to be had in reverence of them that are about him , psa . . . sixthly , god hath put other dignities upon you , that hee hath not put upon other men ; he hath made you citizens of the new ierusalem , favorites of heaven , heires , co-heires with the lord jesus christ . god hath raised you above the condition of men ; and therefore you must not walk as men . the apostle , cor. . . blamed the corinthians that they did walke as men : hee hath redeemed you from the earth , revel● . . therefore you must not walke as the men of the earth : god hath not dealt thus with other people , they know not what these things meane . therefore well may the lord expect from you other manner of service and honour , than he hath from other men . seventhly , more depēds upon you , than upon others ; the waight of many services depends all upon you , which are no wayes expected to bee performed by others : what shall become of gods name , his glory , the fulfilling his will in the world , if men whose spirits are fitted for his service , should not live in a higher way of holinesse , and doe more for him , than others ? god expects great things from you , esay . . i said , surely they will not lie : when others are base , unfaithfull and vile in their wayes , yet god rejoyceth in this , that hee hath a generation in the world ; a choyce company of other spirits , pretious & excellent spirits , and hee shall have other dealings from them . eighthly , your sinnes goe nearer to the heart of god than others : other men may provoke god to anger , but you grieve his holy spirit . god tooke it very ill at salomons hand , that hee dealt ill with him after hee had appeared twice to him , king. . . how often hath god appeared to your soules ? what gracious visitatiōs have your spirits had from him ? it is a shamefull thing indeed for you to fall as other men doe : it was an aggravation of the fall of saul , sam. , . that the shield of the mighty was cast downe , the shield of saul , as though he had not beene anoynted with oyle ; for you to fall , as though you had not beene anoynted , as others which have no such oyntment powred upon them ; this is a great and sore evill . ninthly , the eyes of many are upon you ; the name of god , the cause of god is engaged in you . tenthly , you are appointed by god to be the judges of other men ; cor. . . doe you not know that the saints shall judge the world ? yea , verse . know you not that wee shall judge the angels ? god will bring your lives and wayes before all the world to judge the world by , and therefore they had need to bee very exact , and to have something in them more than ordinary . it is a shamefull way of reasoning , for any man to reason for sinne , by examples ; as it like a theese , he would faine scape in the crowd ; but much more shamefull is it , that any godly man should bee found to argue for sinne this way , for this is an aggravation of sinne , not a lessening of it , as if i should say , god hath dishonour by such and such , and therefore why may he not have some more by me ? sinne is a striking at god , and every sinner strikes at him , and thou commest running for thy stroake too . what ? wilt thou have thy blow also at him ? and , what thou ? for whom the lord hath done such great things ? as caesar said to brutus , when in the senate-house , tho senators had wounded him , with many sore wounds , and brutus hee comes also for his stroake , whereupon caesar lookes on him , and sayes to him ; what ? and thou my sonne brutus too ? conceive as if thou sawest the lord looking on thee , and saying thus to thee , when thou ventrest upon any sinfull way upon the example of others . but in what particulars should we manifest this choicenes of our spirits , in wayes differing from others ? answ . in these especially : in selfe deniall : shew that you can deny your opiniōs , your desires , your wills , though you have a strong mind to a thing , though you have fit opportunities to enjoy your desires , yet if you see god may have more honor any other way , you can freely & readily without disturbance , without vexing yeeld ; and doe not deceive your selves in this , be easily convinced in particulars , which are for god against your selves ; the excellency of a mans spirit is much seen in this . many conceit an excellency of spirit to bee in selfe-willednesse , in being passionate , froward , and boisterous ; certainly this comes from weaknes of spirit , no excellency is required for this , every foole can bee thus ; but that is excellency , to bee able to ovērcome , to rule ones spirit , to have command of ones spirit , to subdue and bring in order passions , and violent stirrings of spirits ; this is pretious and honourable in the eyes of god and man : this is a well tempered spirit indeed , that can be strong , zealous , full of courage , unyeeldable in the cause of god and the church ; but meeke , quiet , yeeldable , selfedeniable in its own cause : those who usually are the most boisterous , and passionate for themselves , are the poorest spirited men , and the most basely yeelding , when it comes to the cause of god. shew the excellency of your spirits enabling you to doe that which others cannot doe , by loving your enemies , praying for them ; doing them all the good you can ; this is the speciall thing our saviour commands to his disciples in that . mat. when he would have them doe more than others doe . feare the least sinne , more than the greatest suffering ; morality raises the spirit highest next to grace , and yet a meere morall man , accounts it foolishnes , to be so nice as not to yeeld in little things , for the avoyding of great sufferings ; but a gracious spirit thinks the least truth of god worthy to bee witnessed to , by the losse of his dearest comforts , and suffering the greatest evils ; yea , he accounts suffering for small things the most honourable sufferings of all , as testifying the greatest love ; as davids worthies shewed their dearest love to him , in ventring their lives to get him a little water . prize opportunities of service more than al outward contentments in the world ; a gracious heart thinks it honor enough , that gods imploies it ; he is not onely willing to goe on in his worke , though outward contentments come not in , but increase of service for god , hee esteemes so great a good , as hee accounts the want of outward things made up in it ; though i get not so much by that i doe as others , yet i blesse god , i can goe on in my worke as chearefully as others , for contentment is made up to mee in this , that god will imploy mee in his service more than others . make conscience of time ; this felv doe ; few regard the fillings up of their time , their spirits having no excellencie in them , they cannot make use of their time in any worthy employments for god , to themselves , or others ; but a man of an excellent spirit knows how to employ himself in things that are excellent , and therfore prizes the time he hath to worke in , and is conscientious in the spending of it . make conscience of thoughts , and secret workings of heart , of secret sinnes to avoid them , and secret duties to performe them ; a man that hath a pretious spirit , doth not like to have it runne wast in extravagant thoughts , and affections ; the thoughts of his minde are pretious , the affections of his heart are pretious , as his spirit is pretious : wee let water runne wast , because wee put no price upon it ; we think it little worth , and therefore we let it run to no use ; but if it were some pretious liquor , some pretious oyle , compounded of deare ingredients , wee would not doe so , but would be carefull to save every drop ; this is a pretious spirited man indeed , who knowes how to lay out his thoughts , and his affections at the best advantage , and will not lavish them our to no purpose . make conscience of the manner of performing holy duties , as well as of the doing of them , and looke after them , what becomes of them when they are done ; this is not according to the common spirits of the world , who thinke to put off god with flat , poore , and dead services ; a gracious spirit hath much of the excellency of his spirit acting in holy duties , and therefore hee doth much mind them , and lookes much after them ; but others have little of their spirits acting in them , and therfore they are little regarded , little looked after by them . rejoyce in the good of others , though it eclipses thy light , though it makes thy parts , thy abilities , thy excellencies dimmer in the eyes of others ; were it not for the eminency of some above thee , thy parts perhaps would shine bright , and bee of high esteeme ; yet to rejoyce in this from the heart , from the soule to blesse god , for his gifts and graces in others , that his name may be glorified more by others , than i can glorifie it my selfe , to bee able truly to say , though i can do little , yet blessed be god , there are some who can doe more for god than i , and in this i doe , and will rejoyce ; this is indeed to be able to doe much more than others , this shewes a great eminencie of spirit : all the parts , gifts , abilities , that any man in the world hath , where this is not , come farre short of this excellencie ; to be able to doe this , is more than to bee able to ●xcell others in any excellencie whatsoever , if this bee wanting : if god hath given thee this , hee hath given thee that which is a thousand times more worth than strong parts , and abilities , in which thou might'st have been farre more eminent , than thou now art , or than others are . if thou wilt shew the excellency of this spirit in some choyce thing , then labour to keep the heart low in prosperitie , and man heavenly cheerefulnesse in adversitie ; not only contented , but joyfull , in a quiet , sweet , delightfull frame : in the greatest difficulties and straits , when you are put upon hard things , go on in your way with what strength you can , without vexing , distracting thoughts , let your spirits bee stayed on god quietly , & meekly committing your selves and cause to him , as the people of god in the . esay . they professe their willingnes in all quietnesse to wait upon god , in the wayes of his judgements ; and they give the reason , because the desire of their soule is to his name , and to the remembrance of him . if in the times of our troubles , the desires of our soules were to gods name , and to the remembrance of him , and not unto our own names , and to the remembrance of our selves , we should not have such sinking , discouraged , disquiet , vexing spirits as we have . the spirits of most men , if any difficult thing befall them , they are presently in a hurry , so disquiet and tumultuous , that all the peace and sweetnesse of them is lost , and they hinder themselves exceedingly , both in the businesse they are about , adding much to the difficulty of it , and in all other businesses that concerne them . this notes much distemper of spirit , like distempered flesh of a mans body , if it be but toucht with the finger , or the least aire come to it , it presently festers and ranekies . be more carefull to know the fountain from whence all your mercies come , & to have a sanctified use of them when you enjoy them , than to have the possession of them , or delight in them : an ordinary spirit lookes at nothing , but only to have the thing it desires , is not solicitous about the fountaine from whence they spring , nor carefull to attaine any sanctified end , to which they tend , looks not at them as from god , neither uses them for god ; but where all these are , here is the work of a choice pretious spirit indeed , the peculiar work of it ; this is to do more than others , and thus gods servants must doe , or else they can never live convincing lives . while pharaoh and his magicians saw , that moses did no more than they could doe , they were not convinced ; but when moses did that which they could not doo ; then they acknowledged the finger of god : so it is here , while wicked men see those that are religious , doe onely such things as they could doe if they would , as going to sermons , speaking of good things , they are never convinced by them ; but when they fee them do some thing , which their consciences tell them they cannot do , then they are forced to acknowledge , that there is a reall excellencie in godlinesse which they have not , as christ said once , if i had not done those things that no man did , they had not had sinne , ioh. . . it aggravated the sinne of the jewes , that they did not beleeve in christ , notwithstanding he did those works amongst them that no man ever did . so , if godly men did manifest the choicenesse of their spirits amongst the men of the world , in doing such as none other can doe , this if it did not convert them , and bring them in love with gods wayes , it would certainly much aggravate their sinne , and increase their condemnation . it is therfore a most shamefull thing , that those who make a great shew and profession of godlinesse , should in their lives be no more than equall unto , yea be lower than others , who are meerly morall ; lower than a socrates , than a fabritius , than others of the heathen . how many civill morall men go● beyond them who would be taken for godly ? they are more meeke , and patient , more courteous , more faithfull and trusty , more liberall and helpfull , more ingenuous and candid . many servants who would seeme godly , are not so obedient , so diligent , so humble , and submissive , so conscionable in their worke , as others , whom they judge meerly carnall : so , many wives , not behaving themselves with that quietnesse , respectivenesse , love , and obedience to their husbands , as others , whom they themselves judge to be onely civill : in like manner , many husbands , and masters of families , who professe godlinesse , yet in their houses are more froward , more dogged , more churlish , cruell , and bitter to wife and servants , than others , whom they esteeme onely carnall : so , many children more stout to their parents , and parents more negligent in the care they ought to have of their children , than others . what a shame is it , saies s. hierom , that faith should not be able to doe that , that infidelity hath done ? what ? not better fruit in the garden , in the vineyard of the lord , then in the wildernesse ? what ? not better fruit grow upon the tree of life , than upon the root of nature ? where lies the power of godlinesse ? if it carries , not men beyond these , what is it to live godly in christ jesus ? in the vertue , in the power , and life of christ jesus , if it doth not enable to go beyond others ? there needs no such vertue , power , life of christ jesus , to enable one to dof that , which others can doe . what ? is godlinesse but a notion , but a conceit , that it will not carry men beyond the light of nature ? cap. xi . an exhortation to labour to get this excellent spirit . it is an use of exhortation ; let us labour to get this other spirit ; every one desires to be eminent , to be above others in estate , in esteeme , in naturall excellencies ; if we would faine be eminent , let us labour to be eminent in spirituall blessings , in getting our souls endued with higher spirituall excellencies than others have . it is cōmendable to strive to be as eminent here as we can , especially you whom god hath raised higher than your brethren in other things ; in the nobility of your births , the eminency of your places , the greatnesse of your estates : doe you labour to be as high above others in the excellencies of your spirits ; that as your birth is other , your places other , your estate other than cōmon mens , so your spirits may be other spirits ? what an excellent thing is it , to have a spirit sutable to ones condition ? a great mind becomes a great fortune , sayes seneca . he means greatnes of minde in the exercise of vertue , which only gives a true greatnesse to the mind . i know this is a powerfull argument with you , to make grace lovely & desirable in your eies , to tell you that it will raise your spirits , that it will put beauty and glory upon them , that it will adde greatnesse and excellency to them . the world is much for brave and noble spirits ; we desire your spirits may be so : onely mistake not the true noblenesse , the true excellencie of spirit ; certainly it is inthat which may bring you nearest to god , the highest excellencie : you can no way be so honourable , as by the raising of your spirits by grace : wisdome with an inheritance is good , wisedome with birth and eminency of place is a great blessing indeed ; to be rich in goods , and rich in goodnesse , is a happy connexion . you would account it a great disgrace not to have education somewhat sutable to your birth and qualitie ; what can be said more dishonourable of a man than this , he hath left him indeed a great estate , and is of a great house , but he hath no breeding ? what ? is a competent measure of knowledge , in tongues , and arts , and other things sutable to your births and estates , accounted a beauty and ornament to them , and is not grace and godlinesse much more ? doe these adde an excellencie to your quality , and put an honour upon your dignities , and will not godlinesse much more ? shall sea and land be travelled over with much hazard , soule-hazard , and bodilyhazard , with great expence of estate , to get knowledge of fashions , and a gentile behaviour , because you thinke they will be ornaments to your great estates you are borne to ; and shall no labour be undertaken to get godlinesse , to get your spirits raised by grace , as an ornament to the greatnesse of your birth , and eminencie of your estate ? how is this , to sleight the very glory of god himselfe , and to contemne the highest dignity men or angels are capable of ? are any places so fit for wisedome , as the high places of the city ? prov. . , . wisdome hath builded her house , shee hath hewen out her seven pillars , she cryeth upon the highest places of the city . how honourable doth godlinesse make those , whose birth , whose place is honorable in the eyes of god , his saints , blessed angels , and in the consciences of all ? how well doth grace suite with the highest dignity , as a bright shining diamond in a golden ring ? as the world is drawn more conspicuous and full in a large mappe , than in a small ; so the beauty and excellency of grace and godlinesse , appeares more conspicuous and glorious in great men and honourable , than in those who are of a meaner ranke . first , you had need of other spirits ; more need than others for the improvement of those great mercies that you have above others . as some fowle that have great wings , yet can flie but little ; so many men have great estates , but not having spirits to improve them , they are of little use . know , that your estates are either mercies or miseries , blessings or cursings to you , according as you have hearts to improve them : if they be improved for god , as advantages to honour god by , to doe good withall ; they are then great blessings indeed : and that is as great an argument of the truth of grace , as any , to be as earnest with god for an heart to improve an estate , or a place of dignitie for god , as to rejoyce that you have such an estate for your selves , or that you are in such an eminent place , whereby you may get honour to your selves . where god gives not a more excellent spirit than others , as well as an higher condition than others ; there an eminent estate is made but as fewell for a nourisher and maintainer of all manner of evill , to afford opportunities for acting of sinne ; and is not this the excellencie that many account to be in their estates , in that it is higher than others , in that they can have their wils , and satisfie their lusts more than others ? secondly , you had need of other spirits , for the improving of the large opportunities of service for god and his church , that you have more than others ; these are as great blessings , as your estates , or any dignities you have above others . god betrusts you with much , in giving you such large opportunities of service , for the honour of his great name . if your birth be high , your estates high , and your spirits indued with excellencie from on high , how fit then are you to be used by god in high and honourable services ? hence the conversion of a great man is of exceeding great consequence ; whereupon saint paul was so loath to lose the conversion of the deputy sergius paulus , who began to listen to his preaching ; of whom we reade acts . verse . and so on : therefore when elymas withstood him in this work , seeking to turne away the deputie from the faith , the spirit of s. paul rose against him with much indignation ; and being filled with the holy ghost , hee set his eyes on him , and said , o full of all subtilty and all mischiefe , thou childe of the devill thou enemy of righteousnesse , wilt thou not cease to pervert the right wayes of the lord ? and now behold the hand of the lord is upon thee , and thou shalt bee blind . as if s. paul should have said , what ? will you hinder me in such a great work as this , wherein god may have so much honour in the conversion of this noble-man , this man of publike and eminent place ? this indeed is to be full of all mischiefe , to bee an enemie of all righteousnesse . thus you see how his spirit was stirred when he was put in feare of being hindred in such a notable prize as this : as a man when likely to have a great draught , there comes in one and disturbs him , and is like to hinder him of it . surely , s. paul saw that it was a wonderfull great blessing to the church , to have great men to be brought in , to the obedience of the faith , and to be added to it . and further it is observed , that god going along with s. paul , and finishing the work of the conversion of this great man ; that upon this saint paul had his name paul given him , being changed from saul , and called paulus , from that notable worke of the conversion of this paulus sergius . as many great captains amongst the heathen were wont to have their names changed upon their successe in some noble enterprize , and great victories ; as scipio africanus , hee was called africanus from his conquest of africa . you who are in high and eminent dignities , you are the earnest prayers of gods servants in all places , that god would raise you up with truely noble , excellent , and gracious spirits , that you may bee instruments of his glory : how blessed you , if god fulfils the prayers of his servants upon you ! what great pity is it , that such blessed opportunities of service , of honouring god , themselves , and families , as you have , should be lost for want of spirits ? were it not more honorable to you , and your houses , to be imployed as publique blessings to church and common-wealth , to have thousands of soules blesse you , and blesse god for you , than for you to go siner than others , to have your tables better furnished than others , to sport and game more than others , to spend more than others ? againe , you had need of other spirits , for your example is looked at more than others , either in good or evill ; as christ said of himselfe in another case , if i bee lifted up , i will draw all men after me : so i may say , if godlinesse be lifted up in the examples of great ones , it will draw all men after it . what ever evill is seene in you , is not onely followed by others , but used as a plea to maintaine and encourage that which is evill in many others . charles the fifth was wont to say , that as the ecclipse of the sun is a foretoken of great commotions ; so the errours and oversights of great men , bring with them great perturbations to the places where they live . their sinne is worse than others , for it doth more hurt , and therefore their punishment will bee greater than others ; as their actions are exemplary , so will their punishments . hence that place , mich. . . o my people , remember from shittim unto ●ilgal ; at shittim the lord destroyed the heads of the people , num. . . the destruction of great ones is to be for ever remembred . and yet further , you have need of other spirits , because you have temptations greater and stronger than others ; therefore if you have not the more excellent spirits , you are in greater danger than others . the high estate of great outward dignitie , is a very dangerous estate , if god gives not an extraordinary spirit . there is a notable story of pius quintus , that pope , who excommunicated queene elizabeth ; my author of the story is a jesuite , cornelius à lapide ; one highly esteemed amongst the papists , and therefore the truth of it is to bee the lesse suspected : the story is this ; he sayes , that this pope pius quintus was wont to say of himselfe , that when i was first in religious orders ( that is , without any further ecclesiasticall dignity ) i had a very good hope of the salvation of my soule ; but being made a cardinall , i began to be much afraid ; but now bein pope , i do even despaire . so , sayes cornelius , did clement the eight , that followed after him , thinke of himselfe . thus by this example wee see what a dangerous thing it is , to bee raised in outward honour , and yet still the spirit to continue base and vile . above all , you who are honourable and great in the world , you had need labour to bee gracious , because sin is more unsutable to your condition , than to others . it was the complaint of the church , lam. . . that those who were brought up in scarlet , did embrace the dung : how unsutable was this , to have the highest places , and the lowest spirits ? bernard writing to a noble virgin , who was godly , he sayes , that others were cloathed with purple and silke , but their consciences were poore & beggerly ; they glistered with their iewels , but were base in their manners ; but you ( sayes he ) without , are meanly clad , but within shine exceeding beautifull , not to humane , but to divine eyes . how unsutable was the one , but how comely and sutable the other ? it is reported of scipio asricanus , that when he took new carthage , he took a young gentlewoman prisoner who was so faire that she ravished all mens eyes ; this scipio then said , if i were but a common souldier , i would enjoy this damsell , but being commander of an armie , i will not meddle with her : and so preserving her entire , restored her to her friends . thus he , though a heathen , thought wickednesse too meane for , and unsutable to greatnesse . sinne is uncomely any where , much more uncomely amongst great ones ; and grace is comely where ever it is , much more to the great ones of the earth . as aeneas sylvius was wont to say concerning learning , i may say the same concerning godlinesse ; popular men should esteeme learning as silver , noble men should account it like gold , and princes should prize it like pearles . thus if godlinesse be as silver to ordinary men , it is to be accounted as gold and pearls to you . the scripture compares beauty in a woman without wisdom , to a pearl-in a swines snour , pro. . . as a thing unsutable : thus are all outward excellencies where there is not grace . and would it not be a grievous thing to you , to see poore , inferiour , meane men and women to be lifted up to glory , & your selves cast out , an eternall curse ? have not many of them most excellent pretious spirits ? doe they not doe god farre more service than you ? doe they not bring more honor to his name , than ever you did ? think then with your selves , why should god put those who are of such choice pretious spirits , into such a low condition , and raise me to such an high ? is it not because he intends to give me my portion in this life , but reserves better mercies for them afterwards ? it would bee very grievous indeed if it should prove so . the hopes we have of the continuance of our peace in the happy enjoyment of those pretious liberties of the gospel , that in so great mercy have been continued unto us , depends much upon the worke of gods grace upon your souls : if god takes off your spirits from common vanities , the pleasures of the flesh , from the poore low things of the world , from your own private ends , and causes the feare of his great name to fall upon them , and raiseth them to the love of , and delight in the great things of godlinesse , to be given up wholy to him , to lift up his great name ; we shall then look upon you as the joyfull hopes of our souls , that god still doth & will delight in the blessing , peace & prosperity of his people : but if we see darknesse upon your spirits , then a dismall night of darknes is upon us . as when we see it wax dark in the valleys , we say , it is towards night ; if it begins to be dark upon the hills , it is nigh night ; but if it be dark in the skie , it is night indeed : so where we see the workes of darknesse amongst the people , it is a signe that a night is comming ; but where we see them in those of a higher ranke , in the gentry , it makes us feare that the night is nearer ; but if in the nobility , and the great men , then it is a dismall night indeed . wherefore be you exhorted in the name of the lord , to labour much that you may have more gracious and holy spirits than others , together with your dignities , whereby you are lifted up above others . wee envie not your honours , we desire that they may be raised higher by grace . grace may well stand with the enjoyment of all your dignities , yea , grace is the only thing that blesseth them , and advanceth them . and you whose spirits god hath raised above others , in the excellencies of your parts , and many excellent endowments of learning you have , who are men of larger understandings , of higher apprehensions than others , and can looke upon ordinary men as low and meane in respect of the difference between your parts and theirs : do you labour yet to raise your spirits higher by grace and godlinesse , that as you differ from them in naturall excellencies , so you may differ from them much more in spirituall and divine ? how eminent would you be in grace , if those parts and abilities of learning you have , were sanctified for god ? what blessed instruments might you be of glory to god , of comfort and encouragement to his people ? but otherwise your parts and gifts are poisoned ; a sinfull wicked heart will poison all . it may be said of many , as it was of pope eugenius the second , he was a man of great learning , and great eloquence , with a mixture of great hypocrisie : if it may bee thus said of any , he is a man indeed of excellent parts , very learned , of strong abilities , but he hath a corrupt spirit ; he is a man of a corrupt minde ; surely these parts are all poisoned ; no marvell then , though such men swell so much by reason of them . parts unsanctified doe exceedingly enlarge mens spirits , to be so much the more capable of spirituall wickednesse , more than others of meaner and lower parts can be ; your parts will aggravate all your sinnes , and increase your damnation : it is a lamentable thing that such excellent parts and abilities as many have , which might be of so great use , for god and his church , yet that they should vanish into froth . it was the great complaint of one robertus gallus , a famous man , an opposer of the corruptions of those times in which he lived , which was in the . century : he compared the schoole-doctors to one having bread and good wine hanging on both his sides ; yet notwithstanding , he was gnawing hungerly on a flint-stone . thus they , leaving the wholesome food in the scriptures , busied themselves with subtile questions , wherein there was no edification , or comfort to the soule ; thus their excellent parts did all vanish into nothing . now if it be so grievous a thing , for parts and learning to be imployed about meane and unworthy things , how much more grievous is it , when they are employed against god ? oh , what great cause have we then to pray for these men , whose spirits are raised by naturall parts ? and how great cause have they themselves to seeke god , and to use all meanes , that their spirits might bee likewise raised by grace , that , that great blessing of parts , and learning might be blessed to them , by gods bestowing upon them this other spirit ? oh consider , what an opprobrious thing it is to you , that god should have more feare , honour , service , from men of lower , farre meaner , weaker abilities ; that their hearts should close more with the wayes of godlinesse ; that their hearts should be more enlarged towards god than yours ; that they should enjoy more heavenly , spirituall communion with god than you , yea , such communion with god , as you are altogether unacquainted withall ; and that at length their soules should be saved , and for ever blessed , when yours shall be cast out as filth , and an everlasting abhorring from the presence of the lord : what a grievous thing will it be to you , when it shall appeare , that your parts shall serve for no other and than to enlarge your soules to be more capable of the wrath of god , than other men ? for be you assured , that none are so filled with gods wrath as knowing men . it was the grievous complaint of s. austin in his time ; the unlearned , sayes he , rise up , and take heaven by force , and we with all our learning , are thrust down into hell . it is a speech well knowne to scholers ; of how great use might it be , if god did settle it upon their hearts ? and s. bernard hath a speech somewhat to the like purpose ; let the wise of the world , sayes he , who minde high things , and yet feeding upon the earth , let them with their wisdome goe downe into hell . and luther hath a notable story , which may be very usefull for this purpose . it is in his writings upon the fourth commandement , which he makes the third ; it is to shew , how the holinesse of the spirits of meane and unlearned men , shall confound great understanding learned men , where there is not the like godlinesse . in the time of the councel of constance , he tells us , there were two cardinalls riding to the councell , and in their journey they saw a shepherd in the field weeping ; one of them pitying him , sayes , that he could not passe by , but he must needs go to yonder man and comfort him ; and comming neare to him , hee asked him , why he wept ? he was loath to tell him at first ; but being urged , he told him , saying ; i looking upon this toad , considered that i had never praised god as i ought , for making mee such an excellent creature as a man , comely and reasonable ; i have not blessed him , that hee made not me such a deformed toad as this . when the cardinall heard this , hee was struck with it , considering that hee had received greater mercies than this poore man ; and he was so struck , as hee fell downe presently dead from his mule ; his servants lifting him up , and bringing him to the citie , hee came to life againe , and then cried out ; oh saint austine , how truely didst thou say ; the unlearned rise , and they take heaven , and we with all our learning , wallow in flesh and bloud ! you therefore , whom god hath honoured with excellent parts , that you may not be thus confounded another day , before the lord and his blessed angels , and saints , bee you restlesse in your spirits , till you finde god hath added a further beautie to them , even the beautie of holinesse , the sanctifying graces of his holy spirit , that may make you lovely in his eyes , truely honourable before him , and for ever blessed of him . take heed you rest not either in gifts of learning , or in gifts of moralitie ; the gifts of moralitie are yet a further ornament to mens spirits , but yet they come short of those divine excellencies of spirit , that will make it blessed for ever . wee reade of many , who were very eminent in morall excellencies , and yet altogether strangers from the life of grace . as for example , iosephus lib. . c. . reports of herod the king , that which would make one thinke , hee was raised to very high morall excellencies : once making a speech to his army , amongst other passages he hath this ; perhaps some men will say , that right and equitie is on our side , but that the greater number of men , and meanes are with the other ; but this their speech is unworthy of my followers : for with those with whom justice is , with those also god is , and where god is , there neither wants multitude , nor fortitude . and cap. . he reports of him , that in the time of a famine , he caused all his vessels of gold and silver to bee melted , to buy corne withall for the reliefe of the poore . that herod likewise which s. luke speakes of in the . acts . who was smote by the angel , and eaten of wormes , yet even this man had many excellent morall gifts : iosephus reports of him , that hee was a man of a most milde disposition , readie to helpe those which were in adversitie , free from outward grosse defilements , and that there was no day past him , in which he did not offer sacrifice ; and for a testimony of his mild & gentle temper , he tels a notable story of him , that when one simon a lawyer , in his absence , had scandalized him with many grievous accusations before the people ; as that hee was a profane man , and that upon just cause he was forbidden to enter the temple : when herod was certified of these things , and came to the theatre , he commanded that this simon should be brought to him , and would have him sit downe next to him , and in peaceable and kinde manner hee spake thus to him , tell me , i prethee , what thing thou seest fault-worthy , or contrary to the law in me ? this simon not having any thing to answer , besought him to pardon him ; the king grew friends with him , and dismissed him , bestowing gifts on him . what a shame is this example to many christians ? and yet wee would all be loath to bee in this mans condition . it is reported likewise of titus , whom god made a grievous scourge to the jewes , yet hee was so meeke , so liberall , so mercifull , of so milde and sweet a nature , that he was usually called , the love and delights of mankind : if hee had done no good in any day , hee would use to say , i have lost this day . suetonius tels of him , that hee was wont to use this speech , that none should goe away sad from speaking with a prince . excellent things are likewise reported of trajan , he was accounted a patterne of upright dealing , in as much as when a new emperour was afterwards elected , the people were wont to wish him the good successe of augustus , and the uprightnesse of trajanus : and yet the persecution of christians under him was very grievous . it is likewise said of antoninus philosophus , that he was of such a sweet temper , that hee was never much puft up in prosperity , nor cast downe in adversitie . thus we see , men may have excellent gifts of morality , and yet all these but as the flowers that grow on brambles , far different from those graces of this other spirit that wee speake of , which only growes upon the tree of life : as many a faire flower may grow out of a stinking root , so many sweet dispositions , and faire actions may bee , where there is onely the corrupt root of nature . it is true , learning and moralitie are lovely , they are pearles highly to be esteemed , they are great blessings of god ; but there is a pearle of price that is beyond them all , which the true wise merchant will labour to get , and will be content to sell all to obtaine , as matth. . , . and this pearle of price is that , by which this other spirit comes to be so excellent above all that learning and morality , or any common gifts can make it . it is said in that place of s. matthew , that the wise merchant sought other goodly pearles : common gifts are to bee sought after , as things that have much excellency in their kind ; but it was that one pearle of great price that hee sold all for : it is that grace of god in christ , that raises the spirit above all other excellencies , and is to bee prized and sought after above all things whatsoever . and that you may know , that there is a great deale of difference betweene naturall endowments , morall vertues , and true spirituall excellencies ; that this other spirit is farre beyond the excellencies of these , take these notes of difference . this other spirit is a renew●d spirit ; a new spirit will i give ya , saith the lord , in . ezek : . it doth not arise out of principles bid up with us ; the lord makes the spirit sensible of its natural corruption and weakenesse , and of the almighty worke of his grace upon it . it 〈◊〉 made another spirit , by a high and supernaturall worke of god upon the soule , working a mighty change in it , creating new principles , new habits . examine what change have you found in your spirits ; if they be no other then ever have beene , yea ; if the change be onely graduall , not essentiall , if it be onely the raising of some naturall principles , so as to enable you to live in somewhat a fairer way then you did ; if it bee not the worke of god breaking your spirits in pieces , and making of them anew , if it bee not a new creation in you ; surely then , yet , your spirits are void of that true blessed excellency , that this other spirit hath . this other spirit workes from god , and for god ; it is sensible of the need it hath of continuall influence from heaven , & it drawes vertue and efficacy from god , conveying his grace to the soule , through that blessed covenant that hee hath made with the children of men in jesus christ ; & receiving thus grace from on high , it is acted up to god himselfe , it lookes at god in what it doth , it is carried out of love to him , with unfained desires to lift up his great name . morall vertues are wrought by that reasonablenesse the soule sees in such vertuous actions , and the highest pitch they reach to is , the love to that equity which appeares in them to a mans reason ; and therefore the spirit of a man , that is raised no higher then these , blesseth it selfe rather then god in the exercise of them ; it is farre from drawing any vertue from god , in a way of covenant of grace , or from denying it selfe , and returning all the praise , and honour to god. seneca was a man of as brave a spirit for morality , almost as ever lived , and yet see how farre hee was from working from god , and for god ; observe a strange expression of his in one of his epistles : the cause and foundation of a blessed life , is to trust ones selfe , to bee confident in ones selfe ; it is a shamefull thing to weary god , saith hee , in prayer for it . what needs prayer ? make thy selfe happy . it s a foolish thing to desire a good mind , when thou mayest have it from thy self : right reason is enough to fill up the happynesse of a man. where true spirituall excellency is , there is a connexion of all spirituall excellencies , of all graces , ephes . . . the fruit of the spirit is in all goodnesse , and righteousnesse , and truth , and the reason is , because all are united in one root , namely in love to god , and holinesse : the beauty and comelinesse , that god puts upon the spirit in the worke of grace , is a perfect beauty and comlinesse , ezech. . . there is no grace wanting , there is all true spirituall blessings , ephes . . . blessed bee god , who hath blessed us with all spirituall blessings ; so the words are in your bookes , but in the originall , blessings is in the singular number , with all spirituall blessing ; there is all , and yet but one blessing ; to note , that spirituall blessings are so knit together , that they all make up but one blessing : and therefore where there is one truely , there none can be wanting ; there is such grace as in the growth of it , it springs up to eternall life : there is such a perfection as wants onely the ripening , and it would bee the same with the life in heaven ; but where there wants any essentiall part , though it bee ripened never so much , let it grow up never so fast , it will never come to be perfect . thus if there be any worke of grace wanting , if there be any defect in the principle , though that , that be there , grow up never so fast , yet it would never attain unto eternall life ; therefore in the work of sanctification , where it is true , though it bee never so weake , yet there is this perfection , that there are all graces in it ; but where there is onely a sweet nature , where there is onely some morall worke upon the spirit , there are onely some particular excellencies ; the most morall man that ever lived , hath had some way of evill , that his spirit hath run out unto . where there are true spirituall excellencies , there is an impulse of heart , a strong bent of spirit , in following after the lord ; there is such a powerfull impression of divine truths upon the soule , as presses it on with strength in gods wayes , so that it cannot easily bee hindered , as the propher saith , esay . that the lord spake to him with a strong hand , that he should not walke in the way of the people ; such a spirit hath not onely some desires , and some wishes , to that which is good ; but goes on bound in the spirit , as s. paul sayes of himselfe ; the love of christ constraines him ; there is a power of godlinesse where it is true . when eliah had cast his mantle upon elisha , the spirit of elisha was prest to follow him , king. . , . so that when elisha desired leave of him to goe to his father and mother to take his leave of them , and said , that then he would follow him , eliah answershim , what have i done to thee ? eliah indeed did nothing in outward appearance , to draw him after him ; for what was the casting of his mantle upon him , to worke such an effect in him ? but together with the casting of his mantle , there went a spirit into eliah , that hee could not but follow him : such a powerfull worke is there in the sanctifying graces of gods spirit , as with strength to cause the soule to follow him ; there is a law of the minde that hath power and command in it , as before there was a law of sinne . but where there are onely sweet natures , there men are easily drawne one way , and as easily drawn the other way ; they joyne with those that are good in good actions , but their hearts are not so set on that they doe , but that they may bee easily taken off , and carried another way . fifthly , where there are onely moral principles , there the soule sees not into , is not sensible of , turnes not from the evill of sinne , as the greatest evill ; it sees not such evill in it , as to make it subscribe to the righteousnesse of god in all those dreadfull things that are threatned against it , but thinkes they are too hard ; surely , god is not so severe a god ; god forbid things should bee so as those wee read of in the gospell . when christ spake that parable concerning those who smote the servants of the lord of the vineyard , luke . . and told them , that the lord should come & destroy those husbandmen , and give his vineyard to others : it is said , when they heard that , they said , god forbid : so many when they heare the dreadfull wrath of god denounced against sinne , they say , god forbid ; they thinke indeed , that sinne ought not to bee committed ; but they doe not thinke it so great an evill , as to procure so great miseries ; but if their spirits were right , they would apprehend sinne , as opposite to an infinite good , and so having a kind of infinitenesse of evill in it ; they would not onely yeeld to the justice of god revealed , but acknowledge , that there are greater and more fearefull miseries due to it than can be conceived : yea , they would see cause , that if god should bring those evils upon them for their sinne , that there is infinite equitie that they should lay their hands upon their mouthes , and take shame to themselves , and acknowledge the lord to bee righteous for ever . sixthly , where there are onely naturall and morall excellencies , they do not raise the soule to a love of the strictest wayes of god ; they thinke of accuratenesse and exactnesse in gods wayes to be but nicenesse and too much precisenesse ; luke-warmenesse is the onely temper sutable to them ; they thinke wisedome consists in the remission of godlines , not in the improvement of it ; & what is beyond their temper , they judge as weaknes and folly ; and it must needs bee that morall men must have such thoughts of the strictnesse of the wayes of god , because that good they have is such as arises from the principles of naturall reason , and makes a naturall good its end ; and therefore all their vertue and goodnes must be such as must not stretch nature , but must be subserviet to that naturall good they frame to themselves . now the observing of some rules and duties of religion , will suite well with this ; and so farre they approve and like well of religion : and here they sticke , and thinke any thing that is further than this , is folly , and more than needs . the worke of godlinesse in the power of it , must needs be distastefull to them , because it seekes to empty a man of himself , to cause him to deny himselfe ; to fetch all from principles beyond himselfe , & to be for a higher good than himselfe is , which is an infinite good : and therefore , if it were possible , it would work infinitely towards it , but howsoever , it will set no limits to it selfe . seventhly , where there is onely nature or morality , there is no sense of the breathings of gods spirit in his ordinances ; the ordinances are dead and flat things to them : a meere morall man can like well enough of presenting himselfe in the ordinances , but he feeles no vertue in them , no impression that they worke upon him , that abides on his spirit after the ordinances are done ; he knowes not what it is to enjoy god in them , he knowes not what it is to stirre up himselfe to take hold on god in the exercise of them ; those excellencies that hee hath , are not drawne out , maintained or increased by spirituall objects and duties ; but it is otherwise where true spiritual excellencies are ; such a one goes to ordinances and holy duties with expectation to meet with the lord there : hee can discerne and feele the gracious presence of the lord ; he findes the spirit of the lord breathing graciously upon his spirit , and rofreshing his soule with much quickening , and life and sweetnesse ; hee findes his spirit drawne out by them , his heart much inlarged , his graces much increased in the use of them ; or if at some times he wants this , then hee is sensible of the want of it , of that difference that now hee feeles betweene that which sometimes hee hath had , and that which now hee wants ; but the other is sensible of no such want , all times are alike with him . thus you see how you may examine your spirits , whether the excellencies of them be naturall , whether they be onely morall , or truely spirituall . by these notes you may see , that to bee true of your selves , that our saviour said to his disciples in another case ; you know not of what spirit you are . though god hath given you many excellent blessings , beautified your spirits with many excellents endowments , which are in themselves lovely & desirable ; yet he hath not raised your spirits to that true spirituall excellency that he useth to raise the spirits of his people unto , even in this world . there are yet other higher excellencies to be attained to , to be sought after , without which all the other you have will vanish , and never bring up your soules to the enjoyment of god as yours in christ . but what should be done that we may get another spirit ? worke what you can upon your hearts what ever truth may further convince you , of the difference of spirits ; that you may bee throughly convinced , that there is indeed a vast essentiall difference , and that you may see into the evill of your spirits , and bee sensible of the want of this true spirituall excellency , and lie downe before god dejected , and humbled in the sight thereof . secondly , bee much in the company of the godly . when saul was among the prophets , the spirit of god came upon him , & he began to prophesie too . elijah told elisha , that if he were with him when he was taken up , then hee should have his spirit come upon him ; wherefore elisha kept close to him , & would by no meanes leave his company . by being much in the company of the godly , you will come to see some beams of the excellency of their spirits shine out to you , whereby you will see that your spirits are not like theirs ; that they are in a happier condition than you ; that they are men in a nearer reference to god than you ; you will soone discerne , that surely the world is mistaken in these men . thirdly , frequent the ordinances of god , where the spirit uses to breath ; set your soules before the worke of gods spirit : the spirit breaths where it listeth , therefore it must bee attended upon in those wayes which it self chuseth . though your spirits bee never so dead , and polluted , who knowes but that at length in the attending upon god in his way , the spirit of god may breath upon you , may breath in you the breath of life ? it hath breath'd upon as dead , polluted spirits as yours , and it hath cleansed them , sanctified them , it hath filled them full of spirituall and glorious excellencies . fourthly , nourish and make good use of those common workes of gods spirit you have already ; they have much excellency in them ; & if they be not rested in , but improved , they may be very serviceable for the worke of gods grace ; but as christ sayes of the riches of the world , if you bee not faithfull in them , who will trust you with the true riches ; so if you be not carefull to make use of the common works of gods spirit , how can it be expected that the lord should blesse you with further mercy this way ? bee sure you doe not wilfully go against the rules of right reason you are convinced of ; do not darken that light of reason that god hath set up in you ; do not extinguish those sparkes in naturall conscience that god hath kindled there ; do not dead those principles you have received in your education ; use that strength of reason , resolution , and naturall conscience you have , to keepe in your spirits , that they bee not let out to feed upon sinfull delights . with what face can you complaine of weaknesse , and yet feed your distempers ? there is little hope of such as have extinguished the light of their common principles , which once they had in an eminent māner ; their light of reason once was at least as a faire candle-light , but now it is like the snuffe in a socket , almost drowned & quenched with their filthy lusts . how just with god were it , that these men should be left to die and perish for ever in their filth ? fifthly , seek earnestly from god to renew , to sanctifie your spirits ; it is he that is the father of spirits , and the spirit of man is under no other power , but the power of god himselfe ; and he hath the command of all , and with him there is abundance of spirit , and he is willing ; yea , hee hath promised to give his spirit to them that aske it , luke . . but you will say , how can i pray without the spirit ? i answer , put thy selfe upon prayer , and who knowes but assistance and blessing may come ? present thy selfe before the lord , tell him what thou apprehendest of the vilenesse , of the filthinesse of thy spirit ; what convictions thou hast of the necessitie of the renewing of it , of the excellencie thou seest in the spirits of his servants ; tell him of those desires thou hast to be blessed with such a spirit : o lord , thou hast given me many bodily blessings , great blessings of my estate more than others , many excellent gifts ; but lord there are other mercies my soule wants ; oh that thou wouldest give me another spirit ! as this caleb , ioshua . . gave his daughter aohsah a blessing , namely , the upper springs , and the neither spring , so doe thou seeke of god , that as he hath given thee the blessing of the nether springs , so hee may give thee the blessing of the upper ; namely , that he may blesse thy soule with true spirituall blessings . sixtly , be sure thou lookest up to god in christ , to seek this mercy in him ; look on him as annoynted by the father with the fulnesse of the spirit ; look to him in whom all the fulnesse of the god-head dwels bodily , that out of this fulnesse , spirituall blessings may bee conveyed to thee ; for otherwise whatsoever thou seekest for of god , and not in this way , thou seekest but in a naturall way . seventhly , be carefull to observe the beginnings of those speciall stirrings of gods spirit in thee , those gales that sometimes thou mayest feele , and then put on what possibly thou canst ; then sollow the work of gods grace , make much of such beginnings , give up thy selfe to the power of them ; turne the motions of gods spirit into purposes , and those purposes into endevours , and those endevours into performances , and seeke that those performances may bee established . wee doe not know what we lose , when at any time we lose the stirrings of gods spirit in our hearts . who knowes but that thy eternall estate may depend upon those sparkes that hee is now kindling in theé ? it is a great wickednes to stifle the child in the wombe , when it is new conceived ; and is it not a great wickednes to stifle those blessed motions that are conceived by the worke of the holy ghost ? and for a conclusion of this point , let thy spirit be for ever restlesse untill thou feelest god graciously comming in unto thee ; let no mercie satisfie thee , till god gives thee soule-mercies , and blesses thee with his choice spirituall blessings , such as are peculiar to those who are good in his eyes . a graciovs spirit follows god fvlly . the second part. numb . . . and hath followed me fully , him will i bring into the land , wherein he went ; and his seed shall possesse it . cap. . 〈…〉 t is for a man to follow god fully . the second doctrine follows , which is this ; it is the high praise of servants that they follow god fully : this is their co●mendation , that they have their hearts come fully off in the wayes of obedience , to fulfill the good will of the lord ; this is that perfect heart which god so often calls for in scripture , and for which so many of gods servants are commended in the word ; as , gen. . . walke before me , saith god to abraham , and be thou perfect . deut. . . thou shalt be perfect with the lord thy god. this noah is commended for , gen. . . he was a just man , and perfect in his generations : so iob , chap. . . he was perfect and upright . the want of this was the staine and blot upon salomon , king. . . the text there sayes , he went not fully after the lord , as did david his father : this likewise was the staine of the church of sardis , revel . . . i have not found thy wayes perfect ; the wo●ds are , i have not found thy wayes 〈…〉 thou hast not filled up thy 〈…〉 following me ; somthing ind 〈…〉 ou hast done , but thou hast not followed me fully . to have a heart ful of goodnesse , as s. paul testifies of the romanes , chap. . vers . . and to have a life full of good workes , as , acts . . is witnessed of tabitha . this is the excellencie of a godly man , this is the true declaration of the excellencie of that spirit , wherein this glory doth consist . in this argument we shall first shew , what it is to follow god fully , or what the frame of the spirit is in the following the lord fully . secondly , wherein the true excellencie of this lies . thirdly , apply it . for the first , take this caution premised ; when we speak of a fulnesse in following the lord , wee doe not mean a legall fulnesse , such a fulnesse wherein there is no want or imperfection : not to sinne , is here onely our law , in heaven it shall be our reward . bu●●here is a true following of the 〈…〉 , that is even in this life to b●●●●a●ned unto , an evangelicall fulnesse , and that is the fulnesse that we are to speake of . the gospel requires perfection as well as the law , though in a different manner : and this is , first , a fulnesse of all graces ; though not the degree of all graces , yet the truth of every grace : there is no grace wanting , where this evangelicall fulnesse is . secondly , there is no want , no not of any degree , wherein the soule rests ; there is such a perfection as the soule takes no liberty to it selfe to faile in any thing . thirdly , there are sincere aymes , as in the sight of god , to attain to the highest perfection , the full measure of holinesse ; and , fourthly , there is that uprightnesse of the soule , as it doth not onely desire and endeavoure to attaine , but doth indeed attaine to the truth of that i shall deliver . first , the heart is fully set and resolved for god , there is fuln 〈…〉 of resolution ; so the septuag 〈…〉 slates that place in ioshuah . vers . where caleb speakes of his following of god fully ; they turne it thus , i decreed , i determined to follow him : the heart is fully taken off from shiftings , from hankerings after other things , from the ingagements that before it had ; from disputings reasonings for the wayes of the flesh : it doth not hang betweene two , as unsetled , irresolved , wavering ; but is truly and fully taken off , and the resolutions are fully set upon , and for the wayes of god. many have some cōvictions , some stirrings , some makings towards the wayes of god , some approbation of them ; thinking with themselves , it were well , if wee could doe thus : surely , they are the best men who can doe thus ; but still some ingagement holds them fast ; they have thoughts flitting up and downe ; they would and they would not ; they could like well , were it not for this thing and that thing ; this inco 〈…〉 ience and the other trouble w 〈…〉 follow ; and so they delay and put off , and think , it may be they may hereafter doe better ; their good desires and inclinations they hope , may serve turne for the present . and thus they stand baffling with god and their owne soules : they are , as seneca speakes of some , alwayes about to live : but this soule who fully followes god , is fully broken off from former wayes , the thoughts of it are come to a determinate issue ; it is resolved against them whatsoever becomes of it ; resolved to listen no more after the reasonings of flesh and blood , as s. paul sayes of himselfe , gal. . , . that after it pleased god to call him by his grace , and to reveale his son in him , immediately he conferred not with flesh and blood . many are a great while before they be thus fully taken off ; they are as agrippa , acts . . almost perswaded to become christians ; the truths of god doe move them , but not throughly perswade them ; they strive with them , but d● not throughly vanquish them . the ●pirit of god leaves some in the very birth , that there is never strength to bring forth ; but it is a most blessed thing , when the heart comes off kindly and fully ; now it is not so ready to raise objections against the wayes of god , nor to hearken to objections raised by others , as it was before : when the fire is fully kindled ; there is little smoke , at the first the smoke rises thicke , that we can see no fire : the reason of so many arguings , and objections of the flesh , is because the heart is not fully taken off . tertullian hath a notable expression to this purpose : how wise an arguer , sayes he , doth the pride of man seeme to it selfe , when it is afraid to lose some of worldly joyes ! it is the engagement of mans heart to his lust , that makes him thinke there is any strength in those objections and reasonings , that he hath in his heart against gods wayes ; when the heart is taken off , they vanish of themsel 〈…〉 ▪ there is a fulnesse of all the faculties of the soule working after god ; full apprehensions , full affections ; the soul is filled with the will of god , as col. . . that yee may stand perfect , and full in all the will of god , as the sailes silled with the winde ; my soule and all that is within me praise the lord , saith david . as it is in giving men full possession of a house ; they give up the keyes of every roome ; so here the soule gives up every faculty to god ; the whole soule opens it selfe , to receive the lord and his truth . there is a loving the lord with all the mind , with all the heart , and with all the soule ; there is a spirituall life , quickning every faculty ; there is a sanctification throughout every faculty , though no faculty be throughly sanctified . the soule followes god fully , in regard of the true indeavours of it , to put forth what strength it hath in following the lord ; all the faculties worke , and it is not satisfied , that they should worke remissely , 〈…〉 it would have them worke ferv 〈…〉 y , and powerfully , as david , psal . . my soule followes hard after thee : there is a panting of the heart , a gasping of the spirit after the lord ; as the hart panteth after the water brooks , so panteth my soule after thee , o god , saith david , ps . . . my heart breaketh for the longing it hath unto thy judgements , psal . . . the spirit boils in fervor while it is serving the lord , rom. . . fervent in spirit , serving the lord. esay . . with my soule , saith the prophet , i have desired thee , and with my spirit within me will i seek thee . this soule doth not only love god , with all the mind , and with all the heart , but with all the strength too ; there is no strength reserved for any thing else , but the lord. the soule that fully followes the lord , followes him without delay , in the use of all meanes , and in all the wayes of his commandements ; the delaying and putting off , is an argument of remissenesse . davids ▪ soule followed hard after the lord , as you heard before in the . psalme : and this made him seeke the lord early , verse . o god , thou art my god , early will i seeke thee , saith lie ; the present time is the sulnesse of time with such a soule . we reade of haman , ester . . that he was full of wrath , and hence he procures , that the posts should bee hastened about his worke in destroying the jewes , verse . and it sets upon all means , what way soever it may be brought neare to god , either by ordinary meanes , or else by extraordinary ; useth all ordinances conscionably in their season , will abstaine from all occasions of evill , avoids all hinderances , in that which is good ; if he knowes any thing may further him in the bringing of his heart nearer to god , he readily and thankfully embraces it , and makes use of it ; hee useth all meanes , and yet resteth not in any meanes . againe , a soule that followes god fully , followes him in all the wayes of his commandments is the lord saith of david , act. . . that hee had found a man 〈◊〉 would sul●ll 〈◊〉 has will ; in the originall , the word is in the plurall number ; that would fulfill all his wils . there are many reasons that many give , why david was called , a man after gods owne heart : some thinke , because hee was so broken a hearted man : others , because he had such a thankfull heart ; but this scripture resolves us , for god sayes , that hee had found a man after his owne heart , and gives that reason of it , because hee would fulfill all his wills . this soule desires to fulfill all righteousnesse , as christ saith of himselfe , it became him to fulfill all righteousnesse . it desires to yeeld obedience to god , and to be holy in all manner of conversation , as the apostle speakes , in pet. . . then shal not i be ashamed , saith david , when i have respect unto all thy commandements , psal . . . wee have a notable place for this universalitie of obedience in the . coloss . , , . we pray , saith the apostle , that yee might be fulfilled in all knowledge of his will , in all wisedome , that yee might walke worthy of the lord , and please him in all things , being fruitfull in all good works , strengthened with all might , through his glorious power , to all patience : there are six all 's together in this scripture . a heart that is fully for god , is for all gods wayes , in all things ; it is not willing to baulke any way of god. zachariah and elizabeth were two choyce spirits indeed , and this was their honour , that they walked with god in all the commandements , and ordinances of the lord blamelesse , luke . vers . . it is willing to follow the lord in difficult duties , when it must put the flesh to it , in duties that require paines , much labour , that cannot be done without some hard things attending on them . god hath some hard peeces of services to put his people upon , to try the uprightnesse of their hearts , the sinceritie and power of their loves to him in ; and god takes it exceeding well when they will follow him in such duties ; as that hard peece of service he put abraham upon , in offering his sonne , when abraham was willing to follow him in that , now , saith hee , i know thou lovest mee : it is nothing to follow god in such duties , as will so suit with us , wherein we need put our selves to no trouble ; many are well content with such duties , and seeme to yeeld to god in them ; but goe beyond those , and put them upon further , and they stirre not ; but as the rustie hand of a diall , if you come at that time of the day , wherein the houre falls out the same , at which the hand stands , it seemes to goe right , but if you passe that time , the hand stands yet still , it goes no further than it did , and so shewes the diall not to be good : so here , when it fals out so , that a duty is enjoyned , which is sutable to a mans mind , and ends , he will readily yeeld to it , and seeme as if hee made conscience of obedience to god in it ; but if you put him on further , in duties that are not so sutable to him , there he stirres not , because of the difficulty which he sees in them , and in this he shewes the falsenesse of his heart , that hee doth not follow god fully . againe , one that followes god fully , will follow him in discountenanced duties . some duties are liked well enough of in the world , for reason tels every man , god must have some service ; and some generall way of serving of god , all rationall men approve of ; and if god would require a man to follow him , in no other duties but these , it were fine ; but there are some others that will make him to be observed ; some , in which if he followes the lord , hee shall be reckoned amongst such kind of men , of whose number hee doth not like to bee accounted one ; hee knowes they are discountenanced , and despised , and this hee cannot beare , and therefore those are duties hee hath no minde unto , and then thinketh with himselfe , why may not my obedience in other things serve the turne ? and yet further , one that is willing to follow god fully in all duties , hee will follow him in those where he sees no reason , but the ●are command of god ; it is enough to him , that they are commanded of god ; it is not for the lord to give account of his wayes , to his creatures ; it is enough for us , that hee bids us follow him ; absolute obedience is that which is our dutie ; there is alwayes reason enough in gods will ; but whether we see it , or see it not , if we can but see the commandement , it is enough for us ; we take too much upon us , to dispute about the reason of things with god , wee must not be judges of the law , but doers of it . saul could see no reason , why he might not spare the best of the cattle , especially when he did it to keep them for sacrifice , but it cost him his kingdome ; god rejected him for it , and told him , obedience was better than sacrifice . luther saith , he had rather obey than work miracles . and cassianus reports of one iohannes abbas , who when hee was young , was willing for a whole yeare together , to fetch water every day neare two miles , to water a drie sticke , because hee was commanded so to doe ; hee thought it reason enough to doe things unreasonable , to shew his obedience unto man , whose will is many times unreasonable ; how much more reason is there then that we should shew our obedience to god , in duties , where through our weaknesse we cannot see the reason , when we may be sure that there is alwayes reason enough , if we were able to see it ? fourthly , and yet further , the soule that is willing to follow god in all duties , wil follow him in commandements that are accounted little commandements : god expects faithfulnesse in little things ; god prizes every tittle of his law more worth than heaven and earth , howsoever wee may sleight many things in it , and think them too small to put any great bond upon us . christ saith , that , heaven and earth shall passe away , but not one jot or tittle of his word . as if he should say , if heaven and earth were in one ballance , and any jot or tittle of my word in another , and if one of them must needs perish , i had rather that heaven and earth should perish , than that one jot or tittle of my word should faile : the authority of heaven puts weight on things , that are never so little in themselves . if mans authority doe this , how much more divine ? man cannot beare disobedience in little things ; though the things be very small in themselves , yet if commanded by authority , it is justly expected that they should be much regarded . shall mans authority make small things to be accounted great , and shall gods authority doe nothing ? obedience in small things is due to magistrates , much more to god : give to caesar the things that are caesars , and to god the things that are gods , matth , . . it is observable in that place , the article is twice repeated in the greeke text , when hee speaks of god , more than when he speakes of caesar : shewing , that our especiall care should be to give god his due . fiftly and lastly , not to instance in more particulars , the soule that followes god fully in all duties , is willing to follow him in duties wherein it must go alone ; it is willing to follow god in folitary paths . many men , were it that they might have company in the way , in following the lord , they would be content ; but to go all alone in such solitary wayes , wherein they can see none goe before them , wherein they can have none along with them , few or none are like to follow after them ; this is tedious . but a childe of god thinkes he hath enough , in that he hath god with him , that he walkes along with god ; this is company enough , let the way be what it will be : as david , psal . . . though i walke through the valley of the shadow of death , yet thou art with me . god promises that he will goe before his people ; that is enough , though there be none else . it is true , company in gods wayes is delightfull , and it is a sad thing , that there is so little a tract in gods paths . it was the complaint of gods people , lam. . . that the wayes of sion did mourne , because none came in them . but if company cannot be had , it is enough we have the lord. tim. . . at my first answer , saith s. paul , no man stood with me , but all men forsook me , notwithstanding the lord stood with me . elijah thought he was left alone , he could see no man goe that way hee did ; yet he continues in his fervour and zeale , following the lord. indeed we should the rather follow the lord , because we see so few follow him : what ? shall he have none to follow him ? as christ said to his disciples , when many forsook him , will you also forsake me ? thus you see by these severall instances in difficult duties , in discountenanced duties , in duties wherein we can see no reason , but a bare command , in duties that seeme to be small and little , and in duties , wherein if we follow god we must follow him alone ; that the soule that followes god fully , will follow him in these , and so by the same reason in all other duties that god shall require , to follow him in : and this is that pretious choice spirit we spake of before , which shewes it in this , that it is thus willing to follow god fully . you know it is requir'd of us to be perfect , as god himself is perfect , to bee holy as god is holy ; yea , this the gospell requires of us ; but how can that be ? yes , thus ; gods perfection and holinesse is made known to us in his will , in his commandements ; now look how large they are set forth to us in these , so large must our obedience be : though we cannot attaine to the degree , yet our hearts must inlarge thēselves to the things , to what ever part of gods will , god makes knowne his perfection and holinesse by . thy commandement is very broad , saith david , yet godlinesse inlargeth the heart to every duty it cals for : there is a grace within the soule sutable to every duty the law requires . it may be this is indeed , may some thinke , in those who are eminent in grace , upon whom god hath bestowed a great measure of his spirit ; but is this in every one that hath any truth ? wherefore for answer let us know , there is this perfection , or else there is no truth at all ; onely remember , i doe not speake now of the perfection of degrees ; in this cōsists the right straightnes of a mans heart . a straight line wil touch with another straight line in every point , but a crooked line wil not , it toucheth but only here & there in some : so straight hearts will joyne with gods law in every part , but crooked and perverse hearts , onely in some , onely so farre as may serve their owne turnes . in this consists the true plainnesse of a mans spirit : you know , plaine things will joyne likewise in every point one with another , but round and rugged things will not : so proud , sowlne hearts , and rugged spirits will not close fully with gods truths ; but where there is plainnesse of spirit , there is a full closing , a thorow union . there is a great dangerous mistake about this point , which yet is a generall mistake ; multitudes of people miscarry everlastingly upon this mistake ; they think because we cannot in this life attain to the perfection of holinesse in the degrees , therefore there is no perfection at all necessary , but that they may be saved without it : they think therfore that if they do some good things , if they obey some commandements , it is sufficient , though they take liberty to themselves in other things ; they finde they can yeeld in something ; yet other things of gods will are exceedingly unsutable unto thē . be convinced of your mistake herein : a godly man indeed is weak , and cannot attain to the performance of every part of gods will , but the frame of his heart is to every part ; every part is sutable to his spirit : he esteemes all the precepts of god concerning all things to be right , and he hates every false way . he findes the law of god in the latitude of it , written in his heart ; there is no command of god that is not dearer to him than all the world . marke that place in iob , chap. . verse . god will not cast away the perfect man , neither will he helpe the evill doers : the perfect man is opposed to the evill doers , who shall be cast away . if you be not perfect in this sense that hath been spoken of , then you are an evill doer , who must be cast away , how glorious soever many of your actions may seeme to be . that place in ezechiel , chap. . verse . that is usually taken for the place of the greatest mercy in all the scripture , & by many is exceedingly abused ; yet see what that requires of men in their repentance : the words are usually taken up thus , at what time soever a sinner repents him of his sin , i will blot out all his iniquities , saith the lord. there are not those very words in any place of scripture , but there are to the like effect , which are in this place of ezechiel : and in no other place is gods mercy to a sinner , more fully revealed : there is no text in scripture comes nearer to that which men ordinarily take up , than that verse and the . . verses in the same chapter : and see what of gods mind wee have made knowne there ; the words of the scripture are thus , if the wicked will turne from all his sinnes that he hath committed , and keepe all mystatutes , and doe that which is lawfull and right , he shall surely live : and againe , verse . because he considereth , and turnes from all his transgressions . thus you see , that god in the largest promises of his mercy to those who have the least measure of grace , he requires the turning from all sinnes , and the keeping of all his statutes : and this god brings to shew the infinite equity of his wayes towards sinners . as if he should say , except this be , no mans conscience in the world but must acknowledge it to bee infinitely just and equall , that he should perish everlastingly ; if there bee any way of wickednesse reserved , if any statute of mine bee neglected , if he thinks to have mercy without an universall turning from his sin , without an universall obedience ; his conscience will tell him , that it is an unequall and unreasonable thing , that hee should ever expect it . and yet further , because you think that this universalitie of obedience should be expected only from some who are eminent in grace , who have attained to a great measure of godlinesse ; consider what is required of poore widdowes , tim. . . they must diligently follow every good work . first , they must not onely have good desires , but good works . secondly , they must follow good works . thirdly , they must diligently follow them . fourthly , they must diligently follow every good work . and fifthly , they must so follow , as they must be well reported of for it . yea , sixthly , they must doe all this , or els they must not be received into the church . surely , then it is a shame for any man , especially of parts and abilities , to plead weaknesse , when so much is required of poore women ; certainly it is not weaknes , but falsenesse of heart , that is contrary to universalitie of obedience , to the following of the lord fully in this respect . the vessell of honour is distinguished from the vessel of dishonour , tim. . . by this character , that it is one that is sanctified and prepared for every good worke . you know what s. iames saith , chap. . verse . if any man seeme to be religious , and bridle not his tongue , but deceives his owne heart , this mans religion is in vaine . it is an heavie censure , that all a mans religion is in vain for one fault , and that but for a fault in the tongue ; and yet this is the censure of the holy ghost . no question , such men who were guilty herein , would reason thus with themselves , we cannot be perfect in this life , we doe performe many duties of religion ; & therefore we hope though we faile in this one thing , that yet we shall doe well enough , god will accept of us . no , saith s. iames , hee deceives his owne heart ; such a one shall never be accepted . to the like effect is that of our saviour , iohn . . how can you beleeve on me , which receive honour one of another ? this was enough to keep thē off for ever from christ ; and yet this was but an inward sin , no outward grosse crying sin in the esteem of the world . let a man be never so glorious in never so many duties of religion , yet certainly the giving liberty to himselfe in any one lust , is enough to keepe him off for ever from god , from partaking of good in him . as if a wife be never so officious to her husband , yeelding to him in never so many things , seeking to give him content in his desires never so many wayes , yet if she entertaines any other lover besides himselfe , it is enough to alienate his spirit from her for ever . that which god sayes to salomon , king. . . is very observable to our purpose : after salomon had finished that glorious temple , for the honour of the lord , after he had assembled all the elders of israel , all the heads of the tribes , the chiefe of the fathers of the children of israel , to bring up the arke of the lord with all solemnitie , to that temple he had made for it , after hee had made such an excellent prayer before all the people ; and when that was done , that hee might shew his further respect unto the lord , he offered to the lord two and twentie thousand oxen , and one hundred and twenty thousand sheepe , and in his rejoycing in this great worke , hee made a great feast to the people seven dayes , and to them he added seven dayes more , and sent away the people with joyfull and glad hearts : here were great things done in honour to god , yet all this would not serve salomons turne , but chap. . . after all this , god sayes to him , if thou wil● walke before mee , as david thy father walked , in integrity of heart and uprightnesse , to doe according to all that i have commanded thee , then i will establish the throne of thy kingdome : as if hee should have said , doe not thinke to put me off with any thing thou hast done ; though the things be great things , yet i expect walking according to all that i have commanded thee , or else all is nothing ; and therefore , as before you heard , he was charged by god , chap. . . that hee did not goe fully after the lord : one would have thought those glorious actions that he did , had been enough to have got him the commendation of going fully after god ; but we see it would not be : there must bee besides these , a walking according to all that god commands , a keeping his statutes , and his judgements , yea , and that is observable that wee have in the . verse of this . chapter , where god sayes after all this , that if you shall at all turne from following me , you , or your children , &c. then will i cut off israel . wee must take heed of the least failing in our following the lord. god threatens salomon , after he had done so much , that if hee did at all turne from following him , hee would cut him off . it is not our forwardnesse in some good things , it is not our serviceablenes in some publike and worthy employments , that will serve our turnes , if we make not conscience of every duty , of secret duties , and that constantly . god hath so connexed the duties of his law one to another , that if so be there be not a conscionable care to walke according to all , it is accounted as the breach of all , according to that of s. iames , chap. . . whosoever shall keepe the whole law , and yet offend in one point , is guilty of all ; the bond of all is broken , the authority of all is slighted ; and that evill disposition that causeth a man to venture upon the breach of one , might the breach of others serve for his own ends as well as that , it would make him venture upon the breach of any . to draw to a conclusion of this argument , let us know , that if the heart be right , it is willing to be cast into the mould of the word , to receive whatsoever print the word will put upon it , to be in whatsoever forme the word will have it : as metals that are cast into a mould , they receive the print of the mould , print for print in every part ; and this is the heart that doth indeed follow god fully . this is s. pauls expression , rom. . . you have obeyed from the heart , that forme of doctrine unto which you were delivered ; so the words are in the originall : the forme of doctrin is compared to the mould , & the sincere obeyers from the heart , are compared to the metal delivered into this mould , which takes impression from it , in one part as well as in another . no sincere obedience from the heart , no true following of god fully without this . i have beene the larger in this particular , because the mistake is so generall and dangerous . then doth the heart fully follow after the lord , when it is indeed willing to search fully into every truth , that yet it doth not fully know , with a readinesse to lie under the power of it : such a man is not afraid of any truth of god , lest it should put him upon that he hath no mind to , as ahab was afraid to enquire of michaiah what the mind of god was , because hee was never wont to prophecie good unto him ; but that man who followes the lord fully , doth alwayes account the word of the lord to be good to him , as mic. . . doe not my words doe good to him that walkes uprightly ? hee saith to the lord as elihu , iob . . that which i see not , teach thou mee : if i have done iniquitiy , i will doe no more . lord , that which i know not , doe thou teach me ; and wherein i have failed , i shall conscionably endeavour to reforme . oh! let the word of god bee glorified for ever , whatsoever becomes of mee ; let it come in the full latitude of it , my soule shall yeeld to it ; my heart is prepared to submit to whatsoever truth god shall make knowne to me . i remember , i have read in one of the epistles written to oecolampadius , of a notable expression , of one baldassar a minister in germany writing to him ; let the word of the lord come , let it come , saith he , and wee will submit to it , if wee had many hundred neckes to put under : this is a degree further then the other ; for there are many who dare not goe against knowne truths , for then conscience would fly in their faces ; but there are some truths which they are afraid to know , which they are secretly willing to put off , lest they should come to know them , which is an argumēt that their hearts are not fully after the lord : when men are not convinced of many truths , not because there is not light enough to convince them , but because they are not willing to bee convinced , they strive to keepe out the power of the truth from their hearts ; they are not willing , that such truths that are not for their turnes , should come into their judgements ; they seeke to shift them off : when the truth stands and pleads for entrance , they seeke one shift or other to put it off withall , heb. . . see that ye refuse not him that speaketh : the words are , see that yee shift not him off that speaketh . in the propriety of that word as it is in the originall , we have thus much signified to us : christ in his truths comes to aske entrance , and we must ●ake heed that wee doe not put him off . and if the truth have got into our judgement , wee must take heed , we doe not strive to get conscience off from it ; and if conscience hath closed with it , take heed wee strive nor to get it out of conscience again , and then think it a sufficient plea , to satisfie our selves and others in the actions we doe , that now our judgements are better informed ; whereas the truth indeed is , our lusts are more satisfied , the corruptions of our hearts are more increased . oh take heed for ever of labouring to blinde our understandings , of withholding the truth in unrighteousnesse , of imprisoning it , to keep it from working with power upon our hearts . this distemper of heart , is exceedingly opposite to the following of the lord fully . to follow god fully , is to follow him so , as to bee willing to venture the losse of all for him , willing to decline from & cast off whatsoever comes in the way , though never so deare unto us ; to follow him close whatsoever comes in competition with him ; when wee cannot follow him without parting with much for him , when our following him will cost us the losse of our formerly most deare comforts and contentments ; to follow the lambe wheresoever he goes , thorow all afflictions , thorow all straits , knowing that his way though it bee a way of blood , yet it leades to the throne ; to follow christ to mount calvery where hee is to suffer , as well as to that mount that wee reade of esay . . where the lord makes to his people , a feast of fat things , a feast of wines , a feast of fat things full of marrow . it is nothing to follow him , when our comforts , peace , ease , honour goes along together with him ; it cannot then be knowne whether wee follow him or no , or whether it be our owne ends that we follow : as when a serving-man followes two gentlemen , we know not which of these two he followes till they part , but then you shall see which was his master : so here , when christ and our own ends part one from another , then is the triall which was followed before . wee must love the truth , not onely when wee can live upon it , when wee can get advantage by it ; but then also , when it must live upon us , when it must have our estates , our peace , our names , our liberties , our lives to live upon , and to bee maintained by : wee must follow him when wee must deny our selves , and take up our crosse , when we must throughly deny our selves ; for the word in the originall is a compound , noting more than a single , more than an ordinary selfe deniall ; when wee must take up our crosse , not chuse what crosse wee are willing to meet with ; to think , if it were such an affliction that such a man hath , i could beare it , but i know not how to beare this : but it must bee our crosse , and willingly tooke up , and that daily too ; we must be willing to follow him thorow the wildernesse . cant. . . who is this that commeth from the wildernesse , leaning on her beloved ? the wildernesse is the troubles and afflictions of the church , she comes thorow them with her beloved , resting her selfe upon her beloved . if the lord will lead us thorow the fire , and thorow the water , yet wee must follow him there ; if he will lead us where fiery serpents and scorpions are ; yet wee must follow him there . deut. . . iosephus writing of the times of christ , sayes , there was one jesus a wise man in those times , if it bee lawfull to call him a man , for hee did divers admirable works , yet he was condemned to the crosse ; but notwithstāding this , those who followed him from the beginning , did not forbear to love him , because of the ignominie of his death , but followed him still . to follow a crucified christ , a cōtemned christ , to sollow him in the bloody paths of his sufferings , this is to follow him fully indeed . when one came and told christ that hee would follow him wheresoever he wēt , mat. . jesus saith unto him , the foxes have holes , and the birds of the ayre have nests , but the son of man hath not where to lay his head . as if he should have said , you must not expect great matter in following mee , but you must bee content to suffer hard things . christ ●els the yong man that came running to him to know what hee should doe for eternall life , that if he would be perfect , he must sell all ; and then come and follow him ; if hee would follow him fully , he must bee content to part with all for christ ; to sell all , as the wise merchant sold all for the pearle . if there bee any thing in the world that you are not willing to part withall , if any thing that you are not willing to suffer , you cannot follow mee fully . in this consists the uprightnesse of heart , to goe in a right line to god ; what soever comes betweene god and us , yet not to fetch a compasse , but to goe thorow it ; for if we fetch a compasse , the line is not right : we must therefore strike thorow all troubles and hazards we meet withall , still keepe our way , not break the hedge of any commandement to avoid any peece of foule way . many thinke they desire to follow god , but when they meet with some trouble in their way , then they would fetch compasse to baulke that , and yet hope to come to god well enough at last ; they would bee loath not to bee accounted followers of god : but let such know that this fetching compasse , which they thinke to bee their wisedome , it is the declining from uprightnesse . many follow god , as the dog followes his master , till he comes by a carrion , and then he lets his master goe , and turnes aside to it . thus many seem to be forward in profession of religion , till they meet with some opportunity of satisfying their lusts , then they leave off , and turne aside to the enjoyment of them : but the heart that fully followes god , is not onely willing to part with any lust for christ , but it gives up it selfe to the dispose of god , to become of his estate , credit , liberty , comforts , life , what god pleases ; it is not sollicitous about these things ; the businesse that it hath to do , is to follow the lord ; it knowes that it is the work of the lord to take care for it about these things , while it is in following of him . it is said of amaziah , chron. . . that he did that indeed which was right in the sight of the lord , but not with a perfect heart ; he did many good things , but he had not a heart to follow god fully : and this was one argument of it , which wee have , verse . that he was so sollicitous about his money ; for when the man of god came to him , and told him the minde of god , that hee must not have the army of israel go with him , because hee had hyred the army with an hundred talents ; hee was very sollicitous what he should doe for his money ; for so he saith , but what shall wee doe for the hundred talents which i have given to the army of israel ? whereas if his heart had been right and full in following god , as it should have beene , it had beene enough for him to have knowne the command of god , let become of the hundred talents what they will. seventhly , to follow god fully , is to follow him onely , so as to be willing to dedicate , to devote whatsoever god lets us still to enjoy , to god alone : if wee have any gifts , any estate , any esteeme in the world , all shall bee imployed for god alone , all shall be laid out for him . as we must be willing to lose all things for him , when he cals for them , ( of which before ) so wee must endeavour to use all things for him , while we doe enjoy them . to sollow god fully , is to follow him as the highest good , as the onely good , as the all-sufficient good , as the fountaine of all good , as the rule of all good ; to follow him so , as to follow nothing else but god ; not onely to follow god chiefly , that is more than to follow any thing else , but to follow him only . but how is that ? i meane thus ; we must follow god in our following any thing else , wee must follow all for god , in reference to god , in subordination under god , and then we cannot be said to follow the creature , but it is god that is followed in it . as when god is followed in reference and subordination to any good in the creature , it is not then god , but the creature that wee sollow ; so when the creature is followed in subordination to god , it is god , and not the creature that is followed . as thus ; when david was in the dry wildernesse , no question , he desired water ; yet , psalm . . . i thirst after thee , o lord , in a drie and barren wildernesse , where no water is : hee doth not say , i thirst after water , but after thee ; be cause hee sought all in reference to god ; and so it was god alone that he thirsted for . when we desire nothing , when we seeke after nothing , when wee lett out our hearts to nothing , , use , enjoy nothing , but in order to god ; when all the good , comfort , sweetnesse , desireablenesse in any creature is in the reference it hath to god , so farre as god is in it , as god is honoured , or enjoyed by it ; when god alone is lifted up in the heart , in the use of every creature , this is to follow god fully . thou shalt worship the lord thy god , and him onely shalt thou serve ; thou shalt follow the lord thy god , and him onely shalt thou follow . christ chargeth the jewes , in iohn . . that they did not seeke the honour that came from god onely ; and this was that which kept them off from beleeving : this is enough to keep us off from god for ever . if wee would have our hearts come up fully to god , it is not enough to seeke the honor that comes from god , but we must seeke the honour that comes from god onely : and this is the true singlenes of heart which the scripture speakes of , when it singles out this object , and eyes it alone . the doublenesse of a mans heart consists not so much in that it is otherwise within , than that it appears outward , but in that it is divided to divers objects ; it doth not fixe upon god as the onely object : and as double-minded men have double objects , so they have double motions : as the planets that are carryed in their motion one way by the heavens , but have besides a private motion of their owne ; so , many are carried to god by some externall , yea , it may bee , internall motives ; but yet they have a private motion of their owne another way to other things ; god alone is not the center of their hearts . eighthly , the soule then followes god fully , when it carries thorow the worke it undertakes , against all discouragements and hinderances : as a ship comming with full sayle , bears all downe before it . it doth not only worke , but workes thoroughly , workes out that it doth . as phil. . . worke out your salvation ; worke till you get the worke thorow : this soule workes after god in his wayes , and that with power ; though it findes no good comes in by them for the present , though it hath wrought a long time , and yet sees nothing comming in ; yet it murmurs not , it repines not , it repents not of any thing it hath done for god ; it complaines not with those hypocrites , esay . . wherefore have wee fasted , and thou seest not , and wherefore have we afflicted our soules , and thou regardest not ? nor with those in malach. . . who say , what a wearinesse is this ? and , chap. . . who say , it is in vaine to serve the lord , and what profit is there that we have kept his ordinances , and that we have walked mournfully before the lord of hosts ? but this soule that followes god fully , makes no such complaints , but goes on still in the way of god ; though the flesh be weary and tyred , it goes on still . as gideon and those three hundred men that were with him , iudges . . though they were faint , yet they went on pursuing ; so here , though there may bee much faintnesse and weaknesse , yet the soule doth not thinke of turning backe againe , but goes on still , pursuing in that way it hath begun ; it is glad it hath done any thing for god , and it resolves still to doe more , how ever god pleases to deale with it . though he may be weary in his following the lord , yet hee is is not weary of following the lord. many follow the lord , as a beggar followes a man , onely in expectation of almes , he followes him a furlong or two , begging ; but if he sees the man goes still from him , hee leaves off , and lets him goe : so many will pray , and heare , and seeke after god for a while ; but if they feele not that come in , which they did expect , they grow weary , and leave off . duties that bring present comfort with them , many can be content to be exercised in , but if they finde nothing comming in by them , then their hearts sinke in discouragement , they have no heart to doe anything . as it is said of ephraim , hos . . . ephraim is as an heifer , that loves to tread out the corne : ephraim loved to tread out the corne , but not to plow : the heifer while it was treading out the corne , did feed upon the corne , and so had present delight in that work it did ; but the heifer that plowed , did labour , and spend its strength , but had no refreshment till after the worke was done : thus it is with many ; that worke , that hath present joy , that hath present refreshment in it , while they are about it , they can take content in it ; but if they must worke and tire the flesh , and yet have no present refreshing , but must continue working a great while , and stay till the accomplishment of the worke , before any benefit comes by it , this they like not : but one that followes the lord fully , resolves to follow him , though hee hides himselfe ; as david , psal . . . i will behave my selfe wisely , in a perfect way ; oh when wilt thou come unto mee ? i will walke within my house with a perfect heart . as if david should have said , i am resolved to walke before thee in a perfect way , and yet i have not thy gracious presence with mee ; oh when wilt thou come unto mee ? but still whatsoever becomes of mee , i am determined to continue walking within my house with a perfect heart . the like place we have , psal . . . i will keepe thy statutes , oh forsake me not utterly . as if he should have said , o lord , thou hast in some degree forsaken mee , thou seemest as if thou wouldest forsake mee ; yet lord , i am determined that i will keep thy statutes . thus the upright heart resolves , though i should perish everlastingly , yet i will perish following the lord ; and if i cannot follow him , i will cry after him ; and if i cannot cry after him , i will look towards him ; yea , though he appears to bee angry , yet will i follow him : as ●ob , though hee kils me , yet will i trust in him . though there be much guiltinesse upon the spirit , so that the devill , and an unbeleeving sullen heart would much discourage from following after the lord ; yet still it will not leave off , but it labours to encourage it selfe , as samuel did the people , sam. . , . samuel said unto the people , feare not ; ye have done all this wickednesse , yet turne not aside from following the lord , but serve the lord with all your heart , and turne you not aside : for then should you goe after vaine things , which cannot prosit nor deliver , for they are vain . thus the soule that followes the lord , reasons with it selfe ; though it is true i have sinned , mine iniquities are great , god may justly be provoked , and for ever reject me , yet i will not turne aside from following him : i know there is no good to be got els-where : though i be unworthy of mercy , yet god is worthy of honour , and therefore what ever i can doe , i will , that god may have honour , though i perish ; yea this soule though it receives many a repulse , yet still it will follow . as the woman of canaan , though christ called her dogge , yet she leaves not off ; she acknowledgeth her selfe to be a dog , yet still she seekes . yea , though god seems to go crosse wayes , quite contrary to that the soule expected , yet still this soul will follow him even in those wayes . as when the lord called abraham to follow him into a land that should flow with milke and honey , gen. . . abraham was content to leave his owne countrey , his fathers house , his kindred , and all his friends ; and notwithstanding as soone as he came into that land , he found there was a famine in the land , verse . so that he was forced to get into egypt , and that with the perill of his life , or else he must have starved . flesh and blood would have murmured much at this , and have said , what ? is this that land that god said hee would shew me ? is this that fruitfull land for which i must leave my country and all my friends ? and now as soone as i come into it , i am ready to starve in it : and yet abraham followed god still in all the wayes he was pleased to lead him in . againe , when god promised to multiply his seed as the starres of heaven ; yet for twenty yeares after this , sarah was barren ; god seemed to neglect his promise : and after when he had a childe , in whom all the nations of the earth were to be blessed ; yet this child abraham must kill : and here god seemes to goe crosse to his promise , yet abraham followes god still . one who followes god fully indeed , lookes up to the goodnesse of god in himselfe , and in his promise ; not to it as it appeares to sense : hee sees more good in the promise , then in all the things in the world ; though hee sees nothing , though hee seeles nothing in himselfe , nor in any creature for the present ; and what worke hee followes the lord in , hee will not leave imperfect ; he will not give over , till hee sees something come of it : if he followes god for a broken heart , he will pray and meditate , and pray and meditate again , and again , if it were a thousand times , and a thousand times over again , till the worke comes to some effect : and so for power over a corruption , and strength in any grace ; where there is truth of grace , there will bee working , like fire that never leaves working till it breakes forth , and gets the victory . hence that place of our saviour matth. . . where hee sayes , hee will not quench the smoaking flaxe , nor breake the bruised reed , till hee send forth judgement into victory . if wee observe the place of the prophet from whence this is taken , which is esay . , the words are , he shall bring forth judgement unto truth : noting that wheresoever there is truth , there will bee victory : christ will nourish the smoaking flaxe , that is , the least worke of grace , till judgement , that is , this worke of sanctification bee brought into victory , and overcome what opposeth it . if hee brings any beginnings of grace to truth , the victory is already gotten . it is reported of master bradford , that he would never leave off when hee was in holy duties , till hee found something comming in ; as in confession of sinne , till hee found his heart melt and breake for sinne ; in seeking pardon , till hee found some quieting of his spirit , in some intimation from god of his love ; and so for grace , till hee found his heart warmed and quickned . it is an excellent thing indeed , to resolve to follow the lord in duty howsoever , though nothing should come in by it to our selves : but yet the heart that is right , will never be satisfied in the performance of a duty , till it finde some manifestation of gods presence in it ; some worke of god put forth upon it , by it ; it will not rest in duty performed ; it is not satisfied in good inclinations , in good desires it hath , nor in gifts it receives , nor in comforts it findes in the creature , nor in enlargements and more inward joyes , but it must have grace , and god ; it must have some impression of god upon it , to carry with it as a seale of that presence of god it did enjoy in the dutie : it so strives with the lord , as it resolves not to let him goe , till it hath got a blessing . it is a very full expression that s. bernard hath to this purpose , in two or three words ; oh what a mercy were it , continually to enjoy that which he saith ! oh lord , saith he , i never goe away from thee without thee : he meanes , he never leaves off duty , till hee gets the presence of god , and so carries the lord along with him . oh how often doe we goe from god without god! we thinke it enough that we have beene before him in holy duties , though indeed we still abide strangers to him & he to us . how often doth god send us empty away from his presence , which we should account a sore and grievous affliction ? but here 's the misery , we are not sensible of this ; if wee have our desires in the creature , we are quieted and satisfied : whereas if our hearts were fully after the lord as they ought , when wee are before him , wee should crie to him , as moses in another case , exod. . except thy presence goe with mee , lord send mee not hence . one that followes . god fully , is willing to engage and binde himselfe to god , by the most full , and strong bonds , and engagements that can be ; his spirit is at the greatest liberty , when hee is most strongly bound to the lord. that place in the chron. . , is very observable for this ; asa and his people enter into a covenant to seek the lord god of their fathers , with all their heart , and with all their soule ; yea so , as whosoever would not seeke the lord god , should bee put to death , whether small or great , man or woman , and they sware unto the lord with shoutings , and with trumpets , and with cornets : but were they not afterwards troubled , that they had so tied and bound themselves ? would they not have thought it better to have been at more liberty ? no surely , for verse . the text sayes , that all iudah rejoyced at the oath ; and this reason is given , because they had sworne with all their heart , and sought him with their whole soule . when any seek god with their whole heart , with their whole soule , they are not only willing to engage themselves to god , but they rejoyce in their engagements : thus nehemiah whose heart was fully set for god , did himselfe , and got the princes , the priests , levites , and people to make a sure covenant , to write it , to seale it , chap. . . and as if this were not engagement enough , they further enter into a curse , and into an oath , to walke in gods law , to observe and doe all the commandements of the lord , and his judgements , and his statutes . thus david discovers the fulnesse of his spirit in following after the lord , in that he not onely promises , but sweares hee will keep the righteous judgements of the lord , psal . . . it is a signe that mens hearts are not fully taken off from their sinne , when they doe not fully come off in the covenant of the lord. no , may some say , it is because wee often covenant with god , and finde wee are overcome againe , and doe breake covenant with him , and therefore we are afraid to enter into covenant any more . is it not better not to covenant , than not to performe ? i answer , it is true , if men covenant and wilfully neglect , they were better not covenant at all ; but if when wee enter into covenant , wee have the testimony of our consciences , that we labour as in the sight of god , to fulfill our covenants wee make , and it is the burthen of our soules that we saile in them , then i say , that wee are still to goe on , and engage our selves further ; our covenants doe not aggravate our sinne , but in time they will help us against our sinne ; this is one way that god hath appointed to strengthen us ; and therefore , wee must not complaine of weaknesse , and yet neglect any way appointed by god , to get strength by . to follow god fully , is to abide in all these constant to the end of our dayes ; that is , we must be constant in gods wayes , not thinke it enough to enter into them by fits and starts , but the wayes of god must be our ordinary track , prov. . . the high way of the upright is to depart from evil ; it is his common road , and constant course : and wee must continue faithfull before the lord unto the death . it is the commendation of hezechiah king. . . he clave unto the lord and departed not . and david , psal . . . he saith , hee hath enclined his heart to performe gods statutes alway ; but as if that expression were not enough to signifie his continuance , he addes , even unto the end . iob . . the righteous holds on his way . a heart that hath given up it selfe fully to god , doth never forsake him . there is no apostate in the world , but if we could trace him along in his wayes , to his very beginning , we might find , that in the entrance of his profession , there was not a full giving up himself to god , there was not an absolute surrender made , of all that he was , and had , unto the lord. it may bee said of him as it was of amaziah , that though he did that which was right in the sight of the lord , yet he did it not with a perfect heart . there are three reasons why it must needs be , that , that man which followes god fully , must needs follow him constantly and for ever . first , because where ever the lord brings any to follow him fully , hee causeth such a perfect breach betweene sinne and that soule , as there is no possibility that ever there should be a reconciliation made , that the breach should bee made up againe . an unsound heart so falls out with his sinne , as there is a possibility of reconcilement , and therefore when such a one findes trouble in gods service , hee is willing to enter into parly againe , upon termes of agreement with his sinne ; but it is not so with a truly godly heart ; there is such a breach made , as there is no hope of reconciliation . it was achitophels policie to get absolon to stick to him , so as never to leave him . to take away the feare that there might be , lest absolon in time might bee reconciled to his father , and so leave him , therefore he sought to make such a breach betweene him and his father , as there should never be any hope of reconciliation , and so hee might bee the surer to keepe constant to him , and the people that joyned with him , and therefore hee advised , that absolon should goe in to his fathers concubines upon the house top , in the sight of all the people , sam. . , . it is the wisedome of god , that he may have followers never to leave him ; to make such breaches betweene sinne and their soules at first , so as there may never bee hope of peace betweene them againe . as the devill when he would draw one to be his for ever , hee seekes to make great breaches betweene god and him , that if hee should have ever any thoughts of returning , he may discourage and sinke his spirit with thoughts of despaire , telling him there is no hope of good in returning that way , and therefore it were better for him to continue as he is , as ier. . . thou saidst , there is no hope ; no , for i have loved strangers , and after them will i goe . when the devill gets one who hath beene forward in the profession of religion to apostatize , hee labours to make such a breach betweene him and his former course , as not onely to fall off from it , but to hate it , and to persecure it , and to turne deadly enemie to it , and then both the devill and wicked men think , they are sure of him for ever : and indeed it is very seldome that ever such a one returns . bishop latimer in a sermon before king edward , tells of one who fell away from the knowne truth , and after fell to mocking and scorning it , and yet was after touched in conscience for it ; beware of this sin , sayes latimer ; for i have knowne no more but this one man , that ever fell from the truth , and afterwards repented ; i have known many fall , but never any but this repent . now the breach betweene sinne and the soule in conversion , is as great as betweene god and the soule in apostacy ; yea , greater ; for there is a possibility of reconciliation in the one , but never in the other : and therefore as the one , because of this great breach betweene god and his soule , doth follow the devill , and his destruction for ever ; so the other , because of the breach betweene sinne and the soule , doth follow the lord , and his salvation for ever : as in the one , the gifts of gods spirit are so cast out as usually they never returne againe ; so in the other , the uncleane spirit is so cast out , as it never comes back againe . a second reason , why that man that followes the lord fully , must needs follow him for ever , is , because at the first giving up himself to god , hee was content to let goe all other holds , and all other hopes in all creature-comforts whatsoever , and so to venture himselfe upon god , is to be content to be miserable for ever , if he finde not enough in god to make him happie : he hath so let all other things goe , as if he should faile here , hee hath nowhither to retire , hee hath reserved no way , no meanes for to helpe himselfe by , if hee should miscarry here ; hee hath laid all the waight of all his comforts , of all his hopes , of all his happinesse upon the lord ; he hath no other prop that he doth or can expect any support by : there is a blessed necessity upon him to follow the lord for ever , and this necessity the soule is glad of : and this is the reason why god in his first bringing a soule home to himselfe , useth so much meanes to take it off from all other things ; namely , that it might follow him for ever . as it is reported of william the conqueror , when hee came to invade england , and had landed his souldiers , he sent backe his ships , that so they might have no hope of retreating back again , and so they were put upon a necessity of fighting it out to the utmost . thus the lord takes off the soul from all its former hopes and props , that it may have no lingrings after any thing but himselfe , but thorowly sight the good fight of faith , & with resolution hold on its course to the end . but it is otherwise with a false , unfound heart ; though such a one may follow god in many glorious performances , yet it secretly reserves something in case of failing here ; when it enters upon gods wayes , it is enlightned so farre , as it thinkes some good may be had here : yea , it hath a taste , it may be , of much sweetnesse in these wayes , but dares not venture all upon them ; he would bee glad to have some thing to retire to , in case he should faile here ; hee reserves a back doore , that he might turne another way , if this way should prove troublesome and dangerous ; hee enters upon gods wayes , not without some suspitions and jealousies , that possibly hee may meet with such inconveniences as may make him to wish he had been more wise , and not put himselfe in too farre ; he sees many others , who being deeply ingaged , and gone on so farre in those wayes , wherein they meet with much trouble , many sore and heavy afflictions ; and he thinkes they doe , or at least may repent themselves , and wish they had not ventured themselves so farre , as that now they know not how to goe backe againe ; and if they were to begin againe , he thinks they would bee wiser , and hearken to grave advise for more moderation . the king of navarre told beza , he would launch no further into the sea , than he might be sure to return safe unto the haven ; though hee shewed some countenance to religion , yet he would be sure to save himselfe . many thinke it wisedome not to venture all in one bottome . it was once the speech of a deep politician , that it was good to follow the truth , but not to follow it too neare at the heeles , lest it dasht out his braines . ananias and saphira would bee christians , they would joyne with the apostles , they saw great things were done by them ; their possessions must be sold , and the money laid at the apostles feet ; but something must be reserved , in case they should want afterwards , and then repent them they had gone so farre , when it should be too late ; and this is the very roote of apostasie . but it is otherwise with a sincere heart that followes god fully ; in such a one there is a holy kind of desperatnesse , so to cast it selfe upon god , and his wayes , as never to expect any comfort , any good , but there ; and therefore this is that it must rest to for ever , and follow after for ever . the soule that followes god fully , will follow him for ever , because in the full following of the lord , it findes so much ease , peace , joy , satisfaction , as it is for ever setled and confirmed in this way ; there is never ●ase , sweetnesse , and full contentment in gods wayes , untill the heart comes off fully ; till then it is distracted with jealousies , feares , doubts , lingrings after some other way , many temprations pestering the spirit continually : but when it is fully come off , then it goes on with ease ; it is satisfied , and blesseth it selfe in the way wherein it is ; temptations vanish , the soule is freed from much distraction and trouble : as the ship that is part in the mud and part in the water , is battered up and downe , and beats up and downe , so as in a little time it beates it selfe all in peeces ; but if it bee taken off from the mud , and bee put into the full streame , it goes with ease and safety . thus it is with a mans heart , while it stickes partly in the mud of the world , or filth of any lust , and conviction of conscience strives to raise it , but it is not fully taken off , there is nothing but vexation and trouble in that soule : but when it is taken off , and gives up it selfe fully to god in his blessed and holy wayes ; oh that sweet and blessed ease that now it findes ! when a man halts , the way is tedious to him , hee is soone weary , and gives over ; but when hee is sound , the way is easie , he holds on his way to the end : so when there is falsenesse in mens hearts , they do but halt in the ways of god , they quickly find them tedious ; but others who are of sound spirits , they find them delightfull , and go on with strength , and hold on to the end . the reason that philosophers give why the heavens are incorruptible , is , because the forme of them is so excellent , as it wholly fils up the utmost capacity of the matter ; so the reason of the holding on of the upright heart , is , the full satisfaction of it , the filling up the full capacity of it , with contentment and delight in gods ways . thus you have heard what it is to follow god fully . cap. ii. the excellency of this frame of spirit , in foure things . the second thing propounded in the point , was , to shew wherein the excellency of such a kind of frame of spirit lies , take it in these foure things . first this is truly to honour god as a god ; except god be honoured as infinite , hee is not honoured as god ; now it is the full following him that onely honours him as infinite ; where god is followed and not thus , hee is followed no otherwise than a creature may bee followed ; this is not therefore to honour him as a god , but rather it is a dishonor to that infinite excellency & blessednesse of his , whereby he is infinitely above all that creatures are , or that they are any way capable of . the great thing that god aimed at in the creating of the heavens and earth , was , that he might by angels , and men , bee honoured as a god , and therefore that which gives him this , hath true and much excellency in it . secondly , this full following of god , doth much honour the work of grace , and the profession of godlinesse ; it shewes a realitie ; power , excellency and beauty in it ; it shewes that it proceeds out of the fulnesse of jesus christ , such as hath high and heavenly principles ; when there is power , proportion , and constancy in a mans wayes , there must needs bee much beauty in them ; there is a forcing of conviction from the consciences of evill men by them : this takes away all pretences from men that they know not how to speak evill of the wayes of godlinesse ; they know not how to oppose and persecute them ; when they can see no flaw , when , though they watch what they can , yet they can see nothing unsutable to their principles . the principles of godlinesse for the most part are acknowledged by the consciences of the worst , who have any light in them ; & therefore when all a mans wayes are sutable to these , it puts wicked mē to a stand ; they know not what to say against such men , nor against their way ; but their owne thoughts tell them , that surely there is something in these men , that hath realitie , and power , and divine excellency in it , that is from none other but from god himselfe . thirdly , this hath such excellency in it , as that god himselfe boasts of such as these are ; as they glory in the lord , and blesse themselves in the lord ; so the lord seemes to glory in them , and to account his name blessed by them ; as you may see how god rejoyces in , and makes his boast of iob , chap. . vers . . hast thou considered my servant iob , that there is none like him in the earth , a perfect , and an upright man ? and so of david , i have found a man after mine own heart , which shall fulfill all my will : so of those wee read of in revel . . these are they which were not defiled ; and againe , these are they which follow the lambe whithersoever he goeth ; and again in the same verse , these were redeemed from among men , being the first fruits unto god , and to the lambe , and in their mouth was found no guile . fourthly , this following of the lord fully , doth ever attaine its end ; it prospers in that it workes for : in whatsoever thing any soule followes the lord fully , it shall be sure to accomplish that it aymes at , and to be satisfied in that it would have : as hos . . . then shall we know , if we follow on to know the lord : thus david , in psal . . where his soule thirsted after god , his flesh longed for him , his soule followed hard after him ; he saith himselfe in the same psalme , that gods right hand did now uphold him , and that his soule should be satisfied , as with marrow and fatnesse ; and his mouth should praise the lord with joyfull lips ; and the king shall rejoyce in god. cap. iii. rebuke to divers sorts , whose spirits are not full in following after the lord. if thus to follow the lord fully , bee so excellent , if this fulnesse of spirit bee such an honour unto gods people , then justly are those rebuked , whose spirits are not full in following the lord , who acknowledge the lord worthy to be followed , but their spirits are slight and vaine , their hearts are straitned in the wayes of the lord ; they doe not fill up this blessed work of following after the lord ; their hearts doe most basely fall , and most miserably vanish in it . as first , some are convinced , their judgements and consciences are for god , but their lusts carry them violently another way : oh the miserable torment of these mens spirits , while their consciences draw one way , and their lusts another ! it is not so great an evill to have wilde horses tyed to the members of ones body , tearing of them by drawing contrary wayes . secondly , others rest in their good inclinations , their good desires ; they say they would faine doe better , and they hope god will accept the will for the deed ; they like of gods wayes , and speake well of good men , and therefore they thinke their hearts are for god : but these desires and good motions , are but as little buds and sprigs that come out of the roots of trees , or from the middle of their body , which come to nothing , they never grow up to beare any fruit ; these are yet farre from following the lord fully and savingly ; for , their judgements are not yet inlightned , not throughly convinced of the poyson and infinite evill there is in sinne ; of that absolute infinite necessitie there is in the holy wayes of god ; they see not the dreadfull authority of god in every truth ; they think it were well if things were amended , it were good if more were done than this ; god helpe us , we have all our infirmities : and though they doe not as others doe , yet they hope their hearts are good towards god ; were it not for some inconveniences they are like to meet withall , they could be content to doe more than they doe . but what is this , to that mighty work of god upon this spirit , convincing of the infinite necessity , equity , beauty of his blessed wayes ? what is this to that sight of gods infinite , dreadfull authority ? those whose hearts the lord takes off from other things , to work fully after himselfe , he begins thus with them , in the powerfull enlightning , and convincing of their judgements . these never were made sensible of their inabilitie to have holy desires after god , so as to see any need of any speciall worke of the holy ghost , to raise such desires in their hearts . those who are not sensible of their inability to holy desires , though they may have many flashes like unto holy desires , yet they are wholly strangers to those desires after god , which are truly holy . these prize not the meanes of grace , they long not after them , they will not labour , they will not bee at charge , they will not endure hardship to attain them , they are not conscionable in the use of them in any power ; they use not all meanes ; if one way will not bring their desires to effect , they try not other wayes ; they are not solicitous about the successe of meanes , they look not much after them , but rest themselves in the bare use of them , not examining , not searching their hearts , to see what is in them that hinders the blessing , not bemoaning their unprofitablenesse under meanes . their desires are not strong , unsatiable ; other contentments quiet their hearts ; time weares away the strēgth of their desires , though they bee as farre from the enjoyment of the things that were desired , as they were at the first . their endeavours are not powerfull , they are not working constant endeavours ; they doe not dedicate , devote , give up themselves , whatever they are , or have , to the seeking after the lord ; their consciences cannot but tel them , that the strength of their hearts , and endeavours , is after other things : david in the . psalm . . vers . saith , that hee would lift up his hands unto gods commandements , which hee had loved ; and hee would meditate in his statutes : hee did not thinke it enough to have a love to , to have some wishes and desires , to keepe gods commandements , but he would lift up his hands to them , hee would set himselfe on worke in labouring to obey them ; hee would meditate , set his minde and thoughts , to plot and contrive , how he might best come to the fulfilling of them , psal . . . one thing have i desired , and that will i seeke after . certainly those slight , vaine desires , and wishes that there are in many peoples hearts , are not the following this blessed god fully ; they are but the dallyings , and triflings with god and their owne soules ; they are so farre from bringing them unto god , as they prove to be their destruction ; the desire of the slothfull killeth him , for his hands refuse to labour , prov. . . thirdly , others have good resolutions now and then in some good moods ; the truths of god come darting in with some power , as they cannot but yeeld to them , and then they are resolved that they will doe better , that it shall not be with them as it hath beene ; they will set upon a new course of life , things shall bee reformed , and their lives shall bee changed ; but yet these vanish too , they follow not god fully ; they are as those in the . deut. . who seemed to have strong resolutions to walke in gods wayes ; goe thou neare , say they to moses , and heare all that the lord our god shall say , and speake thou unto us all that the lord our god shall speake unto thee , and we will heare it , and doe it : but as the lord said there , concerning them , verse . so i may say of these , oh that there were such a heart in them ; how farre are they from having yet a heart to follow god fully ? for , their resolutions are not fruits of their deepe humiliation , for their former neglect of god , and the former sinfulnesse of their wayes ; they are only to procure peace unto themselves for the present , their hearts being stirred by the power of the truth darted in . they arise not from changed principles , from a renewed nature , from out of love to the lord , & his blessed wayes ; hence they vanish , and they never bring them up unto the lord. fourthly , others have strong , sudden affections , they feele sometimes some meltings , in sorrow for sinne , in hearing the blessed truths of god revealed to them ; they feele some sweetnesse in the working of truths upon their hearts , they are sensible of some joyes in good things , they have a taste of the powers of the world to come : when they heare christ preached , or see his body broken , or his blood shed in the sacrament , they think with themselves ; oh that jesus christ , should come from heaven , to save such poore wretches as we are , that hee should shed his pretious blood , that hee should die for such vile sinners ! yet these are a great way off from following the lord fully : for , these affections are sudden , and flashing ; the truths of god passe by them , leaving a little glimmering behinde them , or as water passeth thorow a conduit , & leaves a dew ; but they soake not into the heart , as the water soakes into the earth to make it fruitfull . these are stirred with the pardoning , comforting , saving mercies of god , but not with the humbling , renewing , sanctifying mercies : when the word puts them upon any hard thing to flesh and blood , it is unsavoury to them , their hearts turne from it ; if the word urgeth to strict examination of themselves , if it puts them upon the finding out of the deceits of their spirits , their secret corruptions , and would straine them to higher duties than their principles reach unto , then their spirits fly off ; they seeke to blesse themselves in that they have already , and think that these things trouble people more than needs & if god should not bee mercifull to such who finde such affections , such stirrings of heart as wee doe , then lord , what shall become of us ? these flashy affections doe not arise from spirituall judgement , apprehēding the spirituall excellencies of godlinesse , after a spirituall manner ; their apprehensions of spirituall and heavenly things , are too too carnall and sensitive : hence afterwards when they come to finde the good things of the wayes of god to be spirituall , and heavenly , not sutable to those apprehensions they had of them , their hearts are then taken off , as those wee reade of in the . of iohn . verse ; when christ told them , that the bread of god is hee which commeth downe from heaven , and giveth life unto the world , oh say they , lord ever give us this bread ; their hearts were up & exceedingly stirred ; well , as if christ should have said , you shall have it , i am the bread of life ; hee that commeth to mee shall never hunger , hee that beleeveth in me shall never thirst ; as if he should have said ; this must bee done by faith , you must feed upon my flesh by faith , and drinke of my blood by faith . but now they having apprehended a strange kind of bread from heaven before , and afterwards hearing of no other , but comming to christ , and beleeving in christ , they were deceived of their expectations , and so were offended , and now their affections fall ; for verse . they begin to murmur at him , and verse . they said , it was an hard saying , who could heare it ? and ver . . from that time many of them went backe , and walked no more with him . the like example wee finde in the galathians , at the first they would have pluckt out their eyes for s. paul , their affections were so stirred by his ministery , they apprehended some great matters in the message of the gospel that s. paul brought , but afterwards , finding that those great and excellent things that the gospel spake of , were onely spirituall , which their carnall hearts had little skill of , and could not relish , their affections were soon cooled , & they fell off from s. paul. take heed therefore of resting to these flashy affections , for if you do , when these are gone , your hearts will bee left in darkenesse . many examples are knowne of such , who have proved to bee most vile apostates ; yet time was , wherein they have had many meltings , much sudden strong joy , so as they have professed that the joy they have found hath beene so great , that if it had continued but a while , they could not have lived , but their spirits would haue expired . a solid worke of the soule proceeding from an humble broken heart , casting it selfe upon the faithfulnesse , and freenesse of the grace of god in the promise , for pardoning , and sanctifying mercy , and there resting , so as willing to venture it selfe there for ever , though it hath no present sense of joy , yet it is farre more to be prized than the strongest of these sudden flashes of affection . these flashy affections which have not principles to maintain them , are like to cōduits in the city , running with wine at the coronatiō of princes , or some other great triumph , but it will not hold : they are like land-floods , which seeme to bee a great sea , but come to nothing in a day or two ; as there may be flashes of terrour , and yet no true feare of god. the israelites were terrified when the law was given , and yet god saith , deut. . . oh that there were a heart that they would feare me : so there may bee flashes of joy , desire , sorrow , and yet no true sanctified joy , desire , or sorrow at all . there is much deceit in mens affections ; affections not well principled , not well grounded , soone vanish ; time will weare them away . the people of israel at the giving of the law , had their affections much stirred , so that one would have thought , they had been engaged unto the lord for ever ; and yet within fourty dayes , their hearts were so taken off from god , and his law , as if god had never made himselfe knowne unto them ; they call to aaron to make them gods to goe before them , and say to the molten calfe , these be thy gods , o israel , which brought thee out of the land of egypt . another notable example wee have of people whose affections are strong for the present , and yet worne away in a little time , in the . of hosea . when ephraim spake , trembling , hee exalted himselfe in israel ; but when he offended in baal , hee died : when ephraim spake , that is , when ieroboam who was of the tribe of ephraim , declared his purpose to alter the worship of god , the people at the first were exceedingly affected with it , & they stood all trembling at such a strange thing as that was ; the very thought of it made their hearts to shake , because they knew how jealous a god the lord was ; but ieroboam exalted himselfe in israel , hee went on resolutely in his way , and would bring his purpose to effect ; then the people in a little time , were brought to offend in baal , and then they died , and they became a dead , sottish , heartlesse people , fit to receive , or do any thing though never so vile . fifthly , others follow the lord , but they follow him in a dull , heavy manner ; there is no spirit , no heat , no life in their following of him , & therefore they doe not follow him fully : they rest themselves in a middle temper , in a lukewarme course ; they like well of religion , and profession , but what need men goe so farre , what need they doe so much ? as pharaoh said to the israelites , exod. . . i will let you goe , onely you shall not goe farre away . the judgement of these men is for a middle way ; they are mixed spirited men , like ephraim , hosea . . mixed with the people , as a cake not turned , halfe baked and halfe dough ; they goe on in an ordinary track of performing the duties of religion without any growth , or any sensiblenesse of the want of growth ; they set upon some faire way of religion , which they perswade themselves is enough , and that they meane to hold to ; they are content to make use of christ , and the profession of religion , so farre as may serve their owne turnes ; but to entertaine christ , and his truth , as an absolute lord to rule them , that their spirits cannot beare ; in their converse there is no ribauldry , no filthinesse ; so there is no warmth , no heat to refresh and quicken any gratious spirit , that hath to deale with them ; in all the duties of religion that they perform , they take no paines with their hearts , to work them to god. luther cals such kind of men , cainists , that is , such as cain , who offered to god the work done , but do not offer themselves to god ; they content thēselues with generall hopes of gods mercy upon weake , and unexamined grounds ; they never trouble themselves in calling things into question , about their conditions and their eternall estates ; they never lay to heart the miseries of gods church ; and the publike cause of god is not deare unto them ; they have not heat enough to cause a melting spirit , for the dishonor that god hath by themselves ; much more is that heat wanting , that should keepe their hearts melting for that dishonour which god hath from others . now this temper is so farre from following the lord fully , as it is loathsome and abominable to the lord ; so loathsome , as he threatens to spue such out of his mouth . it is observable , that of all the seven churches we read of in the revelation , there is some good said , every one is cōmended for somthing ; onely this church of laodicea excepted which was a luke-warme church ; and of this there is no good at all said ; and yet none of the churches had that high esteeme of it selfe as this had ; none of them conceited themselves to be rich , and encreased with goods , and to have need of nothing , as this did . no people doth so blesse themselves in their way , as luke-warme people doe ; and yet no people more abominable to god than they . what a dishonour is this luke-warme temper to god , as if god were such a god , as such flat , sleight , dead-hearted formall services , as are performed by them , were sufficient to honour his holy , great , dreadfull and infinite majestie ? god pronouneeth a curse in malac. . verse . against those who doe not offer the best that possibly they can , in sacrifice to him ; and gives this reason of it , because my name is dreadfull , and i am a great king , saith the lord : as if he should say , therefore onely the most high and excellent things that can bee performed by the creature , are fit for to be tendred up to mee . this luke-warme temper wrongs iesus christ exceedingly , as if there were no other life and vertue in iesus christ , than to inable a man to doe as they doe . what ? hath christ laid down his life , & shed his pretious blood for the renewing of gods image in man , and is it nothing but this ? if christ had never come into the world , men might have done as much as this comes to . it is a wrong to the holy spirit likewise , for it is the special office of the holy ghost , for to bee a sanctifier , to frame the heart to god , to quicke the soul with the life of grace , and holinesse ; and is this all it doth ? this were a poore worke , if there were no other but this . it dishonours holinesse , which is the most glorious thing in the world ; the life of god , the divine nature ; this makes it as if it were nothing but a morall , livelesse , dead-hearted , empty thing ; this puts holinesse in subjection to humane reason , to carnall wisedome ; it must bow to their discretion , to the opinions and wayes of men ; and in truth , to their base lusts , though it be in a more cleanly way , than in others . be convinced then , that this is not that following the lord fully , which is the honour of gods people in his eyes . sixthly , some go beyond this dull luke-warme temper , they are very forward in some things , but in other things their hearts sticke ; they come not off fully in them . agrippa saith of himselfe , that paul had almost perswaded him ; the words are , thou perswadest mee a little . the hearts of these men are divided , as it is said of those in hosea . . they will not let goe their profession , but will keepe their corruption too . as camden reports of redwald king of the east saxons , the first prince of his nation that was baptized , yet in the same church had one altar for christian religion , and another for sacrifices unto devills : thus these men joyne religion and their lust together . if they let out their hearts inordinately to any contentment , and take liberty sometimes in satisfying some lusts , they thinke to make up all againe by some forwardnesse and earnest devotion in some other thing ; as many who get surfets think they can sweat and purge them out again . this division of heart the lord cannot endure , and therefore it followes in that place of hosea , they shall be found faulty ; or as the words are read by some , now shall they bee made desolate : for in the hebrew , the word signifies both to bee guilty , and to bee desolate . it is too much boldnesse and presumptuousnesse in men , to venture to take liberty to themselves , to chuse wherein they will yeeld to god in some things ; but in others presume to satisfie themselves ; this is not to cast downe our soules before the lord , as poore , condemned , vile creatures , to lie at his mercy in an humble , faithfull resignation of our selves up to him , in all wee are , or have , which is that honour that god expects from us , and is infinitely due unto him . while our hearts are thus divided betweene god and other things ; god doth not account himselfe obeyed , or honoured at all in any thing ; all that we seeme to doe , in truth , is nothing at all . hence in ierem. . . the prophet chargeth the people with this , that they neither walked in gods law , and that they had done nothing of all that god had commanded them to doe ; and ver. . he saith , they had only done evill : and in kings . the people are said to feare the lord , and serve their owne gods , verse . and yet in verse . the text sayes , that they feared not the lord : shewing unto us , that where the heart is divided betweene god and other things , there god hath not the heart at all , god is not feared , he is not honoured at all . if wee joyne the counsels of the flesh with the spirit , we frustrate all . seventhly , there are others who cannot bee so easily convinced in what particulars they forsake god in any of his wayes ; they seeme to have a generall forwardnesse in that which is good , but the truth is , they follow themselves , and not god in all ; they rise no higher than selfe in all they doe ; which their owne consciences , upon search made , will tell them ; the commandement of god may be made the pretence , but selse is the chiefe engine , selse is the great mover in all . as physitians putting in many operative ingredients into their physick , and they are the things that worke ; but besides , they put in something to give a colour , or a little taste , which neither doth good nor hurt , that hath no operation at all : thus it is in many mens religion ; selfe-ends are the operative ingredients in that they doe , and the shew of obedience to god , is but that which gives the colour , that that which they doe may have the better apperance . it is impossible , that a man which seekes himselfe , should come up to this fulnesse of spirit that is required in this following of the lord. hos . . . it is said , that israel is an empty vine ; why so ? he bringeth forth fruit unto himselfe ; hee brings forth fruit , but yet is empty , because hee bringeth it forth unto himselfe . where selfe-ends are the chiefe movers , there is no further latitude or degree of godlinesse minded , but such as may be serviceable unto them : now they cannot but bee low , strait , narrow , in comparison of those who lift up god in all they do ; and therefore their profession must needs bee empty and scant ; not full and powerfull , as it is in the other . a selfe-seeking heart is alwayes an empty heart , but a gracious heart is fruitfull in all manner of pleasant fruits , new and old : and what is the reason ? i have laid them up for thee , o my beloved cant. . v. last . observe the difference , israel is an empty vine , hee brings forth fruit to himselfe ; but the church here brings forth all manner of pleasant fruit ; for shee layes them up for her beloved ; shee brings them not forth for her selfe , as israel did . eightly , others follow the lord earnestly a while , but afterwards they forsake him , they turne apostates , they doe not fill up their worke they have begun , but undoe all againe ; of whom it may be said , as lament . . . they were whiter than milke , they were as rubies and polished saphires in regard of their glorious profession ; but now they are blacker than a coale . god may justly complaine of them , as he did of his people , micah . . they who were my people yesterday , are now risen up against me , as an enemy : it was far otherwise with them very lately , than now it is . many are very hopefull at the first , yet they prove exceeding vile afterwards ; yea , the more forward in good at first , the more vile after : as water that hath once been heat , and growes cold againe , is colder than ever it was . it is reported of nero , who proved the very monster of men for wickednesse , yet in the first five yeares of his reigne , he behaved himselfe exceeding well , so that it was used as a proverbe to expresse the good beginnings of men , neroes five first yeares : so caligula , who proved afterwards exceedingly wicked , yet iosephus reports of him , that when he was young he travelled very diligently in good disciplines , hee was of a sweet conversation , and modest , and he governed the empire the first two yeares of his raigne , with most noble directions , behaving himselfe graciously towards all men : yea , iulian himselfe , who proved such a cursed apostate , yet when hee was young , was very forward and hopefull ; he was a publick reader of holy scriptures in the church ; he seemed to glory in nothing more than in religion ; he was of a very temperate dyer , content with meane food , without much preparation ; hee used to lie hard in meane bedding , to watch much a nights , spend his time in study ; hee was very chaste , cleare from the least suspition of lust ; those officers that were about him , that served for nothing but to maintaine delicacy and luxury , hee banished from him ; hee tooke no delight in publike shewes , when hee came to them , hee came rather of necessity , than for any pleasure hee tooke in them : hee saith of himselfe , that when he was on the theater , he was more like a derester of their playes , than a spectator of them , and was present at them with trouble and disdaine , and was joyfull when hee went from them : hee loved learning exceeding much ; hearing of a philosopher that came to him out of asia , he leaps out of the doore , and goes to meet him , and kisses him , and entertains him with much honour . in an epist . of his to one eodicius a governour of egypt , he hath this notable expression ; some ( saith he ) delight in horses , others in birds , others in beasts , but i from my very childhood , have burnt with desire after books . he had an honorable esteeme of mans soule , looking upon the body as vile in comparison of it . there is this notable expression reported of him , concerning this ; it is a shamefull thing for any wise man , seeing he hath a soule , to seeke for praises from any thing that belongs to his body . hee seemed to have much uprightnesse in the course of justice ; he would not condemne upon accusations without proofe ; there is this expression of his concerning this reported of him ; when one delphidius accused one before him , of a crime , of which he could not bring sufficient proofe ; the party accused denyed the fact ; this delphidius answers , if it be sufficient to deny that which is laid to ones charge , who shall be found guilty ? then iulian answers , and if it be sufficient to be accused , who can be innocent ? many other notable things are reported of him ; but these i have related more fully , because in this example we may see how farre a man may goe in much seeming good ; what hopefull beginnings he may have , and yet what a vile cursed monster he may prove , if he lookes not to it . let none then rest themselves in their good beginnings ; but as they have made entrance upon this work , in following the lord , so let them labour to fill it up : & as for those who heretofore have seemed to be forward and hopefull , while they lived in good families , and under the care and watchfull eye of able and godly men , and yet have now forsaken the lord , and his wayes ; let such ( i say ) know , that it is an evill , and a bitter thing , to forsake the blessed god ; to turne from him to follow after vanities that cannot profit ; so great an evill is it , that god himselfe cals the heavens to be astonished at this , ier. . , . be astonished , o ye heavens , at this , and be horribly afraid , be ye very desolate , saith the lord : for my people have committed two evils , they have forsaken me the fountaine of living waters , and hewed them out cisternes , broken cisternes , that can hold no water . the evill of this forsaking the lord , were great , if this were all . first , that all your labour in religion , that all that you have done , is lost : in hosea . . israel shall cry to me , my god we know thee ; but verse . israel hath cast off the thing that is good ; therfore , verse . it is said that they have sown the wind , and shall reape the whirlewind : it is but a sowing to the wind , to follow god in some things , and not to hold on in our way . in the epist . of st. iohn and the . verse , look to your selves , saith s. iohn . that wee lose not those things that wee have wrought : it is an evill thing , to lose all that wee have wrought for ; but this is not all . secondly , if you leave off from following the lord , all the good that ever you have done , and made profession of , shall serve only to aggravate your sinne , and encrease your torment . thirdly , this leaving off from following the lord , is a great dishonor to god and his ways ; an upbraiding of them , as if they were not good enough to draw the heart constantly after them ; as if there were not that in them , that they make shew for . hence the lord pleads with his people , ierem. . . who had forsaken him , what iniquity have your fathers found in me , that they are gone farre from mee , and have walked after vanity ? as if he should have said , the world may thinke my ways are unequall , men may thinke that i have not shewne my selfe a god , ready to doe good , and to reward those who follow me . the forsaking of the truth , the profession whereof wee have once taken up , it is to put christ to open shame , heb. . . fourthly , such men as these , doe much mischiefe in the world ; they are grievous scandals ; they make the good wayes of god to be evill spoken of ; they harden mens hearts against them , and the profession of them ; many in hell curse them , as the cause of their ruin : if a man were borne to doe mischiefe , he could not doe greater any way , than this . so much hurt is done by them , they cause such blemishes , such sports to be upon the profession of godlinesse , as we should be glad if we could wash them off with our dearest heart-blood , and account it well bestowed : but woe be to them by whom these offences come . the greatest part of all the scorne , contempt of , and opposition against the wayes of god , and godly men , shall be charged upon these men , as the causers of it ; for were it not for such as these , wicked men could not tell what to say for themselves , in their opposition of those wayes of godlinesse , which in themselves are so equall , and good , and blessed ; woe be to them , by whom such offences come . fifthly , these men shall have their spirits filled with horrour ; they did not fill up their work in following the lord ; but god and conscience shall follow them , with anguish , and horrour , and fill up their spirits with them . it may be , once they had some flashy comforts in the performance of some duties ; but they shall be all taken from them , and dismall horror , and hideous amazement of spirit shall possesse them , pro. . . the backslider in heart shall bee filled with his owne wayes ; much more than , the backslider in heart and life too , hee shall bee filled , he shall have enough of them . conscience one day will upbraid , fly in the face , and teare the heart . oh wretched creature what hast thou done ? whom hast thou forsaken ? is it not the god of life , and peace , and comfort , and all good , that thou hast forsaken ? are they not the blessed wayes of holinesse , the wayes of eternall rest and peace that thou hast left ? god hath likewise forsaken thee , and all good and comfort begins to withdraw it selfe from thee ; thou art like to bee left in horrid dismall darknesse ; just it is that thou shouldst be left as a forsaken , forlorne , miserable wretch , who hast thus wretchedly and vilely forsaken god , and his truth , for the enjoyment of such poore , base things as thy heart is turned aside unto . how wilt thou be able to looke upon the faces of those , with whom thou hast formerly joyned in holy duties , and hast had communion with ? but how canst thou looke upon the face of the blessed god , when hee shall appeare in his glory unto thee ? what anguish will it bee to thee when thou shalt see others , who have continued in their way following the lord , to be for ever blessed in that god , whom their soules have followed , and cleaved constantly unto ? but thy selfe , because thy base unbeleeving heart dared not venture all upon him , now thou art cast out for ever , as an eternall curse : oh what rack of conscience will it bee , when thou shalt see in what a faire way once thou wert , but for want of comming off fully , and constantly in such and such particulars , thou art now for ever lost ? lastly , these men are hatefull both to god and men ; they are hatefull to men , because they goe so farre ; and to god , because they goe no further , as hebr. . . if any man draw back , my soule shall have no pleasure in him . oh what a happy thing were it , if god would trouble the wayes of these poore creatures , if hee would make them bitter and grievous to them , if hee would magnifie his mercy , and his power in turning their hearts againe towards him , if hee would deale with them as hee did with his people , hosea . . . hedge up their wayes with thornes , make a wall that they should not find their paths , that so they might at length , come to that blessed resolution wee find there ; i will goe and returne to my husband , for then it was better with me than now ; so i will goe and returne to my former wayes , and follow after the lord againe , from whom i have wretchedly departed , for then it was better with me then it is now ; then i had more comfort , more peace , more safety , more blessing than i have now ; and let such know , that though it were just with god , for ever to reject them who have forsaken him ; just to say , that vanity should bee their portion , who have turned after lying vanities ; and many of the ancients have made the case of such exceeding doubtfull , especially if after conviction they have forsaken god againe and againe ; as clemens alexandrinus thought , that god might give such the first and second repentance , but if they fell oftner , there was no renewing them by repentance . and origen seemed likewise to bee of the same minde , in his . homily upon leviticus , chap. . so tertullian in his book of repentance : god grants ( saith hee ) a second repentance , but no further . thus we see the strictnesse of these ancient times . but though these leave these men exceeding comfortlesse , yet let them know , that the lord cals them to returne again unto himselfe : for though it be ( saith the lord ) that if a wife have played the harlot , and shee be put away , and become another mans , her husband will not receive her again ; yet saith the lord , ier. . . thou hast played the harlot with many lovers , but yet returne to mee : and verse . returne yee back-sliding children , and i will heale your back-slidings : oh that your hearts would answer , as theirs there did ; oh that this gracious offer of the lord , might have the same effect upon your hearts as it had upon theirs : behold , say they , wee come unto thee , for thou art the lord our god ; truely in vaine is salvation hoped for from the hils , &c. wee see , wee see , wee have beene utterly deceived ; the wayes that wee have chosen , have not beene good ; shame hath devoured our labour , wee have bestowed our labour in shamefull things , we lie downe in our shame , and our confusion covereth us , for wee have sinned against the lord our god. as when a man goeth from the sunne , yet the sunne-beames follow him , shine on him , warme him ; so though thou hast departed from the lord , yet the beames of gods mercy this day follow thee , they shine on thee ; oh that they might so warme thy heart , as to cause thee to returne . cap. iv. comfort , and encouragement to those who follow the lord fully . if this following of the lord fully , be the honour of the saints before the lord ; then here is comfort , and encouragement to those whose conscience doth witnesse , that their hearts , and wayes are fully after the lord. what ever others do , yet there are a generation of men in the world , who doe fully follow the lord ; blessed are you of the lord , you are honourable in the eyes of god and man , you make up in part that hurt that is done to religion by others ; you bind up the wounds of jesus christ , and do in part heale his scarres : if you bee content to give up all to god , to betrust god with all , know that there are many blessed promises , full of mercy , and encouragement for you , that god will make good to the full unto you ; yea , they shall come to you fuller of goodnesse , and blessing than you can imagine . caleb challenged this promise of god to him made in this place , upon this ground , ioshuah . . five and forty yeares after it was made ; for hee was but forty yeares old when hee went to spie out the land , and when hee challenged this promise in this place , bee saith verse . i am this day fourescore and five yeares old . though god may seeme to deferre a while the fulfilling of his promise ; yet bee encouraged to follow him still , for the eye of god is upon you , to make good his word unto you , and the longer it stayes , the more full with good and blessing it will come . god seemed to deferre a long time that promise he made to abraham , that hee would make his seed as the starres of heaven ; for two hundred and fifteene yeares after this promise was made , there were but seventy soules that came out of abrahams loynes , namely , when iacob went down into egypt ; which if we compute the time , wee shall find to bee just two hundred and fifteene yeares : for abraham was seventy and five yeares old when the promise was made ; hee was an hundred yeares old when isaac was borne ; isaac was forty yeares old before he married , and hee continued twenty yeares without a child ; and iacob was one hundred and thirty yeares old when he went into egypt ; so that the time fals to bee just two hundred and fifteene yeares , which was just halfe the time , from the promise till the people of israels comming out of egypt , which s. paul saith , gal. . . was foure hundred and thirty years . now observe , that whereas god halfe this time did but little for abraham , in the fulfilling of this his promise , yet because abraham followed him fully , ventured himselfe wholly upon the faithfulnesse of the lord , see how fully god came in with his mercy at the last ; for , in the second two hundred and fifteen yeares , hee so encreased his seed , that from seventy soules , they were growne up to bee sixe hundred thousand , and three thousand , and five hundred and fifty , num. . , . and these onely from twenty yeares old and upward , such men as were able to goe to warre ; there was thus many of these , besides all children and women , which it is like were far the greater number ; yea , and the tribe of levy was not numbered amongst this number ; there were two and twenty thousand and upwards of them besides . thus you see , how fully god comes in at the last in his mercy , and making good his word of promise to such who follow him fully . be you as full as you can in following the lord , the lord will bee as full towards you , in doing good unto you ; gods mercy shall be every as full , as your obedience can bee , sam. . . with the upright thou wilt shew thy selfe uprigh : the words are in the originall , with the strong and perfect , thou wilt shew thy selfe strong and perfect . god will goe on strongly to his perfection of mercy towards them , who doe goe on strongly in their perfection of obedience towards him . psal . . . the lord loveth righteousnesse , and his countenance doth behold the upright : the words translated word for word are thus , the lord loveth righteousnesses , and his faces shall behold the upright . righteousnesses , that is , when all the duties of righteousnesse are together . and his faces shall behold ; that is , all the severall kindes , and manners of the blessed comfortable manifestations of his love the upright shall have . the great difficulties thou meetest with in gods wayes , ( if thou beest not discouraged , but goest thorow them ) they shall turne to thy greatest comforts : as caleb , who was not discouraged by the anakims those great gyants , and the strong places they lived in , which so much discouraged the rest ; therefore hebron , the place of the gyants , was given unto him for a possession , iosuah . , , , and , verses . god certainly will remember the kindnesse of those who are willing to follow him through the wildernesse of difficulties and discouragements , ierem. . . you who doe thus , shall die without staine , without any blur , which few doe ; your memories shall be sweet , and blessed , when you are dead and gone : you shall have an entrance ministred unto you abundantly , into the everlasting kingdome of our lord and saviour iesus christ , pet. . . this is promised , not onely to those that are godly , but abound in it , as verse . they shall be as a ship comming gloriously into the haven with full saile : thus s. paul , tim. . , . with much confidence and full assurance concludes , that seeing hee had fought the good fight , and finished his course , and kept the faith , henceforth there was laid up for him , a crowne of righteousnesse , which the righteous iudge should give him at that day : hee challengeth it upon the righteousnesse of god. when the soules of these who have followed god fully , are to enter into heaven , the everlasting doores shall stand wide open for them ; as when great men come to a house , the great gates are set open for their entrance ; and in heaven , oh how full a reward shall there be there for them , as ep. ioh. . vers . there is fulnesse of joy at gods right hand , psalme . ult . so full as shall bee more than can enter into them ; they must enter into it , because it cannot enter into them ; there they shall not taste of joy and happinesse , but shall bee filled up with them . this , christ encouraged his disciples withall , luke . , . yee are they which have continued with mee in my temptations , and i appoint unto you a kingdome , as my father hath appointed unto mee . with this , s. paul encouraged himselfe , in all his afflictions hee met withall , while hee was following the lord , cor. . ver . . for our light affliction , which is but for a moment , worketh for us a farre more exceeding eternall waight of glory . first , it is glory , and this word alone implies that there is exceeding much in it ; but further , it is a waight of glory , yea , an eternall waight of glory ; and more than that , an exceeding eternall waight of glory ; as if yet it were not exprest fully enough , hee addes further , a farte more exceeding eternall waight of glory ; and what expression can bee fuller than this ? this was that likewise that incouraged moses in his full following the lord , forsaking the pleasures , the riches , the treasures of egypt , that hee migh follow the lord fully ; for hee had , saith the text , a respect unto the recompence of reward , hebrewes , . . and you whose hearts and wayes are fully after the lord , have the more cause to rejoyce in this your blessednesse , because it it is the blessednesse but of a few . iniquity shall abound , saith christ , and the love of many shall waxe cold , but hee that endures to the end , shall bee saved : it is but a hee , in the singular number , that endures to the end . let these encouragements then fill your hearts with joy , and your spirits with renewed resolutions and vigour , to fill up your course ; let them fill your sailes , that you may goe on with strength , and prosper , and be for ever blessed in your way . i conclude this vse with that of the apostle , cor. . . seeing we have these promises , ( these incouragements ) let us labour to perfect our holinesse in the feare of god. and thus i passe to the last vse , which is of exhortation . cap. v. an exhortation to follow the lord fully . now the lord carry our hearts fully after himselfe : as the two blinde men , matth. . vers . last , as soone as their eyes were opened , they followed christ ; so were our eyes opened , wee would certainly follow after the lord ; were they fully opened , our hearts would follow fully . many of you have some convictions , some inclinations , stirrings of affections , good resolutions ; you begin to have good thoughts of gods wayes , you are almost perswaded : oh that the work were throughly done ! it is pity but that these beginnings should be improved . when christ saw the good inclinations of the young man , when he came unto him , the text saith , he looked upon him , and loved him : those beginnings are lovely ; but how lovely then would the full worke be , if these beginnings were brought to perfection ? in this vse we shall shew , first , the motives which may draw our hearts to the following of the lord fully . what it is that hinders the soule in this worke , that it may bee prevented . what it is that would bring off the heart fully indeed . for the first ; there is infinite reason , that our hearts should bee fully after the lord : for , there is a fulnesse of all good in god ; hee is worthy ; thou art worthy , o lord , to receive glory , honour , and power , revel . . . thou art worthy to receive the highest honour that any of thy creatures can by any meanes give unto thee . the heathen gods were honoured , as those who were onely authors of some particular good things ; and therefore there were such a multiplicity of them : one was honoured as the author of one good thing , and another as the author of another ; and therefore particular honour was sufficient for them . there was no reason that that any of them should have the whole soule , working in the fulnesse of the operations of it after them ; but our god is not so ; he is an universall good , in whom there is all good , and from whom all good flowes , and by whom all good is preserved in the being it hath ; and therfore it is a most absolute , universall honor and service that is due to him ; if wee had thousands of soules , and if they were all of ten thousand times larger extent than they are ; yet infinite reason there would bee , that they should all in the full latitude , extent , & strength of them , work after this our god , to honour and magnifie , and worship this god for ever . as that blessed martyr once said , what , have i but one life to lay downe for christ ? if i had as many lives , as there are haires upon my head , they should all goe for jesus christ : he saw christ worthy of all hee had , yea , of more than he had . this was gods own argument to abraham , walk before me , and be upright ; bee perfect , for i am god al-sufficient , i have all perfection in me , and therefore be thou perfect before me . secondly , consider god might have had full glory in your destruction ; let him not bee a loser in his shewing mercy to you . how much better is it for you , that hee should have the fulnesse of his glory , in his mercy to you , than the fulnesse of it in his judgements upon you ? this he might have had long agoe : yea , and the fulnesse of his glory hee will have ; if you give it not to him , hee will force it from you . thirdly , christ hath fully gone thorow the great work of redemption ; he would never leave it till he had fully accomplished all , and said , it is finished . this was a mighty work , for the accomplishment whereof , he passed thorow more difficulties , than ever thou art like to do , in the fullest measure of following the lord , that possibly can be . fourthly , yea , gods mercies for the present , are very full towards you ; his pardoning mercies , and his supplying mercies , with all things needfull ; when hee receives thee to mercy , he fully pardons all thy sins , hee leaves nothing upon the score ; he remits all thy punishments . this was davids argument , psal . . , , blesse the lord , o my soule , and all that is within mee , blesse his holy name : and blesse the lord , o my soule , again ; as if he should say , o let god be fully blessed by me : why ? what was that , that raised and inlarged davids heart ? it followes , who forgiveth all thine iniquities , and heales all thy diseases ; and vers . . he crownes thee with loving kindnesses ; and vers . . he satisfies thy mouth with good things . god gives his servants a fulnesse in all they doe enjoy ; his grace exceedingly abounds towards them in every thing . that place in corinth . . . is very remarkable for the setting out of the abounding of gods grace towards his people ; and god is able ( saith the text ) to make all grace abound towards you , that ye alwayes having all sufficiency in all things , may abound to every good work . what ever god is able to doe for us , by faith wee make it as if it were done . and this power of god is set forth to the corinthians , as a motive to perswade them to full obedience , that they might abound to every good work ; which if they did , they should have this power of god active , fully working for them , according to these large expressions wee have of it in this scripture . and observe the severall expressions . it is grace . then all grace . then all grace abounding . a sufficiency . an all-sufficiency . an all-sufficiency in all things . and . alwayes an all-sufficiency in all things . and is not here an argument full enough , to cause them and us , and all gods people for ever , to abound in every good worke . how often doth god fill our cup with mercy , and make it even runne over ; as psal . . ? if there shall be an all-sufficiency in all things , then there will be an all-sufficiency in our greatest straits , in our greatest afflictions , in our greatest seares : as it is said of the wicked , iob . . in the fulnesse of his sufficiency , hee shall bee in straits ; the contrary is true concerning gods people ; in the fulnesse of their straits , they shall be in all-sufficiency . god causeth all his attributes , and all the wayes of his providence , and all his creatures to work for the good of his people ; all that is in god , all that god doth , and all that belongs to god , is for them ; therefore infinite reason there is , that all they are , that all they doe , that all they have , should worke for his honour . first , all there is in god is for them , ierem. , . i will rejoyce over them , to doe them good , and i will plant them in this land assuredly , with my whole heart , and with my whole soule : god cals for no more from thee than he is willing to give unto thee ; hee would have thy whole heart , & thy whole soule for his honour , and hee promiseth to give thee his whole heart , and his whole soule , for thy good . againe , all that god doth , is for thee ; psal . . . all the pathes of the lord are mercy and truth , unto such as keepe his covenant and his testimonies : the pathes of the lord , are the wayes of god , in the passages of his providence ; not onely some particular acts , but the track of god in his wayes , his pathes : now all these pathes of god , that is , all the workings of god in the waies of his providence , they are mercy unto such , they work mercifully for their good . and further observe , they are not onely mercy , but mercy in truth : god hath ingaged his truth , that they should thus worke for them ; god hath tyed this mercy to them by his truth . see here the difference between gods mercy to his people , and his mercy to other men . first , some of gods pathes may be mercy to other men , but not all ; or some particular acts of god , rather than his pathes : god doth not ordinarily goe on in a track and course of his mercies with them , as hee doth with his people : as their obedience is onely in some particular acts , and no continued course ; so gods mercy to them , which comes from his generall bounty , is manifested onely in some particular acts of his , and not in any constant course . but it is otherwise in his dealings towards his people ; they goe on in a constant course of obediēce ; they make gods commandements their pathes , and therefore god goes on in a constant course of loving kindnesse towards them , hee makes his mercy to them the ordinary pathes wherein hee walkes : as , psalm . . . o continue thy loving kindnesse to them that know thee , and thy righteousnesse to the upright in heart . the word in the originall , is , draw out thy loving kindnesse . gods mercies to his owne , are a continued series , they are drawne out from a constant spring , they come forth from a never-failing fountaine ; there is a connexion betweene one mercy and another ; but as for others , god now and then onely casts his favours on them . and observe a second difference ; all gods paths are mercy to his people , not some few ; there are none of gods dealings , but ayme at good towards them ; if god should cause one favour to follow another towards some wicked man , out of the fulnesse of his bounty ; yet it cannot be said of any wicked man in the world , that all the pathes of god are mercy towards him . god hath his pathes of wrath and judgement , wherein he is comming towards him , though hee bee little aware of it : but this blessing of all the pathes of god being mercy , is a peculiar blessing to such as follow the lord fully , in the uprightnesse of their hearts , in all the pathes of service and obedience . and thirdly , observe yet a greater difference than the former : all the pathes of god are not onely mercy , but mercy and truth to his people : though god may shew mercy to others , yet he hath not tyed his mercy to them by his truth ; they cannot challenge mercy from him by vertue of his truth ; if they have mercy , it is more than they could have expected ; they cannot be sure of the continuance of it one houre ; they have nothing to shew for their mercy ; they doe not hold their mercy upon that tenor of gods truth which his people doe . nay , when god comes to make good his truth , to give his truth the glory of it , then there is an end put to their mercy ; it is cut off from them ; but there is a blessed connexion between mercy & truth in the good which gods people doe enjoy ; according to the like expression in the forenamed . psa . . the loving kindnesse and the righteousnesse of god are put both together , as the portion of an upright heart . and hence the mercies they have , are no other than such as they may expect , as they may build upon , before they come ; such as are made over to them by the truth of god ; and when they are come they may bee sure to hold them , because they hold them upon such a blessed tenure as gods owne truth . and hence the scripture calls them sure mercies . see how confident david was of holding gods mercies , psalm . . . surely goodnesse and mercy shall follow mee all the dayes of my life . and further , all that god hath , is for their good ; the heavens , and earth , and all creatures are theirs , and worke continually for them : hosea . . . i will heare the heavens , and they shall heare the earth , and the earth shall heare the corne , and the wine , and the oyle , and they shall heare iezreel : cor. . , : the world , life , death , things present , things to come , all are yours , and yee are christs , and christ is gods : rom. . . and we know that all things worke together for good , to them that love god. this is a mysterie that the world is not acquainted with , but we know it , saith the apostle . the world may thinke , that things worke against us ; yea , all things in the world seeme to work against us ; but we know that all things doe work for good , & they work together for good ; though some particular things considered apart , may worke for good to other men ; yet take all together , and they worke their ruine ; but altogether workes for good to us ; although the good doth not seeme yet to come forth , yet it is a working for us ; stay but till the worke bee done , and it will appeare : good it will bee , though it may bee not the same good that wee thinke of , yet a good that will bee better for us ; a greater good than we imagined or desired . now then , if all that is gods bee for thee , and workes thus fully for thee , is there not reason then , that all that is thine should be for god , and worke as fully for him ? thine did i say ? the truth is , there is nothing thine ; for all is gods ; god hath a greater propriety in , and right to whatsoever thou art , and hast , than thy selfe ; but god is pleased to let it bee called thine , that thou maist freely give it to him : and if it bee his owne , why should hee not have it fully ? if he thus inlargeth himselfe towards thee , how unequall is it , that thou shouldest be scant in thy service to him , and in thine honouring of him ? fifthly , wicked men doe fully follow after that which is evill ; an infinite shame & confusion then would it be to us , an infinite dishonour likewise unto god , if wee should not as fully follow the lord in that which is good ? ecclesiastes . . the heart of the sonnes of men is full of evill : and chap. . . the heart of the sonnes of men is fully set in them to doe evill : the seventy translate this , the heart of man hath a plerophorie to evill ; it is set upon it without any doubt , or suspition ; there is a plerophorie of boldnesse to sinne in them ; why should there not bee a plerophorie , ( that is ) a full perswasion of faith in gods servants to that which is good ? micah . . the scripture saith , that wicked men doe evill with both hands , earnestly : esay . . idolaters there are said to inflame themselves with their idols ; and ieremy chap. . . they are said , . to love their idols : . to serve them : . to walke after them : to seek them : . to worship them : all these . expressions together in one verse , to set forth the earnestnesse and fulnesse of the spirit of idolaters towards their idols . where have we five such expressions together , to set out the fulnesse of the worke of mens spirits in following after the lord ? it was said of ahab , that hee sold himselfe to work wickednesse ; what a fulnesse of spirit was there in him , in doing wickednesse ? ier. . . it is said there of the people , that their course was evill , and their force was not right . that vis , that strength , and force that was in their spirits , was not right ; it was not after god , but after the wayes of sinne . how many difficulties will men passe thorow for their lusts ? what cost will they bee at ? how great things will they suffer ? nothing is so deare unto them , but they will be content to part with it for , and bestow it upon their idols . how soon did the people , exodus . break off their golden ear-rings from their eares , to make an idoll withall ? and shall not then our hearts and lives bee more fully after the blessed god ? wee see wicked men sticke close to their wicked principles ; they are bold , they will not bee daunted , they will goe thorow with the worke they have begun , what ever come of it ; should not wee much more stick to our principles , should not wee much more bee undaunted in our way , and goe thorow with our worke ? i remember i haue read a passage in saint cyprian , how he brings in the devil triumphing over christ in this manner ; as for my followers , i never dyed for them , as christ did for his ; i never promised them so great reward , as christ hath done to his ; and yet i have more followers than hee , and they doe more for mee , than his doth for him . o let the thought of our giving the devil occasion thus to triumph over christ in our slacknesse and negligence in following after him , cause shame and confusion to cover our faces : and yet to put on this argument a little more close ; it may bee you your selves heretofore , have followed sinne fully , your hearts have beene strong after evill , and your lives have beene fruitfull in it ; it may bee you have beene forward in putting forth your selves ring-leaders in that which was evill ; not onely stout and perverse your selves , but maintainers , encouragers of much evill in others ; you gave up yours members , your estates , and what you had , to the service of sin ; much time was spent , much sleepe broke , in plotting and contriving wickednesse , much paines taken in the execution of it , and now your hearts and wayes seeme to bee for god ; and is a poore , sleight , scant , dead-hearted service sufficient for him ? oh bee ashamed and confounded in thy thoughts , let conscience judge betweene god and his creature . doest thou thus requite the lord ? is this thy kindnesse to him ? is there not infinite reason , that as you have yeelded your members servāts to uncleannes , & to iniquity unto iniquity ; even so you now should yeeld your members servants to righteousnesse unto holinesse ? rom. . . marke the opposition there ; there are three to 's in the expression of the service to sinne , to uncleannesse , to iniquitie , vnto iniquitie ; but in the service of god there are onely two , to righteousnes , vnto holines . it is true , in this life there will never be that fulnesse of spirit in following after god , as there was in following after sinne ; because there was nothing but sinne in the soule before , no other streame to abate it ; but now there is somthing else besides grace ; a streame of corruption to oppose it : but yet wee should bee ashamed , that there should be such a difference ; the thought of it should cause a dejection of heart within us , and we should judge it infinitely equall & reasonable , that we should indeavour to the utmost wee are able , to follow god as fully now , as ever wee followed sinne before . saint paul , acts . . confesseth , that in his former way he was madd in the persecution of gods servants ; and when god turned the streame , others judged him as mad in the other way ; corinth . . . for whether we bee besides our selves , it is to god ; the love of christ constraineth us . and hence we may observe , that the same word that signifies to persecute , he useth to set out his earnest pressing towards the marke ; phil. . . i presse towards the marke , for the price of the high calling of god. the word that is there translated , presse towards , it is this same that signifies to persecute , because the earnestnesse of his spirit , in pressing towards the marke now , is the same that it was in his persecution of those that pressed towards the marke before . sixthly , the more fully we follow god , the more full shall our present peace , and joy , and soule satisfying contentment be . psal . . . the entrance of thy words giveth light ; the beginning of following god , is sweet and good , but the further wee doe goe on , the more sweet we shall finde , as they who walked toward sion , psalm . . . they went from strength to strength : so they who walke after the lord , they goe from peace to peace , from joy to joy , frō one degree of comfort unto another ; for if the entrance into our way be so good and sweet , what will it bee when wee come into the midst of it ? prov. . . i lead in the way of righteousnesse , in the midst of the pathes of judgement ; marke what followes there , verse . that i might cause those that love me , to inherit substance , and i will fill their treasures . then doth the soule inherit substance indeed , then are the treasures of it filled , when wisedome leades it , not onely in the way of righteousnesse , but in the midst of the paths of judgement . the way of the just is compared to the shining of the light , that shineth more and more unto the perfect day , prov. . . the further hee goes on his way , the more light hee hath , the more glorious shine is upon him . psal . . . they shall be abundantly satisfied , and they shall drinke of the river of pleasures . who are those that shal be thus abundantly satisfied , and shall have this river of pleasures ? they are verse . the upright in heart . that soule that walkes on before the lord in the uprightnesse of it , shall not want satisfaction , shall not want pleasure . psal . . . great peace have they which love thy law . it is more to love gods law thē to do the thing that is commanded in it . that soule which doth not onely submit to the law , but loves it , will be abundant in duty , for love is bountifull ; & great peace hath such a soule , that thus loves gods law. every good motion in the soule is as the budd of the lord , and that is beautifull and glorious ; but how excellent and glorious is the fruit of it then ? the good beginnings which are as the budding of the pomegranate , and the putting forth of the tender vine , are delightfull to god and to the soule ; but how pleasant then is the fruit when it comes to ripenesse ? the more fully we follow on in gods wayes , the more full will the testimony of the witnesses both in heaven and earth bee , in witnessing our blessed estate unto us : those three witnesses in heaven , the father , word , and holy ghost , and those three on earth , the spirit , water , and the blood , of which s. iohn in his epistle . , . they will all come with their full testimony , to that soule which followes god fully . by following the lord fully , wee keep our evidences cleare ; sinne blots and blurs our evidences , that oftentimes wee cannot reade them ; but when the heart keeps close to god , and walks fully with him , then all is kept faire . the kingdome of god consists in righteousnesse , peace , and joy ; the more fully wee are brought into his kingdome , the more fully wee are under his government ; as there will bee the more righteousnesse , so the more peace , and joy . es . . . of the encrease of his government , and peace , there shall bee no end , saith the text. the more encrease there is of christs government in the soule , the more full it is , the more peace will be there . seventhly , there is great reason that wee should walke fully after the lord , because the way that god cals us to walke in , is a most blessed and holy way : in the . revelation , . verse ; the streets of ierusalem , ( that is , the wayes of gods people in his church , wherein they are to walke ) they are said to bee of pure gold , and as it were transparent glasse ; they are golden wayes , they are bright shining wayes . prov. . . the wayes of wisdome are the wayes of pleasantnesse ; and all her paths are peace . there is not any one command of god , wherein hee would have us to follow him , but it is very lovely , there is much good in it : god requires nothing of us , but that which is most just and holy : as god is holy in all his workes , so he is holy in all his commands ; they are no other , but that which if our hearts were as they ought , wee would choose to our selves . a righteous man is a law to himselfe , he sees that good , that beauty , that equity in all gods lawes , as hee would choose them to himselfe were hee left at his owne liberty . what one thing is there in gods law that could bee spared ? what is there that thou couldst bee glad to bee exempted from ? it may bee in the strength of temptation , when some lust is up working , the flesh would faine have some liberty , but upon due serious thoughts , looking into the bottome of things , a gracious soule closeth with the law , and loveth it as gold , yea , fine gold , and breakes for the longing it hath , not to the reward of obedience to gods statutes , and judgements , but to the statutes and judgements of god themselves , as david saith his soule did . howsoever our path in following the lord may seeme rugged and hard to the flesh , in regard of the afflictions and troubles it meets withall in it ; yet where there is a spirituall eye , the way of holinesse appeares to it exceeding lovely and beautifull . though david psa . . supposed the worst that might befall him in his way , as that he might walke through the valley of the shadow of death ; yet he cals his way greene pastures , and saith , godwill leade him by the still waters . it is true , the wayes of god are grievous to the wicked , but very good and delightfull to the saints , because they are the wayes of holinesse , as esay . . and a high-way shall be there , and it shall bee called , the way of holinesse ; the uncleane shall not passe over it . eightly , the consideration of the end of our way , should bee a strong motive , to draw our hearts fully after the lord in it ; the entrance into it is sweet , the midst of it more , as before we have shewed ; but the end of it most sweet of all ; there is that comming , that will fully recompence all . consider of the sweetnesse of the end of our way ; in that period of it that will be at death , and , in that glorious reward we shall have in heaven . that sweet and blessed comfort , that the full following of the lord brings at death , is enough to recompence all the trouble and hardship , that wee meet withall in our way , while we are following of him : this hath caused many saints of god to lie triumphing , when they have been upon their death-beds , blessing the lord that ever they knew his wayes , that euer he drew their hearts to follow after him in them . when hezekiah received the message of death , esay . , , he turned his face to the wall , and said , remember , o lord , i beseech thee , how i have walked before thee in truth , and with a perfect heart , and have done that which is good in thy sight ; and hezechiah wept sore : o the sweetnesse that possessed the heart of hezekiah , which did flow from the testimony of his conscience , that hee had fully walked after the lord with a perfect heart ! the verbe there , i have walked , is in that mood in the originall , that addes to the signification of it ; it signifies , i have continually without ceasing walked . thus luther , who was a man whose spirit was exceeding full in his love unto , and walking after the lord jesus christ while hee lived ; and when hee came to die , his spirit was as full of comfort , and joy , as before it was full of zeale , and courage ; these expressions brake from him ; o my heavenly father , o god the father of the lord iesus christ , the god of all comfort , i give thee thanks that thou hast revealed thy sonne iesus christ to mee , whom i have beleeved , whom i have professed , whom i have loved , whom i have honoured , whom the bishop of rome , and the rest of the rout of wicked men have persecuted , and contemned ; and now i beseech thee ; o my lord iesus christ , receive my soule , my heavenly father ; although my body is to be laid downe , yet i certainly know that i shall for ever remaine with thee , neither can i by any be pulled out of thy hands . the grace of gods spirit oftentimes appeares most in the glory of it , when death approacheth , because grace and glory is then about to meet . that soule that hath followed god fully here , when it comes to depart out of the body , it onely changeth the place , nor the company ; which was the speech of a late reverend holy divine of ours , a little before his death . i shall change my place , saith hee , but not my company : meaning , that as he had conversed with god , and followed after the lord here in this world , hee was now going to converse with him , and to follow after him more fully in a better world. death to such a soule , it is but gods calling of it , from the lower gallery of this world , to the upper gallery of heaven , to walke with him there . here the converse that jesus christ hath with the soules of his people , is compared to that converse , that friends have one with another , in their walkings together in their galleries , cant. . . the king is held in the galleries : hee doth not only walk with his beloved there , but is as it were bound , he is kept there by the bands of love , and when death comes , then the soule is called up , to the upper roome , to heaven , there to follow the lamb wheresoever he goeth . wee reade of a notable speech , that hilarion had when hee was to die ; goe out , goe out my soule , why dost thou feare , why dost thou doubt ? almost these seventy yeares hast thou served christ , and dost thou now feare death ? and if the end of our way at death , hath so much good in it , how much good will there be in the end of our way , that we shall enjoy , when we come to heaven ? as the consideration of the full reward in heaven , was made use of before , as an encouragement to those who doe fully follow the lord ; so now wee make use of it , as a strong motive to draw up our hearts to the full following after him . it was s. pauls motive to the corinthians , epistle . . perswading them to hee stedfast , unmoveable , alwayes abounding in the work of the lord ; forasmuch as they knew that their labour was not in vaine in the lord. we doe not follow after shadowes , and phancies , in following the lord , but wee seek for glory , honour , immortality ; wee follow after an incorruptible crowne , a glorious kingdome , an eternall inheritance , the glory of heaven ; the treasures of the riches of god himselfe are set before us , to draw up our hearts fully to him . it was the argument that s. paul used to worke upon his owne spirit withall , phil. . . i presse toward the marke for the price of the high calling of god in christ iesus . how full is the worke of many mens spirits , in their working after some poore , little , scant good in this world ? whereas if they had all the world , they had but an empty husk , in comparison of that glory that is set before us : they pant after the very dust ; what cause is there then , that our hearts should pant in the strong workings of them , after those high and glorious things , that are reserved in heaven for us ? it was the goodnes of the land of canaan , that was a strong motive to draw caleb and ioshuahs heart fully after the lord , through many difficulties . canaan was but a darke type of the glory of heaven , which god hath promised to reward the full followers of himselfe withall . it was once a speech of anselme , if a man should serve god zealously here a thousand yeares , yet should hee not thereby deservedly merit to bee one halfe day in heaven . let us bee as forward , let our hearts bee as strong and zealous in gods wayes as possibly they can be ; yet i may say as abigail did to david in that particular case , it shall not repent my lord when he comes into his kingdome ; so it shal never repent you of any thing that ever you have done for the lord , when you come into your kingdome . but if it were possible there could be sorrow in heaven , you would be sorry that you did no more . it was a speech of one gordius a martyr , that the threats of his enemies were but as seedes , from which he should reape immortality , and eternal joyes ; so all the hardship and troubles that we meet with all in our way here , in following the lord , are but increasers of that glory that is to be revealed : why then should any thing hinder us , or stop us in our way ? and thus i passe to the second thing propounded in this use , namely , to shew what are the causes that hinder men from following the lord fully ; and they are five especially ; which i shall but name . first , low apprehensions that men have of god ; they see not god in his glory , in his greatnesse ; surely , they know not god , and therefore it is that their hearts work so poorly after him : ier. . . they are not valiant for the truth upon the earth : and what is the reason ? for they know not me , saith the lord. as if he should say , did they know me , certainly they would be valiant for my trruth : they that know thy name , saith the psalmist , psal . . . they will put their trust in thee ; so they that know gods name , will love him , will feare him , will be zealous for , will fully follow after him . the knowledge of all truthes , concerning heaven , and hell , ven , and hell , or any other thing that can bee knowne , can never raise , can never inlarge the hearts of men so after the lord , as the knowledge of god himselfe ; and therefore where god is little knowne , no marvell though he be so little followed . secondly , unsound beginnings in the profession of religion , are the cause why men doe not fully follow after the lord ; their hearts are not throughly broken , not deepely humbled , the truths of god not deeply rooted at first , their soules not well principled , the foundation not well laid : if men be not well principled at first , in their entrance into the wayes of god , they are like to prove but shufflers and bunglers in religion all their dayes . if cloth bee not wrought well at the first , though it shews faire in the loome , yet it will shrinke when it comes to wetting : the cause why many doe so shrinke in the wetting , when they come to suffer any thing in the wayes of religion ; it is , because their hearts were not well wrought at first . a third cause is the strength of ingagements ; their hearts are so wrapped in them , so glued to them , as it is exceeding painfull to get them loosened from them , they are so near and deare to a corrupt heart : as it is said of esau , hee looked on the pottage , and it was so red ; so they looke upon their ingagements , and they are so full of content ; it is so grievous to be taken off from them , that they rather suffer their hearts to bee taken off from god himselfe : when engagements have taken possession of the heart , then how hard is it to work any thing upon the judgements of men ? it is hard to get the minde to view the truths of god , to get it to search into them , to consider of them ; it is ready to close with the least objection against them , to catch hold of the least advantage to cast them off ; and if truths bee so cleare as a man cannot but see them , as conscience for the present is over-powred with them , yet if the heart bee not taken off from ingagements , it will fetch about againe , to see if something may not bee gotten against those truths , to breake the strength of them ; but where the heart is taken off from ingagements , how easily do the truths prevaile ? how soone is the heart brought fully to close with them ? sam. . . god , saith david , maketh my way perfect : the word is , he frees my way , solvit , so it is translated by some , hee frees it from snares ; and this is a great mercy . hence , psalme . . where this thanksgiving of david is againe repeated , there the word is translated dedit , hee hath given my way to be perfect ; this is a good gift indeed , for god to make a mans wayes free and cleare before him , to take off the temptations that did ingage and insnare his spirit ; and then , as verse . of that place in samuel , he maketh my feet as hindes feet : o how swiftly and powerfully then may the soule runne in gods wayes , when it is thus freed ! psalm . . , . i shall keep thy law continually , for ever and ever , and i will walke at liberty . when the heart is at liberty , then it goes on continually , for ever and ever , in following after the lord : but if there be any secret ingagement in it , it will be weary , and one time or other will leave off : a man that is fettered , can neither go apace , nor continue long . a fourth thing that hinders men in following god fully , it is , going out in the strength of their owne resolutions , not in any strength that they receive out of the fulnesse of jesus christ ; they trust more to their owne promises , than to gods. luther reports of staupicius a germane divine , that hee acknowledged of himselfe , that before he came to understand aright the free and powerful grace of jesus christ , that he vowed & resolved an hundred times against some particular sin , and never could get power over it ; at last he saw the reason to be , the trusting to his own resolutions . a fift cause , is the meeting with more difficulties in gods ways than wee made account of : when christians thinke onely of the good and sweet that they shall meet with in gods wayes ; but they doe not cast in their thoughts , what the troubles are like to bee , that they shall finde in them ; like ioseph , who dreamed of his preferment and honour that hee should have above his brethren , but dreamt not of his selling into egypt , nor of his imprisonment there : christians should at the first entrance into gods wayes , expect the utmost difficulties ; they should enter upon those termes , to incounter with great troubles , if they meane to sollow god fully in them . it is a shame for any christian to account any trouble that he meets withall in gods wayes , to be as a strange thing unto him . because the lord had takē s. paul as a chosen vessell unto himselfe , and purposed to draw his heart fully after him ; observe how god deales with him in his first entrance into his way , acts . . i will shew him how great things hee must suffer for my names sake . but what then would take off the heart , and carry it fully after the lord ? these three things will doe it . first , the reall sight and thorow sense of sinne , as the greatest evill . whē god leads his people weeping , and with supplications , then hee brings them into a straight way , wherein they shall not stumble , ier. . . and againe , ier. . , . the lord saith , that his people shall goe weeping , and seeke the lord their god , they shal aske the way to zion , with their faces thither-ward , saying , come let us joyne our selves to the lord in a perpetuall covenant , that shall not be forgotten . when they are led weeping in the thorow sense of their sinne , then their faces are set toward zion , and then they are willing to joyne themselves to god , in a perpetuall covenant . the second thing that will take off the heart fully , is the cleare sight of god in these two considerations . . in relation to our selves , to see how there is all good in him for us to enjoy fully , though wee have nothing but him alone ; what ever wee would have in any creature , in any way so farre as is good for us , it is to bee had in him ; when the soule is thorowly convinced of this , it comes off sweetly , and flowes fully after the lord. . consider god in relation to all other good ; thus , that nothing else hath any true goodnesse in it , but in reference and subordination to him . the third thing that will take off the heart fully , is the feare of god , and the feare of eternity powerfully falling upon the soule , and deeply taking impression in it : for the feare of god , take that place , cor. . . perfect your holinesse in the feare of god. the feare of god is a great means to bring your holinesse to perfection ; and for the second , that place in phil. . . worke out your salvation with feare and trembling . the feare of the eternall salvation of the soule , of the infinite consequence of it , will cause us to labour to work it out . cap. vi. that it is the choicenesse of a mans spirit that causes him to follow god fully . from the reference that this following of god fully hath to the excellency of calebs spirit ; the doctrine that ariseth is this , that it is the choicenesse and excellency of a mans spirit , that causeth him to follow god fully . as comets that are called blazing stars do soone vanish , because of the basenes of the matter out of which they are ; but starres in the firmament continue ; because they are of an heavenly substance : so there are many blazing professors of religion , who rise high for a while , but at last they come to nothing , because their spirits are base and vile ; but those who have heavenly and choice spirits , they god on in their way , & finish their course to the honour of god and his truth , pro. . . the righteousnesse of the perfect shall direct his way : but the wicked shall fall . ezec. . , . a new heart will i give you , and a new spirit will i put within you , &c. and after it followes , and cause you to walke in my statutes , and yee shall keepe my iudgements , and doe them . this new spirit will cause a man to walk in gods statutes ; a man of such a spirit shall certainly keepe his judgements , and do them even to the end . it is not strength of parts that will carry a man thorow , nor strength of argument , nor strength of conviction , nor strength of naturall conscience , nor strength of resolution , nor strength of common grace ; it is onely this choice excellent spirit ; that other spirit , of which wee have spoke so much before . in this point i shall follow these three things . wee shall shew what there is in this spirit that doth carry on a man fully . why onely this can doe it . apply it . for the first , it is the choicenesse of a mans spirit that causeth a man to goe fully after god : for , by this a man comes to have a more full presence of god with him , than any other man can have ; such a man is nearer unto god than others , hee hath more of the nature of god , than others ; is more capable of the presence of god , than others ; and god delights to let out himselfe more to him than to others : these are filled with all the fulnesse of god , according to that expression of the apostle , ephes . . . now this fulnesse of god in their spirits must needs carry them on , because it so satisfies them , as they feele no need of other things . empty spirits are alwayes sucking and drawing of comfort from the creatures that are about them , & hence it is that their hearts are taken off from god so much . againe , a spirit that is filled with god , is not so sensible of any evils that are without , so as empty spirits are ; as it is in the body when it is filled with good nourishment , with good blood and spirits , it is not sensible of cold , and alteration of weather , as the body is that is empty , and filled onely with winde . secondly , the choicenesse of a mans spirit raiseth it to converse with high things , and so carries it above the rubs , the snares and hindrances that are below ; and being above these , it goes on freely and fully in its course , and is not in that danger of miscarrying , as other poore spirits are , who converse so much with the things upon the earth : as birds that flie high , are not catched by the fowler , they are not taken by his lime-twigs , by his net or pit fall so as others are , who are much below upon the ground . broverb . . . the way of life is above to the wise , that hee may depart from hell beneath ; it is the keeping in his way above , that delivers him from the dangers & snares that are laid for him below . thunders and lightnings , tempests and stormes , make no alteration in the highest region ; so the threats and oppositions against the wayes of godlinesse , and all the troubles that the world causeth , make no alterations in heavenly hearts , that keepe above . when the tree growes low , it is subject to bee bitten by the beasts , but when it is growne up on high , it is out of danger : the lower the heart is , the nearer the earth , the more danger ; but when it is got up on high , the danger is past ; and now , what should hinder it from the growing up to the full measure of it in christ . thirdly , the choicenesse of a mans spirit changeth his end , and so carries him on fully after the lord ; for when the end is changed , all is changed ; when there are but particular changes it is a certaine argument , that the highest end is not changed ; but when that is changed , there must of necessity bee an universall change upon these two grounds . because the last end is alwayes loved for it selfe , and therefore infinitely loved . it is the rule of all other things that are under it ; the good of all things under it is measured by it , and is subordinate to it . fourthly , this choicenesse of spirit causeth a suteablenesse , a sympathy between the frame of the heart , and the wayes of holinesse : now sympathies first , are alwayes between the generall natures of things , and not individuals , not particulars ; as thus , where there is a sympathy betweene one creature and another , it is alwayes betweene the whole kind of those creatures ; wheresoever such natures are found , there will be this agreement . wee may see it more clearely in that which is contrary ; that contrariety of nature which wee call antipathy , it is not betweene any particulars so much , as betweene the whole natures of things ; as between the wolf & the sheep , there is such a contrariety : now the nature of the wolfe is not contrary so much to any particular sheep , but to the whole nature of sheepe , wheresoever the nature of it is found , and therefore to all sheep ; thus it is in the soule , where there is such a kinde of opposition of it against sinne , it is not against any particular sinne so much , as against the whole nature of sinne , wheresoever it is ; so where there is such an agreement , which wee call a sympathie , it is not so much with any particular way of holinesse , or perticular act , but with the whole nature of holinesse , wheresoever it is found , and therefore such a soule must needs follow god fully . againe , sympathies doe alwayes worke without labour and paine , and therefore where there is such an agreement betweene the frame of the heart , and the wayes of god , the heart must needs worke fully , because it workes delightfully : and yet further , this agreeablenes of sympathie is deepely rooted in the very principles of the creature , it is founded in the very being of it , and therefore it must needs worke strongly and constantly . vaine reasonings , carnall objections , subtill arguments , strong oppositions can never prevaile against that soule , where there is this deep-rooted agreeablenesse betweene the frame of it , & the wayes of holinesse . but that you may see further what a wonderfull agreeablenesse grace makes betweene the spirits of the godly , and the law of god , which is the rule of those wayes wherein god would have the soule to follow him in : observe the severall expressions by which the scripture sets it out . first , it is written in the tables of their hearts . secondly , it is their meditation day and night , psal . . thirdly , it is the joy of their souls , psal . . , vers . and . verse . fourthly , they love it above gold , above fine gold . fifthly , their hearts breake for the longing it hath after it . sixthly , they lift up their hands to it , psal . . . seventhly , their mouthes talke of it , psal . . . ver . & . ver . eighthly , their feet run in it , psal . . . ninthly , their soule keeps it . psal . . . tenthly , they will never forget it , psal . . . eleventhly , they give up their members as instruments of the righteousnesse of it , rom. . . and lastly , to name no more , ( though there be many more expressiōs in scripture to set this out ) they apply their hearts to it , to fulfill it alwaies even to the end , psal . . . fifthly , this choicenesse of spirit causeth a man to looke to his duty , and not to regard what may follow . the thing that hinders most in their following the lord , it is want of this ; it is not want of conviction what should be done , but the reasonings of their heart , about the hard and troublesome consequences that will follow , if the things bee done : but a true gracious heart saith onely , let mee know what is my duty , let the right bee done , though heaven and earth meet together . sixthly , the choicenesse of a mans spirit causeth a man , that if he doth looke at any consequences , that may follow upon his way , he lookes onely at the last issue of all , what his way will prove in his last conclusion ; how things will goe with him when he comes to the last triall , what will be the ultimate end of all : will it then be peace ? shall i then be glad of these wayes i now walke in ? seventhly , the choicenesse of a mans spirit strengthens it against the impressions that sensitive objects use to leave upon soft and weake spirits . most men have their spirits formed , and fashioned according to sensitive objects ; it is not what they apprehend in abstract notions , that works upon them , let them bee what they will ; yet , when they have to deale with sensitive things , the sweetnesse , desireablenesse , glory of them , works the most powerfully ; their hearts are altered according to the impression that they leave upon them , and this is great weaknesse , and an effeminate softnesse of spirit : hence the word translated effeminate , cor. . . signifies soft-spirited men . this distēper in the spirit , is like that in the flesh , when it is corrupted with the dropsie ; the flesh is soft , and if you put your finger to it , the impression of your finger sticks in it , and pits the flesh ; so the impression of sensitive objects , sticks in distempered , weake , soft spirits , as it was in the other spies who were sent with caleb and ioshuah ; the terrible things they saw in the land , stucke mightily in their hearts , they brought with them the impressiō of them fastened in their spirits : hence numb . . . according to the translation of the greek translators , it is , they brought the feare of the land with them : but this choicenesse of spirit that was in caleb , and is in those who are truely godly , keepeth from this : and there must bee this firmnesse in the spirit of a man , or else it will never cary him after the lord fully , sam. . . with the upright thou wilt shew thy selfe upright ; the word translated upright , signifies strong and perfect : there is required strength , and that more than ordinary too , to cary on the soule to perfection . thus you see what there is in this choice spirit , that caries it on fully after the lord : now there must of necessity be this , or else this full following of the lord will never be , nothing else will doe it . and that ; because the wayes of god are supernaturall , and therefore there must bee something in the spirit of a man which is supernaturall , that must reach to them ; this which is supernaturall in the spirits of godly men , wee see it in the effects , and we know it is above reason , and all naturall principles whatsoever . but what is , is very hard to expresse ; and therefore men of parts in the world , are madde to think , that any should imagine , that those who are of weaker parts than themselves , should have any thing in them , to carry them on in other wayes , than they walke in ; which they doe not understand , because they doe not know , what that same thing is , which is called supernaturall ; they will rather think it a conceit and phansie , than any reall excellency : because they can apprehend other things better than others , they thinke , why should they not apprehend this better than others , if there were any reall excellencie in it . the wayes of god are not only above nature , but contrary to nature , and therefore there must bee needs , some speciall choycenesse of spirit , to carry a man on in them ; there must bee a contrary streame , to over-power the streame of nature , and this streame must be fed by some living fountaine , or else there will never bee a holding out . in following after the lord , all naturall abilities , and common grace will doe no more but stop the streame of corrupt nature ; they cannot so overpower it , as to carry the soule another way ; but the worke of grace in this choicenesse of spirit will doe it . the streame of times , and examples of men , are exceeding strong , and it is not a little matter that will carry on the soule against them . the dead fish is carried down the streame , though the winde serves to blow it up : all naturall abilities of the soule , will no more helpe a man against the streame of examples , than the winde can carry the dead fish up the stream ; but if there were life put into the fish , it were able then to move against the winde and streame too . there are so many strong alluring temptations , where in the wiles , subtilties , depths of satan , are very powerfull to draw the heart away from god , that except there bee some speciall worke of gods grace to give wisdome to discerne the deceits of sin , to make the soule spiritually subtill , to find out the cunning devices of satan , and to discerne the danger of them , the soule most certainly could never hold on in the way of its following after the lord. there are so many troubles , oppositions , that it meets withall in this way , that most certainly would drive it out , were it not for some choyce worke of gods grace in it ; but this choycenesse of spirit , will carry a man through all them : it is gods promise , esay . . that when the enemy shall come in like a floud , the spirit of the lord shall lift up a standard against him . we made use of this scripture before , for opposition of strong corruptions ; but it is true here now , for the resisting of strong spirituall enemies , of strong oppositions ; when they come in like a floud against the soule , to carry it out of gods wayes , the spirit of god in it doth lift up a standard against them , & were it not for this , it could not hold : it is this good and sound constitution of the soule that makes it endure those oppositions that it meets withall . an aguish heat may bee greater , than that which ariseth from a good constitution , but it is not able to resist cold : so there may be a naturall violence in a mans spirit for a while , in the profession of religion , which may seeme to be zeale , but not arising from the good constitution of the soule , when troubles come , it vanishes , giving no strength at all . there are so many scandals and reproaches that rise against the ways of god , so many aspersions that are cast upon them , that if a man hath not more than an ordinary spirit , hee most certainly will be offended : blessed are they that are not offended in mee , saith christ . it is a great blessing when there fals out scandals , and when we see grievous aspersions cast upon gods wayes , yet not to be offended ; there needs be some more than ordinary light to discover to a man , the certainty of that good there is in the ways of god ; he had need be sure of his principles , and know in whom he hath beleeved . yea , god many times hides himselfe from his servants , while they are following after him , and this oftentimes proves the sorest temptation of all , and a greater discouragement then all the rest : for as for oppositions , scandals , reproaches , these are things they make account of , and can often lightly passe them over ; but when god hides his face , this puts them at a stand , now they are in the dark , and know not what to doe ; christ was not much troubled at the reproaches of men , at the oppositions hee met withall from them ; for the scripture saith , he despised the shame , and endured the crosse ; but when his father hid his face from him , then he was in an agony , then his spirit began to bee amazed , then his soule was sorowfull to the death , then hee fals groveling upon the ground , then he sweats drops of water and bloud , then hee cries out , my god , my god , why hast thou forsaken mee ? these spirituall desertions in their degree , gods servants often meet withall in their way , so as , if they had not choice spirits , some speciall worke of god in their soules , they would certainly fall and sinke in it . now put all these together , and we see , it is not every ordinary spirit , that is like to goe on fully after the lord ; it must needs bee some thing extraordinary , that preserves a spark in the midst of waves , that preserves a candle light , in the midst of storms and tempests . never wonder then , or bee offended , to see so many to fall off from god ; few men have choice spirits ; those who are godly expect no other from most professors , and therefore they are not troubled when they see this fall out ; they went out from us , because they were not of us , saith the apostle . wicked men are offended , because they know not what the worke of grace meanes ; and hence , if they see a man make profession of religion , they make no difference , as though there were as much to be expected from him , as from another ; as though the cause of god fell when he fell ; no such matter ; if you see mens spirits proud , slight , earthly , sensuall , or carried with a greater violence than their principles will beare ; i doe not meane , though their affections may sometimes goe beyond their knowledge ; but by principles i meane , the rooted graces of god in their hearts , as one may perceive in some , there are not graces rooted sutable to their expressions , & outward wayes ; and when you see not an evennesse in the wayes of men , then never expect from them any full following the lord : and if they fall off , be not troubled , let it be no more than you made account of before-hand would be . hence the world is mistaken , who judge it stoutnesse , and stubbornnesse of spirit in gods servants , that will go on in the wayes of godlines ; they are a kind of inflexible people , there is no perswading of them , there is no dealing with them : no , it is no stubbornnesse ; it is the choicenesse of their spirits , that makes them to doe as they doe ; you judge it stubbornnesse because you doe not know the principles upō which they goe . i confesse , if i see a man stand constantly in his way , and will not bee moved by the perswasions of others , if i doe not understand the reasons upon which hee goes , i cannot but thinke it stoutnesse , and this is your case ; but if you did but know , what are their reasons , what are their powerfull motives , that draw them on in the wayes of god , you would not have such thoughts of them ; their spirits within them constraine them , as elihu sayes of himselfe in another case , iob . . take these convincements that it is not stubbornnesse , but choicenesse of spirit , that carries them on so unmoveable in their way . . in other things they are as yeeldable , as tractable , as easie to bee perswaded as any men ; it is only in the matter of the lord their god they are thus . they can beare burthens upon their shoulders , and cry out , and resist as little as any ; if you will compell them to goe a mile , they will be content , if it may do good , to goe two , yea , as far as the shooes of the preparation of the gospell of peace will carry them ; who can beare wrongs and injuries from men better than they ? stubborne-spirited men cannot doe thus . stubbornnesse is joyned with desire of revenge ; but in these dispositions , there is all pity and compassion ; they pray for those who doe oppose them ; when they are reviled , they revile not againe ; if sometimes their corruptions should bee stirred , they are ashamed and confounded , in their own thoughts , for that they have done , they mourne and lament in the bitternesse of their spirits for it . thirdly , stubborne dispositions are not contracted on a sudden ; it is by degrees , and continuance of time that alters nature ; but this disposition of being unmoveable in gods wayes comes many times even of a sudden , as soone as ever the heart is turned , which is an evidence of a new principle put into it . fourthly , stubborne hearts doe not use to seek god to uphold them , to strengthen them , to blesse them in that way ; they doe not blesse god for being with them , helping of them to persist in their way , as gods servants doe ; they go to god to get strength to inable them to bee immoveable ; they give god the glory of it , when they have found themselves inabled to withstand temptations . fiftly , those who are of stubborn dispositions , doe not use to bee most stubborne , when the heart is most broken with afflictions ; stout hearts , though in their prosperity are unyeeldable , there is no dealing with them then ; their hearts are presently up ; if you move them to any thing they have no mind to , their words are stout , their answers are sierce ; but let afflictions come , then , as es . . . their hearts are brought down , and they speake as one out of the ground , and their speech is low , as one out of the dust ; then they are willing to heare what you say ; as the young gallant that salomon speakes of in proverbs . there was no speaking to him in his prosperity ; but when his flesh and body were consumed , then he mournes at the last , and cries out , how have i hated instruction , and my heart despised reproofe ! i have not obeyed the voyce of my teachers , &c. but now , those that are godly , in their greatest afflictions , when their hearts are most broken , when god humbles them most , even then they are most settled and unmoveable in that way they walked in before , and it is then the greatest griefe of their soules , that they walked no closer with god in it , than they did . have other thoughts then of gods people , than you have had ; do not accuse that of stubbornnesse , that you doe not understand ; thinke with your selves , that there may be something in their spirits , more than you know of . let those who have this excellent choice spirit , encourage themselvs in this , that surely it will inable them to follow god fully ; let them know , first , that though they be weak , if their spirits bee right , if of the right kind , they shall certainly hold out . that which christ said for the comfort of the church of philadelphia , revel . . , they may apply for theirs ; thou hast a little strength , saith christ , and hast kept my word , and hast not denyed my name . a little strength , if it bee right , if it bee the strength of a sound spirit , it will carry on the soule to keepe gods word , and inable , not to deny his name . secondly , therefore is christ filled with all fulnesse of all grace , that out of his sulnesse thou mayst receive grace for grace ; that spirit by which he is so plentifully annoynted , it is for thee . but i am afraid my spirit is not this choice spirit , and therfore i shall not hold out in following the lord. first , is it a broken humble spirit in sense of thy weakenesses and wants ? secondly , that which thou dost , though but weakly , is it upon divine grounds , and hast thou divine ends ? thirdly , doth the sight of thy weaknesse make thee cling , and cleave unto jesus christ ? fourthly , when thou losest god in following him , art thou sensible of the want of his presence , and doest thou never leave crying and seeking till thou enjoyest him again ? certainly this is a true choyce spirit , that will carry on fully in following the lord , when thousands of glorious hypocrites shall vanish and come to nothing . if it be this choicenesse of spirit , that is the only thing that will fully carry after the lord , then let us learn to looke to our spirits : keepe thy heart with all diligence , for out of it come the issues of life : doe not so much complain of tēptations , oppositions , troubles you meet withal ; but look to your spirits , & all is safe and wel . if there be the spirit of love & of a sound mind , there will be the spirit of power ; for these are joyned together by the apostle ; there need not be the spirit of feare ; for the spirit of a sound mind , & the spirit of feare , are opposed one to another in the same place . but wherein should we looke to our spirits ? first , take heed to your judgmēts , keep your judgemēts clear for god & his truth ; as it is said , es . that wisdom and knowledge should be the stability of those times ; so , true wisdome and knowledge preserving the judgments of men right & sound , are the stability of mens hearts . take heed your judgmēts come not to be altered , to thinke otherwise of gods wayes , than you did before , to have other opinions of thē . though there may bee many weaknesses , yet if the judgement be kept right , all may doe well ; but if the leprosie bee got into the head , then the soule is in a dangerous condition : as lev. . . when the priest shall looke upon a leprous man , and see the plague is got into his head , the text saith , he shal pronoūce him utterly unclean , for the plague is in his head . the priest was to pronoūce none to be utterly unclean , but such who had the plague in their heads . secondly , labor to keep conscience clear , take heed of pollution there , take heed of a breach in thy spirit there , for that will weaken it much : conscience is the strong tower of thy soule , if the truth of god be got out there , the strength of the soule is gone . thirdly , labour to keepe thy heart low and humble ; when the flesh swels , it cannot beare any hard thing upon it : though a member growes bigger when it swels , yet it growes weaker ; so it is with the soule . fourthly , labour to keepe the spirit heavenly ; mixture of drosse will weaken it , convince thy soule , that a little of the creature will serve turne , to carry thee thorow this thy pilgrimage well enough . one told a philosopher ; if you will be content to please dionysius , you need not feed upon green hearbs : the philosopher answers him , and if you will be content to feed upon greene hearbs , you need not please dionysius . so if men would be content with a little in the world , to be in a low and meane condition , they need not flatter ; those things that draw others from following after the lord , would not move them at all . fiftly , labour to keep thy spirit in a continuall trembling frame , abiding in the feare of the lord all the day long ; the feare of the lord causeth men to depart from evill ; meditate the feare of the lord continually . lastly , keep thy spirit continually working ; many things have much power in them while they are in motion , but weake when the motion ceaseth ; sinne is very strong while it is in motion , but when affliction stops the motion , the truths of god have more power over it ; so grace , while it is acting , it is strong , but if it growes dull , it growes weake , and is soone turned aside . thus we looking to our spirits , wee shall bee able to follow the lord fully , and finish our course in peace . finis . notes, typically marginal, from the original text notes for div a -e sal. l. de gab. . dei. nazian . in encom . athanas . bern. pag. . act. . heb. . ●xer●it . ● §. , . sam. . ●eh . . . ve. s . dan. . . * as groasthead bishop of lincolne once answered the pope . see act. and mon. vol. p. . stock see in his funerall sermons . dan. . . acts . . . aug conf . l. . notes for div a -e cap. . obs . cor. . quest . answ . abulensis 〈◊〉 . , . scrarius l. ios . c. . q. lorinus in numb . . . implevit sequi . 〈…〉 sapida ●●i●●tia . philo iudaeus in his book intituled om nis probus liber , t●ls of the py●● agereans , that inter sacrata praecepta , this was a principall per viam publicam ne ingredere . argument● tur●issimis 〈◊〉 turba , sayes seneca . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . eadem ratione hanc vita viam quaeri oportet , qua in altoiter navibus quaeritur ; nisi aliquid cali lumen observent incertis cursibus vagantur ; quisquis rectum iter vitae tenere nititur , non terr'd debet aspicere sed coelu●● ; & ut a●ertius loquar , on hominem debet sequi , sed deum . lactant. l. . c. . cor. . ● . nos , imperator , so a terrena militia tibi obstricti sumus ; in animas nullum tibi jus est ; illarum deminus est solus deus coutzen . aul● speculum pag . non admittit status sidei allegati onem neces sitatis deliuouendi , quibus una est necessitas non delinquendi tertul. de cor militis . cap. . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . rom. . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 t 〈…〉 . . . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . hem germ ma illa bestia non 〈◊〉 aurū . melchior ●d●m in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . nemo est dignus namine hominis qui unum diem v●lit esse in vo luptate lib. de sinibus . platonis phoedo p. . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . 〈…〉 or sum et ad majora naturquàm vt mancipium sim corporis mei . sen. 〈◊〉 . . valde protesta tus sum , me nolle sic sa●iari ab co . melchier adam in vita iuth . feci●●i nos domine prote , & ●●qu etum est ●or n 〈…〉 do 〈…〉 veniat adte . luke . . hern. de amore 〈◊〉 . sicut mea ●on tibi placent oblata nisi mecum ; sic bon rum tuorum contemp 〈…〉 io resi●●t nos s 〈…〉 non sat : at , nis●●e cum . 〈◊〉 . de amore dei c. . habet enim sa 〈…〉 a et sai generis superbiam . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . invalidum om ni naturâ 〈◊〉 rulum o verbum sempiterni opprobrii & confusionis , atque ●gnomini● ind●lebilis , scili et despero ; victorem enim esse diabolum praedicat : & utinam videres diabolum coronari victorem , cui tam turpiter succ●b 〈…〉 . nostri ( ut de viris taccam ) pueri & mulierculie tortores suos taciti vincunt , & expromere illis gemitum nec ignis potest , lib. . cap. . purcas pilg. pag. . quo quisque est major , magis est placabilis ●rae , et saciles molus mens generosa capit . corpora magnanimo satis est prostrasse ●●oni , pugna suum finem , cum jacet hostis , habet : at lupus et tristes instant morientibus ur si , ●t quaecunqu● minor nobilitate f●r 〈…〉 posse et nolle nobile . chrys . hom . ad pop . . & . nec judicandum est aliquid iram ad magnitudinem animi conferre . non est illa magnitudo , tumor est . senec . de ira . lib. . cap. . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 quid prodest esse , quod esse non predest ? tertul. de ●●di 〈…〉 . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . vestrum est , 〈◊〉 solum attend●re quid praecipiat deus , sed quid velit , quae sit vulu 〈…〉 dei bona , bene placens , & pers●cta . b 〈…〉 . de vita solitaria ad fratres de mont● dei , p. . as nazianzen said of athanasius , he was , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he was high in worth , and humble in heart . potens est deus causam suam labentem servare , lapsam erigere ; si nos digni non erimus , fiat per alios . melchior adam . in vit . luth. non quia dura , sed quia molles patimur . nil magnum in rebus human is nisi animus magna despiciens : s● magnanimus sueris nunquam juditabis tibi contumel am sieri . sen de quatuor virtue . i am periculum par animo alexandri . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ‑ 〈◊〉 . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 oecolampadius . spiritus calvimanus est spiritus 〈…〉 cus . quàm suave istis suavitatibas carere . cap. . quo vos ossendimus ▪ si alias praesumimus voluptates , si oblectari nolumus nostra injuria e 〈…〉 reprobamus quae placent vobis , nec vosnestra a delectant . ratio nihil aliudest , quam in corpits huma ▪ 〈◊〉 pars divim 〈◊〉 meisa epist● ● . quid aliud voces animum , quàm deum in corepore humano ●o 〈◊〉 〈…〉 tem . sencea . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . et cum talis fueris , inemento mei . bern. meditat . devoti●● . cap . cornel. à lapide in locum . hospinian hist . iesuit . p. . gregor . crat . de landibus basil●i . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . cap. . cap. . cap. . caius seius ho●us vir , sed christianus . electis . cap. . tu 〈…〉 rebellioni● . 〈◊〉 ▪ . cum boni , cum probicocun● cum ●ii , cum casti congregantur , ●●n est factia dicenda , sed 〈◊〉 ; et econtrario , illis nomen facticnisa● 〈◊〉 da●dum est , qui in 〈◊〉 ●onor●m et proborum conspirant . tertull. apol. advers . gentes , cap. , num . . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 salvian complaines , tha in his time , which was in the fifth century , homines coguntur esle mali , ne viles habeantur . melc●●lor adamus in vita musculi . cap. . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 nihil ad nos at 〈…〉 quid judic●●t stulti , quid ●omu●cul● s 〈…〉 . l●stan . 〈◊〉 . instit . 〈◊〉 . chrys . hom . . ad pop . antioch . cypr. l. . ●p . . non attendas numerum illorum , melior est enim unus timens quam mill● filii impii . confitetur se esse apostatam , sed beatum & sanctum , qui fidem diabolo datam nonservavit . cap. . cap. . ipse aspectus boni viri delectat . gregory nazianzen sayes of himselfe , and basil , that one soule in 〈…〉 rner was in two bodies . in orat . fun. basi●●i . the same is said of minutius fa●ix , and octautus . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . cap. . vniuscu jusque casus , tanto majoris est crimin●s , quanto priusquam caderet majoris crat virtutis . be●n . de inter . domo . c. . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . it was a brave spirit of zwinglius expressing it selfe thus , in his . epist . q●as non oportet mortes praeetigere , quod non supplicium putius ferre , into inquam prosundim inferni ab●stum non incrare , quam contra conscientiam attestari ? vt non prastet sides , quod prastitit infide 〈…〉 as . cap. . alagnus an● mu● mag●am fortu 〈…〉 am decet . divitiae non faciunt insignes , nisiquos possunt bonis operibus facere clariores . lactant. lib. . cap. . divites sunt , non qui divitias habent , sed qui utuntur illis ad opera justitiae . lactant. lib. . cap. . tutum est peccare aut●ribu● istis . cornelius 〈◊〉 lapide in his comment upon numb . . verse . cum essem religiosus , sperabam benè de salute animae meae , cardinalis factus , extimui ; ponti ex creatus , penè despero . sedes prima vitâimâ . bern. indu untur purpurâ & bys●● , & subin de conscientia pannosa jacet ; fulgent monilibus , moribus sordent , è contra tu foris pann●sa , intus spectosa resplendes divinis aspectibus , non humanis . bern. ep . . ad sophiam virginem nobilem . plutarch . quam innumerabilis ex●stant & semper extiterint , qui sint aut suerint sine ulla doctrna boni , ex philosophis autem perraro fuerit qui aliquid in vit● laude dignum secerit . lact. li. . cap. . e● lib. . cap. . nutant plurimi , & maximè qui literarum aliquid attigerint . surgunt indocti , & rapiunt coelum , & nos cum doctrinis nostri● de rudimur in ge●en ●am . smite sapientes hujus saeculi alta sapientes & terram lingentes , sapienter desc●ndera in in 〈…〉 rnum . bern. de vita solitaria ad frat●● de monte dei. ioseph . lib. . cap. . am●r & deliciae humam generis . beata vitaecausa et firmamentum est sibi fidere ; turpe est deo ; satigare ▪ quidvotis opus est : f●● te soelicem : bonam mentem stultum est opta re , cum possis à te impetr●re : ●●tio recta et con summata falicitatem ●o●●nis implevit . quest . ans . quest . ans . notes for div a -e cap. . doct. . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . semper victuri . they doe suadere , but not persuadere . quàm sapiens argum●ntatrix ●●bi videtur arroga 〈…〉 h 〈…〉 na ▪ 〈◊〉 praesertim cum aliquid de gaud●is saec 〈…〉 me●uit am●●tere ! tertul. de spect●c . cap. . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 audaciam existimo de bono divini praecepti disputare , n●● quia bonum est auscultare d 〈…〉 mus , sed quia deus praec●pit tertul. de poenit . mallem obedire quàm miracula sacere . cassianus l. . cap. . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . psal . . . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . veniat , venia● verbum domini , et submittemu● illi , sexcenta si nobis essent c●l●a . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . mat . abneget omnino neget . zach. . iosoph . lib. . cap. . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 cypr. upon that voyce that came from heaven , this is my beloved sonne , heare him . loquere magister bone , libenter te audio , & cum adversaris mihi , audio to cum i●asceris . nunquam ab● te , ab 〈…〉 te re●●do , bern. ep . . pelago se nonita com 〈…〉 ssarus esset quin quando liberet , pedem referre posset . 〈…〉 u 〈…〉 ores vivimus , si tot●m deodamus ; non autem nos ill ex part & nobis ex parte commi●timus . aug. de ono per●●verant . c. . cap. . cap. . grace cannot bee had with doing nothing . nemo casu sit sapient . senec. ep . . sanctius in hosea . cainislae sunt , of serentes non per ●●nam , sed of us ●e● sonae . i uther . decl●●at . in d●cal . revel . . , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . fructus adaequatus est ei ; so the old latine . nero●●s quin. quennium . ioseph . antiq. lib. . cap. , . petri mart. morentini praesatione in iulia. 〈◊〉 m●sapogo 〈◊〉 . 〈…〉 linus , lib. . quidam equis , h 〈…〉 avibus , nonnulli seris de●ect 〈…〉 ur , ego vero n●e usq 〈◊〉 à pueritia l 〈…〉 cupiditate arsi . ●urpe est saptenti , cum , ab●at animum captare ●audes ex corpore . etquis innocens esse poterit , si accusasse sufficiet . blasphemiam iagerit relig 〈…〉 quam co 〈…〉 quod consit●tur non ante omnes impleverit . cypr. de sing . cleri 〈…〉 . clemens alex. quoted by sympson in his history of the church in the second century tert. thought their case desperate , especially who fell into the sinne of uncleanness . lib. de pudicit . speaking of that place , heb. . . it is impossible that they who were once inlightned , &c. he sayes , that this author knew no secōd repentance promised to the adulterer and fornicator . nunquam moecho & fornicatori secundam poenitentiam promissam ab apostolis . cap. . ibi non gustabunt quàm suavis sit deus , sed implebuntus , & satiabuntur dulcedi●e mirifica . cypr. de assent . cap. . iohn ardley . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it is in hithpael . continuoi●de sinenter ambulavi . osian hist . eccle. cent . . l. b. cap. . egredere , quid times ? egredere anima mea , quid dubitas ? septuagintaprope annis servisti christo , et mortemtimes ? hicronym , in vit . ejus . cap. . doct. . fiat just●tia , etsi mundus ruat . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . vse . vse . vse . object . ans . vse . tim. . . object . ans . esay . . the eighth book of mr jeremiah burroughs. being a treatise of the evil of evils, or the exceeding sinfulness of sin. wherein is shewed, there is more evil in the least sin, than there is in the greatest affliction. sin is most opposite to god. sin is most opposite to mans good. sin is opposite to all good in general. sin is the poyson, or evil of all other evils. sin hath a kind of infiniteness in it. sin makes a man conformable to the devil. all these several heads are branched out into very many particulars. / published by thomas goodwyn, william bridge, sydrach sympson, william adderly, [double brace] william greenhil, philip nye, john yates. burroughs, jeremiah, - . approx. kb of xml-encoded text transcribed from -bit group-iv tiff page images. text creation partnership, ann arbor, mi ; 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(eebo-tcp ; phase , no. a ) transcribed from: (early english books online ; image set ) images scanned from microfilm: (thomason tracts ; :e [ ]) the eighth book of mr jeremiah burroughs. being a treatise of the evil of evils, or the exceeding sinfulness of sin. wherein is shewed, there is more evil in the least sin, than there is in the greatest affliction. sin is most opposite to god. sin is most opposite to mans good. sin is opposite to all good in general. sin is the poyson, or evil of all other evils. sin hath a kind of infiniteness in it. sin makes a man conformable to the devil. all these several heads are branched out into very many particulars. / published by thomas goodwyn, william bridge, sydrach sympson, william adderly, [double brace] william greenhil, philip nye, john yates. burroughs, jeremiah, - . goodwin, thomas, - . [ ], , - , [ ] p. printed by peter cole in leaden-hall, and are to be sold at his shop at the sign of the printing-press in cornhil, neer the royal exchange., london, : . the words "thomas goodwyn, .. adderly," and "william greenhil, .. yates." are bracketed together on title page. text continuous despite pagination. includes index. with a final advertisement leaf. annotation on thomason copy: "decemb. th.". reproduction of the original in the british library. created by converting tcp files to tei p using tcp tei.xsl, tei @ oxford. re-processed by university of nebraska-lincoln and northwestern, with changes to facilitate morpho-syntactic tagging. gap elements of known extent have been transformed into placeholder characters or elements to simplify the filling in of gaps by user contributors. eebo-tcp is a partnership between the universities of michigan and oxford and the publisher proquest to create accurately transcribed and encoded texts based on the image sets published by 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to . - tcp assigned for keying and markup - apex covantage keyed and coded from proquest page images - john latta sampled and proofread - john latta text and markup reviewed and edited - pfs batch review (qc) and xml conversion the eighth book of m r jeremiah burroughs . being a treatise of the evil of evils , or the exceeding sinfulness of sin . wherein is shewed , there is more evil in the least sin , than there is in the greatest affliction . sin is most opposite to god. sin is most opposite to mans good. sin is opposite to all good ▪ in general . sin is the poyson , or evil of all other evils . sin hath a kind of infiniteness in it . sin makes a man conformable to the devil . all these several heads are branched out into very many particulars . published by thomas goodwyn , william bridge , sydrach sympson , william adderly , william greenhil , philip nye . john yates . london , printed by peter cole in leaden-hall , and are to be sold at his shop at the sign of the printing press in cornhil , neer the royal exchange . . m r burroughs on the evil of sin. a testimony to the world , concerning several books of m r jeremiah burroughs , that are printing , and will shortly be published . what we have by way of preface set before the several books already published of this reverend author , mr. jeremiah burroughs , may sufficiently serve for all that are come forth : so that we only need now , to give letters testimonial to the world , that these ( viz. the sermons on job , . chapt . . verse : the second epistle of peter , the . chapter , the . verse : the first epistle of john , the . chap. . verse : the second epistle to the corinthians , the . chapter , . verse : matthew , the . chapter , , , and . verses : the second epistle to the corinthians , the . chapter , the , , and . verses , which are , or will shortly be printed ) we avouch likewise to be the painful and profitable labors of the same author , and published by the best and most authentick copies . thomas goodwin , william greenbil , william bridge , sydrach simpson , philip nye , john yates , william adderley . to the reader . reader , the creatures vanity and emptiness , the abounding sinfulness of sin , and christs all-sufficiency and fulness , and how to live the life of faith in christ , are subjects containing the sum and substance of religion , and much treated on promiscuously amongst divines . and i think amongst all the treatises of this blessed man , mr. jeremiah burroughs ( now triumphing in glory above all sin and sorrow ) which have been received with so much acceptation amongst the saints , there hath not been presented to thy view a more practical piece than this now under thy hands : and though divers divines have written and spoken much concerning this subject , yet in my poor judgment , this out-goes all of this nature , that ever my eyes beheld , setting forth with life and spirit the subject in hand , and bringing it down powerfully in a practical way to convince the judgment , and work upon the affections of the weakest reader . that which is the undoing of those who think themselves no small christians , is resting in a bare notion of the creatures emptiness , sins filthiness , christs fulness , and having some high towering speculations concerning the nature and object of faith : and to be able to discourse of these things in company , and upon occasion , is the religion of the world , and more especially of our formal professors . now the reality of these confest principles are not made powerful upon the conscience by the cleerest natural aquired light in the world : but when the lord is pleased to set home those over-awing , soul ballasting-thoughts of eternity , then , and never till then , shall we live , act , and walk as a people who acknowledg these principles of christianity to be true : whilst the things of religion , and thoughts of eternity lie swimming only in our brains , they never conquer , command , and subdue the heart in a way of practical obedience . many mens thoughts language , and lives are such , that if they were certain there is no god , no sin , no hell , no wrath to be feared , no grace to be minded and attained , no judgment day when they must give an account , they could not be worse than they are , nor do worse than theydo ; oh the horrid athiesm bound up in mens hearts , and they see it not , how else durst men be so prophane in their lives under gospel light ? how durst they sit so stupidly under the powerful awaking means of grace ? how else could such vile thoughts be cherish'd , and such cursed practises and principles maintained ? how else durst men chule sin rather than affliction when they are brought into streights ? how otherwise are men more afraid of open shame than of secret sins ? in a word , how durst men walk without god in the world , at least without secret prayer and communing with their own hearts , dayes , weeks , months , years together ? i am perswaded more souls drop down to hell in our dayes under the abuse os gospel light , than ever did in the gross darkness of popery ; they then better improved their talents according to the light afforded , and walked better and more sutably to the light they receiv'd ; wheras these gospel truths which now shines more fully and cleerly in the faces of so many thousands , are not so much improved in a more circumspect , holy , and humble walking , but rather abused to a more loose and wanton carriage and censorious judging of one another , men sinning the more because grace so much abounds ; how could the saints then love and embrace with singleness of heart ? but now the foundations of love are shaken , and a perverse spirit is mingled amongst us ; oh how heavily doth the wrath of god lie upon the professors of our age for the abuse of gospel light , and they feel it not ; gods administrations in this latter age of the world , being more subtil and spiritual , and therefore more undiscernable than in former ages : oh how many have we now adaies , who think they walk cleerly in the midst of gospel light , magnifying and exalting free grace , triumphing in their christian liberty , looking upon others as kept in bondage , who come not up to their pitch and practice , and yet are no better than solomons fools , who make a mock of sin , being conceitedly set at liberty , but really sin and satans bond slaves : certainly , till mens consciences be made tender and fearful of the least touches and appearances of evil , they have good cause to suspect , not only the strength , but the soundness of their hearts in grace : whilst men are bold with sin , and can put it off at an easie rate of sorrow , let their attainments seem never so high in understanding the mysteries of the gospel , they never yet knew truly what it is to exalt christ and free grace , for look in what measure we slight sin , in the same measure we slight god himself in his persons and attributes ; and how can that great gospel duty of walking humbly with god , be expressed ? how can christ be rightly lifted up and advanced in our souls without a right sight and sence of sin ? never wil christ be wonderful christ , and grace wonderful grace , till sin be wonderful sin , and experimentally apprehended as out of measure sinful ; never till sin be seen and sorrowed for as the greatest evil , wil christ be seen and rejoyced in as the greatest good ; were we once throughly convinced of the infinite evil in sin , as containing in it the evil of all evils ( nothing being an evil indeed properly , but as it hath the bitter ingredient and cursed sting of sin in it ) how would sin be hated and shunned more than the most deadly poyson , and feared more than the devil , more than hell it self ? seing nothing hath made and founded hell but sin , nor made the devil such a black feind but sin ; nay , nothing is so much a hell , i mean a torment , as sin it self ; nothing binds the creature in such chains of misery as when it is held in the cords of its own sin , prov. . . men look upon sin through false mediums , and beleeve the reports and interpretations which the world and the flesh gives of sin , and thus are cheated to their own destruction : could we but a little lay our ears to hell and hear the howlings and yellings of those damned spirits aggravating sin , we should then have a true comment upon the subject in hand : afflictions in this world now and then awaken the conscience , reviving the sight and sence of sin by some grievous pains ; but one half hour in hell , being separated from the comfortable presence of all good and blessed●… will make the evil of sin rightly understood . certainly there 's an evil in sin beyond what the largest created understanding is able to fadam , sin being one of those things which can never be punished enough , which appears in that all those unspeakable , unsufferable torments inflicted upon the damned through all eternity , is but a continual paying this sad debt , and giving satisfaction to divine justice for the wrong which sin hath done , in regard divine justice shall not otherwise sufficiently in time have taken it's due out of the sinner . now the judg of all the world who is the standard of justice it self , neither can , nor will do any wrong to his creature in punishing it more than it's iniquity deserves . reader , i shall say no more now , but beseech the lord to carry home these truths by his spirit into thy bosom , that there may be a divine impression made upon thy heart in reading , sutable to the authors in preaching , and that thou mayest ( out of love to holiness ) so fear and hate sin now , that thou mayest never suffer the vengeance of eternal fire ( the wages of sin ) hereafter : which is the unfeigned and earnest desire of thy souls well-wisher in christ jesus , john yates . the contents . chap. that it 's a very evil choice , to choose sin , rather than affliction . page chap. the servants of god , have chose the most dreadful afflictions , rather than the least sin. chap. there is some good in affliction , but none in sin : first , no good of entitie : secondly , no good of causalitie : thirdly , no good principle from whence sin can come : fourthly , no good anexed as is to afflictions , viz. of promise . of evidence . of blessing . also five different workings of the hearts of the saints under sin , and under affliction . fifthly , it 's not capable of any good , adde all the good to sin that all the creatures in heaven and earth have , yet it cannot make sin good . good ends , though to help against temptation , to do good to others , to glorifie god , cannot make sin good , god cannot make sin good . sixthly , it 's not comparatively good . chap. vses : and nine consectories of excellent use , viz. sin is not the work of god. sins promises are all delusions . sin cannot be the object of a rational creature . nothing that 's good should be ventured for sin . nothing that 's good to be made serviceable to sin . the mistake of making sin the chiefest good . time spent in sin , lost . the wicked , useless members . sin needeth no debate whether to be done , or not . chap. there is more evil in the least sin , than in the greatest affliction ; opened in six particulars , being the general scope of the whole treatise . chap. sin most opposite to god the chiefest good , opened in four heads : sin most opposite to gods nature . sin opposite in its working against god. sin wrongs god more than any thing else . sin strikes at gods being . chap. sin in it self opposite to god , shewed in five things : nothing directly contrary to god but sin : god would cease to be god , if but one drop of sin in him : sin so opposite to god , that he cease to be god , if he did but cause sin to be in another : he should cease to be god , 〈◊〉 he did but approve it in others : sin would cause god to cease to be , if he did not hate sin as much as he doth . chap. the workings of sin is alwayes against god. the scripture cals it , enmity . walking contrary . fighting . resisting . striving . rising against god. chap. how sin resist god : it 's a hating of god. it 's rebellion against god. it 's a despising of god. chap. sin is a striking against god. the sinner wisheth god were not so holy , &c. it seek the destruction of god. also sin is a wronging of god. chap. how sin wrong god : in his attributes . relation of father , son , and holy ghost . his counsels . in the end for which god hath done all he hath done . and first , sin wrong gods attributes : his all-sufficiency , shewed in two particulars . it wrong his omnipresence , and omnisciency . sin wrong his wisdom . wrong his holiness . sin wrong-god , in setting mans will above gods. sin wrong gods dominion . sin wrong gods justice . sin wrong god in his truth . chap. . how sin wrongs god in his personal relations . the father . the son. the spirit . chap. sin wrong the counsels of god in setting that order in the world that he hath set . chap. . sin wrong god in the end for which he hath made all things . chap. the first corollary . ] it appears by this , that but few men know what they do , when they sin against god. chap. the second corollary . ] the necessity of our mediators being god and man. chap. the third corollary . ] that but few are humbled as they should for sin . it will not be deep enough , except it be for sin as it 's against god. it will not sanctifie the name of god. it will not be lasting . else it will never make a devorce between sin and the soul . chap. the fourth corollary . ] admire the patience of god , in seeing so much sin in the world , and yet bear it . chap. the fifth corollary . ] hence see a way to break your hearts for sin : and also to keep you from temptation . chap. a sixt corollary . ] if sin be thus sinful , it should teach us not only to be troubled for our own sins , but the sins of others . chap. a seventh corollary . ] if sin hath done thus much against god , then all that are now converted had need do much for god. chap. the eight corollary . ] if sin doth so much against god , hence see why god manifest such sore displeasure against sin as he doth : against the angels that sinned . against all adams posterity . see it in gods giving the law against sin . see it in gods punishing sins that are accounted smal . see it in gods destroying all the world for sin . see his displeasure in punishing sin eternally . chap. a seventh discovery of gods displeasure against sin , opened from the sufferings of christ . first , see the several expressions of scripture : he was sorrowful to death . he began to be amazed . he began to be in an agony . secondly , see the effects of christs being in an agony : he fell grovelling on the ground . he swet drops of blood. he cries to god , if it be possible to let this cup pass from me . thirdly , there is eight considerations of christs sufferings . the second part . sin is most opposite to mans good ; and far more opposite to the good of man than affliction . chap. first , sin make a man evil , but no affliction can make him so : those that are in affliction are not the worse , but those that are wicked , are vile persons , though they be the greatest princes . chap. secondly , sin is more opposite to the good of man than afflictions , because most opposite to the image of god in man : three particulars instanced , and a question resolved . chap. thirdly , sin is opposite to the life of god in man. chap. fourthly , sin is opposite to mans good , because it is most opposite to the last end for which man was made . chap. fifthly , sin is more opposite to mans good than affliction , because 't is a defilement of the soul. it defiles all a man medleth with . sin is the matter the worm shall gnaw upon to all eternity . chap. sixtly , sin is more opposite to mans good than affliction , because sin is the object of gods hatred ; but god hateth not any for affliction . chap. seventhly , sin is more opposite to mans good than affliction , because sin brings guilt upon the soul . chap. eightly , sin is a greater evil to man than affliction , because it 's that which put the creature under the sentence of condemnation . chap ninthly , sin is a greater evil to man than affliction , because it breaks the vnion between god and the soul. chap. tenthly , sin is more against mans good than affliction , for that it stirs up all in god to come against a sinner in way of enmity . chap xi . sin is more opposite to mans good than affliction , for that sin makes all the creatures of god at enmity with a sinner . chap. xii . sin is a greater evil to man than affliction , because it puts a man under the curse of god. chap. xiii . sin is the seed of eternal evil , therefore more hurtful to man than affliction . an use thereof , then see that those men are deceived that think to provide well for themselves by sin . use the ministry of the word is for our good , as well as gods glory . chap. xiv . sin is worse than affliction , because it hardens the heart against god , and the means of grace . chap. xv. sin is worse to us than affliction , because sin brings more shame than affliction ▪ chap. he that sins , wrongeth , despiseth , and hateth his own soul. use then see the maliciousness that is in sin . use to pitty those that go on in sinful wayes . use let sin be dealt hardly with . the third part . chap. sin is opposite to all good , and therefore a greater evil than any affliction , opened in five things : sin take away the excellency of all things : it brings a curse upon all : sin is a burden to heaven and earth , and all creatures : sin turn the greatest good into the greatest evil : sin ( if let alone ) would bring all things to confusion . the fourth part . chap. that sin is the evil and poyson of all other evils , shewed in several particulars : first , it 's the strength of all evils . secondly , it 's the sting of affliction . thirdly , it 's the curse of all evils , opened in five particulars . fourthly , sin is the shame of all evils . fifthly , the eternity of all evil comes from sin. the fifth part . chap. sin hath a kind of infiniteness in it : opened in seven particulars . first , because nothing but an infinite power can overcome it . secondly , sin hath a kind of infinitness , because it hath an infinite desert in it , expressed in three particulars : the desert of the loss of an infinite good. it deserves to put an infinite distance between god and thee . it deserves infinite misery . thirdly , sin hath a kind of infinite evil , because there is required an infinite price to make an attonement between god and man. fourthly , there is a kind of infinit evil in sin , because we must hate it infinitely . fifthly , sin is an infinite evil , because it is the vniversal cause of all evil. sixthly , the scripture make use of evil things , to set out the evil of sin. seventhly , there 's an infiniteness in sin , because the scripture set out sin , by sin it self . the sixt part . chap. sin makes a man conformable to the devil , opened in six particulars . first , sin is of the same nature with the devil . secondly , sin is from the devil . thirdly , sin is a furtherance of the devils kingdom in the world : for by sin we oppose christs destroying the devils kingdom in the world. by sin thou opposest thy prayers when thou prayest , thy kingdom come . by going on in a way of sin , thou becomest guilty of all the sin in the world. fourthly , sinning is a fulfilling the will of the devil . fifthly , sin sells the soul to the devil . sixtly , sin , it turns the soul into a devil . corollaries and consequences from all the former particulars . chap. the first corollary . ] it 's worse for a man to be sinful , than to be turned into a beast chap. the second corollary . ] it 's worse to be sinful , than to be afflicted with temptation from the devil . chap. the third corollary . ] it 's worse to be under sin , than to be haunted by the devil . chap. the fourth corollary . ] it 's worse to be given up to any way of sin , than to be given up to the devil . quest . how the delivering up to satan can be for the saving of the soul. chap. the fifth corollary . ] it is worse to be given up to one sin , than to be actually possessed by the devil . chap. the sixt corollary . ] sin brings to wicked men , the same portion the devils have chap. use . shew that trouble of conscience for sin , is another manner of business than melancholly , or ●…merousness . chap. the former vse further prosecuted . first , against those that have slight thoughts of trouble of conscience , which ariseth either from gross ignorance , or atheism , or desperate slighting of god. secondly , trouble of conscience is the beginning of eternal death . thirdly , those that have slight thoughts of trouble of conscience , can never prise christ . fourthly , those that have slight thoughts of trouble of conscience now , shall one day alter their opinion . fifthly , it were just with god to let those sinkunder the burden of conscience that have slight thoughts of it now . sixtly , those that have slight thoughts of trouble of conscience , those very thoughts do take away a chief restraint from sin . seventhly , slight thoughts of trouble of conscience for sin , are , a high degree of blasphemy . and a degree towards the unpardonable sin . chap. six differences between melancholly and trouble of conscience . diff. melancholly may be in those that are most grosly ignorant ; but trouble of conscience cometh with some enlightening work . diff. . melancholly prevails on men by degrees , but trouble of conscience many times comes suddenly , as lightening . diff. melancholly trouble is exceeding confused , but troubles of conscience are more distinct . diff. . the more melancholly any hath , the less able are they to bear outward affliction ; but the more trouble of conscience , the more able to bear outward afflictions . diff. . melancholly puts a dulness upon the spirits of men , but trouble of conscience for sin puts a mighty activity upon mens spirits . diff. . trouble of conscience cannot be cured the waies melancholly may . chap. a second vse from the whol treatise , shewing that a man may be in a most miserable condition , though he be delivered from outward affliction . first , if a man be prosperous by sin , if a man raise himself to a prosperous condition by any sinful way , let such men consider three things : what is got by sin , it cost dear . what is got by sin is accursed to thee . what is got by sin , must he cast away , or thy soul is cast away . secondly , when men come to be more sinful by their prosperity : explained in three particulars : when prosperity is fuel for their sin . when it gives men further liberty to sin . when it hardens in sin . chap. liv. use . if there be so much evil in sin , then it 's a mighty mercy to get the pardon of sin . chap. lv. use . if there be so much evil in sin , this justifie the strictness and care of gods people against sin . two directions to those that make conscience of smal sins . first , be even in your waies , strict against all sin . secondly , be very yeilding in all lawful things . chap. lvi . use . if there be so much evil in sin , hence then is justified the dreadful things spoken in the word against sinners . chap. lvii . use . if there be so much evil in sin , it shew the miserable condition of those whose hearts and lives are filled with sin . chap. lviii . use . if there be so much evil in sin , how dreadful a thing it is for men or women to delight in sin . chap. lix use . if there be so much evil in sin , then every soul is to be humbled for sin . chap. lx. use . if there be so much evil in sin , this should be a loud cry to stop men , and turn them from sin . chap. lxi use , & . if there be so much evil in sin , then turn to christ , and bless god for christ . chap. lxii . use . if there be so much evil in sin , then it is of great concernment to be religious betimes , and thereby prevent much sin . chap. lxiii . use . if there be so much evil in sin , then it 's a fearful thing for any to be instrumental to draw others to sin . chap. lxiv . use . if there be so much evil in sin , then there ought to be no pleading for sin . chap. lxv . use . if there be so much evil in sin , then of all jvdgments , spiritual judgments are the greatest . chap. lxvi . use . if there be more evil in sin than in affliction , then when sin and affliction meet they make a man most miserable . chap. lxvii . use . being of reprehension to six sorts of people . first , it reprehends those that are more afraid of affliction than sin. secondly , it reprehendeth those that are careful to keep themselves from sin , but it 's meerly for fear of affliction . for this may be without change of nature . thy obedience is forced . thou art not unbottomed from thy self . thou art not like to hold out . also two answers to an objection of those that think they avoid sin for fear of hell : . thy sensitive part may be most stirr'd up by fear ; but yet thy rational part may be most carried against sin as sin . . those that avoid sin meerly for fear , never come to love the command that forbid the sin . . they are willingly ignorant of many sins . . those that avoid sin , and not out of fear ; even when they fear , god will destroy them ; then they desire god may be glorified . . those that avoid sin out of fear , do not see the excellency of godliness , so as to be inamored with it . thirdly , it reprehends those that will sin to avoid affliction . fourthly , it rebukes such , as when they are under affliction , they be more sensible of affliction than of sin . also there is five discoveries whether mens affliction or sin trouble them . fifthly , it reprehends those that get out of affliction by sinful courses , and yet think they do well . sixthly , it reprehends those , that after deliverance from affliction , can bless themselves in their sins . the evil of evils : or , the exceeding sinfulness of sin . job . . . later part . — for this hast thou chosen rather than affliction . chap. i. that it 's a very evil choice , to choose sin rather than affliction . in these words is drawn up elihues false charge against holy job wherin he did shamefully scan dalize this man of god , concerning whom the lord himsel gives in this letter testimonial that he was perfect and upright , one that se●e● god a● schewed evil , job . . and yet elihue speaks here to this effect against him , that he chose iniquity rather than affliction ; that he should see less evil in sin , then he did in affliction : that for his affliction he was troubled but for his sin he was not afflicted ; that the burthen of his affliction lay heavy as a talent of ●ead upon him , but his sin was lighter than a feather . or thus , thou hast chosen iniquity , rather than affliction ; whereas god requires of thee to give him glory in thy humble submission unto him in thy patience , under his mighty hand , thou hast behaved thy self stubbornly and stoutly , and hast denyed to give god the glory of his soveraignty , majesty , holiness , justice , and purity ; and this thou hast chosen rather than to be content to lie under the afflicting hand of god : which way so ever it be taken , it was a heavie charge had it been true ; so for it to be alleadged against any souls , that they chuse iniquity rather than affliction , is a great and heavy charge . the doctrinal truth which ariseth from the words thus opened , is this , that it is a very ●v● choice for any soul under heaven , to choose the least sin , rather then the greatest affliction . better be under the greatest affliction then be under the guilt or power of any sin : it is true , that neither sin , nor affliction is to be chosen : affliction in it self is an evil , and sin is an evil , but the object of the will is good , and choice is of the will , therfore neither ( barely considered as in themselves ) can be chosen ; but because of some evils , the less in comparison of the greater , may come under a notion of good , and so may be somtimes chosen the will cannot chuse any thing but under the notion of good , either real , or in appearance : and though affliction be in it self an evil , yet in regard of sin , it may come under the notion of good , and that 's to be chosen rather than sin : now this is the work i have to do , to make out this conclusion to you , that any affliction is to be chosen rather than any sin ; that there is more evil in any sin , the least sin , than in the greatest affliction . my principal business is , to charge mens consciences with the evil of their sin , and shew to them how much evil there is in sin : all men are a raid of afflictions , and troubled at affliction , but wher 's the man or woman that fears sin , and ●●yes from it as from a ser●ent , and is troubled at sin more then any affliction ? that there is more vil in sin than in affliction , in the general ( i suppose is granted of all , none dare deny it ; but because they do not see how this is , they have not convincing arguments to bring this truth with power unto their souls : but i hope before i have done with this point , that i shal make it clear to every ones conscience , that there is more evil in sin , than in affliction ; not only more evil in sin , than in outward trouble in the world but more evil in sin , than in al the miseries and torments of hel it self : suppose that god should bring any of you to the very brink of that bottomless gulf and open it to you , and there you should see those damned creatures lie sweltring under the wrath of the infinite god , and there you should hear the dreadful and hideous cryes and shreeks of those that are under such soul amazing , and soul-sinking torments through the wrath of the almighty ; yet i say there is more evil in one sinful thought , than there is in all these everlasting burnings : and that is that which i shal endeavor to clear and prove to every mans conscience , that we shal not only see it an ill choice that we chuse sin rather than affliction , but ( if it come in competition ) to chuse sin rather than al the tortures and torments of hell , howsoever many of you admit of sin upon very easie terms ; yet the truth is , that if it should come into competition whether we would endure al the torments that there are in hell to all eternity rather than to commit one sin , i say , if our spirits were as they should be , we would rather be willing to endure al these torments , than commit the least sin . and brethren do not think this is a high strain , for that com to speak in the name of god come not to speak hyperbollically , to raise expressions higher than the things are in their reality ; no , i come not for that end , and i should take the name of god in vain if i should do so , therfore i dare not raise things beyond that which they are in reality in themselves : therfore know , whatsoever i shal say unto you in this thing , that they are not words or expressions , but i speak as in the name of god as i would take it upon mine own conscience , having to deal between god and you in this great work , and in this place to deliver this truth , that there is more evil in the least sin , than in al the miseries that possible a creature is capable of , either here or in hel besides : i hope if i shal make out this to you , you wil then beleeve that sure you have not yet understood the sinfulness of sin , that yet the burthen of sin hath not lain upon you to be felt as the burthen of sin ▪ now then that i may fully convince you , that there is more evil in the least sin , than in any affliction . chap. ii. the servants of god , have chose the most dreadful afflictions rather than the least sin. first , those servants of god that have been guided by the wisdom of god , to make their choice , they have rather chose the sorest and most dreadful afflictions in this world than willingly to commit the least sin : as now , if you would but turn your thoughts to what you have read or heard of the martyrs , what hideous , and grievous torments did they suffer ; the boyling of their bodies in scalding lead , laying of their naked backs upon hot gridirons , and ●ending and tearing their members a pieces with horses , the pulling of their flesh off from their bodies with pinchers , and others by red hot burning tongs , their enduring their flesh to be scorched with broyling of it , first on the one side , and afterward on the other side ; yea , weak women have endured this , to have their flesh harrowed with stones and sharp irons , to have their bodies flayed , and then thrown into rivers of cold ice ; and a thousand more whatsoever hel and wicked men could devise : they were content to endure al this , and certainly could they have devised ten thousand times more exquisite torments then they did , they would have been content to have endured that , and whatsoever else , rather than to act against their consciences the least sin , and they accounted this to be a good choice , when as they saw sin against their consciences on the one hand , and al their torments on the other , they did rather embrace these tortures , then embrace that sin ; and for this their choice they are renowned in the hearts of the saints to al generations : yea , the holy ghost doth witness , that they have a good report , heb. . those that suffered sawing asunder , and scourging , and went up and down in sheeps-skins and goats skins , in leather breeches and doublets , and suffered the spoyling of their goods and of al that they had , these had a good report , and the holy ghost commends them for their choice . many of you when it comes to it wil be loather to loose a groat than commit a sin , loather to endure the least shame or a nick-name , than to commit a sin : are there not many servants here , or children , wil tel a lye ( when they have done an evil ) rather than suffer a little shame in the family from their parents , or masters , or fellow servants , and children . what a difference is there between thy heart , and the heart of the martyrs ? they could endure al tortures on their bodys that could be devised , rather than to commit any known sin against their consciences ; and thou wilt venture to commit a known sin against thy conscience , rather than to be found out in some fault , and have an angry word , or a little shame : if it be but to gain two pence they wil tel a lye , and are willing to chuse sin rather than endure the least trouble ; a mighty difference between thee and them . you know how it was with paul , when he speaks of afflictions these be his expressions , but light and momentary , but for a moment , but they work an exceeding weight of glory : ( mark ) light afflictions , what were they ? you would account them heavie if they were upon you . blessed paul ( that great vessel to bear the name of god as great an instrument of gods glory as any in the world except christ himself , and yet this paul ) was whipt up & down as if he had been a rogue , put into the stocks , had not cloaths to cover his nakedness , had not bread to eat , and was accounted the off scouring of the world ; and yet he accounts all this but light : but when he comes to sin , that is heavie , oh wretched man that i am ! thus he gives a dreadful shreek at sin ; see what a difference he makes between affliction and sin , and accounts it abundantly more evil to be in sin , than in affliction . and so christ himself ▪ that is the wisdom of the father , and therfore could not chuse but judge right , and yet he was content for the sake of poor souls , to come and under go al kind of affliction , and pain , and sorrow , so as to be made a man of sorrows , according as the scripture speaks ; how was he content to have his body whipt and scourged , was laughed at and scorned , and though he was possessor of heaven and earth , yet had not a house to put his head in ; yea , to bear the wrath of god for the sin of man , to be made a curse for man , under the curse of ●he law , and to be under that pain & extremity through the wrath of his father , when he sweat great drops of bloud ? all this christ would endure : but now if it had been to have committed the least sin to have saved al the world , christ would never have done it : though christ could be content to suffer all kind of miseries , yea , the wrath of his father ; yet had it been to have committed the least sin , christ would have let al the world be damned eternally rather than he would have done that , there is so much evil in it . afflictions taken in the strength and latitude of them , yet they have no greater evil in them then christ is capable of . i say , take them in the strength and latitude of them , certainly there was never any affliction since the world began endured like christs , and yet these be no other than christ , god and man , is capable of ; and it may stand with the blessedness of his divinity , that that person , both god and man , could be under such afflictions : christ was content with these , he made his soul an offering for sin : but sin is so great an evil , that christ is not capable of it ; christ never entertained the least thought of it , but cast it off if it came to him : therfore certainly there is more evil in the least sin , than there is in the greatest affliction : the afflictions that christ indured , though they were not every way the same with the damned in hell , yet certainly there was the wrath of god as really and truly upon christ , as truly as upon the damned in hell , as really though i say not in every kind in the same way and manner ; and therefore see , christ was capable of that evil , of the wrath of the almighty upon his soul , and yet not capable of sin , he was willing to undergo that , and yet not to have the least guilt of sin applied to him ; and therefore certainly there is more evil in the least sin , than in the greatest affliction . chap. iii. there is some good in affliction , but none in sin : first , no good of entitie : secondly , no good of causality : thirdly , no good principle from whence sin can come : fourthly , no good anexed as is to afflictions , viz. of promise . of evid●nce . of blessing . also five different workings of the hearts of the saints under sin and under affliction : fifthly , it 's not capable of any good , adde all the good to sin that all the creatures in heaven and earth have , yet it cannot make sin good . good ends though . to help against temptation , . to do good to others , . to glorifie god cannot make sin good . god can not make sin good . sixthly , it 's not comparitively good . wel , for further arguments , though this one thing were enough to stop all mouths in the world , and make every soul subscribe and acknowledg that there is greater evil in the least sin , than in any affliction : i shal be large in this argument , because it is of wonderful concernment , to stop men in their course of sin , and to humble them for sin , and make them resolve against sin , and to see their miserable estate in sin , and so see their need of christ . first , i shall fully make it out , that affliction is to be chosen rather than sin . first , because there is some good in affliction , but none in sin. because sin hath more evil in it , than affliction . this second i shal shew in the following chapters . first , affliction hath some good in it , but sin hath none : you know what david saith , ps . . it is good for me that i have been afflicted ; thus he spake of affliction : but when st. paul speaks of sin , he saith , in me ( that is in my flesh ) dwelleth no good , rom. . as if he should say , so far as i am unregenerate , in my unregenerate part there is no good at all ; he cals sin by the name of flesh ; there is no good at all in sin. first , there is no good of entity or being ; all things that have a being , there is some good in them ; for god hath a being , and every thing that hath a being hath some good in it , because it is of god ; but sin is a non entity , a no being : it s rather the deprivation of a being then any being at al ; & here is a great mystery of iniquity , that that which is a non-entity in it self , yet should have such a mighty efficacy to trouble heaven and earth . this is a great mystery . secondly , it hath no good of causallity : that is , sin is so evil , as it can bring forth no good : afflictions bring forth good : sin is such an evil as it cannot be made good : not an instrument for good : afflictions are made instrumental for good . object . no , wil you say , cannot god bring good out of sin ? and doth not god bring good out of sin ? answ . to this i answer , true , god brings good out of sin , that is occasionally , but not instrumentally : he may take occasion to bring good out of sin committed : but ( mark ) god never makes sin an instrument for good ; for an instrument comes under somwhat as an efficiency : for an instrument gives some power towards the effect ; but thus god never useth sin , god never made sin an instrument of any good ; that is , that sin should have any power any influence into that good effect that god brings out of it as afflictions have ; god doth not only take occasion by afflictions to do his people good , but he makes them channels to convey the mercies to their souls : and thus afflictions have an instrumental efficacy in them , to do men good : therefore saith the holy ghost in heb. . he chastens them for their profit , that they might be partakers of his holiness : the greatest good the creature is capable of , affliction is made oftentimes the instrument to convey : and in isa . . by this the iniquity of jacob shal be purged : that is , by this as an instrument ; but sin is never thus : sin is never sanctified by god to do good to any soul : afflictions are sanctified by god to do good ; therefore sin is a greater evil than affliction : sin is so evil that it is not capable of any work of god to sanctifie it for good ; but no afflictions are so evil but that they are capable of a work of god to sanctifie the●…r abundance of good . this is the second . thirdly , sin hath greater evil than affliction in the rise of it ; there is no good principle whence sin comes , but there are good principles from whence afflictions arise : as thus , whom he loves he chastens , he chastens every son whom he receives ; so that chastisement hath a principle of love , but it cannot be said whom god loves he suffers to fal into sin , that this can be a fruit of his love : it can never be said that it is a fruit of gods love that such a man or woman commits sin ; but it may be said it is a fruit of gods love that such a man or woman is afflicted , therefore there is more good in afflictions than there is in sin. nay , observe this , many times god doth not afflict a man or woman because he doth not love them , but it can never be said god suffers not a man or woman to sin because he doth not love them : i say , there is many a man or woman goeth on in a prosperous condition , and they meet not with such afflictions as others meet withal ; and the reason is , because god hath not such a love to them as to other men , but it cannot be said thus , that there be such men that keep them selves from such sins that others do wallow in , & therfore they do it because god hath not such a love to them as to others , it cannot be said so ; but it may be said such be not afflicted so much as others because god doth not love them as well as others : it is a dreadful fruit of gods hatred that he doth not afflict them , but it is not a fruit of his hatred ●ot to let them fall into sin . i remember a speech an ancient hath upon that place of hosea , i will not punish their daughters when they commit adultery , hos . . . saith he , oh dismal wrath of god that god will not afflict them and punish them ! but now if this be so that want of afflictions may come from gods wrath and the being put into affliction may come from gods love , certainly then there is not so much evil in affliction as is in sin ; for it can never be said so of sin . fourthly , there is no good anexed to sin as is to affliction : as thus , not the good of promise : ly not the good of evidence : ly not the good of blessing anexed to sin as is to affliction . . as now afflictions hath abundance of promises , i wil be with you in the fire and in the water : and by this shal the iniquity of jacob be purged : and i could spend the remainder of the book to open the many great promises god hath annexed to afflictions : but god hath not annexed any promise of good to sin ; when god afflicts then you may challenge gods promise , psal . . . saith david , in very faithfulness hast thou afflicted me , o lord : this is but a fruit of thy promise afflictions : and thou art faithful in afflicting , but sin hath no promise annexed to it : yet it may be you wil say that all shal work together for the good of them that love god : but this doth not go in way of a promise ; this scripture will not beat it , though it be true god may occasionally work good to his people by sin ; but this scripture cannot bear it , that there is any promise for it in that place : for , first it is against the scope of that text , for the scope of that place is to uphold the hearts of gods people in afflictions : for he saith , all things : but sin is no thing ; and all things work together : and so he speaks of that which hath an efficacy in it , that will together with god , work for good ; but sin hath not any efficacy to work on , for god will not work by that . that is one thing then , affliction hath the good of promise annexed to it , but so hath not sin : therefore there is some good in affliction , but none in sin. ly . affliction hath the good of evidence : god makes our afflictions signs of our son ship and adoption ; if you be not afflicted then are you bastards , and not sons : and phil. . be not troubled , or terrified : trouble of the saints is an evidence of salvation to them , but a token of their perdition who are the terrifiers or troublers of them , but a sign of your salvation : but it is not so of sin . ly . further , there is a blessing propounded to afflictions , blessed be those that mourn , and blessed be the man whom thou chastisest and teachest in thy law ; but there is no blessing allowed to sin , it is not capable of it : there is not that good annexed to sin that is to affliction ; and therefore affliction is to be chosen rather than sin. and from hence see the different working of the hearts of the saints under their sin , and under their affliction ; that follows from this head , that there is some good annexed to affliction that is not to sin. . first , hence it follows , that the saints can cry to god with liberty of spirit under affliction , but they cannot under sin : they can go to god , and tell god their afflictions , and challenge god with a holy boldness in afflictions ; but who can go to god and challenge god because he hath told a lye , or the like ? doth this make them go with a holy boldness to god , and challenge gods promise , because i have committed such and such a sin ? secondly , when affliction doth come , a gracious heart can kiss the rod and accept of the punishment of his sin , but now a gracious heart can never be well pleased with his sin , can never accept of sin , though god punish one sin with another sometimes , yet i say , there cannot be a well pleasedness with sin , and a kissing of that . thirdly , a gracious heart may rejoyce in affliction , and have abundance of comfort in afflictions , account it all joy ( saith the holy ghost ) when you fall into trials and afflictions , but now he can never rejoyce in sin , no man can rejoyce in sin though god should turn sin to never so much good : one cannot rejoyce in sin , and have that comfort he may in affliction . fourthly , a gracious heart may bless god for afflictions , bless god that ever he did cast him into an afflicted estate ; but he can never bless god for putting him into a sinful estate , though god do work good out of it : nay further , that good a gracious heart hath sometimes by afflictions may incourage him to be more willing to go into affliction again when god calls him to it , but if a gracious heart should get good occasionally by sin , yet this good cannot incourage him to fall into sin again , this were a desperate wickedness if he should . fifthly , a gracious heart may desire of god that he would not take away affliction till it be sanctified , and that he would continue it till it be sanctified ; but no man may or ought to pray thus , lord , continue me in this sin till i am humbled : therefore you see there is abundance of difference between affliction and sin , one hath a great deal of good annexed to it , and the other hath none at all . . sin it is so evil that it is not capable of any good at all ; the air though it be dark , yet it is capable of light ; that were a dismal darkness that were not capable of light to come to it : and that which is bitter , though never so bitter , yet it is capable of receiving that which will sweeten it : that which is never so venemous , yet is capable of such things as will make it wholsom ; but sin is so dark that it is uncapable of light ; so bitter , as there is no way to make it sweet ; so venemous as it is no way capable of any wholsomness : now for the clearing of this , consider these three things : . put all the good in heaven and earth , and in all the creatures in heaven and earth together : suppose the quintiscence of all the good of all the creatures of heaven and earth were put together , and bring that to sin , and ad it to it , it would not make it good : no , sin would remain still as evil as before it was . now that must needs be poyson indeed , that bring all the soveraign things in the world and put to it , yet there would not be a deminishion of the least strength of that poyson , and so it is with sin : therfore ( i beseech you brethren observe it ) those men and women be mightily mistaken , that think ( i have been a sinful creature indeed , but now i wil amend and reforme and be better ) that by adding some good to their former sinful lives , it will make all good : oh! know that there is so much evil in sin , that the addition of all the good of all the creatures in heaven and earth cannot make it less evil than before ; so that you must not only now think to live better & ad good unto your former evil , but you must take a course for the taking away of the former evil , for the delivering you from the guilt and stain and filth of your former sin . . sin is not capable of good ; all those good ends that any men have in the cōmission of sin , yet do not make their sin the better : that cannot make sin good , because they have good ends : as thus , there may be three good ends some may think they have in the commission of sin . they may perhaps think that by commission of some sin they may further some grace , do good to others , or glorifie god ; there may be such deceit in the heart : as thus , they may think such a sin will help such a grace , and help against such a temptation , and such a sin may help my humility ; and it is ordinary this temptation ( when in trouble of conscience ) make away thy self , and then thou wilt sin no more ; for so long as i live i shall sin against god , & therfore make away thy self and so cease to sin : but know , if thou lay violent hands upon thy self , and think thou shalt have this good by it to sin no more ; yet thy sin is wicked and abominable , though thou put this good end upon it , though it were possible to in crease grace never so much by the least sinful thought , we must not commit this least sinful thought for never so good an end , as to help forward such a grace . a second end may be to do good to others , and i say if it were possible , if a man might be a means to save the whole world if he would commit one sin , if he could save the whole world from eternal torments by the commission of one sin , you should suffer the whole world to perish rather than commit one sin , there is so much evil in sin . it is the expression of augustine in a tractate of his concerning an officious lye , a friend of his wrote to him to answer this question about telling of a lye , whether he might not tell a lye , to do good to another man ? many think , what though i do tell a lye so i do another good ; indeed if i may do hurt then i must not , but if i may do good , may i not tell a lye , ( well ) this question was brought to augustine , and saith he , thou must not tell a lye to save the whole world : this was his answer . suppose that the soul of thy father , mother , or child , ( this is but a supposition ) or the like , should lie upon it to be saved , or damned if thou wilt commit one sin , suppose such a temptation should come , thou must not commit one sin , though the soul of thy father or mother , or all the world lay upon it ; now it is another manner of thing to commit a sin to gain a groat ; oh now by a deceitful word i may have this gain , if it were twenty shillings , thou must not venture upon sin to save the world ; therefore not to gain six pence or a shilling : certainly these be the truths of god , and for one to come and speak these things in a solemn manner in the presence of god if it were not upon deliberation and good search , it were a great boldness ; and therefore certainly beleeve there is such evil in sin : and though you pass by a thousand idle thoughts and evil actions and they be gone with you and you make little of them : but if you did know what the evil of sin were , you would look upon them with amazement , and cry out , lord what have i done ! men and women go abroad , and before they come home meet with company , and there swear many oaths commit lewdness , have told lyes , and done wickedness ; oh did they but know what they have done that day , they would come home wringing their hands and ready to tear their hair , and lie tumbling upon the very ground for the evil that they have done . . further , we must not commit sin though for the glory of god : for many put this end upon it : as the papists , this is their principle , to advance the catholick cause they think they may do any wickedness , murther princes , blow up parliaments , keep no faith , promises , oathes : take liberty to rise in rebellion , to commit all outrages , and cut all the protestants throats ; and to advance the catholick cause take the sacrament upon it , and yet think because t is for so good an end ( as they conceive ) therefore they may commit any wickedness . it is certain god needs not the devil to help his cause : but suppose by sin gods glory might be furthered in some particular , yet we must not commit the least sin for the greatest glory of god that can be imagined : so much evil there is in sin . and therfore , for such that many times strain their conscience to do that which their consciences have regreet upon , and their conscience told them they should not do it , yet meerly upon this pretence , that they might do service in the church , oh their ministry is dear , to do good to souls , to preach to so many souls , by this means god may have glory , and hereupon they venture to strain their consciences to have liberty to preach ; this certainly is a great evil , we must not strain our consciences in any thing to commit the least sin upon imagination of the greatest glory that can be brought to god. good ends put upon sins , cannot make them better . this is the second thing . fourthly , all the good that god himself can bring from sin , can never make sin good : such evil there is in it , that the infinite power and goodness of god can never make sin good : true , god may destroy sin , yet that which is sin all the power of god cannot make that good : such evil there is in sin. this is a fifth thing . . there is no good in sin , not comparatively . that is , though it be true one sin is less than another ; yet no sin is good in comparison of another . in affliction , as one affliction is less than another , so one affliction is good in comparison of another : a less affliction is good in comparison of a greater ; and all affliction is good in comparison of sin. but in sin , though one sin be less than another , yet the least sin is not good in comparison of the greatest : and take the least sin of all it is not good in comparison of any affliction . and you shall see how this is useful to us . chap. iv. vses : and nine consectories of excellent use , viz . sin is not the work of god. . sins promises are all delusions . . sin cannot be the object of a rational creature . . nothing that 's good should be ventured for sin. . nothing that 's good to be made serviceable to sin. . the mistake of making sin the chiefest good . . time spent in sin lost . . the wicked , useless members . . sin need no debate whether to be done , or not . hence we see for our instruction , that that maxime many have , hath nothing to do in point of sin ; to wit , of two evils you must chuse the least : true , in regard of the evil of affliction , comparing one affliction with another , so we may chuse the least ; but this cannot have truth in matter of sin , that of two sins we may chuse the least ; because though one sin be less than another , yet the least sin can never come under the notion of good comparitively . as all other evils be good comparatively , though never so great evils , yet comparatively they may be good . yet sin can have no goodness any way comparatively . therefore of two evils we must not chuse the least , in this sence . because sin in it self is sinful : and because , chusing the least can never be a means to prevent the greater , but rather to make way for the greater . and brethren obseive it , ( for it may be useful in the course of our lives ) god never brings any man or woman to such straits , that of necessity they must chuse one sin , chuse this or the other sin. when two sins shall stand in competition , we may conceit such straits to our selves , yet there is no such real straits . though god doth bring men into such straits that of necessity they must chuse one affliction , either this or that affliction : so david was brought into such a strait , that he must chuse famine , sword , or pestilence ; yea , god doth never bring men into such straits , that of necessity they must chuse this or that sin ; thou deceivest thine own heart if thou thinkest thou art brought into such a strait . therefore this is a vain thing , and savors of an exceeding carnal heart , when men are doing that which is evil , for them to say , i were as good do this as worse : as for instance now , suppose some keep at home upon the lords day and mend their cloaths , if any rebuke them , they will say , better do this than worse ; better do this than go to the ale-house : this is true , but this savors of a carnal heart , to think that you must chuse one sin rather than another ; thou must not chuse any of them , both of these are evil , though one may be less evil than the other . or if some spend their time in play , when they are rebuked , they put it off with this shift , better do this than worse : and so they go abroad and spend their time in seeing playes ; and say , better do this then worse ; 't is yet true though this be not so great a sin as others , if it be a sin it must not be done upon any terms ; and thou deceivest thine own heart in this conceit , that thou wert better do this than worse , for sin cannot be good , and so not to be chosen at any time . thus we see there is no good in sin , and a great deal of good in affliction . hence there follows these nine consectorys , of exlent use for us . first consectory . if there be no good in sin ; then certainly sin is not the work of god , for god saw all his works and they where very good , but sin hath no goodness in it , therefore not of god. god disclaims it . the second consectory . if this be so , then hence whatsoever promises sin do make to any people , certainly they be al but delusions . why ? because sin is not good in any kind : sin can bring no good to any soul if any one say ; oh but sin bring pleasure ; and doth it not bring profit , and honors in the world ? do not many live in high esteem in the world by sinfull courses ? have they not pleasures and delights in sinful courses ; but cursed be the pleasures , honors , profits that come in by sin . certainly if sin promise any good , it deludes you , & thy seduced heart deceivs thee , and thou dost feed upon ashes : for there is no good in sin . the third consectory . hence it follows , that no sin can be the object of the will of a rational creature ; because the true object of the will , for it to close withal , is good . oh the desperat deceit in the hearts of men in the world , that whereas god hath made the will , ( and put it into a rational soul ) to be of that nature , that the only object of it , is good one way or other , yet they are so miserably mistaken that they chuse sin under colour of good : certainly there is no good in sin . the fourth consectory . hence it follows , that nothing that is good should be ventured for sin , why ? because sin hath no good : and will you venture the loss of good to get that which hath no good ; sure if sin have no good in it , then there should not be the loss of any good ventured for it . you would not venture at sea or land , any good for that which hath no good . oh how infinitely be men deoeived , that venture the loss of god , peace of conscience ; loss of credit , health , estate , loss of all for their lusts . oh this is a mighty mistake , thou hast ventured the loss of a great deal of good , for that which hath no good at all . know this day god presents to thy soul the desperate delusions of it , what ? wilt thou lose god , heaven , and christ , and al for that which hath no good ? but thus do many venture all the good in god , in christ , in heaven , in eternal life ; they are laid on the one side as it were , and their lusts on the other ; and they will venture the loss of all that good that they may attain the supposed good in sin . what hast thou done oh man or woman ; that hast vetured the loss of all good for that which hath no good at all , nay all evil in it ? the fift consectory it follows , if there be no good at all in sin , then we ought to make nothing that is good to be any way serviceable to our sin ; as thus we must not take the good creatures of god and make them serviceable to our lusts that have no good at all ; take not the faculties of your souls and members of your bodyes to make them serviceable to your lusts . oh how do men and women abuse the good things of god to make them serve their corruptions . yea brethren , there be many that abuse the ordinances of god , the dutyes of gods worship , the graces of gods spirit , to make them serviceable to their lusts ; to serve their pride , and self ends , and self seekings . do but think of it , if it be a great wickedness to take meat and drink , any of gods good creatures and make them serviceable to thy lusts , oh how great a wickedness is it to take the graces of gods spirit , working of gods spirit , enlargment in prayer , and following of sermons , and profession of religion , to make these serve thy lusts that have no good at all in them ? the sixt consectory . hence ( if sin have no good at all in it ) follows this ; how be they mi●taken that make sin their chiefest good as thousand thousands in the world , their chief good that their hearts are set upon , is , satisfying themselves in some base lust . i put it to your souls this day as in the name of god , what is it that thy heart is set upon as thy chiefest good ? is it not that height of wickedness that i speak of ? such a secret lust thou livest in ? that thou venturest thy eternal estate upon ? oh wickedness above measure . the seventh consectory . hence followeth this then , that all the time that we spend in a sinfull estate is all lost time . oh look to this you yong ones , all the time that you spend in the vanity of your youth is all lost time ; and you that have lived til you are old , & a long time in a sinful estate , you have lost all your time . oh the time upon which eternity depends is all lost ; for you have spent it in the wayes of sin , that hath no good in it . the eight consectory if sin have no good in it , then all wicked men that live in the wayes of sin , are useless members in the world ; burthens upon the earth ; unprofitable members , that go on in the wayes of sin , that neither have nor can have anie good . the ninth consectory . lastly , if sin have no good at all in it ; hence then when ther is a temptation to sin there needs no deliberation about it , whether it should be admited or not ; if once thou knowest it to be a sin , thou needest not reason the condtion of admition or not , or what will follow , but presently reject it , without deliberation . why ? because there is no good in it ; any thing that hath but a little good , we may ( though a greater good be offered ) deliberate the business before we accept of the one , & cast off the other , but if there be no good there needs no deliberation , if any thing be pronounced to be sin , to be prejudicial to the estate of thy soul , this must not be deliberated upon . therfore this is a vain plea that men have , what kind of * government must we have if this be taken away ? first examine if this be evil or not evil that we have , if evil , it must be rejected without deliberation what we must have in the stead . indeed if it ▪ were good we might deliberate , but if be it evil and a sin , it must be cast off without deliberation . brethren , it is of great use this i speak of , because that strength sin hath usually got , is from deliberation about it . i beseech you observe this ; take heed for ever of reasoning with temptation , of consulting and casting about in your thoughts , what will become of it ? what trouble may come by this if i hearken not to this ? take heed of reasoning , if the devil do but get you to reason about it , he hath got it half granted already : you need not reason with any temptation , but cast it off presently , because sin hath no good in it . oh that god would convince al our hearts of these things . chap. v. there is more evil in the least sin , than in the greatest affliction , opened in six particulars , being the general scope of the whol treatise . to go on to that which remains . i am yet further to make out to you , that sin is worse than affliction . first i have shewed , that there is no good at all in sin ; and there is good in affliction . now secondly , there is more evil in the least sin , than there is in the greatest affliction . this i am now to make out unto you in these six particulars . first , sin is most opposite unto god himself , the chiefest good. secondly , sin is most opposite unto mans good : affliction is not so opposite to the good of the creature as sin is . thirdly , sin is opposite unto all good in general ; and so will be discovered to be an vniversal evil. fourthly , sin , it is the evil of all other evils ; it is that which is the very venom and poyson of all other evils whatsoever , therefore greatest . fifthly , there is a kind of infinitness in sin , though not properly infinite , it cannot be so , yet in the nature of it , it hath a kind of infinitness . sixtly , the evil of it is discovered , in the conformity sin hath with the devil ; there is no creature that conspires against god , but only devils and sinful men. these be the six things to be opened , for the discovery of the evil of sin : and i beseech you seriously attend to what shall be delivered in these , for i hope before i have done to make it appear to every ones conscience that shall vouchsafe to read , attend , and consider what i say , that sin is another manner of business than the world thinks it to be . oh that your hearts might come to see your selves to be as you are , in an ill case , in a worse condition than you imagin : and 〈◊〉 beseech you give way to this , and be willing to hear it , for though it seem a hard doctrine , yet it is a soul saving doctrine ; and for want of this , many thousand thousands of souls perish , because they never understood what sin meant : many thousands in ●ell if they had known what sin had been , it might have delivered them from everla●●ing flames . god hath reserved you alive , and who knows but for this end , to understand what sin is , that so your hearts may be humbled , and so everlastingly saved through christ . brethren , but that the way to understand sin , is the way to be humbled for sin ; and to be humbled for sin , is the way to have sin pardoned , and the soul saved , i should never treat upon such a doctrine as this is : therefore i beseech you mark what i say , and see whether i do not make out these things i undertake . chap. vi. sin most opposite to god the chiefest good , opened in four heads : . sin most opposite to gods nature . sin opposite in its working against god. . sin wrong god more than any thing else . . sin strikes at gods being . first , it is most opposite to god who is the chiefest good. the meanest capacity may easily understand , that which is most opposite to the chiefest good , that must needs be the chiefest evil : i suppose the weakest in this congregation will understand this way of reasoning , that evil that is most opposit to the chiefest good , that must needs be the chiefest evil ; but sin is that which is most opposite to god , who is the chiefest good , and therfore must needs be the chiefest evil . that then is that i must make good . quest . how doth it appear that sin is most opposite to the chiefest good ? answ . brethren , when i have made out this , i shal shew sin to be very sinful , and the greatest venom of sin lies in this one thing i am now opening . should i tel you never so much of the evil of sin , in the danger that comes by it , hell that follows it : should i write a book about hel and damnation for sin , it hath not so much to humble the soul in a saving manner , as this i now treat about : perhaps i might scare you in preaching of hell and damnation , but discovering this i now speak of , the opposition sin hath unto god ; it hath more in it to humble the soul in a saving manner , and to cause the soul to feel sin to be most evil where it is most evil ; to be the greatest burden where it is most waighty . this point i say hath more power in it than any other ; therefore let me set upon this , and see how i make this good , that sin is most opposite to god the chiefest good . there be these four things discover the truth of this . first , sin in its own nature , is most opposite to the nature of god. secondly , sin in the working of it , is a continual working against god. the nature of sin is opposite to gods nature , and the working of sin is most opposite to god. thirdly , sin , it doth wrong god more than any thing else . fourthly , yea , sin strikes at the very being of god so far as it can do . so then let us sum it up again : that which in its own nature is most opposite to god , ly that which in its working , is continually working against god , ly that w ch doth most wrong god , and ly that which strikes at the very being of god himself , that must needs be the greatest evil : but so doth sin . chap. vii . sin in it self opposite to god , shewed in five things , . nothing directly contrary to god but sin : . god would cease to be god if but one drop of sin in him : . sin so opposite to god that he cease to be god if he did but cause sin to be in another : . he should cease to be god if he should but approve it in others : . sin would cause god to cease to be , if he did not hate sin as much as he doth . first , that sin in it self is most opposite to god. to understand this , take these five things ; and they rightly understood will make it as cleer as the sun at noon day . the nature of sin is so opposite to god , that there is nothing so contrary to him as sin god hath nothing but sin contrary to him ( take it so● ) therfore it must needs be opposite ; for god hath nothing contrary to his own nature but sin , it is the only contrary , the only opposit to god. there is nothing perfectly contrary to another , but it is so contrary as there is nothing but that which is so contrary as that is ; for that is the rule of contraries , that there must be one to one : there may be diversity and difference of many things to one ; but an absolute perfect contrariety , can be only of one to one . now there is nothing contrary to gods nature but only sin ; god hath no object that he can look upon contrary to himself in all the world , but only sin : for there is nothing else except sin , but it is from god , and by god , and for god : now that which is from him , and by him , and for him , cannot have contrarity to him : but sin is neither from him , nor by him , nor for him ; but that is directly contrary unto him : therfore there is more evil in sin than in any other thing . it is not so with affliction , affliction is from god , and by god , and for god , and is not contrary unto god , because it is from himself . sin is so opposite to god , that if it were possible that the least drop of it could get into gods nature , god would instantly cease to be a god , he could not continue one moment to be a god any longer ; such evil there is in sin . if there should be such a poyson , that if one drop of it should come into the ocean , all the whol ocean would be at an instant poysoned ; yea , all destroyed and anihilated in one instant ; you would say that were a very fearful poyson . if a drop of poyson should be so poysonful , that if one drop of it got into heaven , that then presently the sun , moon , and stars would fal down , and be anihilated ; you would say this were a venemous poyson . certainly if but one drop of sin should get into god , the infinite being of god would instantly cease to be . the sea , though vast , is not infinite ; the heaven , though vast , is not infinite ; the infinite god would have no being at all if sin should get into god ; therefore it is very evil : therfore ( also ) we ought to have holy thoughts of god , seeing sin is so infinitely contrary to his nature . . so opposit is sin to god , that if god should be but the cause of any sin in any other ; he would instantly cease to be a god. it strikes at the very life of god , he would cease to be god , he could be god no longer if he should be the cause of any sin in any other . we had need take heed therefore how we father sin upon god , that he should be the cause of sin , for such is the evil of sin that god must cease to be , if he should be but any cause to give any efficacy to sin in us . indeed for afflictions god will own that , he saith in amos . . is there any evil in a city and the lord hath not done it ? and in mich. 〈◊〉 . . it is said there that god deviseth evil : if there be no evil in the city but god doth it , yea ( saith the prophet ) god deviseth evil ; there is no evil of punishment , but god deviseth it , god will be content to own it , to be the author of all the torments , of the damned in hel , god will own ; god will say i have done it , and i am the author of al the torments of al the damned in hel ; but such is the evil of sin , if god were the author of that , he could not be god any longer but would cease to be god. . such is the evil of sin , that if god should but approve of it and like it , if he should but like it when another have commited it , even that would cause him to cease to be god. wicked men be ready to think because god is patient and long suffering , that god is of the same judgment with themselves , psal . . . because i held my peace thou thoughst that i was altogether such an one as thyself ; but i will reprove thee , and set them in order before thine eyes ; it is the just temper and frame of wicked and ungodly men to this day ; because god holds his peace , and comes not upon them to revenge sin presently ; they be ready to think that god approves sin , and is of their judgment . indeed ( saith a wicked man ) many ministers cry out of sin that it is very grievous , but i hope god wil give liberty to my wayes and walkings , sure god is not against them , he approves of them ; otherwise why should god suffer me in them , and be so patient towards me in them ? oh! know when thou hast any such thought of god as this , thou blasphemest god : if that were true that thou thinkest , that god did approve of thy wicked wayes , god must cease to be god , god would be god no longer . quest . why ? how doth this appear ? answ . this is the reason of it : because then god were not infinitely holy , and holiness is gods being ; and if god be not infinitely holy , he is not god at all , but ceaseth to be presently . which is impossible , and blasphemous to think . . such is the evil of sin , so opposite to gods nature , that if god did not hate sin as much as he doth , he would cease to be a god , not only if he did allow of it , and like of it ; for he may permit it in his creature and not like of it : but i say , if god did not hate sin so much as he doth hate it , if it could be conceived that god could but hate sin somwhat less than he doth ( i say ) he would instantly cease to be a god ; he could not remain to be god one moment if he did cease to hate sin in any degree less than he doth . quest . why ? how doth this appear ? answ . thus ; if god cease to hate sin ( i do not speak of the manifesting of his hatred , but that which is his nature , that is proportionable to hatred , as we say ) if god did not hate it so much as he doth , then he did not hate sin infinitely , for there cannot be any infinite and less than infinite stand together , these two cannot ever stand , that it should be infinite and less then so and remain infinite , if it be infinite it remains so ; if there should be a degree under that , it must be finite : now if gods hatred to sin were less than it is , it would be but a finite hatred , and if it were a finite hatred , then god could not be infinitely holy ; for infinite holiness must needs have infinite hatred against sin . i beseech you observe this , for you are ready to think , though god be against sin , and hate it , yet i hope god hates it not so much as many ministers make of it , tush god is not so much against sin as they speak of ; though its true when we do a miss we must cry god mercy , and pray god to forgive us ; yet to make so much of sin as they do ; and that god sets himself so much against it as they say ; this is but their opinion ; and he hopeth god doth not hate it so much as they say . oh! brethren take heed of this opinion , for if god should hate sin less then he doth , he should cease to be ; either he must hate sin with infinite hatred , or he ceaseth to be god : so evil and opposite is sin to gods nature . and if these things be true , there is a great deal of evil in sin . if there be nothing so opposite to god as sin ; and if but the least drop of sin should get into god , it would make god cease to be god ; and if he should be but the cause of any sin in his creature he would cease to be god ; and if he should but like it in his creature , he would cease to be god ; and if he should but hate it less then he doth , he could not be god : but al this is true ; then we had need take heed to our selves , and think certainly there is more evil in my heart , more opposition in my heart against god than i have been aware of . what say you now ? will you venture to commit sin for a groat or six pence , if there be so much opposition against god in it ? were it not better to be under any affliction than under the guilt of sin , if there be in it such opposition to god ? this is the first general head , nothing is so opposite to god as sin : i say sin is most opposite to god. chap. viii . the workings of sin is alwayes against god. the scripture calls it , enmity . walking contrary fighting . resisting . striving . rising against god. secondly , as the nature of sin is opposite to god ; so in the workings of sin there is a continual working against god ; a sinful heart that is alwayes stirring and working , is alwayes working againk god : and therefore you shall observe these several expressions the holy ghost hath concerning sin. the holy ghost calls it , enmity to god , rom. . . the wisdom of the flesh ( the best part the flesh hath ) is enmity against god. yea , the holy ghost saith it is a walking contrary unto god , levit. . you shall have it there in many places if you walk contrary unto me : . and . vers and divers others . it is a fighting against god , acts . . and acts . . in these two places rejecting of the gospel is called a fighting against god. and in acts . . you do alwayes resist the holy ghost ; there is a company of men naturally walk contrary ; resisting , and fighting against god. we see we had need take heed of opposing the ministery of the gospel , for while you do that , you fight against god. you think you do but oppose such and such men , but half a dozen in the parish that you oppose but certainly the opposing the golpel is not a fighting against us men , but against god : you may turn it off with what names you will , and put what pretences you wil upon it , let me tell you , they that strike upon the lanthorn , offer violence to the candle therein . sin , in scripture is called striving against god , isa . . . wo unto him that striveth with his maker : let the potsheard strive with the potsheards of the earth : so far as sin doth prevail in thy heart , or in thy life , so far thou art guilty of striving with thy maker . a rising against god : by sin the soul doth rise against god. and for that you have an expression in the . micah , . even my people of late are risen up as an enemy . these be strange expressions ; enmity , walking contrary , striving , fighting , resisting , rising against god ; and yet this is in sin. but that i may open it further , i shall shew how sin doth fight , strive , and rise against god. chap. ix . how sin resist god : it 's a hating of god. it 's rebellion against god. it 's a despising of god. first , sin doth resist god in his authority ; in his soveraignty , in his dominion over the creature ; the language of sin is , god shall not reign . it is the setting of the will of a base wretched creature , against the will of the infinite , eternal , glorious god. and is there not evil in this ? though it may be thou doest not on purpose do so , set thy will against god , yet it is so in sin , there is the setting of thy will against the will of the infinite eternal god : resisting the soveraignty , and majesty , and dominion of the infinite god. yea , thou doest resist-god in his law , thou resisteth and opposeth god in that righteous law of his , which he gave thee to obey . quest . but how is this in every sin ? it may be in some great and notorious sins this may be , but is this fighting against god , striving , and rising , and walking contrary to him , ( and so of the rest ) is this in every sin ? answ . for that i answer , that every sin comes from the same root , and look what venom there is in any one sin , for the nature of it , it is in every sin , though not for its degree : 't is true , one sin may have a higher degree of evil in it than another , but every sin is invenomed with the same evil : that which is the venom of any one sin , is the venom of all ; all comes from the same root . as in a tree , there is more sap in an arm of the tree , than in a little sprig ; but the sprig hath the same sap for kind that the arm of the tree hath , and it al comes from the same root . so though there be more venom in some gross , crying sins , than in some others ; yet there is no sin but hath the same sap , and the same venom , for the kind , that every sin hath , that the worst sin hath . yea , consider further , that god doth not account sin only according to mans intentions in sinning ; what man intends , but what the nature of the sin tends unto , not what i do aim at in my sinning , but what my sin doth aim at . there is the end of the agent , and the end of the act , now t is true though the end of a sinner be not alwaies to strive against god , and f●ght with god , yet the end of his sin is so , though not of the sinner ; i beseech you observe how god may lay grievous sins to their charge , and that he doth not account of a mans sins according to his intentions , but according to that which is in the nature of his sin as now , you would think it a strange sin , to charge any man in the world with hating of god , come to any man though the greatest sinner in the world , the most notorious villain , and charge him thus , thou art a vile wretch thou hatest the living god ; he would revile you and be ready to to spit in your face : and yet it is said , he hates god : in the rom. the apostle in the catalogue of sins ( when he would shew the state of all men by nature , for the first seven chapters of the epistle to the romans are to shew the nature of the jews and gentiles ) and among others , he tels them there were those that were haters of god , among other notorious sins haters of god is one : but i will shew it in a more plainer wav , in the second commandement ; the veriest villain in the nation would spit in vour face if you should say he hates god : what say you to him that will seem devoute , and worship god in a more glorious way then he hath appointed ; the scripture saith , he hates god : see the second commandement , thou shalt not make unto thy self an , graven image , nor &c. thou shalt not bow down thy self to them , nor worship them , &c. for i will visit the sin of the fathers upon the children , unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me : why is this set in the second commandement rather than any other ? that god will visit the sins of them that hate him , those that sin against the second commandement seem to honor god , and to love god more than any other , they be not only content to worship god in that ordinary way others do , but in a more glorious , and pompeous way ; well , it may be the breaker of the second commandement pretends more love to god than any , and yet there god saith they be those that hate him , so that you see god doth not reek on sin according to mans intentions . certainly the worshippers of images do not intend to hate god , but god accounts of sin what it is in its own nature , it is as if god should say , if you wil not worship me according to my way of worship , will not be content with that , but will set up a new devised worship of your own , do you call it what you will , i account it hatred of me . secondly , sin is rebellion : what man in the world will be convinced that he doth any thing in way of rebellion against god , and yet mark , god chargeth sin with rebellion even in that which they pretend they do all for gods glory ; see in that example of saul , sam. . you shall find there , when saul did but spare ●gag and the fat of the cattel , and pretends to offer sacrifice to god ; samuel comes to him in the name of god , and saith he , rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft . why ( might saul say ) lord , have mercy upon me , is this such rebellion ? i did it for the honor of god , i did it to sacrifice to god ; and yet the prophet of god in gods name chargeth saul with rebellion . now brethren , sin you see hath that in its own nature that is not intended by men in their sinning : therfore while i speak of the nature of sin , some may say , indeed this my be true of sinful , wicked , notorious wretches ; but is this true of me ? yea , it may be true of the most civil man or woman in gods presence this day ; god may charge them with hatred and rebellion . thirdly , sin is a dispising of god. who would acknowledg in the way of sin they despise god ? scarce any in the world is so wicked as to acknowledg they despise god. and yet mark , god chargeth david with this for the commission of that one sin : see the sam. . . david did despise god. well , if hatred , and rebellion , and despising of god , though neither of them all be in the intention of the man in committing of them , yet god seeth it in the nature of them . so then if sin be a despising of god , rebellion against god , walking contrary , and enmity , &c. if there be all this in sin , though in every sin the creature intend not this , but god seeth this in the root of every sin , in the venom of every sin : therefore then , you that have gone on in the course of sin , lay but this second thing to heart , that you are those , who have walked in the course of your lives in an opposition against the infinite dreadful god of all the world ; against the infinite god , this hath been the course of your life . truly brethren , it is enough , this that i speak of , to pluck down the stoutest heart , the wickedest and wretchedest hard heart in the world ; for a minister of god to come and charge them in gods name , thou hast gone on in all thy life hitherto , ever since thou wast born , in a continual opposition to god himself , unto the infinite lord , the eternal first being of all the world ; thy life hath been nothing but enmity to this god : thou hast as directly opposed , and striven against , and resisted him , as ever man did oppose , and resist , and strive with another man , and this thou hast done in the whol course of thy life : certainly there is more in this to humble a man than any thing that can be spoken to shew him the evil of sin . when christ would humble sauls heart , what doth he do ? he comes and saith , saul , saul , why persecutest thou me ? alas , thou thinkest thou hast to deal with these poor creatures , who are not able to right themselves : but be it known to thee , thou hast to deal with me , the ever living , eternal god. why persecutest thou me ? who art thou lord ? as if he had said , lord , i did not think i had to deal with thee , who art thou lord ? i am he whom thou persecutest . he said no more , but as if should have said thus , look upon me , i am that great and glorious god that hath thee at an advantage , and can tread thee under my feet : presently saul fals down ( the text saith ) trembling , and astonished , and saith , lord what wilt thou have me to do ? oh that it might be so this day , that some heart might fall down trembling , and astonished : and when you get alone , and think on what hath been declared , say , lord , in the waies of sin have opposed , resisted , and been an enemy to thee ; oh lord never thought it , oh now lord forgive . it is time , it is time brethren , to cease resisting of god , and walking contrary to god ; for he is above you , and wil have the victory and the glory over all creatures oh perhaps thou hast been an old enemy , an old sinner , that all thy daies hast walked on in a course of sin ; yea , perhaps thy father hath been an enemy , thou his enemy , and thy father his enemy ; an old adulterer , a swearer , a wicked opposite to god ; and perhaps thou nourishest up children to be enemies to god ; thou nourishest and breedest up a company of brats to be enemies to god ; thou breedest them in the waies of sin and wickedness , and so there is a generation of enemies against god oh brethren , that god would but stir your hearts and make you fal down before him , and see your selves guilty of so great an enmity . many be ready to excuse themselves and others thus ; he is no bodies enemy but his own , a good natured man , and i am no bodies enemy but my own : yes , besides thy own , thou art an enemy to the eternal god ; and thy waies hath been a way quite contrary to the eternal god , and this thou art guilty of , and the lord chargeth thee with it this day . i remember when daniel comes to belshezzar , he comes to him , and thinks he hath enough to humble that proud king belshezzar , when he saith thus to him : that god in whose hands the breath of thy nostrils , and al thy waies are , that god thou hast not glorified : and it hath a mighty deal of power to bring down the proudest and stoutest spirit upon the earth ; when god shall give commission to conscience to come and charge him and say ; oh thou wicked wretch , remember that , that god in whose hands all thy waies , and the breath of thy nostrils are , that god thou hast not glorified : and suppose conscience hath commission to come thus , and say , that god in whose hands the breath of thy nostrils and all thy waies are , that god in all thy life thou hast walked quite cross unto , in all thy life . i say it would have a great deal of power in it to humble the proudest heart in the world . and this is the second particular of the operations of sins workings ; it is a going cross to god. there are two more in this branch , how sin is opposite to god. sin wrongs god , and sin is a striking at god. but because the fourth is shorter than the third , i shall begin with the fourth , and make the third last . i said before , sin was continually working against god ; but now i say , chap. x. sin is a striking against god. the sinner wisheth god were not so holy , &c. it seek the destruction of god. also sin is a wronging of god. thirdly , sin is a striking against god. i told you sin was an opposing of god , and all his waies : but now i say , sin is a striking at god ; at the very life of god. a man may fight with another , and yet not seek to take away his life , to destroy him ; but sin strikes at the very being of god. i remember an expression in the of levit. . speaking of the blasphemer that blasphemed the name of god ; the words are translated in the latine , he did strike through the name of god : certainly sin is a striking of god. indeed god is not a body that we can strike through him with our hands ; but god is a spirit , and so the spirits of men may by their sins strike through god himself : so strike at god ( observe it ) as for the maintenance of thy sin , thou dost wish god might cease to be god ; this is horrible wickedness you wil say indeed what will you say to such a wickedness as this , that it should enter into the heart of any creature , oh that i might have my lust , and rather than i will part with my lust , i had rather god should cease to be god ; rather than i would leave my lust , i had rather god should be no more ; this is horrible wickedness . but what wil you say if i convince your consciences that this is in your bosoms , that you have been guilty of this sin ? yea in some measure , every sin may justly be charged with this , that rather than the sin should not be committed , thou wouldst rather have god to cease to be . you will say , lord , have mercy upon us , though you have told us some other things hard , and strict , and yet they seem to be true ; but you shal never make me beleeve this , all the men in the world shal never make me to beleeve this ; that i should be guilty of so much wickedness , as to be set upon my lusts so , as to desire rather god not to be god at all , rather than i lose my lust ; i hope there is not such wickedness in me . i beseech you hearken , and i hope to convince you that there is so much wickedness in the heart of man ; that they be set upon their sins so , that they had rather god were not god at all , than they lose their lusts ; and to this end , observe these two things . . first , do you not think it in the nature of a sinner , so far as sin prevails in his heart , to come to this ( so far as sin prevails i say ) that he could wish god were not so holy as he is : hated not sin so much as he doth ; that he were not so just , and so strict , and severe against sin as he is : is not this in every sinners heart in the world ' certainly you deceive your selvs if you do not own this ; i say so far as sin prevails in your hearts , could not you wish that god were not so holy , to hate those sins you love , and not so just , to be so severe against sin as he is , is not this in your hearts ? it is impossible for any creature to love any thing , and yet not wish that another did not hate it so much as he doth . well , if there be this in thee , that thou lovest such a sin , that thou couldest wish god did not hate it so much as he doth , that he were not so just , holy , and severe against sin as he is ; this is to wish in thy heart that god were no god at al , that the life of god , and being of god were gone : so that thy heart in this sinful frame and disposition of it , it is no other but to strike at the very being of god : for it is the work of the heart wishing that god were not god , for if he did not ( as i told you ) hate sin as much as he doth , he could not be a god at al. now this is plain , and there is scarce any one bosom , but is guilty of this , scarce any of you , but may lay your hand upon your hearts and say , this breast of mine is guilty of this , that when my heart is set upon any evil way , i could wish that god were not so holy to hate this ; i had rather god should like of this : i hear of gods justice , but doth not my heart rise against gods justice ? and i could wish that god were not so just as he is : certainly there is this in some degree or other ; therfore charge your hearts with this ; and know , that so far as you have been guilty of this , you have struck at the being of god ; and this horrible wickedness is charged upon you , that your hearts have been set so far upon sin , that you could wish god had not been god rather than you lose your sin . you would think it a horrible wickedness for any man to be so far in lust with another woman , as to wish his wife dead , that he might have his fill of lust with that woman ; this were a horrible wickedness ; and yet this is in your hearts , to wish god had no being , so that you might have your sin : especially those that be prophane ones , they , if they could have their wish , would desire there were no god at al. the scripture saith , that the fool saith in his heart , that there is no god at all . that man or woman that could wish that there were no god at all , so he might have his lust ; and to wish god were not so holy , and did not hate sin so much as he doth , so he might have his lust ; this is a horrible wickedness . oh that god would make thee fall down and think , oh the horrible wickedness and abomination of my heart , that i should be set so far upon any base lust , as to wish that god were not god rather than i not be satisfied with my lust ; and yet this is in sin , i and in every sin , so far as it prevails in thy heart . secondly , it must needs be thus , because it it is the nature of contraries , to seek the destruction of one another , as it is the nature of fire to seek the destruction of water ; so of any thing contrary to another it is the nature of it to seek the destruction of the contrary . but now you have heard there is nothing contrary to god ( to speak properly ) but only sin ; and if sin be the only contrary that god hath , then certainly sin doth seek the destruction of god , so much as it can : though it be true , a sinner can never do god hurt , nor cannot hinder gods working , or being at al : whatsoever become of this wretch , though he be destroyed , and perish to al eternity , god will remain blessed for ever . but this is the nature of sin , to seek the destruction of the eternal god of glory . oh charge your hearts with this ; do not stay till god come at the day of judgment to charge you with this ; for many poor sinners that went on blind-fold all their daies , and never saw sin what it was , then comes god upon their death bed , and chargeth them with this , and then their hearts are full of horror . and so at the day of judgment , when god comes to charge them with this , then they will be amazed , and will see the truth of this . therfore , seeing god doth it now before the day of judgment , do you now charge it upon your own hearts , that so you may be humbled . this is the third particular , it strikes at god. fourthly , sin wrongs god exceedingly . it doth that wrong unto god , that all the angels in heaven , and men in the world cannot make up again . any one sin , take but the least sin that thou dost commit , i say it doth that wrong unto god , that all the angels in heaven , and men in the world can never make up again : if all the angels in heaven , and men in the world , should come and say , lord god , this poor wretched creature hath committed this sin this day , o lord we are content to suffer ten thousand yeers torment in hell , to satisfie for that wrong that is done to thee by this man or womans sin ; god would say , it cannot be done by all men and angels , they can never make up this wrong : and yet ( as i shall shew hereafter ) god wil have this wrong made up , or thou must perish eternally . many men plead thus , who can challenge me and say , i have wronged them in al my life ; they think this enough : well , suppose thou hast lived so , that thou hast not wronged man , either in word or deed ; oh but thou hast wronged god , the living eternal god can charge thee ( though man cannot ) that thou hast done him that wrong that all the creatures in the world cannot make it good . it were a sad thing if a man had done that wrong to a kingdom , that all the blood in his veins , and in ten thousand generations more could not make up again , he would be weary of his life . you have done that wrong to the god of heaven , that all the angels in heaven , and men in the world can never make up again . well , to conclude , though the things be hard , and sad to think on , god knows i treat in tender bowels and compassion to you : and i do not know that ever i spake to any people in the world with more compassion , and that in this particular : and know , though i speak of these things now , yet if god give liberty , i shall be as glad and willing to be large in shewing you the riches of the grace of the gospel in christ : and gods mercy in christ . and i hope your hearts will be as free and large in this , as i am in speaking of this . and if i were now treating never so much of the riches of gods mercy in christ , i could not do it with more bowels of compassion than i do this : but i do this that you may come to know your selves ; that you may come to know christ ; that christ may be precious in your thoughts : for the special end of christs coming was , to take away sin , to deliver from sin ; therfore we must know sin , and charge our souls with sin , that christ may be precious . therefore if any soul shal go away and say , wo to me what have i done ? yea then , such a soul is fit to hear of the doctrine of grace and mercy in christ , and that in due time ( if god give liberty ) may be declared to such a soul . but now for the present i beleeve this is a necessary point for you to know ; and this is that ( though some may perhaps rise against it ) that thousand thousands wil have cause to bless god for to all eternity when it is preached home upon their consciences by the spirit of the lord which convinceth of the sinfulness of sin . chap. xi . how sin wrong god : in his attributes . relation of father , son , and holy ghost . his counsels . in the end for which god hath done all he hath done . and first , sin wrong gods attributes : his all-sufficiency , shewd in two particulars . it wrong his omnipresence , and omnisciency . sin wrong his wisdom . wrong his holiness . sin wrong god in setting mans will above gods. sin wrong gods dominion . sin wrong gods justice . sin wrong god in his truth . this was that which we proposed in the third place ; but we shall handle it in this fourth place , that we may enlarge upon it . but how doth sin wrong god ? the wrong you do to god by sin , is such wrong , that if all the angels in heaven , and men in the world , would be content to endure thousands of yeers of torment in hell to make up that wrong , it could not be ; any one sin that you commit doth such wrong to god. how doth this appear ? to make it out , i shal shew unto you four things . how sin doth wrong god in all his attributes . how it wrongs god in his personal relations , father , son , and holy ghost . how it wrongs him in his counsels , in that order he hath set in the world in all creatures . how it wrongs god in the very end for which he hath done all that he hath done , in the end of all his works , even his glory . first , sin wrongs god in his attributes : as thus , first , sin doth hold forth this , that there is not a sufficiency of good in god , for the satisfying of a soul ; this language is apparant in every sin , and it holds this forth ; so far as sin doth appear , it holds this forth before all , and speaks this language , that there is not enough good in god , that is , the blessed , glorious , al-sufficient eternal , unchangable good and fountain of all good : yet sin makes this profession , that there is not enough good in god to satisfie this soul : or else why doth the soul depart from him in any sinful way , and go to the creature for any good , if there be enough in god himself ? now there is great wrong done to that blessed god , who is goodness it self ; for any creature to hold this forth , that there is not sufficient good there , but that the creature must be fain to seek for it elswhere out of god. so long as we seek comforts in the creature in order to god , we seek for it in god , though in the creature , if in order unto god : but when we come to seek for any good , any comfort in any way of sin ( as no sin can be committed , but there is this in it ) though deliberately you do not say , that you think there is not comfort enough in god , but you will have it in this sinful way , you do not say so : but there is this in thy walking in the way of sin , god seeth this in the nature of every sin . would not a father think it a wrong to him , or a master think it a wrong , to have his son , or his servant , go and complain to his neighbor and say , he hath not meat enough ? that wrong you would think your child doth to you , in going to shark at your neighbors door for meat ; this you do to god when you go to sin : as if you should say , notwithstanding there is so much said of the infinit goodness of god , and that infinite satisfaction in him ; for my part i find not enough in him , i must have it elswhere . this is a wrong to gods al-sufficiencie in this first regard . secondly , a sinner , going in waies of sin , wrongs god thus ; he holds this forth , that there is more good to be had in a sinful lust , than there is to be had in all the glorie and excellencie in the infinite blessed god. this you will say is a wrong , if this can be made out that there is this evil in sin , holding this forth , that there is more good to be had in a base sinful lust , than in all the glorie in heaven , and comfort in god. certainly this is so , and god seeth it so ; and except god be satisfied for this sin in christ , god will charge this upon thy soul another day , that hast been guilty of this great sin . and that i may cleer it to your conscience , that in every evil way there is this : thus it appears ; because everie sinful way is a departing from god , and all that good in god : now this in the account of reason may appear to the weakest capacity , that where there stands two goods propounded , and i depart from one , and chuse the other ; by my chusing , though i say nothing , when i chuse the one , when i cannot injoy both together ; i do thereby profess i account more good to be in that other i chuse , than in that former i parted from : thus it is in the waies of sin , god sets forth himself to the soul , and shews his goodness and excellencie , as appeareth in all his glorious works ; and those that live under the gospel , as appeareth in his word to them ; and god woes the soul , my son give me thy heart , and here i am willing to communicate my self to thee , and all that good in me to thy soul ; if i have anie good , anie thing in that infinite nature of mine , to comfort thy soul , and make thee happie , here i am willing to let it out and communicate it to thee : thus god professes to all the world , all the children of men , to whom at least the ministerie of the gospel comes , if thy soul will come in and close with him in that way he reveals to thee , he is readie to communicate that goodness in him to thy soul to make thee blessed . but now anie man or woman in anie sinful way , though they do not say so , yet they profess by their practice this , that though there be such goodness in thee , yet here is such a sinful lust , i expect more goodness in this than in thy blessed majestie : certainly there is this in everie sin , and god seeth it , and god will deal with a sinner according to this if he come to answer for his sin himself . for ( brethren ) thus it stands , we cannot enjoy god and sinful waies both together ; so far as any decline to sinful waies , so far they venture the loss of god eternally , and all that good in god. it may be god may have mercie upon thee , and bring thee into christ ; and christ may satisfie god for that wrong thou didst to him , this is nothing to thee , but there is this evil in thee , there is not one sinful way that thou closest with , but thou venturest the loss of all that infinite good to be injoyed in the blessed god , in that sin : here is the evil of sin : and is not this a wrong to god ? what is god , if not better than a base lust ? the devil himself is better than a base lust , that is , the devil hath an entitie in him , he is of god , though he be a devil by sin , yet he is a being that is of god ; but sin hath no good , and therfore sin is worse than the devil : it is that which makes the devil so evil as he is , and yet thou in thy sinful way doest profess , thou accountest more good to be in sin than in all the good of god himself , as if sin were better than god himself : for thou venturest the loss of god that thou maiest have thy sinful way . oh sinner ! stop in thy way , and consider what thou doest : and know all thy life long which thou hast lived , hath been nothing else but a continual profession before all the world by thy sinful life , that thou accountest more good in a lust , than all the good in the blessed god to be enjoyed to al eternitie . ii. thou wrongest god in the way of thy sin thus , in his omnipresence , and omnisciency : to put them both together . in that thou darest do that before the very face of god , that god infinitely hates : is it not a wrong to any king , yea , to your selves though mean , for those that are your inferiors to do that before your face that you hate above all things in the world ? thus a sinner doth , al the wayes of thy sin are before the very face of god , and they are such things as god infinitely hates , yet thou darest do that before the face of god in some sin , that thou darest not do before the meanest boy or girle in thy house . what a wrong is this to gods omnisciency and omnipresence ! nay , perhaps thou darest not do it before a child of six years old , and yet darest do it before the face of the infinite blessed god , if a man should be afraid to do a thing before any servant in his house , the very scullion of the kitchin , and yet when he comes before the king , doth it there ; were not this a wrong to his majesty , that any dare be so bold before him ? again , thou wrongest his omnipresence in this , in that thou darest to cast that which is filthy before his presence , to cast carrion , a dead dog , before a prince , is a wrong : men in sinful wayes do nothing but cast vomit and filth before the presence of a most holy ▪ god : thus thou wrongest god in his omnipresence and omnisciency . thirdly , thou wrongest god in his way of wisdom , because in sin thou professest gods wayes are not wayes of wisdom , but thou knowest better to provide for thy self , than in that way god hath set thee ; how doest thou cast folly on the waies of god , and settest thy shallow way and heart of thine before gods , as if thou couldest provide for thy self and thy own good more wisely than god hath set thee in a way to do ; the word of god and that revealed in the light of nature , is nothing else but several beams of the infinite wisdom of god for the guiding of manking unto happiness and glory ; the light of nature helps somwhat , though it reach not far enough , yet i say , the light of nature is made up of several beams of gods wisdom , but the light of the word is made up of beams of wisdom , a great deal more bright than the beams of nature , now any sinner that forsakes the waies of god , rejects these beams of wisdom as if they were dark , and doth as if he should say , i know how better to provide by this way . hence carnal men account the waies of god foolishness , and preaching of the word foolishness , and the usual title that they give to those that walk more strict than others , is this , what fools they are , nothing but a company of fools that keep such a stir : and it is an ordinary thing in the world for carnal hearts to cast folly upon the waies of god ; and for themselves , they can sit at home and applaud themselves in their wisdom , as if they go in a neerer way than others ; and why should they be such fools as others ? and it is usual for parents that be carnal , to come to their children and cast folly upon them when they look after the waies of god , some do it openly , but every sin doth cast folly upon god and his blessed way ; and in every sin thou settest thy wisdom above gods wisdom . fourthly , in sin thou doest cast dirt on the holiness of god. holiness is the brightness of of gods glory , and in the waies of sin thou castest dirt upon the face of holiness it self : gods nature is pure , thy sin is filthy and vile , and contrary to him , and doth what it can to darken the brightness of the infinite holiness of god. fifthly , thou wrongest god in this , that thou settest up thy will above the will of god ; gods will is to be the rule of all the actions and waies of the creature , but thou comest and settest up thy will above gods ; there is this hidious wickedness in every sin , at least in every wilful sin when it comes into the will , then the will of man is set up above the will of the infinite and glorious god : do not you account your selves wronged when you will have your will , and a poor boy saith he will have it otherwise ? do not you account your selves wronged when he dares set his will before yours ? oh consider this you that are wilful , you cannot bear to have your will crost , to have an inferior , or a child set their will against yours , you are not able to bear it : oh consider what you do when you set your will against the will of the infinite god : nay , above it in two regards . because when gods will is one way , and yours another , you will rather have yours , than god shall have his . though god doth onlie will that which is right and good , and is content to have his will satisfied in nothing but in things good , you will have yours right or wrong , good or bad ; god will have his in onlie that which is righteous and good , if you were set upon your will in that which were good , it were another matter ; but in that you will have your will right or wrong , good or bad , as come to men in their passion , and reason with them , why this is not wel , yet say they , i wil ; and this carries it : what a proud spirit is this that dares set up his will against gods will ; good or bad , right or wrong i must have it , and this is in sin . sixthly , sin wrongs god in the dominion and power , and soveraigntie of god , which with men is a verie tender thing , where there is sovereigntie , there cannot be endured the least wrong . men be mightie tender of power and sovereigntie ; sure if they be so , god may much more be tender of his , which is as the apple of his eye . let me suggest one consideration to you , which should make anie mans heart to bleed to consider how god is wronged in the world ; and that is this , you shall have poor men and servants , that dare not do anie thing to displease those that have power over them , if but a master , or landlord , or justice of the peace ( especially if it come higher ) oh how they shake and tremble if they be displeased , and if anie thing go against their mind they dare not do it ; but there is not the basest fellow , the vilest wretch that lives , the poorest worm , but he dares venture to sin against god , blaspheme the name of god , shakes at the word of a man of power , or a man but a little above him ; but he dares fill his mouth with oaths even in the face of god himself , there he hath courage and valor , and he scorns to be afraid , what to fear an oath ! he hath too brave a spirit to be afraid of that : oh horrible wrong to the infinite god! what is anie superioritie in man so great that men dare not offend them , and yet the poorest spirit that is , dares wrong and blaspheme the name of god. seventhly , there is a wrong to god in his justice : sin wrongs god in his infinite justice . in that it is not afraid of god ; god expects all creatures should fear him because of his justice . thou doest wrong to his justice , in that by waies of sin , thou doest as much as in thee lies even accuse the waies of god for unjust-waies , and not equal , but that your waies be more just and equal than gods. therefore god in scripture reasons the case with his people , what are not my waies equal , are not your waies unequal ? ezek. . . certainly there is this in sin , for if you account not your waies more equal , why chuse you them ? eightly , you wrong god in his truth : as if all gods threatnings against the waies of sin you walk in were nothing but a tale and a lie , as if all the promises god hath made in his word of grace and mercy to poor sinners that will come in and repent , they were all but a lie : thus sin wrongs god in his truth , hence it is that a sinner is in a woful estate , because he hath thus wronged god ; he hath therefore all the attributes of god pleading against him , yea , they are continuallie against thee . therefore look to it , till your sins be done away in christ , and your souls clensed in him , both night and day all the attributes of god are pleading against thee for to require that wrong you have done to them may be righted upon thee . a man is in a sad condition if he have but divers thousands of men come to plead against him , and these cry out for justice , justice , upon him ! but if a man have a whol kingdom , and everie one comes and cries justice ! justice ! upon this man that hath wronged this kingdom , this man is in a woful estate , but i speak of everie sinner before god , if that thy sins be not done away in christ , know it is not a whol kingdom speaks against thee , but all the divine attributes , al the attributes of god be continuallie before the lord , crying out against thee , justice against this sin ; he hath wronged me saith one , and me saith another , and me saith another , and thus , and thus , and thus , and therefore thou art in an evil condition , and it is much that thou shouldest sleep quietlie when all gods attributes plead against thee , it is a hard case when the devil pleads against a man , and but accuse him , and plead against him before god , but when all the attributes of god plead against him ( as i might shew you more at large ) how woful is his condition . object . but you will say , though all the other attributes plead against me , yet i hope mercy will plead for me answ . but that pleads against thee too , for thou wrongest his mercie also . indeed there is no attribute more wronged by sinners ordinarily than the mercy of god is . the mercie of god , doest thou think that shall plead for thee ? that is wronged especiallie : why ? because there is no attribute abused to be an abettor to sin , more than the mercie of god is ; and it s abused and made to harden the hearts of men and women in sin , no attribute so much abused . the justice of god thou thinkest that pleads against thee , but mercie thou thinkest pleads for thee ; justice is not so much wronged by sin as mercie is : the justice of god is not made an abettor of sin : now that is the greatest wrong that can be for gods mercie to be made a means to abet sin , and to harden mens hearts in sin. it is a great wrong to make use of any creature to be serviceable to our sin ; if a man make meat , or drink , or cloathes , or anie creature serviceable to his lust , it is a wrong to that creature and to god the creator of that creature that thou makest serviceable to thy lust : but if it be a wrong to the creature , what is it to make the mercie of god serviceable to your lusts ? and who is there almost but makes the mercy of god in some degree or other serviceable to his lusts ? it is a horrible thing thus to abuse mercie : how doest thou think the mercie of god should plead for thee when thou doest it such infinite wrong ? when thou venturest upon sin because god is a merciful god. thus you wrong the attributes of god by sin . chap. xii . how sin wrongs god in his personal relations . the father . the son. the spirit . secondly , now for the personal relations of god ; father , son , and holy ghost ; how they be wronged in way of sin . first , god the father . consider of these in those operations most proper , and especially attributed to them . as now , that attributed to the father , is the work of creation : now thou wrongest god the father in this especial operation , in that thou abusest the gifts god hath given thee ; that body and soul god hath made , thou abusest it to gods dishonor ; abusest his creatures ; takest gods own creatures , and abusest them to his dishonor : yea , thy own members that god made thee to honor him withal , thou takest them , and with his own weapons fightest against himself : not only fightest against him , but with his own weapons , faculties and gifts he hath given thee , thou fightest against him . thus thou wrongest god the father in his work of creation . secondly , thou wrongest christ in the work of redemption . because the least sin thou committest ( if ever it be pardoned ) it is that which stab'd jesus christ to the very heart : i say , thy sin was that which pierced christ , and brought forth blood and water from him ; it was that which whipt christ ; it was that which put christ to death , that shed the blood of christ , that crucified christ . i may say to every sinner that expects to be saved by christ , as peter in the . acts said to those jews , whom you have crucified , and the text saith , that then they were pricked to their hearts . certain it is , thou sinner ( man or woman , whosoever thou art ) that dost expect to have part in the blood of christ , thy sin crucified christ , made christ cry out upon the cross , my god , my god , why hast thou forsaken me ? what dost thou think of thy sins now ? and if thou be such an one as hath never been affected with the blood of christ that was shed for thy sins , then thou wrongest the blood of christ more , for then thou dost trample the blood of the everlasting covenant under thy feet , and accountest it a common thing . most men and women be such that live under the light of the gospel , that like swine trample the very blood of christ under their feet , and make nothing of the blood of christ , go to the sacrament hand over head unpreparedly , and so come to be guilty of the body and blood of christ . certainly these be not strains of wit above the truth and reality of things ; there is a reality in it , that thy soul is charged from god this day of wronging christ the second person . thirdly , thou wrongest the spirit of god , in defacing of the work of sanctification ( what in thee lies ) in opposing the work of gods spirit in thy soul , in resisting the motions of gods spirit . who is there but is guilty of resisting the motions of the holy ghost ? who is there but at some time or other when they have been at the word , but they have had some stirrings of the spirit of god within them , when they have heard such and such truths of god ? but they have gone to company , and laughed it away , drunk , and played it away talked it away . what a wrong is this to the holy ghost ? thou wrongest the holy ghost by defiling thy body , which should be the temple of the holy ghost . chap. xiii . sin wrong the counsels of god in setting that order in the world that he hath set . thirdly , thou wrongest the counsels of god in setting that order in the world which he hath set . to understand it know this , god in his eternal counsel hath set a due order in all his creatures , they walk in an orderly way to fetch about that end that he himself did intend . as a workman that makes a curious work , puts everie wheel and piece in a right frame , and due order , that so by that order his art hath placed in the work , the work may attain unto that end he made it for : so god hath done , he hath made all things by weight and measure in due order . god made all things good , very good , and all that one creature might be serviceable to another ; as one wheel to a curious watch is serviceable to another , and all to bring about the end of the workman ; so god in his eternal will and counsel hath set all things in that proportion and order that he may fetch about his own end . but sin is the thing , and the only thing that break the order of god in the world , and strikes at gods work to break it al to pieces what lies in the sinner . if we should suppose that all the cunning artificers in the whol nation , nay in all the world , should joyn together to make a curious work in a curious frame , perhaps they have been seven years in making of it , and at length bring it to perfection , and things be made in that order and exactness , that it is to admiration , so that this work is worth more than can be imagined , because of the curious art and order in this work : but suppose now , one should come , and ( through ignorance , much more if knowinglie ) give it a blow and strike it al to pieces ; what a mischievous thing were this ? certainlie there is this in sin , for there is infinite depth of counsel and wisdom of god in setting all things in frame , that one thing should be serviceable to another ; and at length all should come to be for gods glorie . now there is no creature can break the order god hath made but men and angels , none but those creatures that are capable of sin. and certainlie sin doth not onlie aim to break gods order , but doth it actuallie ; sin brings disorder , and doth break the order god hath set : onlie god by his mightie power knows how to bring sin it self to that , that he will have his glorie from it , to take occasion at least by it to bring things into their right order again . but were it not that god were of infinite wisdom and power , sin would break all that curious work god hath made , and bring it all to confusion . now we know art and wisdom ads to anie thing ; as suppose some curious building were all beaten too pieces and rubbish , there were no material less in the rubbish than in the building , only the art of the workman , the art and the order that makes the beautie of the work , and the difference in excellencie from a heap of rubbish . so it is the order god hath set in the world that makes the beautie of gods work , and sin doth do all it can to make all the work of god to be a heap of rubbish , a meer confusion . indeed when there is such a curious piece of work of a workman broke all in pieces on a sudden , if he had so much skill and power instantly to put it in frame again , his art would exceedingly be admired and wondered at . thus it is with god ; certainly were it not for gods infinite wisdom and power , wherby he can bring all in order again , sin would bring all to rubbish ; and know thou hast a hand in this that hast a hand in sin. chap. xiv . sin wrong god in the end for which he hath made all things . fourthly , sin wrongs god in the end for which he hath made all things , which is his own glory . now we know that of all things a man cannot endure to be wronged in his end , when he hath an end to such & such a thing , and aims to bring such and such a thing to pass , though he should be frustrated in regard of some means , this troubles him not , but when he comes to lose his end , this troubles him exceedingly . thus it is with a sinner , he sets himself against god to do what lies in him that god should lose his end of all that ever he hath done : and if so be god were not almightie to over power things , certainly sin would quite frustrate god of his end of his works , for which he did make all things , to wit , his glory . now a sinner doth what he can to darken the glory of god , doth in effect stand up and say , if i can help it , god shall have no glory in the world . i say , you that walk on in waies of sin , this you are charged with in the name of god this day , that you are guiltie of this , you have in effect stood up , and as it were said , if i can help it god shall have no glory in the world : and yet it was for his glory that god made all things . truly brethren , it cannot but be a soul-piercing consideration for any stout stubborn sinner in the world for to have this one thought ( take it with you , and work it upon your hearts , see what it will do ) to think thus , had i never been born , god had never been so much dishonored : this one thought hath a mightie power to pierce the stoutest hearted sinner in the world . oh! is not god infinitely worthy of all glory and honor in the world ? hath he not made all creatures for his glory ? and if i had never been born , and never had had a being , god should never have been so dishonored , he would have had more glorie if i had never been . if god had made me a dog or a toad , a snake or a serpent , god should have had more glory than by making me a man. true , god will bring about his glory , and have more glory from thee another way , than if thou hadst been made a dog or a toad ; but no thanks to thee , thou dost what thou canst in way of sin to hinder his glory , gods almightie power brings this to pass . but if thou goest on in waies of sin , it may be said of thee , that if thou hadest been made a dog or toad , god would have had more glory in the world than now he hath in making thee a man : yea , thou art so far from bringing god glory that thou dishonor'st god as much as in thee lies . and this , if it lies upon the heart as it should is a sad consideration to humble the proudest heart in the world ; to think that thou livest , and god hath no glory by thee , though this be the end for which god made the world . think thus , suppose god should have no more glorie by all the world , than by me , to what end were the world made ? suppose one that lives in a meer atheistical way , and takes no notice of the majestie and glorie of god , but lives only to eat and drink , and play and swear , and the like ; now if his conscience tell him this hath been his way , i speak to such a one in these words , suppose god had never had more glory from any creature than from thee ? to what purpose had the world been made ? for god that hath wrought so wonderfully and gloriously in raising such a glorious edifice and frame , certainly it was , that he might have some glory from what he hath done . no man works any thing but for some end , and wisdom directs every man that his end be worth his labor , that , that which he aims at shall be worth all his work . now god had some end therefore in making thee , and he must needs have some excellent end ; but now , what do i think in my conscience was the end of god in making of the world and me ? what was it for no other end but that men and women might live and eat and drink , and lye , and swear , and commit such wickedness ? was this gods end ? i put it to your conscience every sinful man or woman ; think how hast thou lived ? what hast thou done in all thy life ? look back to thy former life , and think how hast thou spent it ? i have gotten money , and what to do ? is it only to eat and drink , and the like ? and thou hast lived in a course of nature thy conscience tells thee thus , now i put this to thee , doest thou think in thy conscience this is the end thou livest in the world for ? did god ( when from all eternity he intended to make such a creature as thou art , to live in such a time in such a place , and preserved thee all this while from such dangers at sea , or at land ) i say , did god aim at no other end but this that thou shouldest live to do thus ? certainly thy conscience will condemn thee if thou hast but a heart for to think of it . thou wert upon thy sick bed , and then thou cryedst to god to spare thee ; well , thou didest escape , now i put this to thee , dost thou think god spared thee , and gave thee thy life , to live to no other end but this ? dost thou think this was the only end ? take heed thou dost not go on in waies of crossing god in his end , for god will have his end one way or other . if a man have been at a great deal of cost to deliver another man from misery , redeemed him from captivitie , and when he hath brought him home , he rails at him that did this for him , and doth him all the mischief he can : and in any mans account he is exceedingly wronged that hath done thus and thus for one that is thereby as it were his creature , and yet he live and do thus and thus wrong and abuse him . certainly then , god is wronged when he hath given thee a body , delivered thee from such and such dangers , and thou livest to no other end but to satisfie thy lust ; thou exceedingly wrongest god. this is so cleer , that a man would wonder where mens consciences are , that they live quietly , and that their consciences flies not in their faces continually . certainly , when god shall enlighten the conscience , and bring these things with power to their souls , then sinners will stand amazed and wonder they saw not this before : these things be so clear , that its a wonder i was so blind , that i had not eyes to see these before , and yet who laies these things to heart ? and thus we have done with this first thing in the explanation , the wrong sin doth to god in his nature , working against , and striking at god , and in his relations , &c. now there are , i confess , those things i most aimed at in this work behind , therefore i will wind up in a word or two , in some corollaries , and consequences , to be drawn from hence : only thus much , when i have told you sin is a greater evil than affliction ; yea , a greater evil than all the torments of hell , as i said in the beginning . then you may see by what i have said , how this truth results out of these consequences , because it wrongs god , and god is so infinitely good . if anie man be afflicted , or perish in hell eternally , it is but the good of a creature , and the comfort of a creature crossed in this , but in sin there is the crossing of the good of an infinite god , and of his glory ; and there is more good in gods glory , than in all the peace and comfort of all creatures in the world : and if so , then certainly there must be more evil in sin that is cross to gods glory , than in all pains and torments that are but only cross to the peace and comforts that are in the creature : i say , hence followeth these corollaries . chap. xv. the first corollarie . ] it appears by this , that but few men know what they do when they sin against god. first from this , certainly it doth evidently appear that there are but few men that know what they do in sinning against god , nor have not known all this while . it was the complaint of the prophet jeremiah , no man saith , what have i done ? certainly men in waies of sin never say , oh lord , what have i done ? give me but that man or woman that have gone on in waies of sin , that have imagined they have wronged god so much ; that they have done so much against the infinite eternal glorious god. they think indeed they have done amiss , what they should not do ; but it is another manner of matter , it is not only doing what you should not do , but it is a wrong to the infinite glorious god , and therefore certainly it appears but few men know god , or know sin ; neither know what that god is with whom they have to deal ; neither know what sin is , and how it makes against that god with whom they have to deal ; if men did only know god , it were enough to keep them from sin . and there is a notable place in the john . he that saith i know him and keepeth not his commandements is a liar , and the truth is not in him . if there be any man in the congregation that saith he knows god , and keepeth not his commandements , he lies saith the holy ghost . what , doest thou know god , man or woman ? sinner , man or woman doest thou know god , that infinite glorious eternal god , with whom thou hast to do ? and not to keep his commandements , but goest on in waies of sin ? certainly thou art a liar . it may be many of you are apt to say , we know god , what need we have so much of god preached ? if you say you know god and keep not his commandements , you are a liar . but now joyn these together , to know what a glorious god this is , and how sin works against this god. some knows somwhat of gods attributes , and can discourse of him , yet perhaps never knew before how sin made against this god , this is that people fail in ; certainly both together hath not been known by most people . i remember a speech i have read of a german divine upon his sick bed ; he cryes out thus , in this disease i have learned what sin is , and how great the majestie of god is : these together . we cannot know what sin is , except we know how great the majesty of god is ; put these together , and these two together , will make men understand that they did never consider of before , what their lives are , and how people go on in a resolute , inconsiderate way , and know not what they do , and what god is . therefore we may pray as christ in another case , father forgive them they know not what they do : poor creatures they know not what they do ; they never imagined what the greatness of the glory of god is . chap. xvi . the second corollarie . ] the necessity of our mediators being god and man. secondly , hence appeareth , the necessity that our mediator between god and us , must be god as well as man : great is the mysterie of godliness that god is manifest in the flesh . well , but what is the reason of this mysterie of godliness ? how comes it to pass that there is a necessity of such a mysterie of godliness for saving of poor souls ? that god must be manifested in the flesh ? that god must be man ? that all the angels in heaven , and men in the world , could not be a mediator between god and us , but our mediator must be truly and verily god as wel as man ? what is the reason of this ? that that i have been speaking of gives a full reason of it , our sins have so wronged god , hath been so much against god , that it is only god can make up the wrong , onlie such a mediator as christ that is both god and man , that can make it up . i suppose most of you know so far in your catechism , that christ is god and man ; but suppose i should put this question to you , you say christ is god and man ; but give me a sound reason , why it is necessary that christ must be god and man ? why cannot man be saved by any savior but such a one as must be verily and truly god and man ? i suppose you will give a sound substantial reason , and say , god appointed and hath ordained it should be so : but though it be gods will , and god hath ordained it , yet there is another reason , and this it is ; you may say ( when you hear christ was god and man that mighty savior ) here is the reason of all that , because sin doth so wrong and strike at god , and oppose god , that of necessity whosoever comes to be a mediator between god and us , must be god as well as man. therefore the scripture saith of christ , his name shall be called wonderful , counsellor , the mighty god. isa . . . christ is the mighty god , and the mighty god in the work of reconciliation , in reconciling god and us together , then he shews himself mighty . because if all the world had undertaken to meditate between god and us , such is the breach between god and us , that all the men in the world could have done no more than if so be you had gone and put a picec of paper to a mighty flame , as if one had a mighty flame coming upon him , and he puts a piece of paper to keep it off ; we know that will quickly burn it ; he must put some brass or iron . so that wrong is done to god by the sin of man , that if all the men in world , all the created powers in heaven and earth , had come to have stood between god and us , to have satisfied god for that wrong sin did to him , it had been but just like a piece of brown paper against a mighty flame . but whosoever comes to stand between god and us , must be one infinite , as well as that person is infinite against whom we have offended , and that is christ the mediator , the mighty god , god and man. oh know the mediator by which you must be saved must be very god ; and the reason is , because sin hath done such infinite wrong to god. chap. xvii . the third corollarie . ] that but few are humbled as they should for sin. it will not be deep enough except it be for sin as it s against god. . it will not sanctifie the name of god. it will not be lasting . else it will never make a divorce between sin and the soul. thirdly , that which follows hence , that sin is so much against god as hath been shewed , we see that there are but very few that are humbled for sin aright : it will follow from hence , i shall make it out from the point , that if sin be of this nature so much against god as you have heard , certainly there are few people in the world are humbled for sin aright . there are many people that are troubled for sin , and will cry out of their sin , are struken with many feares and terrors for sin , and yet never humbled for sin aright , and it is clear from that you have heard out of this point . why ? because that humiliation for sin that is aright , it must needs be an humiliation for it as it is the greatest evil of all ; and it is the greatest evil as it is against god himself . now the humiliation of most in the world it is not so much for this , because sin is so much against god , because it opposeth god , strikes at god , and wrongs god so much : this is not the thing that doth usually take the hearts of men and women ▪ in their trouble for sin ; but for the fear of the wrath of god , and of hell , and an accusing conscience that doth flash the very fire of hell in their faces ; this troubles them . and well were it for many that they were but troubled so far ; true , this trouble is that which god doth many times bless , and there is great use of it , but this is not all ; no nor the chief trouble of the soul for sin . these fears and horrors ( i say ) are not the chief ; the chief of all is the humiliation of the soul for sin , as it is against god ; then is the heart humbled aright for sin , when it apprehends how by sin the soul hath been against the infinite glorious first-being of all things . all other humiliations in the world is not sufficient without this . for , it is not deep enough , there can be no humiliation deep enough , except the soul be humbled for sin , as it hath sinned against god : yea , though the heart be so burdened with fears and horrors as to be sunk down into despair , yet i do not call that a depth of humiliation , it is not from the depth of humiliation that the soul despairs , for certainly ( consider what i say brethren ) there is a mistake in this , to think that those that despair are humbled too much : no , despair is for want of humiliation , for despair and pride may stand both together ; for the devil is proud ; you will say as proud as lucifer ; the devils despair , they be the most despairing creatures in the world , and yet the most proud creatures in the world ; therefore despair doth not come from the depth of humiliation , but rather from the want of humiliation . certainly the hearts of men and women in despair fly against god , many times flies most desperately and proudly against god : in despair therefore the heart is not humbled enough when it hath only terrors and fears , except it be humbled for sin when it seeth it against the majestie of god as here hath been opened to you : nothing doth cast down the soul so low in true humiliation as the sight of sin against god. oh what have i done against god ? what hath my life been against that infinite , glorious , eternal first-being of all things ? when the soul comes to see that effectually , then it falls down , and falls down low too . certainly brethren , the heart is never humbled throughly till it come to feel the burden of sin to be heaviest there where it is heaviest ; mark , i say , till the heart feel the burden of sin to be heaviest where it is heaviest , it is not brought low enough : but the burden of sin it is heaviest as it is against god , rather than as it is against the good of the creature ; that though it be a wonderful burden , yea ( if god put not under his hand ) an intollerable burden if the conscience only apprehend sin as against the good of the creature ; but the apprehension of sin as against god is a great deal more , it doth shew the burden of sin , and make the burden of sin to be far more weighty than the other can possibly be . the apprehensions of sin any other way but this , it doth not so sanctifie the name of god as this doth . when the soul shall be cast down before the lord for sin , as it is against himself , as it is against his glory , as it hath wronged him ; i say , that this doth sanctifie the name of god a great deal more than any other humiliation doth : for other humiliation , other trouble for sin ( for i will rather call it trouble for sin than humiliation ) if this be not in it , there may appear in it much self-love , and a forced perplexitie of spirit : but now the name of god is not sanctified so as when the heart shall fall down and be humbled because that god hath been wronged , his attributes wronged , because he hath been opposed in his glory . now this humiliation doth especially lift up the name of god , and sanctifie the name of god. take any other humiliation , and it is not such an abiding humiliation as this is ; this humiliation for sin will more abide upon the spirit than any other doth , many are troubled for sin , have a great deal of horror and perplexity of spirit in some fits , in some moods , at some times ; but this their trouble is but for a flash , and it goes away , vanisheth and comes to nothing : when trouble is only from the apprehension of danger and miserie in it felf , i say it usually vanisheth and comes to nothing ; why ? because when there comes but any thing to make you to think that this danger may be in any degree over , or that things are not so bad as i was afraid , now the trouble presently vanisheth upon that . in times of sickness , the soul apprehends it self in danger of perishing , i am now going , i see my self at the brink of the pit ; now the soul is troubled for sin , but when the danger appeareth to be a little over , the trouble for sin ceaseth . but when the soul is troubled for sin as against god , this trouble cannot but abide , though afflictions be gone , yet my trouble abide . what 's the reason many people upon their sick beds be so troubled for sin ( as they think ) and cry out , oh! if god ever restore them , they will never do as they have done , and yet as soon as they are well they fall to their sin again : here is the reason , because only their danger troubled them . but now let the soul be kindly humbled for sin as against god , oh i have wronged god that infinite deitie , that infinite glorious first being of all things ; let such an one be in sickness or in health , whatsoever condition such an one is in , the trouble abides upon the spirit , yea brethren it abides upon the spirit even then when the soul hath hope sin shal be pardoned , yea when the soul knows certainly sin shal be pardoned , yet will the humiliation abide upon the heart of such a man or woman there 's a great mistake in the world in the matter of trouble for sin ; they think repentance or mourning for sin , is but one act , that if once they have been troubled for sin , they need never be troubled any more it is a dangerous mistake , for we are to know , true sorrow for sin , true repentance , is a continual act that must abide all our lives : and it is not only at that time when we are afraid that god will not pardon our sins , when we be afraid we shall be damned for our sins , but when we come to hope that god will , yea when we come to know that god hath pardoned our sins , yet then it will abide , only working in another manner , and it must needs be so if the heart be humbled for sin thus against god , for suppose god come in and graciously tell the soul , though thou hast wronged me , yet through the mediation of my son , i will forgive thee ; will this quiet the soul so as it will be no more troubled and sorrie for sin ? no. now the sorrow comes in another way : and is this the god i have wronged , the gracious merciful god i have wronged , that notwithstanding all the wrong i have done him , that when he had my soul at an advantage , and might justly have sent me down to the nethermost hell , and will he yet pardon though no goodness in me ? and yet will he have such thoughts of mercy , as to send his own son to make up that wrong , and satisfie for the evil i have done ? oh now the heart bleed afresh upon this , and mourns more than ever it did before . many can say of this , that after they have apprehended their sin to be pardoned , then their souls have mourned and melted more than ever they did before in the apprehension of horror and fear of gods wrath ; and all upon this , because they did not see sin to be an evil only as it brings danger of punishment , but they did see the evil of sin as against a god , as i have wronged god , stroke at the infinite glorious first-being of all things ; and this will abide upon the heart : therefore this is another manner of trouble for sin than the other ; and because this trouble for sin is so effectual , and so good , therefore it is that i have endeavored the more to open unto you how sin is against god : therefore when i come to the other to shew how it is against our selves , i shal be but brief in that because i know that this is the principal . the trouble for sin if it be apprehended evil any other way but this ( or if this be not chief ) cannot be so good , because there is no trouble for sin but this that ever will make a devorce between sin and the soul ; all other trouble will not do it unless this come in . and indeed it is to admiration to consider how strong the union between sin and the soul is , and how hard to make the devorce ; that take a man or a woman that apprehends never so much the wrath of god against sin ; take a man that lies as it were scalding in gods wrath , his conscience burning and bringing even hell to him , that he cries , and roars , in the anguish of his soul for sin ; one would think certainly this man will never have to do more with sin , that is in this horror and anguish , and trouble for sin , certainly he will never keep company , be drunk , be unclean , or cozen any more : but this may be to the admiration of men and angels , to see how men and womens hearts are set upon sin , that notwithstanding al that anguish and horror , that they have many times for it , yet they will to it again , and that as greedily as ever ; yea , and somtimes more greedily : for if once a man ( consider i beseech you what i say ) hath overcome the trouble of conscience for sin , and fallen to it again , he will then be more greedy ; he will slight conscience then , and scorn at conscience then , and make nothing of it if once he have out stood conscience . as an unruly horse , if he have but once cast his rider , then let him come on his back he cares not for him , he contemns him , he will quickly throw him off again : so when the stubborn unruly lusts of a mans heart have once cast off conscience , that a man or woman have been once under terrors of conscience for sin , and yet fall to it again , such a mans condition is very lamentable ; i● say not wholly desperate , i dare not say so , for gods thoughts are higher than ours as high as the heaven is above the earth : but this mans condition is very lamentable : there is this strength in sin in the soul , that all the terrors in the world will not breed a devorce between sin and the soul . but when once the soul can come to say with david , against thee , against thee only have i sinned ; in my sins i have gone against that god who is so infinitely above all praise and glorie : this is the humiliation ; if any thing make a devorce between sin and the soul this will do it . this is the third corollarie , that therefore there be verie few humbled for sin aright , because not thus humbled . chap. xviii . the fourth corollarie . ] admire the patience of god in seeing so much sin in the world , and yet bear it . fourthly , if this be so , that sin is so much against god , doth so much wrong god , hence then we have all cause to stand and admire at the infinite patience of the great god that shall behold so much sin in the world from such poor wretched vile creatures , and yet shall bear it : 't is true , those that do not know how sin doth make against god , strikes at him , and wrongs him ; they are not so much taken with the patience of god , and with the long suffering of god : but now that man or woman that comes to know how sin wrongs god , and comes to understand this , such a one cannot but to amazment stand and wonder at gods infinite patience ; that such a great god who seeth himself so struck at , fought against , opposed , and wronged by such wretched creatures , that yet he doth forbear crushing them too pieces presently . i beseech you brethren consider , do but take along with you what i have said about sin , how it is against god , and then consider , how all sins that are committed , god is present at it , stands and looks upon it . do but think somtimes with your selves , when you are among a great concourse of people , among a company of prophane wretched people , as in markets , fairs , taverns , inns , and ale-houses , how is gods name blasphemed there ? what daring of the blessed god ? what scorning and contemning of his word and sacraments and ordinances ? well , and now carry along that thought , how god is wronged in all these , struck at in all this , and what an infinite god this is ; and then think how god stands by them , heareth every oath , seeth every filthy act of uncleanness , seeth every drunkard , and yet when the least word of his mouth were enough to sink them to the bottomless-pit ; yet god is patient the first , second , and third time ; yea , a hundred times : perhaps thou hast been a blasphemer twenty years ; forty years a swearer : and when thou comest in company , oh the wicked oaths that come from thee ! and hidious uncleanness , and abominable wickedness ! and yet god stands by , and looks upon the swearer , and is patient all the while . certainly brethren , there is no man in all the world that is wronged as god is , and yet man is not able to bear wrong from his equal if he have power in his hand to prevent it . what! shall he wrong me ? i will make him know what it is to wrong me . you cannot bear any wrong from your fellow creature ; oh consider what wrong god hath born from you and others , stand and admire at the infinite patience and long-suffering of the lord ! truly brethren , when any mans conscience comes to be inlightened and awakened , then the greatest wonder in the world to such a conscience is the patience and long-suffering of god. oh! that god should be so patient and long-suffering unto me all this time of my life that i am out of hell , he stands and wonders that he is out of hell , and wonders at others , that others should not be affected with the patience of god. certainly brethren , that wrong is done unto god by sin , as that if any one man that had all the patience of all the men and women in the world , put into his heart ; all the patience and meekness that ever was in all the saints , since the beginning of the world , if it were all distilled into the heart of one man or woman , and suppose that this man or woman were but wronged as god is , it were impossible but that that man or woman should break forth with revenge against those wrongs done to him or her ; it were impossible for such an one to bear , so far as he can see himself able ( i mean ) to right himself , so far he could not bear the wrongs done to him : but now god shews himself here to be infinite in patience and long-suffering , as well as infinite in any other attribute of his . brethren it wil be an especial part of the glory of the great day of judgment , that when all the wrong that ever was done to god from the beginning of the world by sinners , shal then be opened at the day of judgment : alas , we see but little wrong done to god now ; we look upon notorious wretches and think they wrong god ; now we see but little , but at the day of judgment , then all the secret villanies and wickedness that ever was committed in secret places , since the beginning of the world , in all places of the world ; then shal it all appear : and then how will it appear to men and angels how god was wronged by his creature ? and then there will be the patience of god seen that he should be so patient so many thousand years together , notwithstanding there was so much wrong done to god and never discovered to man , but god sees it all this whil●… this will be a great part of the glorie of the day or judgment . if our hearts were e●…ed we would begin now to give god the glorie of 〈◊〉 patience which we shall see at that day . chap. xix . a fifth corollarie . ] hencesie a way to break your hearts for sin. and also to keep you from temptation . fifthly , a fifth corallarie . hence is this , if sin be so much against god as you have heard , then here you may find a means and way both how to break your hearts for sin , and how to keep your selves against temptation for the time to come : i put them both together for brevitie . this is the strongest way and means i can shew you to break your hearts . would you fain break your hearts for sin ? oh saith some , what a hard heart have i ? many put up papers complaining of the hardness of their hearts , and desire the minister and congregation to seek god to break their hearts : well , would you fain have broken hearts ? have your hearts troubled in such a manner as you may give glorie to god ? this is the way . there is two waies to humble the heart for sin , there is looking upward unto god , and seeing whom it is thou hast sinned against : and looking downward to thine own miserie , and what thou hast deserved by sin . now many altogether pore downward , and look nothing but downward to sin , and what is the desert , and punishment , and miserie ; but their hearts though they be troubled and vexed , yet they are not kindly broken ( as i shewed before ) but now if you would have your hearts kindly broken for sin ( for this is one use of direction , that we may get our hearts broken for sin ) look upwards and behold him whom you have pierced : that is , behold , god in his infinite glorie , and what an infinite blessed being god is , and how worthy of all the honor the creature can give : set this before your eyes in a fixed and setled way . look upon god , in all the relations god hath to you , as your creator from whom you had your being ; as he that preserves your being everie moment ; look upon him as your lord , infinitlie above you , at whose mercie you wholly lie : thus view god , and see him in his glorie , and the relations he hath to you ; and thus by beholding god in such a manner is an especial way to work stronglie upon the heart . for hereby i come to see , as it were , the present evil of sin ; the other is but onlie a sight of the evil of sin to come ; as when a man or woman looks upon sin as bringing hell , that is but onlie to look upon that evil of sin that is to come hereafter . but we know that present things do most affect ; as now any good thing , if it be to come , it doth not take the heart so much as a present good . as when the soul makes the good of the promises to be present , then they affect the soul ; but if the soul look upon them as to come , they do not so much affect : so if the evil of sin be look't upon as bringing hell and miserie , this is looked upon as to come hereafter , so that it may be avoided ; but if i look upon sin as against god , then i look upon sin as a present evil upon me , that flows from the very nature of sin , and cannot be avoided , and this evil is even now upon me , and doth as immediatly flow from the nature of sin , as light doth from the sun it self : and now looking thus upon sin , is a mightie means to break the heart . and then for avoiding sin for the time to come ; when temptation come , you say it is strong , and overcomes me : now would you avoid sin for the time to come in temptations ? then do as we reade of joseph ; you know how he beat off the strength of the temptation , and when he might have done the evil in secret ; see what prevails with him , oh how shall i do this great wickedness and sin against god ? not , how shal i do this great wickedness , and bring danger and miserie upon me ? but , how shall i do this and sin against god ? so if you can have your eye upon sin , and remember what especial things you have heard of the evil of sin , and when temptations come , you can say , how shall i do this , and sin against god ? oh remember this you servants that have opportunitie in secret to do evil . josepth was a servant , and yet this kept off that temptation from him , when he was a yong man , that is the honor of joseph , a yong man and a servant , when the temptation comes , oh this breaks his heart , how shall i do this and sin against god ? so you yong ones and servants go away with this lesson , when any temptations to sin comes , think , oh! i have heard in such a point , and out of such a text , how sin makes against god , strikes at him , wrongs him , how shall i do this and sin against god ? impossible , unreasonable it should be done upon any terms . set but this one argument against the most powerful temptation , and certainlie it wil prevail . psal . . . ye that love the lord hate evil : what! do ye hear how sin is against god , strikes at god! that it is evil , not onlie against you , and indangers you , but strikes at god. oh all you that love god , hate sin ; let your hearts be set against sin , because so much against god. oh brethren , there be many people do indeed avoid sin , but it is upon poor low grounds , very low and mean be the grounds of many people upon which they avoid sin : there be many , oh they will not do such and such evils , they will resist a temptation to such and such a sin , why ? mark the ground , according as the grounds of men and women are , upon which they do , or stay from doing of a thing ; so judg of your hearts ; if the grounds be high and raised , then their spirits are high and raised ; if their grounds be but low and mean , then their spirits be low and mean : as thus , many abstain from such and such sins , why ? oh if i do it , it will be known , and i shall be made ashamed , therfore i will not do it : it is good to resist sin upon any terms , but if this be the chief cause , it is a poor low base thing , and argues a great deal of lowness in the heart , to resist sin upon this , oh if i do this , i shall be known , and incur the displeasure of my father , or master , or such a dear friend ; it may incur punishment , or it may be i shall be turned out of the family , and such like arguments . i say it is true , it is good to bring in all the arguments we can to oppose sin withal , but when these be the chief things , when these be the only grounds , that keeps thee from such wickedness that thy heart is set upon ; and thou wouldest be glad to tamper withal : couldest thou be sure it should not be known , and thou shouldest not be brought to shame for it , and have the displeasure of such a friend , thou couldest find in thy heart to be medling with it ; couldest thou ? oh! know thou hast a base heart that hast no other grounds to keep thee from sin withal . whereas know if thou be a christian indeed , and that god hath aright made known sin to thee , thou wouldest rise higher , oh i am to deal with god , an infinite glorious first-being , and if it be sin only that strikes at this infinite glorious eternal first-being of all things , then i will avoid sin whatsoever become of me ; yea , whatsoever i suffer i will not have to do with it : this is a raised spirit ; this heart is like to stand out against sin : alas ! those poor low grounds upon which many resist sin ; though they may stand out against sin a little , against a weak temptation , yet if there come a strong temptation , will quickly break through the hedg : al those poor low grounds and arguments , temptation will quickly break through them . but when the heart is raised to oppose sin , upon such high grounds as this is , certainly this notes a true raised heart by god , and such an one is like to stand out against temptations , in another manner than others do . and truly when the heart is possessed with this thought , it cannot perhaps parley and reason with the temptation as others can ; yea , this one principle of sinning against god , will so fill the heart of a man or woman , that though it doth not stand reasoning and answering every thing , yet it will even burst out , either in tears , and fal a lamenting that it should be pestered with temptation ; or burst out into resolution against it . i remember an excellent story reported in the book of martyrs , you may find it in king edwards life ; that yong prince , that died at some fifteen years of age , in his time , there were two bishops ( otherwise good , and proved martyrs , and yet you may see what the best of them were in those times ) they came to perswade the king to yeild to a tolleration of the mass , and it was but for his sister neither , not for the whole kingdom , but meerly for his own sister , to yeild to a tolleration of it in her chappel , he stood out against it though yong , thought it a dishonor to god ; well , they plead and reason with him , telling him it was best in state policy , and other grounds they use to perswade a tolleration of popery , ( thus you see what kind of men these in these waies are , and if you do not know , yet you are like to know more in this kind about these wayes ) but this i bring it for , when the poor king , though yong , having his heart possessed with this principle , that he should not do any thing against god , he could not answer the bishops that came so subtilly ; but instead of answering their reasons , he burst out with tears , and then they were convinced , and confessed the king had more divinity in his little finger than they had in all their bodies . so i apply it to you yong ones , perhaps temptations to that which is a sin against god , comes subtilly , strengthned with this argument , and the other argument ; but if you have your hearts possessed with this truth , it is a sin against god ; oh when you cannot answer the particulars of temptation , burst out and weep , and cry either for your condition , or that you should be pestered with that you know is a sin against god , and say , i had rather lose my life , suffer any thing in the world , than sin against god. if your hearts be filled with this principle , when temptation to sin comes , you will be ready to burst out and weep before the lord ; and this will be as strong an answer to temptation as can be , and satan will quickly avoid , if you can when you find your selves pestered with temptation , and it follows and dogs and pursues you , if you can being filled with this principle , that sin is against god , if you can get alone , and fall a weeping , and lamenting , that your hearts are even ready to break , from the consideration of this principle , this will be the strongest way and means to resist temptation that can be . chap. xx. a sixt corollarie . ] if sin be thus sinful , it should teach us not only to be troubled for our own sins , but the sins of others . sixtly , a sixt corollarie , if sin be so much against god , and wrong god so , hence it should teach all those that know god , and have any love to god , to be troubled , not only for their own sins , but for the sins of others , for sin wheresoever they see it . oh i see the blessed god wronged , fought against , stroke at ; and this should go neer the heart of all those that have any love to god at all : as with david in the . psalm , . rivers of water run down mine eyes because they keep not thy laws : 't is true , every man and woman should especially look to themselves , and their hearts should especially be troubled for their own sins ; but mark the saints that know how sin is against god , their hearts cannot but be wonderfully troubled when they see that god , so dear and precious to them , thus wronged ; rivers of water run down mine eyes because they keep not thy law. oh when ( i put it to thee in the name of the lord ) in all thy life didst thou shed one tear for the sins of those among whom you live ? for the sins of thy familie ? and vers . . i beheld the transgressors , and was grieved : oh i was grieved and pained at my heart ; yea , thus it will be with thee if thou lovest god. when thou in the familie , may be thou art a child , when thou beholdest thy father or mother carnal , and spending all their lives without the knowledg of god , and in waies of sinning against god , thou shouldest get alone , and mourn and lament for it : oh it is that , if any thing in the world , that would break a parents heart , if there be a yong child , a youth , or a maid , that god begins to reveal himself unto them , and the parent speaks , may be against them , and gods people , and swear , or profane gods day , or speak against his ordinances , though it may be it do not become thee to speak to them ; but if thou canst before them , let tears drop from thine eyes ; or get alone , and fall down and lament before god , if thou canst by lamenting reprove their sins ; that they shall see thee lament for them , this may break their hearts it may be : notwithstanding if it do not break their hearts , it hath this in it ; certainly , if any thing in the world will stir us and break our own hearts , this should be it , to see god dishonored in the world as he is , though our hearts be never so much hardened otherwise . there is a storie of a child of cressus that was born dumb , he seeing a soldier readie to strike at his father and kill him , the affection to his father brake the bars of his tongue , and he cried out , oh why will you kill the king ? then he cried out thus though he never spake before ; but the stroke against his father made him speak . so thou man or woman , shouldest have thy heart dead in other things , and have no mind to speak , yet when you see wretched men and women strike at god , ( as they do , as i have shewed in their sin ) if thou have any heart in the world ; any life in the world , when thou seest this stroke at god , now speak ; oh that should burst all bars asunder . though thou beest never so meek in thy familie , and canst bear other things , yet thou shouldest shew that thou canst not bear sin against god. oh i beseech you consider this , and see how neer this comes to you ; how many if any thing be done in your familie against you , or among your neighbors that is against you , you cannot bear it ; but you can bear that which is done against god , and never be troubled at it . as many a master , let the servant neglect his work , and displease him , he cannot bear it ; but let his servant be wicked , and break the sabbath , denie god his time , let his servant perhaps swear , or do such wickedness , he goes away and saith it may be , why do you so ? or , you should not do so ; or it may be , takes no notice of it : certainlie that man knows neither god nor sin , or hath little relation to god that takes so little notice of that done against god ; and yet that done against himself , he cannot bear it . take this along with you , if you have anie relation to god , your hearts will be more troubled for the wrong done to god by your children and servants , than when your selves are wronged by your servants or children . oh how manie men and women would go and wring their hands to their neighbors and friends , oh! never man or woman so miserable as i ! my own child out of my bowels wrongs me , and doth what hurt he can to me ! this is accounted matter of bitter lamentation : but now why should not thy heart melt and lament when thou canst say , oh the child out of my loins and bowels , how doth he wrong the blessed god of all the world ? oh that i should be so miserable to bear in my bowels one an enemie to the infinite blessed god! oh that an enemie to god should ever come out of my loins ! my thinks this should move tender hearted mothers , to see that they should bring forth such that should go on in waies of enmitie against god himself . suppose one out of your bowels should be a traitor to the parliament , and do mischief to the state , would not this trouble you , that one out of your bowels should be a traitor to the common-wealth ? this would be a grievous vexation . now is it not more if that thou hast a wicked child , one out of thy bowels that strikes at god , and is a traitor to the god of heaven ? these do more mischief than to destroy a whol nation ; i say , if a man should live to destroy , to undo a whol land for their outward estate , there were not so much evil in it , as in one sin against god. you would say , that were a misereant that should be born to undo a whol nation , and wo to me that i should bear one that should live to do such mischief to undo a state : now if thou bear one that strikes against god , and wrongs god in waies of sin , this should trouble thee as much as the other : therefore never be at quiet till thou see some work of grace , till thou see the heart of thy child called in . i remember augustine saith this of his mother , and i propound this for mothers example , he being verie wicked a while , and his mother godlie ; oh it grieved her heart that she should have a child go on in such wickedness against god , and she praid and wept , so that augustine saith of her , after god had enlightened his eyes to consider what she did for him , saith he , i perswade my self my mother did as much labor , and endure as much pain for my second birth , as ever for my first birth : this is his testimonie of her , that by her prayers and tears for her childs salvation that was wicked , he did verilie beleeve it cost her as much labor for the second birth , as for the first : upon which , when she comes and complains to ambrose of her child , well saith he , be of good comfort , surely a son of so many prayers and tears can hardly perish ; and he did not indeed , for he proved a worthie instrument of gods glorie afterward in the church . now is there anie mother in this congregation that can say , i have labored as much , and it hath cost me as much pain for the second birth of my child , as ever it did for the first ? certainlie did you know what sin were , and how against god , it would cost you a great deal of travail when you see your children wicked , and much prayer and cost , that you might not have a child an enemie to god , a traitor to the crown , scepter , and dignitie of jesus christ . oh brethren , doth it not pitie your souls to see that infinite , blessed , holy , dreadful god so much wronged in the world as he is . it should move us to pitie to see any saint , a man or a woman of an excellent gracious spirit , to see such a soul abused and wronged ; as solomon saith , there was a wise man in the city and not regarded , though he delivered the citie ; to see but one man of wisdom that hath but any excellencie in his spirit to be wronged , it should trouble any ingenious heart . but then i reason thus , if it would be , and should be such a trouble to any ingenious heart to see any one man of a gracious spirit wronged and abused , then how should it trouble any ingenious , any gracious heart in the world to see the infinite blessed glorious god to be wronged in the world by sin , as i have alreadie shewed he is in everie sin , when i discovered to you how sin is against god that i might possess your hearts with this principle , for i know no principle of greater power through the strength of christ to do good upon your spirits than this . chap. xxi . a seventh corollarie . ] if sin hath done thus much against god , then all that are now converted had need do much for god. seventhly , another is this , if sin have done so much against god , and so much wronged god , hence it follows , that all those that have heretofore lived in a sinful way , and god hath now been pleased to enlighten them , and work upon their hearts , had need now do much for god : this follows cleerly , thou didst heretofore live in waies of sin , and what didst thou do in all this ? nothing but strike at god , and wrong god all that time of thy natural estate , till god opened thine eyes , and awakened thy conscience : oh think now what a deal of wrong have i done to god all my life , if i have done nothing else ? well , now god opens thine eyes , oh now thou hadst need to do much for god. if god have shewed himself , and given hopes of mercie , and that he hath pardoned me ; this will certainly prevail with any heart that god hath turned : what! have i done so much against god heretofore ! oh i have cause to seek the honor of god upon my hands and feet all my daies , that if i can do any thing for god : what! i such a vile wretch , and yet out of hell ! yea , and hope to be pardoned ! oh any thing i can do for him , though to creep upon my hands and feet all my daies in this world , to suffer all the hardships in the world , shame , loss of estate , any thing in the world ; no matter how great and hard the suffering be that god calls for . there is infinite reason i should do and suffer all for god , for i have wronged god by sin , and thus we shall turn sin to grace as it were , and of poyson make an antidote against poyson , by taking advantage by sin to be more obedient unto god. you that have been swearers and wronged god that way , now sanctifie gods name the other way : you that have broken so many sabbaths , now sanctifie sabbaths : true , all that you can do cannot make up the wrong , but that will shew thy good will , that thou wilt do what thou canst , and manifest to god and all the world , that if thou hadst ten thousand times more strength than thou hast thou couldest lay it out for god ; and certainly any man or woman that have been great sinners , if god have humbled them and pardoned them , they wil be great saints for the time to come : carry this home with you , any that have been vile , perhaps you think you have grace because you are not so vile as heretofore you have been ; but certainly if you have grace , there will be a proportionableness between the holiness of your lives now , and your wicked life before ; you will take advantage , i have wronged god so before , now i must live thus and thus : it will be so between man and man , if one have wronged you , and you have pardoned him , you expect he should do , what he can for you : thus it should be with god and you , you have wronged god , others have sinned as well as you , and others sins have been furthered by you ; this now should inflame your hearts , i have sin enough in my self , and i have been the cause of it in thousand thousand sins in others , my sins strike against god , yea , and i have caused others to sin and strike against god : now if i could draw some from sin , i should think it the happiest thing in the world ; i would creep upon my hands and knees to draw others from sin to god , to be in love with the waies of god , and of religion . oh you that have been forward in sin , don't think it enough that now you be troubled for your sins and leave them ; but know , you must do for god now as much as you have done against him ; he requires it of you : oh go to your friends , and acquaintance , and kindred , and labor to draw them off from sin ; tell your kindred , and friends , and acquaintance , oh brother , that you did but know what sin means ; oh sister , that you did but understand what it is to sin against god : god hath shewed me in some measure ; yea , i that went on in such and such sins ; oh i see how i struck at god , and what an evil this is ; oh that god would enlighten your eyes : come and hear the word , i thought lightly of sin before , now i have gone and heard , and god hath shewed me what it was ; oh that god would make you see : and pray for them , and take no nay , but to them again and again , that so you may do somwhat for god as you have done abundance of wrong against god. chap. xxii . the eight corollarie . ] if sin doth so much against god , hence see why god manifest such sore displeasure against sin as he doth : against the angels that sinned . against all adams posterity . see it in gods giving the law against sin . see it in gods punishing sins that are accounted smal . see it in gods destroying all the world for sin . see his displeasure in punishing sin eternally . eightly , this is one consequence follows , if sin be so great an evil as you have heard , so much against god , wrongs god so much as it doth , and strikes at god ; hence then we see the reason why god manifests such sore displeasure against sin . we find ( brethren ) most dreadful manifestations of gods displeasure against sin , and the ground and bottom of them is in these things which you have heard opened unto you . and indeed did you understand and beleeve what hath been opened unto you concerning sins opposition of god , you could not then wonder at gods manifestation of his displeasure against sin . there are manifold manifestations of gods displeasure against sin , which when they be spoken of , and opened unto people that do not understand the dreadful evil that is in sin , they stand and wonder at it , and think , oh they be hard and severe things . when ministers reveal the threatnings of god against sin , oh say they , god forbid , we hope god is more merciful than so ; and all because they apprehend not what dreadful evil there is in sin . that soul that apprehends and beleeves these particulars that have been opened unto you , cannot but justifie god when they hear the revelation , and the manifestation of the displeasure of god against sin . as now in these particulars : that which hath been delivered is the bottom and ground of these that we shall mention , and we see the reason of all these . as first , that dreadful manifestation of the displeasure of god against the angels that sinned against him : there is that revelation of the displeasure of god against the angels , that might cause all our hearts to tremble before the lord at the very thought and hearing of it . i beseech you consider , you who think that god is only a god of mercie , and god is not so severe against sin as many ministers would make him ; do but attend to what i shall say unto you , how god hath manifested his displeasure against sin in the angels : consider of these five or six particulars , i will but onlie mention them . that god should cast so manie glorious creatures as the angels are , for ever from himself , considering the excellencie of their nature . consider their multitude . consider , that the chains of darkness that they be cast into , are eternal miseries . consider , that this was but for one sin . and consider , that this was but the first sin that ever they committed . lastly , consider , that god should not now enter so much as into any parley with them about anie terms of peace ; nor never would , nor never will : this is the sore displeasure of god against them , that god ( i say ) should not look upon the angels that he hath made glorious creatures , the most excellent of all the work of his hands : and when there were manie thousand millions of them , for so the scripture speaks of legions , even in one man legions of devils : though there were thousands and millions of such glorious creatures that god made ; and these were in heaven about his throne , beholding his glorie , and when these committed but one sin against him , never but one before their fall , and the first that ever was committed ; they had no example before them of gods wrath , but upon the verie first sin , though it were but one that all these glorious creatures committed , they were presentlie cast down from heaven , and of angels made devils , and reserved in chains of eternal darkness : and so is god set against them all for that one first sin , that he would never enter into any parley with them , to be reconciled upon any terms ; never to consider of any terms of peace , but cast them away from him unto eternal torments without anie recoverie ; this is the dreasul displeasure of god against sin . now brethren , this i speak of , is that which there is no doubting or controversie about ; anie one that knows the scripture knows this . in some things there may be controversies about them ; but no divine that hath knowledg of anie thing of scripture , but will confess this that i speak of ; and if you know not this , certainlie you were never acquainted with the scripture : though other points be controverted , yet none that know gods word make question of this , this is cleerlie granted of all . and the consideration of this might strike abundance of fear & terror into the hearts of wicked and ungodlie men and women , to think , lord , how have i thought of thee al this while , and have looked upon god as a merciful god , that though i have sinned , i have thought things would not be with me as i have heard by such and such ministers ; but this day i have heard , such was the sore displeasure of the infinite god against sin , that when he had to deal with those glorious angels for one sin , he cast thousands of them into eternal miserie , and upon no terms will be reconciled , nor never will. you think if you sin against god , you will crie god mercie , and so hope god wil pardon : true , there is a difference between man-kind and the angels , because we have a mediator , and they have not ; but most people that speak of crying to god for mercie , they look upon god , as gods nature meerlie being merciful , and not through a mediator ; they do not understand the necessitie of a mediator between god and them , but they apprehend that that god that made them wil hear their crie : now god made the angels and they were more noble creatures than you abundantlie ; now the angels that sinned but once , for that one sin are cast for ever , and god resolves , though they should crie and shreek , and shed thousands of tears for sin , god wil never hear them ; gods displeasure against sin is so great : certainlie then sin is a dreadful evil . suppose a prince were so wrath with a great companie of his nobles , that he casts a great multitude of them into a dungeon , and there they endure torment , and the king would not vouchsafe so much as to enter into a parley , to be reconciled upon any terms ; everie one would say , surelie 't is some great matter that hath provoked the king : if they understand this prince is verie just , and withal verie merciful ; to be sure he would do none any wrong , but were verie merciful above al men in the world ; and yet for but one offence he should cast these his nobles down into a dungeon to be tormented , and would by no means be reconciled : everie one would conclude , certainlie there was much evil in that offence if it deserved thus much ; and certainlie for the prince to deal thus with them there was much in it : would you not make such a conclusion from thence ? then learn to make such a conclusion from gods dealing with the angels ; that seeing god is just , and can do no creature wrong ; yea , god is infinitely merciful , and yet he doth cast his noble creatures , those creatures that were the highest that ever he made any creature , for one sin without any means of reconciliation : certainlie sin hath more evil in it than men are aware of , for though god hath not dealt thus with man-kind , yet he might ; there is so much evil in sin that god might have done thus with anie of us ; and had it not been for the mediation of his son , we had been thus irrecoverably miserable to all eternitie . secondly , consider , that for one sin in our first parents ( and not in our own persons ) that all the children of men by nature are put in such an estate to be children of wrath , and liable to eternal misery , and that for the sin of our parents : that will shew the wonderful justice of god : how unsearchable are his judgments , and his waies past finding out ! certainlie god is infinitelie displeased with sin , that when the first parents of man-kind did offend , then upon that all their posteritie to the end of the world are put into a damnable condition , all of them are children of wrath , and heirs of eternal perdition as in themselves . certainlie my brethren , this is a truth , and none can denie it that understand scripture , and if you do not understand this , you have not understood a great and necessarie truth of the word of god , that is necessarie to eternal life , that all man-kind are by the sin of their first parents put into a condemned estate , so as they are all the children of wrath by nature as the scripture saith : so that we are not onlie in danger of gods eternal wrath through the sin that we in our own persons do actually commit , but though we had never committed any actual sin in our own persons , yet the sin of our first parents is enough to make us children of wrath , and be our eternal ruine . certainlie there is a great deal of evil in sin more than the world thinks of , when it shall so provoke god as that he shall have such displeasure to put all man-kind to be in the state of children of wrath for the sin of our first parents . this is a second manifestation of gods displeasure against sin . thirdly , a third manifestation of gods displeasure against sin is in that fiery law ( as the scripture cals it ) that god hath given for forbidding and threatning of sin . consider the dreadful manner of gods giving the law , that it was with fire , lightning , thunderings , and earthquakes , and smoke , so as the scripture saith moses did shake and tremble at the very sight of the dreadfulness of the law when it was first given . that was only to set forth thus much to us , that if the law that god gave be broken , that then god will be very dreadful to those that break it ; therefore he gives it at first in such a dreadful manner . it may be many bold presumptuous sinners think it nothing to break the law of the infinite eternal god ; but in that god gives the law in such a dreadful manner as you may read in the . of exodus , how dreadfully god gave the law ; god doth thereby declare to all the world , how dreadful sinners are to expect him to be , if they do break the law. but especially consider that dreadful curse annexed to the law , cursed is every one that abides not in every thing that is written in the law ; to do that which the law of god pronounces to be done : a curse to every one that doth any thing at any time that shall break it . that there should be such a dreadful curse annexed ; this manifests the sore displeasure of god against sin . fourthly , a fourth manifestation of the sore displeasure of god against sin ( all this but to shew you further how sin is a greater evil than affliction ) the manifestation i say of gods displeasure against sin is seen , in that we find in gods word god hath so severely pun●sh'd some sins that do appear to us to be very smal , little sins : and yet god hath been exceedingly severe against those sins which appear to us to be exceeding smal : to instance in three . in sam. . . there you have this example , that the men of beth-sh●●esh , when the ark came to them they did but look into the ark out of curiositie , for ought we know for no other end but meerly out of curiositie : now because the ark was a holy thing , and none but the priests of god were to meddle with it , god did presently at an instant slay fiftie thousand , and three score and ten men of them : upon this the text saith , these men beholding this severitie of god for this offence , they all said , oh! who shall stand before the holy god! if god be so holy that he cannot bear so smal a sin as this did appear to men , that but for looking into the ark so many thousands shall be slain presently : who can stand before the holy lord ! many of you have slight thoughts of the lord and his holiness , and think you may be bold and presumptuous , you venture upon greater offences than this was ; but these men upon the venturing upon this one thing , above fiftie thousand are slain presently : this is the displeasure of god against sin , though very smal to our thoughts . again , a second example you have in uzzah that did but touch the ark out of a good intention , as being ready to fall , yet that not being according to the law , god struck him with death presently ; it cost him his life , he was struck with sudden death . we are terrified when we see one fall down suddenly : now upon that offence , though he had a good meaning , and good intention , yet god brake in upon him with his wrath , and struck him dead presently . consider this you that think you have good meanings , and good intentions , yet not doing according to the law ; the least breach of the law , though we have a good meaning , doth provoke the wrath of god , and god when he pleaseth lets out this his wrath . a third example you have in that poor man that we reade of , who did but gather sticks upon the lords day , and by the command of god from heaven this man must be stoned to death : you would think these things little matters . alas poor man , he might have need of them : how many of you venture upon other manner of things upon the lords day , profaning of it ? and yet god speaks from heaven , and gives command to have this man stoned to death . now brethren , though it be true , that god doth not alwaies come upon men for such little sins , it may be to make known his patience and long-suffering . perhaps the lord doth let others go on for a long time in greater sins : but yet god by a few such examples doth declare to all the world what the evil of the least sin is , and how his displeasure is out against the least sin . if he do forbear , that is to be attributed to his patience and long-suffering , but not to the littleness of the sin , or the littleness of the evil that is in that sin . this is a fourth . fifthly , a fifth thing wherein god manifests his displeasure against sin , is in those dreadful and hidious judgments that the lord executes abroad in the world that we have the stories of in the scripture , and all ages : as that god should come and drown a whol world except eight persons , all the whol world swept away and drowned . and so that god should command fire and brimstone to come down from heaven , and burn and consume whol cities , sodom and gomorrah , and the cities adjoyning ; yea , and all the men , women , and children , but only lot , and those few with him . and so the fire to come down upon those captains and their fifties , kings , . and the earth swallowing up corah , dathan , and abiram . there is no age but hath some one or other dreadful example of his judgments against sin. the wrath of god is revealed from heaven against all unrighteousness . now brethren , though some people have scaped , and these manifestations of gods judgments are not so general and ordinary ; yet when they are but now and then , god manifests what his displeasure is against sin , and what might be to all that sin against him . sixthly , a sixt manifestation of gods displeasure against sin , is in those eternal torments and miseries in hell that the scripture speaks of : the worm that never dies , and the fire that never goes out : when you hear ministers speak of fire that never is quenched ; for poor people to lie burning in fire thousands of thousands of years in eternal flames , scalding under the wrath of god ; you stand agast at the dreadfulness of these expressions . certainly these are only to reveal the displeasure of god against sin , because there is no finite time can be sufficient to manifest to the full the displeasure of god against sin : therfore those that perish , must perish eternally . chap. xxiii . a seventh discovery of gods displeasure against sin , opened from the sufferings of christ . first , see the several expressions of scripture : he was sorrowful to death , he began to be amazed , he began to be in an agony . secondly , see the effects of christs being in an agony , he fell grovelling on the ground , he swet drops of blood , he cries to god if it be possible to let this cup pass from me . thirdly , there is eight considerations of christs sufferings . seventhly , and that is greater than all that hath been said : put all the former six together ; his dealings with the angels , and with man-kind ; the dreadful giving of the law ; his dreadful judgments for smal sins ; and examples of his wrath abroad in the world ; and the eternal torments in hell : put all these six together , and yet i say all these six is not so much to manifest the displeasure of god against sin as this one that now i shall tell you of : and if there be any thing in the world that should make us to see the evil of sin , it should be this ; if any thing make our hearts to shake and tremble at the evil of that sin of which it is so much guiltie , then this i say that now i speak of should do it ; and that is this , the dealings of god the father with his son : when jesus christ that was the second person of the trinity , god blessed for ever , came to be our mediator , and to have but our sins imputed unto him ; and according to scripturs phrase , to be made sin : do but then take notice how god deals with him , how god manifests himself to his own son , when his own son did but take mans sin upon him , to answer for it : do but then consider how god the father did deal with him . the scripture saith , he did not spare his son , but let out the vials of his wrath upon him in a most dreadful manner . if we do but consider , first , that christ god blessed for ever should come and be in the form of a servant , should be a man of sorrows as the scripture speaks , that in the whol course of his life should live a contemptible life before men , and undergo grievous sufferings . but because i must hasten , do but look upon christ in his agony , and upon the cross at his death , and there you will see the dreadful displeasure of god against sin , and in nothing more than that . true , there is the bright glass of the law wherein we may see the evil of sin : but there is the red glass of the sufferings of christ , and in that we may see more of the evil of sin than if god should let us down to hell , and if there we should see all the tortures and torments of the damned in hell , see them how they lie sweltring under gods wrath there ; it were not so much as beholding sin through the red glass of the sufferings of jesus christ , and that of his agony . and give me leave a little to shew to you how god let out himself against his son when he came into the garden ; and a little before when he was to die and suffer upon the cross . and for this consider these two things : first , the several expressions the holy ghost useth in the several evangelists for the setting out of those dreadful things christ suffered as a fruit of gods displeasure upon him . one evangelist saith that christ was very sorrowful even to the death , mat. . . he began to be ( the word in the original signifies ) compassed about with sorrows , to have sorrows round about him , and as it were beset and besieged with grief ; and it was to the very death , usque ad mortem , sorrowful to the very death : what was it for ? upon the apprehension of the wrath of his father , which he was to endure for the sin of man : he was sorrowful to the death in the apprehension of it . you it may be upon the sight of sin content your selves with some slight little sorrow . you will it may be , when you are told of sin , cry , lord have mercy upon me , i am sorry for it , and so pass it away . but christ when god comes to deal with him , he makes his soul to be compassed about with sorrows , sorrowful to the death for our sins . another evangelist tels us he began to be amazed , mark , . . that is , when christ came to drink the cup of the wrath of his father , due for our sins , he stood amazed at the sight of the dreadfulness of that cup he was to drink of ; because he knew what gods wrath was , he understood what it was before he drunk of it ; and this made him stand amazed at it . many sinners hear gods wrath , and this makes them fear , but they be not amazed at it , they can pass it away and they be not affected with it afterward ; because they understand it not , they know not what it is for a creature to stand before the wrath of an infinite deity : who knows the power of thy wrath ? saith the scripture : therfore they be not amazed . but christ that knew full well what the wrath of god was , and saw to the bottom of it , he understood to the dregs what that cup was ; and he stood amazed at the sight of it when he was to drink it . another evangelist hath this expression , ( 't is in luke . . ) christ began to be in an agony : now the word agony , signifies a strife , a combat ; it is taken from the word that stgnifies a combate in battel . christ was in an agony , in a combate : combate , with what ? with whom ? with the wrath of god , he saw coming out upon him to sink him ; he saw the curse of the law come out upon him ; he saw the infinite justice of god , of the infinite deity come out upon him : and he was in an agony , in combate with the infinite justice and wrath of god , and the dreadful curse of the law , and so christ came to be in an agony . these be the three expressions of the evangelists . secondly , consider the effects of christs being in an agony , and apprehending the wrath of his father for sin . one effect was this , you shall find it in the story of the gospel , that the text saith , he fell grovelling upon the ground upon the apprehension of gods wrath and displevsure upon him for sin , which he was to suffer : he fell down grovelling upon the ground . when he that upholds the heavens and the earth by his power , now falls grovelling upon the earth , having the weight and burden of mans sin upon him he falls upon his face , he falls to the ground . certainly brethren , christ had that weight and burden upon him , that would have prest all the angels in heaven , and men in the world down to the bottomless gulf of despair : if all the strength of all the men that ever were since the beginning of the world , and all the angels in heaven were put into one , and he had but that weight upon him that christ had , it would have made him sink down into eternal despair : for had not christ been god as well as man , he could never have born it , but would have sunk down eternally : but the burden and weight was so great that he sinks down to the ground . a second effect of christs bearing the wrath of god for sin is this , he sweat great drops of blood ; the word in the original is clodders of blood ; blood thickned into clods . never was there such a sweat ; it was in the winters night , a cold night , abroad upon the ground in a cold winters night , and he had nothing else upon him to make him sweat but the burden of sin , and the weight of the wrath of god being upon him , he being under that burden sweat , and such a sweat as made the very blood break through his very veins and run to clodders , and so run down upon the ground clodders of blood : and all this but upon the apprehension of the wrath of god his father against him for our sin. now you know when porters be under great burdens , somtimes they sweat ; but never did any sweat like this sweat of christ , being under the weight of mans sin , sweat so as clodders of blood should fall from him : one would think fear should rather draw in the blood ; fear naturally draws in the blood to the heart : therefore it is that men and women when they are skar'd , and are afraid , they are so pale in their countenance ; fear causeth paleness in the outward parts , because the blood retires to the heart when they be afraid . but such was the amazement upon christ , upon the apprehension of the wrath of his father for sin , that it sends out blood in clodders trickling down his sides . and then a third expression which shew the effect of gods wrath on christ , is the prayer of christ ; christ doth as it were shrink under this weight and burden of sin , and cries to god , if it be possible let this cup pass from me . when we cry with vehemency , we say , if it be possible let it be thus or thus ; but christ cries out so three times . we may apprehend christ taking as it were the cup of the wrath of his father in his hand , and because he knew it was the end wherefore he came into the world , that he must drink of it for satisfaction for mans sin ; and being willing to save man-kind , that he knew could not be saved but he must drink the cup , he takes it in his hand readie to drink it ; but beholding the hidiousness and dreadfulness of this cup , and knowing what was in it , he puts it away , and cries , father if it be possible , let this cup pass : but now he sees if he did not drink it , all the children of men must be eternally damned ; for such was our miserie , if christ had not drunk this cup , we had all eternally perish't ; therefore christ puts it to his mouth again ( as it were ) the second time ; but yet seeing what dreadfulness was in this cup , and he knowing it , he takes it away again , and cries , if it be possible , let this cup pass : but yet having love to man-kind , being loth to see so many thousands of poor creatures perish eternally , he puts it to his mouth again a third time ; and yet seeing the dreadfulness of it , puts it away again , and yet saith , if it be possible let it pass . this might make a man tremble to think that he shall ( as job saith . job ) drink of the wrath of god : thus it was with christ , and all this while he did not drink it : but afterwards when he comes to the cross , there he drunk the cup of gods wrath , and there he cries out with another cry more bitter than all the other , and that is , my god , my god , why hast thou forsaken me ? so that he apprehends himself forsaken . oh the wrath of the almighty that then was upon the spirit of jesus christ at that time : what! for the son of god blessed for evermore thus to cry out , my god , my god , why hast thou forsaken me ! oh you heavens how could you be able to behold such a spectacle as this was , or the earth be able to bear it ! truly , neither heaven nor earth were able ; for the scripture saith , that the sun withdrew his light , and was darkened so many hours ; it was from twelve to three , that the sun withdrew his light and did not shine , but there was dismal darkness in the world as not being able to behold such a spectacle as this : and the earth shook and trembled , and the graves opened , and the rocks clove in sunder , the very stones themselves were affected with such a work as this ; and the vale of the temple rent asunder : these things were done upon christs bearing of the wrath of his father for sin. here you have the fruits of gods displeasure for sin , and in this you may see , surely sin must needs be a vile thing that causeth god the father thus to deal with his own son , when he had mans sin upon him . thirdly , consider yet further , for there is much in it , and if this do not shew the evil of sin , and cause you to fear and tremble , those that be guilty of sin , and their consciences tell them so ; if their hearts tremble not , certainly their hearts be hard , and their minds be blinded , and little hopes can they have for the present of ever having their parts in these sufferings of christ ; what shall christ suffer such sufferings , and wilt thou go away and have slight thoughts of sin ? shall sin be so great a burden to christ , and wilt thou be so merry under it ? certainly you see it is more than you were aware of : for you to say , i trust in jesus christ , and hope to be saved by jesus christ ; you see how christ felt sin , the scripture saith he was made a curse : were it not we had it from the holy ghost , no man or angel durst say so , that christ should be made a curse ; in the abstract , not cursed , but made a curse : what! he that was god and man , by the sin of man was made a curse ! oh the displeasure of god against sin ! but yet to give it you a little more fully , see these aggravations , and you will say , certainly the displeasure of god was great against his son. as first , all that christ suffered he perfectly knew it long before he suffered , and yet it was so dreadful unto him . oh brethren , there be many men and women understand nothing at all of the wrath of god against sin , these think there is no great matter in it : of all the men and women in the world , when they come to suffer this wrath , it will be dreadful to them , because it come unexpectedly ; they that went on merrily and cheerfully in the waies of sin , and for the wrath of god , never thought of it ; now then when the wrath of god comes on them , it will be more dangerous and intollerable : this is the reason why many people when their consciences are awakened upon their sick beds , then they despair , crying and roaring under gods wrath and rage with despair : why ? because they never in their lives came to understand the danger of sin , and of gods wrath for sin ; and because it comes now suddenly upon them , they be not able to bear it . but it was not so with christ , christ understood this long before ; he knew what it would be before he took our nature , and he knew what it would be when he came in humane nature to undertake it . those men and women that know not what storms and tempests are , it is grievous to them when they come to know them suddenly ; when they are in the midst of a storm or tempest at sea , oh they are grievous : but marriners that know beforehand what they are like to meet withal , it is not grievous to them . but christ though he knew it beforehand , yet how dreadful was it to him when it came ? consider , christ had no sin in himself to weaken his strength , and take away his strength , and so make the burden greater ; he had no sin but only by imputation . but now when the wrath of god comes upon us , we having so much sin in our natures , this weakens us , and will therefore make the burden of divine wrath so much the more intollerable to us : for as it is with a sound man , if a great weight be laid upon a man healthful and strong , he feels not the burden of it ; but if you lay the same weight upon a man very sick and weak through distemper of body , it is grievous to him : so here , if the weight of sin were so grievous to christ that had no distemper of weakness , how grievous will it be to a sinner that is distempered , and so weakened with sin ? if the shoulders of a porter be sore , and all the skin off , and a boyl upon his shoulder , how grievous would the burden be then ? so it is with us , when god comes to lay the burden of his wrath upon us , we be but weak creatures at the best , but through the distemper of sin in our hearts we are more weak and more unable to bear : because we be sore , and have boyls of sin ; this makes gods wrath much more dreadful ; but it was not so with christ . christ had absolute perfect patience , there was not the least impatiency in christ : therefore when christ that had perfect patience , and yet did thus cry out and sweat , and was thus sorrowful under it , surely there was some fearful burden in this . some men and women will lie and roar out under some pains , and it may be it is great , but had they perfect patience , they would not make such dolor and out-cries : it is through the weakness of their patience that they make such out-cries , and manifest such sence of their affliction . but christ made not such out-cries through impatiency . consider , christ had the strength of an infinite deity to support him : he had the strength of god , he was god and man , he had the strength of the divine nature to support the humane nature which no creature can have as christ had ; for there was an hypostatical union between the divine and humane nature at that time , and yet notwithstanding the hypostatical union of both natures , yet christ expresseth himself thus , and is thus sensible of the wrath upon him for the sin of man. consider , christ was the captain of all that were to suffer hereafter : and therfore he would if he had had no more upon him than that which the humane nature could have born , have manifested ( one would think ) abundance of resolution and magnanimity , and not have cried out so : and surely had there not been the suffering of the wrath of the deity , and the curse of the law in it ; certainly he that was the captain of all that were to suffer , he would have manifested it to be a light burden he met withal ; for there be many martyrs have suffered outwardly as great extremities as ever christ did , for outward torture , and born them with joy ; therfore seeing the martyrs many of them suffering greater tortures to their bodies , and have born them with joy ; no sorrow , nor crying out , my god , my god , why hast thou forsaken me ? nor , if it be possible , let this cup pass , but endured them with a great deal of joy. now how comes it to pass that the martyrs did bear them with such joy , and christ the captain of them all falls to the earth , and cries out so ? certainly there was more in christs sufferings than in all the sufferings in the world , more of the displeasure of god. consider , that it was through the strength of christ that all that ever did suffer were inabled to suffer what they did undergo . now if christ had that strength , that through him all the martyrs were inabled to suffer what they did ; certainly christ had abundance of strength in himself to suffer when he came to it : how comes it to pass then that the strength whereby they were inabled to suffer being from christ , they manifested not that horror and trouble that christ himself did ? certainly therefore christ suffered other manner of things than they did . consider this , christ did know what an infinit good his sufferings would do : that by suffering he should save so many thousands , reconcile god and man , glorifie his father , that he should do the greatest work for god and his father that ever was ; that by his sufferings there should be that work done that should be matter of eternal praise , and hallelujahs of the saints and angels eternally in the heavens : and yet though christ knew and understood what good should be done by his sufferings , yet see how sensible he was of the greatness of it . one would have thought the good he saw to be done should much have lightened it ; and so certainly it did . consider , christ did know his sufferings were to continue but a litle while ; though they were extream , yet that they should last but for a few hours , and then he should be glorified . and yet though he did understand his sufferings were to last but a few hours , and then himself should come to glory ; yet for all this they were thus hidious and dreadful to him . oh lord , then how hidious shall the sufferings of the damned be to them , when as every damned soul that goes to hell , knows certainly how he must lie to all eternity ; after thousands of thousands , and ten thousand millions of years ; after so many thousands of years as there be drops in those mighty waters which you sail over ; yet the time is no more expired than the very first moment they enter'd into those miserable torments . consider of this thus you that have to do in the great waters , consider how many drops there might be in the sea , as big as the bill of a bird could carry , and that this bird should be supposed once in a thousand years to carry away one drop , yet this bird would sooner empty that mighty sea than the torments of the damned should be at an end . oh how dreadful will it be to them when as christs tortures which he did endure but a little while , made him to cry out so . oh brethren , put all these together and then know the evil of sin . oh that we could apprehend it now before we come to feel it . for this is the end for which i speak of these things and present them before you , that you may now know them , and never come to feel experimentally what they be . blessed be those that in hearing tremble and beleeve , and do not come to know by experience that dreadful evil in them . if god should in his infinite wisdom have studied ( as one may so speak ) from all eternity to have found out a way to have presented sin to be dreadful to the children of men , we could not conceive how infinite wisdom should from all eternity have found out an argument to manifest the evil of sin more , or so much as in the sufferings of jesus christ : so that in them god doth as it were say , wel , i see wretched men and women will not beleeve the evil of sin ; well , among other arguments , i will have one , that if possible , shall convince all wicked hard hearts in the world to make them see what sin is , and that is in my son , in my dealings with my son ; and that wrath of mine i shall lay upon my son ; this shall make it appear to them what sin is . now if god have done this on purpose to render sin odious and abominable , and a most dreadful evil ; oh wo then to that soul , that after all this shall go on in waies of sin pleasingly and delightfully , and easily entertain sin. the second part of this treatise . sin is most opposite to mans good ; and far more opposite to the good of man than affliction . it may be by all that hath been said of sins being against god , the hearts of some ( at least ) may not be so much as turned : therefore now we come to shew how sin is against the good of man ; not only against god , but against our selves . certainly brethren , sin makes the sinner to be in an evil case : from that which hath been said we may conclude , that of a truth a sinner , a wicked man or woman must needs be in an evil case . this is the subject which i am to open , what an evil case sin brings our selves into : and thereby we shall see that sin is a greater evil than affliction . though we have spent divers exercises upon this , yet it is as various as if we had several texts . now this is the argument to demonstrate , that a sinner doth not only dishonor and strike at god ; but sin is against his own soul , against his own life , against his own peace and comfort , against his own happiness ; he doth undo himself by sin . this is that which i am now to declare to you ; and for the opening of this , divers particulars offer themselves to be handled . chap. xxiv . first , sin make a man evil , but no affliction can make him so : those that are in affliction are not the worse , but those that are wicked are vile persons , though they be the greatest princes . first , more generally thus , sin is against man more than any affliction . for , first , sin makes a man to be evil : no affliction makes him to be evil but only sin : i beseech you observe it , a man or woman is not a worse man or woman because afflicted , not worse than they were before ; but sin makes the man or the woman to be worse : and there is a great deal in this to shew the evil of sin to be beyond the evil of affliction . take a man that is never so sorely afflicted , suppose the affliction to be as grievous as the afflictions of job , suppose a man scraping off his sores upon the dunghil as job did , this affliction makes him not a worse man than he was before ; only it may occasion sin somtimes , and so make him worse : but take job , considered in his afflictions only , and he was not a worse man than in the greatest prosperity , when the candle of the lord shined upon him , and all his parts , only it occasioned some sin in job , otherwise he had not been the worse ; and in conclusion he was not the worse , for as it occasioned some sin , so it stirred up a great deal of grace ; as the apostle saith cor. . , . for neither if we eat , are we the better ; neither if we eat not , are we the worse : so i may say of all outward things in the world : if a man have riches , it makes him not the better ; if he be in poverty , it makes him not the worse : if he have honor , he is not better ; if disgrace , he is not worse , his condition may be worse , but himself not at all the worse : therfore you shall observe it , that when the scriptures speaks of gods people afflicted , yet it speaks of them as most honorable , and in a most excellent condition notwithstanding their afflictions : but when it speaks of some in great prosperity , but wicked , it speaks of them as most contemptible and vile . i will give you an example of each , the most remarkable in all the book of god. those that are most sorely afflicted , yet to shew that they are not the worse for their afflictions , see the . heb. , , . verses ; i suppose you that are acquainted with the word of god , know the story , that the christians went up and down the world in sheep skins and goats skins , persecuted and afflicted , and dwelling in the caves of the earth ; they had tryals of cruel mockings , and scourgings ; yea , moreover , of bands , and imprisonment : they were stoned , they were sawn asunder , were tempted , were slain with the sword ; they wandered about in sheep skins and goat skins , being destitute , afflicted , tormented . what can be said be more of affliction ? if affliction can make a man miserable , surely these must needs be miserable : they were mocked and slouted , and made the off-scouring of the world ; driven from house and home , and went in sheep skins and goat skins : many think themselves miserable if they cannot go fine and brave ; these went in sheep skins and goat skins , and were sawen asunder , miserably tormented and afflicted : it may be some will say , certainly these were in a most miserable condition : now mark the next words of the holy ghost , of whom the world was not worthy : they were under such sore afflictions , and yet they were such excellent persons as the world was not worthy of them in their worst condition , they were so excellent that the world was not worthy of them : they were thought to be such as were not worthy to live in the world , thus the evil world thought of them ; but mark the difference of the judgment of god from the judgment of the world ; the world thinks they are so vile that they are not worthy to live in the world ; and god thinks they are so excellent that the world is not worthy that they should live amongst them . i remember chrysostom hath this upon it , that they were so excellent , as all the men in the world were not worth one of them ; put all the other men in the world together , and they were not worth so much as ( at least ) a few of these afflicted , persecuted , tormented christians : as if he should say , do you see a company of poor creatures walking in sheep skins and goat skins , and live in caves and dens of the earth ; look upon them , and take all the men of the world , kings , princes , and monarchs , rich men , and mighty captains of the world , all other men , and put them all together , they are not all worth these few poor creatures that go up and down in sheep skins and goat skins . thus afflictions make not a man a pin the worse : man he is exceeding glorious in gods eyes notwithstanding afflictions . but now secondly , come to sin , let there be sin , although a man have never so much outward prosterity and glory in the world , he is a most vile abominable creature , when sinful . see one famous example for this parallel to this on the other side , in the prophesie of daniel , . dan. verse . and there shall stand up a vile person : now who is this vile person that the holy ghost speaks of ? it is according to interpreters antiochus epiphanus , the great king of assyria ; and his very name signifies illustrious , so the word epiphanus signifies , illustrious , famous , glorious ; so that he hath these two titles , the great king of assyria , and the great king , famous , illustrious , glorious . and josephus writing of this man , hath this story , that the samaritans when they saw how he persecuted the jews , they sought his favor , and would not own themselves jews ; and they writ to antiochus the mighty god , this was their title in a letter they sent to him , antiochus the mighty god : well , now see here is one that hath outward glory enough ; the great king of assyria ; antiochus , famous , illustrious , that hath the title of the mighty god ; but now because he is a wicked man , the scripture saith , there shall a vile person arise ; a vile person notwithstanding his greatness ; let him be never so glorious a king , and called the mighty god , yet a vile person . i beseech you in your thoughts put these two scriptures together , these that go up and down in sheep skins and goat skins , are such that the world is not worthy of ; and antiochus the gloriousest king in the world , in gods judgment is a vile person . thus you see afflictions make not a man worse , but under them he may be as good as he was before ; and prosperity makes not a man better , but he may be as vile in prosperity as he was before : therfore though a man may have his estate encrease , and his estate bettered , yet he is not better : we speak of such or such , oh he is the best man in the parish , or the best man in the town : what do you mean by that ? oh he hath so much by the year , and so great a stock at sea , he is owner of ships , and hath part of so many ships ; and he is a great man , worth so much : true , his estate is worth somthing , but he ( if he be a wicked man ) is worth nothing : in the mean time , oh he is worth so much : yea , but you are deceived , his mony or his land is worth so much , or his ships are worth so much , but he is worth nothing himself : therfore the scripture speaks of the wicked , prov , . . the heart of the wicked is little worth : now the heart of a man , that is his soul , and that is the man ; the mind of a man , is the man ; the spirit , that is the man : now the heart of the wicked is little worth ; his house and his land may be worth somthing , but the heart of the wicked , he himself , is worth nothing . so that sin makes a man an evil man , but afflictions doth not make him evil : therefore sin is more against the good of a man , than afflictions possibly can be . this is the first . chap. xxv . secondly , sin is more opposite to the good of man than afflictions , because most opposite to the image of god in man : three particulars instanced , and a question resolved . seecondly , this will come more close , and particularly to demonstrate it more plainly to you , how that sin is more against the good of a man , than ever afflictions and troubles can be ; because sin is most against the image of god in man , most opposite unto the image of god in man , it defaceth that image : therefore it must needs be a greater evil than afflictions : for brethren , of all creatures in the world that god made , angels and men were the only creatures that god stamped his image upon ; for as it is with princes , they use not to stamp their image ( if they be glorious magnificent princes they use not to stamp their image ) upon brass , or copper , or leather , upon base mettals , but upon pure mettals , gold or silver ; and it is a sign the state grows low , when the kings image must be stamped upon lower mettals : so here , god would have his image stamped upon some of his creatures ; now he would not take the lowest meanest creatures , but god takes the most excellent creatures , as i may so say , gold and silver ; the angels i may compare to gold , and the children of men to silver ; and god makes the same image ( as the same image that is upon the gold , is upon the silver ) god makes the same upon man that is upon the angels : the same image of god that makes the angels glorious creatures , doth make man kind to be glorious too in the same image ; and our natures be capable of the very same image of god that the angels themselves have ; and this is the excellency of man-kind . now it is needful to shew the excellency of gods image in man , that so i may shew you the evil of sin ; in that it defaceth such an excellency of man , and therfore it is more against the good of man than any affliction can be . now the image of god in man is a glorious excellency , for it is that whereby men come to resemble god in his highest excellency ; it is not a likeness unto god in some inferior thing ; for though it be true , all in god is alike glorious , yet to our apprehensions some things appear more glorious than other : now the image of god in man , is that whereby man resembles god in that which doth appear to be the highest excellency in god himself . for as in an image or picture of a man ; when i draw the image of a man , i draw not the resemblance of a man in in some inferior thing , but i labor to draw the lively countenance ; in that is the greatest excellency of a man. and so in the image of god , now the image of god is the holiness of god , and so in mans soul the impression of gods own holiness , that is the image of god in man ; and by that , man comes to resemble god in the top of his glory and excellency . now this must needs be glorious for the creature to come so neer unto god as is possible for the creature ; for there is no excellency any creature is capable of , higher than the image of god , only that hypostatical union of the two natures . upon this god must needs take an infinite delight in looking upon the souls of the children of men ; as you know a man takes delight in looking upon his own image where ever he seeth it : so god takes delight in looking upon his own image ; there is nothing in all the world can take the eye of god so much as looking upon angels and the souls of men , and god sees the very same thing in the souls of men as he did in his angels . the most glorious object god hath to behold , is to behold himself in the creature ; the more god seeth of himself in any creature , the more delight must he needs take in viewing and looking upon that creature . now no creature in this inferior world had so much of gods work in it as man-kind had , having the image of god. hence it follows , that all the creatures in the world were brought under the dominion of man to be serviceable unto man ; why ? because he had so much of the image of god in him : upon that all creatures in the world were to lie under his feet , to be perfectly subject to the dominion of man. now if the image of god be such a glorious thing as it is , then what would you say of that which doth deface this image ? that must needs be an evil thing , and do much to the hurt of man that shall deface such an ezcellency as this is . now certainly sin doth so ; sin doth cast dirt into this image of god , and doth deface it : and therefore in the . col . the apostle there speaking of renewing grace , sanctifying grace , it is said , by it we come to have the image of god renewed : by grace ; then it is apparent , by sin the image of god is defaced . now prethren , if a man did take delight in a curious piece , as there be some men that will give five hundred pounds , a thousand pounds for some curious thing drawn with art : suppose such a one that prizeth such a piece , and there should come one and quite deface it ; would he not account this a great evil , and his heart rise against him ? thus it is in this case , the image of god in the soul of man , is the curiousest piece that ever was drawn in the world by the finger of gods spirit ; all creatures in heaven and earth could never draw such a piece , but sin defaceth it ; nay , such is the evil of sin , that one sin is enough quite to deface , and take away the image of god : as we know in adam , that was made according to the image of god , one sin quite defaced the image of god : as we account a house quite defaced and demolished , though here and there a little rubbish and stones remain : as in your monasteries or abbies that are demolished , though there be a few stones and rubbish left , yet the house is demolished . so all that is left in man of gods image , is but as the little rubbish of such a house left after its demolishing ; yea , that which is left , according to the opinion of many of the learned , is not a remainder of the image of god in man that he had at first creation ; but rather a smal pittance of some common gifts of gods spirit : for many wise and godly men hold that the remainders of that which we usually conceive to be the ruines and remainders of gods image since the fall , is not the remainders of what is left , but that which god ( for societie sake in the world , and that he may have a church in the world ) was pleased by some givings out of his spirit to renew somwhat in those that shall not be saved ; and so they come to have some light of knowledg even by jesus christ himself , christ enlightens every man that comes ▪ into the world , saith the scripture ; that is , if a man have common light , christ enlightens that man ; if a man have saving light , christ enlightens that man with saving light : so that the image of god was quite defaced by one sin . oh the evil and venom of sin , that one sin quite takes away the image of god. quest . but you will say , why is it not so now , for in the regenerate , there is the image of god in part renewed in them , and yet they commit many sins ? how comes it to pass sin quite defaceth not the image of god in those regenerate , that have it not perfectly , as well as the image of god in man that had it perfectly at first ? answ . to this i answer : this is not from a any reason of want of malignity in sin , for sin would do it ; but because of the strength that is in the covenant of grace , that god hath made in christ , hence god preserveth his image in those that be regenerate , notwithstanding they commit many sins : and it is a demonstration of the infinite power of god , that notwithstanding there is so many sins in those regenerate , that yet there should be preserved the image of god in man , which was not in adam : because god entred not into such a gracious covenant with adam to preserve him , therefore god leaving adam to a common course of providence , and had to do with him in a covenant of works , therfore god leavs that for sin to do in him , that it should not in us . but now there is more strength in the covenant of grace , and therefore it is , that 't is not every sin we commit that doth deface the image of god : but this is no thank to sin , nor doth it argue the less evil in sin . but be it known unto you that be sanctified , when you give liberty to sin , there is this in it , that in its own nature it would quite take away all the image of god renewed in you : and certainly thofe that understand what a blessing there is in this , to have gods image renewed in them , cannot but see that there is greater evil in sin than in any thing in the world ; that i should commit that which in its own nature would quite deface the whol image of god in me . and this is the second argument to declare the evil of sin against mans good . chap. xxvi . thirdly , sin is opposite to the life of god in man. a third particular to discover the evil of sin as opposite to mans good is this , because sin is opposite to the life of god in man. before i shewed sin strikes at the life of god in himself : now i am to shew you how sin strikes at the life of god in mans soul : for brethren , certainly this is the happiness of the children of men above other creatures , that god did make them to be of such a nature that they should live that life the lord himself lived , in a kind ; and so the scripture is very plain , ephes . . the text saith there , that they were alienated from the life of god through the darkness of their minds : it was the sinfulness of their hearts that did alienate them from the life of god ; therefore it is apparent that they were capable of the life of god ; and the life of god is the excellency of the children of men : now the sin of their hearts alienated them from the life of god. quest . now you will say , what do you mean when you speak of the life of god , and that the soul of man is capable of the life of god , and shew how sin is opposite to god ? certainly if i should come and tell you of the flames of hell , and torments of hell due to sin , perhaps i might scare some more that way : but for those that have any understanding , and truly know the excellency of man , their hearts will more rise upon the opening of this , than if i should spend many sermons to open the torments of hell to you : well then , what is this life of god ? answ . . that everlasting principle of grace in the souls of men united unto christ by his spirit , whereby men come to act and work as god doth act , and as god doth work for his own glory as the utmost end . as life is a principle whereby the creature moves within himself unto perfection , unto that which tends to perfection ; an active principle within it self to move towards perfection , that we account life . now that principle whereby a man shall come to move and work just as god moves and works ( still speaking after the manner of man ) that is , to have the likeness of god ; not in the very same thing , but the same in proportion of likeness , as the creature is capable of : how is that you will say ? thus ; this is the life of god ( so far as we can conceive of him ) that god is a continual act alwaies working for himself , and willing of himself as the last end of all : the very life of god consists in that , and in that consists the nature of holiness . now then when a man hath such a principle within him as that he can work unto god , as his last and highest end , and obey god as his chiefest good , he works as god himself doth . now brethren , this is the life of god that the children of men be capable of above all other creatures ; and it is this that makes them fit to converse with god himself ; i say , it is that which makes the children of men to be fit to converse with that infinite , glorious , eternal first-being of all things : and here is the happiness of man , that he is of that nature that he is capable of this excellency , to have to do with the infinite eternal first-being : for many know no more excellency than to converse with meat and drink ; that swine , and dogs , and other peasts do : but know , you be of more noble natures than so ; god hath made the meanest and poorest in this congregation , god hath made you of so noble a nature , that you may come to converse with the infinite , glorious , first-being of all things . as we know the excellency of men , that which puts a difference between man and man is this ; that this man that lives in a mean condition , their meanness consists in this , that they spend all their daies in converse with bruit beasts , and turning the clods of the earth ; but noble and great men are busied in state affairs , they be raised higher because they converse with princes , and great affairs of state ; the things they converse about are higher , and therefore they are more noble and higher than other men . as some children of men know no other excellency than to eat and drink , and play , and be filthy , and have nothing but that which the beasts have : but others , to whom god hath revealed himself , and hath made them of such a noble nature , that when others be in base acts of uncleanness , that know no other way of rejoycing in time of joy , but laughing , and eating and drinking , and filthiness : but others can get alone , and there contemplate of the glory of the great god , and their souls be opened to god , and god lets in beams of himself to them , and they let out beams of their love to god , and their desires to god , there is an intercourse between heaven and them ; god opens himself to them , and they open their souls to god , and so enjoy communion from god ; and they because they have the life of god in them , they be fit to converse with god : for mark , those things that converse one with another , they be such things that must live the same life ; as now , man can converse with man ; why ? because he lives the same life that man lives : but man is not so fit to converse with beasts , because they live not the same life ; though some men live even the very life of beasts : as a beast cannot converse with plants ( but only devours them ) because they live not the same life ; but those that live the same life be fittest for converse . so if man did not live the same life god doth , he could not converse with god : hence wicked and ungodly men cannot converse with god , because they live not the same life of god : when you talk of conversing with god , it is a riddle to many men ; why ? because they are strangers to the life of god , they have nothing of the life of god in them , but it is strange to them ; therfore they cannot converse with god. but now that which strikes at this life , and is the death of the soul , is sin ( for sin is the death of the soul ) therefore ephes . . beginning , you be dead in trespasses and sins , sin brings death ; he means not a bodily death , though that be a truth , but there is this death , the life of god is gone : all men by nature have the life of god gone ; and if ever it be renewed , it is by a mighty work of gods spirit : but sin strikes at the life of god in us , at this candle of the lord in this earthen pitcher . again , the excellency of the life of god will consist in this , as to make a man converse with him , so in this , that god must needs take infinite delight in the souls of those that live his life : as before in looking upon his image , now much more when he can see his creatures work as he himself works : this is the delight of god to see his creatures work just as himself . as a man takes delight to see his pictute , but abundantly more to look upon himself in his child , and to see his life in his child that comes from him , to see it able to work as he works . as suppose any artificer , or one skilled in navigation , suppose he see a picture drawn of navigation , he takes delight in that because there is somthing of himself in it ; but now suppose he hath a child , and he puts skill into him and he seeth him work as he works , and discourse about naval affairs as he discourseth ; this is wonderfully delightful to him . so when god shall see the same life in his creature that is in himself , that he works and wills as he doth , this takes the very heart of god ; and this shews the excellency of grace . but sin is that which strikes at this life of god , and brings death to the soul , wholly takes away this life : and were it not for the covenant of grace even one sin would take away this image of god ; for sin did it in adam , and so would in the regenerate , if it were not for the covenant of grace . my brethren , life is the most excellent of any thing : as augustine saith , the life of a fly is more excellent than the sun ( it is his expression , not mine ) because the sun though an excellent creature , hath not life , but a fly , though little , yet it hath life ; though we know little of it ▪ yet it shews the excellency of god to make a living creature : but if the life of a fly , or a beast be so excellent , much more the life of man. now then , what is the life of god! now if that be evil which strikes at the natural life of the body , the life of man ; we account those diseases most grievous that are mortal ; as if a man have a disease only painful , this is not so much if they be painful if not mortal , as those that be mortal . if a physitian come and tell one , you must endure pain , but be of good cheer , your life is sure ; this comforts him : but take a disease that he feels no pain of , it may be the sence of pain is gone , but if the physitian come and tell him , oh you be dangerously ill , because your distemper is like to prove mortal : we account that without pain that strikes at life , more than that with a great deal of pain that doth not strike at life : skin for skin , and all that a man hath will he give for his life . now that which strikes at the highest life , even the life of god , and makes the creature appear so vile before god , as certainly sin makes the creature more vile than any dead carrion that lies stinking in a ditch ; sin is more vile in gods eyes than any dead dog on the dunghil is in your eyes . this is the third particular , how sin is most opposite to mans good more than affliction ; therefore a man were better bear the greatest affliction , than commit the least sin , because affliction never strikes at the life of god : nay , many live not the life of god so gloriously as they do in affliction ; many seem to have their hearts dead in times of prosperity , but when afflictions come then they manifest a glorious life of god. chap. xxvii . fourthly , sin is opposite to mans good , because it is most opposite to the last end for which man was made . a fourth thing wherein the evil of sin consists as most opposite to mans good is this , because it lies most opposite to the last end for which man was made . in that other passage i opened before , i shewed how sin opposeth god in his own end , & therfore there was a great deal of evil in sin : but now i must shew how sin opposeth man in that end god made man for . i am afraid some of these things are such that some cannot go along with me in them ; it is my endeavor to make things ( though spiritual , and above our natural reach , to make them ) as low as i can : but if there be some that do not understand , i hope others do , and such ( i hope ) will make use of what i speak . for certainly these things i speak of do more declare the evil of sin , and will keep an ingenuous spirit more from sin , than all the evils and torments of hell. it is more against mans last end. now we use to say the end and the good of a thing is the same : that which is the last end is better than the thing it self , therfore whatsoever strikes at the last end is the greatest evil of all . that is the happiness of any creature to enjoy its last end : as thus , the greatest good or the last end of a plant or a tree is to flourish and bear fruit , and be sitted for the service of man , this is its end . and what is the evil of a tree ? when it comes to flourish , and when fruit hangs full upon it , if it be blasted , and never come to attain to its utmost end , to be serviceable for that for which it was appointed ; that is the evil of it . and we account it a great evil if we see this flourishing tree when it is full of fruit , if before it come to maturity it be blasted . so look upon mans end , and if that be blasted , that is his great evil . now the end of man is this , to live to the eternal praise of god , in the everlasting injoyment of him . god made the children of men for this end , that they might eternally live to his praise in the eternal injoyment of himself . now if man be blasted in this , there is his great evil , to blast man in this end for which he was made . now no affliction doth it , all the afflictions in the world doth not hinder man from the attaining to his end . but sin comes , and directly opposeth that end for which man was made , and crosseth him in this excelleney of his , in living to the praise of the infinite eternal first-being of al things . now before , i could not shew you the evil of sin , but by shewing you the excellency of the image and life of god : so here i cannot shew the evil of sin , being opposite to mans last end , but by shewing you the excellency of mans last end . now the excellency of mans last end , i mean the good god hath made man for , it appears in this . it is such a kind of excellency as is worthy of all the good that there is in mans nature , or that mans nature is capable of . for the end and happiness of any thing , must be that that must have as much excellency in it , that all in the thing must tend to the making of him happy . mans nature is capable of the image and life of god. now that which must be the happiness of such a creature must be worthy of such an excellency as the image of god , and the life of god in man ; therfore it must be a very high and glorious excellency . that which is mans happiness and end is that which is worthy of al the wayes of god toward mankind . now i beseech you observe this thing , the wayes of god towards the children of men in bringing them to his last end , be the most glorious of all gods wayes to any creature ; god did never manifest so much glory in all the world , nor never wil manifest so much glory to al eternity in any thing , as he hath manifested in these waies of his to bring mankind to the attaining his last end , for which he made him . now if god be so glorious in that way of his concerning his working , in bringing man to his last end , then certainly that end of man , that happiness man was made for must be very glorious : because it must have so much glory and excellency in it as must be worthy all the glorious wayes of gods working towards him . 't is thus with man. there is no wise man that doth any great work , manifests any great skill , or layes out great cost , but will do it for such an end , as that end , if ever it be attained , shall be worth all his cost , and skill , and pains . for a wise man to bestow much cost , skill , and pains upon a mean thing , is absurd and ridiculous ; and no wise man but if he bestow much cost and pains , and manifest much skill , but he will be sure it shall be for that , which if he attain to that he aims at , it shall be worth all . if a man be at a great deal of charge in a voyage , he aims at such an end as may be worth his charge : so when god above all things layes out his wisdom , power , and mercy , & goodness , & faithfulness ; and sets at work all his counsels to be laid out upon such a business , as to get man to attain to his last end ; then certainly mans end and happiness must be worth it all . and it must needs be a glorious thing , god intends for the children of men to make them happy withal , when the great counsels of god , and wayes of gods wisdom and power be so about this business of bringing man to happiness . now if there be such a glorious happiness for mankind , then that which is most opposite to this great happiness , must be very evil . now sin directly opposeth mans happiness , the end man was made for : and thus you see the evil of sin . when god comes to awaken mans conscience , and inlighten mans soul to see how sin crosseth their happiness more than any affliction , they will chuse rather to be under the greatest affliction , than the least sin . object . i but it may be you will say it doth not s● cross mans happiness , but that he may come to be happie for all sin ? answ . i answer , of its own nature it directly crosseth mans happiness ; quite undoes man ; and if god by his power fetch it about another way , this is no thank to sin , but to god. chap. xxviii . fifthly , sin is more opposite to mans good than affliction because t is a defilement of the soul. it defiles all a man medleth with . sin is the matter the worm shall gnaw upon to all eternity . fifthly , the evil of sin against a mans good appeareth in this , in that it is the defilement and corruption of the soul , a rottenness in the soul. affliction is not the filth and corruption of the soul , the soul may be as clear from filth and corruption , notwithstanding affliction , as it was before man sinned . sin , it is the rottenness of the soul , and therefore such a kind of defilement , as , it defiles all things a man medles withal , and al his actions ; it makes a man vile , and defiles every thing that comes from him . to the unclean all things are unclean and impure , tit. . . it defiles the creature and every thing he hath to do withal , and every thing he medles withal . and especially it appeareth in this , that it is no other than the matter for the worm to breed in that shall gnaw upon the soul of the wicked to all eternity . you reade in scripture , that the damned shall be punished with fire that shall never go out ; and the worm that shal never dye . what is that worm that shall never dye ? the worm of conscience that shall gnaw upon their spirits to all eternity . now , what breeds this worm , and supplies it with matter ? no other but the corruption of sin in the soul . for as with worms ( as the holy ghost makes use of that meatopher ) that breed in the corruption and filth in a mans body , there are some worms that breed in the body which are deadly . but out of what do those worms breed ? out of the filth and corruption of the body , and the corruption of the body supplies matter for the worm to gnaw upon . and so in trees , and timber , there breeds worms ; upon what do they breed but upon the corruption of the timber when it begins to rot . so then worms breed out of corruption , and live upon corruption ; so that worm of conscience that shall lye gnawing upon the souls of those that perish to al eternity , is nothing else but that which breeds from the filth of their hearts while they live here the worm breeds : therefore you that live a long time in sin , old sinners , gray headed sinners , though you do not feel the worm gnaw for the present ; yet ever since you were born the worm was breeding , and it will be a great and a dreadful worm hereafter : and know you supply abundance of corruption for to feed that worm that will gnaw another day : you feel it not now , but the longer you be before you feel it , the dreadfuller will it be then . all those that have corrupt hearts , and have this worm breed , if god would make the worm gnaw now , it would be wel for them ; for there be wayes to kill it here , to kill the worm of conscience . if it gnaw , there is a soveraign medicine , the bloud of christ : and certainly there is no medicine in the world to kill this worm but the bloud of christ , and those that god doth intend to kill this worm in , and those that shall not have it gnaw to all eternity , god lets it gnaw now , the ministery of the word makes it gnaw and pain them , and they feel such pain that wheresoever they go , or whatsoever they do yet the worm lies gnawing upon their hearts , they cannot sleep , or eate their meat : alas ! what should i eat , and have my worm gnaw there ! and they can never be at rest till god apply the bloud of christ , and then they void the worm as it were . how will you rejoyce when your children , if the worms be great and put them to pain , if the physitian give them that which makes them void them , how do you rejoyce to see the worm that would have been the death of your child ? it might have grown bigger and bigger , if it had not been taken away . so i dare say there is never a soul here before the lord , but hath , or had a worm in their breasts , i say , there was a time you had this worm in your breasts , that without it were cured , would lie gnawing to all eternity , it is that which breeds of the filth and corruption of your hearts . suppose a man had a little dirt on his face , this endangers not the life of the body , but when there is corruption within , and defilement of the body within , that breeds diseases , and will breed worms , it may be it wil breed the wolf that lies gnawing at their breasts ; many women have had it in their breasts that lies gnawing upon their flesh : but know , your sins breed another manner of worm or wolf that will gnaw worse than ever that did . and this is the evil of sin , it is not only the defilement of the soul , but such a defilement that breeds such a worm that will gnaw upon conscience to all eternity . chap. xxix . sixtly , sin is more opposite to mans good than affliction , because sin is the object of gods hatred ; but god hateth not any for affliction . sixtly , sin is the only object of the hatred of god , nothing is the object of gods hatred but sin : god doth not hate a man or a woman because they are poor , god may love them as wel as any monarch or prince in the world , though they be poor : god hates not a man because he is sick , you hate not your children because they be sick or weak : all the afflictions in the world make not a man an object of gods hatred , but sin doth : mark that expression in scripture , psalm , . . the fool shall not stand in thy sight , thou hatest all workers of iniquity ; so that sin makes the creature the object of gods hatred : god saith not ( mark ) he hates the work of iniquity only ; but the worker of iniquity : god hates not the creature as he made them , but through sin the creature come● to be hated ; even the workers of iniquity . now observe the strength of the reason , that which makes a man the object of gods hatred , must needs be a greater evil than that which can stand with gods everlasting love : for afflictions in the strength of them , and bitterness of them , may stand with gods eternal love ; nay observe , they may stand with the same love wherwithal god the father loved his son jesus christ ; for so in the . of john , latter end ; there christ praies to the father , that thou maiest love them with the very same love with which thou lovest me : now god the father loved christ , and yet god the father afflicted christ , and christ was under sore afflictions , and yet at that very time god the father loved him : so a man or a woman afflicted , notwithstanding all their afflictions , they may have the very same love of god the father that jesus christ himself had , in a manner the very same : and my thinks this might be a mighty encouragement to afflicted souls ; are you afflicted with poverty , bodily sickness , persecution , any thing ? know , for all this affliction , god may love you with the same love he loved his son : but sin makes the creature the object of the hatred of god. but you will say , gods children have sin . of its own nature , it would make them objects of gods hatred , but there comes in the blood of christ , and the purchase of his blood procures peace between god and man ; but i speak of it in its own nature ; and those that god looks upon in a sinful condition , he cannot look upon them but he hates them . now that which makes a man the object of gods hatred , must needs be very evil ; as thus , when any affection runs in one current , it must needs run very strongly ; as in the sea , suppose there were many arms and rivers to break the strength of the current , it would not run so powerfully ; but when there is but one current , the current of the ocean there runs very strongly . so in the affections , when the affections be only set upon one object , then they be strong : when love is scattered upon this and the other thing , then 't is not strong , but when it is upon one , then it is strong . when parents have many children , and they love this , and this , then it may be they love not any so strongly ; but when they have but one there is great love . so in hatred , where there is a hatred of many , there is not so much hatred against one ; but where it runs in one current only , there it is strong . so here , there is no object that gods hatred runs out against but only sin , therefore the hatred mustneeds be very powerful . oh for a man or woman to live to be the object of the hatred of the eternal god , how dreadful an evil is this ! we desire to be beloved where we are , of every one ; what a sad thing is it to live in a family , or a town , and no body love them : men desire to be beloved though it be of a dog , and they will boast somtimes , such a dog , or a horse loved such an one , loved his master ; when he doth but come home , they will leap , and skip , and faun on him . do we take delight to have our neighbors , or the family love us ? nay , for the dog to love us ? oh what is the love of an infinite , eternal , glorious god! a man accounts it an evil if the dog only snarl and bark at him , this we account an evil : oh what an evil is it then , to have the infinite , eternal , only wise god to be an enemy , and i the object of his hatred ! oh think of these things . and brethren , in these times it is to be feared you contract abundance of sin ; you will have more to answer for before these * twelve daies be gone , than you had before . oh let this stop the course of some sin , that otherwise might be committed in these times of sensuallity ; therefore when you see some go on in sinful waies , do you stop and say , god forbid i should do as they do ; i have been in such a place , and heard what sin is , heard how it is against god , and this might stop me ; but this day i have heard how it is against me and my own soul , and how it destroyes my own soul , therefore i will hate sin everlastingly . chap. xxx . seventhly , sin is more opposite to mans good than affliction , because sin brings guilt upon the soul . seventhly , there is more evil in sin than in affliction , because sin is more opposite against our own good than affliction , and that in this seventh respect , sin brings guilt upon the soul , it makes the creature stand guilty in the presence of god : now guilt upon the soul is a greater evil than any affliction can be : that is the thing i am now to open . guilt , what is that ? it is the binding over of the sinner to gods justice , and to the law , to answer , and be liable unto what the law requires as punishment due to the sinner : so that then for a creature to stand bound over to gods infinite justice , and the law , hath more evil in it against mans good than all the afflictions and miseries in the world ; this is the thing i am to make good . a sinner goeth up and down with the chains of guilt upon him ; iron chains grating upon the sore flesh of a man , is not so tedious and grievous as the chains of guilt upon conseience . certainly this is one especial reason why many wicked men and women are so froward as they are , because they have much guilt upon their spirits , that as iron ch●ins would grate the raw flesh , so doth that guilt lie upon conscience , and that makes them so froward & peevish as they are ; froward against god , and against man. many men that you are to deal withal , you shal find them against the word extream froward , & pervers against their acquaintance , neighbors , & family , & neerest friends , & we cannot imagine somtimes what is the reason : certainly this is one especial reason , there is much guilt upon their consciences , and spirits ; and this doth so disquiet and vex them , that they fling out at god , and his word , and every one ; they can have no quiet they be so vexed and gauled with that guilt upon their spirits : there is a great deal of cause to suspect much guilt to be upon those that be so outragious , and can bear nothing ; that have their hearts rise against the word especially . brethren , if you see any one that hath any light of conscience , and hath made profession heretofore , if such an one shall frowardly flie out against the word , and those that be godlie , you may conclude there is some woful guilt upon that mans spirit , he is so froward , and peevish , and disquiet as he is : and so we find it in saul , he was a man at first of a very quiet spirit , and very moderate ; but after , saul being a man much enlightened , and had forsaken god , and had contracted abundance of guilt upon his soul , he was a most froward perverse spirit as any we reade of in the book of god ; then how froward was he with david , and the priests of god , and so outragious as that he slaies them all ; a bloody man after he had contracted much guilt . do you see men so froward , and outragious , and bloodie ? oh there is much guilt within upon their spirits , great breaches between god and their souls , and the guilt of sin within grates upon their hearts , and that makes them so outragious as they are : if guilt be upon the soul , it takes away al the comfort of every thing ; that man or woman that hath an enlightened conscience , and hath guilt upon them , there 's little comfort such a one can take in any thing they enjoy . no affliction in the world can take away the comfort of what we enjoy , as guilt can do ; if you have afflictions one way , you have comforts another : if a man go abroad and meet with hard dealings , he comes home and hath comfort it may be in his wife , a comfortable yoke-fellow , this rejoyceth him ; or may be he hath comfort in his children , or in such or such a friend : but now let a man or a woman have guilt upon conscience , abroad he hath no comfort , at home he hath no comfort ; yea , the more comfortable things he doth enjoy , the more trouble there is in his spirit : as thus , take a guiltie conscience , and when he comes and looks upon a comfortable familie , comfortable estate , means coming in , a sweet yoke-fellow , good friends ; oh but if i had not some guilt upon my soul , i could rejoyce in these ; but that guilt that lies upon his conscience take away all the comfort of these ; and if he sees others that enjoy these , oh saith he , this man may have comfort in a comfortable yoke-fellow , children , or friends , and a good estate ; but he hath not guilt upon his spirit , and that breach between his god and he as i have . may be the world knows not where his ●hoo pincheth him , and what sadens his spirit : many men that have comforts about them ( though they cannot be said to enjoy them ) yet their hearts be troubled and disquieted , and no bodie knows the matter ; oh there is guilt upon their spirits : they think within themselves , oh , if it were with me as it is with such a one , it would be well , sure they have not that guilt i have , if they had they could not but be disquieted as i am . again , guilt brings woful fear upon the conscience ; no affliction can bring such fear upon the conscience . though there should be never such troubles and fears , and confusions in the world , alas this is not so terrible and fearful as that fear the guiltie conscience hath . take a man or woman whose conscience is delivered from the guilt of sin , such a one , though heaven and earth should meet , is not so much troubled . certainly brethren , in these great fears amongst us , that you be skar'd at everything , it is partly because you have not throughly made up your peace between god and your souls , and some guilt lies upon your spirits and consciences ; and this indeed will make every thing terrible to you , if that lie there : guilt upon the conscience makes god , the thoughts of god seem terrible . now it is a greater evil for the creature not to be able to look upon god , & to have thoughts of god without being pierced with terror , than to be under any affliction in the world ; sorrows , fears , and disgrace and persecutions are not so terrible as this , that i am in such a condition that i cannot look up to god , nor think upon god without having the thoughts of his majesty to be terrible to me a guilty conscience cannot endure to have a thought of god , it is terrible to him , and therefore he labors by going into company , and sports , and business in the world , to take off the thoughts of god , because the thoughts of god peirce his heart . and so the presence of god is very terrible where guilt is upon the conscience , and the conscience of such a one cannot endure to come into gods presence ; nor into the communion of saints where gods presence is . and he cannot endure to pray , the thoughts of that strike his heart ; to go alone to pray , the presence of god when alone is extream terrible . and this is a sader condition than to be under any affliction : better be under any affliction than in such a case , as that the presence of god is terrible : the presence of god in prayer , and so the presence of god in his word ; oh the word is terrible to such a one , the word of god speaks nothing but terror so long as guilt remains upon the conscience . this is worse than affliction that that word which is a treasure of sweetness , and goodness , and comfort to those that are gracious and godly , should be filled with terror to the soul of one that is full of guilt . yea , to such a one all the wayes of gods providence are full of terror ; if there be any judgment of god abroad , oh the terror that this brings upon his foul . brethren , sin is committed quickly , you have a temptation comes , and you fall upon the sin and act it ; the sin , the act of it , is transient and quickly gone ; the guilt that sticks to you . when a man or woman hath satisfied their iust in a sinful way , the guilt sticks behind : may be the time is gone for the pleasure of it ; it was perhaps yesterday , or such a night or time thou hadest the pleasure of it , but now the sin is gone the pleasure of it , but the guilt sticks , and that abides upon thy spirit to all eternity if thou look not to it . nay , certainly it must stick upon the spirit , it is not in the power of any creature in heaven or in earth to deliver thee from it : yea the guilt so remains , that though thou feel it not now for the present , it may stick terriblely many years after . but affliction is terrible only for the present , not for afterward ; but guilt and sin laies a foundation of mis●… for many years after . nay , many times it is grievous painful to the soul long after it is committed : as it was in josephs brethren , we reade of them that they committed that great sin against their brother , and it troubled them not a great while ; but twenty two years after when they were in an affliction , then the guilt of their sin comes a fresh , oh then we sinned against our brother ; when they were in prison there : now it was twenty two years from the time they committed that sin to that time when they were in trouble there . so you that have committed sin and think some slight sorrow may wash it away , know the guilt may abide upon your spirits perhaps twenty , may be forty years after . and you that are yong take heed and know that sin is more evil than any affliction , for the sin that you commit when you are yong in your masters families , the guilt may abide upon you , and youthful sins may prove ages terror . it may be with you as with a man that gets a bruis , when he is yong he feels it not , but when he is old than it ach in his bones , and puts him to terrible pain many times ; so many yong people feel not sin when their bloud is hot , but afterward , the guilt of sin abides upon them , and is the torment of their souls when their bloud is cold . now what evil is there in sin that may do a man mischief perhaps twenty or forty years hence . as it is with some poyson , there are some poysons men have skill in , that they can give poyson shall not work in three or four , perhaps not till seven years afterward , and yet they know certainly , that if that man be not cut off before ( except god work extraordinarily ) he shall dye at the seven years end of that poison he took seven years before . so sin is such a thing that it wil do a man a mischief many years after . again , the guilt of sin hath this evil further in it , which appears in that difference between men that come to suffer with guilt , and those that come to suffer without guilt : take them that have come to the most grievous sufferings in the world , and had not the guilt of sin upon their consciences , who had all cleer between god and their souls ; their sufferings be joyful , and they can rejoice in tribulation and troubles , as the martyrs in persecution , how did they rejoyce and glory in their sufferings ? with what a spirit of magnanimitie did they come to their sufferings ? but take those who suffer through guilt , as malefactors , when they come to suffer , what shame and confusion is upon them ! thus affliction is nothing to them that have no guilt , but those that have the guilt of sin upon them when they come to suffer their guilt is a thousand times more than their affliction . there is a great deal of difference between a man guilty of treason when he come to suffer for it , there is shame and confusion , and dismal darkness in the spirit where there is guilt : but let one be accused for treason , or any such horrible crime , and no guilt upon the spirit , such a one can go on with joy , and comfort , and peace ; whatsoever can be done to him is very little or nothing when guilt is removed . the truth is , there is no suffering can countervail the suffering that guilt makes . the guilt makes the suffering evil , otherwise not . if one man come upon another man with suffering , it is nothing without guilt ; so it is true , when god comes it is nothing if god and we be at peace : but now when god comes with any such affliction as the very affliction shall have the mark of the sin upon it , and so shall stir up conscience to accuse you for it , then the heart is ready to sink when the affliction shall bear the name of the sin together with it . i remember the difference of davids spirit at several times ; one time , though an host incampe about me , yet will i not fear , and though i walk in the valley of the shadow of death , i will fear no evil ; psal . . another time he is afraid when he flies from absolon ; and when there was a breach between god and his soul , when he had brought guilt upon his spirit , then david was quickly cooled ; and upon any occasion of trouble , david was quickly frightened . this is a seventh thing wherein sin appears to be a greater and more evil thing than affliction , because it makes the soul guiltie before god. chap. xxxi . eighthly , sin is a greater evil to man than affliction , because it 's that which put the creature under the sentence of condemnation . eighthly , sin is a greater evil than affliction , because it is that which puts the creature under the sentence of condemnation , and so makes more against the good of man than any affliction can do . for a poor creature to see himself stand before the great judg of all the world , and have the sentence of condemnation come out against him ; this is a greater evil than to have any affliction that all the creatures of heaven and earth could bring upon him . as now , take a malefactor that is to stand before mans judgment seat , and to receive sentence of condemnation ; is not this a greater evil unto him than if he should hear of loss in his estate , than if he had sickness in his bodie , any pain in his limbs ; to stand thus to receive the sentence , he looks upon it as a greater evil than possibly can befal him in this world otherwise . but then , when the soul shal see it self stand before the infinite glorious , eternal first-being of all things , and looks upon god sitting upon his tribunal passing sentence of eternal death upon him ; this is another manner of evil than any affliction and suffering that can befal him . but now , know there is not any one sin that thou committest ( but if you look upon it as in it self ) god sits , i say , upon his trone , and passeth sentence of death upon thee for it as really as ever he will do at the great day of judgment ; it is done now as really and as truly in this world as ever it shall be at the day of judgment , only here is the difference , then it is irrecoverable ; nay , shall i say it cannot be recalled here ; no certainly it shall not , only it may be transmitted to christ , he must bear it , he must have the sentēce ; so that it is not properly recalled , god doth not as a judg that passeth sentence , and afterward nullifies it : no , but god passeth sentence and condemns the sinner ; only christ comes in and takes the sentence upon himself ; so that the sentence goeth on still , only it is transferred from one person to another ; christ comes in , and he puts on the sentence of condemnation for thee that hast it passed against thee , so that the sentence is not properly nullified , but transferred to christ : eccles . . . saith the text there , because sentence against an evil work is not speedily executed , therefore the heart of the sons of men are fully set in them to do evil . ( mark ) the sentence against an evil work is not speedilie executed : so that it appears there is a sentence against every evil work : the sentence is out brethren ; thou goest and art drunk , or to the commission of such a sin , i say , presentlie the sentence of death is clapt upon thee , the sentence is out against all sinners : you see men go on and live in prosperitie a great while in the world ; but they be under the sentence all the while , sin is not removed by the blood of christ , and all the comforts ( i beseech you observe that ) that any man or woman have in the world that are in their natural condition , and are not delivered from condemnation by christ , they are all but just as meat and drink , and some refreshments that are grantnd to a condemned malefactor before execution . suppose a malefactor is condemned , but now execution is not till two or three daies after ; in that space of time he hath granted unto him libertie to have meat and drink , and friends come to him , and he may refresh himself in those two or three daies ; but he hath forfeited all his estate , and the tenure now upon which he holds any comfort , it is not the same which he had before , but meerly through the bountie of the prince it is that he hath comforts . so here , wicked men have committed sin , and the sentence of death is out against them , and they have forfeited all the comforts of their estates , and of their lives , only god in patience grants unto them some outward comforts here a few daies before execution ; and upon this tenure do all wicked men hold their estates : i will not say that every wicked man is an usurper of their estates , as some perhaps have held , that they have no right at all before god ; some right he hath , as you cannot say a malefactor hath no right ( when he is condemned ) to meat and drink before execution ; he hath right to what is given to him of donation and bountie , but not that right which he had before : so i say , for wicked men that have estates in this world , they have a kind of right to that they have ; but how ? just that right that a condemned man hath to his dinner or supper before execution ; this is the right of wicked men to their estates ; that is , god of his bountie grants a little while before execution they shall have a few comforts to them in this world : and this is the evil of sin , and the least sin , there is not any one sin , but the fruit of it is condemnation . and brethren , you must not mistake , to think that wicked men are never condemned until they come before god in the day of judgment ; they be condemned here , mark that , john , . . he that beleeves not is condemned already : now condemned , not hereafter , but a condemned man already : this is a sad condition indeed . if a man had the sentence of death so past that the whol parliament could not help him , you would think that man in a sad condition . now let me speak it , and god speaks it to the conscience of every sinner ; i say , thou that standest before god in any one sin , and not delivered through the blood of his son christ , thou standest so under the sentence of condemnation , as all the creatures in heaven and earth cannot help and deliver thee , thou must have some help beyond the help of all the creatures in heaven and earth to deliver thee : when paul would comfort the saints against all troubles and afflictions they meet withal , rom. . he begins thus , there is no condemnation to them in christ jesus : as if he should say , this is the comfort , no condemnation . if i know i am delivered from the sentence of condemnation , let what will fall out i am well enough ; but this be sure of , there is condemnation to those that are not in christ . i remember luther had this speech when he had got assurance of pardon of sin , that he was freed and absolved by god ; he cries out , lord strike , lord , now strike , for i am absolved from my sins , thou hast delivered me from sin ; now strike , now let any affliction befal that possibly can ; let never so much trouble attend i am absolved from sin ; now lord strike . this is the eighth , sin is more opposite against the good of man than affliction , for it brings them under the sentence of condemnation . chap. xxxii . ninthly , sin is a greater evil to man than affliction , because it breaks the vnion between god and the soul. ninthly , sin is a greater evil than affliction in this , in that it is the very thing that breaks the vnion between god and the soul : it is that doth it , and no affliction doth it . now brethren , this i confess might seem to be less than that of hatred , and might have come before it ; but now i bring it in here , that it breaks the union between god and the soul , isa . . . your sins have separated between you and your god! we are to know , the souls of men are capable of a very near and high union between god and them ; the more spiritual any thing is , the more power hath it to unite , and the more neer the union : as thus , the beams of the sun because they be very spiritual , they can unite a thousand of them into one point as it were ; but grosser things cannot so unite themselves together . so brethren , god being a spirit , and our souls being spirits , they come to be capable of a most neer communion one with another . and the souls of men are neerer a glorious union with god , in this regard more neer than any creature but the angels . because the object of mans understanding is not any particular truth , but veritas , truth in general , truth it self in the whole latitude is the object of mans understanding . so the object of mans will , is not this good , or that good in particular ; but bonitas , good in general , in the full latitude of it . it is not so with other creatures , they have their objects in some particular thing , in such a limit and compass , and they can work no further , nor higher . but it is otherwise with mans soul , god hath made man in such a kind , that the object of his soul should be truth and goodness in the full latitude , in the infinitness of it , take it in the utmost extent that can be , yet still it is the object of the soul of man. now hence it is that the soul of man is of such a wonderful larg extent , even capable of god himself , of enjoyment of union and communion with god himself , which otherwise could not be . no other creature hath to do with infiniteness , nor can have to do with it but men and angels , and upon that ground , because god hath made them of such a nature so large that their faculties should be of so large a nature . now hence it is that man being capable of the enjoyment of god in such a glorious manner : we have these expressions in scripture , he that is joyned to the lord , is one spirit : cor. . . made one spirit with god. a most strange expression that the soul of a poor creature should be made one spirit with god , and yet so it is . and so john . . we have two or three notable expressions , that they may be all one , as thou father art in me , and i in thee , and that they may be one in us . christ prayes that the saints may be one in him , and in the father , as the father is in him , and he in the father : so they may be one with them . and vers . . and the glory which thou gavest me , i have given them : that they may be one , even as we are one . christ hath given the saints the same glory god the father gave him . and to what end ? what was the effect of that glory christ gave to the saints ? it was that they may be one with the father and one with the son. so that you see mankind is capable of a wonderful neer union with god ; oh consider this to raise your spirits . you that look after such low things and think there is no higher good than to eat , and drink , and to have your pleasures in the flesh : know that the meanest and poorest in the congregation , are capable to receive that glory god gave his son christ ; that you may be one with god the father and the son , as god the father and the son are one ; not every way : but know there is a likeness , christ himself hath exprest it . therefore you that have your hearts so low , that mind nothing but these things below , know that you have more noble things to mind if your hearts consider it . but here is the evil of sin ; sin breaks the union between god and the soul ; it separates between god and the soul , it keeps off god that infinite , eternal , glorious fountain of all good ; it keeps him off from you ; it makes you lose god , and all the good in god : by sin you depart from god , which is the curse of the damned at the day of judgment , depart from me you cursed : you here , for the present , in every sin , do begin to have that dreadful sentence executed on you : depart from me ye cursed . you do it your selves while you live in sinful waies , there is a real actual departing from god , and executing of that dreadful sentence , depart you cursed . you think there is little evil in sin ; but if you knew that god is an infinite good , and then knew the union you are capable of with god , and then see sin break this union ; this would make you see sin the greatest evil in the world . chap. xxxiii . tenthly , sin is more against mans good than affliction , for that it stirs up all in god to come against a sinner in way of enmity . tenthly , the evil of sin as against our good , consists in this , it stirs up all in god to come in way of enmity against a sinner : and this is another manner of business than to suffer affliction . a most dreadful place of scripture we have for this , levit. . verse . . if you walk contrary to me , i will walk contrary unto you : what is that ? all my glorious attributes shall work against you ; as if god should say , is there any thing in me can make you miserable ? you have it ? if all my power or wisdom can bring evil upon you , you shall have it : i will walk contrary in all the working of my attributes , and waies of my providence ▪ and a most dreadful place we have , psalm , . . there god saith , the face of the lord is against them that do evil : mark , the face of the lord : what is gods face ? the manifestation of himself , and his glorious attributes ; the face of the lord is against them that do evil . oh that thou wouldest consider this thou that dost evil , whose conscience cannot but tell thee thou dost evil ; know , the face of god is against thee : and is this nothing to have the face of god against thee ? the face of god is terrible in the world when he meets with a sinner ; one sight of the face of god against a soul , cannot but overwhelm the soul and sinke it down to the bottomless gulf of eternal despair , if god hold him not by his mighty hand , there is so much terror in it : and yet the scripture saith , the face of god is against them that do evil . another text very remarkable we have in the sam. . . with the pure thou wilt shew thy self pure , and with the froward thou wilt shew thy self froward ; or unsavory : but it may be translated , with the perverse thou wilt wrastle : so that those that be froward and perverse , and will walk on in a sinful way , god wrastles it out with them ; god puts forth his power to wrastle , and certainly if god wrastle with thee , he will lay thee upon thy back . it is a dreadful thing that god should use such a speech , that he will wrastle with man ; for all men in sin , as i shewed before , they wrastle with god , as if they would have the day ; god will have his will , and thou shalt have the fall ; thou wrastlest , and god wrastle : you know wrastlers put forth all their strength against one another , and know , god puts forth all his strength against every sinner . and that i may bring it more full to your sences , consider this , from whence hath any creature power to bring evil upon thee , or to torment thee ? surely it hath somwhat of god in it : as thus , fire hath power to torment the bodie , and it is only one spark of god let out through the power of that creature , otherwise it had no power . and again , another creature , swords and weapons , they have power to gash and wound the body ; whence have these instruments their power ? it is but some drop of gods power through these instruments . so one disease hath power to torment one way , and another , another way ; whence hath any disease power to torment ? only there is some little of gods power let out through that disease . now if all creatures tormenting hath only power through gods letting out his power , then what a dreadful thing will it be when gods power shal be infinitely let out against the creature ? so that take all creatures in their several powers to torment , and put them all together , one creature in one kind , and another in another , and put them all together , this would be great torture : now all the power of god is the several powers of all the creatures put together in one , and infinitely more ; and when that comes against the creature , it must needs make them miserable : it s another manner of matter than afflictions , when all in god comes out against the soul ; and there is not any one sin but endangers this . chap. xxxiv . xi . sin is more opposite to mans good than affliction , for that sin make all the creatures of god at enmity with a sinner . xi . further , in the next place , the evil that sin hath beyond all the evil of affliction is this : that sin , it doth make all the creatures of god to be at an enmity with a sinner : i say , sin puts a sinner in this condition , that all the creatures of god are enemies unto the sinner ; they be all as the host of god that come out against a sinner , ready armed with gods wrath , ready bent to execute the wrath of god against a sinner : the creatures of god are called gods host , not only because they be armed with gods wrath , but because there is in them a propencity to destroy those sinners that sin against the god of their being . every creature is ready and doth as it were cry to god , oh lord , when wilt thou give me commission to take away such a wretch , lord , such a one is a filthy , wretched blasphemer , a sabbath breaker , a drunkard , and thou livest all this while , and hast been at peace , and yet they are still crying , lord , shall i go and take him away , and send him to his own place ? if thou couldest hear it , all the creatures in the world cry thus , and they be all desirous to send thee to thy own place , and take thee away . my thinks when i see a sinner , i hear all the creatures cry as he in the 〈◊〉 sam. . . abishai the son of zerviah ; abishai was one of davids soldiers , when shimei cursed david : shall i go and cut off this dead dogs neck ? so he saith concerning shimei , let me go over i pray thee , and take off his head ; why should this dead dog curse my lord ? so when thou art blaspheming god , the creatures look upon thee with disdain , and they rise against thee , and all the creatures say , oh this dead dog , this wretched creature , how long shall he live to blaspheme god ? shall i cut off his head ? shall i go and send him down to his own place ? it would terrifie thy heart if thou shouldest hear every creature crying to god to be thy executioner from him . and certainly when god gives commission , and god falls upon thee , every creature wil fal upon thee : as you read in the sam. . when joab fell upon absalom , presently the ten men fell upon him , and slue him too , as soon as joab gave the stroke . so , as soon as god gives the stroke against the sinner , certainly all other creatures be ready to fall upon the sinner also : so that sin brings a man to such a condition that all creatures are at enmity with him ; whereas when once the soul is reconciled to god , and sin pardoned , all creatures be at peace with you , you are then in league with all the creatures . we should account it an evil condition to be in such a place where all the men in the nation are our enemies , and stand ready to murder us : certainly all the sinners in the world are in the middest of the creatures of god that stand ready armed with gods wrath against them . hence it is , that when once god inlightens ( i beseech you observe it ) the conscience of a sinner , he feareth every thing ; the wicked flie , when none pursueth them . it is very observable of cain , after he had committed that sin of slaying his brother , then saith cain , every one that meets me , will slay me : who was there then in the world ? no body but his father and mother : and yet every one that meets him will slay him , he was afraid of every thing , and every one , because he had sinned against the lord. so every inlightened conscience that knows what sin means , when he comes to have conscience awakened , they be afraid of every thing : if there be thundrings , & lightenings , & storms , & tempests , it sees the wrath of god in this storm and tempest , thunder and lightening ; any stirs abroad in the world be but as messengers of gods wrath against me , saith the awakened conscience : this is the misery of a sinner ; and then how much is the evil of sin greater than affliction ! chap. xxxv . xii . sin is a greater evil to man than affliction , because it puts a man under the curse of god. xii . nay further , it puts the creature under the curse of god : it doth separate the creature for evil . psal . . . it is said , god separates the righteous man for himself . so sin separates the creature for evil , and makes him anathema , accursed : for god in deut. . saith , cursed is every one that abides not in every thing that is written in the law to do it ; he is accursed in all that he hath and doth : the curse of god is against him . and here observe , sin doth not only deserve a curse , that the creature should be accursed , but of its own nature it is a curse , and makes the creature accursed in its own nature . as thus , you may see the evil of sin by the excellency of grace : thus grace doth not only bring excellency upon the creature , and brings a blessing , but of it self it separates the creature for a blessing . for what is holiness but grace ? they be usually exprest for one and the same ; now what is holiness but the consecration of a thing for god ; so that when holiness comes into the heart , that is nothing else but that gracious principle whereby the soul of a man or woman , before common to lust and sin , is now come to be separated from al these things and to be consecrated and given up to god himself , that 's holiness . now sin must needs be contrary unto holiness . as holiness is a separation of the creature from other things , and a consecration of it unto god ; so sin is a separation of the creature from god and all good , and devoting of it up unto wrath , and misery , and a curse , and al evil whatsoever in its own nature ; it is not in the desert only . many men think sin in its desert deserves a curse , but they understand not how sin in its own nature separates the heart from god , and so gives it up to al evil , and all misery , as grace doth to all good . this is the evil of sin , and therefore another manner of evil than there is in affliction . chap. xxxvi . xiii . sin is the seed of eternal evil , therefore more hurtful to man than affliction . an use therof , then see that those men are deceived that think to provide well for themselves by sin. use . . the ministry of the word is for our good , as well as gods glory . xiii . further , sin it is a principal evil ; so i call it , because it is a principal of eternal evil to the creature , ( i beseech you observe what i mean ) i do not mean that it deserves eternal evil only , but of it self it is eternal evil . as thus , grace doth not only deserve eternal happiness , but it is the seed of eternal happiness , it is that principle , that if let alone wil grow to eternal happiness . so sin doth not only deserve eternal misery , but it is the seed of eternal evil , and sin it self will be executioner upon the soul , and will prove an intollerable misery to the soul . though sin be the very element in which many men and women live and so delight themselves : yet be it known , that this sin doth not only deserve that god should bring his wrath upon thee for it , but that sin will prove eternal torment to thee . as thus , the fish that playes and leaps in the water , the water is the element to the fish that it delights in ; but if you put fire under this water if in a vessel , then that water that was the element in which the fish skipt , and playd , and delighted it self , that water will be torture and torment to the fish boyling hot : so sin is the element where men play , and delight in sinful wayes , as the fish in the water , but when god comes and mingles wrath with sin , then that very sin which was thy delight , shall be torture and torment , and so a principle of eternal evil it shall be to you . thus sin is another manner of evil than affliction ; as thus , afflictions though in diseases they bring pains and sorrows to the body , the matter of this will wear out in time , and so the disease will fall ; but sin is such a principal evil and misery to the creature , as it will never go out , but continues a principal of eternal misery . thus you have seen how sin is against our own good . somwhat i would fain say by way of application in this work . vse . sin is against our own good : hence all those promises that any sinful way hath to you , to provide for your own selves in , and your own good , they be all deceitful , and will deceive you the way of the wicked deceives them . certainly thou art mistaken , if thou thinkest to make any provision for thy self in sinful wayes . and the best way for any man or woman to provide for themselves , is to abandon sin : wouldest thou provide for thy self , for thy own good , and be a true self-lover , abandon sin , for sin is against thy own good . vse . again , hence you see , that the minestry of the word is that that is for our good , and that that makes for your good , as well as for gods glory . god in sending the ministry of the word , sends it for your own good as well as his own glory . why what doth it do ? only seeks to get away your sins , and make them bitter and grievous unto you . i have in many particulars opened the nature of sin , and how grievous and evil t is : now what is the intendment of this , but to get the serpent out of your bosoms , that which will do you mischief , and all for your own good certainly if ever god open your eyes , you wil then desire , with your faces upon the ground , to bless god that ever he sent his ministers to shew you what sin is . many times mens spirits rise against the word , and they take the ministers as enemies , oh he speaks against me : no it is not against any ones person , but against thy sin , man or woman , that which wil do thee mischief , and undo thee . again , many cry out against the minister as that man against christ , he comes to torment us before the time . no it is against thy sin man , it is to take away that which will undo thee . many are ready to say of the minister as he to the prophet elijah , what hast thou met me , oh my ennemy ! but as the prophet saith , doth not my words do you good ? certainly that which makes sin grievous to you , doth you as much good as creatures can be done to for the present . many have sin in their stomachs , that rise against the minister and the word , as the sick mans stomach against the glass or the pot in which the physick is , but when for that evil grief within , he takes a vomit , it makes him sick it may be for a while , and the man casts up many filthy things and noysom stuffe ; and then he cryes out , oh! blessed be god , though i had pain , yet this takes away a great deal of that bad stuffe that would have bred diseases . so though our ministry may put you to pain , yet you will bless god when that is cast out that it hath to deal withal . many when they hear the word , their spirits rise against it ; but when it hath pleased god to get away their sins , though upon hard terms , they have blest god that ever they heard the word that did trouble them , or ever saw such a mans face . i remember an expression of one to my self , that when he sate and heard me , he was perswaded every thing i spake was against himself , though a stranger whom i never knew , and he professed his spirit rose both against the word and the speaker , going home , and the word working , and working out sin , he comes not long after and blessed god that ever he heard that sermon : and so certainly it will be . i have shewed you in these thirteen particulars how evil sin is against your own souls ; know then , if the minister by the word can but get away your sin , oh you will see it above the greatest good and happiness that ever you had in all your lives , that ever you did understand that which would do you so much hurt : alas you will say , i did not see sin would do me so much hurt ; wo to me if i had not heard the evil of sin ; if i had known the evil of sin by feeling , what had become of me ? you have heard and read much of the evil of sin ; now think , if these things be so grievous in the hearing or reading , what a woful condition will that soul be in that must feel it ? that must have every one of these particulars made good to the full ? certainly such a soul must needs be in a woful condition . now the lord so sanctifie and bless unto you the reading or hearing of all these evils , that none of your souls may ever come to feel them . chap. xxxvii . xiv . sin is worse than affliction , because it hardens the heart against god and the means of grace . the opposition sin hath to our own good , it hath more evil against our selves than any affliction ; & for the manifesting that we have opened thirteen particulars : thus far we have gone . there is two particulars more to discover the evil of sin as against our good more than afflictions . xiv . sin is worse than affliction as against our selves , for it is that which hardens the heart against god , and the means of grace more than any affliction . i do not speak now of hardening the heart against god in opposition to him ; but as in opposition to our own good that we should receive from god , in the use of the means of grace ; and so sin is more opposite to our good than afflictions ▪ affliction rather , usually , doth further the means of grace , and prepare the heart for the entertaining of the means of grace ; affliction doth : but sin hardens the heart against it , and hinders the efficacy of the means of grace upon the souls of men and women ; hosea , . and the last , in their afflictions they will seek me early : then the more afflictions are upon them , the more ready are they to seek me ; isay , . . when thy chastening was upon them , they powred forth their prayer . many men and women that never knew how to pray , that would say they could not pray in their families , that they could not pray in secret , any otherwise than to say a prayer , or that they had learned when they were children to say so many words ; they could not pray otherwise : but when their afflictions are upon them , then their hearts could be driven to god , and they could find how to pray otherwise . there is a speech concerning marriners , he that knows not how to pray , let him go to sea : noting , that when he comes into the waves , and tempests , and storms , that would teach him to pray : you marriners , consider if ever it have taught you to pray : my thinks , of any sort of men in the world , marriners should have the gift of prayer , because so often in affliction , and in danger of their lives ; and many times they find , though they know not how to use their mouthes , to fashion their tongues to any thing but oaths at other times ; yet when in danger of their lives , they can fall to prayer , and powr forth their prayer ; when thy chastening is upon them , they powr forth their prayer : and that word there translated prayer , in the original is a word that signifies to inchant ; and the reason comes from hence , because inchanters did put a great deal of efficacie in a few words , closed their sentences in a few words , and thought there was much efficacie in them : so the prayers that comes from men & women in affliction hath much efficacie in them , they be not vain light words , but have abundance of efficacie : so that afflictions further the means of grace in the hearts of men and women ; it brings them to the word , and furthers that also ; it is as the rain that softens the earth , and fits it for the plow ; plow up the fallo● ground of your hearts , saith the lord : the word of god is as the plow , to plow up the fallow ground of your heart ▪ now husband-men know when the earth is dr●e and hard they cannot plow , their plows are kept out ; but when rain comes and softens the earth , then their plows can go . many times it is so with the hearts of manie men and women when they are in prosperitie , the sun-shine of prosperitie being upon them , the plow of the word cannot get into their hearts ; but when afflictions or sickness comes , then the plow of the word can get in , and cast up the fallow ground of their hearts : times of affliction do bring men and women to the word . therfore i remember i have read of chrysostom , in a sermon of hi to the people of antioch , where he preached , he tells them , when they were in trouble , then their congregations were thrust and filled : it was at such a time when theodocius the emperor by the instigation of the empress , his wife , was angrie with the citie , and threatned to come against it and destroy it in a warlike manner : then all the people got together , and the congregations were thrust ; and then they prayed and sighed , and great and much prayer there was , when they were afraid the king would come in anger against the citie to destroy it : so that afflictions and troubles , and fears , they do bring men and women to the means of grace , and they do further the means of grace , and make the means to be profitable many times : as it is with the seed that is sowen , if there be a dry hot time after the sowing , it lies under the clods , and comes not up ; but if there come rain , then that which was sowen divers weeks before , springs up . so we sow the word of god in your hearts , but the seed lies under the clods so long as there is the hot sun-shine of prosperitie , till afflictions come , and the rain of affliction brings the word out , and then somwhat appears . we have known men that never seemed to be wrought on by the word , yet when god hath laid his hand upon them in some affliction , then there hath been brought to their remembrance such a truth that they heard such a time , and then they have acknowledged the power of the word , and conscience hath then been awakened , and not before . i remember it is reported of beza , that famous instrument of god in the church , that being a papist , and living in paris , and in great honor , as he was there , being a man of great esteem , and good birth , and had preferments there ; yet he had often times misgiving thoughts that he was not right , that the popish religion was not right , and that the protestants were in the right , because he had read the scriptures and compared the controversie ; yet because of his great honors and preferments in paris , all went away and could not prevail : but god laid upon him a great sickness , and great afflictions , and then that which he had but overly upon his spirit before , now sunk into his heart more deeply , that as soon as he began to recover , he left paris , and all his preferments , and got to genevah , and there made publick profession of the truth . thus afflictions further the means of grace ; but it is otherwise with sin , that , if let alone , hardens the heart desperately against all the means of grace : though it be true , god may somtimes put forth his almightie power , and notwithstanding all the sin in the soul of a man or woman , he may make the means of grace effectual ; though mans heart be never so stout and stubborn in their waies of sin , yet god may please to come by his almightie power , and over power the heart , as he doth manie times ; yea , god sometimes lets men go on in horrible wickedness , to manifest his power the more : as the prophet elijah ; when he would have fire come to devour the sacrifice , he poured much water upon it , that so the power of god might the more be manifested : so god suffers deluges of sin to be somtimes in men and women , that he might magnifie his power so much the more in the efficacie of the means of grace : but yet we are to know that sin , and every sin of its own nature , doth harden the heart against god in the use of all the means of grace ; yea , and so hardens the heart , that if men and women live any long time under the means of grace , and continue in the waies of sin , it is a thousand to one whether ever they be wrought upon afterward : usually we find where the means of grace comes to any place , it works for the most part at the first ; i do not , nor will not limit god , but for the most part at first it works upon men and women , before they have by sin hardened themselves against it ; if once they have continued some little time under it , and their hearts have followed their sin , and so come to be hardened , it is i say a most dangerous thing , and manie times god for ever leaves them to their hardness ; yea , such evil there may be in sin , as if a man or woman hath an enlightened conscience , and shal go against the light of their conscience , when they live under the means of grace , any one sin against the light of conscience may for ever harden them . thou that hast come to the word and hast heard , these things thou knowest hath come neer to thy soul , and yet there hath been that violence of corruption to go against the light of thy conscience , and that particular truth that hath been made known unto thee from god , that one sin may be enough evil to harden thy heart , that the means shall never do thee good ; therefore there is a great , deal more evil in sin than in any affliction . i beseech you consider of this one note further in it ; god comes manie times , yea , usually with abundance of grace to the souls of men and women in their affliction , and that in the continuance of their afflictions , and in the encrease of their afflictions , yet the means of grace work ; but god can never come with grace while they sin , except sin be decreased ; i say , god never comes to make any means of grace effectual , but it must be with the decrease , and with the taking away of sin ; the means of grace may be effectual with the encrease of affliction , but the means of grace can never be effectual but with the decrease of sin : therefore there is more evil in sin than in affliction , as against our selves . chap. xxxviii . xv. sin is worse to us than affliction , because sin brings more shame than affliction . xv. there is more evil in sin than in affliction as against our selves , in regard of the shame that it doth bring ; sin brings more shame than any affliction brings , rom. . . what profit , or what fruit had you in those things whereof you be now ashamed ? sin , it is that which brings shame , not only to a man or woman in particular , but likewise to a whol nation , when sin prevails . prov. . . righteousness exalteth a nation , but sin is a reproach to any people . afflictions are not a reproach any further than as they be the fruit of sin , and then there is shame in them ( but this we shall speak of afterward ) but sin is the proper cause of any reproach and shame : and certainly this scripture hath been fulfilled concerning us ; our sin hath been a reproach to this nation : there was a time , this nation was honored among other nations , and a terror to them ; but of late since we have sinned and grown superstitious , and come neerer unto poperie , since there hath been more wickedness among us . this nation hath been an exceeding reproach : we may apply for that , that in the , of hosea , according to the interpretation of most , when ephraim spake , trembling , he exalted himself in israel ; but when he offended in baal , he died ; thus interpreters carrie it : there was a time when ephraim spake , then was trembling in all nations about him , and he exalted himself above other nations : but when he sinned in baal , then he died , his honor died , he was a dead nation , and no body regarded him . true , time was , when england spake , there was trembling , and england exalted himself above other nations ; but since we sinned in baal , and there hath been so much idolatry and superstition , we have been a dead nation in respect of what we have been before . sin is a reproach , to any nation a shame : there is no such shame in affliction as there is in sin ; that brings shame . that which argues worthlesness in any , that which argues there is little good or worth in any : or if any one should do any thing unbeseeming either his own excellency , or that supposed to be in him ; as to lie in the mire , or to go naked , or in their carriage , or by any deportment , to behave themselves besides that excellency supposed to be in him , this brings shame . job . . those that went up and down braying among the bushes , it was contemptible , and it was a shame : so for any man to do any thing beneath the excellency of a man , is a shame . now there is nothing so below the excellency of a man as sin , no affliction brings a man under his excellency as sin doth , therefore no affliction can be such a shame to man as sin . now the rational creature that is guided by counsel in his actions is the proper subject of shame : bruit beasts cannot be capable of shame , because they have no counsel to be the cause of their actions , but the reasonable creature failing in that which is his aim , coming short of the rule of his work , through his unskilfulness this causeth shame . as now , take any workman , if he do any work beneath the rule of the work through unskilfulness , it causeth shame , he comes to be ashamed of it . now sin must needs bring shame , because it comes beneath the rule of eternal life , and therefore must needs cause shame . it is true , in natural things to fail through ignorance is a greater shame than to fail through wilfulness ; but in spirituals , the greater shame is to fail through wilfulness . and the greater the art , the greater the shame to come short of the rule of that art : as suppose a general ; it is a greater shame for him to fail , and come short of the rules of military art , than for a country-man to come short of his rules of husbandry , because one is more noble than the other . now brethren , the art of divinity to guide to eternal life , is the most noble of any art ; and for any creature to fail and come short of this art , is the greatest shame that can be . though men be ashamed of any thing else , take a painter , or any workman or a husbandman , if he come short of the rule , he is ashamed , but if men fail of the rule of eternal life , they are not ashamed then . i remember augustine hath this expression , saith he , a scholler if he fail in pronouncing a word and pronounce it amiss , if he pronounce omer for homer ( he instanceth in that ) he is ashamed of that ; but men be not ashamed of breaking the rules of divinity : and there is more failings in the breach of the rule of divinity and in failing there , than in any art whatsoever . now sin is the greatest shame , and the reason why sinners be not ashamed , is , because they know not the excellency of man ; they know not wherein the excellency of the rational creature consists , and therefore they are not ashamed of that which brings them under the excellency of the rational creature . besides , they know not gods infinite holiness , therefore are not ashamed ; they be now among other sinners , and they think though some seem to be religious , yet they think others are as bad as themselves in their hearts at least , though not in practice : as nero , because he was bad , he thought others were as bad as himself . so a wicked man , when he cannot see others break out in such great sins as he doth , yet he thinks they are as bad some other way , and have some other sins as great . and because they live among them that are as bad as themselves , and live in the same sins , therefore they are not ashamed : for as a collier living among colliers is not ashamed , but if he lived among princes and noblemen , he would be ashamed . so wicked men in this world because they live in this world among sinners , they conceive to be sinners like themselves they be not ashamed ; but when god shall come to open what sin means , and what the holiness of god means , and they see themselves stand in the presence of the holy god , then they will be ashamed . but certainly sin is a greater-shame than affliction ; none need be ashamed of affliction any further-than it hath a connexion to some great sin ; but sin in the greatest prosperity hath shame with it . chap. xxxix . he that sins , wrongeth , dispiseth , and hateth his own soul. use . then see the malitiousness that is in sin. use . to pitty those that go on in sinful wayes . use . let sin be dealt hardly with . thus we have discovered how sin makes more against our good , than affliction doth . now there be divers things which follow hence as consequences : i spake of one or two before , i will name them no more : but only thus far , hence we see that sin makes more against our selves , than any thing else ; therefore it is the worst way for any to provide for themselves by giving way to live in any sinful course . and for this i shall ad two or three scriptures i spake not of before , to shew how men go against themselves , and those men that think to provide best for themselves , the truth is in the wayes of sin , they go most against themselves : you have these three notable expressions for this in scripture : first , that men by sin , wrong their own souls . secondly , that they dispise their own souls . thirdly , they hate their own souls . if i should charge these three things upon the most vile sinner at this present before the lord ; oh thou dost wrong thy own soul , thou dost despise thy own soul , thou hatest thy own soul , he would be loth to yeild to it ; and yet the scripture chargeth this upon sinners , prov. . . he that sins against me , wrongs his own soul : he doth not only wrong god , that was in the first thing we opened ; but by sin he wrongs his own soul : you will say somtimes , i do no body wrong , i thank god none can say i wrong them ; but thou wrongest thine own soul , and certainly it is as great an evil to wrong thy own soul , as to wrong the body of another , and a great deal more . nay further ( mark ) all they that hate me ( that is , wisdom and instruction , the rule of lise ) they love death : it is a strange expression ; if any minister should say thus to you , you love death , you would think it a rash speech from us : the holy ghost saith so of al that hate instruction ; if there be any truth of god revealed against sin , and thy heart rise against it , thou lovest death , thy own ruine , and thy own destruction : and what pitie is it for men and women to die ? who can pitie them that die eternally , when as they love death ? if they love death , they must have it : so the holy ghost saith , they wrong their souls , and they love death ; and prov. . . he that refuseth instruction , destiseth his own soul : when you come and hear any instruction against any sinful way , and refuse it , you despise your own souls ; as if your own souls were worth little . hence it is that men and women , though they hear sin tends to the death of their souls , to their eternal ruine , yet if they have but any temptation , but to get a groat or sixpence , they will venture upon it : what is this but to despise thy soul ? that is to despise a thing , to account it little worth : though thy soul be worth a whol world . there is none so poor in this place , the meanest boy , servant ; or girl , but hath a soul more worth than heaven and earth ; but though the meanest here hath a soul more worth than the world , yet we see it ordinarie , that to get twopence or a groat , they will venture the ruine of their souls : is not this to despise their souls ? as if they were not worth a groat or sixpence ; and they will lye or steal to get that which is less : nay , not onlie so , but they are haters of their own souls ; and this you have prov. . . he that is partner with a thief , hates his own soul : there is an instance in that one sin , but it is true of everie sin ; for this must be taken as a rule to help you to understand the evil of sin , know what is said of any one sin , is vertually true of all ; that evil which is in any one sin , is vertually in any sin , he hates his own soul that goes on in anie one sin : therefore if you will provide for your own good , you must abandon sin . object . but it may be said , is that lawful for a man to abstain from sin out of self respects ? for this i am upon , i am shewing how sin is against our selves , and therfore urge you to abandon , and take heed of sin as it is against our selves ; then this question ariseth , what should we abstain from sin out of self respects ? what good is in this ? is that from grace ? to that i answer three things . answ . . that at first when god doth begin to work upon the soul , god doth usually move us from self most ; and these self grounds works most to take men and women off from the acts of their sin ( from outward acts at least ) and to stop them from the commission of sin and bring them to the means of grace ; self motives god makes use of at first : but yet the work is not done till the soul goeth beyond these : it is good for men and women to abstain from sin upon any grounds ; there is so much evil in sin , that upon any grounds men and women abstaining from sin , it is well , but only except it be such a ground , that the ground it self be a greater sin than the sin i abstain from . but yet the work is not done : therefore . know , that though when grace is come into the soul , god useth self arguments , and self motives to further the abstaining from sin ( and it is lawful to do so ) yet self motives , and self arguments be not the chief and highest of all . but . that which i most pitch upon , and most fully answereth this question is this ; that if we did but know wherein our self good consists , which is certainly to live to god ; our self good is in this , not only the glory of god , but our own good and happiness ; our self good is in our living to god , that infinite first-being of all things . now if we understand this , i say , that thing which is our self good , we may make to be our highest aim in abstaining from sin , and in doing any good ; that thing w ch is our self good : but we must not make it our highest aim as it is our self good , we must look to god above our selves ; but still the same thing that is our self good , our own good , may be made our highest aim of all , which is our living to god and his praise . thus god hath connexed our good and his glorie together , that the same thing which is the highest end of all i must aim at , to wit , gods glorie and his praise , that is also our highest good ; and so we may aim at it in our chief aims . secondly , if sin make so against us , i shall give you three uses of it . vse . then we from hence see the desperate maliciousness that is in sin . it follows thus : what for a creature to sin against the blessed god , and to get no good to himself neither , yea , to do hurt to himself too ; this is horrible mischief and malice . we account it horrible malice against man , if any man be so notoriously malicious , that he seeks to do mischief to another man though he get no good , yea , though he hurt himself by it , yet he will do another man a mischief : certainly if this be maliciousness against man , then there is certainly malice in sin against god : for when thou sinnest against god ; suppose thou shouldest get never so much good , suppose thou by sin , one sin , couldest get the the greatest good that ever any creature had , yet thou must not commit it ; it were wickedness to do it : but what sayest thou to this , that when thou sinnest against god , thou mischiefest thy self ; not only gettest no good , but doest that which is the greatest wrong and evil to thy self , and yet wilt thou go on in sin against god ? oh what dost thou think of god ? and what hurt hath god done to thee that thou shouldest be so malicious against him ? that thou wilt dishonor him , and strike at him ? though thou gettest nothing thy self , nay , though thou doest undo thy self by it : men will rather go on in that way that is dishonorable to god though they venture their own damnation to do it . it is one of the highest expressions we can have against our enemies , i will be even with him , i will have my mind of him , or i wilspend al i have to a groat ; this is desperate malice in man , we account it so . thou dost more against god , though thou saiest not so , it may be , in word , yet god sees that there is this language in it , well , i will do that which the word forbids though i undo my self , i will venture my own perishing , my own eternal destruction , rather than that shall not be done that i hear god will not have done : there is this in every sin. brethren , because we do not examine what is in sin , we think it but a little , we see but the outside ; but when god comes to unravle out sin , and to pick out all that his omniscient eye seeth in sin , then it will appear to be evil , transcendantly evil . vse . if sin have so much evil in it more than affliction as against our selves , then it should teach us all to look with pity , and abundance of commisseration upon men and women that go on in waies of sin . ah poor creatures , they undo themselves , their waies are against themselves , and they wil work their own ruine and misery by these waies of theirs : you that are tradesmen , if you see a man going on in way of trading , so that you know certainly that he will undo himself , you look upon him with pitie ; poor yong man , he goeth on in such a way as he will undo himself ; you pitie him upon that ground , because he undoes himself : the more hand a man hath in doing himself hurt , the more he is to be pitied : as you marriners , if you see one at sea , go through ignorance , so that he will be by and by split into the sea , or you know he will be by and by upon the rocks and sands , and he is wilful in his way , you pitie him , he is an object of pitie doest thou see any man or woman , thy father or mother , brother or sister , husband or wife , or any thou lovest dearly , going on in wayes of sin , oh pity them ; let thy heart bleed over them poor wretches , they will undo themselves , split themselves eternally . if thou shouldest see a company of men stab and murder themselves , and lying dead in the streets , if it should be asked how came they dead ? and it should be answered every one of them murthered himself ; were it not an object of pity ? if you see men & women go on in sin , every one stabs , and murders , and mischiefs themselves , and cuts their own throats , this is the way of sin : and though they do not see it themselves , yet if god open their eyes they will see it ; and certainly they shall see it ere long , and they will be forced to cry out in the bitterness of their souls , wo to me , wo to me , i am lost and undone , and i have uddone my self . therefore brethren we should not look upon sinners now as they are in the height of their prosperity and the rufe of their pride , but look upon them as within a little time they will be ; look upon them in their end , and then learn to pity them . although sinners go on conceitedly , and boast themselves in their evil wayes for the present , pity them so much the more , for the more any sinner is conceited and boasts in his way , the more dangerous is his condition , the more dangerous sign the seal of god is upon him to seal him to destruction . the more conceited any man is in any thing that will ruin him , the more lamentable is the object therfore . though we many times when we see men under grievous afflictions , you go to your neighbors and see them lie under gods hand , grievous pains and tortures of body , crying out dolfully , it makes your hearts bleed , and drawes tears from your eyes ; and you say , oh the lamentable condition this man or woman is in ; you pity them in affliction , because they are in such grievous pain . but now you have another neighbor by , and you hear him swearing , certainly though you pity the other neighbor under affliction , yet to hear him swear is more pitiful than to hear the other roar out in the most grievous torture that any man or woman was ever in ▪ when we hear them in torture , we have our hearts bleed , and are not affected with their sinning , this is a sign we know not the evil of sin . further , if you should hear one in the anguish of conscience crying out , i am undone , i am damned , i am damned ; in the anguish of his conscience thus crying out , of hell , and of the devil , you look upon such with pity : now this i say , those that are in the greatest torment of conscience for their sin , they are in a better case than those that go on most conceitedly , and boasting in their sin . do you see one that is your neighbor , or in your family , or friend , when he is rebuked or reproved for any sin , that is careless and hardened in sin ; i say , this man or woman , servant or child , is in a worse condition and a more lamentable object than if you should see another in the greatest horror , and anguish , and trouble of conscience , crying out most bitterly of sin : for there is a great deal more hope of this man or woman that cryes out in anguish of conscience for sin , he may be saved , and not eternally ruined by sin , there is more hopes a great deal ; therefore learn who is to be pitied ; for sin is more against our own good , than any affliction . vse . if sin be so much against our selves , then learn to have sin hardly dealt withal : for thus it follows , that which we look upon as our own enemy , we are willing should be hardly dealt withal : now , nothing such an enemy to our good , as sin is . if you apprehend any one hath done you hurt , or intends to do you hurt , you think you may take liberty to let out your self to the utmost to revenge your self ; but this is sinful , and the distemper of your hearts to do so : but you men and women that have your hearts filled with revenge , because you conceive others have done you hurt ; here is an object god gives you leave to let out your revenge to the full upon ; other men do you hurt , therefore you think you may let out revenge , that is your wickedness , for vengeance belongs to god ; but sin doth you hurt more than any man can , and in this god lets you have leave to revenge your selves upon sin . revenge your selves as much as you can ; look upon it as most mischievous . there be some such spiteful and revengful men , revengeful and spiteful dispositions that have it lie mouldring at their hearts , because they cannot let it out upon objects , so much as they would ; now here is an object you may let it out as much as you can , to revenge your selves , and to seek the ruine and destruction of sin ; and to labor to use it as hardly as possibly you can : yea , it is made in scripture a sign of true repentance to be willing to revenge ones self upon sin , cor. . . when they had committed sin , what revenge was there , saith the apostle ; they manifested their repentance by revenge upon sin : follow thy sin with a deadly hatred if thou wilt ; thou hast a hateful disposition against others , follow sin with as deadly a hatred as thou canst . it was an argument of davids heart cleaving to absalom when joab was to go against him , vse the yong man kindly for my sake , saith he ; this was an argument davids heart was with him : so when you would fain have sin used kindly , gently , it is an argument your hearts are not set against sin so much as they should : no , you should not say , use sin kindly , but roughly and hardly ; as the prophet said of one that came to destroy him , use him roughly when he comes at the door : so when sin comes to the door , when temptations be seeking to have entrance , use them roughly at the door , and say , let the righteous smiteme , oh that the word might come as a two edged sword to stab and slay my sin ; oh that when i go to hear the word , i might meet with some hard thing against sin . thus we should come when we come to the word , and when sin hath got a blow by the word of god , bless god , and say , blessed be god , my sins this day have got a blow ; this sin of mine that hath done me so much hurt , and so pestered me , and so hindred my peace and comfort , blessed be god this day it hath got a blow : thus we should do because sin makes so much against our selves . and thus we have finished the two first heads of sins being against god , and against our selves . now there be four more . the third part of this treatise . chap. xl. sin is opposite to all good , and therefore a greater evil than any affliction , opened in five things : sin take away the excellency of all things : it brings a curse upon all : sin is a burden to heaven and earth , and all creatures : sin turn the greatest good into the greatest evil : sin ( if let alone ) would bring all things to confusion . thirdly , sin is opposite to all good in general . sin is opposite to god , and to our selves ; and i say in the third place , it 's against all kind of good , and therefore a greater evil than any affliction : now for that there be five things to be opened : only in the general , take this sure rule , there must needs be more evil in sin than in any affliction , because there is no other evil , but is opposite to some particular good ; an affliction is opposite to the particular good contrarie to that affliction : but sin is opposite to everie good ; not only is sin opposite to the contrarie vertue , but it is opposite to everie good , so divinitie teacheth us ; though heathens in moralitie teacheth , that one sin is opposite to the contrarie vertue , but divinitie teacheth , that one sin is opposite to everie vertue , and everie good : which appears in five things . first , sin spoils all good , takes away the beauty and excellency of all good whatsoever : it may be said of any thing that hath an excellencie when sin comes , as it s said of reuben , gen. . . his excellency is gone , is departed , he shall not excel : therefore rom. . . it is said ( through the sin of man ) all creatures be subject to vanity , the whol world is put under vanitie through mans sin. now then it appears by that , that the lustre , and beautie , and excellencie of glorie of all things in this world , are spoiled by the sin of man , for all is put under vanitie by sin ; and sin not only makes the heart vain , and so is against our selves , but all things in the world is put under vanitie by sin ; the excellencie of thy estate , of thy parts , the excellencie of any creature thou doest enjoy , all is spoiled through sin : therfore tit. . . it is said , all things be unclean to the sinner : saith he , to him that is unclean , al things are unclean . this is the first , your sin is opposite to al good , spoils al good. secondlie , sin brings a curse upon all : i opened before how it puts man under a curse ; but now i am to shew how it brings a curse upon the whol world , gen. . cursed shall the earth be for thy sake ; and so by the same reason upon the whol world that thou hast to do withal : not only the sinner , but through mans sin the world is under a curse ; and therefore it is a most dangerous thing for any man or woman to seek after happiness in the things of the world , when as the whol world is under a curse , and wilt thou seek thy happiness in that which is under a curse ? no mervail though the devil himself be called the god of this world ; why ? because the world is accursed through the sin of man : sin brings a curse upon the whol world. thirdly , sin is a burden to heaven and earth , to all creatures : rom. . . the whol creation groans and travels in pain to be delivered , and that through the sin of man. now what is the evil of sin , when it is so weightie , that it makes the whol frame of heaven and earth to groan to bear the burden of it ? it may be thy sin is light to thy soul , thou earriest it lightlie , but as light as it is to thee , it is such a heavie burden to heaven and earth , and the whol frame of the creation , that if god did not hold it by his mightie power , it would make it not only shake , but fall down . fourthly , sin turns the greatest good into the greatest evil , therefore opposite to all good. as thus , take the greatest good of man in prosperitie : the more prosperitie thou hast , though a fruit of gods bountie , yet thy sin turns it to the greatest evil to thee : as if poyson get in wine , it works more strongly than in water : so sin in a prosperous estate , usually works more strongly to turn it to a greater evil , than sin in a lower estate . poor men by sin , have their water poysoned ; and rich men by sin , have their wine poysoned : now poysoned wine hath more strength than poysoned water . and it turns not only prosperitie , but the best means , not only the means of grace , but the better any means is thou injoyest , the more evil it is turned into to thee , except the means take away the sinfulness of thy heart : if thou retainest the sinfulness of thy heart , the more powerful sermons thou hearest , and the more glorious truths laid open , the worse will be thy condition , and thou wilt one day curse the time that ever thou hadst such means . yea , sin turns god to be the greatest evil , and makes him the greatest evil in all his attributes : and christ himself ( though infinitely good ) to be the greatest evil : christ is a stumbling stone to wicked men , and laid by god a stumbling stone : what! christ the precious corner stone , that hath infinite treasures of all excellencie , in whom the fulness of the god head dwels bodilie , yet this christ a stumbling stone , and the greatest evil through sin to wicked men ; so that one day they will curse the time that ever they heard of christ . so sin is opposite to all good , because it turns the greatest good to the greatest evil . fifthly , and lastly , sin is the greatest evil , because if let alone , it would bring all things to confusion : therfore it is said , by christ all things subsists ; were it not for christ who sets himself against the evil of sin , al things would be brought to confusion : joh. . . the whole world lies in wickedness : just as a carrion lies in slime and filth , and there rots ; so the whol world would be in the same case that the carrion is that lies in filth and brought to confusion ; were it not that god hath his number of elect , and they keep the world from confusion . now put all these together , sin spoils all , brings a curse upon all , is a burthen to heaven and earth , turns the greatest good to the greatest evil , and would bring all things to confusion if let alone : this is the evil of sin in opposition to all good . there be but three more , and they be , to shew how sin is the evil of all evils whatsoever . hath a kind of infiniteness in it . and , it hath reference to the devil : but these i cannot come to in this chapter , but shall in the following to conclude all ; much you have read of the evil of sin , and how it is above all afflictions ; afflictions are of a lower nature : oh brethren , this is that we should seek for and prise , to injoy those means , that may lessen sin , and oppose wickedness among us : and of all others these be the two great means to crush sin , and bring down , or make it less in all places ; the great ordinance of the magistracy , and the great ordinance of the ministry . now ( as i told you before ) reproach hath come to our nation through sin , and from whence is it sin hath grown to that height it hath , but because there hath been corruption in both , great corruption in magistracy , and ministery , among us . as we read of dan and bethel , two calves set up there : dan signifieth judgement ; and bethel the house of god. so there was great corruption in dan and bethel places of judgement magistracy , and bethel the house of god in the ministry . now it hath pleased god of late , to begin to be merciful to us , this way ; through that great ordinance of good , he hath appointed for us , the assembly of parliament , to purge both dan and bethel , magistracy , and ministry , to cast out corruption from places of judgement , and the house of god. and as we are to bless god for this ; so we are to further this work of theirs , and stand by them to the utmost that we are able in all good wayes those worthies of god in that great assembly for the finishing of that work which they have begun : and that our sins and wickedness may be done away from among us . and for that which hath been done , certainly god hath received much praise , and we have cause to bless god for it . and those that have gone on in a good way according to what the law doth permit them they are to be incouraged . and in a more especial manner , you that be the especial means of good to this land , i mean in regard of safety , and your imployment ; the marriners , in whom much of the strength of this nation consists , for our walls be water and wooden walls : seas and ships be the walls of this land , and therefore much of the good , and of the safety , and prosperity of this state depends upon those . and if god stir up their hearts to the maintainance of their protestation , and parliament , and liberties , and to set themselves against popery and superstition , and to incourage the parliament in their good way ; this is that we be to bless god for , and incourage you in . we reade in judges . several tribes when the people of god were in straits , would not go up but had many excuses : others did go to help in the cause of god , judg. . . see how many excuse themselves , but especially in the . vers . why abodest thou among the sheep-folds to hear the bleatings of the ●locks ? oh ru●en said , we must not leave house and cattel , we must not go out : and giliad abode beyond jordan ; and dan abode in ships ; some think dan did not live neer the sea , but thought they ran to ships and abode there : and asher continued by the sea shore , and abode in his breaches : he pleads thus , we must continue our business , in making fences against the sea ; we have many breaches , and we must continue there and look to our business . but zebulon and naphtali they jeoparded their lives to the death in the high places of the field . who be those two zebulon and naphtali that were full of courage and zeal , when others were-full of pleas and would not venture their lives ? who be these that ventured their lives ? these two were the especial tribes of marriners that were forward rather than others . that these were marriners appears matt. . . the land of zebulon and nephtali by the way of the sea beyond jordan these that lived by the sea. others would not stir that lived by the sea , but zebulon and nephtali , these joparded their lives : now mark , god seems to remember this : they did not jeopard themselves in a good cause in vain : god remembers it many hundred years after . when christ comes , the first tribes that seem to be inlightned were these ; the people that sate in darkness saw a great light , and to them that sate in the region and shadow of death , light is sprung up : they sate in darkness , a company of poor marriners , exceeding ignorant of the ways of god ; and christ comes first to them , and brings light to them . it may be god might aim to shew mercy to these tribes the rather for this that they did in appearing in a good cause , though it were with jeopardy to themselves . so go you on , and in a good cause appear and venture your selves to assist these worthys of ours in whom so much of our good conssists , and god will remember this in spiritual mercies . would you have the means of grace continued , and the means of light come to them that sit in darkness ; if you would have the blessing of zebulon and nephtali , then be zebulons and nephtalies to go out , whatsoever excuses others have , and jeopard your selves for the good , of this common-wealth . the fovrth part of this treatise . chap. xli . that sin is the evil and poyson of all other evils , shewed in several particulars : first , it s the strength of all evils . secondly , it s the sting of affliction . thirdly , it s the curse of all evils , opened in five particulars . fourthly , sin is the shame of all evils . fifthly , the eternity of all evil comes from sin. there are four things , which except we be well instructed in , and know , we know nothing to purpose : except we know god , and sin , and christ , and eternity : these are the four great things that you had need to be well instructed in : the knowledge of sin i have endeavored to set before you : in this argument i have shewed you the evil of fin above al affliction . the next thing i am to open to you , is the fourth general head , propounded in the fifth chapter . fourthly , therefore , that sin is the evil of all other evils . it is the very pith of all other evils ; there 's nothing that would be scarce worthy the name of evil , if sin were not in it . that it is the evil of all other evils , will appear in these particulars : first , it is the strength of all other evils . the strength , the prevailing strength that any evil hath against man , it is from sin. there is no evil would have any prevailing strength to do us any hurt were there not sin in it . that is certain , nothing in heaven , or earth , or hel , would do any of the children of men any hurt , were it not for sin , if there were not sin to give it strength . the strength of any evil that can do us any hurt , is from sin. let the evil be never so smal , yet if it come armed with the strength of the guilt of sin , it is enough to undo any man or woman in the world . this is the reason of the difference of the power , the prevailing power , of any cross and affliction in some more than in others ; you shall have some , that let there be but the least cross and affliction upon them , it sinks their hearts , they are not able to stand under it ; others that have a hundred times more upon them , they go under it with joy : this is the especial difference , one having the guilt of sin in ●he evil , and the other being delivered from it . it is a comparison i remember of a learned man , to express the difference of afflictions ; afflictions are like water , and a little water upon a mans shoulder in a leaden vessel , is a great deal heavier than much more water in a vessel of leather or wood ; take a leather bucket filled with water , it is not so heavie as a little water in a leaden vessel ; so a little affliction where there is much guilt of sin is abundantly more heavie than a great deal of affliction where there is not the guilt of sin . haman could not stand before such a pettie cross as that mordacai would not bow his knee ; being a wicked man , that cross being with sin , troubled him sore : and achitaphel when he was crossed in his way could not bear it . therfore brethren , if you would bear afflictions , this is your way ; your wisdom is to labor to know wherein the strength of an affliction lies , if you would overcome it . as you know the philistims that desired to overcome sampson , their great care was to know wherein his strength lay , if they could by dalilahs means find out the strength of sampson , they thought they might easilie overcome him . so certainlie if you could but find out where the strength of your afflictions ●lie , it is easie then for you to have fears and disquiets taken away : the reason why fears and disquiets overcome you as they do , is , because you find not out the strength of them ; if that were found out and gotten away , you might quicklie overcome afflictions , and they would be light to you . the prevailing strength of all afflictions is from sin : this is the first thing to shew sin is the evil of all evils . secondly , not only the prevailing strength , but the bitterness , the sting of affliction , that which makes it bitter to the spirit , is sin ; sin makes it come like an armed man with power : and besides , sin makes it inwardly gaul at the very heart , sting like a serpent , as the apostle cor. . saith of death , the sting of death , is sin , saith the apostle : so that which he saith of death , it is true of all evils , of all afflictions , that are but makers of way to death ; the sting of a sickness , the sting of the loss of your estates , the sting of discredit , the sting of imprisonment , the sting of all afflictions , and that which makes them bitter to the soul is sin : you have a notable place ; jer. . . thy waies , and thy doings have procured these things unto thee , this is thy wickedness , because it is bitter , because it reacheth unto thy heart : in the greek it is , this is thy wickedness , and because it is bitter it reacheth unto thy heart , that interprets the word : saith he , thy wickedness hath procured this , and the punishment to thy wickedness is bitter , and reacheth to thy heart ; because it comes as a punishment of thy wickedness , so it comes to be bitter , and reacheth to thy very heart . oh when sin is in affliction , it comes to the heart , and is very bitter : were the guilt of sin taken away in any affliction , the soul might be able to make use of that expression of agag in a better way than he did , and come joyfullie and cheerfullie to look upon anie affliction , and say , the bitterness of death is past : so doth god lay any affliction upon me , or my familie , the bitterness of death is gone ; the bitterness is gone , because my sin is gone : sin is as it were the rotten core in an apple , or fruit , it will make all the fruit to be bitter and rotten : and so sin , that is the rotten core , take away , cut out the rotten core , and then you will not tast so much bitterness in the fruit : so if sin , the rotten core be cut out , affliction will not be so bitter . this is the second , all the prevailing strength of affliction is from sin , and the bitterness and anguish of spirit in affliction , is from sin . thirdly , the curse of all evil is from sin ( the strength of all evil , the bitterness of all evil , and the curse of all evil ) i have shewed before , sin brings a curse upon our selves , yea , how it brings a curse upon all good . now i am to shew you how sin brings a curse upon all evil ; it is that which makes the affliction to be accursed : we have a most excellent scripture for this , to shew the difference between gods afflicting of his people whom he hath pardoned , when sin is pardoned and removed ; and gods afflicting of the wicked and ungodly , whose sin is yet upon them : a most admirable text for this , and the difference between these two , that you may see what a difference sin puts upon affliction when it is upon us ; the text is , jer. . . compared with verse . we have before ( in the chapter ) gods expression of the differing estate of his people by the basket of good figs , and evil figs ; those that were godlie , like good figs , and the wicked by the evil figs : mark the different dealing of god with both : both were in captivitie , both good and evil , they must both be delivered into the hand of their enemies ; but see with what difference , vers . . like the good figs , so will i acknowledg them whom i have carried away captive into the land of the caldeans for their good : mark , they must go into the land of the caldeans , but it must be for their good : saith god , though i do afflict them , yet because i have pardoned them , let them know i aim at nothing but their good . then he speaks of the bad figs , the wicked men in captivitie , vers . . i do deliver them to be removed into all kingdoms of the earth for their hurt : i will send them , they shall go into captivitie , but i intend them no good , it shall be for their hurt ; to be a reproach , and a proverb , a tant and a curse in all places , whither i shall deliver them . i beseech you keep this text by you , that which is said of this particular affliction is true of everie affliction : when god doth bring any evil upon any wicked man or woman , looking upon them , saith he of such as are in their sins , god certainly intends their hurt , he brings it for their hurt , even the same affliction that befals one whose sin is pardoned , and god intends for their good : so the priviledg of godly men that have their sins pardoned through christ , how different that is from the estate of wicked men that have the guilt of sin upon them : sin is the curse of all evils ; i will deliver them for their hurt that it may be a curse to them . now this argument would enlarge it self ( but that i studie brevitie ) to shew how sin brings a curse upon everie affliction , and what that is ; and that thereby we shall make it appear , sin is a greater evil than affliction , because it brings a curse upon affliction . i will but briefly name what might more largely be insisted upon . when there is sin and affliction , affliction comes out of gods revenge for sin : god looks upon the guiltie creature with indignation and wrath : here 's a wretch that hath been bold , thus to sin against me , and now my hand shall be upon him . and so when the sinner is under gods hand , god is so far from looking upon him with pitie and compassion , that he looks upon him with indignation and wrath , as an enemy to him when he looks upon the sinner that is got under him : and this is a sore evil , that when god , that is the god of all mercy , and of infinite compassion , yet when he gets a wretched sinner under him , he shall look upon him in the depth of his affliction , with indignation and wrath , as a loathsom creature , as loathing and abhorring this creature under his wrath : he shall be cast out in his wrath , god casts out a sinner and curses him , when he looks upon him in such a manner . the curse of afflictions when it comes in such a manner in way of sin is in this , god regards neither the time , nor the manner , or the measure of the affliction : whether it be a time sensonable for the sinner or no , nor the manner , nor the measure , whether it be such as the sinner can bear ; no , let that go , god minds not that . indeed when god comes with his afflicting hand upon those to whom sin is pardoned , whom he looks upon in christ , he weighs out their afflictions : god comes , and with his wisdom doth order it , for the due time , and weighs it out for the due proportion , that there shall not be one dram put into it ; any further than their strength can bear ; he doth not tempt us beyond our strength , he laies not upon us what we cannot be able to bear ; this is true of his people . but when god comes upon those that have the guilt of sin lying on them , he will come at that time that is most unseasonable for them , at the worst time that can be : as thus , when a husband-man would cut a tree , to make it fruitful , he will observe his time , and lop his tree in its season , perhaps about this * time of the year , and then it will grow up ; but if he mean to have it die he lops it about midsummer , when the tree hath sent forth his sap , and then the tree dies . so god , when he comes to his children with afflictions , he will come in a seasonable time , such a time to lop when lopping may make them more fruitful : but when he afflicts wicked men , he comes to them as to a tree at midsummer , when as they be flourishing , and then cuts them down , and then they perish ; god regards not the time and season for their good when he comes in a way of a curse for sin . and so for the manner and measure of affliction : when god comes to his children when sin is pardoned , god weighs it out : as a skilful physitian weighs out physick , though that which the patient takes , it may be is poyson in it self , yet the physitian will be sure there shall not be one dram too much , and there shall be enough mixt with it , that shal be proportionable to weaken the strength of that poyson , that it shall do no hurt , but good : but now if he give poyson to vermine , he gives it without mixture , or weight , he never stands weighing for them , let them eat and burst themselves , he will mix no help there : when he gives poyson to vermine , 't is to destroy them . so all afflictions that come to wicked men , when god comes upon them in a way of a curse for sin , god gives it to them as we give poyson to vermine to destroy them : but the afflictions that come to saints , when sin is pardoned , god gives that which indeed in its own nature is poyson , but it is so weighed out , that there is not one dram too much , and so mixed with ingredients of the mercie and goodness of god , as only it works good to them to work out corruption , and do them no hurt at all : here 's the difference of afflictions upon those whose sins be pardoned , and those who have guilt upon them . hearken to this you that have the guilt of sin , when any evil comes to you , for ought you know it comes as poyson to vermine to kil you ; whereas if your hearts be humbled for sin , and sin ▪ pardoned , if you be under never so much affliction , it comes but as from a skilful loving physitian , that weighs out the physick , to do the patient good . this is the second thing wherein the curse of affliction consists when it comes for sin . the curse of afflictions when they come for sin , is in this , that all afflictions that come meerly for sin , they are but forerunners of the miseries of hell it self ; i say they are the forerunners of the very forments of hell : let the affliction be never so little in it self , yet it is the harbenger and forerunner of those dreadful eternal torments that thou must bear ; it is but a messenger from the lord , whatsoever they are : what dost thou feel them grievous and tedious for the present ? some grievous tedious distemper , trouble or disease thou hast ; they are but a tast of that bitter cup full of wrath , and they do but give thee notice of what dreadful things thou art to endure when time shall be no more . nay , they are not only forerunners to give notice of what is like to be , but they be the very beginnings of the miseries of hell : every evil a wicked man doth suffer , he may look upon it but as the beginnings of everlasting torments , if he die so , if he be not delivered from the guilt of sin , and this is that which makes it grievous : 't is not so much the pain that lies upon a man for the present , as that he by this pain is told what he shall have for ever ; it is as a summons of him to bear the wrath of god eternally ; and this is that which is the beginning of that everlasting torment he shall endure . suppose there were one to be executed , and he were to die some grievous and fearful death ; well , it may be when the tormenter comes at first , he doth but a litile pain his hand , put his wrist to pain , tyes his hands , and he cryes out of the pain of his wrist . alas ! what is this ? doth he cry for this ? what is this but a preparation for those dreadful torments that are now about to be executed upon him . so all men and women in the guilt of sin , when they have any affliction , sickness , or trouble , i say , so long as they be in that estate they may look upon it but as the girting of their hands with the cords . a little pain they be put to by the strictness of the cord that binds them , but this is but to the body , and so prepares them to be cast out into utter darkness , as you know the phrase is , take him that came without the wedding garment , and bind him hand and foot and cast him into utter darkness . thy afflictions be but as bindings of thee , they are but the beginnings of those everlasting pains thou art like to have : and that should make the least affliction of any ungodly man or woman in the world exceeding dreadful to them ; now i feel pain , but what is this but the beginning of sorrows ? i am now a sinking , but how far i shall sink , i do not know . . again , all afflictions when they come in a way of a cuase for sin , they be sent to ripen men and women for destruction , and therefore they harden their hearts and make them often flie out against god. there is no affliction sent in a way of a curse , but doth ripen any man or woman for eternal misery . oh consider this you that have been under great afflictions , it may be you are delivered from the pain , and you think your selves safe : examine , how is it ? are not your hearts more hard than before ? are you not more greedy upon sin than before ? know then that is a dangerous sign that that affliction was but sent to ripen you for destruction and eternal misery ; though you be escaped for a time , yet they only were ripeners to hasten you to everlasting destruction . and in these things consists the curse of sin ; in all evils that befal us . this is the third . fourthly , sin is the evil of all evils , for it is the shame of all evils ; it is that which makes any affliction to be a shame to us : i remember before in the opening the nature of sin as it is against our own good , there i shewed , sin was a shame to the soul ; whether there be affliction or no ; but now i am to shew you how sin puts shame into other evils , not only brings shame to our selves , but puts a shame upon the evils and afflictions that are or shall be upon us : as thus , a male factor is stigmatized , is branded ; well , there is pain to his body in the branding , and then there is the shame that is in the brand that goeth along with the pain ; and therefore it is , that it might be a note of perpetual shame and reproach . so in afflictions , there is the pain of the affliction , and then there is the shame that is upon men through the affliction . let men be branded , and if it be not for their sin , if it be for righteousness , then their brands are honorable , let them be stigmatized never so much ; let their ears be cut off , and branded with an . s. or any other brand in the cheeks , or foreheads ; if it be for righteousness ; this is their honor and glory . as the apostle speaks in a triumphing way , i bear about with me the marks of the lord jesus : and he glories in it . so for any man to be branded for christ , he bears the marks of jesus christ , though there be pain , there is no shame . so in any affliction god sends , if there be no sin , there may be pain but no shame : but when god comes upon men for sin , and by the very affliction god doth as it were point out the sin of man ; oh! then it is not only painful , but abundance of shame and confusion goes along with it . and therefore in that text , jer. . . god saith , he would cast them out for a reproach , and a taunt , and a by-word . for a reproach as well as trouble . the shame of affliction comes from sin : this is the fourth thing . fifthly , the eternity of all evil comes , from sin : i remember i shewed before , how sin was a principle of eternal evil ; but this is in another regard . i speak not of sin now , as than ; that was , as it is in its own nature , sin it self was a principal evil , and brought an eternal evil . but thus i say here , sin puts an eternity upon that present evil thou dost suffer , if the guilt be not taken away . no creatures but only the reasonable creatures , men and angels , be subject to any eternity of evil . what ever evil is upon any other creature it cannot have that denomination of eternity ; but the evils upon a sinner may have a denomination of eternity upon them . for this , observe this one note ( though it be high ) as in grace that is in it self ( i told you ) an eternal good , and brought eternal good : but further , grace is not only in it self a principle of eternal good , and brings eternal good , but grace doth make that very good that now we have , to have an eternity upon it . it dot● not only procure that hereafter it shall have eternity , but makes our present good to be eternal , though it be conveyed in another way . as now , we have abundance of comforts from creatures , and gods ordinances ; it is true , we shall not have our comforts conveied to us from creatures , and ordinances , but those that have grace shal have the same comforts that now they have from the creature , and the ordinances , conveyed immediatly from god , as from the fountain : that which thou now hast from cisterns and conduits of conyeyance , thou shalt come to injoy the same from god immediatly , and really , another way . so that no man or woman in affliction ( if gracious ) need to be troubled for any thing . for this is a true maxim in divinity , a christian may have many crosses , but no losses . a christian never lost any thing . how can that be ? a christian receives good , in husband , and wife , and children , and estate , and they have losses in these as well as others . no , they be crost for the present , but never any christian had any loss : this we may ( as a certain truth ) assent to , never any godly man or woman that had sin pardoned , never had after that time , any loss . grace ( me thinks ) should be very precious in your thoughts if this be true , if i can make this good ; if i should come and tel you marriners , or merchant adventurers in dangerous seas , wel , i will come and shew you what course you shall take , and you shall never have loss more ; you would think this good news , if it were not a fancy , and deceit , if you found it so , you would account your time well spent if you could but find this to be true , though you heard nothing but this . certainly i can tell you a way where you shall never have loss in the world ; the way of godliness . get but sin once pardoned in christ , and you shall never have any loss . suppose i had a pipe that were laid into a fountain of water that brought water to me ; well , afterward this pipe is stopped , and there comes no more water through this pipe , but though this pipe be stoped , yet if i come to injoy the very fountain , i have no loss of water , for i have it from the fountain , though the pipe be stopped yet i have the same water i had before : so it is with a christian that have any loss in the creature . for thus we are to know , all creatures be but as so many pipes of conveyance of comfort , and good , from god the fountain of all good in the creature , and he is pleased with one kind of pipe , to convey comfort from one creature , and from another another way , some have greater , and some smaller pipes , as god shall minister in his wisdom and providence to his servants . but now , one that is godly , though the poorest man or woman in the world , hath an interest in god himself , the fountain of all good : and therefore if any pipe be cut off and stopped , as perhaps such a time thou didst loose a thousand pound , perhaps three or four thousand pound ; there was three or four pipes cut off , but stil thou hast a god and an interest in him , and there all is made up . and there is this art in godliness , and the skill , that still thou maiest come and injoy that immediately from god , and suck that from the fountain , that thou didest from the pipes . so that a christian may loose much of his estate , or comfort in friends , so as he shall never receive it from them any more , but he goeth to god and injoyes it in god : so that that present good which he had here , he makes it all up in god. thus grace makes that good and comfort you have here now , an eternal good ; only the conveyance is in another way , more immediately from god , and therefore the sweeter and the fuller . so sin puts an eternity , in every evil ; observe sin doth not only deserve , that thou shouldest have eternal evil befal thee hereafter ; but whatsoever evil thou hast now , sorrows , distresses , anguish , or troubles upon thee ; sin wil make that sorrow , and anguish , and distress , to be eternal : though not perhaps conveyed that way , by that channel , yet thou shalt have that to be immediately let out through gods warth and justice . all that evil that ever thou didest bear here from any creature ; here perhaps thou hast a grievous disease ; oh! it doth ( it may be ) extreamly afflict , and torment thee ; perhaps thou diest ; the strength of that evil is gone : but that torment upon thee by the disease was nothing else but the wrath of god working through that channel ; and let out through that ; though now thou die , and the matter of the disease be gone , yet when thou comest to hell , there thou shalt meet with the same grievous pain ; only in another way . that is , the wrath of god shall let out this evil immediately , through his wrath , which was mediately through the creature before , and now it is immediately from himself . and this meditation rightly considered , is enough to bring down the proudest , stoutest sinner on the earth ; to consider how the wrath of god is all that evil to a sinner that all the creatures in heaven and earth are able to convey , and much more . and thus you have this opened how sin is the evil of all evils . the fifth part of this treatise . chap. xlii . sin hath a kind of infiniteness in it : opened in seven particulars . first , because nothing but an infinite power can overcome it . secondly , sin hath a kind of infiniteness , because it hath an infinite desert in it , expressed in three particulars : the desert of the loss of an infinite good. it deserves to put an infinite distance between god and thee . it deserves infinite misery . thirdly , sin hath a kind of infinite evil , because there is required an infinite price to make an attonement between god and man. fourthly , there is a kind of infinite evil in sin , because we must hate it infinitely . fifthly , sin is an infinite evil , because it is the vniversal cause of all evil. sixthly , the scripture make use of evil things , to set out the evil of sin. seventhly , there 's an infiniteness in sin , because the scripture set out sin , by sin it self . a fifth general head that was propounded in the beginning is this : sin hath a kind of infiniteness of evil in it . it is true , we must acknowledg that nothing but god can be properly said to be infinite : there is not an infiniteness in a strict sense in sin , for then certainly all the mercy of god , and all the power of god , could never overcome it , if properly and absolutely sin had an infiniteness in it ; therefore i do not say it is properly infinite . well , but there is a kind of infiniteness , it comes exceeding neer to infiniteness ( if we may so speak , though it is somwhat improper to say it comes neer , but we must speak so as we can to our own apprehensions , you shall see in the opening what i mean ) as thus , there is a kind of infiniteness of evil in sin beyond all bounds . first , because there is nothing but infinite power can overcome it . take the least sin that any man or woman lies under the power of ; nothing but the infinite power of god can overcome that sin : and this is the reason that many that have had many convictions of conscience of the evil of sin , many resolutions against sin , many vows and covenants , and promises they have made against sin : oh when they are sick , now they see the evil of sin , now they promise if god will restore them ▪ they will never do the like ; and they speak from their hearts , they do not only dallie , but they do verily think they will never come in companie more , and commit sin more because it is so evil : but when they be well , they be under the power of sin as before , and al their resolutions and experiences , and all their own strength and power , and all the means they have , are nothing ; though sin be opened to be never so vile , and they be convinced thereof , yet al comes to nothing . certainly there is more dreadful evil in sin than we be aware of ; and all the pleasure and profit we have by sin can never countervail that evil that is in sin : and this they see , and therefore promise and hope they shal never commit such sins again . perhaps there hath been such thoughts in your hearts , may be god hath had some beginnings to come in by his power into your souls : this is the way of gods coming in to the hearts of men and women , when he comes to convince and give them such resolutions . but know , all thy resolutions cannot overcome sin ; perhaps you may forbear for the present , the acts of sin a while may be restrained ; but nothing but the infinite power of an infinite god can overcome any one sin , any one lust , sin shall not have dominion over you , rom. . . for you are not under the law , but under grace , saith the holy ghost : as if he had said , if you be not now under the grace of the gospel , in which the infinit power of god comes upon the soul to deliver them from the dominion of sin , sin would for ever have dominion over you ; but sin shall not have dominion over you , because you be not under the law , but under grace : it is the grace of the gospel through which this infinite power of god comes upon your hearts , that keeps sin from having dominion over you . this is the first , there is a kind of infiniteness in it , because nothing but the infinite power of god can overcome it . secondly , there is a kind of infiniteness in it , because it hath an infinite desert , it doth deserve that which is infinite : there is an infinite desert in it , therefore a kind of infiniteness in it . as thus , the infinite desert of sin , may be set out in these three particulars : the desert of the loss of an infinite good , all the good in god : by every sin thou dost deserve to be deprived of that good there is in god ; that desert comes upon thee , to lose all the good there is in the infinite god , not in this or that particular good , but in the infinite god , and all the good in him . every sin doth make an infinite breach between god and you ; not only you do deserve to lose all the good in god , but it puts an infinit distance between god and thee . abraham could say to dives when lazarus was in his bosom , there is a great gulph between you and us : there is a great gulph between the sinner , and those that are godly ; but what a gulf is there between god himself and a sinner ? if there be such a gulf between abraham and dives , surely a greater gulf between god himself , and a sinner . the desert of sin is infinite , in regard of the infiniteness of misery , and pain , and tortures that sin deserves , which becaus they cannot possibly be infinit in degree , for it is impossible for a finite creature to bear any one moment , pains infinite in degree : but because it deserves infinite torment , it must therefore be infinite in time , because it cannot be infinite in degree : and so it is infinite this way , in duration , because it cannot be infinite in degree : thus sin is infinite . certainly that which makes such an infinite loss , and such an infinite breach , and brings such infinite tortures ; this must be an infinite evil in a kind . thirdly , sin is a kind of infinite evil , because there is required an infinite price to make an attonement : nothing can make an attonement between god and a sinner , but an infinite price paid . you may think when you have sinned , it may quickly be made up again : every fool can sin , can be drunk , be unclean , and wicked ; but when you have sinned , how will you get it away ? all the angels in heaven , and men in the world cannot do it ; all the creatures in heaven and earth connot get away one sin : you let out your thoughts idlely ; take the guilt of one sin , of an idle thought , i say , it is beyond the power of al the angels in heaven , and creatures in the world to get away that sin : it must be an infinite price ; there must be more done for to get away the guilt of this sin , than if god should say , here is a poor creature hath sinned , and is guilty , i will make ten thousand worlds for his or her sake , and they shall be all given that i may manifest my mercie towards them : now if god do but deliver thee from one sin , he doth more for thee , than if thou shouldest hear him speak from heaven , and say , he would do all that for thee : for you know what the apostle saith , pet. . . for as much as you know that you were not redeemed with corruptible things , as silver and gold from your vain conversation , received by tradition from your fathers , but with the precious blood of jesus christ as of a lamb without spot or blemish ▪ not with gold and silver ▪ if it were gold and silver , all the gold and silver in the world would not redeem one ; but it was with an infinite price with which you were redeemed : and mark , from your vain conversation ; he doth not say , your vain wicked , notorious idolatry , but vain conversation ; yea , and that vain conversation which you might have some plea for , received from the tradition of your fathers : you will keep your old customs you received from your fathers , received a great while ago ; you crie out of new things , new kind of waies , now i am sure i have lived this thirtie , or this fourtie years , and i never knew such things , and heard of such things , and so you will rest on the traditions of your fore fathers : mark what the scripture saith , speaking of those that were delivered from their vain conversation , and the vanities received by tradition ; these were redeemed by the precious blood of jesus christ , not with gold and silver : though you stick to them as being such as you received from your fathers , yet know all the world cannot deliver you from the guilt of one of these vain conversations : if you knew all you would see there were so much evil in one sin , as required a price to ransom you from it● of more worth than heaven and earth , yea , than ten thousand heavens and earths : there must be a price laid down of infinite worth : and observe this before you go away ; there may be a price laid down to ransom a captive , and this price may note not so much the greatness of the deliverance , as the worth of the person for whom this price is laid down ; because the person is worthy , not from the miserableness of the bondage , but the greatness of the person : but it is not so here , the reason of the greatness of the price for your ransom , is not from the worthiness of the person , we be poor , vile , dirt , and dross , and filthy before god : what if you were all buried to all eternity , what great matter were it ? but god hath paid a great price to note the greatness of your misery , and evil you have brought upon your selves by reason of sin , and therefore this is the price of our ransom . this is the third thing wherein the infiniteness of sin appears . a fourth thing to discover a kind of infiniteness of evil in sin is this , that sin , it is so evil , that let there be never so much hatred against it in thy soul , let there be as much hatred against it as possibly can be ; yet there is enough evil in sin to raise this hatred higher and higher , if it were possible to an infinite hatred : therefore there is a kind of infiniteness in it . if sin were but a meer finite evil , then there might be some bounds and limits set to the hatred of our sin ; but that cannot be , there can be no bounds nor limits set to the hatred of our sin , but we are to hate it more and more still , and if we could , grow to an infinite hatred : therefore there must be some kind of infinite evil in it . other things be not so ; we may set bounds to our hatred in other things : but when it comes to sin , there is no limits to be set to the hatred of it . as brethren thus , it doth note the infiniteness of goodness that there is in god , why ? because we are to love god , and our love to god must be without any bounds at all : we love him thus much , and still our love is to go further , and higher and higher , and if possible to raise our love to be infinite , because he is an infinite good who is the object of our loves . so hatred on the other side ; we are to hate sin , we are to hate it more and more , and still grow up in hatred , and never set bounds to our hatred : why doth not this as well argue a kind of infinitness in fin ? and here then brethren by the way you may have a note of your true love to god , and true hatred against sin , whether it be right or no : as now , if you will know if you love god truly , then you set no bounds to your love , not only to your love to him , but to your love to his waies , and your love to grace , and christ , and the like , you set no bounds : that man or woman that would be religious but so far , and saith , why will you be so strict , and so hot ? and sets bounds to the working of their hearts in religious waies ; let such men and women know , their religion is in vain , it is but meerly a natural one . i remember a speech seneca a heathen hath , though he applies it another way , yet he makes it appear , he had some understanding of this truth , saith he , would you know when desires be natural , and when not natural ? if they be natural , then they be in bounds , and you set limits to them ; but when they break bounds , then they be no more natural : but he applies it to sinful desires ( for he knew no better than desires at the highest , as they had some naturalness in them ) and saith he , speaking of sinful desires so long as you keep your desires in certain bounds , they be natural and good , but when once you let them out beyond bounds , they be no more natural . we may very well applie it to speak of the work of nature , and the work of grace : would you know whether the ground of your desires , or work , be natural , or supernatural ? you may know them by this , if you propound limits , thus far you will go ; this certainlie is a natural work : but when the heart lets out it self to god without any limits or bounds ; this is a supernatural work . so you dislike sin , and oh you would not commit it ; but this is the question , whether your dislike or hatred be natural or supernatural ? if natural , then there be some limits and bounds you propound , that is , you will not commit such gross sins , and live in such open sins ; and upon such and such grounds , you will abstain from such and such sins : but if there be a supernatural work , your hearts are set against all sins with a kind of infiniteness , without anie bounds or terms , you will set no bounds to your hatred of anie sin : that man or woman that so hates sin , as to set no bounds at all unto their hatred , and will admit it upon no terms ; this is a supernatural hatred . manie are against sin naturally ; but in that true hatred , it is so boundless , that there must be no bounds set to your hatred : it evidentlie shews sin to have a kind of infinitness of evil in it . fifthly , sin hath a kind of infiniteness in it in that it is the vniversal cause of all evil : as god appears to be an infinite good , because he is the universal cause of all good ; this doth much set out the infiniteness of gods goodness in that he is the universal cause of all good so it doth set out the infiniteness of sin , in that sin is the universal cause of all evil , all evils flow from it . this is the fifth thing . sixthly , there is an infiniteness of evil in sin ; it appeareth thus , that as the infiniteness of good in god is shaddowed out unto us by all good things , and in as much as we and the scripture makes use of all good things to shaddow out the goodness of god , this manifests an infiniteness of good in him : so in as much as the scripture mak●s use of all kind of evil things , only to set and shaddow out the evil in sin ; this makes it appear there is a kind of infiniteness of evil in it : as thus , that all those creatures , vipers , serpents , dogs , cockatrices , dragons , wolves : all deadly creatures the scripture makes use of but to shaddow out the evil in sin. as if the holy ghost should say , do you see any evil in such creatures that you account the worst : put them all together , and that is in sin and more . so take all kinds of uncleanness , the vomit of a dog menstruous cloaths , all this doth but shaddow out the evil in sin. look at sicknesses , leprosies , plague , and death it self , and darkness , any hidious evil , all these do but shaddow out the evil of sin. we might mention many more to shew you the evil of sin. and in that the scripture makes use of so many evil things to shew the evill of sin. this shews sin hath a kind of infiniteness in it . seventhly , as gods infinite goodness is set out thus , that he is his own happiness and blessedness ; in this god doth appear to be infinitely good , because he is his own good and happiness , there is no higher good to be the goodness of god ; no higher blessedness to be the blessedness of god but himself ; because he is infinitly good and blessed . so the scripture sets out to us the evil of sin by it self , because there is no greater evil to set sin out by , but by it self : therfore this shews there is a kind of infiniteness of evil in sin. and therefore you have that of rom. . . was that then that was good made death to me ? god forbid , but sin that it might appear sin working death in me by that which was good : that sin by the commandement might become exceeding sinfvl . he doth not say that sin might appear to be exceeding miserable : but that it might become exceeding sinful : so that the sinfulness of sin is that which sets out the evil of sin more than any other thing doth . it was the speech of the heathen seneca , it is the punishment of sin , to have sin : so it is the reward of vertues to have them . godliness in it self is the excellency of a man ; and sin in it self is the misery of a man : and this is a proof of this , that there is a kind of infiniteness of evil in sin. now then by all these seven discoveries of the evil in sin , having a kind of infiniteness in it , this one thing comes fully and powerfully from them ; that for to fall into sin again , and for to be prevailed withal by any such temptation as this , oh it is no great matter , if i do no worse than this , i hope it is well , and others do worse : i say , to yield again to the commission of any sin upon such a temptation , is a great wickedness . what dost thou make any comparison in sin , and use any such words , when thou hast heard it , or read it proved to thee , that sin hath a kind of infiniteness of evil in it . nay , which i thought to have finished here , but cannot now come to it , but shal in the next chapter shew the reference sin hath to the devil ; this shews the greatness of sin above all evils : sin is that which makes the soul conformable to the devil . afflictions doth not , they make the soul conformable to jesus christ : i suppose you know that place , phil. . . mark there the difference between sin and affliction , paul there accounted all things dung and dross for the excellency of the knowledg of christ : and what more ? that he might be found in him , and that he might know him , and the power of his resurrection , and the fellowship of his sufferings being made conformable unto his death . he did desire above all things to have the fellowship of his sufferings , and to be conformable to his death : he accounts all the world as dung and dross to be conformable to christ by afflictions , or sufferings . it is true , it may be many account all the world to be nothing , to be conformable to christ in glory in heaven . but here is the work of grace ( and i beseech you observe this in the conclusion , and carry it away ) that a gracious heart accounts all the world dung and dross to be conformable to jesus christ in his sufferings ; there is so much excellencie and glorie in the sufferings of jesus christ . now you see the wide difference between afflictions and sin : sin makes a man conformable to the devil ; afflictions make a man conformable to jesus christ . i would have shewed wherein , in several particulars , how sin makes us conformable to the devil : i will but name this one now , and that which might be enough to make every soul out of love with sin , in that by sin thou joynest with the devil , and conspirest with the devil against god himself . there is no creature that is against god , but men and devils : the devil was gods first enemie , and now man comes in and conspires with the devil . now we account it a great evil if you had a child ; and if there were but one traitor in the common wealth , and you hear , oh my child is joyned with this traitor , and conspireth against me and the state. before sinful man , there was but one sort of sinful creatures in the world , the devils : now by sin , man comes in , and joyns in conspiracie against the blessed god ; and so one generation after another : perhaps the father comes and conspires with the devil , and then the child ; and so along in a succession . and this should come neer our hearts to humble us for our sins and wickedness , that in this we be those that of all creatures that ever god hath made , conspire with the devil against the blessed god , the fountain of all good. the sixth part of this treatise . chap. xliii . sin makes a man conformable to the devil , opened in six particulars . first , sin is of the same nature with the devil . secondly , sin is from the devil . thirdly , sin is a furtherance of the devils kingdom in the world : for by sin we oppose christs destroying the devils kingdom in the world. by sin thou opposest thy prayers when thou prayest , thy kingdom come . by going on in a way of sin , thou becomest guilty of all the sin in the world. fourthly , sinning is a fulfilling the will of the devil . fifthly , sin sells the soul to the devil . sixtly , sin , it turns the soul into a devil . the sixt and last demonstration of the evil of sin ; it is from that reference sin hath to the devil . the scripture speaks of afflictions , that they make us conformable to christ ; but sin makes us conformable to the devil . there are six things to be opened about this : i have mentioned the first , which was this , that sin was of the same nature with the devil : every sin hath the same kind of malignity in it , that the devil hath . but , secondly , all sin , it is from the devil , either originally , or at least by way of a cause , helping it forward : sin is the work of the devil , not only a joyning with him , but his work : therefore christ is said to come to dissolve the works of the devil : sin is from the devil , therefore it is said in john , . . he that commits sin is of the devil , for the devil sinneth from the beginning ; and to this purpose the son of man was manifest , that he might destroy the works of the devil : he that commits sin is of the devil , it comes from the devil . and so john , . . brethren ( these things which i speak concerning the reference sin hath to the devil , though they may seem hard and harsh , yet ) it is to be observed , none speaks so much of sins coming from the devil as john , who was of the most loving , sweet nature of any of the disciples ; and yet when he comes to speak of sin , he speaks of it in the most harsh terms that possibly can be ; so that it comes not from harshness , but may stand with a loving and sweet nature to speak of sin in the harshest terms that we can do : for john the most loving , and beloved disciple of christ , so full of love ; and yet none spake so harshly of sin , especially in its reference it hath to the devil , as he saith here , joh. . . you are of the devil , and his lust you will do : thus sin , the lusts of sin come from the devil , and it makes a man or a woman to be the child of the devil : so the scripture is clear it comes from him originally ; all sin that is in you , is originally the spawn of the very devil himself in your souls ; and originally it comes from him : as all sin originally comes from his temptations and suggestions , so also the devil helps forward and furthers all sin that is in your souls , this is the evil of it . but here understand this aright , the devil is not so the cause of all sin , as god is the cause of all grace , not so : it is true , the devil hath a hand in every sin , but not such a hand in sin , as god hath in grace ; for god hath such a hand in the work of grace , that he doth not only give a principle of grace , but all the operation of grace is so from him , as it would never stir but by him , he gives the will to work and do all ; the will and the deed are from him : but all sin is not so from the devil , though originally it is , and the devil puts it on ; yet we are to know , though the devil now should tempt no more , yet there is enough in the hearts of men and women to sin against god all manner of sin , even from their own innate corruption that now is in them ; if the devil were destroyed , sin would not be destroyed : in grace there is no power to work but by gods working together with it ; but in sin there is a power to work without the devils working : though the devil is forward enough to work with our corruption , yet i say there is corruption enough in our hearts for to work al kind of sin , though the devil should not tempt us any more ; therfore we must not lay all upon the devil , as many do ; when they fall into any wickedness , they will say , this is the devil , and lay all the fault upon the devil , and so think to take it off from themselves by laying it upon the devil : no , know , though the devil labors to further it what he can , yet there is such corruption in you , that it would stream forth from you though the devil stir it not at all : therefore charge your own hearts as well as the devil . in the work of grace , we must give all the glorie to god ; but in the work of sin , we cannot allot all the fault to the devil ; we are not to take any of the glorie of the work of grace to our selves , but we are to take a great part , yea , somtimes the greatest part of sin to our selves : but however the devil is the cause of sin originally , and helps forward to it . thirdly , all sin is the furtherance of the kingdom of the devil in the world. you know that the scripture saith , that the devil is the prince that rules in the air , and is called the god of this world , because he rules in the children of disobedience . there is a kingdom of the devil set up by sin in the world , and maintained by sin in the world ; it hath a succession in the world by sin : so that all sinners that continue in waies of sin , they do what in them lies to uphold the kingdom of the devil in the world , and the rule of the devil in the world. therefore men in sin , are exceeding opposite to the end of christs coming in the world : for it is christs end in coming into the world to dissolve the kingdom of the devil , as you had it before in john , . . it is an especial end why christ came into the world , for to bring down the kingdom of the devil , and yet thou by sinning upholdest the kingdom of the devil ; so thou dost what in thee lies to oppose and resist the very end of christs coming into the world . there is very much in this consideration to humble the hearts of all wicked men for sin ; thou hast lived in a course of sin it may be many yeers ; now brethren know , the lord charges thee with this , this day , that all this time that thou hast lived in a course of sin , thou hast done what in thee lies to oppose the end of christs coming into the world ; that if thou couldest thou wouldest hinder the end of the death of christ , and of all that he hath done : for the especial end why christ is come into the world , it is to dissolve the work of the devil ; and thou keepest up the work of the devil . again , it follows hence , that thou dost directly contradict thy own prayers : when thou prayest , thy kingdom come , in the lords prayer , thou prayest there that the kingdom of christ might come : but in every way of sin that thou takest liberty in , thou dost oppose the kingdom of christ : how dost thou take the name of god in vain , and mock god in this prayer ? every wicked man and woman in the world mocks god in praying the lords prayer , when they say thy kingdom come , and yet live in such waies as upholds the kingdom of the devil , instead of the kingdom of christ . yea further , this follows , that by going on in waies of sin , thou comest to be guilty , and standest charged for all the sins that ever were committed in the world : this may seem to be a hard thing , to charge any man or woman that now lives in waies of sin , that by that sin of thine that thou now livest in , thou comest to be guilty of all the sins that ever was done in the world , since the beginning of the world . i undertake to make that good thus ; you know the scripture chargeth those that persecuted the prophets , as guilty of all the persecution of the prophets that ever were , all the blood that was shed from abel to zacharias shall come upon this generation , saith christ ; why so ? why should all the blood shed from abel to that time , come upon that generation ? the reason is this , because they continued the succession of that sin of persecution of the prophets , that as there was a persecution of the prophets before , so they go on and uphold this succession of that sin . now by the holding of the succession of a way of sin , we come to be guilty of all that sin that went before : as for example , suppose there should be treason against a king or state , by some vile treasonable act ; now the father commits the first act , the son afterward goeth on in the same way , and his children come after him , and goeth on in the same way , and their children after them : now i say , the children , and the grand-children , and the great grand-children , are guilty of the first treasonable act that was committed ; why ? because they uphold the succession of the treasonoble act . so now , sin that was in the beginning of the world , was to bring in the kingdom of satan ; and the next generation upheld it , and the next upheld the same , and the next generation went on the same way ; so that every generation is not only guilty of those particular sins which they commit ; but they be guilty of all that went before , because they uphold the succession of the kingdom of the devil , and the opposition of the kingdom of jesus christ : as for instance , take a scorner of religion , that is one sin ( for we cannot open things but by instancing in particulars ) i say , take a scorner of religion , know thou art not guilty of these acts of scorning only in thy self , but art guilty of all the scorning of godliness since the beginning of the world ; why ? because thou holdest a succession of that way of scorning of religion . so a blasphemer may be said to be guilty of all the blasphemies in the world ; why ? because he upholds the succession of that way of sinning against god ; and so opposing the kingdom of christ , and upholding the kingdom of the devil . this is the third thing , sin is the upholding of the kingdom of the devil in the world. fourthly , a fourth thing is this , that sin , it is a fulfilling of the will of the devil : that is another distinct consideration , and you shall see that in the opening of it , it will be of distinct use to you : i say , it is a fulfilling the will of the devil ; that place is very famous for that in the tim. . . that they may recover themselves out of the snare of the devil , who are taken captive of him at his will : there wicked men be taken captive by the devil at his will , or to do his will , so you may reade it : some they be insnared by satan to do his will , his lusts you do , as christ speaks : you may think you do your own will in sinning , but certainly you do the will of the devil as well as your own : as for instance , that of passion and anger ephes . . . be angry , but sin not , let not the sun go down upon your wrath ; neither give place to the devil : you think you give place to your own passion , but you give place to the devil , and fulfil the will of the devil : you come by sin to do the devils drudgery and slavery ; you do his work he sets you about , and his will you fulfil . now for such a noble creature as man is , to come to be a slave of the devil , that is the lowest now of all creatures ; it must needs be a very dreadful thing ; it is an evil to be in slavery to any thing vile or base . i remember i have read a story of one gunno , king of the danes , that having overcome a people , he set a dog over them to be their governor ; that is thus , he would have all commands to go out under the name of the dog , and they should be under the government of the dog ; this he did in disdain and indignation against those people he overcame . but now , as he would shew the baseness of that people that he designed to be under a dog ; much more debasement is it for an immortal soul to be under the command of the devil , as all wicked men are under the command of the devil himself . thou wilt not fulfil the will of god when it is opened to thee out of his word and will , what thou oughtest to do ; thou standest out against the will of god : but now you that think it such a bondage to be obedient to the will of god , you be brought under a worse bondage , you are fain to be obedient to the will of the devil . and certainly those men and women that think they be at most liberty when they be free from obedience to the will of god ; by that libertie they come to be under bondage , under slavery to the devil all wicked men that think much to obey god , they must be obedient one way or other ; we must be all servants , and obedient either to the will of god , or the devil : which is best then ? wicked men think it a brave life that they may have their own will ; true , if they might have their own will , they might think it a brave life : but know , you have rather the will of the devil than your own , in that you do his will , you fulfil the will of the devil . to be in slaverie , not only to the devil , but to any man , is a great evil , to be at the wil of man , yea , to be at the will of a good man is an evil : i should be loth to live in any such common-wealth , as that i should be under the will of man in it , any further than might be revealed and bounded by some set law. the difference between a slave and a subject is this , a slave is such a one as lives under arbitrary government , that is the will of such as are in authority , is their law , and they are ruled by no other law but by the will of such as govern them , there is no law set , to know when they shall offend , and when not ; but when their rulers say , this is an offence , that his will is crossed , that is an offence , and they be therefore punished : but now subjects , they be bound to no obedience to any man , any further than some set law doth require their obedience ; that is a subject , and that is the very difference between a slave and a subject . if men in authority should command any thing , though good ( i mean only indifferent ) yet i am not bound in conscience to obey at al , because they command , except it be by a law , except they command it by a law : if he command it meerly as his will , and only say , i will , here is no tie upon the conscience . it is ordinarie for people to think , if men in authoritie command , they will have such a thing done , oh say they , authoritie commands : we deny it , authoritie commands nothing but what it commands by a law ; and then we are bound to obey , or to suffer , if it be a law once : but if it be not a law , though it should be the will of men in authoritie , it doth not bind us at all , till it come to be a law , any further than there is equity it self in the thing , in its own nature : for then doth a people come to be in slavery when they come to be subject to the will of men without a law. now brethren thus ; if it be a slavery , and a great evil to be subject to men , though good men , subject to their will , and nothing else , without law ; then what an evil is it to be in subjection and slaverie to the will of the devil ? meerly at his will ? and yet every wicked man is so . we should account it a very sore thing if we should come under arbitrary government , to be subject to the will of men . now so long as thou remainest under the power of sin , thou remained under the government of the devil himself ; this is a sorer evil than affliction : a man were better live in any countrie , though not so fruitful as england , and suffer hardship in his estate , so he live like a free man , than to live here , or in any other fruitful countrie , and live under arbitrary government . this we hope for , not to be under the wills of men , but the laws made by them . then it were better to endure hardship and any affliction , than bear this , to be at the will of the devil , and ful●l his will. fifthly , in reference to the devil , sin hath this evil in it , if it grows to a height , itsels the soul to the devil : as with ahab , kings , . . when elijah met ahab , hast thou found me , o my enemy ? ( saith ahab ) and he answered , i have found thee , because thou hast sold thy self to work evil in the sight of the lord : now if he sell himself , he must sell himself to some body , to somwhat , we cannot sell a thing but we must sell it to some body , or to somwhat ; now to what must ahab sell himself ? certainly , to no body but to the devil ; he sold himself to work iniquity and wickedness , and wickedness when it comes to the height , is a selling of our selves to the very devil himself . we cry out of those poor , miserable creatures that sel themselves to the devil , we say , oh how be they deluded and besotted that sell themselves to the devil ? certainly every wicked man and woman in the world , when sin groweth to the height sell themselves to the devil . sixthly and lastly , sin when it grows to a height , it doth turn the soul into a devil ; it makes men and women to become devils , when it grows once to a height : the scripture is very clear in that ; you know what is said concerning judas , john , . . have not i chosen you twelve , and one of you is a devil ? and so ordinarily the scripture speaks in this kind of phrase , revel . . . fear none of these things you shall suffer , behold the devil shall cast some of you into prison : why ? is the devil come to be a pursevant , or an officer , or to give warrants to cast into prison ? no , but it is spoken of wicked persecutors that the devil sets on work , they be called by the name of the devil . sin when it comes to a height , it makes the sinners to be such , that they are pronounced to be devils : the devil shall cast some of you into prison ; and one of you is a devil : that is a strange metamorphosis . we reade of strange fictions , of some creatures turned into other creatures ; but this , for the creature to be turned into a devil , is the strangest metamorphosis that can be . brethren , what made the devil a devil ? they were once glorious angels , more glorious creatures than men and women , but what is it that should make them devils now ? nothing but sin ; it is sin that hath made angels to be devils : and therefore do not so much wonder that sin should make men and women to be devils incarnate . do not wonder at the phrase of scripture , seeing angels by sin , yea , the sin that the angels did commit , did presently turn them into devils : therefore wonder not , that the continuing the acts of sin , when it groweth to the height , should turn men and women into devils . these be the six particulars in this head , of sins reference to the devil . it is of the same nature with the devil , joyns with him against god. it is the work of the devil , that is , he is the original , and helping cause of it . it furthers the kingdom of the devil . it fulfils the will of the devil . when it grows to a height it sels the creature to the devil . it turns them into devils . these be the six particulars of the evil of sin in the reference it hath to the devil . from these six , follow these notable corollaries and consequences , to shew the dreadful evil in sin beyond all affliction . corollaries and consequences from all the former particulars . chap. xliv . the first corallarie . ] it s worse for a man to be sinful , than to be turned into a beast . first , hence then it is worse for a man to be sinsul and wicked , than if he were turned into a beast : it is worse to be like the devil to fulfil his will , to be a servant to him , to be turned into a devil , than to be turned into a beast . and yet we should account it a great misery if god should put any one under such a punishment to turn your bodies into beasts . i remember i have read out of lactantius of a place he quotes out of tully , who would not rather die ( saith he ) than have his body , the body of a man , turned into the shape of a beast , though he should retain the mind of a man , under this condition ? as if god by his power should turn the fashion of a mans body , to be just like a dog or a swine , and yet he should have the mind of a man the soul should be kept within such a body , of such a forme , of a dog or a swine , and he should go up and down in the world as a dog or a swine , with the mind of a man : now this heathen saith , a man had rather die than be so ; then how great an evil ( saith he ) is it for a man to have the soul of a man turned into the fashion of a beast , though his body continue still in the form of a man , this a heathen could say . by this it appeareth , though we see not god work such miracles , as to turn the bodies of men and women , by his judgements , into the fashion of swine , or dogs , or such creatures as he might do if he pleased ; but this we see ordinary that the souls of men and women , be turned just into the very fashion and shape ( as i may so speak ) of the sensitive souls of bruit beasts ; as a drunkard , or a glutton , his soul is justlike to the sensitive soul of the swine . and those that do rail against religion , their souls be turned just like the sensitive soul of a barking dog , and they do bark like ( nay , a great deal worse than ) a dog . and those that are wickedly subtile , they are like to foxes . and the scripture speaks of men cruel , like to wolves : their sins do turn their souls to be like the very spirit and sensitive souls of the bruit beasts . so that they are in a worse condition than if their bodies were turned into the shape of bruit beasts . but when their souls be turned to be like the devil , this is worse a great deal than if they were like bruit beasts . this is the first . chap. xlv . the second corollarie . ] it s worse to be sinful , than to be afflicted with temptation from the devil .. secondly , from the reference sin hath to the devil , it followes , that for any man or woman to be wicked , it is worse a great deal than to have the greatest trouble and affliction by any temptation from the devil . there be many men and women exceedingly pestered with hidious and horribl temptations by the devil , and so troubled with them that they be even weary of their lives , and know not what to do . many send up papers to the minister in publick , desiring to be prayed for , because of that sore affliction upon them , those dreadful temptations of the devil ; whersoever they go , whersoever they be , whatsoever they be adoing , when a hearing , a reading , and if they go to prayer , still hidious temptations of the devil comes upon them , and this wearies their lives : they had rather indure any misery in the world . i dare appeal to you that be troubled with hidious temptations of the devil , which dog , and follow you ; had you not rather indure loss of estate , sickness , poverty , and shame , and disgrace , rather than have these hidious temptations follow you ? oh you should have many quickly make their choice , rather let any thing befal me than have such hidious temptations pursue & pester me . now if such hidious temptations , be a greater evil in your account than all afflictions that can befal your body ; than much more evil are your sins than all afflictions ; for sin hath greater reference unto the devil than temptations , and make you more like the devil than temptations do : for temptations may be no other but such as did befal the son of god himself . christ was pestered with temptations , hidious temptations , temptations to deny god , and to tempt god , and to worship the devil himself : as hidious temptations befel christ as could befal any one , yet the son of god , beloved of god , therefore your temptations are no other , no greater than might befal christ , and therefore not so great evils as sin. they make you not so like the devil as sin ; if temptations come from the devil , if not entertained , though they be afflictions , yet not sin. now in that sin hath such reference to the devil it appeareth that sin is worse than all the annoyance you can have by any temptation . chap. xlvi . the third corollarie . ] it s worse to be under sin , than to be haunted by the devil . thirdly , hence it follows , that sin is worse than to be continually in the presence of the devil : it is worse for a man or woman to be under the power of any sin , than to be continually haunted by devils , and to have the sight of devils before their eyes , and be in company with them . if god should lay such a judgment upon a man or woman , that wheresoever they should be , they should see devils before them ; to be under the power of any one sin is worse than if god should lay such a judgment upon thee . many be mightily terrified in the dark , oh! there is the devil in the room , and oh! he comes to them , and there be apparitions of devils , this they be troubled with ; oh! these men and women haunted by devils , and houses haunted by devils , this is a miserable condition : now art thou haunted by any wicked lust and sin , certainly thou art in a worse condition than any man or woman haunted by devils , or house haunted by the devil . is there any house in your parish where there is blaspheming , and oaths , and railing at goodness , and sabbath breaking , and such things ? this house is worse than any house haunted by devils : for sin is worse a great deal , than the meer presence of the devil . i remember i have read of a tyrant , one maxensius in hetrusia , he invented this torment to put men to death , he would have a dead mans carkass tyed about their bodies and so let them go wheresoever he would , but he still carried the dead carkass about him , and at length the stench put them to death : this was his tyrany . if you should have a dead man or woman tied about your bodies ; may be the face of a dead man is hidious to you , but if they should be tied about you , so that when you lie in bed , and when you rise , when you sit at meat , it should be alwaies with you , and you should indure the stink and putrefaction ; what a sore evil would this be ? now if in the presence of a dead carkass there is so much evil , than in the presence of the devil there is much more . now sin , any one sin , tied close to your hearts , that you carry about with you , wheresoever you go ; know there is in that a greater evil upon you , than if a dead carkass should be tied to you ; yea , than if the devil should haunt you wheresoever you go : because the presence of the devil , is not so much , as turning of the souls of men and women into the nature of the devil ; and making the souls of men and women so like to him . chap. xlvii . the fourth corollarie . ] it s worse to be given up to any way of sin , than to be given up to the devil : quest . how the delivering up to satan , can be for the saving the soul ? a fourth corollarie hence is this , that for any man or woman to be left to one sin , it is worse than to be given up to the devil . i say , it is a greater evil , a greater judgement for any man or woman to be left to any way of sin , than to be given up to satan : is thy soul given up to the power of any one sin ? i dare here as i stand in the presence of god , to speak the truths of god , i dare avow it ; you are in a worse condition than if you should be given up to the devil . i make that good thus , in scripture , cor . . we have an example of one that was given up to the devil , and that in a right way , there is an incestuous person that committed that horrible wickedness , not named among the gentiles , that had his fathers wife and committed incest with her : the apostle commands him to be delivered to satan for the destruction of the flesh , that his spirit might be saved in the day of the lord jesus : he was delivered to satan ; but for the destruction of the flesh ; but to the end that he might have his spirit saved in the day of the lord jesus : so that the delivering up to satan was a means appointed by god to save his soul : but to deliver up any one to the power of sin , is no means to save his soul , that is a means to damn the soul , and not to save it . so then , you see the reason grounded cleerly upon scripture , that it is worse to be delivered up unto any sin than to be delivered to the devil ; for he that was delivered to satan , it was for the saving of the soul ; but he that is delivered to sin , it is for the damning of his soul . this requires a little opening . quest . you will say , how can the delivering up to santan be for the saving of the soul ? answ . it will be needful for cleering of this , to tell you what this delivering up to satan was ; and the truth is , this delivering up to satan , or excommunication from the church , this was a most dreadful thing when done in a right way ; it was done when the church was gathered together by the power of jesus christ : as certainly where there are a company of saints , that at least outwardly so appear ; a church , that in a solemn manner is gathered together , through the power of jesus christ , having their elder going before them the officer of the church ; when they in a solemn manner ▪ in the power of christ , shall cast out any one deservedly from church communion ; this is a delivering a man or woman to satan ( this is another manner of business than ordinarily we were wont to have , by the ordinary , or commis●ary , and dean , in the prelates courts ; certainly they were but wooden daggers in comparison of this dreadful sword , to cut off from the communion of the church ) it was when the church was assembled , not the commissary and officers , but when the church was gathered together , to cut such a one from the church of christ , for some vile act ; not for not paying of their fees , or the like , these things only scared people ; but if this censure of excommunication were in a right way executed , it were the most dreadful thing in the world : it is that which hath awed and terrified the most proud and stout sinners ; the very sight of anothers excommunicating , it hath terrified the conscience of those that have been by : it is a delivering them to satan , and putting them from under the protection of god , giving them up to the devil , to take power over them , except they come in , and repent : and this is a way to save the soul , because if there be any way in the world to cause men to see their sin , and repent , and be humbled , and come in , this is it ; and when no other way would do it , this many times hath done it . and therefore those people that live in such a condition , that want this ordinance of excommunication in the right way , want an especial means to keep off sin , both to keep them from sin before they are fallen , and of delivering of them from sin when they have fallen into it . but to be given over to the power of sin , is a greater evil than to be delivered to satan . chap. xlviii . the fifth corollary . ] it is worse to be given up to one sin , than to be actually possessed by the devil . fifthly , shall i say further ( and this will make it pla●●ly appear what abundance of 〈◊〉 ●ere ●s i● sin , more than in affliction : for though ●…oken abundance of it , yet all this 〈…〉 draw the point higher and higher , and ●…ve the nail deeper and deeper , that this truth of god might settle upon your spirits ; and therefore a fifth is this , which follows from this reference sin hath to the devil ) that it is worse to be given up to any one sin , than to be actually possessed by the devil , than for the devil to come and actually possess us as those poor creatures were in the gospel ; and this is worse than to be given up to satan : there is a spiritual possession of satan , as in judas , and that is a spiritual possession of their hearts to rule them : but there is a temporal possession spoken of in the gospel , and that is of their bodies , that the devil possest them , and caused them to rage and foam at the mouth , and rend and tear : and the men we reade of in the gospel that lived among the graves and dead people , and cut themselves with knives and stones ; this was a grievous thing to see men thus possest . many men have extraordinary fits of the convulsion ; and the like , and men think they be possessed ; we ordinarily mistake , and it is but a meer fit of the convulsion ; but if we did know they were really possessed , we should be terrified : oh such a friend , such a neighbor lived wickedly before , and now the devil hath possessed him ; we thought it a disease till now , we thought it the convulsion , but now we see it is from the devils possession of them . would you not endure any affliction in the world rather than god should say of you , the next oath you swear , when you open your mouthes to swear , the devil shal come in and take possession of your bodies ; or the next evil language you speak , the devil shall come in and possess you ; this were a fearful thing , and you would take heed of this . but this i am to make good , that when you go on in sin , in any one sin , it is a greater evil than if never so many devils possest you , if there should be legions ; as he said to christ when he asked his name , he said , legion , because we be many . it is not so great an evil if god should give up your bodies to be possessed by legions of devils ; you will say , surely that is a great evil , but not so great as to be under the power of one sin . how will that appear you will say ? thus : possession makes you not hateful to god , and guilty before god , and loathsom to god ; nor is it that which god hates , but it is an object of pitty ; christ pittied them when he saw them thus : but sin makes a man odious and hateful to god. i remember an excellent observation gregory hath on the book of job , ( saith he ) what is the reason when god gave up job to the devil , and bid him do what he would , but spare his life ? ( saith he ) what is the reason the devil did not possess him when he was given up to his hands , for so the words are , he is in thy hands , only spare his life ? so that it appears , he was in his power to possess him , but yet he did not ; and what is the reason ? this is the answer that ancient gives , the reason is this , because if he had possest him , then though job had fretted , and frowned , and torn himself , it had not been his sin , his impatiency , so as it was when he was not possessed : now because the devil envied job , the devil would bring that upon job which he knew to be the greatest evil as much as he could ; for so all envy doth . one that envies another , labors to bring the greatest evil on him that he can . so certainly the devil envied job , and therefore he labored to bring the greatest evil on him that he could . now it seems possession was not the greatest evil ; but the devil would go so to work , as if he could possibly he would get job to be impatient , and make job curse god , and sin against god. if job should have cursed god in word by possession of the devil , the devil cursed god in him , it had not been jobs sin so much as if he had got him to curse god otherwise : now the devil would have him so curse god , as to be a sin to him ; and therefore the devil would not possess him because that was the lesser evil : so that to be given up to sin is a greater evil than to be possest . therefore all you that have friends and children , which you see wicked and licentious , and you see some cause to fear they be given up to the power of sin for the present , it should cause fathers and mothers to come to christ , as earnestly as ever those poor creatures did , that had children possessed with the devil , in the gospel ; poor women had children possessed , and so men ; fathers that had children possessed with the devil , that did rent and tear him in the presence of christ , he cries out mightily to christ , if he could , oh that he would come and help him : and so the woman of canaan for her daughter , cries after christ to help her daughter , for she was miserably vexed with an unclean spirit . so you should even go and cry to god , lord , help if possible , and have mercy upon my son , upon my daughter , for they have unclean spirits ; yea , they are in a worse condition than if possessed by the devil : i have a son , a swearing yong man ; a daughter , that is vain , and profane , and wicked , and licentious , and stubborn , and unruly , oh if it be possible help me : if you could be as sensible of the sins , and wickedness of your children , as in the time of the gospel , fathers and mothers were of the possession of their children , much might then be done . chap. xlix . the sixt corollary . ] sin brings to wicked men the same portion the devils have . sixtly , hence it follows , if sin hath such reference to the devil , then this must needs follow , that the same portion that the devils have , must needs be at last the portion of wicked men : the scripture expresseth it , mat. . go you wicked into the portion prepared for the devil . and so in timothy , the same portion that the devil hath , shall be the portion of wicked and ungodly men . we reade in the book of the revelations , of fearful judgments that shall befal such as have the mark of antichrist upon them , revel . . , . an angel followed , saying with a loud voyce , if any man worship the beast , and his image , and receive his mark in their foreheads , or in their hands , the same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of god poured out without mixture , and shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of god , and his holy angels , and of the lamb. mark the dreadful judgments upon such as have the mark of antichrist , either openly in their foreheads , in profession , or more privately in their hands , he shall drink of the wrath of god , &c. now if such as have but the mark of antichrist upon them shall have such dreadful punishment ; pray what shall those have that have such a likeness unto the devil himself ? the mark of the devil , that are even turned into the very nature of the devil , that are children of the devil , what shall the end of such wicked and ungodly men and women be ? and now brethren , we have finished all these six particulars , in opening the evil of sin ; and therein shewed that there is more evil in sin , that there is in any affliction . and now i had thought to have made some good entrance into the application of this ; for though all this while in the explanation , i have mingled some application , yet there remains very many excellent useful considerations , which doth flow from all that hath been said of the evil of sin , that if possible it may be brought to your hearts , that all may not vanish and come to nothing in the conclusion . now this one use i had verily thought to have gone through ; i shall only name it , and shew what i intend in it , and i shal finish it in the following discourse . chap. l. use i. shew that trouble of conscience for sin , is another manner of business than melancholly , or timerousness . use i. hence follows this plainly from all that have been spoken , if sin be worse than any affliction , and not to be chosen rather than affliction ; hence it follows , then that trouble of conscience for sin certainly is another manner of business than meerly melancholly distemper , it comes not from melancholly , nor foolish timerousness , and the like . there is another manner of business in trouble of conscience for sin then the world thinks for ; this is the first use that followes from all that hath been delivered . me thinks all of you should yeild to the strength of this consequence : if you have heard or read what i have opened : you that have heard al , or read it , it should take this effect in you all : well then by what i have heard now , i come to understand what the meaning of trouble of conscience for sin is . i have heard ( heretofore ) of many men and women troubled for sin , and i wondered what it meant , i wondered what it was that troubled them ; many yong people may be heirs of great estates and excellent good friends , of healthful bodies , in good trades , all well about them ; and yet mightily troubled for sin . yea , perhaps some that to the view of the world lived very civilly , yet had in secret been guilty of some notorious profane course , and yet when god shall but settle any one sin upon their hearts , and trouble their consciences for any one sin ; they could not bear the horror of their conscience for this one sin . well , this i have heard of the evil of sin , tells me i have had mistaken thoughts about it ; i thought all was melancholliness , and even madness , and the physitian must be sent for , and merry company sent for , because men and women have such poor and mean apprehensions of the evil of sin . and therefore when any are troubled in conscience for sin , oh then get him into merry company , get a pair of cards , make them play a fit of musick , go to some business in the world , put themselves upon business , one thing or other , drink down their trouble , play down their trouble , thus many have slight thoughts of trouble of conscience : and therefore when in their children , they cry out , oh! my child will certainly run mad , is grown mad ; many carnal men and women when their children begin to think of sin , they think verilie they begin to run mad : i remember in the storie of erancis spira , he saith thus ( because his friends thought it a kind of frenzie , and that it was not trouble of conscience for sin ) oh saith he to his friends , i would to god it were frenzie , either feigned or real ; if it were feigned frenzie , then i could put it off when i pleased : if it were a real frenzie , there were a great deal more hope of gods mercy , i should not apprehend gods wrath as i do , but it is otherwise with me . brethren , those that have felt trouble of conscience for sin , upon whose hearts god hath setled , but the guilt of any one sin : what do you think of trouble of conscience for sin ? they feel reallitie , they find that there is reallie unto them , that which is a greater burthen , and grief , and trouble than all the miseries of the world . dreadful expressions are many of them that francis spir●● hath , which is a most dreadful example of horror of conscience for sin ; oh! ( saith he ) i feel the very torments of hell within me , and this afflicts my conscience with intolleroble pain : oh! that some body would let out this tyred soul out of my body ; oh! that i were in the place of the damned , that i might be but free from fearing any thing that is yet worse to come . for though he did acknowledg , there was greater torments in hell , yet he professed he did desire to be in hell , that he might be freed from the torture of his spirit , that was still in fear of worse , that was to come . and verily a most hidious story it is , that shews the dreadfulness of a wounded and troubled conscience for sin. certainly if sin be all that which you have heard , or read , well might the holy ghost say , a wounded spirit , who can bear ? a man may sustain his infirmities , whatsoever his infirmities and troubles are in the world , it is no great matter to sustain them ; but a wounded spirit who can bear ? for a wounded spirit seeth it hath to deal with the infinite god , the glorious eternal deity : and you must not tell such a one of melancholliness , and such grounds of trouble ; for such a one knows , the arrows of the almighty stick in his heart , and it is another manner of business than so . i might here have enlarged my self , and have spoken much to those that have such mean apprehensions of trouble of conscience for sin ; and have shewed the difference between melancholly and trouble of conscience for sin ; but i shall not at present , only i shall wind up all now briefly , and prosecute it further in the next chapter . certainly it is not melancholliness , it is another manner of business than melancholliness . what think you of the lord christ himself in his agony ? that sweat drops of water and blood , which you see was the fruit of sin ? was that melancholly ? certainly that was of the same nature that the troubled in conscience feel for sin . the angels that sinned against god , the devils themselves , they are not capable of melancholiness , they have no bodies ; and yet none have such horrors for sin as they have : and so the souls of wicked men many times they have horrid apprehensions of the wrath of god for sin . but certainly , if the souls of wicked men and women go out of their bodies without pardon , the very first instant the soul is departed from the body , it hath other manner of horrid , dreadful , and dismal , apprehensions of the wrath of god for sin , then ever it had before . i remember further , luther had such a speech concerning trouble of conscience for sin , in his comment upon genesis ; it is a harder matter to comfort an afflicted conscience for sin , than to raise one from the dead . this was a speech of luther , he saw what was in an afflicted conscience for sin . further , surely melancholly 't is not ; no nor timerousness , nor folly ▪ do but take an example or two , and so i shall conclude . ●hat of david , you shall find in david that he was a man most free from melancholly , for the temper of his body it was a most cheerful disposition , and a warlike spirit , and very wise : and yet there is none in the book of god more troubled in spirit ●or sin , than he was . first , i will shew you what manner of man david was ; and then what his troubles of conscience were for sin : sure he was no melancholly man ▪ for first ) you shall find it in sam. . that he for his bodily constitution was sanguine , and not melanchollie ; he was of a ruddy and beautiful countinance , and goodlie to look upon : so that david for the constitution of his bodie , was of a sanguine constitution . and then , for the valor of david , he was a mightie man of valor , sam. . . and he was valiant whose heart ●as as the heart of a lion : this was the commendation of hushay , sam. . . concerning david . and he was verie cheerful who made so manie psalms , and was so musical as david ? sam. . . he is called the sweet singer of israel ; and had such a sweet complexion , was sanguine , and a great deal of valor , and the sweet singer of israel . and for wisdom , he was as an angel of god , as the woman of tekoa spak to him . and yet , who ever in such anguish and distress for sin as david was ? this you shall find if you read his penitential psalms ; i cannot mention all , take but some few ; psal . . there he is in trouble of spirit ; and then psal . . when i kept silence my bones waxed old through my roaring all the day long : mark , david felt the weight of sin so upon his heart that his bones waxed old through his roaring all the day long ; he found not sin a light matter as many ordinary people do . and psal . . there is notable expressions , vers . . thy arrows stick fast in me , and thy hand presseth me sore : there is no soundness in my flesh because of thy anger , nor rest in my bones because of my sin. vers . . and vers . . my iniquities have gone over my head as an heavie burthen , they are to heavy for me : vers . . my wounds stink and are corrupt because of my foolishness . vers . . i am troubled , i am bowed down greatly , i go mourning all the day long . see what sin cost david . and i beseech you take this note along with you ; you that will make use of davids sin to incourage you , and harden your hearts in sin ; you will say , why ? did not david commit adultery & sin , that was a man according to gods own heart ? yea , but mark , you that will make use of davids sin , make use of what david felt for sin , you see david's sin cost him dear , and made the arrowes of the almightie stick fast in him , and caused him to roar out in anguish and distress of spirit , all day long , and he professes , he watered his couch with tears . and that psal . restore to me the joyes of thy salvation , that the bones that thou hast broken may rejoyce . david 's bones were broken through the trouble of his spirit , that is the strength of his spirit ( not bones litterally ) as bones are the strength of the body , so the strength of his spirit was overcome by the anguish and trouble of his soul for sin . thus it was with david that was such a sanguine , such a pleasant , and such a valiant man , and such a wise man , and yet he felt this trouble of spirit ; trouble of conscience for sin. you think slight , and make a light matter of it , oh you have brave stout spirits , you will scorn to be so afraid , what! afraid of every thing the minister speaks , i scorn to be such a fool ; you think you be sermon proof , and can hear all this dreadful evil of sin , opened without anie fear or trembling : well , you that have so stout spirits , know davids spirit was as valiant as yours , his heart was as valiant as a lion , and yet the weight of sin brok his heart , and so it will yours too if god lay it aright upon your spirits : oh! it is not timerousness that causeth this trouble of conscience ; for let god come and lay afflictions , his afflicting hand on them , they can bear that as nothing in comparison of sin . i remember i have heard a storie of a woman that had nine children , and great pains with them all , and yet having afterward trouble of conscience , oh! saith she , all the pains i have had with my nine children , is nothing to that which i have felt in a little time , in trouble of conscience . so certainly , all pains are nothing , in comparison of the pains of spirit when sin is settled by strong conviction upon your souls . so you have many that are troubled for sin , that could bear outward affliction , but can not bear that . and you that speak of the valor of your spirits , that are so valiant , that can bear trouble for sin so easily as you think , and are so full of courage ; when afflictions are upon you , your hearts are down , and are poor , low , spirits ; white liver'd , and can bear nothing , no cross , and affliction , this shews you have no true courage ; you have courage to resist conscience and the motions of the holy ghost , and the word ; but no true courage , it may be you have impudent spirits . and mark one example more : one of the wisest men that ever lived upon the earth , yet greatly troubled for sin , all his days , and this is the example of heman , such woful trouble of spirit had he on him for sin : see psal . . reade the whole psalm and you shal see the trouble of his spirit for sin , especially the . vers thy wrath lies har● upon me , and thou hast afflicted me with all thy waves . and the . vers . lord , why castest thou off m● soul ? why hidest thou thy face from me ? i am afflicted and ready to die ( mark ) from my youth up god was pleased to exercise him from a yong man & it is a blessed thing when god begins with yong ones , & makes them kn●w what sin means , when they are yong , as heman did , from my youth up . while i suffer thy terrors i am distracted : & v 〈…〉 . thy feirce wrath goeth over me , thy terrors even cut me off . well , who was this heman ? for this is not a psalm of david ; you ▪ shall see in the title it was a psalm of heman , and you shal find , that he was one of the wisest men that lived upon the earth , ● kings , . . there he speaks of heman , he was brought in , in the story among the most wise men that lived upon the earth , he is compared with solomon ; it is said of him , he was exceeding wise , and of excellent wisdom , more wise than the children of the east country , for he was wiser than all men , than heman ; for he was one of the wisest of all , though solomon excelled him ; yet next him , he was one of the wisest : and how comes he to be thus wise ? it is like that was one means that caused him to be so wise , he was afflicted , and ready to die ; from his youth up , he was troubled for sin all his daies . what is the folly of yong people ? they go up and down , and take liberty in wickedness and sin , and never feel the weight of sin ; but if god please to begin with them , and make them to see the evil of sin rightly , this is the way for them to come to have true wisdom ; if god train them up in trouble of conscience for sin , it is the way to make them wiser than their teachers , rhan their fore-fathers , and to bring them to the wisdom even of the most wise . chap. li. the former vse further prosecuted . first , against those that have slight thoughts of trouble of conscience , which ariseth either from gross ignorance , or atheism , or desperate slighting of god. secondly , trouble of conscience is the beginning of eternal death . thirdly , those that have slight thoughts of trouble of conscience , can never prize christ . fourthly , those that have slight thoughts of trouble of conscience now , shall one day alter their opinion . fifthly , it were just with god to let those sink under the burden of conscience that have slight thoughts of it now . sixtly , those that have slight thoughts of trouble of conscience , those very thoughts do take away a chief restraint from sin . seventhly , slight thoughts of trouble of conscience for sin , are , a high degree of blasphemy . and a degree towards the unpardonable sin . we have entred upon the application of all that hath been said concerning the evil of sin. and you may remember i have only named one use that do arise from all that hath been said about the evil of sin : and that we shall now prosecute . the use is this , if there be so much evil in sin as you have heard opened unto you , beyond all the evil of any affliction , hence then we see that the wounds and trouble of conscience for sin , certainly it is no melancholly conceit , it is not a fancy or imagination , as many in the world think of it . many men have very slight thoughts about the trouble of conscience for sin ; and when they hear of men or women troubled for their sin , they think , it is nothing but melancholly , or temptation , or some kind of frenzy , or madness , or folly , or weakness of spirit , or timerousness : these be the thoughts men have of trouble of conscience , and according to their thoughts that they have of it , such are their cures that they seek for it . i spake som what of it in the last chapter : but now certainly , if these things be true , as verily they are the truths of god that have been delivered concerning the evil of sin ; then we are not to wonder at men and women that have troubles of conscience for sin . i shewed by some examples , that trouble of conscience was not melancholly ; especially in the example of christ himself , that had the burden of sin , troubles of spirit ; i cannot so properly cal it trouble of conscience , for there is a substantial difference between the wrath upon his soul that he felt , and the wrath of god that others feel upon their consciences ; but in effect , the wrath of god is the same , that was upon him by imputation of sin ; and upon others by reason : of their own proper guilt : and it was not melancholliness in him , nor in david , as i shewed in the last chapter . now to proceed . there be two things i desire to proceed in : and first , i have many things to say unto those that have slight thoughts of trouble of conscience for sin , somwhat to say to those ; and if there be any in this place that have wondred at men and women that have been troubled in their conscience for sin ; let them attend to what they read , i have divers things to say unto them . secondly , i am to shew you some difference between melancholly distempers , and trouble of conscience for sin first , these thoughts of thine , they certainly eome from either abundance of ignorance ; or , atheism ; or , desperate slighting of god : one of these three causes ordinarily these thoughts that men have of trouble of conscience , to be no greater matter than such melanchoby conceits , they do come from gross ignorance : thou knowest not god , thou knowest not what it is for a soul to have to deal with an infinite deity ; thou never yet hadest a real sight of an infinite deity , with whom thou hast to deal : and it is a sad thing to think , that men and women should live a long time , and never in all their lives come to have a real sight of that infinite majestie and deitie , with whom we have to do : it comes from ignorance of the nature of sin ; thou dost not know what sin is , god hath yet blinded thine eyes that thou shouldest sin , but not know what sin is . certainly thou dost not know the law of god , the spiritualness of it , and the d●eadfulness of the wrath of god revealed against sin : thou dost not know what eternty means , thou dost not apprehend what it is for a soul to be in hazard of miscarrying to all eternity . it was the speech of francis spir● ( as i opened in the former chapter ) i shall make use of that example further , because a notable ezample : oh saith he , if i might endure the heavy wrath of god , but for twenty thousand years i should not think it much ; but it must be eternally , eternally ; i must endure the eternal wrath of god : that lay heavy upon his spirit . let any man or woman in the world , the stoutest , proudest spirit that lives upon the face of the earth , think what it is to miscarry to eternity , and this will make his spirit be troubled . therefore its gross ignorance in men , that makes many have such slight thoughts of trouble of conscience for sin . again , if not from ignorance , yet from atheism : for many men that seem to have excellent parts , and are not ignorant sots , and yet have slight thoughts of trouble of conscience for sin . it is not so much to be wondred at , to see a company of ignorant sots , that know nothing of god , and the principles of religion , that they should have such slight thoughts , and wonder what men mean to be troubled for sin : but men , that have good parts , perhaps men of great gifts , and pregnant wit , and great schollers , and yet they have slight thoughts of trouble of conscience for sin . now in them , vsually the cause is atheism , or slighting of god. woful desperate atheism is in the hearts of many great schollers , many pregnant wits , many that w●ll speak much of religion , yet they are desperate atheists in their hearts , therfore from thence it comes . therefore when you see learned men , understanding men , go on in such and such sinful waies , and slight all that is said concerning the evil of sin , do not wonder at it ; for woful desperate atheism lies under abundance of knowledg , a great deal of knowledg , learning , wit , and parts ; and yet slight sin : this is the cause , the atheism in their spirits . compare these two scriptures together , psalm , . . the fool hath said in his heart , there is no god : and in prov. . . fools make a mock of sin : that is , those fools that do say in their hearts , there is no god , those fools make a mock of sin , and they think lightly of all that hath been said of the evil of sin : and what need so much ado about the evil of sin ? they can slight it , and make light of it ; well , it is such that make a mock of sin , as say in their hearts , there is no god ; or otherwise , it comes from desperate wickedness , slighting of god : perhaps men are not grown so far , to be plain , downright atheists , yet they have slight thoughts of god : oh what slighting the majestie of god is this , for any man or woman , to think it a light matter to sin against god ? or for trouble of conscience for sin , to be a slight matter : thus it will appear to spring from some of these causes . perhaps if thou thy self beest but crost in any thing , or any thing come cross to thy will , thou thinkest it a great thing , and art troubled wofully , and art in a rage ; when thou art crost , thou thinkest it intollerable , it must not be born or suffered , that any should cross you : but when it comes to cross god , and sin against him ; thou hast slight thoughts of it , and it is a matter of nothing to cross god , or sin against god is a slighte matter : to cross you , or to do any evil against you is unsufferable ; what a slighting of god is this , that if you be crost in your will , it is so unsufferable ; and yet to have such slight thoughts of sinning against god. this is the first . secondly , thou that hast slight thoughts concerning troubles of conscience , consider that what thou hast slight thoughts of , in it self , in its own nature , it is no other but the very beginnings of eternal death , of the second death , the very beginnings of hell. the principal torments of hell , lie in the perfection of that trouble now , that for the present , is upon conscience ; and yet this thou makest nothing of , as if it were but melancholly , as if the wrath of god that shall lie upon the damned in hell to all eternity , were but a frenzie . certainly that which the lord will at the last torment the souls of the damned withal to all eternity , it is the principal of that , it is of the very same nature with the wounds and horrors of conscience in this world : it is true , that god doth indeed often times bless the horrors of conscience to the saving of the soul , to bring the soul to christ ; but horrors of conscience in their own nature ( i say ) are the beginnings of the second death : as pains , and sicknesses of the body of a man or woman , are the beginnings of the first death ; so wounds and horrors of conscience are the beginnings of the second death . the soul of man is a subject of more large capacity for torments than the body can be : now the principal way that god hath to torment the soul , that we know of , in hell it self , it is by the horrors and wounds of conscience . i remember therefore it was the speech of francis spira , saith he , i feel in me the wrath of god , as the torments of hell ; and he was not mistaken , for they be the beginnings of the torments of hell : and therefore god many times , to keep men from being swallowed up in those torments , he makes them feel these torments , they have some sparks of these torments of hell upon their souls now , that they may be delivered from the flames of hell to all fternity . troubles of conscience for sin , is nothing else , but gods letting out some sparks of hell upon the soul. now what a mistake is this , thou thinkest this but melancholly , when the truth is it is nothing else but the sparks of hell upon the soul . this is the second . thirdly , thou thinkest this a melancholly conceit : certainly , it is impossible for such a man or woman , ever , so long as they thus continue , to prize christ , or love christ : i say , whosoever thou art that hath such conceits , if this abide in thee , i dare as from the lord charge thee , that , thou didest never yet in all thy life prize jesus christ , and love jesus christ . but how doth this appear ? thus : thou didest never prize christ , and love christ aright , if thou hast this conceit , because thou canst never know what christ suffered for thee . the principal thing christ suffered for sinners , was the bearing of the wrath of the father upon his soul , his soul sufferings were more than his bodily sufferings . thou hearest somtimes of christs shedding his precious blood for thee , and dying upon the cross ; but the death of his body , shedding of his blood , was not the principal thing christ suffered for thee if thou ever beest saved ; but the sufferings of the wrath of god upon his soul , when his soul was troubled , when he cried out , my god , my god , why hast thou forsaken me ? and yet thou hast slight thoughts of these sufferings . if you see a man or woman in tortures in their body , in some disease , thou thinkest , there is some reallity in that , but for the sufferings of the soul , thou hast poor thoughts of these , and canst not imagine what they should mean when they speak of the wrath of god to be upon the soul. now if thou hast slight thoughts of the wrath of god upon the soul , it is impossible thou shouldest price christ , because thou knowest not what he suffered . but a man or woman that hath felt the wrath of god upon their souls , in the wounds of conscience for sin , such a one hath a little intimation of what things the lord christ indured for them , such a one can tell what christ indured , and so can price christ , and love christ , such a one can reason thus , what ? is one spark of the wrath of god upon the soul so terrible ? and the tortures so sore ? what then did the flame of gods wrath that was let out upon the soul of jesus christ ? for so it was . if thou hast a little trouble of soul under the sence of sin now ; know it is but as a spark of that fire that did blaze out upon christ ; if thou hast one drop upon thee , it is but as one drop of those flood gates let out upon the soul of jesus christ ; the floud gates of gods displeasure were let out upon the soul of christ . this certainly is one reason , why god will have sinners that be saved eternally , to feel trouble of soul for sin , that they may know how to prise christ , and love christ more , and understand what the sufferings of the soul of christ were for sin . as ( brethren ) christ did suffer in his soul , that he might be a merciful high priest , and have compassion upon us , and help us , when we need , as t is a comfort to one that suffers in soul , that christ suffered in his soul , and so knows how to compassionate such : so , on the other side , god causeth poor souls to suffer trouble , that they might be sensible of christs sufferings , and so praise and love him the more . fourthly , thou that hast slight thoughts of trouble of conscience for sin ; certainly whosoever thou art , this is a most certain truth , these thoughts of thy heart shall certainly be altered one day , though they be slight now : this i dare affirm of every one that have slight thoughts of sin , and the troubl for it ; these thoughts of their hearts shall be altered . you must come to know sin in another manner than now you do ; you must come to feel what sin is , in another manner than now you do . i remember i once heard a credible relation of a scholler , that was in jovial company , and very merry , and yet one that had some inlightnings of conscience , and being very prophane , there was occasionally , one in the company , speaking of a wounded conscience , he presently claps his hand upon his brest , well , saith he , one day this breast of mine must know what a wounded conscience means : he being conscious to himself of abundance of guilt in him , for he had light , and yet was prophane , and his conscience told him , though now he was merry , yet one day that breast of mine , must know what a wounded spirit means . so i say to you , is there any prophane person this day before the lord , that hath had , or stil hath , slight thoughts of the evil of sin , and trouble of conscience for sin : well , go thy waies , and lay thy hand upon thy breast , and say to thy self , one day this breast of mine must know what a wounded spirit is , and must have other manner of thoughts about a troubled conscience for sin. if thy heart be not yet troubled for sin , if thou feelest not the weight of sin now , it is a dangerous sign , that thou art reserved to feel the weight of sin in torment , to know what the meaning of sin is , in the burthen of it in torment . if now thou hast slight thoughts concerning trouble for sin ; i say , take it as from the lord this day as spoken to thee , it is a fearful sign , a brand upon thee , that thou art reserved to feel trouble for sin eternally . god hath time enough to trouble you for sin hereafter , and therefore it may be he lets you go on in these slight thoughts for the present , and you do bless your selves in your own conceits ; and god doth not now convince you , because he hath time enough hereafter . a fifth thing i would say to those that have slight thoughts about trouble for sin , is this , that if ever god should in this world come to awaken your conscience , and lay the weight of sin upon your souls : it were just with god then to let you sink under the burthen . i say it were just with god so to wound you for sin , as to see you sweltring in your wounds , and deny compassion . why ? because you have had slight thoughts of such a wound . certainlie brethren ( observe what i say unto you ) the very reason why men and women are so long in anguish of spirit for their sin , and under such sore troubles , and distress of conscience , by reason of their sin , and can have no comfort ; it is because heretofore they have had such slight thoughts of trouble of conscience . perhaps when they were in their jollitie and mirth , they made a mock of it , made nothing of it ; heard dreadful threats against sin , and made light of it , and thought people were troubled more than needs . well , you once had such slight thoughts of trouble of concience for sin ; now god comes upon you for it , and this hand of god lies upon you , and it is just with god you should feel it to purpose , that you should have smart enough ; that god might instruct you , and convince you , of your error , and might now come and teach you after another manner . what do you think now of trouble of conscience for sin ? you had such and such thoughts of it heretofore , what be your thoughts of it now ? i remember there was one not far from the place where i ordinarily lived , and it was a yong maid , hearing of many troubled in conscience for sin , she in a kind of scorn and contempt of it , would feign her self troubled in conscience for sin , and ô , she was mightily troubled , and in scorn of the ministers , oh these and these ministers must be sent for to comfort her , meerly out of contempt and scorn ; but afterward god laid on in good earnest upon her conscience , and then she was troubled to purpose ; and so , that she was at the very brink of making away her self , and it was very much feared by al her friends ; indeed she would have made away her self , and atempted it many ways , if god had not wonderfully hindred it . so those that have light thoughts of perplexities of conscience for sin , when it comes indeed , it may be just with god it should be so heavy , that they should not be able to bear it , but sink under it ; then it will be so strange a thing , to such as have slight thoughts of it , that the very strangness of trouble of conscience for sin , will amaze them , that they , wil not know what in the world to do . this is a fifth thing , when trouble comes upon them , god may justly leave them under trouble . a sixth thing , i would say to such that have slight thoughts about trouble of conscience for sin , is this . these thoughts of yours do take away a chief restraint of sin , and causes you to disregard all the authority of the word : there be these two fearful evils that do , follow upon your slight thoughts of trouble of conscience , for sin . they take away that which is the chief restraint of sin. there are many outward restraints to keep men and women from sin , but all outward restraints from sin are nothing to the restraints of conscience ; a man that hath a tender conscience , hath the greatest restraint of sin that can be , no restraint like to that ; but one that is so far from a tender conscience ; that he thinks trouble of conscience is a melancholly conceit , such a man hath no restraint ( to purpose ) from sin : he may have restraints from outward and gross sins , but from close , secret sins , he hath none . now it is a great evil to a man , that the hinderances to secret sins be taken away , and he gives himself liberty in secret sins . and then for the authority of the word : it is a great mercy for men and women , to be in such a condition , that their heart should be continually under the authority of the word ; howsoever you think it a brave thing that you can get your hearts above the word : but certainly it is one of the greatest mercies of god upon the earth , for god to keep the hearts of men and women under the authority of the word . but that man or woman that thinks lightly of troubles of conscience , such a one can slight the word , regards it not , let what will be spoken , he can easily put it off , because the main hold that the word hath , upon the heart of a man or woman , it is upon their conscience , the word takes hold upon their conscience , and brings down the heart under the power of it : but if the word take not hold upon conscience , it takes not hold at all . but let a man or woman come to know what trouble of conscience for sin is , and what the power and authority of the word is , and how then doth the soul prise the word ? no man or woman ever comes to prise the word tell they have felt the pow●er of the word troubling their conscience ; then they come to prise the word . you have a famous place for this , job . . then he opens the , ears of man , and seals their instruction . that is , god coming upon men , in times of affliction , opens their ears , and seals their instructions ; that is , makes the word come with power and authority . as a thing sealed , comes with more authority , than a blank , or a writing not sealed ; sealed , that is when the word comes with power ; that , i may with-draw man from his purpose , and hide pride from man : that is , having sealed instruction , ●he humbles the heart ; first , he causeth the word to come with power , and then he humbles the heart , he keepeth back his , soul from the pit , and his life from perishing , he is chastened also with paine upon his bed , and the multitude of his bones with strong pains , ( and so forth ) and in vers . . if there be a messenger with him , an interpreter , one among a thousand , to shew unto man his uprightness : then he is gracious unto him , and saith , deliver him from going down unto the pit . that is , when god comes to ●eal instruction , and to humble the heart , ●and to cause pains to be upon the man , and so make them sensible of their sin ; then let a messenger , an interpreter be found ▪ one of a thousand : such a one doth account a messenger and interpreter that shal be able to declare the way of righteousness , and shew him a ransom how to be delivered from sin ; he accounts him a man of a thousand ; oh he is a man of a thousand : wheras , if he should come thus before , ●he were no body , and the word nothing , a meer silly business ; but now he is a man of a thousand , oh such a messenger , let such a one come and welcome : and therefore you shall have many men slight a consciencious minister in their health , and prise those that preach slightly ; but in their sickness , when conscience is open , they will not send to a slight vain minister , that preach and never touch conscience ; but they will have those that have preached most to conscience , they shall be most prised by them upon their sick and death beds ; when conscience is awake , such a one will be one of a thousand then . this is the sixt. seventhly and lastly , and indeed one of the principallest ; and i desire all those that have had slight thoughts of trouble of conscience for sin to attend to it ; & it is this : those slight thoughts of thine about trouble of conscience for sin , they are a high degree of blasphemy against the holy ghost . if i make this plain , that they be guilty of a high degree of blasphemie against the holy ghost , ( this should ●…we the hearts of men and women , and make them take heed● what they do , in giving way to these vain thoughts , about trouble of conscience ) yea , such a degree i will not say it reacheth the highest degree of blasphemie , yet i shall make it out to you , that they come neer it . it is a high degree of blasphemie against the holy ghost : it appeareth thus ; because trouble of conscience for sin , it is an especial work of the spirit of god upon the soul of a man or woman , wheresoever it is : such a work of the spirit of god , as from thence , the spirit of god , the holy ghost , hath the denomination , so as he is called the spirit of bondage : no , god hath no denomination from any light and slight work , there must be some especial , and great work of god , in which god doth much glorie , that he hath a denomination from it ; now rom. . . the spirit of god hath this denomination , it is called the spirit of bondage : for you have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear ; but you have received the spirit of adoption , crying abba father : ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear ; as if the holy ghost should say , there was a time when you had the spirit of bondage ; and what was this spirit of bondage ? it was no other but the spirit of god , discovering unto , and setting upon the heart of a man or woman , that bondage that they be in under the law , and corrupttion , and satan : this is the spirit of bondage ; when gods spirit shall come to enlighten a man , and convince the conscience , and so lay this upon the conscience of any man or woman ; thou art by reason of sin , a bond-slave to the devil ; under bondage of all the curses of the law , by reason of sin ; yea , a bond-slave to thy lusts : this the spirit discovering , and making the soul sensible of this bondage , is that which causeth this denomination to the spirit of god , to be called the spirit of bondage . now for thee to attribute that to foolish melancholly conceits , that is one of the especial works of the holy ghost in the soul , and is the spirit of bondage : is not this blasphemie against god ? this is gods work , and it is a work of gods glory ; for all the works of god be his glory ; and that which the spirit of god glories in , as that work proper to him , thou saiest it is but folly , and melancholly conceits , and the like ; is not this blasphemie and reproach to the spirit god ? certainly it is no other but reproach and blasphemy against the holy ghost , in attributing the trouble of conscience to these conceits . nay further , it is a great degree towards the unpardonable sin , if ye do it out of malice and knowledg , by it you come to the unpardonable sin ; take for that this one place of scripture , mark . compare the . verse with the . . verse . when christ cast out devils , the text saith of the scribs and pharisees that came from jerusalem , that they said , he hath belzebub ; and by the prince of the devils , casts he out devils : they attributed the work of christs casting out devils , to the power of the devil ; he casts out devils by the devil . but now it was by the finger of god : well , christ calls them to him , and said , how can satan cast out satan ? there he convinceth them , satan could not cast out satan ; and told them it was by the spirit of god they were cast out : mark how he goeth on in the . verse , verily i say unto you , all sins shall be forgiven unto the sons of men , and blasphemies , wherewith soever they shall blaspheme : but he that shall blaspheme against the holy ghost , hath never forgiveness , but is in danger of eternal damnation . because they said , he hath an unclean spirit , christ tells them , other blasphemies shall be forgiven , but the blasphemies against the spirit of god shall never be forgiven . why doth christ speak of this , how comes it in ? ( mark ) the text saith , christ spake it , because they said he hath an unclean spirit : mark , christ casting out devils , the scribes and the pharisees attribute this to an unclean spirit , and therfore they sinned against the holy ghost , meerly because they attributed that which christ did by the finger of god , to an unclean spirit ; and therefore christ tels them they sinned against the holy ghost , and they shall never be forgiven . now brethren , see how neer you come to this sin , for the scribes and pharisees saw christ cast out devils ; they did it out of malice , they could not but know , and yet they say it was by the devil . you see one troubled in conscience , which is by the holy ghost , and you say it is a foolish and a mad spirit , and somtimes . 't is an unclean spirit ; but it is worse when you say it is a foolish and melancholly spirit , you do more blaspheme the holy ghost , and come neerer this sin . oh take heed , and be humbled , your condition is dangerous , that have had , or have any such low thoughts about trouble of conscience for sin. object . but we see by experience men and women troubled for sin , be very melancholly , and heavy . answ . to speak to this : true , sometimes god may be pleased to sanctifie , even that humor of melancholliness , so as to further such a work as this ; yea , god may cause a work on conscience to be furthered by melancholly , and yet a great deal of difference between melancholly and this . as first , god may make use of melancholly to bring in trouble of conscience : as thus ; if it be not too prevailing , to besot men and women , as somtimes it doth ; but if it be no more prevailing but thus , to make men seriously consider , and ponder , and weigh things , then god makes use of a degree of melancholly , to make men and women to know themselves ; and sin , and the things of their eternal estate , and such a melancholly is a blessed melancholly , and you have cause to bless god for it . melancholly in some inferior things is very useful ; and the phylosophers say , that the most eminent men in the world for great matters , were melancholly , because they were serious in their thoughts ; whereas othermen be of slight , vain , frothy spirits . many that never had melancholly , they conceive of things , and it passeth , and they never ●ay any thing to heart , they never knew what it was for one half hour to be serious in their thoughts all their lives : many that be sanguine , be of a light , vain spirit , and it is a heavy judgment of god to be given over to a light vain spirit , that considers nothing . now when god makes use of this particular degree of melancholly , to make men and women serious , to consider what shall become of them another day , what the terms between god and they are ; what if i were now to die ? and what if i were now to stand before god ? then it is a good help to this work : but yet because this work is a work beyond any melancholly conceit , we shal give you in the differences . but yet further , it must be acknowledged , when god comes with trouble of conscience , it may be so mighty , and strong , that it may alter the body , and consume the very spirits in the bodies of men and women , and alter the temper of blood , it may be so strong and powerful , and so there may come melancholly in afterward ; but yet there is abundance of difference between melancholly and trouble of conscience , and that will appear in these six particulars . chap. lii . six differences between melancholly and trouble of conscience . diff. . melancholly may be in those that are most grosly ignorant ; but trouble of conscience cometh with some enlightening work . diff. . melancholly prevails on men by degrees , but trouble of conscience many times comes suddenly , as lightning . diff. . melancholly trouble is exceeding confused , but troubles of conscience are more distinct . diff. . the more melancholly any hath , the less able are they to bear outward affliction ; but the more trouble of conscience , the more able to bear outward afflictions . diff. . melancholly puts a dulness upon the spirits of men , but trouble of conscience for sin puts a mighty activity upon mens spirits . diff. . trouble of conscience cannot be cured the waies melancholly may . first , melancholly , it is many times in men and women where there is most gross ignorance of god , and of sin , and of the things of their eternal estate ; it may consist with gross ignorance : many melancholly people are most ignorant and sottish , and know nothing of the principles of religion : but troubles of conscience can never come without some new light of god darted in , and setled upon the hearts of men and women ; it comes alwaies with some inlightning work of the spirit . melancholly is many times with a great deal of darkness within ; the mind is dark where melancholly prevails , and many times gross ignorance ; but never any true trouble of conscience , but god comes in with some light . and therefore if any man or woman be troubled , and say it is for sin , i put this to you ; what hath god discovered to you now , more than before ? what truths of god hath god setled upon their hearts more than before ? if they can give no further account of no other light let into them , than before , or further truth let in upon their hearts than before ; then indeed it may be suspected not to be trouble for sin ; as many melancholly people have the name of being troubled for sin , and they have fears of hell , because of dark thoughts : but 't is not the true work of the spirit upon the soul , except it be with convincement of some new light , or settling some truth more upon the soul than before . secondly , melancholliness comes by degrees upon men and women ; alterations of the body are not sudden things , the temper of men and womens bodies cannot suddenly be altered to any extremity , but gradually , from one degree to another : but trouble of conscience comes many times as a flash of lightning from heaven . many men and women have come to the congregation with scornful spirits , prophane , wicked , and ungodly ; never knew what sin meant , nor trouble for sin meant , and god hath met with them in the word , and fastned some sentence upon their hearts so , that they fall down under the power of it : that comes just as an arrow struck into their liver , and they could never get out of it , & have gone away with horrors of soul ; and therfore this hath not been melancholliness certainly the humors of the body , never so suddenly alters the spirits of men : but when god comes to work , when the spirit of god , and bondage comes to work , it needs no matter before , no preparative matter , for the work of the word is such , as it works immediately , without any preparation : therfore many men that understood as little of trouble of conscience as ever any did in their lives , and yet god lets some truth reach them , fitted to their hearts and dispositions ; that he finds his own sin come to be discovered , and the man is smitten : as he in cor. . . the ignorant man that comes into the church , and hears there the saints prophesie , he is convinced , and falls down , and saith , verily god is among them , of a truth god is in them : it is a remarkable text : what ever he thought before ; it may be he heard strange stories of the church of christ , of prophane meetings , that gods people , when they met together , they blew out the candles , and committed uncleanness , and wickedness . as there be notorious lies reported abroad of such sects in the world ; for certainly there is no such sect in the world ; but such reports are raised , meerly to make the meettings of gods saints odious in the esteem of others . as the jesuite said , do you but calnmniate strongly , somewhat will stick , though nothing be true : well , what ever thoughts they had of the assemblies of the people of god ( for it is like the heathens had strange thoughts ) but when he came in , and heard what was done , he is convinced , and judged , and the secrets of his heart came to be discovered ; the text saith , the man falls down and worships god , and reports god is among them . so many people hear great relations of such men , and such preachers , and sermons , and they go to hear what they can say , and what they do ; and may be go with an intention to scorn ; as i have known some , come and sit close to a pilar , and with an intention to jeer , and scorn , but before they have been gone , god hath darted some truth into their conscience , and they have been struck with the word , and gone away with terrors in their conscience , this cannot be melancholly . as paul , when god converted him , god comes and meets him , with light from heaven , and strikes him from his horse , and he stands trembling , and cries out , lord ! what wilt thou have me to do ? there is a great deal of difference between this and melancholly . a third difference is this , melancholly is exceeding confused , they are exceeding confused in their thoughts , and the trouble of their spirit : and many times they have troubles , and sinkings , but they can give no account of it at all ; yea , their troubles be beyond their ground , the grounds that they be troubled about , are very confused , that they understand them not themselves ; but troubles of conscience are a great deal more distinct , and there the soul seeth ground for the trouble beyond the trouble . as in melancholly , the trouble is beyond the ground of trouble ; so in affliction of conscience , the ground is beyond all trouble ; i am troubled indeed ▪ but i see cause to be troubled more ; and this is a great part of many mens trouble , that they can be troubled no more . a fourth difference is this , the more melancholly there is in any man or woman , the less able are they to bear any outward affliction that befals them : but the more trouble of conscience , the more able shall they be to bear afflictions that befals them . those who feel the trouble of sin heavie , do account all other afflictions light : but melancholly people do feel all afflictions heavie , they cannot bear the least cross , their hearts are ready to sink upon any thing , and the more melancholly increaseth , the more weak are their spirits , and the less able to bear any cross . but now , trouble of conscience , the more sin , and the heavier the butthen of sin lies upon the soul , the more slight thoughts hath the soul of outward crosses . alas , it may be he hears of some that have some grievous diseases in their bodies ; oh saith he that is troubled in conscience , oh if it were no worse with me than so , it were but a flea bite , but it is another manner of matter : if god would change my trouble , i could easily bear that . as francis spira hath this expression , oh! ( saith he ) were i but released , and set free , as before , from trouble of spirit , my thinks i could scorn all the threatnings of cruel tyrants , and with undaunted resolution bear all torments : so that the height of this trouble makes the other less . it was a good speech of a reverend divine of our times , when he heard any impatient under afflictions ; he used to say thus , surely the reason why affliction is heavie upon you , is because sin is light . those that be impatient under afflictions , it is a●sign sin is light , because afflictions are heavie ; troubles of conscience would make all afflictions light , melancholly wil not . fifthly , a principal difference above all that hath been named is this , melancholly doth mightily dull the spirit of any man or woman wheresoever it prevails it makes them heavie , and dull , and unapt : but now , trouble of conscience for sin , it puts a mighty quickness in men , it puts an activity , another manner of activity and stirring in the spirit than ever was before . you shall have many men and women sit dully under a minister many years , under the word , and never act ; but when god comes to stir , and awaken conscience for sin , their spirits be active and stirring then , in another manner than they were before . whereas poor people , overwhelm'd with melancholly , they sit moping , and heavie , and dull , and lumpish , and no activity of spirit at all ; but trouble of conscience for sin , is as fire in his bones . as jeremiah said , he would speak no more in the name of the lord ; but the word of god was as fire in his bones , and made him active and stirring , so trouble in conscience makes them active and stirring ; now they can pray , they could not pray before ; now they be active , and working ; as acts . when god troubled paul , the text saith , behold , paul prayes : go saith the lord to annanias to saul , behold he prayes : as if paul never prayed in all his life before . certainly you that cannot pray , that never prayed , but read a prayer , or prayers your mothers taught you ; you cannot pray : but if ever god troubles your consciences for sin , then you will pray , as if you were in heaven , oh mighty prayers then , oh for christ , oh pardon of sin , and peace ; then there is another manner of acting , and stirring of his spirit , in prayer ; than ever was before . but melancholliness , will not do it ; but makes a man heavie , and dull , in the very act of prayer . there is a notable example of the actings of spirit in troubles that come from sin , whereas the other makes them dull : 't is that in the book of ezra , chap. . vers . . and . verse . and when i heard this thing , i rent my garment and my mantle , and pluckt off the hair of my head , and of my beard , and sate down astonied . this you will say made him dull ; mark what follows : verse . . and at the evening sacrifice i arose up from my heaviness , and having rent my garment and my mantle , i fell upon my knees , and i spread forth my hands unto the lord my god , and said , oh lord my god , i am ashamed and blush to lift up my faee to thee my god , for our iniquities are increased over our heads , and our trespasses are grown up to the heavens , &c. there mark the prayer ezra makes at the evening sacrificed when the time was come that he should stir and seek god , then his spirit was mighty active , and stirring , though he were astonished before . if it had been melancholly , his heart would have sate still then ; so that trouble of conscience puts life into the soul in prayer . and so it makes the soul active in meditation and contemplation ; melancholly people be dull , and heavie , and know not how to meditate , nor what to meditate on . those troubled in conscience , oh what quick thoughts have they about god , & christ , and eternity , and the law , and sin ; and their souls work about such objects , that they can have no help unto from their bodies and senses , and yet their spirits are raised higher than before , in their workings●… and so when they come to hear the word , oh how active be their spirits ; in catching of the word , and at every truth . i appeal to you that are troubled , what difference there is between your spirits now , and what they were before you were troubled for sin , before you came to the congregation , to see and be seen , and wondered what men meant to be so earnest ; and now , you mark every tru●h , and catch hold of every sentence , and mark the mind of god , and understand what is said : before you came and heard , and never understood what was meant by such and such things ; you saw the minister earnest , but you could not conceive what the man meant in his earnestness , but now you see what he means in his earnestness , and understand what weight is in those truths , you hear revealed : this is som●what like , when the spirit is thus ●…ed , and acted in prayer , and pearing . and in conference , when you were in conference with good men , before , conference about good things was dry , and a dull thing , and you savored not the things confered on , but presently were asleep : but now , if you come where there is conference of god and his word , and christ , and the like , your mind closeth with this . if you were only melancholly , this would make you more dull and heavie , but this makes you more lively and active , therefore there is a great deal of difference . lastly , trouble of conscience cannot be cured as melancholly is . melancholly many times is worn out with time , and physick cures that , and outward comforts and contentments cures that , but trouble of conscience is a wound of a higher nature . as francis spira said , when they brought physitians , and thought it trouble of body ; alas poor men , they think to cure me by physick : ah it is another manner of malladie , and must have another manner of medicine than plaisters and drugs to cure a fainting soul and spirit for sin. conscience must have gospel antidotes ; therefore you that thought you had trouble of conscience for sin , and you are now eased , or perhaps not so much troubled now as before ; look back what cured you , how comes it to pass you be less troubled than before ? hath time worn it away ? such a sermon , and such apprehensions of such a truth , darted into you mightily , and troubled you ; you had such troubles , but what hath cured you ? many times one can give no account but this , sure time hath worn it away ; if so , then it was not a right trouble . so it may be you took physick , your body was troubled before , now it is lively , and more blood in your veins , more spirit now , and may be now your affliction is taken away , and this hath ●ured you : if there be no other trouble than this , certainly you know not what trouble of conscience means , at least not in a saving way ; either it was not trouble of conscience at all , or else it is not cured aright , but as the thorn that lies rotting and rankling in the flesh ; a thorn when it first gets in , puts one to a great deal of pain ; perhaps if it be let alone , the pain will be over for the present ; but it lies rankling , and will put you to pain afterward , if it be not cured : so of trouble of conscience for sin , and if nothing have cured it , but these things , it is like the thorn in the flesh , and will trouble you afterward . there is another manner of cure , for it is the greatest thing god can do to comfort a troubled conscience , it must be the bloud of christ applied by the holy ghost ; it must be a plaister made of the bloud of jesus christ , and applied by the holy ghost to cure this . and therefore i beseech you consider what hath been said about this argument ; and as the psalmist saith , blessed is the man that wisely considereth of the poor , so i say blessed is the man and woman , that wisely considereth of these troubles ; in this , dont cast it upon your children , & friends , oh they be froward , or mad-men , or melancholly , oh do not say so . you that are acquainted with storms and tempests , you think them dreadful , it may be some of your friends have lately known what dreadful storms there have been ; now if any of them should make relation of it , and another should sa● , this is but a conceit , and a fancy , and no reallity but a dream ; would you think these men spake like wise men ? certainly , if any storm you have met withal at sea hath terror in it , know , stroms in conscience hath a thousand times more than storms at sea : therfore when you see any troubled in conscience for sin , fear and tremble , let your conscience shake at it , and make use of their trouble . i remember a story of one vergerius that came to comfort francis spira , and he came to comfort him as other men did ; but he saw such dreadfulness upon francis spira , that it struck terror in his soul , that he left his bishopprick , and went to basil , and became a famous protestant . thus when we hear of troubles of conscience , slight it not , but let the fear of god be upon you ; go and renounce sin. oh if some of our friends did know what slighting of a troubled conscience were , it would make them do as he did ; though he had a rich bishopprick , he renounced all . and thus we have done with this first use . chap. liii . a second vse from the whol treatise , shewing that a man may be in a most miserable condition , though he be delivered from outward affliction . first , if a man be prosperous by sin , if a man raise himself to a prosperous condition by any sinful way , let such men consider three things : what is got by sin , it cost dear . what is got by sin , is accursed to thee . what is got by sin , must be cast away , or thy soul is cast away . secondly , when men come to be more sinful by their prosperity : explained in three particulars : when prosperity is fuel for their sin . when it gives men further liberty to sin . when it hardens in sin . we are yet upon the great doctrine of the evil of sin , shewing that there is more evil in sin than in any affliction . many things you know have been delivered in the explanatory part of it , wherein i have endeavored to set before you , the vileness of sin , to paint it out unto you in the true colors of it , as i was able : and having set sin before you in the vileness of it , we have begun the applicatory part of this point , to draw some collections by way of use from what hath been said concerning the dreadful evil of sin. i have finished the first use : i shall now proceed to the second . vse . and that is this , if there be such dreadful evil in sin above all evils of affliction , hence then it follows , that a man or woman may be in a most miserable condition , a miserable estate although they be delivered from affliction : i say , it is possible for a man or woman to be a most miserable creature , though they have no outward affliction ; yet their condition may be very miserable , because there is evil enough in sin to make one miserable without affliction . most people in the world know no other miseries than that miserie that comes by affliction , and they make afflictions to be the only rule and measure of a miserable condition : so much afflicted , so miserable is their estate ; and so little afflicted , so happie is their estate : they think that those people that are delivered from affliction , are happie people ; and those people that are under affliction , are miserable people ; oh he hath lost his estete , suffered shipwrack , hath grievous diseases in his bodie , is put in prison , and so lives miserably all his daies : thus people look upon men and women in affliction , as if they were only miserable . before i have done with this use , i shall i hope , convince you , that it is not affliction , yea , all afflictions , miseries , troubles outwardly , do not make us miserable , but only sin ; where there is most sin , there is most miserie , though less affliction . it is a great mistake in people to judg of happiness or unhappiness by these outward things : you shall have many people when they see men and women very poor , that have no houses , nor clothes , nor meat and drink , that are fain to work hard for their livings , that are sickly and weak , oh they be in a pitiful condition : but when they see others provided of houses and land , that have attendance , and are gorgiously attired , brave diet , and good trades ; these be happy men . now the point that hath been opened to you , will serve to rectifie your judgments in these things , and not to make afflictions or no afflictions to be the rule of happiness ; but to make sin , or no sin ; or less sin , to be the rule of judging of the happiness of our condition . it was the speech of luther , one drop of an evil conscience is enough to swallow up all the joyes in the world , all the prosperity in the world : there is so much evil : in sin , that though a man or woman had all the joyes and prosperitie that possibly the world can afford , yet one drop of an evil conscience , the guilt of one sin in an evil conscience , is enough to swallow up all , and make this man miserable in the height of all prosperitie . let a man be raised up as high as the world can raise him , set upon a throne , having a scepter in his hand , and a crown upon his head , having all the pomp and glorie the world can afford ; yet if sinful , yea , if he have but the guilt of any one sin upon his spirit , this man is a miserable man. but let any one be as poor as job , and sitting upon the dunghil scraping his sores , if delivered from the evil of sin , this man is a happie man. i remember a speech of anselm that i have read ; that he had rather be in hell without sin , than in heaven with sin : looking upon sin as so great an evil , as if to be rid of sin would make a man happy under the torments of hell : and being under the guilt of sin , it would make a man miserable , though in heaven . certainly then the guilt of sin , makes a man miserable in al outward prosperity ; and the deliverance from sin , will make a man happie under all outward afflictions and miseries . so though a man be prosperous in his worldly estate , yet if sinful , that hath enough in it to make a man miserable : especially considered in this , if there be these two branches in it : first , if a m●n be prosperous by sin. or , secondly , be sinful by his prosperity . then he is indeed a miserable creature notwithstanding all his prosperity , i beseech you observe it , and it follows from the point that hath been opened , that there is so much evil in sin. as first , if there be so much evil in sin , let a man be never so prosperous , if prosperity be furthered by sin , or sin furthered by prosperity , he must needs be a m●st wretched miserable creature . if prosperity be furthered by sin : as thus ; if any man raise himself to any outward prosperous estate in a sinful way , although the world may judg such a man happy , having his hearts desire satisfied yet it is most certain , this man is a wretched man. as suppose a man get preferment by a sinful way , oh his heart is eagerly desirous to get up to preferment , to get livings and estate in the world , and he doth strain his conscience for it ; and when there is a sin between him and his preferment , he will get over the sin he wil climb and scamble over this sin to get the preferment ; rather than lose the preferment , he will scamble over sin , and go through sin unto his preferment : so eagerly desirous are men of preferment , that though sin be between them and their preferment , they will break through ; they will break through the hedg but they will gain it . oh how many schollers , and others , especially such whose educations have been mean , when they see any way of preferment , livings , or estates , though they have some sin between them and preferment , how have they got it , and think themselvssafe when they have got livings and preferment : oh these men be miserable , and therefore miserable because preferred , because prospered in their hearts desire . and so for men that get riches and estates otherwise than by right , by deceit and oppression ; in any sinful wicked way ; it may be now they have got fair houses , and well furnished , and means coming in , and they bless themselves , and think now they be happy ; yea , and others also , they think them happy , and live bravely in the world : but if you knew all , you would look upon these men as most wretched cursed creatures . certainly those men will one day curse the time that ever they had such an estate , and will wish rather , that they had begged their bread from door to door , than have got their estate by sin . seeing there is so much evil in sin , let these men consider these things . such as have prosperity by sin , let them consider , this thy pros●… it cost dear ▪ exceeding dear ; of thou make up thy reckoning , and put all in that it cost thee , you will find you be no gainers at all . when men have got any thing in possession , they usually reckon , i but , what did this cost me ? thus much , or thus much ; and if they see that the costs and charges comes not so high as the benefit , then they applaud themselves as gainers . well , you have gotten estates , preferments , honors , be it what it will in the world ; but what did it cost you ? some sin or other , did you not strain your conscience in that benefit you have got ? and if did so , certainly if this be put in the reckoning , if there were any sin in it thou hast got nothing by the bargain : what hope hath a hipocrite though he hath gained ? though he may seem to have gained his own hearts desire , yet if all be reckoned , put in what sin it cost , and there is no gain at all . if any of you should go to sea , and when you come there , you suffer shipwrack , and yet thou makest a shift to get home , by boat or some other way , saving your life , and when you come home , you have brought a toy or trifle to your wife ; now hath this been a good voyage ? do you reckon this a good voyage ? perhaps it was for a toy you suffered shipwrack , and you bring this home ; do you think this will make the voyage good when you have cast up your reckoning ? how many men and women in the world for trifles and toyes , suffer shipwrack of a good conscience ? when you look upon that you have got , it is but a trifle and a toy ; you might have been happie without it , and you have ventured shipwrack of a good conscience for this ; do you think your prosperitie to be delighted in that you have got in sinful , and vile evil waies ? i remember the prophet when he came to ahab , when he had gotten naboths vineyard by most cursed , sinful , wicked waies , kings , . . god bad him go and meet ahab , and say , what hast thou killed , and gotten possession ? as if the prophet should say , oh wretched man that thou art , thou hast gotten possession of the vinyard , but hast thou killed , and gotten possession ? so may i say to anie wicked man or woman in the world that hath got by waies of sin ; what hast thou sinned , and gotten possession ? lyed , and gotten possession ? cozened and cheated , and gotten possession ? dost thou think good will come of this ? art thou happie in the enjoyment of this ? well , know , whatsoever thou hast gotten by sin , it is accursed to thee : thou maiest look upon every bit of bread thou eatest , that thou hast got by sinful waies , look upon it as having death in it ; and everie draught of beer , & wine , thou drinkest , thou maiest look upon it , as having the wrath of the almightie mixed with it . you have got an estate , perhaps you were poor , and mean before ; but now you have wronged , and cheated , and cozened others in sinful waies , and now you have your tables furnish't , and can go to the tavern , and drink : in this meat and drink of thine , there is the wrath and curse of god. suppose a man had stollen a garment , and it proved to be in a house that had the plague ; suppose a theef got into a house that hath the plague , and hath got cloathes , and perhaps the bed-cloathes of one that died of the plague , and if one tel him what they be , can he have delight in them ? perhaps he hath them upon his bed , but the plague is in them . certainly whatsoever any of you in all your lives , have got by any way of sin , the plague is in it : that is a certain truth , there is the plague , the very curse of the almightie in it . therefore , whatsoever is got by sin , it must be cast away , or else thy soul is cast away : it must be restored again , there must be restitution made to the utmost of thy power , for any thing got in a sinful way ; for there is so much evil in the way of sin , that god will not have any man by any means in the world , enjoy comforts that come that way ; god himself doth so hate sin , and he would have all his people so hate sin , that he would not have any one in the world have any comfort by sin. therefore as soon as ever anie ones conscience comes to be enlightened , to understand what sin means , if they find that there be any thing in the house , got in a sinful way , they can never be quiet til they have render'd it back again ; the sight of it strikes terror into them , they cannot endure to come into the room to see that got in a sinful way . there have been some have got much by waies of sin , and when they have lain upon their sick and death beds , and conscience awakened , oh they have cried for gods sake take them from my sight ; they could not bear such things in their sight , that they have got in the waies of sin . as ●udas got thirtie pieces , out of a covetous hu●or he would have money , and not be so poor as the other disciples , but he gets mony in a sinful way : but when conscience came to be awakened , and terrified , he goeth , and a kind of vengeance goeth with him , he goeth and throweth it to the scribes and pharisees ; he throws them down , they were to hot for him , he could not indure the scalding of them in his conscience , they were even as it were melted in his soul , he could not keep the thirtie pieces , they were so terrible to him . so certainly that 's thy . peeces , any houshold stuffe , any thing thou hast got in a sinful way , oh it will be terrible to you one day i beseech you brethren take notice of it , any one that hath got by waies of sin anie thing , it is not enough to the salvation of that soul that it hath been never so much sorrowful ; all the sorrow in the world , and repentance thou canst have for sin , will not save thy soul , except thou dost restore , except restitution , to the utmost of your abilitie be made , you can never have comfort and assurance that sin is pardoned . it is an old speech of an ancient , the sin is not remitted , till that taken away be restored . there are many men and women ▪ they think if they can get anie thing by sinful waies , they will repent , and pray to god for forgiveness , and be sorrie , and yet keep that gotton in a sinful way . no , that will not serve the turn , all thy praying to god with never so much sorrow , yet there must be restitution of what you have sinfully gotton to the utmost of your abilities , though the partie be dead , you must not keep it : suppose whomsoever you have wronged are dead , you must not keep it if they have anie heirs , or executors ; suppose you know not them , then you must give it to the poor , you must be rid of it . so much stain and evil is in sin , that anie thing that comes by way of sin must not be kept . and this is not so strange a thing but that the heathen have been convinced of it : i remember a storie of a heathen that did but owe to a shoomaker for a pair of shoos , and no bodie knew he owed it , when the shoomaker was dead , he thought to save it ; but his conscience was so troubled , though the man was dead , and no bodie could charge him with it , that he could not sleep , or rest , and be quiet , but riseth with amazement and trouble in the night , and runs to the shoomakers house , and throws the money in , and saith , though he be dead to others , yet he is alive to me . if a heathen had such convictions of conscience , that he must not keep that which was gotton by sin , if he could see sin so sinful , that what was gotten by sin must be cast out ; surely you christians must be so wise ; oh consider this , you are a multitude , come together , is there never a man or womans conscience now in the presence of god , that tells them , that there is something that they have gotten by such a sinful way . now this is the charge of god to you upon your spirits , that as ever you do expect to find mercie from god , that you do forth with and immediatelie restore that which you have gotten by anie sinful way , it will be your bane , and your ruine , you will venture your souls else ; that must be restored , or your souls must go for it ; and all your sorrow and trouble , will not do , ezcept these be restored , these be restored to your power ; either that , or some other thing in lieu of it , you must not think to live upon sin . it may be servants , in their masters service , pilfered and purloined ; whatsoever you got for your selves , perhaps you have spent it , but hereafter , either your souls must perish , or else you must , if god have made you able , restore it , though it be all your estates , you be bound to cast up those sweet morse●s you have taken . there was once one that had wronged a man in five shillings , and it was fiftie years after that wrong was done , that he sent to these hands of mine , those five shillings , and desired me to restore it ; conscience now did so sting him , that he could not injoy it . so though it be fortie , fiftie , or threescore years ago , when you were yong , that you did the wrong , you be bound , as you do expect mercie from god , to restore what you have wronged , because there can no prosperitie come in by sin , no good , there is so much evil in sin . this is the first , when a man comes to be prosperous by sin , then he may be miserable notwithstanding his prosperitie . secondly , when a man comes to be sinful by prosperity : as when a man comes to prosper by sin , so when sin comes in by prosperitie : and for this , three considerations likewise . sin sometimes comes in , by prosperitie , a man is more sinful , because more prosperous ; certainlie this man may be miserable notwithstanding his prosperitie as , first , when prosperitie is fuel for sin . secondly , when it gives them further license , and liberty to sin . thirdly , when it more hardens them in sin . certainlie this man , though he be freed from afflictions all his daies , yet is a most miserable man ; because he is delivered from afflictions . he comes to have prosperity fuel for sin : that is matter for sin to work upon ; so that prosperitie nourisheth and fattens up sin . as manie men , because they have prosperitie , their sins grow to a mightie height by prosperitie : prosperitie is fuel for lust , fattens your malice , and o●asions pride . were it not he had such an estate as he hath , and a healthful lustie bodie , then he could not be guiltie of so much lust , uncleanness , drunkenness , pride ; so much malice and revenge ; the more god doth deliver them from afflictions , sickness , povertie , the more feuel hath he for sin , wickedness , and the lusts of his heart to burn upon , and grow up to a flame . as it is with a bodie , those humors of the bodie , are matters for the disease to grow upon , and feed the disease ; they be no good to the bodie , but mischief to it : some men have great big arms and legs , but what bigness is it ? a bigness that comes by disease by dropsies , such humors their bodies being full of them , they feed the disease of the bodie : now be these humors anie such things as that we should rejoice in ? do they make for the good of the bodie ? they make for the bigness , but not the goodness of the bodie . so anie mans estate , that makes matter to feed lust upon , and nourish and grow upon this ; such a man is so much the more miserable , by how much the more prosperous he is : as usuallie wicked men , through the malignitie in their hearts , they do make all their prosperitie to be nothing else but nourishment for lust to breed on . as it is with a gracious heart , it will turn al things he doth injoy , to be matter for his grace to work upon , and to further the work of grace : so a wicked heart will turn all he doth injoy , to be matter for his lust to work upon , and to further his lust ; the excellencie of grace appears in the one , and the malignitie of sin appears in the other . now if sin be so great an evil , then whatsoever a man injoys , if it be a furtherance of sin , and nourish sin , it makes him the more miserable , a miserable creature ; though a prosperous man , yet this man is miserable , because his prosperitie makes him more sinful . if his prosperitie doth give him further liberty in sin ? as thus , manie men that be poor , be quicklie restrained , they have manie restraints , alas , they be afraid the law will get hold of them if they be drunk , or unclean , he is quicklie restrained ; may be he dares not for fear of the displeasure of some friend he depends upon : a hundred things keeps in men in affliction from taking ▪ their libertie in sin , which otherwise his heart would have committed , whereas , a man prosperous in the world , takes libertie , and who shall controule him ? he will be drunk , and unclean , and break the sabbath , and who dares controule and speak to him ? and i beseech you observe this , manie men account that the greatest happiness of prosperitie , that by this means they may come to have their wils , their sinful wills , that they shall live without controul in the satisfying their sinful lusts ; this they account the happiness of prosperitie . this is a most abominable cursed happiness , to account the good of prosperitie to consist in this , that it gives more libertie to sin ; oh it is a most pestelentious power that inables to do mischief , to hurt ones own soul , or others : so that is a most pesteferous estate & condition , that gives a man libertie to satisfie his lusts the more . brethren , consider of this , it is a most dreadful curse of god upon a man , that god wil let a man go on smothlie in waies of sin , without controul , that he shall have libertie without controul ; if there be anie brand of reprobation that one may give , this is it , as black a brand as can be given , that god suffers a man to go on smoothly in sin without any controul , that he can have full libertie . it is a speech of barnards , therefore doth god spare the rich , because his iniquitie is not found only to displeasvre , but to hatred ; because god is not onlie now angry , but he hates him for sin : that is a speech of barnard , therefore doth god spare the rich , and deliver manie wicked men from affliction , because sin is grown to the height , that it is above gods displeasure , god may be displeased with his children for sin , but he doth not come to hate them ; they be not children of hatred , because of infirmitie ; but now when god suffers a wicked man to go on smoothlie without anie affliction in his way of sin , and so take libertie in sin , this mans sin it is to be feared is grown to the height , that it comes to the verie hatred of god , not onlie to displeasure . i remember barnard in another place calls this kind of mercie in god , to deliver men from affliction in a sinful way , he cals it a mercie more cruel than all anger , and praies god to deliver him from that mercie . that is , that he should go on prosperously in a wicked way . and if you knew all , it would be one petition to god ( you in a prosperous way , it would be one petition you would put up to god ) everie day , oh lord , never let me prosper in a sinful way and course , oh lord , rather let any affliction be upon me , than that my smoothness in my way should make my sin more smooth and delightful . i appeal to you marriners , suppose you were sailing neer rocks or sands , and were becalmed , till you come just there where they are , and then you should have a wind come full upon you , and fill your sails to the full , your sails perhaps are all up , and a wind comes that fills them to the full with wind , i but this wind carries you directlie upon the sands , or rocks , would you not rather have the wind a little more still ? would you not rather have a half wind ? or a side wind ? would you not rather have your sails down ? or not half so much filled as they are , when they carrie you upon the rocks and sands ? so here , it is just as if you should see a man rejoice that his sails be filled with wind , and all his sails up , when another that stands by knows , it carries him upon the sands that will undo him . so it is with a man that rejoiceth in prosperitie , that carries him with full sail to wickedness . god fills their sails , their hearts be filled to the full , with all that their hearts can desire , and they be filled with all their braverie , but this ( as the sail ) carries them on further to sin and wickedness ; upon the rocks and sands to eternal destruction : it were better for these men , that their sails were down , and all under the hatches , a thousand times better than to have all the libertie to sin. i beseeeh you brethren , observe the difference between gods dispensations and his dealings with the wicked , and his dispensations and dealings with his children , in this one thing it is verie observable ; with the wicked god deals thus , in just judgment he suffers stumbling blocks to lie in the way of religion , that they stumble therein , and find abundance of difficultie , when they have some good stirrings of their affections , and good motions , and intentions ; but there is such a stumbling block they be offended at , and such a thing lies there and hinders them , and makes the waies of religion difficult : but when they come to the waies of sin , there all their waies be smooth , there 's no stumbling block lies there , but all is clear , and god suffers them to prosper and go on a pace ; the way to life is full of stumbling blocks , but the way to destruction is clear : thus god deals with the wicked . but with his children god will make the way to life and salvation to be very smooth and clear ; the way of the upright is plain : if the heart be upright , those things others be offended at , and stumble at , they be delivered from ; those stumbling blocks be taken away : gracious hearts find the waies of godliness , plain , comfortable , and smooth waies : but now , the waies of sin to gods children , they be full of stumbling blocks , there god is pleased to lay stumbling blocks ; when god seeth his children hanker after sinful waies , god makes this let , and the other let , this affliction , and the other affliction ; one thing or other they shall find in gods providence to stop them in the way . a most excellent promise for this to the children of god , when god was in a way of mercie to them , you have in hosea , . , . therefore behold , i will hedg up thy way with thorns , and make a wall that she shall not find her paths : ( mark ) when god intends good to his church , he promises to hedg up the way , and wall it up ; that is , the way to idols , that they should not find it so easilie as before : oh take notice of this , oh all ye servants of god , when you have found your hearts hanker after evil waies ; oh the goodness of god , he hath laid stumbling blocks in the waies of death ; whereas others when they have come to the waies of death , all is clear and smooth before them , and they have their hearts desire . this is the difference between gods dealings with his people , and the wicked . as prosperitie is fuel for sin , and gives libertie to sin , so it hardens the hearts of men and women in sin : as it is with the clay , when the sun shines upon it , it grows harder , mire and dirt grows harder with the shining of the sun ; so wicked and ungodly men , their hearts grow hard in the waies of sin , with the shine of prosperitie upon it . as the iron is soft when the fire is in it , but harder when the fire is out ; so with men and women , in affliction they seem soft , but they are the harder when out again : we have a notable place for this , job , . from the . verse , to the . there is a description of the prosperous estate of the wicked ; now at the . verse , see how their hearts be hardned , therefore they say to god , depart from us , we desire not the knowledg of his way ; because he had said before of them , their houses are safe from fear , neither is the rod of god upon them . their bull gendreth and faileth not , their cow calveth and casteth not her calf . they send forth their little ones like a flock , and their children dance . they take the timbrel and harp , and rejoyce at the sound of the organ . they spend their daies in wealth . they live merrie , brave lives ; therefore their hearts be hardened in sin , that they say to the almightie , depart from us , what need we the knowledg of god ? what need so much preaching ? and so much ado ? we desire not such things . i beseech you mark , and observe what kind of men those are , that so slight the word of god , and disesteem of it ; and that in their carriage and actions , do as it were , say unto god himself , depart from us ; for so it is , though it may be they think not so , when the word and ordinances depart ; yet they do as much as if they should say to god , depart from us , we desire not the knowledg of thy way : i say , observe what kind of men these are , not men under gods wrath , or afflictions , observe what men they are , and when they say so , i say , not when they be under gods wrath , but those that live in authoritie , and flourish , and have delights and contentments to the flesh ; these say , depart . i confess , many poor people that know nothing of god , and that be meer atheists , that live all their daies in meer atheism , to hear them say so , it is no wonder : but i speak of men inlightened , and where , almost , have you anie so readie to say , depart from us , let the word and ordinances depart , and that slight god in his ordinances , as men do that are in the greatest prosperitie , that enjoy comforts , and brave lives , and have the world at will. now let all such know , that though they may bless themselves , and the world may bless them ; yet wo to them , when god saith , let them prosper in sin ; hosea , . . i will not punish your daughters when they commit iniquity : god threatens it as a judgment not to afflict them . i remember origen upon that text hath this note ; will you hear the terrible voice of god ? god speaking with indignation ? i will not visite when you sin ; this he calls the terrible voice of god , speaking with indignation : this is the most extream of gods anger , when thus he speaks . and so luther hath such an expression , wo to those men at whose sins god doth wink and connive , and that have not afflictions as other men . and so jerom , in writing to a friend that prospered in wicked waies , saith he , i judg thee miserable , because thou art not miserable : so certainly , those men are therefore miserable , because they be not miserable ; and it were a thousand times better for these men , to lie under some heavie and dreadful affliction in this world . and this is the second use , if there be so much evil in sin , then a man may be a miserable man , though he be not an afflicted man , because there is evil enough in sin alone to make a man miserable without affliction . chap. liv. use . if there be so much evil in sin , then it 's a mighty mercy to get the pardon of sin . use iii. if there be so much evil in sin as you have heard of , then certainly this must needs follow , that to get pardon of sin is a mighty mercy . it must needs be a wonderful thing to have the pardon of sin , to get to be delivered from that which hath so much evil , that is so dreadful , it must needs be very hard to be obtained ; grievous diseases be very hardly cured . certainly brethren , those men and women that do think , that to get pardon of , and power against sin , is a little or light matter , i dare charge them as in the presence of god , they never yet knew what sin meant ; and all that i have delivered about the evil of sin , hath been but as the beating of the air to them , to no purpose , that yet make but light of the great work of procuring pardon for sin , and making peace with god for their sin . if all the world were in a confusion , turned into a chaos , we should think it a great work of god to bring all in frame and o●der again : certainly it is a greater work of god , for to deliver the soul from the evil of sin , and free the soul of it , than it would be for to raise up the frame of heaven and earth again , if all were turned into a chaos . therefore numbers , . , . verses , where moses speaks of pardon of sin ; see how moses speaks of it there : and now i beseech thee ( saith he ) let the power of my lord be great , according as thou hast spoken , saying . what was this concerning which god had spoken , that he would shew his great power in ? see the . verse , pardon i beseech thee the iniquity of this people , according to the greatness of thy mercy : ( mark ) let the power of my lord be great , and then pardon the iniquitie of thy people : as if moses should say ; oh lord , this requires great power , the almightie power of god is required for pardoning of iniquitie , as well as the infinite mercy of god oh consider this , you that think lightly of getting pardon of sin , this is the greatest business in the world , and certainly that soul that god doth set in good earnest about this work , to get the pardon of sin , that soul is the most busie creature in all the world : never was the soul taken up about a more blessed work , since it had a being , than this is ; if it understand what it is about , it takes up the whol strength of soul and bodie , when the soul is about so great a work : therefore you that come to have some inlightenings to shew you the evil of sin , and you be about that work of getting pardon ; oh you had need intend it ; and work mightily and strongly indeed ; for know this , you are about the greatest business , the greatest work that ever creature was about in the world ; there is no creature in all the world was ever about so great a work as thou art about ; when thou art about the getting pardon of sin , thou hadst need mind it , and follow it , and not have thy heart taken up about other things , for it is the great work of the lord , that infinitely concerns thee ; oh that men and women had cleer apprehensions about the sweetness of this work ; 't is true , gods mercie is above all our sins , and he is readie to pardon , and to forgive ; but the lord will have his creatures know , that it is the greatest work that ever he did : yea , and take altogether justification of a sinner , is as great a work as ever god did ; the means that tend to it , and the work of a soul about procuring pardon , is the greatest work that ever soul was about : so you must understand it ; and you cannot but understand it , if you understand what hath been delivered . this is the third use . chap. lv. use . if there be so much evil in sin , this justifie the strictness and care of gods people against sin . two directions to those that make conscience of smal sins . first , be even in your waies , strict against all sin . secondly , be very yeilding in all lawful things . use iv. if there be so much evil in sin , hence then is justified the strictness and care of the people of god against sin . they be afraid of everie sin , they dare not be so bold in the waies of sin as others are , but they tremble ; when any sin is presented to them , they be afraid , and tremble ; others go on boldly , and presumptuously , and laugh at such as be afraid ; oh such scrupulous consciences ! oh they dare not do such a thing because 't is a sin they say ! oh they dare not by any means because they dare not sin : thus others laugh at them , because they think they be more scrupulous than they need be , that should be afraid to do things so little as they think these are . i beseech you observe the perversness of mens hearts ; you shall have them if men offend the law of man , them that are in authoritie , the commands of men , in things that they themselves will profess to be verie little , and smal , then they will cry out of such its rebellion , and rebels against authoritie , and they are not worthie to live , and they would have the severest punishments that can be , against them that will not obey mans authoritie in little things : but mark , these men that will so urge small things , and where they be small , the worse the disobedience ( say they ) in disobeying in small things . yet these men that seem verie consciencious in such things , when they see men afraid to offend god , that dare not do little things if sinful , dare not speak an idle word , and be sinfullie merrie as others are , that are afraid of intemperance , and everie small thing , ( as they think ) these men will jeer such ; what a horrible sin is this ? what! urge mans authoritie in small things , and jeer those that be consciencious to gods authoritie in small things ! what shal the authoritie of man put weight upon smal things , and not the authoritie of the almightie put weight in small things ? well , whatsoever they think , brethren go on , and make conscience of small things , and never call anie sin little , because you have heard of so much evil in it , go away with this impression of the evil of sin on your hearts ; well , by this i have heard of the evil of sin , i have learned to account no sin smal , though never so little in the eye of the world . is it a sin ? if so , do thou never admit of it ; if it be a sin , abhorre it : let this temptation never prevail with thee ; what ? will you not do this , you may do worse ? this i would advise those gracious and godlie , that do indeed make conscience of small sins , and do well in making conscience of small things ; i give you these two instructions to carrie along with you , as you do make conscience of small things , and you do well in it , because there is so much evil in sin. so , the first instruction , be sure your course be even this way , that as you seem to make conscience of some things smal ; so make conscience of all : let not men of the world , that observe your waies , find you tripping , and have just cause to say , these men seem scrupulous in small things , but in otherwaies , they give libertie enough to themselves . and ( say they ) though they will not swear , they will lye ; and such like aspertions , sometimes through malice , the men of the world cast upon profession . but i speak to you in the name of the lord , take heed you give not occasion to the men of the world to say so ; to say , i , these be so scrupulous in ceremonies , and so nice in these things ; though certainlie we are bound to be so , for god is a jealous god , and if in anie thing we be consciencious , we must in his worship be consciencious there ; but then you had need be so much the more careful , that they find you exact in everie thing that you do . you servants , perhaps you inquire after the worship of god , you yong people ; and it is a great mercie of god , that god stirs up yong ones to inquire after the true worship of god , and not to worship god in that ignorance that your fore-fathers did ; that took up everie thing upon custome , or the use of the parish they lived in ; for certainlie it is not the practise of manie ; nor the command of authoritie can make it lawful , if not warranted by the word : well , perhaps manie yong ones now begin to inquire after the way of gods worship ; and perhaps your masters , or parents , or may be husbands be angry , and vexed , and wonder what is come to you ; because grown so scrupulous of these things : now i say , you had need be verie exact in your masters familie , that you may not be found tripping in other things ; and you wives had need be verie exact , that your husbands find you not faultie in other things ; and you children had need be verie respectful to your parents , and careful of your duties to them , because they be more apprehensive of anie failings in that which is due to them , then they are of any thing in the worship of god ; and they know god tyes you to the practice of those duties . now if you cannot joyn in their practice , and such superstition as your masters do . now if these servants be unfaithful in service , and carelesss , and stubborn , and stout in answering again : how doth this harden their masters against this way of worship ; and harden their hearts against them ? what ? you make conscience of superstition because sinful , and is not this sin , as well as that ? to be unfaithful , and stubborn , and stout ; if you make conscience of one sin , why not of another ? therefore all you that seem to have more tender consciences than others , and more afraid of the least sin than others ; be sure you walk exactly , and especially have a care of your duty towards men , with whom you walk ; for they can spy you presently , if you trip . a second instruction i commend to those that make conscience of little , of the least sin ; is this , be sure you be as yeilding and tractable in all other things as possible you may , in all things lawful : i ground it upon this , because those whose consciences be tender , and dare not commit the least sin , for anie seeming good ; they cannot but stand out rather than commit some evils , some things that they be required to do they dare not do , because sinful , it cānot be but in some things they must stand out , because they be convinced that it is a sin : now this the world judges stoutness , and pride , you make conscience of it , but they think it pride , and stoutness of spirit , why ? cannot you do this as well as others ? when alas god knows , and your consciences tels you , that you would with all your hearts , but cannot ; you should sin against , and wound your own consciences , therefore let them do what they will , you cannot do what is required ; let masters rage , and be angry , and husbands be displeased , you cannot yeeld , your consciences will not suffer you . now that you may convince them , that it is conscience , and not stubbornness , how shall this be known , that it is consciousness , and not stubbornness ? for we cannot see into your consciences ? i give you this note to discover it , to them ; be more pliable and yeilding in all other things , and there , to go beyond all other women , or children , or servants . as now , if there be a woman whose conscience cannot yeild to some things , and her husband is displeased because he beleeves it is stoutness , now that her husband may beleeve it conscience and not stoutness , it concerns that woman to observe whatsoever gives content to her husband in everie thing else ; & to be more yeilding , and pliable , and tractable , and herein denying her own will , to give content to her husband in other things , and herebie he will be convinced , sure she is not stout and stubborn in other things ; why ? because in this i find her more pliable , and yeilding , and willing , than before . so for servants , if you cannot yeild in that your masters would have you ; strive to give him the more content in other things : children to your parents , in other things be more dutiful , and one neighbor to another ; if neighbors would have you do that which is against your conscience , when you cannot do that , yet in other things yeild to your own prejudice , to convince them , that in what you do not yeild , it is meerlie out of conscience , and not stubbornness . this is the fourth use i might here have gone further , and ( if there be so much evil in sin , i would ) have labored with men and women to come to be sensible of all the evil of sin , and to have stopped sinners in their sinful waies , and courses ; and likewise to have drawn sinners to christ , and to have made men and women to prise jesus christ , by whom all their sins may possibly come to be forgiven ; who is the onlie ransom & propisiation for sin : for this brethren , is the ground of all i have said , that we might be made to esteem christ , and prise christ . and in this regard , though what i have said , seems legal , yet certainlie it is a fond unistake in people that think christ is not preached , except the word christ be named . but know all that hath been said about the sinful ness of sin , hath been a preaching of christ , for it hath been in way and order to bring souls to christ , that i might cause souls to flie to christ , and go to him that is the onlie propisiation for sin , and the onlie ransom for souls . and certainlie brethren , if once these things i have delivered concerning the evil of sin , come to be apprehended , and the soul made sensible of them ; oh! how sweet , and precious , and dear will christ be to such a soul ? and the name of that great god will be honored in such a soul : but i shall prosecute this in the following discourse . chap. lvi . use . if there be such evil in sin , hence then is justified the dreadful things spoken in the word against sinners . there is more evil in sin , than in all affliction : that 's the argument we have been long upon ; and have made some good entrance into the application of it , there hath been four uses made of this point already , that hath flowed naturally from the evil of sin. there are yet divers more uses which are of great concernment : wherefore we proceed to it . vse v. if there be such dreadful evil in sin , hence then the word of god that speaks such dreadful things against sinners , cannot but be justified of all those that know what sin is . there are verie severe and fearful things , revealed in the word against sin. now , such as understand not what the evil of sin is , are readie to think them verie hard . for indeed , it is onlie by the word , we come to understand , wherein the true evil of sin lies . paul to the romans tels us , that before the law came , he knew not sin : and had i preached these sermons concerning the evil of sin before the athenians , the wisest of phylosophers , they would have said as they did concerning paul , what new ? what strange doctrine is this ? and so it is like it hath been unto all those who have no other rule to judge of things by , than carnal reason and sence . those who are not acquainted with the mind of god , revealed in his word ; they perhaps have strange thoughts concerning all that hath been delivered ; and think i have been but an hyperboler al this while : but certainly those that judg of things according to the word , they see that there is a realitie in all that hath been delivered , and they justifie the word in all ; yea , they justifie the severitie of the word against sin , when they see it even against themselves , for their own sins ; that 's a good sign , when the heart of a man or woman , doth not onlie justifie the word in general , but when the word comes most powerfullie , and sharplie against his own sins ; yet he lies under the power of the word , and saith , it is good , and holy , and righteous , the word of the i ord ; though it speaks bitter things against his own sins . there are many men and women that have some seeming good affections , and some tenderness of spirit , and would seem to melt at a sermon , when some truths be delivered to them : but when the severitie and strictness of gods justice , in the word is presented before them , their hearts flie off , and they seem to be verie hard things . we have a notable example for this in luke . if you read in the storie before , you shall find the people spoken of , were much stirred , with many things they heard of in the word : but in the . verse , when christ told them he would come and destroy those husband-men that had used the messengers so ill that were sent for fruit , and the kings only son too : he shal● come and destroy those husbandmen , and give the vinyard unto others ; and when they heard it , they said , god forbid . oh god forbid that there should be so much severitie : those people , in this particular , discovering a slightness of spirit ; that though they were people that seemed to have tender hearts , and were much stirred , and their hearts melted at some truths delivered : well , but yet when they heard of the severe judgments against evil men ; oh they had more compassion in them than god had , & said , god forbid that things should be so hard ; what ? is not god a merciful god ? and we hear of nothing but severity ; that there should be such severitie in god , utterly to destroy , god forbid . thus people now a daies , when they hear arguments of gods goodness , and mercy , their hearts be ready to melt and yeild , and they be affected , and stirred ; but when they hear the severitie of gods justice against sin , oh then god forbid that there should be such hard things , god forbid these things should be true . certainly brethren , you cannot have any true meltings of spirit wrought in you , nor work of gods sanctifying spirit , unless you find such a principle in your hearts , as should cause you to fall down and tremble , and yeild unto the justice of god , and the severity of the word against sin ; except you find a willingness to justifie god and his word in all the severity that he doth reveal against you in your own sins . i his is the fifth . chap. lvii . use . if there be so much evil in sin , it shew the miserable condition of those whose hearts and lives are filled with sin . use vi. another use is this , if there be so much evil in sin , then what a miserable condition are those in that be full of sin , w●ose hearts and lives are filled up to the brim , to the very top , exceeding full of sin . is there all this evil ( that i have spoken of ) in the nature of sin ? in one sin ? ( as you have heard ) such dreadful evil in the least sin ? oh lord , what a condition are those in ( i say ) that are guilty of an infinite number of sins ? it is said , eccles . . . the hearts of men are full of evil , full of sin : it is true of all the sons and daughters of men in the world that their hearts be full of sin . a toad is not so full of poyson as the heart of every man and woman in the world is full of sin : and that which thou art full of , is such an abominable thing in the eyes of god , as you have heard : yea , and as their hearts are full of sin , so they be fully set to do evil , eccles . . . because sentence against an evil work is not speedily executed , therefore the hearts of the sons of men are fully set in them to do evil : this is true of all ; in their natural condition , their hearts are full of evil , and their hearts are fully set in them to do evil . all the actions that ever thou didst do , all the thoughts of thy mind , and the words of thy mouth ; all the actions of thy life , ever since thou wert born , hath been nothing else but sin , if thou be in thy natural estate . this we dare avow , and speak as in the presence of god , that every man and woman not yet converted , had never any thought ▪ never spake word , never did any action in all their lives , but they sinned against god. and if sin be to evil , what an evil case are those men in , who be so full of sin ? in all that ever they did in all their lives , yea , their best actions ; how full of sin be those ? and how miserable is their condition , in that regard ; who have given up themselves to follow sin with greediness ? are there not some of you before the lord , whose consciences cannot but ●el you that you have given up your selves to follow the lusts of your own hearts with greediness ? to satisfie them to the full ? and all your grief hath been , that you could satisfie them no more : this hath been the condition of many who have lived in a course of sin all their daies ; yea , and it may be against conscience also ; who have been guilty , not only of multitudes of sin , but guiltie of such multitudes with woful aggravations , as against light , against means , against vows : certainly if sin be such an evil in its own nature , though but any one , if god should set but the least sin , but of thought , upon a mans heart as he may do , he would ●ink the stoutest-heart down to the bottomless gulph of despair ; then what will become of thee if god come to settle all thy abominations upon thy heart altogether ? the floods of ungodly men ( saith david , psal . . . ) hath made me afraid : the word men there , is not in the original ; but translated by some , the floods of wickedness have made me afraid . certainly if god discover the floods of those wickednesses that your consciences may tell you , you have been guiltie of it cannot but make you afraid : if god come , and set all those sins in order before thy face , it will be a most dreadful object and spectacle . let me make use of that phrase , job , . . is my strength the strength of stones ? and my flesh of brass ? so may i say unto those who have such woful guilt of sin upon them ; what is thy strength the strength of stones , and thy flesh of brass ? that thou canst bear the weight and burden of so many , and such horrible transgressions as thou hast been guiltie of ? when thou hearest that there is so much evil in one sin , and that in the least sin. we reade , leviticus , . , . of the scape goat , that when aaron and his sons the priests , should come and lay his hands upon it , and put the sins of the people upon him , he was to go into the wilderness , into a desolate place among the wild beasts there ; to note the woful condition of a sinner that hath the guilt of multitudes of sins upon him ; when he is like that scape goat to go into the wilderness among wild beasts readie to tear him . thy condition is worse , except thou art delivered from the guilt of sin ; i speak of one under the guilt of sin , it is like to be worse with thee , thou art in a worse condition , than if thou wert to live among tigers , and bears , and dragons , readie to tear thee : certainly thy estate is far worse . if thy bodie were full of sores , thou wouldest think thy condition very sad , it would cause much dejection of spirit ; but for thy soul to be full of sin , to have so much sin , is worse than if thou hadest plague sores upon thy bodie from head to foot . if you should see a man , all over from the crown of the head to the soal of the foot , full of plague sores , you would think that man in a sad condition : certainly the state of every man unconverted , is far worse , because he is all over full of sin , that hath so much evil in it . as for that doctrine of the fulness of sin in the heart and life of man , that will require another and larger treatise by it self ; therfore i do not intend to fall upon that doctrine , how man is full of sin in his heart and life ; that may be done hereafter : but only for the present , to present this meditation before you ; if so much evil be in every sin , then the fulness of sin must needs put a man or woman in an evil and sad condition : psal . . . god saith , he will wring out to the wicked , a full cup of wrath , to those full of sin. job , . . there it is spoken of the wicked and ungodly , that their bones are full of the sins of their youth : thy life is full of sin , thy bones may be full of the sins of thy youth : many youths , yong people , run on in great iniquities in the times of their youth ; and multiply sins , and ad sin to sin : well , know that thy youthful sins , may prove thy ages terror ; and thou that art so full of sins when yong , and given up to all kind of sin now , hereafter thy bones may be full of the sins of thy youth . thus much for this use likewise , because that it would require a doctrine by it self . i proceed to another . chap. lviii . use . if there be so much evil in sin , how dreadful a thing it is for men or women to delight in sin . use vii . if there be so much evil in sin as you have heard , mark then further what follows : what a dreadful thing is it for men and women to delight in sin , and rejoyce in sinful waies , to make a sport of sin : what infinite impudency is this for a creature to make merry and rejoyce in sin against god ? hast thou nothing to be merry withal ? hast thou nothing to rejoyce in but sinning against the almighty ? what ? shall there be so much revealed to thee concerning the dreadful evil of thy sins , and yet you so far from being convinced , that there is so much evil in it , as you rather look upon it , as having more good in it , than there is in god himself , and christ , and heaven , and all the glorious things of eternal life ? for so doth everie man and woman that makes anie sinful way their chief joy ; i say , they are so far from being convinced of so much evil in it , as hath been declared , as that they do rejoyce in it , as if there were more good in it , than there is in god himself , or christ , or anie thing revealed in the word concerning the treasures of the riches of the grace of god in christ ; this is horrible wickedness : it is an horrible evil in thy heart , that such an evil as sin is , should be so suitable to thy heart ; that there should be anie suitableness between thy heart , and so great an evil as sin is : yea , note that thou hast a verie cursed heart , that should be suitable to that which is so evil ; a verie poysonous heart , that there should be so much agreement between that which is so poysonous , and the temper of thy heart : true , a toad will take poison , and it is suitable to it , it lives upon it , and takes delight in it , as you do in meat and drink : now those that can make sin their meat and drink ; as christ saith , it is meat and drink to do the will of my father ; so it is meat and drink to manie ungodly men and women to do wickedlie . now hereby thou art declared to be a toad , to be of a venemous nature , that hast such a suitableness between thy nature and sin. sure nothing but a venemous toad can delight in poison : so nothing but a heart more venemous and loath som than a toad is to the daintiest ladie in the world to put a toads head to their mouth ; i say , none but such a heart can take delight in a sinful and ungodlie way . suppose there were a suitableness between the corrupt humors in thy soul and sin ; yet now thou hast heard so much of the evil of it , it is a cursed madness in thee to take delight in it , because it is suitable to thy nature : what canst thou delight to drink sweet poison ? because poison is sweet , and comes to be suitable because of the sweetnesse ? if thou know it to be poison , and strong poison , what a madnesse were it in thee , to drink a ●●ll draught only because 't is sweet ? there is the same madnesse in all men and women in the world that can take pleasure in sin , because there is sweetness in it , and the suitablenesse of it unto their corrupt nature . there is not only difference , but contrarietie between thy heart and a godlie mans ; a godlie man or woman had rather suffer all the torments in the world , than endure that which thou makest thy chief joy. what a contrariety to god , and the nature of god ? what a difference between the nature of god and thee ? that which is a burthen to the spirit of god , is the most delightful thing in the world to thy spirit . yea , what a desperate heart hast thou , that that which murthered christ , thou canst delight in . certainlie where there is delight and pleasure in sin ; sin increaseth infinitelie ; there must be most desperate increase of sin. for as it is with grace , those men and women that have gracious hearts , and come to make the waies of godliness their delight once ; oh they grow up in godliness ; no men and women grow up in godliness so as these do that come to make the waies of god their delight . if you would grow up in grace , make the waies of god your delight , and then you will grow in grace . so contrarilie , those men and women that come to make anie waies of sin their delight , and joy of their hearts , they grow up in sin , in a most dreadful manner . and be it known unto you , that according unto the measure of your delight in sin , so shall be the bitterness and torment that you shal indure herafter . as rev. . . it is said of babilon , so much as she hath glorifed her self , so much torment give her : so god will say of all sinners , that hath taken pleasure in unrighteousnesse ; so much as you have rejoyced in sin , so much torment give that soul . yea , the time will come that god will take as much delight in your destruction , as you have delighted in sinning against him . prov. . latter end , god will laugh at their destruction , and mock when their fear cometh : is there never a man or woman here in this congregation that hath committed sin and laughed at it ? or made some others commit sin and laugh at it ? i speak to you as in the name of god , is there not one man or woman whose conscience tels them , i have sworn an oath , or told a lye , and laughed at it ? made another drunk and laughed at it ? dost thou laugh at sin ? rejoyce at sin ? take heed , come in quicklie , thou hadsi need fall down and mourn bitterlie at christs feet ; otherwise certainlie thou art the man or woman at whose destruction god will laugh another day . it were thy wisdom rather to howl and cry out in anguish of spirit , because of sin , than to make it matter of jollitie and joy ; let us all take heed of making our selves merrie with sin : we must not play with edge tools : there is a notable place we have prov. . , . as a mad man , who casts fire brands , arrows , and death , so is the man that deceaves his neighbor , and saith , am i not in sport ? i beseech you consider this text , many of you will cozen and cheat your neighbors , and when you have done , make a jest , and mock of it that you cozened and cheated : so what the holie ghost speaks to such a man , and this scripture culs out that man and woman whosoever they be that ever deceaved their neighbor . and afterwards when they come among their companions , laughed at it . as mad men or women ( mark what the text saith ) who casts fire-brands , arrows , and death ; so is the man that deceives his neighbor , and saith , am i not in sport ? and it is but a jest , and a matter of nothing , and can jeer him , when he hath done : mark , this is a mad man that casts fire-brands , arrows , and death ; oh that god this day , would cast a fire-brand , and arrows , and every sentence of death upon thy heart that hast been guiltie of this , and not humbled to this day for it , oh it is the fool as i have shewed , makes a mock of sin . what ? canst thou commit a wickednesse , be drunk , or unclean , or filthie , and then thou afterward go and tell thy companions , and make a sport , or a mock at sin ? thou art one of the fools in israel , and god this day casts shame in thy face ; thou hast shame cast in thy face even by the almightie this day out of his word . certainlie brethren , if we understand what the evil of sin is , when we are in any company , where men and women be never so merry ; if there were but one wilful sin committed among them , anie one apparent sin , it were enough to damp all the joy that day ; and indeed it should be so . we reade of david when he carried the ark , a gracious work , and there was but one sin committed , in touching the ark unadvisedly , and it damped all the joy . and certainlie , it was the sin from which there was more cause of damping the joy , than from the punishment ; for there was more evil in the sin , than in the punishment : now you shall have many men and women in merrie meettings , and companie , they be merry , and eat , and drink , and laugh : well , but abundance of sin is committed in the companie , but not one whit dampt all that day ; but can go on in their mirth , and tales , and laughing ; go on as freelie and fullie , as if there were no sin committed . be it known to you this day from the lord , any of you that have been in anie companie , merrie and jollie , and yet sin hath been committed before your eyes , and you have heard it with your ears , if it have not dampt your joy and mirth ; know your hearts be not right with god ; and it is a sign your hearts have been vile , cursed hearts , that when you have seen sin committed in your companie , yet you can go on with joy . suppose in your company , in the midst of your mirth , one takes a knife and stabs himself into the heart ; would not this damp your joy ? would you goon in your mirth still ? would not all your joy be gone ? when you be in companie and hear one swear , if you had eyes you would see them even stab them selves to the heart : and there is more evil in this , than in the other ; and yet you can go on in your joy and mirth , though since you sate down there hath been fortie oaths sworn there . we reade in the sam. . . at the feast of davids sons , absaloms inviting of amnon to dinner , absalom bids his servants , whem amnon was merrie , to strike him to the wall ; and they did so : and then every one of the king's sons gat up , and all their mirth was done , though they were very merrie before . so if your hearts be right when you are in companie , and hear one swear , or blaspheme gods name , or speak against religion , it would be as much as if one were stab'd in the room , all the mirth of that day would be gone if your hearts were right . and do not think this too strict , that sin committed by others should damp your joy : certainlie , the thing is most reasonable , and apparent as possibly can be , to convince anie mans conscience , that understands what the evil of sin means : and yet many of you have not onlie continued your joy , but have been joyful and jocond , the rather because sin is committed in the companie . as suppose one make a jest upon religion , and scorn profession , you laugh with them , and make merrie with them . when one makes a lye upon religion , you can laugh and be merrie : oh certainlie , if you have anie conscience at all , you cannot but be this day convinced of horrible sin against god. suppose thou wert in merrie companie , and thou shouldest hear of a certain , that tydings is come , that thy ship is cast away , and that thou hast lost all that ever thou didst venture in that ship , wouldest not thou give over ▪ wouldst thou go on ? wouldst not thou say it is time for me to be gone now ? and dost thou not account more the hazard of thy own soul ? and the soul of thy brother ? than of thy goods ? certainlie , thy heart cannot be right with god. oh! take heed than in your merrie meettings ; we do not denie but men and women may be ioyful , and eate , and drink together , and delight themselves in the creature , but it must be so , that it must be without apparent sin : i know there will be natural infirmities in anie action ; but i speak of open and apparent wickednesse ; joy must not be when there is apparent wickednesse . you think godlie people are not for societie and good-fellowship ; indeed you cannot expect they should be joyful and merrie , but that they should rather be melancholly and heavie , and sad in your companie , when they see so many sins committed there : what would you have them merrie when they see the companie inbrue their hands in their fathers bloods ? would you have the son merrie , when the companie imbrue their hands in his fathers blood ? certainlie everie godlie man or woman , when they come in companie , and see so manie sins committed , they do actuallie and reallie see you stab and imbrue your hands in gods blood : when you rejoyce in the lord , they can be as merrie and joyful as anie of you all : and have sweet comfort in your companie ; but not when sin is there committed . manie of you when you have been in merrie companie , when you are gone , you can report , oh we were to day in such a place , and we had such merrie companie , it would do ones heart good to be among them ; we were so merrie and jocund , we had a brave time . well , but was there no apparent wickednesse committed in your companie ? never an oath sworn ? no excess in the creature in drinking ? no ribaldry talking ? you never think of that , as if that were nothing at all , it did not abate the least of thy joy : certainlie thy heart is not right , thou knowst not what sin means , thou must know it after another manner . one particular more , because t is useful , and these * merry times are most pleasing among the yonger people , when they come abroad in company , they will make a sport of sin , and think nothing of it . i will apply one text of scripture to that sport of yong men , when they seek to make one another drunk , or swear , and speak wickedlie , and rejoice in it : 't is just like that sport , sam. . abner saith to joab , let the yong men arise and play before us : and observe what play this was ; then there arose and went over twelve men of benjamine , which pertained to ishbosheth the son of saul , and twelve of the servants of david , and they caught every one his fellow by the head , and thrust his sword in his fellows side , so they fell down together : and this was their play . so it is with yong men , many times when they come into companie , yong prophane men , they come to play , and make sport , but it is in the furtherance of sin one in another ; and they do but as it were take the sword and thrust it in one anothers bowels , and what in them lies , to be their ruine and eternal destruction for ever . chap. lix . use . if there be so much evil in sin , than every soul is to be humbled for sin . use viii . if there be so much evil in sin as you have heard , hence the consideration of what hath been delivered , should cause al your hearts to be humbled for the sins your consciences tels you , you be guilty of : not onlie those that are so full of sin , but everie womans child hath cause to apply what hath been said , and to be humbled in their souls before the lord for that woful guilt they have brought upon themselvs . and now i speak to every soul , for there is none here but have much sin , they be guiltie of : now oh thou sinner whosoever thou art , charge upon thy soul what thou rememberest concerning the evil of sin , charge it upon ●hy own heart , labor to bring it with power upon thy own spirit ; bring thy sin with all the aggravations of it that possible thou canst , and lay it upon thy heart , and labor to burden thy heart , to make thy spirit sensible of it : open thy conscience , and let in all these truths thou hast heard , suffer the law to come with power , and though it doth slay thee ( as paul saith , when the law came , sin revived , and i died ) though it slay thy soul , open thy bosom , and let it come : go to the verie pits brink that sin endeavors to plunge soul and bodie in eternallie ; be willing to go to the pits brink , and see what there is in the verie pits brink , and upbraid thine own heart for the hardness of it , and think with thy self thus , lord , what a heart have i ? i can be troubled for everie little loss and affliction , but oh the hardness of my heart , for sin i cannot be affected , it yeilds and stirs not ; for anie pettie loss , or if anie cross me , what a disturbance is there in my spirit then ? but little or nothing for my sin ; oh what shall become of this heart of mine ? what shall i do with this heart of mine , thus hardened from the fear of the lord ? what ? wil sin bring confusion upon the whol creation ? what shall then become of my soul , if ever i come to answer for my sin my self ? certainlie my brethren , god must have glorie , and therefore we must be humbled for sin , seeing there is so much evil in it : it cannot possibly be , but that god must expect to see all his poor creatures that have been so guiltie , to lie down abased , and humbled , as poor , wretched , miserable , forlorn undone creatures by reason of sin . it is a mightie dishonor to god that ever we have sinned thus against him , as we have done : but that we should not be sensible of it ; this ads as great dishonor unto god as the former sin did . when a man or a woman commits sin , they dishonor god in that ; but being not sensible of it after committed , is a greater dishonor to god than the commission of it was : and the longer they continue unsensible of their sin , the more desperate their sin against god grows : for if thou hast not anie sence of sin , but goest on , in a little time thou maiest come to be past feeling , as the scripture hath the phrase , being past feeling : so manie men and women , first they begin not to be troubled for sin , and put it off ; at length they come to be past feeling , and if thy heart be unsensible of the evil of it , then sin grows exceedingly : so saith the scripture , being past feeling they give up themselves with greediness to all lasciviousness , and wantonness . what is the reason men and women give up their souls to sin , to lasciviousness and wantonness with greediness ? because they be past feeling . oh the hardness of the heart in sin ; the stone in the heart , is worse than the stone in the bladder . object . but you will say , if i labor to bring the weight of sin upon my soul , you have told us there is so much evil in sin , that if god should but bring , and set it upon my heart , it would sink my heart , and bring me to despair ; we had need labor to put off the weight and burden of it then ; and yet now , after you have told us the heavy weight of it , do you labor now to bring the weight and burden of it upon our souls ? answ . yes brethren , to bring the weight and sence of sin , is that i labor for ; not to bring more guilt , but the sence and burden of sin ; and this is not the way to bring you to despair . but first learn what i mean by this , that you may learn , not to be so shie of bearing the weight of sin , as before you have been ; but to be willing to take up the burden ; for there is no danger of despair in this : if there come despair , it is rather when god shall force the burden of sin upon your souls ; but if god see a man and woman free and willing to lay the weight and burden of sin upon themselves ; to that end that they may be humbled before the lord , and give glorie to god : certainly god will take care of that soul , it shall never sink under the burden of sin . this now , as in the name of the lord , i pronounce to you ; everie soul that is willing to bring the weight of sin upon himself , to that end that it may be humbled , and give glorie to god ; my life for that soul , that soul shall never sink under the burden of sin ; certainlie god will take care of such a soul , that it shall not sink under that burden : therfore be as willing as you will , to let as much weight of sin as will , be upon your heart , and the more willing you be , the greater is the care of god over that heart , that it shal not perish . but 't is the way to despair , if you upon the hearing of these things , come to be shie of meditating upon sin , and be loth to entertain those meditations , that may work the weight of sin upon your own souls . now it is just with god , when he shall come and force the weight of sin upon you , and lay the burden of it upon your spirits , then to let you sink under the burden of it , for god to behold you sweltring under the burden of it without pittie and compassion ; and your own conscience will be readie to tell you so ; yea , now the weight of sin is upon me , but is forced whether i will or no ; now god may justlie let it lie : this is a sad and a sinking thought ; and if anie thing let sin lie upon the soul , that it shall never be purged , it will be this ; when the spirit would have brought sin in the weight of it upon my conscience , i put it off , and now god puts it upon me , and therefore it troubles me thus . therefore be willing to be humbled , and know , if you be willing , jesus christ is appointed for that end to raise you up ; and there is as much power in the gospel to raise your heart , as there is in sin to press down your heart , if you be rightlie burdened with it . chap. lx. use if there be so much evil in sin , this should be a loud cry to stop men , and turn them from sin . use ix . another use is this , if there be so much evil in sin , then the consideration and meditation of all that hath been said , should be a mighty cry unto all , to turn back , and stop in the waies of sin . oh thou sinner , whosoever thou art , in whatsoever place of the congregation thou art ; god hath brought thee by his providence to hear or reade these sermons concerning the evil of sin ; know that all these sermons that have been preached unto thee , they be all but as one loud , loud crie to thy soul , stop , stop ; oh sinner in thy sinful courses , stop here , turn , turn ; oh sinner out of thy sinful waies , turn , turn , why wilt thou die ? why wilt thou die ? oh wretched , sinful soul , thou art lost , cursed , undone , and wilt perish eternally in that way thou art in ; turn , turn , while thou hast time : god cries , his word cries , his ministers cries , conscience cries , all those that have known what the evil of sin means , cry to thee , unless thou wilt destroy thy self , undo thy self eternallie , stop in that way , for it is a dangerous desperate way thou goest in , the verie road way to the chambers of eternal death . as ever thou wouldest be willing god shall hear thy crie upon thy sick bed , in the anguish of thy soul ; thou wilt then crie , now lord have mercie upon a poor , wretched , sinful soul : thou wouldest be glad ( i say ) that the lord should hear thy crie upon thy sick bed and death bed : now then , as ever you would have god hear your crie , when you are in the greatest anguish of your souls upon your sick bed , and see death before you , be willing to hear the crie of god to your souls at this present : and know , if you do not hear the crie of god that cries to you , to stop you in sinful waies ; then these verie words i have spoken to you at this present , may come in your mind , when you crie for mercie ; and then you may think , oh wretch , now i crie to god for mercy , but do i not remember such a time ? was there not a loud crie in my ears and conscience , as from god , that i should stop in my sinful waies and courses ? and was not i then charged as in the name of god , and as ever i expected god should hear my crie in such a time , that i should hear his voyce ? oh it will be dreadful for you to hear such a voyce as this , because you would not hear me , therfore i will not hear you . therfore behold , i crie again in the name of god , stop , stop , turn thee ; oh sinful soul ; alas ! whether art thou going ? from god , from comfort , from life , from happiness , from all good whatsoever , thou art going ! i call heaven and earth to record , that these things that i have delivered to you concerning the evil of sin , are the truths of god , and have been the truths of god : and certainlie what i have delivered , and you read , concerning the evil of sin , it will come and rise up one day against everie sinful man and woman that doth go on in anie known way of sin ; and it will prove as scalding lead in thy conscience : everie truth thou hast heard , and everie chapter thou hast read , concerning the evil of sin , i say , if yet thou goest on in any one known way of sin , it will one day be as scalding lead in thy conscience ; the dropping of scalding lead in the eyes of a man , will not be more terrible to him , than the droppings in of these truths will be in thy conscience another day . now it will be a sad thing , my brethren , if god should send me amongst you by his providence , onlie to aggravate anie of your condemnations : god forbid , there should be this errent sent amongst you , that anie of his messengers should be sent for this end , to aggravate your condemnation : this is that which is the prayers of my soul , that this may not be the errent i am sent for , if possible ; not to seal the condemnation of anie one soul : but this i know , except there be great reformation among manie , certainlie the verie errand god intended in the conclusion ( though i do not say that is the primarie , and first end , but it is that which will prove so in the conclusion ) through the stubbornness of the hearts of sinners , that will prove the aggravation of their condemnation . wherefore yet let me labor with your souls ; who knows whether anie of you shall hear me preach anie one sermon more ? whether ever god will call after you any more ? to stop or turn in the waies of sin ? whether ever you shall hear the word more ? perhaps god will sear your conscience , and say to him that is filthie , let him be filthie ▪ god now speaks to you , and cries after you , if you harden your hearts now , it is more than angels or men know , whether ever you will have one crie more . therefore let me abide here ; tell me oh sinner what is it thou gettest in waies of sin that thou wilt dwel here ? what is it the world hath to draw thy heart from the strength of all these truths delivered in these sermons ? sure it must be some mightie thing when such truths as these , backed with arguments from scripture , strength of reason ( as all these be ) cannot restrain thee . sure it must be some wonderful thing , that must over ballance all these sermons , and all these things : what hast thou such a heart , that is set upon any sinful way , anie secret hant of sin , that thou findest such good in it ? that by it all these truths are over ballanced ? certainlie there is no such good in the world , if all creatures in the world should joyn together , to give some comfort to ballance these truths delivered concerning the evil of sin , all the creatures in heaven and earth could not give such things as would ballance it ▪ therefore certainlie thou art deceived ; the refore return , return , oh shulamite , return ▪ return . oh that the truths delivered in this point might be as that sudden amazing ●igh that came to saul , when he was going o● i● courses of sin , acts , . there was an amazing light came and stopt saul in his course . oh that god would cause the light of these glorious truths delivered concerning this argument , to be as an amazing light to thy soul , to stop you in the waies of sin. object . oh but you will say , we cannot stop , you put that upon our power , that god must do . answ . first , for that act ( i have told you ) what power god gives , though you have none of your own ; god gives power for the bare outward act ; and do not say you cannot do this ; you know what convincements you have had of that , therefore say no more you cannot : and though you cannot , yet god useth to convey power through the word , while god calls upon sinners to stop and mend , gods way is then to convey power : but in the mean time though there be no saving work of grace come in ; yet thus much by an ordinarie and common work of gods spirit may be done , god may cause a sinner to resolve whatsoever come of it , that way of sin i dwelt in , i will never meddle withal ; and so there may be a sequestration of the heart from sin , though not a full possession of gods spirit come into the soul . as thus , it is many times with god and the sinner , as with man and man ; a man in debt , and not able to pay , an ar●est comes on his goods , and there is a sequestration of the goods , but so as they are to lie in other mens hands ; so as though they , be not quite take ●…way from the debtor , yet they be out of his power , he can have no use of thē for the present , til the debt is paid ; but whosoever wil come & pay the debt , he shal have the goods . so w th the heart , when the siner comes to venture on christ for pardon of sin ; the sinner seeth i cannot over-rule my self , sanctifie my heart , overcome my lusts ; however , god sequesters the heart for the present so far from them , that i will not go on in these waies again , i will not follow that company again ; there is a forbearance of those acts of sin ; that though the heart could not sanctifie it self ; yet it lies thus before the lord , oh lord , do thou pardon , do thou come in , and oh , let christ pay the debt for my sin , and let him take possession of my heart , but in the mean time , satan shall not use it , as before ; and the waies of sin , those gross waies i will forbear , though i die for it : i will rather sit still all my daies and never stir off my seat , than go to such wicked companie ; and i will rather never open my mouth again , than swear , and speak so filthilie ; but oh lord , do thou discharge my soul , and take it to thy self : and then comes in a sanctifying work of god , to sanctifie the soul , and save it . but oh! that i might prevail thus far , that there might be but a sequestration of the soul from sin this day ; though sanctification come not in , though the holy ghost come not to rule in thy soul ; yet that there might be a sequestration , that the heart might come and lie down , and say , lord , come thou in , and take possession ; but for those delights and contents , i took in sin before ; i am resolved , though i perish for ever ; i will not go on in them hereafter . here would be a good stop in the waies of sin ; for a man that goes in a dangerous way , he must make a stop before he turns , and consider , oh lord , where am i ? and whether am i a going ? and is this my way ? and then he turns . now this i endeavor , if possible , to make a stop in sinful waies ; that you might consider , oh lord , where am i ? what am i a doing ? what will become of me ? oh! that you might go away with such thoughts in your bosoms . and then followes the next . chap. lxi . use , & . if there be so much evil in sin , than turn to christ , and bless god for christ . use x. to labor to drive your hearts to christ ; oh then flie to christ : here you have revealed to you that which one would think would terrifie the hearts of men and women , and make them flie to christ . one would think that revealed concerning the evil of sin , should make heaven ring with cries to god for christ ; oh! none but christ , none but christ ; what would become of all your souls , if it were not for jesus christ ? were it not for that glorious mediator sent to be a propisiation for sin , and to make an attonement to the father for sin. christ is set up as that brasen serpent , that al those stung in conscience with the venom and poison of sin , might look up to the brasen serpent , and be saved . is there anie soul , that by all i have said , of the evil of sin , finds it self stung with the poison of sin ? know christ is that brasen serpent that is set up for thee to look upon . if thou find sin , as the avenger of blood pursue thee , oh now run to christ . if thy heart burn , and scorch in the apprehensions of sin ; as the hart brays after the water brooks , so let thy heart bray after christ , there are cooling and refreshing waters : then indeed , shal that i have delivered , be useful for the souls of poor creatures . when the soul hath been before the lord , crying mightilie to heaven for pardon , and part in jesus christ , if so be after i have preached all these sermons , if god shall hear of souls , getting alone in their closets , and crying out , oh lord , i never understood what the meaning of sin was ; oh what a wretched creature have i been all my daies ? now lord , except thou have mercie in thy son , in the mediation of jesus christ , through his blood , his heart blood that was shed for sinners ; i am a lost and undone creature for ever : oh lord , that wch is done can never be undone ; oh lord , let me find favor in thy son , here i am , do with me whatsoever thou please , onlie a pardon ; a pardon in jesus christ , to deliver me from the guilt , and uncleaness of my sin . yea , now will god say here is somewhat done , when sinners cries come up to heaven ; what hath been doing in this congregation ? what is the matter you come crying for christ ? heretofore your hearts were never stirred after christ , what is the matter ? why stir you so ? who hath told you anie thing ? as god said to adam , when god called , and he hid himself , when he comes out , he saith , i was afraid because i was naked : saith god , who told you that you were naked ? so when poor souls cry to heaven for christ , god may say to the poor soul , why ? what is the matter ? who hath told thee any thing ? as christ said to the pharisees , who hath forwarned you to fly from the wrath to come ? so god will say , why ? what is the matter ? who told you this ? i hope some poor soul will have experience of this , when you go to pray for christ , and you shall pray after another manner than formerlie , when your prayers shall be , even cries to heaven ; when god shall say , why ? what is the matter ? why cry you more than before ? i hope some poor souls , can give a good account of it , and say , i see my self lost and undone without christ ; better be a dog , or a toad , or anie thing , than a man , if i have not christ ; because they are not capable of sin , and my heart is full of sin ; and i have heard the evil of it , and therefore oh give me christ or i am undone : oh! such a soul will be exceeding acceptable unto god. and therefore , to such a soul , i propound in the name of the lord , the doctrine of life , and salvation , and peace ; be it known therefore to you , god the father , looking upon the sinful children of men , and seeing them all in a perishing condition by sin , out of infinite bowels of tender compassion , he hath provided a glorious way of mediation , of propisiation for sin ; and to that end he hath sent his onlie beloved son , out of his bosom , that hath taken mans nature upon him , united in a personal union , to that end that he might be a fit mediator to stand between a provoked god and sinful souls ; and this christ hath born the full vials of the wrath of his father , the curse of the law due to sin ; satisfied infinite divine justice , made a full attonement between god and sinful man. onlie upon these terms now , he doth tender and offer to everie poor wearied distressed soul , al that his son hath purchased by his blood , all his merits , that they might be an attonement for thy sin , a propisiation for thy soul , to discharge all thy sin , that thou mightest come through him to stand acquited before the father for ever more . this is the sum of the gospel , and this i present and preach it , and offer it to you , and this not onlie to the least sinner , but to the greatest sinner in the world , this i present , as in the name of god , that is the message we have in the name of god to deliver unto you ; and now whatsoever your sins have been heretofore , god onlie requires that your souls should now stand admiring at the infinite riches of his grace in his son , and that your souls should be taken off from the creature , and sin , and live upon christ , surrender your souls to him , and cast your souls on that infinite rich grace of god in him , and upon that instant , every one of your sins , though never so great and hainous , yet i pronounce in the name of the lord , everie one of them is pardoned , and all done away , as if they had never been committed , this is the sum of the gospel unto those that come to see their sins , and be sensible of their need of christ by their sin. object . but you will say , this makes all you have done , but a little matter ; if sin may be done away thus , what need all this discovery of the evil of sin ? it is not so great an evil , if it may be thus wash't away ? answ . ah poor carnal heart , that speaks thus ! is this a light or little matter ? true , it is in a few words , in the end of a sermon ; but be it known to you , there is more in these words i have spake in this last half quarter of an hour , there is more of the glorie of god in them ; than in heaven and earth beside ; not because they come from me , but because i have spoken that which is the sum of the gospel ; and in truth , in one sentence of the gospel , there is more of the glorie of god , than in all heaven and earth besides . you must be convinced of this , and know it is so ; and if ever you come to be partakers of the good of the gospel , you will see it to be so . oh brethren ! in that i have said , there is the glorious mysterie of godliness ; great is the mysterie of godliness , god manifest in the flesh ; the great counsel of god , working from all eternitie , is in this , in the sum of the gospel . the greatest work that ever god did , was in sending his son , and in the offer of his son to sinners that their sins might be pardoned . therefore think it not a smal thing , and hear when i call upon sinners to come and cast their souls upon christ . it is one of the gloriousest works that ever was done , for a sinful soul to come and close with christ the mediator ; and if once you come in , your hearts will be so full of the glorie of god , that presentlie all the glorie of the creature will be darkned in your eyes , and you will be so filled with the glorie of god , that you wil come to see the filthiness of sin this way as much as in anie way . all the sermons i have delivered concerning the evil of sin , will not set out the filthiness of sin to you , as that glorie of god that your hearts will be filled withal , as soon as you come to close with god in this mysterie of the gospel . perhaps it is not so apparant to everie soul ; but wait a while , and there will more of the evil of sin be discovered in this , than in anie way . vse xi . and then the use that i shall make of it is this , if there be such evil in sin , then bless , bless god for christ ; blessed is that man and woman whose sin is pardoned , psalm . oh blessed is he whose sin is forgiven . certainly it is a blessed thing , that sin should be forgiven ; this requires a whol sermon by it self : i shall but name it now , because i shal ( it may be ) hereafter speak of this particularly , of the great blessedness of the pardon of sin , onlie take notice of it ; any that hath a comfortable assurance of their sin being pardoned , go away rejoycing , son , daughter , rejoyce , your sins are pardoned ▪ there is enough in that word to bring comfort and joy to your souls . chap. lxii . use . if there be so much evil in sin , then it is of great concernment to be religious betimes , and there by prevent much sin . use xii . again ; one use more . if there be such evil in sin , then it is of great use to begin to be godlie and religious betimes , for yong ones to come to be godlie betimes : why ? because they may come to prevent so much evil and so much sin. oh happie those that begin to be godlie when yong ; you prevent a thousand sins , that others commit by their not knowing sin betimes . true , if there were no other use of godliness , than meerlie to bring you to heaven , then you might stay till your sick and death beds , and then be religious , it were enough : but besides bringing you to heaven , there is use of godliness to keep you away from sin and ungodliness ; and there is enough in that to countervail anie pleasure : suppose you yong people abstain from some pleasure , or joy that others have ; the truth is , you have greater and better pleasures ; but suppose you had none but keeping of your souls from sin , this meerlie were enough to countervail whatsoever you suffer in the waies of god. there are manie converted when they were old , and what would these give for to be delivered from the guilt of some sins committed when they were yong ? when they look back to their lives , oh this sin i committed in such a familie , and when i was an apprentise in such a place ; oh that i were delivered from them ! oh they lie upon my heart ! oh that vanitie and wickedness ! oh those oaths i swore in such a companie , among yong men ! oh those sabbaths i brake ! oh those lyes i told , and the drunkennesse i was drawn to ! oh i cannot look back to these , but my thinks i could even tear my heart from my bellie , to think what a heart i had , to sin against god , and multiplie sin against him. thus at the best , when god awakens their hearts , they would give ten thousand worlds to be delivered from the sins of their youth : and therefore now , you yong ones , seeing there is such evil in sin , oh prevent it : you know how the sins of youth lay upon david , remember not against me the sins of my youth ; therefore now prevent those sins that otherwise will lie so heavilie upon you , as that you will be forced to crie out , oh remember not against me , the sins of my youth : oh it is a happie thing to see yong ones good ; and it is the greatest hope that god will shew mercie to england , in that god begins to draw yong ones on in the waies of godliness , so that we hope there will not be so manie sins committed in the age to come . we have cried out of the sins of yong ones ; and one generation that hath followed another , hath been but like the kennel , the lower and further it goeth , the more filth it hath gathered ; and so the lower generations have gone , the more filthie they have been . but we hope god intends to turn the course , and to make godliness as much honored , as it hath been dishonored heretofore , and that there should not be so much sin in the next generation . heretofore yong people when they had daies of recreation , what did they but multiplie sin ? what abundance of wickedness was committed by youth then ? and on shrove-tuesdaies , abundance of wickedness committed by youth then ; and so the generation was filled with sins of youth . but now god is pleased to stir up the hearts of yong ones , that instead of multiplying of sin , they be got together on such daies , to fast , and to pray , and make daies to attend upon the word , and so avoid sin : it is that certainlie , that doth encourage the hearts of gods people to pray to him , and to seek him for mercie , that god gives hearts to yong people that they multiplie not sin as heretofore . if there be anie here that have begun this , oh go on in that way , and when others multiplie wickedness upon such daies , get alone , and attend upon the word , and recreate your souls in the word , and holie conference : true , god gives libertie to recreate , but let it he as it was wont to be with the companies in london , though they did recreate , they would have their sermons too . so instead of horrible wickedness that was wont to be upon those daies , as i suppose some of you can remember ; upon shrove-tuesdaies infinite wickednesses was committed in the citie , and thereabouts : we hope instead of wickedness , and joyning together in wickedness , there will be joyning together in the waies of god : and thus doing , you wil encourage us in the waies of god ; and peace and mercie will be upon you . chap. lxiii . use . if there be so much evil in sin , then it s a fearful thing for any to be instrumental to draw others to sin . wee are now to finish that tractate about the greatness of the evil of sin : it hath been an argument that hath much encreased in our hands , like unto the bread , the loaves that christ did break unto the people , that in the verie breaking did multiplie ; and so hath this argument done : but we are now to put a period to it . manie uses you know hath been made alreadie , as corollaries and consequences , from that great doctrine of the evil of sin , that sin is a greater evil than affliction : the last day the especial aim and intention of the application was , therefore to drive sinners to jesus christ , seeing there is so much evil in sin more than in all affliction : oh what need have we ( who are such great sinners ) of jesus christ , that is the propisiation for sin ? i have only one note to ad further on that , and we shall proceed ; it is an excellent expression i find in luther , saith he , there is a great deal of difference between the consequencia legis , and consequencia evangelii . there is a consequence of the law , and that is this , thou hast sinned , and therefore thou must be damned : but the consequence of the gospel is this , thou hast sinned , therefore go to jesus christ ; that is the argument the gospel uses from sin. but passing by all we have said concerning that use , we proceed to further applications that are behind . four or five uses we are to speak of , and then we shall have done with the point : i will be brief upon the first two or three , and the two last we shall stick most upon . vse xiii . if there be such evil in sin as you have heard , hence then it is a fearful thing for any one to be instrumental to draw others to sin . all that hath been said in the opening of the evil of sin , must needs speak very terribly unto all that ever have been any way instruments to draw others to sin in all their lives . now , oh that god would speak to every man and womans conscience in this congregation , that are conscious to themselves , that ever they have been any cause to draw others to sin : is there not one whose conscience presently at the naming of this use doth even tell you , well , now god speaks to me , for certainlie there hath been some that i have drawn to sin , that i have been a means to further sin in . if any one of you have ever been a means , by counsel , or advise , by approbation , by perswasion , by encouragement , by abetting of any , by joyning with any in anie sinful course to draw them to sin ; know , that god speaks to you . first , god tells you this ; that if you had been born to do mischief , you could not do a greater mischief than this is ; if you had been the means to undo men and women in their outward estate , it had been nothing so much ; but thou hast what in thee lies , been a means to undo an immortal soul ; yea ; and to cause them to sin against the infinite god ; so that thou art guiltie of everie sin thou hast been a means to draw others to , and thou art worse than those that have sinned ; for thy act in drawing them to it , is a dreadful evil , and then that which they have done is thine too : hast not thou sins of thine own enough to answer for before the lord , but thou must have the sins of another also ? dost thou know what thou hast done , in enticing others to sin ? either to uncleanness , drunkenness , to companie keeping , and breach of the sabbath , and other sins : perhaps thou hast brought them to pilfering and purloining , and many other particulars , and other waies that might he named ; for indeed if we should enlarge our selves in this point , it might well require a whol treatise , but we must contract our thoughts . it may be there are some in this congregation , that have been a means to draw others to sin , and they be now in hell at this instant for that sin thou wert a cause of . what a sad thing is this for any man or woman , to have this to lay to heart ; i know i have drawn such and such to sin , i have been a means ( at least ) to further sin in them ; well , they be dead and gone , and they manifested no repentance before they died , and therfore for ought i know , yea , it is much to be feared that they be now in hell , and now a tormenting for that verie sin i was the cause of , and if the lord gives me wages according to my works , i must thither to them : what ? shall they be in ▪ hell for the sins i brought them to , and shall i escape ? is it anie way likelie and probable , but that i must follow , when as they be there for the sins i brought them to ? what shall the accessarie be condemned and executed , and shal not the principal ? i am the principal , and the other is but the accessarie . certainly there had need be a mightie work of humiliation , for thou art in exceeding danger that art the cause of bringing anie other to sin , for it is that must needs lie exceeding heavie upon the soul of anie man and woman ; if god never give you a sight of this great evil ; certainlie you perish : but suppose god do give you the sight of so great an evil , and you begin to be humbled ; oh this very meditation wil cause your humiliation to be full of bitterness , and will cause it to be very hard for you to lay hold upon mercie and pardon ; when you shall think thus , ah were it for my own sins only i were to answer for , i might have greater hope ; but there be others sins i drew them into , and they be condemned perhaps , and in hel , and how shall i escape condemnation my self ? i do not say that there is an impossibilitie of pardon , for the grace of god is infinite ; and were it not infinite , it were impossible for such a soul to perish , and thou ( that art the cause of it ) come to be saved : i say , there is a possibilitie , but it is as if it were through the fire , if ever thou escape ; do but thou consider , if it should be , that thou shouldest die in impenitencie also , as the other did , and that thou didest go to hell , when you two should meet at the day of judgment , and he should see thee , the cause that drew him to sin , oh what a grief it would be to thee , how would he curse thee and the time that ever he saw thy face ? that ever he lived in that familie where thou livedst ? it may be some parents have been a means to draw by counsel and advice , the child to sin ; oh the child when he sees his parent at the day of judgment ; how will he curse the time that ever he came from such loyns ? and such a womans womb ? oh that rather he had been the off-spring of a dragon , and the generation of a viper , than from the loyns of such a man and woman ; you encouraged me to such and such waies of sin , to opposition , and hatred , and speaking evil against the people of god , the servants of god that were strict in their way ; and now you and i must perish eternally : sure in hell they will be readie to cast fire-brands in one anothers faces that have been the cause of sin in one another in this world : and so husband and wife , that lie in one anothers bosoms , if they be the cause of any sin in one another , it may cause woful terror to them , and appear worse than if a serpent had lay in their bosom ; for those that draw others to sin , do worse mischief than any serpent or viper in the world can do . you had need look to it betimes ( i shall wind it up with this one note ) whosoever hath been the cause to draw others to commit any sin ; know this , that the least that can be required , if god do give thee a sight of thy sin , and to be humbled for it , if thou doest go away out of the presence of god , as having an arrow darted into thy bosom for this , then i say , go away with this one note : you be bound to make some restitution in a spiritual way as much as you can . for this you know ( i shewed before ) in a mans temporal estate when you have wronged , you must make restitution ; if you will have mercie , you must make up the wrong as you are able : much more here , when you have wronged any in their souls ; a soul wrong calls for spiritual restitution , as well as body wrong , or estate wrong , calls for a bodilie , or estate restitution . quest . what do you mean ( will you say ) by this spiritual restitution ? answ . this i mean , that if those be alive that thou hast drawn to sin , thou art bound to this part of restitution ; that is , to go to them and to undo what possibly thou canst what thou hast done ; and now to tell them of the evil of that sin , and to do them all the good for their souls that possibly thou canst : now to shew to them , how god hath convinced thee , and what the work of god hath been upon thee , and how heavie and dreadful sin hath been made to thee , and to beseech them for the lords sake , to look to themselves , and to consider of their estates , and to repent of that their sin , that you were the cause to bring them to : and so , if there be anie means in the world wherbie thou canst do good unto their souls , thou art bound to do it ; yea , to them , their children , their friends , as you are bound to make restitution unto the next friends and heirs of those that you have wronged in their goods , if the partie wronged be dead . so if those should be dead thou hast drawn to sin , suppose when thou wast yong , thou drewest such a man to drunkenness , adulterie , or the like , and they be dead and gone ; thou art bound to do good to the souls of their children : for know , according to the nature of the wrong , must the restitution be ; one text is observable for this , to shew that according to the nature of the wrong must the restitution be to the utmost that can be , exod. . . if a man shall cause a field , or vinyard to be eaten , and shall put in his beast , and shall feed in another mans field : of the best of his own field , and of the best of his own vinyard shall he make restitution . this is the scope of the holy ghost in this text of scripture , that if anie one shall wrong another in his vinyard , or his field , he shall make restitution : ( and mark what the text saith ) not in anie slight manner , but of the best of his field , and vinyard : he must not say , i warrant my cattel did not do any hurt , but eat a little of the worst , and i will make restitution of the worst ; no , but must make restitution of the best of his field and vinyard : he must not think to get off with a barren peice of ground , but with the best must he make restitution . this shews what a full restitution god will have . so then if a man hath wronged his neighbor in his vineyard , t is not enough for him to say , i will make restitution in my barren ground ; no , but out of his vinyard must he make restitution ; so if he have wronged his neighbor in his field , he must not go and say , i will give a part of the common , but of the best of his field must he make restitution ; so if he have wronged another in his estate ; he must give of his estate : and if the wrong be to the soul , the restitution must be to the soul ; according to the wrong must be the restitution : and i beseech you be convinced of this , all the sorrow in the world is not sufficient , without you make restitution ; this is so cleer out of the word , and even by the light of nature and of conscience , that they may easilie convince themselves , whosoever doubts of the thing ; nothing in religion more cleer than this is , therefore restitution is required by god of thee , as ever thou wilt expect to find mercie . this argument ( if god be pleased to set it home ) will make many men and women , who when they were yong , were ring leaders to wickedness to others , oh how forward would they be to good now , they would be ring-leaders to good to others now . i pronounce it as in the name of god , you can have no assurance of the truth of repentance , except there be some indeavor in some degree to be as forward for god , now as thou hast been in the waies of sin before , if you have been ring-leaders to the sin of sabbath breaking , you must be ring-leaders to draw others to keep the sabbath ; and if you have been ring-leaders to ungodlinesse , you must be forward to draw others to godlinesse . oh take heed of this , it is a woful thing to draw others to sin , seeing there is so much evil in sin as there is . chap. lxiv . use . if there be so much evil in sin , than there ought to be no pleading for sin . use xiv . if there be so much evil in sin as you have heard , hence then surely there ought to be no pleading for sin ; there is too much evil in it for any one in the world to plead for it ; to make any excuse , or any plea for it : as if there be a notorious wicked house where there is much evil done in it , we account it a great disgrace for any to plead for it : if it be in question , and any justice of peace plead for wicked ale-houses it is a blot to him . if there were no sin committed in it , it were not much ; but if it be a notorious house for sin , to plead for it , is accounted a great blot . and now you that have heard of the great evil of sin , will you ever open your mouths to deminish and excuse sin ? and yet how ordinarie is this in the world ? some go to evil wicked company , and when they spend their times in drinking ; plead , why ? they must have recreation ? i pray , what work do they tire themselves withal that needs so much recreation ? what service do they do for god wherein they spend their spirits ? and the strength of their souls in serving god , that they need so much refreshing ? and so when they spend whole daies in drinking and eating , why ? they do but rejoice in the use of the creature ; and may they not keep companie with such men that be honest men ? and so anie kind of sin , wicked ribaldry talking , is but mirth ; and notorious covetousnesse , but providing for their familie ; and horrible pride , but handsomnesse ; somwhat they will have to say , pleas and excuses for almost anie sin . certainlie brethren , if we understood the nature of sin , we would say as jerubael , let baal plead for himself : so let sin plead for it self ; never be heard to open thy mouth to plead for sin in others , excuse it in others ; much lesse in thy self . those that be so full of excuses and pleas for sin , it is an evident argument god never discovered the evil of sin yet to them ; never caused the weight and burthen of sin to lie upon their conscience , nor what we have mentioned of the evil of it . oh! know thou hast to deal with the infinite god , it is a matter of thy soul and eternal estate ; and think not to put it off with vain pleas and excuses ; but set thy self in the presence of the eternal infinite god. indeed if you have to deal with your mothers , or friends , you may put them off with excuses for sin ; but if you would set your selves as in the presence of god , and there set sin before your eyes , you would not so easilie put it off with excuses , as you do . chap. lxv . use . if there be so much evil in sin , then of all jvdgements , spiritual judgements are the greatest . use xv. if there be so much evil in sin as hath been delivered , then above all judgements spiritual judgements are the greatest . oh! what a dreadful thing then is it for god to give men or women up to sin , this is the most fearful judgement that can befal anie man or woman in the world , except god should send them quick down to hell . yea , it may be , if god should send them quick down to hell , and cause hells mouth to open presentlie , it would not be so great a judgement as to give them up to sin . and yet this the scripture speaks of ; much of gods wrath burning this way ; god hardened the heart of pharaoh , god gives up to a reprobate sence ; he that wil be filthie , let him be filthie still ; he gives men up to their own counsels : i might shew you divers texts of scripture for this , but there are two things in this point , that requires large discusion . how can god that is so infinitly good , have a hand in sin , that have so much evil in it ? we must clear god , that he is not the cause of sin in anie , but to shew how far god hath a hand in sin , this would require a long time to open , which i cannot now do . to shew how much dreadfulnesse there is in this miserie to be given up to sin ; to open to you the dreadfulnesse of spiritual judgements will require a long time also : therefore because i have resolved to make an end of this at this time , therefore i must reserve these two things to larger discusion . only thus for the present upon what hath been said , let this be the prayer of everie one of you ; oh lord , whatsoever judgement thou sendest upon us , deliver us not up to spiritual judgments ; lord , give us not up to sin ; do not punish sin with sin ; rather punish sin with anie affliction than with sin : when god doth come to punish sin with sin , the condition of that man or woman is a very dreadful condition , because there is so much evil in sin. chap. lxvi . use . if there be more evil in sin than in affliction , then when sin and affliction meet , they make a man most miserable . now we come to the two last uses ; we must insist a little longer upon them : especially the last , as having several branches . vse xvi . therefore if there be more evil in sin than in affliction ; hence , what a miserable condition be those in , that have both these evils upon them , and that in a high degree . that affliction doth make a man in a very sad and miserable condition , that sence teacheth men and women ; every one doth account those men and women that are under great afflictions to be under great miseries : well , but now you have heard in these many sermons , how that there is another evil , greater than all afflictions . now then , what if both these evils come together , and concur both together to make a man miserable ? then he is a miserable man every way . then he is a miserable man to sence and reason of men , to the judgment of the world ; and then he is a miserable man in the judgement of the holy ghost too ; in the judgment of god , and the saints , in the judgment of the word : when both shall come and joyn together to make a man to be miserable , sure these be miserable persons indeed . if a child of god see a man in affliction , he will not presently judg him miserable , because he doth not know ; it may be he is godlie , if he be godlie , he is not miserable , though he be afflicted ; but the world presently judges him miserable , because afflicted : on the other side , the world judges him not miserable though he be sinful , if he be not afflicted : on the one hand , the godlie man judges that man in affliction , not miserable , if not sinful ; on the other hand , the world judges that man not miserable that is not afflicted , though he be sinful . but now when both these be together in one man , as a sinful man , so an afflicted man in a high degree ; this all judg miserie . and what a companie of most miserable wretches have we in this world ? how manie in woful straits and extremities , for the bodie ? in their estates , for want of bread , for want of cloaths , in want of house , in want of fire , in want of all necessaries that can be ; their bodies diseased , full of pains , their bodies deformed , their very parts of nature exceeding loathsom , unfit for service every way , in all outward appearance , for their outward estates extreamly miserable ; and yet together with this extreamly wicked also , extreamly sinful : go into their houses , there is nothing but beggerie , and miserie there , and there is as much wickedness and iniquitie , as beggerie and miserie : it may be these poor creatures thus miserable , their hearts be full of atheism , live without a god in the world , know not god , know not christ , know nothing of their immortal souls , know nothing of another life , live just like bruit creatures , in all filthie uncleannesse ; it may be suffer for their wickedness before men , are whip't , put in the stocks , or cage , lie in dark dungeons , in cold , nakedness , and hunger , and all for their sin and wickedness : what woful creatures are these , and how many hundreds , nay thousands , have you of this kind of creatures in this stepney , that are such objects of pittie , that me thinks should make all your hearts bleed when you consider them , and how many you have of them in this place : were it , i confess , that the charge of souls in this place should lie upon me , i should think i had work enough to do with such poor creatures as these ; if i should live methuselah's daies , and should make everie day to be more hours than twenty four ; yet work enough for all my time ; i should think i had little time for any refreshment any other way ; knowing how many poor souls are in such a condition that perhaps are not onlie outwardlie miserable , and inwardlie poor ; but their outward miserie , encreaseth by their inward miserie , the one encreaseth the other : as it is a great evil for sin to bring affliction ; so a great evil for affliction to encrease sin as their affliction doth ; there affliction puts them upon swearing , lying , prophanness , cozening , keeps them from sanctifying the sabbath , seldom come in the congregation : i perswade my self , there be thousands belonging to this place , scarce ever heard sermon in this place , scarce know whether christ be man or woman , scarce know any more than if they had lived among the turks ; and yet these poor creatures live miserable lives every way for their bodies : alas , i suppose there be very few of these i preach to now , that be hearers of me now ; perhaps god may have some love to some poor creatures that may come creeping into the congregation , that may hear me : this exercise was intended for such poor that might come in the morning , for many of the richer sort had rather take their ease , and give them room enough ; they might supply the want of their room , and yet how few of them come here : they , it may be , are at home ( many of them ) mending their cloaths , or perhaps at some worse exercise on the sabbath ; and thus have neither god , nor the world ; are miserable here , and like to be eternally miserable . if there had been given to this place by the parliament , or any other , so much , as that everie sabbath day morning , sixpence a piece should have been given by way of dole ; nay , if it had been but a twopenny dole , we should have had abundance ; whereas now scarce any once come : and as , not many mightie , not many rich or noble come , so not many very poor , and outwardly miserable come . me thinks when any of you look upon their condition , you should have your hearts raised to bless god that hath made a difference between you and them : and when you be crost in your families , think with your selves , why should i be discontented because i have this or that cross ? doth not god make my condition a thousand times better than many hundreds that live neer to me ? do not i everie day , nay every hour almost in the street , see hundreds of people , i would be loth to change conditions withal ? and who hath made the difference ? who hath put a difference between you and them ? you that have estates , and comfortable yoke-fellows , and children about you , that have your tables spread , and houses furnish't , and lodging , and good friends , and god hath made known himself , and given his ordinances unto you , and hopes of eternal life ; oh what a difference is between you , and such wretched creatures as these are ? and yet there are many of such poor creatures thus afflicted , that ( may be ) look upon themselves , and do acknowledg they be miserable creatures in regard of affliction , but never think themselves miserable in regard of sin , they understand not that miserie . but now i speak to you who have heard these sermons of the evil of sin , or read them , i hope by this time you come to understand what a deal of evil there is in sin , that so you may put both together , woful affliction , and sin. if there be anie here account themselves miserable by affliction , as i suppose ( though you be not in that extremitie of povertie that others are , yet ) many think themselves miserable by affliction , that little think your selves miserable by sin all this while : nay , some may be have thought themselves so miserable by affliction that you have made out and measured gods intentions of good to you hereafter by that ; you have your hell here for the present , and therefore think you shall have heaven hereafter . this is the great argument many men and women have , because they have a hell here , therefore they shall have heaven hereafter . but be it known unto thee , if together with thine affliction thou still remainest sinful and wicked , thou maiest have a hell here ; and a hell eternal hereafter also . mark what is said of sodom , unclean and filthy sodom who lived in all manner of filthiness like bruit beasts ; it is said of them in the epistle of jude , ver . . even as sodom and gomorah , and the cities , about them in like manner giving themselves over to fornication , and going after strange flesh , are set forth for an example , suffering the vengeance of eternal fire . mark , sodom suffered the vengeance of eternal fire , and yet sodom suffered the vengeance of present fire ; there came fire in this world , and brimstoue , and consumed them for uncleannesse who burned in lust ; and yet for all the fire and brimstone upon them in this world , the holy ghost saith , that they suffered the vengeance of eternal fire ; they were sent down from fire in this world , to eternal fire in that world to come so certainly , many people be sent from misery in this world to eternal misery ; and all the miseries on them in this world , be but the beginnings of misery , but as the per-boyling of flesh to the roasting hereafter ; they have a little heat of misery here , but 't is but as the per-boyling to the roasting in hell hereafter . know therefore , all those that are miserable here , and sinful , and wicked ; let them know , the justice of god is an infinite stream , and there is never a whit the less to run because of al that hath run before , but his hand is stretched out still ; as in isa . . . after god had spoken of dreadful wrath against his people , saith he , therefore is the anger of the lord kindled against his people , and he hath stretched out his hand against them , and smitten them , and the hills did tremble , and their carkasses were torn in the midst of the street ; for all this his anger is not turned away , but his hand is stretched out still . mark , gods wrath is so terrible , that hills and mountains tremble at it : we hope now , we that endured so much shall endure no more ; mark what he saith next , for all this , his anger is not turned away , but his hand is stretched out still : so though god have manifested some displeasure , or brought woful miserie upon thy body , estate , or name , and yet thy heart not brought to the true work of repentance ; for all this , the hand of god is stretched out still , and eternally against thee , if so be thou return not from sin . for thee to think there will be an end at last , because thou hast endured hard things , is just like the fool i have read of , one that sate by a running stream , a river , and he would have gone over , but he thought he could not yet ; but there had a great deel of water run away , and he saw it still running apace , and so sate still , hoping it would have done running before night , nay saith he , it hath run a great deal , at last i hope it will be dry , and never considered it was fed by the fountain , and was a running stream : such is the folly of many people that think because that they suffer somewhat now , ere long they shall suffer no more : doest thou not know gods wrath is a continual stream , fed from an eternal fountain ? some reason thus , because i prosper , therefore i hope god loves me : and others reason thus , because i am afflicted , i hope he loves me : but both these reasons will certainly deceive thee . oh that i had here many of these people to speak to , i would enlarge my self much to them , for my soul even bleeds over them : oh consider , thou that art under great afflictions ( if god have brought any such poor creature to this exercise ) consider you are under great and sore afflictions , and sensible of them ; oh if thou wert but delivered from sin and wickedness , the greater part of thy misery by far , were gone and over : what wouldest thou do to deliver thy self from misery ? thou art in woful poverty , and in painful diseases , and grievous extremities ; oh if one should come to help thee , he would be a good master that could but deliver thee from thy woful pain , and thy miserable poverty and extremity . we know , if god do but give a heart to turn from sin , the greatest of thy misery were gone , and thou wilt presently be in a better condition than the greatest emperor , or monarch , or prince in the world , in a sinful condition . i would but put this to any of those poor sinful creatures , sensible enough of their misery by affliction ; suppose thou wert quite delivered from outward miserie , and thou hadest an estate given thee to live bravely , and in as great pomp as any gentleman or knight ; so that thou that wert in great beggery and misery , now comest to live like a man of fashion : wouldest not thou think it a woful evil for thee , upon a sudden to be put in the same beggery thou wert in before , in rags , and beggest for a farthing ? if now thy estate be changed , and thou ridest in thy coach , and hast all thy heart can dedesire , wouldest not thou account it a woful condition to be presently put in that woful beggery and penury thou wert in before ? this would sink thy heart . know , the commission of any one sin , is a greater misery than if there should be such a change of thy estate ; if god should give thee a heart to turn from thy sin , perhaps thine affliction might be taken away , for it 's a punishment for sin ; and as you know david saith , i have been yong , and now am old , yet never saw i the righteous forsaken , and his seed begging their bread . and truly that he hath said , i verily beleeve most of you may say , that in all your lives you never saw one , that you had good evidence of , to be truly godly and gracious , to go up and down as our common beggers in that woful perplexity . i do not say but godly righteous men may be in want and in need , but for my part i never knew any godly and righteous , but one way or other , god stirred up some to releive them : or if they have been forced to seek relief of some , they have gone and made known their condition to others their neighbors , and so they have commended them to others , and those to others , and so they are commended from one to another , that either know them , or by the recommendation of them that do know them , and so are releived . but to go in such an extravagant way , from door to door a begging their bread , i hardly think you can give example of any godly have been so : and if god would but turn the heart of some poor , wretched , miserable creature , so that there might appear godlinesse in them , god would provide for them . it s true , though there be not godlinesse , we should not let them perish , god forbid ; let them not want that which is absolutely necessary , let them not starve ; yet the scripture saith , let them that will not work , not eat ; let not us do more than the scripture commands , to give liberty in such waies as increaseth sin ; and let not us nourish that which nourisheth sin ; but inquire after them that be godly , and releive them : and if poor people would depend upon god in his wayes , he would provide for them . and know if thy afflictions should not be taken away , if thy sin were gone , thou wouldest be far more able to bear thy affliction : for a man that hath a sore shoulder cannot bear a burthen , but if the sorenesse be gone , he can bear it the better : so thy affliction would not be so heavy , if thou wert godly , as it is now ; nay , it would be sanctified to thee , and thon wouldest bear them the better . i confesse , this is hard to convince them that be ignorant of god & the nature of grace ; but certainly there is a truth in these things ; therefore though it be rare for god to come in with his saving grace into the heart of such that be miserably afflicted ; though it is true , their affliction doth not hinder , for were it not for their wickednesse , they might be happy ; i would not make their affliction greater than it is , they might be happy were it not for their wickednesse : but we see it so rare , because their education is such , there is no good principle in them , and nothing to work upon in them ; being bred up in atheism , therefore it is very rare . but because it is so rare , so much the greater will gods grace be , if god have some of these poor creatures in this congregation at this present , and speak to their hearts ; how much more rare would it be because it is not often seen ? what if god pass by great , rich men , noble men , princes , and shall look into thy cottage , and on thy miserable estate , and convert thy soul , and shew mercie to thee : what! for god to set his heart upon thee ! and give the blood of his son for thee ! and to make thee an heir with jesus christ ! give thee an inheritance in the kingdom of glory , and in life ! to make thee come and reign with him eternally ! oh the infiniteness of gods grace , that ever god should set his heart upon such a poor creature as thou art ! therfore go away with these thoughts ; oh wretched creature , how have i lived without god in the world , and look't for nothing but a little bread and drink , and thought my self happy if i could but get this ; and thus lived miserably here , and i confess have thought my self a miserable wretch all this while ; but god hath told me this at this present , there is a worse evil than all this ; the evil of sin i have been full of all my life ; and put both together , how miserable are we ? and therefore the lord be merciful to me : if god strike thy heart , know , thy soul is as precious in gods eyes as the richest man in the world , as king or prince ; the greatest noble man 's in the land is not more precious in gods eyes than thine : yea , and the ministers of the gospel be sent by god to preach jesus christ to thee , as well as to preach to the richest and greatest in the world ; christ came to shed his blood for thee , as wel as for the greatest in the world ; and the kingdom of heaven is opened as wide to thee as to the greatest and richest ; though 't is true , thou canst not deliver thy self from outward affliction , yet thou maist deliver thy soul from hell as well as the greatest in the world : therefore be not miserable here , and miserable hereafter , but look after god , and christ , and eternal life ; though thou beest not like to be great here , yet who knows but that thou maiest be crowned with glory eternally hereafter ? there is fulness of mercy in god. poor creatures , if they see a coach come , if they think a gentleman be there , or a noble man , how they run , and cry out , oh good my lord , or your worship , and lift up their voyces for alms : if an ordinary man come , they will desire relief , and beseech them for a halfpenny or a farthing : but if a rich and a great man pass by , then they cry and lift up their voyces ; why ? because they think there is more to be had . oh know , there is fulness of riches and grace in god , to turn thy misery to eternal felicity ; there is mercy enough in god to raise thee from thy low , weak , miserable estate , to the height of glory and happiness : and if god cause his word to prevail with thy soul , thou maiest go away with the best dole that ever thou hadest in all thy life . and thus much i thought to speak to those poor people that were both sinful , miserable , and afflicted . chap. lxvii . use being of reprehension to six sorts of people . first , it reprehends those that are more afraid of affliction than sin. secondly , it reprehendeth those that are careful to keep themselves from sin , but it 's meerly for fear of affliction . for this may be without change of nature . thy obedience is forced . thou art not unbottomed from thy self . thou art not like to hold out . also two answers to an objection of those that think they avoid sin for fear of hell : . thy sensitive part may be most stirr'd by fear ; but yet thy rational part may be most carried against sin as sin . . those that avoid sin meerly for fear , never come to love the command that forbid the sin . they are willingly ignorant of many sins . . those that avoid sin , and not out of fear ; even when they fear , god will destroy them ; then they desire god may be glorified . . those that avoid sin out of fear , do not see the excellency of godliness , so as to be inamored with it . thirdly , it reprehends those that will sin to avoid affliction . fourthly , it rebukes such , as when they are under affliction , they be more sensible of affliction than of sin . also there is five discoveries whether mens affliction or sin trouble them . fifthly , it reprehends those that get out of affliction by sinful courses , and yet think they do well . sixthly , it reprehends those that after deliverance from affliction , can bless themselves in their sins . use xvii . come we now to the last thing . the last use is this ( i wil but shew what might have been said , and so wind up all ) there are six sorts of people , that from this point are reprehended . you shall see all naturally follow from the point in hand , that there is greater evil in sin than in affliction . first , such kind of people as be more afraid of affliction than of sin . there be many people very ●hy of affliction and solicitous to prevent affliction , but not to prevent sin. many reason thus , i had need be a good husband , and lay up somwhat , i know not what i may meet withal before i die , i may want before i die : many are penurious and covetous , and will not enlarge themselves to good uses when god calls , because they be afraid they and their children may want before they die ; who knows what we may meet withal ? and thus they are careful to prevent affliction . but for sin , they do not lay up to prevent that ; whereas we should be very solicitous , least we should be drawn into temptation , and therefore we are taught to pray , lead us not into temptation , as well as , forgive us our trespasses : true , god keeps me from such and such sins , but what if god should leave me to temptation ? what a wretched creature should i be if ever this corrupt heart of mine should prevail against me ? as i have cause to fear , i find such wickedness boyling and bubling up , and such pronenesse to such and such sin ; if the lord be not infinitely merciful to me i shall break out to the dishonor of his name , scandal of religion , and wounding of my conscience ; and this god knows causes the most solicitous care that i ever had , least my heart should break out against god , to the scandal of that holy profession i have taken upon me . oh is it thus with you ? oh this were a happy thing indeed as when men hear of one that is broke , they wil inquire what is the reason ; he had such an estate , what is the reason he broke ? one ( may be ) saith , he trusted servants too much , and that caused him to break ; oh this will cause him to look so to it , that he will never trust his servants too much : another ( may be ) saith , because he lived above his means ; and this makes him that he will not live above his means : and another , he will have his country house , and his servants riot at home when he is abroad : and another , he trusted too much , and such like reasons : now we will be wise to take heed of that which brings others to afflictions . so it should be with us when we see any fall into sin ; professors that made a shew of religion , and afterwards fall foully , inquire now , what is the matter this man broke ? he broke his conscience , what is the matter ? one that had such admirable gifts , and made such a profession ; oh may be all the time he had a proud heart ; therefore i will keep my heart humble : oh he had excellent gifts , and enlargements in prayer ; but he had a slight vain spirit ; oh let me take heed of this root of bit ternesse in my soul : he is broke now , but what is the matter ? oh he began to be sluggish and cold in closet work , and such duties in his family ; oh let me take heed , and keep up communion with god in secret in my closet , and in my family : he broke indeed , but how ? oh some secret sin he kept in his bosom , there was some secret sin he let his heart hanker after , and now god hath left him to it ; now by gods grace i will look to my self , i will by the grace of god take heed of secret sins . thus brethren , if we were sensible of the evil of sin , we would be thus careful to prevent the evil of sin , as well as the evil of affliction . and so many , for their children , oh they will be providing for their children , that they may live like men , and have somwhat to take to : but if you were apprehensive of the evil of sin , you would provid for their souls as well as their bodies ; and therefore , oh let me put him in a good family , and there he may learn to prevent sin . this is the first , to reprove those that labor to prevent affliction , but not sin. secondly , it serves to reprove those that be careful to keep themselves from sin , but 't is meerly for fear of affliction , only upon that ground : as if there were not evil enough in sin it self , but all the evil were in affliction . certainly these men and women understand not this , that there is more evil in sin , than in affliction ; if thou didest understand , and wert sensible of this point i have treated upon , thou wouldest find arguments enough from sin it self to keep thee from sin , though no affliction should follow . thou abstainest from sin , what is the reason ? not because of any great evil thou seest in sin , but because of affliction ; thy conscience tells thee it will bring thee to trouble , and into affliction , and this keeps away sin : 't is true , it is good for men and women to avoid sin upon any terms , and this is one motive god propounds to avoid sin by , but this is not all or the chief motive ; because of affliction , and trouble , conscience tells thee , god will be even with thee , and the wrath of god pursues thee : very few come so far , to have such apprehensions of the evil consequences of sin , and to avoid sin upon them grounds : but you should labor , not only to avoid sin from the evil consequences of sin , but for the evil of sin it self ; for if thou avoid sin only from the evil consequences of sin : know , this may be without change of nature ; a man or a woman may be in such an estate , as they may not dare to commit some sin out of fear of trouble that may follow , and yet not his nature changed : as a wolf chained up , may be the same that he was before he was chained up ; his nature is not changed . if meerly for fear of trouble thou forbearest sin ; then know , thy service and obedience is forced service and obedience , and so not accepted when meerly forced . if thou avoid sin meerly for fear of affliction , then thou art not yet unbottomed off from thy self , not quite taken off from thy self . if thou avoid sin meerly to prevent affliction , then thou art not like to hold out ; that is a principle in nature , nothing is perpetual that is violent ; and this is violent , to avoid sin meerly for fear of affliction : such men and women will not hold out , if there be no other principle than this , they will fall off at last , they will abate at last , and so they will come to fall off . but you will say , oh lord , this is my condition ; i am afraid . there are i suppose many in this congregation may , and do apply these things , and it strikes to their hearts to think , lord , then i am afraid i have no grace at all ; for it is true , i have avoided sin , and have not gone on in the same sins others have done ; but for my own part , for ought i know , meerly out of fear of hell and affliction , and trouble that will follow , rather than from any other evil in sin : what is there no grace in me that avoid sin for fear of affliction ? for the helping of them that apply it otherwise than it should be , to conclude there is no grace at all . therefore , know , that though the sensitive part may not be so much stirred from the beholding the evil of sin , as of affliction , yet the rational part may more work against sin as sin , than from affliction that follows . how will this follow ( will you say ) that the rational part is not ordered by the sensitive ? thus : if i put my finger in the fire , there will be more pain to sence , than if i endured that which is a hundred times worse : as , suppose a prince should lose his kingdom , that is a greater evil than to have his finger a little burnt ; yet there would be more to sence for the instant , than can be in the other : but if he come to the rational part , to chuse which he will take , he will rather take that which is most painful for the present . so the troubled soul , though to sence it find more from the fear of evil ; but if it were put to its choice , he will chuse any affliction rather than sin ; so that the rational part fears its sin more than its affliction : for if it were thus , that it might have its choice , that it might commit such a sin without any affliction , or such an affliction without sin ; which will you take ? certainly that soul in the rational part , will chuse the affliction without sin , rather than the sin without the affliction . but yet i have here more to say to such , to satisfie the consciences of those that are troubled , and that say they be afraid that they avoid sin from fear of affliction : to see if there may not yet be grace . know therefore , that man or woman that avoids sin meerly from fear of affliction , though he avoids the sin , he never comes to love the command that forbids that sin ; but is weary of gods command : but now a soul that doth not only avoid sin through fear , but withal hath a love to that command that binds his spirit also : if thou find it thus , that thou hast a love to that command that forbids that sin that thou doest avoid ; certainly thou doest not avoid it meerly from fear of affliction . those that avoid sin meerly from fear of affliction , they do not commit sin because they dare not ; but in the mean time would be glad if there were no command against it . as it was the speech of one that cried out , oh that god had never made the seventh commandement : he had an inlightened conscience , but a filthy heart ; but conscience now stood in his way , he hates therefore the command that forbid that sin ; oh that that command had never been made , saith he . so those that meerly refrain sin from fear of trouble and hell , though they keep from the sin , yet they never love the command that forbids sin : but if thy heartclose with the command , and saith it is good , holy , and righteous , and blessed be god for this holy law ; peace be to thy soul : it is not thy case to avoid sin for fear of affliction , but for sin it self . to satisfie those consciences : those that avoid sin meerly from fear of affliction , they are willingly ignorant of many sins ; they do willingly turn their eyes from the law of god that forbids sin : true , they dare not go on in the commission of those sins directly against conscience , conscience will not suffer them : now because they have a mind to sin , they wink with their eyes , and be loth to be convinced that it is a sin , because that they have a heart delighting to close with the sin : there is a great deal of deceit this way . but now when a mans or a womans conscience tels them this ; it is the desire of my soul to know any sin , and if i find there be a sin that i am ignorant of in the way i walk , i could spend night and day till i come to know it ; and when i have found it out , i hope my soul should come to rejoyce that god hath revealed that to be sin , that before i knew not to be sin . but now one that avoids sin for fear of affliction , if he know it not , he can go on quietly , and therefore is willing to go on in that ignorance , and therefore is loth to take pains to know a sin to be sin ; if he have any fear of , or suspition that such a gainful way , or pleasant way be sin , if he fear it , saith he , give me time to examin whether it be sin or no , & he is willing to pass over examinatiō , that so he may go on & injoy his lust without fear . but now wher the heart is right , if there come to be suspition that such a way is sinful , though i have got never so much by it , yet it must be left off ; i must , if this be sin , come to live lower than i have done ; yea , my conscience tells me , if this be found to be sin , i must come down ; yet my heart tells me , i would with all my heart know it , and ask counsel of them that know the mind of god , and beg of god that he would discover to me whether this be a sin or no. but now those that avoid sin for fear , they when they ask counsel , will be sure to ask their advice ( whether such a sin be a sin or no ) that be of their mind . those men that are willing to avoid sin , not out of fear , but because of the evil of sin it self , they shall find this disposition in their souls ; at such a time as they be even afraid god will destroy them for sin , they even then desire god may be glorified ; though i perish , let god be glorified . but those that avoid sin out of fear , when they apprehend there is no hope , they be ready to fly in gods face : nay , if i must be damned , i will be damned for somwhat ; if i must perish , i will perish for somwhat : but that soul that fears sin for the evil of it , it saith , well , though i perish , and am damned , yet let god be glorified , though i perish : certainly thou avoidest not sin meerly out of fear . again , those that avoid sin out of fear , they do not see the beauty and excellency of godliness in others , so as to be enamored with it . some avoid sin out of dislike and hatred of sin ; and doest thou see a beauty in these , and doest thou say , oh that i were in such a condition . those that can see the excellency of grace in others , and prise and love it in others ; certainly there is some seed of that grace in their souls . so now , they that have no grace , envy others that have grace : but they that have grace rejoyce in those that they see have any grace . this is the second particular , rebuking those that avoid sin meerly out of fear of affliction , together with satisfaction to that case of conscience , because i know it lies heavy upon men and womens souls thirdly , the consideration of this point , doth rebuke such as are so shy of affliction as that they will fall into sin to prevent affliction . certainly this is a foolish choise , for any to be so afraid of affliction , as to prevent affliction , rather venture upon sin . as if a man should see a craggy way , and he will rather turn into a puddlely way , one all mire and dirt , than endure one hard and craggy : thou seest the waies of god hard and craggy , and thou turnest into the puddlely and dirty waies of sin to avoid that hard craggy way : well , if god have a love to thee , he will bring thee back again , and thou must go that way that thou wilt not now . augustine hath this expression in his confessions , saith he , when god first convinced me , i was convinced of the rightness of gods way , but i saw the trouble in it , and i cried out , it pleaseth not me well to go in such troublesom waies . so many men and women , be convinced of gods waies , but they shall suffer such trouble in them , and they must go through such traits ; and to prevent this , they will chuse sin . certainly brethren , it was not long , since there was a time , that those that made conscience of sin , were subject to many troubles , and suffered much ; when ( we know ) if a man departed from evil , it was enough to make him a prey : i beseech you , see if you did not ( to prevent some suffering ) commit some sin : some of you when brought to be sworn vassals to those courts , that never were by gods institution ; had you not some remorse in conscience ? ( i mean the church-wardens , as they stiled them ) and when you were put to such oaths , had you never inward regreet in your consciences ? but yet you must be excommunicated if you did not take the oath ; and if you did , then you bound your selves , not only to be their vassals ( which were not of god ) but besides , you bound your selves to be persecutors of the saints by it : for certainly , the fulfilling of all their cannons , it was meerly persecution , and yet you were their sworn vassals ; and yet because you were afraid of trouble , you ventured and made bold with your conscience ; oh look back to these things . if you will say , now ministers speak against such things ; you should have done so two or three yeers ago . for my own part , i did then , two , three , four , or five yeers ago , and was of the same mind i am now ; and through the strength of christ and gods mercy to me , i ventured somwhat , and therefore i may the more freely and boldly speak now ; not because it was meerly to keep from danger that i have spoke no more , for i did speak it hertofore . but now look back what regreet of conscience you had ; and yet meerly for fear of affliction , thou pasedst through that regreet of conscience : it were just with god to make affliction more sore and heavy ; and those that will avoid the affliction by sin , god may justly bring back that affliction : but this would be a large argument , to speak to those that will not venture upon suffering , but run upon sin . fourthly , this rebukes such , that when they be under affliction , yet they be a great deal more sensible of affliction than of sin . this is against the point , that saith there is more evil in sin than in affliction ; and yet when you be under affliction , you be more sensible of the evil of affliction than of sin . there be divers sorts of these , and divers things to be said to these . as some prophane wicked men that commit horrible wickednesse , that it is a wonder their conscience flies not in their faces , and tears not their hearts out of their bosom , for the woful guilt upon them ; and yet they are never stirred : but when gods hand is upon them , in some grievous sicknesse , they cry out for pain , but not one whit sensible of sin , that never comes in their minds ; but their pains and disease : and when their friends come , they complain of grievous nights , and what heat they be in with their feaver , and how they burn , and have been tormented , but not a word of sin ; all their guilt , the sabbath breaking , oaths , company keeping , opposition of goodnesse , this lies not upon their conscience at all : oh! these be wretched creatures , besotted , guilty , hard hearted , left of god to the day of his righteous judgement . others , when they be under gods hand , they lie fretting , and vexing , and murmuring , and repining : as solomon saith , prov. . . man perverts his way , and his heart frets against god : first perverts his way , and yet when gods hand is upon them , fret against gods way ; thou shouldst fret against thine own heart for sin ; but thou fretest against god for affliction . a third sort , and these principally i intend , and they be such that when they be in affliction , will complain much of sin , and seem to put all the trouble upon sin ; but in truth their trouble is more for affliction than sin . now i would find out these ( it will require time ) i suppose i might cull out a great many that it may be make a great complaint of sin , and yet the truth is , that which lies at the heart and pincheth there , is affliction rather than sin . how do you know this ? if a man come and complain , oh this wretched heart of mine , and pray help me against it ; how can you tell it is for affliction and not for sin ? perhaps they have had great losse by sea ; brought their names into disgrace , lost such a friend , are pincht with poverty ; and then come and lay all upon sin : whereas it is the affliction that lies in the heart , this pincheth them most . many men and women , account it a kind of shame to complain of affliction , this they think a disgrace , and therefore that they might not have the disgrace of complaining of affliction , they turn all upon sin ; and t is sin troubles them . now i would find them out thus . you shal find many that come and complain of sin : who do they complain to ? to strangers , that know little of them and their condition , rather than to others that are acquainted with al their wayes , and their whole-courses , though able to help them : for there is a great deal of suspition in that ; for certainly if your heart be right , you will make complaint to those that know most of your waies and courses ; but those that be strangers , you can go and complain to in some general way ; and perhaps to some that may be some way able to help and relieve you in affliction ; but wil not complain to those that may help you against sin , if they be not able to help otherwise . another is this , those that make complaint of sin ( and indeed not true ) it is affliction , not sin ; you may know it by this , though they complain of sin , it is in general terms , oh! they be vile sinful creatures , but never come to rip up the secrets of their hearts to those that they complain unto : but now any secret sins that might cause shame , they be kept in , and never opened . but that is their general complaint , that they be vile sinful creatures ; whereas if it were sin that lay upon thy heart , thou wouldest come and open all thy secret sins to those that are faithful and willing and able to help thee , if thou judgest them faithful , if thou dost not judge them so , why complainest thou , to them ? if thou thinkest they be , thou wilt be willing to open all thy sins to them . but if thou art all upon general terms , it is a dangerous sign , it is affliction , and not sin. again , many complain to others , but very little between god and their own souls in secret ; their complaints be more large , when they come to them than when they are between god and their own souls in their clossets : now if it be for thy sin thou complainest , then though thou dost complain to them that through gods blessing may help , yet thy chief complaint will be to god at the throne of grace , and there thou wilt pour forth thy soul in the bitternesse of thy heart . many come to the minister and complain that they be wretched sinners , but scarce go to god in secret : or content themselves with some prayers , just as they are in the book , or the like , but never pour forth their souls in secret for sin . this is another note that it is rather for affliction , than for sin . another note is this , if it be for affliction more than for sin , any one that hath grief upon them , according to that grief that is upon them , they be ready to aggravate that grief : as thus , suppose a man or a woman troubled for the death of their father , or husband , or wife , oh such a ones dear friend is dead , father dead , or husband , or wife is dead ; well , they be mightily troubled and perplexed for this : now if any come and speak any thing to aggravate their sorrow , they close with it presently ; as thus , you complain of sorrow for your father ; i he was a loving father , and they presently close with it , and this aggravates their sorrow ; and so you have lost your husband ; oh! never woman lost so precious a husband as i ! so that which is spoken to aggravate that which lies upon the spirits of men and women they be ready to close withal . so now , if you would know what lies upon your spirits , when men and women be troubled , for tryal , what they be troubled for , here is the art of a minister , or a christian to find out what lies upon the spirits of men or women ; some say sin ; well , but it may be it s not that ; how shall we find it out ? thus , whatsoever lies upon the heart that troubles them , they will be very willing to acknowledge any thing said to agravate it that lies upon their spirits most . if any come and tell them of the evil of sin , and agrravate it , and say , this is an evil condition , and you must be humbled for it , and throughly apply the word of god to them , to shew how deeply they are to be humbled , and lay sin before them in its right colours : if sin trouble them , they joyn with it , and say , it is evil indeed , the lord humble me , and shew me more of this evil of sin , and they like that word of god that layes home the evil of sin most . but if it be not sin that they are troubled for , by these speakings against sin their hearts be hardened , and their hearts rise against the aggravation of sin ; but if it be affliction , come and pitty and condole them , and say , alas ! you have such sorrows , and troubles , and oh! poor creatures it is pitty but some others should help you ; i , they take this , and this aggravates their sorrow . 't is observable in david when he fled from absalom , how ready he was to entertain any thing that might aggravate his sorrow . when ziba came and accused mephibosheth , though it were very unlikely , he presently embraceth it . so when a man is under affliction , he will readily hear , and embrace what may aggravate it , and a man under trouble for sin , will readily embrace that which will aggravate his sin ; this is an excellent note to come to know where the burthen pincheth , whether it be sin , or affliction . the last note to try whether sin or affliction trouble thee , is this , there is according to the trouble of the heart for sin , a favorinesse of spirit to the contrary good : thy heart will in some measure have a love to , and a favor and relish of that spiritual grace contrary to that sin of thine that thou complainest of . but now you have many that complain of sin , they say , but yet their hearts be still as unsavory , and they do no more relish spiritual and heavenly things , contrary to that sin that they complain of , than ever they did before . therefore the burthen and weight lies not upon sin , but affliction . take heed , examine thine own heart , there is much deceitfulnesse in the spirits of men and women . thou takest the name of god in vain , when thou comest and complainest of sin , and the truth is , thine affliction is upon thee , and if thine affliction were gone , thou wert well enough : perhaps thou art crost in thy family , if that were taken away thou wert well enough for all sin . therfore be sure thou beest faithful with god , and thine own soul. a fift sort of people to be reprehended are such that get out of affliction by sinful wayes , and think they do well . but if there be more evil in sin than in affliction , then it must be a woful getting out if by way of sin. many people in straits , if they can get out any way , by hook or by crook , so they get out , they care not how : what! hast thou gotten out of prison by sin ? thou hast broke prison : just like a malefactor that hath broke prison , but then there is hue and cry sent after him , and the constable pursues him , and if he be taken , he is laid in the dungeon , and bolts put upon him , and is used more hardly . so i say , if thou art in any affliction , thou shouldest lie there till god let thee out ; but if you break out before god let you out , hue and cry follows you ▪ and you will be certainly ●ver taken ; the remedy is worse than the disease : this is to skip out of the frying-pan into the fire . like a man in a burning feaver , should he drink a pint of cold water to ease himself , this may ease him a while , but he is scorched and parched with heat afterward . this is like as if a man should run from a little cur that barks at him , and he runs into the mouth of a lyon. are you in affliction , and to prevent it run to sin ? this is just as if some little whelp should come at thee , and thou runnest from it to a lyon. so much difference there is between sin and affliction : just as if you should say , god will not , and therefore the devil shall : every man that takes sin to help him , doth as much as if he should say , well , i see god will not help , therefore the devil must : for what god doth , he doth by lawful means , and if thou must not have it by lawful means , thou must say , well , this way i shall not have help , and yet thou wilt have it , and therefore thou wilt to the devil for it . certainly if thou knewest all , thou wouldest have little comfort in this . wilt thou break thy bounds in sinful waies to get out of affliction ? as many apprentises , because their masters chastise them , run away into many hardships : so many men and women , because they have crosses in their yoke-fellows , break away , and will not live together ; and a hundred other particulars i might shew how men break from affliction by sinful waies : but i must hasten , only take that place for this in jeremiah , . . go tell hananiah , saying , thus saith the lord , thou hast broken the yokes of wood , but thou shalt make for them , yokes of iron : when god sent a yoke of wood to declare what affliction the people should bear , hananiah breaks it ; yea saith god , hath he broke them ? go tell him , he shall have a yoke of iron . thou breakest off the yoke of affliction ; know from god , thou shalt have a yoke of iron . sixtly , this reprehends those , that after deliverance from affliction , can bless themselves in their sin , though they be not delivered from that . there was such a sickness thou hadest , and there thou laiest in anguish of spirit , and every one thought thou wouldest die , then thou thoughtest thou shouldest to hell ; well , thou art delivered , and art as bad as ever , as unclean as ever , as covetous as ever , as malicious and prophane as ever ; oh know thy condition is woful . i remember austine hath this speech of one , thou hast lost the benefit of affliction as well as thou hast lost the affliction : oh it is a heavy loss , to lose affliction without profit , for this is the last means god usually useth , and therefore thou art worse than before thou wert : it may be thou wert troubled with the stone , and thou art cut of the stone , but hast as hard a heart as ever ; what is the stone gone from the bladder , and the stone in the heart still ? oh! god it may be sent this to cure thy heart , and thou art delivered from the one , and thou art glad of that ; oh know , that thou art in a woful case , for sin by this means hath gotten firmer root , because it hath withstood affliction ; as if the arrow were taken out , and the venom still remains . now all i shall say is this , the lord seal all these truths about the evil of sin upon your hearts , all i have said of the evil of sin. i must be brought at the day of judgment to avouch and justifie what i have delivered : and know every one of you here , at that great audit day , must be brought to answer , what , and how you have heard , and what effect it hath had upon you all . consider what hath been said , and the lord give you understanding in all things . finis . the names of several books printed by peter cole in leaden-hall , london ; and are to be sold at his shop at the sign of the printing-press in cornhill , neer the royal exchange . eight books of mr. jeremiah burroughs lately published : as also the texts of scripture upon which they are grounded . the rare jewel of christian contentment , on phil. . . gospel-worship , on levit. . . gospel-conversation , on phil. . . to which is added , the misery of those men that have their portion in this life only , on ps . . . a treatise of earthly-mindedness , on phil. . part of the . vers . to which is added , a treatise of heavenly-mindedness , and walking with god , on gen. . . and on phil. . . an exposition on the fourth , fifth , sixth , and seventh chapters of the prophesie of hosea . an exposition on the eighth , ninth , and tenth chapters of hosea . an exposition on the eleventh , twelfth , and thirteen chapters of hosea , being now compleat . the evil of evils , or the exceeding sinfulness of sin : on job , . . latter part . twelve several books of mr. william bridge , collected into one volumn . viz. the great gospel mystery of the saints comfort and holiness , opened and applied from christs priestly office. satans power to tempt ; and christs love to , and care of his people under temptation . thankfulness required in every condition . grace for grace ; or the overflowing of christs fulness received by all saints . the spiritual actings of faith through natural impossibilities . evangelical repentance . the spiritual-life , and in-being of christ in all beleevers . the woman of canaan , the saints hiding-place in the time of gods anger . christs coming is at our midnight . a vindication of gospel ordinances . grace and love beyond gifts . six several books , by nich ▪ culpeper , gent. student in physick and astrology . a translation of the new dispensatory , made by the colledg of physitians of london . wherunto is added , the key to galen's method of physick . a directory for midwives , or a guide for women . newly enlarged by the author in every sheet , and illustrated with divers new plates . galen's art of physick , with a large comment . the english physitian : being an astrologo-physical-discours of the vulgar herbs of this nation : wherein is shewed how to cure a mans self of most diseases incident to mans body , with such things as grow in england , and for three pence charge . the anatomy of the body of man , wherein is exactly described the several parts of the body of man , illustrated with very many large brass plates . a new method both of studying and practising physick . six sermons preached by doctor hill , viz. the beauty and sweetness of an olive branch of peace and brotherly accommodation budding . truth and love happily married in the churches of christ . the spring of strengthning grace in the rock of ages christ jesus . the strength of the saints to make jesus christ their strength . the best and worst of paul. gods eternal preparation for his dying saints . the bishop of canterbu●●es speech on the scaffold . the kings speech on the scaffold . king charles his case , or an appeal to all rational men concerning his tryal . a congregational church is a catholick visible church , by samuel stone , in new-england . mr. owens stedfastness of the promises . mr owen against mr baxter . a vindication of free grace , by john pawson . the magistrates support and burden , by john ●ordel . the discipline of the church in new-england , by the churches and synod there . a relation of the barbadoes . a relation of the repentance and conversion of the indians in new-england , by mr eliot and mr mayhew . an exposition on the gospel of the evangelist s. matthew , by mr ward . clows chyru●ge●y . marks of salvation . an exposition of the whol first epistle of peter , by mr. john rogers of d●… in essex . christians engagement for the gospel , by john goodwin . great church ordinance of baptism . mr love's case , containing his petitions , narrative , and speech . vox pacifica , or a perswasive to peace . dr prest●●s saints submission , and satans overthrow . a treatise of the rickets , published in latin by dr glisson , dr bate , and dr regemorter , now translated into english . mr symsons sermon at westminster . mr feaks sermon before the lord major . mr phillips treatise of hell. — of christs geneology . mr eaton on the oath of allegiance and covenant , shewing that they oblige not . the alphabetical table . a addition no addition to sin can make it good . page affliction affliction is better than sin . it 's light . ibid christs the greatest . some good in it . it is instrumentally good . it is sanctified to the soul. ibid a fruit of gods love . good annexed to it . good of promise . ibid good of evidence . good of blessing . ibid affliction cannot make a man evil . affliction may stand with gods love . affliction to sinners the beginning and forerunner of all evil . , . — ripens them for destruction . it is not mercy to be delivered from affliction when we are in a sinful way . it is sometimes a judgement not to be afflicted . approve god approves no sin . abstain some abstain from sin for fear of affliction only avoid some sin to avoid affliction authority sin resists gods authority attributes sin wrongs god in his attributes — they plead against sinners alsufficiency sin wrongs god in his alsufficiency b beams beams of gods wisdom in the light of nature bitterness sin makes affliction bitter bless saints bless god for afflictions — not for sin ibid bless god for christ burden christs burden sin a burden to heaven and earth beast a sinner worse than a beast , bondage sinners in bondage to the devil , bounds no bounds to be set to our love of god , and hatred of sin , , . c capable sin is not capable of good men and angels only capable of sin charge job's false charge saints must charge their hearts choice sin a worse choice than affliction the wicked choice conscience conscience must not be strain'd trouble of conscience being overcome , if men return to sin , they are worse make conscience of all sins conscience troubled for sin what : , &c. — it is the beginning of the second death , cry saints cry unto god creator sin wrongs god as a creator contrary nothing contrary to god but sin contraries seek the destruction one of another cause god no cause of sin creature creature comforts in order to god all creatures against sinners the devil the lowest creature curse christ made a curse sinners under the curse sin is a curse ibid sin brings a curse upon the whole world sin brings a curse upon al evil . comforts — of wicked men , what : no comfort by sin confusion sin would bring all to confusion conformity — to christ , in sufferings ; to the devil in sin , , , . condemnation sin brings men under the sentence of it condemnation not recalled but transmitted to christ communion — with god , what : converse they fit to converse that live the same life , covenant the covenant of grace keeps sin from taking away the image of god in the regenerate consequence — of the law and gospel course some get from affliction by sinful courses d death sin the death of the soul deliberation sin needs no deliberation because wholly evil disease sin compared to a disease despise sin is despising of god who despise their souls destruction sin seeks gods destruction devil the devil better than a base lust sin is originally from the devil , lay not all upon the devil sins reference to the devil , , , , , , do few men know what they do when they sin against god deceive the way of the wicked deceiveth deliver delivering up to satan , what : some bless themselves in sins , after their deliverance from affliction dealings god 's dealings with the wicked and godly are different draw draw not others to sin defile sin defileth the soul it defileth all things man meddleth with ibid delight vide joy delight in sins dreadful , , &c. god takes delight in the souls that converse with him departing sin a departing from god despair despair is not from the depth of humiliation — but from want of it ibid divorce it is hard to make a divorce between sin and the soul displeasure gods displeasure against sin — against angels — against men — manifested in his law — in its terror and curse — in his severity against smal sins , — his wrath & hell gods dealing also with his fore-shews his displeasure against sin , , &c. gods displeasure with his people , deceit against deceit e enemy who gods enemies to whom god an enemy , all the creatures are enemies to sinners , encourage saints encouraged to bear afflictions end men think of three good ends in committing of sin no good end in sin ibid the end of the agent and of the act loss of the end worse than loss of means gods glory his end of creation mans end what endless — torments , enjoy we cannot enjoy god and sinful wayes together estate , vide gettings wicked men usurpe not their estates — have right to them and how ibid eternity the eternity of all evil from sin evil — sin the greatest of two evils to choose the least , no god axiome in point of sin sin makes a man evil it 's better to hear & reade evils than feel them f face gods face what fight who fight against god froward guilt causeth frowardness fuel prosperity is fuel to sin full mens hearts full of sin flouds flouds of wickedness fear , vide terror sin causeth fear you must not fear affliction more than sin feeling past feeling g god god needs not the devil to help his cause good good in comparison vide affliction good of entity and causality good by occasion good instrumentally ibid good and end is the same sin spoyls all good grief — must be for others sins as well as for our own guilt sin brings guilt guilt what ibid guilt makes men bloudy guilt takes away comfort guilt brings fear , , , only guilt makes sufferings evil gettings gettings by sin cost dear gettings by sin are accursed , &c. glory sin labors to frustrate god of his glory it cannot frustrate gods glory god wil have his glory one way or other our good and gods glory connexed grace an eternal good , in grace no power to work except god works with it h hearts the different working of the saints hearts the way to break a heart sin hardens the heart hell hell is better than sin humble the way to humble the soul , & , , few humbled truly holiness sin casts dirt upon gods holiness holiness what horror — is not true humililiation house the house where sin is , is worse than that which is haunted by the devil , harden prosperity hardens hands concerning such as lay violent hands upon themselves hate god hates sin who hate god the object of gods hatred , , sinners hate themselves humiliation — for sin against god sanctifies his name — it abides after pardon — makes a divorce from sin , exhortations to humiliation for sin i image sin most opposite to the image of god in man , the excellency of the image of god in man holiness the image of god , , , , infinite infinite and less than infinite cannot stand together a kind of infinitness in sin infinite power must overcome sin sin hath infinite desert sin deserves infinite misery ibid infinite in time , and in degree an infinite price paid for sin justice sin wrongs god in his justice judgement examples of gods judgements upon sin , , , , the difference of the judgment of god , from the judgment of the world spiritual judgements the worst joy against joy in sin , , , sin damps joy , k know few men know god or sin , sinners know not the excellency of the rational creature they know not gods holiness four things must be known knowledg knowledg of sin makes christ precious kingdom — of christ , and of satan , what , , l law — the glass to see sin light common light , and saving light little call no sin little , , lye an officious lye lye not to save the world life sin strikes at the life of god in man , , , what the life of god in man is the life of man excellent losses a christian may have many crosses , but no losses liberty prosperity gives liberty to sin m mercy sin wrongs gods mercy mediator — must be god & man ministry ministry of the word is for our good — and gods glory ibid — it makes sin bitter ib. — makes stomachs rise against it — a great ordinance magistracy — a great ordinance marriners — englands strength , , mean mean-men , who malliciousness maliciousness in sin means means to crush sin melancholly — distinguished from trouble of conscience , , , , , , , — six differences of it , &c. misery men freed from affliction may be in misery great misery when sin and affliction meet n nature sin in its nature opposite to god mans nature necessity no man brought to a necessity of sinning o omniscience gods omniscience wronged by sin omnipresence gods omnipresence wronged by sin ib. opposition — of sin to god in four things order sin breaks the worlds order occasion god takes occasion by sin affliction may occasion sin p persecute who persecute god pitty sinners to be pittied , , pleased saints never well pleased with sin pleased with affliction ibid price a great price notes greatness of inisery , or of the person promises the promises of sin are delusions possession satans possession of the heart god hates not people possessed , but pitties them portion the devil and wicked men have the same portion prosperity of prosperity by sin , of sin by prosperity , , prosperity a judgment to the wicked plead plead no● for sin pardon some saints grieve most after apprehension of pardon pardon is a great mercy , patience — of god to be admired — of christ is perfect power sin wrongs god in his power power in creatures a drop of gods power in them pray afflictions teach to pray r rebellion sin is rebellion report martyrs have a good report repentance — a continual act resist sin resists god , how revenge let out revenge upon sin root all sin comes from the same root rejoyce saints rejoyce not in sin saints rejoyce in affliction ibid redemption sin wrongs christ in his work of redemption restore ill gotten goods must be restored , , , restitution — according to the nature of the wrong s satisfie sin denies good in god to satisfie the soul serviceable no good thing ought to be serviceable to sin seed sin the seed of evil grace the seed of good ibid shame shame better than sin , sin brings shame , , why sinners not ashamed sufferings — of martyrs the red glass of christs sufferings more in christs sufferings than in any speak — for god , strength — of christ sin the strength of all evil , striving striving against god , what striking sin is a striking at god spirit sin wrongs the spirit of god sweat christs sweat strictness strictness of gods people justified stubbornness stubbornness distinguished from from conscientiousness separate what separates men for god what separates men from god slave , vide subject soul christs soul sufferings sorrow christs sorrow sin — more evil than any misery , &c. — a heavie thing — a non-entitie — no good in the being of it ibid — it is cause of no good — it comes not from good — no good annexed to it — no good of promise ibid — of evidence ibid — of blessing sin is opposite to all good sin in its self is misery sin sells the soul to the devil — turns the soul into a devil sensible some more sensible of affliction than sin sinner every sinner guilty of all the sins in the world succession — of sin , subject difference between a slave , and a subject t temptation — to avoid — edward the th avoids it with tears — no sin if not entertained terror what causeth terror , thoughts thoughts of god terrible to some time time spent in sin is lost truth sin wrongs god in his truth truth in its latitude , the object of mans understanding turns sin turns all good into evil exhortation to turn from sin v venture no good should be ventured for sin venome — of sin vile a wicked person is a vile person , useless wicked men useless men undo man doth undo himself by sin , union what breaks union . spiritual things unite why mans soul is capable of uuion with god , w wisdom sin wrongs god in his wisdom weapons sinners fight against god with his own weapons way — of the godly and wicked difference worse no man is worse for affliction , but for sin worth all the men in the world not worth one christian , the end is worth the means , work sin is not the work of god sin opposite to god in its working world sin would destroy the world , were it not for gods wisdom wrong what wrong sin doth to god they who have wronged god , must do much for god , , , — sin wrongs the soul wrath — of god christ drinks the cup of gods wrath what the wrath of god is will a sinner exalts his will above gods , fulfils the devils will , , walk how god walks contrary to sinners word the word must be prized , the word justified for threatning , worm sin is the matter whereon the worm breeds wayes to kill the worm of conscience here the blood of christ cures the worm here weight — of sin , what god weighs out afflictions to saints , it is good to bring sins weight upon our selves y youth it is good to be godly in youth finis . there are these several books of mr. jeremiah burroughs that will shortly be published , viz. his sermons on job . . the second of peter the . and . the first epistle of john . . the second of corinthians . . matthew . , , . the second of corinthians . , , . there are also in the press seventeen books ( being the substance of many sermons ) preached at harford in new england ; by mr. thomas hooker , somtime fellow of emanuel colledg in cambridg , in england ; which are discourses on seventeen several scriptures . notes, typically marginal, from the original text notes for div a -e reader , ●…is trea●ise was first preached at stepney , neer london , on the lordsday mornings ●t was begun nov. . and finished feb. . it is thought good ●o give the reader notice hereof , in espect to ●ome expressions ●…d in 〈◊〉 trea●…e . doct. * this was written in the year . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 praepositio 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , auget significationem , declarat animum undique maerora obsessū & circum vallatum . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 significat attonitum esse ex significationem auget , ita ut sit animo & corpore per horrescere . medici v●cant horripilationem . gerrh . in harm . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . beza hesychius dicit significare palaestrum & bellum proprle est timor quo corripi solent in certamen descensury . stephan . in thes . notes for div a -e * this was preached on the . of january notes for div a -e * this was . of january . notes for div a -e * this was preached at stepney the . of february . christ inviting sinners to come to him for rest by jeremiah burroughes. burroughs, jeremiah, - . approx. kb of xml-encoded text transcribed from -bit group-iv tiff page images. text creation 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(eebo-tcp ; phase , no. a ) transcribed from: (early english books online ; image set ) images scanned from microfilm: (early english books, - ; : ) christ inviting sinners to come to him for rest by jeremiah burroughes. burroughs, jeremiah, - . [ ], p. printed by peter cole, london : . "wherein is shewed, first: . the burden of sin, . the burden of the law, . the burden of legal performances ..., . the burden of corruption, . the burden of outward affliction. secondly, christ graciously offers ... rest from all those burdens .... thirdly, there is shewed: . the rest believers have from sin, . the deliverance from the law by christ ..., . the rest believers have from the burden ... . how christ gives rest from the burden of corruption ..., . how christ gives rest from outward afflictions, . some directions how to get rest from christ in spiritual desertions." reproduction of original in the harvard university library. created by converting tcp files to tei p using tcp tei.xsl, tei @ oxford. re-processed by university of nebraska-lincoln and northwestern, with changes to facilitate morpho-syntactic tagging. gap elements of known extent have been transformed into placeholder characters or elements to simplify the filling in of gaps by user contributors. eebo-tcp is a 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characters represented either as utf- unicode or tei g elements). keying and markup guidelines are available at the text creation partnership web site . eng forgiveness of sin. sin. - tcp assigned for keying and markup - spi global keyed and coded from proquest page images - john latta sampled and proofread - john latta text and markup reviewed and edited - pfs batch review (qc) and xml conversion christ inviting sinners to come to him for rest. wherein is shewed , first . the burden of sin. the burden of the law. the burden of legal performances with the misery of those that are under them . the burden of corruption . the burden of outward affliction . secondly , christ greciously offers to them that come to him , rest from al those burdens . wherein is shewed what it is to come to christ . that christ requires nothing but to come to him . several rules to be observed in in right coming to christ . means to draw souls to christ . that in coming to christ god would have us have respect to our selves . that there is no rest for souls out of christ ; and the reasons therefore ; with some conclusions from it . thirdly , there is shewed . the rest believers have from sin the deliverance from the law by christ is , privatively , positively . the rest believers have from the burden of the law by coming to christ . how christ gives rest from the burden of legal performances . how christ gives rest from the burden of corruption ; wherein is shewed how sanctification and holiness comes from christ only . and encouragments to come to christ for holiness . how christ gives rest from outward afflictions . some directions how to get rest from christ in spiritual desertions . by jeremiah burroughs , preacher of the gospel at stepny and cripple-gate , london . london , printed by peter cole , printer and book-seller , and are to be sold at the sign of the printing-press in cornhill , near the royall exchange . . a testimony to the reader what we have by way of preface set before the several books already published of this reverend author , mr. jeremiah burroughs , may sufficiently serve for all that are come forth : so that we only need now give letters testimonial to the world , that these ( viz. the sermons on matthew , the . chapter . , , and . verses ) we avouch likewise to be the painfull and profitable labors of the same author , and published by the best and most authentick copies . thomas goodwin , william greenhil , william bridge sydrach sympson , philip nye , john yates , william adderley . books printed by peter cole , printer and book - seller of london , at the exchange , four new books of mr. jer. burroughs , viz. the first book christs call to all those that are weary and heavy laden to come to him for rest . wherein is shewed first . the burden of sin. the burden of the law. ths burden of legal performances with the misery of those that are under them . the burden of corruption . the burden of outward affliction . secondly , christ graciously offers to them that come to him rest from all those burdens . wherein is shewed . what it is to come to christ . . that christ requires nothing but to come to him . several rules to be observed in right coming to christ . meanes to draw soules to christ . that in coming to christ god would have us have respect to our selves . . that there is no rest for souls out of christ ; and the reasons therefore ; with some conclusions from it . thirdly , there is shewed . the rest beleevers have from sin . the deliverance from the law by christ is . privatively , positively . the rest beleevers have from the burden of the law by coming to christ . how christ gives rest from the burden of legal performances . how christ gives rest from the burden of corruption , wherein is shewed how sanctification and holiness comes from christ only . and encouragments to come to christ for holiness . how christ gives rest from outward affliction . some directions how to get rest from christ in spiritual desertions . the second book christ the great teacher of souls that come to him . wherein is shewed what christs yoak is . that beleevers must take christs yoak on them . the more we are under the yoak of christ the more rest we have . christ is the great teacher of his church and people . in what manner christ teacheth , he is a meek teacher . an humble teacher . the learners of christ must be meek . the learners of christ must be humble . christ teacheth by his example . wherein christs example is to be followed . what kind of pattern christ is . we must not follow the example of the world. we must imitate christ in meeknes . what meekness is . learn of christ to be meek towards god ; and the reasons thereof . the dreadful evil of anger and frowardness towards god. meekness towards god exemplified from scripture examples . meekness towards men which consists in ordering anger . to the right object . to the right time. to the reight measure . to the right end &c. the sad effects of anger . the excellency of meekness . promises made to meekness . many vaine reasons and pleas for anger answered . exhortations to meekness . means to get and keep meekness . new books of mr. jeremiah burroughs , the third book christ the humble teacher of those that come to him . wherein is shewed . what humility o● lowliness is not. what that lowliness of heart is that christ would have us to learn of him . arguments from the lowliness of christ to work lowliness of spirit in us. the properties of an humble heart towards god the properties of an humble and lowly heart in respect of our selves the properties of humility in respect of others . it is fearful of giving or taking offence . it gives due honor to all . it is tender to others . it 's not needlesly ▪ singular from them . the excellencies of humility . humility brings rest unto the soul. means to get humility the fourth book the only easie way to heaven . where●n is shewed . the way to heaven that iesus christ teacheth , is an easie way : six evidences thereof . the difference between the ease a carnal heart hath , and the ease a gracious soul hath in religion . the reason why some gracious souls complaine of difficulty in gods waies . what it is that makes the waies of god so easie . consequences from the easiness of gods waies . directions how we may make the waies of god easie . new books of mr. sydrach simpsons . viz. i of faith , or , that beleeving is receiving christ . and receiving christ is believing . ii of covetousness . in the first book is shewed ( besides many other things ) that persons that are beleevers are receivers . that to receive is the principal use of faith. that nothing should hinder our receiving . not our sins . nor gods delaies . nor the smalness of our receipts . nor the greatness of our wants . how faith receives . that faith receives christ . in the understanding . in the will. the temper of a man that hath faith . the necessity of faith. though faith be smal yet it makes us the sons of god. the nature of true faith. there are but few that receive christ . three sorts that come not to christ . such as receive him not as he is . such as delay their coming to him . such as give not that place to christ in their hearts that is fitting for him . in the treatise of covetousness is shewed , it is the duty of all as they would obtaine eternal life to beware of covetousness . the reasons of the doctrine , its a spiritual sin. it over spreads the whole man. it s opposite to the nature of godliness and religion . it s the womb and seed of all sin. it s a base sin. the dangerousness of covetousness· it is hardly avoided . it s difficultly cured . you shal have all things needful for this life if you wil look after grace . your life lies in grace , not in riches . there is more to be feared than to be desired in riches . we should mortifie our desires after riches . in book of unbelief : or the want of readiness &c. is shewed what vnbelief it is that is here spoken of . the best way to deal with vnbelief . that vnbelief is a sin against al the attributes of god. that christ will not bear with this sin of vnbeleif . that we should be quick and re●yd to beleeve . motives to indeavor for readiness to beleeve . helps to attain readiness in beleeving . in book of not going to christ &c. is shewed , that unbelief is a great sin , and exceeding provoking unto god. several arguments provoking us to beleeve the greatness of the sin of unbelief . many objections answered . several sorts of this sin of unbeliefe . means to convince us that unbelief is so great a sin. though the sin of unbelief be very great , yet it 's pardonable . god hath pardoned unbelief , and wil pardon it . a congregational church is a catholick visible church . by samuel stone in new-england . a treatise of politick powers , wherein seven questions are answered , whereof power is made , and for what ordained . whether kings and governors have an absolute power over the people . whether kings and governors be subject to the laws of god , or the laws of their country . . how far the people are to obey their governors . dr. sibbs on the philippians . vox pacifica , or a perswasive to peace . dr. prestons saints submission , and satans overthrow . pious mans practice in parliament time . barriffs military discipline . the immortality of mans soul. the anatomist anatomized . the bishop of canterbury's speech woodwards sacred ballance . dr. owen against mr. baxter . mr. hookers new books in three volums : one in octavo , and two in quarto . these eleven new books of mr. thomas hooker , made in new-england are attested in an epistle by mr. thomas goodwin , and mr. philip nye , to be written with the authors own hand : none being written by himself before . one volum being a comment upon christ's last prayer in the seventeenth of john : wherein is opened , the union beleevers have with god and christ , and the glorious priviledges thereof . besides many other gospel truths , there you have shewed . that the end why the saints receive al glorious grace , is , that they may be one , as the father and christ are one . that god the father loveth the faithful , as he loveth jesus christ . that our savior desireth to have the faithful in heaven with himself . that the happiness of our being in heaven , is to see christs glory . that there is much wanting in the knowledg of gods love , in the most able saints . that the lord christ lends dayly direction , according to the dayly need of his servants . that it is the desire , and endeavor of our savior , that the dearest of gods love , which was bestowed on himself , should be given to his faithful servants . that our vnion , and communion with god in christ , is the top of our happiness in heaven . the first eight books : of the application of redemption , by the effectual work of the word , and spirit of christ , for the bringing home of lost sinners to god. in which ( besides many other seasonable , and soul-searching truths ) there is also largely shewed . christ hath purchased al spiritual good for his . christ puts al his into possession of al that good that he hath purchased . the soul must be fitted for christ before it can receive him : and a powerful ministry is the ordinary means to prepare the heart for christ . the work of god is free : and the day of salvation , is while this life lasts , and the gospel continues . god cals his elect at any age , but the most before old age. the soul is naturally setled in a sinful security . the heart of a natural man is wholly unwilling to submit to the word that would sever him from his sins . god the father by a holy kind of violence , plucks his out of their corruptions , and draws them to beleeve in christ . the ninth and tenth books of the application of redemption by the effectual work of the word , and spirit of christ , for the bringing home of lost sinners to god. besides many other seasonable , and soul-searching truths , there is also largely shewed . the heart must be humble and contrite before the lord wil dwel in it . stubborn , and bloody sinners may be made broken-hearted . there must be true sight of sin , before the heart can be broken for it . application of special sins by the ministry , is a means to bring men to ●ight of , and sorrow for them . meditation of sin , a special means to break the heart . the same word is profitable to some , not to another . the lord somtimes makes the word prevaile most , when its most opposed . sins unrepented of , makes way for piercing terrors . the truth terrible to a guilty conscience . gross and scandalous sinners , god usually exerciseth with heavy breakings of heart , before they be brought to christ . sorrow for sin rightly set on , pierceth the hear● of the sinner throughly . they whose hearts are pierced by the word , are carried with love and respect to the ministers of it : and are busie to enquire , and ready to submit to the mind of god. sinners in distress of conscience , are ignorant what they should do . a contrite sinner sees a necessity of coming out of his sinful condition . there is a secret hope wherewith the lord supports the hearts of contrite sinners . they who are truly pierced for their sins , do prize and covet deliverance from their sins . true contrition is accompanied with confession of sin , when god cals thereunto . the soul that is pierced for sin , is carried with a restless dislike against it six books more of mr. hookers in two volums in quarto , are printing . twenty one several books of mr. william bridge , collected into two volumns . viz. scripture light the most sure light : compared with , . revelations & visions . . natural & supernatual dreams impressions with , and without word ▪ . light and law within . . divine providence . . christian experience . . humane reason . . judicial astrology . delivered in sermons , on . pet. . . christ in travel : wherein , . the travel of his soul . . the first and after effects of his death , ▪ his assurance of issue . . and his satisfaction therein . are opened and cleered in sermons , on isa . . . a lifting up for the cast-down , in case of , . great sin . . weakness of grace . . miscarriage of duties . want of assurance , . affliction , temptation . . desertion . . unserviceableness . , discouragements from the condition it self . delivered in thirteen sermons , on psalm , . . his four sermons concerning , sin against the holy ghost . sins of infirmitie . the false apostle tried and discovered the good and means of establishment the great things faith can do . the great things faith can suffer . the great gospel mystery of the saints comfort and holiness , opened and applied from christs priestly office. satans power to tempt , and christs love to , and care of his people under temptation thankfulness required in every condition . grace for grace . the spiritual actings of faith through natural impossibilities . evangelical repentance the spiritual life , &c. the woman of canaan . the saints hiding-place , &c. christs coming &c. a vindication of gospel ordinances grace and love beyond gifts mr. brightman on the revelation . clows chyrurgery . marks of salvation . christians engagement for the gospel , by john goodwin . great church ordinance of baptism mr. loves case , containing his petitions , narrative , and speech . twelve books of mr. jeremiah burroughs lately published ; also the texts of scripture upon which they are grounded . gospel reconciliation , or christs trumpet of peace to the world. wherein is opened gods exceeding willingness to be reconciled to man ; and gods sending his embassadors to that end from cor. . , , . the rare jewel of christian contentment , on phil. . . wherein is shewed , what contentment is . it is an holy art and mystery . the excellencies of it . the evil of the contrary sin of murmuring , and the aggravations of it . gospel-worship , on levit. . . wherein is shewed , the right manner of the worship of god in general ; and particularly , in hearing the word , receiving the lords supper , & prayer . gospel-conversation , on phil. wherein is shewed , that the conversations of beleevers must be above what could be by the light of nature beyond those that lived under the law. and sutable to what truths the gospel holds forth to which is added , the misery of those men that have their portion in this life only , on psal . . . a treatise of earthly-mindedness : wherein is shewed , what earthly-mindedness is , . the great evil thereof , on phil. . part of he . vers . also to the same book is joyned , a treatise of heavenly-mindedness , and walking with god , on gen. . . and on phil. ▪ . an exposition on the fourth , fifth , sixth , and seventh chapters of the prophesie of hosea . an exposition on the eighth , ninth , and tenth chapters of hosea . an exposition on the eleventh , twelfth , and thirteenth chapters of hosea , being now compleat . the evil of evils , or the exceeding sinfulness of sin , on job . . precious faith , on pet. . . of hope , on john . . of walking by faith , on cor. . . mr. burroughs his fifty nine sermons on matth. . , , . are printed . a godly a●d fruitful exposition , on the first epistle of peter . by mr. john rogers , minister of the word of god at dedham in essex . mr rogers on naaman the syrian , his disease and ou●e : discovering the leprosie of sin and self-love ; with the cure , viz. self-denial and faith. mr. rogers his treatise of marriage . the wonders of the loadstone . by samuel ward of ipswich . an exposition on the gospel of the evangelist st. matthew . by mr. ward . the discipline of the church in new-england : by the churches and synod there . the wise virgins lamp burning ; or , gods sweet incomes of love to a gracious soul waiting for him . published by mr. thomas weld , late of new-england . twelve new books in one volum of nich. culpeper , all called the idea of practical physick . the art to preserve health . the preternatural disorder of mans body , and their signs . of medicaments . of the art of healing . of the general cure of diseases . of external diseases . of feavers . of head diseases . of middle belly diseases . of lower belly diseases . of venemous diseases . of childrens diseases . thirty four books of nich. culpeper , gent. student in physick and astrologie , formerly published . the first twenty four books . are all called the practice of physick , wherein is plainly set forth ▪ the nature , cause , differences , and several sorts of signs ; together with the cure of al diseases in the body of man. being a translation of the works of that learned and renowned doctor , lazarus riverius , now living ; councellor and physitian to the present king of france . above fifteen thousand of the said books in latin have been sold in a very few years , having been eight times printed though al the former impressions wanted the nature , causes , signs , and differences of the diseases , and had only the medicines for the cure for them ; as plainly appears by the authors epistle . . a sure guide to physick and chyrurgery : that is to say , the arts of healing by medicine , and manual operation . being an anatomical description of the whol body of man , and its parts , with their respective diseases , demonstrated from the fabrick and use of the said parts . in six books of riolanus , translated , and adorned with an hundred eighty four figures cut in brass . ves●ingus anatomy of the body of man , wherein is exactly described , the several parts of the body of man , illustrated with very many larger brass plates than ever was in english before . a translation of the new dispensatory , made by the colledg of physitians of london . whereunto is added the key to galens method of physick , the english physitian enlarged ▪ being an astrologo-physical discourse of the vulgar herbs of this nation ; wherein is shewed how to cure a mans self of most diseases incident to mans body , with such things as grow in england , and for three pence charge . also in the same book is shewed , the time of gathering al herbs , both ▪ vulgarly and astrologically . the way of drying , and keeping them and their juyces . the way of making and keeping al manner of useful compounds , made of those herbs . the way of mixing the medicines according to the cause , and mixture of the disease , and the part of the body afflicted . a directory for midwives , or a guide for women . newly enlarged by the author in every sheet , and illustrated with divers new plates . galens art of physick , with a large comment . new method both of studying and practising physick . a treatise of the rickets , being a disease common to children wherein is shewed , the essence , the causes , the signs ▪ the remedies of the disease : published in latin by dr. glisson , dr. bates and dr. regemorter , translated into english , and corrected by n. culpeper . medicaments for the poor , or physick for the common people . health for the rich and poor , by dyet without physick . the london dispensatory in folio , of a large character in latine . the london dispensatory in twelves , a smal pocket book in latine . six sermons preached by dr. hill. viz. the beauty and sweetness of an olive branch of peace , and brotherly accommodation budding . truth and love happily married in the church of christ . the spring of strengthening grace in the rock of age● christ iesus . the strength of the saints to make iesus christ their strength . the best and worst of paul. gods eternal preparation for his dying saints . a commemoration of king charls his inauguration . in a sermon , by william laud , then bishop of canterbury . abrahams offer , gods offering : being a sermon by mr. he●le , before the lord major of london . mr. spurstows sermon , being a pattern of repentance . englands deliverance from the northern presbitery , compared with its deliverance from the roman papacy . in a sermon on the of nov. . before the parliament . by peter sterry . the way of god with his people in these nations . opened in a thanksgiving sermon , preached on the ▪ of novemb. before the right honorable , the high court of parliament . by peter sterry . mr. sympsons sermon at westminster mr. feaks sermon before the lord major . the best and worst magistrate . by obadiah sedgwick . a sermon . a sacred panegyrick . by stephen marshal . a sermon . the craft and cruelty of the churches adversaries . by matthew newcomen . a sermon the magistrates support and burden . by mr. john cardel ▪ a sermon . mr. owens stedfastness of the promises . a sermon . mr. phillips treatise of hell. — of christs genealogy . the cause of our divisions discovered , and the cure propounded . king charls his case , or an appeal to al rational men concerning his tryal . a relation of the barbadoes . a relation of the repentance and conversion of the indians in new-england : by mr. eliot , and mr. mayhew . the contents of the treatise on math. . . chap. wherein , there 's , . the dependance of this verse upon the former , with the scope of the holy ghost herein . . the meaning of the words . . the division thereof into three parts . page chap. . containing a description of them whom christ invites to come unto him , which is laid down in this doctrine . that they whom christ calls to come unto him , are such as labor and are heavy laden , whether ▪ . vnder the burden of the righteousness of the law. or . vnder the weight of their sins . or , . vnder the power of any corruption . or , . vnder any outward trouble , or affliction . page chap. . the burden under sin , laid open in nine particulars . . when the soul not only apprehendeth , but is sensible of the evil of sin in the reality of it . . finds all the comfort that did attend sin before to vanish and come to nothing . . looks upon it self as loathsome , and is in ▪ some measure bowed to god. . trembles at the least thoughts and temptations to sin. . feel sin heaviest , where it is indeed heaviest . . feels the weight of sin to be such , as that no creature is able to remove it . had rather be under any burden , then the burden of sin. doth notwithstanding the weight thereof , justifie god. . doth not lie sullenly , and despair under it , but attend for direction from god , how it may befreed there from page chap. . two cautions touching the burden of sin , . that 't is no condition of the covenant of gace . that it doth not interest the soul in christ , nor g●ve it rest in him . whereunto certain consequences are annexed . page chap. . the reasons of the former doctrine . . christ hath all mercy in him . . the end why he came into the world , was to give rest to burdened souls . . christ himself was once under some kind of this burden . ▪ he is to have the glory of all the ease which is given to sinners . page chap. . the application , exhorting sinners to come unto christ , with answers unto certain objections . page chap. . the burden under the law laid open in eleven particulars , . the law requireth of us such things which we are unable to perform . . it requireth absolute perfection . . it accepteth not of any of our endeavours . . vpon any one breach of the law the sinner looseth al ability for ever keeping any part of it afterward . . vpon any breach thereof , it presently bindeth over the sinner to eternal death . . it requireth constant obedience . . being once broken , it cannot be satisfied with any after obedience . . it accepts of no repentance . . it only lays open a mans misery , and there leaves him , without shewing him any remedy . . there is no appeal from it , nor repealing of it . . the more it cometh to be revealed , the more are our corruptions stirred up . where some objections are answered , or doubts resolved . page chap. . three conclusions arising from the former doctrine concerning the burden under the law ; namely , . that man by nature is in an evil case . . that it is a mighty work to save a soul. . that those vain thoughts wereby men think to pacifie their consciences , will stand them in no stead . page chap. . of the burden of legal performances , what it is ; with the burdensomness thereof laid open in twelve particulars . . there is no inward principle of doing . . in men that are only under the law , there 's a principle contrary to the performance thereof . . such are wearied with doing , getting no supply of strength to perform duty . . by their performances , they stil contract more guilt upon their souls . . what they do in obedience unto the law is only out of fear . . and with much straitness of spirit . . nothing comes of such performances . . they that perform duty in a meer legal way , never attain their end , which is , peace with god. . they know not whether god accepts of them , or rejects them . . they are forced unto duties instantly , presently , and upon the sudden , though to the hinderance of other duties of greater concernment , which god requireth of them , at the same time . . though they go on toyling , yet know they not whether they shal hold out unto the end . . their humiliation and trouble for not doing what they ought to do , hinders them from doing what god requires . page chap. . the sad condition of such as are under the burden of legal performances set forth in six particulars , . that which should be accounted their happiness is their misery . . it is a means to cause hard thoughts of god. . it causeth great discouragement . . they bring an evil report upon the waies of god. . they keep no proportion therein . . they are kept off from christ . page chap. . of the burden of corruption , and that there is corruption in the saints . being a burden . . of grief . . of shame . . of fear . . of care. . of labor and toyl . page chap. . the burden of coruption set forth in eight particular● . . it is a sole burden . . it hath al other burdens in it . . it is a continual burden . . it makes al other things to be a burden . . it is a burden to god himself . . it makes the sins burdensome to all others . . it makes him burdensome to himself . . how greivous soever , we cannot be rid of it in this life . page ●hap . . in what respects corruption is a burden . . in that our nature is opposite unto the very nature of god. . it presseth down every holy duty . . it affords matter for any temptation . . i● hath a root from whence all kind of sin may spring . . it dampeth all the activity of our graces . page chap. . in what respects the stirrings and motions of coruption are very burdensom . . they contitinually fight against the spirit of grace in the heart . . they are sudden . . they are full of confusion and disorder . . they work very malitiously . . they watch opportunity to do mischief . . they are very unseasonable . . they are very prevalent . page chap. . the reasons of the former point . . because corruption ( when it prevails ) weakens the heart . . by it god is dishonored . . by it our holy profession is scandalized . . by it they over whom it prevails , are made useless in their places . . thereby the means of grace are made unprofitable . . thereby our peace with god is disturbed . . thereby the assurance of our salvation is shaken . page chap. . why the saints feel these things so burdensome , namely . . because the life of grace is a tender and delicate thing . . because grace keeps the soul in continual acting . and why god suffers corruption notwithstanding the burdensomness thereof to remain in the saints , namely . . that hereby be may shew forth his own power . . hereby their faith be exercised . . hereby they are driven unto prayer . . hereby stirred up unto repentance . . hereby make known his wisdom . . hereby manifest his justice in laying a stumbling block before the wicked . . hereby the saints may be induced to long more after heaven . with two consequences issuing from hence . . the differences between the sins of the godly , and the wicked . . why the saints go on so sadly in their waies . page chap. . of the burden of outward affictions , and the grievousness thereof laid open in three particulars . . in themselves they are a part of the curse of the law. . they hinder much in doing service to god. . they often help forward many strong temptaions . why god wil have his saints to be under this burden , namely . because he wil have his servants to honor and obey him , meerly out of love. . because he knoweth that thus their corruptions may be best mortified . . to be a stumbling block to the wicked . page chap. . christs invitation of sinners , laid down in these words , come unto me . opened in five particulars . . it is to look to christ as an all-sufficient savior . . it implieth an unsettledness upon the creature . . a stirring of the heart after christ . . a laying of all our burdens upon christ . . a leaving of the soul with christ for life page chap. . how christ cals sinners unto him , set forth in two particulars , namely . . by an outward and general cal . . by a particular call to particular sinners . and how to know the voice of christ . page chap. that there is nothing required of sinners but to come to christ , with mne consequences arising from hence , and what hath been laid down in the two former chapters . . there it not any worthiness required in such as come to christ . . the soul needs not to be troubled about the time and and measure of its humiliation before its coming to christ . . nor about what interest it hath in christ , before its coming to him . . that the least degree of faith will give the soul interest in christ . . that the work of faith is supernatural . . that faith is an humbling grace . . that beleevers after their coming to christ should be willing to do and suffer much for christ . . that they wr● are once in christ , shal never be east off . . that they know not what to do when they loose their interest in christ . page chap. . nine rules to be observed in right coming to christ . . rest not in outward means that lead to christ , before christ himself be enjoyed . . pitch rather upon christ himself than upon the good things of christ . . come with the whol soul . . keep christ continually in thine eye . . be convinced that whatsoever keeps thee from christ , comes not from god. . take heed and beware of all discouragements , and hindrances . . keep the heart stil tending to christ . . give up thy self to gods spirit . . often renew the act of coming , come often to christ . page chap. . nine means to draw sinners to christ , namely , that . he that ca●s us is the son of god. . he is our neer kinsman , ( wherein three strong arguments are included . first , the terror of gods glory is taken away . secondly , he is infinitly inclined to do good unto the sons of men . thirdly , in uniting the divine nature with the humane , he hath done a greater work than to save a soul . ) . he is the mediator . . he deserves that we should come to him . . the soul gets infinite good by coming to christ , instanced in four particulars . . we are miserable in our selves . . christ will certainly receive them that come to him , which is opened in three particulars . . we stand in great need of christ . . the not coming to christ will aggravate all other sins . with an answer unto some objections . page chap. . the doctrine arising from the dependance of the promise upon the invitation , that god will have us when we are coming to christ , to have respect to our selves . page chap. . of the rest promised by christ in general : and that there is no rest for a soul out of jesus christ . page chap. . six reasons of the former doctrine . . the soul out of christ is departed from god. . every man by nature is an enemy to god. . every man by nature is bound over to the justice of god to answer to what be can charge him with . . in a m●n out of christ there is every thing to disquiet him . . every one out of christ is condemned . . such every moment may be plunged into a gulf of wrath. page chap. . containeth , i. a further consideration of the restless condition of men out of christ , from prov. . . ii. five reasons thereof . . they are under the curse of god. . all creatures are their enemies . . all the waies of gods providence are against them . . all their best services are rejected . . they have no refuge for comfort . iii. two conclusions from the premises . most men live and perish in blindness . there is an insufficiency in al things out of christ , to give rest ; with the reasons thereof . page chap. the insufficiency of every thing besides christ to give rest to the soul is further enlarged , with several choice considerations page chap. . of the rest that a beleever hath by christ from the guilt of sin , laid out in ten particulars . christ takes upon himself al the sin of them that come to him , & stands charged with them before his father . he satisfieth for sin . the wrath of god is appeased . he is continually at the right hand of his father to intercede for sinners that come to him . their souls are sprinkled with the blood of christ . the soul at the first coming to christ , is made perfectly righteous before god. christ not only undertakes for al the sins past , but for al the sins to come . guilt shal never return , when it is once taken off . the soul at its first coming to christ is cloathed with the righteousness of christ . such are sure that the day of judgment shal be the solemnity of their absolution· page chap. the deliverance from the law by christ set out . privatively in five particulars . positively in five points more page chap. the rest that beleevers have from the burden of the law by coming to christ , laid out in ten particulars . they do not stand or fal for life by the law. the law-giver is the redeemer . the least spark of grace is accepted . their wil shal be accepted as the deed . obedience is required in a sweet and gentle way . the grace of god in christ doth melt the heart . their sins make them an object of gods pitty . they have christ to undertake for them as a surety . they are delivered , and yet satisfaction is made to the law. they have assurance that they shal never forfeit the covenant of grace they are under by christ page chap. containeth divers consequences from the rest beleevers have from the burden of the law. and lessons they are taught from thence page chap. of the rest from legal performances , and the several waies how this rest comes from christ , viz. duties are delightfull to the soul , because christ renders god unto the soul in a gracious way . . they are not performed as satisfactory , but as testimonies of love and thankfulness . christ himself offers up the duties to god. they are performed from the law in the heart . they have the promises joyned with them page chap. . two other waies whereby the former point is cleered , with some consequences from the same , and the use of the whol . the first way is , that whilst the soul is performing duty , the strength of it is continually renewed . secondly , the soul hath the love of god shed abroad into the heart . the first consequence is happiness of a christian here . secondly , hence cometh the perseverance of beleevers . the use of all is to exercise much faith in christ page chap. sheweth the rest , from the remainder of corruption to be sanctification , and that to be a great rest , laid open in six particulars . it is the right temper of the heart . in it the soul doth in great part attain its end . in it the soul lives the life of god. it raiseth the soul above the region of al troubles . it turnes every thing to good . it is the beginning of glory page chap. . sheweth that sanctification is only in christ page chap. . sheweth how our sanctification cometh from christ in six particulars . it was the end of his coming to destroy the works of the devil . he is the great ordinance appointed by god to sanctifie his people . his death is appointed to mortifie sin . by him the curse upon the heart is taken away . by his union with beleevers , being the head of the second covenant . in christ are the strongest arguments for holiness that can be page chap. containing two strong arguments in christ for holiness . first , in him the soul sees the greatest breach between it and god by reason of sin. secondly , in him it sees the greatest hatred of sin in god. page chap. shewing how sanctification comes from christ , in six particulars more . . it is he that reveals the father to the soul. . through christ the love of god is shed abroad into the heart . . all the promises are made to us through him . . in him all the ordinances are effectual . . he sends the spirit into the heart . . christ rules in the heart page chap. . six consequences from the former doctrine i. the difference between beleevers and the state in adam . ii. we see the difference between civility and true holiness . iii. we see the reason why so many vowes and covenants to live holily come to nothing . iiii. it is impossible for any to be a member of christ , and not be holy . v. be not hindred from comming to christ , albeit you have not so much holiness as you desire . vi. hence we learne how to vnderstand christ aright . page chap. . containeth an exhortation to come to christ wherein three hindrances are removed , and six encouragements laid down . first , the union between christ and a beleever . secondly , from the great love of christ , thirdly corruption is the burden of christ as wel as of a sinner . fourthly , he healed the bodies of many , he will much more the soul , fifthly he knows what it is to be tempted . sixtly , it is for the honor of the death , resurrection and life of christ to give holiness . page chap. . containes the conclusion of the former doctrine of sanctification , with divers directions how to come to christ for holiness . i. be sensible of the want of it . ii. be not satisfied with the ordinances further then you meet with christ . iii. come not so much for comfort and peace as for holiness . iv. be sensible of new supplies . v. converse with christ in the gospel page chap. ▪ sheweth that a beleever hath rest in christ in al troubles he can meet with in the world , which is laid out in four particulars , all afflictions are at his disposal . in him the curse is taken away . they stand with gods love . they are measured by god. page chap. . the rest beleevers have from christ in outward afflictions discovered in four particulars more . they shall be to good ends , they shall be sanctified to the good of beleevers . . god is present with his people in christ , there is abundance of present good in affliction . page chap. . containeth the conclusion of the last doctrine in the two former chapters , shewing how unbeseeming a thing it is , for a beleever to be troubled in affliction . page chap. . sheweth that beleevers are often under inward affliction , and spiritual desertions . page chap. . containeth seven directions how a beleever may get rest from christ in spiritual desertions . first , look upon christ as once in the same condition . secondly . look to christ as ful of grace and goodness , thirdly , look to christ as an advocate at the right hand of god. fourthly , look to christ for fulfilling the promise of sending the comforter . fifthly , go to christ as at first in thy conversion . sixthly , keep good thoughts of god. seventhly , resolve never to take rest in any thing else beside christ . page chap. . sheweth that beleevers have not only rest in but rest also from afflictions . page chap. . five markes of true rest in christ . i it is not but upon discovery of glorious things the soul knew not before , ii. it comes upon the soul , ceasing from its own work . iii. it makes the beleever active for god. iiii. rest in those things wherein christ . rested v. true rest wil abide the trial of the word . page chap. . eight means to get and keep rest in christ . beware of secret sins be thankful for what good god hath given thee judg not thy self in time of temptation in trouble wait upon god in the use of means . meditate much upon the promises proportion humiliation to thy comfort . be throughly grounded that thou art in christ . improve the rest thou hast to god , by doing much work to him page christ inviting sinners to come to him . matth . . . come unto me al ye that labor , and are heavy laden , and i will give you rest . chap. . wherein , there 's . the dependance of this verse upon the former , with the scope of the holy ghost herein . . the meaning of the words . . the division thereof into three parts . having opened unto you that great doctrine of * reconciliation with god in christ , and of the willingness of god and christ to be reconciled to sinners ; sending his messengers to invite , intreate , and beseech in his name ; though there was something else followed in the chapter that i could willingly have handled : yet because i would press on what hath been delivered about our reconciliation with god in christ , and urge it further with a suitable argument ; i have pitched upon this text , wherein we have set forth the willingness of christ to be reconciled to sinners : and a most gracious invitation of jesus christ to poor sinners to come in unto him , that they might have rest for their souls . a text that breatheth forth nothing but mercy and goodness to sinners , a heart melting invitation . in jer. . . we have a prophesie , that sinners shal come and flow together to the goodness ; or to the bountifullness , of the lord , ( as some of your books have it ) surely if there be any scripture , that holds forth the goodness , and bountifulness of the lord to sinners , so as to melt their hearts that they may flow unto it , it is this in the text. this invitation of christ , come unto me , ye that are weary and heavy laden , and i will give you rest , is that which hath been the comfort of many a wounded conscience , of many a troubled sinner ▪ having fastned upon it , their souls have been staied , and they have been kept from sinking into the bottomless gulf of dispaire thereby . a text that hath been of as great use unto afflicted consciences , as any in al the book of god ; if ever there were a heart breaking scripture , certainly here it is ; come unto me , ye that are weary and heavy laden , &c. it is in it self an intire sentence if we take the . verse , and no more ; it is ful of abundance of sweetness , and filled up to the top with the grace and goodness of the lord. but ●ow , if you observe the dependence of these words on the former , ( the words that go before ) then you wil see , that there is indeed , a soul satisfying fulness of mercy , and goodness in the lord , held forth from this text : and though many of you ( i question not ) have heard this text often quoted ; come unto me , ye that are weary and heavy laden , and i wil give you rest ; yet ( perhaps ) few of you have observed how these words come in , and have a sweet dependance upon the former . if you compare these words , with those that go before , you shal see , that they are very heart breaking expressions . what did christ say in the very verse before ? ( i 'll go no further . ) al things ( saith he ) are delivered unto me of my father ; and no man knoweth the son but the father ; neither knoweth any man the father save the son , and he to whomsoever the son wil reveal him ; ( and then follows ) come to me , all ye that are weary and heavy laden , and i wil give you rest . the text seems to be so ful of sweetness alone , that it is seldom observed how this comes in after it . but now , we should look upon them thus , and consider , that they are the words of christ , who after he had said , al things are delivered to me of my fathet , and no man knoweth the son but the father , &c. immediately saies , oh! come to me , all ye that are weary and heavy laden , and i will give you rest . we may observe in this dependance of the words on the former , these two things . . christ saith , that al things are delivered to him of the father , and therefore come to me ; this depends upon the beginning of the . verse . all things are delivered to me of my father ; as if christ should say ; be it known unto you , poor troubled afflicted sinners , that mourne under the weight and burden of your sins , i have all things delivered by the father to me , that is , al the mercy , al the riches of grace , all the treasures ; al the goodness and grace that is in the father is given to me to dispence to you , and al power is given to me of the father to do good to poor troubled sinners . and therefore come to me , oh! come to me ye poor troubled and afflicted sinners . . no man knows the son but the father , neither knoweth any man the father , save the son , and he to whom the son will reveal him ; that 's the second thing observable in the dependance , of these words on the former : saith christ , there is a most infinite communion between me and my father , and i know fully whatsoever is in the mind of god the father , what his heart is towards sinners ; i know what his thoughts have been from al eternity about doing good unto poor sinners : there is a most neer conjunction between me and my father , and i alone can reveal the father to poor sinners that are in darkness , they can have god the father made known to them by no means , but by me , there is no way for them to know , what is in the heart of god the father towards them but by me , and therefore , oh! sinners come to me . here is the dependance of the words upon the former . likewise consider what follow● . if the poor should say , oh! blessed saviour , we are vild unworthy creatures , we lie under the weight and burden of the guilt of our sins : and shal such as we come to thee ? yea , saith christ , notwithstanding that , yet come to me . the word in the greek here hath an emphasis beyond that which you have in your books ; it is not venice , that is usually translated come , but adeste ; it is a word exhortation , not a meer word commanding , but a word of exhortation , as one friend calls to another in a familiar sweet way , and saies , come hither : i come to thee , oh! blessed saviour , ( saith the poor sinner ) thou art the holy one of the father ; thou art god blessed for ever , and how should i be able to come to thee ? now saith christ , i am meek , and i am lowly , come to me , and i wil lay no further burden upon you , no other yoke upon you , i am meek and lowly , and i wil shew my self to be meek and gentle , and loving to you ; i wil not upbraid you ; if you come , i wil not say to you , as jeptha said to the elders of gilead , you did hate me and cast me out , and why are you come to me in your distress ? but if you come to me , you shal find rest to your soules , and be sure that whatsoever yoke shal be layed upon you , it shal be but an easie yoke , and whatsoever burden shal be layed upon you , it shal be but a light burden . and thus you have the dependance of the words , and the scope of them . now further for the meaning of them ; come to me , ye that labor . the word translated here [ labor ] is ( i think ) in some of your books [ weary ] al ye that are weary . and it signifies a cutting labor , it comes from a word that signifies to cut ; any kind of trouble or vexation that is upon ones spirit that is cutting ; a cutting trouble ; somtimes it is used for any kind of trouble in the world ; as in revel . . . blessed are the dead which die in the lord , for they rest from their labors ; from al their trouble and affliction ; al you that labor and are heavy laden ; the word comes from a word that signifies the lading of a ship , such a loade that would load a ship : heavy laden , this is the meaning of the words . you that are under such afflictions of spirit , as you are even cut again ; you that labor under the trouble , anguish , and sorrow of your hearts . and then you that are under such a burden , that even would lade a ship ; that is ready to sink your souls down into the bottom of dispaire ; you that are in such a condition , come to me ; you that can find no rest any where else , come to me , and i wil give you rest . so that here in vers . . you have these three things for the division of it . . the discription of those whom christ would invite to himself ; what kind of people they are ; or the condition of such as are invited and required to come to christ ; the subject , such as labor , and are heavy laden . . the sweet and gracious invitation of christ to such [ come to me ] come to me you that do thus labor , and are thus heavy laden . and , . a gracious promise unto such as come unto christ ; that christ wil give rest unto their souls . these are the three things in vers . . for the first ; i shall only speak of that at this time ; though the other two are the chief that i do intend . and i speake of the first only , as making way unto the other two that follow . for the reason why i chose this scripture was to draw the soul unto christ , and to open the riches of this promise of rest ; to shew what rest the soul shal have in christ that doth come unto him . chap. ii. containing a description of them whom christ invites to come unto him , which is laid down in this doctrine . that they whom christ cals to come unto him , are such as labor , and are heavy laden . whether , . vnder the burden of the righteousness of the law. or , . vnder the weight of their sins . or , . vnder the power of any corruption . or , . vnder any outward trouble , or affliction . you that labor and are heavy laden . so that then the point is , doct. that those that labor , and are heavy laden , are called to christ . such as christ calls are such as labor and are heavy laden . . such as labor and are heavy laden , under the burden of the righteousness of the law. so chrisostom carries the text . those that heretofore have sought righteousness by the law , and find it very burdensom to them ; they that are toyling , and laboring , to get peace and rest unto their souls by the works of the law , but find themselves tyred , find that peace and rest doth not come that way , are even toyled and tyred and do ( as it were ) stick in the mire but yet find no peace nor rest that way . now saith christ unto them , come unto me ; as if he should say ; this is not the right way to get true peace and rest to your souls , to think to bring it about by the works of the law ; you may toyl , labor , performe duties , and not dare to do any thing against your consciences ; be very strict in your lives , be striving to do more and more ; and yet this wil not bring true rest and peace unto your souls ; you wil never have peace and rest through the righteousness of the law ; you must have it by me . there are many whose consciences god hath begun to enlighten , to see that there is an evil in sin , that sin wil bring death , that it doth endanger their souls of damnation eternally , they are convinced of this ; and that they might have peace with god , is the thing their souls doth much desire . o! that they might have the pardon of sin , and peace with god. o! that they might have their consciences quieted ; god doth awaken the consciences of many men and women , who yet have no saving grace ; and they spend a great deal of time in laboring , and taking much pains to get their consciences quiet ; there is many that have been divers years laboring , and taking paines to get their consciences to be quiet , and cannot , but their consciences ever and anon wil be flying in their faces , & troubling of them , and yet they are such people , as dare not commit any known sin ; dare not neglect any known duty , are constant in prayer in secret , attend upon the word . and whensoever they heare of a duty that they should perform , they labor to set upon it withal their might : but alas ! they feel little sweetness and comfort in their duty ; only conscience hales them to it , and tells them , that they must do it , and if they do neglect it conscience flyes in their faces , and tells them they must perish eternally , and they seek therefore to pacify their consciences only by the performance of duties , and by their obedience to the law , and so seek it by the righteousness of the law ; that 's the only way that they do take to pacifie their consciences , and get rest and peace unto their souls . alas , al this while they are laboring and toyling , but cannot do it ; for while men seek righteousness by the law , it must needs be a toyling labor that will not give rest . the first burden of the law. first : the law gives no strength at all to enable me to perform duties : and therefore the children of it must needs be under bondage ; as pharaoh's task-masters commanded so much brick to be made , but would afford them no straw , no means to do it . so some set forth the bondage and servitude of the law , commanding such things as it gives no strength at al to perform . quest . but you will say , is this the law of god ? is god so hard to his creature as to command that which he gives no ability to perform ? answ . we must know , that god did once give strength to perform duties : but certainly now the law of god commands duties , but gives no strength to perform them : there is no strength enabling us to perform duties , until the spirit of jesus christ doth come into the soul ; we may perform the outward part of them , but not perform duties in such a spiritual manner , that they should be suitable to our hearts , so as to bring ease and quiet unto our souls ; and though the soul do seek to get rest , and ease to it self , yet it wil not come that way . the second burden of the law. secondly : the law requires perfect obedience in every thing , and denounceth a curse against him that doth not continue in every thing that is written in the law to do it . now when men and women are seeking to get rest to their souls by the works of the law , they cannot perform duties as they ought ; and therefore they have no rest , but they see the law to condemn them because they do not perform duties in a perfect manner ; and yet they think they must go on , and do as wel as they can : i , but still conscience hath matter to accuse them of ; you have not done enough , you still come short , and though you do some duties , you neglect other duties : so that conscience hath them at advantage every day , and they are continually under the bondage of an accusing and condemning conscience , that they can have no rest to their souls ; they perform duties , but question with themselves , how can i know that the infinite , holy god wil accept of what i do ? and although they may get quiet for a little while , yet conscience comes upon them again , and disquiets them , and casts fears and doubts ●to their souls ; insomuch that many poor creatures have gone seven , or perhaps twice seven years under trouble of conscience , and never had any rest or peace ; and yet still have gone on making conscience of their waies , but withal ful of fears and doubts , lest al should not be wel with them at last . the third burden of the law. and besides , whiles the soul goes on to seek quiet and rest by the works of the law , there is an unsuitableness between the duties that are performed , and the heart of such a man or woman ; so that the very works that they do , and duties they perform , are grievous and tedious unto them . i , but now saith christ , o! come to me , such as these are ; is there any of you that have had your consciences troubled , and have desired , o! that there might be peace between god and my soul , that i might have assurance of gods love ? what course have you taken to get it ? have you not sought to bring it about by the works of the law , and have thought to get rest and peace to your souls that way ? indeed , it is better to go on that way , than in the waies of sin ; but to think to have rest and peace that way , hath a great deal more evil in it than you are aware of ; if men shal think to quiet themselves that way , and thereby put off the righteousness that comes by faith , they may come to be hardened before they be aware . but is there any of you that are seeking rest and peace unto your souls in such a way by the righteousness of the law ? saith christ , know , that this is not the way for you to have rest to your souls ; it 's true , you must abstain from sin , and perform duties ; o! but if you would have rest to your souls , you must come to me , it is by the souls rowling of it self upon the perfect righteousness that there is in jesus christ , that only can bring true rest unto the soul . many a poor sinner that hath been seeking rest many years , hath not got it ; but when the lord hath been pleased to come in with one promise of the gospel , setting it home upon their souls , they have got more rest and quiet to their souls in one day , yea , in one hour , than they did before in many years ; there is a great deal of art and skil to get rest and quiet to the soul that is troubled . the gospel is a mystery in this thing ; and when god acquaints the soul with the mystery of the gospel in this thing , then rest comes on in a sweet and gracious manner . it 's true , it is the hardest thing in the world for to close with christ , and to get true ease and rest to the soul , it is hard in it self til god make known the mystery of faith to the soul , but when that is done , then the soul finds abundance of ease and rest , and that in a little while . as it is with a man that thinks by main strength to do some work that indeed can only be done by skil and art ; he may be toyling , laboring , and tiring himself ; but yet cannot do it ; whereas another man that understands the mistery of it , he comes in , and in a little time by his skil and art can do that with ease , that the other man was toyling and laboring about , a long while and yet could not do it . as you know in al trades that have a mistery in them . you that are navigators that understand the mistery of that art ; if any unskilful man should come , and think to do some of your work by his main strength ; he may labor and toyl even his heart out , and not do that work that you can do easily in a little time . so many poor souls are laboring , and toyling that these troubled souls of theirs might be but quiet ; they are laboring , and they wil perform duties , and fast , and pray so many times in a day , and so go on in a tiresome way , whereas after the soul comes to be acquainted with the mistery of the gospel , that it hears the voice behind him as it were saying come to me . and the soul being inabled to answer to the cal , and to come to christ ; it doth now perform duties as much as it did before , and makes conscience of them as much as it did before , but now they come to do them in another manner than they did before , and they come to be easie to them over that they were before , and they come to have rest to their souls notwithstanding their imperfections in duties . when you went to prayer ; indeed somtimes when your hearts were much inlarged in prayer , and your thoughts were taken up wholly with the duties that you were performing ; then you thought you had some comfort , but when you had any wandring thoughts and distractions in prayer , then you rose up with a mighty troubled spirit , and could have no rest al the day long . now when you come to be acquainted with the mistery of god in christ , though there be many imperfections in your duties , yet then you shal find rest unto your souls , notwithstanding all your imperfections . but that wil come to be more clearly opened when we come to that [ and i wil give you rest ] those that have labored under the righteousness of the law , and find it toylsome and exceeding burdensom to them ; christ calls them to come to him that they may have rest . the burden under sin. secondly , those that labor and are heavy laden under the weight and burden of their sins ; the trouble of conscience that is upon them for their sins , this is another thing , besides the righteousness of the law. the other labor was from under duties , but this labor is from the sense of the weight , and burden of sin ; and we are to know that this is a great labor , and burden . oh! when the soul comes to be under the burden of sin , it works to purpose ; it labors then indeed . the thoughts they gather together , and conscience being awakened makes a great disturbance , and causeth fears and tremblings in the soul , the heart of a man or woman that was before slugish , dull , heavy , and dead ; when god comes to make it to be sensible of the evil of sin , then it is quickned , enlivened , and working . you that labor and are heavy laden ; you that feel the weight of sin upon your souls , and know not what in the world to do ; come you to me ( saith christ ) and i will give you rest . the burden of corruption . thirdly , you that labor under the power of any corruption ; not only under the guilt of your sins , but under the power of corruption , that feel your sins strong in you ; and you would fain get the mastery of them . you that carry about with you such a weight as makes you to cry out with st. paul , oh! wretched man , or woman that i am , who shal deliver me from this body of death ? you that would fain overcome those strong corruptions that are in you , and it is the great burden of your souls that you cannot overcome them . come to me ( saith christ ) and i wil give you rest , from them also . first , you that labor under the burden of duties and find them toylesome . secondly , you that labor under the guilt of sin , and find your souls perplexed by it . thirdly , you that labor under the power of any corruption and cannot overcome it . come to me and i wil give you rest . and then . the burden of affliction . fourthly , you that labor under any outward trouble or affliction in this world . all you that are in any sad condition , that have any burdens upon you outwardly ; if you come to christ he wil ease you of them ; though perhaps he will not take them from you , though you may be under the affliction as before , yet you shal have rest and ease in them . have you any burden of poverty ? have you any burden in your children ? have you any burden in your yoke fellows ? or burden by reason of weakness in body ? if you will have rest , you must go for it to chirst . many when they are under any outward affliction , they go no futher then the creature for rest . oh! if i had but good friends , i should be happy ; or if i had but an estate i should be wel . but if thy poverty did work upon thy heart kindly , it would drive thee to chist , and make thee to say , true i am poor in this world ; but there is enough in christ to make me rich ; there is mercy enough in christ to make my life comfortable , to make me who am for the present in a miserable condition , happy for ever . those that are poor outwardly , they should go to christ , if their poverty did drive them to christ it were a good signe that the lord did sanctifie their poverty unto them . now because al these burdens , if they were handled distinctly . the burden of the righteousness of the law ; the burden of the sense of the guilt of sin ; the burden of the power of sin ; and the burden of outward afflictions in this world . to open these fully , and to shew how christ cals those that are under these to himself , would take up much time ; therefore i wil pitch upon the second at present and handle that more throughly ; and that is the laboring under the burden of the guilt of sin. you that labor under the burden of the guilt of sin , come to me and i wil give you rest ▪ i wil not here stand to open unto you , what the burden of the guilt of sin is ; then i should soon slip into an argument , that i have at large heretofore opened to you , out of the evil of sin ; only thus much let us know , that of al burdens in the world , the burden of sin , it is the greatest ; it is that that is a burden to the very spirit of god. god complaines that he is pressed under it as a cart is pressed that is ful of sheaves ; it was that which pressed down the angels to hel to be reserved in chains of darkness ; it was that which pressed down christ , and made him sweat drops of blood. and it is that that hath been a great weight and burden upon many thousands of gods saints ; it is that that the damned in hel lies under now , and must do so eternally , cursing , blaspheming of god. it is that that makes the whole creation to groan and travel in pain . however many people think ●lightly and meanly of it , yet when the lord doth lay it upon any soul , such a soul doth find it to be a burden indeed . chap. iii. the burden under sin , laid open in nine particulars . . when the soul not only apprehendeth , but is sensible of the evil of sin in the reality of it . . finds all the comfort that did attend sin before to vanish and come to nothing . . looks upon it self as loathsome , and is in some measure bowed to god. . trembles at the least thoughts and temptations to sin. . feel sin heaviest , where it is indeed heaviest . . feels the weight of sin to be such , as that no creature is able to remove it . . had rather be under any burden , then the burden of sin. . doth notwithstanding the weight thereof , justifie god. . doth not lie sullenly , and dispair under it , but attend for direction from god , how it may be freed there from . now you that are burdened with sin , and labor under this ; you are those that christ calls to himself to come to him that you may have rest unto your souls . for the opening of this , i shal shew you . first , how the soul is burdened with sin in a right way , so as jesus christ looks upon it , and doth invite it to come to him . how the soul is wrought upon , and what it feels in the burden of sin , that is here spoken of , that christ doth cal unto himself for to receive rest . secondly , why it is that the lord wil have the soul burdened for sin . thirdly , upon what ground it is , that jesus christ hath such a desire to have the soul come in to him , and doth invite the soul. and so apply it . for the frst . you that are weary , and heavy laden . christ invites the heavy laden ; [ heavy laden ] what is that ? the first burden of sin. first , those notions , or truths that before lay floating as it were in the understanding ; those truths of god , and apprehensions of the evil of sin that lay before as it were aloft in the understanding of a man ; now the lord causes them to sink down within the heart , and doth press the evil of sin upon the soul , making the soul now , not only to apprehend , but to be sensible of sin , of the evil of it , in the reallity of it ; it feels i say , those truths that were but hovering in the understanding before , now to settle upon the heart , and to press the heart with the real apprehension of sin ; saith the soul , i heard talking of it before , and i could speak of it before ; but now i feel it ; now saith the soul , those things that were as notions before are the greatest realities that are in the world ; the lord presseth them down upon the heart so as they are heavy upon the soul , so heavy as to be crushed as it were under them ; now al those vain reasonings , al those vain hopes , those shiftings that before the soul had for to quiet it self , they are now quite crushed under the real apprehensions of sin . if there should be a mill-stone upon the ground , and a few light things put on the top of it , and an other mill-stone should be let fal upon them , it would even grind them to pouder ; so before there were vain hopes , and vain reasonings in the heart . but when god causeth those truths and the realities of them to press upon the heart , it crusheth al those vain hopes , and vain reasonings to nothing . the second burden of sin. secondly , the soul that finds al those comforts that did attend sin before , to vanish and come to nothing ; there is scarce any man or woman in the world , or very few so vild as to delight in sin , meerly because it is sin without any other consideration ; but sin as it hath some comforts attending upon it , is pleasing unto the hearts of men ; as now there comes in perhaps som gain or pleasure to men , and that gives content to them ; but when the heart is burden'd with sin , the soul feels sin so weighty , as it is sensible of it , as a dreadful evil notwithstanding al the comforts that do attend it . al the comforts that attend upon sin do vanish and come to nothing ; now the soul can take no further contentment in any thing that comes in by sin ; & that is the second thing ; it is so burdened with sin as it can take no contentment with any thing that comes in by sin ; whatsoever gain comes in that way it casts it off : or whatsoever pleasure or other seeming accomodation sin is attended with , the soul looks upon them al with disdain . the third burden of sin. thirdly , the soul that is burdned with sin doth so feel the weight of it , as that the back is bowed down and tyred , at least makes it look upon it self as a vild and loathsom creature , and fit to be dealt withal as a vild and loathsom creature ; it is burdened so , as the heart is in some measure tired with it . the fourth burden of sin. fourthly , yea so burdened with sin , as that it now trembles at the least thought of sin , or temptation to sin fearing that if it should willingly comit any further known sin , that it would so ad unto the burden , as that it would press the soul down to eternall misery : it is so burdened , that it dares not ad any one sin more , as far as it can at least , it is afraid of adding any more sins least one more should sink it to hell. the fift burden of sin. fiftly , the soul feels sin heaviest where indeed it is heaviest , when it is rightly burdened , it feels it heavy , because of the wrath of god that is due to it ; but it is most heavy because it is against the infinit holy god ; and rule of righteousness ; there lieth the weight of al , that by it i have struck at the infinit holy god , and bin an enemy to him , as you have had opened to you at large . now when the heart is truely burdened with sin , it feels sin heaviest there , as it is against such an infinit blessed holy god , that is so infinitely worthy of al honor from me . the sixt burden of sin. sixtly , when the heart is truely burdened , with sin ; it is so burdened , and feels such a weight , as it clearly apprehends that no creature in heaven or earth is able to remove and take it away , it is made so sensible of the weight of sin , that it feels & apprehends it self to lie under such a weight , as no creature in heaven or earth is able to take away , & if there comes not some power beyond the power of any creature , here must i lie downe and be prest eternally under this weight . as suppose a poore man should lie under a greivous burden , in some ditch or the like , and there comes it may be a child to him , or there flies a bird over him , or there runs a dog by him ; but alas , he thinks with himself , i may lie long enough notwithstanding al these , there must come some other strength to help me , or else i must surely perish ; so the soule lies under the burden of sin , and thinks , lord what a burden have i brought my self under , so great that if al the men in the world , or al the angels in heaven should come to me they cannot help me ; they may speake good words to me but they cannot help me , it is only the almighty power of god that is able to help me : now the soul feels sin to some purpose , when once it feels that there is no created power , no finite power but only the infinit power of the great god that can help it , and give it ease . the seventh burden of sin . seventhly , and then in the next place , the soul that is truly burdened with sin had rather ten thousand times have any burden upon it , then the burden of sin ; there was a time that sin was delightful to me , but now i would rather have any burden upon me then this , i did before think , that those that wanted the comfort of the creature , and were outwardly poore , and mean , were miserable , but now had i al the outward miseries in the world upon my back , i had rather bear them al then this burden ; i have felt much affliction in my dayes , but this burden and this weight , is most greivous and heaviest of al , oh! if the lord would but take off this weight , and this burden from me , let him lay what weight and burden upon me he wil. thus the soul that is rightly burdened with sin is affected . the eighth burden of sin . eighthly , again , though it feels much weight of sin upon it , yet in al this it justifies god , and doth not think hard thoughts of god notwithstanding the heavy hand of god is upon him . it s true i feel gods heavy hand is upon me ; and presseth me sore but yet gods hand is just , he is righteous in al this , let him have glory whatsoever becoms of me , for the truth is , i have brought this burden upon my self ; there was a time that i heaped up one sin after another , as if i could never have had weight enough upon me , but now i find it heavy , oh! the sins of my youth they lie heavy now upon my soul , my lying and swearing , and the loss of my time , and my saboth-breaking ; oh! the lord is righteous in al his waies . and in this manner doth the heart work that is burdened in such a way as the lord doth intend good unto . the ninth burden of sin. ninthly , and lastly ; though it be under such a burden as is almost intollerable yet it is not sunk down in despare , under its burden , as a beast while it is under a burden , for a little while it wil strugle and strive under it , but afterwards it wil lie down and be sullen and die under it . but now those that are burdened with sin in such a manner as the lord doth use to prepare the heart for his sonn by ; they feel the weight indeed of it , but so feel the weight as they labor , that is , their hearts are yet active and stirring and working , attending stil upon any directions that god hath to give them out of his word , their hearts do keep active and crying to god and waighting to know what the mind of god is towards them , and are willing to do any thing that god shal require of them , they do not lie sullen and dead as it were under the burden of their sinns . now if there be any soule in this condition expressed in the nine particulars before mentioned , if there be any such as these , know , that these are they that christ doth in a more especial manner cal unto , and saith ; come to me yee that are thus weary and heavy laden and i wil give you rest . chap. iv. two cautions touching the burden of sin , . that 't is no condition of the covenant of grace . that it doth not interest the soul in christ , nor give it rest in him . whereunto certain consequences are annexed . now i must lay down two cautions before i come to give the reasons of the point . object . you will say , what do you speak of these burdens , of the necessity of the souls being burdened with the weight of sin , that it may come to christ for ease and rest ? surely there is no such thing required . answ . to that i answer , that al this burden of the soul for sin , is not any condition of the covenant of grace , that must be granted ; there is no other condition but beleeving in christ ; it is not looked upon as a condition . in the second place , you must know , that all this burden of the soul for sin , it doth not interest the soul in christ , nor give it rest in christ . i may be thus burdened for sin , yet except i do beleeve indeed , that there be an act of faith beyond this , i shall not obtain rest . then hence , we must not ground our faith upon being burdened for sin , to think , because we are burdened , therefore we shal be pardoned and saved ; we must not lay the stress and weight of our faith , upon the feeling the weight of our sin , that which we must pitch our faith upon , is not our trouble , the trouble of our souls for our sins ; but those troubles that the soul of jesus christ suffered for sin . it is a note of great use , and i beseech you observe it ; you must know this , that when your hearts are troubled for sin , you must not think that this is the condition of the covenant of grace ; nor you must not make this the object of your faith , as to think thus , because i am thus troubled , therefore i may beleeve that my sin is pardoned , no , i must not pitch my faith upon my own trouble , but upon the trouble of jesus christ ; those troubles that the soul of jesus christ did endure by way of satisfaction . first : then hence will follow , that it is not any degree of trouble for sin , how much soever one hath been troubled for sin , or how little soever that gives them interest , or not interest in christ . i say , it is not the measure of it ; for certainly if we could come to christ without any burden or sence of our sin ; if it were possible that we could come to christ ( i say ) without any such being burdened for sin , we might ; but because that jesus christ doth work upon the heart in a rational way , as a rational creature , although he doth work above reason , and conveys supernatural grace that is beyond reason ; yet still he doth work upon the heart as a rational creature . now therefore the work of reason must be made subservient to the work of gods grace , usually , when the lord works upon a soul , he makes use of the work of reason , to make that subservient to the work of his grace . now because no man can come to a savior , but he must know what need he hath of a savior ; therefore if i come to christ as a savior to save my soul from sin , i must apprehend what sin is , that i may be sensible of it . secondly : if god doth work upon the soul as a rational creature , then he makes use of this to be a means to stop the soul in the course of sin ; for before the sinner is made sensible of the evil of his sin , he goes on in a full carear as it were , and nothing wil stop him in his course . but now when the soul comes to be thus burdened , the soul it stopped , and doth not run in that full stream of wickedness as it did before , and that is one good means to help the soul towards christ , the very stopping of it in the course of sin . thirdly : this is the means in a rational way to make the soul attend to any call of christ , for before christ may call to sinners out of his word , come to me , and beleeve in me , but they do not feel the burden of their sin , and therefore they do not come ; if a man be under a heavy burden in a dark night , if he hears the least noise of the feet of any man , then he cries out for help . so the soul under the heavy burden of sin , doth rejoyce to hear of any direction out of the word to come to christ . fourthly : the soul comes to prize mercy , and mercy will take a deep impression upon the heart that is burdened ; when the heart is burdened with sin ; oh , how dear , and sweet , and precious , are mercies then . fiftly : and further , when the soul is burdened with sin , it is in a rational way prepared to take the yoak of christ . before it did cast it off , but now feeling sin to be a heavier burden than any other whatsoever , it is more prepared to take upon it the yoke of jesus christ ; now when the soul is under this burden , then christ calls in love to ease and give rest to those souls that are under such a burden . chap. v. the reasons of the former doctrine . . christ hath all mercy in him . . the end why he came into the world , was to give rest to burdened souls . . christ himself was once under some kind of this burden . . he is to have the glory of all the ease which is given to sinners . the third thing is , reasons why jesus christ doth desire and invite souls to come to him . reason i. first : because that all is given to christ ; christ hath all the mercy of the father in him ; for the fulness of the godhead dwels in him , and therefore he must needs pitty such a soul . there is a law in deuteronomy , that if a beast be under a burden , and ready to perish , god requires that you should not withdraw your self from the beast , though it be the beast of your enemy , but to help it . now if god would have us to be so merciful ( who have but drops of mercy in us ) when we see a beast , and that of our enemies , under a burden , then surely the lord christ that hath the fulness of the mercy of the infinite god in him ; when he shall see an immortal soul under such a burden , and ready to perish , and it cries to him for help , certainly christ will ease and help that soul . reason ii. secondly , we know that christ came into the world on purpose , christ was anointed and sent for that end to bind up the broken hearted and give them ease ; christ is designed by god the father for this very work , and therefore he wil do it ; he is appointed by god the father for to ease burdened souls , it is his work ; therefore when christ sees any poor soul burdened under sin , saith christ , here is work for me ; he came not to cal the righteous , but sinners to repentance , here is that that i came from heaven for , it is the very business that i was sent from my father to do ; it is the work my father sent me into the world for . reason iii. thirdly , christ himself once felt some burden of this kind , and he knows what it is to be burdened with sin , he was made sin for us , so the scripture saith in the cor. . . he was made sin ; christ had the weight of al the sins of the elect upon him , and did feel what the weight of sin was . christ hath experience what it is to be burdened with sin , and with the wrath of god the father for sin . certainly when christ lay groveling with his face upon the ground and sweated drops of blood then he was under a great burden . christ had the great burden of mans sin upon him , and of the wrath of god that was due to mans sin , and he had it upon him til he sweat under it ; now christ himself having been under it ; certainly he cannot but pitty poor burdened sinners . reason iv. fourthly , it is christ that is to have the glory of the ease of sin , and those souls that are burdened for sin , if ever they have ease ; they wil give the lord jesus al the glory . now first christ having al the mercy of god the father , and being sent into the world to bind up al broken hearts , and having experience of the burden of sin . and fourthly knowing that he shal have al the glory , in delivering and easing of souls ; certainly christ doth account it worth al his sufferings , that he might have the glory in easing of troubled souls , as many chyrurgions account it to be their glory , to have the honor of curing desperate cures ; the lord jesus wil glory in this to al eternity . when al the poor burdened souls that ever he did ease shal be brought before him , and shal be acknowledged before god and his angels . oh! here are those , many thousand souls that were under their burdens , and were ready to perish and i have eased them , and here they shal rest from al their labors for ever ; christ cals sinners upon these gro●ds . chap. vi. the application , exhorting sinners to come unto christ , with answers unto certain objections . application . now for a word of application : doth christ cal for burdened souls ; to come to him that they may have rest ? then those that are burden'd should harken to what christ saith in this congregation this morning ; is there any poor soul that is ready to perish under the weight of sin , that goes under the load of it ; christ cals to that soul to come to him . it were a grievous thing for christ to come and cal into such a congregation , and there should be none there . nay , i cannot but think , there may be many in this congregation that shal hear the cal of christ . christ many times cals where there are none to answer : we may say in this case as our saviour christ said in another , the harvest is great , but the laborers are but few ; so we may say , the harvest of sin is great , but the laborers under the burden of sin , are but very few : many there are that would cast the burden of sin upon christ , but they do as the pharisees did , cast heavy burdens upon others , but they themselves wil not touch them with one of their fingers . so many would cast the burden of sin upon christ , but they will not feel it themselves . o! let me speak to you , what chamber , or closet can witness that you have been sending strong cries unto god , as being under that grievous burden . a beast if it lies under a burden , it wil roar and cry out for help . so certainly if your souls were prest with the burden of sin , there would be mighty cries to god to ease you of that burden : but to most people in the world , sin is very light : well , know , that as christ himself felt sin to be a heavy burden , so one way or other they must feel it , either here , or hereafter ; but blessed is that man or woman , that feels the weight of sin while he may be delivered from it , that he be not hereafter prest under the weight of it . we read of pharoah , when the people of israel came for ease , he bids them go to their burdens ; that , that he did unjustly , christ might do to many righteously hereafter , when you upon your sick beds , or death beds hereafter , shal cry for mercy , christ may say to you , go to your burdens ; when any thing of the word came to press sin upon your souls , you cast it off . o! 't is a dangerous condition , when men and women cannot only sin enough : but now when any truth of god should lay sin upon their hearts , they cast it out , and they think hardly of those truths of god that would come and ●ind their sins to their consciences , and so burden them with their sins ; but it should be otherwise with us . if those that be thus laden with their sins , be those that christ doth call to him , we should not think so hardly of those truths of god that doth reveal the evil of sin unto us , but rather let us joyn with those truths of god , and labor to burden our own hearts ; for you see that those that are burdened , christ cals them to him that they might have rest ; there is no other burdens that we are to bring upon our selves , but rather seek to avoid them ; but as for the burden of sin , we are to burden our hearts with that , and to labor to lay our sins to our hearts , and to press them there , and to charge them upon our own spirits with all the aggravations we can , and to joyn with the work of gods spirit , when the spirit of god comes to lay sin upon the soul , to joyn with it , and to say , lord , i begin to be more sensible of my sins , than i was before , lord , humble me through it , let me be under thy hand as long as thou pleasest , only work thy good work upon me . object . but you wil say ; we may sink under the burden of sin. answ . o no ; those that cast off the burden of sin they are most like to sink under it ; now can you think that the lord wil suffer such a soul to sink under the burden , that doth burden it self , that god might have glory : but those that are unwilling , and are forced to be burdened , that never are sensible of the burden of sin , til al the props and comforts of the creature are taken away . upon their sick beds , and death beds , then men are burdened with sin , and why ? because the props are taken away ; before they had comforts , and estates , and such things which are as so many props ; but now god comes and takes the props , and down they f●l upon us . that is the reason that many upon their death beds lie ro●ring and crying out so bitterly for their sins ; and why ? because the lord hath cut asunder the props , and now it lies heavy upon their hearts . now christ cals ; come to me you that are weary and heavy laden ; come to me saith christ , know that you are in a fa● better condition , than you were , when you went on with delight in sin ; you are now in the way that god doth use to bring them in , that he hath a purpose to do good unto : i remember in the gospel where the poor blind man cryed to christ , o son of david have mercy upon me , and stil cryed ; at length christ heard the cry of the blind man and asked what it was ? now those that were by him , they go to the poor blind man and say to him , be of good comfort , he calls ; he might say ; i , but my eyes be not opened ; i , but be of good comfort he calls . so i say to al burdened sinners ; be of good comfort troubled soul , christ calls thee ; he saith come to me al ye that are weary , and heavy laden ; he doth not say , thou that art so much laden ; christ cals thee to him . object . i but ( thou wilt say ) i have no ease , if i were sure that my sins were pardoned , & i should be saved , then i should have ease and comfort . answ . i but poor soul be of good comfort , thou art called ; he doth not say , thou art a wretched wicked creature , and depart from me thou cursed , as he wil say to sinners hereafter ; that might have been thy condition ; but thou didst not heare the voice from christ this day , depart from me : but thou doest heare this voice this day from christ , come to me al you that are weary and heavy laden : christ is neer to you ; the lord is neer to the broken heart ; he is neere to the contrite spirit . and know this , the longer thou art under the burden of thy sin , there wil come the more comfort hereafter . now there is a burden of sin upon thee , and there wil be a weight of glory , hereafter ; so the scripture speakes of a weight of glory , as wel as of a weight of sin , be willing to beare the weight of sin quietly ; say with the prophet , i wil be willing to beare the indignation of the lord because i have sinned against him . so say thou : 't is fit my soul should beare a burden , be content to wait now , do you the same thing that christ did when he was under his burden : mark what he did in heb. . . see how the heart of christ was affected when he felt the weight of our sins upon him ▪ in the dayes of his flesh he offered up prayers , and supplications with strong cryes and teares unto him that was able to save him from death , and was heard in that he feared . goe thy way o soul , and get into the presence of god , and tel god of thy burdens that thou feelest , make thy moan unto him , and let it be with praiers and supplications , and strong cryes ; and tel him lord i fear least my soul should be prest down to eternal death under this burden : tel him of thy feares this way , and it is very probable , that thy soul shal be heard , and according to this invitation here , surely , there is rest for thee as wel as for any , while thou art crying out under thy burden , for ought thou knowest , or any angel in heaven the pardon of thy sins may be sealling in heaven , and therefore do not make any desperate conclusion against thy own soul , for thy pardon may be a sealing , and then the lord wil send a messenger to tel thee of this . nay , do i tel thee that the●e wil a messenger come . behold here in this text , the lord jesus christ comes , the angel of the covenant cryes to thee , come o come , come freely , though thou hast no good at al in thee , there is enough in me to give rest unto that soul that doth most labor under the greatest burden of sin that ever was . i 'll now conclude with that that i began with al at the first . o remember again the dependance of these words with the former ; that he that cals to thee to come to him for rest , it is he that hath received al things of the father ; and what hath he received them of the father for , but for such poor soules as these are ? chap. . the burden under the law laid open in eleven particulars , . the law requireth of us such things which we are unable to perform . . it requireth absolute perfection . . it accepteth not of any of our endeavours . . vpon any one breach of the law the sinner looseth al ability for ever keeping any part of it afterward . . vpon any breach thereof , it presently bindeth over the sinner to eternal death . . it requireth constant obedience . . being once broken , it cannot be satisfied with any after obedience . . it accepts of no repentance . . it only layes open a mans misery , and there leaves him , without shewing him any remedy . . there is no appeale from it , nor repealing of it . . the more it cometh to be revealed , the more are our corruptions stirred up . where some objections are answered , or doubts resolved . having finished the burden of the guilt of sin. the next is , the burden of the law. come to me ( saith christ ) you that are weary and heavy laden , and i wil give you rest , viz. you that labor under the burden of the law , and legal performances ; i wil put those two together having a necessary dependance one upon the other : though i intend to handle them distinctly . first , you who come to see the great bondage that you are in under the law , and feele the great burden that is upon you in seeking after justification by the law and have done so for a long time ; saith christ , know that you have been deceived in looking after your justification on that way ; you have labored , and toyled in vain , for it wil not be gotten that way ▪ come to me , and you shal have such rest to your soules , as you never yet have felt , nor never shal feel by that way . this i take fully to be the scope of christ , as wel a● the other . now for the burden of the law ; that the law compared to a burden wil appeare by that expression which you have in rom. . . for sin shal not have dominion over you , for you are not under , the law , but under grace ; he speakes to those that were delivered , and faith , they were not now under the law , there was a time indeed that they were under the law ; the law lay upon them as a heavy burden ; but they came afterwards under grace , & they had a yoke there also ( even grace it self brings some kind of yoake ) but not such a yoake as the law doth . christ himself saith , take my yoak presently ; but the yoke is very easie in comparison of the yoke of the law. now that i might open what the burden under the law is ; which if a sinner comes to understand , any soul once comes to understand ; it is impossible but it must be laden and burdened ; it wil be a load upon them , a heavy load to those that understand it ; even the burden of the law . therefore for the understanding of it which i look upon as exceeding necessary , or else you cannot understand christ aright ; for it is not enough for us barely to understand christ ; but we must understand christ as one that is the great saviour , to deliver us from the law ; one that comes to give rest and ease to us from the law ; now except we understand the yoke , and burden of the law , we cannot understand the worth of christ in comming to give us ease and rest from it . . then i shal endeavour to shew what the yoke and burden of the law is . and then what is the burdensom condition of the soul that seeks after righteousness by legal performances . in the first place , the law requires of us such things that we are not able possibly to performe ; it requires things of us that we cannot do ; you wil say that is a greivous burden indeed , to be put upon that that we cannot do : now the law doth so onely at the first , that you may not think it hard it doth not put you upon any thing that god did never inable you to do , for that you would say were hard , and how could god justly do it ; but it puts you upon that which now you cannot do ; but you have brought this [ cannot ] upon your selves ; it would not have been any burden , to adam , as god made man first in innocency , there the law could have bin no burden : but now as we are fallen consider what our condition is now , and it is a greivous burden , for it puts us upon that which we cannot do , al the strength that we have should it be put forth to the performance of the law , yet we could not do it ; but we must not think that because we have lost our power , therefore gods law should not goe on ; the law hath its course whether we have power , or no power , because god gave it us , and we have lost it , this i take to be the meaning of that scripture in acts . . now therefore why tempt you god to put a yoke upon the neck of the disciples which neither our fathers , nor we were able to beare ; the law is such a yoke which neither we , nor our fathers were able to beare . object . i : but it may be said , this is meant of the ceremonial law. answ . to that i answer , certainely , if the ceremonial law were a yoke , then take al together ceremonial and moral and it was greater ; take meerly the performing of outward ceremonies , and it was not such an intolerable yoke ; but we must take the whole law in the latitude of it , & that wil appear to be the meaning ; for the question was here , not only about the ceremonial law ; but about moses law in general , and about justification by it : this was the question that the church of antioch sent to the church of jerusalem to be informed about , for this was al the sinod that was here in acts , . there were certain men came from jerusalem to the city of antioch and there taught , that they must stil of necessity keep moses law for justification . now the church of antioch being troubled that some should come from jerusalem and teach this doctrine amongst them ; they sent certain brethren to the church of jerusalem to be informed further about this question , and you may see at the ● . verse , there arose certain of the sect of the pharisees which beleived , saying that it was needful to circumcise them and to command them to keep the law of moses as to the matter of justification . now in the assembly of jerusalem peter riseth up and tels the rest , that they should take heed what they do , and not put such a yoke upon the disciples , especially that of the law , which neither we nor our fathers were able to beare ; and that it is not only meant ceremonial but moral ; it appeares at the . verse we beleeve that through the grace of our lord jesus christ we shal be saved even as they . now the grace of our lord jesus christ is not only opposite to the ceremonal law , but to the moral law , when it is taught in way of justification to life . so that this law that is such a yoke is that that is opposite to the grace of christ that brings salvation ; it is that law that reveales sin ; it is that law which is the minister of death , by which the mouths of al come to be stopped , so that it is a heavy yoke , those that are under this law : that is , such as are under the first covenant , the covenant of works , that seek for justification by that , they are under a greivous burden , they are the children of the bond woman , for the law requires that that is impossible for them to do . now when a soul comes to see and understand it self to bee under the law such a law as requires things impossible to be done ; this burdens the soul , & so by this means it comes to see the need it hath of christ , and christ cals to such to come to him : as if he should say : so long as you continue unbeleivers in your natural condition , you are under such a covenant for life , as requires that of you which you cannot possibly do and therefore there is no resting in that condition : come therefore to me , take my yoke , my easie yoke , the other is a heavy yoke : but i wil shew you a way for ease and rest to your soules . that is the first . but though the law may require hard things , & impossible things yet it may remit in some other things . wherefore . . in the second place : this is the yoke and bondage of the law : that in every thing that it doth command , it doth require absolute perfection ; accepts of nothing but absolute perfection in every thing that it doth comand ; it doth not onely comand hard things ; but whatsoever the law requires , it doth require an absolute perfection in it , or otherwise casts the soul if there be but a failing on any particular in any degree of that which the law requires , the law casts the soul by it . it requires not only that the thing should be done , but that it should be done , in a right manner ; that it should be done out of a right principle , that it should be done in the perfection of degrees , to the uttermost that is required : that there should not onely be a direction of our lives according to the rule , but that we come up fully to the rule , this the law requires : now what a miserable yoke and burden is this , for a poor soul to look upon the law as requiring , first things that i cannot do . and secondly absolute perfection admitting of no imperfection at al : this is a heavy yoke : this neither we nor our fathers could beare : and those that come to be sensible of this , must needs be under a greivous burden , and so se a need of jesus christ , christ cals those that do understand this . it is true if it were thus , and people were left without any help , and remedy , it were a sad condition ; truly if christ had not come into the world to put himself under the law , we had been left thus ; and al those that do not understand the gospel , that have not had christ preached unto them they are al thus , they are al in this condition ; they are under a law that they cannot performe , that law which doth require absolute and perfect obedience in every thing or else casts them . thirdly , the burden of the law is this ; you may say ; though it doth require perfect obedience ; but wil it accept of no endeavours at al ? suppose we do endeauor to obey to the uttermost that we can ? there are many men wil require things that are hard , and beyond strength , i but when there are endeavours to do that that is required , that wil be accepted : wherefore we are to know this ; that the law accepts of no endeavours ; though a man , or woman should strive their hearts out to obey , to come to the height of the perfection of the law , the law doth not accept of those endeavors : it is true , when the soul comes unto christ in the gospel ; when the soul comes under the covenant of grace ; endeavors are accepted ; therefore do not say that god wil not accept of our endeavors , and why should we endeavor ? yes , if you come unto christ your endeavors wil be accepted , as we shal shew you when we come to discourse the rest that the soul hath in christ ; but now here is an argument to drive poor souls to christ ; to consider that while you are out of christ , your endeavors are not accepted , you are not in away of life ; for life , and salvation , it is not to be had in the condition you are now in : for the law requires obedience , it must have the work done ; you can be but either under the covenant of works , or the covenant of grace ; so long as you are under the covenant of works , there the work is called for , and not meerly endeavors , that wil not do ; therefore the apostle saith in the rom. . . for moses describeth the righteousness of the law ; that he which doth those things shal live by them : you must either be righteous by the righteousness of the law , or by the righteousness of christ ; now if you would be righteous by the righteousness of the law ; hear what it is ; he that doth these things shal live by them ; if you do them , moses doth not say , he that endeavors to do these things ; he that strives to do these things ; no , but moses saith he that doth them ; he that doth these things shal live by them ; it must be doing ▪ and not endeavoring , that the law accepteth , and that is the third thing wherein the bondage of the law consists . saith christ come to me and you shal have rest ; it is by beleeving in christ that you must have rest . there can be no rest but a grievous burden upon the soul til it doth come to christ ; if it doth understand things ; and if it doth not understand these things , it is in so much the worse condition ; though perhaps it be not sensible of such a burden through ignorance , as most people spend off al their daies and through ignorance do not come to be sensible of it ; but when the soul comes to understand what tearms there are between god and it , and how it must stand before god , that it must either stand by vertue of a covenant of works , or a covenant of grace , and that al naturally are under a covenant of works ; and so long as i am in my natural condition , i am under such a law that accepts of no endeavors , this must needs be a great burden unto the soul and make it to see an absolute necessity of going to christ for ease and rest . fourthly , the burden of the law is exceeding great in this respect . that upon any one breach of the law , the soul comes to be broken so as to lose ability to be able to keep any part of the law for ever ; i said there is this in the law more then in the gospel ; that upon any one breach of the law in the covenant of works , the soul comes to be so broken , as to loose all the abilities of ever keeping any part of the law again ; as thus , i shewed you in adam . adam was the head of the first covenant of works , of the law ; now adam he breaks it in one particular , failed in one particular of what god required of him , and in breaking of it in that one thing , he , and al his posterity was so broken that they lost all their abilities of keeping of the law for ever , except god come and create any ability , they have lost what ability was given at first in their creation ; so then this is a very great mistery , that one by doing a thing that is evil should weaken the contrary habit ; that by doing a thing that is evil we should quite loose the habit , that is quite loose the habit by one act ; and not only loose the habit that is contrary to the particular evil that we do , but loose al habits of al good whatsoever , and that by one act ; now this is a thing above nature ; this is only by vertue of the covenant of works . god makes such a covenant ; it runs upon such tearms , as if adam did but sin in one thing , he must die ; that is , his soul as wel as his body must die a spiritual death , and so loose al habits of al grace . and this is the reason , why we are by nature dead in sin . further , such is the condition of the law , that suppose god should restore us al to be as perfect as ever adam was in the state of innocency , void of al sin , and having the image of god perfect , and then god should come and put us upon the covenant of works again ; i say if we then should but fail in any one thing , it would break us so , as we should loose al our abilities to perform any duty ever after : this is the condition of the law ; but it is not so with the gospel ; though we sin against the gospel ; we do not presently loose al our habits of grace ; but the reason of the difference ; that though adam when he sinned against the law , he lost al his habits to do any good after , and that though we sin against the gospel ; yet we do not loose those habits . that i shal shew afterwards , when i shal come to shew , that the yoke of the gospel is easier then that of the law. and that is the fourth thing in the burden of the law. fiftly , the first thing is this . that the law upon every breach it doth take advantage against the soul presently ; i say takes advantage against the soul presently and binds it over to death , to eternal death , presently binds it over ; yea , and doth actually put it under a curse upon every breach , instantly it doth it ; its true , the law it may be is not presently executed , as soon as a sinner hath broken it , but this is certain that though god doth not come upon you as soon as you have broken the law , yet know that there are these three things come upon every one that is out of chirst , as soon as any one sin is committed , there are these three things come upon him presently . first , he is bound over by gods justice , by such abond as hath more strength in it then al the power of heaven and earth is able to break ; as a man that hath done that that is evil , it may be the law hath not present execution upon him , i but he is bound over presently . and not only so , but in the second place , the law passeth sentence , the binding over that is the guilt , but the law passes sentence upon the sinner , and condemns it ; the soul is presently under the sentence of condemnation . thirdly , the law puts the sinner under a curse , for so it is in the latter end of the . of deu. cursed is every one that abides not in every thing that is written in the book of the law to do it . mark , [ every one ] that abides not [ in every thing ] he is pronounced accursed , and that is a fift perticular . sixtly , and in the sixt place . this law requires constant obedience also : and such is the rigour of it ; that if you should obey it never so much for a great part of your lives ; if you should conceive you could obey it perfectly for a great while ; yet if at last you should offend in any one particular you are cast for al ; and al that you have done before is utterly rejected ; it wil take advantage against you for any one particular . if it were possible that all your life time you should keep it and at the last houre of your life break it in any one particular ; certainly you would be condemned by it ; this is the condition of the law ; for so it is in those words that are named ; though you do it , if you do not abide to do ( every thing ) if there be but any one thing whereby it can take advantage , it will certainly condemn you for it . this is the condition of al that are under the covenant of works ; and is not this a load ? would not this burden the soul ? if so be the soul comes to understand it ; and whether it understands it or not , yet certainly it is the truth of god. seventhly , a seventh burden of the law is this , that when once the sinner hath broke it , the law cannot be satisfied with any obedience which may make amends afterwards , by any thing that the sinner can do ; suppose a man should be never so angry and offended , he that hath offended him may make amends , again a servant thinks , though i have offended my master and done so many faults ; yet , i wil make amends for al. so many people think though we have broken the law of god ; and lived a great while in sin , and done that which is evil ; yet we wil make amends again ; and we wil give almes ; and come to church and the like . these are the reasonings of many poor ignorant hearts , that do not understand upon what tearms they stand with god ; al the children of men stand before god either under a covenant of works ; or under the covenant of grace , one of the two : now those kind of men that reason after this manner , surely they are not acquainted with the covenant of grace ; they are under the covenant of works ; and now let them know that the covenant of works admits of no such amends as they speak of ; but when once you have broken the law all that ever you can do ; if you could live a thousand years never so strictly ; or be willing to suffer never so much for god ; yet all this will not satisfie for what is past ; many when they have sinned and their consciences are a little awakned for it , then they think to live better and to do otherwise afterwards ; as if they would make amends for what is done before ; but you must know that this is a meer deceit and wil not satisfie , you must come to me saith christ ; you must come to christ and beleeve in him , or otherwise all that you can do wil never make amends ; you wil say , if we cannot make amends what shal become of us ; it is true , if there were not a savior , a christ : our condition were sad certainly amends must be made , but it is impossible that ever you can make amends : and this you must think of : you must not only think of what you are bound to do , for the time that is to come : but how the breach of the law shal be made up for that which is past ; & when the sinner comes to think of these two together , i have thus sinned , lord what shal i do for time to come ; i & what shal i do to make up the breach of the law for that which is past ; this wil burden the soul ; and the soul wil feel upon this such a burden that nothing in the world can give it rest tel it come to christ ; if we did apprehend this we would see that our condition out of christ were a restless condition ; and this invitation of christ would be very acceptable . now because i was loth to tel you of rest before i had opened a little this burden , for otherwise you might say as those jewes did to christ in an other case when christ told them if the son made them free , they should be free indeed ; why , say they , are we bound to any man , it is in john. . . why do you talk of freedom to us . if i should have gone on in the invitation [ come to me and i wil give you rest ] come to christ . why what restless condition are we in , you might have said ? but now when you see your restless condition , then i suppose you wil be willing to harken to the invitation [ come to me and i wil give you rest ] those things wil make you to know what it is to beleeve , and to come to christ , when you come to understand what you are in being out of christ . . an eighth particular is this ; that the law accepts of no repentance , as it wil not be made amends for ; so it wil not accept of repentance . let the sinner be never so sorrowful for what he hath done , and lament his sin never so much ; if he could bewail his sin with teares of blood , the law would not accept of this . you wil say this is a strange doctrine , that our repentance should not be accepted of . i do not say absolutely , that god wil accept of no repentance ; but i say that the law wil accept of no repentance . repentance is the doctrine of the gospel ; the law preacheth no such doctrine as the doctrin of repentance ; it is an evangelical doctrine : but now repentance , that is merely trouble of conscience , that i see my self in such danger of the law , this may be a natural repentance , and not evangelical ; that is , i see i have undone my self by reason of my sin , and now am troubled , and so go no further ; i say this is a natural repentance , and not evangelical . when you do think of repenting of your sins , this is a saving meditation for you to think of your repentance , thus : i am now sorry and repent , and am humbled for my sin ; i but this is through a second covenant , through a covenant of grace , that this can be accepted , it is infinit mercy in god and that in christ , it is purchased by the blood of christ , that any sorrow for any sin shal ever be accepted of god , you must thank christ for that ; and therefore when you come to the work of mourning for sin , you should come to it as a work of the gospel , as an evangelical work , and so come freely to it ; for that which is a work of the gospel , is a fruit of the blood of christ , and it is a great mercy of god unto you that you may be admitted to come before him to sorrow for your sins in such a way as you may be saved : al your tears , and trouble for sin except it be through the grace of the gospel , it is not accepted , and yet how many thousands of poor souls never think of this in the work of their repentance ; perhaps when they lie upon their sick or death beds , their consciences tels them that there is a hel and misery for sinners , and there they lie roaring and crying out , but the truth is they never understand the way of god in the covenant of grace : and how the lord hath looked upon the children of men under the covenant of works , and now hath entred into a second covenant through his son , and there hath provided a way for their salvation which could not be in the other covenant : we are to know that the law doth accept of no repentance ; now o! what a bondage is this that when i am sorrowful for my sins , and think that god wil pardon me , then i am curst by such a law , that wil accept of no repentance : but when we come to christ , there godly sorrow is accepted of : and it is said to be sorrow unto life , but that is the priviledg of those that are under the covenant of grace in christ : therefore consider seriously of this point , that you may make a difference between a covenant of works , and a covenant of grace . i know nothing in al divinity that is greater for you to understand then these two things : and those people that are not acquainted with these two covenants , they understand but little in those misteries of religion that may bring salvation ; i say little or nothing of true divinity is understood by people , that do not understand the difference between the first and the second covenant , between the covenant of works and the covenant of grace ; and the right understanding of the difference between these two , would let in abundance of knowledg . i dare undertake that after people come to have the understanding of these two , and to know the difference of them , in one quarter of a year , they wil come to have let into their hearts more knowledg in the main principles of religion then they had in many years before , and for want of knowing this one thing , people do most grosly mistake in abundance of points of religion , and never come to understand , and to know christ at al in that way that is propounded in the gospel . and that is the eighth thing . ninthly , in the ninth place : the burden of the law appears in this : that it only opens to man his misery , and there leaves him ; as if a chyrurgeon should open a wound , and there leave it , ( as it were ) in the open aire . the law tels not man of any way of redemption , of any way of deliverance , but meerely shews unto us our misery and so leaves us . i do not mean the law that is in the book of the old testament , for there is gospel mingled . i do not say that moses doth not tel us of any way of redemption ; but i mean the law of the covenant of works so far as that is revealed in moses , and that is revealed in the new testament in a great p●rt of it ; that only shewes us our misery , and there leaves us ; but grace , and truth , and mercy , that comes in by jesus christ . tenthly , a tenth particular wherein the greivous bondage under the law appeares , is this . that it is such a law as there can be no appeal from it , no , nor no repealing of it , though it be thus strict , and thus severe , yet i say there is no appeale from it , nor no repealing of it : there are many laws that we may appeal from one to another , or if that law be hard it may be called in again : we cannot appeale from the authority of this law ▪ nor can it , be repealed . you wil say , this excluds us from al help , though there be many hard laws made by men and as long as they stand in force people are in a very sad condition ; yet there may be meanes to repeal them : but as for this law there can it seems be no appeale from it , nor repealing of it . may we not appeale from gods justice to gods mercy seat ? i have indeed spoken of such an expression , but that expession must be warily understood , for the truth is there is no proper appealing from the justice of god to his mercy ; when the sinner comes to christ it hath the pardon sealed in the court of justice , as wel as in the court of mercy ; there is no soule that is saved , but gods justice is as wel satisfied as his mercy is glorified , nor no repeale of this law . what must the law stand in force then ? yes , the law shal stand in force , and yet there shal be thousands of soules saved . how is that you wil say ? this is the mistery of the gospel that the law shal stand in force , and yet men shal be saved , there shal be a way to save men for al this , certainly if the law went on in its course , one would think that it would carry on al mankind to eternal destruction ; yea , and so it would have done but onely for this great saviour , and redeemer jesus christ that cals sinners to him , that they might have rest . he comes and puts himself under the law and what the law requires , he doth , and he suffers ; so that here is al the alteration , the law goes on , and hath its course , onely whereas it might have required to have had the course of it upon our selves in person ; now god is content that it should have its course upon our security . when a man oweth a debt , the law requires performance , it s one thing to have the law repealed , and an other to have the debter delivered : if a sure●● wil come and undertake the debt , he is delivered though he hath not paid it , & yet the law hath its course ; for the surety dischargeth what the debter should have done : so the way of salvation for any soul , it is not either by appealing from the law , or by the repealing of the law : but we must look upon the law to have its course , only to have its course upon christ our surety , who hath fully satisfied the law , and christ looked thus upon , is the true object of our faith , and except we apprehend christ thus , as one made under the law as the scripture saith , and one that did indure the law to have its course upon him , and so to satisfie the law : except we look upon christ thus , we look not upon him as the right object of our faith ; and christ he thus cals upon you that are weary and heavy laden to come to him : as if he should say poor sinners that are under such a covenant as this is , you know that though it be not repealed i have come and put my self under this law , it hath had its course upon me ; come to me , and the law shal be sattisfied , it shal have nothing to say against you , but you shal have through rest in me : come therefore to me . eleventhly : the eleventh thing in the law is , that it is so far from inabling us to perform that obedience which it requires , that ( in regard of our own wretched condition that we are now in ) the more it comes to be revealed , the more are our corruptions stirred up ; it doth through our fault , not from any fault in the law , stir up our corruptions so much the more . luther compares it to water cast upon lime , the law coming into the heart being in its natural condition till god oovercomes it by the grace of the gospell , is stirred up so much the more . you have a notable expression for this in the example of paul , who felt it thus in himself , in rom. . . for when we were in the flesh , the motions of sin which were by the law , did work in our members to bring forth fruit unto death ; and again in ver . . for sin taking occasion by the commandment wrought in me all manner of concupiscence . it took occasion by the commandment ; there are many people that are the worse by hearing the law revealed unto them , until god pleaseth to overcome their hearts by the grace of the gospel . now put all these together , and the soul that comes to be enlightened to understand these , do you not think that such a soul wil be burdened ? is it not a burden to be in this condition ? is it possible that the soul can have any rest in this condition ? you will say , these things are hard in themselves . but first if you did but understand the infinite holiness there is in god , and the infinite justice of god with whom you have to deal . and if you did but understand the perfect condition that god did make man in at the first ; present before your souls the infinite holiness and justice of the great god with whom you have to do ; and then present before your souls that perfect state that god did make man in innocency , and then these things wil be clear unto you . and if these things were only preached to you , and nothing else , they would seem to be hard ; but it is all in order to this invitation of christ . chap. viii . three conclusions arising from the former doctrine concerning the burden under the law ; namely , . that man by nature is in an evil case . . that it is a mighty work to save a soul. . that those vain thoughts whereby men think to pacifie their consciences , will stand them in no stead . now upon the hearing of these things , we may truly draw such conclusions as these . first , that certainly man is in an ill case , by nature . it is observed of the people of israel when pharoah did increase their bondage , the scripture tels us that the people saw that they were in an ill case ; so when we understand what a condition we are in under this bondage , we may conclude that verily man is in an ill case by nature . secondly , and a second conclusion may be drawn hence . that it is a mighty work to save a soul ; it is not a slight thing for a soul to come to be saved ; there must be great things done by god to save a soul . many people , they confess it is true they are sinners , but they cry to god to have mercy on them , and so they think it is presently done ; but did you consider of the condition that you are in naturally , and of the righteousness of god , you would then conclude it is a mighty work of god to save any soul , and that you had need fal upon the seeking of your salvation betimes . and then thirdly , hence wil follow this conclusion also , that those vain thoughts of men that they have had for pacifying their consciences , and the quieting of their hearts , wil stand them in no stead . as thus : many they reason thus : i am not so bad as others . what if you be not ; if you be under the law , you are cast a thousand thousand times over , you wil say that you do some good thing , and somtimes come to church , and pray to god ; but what is this to the keeping of the law ; if thou beest in thy natural estate , thy reasoning after this manner does argue that thou dost look after salvation by what thou hast done , and for men to say ; i do what i can , and i am sorry with all my heart that i can do no better , these are not reasonings that wil inable thee to stand with comfort before the infinite righteous god ; thou must know in what state thou art in under the law , and how thou art cast by the law ; these are not arguings that can bring rest to thy soul ; if it could , christ would never have called in this manner ; but you must know that such is your condition , that all the angels in heaven , and men in the world cannot give rest to your souls ; and if you did understand this ; you would thereby go away convinced of this truth ; wel i see that there is a burden upon me , howsoever i have not been sensible of it ; and it is such a burden as wil press me down to eternal misery , and i see now by this that i have need of a christ . certainly if congregations were sensible of this burden of the law ; oh! how would their souls rejoyce in this , and praise the lord that their eares are blessed to hear such a sound of the gospel as this , come to me and i wil give you rest . i appeal to you whether the opening of the law be not of use to make you come to christ ; there are a great many wanton spirits , that cal those ministers of god that seek out of conscience to do good to souls , and to draw them out of their natural estates ; legal men , legal preachers and the like ; i appeal to your consciences , upon the knowledg of these things whether you wil not come to know , the way of coming to christ better then you did before ; if i should have named the name of christ five hundred times over and over again , would you have come to understand the mistery of god in christ , so much as by hearing what the difference is between the first covenant of works , and being under the law ; and to tel you that christ came into the world to deliver us from this first covenant ; he comes , and takes our nature upon him , and puts himself under the law , that he might free us from such a heavy yoak , and bondage ; and in this blessed scripture , he calls all souls that do feel this yoak and burden to come to him that so they might have rest . and thus much for this first particular , what the bondage is that the soul is under , that is under the law ; are you sensible of this ? christ cals you ; perhaps some of you may say , we have not been sensible of this ; do you begin to understand it ? doth god begin to let in some light to you ? do you begin to feel it somthing weighty upon your hearts ? blessed be god for it , you are so much the fitter to hear of the covenant of grace . now when you come home , let the husband say to the wife ; we hear of two covenants as you have it in the . of the galla. . here are two covenants , and these two are set out in this allegory of the bond-woman and the free-woman , now til we come to understand what the other covenant is , we are under the former covenant , the covenant of works ; this is that you should labor to understand ; the husband and wife to aske one another of the difference between the two covenants ; ask but what the covenant of works is , and upon what tearms that runs , and the covenant of grace ; and upon what tearms that runs ; and so you will come especially to understand that that follows in this text with more profit and advantage to your souls . chap. ix . of the burden of legal performances , what it is ; with the burdensomness thereof laid open in twelve particulars . . there is no inward principle of doing . . in men that are only under the law , there 's a principle contrary to the performance thereof . . such are wearied with doing , getting no supply of strength to perform duty . . by their performances , they stil contract more guilt upon their souls . . what they do in obedience unto the law is only out of fear . . and with much straitness of spirit . . nothing comes of such performances . . they that perform duty in a meer legal way , never attain their end , which is , peace with god. . they know not whether god accepts of them , or rejects them . . they are forced unto duties instantly , presently , and upon the sudden , though to the hinderance of other duties of greater concernment ▪ which god requireth of them , at the same time . . though they go on ioyling , yet know they not whether they shal bold out unto the end . . their humiliation and trouble for not doing what they ought to do , binders them from doing what god requires . now there is one thing more that is as an appendix unto the burden of the law , flowes indeed from , and is tyed unto the burden of the law , and that is , the burden of legal performances , not only the burden of the law in regard of what the law requires , the perfect obedience that the law requires , that burden comes from the law it self , but now there is a burden that many are under , a very heavy and grievous burden , and that is , the burden of legal performances , and this is that that is to be the subject of this chapter . i intend to go no further then to speak of that burden to open it a little to you , and that as i told you at the first opening of the text is the interpretation of chrisostom upon this text , you that are weary and heavy laden , that is you that are laden with the burden of seeking righteousness under the law. come unto me and i wil give you rest . first , i wil shew unto you what i mean by the burden of legal performances . secondly , what a great burden this is and how much evil there is in it , and so apply my self to those that are under this burden to shew to them how christ cals them here in this text to come to him , that they might have rest . first , that which i mean by the burden of legal performances is this , the performing of duties that are required by the law meerly out of conscience , because conscience puts men and women upon those duties , and doing them in the strength that they have of their own , and looking upon what they do as the righteousness which they must tender up to god , as righteousness for life , now this is a legal performance ; to perform duties in a legal way is this , to do what the law requires meerly out of conscience , because conscience tels me i must do it , and to work in mine own strength though it be that that god gives , yet but a natural strength , and to make account of this to be as my righteousness , and to tender it up unto god for righteousness unto life , here is a legal performance , and this is to performe duties in a meer legal way , and those that do thus wil find that this will be a very great burden to their spirits , it is a burden unto the spirits of those that do thus , unto the spirits of such as are conscientious indeed , for we look not now upon men and women as performing duties out of hypocrisie to be seen of men to make a show of what they have not in their hearts , we do not speak of such , but we speak of those that have got into a higher form beyond such kind of hypocrites , such as perform duties out of conscience , and yet rise no higher then looking at the law , that binds them to those duties and so tender them up to god as their righteousness , and do them for life , making account that this is the thing that must bring them to life , such as do this and are not acquainted any further with the mystery of the gospel , they do go under a most grievous burden all the daies of their lives , i do not say that it is a burden to perform duties that conscience requires , when we do them to the honor of god , in the strength of christ , as a work of the sanctification of this spirit , and as a fruit of our thankfulness for the grace and mercy of god in christ to us , that is not a burden , that is no burden at al , but to do them meerly as being forced to them by conscience , and as our righteousness for life this is the burden , and though there be no other principles that men and women have but this , yet they may be very conscientious so as not to dare to commit any known sin in secret , they may make conscience of secret duties , yea they may be aboundant in duties , that is , do perform many duties . in the . of micah , and the . what shal we do say they , shal we give rivers of oyl and thousands of rams , and the fruit of our bodies for the sin of our souls , there you have the expressions of those that are legal , they would know what they should do , professing that they would be willing to do any thing for to save their souls , offer thousands of rams and rivers of oyl for a sacrifice , so one that is meerly legal may perform many duties yea he may be conscientious of every duty that he knoweth , there may be a kind of universal obedience in him , to obey in al , so far as he knows , for the outward action , he may make conscience of every thing that he knows to be the mind of god , and yet do al this in a legal way , and his performance may be rather a burden then that which shal do him good in the conclusion and bring him to life : and except he doth come to know furher then yet he doth , to know the evangelical performance of duties , he cannot have true rest in his soul . now this ( as the other ) is a poynt of great consequence to many , it may be divers that read this book may not so cleerely understand what this is , they may not feel any such thing in their one experience ; but i suppose i shal speake to some even to their hearts , and open their conditions to them , whereby they shal say that they have not taken a right course to procure rest to their souls , and to this end i speake that they may hearken to the blessed invitation of the gospel to come unto christ that they might have rest ; as thus you perceive a little what i meane by legal performances , now then we are to come to shew the burden of legal performances , that they are very burdensome to those that are acquainted with nothing but to performe duties meerly from the law . the first burden of legal performances . . because now they are put upon duties that they have no principle to do , to be put upon a work where there is no inward principle ; to do the work that must needs be burdensome ; conscience puts me upon the duty and that is right , but i have no principle to do it , yet i must do it , conscience saith so , whether i have a principle or no , and though it is true i have no principle to do it so as the law requires , yet i may doe some outward performances , now for me to goe about such a work , to endeavour and strive to do al the work that the law requires ; not onely the outward part but the wole worke , and to be put upon to strugle and strive to do that which i have no inward principle to do , that must needs be burdensome . al motions of nature that are from an external principle are violent and so tedious , heavy and troublesome , so this motion to duty that comes not from an inward principle of heart but is meerly legal , conscience stands to put the soul upon duty ; but doth not put any principle into the soul to do it , this is a violent motion , and those that have the experience of this find it tedious , heavy , and troublesome . now here lieth the burden , for it is not according to those vain conceits of men that the duty ought not to be done , because they have no inward principle to do it , but here is the burden that conscience binds you to do it , you must do it though you have no principle in you to do it . the second burden of legal performances . . legal performances have a great burden in them , because there is in al men that are but under the law before they come to be true beleevers sanctified by the spirit of christ , a contrary principle , a principle quite against those duties , opposite unto them , there is a contrary streame in them , they go against wind and tide , you know what a burdensome thing it is for the boatman to go against wind and tyde , he must put to a great deale of strength , so it is heere til the soul come to beleeve in christ and to have the spirit of christ , having onely conviction of conscience and being put upon duties , there are such corruptions in the heart , and such evil principles in al men naturally , that are as wind and tide against those duties ; and yet saith concience you must do them though you find your inclinations to be never so strong another way , yet conscience tels you you must do them , and when god is pleased to put strength into conscience it wil make a man or a woman to go on in duty though it be never so cross to their own nature ; you wil say if it be cross to their owne natures why do they not leave it off ? no they dare not , notwithstanding ; so , it is true , we shal show you afterwards , that even godly men and beleivers are burdened with corruptions , they have contrary principles to the duty too , i but they are not so prevailing as with unbeleevers that are only legal , it is a tedious thing you know to cast a stone upward , not onely to cause a stone to move any way , that is some trouble , because you keep it from its center , but to put it upon a motion that is quite contrary to the principle , that is burdensome , because al heavy things have principles in them that work downwards , therfore to put them upon those things that are quite contrary to their natural principles , it is a motion that wil cause burden , and that because you keep them from their owne center : so conscience may keep a man and woman from their own center , from those wicked courses that their natures are inclined unto , and al the while they are kept from the course that their natures do so strongly incline them unto , it must needs be burdensome to them , until god come and sanctifie their hearts , they may be a great while without any sanctification , many whose consciences are convinced may goe on in duties , without sanctification in them . the third burden of legal performances . . one that goes on in the performance of duties in a legal way meerly , is weary and tired with what he doth , and yet can find no strength comming in unto him , no further ability to perform what conscience puts him upon , then he had at first , nay rather less ability . now this must needs be burdensome . as suppose a man be put upon a work , and if he have no mind to it , that is tedious , but if it be against the haire , quite opposite to his disposition , that is more tedious ; yet he must go on , and he toyls and wearies himself , and yet the more he works the more grievous it is unto him , for he finds no strength comming , but strength wearying rather , his strength wears a way , and no strength comes in to assist him , and yet his work is as strong as it was , that work must needs be burdensome ; so those that are meerly legal , they go on stil in duty , and the work is stil as strong , but they are weaker , many a man when he first sets upon a work is cold and benummed , bur when he continues in the work he gets warmth , and then it is not so burdensom unto him , but if he continues in the work , and is colder and colder , this is very tedious , to those that performe duties in a meer legal way , conscience puts them upon it at first , and they go to duty with some vigour , but the truth is , they grow more weary , and the work is more tedious , and yet conscience puts them upon asmuch work as at first when a man hath been at work and growes weary and desires ease and a cruel task-master shal come and tel him there must be no decrease of your work , nor no increase of your strength , this must needs be tedious ; thus those that performe duties in a legal way , conscience puts upon them as much worke when they are weary and tired as at first ; here is the difference between the works of sanctification & legal performances , though they seem to be hard at first , yet while the soul sets upon them there comes in strength , and the more work the more strength , they do not spend their strength and throw it away , and grow more weary afterwards then at first ; but the more they have experience of the ways , the more strength they have , they grow warm at their work , and being warm they get further and further strength , and it grows easie unto them , but it is not so with one that performes duties in a meere legal way , some have been seven yeares in a profesion of religion and made conscience of their duties , yet after seven yeares spent their hearts no more mortified then at first , and they have got no more strength then , at first , their lusts are less mortified , and their strength is less then at first , and therefore their work must needs be grievous unto them . the . burden of legal performances . . those that performe duties in a legal way meerely , while they are striving to do their duty , they are contracting stil further guilt upon their souls , they strive to do that that the law requires , and in their very striving they are breaking of the law . you wil say , so godly men while they are striving to do their duty they sin also , there is imperfection in the best , i but yet their sin is done away in christ , their sin is not layed to their charge , but those that are meerly legal , while they are striving , they sin and contract guiltiness upon their spirits , and it lies upon them , and they stand charged with it . but then it may be said it were better that they did not strive , no not so neither , conscience must have them strive , it would be a greater guiltiness if they should not strive , though when they strive they stand charged with further evil then before , now this is a greivous burden ; as now if a man were rowling a stone up a hil , and as soone as he had rolled it up , the stone should come down upon him again , it would be a mighty tiresome work , it is so with those that are meerly legal , while they are in duty , in working , stil corruption brings them down againe , and they contract continually guiltiness upon their soules . the . burden of legal performances . . those that performe duties in a meere legal way ; what they do , they do meerly out of feare , they are put upon it in a forcible and rigorous way , they are put upon al their duties in a rigorous way , meerly by force and constraint , if you put a man to do a thing meerly by force , it is very tedious to him , and especialy when your forcing of him is with rigor , as those that are slaves they are not only exhorted to do their duty , but with blowes and slashes they are set upon their duty , now this is very burdensom : if indeed they might be put upon it with love , gentle , and fair cariages , they should do as much as they do with a great deale more ease , but when al meanes that is used is rigorous and forcible this makes their lives burdensome unto them ; so it is here , they that are legal , performe duties , but how ? the terror of the law , the flashes of hel fire in their conscience , and the fear of the judgments of god come unto them , except you do this you may fear that the judgments of god wil pursue and follow you . in the night season when they are in the darke they are filled with terror , and when this terror comes upon them then they must go to prayer though they have no mind to go to prayer , for their conscience else wil fly in their faces in the day time , these are just like the children of israel in egypt , the taske masters put them upon their worke with rigor , that their very lives were tedious to them , whereas those that are sanctified they go to performe duties out of love and so their duties are sweet and delightful to them . the . burden of legal performances . . from hence follows that those that are meerely legal in their performances , they do their duty with much straitness of spirit , they have no inlargment of heart usually , very rarely in any thing they do , but they do it ( if they do do it ) in a dul manner , & a dead way , meerly the work done and no more , their spirits are excedingly strait , pray they must , so much time they spend in prayer , but when they are risen from prayer they find their harts are as strait as ever , i do not say but a godly man or woman may be so at sometimes , but when duties are performed in a legal way , this is constantly so , and oh what a burden is this to a soul , to think that i can never go into the presence of god but i have stil a dead , straight heart , others have enlarged hearts , but i do the duty and nothing comes of it , i feel my heart altogether straitned in the duty and so i go on in the rounds , but stil am straitened , dead , and dul in the performance of the duty . the . burden of legal performances . . those that performe duties in a meer legal way , find nothing to come of their duties , but are meerly as a horse in the mil , go the rounds , or as if a man were to rive or cleave a knotty peice of wood , he strikes , but the knottiness of the wood gives the rebound to the axe and wedges , and he can make no marke of it , though a man strive and work hard , yet if he findes his work goes on , here is some comfort , but when he works and works , and it continues so stil , this is burdensome . if a man should be set to pull a logg out of a ditch , and injoyned to work from morning to night , and he pulls and pulls al the day , and it stirs not , is no further on in his work at night then he was in the morning , and he must go to it the next day and nothing comes of his work this is very tedious , so it is with those that are meerely legal in their performances , they find little or nothing comes of al their performances and this must needs be very burdensome : you that have been thus burdened , know , this very text concernes you , and christ hath thoughts of you and cals you to himself and saith , come to me , as if christ should say , certainly there is another way for you to have ease and rest to your souls , it is true you must go on and do your duty ; but you must come to know me in the gospel before yo● 〈◊〉 have ease and rest to your souls . the . burden of legal performances . . those that performe duties in a meer legal way , the the truth is , let them ●oll never so much in that way , they can never attain to their end ; let them ●oil never so much , performe duties never so many , increase their duties a thousand fold , yet they can never attain unto their end ▪ their end what is that ? you wil say , their end is , that they might have peace with god , live and have eternal life ; it is true , base hipocrites look at profit , many wil make a show of religion , get into houses , and talk of good things , that they may get good cheere , meat and drink , and a little gain , being of a poor , and unworthy spirit , but i speake of those that are grown higher then thu● , those that performe duties out of conscience , and yet never attain to their end , nor never wil attain to their end in this way , til they come to know more of christ ; i speake of such as desire rest to their souls , yet in this way of legal performances never gain this rest to their souls , and and therefore it must needs be burdensome unto them . the . burden of legal performances . . those that performe duties , in a meer legal way , they goe on and performe duties , but whether god accepts of them , yea or no , they cannot tel , do them they must , but whether god be their enemy or their friend they canot tel , tender up duties to god they do every day , but whether they tender them up to an enemy or a friend they do not know ; sometimes they have perhaps some good hopes that god accepts them , but never come to any knowledg of gods acceptance , they go up and down continually with jealous thoughts of god , fearing lea●●od wil take advantage of them at the last , this mus●●e burdensome . many poor souls have gon on in t●●tion , one seven yeares after another , and al for th● of coming to jesus christ for rest unto their soules , then comes rest to the heart of a sinner when it knowes and can say upon good ground , though my heart have much corruption , though my duty have much imperfection , yet through a covenant of grace what i do the lord accepts of me , whereas the other never comes to know that god doth accept them though they performe their duties never so wel . the . burden of legal performances . . those that performe duties in a meer legal way , their spirits are hurried on to do the work , to do the thing that conscience requires , although in regard of their weakness , the doing of such a thing , at such a time , wil hinder the doing of other duties that god requires of them , but yet do it they must , i do not say duties are not to be done at this time , but such things as conscience tels them are good they are hurried on to do them presently , though in regard of their weakness the doing of them now doth hinder them from doing other things of more consequence : as we find by experience many that are weake , yet under the command of conscience and are in a legal way , suddenly there comes such a thing into their minds , i must spend so much time in praier , saith conscience you cannot do too much for god , and why should you not spend so much time for god , now by this means they are hurried on to do the duty , though by the doing of it at that time , they shal hinder themselvs in the performance of many other duties afterwards , and i have known by experience many that have been greivously burdened this way , what they presently apprehend to have any good in it , that they think they must do , although they by that be hindred in the performance of many other duties afterwards , whereas now if we were acquainted with the liberty we have in christ we would be able to satisfie our selves this way , though i am weake now , yet i can appeale to god that my heart is upright , and though i do forbeare the doing of such a thing that in its owne nature is good , yet my conscience tels me , it is not through a wilful neglect of what may glorifie god , nor because i would neglect any duty that god would have me do , but because i know through my weakness the doing of this at this time wil hinder me in the service of god otherwaies : therefore i beleeve that god wil accept of me in christ and pardon my infirmities ; thus the soul can do that is in christ , but those that are legal , conscience puts them upon duties , without regarding their strength , and so puts them upon strong duties when they are in the weakest capacity , when they are weakest , conscience wil put them upon the strongest duty , now this is for the want of the knowledg of their liberty in jesus christ , for they have this liberty in christ , that christ accepts of them according to what they are able to do , the gospel holds forth this acceptance , that let them go on to do what they are commanded in uprightness , and though they cannot do such duties because they are weak , yet god accepts of them for christ sake , which one that is legal cannot do but conscience hurries him on to do rhe duty when he is most weak , and so he doth less for god then otherwise he would or should do . the . burden of legal performances . . those that perform duties in a meer legal way go on toyling but stil they do not know whether they shal hold out or no ; i go on and do my duty , but what wil become of me god knows , i do not know whether i shal hold out or no , i am afraid that when i have done al , labored and toyled what i can , that i shal prove an apostate , a backslider at last , thus they have many such jealousies of themselves , as they are ful of jealousies of god , so of themselves they are afraid of themselves , wel , if troubles and afflictions come i shal fal off and turn , and manifest that i was but an hypocrite and alwaies unsound , now , these very thoughts makes their lives and duties burdensome unto them , whenas one that hath the benefit of the freedome of the gospel , one that is in christ , he can go on ; wel , though i am but weak yet i have an everlasting principle that wil hold , for i do it by the strength that is everlasting , though i be weak yet i am fastened to that that is everlasting , i am carryed on by such a principle that wil hold on to everlasting life , and oh! what a rest is this , here is rest indeed , for the soul to know that though i am weak yet i shal hold on to everlasting life , whenas one that is legal he is ever jealous and he thinks , what do i this for , i shal fal off at last , and so goes on heavily and is troubled in his thoughts , and this makes both his duties and his life burdensome , stil i say christ cals upon al these to come unto him , stil there is a rest in jesus christ , it is impossible we should speak of all these things at once , but now i would only find out those that christ cals , you that find it thus that are ready to say , just as it is said in the word , i find it in my heart , i only speak to you to raise up your hearts to attend to what is further to be said afterwards ; only remember that of the poor blind man , when christ called him , they comforted him with this , be of good comfort he called thee , so i say to you that labor under this burden and long to know the true liberty of spirit that the saints have in christ , christ cals to you and saith , come unto me al ye that are weary and heavy laden and i wil give you rest . the . burden of legal performances . . those that are thus legal , their consciences put them upon performances of duties , but their humiliation and trouble for not doing of what they ought to do , doth hinder them from doing what god requires , and this is a sad condition , that when i have not done my duty , and am troubled for not doing my duty , that doth hinder me from doing my duty , whereas those that have evangelical humiliation , it makes them more fit to do duty , the other it makes them more unfit , their hearts are more sullen , fretful , and untoward , and this is a sad condition , that not only they fail in other duties , but when they are troubled for this they fail mo●e ▪ first they fail of their duties , and their hearts are hardned a great while , and then they complaine , that their hearts are hardened and that they cannot be humbled for their sin , after this complaint they begin to be troubled for their sin , and then on the other side when they are troubled after such away as they grow sullen and discontented , vexing and fretting of themselves , and by this they come to be hindered as much in the performance of their duty as by the hardness of their hearts before ; some are hindred by their hardness of heart from performing of duty , and others by their humility : now this is a very great burden , you may some of you find it in your own experience , that the trouble of your heart hath rather hindered you then furthered you in duty , as in exodus when moses came to the children of israel , the text saith they did not harken unto him , because of the anguish of their hearts , so there is many people that have such legal trouble in their hearts and that for their sins , as it doth hinder them from harkening unto the blessed sound of the gospel , it makes them more unfit to harken to the invitation of christ to come unto him , yea such kind of trouble they have for their sin that makes them as it were reason away the blessed comfort in the gospel to their soul. chap. x. the sad condition of such as are under the burden of legal performances set forth in six particulars . . that which should be accounted their happiness , is their misery . . it is a means to cause hard thoughts of god. . it causeth great discouragement . . they bring an evil report upon the waies of god. . they keep no proportion therein . . they are kept off from christ . now that which remaines is to shew you the sad condition of men and women that are under this legal performance , that are in this condition ; we shal find that the condition is very sad and insupportable to many : and this text wil appear to be a text of wonderful mercy , if we do set out before you the sadness and grievousness of those that are under this burden . the first misery . first , is not this a sad thing , that that thing which should be the cheif joy of ones heart in this world ; which we should account our priuiledg , happiness , and the beginning of eternal life ; that we should account that a misery to us , as thus , the performance of duty , to do that which god cals for , we should account it our priviledg , happiness , and the beginning of eternal life . and indeed it is so , if we do it in the way that god requires , but now one that is under this burden doth the things in the meer outward act , but doth them as necessary evils , accounts them as evil things , only he canno● avoid them ; this man and womans condition is very sad , that that which others accounte their happiness , life , and glory , he accounts as his misery . the second misery . secondly , there is this evil also in the burden of legal performances , that this is a means to cause hard thoughts of god , and if god go no further with them then this , that they perform duties in a legal way , this wil occasion many hard thoughts of god and of his waies , and they may find that they have so , many times when their hearts are pinched with this burden , they have many hard thoughts of god , and hard thougths of his law , and hard thoughts of his waies , this is very greivous when the soul comes to find the commandements of god to be grievous and so to murmure and repine against god as many do that are in trouble of conscience , they go on in duties but because they get no peace , nor comfort , nor mastery over their corruptions , they begin to repine and murmure at god , say they : i have done thus and thus , and i have performed duties and nothing comes of them , and there upon they begin to leave and hate them . the third misery . thirdly , there is this evil also in the burden of legal performances that it causes a sinking discouragement ; their heart doth sink in exceeding discouragment , after a while they go on in performance of duties and find nothing comes of it , and they sink under it in discouragment ; they think it is in vain to go any further , and they are desirous to cast it off wholly , and think it is the only way for their ease and rest , hence follows , that therefore there is a way open to temptation for the devil to come and tempt them either to loosness or to dispair : it is many times the end of such poor creatures except god be pleased to come in and reveal christ unto them ; one of these two is the conclusion , either they cast off the duties that before they made conscience of , and so grow to be loose and prophane ; or otherwise if conscience pursues them more and more they grow to dispaire , and somtimes upon their sick bed and death bed , come into a raving and raging distemper ; as by experience we find that many after they have been a long time under a troubled conscience , and gone on in a legal way they have grown very prophane ; there was a time that they durst not neglect duty in their family and closet , but they come afterward to think that this was but legal , and now they cast them off , and give themselves to loosness , and then they have nothing to plead for themselves but this , that they were under legal performances , and they leave them off , and thus they go this way to rest , but oh! woful this is to go to the devil for rest , if you had come to christ you might have had rest , but these give up their souls to the devils rest , and grow to loosness and are notoriously scandalous in in their lives , i suppose if you wil observe it , you need not go far to find examples in this kind : but others that cannot get the mastery of their consciences , they grow to dispair , when they come upon their sick beds their hearts are overwhelmed with dispair and so they die ; now oh! what pity it is to loose such souls as have gone thus far in the way of religion . as thus : first , they do the same things that gods people do for the outward act , they do the same things the saints do . secondly , they are very conscientious of what they do , make conscience of their very thoughts , and of their secret waies . nay , thirdly , they know they have to do with god in every thing , they have their hearts so wrought upon , that they set themselves in the presence of god alwaies . nay , fourthly , they have the fear of god the fear of eternity upon their hearts continually , and yet perish at last ; and al for the want of knowledg of the gospel : it is true these men say right , that if their were any such who did put them upon duties and not open to them the rest that is in the gospel and in christ , if they did so , they are rightly blamed for putting men upon duties , god forbid that any that take upon them to preach the mind of god unto people should rest here , in meerly putting of men upon the performance of duties , for we know to be under the law and to do duties in a meer legal way ; is a most fearful burden , but now this is our work , to invite you to come to jesus christ that you might have rest , if there be any that knows what it is to be burdened with legal performances , the maine thing i shal do is to invite them to come to jesus christ , and we shal i hope bring them to their rest , seeing christ doth invite them so graciously to come unto him for their rest . the fourth misery . fourthly , there is this evil in the burden of legal performances , that they who perform duties in a legal way , do bring an evil report upon the waies of god , for they go alwaies heavily and dully on in gods waies , and so they bring an ill report upon the waies of god , whereas when the heart is sanctified and caryed on by a divine principle , such a one makes the waies of god beautiful and lovely to those that they converse withal , but they that perform duties meerly in a legal way they go on so pensively , sadly , and dully , that there is no beauty at al in their conversation , and they make others afraid of those waies that are so tedious and irksome to them . the fift misery . fifthly , there is this evil in the burden of legal performances : that those that perform duties meerly in a legal manner they do not keep any proportion in the waies of god and in their duties , but meerly according to the stirring of conscience , if conscience be awakened & stirred then they are careful to perform duties , but if conscience do not stir them they are careless again & therefore those that do perform duties in this manner , you shal not observe an evenness in their waies , but somtimes they are very strict and dare not for their lives omit any duty , but at other times they are loose again , for it is according to the beating of their consciences , they do not work according to the new nature , for that which works according to a new nature works in an even way , wherein is a proportion between one duty and another , and this may be an argument of tryal whether that that you do be from the change of nature , or from other principles ; if there be a proportion between one duty and another , you be not very forward in somthing and backward in another , that is a sign it is done from a new nature , but if you make conscience of some thing , and at other times in other things take more liberty this is a sign that what you do is but legally done , and this must needs be burdensome : as it is a burden to a man to go upon uneven ground one leg up and another down , so for a man to perform duties up and down , forward and backward , here is a great deal of burden in that way , whereas those that come to perform duties by the spirit of god , in them their way is made even for them ; not but that gods people may somtimes be better then they are at other times , yet there is generally an evenness and proportion between their actions . the sixt misery . sixtly , there is this evil in the burden of legal performances , that if so be that by these duties their consciences come to be quieted , then they are kept of from jesus christ , there are no people more kept of from jesus christ , then those that perform duties in a legal manner , and have quiet of conscience that way , ye● not only kept from christ , but further , they set up their duties in the place of christ , and make them to be their very justification ; what is it that many people would present before the lord for their righteousness and hope of heaven , but performance of such and such duties , that the law requires : now here 's a mighty mistake though we are bound to obey gods law , yet for us to come and make this our righteousness before god , and set it up before the lord to be our interest for eternal life , this is to put jesus christ out of his office , and make our own duties to be our saviors , this now is exceeding dangerous , and yet how many people are there that do thus , and therefore i have been willing to be the larger in this point because it is not an argument that we do every day meet withal , and also because i would have many whose consciences begin to be inlightned and much troubled to know where they are , what is the ground of their trouble , and where the bottom of their trouble lies ; there are many people that are so far to be beloved , that they are very conscientious of duty and abstein from those sins that others live in , and perform duties that others neglect , but they go on very heavily and sadly for many years together , and the truth is , they know not the ground of their trouble , from whence their trouble comes : now by that that i have opened to you in this point , you may come to know whence al your trouble comes , whence it comes to pass that you have gone on in that sadness and heaviness as you have done , you have done your duties in a legal way , you have not been acquainted with the way of the gospel . you wil say , what is that way , how shal we be eased of this burden , when i come to that , there i shal shew in some measure the rest that we have in christ from al those burdens , that i have opened , christ wil not have us omit duties every a whit the more , but in christ we shal see how they are performed with a great deal more ease then before , not more easie to the flesh , but in the spirit , and whosoever you are that are under this burden of legal performances , if your hearts tel you this is my condition , the lord knows it is my condition , i have indeed made conscience of my waies a great while , but i have gone on just in this legal way as hath been shewed in this point : if this be your condition , so far be comfort to you , and know that jesus christ cals you , it is true , your condition is for the present sad , yet there is help , hope , and remedy in christ , come to him and he hath promised to give you rest , and teach you to honor god , that shal be more comfort to your souls than this way you are in , the way of the gospel is a safe way , and a speedy way for comfort , and it is as holy a way too , therefore the way of the gospel doth not cal to you to make less conscience of your duties than you did ; no , but it is as holy a way , and a more safer and speedier way than that now you are in , christ cals you . quest . but you wil say , doth christ cal to these to come to him for rest , as if he did approve of their condition , and as if it were a thing that ought to be that people ought to be burdened by these legal performances . answ . there are some of the burdens here , that it is true ought to be , and christ approves of them , that is to be sensible of the guilt of our sins and the remaining part of corruption , &c. and christ cals these as approving of them so far as they are good , though not truly good , but there are other burdens that are upon sinners that christ cals to come to him to be eased of , not as they are approved of by christ , but christ pities them , and hath compassion upon those that are under those burdens , as being under a great misery , as now when a man shal make conscience of his waies , when christ shall see a poor soul to make conscience of his waies , to have the fear of god and his eternal estate upon him , to labor and do what he can and al this while not in the right way , but thinking by this to make up his righteousness with god and eternal life , christ sees that al his labor wil come to nothing , if he go on in this way he wil loose all his duties , and notwithstanding all the conscience he makes of holy duties he wil perish at last , except he comes to understand the way of the gospel , of justifying sinners before his tribunal fear , notwithstanding al the duties he performs , except he come to understand this he will perish , now in pity and tender compassion to such a soul that hath done so much and gone so far , the lord christ doth cal such a soul to come to him , that it may have rest and peace , that indeed it might have that righteousness that may make it stand with comfort before the great god , and come to have eternal life at last , but for our comming to christ and our rest in him , that belongs to the other point , thus much for the opening of the burden of legal performances . chap. xi . of the burden of corruption , and that there is corruption in the saints . being a burden . . of grief . . of shame . . of fear . . of care. . of labor , and toyl . the next burden is the burden of the remaining part of corruption in the saints , those that are godly and have their part in christ , and have come to christ already but yet they must come again and again , that is though they be beleevers and have exercised faith to unite them to christ , they have stil remaining in them much corruption , much sin , they must come to christ again to be eased of their corruption , and still all the daies of their lives to be exercising of faith in christ , to be eased of the burden of remaining corruption that is in them . that the corruption that yet remaines in the hearts of the saints is a burden , i suppose every one of you can witness , that are godly , there is no godly man or woman in the world but knows what the meaning of this point is , perhaps the other point of legal performances was such a point that many of you scarce understood what it was , but because i knew it was of exceeding use to others , though it might not be understood of many , they must not loose their portion ; but there is none that hath any spark of godlyness but do and wil understand what i mean , and what i shal say in this point of the burden of corruption that doth stil remain in the godly , in the best that live upon the earth , and that every one acknowledgeth , it is in every mans mouth almost , we are al sinners , but now here is the difference between the wicked and the godly , the wicked have sin enough in them , but it is no burden to them , but the godly have their sins to be their burden , the remainder of sin though it be never so litle , it is a most grievous burden unto them , and to these i am to speak out of this text , yea christ himself speaks to them , come unto me , ye that are laden with the burden of corruption , the burden of sin that stil remaines in you , come to me , and i wil give you rest in regard of that burden . now to prove that there is a remainder of corruption in the godly that is a burden to them , i wil give you but one scripture that shal serve instead of the rest , and that is in rom. . . o! wretched man that i am saith paul who shal deliver me from this body of death , i thank god through jesus christ our lord , here we have indeed a cōmentary upon this text , who shal deliver me saith paul o! wretched man that i am who shal deliver me from this body of death , there 's the first part , the burden of corruption & then he runnes to christ , i thank god through jesus christ , so then i my self with my mind serve the law of god , but with my flesh the law of sin , i have got ease and rest by christ by running to him , but marke the scripture , o ; wretched man that i am , paul though a godly man and one eminent in grace , yet had remaining in him a body of death , his sin that was in him , he calls a body of death , it was as a deadly thing unto his heart , and it was as a body because it was made up of many members as a body is , there were many sins remaining in him , and al the faculties of his soul and members of his body were defiled with sin , and therefore he cals it a body of death . now the apostle is so sensible of this , that he gives a grievous shreek as it were , o! wretched man that i am , he counts it his misery , in that it appeares to be a burden , and then he shreikes out under his burden , o! wretched man that i am , as a man or woman that hath a burden laid upon their shoulders and being not able to beare it , they give a greivous shreik at the burden falling upon them , so doth the apostle here . and observe further that the apostle paul had as much of the burden of affliction upon him as ever any one had ; no man had more of the burden of affliction then he had as you may read in the cor. . . and cor. . . the afflictions of paul were exceeding greivous , there was never any more abused then he was , he tels you of being stoned , suffering of shipwrake , and abused of his owne countri-men , that he suffered nakedness and hunger , and was whipt as if he had been the most notorious rogue in al the country , he had the burden of disgrace upon him , accounted the off-scowring of the world , and the burden of poverty , wanted clo● and bread , and was fain to go up and down from place to place , yet notwithstanding these burdens upon him , you never read that paul did account himself a wretched man in regard of these burdens , you never read that paul cryed out , o! wretched man that i am that i want ●read , 〈◊〉 i want cloaths , o wretched man that i am whipt , and abused , he doth not cry , out , o! wretched man that i am , who shal deliver me from affliction , who shal deliver me from persecution no , we find in scripture that he rejoyced in affliction , when he was cast into dungeons he could sing psalmes , and when he had the whip , he could sing psalms and rejoyce , but when he comes to his sin then he falles under that burden , who shal deliver me from that , as if he should say , o! lord let me be never so much afflicted heere in this world , yet if i cold have my soul delivered from this burden of my sin , i should account my self a happy man , and yet he was delivered from the guilt of sin for he knew he should never go to hel for his sin , and he was delivered from the dominion of his sin to , and yet he cries out under this burden of his sin , who shal deliver me . i appeale unto many of you what closet or secret chamber of yours can ever witness that you were thus crying out in respect of your sin , o wretched man or woman that i am , who shal deliver me from this body of sin , from this wretched heart that i have , many of you we heare cry out of poverty , disgrace , and trouble in your families and the like , but who of you cries out who shal deliver me from this body of death , from this sin of my nature ; many of you perhaps do not know whether you are delivered from the guilt of your sin , you do not know whether any of your sins are pardoned , you are not delivered at al , and yet you do not cry out , but paul he was delivered from the guilt of his sin , yet the very remainder of sin in his heart was a burden to him , there is much sin in many of your hearts , and you cry not out of it , paul he was delivered and yet he crye● out of it , who shal deliver me from this body of death . but now to open this , i shal shew , first how man● waies the remaining part of corruption is a burden to the saints . secondly , what kind of burden it is . thirdly , open the particulars , shewing that sinful nature is a burden , and the stirring of corruption a burden , and the prevailing of corruption a burden . fourthly , why it is that god doth so in his providence order things , that his owne saints shal be under the burden of corruption , and so make some application of it . first , then in what respect the remaining part of sin and corruption in the heart of the saints is a burden . the first burden of corruption . first , it is a burden of greife unto them , you know grief causeth heaviness and sadness , now the remainder of corruption that they find in them , it is as lead and lies heavy upon their spirits in regard of greif , it is the cause of their grief and trouble ; some wil say perhaps sometimes to others , such and such that are professours of religion they go very sadly and heavily , and when once you come to be so strict in your way , you wil loose al your comfort , for such and such are alwaies sad and pensive , but do you know what is the reason of their sadness , you have as much cause to be sad as they , the burden is not because they are religious , but because they are no more religious , not because now they do more duties then they did before , but because they cannot find their hearts come up to their duties as they would , do not atribute their greif to their godlyness , but rather say to thy self thus , if they that do so much for god , are yet so much troubled and greived , because they do no more for god , how much cause of trouble and greife have i then , that do nothing at al for god. the second burden of corruption . secondly , the remaining part of corruption in the hearts of the saints , it is a burden of shame , greif is a burden , and shame is a burden , many that can beare great burdens , that can beare the burden of poverty yet are not able to beare the burden of disgrace , especially to those that are most ingenious , it is one of the greatest burdens in the world , now the saints they are ashamed of the corruption that remains in them , they account it a shame before the lord and before his blessed angels , and in regard of themselves , what they know of themselves that the world knowes not of , they look upon it as ashame that they do even loath and abhor themselves as the scripture speakes ; it may be their lives are such as others do honor and have high thoughts of them , but they being acquainted with their own hearts , and looking into the secret working of their own spirits , they see so much evil there , as they see much cause to abhor and loath themselves , and to lie down in their shame before the lord , whom they know doth see into their hearts a great deale more then they can see themselves . i wil appeal to any one that knows his owne heart , if god should open your heart and make it known to your friends and acquaintance so much evil as is in your heart in the performing of one duty , if al men should know so much evil as is in your heart at one time , in praier or hearing a sermon , would you not be ashamed , now god knowes and sees al the baseness and vildness of your spirits , and the godly knowing this , they cannot but be ashamed and go under this burden of shame with heavy hearts . the third burden of corruption . thirdly , the remaining part of corruption in the hearts of the godly , it carries with it a burden of feare , fear you know is a great burden as wel as greif and shame though the evil be not so great upon them , yet if their be an evil apprehended to come upon them , it is a great burden to them , as those that dare not go out of dores in the night because of feare , or dare not be in the dark because of fear , when they are delivered from their feares , do they not account that it was a great burden , now the godly they have a great deal of fear upon their hearts , and the truth is those that are godly they fear more what their owne evil hearts should bring upon them , then what al the divels in hel and al the creatures in the world can bring upon them , and that is a good fear , but yet it makes them walk heavily : others feare , sometimes they fear men , fear those that wil come and take away their estates and undo them , feare their enemies or feare the divel , but one that is godly he feares more his own heart , the evil that may come to his soul by that , then al the hurt that al the divels in hel can do to him , for they cannot afflict more then the body , i but this brings an evil upon the soul , it breakes their communion between them and god , and therefore they are afraid of sin before it comes , they have experience of their hearts what evil it hath done to them , and so are afraid of miscarrying , and afraid of the evil consequences of their sin , they do not know what mischief their sin might possibly bring upon them , and so they goe under this burden of fear along time together , even those that are truly godly . the fourth burden of corruption . fourthly , the remaining part of corruption in the hearts of the saints , is a burden of care , for men and women to be alwaies careful , to be ful of care , you know that is a great burden that many of you are acquainted with , that when you have a great deal of business upon you and much lies upon you , when your thoughts are ful of care , is it not a great burden to you ? many men that have been ful of business , and afterwards have got over their business , what a freedome do they account it , the saints they have a burden of care upon them , because they find so much to do with their own hearts that they had need be watchful night and day over them , they have had experience what their hearts have done , when there hath not been a strict watch over ●hem , and therefore there is no child of god but if he be in a right temper he is a careful man , so long as we live in this flesh our condition is ful of feares , and so we must neds be ful of care in this world , though there be a great deale of difference between the distracting care that wicked men have about their outward estate , and the care of the godly about keeping their peace w th god , making up their peace with god , avoiding the occasions & temptations to sin , & recovering themselvs again when they have been overcom by sin , i say this must needs make them ful of care , when a man hath a great business upon him he is ful of care , there is no men in the world that have so much business upon them as such a man and woman that is godly , they know that they have greater business that lies upon them , then al the world besides , the care of the whol world lies upon them , yea and they have not only business of great consequence upon them , but multitude of business , the life of a christian is a busie life , a life of a great deale of business , a christian woman hath abundance of business to do , and therefore it is a most vild thing for one that professes he● self to be a christian , to be idle and to spend her time vainly , hast thou nothing to do ? you speake of passing away time , a godly man or woman hath enough to do they have to provide for eternity , and to make their peace with god. and besides there is multitud● of business upon them & they have multituds of hindrances too , if you have great business , multitude of business , and multitudes of hindrances , and especially if you are undone if you should miscarry , this now wil make you very careful . a man though he should miscary in the world , it is not so great an evil , as for a christian to miscary in any one duty that he doth performe , a christian when he goes to performe a duty he thinks thus , i must now cause al the faculties of my soul to be working in every duty that god cals for , wel , and if i miscarry in the duty i look upon it as a greater evil then if i were undone in my estate , or body , and i find abundance of hindrances , that wil indanger me to miscarry , therefore i must needs be very careful ; now in christ there is a great deal of ease in this respect , those that are acquainted with the way of christ , they are mightily eased of the burden of care , now those that do performe duties and do not come to christ , so much as they are kept off from christ , so much the more wil the burden of care be , not only those that performe duties in a legal way have the burden of care upon them but the godly also . the fifth burden of corruption . fifthly , the corruption that remaines in us it brings a burden of labor and toil , for there is no such intensiveness in any labor in the world as a christian hath against his corruptions , he doth not onely say as many slight and vain spirited men and women do , lord have mercy upon me , and we are al siners , and i would do otherwise i have good desires : no , but a christian knowes that he must draw forth al the faculties of his soul and bend them against his corruption , and if ever he toil , labor , and spend his strength , it must be in this way against his corruption , now there is ease in christ for this burden too , why ? because christ gives power against corruption , the way of rest in him is by comming to him , so that we shal not need to toil and labor in them as before ; now if grief be a burden , shame a burden , feare a burden , care a burden , and if laboring and toiling be a burden , then those that are godly are under a great burden in regard of their corruption , this five-fold burden . chap. xii . the burden of corruption set forth in eight particulars . . it is a soul burden . . it hath al other burdens in it . . it is a continual burden . . it makes al other things to be a burden . . it is a burden to god himself . . it makes the sins burdensome to al others . . it makes him burdensome to himself . . how greivous soever , we cannot be rid of it in this life . further for the properties of this burden , what a kind of burden it is , that the people of god fell under their corruptions . the first property of the burden of corruption . first it is a soul-burden , other burdens are rather bodily , it is easier for a man to beare a burden upon his shoulders , then to beare a burden upon his conscience , their it lies with torment , and the burden of corruption it is a burden upon our very consciences . many heretofore have said that people must be content to beare , though things were required of them that ought not to be , if they went under them as a burden they thought they were wel enough ; many things that were in the worship of god , false worship , they would say , for their parts they could be content they were otherwise , & they went under them as a burden , & they thought that was enough . it is true , if it was only a burden of our estates that it was only in outward things it was somthing , but when it comes to the burden upon our consciences , we must learn to distinguish between the burden upon our shoulders , and between the burden upon our consciences , and so many christians they could beare burdens upon their shoulders aswel as others , but they could not beare any burdens upon their consciences . the second property of the burden of corruption . secondly , it containes in it almost al other burdens , as thus , is poverty a burden , sin makes us poor , is dishonour a burden , sin brings dishonor , is debt , for a man to be in debt , a burden , sin brings that too , forgive us our debts saith christ , he teacheth us so to pray , sin therefore hath al other burdens in it , and therefore a great burden . the third property of the burden of corruption . thirdly , sin is a burden that is constant , night and day , continually it is upon the soul of the godly a burden ; if men have other burdens upon them sometimes they have ease , porters that carry burdens al the day , yet they have dinner times and at night they go to bed and rest themselves , so they have ease that way , but now sin is alwaies a burden upon the godly night and day , they cannot get off this burden , to lay of a burden a quarter of an houre it were some ease , but now sin is so great a burden , as it is continually upon the saints . the fourth property of the burden of corruption . fourthly , it is such a burden , as makes al other burdens to be a burden , as it contains in it al other burdens , so sin is that which makes al other things burdensome that are burdensome , as now a man or woman that is poor , poverty is a great burden , i but if there be sin with poverty , that makes it a burden indeed ; sickness is a burden , i , but so far as sin is mixt therewithal , so far it is a greater burden , and so loss of estate and the like , as thus , i would compare al other burdens to this , as water in a tankerd when your tankerd-bearers carry water , it is a burden to them , but they have arts to make their tankerds light as can be , but now if they carried their water in tankards of lead , though the water were no heavier , yet this would make it more burdensome ; so sickness , poverty , loss of estate , they are burdensome to al that beare them , but yet the corruption of sin when the heart is corrupted with sin , that is as lead that makes it the greater burden , and therefore sin in the heart is such a thing as makes al other things burdensome that are burdensome . though a man should loose al his estate in one night , this might be some burden , but he that hath sin upon him , that makes al other burdens to be burdensome . the fifth property of the burden of corruption . fifthly , sin is a burden unto god himself , much more to the saints , god cries out that he is prest under sin as a cart is pressed that is ful of sheaves , it is a burden to the spirit of god , and therefore it is said that the spi●it of god is greived , and it must needs be a great burden to thy soul , when thou seest and knowest it is a burden to thy father , it is a burden to the spirit of god whereby thou art sealed to the day of redemption . is it not a burden to the heart of any ingenious spirit when he shal consider that that which i have done is a burden to my father , to the spirit of grace ? any ingenious child , it wil be a burden to him that he hath done any thing against his father , now so long as thou hast any sin in thee , thou art a burden to god and to the spirit of god. the sixth property of the burden of corruption . sixthly , as it is a burden to god , so it is that that makes us burdensome unto al that we converse with al , and the more corruption that remaines in our hearts , the more burdensome we are to all that we converse withal ; some there are though truly godly , yet they have so much corruption in them , that they are burdensome to all that they converse withal , as in a family , take those that are passionate , though they have godliness lies at the bottome , yet how burdensome are they to those that converse with them , others they have extream stout and stubborn spirits , others have sullen hearts , extream sullen spirits , others have slight and vain spirits , others proud and envious spirits , and others covetous , now there is reason they should feel the burden themselves , for others feel the burden when it breaks forth from them , and therefore it much more aggravates their burden , those that are truly godly that are overcome with passion when they think thus , oh! what a wretched heart have i , that i should break forth into passion , in such and such company , oh! what a wretch am i , that i should not only be burdensome to my self but to those that i converse withal , i make no question , but i speak to many that have lamented their condition in this kind alone , in that they have been so burdensome to others , it is true , i have been a burden to such and such , but the lord knows it is much more a burden to mine own heart , and to my self , therefore the remaining part of corruption is such a burden to the godly , because it is a burden to others , whenas all the people of god should be useful in the places where they live , they should live so as that all that live by them and with them should bless god for them , this they should endeavor to do , to live in such a manner as all that come neer them should bless god that ever they came neer , or had converse with them . the seventh property of the burden of corruption . seventhly , this burden is such a burden , as makes those that are godly to be burdensome to themselves , yea even to be weary of their lives many times , why ? for their corruption in them is a great deal more grievous then death would be to them . we use to express a thing that is very grievous to us , and say it is death to us , those that are godly can say so of their sin , and that is one reason that paul gave that name to his sin , a body of death , oh! wretched man that i am who shal deliver me from this body of death , why ? because the remaining corruption that then was in his heart was as death to him , so it is with the saints , the corruption that remaines in their hearts it is death to them , and they can appeal unto god , and speak thus in his presence . the bitterness of death would not be so much to me a thousand parts as this corruption that is in my heart , oh! this corruption that is in my heart , that overcomes me after so many resolutions , so many prayers , so many sacraments , so many ingagements , it is that which makes me weary of my life , as rebeccah said , if jacob should marry a wife of the daughters of heth , it would make her weary of her life ; so saith the godly , this remaining corruption in my heart , makes me weary of my life , what shal i do that carry such a body of death about me so as i do . there are many men and women that in a discontented mood , say , they are weary of their lives , but this is in a discontented mood ; but when could you say so in respect of your hearts , when did you say , i lookt into my heart , and i saw a great deal of sin , corruption , worldliness , pride , passion , and the like , and this is that which makes me weary of my life . the truth is , the great thing that makes the people of god to be willing to die is this , because they know when they die they shal be delivered from this burden , and therefore when death comes they entertaine it willingly , because they know they shal sin against god no more . there is many of you , when you have lived a long time in sickness , and poverty , and are in great straites many waies , you think if death should come to me i could be willing to die , because then i should suffer no such things as now i do , i but that is no argument of grace , but this is an argument of grace , that because of the great burden of corruption that thou carryest about in thy soul , therefore thou would'st be willing to die . the eighth property of the burden of corruption . eightly , sin is a grievous burden while we have it , and makes us weary of our lives , and yet it is such a burden as we must certainly carry about with us , such a body as we know we shal never be freed from wholly while we live in this world , it is true , we may be freed from it in a great measure , christ saith , come to me and you shal have rest , that is , some rest for the present , and whole rest in the life to come , but we cannot be wholly freed from this burden whilst we are in this world. and thus much for the properties of this burden , what a kind of burden the people of god feel under their corruptions . chap. xiii . in what respects corruption is a burden ▪ . in that our nature is opposite unto the very nature of god. . it presseth down every holy duty . . it affords matter for any temptation . . it hath a root from whence al kind of sin may spring . . it dampeth all the activity of our graces . the third thing is to shew that corruption is a burden to them . i. first , for the corrupt nature that is in them , besides the act of sin , this must needs be a burden to the godly , to think i have a nature contrary to god , to think now and then that they sin against god , this is not the burden , but here 's the burden , oh! wretched man and woman that i am , i have a nature in me that is opposite to the very nature of god , to the infinite holiness of god himself , though god hath made me partaker of the divine nature , yet stil i continue to be opposit to the nature of god it self . ii. secondly , this is that which is as a heavy weight that presseth them down in every holy duty , so in that . of the hebrews , wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses , let us lay aside every weight , and the sin which doth so easily beset us , and let us run with patience the race that is set before us . he speaks here of original sin , the sin of our nature especially , it is a weight that lies upon our hearts in the performance of holy duties , when we are striving to get our hearts up to god. this corruption of nature keeps them down . i remember the story of that good man , that going abroad saw a bird fluttering up , and when it had got up , it fel down again , and then it would flutter up , and then come down again , and he looking wishtly upon it , saw a stone tied to the birds leg , and upon that the good man begins to weep , just so , saith he , it is with me , i would fain get up to god , fain would have communion with god , and somtimes i am getting up to god , but straightway there is a weight that puls me down . do not you find it thus ? you that are conversant with god ; you that get somtimes alone in duty to god , and you would fain have your hearts raised to god , but how are your hearts brought down again , and not only in these private duties , but after publick duties , a day of fasting and humiliation somtimes , oh at night your hearts are up , and now you resolve you wil live above the world. and above al these things here below , and you wil live more to gods glory , but how are your hearts brought down again by this corrupt nature that is in you . iii. thirdly , corrupt nature is a burden , because it affords matter for any temptation in the world , there is no temptation to any kind of sin , but our nature affords matter for al kind of temptation , what a burden is this , if a ship be on fire in the midst of other ships , and we know that there is a great deal of gun-pouder in the ship that is on fire in the midst of the rest , would not he that oweth the ship be afraid , and wil he not toyle and use al means he can that the fire may not take hold of the gun-pouder , i compare all the temptations to sin about us unto the fire , now we are compassed about with the fire and what are our hearts in them , there is matter for the temptation to take upon ; as the gun-pouder is matter for the fire to take hold of , so our sinful hearts are as ready to take upon every temptation as that is ; now is not this a great burden ? that i should carry about me in my heart matter enough to entertain al sin , any sin in the world , yea the sin of blasphemy against the holy ghost , if i had not the mighty power of god to restrain me , thus it is with the sinful nature of man. iv. fourthly , the sinfulness of our nature is a burden in this respect , to have not only matter to entertain temptation , but it hath in it a root from whence , ( if god doth not come in with his grace ) all kind of sin may spring up from it , though there should be no kind of temptation , many of us do cry out of the devil and temptation when we are overcome by sin , but consider what i say , there is not only that evil in your hearts that you are ready to entertain all temptations , but there is that evil in your hearts that would breed al kind of evils whatsoever , though there should be no temptation , though there were no devil in hel ; as thus now , you know there are the seeds of weeds in the ground , though it is true , they do not come up to flowrish til the rain and the sun draws them forth , yet stil there are the seeds of those weeds , so as they would come up in time though not so soon , that except they be rooted up , they wil come up in time ; so it is here , there is not only injections of the devil in us , but our corrupt heart riseth to it , it is one thing to have some filthy thing cast upon us , and another thing to have the body so rotten that a stinking steam should come from the body it self , one may have some unsavory thing cast upon him and so be unsavory , but when the body is rotten and that cast upon one , that would be more unsavory , so it is here , may be the devil may bring some temptation upon us and make some disturbance in our heart , i but there is that in our hearts that wil make as great a disturbance in our souls as the devil can . v. lastly , the sinfulness of our nature is a burden in this respect , that it wil damp all the activity of our graces , the livelyness of our graces , now the saints of god make it to be the joy of their souls to be active and stirring for god , but now this corruption that we carry about with us damps al : as now a candle , if it were in a coal-pit a mine , there would come a damp that would make the candle burn dim , so the graces of gods spirit , in the best of us all , are but as a candle in a coal-pit , thy heart is like a coal-pit , and god hath set up a candle , some grace in thy heart that shines there , but now though christ takes care that all the damps of thy corruption shal not put out thy candle , yet god somtimes dimmes this candle that it doth not shine somtimes , takes away the beauty , liveliness , and activity of thy graces , that though thou hast some life and burnings , yet thou burnest but dimly before others with whom thou dost converse . i do not now speak of the stirring of sin , the working of sin , that is the next thing that i shal open , how that is a burden to the hearts of the saints ; as for instance , you know that the scripture tels us that the flesh fights against the spirit , and the spirit fights against the flesh , there is a continual fighting by this corruption against al that is good , now that there should be corruption in the heart that continually fights against god , that is a more fearful thing , so it is in thy heart . now to be alwaies in a fight or a combate it is a fearful thing , we count it a great burden that there should be wars and rumors of wars within our gates , i but , there is a greater war in thy heart . it is a thing that was not thought possible ever to be in england , that there should be found such a generation that should indanger their lives to make them and their posterity slaves , and yet for this they fight , who doth not see but the victory wil be this in the conclusion . but i wil shew you a worse thing then this in every of your hearts , there are such corruptions in your hearts , as put your souls to fight to mischeif your selves ; to bring your selves to be slaves to the devil , this is in your hearts , though indeed some are not sensible of this ; and what is the reason that if corruption be a burden that some people ●eel it not ? one reason is this , because they are dead in sins , if this whole building should fal upon a dead man , he would not feel it , and take this as an infallible argument , that thou art dead in sins and trespasses , if thou dost not feel the burden of thy corruption , that man and woman that is not sensible of the sin that is in their souls , i dare in the name of god , pronounce that man or woman dead . as it is in nature , though we may loose the sense of seeing , or of smelling , or of hearing , yet we may live , yet the sense of feeling or touching that cannot be lost , if we be living if we loose the sense of feeling , certainly that man or woman is dead , no sense inwardly or outwardly , there is some sense of feeling , so long as there is life . so here , though there may be many weaknesses in men and women , yet when they do not feel the burden of their corruptions at al , certainly they are dead men and women . now you that are weary and heavy laden , come to me , ( saith christ ) and i will give you rest , know , that christ speaks to you , not only out of pity , as to those that labor under the burden of legal performances , but out of love , and know , that by this you come to be fitted for christ and it is that that is as delightful to the heart of christ to give ease and rest to his poor servants that labor under the burden of corruption as to do any thing in the world ; it was a special end why christ came into the world , to dissolve the works of the devil , our corruptions are from the devil , and are tied close to us , and they easily beset us , ( as the expression is ) now i say it was the end why jesus christ came into the world , to dissolve the works of the devil , that is , when he sees his poor servants under this burden and to cry out under it , as paul did , who shal deliver me , then christ comes to cut this bond and so to dissolve the works of the devil and give ease and rest to their spirits . you do wel when you struggle and strive against your corruptions with all the strength you have , but the great work you have to do that you may be delivered from your corruptions is , to renew your act of faith in christ , to make use of those scriptures wherein christ is said to be our sanctification , as wel as our redemption , and to act our faith upon those scriptures , and that is the way to ease our souls of these burdens . chap. xv. in what respects the stirrings and motions of corruption 〈◊〉 very burdensom . . they continually fight against the spirit of grace in the heart . . they are sudden . . they are ful of confusion and disorder . . they work very malitiously . . they watch opportunity to do mischief . . they are very unseasonable . . they are very prevalent . now besides the corruption of our nature , the stirring of corruption is very burdensome unto the soul ; i suppose if a man or woman did know what corrupt nature is in them , and though this corrupt nature did not stir , yet it would be very burdensome , but we are to know that this corrupt nature doth not lie stil , but is alwayes working , stirring , acting and putting it self forth unto that that is evil , now the motions of sin are burdensome . . for first , they are continually fighting against the spirit of god , and the spirit of grace in the heart , the flesh lusteth against the spirit , now to have a continual fighting and combating in the soul , is it not very burdensome ; as a family where there is a continual falling out , never a day that you come to some families but there is falling out , and fighting , is it not burdensome to live in such a family ? now in the hearts of men and women there is a continual fighting . if one should be in a family where the husband and wife is continually fighting one with an other , and the children and servants flying in the face one of an other that would be burdensome , now in the heart of man there is the flesh and spirit continually fighting one against another , is not war in a kingdome a burden ? and especially , when men shal fight to make themselves slaves , as i said before would any man ever have thought it possible that there should be such folly in the hearts of any in england , to fight to make themselves and their posterity slaves , that the very victory that they should get was to bring them to be slaves , now the fight with corruption it is for this end . , and then the stirring of corruption is sudden , many times a man or woman that is gracious and godly , that finds their heart in some good temper and working for god , suddenly their corruptions wil be stirring in them unexpectedly , which is extream greife and damp to their spirits , and causeth many times exceeding much trouble to them suddenly , that no body can understand the cause of it but themselves . . and then the stirring of corruption is violent , the stirring of corruption in the hearts of the saints are many times extream violent and outragious , the divel stirs up their corruption , and indeed the corruptions themselves are as it were divels in them , that do as the divel that was ready to be cast out of him that was possessed , he causeth him to foam at the mouth , so there is extreame violence of corruption in the hearts of the saints . it was a lamentable conditition of the poor child that was possessed in the gospel , when the father came to christ for help , because when the evil spirit came it cast him into the fire and into the water . so corruption is so violent in the hearts of the godly , that it is ready to cast them into the fire and into the water , to do those things that are against their own inclination , against their prayers , against their resolutions , against their vowes , against their covenants , though they see such a thing to be evil , are convinced of it , though they find a strong inclination against the evil , though they have been at prayer to god to help them against it , though they resolve with the strongest resolutions against it , yea though they vow and covenant yea they come to the sacrament and set to their seale , so violent is their corruption that it carries and hurries them on in wayes of evil notwithstanding . . again the motions and stirring of corruption are very burdensome unto the saints , in regard of the confused disorder that there is in the motions of their corruptions , there is much disorder and confusion in the heart when corruption doth stir , which causeth much disturbance ; what causeth more disturbance in a state , in a family , in a town then confusion and disorder ? nothing is more disorderly and confused then the corruption in our hearts , and therefore burdensome , it causes much perplexity in the hearts of the saints , because they find their corruptions working and stirring in such a confused way , they find sometimes when they are in duty such strange confused working of their hearts , that it is an extream burden upon them . . further the corruption of the heart works very maliciously and therefore the more burdensome , that is , it watcheth especially those times wherein it may do us most mischief , then it wil be most stirring as a malicious enemy , wil not only be troublesome to one that he is an enemy unto at sometimes , but he watcheth if there be any time wherein he may do him more mischief then another ; i wil take that time , saith an enemy ; so the corruptions of the hearts of men , they watch when they may do the soul the greatest mischeif , now many a christian may think , though i find much corruption stirring many times yet if i could but be free when i get alone to have communion with god , o! that it would let me alone at that time ; and so though i find it stirring at other times , yet if it would let me alone at the hearing of the word ; but it comes at that time especially , you wil have evil thoughts at prayer more then ever you had , and at the hearing of the word light workings of spirit more then at other times , and not only at the word but if there be but one truth that doth more neerly concerne the good of your soules then another , you shal find your corruptions to hinder you then , more then at another time , and so at the sacrament , and fasting , there it wil be more working then at another time . . yea and further , if there be any time , that through gods mercy in a day of prayer , fasting , and the like , if you can get your hearts to any comfortable frame , brokenness of heart , renewed resolutions to walk in the waies of god more strictly then before ; as many times it is in dayes of fasting and prayer , above al times wil your corruptions be stirring after that , more then any time , thus maliciously when it may do you the greatest michief , then it wil be most working . now what a burden is this to the soule ! as it is said of christ , in matth. the latter end , there you have the story of christs baptisme , and when he was baptised , then came the holy ghost upon him in the likeness of a dove , and this manfestation of god from heaven , this is my beloved sonn in whom i am wel pleased ; wel , presently saith the text , he was led into the wilderness to be tempted of the divel , god was in the worke , but the devil was malicious against him presently after a glorious manifestation of god the father to him , as it was with christ your savior , so you must expect it wil be with you , christ when he had such a glorious manifestation of god the father from heaven to him , then he was led aside , then the divel presently came upon him , so it wil many times be with you , when at any time you have got your hearts up to god in a day of fasting , prayer , or the like , and have got some sense of gods love , take heed of security at that time more then at al times and that is the reason that you shal find , if you observe it , that very often after a day of fasting , after such a day that you have got most in , if not the very night , yet the next day , you wil find strong workings of the corruptions of your herets , to keep them down immediately after that time , for the stirring of corruptions they are very malicious , and watch for the time that they may do us the greatest mischief of al. . further the stirring of the corruptions that remain in us , are very burdensome in regard of their unseasonableness by that i meane this , ( to speak plainly to your hearts ) the stirrings of our corruptions , if we shal gratifie them many times , yeild to them , as it were , for peace sake , as sometimes the heart of a man or woman is so troubled with the workings of corruption that they think they must needs yield that they might be quiet , wel if thou shalt yeild to them to quiet them , they wil come upon thee more and more , with greater strength they wil come upon thee then before , as now , if any one that is troublesome to us in seeking to get such and such a thing of us , and at length because of trouble to us we yield to them , then afterwards they grow more and more upon us , incroach more and more upon us and are very troublesome and burdensome to us , it is so in the stirring of corruption , if you yield to your corruption for one thing , it comes more and more upon you , so that the only quiet you can have is by being at open defiance with them ; now this is another thing wherby the corruptions of the hearts of gods people are very burdensome to them . . lastly , the corruptions in the hearts of gods people are very burdensome , because they are very prevailing , this is an higher degree : they are burdensome in the root , and then in the working they are more burdensome , but then in the prevailing they are yet more burdensome ; if so be a child of god , that looks into his hear● , and finds what a root of bitternese there is , that makes him go heavily al his dayes , but now when he finds such working and stirring of corruption , this troubles him more ; he thinks , though i have such a cursed nature , though i cannot keep down the motions and stirrings of my corruption , yet if i could keep them from working ; yea though i cannot keep them from working , yet if i could but keep them from prevailing , but alas ! they overcome me many times , and this is the greatest burden of al , that they prevail in our hearts so much as they do , it is troublesome to fight with an enemy , but it is a great deale more troublesom to have an enemy prevail and get the day : and though it is true that corruption shal not get the day fully , that is , though it may prevail for a while in some skirmishes , it may prevail praelio but not in bello , as an enemy may in some skirmishes have the better of it , but yet the other may conquer at last , and may get the day ; the day , that is , when it comes to a pitcht set battel , that is the bellum , and there he prevails , if i can but prevail and get the day to be mine then , it is not so much . it is true , the saints of god they shal get the day at last , but here as long as they live , their corruptions often prevail and foiles them which is very grievous and burdensome to them . chap. xv. the reasons of the former point . . because coruption ( when it prevailes ) weakens the heart . . by it god is dishonoured . . by it our holy profession is scandalized . . by it they over whom it prevailes , are made useless in their places . . thereby the meanes of grace are made unprofitable . . thereby our peace with god is disturbed . . thereby the assurance of our salvation is shaken . now for that , to open it a little in the particulars , to shew , how burdensome it is to the hearts of the saints when they do prevaile in any measure , they do not put it off as carnal people do with this , we are al sinners and it is gods grace to keep us , and lord have mercy on us and the like , no , but they account the prevailing of corruption the greatest burden that they can goe under in the world , and that in these respects . i first , because whensoever corruption prevailes , in what degree soever , it weakens the heart , it weakens the soul ; it may stir in the heart , and if the heart doth repulse it , and get strength against it , the heart is not weak as before , but if it prevail in any degree , it weakens the heart ; now we know , that which is weak , is sensible of a burden quickly , a sick man is a burden to himself , and every thing is a burden to him , now when any corruption prevailes , it makes the soul sick , and every thing is a burden to it and i beseech you consider , here is a reason why you are so weak and are able to beare no other burdens , if any body crosse you , when you come home , wife , children , or servants cross you , you cannot beare it , if neighbours cross you , you are able to beare nothing , there is a reason in this that you do not think of , you have weakened your hearts by some sin or other , and broke your peace with god it may be , and now your hearts come to be weake , you are like a sick man , that cryes out upon any thing , one that is sick cryes out upon every thing , wheras if he were strong & healthful he could bear a hundred times more ; so you have brought a sickness upon your souls , there is some sin that hath prevailed w th you : prevailed over you , and by that hath weakened your heart and your spirit , now being weake you can beare nothing , every thing is a greivous burden to you , so that the prevailing of corruption comes to be burdensome in this respect , because it weakens the heart , and makes every thing burdensome to them . ii secondly , the saints and people of god they account the priviledge of corruption to be the greatest burden in this respect , because they know that now they dishonor god , especially if it prevail so as to breake forth outwardly , that it comes to an outward actual sin , then it must needs be burdensome to one that is gracious , for the name of the blessed god suffers by this my sin that hath prevailed , al the while sin was but stirring in my heart , and did not prevail , the name of god hath not that dishonor as now it hath , now when sin hath prevailed it dishonors god , and therefore it is a burden unto the saints . iii thirdly , it is a burden because it may be my holy profession is scandalized by it , and is not this a burden ? howsoever many wretched men and women , wil say , they care not , let others say and think of them what they wil : but now godly men , and women , when rhey think of this , they cry out o what wil the wicked say of this ! how wil they blaspheme the name of god , and dishonor the name of god ; and this wil be a burden to them , because thereby their holy profession is scandalized . iv fourthly , ' it s a burden , because hereby they come to be made useless in the places where they live : many though they may have some soundness of grace in them , and may go to heaven at last , yet their corruption prevailing over them , they come thereby to be very useless in the places where they live , they may live , but themselves wil be burdens upon the earth , for they are never like to be used , to do any great service for god in the world , they have so scandalized their profession by the prevailing of corruption . v fifthly , when corruption prevailes over the saints , as it makes them unprofitable , so it makes the meanes of grace exceeding unprofitable too , it hardens there hearts , and they come to prayer , hearing the word , and sacraments and find little good : many of you complain you find not profit by prayer , and hearing the word , and sacrament ; what is the reason ? such and such corruptions have prevailed over you , it may be there are some sins that you live in , that have prevailed over you , and therefore no marvel you do not profit as you desire . vi. sixthly , the prevailing of corruption is a grievous burden in this regard , because it is that that doth extreamly disturbe ones peace between god and our soul ; though there be many temptations , yet if the heart can conquer them , it hath more peace by that means , never hath the soul so much peace , as when there hath been strong temptations unto sin , and a conquering over those temptations : but if temptation conquer , then there wil be a disturbance of our peace , and that is burdensome to those that do know what peace with god doth mean. vii . seventhly , the prevailing of corruption is a grievous burden , because it is that many times , that shakes the assurance of those that are godly . i know not what those men would make of the lords prayer , forgive us our sins , if so be that they think whatsoever sin they fal into , yet stil they can keep up their assurance as much as before , i say , what would they make of that petition , lord ! forgive us our sins ? at least , to pray thus , lord ! cleer up the evidence of the forgiveness of our sins , then it must needs follow , that the falling into any sin , and the prevailing of any corruption , must needs shake our assurance while we live here in this world , now is not this a burden to any man or woman that heretofore had assurance of gods love , and was able to look in gods face with joy , to have this assurance shaken ? yea , many times , it makes god withdraw his countenance , which made david cry out , restore to me the joy of thy salvation . as if he should say , lord , i was wont to have joy in thy company , in communion with thee , but thou hast estranged thy self from my soul , o lord , restore unto me the joy of thy salvation . now is not this a burden , for thee to loose the sweetness of thy soul in communion with god ? that now , though it may be it is through thy weakness or what it wil be , yet thou canst not look upon god with that comfort as thou would'st , but the thought of god comes to be a terror upon thy spirit , is not this a burden ? now then , is there any poor soul that understands what these things mean ? what a burden the remaining corruption of the heart is , either in regard of the sinfulness of nature , or in regard of the stirring of corruption , or in regard of the prevailing of corruption , that now they have no rest in their souls , but are laden with such a burden , and cry out with the apostle , oh! wretched man and woman that i am , who shal deliver me ? let such a soul know , that this text belongs to them , come unto me , saith christ , and i wil give you rest from this burden , as wel as the other burdens ; and our rest is only in christ from this , as wel as the burden of the guilt of sin , the burden of the law , and the other burdens that have been spoken unto . chap. xvi . why the saints feel these things so burdensome , namely . . because the life of grace is a tender and delicate thing . . because grace keeps the soul in continual acting . and why god suffers corruption notwithstanding the burdensomness thereof to remain in the saints , namely . . that hereby he may shew forth his own power . . hereby their faith be exercised . . hereby they are driven unto prayer . . hereby stirred up unto repentance . . hereby make known his wisdome . . hereby manifest his justice in laying a stumbling block before the wicked . . hereby the saints may be induced to long more after heaven . with two consequences issuing from hence . . the differences between the sins of the godly , and the wicked . . why the saints go on so sadly in their waies . now it must needs be that a gracious heart must feel these things to be very burdensome . first , because the life of grace , wheresoever it is , is a very tender and delicate thing ; nothing is so delicate and tender as the life of grace , and therefore it must needs be sensible of this burden of corruption according to what degree it doth remain in the soul. as thus , you know a man or woman , the more delicate and tender they are in their flesh , having had very curious bringing up , or it may be their natural spirits are very delicate more then other men , some men their natural spirits are more gross , and can bear burdens with less sense , but now those that are more finer and delicate , if you lay a burden upon them , oh! how burdensome is it unto them , now grace makes the constitution to be delicate , fine , and pure ; a pure constitution , it puts the hearts into a most pure constitution , and therefore it must needs be sensible of the evil of sin according to the remainers of it . secondly , where grace is , corruption must needs be very burdensome in this regard also , because that grace keeps the soul in continual action and stirring , now look as a man that hath a leg that is broken , if he could lie stil , and never stir , it would not be so grievous and burdensome to him , the pain and breaking of his leg would not be so burdensome if he could lie stil , but if this man , whose leg is broken , must be stirring , walking , and going up and down , oh! how burdensome is it that his leg is broke . so it is with the soul , it is true , if the soul might be stil a sleep , and doing nothing , then , though there be corruption in them , it would not be so grievous , i but grace whereever it is puts the soul unto action ; and therefore it is called , the divine nature , because it is active , it puts the soul on to be acting for god , and in the waies of life , now grace putting the soul to be acting , and corruption that being as the breaking of the bones , it must needs be very burdensome , that which most hinders their activity of grace must needs be very burdensome . you had need therefore take heed what you do when temptation to sin comes , take heed you do not break your bones , and your leggs , why ? because when you have broken them you must be stil stirring and acting for god. a poor man , it is a great deal worse for him , if he break his leg , then a rich man ; a rich man may sit by the fire , or lie in his bed a month together , but a poor man , if he break his legg he doth not know what to do , he must to work , perhaps he cannot have that harbor that a rich man may have , so i say , those that are of sluggish spirits , though corruption prevaile it is not so grievous unto them , but those that are of active spirits and have grace , and the more grace that any man or woman hath , the more burdensome their corruptions are , because the more grace there is in the soul , the more active it wil be for god. quest . but you wil say , seeing the remaining of corruption in the heurts of the saints is so burdensom , why doth god so order things in his providence , as his own dear saints should be so troubled with their corruptions while they live in this world ? god could deliver them from their corruptions , why wil god make them cry out , o wreched man that i am , who shal deliver me from this body of death ? god could as wel perfect our sanctification , as our justification : why doth god thus order things in his providence , that his own dear saints should groan under such a burden of corruption al their daies ? answ . for that breifly thus , though it is true , that god could presently take all our corruptions ; as soon as ever we come to jesus christ , god could deliver us from our corruptions , but the lord wil not , he hath many holy ends why he doth suffer his own people to be under this burden while they live here in the flesh , as. first , that hereby he may shew forth his own power , the power of jesus christ is exceeding magnified in this , that it can uphold little sparks of grace in the midst of an ocean of corruption , that it can uphold poor weak creatures under such burdens , and carry them on notwithstanding , and bring them to eternal life ; the power and grace of jesus christ , and the power of god , is as much manifested in this thing , as it is in keeping heaven and earth upon the frame , or keeping it in being ; the lord doth not appear more to be an almighty god , in keeping heaven and earth in being , then he doth appeare to be an almighty god in keeping grace alive in the heart notwithstanding al the remainder of corruption , so that in this god hath glory in another way then he hath from the angels in heaven ; the power of god appeares in upholding of the angels , for if he did not uphold them , they would fal into evil , as adam and the other angels did , but therein appeares gods glorious power to uphold the angels : but the glorious power in upholding the angels , doth not so much appeare , as the glorious power of god in upholding the hearts of the saints in the midst of their corruptions ; this shal be a special argument that the saints shal praise god for , to al eternity , when they shal look back , and see what a condition they were in before their conversion , yea , in their conversion , that though god granted them some grace , yet what abundance of corruption was in their hearts al that time , and what a deal of stir they had to maintain that little grace ; they wil stand and admire to consider , that it should be kept alive in the midst of sin , that a little sparke should be kept alive in the midst of the sea , not only in the midst of the sea , but when the sea is tempestuous , you yil say it is no great wonder that the fire be kept burning when the sea is calme ; but when al is in a storme , and yet a spark of fire shal be kept alive in the midst of al the tossings of the waves , you wil grant here is a mighty power : now the keeping alive of grace in thy heart in the midst of so much corruption : doth argue as mighty a power in god. . the lord doth so order it that stil his own people shal be under the burden of much coruption in this regard , because that hereby the lord draweth forth the exercise of faith in his son , in which his soul takes infinite delight , the soule of god takes infinite delight in beholding the working of the glorious grace of faith in jesus christ . but you wil say wherein doth it appeare to be so glorious in regard of our corruption ? thus , for the angels in heaven to believe in god , that he wil be eternally good to them , it is not so much , as for a poor soul in the midst of al his corruptions , yet to be able to triumph in the free grace of god in jesus christ ; notwithstanding i am so vild , filthy , loathsome , and abominable to myself , and justly god and his saints may count me a burden to them and cast me off for ever , yet for al this , my soul shal cling to him , i wil cast my self upon him , and look upon him as a gracious father , a merciful god , a god that loves me , a god that rejoyceth in doing good to me ; for the soul to exercise faith in the grace of god in christ , it is a glorious thing , only take heed you do not mistake it for presumption . object . you wil say , for men notwithstanding al their sin to beleeve in gods mercy this is rather presumption then faith . answ . true , it is presumpion in many , they mistake themselves , but in others it is true faith , and god delights in it , and you shal know it by this ; it doth draw the heart to god and the soul never finds such a prevalent way to overcome those corruptions that are in it , as to exercise their faith in the grace of god in christ . i beseech you , mark the difference between presumption and faith in christ , presumption wil trust in gods mercy notwithstanding their sin , but that doth indeed foment their sin and makes them secure in their sin , makes them the more secure in their sin , but now when the soul shal by the true geminine act of faith rest in the free grace of god notwithstanding corruption , if it be right , such a soul feels no means in the world of greater efficacy to cure and prevail against corruption then this , to trust in the free grace of god notwithstanding corruption : and if thou findest it thus , thou hast no cause to feare , trust in gods grace with confidence , for it is that which is wel pleasing unto god , and that which the lord delights in , and that which gives as much content to gods heart as the exercise of any grace whatsoever , and in that regard , because the saints shal never exercise such an act of faith in heaven ●s this , god wil have this in this world . . this is that that god sees doth drive his own people to him in prayer , nothing drives the saints to god with more earnestness in prayer , then the feeling of the weight of corruption upon them , then they goe to god above al , god never heares such strong cryes come up to heaven in regard of any affliction as this ; and by the way , you may find by this how your hearts are , when the hand of god is upon you in afflictions , then you wil cry to god , but i put this to you , hath there not come as strong cryes to heaven upon the sence of your corruptions as upon the sence of any affliction whatsoever . . the lord hath glory in this , in the exercise of the work of repentance , and humility ; the keeping the souls of his people in humility , and the contrition of their spirits , that is exceeding pleasing to god , the lord is neer to a broken contrite heart , a melting mourning spirit , the lord doth delight in the evangelical workings of repentance , this pleaseth the lord ; the work of humiliation , mourning and sorrow for sin in an evangelical way , is a grace that is acceptable to god ; god shal have none of that in heaven , and he hath it therefore here . . god hereby exerciseth his wisdome exceedingly , in bringing light out of darkeness ; god doth many times turne , not only the afflictions of his people to their good , but he workes good many times out of sin , not that hereby we should be bold and presumptuous in our sins , we must take head of tempting god , yet know this , that god doth many times work exceeding much good unto the saints , even out of their sins , by occasion of sin , though their sin hath no efficacy in this , but god takes occasion in this , in otherwaies of his providences and workings of his grace to work good unto them . . there is gods justice in it also , to lay a stumbling block before wicked and ungodly men , for when they shal see , that the godly that have the most grace they have much corruption in them stil , they rejoyce perhaps in it , and they little think that god aimes at the execution of his just judgment upon them that it should harden their hearts , many wicked men , they think their condition to be very good , because they see so much corruption in the hearts of the godly , and they are hardened therby , but they little think that god aymes at the execution of his just judgment upon them thereby . . god doth it for this reason , that the saints may long more after heaven , therefore it is that the lord in the ordering of his providence workes so , that they should be kept under the burden of corruption in this world , that they might long to be in heaven with their father , and that when they come to heaven they might know the difference between heaven and earth , between their state there in heaven , and their state here on earth . thus though corruption may be a great burden to us while we live here in this world , yet the lord hath many great ends and purposes to suffer thee , a poor creature , to be under remaining corruption , and therefore thou canst not draw any such argument , god loves me not , for if he loved me he would deliver me from this corruption , i have been praying a longtime to be delivered , and yet i am not delivered , do not gather any such arguments from it , you know paul prayed once and again , and al the answer he had was , my grace shal be sufficient for thee : so though thou prayest under the burden of corruption again and again , yet if once god say thus to thy soul , my grace shal be sufficient for thee , thy corruption shal not crush thee and undo thee , but i wil sstrengthen thee , this wil be sufficient . now from al this that hath been said , you may by way of consequence see . first , a great deal of difference between the sins of the godly and the sins of the wicked : the wicked they sin , and the godly sin too , we use to say we are al sinners , but it is to the one a burden , to the other a delight . secondly , you may see from hence also one reason why the saints of god go on sometimes so sadly in their wayes , thou dost not know what burdens they are under . but you wil say , we are better we do not feele it . no , they have not so much sin as thou hast , they have got some grace , thou hast none , they have in some degrees mortified their sins , thou hast not ; yea , they have their sins pardoned , thou hast not ; but yet though they have some assurance , that the guilt of their sin is removed , yet the very remaining of the corruptions of their hearts is their burden . object . you wil say why should it be so burdensome if they know the guilt of their sin to be forgiven . answ . i beseech you observe it , there is a deale of difference between a carnal heart , and a godly heart ; one that hath a carnal heart , if he can be eased from the burden of conscience , he is no more troubled ; but now a gracious heart , though he be first burdened with the apprehension of the guilt of sin , & that burden be removed , yet there remaining a body of death , there is another burden stil upon him : so that the very remaining of some corruption is a greater burden unto him , then al thy corruption that is in the ful strength of it , and together with thy corruption al the guilt that is upon thee ; only thou art dead in sin and dost not feel it , if a whole building fal down , those that are buried in the grave they would not feel it , but al you that are alive , if it should fal down would feele it : so the wicked have the burden of their corruption in the ful strength of it ; in the guilt of it upon them and they feel it not , for they are dead ; but the godly , though they have the guilt of sin removed , yet the very least sin remaining in them is a burden , though they have mortified their sin , and do it every day , yet the remaining of sin is a great burden to them . and hence you may see the reason of the watchfulness of the saints over their spirits , why they spend so much time , and rise so early to heare the word , what is the reason you wil say , they know that if they do not labor under the burden of their corruptions to a void sin , it wil be a greater burden to labor under the burden of sin afterwards . now you do not watch over sin , because you do not know what a grievous burden sin is when they labor under it , but such a one as feels the burden of sin , the lord be merciful to me , i had thought ( saith he ) my back would have broke under the burden of sin . and therefore david praies , for the healing of the bones that were broken : and that is the reason of the watchfulness and carefulness of the saints under this burden . now the maine thing that hath been intended in al that i have said about this burden is this , that i might point out those whom christ cals to himself , that you might be prepared to hearken to the invitation of christ to come to him for rest ( though we are not come to that ) yet take notice that there is rest in christ for all these , from under all these burdens . and so much for the burden of the remaining part of corruption in the hearts of the saints . chap. xviii . of the burden of outward afflictions , and the grievousness thereof laid open in three particulars . . in themselves they are a part of the curse of the law . they hinder much in doing service to god. . they often help forward many strong temptations . why god wil have his saints to be under this burden , namely , . because he wil have his servants to honor and obey him , meerly out of love. . because he knoweth that thus their corruptions may be best mortified . . to be a stumbling-block to the wicked . the next burden is , the burden of affliction , the burden of outward afflictions , poverty , disgrace , sickness , or any kind of trouble in this world ; you shal find these things to be very burdensom to you . now christ cals such as labor under this burden to come to him , and promiseth to give them rest , christ hath a tender affection towards poor creatures under outward burdens , towards all those that the father hath given to him , especially when they are burdened with outward affliction and the gospel hath in it abundance of refreshments to help and ease sinners that feel the burden of afflictions in this world , no such way of ease and rest unto them as by the grace of god in christ as we shal open more fully when we come to the promise . now the burden of affliction is very grievous to many , the burden of poverty , disgrace , sickness or the like ; those whom god lets prosper in their waies , little think what burdens are upon their brethren ; how many in these daies are there of our brethren , that groan under these burdens , though we do not feel them ? we know not how soon we may be brought under them , and therefore it wil be very seasonable to shew the rest that we have in christ even from under these burdens . i have spent some time in opening the grievousness of other burdens , now this burden of outward afflictions men are so sensible of , that there needs not much for the opening of them , but only to tel all that feel these burdens , that they may come unto this promise ▪ yea , and they are under this invitation , christ invites them to come to him for rest for these burdens . first , outward afflictions are burdens , because they are in themselves part of the curse of the law , and if they be sanctified to any , it is by virtue of this promise in the text ; if any affliction upon you be sanctified it is thence . before you come to christ al outward afflictions , poverty , sickness , or any disturbance you have in your estate , it is in it self the fruit of the curse , and is so to you til you come to christ : now to bear that that is in it self a fruit of the curse , must needs be a burden , because it is so contrary to nature most afflictive to nature , therefore burdensome ? secondly , outward afflictions are burdensom , because they do hinder us much in doing service , that service that we were born for , that we were born to do in this world , they do hinder us of many opportunities of doing service for god , outward afflictions do . as now sickness of body , what a burden is it ? because it doth hinder those that are continually sickly from doing the service that god requires of them to do , and indeed that makes it to be most burdensom to one that is gracious , it is not such a burden to one that hath a sickly body , because of the pain that he feels , but because by this means my soul is hindred in those operations that i would be glad to be exercised in for god , and doing good in the place i am set in . and so poverty , is therefore a burden , not because i cannot live so bravely as others do , and have as fine houses , clothes , and diet as others have ; no , but because i must spend all my time meerly in getting provision for my family that i have little time for gods service ; others can spend time in gods service , hear , pray , and meditate , but the chief time that i have to spend is spent to get bread ; now this is a burden : and besides because of poverty i have little opportunity to do service for god , those that have large estates , they have opportunity to do god service , they are called forth to publick services , but i am not so as others are , now this is that that to one that hath any beginnings of grace in his heart is a great burden . and by the way , it were a good argument of true grace , if you that are under the burden of affliction , if you felt the burden where it lies , i appeal to you that complain of the burden of affliction , poverty , and the like , that you feel , i put this question to you in the name of god , what is it that makes your affliction most burdensom ? it is true , it is painful to nature , oh! but the lord knows , this is that that makes it grievous , and burdensom to me , that by means of this affliction , i am fain to spend so much time about mean works that i have little time to do good in my generation : others that have greater estates , i count them happier in this , that the lord hath given unto them larger opportunities to do him service , then i have ; i do not count them happy because of their wealth , but because they have larger opportunities to do god service , but it is god that orders things thus , and i must be content to bear this burden . i say , if thou hast a heart thus complaining of thy burden , it is a good sign , and know , that in christ there is abundance of grace to sanctifie these burdens to thee , divers other things might be spoken about the burden of affliction , i will add but one more . thirdly , outward afflictions is a great burden in this respect , because it many times occasions and helps forward many strong temptations : outward afflictions do strengthen , and do occasion strong temptations , which are very grievous to the soul : as thus , when one is under affliction more then others , then comes this temptation , surely god loves me not , because of this affliction ; then comes temptation to envy others , because i am afflicted more then others ; then comes temptation of distrust , i shall perish one day or other ; then comes temptation of murmuring under the hand of god ; temptation to take shifting courses , to shift for ones self by unlawful means , oh! what temptations have many that are under strong afflictions in poverty , imprisonment , disgrace , dishonor in the world ; what strong temptations have they to stretch their consciences . and this makes outward afflictions a grievous burden , because they occasion great temptations to poor souls to stretch out their hands to folly , to unlawful courses many times to help themselves ; yea , the apprehension many times before it comes is so grievous , as it occasions temptation to much evil to prevent those burdens , and yet for all that , the lord is so pleased to order and dispose of things in this world , that even such as he intends everlasting good to in christ , go under such burdens as these , most part of their lives , they go under the burdens of poverty , sickness , and outward troubles here in this world . many reasons might be given why the lord so orders things in this world , that his ●ear servants , for whom christ hath shed his precious blood , shall go under these burdens , though others that are wicked and ungodly shal scarse know what they are . . the lord doth hereby shew , that he wil have his servants to serve and honor him , meerly out of love , and not in a mercenary way to get outward things in this world , he will have us serve him out of love , and out of faith ; if we should prosper in outward things alwaies , our service would be more carnal ; but now though his servants meet with never such afflictions in this world , yet they love the lord , and love his waies , and love his service , and go on in faithful obedience to him ; this shews the excellency of grace , more then if they prospered in this world . . and the lord sees this the best means to mortifie our corruptions ; many times thou complainest of thy afflictions , but who knows if thou had'st not such afflictions , what sins thou would'st have . . and god doth this to be a stumbling block to the wicked , that they should stumble at the afflictions of the saints , and so perish that way . divers other reasons might be given , but all is to make way to that which is to come after , that the lord cals all these , not only those that labor under the burden of sin , under the burden of the law , &c. but poor creatures that labor under the burden of affliction , poverty and the like to come to him for ease and rest . chap. xviii . christs invitation of sinners , laid down in these words , come unto me . opened in five particulars . it is to look to christ as an all-sufficient savior . it implieth an unsetledness upon the creature . a stirring of the heart after christ . a laying of all our burdens upon christ . a leaving of the soul with christ for life . now then we come to the invitation it self , come to me , saith christ , come to me ; that is , beleeve in me : for among many other expressions of beleeving in christ , or of accepting of the condition of the covenant of grace ; the holy ghost doth express this beleeving and acceptation of the covenant of grace , by coming to christ . beleeving in christ is exprest very often by coming to christ : in john . . you will not come to me that ye might have life . they did come to christ in his outward presence , christ conferred with them , and they with him ; but yet saith christ , ye will not come to me that ye might have life . and so in john . . those that the father hath given to me , come to me , and i will in no wise cast them out . all that the father hath from eternity given me to redeem , they come to me , that is , they beleeve in me . and in verse . none can come to me except god the father draw him : that is , none beleeves in me except my father draw them : and so , he that hath heard and learned of the father comes to me : that is , beleeves in me . and that is the meaning of the . of isai . ho , every one that thirsteth , come to the waters , buy wine and milk without money , and without price : that is , beleeve in me , that is the meaning . all you that labor under al these several burdens , come to me , beleeve in me , and i wil give you rest . but this must be opened more largely : and in this invitation , there are these five things that i desire to open unto you , and to work them upon you . first , what christ would have us do more particularly , when he bids us come to him . secondly , what kind of invitation it is that christ doth make to those that the father gives to him , that shal indeed come to be saved by him ; what kind of invitation they have from christ , how christ calls them to him ; for this is a calling , and an inviting . thirdly , that all that christ requires as a condition of the covenant of grace for rest unto our souls , is to come to him , nothing else is the condition of the gospel by which we come to have christ to be ours , but this , to come to him , come to me saith christ : that is the great condition of the gospel , only to come to christ . fourthly , there are some rules to be propounded and observed , for our coming unto christ . fiftly , the laboring to draw your souls unto christ . for the first , come to me , what is that ? what would christ have you to do ? for the opening of that in particular , it is this , when christ calls you to come to him , you are to know , this notes a motion from christ , to come to him . first : it implies a beholding , a looking unto jesus christ , as being the all-sufficient savior , to save our souls from al the evils that are upon us , and to supply unto us al good we stand in need of : as if christ should say , when he saith , come to me ; that is , o! poor , troubled sinners ; that are under these burdens , do you behold me to be the great mediator that is come into the world , to stand between all the wrath of my father , and your souls , and to bring life and salvation to you , that is imployed , when i would go , i must know whither i must go , to whom i must go , so saith christ , i am the grea● redeemer sent into the world by my father to that very end , that i may ease poor soules of their burdens , and such soules as you are , look unto christ therefore , as the great reconciler of god and man , the great mediator between god and man , having the fulness of al mercy and goodness in him , the great meanes of conveyance of al the grace and riches of god the father to sinful souls , that is the first work of beleeving in christ , for to look unto him to be such a one as god the father hath tendred unto us ; that is imployed , but yet the soul comes not . secondly : but then the second is this , which goes further . to come to christ , implies an unsetledness , when we come to a thing , there is the terminus a quo , and the terminus ad quem , we come from something , so saith christ , you have setled your hearts upon creature comforts , and you have looked upon them heretofore , as those things wherein your good and happiness doth consist , but now your hearts must be taken off from those , you must come to me that is there must be a removing from that station you were in , from that kind of settlement you were before in , i cannot go to another place , and stay in the place where i was too : and so the heart cannot come to christ and stay in the state it was in before , therefore that implies , that whereas you poor creatures , have settled your hearts upon creature comforts , and setled your hearts upon sinful things heretofore , o! now , let your hearts be taken off from al those things , know , that your good , your happiness , your peace is not here , if you abide here , and settle here , you are lost and undone creatures for ever . let it not grieve your souls to part with the comforts that are here below in the creatures , for certainly , you mistake , here doth not lie your good and happiness , so that when the soul is beginning to stir after christ , it is taken off from the creature , taken off from al creature comforts , looks upon every thing as vanity ; o! saith the soul i am cleerly convinced that my happiness lies higher then the things here below ; these are the reasonings of the heart that is in motion to go to christ . and not onely to be unsetled from the creature , but i must be taken off from my self too , from al my righteousness and duties , i must not think to satisfie god by any thing that i can do , no , but i must be convinced , that there is a greater thing required to make up my satisfaction with god , then any thing that i can do ; and therefore my heart must be taken off from these things , heretofore , i rested in duties , that i was not so bad as others , but now i see there is another manner of righteousness that i must have in a mediator , these though they be good in themselves , yet they are not the things that can ever save my soul , but if ever i have peace with god and stand before him at the great day , it must be through another meanes then ever yet i have had , if i had gon on , and had thought to make up my satisfaction with god by what i have done , i had been an undone creature ; yea , my heart must be taken off from mine one bottome , not to rest in any thing that is in my self , but i must go out and deny my self , and so look for the principle of life out of my self . this is the second thing that is here noted . come to me , that is , first behold me , see and beleeve that i am the great mediator that is come into the world to save your souls : and then secondly , let there be an unsetling of your hearts , a taking your hearts off from whatsoever you were setled upon heretofore , that so you may be removed from thence , and that you may take another course for your life in christ , and happiness in him . thirdly , come unto me , that is , let there be a working and a stirring of your hearts after me ; christ calls for the heart of sinners , after he comes to be revealled to them , they should be in a working , stiring , disposition making after the lord jesus christ , for union with him to the utmost that possibly they can , the thoughts should be working , and the conscience working , and the wil opening it self to receive in the grace of god , and the affection should he stirring , and the whole soul should be in a working disposition after him . incline your eare and come , as if christ should say though you are under great burdens , yet do not you sink under them in a discouraging way , and lie down in a dul and a heavy way , no but let your hearts be stirring , working and acting after me continually , have a care of this , to keep your hearts in a stirring and working way after christ , and the grace that is offered to you in christ , this is that which young beginners should observe in a special manner , if god be beginning to work upon your hearts , you should have a great care to keep your hearts in a stir-working , acting frame and disposition after christ ; and above al things in the world , take heed of a dul , heavy dead spirit at this time when god cals you to come to christ as the apostle saith of himself , in phil. . . i press hard after the mark , so it should be with every poor soul that god is drawing after christ , it should be alwaies in a comming disposition and they should press hard toward the mark of the high prize of the calling that is set before them , christ is set before thee , god sets his son before thee with the treasure of grace , and thou shouldest press and follow hard after god ( as it is the expression of david in one of the psalmes , . ) a hard following , stirring and working of the soul after the lord as david said to his son solomon in . chron. . . vp and be doing and the lord wil be with thee , so i say to al unto whom the grace of god is offered , they must not be dul and sullen , but up and be doing as the apostle speakes , in . phil. . according to the earnest expectation , the word that is translated , earnest expectation in the original , signifies to stretch out the neck , to look after some good that i would fain have come , that is the propriety of the word in the original text : so this should be comming to christ , that is , when christ is propouned in the gospel , there should be the stretching out of the soul , in looking after the lord jesus and a working of the soul after jesus christ , keeping the soul working and stirring after christ . many poor souls , whom god is beginning to work his grace upon , loose abundance of time and comfort , for want of this , of keeping their hearts in a working and stirring frame after christ , they spend their time in the afflicting of their soules , but they do not keep their hearts working towards jesus christ . as jacob said to his sons , when they wanted bread in cannaan , saith he , we have heard that there is corn in egipt and why do we stand looking one upon an other ? saith jacob to his sons , had you gon ( saith he ) you might have been come back again , and brought us bread by this time , so i say to many burdened souls , hast thou not heard , that there is grace and mercy in jesus christ , had thy soul bin working , stirring , and kept in an acting frame after jesus christ , thou mightest have bin returnig , and have gotten rest to thy soul by this time , thou standest looking unto this thing , and the other thing , and poring upon thy corruptions , hadst thou kept thy heart continually stirring in a working frame after christ , the work might have been done by this time . fourthly , come to me , that is , saith christ , come and lay al your burdens upon mee , come and role your hearts upon mee whatever burden it is , either of your soules or afflictions outwardly , what ever your feares and troubles are , yet come , and do you cast al your burdens upon me , i am content to beare them al. that is a special work of faith , for the soul to role it self upon jesus christ , to cast it self with al its burdens upon the infinite rich , free grace of god in jesus christ , as if christ should say , is it the burden of sin ? i have borne the burden of sin already , is it the wrath of god that is a burden to you ? come and cast this burden upon me , i have born the wrath of god ; or is it the burden of the law ? i have borne that burden for you , i was made an offering for you . i was made under the law , to deliver you from under the law . is it the burden of any affliction ? that was upon me . it is true , the burden of corruption was not upon him , but christ wil deliver us from that too . come to me , and whatever burden is upon your souls , cast it upon me , role your souls & al your burdens upon me ( saith christ ) and i wil give you rest . fifthly , and lastly , come to me , that is , come and leave your soules with me , and commit them to me for life , for salvation , for peace , for whatsoever good you would have , be willing to betrust me with your souls , be willing to betrust me with al your comforts , be willing to betrust me both with your present and with your eternal estate , in al your transanctions with god and dealing with god , trust me withal ; that is comming to christ . when christ bids us come to him , it is as much as if he should say , come to me , and leave your souls , leave al your care , and commit to me al that you have , and whatsoever you are commit your selves wholly to me , to be disposed of by me for al good whatsoever , and i wil take charge of you , i wil ingage my self and al my faithfulness to have a care of you , and suply you in al your wants , and strengthen you under al your burdens , and carry you through al difficulties , and bring you at length to life and salvation and perfect rest together with my father and my self , that is the meaning of christ when he saith , come to me . so the apostle in . tim. . . i know in whom i have beleeved , and that he is able to keep that which i have committed to him . that which i have committed to him , what is that ? that is , his very soul , his life , his peace , his comfort , al his happiness , he had committed to him , and so left al with him . now then , take al these together , and when christ cals the sinner to come to him , that is . o! sinner first beleeve this , that i am the great redeemer that is come into the world , to stand between gods wrath and your soules , and to make up peace between god and you , and let there be an unsettling of your hearts from whatsoever heretofore your souls did rest in , creature comforts , your own righteousness , duties , self respects and ends , whatsoever they are , let your hearts be taken off from them all , and let your hearts now be in a stirring , working disposition towards me , let all your whole souls be stretching forth to me , and come and cast all your burdens upon me , and leave your souls with me , and i will take care of them , thus come to me . now then , when any soul that is thus laden , shall answer to this cal of christ , and shal say , lord , i come , here is the very voice and answer of faith , when the soul can say , oh! lord , i come , i see thee to be the blessed mediator between god and my soul , and for whatsoever my heart hath setled in heretofore , oh! lord , it shal be no more , and my heart begins to stir after thee , and i stretch forth my soul to thee , o , blessed redeemer , and here i cast my burdens upon thee , none can ease me but thy self , and i leave my self with thee , i commit all to thee , and betrust all that i have or can do , my eternal estate with thee , lord , i come , here is the soul that comes to christ . then may the soul be said to come to christ when there is an answer in these five particulars . all this is contained in this word come , though you cannot apprehend it , til it be unfoulded : as a piece of needle work , when it is foulded up , there is all the work indeed within , but we cannot see it , til it be laid open , and spread before us , then we can see all that is in it : so though there be many expressions in the scripture that we understand not , yet there they be , but this is the work of the ministry , to spread them , and to lay them before you , and lay them open to you , that you may see the grace of god in another manner when they be unfolded , now thus doth christ call those that are laden to come to him . chap. xix . how christ calls sinners unto him , set forth in two particulars , namely , . by an outward and general call . . by a particular call to particular sinners . and how to know the voice of christ . you will say , how , and in what manner doth christ call to me , christ is in heaven , i cannot hear christ call to me . now for the call of christ , first , there is a general cal in the word , there christ calls under the sound of the gospel to come to him , but this call is rather a command of christ then an invitaion , to shew unto al what is their duty to do , rather then to invite them . but now , there is a more special call unto those whom the father hath given to christ , and though they make use of the general call in the word , yet there is a special call to them , that is , christ by his spirit doth open the riches of the gospel of the grace in him to their souls by his spirit inwardly , he doth shew them to their souls . others come and hear the outward cal , that is when a minister of god shal come and open the gospel , and there shew how god hath given his son to us , he hath taken our nature upon him , and died for sin , and tel them that god requires all here in the gospel to beleeve in his son , they hear his outward cal , i but they whom the father gives to christ have the spirit of god sent together with the word , to open the riches of christ , that though they have heard it a hundred times before , yet when the spirit comes , there is a shewing of the beauty and riches of the gospel , more then ever , that allures their souls to come to christ . secondly , not only this , but the lord when he cals such as shall indeed have mercy by christ , and have his invitation to be effectual , he doth give a particular cal unto that soul , besides the general cal : god doth not only in the word cal sinners , and saith christ came to save sinners , and those that were lost , but christ comes in particular to such and such souls , and cals them in a particular special manner . for the ministers of god they are bound in the preaching of the gospel , to give a general invitation to come to him , but god beside the general hath a particular cal , there is a voice of god in particular to the soul that he intends to bring to his son , such a one hears a voice behind him ( as the scripture speaks ) saying this is the way , to salvation , the way you have gone all this while is not the way to life , you will perish in that way , christ is the right way . as thus ; i will open it in the general and particular call by this similitude . a prince that hath had many of his subjects traitors , yet he is pleased to send forth a general proclamation , makes a proclamation to those subjects , and makes it in general tearms , that though you have been thus and thus traiterous against me , yet i am content every one that will come to such a place , at such a day , and submit himself , he shall have a pardon ; here is the general proclamation , and this is incouragement to come . but now suppose there were some poor traitor that because sensible of his wickedness , and how unreasonably he hath dealt with his prince , and may be sits alone bemoaning his condition , and troubled in his spirit , and thinks with himself , how shall i be able to see the face of my prince , oh! woe to me for the wickedness of my waies : suppose the prince should come by and behold such a one , take notice of him that is got into some corner or other , and is there smiting of his breast , and lamenting his condition that he should so provoke his prince as he hath done . and should call this poor creature , and say to him , oh thou poor creature that art in such a place , come thou to me . for so is the work of faith , god comes in particular to the soul , doth not only come in general , but after his general call , when he doth see the soul troubled , the lord doth give a particular call to him , and saith , o! thou poor creature , thou art under this burden , and thus sensible of it , and lamentest that thou hast lived thus and thus , and made such a breach between me and thy soul , do thou come to me . and the truth is , till god speak in particular to the soul , the proclamation of god in general , will not bring in sinners , so christ doth not only say in general , come to me , but cals them in particular . . you will say , how shall we know it is the voyce of christ ? that is the third particular . christ doth by the spirit , secretly perswade the soul , that it is his voyce , and not the voyce of delusion ; according to that in cant. . the voyce of my beloved . as it is , when the soul is departed from god , and comes again to him , the lord christ makes the soul to know his voyce . so when he was in this world , after his resurrection , he confers with mary a while , and she thought it had been the gardiner , and christ he speaks but a word , speaks to her , and saies , mary ; rabboni , ( saith she ) master presently . christ did not tell her , he was the christ , but he said mary , and presently mary knew it was the voyce of christ . and so when the spirit of christ speaks to the soul , there is such a secret instinct , a perswasion and manifestation of god to it , that it doth know indeed that it is the voyce of god. i have been often at a sermon , and heard many good men preach christ , but i hear the voyce of christ this day in my soul , and i know it is the voyce of christ : thus doth the soul that comes to christ effectually . . and further , the invitation of christ , when it is indeed effectual , as i know it is christs voyce , christ comes and knocks at the door , and the soul knows who it is ( that is to be applyed to his particular call ) . as christ saith , i stand at the door and knock : that is to be referred to the second particular , i stand and knock at the door , and if any man will open to me , i will come in to him , and sup with him . god doth not only proclaim pardon , but comes to the door of the soul , and stands at thy door particularly : you cannot but find this by experience , you that have the work of grace upon you , you have lived under the means a long time , but god comes and knocks at your doors also ; which is a mighty condescention of a prince , that doth not only send sorth a proclamation , but knocks at the poor traitors door ; and so doth christ : and when that is done , before the soul doth indeed come and cast himself so upon christ , and commit himself to christ , there are some secret items and intimations that god doth intend love to it in particular , that he hath thoughts of love and mercy to the soul , though i have been very vile , and very wretched , yet partly i gather it , by the way of god towards me , that there is thoughts of mercy to me . quest . you will say , how doth that appear , that there is any such intimation of gods go●ness to a soul in particular when it is called to come to christ ? answ . i will give you this ground , when the soul comes to christ , and casts it self upon christ , it doth it not at a meer venture , and knows not whether he shall have mercy or no. it is true , i come to christ , and there is no other help , but i know not whether i shall have mercy or no , or whether there be any mercy or no for me , this is not the work of faith , this way is neer to faith indeed , when the soul can say thus , it is true , in the way i have been there is no mercy to me , and i know not whether there be mercy for me , but i wil try it , it hath not the reflect act of faith , but some secret perswasion of the soul , whereby it doth cast it self upon god , though not by a reflect act , it can certainly say , god intends mercy for me , but though it be very weak , yet some intimation the soul hath that there is mercy from god towards it , because faith is not a bare venture , but faith hath some kind of certainty though very weak , for to say , i will cast my soul upon god , but i may perish , i have no ground to think why god should save me , this is unbelief ; the work of faith , according to the degree of it , hath some kind of certainty in it , though the soul for the present , be not able to discern it . . the invitation of christ , when it comes to be effectual , hath , together with the voyce of christ , an inward effectual power that goes along with it , a prevailing power to draw the heart to him . christ doth not only speak to the heart , and say to it , come ; but with the voyce he lets out a power upon the heart to come to him : i express it thus : when christ was in the flesh , he goes and calls disciples to him ; comes to matthew that sate at the receit of custom , saith he , come and follow me ; presently matthew leaves his sitting at the custom house , leaves all his friends , and leaves all he had , and comes to him presently . and so when christ comes to peter and andrew his brother , that were a fishing , and saith to them , come to me ; they leave their old father , leave their nets , leave their ship , leave all , and follow christ . certainly we cannot but apprehend that there was a secret vertue went out from christ with this his word , that did thus prevail upon their hearts . as the poor woman in the gospel that had the bloody issue , she did but touch the hem of christs garment , and she finds a secret vertue to cure her : so , where ever christs invitation comes to be effectual , it comes with a mighty power , a secret vertue that goes together with his word to the soul to prevail upon it . come to me , say many , why doth christ call me ? am i able to come to him ? christ saith , come ; to them as he did to matthew , peter , and others ; christ did not call them , and say , come , only ; but he put vertue into his word : and look what vertue was then , the same is now in the ministry of the word , when he speaks and saith come to christ , together with this word there goes a secret power to prevaile upon the soul that they must come . now it may be , the father , or mother , or friend of a poor yong man perswades him not to come , but he must come to chirst for all that , the truth is , it 's as strong a work of god to come to christ now , as it was then to cal matthew and peter to come to christ . lastly , he not only calls them , but he reacheth out his hand , before he comes to be joyned with christ , to have union with him . christ when he sees the soul making after him , he reacheth forth his hand to draw the heart . you will say what is that for christ to reach forth his hand , and invite that way ? by that i mean those gracious incouragements that christ gives to all the beginnings of the working of the soul after him , the lord christ not only invites such , but gives forth his hand to reach forth strength unto them , he will not break the bruised reed , nor quench the smoaking flax. thus you see what the second thing is , christ invites in another manner . chap. xx. that there is nothing required of sinners but to come to christ , with nine consequences arising from hence , and what hath been laid down in the two former chapters . . there is not any worthiness required in such as come to christ . . the soul needs not to be troubled about the time and measure of its humiliation before its coming to christ . . nor about what interest it hath in christ , before its comming to him . . that the least degree of faith will give the soul interest in christ . . that the work of faith is supernatural . . that faith is an humbling grace . . that beleevers after their coming to christ should be willing to do and suffer much for christ . . that they who are once in christ , shal never be cast off . . that they know not what to do when they loose their interest in christ . now the third thing is , that there is nothing else required , saith christ , come to me and i will give you rest . blessed christ ! is this all that thou requirest ; yes , come to me , and you shal have rest . you have it often exprest in scripture thus , come , and buy wine and milk and honey without price , it is but coming : and indeed the very coming is buying . and so in the . of the revel . and the . and the spirit and the bride say come , and let him that heareth , say come , and he that is athirst come , and whosoever will let him take of the water of life freely . here is nothing but come , three times come , and there is nothing else required , nothing that thou shouldest bring with thee , but only come . only in this remember how i opened it , what it is to come , and then there is nothing else required , but only come . then this gives light to many things . . that there is no unworthiness of any sinner , be he what he will be , before this invitation , that is sufficient to hinder , why ? because christ doth not say you that have been thus vild and wretched , you shal do thus and thus first , and then come to me . no , whatever you have been , the first thing that christ requires to ease , rest and peace , is , to come to him . it is true , there are some things in the nature of comming required that must needs be done , before the compleat act of coming ; as i must know what christ is , and know my self , &c. these things of necessity are required not because these are any condition of the gospel , but because the other cannot be done without them . for i would open it thus to follow the former metaphor . suppose the king should tel a traitor , that upon condition that you come to such a place at such a time , you shall have your pardon . well , all that is required for his pardon is but coming to that place , how if this man be at a great distance from that place , and many difficulties that hinder him , s●ormes , tempestuous weather , and many friends to hinder him , this is implyed , that he must have such a deep apprehension of the worth of his pardon , and of his miserable condition if he be not pardoned , that there must be a strong resolution in him to go through all difficulties whatsoever . but marke , this resolution of his and the difficulties that he meets withal in the way , these are no part of the condition of the pardon ; all the condition of the pardon is , but to be at such a place , such a time , but yet the other things they follow of themselves , that if he doth come , and there be such difficulties in the way , then he must have such a sense and apprehension of the good of his pardon as may stir up in him such resolutions , to pass through all difficulties . but the first thing that brings him his pardon is his being there . so it is here with the soul , its true , the thing that bring● my soul and yours to pardon . rest and peace with god , it is our coming to christ , but now because there is a great distance between christ and us , many difficulties in the way , many things that would keep us from christ , the wickedness of our hearts , this temptation and that lust . now it cannot possibly be , if we come to christ , but we must know , and become apprehensive of the worth of the pardon , which may raise up in our hearts such strong resolutions to pass through all difficulties whatsoever , and there is no reason , why god troubles any man for sin , but only this , that he might have such an apprehension of the good of the pardon of his sin , as may stir in him strong resolutions to get to christ . but now this resolution is not the condition of the covenant , the condition is only to come , the condition is not because we are afflicted , because we see our sins , but to come to christ . . it follows likewise from hence , that no man or woman , that god is working upon to come to christ , need trouble themselves about the degree of humiliation , or the time of humiliation . you have a great many , that are ready to take advantage and to cry out against men that they preach legally , when they say , they must be humbled and the like . i know no man living that ever preached so , that they must be first under the law , thus long under the law , before they come to christ , but if you would know what degree of humiliation is sufficient , only so much as can bring you to christ , that is , so much as can stir up your hearts to resolve to pass through all difficulties to come to christ , then you have the measure , and the time of humiliation sufficient , and you need not trouble your selves any further about this , i have not been humbled so long as another man , or such a time , but if you come to christ . for if i come to christ , i must know what i come for , for a pardon . a pardon of what ? for my sin , my sin that i am condemned for ; there must be a sense of this , and if you come thus far , you need not be afflicted for any degree , or time of humiliation , or the like , for you have that that is sufficient , and god wil accept of your coming : if once you be come to him , god wil not say , oh! but friend , how have you been humbled in your comming , god knows you have past through many difficulties , god knows you would never have prised christ , except you had known what the worth of christ is , by knowing what a miserable creature you are without him ; god wil not do this , but wil welcome you when you come , let the sinner be what he wil , christ wil own him . . this helps us about interest in comming to christ , you wil say , come to christ , but how shal i know that i have any right to come to christ ? this very point answers it , that nothing is required but comming , that which hath given any soul from the begining of the world any interest to come to christ , is only comming to christ ; thy comming to christ doth give thee right to jesus christ . if thy grace , the grace of god doth make thee come , that very act of thine in coming gives thee interest and right in him , though thou hadst none before . there needs no other right and challenge to christ but gods offering of christ in the gospel to thee , and thy comming to him . but now ( for it is pitty to let this pass ) it may be , some may think , wil not this tend to looseness to say , it s nothing else but to come to christ ? i know it is extreamly abused many wayes , many wil abuse it thus , when we are preaching the gospel , that if at any time we preach the miserable condition of men to humble them , they wil say , it is a contradiction , but i beseech you take heed of these vain spirited men , who seek not jesus christ in the way of the gospel . and though it may be through their weakness or the distemper of their hearts , they wil not , or do not see the way of the gospel , but they wil come to young people and weake christians and say , there 's contradiction in this , for if this be true , how can the other be true ? but these things that seem contradictory , they are very agreeable one with another , if you would seem to give judgment upon what we apprehend we shal make the scripture to contradict it self . but now those that are versed in scripture and understand the mind of god in the scripture can tel how to joyn these together , though others think they contradict one another . as that of paul to the romans , that we are justified by faith without the works of the law. and that in james , he saith , we are justified by workes . a stranger would think , these contradict one another , but they that are acquainted with the way of the scripture , they can understand what this meanes : so these men that would make contradiction in the preaching of gods ministers in the gospel , they are strangers to the way of god in the gospel , did they understand the way of god cleerly in the gospel , they would know how to make a sweet agreement of such things as they would make poor young ones , and weak beleevers to beleeve there is a contradiction in them . and therefore this i would hold , and hope we shal for ever hold as a strong principle , that the condition of the gospel is only comming , and that which the weight of our soules and eternal estates lies upon is , not our humbling , but it is the comming to jesus christ . do not say , that this tends to loosness , for that soul that sees christ as the glorious mediator to come to save him , this sight of christ , hath a great deale of power to sanctifie the heart , for when i see this , i see , first , that i have to doe with god , and that there must be a mediator between god and me , my sins have made such a breach between god and my soul , this tends not to looseness . and then as you were taught before , comming notes a removing from one condition to another . then it notes secondly , that my heart is taken off from the world , from my lusts , from my corruptions , my comming implies this . and thirdly , when i consider the end of my comming , what the soul aimes at when it comes thus , i come to christ to save me from the power of my sins , as wel as the guilt of my sins . i come to christ as the fountain of al my happiness , i come to him for life and grace and all good . i come to him that i might live in him , and that i might live to god by him , certainly to say that christ requires only to come to him , this doth not tend to loosness . i come to christ that i may commit my whole soul to him , is not this a sanctifying grace ? indeed to preach thus , that you may come to christ and no more , this pleaseth libertines , but when we consider what is the way of the gospel , i must first know what it is to come , and then i must know that it is to leave somewhat ; to know wherfore i come , that i may have al my happiness in him . i come to him for life , for salvation , for union with god the father , that i may enjoy communion with him to everlasting , here is no liberty to looseness in comming , but a blessed maintaining of the condition of the gospel in the way of the soules coming unto christ . . it followes from hence that the weakest , and the least degree of faith that is , wil give us interest in christ because that nothing but comming to him is required . it is not run to me , or come strongly to me , if i can but get to him , though it be crawling , though it be never so poorly , never so weakely , that doth it , by comming and closing with christ . if that be the condition to come to such a place for a pardon , though they come creeping upon their hands and feet through weakeness , yet if they be but there , they shal have that that is promised : so say i , though the soul in coming to christ creep as it were upon hand and feet , come with much weakeness , it is that that gives interest in christ , not such and such degrees of faith and confidence as some have . it may be some poore , weake christians , are troubled at this , that they have not such confidence and assurance as others have , they are ful of doubts and feares . we are to know , that it is not the degree and strength of faith that is required in coming , but comming to christ , come to me , though it be with shaking , with trembling , though with mixture of much feare , yet come to me , and you shal have rest . . it follows from hence , that the work of faith , and bringing true rest unto the soul is a supernatural work , it is comming to him , that is , it s the looking forward , by a righteousness that is beyond our own , it is a leaving our own righteousness , not resting upon that , and confiding in what we have , are , or can be inabled to do by the power of god ; i say , that the way of the souls getting rest in christ by faith , it is supernatural , for it is by such a way , wherein the soul comes to deny it self in whatever it hath , whatever it doth , whatever it can be inabled to do by the power of god. it rests not upon any thing that is in it , or done by it , no nor in any thing that god himself by his grace and infinite power can do in it , i do not say , do for it , for that is in christ , but do in it , beyond what is in it self , or gods infinite power is able to inable it to do , it is comming to christ , and therefore going out of our selves , this is supernatural ; for there is nothing more natural to mankind then this , to rest upon his own bottom , to desire the staff in his own hand , to leane upon some worthiness , and some good in himself , this though he wil acknowledg that it is through grace , that he hath but somewhat which god works through him , that is the most natural to a rational creature , to rest upon somewhat that he doth to make up his peace with god , and to be his righteousness before god , and it is a mighty work of god to beat off the heart from this especially . the heart comes thus far , to say it is true , i can do nothing of my self , but it is by the grace of god that i do al : now for the heart not to rest upon this as its own righteousness , this is the hardest thing in the world . and although men may be convinced in their judgments , that they should not rest in any such thing , but go out of themselves to another principle , yet it is the hardest thing in the world to come off from it , and it is that makes the work of faith the most difficult thing in the world , because it carries the soul out of it self , from its own bottom , from its own principles , and the mistake of this thing , is that that is the undoing of thousands of those that live under the sound of the gospel , that when they have somewhat reformed their lives , and think they are able to do thus and thus , yet here they rest and go not out of themselves , to look for rest out of themselves and do not come to christ . quest . you wil say , what , not rest upon what we do , and are inabled to do upon gods grace , faith it self is a resting upon christ . ans . no , but this you must observe in your comming , you must not rest upon your comming , but upon christ , that you come unto , for their may be a deceit in that too . there be some that rest upon works of humiliation , mourning for sin , reforming their lives , and they think that is their rest and peace . others go further , and think they must beleeve in christ , but they wil rest upon their beleeving , so they rest upon their comming , and not upon the object that they come unto ; but we must be taken off from resting upon our comming , upon our very beleeving , and christ must be all in all to have true rest in . therefore faith is a supernatural grace , because by that we are taken off from what we are in our selves , and carryed on to somewhat else . . upon this follows likewise that faith is an humbling grace , it is that that must needs humble the soul where it is , for indeed it is the greatest self denial in the world , for a creature to come to be willing to rely upon free grace , for the soul to be so emptied of it self , as to acknowledg , there is no worthiness no good at al in it self and yet it is content to live eternally upon meere almes , and to give god the glory of al. is there any thing more hard to any of you , then to live to be beggers al your daies , to be beholding to others , so as to live upon meer almes and nothing else al the dayes of your lives ? now for the creature to be so emptied of it self , as to live upon meere almes to al eternity , upon nothing but meer free grace , and upon a principle of life without our selves , this is a mighty work of emptying of our selves , and of self denyal . and therefore in rom. . . it s spoken of the jewes ; for they being ignorant of gods righteousness , and going about to establish their own righteousness , have not submitted themselves to the righteousness of god. this plainly shewes , that the bringing the heart to rest upon the righteousness that is of god by faith ( for that is meant here ) requires a submission of the heart , a laying down the heart , and a humbling of the heart ; and indeed , this is the very ground , why the lord doth so humble the spirits of men and women when he brings them to christ , because that the lord knows , that the very act , the coming to christ , is an act of the greatest self denial in the world , because the heart must be emptied of it self in that that is so much against the pride of mans heart , to live eternally upon meer free grace and nothing else . for there is nothing that man doth more desire , then to have somewhat , some stock of himself to live upon . and indeed herein man comes to be more humble then adam in innocency could be , for adam had a stock to live upon in his own hand , to live upon in himself , not but god was the principle of it , but then god gave it him to live upon , the stock of grace he had in his owne hand . but now in the second adam , the way of god towards us is otherwise , the second adam keepes the stock of life and grace upon which our soules must live eternally , in his own hand , i say , they are in christs hand , not in our selves , and therefore our life is a better and safer life then that was , and thereby we cannot fal from god because we live by the principle of life that is in him . it is a great mistery , and almost impossible to unfould , only some glimmering we have in the word that this is so . . if there be nothing required but to come , then another consequence wil follow from hence , and that is this . hence then beleevers that come to christ may learn this lesson , to be willing to do and to suffer very much for christ after they come , because there was nothing required of them to the pardon of their sins , but only to come . i strengthen the inference thus ; if god had said thus indeed , i have sent a mediator to pacifie my wrath and to pardon your sins , and before you come to rest , i require that you should suffer so many hundred yeares of torment in fire , and that should be a preparation to come , and then after you have suffered so much , then you shal come and have rest ; suppose this had been the condition of the covenant , now had it been so , we had al had cause to have fallen upon our face and have blest his great name , that we can have peace on any termes , and we should have been , not only willing to accept of these termes , but to magnifie gods grace that we can be thus saved at last . but the lord hath not required that first we should suffer such and such hard things , and then come to christ , but he calls upon us first to come , and requires nothing before . and therefore before we are able to do the lord any service , the lord wil first accept of us , and pardon us , and heale us , and interest us in himself , and be our god , and take us to be his children , and make us heirs of heaven and eternal life , & this at first before we shal ever be able to do him any service . what an infinite grace of god is this ? how is he beforehand with us ? for he calleth to the greatest sinner , that knowes what his sin is , and is laden , saith god , i require nothing before the receiving you to mercy , but meerly to come and cast your souls upon me . you may say , lord ! we that have been guilty of so many sins , so many years , might it not be just that god should require , and say , i but , you shal live so many yeares to my honor , live so many yeares to my service , and then i wil pardon and accept of you , no , but saith god , i wil receive you , and accept of you upon your comming , before ever you are able to do me any kind of service ; no , saith god , come to me , and you shal have first my favour , and you shal be first accepted , and first pardoned , and then indeed i expect service from you , then i expect that you should live as the redeemed ones of the lord , and al that you shal do afterwards , shal be but in way of thankfulness to me for my grace . and indeed thus do beleevers live in the world , though they look upon what they do in a way of duty , but they do it in a way of thankfulness , that is the special thing that carries them on , the grace of god in his son , and that is a stronger argument to al kind of duties that now god requires of them , then what they had before . god doth not cal upon you to suffer first , and then he wil pardon your sin , no , but saith god , i wil bestow my favour first upon you , and try whither you wil suffer afterwards . god wil not do as men , try them whether they wil suffer and deserve their favours , before they bestow them on them , but saith god , i wil first bestow my favours upon you , and then i wil try whether you wil suffer for me and do me service . and therefore the less god requires as a condition before we come to christ the more should we be willing to do for god after we are come to christ . as a man that shall receive a poor child into his family , and make him his heir , the less that was procured to the favour of the man , the more if the child be ingenious wil he do to him in way of thankfulness . indeed if the friends of the child come and indent with the man , and promise him a hundred pound , the child thinks he is not so beholding to his master , for their was money given with him , i but now , if you should ly at the dore and no friend to look after you , and not a rag upon you , and if then he wil take you in , and teach you his trade , and make you the heir of al he hath , oh! now how infinitely ingaged are you to him , that how my master doth al this for me , and there was nothing done before to procure his love . thus jesus christ is a forehand with us , come to me , only come to me , that you might have rest . . hence follows another note of very good use , seeing nothing is required first , but only coming to christ , here is a strong ground of assurance , that those that are once in christ , shall not be cast away , but shall have eternal life , for there is not so great a distance between eternal life and the members of christ , as there is between one that is in his natural estate , and a member of christ . now god hath done more for thee in bringing thee unto christ , then he shall do for thee when he brings thee unto heaven . for there is a geater distance between thee and christ , than there is between thee a member of christ and a glorified saint in heaven , and if god bring thee over this great distance , meerly out of free grace , and nothing required but coming , that now thou art a member of christ and therefore hast right to heaven , and thou canst challeng heaven through the righteousness of jesus christ , and god hath put a principle of life into thee to live unto jesus christ , a principle of everlasting life into thee , when there was no principle at all ; god brings thee to jesus christ meerly out of free grace . now if thou comest so freely to him , surely thou shalt not be shut out of heaven , and therefore it may be a mighty incouragment . what , if when we were enemies , we be reconciled to christ , much more now shall we be saved by his life . if when i was in the gall of bitterness , and in the bond of iniquity , god gave me mercy upon coming to his son , surely he will not cast me out of heaven . . another note that we may learn from hence is this , that those that are beleevers , if at any time through their negligence , sluggishness , or fals , they loose the assurance of gods love in christ , loose their rest in christ , here they have a direction to know what to do . look how thou did'st at first , when thou attainedst first rest in christ , it was not by any righteousness of thine own , nor by thy humiliation , though that might make some way towards it . so now when thou art a beleever , and hast lost the assurance of christs love , and the comfort of rest in christ , now thou must go and take the same way again , christ cals those that are beleevers to come to him ; those that have lost the assurance of faith , that is the way for rest , to renew the act of thy coming to christ , just as thou did'st before . though god did humble thee , yet the thing that did bring thee rest was , the coming to jesus christ , so much more should'st thou do now , being a beleever . when thou hast not the rest in christ thou desirest , thy way is to renew thy act of coming , of going to christ , and so you may sooner come to have rest that way , than by thinking thus . i know not whether my evidences be right or no , and i had need look to them , and therefore i had need to look whether my humiliation be right , and my sanctification be right or no. i say , the renewing the act of thy faith in coming to christ , will bring rest sooner , and safer rest , and therefore thou shalt come to see thy sanctification better too , by renewing the act of thy faith in coming unto christ , and thou wilt have thy rest sooner that way , it follows from hence because at first conversion there is coming . thus much for the consequences that follow from the point of christs requiring only to come . chap. xxi . nine rules to be observed in right coming to christ . . rest not in outward means that lead to christ , before christ himself be enjoyed . . pitch rather upon christ himself , than upon the good things of christ . . come with the whole soul. . keep christ continually in thine eye . . be convinced that whatsoever keeps thee from christ , comes not from god. . take heed and beware of al discouragements , and hinderances . . keep the heart stil tending to christ . . give up thy self to gods spirit . . often renew the act of coming , come often to christ . now there is only two things remaine , and that is , some rules to be propounded about our coming to christ , and then some means to draw the hearts of sinners to come to christ . first , for the rules , that we may observe them aright in coming to christ , and come to christ in a right way , i speak to those whose hearts are about coming to jesus christ , their hearts are stirring after christ , and they are setting upon all the means to come to him . rule i. first , though god requires that thou shouldest seek christ in all his ordinances , in the performance of all duties , yet it must be thy great care not to rest in the means that lead to christ , before thou comest to enjoy christ himself . this is the great mistake in the world , that those things that are the means to lead to christ , they rest in , though indeed they have not christ . as now for instance : to come to hear the word , i suppose if i aske you , why you come , you will say , you come that you might find christ there , yet how many people rest in this meerly , that they do hear the word , they hear sermons , and scarce ever cal this into question , have i met with jesus christ in the word to day , have i found jesus christ there , this their hearts are not so much troubled about , but they come meerly to hear the word , it 's a good thing , but now they rest in the means , that lead to christ before they are got thither . as if a man were a going a journey to such a place about such business , and he satisfies himself in this , i am going on my way , but have i got the thing i go for ? we are to know that prayer , the word , the sacraments are all but as means to bring us to christ , now what a foolish thing is this , to satisfie our selves , that we are in the way , going to the thing , but have we the thing that we journey for ? jesus christ is the thing that we seek for , have we him ? the wise merchant had the field , i but he saw that there was a pearl in the field , and then he went and sold all that he might have the pearl . the field is the preaching of the word , and other ordinances , in these ordinances is the pearl , now that which we should look for in the ordinances is the pearl , and so use the field but only for the pearls sake . so that this is the way that we should take to come to christ , that is , in the use of all duties , and all ordinances , to look at christ , that we would have by them , and be sure to pass through the ordinances til we get hold on him whom our soul loveth : most people in the world , they stick in the ordinances themselves , and have got no hold on christ , but meerly spend all in duties and ordinances , that they wil do . god requires of them to pray , and they wil pray , and god requires of them to hear the word , and they will hear the word , i but , they do not consider , that there is somthing beyond prayer , and beyond the word . have i got to jesus christ in prayer , have i got to jesus christ in the word . and that is a good signe when the hearts of sinners are satisfied with nothing , with no ordinances except they find jesus christ in those ordinances , be sure to go through the ordinances unto christ . rule . ii. secondly , in your seeking after christ , be sure that you rather pitch your eye and your heart , upon the person of christ himself , then upon the good things that come from christ , that is the way to pitch your eye and your heart upon christ himself , rather then upon the good things that come from christ , for coming to christ , and being in him , is only as being married to him . now the party that marries , he looks more upon the person then upon the portion , he looks upon the excellency of the person ; so should the soul in coming to christ , look upon him as the only great mediatour of the covenant , as the only reconciler of god and man , as the only person in whom all our good , happiness , and glory lies . labor to see an excellency in christ himself , as wel as to come to christ . there are many souls that would come to christ , why ? because they think there is no mercy but in christ , and they would be loath to go to hel , and therefore they cry to god for mercy in christ , i but , they see not any excellency in christ , but thou must look upon the excellencies of christ , and look through the ordinances unto union with christ , look after union with the person of christ himself , and see an excellency and beauty in the very person of jesus christ , to be able to say , i see the glory of the father in him , and my soul makes after him to have union with him . rule . iii. thirdly , in thy coming , be sure of this , to come with thy whole soule ; that is , do not come to christ only as one meanes of help for you , and thinking it is good to make use of al means we can , and christ i see to be as likely a means as any other . no , but come to christ as the only means , so as to cast thy whole soul upon him , not to hang upon any thing else , and so to give out , as it were , an arme to him , and yet to have somewhat else to rest upon if that fail . as we come to a friend sometimes , and desire somewhat of him , but how ? so as we would make a friend other where , that if that fail we may have two strings to our bow : but we must come to christ and lay the ful weight upon him alone , the ful soul upon him . we must come to christ , not as if we were over some deep pit , and here is one thing to rest upon that is strong enough , that if we would lay weight upon that is alone we might be safe . wel , but there is another thing , that is a rotten thing , now we are loth to venture upon the strong , the sound , not knowing it to be so , but we lay a part upon the rotten , and part upon the sound , by this perhaps we may come to fal and perish , because the ful weight was not laid upon that that was sound . so here , the lord propounds his son as an alsufficient redeemer for us , in whom there is righteousness and salvation , and requires of those that come to his son , that they shal come with their whol souls , and lay the whol weight of their soules upon him for life and salvation , and al their good and happiness . now if they think to have two strings to their bow , they would have christ , but they would have the world too , and their own wayes too , upon this a thousand to one but they miscarry . it was an excellent speech of joseph , sending for his father jacob in genesis . . joseph sent to have his father jacob brought to him , now there was many things that jacob had regard to before , but now , saith he , regard not the stuff , for the good of all the land of egypt is yours . so when the lord doth cal any poor sinner to come to him , the lord saith to it , regard not the stuff , let your heart be wholly taken off from all creature comforts that are most dear unto you it is all but stuff , here is heaven , here is the riches of heaven , the riches of christ is yours , and then doth the soul come to christ indeed , when it laies all upon christ , and is satisfied with him alone . rule . iv. fourthly , when thy soul is making towards christ , labor to keep him continually in thine eye and look upon him in his excellency , glory , and beauty , keep the object before thee all the while thou art coming towards him . as it is in any journey , if i am going to a place , and i can see the journeys end , it is in mine eye , i can see the steeple before me of the place that i am going unto ; when the marriner can see the harbour that he is going unto , this is comfortable . so the soul that comes to christ must resolve and say , i must keep him in mine eye , in his lustre , beauty , and glory , that so i may see a greater good in jesus christ than in all things else , that the goodness that is in him , doth out-bid all good whatsoever . now this is a great help to come to christ : for one of the greatest hinderances of the soul in coming to christ , is this , that it looseth the sight of christ in coming , and the devil propounds other spectacles before its eyes in coming , and so it lookes into the deep pit of its own heart , and sees no other matter but discouragement , whereas it should keep up its eyes upon christ the son of god , who is opening his arms ready to imbrace it . and there is a secret power and influence that comes from christ unto the soul to draw the soul to him . so long as the soul keeps christ in his eye , as the poor woman said , if i can but touch the hem of his garment ; nay ; you may go further then so , and have a degree of faith , nay , if i may have but a sight of christ , i say , there is that in the sight of christ that will draw the heart unto jesus christ . as they say of some kind of creatures , the very sight of them will kil a man , that if they do but see you , or you them , there will come poyson from them that wil kill you , say the naturalists . but i am sure it is true of this , that if you can keep christ in your eye , the very sight of the excellency of christ , wil be of excellent vertue to draw the soul to christ . and therefore you that are coming to christ , observe this , some that are coming to christ it fares with them , as with the children of israel when they were going to canaan ; they had gone a pretty way , and made some progress , but then they fel into discontent when they found a little discouragement , and upon that they were brought back again , and wandred forty years up and down in the wilderness , and this was the punishment of their murmuring and discontent ; so it is with many that are going out of their natural state unto jesus christ , they are come very near to him many times , and then fal into fits of discontent , pining , fretting , and discouragement , and so are brought back again and made to wander in the wilderness of discouragement for many years together . rule . v. fifthly , labor throughly to convince thy soul of this thing , that whatsoever sorrow for sin , whatsoever humiliation , whatsoever trouble of spirit keeps thy heart from jesus christ , it is not of god , but rather from thine own corruption ; it is not of god in thee , except you will say , it 's of god as an affliction , it is not of god , but suffering the devil to try thee , but whatever sorrow it be for thine own wretchedness , or unworthiness , if this keep thee off from christ , and discourage thee from coming to christ , convince thy soul of this , that it is not the gracious work of god in thee , but the troubling of the devil in thee . the truth is , many poor sinners , when they are once troubled for their sins , they take a kind of satisfaction in this , they think this is a good thing , and they are glad of it . i grant you , trouble for sin is a good thing , and you are to be glad of it , but if your trouble for sin hinder you from coming to christ , and makes you think , because you are so unworthy you may not come to him , this trouble is not mixt with godly sorrow , be convinced of this . rule . vi. sixthly , take heed of all kind of discouragements and hinderances in your coming to christ , but then take heed especially of all determinations , take heed of insnaring your souls by determining against your selves , as saying , surely the lord will never shew mercy to me , the time is past , the lord hath forsaken me , i have used so much meanes so long time , and god is not yet come to me , no , the lord never intends good to me , oh! take heed of these determinations , for they are sinful , wherever they are , there can be no just cause in thy heart , be it as vile as it will , for such determinations as these are : and know , when thou givest way to such determinations as these , thou dost but insnare and fetter thy legs by this , and then thou sayest , thou canst not come to christ ; christ calls to thee , and thou art infettered with thy own thoughts , for so , one may lay fetters upon ones own legs , by ones own thoughts , to hinder this spiritual coming to christ . as if a man should tie fetters about his legs , and say , when he is called to come to such a place , i cannot come . do not sit down and say , i shall never have mercy , and i am one that belongs not to the election of grace , and i shall never come to christ , take off such thoughts when thou art about coming to jesus christ . rule . vii . seventhly , at those times when thou canst not feel thy heart active as thou desirest to go after christ , yet keep thy heart stil towards christ , keep it tending that way . why cannot i go to christ ? christ calls me to go to him . oh! i have a dead heart , and a heavy dull heart , yet i know i am neerer christ there , than if i should neglect his ordinances , i wil present my soul where jesus christ is , and may be he may cast in some vertue into my heart to make it more stirring after him , but however i am resolved upon this , i will not turne away from christ , i will keep my heart where i am howsoever , if i can go no further , and here i will stand , and here i wil look , and i will cry to him , and cry to god as the church doth , draw me and i will run after thee ; and though i cannot beleeve , yet here i will stand , and sigh and cry , and cal , and if i perish i will perish crying to god , that god would draw my heart , oh draw , draw our hearts , and we will run after thee . blessed redeemer , dost thou cal us ? send forth somwhat of thy spirit , that may draw our hearts , and then we will run after thee . keep thy heart in such a frame , for this is a great discouragement about coming to christ in the hearts of many . christ calls , and we have many sweet incouragements in the word to come , i , but it is to them that have their hearts stirring and working towards christ , to go to him . but i have a dead , and dull heart , and cannot work towards him . i but if thou canst not stir and work after him , yet set thy soul in sight of christ , and look towards him , and waite til gods time come , when he will let some influence into thy heart , this will be a mighty help this way . and take heed of listening to any temptation that may draw away thy heart from coming to christ . it is a notable scripture that you have in . sam. . . it is of samuel speaking to the people of israel that had sinned against the lord , and were troubled for their sin , and samuel said unto the people . fear not , you have done this wickedness , yet turn not aside from following the lord , but feare the lord with al your hearts and turne ye not aside , for then should ye go after vain things , which cannot profit nor deliver , for they are vain . you have sinned against the lord , and you are troubled , what shal we do ? saith samuel , though you have thus sinned , yet do not turne aside to vanity . so do i say , you have sinned against the lord , and christ cals you to come to him , and you complain you have a dead and dul heart , i but then , do not turne from christ to vanity , set your selves stil in the sight of god , and attend upon him in those ordinances , that he useth to present himself in . rule . viii . eighthly , when thy heart begins to come to christ , give up thy self to the stream of gods spirit , for the spirit of god wil be stirring ever and anon , though not at al times alike . thou art attending upon the ordinances , and waiting when the spirit of god should come to draw thy heart to christ , wait upon this stirring , and if thou feel the spirit beginning to draw thy heart to christ in any measure , oh! then joyn with the work of the spirit of god , and give up thy soul to the stream of gods spirit ; do not thou draw back ; it may be gods spirit is drawing thy heart to christ , and thou presently drawest back with discouraging thoughts , upon consideration of thy vileness , and that thou art not humbled : now when thou feelest gods spirit stirring in thee , give up thy soul to the strength of gods spirit . as when a man goes to learne to swim , he is not to lay down himself , and keep a padling with his hands and feet , but there must be a giving up of himself to the water , sometimes a man keeps ten times more stir to keep himself from drowning , then another that can swim ; one that hath got the art of swimming , while the other sinkes to the bottom , the water helpes him , and he keeps himself above water . just thus is the difference , between some that are troubled in their consciences for their sins . and others , between some that are coming to christ and others . some that are coming to christ , and have not the right art of giving up themselves to christ , they are sinking , and in mighty confusion of spirit , and keep such a do with their own hearts , and strange confused thoughts they have , and horror of spirit , and al because they fear they shal sink down to the bottom of destruction . now there are others that are afraid of sinking and drowning as wel as they , but coming to understand what the way of christ is , and what it is to come to christ , though they have nothing in themselves to keep them from sinking , yet they come to learn how to give up their souls to the stream of gods spirit that carries them on to jesus christ in a more solid way , and with a great deal less trouble they come to jesus christ , and there they get into the arke and so are safe for ever . whereas others they skrabble on the outside of the arke , as if a poor man should be skrabbling upon the ship , no body lookes after him , he fals down and is drowned at last . so those that skrabble and do not give up themselves unto the arke , they fal down again and at the last perish you have a scripture for this in . kings . . . the servants of benhadad , they diligently observed whether any thing would come from the king of israel , and they say , thy brother benhadad , this is the thing , they go in a way of seeking to the king of israel for his brother benhadad , and this is the way , they watch for any word that might pass from the king of israel , whereby they might have any hope , and at last he said , my brother benhadad , and they take hold of this presently . so it should be with a sinner that is seeking after christ , he should diligently watch what may come from the spirit of christ , that may give any incouragement ; doth the spirit move in thee , and begin to work in thee to draw thee to jesus christ ? oh! thou mightest have got a great way thither , it may be thou mightest have been in his bosom , and in his armes by this time if thou hadst taken this course . rule ix . ninthly , the soul that is about coming to christ , that doth not yet know whether it is truly got to christ , it should often renew the act of coming , for certainly there are many that are at christ , but do not know it . it may be some soule may say , i had thought i had got to christ before , but i see my corruptions prevail , and i am afraid i am not come to christ ; wil not these soules think that they must not come to christ til they have overcome their corruptions ? wheras the best way to overcome thy corruption is to come to christ , to renew the act of thy coming to christ , and the longer thou staiest from renewing this act of thy coming to christ , the more strong thy corruptions grow in thee . certainly do thou ly down as long as thou wilt in any sullen mood , and say , my corruption is thus and thus , and i am afraid i never went to christ , thy corruptions would grow stronger in thee , thou must not stay til thy corruptions be subdued before thou goest to christ , but renew the act of coming to christ again , say i wil try it again , may be i did not do it aright at first , and if i miss it the second time , i wil try it again and again , and the hundredth time . do not say if i had overcome sin thus and thus , i would come to christ , it is as much as to say , if i were first sanctified by christ , then i would come to christ for justification , and is this the right order ? no , thou must come first to christ , that thou mayest have thy corruptions subdued . it would seem a strange thing that if a king should come to a woman and tel her he would be married to her , and she should say , no , if i were a queene i would take him , but she must first be married to him , and that makes her to be a queen . so here , the soul must not first say , if i were first sanctified and had overcome such and such corruptions , i would come to christ no , but by coming to christ & renewing thy act of coming to christ , that sanctifies thee . that is a rule that i would leave with al young beginners , spend more time and more strength , in renewing the very act of beleeving , of rolling thy soul upon the grace of god in christ , and casting thy burden upon him , then in any other worke what soever , there is no other thing that thou canst spend thy time & thy strength more profitably in , then the renewing the act of coming to christ . come saith christ ; saith the soul , i had thought i had come , but i was deceived ; saith christ , yet come again , and come again and again , this is the onely way to overcome any corruption in thy heart . so that when christ cals thee to come , remember these rules , oh! that you would lay them up to make use of them at al times . when you heare such things out of gods word , remember what hath bin said in this text what is implyed in the coming , what way you would come , and o! that the lord would help poor soules thus to come to him , and know for your incouragement , that if god give you a heart to answer to his cal , to come to his son , this is an evident signe of your predestination , for whom he cals he hath elected , yea , do but think thus with your selves , what an infinite mercy is it to me , that i am in such a condition , as that , god calls me to come , i might have had my eares filled with this , depart from me ye cursed . thus many are cast off from god , and god bids them depart from me ye cursed , thou art as great a sinner may be as they are , now whereas god might have said depart from me thou vild soul , thou passionate soul , thou filthy unclean soul , i say , this sound might have been in thin eares , but instead of that sound there is the spirit of jesus christ in the ministry of this word calling to thee , come to me , yea , he doth not onely cal thee , but he hath given thee many rules , how thou shouldest come to him . if a prince shal first make a proclamation for a rebel to come to him for pardon , and shal send to him , and make out many rules how he shal come , and direct him to such a place , what a mighty incouragement would this be to such an one to come in . now this the lord christ hath done to thee , he hath not only proclaimed that he is mediator between god and thee , but he hath sent his spirit to cal thee , and he hath sent his messenger to give thee rules how to order thee , that thou shouldest take heed of such a by way and such a turning , and observe these and these things for thy help , thus christ hath done for thee . if the lord doth give thee a heart to answer to christs cal , know , that this calling to thee by christ in his word , wil be no other but a forerunner of that cal that christ shal make to thee another day , there 's a cal , come to me al ye that are weary and heavy laden , and i wil give you rest , inherit the kingdome prepared for you . this is worth ten thousand worlds , and when the soul answers to his cal , such a soul may go away , and be comforted that christ wil cal you after another manner . he cals the poor laden soul to give you now rest , but he wil cal you afterwards before men and angels to receive the inheritance , come not to rest only , but come to an inheritance , the kingdom prepared for you before the beginning of the world . chap. xxiii . nine means to draw sinners to christ , namely , that , . he that cals us is the son of god. . he is our neer kinsman , ( wherein three strong arguments are included . first , the terror of gods glory is taken away . secondly , he is infinitely inclined to do good unto the sons of men . thirdly , in uniting the divine nature with the human , he hath done a greater work than to save a soul . ) . he is the mediator . . he deserves that we should come to him . . the soul gets infinite good by coming to christ , instanced in four particulars . . we are miserable in our selves . . christ wil certainly receive them that come to him , which is opened in three particulars . . we stand in great need of christ . . the not coming to christ wil aggravate all other sins . with an answer unto some objections . now that which followes to be spoken unto in this second part of the text , the invitation it self , is the drawing of the hearts of sinners to come to christ , the work that we have to do , is , that in luke . . he sent his servants at supper time to say to them that were bidden , come , for al things are now ready , there the gospel is set out unto us by a rich mans making a great wedding supper , and when he had prepared al his dainties , he sends his servants to invite the guests , saying , al things are ready , this wedding is nothing else but the excellent things in the gospel , the excellent things that are in christ and the servants are the ministers of the gospel , they are sent out to cal sinners , to cal the guests to come , for all things are ready . so then in the name of christ i cal unto al laden sinners to come to christ . and for the drawing of the soules of those that are thus laden , these several things are to be propounded . arg. i. first , consider who christ is that calls , and what he is ; come to me , saith christ . what is jesus christ that doth cal you to come to him ? the very knowledg of him , what he is , would be a mighty argument to prevail with the heart to come to him , he that cals you to come to him , is the son of god , the second person in the trinity , the brightness of the glory of god , the character and image of his person , as he is said to be , in heb. . . he is equal with the father , he hath the glory of the father in him , he is the glory of heaven and earth , the adoration of angels , he hath al fulness of al good in him . if a great prince should cal to you as you go in the streets , and say come to me , would not you presently adress your selves to make towards him , to go to him ? know , when christ calls you to come to him , it is more than if al the angels in heaven should stand together , to cal you to come to him . when once the soul comes to know who it is that cals , to know the voice of christ , and what he is , it is a mighty argument to work the soul towards christ . but you wil say , alas , christ is so glorious , how shal we come to him ? his glory is enough to overwhelme us , when the angels did but appeare in some glorious manner , even some of the prophets and holy men , were not able to stand before them , we cannot come to christ because of his glory . therefore know , in the second place , that as he is so glorious in himself , the lustre of heaven , so he hath taken our nature upon himself , he hath clothed himself with our nature , and he is so united into an hypostatical union with us , to be made the same person , yea , so to be the same person , that the second person in trinity is , to be of the person that he is , that the son of man should be the same person that the son of god is , this is the greatest mistery in the world , and it is the greatest work that ever god did , abundantly greater than making heaven and earth , for god to unite our natures so neere unto his son , this god hath done , so that christ that calls you to come to him , is not only god blessed for ever , equal with the father , and ful of glory , but he is your kinsman , he is your neere kinsman , that hath taken your flesh upon him . now had you one that were neer a kin to you , that were advanced to be the emperor of al the world , and he should cal to you and say , come to me , would you not make towards him ? jesus christ hath your nature in heaven with him , and it is in an hypostatical union united to the divine nature , and the fulness of the godhead dwels bodily in him , as in col. . . now it is he that cals you to come to him , certainly , there are great things in him , and to be had by him , as you shal see more by and by . now consider this one particular , viz. who christ is that calls to come to him , and in the consideration of this there are two or three mighty strong arguments to prevail with the soul to come to christ . first , in that christ is the son of god , and yet man , god man , so united , hence the terror of the glory of god comes to be taken away , so as poor wretched flesh may be able now to converse with god , being vailed with our own nature , god being vailed with flesh . it is true , if god in his own glory , as he is in himself in the highest heavens , should cal us to come to him , we might be afraid least we should be overwhelmed with his glory , we cannot stand before him ; we cannot look so much as upon the glory of the sin , how shal we be able to go to the body of the glory of god ? are we able to go to the body of the sun ? no , it would burn us up , how can we be able to go to the glory of god then ? now because the lord knows that his glory is so great , he hath been pleased to provide such a way to take off the terror of his greatness , though we be frail flesh , yet the lord hath done that which may encourage us to come to him , for he hath vailed his glory with human nature , and therefore we may now through christ be able to stand before , and converse with the infinite glorious god. this is a great mistery , the greatest , that god hath taken our flesh upon him , and vailed his glory with our flesh , that he might have his terror taken from us , and we may be able to come to him , here was one special end that christ was made man , that the lord might deal with us in a more familiar way , than otherwise he could . secondly , in that christ that is god-man , in one person , cals us to come to him : hence we have this meditation , that certainly , the lord is infinitly inclined to do good unto the children of men , this is a mighty incouragement for all poor souls to come to christ , for when thou hearest , that christ the son of god is made man in one person , by that thou may'st gather this for thy encouragement , that certainly god is infinitly inclined to do good unto the children of men , god would never have wrought so strange a work , as to unite our natures into one person with his son , if he had not meant to do some infinite good unto mankind ; the lord hath given a most evident demonstration of it , in uniting mans nature to his own son. as if the king should be pleased to marry his son to one that is the nearest kinswoman you have , you would by that gather such an argument as this , and all your friends would conclude , surely the king doth intend much good to this family , that he is strongly inclined to prefer this family : so when god is pleased to marry his son to our flesh , yea , to take our nature into a nearer union with him , then the wife is taken into the husband , we may gather this argument , and conclude , surely , god doth intend much good unto the children of men , and therefore come . thirdly , from this consideration , who christ is , god manifested in the flesh , we may gather this incouragement to come to him , that the lord in uniting the divine nature with the human in christ , hath done already a greater work for the children of men , than the saving of their souls comes to ; the saving of thy soul is a difficult work ; thou thinkest thus , alas ! for me to come and think to be saved by christ , this is too great a thing , too good to be true , it is not possible that ever such a poor sinner as i am , should be raised to the glory that i hear of in the word , that god will raise his saints unto , thou thinkest that the salvation of thy soul is so great , and so mighty a thing , and therefore that perhaps doth somwhat discourage thee in coming : but then , when thou hearest what christ is , and how god hath united the divine and human nature together in one person , from thence thou mayest gather this incouragement , that god hath done a greater work than to save thy soul , for so it is : it is a greater work for god to unite the divine and humane nature together in one person , than to save all the souls in the world . as if christ should say thus , oh , come to me , know what i am , i am the son of the father , of the same nature and being , and i am likwise made man , god the father hath united my divine nature to your flesh , and in this he hath done a greater work than the saving of your souls , in this he hath shewed what intentions he hath for the good of mankind , and in this the terror of the almighty is taken away , and therefore come to me , that is the first argument , come to christ . arg. ii. secondly , come to christ , why ? for christ hath come to you ; do you come to him , for he hath come to you ; that christ might come to you , he hath even come , as it were , from the bosome of the father , and for a time was willing to have his glory eclipsed , to come into this world , to be in the forme of a servant , to be in a mean condition here in this world , christ hath suffered more in coming to you , than you can possibly suffer in going to him , christ is content to come from the father to you , what is it that you can go from to come to him . he is said in the book of the canticles , to come leaping over the mountaines , he comes leaping over all difficulties to you , if you think there are some difficulties in your going to christ , know , that there was far greater difficulties that lay in the way in his coming to you , but whatsoever there was in the way , he was resolved to go through them all , and did come , and was here in the world , in the flesh , that he might save you , and he that is thus come to you , cals you to come to him . arg. iii. thirdly , you must know , that christ is the great mediator that is set between god and the children of men : it is he that hath undertaken the great work , the greatest work that ever was in the world , to mediate between the infinite offended god , and your sinful wretched souls , for through your sins there was such an infinite distance made between god and you that it was impossible you should ever have gone without this mediator . it is an argument of mighty use , if rightly understood , and throughly considered of , the vast distance that sin hath made between god and sinful creatures , that they can never come to god , but through the glorious mediator that is come into the world , the lord jesus christ , god and man , that was made by god the father the head of the second covenant , and hath undertaken to make up all the wrongs that our sins have done unto god , to pacifie the wrath of god , and to satisfie the justice of god , it is he that hath undertaken to make peace between the father and you , and it is he that cals unto you to come to him . if there were a company of prisoners in danger of death , and one should come to the prince to mediate for them , to make peace between the prince and them , one that the prisoners should know to be the only son of the prince , the delight of his soul , and he is sent by the prince himself to come to make peace and undertake it for them , and he comes unto the prison doors , and cals to the prisoners lying in their dungeon , and saies , arise , and come to me , hearken what i shal bring to you , observe my direction , and peace shall be made between the prince and you , you shall have pardon , you shall have your lives ; would not this stir them up to hearken unto him , and greedily to come unto the grate ? christ is come for this very end , this was the work that god the father sent him into the world about , to be a mediator between himself and poor , wretched , sinful creatures , and now he comes unto them , cals unto them and saies , come to me , if you did but know what christ was , and what his work was in coming into the world , it could not but mightily draw your hearts to come to him when he cals . arg. iv. fourthly , come to me saith christ , for if ever there were any that deserved to be hearkened unto , and to come unto when he cals , certainly i deserve it ; for i have not only come to be a mediator , but the truth is , it hath cost me my blood , i have manifested such love unto you , that i have laid down my life for you , i have shed my most precious blood , i have been willing to be made a curse , and all for the saving of your souls ; my love hath been more to you , then to mine own life , for that was laid down for you . i have undertaken , indeed , to mediate between my father and you , but it hath cost me much , yet in love to you i have thus done , all my blood is shed , the work is done , the price is paid , come to me that you may have life . and this is the meaning of that forementioned place , the servant is bidden to go and invite the guests , for all is ready , so here , the work is done , christ hath done the work , there could not be that argument to our fore fathers , abraham , isaac , and jacob , they could not have such an argument to draw them , christ could not say to them , come to me , for i have not only undertaken to mediate between the father and your souls , but i have laid down my life for you , shed my blood for you , i have paid the price already for you , i have purchased your souls , i have done the whol work , it is finished . but now there is this argument to draw your hearts to christ , for the work is finished , the greatest work that ever was , or shal be undertaken in the world , the greatest work of all is finished , and upon the finishing of this work , christ cals you to himself , and saith , come to me . arg. v. fifthly , consider the infinite good that your souls shall have by christ in your coming to him , this draweth the heart indeed , not only to see who it is that calls you , for commonly when we hear one cal , we wil ask , who cals , and if it be one that we expect good from , we come to him . ( this we shewed already . ) but this argument is from the infinite good that your souls shall have when you come to him , the very first moment you come to him , you will be blessed creatures , there will be an infinite change of your condition , for consider . first , if there be any good to be had in all the mercy that there is in god himself , if there be any good to be had in god the father , in the divine essence , in the infinite , eternal , first-being of all things , it is to be had by coming unto christ , for christ saith , in john , . . no man comes unto the father , but by me . you cannot come to god but by christ , as was intimated before , in regard of the distance between god and us through sin , you cannot come to god til you understand christ to be the great means of conveyance of all good from god to his creature . christ is the great means of conveyance of all good unto the creature . all are yours , you are christs , and christ is gods , saith the apostle , in cor. . and the last verse . all things are gods , that you will acknowledg , but how come they to be ours , all things are yours , that is the happiness of those that are come to christ . he doth not say , all things are gods , and you are gods , no , but all things are yours , and you are christs , and christ is gods. whereas other people , in seeking after mercy from god , go this way to work , they go immediatly to god , and think that if ever they receive any mercy or good , it must come from god , they must have it from god , but there is somthing comes between god and you , all things are yours , and you are christs , and christ is gods ; so that god himself is the infinite fountain of all good ; christ is as it were the cisterne , into which all the mercy and goodness of god is to be conveyed , and beleevers by faith have every one a pipe , as it were , put into this cisterne , so they come to have conveyed all good , the fullness of the divine nature , they are united unto christ , and so have all mercy conveyed from god unto them , here is a strong argument to draw the heart to come to christ , because christ is the great conveyance of all good from the ●her unto the soul , is not the mercy of god sweet unto a soul , that is laden with the burden of sin ? this mercy you must have in me , saith christ , or else you shall never have a drop of it . we are to know therefore , that by our sins the conduit pipe of all the mercy in god is stopt , so as not one drop of saving mercy for eternity can be let into the soul , and though we should cry for mercy never so much , and shreeke out , yet we are to know , that the pipe is stopt by sin , and there is no other way to open this pipe , but only by jesus christ , he is the opener of the pipe of gods infinite grace , let out to the children of men . now if we look upon the grace of god , we are first to consider , that by our sins we have stopt the current of al the grace of god , and it is only christ that lets out this current , and now christ saith , come to me , all you that would have mercy . would you have mercy ? o yes , it is true , we would have mercy , but we find this mercy of god is stopt by our sins . now saith christ , come to me , and by me , all the sluces of the grace and mercy of god are opened to poor souls , we know god is a god of mercy , the god of all consolation , in himself the father of mercies , he is infinitly merciful , so that when we come to god , we come to the god of mercy , the god of all consolation , we come to the father of mercies , we come to him who is infinite in mercy , whose nature is mercy , to him that is imfinitely above all creatures in mercy . all the merciful creatures in heaven and earth in comparison of him are nothing , yea , take all the merciful saints in the world , the most merciful dispositions that were in all the creatures in the world , and put them into one man , you would say , this were a merciful man. if all the mercies , in all the bowels , of all the saints , that ever were from the beginning of the world , were put into one man , would not you think him to be a merciful man ? if he called you to come to him for mercy , would you not come ? such a man that hath all mercies , of all the saints that ever were in the world put into him ; yet this man would be a most cruel man in comparison of the infinite mercy that is in god. if we were in cruel straites and had to deal with such a man that had the bowels of the mercy of all the men in the world ; those that are in misery , they go to their friends , and say , oh! it is wel i did fal into such a merciful mans hand . but now thou that art a poor troubled sinner , if thou comest to christ thou comest into the arms , into the bowels of the infinite god , that is infinitely above the bowels of all mercies that are either in heaven or earth , and therefore come to him . secondly : further , not only come unto the bowels of mercy , but by coming to christ , thou comest to god as a father , come to me , saith christ , thou shalt not only come to the father , but the first moment you come to me , i shall present you to god as a child , and god to you as a father , the infinite god is a deadly enemy to all out of christ , but by coming to christ there is peace with him , you come to have union with him , and you come to be made one with god , into the neerest union with god next unto the hypostatical union . there is divers sortes of union with god , there is the hypostatical union , but next unto that is a mistical union , and such a union have the saints , the soul that was before an enemy unto god , and cast out from him , the first moment that such a soul comes to christ , it hath such a union with god , that is the neerest union that any creature can have , next unto the human nature of jesus christ . thirdly : yea , not only to be united to him , but thou shalt come presently to have his image stamped upon thee , his spirit put into thee , to live the life of god , to have communion with him here , and thou shalt be saved : the very moment thou comest to him , thou shalt have righteousness to stand in the presence of the infinite holy god. i , you will say , if we come to god , we come by christ , but god is a holy and a righteous god , and how shall we be able to stand before him , being a righteous god and we such sinners ? therefore this is answered by this , that the first moment thou comest to christ , he will put the holy robes of his righteousness upon thee , that shall make thee able to stand before the infinite god , so that whatever thou art in thy self , it is impossible but god should be wel pleased with thee , and should take delight in thee as his own , thou may'st walk up and down in the presence of god , and all because he sees thee in the robes of christs righteousness . fourthly : and further , the first moment thou comest to christ thou shalt be safe to eternity , for all the hazard of miscarrying to eternity is over at the first moment thou comest to christ , this thou shalt have in the first moment of thy coming to jesus christ , this is for the comfort of those that come to christ . more of these particulars we shall have , when we come to the promise that is here made in the text , and you shall have rest . arg. vi. sixtly , for a further argument of drawing the heart unto jesus christ when he cals to come to him , consider , what a poor wretch thou art in thy self , a vile , base , forlorne , deformed , miserable , succourless , helpless , shiftless creature , a beggar . if a prince as he goes along in the streets , seeing a poor beggar lying upon the ground in the durt , should be pleased to call to such a creature , and say to him , come to me , would it not reviue his spirit ? if one should tel him the king the prince cals , how would he stir himself . now thou art the poorest creature in the world , never any poor creature that lay groveling in the durt ful of sores and wounds , was in a worse condition then thou art , when thou seest such a one , think that thy condition is far worse then his . if the king were going in his robes to the parliament a long the streets , and should see such a poor creature lying by the walls , and should take special notice of him , and call him to him , and say , let that poor creature come to me , it would incourage him exceedingly ; this invitation from christ is just the very same , for the lord jesus christ sees thee lying in thy gore blood , as it is described in ezekiel . . where the miserable condition of them that are in their natural estate is most elegantly set down , they lay in their blood , none eye pittyed them , then i came , saith god ▪ and said unto thee live , and this time was the time of love , so when thou liest in thy poor , wretched , miserable condition , in thy filth , in thy baseness , in the gall of bitterness , and bond of iniquity , this blessed redeemer this great prince of al the world , he cals to thee and saies , oh! thou poor creature , come to me . i , you will say , this is the discouragement of all , i would be glad to go to christ , the lord knows this is that my soul pants after , that i might go to christ , but i am such a poor , vile creature , so wretched , so miserable that it is impossible for me to be accepted , you tel me that for an argument , that is the greatest discouragement of my heart , because i am so vile , and because i am so wretched , this is that discourageth me from coming to christ . arg. vii . to that i answer , in the seventh place , come to me and i will certainly receive you whatever you are , christ will certainly receive all those that come to him whatever they are , and for that consider these three things , that may make it plain . first , the solemn expression of christ for this purpose , that you have in john , . . all that the father giveth me shall come to me , and him that cometh to me i will in no wise cast out . he doth not say , he that hath been such a great sinner , such a vile wretched sinner , but he speaks indefinitly , he that comes to me i will in no wise cast out . now this that is translated in your books , in no wise cast out , it hath a greater force in the greek , there is two negatives , for though we in english say , two negatives make an affirmative , it is not so in greek , for it is for a stronger confirmation of a thing , and so it may be read , he that cometh to me , i will not not cast out , as if so be christ should say , he that comes to me i will not , i will not cast out . as we , when we would express the fervency of our spirits , we double our speech ; so doth christ , he would express the fervency of his spirit , and therefore he saith , he that cometh to me , i will not , i will not cast out . secondly , whoever thou art upon coming to him he will not cast thee off , for this was the great errand that christ came into the world for , to receive poor troubled souls , and to ease poor laden sinners ; it was the very business that christ came into the world about , it is the work that god the father hath sent his son into the world about , that he might receive such poor wretched sinful creatures as thou art , and if it were not , that he should receive those that come to him , he should lose the end that he came into the world for , and therefore he will receive you when you come , for christ saies , i shal else lose the end of that that was the greatest work that ever was done since the world began , or shal be done to al eternity , that is , my undertaking the mediation between god and you ; if i should not receive poor souls that come to me , that great work would be lost , that work wherein my father and my self is so much glorified , for this is the glory of christ to do so , and christ saw there was so much glory to be had this way , that it did move christ to come into the world , to take such a course as this is to save souls , christ knows that he should to all eternity be magnified by angels , for the saving such souls as thou art , yea , christ knows , that the father wil love him more , for he saies . the father loves me , because i laid down my life for the sheep , john , . . it is that that will delight god the father , it is that that wil make god the father to delight in the son , it is that whereby jesus christ gets the very end of his death ; til he had laid down his life ; till he had made his soul an offering for sin , he was not satisfied . this is it that satisfied him , that he should see his seed , and amongst others , thou art one , thou that comest to christ , thou art of the seed that jesus christ is so satisfied with , that he gaines the very end of laying down his life for thee , and certainly , christ will not cast thee off , but wil receive thee and therefore come to him ▪ thirdly , he will receive thee , for he hath heretofore received as vile wretches as thou art . you will say , there was never any so vile as we are . it s true , we may , and ought to judg our selves as vile as the worst ; though we have not committed such vile sins outwardly as others have , yet because we know not the hearts of other men , nor do we know what means others have had , therefore we are to judg ourselves as vile as any : but know , that christ hath received as bad as thou art , those that pierced christ , that shed his blood , christ received . of them in one day , he received three thousand in one day of those that had inbrued their hands in his blood ; and the story stands in the scripture for an everlasting monument , to incourage poor sinners to come to christ . and besides , though thou art a vile sinner , and a wretched creature , yet know , the greater thou hast been in thy sin , the more will the grace of god in christ be magnified , and certainly , there is in christ such a grace as is able to swallow up great sins as well as little , as the infinite ocean of the sea , is able to swallow up great vessels as well as smal : were it not a silly thing , when we were to cast a vessel into the sea , to say it is too great a vessel : god is willing to have his grace magnified to thee , though it be to the hardening of many thousands . if there is an infinite ocean in god to swallow up great , as well as smal sins , so long as this keeps thee off from coming to christ , so long thou dishonorest this infinite grace of god in christ . were gods mercy only such as his common bounty is to other of his creatures , this might keep thee off , but now , it being the infinite ocean of mercy in his son , and purchased by christ , it is an infinite dishonor to the grace of god in christ to stand upon tearms , and not to come to christ , what dost thou think that mercy is worth , that cost the blood of christ ? thou thinkest thou art a great sinner , and that it must be wonderful mercy that must save thy soul. it s true , and it 's well thou thinkest so , but now consider further sinner , what dost thou think of the mercy that shall be as much worth as the blood of the son of god ? for him to be made a curse for sinners , will that do it ? if that will do it thou mayest come to him . how much dost thou think the mercy of christs coming to take mans nature upon him is worth , to take our sinful nature upon him ? if he will do it , thou mayest come to christ . yea , further , know , that the lord jesus christ never receives any that come to him , but beggars , none but beggars , none but miserable creatures , none but those that are wretched , that are vile ; and christ did never yet from the beginning of the world receive any man upon these tearms , because he was not so vile as another man , as thus , here is one that is thus vile , here is another that is not altogether so vile , i will receive him upon this ground , because he is not so vile , this was never the ground ; but when he receives them , he receives them upon free grace , and therefore it is not how vile thou art , for that is the glory of christ to save vile creatures , and he saves none but those that come as beggars , those that come and do see themselves , as vile wretched , worthless , unworthy , miserable , damned dust and ashes in themselves . only such are objects for the heart of christ to be set upon ; rather make it an argument to drive thee more to him , as david did , in the . psalm . o lord have mercy upon me , pardon my sin , for it is great , so , lord , i am vile , i am wretched , i am unworthy and therefore lord receive me , lord , therefore i come unto thee , do not say as peter once did , master depart from me i am a sinful man , no , but the truth is , he should rather have said thus , master , come to me , or master i come to thee , because i am a sinful man : so thou shouldest not say , o lord , depart from me , because i am a sinful creature , or , lord , do thou come to me , because i am a sinful wretch . and know , that upon thy coming to him thou wilt have wonderful welcome , wonderful great entertainment above all that thy heart can think of . o the great imbracing by jesus christ , of those souls that come to him ; and this is the very reason why poor sinners , at their first conversion , have their hearts so filled with joy , because at their first coming to christ , christ doth give them such wonderful imbracements , til they come to be more strengthened , and then perhaps christ will have them live rather by faith , than by sence . it is in the new birth as in the birth of nature , children when they are first born , they shoote up mightily ; take a child that comes very little out of the womb , come to it a quarter of a year after , the child is shot up a great deal , you may see it a great deal taller , and bigger , every limb increased , but take it at ten years old , and it grows not so much then as at the first , and the reason is , because it coming out of the worm womb , it could not subsist if nature did not hasten to strengthen it self at first : so men , when they come to christ at first , they shoote up and grow to such inlargement of spirit , and they do so sensibly perceive , yea , and others do so sensibly perceive a greater growth at their first coming than afterwards , because when they first come , christ will strengthen them against all discouragements , christ will use you tenderly , christ will not upbraid you for your former sins , and say , what! you that have lived a prophane life , a prophaner of my ordinances , a scorner at my waies , and at my people , christ will not upbraid the soul , but he wil be render of you , he will pass by your sins , and heal your weakness , he will not break the bruised reed , nor quench the smoaking flax. arg. viii . eightly : further , consider , the infinite need thy soul hath of jesus christ , and therefore that should drive thee to him , if the other arguments do not draw thee , oh! let that drive thee to jesus christ , thou art an undone creature for ever without jesus christ , all the mercy in heaven can do thee no good without christ , all the ordinances can do thee no good without christ , all the duties thou performest can do thee no good without christ ; for before thou comest to jesus christ , there is no prayer , no duties that ever thou tenderest up to god , that can be accepted , and this is a sad condi●ion , that all my duties , my prayers , my services , are all cast away till i come to jesus christ . certainly , this is so , for thou must know , that jesus christ is not only the great conveyer of all good from god to us , but also , all that comes to us from god , must go through him , and therefore there is cause thou shouldest hasten to christ , and never be at quiet all thy life , til thou hast some comfortable evidence that thy heart hath closed with jesus christ ! there is an infinite necessity , because al ordinances , duties , services , whatever thou dost , doth thee no good , til thou come to christ . arg. ix . ninthly : yea , further , christ is such a one , as all the creatures one day will see a need of him , yea , all that live under the sound of the gospel , they shall see a need of him , and they shal curse themselves that when they lived under the sound of the gospel , and were called to come to jesus christ , that yet notwithstanding they would satisfie themselves in the lusts of their spirits , christ came from heaven once to us in the daies of his flesh , but know , that jesus christ shall come again in his glory , with all his angels , all his saints about him , and then how happy will those appear , that in the time of their lives , when they were called by the ministery of the gospell did come to jesus christ . when christ comes thus in his glory , perhaps you would then all go to jesus christ , no friend , if you will stay till then , you will hea● another voice from christ , he will not come to call sinners to come to him then , but he will come to bid them depart from him , for all that the father gives him do come to him before then . arg. x. yea , and yet further , let me tel you this , that while you have heard the word of god by a poor minister , in the name of christ to cal you unto him , to draw you to come unto him , if you shal reject this invitation , and other invitations , that you have by the ministers of the gospel , know that of al the sins that ever you committed in al your lives , this wil prove to be the greatest , that you have stood out against this invitation , it is that that wil aggravate al your sins . it may be some of you may think , wel , this is an incouragment to sinners , we are called to christ , and we are tould , that the vilest may come to him , and christ wil receive them . this is wel , but yet if thou wilt reject this invitation , and shalt yet let out thy heart to other vanities , and to the satisfying of thy sinful lusts , this i say , this invitation of jesus christ , wil be the greatest aggravation of al thy sins that ever thou committedst in al thy life , thy whoredome , thy drunkenness , thy swearing , al thy sabbath breaking , wil not be so heavy upon thee , wil not be so deep upon the score as one rejection of jesus christ calling thee to come to him , and therefore take heed of abusing the grace of christ in calling you to come to him . for know , if there could be any sign given to know who are reprobates and who not , i would rather pitch upon this signe , one that should go away after the grace of god is opened to him , and he invited to come to christ , one that should go away notwithstanding hardned in sin , i say , i should rather pitch upon this than any other signe . there is no sin hardeneth the heart of god more than this . i wil give you one scripture for this . in luke . . , . when god as the master of the great feast , sends his servants and invites men to come to the wedding , that is in truth to do that that i have been doing al this while to invite poor sinners to come to christ . now divers make excuses , some had bouhgt oxen , others had bought farmes , and others had married wives , wel , marke ( at the . verse ) the doom of those that did not come in upon their invitation , verily ( saith god ) those men that were bidden shall never taste of my supper , what! saith god , to his servants , have ye invited them to come in , and wil they not ? no they have other things in their heads , their farmes , their yoke of oxen , their profits and pleasures , what wil they reject such grace and favour , when i invite them to come to the marriage of my son , verily , saith god , they shal never have any good by jesus christ . oh! it were a dreadful doom to be past upon any soule , god forbid it should be past upon any soul , and yet when we come to open the grace of god in jesus christ in the ministry of the word , we cannot speake of it without trembling hearts , without feare , least some should be hardened , and so god provoked by their resisting of thi● grace of his , this man , and this woman that sits upon such a stool , that is not taken with this grace of god offered in jesus christ , they shal never tast of my supper . beloved ! sermons of mercy are more quicker , than any other sermons whatsoever , men and women may sit under a minister of the word , that may preach many wholsome points of divinity , and many moral truthes , against drunkenness , swearing , prophaning the sabbath , deceit , cozening and cheating , they may sit along time under such a minister , and god may be patient with them though they do not obey the voice of the minister : but now , when the lord comes to invite men and women to come to his son , let them look to it then , god expects that they should fal down before that infinite grace of his , and should admire it , and their hearts should be taken with it , and they should joyne with him , and say , oh! lord , we come , and our hearts do close with this bountifulness of thine in thy son , & the neglect of our not profiting by such sermons , and casting out what we heare , letting of it pass from us doth the quickest seal up mens hearts to condemnation , ye wil not come to me that ye might have life . wherfore take in what hath been spoken to you , and labor to work it upon your hearts . quest . you wil say , here are many things that have been spoken to poor sinners to come to christ , if these things be so , what is the reason then , that there is no more that come to christ ? how comes it to pass that the hearts of men and women can stand out against such offers as these . ans . would you know the reason , christ himself gives it you , in john , . . after he had been inviting some to come to him , and told them that he was the bread of life . jesus answered and said unto them , murmur not among your selves , there were some murmured against christ , ●nd christs words did not prevail with them ; no marvel , that the ministers of christ do not alwaies prevaile , when christs words , christs own preaching did not prevail with many , but they did murmur at him , and went away from his sermons , and did reject his sermons , at the . verse , saith christ , there can no man come to me , except the father which hath sent me draw him . quest . you wil say then , why are you speaking al this while to exhort people to come to him , we are dead , and you had as good speake to dead men ? ans . to that is answered , god the father doth use to draw those soules that belong to his eternal election by the ministry of the word , by such exhortations as these god the father doth make use of the ministry of man , to set before poor miserable souls , the excellency of jesus christ , and so to draw their soules to him ; and therefore if you do belong to gods election , god wil make use of his ministry to draw your hearts to come to christ . doth god begin to draw you by the ministry of his word , have you found god by the ministry of his word begin to draw your soules , oh! do not you draw back again , as loth to leave your sins , to leave such a sweat pleasure , such a profitable lust , but if god hath taken hold of your hearts , to draw you to him , oh! do not you draw back again . indeed the scripture saith , many are called , but few are chosen , few do come to christ , but you are al called to come to christ , oh! let not that scripture be made true that many are called but few chosen , if thou findest god drawing thy heart , and thy heart ready to answer unto the lord , that is an argument that thou art not onely called , but one of the chosen ones of the lord. there are three waies that god the father drawes those to his son , that he intends shal be saved for ever by him . first he draws them by the cord ( as i may so speak ) of illumination , by enlightning their minds , by shewing them what his son is . secondly , he draws them by the cords of mercy . thirdly , he drawes them , by setting conscience upon them , to put them forward , when the lord is drawing the soul to christ , he makes use of the consciences of men and women , to put them on to come to christ . o! thou wretched soul , is not that that thou hearest in the word the truth of god ? is it not the word of the lord ? hast thou not now a gracious offer ? is it not a mercy that thou art out of hel this day ? and is it not a mercy that thou art not drowned in the sea ? that thou art brought to land , to heare one more offer to come to christ ? wilt thou yet go on in thy sins ? wilt thou yet prize thy lusts , before al that infinite good that is in jesus christ ? dost thou think this wil be peace in the end ? how wilt thou be able to look god in the face another day ? it s mercy thou needest , and mercy thou must have , or else thou art for ever miserable , and wilt thou reject this mercy ? oh! that the lord would cal in your consciences to help on this work . there hath been i hope by al that hath been said , some illumination about christ , yea , and some cords of mercy have been fastened upon your hearts . now if god would but stir up conscience , give a command to conscience , and say , never suffer this man , or this woman to be at quiet til they come to my son , til their hearts be taken off from al things , that hinder them from coming to my son , let them never be at quiet til then , it were a happy thing , if god would give this command to conscience , that so many might answer to this invitation of christ , that when christ saith , come to me ye that are laden ; the soul answers , lord i come . quest . i but you wil say , suppose god hath been calling me , and i have rejected him , i have been in some forwardness to come to christ , and my lusts have drawn my heart back again , for you tel us , that the lord useth to be quick with sinners when they have rejected his grace ; now have you any word of comfort for such , if these shal come that have abused gods grace and mercy , and turned back upon him , have you any comfort for such ? ans . i wil onely give you one scripture for those , and that is in jeremiah , . and the . verse , and oh! that the lord would fasten this scripture upon your hearts . returne ye back-sliding children , and i wil heale your back-slidings . mark , here is the answer ; behold we come unto thee , for thou art the lord our god. this scripture in the name of god , do i present to you that have drawn back from the grace of god , that once were in a good frame , and now are back-sliders , once more in the name of god do i cal to you , oh! returne thou back-slider , the lord jesus christ is ready now to healthy back-slidings , now then secretly , say , lord i come , and when thou comest into thy closet , in a more solemn manner and art al alone , resigne up thy soul to jesus christ , and say , lord , thou hast invited me this day to come to christ , now lord i give up my self , and all that i have and am to thee , my estate , my body , my honor , and all that i have to come to thee : and then , not only those good things shall be made good , but the promise likewise , then christ shall give you rest . these times are times of distress , and therefore seasonable to hear of rest , whatever troubles fal out yet if thou come to christ thou shalt be safe thy self , christ doth ingage himself to give rest unto thy soul. and so much for the invitation it self . chap. xxiii . the doctrine arising from the dependance of the promise upon the invitation , that god will have us when we are coming to christ , to have respect to our selves . now the next thing that follows is , the promise that christ makes to poor laden sinners that do come unto him , he will give them rest . and i will give you rest . it is too much for any creature to say thus , yea , it were too much boldness and presumption , for all the angels in heaven to make these words as their own , for them all to say thus , come unto us , all ye that labor and are heavy laden , and we will give you rest . yet here in this text , there is not only one that is greater than solomon , but one that is greater than all the angels in heaven , and men that ever lived upon the earth , that saith , come unto me , all ye that labor and are heavy laden , and i will give you rest . they are the words of the lord jesus christ , the son of the father , that is equal with the father , god blessed for ever . he saith , come unto me , ye that labor and are heavy laden , and i will give you rest . this is that that now we are come unto , the gracious promise that christ makes to draw souls unto himself , he will give them rest , and i will give you rest . and what more fit argument and seasonable can there be at this time , this time we know is a time of trouble , a time of disturbance , there is much perplexity and distress in our nation , and what will be more acceptable unto us than this , to hear of rest ? this is that that christ doth promise to al them that come to him , that beleeve in him , he saith , he will give them rest . before i come to open this gracious promise , which is exceeding ful of marrow and fatness , as we shall find , when we come to the opening of it . i shall first , give you one note , briefly , from the connexion of these words with the former , come to me , ye that labor , and i will give you rest . you see christ , that he might draw sinners to himself , makes a gracious promise of that that he knows will do good to sinners at the heart , he will give them rest . from hence the note is this in the general . that god would have us , even when we are coming to christ , have some respect to our selves , and christ encourageth us in coming to him , even to have some aime at our own good . that is the note cleerly , from the connexion of the words . before we open the promise ( i will give you rest ) saith he , if you come to me , in that christ doth propound that which he knows will take the hearts of sinners , as a great good unto them , to draw them to himself , hence i say , the note it cleer , that in our coming to jesus christ , it is lawful for us to have some aime at our own good , yea , not only lawful for us , but we ought so to do , for we are to look upon christ so as christ propounds himself unto us , not only lawful , i say to look upon christ so as he propounds himself to us , but it is our duty so to look upon him . now when christ propounds himself unto us as an object to draw our hearts to him , he doth propound himself as one wherein our souls shal gaine abundance of good , one that we shall get much by . now though it is true , we should labor to be above our selves as much as may be , we should labor to deny our selves , in some sence , yet not so , but that we are to look at our own good , even in our coming unto jesus christ . now this i might shew you in abundance of scriptures , in the very first commission that jesus christ gave unto his apostles , after his resurrection , to go and preach throughout the world , he saith unto them , in mark , . . verse , go ye into all the world , and preach the gospel to every creature , he that beleeveth and is baptized shal be saved . this is cleer , that christ would have us in our first beleeving , to have an aime at our own good . and so we find such a kind of promise as this is in the text , in jer. . . verse . thus ( saith the lord ) stand in the waies , and see , and ask for the old paths , where the good way is , and walk therein , and ye shall find rest for your souls . inquire after the good waies , and you shall find rest for your souls . so that you see , god propounds duties together with promises , the lord knows what is best for us , and what wil work most upon us , and therefore , for us to think , that we must have no aime at all of any good to our selves in coming to christ , and that it is no grace , but self-love to come to christ for our own good , this is a temptation . i speak the rather this point , because i know how useful it is unto many poor souls , whom the lord is drawing unto jesus christ , the lord hath taken off their hearts from sinful self , they would not enjoy themselves in the lusts of the flesh as formerly , the lord hath made them willing to deny their own opinion , their own wills , their own affections , their former waies , to deny themselves in the comforts of the things of this world , so as to prize him , and christ , and his waies , the way of christ more than they prize their very lives here in this world , and yet for all this , there comes a temptation upon them . i but , you seek christ only to free you from hell , and to save you , and therefore it is but self-love , it is no true grace , because that you ayme at your selves , rather than christ , the devil cannot prevaile with a heart that is drawing to christ , thus , telling of it , oh! but you prize your lusts more than christ , or you prize your ease more than christ ; or you prize your estate , and your liberty more than christ , or your life more than christ , if so be that the devil shal come thus and tempt , such a soul could in some measure be able to answer , and to appeal unto god , and say , lord ! thou that knowest all things knowest it is otherwise , that howsoever my heart heretofore went after my lusts , after the world , after my ease and liberty , and i followed the common course of the world , and made those things to be my greatest good and comfort , yet lord , thou knowest it is otherwise with me now , my heart is set for christ , and i can say , from the bottom of my soul , with that blessed martyr lambert , none but christ , none but christ . now when the heart is got thus farr , one would think thou mightest be above the devil , and come to get assurance , i , saith the devil , though you be taken off thus far , that you dare not commit any known sin , and you seek after christ , more than your estate and your liberty , yet there is one thing more that your hearts is not taken off from , you do not prize christ most of all , you seek christ to save you from hell , and bring you to heaven , that is it that you seek christ for , and therefore i know your heart is not right all this while , this is a temptation that seizeth upon many men . now i confess , it is a temptation that is beyond many men , they do not know what this temptation is , that i prize christ only to deliver me from hell , and bring me to heaven , this temptation is above the highest form of the course of the world , then ordinary professors . now the spirit in the text thus answers this temptation , the soul thus answers : it is true , i do seek christ to save me from hell , and bring me to heaven , the fear of the wrath of the great god under which i saw my self to be , and the displeasure of god , was mighty upon my spirit , the lord hath made my soul to be sensible of the dreadful breach that sin hath made between him and my soul , and the lord hath caused the fear of eternity to fall upon my soul , and i come to be convinced of this , that such is the breach between god and my soul , that there is none but jesus christ , the mediator of the second covenant , that is able to make up the breach , and my soul makes after him as the mediator , as he is propounded in the word , in the gospel , to be a mediator between god and mankind , so my soul makes after him , and closeth with him : and what can the devil say to this ? for my heart doth close with christ , in the way that christ is tendred unto me in the gospel ; for so he is tendered , god himself saith thus , god so loved the world that he sent forth his only begotten son , that whosoever beleeveth in him should not perish , but have everlasting life . thus god sets forth his son , as if god should say thus , be it known unto you , o poor wretched sinful creatures , that are in danger of eternal perishing , that i have sent forth my only begotten son into the world , and tender him unto your souls , to the end that your souls may not perish , but have everlasting life . thus god tenders his son. now then , when a soul shal be made sensible of the danger of eternal perishing ; and the lord shall make it apeare to the soul , what the excellency , and the glory of eternal life is , and the soul shal come to see that the being delivered from perishing , and the obtaining of eternal life , is only to be had in christ , and upon this doth close with jesus christ , and cast it self upon him , and adventure it self to lay the weight of its eternal estate upon christ , the soul that doth thus receive christ , according as he is tendred in the word , whatever objection may be to the contrary , this is to receive christ , according as he is tendred in the word . yet further , for the helping against this temptation it fals ful in this text , come unto me , and i wil give you rest . now many poor souls do come to christ that they might have rest , but then the devil puts this in , oh! but you come to christ for your owne good . now for the helping against this temptation , know , . that the lord at the first conversion , doth ordinarily make use of the creatures self-love , but it is of self-love for eternity , and that is a higher degree of self-love , than the most people in the world do attaine unto ; some people in the world they love themselves only for this present life , but when god makes a man or woman to love himself for eternity , it is a good signe that the hand of god is upon the heart , and that the lord doth intend good unto that soul , when the lord begins to make thee to love thy self truly for eternity , to love that that is true and of eternal good , it is a good signe that the lord doth intend good unto thy soul . . when the lord proceeds , not only to make thee to begin to love thy self for eternity , that is to love that immortal soul that the lord hath put into thee , but when the lord comes to shew thee wherein thy true good for eternity lies , that it doth lye in this , that thou shalt be delivered from the wrath of god , and shalt not be cast out of his presence , but shalt come to have union with god , and live in his presence to the praise of his grace to all eternity , this is thy good , this thou dost account thy happiness , that thou maist be delivered from being cast out of gods presence , and that the lord would bring thee unto himself to live with him , and to joyn with the angels and saints to the praise of his infinite grace in christ eternally : thou accountest this to be the good that thou wouldest have in thy salvation , i say , the revealing of this to thee , and the carrying of thy heart unto christ upon this ground , this is faith , it is true grace , for here god hath so twisted , ( as i may so speak ) the glory of his own name , and the good of his creature together , as they both are joyned in one , and so the heart may be carryed to both of them at one time , to joyn in one . . yea further , let me tell you , when thy heart looks at this as thine own good , and this is the rest that thou wouldest have , whereas i see , that by my sins i am cut off from god , and so i can have no peace nor rest , and i see my happiness , and the rest of my soul is , to have union with that god , that my sins hath cut me off from , and that i might live for ever to the praise of the infinite and glorious first being of all things , i say , herein though thou aimest at thy own good , before thou art aware of it , and thou dost , it may be , explicitly reason with thy own heart ; but i do regard god above any good in my self , yet in that thy heart is upon it to that end , that thou mayest have union with the father , and live eternally with him to the praise of his grace in his son , i say , in this act , though thou art not able explicitly to conceive how thou lookest at god above thy self . yet god sees it , there is that work of god in thy heart , to raise god there above thy self : and therefore , those poor sinners , that are much afflicted under the burden of their sins , let them but labor and eye god , so as to look at christ as one that is a mediator between god and them , to bring god and their souls together , to ayme at this , and they need not trouble themselves with answering any further that temptation , o! i come to christ , but it is only that i might be saved . i do not know that in all the book of god ( to give you this one note about it , and then we pass from this point ) that we find this as a note of an hipocrite , that he doth love his own salvation too much , we never find it as a note of an hipocrite , that he doth come to christ that he might be saved , and seeing the word of god doth not set it out , as the note of an hipocrite , let not us nourish this temptation in our own hearts , so as to hinder us from coming to christ , thy heart would have rest in coming to christ , therefore come to him , that thou mayest have rest . and thus much for this note from the connexion of the promise , come to christ for rest . chap. xxiv . of the rest promised by christ in general : and that there is no rest for a soul out of jesus christ . but now for the promise it self . we read in the . of isai . the first verse , that christ saies , the spirit of the lord god is upon me , because the lord hath anoynted me to preach good tydings unto the meek , he hath sent me to bind up the broken hearted , to proclaim liberty to the captives , and the opening of the prison to those that are bound , to proclaime the acceptable year of the lord , and the day of vengeance of our god , to comfort all that mourne , &c. here we have a prophecy of christ , and in this my text , this prophecy of christ is fulfilled , christ is come here in the text , to preach good tidings to the meek , to bind up the broken hearted , to proclaime liberty to the captives , and the opening of the prison to them that are bound , all this is contained in this promise , i wil give you rest . rest is that that all creatures in the world desire , the end of all motion is rest , so the philosophers say , the end of motion is quietness , it is the end of all motion whatsoever , if the creature were where it would be , and had what it would have , then it had rest . but now in motion , what is the reason that the fire ascends upwards ? but because the proper place of the fire is above : and that the earth , and all heavy things fal downward ? but because their proper place is below ; but let them be where they would be , and have what they would have , and then they are at rest . so it is with the rational creature , when the rational creature is in its proper place , that that is the proper place for an immortal soul , and when an immortal soul comes to have the capacity of it to be filled , when it comes to have what an immortal soul is capable of , then it comes to have rest , and this is a rest that christ doth promise here in the text , and i will give you rest : that is thus , if you come to me , you shall first be delivered from all your burdens , from all misery whatsoever . and secondly , you shal be where you would be , and injoy what you would have ; so that indeed , this promise containes the freedome from all evil , and the enjoyment of all good , there cannot be rest until there be a freedome from evil , and an injoyment of all good , that is the general here in this promise , i will give you rest . there is a great deal of difference between the rest that christ here promiseth to give , and that that men seek after in the world . we read of the rich glutton in luke , . saith he , soul take thine ease , soul be at rest : for the word there in the greek , it is of the same that here this word is in my text , of rest , soul take thine ease , or soul be at rest , why ? for thou hast goods laid up for many years . now mark the difference of the rest of the soul of a worldling , and the rest of the soul of a christian : a worlding saies , soul take thy rest , for thou hast meat , and drink , and thou hast goods laid up for many years . a christians rest is this , come ( saith christ ) to me and i will give you rest ; the rest of a christian , it is in the son of god , it is in the mediator of the second covenant , it is in him that brings the soul unto the father , and brings all the treasure and riches of the grace of the father unto the soul , it is in him that a christian finds rest ; and a worldling only , in meat , and drink , and other things , as we shall see more afterwards . thus in general what the meaning is . now in this promise of christ , there are two things to be handled ; the first implyed , the second exprest . that which is implyed is this , that there is no rest in the souls of the children of men out of jesus christ , that is plainly implied , come to me , and i will give you rest . so that here is plainly implied ; that there is no rest for an immortal soul out of jesus christ , it can have no rest out of christ . and then that that is exprest is this , that in jesus christ , as soon as the soul comes to have union with jesus christ , it shall have true rest indeed , there is ful rest to be had in christ . now for the first , that out of jesus christ , there can be no rest unto the soul : as we read of the dove that noah sent forth ; when his ark was floating up and down on the water , he sent forth a dove , and you find in the story of noah there , in genesis , . . that when the dove was sent forth , she flew up and down , but she had not whereon to rest the sole of her foot , and therefore she comes flying to the arke again : so it is with a soul that is not in christ ( for the arke was a type of christ ) it may floate up and down in the world here , but certainly , there is nothing for the soul to rest it self upon out of christ . indeed , we read , that when noah sent forth a raven out of the arke , the raven came no more , but the dove came again , and the difference between the dove and the raven doth elegantly express the difference between those souls that god hath an intent to do good unto in christ , and those that are left by god , and have no other portion appointed for them than the things of this world : men of this world whom the lord intends no higher good , than the things of this world , they are like the raven , they flutter up and down in the world , but never come to the arke , never come to christ ; the other that the lord hath an intent to do good unto , although they may for a while be floating up and down here in this world , yet so wil god order things , that their soules shal never have any rest and quiet , til they come to jesus christ , nothing in this world shal satisfie them , but the lord wil make them seek to be sensible of any emptiness , that they have not that good that their soules were made for , no rest to be had out of christ . there is a scripture or two that is very observable . i might name multitudes , but i shal content my self with one or two . that place in isa . will be sufficient if i name no more , it is in the . chapter of the prophecy of isa . and the two last verses . there you shal see al men that are out of christ described in this , of having no rest , the . verse . but the wicked are like the troubled sea when it cannot rest , whose waters cast up myre and dirt , there is no peace ( saith my god ) to the wicked , or there is no rest , saith my god , to the wicked : yee that are mariners know what a troubled sea doth meane , a sea that is troubled casts forth myre and dirt ; and just thus is a wicked mans heart , it is like the troubled sea , it casts forth mire and dirt . and as when the sea is most troubled , it casts forth most dirt , so it is with wicked men , when wicked men are most troubled , then they cast forth most wickedness . so somtimes it may be , you find it , when you are in a storme at sea , some kind of men , instead of seeking god and praying unto god they fal a cursing , and swearing , and railing , and so their hearts are more troubled , than the troubled sea , and thereby cast out more filth and dirt out of their hearts , than is cast out by the troubled sea . or if not at sea , yet when they are here at land , as men that have no rest and peace with god , every thing troubles them , having not rest in christ , they are troubled in their family , and with their neighbors , they do cast forth nothing but mire and dirt , oaths , swearing , and blaspheming , oh! how do they come forth of wicked men when they are crost at any time : when you see at any time the husband , or the wife to be crost and troubled , when you see them in a distemper , and hear them swearing , cursing , railing , blaspheming , speaking wicked speeches in their passion , remember this text , of the , of isa . the . verse , that a wicked man is like the troubled sea that casts forth mire and dirt . oh! that you would remember it , and apply it to your own hearts , is it thus with my heart . i fear that there are many , whose consciences tel them , that this text doth lively set forth their hearts , their consciences tel them , that when they are troubled they cast forth mire and dirt , oh! what mire and dirt hath been cast forth by many , when they have been in trouble ! now , that the lord would settle this text upon your hearts , for the lord saies it is the wicked man and woman , when they are troubled that do cast forth this mire and dirt . but the special thing i aime at is in the next verse , there is no peace ( saith my god ) to the wicked , no peace , no rest , this is a truth that doth belong unto al men and women that are out of jesus christ , there is no peace , no rest unto their soules , and as he doth deny al kind of rest that such a one can have , so you may observe , what a confirmation there is , saith my god. it is god that saith it , as if the prophet should say , i am now preaching unto you about the restless condition that you are in , remaining in your natural estate , as unconverted to god , while i am preaching of this , it wil be a sad thing to you , it is a sad argument you wil say , the prophet tels us , there is no rest , no peace ; but as if the prophet should say , it is not i that saith it , it is my god that saith it , god doth pronounce this upon every ungodly man and woman , that there is no peace , no rest unto such ; let the world have never so much rest and peace , though there should be no war abroad in the world , yet there is no peace unto wicked men , no rest unto their soules . i shal demonstrate this more cleerly afterwards that there is no rest nor peace to any wicked men in the world , though they seem to others to live in never so much ease , rest and peace . further , there is no peace to the wicked , saith my god ; it is not i saith the prophet , but god that saith it , wherby he would teach us this note , that when any ministers of god preacheth that which is hard to us , we should consider that it is not their words , but gods that speakes to them , that god that wil make al good , that he speakes by them , which is according to his word , according to what he saith in his word , there is no peace , saith my god. further , there is no peace , saith my god , it may be that many would flatter you , and say there is peace , and these ministers do but trouble people , trouble consciences , and what needs so much stir , what needs so much a doe , no question the prophet did aime at these false prophets , as there were many that we reade of in isaiah and jeremiah that cryed peace , peace , when there was no peace . there was many false prophets that lived in those times , that said the prophet isaiah preacheth to you things that are too hard , god is merciful , and have we not al infirmities ? and therefore it is but trusting in gods mercy ; and do we not do as others do ? and we hope it shall be with us as with others at the last , and it is but repenting at last : now in opposition to al these , saith the prophet isaiah , there is no peace , saith my god , let all the fals prophets plead what they will , let them say what they please , yet my god saith , to every wicked and ungodly man and woman , there is no peace to their souls . further , it may be there are some that their own hearts would say , peace , peace , as many men and women , that when they hear out of the word those things that are very dreadful , and do come very near to their consciences , their consciences tel them this word of god neerly concernes them , yet they will be ready to bless themselves in their own thoughts and say , notwithstanding it shall be peace to them , just as we read in . of deut. , and . verses , saith the lord , it shal come to pass that if any man when he heares the words of this curse , shall bless himself in his heart and say , i shall have peace , though i walk in the imagination of mine own heart ; the lord will not spare him , but then the anger of the lord and his jealousie shal smoake against that man , and all the curses that are written in this book shall lie upon him , and the lord shall blot out his name from under heaven . how dreadful doth god speak , and to whom ? to that soul , that shall hear out of gods word , that there is no peace , no rest unto them in that condition , in the way that he is now in , yet it may be , saith the lord , when you shall hear pronounced this day in my word against them , you shal have many in your auditory shall say , i shall have peace though i walk in the imagination of my own heart . now we do not find such a dreadful expression in all the book of god against any , as we do against those that shall say , they shall have peace , though they walk in the imagination of their own heart . now hear , saith the prophet , may be some of you will say in your own hearts , i shall have rest , i shal have peace , but saith the prophet , there is no peace to the wicked , saith my god , though your own hearts say , you shall have peace , and what need we trouble our selves with the ministers words , but my god saith , there is no peace to the wicked : methinks , here we have a place , that speakes of wicked men directly in opposition to that which the church speaks of her self , in lamen . . . the lord is my portion , saith my soul , therefore wil i hope in him . now let us observe , at this time when the church speakes this , and saith , the lord is her portion , she was in a very afflicted estate and condition , and it may be that her enemies would say , that the lord had forsaken her , and neglected her , i but , against al the enemies in the world , her faith prevailes , and sayes , let al the devils in hel say what they wil , let al the world say what they wil , yet my soul shal say , the lord is my portion , that is , that faith that gods spirit hath wrought in my soul shal inable me to say that the lord is my portion . so on the contrary , when wicked men are in prosperity , and feel not the hand of god upon them , perhaps friends may flatter them , false prophets wil flatter them ; may be their own hearts wil flatter themselves , but now to answer al , saith the prophet , there is no peace to the wicked , saith my god , my god saith it . further , there is no peace , saith my god , no rest to any out of christ , this is to note , from whence it comes that wicked men can have no peace , why they can have no rest , it is from god , it is god that wil not give it , god is against them . there are many wicked men and women , whose consciences are begun to be inlightened , and they many times have trouble of spirit , and when they awake in the night , they are troubled , and when they go about their business in the day , they are troubled , and when they come home , they are troubled , and so troubled as they scarce know what it is that troubles them . now perhaps you have not known what it is that troubles you , but this text in isa . , and the last verse , tels you what it is that troubles you , it is the lord that is out with you , it s the anger , the displeasure of the almighty that is upon you in those wayes that you have walked in , and therefore it is that the prophet brings the name of god , to shew whence it is that wicked men can have no peace . further , it is observable , that he adds , it is my god ; he doth not say there is no peace , that god saith , though that had been enough , but my god , that is thus , as if the prophet should say through the mercy of god , the lord hath revealed this mercy to me , and my soul hath some interest in this god , and since i knew god in jesus christ , my soul hath found peace and rest in him , and he is my god , and hath revealed himself to me , he whose mind my soul is in some measure acquainted with , my god saith , there is no peace to the wicked . and though however others may think , it is a strange thing to tel ungodly men , that they are in a condition wherein they can have no peace , when they hear of the dreadful wrath of god against all ungodlyness to be revealed out of the word , yet those who are acquainted with the waies of god , those who know the holiness and justice of god , those who understand the mind of god , those who are acquainted with the secrets of the mind of god , those men know , that there is a reality in what is declared against such and such wicked men , they can say , that to such there is no peace , they can wonder how it is possible that such men can go on quietly in their way , they wonder how they can eat their meat in quiet , they wonder how they can sleep in quiet , they that know what a breach sin hath made between god and the soul , and know what a wonderful work it is to make up the breach between god and the soul that sin hath made , those men can understand this , and so wonder at their security . that is the meaning of the prophets words in isaiah , there is no peace to the wicked ( saith my god ) as he instanceth in those words in the relation he hath to god , saith my god , because he knew the way of god , he knew a wicked man could have no peace , others that know not the way of god , they think wicked men may have peace ; as now , come to some men , and speak of the natural mans estate , and how we are all children of wrath , and of sin , and of the severity of gods justice , and holiness ; now a carnal heart , who knows not god , he thinks strange of this , and thinks , people are troubled more than needs ; but now come to another that understands what the way of god is , and knows what the way of god is in making peace between god and them , come to one to whom god hath made himselfe known in christ , such a one wil presently subscribe to al that is revealed of the wrath of god , and of the holyness of god , and of the righteous judgment of god : thus the prophet doth , my god , that god , that hath revealed himself to me , he saith , there is no peace to the wicked . further , there is yet a further note , there is no peace to the wicked , saith my god , there is this note from it , that it is a sad thing , when such as are wise , godly and gracious , that are acquainted with the wayes of god , shal think others conditions to be naught , when such men shal be suspicious of it , much more if they were able to say certainly what their estates are , but when such as are wise , and holy , and walk close with god , when they shal say to you , there is no peace , you had need look to it ; is there any godly friend of yours , whom in your conscience you beleeve is truly godly , that walks close with god , and faithfully with him , and enjoyes communion with him ? if such a friend shal but think your condition to be naught it is a sad thing : thus it is , when the prophet saith , there is no peace to such and such wicked men , saith my god , that is , through gods mercy , i have an interest in him , and in his name pronounce this , that there is no peace to such and such wicked men . chap. xxv . six reasons of the former doctrine . . the soul out of christ is departed from god. . every man by nature is an enemy to god. . every man by nature is bound over to the justice of god to answer to what he can charge him with . . in a man out of christ there is every thing to disquiet him . . every one out of christ is condemned . . such every moment may be plunged into a gulf of wrath. well , because this text hath taken up some time in the opening of it , and hath much in it , i wil name no other than this ; for this indeed is sufficient to prove , that al out of christ can have no peace nor rest unto their soules . would you know why , and how it comes to pass , that none that are out of christ can have rest unto their soules ? i shal not spend much time in opening what i have to say , but those that are to be delivered for the opening of this point are exceeding dreadful , they speake dreadfully to those that are out of christ : but now because you have already heard so much , of the willingness of jesus christ to be reconciled to you , and his invitation of you to come to him , and i have so much afterwards to deliver to you , about the true rest that a beleeving soul hath in jesus christ , therefore i may take the more liberty , to shew unto you the restless condition that every soul is in that is out of jesus christ . i wil do it very breifly in these particulars , first , certainly , a soul out of christ , can have no rest , because it is departed from god , know this , and oh! that the lord would make you to know it , that every man and woman naturally is departed from god , is gone from god , from the womb we have departed from him , & there is a great distance between god & every one of our souls naturally , al the union we come to have with god , it is in his son , it is in christ , therfore , til we come to be in christ , there is a great chasma , a gulf , a depth , a vast distance between god and al our soules , and this is one of the first things that the lord is pleased to shew , and to convince a soule that he is about to save , of the great distance that there is between god and the soul natturally , now it is impossible for a soul to have rest that is departed from god , for god is the proper centre of an immortal soul , as moses saith in psalm . thou art our habitation ; the soul can have no rest but in god , for god is the proper place of an immortal soul , the true good of an immortal soul it is the injoyment of an infinite good : now if the soul be separated from that which is the true good , and proper place of it , it is impossible it should have any rest . in the . psalm , the latter end , it is said of the wicked , the wicked walk round about , the words are termed in the old latin , in a circuit , up and down , but now a godly man , walkes in a strait line , he goes to the center , in a strait line to god as the center , and there it finds rest ; but when it is in its natural condition it walkes in a circle , up and downe , seeking for rest and finding none , as it is said of the uncleane spirit in the gospel , that walks up and down seeking rest , but finds none ; so it is with men in the world , they would fain have rest , and seek somewhat that is good , but finds none , for they are departed from god that is the only rest of an immortal soule . secondly , not only so , but every man by nature is an enemy to god , and therefore cannot look upon god , the infinite , eternal , first being of al things without terror if he knowes him ; no man or woman that knowes what god is , that is able to look upon him without terror in his natural estate , and therefore it is not possible they can have any rest so long as they continue enemies to god , and that certainly , is the state of man by nature , the scripture is as cleere in this , as in any one point of divinity , that we are al by nature enemies to god , and canst thou be at quiet when thou art an enemy to god ? think with thy self , it may be , thou hast slept quietly , lived merrily , and eat and drank with a great deale of peace , as you think ; but this is your condition , that you are naturally an enemy to the infinit , eternal first-being of al things . object . you wil say , if we do not know it , we may have rest . answ . just such a rest as a man that were asleep upon the top of a mast , true , he doth not know his danger when he is a sleep , but yet , wil you say , that the man can have true rest when he is there ; so though men do not know what their natural condition is , and though their security have a kind of false rest , but wil you cal that rest ? wil you say , such a man is gone to his rest , that is gone to sleep upon the top of a mast ? such a rest hast thou had al the dayes of thy life before conversion . thirdly , every man by nature is guilty , is bound over to the infinite justice of god , to answer for al that the lord hath to charge him with , to answer it before the lord , and to satisfie the strict law of gods divine justice for al that the lord hath to charge him with , and is this man in a condition to rest ? can this man have rest , if he do but understand this ? if a man be found guilty , and be bound over to the sessions or assises , truly , that man wil have little rest , til he have got himself free ; for a soul to be bound over by the infinite , eternal god , to be bound over to eternal justice for whatever the lord hath to charge him withal , is this a condition to rest in ? this is the condition of al out of christ , of a soul before it comes to christ . fourthly , not only is a man guilty before the lord , but whatsoever there is in one to disquiet him in the world , it is the condition of such a one that is out of christ . what wil disquiet one ? to be in debt , will not that disquiet one ? to be in danger of debt , to be arrested as soone as he comes out of his doores , can such a man sleep quietly , or eate his meat quietly , and drink quietly ? let me tel you , that al the while you are out of christ , you are in debt unto the infinite and eternal god , and bound to give satisfaction fot what the lord hath to charge you withal , yea , and for ought you know , the next creature that you have to deal withal , may be as a sergeant , sent from the eternal god , to lay hold upon you , to arrest you , and to cast you into prison , until you have paid the uttermost farthing . i remember i have read of augustus caesar , plutarch reports of him , that he knowing of a chief man in rome , that was much in debt he sent to buy the pillow that that man lay upon ; certainly there is much in that pillow , thought he , that a man in so much debt could rest upon : only noting thus much , that it is a mighty trouble , and a restless condition that such a one is in , that is in debt ; if that be so , then certainly , every man and woman out of christ is in a restless condition , for they owe to god the debt of punishment , because they have not paid to god the debt of obedience , and god must have his debt paid , either in themselves or in their surety , and thy surety is only in christ , and christ undertakes to pay for only those that come to him , whom he hath invited to come to him , and if christ do not undertake to pay the debt for you , you must pay it your selves , or be cast into prison ; and that is the reason of the damned lying in hel for ever , because they lye to pay the debt of obedience that they owe to god , and therefore the scripture cals our sins , our debts , if you examine the several expressions of the evangelists , one saith trespasses , the other debts , whereby it is apparent , that christ did never intend to bind his people to use those very words , but only shew a platforme and a patern of prayer , that we are to pray to that effect , this is an argument that no man can possibly answer , for one evangelist hath the lords prayer in one kind of words , and the other evangelist hath the lords prayer in other kind of words , one saith , forgive us our trespasses , and the other saith , forgive us our debts ; now it is true , they come to al one in effect , i but then say i from this , that it is not christs intention to tye us punctually to the words that he spake , but to make the prayer of christ a patterne of prayer to us , so much for that point . fifthly , for this condition , the restless condition that al men are in that are out of christ , it is this they ; are not only debtors and guilty , but every one out of christ is condemned , not only bound over , a prisoner may be bound over , i but he may hope to escape when he comes to tryal , but this is certain , every man and woman out of christ is a condemned creature , the sentence is past already upon them . i wil give you a cleare scripture for it , in john , . . he that beleeveth not in christ is condemned already , not onely he shal be condemned at the great day of judgment , but he is now condemned , he is condemned already . i might give you divers other scriptures , that in rom. . . there is no condemnation to them that are in christ jesus , who walk not after the flesh but after the spirit , this doth plainly imply , that then there is condemnation to them that are not in christ , that do not walk after the spirit , but after the flesh . now can any man be at peace when he is a condemned creature ? would you think , that a man that were condemned at your assises , the judg having past the sentence of death upon him , if you should come to such a man and find him asleep , would you not say , alas ! can you rest now ? do you think the night is a night of rest that is before the execution of a condemned man ? now let me say to you , that those that are come to christ , they know that their condition was so before they did come to him , this is a certain truth , that til you come in unto jesus christ and be a beleever in him , you are under the sentence of condemnation , he that beleeves not , is condemned , you that walk after the flesh are under condemnation . you will say , god forbid , we hope we are not condemned . now the . of the rom. the first verse , will shew you to your faces in what condition you are in , there is no condemnation to them that are in christ . who are they that are in christ and delivered from condemnation ? they are those that walk not after the flesh but after the spirit . shall it be cast upon this now ? i do challenge every soul to put it upon the tryal , to see whether they dare venture their souls and eternal estate upon this scripture , look to it , it is the word of god , it is that word of god that must stand for ever , when thou and i am fallen , there is no condemnation to them that are in christ jesus , who walk not after the flesh but after the spirit . now then , thy eternal estate lies upon this , thy soul lies upon it , that if thou be a man or woman that doth walk after the flesh , that is , look what pleasure the flesh desires , what lusts of the flesh are delightful to thee , thy heart walks after them , thou livest accordingly , and it is thy great care to make provision for the flesh , the care of thy life to make provision for the flesh , and when thou hast made provision for the flesh , thou givest liberty to thy spirit to satisfie it self in the lusts of the flesh , thou art the man and woman that yet art not in jesus christ , and therefore art certainly under condemnation ; and is this a time to rest now in ? is there rest for such a soul that is in this condition ? all those therefore , whose consciences tell them , that hitherto they have walked after the flesh and not after the spirit , not after those truths that they find in the word ; perhaps they can go to the word , and say , it is true what the minister saith , if we could do what he saith , and in the mean time cast off the thoughts of those truths that are according to the word , and cast off what god speaks in his word , for what he speaks in his word should be as real to thee , as if he spake it from heaven , and therfore thou art out of christ , and i speak in the name of god of all these things , that i might the more effectually draw mens hearts to come unto christ for rest . for i do not mean to leave you thus , to tel you , that you have no rest out of christ , but i intend to tell you , how you may have rest in christ . only first i would convince you that out of chirst there is no rest for the soul , and if you have had rest all this while out of christ , it hath been a cursed , a vile , a wretched rest , it hath been no other but such a rest as this , of a man that is condemned to die , nay , let me tel you all out of christ are not condemned to die a temporal , but an eternal death . but you wil say , they have rest enough , it doth not trouble them . i answer , what rest ? just as if a condemned man shal go to bed , and fal asleep , and dream that he is at home in his house , with his wife and children about him , at home with his friends , at his work , at his meat , and o poor man , how he rejoyceth that he is at home , and hath got his wife and children , and all is safe and wel , this man pleaseth himself in his dream al this while , and at length ( poor man ) he awakes , and he sees he is in the prison , he sees the shackles about his heels , and the watch at the door , and for ought he knows , he may die the next day . certainly , this sets forth as lively the condition of natural men in the world as can be , they are al condemned , but they are in a dream , and they think they are out of al danger , al wil be safe , that there shal no misery befal them ; o but , when the lord shal come to awake them out of this dream , they wil see themselves in prison , under the sentence of condemnation , and then they wil wonder that they have been so quiet al this while . sixthly : yea , let me say further , if thou beest out of christ thou are not only under the sentence of condemnation , but for ought thou knowest , every moment thou mayest be plunged into the gulf of the wrath of the infinite god , it is true , god hath spared thee along time , god hath continued thy life in his patience , perhaps , twenty , forty , fifty years ; well , but how dost thou know , but that may fal out in one night , or day , or moment , that never fel out in al thy life , though thou hast been spared a long time , yet thou knowest not but before morning , thou maiest be among the damned in hell , and is this a condition to rest in ? for a man and woman to be in such a condition , as when he comes to examine , how doth things stand between god and my soul ? how stand i to god ? what reference have i to god ? or what reference hath god to me ? how do i know but i may be swallowed up in the gulf of the eternal wrath of the infinite god , and there lie under it for ever ? what do i know to the contrary ? and if this prove to be my portion , it had been better ten thousand times i had never been borne , and is this a condition to rest in ? certainly if god hath revealed any truth in his word , these are the truths of god. the condition of one out of christ is like one that hath suffered shipwrack , and perhaps he gets one of the bords that are broken off from the ship , and is floating up and down the sea upon it , and yet in such danger , that every wave coming , he is in danger to be drowned , do you think it is possible for any one to sleep there ? it s true , you are not drowned yet , but you see your selves in danger by every wave that comes to be swallowed up , and to be sunk to the bottom . it may be it hath been the case of some of you , that have suffered shipwrack , that you have been dilivered in a boate , i beleeve when you have been there you could hardly sleep quietly , if you should nestle down in your boate , and say , wel , here i wil take my rest , would not every one think you a mad man ? just thus , for al the world , it is with men in their natural estate , they take up their rest , whereas they know not but there wil come presently some dreadful wave of the wrath of god , and swallow them up , and so they are undone for ever , certainly , there is no peace to the wicked , saith my god , if this be so . there are divers other particulars that might set forth for the opening of the condition of al men that are out of jesus christ , no rest can come to them , and al to make jesus christ precious to you , that you might seek the happy condition that is to be had in christ . oh! that any thing that hath been spoken might be settled upon your hearts , that you might go with that poor wretched sinner , that you read of in the acts of the apostles chap. . . and say , men and bretheren , what shal we do to be saved ? the lord hath shewn me my restless condition , i see the rest i have had , hath been a restless condition . and oh that it might make you but to inquire after christ , but to put your souls into an inquiring condition after jesus christ , that you may hearken unto what shal be delivered unto you about the blessed rest that christ doth here promise in this invitation , when he saith , come unto me , you that are laden , and i wil give you rest , be not afraid to apply your selves to those things that have been delivered , whenas these things are spoken out of such a text as doth sufficiently hold forth to you the true rest that is in christ , for this promise of rest , it is made to them that do labor & are heavy lade . now if these truths of god that have been delivered to you , do ly as a load upon your spirits , if you go away with your hearts burdened with it , be not discouraged , for you that are burdened with such truths as these are , come to christ and he wil deliver you from this burden , and you shal have in this that quiet that shal remain everlastingly ; al the quiet that you can have with putting off these truths that have been delivered cannot hold long , but there is a storm a coming , that wil try every man and womans quiet , of what nature it is ; whether true quiet , or false ; whether true rest , or false ; do not therefore cast off what hath been delivered , but apply it to your souls , that so you may be the more prepared to heare further of the blessed rest that christ doth here promise unto you . chap. xxvi . containeth . i. a further consideration of the restless condition of men out of christ , from prov. . . ii. five reasons thereof . . they are under the curse of god. . al creatures are their enemies . al the wayes of gods providence are against them . . al their best services are rejected . . they have no refuge for comfort . iii. two conclussions from the premises . . most men live and perish in blindness . . there is insufficiency in al things out of christ , to give rest ; with the reasons thereof but i shal now go on a little further in this similitude that i have been speaking of ; the holy ghost hath another like this , in prov. . . he compares wicked men that are secure , unto a man that sleeps upon the top of a mast , he speakes there of drunkards , and of the whoremaster , but it is true also of al unconverted ones , though the holy ghost instanceth in those two only , the words are thus , yea , thou shalt be as he that lies down in the midst of the sea , or as he that lieth upon the top of a mast . so that here you have both the similitudes , you have the first that i spake of , as if a man had only a plank in the midst of the sea , and he lies down and seeks for rest there , or the other upon the top of a mast , and he lies down and sleeps there : this is the restless condition of of ungodly men , i will name breifly some few reasons and so proceed . certainly , there is no rest unto them that are ou● christ . . for he is under the curse , he is under the curse of the law , and the curse of god , under the curse of the law of god , whatever befalls him in this world , whatever affliction , it is a part of the curse , and for ought he knows every sorrow , is but as the beginning of eternal sorrow to him , there is the venom of the wrath of god in every affliction to every unconverted man , he his in danger to have the execution of al temporal curses upon him , there is nothing but the patience of god to keep him from al this , and what rest then can he have ? the saints of god , they have gods covenant , and gods promise , other men have nothing but gods patience to keep them . a mallefactor in prison is not executed many times , why ? because the judg may out of favor reprieve him for a while , i but , is this a condition to rest in ? a man that is wise is never at rest with a repriev , but wil have his pardon before he can rest , there is no man hath any ground in their natural estate for their rest and quiet , but meerly their reprieval : but the saints they see what a sad thing this is , and therefore nothing wil give them rest til they have their pardon . . there is no rest out of christ , because al creatures are their enemies , thou sleepest in the midst of an army of enemies , to sleep in the midst of an army of enemies it would be a strange thing , al ungodly men have no other rest but as in the midst of the armies of their enemies , for al the armies in the world , and al the creatures in the world , are their deadly enemies . . yea , al the waies of gods providence is against thee , thy prosperity workes towards thy misery , towards thy ruine , and so whatsoever passage of providence there is though thou mayest rejoyce much in it , yet it works towards thy ruin . prov. . . . there is nothing that thou canst do can be accepted , al thy services , al thy performances out of christ are cast off , al thy prayers til thou come to christ , til god do reveal the mysteries of the gospel to thee , al thy duties , prayers , exercises of religion , are al rejected , and yet thou must perform them upon pain of damnation , and yet not accepted , what a restless condition is this ? for one to be in such a condition , i am bound to pray , to hear the word , and perform duties upon pain of damnation , and yet al my prayers , and duties , are cast as dung again into my face , this is the condition of al those that are in their natural estate : i speak this , that you may al see , what infinite need you have of christ . much might be said of the sinful condition of al out of christ , for we must know , than in sin there is a jarring against god , against the infinite glorious god , there is no●hing but confusion , nothing but distemper in sin , and therefore a sinful condition can be no condition to rest in . . in what affliction soever any one is in , that is out of christ , he hath no where to go for comefort , for there can be no stay nor comfort to a soul out of christ , he is like a man in the midst of a wildernes , that hath nothing to protect him , no hedg no bush , if the storm comes never so dreadfully , he hath no where to go for protection , he is like a marriner in the sea , that hath lolt his anchor when a storm comes , and he is driven to the shore , and hath no anchor to pitch him upon . this and much more might be said to shew the restless condition of al men out of christ . oh! then , the blindness , security , and hardness of heart that there is almost in al the world , if this 〈◊〉 the truth of god ; and indeed this is the condition of al out of christ , we may from hence conclude , that most in the world do live , and die and perrish in blindness , and in woful disperate hardness of heart , for where almost is the man and woman that is convinced of this restless condition ? that ever were in this restless condition ? this i dare undertake to aver , concerning every one , that you were once in such a condition as i have now spake of , how you have got out of it , that you must look to , and what argument you have that you can be able to rest your souls upon for your deliverance out of this condition , do you examine , but this condition every one is in naturally ; abraham , isaac , and jacab , was in this condition once , and therefore every one must look unto it now while this rest is opening unto you , and here indeed is the reason of the tumultuousness of spirit that is in most people . what is the reason that people hurry up and down in seeking after the things of this world ? that they are in a restless condition ? their souls have not union with god in jesus christ , and therefore they are hurried up and down here in this world to seek after comfort this way , and that way : but the truth is , as with the unclean spirit in the gospel , they seek for rest but find none : as i tould you before , the dove sought up and down for rest , but she found none , til she came to the arke ; and so the reason of the disturbance of the spirits of men and women , is from hence , that they are not acquainted with the true rest that there is in christ , but we let this pass . only one thing more in this point , before we shal come unto the next , and that is , to shew the insufficiency that there is in al things in the world to give rest unto the soul til we come to christ : al men out of christ are in a restless condition : there is an insufficiency in al things in the world to give rest til we come to christ . and for that i shall give two or three reasons . i. first , because the rest of an immortal soul must needs be in the reference it hath to god ; now al the transactions between god and us , are only in the hand of christ , it is not committed unto any creature , to transact any thing between god and us for any good , but through christ ; now then , if al our rest must needs be in our reference unto god , and al the transactions between god and us must be in the hand of christ the mediator , then certainly , there is an insufficiency in al things in the world to give rest unto our souls . ii. secondly , there is an insufficiency in all things in the world to give rest unto the soul , because the misery that we are in is so deep , and the happiness that our souls are capable of is so high , that it is impossible that any creature can reach the one or the other , either to deliver from the one , or to raise up unto the other , only jesus christ in whom we have rest can do it , because that there was never any thing that came to that depth of humiliation , nor hath that height of glory ( put both together ) christ hath subjected himself to the lowest degree of humiliation that ever creature could subject it self unto , and christ is in the highest degree of glory that it is possible for any creature to be in , above al creatures : his subjection unto sorrow and trouble was such as no creature can subject unto , and his glory is higher than any creature is capable of , therefore he , and only he , is able to deliver from the depth of misery in which the children of men are , and raise them to the true happiness and glory that their natures are capable of . iii. thirdly , there is an insufficiency in all creatures to give rest unto the soul , because all ceatures here in this world that we have to do withal , except the angels in heaven , are under the curse , and the angels are only ministring spirits to attend upon christ , and to be sent upon christs errand , they do nothing but in order to christ ; now all other creatures are under the curse , and being under the curse through mans sin , it is impossible that those creatures that are under the curse should give rest unto our souls , and i do not know any argument in the world of greater strength to take off the hearts of men from resting in creature comforts than this , to understand cleerly , that al creatures here in this world , are under the curse through our sins , the whole world that is under the curse by our sins cannot make us happy , and therefore there is an insufficiency in al things in the world to give rest unto our souls . do but consider then what are the things that most people rest in particularly , and then we shal see the vanity of men in seeking for rest out of christ . chap. xxvii . the insufficiency of every thing besides christ to give rest to the soul is further enlarged , with several choice considerations , first , there are some that are so vile , as the cheifest rest and comfort of their souls is in the pleasure of sin , in the delight that they do take in satisfying of their sinful lusts , that is the comfort and rest of their souls , if they be troubled at home , wife , children , or servants do but trouble them , what do they do to ease themselves , they go abroad among company , and there drink , and play , and swear , and perhaps be unclean . and others , when they are crossed , how do they ease themselves by venting their passion , and the truth is , it is a most holy truth i am speaking of , oh! that ever it should enter into the heart of a creature , to make it to be the greatest quiet , ease , and rest of his soul , to satisfie himself in sinning against the blessed god , and yet , i appeal unto you , do not your consciences tel you , some of you , that this is your condition ? and do you not know men , that the greatest comfort , ease , quiet and rest of heart that they have in this world , is in the satisfying of their sinful lusts ? how far is this from seeking out rest in christ , in the son of god , in the great mediator of the covenant ; yet this is the condition of most people , take away the satisfaction of their souls in their sinful lusts , and they have nothing to quiet their hearts with , but when they are there , now they are safe , now they are quiet . do but consider of this one thing that now i am speaking of , that to have rest , and quiet , in any way of sin , it is no other , but just as if a man had a burning feaver , and he cals for a pot of water , gets it to his mouth , and drinks it up every drop ; now in the very time he is pouring this down his throat , he hath some rest , some ease , he finds some ease from the fit of the feaver while he is drinking down the pot of water ; but do you think this wil be rest to him ? do but stay a quarter of an hour , or may be an hour or two , then you wil find him in his scalding burning fit , then he burnes ten times more than he did before , and it is like to cost him his life , but he finds trouble and disquiet , and that gives him ease , and therefore he drinks it down and this indangers his life afterwards . so it is with men , that seek after ease and rest unto their souls in any way of sin , thy pleasure in thy sinful waies , take all the pleasure of thy life from thy youth to the day of thy death , and put it altogether , yet in respect of eternity , it is but just like the ease that a poor man in a feaver hath , while the water is going down his throat , all thy pleasure is no more , and thou art like to be scalding and burning in gods wrath to al eternity for that one draught of thine , for the ease and rest that thou hadst in the way of sin ; i am sure when christ had the burden of our sins upon him , he found it no rest , and therefore it cannot be ease to thy spirit . secondly , there are others , though not so vile , yet they rest not in the act of sin , but in the creature , if they can have good trading , quick voyages , and have as their neighbors have , then they are ready as the rich man in the gospel to say , soul , take thine ease , eat and drink , for thou hast goods laid up for many yeares ; and this is the rest that most people in the world do seek after ; they think , that if they might have as such and such have , then they had rest enough , but be it knowne unto you , that this is an argument that thou doest not understand nor savor the things of god , if thou thinkest that al the creatures in the world , yea , if god should give thee the possession of al the creatures in heaven and earth , if thou shouldest think that they would give thee rest , i say , thou dost not savour at al the things of god ; but those that understand what god is , yea , those that have but one sparke of true saving grace , this spark of grace doth so inlarge the soul , that al the creatures in heaven and earth cannot give rest , cannot give quiet , but stil it hath a higher good to seek after than al the creatures in al the world . there is a notable text of scripture which we have in the book of job , in the . of job , and . verse he stretcheth forth the north over the empty place , and hangeth the earth upon nothing . wilt thou seek thy rest in that which hangs upon nothing ? the whole earth hath nothing to rest upon , and therefore nothing in the earth can be rest unto thy soul . in micah . . as it is said there in that place , so i may say of creatures , arise ye and depart , for here is not your rest . the whole world is as a wheel , in a continual motion , and therefore in james . . where the text speakes of the course of nature , or the wheel of nature , the whole world is as a wheel running up and down , and therefore there can be no rest in the enjoyment of the creature . wel , but there are some yet would fain have rest there , having got good estates , some of you have got good voyages , and god hath prospered you in your young dayes , and having got great estates , now you would have rest , that is , to live idlely , and to live uselesly , and to keep at home , and let al things go which way they wil , it is good to be quiet in ones old dayes , when god hath delivered you from many dangers at sea , now you think the only way is to live quietly at home , and to meddle with nothing , and this is the rest of your souls , this is the rest that many men have after their yonger time is past , and how then to live and do nothing , this is their rest , now : oh! that god would but speak to the hearts of these men . . do but consider this , that by living thus idlely and unusefully thou comest to have al thy parts and thy spirits to corrupt ; just as a standing water , as waters in a pond do corrupt , and putrifie by their standing , so men that live uselesly and are not active for god , and for the publique good , according to the opportunities that god puts into their hands , their hearts do putrifie and grow corrupt , there is a corruption that comes upon al their parts , the beauty , the excellency , the quickness , the liveliness of their parts are taken away , and they begin to putrifie more and more , because they are not imployed for god , what ever we have that we imploy not for god , and are not active in for god , it putrifies , and however many men think it a great happiness , because they have estates , and they may live and do nothing , there is not a greater misery to a gracious heart , than to be useless for god , and for god to lay them aside as such as are useless , not to use them in his service , it is the greatest affliction to a godly heart in the world ; if god should take away their estates , it would not be such a great affliction , as to lay them aside and do nothing for god , and therefore let no man think , because he hath got a great estate , that therefore he may ly stil , & do nothing , oh! what wil this man do when he shal be called to account for al his time , for al his opportunity for al his estate ? certainly this wil not be sufficient , that he can say , he did no hurt , no , but thou shouldest have been active for god , god is active for thee in saving thy soul , al the atributes of god is working for thee , and al the passages of his providence is working for thee if thou be saved , and therefore this is a wretched condition , for men to think no higher rest but meerly freedome from outward trouble , and if there be any whose conscience tels them , this is the truth , this is my condition , and god speakes to my heart this day , this is the rest that i have sought after , know , that thou art not acquainted with the wayes of god , for certainly the rest of an immortal soul is a high thing , jesus christ came into the world from the bosom of his father , and laid down his life to purchase rest for the soul , and dost thou think that christ did this only to purchase this , that thou mayest be freed from some outward trouble in this world ? and that we might sit in the ●himny corner and do nothing ? oh! there is another rest for the children of god than this . object . i but some go further , some wil say , we trust in the mercy of god for rest for our soules . answ . now for that , though this be better than al the other , yet a man and woman may mistake in this , thou trustest in gods mercy for rest to thy soul , what hath god revealed to thy soul concerning the mediator of the covenant ? this may seem difficult to some , and that is this , that al the mercy of god in heaven cannot be sufficient for the rest of any soul , but through a mediator in christ ; the soul must be brought to this mercy by the hand of christ the mediator ; thou must first come to christ the mediator , before thou canst have any rest , even in the mercy of god it self . you must know , and if you know any thing of the mistery of the gospel you must know this , that though god be an infinite current of mercy , yet al the current of gods mercy is stopt by mans sin , so as it can only be opened by the blood of jesus christ , and therefore thou must know god in christ , and you must know how you come unto god in and through christ , before you can rest upon the mercy of god , this is that which doth undo many soules , those that are of the better sort , they think to rely upon gods mercy , think to rest in that , and that is a sure rest to their soules , but they little understand how al the current of the mercy of god is stopt , and there is no coming to it but by the hand of a mediator between god and man. others they wil say , they do many good things , they do many good actions , they serve god , and they rest in this , they do not commit the gross sins of the world , and they do performe duties , they pray in their families , and in their closets , & this is that they rest in , but the rest of an immortal soul must have a better foundation than this , than al the duties , than al the sorrows for their sins , than al that god himself works in them , it must be somewhat without them , that must be rest to their souls , and nothing wrought in us , no not the grace of god in us can be rest to our souls , it must be the perfect righteousness of a mediator , though it be wrought in us by faith can be rest to our souls , yet nothing in us : so that you may mistake and performe duties in a formal manner , but suppose you performed them in a gracious manner , yet you must not rest in them , you must go higher than al the best duties that ever you performed . wo to abraham , isaac , and jacob , if they had no other rest but what their duties brought them , you must look higher than whatever you are , or can be inabled to do for your rest . you wil say , what is there that can be higher than what we are inabled to do by god ? there is a righteousness in jesus christ by which you must come , there is an insufficiency in al the creatures in the world to give rest , and yet the truth is , the greatest part of the world make al their rest in these things : much might be spoken concerning the danger of this , and much of the signes when our soules have true rest in christ , but we shal meet with that in the other point , in handling the rest that we have in christ , i wil therefore pass over this , about the insufficiency of the rest in al other things , only with this one thing . know this , that that heart that is touched with jesus christ , as the iron is with the load-stone , can never be quiet either in creature comforts , or in hope of mercy , or in any duty or performance , it can never be quiet til it gets union with jesus christ . just as it is with a needle that is touched with a load-stone , shake it which way you wil , it wil never be at rest til it come to the north , and when it gets north , then it stands there : so it is with a heart that is touched with jesus christ , there is the touch of the spirit of jesus christ upon the heart of a beleever , and when the heart is but touched with jesus christ , it shakes , is ful of fears and doubts , and offer it this creature comfort , and the other creature comfort , it wil not do it , the heart is not at rest . but now , when there is the manifestation of christ unto the soul , let them come to a sermon where some blessed promise to the gospel is opened to them , and jesus christ presented to them , and they find this to be the rest of their souls , their hearts come presently and close with this , and they are able to lay the weight of their eternities upon the promise of the gospel , upon the free grace of god in christ , they are able to lay the weight of their eternal estates here ; however others think , that the promise of the gospel is but a notion , yet here they are able to lay the weight of their eternal estates , and they can say with simeon , lord , now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace for mine eyes have seen thy salvation . here i see rest for my soul , my heart was ful of terrors , fears and doubts , and i sought for rest and ease in this , and the other creature comfort , and could not find it . but now christ is made known to me , and here is the rest of my soul. it is true , godly people may be troubled for a while , but it is as the trouble of the shaking of a needle in the compass , and other men they are troubled too , there are some people troubled in conscience for their sins , they come to a sermon , and hear the evil of sin opened , and god meets with their particular sin , some secret sin that they live in , they are troubled , and they shake too , i but they are like a fals needle not rightly touched , that shakes as the other doth , but it wil stand at any point , do but put it this way or that way , and it wil stand here and there : would marriners give any thing for such a needle , that would stand at this point and the other point ? so it is with wicked men when they are troubled , the devil , the world , and their corruptions come and quiet their consciences out of christ , and so indeed this hinders them from coming to jesus christ , because they find quiet some where else . the saints they are troubled , but their trouble and shaking in the world is like the trouble of a ship that is in the haven at shore , that lies at anchor ; a ship that lies at anchor , though the waves toss it up and down , yet it is tost up and down at anchor : so here is the difference for al the world , between al the troubles of the saints , and the trouble of ungodly men . now when you have a ship at sea , and have no anchor , and the storm drives it any way , when there comes a mighty tempest and hurries it up and down , and you do not know but you may light upon a rock , and be split , you are troubled ; but the saints they are at anchor , and you count your selves at rest though you are tost by the waves , when you are at anchor . chap. xxviii . of the rest that a beleever hath by christ from the guilt of sin , laid out in ten particulars . . christ takes upon himself al the sin of them that come to him , and stands charged with them before his father . . he satisfieth for sin. . the wrath of god is appeased . . he is continually at the right hand of his father to intercede for sinners that come to him . . their souls are sprinkled with the blood of christ . . the soul at the first coming to christ , is made perfectly righteous before god. . christ not only undertakes for all the sins past , but also for sins to come . . guilt shall never return , when it is once taken off . . the soul at its first coming to christ is cloathed with the righteousness of christ . . such are sure that the day of judgment shal be the solemnity of their absolution . now we are but beginning the great point of all , the rest of the soul in christ what it is , and in this i shal take the method that i followed in the opening of the burdens of laden sinners , that were heavy laden . i spake of five loades that were upon sinners that christ cals to him , that they might come to him for rest ; now answerable to those five shal we speak of the rest that is to be had in christ . the first load was the sence of the guilt of sin , that was the first load that was upon sinners that christ cals to come unto him that they might have rest . now concerning the rest that the soul hath by christ in the deliverance of it from the woful trouble of conscience in respect of the guilt of sin , i shal not shew here what those troubles are , for that was done in the former point , about those that were weary and heavy laden . now if there be any that find their souls laden under the burden of the guilt of their sins , and that apprehend nothing but the wrath of god that is following and pursuing of them , that if you should speak to them and say , christian , what see you ? oh , i see an angry god above , and i see within me a guilty conscience , and round about me i see nothing but the wrath of god ready to seize upon me , and underneath i see nothing but the bottomless gulf ready to receive me ; now to such christ saith , come unto me , and i will give you ease and rest from al these fears , from al these troubles , and i will give you ease from all those throws of your conscience , from al those grievous achings of your soul , come to me . now , what ease is it to a beleever , to be freed from the throbs of conscience , and the trouble of heart that ariseth from the guilt of sin ? now this will be the first thing , this wil be ease to every beleever that comes to christ , to consider . i. first , that the lord jesus christ takes all the sins of those that come to him , and is willing to stand charged with them before the lord , is willing that they should al be set upon his score , and laid to his charge ; and therefore the scripture tels us , that christ was made sin , in cor. . . he hath made him to be sin for us . upon which luther takes the boldness to say , that christ was the greatest sinner in the world , not that he had sin that he committed himself , but that he had all the sins of all beleevers upon him , there is a transaction of all the sins of those that come to christ upon jesus christ , and this is presently upon thy coming to christ , i say at the first instant of thy coming to christ , al thy sins are transacted upon christ , and he stands charged with them to god. as it is with a poor woman , that is in great debt , that is afraid of sergeants attending upon her , she is a widow , and she marries a rich man , oh! what ease hath she , why ? for now all her debt is charged upon her husband ; yet this may cause trouble too , if he do not know it before , but if she tel him before , and he saies , well , this shal not hinder the match , i am content to pay all ; but yet here is trouble stil , til the day of marriage , but when that is come , oh! what ease is this to her ! now al the debt is charged upon her husband , and she knows her husband is able to pay and discharge all . so saith christ , i know all your fears , and sorrows , and all your guilt , and what it is my father hath to charge upon you , i know it al , and it is not that that hinders me from being willing to be matched with you , nay , the truth is , it is that that makes me willing , and it is that that makes me cal you , come to me , come to me , and the first moment you come to me , there shal be a discharge of al ; you shal not stand charged , but i will stand charged with all . here now is ease and rest , here is other manner of ease and rest , than to eate and drink , and injoy the pleasures and contentment that this world affords . ii. yea , secondly , christ is rest from the guilt of sin , by actual satisfaction , the lord christ doth satisfie the justice of his father , and this is applied to every beleever at the first moment that he comes to christ , there is a ful satisfaction made , so that a beleever now hath made satisfaction . when we come to christ , our sins are not so pardoned , as if god had no satisfaction , but the lord though he pardons us , and it is free grace to us , yet notwithstanding our surety gives satisfaction , the lord christ tenders up his blood and merit unto his father , as a ful satisfaction for all ou● debts , for al our sins , the truth is , he hath paid it already , and upon your coming to him it is accounted yours , for jesus christ hath satisfied the justice of god the father , that thy soul doth so much fear . what dost thou fear in regard of thy sins ? oh! my sins make me liable to the justice of god ; saith christ , i have given satisfaction unto the justice of my father to the very ful , and it was for thy sins in particular , oh! the rest and ease that comes to the soul by this , when the soul can see , that all his sins are done away , if we had but strong faith upon our first coming to jesus christ , we might actually see all our sins charged upon jesus christ . iii. thirdly , upon this the wrath of god is come now to be appeased and satisfied , the lord did look with an angry countenance upon thee before , but now upon thy coming to jesus christ , the lord imbraceth thy soul , and wellcomes thee , and looks upon thee as a friend , as a child , and this doth ease the soul from the trouble it hath by the guilt of sin . iv. fourthly , besides all this , christ taking our sins upon him , satisfying divine justice and divine wrath , jesus christ is continually at the right hand of the father to be thy advocate , that if the devil or any shal accuse thee for any thing thou hast done before , nay in case thou fearest any of thy sins should come up in the presence of of god to accuse thee , jesus christ stands at the right hand of his father to be thine advocate , what is the office of an advocate ? but if there be any accusation brought against such a man , the advocate stands to answer to the accusation ; jesus christ , he stands at the right hand of his father thus to do . in john , . and the first verse , my little children , these things i write unto you , that ye sin not , and if any man sin we have an advocate with the father jesus christ the righteous . a comfort it is to have one stand to plead at the right hand of the father , to be thine advocate , christ is as real an advocate at the right hand of god for al beleevers , as ever any had any advocate in this world . i find often in scripture this , if you read in the . chapter of the epistle to the hebrews , you shal find there , that the holy ghost speakes of a rest of god , the rest of the saints of god , gods people ; and mark what is the first incouragment he gives , and what ground he makes of the rest they have ; in two or three places he speakes of the rest of gods people , now the foundation of it is , for we have not an high priest that cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities , but was in al things tempted like as we are , yet without sin , let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace , that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need , for we have a high priest , that is the ground of the rest of the saints of god. v. fifthly , come to me , saith christ , and i wil give you rest from al the trouble that you have by the guilt of sin ; thus , i wil sprinkle your consciences by my blood , that you shal be able to give an answer to al temptations that can come to you , not onely , i wil stand before my father , but you shal have your consciences sprinkled with my blood , that you shal be able to give an answer to what accusation shal be made by satan , to disturb your rest , to disquiet your soules . in heb. . . let us draw near with a pure heart in ful assurance of faith , having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience , and our bodies washed with pure water . having your hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience ; whereas before you came to me , you had an evil conscience , that was ready to fly in your face , and that did fear you , vex you , and trouble you , i appeale unto you that understand what god is , and what it is for the creature to have to do with god , have not your consciences kept you from sleeping a nights , an evil conscience that hath layen grating within you , you have layen upon your beds and could not sleep , when your wife was asleep by you ; now to such is this said , let us draw neer upon this ground , here is the ground , let us draw neer with a pure heart in ful assurance of faith , having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience , that is , the blood of christ comes now to be sprinkled upon our soules and consciences , and that is it that takes away the worme of our conscience , perhaps other things may trouble conscience for a while , but now the blood of christ can wash you from that , now when you come to christ , the conscience comes then to be able to answer what shal be laid to its charge . perhaps those who are beleevers and are come to christ , the devil wil be ready to object and labor to disturb them , usually after they first come to christ , there is as great a disturbance in the heart of a sinner as before . but mark that text you have in the first of peter the . and the . the like figure whereunto even baptisme doth also now save us , not the putting away of the filth of the flesh , but the answer of a good conscience towards god , by the resurrection of jesus christ . through christs resurrection a beleever comes to have a good conscience , having been sprinkled by his blood before & through this resurection he is able to answer the conscience , that is whatsoever accusation the devil shal lay against the soul , the soul that is sprinkled with the blood of christ is able to answer it , and this is the comfort that such have , that we find our conscience satisfied in the blood of jesus christ , perhaps at the first coming thou doest not feel it , but at the first coming thou beginnest to be able to do it . vi. sixthly , the rest that is to be had against the trouble of the guilt of sin is this , that upon the first coming of the soul to christ , it is made as perfectly just before god , as ever abraham , isaac , and jacob , as al the patriarchs , prophets , apostles , martyrs ; thou comest off as cleerly from the guilt of thy sin , as ever abraham , isaac , and jacob did : it s true , thou hast not at thy first coming to christ thy sanctification made perfect , but this i dare avouch , that at thy first coming to jesus christ thou hast thy justification made as perfect , as ever the justification of abraham , isaac , and jacob was , and what a mighty ease and rest is this ? what ! i a vile creature , so defiled , i that have had such a dreadfulness upon my spirit , now to be able to see my self stand as clear before the throne of god , as abraham , isaac , and jacob did , and as the apostles and prophets did , oh! this is a comfort ! we ought to labor to come to be equal with abraham , isaac and jacob in sanctification , as we are equal with them in justification , this is the ease that the soul finds that comes to christ . vii . seventhly , the rest that is to be had in christ in point of justification , in freedome from the trouble that ariseth from the guilt of sin , it is , that christ undertakes not only for that thou hast done , but for whatever thou shalt commit al thy life , o! that none but those that are believers might heare me , did i say so . but this is a certain truth . you wil say , though i by coming to him might stand justified before my father , yet i am a poor creature , i shal sin again and again , and bring guilt upon my conscience . yet come to christ , here is free grace in christ , and know , that christ laies in pardon for thee against whatsoever guilt thou shalt again contract unto thy soul. there is mercy with thee that thou maiest be feared , with thee there is forgiveness : christ laies in for the guilt of sin , that thou shalt afterwards contract to thy soul , so as thou shalt never be condemned . perhaps thou shalt deserve condemnation a hundred times , over and over again , but christ will take care that thou shalt never enter into condemnation , thou shalt never be in the state of condemnation , oh the rest that here is . viii . eightly , when the soul comes to christ , there is no returne of any guilt , if christ doth undertake for them that come to him , though christ doth undertake for what is past , and what is to come , yet as it is with a malefactor though perhaps he hath his pardon and be received into favor , yet he may think there is some alteration again , but now the guilt that was upon thee shall never return upon thee again . though a man hath a pardon , if he do not carry himself wel , the former guilt returnes again ; but when once the soul is pardoned , the former guilt never returnes again , the lord wil blot out all their sinnes , and remember them no more . as when you cast a thing out of your ship into the bottom of the sea , you never look for it again , so it is with god , all your sins shall be cast into the bottom of the sea , and shal be so far from you , as the guilt of them shall never come more to you when once you are come to christ . ix . ninthly , there is not only deliverance from guiltiness , our justification is not only privative , but it is a clothing of the soul with the righteousness of christ , we have a perfect righteousness , that is the great mediator of the new covenant , here is a righteousness that i am not only pardoned , but i have a perfect righteousness to stand before the great god withal . x. yea , tenthly , and lastly , the rest we have in christ is this , that we are sure upon our coming to him , that the great work of the day of judgment shal be the solemnity of our absolution , the solemnity of thy pardon . one of the great works that god intends to do at the great day of judgment , it is certainly this , to make thy pardon to be solemnized by men and angels , thou hast now thy pardon , but the great work of god at that day shall be the solemnity of the absolution and pardon of the saints , then shal their sins be put away anew , as the scripture speakes , and in the time of refreshment then shal your sins be done away , they are done away before , but then they shall be done away before men and angels , thou shalt not fear at the day of judgment , that god shal come and upbraid thee with thy sins , al the while thou wentest under the guilt of sin , what was more terrible to thy soul than the thoughts of the day of judgment , oh how can i stand before the holy god at the great day , and have all these sins charged upon me ? no , come to me saith christ , and you shal never need to fear that great day of judgment any more , for the great work of that day shal be , to make your pardon to be solemnized , so that you need not to fear any longer the day of judgment , but to long for that day , and if the great day of judgment be not terrible , yet the particular day of judgment may be terrible , the lord hath a particular day of judgment for every soul , in which god doth cast every man one way or other , but then there shal be a great day of judgment wherein all the world shal solemnly be judged . now then lay al these together , christ undertakes , christ satisfies the justice of his father , christ satisfies the wrath of his father , christ is an advocate at the right hand of his father christ sprinkles thy conscience with his own blood , and thou standest as perfect in the point of justification as abraham , isaac , and jacob , and the guilt of thy sins shal never return again . and christ undertakes for thee , that thou shalt not come into condemnation . and thou hast a perfect righteousness , besides thy freedom from death , christ clothes thee with his righteousness , and so god the father looks upon thee , and christ doth assure thee , that the great work of the day of judgment shal be to solemnize thy pardon . thus saith christ , come to me , all you that lie under the sence of the guilt of your sins , come to me , and you shall have rest , here i make all this good to you , and all this rest is in thy coming to jesus christ , all the rest in the world is worth nothing to this , o therefore let us be willing to indure any trouble , it is no great matter what trouble we indure in this world , so we may come to christ , and this is but one branch , this is but the easing of the soul from the first burden , and yet even this to the soul of a beleever will god make good , if god give thee but a heart to make al these things real to thy soul thou maiest depart in peace and go away , and bless god , and even say with the psalmist , in psalm , . and now my soul return unto thy rest , the words are in the original rests , and now my soul return unto thy rests . oh , here are rests , ten several rests for a laden soul that is under the guilt of sin , do not think it much , that we that are the ministers of the gospel should speak to you about the restless cond●on that you are in by reason of sin , be willing that we should trouble you in a sinful way , being we have so much rest to bring you to . do not think the minister troubles you , do not complain of the word that troubles mens consciences . i appeal to you , if there be any thing in gods word to trouble mens souls , is there not again as much in gods word to ease mens souls , and give rest unto them ? now this is gods rest that is purchased by the blood of christ , our desire is , that you might not cry peace peace unto your souls , when there is no peace , and now when you hear but the beginning of the excellency that there is for the soul in christ . now you should even upon this cry to god , lord , o that i might be partaker of this rest , and still to desire to hear further and further of this blessed rest , that is to be had in jesus christ . and thus much for the rest that is to be had in jesus christ from the burden of the guilt of sin . chap. xxix . the deliverance from the law by christ set out . . privatively in five particulars . . positively in five points more . the next burden that was upon laden sinners that christ cals unto him , it was the burden of the law , you that are under the burden of the law , come to me , and i wil give you rest . i shewed in many particulars , wherein the burden of the law consisted , when i opened the former point of the load of sinners , but now i am to come to shew , how christ doth deliver sinners from the burden of the law , for so certainly he doth , we are redeemed from the law by christ , this is a great point , and the right understanding of this will help us exceeding much in the understanding of many truths in religion . wherefore , first , i shall shew you , how far christ hath not delivered us from the law , that is , where it is , where it is not burdensom , christ hath not delivered us from that , but only from the law so far as it is a burden . now you will say , in what respect may the law be said to be a burden ? certainly in those respects christ cannot be said to give us rest , in what respect the law is good and not burdensome to the saints . the law certainly is good as the apostle saith , in rom. . even at that time when his soul was mightily troubled with his corruption , and he even cried out , oh wretched man that i am , who shall deliver me from this body of sin ? as it is in the latter end of the chapter . but yet in the . verse , he professeth , that , the law is holy , and the commandement holy , and just , and good . now then that that is holy , and just , and good , certainly christ did never come to deliver us from that , to redeem us from that , it can never be said to be a burden to those that are holy ; that that is holy , and just , and good , cannot be a burden unto those that are holy , so far as it is holy , and just , and good . first , therefore , we are to know , that the law ( i speak of the morral law , not of the ceremonial law now , but of the morral law , for the apostle spake of that here in this place ) the law it is indeed the very glass of gods holiness , i say , it is a glass of the holiness of god , in the morral law we may see the lustre and the glory of the holiness of god himself , and therefore we are not to be delivered from it , as it is the glass of gods holiness , wherein we may see the purity of gods nature , the law of god shews god to be a holy god , different from all the heathens , who have not a holy and righteous law as our god hath . secondly , the law , it is an extract of the very image that god made man in at the first , an extract of gods image , as it were a copy of the image of god. what was the image that god made man in at the first ? but in the imperssion of his law in their hearts , the very writing of the law of god in their hearts , which is that we cal the moral law , in that consisted the very image of god in mans soul at his first creation , when he was in his innocency , and therfore we cannot be said to be delivered from that as it is a copy and extract of gods image in the heart of man , it is rather renewed by christ than abolished by christ . thirdly , the law , it is a glass wherein we are to see our own faces , wherein we are to see how far we are declined from the image in which we first were made , and so far christ hath not delivered us from it neither , for he would have us stil to look into the law , as into a glass , to see how far we are come short of that that god did require of us , and that god did inable us to do , that is a third consideration of the law. fourthly , the law is a revelation of the wil of god , it reveales what is the holy and righteous wil of god towards his creature , and in that consideration we are not delivered from it neither , we are to look into that to see what the wil of god is concerning us . lastly , which follows from thence , the law is stil an authoritative rule for our conversation , to order our conversation ; that the scripture is as cleer in , as in any one truth that is in the book of god , it is indeed a point , that were it not for a strang kind of wantonness that hath possest the spirits of some , it were never needful to spend one quarter , or minuite of an houre upon it . that place in james . . and so on , if you fulfil the royal law according to the scripture , thou shalt love thy neighbour as thy self , ye do wel ; ye do wel in that . now that , thou shalt love thy neighbour as thy self , is the sum of the second table of the ten commandements , and it is called the royal law , the law of the great king , but if you have respect to persons you comit sin , that is , you offend against this law , and are convinced of the law as transgressors . the law convinceth you as transgressors , for whosoever shal keep the whol law , and yet offend in one point is guilty of al. for he that said , thou shalt not commit adultery , said also thou shalt not kil : now where are these comandements , but in the ten commandements ? do not commit adultery , do not kil : now if thou commit no adultery , yet if thou kil , thou art a transgressor of the law , of those ten commandements . it is true , as we shal heare afterwards , they come to us in , another way than formerly , they came to the jews , but still it is apparent , notwithstanding any thing revealed in the gospel , though there may be a great deale of grace now mixed with every commandement that comes to us , and so the manner of bringing it to us may be a great deal more sweet , and comfortable , than formerly it was , yet still this abides as an everlasting rule , that those are transgressors of the law , and to be convinced of sin even by the law , that do not in their conversation submit unto the rules thereof ; and what indeed is the very definition of sin by st. john but this , sin is , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , the transgression of the law , so that in these five respects , as the law is the glass of gods holiness , as it is the very coppy and extract of the image of god in which god made man at the first , as it is the glass in which we are to look to see our deformity , as it is the revelation of the wil of god , and as it is the authoritative rule for our conversation , so christ doth not deliver us from it , but it stands in force in al these five respects , and there are no beleevers , no gracious godly soules , that do account the law a burden in these respects , but bless god for the law , and they account it their inheritance , and the joy of their soules , they bless god that ever they knew it , and their hearts lie under the power of it , and they are willing to order their lives by it . quest . but then what are we delivered from in the law by christ ? first , from the rigour of it , christ delivers us from the load of the rigor of it , from this rigor , that it requires perfect obedience , so far we are delivered from the rigor of the law ; and yet this may be said to be rigorous in regard of our weakness , for we had once power , but now the lord doth take off the rigor in regard of our weaknes and so rigorous , in regard of the violent and rigorous way that it doth take to force on men unto obedience , we shal heare how we are delivered from that . secondly , beleevers are delivered from the bondage of the law. quest . you wil say , how is the law a bondage unto those that are godly , being the law of god ? ans . it is a bondage not in it self , but in regard of our inabil●ty , for it requires of us now , considering what estate we are in , such things as we cannot do , and that is a bondage , to be put upon more than we are able to do , as the israelites were by their taskmasters : but yet stil god is righteous in this , because it is not more than god did at first inable us unto in our first creation , but in regard of that estate that now we are in , it is a bondage , in that it puts upon us , what we cannot do , and that upon pain of eternal death too . thirdly , we are delivered from the binding over power ( as i may so say ) the power of binding over the soul to the justice of god upon every breach of the law. now the binding-over power , the power of binding them over to answer to gods justice upon the breach of it , that beleevers are delivered from in christ ; as a man that is bound over to the assize and sessions to answer , afterwards when he comes to take out his bond , he thinks himself at much ease and at quiet , when the bond is taken out by which he was bound to answer ; so christ comes and takes out the bond by which beleevers were bound to answer to gods justice for al their sins . fourthly , they are delivered from the condemning power of the law , that the law hath not now power to bring a beleever , that sins through frailty , unto condemnation : this is cleere from scripture , as i might shew several texts as we go along , you are not under the law ( saith the apostle ) and there is no condemnation to them that are in christ . lastly , we are delivered from the law as the covenant for life , the law at first was given as the covenant that god made with mankind for life , for god deales with the rational creature according to the nature of it , & because it is capable of a covenant with god , therefore god deals with it in the way of a covenant , and as soon as man was made , the lord entered into a covenant with mankind , now the covenant was no other than the law , do and live , that was the covenant that god did enter into with mankind , and made our first parents adam , the head of that covenant , do and live , upon thy doing shal thy life depend ( saith god ) thy present and thy eternal life . now we are delivered from the law by christ , that is , that now it doth remain no more unto beleevers , to be the covenant of life unto them , they being once in christ , but they are brought under another covenant , a better covenant . so that in these five respects we may be said to be delivered from the law by christ , from the rigor of it , from the bondage of it , from the binding-over power that is in it , from the condemning power , and from it as the covenant of life . now here is enough , one would think , if so be that the spirits of men were not very wild and wanton , for the quieting of the soul in the deliverance of it from the law . chap. xxx . the rest that beleevers have from the burden of the law by coming to christ , laid out in ten particulars . . they do not stand or fall for life by the law. . the law-giver is the redeemer . . the least spark of grace is accepted . . their wil shal be accepted as the deed . . obedience is required in a sweet and gentle way . . the grace of god in christ doth melt the heart . . their sins make them an object of gods pity . . they have christ to undertake for them as a surety . . they are delivered , and yet satisfaction is made to the law . . they have assurance that they shal never forfeit the covenant of grace they are under by christ . now then , from al these , we shal lay downe several propositions , wherein you may see what is the ease and rest that beleevers have in christ , in being delivered thus from the law . take the ease that comes by christ from hence , in these several particulars , o! thou beleever , that art under the load of the law , and come to christ . first , know , that thou dost not stand and fal for thy eternal estate by the law , that is the first ease and rest , the law indeed may threaten thee , and dreadful things may be revealed by it against thee , but be of good comfort in this , thy eternal estate shal not be cast by it , it is ful of severity , but thou art so far free , that whereas before thou didst depend and rely upon that for thy eternal condition , now thou art out of the power , out of the reach of it , so far that it hath not to do with thee , to cast thy soul for thy eternal estate ; we would not be at the dispose of any man that we look upon as ful of severity and rigor in matters of great consequence , but we do desire rather to be , in such cases , at the dispose of men , who are ful of pitty and compassion , know , o! thou beleever , who art in christ , that thou art not at the dispose of the law , that is ful of severity , for thy everlasting condition , but thou art at the dispose of the gospel , of the covenant of grace , that is fild as ful with mercy and compassion , as an infinite wisdom could devise , it hath that fulness of compassion , more then possibly al the wisdom of the angels in heaven , and men upon earth could ever have devised or thought on , beyond their imagination : now for one to be at the dispose of a man in matters of the greatest concernment , that hath as much mercy in him , as ever man had in this world , yea , as much mercy in him as were in al the men in the world , if al the mercy that were in al the men in the world were put into one , the heart of one man , and you were to be at his dispose in a matter of the greatest concernment , you would think your selves wel , whereas before you lay at the mercy of a man that is very rigorous , and ful of severity , now you come to ly at the mercy of a man that hath al the bowels and tender compassions of al the men in the world , would you not think this a good change ? this is the change and the rest that thou hast when thou comest to christ , wheras thy soul , thy eternal estate , lay at the dispose of the law that is ful of rigor , and severity , now thy eternal estate doth depend upon a covenant , that is as ful of grace and mercy as thy soul could desire , thy soul cannot desire a covenant to be fuller of grace and mercy , then that covenant that thy everlasting estate depends upon , and must be cast by , and is not here rest now for a beleever if he doth understand this aright ? that is the first thing , wherein the rest of a beleever consists by christ , as being freed from the law. ly , now he that is the lawgiver , is thy redeemer , thou comest now to receiv the law from the hand of a mediator & here indeed is the principle ease and rest of a gracious heart , to the mind of a saint , a beleever , that now he comes to receive the law from the hand of a mediator . there is many that speake of deliverance from the law as it came by moses , but if we understand things aright , we have no such cause to think that necessary , to be delivered from the law as it came by moses in one sence , that is thus , moses was a tipe of christ as a mediator , for so he is called a mediator , in gal. . . it was ordained by angels in the hand of a mediator . god made use of the ministry of the angels in delivering the law , and he gave it in the hand of a mediator , not to the people immediately , for they were not able to beare it , but in the hand of moses , because he was to bring the law from god unto them , and it was not immediately given unto them , but in his hand as in the hand of a mediator . now moses is called a mediator here , as a tipe of christ , as he was a tipe of christ ; as he was a tipe of christ in diverse respects , so in this , and he tipified christ in this particular , that the law to beleevers , comes not unto them meerly from god as a righteous and just god , as their judg , but comes unto them in the hand of christ as their mediator , and there is a great deal of comfort in the law to receive it thus , to receive it from the hand of christ who is their mediator , and ( as i shewed before ) who is their advocate ; for so he is called in scripture : that now they should receive the law by his hand , that is at the right hand of the father , to be their advocate , to plead for them when they shal through infirmity break the law ; this is a mighty rest to the soul , therefore beleevers are to look upon the law coming from god , but coming from god in the hand of a mediator , to look upon their mediator as indeed their law-giver , not only handing the law to them as moses did , but the truth is , the law-giver himself , christ the mediator hands the law to them , yea , is their law-giver , and receives the law for them : now this must needs be a great ease , a great rest to the soul , if it understands this aright . thirdly , in christ now thy condition is such , that though there be never so many imperfections , never so many weaknesses , yea , strong corruptions , yet if there be but the least spiritual good , the least work of gods grace in thee , the lord hath a special eye to that little good that there is in thee , and all thy corruptions , all thy imperfections shall not hinder the acceptation of the little spark of good that is in thy soul , this is our freedome by christ : for in the opening of the law , there i shewed , that whatever good man doth do being under the law , let it be what it wil , yet except it be perfect , it is al rejected . all that are in their natural condition , and under the first covenant , whatever they do , if there be any imperfection mingled with it , it is not at al accepted , but here is the rest that beleevers have , that the case is altered with them . now though there be much corruption remaining in them , if the lord sees but one spark of grace , though never so weak , though it be but as the smoking flax , as the bruised reed , yet they are accepted of god , having but the least spark of any good at al in them : this is a mighty ease to the souls of those that labor under the bondage of the law , that before seeing so much corruption in their hearts they had little hopes of acceptation of any thing that was in them , now the lord hath regard to any thing that is good , be it never so smal , yea , and he wil find it out too . perhaps thy grace may be so smal , that it may be buried in the he●● of corruption , that thou shalt not be able to find it out . the condition of some christians is , as a maid that shal go in the morning to the hearth , and there raking up and down in the ashes , to see if she can find some spark of fire , and she finds none , and is ready to think there is none there , but perhaps there may some spark lie in a corner , though she finds it not : so it is here , corruption in the heart is like the ashes , and grace is like some spark that lies in a corner , and when poor souls go to examin their hearts , they see a great deal of ashes , a great deal of corruption , and are ready to conclude , the fire is out , no spark there , i but , though rhou canst not find a spark there , yet being in christ , god will find it when thou canst not thy self , if there be any that lies in any corner , as we hope there is some sparks in many , though there is so much corruption in the hearts of many godly people , that we wonder where their grace lies , so much passion , frowardness , and the like , well , were it indeed that these were under the covenant of works , under the law , that corruption that doth appear in them would cause all to be cast off , whatever might lie secretly in their hearts , god would cast it off , but now , if they be such as are under the covenant of grace , and the lord hath brought them to christ , this is the rest and ease for their souls , that all the corruption that is in them shall not hinder the acceptation of the least spark of the grace of god that the lord hath wrought in them . fourthly , as the lord wil find out every spark of good that is in them , so even their desires and endeavors after the will of god , though they are not able to attaine to what they would , it shal be accepted as the deed . the other was , suppose you do not do the will of god , yet if there be any habit , any disposition , any principle of grace , though nothing be done , though they cannot perceive any begining of it , yet that shal , be accepted ; but this is further ; let them but strive to do gods will , let them labor after perfection , and the lord accepts the will for the deed . hence in scripture those that are godly are called perfect , as many as are perfect , and be ye perfect as your heavenly father is perfect . quest . you will say , can we be perfect in this world. answ . no , but this is the grace of god in the gospel , that those that come to christ , the lord accepts the will for the deed , here is blessed ease and rest for the soul in christ , wert thou under the law , this could not be , and though men say they do , and they hope god will accept of their desires and endeavors . it is true , if thou art come to christ , christ will accept thee ; but know this , that it is the priviledg of a beleever , it is not the priviledg of every one ; there is a generation of men that are under the law , whose desires shall not be accepted , as i shewed in opening of the burden of the law , but the man that doth these things shall live by them , so runs the tenure of the law , but here is ease for thy soul , if thou doest understand how the law runs , thy heart cannot but sink within thee , but this is that that gives ease to the soul , i am now come under another condition , i being in christ , christ gives rest and ease unto the souls of those that come to him , that their desires and endeavors shal he accepted of god as performances , now this is a blessed estate . fifthly , the rest of the soul in christ , as it hath reference to deliverance from the burden of the law , consists in this , that now al the duties that god requires at thy hand , are required in a sweet and a gentle way , the services that god requires , are required of thee in a gentle , and a loving way , god indeed comes and requires the same things that the law requires of thee , i but , he comes to draw thy soul with the cords of love , we beseech you ( saith the apostle ) by the mercies of god , rom. . . that you give up your selves a living sacrifice holy and acceptable unto god , which is your reasonable service . we beseech you by the mercies of god. now the bond-slaves that are under the law , they have not duties required of them by such cords and bonds of love , but if thou dost these things thou shalt live , if not thou shalt die , do and live , sin and die , so the law requires duties at your hands that are under the bondage of the law : but now beleevers in christ their duties are required by the mercies of god , we as embassadors beseech ( saith the apostle ) and if there be any love any consolation . such kind of arguments are used to them , and were it that we preached only to beleevers , these kind of arguments were only necessary , and it becomes those that are drawn by the gospel , to be drawn by such arguments , and it is a good argument that your souls are drawn by the power of the gospel , and are come to christ , if you find the lord doth draw your hearts that way , and that those duties of obedience that formerly you were put upon in a rigorous way , meerly by the terror of your consciences , your consciences flashing hell fire in your faces if you did not perform them , if now you find , that the grace of god in the gospel draws your hearts more powerfully . it is true , every way you should give to god obedience , upon any tearms , but now , when you find , that god draws your souls this way , it is an argument that you come to have rest in christ . we read in the history of the ceremonial law , a type of these things that i am now speaking of , that the book of the law was laid under the mercy seate , you shal find in the story , that the book of the law was laid under the mercy seate between the cherubins under the mercy seate , there the book of the law was laid , that was the place that god appointed for it ; to shew , that even thus doth the law of god come now upon the hearts of beleevers , it comes upon them as it were under the mercy seat , in the mercy seat beleevers look upon the book of the law , lying at the mercy seat , that is , every commandement comes unto them in a gracious , alluring way , together with abundance of mercy , to draw their hearts unto the obedience of it . sixthly , coming to christ , you have rest from the law in this , that the grace of god in christ doth much melt the heart , and when it hath melted the heart , to milk out the flagons of it , then this melting of heart is accepted exceedingly by god , is very precious in the eyes of god ; now this comes from the grace of god that we have in christ , and it is a mighty rest of soul to know this . as i told you before , it is not enough for any of you to say , it is true , we are all sinners , but god knows i mourn for my sins , i am troubled for my sins , that is not enough for thee , friend , but art thou one that art delivered from thy natural condition ? from being under the covenant of works ? art thou one that is come to christ , and brought to christ ? art thou one that is in the state of beleevers , being a member of christ ? then thy repentance and mourning is acccepted . as now it is in many cases between men and men ; some men are in such a capacity , that if they do such a thing , it is accepted , but if another man , that is not in the same capacity do the same thing , he will not be accepted ; so it is here , those men that are in this capacity in christ , and have together with the sorrowes for their sins , the sorrows of christ presented to the father . canst thou when thou art sorrowing for thy sins , present the sorrows of jesus christ by faith unto the father ? then thou art accepted ; but know this , that no sorrow for sin is accepted , but such as is joyned with the presentation of the sorrows of christ unto the father . now what an ease is this to the soul ! that now the heart hath a means to melt it , for the heart was hardened before , the sorrow for sin is such , that the heart remains hardned , it is no other sorrow but this , as it is with marble-stones , the marble-stone is hard , but yet in wet wether it will give and be very moist , but stil it is as hard as it was , it is a stone stil : so it is with many that are troubled for their sins , being only the trouble that comes from the law , they are troubled but yet there remaines much hardness in their heart , much peevishness and frowardness against god and against men . you shall find in many people who have trouble of conscience , yet there is much peevishness and frowardness in them , against god and against man , now when you see this in the hearts of people manifested in their expressions , waies , and conversations , remember the stones that you see upon pavements in wet wether , they give , and may be water trickles down from them , and yet they remain hard still . but now when the gospel comes , it doth not only cause some sorrow , but the heart melts , and this is accepted as very precious before god ; and that is the reason that we have in scripture so many expressions of gods high esteem of broken hearts and contrite spirits , and how god looks at them . he that dwels on high , yet looks to him that is of an humble and contrite spirit , and that trembles at his word , and let me speak this one word , for the ease of them that are troubled , and are come to christ ; those tears that come from thy melted heart , through the grace of the gospel , they are of all things most precious in the eyes of god , next to the blood of christ , next to the drops of christs blood , thy mourning , lamenting spirit , is one of the most precious things in the eyes of god , god treasures up every one of them , and this is the rest of the soul , the soul may have abundance of rest therefore in christ , when thou comest to know that thy mourning for thy offences is accepted of god. seventhly , the ease that the soul hath from the burden of the law is this , that whereas before , through the severity of the law , sin did make thy soul an object of gods wrath , take sin as it was in it self , and coming from thee , god having no respect in christ towards thee , sin made thy soul an object of gods wrath , yea , and of hatred too , for so the scripture tels us plainly , that the lord hates the workers of iniquity ; now being come to christ according to this invitation , come to me ye that are laden , now your sins being looked upon in christ , do rather make you an object of pitty and compassion to god , not from any virtue , not from any thing in its own nature , but in regard of your condition : as thus , let a tender mother look upon the child that is sick , that is wounded ; it is true , the mother cannot love the distemper , or love the wound , the mother would not have the sickness , or the wound upon the child , but doth not the sickness or wound that is upon the child , make the child to be an object of pitty and compassion , make the bowels of a tender father and mother , to yern so much the more to the child ? so here , the lord now looks upon thy sin , being in christ , as thy sickness , as thy wound , and therefore doth pitty thee , as under thy affliction rather then under thy sin . for the truth is , all those that are the saints of god and are come to christ , they look upon their own sins as their affliction , as the greatest affliction they have in the world , as i shewed when i spake of the load and burden of corruption that remaines in their hearts , now god therefore looks up on thy sin as thine affliction , and as for any other thing that is thy affliction , as it is the breach of the law or the like , christ undertakes for that , and so thou art delivered from the wrath that it doth deserve , and those evil effects that should come of it through the revenging justice of god , christ hath undertaken it , but yet it remaines thy affliction , though thou art delivered from guiltiness , and condemnation , yet one that hath a gracious heart reasons thus . though i be delivered from my sin , from the guilt of it , from the condemning power that the law hath through my sin , yet it is my affliction , my trouble , and so i look upon it , now peace and rest be to that soul from what the law can require , so that , as we go along , we may not only see the benefit we have by christ , but who they are that are thus delivered , those who though they know they are delivered from the burden of it , yet they do account their sins the afflictions of their soul , whereas others , that are , meerly legal , they apprehend their souls as guilty and under condemnation , but if they were delivered from it they would look upon their sins as their wounds and afflictions . the saints , they see that they are now made the objects of gods pitty and compassion towards them ; and hence is the reason , that christ is willing if it be possible , to find many excuses that may be made for his poor servants , thou shalt not need to find out any excuse , if there be any thing that may alleviate and lessen thy sin , christ will find it our , and lessen it for thee . you know what christ saith to his disciples when they were sleeping , and could not watch one hour , though he rebukes them , yet he saith , though the flesh is weak , yet the spirit is willing . mark how christ excuse them , they do not say when christ comes and saith , cannot you watch with me one hour ? alas it is true master , the spirit is willing but the flesh is weak , they do not say thus , but christ saith so to them , and the truth is , this is the way , to leave their excuse to christ , their way is to aggravate their sins as much as may be , and it is the temper of those that are come to christ , it is not their care to lessen their sins , but they do what they can to aggravate their sins , and lay it upon their hearts for the humbling of their souls , but christ undertakes to excuse them . and therefore you that have so many excuses for your sin , just as your grand-father adam had , he put it off to the woman , and the woman unto the serpent , and one to another , so you , it is true , my nature is passionate , and i am froward by nature , and a hundred such excuses men have , whereas all thy care should be to humble thy soul for thy sins , and if there be any thing to alleviate thy sin , and lessen it , christ will do that , and the more thou excusest thy self , the greater will be thy sin , and it is better for thee , for another to excuse it , than thy self . as when a child or servant shal offend , and one that is a neer friend or neighbor shal come and excuse them , this is a great deal better than if they did it themselves . now those that are under the law , they have no excuse to be made for them , but those that are come to christ they have christ to make al the excuses for them . oh! take heed of abusing the rich grace of god in christ , this i know , that this is such a pure quality , that it hath not such a malignant quality in it that it wil be abused , and where you see any such quality , know that they have it not aright , they have something else instead of the thing , as sometimes you shal see two things as like one another as can be , suppose drinks made with some kind of composition , they shal look just like one another , but one shal have some venom in it , enough to kil one , and the other shal be wholesome and able to recover one , yet both shal have the same ●ur , and the same tast , so it is with the free grac●●d in christ , you may have the same word spoken , ●e thing exprest to one and to another , the very same thing preached for the outside of it , for the word , for the expression in a sermon , the same doctrin raised for the expression , and yet they shal be so carried that one shal have a malignancy in it , and the other shal have a soveraigne power in it : now when the soul hath the true rest in christ , that rest hath not such a malignant power to make the heart worse by it . but of that i shall speake more afterwards . eighthly , when thou art come to christ , thy soul may have rest in him , for in christ there is an undertaking by a surety through the grace of the gospel in him , thou hast revealed to thee , that there is an undertaking by surety , this is a deliverance from the law , whereas the law requires perfect obedience at our hands in our owne persons , their law requires of the soul that it shal pay the debt in its own person , the soul that sins shal die , now the grace of the gospel comes and tels thee of a surety , and such a surety as god himself professes he is wel pleased to accept of , and is as contented with him , as he is to have the debt paid by the creature , by the debtor himself , and this is a great ease ; would it not be a great ease to any of you , that when a creditor shal come upon you for a debt , layhold upon you , or put you in prison , and afterwards the debt should be paid by another and layd upon him , and the creditor shal accept of him , and the creditor shal say wel , wil this man be your surety and pay the debt , if so , then saith the creditor i am satisfied , i am contented , what ease is this unto the debtor . thus it is with the soul that comes to christ , when he hath been laden under the law , and the law comes to the soul for the payment of the debt , now coming to christ imediately , christ is entertained as the surety by god the father , and so there is the transaction of the debt upon him , th● ease from the law in this relation . ninthly , 〈◊〉 al this , there is this ease from the law that the sinn● 〈◊〉 christ is delivered from al this rigor , bondage , and other things that i spoke of in the law , and yet so delivered from the law by satisfaction to the law , and this is further ease to the soul , i am delivered from the law , but how ? by satisfaction to the law , there is satisfaction to the law , that is such satitfaction as the law-giver himself doth accept of , which is only in christ , not al that i can do , can possibly do it , if i could conceive that god were so merciful , as to accept of any thing i can do , yet it could not be satisfaction to the law , but now our deliverance from the law is in a way that is satisfaction unto the law , and here now is ease , that the soul is freed so , as the law is satisfied too . tenthly , wheras the law required constant obedience , and if there were obedience to the end , to the last act , and the last act were sin , al the other would be forgotten so as the soul would yet perish notwithstanding , and the law could not assure any man of continuance to the end the law could never do it , could not assure any so long as they were under the power of it , though they had ability to obey , and they went on according to their ability , went on divers yeares , yet they could never have assurance but that they might fal at last and so perish . wel , but now coming to christ there is not only satisfaction for what is past , but an assurance of holding out unto the end , an assurance that this covenant that thou art now come under in christ , that there shal never be any forfiture of it ? and that is a mighty ease and rest , the ground and foundation of divers of these things were opened before , when i shewed how in christ we were freed from the guilt of our sins , but now these are things that do flow from thence , and the presenting of these further , shewing the consequences of what then was said , may be further rest unto the soul . for though i did al the other things as the principle of them , yet every poor soul is not able to draw forth every of these particulars , now that is the help of those that are weake , to see the several steps of gods grace in christ , not only to see it in the lump , but see how it streames in the particulars of it , to have these presented before their souls , it is a mighty help to their faith and comfort , and this last that i have spoke of , it is not less then the rest , but indeed it is the compleating of al the former , that the soul that comes to christ , hath this rest in christ , that it is brought into a covenant , and with assurance that there shal never be any forfiture of that covenant , for it is a part of the covenant , that god should give grace unto the soul , so as is shal never come to forfeit , to loose the blessing of the covenant , they may for the present loose some comfort of the covenant , but to be put from the blessing of the covenant , it shal never be . it is a part of the purchase of the blood of christ , that al that come to him shal never be cast off from him again , it cost the blood of christ , and this is a priviledg that beleevers have more then ever adam had , adam was under a covenant of workes , and he was able to keep the covenant , i but adam never had this promise from god , that he should never forfeit it , that he should never so break the covenant as to be undone , adam never had that promise . but now , all beleevers that are come to christ , they have this ingagement upon a sure ground , for it is upon a dear purchase christ hath laid down his blood for thee , for this thing as well as any other thing , that thy soul may come into an everlasting covenant never to be forfeited . and now , if all these particulars be put together , and these things be made cleer to the soul by the eye of faith , if there be an eye of faith to behold the reality of all these things that i have persented to you , i appeal to you , is there not rest to those that come to christ ? is it not worth a great deal of pains to come to christ ? is there not that that will recompence all at last , whatever trouble there is at first , the work of humiliation and the like ? yet when you come to christ , there is that that wil recompence al your former trouble . as i said before in the concluding of the other particular , so may i say of this , as it is in psalm . . and now my soul returne unto thy rest : so may all beleevers say upon good ground ; if these things be true that we have now heard , then my soul returne unto thy rest , for the lord hath dealt bountifully with thee indeed . oh therefore , be in love with the gospel , study it much , look unto the depth of it , and prize jesus christ , that hath purchased such a rest unto your soul. and you who are about coming to christ , be restless in your spirits til you come to have this rest , and it were a lamentable thing that any thing in the world should meet with you in the way and quiet your hearts , that any thing should quiet your souls but christ . and you that are beleevers improve this now , this is a special thing to be spoke of in this point , how beleevers should improve this , and what it is that they should learn by this , and how helpful this will be to them , and somthing for the satisfaction of those that doubt that they are not beleevers ; but we cannot do all things at once , this shall suffice for the present , the meer presenting to your souls what rest there is in christ from the load of the burden of the law , from the load that many feel to be upon their souls through the burden of the law. chap. xxxi . containeth divers consequences from the rest beleevers have from the burden of the law. and lessons they are taught from thence . to proceed now , there are divers things that follow from hence , from the rest that we have in christ from the burden and load of the law. i shall speak very breifly of them , and so pass to what remaines , in the next burden , and rest to that . from hence follows exceeding help unto beleevers against divers temptations that do exceedingly trouble the peace and rest of their souls , if they be delivered from the law in those several respects as at large hath been opened to you . . then first from the meditation of this their delivery they may have rest and ease from this temptation , that because of some imperfections , weaknesses , and distempers of heart , and sins that they are guilty of , therefore they have no interest at al in christ , they have no interest to beleeve in christ , because of that . the strength of this temptation cannot stand with the right knowledg of christ , as delivered from the law , if christ delivers from the law , then an interest in christ may stand , though we be not able to keep the law. yea , and further , we know this , that it is usual with beleevers upon the breach of the law in any thing , to call their estates into question , all into question . certainly , if we know that we are to deal with god , not by the covenant of works , not to be cast by the law , we would never be so ready to cal all into question , upon any breach of the law that our conscience tels us we have been guilty of . . further , this would marvelously help against this temptation likewise . that god accepts not of what we do , because it is not perfect , because it is not compleat : when beleevers look upon their duties that they do perform , and see so many imperfections in them , they dare not tender them up to god , god is an infinite , holy , just god , and they are ashamed of what they have done , so as they dare not tender them up to god , now the right knowledg of our deliverance from the law , would help us against this temptation likewise . remember o thou beleever , that thou hast to deal with god in a covenant of grace , thou hast to deal with him in christ through a better covenant then the covenant of the law. . further , this would help against this temptation also , that many times is in the hearts of the saints ; that because they hear of divers that have seemed to have more then they have , that have had more ability then they have had , have been able to do more for god than they have done , yet for all this have fallen away , and so , it may be , have perished for ever . now saith many a poor christian , if such eminent men , of such excellent abilities , that were able to do such great things , if they that go thus far , fall away , what shal become of such a poor creature as i am ? now by the understanding of our deliverance that we have from the law by christ , we come to have help against this temptation ; for let a man have never such abilities , and be able to do never so much work , yet this man may fall away , when one that is a thousand times weaker in regard of abilities , that hath the least dram of true faith which brings him into the covenant of grace will stand , such a one shall stand when the other fals . if indeed thy standing did depend upon what strength thou hast in thy self , then thou hadst cause to lear , that seeing such as did stand , fel away , what shal become of thee ? but we are to know , that we are to deal with god , in a way of the covenant of grace , our standing or falling doth not depend upon any thing in our selves , but upon christ that hath undertaken for al those that are his members . thou hast to deal with god in the covenant of grace , and being once brought into the covenant , that will uphold thee though thou art weak , when thousands of others that have a great deal of natural abillity and common guifts of gods spirit , yet being not brought under this covenant may vanish , yea , had they the strength of an angel yet if not brought under this covenant of grace made with beleevers in christ , they would fall and come to nothing . whenas the weakest beleever that hath to do with god through christ , and not through the law , such a one shal stand and not fal . now the being delivered from the law in christ , will mightily help beleevers against these temptations and divers others , i know nothing that doth help beleevers more then this , in being delivered from the law , in that sence as hath been shewed before . likewise from hence there are a great many lessons to be learned as . the first lesson . first , from this deliverance we are taught , to entertain the hearing of the threats of the law , i speak to beleevers , though others may make an ill use in hearing the deliverance from the law , yet they must not miss their portion . i say beleevers are hereby taught how to receive the threats of the law , you hear dreadful threates of the law out of gods word against sin . now how shouldest thou entertain these threates ? the way is this , when thou hearest such threates know , that god by this would have thee to consider , what his mercy is , in delivering of thee from what thou hast deserved . god would have thee to consider what the evil of sin is in it self , and to consider what christ hath done , god would have thee to be driven to christ by this meanes , to see thy need of christ , to bless his name for christ , and to prize christ , who hath delivered thee from these threatnings . a beleever , when he heares the threates of the law , is like a man that stands upon the shoare , when there is a greivous tempest and storme , he sees the waves rise high , heares the winds blow , and the waves roare but he stands safe upon the haven , indeed he was in the storme and tempest , but god hath brought him to the haven , and there he stands and blesseth god , it may be he sees other ships a great way off ready to be split upon the rocks , or swallowed up , but he is safe on the shoare , so it should be with al beleevers , when they heare the threatnings of the law , they should entertain them with blessing of the name of god , there was a time that my soul was under these as wel as any , but now the lord hath delivered me , and brought me under another covenant , brought me to his son , to christ , and he hath undertaken to satisfie the law for my soul , and so the beleever stands upon the shoar , and prayses god , and this makes him love christ so much the more , prize christ so much the more , and bless the name of god that ever he heard the voice of the gospel sounding in his eares : and therefore it is not tedious and grievous to him to heare the dreadful threatnings of the law , he knowes how to make a holy use of them , his heart is drawn neerer to god by it as wel as by the promises of the gospel . it is an ill signe , when men and women cannot indure to heare the threatnings of the law , a dangerous signe that they are under those threatnings , if they were not under them it would not be troublesome to them to heare them , but they that are delivered from them , they know how to make use of them . many men and women wil say , when they hear of the terrors of the law , what doth this but harden us ? the hearing of the terrors of the law doth more harden us ; but if thou wert acquainted with the gospel , thou wouldest be softened by hearing of the terrors of the law , because thou wouldest prize christ more . and therefore beleevers must not look upon them as things that no way concerne them , though they be not under them to be cast by them , yet they do concerne them nearly , and therefore god would have those things revealed , even to beleevers , because of many gracious uses that beleevers are to make of those things . the . lesson . secondly , from what hath been delivered both from the burden of the law and the rest in being delivered from it , this lesson may be learned , here we may see how beleevers are in the course of their lives , to mix humility with confidence , they may learne how to be humble , and yet how to be confident , how to rejoyce and yet how to tremble ; there is no such way to learne the mixture of humility , with faith and confidence , and the mixture of joy and trembling as this is , know the law and the bondage under it , and then the rest that is to be had in christ , this wil teach thee to be sensible of thy own wretchedness , and what a condition thou art in naturally , and yet how to be confident in the grace of god in christ . this wil teach thee how to feare in regard of what thou art in thy self and yet to rejoyce in regard of what thou art in jesus christ , in the rest thy soul hath got in jesus christ . many people do not know how to mingle these two together , if so be they be humbled for their sins , then they are dejected , in their spirits , they cannot tel how , to exercise humiliation for their sins , and faith and confidence in gods grace together , they think the humiliation for sin wil hinder gods grace , and therfore they cannot indure to hear of such things as tend to beat them down , to humble them for their sins , but they say , they must beleeve altogether in gods grace , aad the other wil bring them to despair . certainly , thou art not acquainted with the mystery of godliness , if thou doest not understand how these two may stand together , to be deeply humbled for thy sins , and yet at the same instant of time , the soul to be raised with the mercy of god in christ both together . it is true , vices are opposite one to another , but graces are never opposite one to another , those that understand the mistery of godlyness they know how to mingle these two together , at one and the same time . you know that the scripture saith , that godliness is a mistery , great is the mistery of godlyness , and indeed godliness consists in the skil that a christian comes to have , to know at the same time , how to be humbled , and yet to be confident , yet to be beleeving , and one the other side , to rejoyce , and yeat to feare , many cannot rejoyce , but they grow loose and wanton with their joy ; and others cannot feare ; but their hears grow lumpish and dead if they do feare ; now the heart that understands what it is to be under the law naturally and what rest christ hath brought unto us in delivering us from the law , can tel how to rejoice in trembling , and to beleeve in humiliation , and there is no such way to make such a mixture of both as to understand what it is to be naturally under the law , and what the rest is that we have in christ , i confess these things wil not perhaps come so ful upon the hearts of those that do not in some measure remember what we have said hertofore , both from the burden of the law , and the rest that we have in christ , those wil not be able to make so much use of this that i am speaking of , i could wish these things would have come altogether , but we cannot do al things at once . the third lesson . thirdly , a further thing that is to be learned from the deliverance we have in christ from the law , it is this ; here appeares plainly , that the way of life and salvation is above nature , it is supernatural , for that that i have opened in the rest we have in christ from the law , teacheth you , that beleevers are not to stand or fal for their eternal estates by any worke of the law , if they performe any worke of the law , this , doth not bring them to eternal life , if they breake the law this doth not cast them down unto death , therefore the way of life and salvation is supernatural , for nature can teach a man no further then this , that he must serve god , & if he do th● god wil bless him , and love him , and if he sin against god , god wil afflict him and chastise him , nature can tel of no way how a man should be saved but only by serving of god , and by doing the workes of the law , nature teacheth a man nothing else but this together with the other , that if he doth that , that god forbids , he must expect the wrath of god , and to ly under gods wrath , and beyond this nature cannot go . now then for to heare of such a thing as this is , that my soul shal not depend upon what i neglect , nor my eternal life shal not depend upon what i do , that is a high mystery that is infinitely above nature . i do not say what the neglect of gods wil doth deserve of eternal perishing , yea , even in beleevers ; but now they are under the covenant in christ , they have the rest in christ , that their souls shal not be cast one way or other by what they do or what they leav undon , though if they neglect his wil the lord may make them to know it here while they live in this world . and if upon this any shal say , then what need we regard what we do , if any shal say so , we need go no further with this man but say unto him , thou hast no part nor portion in this thing , thou hast no part in the deliverance from the law by christ , shal we sin because grace abounds ? god forbid , the lord forbid that there should enter any such thought ; into any of our hearts , they that are godly have the spirit of god in them , and will not reason after such a manner , however this is certaine , that in christ we do not depend for life and death upon the works of the law , and therefore the way of the gospel is a high way , a supernatural way , it is a way beyond that that most people imagine : most people upon earth look no higher for a way of salvation , but meerly through the works of the law , and they will certainly miscary , by what you have heard . you see that the way of salvation is a higher thing than nature . the fourth lesson . fourthly , we may learn from hence , that if christ have given rest to beleevers by delivering them , from the rigour and severity of the law , that now they are not to be cast by it for their everlasting estates , then they need to be so much the more faithful with god , to do what possibly they can to serve the lord in an evangelical way . thou wert in such a condition , that thou wert under such a law , as if thou didst fail in any one point thou wert cast for ever : but now thou art under such a law as god accepts of thee in christ , hadst thou not need be more faithful , and industrious in thy endeavors , in that thou hast received so much mercy to be under such a covenant ? the truth is , the other might discourage thee to think , that let me do what i can , my soul is cast for my everlasting estate , but now if thou beest brought under the covenant of the gospel , and the lord christ hath made thee to know that thy rest is in him , how careful shouldest thou be to walk with him in all well pleasing ? to give up the strength of thy soul to walk in his waies . i wil appeal to thee , suppose thou wert in the condition again , that the lord looked upon thee with a strict eye , and required such absolute obedience , that if thou failest in any thing , nothing that ever before thou didst should be accepted , poor soul , if the lord should say to thee , what if thou shouldest be delivered from this law , and be brought under the law of christ ? first , that thou shalt not depend for thy everlasting estate upon the law. and secondly , that whatsoever thou doest shal be accepted , though with much imperfection , how wouldest thou prize this ? and even covenant with god , and say , oh! lord , bring my soul under this covenant and i hope i shal for ever endeavour to walk in al wel peasing before thee , this shal not by any meanes in the world quench my endeavors , and make me more sluggish but more strengthen my heart . as suppose now one should be in such slavery under the turke that let him do what he can , he shal be beaten , and a prince shal come and ransome him , and take him into his owne house , and expect no more obedience from him then the obedience of a child , adopting him for his child , and al the obedience that he wil expect shal be a childlike obedience , and he wil be his father . now were it not a vild and unnatural thing for such a one to be careless of giving contentment to this prince , that wil accept of him as a child , when he hath delivered him from such a slavery and bondage that he was under before ? thus it was with beleevers , thou wert under a dreadful bondage , under the law , and thou art brought to christ . and he makes thee to be a child of god , and be procures that thy obedience shal be accepted that is filial , and child-like , shalt thou be more negligent now , then before ? now thou servest god upon better termes then ever before and wilt thou be more sluggish . the fifth lesson . fifthly , from our being delivered from the law , we are to learne this , that we are not to judg our coming into christ , nor to judge our faith by the law , by our coming to christ we are delivered from the law , therefore ( i say ) we are not to make up any judgment of our coming to christ , nor to judge our faith by the rules of the law. though the propounding of this it may be , is a little obscure at first , yet you wil find it of marvellous use to help beleevers in their way , some beleevers very ordinarily , especially weak ones , judg of their coming to christ , or their faith , by the law , they make the law a rule of their faith , which certainly should not be , for if by faith we are delivered from the law , then it must needs follow , that the law cannot be a rule of our faith . you wil say , what is that , to make the law a rule of our faith . that is thus , beleevers think that because their faith is weak , and ful of doubts , ful of imperfections and doubtings therefore they have none at al. now what is this but to make faith it self a legal thing , for indeed , if faith were legal , then it could not be accepted where there were any mixture of imperfection , a legal faith could never be accepted with any mixture of doubting , and with any imperfection , but an evangelical faith can be accepted . this i may meet with perhaps afterwards , but for the present it follows more fully and immediately from what hath been delivered from our rest from the law , and i desire to suggest it now to beleevers , as a marvellous help to them , that they do not make their faith legal , as thus . come to many beleevers that are ful of doubts and feares and why do they not beleeve ? it is true , say they , there is rest to be had in christ , and much to be had in this , i but this is to beleevers , and i am afraid i am not a beleever . and why art thou afraid thou art not a beleever ? because of such and such sins , and because i cannot do as i would . now what is this but to make faith legal ? now faith that delivers us from the law , of al graces , that must be evangelical , our mourning for sin is to be looked upon as evangelical , and yet some beleevers look upon their mourning for sin as legal , they think god wil not accept of their mourning why ? because they cannot mourne as much as they would . that is true if thou wert under the law , then no mourning at al would be accepted as under the law , but now thou must look upon it as evangelical , and thy obedience as evangelical . it is an il thing , that beleevers look upon their mourning for sin , and obedience , and the like , as under the law , and not as evangelical , this is a great hindrance to them , but now , much more is it to look upon their faith as legal : as thus , because their faith doth not come up so fully to the perfection that they do desire yea to that perfection that the law requires in any thing that we tender up to god , for though the law doth not mention any thing of our beleeving in christ , yet thus much the law requires , that what we do should be tendered up to god , and what we tender up to god , with perfection ; now beleevers looking upon what they tender up to god as imperfect , this makes them to make their faith legal . the sixth lesson . sixthly , another lesson that beleevers are to learn from the rest that they have in christ from the burden of the law is this , that if they find any way or meanes to be delivered from the terrors that come by the law , certainly then they need not be troubled with al the terror that possibly can come from any creature , from any men . if thy faith can deliver thee from the terror of the law , and give rest to thy soul , notwithstanding al the terrible things in the law threatned against thy sin , then thy faith may deliver thee much more from the terror of men , for take al the rage and power of al the men in the world , and devils in hel , they are not so terrible as the threates of the law. now if god hath given thee such a grace into thy heart , as thou by that comest to know a way to deliver thee from the terror of the threatning of the law , and to give rest unto thy soul from that , then thou needst not be afraid of al terrors from wicked men , do but set that grace of thine a work , set it in exercise upon such promises as have given thee rest from the law , and this wil free thee from the terrors of wicked men in the world . truly , if beleevers did understand the reality of this point , there is nothing in the world could be terrible to them but they would have ●est in their souls in the midst of al the terrors in the world , for they might reason thus , through the grace of faith that god hath given to mee , my soul hath rest , when i heare the terrors of the law dreadfully in my eares , yet i have that within me that gives me rest from them , and i am sure that al the terrors of al the men in the world , and devils in hel , cannot be more terrible than the threates of the law , therefore as thou hast made use of thy faith to believe in christ to get rest from those terrors , in the like manner put forth thy faith when thou hearest the terrors of wicked men , to deliver thy soul from them , let there be never so much rumors in the world yet thou mayest say my soul returne unto thy rest . the seventh lesson . seventhly , another lesson that beleevers are to learn from their deliverance from the law which is of marvelous use to them in their life and conversation is this , that certainly it is the most unbecoming thing in the world , to see a beleever to be rigorous towards his brethren , christ hath delivered thee from rigor , then wilt thou be rigorous ? christ hath given thee rest , wilt not thou do what thou canst to give thy brother rest too ? if christ hath delivered thee from great troubles , burdens , and bondage that thou wert under , why shouldest thou not endeavor with al thy might to deliver thy brother from burdens , troubles , any thing that might grieve thy brother ? oh! what an unworthy thing is it , that a christian , that hath received so much rest from christ , yet should be a troublesome man or woman to his brother or sister ? christ doth therefore give rest to thee , that thou mayest be of a quiet disposition towards others , that thou mayest be pitiful towards others ; to see one that professes to have deliverance from the law , and to have rest in christ , to be rigorous to those under him , rigorous to his servants , rigorous to his children it is miserable ; remember what rigor christ hath delivered thee from , and remember to be quiet spirited to thy brother . hence it follows in the next words to my text , learn of mee , for i am meek and lowly in heart , and ye shal find rest unto your soules , i wil give rest to your soules that so you may be of a meeke and quiet disposition towards your brethren , but of that when we come to those words that follow ; we shal then speake of the weakness and quietness of spirit that should be in christians , now these things are necessarily the consequences that do follow upon the rest that we have in christ from the law , many other things might be raised , but because they are but consequences of what hath been delivered , i resolved not to be large upon them . chap. . of the rest from legal performances , and the several waies how this rest comes from christ , viz. duties are delightful to the soul , because christ renders god unto the soul in a gracious way . . they are not performed as satisfactory , but as testimonies of love and thankfulness . christ himself offers up the duties to god. . they are performed from the law in the heart . . they have the promises joyned with them . now to make some entrance into the next thing , which hath great affinity to the other , aad that is the rest that is in christ from the trouble of spirit that there is in many , in regard of legal performances , that you know i opened at large , the great burden that there is in the spirits of many people , who have convinced consciences , and there consciences pul and hale them to duty , and they dare not but performe duty , but when they do their duty , their very duties are a burden to them , for they do them , in a legal way . there are many i know that are acquainted with this , it is impossible to speak of such a subject but that there are divers that know what i meane , though others know not , to be under so much power of conscience , as not to dare to omit a duty , though the duty be burdensom to them . there be many that are not under so much command of conscience , but though conscience require them to do such a duty , they dare omit the duty , and they are not troubled at it ; but but there are others who have not felt the grace of the gospel to set their souls at liberty , they are under so much command of conscience , that they dare not but do what conscience requires , and yet the lord knows , the duties that they have performed have been girevous burdens them , they have gone under the command of their consciences as under a grievous burden . now to these christ speaks , come ro me and i wil give you rest , in the beleeving in christ , in the exercising of faith in christ there is deliverance from this burden , and many poor souls that for many yeares have gone on under this burden , whom the lord hath opened to them the grace of christ , their hearts have been at liberty , so as they have been as conscientious in performing of duty as before , but now their duty is made the joy and delight of their souls , they have gone to them with rejoycing , and made the commandements of god to be their inheritance , and the joy of their hearts , and their duties are as sweet to them as the hony and the hony comb . now this is the argument that we are upon , that in christ there is rest from this burden , christ gives ability unto beleevers , those that are his members to performe duties with freedom of spirit , and indeed evangelical duties are duties performed with freedom , that is the difference between legal performances and evangelical ; one is done as a burden , and the other is done with freedom of spirit . now i shal shew unto you , how christ gives this freedom where the spirit of the lord is , there is liberty , you know the scripture i suppose , now this freedom of spirit in the performance of duty comes by christ these waies . first , when the soul is come to christ it hath rest , because christ renders god unto the soul in a gracious way christ takes off the terror that was before of god , takes off that from the heart . the reason why duties are performed as a burden to those that are legal is this , because they tender them up to god , but so as they look upon god as a terrible judg , they must do what god requires , i , but when they come into his presence , they come into his presence as a judg , being very terrible , now when the soul comes to christ , christ renders god very amiable , and lo●ely unto the soul of a christian , renders god the father as his father , or her father . for so christ saies , i go to my father and your father , to look upon god , not only as a father , but our father , as being the father of our lord jesus christ , so beleevers in the performance of duties , look upon god as a father in a double relation . he is my father , he hath begotten me a new to himself , and so he is my father , he is my father , he hath adopted me to be his child , but he is the father of our lord jesus christ too , and christ is mine two , so that i have an interest in the fatherhood , as i may so speak , as the father of christ , i go to my father and your father . so when beleevers come to tender up any service to god as a duty , they come to god as their father , and as to the father of their redeemer too , now this brings a mighty deale of ease unto the heart of a beleever in the performance of duty a great deal of difference there is , between a fathers calling the child to him , and a rigid severe master or judge calling of one to him . when the child heares that his father cals him , he runs , and loves to be in the presence of his father , but when one saith to a servant , your master calls you ; he knows not whether he be called to be beaten with stripes or no. this is the difference between legal performances , and evangelical , those that are in christ , when christ calls them to duty , you must go into the presence of your father and of the father of your blessed redeemer , you must go to duty in him . come , go to prayer saith conscience to one , they cannot but go indeed , but when they go to prayer their heart is struck with feare , terror , and discouragement in prayer : but conscience saith to one that is a beleever , come , you must go to prayer , what is that ? but come , you must go before your father and injoy communion with your father , the father of your redeemer cals you to have communion with him , & how doth your heart spring to come into the presence of such a father ! so that christ renders them lovely to his father , and so delivers them from the burden that they are under in legal performances . secondly , in christ , beleevers when they performed ●uties , they do not tender them up unto god as satisfactory for any thing that is past , but meerly to be testimonies of their love and thankfulness for what they have received , now duties are a great deal more easily done this way then another . it is true , they wil gather arguments from their former neglect to stir them up to do the more , i but , now they are not called upon to their duties to make god amends , and satisfy for what is past for that would be a burden , for such as performe duties in a legal way , and are not acquainted with the doctrine of the gospel , they know not how to satisfy god , but only by doing so much the more , by how much the more they have neglected heretofore . i have neglected god al the time of my youth , and now conscience begins to be awakned and tels me i must serve god , and perform duties , and i had need be more diligent now , that i may make up and satisfy for what i have neglected before . now when we perform duties in this way , they are very burdensom , as suppose a man hath run in debt , and he is set up in a trade , i but whatsoever he gets it must be to satisfy what debts he is run out in before , this must make him go on in much heaviness , he thinks that whatsoever he gets , must go to satisfy what he hath run into before . but now take another man that hath run into arrerages , and hath a freind , a kinsman , that coms and layes down al the debts that he owed , and gives him a stock & sayes now you are a freeman once again , go on , & whatever you get shal be for your self , this man goes on , a great dealemore livelier then the other : just thus it is between the consciences of those that performe duties in a legal way , and the consciences of that perform duties in an evangelical way . one that is legal , conscience tels him of such arrerages that he hath run into with god , and whatever he can do for time to come is too little to satisfy for what he hath neglected before , now conscience puts him upon it , do he must , serve he must , obey he must , i but he doth it with no heart at al i work , and i obey , & i do , but whether this wil make up the arrerages for what is past , i do not know . now a beleever performes obedience , but it is upon other termes , christ comes and layes down a price , and discharges him of al former arrerages , and puts a stock of grace into the heart , and says unto him , now live , and imploy this your stock in the service of god , and trade with it , get more comfort , and more grace with it , and you shal have the benefit and the good of every holy duty that you performe , the good and benefit shal come to your souls . now such a soul goes unto duties in a cheerful way , and they are no burdens at al to it , because he performes them not for satisfaction of any arrerages behind , but now he trades for himself , and every day he gets , and gets , and gets for himself , that is another way how christ gives rest unto the soul in regard of performance of duties , that they are not burdensom unto the soul as heretofore they have been . thirdly , another way of delivering beleevers in the performance of duties as a burden is this . when in the duty that such a one performes christ goes along with them unto the father , and he himself tenders them up unto god the father , and thus they come to be easy unto the hearts of beleevers ; whereas those that perform duties in a legal way , they go alone unto gods presence , without any to go with them . and again when they are there , they must tender up al they do themselves to god , and the truth is , they can have little heart to this , knowing , what god is and how they have offended god and provoked him . as thus , suppose a malefactor , that hath wronged the king , he must go into his presence and petition , but he hath no body to go with him , and no body to joyne with him to tender up his petition , but he must go himself , now he goes with no heart in the world , with no encouragement , indeed , he must go , there is no other way to save his life , he must die else , but going so alone , and having none to help him , he goes very heavily . but now suppose another that is to go into the presence of a king , and the kings deare and only son , shal take him by the hand and say , come , i wil go with thee , and what hast thou here ? a petition , come give it me , and i wil present it to my father , and i wil get it granted , o! how merrily and cheerfully doth he go into the presence of the king. just so it is between a legal performer of duties , and an evangelical performer of duties , those that performe duties in a legal way , and go into the presence of god in a legal way , they go alone , they have no body to go with them to help them , and this must needs make them to go very heavily : but a beleever needs never go into gods presence alone , it may be you are at prayer alone in your closets , but you are not in gods presence alone , christ takes you by the hand , and carries you into the presence of your father , and those poor petitions , and broken prayers that you present , christ takes them in his hand , and presents them to the father , and this the soul may see by faith , and o! how comfortable is this ▪ when duties are performed in such a manner as this , i go to a duty , but christ stands by mee , takes al that i have to tender up to the father , and he tenders it up for me . fourthly , another way is this , that now al duties that are performed by a beleever , they are performed from the law that is written in his heart , he is made a law unto himself , there is the spirit of christ put into him , that now he doth not performe duty because he must do it , but because it is suitable unto the divine nature that is put into him , for so the scripture saith , we are partakers of the divine nature , there is the very spirit of christ put into a beleever , and the law of christ written in his heart , so that there is no duty that god requires of him , but the law of that duty is written in his heart , to do it and according to his measure , he can say as christ did , it is written in my heart to do thy wil o! lord , what doth the lord require such and such duties to be performed and doth my conscience tel me in the name of god , that such duties are to be done ? lord , this is even written in my heart and therefore lord , i come , the lord would have me do this , and it is no other but what is written in my heart to do . conscience tells me i must do it , and it is no sooner told me by my conscience , but my heart tels me i am ready to do it . now what a rest is this in performing of duty , when there is a disposition in the heart of a man or woman to do the duty that god requires of them , they are a law unto themselves , there is no duty that god requires from them , but if there were neither heaven nor hel , yet they would do it naturally , it is as natural to them to do the wil of god as for a fish to drink in water . it is said of wicked ones , that they drink in iniquity as the fish doth water , sin is natural unto the wicked , and grace is likewise natural , though not altogether so natural , for there is nothing in the heart but makes sin natural . but it is true , when one is a beleever , there is somthing in the heart opposite to good , i but there is a principle in the heart that makes it natural for the soul to drink in the commandements of god , as a fish drinks in water , and therefore beleevers , so soon as ever they have any touch of christ , how readily do their hearts come off to duty . as for instance , in zacheus , you know how christ came to look upon him , there was a touch of christ upon his heart , and presently he comes off , and though before he was a covetous man , and there was covetousness in his heart , and he had got much by forged cavillation yet presently he saith , behold the half of my goods i give to the poor , and if i have taken any thing from any man by false accusation , i restore him fourfold . now what duty is harder then restitution ? when a man hath got much by wrong to restore it again , as often you have heard , you can have no comfort , al your sorrows wil do no good , til you have made restitution and the ground is plain , because til you make restitution you continue in the wrong , you have done wrong to such a man , such a time in his estate , wel , you do him wrong to day , and to morrow and the next day til you restore , i say you continue in your sin til you restore , if you be able to restore . now you cannot say a man repents of his sin , if he continue in his sin , and you continue in your sin , though god doth not require you to go and make your self known to them , yet though your persons be not known to them , the wrong must be made known to them , just so is the difference between one that is only under the terror of the law , and one that hath got rest in christ , the difference is as in a ship , a ship that hath one part of it sticking in the mud and sands , and the water beating it up and down , and ready to burst it in peeces , but now if the tide come and fetch it off , and it is got upon the streame , then you may by the touch of a little finger thrust it this way and that way with ease , when it is once upon the water : so it is with a heart before it comes to christ , when it hath only conviction of conscience , though it have some illumination , that is as the water that beats the heart up and down , and it cannot be at quiet , but is ready to be burst in peeces , i but it sticks in the mud stil , and therefore duties are very hard , and conscience doth but only tire the heart , and beate it , and trouble it , i but now when it is come to christ , it ls like the ship a float upon the water , and now upon any touch of christ it is ready to be put upon this duty , and the other duty , and the motion of the soul now is without any danger or trouble , it moves up and down with ease , when the heart is got off from it self , and the world , and the creature it moves in the waies of god with aboundance of ease , set such a one upon the hardest duties you wil , and he goes on with a great deal of ease , and quiet and rest of spirit , he doth not think the commandements of god hard , doth not look upon the commandements of god now as hard commandements , whereas one that is legal in performing of duty , though he do the duty , he looks upon the comand of god as a hard commandement you have an excellent scripture for that in the first of john . and the . speaking of beleevers that when once they come unto christ , the commandements of god are not greivous unto them . this is the love of god that we keep his commandements and his commandements are not grievous . but one that is in christ , a beleever , upon any commandement , though it be never so greivous and hard to flesh and blood before they come to christ , as in the commandement of restitution , i wil mention that , i might mention others as to pray in your families , to be constant in prayer morning and evening , and to keep your heart constant in praier to god , ' it s perhaps grievous to those that perform duties in a legal way , but when once the heart comes to god , then the commandement of god is not grievous . i do not say , but corruption may now and then prevail and then they are burdensome , but when the heart hath got grace , the commandements of god are not burdensome at al , but they are easie to the soul , for so christ saith in a few words after my text , my yoake is easie and my burden is light. many people complain of the way of god , oh! the way of god is so hard , and duty so strict , to live so exactly , who is able to do this ? i confess in the way you are in it is tedious and hard , but if you had the spirit of christ , and were come to christ , those duties that you account now hard , would be easie , you would never have more comfort , more ease and quiet , then when you are performing of duty . you wil think this a riddle , to say , that the soul should never have more ease , rest , quiet , and comfort then when a man walks more strictly and exactly , and keeps to the rule . now saith a carnal heart , this is a miserable bondage , that ministers cal for strictness , what a bondage and weariness is this , as they in malachy say , now you think this so , why ? because you are but legal al this while , and if you did performe duties stil in that way , they would be a burden to you , but you mistake in this , you think there is no way to keep gods commandements , but in a legal way , i but know this , there is an evangelical way to keep gods commandements , gods law , and that makes every duty to be easie and light un●o the soul· you think there is no such quiet and content of heart , as to be at liberty , and to satisfie the flesh , and have your minds fully pleased , but were you acquainted with the mistery of godliness , you would find , that those things that now are so easie , and give you so much quiet and comfort , would be the most troublesome things in the world & the strictness of gods wayes that you think so burdensome , you would find to be the most easie and comfortable things in the world . and therefore let not the devil steal you away from the strictness of gods wayes by this delusion , certainly , he doth but delude you , o! that ye had but the spirit of the lord jesus in you ; and that you were come to christ , you would find then ease in the most strict and difficult duties in the world , you would find your souls to be at ease in the performance of them . fifthly , duties are not burdensome unto those that are come to christ , because that in christ al duties have joyned together with them the promises ; when duties are performed in an evangelical way , when the soul is come to christ then it looks upon evey duty that god requires , as having some promise annexed unto the duty , to inable the soul to do what god would have it do , and by this it hath now rest in performance of it . doth god require such and such things of me , then the soul doth not only look upon the commandement , but how a promise goes along with the commandement . as how , i might ●ance in divers scriptures , how promises go along with commandements , i wil give you but the comparing of one scripture for the present . compare the . of deuter. with the . of deuter. in duter . . . there you shal find it thus . and now o israel , what doth the lord thy god , require of thee , but to feare the lord thy god , to walk in al his waies , and to love him , and to serve the lord thy god with al thy heart and with all thy soul , to keep the commandements of the lord thy god , and his statutes which i command thee this day for thy good . then at the . verse , circumcise therefore the foreskin of your heart and be no more stifnecked . here you see what god requires , they are great things that god requires , that we should feare the lord , and walk in his wayes , and love him , and serve him with al our heart , and keep his commandements and statutes , and circumcise our hearts , and the like , these are hard duties , being performed in a legal way . but now , when the soul is in christ , see what a promise the soul finds together with these commandements , in the . of deu. and the . the lord thy god wil circumcise thy heart , and the heart of thy seed , to love the lord thy god with al thy heart , and with al thy soul that thou mayest live . here god requires them to circumcise their hearts , that they might love him , and feare him , and keep his commandements but that is the law , were there no more it would be a very heavy burden , for a poor soul to have this ly upon it , that i must love the lord with al my heart and with al my might , the lord knows what distractions i have in my soul , and in my heart , god requires me to cercumcise my heart , i am not able to do it . but now mark how the gospel runs , in the deu. . . and the lord thy god wil circumcise thy heart , & the heart of thy seed , to love the lord thy god with al thy heart and with al thy soul that thou maist live· the lord wil do it , the lord commands me to do it , and yet withal the lord saith that he wil do it . i might instance in a great many other particulars , that the lord requires first what we should do , and if we be left here , now it is hard indeed , but then if we can find a promise where god promises that he wil do it for us , this wil be easier to us . and indeed this is the diffierence between the law and the gospel , the law commands us what to do , and gives no strength , but the gospel never commands us to do any duty , but there is a promise that engageth the lord to help the soul in the performance of that duty . and now , is not here rest for the soul ? when the soul shal look upon the large extent of the duty that the law of god requires of it : the law requires of me to love the lord with al my heart , and with al my soul , and with al my might , and to keep his commandements and statutes , and to circumcise my heart , lord ! what shal i do in this ? now then when the soul can look upon christ , & the covenant of grace , & consider , that that runs thus that the lord wil circumcise my heart , that i may love the lord with al my heart , & with al my soul & that i may keep his commandements & his statutes , that god doth as wel ingage himself to inable me to do the duty , as he doth require me to do the duty , now here is rest unto the soule . i wil conclude this particular with this one similitude , as it is with the body , physitians observe , that together with every veine where the blood runs , there runs likewise an artery together with the veine , now the artery is the vehiculum of the spirits that are in the body of a man , that puts liveliness and quickness into the body : so for al the world thus it is in regard of the commandements of the law and the promises of the gospel . i compare the commandements of the law unto the veines , they are these duties required of thee in the whol course of thy life , but if thou hast veines of blood , and hast no arteries , no spirit , thou wilt be but dul , though the blood be ful in the veins , yet there wil be little strength . but now there is the spirit that goes along in the arteries that gives life to the veines . so now , they that are under the law they know many duties that they ought to do , i but except they have the promises of the gospel , to goe along with them , they have little life , little activity to do the duty . therefore christians , when you heare any duty out of gods word that you ought to performe , consider , here is the duty , here is the veine , i but where is the artery , there is a promise in the word that goes along with the duty to inable me to performe the duty . now if i take both together i may go on in the way of godliness with a great deal of ease and quiet , and no duty needs to be troublesom to me . the want of the knowledg of this one thing makes the lives of many people to be very disconsolate , and makes them go on deadly and dully in the performance of duty , whereas if they would make use of this one thing , when they are put upon any duty to search and find out in the word the promise wherein god inables us to do the duty , and plead the promise , and say , lord , thou requirest the performance of this duty , but thou hast promised to inable me to do it , i say , if thou wouldst do thus , thou wouldest find that thy duties would not be burdensom to thee , but thou wouldest say , wel , i see my soul hath rest in christ in the performance of al those services that heretofore have been very greivous and burdensom to me . object , i but you wil say , we have many promises in the gospel to inable us , but the promises are conditional , and i may forfeit the promise by not performing the condition . answ . to that i answer , we have in the gospel , absolute promises , as wel as conditional promises : there is some promises that depend upon no condition at al but only beleeving , as that promise where the lord saith , i wil take away the heart of stone and give a heart of flesh , what condition is there ? does god say , that if you first repent , and performe such and such duties that i require of you , then i wil take away your heart of stone ? no that is an absolute promise . and so likewise that promise ▪ i wil put my feare into your heart , that you shal not depart from me : god doth not make this promise with condition . you wil say , why then hath not al their stony hearts been taken from them because the promise is absolute ? i answer , it is absolute from any precedent condition , but yet god would have us come to the promise , and close with the promises and cast our souls upon it , he does not promise to do such and such things upon condition , that if you wil do such and such things before , then i wil do this and that for you : no , but only this , do you cast your soul upon the promise and depend upon it : and when thy soul is at a loss in regard of conditional promises , when thy heart misgives thee , and tells thee , that thou hast not performed the condition of such & such promises , & that therfore they do not belong to thee and thou canst not for the present have comfort in the conditional promises , then make use of absolute promises , and cast thy soul upon them , and they wil bring in the conditional promises ; and know this , that al conditional promises depend upon absolute promises in the gospel : and as when thou canst not make use of conditional promises thou maist go to absolute promises ; so when thou makest use of absolute promises , thou shalt be inabled to do what is required of thee in conditional promises . and here is the difference between the law and the gospel ; the law requires , and doth not give strength to inable to do what it requires , but the gospel requires , and gives strength to performe what it requires . sixtly , there is rest unto those that come to christ in this , because when they performe duties in christ , they do not performe them that they might have life or that they might have pardon , that they might get life by them or that they might obtain pardon by their duties , but they performe them now as the fruit of their life , and as a fruit of their pardon , and this is a great deale of rest and ease to the heart , in the performance of duties . there are many poor troubled souls , whose consciences pul them on to duty , but why do they performe them ? because conscience accuseth them for their sins , and they know what need they have of gods mercy , they stand guilty before god , and therefore they perform duties that they might get a pardon , and they know that they were made for eternity , and therefore they make conscience of duties that they might get eternal life by them , as i when i opened shewed the burden that there was in legal performances . but now when the soul comes to christ it hath rest in this , for the very first thing that is done in christ is that al thy sins are discharged , the pardon is granted , and thou art put into an estate safe for thy eternal life , and al the hazard of eternal life is now over . now then , that that is required of thee , is only as the fruit of the pardon of thy sin , and as a fruit of thy safe condition that thou art put into for thine eternal life , and here is a great deal of difference , between performing of duties that i might have pardon , that i might get eternal life by it , and performing of duties as a fruit of my pardon , and as a fruit of the assurance of my wel being to al eternity . as for instance , a man that is in danger of his life , stands before the judg , and there is no way for pardon for him , but he hath his book given to him , as you know the way is to have the benefit of the clergy ( as we use to cal it ) now when he knows if he reads he shal have his life , but life lies upon it , and the judg is strict , and sets one by him , that the ordinary shal not prompt him , and he wil have him read out : and his life lyes upon it . i suppose you have heard of some that were able schollers , and able to reade wel enough at other times , yet at such a time were not able to read one word for a world . but suppose this man now have his pardon , and you then put him to read , then he can read with delight , he hath freedom enough now to read , his eyes that were bound before are loosned . now suppose he were to read a psalm of mercy before he had his pardon , and when he had his pardon there is a psalm of thankfulness for his life given him to read , he could read it then with delight , just thus it is with those that performe duties in a legal way , they stand before god as their judg , and look upon what they performe as that which their souls depends upon , that if i do not do such and such things that is commanded me , my soul lyes upon it , alas this straitens the heart , and it is put into a condition of feare . but now when the soul is come to christ , and the lord hath granted pardon to it and hath quieted it by the blood of his son , now sayes god , read , performe duties , and let al the duties you performe be in way of blessing my name , and praising of me , for giving of you your lives . and indeed , this is the principal ground of al that god requires of such as are come to christ , meerly that thou shouldest go out before the lord in way of thankfulness for pardoning thy sins , and accepting of thee in his son. and so likewise if so be a man were amongst his enemies , and should be set to do some work and business , and is set so to it , that if he do not do it , he is a dead man , they wil have his life if he doe not do it , alas , he goes about it with a great deal of dread and fear . but now , if this man should come home to his fathers house , and his father sets him about a work , and he doth it so , that though he would not do the work , yet he should not loose his life , he should go about it with a great deal more freedom of spirit . thus it is with beleevers when they come to christ , they come to their fathers house , and their father sets them about workes , but so as he wil not lay their lives upon it , their soul doth not ly upon their duties , thy eternal estate doth not lie upon duties ; as heretofore you have heard in being freed from the law , so now make use of it in deliverance from legal performances . that the lord though he wil be strict to mark what is done in every duty , he wil not be strict to take advantage of thee . it is true , it is said that the lord spared not his owne son , but he wil spare thee . in malachy . . the lord wil spare them as a man spareth his own son hat serveth him . and so in the romans it is said god did not spare his own son , and yet in malachy that he wil spare thee as a man spareth his only son that serveth him . what should be the meaning of this ? that god should not spare his only begotten son the lord jesus christ , he wil not spare him , but thee ? this is the reason , he did not spare him that he might spare thee , here is the reason why god wil so spare thee in the performance of thy duties , because he would not spare his son , he was so exact to him that he might not be so exact to thee . indeed when christ came to performe duties , the life of al the world , lay upon that , that if christ had failed in one thing , the life of al the world lay upon it , yet so they lay upon him , that they were not grievous to him , because he was most able to perform it : but thou must make use of christs performances in way of obedience so as to give thee rest & ease in performance of thy duties , think thus , i come now to performe duties , and thankes be to god , my life , my eternal estate , lyes not upon it , but christ what he performed my soul , and al the world lay uyon what he did , and the weight that christ was willing to take upon him in his obedience , is that which makes any obedience so easie and comfortable to me . i remember we read in the law , that in peace offerings , a female was accepted : in other cases ordinarily god required the male , but in peace offerings , the female ; now peace offerings was for thanksgiving , and indeed the whole life of a christian is nothing else but a peace-offering , his whol conversation , al the duties that god requires of any christian it is nothing else but a peace offering , to offer an offering of thanks-giving for the mercy he hath received from christ , in this peace offering the lord accepts of a female , though it be but weake , and this is the sixth thing wherein the rest of the soul in the performance of holy duties , when it is once come to christ doth consist . seventhly , as the soul doth not performe duties that it might get life thereby , it is not in that way now , so the performance of duties when the soul is come to christ , is a part of eternal life it self , and therefore there is rest in it , it is so far from getting eternal life by it , as it is rather eternal life , it self , then so much as any way to eternal life , for this may be said , though i performe duty , it is true , god hath taught me so much , that now under the gospel we must not think to get eternal life by our duty , by our works , this is popery , yet it is the way to eternal life the way that tends to it , it is , via ad regnum , the way to the kingdom , though not the cause of raigning . nay , i wil shew you a further thing then so , the wayes of obedience and holiness in a christians course , they are rather eternal life it self , then the way to it , they have more excellency in them then being the way to life . it is true , it were a great deal of ease and rest to ones spirit , to consider of holy duties but as the way to heaven , if a man were going a journy , and knew the ende of his journy should be very glorious to him , if it were to receive a crown , a kingdom , though it were a boysterous day , and stormy weather , and the way were very foul , he would not be troubled at it , but he would account it very comfortable , to know that he is in the right way , for he thinks this wil lead me to my journeys end , and when i come there , that wil make amends for al. and the truth is , there were ease and rest enough in the waies of god , if god did reveale no more unto a soul then this , these are the wayes that lead thee to life and salvation , that lead thee to a kingdom , to glory ; especially considering that before we were out of the way , we were wandering in the wayes of death and destruction , and god by his almighty hand hath brought us into the right way . when a man is going a journy of great consequence , and he is gone out of the way , and god by his providence hath brought him into his right way , o! what ease is in his spirit : before , when he was out of the way , what distraction and disquietness of heart , but now when he comes into the way , oh! what ease and quiet is in his spirit , so i say , this were ease and rest enough of spirit to know , that whereas before the soul was wandering in the path of death , now it is in the path of life . but i tel you further then so , that when thou art performing of holy duties , and exercising of the grace of god ; in the performance of those duties , thou art not only in the way of eternal life , but thou art in eternal life it self , not only in the way to the kingdom , but in the kingdom , not only in the way to heaven , but in heaven , it is eternal life , this is eternal life to know thee the true god , and thy son whom thou hast sent into the world . and that place in the epistle of st. john he speakes of a murderer , one that did hate his brother , in the first of john . . whosoever hateth his brother , is a murderer , and you know that no murderer hath eternal life abiding in him . then it appeares , that one that loves his brother , and is godly and gracious , hath eternal life abiding in him , for that must needs follow , if this be the evil condition of a wicked man , that hates his brother , that he hath not eternal life abiding in him , then by the rule of contraries , it must needs be a truth , that he that hath holiness and loves his brother , he hath eternal life , abiding in him , and therefore such a one he hath eternal life already to come downe to him , & he is in heaven already . so the scripture makes grace but the beginning of glory , it is no other but the very beginning of heaven in the soul . and therefore in that golden chain in rom. . . whom god hath predestinated them he also hath called & whom he hath called them he hath justified , & whom he hath justified them he hath also glorified . marke but where is the link of sanctification , it is not , whom he hath predestinated he hath called , and whom he hath called he hath sanctified , and whom he hath sanctified he hath glorified . one would have thought the chain should have gon along in that linke , but there is no mention of sanctification , why ? because sanctification is nothing else but glorification begun , and glorification is nothing else but the perfecting of sanctification . now i beseech you observe this as a most special thing that belongs to a christian , the best duties that we performe are nothing else but the life of heaven to us , nay the truth is , it is the life of god. and therefore it is said of ungodly men before they come to christ , they are strangers to the life of god , therefore when thou art come to christ , thou hast the life of god in thee , and the life of heaven in thee , and the beginning of glory , glory and eternal life thou doest live whilst thou art in performance of holy duties . what is the happiness of heaven , but for the saints and angels to be exercised in magnifying the riches of god , and of christ ? now thou beginnest it here , and therefore if thou knowest what this is , thou art not , i say , to look upon any duty that thou performest meerly as a duty but thou art to look upon it as a priviledg , yea as part of thy wages . that is a certain truth , that gods work , it is wages , and the improving of that principle would help us very much in our christian course , if thou didst live and account every duty that thou performest to god to be wages , oh! with what sweetness wouldest thou go on in the performance of those duties that god requires of thee , thou art receiving thy wages when thou art performing of duties . in rom. . and the last . the wages of sin is death , but the gift of god is eternal life through jesus christ . at the . verse it is thus . but now being freed from sin and become servants unto god , you have your fruit unto holiness , and the end everlasting life . for the wages of sin is death , but the gift of god is eternal life through jesus christ our lord. you have your fruit unto holiness , it is the fruite unto holiness which is the gift of god , and holiness it is nothing else but the gift of god , and the beginning of eternal life , the fulness of eternal life , that indeed is the end of it , but the fruit that you have for the present it is holiness , and that holyness that is the gift of god , it is the beginning of eternal life here in this world . then indeed is a christian wel improved in evangelical obedience , when he doth account duties to be mercies , and when mercies are turned into duties , as when we turne gods mercies into duties , that is an argument we receive gods mercies from a covenant of grace , and there wil be linkes of gods mercies towards us , so when we account our duties to be mercies , that is an argument there is evangelical obedience in the heart , and there wil be a constancy in the heart in performing of them . those that performe duties in an evangelical way , they look upon them as a golden chain about their necks for ornament , and not as a chain about their necks as bonds and fetters to tie them to them . here is the difference between one that performes duties in a legal way , and one that performes duties in an evangelical way ; one that performes duties in a legal way , he lookes upon duties as bonds about his neck , he is bound to them as with a chain ; but the other that performes duties in an evangelical way , his duties are as ornaments , as chains of gold about his neck . and the ground of this similitude , i have in prov. . . my son keep sound wisdom and discretion , so shal they be life unto thy soul , and grace unto thy neck . the wayes of wisdome , that is the wayes of godlyness , they are life to the godly , and they are a grace to the neck , that is , they carry gods commandments about with them , not as a prisoner carries his chaines , but as one that carries a chain about his neck , and he glories in it . that place is very observable likewise for this , that you have in deuter. . comparing ver . . with the words that follow after . verse the second , the law of god is called a fiery law. from his right hand went a fiery law for them . but marke verse . moses commanded us a law , even the inheritance of the congregation of jacob. from hence this note plainly results , that let there be never so much seeming severity in any law of god , in any commandement that requires duty , yet even this commandement of god is accounted an inheritance unto the soules of the saints of god , to be as the joy of their hearts , they account their riches to be in gods commandements , not only to be in heaven , but the very commandement they account their riches , and their happiness . many men and women take upon them the commandements of god , and the duties of obedience , as necessary burdens , they must do them , i but the saints , those that come to christ , they take the commandement of god upon them , as that wherein their riches , their glory , the joy of their heart doth consist , and therefore how often do you heare of david saying , that the commandements of god were sweeter to him then hony and the hony combe . that they were more delightful to him then gold and riches . and so in the proverbs better then rubies and precious stones . he doth not say , the glory of heaven is better then al these , but the way of wisdom , and the commandements of god are better then al these , so that here is the life of a christian , he performes duties not onely as a way to heaven , but as an injoying of heaven while he is serving of god ; and this is the seventh particular , wherein the rest of the soul in christ doth appear , in the performance of holy duties . eighthly , when a christian is brought to christ , christ gives him rest in the performance of holy duties because that christ doth elevate and raise his spirit to be some way proportionable to whatsoever god requires of him , ther 's an elevation of spirit , a strengthening of the spirit in christ to come to some kind of proportionableness to what the law of god requires of them . it is true , set a poor weake man , a sick man about any hard worke , and oh! how tedious is it unto him , for a sick man , to go and carry such a burden , or to do such a hard work , it is very irksome unto him , but now when this man comes to be healthy and strong , to have his veines ful of blood , and his arteries ful of spirits , now he goes along in his work and accounts it no burden at al , because he hath got strength in him . so the commandements of god they are hard to those that performe them in a natural way , from a natural conscience , notwithstanding al the strength that can come in by a natural conscience , the commandements of god are very hard unto them ; but when once the spirit of christ comes , there is strength . as it is said where the spirit of christ is there is liberty , so where the spirit of christ is there is streng●h , as the holy ghost speakes in isa . . . the spirit of the lord shal rest upon him , the spirit of wisdom and understanding , the spirit of counsel and might , the spirit of knowledg and of the fear of the lord. the spirit of counsel and might shal rest upon christ , and so in the measure of it , the spirit doth rest upon every member of christ , the spirit of life , of might and of counsel . and therfore the apostle st. paul. saith in the . of tim. the . and the . for god hath not given us the spirit of fear , but of power , of love , and of a sound minde . this spirit of power is in those that are come to christ , there is a power of godlyness in them . they are said in coll. . . to be strengthened with al might according to his glorious power . the apostle at least prayes for that , to intimate thereby to us , that there is that to be had in christ , there is a strengthening with al might , according to his glorious power , unto al patience , and long-suffering with joyfulness , giving thanks to the father , which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light . though they be weake , yet they have a union with one that is strong , wherein they may come to be strengthened with al might , not only according to gods power , but according to his glorious power , unto al patience and long-suffering , with joyfulness . the duties of patience long-suffering , are as hard duties as any , hut in christ there 's the glorious power of christ let out to strengthen them to the duties of patience and al long suffering with joyfulness . chap. xxxv . two other wayes whereby the former point is cleered , with some consequences from the same and the use of the whol . the first way is , that whilst the soul is performing duty , the strength of it is continually renewed . secondly , the soul hath the love of god shed abroad into the heart . the first consequence is happiness of a christian here . secondly , hence cometh the perseverance of beleevers . the use of al is to exercise much faith in christ . ninthly , the rest that the soul hath in christ , that is to goe on in duties with freedom of spirit , without making them burdensome to it is this ; when the soul comes to christ , it hath not only strength to do the duty , but whilst it is performing of duty it hath this strength renewed , and it receives in sweetness , and good , and strength from christ , while it is in action , while it is in the performance of duty , and his duty is very easy , sweet , and comfortable unto him . as thus , if a man be doing a work that is hard , suppose he layes on upon a knotty piece of timber , and there is nothing comes of his work , and it doth not go on before him , and he spends his strength and gets nothing for the present by his worke , he quickly grows weary . but now if a man be doing a work that the more strength he spends , the more he gets , the more his strength is inlarged , the more renewed , and never gets more strength , then when he is spending of strength , and that when he is at work he receives in sweetness by it , surely this man wil go on in the work , he may work singing , when al the while he is working , he spends not so much strength as he gets , and he doth not only work to receive wages , but there is commings in , sweetness comming in the very time of his work , this man works with a great deale of ease . thus it is in evangelical obedience ; when a soul comes to performe duties in this way , now his strength is renewed day by day , the more service thou dost for christ , the more strength comes in . as now a man that is benummed with cold , perhaps you that are marriners , when you come to handle your cables , or any thing in the ship , you can scarce feel any strength by reason of cold , but when you are at work , and you begin to be warme , your strength comes in . so it is with a christian , when he begins to perform duties , it may be he is dul , dead , and the like , but let him go on in the duties , and then strength wil come in . i appeale to many of you that have performed duties , you have gone to do a duty , and you have been dul , and unfit for it , and you have been ready to let it alone thereupon , wel but conscience puts you upon it , and you must do it , now when you were in the duty , hath not christ come in and hath not the strength of christ come in to inable you to do the duty that you never could imagine it , which for ever might be an incouragement to you to go on in the duty , and to avoid that temptation , never to neglect the duty from any unfitness to the duty , for when you are at the duty , then comes in strength from christ to performe the duty , for you cannot expect strength to come in before you come to the duty , but up and be doing , and then strength wil come in . yea , and the more duty you do , the more strength wil come in ; and hence it is , that a godly man , though he may be weary in duty , yet he can never be weary in doing of duty , he may see a difference between himself and carnal men . take a godly man , though he may be weary in duty , yet he can never be weary of duty , whereas it is otherwise with those that performe duties in the strength of a natural conscience , those that perform duties in the strength of a natural conscience , are weary in working , as some tools you know wil weare in the using , but others the more you use them the more brighter and better they wil grow : so it is with those that perform duties in the strength of a natural conscience , they wil wear away , and that is the reason that they leave them off , but one that performes duties in an evangelical way , the more he doth the more he shal be able to do , and therefore christians , let that be an incouragement to you , the more you do , the more you shal be inabled to do , he that had five talents and used those five talents he had more talents given him , and he that had but one , and sate down sullen and used it not , it was taken from him ; and as strength comes in so thou shalt suck in a great deal of sweetness into thy heart . in the keeping of thy commandements ( saith david ) there is great reward not only for the keeping of them , but in the keeping of thy commandements . now when a man is working , if so be he had his wages comming in every houre when he is a working , it would incourage him , but if he thinks he must stay for his wages that is more greivous , the work that is done with present sweetness comming in , that work is an easy work , and that is the reason of that expression in hosea , . vers . . ephraim is as a heifer that is taught , and loveth to tread out the corne , but i passed upon her faire neck , i wil make ephraim to ride , judah shal plow , and jacob shal break his clods . the text seemes to be hard at the first reading , but there is much in it , suitable to what i am speaking of ephraim is as a heifer that is taught and loveth to tread out the corne , but saith god , i wil make ephraim to ride , judah shal plow , and jacob shal break his clods . i wil make ephraim not only to tread out the corne , but to plow. the meaning was this , you know that was the law , you must not muzle the mouth of the ox that treadeth out the corne . whereas we thresh the corne , they had their oxen to tread out the corne , and it was the law , that al the while he was treading out the corne , his mouth must not be muzled , but he might feed al the while he was treading out the corne , now this was easier then when the beast was sent to plow , and had no corn to eate the while . now saith god , ephraim loves only easy work , if he may have the work that is sweet for the present , ephraim is content with that work , but ephraim doth not love the work that is difficult at first and sweet afterwards , so this shewes that one that is of a lazy disposition , he loves the work that hath sweetness at the present . now truly , there is no other work that the gospel requires at our hands , the gospel doth not require so much plowing , as the work of treading out the corne al the work that the gospel requires of beleevers , is such as the heifer had while he was treading out the corne , that is , al the while thou art working , thou maist be eating , thou maist have the blessed sheaues of the gospel to feed upon , for there doth come a constant sweetness into the hearts of the faithful in doing the work of the lord , go on in doing the work of the lord , and thou shalt find rest and sweetness in thy soul comming in upon thee . and that is the reason that schollars can study so hard , many houres together , which would be tedious unto others , i put it to you that are imployed in other things ▪ that think the work of a schollar so easy a work , get up in a morning , and shut your selves into your closet , and read , meditate , and write for two or three houres together , and then come forth and go to it again , and spend half a day , or a whole day together in studying , meditating , & writing , and see if you do not find it more tedious and tiresome to the flesh , then any other work . but now schollars though it is tiresome to the flesh , they can go on and make it easy to them , why ? because they find sweetness in their work , it is not with them as with ●ther men , other men work that they may have wages afterwards , but al the while they are about their work , they have truths come in , and heavenly notions comes in to them , while they are about it , and so makes the work easy unto them , this is happiness of a christian that the while he is in his work , the sun of righteousness shines upon him , and there is sweetness comming in unto him , and herein is rest and ease in the performance of duty . tenthly and lastly , when the soul comes to christ , it finds abundance of rest in holy duties , because now it hath the love of god shed abroad in its heart , and that makes every thing delightful to it , the love of god is shed abroad in the heart , you know jacob , because he loved rachel , though he was abroad in frosty nights , he accounted it nothing , because he loved rachel : oh! when the love of god is shed abroad in the heart of a christian , then there is nothing that he doth but is delightful to him it makes every thing easy . for that is a certain rule , that love is ashamed to mention any difficulty , you never hear love to complain of any thing to be heard , and those that complain of holy duties to be heard , certainly they want the love of god. now you have heard in these ten particulars , wherein the ease and rest of spirit in performance of holy duties doth appeare , there is much more to be said in the latter end of the chapter , when it is said that christs yoke is easy , and his burden light , which if god give opportunity we shal come unto . applic . i. now from al this , first , here you may see the happiness of a christian , you do not think that a cristian is happy here , but he shal not have only heaven hereafter , but his way to happiness is heaven here , oh how good is the way of the gospel , that gives us rest in our way to heaven , such rest that al the malice in the world and of 〈◊〉 , cannot disturbe the peace and rest of a christian . ii. hence we see the reason , why true beleevers do persevere , you hear oftentimes speaking of the doctrine of perseverance , & you are ready to thinke , i but is it certain the soul that once comes to have true grace shal certainly persevere ? yes , certainly , one that is once come to christ , wil not go from him again , why ? because there is so much rest in holy duties . it is true , those that are drawn to holy duties they wil not abide , as it is said , the son abides in the house but a servant abides not alwaies in the house . so , such as perform duties in a legal way , they wil be gone , they wil not abide , but now one that is come into christ and hath a son-like disposition , he continues . as we say in phylosophy , no violent thing or motion is perpetual , and indeed , those that performe duties in a legal way , a hundred to one , but they wil prove apostates at last , but one that performes duties in an evangelical way , wil continue and hold out unto the end . iii the maine use of al is to stirr up the hearts of those that are godly to know what the gospel means , to exercise much faith in christ that they might have much comfort in performance of duties . do not content thy self that thou doest duty , but think with thy self , oh i have heard of such a way , that christians in performance of duty find a great deale of rest and ease , why should not i get that way . thou hearest of it , oh! that thy soul might be unquiet til thou comest to understand the way , then your duties would be more sound , more spiritual , more supernatural , more acceptable then they are . the lord loves a cheerful giver and so he loves a cheerful server , you love to heare your servants sing at their work , but if you set your child or servant about a work , and he goes heavily and dully about is , grumbling and pineing , and think you to be a hard master , then he doth but a little work , so they that perform duties in a legal way , the truth is , they perform little duty , and that is not acceptable , but when a soul comes to find rest in duty , it makes it more spirituall more plentiful , and more acceptable , and those duties are very pleasing unto the lord. chap. xxxvi . sheweth the rest , from the remainder of corruption to be sanctification , and that to be a great rest , laid open in six particulars . . it is the right temper of the heart . . in it the soul doth in great part attain its end . . in it the soul lives the life of god. . it raiseth the soul above the region of al troubles . . it turnes every thing to good . . it is the beginning of glory . you may remember when we handled the point of the load that was upon sinners , we shewed , that the remainder of corruption was a great burden , it was so great a load , that it made the apostle cry out , oh! wretched man that i am , who shal deliver me from this body of death . how that was a load hath been already opened . that which we have now to do is to shew what rest is to be had in christ against this fourth burden . come to me ( saith christ ) al you who are sensible of the corruption of your heart , and find the remainder of sin that is in your heart to be a burden , come to me , & i wil give you rest against that . we are not now to speak of the rest in deliverance from the trouble of soul in the sense of the guilt of sin , that was before spoke of , but now we are to speak of the rest , in giving power against the remainder of corruption that there is in the heart . this rest is the rest of sanctification that here we are to speak of , i wil give you rest . and in this point there are a great many of useful and sweet things , that might require very large handling , but i shal endeavor as much as i can to contract al within a few things for this rest of sanctification . there are in it these five things to be followed , that ye may see cleerly the method that i shal proceed in , and so go along with me . first , i shal shew you , that sanctification is a great rest to the soul , or deliverance from corruption , is a great rest to the heart of a beleever , there is much rest in sanctification . secondly , that this rest it is in christ , al our sanctification and helping against corruption is in christ . thirdly , how christ comes to be this rest unto the soul. fourthly , some consequences that wil follow from this consideration of christs being the rest of sanctification unto the heart . fiftly , conclude with exhortation to come unto christ for this rest . sanctification the rest from corruption . i. sanctification is great rest unto the soul of a beleever , the truth is , there is nothing troubles the heart of a strong beleever , but only the want of his sanctification , nothing in the world i say troubles the heart of a strong beleever but that . it is time , a weak beleever is troubled for want of the apprehension of the pardon of his sin , a weak beleever hath trouble of spirit stil in the sense of the guilt of sin , but a strong beleever gets over that . a weak beleever hath trouble by the law stil , because through the weakness of his faith , he is not able to make use of the covenant of grace that god hath brought him into , so as to deliver himself from trouble that way , a strong beleever gets over that . a weak beleever performes duties , but there is a great deale of legality in his performance of them , that many times they are troublesom to him , but a strong beleever gets over that burden , but now the remaining corruption that is in the heart , none in this world gets over this . indeed in great part the strong beleever hath got power there also , a great deale more then the weak one hath done , but the cheife burden that lies upon a strong beleever in this world is the remainder of corruption that is yet in him . and so for the next burden of affliction , the strong beleever gets wel over that too , but this is one cheife burden of the strongest beleevers that the world hath , that yet there is much remaining corruption in them . as it was in paul , though a strong beleever , saith he . oh wretched man that i am who shal deliver me from this body of death , as you heard it formerly opened to you , so that sanctification is a special rest that beleevers have , it is a rest . in this regard , because it is the right temper of the heart . as corruption was a burden , because it was the distemper of the heart , as sickness is a burden , so sanctification it is the right frame and temper of the soul , and so brings ease and rest unto the soul . if your bodies be distempered with sickness , you are a burden to your selves by it , you know not what to do , a sick body first lies down in one place , and then in another , and wil change roomes , and change beds , & change postures , because he is a burden to himself . let the distemper be gone , let the body be put into a right temper , and now he hath rest , now he can sleep quietly , now he hath ease in his body , his pain is over . now sanctification is the health of the soul , then the soul comes to be healthy when it comes to be holy , holiness is the due temper of the heart and therefore it is rest . . sanctification is the rest of the heart , because in that the soul doth in great part attain its end , now what is it that the soul rests in , so much as in its end ; every thing rests when it comes to its end , the end is as the proper place in which every creature rests , now by sanctification the soul doth attain its end in great part , as . first , it attains the end that god intended in the making of it a man or woman , now they attain in great part the end for which they are born , thou art born to that end that thou mightest be holy , that thou mightest live here in this world unto god , which by sanctification thou dost that is the end god aymed at , the end why thou art borne , why thou camest into the world . secondly , it is the end of al gods wayes towards thee , a special end of al the passages of gods providence to thee , of al the workings of god towards thee in this world , of al the wayes of his providence to thee , that thou mightest be godly , that thou mightest live to him to his praise . thirdly , it is the great end of christs coming into the world , christ came into the world , that he might purchase a peculiar people , zealous of good works , and that he might sanctifie them unto himselfe . fourthly , it is the end of al gods ordinances towards thee , why dost thou enjoy any ordinance , but that they might sanctifie thy heart . fifthly , it is the end , if thou beest one that is in any measure gods already , it is the end of thy desires , what are the desires of a gracious heart , but that he might be holy to god , and be freed from the body of death . sixthly , it is the end of thy labor , what dost thou endeavor after ? what dost thou labor after , if thou beest godly , but that thou mayest be more godly , that thou mayest be more sanctified , surely that which is the end of our comming into the world , that is the end of al gods wayes towards thee , that which is the end of al gods ordinances , which is the end of thy desires , and the end of thy labor , that must needs be rest , in attaining that thou must needs attain rest . . sanctification is rest unto the soul , in that the soul lives even the life of god , the soul doth not only live to god but lives in god , and therefore must needs live in rest . you have a notable expression for that in . john. . . let that therefore abide in you , which we heard from the beginning , if that which ye heard from the beginning shal remain in you , ye also shal continue in the son and in the father . you shal continue in the son and in the father . when the truths of the gospel working on the heart unto holiness , abides in the heart , such a soul doth abide in the son and in the father , lives in god , and therefore must needs have rest , must needs have rest there where it lives in god. it s true , the saints they live in the world , but as they live in the world so they live in god , even in god here . . sanctification it must needs be rest unto the heart because that is a principle that raiseth the soul , above the region of al kind of trouble and molestation . as the philosophers tel us , that here , in the inferior region , there are stormes , tempests , changes , and alterations , but in the region on high , the third region , that is above stormes , tempests , winds and blusterings , there is nothing but quiet , nothing but peace there . it is true , while the heart of a man or woman is grovelling here below in the world as al are til god raiseth them by grace , their spirits are ful of trouble , vexation and molestation . there is no peace to the wicked , saith my god , but he is like the troubled sea which casts forth mire and dirt . as you heard in the opening of that scripture . but now when god gives grace , and sanctifies the heart , the lord raiseth the heart above these regions of trouble , raiseth it on high , gets it up in the highest region , there is nothing but quiet , calme peace , ease , and rest unto the soul . . sanctification is rest unto the soul , because it is such a principle , as turns every thing to good , and that must needs bring rest when god sanctifies the heart , works grace in the soul , it is of that excellency , that it hath a virtue and efficacie in it to turne every thing to good . now that were indeed a precious stone , that could turne every thing into gold that it toucheth . a great deal of labor there is about the philosophers stone , that they say turneth other mettals into gold , now grace in the heart turnes every thing into gold , as it were , ever thing into good , it hath that excellency in it , that whatsoever befals such a man or woman , grace can turne it to the good of them . al the workes of gods providence , al things that seem to goe never so contrary unto the good of a man or woman that hath grace , if such a one do but act his grace , or her grace , this wil turne things that seem to be most contrary , to the good of them , it wil turne it unto good ; those things that others vex at , and fret at , and , think themselves undone by , a gracious heart , one that hath grace can turne them to advantage , and get good by them , such a one that is in such a condition , they have got such a virtue from god , god hath given them such a principle within , as whatsoever befals them , he can by the acting of that principle turne it to good. what need then such a man or woman have any trouble in this world ? no trouble , wil you say , do not such and such things fal cross to them , such and such afflictions fal as cross to such men as any others ? that is true , things may fall as cross to them as any , i but , they have a principle within them , that turnes al those crosses and afflictions to good , that we shal speake more unto in answering to the fifth burden of outward afflictions , but only to shew it now , in the rest that the soul hath in sanctification , because it turnes al things to good . sixthly and lastly , sanctification is a rest to the soul , because indeed it is the beginning of glory , it is but the beginning of heaven , and we are in heaven , there is nothing but rest , there is peace and rest in heaven , sanctification is glorification begun , and therefore rest unto the soul . this now is the first particular , i wil give you rest , that is , come to me , you shal have power over your corruptions , you shal have grace and holiness , that shal be rest unto your souls . chap. xxxvii . sheweth that sanctification is only in christ . secondly , that this sanctification it is in christ , al the sanctification of a christian it is in christ , there are some common gifts that god gives unto other men , there are gifts of nature , & there are gifts of common grace , gifts of the spirit of god that are beyond the gifts of nature , & yet they are such as are given in a common way to those that are strangers to christ . the heathen had many cōmon gifts , and so others now may have many common gifts , but sanctification is the proper gift of christ , it is only to be had in christ . al the strength of nature , natural abilities , education , morality , natural parts , can never raise the heart to the least degree of sanctification , i mean , of the sanctification that is saving . in a large sense it may be called a sanctification , as the scripture sometime doth , a setting some kind of men apart for such ends : but sanctification that is true holiness , that is the image of god , and the beginning of glory , that is only in christ , and al the streng●h of nature , and parts , can never raise the soul unto the least degree of it . and that it is only in christ , i shal give you some scriptures to shew it , and it wil further appeare , when we come to the third thing , in shewing you how it comes from christ , which is the principle . that text is very ful for it , which we have in . cor. . . if there were no other ; but of him are ye in jesus christ , who of god is made unto us wisdome , and righteousness , and sanctification and redemption . christ is made unto us of god ; wisdome , to enlighten our blindness ; and righteousness , for our justification , and sanctification , and redemption ; that is , to deliver us from al kind of evil , to deliver us from the power of sin , and to renew the image of god in us , that is sanctification , and redemption , that is to deliver us from al kind of evil , and to bring us to the redemption of the sons of god , to the perfect liberty that is appointed to sons . christ is made to us sanctification ; sanctification , that is , not only that christ hath merited our sanctification , but in a further degree , efficiently , so as our sanctification is from him , and it is he that workes it in us , and upholds it in us , the beginning and the progress of our sanctification , it is from him , as wel as merrited , by him . for we are to know , that christ hath laid down his life to merit of god the father , as wel sanctification , as justification , or glorification . christ hath not only laid down his life for to merrit the pardon of our sins , to purchase that from god , to save us from hell , but it was a special end of christs laying down his life , to merit our being set at liberty from the bondage of our sins , our deliverance from corruption the renewing of the image of god in our soules for the present , which is that indeed may cause us to prize holiness somewhat more then we have done . we must not look upon holiness as a duty , that we must be holy , and as a necessary meanes to heaven , but we must look at holines as the purchase of the blood of christ , he hath purchased holiness for al those that he hath layed down his life for . and therefore ( as we shal see afterwards ) it is impossible for any to be holy , but those that have part in christ , so that christ is made sanctification by his merit , and by the efficiency that is in him ; it is he likewise that works it in our hearts , we have it not immediatly from god the father but from god the father through christ , through his son we come to have sanctification , and therefore we shal see it afterwards , how different our sanctification is from the image of god that there was in adam at first , and the holiness that there was in adam , adam , he had his holiness immediately from god as creator , but those that are now made holy , and sanctified now , they have not their holiness and sanctification immediately , or as from god their creator , but they have it from christ , christ , that is , the second person in trinity , he it is that is made to us sanctification . and then , that it is in christ appeares further , in that notable place in rom. . that was quoted in the former point about the load of corruption , where saint paul cries out in the . verse , o wretched man that i am , who shal deliver me from this body of death , that is the remaining corruption that was in his heart . marke the very next words that follow . i thank god through jesus christ our lord. as if he should say , the deliverance that i must have from this body of death , it is from god , but how ? through jesus christ our lord , the apostle doth not only thank god for it , and say , al grace must come from god , but he thanks god through jesus christ our lord. thus we must understand how grace comes unto us , indeed , god is the fountain of al , but it must come from god through jesus christ our lord , as al mercies that we have for the pardon of our sins . now it is not from god immediately , as the first person , or as creator of heaven and earth , but it is from god through jesus christ . so al the holiness that we have now , it is from god through jesus christ our lord. and then take one scripture more , and then we shal come to the third particular , which is the cheif we aimed at , and that is in the . of the acts. the latter end of . verse . that they may receive remission of sins , and inheritance amongst them which are sanctified by faith that is in christ . it is a speech of christ unto paul , when he sent him to preach , and tels him to what end it should he , to open their eyes and turne them from darkness to light , and from the power of satan unto god , that they may receive forgiveness of sins , and inheritance among them which are sanctified by faith in christ . multitudes of scriptures there are for this purpose . chap. xxxviii . sheweth how our sanctification commeth from christ in six particulars . . it was the end of his coming . to destroy the works of the divel . . he is the great ordinance appointed by god to sanctifie his people . . his death is appointed to mortifie sin . . by him the curse upon the heart is taken away . . by his union with beleevers , being the head of the second covenant . . in christ are the strongest arguments for holiness that can be . thirdly , and especially , we are to enquire , how christ is the rest of sanctification , come to me and i wil give you rest ; i will give you power against your corruptions , and you shall have sanctification in and by me , for that . . we are to know , that a special end why jesus christ came into the world , it was to dissolve the works of the devil , that was a special end of christs coming into the world. in john . . he that committeth sin is of the devil , for the devil sinneth from the begining , for this purpose the son of god was manifested , that he might destroy the works of the devil whosoever is borne of god doth not commit sin for his seed remaineth in him , and he cannot sin , &c. it is a strange scripture whosoever committeth sin is of the devil ; you say you defie the devil , but the holy ghost saith , if you commit sin that is walk in any way of sin . for you wil say , who is there that commits not sin ? well , but the words are thus : he that committeth sin is of the devil . therefore it is apparent , there is a kind of commission of sin , that is an argument they are of the devil , for they are the words of the holy ghost ? and for this purpose the son of god was manifested , that he might destroy the works of the devil . it was the end why he came into the world , yea , it is a special thing that christ is anointed to by god the father , to deliver souls from the bondage of their corruption , and to work holiness in them : that you have in isa . . and the beginning , that notable prophesie concerning christ , the spirit of the lord is upon me , ( that is upon christ , for it is a prophesie of him ) because the lord hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek , he hath sent me to bind up the broken-hearted , to proclaim liberty to the captives , to spiritual captives that are under spiritual bondage . and then in verse . that they might be called trees of righteousness , the planting of the lord : so that that is the first consideration of christs giving the rest of sanctification , that it is the end for which christ was born , and it is the end for which he was anointed by god the father , to sanctifie the hearts of those that he shall redeem . so that christ is our sanctification , by attaining the end of his own coming into the world , by fulfilling of that that god the father hath anointed him for . secondly , christ is our sanctification , as the great ordinance that god hath set up for the sanctifying of the hearts of his people . i say , christ is set up as the great ordinance oppainted by god for this end , the lord hath set him up and filled him ful of holyness , that holyness might be conveyed through him unto the souls that do belong unto him . and therefore it is said , in that known place , as in john , . . of his fullness we receive grace for grace . of his fulness jesus christ is filled ful of holiness , as a cistern fild ful of precious liquor , and grace must come through him unto the souls of all those that are godly , that are beleevers . faith draws grace from him , grace for grace , that is , grace answerable to grace , as print for print in a seal , there is print for print in the wax , look what print there is in the seal , the same print is in the wax , so look what grace is in christ , there is answerably in some measure the same grace in the saints . of his fulness we receive , and al the beleevers that ever were in the world have received al the grace that ever they have had from him , out of his fulness , and from him as the great ordinance that god hath set up , for the dispensation of the graces of his spirit , for the working of sanctification in al those that shal be saved . yea christ , is such an ordinance appointed by god the father for holyness , and sanctification , as indeed , there is so much virtue in him , that the very looking upon christ , hath a power to sanctify the heart , the very looking upon him . as the brazen serpent in the wilderness , you know , was the great ordinance of god appointed for the healing of those that were stung with serpents , and being the ordinance appointed for their healing , those that did but look up to the brazen serpent received virtue presently , and were healed of their sting , of the deadly disease that was upon them by the stinging of serpents , now this was by virtue of that ordinance . now then i reason thus , if when god makes but a piece of brass an ordinance , there shal be such a virtue in it , that the very looking upon it shal have power to heal the body , then if god shal make his own son jesus christ , god blessed for ever , god and man , to be an ordinance to heal the souls of his people , surely then those that look up to him by the eye of faith , wil receive healing of their souls , as they did receive by looking upon the brazen serpent . the very beholding of christ hath a power to sanctify the heart . and therefore if you would have holyness , you must often look upon christ , set christ in your eye , be not only poring upon your corruptions , and looking downward into the blackness that there is in your spirits . many christians are laboring under the burden of their corruptions , a long time , why ? because they spend their time and strength meerly in poring upon their corruptions , and looking down to their corruptions . but oh christian , thou must look up , set thy eye upon christ the great ordinance , and behold him as the great ordinance set up by god the father , for the conveyance of grace to the souls of beleevers , and for the healing of al their souls and wounds , and then there wil come healing virtue from him . we read of the poor woman that had the bloody issue , that spent al upon the physitian , shee did but come to christ , and touch the hem of his garment , and then she was healed . surely christ hath a great deal of virtue in him , that the very touch did heal her , and therefore he saith , who hath touched me ? virtue went from him at the very touch of the hem of his garment , christ is the great ordinance and he is ful of virtue and excellency , the looking upon him , and touching of him , brings virtue to the soul , to heal the soul of its corruption . thirdly , more particularly christ brings sanctification unto the heart , because the death of christ is appointed by god , to have an efficacy to mortify sin and corruption , it is from application of the death of christ , filled with virtue , and appointed by god for that end , that it should have efficacy upon the heart , to mortify corruption in the heart . a man may resolve against his corruption , he may vow and covenant against a sin , he may strive and struggle against a sin , he may pray against a sin , he may fast to overcome his sin , he may use all meanes that he thinks he can possibly use to overcome his sin , and yet stil his sin not dead in him , perhaps the meanes that he may use to restrain sin , may keep down his sin , but it wil never mortify his sin . the application of the death of christ , that is appointed by god , for christ is appointed himself as the great ordinance . but now more particularly i say , that the way that is appointed by god for the mortifying of corruption , it is the application of the death of christ to the soul , the virtue that comes from christ as a dying christ , from christ as a crucified christ , from christ as a dead christ to mortify corruption in the heart . that is cleer from that place in rom. . the begining . what shal we say then ? shal we continue in sin that grace may abound ? god forbid , how shal we that are dead to sin live any longer therein ( dead a part of his coming ) know you not that so many of us as were baptized into christ , were baptized into his death ? therefore we are buried into baptism by his death . and in vers . . for if we have been planted together , in the likeness of his death . again in vers . . knowing this that our old man is crucified with him that the body of sin might be destroyed , that henceforth we should not serve sin . the old man is crucified with him , in his being crucified , there is a virtue in christs death for the crucifying of corruption , that the body of sin might be destroyed that henceforth we should not serve sin . he doth not say , that we might have some power against sin , that sin might be restrained , or that such a particular sin may be kept down , but that the body of sin might be destroyed . so that in the application of the death of christ , there is not only the overcoming of this particular sin , but the body of sin comes to be destroyed : all those principles of sin in the soul , with the connexion of them , and joyning one to another , as the members are joyned in the body , they come to be destroyed , that is , though not wholly cast out and radicated , yet the ruling power of them is taken away ; as soon as ever the soul is come to christ , the body of sin hath a deadly stroke given to it . there are many of you striving against this particular corruption , somtimes one , and somtimes another , for those that are gods children , their hearts are more inclined unto some sins than others , and at somtime to some particular sin more than other . it may be one labors under the burden of passion , and another of unbelief , and another of pride , and another of wantonness , and divers particular corruptions they are laboring under . it may be at some times you find one corruption stir , and you strive against that ; and another time another corruption stirs , and you spend your strength against that , but now here 's the way to strike at the whol body of corruption at once . if one shal go to cut down a tree , and stand chopping at one sprig , and one branch , and another branch , the tree may stand long enough for al that : but now , if he would get the tree down , he goes to the root , and a few blows gets down all there . so this is the wisdom of a christian , that when he comes to labor against any corruption , he doth not spend his time so much against this or that particular corruption , but strikes at the body of corruption : and how gets he strength against that ? by applying the blood of christ , the death of christ by faith against that , and by this means the body of death comes to be destroyed . and here is the reason , that christians in a little time grow so much , and get so much power against their corruptions , whereas others are a long time before they get any power at all . those that are not acquainted with the way of christ , you shall have one that hath been a notorious wretch , a wicked person , a swearer , a sabbath-breaker , if it please god to bring him to the word , and reveal christ to the soul , you shall have a mighty change in this man in a week , a great change , that he doth not only leave off now drunkenness , and then lying , and then swearing , and then sabbath-breaking , but all goes down together ; why ? because at one application of the death of christ , al the body of sin comes to be destroyed , though not quite dead and withered . as a tree though it may be dead , yet the leaves may be green still : so though there be not at first the withering of them , yet there is the deadly stroke given , and therefore the way to kill them is to renew the application of the death of christ . and indeed this should be the care of a christian , not to keep from the acting of sin so much , as to find that the death of christ is applied to him . and hence you never read of any such thing as mortification in any heathen author in the world , the mortification of corruption is a riddle to all heathen writers in the world. the mortifying of corruption , and the mortifying of their own hearts , this is a peculiar expression of the gospel , and indeed it is peculiar to beleevers . many men , through good education are so restrained , that they are very fair in their course ; others as they come to more understanding , the vanity of their youth being overcome , there is not that prophaneness committed by them as heretofore ; i but , what is this to mortification of the body of death that is in their hearts , this is only peculiar to a christian , and it is from the application of the death of christ , the application of a christ dying , of a christ crucifying , of a christ shedding his blood for sin ; this hath a virtue to mortifie sin . there is a great deal of difference between a mortified lust , and a restrained lust , a mortified sin , and a restrained sin . the difference lies in this one thing , for i must not go out to handle the point , but only this one thing take it by the way : when a lust is mortified , there is not only a ceasing from the act of it , but there is now an unsuitableness between the heart and the sin , whereas there may be much restraint of sin , and yet stil there may remain a suitableness between the disposition of the heart and the sin , only they dare not commit it , but when sin is mortified , the heart is so changed , that there is an unsuitableness wrought between the heart and corruption now , and this mortification of the body of sin is by the death of christ . fourthly , christ is our sanctification , and he only , because it is by him that the spiritual curse that is upon every mans heart naturally is taken away , it is christ only that doth deliver the soul from the spiritual curse that is upon every mans heart naturally . you know this is the condition of man by nature , he is under the curse of the law. cursed is the man that abideth not in al things that is written in the law to do it . but now , we apprehend ordinarily this curse to be , either in outward misery or else in hel fire cursed eternally , but we are to know , that one branch of this curse is that that is upon the souls of men here , there is a spiritual curse that is upon the souls of men by the fal of adam , and that is , god giving them up unto themselves , unto the lusts of their own heart , unto their own counsel and wayes . now i confess , as it is in the curse of outward afflictions in this world , it is in some degree upon some , and in a further degree upon others , but al are under it naturally , so this spiritual death is executed in some degrees upon some , and in more degrees , upon others , but every soule is in some measure , in some degree or other given up to the lust of its owne heart , there is a final degree of giving the soul up to the lusts of its own heart somtime , but there is in every one a measure a degree of this , and the reason of the prevailing of the corruption of mens hearts may appear in some measure by this . it is strange to see , that notwithstanding al the convictions of conscience , & telling men of the dangerousness of their wayes , that it wil never be peace in the end , that they wil rue it at the last , and their consciences give them many a secret nip , yet they goe on stil , notwithstanding the terror in the law many times , nay , notwithstanding the hand of god hath bin strong upon them , and they have cryed out against their sins , and promised against them , and notwithstanding that they find that their sins do destroy the very health of their bodies , waste their estates , take away their good names , and thereby loose al their friends , yet they are not able to overcome it , as the scripture speakes of some that have eyes ful of adultery , they cannot cease to sin . now sometimes they plead this as an excuse for their sin , and say , they would fain leave it but they cannot , and they think this is a sufficient excuse for their sin , an excuse , no , this their cannot may be from the spiritual curse that is upon their souls , because the curse of god is in a high degre upon their hearts , giving them up in just judgment unto the lusts of their own hearts . and this i take in some part to be the meaning of that place , in . cor. . . verse . the strength of sin is the law. now spiritually the meaning of it is this , that al the strength that sin hath to condemn one , to kil one , to bring death , it is by the law , that i take to be the special scope of those words . but there is included likewise in that expression thus much , that the law of god giues a strength to sin . how , you wil say , doth the law of god give a strength to sin ? thus , there is the justice of god in his law , by virtue of the law of god , and the justice of god in it , man is given up unto his sin , and so his sin comes to have a power and strength over him , the strength of sin it is the law , the law requires this , the justice of god in the law requires this . that those that do forsake god should be forsaken of him , that those that give their hearts up to satisfie themselves in any way of sin , that they should be given up to that sin , so the strength of sin is the law , the law makes sin to be so much the stronger that way . now therefore , how should the soul come to be deliuered from the strength of sin ? the law must be satisfied , the law must be taken off , the strength of the law must be taken away , and none can take that away but christ , christ takes away the strength of the law , but the law is not executed upon christ , so as he was to be given up , but the text saith , he was made sin , he came to take our sin upon him , it was as neere as might be , though he was not capable of having the execution of the law upon him but the scripture saith , he was ●ade sin for us , that indeed is a very great meaning of this place , though acknowledging of sin , and suffering for sin be the cheif meaning of the place , yet it hath besides very much of this in it . fifthly , christ is our sanctification , by being the head of the second covenant , and so through our mistical union with him , there is a virtue of holiness conveyed from him by being the head of the second covenant , and we being members of him as the head , we come to have the virtue of holiness to be drawn from him . as it was in adam , how come we to have so much sin conveyed to us by adam by propagation , but thus ? as we may read in rom. . by one man sin came into the world . now adam , he was the head of the first covenant , and by being the head of that , al mankind are looked upon as members of the first adam , he being the head in that notion of the covenant , in that consideration . adam was not looked upon as a parent only , as the first father , but as the head , and we are not looked upon only as the children of adam , but as members , so that al men were looked upon as one in adam , and therefore the scripture speakes but of two men , the first adam and the second adam , that look as sin is conveyed to us , being members of the first adam , and he being the head of the first covenant , so grace comes to be conveyed unto the soul by our being members of the second adam , the lord jesus christ being the head of the second covenant , here is the way of conveyance of holiness , our union with christ , so that now the holiness that is in christ , comes to us by virtue of the mistical union . as by virtue of the natural union of the members of the body with the head , there comes animal spirits to the members of the body ; so by virtue of our mistical union with christ our head , there is conveyed holiness and grace to strengthen us against our corruptions . as the oyntment did run from aarons head 〈◊〉 ●to the rest of his members , so christ that is anoyt●●at hath the oyl , not only of gladness but holiness too , doth descend down to al his members by virtue of the union they have with him . and for that end you have a most famous scripture in rom. . . for the law of the spirit of life in christ jesus , hath made me free from the law of sin and death . it is a scripture that hath very much in it . what doth he mean by the law of sin and death ? the law , that is the mighty power that there is in sin , and so in death that comes by sin in the hearts of unbeleevers . there is a law of sin , the strength of sin i speak of , sin hath strength going along with it , hath power with it . so a law of sin there is in the hearts of men , they are compelled to sin , as , i may so speake , as a man is compelled to a thing by a law , a law of sin , though this be no excuse to them . and let them know , that so far as they are compelled to sin , they are compelled to death to . but how shal this law of sin and death be overcome ? marke the words , the law of the spirit of life in christ , hath made me free from the law of sin and death . the law of the spirit of life , here is two gradations , that is , the holiness that is in christ , that is likewise a law as wel as the corruption that is in the heart . the corruption in the heart hath a strength in it , and the holiness of christ hath a strength in it too , so that when grace comes into the heart , the heart goes on in a way of holiness , in a holy kind of necessity , we can do nothing against the truth , saith the apostle . but yet there is a necessity of willingness goes along with it too , there is a law of love and kindness , but by this word of law is meant , a strong impetuousness , a migh●y power that carries the soul on to holiness . again , secondly it is the law of the spirit , and of the spirit of life , the holiness of christ it is a holiness that is ful of life . first it is life . and secondly it is the spirit of life . now the spiri● of life is a higher degree then life , as the spirit of a thing hath the quickning of the thing in it , beyond what the whol bulke of the thing is . when the spirit of herbs or any such thing is extracted you know those spirits have much quickning in them , beyond the things themselves , so the spirit would express the mighty activity in the holyness that comes from christ , it is life , it is the spirit of life , and then it is the law of the spirit of life oh my brethren , you see then here , that godliness is no dul thing , it is no heavy thing , no poor , weake , contemptible thing , but it is the life , & it is the life of christ , & it is the spirit of life , and it is the law of the spirit of life , he speakes of grace when it comes to that , as the law of the spirit of life . there is but two things in sin , the law of sin and death , and in grace there is life , and the spirit of life , and the law of the spirit of life , and al this in jesus christ . it is not in our owne resolutions , purposes , endeavours , but in our union with jesus christ , and this it is that brings grace unto the heart , though there be much corruption before , yet the soul being thus one with christ , and looking upon christ as the head of the second covenant , and doth draw virtue from jesus christ , a mighty strong virtue to help the soul against corruption , and quicken it in the wayes of god , and thus comes the rest to the soul by christ in sanctification , carnal hearts , they know no way in the world how to get grace , they heare talking of grace , and leaving of sin , but they know not how to get it , and they wil go and pray , read , heare , and the like , i but you must know , that grace lies in another way then you think of , for you think it must come from god , i but it must come from god in a mistical way through christ . perhaps some of you hearing the mysteries of the gospel understand this , that as god is the fountain of al grace , so it must be conveyed by christ as through the cisterne , i but you must understand also , that you must have it from god through christ , as he is a head unto you , and you are the members , through a mistical union that your souls must have with christ , so as you be made one with christ , you must be made one with christ . as the member can never receive any spirit from the head , except it be united to the body , it is not by being tied to the body . if you take an arme of flesh and tie it to a mans shoulder it wil never receive life that way , but it must have a natural union . just thus your common professors , that meerly have the name of christians , and are not spiritually united to christ , they are like to armes ti●d on to the shoulder , or to wooden legs that are fastened upon mens thighes that want legs , they have some use of those legs to help thē a little to go , i but those legs have not virtue and life conveyed from the head . so your common christians , they have some knowledg of christ , they are only fastened to christ , as a wooden leg is fastened to a mans body , they make some use of christ , some profession of christ & can speake of christ , & what they heare spoken of christ , is somewhat serviceable and useful to them , i but they have not life from christ , and hence they have not holiness from christ , they have not the true holiness that comes from the law of the spirit of life that is in christ . sixthly , another thing that is to be considered of in christ , how the rest of sanctification comes to the soul through him , is this , in christ there are the greatest arguments for holiness that possibly can be imagined , and christ comes to be a rest of sanctification that way : when the soul comes unto christ , and knowes christ in the right way , the soul sees in christ enough against sin , and for holiness , if it never saw any thing else there is enough in christ to help against sin , and for the furtherance of of holiness , that that is discovered in christ hath a mighty power to help the soul against sin , and to further it in the way of holiness , as now to instance the mighty arguments that there are in christ , against sin and for holiness , as . chap. xxxix . containing two strong arguments in christ for holiness . first , in him the soul sees the greatest breach between it and god by reason of sin. secondly , in him it sees the greatest hatred of sin in god. first , in christ , there the foul sees the greatest breach that can be imagined that sin made between god and the creature , it is true , when we preach the law to you , and tel you of the curse of the law that is due to sin , this acquaints you with somewhat of the breach that sin made between god and you , and this may terrifie you , but the truth is , the breach between god and a soul by sin , is never throughly seen , til you come to christ , the soul never throughly sees sin til then , when it comes to christ , and sees christ indeed , sees christ so as one that hath union with him , then it understands the evil of sin after another manner then ever it did before . and that is the reason , that faith doth more purge the heart from sin , then al the terrors of the law possibly can do , yea , if god should let a crevis into hel , and let you see into al the torment that is there , they could not discover so much the evil of sin to you , as when you come to have a real sight of jesus christ , how sin made such a breach between god and us , as can be made up no other way , but the son of god must come and take upon him mans sin , this is the greatest discovery of the evil of sin that possibly can be . object . you wil say , others know this as wel as beleevers . it is true , they know it after a sort , but none can know this throughly , but those that through faith have the real sight of christ , and so have the real sight of the evil of sin , in christ . secondly , another strong argument of the evil of sin in christ is this , the infinite hatred of sin in god , that god should so infinitly hate sin , that he would not spare his owne son , this shewes the evil of sin . we heare much of hell and of the terror of the law , now when i come to consider the fruit of gods hatred of sin in his son , this shewes me a great deale more the evil of sin , and therefore , though the terror of the law may restrain men from sin , i but when the soul comes to know the infinite wrath of god against sin , that he would give his son to satisfie for sin , this shewes the evil of sin , and this shewes the infinite holiness of god , that he would send his only son to purchase holiness . and in this we see the infinite love of christ to die for sin , the infinite price of the soul to purchase it , and the infinite difficulty in the deliverance from sin , and nothing can prevail upon the heart more then the viewing of christ . there is so many things that i cannot speak of them , that when the soul comes to christ , makes the soul hate sin , and makes it in love with holiness . the knowledg of christ in any common way , hath as much power to restrain sin as any thing , but now the knowledg of christ in a spiritual way , in a saving way , it hath an infinite efficacy in it . and the truth is , the special way for a soul to help it self against its own corruptions , it is much to dive into the knowledg of the gospel , look into the gospel , pry into the mystery of the gospel , be much conversant in the mistery of the gospel , and there consider what argument thou maiest draw against thy sins . they are poor , low arguments , that common people draw against their sins , they have a temptation to sin , and they think , oh! let me take heed i do not do it , for my master and mistris wil know of it , or such a one wil know of it , or if i do it , i shal be brought to punishment , these are poor , low arguments , but saith a beleever , oh let me not commit sin , why ? it is that that brought the son of god down from heaven to be made a curse for man. it is that that made the greatest stir in the world that ever was , it is that that gods soul infinitly hates and it is that that made such a breach between the soul and god , as only can be made up by the son of god. these are the arguments that a beleever hath against sin , and a beleever being conversant ●n these arguments , and often exercising faith in christ , they being made real to the soul . they must needs have a mighty power to overcome any corruption whatsoever . as we read in the gospel , when the husband man that let out the vineyard sent for fruit , and they took the servant and beate him , and killed another , at length , saith he , i wil send my son , surely they wil reverence him . so may i say , there is such and such arguments against thy sin , to overcome thy corruption , and to put thee on to the way of holiness , perhaps those arguments thy corruptions break , and they are but like sampsons cords , thy corruption snaps them asunder like flax . i but , saith god , i wil send my son , and reveale the glorious misteries of the gospel in my son , i wil shew to their souls what my son hath done , and what the deep counsels for the salvation of their soules in my son are and these shal prevail upon you . and here is the reason of al their fearfulness of sin , and strictness in walking with god , when the gospel hath convinced them ; you wonder why they wil be so strict and fearful to offend , do you wonder at it ? oh my brethren , they have arguments , perhaps , that you know not of , god hath revealed much of his son to them , the wonderful misteries of godliness revealed in his son , and they are the arguments they go upon . they do not go upon such mean and low arguments as you do ; meane and low arguments may keep men in an orderly course , to live quietly with their neighbors , and keep them from thievery , drunkenness , swearing , and the like , arguments that the heathen had skil of may keep them from those things . but the saints , beleevers , that are acquainted with the wayes of christ they have higher arguments , they behold him with the eye of faith , and so they come to have power against their sin , and to have ease in their souls . thus , saith christ , come to me , you have corruptions prevailing over you , and you perhaps strive with them with such and such arguments , but come to me , and i wil give you such things , you shal see so much against sin , and so much for holiness , as that that i shal discover to you shal help you against your corruptions , and further you in the way of holiness , and so you shal have rest unto your souls . chap. xl. shewing how sanctification comes from christ , in six particulars more . . it is he that reveals the father to the soul. . through christ the love of god is shed abroad into the heart . . all the promises are made to us through him . . in him all the ordinances are effectual . . he sends the spirit into the heart . . christ rules in the heart . seventhly : christ comes to be our sanctification , we have the rest of sanctification in christ thus : it 's christ that doth make known the father unto the soul : no man knows the father ( saith christ ) but the son , and him to whom the son reveals him . i suppose you know the scripture ; and if you have seen me ( saith christ ) you have seen the father , in john . it is christ that makes known god unto the soul , and there is a mighty power to work holiness in the heart by the knowledg of god. saith the apostle st. john , in john . . he that saith , i know him , and keepeth not his commandements , is a lyar . the knowledg of god cannot stand with the neglect of gods commandements . there is a mighty power in the knowledg of god for the sanctifying of the heart , the very looking upon gods holiness hath a great deal of power to sanctifie the heart ; and the reason of al the wickedness and prophaness in the world , it is because men know not the lord , know not what an infinite , blessed , glorious god they have to deal withal : they that know thy name , will trust in thee , saith the psalmist . so may we say , those that know thy name , o lord , will fear thee , they will serve thee , they will walk before thee in obedience and holiness . now the knowledg of god , it is in christ , there may be some kind of natural knowledg of god out of christ , in beholding the works of god , we may know somwhat of him . but as the scripture saith in cor. . . after that in the wisdom of god , that is , in the creature , in the glory of god that shines in the creature , the world by wisdom knew not god. the world by wisdom , that is , the world by all their natural understanding , by al learning that phylosophers had , that saw much of the glory of god shining in the creature , yet saith the text , by al their wisdom they knew not god ; but yet it pleased god by the foolishness of preaching to save them that beleeve . and what preaching was this ? verse . we preach christ crucified , &c. so that there is no saving knowledg but only in christ , when the soul comes to christ , then the lord jesus christ reveals the father to him , reveals the counsels of god unto the soul , reveals the very heart of god unto the soul ; and hence it is that many poor people that are very ignorant before they come to know christ , know little or nothing of god at al , but had strange thoughts of god ; yet as soon as ever the things of the gospel come to be revealed to them , they begin to have high thoughts of god , high and honorable thoughts of god ; and those high and honorable thoughts of god , do mightily prevail upon their hearts to purge out sin , and sanctifie their hearts exceedingly . do but consider of those places where the preaching of the gospel hath been but very little , what poor thoughts they have of god , they know not god , and therfore they live in all manner of ungodliness . but now , when the preaching of the gospel comes to any place , and god comes to be known , there the devil is cast out , and the hearts of people being filled with the knowledg of god , they come to be sanctified unto the service of god. that is another thing , it is christ that reveals the father unto the soul , and so comes for to sanctifie the heart . eighthly , it is through christ that the love of god is shed abroad into the heart of a beleever , and that hath a mighty power to sanctify the heart , the shedding abroad of the love of god into the heart , this only can be in christ . there may be , though out of christ , common fruites of gods bounty , general patience , goodness , and the like , but the special love of god , that hath a sanctifying power that goes along with it , it is that only that is in christ , and when the soul comes once to have union with christ , there flowes the sweet sence of the love of god unto the heart , it is shed abroad , according unto the scripture phrase , that the heart being filled with the sweetness of gods love , and comes to be sanctified thereby , then al base love of the creature , and the love of sin comes to be eaten out , and the heart comes to be carried on , in a blessed , sweet , and gracious manner after the lord. al the terror of the law cannot sanctifie , so as the shedding abroad of the love of christ in the heart can . indeed , by the terror of the law sin may be restrained , but by the terror of the law the heart can never be sanctified . this is a certain truth , the terror of the law may restrain from sin , but it can never sanctifie the heart , the terrors of the law are useful to be preached in that way , for to restrain sin , but when we preach them , we do not think that we can thereby possibly sanctifie the heart , corruption may be restrained for a while , but , that which must sanctifie the heart must be the love of god in jesus christ , as i remember . fulgentius , compares the love of god in christ in the heart of a beleever , to the fire that is within the furnace , and the love of god in his common bounty , to a few sparkes that fly out at a distance from the mouth of the furnace ; take al the love of god that is in the creature suppose the lord should give unto you the possession of al the world , and should make a thousand worlds and give thee possession of them al , this were but as a spark from the furnace ; but the love of god in christ is as the heat of the furnace : and as the heat ( you know ) consumes stubble , & combustible matter put into it , so there is that heat in the love of god shed abroad in the heart by christ , that consumes the lust of the heart , and the soul growes up into holiness thereby . it is with the heart of a beleever , as it is with the fruites of the earth , you know , that the frost may keep down some weeds , but it is the sun-shine , it is the beams of the sun , and the warme beames that makes the fruit to ripen and to grow up , that fruit that growes in the sun is soonest ripe , your grasse that growes in the orchard is sowre and the beast wil not eate it , and other herbs that grow in the shade comes to no maturity , nor to be so good as those that grow in the sun , fruit that growes upon the wal , how quickly doth that grow ripe , whereas the other that grows in the shade withers ; so there are some that live altogether under legal feares , and trouble of conscience perhaps they have somtimes fruite but it is sour fruit , it is not so sweet fruite as comes from those that are under the sun-shine of the gospel , that have the shine of the love of god upon their hearts , their fruite is sweet , and they thrive better , and looke more lovely and live a more amiable and lovely life then the lives of others . and this is another way , how christ comes to be our sanctification in shedding abroad the love of god into the heart ; and that the scripture is ful of , how the love of god is shed abroad in jesus christ . ninthly , christ is our sanctification in this respect , becaus al the promises of the gospel are made to us in him he is the foundation of al the promises that are in the gospel , they are al made good in him , they have a boundance of sanctifying power in them , christ is our sanctification , i say , because it is through him that the promises are made , which hath a mighty sanctifying power . as for the first ? in . cor. . . for al the promises of god in him are yea , and in him amen unto the glory of god by us . al the promises of god in him are yea & in him amen : al gospel promises are made unto us by christ & that is a very useful & a notable meditation , to consider of al promises that they come unto us from christ , an excellent meditation to set out the excellency of jesus christ that in him are al the promises , they are in him yea , what is the meaning of that ? that is they are confirmed to us in christ , in him they are made certain to us , they are made good in him , or as some of your books read it thus , for al the promises of god in him are yea , and i find it is , i know not whether it be in your books , but calvin , beza , and other interpreters say , it is read in some copies thus , therefore in him let them be yea and amen , unto the glory of god by us . al the promises of god in him are yea , that is , they are made certain things in christ as the foundation , therefore 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ; so beza saith it is read , therefore , let them be amen in him unto the praise of god. that is , as god hath made al promises in him as certain , so let us look upon christ , and see the promises of god in him , and beleeve in them , and so by our faith say amen unto the promises that are made in him unto the glory of god , so shal we glorifie god , when we shal look upon the promises by our faith , and say , amen unto our soules . now the word , amen signifies firme and sure , that is , the meaning of the word amen . sometimes it signifies at the end of our prayer , so be it , amen , it is an hebrew word that signifies , so be it , let it be , o lord , as we have prayed , and according to thy promise , that is the meaning of the word amen , when you conclude your prayer with amen . it is a word that is used for faith , and it is the expression of faith after we have made our prayer , and that is the meaning here , therefore al the promises in him are yea , they are made in christ and affirmed in christ as certain , therefore in him let them be amen unto the soul , let them be as firme and certain things unto us , for us to rest upon , unto the glory of god by us , and thereby shal we glorifie god , ye have so many precious promises in christ , but now they are unto the glory of god by us , we by faith say amen to them , and we make them as firme and sure unto our soules by the exercise of our faith upon them . so you may understand in some measure this scripture , which hath exceeding much in it , thus you see by christ the promises are made to us . quest . i but you wil say , how doth this help our sanctification . answ . i answer , exceeding much , there is nothing helps the sanctification of the soul of a beleever , more then the promises of the gospel , those that are exercised in the promises of the gospel , they grow more abundantly in sanctification then others . the promises of the gospel are channels , not only of mercy for our salvation , but of holiness for our sanctification , and for that you have a most excellent scripture , . cor. . . having therefore these promises , dearly beloved let us clense our selves from al filthiness of flesh and spirit , perfecting holiness in the fear of god. it is as ful a scripture as i know any , here you may see , what use the holy ghost would have you make of the promises of the gospel , and of mercy . it may be you think that seeing there is such promises of mercy you may take more liberty to the flesh , but that is not the reasoning of the spirit , he would not take more liberty therby , but seeing we have such promises , saith he , let us clense our selves from al filthiness , filthines cannot stand with beleeving of promises . and marke , he saith , from al filthiness of the flesh and of the spirit . so that it is not enough for you to say , you have as good a heart towards god as any others , i thank god my heart is right , my spirit is right , i but you must clense from al filthiness of the flesh , as wel as of the spirit , and these promises if you have the right use of them , they wil be mighty clensing . and marke , from al filthiness , it is not enough to clense from some gross filthiness , that is , that you do not live in the grost sins that others of the world live in , and that your neighbors live in , that you are not whoremungers , drunkards cheaters , prophaners of the saboth , and the like , but these promises wil cleanse from al filthiness , that is , there shal be no filthiness that shal stick to you as to the wicked and ungodly , but it wil clense gradually , by degrees from al filthiness of the flesh . and spirit , or of spirit , not to make you make conscience of wicked actions , but cleanse you from your very thoughts , these promises wil clense from the filthiness of the flesh . i perhaps they may a little serve the turne for them , i but from the filthiness of the spirit , the filthiness of the thoughts , the filthiness of the affections , those inward spiritual wickednesses . of pride , malice , and the like . may be you would count it a vild thing to be accused of whordom , the filthiness of the flesh , i but what say you to the filthiness of the spirit , of pride , malice , distrust , earthly mindedness , and such like , these promises are to clense from the filthiness of the spirit , aswel as of the flesh . and then perfecting holiness in the feare of god , it makes them fear god more , and then it perfects holiness , such a one as is acquainted with the promises of the gospel , is content with no measure of holiness , but growes higher and higher til he comes to perfection . here you see the use of promises , what a clensing nature promises have , oh my brethren , be much exercised in promises , lay up promises , if you would get power over your corruptions . and then one scripture more for this is that , in . pet. . . whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises . the promises of the gospel they are precious , more worth then a world , a beleever that knows the preciousness of the promises , accounts more of them then of his estate . what do you account precious ? that you may have your ships laden home with precious things , i but to have your hearts filled with precious promises , it is far better then these . but now , wherein do these promises appeare to be so precious ? it appeares by this , whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises , that by these you might be partakers of the divine nature , that by these great and precious promises you might be partakers of the divine nature , that is of holiness of sanctification , that is called the divine nature , having escaped the corruptions that is in the world through lust . by these the soul escapes the corruption that is in the world by lust , and not only escapes the corruption of the world , that is , doth not live so wickedly as others do , but comes to be made partaker of the divine nature through these promises . so that christ is the rest of sanctification , because in him al promises are made , they have a mighty clensing virtue to sanctifie the heart , you would willingly have interest in promises , and have the mercy that the promise holds forth , now as you would have the interest in the promises , and have the mercy that the promises holds forth , so you must labor to feele the efficacy of the promises to clense your hearts and make you partaker of the divine nature . tenthly , christ is sanctification , because in him al the ordinances are effectual , the ordinances are effectual only in christ , christ gave his ordinances unto his church at first , and then they come to be effectual through him , it is not what you come to heare in the word , but how much of christ you have in the word , you come to the sacrament , it is not what you partake of there , but what of christ you get there , it is not what you partake of there , but what of christ you get there , it is christ in the word , sacrament , and prayer , that is the efficacy of al the ordinances , the ordinances are but al as the vehiculum christi , the conveyance of christ unto the soul . and therefore we should when we come to any ordinance think with our selves , what have we of christ , what have we of christ here ? have we met with any thing of christ here ? in the word , prayer , sacraments , hath my heart been drawn neerer to christ in them ? for certain it is , that it is christ , that is the virtue and kernel of al the ordinances . hence it is that those that are acquainted with christ , and have been brought to him , they come to profit more in one month now by the ordinances , then they did in al their lives . before the ordinances were as empty things , and liveless things to you , but in christ they come now to be made effectual . eleventhly , christ is our sanctification , by sending the holy ghost into our hearts , for the holy ghost comes from the father and the son , we can never expect the saving work of the holy ghost , nor the sanctifying worke of the holy ghost , but through christ , for so christ saith in that place in john . . concerning the spirit he saith he wil send his spirit , he shal glorifie me for he shal receive of mine . the spirit , the holy ghost doth receive of christ , when he comes into the heart , therefore if there be any sanctification by the holy ghost , it must be through christ , he must receive of christ , he works from the father and from the son . and therfore the scripture hath that phrase , we are baptised into one spirit , that is by being baptised into christ , having the inward work of baptisme , we are made partakers now of that one spirit , the holy ghost . now such is the excellency of sanctification , as it cannot be wrought by any natural meanes , but it must have the holy ghost to be sent into the heart , and therefore the saints are said to be the temple of the holy ghost . now what ever worke of the holy ghost there is required for sanctification that must be in and through christ , and from christ . the holy ghost never comes to sanctifie any , but the members of jesus christ , for he is the spirit of christ , as wel as of the father , and never comes to any but to the members of christ in this work of sanctification . there are some common gifts of gods spirit , that the heathens have , but for this gift of true holiness it is only in the members of christ , that the holy ghost doth come into . lastly , christ is our sanctification by his kingly power , swaying his scepter in our hearts , and ruling there , subduing our lusts as a king subdues rebels , and walking and governing the hearts of his people . christ doth exercise a kingly power when any soul doth beleeve , when christ comes into any heart , he comes into the heart to exercise a kingly power there , to set up his throne in a kingly manner , and by this he comes to sanctifie the heart , and give rest . and , as in a kingdom , there are mutinies , seditions , and the like , so in the hearts of sinners , there are mutinies and seditions , even against god himselfe . but now , whenas the king sends forth power , that very power prevailes against al things , if it prevail in a way of justice , al things are brought into right and due order again : so here , when christ comes into the heart as king of righeousness , and then as king of peace , hereby he comes to bring rest and quiet unto the heart by his kingly power . carnal hearts , they think , that the kingly power of christ would be a disturbance to christians , but certainly , the government of christ in the heart brings the only rest and quiet unto the soul . now these and several other particulars might be named , but joyning these with the other that went before , you may see , how christ is res●●nto the soul in sanctification , and thus we have done with that particular . chap. xli . six consequences from the former doctrine . i. the difference between beleevers and the state in adam . ii. we see the difference between civility and true holiness . iii. we see the reason why so many vowes and covenants to live holily come to nothing . iiii. it is impossible for any to be a member of christ , and not be holy . v. be not hindred from comming to christ , albeit you have not so much holiness as you desire . vi. hence we learne how to vnderstand christ aright . now there are divers consequences that flow from hence . as , i. hence we may see the difference between the condition of beleevers now , and that in adam , and we may see that beleevers are in a better condition then adam was why ? because the image of god in which adam was made , it may be said to be natural , that is , that onely comes from god the creator , from him making him a creature , and giving him the perfection that was sutable to the nature of a rational creature , there was al the holiness that adam had . al the holiness and righteousness that was in adam , was but only that that was suitable unto a rational creature in such a condition , and when he had it , then he was to trade , as it were , with that stock himselfe , and to live by the stock that god gave him at first , only a general concourse of gods providence there was , so long as he did continue to obey god , that gods providence should go along with him , and uphold him in his estate , and this was the estate of adam . but now the holiness and righteousness that the saints have , comes from another principle , it comes not from god as creator meerly , but from god through a mediator , from god through his son , it comes through christ and it is a partaking of the spirit of christ , and of the father , and the holy ghost in christ . we do not read of such a kind of work in adam , only the text faith , the lord made him according to his own image , but that he should have his holiness through union of the second person in trinity , and through the spirit that is sent into him by the father and the son , and to be made a temple of the holy ghost we read not . he had the principle of holiness to be in himself , but we have our principle of holiness in christ stil , we are not trusted with our holiness though holiness be conveyed to beleevers , yet they are not be trusted with the principle of their holiness , but it is in christ stil . but adam was not so , adam so long as he stood god would go on with a concourse of his providence with him , but god never made such a covenant with adam , that he should have a principle of holiness laid up in his son and that by faith he should fetch out this principle of holiness . i wil show you the difference between the state of adam and a beleever , by this similitude ; a father puts a stock into his sons hand , but so , as he tels him , here is your portion , i wil give you your portion , go and trade with it aswel as you can , but you are never like to have any further from me , but only what you get by this stock : this was the state of adam , god gave adam a stock of holiness , a stock of righteousness at first , and bid adam trade with it and that that he should have to live upon should be that that he got by that stock , and that 's al. but now it is true , we have al lost that stock , and turned banckrupt , now god is pleased to set up some of mankind again , there are others that must perish eternally , and be cast into prison , and there rot in prison eternally , but to some god is pleased to give another stock , yet so , that he wil not trust them with it wholly , but thus , he gives them grace , and bids them go and trade with it , but so as he gives them it by little and little , and reserves the maine stock in his sons hand , and saith , go and trade with this , and as you want come to christ , if you have any losses in your trade come to my son , and you shall have it made up again , you must give account to my son every day . and now one that is set up and hath a little stock , but so that he must give account to his father every day , and then he being faithful though he have losses he wil make up his loss , and such a course is taken as he shal never break again , for he shal have a continual supply in his fathers hands , or unkles hands , or freinds hand , and this is the case of beleevers , though it is true , they are not made so perfectly holy as adam was ; we have not so great a stock as adam , but our stock is better , for together with our stock of holiness we have a supply from jesus christ , and that we have shal be taken care of by him , that we shall not loose what we have , and if there be the least impairing of what we have , he will make it up again . so that our holiness comes now from another stock , is upheld by another principle then then ever adams was , and this is the reason why the saints never fal as adam did , because the holiness that they have can never decay , they can never turn banckrupt so as adam did , but they have the principle from christ , the water of life that shal flow into their hearts from christ eternally . ii. another consequent that follows from our rest in our sanctification in christ is this , hence we see the difference between civility , or morality , and true holiness , true sanctification , you have heard , i suppose , ministers speak of civil men , and men that have meer morality , and live civilly , i make no question but you have wondred what they have meant , what is this morallity ? we hear ministers speak of morral men , such a one is a good morral man , or such a one is a civil man , what would they have more ? would they not have men civil ? do they not live inoffensively ? pay every one their own , they do no wrong , they come to church and serve god , what would they have more ? and yet we hear ministers say , this is not enough , to be civil , and not to live in scandalous sins as others do , this is not enough . now it is true , this is not enough , and by that which you have heard out of this point , you may discern that it is not enough , and that there is more required then so , and by this you may know the difference between your civil and moral man , and those that have true holiness and sanctification . your civil man and moral man , he hath restraining grace , that keeps in his corruption , and what he doth it is through strength of reason , he sees in reason that to live in such a wicked course as others do , to lie , swear , drink , be unclean , cheat and cozen , the light of nature teacheth that this is a sin . and so the heathen , the moral philosophers , that is , those that by the light of nature saw the evil of such notorious vices , and saw what the rules of nature were for the guiding of their manners . so i say your civil men , they have improved somwhat of the light of nature , they see by the light of nature that they must not live in such and such sins as others do , and it is better to live justly , yea , and to be bountiful to the poor , many reach so far , i but all this goes no further then the common light of nature , then the prudence and reason of a man as a rational creature may carry him to . quest . you will say what is more ? answ . this is more , there must be sanctification of the heart through the mediation of jesus christ , there must be a principle of grace that must come into the heart , as a fruite of the second covenant that god hath made with sinners in jesus christ , through the mistical union that the soul hath with jesus christ , this is higher . now when a soul comes beyond civillity , it is wrought upon by god after this manner . i come now to see the breach that there is between god and my soul , what my estate is by nature , that i am a child of wrath , i am dead in sins and trespasses , though i have not lived so wickedly as such and such have done , yet i see my self a child of wrath , and an heir of hell and death notwithstanding all that i have done . and i see that only through the blessed mediation of jesus christ this breach is made up , and i can only have union with god through him , and his spirit of sanctification that must come to my soul , through the covenant of the gospel , i must have my heart raised up to god in an other manner , not only to live civilly but holily , to have the image of god renewed in me through the spirit of christ , and so to live the life of christ , and feel continual supply to come to my heart through christ , to feed upon the promises through the covenant of grace , and thereby to have my heart quickned more and more , and to perfect my holiness in the fear of god through the promises of the gospel , this is more then the civil and meer morral man can come unto . your civil man is known , first , in this , that what he doth is meerly according to common prudence and light of nature . secondly , the cheif of his religion it is in negatives , that he is not so bad as other men . and thirdly , if he have any thing positive , it is but in outward actions , serving of god , but as for being acquainted with the mystery of godliness , and power of holyness , of the necessity of a mediator , of the need of continual supply of grace from jesus christ , this he seeth not . and further , this civil man he is not burdened with corruption , with the remainer of corruption , but thinkes himself in a very good condition . indeed he saith , he must be saved by jesus christ , but i put this to any civil man in the world , what need doest thou find of jesus christ for thy sanctification ? art thou so burdened with those inward corruptions in thy spirit , that the world can take no notice of ? and dost thou goe groaning under thy corruption , so as to see the need of the mediation of jesus christ , a supply of the spirit of jesus christ to help thee against thy corruption , and sanctify thy heart , this thou art not acquainted withal , this is a point above thee , and therefore in this point we come to see the difference between civility and true holiness . we come to see by this , that godliness and holiness it is a mystery . the scripture speakes of a mystery of godliness , and of the power of godliness , and godliness is therefore powerful , because it is a mystery . if we must have our holiness from christ as a mediator that christ is first filled wsth holiness , and our soules by faith must draw our holiness from him , then certainly godliness is a mistery , the godliness that must save soules is a mystery , beyond that which ordinary men of the world understand . few understand what is the way of god in conveyance of grace unto the soules of those that he intends eternal life unto . the way of god in conveyance of grace unto the soul , is not this , in giving you reason to understand that such and such things are naught , and therefore for your own ease and quiet in the world you must live civilly , but the way of god is to reveal his son to you , and reveale a necessity of union with christ , to be made a member of him , and to draw virtue from him as from a head , and to see a fountain of life from him flowing into thy heart continually , so as to repaire to jesus christ the second person in trinity , made man for thy soul . i say , to repair to him as the fountain of al grace to be conveied from him unto the soul , here is the mistery of holiness that is beyond al the civility and morality in the world . oh that you did but by this point understand somewhat of the mistery of godliness and that it might cause but some suspicious thoughts in the hearts of those that have lived but civilly and morally , that for many years together it may be have bin good neighbors , pay every one their own and no body can accuse them for wrong , but oh that they would bethink themselves , wel , i have lived thus and thus long , but hath my soul bin acquainted with the mystery of the gospel , to fetch virtue from christ as a mediator ? and have i a stock of grace from him to trade by , that what i trade by i have from him ? have i found the burden of my inward corruption ? and have i got ease and rest by virtue of the promises of the gospel ? and have i searched into the covenant of grace , and found there promises to convey comfort unto my soul ? hath my heart been exercised after this manner ? certainly , if thou hast not , thou knowest not what the way of the gospel is , what an evangelical life is , what is a true evangelical life . when the soul is inabled to live upon christ , that thou feelest thy heart live upon christ , sucking and drawing virtue from christ , for the mortifying of thy corruptions and quickning thy heart in the way of holiness , this is a true evangelical life , and that is another consequence drawn from this , that godliness is a mystery , and beyond civility and morality . iii. another consequence that may be drawn is this : hence then we may see the reason that many people , their vowes and covenants to live better then they have done , doth so often come to nothing ; our sanctification is in christ , our overcoming of corruption it is by virtue of christ , then from hence , i say , we see plainly the reason , why the vowes and covenants of so many people , that do promise in the time of their sickness , or when they are in any danger at sea to live better . oh , say they , if ever god restore us , they wil never live as they have done , they wil live better then heretofore they have done , and though they do not speake thus for the present to deceive people , but speake what they do intend , their hearts are fully resolved to leave their sins , and to live better , yet when they are restored they live as before , when they come to land , whatever promise they made at sea yet they live as before . what is the reason of this ? because they are not acquainted with the mistery of godliness , they know not how to fetch strength from christ to inable them to keep their resolutions , they do not know where the stock of grace lies . they depend upon their owne resolutions and promises , they do not see the strength that should come from christ , and hence it is that al their vowes and covenants come to nothing . as we reade of sampson , he said , after his strength was gone from him , that he would go forth as before , but the lord was departed from him : so you think , if god restore you , you wil live better , and overcome your corruptions , you wil not live as before , i but the strength of christ is not with you , you do not know that the strength of christ is departed from you . adam had grace from god as the creator , it is not for us to pray to god for grace as creator of al things , but we must seeke god in christ , and see how the fulness of al the godhead dwels bodily in him , and so we come to have strength against our corruptions . i remember a german divine writing to his friend , professeth that before he understood the way of the gospel , he had vowed and covenanted a thousand times against some sins , and could never overcome them , but after the lord revealed to him the way of the gospel , that al strength comes in by exercising faith in christ , and seeing the father giving his son to supply al grace , and exercising faith in the covenant of grace , he found strength against his corruptions , so that he was able very comfortably to walk with god in the wayes of holiness . so christians that understand the way the gospel wil find abundance of power against their corruptions , more then they did with al their striving and paines taking before ; though we should strive and take al paines we can , yet we must know that this wil not do it , without the exercise of faith in christ , for the helping of us against our corruptions . iiii. from hence followes also , that it is impossible any should be a member of christ , but he must needs be holy , because christ is our sanctification , christ is filled ful of holiness , that holiness might be conveyed to his members ; therefore those that have yet their lusts in the strength of them , that have not the rest of sanctification in some measure , surely the spirit of christ is not in them these cannot stand together , to be a member of christ , and yet to walk in filthiness , these cannot stand together . for christ is the great prophet that teacheth , and the great king of his church to governe , and certainly whatsoever is brought to him , must be taught of him , and governed by him , it is impossible to have communion with the fountain of al holyness , and yet for al that to live under the power of sin , this cannot be . v. from hence followes likewise , that for any to be hindred in their comming to christ , because they have not that measure of holiness that they desire , this is a great temptation for any soul that sees the want of grace , the want of sanctification , and labors under the burden of corruption , for any such soule to be hindered in the coming of it unto christ , because it hath not what grace it doth desire , this is a very strong and a dangerous temptation of the devil , which we are to take heed of . it is a most irrational temptation , and yet this is that that many poor souls are troubled withal , they think thus , when we exhort them to come to christ , alas , what should i do , poor creature , i am so vild , i have such a wicked and sinful heart , how should i come to him ? were i thus and thus , had i power over my corruptions as others have , then i could be bold to come to christ . now what a temptation is this ? christ saith , come and i wil give you rest , you say , if i had rest i would come . christ is the fountain of al holiness , therefore to be kept off from christ , because i want holiness , is a very great temptation ; it is the work of the divel , should i be kept off from christ for want of holiness , when christ is appointed by god the father to convey holiness unto the heart , to renew the image of god in mee , and to draw it more beautifully then ever it was before ? remember the point you have heard , that christ is our sanctification and al holiness comes from him , therefore surely my want of holiness shal not drive him from me ; but draw me to him . let me not say as peter , master depart from me , for i am a sinful man , the truth is he should rather have said , master , come to me , for i am a sinful man. so many poor soules wil say . lord , i cannot come to christ , because i am so sinful , thou shouldest come to him the rather because thou art so sinful . vi. from hence we learne how to understand christ aright , and how to beleeve in christ aright ; some people , they understand christ only as a savior , that they must be pardoned by christ , and saved by him , and delivered from hel by him , but you must understand him to be sanctification to you also , you must trust in christ to sanctifie you , as wel as save you , if you understand christ aright , you must understand him to be a sanctifyer , as wel as a savior & if thou beleevest in christ aright , thou beleevest in christ as a sanctifier as wel as a savior ; & thus much of the conseqences , that follow from the rest of sanctification in christ . chap. xlii . containeth an exhortation to come to christ , wherein three hindrances are removed , and six encouragments laid down . first , the vnion between christ and a beleever . secondly , from the great love of christ . thirdly , corruption is the burden of christ as wel as of a sinner . fourthly , he healed the bodies of many , he wil much more the soul . fifthly he knowes what it is to be tempted . sixtly , it is for the honor of the death , resu●rection and life of christ to give holiness . now for the last thing that i propounded , to exhort and draw beleevers to come to christ , and in this i shal endeavour to take away the many hinderances of the soul in comming to christ for sanctification , and also give some incouragements to the heart to come to christ for sanctification . you see , here is the way to get power over corruption , and to get grace , namely to come to christ , yea say you if i knew i were a member of christ , and had interest in christ then i could come to christ for power over my corruption , and for grace , but i am afraid i have no interest in him . . for answer to that , which is the main stop and hinderance of faith , know that if thou hast but a heart to come to him for grace that is as good a signe of thy interest in christ as any signe thou hast , that is as good a signe of evidence of interest , as any thou canst expect . . you must come to him for grace , and if thou hast not interest before , yet thy very comming to him now for grace to help thee against corruption , that very act of thine may give thee interest in christ . what is it that unites thee to christ ? what is it that makes a member of christ ? what is it that gives interest in christ ? it is but the coming to him , as you heard before in the point . quest . is you wil say , if i had a right to him . if thou comest now to christ , to get power over thy corruption , and to get grace , i say , though thou hadst no interest before , this very act may give thee interest in christ , and therefore be not discouraged but come to christ . . wilt thou stay til thou dost find power against thy corruption , before thou wilt come to him , then thou wilt never have power against thy corruption , for you have heard , that it is christ that is the foundation of thy sanctification . and then for incouragements , there are a great many excellent incouragements for poor sinners to come unto christ . first , the consideration of the neere union that there is between christ and us , in regard of his very humane nature . that place in heb. . . is a very notable scripture for our incouragement . for both he that sanctifieth and they that are sanctified are al one , for which cause he is not ashamed to cal them brethren , he that sanctifieth , and those that are sanctified are al one , what is that . that is , christ is of the same nature that thou art , christ hath taken our nature upon him , and the fulness of the godhead doth dwel bodily in him , so that thou mayest goe with the more boldness . he that is thy brother , is not ashamed to be called thy brother , and therefore do not look upon him as at such an infinite distance as thy judge , but looke upon him as thy brother , as one with him . he that sanctifieth , and they that are sanctified are all one , thou and christ together are one body . now what incouragement is here to expect sanctification from christ to overcome corruption because christ and you are made one body , of the same nature , and so neerly united and made one . secondly , consider that if christ did love thee so dearly as to lay down his life for thee , surely he wil never suffer thee to perish in thy corruptions , shall christ come down from heaven , and lay down his life for poor souls , and shall he suffer them to die under their corruptions ? now if a many should be willing to lay down his life for a child and he should come and see the child lie in the dirt , ready to be stifled in the dirt , could he go by and not regard the child ? this is our case , christ hath come and laid down his life for poor sinners , but yet they see themselves ready to be stifled by their corruptions and they cry to him for help , surely christ wil not pass by and let thee lie in thy filthyness , to be stifled in thy corruption when thou wast so dear to him , as to lay down his life for thee . thirdly , another incouragement is this , know , that thy corruptions are the burdens of christ as wel as thy burdens , they are burdens to thy soul , and burdens to jesus christ , and therefore he doth certainly pitty thee under them , and wil help thee . fourthly , if christ had so much pitty as to heal the bodies of poor creatures here in this world , so that there was no diseased body that ever come to him , but he healed them , surely then christ wil heal souls , christ hath more regard to immortal souls then to bodies . fifthly , christ knows what it is to be tempted , for christ had no corruption in him , yet christ knows what it is to be tempted , and christ knows by his own experience what a burden it is to be tempted to sin , and surely christ cannot but know what a burden it is to be overcome with sin . now christ himself had the burden of being tempted unto sin , and christ knows that thy burden is greater then his burden was , and that it is more to be overcome then to be tempted to sin , and therefore he knows how to pitty thee . sixthly , know it is to the honor of the death of christ , the resurrection of christ , and the life of christ , to help thee against thy corruptions , and quicken thee in grace . christ accounts his resurrection and life , to be honored , when he sees the virtue and power of it to be in the hearts of beleevers . wherefore then , if it be to the honor of the death , and resurrection , and life of christ , it may be incouragement to thee to go to him for help against thy corruptions . and this remember when thou art upon duty , and begging for help against thy corruptions , carry this rule with thee . i come to pray against my sins , but together with my prayer , let me act my faith. i come to hear the word , i but together with my hearing , let me act my faith upon christ as mediator to help me against my corruptions . i come to the sacrament , but i come to have communion with christ to help me against my corruptions . oh! act thy faith in the promises of the gospel , through the blessed covenant , and thou shalt find abundance of strength against thy corruption , and rest unto thy soul. chap. xliii . containes the conclusion of the former doctrine of sanctification , with divers directions how to come to christ for holiness . i. be sensible of the want of it . ii. be not satisfied with the ordinances further then you meet with christ . iii. come not so much for comfort and peace as for holiness . iv. be sensible of new supplies . v. converse with christ in the gospel . i shal now only add a word or two for the concluding of this , and so go on to the next rest that is here promised . come to christ for the rest of sanctification , for holiness , for the truth is , there is no true holiness , but that which we have by our coming to christ . the scripture speaks of true holiness , there may be abstaining from many sins , and performance of many duties , but no saving holiness , but that that is had from god through christ as mediator , no true holiness til the soul comes to be acquainted with christ , and have it that way , and the holiness that we have by exercising of faith upon christ as the head of the covenant , that indeed is the mystery of godliness , that is the true godliness , that is godliness in a mystery , which the world is not acquainted with , that is the power of godliness , the powerful holiness that comes by christ . and indeed that is the reason why there is so much strength of grace in the hearts of the saints , because they have it from christ , it is from the spirit of jesus christ that is in him , and christ is the lyon of the tribe of judah , his spirit is a spirit of might . common gifts have not that strength as this holiness that comes from christ hath , the holiness that is from christ , that is the only supernatural holiness , it is that that is the divine nature , whereas that kind of abstaining from sin and performing of duties , that civil men have , and that comes in by common gifts , that is not the divine nature , they have it but in a natural way , what they have is by strength of reason and argument , but that which comes in by the exercise of faith in christ , that is supernatural , that is of a divine nature , and that is aboundant , aboundant is the holiness that the soul comes to have in exercising of faith in christ . in drawing of grace from christ the heart grows more in the way of holiness , it exerciseth much more faith in christ , in a little time , then it did in a long time before , though perhaps those were truly godly before and members of christ yet for want of a right understanding how all grace comes from god through christ , and so drawing of it that way , they did not thrive in the waies of godliness . that text in the of the ephesians and the . is most admirable for this , the apostle praies . that christ might dwel in your hearts by faith , that ye being rooted and grounded in love. there is the strength of grace , when christ dwels in our heart , that you may be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth and length and depth and height , and to know the love of christ which passeth knowledg , that ye might be filled with all the fulness of god. here is the fruite of it , that you might be filled with all the fulness of god , a strange speech , had it not been in scripture who durst have exprest himself thus that by comming to know god in christ , you may come to be filled with all the fulness of god in christ . it were very much to say thus , by knowing god in christ , you may come to have god , that is somwhat , but secondly that you may come to be filled with god , that 's more , but thirdly , that ye may come to be filled with the fulness of god , that is yet more , yea , fourthly , that you may come to be filled with all the fulness of god. what a gradation is here , that shews the admirable use of knowing god in christ . whereas now , other men and women , that onely are taught in their childhood to serve god , they must serve god , and they are restrained from many sins , and they performe duties , they wil pray , and come to heare , but not being acquainted with the mystery of the gospel , and drawing holiness from god through christ , how far are those from having this text made good in their hearts , that is , from being filled with al the fulness of god. whereas afterwards they come to have more cleere understanding of the mistery of godlyness from christ : then they come to enjoy communion with god more then ever they did , whereas before they were strangers to god , now they have communion with him ▪ yea , now they feele gods fulness come more fully into their hearts then before , now they feele a fulness from god , and so come by degrees to be ▪ what is said in this text , to be filled with al the fullness of god. the reason of al the emptiness , scantiness , and barrenness that is in your heart , is for want of understanding , how god hath filled christ with al fulness , from whom wee are to receive grace for grace , and by drawing grace from christ we come to have permanent holiness and lasting holiness , and this indeed is the reason , as heretofore ye have heard , why the grace of the saints endures for ever , and they can never faile , whereas the grace of adam did faile , because the one comes from god through christ , and the other did not , that did not come from god through a mediator so as this did , and therefore this is permanent and the other is not . but of that i spake before , only we bring it in now , as a further motive to make us seek for holiness in jesus christ , this rest of sanctification . some rules i wil briefly propound by way of direction as helps in seeking of grace and sanctification in christ . as , first , labor to get a sence of your want of holiness and of your need of christ for it . secondly , in the exercising of your selves in the ordinances , be not satisfied with the ordinances , any further then you meet with christ , be not satisfied with a prayer , or with hearing , but think with your selves , what have i of christ here , that i told you in the opening of the point , how christ was the sanctification of the heart , because the blessing of al the ordinances is by having christ there . there are two or three things more that i would commend unto you . the first , is this , in seeking christ do not come so much for enlargement , for comfort , for peace , as for sanctification , you seek your peace for holiness , rather then seek holiness for peace , this is a special rule of direction to thrive in seeking for sanctification by christ . many christians , they seek to have christ , but why ? that they might have peace , that they might have comfort , and they make their holiness but subservient to their peace and comfort , they think thus , except i be holy , i cannot have peace , therefore i wil labor for holiness that i might have peace . but a true gracious heart wil rather say thus , the more holiness i have , the more peace i have , and therefore , i wil labor for peace , that i might have holiness , one labors for holiness , that he might have peace , and the other labors for peace , that he might have holiness , now those christians that labor rather for peace , that they might have holiness , wil more thrive then the other , that labors for holiness , that they might have peace . it is true indeed , it is one good motion to labor for holiness , because it wil bring peace , i but it is a stronger motive , to labor for peace that we might have holiness therefore when we seeke to christ , we should seeke rather for holiness and sanctification from christ , then that we might have peace . would you know the reasons you say , you tel us that christ is our sanctification , but we have not found such sanctification from christ to increase holiness ; but what is the reason ? you have exercised your faith upon christ mainly that you might have peace , that you might have enlargement and comfort as others have , and that is the reason that your holiness is scant , if you had exercised your faith in christ that you might have holiness , then you might have had more peace . saith christ , be it unto thee according to thy faith , so in this case , christ saith to every beleever , be it according to thy faith , according to what you exercise your faith , so be it unto you . as , do you exercise your faith for peace and comfort , and mainly for that ? you have some peace and comfort , but you shal not have so much holiness : but do you exercise your faith for holiness most ? then you shal have most holiness . now certainly a true christian prizeth holiness rather than peace , and i know no surer argument for the truth of grace , and the difference between an hipocrite , and one that hath true grace , than this , the hipocrite would have holiness that he might have peace , i but the true beleever would have peace , that his peace might increase his holiness . secondly , another rule is this , though christ doth give in grace , increase of sanctification and holiness , yet do not depend upon what christ gives in for the present , but stil keep thy heart sensible of the need of new supplies . there is many christians , when they have been at duty , and have exercised faith upon christ for this rest of sanctification , and have got somewhat , some enlargement , and some quickening of spirit , and some resolution in the way of god , here they rest , and now they think they are wel , they think to live upon this stock a great while . but now we are to pray for our daily bread , and to depend upon christ for new supplies of grace and holiness , every day , every moment , according to every worke that we are set about , to go to christ for new supplies , as if we had nothing at al given us before , and christ wil be wel pleased with this , that though we have never so much grace , yet to go to him to renew our faith , as if we had none at all , that i● , as strongly ; i do not mean that we should apprehend that we have none at all , but as strongly and eagerly to exercise faith upon christ for new supply of holiness , as if we had none at all , and indeed those that seem to have none , exercise faith in christ most . thirdly , for conclusion of all , take this as a rule , those christians that do most converse with jesus christ in the blessed way of the gospel , those will increase most in grace , and they have this by way of sanctification : i wil give you but only that one scripture , in way of allusion to apply it to this , in acts , . now when they saw the boldness of peter and john , and perceived they were unlearned and ignorant men , they marvelled , and they took knowledg of them that they had been with jesus . peter and john , had much boldness , they had strength of grace , they had much boldness notwithstanding all their opposition . but how came they by it , they were unlearned men , ignorant men , poor weak men in regard of their naturals , and yet they had got aboundance of grace , so as to make their profession of christ with boldness , notwithstanding all the rage of their potent adversaries , and the people wondred how they could get such strength as they had , but saith the text , they took knowledg of them , that they had been with jesus . it was that that did so raise their spirits , it was that quickned them , and inlarged their hearts so much with grace that they had been with jesus , that they had conversed boldly with christ . now i would apply this in a spiritual sence , that as peter and john did grow to that height and strength of grace by conversing bodily with christ , much more may christians grow to a height , strength and fulness of grace by much converse with jesus christ . converse with christ in a way of faith , and that will mightily enlarge thy heart in grace . and the truth is , when you see any christian , that perhaps his natural parts may be but weak , but yet you see him grow in grace mightily , he hath a mighty large heart for god , and hath much spirit in prayer , and his conversation is very holy and convincing , you may conclude this man and this woman to have been with jesus christ , that is , converst much with jesus christ . would you know whence it is that you see many poor christians not long since , how they have grown in holiness , and you think they have got a great deal more than you have got , they can depend upon god more , and can rejoyce in tribulation more , and they have more spiritualness , and more savor in their conversation , and find a great deal more sweetness in the waies of god than you , whence is it ? their means perhaps is not more , their outward means , their parts in nature is not more , whence grows it then ? would you know whence ? they have been with jesus , they converse much with christ , and you may have it too . the reason why you have been a professor perhaps twenty or thirty years , and you now grow old , and yet perhaps weak still , and it is as much as can be said of you that there is some hope that there is some good in you , but for the seeds and sparks of divine nature that are in others spirits , there is no such matter at all , what is the reason ? because they are not acquainted with this drawing of sanctification from christ by the exercise of faith. wel , thus much shal suffice for this rest , the rest of sanctification , the rest of holiness , that brings abundance of rest unto the heart , according as that encreaseth so doth holiness encrease . chap. xliv . sheweth that a beleever hath rest in christ in all troubles he can meet with in the world , which is laid out in four particulars , . all afflictions are at his disposal . . in him the curse is taken away . . they stand with gods love . . they are measured by god. now we come to the fifth burden : you may remember the fifth burden was , the burden of outward affliction , come to me , saith christ , you that are burdened with the guilt of your sins , you that are burdened with legal performances , you that are burdened with remaining corruption that is in you , come to me and i will give you rest ; now what rest have been from all those you have heard . now lastly , come to me , you that are under the burden of afflictions , for that is a yoak as we opened when we handled the point of being laden , the burden of affliction , bodily afflictions , or spiritual afflictions : come to me , and you shal have rest . now the spiritual afflictions have been spake of much in the handling of the former burden , and yet may be somwhat more afterwards when i shal come to speak about spiritual desertions , those kind of afflictions , that many times are upon christians , and there is rest unto their souls in regard of them . but for the present all that i shall say now is , about outward afflictions , come to me , and you shall have rest , the afflictions of sickness and poverty , and persecution , and dishonor , and trouble here in this world . for we are to know , that there is rest in christ even in regard of this , and abundance of rest . those that are acquainted with the mystery of godliness , and the way of gods grace in christ , though they may meet with much trouble in this world , yet they find abundance of rest of spirit in christ , in regard of those troubles . indeed , christ did not say , come to me , and i will presently free you from all trouble , that you cannot expect , but come to me , and this i will promise you , that you shall have rest in your spirits , your condition may be as troublesome in regard of outward things here in this world as any , but this i wil promise , i will ingage my self for , that you shall have rest unto your souls in all conditions whatsoever that you shall be put into . and is not this a blessed rest ? especially in regard of these times , such times as these , so ful of distractions when men are spoiled of their goods , and persecuted , and still we are afraid every day when all these outward comforts may be wrested from us . this point , perhaps , may be to some more seasonable than to others , what , to tel some of the burden of the law , this is a spiritual thing , and they have no skil of it , to have rest from the trouble of the guilt of sin , this is spiritual , and they have little skil of that , to have rest from the remaining corruption in their hearts this is spiritual still , and they have no skil of that neither . i but now i come to speak of that which all of you will be sensible of , in regard of outward afflictions , i , that is somwhat , that the hearts of all men wil say , it were a good thing to be in christ , to have rest in regard of outward afflictions . now it is the way of god to draw men to his son in their own way , to shew the good that is in his son in that way which themselves are sensible of , and those that are strangers to christ may be sensible of this , as to think , that if that be made out , that is here promised , that indeed i● a blessed thing to be in christ , now that i shal open to you , only i will give you one scripture more for i● , and then proceed to the opening of it . it is in the . of john and the . these things have i spoken to you , that in me ye might have peace , in the world you shal have tribulation , but be of good chear i have overcome the world . this is a ful text , christ foresaw that his disciples should have a great deal of affliction in this world , and this is spoken to them but a little before christs death , a little before christ was to die and go from them , he tels them of a great deal of affliction they should have in the world . but saith christ these things have i spoken , in me ye shal have peace , though ye have trouble in the world , i will not free you from trouble , but i wil give you peace to your souls in those troubles , in me ye shal have peace , though in the world you have trouble , and be of good chear i have overcome the world , though you shall have troubles in the world , yet i will give you rest , for i have overcome the world , and therefore be of good chear , for all the troubles that you shal meet withal , shall not take away the peace of your spirits , the rest of your souls . so that then here the point that now we are to enter upon , is , that in christ there is rest in the midst of all afflictions , of all troubles that we can meet withal in this world . for , first , a beleever coming to christ , must needs have rest whatsoever afflictions he meets withal , for when he is come to christ , he may in him come to know that there is no affliction either doth or can befal him , but is at the dispose of him that is his father , and the father of the lord jesus christ , and is not this a great deal of rest ? to know that what comes unto me , though there be such and such instruments , evil instruments to bring trouble upon my estate , or name , or otherwise , yet i know that all this is by the wise ordering and disposing of that god that is the father of jesus christ , and in him is now my father . were it that you could be all assured of this now , that you should never hence forward , have any loss in your estate , any sickness in your body , any trouble in your family any way , or should have no affliction ever befal you , but it should be at the dispose of your owne father , he should dispose of it , and your father a wise , and loving father ; or take the de●rest friend that ever was in the world , and if i say , you should be made sure of this from heaven that you shal never have any affliction in this world , but it shal be by his dispose , would not this bring rest into your hearts , though you had a disquiet heart before ? would there not be a great deal of calme , quiet , and rest upon your spirits ? i make no question , but if such a voice should come from heaven , and you should know it were a voice from heaven , and not a delusion , saying , be of good comfort , you that are so troubled , for feare of losse and outward afflictions , be of good comfort , thou shalt never have any one minute of an hour of trouble and affliction more than thy tender father or mother shal be willing unto , would not this give rest and quiet unto thy spirit ? certainly , hadst thou faith to know , that al comes from thy father in christ , for when we are come to him he is our father in christ , and al that comes to us is from him through christ , thou couldst not but have rest and peace . secondly , by comming to christ , there is rest from outward afflictions , for in him there is the taking away of the curse ▪ it is christ that hath taken away the curse of al afflictions , and therefore there must needs be rest unto the soul t●rough christ . faith in christ ●eacheth beleevers to worme afflictions ( as i may so say ) to worm them , that is to get out the worm that is there . the trouble that eates the heart in affliction , it is the worm of the curse , for al afflictions are part of the curse in themselves , in their owne nature , as they come unto us , if out of christ , i say , they are part of the curse . now the main trouble and burden of an affliction , it is the curse the secret curse that is in them , but now , when thou art come to christ , though the outward bulk of affliction may be as big as it was before , yet the curse shal be taken away , the worm , the trouble that did eat thy heart ▪ that shal be taken away , and therefore there must be rest in that way . suppose there were a snake that should wind about thine arm , that would affright thee ; but if thou didst come to know certainly , that the sting were taken out , thou wouldest be quiet if thou wert a wise man , though perhaps a child , or a weak woman , might be affrighted , but a wise man , that understands what he doth if he knew that the sting is out , would not be affraid , now know o thou beleever , that upon thy comming to christ the sting of al affliction is taken out , there is nothing of the sting in it . affliction may make a noise , as the bee doth when the sting is out , though there were never so many bees about your eares , if you knew the stings were out , you might be quiet . the core of affliction is taken out as soon as thou art come to christ . as some soares in the body do put the body to a great deal of pain , there is some core in a wound , some malignant humor that runs in a wound , that puts a man or woman to a great deal of pain : but now if this core , this malignant humor , be taken out by the chyrurgeon , there wil be ease and rest . so i say by thy coming to christ , the core , the malignant humor of affliction is taken out , the sting , the curse is taken away , and thou must exercise faith for the taking away of this , and the way to exercise faith to take away the sting and core of every affliction is this , to look upon christ under al his afflictions , as being made a curse for thee , for that indeed may trouble , those paines that were upon christ , that were in his body , and the poverty that he endured , and the dishonor that he suffered , there was a curse in them , and christ he takes away the curse by bearing the curse . as you know , when a bee stings , many times it leaves its sting behind it , so the curses of the law , the law came to sting christ , as it were , and left the curse behind it upon him , so that now the curse is removed from beleevers . it is a good observation that one hath about the burnt offering in the law , we read of the burnt offering , that it was to continue burning al night . so now beleevers in the night of their affliction , they should exercise their faith upon christ for burnt offering . oh consider , though thou hast sad nights , sad and very greivous nights , and thou liest tossing and tumbling , canst not sleep , art in pain and trouble , what shal give thee rest ? now if thou couldst but exercise faith in christ , who typified out the burnt offering that was to burn al night , i say , this was typified , that christ is to be looked upon as burning under the wrath of god al the night of thy affliction , to take away gods wrath in thy afflictions , and there 's no such rest as this . perhaps in the time of affliction , sickness , losse of estate , and spoil of goods , there comes one friend , and another , and saith , you must be content , and it is the hand of god , and others are afflicted as wel as you , and it is the portion of gods children , these are some things to quiet the heart . i but these are but poor , cold consolations , to tel them they must be content , and it must be so , and they must endure it , these can never give rest to the soul , except you can put your friend upon exercising of faith in jesus christ , here is the way to comfort your friends when you go to visit them in sickness , loss of estate , or spoiling of goods , to put them upon this , to exercise faith upon christ , that hath born affliction , and by his death hath taken away the curse of al afflictions . it is true , there is a night of affliction now upon you , i but there is christ that is the burnt offering that burnes al night to take away the wrath of god in thy afflictions . there is no such way to worm your affliction , to take away the sting of affliction , as to exercise faith upon christ , in whom the curse of affliction is taken away , and when that is gone , now there is rest to the soul . a sick man that lies tossing and tambling and cannot rest , and is in such distemper in his flesh , and hath such a malignant humor in his body , when the chyru●geon comes and applies any salve to take away that malignant humor , he sayes , when the chyrurgeon comes again , oh sir , now i can rest : and so saith a christian , when he hath been vexed with such and such afflictions , and he hath gone and excercised faith in jesus christ , for he sees he was under the curse of the law , and christ hath taken away the curse of al afflictions , when he hath thus acted faith upon christ , now he can be at rest , and he can say , now i see the sting taken away . as i said in the rest of sanctification , christ was appointed as the brasen serpent was , the great ordinance of god for the healing of them that were stung by the fiery serpents , that if they did but look upon it , they were healed , those that were stung with the fiery serpents , the very looking upon the brasen serpent were healed , it being the ordinante of god appointed for that end . so i may apply it here , those that are stung with affliction , christ is set up as the ordinance , as the brasen serpent to take away the venom of the sting of thy affliction . no question but those that were stung with the fiery serpents , they felt an intolerable pain , and when they looked upon the brasen serpent , they had rest , and they could say , now i have ease , now i have rest ; so the curse of god in affliction is the venom , and those that are ready to rave , and are almost mad in affliction , and are so extreamly discontented , it is to be suspected concerning them , that the curse of god is upon them . but now another that is under as great an affliction as thou art , can lie sweetly , and contentfully , and blessing god under any affliction , thou wonderst at it that he can lie so joyfull , blessing of god under so much affliction , the lord hath taught him a way to worm his affliction , the lord hath taught him a way to deliver his soul from the curse of the affliction , the curse is gone and he by exercising faith upon christ hath comfort in removing of the curse , and this gives him rest in time of affliction . thirdly , come to christ and thou shalt have rest in thy affliction , because that then not only the curse shal be removed , but there shal be this blessing upon it , that there is no affliction shal befal thee ; but such as may stand with gods love , yea , such as shal come out of gods love , and from gods love , love shal be the great principle , not only of thy affliction , but from thy affliction , to know this , that though there are these and these afflictions upon me , yet i thank god there is no want of gods love upon me , for i would not know any thing of gods love then , if any spiritual judgment were upon me , but these are no other but what may stand with the love of god. yea , but that is not so much , that they may possibly stand with the love of god , but this , that they come out of gods love , and come from gods love , they come as really from the love of god , as any thing that thou dost injoy in this world . thou thinkest , if thou hast a prosperous voyage , that god loves thee , if thou beest recovered out of an affliction that god loves thee , but i say , that the lords bringing thee into affliction , may stand with greater love to thee than deliverance out of affliction to another . the afflictions that are upon the saints now , they do not come out of revenge , as they do upon the wicked , the same , affliction that comes from the principle of love to thee , may come from the principle of hatred to another , and although therfore in the outward view they be the same yet they are infinitely different in the principle . it is not so much what we see , or what wee feel , but from whence that comes that we see or feel , and indeed , a gracious heart is ever sollicitous about the principles of those things that do befal it , if it be an outward mercy , i but , what is the root of it ? is the root of it the love of christ to my soul ? there is an affliction upon me , but what is the root of it ? is the root of it gods displeasure , gods wrath , gods hatred ? oh that were dreadful . although the affliction were vast , if there were a hundred temptations , if the root of it were gods displeasure , oh that were terrible : i but then when he shal come to know that the root of it were not from gods wrath , but his love , that is joyful . you wil say , doth not god sometimes chastise his people for their sins ? what if the affliction comes to me for my sin , can i have rest then ? it is true , if the affliction come to me for my tryal , then the root may be from his love , but i have sinned against god , i have abused my estate , my conscience tels me , i have not honored god with my estate and therefore the lord hath taken it from me , and spoiled me of al , and can i look upon this as the root of gods love ? now to that i answer , though this be a certain thing , and will and must hold , notwithstanding all the late , wanton conceits of men , and all the vanities of their thoughts which shal come to nothing , yet this shal hold , that god doth chastise his people for sins and offences , that is not a part for me to enter upon , yet stil it holds forth this , that at that time when god chastiseth for sin , at that time their afflictions come out of love , from a principle of love , even when god chastiseth them for their sins . but you wil say , hath not christ suffered ? this derogates from the sufferings of christ , when he hath suffered . for this , it is true , christ hath suffered , and so hath swallowed up al gods revenging wrath , and the curse , i but , doth gods wrath hinder me from having the fruit of gods love. you wil say , it comes from love , therefore god chastiseth not for sin , no ? why all gods revenging wrath may be gone , and yet god may chastise for sin and chastise out of love too , at the same instant . you know it is said of zachary , because he did not beleeve , the scripture saith in luke , . for this cause thou shalt be dumb , for this cause , because thou didst not beleeve : and so , therefore , because of their sin they may be chastised . cannot a father chastise his child and yet do it out of love ? not only it may stand with his love , but because of love ; he would not meddle with him , but let him go , if he did not love him . certainly , affliction may come out of love , though for sin , but for god not at all to chastise them , would be an argument of hatred , therefore for him to chastise is an argument of love rather than hatred . if ye be not chastised , you are bastards and not sons , so that you are to look upon him , though god be displeased , yet stil it is out of love . these two may stand together , he may be displeased with thy sin and with thee , and yet he may love thee in the very act wherein he manifests his displeasure against thy sin , and he may manifest his displeasure against thee and against thy sin out of love to thee . and therefore the people of god may have rest in all their afflictions , because it is out of love. here is an affliction , but from whence doth it come ? it comes from love , now i am at rest . if thou canst exercise faith in christ in thy affliction , that i know that through christ god loves me , and this is the efficacy of the merit of christ , that in al thy afflictions thou shouldst injoy the love of god , this wil give rest unto thy soul , and until this be , al the arguments in the world will never do it . come to those that are afflicted and seek to pacifie and quiet them with any argument in the world , it will not do it , until they exercise faith upon christ , and that makes them to know , here is the love of god to my soul in this affliction , and then it is no matter whether i be in prosperity or adversity . if god give me an estate there is love in that , if he take it away , there is love in that , if he give me health , there is love in that , if he cast me into sickness , there is love in that , and this indeed is the great mystery of godliness , that the heathens were not acquainted with this mystery of godliness . fourthly , we have rest in all afflictions through christ , because in his merit it is that al afflictions are proportioned both for the time of coming , and the time of continuing , and the measure and the manner of them , they are proportioned by the infinite wisdome of god for the good of a beleever , god proportions all so as shal be suitable to the condition that thou art in . as a wise physitian knows the ful condition of thee that art his patient at all times , therefore he doth weigh every dram , and take care that there be not one drop put into thy cup that he gives thee to drink , more than shal suit with thy condition , for thy good , and takes care it shal be given at a seasonable time , and that it shall not abide one moment longer than it hath wrought out the corruption , wrought out evil , and brought good unto thee , now this is a mighty rest unto thy spirit . if so be a patient is to deal with a physitian that is learned , and wise , and experienced , that i know he understands the state of my body , to the ful , to a hair in every thing , and i know that what he gives he is very careful about , and what he gives he doth it himself , doth not trust the apothecary , but goes himself and sees how many drams is put into it , and hath it weighed before his face , trusts not others but weighs it himself , and so observes every circumstance that is suitable to his patient ; now would not this be quietness unto thee ? perhaps the potion may be bitter , but if thou knowest that it comes from the hand of such a physitian , that is thus careful , and thus skilful , and thus experienced , this causeth rest and quietness in thy spirit . so truly , by the eye of faith thou mayst behold god ; though god useth creatures as instruments , yet the lord will not trust them , but stands by and looks upon every dram that is put into the cup. if a man should give that which is poysonous or ratsbane to a dog , he cares not how he gives it : but now if there should any venemous thing be put into physick , then the physitian needs to look to every dram , that it be proportionable to the state of the body . so i say , when god distributes his afflictions to the wicked he cares not for any proportion , he cares not for doing them good by it . but now when he comes to beleevers in christ , god is careful to proportion every dram , for the time of it , that it shal come but just when god would have it , and continue not one moment longer than god would have it . that scripture is enough to quiet the soul in regard of any affliction , which you have in peter . . wherein ye rejoyce , though now for a season , if need require , ye are in heaviness through manifold temptations . though now for a season , for a little time now , so the words are , though for a little time now , it is but now and it is but a little time , and then too if need be , mark what a blessed parenthesis this is , it is worth gold , this very parenthesis is , wherein ye greatly rejoyce , though now for a season you are in heaviness , it will not be much it shal be but for a little time , and that if need be , as if god should say , were there not need , you should not be for one instant of time in heaviness , this is that you must learn from this scripture . would it not be rest to your soul if you could hear god out of his word this day , speak to every one of you , and say , did not i see th●re was need , you should never have any minute of sickness in all your life , this were enough to give rest unto the soul , and though there be need , it is but for now , for a little time . i do not find in the original that the word signifies season , but a little now , and if need be , so that you shall not be in heaviness , no not for a little now , unless there be need , this is a great deal of rest . chap. xlv . the rest beleevers have from christ in outward afflictions discovered in four particulars more . . they shall be to good ends . . they shal be sanctified to the good of beleevers . . god is present with his people in christ . . there is abundance of present good in affliction . fifthly , come to me , saith christ , and you shal have rest in your affliction , for your afflictions shall have very good ends , god will never bring affliction upon you , but he wil have gracious ends that he will aim at in your affliction . god hath somwhat in his eye that he aimes at more than you imagine , and the thoughts of this may bring a great deal of rest unto the soul , we cannot alwaies understand what those particular ends are that god hath in the tryal of his people , but we must satisfie our spirits in this , certainly god hath very gracious ends , what a great deal of trouble is there now in the nation , how many godly people are spoiled of their goods , and wounded and made havock of , we think it is nothing but the rage of wicked men , certainly , god hath gracious ends in it , and god is about to bring to pass some glorious thing , though we cannot understand it now , it is only one that is acquainted with the mind of christ that can be satisfied with this that when god brings tryalls he hath glorious ends to bring about , and why should not i be willing to be serviceable to gods ends , to those great ends that god hath to bring about ? wherefore was i made and brought into the world , but only that god may serve himself of me , and therefore if god hath need of my affliction as i may so speak , why may not i be quiet in my affliction , for my affliction may be serviceable to god. now this is that i profess , that i may be serviceable to god and his ends , now if thy heart be right in this , that thou wouldst be serviceable to god and his e●ds , then thou must not choose the way how god shal fetch about his waies and ends upon thee . somtimes god may serve his own ends in thy prosperity , i but at other times he wil serve himself in thy affliction : now if thy heart be gracious indeed , thou wilt be as willing that god may fetch about his praise in thy affliction , as in thy prosperity , in this a gracious heart rejoyceth . now if thy heart be right in this , then if god take away thy estate and bring thee into affliction thou mayst be quiet in this that god wil be served by my wants , and bring about his ends that way , though thou mayst think that god may be better served by thy prosperity then by thy affliction , i but know this , that god hath glorious ends to bring about , and must have his people suffer to bring about those ends , and therefore this may cause rest and quiet of spirit . sixthly , come to me , saith christ , you shal have rest in trouble and affliction , for not only you shal be serviceable to god for his ends , but al your afflictions shal be sanctified for your own good to you , god intends it and you shal have a sanctified use in them and this is more then removing the curse , the sanctified use notes a mighty operation of god in the affliction to fetch out good unto thy soul. now this were a large thing , to shew what is the sanctified use of affliction , the purging out of corruption , the quickening of grace , yea , if it were but the tryal of grace , it were enough to bring quiet to the soul , for the scripture saith , the tryal of faith is more precious then gold , the tryal of grace , the exercise of grace , if it were but the exercise of the grace of faith that thou art put upon in thy affliction , there may be more good to thee in that then thou canst imagine . there is more excellency in the exercise of any one grace , but especially in the exercise of faith , then in all prosperity in the world , if god should give thee a kingdome it may be thou hast lost thy land , thy house , and goods , i but god hath put thee upon the exercise of faith now more then ever . now know that the exercise of one grace is more then a kingdome to thee , better then all the prosperity in the world , thy friends may come and tell thee this and that , i but dost thou feel thy affliction sanctified to thy soul ? dost thou feel thy heart drawn nearer to god ? dost thou find the discovering of thy heart more , and the purging out thy corruption more , and thy heart quickned in the waies of god more ? this wil bring rest unto thy soul , for you have heard , sanctification is rest unto the soul , therefore sanctification of afflictions unto the soul , must needs bring rest unto it . seventhly , god is with his people in time of affliction by christ , thou hast the presence i say of god in thy affliction , gods gracious presence is only in his son , no man comes unto the father but by the son , it is true both waies , as no man comes to the father but by christ , so the father comes to no man in a gracious way but by christ , now gods gracious presence wil be with them in his son. i will be with thee in the fire and in the water , that is enough for the soul to rest upon , that god wil be with them in the fire and in the water , in isa . . . when thou passest through the water i wil be with thee , and through the flouds they shal not overflow thee , when thou walkest through the fire thou shalt not be burnt , neither shal the flame kindle upon thee , for i am the lord thy god the holy one of israel thy savior . i wil be with thee saith god , so that there is gods presence to support them , now as ye heard al the promises are yea and amen in christ , in christ they are al made good , so that rest in affliction comes by christ . as now in sickness , art thou in sickness , see what rest there is in christ in time of sickness , in psalm , . . the lord , wil strengthen him upon his bed of sorrow , thou hast made all his bed in his sickness , surely then thou wilt lie soft , thou shalt have rest there . many poor sick people complain they cannot rest , they cannot lie soft , their bed is not made well , their bed is not made easie , high in one place , and low in another , now here is a promise that god wil make the bed of his people in the day of their sickness , in the day of their trouble , what an expression is here of gods love ; that we may know how god tenders his people ? and though it be but a hard bed , a flock bed , a bed of straw , you may lie easie if god make it . and here you see in this psalme god promiseth to make the bed of his people , now if you have not rest , it is because you have not been acquainted with the promises , nor not exercised faith upon the promises , such a promise will bring rest unto the soul , when you cannot rest otherwise . and so i might give you scriptures likewise for poverty , the many sweet expressions that we have in scripture for the quieting of the heart in poverty the special regard that god hath to poor people , especially such as are godly who are in poverty . i might name abundance of scriptures , as that , the lord hath chosen the poor to be rich in faith , and the gospel is preached unto the poor . and not many mighty , and noble , but the poor receive the gospel . and in zeph. . . i will leave in the midst of thee , an afflicted and poor people and they shall trust in the name of the lord , the lord hath respect to them , and if thou be godly and poor , thou maist search into scripture and find abundance of expressions to give thee rest . christ was made poor that he might make us rich , doth therefore poverty trouble thee ? consider that christ he was poor , and the poverty of christ it was to make me rich , and all the evil of my poverty is taken away by jesus christ , if poor people would exercise their faith upon the poverty of christ , that he was made poor , for so he saith , though he was the lord of all , yet the foxes had holes and the birds had nests , but he had not whereon to lay his head. christ had not so good a house as any of you , christ had not a cottage to dwel in , but went abroad from one place to another , therefore exercise but thy faith upon the poverty of christ , and that will help thee in thy poverty . and so for dishonor , the scripture is very ful that way too . in matth. . . blessed are ye when men shall speak all manner of evil against you for my names sake . and that in peter , blessed are ye when ye suffer reproach , for the spirit of glory shall rest upon you . now all these promises in time of affliction is made to us in christ , and therefore come to me , saith christ , you shal have the vertue and efficacy of al these promises . indeed carnal hearts , they do not think the promises of the gospel worth any thing , and they think that if they can have no more comfort but that , this is poor comfort , but those that are godly , they know that there is abundance of comfort and sweetness to be had in the promises of the gospel . eightly , the abundance of present good that christ will bring unto the hearts of the saints that shal swallow up all the trouble of affliction , the abundance of present good shall swallow up al the bitter of affliction . as thus , now suppose you have a little vinegar , one drop of vinegar if there were a pinte or quart of the sweetest liquor in the world put into it , could you tast the vinegar ? the tast would be taken away : so now the soul that comes to christ , and exerciseth faith upon him , christ brings in the present good , besides that that it shal have hereafter , the present good that is enough to sweeten all things , and to satisfie the soule . christ sets up such a light in the heart , that such a one hath light in the midst of darkness , though there be darkness round about , yet there is such satisfying contentments in christ , that is enough to overcome all the bitterness that is in the world , such a one though never so afflicted , yet is able to say with david , as before , my soul return unto thy rest . and indeed all afflictions , to those that are beleevers , and have the exercise of faith , i do not speak of all beleevers , one may be a beleever and yet not have rest in affliction , but if he be a beleever and have the exercise of faith , then all afflictions wil be no more , but as if a poor woman were married to a great prince , and had all the nobles about him , and all kind of dainties upon his table , and he should hear the rain rattling upon the tiles , that is in the windy wether abroad , what would this be to hinder the rest of such a ones spirit ? the truth is , had we but the exercise of faith , all outward troubles in the world would be no more to us , no more trouble then this is . if thou wert come to christ , and married to him , and come to sup with him , there would be that satisfaction unto thy soul in christ , that al outward troubles would be no more at all , then the rattling of the rain upon the tiles to such a one that hath al content within dores . you are not yet acquainted with such blessed things that are in christ who are troubled at any thing in the world , certainly the soul that is acquainted with that , will say , it hath enough , let what will become of my estate , of my body , of my house , of my lands , yet i have enough in christ , how have the blessed martyrs cryed out of the fulness of rest in christ ? i remember one german martyr , that suffered much from his enemies , he said , i verely beleeve that there is not a merrier heart in this world then my self . as jacob had more blessed visions when he lay abroad in the night , and laid his head upon the stone ; so the children of god have more visions many times of god in the times of their affliction , their veins are filled with blood , and bones with marrow , al the capacities of their soul is filled with spiritual joy , and that keeps out affliction . as if a man have filled his belly with good chear , and especially if his veines be ful of blood and bones ful of marrow , he can bare hardness the better . so when the soule comes to christ , he fils the veins ful of blood , and bones ful of marrow , i mean thus , he fils al the capacities of the soul with heavenly consolations , and that bares out any trouble or afflictions whatsoever , and thus there is peace and rest unto the soul . chap. xlvi . containeth the conclusion of the last doctrine in the two former chapters , shewing how unbeseeming a thing it is , for a beleever to be troubled in affliction . there might be divers other things named , as by coming to christ there is the spirit of prayer , and so the soul hath rest when it can go and power forth it selfe to god in prayer . but to conclude this . you see by al this , how infinitely unbeseeming it is for a beleever , one that professeth himselfe come to christ , to be troubled in affliction , christ makes this promise , that if he comes to him he shal have rest . surely either thou art not come to christ , or thou hast not exercised faith in christ , either thus , thou chargest thy self for one not come to christ , or one that hath not exercised faith upon christ , or else thou chargest christ with unfaithfulness by thy discontentment . for christ here professeth to the wotld that al that come to him shal have rest , that thou hast not rest , but that a little trouble doth disquiet thee , thou either art not come to christ , or dost not exercise faith , or else thou chargest christ with unfaithfulness , now if thou hast not rest , which way wilt thou have it fal ? oh let it fal upon thy unbeleeving heart , let it fal upon this , that thou dost not renew thy act in comming to christ , for it is not meant of coming to christ at the first , but of renewing the act of coming to christ , and this exhortation belongs to godly men and women , that have already come to christ by faith , i say , it belongs to them to come to christ , come you to christ again and again . now thy disquiet and trouble in time of affliction doth argue , that thou art either no beleever at al , or hast not renewed the act of faith . my brethren , the wayes of many , that we hope are beleevers , are such , as if so be they had no use of faith at al in time of affliction , or as if faith were only of use to save their soules , and not to give rest unto the soul here in this world , or as if it were of no other use , but as a sun dial in a garden , to shew the time of the day when the sun shines , but in stormy cloudy weather , there is no use of it . and dost thou make no more use of thy faith , then of the sun dyal in thy garden , to shew thee how it is with thee in the day of prosperity , but the truth of thy faith should be a dyal , to make thee know how it is between god and thy soul in a cloudy day . and therefore you having now heard , where the rest in regard of outward affliction lies oh , do you repair hither for rest , you vex , and fret , and trouble your selves , why ? because you have not as others , others can have rich tables , fine houses , and accomodations , and al things for their content in this world , but know that now the lord hath presented to you a way how to have rest to your souls in time of poverty , labor to know jesus christ that was made poor for you . there is as plain a way for you to come to christ as for the richest in the world , and christ wil be as ready to entertain you as the richest . it is likely that al your endeavours may come to help you so forward as to make you rich in this world , i but , to give rest in this world , nothing can do it but your coming to christ . and above al , this may serve to help us to lay up against the time of trouble , that however things go in this world yet you may have rest to your soules in christ . chap. xlvii . sheweth that beleevers are often under inward affliction , and spiritual desertions . i shal now speak of the rest that christ gives unto the soul in regard of inward afflictions , those inward afflictions are spiritual desertions , that is , when the lord shal be pleased to absent himself from the souls of his people , and leave them in such darkness of spirit , though they be beleevers , & have interest in christ , yet they may be left for a time by god , so as their spirits wil be extreamly afflicted with sorrow , and feare , and trouble , because of gods absence from them , and indeed , there is no affliction like to this affliction , there is no condition so restless as this condition is . now this is that that every one is not acquainted withal , carnal people think that these afflictions are only conceits , imaginations , and melancholly , but the saints know what these afflictions are , that they are the most real afflictions in the world , these spiritual desertions , for god to withdraw himself from his people . we read of such an affliction that a godly man was much exercised withal , and that was heman that was the penman of the . psalme , you read it in the title , it was a song or psalme for the sons of korah to the cheif musician upon mahalath leannoth , maschil of heman the ezrahite a psalm of heman . now this heman was one of the greatest men exercised with desertions upon the face of the earth . if you read this psalm at your leisure , you shal find ; that though he was a man very godly yet exceedingly exercised with spiritual desertions and afflictions , the lord withdrew the comforts of his spirit from verse the first , saith he , oh lord god of my salvation i have cryed day and night before thee . verse the . my soul is ful of troubles and my life draweth nigh unto the grave . verse the . i am counted with them that go downe into the pit. i am as a man that hath no strength , free among the dead , &c. verse the . thy wrath lieth hard upon me , and thou hast afflicted me with al thy waves . what a strange expression is this of a godly man ? and then there is outward afflictions mingled with spirituall afflictions , verse the . thou hast put my acquaintance far from me , thou hast made me an abomination unto them , i am shut up and i cannot come forth . verse the . my eye mourneth by reason of affliction verse the . but unto thee have i cryed oh lord , and in the morning shal my prayer prevent thee . lord why castest thou off my soul , why hidest thou thy face from mee ? god had hid his face from him verse the . i am afflicted and ready to die from my youth up , while i suffer thy terrors i am distracted . he was acquainted with these spiritual afflictions from his youth up verse the . thy fierce wrath goeth over mee , thy terrors have cut me off . what expressions are here for a godly man ? and when we read this psalme and know it is the psalme of a godly man speaking how greatly he was afflicted , we may be put in mind of that scripture . if the righteous scaresely be saved , where shal the ungodly and the sinner appeare . where shal the sinner appeare , if such a man that was wise , that the spirit of god saith of him ▪ that he was one of the wisest men that lived upon the face of the earth , and yet afflicted , excercised with inward afflictions , the lord hiding his face from him . in . kings . . there the holy ghost speakes of this heman that was thus afflicted , speaking of the wisdom of solomon , it is said , he was wiser then al men , then ethan and heman , &c. so that it appeares by that , that heman was one of the wisest , for else it could not be an argument of solomons wisdom that he was wiser then al men , and that he excelled in wisdom above any other , and yet this man had the terrors of god upon his spirit . therefore let none of you , when god seemes to withdraw himself , and afflict you , say , that your condition is worser then ever any ones was , when any of you have such thoughts as these are , remember the . psalme , and when you think of the great greif , sorrow , and trouble that is upon you , and are ready to think that it is greater then others , then go and read the . psalme . as luther was wont to say when they were in any trouble , go and sing the . psalm . so when you are in trouble , and sorrow , and greif , then say , come let us go and read the . psalm , and remember who was the penner of that psalm , heman , a godly man , and what his condition was , and then thou shalt see that thy condition is not so sad as his was . chap. xlviii . containeth seven directions how a beleever may get rest from christ in spiritual desertions . first , look upon christ as once in the same condition . secondly . look to christ as ful of grace and goodness . thirdly , look to christ as an advocate at the right hand of god. fourthly , look to christ for fulfilling the promise of sending the comforter . fifthly , go to christ as at first in thy conversion . sixthly , keep good thoughts of god. seventhly , resolve never to take rest in any thing else beside christ . well but now though thy condition be as bad as his , yet there is rest in christ to be had for thee , and christ cals thee to come to him that he may give thee rest . i shal not need to spend time in opening what this rest is in christ in this particular , because it is contained in what was said before , as in deliverance from the guilt of sin , the burden of the law , and the remainer of corruption , and the like , those things if they were made good to the soul they might give rest . but now al that i intend to shew shal be , what course the laden sinner must take in this case to have rest in christ , for the soul it is delivered from the guilt of sin , and the wrath of god , though it cannot apprehend the love of god , and the pardon of the guilt of sin , yet it hath it already , but now to help such a deserted soul in this case , that it might begin to have the use of the good that there is to be had in christ , therefore by way of direction to have ease in that greivous condition . first , labor to exercise thy faith upon christ , as one that was once in the same condition in some degree and some measure as thou thy self art in , that is a good way for one that hath spiritual desertions . i say , to look upon christ as one that for the present was in this affliction , for christ was deserted , and this breeds a great deale of rest to the soul in outward afflictions . if one that is in poverty exercise faith upon christ who was poor , as i told you before , the foxes have holes and the birds have nests but the son of man hath not where to lay his head . to exercise faith upon christ as poor , doth help to give ease and rest unto the soul , under the burden of the affliction of poverty ? so when a soul feels the burden and trouble of spiritual desertions the soul should look up to christ as one that was under such desertion , as when he was in the garden , and professeth that his soul was heavy to the very death , and that he began to be amazed with the apprehension of the wrath of god. now when thou art in a combate and strife in thy spirit with temptation , know that christ was in such a combate and strife , he sweat drops of blood . it may be the soul is in combate , and in trouble and gets to prayer , and the soul is in a sweat , remember what a sweat christ was in when god withdrew himself from him , and especially , when he was upon the cross , there he tels you plainly that he was forsaken my god my god why hast thou forsaken mee ? thou thinkest that god hath withdrawn himself from thee , no he wil not withdraw himself from thee so much as from his son in one regard , that is , thou hast not such a dreadful apprehension of gods withdrawing from thee as christ had , for christ would never have cryed out else . my god my god why hast thou forsaken mee ? this was a real thing , christ did not speak at uncertainties , he did feel a withdrawing of the influence , sweetness , and comfort of the lord ; though stil he had union with him by nature and he was his father as before , but the human nature did not feel the influence of the grace , and sweetness , and the shine of the favor of god as at other times , and therefore he cries out , my god , my god , why hast thou forsaken me ? exercise thy faith upon christ as one that was in spiritual desertions . it is true , perhaps that christ did not come to determin himself that he was utterly forsaken as thou dost , but christ was apprehensive of gods withdrawing himself , and therefore this may bring ease and rest unto thy soul , and the rather because that his being so forsaken it was to sanctifie thy being forsaken , it was to take away the curse of those desertions that thou hast in thy self . such desertions as are in any afflictions materially , they are a curse , they are such things as in their own nature are a curse , christ being so forsaken by the father doth take away the curse , that is in spiritual desertions , and there is no such way for the soul that is in spiritual desertions , as to look up to christ , and to consider that christ was forsaken for my sake , christ was forsaken for mee , that i might not be eternally forsaken . so there is these three things in looking up to christ as forsaken . first thou seest that the lord that is the beloved son of god was forsaken , forsaken by god. secondly , here thou maist see the merit of this that it was to sanctifie thy forsaking , that thy forsaking might not be a curse to thee . thirdly , it was that thou mightest not be eternally forsaken by god , so that by exercising of thy faith thus upon him thou maist get a great deal of rest and ease unto thy soul . a carnal heart when he finds this terror of spirit he runs to his company , musick , good chear , and business of the world , but a gracious heart runs to christ , and goes to him that was thus forsaken of the lord for him . secondly , if thou beest under the burden of spiritual desertions , then look up to christ as being such a mediator , as is ful of grace and goodness , there being such a fulness of the grace of god in him , as makes him a sufficient object for the faith of adherence , when he cannot be unto me an object of the faith of evidence . i say , we are to exercise faith upon christ when we are under this burden of spiritual desertions , thus , we are to look upon christ as being the fulness of the godhead , of all the treasure of grace and goodness , having so much of the grace and mercy of god in him , as shal make him a fit object of the faith of adherence , though he is not now to me an object of the faith of evidence . quest . you will say , what is the meaning of that . i mean by the faith of evidence , that i am able to say that christ is mine and i have an argument to perswade my conscience , that he is mine , that is the faith of evidence , but yet there is enough in christ to draw forth the soul to re●t upon him from the faith of adherence , that is thus : though i cannot draw arguments to rely upon christ as mine , yet i wil cleave to him , and adhere to him , i know there is no help but here , and therefore here i will cleave and cling , here now is the faith of adherence . now because there is so much grace in it therefore christ may be a great object of thy faith of adherence , when thou canst not see him to be an object of the faith of evidence , and that is a way to help the soul in time of spiritual desertion . when many poor souls are under spiritual afflictions and desertions , they think of no other faith to rest upon christ , but barely upon the faith of evidence and when they have evidence to their souls , that christ is theirs , and that from some fruits of grace in them , then they rely upon him , but now learn that there is such a faith , the faith of adherence , and christ may appear to a soul as a fit object to the soul for the faith of adherence , when he cannot be to it an object of the faith of evidence . thirdly , another help to the soul that is under spiritual desertions is this , the soul in this case is to exercise faith upon christ , as an advocate , that is at the right hand of the father to plead the cause of his people . that scripture you have often named to you , in john , . . if any man sin , we have an advocate with the father . christ is at the right hand of the father as an advocate for you , as we shewed when we spake of the rest of the soul from the guilt of sin : so now when thou hast not the sense of the love of god to thee , exercise thy faith upon christ , that he is at the right hand of the father to plead for poor sinners . in jer. . . saith the text there . their redeemer is strong , the lord of hostes is his name , he shall throughly plead their cause , that he may give rest to the land. it is true , this is meant literally , of an outward rest unto the people of god , to deliver them from the captivity of babilon , and here is a promise , that the redeemer is strong , and the lord of hosts , that he shall throughly plead their cause ; they were carried into babilon , and they were scorned , and contemned , and despised , and they said , where is their lord of hosts ? now here is a promise , that their redeemer will come , and that he shal throughly plead their cause , and give them rest in their land , and disquiet the inhabitants of babilon . this promise we are to make use of in regard of our outward troubles at this day , in regard of our adversaries , and though the lord let them prevaile somtimes , yet the lord hath shewed himself at hand to plead his cause and no question he hath throughly pleaded the cause of his people , when the adversaries began to lift up their hands against them , when they insulted in regard of the late blow that god gave us , the lord hath begun already to give them a blow , and i hope we shal hear further of it . but now that which is true here literally , is true spiritually , the lord wil redeem them from spiritual captivity , and this redeemer is the lord of hosts , he will give them rest , he is at the right hand of the father throughly to plead the cause of his poor servants ; when accusation comes up to the father against the soul , then the lord christ stands at the right hand of the father , and throughly pleads their cause . fourthly , in thy spiritual desertion , thou must look up to christ , to seek the fulfilling of that promise of his , that he makes to his disciples , to send to them the comforter , when christ was to leave his disciples ( he saith ) be of good cheer ; i will send the comforter to you , and therefore be of good cheer . christ doth comfort his disciples against his absence , he was to go from them , and leave them in regard of his bodily presence . now christ was so careful of his poor servants , that when he was to leave them in regard of his bodily presence he tels them he wil send the comforter to them , that is , the holy ghost shal come so much the more fully , and he shal manifest me unto you . now plead this promise of the lord christ , in the times of spiritual desertion , and say , oh blessed redeemer , wert thou careful of thy disciples , that when thou wert to leave them in regard of bodily presence , that thou wouldst send the holy ghost , that should come to testifie of thee , and reveal thee to them , and bring things to remembrance , oh , much more wilt thou have compassion of a poor soul , from whom thou art absent in a spiritual way , it is a greater affliction to want thee , o blessed redeemer , in a spiritual way , then to want thy bodily presence , and therefore there is a great deal more need that the comforter should come in now , to supply the want of spiritual presence , then bodily presence . fifthly , in the time of spiritual desertion , if thou canst find no evidence at all , nothing at all to satisfie thy soul , then go to christ in the very same way that thou wentest to him at first , better to do so then to lie groveling and sinking under thy burden . if thou thinkest that yet thou hast nothing , that all is nothing , all is lost , and the like , go again in the same way that thou wentest at first unto christ , thou art not in a worse condition then thou wast then , when thou wert an enemy , and thou foundest ease and rest in him at first , now renew that work that there was in thy soul at the very first . there are many people , in the time of spiritual afflictions and desertions , they spend so much time in looking after old evidences , whereas the truth is they might get new ones sooner then the old ones . as somtimes a man may spend a great deal more time in looking after an old key of a box then in making a new one , he might make a new key with a great deal less trouble , and it would not be so much prejudice to him to have a new key made , as to look the old one . he may look up and down , and spend a great deal of time , that may be more worth then to make a new one . so it is with the soul in time of trouble , and under spiritual desertion , it is looking about for its old evidence , and to such and such works of grace and cannot find them , and is poring and cannot be at quiet til it can find those former signs and marks that he had before , i say , such and such may sooner get new ones , then find the old ones . if a man have writings , perhaps he cannot find such a writing , he may be at less charge to have new ones writ over again , then to look the old ones : so thou wantest the evidences of thy grace , and canst not find them , i say , renew thy grace upon christ again , and thou maist get thy evidence new writ over again , and have it with less cost , then to look after the old ones . sixtly , be sure in time of thy desertion to keep good thoughts of god , though thou hast no comfort in them for the present , yet beleeve it there is comfort in christ , and whatever becomes of thee , acknowledg christ to be faithful , christ is to be thy lord , and thy king and let thy heart love him , and strive ( at the least ) ●o do so . it is true , the sence of his love wil inflame love again , yet at that time when thou canst not have the sence of his love , yet resolve to love him , and love his waies . you know christ , when god seemed to forsake him , yet at that time , when he was upon the cross , when human nature could not but see he had need of gods presence , but then he cryed out , my god , my god. and so in psalme , . the example of heman . o god of my salvation . he speaks yet stil wel of god , and cals god the god of his salvation· o god of my salvation , he speaks yet stil wel of god , and cals god the god of his salvation . o god of my salvation , stil keeps good thoughts of god. and so the church in the canticles , when christ had withdrawn himself from her , yet she would cal him her beloved , and go up and down asking for her beloved , and where her beloved was , so let the soul in time of desertion . keep good thoughts of god. seventhly , and lastly , if thou canst not have rest in christ resolve thou wilt never find rest in nothing else , that thy heart shal be restless til thou hast rest in christ . perhaps in the time of desertion there comes one to thee , and saith , christ hath forsaken thee , go and have comfort elswhere , look for it other where ; or may be , the tempter wil come , to a poor deserted soul , as he did to christ , in matth. . when christ was a hungry , then comes the tempter to him ; and saies , command that these stones be made bread , as if the tempter should say thus , do do not you see how your father hath forsaken you , that he will not afford you bread take a course for your self . so here , just thus it is for all the world with a troubled soul , the soul is troubled , the lord is withdrawn from the soul , and now comes the tempter , and saith , you see you cannot have comfort , you have praied all this while and you cannot get comfort , peace , and rest , now therefore seek for rest elswhere . oh take heed of this , a deserted soul should abandon such temptations , and resolve that it wil be content to be in a restless condition to al eternity , if it cannot have rest here . as it is with those that do ill offices , if there be any breaches between father and child , or one freind and another , they take the advantage of that and say , do not you see your father regards you not , though you be in such need , he wil not regard you , nor help you , come therefore and take my counsel , i will shew you how you shal live a better life ; and so when they would withdraw one friend from another , those that would do ill offices , they go and take advantage of the breach ; so doth the devil , when the lord is withdrawn from the soul , and the soul is in a deserted condition , then comes the devil to draw the soul to unlawful waies , he wil be sure to take the advantage to do al ill offices between god and the soul , and therefore let such as are in such a condition take heed of such temptations . and these now are the helps to those that are under the burden of spiritual desertions , there is enough in christ to help them , and these being observed , they may come to have rest in jesus christ . chap. xlix . sheweth that beleevers have not only rest in , but rest also from afflictions . but now further , besides all this rest you have heard of , there is a time when the lord shal not only give the soul rest in afflictions , but shal give the soul rest from affliction ▪ yea , it may be in this world . he speaks as if there were a rest to the people of god to be delivered from affliction , not only in affliction , but delivered from affliction . that place that we have in isai . . . o thou afflicted , tossed with tempest and not comforted , behold , i will lay thy stones with fair colors , and lay thy foundations with saphires , and i will make thy windows of agates , and thy gates of carbuncles , and all thy borders of pleasant stones . thou art now afflicted , tossed , tempted , and not comforted , but it shal be otherwise with thee . it is true indeed , the church ever since the beginning of the world hath been in an affl●cted condition , tossed with tempest , and not comforted , not according to what is expressed , but here is a promise of a glorious time , when there shal be a sure foundation laid , and that foundation of precious stones , and rest there shal be . and if you compare this scripture with that in revel . . you shall see it aims at a glorious time , when christ shal give rest unto the soul , at vers . . and god shal wipe away all tears from their eyes , and there shal be no more death , neither sorrow , nor crying , neither shal there be any more pain , for the former things are passed away . and if you read after , you shal find , that he doth seem to allude unto this isai . . and there tels what those precious stones shal be , that shal be the foundation of the happy estate of gods saints , and that it is not to be in heaven , but here , before the great and generall day of judgment . it appeares plainly by this , that the text saith , that the kings of the earth shal bring their glory and honor unto it , at the . verse , the nations of them which are saved shal walk in the light of it , and the kings of the earth do bring their glory and honor unto it . it is such a time of the church , as the kings of the earth shal bring their glory and their honor unto it , now after the day of judgment in heaven , the kings of the earth do not bring their glory and their honor to the saints in heaven , but they shal bring their glory and their honor to the saints here . it is a prophesie of such a happy condition that the saints shal be in , that the kings of the earth shal bring their glory and their honor to them , and therefore here it is upon this earth , this promise is made of a glorious time that the saints shall have , that all tears shal be wiped away from their eyes here in this world , and it seems to be spoken of the same time that was spoken of in the chapter before , in the . chapter , of the first resurrection . now after that time it appeares , that the devil shal be loosned , and gog and magog shal gather themselves together against gods people after that time . but there is such a world here for the people of god , a rest to be had from all affliction , even here upon the earth to be hoped for , when the saints of god shal be honored before all the world ; and all wicked and ungodly men shal be subdued before them . but further , there is certainly a rest of glory in the world to come , and that is to be added to al the rest , when the saints shal keep an eternal sabboth before the lord , and shal there be alwaies exercised in praising , magnifying , and blessing of the great god. quest . you will say , shall that be such a rest in performing of holy duties ? i , that shall be a rest indeed , for there shal be no weariness of the flesh but the soul shal be in a spiritual condition , and the flesh shal be subservient to the soul , that there shal be no wearisomness to the flesh , that it shal enjoy communion with god , and be in blessed visions with god , and be in his fathers house above al enemies , above sin , they shal neither sin more , nor sorrow more , nor fear more nor doubt more , nor be troubled more , this is the rest that the soul shal have in christ . and i make no question but christ means this among the rest , when he saith , come to me . but to speak of this glorious rest is a large point , & elswhere i have opened it at large , what the glory of the saints shal be in heaven , and therefore i shal speak no more in this . now then put al together that i have said , concerning the rest that i have spoken of , and may we not conclude of this rest , and wel may it have that epithite which is spoken in isay . . in that day , there shal be a root of jesse , which shal stand for an ensigne of the people , to it shal the gentiles seek , and his rest shal be glorious . here it is spoke of the rest of christ , his rest shal be glorious . we may wel apply it to the rest of the saints , the saints shal have a glorious rest , and it hath been shewed unto you in many particulars , wherein i have opened this rest unto you , that you may see it is a glorious rest . chap. l. five markes of true rest in christ . i. it is not but upon discovery of glorious things the soul knew not before . ii. it comes upon the soul , ceasing from its owne worke . iii. it makes the beleever active for god. iiii. rest in those things wherein christ rested . v. true rest wil abide the trial of the word . you wil say , oh , that we did but know , that this was our rest , that we did not presume , but that we were sure that the rest that we have in christ was a true rest . now i told you before , that there was a faith of adherence , that might bring rest , though there were not a faith of evidence . but now , you wil say , if we might have both , a faith of evidence , as wel as a faith of adherence , it would ad much to our rest . now i wil help you to some notes , whereby you may come to examin , whether the rest you have is the glorious rest here spoken of , and two things i shal doe because notwithstanding al this glorious rest , many of gods servants here in this world are under much trouble of spirit , i shal give further rules how to make use of the rest that is to be had in christ , and some rules likewise how to keep the rest , when the lord christ gives you rest . first , for the evidences to know whether your rest be indeed the right rest that is in christ . first , this rest in christ , it can never be but upon great discovery of glorious things that the soul was not acquainted with before , many men go on and are quiet in their way and think that their rest is christs rest , how wil that appeare that it is christs rest ? it wil appeare that they have had poor weake grounds to stand upon , only that which they have in a natural way , they live quietly among men , and the creatures doth not trouble them , and in a prudential way they are loath to trouble themselves in their owne thoughts . but now , i appeal to thy soul , what discoveries hast thou had of the glorious things of the covenant of grace , and the covenant of life , in those waies that god hath had in his eternal counsels to reconcile god and thy soul ? what discoveries of gods waies hast thou had , to draw thy heart to christ ? thy rest must come from these , these must be the meanes to bring thy soul to rest , if thy rest come from blindness , ignorance , and deadness of spirit , it is far from the true rest in christ . secondly , the rest that the soul hath in christ , it is that that the apostle speakes of in heb. , it comes upon the soules ceasing from its owne worke , as god ceased from his , verse the . for he that is entred into his rest , he also hath ceased from his owne workes , as god did from his . as god did rest the seventh day from al his workes , he gives that note of the rest in christ . there remaines therefore a rest to the people of god , for he that is entred into his rest , he also hath ceased from his owne workes , as god ceased from his . he comepares the rest that the soul hath in christ , to gods rest upon the seventh day . now saith he , as god seased from his work that he wrougt upon the sixth day , & the seventh day he rested , so whatsoever enters upon this rest , he must cease from his owne workes what is that ? the work that a man workes for himself , as in his natural estate , every man in his natural estate doth not gods work at al , but works his owne work . now , saith he , look as god ceaseth from his owne work , and then rests , they that enter into this rest must cease from their owne workes , those workes of sin that they lived in , and wrought for themselves , for their own endes , while they were in their natural estates ; so that then examin this , hast thou cea●ed from thy own works ? dost not thou work for thy self in al thy waies ? art thou taken off from thy self and al the creatures ? it may be thou dost some work , but materially it is nothing of gods , thou prayest and makest profession of religion , i but it is thy owne worke stil . but if thou beest entered into this rest , thou must cease from thine owne workes , not only from those workes that are sinful in themselves , but thou must not worke for thy self in the best things , thou must be taken off from thy self in the best things , thou must work the works of god , and be emptied of thy self , and then thy soul shal have rest , that is both an evidence that thy rest is true , and a meanes to bring rest unto thy soul . take heed that thy work be not thine owne work , when thou dost any work , i am about such and such a work , i but is it my owne work or gods work it is true , there was a time that al the work i did was for my self , and then if there were any argument , whereby i could see that it was for my self i could work , if it was for self ends , if i had self to be promoted i could work , this is the way of men in themselves . but now when the soul hath entred into the rest of christ , he hath ceased from his owne workes , and therefore now though there be not strong arguments and ends to perswade me to doe a work , yet it is enough that it is the work of god , and god shal have praise in it , and i can work as earnestly and and strongly in the work as ever i did any worke for my self , thirdly , another note of the true rest of the soul in christ is this , the more rest thou hast in christ , the more active thou art for god ; the false rest that the soul hath makes it dul , secure , sluggish , and negligent : but now the true rest that is in christ , makes the soul mighty active , and stirring , maks it to do great things for god ; never had that ability to do for god , as now when it hath had rest from christ , as now we know that many people are very active & stirring , when their conscience is stirred , then they wil rise early in the morning , and hear , and read , and pray , and mightily stir , when their conscience is stirred , but if they have got any quiet and rest to their spirits , they grow lazy , dul , and secure , and are less active in the places god hath set them in then before ; but the soul that hath true rest from christ , is more active and lively in the work of god then before . as archimedes said , give me a place where i could rest my self on , and he thought then he could move the earth , so let the soul get but once the foot stopt upon christ , so as he can have rest in christ , he can do more for god then ever he could before . and therefore i remember ( and you may afterward by comparing find this note to be true ) that whereas god commanded moses while they were going up and down in the wilderness and had no rest , to make an altar for sacrifice of such a bigness , so many foot , in the story you shal find that when solomon came to make an altar to god , he made it twice as big as moses in the time of their being in the wilderness . the two several places i cannot stand to look to , but you shal find this note to be true , that the altar of solomon , was as big again as the altar of moses , why ? for they were then in a restless condition , went up and down , and were not at rest , but now when they came to the land of canaan , there they had rest , and there the altar is as big again ; noting , that they should offer as much sacrifice again as they did before in the time when they were in the wilderness , in their restless condition . so , thy soul was once in the wilderness , hurried up and down , and then the altar for thy sacrifice was bu● little , but when once god brings rest to thy soul in christ , thy altar shal be as big again , and thou shalt do as much more for god as thou didst before ▪ fourthly , another note of the true rest in christ is this , if so be that thou hast this rest , then that which is christs rest is thine , as thus . if thou hast rest in christ then look what christ hath rest in , that is thy rest too , as now . what is the rest of christ ? christ hath rest especially in three things , there are three things that are the rest of christ . gods rest in his saints . his rest in his ordinances . and his rest in his sabbaths . now those that are partakers of true rest for their soules in christ , look what gods rest is , thy rest is . as now for the saints the soul hath rest in them , that is , thy soul hath content and rest in them , in their company . marke what is said of them in zepha . . . saith the holy ghost . the lord thy god in the midst of thee is mighty , he wil save , he wil rejoyce over thee with joy , he wil rest in his love , he wil joy over thee with singing . is the society and company of the saints a rest to the , or rather a trouble to thee ? oh , to many , the company of the saints it is a trouble to them but when they get into their own company , amonst their own companions , then they have some rest , and then for the ordinances , for that you have a text in the . psalm . and . speaking of zion . for the lord hath chosen zion , he hath desired it for his habitation , this is my rest for ever , here wil i dwel , for i have desired it . oh , in zion , in ordinances , in duties , in the worship that is tendered up to thee , here is my rest for ever , and here is my delight , lord let me have rest this way , my spirit is never so much at rest , as when i am in the duties of gods worship , when i am exercised in gods ordinances , here my soul is at rest , what ever i have else , if i should have peace again , and enjoy estate quietly , yet except i have gods ordinances i cannot have rest . now doth thy soul enjoy more rest in the ordinances then in any other way ? then thy rest is christs rest . and then for the sabboth , you know what the scripture saith , what a sabboth is , it is nothing but rest , and is the saboth a day of rest unto thy soul ? do not many people think the sabboth day most troublesome to them , especially , if they be kept to holy duties , prayer , hearing the word , & the like : suppose you be put to pray in your closet , & then to pray in your family , and to aske some questions to your servants & children , and then come to the publick , and there to sanctifie the name of god , and then when you come home again , to examin your family , over what they have learned , and so prepare your selves again to the ordinance and so to spend your self in prayer , and hearing , and excercising al the day , would not this be a weariness to many of you ? and would not many of you say , as those in malachy , when wil the sabboth be over ? men indeed count the sabboth a rest , why ? because they cease from working , and they put on fine cloths , and go abroad , and walk in the feilds and upon this they count the sabboth a rest , surely such are not acquainted with the rest that is in christ ; but if thy soul be acquainted with this rest , then the sabboth is but a tipe of that rest , that thou shalt keep in the highest heavens , it is but a tipe unto thee , and a forerunner of that glorious rest that thou shalt enjoy hereafter . fifthly , if thy soul have true rest , it is such rest as wil abide examination of the word of god , though it doth touch to the quick , and the more the word doth touch to the quick , the more it comes to thy soul , the more rest thy soul hath . in heb. after the holy ghost had spoken of the rest that is to the people of god , in . saith he . the word is quick , and powerful , and sharper then any two edged sword , peircing to the dividing a sunder of soul and spirit , and of the joynts and marrow , and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart . as if he should say , if you enter into the rest of gods people , you shal have such a rest as wil abide the most narrow , and quickening searchings of the word of god , the word of god will search you through and through , and your rest shal be such a rest as wil abide the search a rest that comes by the word , the more the word searcheth , the more it increaseth quickning , it searcheth between the marrow and the bones , and the more rest a true gracious heart finds . chap. li. eight means to get and keep rest in christ . . beware of secret sins . . be thankful for what good god hath given thee . . judg not thy self in time of temptation . . in trouble wait upon god in the use of means , . meditate much upon the promises . . proportion humiliation to thy comfort . . be throughly grounded that thou art in christ . . improve the rest thou hast to god , by doing much work to him . object . but you wil say , notwithstanding al this you have spoken , yet many of the saints of god , though they have been careful to do what you have said , yet they do not find this rest you speak of in christ . answ . it is true , it is not enough for you to be a beleever , for one may be a beleever , and yet not have the evidence of the graces in christ , so as to have rest unto his soul. you will say what should we do then ? first , take heed that there be no secret sin abide in your spirits , you had need examine and look to that , for that wil be a thorne in the flesh , that wil trouble you , if there be any secret sin thou livest in , it wil be as a thorne in the flesh ! that thou canst not be quiet . secondly , another thing that will hinder the rest of beleevers is , that because they have not so much as they desire , they wil not take notice of what good god hath granted to them ; because they have not al they would have , they think they have nothing at al. now take heed of that , though thou hast not all , yet take notice of what god hath done for thee , and be thankful for that . we read of the women in the gospel that went ●o seek christ , they found the angels , and heard news of him , though they found him not at first : so , though thy soul find not christ for the present , and the rest thou desirest , yet if thou hast any news of him , any beginning of gods work in thy soul , take notice of that . should the women have said , what is that to us , that we find the angels , and that we hear news of him , it is christ that we seek ; no , they said not so ▪ and therefore , i say , bless god for what ever thou hast , it is more then others have , bless god for it , and that is the way to have more . thirdly , never judg of thy self as thou feelest thy self in a time of temptation , it may be thou art under a temptation , or spiritual desertion , now do not judg of thy self as thou findest thy self at that time . as now , if so be a man when he hath been long in a quartan feaver , or one that hath layen long in the disease of the pox , if he shal at last look upon his visage , and judg of the constitution of his body , according to his countenance this would discourage him , but he must judg of his constitution at that time , when the distemper is not upon him : so many poor christians , they judg of their condition then , when they are under the greatest temptation , no , you should rather judg of your estates as you are when you injoy your selves most , when god and your souls are together , and most free from temptation . if a man would weigh gold , perhaps the gold hath one grain more then the weight , yet if you come to weigh it and hold it in the wind , the wind may toss up the scale and make the gold seem to be too light , and you wil say , the gold is not weight , why ? because the wind tosseth up the scale the other way . but now , if you would see whether the gold be weight indeed , hold it steady where the wind comes not ; so , if you would weigh your condition aright , do it at that time when your spirit is most setled and staied , and do not do it when temptation tosseth you up and down . fourthly , another help to beleevers to prevent another hinderance of their rest is this , that their spirits because they have not what rest they would have , many times grow impatient , and trouble themselves more then god would have them . now this is a rule , labor to quiet your hearts by waiting upon god in the want of comfort , and labor in the use of what means god shal give you for a waiting frame . that text is very notable for that purpose , in isai . . . for the egyptians shal help in vain , and to no purpose , therefore have i cryed concerning this ; their strength is to ●it stil . and than at verse , . thus saith the lord god , the holy one of israel , in returning and rest shal ye be saved in quietness and confidence shal be your strength , but ye would not . and so in isaiah , . . for ye shal not go out with hast , nor go by flight , for the lord will go before you , and the god of israel wil be your rereward , there shal not be a tumultuous , hurrying , hasty spirit . you wil say , can a man make too much hast to get assurance of gods love in christ ? the truth is , you make the best speed , when you can in the quiet and calme of your spirits waite upon god , while he wil please to speak to your souls , when we can go on in the use of means , til god seal up by his spirit of assurance to your souls . many reasons might be given , to put on the soul to waite upon god , but i pass on . fiftly , another rule is this , be much in meditation upon the promises , swallow down promises , do not let them role upon your tongues . wicked men , they role the promises upon their tongues , but they do not take them down . but now , as when we take bitter pils , the way is to swallow them down whole , when we take sweet things the way is to chew them , if a man should chew his pills , he would suddenly throw them out of his mouth . so a godly man should not chew the pills , that is , by meditating upon the threatnings of the law , this is not the way , rather swallow down the pills , by meditating upon the gospel , and the covenant of grace , and so thy soul may come to find rest in christ this way . and when thou hast done al that thou canst , yet stil the only way is for thee to depend upon god in his ordinances , and to pray for the spirit , no evidence that can be given , can quiet the heart till that comes to pass . but now if so be the soul hath gained this , what a thing is it for the soul to loose it again . in isaiah , . ● . come my people enter thou into thy chambers , and shut the doores about thee ; hide thy self as it were for a little moment until the indignation be overpast . what is it to come and enter into our chamber ? to get into christ our hiding place ; and then shut the dores , that is , take heed of parlying with temptation . as thus now , when as the lord hath given thee rest , and thy rest comes in by the word , by applying the word to thy soul , now shut the dore against temptation , there wil arise some fears and jealousies at that time , now therefore , shut the dore against al surmises , ●ea●es , and jealousies , and call for the word , let the word be the rule for thy fear , as wel as for thy comfort and rather depend on one scripture for thy comfort , then upon a thousand jealousies for thy fear . and this is now to shut the dore against temptation , resolve here will i venture , here is the word of god , which is sure and certain , and for temptation , the devil will trouble me with the rapping and knocking at the dore , but let him knock as long as he will , i have got a promise here , and i will venture my soul upon this promise : and for want of this , though thou hast gotten the promise , yet upon every temptation thou openest the dore . you know in time of danger , when any come and rap at the dore , wil you open the dore presently ? no , you bid your servant ask who it is , and they must give a good account what they would have , and from whence they come , before you wil open the dore ; so , when any temptation raps at thy soul , inquire what it would have , and whence it comes , doth it come from god or no , or from the devil ? many people , they think the word to be a rule for their faith , but they think the word is not a rule for their fear , you must have as good a warrant for refusing any comfort that is tendred to you , as wel as for the taking of any comfort , and if you would observe that rule , that you wil never refuse comfort , but you wil have a word to warrant you . if the lord come to you and say , why did you refuse such comforts , and you say , i was in fear and jealousies , i but if god should say , what word have you for it ? what were you able to answer ? oh , this is that that god wil require of you , for it is a dishonor to the truth of god , that whenas there is a word to ground thy faith upon , and nothing but jealousies to ground thy fears , yet thou wilt make thy jealousies and thy fears to weigh down the word . sixthly : again , according to the degrees of thy inlargment , so let thy humiliation be , as thou findest thy heart inlarged with joy , at the same time let thy grace work downward in way of humiliation , observe a proportion betwen thy joy and humiliation , many people are inlarged upon the joy they have in christ , but they are not humbled , and therefore they vanish . seventhly : again , be not satisfied meerly that thou art in christ , and a beleever , but labor to be throughly grounded that thou art in christ , for who knows what troubles and desertions thou maist meet with al , labor to roote thy soul , be established in christ , grounded in christ , to be a grounded christian , a●d therefore not to live upon sence , but to live by faith when thou hast sence . eightly : lastly , improve thy rest for god , be sure to do much work when the lord gives thee rest , as we use to say of outward peace , it brings plenty , so the truth is , the peace tha● god gives in our consciences , and the rest that we have in christ , should make us plentiful in all good works . and by these rules , if thou dost keep the dore shut against temptation ; if according to the degrees of thy inlargment thy humiliation is . if thou art not satisfied meerly that thou art in christ , and a beleever , but laborest to be throughly grounded , that thou art in christ ; if thou dost roote thy soul in christ , and if thou dost improve thy rest to god , to do much work for god , when he gives thee rest . thus doing , thou shalt have rest , an abiding rest unto thy soul , thus thou shalt be in thy chamber of rest , with the door shut , while the indignation is overpast , thus thou shalt have rest in the time of evil , and all the troubles in the world shal be but as the rattling of the rain upon the tiles while thou art in the house , yea , and the rest thou hast in christ , is but the forerunner of the glory that thou shalt have with christ , which thou oughtest to long for , when thou hast fears and troubles , thou oughtest to pray , o lord jesus christ , fulfil the things thou hast promised to thy servants , and give rest and peace unto my soul. finis . notes, typically marginal, from the original text notes for div a -e * see my treatise , on cor. . , . see my treatise of the evil of sin. see the treatise of the evil of sin . the difference between the spots of the godly and of the wicked preached by mr. jeremiah burroughs at cripple gate. burroughs, jeremiah, - . approx. kb of xml-encoded text transcribed from -bit group-iv tiff page images. text creation partnership, ann arbor, mi ; oxford (uk) : - (eebo-tcp phase ). a wing b estc r ocm this keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the early english books online text creation partnership. this phase i text is available for reuse, according to the terms of creative commons . universal . the text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. early english books 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(eebo-tcp ; phase , no. a ) transcribed from: (early english books online ; image set ) images scanned from microfilm: (early english books, - ; : ) the difference between the spots of the godly and of the wicked preached by mr. jeremiah burroughs at cripple gate. burroughs, jeremiah, - . [ ], , [ ] p. [s.n.], london : . four sermons. advertisements: [ ] p. at end. reproduction of original in harvard university libraries. created by converting tcp files to tei p using tcp tei.xsl, tei @ oxford. re-processed by university of nebraska-lincoln and northwestern, with changes to facilitate morpho-syntactic tagging. gap elements of known extent have been transformed into placeholder characters or elements to simplify the filling in of gaps by user contributors. eebo-tcp is a partnership between the universities of michigan and oxford and the publisher proquest to create accurately transcribed and encoded texts based on the image sets published by proquest via their early english books online (eebo) database (http://eebo.chadwyck.com). the general aim of eebo-tcp is to encode one copy (usually the first edition) of every monographic english-language title published between and available in eebo. eebo-tcp aimed to produce large quantities of textual data within the usual project restraints of time and funding, and therefore chose to create diplomatic transcriptions (as opposed to critical editions) with light-touch, mainly structural encoding based on the text encoding initiative (http://www.tei-c.org). the eebo-tcp project was divided into two phases. the , texts created during phase of the project have been released into the public domain as of january . anyone can now take and use these texts for their own purposes, but we respectfully request that due credit and attribution is given to their original source. users should be aware of the process of creating the tcp texts, and therefore of any assumptions that can be made about the data. text selection was based on the new cambridge bibliography of english literature (ncbel). if an author (or for an anonymous work, the title) appears in ncbel, then their works are eligible for inclusion. selection was intended to range over a wide variety of subject areas, to reflect the true nature of the print record of the period. in general, first editions of a works in english were prioritized, although there are a number of works in other languages, notably latin and welsh, included and sometimes a second or later edition of a work was chosen if there was a compelling reason to do so. image sets were sent to external keying companies for transcription and basic encoding. quality assurance was then carried out by editorial teams in oxford and michigan. % (or pages, whichever is the greater) of each text was proofread for accuracy and those which did not meet qa standards were returned to the keyers to be redone. after proofreading, the encoding was enhanced and/or corrected and characters marked as illegible were corrected where possible up to a limit of instances per text. any remaining illegibles were encoded as <gap>s. understanding these processes should make clear that, while the overall quality of tcp data is very good, some errors will remain and some readable characters will be marked as illegible. users should bear in mind that in all likelihood such instances will never have been looked at by a tcp editor. the texts were encoded and linked to page images in accordance with level of the tei in libraries guidelines. copies of the texts have been issued variously as sgml (tcp schema; ascii text with mnemonic sdata character entities); displayable xml (tcp schema; characters represented either as utf- unicode or text strings within braces); or lossless xml (tei p , characters represented either as utf- unicode or tei g elements). keying and markup guidelines are available at the text creation partnership web site . eng good and evil -- sermons. sermons, english. - tcp assigned for keying and markup - apex covantage keyed and coded from proquest page images - robyn anspach sampled and proofread - robyn anspach text and markup reviewed and edited - pfs batch review (qc) and xml conversion the difference between the spots of the godly , and of the wicked . preached by mr. jeremiah burroughs at cripple gate . london printed in the year . courteous reader , here thou hast before thine eyes a little manuel , taken by a dextrous baruch , from the mouth of jeremiah . by it , as abel , though dead , he speaketh ; and albeit the carkass of the dead lyon lyeth rotting in the ground , yet his name and doctrine yeelds , sweetness . he needs no herauld to proclaim his praises . his own works do sufficiently praise him in the gates . aaron and his sons had discerning spirits to destinguish the spots of leprosie , shewing-which made unclean , and which not ; and this author treads in their-steps , and , as a judicious critick , discerns between the precious and the vile , distinguishing the faint-spots of weakness , from the plague-spots of wickedness , that so we may cease from false plea's , and be found spotless at the great day . he makes no● spots where were none , but seeks to cleanse them where they are , by the sweet calls of admonition and reproof : if he discover thy secret spots and sores , like the good samarit an , he 'le give thee oyl and wine to cure them . some spots are inconsistent with grace , and if not cleansed , they 'le be thy death , even plague-sores that will eternally separate thee from god. come therefore , and purchase this little treatise , which may be of great and eternal concernment , helping thee to be found of the lord christ at the last day , without spot , and blameless . the first sermon . july the th , . deut. . . their spot is not the spot of his children . the words read , is a part of moses song , that he sung a little before he was to die ; ( like the swan that sings sweetest when death approaches ) the scope and end of this song of moses , it was to leave a testimony behind him after he should be gone , of the goodness , and mercy , and faithfulness of god towards this people ; and of their sinfulness , and perversness toward ; him again ; to the end , that if great evils should befal them after he was gone , they should have no cause to speak ill of god , or of his servant moses . you have brought us to a fair land , you gave us many fair promises , that god would be our god , and be gracious to us , and that he would never leave us ; yet see what befalls us . moses now leaves this on purpose behind him , for ever to stop their mouths ; as if moses should say , it 's true , the lord hath made me an instrument of bringing you out of egypt , and by me hath made many promises to you , to encourage you ; and hath chosen you to be a peculiar people , and led you along all this while : but , if evils do befal you , if you be brought into a sad , and distressed condition after i am dead and gone ; remember what i leave behind me , and know , that god is to be justified in all , and his words is to be justified ; but you have sinned and rebelled against god , and have brought upon your selves all the evil that is come upon you . this is the scope of thi● song of moses . he leaves this by way of a song ; for 〈◊〉 was this d of deut. in the heb : a song like one of david's psalms ; and he leaves 〈◊〉 by way of a song , that they might the bette● remember it , and teach their children the v●ry words of it . and he begins in a very elegant way ; give ear , oh ye heavens , and will speak ; and hear o earth , the words of my mouth . why moses , there was a time thou saidst , thou was 't not eloquent ? but that was because he would excuse himself from work : but here it appears that he was very eloquent ; give ear , o heavens , and hearken , o earth , as if moses should say , that , that i am speaking of this people ( that are a wretched and stout-hearted people ) will not be regarded ; but heaven and earth shall be witness against them ; the heavens and the earth shall hear . though what 's spoken out of the word by way of reprehension of a sinful people , may be neglected and past by ; yet know , that there is an impression upon the heavens and earth ; and rather then the lord will want witnesses , heaven and earth shall come to witness against that people . after his preface , which is in the two first verses , he begins with lifting up of the name of god ; because i will publish the name of the lord , ascribe the greatness unto our god. he is the rock , his work is perfect ; for all his waies are judgment : a god of truth , and without iniquity , just and right is he : as if he should say , whatsoever becomes of you , yet the name of god is great and glorious . — and it 's a good way to convince and humble sinners , by lifting up their hearts to see the glory of the great god , with whom they have to do , against whom they have sinned — and it was an excellent argument of moses's faith when he was to die ; yet he could bless himself , as it were , in god — as if he should say , well , the lord hath carried me through many changes and troubles , and many afflictions , varieties of conditions ; and what yet god will do with his people , i know not ; but this i am sure , he is a great god , and blessed ; and he is a rock , and his work is perfect , and all his waies are judgment , a god of truth , without iniquity , just and right is he : i am sure , whatsoever becomes of me , whatsoever bec●mes of the people ; yet god is to be acknowledged , holy , righteous , just , perfect , great and good in all his waies . o! 't is good to have our heats so confirmed alwaies in god , to keep good thoughts of god , to have god high in our thoughts and hearts , whatsoever changes o● state we meet withal in this world . but then he comes upon them , having lifted up god , and justified god , that they have corrupted themselves ; they have forsaken this blessed and glorious god that hath bee so true to them in all his waies . corrupted themselves ! you will say , who is not corrupted ? who is not without sin ? o but were it but onely some human frailty , were not so much ; but they have so corrupte● themselves , that their spot is not the spot of my children ; it is beyond that could have been expected ; for those that had so near a relation to god as this people had ! they are bespotted and defiled with their sin , and so , as this spot of theirs is not the spot of his children . thus you have the scope of the words , and how they came in . their spot . the word translated here spot , signifies a blemish , a fault ; 't is the same word that you have in the th of this book , i. e. thou shalt not sacrifice unto the lord thy god , any bullock or sheep wherein is blemish , or any ill-favouredness . but we know what the english word is ; their spot ; the spot of their sin ; that sin of theirs ; that blemish is not the spot of his children : what though the children of god have spots , while they live in this world ? they have many sins that are defiling : but , the spots of these men is of another nature , it is not the spot of his children . there are three doctrinal points in these words ; the first two implyed , the third expressed : the two that are implyed , are these : . doct. first , that 〈◊〉 is a spot . . doct. secondly , that even the children of god while they live in this world , have their spots . . doct. thirdly , ( which is the main and scope of the words ) that there 's a great deal of difference between the sins and spots of wicked and ungodly men , and the spots of gods children . that 's that , that i aim at in the choice of these words , to shew the difference between the sins of wicked men , and the sins of the saints ; and i have ch●sen this scripture to handle this point for these two end : first , to take away that great plea that most carnal hearts have , whereby they put off the power of the word from their hearts , and are secure in their sinful waies . why , say they , can we be without sin ? are the best without sin upon them ? now because none are without sin , therefore they think to put it off , and grow secure ; and upon this very thought , put off abundance of truths that they heard preached out of the word , that doth them no good at all , and meerly upon this reason . now were it that this plea were but taken from them , the word might prevail a great deal more upon them . now therefore , i hope before we have done this scripture , i shall weaken , if not wholly take away that plea that secure-sinners have for themselves , because all have their sins : i shall shew thee , that there is a great deal of difference , perhaps , between thy sin , and the sins of a child of god. and then the second end why i chose this scripture , is , for the comfort of gods children . on the one side , one man is secure and ●ardened , because though he hath sins , why , all men have sins : on the other side , those that are gods children , because they feel so much sin in them as they do , they are afraid that they are not gods children ; they are afraid that their sins that are in them , doth argue them not to be gods children . now they will have help likewise in the opening of this point , when they shall have laid before them that are the sins of gods children , and the sins of the wicked , and the differences of them . i shall , for the making way to this great ●oint , first speak a little of the two former ●hat are implyed , and no farther than to make ●ay unto the third , which is the great point 〈◊〉 the text. doct. first then , that sin it is a spot ; a 〈◊〉 , in jam. . . pure religion , and unde 〈…〉 d before god , and the father , is this , to visit 〈◊〉 fatherless and widows in their affliction , ●nd to keep himself unspotted from the world : ●●at is , to keep from the sins of the world ; the 〈◊〉 of the world , are the world-spot . sin it is , first , a desiling spot ; a spot that doth defile , a blemish that doth defile the soul of man in the presence of the holy god : it 's contrary to the pure nature of god , it is the mixture of the soul with that that 's worse than its self ; it 's a defiling thing . the mingling of gold with silver , doth not defile the silver ; but mingling of lead with silver , doth defile the silver , because the lead is worse than silver : so the communion that the soul hath with god , and as it were , the mingling of the heart in god , and with divine things , doth not defile it , but make it better ; but the mingling of the heart with the world , it doth defile the soul , because the soul is mingled with that that 's worse than it self ; it is a defiling-spot : you know what it is to have the body besmear'd with dirt , and have clothes bespotted with filth and dirt ; look how it is with your bodies besmear'd with dirt , or your clothes , so it is with the face of your soul in the presence of god , when sin is upon you ; it 's a defiling-spot . secondly , sin it 's a spreading-spot , it 's like the spot of the leprosie , that spreads more and more ; and let a sinner live never so long , this spot will bespread him more and more . if you had a spot upon your flesh , that were but little at the first , it may be you would neglect it ; but if you saw it spread more and more then you would think there were something in it : it is so with thy sin , when you are young , the spot it but small in comparison ; but as you grow , the spot spreads more and more until you are all over blains and spots : so are old sinners ; sin is a spreading-spot , it spreads in a soul , in a family , in any society where sinners live . thirdly , it is an infecting-spot , a spot that of itself infects ; a plague spot , that doth infect the soul , and infects every thing you meddle with , and doth infect the company you converse with ; that 's the nature of this spot . and then fourthly , it 's a staining-spot , it doth pain the soul , so as all the created power in heaven and earth is not able to wash it away ; thou mayest think little of the sin that thou committest , thou committest it , and hast pleasure and delight in such a sinful way , for a quarter of an hour ; it may be thy pleasure lasts no longer ; well , but when this pleasure is done , there 's a stain left upon thy soul that doth mark thee out to eternal death ; such a stain left , that will abide to all eternity upon the soul , if onely , that one means be not applied , the blood of jesus christ . let all the angels in heaven , and men in the world , put to their wisdom and strength , to get out the stain that is in thy soul , and it is too little ; onely the blood of the son of god , can cleanse and take out that stain that is in thy soul ; such a spot is sin ! a staining spot ! in jer. . though thou wash thee with nitre , and take thee much sope ; yet thine iniquity is marked before me , saith the lord : ye may use many means to get away your sin , perhaps you may cover it over , or there may be some kind of slight sorrow ; but it 's not all the sorrow in the world , if thou wert able to shed as many tears as there are drops of water in the sea , to wash away thy sin , if their were nothing else to do it , all thy tears will not do it ; it must be onely the blood of the son of god. many people think to wash away their sin swith their sorrow ; but they must know , there is something beyond sorrow , it is onely the blood of jesus christ , can cleanse and take away this stain . use . now , if sin be such a stain , such a spot ; hence then , let us learn to look into gods glass , to see out own spots , how we are bespotted by our sin ; if it is such a foul , such a spreading , such a staining spot , how is it that men and women see it not ? they see not their own faces ; oh! they never were acquainted with gods glass ; what 's that , you will say ? why , james . . will shew you what the glass of god is , in which you may see your faces , in which you may see your spots ; if any man be a hearer of the word , and not a deer , he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass ; for he beboldeth himself , and goeth his way , and straightway for●etteth what manner a man he was . but who 〈◊〉 looketh into the perfect law of liberty , and continueth therein , &c. and the law of god is ●●e glass that god would have thee to look ●●to , to see thy face in ; thou canst not know ●●y heart , but by holding the law of god before thee . paul thought himself beautiful e●ough , until the law came . that scripture 〈◊〉 notable for it , in rom. . . for i was ●●●ive without the law once ; but when the comandment came , sin revived , and i died : 〈◊〉 was alive , i was jollie , and thought my ●●lf well enough ; but when the command●ent came , when god did but take the glass 〈◊〉 the law , and hold it before my face , i 〈◊〉 my self a most ugly monster : i remem●er i have read of an old strumpet that had ●●ed a false glass continually to look in , and 〈◊〉 presented her beautiful unto her self , and 〈◊〉 would never look upon any other : but ●●ce there being a glass by , she chanc'd to ●●ok into it , wherein she beheld her face , ●●d being told her that it was a true glass , ●●e ran mad upon the sight of her ugly face : ●ertainly the generality of men have no other glasses to look into , and to behold the face of their souls , but their own carnal conceits , and the wayes of other men , and the like : but if god should but hold the glass of his law to some of your faces , to behold how loathsom you are in the eyes of god ) for so they are in gods eye as this glass presents them if they are not washed in the blood of christ : ) and it would be a dreadful sight to many a soul : but yet better that you saw it now while there are wayes to cleanse your souls of their spots , than when you should die ; for if when you should be at the point of death , and be ready to go to the great god to receive the sentence of your eternal doom ; if conscience should hold the glass of gods law before you , and there make you see the ugly face of your soul , spotted by sin , oh! it would be a soul sinking sight unto you . learn you to look now into the glass of the law , and examine your soul by the holy law of god , that you may see your spots there ; many of you spend a great deal of time every morning in looking into the glass , to see if all things be well in your face ; oh that you would but spend as much time in looking into the law of god , and examining of your hearts by the word : there stands a glass in the window , and there lies a book on the shelf ; why may not the law of god be as well taken , to look into your hearts , as the glass taken to see your face in ? people are little acquainted with this glass ; and therefore know not their own souls . secondly , if sin be such a spot , o learn we to be humbled for our spots , if we have seen them , and to be ashured of them : if we have seen our faces besmea●'d , it doth deject us , especially if we be in company that are our superiors : know that you are alwayes before the infinite god , and his blessed angels , and they behold your spots ; o therefore be humbled and be ashamed for your spots . an ingenuous disposition of heart , is ashamed if either flesh or garments bespotted ; but now , one of a so did disposition , that is all the week raking in kennels , or dust-heaps , though they be besp●ted , they care not , because many times the very temper of their spirits , is like to their employment ; but now one that is of an ingenuous disposition , if he be defiled , he is ashamed and troubled for it : o labour to purge your spots and stains ; know , that this is the work that you have to do , to get vour souls cleansed and purged ; the lord hath set open a fountain for sin , and for uncleanness , for judah , and for jerusalem to wash in , o wash your hearts , o jerusalem . so i may say to every soul , wash thy heart from thy spots ; thou wilt wash thy face and hands dayly , o that dayly there might be washing of thy heart ! if thou hast committed sin , let it not lie and soak in ; if there should any spots happen upon your cloeths , you presently lay salt upon it , to keep it from staining ; so , so soon as thou hast committed sin , lay the salt tears of thy repentance , though that be not all , the blood of christ is the main thing , to keep thy soul clean from this staining-spot ; and to do it presently will be a great ●eal more ease than to stay long : as a sport of ink , as soon as it falls , if youseek to get it away , it will be done with a little t●●ble ; but if you let it soak in , you cannot get it out after wards . and so it is with sin that lies long upon the soul : o! many of your sins are old stains that have been many years upon you ; and as it is in your cloeths that have old slains , washing will not serve , all the soap you can use will not get them out , but you must lay them a frosting in a winter night ; o! so your old sins ; you must not think that those old spots and stains upon your soul , that you shall get them off so easily , you must be willing to lie a soaking , and frosting , to indure what hardship god calls you to , so be it that you may be cleansed from them : it 's an expression that i remember austin hath : saith he , you would have all things good and clean in your house ; all the furniture in your house ; yea your shooes if they be bespotted . you will have them clean : and hast thou more care of thy very shooes , then of thy soul that 's spotted and defiled : o! there 's little care for the cleansing of that : but now my brethren , these things especially should be applyed , when we are to go more immediately and solemnly into the presence of god. we must look into the glass of the law every day , be humbled , be ashamed ; and labour to purge the spots of our souls , and that continnually ; but i say , when we are to go into gods presence in a more immediate manner , as when we are to go to prefer a petition to god , and that , such a petition as concerns our souls and eternal estates , when we are to go to hear his word , and worship him : when we are to go to his table , at the lords supper , we had need then prepare by looking into that glass , and by being humbled for our sins , and labouring to cleanse : though you care act so much for spots upon your face and clothes when you are at home , yet when you are to go before your betters , then what looking is there in the glass to be trim , and to have clothes that are clean washt . remember now , that every time thou art to go to worship god , thou art to set thy self as in his immediate presence , to have to deal with that infinite holy god whose pure eyes cannot indure to beholde least iniquity ; that god that is so holy that the very angels cover their faces as not being able to behold him , thou art to go before this god , and wilt thou go bespotted and be● smeared , and never look into the glass o● the law to see how thou art there , that tho● mayest labour to cleanse thy soul ? wilt tho● come into gods presence in thy filth ? o● bold sinner that know'st not what it is to dea 〈…〉 with the infinite holy god : those that kno● what god is , what his infinite holiness means , when they come into gods presence they make it the great part of their work i● preparing their hearts before they come ; and indeed the spiritual part of godliness doth a● much consist in this one thing , as in any , i● the preparation of the heart for the presence of god in holy dutyes ; and that man or woman that is careful and conscionable in this thing , may have good comfort to them selves that they are acquainted with the spiritual part of godliness ; that wherein the power of i● consists : but for such that can go into gods presence , and no such sear and reverence o● god is in their hearts , certainly these neither know god , nor have any thing of the power of godliness in their hearts — now no matter my brethren , what we endure in this world● so be it we may get our souls cleansed from the filth and the spots that are upon them that when there shall be a farther presence of god , which we shall have , than that we have now in holy duties ; that then we may stand before him without spot ; so saith the apostle in pet. . . wherefore ( beloved ) seeing ye look for such things , be diligent , that ye may be found of him in peace without spot and blameless — you look for new heavens and new earth ; when all the world shall be on fire about your ears , and the elements melting with servent heat ; and the heavens departing like a screwl , and the like : do you look for such things ? do you look for the appearing of the holy god ? and dare you stand in the presence of that holy god , when he comes to pass the sentence of your eternal estate upon your ●ouls ? dare you stand before him with such defiled , stained souls , as you have ? oh no! saith the apostle , wherefore , beloved , seeing ye look for such things , be diligent , that you may be found of him in peace , without spot , and blameness — if those spots that are upon many of your spirits shall abide upon you at that say , wo be to you that ever you were born ; you cannot be found in peace before god , except you be found without spot , and blameness — yet , let me say farther , wo to that soul ●hat shall have one spot upon it at that day . if this should be means of the great day of judgment , as many divines take it ; though there may be some doubt about some other time : but suppose that it be meant of that day , as it is ordinarily taken ; then , wo to that man or woman that ever they have been , that shall have but one spot upon them : for , then we must be delivered from every spot , or otherwise our souls will perish for ever : but ye may be without spot , and blameless before him — thus much for that point . . doct. the second point is . that god● children have their spots ; the best of all , have their spots . the church is compared to the moon ; christ he is the sun of righteousness but he church , in rev. , is compared to the moon , and the moon hath her spots , the sun none . no godly man or woman , in regard o● their souls , is like absalom , as he was in regard of his body ; his body was without any ble● mith , from the crown of the head , to the sol● of the foot ; but it can be said of no bodie 's sou● so ; you re clean , but not all : the best garde● hath its worms ; and the best soul hath i● spots ; for while we live here , there is that corruption remaining , that will breed defilement of it self : but considering that we liv● in a wicked world here , and converse with wicked men , it is as impossible to live in the world , and to converse with men , without an● spots , as for a company of people to ride together in soul way , in the midst of winter , and to keep their garments so , that none should have a spot . the condition of this world is such , as indeed , it is not fit to have a saint in it without sp●ts . god hath reserved the time of full-●●●●nsing of his people , to another world . christ could cleanse his people presently from all their spots ; i , but because they are to live 〈◊〉 this world , christ sees it is not so suitable for this vile world . this world is not worthy of the saints , take them with all their infirmities ; but it is not for the world to have the saints live without spot ; and if the world be offended at it , let them be offended ; let them be stumbling-blocks unto them ; and i make no question , but it is so to many souls : the world they rejoice when they behold the sins that are in the saints ; but thou hast little cause to rejoice in the sins of others , if thou knewest all ; for it may be intended for thy ruin : i know no greater stumbling-block to wicked men , than the sins of those that do profess godliness ; ●ut wo to those by whom offences come : the lord by continuing of spots in his own people , doth exercise faith , and humility , and ●atience , and other graces , in such a way , as ●e takes pleasure and delight to see the exercise of them . but this is not the point that i do intend . yet , o thou godly heart , thou knowest this to be a truth , that there are spots in thee ; yea , sometimes those that are godly , think there 's nothing else but spots in them ; but be of good comfort in this , though thy condition be sad in this world , so long as thou art spotted , yet be of good comfort here , jesus christ is without any spots , christ thy saviour hath no spots . heb. . . how much more shall the blood of christ , who through the eternal spirit , offered himself without spot to god , cleanse your conscience from dead works , to serve the living god ? christ offered himself without spot ; and this is the comfort of the saints while they have their many spots in this world — and so in pet. . there 's the same expression : we are redeemed with the precious blood of christ , as of a lamb , without blemish , and without spot you will say , what comfort is it to me in the midst of my spots , that jesus christ my saviour hath no spots ? — what ? this is comfort , because god looks upon thee not as thou art in thy self , but in his son ; and reckons thee as a member of his son , and deal with thee according to the relation thou ha● to him — and the righteousness of h●● son is made over to thee . christ is a covenent-head , the head of the covenant ; and in that regard , being without spot , it is of unspeak able comfort unto a gracious heart , when it sees it self defil'd and bespotted by sin . and then yet further , know , that through the righteousness of christ , thou art lookt upon thy self , in the point of justification , without spot too . the saints have their spots that is , they have their weaknesses , and some sins , their sanctification is imperfect ; i , but in regard of justification , so , they are altogether without spot : so you have it in cant. . . where christ speaks of his spouse , thou art all fair , my love , there is no spot in thee — you will say , this seems to be against this text : no , not at all ; for we may be without any spot , in regard of our justification , and yet we may be spotted and defiled , and god may see that we are defiled with spots in our sanctification . it 's true , the lord will not charge these spors upon thy soul that art in christ ; yet he doth expect that thou shouldst be humbled for them . and so in ephes . . . there we have both together , there 's a scripture that shews that thou shalt one day be without any spot in regard of thy sanctification too ; though thou be'st spotted now , yet the time is coming when thou shalt be delivered from all these spots in regard of thy sanctification ; saith the apostle there , christ loved his church , and gave himself for it , that he might sanctifie and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word : that be might present it to himself a glorious church , not having spot or wrinckle , or any such thing ; but that it should be holy , and without b●m●● . mark , what ●eaps of words here are ; here 's sanctifying , cle nsing washing , presenting a glorious church , not having spor , not having wrinckle , or any such thing ; ●ut that it should be holy and with us blemish : all these ●●pressions are to shew the state the saints should be brought unto , and to uphold thy spirit in the sight of all thy spots : — let me speak to thee who art sensible of the many spots that are in thy ●●ul : what is it that doth uph●ld thy heart ? o●e would wonder that any soul that knows what it is to deal with such an infinite holy god as the lord is , one would wonder what should uph●ld the soul , seeing it 's so defiled , and nothing but spots in every thing ! what can uphold it here from sinking ? it may be that that upholds you , is this , we have all our sins , and we are all sinners . if there were nothing else to uphold a gracious heart but that , it could no● but sink even in dispair , notwithstanding that● but now these three things uphold a gracious heart : i have my spots indeed , and am defil'd , wo to me , for the defilements of m●soul , my life : this is indeed the burden that i have in this world , the great affliction that is upon me , that my soul is so defil'd : o! but blessed be god , i have to deal with god through jesus christ , who hath offered up himself to the father without any spot ; i have to deal with god through the lamb that was sacrificed , that had no spot ; and it was for me that he was slain , and god looks upon me through him , and he is made of god sanctification — i am indeed imperfect , and have many spots ; yet , blessed be god he hath reveal'd , that justification is perfect in this life : that the lord through the righteousness of his son , looks upon me as without spot ; that is , will not lay any of these spots to my charge — yea , and further , this is the comfort of my soul , that though i have many spots now , yet there is a way reveal'd to cleanse my soul from all spots , through the blood of christ ; and through the word of god , to cleanse and wash me : yea , i find in the word , that jesus christ had such a desire to cleanse my soul from spots , as he gave himself to that very end : and there is a time when all these spots must be washed away , and when this defiled , polluted soul of mine shall be before the lord and his christ , and live for ever with them , without any spot o● wrinckle , or any defilement whatsoever ; but shall be made fully perfect in my sanctification , as now i am in my justification : and it 's this that upholds my soul — that 's somewhat indeed ; that in this life of thine , wherein there is so much corruption , if thy soul be upheld from sinking with such considerations as these are , surely thou art gone beyond a carnal heart , and i may even fay , that thy spot is the spot of gods children , from this , and not the spot of the wicked and ungodly : remember that one expression in ephes . . which is very remarkable , and of great use ; christ ●ved us , and gave himself , that he might sanctifie and wash us , and the like : mark , it is made the great fruit of the love of jesus christ , to sanctifie a soul , therefore it 's matter of great consequence ; for christ shews his love in a special manner in sanctifying and cleansing the soul — this is from the peculiar and electing love of god — and it shews , when christ comes to cleanse the soul from spots and defilements , that he had loved from all eternity , that foul . but on the contrary , if the lord do let thee lye in the filth of thy sin , it is an argument that he never set his heart upon thee . as for instance , suppose a man were riding on the high way , and sees a child there lie all in the filth , ready to be choak't with the dirt and mire , and to perish there ; well , as he is riding by , he looks upon the child , and sees it ready to perish ; and when he hath look't upon it , away he goes and leaves it there ; would not every one say , certainly this is not the father of the child that rides so away . but now if the father or mother should come by , and see the child , the mother would screek out , o my child ! and snatches it up , and carries it away , and gets water and washes it , and so cleanses the child . and herein doth the mother or father shew their love they have to the child . thus it is ( for all the world ) in the love of christ ; christ , he sees all your filthiness and pollution ; he sees men and women wallowing up and down in the dirt ; christ looks upon them , and goes by , leaves them still , and lets them wallow in their corruptions more and more , and passes by ; surely the heart of christ is not much towards them , there 's little relation that christ or god hath to such as these are : but now , when as there is one that belongs to jesus christ , and that christ hath set his love upon from eternity , christ sees such a one wallowing in the filth of sin ; o! the very bowels of christ do earn , o! christ takes them , and with his own blood cleanseth them : and will never leave washing and cleansing of the soul , till he hath cleansed it from all its spots , and presented it before the father . and mark , in the second place ; christ loved us ; and this is a fruit of christs love , to cleanse us from our spots — and then he gave himself , that he might cleanse us , perhaps you think it 's of little moment to be cleansed from the filth of your sin ; but christ accounted it such a matter , that he would give his life for it : i account the cleansing of these souls from the filth of their sins , worth my life ; i will give my life for it ; so that it cost more then ten thousand worlds to cleanse a soul from the filth of its sin , as well as from the guilt : i beseech you consider of this , that the cleansing of a soul from the silth of sin , did cost christ that which was more worth than ten thousand world ; but , o! how many is there that can wallow in sin , and take delight in it ? but i say , it is of so great consequence to be cleansed from sin , as christ is content to give his very life to cleanse his church from sin — now if thy heart be thus , that thou account the love of christ to consist in this , and that thou canst prise christ upon this , that he gave himself , to the end that he might cleanse thy soul from the sin ; surely thou dost prise cleansing from sin indeed ; and if thou dost prise it at so high a rate , this is a good argument that thou art one of gods children : therefore daily exercise thy faith upon this christ , by the applying of the blood of jesus christ to thy soul , and the renewing of the work of thy repentance , seeing , as long as thou livest , their will be spots . the second sermon . july the th , . . doct. but now comes in the third point : it 's true , the people of god have all their spots ; i , but know , there 's a great deal of difference between the spots of the godly , and the spots of the wicked . and this scripture i chose for the handlling of this point , to take away that vain plea that hardens the hearts of most men in their sin ; why it 's true , we have sin , and who hath not ? the best of all have their sins . i appeal to you , whether you do not know that this is the great hardning conceit of most people in the world ? thou hast thy sins , and the best have their sins ; but there 's a great deal of difference between the sins of the one , and the sins of the other ; you will see a great deal of difference , however , whatever thou sayest ; psal . . . sa●●ih david , i have not wickedly departed from my god : david would not say but that he had sometimes departed from god ; i , but i have not wickedly departed from him , saith david , i can appeal to god in that : there is still remaining in the saints , corruptions ; in their understandings there is some dimness , though there be light ; but i may say of that , as in isa . . the dimness shall not be such as was in her vexation ; it shall not be such dimness ; it 's spoken there in case of affliction and misery : we may apply it thus , by way of allution , in case of the remaining corruptions : there is in the understanding a dimness , but not like that that was before , and is in natural men : there is not that dimness of darkness in the weakest man or woman in the world that is converted , that hath the least natural parts as in the greatest learned man or woman in the world that is unconverted : and though , perhaps , a child of god may have some security in his heart for a while , yet in thes . . . let us not sleep as do others , lest perhaps we should sleep and he overtaken : yet saith the apostle , god forbid we should sleep as do others : there 's a great deal of difference between the sleep of gods people , and the sléeep of others ; that is , between the security of their hearts , and the security of other mens hearts : it was the special work of the priest in the time of the law , to discern between spot and spot ; to shew which was the spot of leprosie , and wich was not . when there was a spot in the bodies of men , they were to come to the priest to discern whether their spot were the spot of leprosie , or no. and 't is a special work of the ministers of the gospel , to shew the difference of spots , between the spots of the wicked , and the spots of the children of god. and here indeed doth consist the spiritualness of their ministry , and a great deal of efficacy of it is in this thing ; and without this , our ministry is like to do little good ; and therefore , though i had thoughts of some other things , yet i thought alwaies , except there were somthing laid down about this , i might preach many arguments , open many points of religion to you , and the want of the knowledg of this , might hinder the efficacy of all . jer. . . if thou shalt separate between the precious and the vile ( saith he to jeremiah ) then shalt thou be as my mouth : so that , that 's the work that god looks for from his ministers ; and indeed it 's the work of a soul saving ministry , to separate between the precious and the vile ; and then indeed when they speak , they are as the mouth of god to a people : god makes men in this point , to be as his mouth , for it is a point that doth separate between the precious and the vile : therefore , as moses said of the whole so●g in the v. of this chap. set your hearts unto all the words which i testifie among you , &c. for it is not a vain thing for you , because it is your life : 〈◊〉 i may say of this part of the song , i beseech you brethren , set your hearts to it , and mind it , for certanly it is not a vain thing , it is your life ; it 's as much as your souls are worth , the understanding of this point rightly ; and thousands of souls do perish eternally for want of the understanding this point rightly — then let 's fall upon it . there 's much difference between the sins that are in wicked men , and the sins that are in the saints . it must be granted , first , that in some particular acts , a wicked man may do something better then the godly ; and not sin so much in some acts ; as we have famous examples of this . as in the example of abimelech ; compare him with david : abimilech in respect of abraham's wife , and david in respect of vriab's ; abimilech did carry himself like a saint , and david rather like a wicked man , in comparison . and , secondly , if we compare rehoboam and amaziah , with asa ; rehoboam and amaziah were both wicked men , but yet they , in some acts , did better then asa that was a godly man ; it is very remarkable , the comparing the stories of them : for , rehoboam he was a wicked man , and yet in kings . . when ten tribes of his kingdom did rebel against him , and he got an army to reduce them again to their obedience , there comes but a poor prophet of god to him , and saith , thus saith the lord , ye shall not go up nor fight against your brethren the children of israel : return every man to his house , for this thing is from me : the text saith , they hearkned to the word of the lord , and returne to depart according to the word of the lord : a very strange thing , that a king , a wicked man , exasperated to the uttermo●● , that had an army ready , whose cause could not but be justified before all the world ; for who would have said what the prophet did , that this was from the lord : yet that one poor man coming to him , and telling of him that it was from the lord , though he must lose ten parts of his kingdom , ten of twelve , yet rehoboam hearkens to god , le ts go his army , le ts go the ten parts of his kingdom , hearing but a prophet say . it was from the lord ! one would think that this were a saint ! what an obedient man was this to the word of god ? and yet this was a wicked man , an unregenerate man. again , amaziah , that was a man whose heart was not upright with god , chron. . he had likewise hired an army , and there comes a man of god to him , in v. . saying , o king , let not the army of israel go with thee , for the lord is not with israel , to wit , with all the children of ephralm — but saith amaziah , what shall we do for the hundred talents , which i have given to the army of israel ? they had their pay afore-hand , why , saith the prophet , the lord is able to give thee much more then this : and amaziah was content not only to part with his army , but to lose the pay that he had given them before-hand , meerly at the word of god , by one poor prophet of his : now one would think , a wicked man that was a soldier , should have contemned such a message from a poor weak man , and bad him go and meddle with what he had to do with ; yet these two men did not : but now , you shall find asa that was a godly , man he did not do so well : these two the scripture brands for wicked men at this time when they did so , and so for ought appears , continued and perished in their wickedness : but now , i say , asa , that the scripture notes for a godly man , you find him quite owise , chron. . there a prophet did but come to asa , and rebuke him for relying upon wicked men , for so much correspondency with those who were ungodly , the text notes in the . v. then asa was wroth with the seer , and put him in a prison-house , for he was in a rage with him , because of this thing ; and asa oppressed some of the people the same time : this was a godly man , and the other wicked — you will say , here now the spot of asa was worse than the spot of rehoboam , or amaziah , that were wicked men ; sometimes , therefore , for some acts of sin , wicked men may do better than the saints — and therefore , by the way , you should learn not to bless your selves in this , that you in some particular acts do good things ; you may do good things , in particular acts , better than others that are godly , and yet you may perish eternally , and they may be saved in the day of jesus christ . and it must be acknowledged likewise , that in regard of the excellency of the souls of ●●e saints , any spot in them , is worse than ●he spots of wicked men : as a fly in a box ●f ointment , is worse than a thousand in a ●arrel of beer ; why , because the ointment 〈◊〉 more precious than that & , in divers circum●●ances likewise , the spots of the saints may be ●orse than the spots of wicked men : which i have had some occasion to speak to , out of another scripture : but , for all this , in respect of some particular acts , and in respect of the excellency of their souls above others , and in respect of some circumstances , one may be worse than another : but take all together , and the spots or sins of wicked men , are farr worse than the sins of the godly ; and that i shall shew in these three regards , the difference between the sins of wicked men , and the godly ; and shew , that one is far worse than the other . first , in respect of the nature of their sin . secondly , in respect of the behavours of their hearts about them . and , thirdly , in respect of the present dealings of god with them for their sin — their spots are different in these three regards . for the first , in regard of the nature of their spots , and that in divers regards , ( except indeed in some extraordinary cases , one of which we spoke of before in those example● i say ) the spots of the wicked are far worse than the spots of the godly ; yea , the truth is take them at any time , if you consider all things together , they are worse . first , the sin of a godly man is rather 〈◊〉 scar , then a wound that is healed , or almost healed : and the sin of the ungodly is a rotten putrifying sore in the flesh . look what the difference is between the scar of a wound that is almost healed , and a filthy putrified sore in the flesh ; that difference there is between the sin of the saints , and the sins of other men . you will say , that , that 's but a similitude ; what do you mean by that of the scar , and a rotten sore ? — why , the plain meaning of it is this , that the sin of a godly man , it is but the hinderance of his soul in the making of god to be his last end ; the frame of a godly man's soul is alwayes for god as his last end ; and his sin comes in but as an impediment and hinderence unto him in this work of his , in making god to be his last end — but now the ●in of a wicked man , it is the departing from god , and closing with some other thing as his ●ast end ; and chief good . now here lies a ●road difference : when the heart of a man ●hat is godly , makes god to be his end , and ●●e scope and aim of it , is at god ; now in ●●me particular acts it is put off and hindered 〈◊〉 this work of his . but now a man that is ●●cked , doth decline from god , and depart ●●m him , to some other good , for his end , ●●d closes with it as his chief good : now this exceedidg vile and abominable — so that the sin of a godly man is the hinderance of thy soul that 's making after god as thy last end : but on , the other side , it is the declining of thy soul to some base contentment , as thy cheif good , that thou makest to be as thy god. secondly , the spot of the children of god , it is not such a contagious , such an infectious spot as the spot of the wicked is . it is true , there is an infection in all sin , some contagion ; but there 's a great deal of difference between the contagion and infection of the remainer of sin that is in the saints , and that that is in the hearts of unregenerate men . you will say , what difference ? difference ? first , in this : the contagion and infection of sin in a wicked man , makes his very person to be abominable , and is loathsome , through his sin : the sins of the saints , have no such infection in them ; they have not such a contagion in them , as to make their persons to be abominable and hateful before god : god hates the workers of iniquity ; but he hates not the saints , that have iniquity in them ; and this is a wide difference , in their contagion and infection . yea , secondly , that sin that is in a wicked man , it doth defile all his actions , so as i● makes his very actions , the best of his actions , to be turned into sin : while thou art an unregenerate man , thy sin is of such a contagious nature , that it makes all thy actions sin , thy best actions it turns them even unto sin : in psal . . . let his prayer become sin : all thine actions before god are sinful , thy best actions , while thou art an unregenerate man : there is not onely sin in them , but that sin hath so defil'd them , as they are even turned into sin to thee : out of an unclean thing there cannot proceed that which is clean ; out of a corrupt tree there cannot be good fruit . now , there is nothing but the fruits of sin , that comes from an unregenerate heart — but now , the saints , though they have sin in them , yea , they have some sin cleaving to every one of their actions ; there is no action that a child of god doth , but hath some sin cleaves to it : but yet there is not that infection in it , as to turn his actions into sin ; no , god looks upon his action as a holy action for all that : the work that he doth , is look't upon as the work of the spirit of god in him , though there be evil cleaves to it , as it comes through him : and therefore there is not such an infection in their sin , as in thine . and then , secondly , the infection and contagion of the sin of wicked men is such , as it defiles all they meddle with , and makes every thing that they meddle with , to be unclean to them : you know what the scripture saith in tit. . . vnto the pure all things are pure ; but to the unbelieving and undefiled , is nothing pure , but even their mind and conscience is defiled : the●e is that uncleanness and filthiness in thee , while thou art unregenerate , as every thing is made unclean : all the mercies of god are unclean to thee , thou hast no sanctified use of them ; all the ordinances , the use of them to thee are polluted and unclean : as in the law , the uncleanness of the leprosie was such , as whatever the leprosie did touch , it was unclean ; so it is with thee , whatever thou medlest with , thy meat , thy drink , thy clothes , thy estate , and every thing is made to be unclean to thee . we account the disease of the plague a very grievous disease , because they who have it , can meddle with nothing , but it is in danger to be infected ; any clothes that they put on , and the meat and drink that they take into them : so it is in the sins of unregenerate men , all things that they meddle with , are spiritually infected to them , and they have no sanctified use of any thing . but it is not so with the saints : they have sin in them , but you never read that their sin makes every thing unclean : no , to the pure all things are pure ; god looks upon them as pure , and they have a holy use of estate , they do enjoy gods ordinances , gods works , gods mercy : the wicked therefore , are not onely spotted , but you find in scripture , they are called spots , in the abstract ; because of the impression of their sin : pet. . . and in jude . they are spots in your feasts : not spotted , but spots ; as if they were all turned into pollution thirdly , the spots of the saints are not like the spots of wicked men ; nor their sin , the spots of the saints in this , they are not such deadly spots ; the spots of wicked men , they are deadly spots : wicked men , therefore , being defil'd with their sin , they lie in their sin as a carrion lies in a common-shore ; that 's the similitude that the holy ghost uses to express the wickedness , & wicked men & women in the world by ; john . , the whole world lies in wickedness ; the meaning of that text cannot be exprest better than thus ; look , as you see a filthy carrion , lying dead and rotten in the common-shore , so doth the world lie in wickedness : surely their wickedness is another manner of wickedness , than the wickedness of the saints : there 's a great deal of difference between a sickly countenance of a weak man , and the gastly countenance of a dead carkase : a great deal of difference between the stiffness in a mans joynts , or in his flesh , by reason of some cold ; and the stiffness in a body that lies by the walls ; a great deal of difference between some breakings out of your children , breakings out of heat , or other humors ; and the filthy corruption that is in a dead carkase , that breaks out there : the saints , though they have sin in them , yet they have a principle of life that works out that sin that is in them : now the ungodly , they have sin , but they have no principle of life to work it out : hence , in prov. . . the righteous when they fall , they are said to be like a troubled fountain : now , you know , a fountain that 's troubled , or if there be dirt and filth put into a fountain , it 's all in a soil , and all looks filthy and dirty as any puddle doth ; for the present you can see no difference between that , and any filthy puddle : but do but stay a while , and you will see , that the fountain having a living spring in it , will work out all that filth . but now , if you cast dirt into a plash of water in the high-way , there it lies , and there it putrifies . just thus is the difference between the sin of the wicked and ungodly , and the sin of the godly ; the sin of the godly is as the troubled fountain ; i , but there is a principle of life to work out that sin , and will work it out in time ; but the sin of the wicked is like the dirt that is cast into the p●sh in the high-way , and there it lies and putrifies , and 〈◊〉 is filthy : there is no spring to work out that filth : hence in pet. . the hopes of the saints are said to be living hopes , that is , such hopes as is working out that filth that is in their souls : the wicked , therefore , their spot is a deadly spot ; but the saints , they have a principle of life . take the saints of god in their worst condition , when they are most overcome by temptation , and yet there is some symptoms of life ; life will appear in them . you will say , what symptoms of life will appear in a godly man or woman , when they are overcome with sin and corruption ? yes , you shall find four , that will act in them when they are most overcom with their corruptions . the first is this , if they sin , if possibly they can , they labour to recall themselves : you shall find that their judgments are yet for holiness and strictness in the wayes of god : perhaps they are overcome by a particular temptation , and they are troubled and afraid that there is no grace , and that there is no difference between them and wicked men : i , but you shall find that even at that time when they are overcome with temptations , yet their judgments remain for god , and for his truth , and for his way , for the strictness of holiness ; and they account the law of god to be good , and holy , and righteous at that very time . we read of saint paul in rom. . he ●ad as great a conflict with his corruptions , as you shall find almost in any ; so that he was even led captive , and that he was sold under sin : but yet mark , in v. . though he had such a conflict with his corruptions , yet the law was holy , and just , and good ; i think he gives there some three epatnites to the law of god , when his corruptions did most strive against the law of god ; wherefore the law is holy , and the commandment is holy , and just , and good : so you shall find gracious hearts , though they be under temptation , and may be overcome with an act of sin , well , though i be base and vile , though i have a filthy , and carnal , and base heart , yet gods wayes are good wayes , and his commandments are good commandments , they are holy and blessed commandments , onely my heart cannot get up to them ; i , but though i cannot , yet i would not have the commandment come down to me , i would not have i●le 〈…〉 ly and good than it is : this symptom of life you shall find : i , but if a man comes to fall into sin , and he begins to think that he was a fool to make so much conscience of sin , and to live so strictly , and holily , and it was but when he was young , and silly , and foolish ▪ why , the man's judgment is altered : o! when did you ever know such a man , that having so apostatis'd , ever return'd again , if once his judgment were gone against the wayes of god ; though he may be overcome in an act , or there may be many distempers of heart , and passions , and the like , out if once he be taken in his judgment against the wayes of god , the goodness , and strictness , and the holiness of them , it 's to be feared , that this man is quite gone , and that his spot is not the spot of gods children : in lev. . . you have a notable scripture there ; and the reading of that scripture , did hint to me this notion about the difference of the sins of the one and the other : now the leprosie was butas a tipe of the uncleanness of sin : the whole chapter , you shall find , is spent in the discerning of leprosie , what is the spot of leprosie , and what not : now mark , all a long you shall find that the priest looking upon the spot , and seeing it to be thus and thus , saith the text , he shall pronounce him unclean ; but now in the . v. the priest shall pronounce him utterly unclean , his plague is in his head : if a man had it in other parts , then the priest was onely to pronounce him unclean : but now , when the priest comes and looks upon a man , and sees the plague to be in his head , then saith the text , the priest shall pronounce him utterly unclean : so here in the leprosie of sin , if there be leprosie of sin in a mans affections , it 's very ill , he may be unclean by it ; if it be got into his will , or got into his thoughts , there is a great deal of evil , but if it be got into the upper part of all , if it be got in the sences , the body , the actions , it may make him unclean ; but if it be got into his judgment , if a man hath such a corrupt judgment , that he gives a judgment against gods wayes , against the goodness and strictness of them , he gives a judgment against the holiness of the word , and saith , what need men be so precise and strict ? and , the law of god is not so strict with men . now i say , when it comes to the judgments of men and women , such a man or woman is to be pronounced not unclean onely , but utterly unclean , for the plague is got into his head : but there 's 〈◊〉 symptom of life that is in the saints , though they be over taken with corruptions , yet their judgments are for god , and the strictness of the wayes of god , whereas the others are not . secondly , they do not yet forsake their lest end ; that that is their ultimate scope and end , their heart is not taken off from that , ( though as i said in the opening , they are hindered ) i shall give you a scripture for that , as coming in more fully , in psal . . . this scripture was quoted before , to shew that there is a great deal of difference between the sins of wicked men , & the sins of the godly ; in that act of david , saith david there , i have kept the wayes of the lord ; and have not wickedly departed from my god : but now , david , how do you prove that ? thou didst sin against thy god very grosly , why then dost thou say thou had'st not wickedly departed from thy god ? why , he proves it in the v. for all his judgments were before me , and i did not put away his statutes from me : that is , as if he should say , why lord , though i was overtaken with this corruption , yet i made thee to be my end and my scope , my heart was yet towards thee ; i did not put away thy statutes from me , but i was willing that thy statutes and judgments should stand before me ; and herein he proves that he had not wickedly departed from god. can you say so now ? you say you have sin as others ; but you hope your sin is not like the sin of wicked men ; but , can you say as in the presence of god , lord , thou knowest that i have not wickedly departed from thee ; for all thy judgments are before me , and i do not ●ut away thy statutes from me ; o lord , thou ●nowest there is none of thy statutes that i would put away from me ? thirdly , and then a third symptom of ●●fe in the worst condition , is this , that though 〈◊〉 man be fallen into great sins himself , yet ●or all this , he will have his heart prising other godly men that are not fallen into such great sins ; when did you ever know any one godly man fall to be such an apostate , as to hate the saints , and yet to turn again to god ? for thereby you may know whether he were godly or no ; if it were a temptation in one that is godly , though he doth apostatise very far , yet he will return back again : but for my part , i never knew it , nor heard of any man , that was a professor of religion , and fell fo far , as to hate the saints , to hate other godly men , and to persecute them , i never knew any example that came again : but now you shall have many godly men , that fall foully ; i , but yet their hearts are towards the saints , and they think that they are in a blessed condition ; though i have a wicked and vile heart , and i cannot prevail against such and such corruptions , yet there are those that are able to prevail against their corruptions , there are those that are godly , o! they are in a happy condition ; o! happy is such a man , such a woman , they are not overcome with such corruptions as i am overcome with : so that , though they be overcome with sin , yet they will still have their heart towards the saints , and prising those that are not overcome with such corruptions as they are . but now it is not so with the wicked . fourthly , the last symptom of spiritual life that is in the saints , is this : though they be overcome with much corruptions , yet you shall find this ever in them , they do not lose the savour and relish of the most spiritual ministry , and the word , as others do : wicked men they are so defil'd with their corruptions , that that takes away all their relish and tast of spiritual things : they cannot relish a spiritual ministry more than a filthy one ; but , now take one that ever had any true godliness in him , though he be very foully fallen , perhaps into some gross sins , yet he is able to taste the word in some degree , he can taste a difference between ministry and ministry ; yea , between company and company , between the spirit of one man , and the spirit of another ; i say , he doth not wholly lose his savour , but still he hath some kind of savour , to taste a difference between that that is spiritual , and carnal , and especially in the ministry of the word ; he finds some savour in that ; for if ever he was converted , it was a spiritual work of the word that did convert him , and there is some seed of it doth remain in his heart , hence is that of the holy ghost by the apostle saint peter , epist . c . ver . last . the word of the lord endureth for ever ; and ●his is the word which by the gospel is preached ●o you : now this word of the lord , he doth not mean here the very book and letter of the word of god ; but he means the word of god upon the hearts of the godly ; for so you shall find he speaks of it in the . v. being born again , not of corruptible seed , but of incorruptible , by the word of god , which liveth and abideth for ever : for all flesh is as grass , and all the glory , that is , all works of nature and common gifts , they vanish , but the word of god endureth forever : that is , the word of god upon the hearts ●f the saints : there is a spiritual seed , and efficacy of the word of god that first did beget the soul , that doth abide for ever : there is none falls off so , but hath some seed of the spiritualness of gods word that doth abide in their hearts , that doth enable them to savour gods word — thus you see their spot is not deadly : o! that if any of you that have godliness , and have fallen foully from god , that you would but consider of these things : are there such seeds of life remaining in you ? you are those that do yet belong to him ; therefore do not you fall off more and more ; if you be one that do belong to god , you will not abuse this that i am speaking to you , but your souls will prise it , and it will draw your hearts more to god : but now , the sickness of the wicked , that 's a death : as in john . . saith christ concerning lazarus , this sickness is not unto death : two men are sick , one man he dies of it , the other is recovered ; so you have your sins , and the godly man hath his sins , and outwardly the godly mans sin appears as much as yours doth ; i , but yours may be to death , for all that : as now , according to this similitude of a spot , sometimes a man hath some kind of grievous spot upon his slesh caused by some distemper ; well , but yet this is not so now as in the time of the plague , when you see those blew tokens on you , which they call gods tokens , though perhaps you have no other spots nor sores . so many men and women may seem to live very strictly , and not break out into such scandalous sins as others do , and their spots seem not to be so full of corruption as other mens are ; i , but there ●●e the blew spots of a plague upon them ●●at be unto death : and you know , a father ●●d mother would rather a great deal , see the ●odies of their children to be all blistered , and ●potted , and run with filth , then to see but one ●f those blew spots upon them , though their ●kin should be never so whole . you will say now , what sign may we give ●f the sickness of a soul to be unto death , see●ng that godly men may by their sin be sick as ●ell as others ? i will give you these : first , as in the distemper of the body , if be constant , though it be small , it may prove deadly : as , if a man hath a cough , yet if it continues constant , it may prove deadly : take heed of constant sins , though they be small sins ; for if thou goest on in a constant way of sin , it may prove deadly . and then , secondly , if the disease reach to the heart , it proves deadly . in time of infection , if you can keep it from the heart , you are well enough : physicians , though they give medicines to keep the infection from the heart , yet they have never a medicine to cure the heart , if once the disease get into it : they can keep it out of the heart , but not get it out of the heart : jer. . v. . o! thy sin 〈◊〉 evil and bitter , for it reaches unto thy heart , saith the text : o! that 's an evil and bitter corruption that reaches to thy heart , that is , so comes to thy heart , as it finds thy heart to close with that distemper and corruption of thine . thirdly , when the sickness is an increasing sickness . lev. . . when the spot spreads , then the priest must say , it 's a spot of leprosie● so when thou hast some distemper and corruption , and it increases more and more ; as it may be thou wert but a little vain , thou growest more vain , &c. where the diseas● grows more and more upon thee , take heed it 's a spot of leprosie , and may prove to b● thy ruine . fourthly , a sicknes : is then deadly , when nature is overcome with it , so as the party is not sensible of his sickness ; a man when he lies sick , so long as nature is stri●ing with it , there 's good hopes ; but one that comes to a man in a strong feaver , and asks him how he doth ; why , well , i thank god ; he is not sensible of it ; o! that makes his wife and all about him turn their heads , and fall a weeping ; it were better he did feel pain : so when men through the custom of sin , grow sensless of sin , that 's a sign that it is unto death : perhaps when thou didst first commit sin , o , thy consience did trouble thee ; but thou hast used thy self so to it , that thou art not sensible of it ; o it 's a sickness to death , and thou art like to dye by it , when by use of a sin , thou comest to be sensless of it . fifthly , when a man in a sickness cannot take any thing that will stay with him : so i may say of the sin of wicked men , though thy sin doth indanger thy soul , yet there 's hope if so be that , that that is given thee might stay with thee , that is , the word , that 's as the physick for thy soul : when some seasonable truth comes , and is applyed to thy soul against thy ●●in , if thou canst receive in that ingrafted word , that 's like to save thy soul ; but , if as soon as ever thou hearest a truth that comes ●ear to thee , presently thy heart casts it up , and it will not abide with thee at all , it is a dangerous sign that thy sickness is a sickness unto death . lastly , that 's a sickness to death , that , when a man doth take that that might help him , yet if it doth not work , then i say , it is dangerous too : so , it may be you do remember the word , and it doth abide with you a while ; but there 's no good at all comes of it ; it works mighty changes upon others , but nothing at all upon thee : if you come to a physicia in that case , and say , sir , you did prescribe such or such a thing , i , but it works not ; why , i wonder saith he , i have known it hath wrought upon such men and women , that i thought was in as desperate a condition as one could be , it wrought upon them , i , and did recover them : — so i may say to some that sit under the word , their souls are sick , and the word works not upon them ; i , but it hath wrought upon others that have been as dangerously sick , why it 's an argument that their sickness was not unto death ; god did not intend they should die . but if thou canst sit under the word , and it works not upon thee , it 's a sign that thy sickness is unto death . fourthly , and lastly , the suitablenes that there is in the sin of one , to the nature of those that have their sin in them : one mans spot is like the spot of a leprosie , that is , his spot is that that is suitable to the disposition of his soul : but now the spot of another , it 's that that is a spot indeed ; i , but it doth not arise from his natural disposition , but meerly an accidental distemper : the spot of one rises from the very natural temper of the heart ; but the spot of theother rises from some accidental distemper that comes to him : when a man or woman , therefore , sins , and it is suitable to his nature , take him when he is most himself ; i beseech you consider this note , for it is as discerning as any : if so be , that thou be'st most thy self , then thou be'st most free for thy sin ; know , that thy sin is that that comes from thy natural distemper , and not from any accidental distemper : i shall shew you what i intend , by this : there is poyson in a toad , and there 's poyson got into a mans body : now the poyson that is in the toad , is sutable to the nature of the toad , and therefore the toad likes well enough of it : but now let but a drop of poyson be in a mans body , o , it presently makes a great deal of stir , and makes him deadly sick ; why , because there 's that got in , that is contrary to his nature : — here 's the difference between the sin of a wicked man , and the sin of a child of god : the wicked man's sin is like poyson in a toad , that 's suitable to his nature ; but the sin of a child of god is like poyson in a mans stomack that is contrary to his nature ; when a wicked man sins , he sinneth of himself , as it 's said of the devil , he is a lyar , and when he lies , he lyeth of himself , it comes from his own nature ; so is the sin of a wicked man ; sin is in it's proper element in him , and that 's the reason that wicked men are so unsensible of sin , because it is in its proper element ; but now the sin of the child of god is out of his place , and that 's the reason that makes him feel it so much . now you will say , how may a man make use of this note to know the nature of his sin ? there are five or six particulars that i shall name about this . first , when a man or woman is alone in secret , that no eye takes notice of them , then to examine themselves ; how doth thy heart stand then , when thou art in secret , alone ? thou canst not discern what the temper of thy heart is when thou art in company ; thou arr most thy self when thou art in secret , alone ; and , o what hearts of wickedness are there when thou art alone ! whereas a godly man , though he may be overcome with sin in company , yet when he is alone , his heart is more for god , and set against his sin . secondly , that may be said to be a mans self , that is the first spring of his soul : as now , the thoughts and affections in the first rise of them , how are they , how is the guise , as i may so say , or the temper and disposition of thy thoughts and thine affections in the first rise of them ? as now you may know what is the proper nature of the fountain , by that that is next to the spring : perhaps if the fountain runs a mile or two off , then there may come that that may alter the stream , that it may not be of the nature of the fountain : so thou mayest know what thy nature is , by examining what the first working of thy thoughts and thine affections are , when thou art alone . and thirdly , thou mayest know thy self in this , how thou standest when thou art got abroad from those that know thee not : you shall have many men , that when they are at home , and among their neighbours , they live very fairly and civilly ; but let them go a journey abroad among some strangers , there they will be roaring , and filthy and unclean , there they all discover themselves : therefore examine your selves in that . fourthly , you may know when you are your self , by examining your heart , how it works most naturally when you are from under government : young people , many of them , they live fairly and civilly all the while they are under government , but let them be once themselves , that they are free-men , from under any government , then will be the most natural workings of their hearts : o! then presently you find that they fly out into wicked company , why , that was the natural temper of their hearts before . fifthly , you may kn●w when you are yourself , by what you are in time of prosperity and peace ; in time of affliction , then you are , as it were , in gods fetters and irons , and then you will speak very well , and promise very fair ; but when you are at most peace in your own spirits , when you have the world at ●ill , how do your hearts work then ? the natural temper and pulse of your hearts is then when you are in the most peace , and the most prosperity ; when you have all things about you according as you do desire , then is the most natural working of your hearts : it may be you think your hearts is good ; why , because you have many good moods in times of sickness ; o no , your heart may be very bad for all that : but look how your heart doth work when you are most in peace , and free from danger , that 's the most natural working of a man's heart . and then sixthly , that 's the most natural working of a man's heart , when he is himself , which he doth with most deliberation ; a man may do otherwise then the natural temper of his heart would carry him on to , on a sudden ; but it cannot be said , a mans self , as paul said , it 's not i that do it , but sin that dwelleth in me : but now when a man upon deliberation and examination , will do a thing , then he doth it when he is most himself : so that by this you know the difference between the sins of one , and the sins of another : — the sins of wicked men are such as comes from their natural temper , that their hearts do close withall when they are most themselves : but , the sins of the saints are such , that let them come but to be themselves , and then their hearts will not close with them so much : when temptations rise , it may draw awaytheir hearts : i , but when they are themselves , and are abroad , they keep godly and gracious ; and likewise , when they are from under government , they are rather better ; one that was a servant , and gracious then , when he comes to be for himself , he is better then , then he was before , for when he was a servant , he was much hindered ; but when they come to be for themselves , then they appear to be more gracious : and though upon a suddein , they are overcome , yet let them come to deliberate , and then they are most for god ; so that their sin comes not from their natural dispositions — wicked men when they are most themselves , they sin most ; but the saints , when they are most themselves , they serve god most : and here 's the difference between the spot of the wicked , and the spot of gods children : — the third sermon . august the th , . vve are now to come to shew the differences between the spots of wicked men , and godly men , in the different behaviour of their souls about their sin : you shall find that the carriage and behaviour of a godly man about sin , is a great deal different from that that there is in a wicked man ; which will appear in many things : as in the first place , first , a godly man , at least in his course and way , he doth not make provision for the flesh , he doth not make provision for sin , he ●oth not lay in before hand for his sin , as the wicked doth : the making provision for the flesh , it is made in scripture to be opposite to the putting on the lord jesus christ , in rom. . . but put ye on the lord jesus christ , make no provision for the flesh , to fulfil the l●sts thereof : you cannot put on the lord jesus 〈…〉 yet make provision for the flesh , both together . now a wicked carnal heart , he think 〈…〉 apply christ , and make provision for the flesh , both at once : it 's hard to say what possibly may befall a godly man in a temptation ; but certainly , when a godly man 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 acquainted with the wayes of christ , and knows christ , shall come to put on jesus christ , and apply christ by faith , he cannot but see , that the making provision for the flesh , and the putting on christ at the same time , must needs be incompetible together : the way of the ungodly it is to be plotting and contriving for sin ; o● doth thy conscience tell thee that this is thy way , to be in thy thoughts when thou art alone , contriving , plotting , advising , meditating , considering how to accomplish the satisfying of the lusts of thy flesh ? thou art the man that knowest not what it is to put on christ , and thy 〈◊〉 is not the spot of gods children : the apostle speaking of the sins of the saints , in gal. . saith he , if any man be overtaken with a ●ault , ye that are spiritual , restore such a man : as if there were no faults that the saints were guilty of , but such as they are overtaken with : but now , wicked men , they do overtake their sins , rather than their sins over take them : when a man shall be contriving and plotting , he will have such satisfaction to a sinful lust , i say he seeks to overtake his sin , rather than his sin overtakes him : that 's the first thing . secondly , suppose the sin hath in some measure overtaken a saint : yet in the second place , it is not easily entertain'd : suppose sin did come and present it self , and follow a child of god , i say , sin is not easily entertain'd , it is not admitted upon easie terms ; a wicked man will admit of his sin upon very easie terms , some sin at least . if your servants shall leave the door by the latch , you will suspect them to be in covenant with the thief , that they are one plotting with the other ; so when any man shall admit of a sin upon easie terms , that sin shall get in easily into the soul , it 's a sign there is a ●eague between the soul and sin . a gracious heart is watchful against sin , and is careful to keep it out , to lock and bolt it out : it will ●●t leave the door at latch , so as to admit of sin upon easie terms . thirdly , yet , suppose sin hath got in , a gracious heart is easily convinc't of his sin , a little matter will convince him , after his sin hath overcome him ; he will not stand pleading for his sin , he will not stand in defence of his sin , so as a wicked man doth : we find david , though a king , and a man of a notable spirit , yet in sam. 〈◊〉 when nathan came to him to tell him of his sin , presently saith david to nathan , in the . v. i have sinned against the lord : nathan told him that he was the man , he did not stand out , why , prove it if you can ; who is able to say that i did this and this wickedness ? no , i have sinned against the lord : he falls down before the word of the prophet , and acknowledges his sin , he is easily convinc't of his sin , if he be godly : whereas a wicked man will stand pleading for his sin , pleading against it , that he hath not committed it , except that you find him out by some apparent hand ; he will be pleading for his sin , either that he is not guilty , or if he be guilty , that it is not so great , it is but his nature ▪ o! a godly man pleads not after this manner ▪ nature ! he looks upon his sin as so much the more vile because it proceeds from such a wicked and cursed nature of his , and therefore david , in psal . . when he was acknowledging the act of sin that he had been guilty of , when ●e comes to consider of hi● nature , o! i was conceived in sin ( saith he ) and brought forth in iniquity : he makes tha● to be a great aggravation of his sin , because i● did flow from such a wicked nature : it is an argument of gross ignorance , of a man or woman that knows not the things of god , and is not acquainted with scripture , to plead for a sin , that it is their nature ; it is the worse because of that : if a thief should come to the barr , and plead before the judg , indeed i have committed this theft , but it is my nature ; would this be a plea before a judg ? and certainly this plea will not go before the great judg of all the world , to say , it is thy nature ; no , the saints know their sin is aggravated by that — secondly , neither will a child of god ordinarily plead that it is a temptation ; o! i , it is a temptation that hath prevaild against me , i was tempted to it , and such and such were the cause of it ; i , but a gracious heart will rather charge the wickedness that is within it , then charge a temptation ; for the truth is , temptation could never prevail against us , were it not for the wickedness of our hearts ; temptations came to christ , but the devil finding nothing in him , as the scripture speaks , therefore could they not prevail over him : and ●vere it not for the baseness of thy heart , temptations would not prevail ; therefore for thee to put it off , it is thy temptation , o this is a carnal plea : i , but a gracious heart will charge himself before the lord , o! it is thirdly , much less will a gracious heart put of his sin to god himself , and say , when god gives me more grace , i shall do better ; but i cannot do any thing of my self ; and therefore because god gives me no grace , that 's the reason i fell into such sins : this is the boldness of the hearts of men and women , to think to put off all their sins upon god himself , as if there were no other reason why they commit sin , but because god is the cause of it : as for their part , they would do better , but onely god denies them his grace , and so they think to put off all from themselves , even to god. but know , the lord will find thee out one day , and he will charge thy sin upon thy self , and thy destruction and thy wickedness it is from thy self ; a gracious heart will not plead for sin after such away as this is : it 's very dangerous when you hear of any that make profession of religion , to plead for their loosness after such a manner as this is . we have cause to fear that their spot is not the spot of gods children . fourthly , when sin hath preveil'd in some measure against a child of god , yet he is quickly stopt in sin ; he is easily convinc't of it , pleads not for it , and is ready to be stopt ; a little thing will stop the course of his sin . o● any truths of god that come to him , his heart having a principle within it , suitable to the truths of god , his heart closes with those truths , and so comes to be stopt in his course : a wicked man sins , and having no principle of grace sutable to any truth of god , when any thing opposes his sin : his heart opposes that that would oppose sin , but a child of god , though he be overcome with a sin , yet when the truth of god comes , it meets with something within the heart that is sutable to the truth , and it presently closes together : you have a notable example for that in the prophet david , sam. . . for the understanding of it , you may cast your eye upon some verses before ; you shall find that david was in a way of sin ; that his choller had got up and prevail'd against him , and he was ●●out a very wicked act , to avenge himself , ●●d be guilty of blood : but abigal meets ●ith david in his way , when he was in the ●●ay of sin , and shews him in a very fair maner , the evil of his course , if he should ac●●mplish what he did intend ; and mark , ●avid , though his blood was up , yet when ●bigal came and spake but reason to him , to ●●ew to him what the evil of his sin was like to 〈◊〉 , davids spirit falls , and david said to ●●igal , blessed be the lord god of israel ●●ich sent thee this day to meet me : and ●●●ssed be thy advice , and blessed be thou , ●●●ch hast kept me this day from coming to shed blood — when david was in a mighty heat , in a way of sin : o! if a man should come to some of you when your passion is up , and you are resolved to do such and such a thing , if a man should come and plead the case fairly with you , that such a thing is evil , it 's a sin against god ; you will presently answer , i will , and i will , i care not , and let come of it what will come , i will do it ; thus when the lust is up , there is no gainsaying of it , and no truth can stand against it ; but now if the heart were gracious , though corruptions may be stirring for a while , yet let any truth of god come and be suggested to such a soul , it meets with something within that is sutable to it , and presently the hear● will be ready to fall down , oh blessed b● god , and blessed be your counsel , and blessed be god that hath hindred me fro● such a way of sin ! o my retched nature w●● stirring and working , and i was resolved t● have done such and such a thing ; if the lo●● had not in mercy sent you to have stopt me i● such a way , o what might i have done ! he●● now is the spirit of david . o consider 〈◊〉 this you that will plead sometimes for davi● sin ; and did not david commit such a sin , y●● will say ? i , but then take notice how qui●●ly david was convinc't , and how soon was stopt in his sin . fifthly , there 's no godly man what ever , though he hath many sins in him , yet there is no sin that reigns over him : this is a certain truth , that there is no man or woman in the world that hath the least degree of grace , that is under the power of any reigning sin : sin may dwell , but not reign in them , and the scripture is so express in this , that there can be no gainsaying of it : rom. . . for sin shall not have dominion over you ; why ? for ye are not under the law , but under grace ; that soul that is under the dominion of any sin , is under the law , that is , it is under the curse of the law , it 's in the state of nature , it hath no interest in christ : but now if the soul come once to be under grace , either sin must not have domminion over you , or god must not be faithful , one of them ; for this is the promise of the holy ghost , if you be under grace , sin shall have no more dominion over you : he doth not say , that if you be under grace , then you shall commit no more sin ; but sin shall have no dominion over you ; therefore that man or woman over whom any one sin hath dominion , certainly is not under grace ; this is the word of god , and o that god would carry it unto the consciences of whom it doth concern this day , that whosoever is under the dominion and reign of any sin , that soul for the present is not under grace , he hath no interest in the grace of jesus christ . now you will say , for the reign and dominion of sin , what 's that ? first , it 's apparent in a great many , that they are under the reign of sin , that is , such men can go on constantly in a way of known-sins , meerly for contentment unto the flesh ; why these are under the power and reign of sin : yea , sometimes a sin that is a secret sin , may be a reigning sin : a man may be the subject of a king that he never saw in all his life : perhaps he knows not where the king is , and yet he may be his subject , and he may reign over him : so a secret sin may be a reigning sin : that 's a reigning sin that a man gives himself up to , though it be in never so secret a way : there 's a difference between a tyrant that co meth violently to force men to submit to him , or one that comes with a sudden surprise , or with any cunning wayes to perswade men to come in to submit to him , and a prince that is upon his throne reigning , and having his subjects acknowledging themselves to be as subjects to him : now the sins of the wicked they are reigning , tha● is , their sins command them , and they yeel● up their very wills unto their sins ; the wi●● and the affections , it is in the sin ; there is nothing more in the will of a natural man , then his sin : and therefore the scripture makes these to be all one , the will of man , and the will of the flesh : now when the will yeelds up to the wayes of sin , then sin may be said to be in the throne : but now in a godly man there is a universal , spiritual , and irreconcilable opposition unto sin ; though there be sin abiding in him , yet i say , there is a universal , spiritual , irreconcilable opposition unto his sin ; sin doth not reign in a soul : so long as there is an opposition in a kingdom to any man , certainly he cannot be said to reign : i say , if there be a universal opposition . now in the soul of a child of god there is an opposition to sin , a universal one , a spiritual one , and i may put a fourth , a powerful , universal , spiritual , irreconcilable opposition : i 'le open these . first , a powerful opposition : that is , he doth not onely wish that he could not sin , and wish that he might be otherwise , but he makes it to be the great work of his life above all things in the world , to set himself against his sin ; so as if god would speak from heaven and say unto him , poor creature ! what wouldest thou that i should do for thee ? this soul would answer to god , lord , thou that knowest all things , knowest this is the unfeigned desire of my soul above all things , o giveme but power against my sin , and especially against those special sins that my nature is most inclinable to . o! this is that that my heart is most against . many people extreamly deceive themselves in this , in thinking that they oppose their sins , because they have some wishes , and desires , they would be glad that things were better with them then they are : i , but dost thou look upon it as a matter of life and death , and thereupon thy soul doth more strongly work in its opposition against thy sin , then against any thing in the world besides ? many men and women have strong spirits in following their sins , but their spirits are not strong in the opposing of their sins : but he that is gracious , makes it to be his greatest and chiefest work . and then the second thing , it is a universal opposition ; and that in these two regards . first , all the faculties in the soul do rise up against sin : there is some kind of opposition in a wicked man against sin , that is , his conscience sometimes doth oppose the lusts that there is in his affections : it may be , a wicked man hath a convinc't conscience ; and his conscience will not let him to be at quiet ; but in his affections there is a liking of sin , onely his conscience will not let him be at quiet : — you will say , how shall a man discern this ? you may discern it thus ; if the opposition be meerly in your conscience and not in your heart and affections , then , though indeed you dare not for the present commit such a sin , yet you could wish with all your heart that you might have liberty to do it ; you could wish that there were not such a law to forbid it ; you could be glad that that law were more loose : and you would fain have such a thing not to be a sin ; and if you could commit it quietly without any danger , you would do it : now the opposition is not in your will , it is onely in your conscience : this is an opposition to sin that a carnal heart may have ; that is , he may have his conscience so flye in his face , as that he shall not dare for the present to commit his sin , no not in secret ; a man may come so far : you will say , indeed , many hypocrites may go thus far , as not to commit sin before others , but yet if it be in secret , then they will do it ; no , a natural conscience may be able to carry a man to this height , that is , not onely to abstain from sin because of others , but from the acts of sin in secret , that he dares not for his life ( though there be none but god and himself together ) give way to his sin , and yet no saving-grace all this while : — you will say , how can that be ? because though his conscience will not let him be quiet , yet he would be glad to have his sin if he might ; here 's no change of nature that 's the evidence , that there is no grace ; for if a man abstain from sin out of a principle of grace , it is from the change of his nature ; and certainly here 's no change of nature in this : so that it is not a universal opposition , it 's but onely in one part of his soul : but now the opposition of a gracious heart it is in the whole soul ; not onely my conscience is against my sin , but my will , and my asfections ; i have a principle in my will and affections , as well as in my conscience ; all the faculties of the soul do oppose the sin . and then secondly , it 's universal , that is , there 's the opposition of all sin : not onely of some particular sin , but of every sin ; what ever the sin be , yet the heart doth oppose it : so as it can appeal to god , lord , thou that knowest all things , knowest there is not one way of wickedness in me , there 's not one sin that my soul gives way to , but there is in my heart an opposition against every sin . and then i say , it 's a spiritual opposition ; by that i mean this , that it 's an opposition , not from arguments onely without that , because of the danger , or shame , or prejudice that will come by it ; but the opposition is from a contrary stream of grace that there is in the heart : there 's such a temptation to sin ; but a carnal heart may think if i commit it , then there may come this ill , and the other evil of it , and so i will not commit it : but a gracious heart doth not oppose onely from such arguments , but from a contrary stream of grace that there is in the soul ; now when the opposition to sin comes from a contrary stream of grace , then the opposition is not onely to keep sin from acting , but indeed it doth decreass the habits of sin : and this should be the care of a godly man or woman , not meerly to keep in , that is , to restrain sin , but let me oppose the habits of sin : let me find the habits of my sin to be weakned and mortified in me : let me follow my corruption to the very root of it , and there labour to get the very root of my corruption to be deaded : o here 's the work of a child of god! as now in the opposition of a stream of water , water that runs in such a stream , there may be two wayes to oppose it : either you may make a damm , and so damm it up : — or otherwise , if there could be gotten a contrary stream , and so by that to overpower it ; this would be another manner of opposition then meerly the damming of it up : if you damm up a stream , it rises up higher and higher , and seeks to get vent one way or other ; but if there were a contrary stream that would carry it smoothly away : — so 't is when the sins of wicked men are opposed , not onely when they are opposed by their friends , that these will not let them commit such a sin ; but when their very consciences oppose their sin , their sin swells up the more , and they seek all evasions how they can get to have liberty to the commission of their sin ; and if once they have but broken over the damm , they run with more violence ; as many young people , when they are under government , their sin is but damm'd up , and their sins are swelling , and their hearts would fain have vent for their sin , but they dare not : but then afterwards when they come to be for themselves , their sin breaks out so much the more : but a gracious heart hath a new nature which god hath put into the soul , which is contrary to the nature of sin : that 's the spiritual way of opposition of sin . and then it 's an irrecocinlable opposition ; that is , such a soul that hath any truth of grace , will never be reconcil'd with any one sin : it resolves with it self , what ever becomes of me , yea though i should perish eternally , yet i am resolved to fight against my sin eternally : yea , at such a time as a soul is afraid that god will cast it away for ever , yet at that time such a soul would be loath to sin against god — you shall have some men that have horrors of conscience , and they are afraid that god will ●ast them off ; why then upon that , then i ●ad as good leave of all , say they ; and if i must be damn'd , i had as good be damn'd for somewhat ; o this is a sign that grace hath not got ●nto thy heart : but there 's another now , that ●ath some principles of grace got into his soul , ●nd it may be such a one may have terrors of ●onscience too , and may be afraid that at 〈◊〉 it shall be cast away : but yet it concludes ●hus ; well , whatsoever becomes of me , let god do with me what he will , yet i will do ●hat i can to honour him : the name of god 〈◊〉 blessed for ever , what ever becomes of me : ●nd therefore that evil of mine that is in my ●eart , i am resolved to set my self against to ●●e uttermost for ever — now this is a ●●gn that there is grace , though much cor●uption doth very much prevail , you may see now as i go along , thus much , ●hat there may be spots in one , and spots in the ●ther ; but here 's a great deal of difference be●●een the sins of the one , and the sins of the ●●her . further , consider the grounds upon which ●icked men do ordinarily sin : godly men 〈◊〉 rarely be found to commit sin upon such ●ounds as wicked men do ! — there are ●any grounds upon which wicked men go , 〈◊〉 the commission of sin : — i shall but ●ame them , and yet in the naming of them , i do verily perswade my self i may speak to many of your hearts . as thus : commit a sin , why it 's but one , and i will not live in many sins : it 's but one sin that i would live in ; and in that i hope god may favour me : what , not in one ! — why , godly men will not do so ; where was there ever a godly man on the face of the earth that would allow himself in a sin because it was but one ? — secondly , saith a carnal heart , it 's but one , and it 's a little one : i will not commit such gross sins as others do , i will not swear , and openly profane the sabbath , and be drunk , and a whore-master : but sins in thought , and of a lesser nature , i hope they may be born withall ? and what need a man be so strict and precise ? i , but know , that a gracious heart would never reason after such a manner ; o no , such a one knows , that the least sin is a greater evil then the greatest affliction ; that there is more evil in the least sin , then there is in all the torments of hell besides : and a godly man that understands the wayes of god , doth know , that the least sin must have the blood of jesus christ to purge it out , that is more worth then ten thousand worlds ; and therefore he will no● allow himself in the least , because it is a little one . the third ground is this : why , the best of all have their sins as well as we : those that we read of in scripture , have they not fallen into foul sins : but i beseech you mark , though godly men have their infirmities , yet shew me any example that ever there was since the beginning of the world , any one godly man that did plead for his sin upon this account , because another godly man had committed it : o! he doth not commit sin upon such a ground as this is : he will not venture upon the practice of sin , because he sees others are guilty of it as well as himself ; oh no , if god hath dishonour by another , let me take heed how i add to this dishonour , saith a gracious heart . fourthly , another ground is , because their sin is not so bad as the sins of others ; mine is not the worst : come and rebuke them for a sin , why , god grant you never do any worse — indeed in matters of affliction we may reason from a less to a greater , and take up a less to prevent a greater ; but in matters of sin we should never make such comparisons ; there is a kind of infiniteness in sin , and the least sin is enough to be my eternal ruine : what 's that to me because others do worse ? i beseech you consider of it , as we name these things , for i do not stand to enlarge every one : for the truth is , there 's never a one of these but might be inlarged into a sermon , and might be a great use to take away these grounds of sin upon which ungodly men do commit their sin . fifthly , another is this : a wicked heart will venture upon sin , why , because he heart that god is merciful , and god's not so strict as many make him : this is a sign thy spot is not the spot of gods children : where do we ever find that a gracious heart would ever reason thus , there is mercy with the lord and therefore let me sin ? o no , the reasonings of a gracious heart are , there is mercies with thee , o lord , that then mayest be feared , and therefore thou shalt be feared : not , there are mercies with thee and therefore thou shalt be dishonoured ; if there be such kind of reasonings in thy heart , that thou venturest upon sin upon this ground , because god is merciful , know , that the lord speaks to thy soul this day , that thy spot is not the spot of gods children . sixthly , and farther , not onely because god is merciful , but god hath been already merciful ; indeed i hear that there is a great deal of danger in sin , but i have liv'd all this while , and nothing hath come of it ; o! for men to sin upon reasoning of gods patience ! because the lord hath been patient and suffered them all this while : o this is wicked boldness in thy heart , thou knowest not with whom it is thou hast to deal : thou hast escaped all this while , o but a sinner a hundred years old shall be accursed : thy spot is not the spot of gods child , that dar'st venture upon thy sin because thou hast escap'd so long a time as thou hast done . seventhly , and then yet farther ; there 's another ground that is worse then all these , that some will venture upon sin , why , because jesus christ hath died for sinners , because there is a purchase for the pardon of sin : oh this is a most desperate turning the grace of god into wantoness , to dare to venture upon the commission of thy sin because christ came to purchase the pardon of sin ! why , did not jesus christ come into the world to dissolve the works of the devil , and dost thou make jesus christ to be a means to strengthen the works of the devil : bold and presumptuous heart ! the lord rebuke thee , that dost account the blood of jesus christ not onely as a common thing , but as a polluted thing , as an unclean thing ; surely thy spot is not the spot of gods children . eighthly , another ground is this : a temptation comes to sin , and they will venture upon it : why ? they hope they shall repent afterwards ; and though i do sin , it is but repenting afterwards ; and if i do repent afterwards , then my sin shall be for given me , and not laid to my charge : but have you any thing in scripture , that any child of god committed sin upon such a ground as this is ? and if thou dost so , thy spot likewise is not the spot of gods children : o foolish and base heart , thou wilt do that now , that thou dost know thou mayest wish thou had'st never done : this is in finite folly ; and surely god doth not leave his children to such wickedness as this is , to venture upon sin upon such grounds as these are . ninethly , another ground may be this : they will venture upon it ; why ? because it may possibly stand with grace : you shall hear sometimes , many that make some kind of profession , to be reasoning after this manner : they will not indeed commit such things as they think cannot possibly stand with grace ; but if they think it may possibly stand with grace , they will make that to be the ground of their venturing upon it : o wretched and vile heart , that shalt thus reason to commit sin because it may possibly stand with grace ! suppose it should be so , that many a man that commits such a sin should go to heaven ; but is it possible that a man commiting sin upon such a ground , may go to heaven : there 's a great deal of difference between a thing done , and a thing done upon such a ground . tenthly , lastly , ( though many others might be named ) for a man to venture upon a sin , why , because he hath done much good : this likewise is not the spot of gods child , for one to sin upon such a ground : i have done some good , and therefore i may venture upon some sin : this is the wickedness of a mans heart , that if he hath ( as they use to say ) kept his church , he thinks he may have liberty in the week-day the more ; if he be devout upon the lords day , he may take liberty so much the more upon the week-day : o this is an argument of a base and carnal heart , that knows not the wayes of god : to take liberty upon sin at one time , because they have been devout , and done good at another time : that 's the next head , the different grounds . i shall name but one thing more : that a godly man in the commission of sin , he makes his falling into one sin , to be a means to help him against that sin , and against many others : if the lord shall let him fall into some one sin , i say , he will make that to be a means to cleanse many others ; but especially , to take heed against that sin : the bespotting of himself in some one spot , will be a means for the cleansing of many spots : though he dare not commit sin upon that ground , yet it falls out so in the effect : as sometimes , if there be a few small spots in a childs coat , you regard not them ; but if there be some great spot , it causes you to wash the whole coat : so it is with one that hath any grace , if the lord ( notwithstanding his watchfulness and care ) shall let him fall into some great spot , he makes this use , to be cleansing and washing of his soul , not onely from that spot , but from all other spots he knows in himself ; but especially , to set himself against that particular sin , he will take heed of ever falling into that again : ☞ and therefore give me an example in all the book of god , where any one man that was godly , committed the same sin twice : i say , after an act of repentance : it 's true peter denyed his master thrice , i , but that was as a continued thing , it was not after peters heart was smitten and humbled , after his conviction and repentance — and for my part , i know no example from genesis to the revelation , of any one child of god that fe●● twice into an outward act ; i do not say , the sins of thought , they may be repented of , an fallen into again , though the heart do labour and strive against them ; but for an outward a●● of sin that any child of god did ever fall into after god had shown him the evil , and h● had tepented of it : — and therefore the condition must needs be sad , when it is such as there can be no example in all the scriptur to parallel it : for i appeal to thee , thou the makest any profession of religion , and thou fallest into some act of sin ; either thy conscience doth accuse thee , and thou dost repent , or it doth not accuse thee , and thou dost not repent : if thy conscience doth not accuse thee , and thou dost not repent , that 's a sign thy heart is not troubled : — well , if thy heart be troubled , and thou hast repented , give me an example of any one child of god , that fell into such an act of sin again — yea , i shall shew you in divers examples in scripture , that evermore those children of god that have been overtaken with their sin , they have been more eminent in that grace that is most contrary to that sin , than in any other grace . peter he fell through cowardise , to betray his master : but yet when the scripture speaks of him afterwards , it notes him specially for his boldness , in john . . therefore the disciple whom jesu's loved , saith unto peter , it is the lord ; now when simon peter heard that it was the lord , he girt his fishers coat unto him , and did cast himself into the sea : oh the love of peter towards christ after he had denyed him ! he had denyed christ ; but now he was the host forward in his love to christ ; he would not stay till christ came to the ship , but ●●rows himself into the sea , that he might presently be with christ ; he had broke his love before , and now you see how eminent he is in love above the other disciples ! — and so in boldness ; in acts . . when the jews did mock at the apostles and disciples , the text saith , that peter standing up with the eleven , lift up his voice , and said unto them , ye men of judea : not any of the other would speak , but peter he appears the most forward ; i , it was because peter had denyed christ , and therefore he would be the most forward in manifesting love to christ — you cannot have comfort that your spot is the spot of gods children , except , if you have been overcome with a sin , yet afterwards you grow not up in that grace that is most eminently contrary to that sin . another example we have of nichodemus nichodemus he began to have some work o● grace upon him , but the scripture notes him for a very timerous man , and that was him special infirmity , that he was afraid , and so would come to christ by night : now afterwards when the scripture takes notice of this nichodemas , especially it observes him for his boldness , for that which was contrary to that sinful distemper of his heart before this you have in john . . and there came also nichodemas , which at the first came to jesus by night , and brought a mixture of myrrhe and alots , about one hundrd weight : then took they the body of jesus : he appeared now openly . the third is joseph of arimathea , v. . and after this , joseph of arimathea , being a disciple of jesus , but secretly for fear of the jews , besought pilate that he might take away the body of jesus : he was at the first step a disciple ; but dare not appear ; but afterwards he is noted for one of the most forward of all , and would go and own him before pilate himself , yea , and at that time when christ was in his lowest cond ti●r : that 's a sign indeed of grace , to own christ when he is in the lowest condition , when he was crucified and dead ; yet now to appear to own him , and that before princes ! o! the scripture takes special notice of those that had fallen into sin , that afterwards they grew more eminent in that grace that was contrary to that sin , than any other : as it is with a bone that is set , it is more strong then before ; and so it is usual with those that are godly , if they be once overcome with their sin , they afterwards grow more strong against that sin : and thus even acts come to decrease habits ; and that 's a paradox in philosophy , it 's true in divinity , that the acts of the saints sin , come not only to restrain them from falling into them again , but it is used by god to decreass the habits of their sin . now i beseech you carry home these things to your souls ; and o that the lord would cause you to lay your hand upon your hearts , and say , lord have mercy upon me ; we are indeed all sinners , but we see that god will find a difference between one sin and another ; and though all have their spots , yet , as for my part , i am afraid that my spot is not the spot of gods children . the fourth sermon . august the d , . i shall speak to one or two particulars more about this , ( and then we come to the last thing propounded in the opening of this point ▪ ) the behaviour of the heart of a child of god toward this sin . the sins of the saints they drive them to jesus christ : if there be any truth of grace , though weak , thy sins will drive thee to jesus christ , not drive thee from him , but drive thee to him : and make thee prise jesus christ as the immaculate lamb of god that is come into the world to take away thy sin : it will make thee set a high price upon christ , and cause thy heart to follow him with all thy might : wicked men when they sin , they turnaway from god and from christ ; and the things of christ are less savoury to them : but the saints when they sin , they are put upon the seeking after christ , and prising of him so much the more . lastly , their very sin makes them to long for heaven : o wretched man that i am ! saith paul , who shall deliver me from this body of death ? thanks be to god through jesus christ , &c. o! he flies to christ , and he desires to be present with christ : & so the saints they long for heaven upon this ground above all other grounds and reasons , namely , because they know they shall never be delivered from the body of sin and death that they carry about with them , till they come to heaven , and therefore they prise the state of heaven as a glorious state , because they shall never sin more against god : — i put it now , in the name of god , to your consciences this day ; you say you hope to go to heaven , what 's that for which you prise heaven most ? why , a gracious heart would say , o lord , though i endure some sorrows and afflictions here , yet thou knowest that the great burden of all , it is the burden of my sin ; and when i shall be taken out of this world , i know i shall never sin more , never sin more against thee . o that day ! when shall that day come that my soul shall never sin more against that god that i do love ? thou that knowest all things , knowest , that this is my desire after heaven upon this ground , above all other grounds whatsoever : are you able to say so as in the pesence of god ? this would be a good argument indeed , that though there be some spots , yet they may be the spots of gods children : and if it be so with thee , then attend to the next point , and that is — the different dealings of god with his children in regard of their sin , with his dealings with the wicked and ungodly in regard of their sins — as the behaviour of thy soul in respect of thy sin , is different from the wicked ; so the behaviour of god towards thee will be very different from that of his towards the wicked and ungodly : they may not think to escape , so as thou mayest escape . first , as in the first place : if a child of god sins , yet he hath a pardon laid up for his sin , yea a pardon laid up before the sin is committed ; i do not say , the pardon actually applyed , but laid up ; for to say the thing is actually pardoned before committed , it 's scarce english , much less divinity : for whatever it be in gods account , or what god will do , yet when we say the sinner is pardoned , it notes some work of god upon the creation actual in being : as when we say the world was created , it was not created from eternity , why , it 's a work of god upon the creation , therefore it has a time : and so , what 's a work of god in himself ? that is from eternity . but what 's a work of god upon the creature , that 's in time ; without any change in gods nature , any more-then the creating of the world did change his nature ; there are for givnesses with thee that thou mayest be feared ; they lie up with thee : there are pardons that lie up with god , there is an atonement made for the sins of gods children , for the sins that they have committed , and sins that they shall commit : i say , an atonement is made even for them , and a ransom is paid : jesus christ did tender up himself to the father for a ransom for all the sins of the elect , it 's laid up there : so saith the apostle john , . i write unto you , little children , that ye sin not , and if any man sin , ( that i shall take notice of by and by ) we have an advocate with the father , and he is the propitiation for our sins : so that when an ungodly man sins , there the sentence of death comes out against him ; but the lord saith concerning his children . let their souls be pardoned , for i have found a ransom : thou sayest , the best have their sin ; true , but one man hath a ransom , hath a price paid for his sin , and thou hast none , none for ought thou knowest : in that condition wherein thou art , thou canst not know that thou hast any : here 's the difference between gods dealing with his children & others , one sins , and the lord acknowledges a propitiation presently , a ransom , a price , a pardon that 's laid in ; but he acknowledges it not for thee . secondly , yea , in the second place , the children of god when they sin , their condition is far different from the sin of the wicked ; they have not only a price paid , and a pardon laid up ; but you will say , how in case they do not sue out their pardon ? i confess if they sue it not out , they have not the comfort of it : but yet the scripture tells us , they have an advocate with the fathe — if they through ignorance do not know their sin , how can they sue out their pardon ? yet they have an advocate with the father continually , and it 's the work of jesus christ at the right hand of the father , to be an advocate to plead for believers , with the father ; when ever they sin against the father , there stands christ their advocate pleading , he watches if there come in any accusations against them ; if the law , or the devil , or conscience shal send up an accusation , christ stands as an advocate to plead their cause : you know i suppose what an advocate in law doth mean ; he stands to plead the cause of his client ; & whatsoever comes in against him , he is made acquainted withall , that he may stand to plead : this is the case of the children of god ; notwithstanding their sin , they have an advocate with the father : in john . . my little children , these things write i unto you , that ye sin not ; ye ought not to sin , take heed of sinning ; but if ye do , you have an advoc te with he father , jesus christ the righteous : — these things that i am speaking , i confess may prove dangerous to wicked carnal hearts , that are ready to turn the grace of god into wantonness ; but by that they may know , what i say belongs not to them , that their spots are not the spots of gods children : those that shall hear of this , and be hardened , or emb●ldned in sin the more , there need no other argument to prove that their spots a●● n●ne ●f the spots of gods children , than that : and therefore that what i say doth not at all belong to such : but how ever , it doth belong to many of the children of god , and therefore they must have their portion , though such as it belongs not to will be ●eady to snatch at it : and that 's the second thing , in the different way of gods dealing with his children when they sin , and with the ungodly : thou sinnest as others do : thy sin for the act may be the same ; but when thou hast sinned , who stands before the father to plead thy cause ? what hath christ to do with thee ? or thee to do with him ? but rather thy conscience , and law , and devil stands pleading against thee , and none to answer for thee . but , thirdly , when a godly man sins , god deals with him not according to the law of justice , but according to the law of grace ; we are not under the law ( saith the apostle concerning believers ) but under grace ; when another sins , the law passes presently upon him ; but saith the apostle in rom. . . there is no condemnation to them that are in christ jesus . the law cannot pass upon them to condemn them : they are not to be dealt withall according to the law , but according to grace : now the ungodly when they sin , they are dealt withal according to the law , god will do them no wrong , but the law must pass upon them . yea , not onely so , but they are delivered from the law , and from all the curse of the law ; i , the lord hath promised that he will spare them as a man doth his onely son that serves him : in mal. . last . if thou be'st a child , this is thy portion ; and they shall be mine , saith the lord of hosts , in that day when i make up my jewels , and i will spare them as a man spareth his onely son that serves him : this is a text that hath a treasury of comfort in it to those that are gods children , that can by those former notes of the difference of sin , and their different behaviours towards their sin , approve themselves that they belong to god ; here 's the promise , that the lord will spare them as a father spareth his own son that serves him : a father will not cast cut his son from his house , and disinherit him for every offence that he doth commit ; neither will god deal so with his children , though they have spots , though they have infimities : and hence we find that god takes advantage against some for a little sin , and spares another though he be guilty of a greater sin : gods mercy is his own , he may deal with his mercy as he pleases ; he will do justly with all , but he will be merciful to whom he pleases ; and hence it is the scripture holds forth this , that some men the lord hath taken advantage against for some smaller sin , and other men the lord hath spa●'d when they have been guilty of some greater sin ; as that notable example of saul , comparing that with david : david was one of gods children , and had spots , i , foul ones ; saul he was none of gods child , and he had his spots , and some of them was not so foul in regard of the nature of them , as davids were , and yet see the different dealing of god with saul and david ; for saul , you shall find that god rejects him utterly , and what for ? in sam. . . you may see wherefore god would reject saul : and samuel said to saul , thou hast done foolishly , thou hast not kept the commandment of the lord thy god , which he commanded thee ; for now would the lord have established thy kingdom upon israel for ever ; but now thy kingdom shall not continue : — as if samuel should have said , well , this is the thing for which god will cut thee off , and cut off thy kingdom : — why , what was it ? if you examine the thing what it was , it was nothing but this , that there was an agreement between saul and samuel , that samuel should come to him at such a time : well , samuel did not come just at the time , or staid , as saul thought , somewhat too long : saul was brought into great straits , the philistines came upon him ( his enemies : ) now upon this , being in such great straits , saul had not sought to god for gods presence with him in the battel ; now thought saul , i have staid for samuel all this time , and he comes not , and rather then i will go out to battel without making supplication to god , and offering sacrifice , i will for this once venture upon it my self , for so he saith in the ver . it was a burnt ●ffering : it was to the lord , it was in the time of my straits , and i forc't my self to it too : i was not so ready and forward to do it , it was in an absolute necessity , as i thought ; and yet this is the sin for which saul must be cut off and rejected , and his kingdom not to continue — you will say now , what was this to the sin of david , of murder , and adulterry ? those were sins of another nature ; well , what if they were , yet david was a child , and saul was not , and therefore he will pardon one , and condemn the other ; and who can say to god , what dost thou ? and again , another sin of saul you shall find in sam. . god required of saul to go against amalek , & utterly to destroy him . well , saul did do according to gods command , and made a great slaughter , but he kept onely some of the cattel and the fat ones ; but he profest he kept them not for his own advantage . it was that he might offer for sacrifice to god : now samuel comes to him , though saul had thought he had done nothing but that which god was pleased withal , for he stands to justifie himself in the v. and saul said unto samuel , yea , i have obeyed the voice of the lord , and have gone the way which the lord sent me , and have brought agag the king of amalek , and have utterly destroyed the amalakites : i have done what god sent me about . now samuel he comes and convinces him , that he had not done what god had sent him to do ; why ? because he had spar'd some of the cattel — now saul excuses himself afterwards to samuel in v. . the people took of the spoyle , sheep and oxen , the chief of the things which should have been utterly destroyed , to sacrifice unto the lord thy god is gilgal : but mark what samuel saith in the v. hath the lord as great delight in burnt-offerings and sacrifices , as in obeying the voice of the lord ? behold , to obey is better then sacrifice ; and to hearken , then the fat of rams ; for rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft , and stubborness is as iniquity and idolatry ; because thou hast rejected the word of the lord , the lord hath also rejected thee from being king : — these scriptures might make any mans heart to tremble , and not to dare to venture upon sins that he thinks to be smaller sins ; one would think that upon the consideration of these scriptures , that no man ever living should be heard to plead this , and say , why , godly people commit as great sins as they do : why , david committed as great sins as i , and so others . but what if they did ? they may be pardoned for their greater , and thou mayest be damn'd eternally for thy less : god will deal as a father with his children , ●o spare those that are his : and that 's another particular in the different way of gods dealings with his people . fourthly , the children of god when they ●in , yet they have the robes of the righteousness of the son of god to cover them , even from god himself ; not to cover them so but god knows them ; for that 's either simplicity or blasphemy , one of the two , to say that god sees them not : but to cover , that is , that they shall be taken so far from the eye of god , that he shall never look upon them to charge them with them , but that they shall appear before him through the robes of the righteousness of christ as spotless , being justified through him . so in psal . . blessed is the man whose sin is forgiven , and whose iniquity is covered ; all their spots are covered and the lord looks upon them as amiable and lovely in his eye : but now thou hast nothine to cover thy spots , but thy excuses . see the different condition of a believer , and another man. one man sins against god , and what hath he to cover his sins ? excuses , deny al 's , or lies , and there 's all . i , but now the of ther he sins against god , and by faith applye the precious robe of the righteousness of jesus christ , and so covers himself before god which do you think is the better covering her 's the difference between a child of god and you . fifthly , and then fastly : gods children though they sin , yet still they are in covenat with god ; god hath taken them in to an 〈◊〉 ▪ verlasting covenant with himself , that shall 〈◊〉 ver be broken : though they do offend , 〈◊〉 god will not charge it upon them as the breach of that great covenant of grace that god hath made with them in his son , that 's an everlasting covenant ; god hath made a covenant to unire their hearts to fear his name , that he will never depart from them ; and that he will put his fear into their hearts , and they shall never depart from him , notwithstanding all their infirmities : this must be made good , this covenant that god hath made with them , must stand . now , o what a different condition is one in , from the other — now though there may be thoughts in wicked hearts to abuse these things , yet i name them to this end , that you may see the exceeding difference between the state of one , and the state of the other ; and that so by this you may be restless in your own spirits , till you come to know that you are in the state of these men that are so happy , that is , that you are of the number of gods children — i shall not need to stand to give further notes and evidences ; for the very opening of the point about the defferent behaviour of one in respect of their sin , from the other , will be enough to shew who are in this condition ; and who not , whom god will deal with all in this gracious manner in respect of their sin , and whom not : — however , men of the world will deal so much the more harshly with those that do offend ; if they can take any one that makes profession of religion tripping in any thing , they will be more severe against them , than against others , because of their profession . well , god doth not do so , if there be uprightness in the heart — no , you will say , it 's not because of that , but because of cloaking wickedness with their profession : well , if you be sure your hearts be right in that , that profession your souls do love , and therefore it is the great grief of your souls that any one that makes profession of religion should dishonour it by wicked courses ; then ( i say ) can you approve your hearts before god , that your hearts are griev'd and troubled , and not rejoyce at it , that you can sind any advantage against profession , as some do ? — then i confess , if the thing be vile and foul , and such a thing as you cannot in charity see that it may stand with truth of grace , to be a meer infirmity , but a wickedness : then you may follow it to the very foot and bottom ; and those that shall trouble the people of god with gross and vile sins , and think to colour them over with profession of religion , it 's just with god they should be troubled : but if we have time , we shall speak somewhat to that in the close of all ▪ we come now to the application of th● point , onely this caution about this thing . cau. take heed that you deceive not your hearts about this thing : if a man have two children , one is godly , and the other is proeen ; if they can have an advantage over one that is the more godly , they will be more bitter to him than the other ; and if they have two servants , one godly the other profane , why , the profane one shall fare better then the godly , if they can have but the least advantage against them : well , howsoever thou deal'st with children or servants when thou hast taken them in a fault , that the wicked find more favour from thee , yet god deals otherwise , his children shall find favour from him : onely let them take heed that they do not turn their hands to wickedness , or their hearts to folly , because of this . application . by way of application . in the first place , hence then by all that hath been said in the opening of this difference , we may see full ground for the answering of the foolish carnal plea's of the men of the world for their sin ; which was , i told you , the main reason i pitcht upon this subject : this it is hardens men in their sin , why , because all have their sins ; methinks by what hath been said , one would think that this plea should never be heard any more , among any that profess any knowledg in the scripture , that it should never come out of your mouths , that do but understand any thing of scripture : — what , wilt thou that art a wicked vile wretch , plead for thy wickedness , that the best have their sins ? thou that goest on in a constant way and course of ungodliness , wilt thou plead that all have their sins ? thou canst not be provok't , but thou swearest and flyest in the face of god ; thou that hast a heart not savouring any thing of god , nor never found any work of the holy ghost upon thy soul , dost thou say that all have their sins ? god will find out a difference of sin . rev. . . it 's said of christ , that his eyes were like a flame of fire : o! christ hath fiery eyes that will pierce through and through thee , wil see a great deal of difference between the sin of one , and the sin of the other : — i hou thinkest it enough to plead this , that the best have their faults , i beseech you let me reason it a little with you about this — the best , say you , have their faults ; so say i too ; but the worst have some good in them , materially good : why may not this be as good a reason as thine ? — there are some that are sav'd , and yet committed sin as well as i ; so say i , there are some in hell , and yet have done as much good perhaps as ever thou . why is not the reasoning of one side as good as the other ? — thou tellest me , that thou sinnest sometimes , and so did david and peter — i 'le tell thee of saul , i 'le tel thee of ahab , i 'le tell thee of herod ; thou thinkest that david and peter committed as great sins as thou-why , saul and ahab , and herod , and it may be judas hath done as much good as ever thou , and yet they in hell ; as saul that i spake before of , he sinn'd , yet it was not greater than thine ; yet he did many good things , i have obeyed the commandment of the lord — and ahab when the prophet reproved him , he went and humbled himself in sackcloth for his sin : when hast thou ever done so for thy sin ? — and herod heard john baptist gladly , and reformed many things : surely the argument wil hold as well , that such as are in hell have done as much good as i have , as some that are in heaven have committed as great sins as i have : o! it 's not enough for thee that others do sin ; they may be sav'd , and yet thou mayest eternally be destroyed : this will not be a plea to a mans conscience , if it be inlightened , when he comes upon his sick-bed , & death-bed : though now thou canst put off thy conscience with this , that every one hath their sin , but when thou comest upon thy sick-bed , and death-bed , if god inlighten thy conscience , o , it will not be answer enough for thee , when thou feest thou art going before the great god , to receive the sentence of thy eternal doom , then thou wilt have such miss-givings in thy conscience ; o! but what if it prove that my sins be of another nature different from the sins of the godly , if it prove so , i am undone , i am cut off for ever . wherefore , in the second place , what you have heard from this point , should teach you to be very careful in the examining of your sins , and in labouring to find out of what nature your sins are : as we read in the law , they were shut up when there was but a suspition that their disease was lepotous : they were to be shut up for seven dayes upon meer suspition : o that god would but give thee a heart , even to shut up thy self , that is , to be thinking in thy reured meditations , of what nature thy sin is : it is usual with those that are godly ; with the children of god , to be afraid ( upon any sin they commit ) that their sin is not the sin of gods children , you shall have them ready to say , lord , did ever any of gods children do thus ? is this such an evil as can belong to a child of god ? is it possible that one that hath so much ●●ears as i , so many mercies as i , such enlightnings as i , such workings of the spirit as i ; is it possible that there can be true grace , and yet that i should again fall into such and such a sin ? one that is a child of god ; is afraid of every sin , lest it be of that nature as cannot stand with the truth of grace — thou art ready to think that any thing may stand with the truth of grace , and with the state of grace ; but one that knows what sin is , will be afraid of every thing ; but most people are so confident , that they give satisfaction to themselves in any way of wickedness : we have all our infirmities and there 's an end ; as if there were no difference between one and another . o that god would cause this point to ring in thine ears , when thy conscience tells thee of thy sin , that there is a great deal of difference between tho one and the other ; and the truth is , till thou hast upon examination found this out , that thou canst with comfort , as in the presence of god , say , that though i have infirmities and sins , yet upon the examination of my heart , and upon those rules that have been given out in thy word , i see hope that my sin is no other but the spot of gods children ; and if it be so , then the third use is a use of consolation to all those that have many infirmities , and are burdened with them : thou hast spots upon thee , and dost thou find the behaviour of thy soul towards them , as heretofore thou hast heard ? be of good comfort in this , that there is no cause that thou should raze the foundation upon every failing that thou seest to be in thy self ; this is a wrong to jesus christ ; and to the covenant of grace , for one that hath approved himself to god upon examination , and hath found the work of grace , upon every failing to raze the very foundation , and think , surely all that i have done is nought , it 's all nothing , it 's all but hypocrisie : it 's fit indeed for thee upon thy sin , to examine , and to be humbled ; let thy sin be matter for thy humilation , but not matter for thy discouragement , not for the razing of the foundation ; to say , well , i shall at length one day perish by the hands of saul ; god will cast me off at length , such a wretched creature as i am ; take heed of that : those that are acquainted with the way of the gospel , they know how to be deeply humbled for their sin , and yet not to be discouraged by their sin . and further , as thou shouldest not raze the foundation , so thou shouldest not be afraid to come into gods presence . thou hast failed indeed , thou must come into gods presence , onely take heed of coming boldly , and impudently , as many there are that abuse the grace of god , and think because of christ , they may come with impudence ; no , the grace of christ doth not at all hinder humiliation , but furthers humiliation , makes it evangellical indeed ; and so thou being humbled for thy sin , thou mayest then come with an holy boldness into gods presence ; do not think to fly the presence of god , because thou hast sinned and offended ●im . as a loving father , it were a dishonour ●o him if upon every failing of his child , his ●hild should shake and tremble so , as not to ●are to come into the room where he were ; do ●ou think this were a commendation for a fa●her ? if you inquire what this child hath done , ●t may be he hath fail'd in some petty thing ; ●e hath perhaps tarried half a quarter of an ●our longer than his father would have him ●n such a business , or not managed such or such 〈◊〉 business to the full , as his father required of ●im ; and upon this he dar'd not come into his ●resence ; surely we would conclude that this man had not the bowels of a father in him : now if you would conclude so concerning men , then why wilt thou put this dishonour upon god himself , that hath the affections of 〈◊〉 father in him ? and if there be any compassion in fathers towards their children , yet it ●s not so much as one drop of that infinite ocean that is in god ; and therefore let not e●ery failing of thine make the afraid to come ●nto the presence of god , come to him yet as 〈◊〉 father , being humbled before him , and ap●lying the righteousness of his son. and then further , let the consideration of ●his be of comfort to thee ( when thou hast committed sin against god , if thou be'st such a oneas hath been spoken of ) in remembring the covenant that god hath made with thee , and bless god for the covenant that he hath made with thee in christ , and the difference that god hath made between thee and others in this thing ; magnifie his free grace in the govenant of grace , for from thence is it that thy spot shall not be a deadly spot ; and god will not deal with thee as with the wicked : certainly this is not from the nature of thy sin , for that may be as hainous as the sins of the other , but that that makes the difference is the free-grace of god in christ . o blessed be god for the covenant of grace that hath made the difference . i remember i have read of luther , he indeed saith when he was a monk , though he were conscientious then , yet then whensoever he committed any sin against god , his conscience did so flye in his face , that he thought he was rejected utterly of god , til god made him know that covenant of his grace in christ ; and then he thought he heard such a voice speaking to him , oh martin , do not despair , for thou shalt , as long as thou livest here in the flesh , sin against god ; onely do thou lustily oppose thy sin , and resist thy sin , and then know , that thou art not under the law , but under grace : it is from hence that there is this difference , therefore bless god that ever he reveal'd this covenant of grace to thy soul . and then likewise , let this comfort thee ; le● it be a means to set thy heart so much the more against sin , to take heed of sin : o take heed of abusing this grace of god : here will be the sign whether all this comfort belong to thee or no : if the more thou hearest it , the more thy heart doth lothe sin , and thou art the more afraid of sin because of this , thou dost the more labour to bleanse thy flesh and spirit from all the polutions of it . canst thou say thus as in the presence of god : lord , when i hear of these things , of that blessed grace of thine in the gospel , what a difference thou art pleased to make between one and the other ; why , lord , it breaks my heart , and it makes me more afraid of sin than any thing in the world : then thou mayest freely apply the comfort that is here , out of this scripture . and lastly , let me speak to those to whom this consolation doth belong , that thou hadst heed take heed to thy self , that thou preservest this thy consolation ; for without great care it will hardly be preserved — i mean by that , this : thou hadst need take heed that thou keepest thy conscience as clean as may be , that thou mayest have a clear discerning of the difference of gods dealing between one and the other . and therefore , take , heed first of any sins against light ; hath ever god given thee that comfort to thy soul , that though thou hast many failings , yet that god looks upon thee with another eye than upon the wicked ? i say take heed ever after of any sin against conscience : take heed of repeating that same sin again and again — take heed of lying in sin a long time : and take heed of being hardned in sin : for if ever thou shouldst fall to sin against light , against thy conscience , thou wilt hardly be able to discern any difference between thy sin and the sin of the wicked : and therefore look to thy self in this thing : oh let those that are godly , take heed that they bring not themselves , in regard of their own sense . in to as lamentable a condition as the wicked are , to have as much horrors of conscience in their own seeling , as thewicked and ungodly have o how great a pity is it that those between whom and the wicked , god hath made so great a difference , yet that through their negligence they shall bring themselves into as great a horror as the wicked and ungodly are in ! and lastly , that this may not be abused , let those that pretend unto god , and say they are his children , and they are in the covenant of grace , and speak much of fr●e-grace , and yet by their wicked scandalous lives do manifest that indeed they are not gods children ; let them know , that their spots are the worst spots of all , they are not onely the spots of wicked men , but even have the spots of devils upon them : if any spot be a loathsome , an accursed , an abominable spot , it is the spot of a man or woman that makes much profession of the gospel , and yet lives a scandalous , wicked , and ungodly life : — and especially , there are some whose spots are such as the heart of a man cannot but tremble at the very thoughts of them ; those that will put off their sin even to god himself : they take liberty to sin , and say they can do nothing without him : and so give way to wickedness , and think if god would give them more grace , then they should do better ; but till then they can not be better ; and so what blame there is , they lay it upon god himself : o what a spot is this , that thou wilt cast thy sin upon the infinite pure god! it 's very observable in this text : they have corrupted themselves , their spot is not the spot of gods children . oh do not think to cast it upon god ; as if moses should have said , do not you think to cast your sin upon god , for you have corrupted your selves , and your spot is not the spot of gods children . and then for others that take liberty in sin ; they think that all their sin is done away by the blood of jesus christ , and therefore they may take liberty ; and though they dare not say , that therefore they may , yet this is the language of their hearts and lives , many that in these latter dayes hath spoken much about the covenant of free grace , yet they have made the blood of christ that is appointed by god to cleanse us from our iniquities , they have made this blood an occasion of defiling their souls by their iniquity . o what an horrible spot is this , that thou shalt make the blood of christ to be the cause of it , as far as thou canst ! that must be an abominable defilement when thou contractest filthiness from the blood of christ , and from the grace of god in the gospel . o this is the most dreadful spot of all spots whatsoever ! the lord rebuke thy wicked and cursed heart that shalt contract wickedness from hearing the doctrine of free grace : is there not reason of speaking these things ? for do not you see some that speak more of free grace then ever they did , and yet more loose then ever they were before ? o these are spots in our feasts indeed , and in our converse and communion ; they are spots to a christian profession , such men and women as these are : for thy spots do not onely defile the own soul , but the name of god , and profession of jesus christ . thou dost what in the lyest , to defile the very blood of christ , and to defile the covenant of grace ; in the epistle of jude . they were afore of old ordained to this condemnation , saith the text : ungodly men , turning the grace of our god into lasciviousness ; there are two black brands of a reprobate : we have indeed no absolute notes and signs of a reprobate , but these are the two blackest . one is , god gives a man up to his hearts desire in wicked wayes — and the other , is to turn the grace of god into wantoness . how vile are those spots likewise , that men come now through the knowledg that they say they have of the covenant of grace , to have no kind of work of conscience upon them fortheir sin ? now their consciences do not at all trouble them for their sin , there 's no kind of sense at all upon them upon that account , and all because of grace ( as they say : ) well , that spot must needs be an irrecoverable spot , that there 's no sense at all of . — and if it come to that , now thou canst take liberty to sin freely , and hast no conscience at all of this thy sin , i say , thy spot is a most dreadful spot , and 't is to be fear'd an irrecoverable spot ; all the mercy of god that serves to help to ease others when they have committed their sins , doth but plead against thee , to aggravate thy sin — i 'le conclude all with that one text that we have in jer. . that shews the difference of the sins of those that are nearer to god in way of profession , is they be wicked and ungodly ; v. . . 〈◊〉 have seen folly , saith the prophet , in the prophets of samaria , they prophesied in baal , and caused my people israel to sin . in v. . i have seen also in the prophets of jerusalem , an horrible thing ▪ that that is but folly in the prophets of samaria , in the prophets of jerusalem , is an horrible thing : the more near we are to god in the way of our profession , the more horrible are our sins if we make religion to be a colour of our wickedness ; if we seek to cover our wickedness by profession of religion , that that is but folly in others , comes to be horrible in them ▪ consider what hath been said , and the lord give you understanding . finis . books to be sold by thomas parkhust , at the golden bible , on london-bridg . mr. sedgewick's bowels of mercy . fol. tho. taylor 's works , the st vol. fol. . an exposition of temptation on matthew . v. , to the end of the eleventh . . a commentary on titus . . davia's learning : a comment upon psalm . . . the parable of the sower , and of the seed , upon luke . and . divine characters , in two parts , ●istinguishing the hypocrite in his ●est dress , by sam. crook , b. d. a learned commentary or expo●●ion on the first chapter of the second epistle to the corinthians , by ●ichard sibbs d. d. fol. a commentary on the whole e●●stle of st. paul to the ephesians , by ●r . paul baine . fol. a practical exposition on the third chapter of the first epistle of st. paul to the corinthians , with the godly man's choice on psalm the th . ver . . , . by anthony burgess . fol. the dead saint speaking to saints and sinners living ; in several treatises . the first on samuel . . the second on canticles . . the third on john . . the fourth on isaiah . . the fifth on exodus . . by samuel bolton d. d. fol. coloquia mensalia , or dr. martin luthers divine discourses at his table with melancton , and several others : translated by henry bell. fol. the view of the holy scriptures , by hugh broughton . fol. the english gentleman , and the english gentlewoman , directing every gentleman and woman of selecter ranck and quality , how to demea● themselves , by r. brathwait , esq . fo●● christianographie , or a description of the multitude and sundry sorts o● christians in the world , not subject to the pope , by eph. pagitt . fol. these six treatises next following , are written by mr. george swinnock . . the christian man's calling ; or a treatise of making religion one's business , in religious duties , natural actions , his particular vocation , his family directions , and his own recreation ; to be read in families for their instruction and edification . the first part . . likewise a second part ; wherein christians are directed to perform their duties , as husbands and wives , parents and children , masters and servants , in the conditions of prosperity and adversity . . the third and last part of the christian man's calling ; wherein the christian is directed how to make religion his business ; in his dealings with all men , in the choice of his companions , in his carriage in good company , in bad company , in solitariness , or when he is alone , on a week-day from morning to night , in visiting the sick , on a dying-bed ; as also the means how a christian may do this , and some motives to it . . the door of salvation opened , by the key of regeneration . . heaven and hell epitomized : and the true christian characterized . . the fading of the flesh , and the flourishing of faith : or , one cast for eternity , with the only way to throw it well ; all these by george swinnock . m. a. large octavo's . a learned commentary on the fourth chapter of the second epistle of st. paul to the corinthians , to which is added , first , a conference between christ and mary . second , the spiritual man's aime . third , emanuel , or miracle of miracles , by richard sibbs . d. d. quarto . an exposition on the five first chapters of ezekiel , with useful observations thereupon , by william greenhill . quarto . the gospel-covenant , or the covenant of grace opened : preached in new-england , by peter bulkeley , quarto . gods holy mind touching matters moral ; which himself uttered in ten words , or ten commandements ; also an exposition on the lords prayer , by edward elton , b. d. quarto . a plain and familiar exposition of the ten commandements , by john dod. quarto . horologiographia oplica ; dialing universal and particular , speculative and practical ; together with the description of the court of arts , by a new method : by sylvanus morgan quarto . praxis medicinae , or the physicians practice , wherein are contained all inward diseases from the head to the foot , by walter bruell . regimen sanitatis salerni , or the school of salerns regiment of health , containing directions and instructions for the guide and government of mans life . quarto . . a wedding-ring fit for the finger ; together with the non-such professor ; by w. secker . christ and the covenant , the work and way of meditation ; delivered in ten sermons , l. octavo's . by wil. bridge , late of great yarmouth . heart-treasure : or a treatise tending to fill and furnish the head and heart of every christian , with a soul-inriching treasure of truths , graces , experiences and comforts , to help him in meditation , conference , religious performances , spiritual actions , enduring afflictions , and to fit him for all conditions , that he may live holily , dye happily , and go to heaven triumphantly , by o. h. with an epistle prefixed , by john chestter . large octavo's . books in small octavo . the burning of london in the year in . meditations , in . parts . . the sins procuring that judgment . . the natural causes of fire . . the most remarkable passage of that dreadful fire . . comfort and counsel to such a are sufferers by the said judgment by sam. rolle . a glimpse of eternity , by a. caley a practical discourse of prayer , wherein is handled the nature and duty of prayer , by tho. cobbet . of quenching the spirit , the evil of it in respect both of its causes and effects , discovered ; by theophilus polwheile . the greatest loss , upon matth. . . by james livesey . small octavo's . moses unvailed , by william guild . the protestants triumph , being an exact answer to all the sophistical arguments of papists , by charles drelincourt . a defence against the fear of death , by z. crofton . god's sovereignty displayed , by w. geering . a sober discourse concerning the interest of words in prayer . joh. am. comenii schola , ludus , scu encuclo paedia viva , i. e. januae linguarum praxis comica . the godly man's ark , or city of refuge in the day of his distress , in five sermons ; with mris. m●ores evidences for heaven ; by ed. calamy . the almost christian discovered ; or , the false professor tryed and cast , by m. mead. spiritual wisdom improved against temptation , by m. mead. a divine cordial . a word of comfort for the church of god. a plea for alms , in a sermon at the spirtle . the godly man's picture , drawn with a scripture-pencil . these four lastt , were written by tho. watson . the true bounds of christian freedom , or a discourse shewing the extents and restraints of christian liberty , wherein the truth is setled , many errors confuted ; out of john . ver . . a treatise of the sacrament , shewing a christians priviledg in approaching to god in ordinances , duty in his sacramental approaches , danger , if he do not sanctifie god in them ; both by sam. bolton . d. d. the lords day enlivened , or a treatise of the sabbath , by philip goodwin . the sinfulness of sin , and the fulness of christ , two sermons ; by w. bridge . a serious exhortation to a holy life , by tho. wadsworth . a relation of the fearful estate of f. spira . ovids metamorphosis translated grammatically , by j. brinsley . small poems of divers sorts , by sir astoncokain spiritual experiences of sundry believers , by vavasor powel . comfortable crumbs of refreshment , by prayers , meditations , consolations and ejaculations ; with a confession of faith , and sum of the bible . aurifodina linguae gallicae , or the golden mine of the french language opened , by ed. gostlin . gent. notes, typically marginal, from the original text notes for div a -e what the reign and dominion of sin is : irenicum, to the lovers of truth and peace heart-divisions opened in the causes and evils of them : with cautions that we may not be hurt by them, and endeavours to heal them / by jeremiah burroughes. burroughs, jeremiah, - . approx. kb of xml-encoded text transcribed from -bit group-iv tiff page images. text creation partnership, ann arbor, mi ; 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(eebo-tcp ; phase , no. a ) transcribed from: (early english books online ; image set ) images scanned from microfilm: (early english books, - ; : ) irenicum, to the lovers of truth and peace heart-divisions opened in the causes and evils of them : with cautions that we may not be hurt by them, and endeavours to heal them / by jeremiah burroughes. burroughs, jeremiah, - . [ ], , [ ] p. printed for robert dawlman, london : mdcliii [ ] running title: heart-divisions, the evill of our times. reproduction of original in the union theological seminary library, new york. includes bibliographical references. created by converting tcp files to tei p using tcp tei.xsl, tei @ oxford. re-processed by university of nebraska-lincoln and northwestern, with changes to facilitate morpho-syntactic tagging. gap elements of known extent have been transformed into placeholder characters or elements to simplify the filling in of gaps by user contributors. eebo-tcp is a partnership between the universities of michigan and oxford and the publisher proquest to create accurately transcribed and encoded texts based on the image sets published by proquest via their early english books online (eebo) database (http://eebo.chadwyck.com). the general aim of eebo-tcp is to encode one copy (usually the first edition) of every monographic english-language title published between and available in eebo. eebo-tcp aimed to produce large quantities of textual data within the usual project restraints of time and funding, and therefore chose to create diplomatic transcriptions (as opposed to critical editions) with light-touch, mainly structural encoding based on the text encoding initiative (http://www.tei-c.org). the eebo-tcp project was divided into two phases. the , texts created during phase of the project have been released into the public domain as of january . anyone can now take and use these texts for their own purposes, but we respectfully request that due credit and attribution is given to their original source. users should be aware of the process of creating the tcp texts, and therefore of any assumptions that can be made about the data. text selection was based on the new cambridge bibliography of english literature (ncbel). if an author (or for an anonymous work, the title) appears in ncbel, then their works are eligible for inclusion. selection was intended to range over a wide variety of subject areas, to reflect the true nature of the print record of the period. in general, first editions of a works in english were prioritized, although there are a number of works in other languages, notably latin and welsh, included and sometimes a second or later edition of a work was chosen if there was a compelling reason to do so. image sets were sent to external keying companies for transcription and basic encoding. quality assurance was then carried out by editorial teams in oxford and michigan. % (or pages, whichever is the greater) of each text was proofread for accuracy and those which did not meet qa standards were returned to the keyers to be redone. after proofreading, the encoding was enhanced and/or corrected and characters marked as illegible were corrected where possible up to a limit of instances per text. any remaining illegibles were encoded as <gap>s. understanding these processes should make clear that, while the overall quality of tcp data is very good, some errors will remain and some readable characters will be marked as illegible. users should bear in mind that in all likelihood such instances will never have been looked at by a tcp editor. the texts were encoded and linked to page images in accordance with level of the tei in libraries guidelines. copies of the texts have been issued variously as sgml (tcp schema; ascii text with mnemonic sdata character entities); displayable xml (tcp schema; characters represented either as utf- unicode or text strings within braces); or lossless xml (tei p , characters represented either as utf- unicode or tei g elements). keying and markup guidelines are available at the text creation partnership web site . eng christian union. theology, doctrinal. - tcp assigned for keying and markup - aptara keyed and coded from proquest page images - ali jakobson sampled and proofread - ali jakobson text and markup reviewed and edited - pfs batch review (qc) and xml conversion irenicvm , to the lovers of truth and peace . heart-divisions opened in the causes and evils of them : with cautions that we may not be hurt by them , and endeavours to heal them . by jeremiah burroughes . opinionum varietas & opinantium unitas non sunt 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . london , printed for robert davvlman . mdcliii . to the reader . whether the fiery tryall of contention , or of persecution be greater , is hard to determine ; god hath wrought to free us from the one , we have brought upon our selves the other . every man is angry that others are not of his minde ; we have been so divided , that it is the infinite mercy of god that our enemies have not come in at our breaches , and divided all among themselves , before this time . were our divisions onely betweene the good and bad , they were not so grievous . chrysostome sayes , it is better to be hated for christ , then to be beloved for him . how much better then is it to be hated for christ , then to be beloved for sinne ? the reason he gives of that strange assertion of his , is , if thou beest loved for god , it is an honour to thee , and thou art a debtour for that honour ; if thou beest hated for him , god is a debtour to thee , he owes honour to thee , for so he is pleased to be to his poore servants . but our divisions have been and still are between good men , even gods diamonds do cut one another ; good men cause afflictions to good men ; every man is plotting , working , winding for himselfe . every man strives like apelles and protogenes who shall draw the subtilest line to attain his owne ends , but few strive who shall draw the straightest , who shall in the most direct course work himselfe and all his wayes to god and publique good. who can meddle with this fire that is kindled among us , and not burn his fingers ? a mans good affections happily may be approved , but his prudence will be questioned . but what i finde luther writes in an epistle to his friend nicolas gerbelius in the like case , shall satisfie me , cupio ego inveniri christi & ecclesiae suae fidelis , si prudens esse non potuerim minister : i desire howsoever to be a faithfull minister of christ and his church , if i cannot be a prudent one . the standing in the gap is more dangerous and troublesome then the getting behinde the hedge , there you may be more secure , and under the winde , but it is best to be there where god looks for a man. that which pelopidas said to his wife taking her leave of him as he was going out of his house to the warres , is a speech worthy of all men in publique place : she comes weeping to him , and prayes him to look well to himselfe ; he answers her , my good wife , it is for private souldiers to be carefull of themselves , not for those in publique place , they must have an eye to save other men lives . it may be when you are going about a work that hath hazard and trouble in it , your wives or some friends of yours will with great affection desire you , beseech you , to have a care of your selves , that you bring not your selves into trouble or danger , oh take heed of that , rather never meddle , let others doe that work if they will ; you should answer , it is for private men to take care of themselves , but men in publique places are called to look to the publique , that it suffers not through their neglect some come into the gap , not to make it up , but to keep it open , yea to make it wider ; the lord deliver me from such a spirit : god knows i had rather die , then be a cause of so great an evill . what this endeavour of mine may work in mens hearts , god knowes . if it meet with a son of peace , i hope it will speake peace , it will establish peace in such a heart : if with a son of strife it may worke ad modum recipientis . that which is intended to be an irenicum , may prove to be a polemicum , a bone of contention . those things which god himselfe ordaines for union ( the sacraments ) are by mans corruption made the occasion of the greatest contention in the christian world . no marvell then that what comes from mans sincerest intentions and best endevours be turned quite crosse . like enough these leaves may meet with some boisterous reader , that may beat them one against another , that may pry and picke to finde that in them which is not , looking thorough the contradictions of his owne spirit he may think he sees the like here . let the lines be never so straight , yet he will wrest and pul them what he can to make them lye crosse . i am so far from being sollicitous that they are so indeed , that the speciall thing i desire of thee is the laying one thing to another , the comparing one thing with another . remember what the subject is , divisions , differences . i have in it to deale with various spirits , opinions , wayes : remember the scope is to seeke the composing of them what i can . if you see me now neare to the one side , and by and by neare to the other , which yet are very wide from one another , be not rash to judge , that i am off my center ; reade on , and see what the issue may come to . this path of mine hath beene upon sharpe stones , cutting shels , and pricking thornes ; yet thorough the helpe of the shooe of the preparation of the gospel of peace , i doe not finde my feet cut . peace is pretious to me , i feele the sweetnesse of it ; i am willing to do what i can to honour it . the publique jarres , contentions , disturbances abroad in church and common-wealth are very grievous . they say there are in the world such things in families also . i have brought here some water : if my line had been longer , my bucket had beene fuller . you have here what i delivered : some things are added , especially quotations of authors and histories . when they grow to be many i thinke them fitter for the presse then the pulpit . i was the more willing these things should come forth to publique view , because otherwise what other men apprehended to be my minde , would be put into their owne words , and so rendred in an evill appearance . but will printing help ? the boldnesse of this age is such , as not onely to make a mans words sound otherwise then when they came from him , and so traduce him ; but confidently to averre that there are such things written in such bookes , of such men , which never yet came into their thoughts , much lesse into their pen. with what boldnesse hath it been said and printed againe and againe , that i in that book entituled , the glorious name of god , the lord of hosts , did call the earle of essex the lord of hosts . surely the sight of these men is extramittendo , not intramittendo , they send forth species of their owne dyed with the evill of their hearts , and then they say they finde them in such a book . no man can finde that name given by me to him . i indeed endeavoured to encourage him in his worke , because the lord had made him the lord of our hosts , which is no more then the lord of our armies . the utmost that ever was said or writ comes but to this , that god had put a name upon him that came neare to his , but never mentioned without some difference from it . an abuse in this kinde , though not altogether so high , i have had from the anti-apologist ; he quotes many places in my lectures upon hosea , he sets downe the pages , wherein he sayes , i have contrary to what is in the apology preached for that way you call independent . would any man but thinke , when he sees the booke named in print , the lecture , the very page mentioned , but that the thing is true , it is to be found there ? but to this day it hath never come to my eares that ever any man hath found such things there but himselfe . are those the places ? let moderate and quiet spirited men looke into them , and they shall finde nothing there but what the generality of presbyteriall brethren , yea i thinke i may say every one , who is not either prelaticall or very violent , will acknowledge to bee truth , and if so , i am free . but we shall have another time for this . at this time i would gladly that this treatise might meet with no spirit exasperated , but in calmnesse and quietnesse , let what is here be examined . that god that can create the fruit of the lips to be peace , can make the fruit of the pen to be so . my aymes are peace , which i shall never cease endeavouring and praying for , who am thy friend , glad of any opportunity for thy good , jeremiah burroughes . heart-divisions the evill of our times . hosea . . their heart is divided , now shall they be found faulty . chap. i. the text opened , and sutablenesse of it to our times , shewed . no marvail though israel be charged , ver . . to be an empty vine , seeing their heart is divided . heart-division will cause emptinesse of good , both in mens spirits , and in church and state. the least dividing of the heart , in any one part from another , if it be but by the prick of a pin , is deadly ; a great gash in the head is curable . there may be much difference in mens opinions without any great hurt , if this difference gets not to the heart ; but if once it gets in there , the danger is great ; now shall they be found faulty , now shall they be guilty ; or as some , nunc delinquent , now they will offend ; as if heart-division contracted the greatest guilt , and by it men were the greatest delinquents of any . the word signifies also to perish , to be made desolate , so arius montanus , desolabuntur . heart-division is a desolating sinne , by the judgment of god upon them for it , they shall be convinced in their own consciences , and in the sight of all men , that they were guilty ; that by such a sin as this , they had bound themselves over to the justice of god , & those desolating evils that came upon them , were the righteous judgments of god upon them for those divisions that were amongst them . men wil not be convinced of their sin , till gods judgement is upon them for it ; and then their consciences will , and others shall see that god is righteous , and they are vile and sinfull before him , even in such things that before they pleaded for , or at least could not be brought to own their own guiltiness in . when thunder and raine came upon the men of israel in their wheat harvest , and they were afraid they should dye , sam. . , . then they could say , we have added unto all our sinnes this evill to aske us a king. the lord convince us of , and humble us for the sinfulnesse of our divisions by his word , that desolating judgments be not upon us to convince and humble us . their heart is divided . this heart-division is either from god , or from one another . their heart is divided between god and their idols ; they would not cast off the worship of god wholly , that was too much ; they loved their idols , but they must not have all : to divide between god and them they thought was faire . their hearts were also divided one from another ; and just it is with god , that those who divide from him , should divide one from another . king. . you may see what wofull divisions there were amonst them , king against people , and people against king , civill wars . their king comes upon one of their owne towns , and smites it , and rips up all the women that were with child in it , and all because they opened not to him . o the rage and cruelty of men of proud spirits , when they get power into their hands ! for then their pride swells , being blown up with the flatteries of such as are about them : as if they were such gods upon earth , as they might doe whatsoever they pleased , and the lives , estates , liberties , comforts of all must lie under their feet , and must submit to their lusts and humours . you shall find further in the whole chapter , there was nothing but conspiring , mischieving , and murthering one another . in their church state there was nothing but factions and rents one from another ; some were for the true worship , some for the false . and amongst the false worshippers there were divisions too : some were for the calves that jeroboam set up at dan and bethel ; some were for baal : great contention there was between these . you know the story of jehu an idolater , yet destroying the worshippers of baal and his idols . the jewes of old understood this text of these heart-divisions amongst themselves , as well as of their divisions from god , which appears by a notable tradition of theirs , st. jerom in his comment upon these words , relates : whereas ( says he ) the scripture , king. . tells us , that hoshea was the last king of israel , and in his time israel was carryed captive ; yet vers . . it is said , he did not evill in the sight of the lord , as the kings of israel that were before him . now the jewes put this question , why was not israel carryed captive with their king , when they had the worst king , but rather when things seemed to goe something better then before ? god yet chooses this time . the answer they give , is , because in former times the people might pretend , they could not tell how to help what they did amisse in the matter of worship ; indeed they worshipped the calves , but they were forced to it by the tyranny of their kings , it should be the losse of all they had if they did not : but ( say they ) in the days of hoshea there was more liberty given then before . now those who would , might goe up to jerusalem to worship , and that they say is the reason of that expression , that hoshea did not evill as other kings had done ; but when they came to have more liberty , they fell to wrangling amongst themselves , ( which is an usuall concomitant of liberty ) now their division rose high , some would to up to jerusalem to worship , others would not ; those that went up , cryed out of those who went not ; and those who went not , vilified those who went. now their hearts are thus divided , now shall they be found guilty . the desolating judgment must now come . this is the time for their captivity . now he gives them up to the enemie . god was exceedingly provoked with their contentions one against another at this time . what ? ( says god ) when i was in some way of favour towards them , when i took off ( in great part ) the yoke of bondage that was upon them , that sore oppression that was before , none of them ( a while since ) dared goe to jerusalem to worship , and now their governours are more moderate , their oppressing courts are downe , there is more liberty in the land for my true worship , and do they now fall out , contemn , divide , wrangle one with another ? let them goe into captivity , let the enemy come in upon them , my soule takes no delight in such a crooked perverse generation as this is . our condition seems to parallel with theirs very much , we lately were under sore and cruell bondage , nothing was more dangerous then the worshipping god in his own way , wee were under hard task-masters , oppressing , undoing courts ; the lord hath in a great measure delivered us , it is the unthankfulness , the sinfull distemper of mens spirits that makes them say , what is done ? it is as ill with us as ever it was ; no , we have much ease , such liberties , as were our fore-fathers raised out of their graves to see , they would admire gods goodness , and bless him with meltings of heart ; but we spend that strength in siding , wrangling , contending , quarrelling , vexing , opposing one another , that we should spend in magnifying , blessing and praising the name of god for that mercy we enjoy . we are a divided people , whose hearts are divided , and heads too , and hands too ; peace and unity seems to be flown from us , and a spirit of contention and division is come upon us : king & subjects are divided , parl. is divided , assembly is divided , armies are divided , church is divided , & state is divided , city is divided , country is divided , towns are divided , families divided , godly people are divided , ministers almost every where are divided ; yea , and what heart almost is there at this time but is divided in it self ? the thoughts , the counsels , contrivances , endeavours , ways of men , almost of all men , how are they divided ? o blessed saviour ! are these the times thou speakest of , wherein five should be in one house divided , three against two , and two against three ; the father against the son , and the son against the father ; the mother against the daughter , and the daughter against the mother ? oh woe to us ! wee find it so amongst us , and yet there is found no healing ; we are broken , and there is no binding up : it is with us as it was with ezek. . . briars and thorns are with us , and we dwell among scorpions . o lord , what is this thy curse at this time upon england ? bryers and thornes shall it bring forth : we are rending and tearing , and devouring one another , while the adversary stands before us ready to devour us : ephraim is against manasseh , and manasseh against ephraim . a fire is come out from abimilech , and devours the men of sechem ; and fire comes from the men of sechem , and devours abimilech ; yea , there is a fire kindled in our owne bowels , it rises from our selves . ezek. . . fire is gone on t of a rod of her branches , which hath devoured her fruit , so that shee hath no strong rod to be a seepter to rule , this is a lamentation , and shall be for a lamentation . this is amongst us at this day , and how long it shall continue , god onely knows . what this people were in their divided condition , that we are ; and what does this threaten , but that we should be as they a while after this were ? namely , a people given up to the rage and fury of the enemie , which the lord forbid . there is a great out-cry of our divisions , and while we cry out against them , wee still encrease them ; we are angry with men rather , because they are divided from our selves , then because they are divided from the truth ; we are angry because every man is not of our own mind , & does not as we do . there was a great deal of doe in luthers time about the seamless coat of christ . granvillian the emperours deputy in a speech he made to the citizens of wormes , beseeches them for the death of christ , and for all loves , that they would amend our lords coate , which is rent and torn on every side . when luther laboured to bring reformation to the rule , they bad him take heed that he did not rend the seamless coat of christ ; and because they talked so much of the tunica inconsutilis , they were called the inconsutilistae , the seamelesse men : and what a stirre hath there been in out-cryes against men that would not yeeld to every thing that was enjoyned ? o they rent the seamlesse coat of christ . i remember musculus in a tract he hath de schismate , hath a witty and pious note upon this , the souldiers ( saith he ) would not divide the seamelesse coat of christ ; but what made them to be so carefull of it ? was it out of respect to christ , that they were so unwilling it should be divided ? no , but out of respect to their owne advantage , every one hoping it might fall to his share , therefore say they , let us cast lots for it ; so , saith he , men would not have christs coat divided , they would have no division in the church ; but what do they aime at ? their own advantage , that they might enjoy quietly their owne ease , honour , and means , that they might have none to contradict them , but that the streame may run smoothly and wholly with them , what a fine brave thing were this ? and because they see they cannot doe this while their ways are looked into and crossed , therefore they make such an outcry against the dividing the seamlesse coat of christ . but certainly , till our hearts be otherwise then yet they are , all our out-cries wil not serve our ends , the stilling our divisings . did we less divide between god and our own ends , our own way● , we should not divide so much one from another . wherefore let us first turn our thoughts to consider a little of this division between god and other things , and the evil of it . chap. ii. the evill of dividing between god and any thing else . this people would give god something , and their idols something , and so think to please both , king. . . they feared the lord , and served their idolls . thus judah in the days of josiah , zeph. . . sware by the lord , and by malcham ; swearing is a part of gods worship , therefore no humane instituted religious ceremony ought to be joyned with it , no more then with the sacrament , or any other divine worship , no creature should share in it , but they joyned malcham , that is their king. the worship and service proper to god hath been too much divided between god and the kings of the earth ; but here it 's probable is meant their idoll , to which they gave a kingly power over them , their idoll moloch had his name from hence . i have read of redwald king of the east saxons , the first prince of his nation that was baptized , in the same place worshipped christ , and set up an altar to worship his idols . many mens spirits lye like that haven , acts . . towards the southwest and northwest , two opposite points : surely their spirits must needs be very winding and crooked which lye towards such opposites . this dividing with god is very wicked ; what communion hath god with belial ? how can you partake of the table of the lord , and the table of devills ? cor. . . and lest they should thinke it a light thing thus to divide with god , hee adds , vers . . doe we provoke the lord to jealousie ? are we stronger then he ? it is a great provoking of god , and a fighting against him , thus to divide in his worship . to think that god should accept of such a dividing , is to make him cruel , like that harlot , king. . . who was content to have the child divided , let it be neither mine nor thine , but let it be divided . gods worship is as deare to him as any child can be to the most tender-hearted mother in the world . when darius would have divided with alexander , no , sayes alexander , there can be but one sun in the firmament . if we will be dividing with god , he will cast off all . king. . . it is said , they feared the lord , and served their idolls ; but vers . . it is said , they did not feare god , god accounted a divided feare no feare at all . verse . it is said , they left all the commandements of the lord their god , and made them molten images . if they give any part of gods honour to molten images , he acknowledges no honour at all given to him , he accounts all his commandements to be left . so jer. . . they have done nothing of all that thou commandest them to doe : and vers . . the children of israel and the children of judah have onely done evill before me . god is infinite , and hath all excellency in him , therefore he must have the whole heart ; idols doe not challenge so much , because they have not an universall excellency , a piece of worship is enough for them ; our hearts , estates , liberties , all wee are or have , are more gods then our owne . cyrus tooke babylon by dividing the river : the devill soon surprizes us , if he can but divide our hearts . the reason why heathen rome rejected christ from being of the number of their gods , when such a thing was tendred to their senate , was , because ( say they ) if we receive him to be a god , he will suffer none of our other gods ; if we take in any other new god , we may yet retain still our old ones ; but if we take this jesus , all our old ones must be abandoned . many at this day reject christ upon this ground . the romanists since thinke they can take in christ for a god , and yet divide between him and other gods ; their religion is made up of divisions between god and their graven images ; between christ the mediator , and saints and angels ; between the word , and their owne traditions ; between divine institutions , and humane inventions . king. . . why halt ye between two opinions ? wee must not be voluntary cripples to halt between two . why are you dismembred in your hearts and your opinions ? so josephus in his history mentioning that place . that is observable , when the prophet put that question to them , the text saith , the people held their peace , their mouths were stopped , they had not a word to say for themselves . if any thing be pretended for this dividing , it is that trouble may be prevented : exactnesse in religion , through reformation , giving up our selves wholly to god and his truth , hath a shew of bringing much trouble with it . hence men winde and shift about , and doe what they doe by halves . it was a notable speech of calvin to those who were offended with troubles they met with in the work of reformation , if wee could be content with halfe a christ , ( sayes he ) our worke would more easily goe on , we could soone bring about what wee would have , we should not meet with so much opposition , but nothing but a whole christ will serve our turne . but it is necessary that all things be reformed at once ? no : affirmative precepts doe not binde to all times , but negative doe ; therefore it is necessary at all times , that there be no mixture of evill with any good we doe , that our mediocrity be not medium participationis , but medium abnegationis , between two extreams , which are evill , but not partaking of any evill ; no good thing is moderated by mixture of evill , but by removing from it something that is evill , that hath already mingled it selfe with it . but must god have all our hearts , so as we may not let them out at all to any thing else ? if wee let out our hearts to any thing but in subordination to god , then we divide between god and that thing sinfully ; but though we do let out our affections to other things , yet if it be in subordination to god , so farre as god is in those things , and we may be led nearer to god by them ; this is no dividing between god and other things , but an uniting all in god , and enjoying god in all . the saints are instructed in this mistery of godlinesse , they know how to give god the whole heart , and yet to enjoy the comforts of wives and children , and estates , and callings , as much as any in the world ; they have that heavenly skil to unite all in god , and enjoy god in all , god is all in all unto them in their enjoyments of all good whatsoever ; but if our hearts be let out to any thing otherwise then thus , they go a whoring from god , and will certainly vanish in their own folly . this is contrary to that singlenesse , to that onenesse of heart promised as a blessing of the gospel . many of you complaine of barrennesse , here is the reason your hearts are divided ; were the stream of your hearts wholly after god , it would runne strongly , and bear down opposition before it , you would be fruitfull in all the wayes of holinesse . how fruitful and gloriously usefull would men in publike place be , if their hearts were single and one for god ; did they only care to honour god in their duty , and leave the care of protection of , and provision for themselves and state to god ? let not mens hearts be cut , be divided with their cares and fears about consequences and successes ; their wisdom should be how to work all about for god , not how handsomely to contrive that god may have part , and themselves part . the more fully we give up our selves , our ends , designes to god , the more securely may we sit under gods protection , care , and blessing . many of the good kings of judah had their hearts for god , but yet they let the high places stand ; their politick wisdom divided their hearts between god , and their fears of disturbance in the state ; if they should raise their reformation so high , by this their division , their hearts lay flat , the worke was neglected . but chron. . . jehoshaphats heart was lift up in the wayes of the lord , he tooke away the high places and groves , he sought to the lord god of his father , and walked in his commandements , not after the doings of israel , vers . . but did he not bring disturbance to the kingdome by this his zeale ? no , vers . . therefore the lord stablished that kingdome in his hand , and all judah brought to jehoshaphat presents , and hee had riches and honour in abundance . and vers . the feare of the lord fell upon all the kingdomes of the lands that were round about judah , so that they made no warre against jehoshaphat . vers . . jehoshaphat waxed great exceedingly . let our hearts be for god alone , for god alone is enough to satisfie our hearts , to supply all good unto us for ever . there is infinite reason our whole hearts should be for him , he is willing his whole heart should be for us . jer. . . yea i will rejoyce over them to do them good , and i will plant them with my whole heart , and with my whole soule . chap. iii. heart-divisions one from another . when they divided from god , then they divided from his people , they would not joyn with his people in the way of his worship , only such as set their hearts to seek the lord god of israel , went to ierusalem to sacrifice to the lord god of their fathers , chr. . . only those whose hearts the lord touched ; but others for their owne carnall ends would not joyn with them , they saw trouble attended that way ; and having divided themselves from god & his people , it was gods curse upon them that they should be divided one from another ; if you be divided from the truth , what can hold you together ? truth is a single , simple , plain thing , but error is various , and ensnarls it self with infinite contradictions : if people goe out of the plaine path of truth , they wander up and down god knows whither , intangling themselves in bryars and thornes , so as they cannot extricate themselves : as those ten tribes which at first divided from iudah only in their subjection to the house of david , and in their worship at ierusalem , but after they denied all scripture but only the . books of moses : they were exceedingly given , and generally addicted unto sorcery , magick , and witch-craft , in which they grew more and more notorious till christs time . this is intimated in that blasphemy of the jewes against our saviour , thou art a samaritan , and hast a devil , taxing him with the practice of that people , who commonly being witches , had familiar spirits attending on them , for otherwise they knew he was no samaritan , but a galilean of nazareth : they were also exceedingly divided amongst themselves . epiphanius recites four severall sects of them , the ossens , sebuaeans , gorthenians , and positheans ; truth is the bond that keeps to unity , but errour is wilde , you know not where to find it , nor your selves if you give way to it : our present times will be a testimony of this to all future generations . the wild and unruly divisions of our times is to be the subject of the future discourse . i am not ignorant nor unsensible of the difficulty , the trouble , the danger there is in medling with such a subject at such a time as this . he that meddles with the divisions of the times , may expect to be divided himself , to have his name , his repute , to be cut asunder and thrown this way and that way : it is an unthankfull work to meddle with a divided people ; a man may with as much safety put his hand into a nest of hornets . a learned man being once asked why he did not write his judgment about the controversie of his time , answered , to what purpose ? it would not help the cause , but much hazard him that should meddle . that which one once said to luther , when he was about interessing himself in seeking reformation , sounds in my ears , when i first thought of having to do with this argument , o luther , rather get you into your cell , and say , lord have mercy upon us . it is a great part of the skil of a minister to divide the word aright ; but this skill of his will be put to it , when he comes to divide the word amongst a divided people , to give every part its portion . i should never have ventured to have chosen a text on purpose for such an argument ; but seeing providence hath brought it so fully into my way , i shall now venture upon it , with my heart cast and fixed upon that promise , pro. . . the uprightnesse of the upright shall guide him . i shall cast what i intend into this mould : . the causes of our divisions . . the evill of them . . cautions about them , that we may not make an ill use of them . . remedies or cures of them . the causes of our divisions . the principal cause from without , is the devil , he seeks to keep his own kingdom free from divisions , but seeks nothing more then to cause divisions in the kingdom of christ . the mahumetans , who worship a cursed impostor : the pagans , who worship the sun , moon , and stars : the aegyptians , who worship onions , leeks , cats and dogs , never had such divisions amongst them as the worshippers of jesus christ have had , and have at this day amongst themselves ; for all the former are the devils kingdom , which he seeks to keep at peace ; but he is that envious one who sows the seeds of division in the kingdom of christ ; hence those who foment divisions amongst christians are called devils , tim. . . the wives of deacons must not be slanderers : the word may be translated devils : women are most liable to the devils temptations this way , because they are weak , and are in danger to run away with sudden apprehensions without due examination ; and what can foment division more then slandering , so far as any , especially in the church , hath a hand in causing or fomenting division , so farre as she is a devil in scripture-language , the part of the devil is acted by them . i remember cajetan hath a note upon that place in the gospel , where the devils being cast out of the man , who had a legion in him , prayed christ that they might not goe out of that region ; why would they not go out of that region ? says cajetan ; he gives this answer , the devils have certain places to which they divide their work , such devils to such a place for such a service , and such to another for another service ; now these devils were loath to be displaced of their region , though they were cast out of the man , having further work to do in that place : if this be so , surely the devills that are appointed to cause and foment divisions and dissentions above all regions , love to be in the region of churches , for no where do divisions such hart as there , and at this time especially ; for now the devils see they cannot prevail to get men to their old superstitious vanities ; but some reformation there wil be , they now seek to mingle a perverse spirit of division amongst men , hoping they shall prevail here , though they could not hold their own in the former . god put enmity between satan and the saints , but it is the devil that puts enmity between saints and saints . when we hear fearful thundring , and see terrible storms and tempests , many people say , that ill spirits are abroad ; surely these blustering storms of contention are raised and continued from evill spirits : but the truth is , all the devils in hel could do us no great hurt in dividing us from god or from one another , were it not for the corruption of our own hearts : wherefore as the lord says to israel , perditio tua ex te , thy destruction is from thy self : so may we now say of england , divisio tua ex te , thy division is from thy selfe . the causes of our divisions from our selves , may be referred to three heads . . dividing principles ; sometimes our divisions come down from our heads to our hearts . . dividing distempers , sometimes they go up from our hearts to our heads . . dividing practises , and these come from head and heart , they foment and encrease both . we will begin with dividing principles : except some care be taken of the head , it will be in vaine to meddle with the heart , to cry out against our heart-distempers ; the chief cause of many of our divisions lies here : it is to little purpose , to purge or apply any medicine to the lower parts , when the disease comes from distillations from the head . chap. iv. dividing principles . the first , there can be no agreement without vniformity . this principle hath a long time caused much division in the church . the right understanding wherein the weaknesse and falsenesse of it lyes , will help much to peace , to joyn us sweetly together . in the substantials of worship , unity is necessary ; there all are bound to go by the same rule , and to do to the uttermost they are able , the same thing . but the circumstantials of worship have a two-fold consideration : they are either such , as though but circumstances to some other worship , yet have also in themselves some divine worship , some spirituall efficacie , something in them to commend our service unto god , or to cause some presence of god with us , or to work us nearer to god , by an efficacy beyond what they have in them of their owne natures . as for instance , time is a circumstance , but the lords day hath a worship in it commending our service to god , and an efficacie to bring god to us , and raise us to god : this not from any naturall efficacie of the time , but from gods institution . now in such circumstances as these , there ought to be uniformity ; for these have institutions for their rule , and are not at mans liberty to be altered as he thinks best in prudence ; but there are other circumstances which are onely naturall or civill , subservient to worship in a naturall or civill way ; they are conversant about worship , but have nothing of worship in them , but are meerely naturall or civill helps to it . when we worship god , we do something as men as well as worshippers ; hence we have need of some naturall or civill helps . as for instance , when we meet to worship god , wee being men as well as christians , must have a conveniency of place , to keep us from the weather , to know whether to resort ; and of time to know when . there must be order : many cannot speak at once to edification ; modest and grave carriage is required of us , as a society of men , meeting about matters of weight . in these circumstances , and other of the like nature , there is no worship at all , there is no spirituall efficacie , there are only naturall or civill helps to us , while we are worshipping ; therefore for these circumstances , humane prudence is sufficient to order them . the right understanding of this takes away a great prejudice that many have against such as desire to keep to divine institutions , not onely in substantials , but in the circumstantials of worship ; they thinke it an unreasonable thing , that divine institution should be required for every circumstance in worship ; this hath bred a great quarrel in the church : and well may it be thought unreasonable , if we required institutions for circumstances in worship , which are but naturall or civill helps , and have no worship at all in them , for that indeed were endlesse , and a meer vanity . certainly institutions are to be required onely in things that are raised beyond what is in them naturally , in tendring my respects to god by them , or expecting to draw my heart nearer to god , or god nearer to me in the use of them . the contention about uniformity is much encreased for want of a right understanding of this difference in the circumstantialls of worship ; did we understand one another in this , wee might soon have peace as concerning this thing . in these latter sorts of circumstances we must also distinguish . there are some that must of necessity be determined , as time and place ; it is therefore necessary , there should be an uniformity in these , in all the members of every society respectively , that they agree to meet in the same place , at the same time , naturall necessity requires this : but naturall necessity requires not the binding of severall churches to uniformity in things of this kind . the urging uniformity beyond the rule in such things , hath in all ages caused wofull divisions in the church . eusebius tells of victor , bishop of rome , about two hundred yeares after christ , broke off communion from all the churches of asia , for not keeping easter the same time he did . the controversie was not about easter , but onely about uniformity in the time . never hath there been greater breaches of unity in the church , then by violent urging uniformity . but further ; there are other naturall civill circumstances , which need not at all be determined ; though there be a liberty and variety in them , yet order and edification is not hereby hindered . as for instance , in hearing the word , one stands , as constantine was wont constantly to do ; another sits ; one is uncovered , another is covered ; one hath one kind of garment , another , another ; yet no rules of modesty or gravity are broken . now if any power should violently urge uniformity in such like circumstances , and not leave them as christ hath done , here they make the necessity of uniformity a dividing principle , upon these four grounds . . this is a straitning mens naturall liberties , without satisfying their reason . . this hath been the in-let to almost all superstitions in the church ; first the plea hath been for decency and order , then there hath been stamped a humane institution to raise things higher . . the urging such things , when there is no reason seen in the nature of them ; why this rather then that , makes men fear there is some religious respect put upon them already . . here is a stretching the power of authority beyond the limits of it , which man naturally is very impatient of , not knowing how far it may yet further be extended . as for the practice of church-governors , or civill going beyond their bounds , we shall speak to in the third head. i have read of solyman the great turk , when he was advised by a mu●hty to compell those of divers religions in his dominions to mahumetisme ; looking out of his window into his garden , where there was great variety of flowers and herbs , said , as the variety of flowers and herbs seeme very delightfull , so the diversity of religions in my kingdome is rather usefull then burthensome , so it be those who professe them live peaceably . i am not of his mind for the variety of severall religions , of which further by and by ; yet certainly in the varity of the practices of brethren in such things as wee are speaking of , tuned with brotherly love one towards another , there will be a sweet harmony , when violent urging uniformity in such things will cause a harsh discord in the churches . when the fore-named victor of rome , with those who joyned with him , caused wofull divisions in the church by standing so much upon uniformity , urging there could be no peace without it , by it they brake the peace of the church . iraeneus and others in the same time pleaded for the peace of the church , to be procured by yeelding to difference of practice in such things , in the name of all the brethren in france under his charge , he writes to victor , and those who joyned with him , and tells them of the variety of practises of divers brethren in times before them , which was very neare the apostles times , who yet were at unity one with another . they who were bishops ( sayes he ) before soter , of that sea which now thou governest , as anicetus , pius , higinus , telesphorus , xixtus , were at unity with them of other churches , although their observations were various , and polycarpus being at rome in the time of anicetus , varyed in divers things from him . although polycarpus had ( says he ) what he did from john the disciple of our lord , with whom he conversed , yet would he not perswade anicetus to the same things , but left him to the way of his owne church , and they communicated lovingly one with another , and parted in a brotherly way . cannot men walke peaceably in a broad way , though they do not tread just in one anothers steps ? what though there be some distance in their walke , one towards one side , the other towards the other side of the way ; must they needs fall out , because they are not in the same path , when the way is broad enough ? indeed if they went over a narrow bridg , they must not take that liberty to go abredth ; if they keep not close to one anothers steps , if they step at a distance , they may fall into the river . thus in matters of divine worship , we must look to it , that we walk exactly in the same steps ; if there we presume to take liberty , wee may soone fall ; but in circumstances of an inferiour nature , there may be difference without division . we must not here take upon us to be wiser then christ . melancthon in an epistle to some brethren of differing minds ( cited by gersom bucerus ) perswades to unity thus : seeing ( saith he ) wee agree in the principall articles of faith , let us embrace one another with mutuall love , the dissimilitnde and varity of rights and ceremonies , ( i will adde , sayes bncerus ) and of ecclesiasticall government , ought not to disjoyn our minds . chap. v. the second dividing principle : all religions are to be tolerated . this is a divider indeed . there is a great outcry of this but what is the scope of it ? it is to exasperate mens spirits against the toleration of any thing . some think there must needs be a necessary dependance between tolerating some things conceived errors , and tolerating all things ; and if it were not for the fear of the one , there would not be such ado about the other . but i hope i shall clearly shew there is no such dependence ; but as this is a dividing principle , that all things should be tolerated , so the other is as truly dividing and false , that nothing should be tolerated . there is nothing makes more stirre amongst us at this day , then this principle of absolute liberty in matters of religion . conscience presses me to speak what i shall find to be the mind of god in this thing : the wantonnesse of mens spirits , their extream boldnesse about the matters of god , and christ , is such , as should cause our hearts to tremble ; such horrid blasphemous things are amongst us , owned and professed with so much impudence , and their practice strengthned by this principle , that there is to be an absolute liberty in the things of religion , that our duty to god , our love to , and care of the preservation of religion , calls us to set our selves against such a false , sinfull , dangerous disturbing principle as this is . this principle is strengthened by two positions ; both which are dividing as well as the principle it selfe . first , that magistrates have nothing to do with men in the matters of religion . secondly , conscience is a tender thing , and must have liberty ; nothing must be done to men , who plead their consciences for what they do . first , wee shall shew the principle it selfe to be a dividing principle ; then the mistakes in those two assertions , that uphold this principle : as they strengthen the principle , so they strengthen division . the principle is dividing ; for , first , it is an abhorring to nature . is it not an abhorring thing to any mans heart in the world , that men should suffer that god to be blasphemed , whom they honour ? and that nothing should be done for the restrayning any , but to aske them why they doe so , and to perswade them to doe otherwise ? there hath ever been as great a contestation amongst people about religion , as about any thing , exod. . , . pharaoh bade moses sacrifice in the land : but moses said , it is not meete so to doe ; for we shall sacrifice the abominations of the aegyptians : loc , shall wee sacrifice the abomination of the aegyptians before their eyes , and will they not stone us ? though they had leave of the king , yet the people would not endure it . secondly , it is against the light of scripture , deutr. . . if thy brother the sonne of thy mother , or thy sonne , or thy daughter , or the wife of thy bosome , or thy friend , which is as thine owne soule , entice thee secretly , saying , let us goe and serve other gods , which thou hast not knowne , nor thy fathers , thou shalt not consent unto him , nor hearken to him ; neither shall thine eye pitty him , neither shalt thou spare him , nor conceale him : but thou shalt surely kill him ; thine hand shall be first upon him to put him to death , and afterwards the hand of all the people . let not any put of this scripture , saying , this is in the old testament , but we finde no such thing in the gospel ; for we find the same thing , almost the same words , used in a prophesie of the times of the gospel , zech. . . in the latter end of the . chapter , it is prophecyed that those who pierced christ , should looke upon him , and mourne , &c. having a spirit of grace and supplication powred upon them . chap. . . there shall now be opened a fountaine for sinne and for uncleannesse . vers . . it shall come to passe , that he that takes upon him to prophesie that his father and his mother that begate him , shall say unto him , thou shalt not live , for thou speakest lyes in the name of the lord : and his father and his mother that begate him , shall thrust him through when he prophesieth . you must understand this by that in deut. the meaning is not , that his father or mother should presently run a knife into him , but that though they begat him , yet they should be the means to bring him to condign punishment , even the taking away his life ; those who were the instruments of his life , should now be the instruments of his death . thirdly , it is a dividing principle , because by it the reines are let loose to all kind of wantonnesse , and spirit of opposition , in the matters of religion . men naturally are wanton in nothing more then in the things of religion ; and corrupt spirits are bent upon , and pleased with opposition in these things , above any other : for being things supposed to have an excellency in them , and above reason , and so liable to contradiction from men of corrupt minds , if there be nothing to restrain men from opposing one another in them ; the wantonnesse and pride of mens hearts will carry them forth to infinite jarrings , contentions , and divisions . if it be said , christ hath left spirituall meanes to helpe this . it is answered , christs spirituall meanes are to work in a spirituall way upon the heart to change it , and secondarily upon the outward man ; while christs means are working thus , externall means may keep evill from breaking forth in the outward man ; christ hath not left the outward man at absolute liberty to do what it will , till spirituall meanes be made effectuall to the heart , especially considering if you grant this liberty , men may choose whether any of those spirituall means of christ should at all come at them . the first position that upholds this dividing principle : magistrates have nothing to do in the matters of religion . it must be granted , that a magistrate is not an officer of jesus christ the mediator in his mediatory kingdome . there is a two-fold government that christ hath : . one as he is god equall with the father , together with the father , ruling heaven and earth . . another , as he is god and man , mediator , in a peculiar kingdome of his that he hath by way of dispensation from the father . now the magistrate is an officer of god , both the father and the son , in the generall government of the world . but he is not the officer of christ , in that kingdome of his that he hath by way of dispensation from the father , that regnum mediatorum , as divines call it : no , though he be a christian magistrate , there are no officers of that , but such as are by divine institution set down in the word ; his christianity doth only adde unto him further ability to execute the work of his office in a better manner , it adds no new authority to him : an infidell magistrate converted to christian religion , is thereby better enabled to performe the duty of his place then before , but he had the same authority before ; it was his sinn , he did not use his authority now as he is able to do ; though he be a christian who is a magistrate , yet the power of his magistracy belongs to another kingdom , different from that the second person hath as he is christ the mediator . but doth not this then exclude him from the exercise of any power in the matters of christian religion ? no , for god in the exercise of his power governing the world , hath a speciall ayme at the promoting the kingdom of his sonne christ the mediator : therefore magistrates exercising this power of god , ought to ayme at these ends , that god himselfe aymes at in the exercise of his own power , that is , to be usefull to christs government in his church , and for the good of his church : god in all his wayes , from the beginning of the world , hath aymed at the setting up his son to be king upon his holy hill , at the promoting of the glory of him who is god-man : and if his ministers doe not make use of their power to this end , when this kingdome of his sonne comes to be revealed to them , he will require it at their hands . the power that god invested magistrates withall in matters of religion in the old testament , is so full and cleare in that which god gave to the kings of judah and israel , that to name particulars would almost make a volume ; i find many who write about this subject , spend most of their strength here , but i wholly forbear mentioning instances in this , because it is granted by all that they had power ; but the argument from thence to the power of magistrates in the times of the gospel , prevails little with those who hold this dividing principle we are now speaking of . for they tell us that their power was typicall , they in the exercise of such a power were types of the kingly power of christ , for we find glorious promises of dominion and stability made to christ in the persons of many of those kings . . they tell us , that it is no argument , because priests and levites had in time of the law power in temporall things , in ordering the affairs of the state ; therefore ministers should have civill authority now : so neither is it an argument , because magistrates had power then in spirituall things , therefore our magistrates should have the like now . . they tell us that the church and common-wealth of the jews were mixed in one ; hence to be a stranger from the church is expressed by being a stranger from the common-wealth of israel , ephes . . . and therefore their magistrates were church-officers as well as civill . . that the people of the jews were brought up in a more servile way then christ would have his church , in the times of the gospel , brought up in : compulsion therefore in matters of religion was more sutable to their condition , then it is to our jerusalem which is free . . the whole church was then bound to be under the same state-government ; the laws of their state were by divine appointment ; their kings were chosen by god ; but now christ chuses his church out of all nations of the earth , and leaves them to the severall governments , lawes , officers of severall nations for their civill state. . i confesse were there nothing but meerly examples or laws from the old testament to confute this dividing posi●ion , to an examining eye the argument would hardly be cogent or satisfactory , only so far as there is a common reason and equity in them , and so all the judiciall bind now as well as they did then . . so far as the new testament approves of for the times of it , what was formerly done in the old. the strength of the argument from the power of magistrates in the old testament , lyes in these two . first , there is a common reason and equity , what ever the strength of such kind of arguing be from one spirituall ordinances to prove another , yet without all question , it is strong enough from one civill ordinance to prove another , though it be conversant about spirituall things . it is the dictate of nature , that magistrates should have some power in matters of religion . the generality of all people have ever thought it equall . it hath been ever challenged in all nations and common-wealths . the heathens would never suffer their gods to be blasphemed , but punish such as were guilty thereof by the power of the magistrate . socrates was put to death for blaspheming their multiplicity of gods . ly surely there is a common equity , for there is a necessity of it as truly now as there was then . i cannot argue the being of spirituall ordinances from our need of them , not thus there is such an institution , for the church hath need of it ; but rather thus , i find it in the word to be an institution , and therefore the church hath need of it . but in naturall or civill things this way of arguing is strong enough ; there is need of such a help , and therefore we should seek to have it . now sure the need we have of such a power , is exceeding great , we were in a most miserable condition if we had no externall civil power to restrain from any kinds of blasphemies and seducements . the condition of the jews , o how happy was it in comparison of ours , if this were denyed us ! for if any one of theirs did blaspheme god , or seek to seduce any from him , they knew w ht to do with him , besides perswading him to the contrary ; but if any should seek to seduce the wives of our bosoms , children of our bodies , friends as dear to us as our own lives , into those wayes that we think in our consciences will undo their souls to all eternity , yet wee must only desire them they would not do so , we must only admonish , and seek to convince them , or reprove them , but restrain them we cannot : if the deliverance of us from the pedagogy of the law hath brought us into this condition , our burden is greater in this thing then any that the law laid upon our fore-fathers . hath christ delevered us from one burden to lay a greater upon us ? must we now see those who are dearest to us drawn into the wayes of eternall destruction , and stand and look on , but no way left to help them , or our selves , unlesse wee can perswade to the contrary ? surely our condition is very sad : have we not cause to say , lord let any burthen of the ceremonial law be laid upon our necks rather then this ? if there were a company of mad men running np and downe the streets with knives and swords in their hands , endeavouring to mischief and kill all they met with , and we must doe nothing to restraine them ; if we could perswade them to doe otherwise , well and good : but that is all we can do for help ; what a dangerous thing were this ? the case is the same , when those who are mad with damnable heresies , run from place to place , seeking to draw all they can from the truth ; if we have no means of help but arguments , it is ill with us : surely god hath not put his people into such a sad condition as this is , he hath provided better for his people then thus . thirdly , wee find in the record of scripture mention of heathen magistrates , who had nothing but the light of nature to guide them , interessing themselves in matters of religion , and this the holy ghost relates in way of commendation of them for this thing . the argument from these examples cannot be avoided , as that which is taken from the practice of the kings of judah . we read ezra . . artaxerxes interposes his power in matters of religion , and ezra blesses god for it , whosoever will not doe the law of thy god , and the law of the king , let judgement be executed speedily upon him . and in the next words , ezra blessed god , who put it in the heart of the king by these and other means , to beautifie his house . the making such a law was one notable meanes whereby the house of the lord came to be beautified . thus also nebuchadnezzar , dan. . . i make a decree that every people , nation and language , who speake any thing against the god of shadrach , meshach , and abednego , shall be cut in pieces , and their houses shall be made a dung-hil , &c. this the scripture records as a worke of the kings repentance . the king of nineveh , jonah . by the decree of his princes and nobles , proclaims a fast , and commands every one to cry mightily to god , and to turne from his evill way . further , let us see how the holy ghost justifies this power of the magistrate in the times of the gospel : first , in the prophesies of the times of the gospel : secondly , in divers places in the new testament . for prophesies , the fore-named place , zech. . . cannot be put off : isa . . . kings shall be thy nursing fathers , and queens thy nursing mothers . the protection of their civil peace is not sufficient to give them such a denomination of nursing fathers and mothers . esay . . the sonnes of strangers shall build up thy walls , and their kings shall minister unto thee : they shall not only be favourers of them , but as kings they shall minister to them , even by their power : so rev. . . the kings of the earth shall bring their glory and honour to the church : there is such a time coming . this surely is more then meerly to protect their outward peace . in the new testament , rom. . . he is thy minister for thy good . pet. . , . submit your selves to every ordinance of man for the lords sake , whether it be to the king as to the supream , or unto governours , which are sent for the punishment of evill doers , and the praise of them that doe well . now seeing the scripture speaks thus generally , for thy good , and for the punishment of evill doers , and praise of them that doe well , non distinguendum ubi scriptura non distinguit , except the nature of the thing require , why should we distinguish where the scripture doth not ? you will say , the nature of the thing spoken of will require that it must be restrained to those things that belong to his cognisance . such a limitation must of necessity be granted ; therefore it is true that the magistrate cannot command every good thing , nor punish every evill ; the abstruse controversies in religion come not under the cognisance of a magistrate , as a magistrate ; only such things as are against the rules of common justice and equity , and the common light of christianity , where he is to govern christians , for he is to enjoyn and punish such things only as if he were not ; the community of people which sets him up , ought to enjoyn and punish , for he hath his power from them : but of this more in the next principle . if you shall say , but those scriptures speaking of civill magistrates , wee must understand them to be meant onely of civill things . the magistrate hath his appellation civil , because the power that he exercises is civill , the things that he do are civill ; he cannot do the works of a church-officer , by all the power he hath , as administer sacraments , and the like ; but this hinders not the use of his civil power , and the doing of external acts upon the outward man , subservient to spiritual good ; indeed what he doth , hath not any spirituall efficacy in it , for then it were worship . though he cannot work in a spirituall way upon mans soule , by his power , it is not an ordinance set apart by god to that end , yet he may by the exercise of his power upon the outward man , restrain it from the externall act of evill , or bring it to an externall good ; his power still that he exercises is civill , yet ordered to the help of spirituall good , either removendo prohibentia , or applicando media externa , or cohibenda a malo externo ; removing outward things that hindered , applying outward means , or keeping from outward evils . whatsoever commandement requires any duty , requires us to make use of all things that may help us to the performance of that duty ; if there be any civil , naturall , spiritual helps , we are bound to make use of all . only here lies the great doubt , whether hath god appointed the use of the magistrates power to be a helpe to the things of religion ? hath god made this to be an ordinance for the spirituall good of people ? that it is by god an ordinance for their civill good , is plaine out of those scripture before mentioned ; but how doth it appeare that ever god intended it to be an ordinance for their spirituall good ? what naturalnes there is in any thing , it hath it from god , for nature is gods worke , if there be a naturalness in it to work upon the outward man , for the furtherance of spiritual good ; this is from god : if i should use it to work upon the inward man expecting a spirituall efficacy , then i make it an ordinance to my self , and sin against god , presuming to put more in a creature of his , then it was appointed to . in this consisted the evil of ceremonies , they were used in a spirituall way , to work upon the heart of man , by vertue of that institution that man put upon them , beyond what god in their natural power ever put into them . but how can naturall and externall things be helps to things spirituall and divine ? any mans reason , yea sense may tell him , that the taking away externall hindrances , and the putting upon externall use of divers things , may keep from much evill , and further much good that is spirituall and divine ; though it cannot reach to the spiritualnesse and divinenesse of that good , yet it reaches to the externall action , without which that divine and spirituall good cannot be . wherefore seeing the new testament sets out the power of magistrates , and requires submission to them in such generall termes ; from this we may draw such a conclusion , therefore the lord intended to leave christians for their subjection to magistrates , to the light of nature , & to the equity of the generall rules that were in scripture before time ; if god should say , ye are christians , see you part not with that liberty christ hath purchased for you ; we may give this account , lord we found in thy word that once thou didst make use of the power of magistrates in matters of religion , & in the new testament there was nothing revealed to forbid their power in them ; nay lord , thou toldst us there , that thou hast appointed them for our good , and to be a terrour to evill workes in the generall . from thence we gathered , that in our yeelding to their power , it was thy will we should make use of those generall rules in stripture wee found before the times of the gospel , & of the light of nature . being also perswaded it was thy mind we should make use of all the naturall helps we could for our spirituall advantage , & we found it recorded in thy word that thou didst allow of the exercise of such power in the things of religion , even to those who had only the light of nature to guide them and being the use of it reached only to the outward man , we did not see a necessity of a speciall institution for this , knowing what naturalness it had in it , to be an externall help was put into it by thy self , therefore we made use of it . god will accept of this account . add yet a consideration or two . . when the apostles were convented before civil authority about matters of religion , we never find that they pleaded for themselves , you have no power to meddle with us in the things of religion , they belong to jesus christ only who is our king , & to that government he hath set in his church ; no , their plea was only the justness of their cause , that what they professed and preached was the truth of god , they did it in obedience to god. . if all men be bound to improve all the abilities , gifts , talents they have for the propagation of the gospel , the magistrates are bound to improve those which are peculiar to them ; if a man hath more wisdom then others , or a greater estate , or more friends , he is to make use of all these for helps to the furtherance of religion ; if then a man hath more power then others , he is to improve that likewise , not onely by countenancing what he conceiveth to be right , but by all other means according to the dictates of reason , not forb●● by scripture . but we have often heard that of tertullian urged ; if it be therefore said it is lawfull because the scripture doth not forbid , it is therefore unlawfull because the scripture doth not command . ans . in the matters of gods worship this rule is to be urged , but not in matters civil or natural , though in their way subservient to worship , their reason may guide very far . but you will say , what ? will you then make the magistrate a judge in all causes of religion ? he may be a wicked man , a heathen , and yet a true magistrate . ans . whatsoever he be , yet he may be a judg in matters of fact , & so far as reason may go in matters of right , he may judge whether you do not go against your owne principles , either in your profession , acts of worship , or in the wrong you do to your brother ; yea , he may judg whether your very principles be not contrary to the common light of the knowledg of god , that god hath given to men , and to the rules of humane justice . a magistrate who is not skilfull in physicke or navigation , yet he may judg physitians and mariners , if they wrong others in their way . chap. vi. the second position , conscience is a tender thing , and must not be medled with . certainly conscience is a very tender thing ; and as men must take heed how they offer violence to their own consciences , so to the consciences of others ; it is such a thing as is not in subjection to any creature in heaven or earth , only to god himself . gerrard reports out of the histories of france of a king of navarre , writing to his nobles , used this expression , the rule over consciences and soules is left to god alone : and of a king of polonia , who was wont frequently to say , that god had reserved three things to himselfe : . to make something of nothing . . to know things future . . to rule over conscience . maximilian the second used to say , there was no tyranny more intollerable then to seeke to rule over consciences . henry the third , king of france , as the last pangs of death carried him into another world , had this speech , learn of me that piety is a duty of man unto god , over which worldly force hath no power ; this was spoken in the same chamber where the councell was held about that fatall bartholmew day , in the year . but for all this , the devill must not be let alone , though he be got into mens consciences , god hath appointed no city of refuge for him ; if he flies to mens consciences , as joab did to the horns of the altar , he must be fetched from thence , or falne upon there . something may be done to men to keepe them from evill , and to reduce them , notwithstanding the plea of their conscience . but what may be done to a man in such a case ? first , any man that pleads his conscience , may be required to give an account of his conscience ; it is not enough for him to say , his conscience puts him upon such a thing , or keeps him from such a thing ; he must give an account of the grounds upon which his conscience goes . the world requires us to give an account to every man of that hope that is in us , if he requires it in a due way ; wee are bound to give no offence neither to the jew nor gentile : it is against the light of nature , that men in a society should do things of which they need give no account to any whatsoever . secondly , due enquiry is to be made , whether the devill be indeed in the conscience , it may be you shall finde him in some other room of the soule , only he pretends to that as his sanctuary , hoping to escape better there then any where else ; if he should be found in a mans will , he thinks he should be soon hunted out with violence , he could not scape there ; but he hopes men will deal more tenderly with conscience ; therefore either thither he will get , or at least he will give it out he is got in there , hoping you will enquire after him no further , when it is given out he hath taken refuge there , as a malefactor searched after ; it may be is lurking in some house not far from you ; but that you may either not search , or cease searching ; he causes it to be given out , that he is got into some strong castle , or some other countrey where there is little hope to come at him . but how shall it be known , whether the devill be in a mans conscience or not ? conscience is an inward roome , who can see into it , what , or who is there ? it is a very hard thing to give a judgment , but these notes may help us much in discerning . first , if i see a mans owne private interest is much engaged in what he pretends conscience for , this may be enough to raise suspition , though it can be no determining rule ; for a man may in some things have his conscience put him upon that where there is much of his owne interest ; but this brings him under much suspition , if the thing be not exceeding clear to the view of every man. secondly , if in the course of a mans life , he appears not to be much under the command of his conscience , but can take liberty as he pleases ; if indeed a man in the generall course of his life appears to be very conscientious ; we had need take heed how we meddle with such a man in a way of opposition , except the evill we see now in him be very clear and grosse ; but that man , who in the common course of his life , can trifle with his conscience , hath deprived himselfe of the benefit of this plea , as a man may forfeit the benefit of his freedome in the city by misdemeanour : so the benefit that otherwise might be had of such a plea may be forfeited by such loosenesse of life . thirdly , when the account a man gives cannot in any rational way be judged such , giving allowance to all his weaknesses , as should probably mis-lead him so grosly , as is apparant he is mislead . we must grant , that those may be reasons to one which are not to another ; but when they appeare so grosse , as after all allowances to weaknesses , they cannot in any common understanding reach to such a conclusion , we may at least suspect very much , that the evill of this man lies not in his conscience , but some where else ; yet we should not do well to be too hastly and violent with such men ; it may be a man for a while may be so over-powred , that he is not able to render a rationall account of his wayes , but wait a while , and deal with him tenderly in love ; consider his personal disabilities , his temptations , give him all the allowance you can ; if one means prevail not to shew him his error , try another ; if at one time you do no good upon him , see what may be done at another ; consider , is it not possible , that even such weak things may appear to the conscience of a man that hath so many weaknesses , and lies under so many temptations , to be for the present such grounds as he cannot without sin deny ; and if so , you had need deale tenderly with such a man , except the grosseness of the evill requires severity . ly . if a man be proud and turbulent in his carriage , by that you may know the devill is rather in the will then in the conscience ; though an erroneous conscience may cause one to hold fast an errour , yet it does not put upon proud , scornfull , turbulent behaviour : when a man by reason of his conscience ( it may be the weaknesse of it ) differs from his brethren , hee had need carry himself with all humility and meekness , & self-denyal in all other things ; he should be willing to be a servant to every man , in what lawfully he may , that thereby he may shew to all , that it is not from any wilfulnesse , but meerly the tenderness of his conscience , that he cannot come off to that which his brethren can doe , whom yet he reverences , and in his carriage towards them , shews that he yet esteems them his betters ; but if a man that is weak , very much beneath others in parts and graces , shall carry himselfe high , imperious , contemning and vilifying those who differ from him , and be contentious with them : there is great reason to think , that the corruption is in the will rather then any where else ; if there should be some conscience yet in these men , their heart-distempers may justly forfeit their right of pleading their consciences . those who oppose them , if they doe it in a christian way , may justifie what they doe before god ; if god should call them to an account , and say , why did you deal so with such men who professed they were put upon what they held and did , by their consciences ; if they can answer thus , lord thou knowest we were willing to have dealt with them in all tendernesse , if we could have seen conscientiousness in their carriage ; but we saw nothing but scornfulness , pride , imperiousness , turbulency , conceitednes , we could see nothing of the spirit of jesus christ acting them in their way ; this their carriage perswaded us , that the sinfulnesse was got rather into their wills then their consciences . ly . when a man is not willing to make use of meanes to inform his conscience , not of those meanes that are not against his owne principles , but goes on peremptorily and stoutly : surely , when we see many of our brethren differing from us , our respect to them should gain so much at least from us , that if there by any means left unused , for the further trying our opinions , or informing our judgements , we should make use of that meanes , a conscientious heart will doe so . the sixt note added , will seale up all ; when a man by reason or scripture is so put to it , as he must either renounce his errour , or flye from some of his own principles , he will rather deny his principles , then yeeld himselfe convinced of his errour ; yea , when those principles are of great moment . the man that doth thus is the man spoken of , tit. . . that is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , condemned of himselfe , an heretick after the first and second admonition reject , because he is selfe-condemned ; wee must not reject every man that erres in every little thing , no not after two or three admonitions , that was a prelatical , tyrannicall rule , but he must be an heretick , and erring so grosly , as he is self-condemned in his errour , and such a man suffers not for his conscience , when he is rejected , but for sinning against his conscience . but who can know when a man is condemned of himselfe ? the judgement of a mans owne conscience is a secret thing . this is the strength of this hold the devil gets into , he thinks he gets so deep , that you cannot get to it to find him out , and as for gods displeasure who knows their consciences , these men will venture that . but by this scripture , tit. . it is clear , that a mans conscience may be so far seen into , as there may be a judgment passed upon a man , that he is a self-condemned man : to what purpose otherwise serves this scripture ? it is not like this heretick would acknowledg that he was self-condemned , but yet the apostle makes this the ground why he should be rejected ; as if he should say , you see he wil go against his own principles , against what his conscience tells him is truth , meerly to maintain a wicked heresie that he is infected withall ; let him therefore plead what he will , reject him , for his own conscience condemns him , and god is greater then his conscience , and knowes all things . the third thing that is to be done to a man who pleads his conscience for evill , is , the great snare and danger he brings himself into , is to be declared to him , that by giving way to let evill into his conscience , he puts himself into such a condition , as whatsoever he doth , he must needs sin against god , so long as he holds his errour : evill gets into the consciences of many very easily , because they think the dictates of their consciences will be sufficient to bear them out in what they doe ; but they are deceived , for an erroneous conscience does not bind , you sin notwithstanding your conscience bids you do it ; and if you goe against this erroneous conscience , you sinne too ; what a miserable snare is this ? you had need look to your selves then , and take heed what you let into your consciences . the fourth thing is , to charge him , and if it be in a matter of consequence , to adjure him in the name of god ( who is the searcher of the hearts of men , and will judg them at the great day accordingly ) that he deals plainly and sincerely , not to dare to put a pretence upon that which he knows his conscience cannot justifie him in ; if there be indeed any conscientiousness in the man , this will startle him . but it may be this will not prevail , wherefore in the fifth place , whatsoever a man holds , though his conscience be never so much taken with it , yet if it cannot stand with the power of godliness , but destroys it , if this man be in a christian society after all means used to reduce him , if he still perseveres in it , he is , notwithstanding his conscience , to be cast out of the society of the saints ; this is not a little matter , if a man hath any conscience in him , it cannot but be a dreadfull thing to him : if poyson be got into a glass , and you cannot wash it out , the poyson and glass too is to be thrown into the sinck : such a man as this is , with the conscience that he hath , is to be thrown upon the dung-hill . if a man by his wickedness cuts himself off from the mysticall body of christ , the church may cut him off from his visible , he hath forfeited his church-priviledger . sixtly , if the errour with the profession of it be destructive to the state , and he cannot be reclaimed , he may likewise be cut off from it , or at least deprived of the priviledges of it , and benefits by it , notwithstanding his plea of conscience . this justifies the cutting off jesuites and priests , who teach people that the crown is at the dispose of any forraign power , by which also subjects may be freed from their allegiance . a reverend divine of ours , in a treatise upon the powring out of the . vials , interprets the turning of the rivers into blood ; the execution of justice even to blood upon the romish emissaries , the jesuites and priests , who come from the see of rome , to take people off from their allegiance . ly . what ever pretence of conscience a man hath , yet this cannot excuse him in any matter of apparant injustice done to his brother in his estate or goods : as suppose a man pleads conscience in the point of community of goods , yet if he take away his neighbours goods by violence , his conscience cannot deliver him from the stroak of justice . the papists pretend conscience for their murthers , for the catholique cause , but this delivers them not out of the hands of justice ; if a man pleads conscience that he is bound to marry more wives then one , and the like . eighthly , a man may bring himself under both civill and ecclesiasticall sword , not only for sins destructive and injurious to our brother , but for sinns against god , if they be also against the light of nature , as blasphemy and grosse idolatry : though the sunn be down , if you allow your servant a candle to work ordinary work by , and he put it out , he cannot plead he could not work , because it was dark : man at first had sun-light to work by , but our sun is down , yet we have the candle of the light of nature ; if we sinn against that , our darkness can be no plea for us : and if he be a professed christian , and sins against the common light of christianity , which he cannot but see , except he will shut his eyes , he is to be dealt with as a man that sins against the light of nature . though such as are not christians cannot by violence by compelled to profess christian religion , yet notwithstanding any plea of their conscience , they may be restrained , & that by violence , if other means will not do it , from an open blaspheming christ , and the scriptures , or doing any acts of open dishonour to them● acts of open dishonour to god done by any whomsoever , as they are abominable , so such as have loved god and christ , have accounted them unsufferable . i suppose you have heard or read that notable story we have in the book of martyrs , of one gardiner , though we undertake not to justifie his practice as allowable in an ordinary way , he being but a private man , yet there were little question to be made of it had he been a magistrate : he being a merchant in portugall , seeing the cardinall offering the hoast , though it were in the presence of the king and his nobles , yet he runs to him and snatches it out of his hand , and throws it under his feet ; if the king himself had done this , who would have condemned it ? notwithstanding any mans conscience , he may be kept from endangering the salvation of others , no mans conscience can set him at liberty to hurt other● . those who strengthen others in dangerous soule-damning principles , may be taken from them , the light of nature teaches it . in some cases , a private man may himselfe use violence to restraine men from evill ; if a man should come to seduce my wife , or childe , in a matter i know will endanger their souls , if i could have no help by the magistrate , i might if i had power keep him off : and what i might do by mine own strength , in case there were no magistrate , i may call in the help of a magistrate to do for me , when there is a magistrate . but you will say , you speak all this while of the restraint of men from dangerous grosse evils ; but what if the evils be of lesse moment , can there be nothing done to men for the restraining them from such ? ye● , a man may be put to some trouble in those wayes of evill , that his conscience puts him upon , so farre as to take off the wantonnesse of his spirit , and the neglect of meanes : in times of liberty there is very great wantonnesse in mens spirits , they stand as in an equall ballance to receive truth or errour ; every little thing casts the ballance in many mens spirits , as interest in a friend , esteem from such men of repute in some , in others the credite they conceive there is in being able to speake further to a businesse then other men , to have a further insight into it then others , and a thousand the like ; now to help against such temptions , if there be some trouble laid in the way , of that which is apparently evill , so as men shall see there is something to be suffered in that way ; if there be no more graines of trouble then may help against this wantonnesse and neglect of meanes , i see no reason why any should be offended at this ; indeed if there be a mistake , and the trouble be put into the wrong scale , if it be layd in the way of truth , let the sinne be upon those who dare venture upon their mistakes ; or if so much be put into the scale as will not ballance only against wantonnesse , and neglect of meanes , but will be a sore temptation to decline the trueth , and rather embrace that which is evill , then to endure so much trouble ; this is very displeasing to god : if a man be asleep at a sermon , his friend may pull his hand , yea he will not be offended though he give him a nip perhaps : but if he should strike him with a staffe on the head , so as to make the blood come , or cut his flesh with his knife , this would not be borne . one step i think may be gone farther . suppose a man be not wanton , but serious , and neglect no meanes to informe his conscience , and yet hee cannot yeeld , what shall bee done to such a man ? though such a man should be dealt with in much tendernesse and love , yet in such things as by his weaknesse he makes himselfe lesse serviceable to the common-wealth , or church , then other men , who have more strength ; he may be denyed some priviledges and benefits that are granted to others . i instance in that opinion of some anabaptists , who deny the lawfulnesse of war ; suppose their consciences after much seriousnesse in the use of means , cannot be satisfied ; yet seeing by this error of theirs they are made lesse usefull in the state then others , they should not think it much though they be denyed many priviledges and accommodations that are granted to others , who venture their lives for the preservation of the state. if a mans body be weak , he cannot help it , yet by it he is not so usefull as others , why should he think much that he hath not whatsoever others by strength are able to attain to ? suppose a man should have such a principle in his conscience , that the k. hath an absolute arbitrary power ; though it be his conscience , yet by it he is disinabled from imployment and preferment in places of trust . so for the church , suppose the government of it by prelats had been lawfull , ( which now we know was not ) there had been no evill in denying to those who in conscience could not submit to it , their preferments of deanries and prebends , and the like . but lest what i say in this should be abused , you must understand this denyall of places of profit or honour to men , because of that which their consciences will not suffer them to yeeld to , onely such places , as the tendernesse of their consciences in such a point makes them unfit to manage , if because their consciences differ from you in one thing , you will take advantage against them in other things that have no dependance upon that wherein they differ from you , and make them suffer in those things too , you now ( to say no worse ) begin to grow neare to a way of persecution and tyrannie over your brethren , which christ , is displeased with . wee accounted it in the bishops not neare , but come up to tyrannie and persecution , when they would not suffer such as could not conforme to their church-discipline and ceremonies , not so much as to teach children the grammar , or to practise physicke , or to preach christ in places where there was no preaching , but people lived in darkenesse , perishing for want of knowledge . what dependance had these things upon their discipline and ceremonies , supposing they had been right ? yes , they would foment their errours by this meanes . but seeing there was no dependance between their errours , ( if you wil call them so ) & these things , to deny the church and common-wealth the benefit of the gifts and graces of men , upon such a pretence that they will abuse their liberty , wee thought it was hard dealing , yea no lesse then persecution . suppose a man differs from his brethren in point of church-discipline , must not this man have a place in an army therefore ? though he sees not the reason of such a discipline in the church , yet god hath endued him with a spirit of volour , and he understands what military discipline means ; must he not have a place in a colledg to teach youth logick and philosophy ? may be not preach jesus christ to poor ignorant creatures ? if you feare he will divulge his opinions , surely some other course may be taken whereby he may suffer as much as such a fault comes to ; but therefore to deprive church and state of what abilities god has given him , which might be very usefull to them , and that before any such fault is committed , for fear it may be committed ; the softest word i have to expresse my self against this , is , it is very hard dealing with your brethren . i have now gone to the uttermost line i can in shewing what is to be done to a man that pleads his conscience in things which we conceive are not right : i would now speak a word or two to men who have to deal with their brethrens consciences , and then to those who plead their consciences for their freedome . to the first . let those who have to deale with mens consciences , first take heed they do not vilifie and slight mens consciences , do not scorn at the plea of their consciences . what , this is your conscience ? your conscience forsooth will not suffer you . woe to them who offend one of these little ones ; it were better that a mil-stone were hanged about his necke , and he were cast into the bottome of the sea , matth. . . it is his conscience , and perhaps better informed then thine , and more tender ; thou hast it may be a corrupt conscience , thy conscience is broke by thy sinning against it , or otherwise it is loose or benummed , no quicknesse in it , thou canst swallow down greater matters , therefore thou wonderest at those who are so nice-conscienced , who stand upon small matters ; what if at the great day christ shall own these to be truly conscientious , and honour them for obeying the voyce of their consciences in small things , for not daring to offend them in any thing , where wilt thou appear ? what is like to become of thee then ? or if their consciences be weak , not rightly inform'd , yet christ expects thou shouldst seek to heal , to strengthen them , not to jeer and scorn them ; that fearfulnesse of theirs to offend christ , though in the particular they may be mistaken , shall be accepted , when thy boldness and ventrousness in taking thy liberty shall appear to be thy folly . . take heed in your dealings with such , you make them not suffer more then christ would have them suffer ; do not abuse your power over them , so as to cause them to complaine justly to god of conscience-oppression ; conscience-oppression is the most fearefull oppression ; of all the cryes in the world , the cryes caused by it come up most swiftly to god. when an oppressed soule shall get alone , and make his moane to god ; oh , lord , thou who knowest the secrets of all hearts , thou knowest the desires of my soule in uprightnesse to know thy will ; i can freely and comfortably appeale to thee . thou knowest what a sad affliction it is to mee , that my judgement should be different from my brethrens , whose parts and graces i prize farre beyond mine owne . thou knowest also there is no meanes for further reformation , but i have been willing to make use of it as i was able , and what ever other helpe thou shalt make knowne to mee , i am ready to make use of it , that i may not be led aside into errour : and if thou wilt be pleased to reveale thy minde further to me , i am ready to submit to it . i should account it a greater happinesse then all the comforts in the world can afford , to know what thy minde is in such and such things ; but lord , as yet i cannot doe this thing , except i should sinne against thee , thou knowest it : yet thou knowest also , that i desire to walke humbly and peaceably with my brethren , and in all meekenesse , submissenesse , and quietnesse of spirit , together with all diligence , i will waite till thou shalt further reveale thy minde to me . but lord , in the meane time i find rigid dealing from my brethren ; their spirits are imbittered , their speeches are hard , their wayes tomards me are harsh , yea lord there is violence in them ; lord , thou knowest my spirit is not such as to need any such carriage of my brethren towards me ; i am not conscious to my selfe ( no not when i set my selfe most solemnly in thy presence ) of stifnesse , wilfulnesse in my way ; the least beame of light from thee , would presently turne my spirit what way thou wouldst have it goe . such a moan to god would prove a sadder business against such as shall occasion it , then if such men had strength and spirits to answer bitternesse , harshnesse , and violence , with bitternesse , harshnesse , and violence . let me also on the other side speak to them who plead their consciences . first , take heed you rest not in this as an empty plea , setting it as a bulwark against any thing that shal be said to you : why , it is my conscience , and who hath to do with my conscience ? and so think you need look no farther , nor give any other account to your brethren then this : this is to abuse your conscience , and the indulgence of god , and the respect he would have men shew to the consciences of his people ; this is a hardning conscience against the truth , no true tenderness of it . secondly , if conscience be such a thing as none must have the power over it but god , such a thing wherein thou hast to deal so much with god , thou hadst need keep it very clean ; it is above all creatures , next to god , take heed of defiling it , oh keep it pure : unclean consciences are good enough to prostrate to men , but consciences reserved for god need be kept unspotted and very clean . doves love white houses , the holy ghost loves a pure conscience . thirdly , thou wilt have none to commaud thy conscience , let conscience then command thee ; if thou wilt rebell against thy conscience , it is just with god to suffer men to tyrannize over thy conscience . when you complain of men seeking to have power over your consciences , lay your hand upon your heart , and say , have not i rebelled against my conscience ? i have resisted the power of it over me , just therefore it is that others should seeke to bring it under their power . chap. vii . they who are for a congregationall way , doe not hold absolute liberty for all religions . but for all that hath been said , are there not yet a sort of men , who though they would colour over things , & put fair glosses upon their opinions and ways , saying they would not have such an absolute liberty as to have all religions suffered , yet do they not come near this in their tenets and practise ? doe not men in a congregationall way take away all ecclesiastical means that should hinder such an absolute liberty as this ? for they hold , every congregation hath sole church power within it selfe , and they are not tyed to give any account to others , but meerly in an arbitrary way , will not this bring in a toleration of all religions , and a very anarchy first , i know none holds this , and how farr men in a congregationall way are from it , shall appear presently . in the clearing of this thing , i shall not argue for one side or other , i shall only shew you that there is in effect as much means to prevent or subdue error , heresie , schisme in the congregationall way , ( which you call by another name ) as there is in that way , other brethren endeavour to hold forth . i am not here to plead what is right , what is wrong , but onely to shew you the difference is not great , so far as concernes this thing ; what one holds , the same the other holds in effect ; if this be done with clearness , then the great out-cry against that way , as fomenting divisions by opening a gap to all kind of liberty , will i hope be stilled , and your hearts in some measure satisfied . i confesse were it , as many of you are made to believe , that that way gives liberty , or at least hath no helpe against all errors & heresies , it must be acknowledged it were a means of most fearfull divisions , and in no case to be tolerated . but certainly you will find it far otherwise . this argument i am now about , ( namely , how far brethren agree in a matter of so great moment , and in that which they are by some thought most to disagree in , and their disagreement most feared , as a matter of dangerous consequence ) i know cannot be an unpleasing argument to you , although we cannot be ignorant that there is a generation of men that are vexed when they hear how near their brethren come to them in way of agreement , it serves more for their turns to have the distance wide , they would keep open the wounds , yea widen them , but god forbid there should be such a spirit in you . wherefore for your help in this thing , these two things are to be premised . . that the only way the church hath to keep downe errors or heresies is spirituall ; as for other means they are extrinsicall to the church ; this all acknowledge : as for subjection to the magistrate , if he pleases to interpose , to that both they and we must yeeld . . the vertue of spiritual power works not upon the outward man , by its prevailing upon conscience ; therefore so far as men are conscientious , so far it works , and no farther . now then see what difference there is in the congregationall way from the presbyterian , for the prevailing with mens consciences , to reduce to the trueth those who goe astray from it . first , those in the congregationall may acknowledg that they are bound in conscience to give account of their ways to churches about them , or to any other who shall require it ; this is not in an arbitrary way , but as a duty that they owe to god and man. secondly , they acknowledge that synods of others ministers and elders about them are an ordinance of jesus christ for the helping the church against errors , schismes , and scandals . ly . that these synods may by the power they have from christ admonish men or churches in his name , when they see evils continuing in , or growing upon the church , and their admonitions carry with them the authority of jesus christ . fourthly , as there shall be cause , they may declare men or churches to be subverters of the faith ; or otherwise according to the nature of the offence , to shame them before all the churches about them . ly . they may by a solemn act in the name of jesus christ refuse any further communion with them , till they repent . sixtly , they may declare , and that also in the name of christ , that these erring people or churches are not to be received into fellowship with any the churches of christ , nor to have communion with one another in the ordinances of christ . now all this being done in christs name , is this nothing to prevail with conscience ? you will say , what if they care not for all this ? that is as if you should say , what if they be not conscientious ? what if nothing can prevaile with conscience ? i demand , what can any church-power do more to work upon mens conscience for the reducing them from evill ? you will say , they may doe all this with more authority then the congregationall way will allow . we need not contend about the word authority : but , how much higher is an act of authority in the church , then for the officers of christ to act in the name of christ ? if you say , private brethren may admonish , and declare in the name of christ . this is more then if any private brethren should doe the same thing ; for a synod is a solemne ordinance of christ , and the elders are to be looked on as the officers of jesus christ . but our brethren say , there is one meanes more in their way then the congregationall way hath , that is , if the sixe former will not worke , then synods may deliver to satan . in this very thing lies the very knot of the controversie between those who are for the presbyteriall , and those who are for the congregationall way , in reference to the matter in hand , namely the means to , reducing from , or keeping out errours and heresies from the church , in this lyes the dividing businesse ; but i beseech you consider what a punctum we divide here , and judg whether the cause of division in this thing be so great as there can be no help , and whether if an evil spirit prevail not amongst us , we may not joyne ; for , first , consider , what is there in this delivering to satan ? which is a seventh thing that our brethren thinke may hopefully prevail with mens consciences , when the sixe former cannot . yes , say they , for by this they are put out of the kingdome of christ into the kingdome of satan , and this will ter●ifie . this putting out of christs kingdome must be understood , clave non errante , if the synod judges right , not otherwise ; yes , this is granted by all . then consider , whether this be not done before , and that with an authority of christ by those former six things ; for hereticall congregations , or persons are judged and declared in a solemn ordinance , by the officers of christ gathered together in his name , to be such as have no right in any church-ordinance , to have no communion with any of the churches of christ : now if this judgement be right , are not such persons or congregations put out of the kingdome of christ , and put under the power of sathan consequently ? but they are not formally and juridically delivered up to satan ? what ? shall we still divide , as to devour one another , for formality and juridically , when those termes are not at all in scripture , seeing we agree not in the substance of the thing , which may as really and fully prevaile with conscientious men , as if formality were observed ? especially , if we consider , secondly , that it is a great question amongst our brethren , whether this traditio satanae were not apostolicall , peculiar to the power of apostles , so as ordinary elders had it not : and if it prove so , then non-communion will prove the utmost censure the church now hath . but thirdly , if some brethren rise to a seventh degree , and others stay at six , which yet have such a power over conscience , that if they prevaile not , the seventh is no way likely to prevaile : why should not the apostles rule quiet us all , phil. . , . whereunto we have already attained , let us walke by the same rule : if in any thing you be otherwise minded , god will reveale even this unto you . if we have attained but to six , and our brethren have attained to seven , let us walk together lovingly to the six ; if god shall after reveal the seventh ( we will promise to pray and study in the mean time ) wee shall walke with them also : why must it needs be now urged with violence , so as to divide else ? and although we hold not the seventh , yet there is an ingredient in the sixt , that hath in it the strength of the seventh ? for wherein lyes the strength of the seventh above the rest ? is it not in this ? that it is the last meanes christ hath appointed in his church to worke upon the heart , this consideration hath much terrour in it : now those in the congregationall way say , that this is fully in the sixt , wherefore that it is as terrible to their consciences as the seventh can be to the consciences of our brethren , and that upon the same ground . and consider now , my brethren , whether the congregationall way be such , as if it be suffered , there will be no helpe to reduce an erring or hereticall church , but all religions , arrianisme , mahumetisme , any thing must be suffered . surely men doe not deale fairly , in raising such mighty accusations upon such poor and weak grounds ; this great aspersion , and huge out-cry , that these men would have all religions suffered , and in that way , there is no help against any heriticall congregations , moulders and vanishes away before you . let no man yet say , all this that hath been said is nothing . if you be conscientious who hear them say so , your owne breasts must needs suggest an answer ; surely these things would be very much to me , to prevaile with my conscience . but what if congregations refuse to give account of their wayes ? what if they will not shew so much conscientiousnesse , as to regard admonitions , declaring against them , withdrawing communion from them ? so we may say , what if they will not regard your delivering them up to satan , but will go on still ? you will say then , you will complain to the magistrate , his power must come in to assist , to make them regard what the church doth . but now you have no further help from any intrinsicall power the church hath ; and as for subjection to the magistrate , there we are upon equall ground , if he will interpose , he may assist and second the sentence of judging men subverters of faith , of withdrawing communion from them in the one , as well as the sentence of giving men up to satan in the other ; and we must still be subject here to suffer what is inflicted , if we cannot do what is required ; onely we do not go so far as some do , in this one thing , whereas they lay a law upon the consciences of magistrates , that they are bound to assist with their power the decrees of the church , taking cognisance only of the fact of the church , that they have thus decreed , not enquiring into the nature of the things , we dare not lay any such bond upon the magistrates conscience . but say , that he is to assist the church both upon the knowledg of what the church hath done , and the knowledg of the nature of the thing , seeing every private man hath this power to be judg of his own act , it were a great misery upon those who have power over men , to be denyed this power . if it shall be said , but surely they do not agree so far , they do not come up to these six things mentioned . to that i answer , i do not in these deliver only mine own judgment , but by what i know of the judgments of all those brethren with whom i have occasion to converse by conference both before and since ; i stand charged to make it good to be their judgements also ; yea , it hath been both theirs and mine for divers years , even then when we never thought to have enjoyed our our own land again ; and if it be so , then let the lord be judg between us and our brethren , for those lowd and grievous out-cryes there hath been against us in this thing . but if the difference be so little , why doe they not come in ? we come as far as we have light to guide us , we dare not step one step in the dark ; if we do , we shall certainly fall into sin ; whatsoever else we fall into , what ever the thing be to others , it would be our sin , if there were no other reason , but because we venture in the dark . we sayl up to our brethren as far as we can see the line of truth , and beyond it we dare not venture in the least . the controversie is not about little or great trouble , or inconvenience ; if it were , such a charge might well make us blush , the inconvenience or trouble is little , yet a few men wil not yeeld to their brethren , who are many , for peace sake , but the controversie is about sin : now whether that be little or great , the difference cannot but remain , if one part shall urge upon another that which to them is sin , as to acknowledg any one thing to be a power of christ , which he cannot see christ hath owned in his word , must needs be ; therefore the way to peace , is not the necessity of coming up one to another , because the thing is little , but the louing , and peaceable , and brotherly carriage of one towards another , because the difference is but small . chap. viii . the third dividing principle , that nothing which is conceived to be evill , is to be suffered . this is the other extream ; some think all things should be suffered , and they are loose , and cause divisions on the one hand ; others thinke nothing is to be suffered , and these are rigid , and cause divisions on the other hand ; if any thing be conceived evil , either in opinion or practise , if instructions and perswasions cannot reform , there must be means used to compell : this is a harsh and a sowr principle , a disturbing principle to churches and states , to mankind . this principle seldome prevails with any but those who have got power into their hands , or hope to get it . this must needs be a dividing principle . first , because of the infinite variety of mens apprehensions about what is good or evill , scarce three men agree any long time in their apprehensions of some things to be evil ; if then nothing that is conceived to be evill must be suffered , there must needs be continuall opposition between man and man. this subjects the generality of men to suffer for many things which they can see no evill in , but are perswaded is good ; this raises an animosity against those by whom they suffer ; though a man can subject his body and estate to another , he cannot subject his reason to another : in the common ways of justice men are punished for those things , which if they be guilty of , they cannot but acknowledg themselves to be worthy of punishment , as in theft , murder , drunkennesse , &c. and for the fact , they are tryed in such a way , as they cannot but acknowledg is fit in reason to be subjected to ; and therefore , though they suffer much , yet they will yeeld it without disturbance . but if this principle prevails , every man almost is made lyable to punishment for thousands of things that he can see no reason why he should be punished : it is very hard to bring mens spirits to yeeld in such things . but you will say , may not men be punished for things that they see no reason why they should be punished ? for many malefactors may easily escape thus ; guilt will quickely blind men , they will see no reason why they should be punished . it is not what men say they see no reason for , or what it may be they indeed see no reason for ; but what men cannot see reason for , though they should bend their understandings , and strength to the uttermost ; yea , what the generality of man kind , and of that community of which a man is , cannot possibly see reason for , it is impossible for the generality of mankind , & the community of any church or state , though they should be never so diligent to find out what is good , and what is evill , yet to be able to understand every thing that is evill , to be so . if you will have laws made against all things , that such as are in authority conceive to be evill , then you must give them power to judge , not only by the rules of common justice and equity , and punish for the breach of them , but by the apprehensions that their own raised parts shall suggest unto them , and to punish men for not being raised to that height of understanding themselves have ; but this power is more then is fit to be given to any men upon earth . this would bring tyranny both in state and church . for first , from whence is the rise of all civill power that any man , or society of men , are invested with ? is it not from the generality of the men , over whom they have power ? is it not the power which they themselves had , and which they might have kept amongst themselves ? for who can say , that a democracy is a sinfull government in it selfe ? true , god establishes it upon particular men by his ordinance , after it is given to them by the people , but the first rise is from them ; and if so , then they should make no law to bring those men under punishment , who gave them their power , but such a law as these men may possibly come to understand , to be equall and just , for they act their power : and it must be supposed , that they never intended to give a power beyond this . those who give power , may limit power ; they may give part to one , part to another ; they may limit the matter about which the power shall be exercised , it shall goe so far , and no further ; the utmost limits cannot goe beyond these rules of justice which they are capable to understand . hence it is , that all men in our law , are tryed per pares , by their peers , because it is to be supposed , that they are to be accounted offenders and to be punished ; only so as those who are equall with themselves , shall judg them worthy ; and this likewise is the reason that courts are in publique , no man is to be shut out , because all men that will may behold the tryall , and justifie the proceedings of justice against offenders : it must needs be supposed then , that the rules by which the judges go , must be the rules of common equity and justice , that all men may understand ; beyond what these rules will reach to , the civill state is not to punish , not every thing that men of deep judgements and strong parts , may apprehend to be evill . the power of the church likewise extends not to the punishment of every thing , that either may by the governours of it , be conceived to be evill , or that is indeed evill . as the rise of the civil power shews , that only such things are to be punished by it , as are against the common rules of justice and equity ; so the rise of church power will shew , that only such things as are against common rules , such things as some way or other appeare to be against conviction , and are obstinately persisted in , are by church censure to be punished . the rise of church power is indeed different from the rise of the civill , yet agrees in this , that it limits the church , as the rise of the civill doth the civill power . the power of governors in the state arises from the people , and they act their power that the common-wealth gives to them : but the governours of the church have not their power from the members of the church , but from christ ; neither do they act in the name of the church , but in the name of christ . it is true , the members of the church do design such men to such an office ; but being designed , now they are invested with the power of jesus christ , they exercise his power , and do act in his name , not in the name of the church . you will say , seeing the church chooseth their officers as well as the common-wealth theirs : how doth it appeare , that the officers of the church doe not exercise the power of the church , as well as the officers of the common-wealth , the power of the common-wealth ? these two things shew the difference clearly . first , the officers of the common-wealth can do nothing by their power , but that which the common-wealth may do without them , if they were not ; they might have kept their government in a democracy , and if they had pleased , done any act of power by a major vote : but it is not so in the church ; if the church be without officers , they cannot doe that which belongs to officers to do , they can have no sacraments amongst them , neither can they have any spirituall jurisdiction exercised amongst them ; only brotherly admonition , and with-drawing from such as walk disorderly , for their own preservation . ly . the members of the church cannot limit the power of their officers , so as the common-wealth may the power of their● : but if once a man be chosen to be an officer in the church , all that power that ever any in that office had since christs time , in any church in all the christian world , or ever can have to the coming of christ again , falls upon him : if a man be chosen a pastor , he hath as full power as ever any pastor had upon the face of the earth , or can have by any pastorall power : the church cannot limit him , and say , you shall be a pastor for such ends and purposes , but no further : the same may be said of the ruling , none upon earth ever had , or can have more power of ruling , then this man who is chosen into that office. it is not thus in the state , all kings have not the like power ; in some countries kingly power reacheth so far , in others further , according to the variety of the lawes of the countries , the agreements between them and the people : all dukes , all states , all parliaments have not the same power . now then , the rise of the power of church-governors rising from jesus christ , and they doing what they doe in the name of christ , therefore they cannot punish any evill beyond what christ would have punished . you will say , what evills would christ have punished , and what not ? christ would have no evill punished that is repented of ; if it be a known evill , then it must be repented of particularly ; if it be a 〈◊〉 of ignorance , christ forgives it upon a generall repentance , although a man should never be convinced of it all his dayes ; yet , says christ , i discharge him of all these , supposing the rise of his ignorance be not some wilfull neglect : but if it be a sinn committed through wilfulnesse , or continued in obstinately , then sayes christ , i will have this man smart for such an offence ; now comes in the power of the church-officers , to doe in the name of christ what he would have done : but if they goe further , then they exercise a tyrannicall power , if they will punish every thing which they conceive to be evill , whether committed through ignorance and weaknesse , or wilfulnesse and obstinacy , in this they take upon them a higher power of punishing then christ ( according to the tenor of the gospel ) exercises . for my part , sayes christ , i goe but thus far with my power ; if i see any of my church sin through weaknesse and ignorance , labouring to understand and do my will , and mourning that they know no more , they do no better , i wil passe by all ; but if any shall appear wilfull and obstinate , i will deale severely with such a one . if you say , if men have meanes of knowledge and strength , and yet continue ignorant and weake , should not such be dealt with as wilfull and obstinate ? no , says christ , i do not goe by any such rule , for i have revealed my will in my word , i labour by my spirit and ministers to convince men , yet i see after all meanes i use , there are many , who meerly through their weaknesse are not convinced , i pitty them , i deal gently with them , i pardon them . those then who will go further , they will punish for every evill ; and if they use means to convince them , and they be not convinced , they will judge them obstinate , and proceed against them accordingly ; these challenge and exercise not the power of christ , but antichrist . if christ should deale so with them , as they deal with their brethren , it would go ill with them ; if christ should say , whatsoever i see evil in you , i will not suffer it in you ; if you are ignorant notwithstanding means of light , i will deal with you as wilfull and obstinate , and never leave inflicting punishment upon you , till you be convinced , and do reform ; could any of you stand before christ dealing thus with you ? take heed of exercising that power over your brethren ( and that in christs name ) that you would not have christ exercise over you . both the civill state and church must take us as wee are faln from that integrity of our first creation , not as we came first out of gods hands : god the creator may ( indeed ) punish us for not knowing or doing what is our duty to know or do , because he once made us perfect ; but man must not do so , man must deal with his fellow-creatures , as men imperpect ; one man cannot require of another that perfection not only of heart , but of externall conversation , that god may , yea god-man our mediator lookes upon us in a state of imperfection , and deals with us accordingly , and thus he would have all do who have to deale with his people in his name . but you said before , all things must not be suffered ; now you say , some things must be suffered : tell us then what must not , and what must . i am perswaded most of you yeeld to the falseness of both these dividing principles ; you verily believe all things must not be suffered , and yet you think it were too harsh to affirm that nothing is to be suffered ; only here lyes the difficulty , what must , and what must not be suffered . this hath been the unhappiness of pleading for toleration of any thing , yet of the very mention of it , that men presently cry out , and say , we would have every thing tolerated . i confesse it is very hard to cut here right in the joynt ; were i sure that none would blame or oppose what i shall deliver in this ; but those who are willing to interess themselves in such a knotty business as this , and to be helpfull to us in the understanding how to untye such a knot , what ever such opposers should prove otherwise , i should not feare them for being too numerous . what i have , i shall present unto you . chap. ix . rules to know in what things wee are to beare with our brethren . first , though men be known to erre in judgment in things not fundamentall nor destructive ; yet if after such knowledg of them , they would keep their judgments to themselves , so as not to hurt others , or disturb the peace ; most men of moderate spirits , if not all , hold that such men are not to be punished either by church or state : but though this be yeelded to , yet the practices of many are against it , they have wayes to draw forth mens judgements , though they would conceal them , and when they have drawn them forth , they make them suffer for their judgments these . ways . first , by requiring men to subscribe to things which they suspect are against their judgements ; they invent articles , which if put to them , they know will pinch them , and draw forth their judgment , which when they come to know , they make them as articles of accusation against them . surely such dealings as these are very harsh . but you will say , blessed be god , we hope we have done with forcing men to subscribe . god grant that we never meddle with any thing answerable to that tyranny ; heretofore we groaned under the drawing out mens judgements , and then the punishing them for them . secondly , if such things be put into oaths , which though a man should not hold in every clause , yet he may be godly , and a good subject , and urge such oaths with violence under penalty , what is this but to punish a man for his judgment , though he would keep it to himself ? ly . by propounding questions to men , when they come to the choice of , or admission to any place of preferment , to draw forth their judgments , such questions as concerne not at all the qualification of men to such places , & then deny them those places , either because they are unwilling to answer ; or if you will needs have them answer , they discover their judgements different from yours , is not this to make men suffer for their judgments , though they would live peaceably , keeping them to themselves ? here is not that suffering of brethren that christ would have . ly . in things controversall and doubtfull amongst godly and peaceable men , though there should be a declaration of difference of judgment , and some different practice , yet there is to be a forbearance of compulsory violence ; we must not be to one another in such things as these are , as that gyant we read of , who laid upon a bed all he took , and those who were too long , he cut them even with his bed , and such as were too short , he stretched them out to the length of it . verily this is cruelty , god hath not made men all of a length nor height ; mens parts , gifts , graces differ ; mens tempers , apprehensions , educations are various : and if there be no suffering one another in things not clear , all the world must needbe quarrelling , there wil be strengthning interests , sidings and opposings one another continually , except not only mens bodies and estates , but their very souls also be brought under sordid slavery . our brethren of scotland writing against the tyranny of prelats , when they were under it , in that book , entituled english and popish ceremonies , have this passage : if the error of conscience be about things unnecessary , then it is tutior pars the surest & safest way , not to urge men to do that which in their consciences they condemne . and the ministers of the protestant churches in france , giving their judgments , de pace inter evangelicos procuranda , how peace amongst the protestants in germanie may be had , set forth by duraeus , say thus : a let all matters controversal be brought into such a certain model , as may give satisfaction to both parties ; and that if it be possible , framed out of the very words of scripture : and let no man require any thing else of his brother . zanc. in praecep . . hath this notable speech : b that which i say ( says he ) is diligently to be observed , that those who would stir up princes to have all people , kingdomes , common-wealths , which ( not overthrowing the fundamentalls of religion , differ from them in any thing ) condemned of heresie , excluded from friendship , driven out of their territories , these are no friends , says he , either to their princes or to the church of christ . many thinke they doe great service to christ , the church and state , if they can stir up magistrates to suppress whatsoever they conceive are errors ; it may be their hearts are upright in the main , they aym at peace , but certainly they cause much disturbance in church and state. bishop davenant in a little book , entituled , his exhortation to brotherly love amongst churches , the ninth chap. hath this title , that brotherly communion between churches evangelicall , is not to be cut asunder , because of divers opinions about questions controversall . and in the beginning of the . chapter , this is to be premised , the bonds of the brotherly communion of christian churches ought not to be dissolved upon every difference of opinions , but only for the denying or opposing fundamentals . here see the moderation of a prelate . thus cyprian of old delivered his opinion , and practised it accordingly , differing from many of his brethren , but withall professeth , that he meant not to prescribe or give lawes to any ; that he would not contend with any of his collegues , so as to breake divine concord , and the peace of our lord ; that he was farre from judging or censuring any of his brethren , or cutting off from his communion any that were of a different minde ; and that in such case none ought to constraine his collegue by tyrannicall violence , ( therein glancing at the violent proceeding of stephen to whom he wrote ) to a necessity of believing or following what he thinks meet . this modesty and charity of cyprian is very often and very deservedly commended by st. augustine , says d. potter , an episcopall man. that this may go down the better , or at least that mens spirits may be in some measure moderated , take these following considerations . first , this contending about every difference of opinion , & urging our brethren with what we conceive right , in matters of controversie , crosseth the end of christ in his administration of differing gifts to his church , and humane society , and his revealing truths in a different way , some more darkely , some more clearly ; christ could easily have given such gifts to all , or revealed all truths so clearly , that every man should have been able to have seen every truth . surely christ did not disperse gifts , and reveal truths so differently , to that end , that there might be continual matter of strife and contention in his church , and in humane societies ; not that there should be provocation to the exercise of cruelty one upon another , but rather that there might be the exercise of love , charity , forbearance , meekness , long-suffering of one towards another ; christ bids us , charges us to be at peace amongst our selves . if we should say , o lord jesus , wouldst thou have us be at peace one with another ? there are many things in thy word , that we and our brethren have different apprehensions of ; for though ( blessed be thy name ) the great necessary things of salvation be clearly revealed , yet many other things are so dark to us , that through our weakness we cannot all of us see the same thing . now is it thy mind , o blessed saviour , that one man , who conceives himself to understand the truth , ( and that it may be rightly ) compell another to his judgement ? and dost thou also require , that wee must not bring our judgments to our brethrens till thy light brings them ? how then is it possible that we should be at peace one with another ? do not all divines say , there are some things in scripture wherein the elephant may swimm , some things where the lamb may wade ? matters of discipline are acknowledged by all , not to be revealed with such clearnesse , but that truly conscientious , upright , diligent men may not be able in many things to see the mind of christ in them . and to what end hath christ done this think you . ly . compulsion in such things as we are speaking of , is to straine justice so high , as to make it summa justitia , which is the degeneration of it : as physitians say of the uttermost degree of health , it is a beginning of sickness : if justice be wound up a peg too high , it breaks : though justice were to be managed by the most holy , wise , self-denying , and meek men upon the earth , yet there would be much danger in winding it up to the highest ; for it is administred by men full of infirmities , to men full of infirmities , therefore god will not have it strained too high , he will rather have charity to be above justice , then justice to be above charity . this i have out of luther , though he was a man of a fiery spirit , he could tell how to contend where there was cause ; yet in an epistle that he writes to the divines of norimberg , upon occasion of dissentions risen amongst them , he hath this passage , judgement must serve , not rule over charity ; otherwise it is one of those four things that solomon says troubles the earth , namely , a servant ruling , or the maid heire to her mistresse ; if therefore you would have peace sayes he , charity must rule over justice , you must not suffer justice to rule over charity . ly . if men goe upon this principle , they will be in danger of opposing truth as well as falshood , and compelling to falshood as well as to truth ; for in matters doubtful & controversal amongst good and peaceable men , it is not easie to have any such grounded confidence , as to be out of all danger of mistake ; there is more confidence needfull in a thing that we impose upon others , then in what we practice our selves ; if a thing be to us rather true then otherwise , we may lawfully do it ; but this is not enough to be a ground for the imposing it upon others , who cannot see it to be a truth ; in such a case we had need be very sure . the weak drislings of our probabilities , guesses , & opinions , are not enough to cause the stream of another mans conscience to stop ▪ yea to turne its course another way ; especially considering , that in such things we have oftentimes misgiving thoughts our selves ; yea , and not long since we were confident , that what wee now condemne was true ; and what we now are ready to enjoyn others , we then did as confidently condemn . there must be great care taken , that when we seek to pluck up tares , wee plucke not up the wheat also ; this may be understood of things , of truths and falshoods , as wel as of persons ; we may be mistaken in the one as well as in the other . pluck not up the tares . christ does not sorbid casting out any wicked men from the church ; but as hierome hath it , in those countries tares were very like the wheat ; therfore take heed , says christ , what you do in plucking up ; when you have to deale with men whose condition is any way doubtful , be sure they be hypocrites , or else meddle not with them , do not pluck them up upon every surmise , because you think they are not right , for then you may pluck up a wheat as well as a tare , he may prove to be a godly man ; therefore you had better let tares grow ; if you do but thinke that such men are not right , you were better let them continue in the church , then by venturing upon them , to be in danger to pluck up the wheat . thus in respect of things good or evill , there are some things apparently evill , they are rather thistles and bryers , then tares , we may freely pluck up them ; but other things , though perhaps they may prove evil , yet they have some likeness to good , so as you can hardly discern whether they be good or evill . now saith christ , take heed what you do then , do not out of eagerness oppose all evill , to get out every tare , pluck out some wheat too ; what if that you oppose with violence as evill , prove to be good ? you had better let forty tares stand , then pluck up one wheat . fourthly , if men take this power upon them , to compell men to do whatsoever they conceive good , and to deny or forbear whatsoever they conceive evil , they take more power upon them then ever the apostles took . the government of the saints under the apostles , was a great deale more milde , sweet , gentle then this . the rule the apostles went by , phil. . . was , let therefore as many as be perfect be thus minded ; and if in any thing ye be otherwise minded , god shall reveale even this unto you ; neverthelesse , whereunto wee have already attained , let us walke . if any should be otherwise minded then i or the other apostles , god will reveale it in due time , we will not force him , only let us walke up to what we have attained . this rule , zanchy , saith augustine , would repeat a thousand time ; and chrisostome hath a good note upon this place , he does not say , god will bring them to it , if they be otherwise minded , but god wil reveal it , noting the love and goodness of god to those who are otherwise minded , excusing them that it was not through wickedness , but for want of knowledg that they did otherwise , acts . where the apostles and elders were met together , the furthest they would take upon themselves , was to lay no other burden but those necessary things . the false teachers put a yoke upon them , which was such a burthen , that neither they nor their fore-fathers could bear , v. . yet it was no juridicall authority that these had over them ; surely the yoke they put upon them , in the judgments of all was but doctrinall : but for us , say the apostles , we finding what the mind of the holy ghost is , dare not yoke you as they did ; all that we burden you with , is these necessary things , no church-officers , no synod can go further then this , but certainly every matter in controversie amongst godly and peaceable men cannot be conceived to be necessary . rom. . is a very usefull place for this , him that is weak in the faith receive , but not to doubtfull disputations ; receive him , though he understands not all you do ; do not trouble him , neither with nor for doubtfull things : one believeth he may eate all things , another who is weake eateth herbes ; let not him that eateth , despise him that eateth not ; neither let him that eateth not , judge him that eateth , vers . . one man esteemeth one day above another , another esteemeth every day alike ; let every man be fully perswaded in his owne minde . upon this he gives generall rules , to doe all to the glory of god ; all these people were not in the right , for a man not to eate flesh out of conscience , when the thing was not forbidden , certainly was a sin ; or to make conscience of a holy day , which god required not , was a sinne : now the apostle did not come with his authority , and say , i will make you leave off keeping such days , or you shall eate , or to abstain thus as you do , is evill , and it must not be suffered in you . no , the apostle lays no apostolicall authority upon them , but tells them , that every man must be fully perswaded in his own mind , in what he doth ; and who art thou that judgest another mans servant ? the lord hath received him . and yet the governors of the churches in the primitive times might upon much stronger grounds have stood upon such a principle , then any governours of the church now can ; there was lesse reason why they should suffer any difference in opinion or practice amongst them , then why we should suffer differences amongst us ; for they had men amongst them immediately inspired , who could dictate the mind of christ infallibly , they could tell them the certaine meaning of any scripture . the burden of being under the determinations of such men in points of differences , had not been so great as subjection to any governors now in such cases would be ; our differences are usually about the meaning of such or such scriptures , in which both sides think they have the right , & profess one to another , as in the presence of god the searcher of all hearts , that if they could but see the meaning of such a scripture to be so as their brethren believe it is , they would soon agree : and yet though there were in those primitive times such meanes of reconciling differences more then we have , yet there was much mutual toleration amongst them ; they used no compulsive violence to force those who through weakness differed from them , to come up to their judgments or practice . yes , it is also more tolerable in papists , not to tolerate any difference in opinion or practice , because first , they believe they have an infallible judg to decide all controversies . ly . they hold implicite faith in the judgment of their clergie , to be sufficient warrant to justifie the belief or practice of the people , or of any particular man , and yet they suffer differences in opinions and practices amongst them ; they have their severall orders of their monks , priests , friars , jesuites , they differ very much one from the other , and yet agreeing in the root , they are suffered , supposing those two helps to union ; they have an infallible judg , and implicite faith ; wee have cause either to admire at their moderation in their mutuall bearing one with another , or at the disquietness , the rigidness of spirits amongst us , who cannot bear with far lesser things in their brethren differing from them ; for we professe , we know no such externall in fallible judg , upon whom we may depend ; neither dare we warrant an implicite faith . we teach men , that every man must be perswaded in his own heart , must see the rule of his own actions , must give an account of his own way to god : now what can men that have the most gracious & peaceable spirits , you can imagine , doe in such a case ? before they believe or do what their brethren believe or do , they must see the authority of the word to ground their faith or actions ; and for the present , though sincerely willing to know gods mind , and diligently laborious to search it out , yet they cannot see it : and yet according to this sowr , rigid principle , they must be forced to it by violence , what is it but to command the full tale of brick to be brought in , where no straw can be had , if this be not ? straw might be had in egypt by seeking for it ; but here , after the most carefull and painfull seeking for it , yet it cannot be had . ly . by this principle , the finding out of much truth will be hindered ; it will stifle mens gifts & abilities in arguing and discoursing about truths . we know fire is beaten out by striking the flint . although differences be very sad , yet the truth that comes to light by them , may recompence the sadnesse . you cannot beat out a place for a window to let in light , but you must endure some trouble ; children will think the house is pulling down , when the window is beating out , but the father knows the benefit will come by it : he complains not that the dust and rubbish lies up and down in the house for a while , the light let in by it will recompence all . the trouble in the discussions of things by brethren of different judgments may seem to be great , but either you or your posterity hereafter may see cause to blesse god for that light hath been , or may be let into the churches by this meanes ; men of moderate spirits doe blesse god already . but if according to this principle , the governors of the churches must suppress whatsoever they conceive not to be right , to what purpose should should there be arguing and discussing of severall judgements and severall ways ? you will say , those who are the governours , they , or those whom they call to consult with , may argue and discusse , but not others . is not this to deny the church the benefit of the gifts and graces of thousands of others ? the church may soon receive as much prejudice by this , as the trouble caused by some differences comes to . sixtly , this lays a great temptation to idleness and pride before the guides of the church : men are naturally subject to sloth , and may not this principle suggest such a temptation as this ? what need we take care or pains to search into truths , to be able to convince gain-sayers , to c●r●y things with strength of scripture & reason , seeing we have power to compel men to yeeld to us ? and men who can do least by reason and scripture , are many times strongest in their violence this way , this strength must come in to make up their other weaknesse . but it may be conscience will not let them compell men presently ; it will tell them they must seek first to convince men : but because the seeking to satisfie other mens consciences in things differing from us , is a troublesom work , the temptation that this principle presents , may at least prevail thus far , that seeing besides means of conviction by arguing they have another help at hand to keep down error , namely , compulsory violence , making men who differ from them , to suffer for those things ; therefore not to trouble themselves very much in the way of seeking to convince , but for their owne ease to rid their hands of such a burthensom work , to cast the trouble , and lay heavy burdens upon their brethren , this is easie for them to do , though hard for their brethren to suffer ; but the tables may turn one day , wherein the sufferers shall have the greatest ease , & the inflicters the sorest burthen . but god forbid that their brethren should lay it upon them , though it were put into their power to do it . the temptation to pride is not less , neither are mens hearts lesse prone to this . if it prevails , what domineering is there like to be of one over another , yea of some few over many ? if they judg in things never so doubtful , all must yeeld , at least for their profession and practice . this is a great power to be given to men over men in matters of faith and godliness . this is lording it over gods inheritance . it is observable , when the church was in the lowest condition , this power was highest ; the power of making canons in doubtful things to bind under penalties : and when this power was lowest , as in the primitive times , then the church was highest . seventhly , this will be a means to bring grosse ignorance upon the face of the churches & of the world : for , first , if men shall not be suffered to profess or practice otherwise then governors in church or state shall determine , they will not take pains to find out the truth themselves , but rather take things implicitely , which is the easiest way ; they wil think it to little purpose to take pains in examining things , when after all is done , they must be bound up at least in their profession and practice , to what either is or shall be determined by those who have power of rule in their hands . our late prelates designe was to bring in ignorance , that they might with the more freedom rule over us as they pleased ; and in nothing did they drive on this design more , then in the practice of this power , which they took to themselves to command things doubtful and controversall , and by violence to urge their commands upon people : by which , had their power continued , gross ignorance would soon have bin spread over the face of the land . from whence hath come the gross ignorance of popery , but from the prevailing of this principle ? by which the people have been brought in such subjection under their guides , that they have lost their understandings in the matters of religion . if it be said , but wee will take care that those men who shall be consulted withall , and those men who shall have power in their hands to determine , shall be wise , understanding , godly men , and then the danger will not be so great . suppose those men who for the present have such power , have attained to the highest measure of of knowledg and godliness that can be imagined to be in any men upon the earth , yet the people are under this temptation , to neglect the getting of knowledg themselves ; and it may be the rather , because those who are appointed to determine things , are so understanding and so conscientious ; now these people growing ignorant ; when these knowing and godly men who are now in place , shall be gone , who shall choose other in their places ? i suppose it to be the opinion of most of you , and of the godly in the kingdom , and in all reformed churches , that either the body of the church , the people must choose their officers , or at least , that none must be put upon them without their consent . well then , if the people through the prevailing of the former temptations grow ignorant , is it not like they wil chuse such guiders and leaders as themselves are ? or if they shall not chuse , yet their negative voyce will have such an influence into the choise , as it is very probable , that in a generation or two , blind guides will be brought in , and so the blind leading the blind . and when by this ignorance hath prevailed and gotten head in the church , there is almost an impossibility ever to get it out again ; this brings men into the dark , and locks and bolts the doors upon them . hence men by pleading for this principle , may bring themselves and their posterity into greater bondage then they are aware ; for although now while they have the power in their own hands , it may be well with them ; yet hereafter others may have the power , and then it may prove ill enough ; they may then complain of what they now plead for ; though now the guides of the church may be good and holy , yet they may live to see such a change , or at least their posterity , that such a principle acted by such men as they may be under , may wring them ; yea , it is the more strange , that men should plead so much for this now , when as the soares of their neckes , caused by the bondage under it a while since , are scarce yet healed . eightly , there is yet a further danger in this , not only that men will neglect truth , but there will be a strong temptation to resist and reject truth ; if god begins to dart in any light into a mans spirit , that appears to crosse what hath been determined of for opinion or practice under a penalty ; the corruption of a mans heart will entice him to turne his minde from that light , not to let it into conscience or heart , lest it prevailing , should put him upon such ways wherein he is like to suffer . this hath been common in former times ; many have hid their eyes from those truths that would have kept them from enformity , because they fore-saw what sad consequences would follow , if their consciences should not suffer them to conform . but you will say : this supposes that some things will be urged that is contrary to truth , which is uncharitable to suppose . although in matters fundamentall , there is no feare that godly able men wil erre , yet let charity be stretched to the ful latitude of it , and reverence of men in place raised to the uttermost height ; yet if they will meddle with such things as are doubtful and controversal amongst godly and peaceable men , and force them upon others ; that confidence of theirs that shall put them out of feare of erring , shall be to me a ground of great fear , that they will erre . but some will acknowledge , that some liberty should be granted in things thus doubtfull and controversall , to men who are indeed conscientious , godly and peaceable men ; but if this be yeelded too , then men who are not conscientious , but of turbulent and corrupt spirits , will abuse it . we have given rules to find out those who onely pretend conscience , and if by those , or the like , it does not appeare , but that men are indeed conscientious in their way , we should judg charitably of them ; you think much if those be not admitted to communion with christ and his saints , when they professe godlinesse in word and life , and nothing appears to the contrary ; why then should you think much to tolerate those as conscientious , who professe it in words and life , and nothing appears to the contrary . bishop davenant in that exhortation to peace before quoted , as one meanes for peace , gives his opinion thus , because it belongs only to god to teach the hearts of men , it is our duty alwayes to make the best interpretation of things , and to presume of every one where the contrary appeares not by manifest signes , that hee is kept from assenting by his conscience rather then by obstinacy . as for the peaceablenesse of mens dispositions , let it be judged from their carriages in other things of as great moment , wherein the temptation for the attaining their owne ends is as great , yea far greater then here : do they not carry themselves in as peaceable , gentle ; self-denying way as any ? mr. parker upon the crosse , cap. . sect . . pleads for himself and others , who could not yeeld in some things enjoyned them , when they were accused of pride , contempt , unpeaceablenesse ; what signes , sayes he , doe men see in us of pride , contempt , unpeaceablenesse ? what be our caetera opera , that bewray such a humor ? let it be named wherein we go not two mile , where we are commanded to goe but one ; yea , whether we goe not as many miles as any shooe of the preparation of the gospel of peace will carry us : what payment , what paine , what labour , what taxation made us ever to murmure ? survey our charges where wee have laboured , if they be not found to be of the faithfullest subjects that be in the land . wee deserve no favour ; nay , there is wherein we stretch our consciences to the uttermost to conforme and obey in divers matters : are we refractory then other things ? as balaams asse said to his master , have i used to serve thee so at other times ? and whereas it is said , that some will abuse such liberty at this : it is answered , surely those who are peaceable and conscientious , must not be deprived of what sufferance christ allowes them , because others who are in the same way , are , or may prove turbulent , and do or may not appear truly conscientious . this is as farre beneath the rule of justice , as no sufferance in any thing conceived erroneous , is above it . thirdly , whatsoever errours or miscarriages in religion the church should bear withall in men , continuing them still in communion with them as brethren , these the magistrate should bear with in men , continuing them in the kingdome or common-wealth , in the enjoyment of the liberty of subjects : grant what possible can be granted to the magistrate in the extent of his power about religion , to be custos utriusque tabulae ; yet certainly no man can imagine , that this his charge reaches further then the charge of the church : that he is to be more exact in his oversight of these things , then the church is to be ; for what ever the power of the magistrate be in these things , yet to the church especially are the oracles , the ordinances , the truths of god committed . the charge of the spirituall estate of men especially belongs to the church : now the church is to beare with men in their infirmities , though they be ignorant of many things , yea after means used for information . no church must cast off any from communion with it , but for such things that all the churches of christ ought to cast them off for . this is generally held by our brethren , if a man be rightly cast out of communion with one church , he is thereby cast out of all ; if this be so , then surely many things must be suffered before we proceed to cast out a member , it must not be for every errour or miscarriage . thus bishop davenant in his rules for peace , those may not be cut off from communion with particular churches who remaine joyned to the catholique church . yea , b none is to be cast out of communion , but for that which if whole churches were guilty of , we must refuse communion with , yea with all the churches in the world , if they could be supposed to be so far left of christ , as to be guilty of the same thing ; if this be so , when a church is about casting any out of communion , it need be wary , and not presently fall upon him , because there is something evill in him ; and if the church should be so , the civill magistrate much more , whose care of a mans spirituall estate is not so immediate and full as the churches is . from what hath been said these . consequences are clear : first , articles or rules for doctrine or practise in matters of religion to be imposed upon men , should be as few as may be ; there is a very great danger in the unnecessary multiplying them : this in all ages hath caused divisions , and exceeding disturbances in the churches of christ . i finde an excellent passage in an epistle of isaac causabon to cardinall perron , which hee wrote in the name of king iames by his command , c the king ( saith he ) thinks that the things that are absolutely necessary to salvation are not many , therefore his majesty is of that mind that there is no shorter way for peace , then first by severing necessary things from things that are not necessary , and then to labour a full agreement in those ; but as for things not necessary , let them ( sayes he ) be left to christian liberty . and againe , these necessary things are few , and the king thinks this distinction to be of so great moment to lessen the controversies which this day doe so exceedingly trouble the church , that all who study peace , should most diligently explicate , teach , and urge this . god hath so graciously ordered things for the body , that things necessary for life are not many , nor costly ; the greatest stir in the world is about things not necessary . so for the soule . a second consequence from what hath been said , is ; we see hence who is most for peace ; one professeth what he is convinced of to be a truth and a duty , if it be not necessary , he is not to force it upon his brethren , though he had never so much power in the church or state to back him . the other holds this principle , that whatsoever he thinks to be a duty , he must force it upon his brethren , not only by the power of the church , but he must call in the power of the magistrate to back him in it . but doe not men in a congregationall way urge upon others their owne conception● and practices , according to the power they have , as much as any ? for if men will not enter into covenant , if they hold another kind of government in the church differing from them , they will not receive them , nor communicate with them . i would all our controversie lay here , surely wee should soon agree . whosoever doth as you say , cannot be justified in so doing ; some men it may be through an earnest desire of promoting what they conceived to be the mind of christ , have been too rigid in their dealings with their brethren . what hath been said , will shew the evill of their practice as well as of others . as for entring into covenant , it is true , there is such a practice in the congregational churches , and a covenant either explicite or implicite , i think all acknowledg : that is , there must be some agreement to joyne those together in a body , who formerly were not joyned , to make them to be of such a society , to have power in it with others for the choise of officers in this congregation , and to be under the care & charge of those officers more then members of another congregation : what shall joyn them , if not at least some mutuall agreement to joyn in one body for such spirituall ends as christ hath appointed this body for , the very nature of a society that is embodyed , carries this with it ; and any farther then this i know none requires as necessary . indeed the more explicite this agreement is , the more is the edification . surely there is no christian but will acknowledg that the more one christian opens his heart to another , and binds himself to walk in the ways of christ with another , the more comfortable it is , and helps to edification : and upon this ground doe the congregationall churches practice this . suppose any godly man shall come and desire to joyn with any of them , but withall tell them , that for his part he yet cannot be convinced by any thing he can find in scripture that this way of convenanting is required ; if the church cannot satisfie such a man ( being godly ) in their practise , yet desire to know of him whether hee be willing to joyn with them in all the ordinances of christ , so farre as he knows , a meere affirmative to this is a covenant sufficient to joyne him with them . the more fully he expresseth this to them , it would be the more acceptable . now then why is it that there is such a noise every where in exclamations against church-covenant , when it is nothing but this , which how any gracious heart upon due consideration can be against , i cannot see . and this is not only our present opinion , but that which ever since we knew any thing in that way , upon all occasions , we have held forth . but what do you say to the other ; if a man who you believe is godly , yet not being convinced of your way of government , but rather thinks the presbyteriall government to be the way of christ ; would you receive such a man into communion with you ? if any godly man whose conscience is not satisfied in that way of government , yet is so cast by providence as he cannot joyne with those churches where there is that government he thinks to be christs ; and because hee is desirous to enjoy what ordinances of christ he can , therefore tenders himself to one of these congregationall churches : such a man should be received to these ordinances he sees to be christs , if there be nothing else against him , but meerly because after all due means , yet through weaknesse he cannot see christs minde in some other ordinance . christ doth not lay so much upon the ordinance of government , as to exclude all his saints all their days from all other church-ordinances , if through weakness they cannot be convinced of that . now let one who is in a congregational way , and connot see christs mind in the presbyterial government , yet come to one of those churches , and say , he would gladly in all his ways see the mind of christ , and enjoy all his ordinances , but he cannot see that a minister who takes only the charge to feed by word and sacraments one congregation , yet should with others have the charge of ruling an hundred or more ; and till he be convinced otherwise , he cannot in his practice acknowledg that government to be christs , would you yet receive such a one to communion with you in all other church-ordinances ? if you would , i make no question then but if we well understood one another , and were of quiet spirits , we might live together in peace . let not miscarriages in particular men or churches in thing● of this nature , hinder our peace ; what we say ought to be suffered in us , we professe to be our duty to suffer that or any thing of the like nature in others : and where there hath not been that brotherly and christian forbearance as ought to be , there hath been sinne committed against christ : but let not this hinder brotherly and christian agreement amongst our selves , or any other churches of christ . ly . evills that are small or uncertain , or come by accident , must rather be suffered , then any good that is great , certain , and per se , should be hindered . we must take heed that in our zeal to oppose evill , we hinder not a greater good : if opposition of evill lies so far out of your reach as you cannot come at it but by hindering much good , you must be content then to let it alone . lastly , if the evils be such as only can be removed by super-natural means , we must not use violence for the removing of them , though god hath such authority over us , as hee may justly punish us for not doing that which we are unable to do by the strength of nature ; yet one man hath no such authority over another . the power that god hath given a magistrate , is but a naturall help at the most , & therefore it can go no farther then to help us in a naturall way , to do what we are able to do by a natural power ; when it hath gone so far , there it must rest . i shall refer the learned to zanchy upon the fourth comment , where they may see more about this . chap. x. the fourth dividing principle , division is the best way to maintaine dominion . this is machiavels principle , divide & regna . when division is got into such a principle as hath not only in the bowels of it , that is something to foment it by what may be drawn from it ; but when the principle carries division in the very face of it , not collaterally , or by consequent avowing it , but directly & immediately justifying it , then it grows strong indeed , who can stand before it ? when this is brought down to the people , it is expressed by that proverbiall speech , it is good fishing in troubled waters . the divisions of the times are our advantages . some mens ends are best served , when church and state are most divided . they never had such comings in as now they have . it is true , it may be desired that men in evil things should not agree , that they may be like the witnesses that came against christ , who could not agree in their testimony . paul cast a bone of dissention between the pharisees and sadduces . but when men love division , and desire the continuance of it ; first , to maintain that which is evill ; secondly , to aime at their owne ends , not regarding what publike mischiefes come , so their own private advantages may be served ; not caring what house be on fire , so their eggs may be rosted , if they may have some poor , pedling , private benefit by them . ly . not caring what the divisions are , whether against good , or against evill , so be it their turn may be served : this is abominable , and cursed is that man that wishes for , or rejoyces in , or seeks the continuance of divisions , for these base ends . yea that man is not worthy to breath in so good a land as england is , who would not willingly lay downe his his life to cure the present divisions and distractions that are amongst us , who would not desire with nazianzen , as formerly jonah , to be cast into the sea himself , so be it all might be calm in the publique ? oh cruell , hard-hearted man , who for his own private advantage is not sensible of the woful miseries of church and state , yea of that dreadfull dishonour to the name of god , caused this day by our sad divisions , miserable distractions● just it were that such a man should be separated to evil , and that his name should be blotted out from under heaven . but if things were setled in church and state , some men should not have such liberties as now they have , therefore they are willing enough to have our differences continued , their plot is to lengthen them out . first , that which thou callest seeking to lengthen out divisions , it may be god now accounts , and will another day call seeking after the nearest union with himselfe , and the firmest union of his saints . secondly , the liberties these men seek for , are either evill or good ; if evill , oh how dearly do they buy that which is evill , with bringing the guilt of all that evil that comes from our divisions upon themselves ; you need not wish any enemy more evil upon his head then this ; certainly such a man hath load enough upon him . but if those liberties they seek be good , or but supposed by them to be so , why then should they feare a right setling of things ? what ever is good , can be no enemy unto good . that scripture , rom. . . is enough to keep their hearts from fearing , the right ordered power of authority , especially from fearing it so farre , as by the feare of it , to be driven into such a desperate guilt of wickednesse as this is , to desire or endeavour the continuance of such publique mischiefe for their own ends . rulers , saith the text , are not a terrour to good works , but to evil ; wilt thou then not be afraid of their power ? doe that which is good , and thou shalt have praise of the same . surely then the power was as formidable to any thing a christian heart could suppose good , as now any power is like to be that we have to deale with . thirdly , it is a sign of a very poor , low , unworthy spirit , to think that any in whom thou hast any perswasion there is any feare of god , or interest in christ , should have no higher thoughts for their support and encouragement in what they conceive good according to the mind of christ , but such as the hopes or desires of continuance of such wofull evils in the divisions of church and state raiseth in them , if they did believe that christ took no more care of them then so , but left them to such miserable supports as these are , their condition were sad indeed . ly . if such basenesse of spirit as this is , were ruling in them , which hath in it the malignity of all the dregs of an evil spirit , surely you would find it working in them in some other thing , save only in that wherein they differ from you . for certainly it is impossible but that man that is so left of god to such dregs of evill , must needs break out to some other vile evils in a little time . it were strange if such horrid wickednesse of a mans heart should break out in nothing else . the lord therefore be judg between his servants and those men , yea those men professing godlinesse , who have such hard thoughts of them ; and the lord convince them of all their hard speeches , and hard writings in this thing . chap. xi . the fifth dividing principle . that every man is bound to professe and practice alwayes what he apprehends to be truth . this hath the greater strength , because it comes under a shew of exact godlinesse : i do not mean an hypocriticall shew , but an appearance to mens consciences . it is very dividing : for , first , if while many things lye in mens owne thoughts , they cause much strife within themselves ; their reasonings are very divers : though they have all the some tincture from the same affections , and are swayed by the same ends then when these things come abroad , before others , who have not the same reasonings , nor the same affections , to give them such a tincture , but reasonings and affections running quite another way , nor the same ends to sway them , but quite different to poyse them a cross way , there must needs be much strife , such divisions as will be hard to reconcile . if men sometimes can hardly prevail with their own thoughts to agree , notwithstanding the sway of their own affections and ends ; how are they like to agree with others , whose affections and ends are so various from theirs . secondly , if men doe presently professe and practice what they conceive to be right , they must necessarily professe and recant , recant and professe ; for in many things , what they apprehend to be true at one time , they suspect , yea see cause to deny at another ; and what confusion & disorder would there be in matters of religion , if continually by some or other there should be profession of things as true and good , and calling the same things presently into question , yea within a while denying and renouncing them ? and if not so , then . if a man hath once made profession of what he conceives to be a truth , differing from others , if it proves to be a misapprehension , there lies a great temptation upon him to stand out in it , to strive to make it out to the utmost ; for nothing is more contrary to a mans nature , then to acknowledg himself to be mistaken in his understanding , and to lye down in the shame of rashnesse and inconsideratenesse in his actions ; therefore whatsoever mens own thoughts be within , in their own spirits , they had need take heed what they doe , when they come to make open profession , and practice what they apprehend , and engage themselves thereby to maintaine ; there are not many who attaine to augustines self denyall , to publish retractations to all the world . now if a man through the strength of this temptation , shall still retaine what he hath made profession of , and others shall see his weakenesse , joyned with wilfulnesse ; they must oppose him in it , and so contention and division is like to rise higher and higher . in regard therefore of the great usefulnesse of this point , and the difficulty of the right understanding it , i shall endeavour to speak to it under these three heads . first , to shew wherein profession is necessary . secondly , wherein men may keep in , what they think they understand to be truth , so as not to professe or practise it . thirdly , i shall propound some rules of direction , to shew in what manner a man should make profession of what he conceives to be truth , though it be different from his brethren . for the first . certainly profession in some things is very necessary . rom. . . with the heart man believeth unto righteousnesse , and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation . confession is here joyned to believing , as necessary to salvation . this i conceive to be the meaning of those places which hold forth the necessity of baptisme , he that believes and is baptized , shall be saved . augustine in one of his sermons de tempore , sayes , wee cannot be saved , except wee professe our faith outwardly for the salvation of others . and christ , mar. . . sayes , whosoever shall be ashamed of him and of his words , in this adulterous and sinfull generation , of him shall the sonne of man be ashamed , when he comes in the glory of his father with his holy angels . and it is observable , that they follow upon those words , what shall it profit a man if he shall gaine the whole world , and loose his owne soule ? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soule ? as if christ should say , if you would not lose your soules eternally , look to this , make profession of the truth , as you are called to it ; though you live in a wicked and an adulterous generation , yet be not ashamed of me before them ; for if you be , your souls may goe for it eternally . zuinglius in his third epistle , says , we may as well with a dioclesian worship before the altar of jupiter and venus , as conceale our faith under the power of antichrist . now though profession be necessary , yet in what cases we are bound to professe , and in what not , is no easie matter to determine . zuarez , a man of great judgement , yet falling upon this question , when a man is bound to make profession of the truth , sayes , we cannot give rules in particular , when there is a necessity of profession , in regard of the good of our neighbour , but it must bee determined by the judgment of prudence . but though the determination be very difficult , yet we may assert these five cases to bind us to profession . first , when the truths are necessary to salvation , and my forbearance in them may endanger the salvation of any , the salvation of the soul of the poorest beggar , is to be preferred before the glory , pomp , outward peace and comforts of all the kingdoms on the earth ; therefore much before my private contentments : in extream danger of life there is no time to reason what in prudence is fit to be done , but save the mans life if you can , and reason the case afterward . secondly , when not profession shall be interpreted to be a denyall , though in case of a lesser truth ; i must not deny the truth , the least truth interpretative , i must rather be willing to suffer , then the truth should suffer by me so farre : this was daniel's case , when he would not cease his praying three times a day , neither would he shut his windows , though it endangered his life . a carnall heart would say , why might not daniel have been wiser ? he might have forborn a while , at least he might have shut his windows . no , daniel was willing to venture his life in the cause , rather then he would so much as by way of interpretation , deny that honour that he knew was due to god , thirdly , when others shall be scandaliz'd , so as to be weakned in their faith by my denyall ; yea , so scandalized as to be in danger to sin , because they see me not to professe ; in this case we must venture very far , we should take heed of offending any of the saints , so as to grieve them , but when the offence comes to weaken their faith to occasion their sin , there we should venture very far to our own outward prejudice , rather then so to offend them . fourthly , when an account of my faith is demanded , if it be not either in scorn to deride , or in malice to ensnare , but seriously , so as the giving it may be to edification , especially in a way of giving a publique testimony to the truth , pet. . . be ready to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you . if to every one , much more to mag●strates . fifthly , so far as those whom god hath committed to my charge for instruction are capable , at some time or other i must manifest that truth of god to them that may be for their good according as i am able . yet this duty of profession being a duty required by an affirmative precept , though we are bound alwayes , yet not to all times , semper , but not ad semper , we must alwayes keep such a disposition of heart , as to be in a readiness , rather to give testimony to any truth of god , if called to it by god , then to provide for our ease or any outward comfort in this world , so as we may be able to appeal to god in the sincerity of our hearts , to judg of that high esteem we have of his truth . lord if thou shalt make known to me now or any other time , that thy nature may have any glory by my profession , of any truth of thine , whatsoever become of my outward peace , ease , or content , i am ready to do it for thy names sake . there is a time , says hugo , when nothing is to be spoken , a time when something , but there is no time when all things are to be spoken . there are sixe other cases wherein you are not bound to professe . first , when you shall be required in way of scorn , or to ensnare you ; this were to cast pearls before swine . ly . you are not bound to make profession of a truth to those who are not able to receive it , whose weaknesse is such , as they cannot understand it till they be principled with some other truths . i have many things to say , sayes christ , but yee are not able to beare them . so st. paul , hast thou faith ? have it to thy selfe ; he speaks in the case of doubtfull things , which will trouble weak ones . ly . when mens hearts appear so corrupt , that there is apparant danger of abuse of truths , to the strengthning them in th●ir lusts , there are precious truths that many ministers cannot speak of before people without trembling hearts ; and were it not that they believed they were the portion of some soules in the congregation , they dared not mention them . ly . when your profession of some truths will take off mens hearts from other that are more weighty and necessary . the rule of the apostle , rom. . . holds forth this ; receive not those men who are weake in faith to doubtfull disputations ; this may hinder them in the great things of the kingdome of god , righteousnesse , peace , joy in the holy ghost , vers . . as if the apostle should say , let them be wel established in them ; but these doubtfull disputations will hinder them in such things as these are . fiftly , when my profession at this time in this thing is like to hinder a more useful profession at another time in another thing . prov. . . a foole uttereth all his mind , he that is wise keeps it in till afterward . it was the wisdome of paul when he was at athens , not presently to break out against their idols , hee staid his due time , and yet all the time hee kept in his uprightnesse in the hatred of idolatry as much as ever . sixtly , when our profession will cause publick disturbance , and that to the godly , the disturbance of mens corruptions who will oppose out of malice , is not much to be regarded . when it was told christ the pharisees were offended , he cared not for it , but he made a great matter of the offence of any of his little ones . when men who love the truth as well as wee , shall not only be against what we conceive truth , but shall be offended , and that generally at it ; if we have discharged our own consciences by declaring as we are called to it what we conceive the mind of god , we should sit down quietly , and not continue in a way of publique offence and disturbance to the saints . the rule of the apostle will come in here , let the spirit of the prophets be subjects to the prophets : wee should wait till god will some other way , or at some other time have that prevaile in their hearts and consciences of his people which we conceive to be truth , and they are now so much offended at . there could never be peace continued in the church , if every man must continually , upon all occasions , have liberty openly to make profession of what he apprehends to be a truth ; never have done with it , though the church , which is faithfull , and desires unfeignedly to honour christ and his truth , be never so much against it . in divers of these cases the consideration of that text , eccl. . . is very sutable ; be not righteous over much , neither make thy selfe over wise , why shouldst thou destroy thy selfe ? amongst other things this is included in the scope of the holy ghost ; when you apprehend a thing to be a truth , do not think that you are bound all times , upon all occasions , to the utmost , profess , practise , promote that truth , without any consideration of others , being carried on with this apprehension , it is a truth , come of it what will ; whatsoev● becomes of me , whatsoever trouble shall follow upon it , i must and will professe it ; and publish it again and again to the death : in this you had need look to your spirit , in this you may be over-just , and make your self over-wise ; though there may be some uprightnesse in your heart , some love to christ and his truth , yet there may be mixture of your own spirit also ; you may stretch beyond the rule ; this is to be over-righteous , to think out of a zeal to god and his truth , to goe beyond what god requires . it is true , at no time , upon no occasion , though thy life , and all the lives in the world lay upon it , thou must not deny any the least truth , but there may be a time when god doth not require of thee to make profession of every thing thou believest to be a truth . you will say , this tends to loosness , to lukewarmness , to time-serving ; men pretending and pleading discretion , grow loose and remisse , and so by degrees fall off from the truth . vers . . let men take heed of that too ; be not over-much wicked , neither be thou foolish . as you must be carefull not to goe beyond the rule , so take heed you fall not off from it ; so you may grow wicked and foolish , yea very wicked , over-wicked , god will meet with you there too : wherefore vers . . it is good thou shouldst take hold of this , yea also from this withdraw not thine hand : take both , be carefull of thy self in both , but especially mark the last clause of the . vers . he that feareth god shall come forth of them all . the feare of god possessing thy heart , will help thee in these straits ; thou shalt by it be delivered from being ensnared by thy indiscreet , sinfull zeale , and it shall likewise keep thee from bringing misery upon thy selfe , by falling as farre on the other hand , to looseness and time-serving . the fear of god will ballast thy soul even , it will carry thee on in a way that shall be good in the eyes of the lord , and of his saints . there is a natural boldnes , and a mixed zeal in many who are godly , that carries them on in those ways that causes great disturbance to others , and brings themselves into great straits and snares ; and these men are very ready to censure others of nesse and loosenesse , who do not as themselves do ; but this scripture reproves them , shewing that it is not through fleshly wisdome , and providing for ease that is the cause others do not as they do , but the fear of god in a right way ballasting their spirits ; god will own his fear to be in their hearts , ordering them aright , when thy disorderly , mixed zeale shall receive rebuke from christ . but doth not christ say , hee came into the world to witnesse to the truth , and is not every truth more worth then our lives ? that man who in the former five cases wherein profession is shewed to be our duty , shall witness to the truth , he shewes that truth is indeed precious to him , and gives that testimony to the truth , that he was born for , although in the six latter he shall forbear . but when these latter cases shall fall out , how shall the truth be maintained ? will it not suffer much prejudice ? . christ will not be beholding to mens weaknesses for the maintenance of his truth . . if every man according to his place to deliver his own soule , shall declare ( observing the rules we shall speak to presently ) what he conceives to be the mind of god , though he shall not either in words or practice continually hold forth the same , yet thereby the truth is maintained . . the truth is maintained , by forbearing that practice which those opinions of men that are contrary to the truth , puts them upon , not doing as they do is a continual witnesse against them , and so a witnesse for the truth , & this is a christians duty at all times , although i must never upon any ground do that which my conscience sayes is in it selfe sin , in the least thing , yet i am not ever bound to do that which my conscience says is in it self good ( as it may fall out ) in some great things . a thing in it-self evill can never be made my duty to do , what ever circumstances it may be cloathed with , what ever good i conceive may be done by it ; but a thing in it self good , may by circumstances attending of it , be such , as at this time it is my duty to forbear it , so that in not doing it i cannot be charged of a sin of omission , of not living according to what my judgment and conscience is convinced of to be truth , and good . that we may understand yet further our duty of profession so as we may cause no divisions by it , let these five rules be considered for the ordering of it . first , we must be wel grounded in fundamentals , before we make profession of other truths ; seldome or never have you known men who in the beginning of their profession of religion have laid out the first of their strength in controversies , but that they have vanished & come to nothing in their profession . be first well rooted in the faith , in the great things of godlinesse , ●he absolute necessary things of eternall life , and then thy searching into other truths of god which are for thy further edification , will be seasonable . ly . take heed that what thou dost be not out of affectation of novelties , which men naturally have itching desires after . it is very pleasing to the flesh , to convey such things to others , to be the first that shall bring to others , things which before they understood not , whatsoever the things be . as there is much wickedness in raising up old errors , as if they were new truths ; so there is much vanity in bringing forth old truths in novell and affected phrases , as if men desired to be thought to find out some new thing that yet hath not been , or is very little known in the world , when indeed upon examination , when it is uncloathed of its new expressions , it proves to be the same old truth , that ordinarily hath been known & taught , and so the man appears to be no knowing man , more then ordinary . take heed of this vanity of spirit in the holding forth of truth , especially when in publike you speak of gods truths , speak of them with reverence of the name of the great god , as the oracles of god , clearly , plainly , not in obscure , uncouth , unknown expressions , as the oracles of the idols were wont to be delivered in . . whatsoever is differing from others who are godly , is not to be held forth and professed without serious examination : we may venture more suddenly upon those things which are generally received of the saints ; but if they be differing , then we had need examine them over and over again , with a jealous eye over our own hearts , and to take heed to our spirits , & how we behave our selves in such things wherein we are like to go away so much differing from so many of our godly , able brethren . wee must take heed of publishing any such things rawly , undigestedly , lest we wrong the truth of god , and make the profession of it become ridiculous . if the thing be true to day , it will be true to morrow . . we must not think it enough boldly to assert things , but according to the rule of the apostle , pet. . . we must give an account , . with meekness ; we must not do it in a passionate , froward way , not with our affections hurrying and tumultuous ; not after a contentious manner , as if we desired victory rather then truth ; but with quietnesse and composednesse of spirit . we must not think it much to bear contradiction from others , yea though it should arise to contemptuous carriage against us , and with fear , that is , either in respect of our selves who make the profession , or in respect of those before whom we make it . for our selves , we must not do it in a conceited way , not in a high , arrogant way , with foolish confidence in our selves , in our own apprehensions and abilities , but with feare , manifesting our sensibleness of our own weakness , vanity , and nothingnes : . in respect of those before whom the profession is made . we must manifest our due , reverent esteem of them ; no unbeseeming behaviour , no scornfulness , lightness , contempt , if it before magistrates , especially then whatsoever they are in regard of their persons , yet reverentiall respects ought to be given to them in respect of their places ; and if they be men of worth , learning , graces , publike use in the church or state , that respect that is due to their worth , is to be manifested also in our carriage towards them . grace teacheth no man to be unmannerly , rude , scornfull , furious , or foolish . . if you would make profession or practice any thing differing from others who are godly and judicious , you should first acquaint those who are most able , with what you intend , and not go to youths , & women , and weak ones first , seeking to promote what you apprehend , by possessing your hearts first with it , and to get them to be a party for you ; this is not the way of god. if god hath revealed some new thing to you , you have some new light that is not yet made known to your brethren , which not only by profane men , but i fear by some who are godly , is in a profane manner scorned at ; and it were wel if none of those who pretend it , did not give some occasision : were not the temptation to the despising of that expression , yet you should first goe to those who are most able to judg , acquaint them with what apprehensions you have , and see whether they cannot make it appeare to you that you are mistaken ; if not , they may confirm you in the truth , that you may go on in it with the more confidence . if churches were setled as they ought , i should think it very ill for any minister to preach any thing not ordinarily received by the saints , before they have acquainted other elders , yea some of other churches with it , if out of an eager desire to be formost in venting some new thing , they shall do it meerly from themselves , they may be meanes to raise and engage themselves in woful disturbances before they are aware . that common union and fellowship that there is between elders and churches , requires mutual advise and consultation in matters of difficulty , though to lay a law upon them to advise in every thing , be it never so clear , would be hard . chap. xii . the sixth dividing principle . what is in it selfe best must be chosen and done , not weighing circumstances , or references . this brings much trouble to the churches ; yea it causeth much trouble in the spirits and lives of many truly godly . it causeth men to break the bonds of their callings , of their relations , of their publique interests , therefore certainly it must needs be a dividing principle . some men whose calling is only to a private employment , yet having some gifts , and having used sometimes in their families to take a scripture , and speak something out of it ; upon this they think it is a better thing to be exercised in preaching gods word , then to fit in a shop all day , at some meane worke , or selling out wares , therefore they thinke they are bound to give over their callings , which they look at as too low , mean things , and be preachers of the word , not regarding those due ways that christ would have men come into such an employment by . although i do not think , but that tradesmen , who have good knowledg in the scripture , and are gifted by god to speak the word to people for their edification , when there is a want of able men , who have been all their lives preparing for such a work , and are set apart for it , rather then people should continue in ignorance , and so perish ( if those who are able and fit to judg , shal judg them meet for such a work ) they may be employd to make christ known to them ; yet for every man that takes himself to be a gifted man , and it may be is so judged , by some who are willing to flatter him , to take upon him of himselfe , or by the advice of two or three of his friends , to leave his other employment for the work of the ministry , because that is a more noble and excellent work ; this is not a way of god , but a way of confusion and disorder . again , it is in it selfe a better thing to enjoy a ministry of the most eminent gifts and graces , then one of lower ; but if this should be made a rule , that a man who is under a pastor , who is faithfull , and in some good measure gifted , upon another mans coming into the countrey that is more eminent , he should forsake his pastor , and joyn to the other ▪ and if after this still a more eminent man comes , he should leave the former and joyn to him ; and by the same law , a pastor who hath a good people , yet if others be more likely to receive more good , he may leave his own people , and goe to them , what confusion and disorder would there be continually in the church ? men must consider , not only what the thing is in its own nature , but what it is to them , how it stands in reference to their relations . if you be joyned to a pastor , so as you believe he is set over you by christ , to be a pastor to you ( not because the bishop hath sent one , or an old usurer dyes , and leaves the patronage of a living to some ostler or tap-wench in an alehouse , and he or she shall send one by vertue of their right to the patronage , this cannot tie a mans conscience to depend upon him for the ordinances of christ all his days , in case he cannot remove his dwelling , but if you cannot but look upon the man as the pastor that christ hath set over you . ) though this man hath meaner gifts then others ; and it would be more comfortable to you to have another pastor ; yet this is not enough to cause you to dise●t him whom christ hath set over you ; and if people may not leave their pastors , because others have more eminent gifts , then surely pastors must not leave their people , because others have more eminent livings . to instance yet further , that you may see how this principle disturbs mens spirits : many being in the works of their calling , have some thoughts come into their mind , that prayer is a better work , more noble and spirituall then to be employed as they are ; therefore they must needs presently leave their worke , and go toe prayer : how many have been perplexed with temptations this way , by which their lives have been made very uncomfortable ? prayer in it selfe is better , but is it better at this time for me , all things considered ? am not i about that which god hath called me to do ? by this principle many decive and trouble themselves , in respect of their souls ; as some by a conceit of the like nature , deceive & bring great trouble to themselves in respect of their bodies ; some who have sickly bodies , their flesh is decayed , they think such and such things have most nourishment in them , such things are hot , and full of spirits , and juyce , therefore they will eate and drink altogether such things , leaving their ordinary dyet ; by this means th●y many times overthrow their bodies : for though a man wants flesh , yet the way for him to have it , it may be is not to take nourishing things , but purging ; and though he be troubled with faintness , it may be the way to get good spirits , is by eating ordinary dyet , and cooling his body , that so some distemper may be cured , and he may get his veyns filled with good blood , and spirits got from it , rather then by drinking hot waters that are full of spirits , which perhaps burns his heart , and dries his body , that there is no good blood generated from his dyet . it is not enough therefore to say the thing is in it selfe better , but is it better in all the references i have , and it hath ? is it better in regard of others , in regard of the publique , for the helping me in all my relations ? may it not help one way , and hinder many ways ? if a physitian should come to a man , and see his disease is hot , and sho●ld therefore presently cool him by giving him water , the man may like it for the present ; why is it not better to be cool , then so burning hot ? but thus the physitian discovers his folly , and the patient loses his life . a physitian in prescribing some physick had need have forty considerations in his head at once , how one part stands affected to the other , of what yeers the man is , of what complexion , how long the disease bath been upon him , what was last done to him , &c. so it should be in the duties of religion , a christian who desires to walk orderly , to beautifie and honour his profession to enjoy communion with god , & peace in his own soul , and be useful to the publique , had need have his wits about him , not presently to fall upon a work , because it is now presented as good to him in a single consideration ; he must compare one thing with another , and see what it is in all its references ; or otherwise he will but enterfeir , hee will but hack and hew , and bungle , and disturb himselfe and others in the ways of religion , he will make religion tiresome to himselfe and others , he will be in danger in time to cast off strictnesse , and to grow so much the more loose then others , by how much more streightned he hath been in a disorderly way then others . i believe some of you have known those who in their young time have been very strict and tender ; whatsoever they have conceived to be better then other , they have presently followed it with all eagernesse , never considering circumstances , references , or consequences , but the thing is good , it must be done ; yet being wearied with this , they have after grown loose , in as great an excesse , the other way ; yea , it may be have vanished and come to nothing . chap. xiii . the seventh dividing principle ; it is obstinacy for a man not to be convinced by the judgement of many , more learned and godly then himselfe . the making this to be the rule to judg obstinacy by , hath in all ages caused great divisions by exasperating the spirits of ●●en one against another . in times of popery what rage did it raise against men who were most conscientious ? the generality of men thought they did god good service , in persecuting those who would not yeeld to the judgment of others , who had the repute of learning and piety ; and those who were conscientious , could not yeeld to their determinations , not seeing the truth of god in them , and this made the stir . vvhile men appear obstinate , by the rule of christ we are not to bear with them ; and this principle sets thousands of godly peaceable men in the seat of the obstinate , these cannot in conscience yeeld , and others cannot but in conscience oppose them ; what reconciliation then can there be hoped ? either men must captivate their consciences , cause them in a sordid way to bow down to slavery , or else there must needs be continuall division and opposition where this prevailes . i confesse such a principle as this is would make for union amongst those who either think they need not , or through carelesnesse regard not to searth out truth , but with an implicite faith take in all that shall be imposed upon them , who think ignorance of gods mind and conscience slavery , to be no great evil ; this is never urged with violence , but either by those who have given up their consciences to be serviceable to the ease and content of the flesh , or those who have , or hope to have power in their hands , to bring others in subjection to them . because the right informing our judgments in this , may much conduce to peace , i shall endeavour , . to shew you what due respect is to be given to mens judgments who are learned and godly . . yet not so much as to make their judgments the rule to judg men obstinate , if they differ from them . . vvhat then should be the rule ? by what should we judg a man to be obstiate ? for the first , certainly much respect is to be given to the learning and godlinesse of men . there is a great delusion in many mens hearts , that makes them thinke it to be halfe popery , to give any respect to learning ; although the abuse of learning hath done much evill , against that much hath been and may be said ; but i dare avow this , that never since the beginning of the world could a man be found to speak against earning but an ignorant man ; neither is it like , nay i may aver , it is impossible that any but such will be found to the end of the world : learning hath so much of god in it , that it never had nor will have any enemy but ignorance . . tim. . . give attendance to reading , to exhortation , to doctrine . ver. . give thy selfe wholly to them , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , be in them . and when we see grace added to learning , it should adde much to our esteem of such a man ; it is the orient pearl in the gold ring , it is a great testimony to a way , that it is the way of good men , prov. . . that thou maist walke in the way of good men , and keep the paths of the righteous . the judgement and counsell of such is to be received with very great respect , especially if the eminencie of their grace appears in the tenderness of their spirits , that we may see much of the feare of god in them . ezra . . now let us make a covenant , according to the counsell of my lord , and of those that tremble at the commandement of our god. and when not only some few godly men are of this mind , but when it is that which god hath sealed in the hearts of the saints generally , very high respect is to be given unto it . wherefore he that differs in his judgment from wise , learned , godly men , had need first , spend much time in prayer and humiliation before the lord. there is a notable expression of basil , cited in an appendix of an epistle of luther to the ministers of norimberg , who were at variance one from another : he who will separate him selfe from his brethren , had need consider many things even to anxiety ; he had need break his sleep many nights , and seeke of god with many teares , the demonstration of the truth . ly . you must even then when you cannot subject to their judgments , preserve due reverence in your heart , and shew due respects to men of learning and grace according to their worth . we have a notable relation of that holy man. mr. greenham , in a letter of his to the bishop of ely , in whose diocesse he lived ; the bishop seeking to bring him to conformity , objected thus unto him , why will not you yeeld ? luther approved of these things , are you wiser then he ? his sober and gracious answer was , i reverence more the revealed will of god in teaching that worthy instrument of god , mr. luther so many necessary things to salvation , then i search into his secret will , why hee kept backe from his knowledge other things of lesse importance . ly . if those things wherein we differ from the judgments of learned and godly men , be not matters of duty , they only may bring us to some suffering , we should silently yeeld for peace sake , and out of respect to them not opposse . ly . in all things wherein you may have any helpe from them , you should repair to them , and desire to partake of the benefit of those gifts and graces god hath bestowed upon them . ly . in all things wherein you can agree , you should be the more carefull to manifest all possible observance and respect to them , in blessing god for any help he grants to you by them , either in making known his truth to you , or at least in further confirming you in it by them . ly . and in what still your consciences will not suffer you to agree with them , you are to take it as your affliction , and to account that way you are in to want a great lustre , and most desireable encouragement , in that so many learned and godly mens judgments and practices are against it . we are to raise our respects to men of learning and godliness thus high ; but if we should go so high , as to give up our judgment and consciences to them , we should in honouring them , dishonour christ , yea they would account themselves to be dishonoured . such as are truly godly and wise , do rather account it their honor to carry a loving respect to those who differ from them , then desire that men should , blindfold , before they see their grounds , follow them . prelaticall spirits indeed account it their honour to force men to be of their mind ; it is their glory that they can say to the consciences of men , bow down before us . a gracious spirit abhors the thought of such a tyranny . this to high raising respects due to learned , holy men , hath been very hurtfull in the church , prejudicial to the souls of men , but especially to the honour of christ . i will give you an instance . erasmus was no novice , yet how dangerously he was taken with this , will appear by a strange expression of his , in an epistle hee wrote to one bilibaldus : how far the authority of the church prevails with others , i know not ; but with mee it hath that power , that i could be of the opinion with arrians and pelagians , if the church did but allow that which they taught . this you will say is a strange expression , coming from a learned man , and one too , not addicted to the church that then was in that excess as others were ; how then did this conceit prevail with men more weak , who gave up their consciences to others through their blind superstition ? wherefore secondly , though great respect is to be given to men holy and learned , yet not such , that a man must be judged obstinate , if hee submit not to their judgments and determinations . for , first , if a man should believe or do any thing before he sees some other grounds besides their judgments or examples , though the thing were in it selfe never so good , yet it would be sin to him . if indeed this were enough to answer christ , lord , i am a poore weake man , i cannot find out thy truths my self , therefore i seeing learned godly men to be of such a judgement , and doing such things , i thought it too much presumption for mee to differ from them , therefore i also believed it to be true , and practised accordingly . this were an easie way for people to agree , and it might well be judged obstinacy to gainsay . but this account christ will not take , for he tells us , whatsoever is not of faith , is sinne , and the judgments and practices of godly learned men , he never made to be the rule of faith . ly . if god in revealing his mind to men , alwayes did it according to the proportion of their gifts and graces , then it were too much boldnesse for any to differ from those who are most eminent ; but experience tels us it is otherwise , as god causeth his rain to fall upon one field , and not upon another ; and as the wind blows where it lists , so are the workings of the spirit of god upon men . although hee reveales to all his saints whatsoever is absolutely necessary to salvation , yet for other truths , a man of eminent parts shall know one , another of weaker shall know another . david was a man as eminent for parts , & was filled with the spirit of god as much as nathan , both in regard of prophesie and godliness ; yet sometimes that was revealed to nathan , which was kept hid from david . when the book of the law was found , and read before josiah , they send to huldah the prophetesse , yet there were prophets in the land at that time . but you will say , is it not more likely that men of learning and piety , should know what is right , and what is not , better then others ? true , it is more likely they should ; but god many times doth things which we think are not likely ; that which is the most unlikely to us , god many times chooseth as best to serve his ends . thirdly , if there were no other reason why a man of weaker parts should differ from other , then because he is conceited of his parts , thinks himselfe more able to understand then those who are far his betters , then there would be more liberty to deale severely with him : but being ●here may be this reason ; why men who are weak , yet differ from those who are eminent , christ hath laid this charge upon them , that they must not believe or practice any thing in the matters of religion , but what they shall see ground for out of his word . if a man shall be jealous of himself , fearing lest his own understanding should mislead him ; and in the use of all meanes he can , seeks to god , and yet cannnot see from scripture the ground of those things learned and godly men have determined , and having received such a charge from christ not to alter his judgment or practice , till in the use of these meanes he should receive further light from him ; what would you have this man do ? if he yeelds to you , he sins against the charge of christ and his own conscience ; if he doth not , either now or after such a time you prefixe him , alter his judgment and practice , you judg him obstinate , and in the name of christ deale with him as such ; do not you by this make that bond that christ hath laid upon him ( to do all he doth from a principle of faith ) heavier then christ would have it . fourthly , the more learning , the more godliness men have , the more pains they take in finding out the truth ; there is the lesse ground to judg those obstinate , who differ from them , because they differ . you will say , how can that be ? for if men be very learned and godly , and take much pains to finde out the truth , there is the more reason we should believe their judgements more then our owne . we must indeed honour them , then , the more ; but yet the exquisitenesse of their learning , the eminency of their godliness , the industry of their labours , for the finding out of truth , may excuse those from obstinacy who cannot see into the ground from the word , of all that they are able to see ; for is it not more then probable , that men who are weak and exceedingly beneath them , should through meer weakness be unable to see the rule of scripture in those things which they have got the sight of , by the help of their great learning , godliness , and indefatigable labours ? can it be , that men who have not attained to that eminencie , who are not able to take so much pains in searching , that they ( though they have their help added ) should be able to attain to what these men so eminent and industrious have attained to ? can they in a few months come to see that which they have been studying , and debating one with another divers years before they could see it , can they be satisfied in their consciences of the mind of christ , when these eminent men , for a long time could hardly satisfie one another ? yea , it may be after all the helpe of their learning , godliness , and painfull labours , they look upon many things but as probable , as more likely to be so then otherwise , they have not a plerophory in their own hearts ; and shall those who doe not see ground enough for the foot of faith to settle upon , be judged , and dealt with as obstinate ? because they yet are not of their mind , ( god forbid . ) fifthly , there is much danger in making this to be the rule ; for if to go against the judgment of godly and learned men be obstinacy now , ere long it may come to this , that to goe against those in place , who have power in their hand , shall be obstinacy , whatsoever they be ; for who dare question their learning and piety ? whatsoever miscarriages these shal be in after ages in bringing men unlearned & ungodly into place ; yet those must be judged as gulty of obstinacy who are not of the same judgment they shall be of , and into what a case then have we brought our selves . if you shall say , true , our case would be sadde , but we must venture it , there is no helpe , better an inconvenience then a mischiefe . but here will be not an inconvenience only but a mischief ? in civil things this indeed must be ventured , for there we are not bound to understand the reason and ground of all things ; but if nothing appeare to be contrary to the rules of justice and piety , we are to submit ; but in the matters of religion it is otherwise , we must understand the ground of all from the word ; therefore those who shall lay downe such a position , that we may deal with these men as obstinate , by the ordinance of christ , who after two or three admonitions shal not be of the same judgment , and do the same things that learned and godly men determine , do bring the church into greater bondage then they are aware of . ly . learned and godly men yet have flesh as well as spirit , & private engagements do often sway much even with them : here with us we know how the greater number of learned and godly men goe , but in new-england the greater number of learned and godly men goe another way . lately the greater number of learned and godly men in old england did judg submission to prelaticall power in the church , and practice of ceremonies , and use of common-prayer to be lawfull , i hope it is not so now . ly . if it be alwayes obstinacy not to believe or practise what they judg should be believed and practised , then sometimes it will be obstinacy not to believe and practise a contradiction ; for we know some learned and godly men determine one thing , some determine the contrary ; yea , oftentimes they are contrary to themselves . ly . it is against the rule of the apostle , try all things , keep that which is good , abstain from all appearance of evill . if after the tryall of prophesie , there be but an appearance of evill , we are not bound to abstain . ly . we know by our own experience , we have differed from many more learned and godly men then our selves , and yet our consciences did excuse us before god , that we did it out out of obstinacy , that if our lives had lain upon it , wee could not for the present have helped it . but if wee shall not judge men that goe against the determination of those who are most able to judge , then every man may do what seems good in his owne eyes , and so there will be nothing but confusion . not so neither , though this be not the rule to judg men to be obstinate by ; yet men may by some other rules be judged to be so , and dealt with accordingly ; as those by which we judged , whether the evill be in a mans conscience or in his will , especiall these four . first , if the thing wherein men differ , be against the common principles of christianity ; then such as will take upon them the profession of christianity , doe involve themselves in the guilt of obstinacy , if they goe against those things . secondly , in other things , if their carriages be turbulent , and altogether unbeseeming a christian differing from his brethren . thirdly , where there is neglect of those means of reformation , which he hath nothing to say against . fourthly , if he so crosses his own principles , that he appears to be self-condemned . chap. xiv . the eighth dividing principle . if others be against what wee conceive to be truth , wee may judge them going against their owne light . this is a worse , a more dividing principle then the former ; it is worse to make our judgments the rule of other mens actions , then other mens judgements the rule of our actions : this makes men who differ , to have exceeding hard thoughts one of another , it causeth a mighty spirit to rise in them one against another . a man cannot judg worse of another , then this , that he goes against his owne light . of all things conscientious men knows not how to bear this ; yet how ordinarily will men who are weak , judg those that are strong , because they cannot see into the reasons of their actions ? therefore those that do them , must needs do them against their own light : if they see another mans garb , and manner of converse , and way , to be differing from their owne , they presently judge him sinning against his own conscience , to be acted by by-ends to doe what he does meerly out of cunning and craftinesse ; this is from the pride and sowrnesse of mens spirits . this is farre enough for you to goe in judging your brother , were i in his condition , should i doe as hee doth , i should goe against my light , i should act by by-ends ; but therefore to conclude that he goes against his light , and acts by by-ends , is very sinfull . many carnall men thinke , if they should make such a shew of religion ; if they should doe such things as such and such men do , it would be hypocrisie in them , and they judge truly , because their principle would not beare out their practice ; but therefore to judge all that do such things to be hypocrites , we account to be a very wicked thing . if thou hadst any spirit of humility or wisdome in thee , thou wouldst rather think , it may be hee sees what i do not , i am to look to mine own heart and wayes , by what principles i goe my self : men who are weake , and can see but a little way into things , must take heed they censure not others , who know how to manage businesses better then themselves ; some may do that acceptable to god , that thou couldst not doe without an evill conscience : the same honesty and sincerity may continue in a man , though in true wisdome and discretion he applies himself diversly , according as occasions are divers ; as the hand remaines the same , whether closed into a fist , or extended abroad , or bended this way or that way as occasion serves . wherefore for your direction in this , take these five rules . first , we are bound to give the best interpretation upon our brethrens actions we can , if they be not apparently ill ; we should not do as the logitians , sequi partem deteriorem , but incline to that which may any way be conceived or hoped to have any goodnesse in it ; we must rather wrong our selves by thinking too well of them , then wrong them by thinking too ill of them . this would help exceeding much to peace . secondly , we should rather be jealous of our selves then others , knowing more of the evils of our own hearts then we can do of any others . thirdly , if we know certainly we are right , and others not , our hearts should rather be taken up with admiring and blessing gods goodnesse to us for what he shewes us , then in censuring our brethren for what he hath denied them . ly . we must remember , that not long since we were our selves of another mind , & yet we sinned not against our light . ly . we must consider also , that in other things our brethren see what they do not , and we would be loath to have such measure from them , that they should judg us , going against our light , and to be acted by by-ends in that wee differ from them . we must grant that liberty to our brethren we would have our selves ; that is not to be involved in the judgments of others , but try all things , and keep what god makes known to us to be good ; this liberty , sayes luther , paul hath given me , & i will stand to it , i wil not suffer it to be captivated . the ninth dividing principle . rules of prudence are sufficient to guide us in naturall things and civill affaires , and may as well suffice us in spirituall and church-affaires . a great part of our divisions about church-affairs comes from this principle : if god would help us with right apprehensions about t●is , our divisions would in a great measure vanish . those whose consciences are taken with a contrary principle , namely , that there must be institutions for all things that are properly ecclesiasticall and spirituall , they cannot yeeld to any such thing , till they see the stamp on , an institution upon it : others who think because prudence is enough to order civill affairs , there needs no institution for these things , they think such as stand for them to be too rigid and stiffe in their way . it divides also upon this ground : in the corrupt estate of the church ( such as ours yet is ) if we binde to institutions , we shall be sorely pinched with many things that will be very troublesom to us , but if we go according to the rules of common prudence , we may decline , or alter what would pinch , & take up what may be commodious for us : hence the principle is very desirable , if it can be maintained , men will strive hard before they wil lose it ; and on the other side , god is looked at as a jealous god , who will not suffer a mans wisdome to share with him in the things of his worship , which are spirituall and holy , to appoint and leave out as may be most commodious for the freedome of them from trouble , therefore they dare not yield to any ordinance that is beyond civill , but upon some institution of christ in his word , and this divides . now for your help in this : as god hath given two lights to the world , the sunne , the grater to rule the day ; and the moone , the lesser , to rule the night : so he hath given two lights to man , to guide his course ; the scriptures the greater , to guide man , especially in his spirituall condition , in those more immediate references he hath to god , for his worship and enjoyment of communion with him : the other the less , the light of reason , to be his guide in naturall and civill things , in the ordering his life for his naturall and civill good ; and though it is true , religion makes use of reason , and we have help from the scriptures in our natural and civill affairs , yet these two lights have their distinct speciall use , according to those distinct conditions of man. when i say , we must have scripture , and in it institutions for those things which are spirituall , and properly church-affairs , i mean whatsoever is made use of for the drawing my soule neerer to god , or god neerer to me ; or for the tendring up my homage to god , beyond what it hath in the nature of the thing , put into it by god ; for that i must have an institution , i must not frame any such thing to my self ; if i make use of any thing of mine own , for such an end that i may worship god by , or that god might convey some spirituall efficacy to me in the use of it , because it is a thing that i thinke as fit for such an end , as other ordinances i find in the word , and yet have not an institution for it ; in this i sinne against christ the lord , who alone hath power to set apart the use of what he pleaseth , for the tendring up homage to god , or the conveighing of any spirituall efficacy from god into the hearts of his servants . mans naturall and civill good is not so high , but reason and prudence will reach them ; but for such things as these are , all the reason & prudence in the world lies too low , they can not without sinfull presumption attempt the putting any thing of their own in the place of these : therefore there can be no other officers in the church , to act by any spiritual power , then what we find in the word ; no new ordinances , no new courts erected , no kind of authority , no extent of authority any further then we find in scripture : the proof is evident , all church ordinances are for spiritual ends , to work by a spirituall efficacy , beyond what is naturall or civill ; and the efficacy of the power of government consists much in those who govern ; if they have not their charter to authorize their power and the extent of it , it loses its efficacie , though it be otherwise managed with never so much wisdom and justice ; the same act that is an act of justice in one , is murther in another ; yea , the same mans act done within such limits is an act of justice , and if done beyond those limits , it is murther . but you will say , surely there is use of reason and prudence in matters spirituall ; how far may their use extend ? to the doing of these two things . first , by reason i may compare institutions , and argue from one institution to another , and so find out institutions that lie more in the da●k , by others which are more apparent . though the thing that i gather be not terminis in scripture , yet if i gather by necessary consequence from an institution , one or more , it hath the force of an institution in it : if i make reason to be the basis , the ground of my consequence , it wil never rise up to that height as to raise an institution ; but if i make some other institution the basis of my consequence , then it may . secondly , when i have found out an institution , then reason & prudence comes in to help to manage this in a fit and com●ly way , applying it to fit persons and times , making use of fit seasons , due order , and whatsoever naturall or civill conveniences may further the due administration of it . the prelates abused that scripture , let all things be done decently and in order ; for they joyned institutions of their own to gods , to make them decent and orderly : but that scripture only shews you when you have an institution of christ , you are to apply by the use of reason and prudence , what natural or civill helps you can , for the better managing this institution of his . from hence we have an answer to that objection is made against many things done by those who are in a congregationall way ; what institution have they for many things they do ? what for their covenant ? &c. though there be no text of scripture holds forth this in terminis , yet it is grounded upon other institutions , plainly held forth in scripture . first , it is clear in scripture , that besides the catholique church there are particular churches , saints imbodied , under such officers , who are so officers to them as they are not to others : these people can look upon this man as their pastor , and this pastor upon this people in a peculiar relation ; they may do some acts of power over one another in their congregation , which they cannot do over others in another congregation : now then it follows , they being a body , must needs have something to joyne them together ; and the least thing that can be to joyn them , is the manifestation of their assent to joyn for those ends for which christ hath appointed such a body ; and what is their covenant , but this ? onely some manifest their assent more largely , some more briefly ; i know nothing more is required , but to manifest their assent to joyn with that body , to set up all the ordinances of christ so far as they know . if there be any other thing done in their churches wherein they make further use of reason and prudence , then in the two fore-named things , they cannot justifie it , but must acknowledg it evill . the tenth dividing principle ; or rather vaine conceit . every difference in religion is a differing religion . vvhat do you hear more ordinary then this , how many religions have we now ? shall so many religions be suffered amongst us ? we cannot tell now what religion men are of ; upon this apprehension they oppose such as differ from them in some few things , with all the violence they can , as men bringing up new religions , and would take away their religion from them ; how can they possibly accord with men that are of a different religion from them ? surely we are more afraid then hurt ; though our differences be sad enough , yet they come not up to this , to make us men of different religions . we agree in the same end , though not in the same means ; they are but different wayes of opposing the common adversary . the agreeing in the same means in the same way of opposing the common enemy would be very comfortable , it would be our strength , but that cannot be expected in this world . livie in his story of a great battail between hannibal and scipio , sayes , that at the joyning of the armies , the shouting of scipio's men was farre more terrible then the shouting of hannibal's , because scipio's men were all romans , their shouting had all the same tone : but hannibal's army was made up of men of severall countries , so that in their shouting there was variety of the tones of their voyce , which was not accounted so formidable a shout as the other . it is true , our adversaries do not look our opposition to them having so much diversity in it , so formidable as they would if we were all but one in our way of opposing them ; but stil we are all shouting against the common enemy ; although therefore the terrour upon our adversary would be greater , if our shout were more uniform ; yet we hope the victory may be as sure . souldiers who march against a common enemy , all under the same captain , who follow the same colours in their ensign , and wear them upon their hats or arms , may get the day , though they be not all cloathed alike , though they differ in things of lesse concernment . revel . . . we read of the saints standing upon a sea of glasse , which had fire mingled with it . mr. brightman interprets this sea of glass , the doctrine of the gospel , more clear , more transparent then the doctrine of the law , which , he sayes , was resembled by the sea of brasse that solomon made ; but there is fire mingled in this sea of glasse , that is , saith hee , there are contentions & divisions in the church , where this doctrine of the gospel is taught : but yet mark what follows , they got the victory over the beast , and over his image , and over his marke , and over the number of his name , and had the harps of god in their hands , and sang the song of moses , &c. men who are in a crowd , tread one upon another , yet they all make to the same door , they would all go the same way : godly people are divided in their opinions and wayes , but they are united in christ ; though they may be divided from such a particular society , yet they are not divided from the church ; it is with the saints here , as with the boughs of trees in time of a storm ; you shall see the boughs one beat upon another , as if they would beat one another to pieces , as if armies were fighting , but this is but while the wind , while the tempest lasts ; stay a while and you shal see every bough standing in its own order and comeliness , why ? because they are all united in one root ; if any bough be rotten , the storme breaks it off , but the sound boughs come into their former place . these times of division may break off men whose spirits were before unsound , they will never come in to joyne with the saints again so as they seemed to doe in former times : but within a while when this gust is over , others may come in and shew themselves to be all united in , and receive sap from the same root . chap. xiv . dividing distempers , the lusts of mens hearts . these divide us not onely from god , but from one another . this i learne , sayes luther , from mine owne experience , that i have more cause to feare what is within me , then what is without . what ever others do to divide us would prevail little , were it not for the lusts of our hearts within . vapours that are got within the earth , are the cause of all earthquakes , they rend and tear : the winds , storms , and tempests without never move it . ill humours within the body , disturb more then the ayre without . james . . whence are wars and fighting amongst you ? are they not hence , even from your lusts ? whence come they ? the answer is soon made , do you not see plainly that they came from your lusts ? yet were this question put to some of us , whence are all our divisions ? some would answer , such kinde of men are the cause of them , and others would answer , nay but such men cause them . we all put off the cause of our divisions from our selves ; few would give saint james his answer , they are from hence , even from our lusts . there would not be such evill distillations from the head , if it were not for the malignant vapours that arise from the stomach . the curing the heart will sooner cure the head , then the curing the head will cure the heart : whence are wars ? even from your lusts . the apostle doth not here condemn wars simply , this was the error of the old manichees , raised up again by some amongst us ; especially as the wars are looked upon under that notion , raised for religion . they seek to weaken our hands in these wars , by telling young people who have newly given their names to christ , and therefore desire to be guided by the word in all they do , whom god hath used under himself to be the strength of these wars , that they have no warrant to fight for religion . to whom our answer is , that we have a civill right to the outward peaceable profession and practice of our religion ; wee have the laws of the land for it , and for the maintenance of this right wee fight . there can be no reason given why our civil right we have to our religion , may not as wel be maintained by the sword , as our civill right to our houses and lands . this answers all objections against the maintenance of religion by the sword , from the practice of the christians in the primitive times , who never sought to maintain religion thus . we say their case was not the same with ours ; they never had any civill right to the profession and practice of religion in the countreys where they lived , as we have . the wars meant in this text are contentions , jars , divisions amongst christians ; though they did not take up the sword one against another , yet there were many quarrells , jarrs , and divisions amongst them , these came from their lusts . the lusts of mens hearts are very quarrelsom . storms and tempests are here below in this impure muddy part of the world , in the higher part all is serene , calm , and clear . cor. . . for yee are yet carnall ; how do's he prove that ? whereas there is among you envying , and strife , and divisions , are ye not carnall and walke as men ? strifes and divisions do manifest mens hearts to be very carnall . august . upon that place , gen. . . where god required abraham to take beasts and birds for sacrifice , the beasts were divided , cut asunder , but not the birds : thus ( says he , by way of allusion ) carnall brutish men are divided one from another , but not the birds , not those who are more spirituall , more celestiall . ye walke as men , sayes the apostle , yee should not walk as men , ye should walk as it becomes those whose condition is raised above the condition of men , as it becomes christians the redeemed ones of the lord ; you say , can flesh and blood endure this ? can any man living beare this ? what if flessh and blood , what if a man cannot ? a christian may , a member of jesus christ who is god-man , may . chrysostome in one of his sermons to the people of antioch , brings in gods gracious dealing with cain , as an example for them to imitate , in their carriage towards those who carry themselves ill towards them ; he brings them in also replying , god indeed was gentle and patient toward cain , for hee is god , he is above all passion , but we are but men ; he answers them , therefore did the son of god come down , that he might make you as near as may be to god. the scripture sayes , the saints are made partakers of the divine nature ; therefore do not say , we are but men . you must not walk as men , but as those who are endued with the divine nature . it is a great charge that the holy ghost layes upon the corinthians , that they walked but as men ; yet many come short of the lives of men : they rather walk as doggs , as tygers , as wolves . gal. . . the fruits of the flesh are hatred , variance , emulation , wrath , strife , seditions , heresies , envyings . all these are the causes or workings of divisions : surely our divisions are the fruits of the flesh . we see it in nature , the more spiritual any thing is , the more it unites ; and the more gross the substance of any thing is , the lesse it unites ; the beames of the sun are of a kind of spirituall nature , therefore thousands of them will unite in puncto , but it is not so in other things ; spiritual hearts in this are like the sun beams , though thousands of them live together , they will unite in one so long as they continue spiritual . the three thousand converts , act. . joyned with one accord , with one single heart : we find it now by experience , so long as there be but a few in a church , they agree well , but usually when they come to be numerous , dissentions rise amongst them ; this is an argument that the hearts of men are not spiritual , still much flesh remains . brackish water ascending to the heavens , is sweetned , it comes down sweet from thence ; thus those things which have trouble , which have an aptnesse to breed divisions , yet spirituall heavenly hearts having to do with them , they turn the nature of them , they work spirituall advantage out of them . the higher fire ascends , the more it unites ; the flame that is broad at the bottom , as it growes high , unites to be as the point of a needle . when the hearts of christians keep below , and have a great deal of smoak amongst them , they do not so unite ; but when they can get up high , o what close , single-hearted union is there 〈◊〉 a crooked and a right line cannot joyn , but two right lines will joyn in every point . the lusts of mens hearts cause divisions many wayes : first , they are mens own , therefore they will contend for them ; nothing is a mans own , so much as his lusts ; man aims wholly at himselfe in satisfying his lust : a dog will barke , and bite , and flye in a mans face to preserve his own whelps . secondly , mens lusts blinde their judgements ; perit judicium cum res transit in affectum ; when the heart is tainted , the judgement is soone blinded ; if the beame of the scale you weigh by , be not straight , the scale that hath the light weight may weigh down the heavier ; if our hearts be crooked , warping to any sinfull lust , what weight soever there be in any arguments to convince , the scale will goe according to the warping of the heart , the conclusion will follow the worser part . ly . mens lusts weaken their spirits , so as they are not able to heare any thing that comes crosse to them ; women ; children , sick people , who are weakest , fall out most with one another ; things that are rotten cannot hold together , every little touch breaks them asunder ; that which is sound hath strength to hold one part to another . fourthly , in mens lusts there is confusion , they cannot be kept in order , therefore they must needs cause disturbance , not onely in mens owne spirits , but to all that have to deale with men acted by them ; where there is confusion , there cannot be union ; when there is right order in an army , though the men be never so numerous , never so differing in other respects , yet if they keep their ranks , they are all but one ; but if put to a rout and confusion , then the bond of unity is broken , and every man divides from another to shift for himself . in mens lusts there are contradictions ; no vertue is contrary to another , but vices have nothing but contrarieties and contradictions in them . mens lusts oppose and fight against one another in mens hearts ; no marvail then when there are such stirs within , though they break forth into quarrels and contentions without : if a man be quarrelsom in his family , no wonder if when he comes abroad , he quarrels and contends with his neighbours also . sixtly , in mens lusts there is violence , violence and peace cannot stand together . isa . . . god promises peace , and there promises , that violence should be no more heard in their land. mens lusts are boisterous and unruly , especyally when they have been acting a while ; at the first venting they seem to be fair , but after a while they grow outragious : violent and boisterous dispositions are unfit for society . you shall find in experience men who seem to be of weake spirits , of softly tempers , very remisse in what they do ordinarily , yet let the lusts of these men be engaged in any cause , to any side , o how violent and impetuous will they be ! they care not what they say or do , they will divide from god , from the publique , from their dearest friends , from their neerest relations , from what themselves have made profession of heretofore , from their credit , profit , from their own peace , from any thing , and all to serve a lust engaged in such a businesse ; it is a dangerous thing to have a mans lust engaged , nothing can stand against an engaged lust , a man runs on head-long , he will break his conscience , he will desperately endanger his eternall breaking , to maintain the engagement of his lust . ly . in the lusts of mens hearts there is an antipathy against god , against his wayes , purity of his ordinances , his saints . gen. . . i will put enmity between thee and the woman , between thy seed and her seed . in antipathy the opposition is , . in the nature of the things , therefore it s deeply rooted , it comes not in accidentally ; you may find two sheep fighting upon some accident , but the natures are not opposite , like the wolfe and the sheep . . the cause of this opposition is secret ; wicked men have their spirits rise against the godly , but they are not able to say why : the husband loved his wife while she was carnall , now god hath turned her heart she is more obedient then ever , she seeks to give him content in all things more then before , she is more usefull to him in all occasions , more faithfull , every way more lovely then before , only she is godly now , and was not so before ; but his heart is now quite off from her , he dares not say that it is for her godlinesse , if he hath any conviction himself , but so it is that now he looks upon her with an evil eye , & an estranged heart : so a wicked father or mother , who loved their child exceedingly , before god was pleased to work upon him , yet now the child is more dutiful then he was , but the heart of the father or mother is taken off from him , can hardly endure him , ready to take any exception against him , their countenances are lowring and sadd towards him , they can give no reason for this their change , but as they were wont to say of christians , such a man is a good man , but he is a christian . bonus vir caius seius sed christianus , non amo te , i love you not , but i can give no reason ; hoc tantum possum dicere , non amo te , all that i can say is this , that i do not love you . . it is a setled , constant opposition : this hath been in all generations the great cause of division between the men of the world , and the saints , and still it continues the same ; you may see the same spirit of the old opposers of godlinesse and godly men , working in our days ; the names of things may be changed , but the same kind of men for the same things are opposed and hated now in the same manner as in former generations . . it is very strong , ungodly men are exceedingly imbittered against the saints . ezek. . . because thou hast clapped thine hands , and stamped with the feet , and rejoyced in heart , with all thy despight against the land of israel : this spirit of bitternesse and indignation that was in them against the people of god , is seminally at least in all wicked men . ly . the enmity of antipathy is incurable , it can never be taken away , except one ceases to be in its nature what it was ; there can be no compounding things that are so contrary , one of them must cease to be , or turned into another nature , or else the ●pposition will be everlasting . the great divisions amongst us are those that are between the seed of the woman , and the seed of the serpent ; some division ▪ there are between those who are the seed of christ , but the great stirs in the kingdom come from the evill spirit there is in the seed of the serpent against the godly in the land. in the beginning of the parliament , when mens liberties and estates being involved in one , there was good agreement , all men rejoyced , generally the countenances of those who were not popish and prelaticall , were serene , they had comfortable aspects one upon another ; but when those whose spirits were opposite to the power of godlinesse , saw how the godly amongst them rejoyced , how their heads were lifted up , how their hearts were filled with hopes of good dayes , wherein religion should be countenanced and honoured ; that antipathy that was in their hearts against the ways of god , boy-led in them ; though they were glad that they should be freed from some burdens , yet to see those whom they hated in their hearts , to rejoyce so much , they could not beare , but their spirit rose against them , and in opposition to them they have raised these stirs , they have made these woful distractions that are amongst us . lastly , the lusts of mens hearts are the cause of our divisions , because god requires every man according to his place to make opposition against them ; the cause of the strife lyes not in those who oppose them , they do but their duty ; but in in those who nourish such lusts within them ; yet we finde it ordinarily , that those who are most corrupt will cry out against those who oppose them in their wicked wayes , as the cause of strife and divisions , as if they were the troublers of israel , whereas indeed themselves , the wicked lusts of their own hearts are the troublers of israel , those who oppose their lusts desire all good to their persons . i remember augustine in his book about the unity of the church hath this passage , the son doth more grievously persecute his father by living naughtily , then the father him by chastising him duely . sarahs maid did more trouble her by her wicked pride , then shee her maid by her deserved correction . those men who are most faulty , are the men who are to be charged to be the greatest troublers in church and state. thus in the generall , mens lusts are the cause of divisions ; but let us enquire into the particular lusts of men , which wee may also charge : wee shall find these dividing distempers to be as many as the dividing principles : as the philosopher speaks of four cardinall vertues , so the first four that i shall name i may call the four cardinall vices , these are pride , self-love , envy , passion or frowardnesse ; all the other distempers that cause divisions , have the poyson of these four at the root of them . these are the chariot wheels of the furies , or the four horses that drawes them up and down hurrying from place to place . chap. xvi . the pride of mens hearts the great dividing distemper . pride is the greatest master of mis-rule in the world , it is the great incendiary in the soule of man , in families , in townes , cities , in all societies , in church and state : this wind causeth tempests to arise . prov. . . onely by pride comes contention . the holy ghost singles out pride , as the only cause of all contentions , because it is the chief ; though there be many in a ryot , the whole usually is laid upon the ring-leaders . pride is the ring-leader to all ryots , divisions , disturbances amongst us . prov. . . proud and haughty scorner is his name who dealeth in proud wrath . pride may be well indicted for the great common barrettor in all towns , and cities , and kingdomes , it makes wofull troubles wheresoever it comes . mathematicians make this a rule to know when a thing is exactly round , and when it is exactly plaine ; round things will not touch but in puncto , if you lay plaine things together , they will touch in every part of them . proud hearts will joyne only in some things that concern themselves , but plain hearts will joyn in every thing wherein god may have glory , and their b●ethren good . g●uty swoln legs keep at distance one from another ; bladders that are blown up with wind , spurt one from another , they will not close , but if you prick them , and so let out the wind , you may pack a thousand in a little room . wee finde this by experience , when god gives us most successe in our armies , then are we most divided , then every man begins to look high , and to be sharking for himself ; and when the lord discountenances our armies , and brings us low , then we think and speak ways of accommodation , then we bewaile our divisions with some brokenness of spirit : as it is with souldiers when they are fighting against the common adversary , then they can agree well enough ; but when they come to divide the spoile , or be put into their garrisons , then they fall out : when we lye under the danger of the same common calamity , then we can agree ; but when we come to share for our selves , then our spirits swell one against another . we read in scripture of the mannah that god gave his people ; such was the nature of it that the heat of the sun melted it . you wil say , how could it then endure the heat of the oven ? for they baked it in the oven ; yet so it was , of a strange kind of nature , that it could bear the heat of the oven , and not the heat of the sun . even of such a temper are our hearts ; the heat of the sunne of prosperity dissolves us , causes us to runn one from another , but the heate of the fire of affliction bakes us , brings us , and settles us together ; it makes us to be one , it takes away our rawnesse , it consumes many of our ill humors , and so composes our spirits into one . the stupidness of our hearts is such , as we do not make our brethrens case , who suffer the rage of these wars , our owne ; but we for the present having some more liberty then formerly , we are lifted up , and in the pride of our hearts push at our brethren , and smite our fellow-servants : if the dogges be at a little distance from us , though we even heare the cryes of our brethren who are worried by them , yet we foolishly blesse our selves in our present ease , enjoyments , and hopes , as if our flesh must be spared , our estates , our liberties and enjoyments must be continued , yea raised , whatsoever becomes of others . oh sinfull vaine spirits , befooled and hardned with their pride ! but what are the severall workings of pride that make such a stir in the world ? first , a proud man thinks himself too great to be crossed , shall i beare this ? i will make you know what it is to doe such things against me ; he thinks it a great dishonour to him to beare any thing , therefore he must needs quarrel and contend , if it be but to shew what a man of spirit he is , or to shew that he is a man of such worth , as whatsoever others beare , yet it is not fit for him to bear it ; it is but reason that such a man as he should make men who will presume to crosse him , to yeeld to him , to stoop under him . now when one proud man thinks it a dishonour for him to put up wrongs from another who it may be is as proud as himself , and he thinks it a dishonor for him to put up wrong , what peace can there be ? some wrongs must be put up , but proud men will never agree who shall begin . secondly , because his spirit swells so big , he thinks every thing that crosseth him to be very great ; his sufferings are great to him according to what great thoughts he hath of himself , according to the excellency or meannesse of any person : so are his sufferings to be reckoned , sufferings of a man in eminency are judged according to his eminency and place ; if a mean man suffer the same things , they are not accounted so great ; now whether a man be great really , or in his owne apprehension , it s all one in regard of his esteem of his sufferings , he thinks himselfe therefore intollerable , because they are against himself . dan. . . is it true o shadrach ; meshach , and abednego ? do not ye serve my gods ? that which you have in your books , is it true ? arius montanus translates , nunquid de solatio : what , is there desolation made ? what , you to oppose the command of a king ? if this be suffered , what desolation must needs follow ? add indeed the root from whence the word comes , signifies desolari , to make desolate ; why ? was it a desolation that these three poor innocent men made , because they would not , nay , they could not do as this proud k. would have them ? w ht made him thus to aggravate the offence , but meerly the pride of his heart ? he thought that any thing cross to his command was a most hainous offence , a thing most horrid in the very mention of it , no lesse then the utter undoing of all things . pride ever aggravates any thing done against its owne mind . this in dan. that montanus turns , nunquid desolatio , buxtorfius translates num de industria ; what on purpose ? you doe it on purpose to provoke me ; thus proud men and women in their families , whatsoeuer children or servants do amisse ; what ? you do it on purpose to anger me , do you ? when the winde comes crosse the streame , the waters rage : so does the will and affections of a proud heart , when any thing crosseth it . ly . pride makes men swell beyond their bounds ; the way to keep all things in union is for every man to keep within his bounds , the swelling beyond tends to the breaking all in pieces . hab. . . he is a proud man , neither keepeth at home , who enlargeth his desire as hell , and cannot be satisfied . if any humour of the body goeth beyond its bounds , it brings much trouble to it , the health and peace of the body consists in the keeping of every humour within its vessell and due proportion . ly . pride hardens mens hearts . dan. . . his minde is hardned in his pride . if you would have things cleave , you must have them soft , two flints will not joyn ; the spanyard hath a proverb , lime and stone will make a wall , if one be hand , yet if the other be yeelding , there may be joyning , and good may be done , not else . ly . pride causes men to despise the persons , actions , and sufferings of others , nothing is more unsufferable to a mans spirit then to be vilified . a proud man despises what others do , and others what he does , every man next to his person , desires the honour of his actions . if these two be contemned , his sufferings will likewise be contemned by the proud : this also goes very neer to a man ; one man thinks what another man suffers is nothing , no matter what becomes of him ; another thinks his suffering's nothing , and no matter what becomes of him . o at what a distance now are mens hearts one from another ! ly . pride causes every man to desire to be taken notice of to have an eminency in some thing or other ; if he cannot be eminent on one side , he will get to the other ; he must be taken notice of one way or other : when he is in a good and peaceable way , god makes some use of him ; yet because he is not observed , and looked upon as eminent , he will rather turn to some other way , to contend , strive , to oppose , or any thing , that he may be taken notice of to be some body , that he may not goe out of the world without some noyse : what , shall such a man as i ? of such parts , such approved abilities , so endued by god to doe some eminent service , be laid aside , and no body regard me ? i must set upon some notable worke , something that may draw the eye of observance upon me . i have read of a young man , who set diana's temple on fire , and being asked the reason , he said , that he might have a name , that the people might talk of him . because he could not be famous by doing good , he would by doing evill . proud spirits wil venture the setting the temple of god , yea church and state on fire , that they may have a name , whatsoever they do or suffer ; to get a name they will rather venture , then dye in obscurity , that of all things they cannot bear . . a proud man would have others under him ; and others being proud too , would have him under them ; he would have others yield to him , and others would have him yield to them , where will the agreement then begin ? what is that which hath rent and torne the world in all ages , that hath brought woful distractions , perplexities , confusions , miseries in all countreys by wars , but the pride of a few great ones , seeking to bring one under another ? those wasting wars of the romans between sylla and marius , caesar and pompey , were they not from hence ? it is hard for men in great places , and of great spirits , to accord long . melancthon in his comment upon prov. . . says concerning such men , there was wont to be this proverb , duo montes non miscentur , two mountains will not mixe together . ly . a proud man makes his will to be the rule of his actions , and would have it to be the rule of other mens too , and other men being proud too , would have their wils the rule of though there be nothing else but pride , and in the hebrew it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 dabit jurgium , give contention , if there be no cause given , it will make it . now let every man looke into his own heart , and see what pride hath been , and still is there , and be humbled before the lord for this . all you contentious , froward , quarrelsome people , you are charged this day from god to be men and women of proud spirits , and what evill there is in our sadd divisions , that pride in your bosome is a great cause of . saint paul did beat down his body , left after he had preached to others , he should become a reprobate . let us all , and especially ministers , labour to beat down our spirits , lest after all our profession and glorious shews , we at last become reprobates , at least such as god may cast out for the present in this world , taking no delight in making use of ; what in such times as these are to have hearts swoln and lift up in pride ? god is now about the staining the pride of the earth . how unseasonable and dangerous is it for a marriner to have his top-sails up , and all spread in a violent storme ? it is time then to pull downe all , lest he be sunck irrecoverably . the point of a needle will let the wind out of a bladder , and shall not the swords of god , the swords of warre and plague , that have got so deep into our bowels , let out the windy pride of our hearts ? the haughtinesse of men shall be bowed downe , and the lord himself will be exalted . the lord humble us , that he may reconcile us , not only to himselfe , but to one another . chap. xvi . selfe-love , the second dividing distemper . this is neer akin to the former : phil. . . let nothing be done through strife : ver. . looke not every man on his owne things , but every man also on the things of others : this is the cause of strife , because men looke so much on their owne things . many will have no peace , except their own party be followed ; jehu-like , what hast thou to do with peace ? follow me . it is not peace , but party that they mind . maxima pars studiorum est studium partium : the greatest part of their studies , is to study sides and parts . luther upon psal . . hath a notable speech , i am of that opinion , sayes he , that monarchies would continue longer then they doe , were it not for that same litte pronoun [ ego ] that same [ i ] ( my selfe . ) yea certainly could this same selfe be but laid aside , all governments and societies would not only continue longer , but flourish better . selfe-love is the cause of our divisions . first , where this prevails , men love to take in all to themselves , but let out nothing from themselves ; this must needs divide societies in church and state , for they are bodies ; if one member in the body takes in all to it selfe , and le ts out nothing from it self to other members ; as suppose the arme or leg takes in all the blood and spirits that comes into strengthen it selfe , and when it hath got them in there keeps them , and le ts out none to another member , how soon would the members drop one from another ? the whole world is maintained by mutual communication of one creature to another ; take away that , and the world dissolves presently . ly . those who are acted by self-love , have no common ends to joyn them , therefore they cannot close ; if they be imployed in publike service , they quickly warp to their private ends . take two boards never so straight , yet if one be seasoned and the other green , they will lye close a while , but ere long you wil find that the unseasoned wil divide from the other by warping , especially when heat coms to it . thus many at the first , oh who but they for the publike , for the common their actions , and of his too . thus the blustering winde of pride in mens hearts causes them to justle one against another , and so to split themselves one upon another ; as where many ships lye together , a violent wind breaking their anchor-cables , causes them to dash one upon another , and so to make shipwrack even in the haven . . a proud man opposes others , because they have begun such a worke ; and others , who are also proud , oppose him , because he hath begun it . the senators of rome could have been content to have admitted christ to have been amongst the number of their gods , but only upon this , they refused because the motion began not with them . many amongst us have no other reason why they oppose good motions , but because they were not first in them ; they are loth to break the yee , to begin a good work , if they see any difficulty in it , and yet the cause of god must not goe on , christ must not be admitted , if they have not been at the beginning : like two men carrying a long piece of timber in at a narrow passage , one man will goe before , and the other man will go before , they can never carry it in , because they cannot agree who shall goe formost . . one proud man is conceited of what he doth , because it is his own way ; and another proud man is conceited of what he doth , because it is his own way , and so men draw divers ways , and the publique cause of god and his people must give way to their conceitness . pride makes a man drunk with his own conceits , hab. . . the proud man is as he that transgresseth by wine ; and drunkards you know are quarrelsome . wonder not at an absurd thing in a proud man , for pride makes him drunk . prov. . . proud men who cause contention , are opposed to the well advised , but with the well advised ( cum consultis ) is wisdome . the sept. reads it , the wise are such at know themselves , but the proud do not . . proud men will venture upon things unseemly , thinking their esteem and greatnesse will bear them out ; and others who are proud will venture upon the like , upon the same ground , for every man is ●eady to have high thoughts of himself . psal . . . deliver me from presumptuous sins , a superbis , so some , ab insolentibus , so others , from proud , from insolent sins . pride makes insolent . a proud man , sayes the philosopher , is a faigner of boldnesse and valour , and therefore will foolishly venture upon any thing . . if there is any thing to be done that is conceived to be mean and low , a proud man will seek to put it upon others , and others who are proud will seek to put it upon him , and if it be a work of credit , then he seeks it to himself , and others seek it to themselves , and hence are jarrings and divisions . . if there be any good successe in any thing , then pride makes one man attribute it to himselfe , and another man attribute it to himself ; and if the successe be ill , then one puts it off from himself , and and another from himself , and thus quarrels and contentions are raised and fomented . . one proud man thinks himself the only worthy man to have his counsel followed , and his desires satisfied , and the other he thinks himself the man that should have his counsell followed , and his desires satisfied , and thus men struggle and oppose one another . lastly , one proud man is very discerning in the discovery of pride in another ; and though he entertains it in his owne bosome , yet he hates it in others wheresoever he sees it : this is a peculiar curs● upon this sin , one drunkard loves another , one whoremaster another , but one proud man hates another . this is exemplified notably in boniface the second , bishop of rome , he says of aurelius bishop of carthage , and of the rest of those who were present at the sixth councel of carthage , that through the instigation of the devil , they swelled with pride against the roman church , he means against the supremacy of it , for it was spoken upon the submission of eulalius bishop of carthage , to the chair of rome . behold the proud bishop of rome , who would have all the preheminence himself , swells with pride against the pride of others . here we see what a make-bate pride is ; that which tertullus said to felix , act. . . is true of humility , by thee we enjoy great quietnesse ; but the contrary is as true of pride , by thee are made wofull divisions , by thee we suffer miserable disturbance . though there be no occasion of quarrel , yet pride wil make some ; only by pride comes contention , as before , pro. . . good ; but there being a principle of selfe within , like the sap in the board , when they began to feel heat , some difficulties rising , they warp●d to their own ends , and divided from those they were imployed with . mens private ends are narrow , they cannot drive on them , but they wil meet with one another , & justle one another , quarrel , contend , and fight for the way ▪ as car-men doe when they meet in narrow streets , and boat-men in narrow passages . if we had publique ends , our way would be broad enough , we might to on peaceably and comfortably without , without prejudice to one another . if a man lived alone , then he might goe on quietly in his way , only god would meet him in it ; but seeing men live in the world amongst others , they must consider , that if they will drive on their own designs , & work their own end , other men have designs and ends to drive on and work as well as they : it is therefore impossible but you will crosse and be crossed , you will vex and fret at others , and others will vex and fret at you . whatsoever is such , sayes tullie , wherein many cannot excell , in that there is for the most part such contention , as society can hardly be kept entire . ly . self makes every man judg of things according to w ht is in himself . i have read of blackmores , when they paint an angel , they paint him black like themselves ; and when they paint the devil , they paint him white , as much different from themselves as they can : thus men acted by selfe , the foulest , blackest opinon , yet if sutable to their judgments , they wil set out like angels with the fairest glosses that may be ; and that which is truth , if disagreeing from them , they will paint it out in the foulest manner that can be ; they labor so to besmear it , that if it be possible it shall looke like a devil . if a selfish man be conscious of not having that which is commendable , he will not believe that others hath it : as nero being abominably filthy , would not believe there was any chast man in the world : whatsoever evil he doth , he thinks all men if they had the like opportunity , would do the same ; if they have plots to fetch about their own ends , they think every man is plotting too . . selfe makes much stir and trouble , for it is a very odious thing ; omne affectatum odiosum : as vermine are odious , because they only take into themselves , consume thinge , and are no way useful to any thing else . when any thing doth but smell of self , it begins to be loathed , let a man have never such excellent parts , do never such excellent things , yet if self appears , the loveliness and glory of all is gone ; therefore those men that act selfe , they had need be very cunning , to keep in and hide it ; herein appears what a vile thing selfe is , that though in truth it acts all , and receives the incomes of all , yet it dares not appeare , but lies sculking under all the covers it can ; how vile ▪ is this selfe , for which all must be done , which thou makest thy god , yet cannot in the least appeare , but is odious and abominable to every one ? yea it is conscious to it self , that it is so , and therefore dares not appear ; yet the acting of it is very mischievous to all humane societies . fiftly , there is this wickednesse in self-love , that even those things that men acknowledge to be right and good in the generall , yet if in the particular they shall not sute with something they would have , it will put men upon the opposing it ; and what peace and union can there be amongst men , if what they will grant and commend to be good , yet when it falls crosse to them , they will oppose and contend against ? thus acts . . vnto which promise our twelve tribes instantly serving god night and day hope to come , for which hopes sake i am accused of the jewes . the twelve tribes , the whole body of the jewes constantly grant the promise of the resurrectio● , and yet in malice to me they accuse me of this ; or if not so , yet they are willing that i should sink in this cause : just as many ministers were wont in their pulpits to commend highly the wayes of religion , to exhort men to grow up in godlinesse , to be carefull of all their wayes ; but when some of their parishioners did but practice in the particular , what themselves had commended to them in the generall , they would hate them , and persecute them for it . god deliver us from such a spirit . sixtly , selfe causes men who are in publique employment to keepe up their private jarres and grudges , to interrupt the publike , they will crosse one another in their work for the publike ; let that suffer , so they may let one another feel of their private grudges : in this christians are beneath heathens . i have read of aristides and themistocles , who had many jarrings between themselves , but being both employed in the work of the common-wealth , in an embassage , as they went over the mountains , one sayes thus to the other , let us lay downe all our private grudges upon these mountaines , at least till our businesse be over , and if there shall be just cause when we have done our worke for the common-wealth , we may then examine them . it were happy with us , if all men in publique employment in this land would from their hearts speak thus to one another , but men are selfish and cannot do it : hence comes so many of our breaches and divisions . ly . selfe causes men not to see their own evils ; or if they do , to indulge themselves in them , but to be quick-sighted and severe in the discovering and opposing those evils there are in others , and this causes many breaches and fallings out . we may apply that of the apostle , cor. . love covereth a multitude of faults to selfe-love . selfish men see little evill in themselves , al is ever well with them whatsoever others do ; and the more they cocker themselves , the more severe they are to others ; but christ would have the quite contrary , severity to our selves , but indulgence to others ; those that are so , are the most peaceable men . mat. . . if thy hand or foote offend thee , cut them off , and ●ast them from thee ; or if thine eye offend thee , plucke it out . we must deale severely with our selves in those things that are as neer and dear to us as our hands and eyes ; but vers . . when christ gives order how we are to deale with our brethren , he then requires more moderation ; if thy brother offends thee , goe and tell him his fault between thee and him alone ; if he will not hear thee , then take with thee one or two more , and see what thou ca●st doe with him that way ; yea , and after that tell the church , not presently cut him off , or cast him away , as you must do when your hand or eye offends you ; if men have any indulgence , let it be exercised towards their brethren ; if they have any severity , let them exercise that against themselves . i remember i have read of pliny , that he says of himself , that he so passed by other mens offences , as if himselfe were the greatest offender ; and hee was so ●evere against himself , as if he meant to pardon none . if it were so with us , we should live at more peace one with another then we do . . selfishnesse causes reservednesse ; great self-lovers never care for communion but with such as are either far above them , that so they may get from them , and have credit by conversing with them , or with those that are under them , for they will admire them , they may rule amongst them : in the company of either of these , they will let out themselves fully ; but if there be an equality , then you shall have little from them , there is nothing to draw forth selfe , there soone growes a strangenes between them and such , union will not hold where communion is not free ; if there be but an interruption of the freedome of communion , the union will soon break . you will say , these were wont to be very entire friends , how came they to break ? what hath either of them done ? what unkindnesse hath befalne them ? none at all , onely that principle of selfe was not so fully fed as it would be ; upon that they began to be reserved , and so strange , and at last quite fell off from one another , from former love and friendship , and then every little thing caused grudgings between them . ninthly , self sets mens wits on work in all cunning craftinesse , to fetch others about to their own ends , and this goes as much against a mans spirit as any thing : when he comes to discern it , no man can abide to be circumvented , to be as it were rid upon , to be made serviceable only to another mans ends : the more cunning there is in it , the more odious and abominable it is to a mans spirit , when it comes once to be perceived , a man cannot bear it . crooked windings are the goings of the serpent : but if a man shall not onely seek to make use of another to serve his own turne by him , but after he hath done that , then to cast him off to shift for himselfe ; this is so provoking a thing , as it make breaches irreconciable . . when one is for self in his wayes , he teaches another to be so in his ; as a man by conversing with the froward , learns to be froward : so many who have heretofore had plain hearts , full of love & sweetnes , yet by being acquainted much with selfish politique men , learn to be so too ; i see how he hooks in himselfe in every thing , fetches about this way and that way , but still gets it to come to selfe ; i perceived it not at my first acquaintance with him , and then my heart was let out to him fully , but now i see every man is for himself , and why should not i be so too ? and what then is like to become of the publique ? surely this selfishnesse is very vile in the eyes of god ; god hath made us members of a community , the universe is maintained by union , therefore the creatures will venture the destroying themselves in going contrary to their natures , rather then there should not be union in the world ; that which they do in a natural way , we should do by the strength of reason , much more by grace . philosophers say there cannot be a vacuity in the world ; the world could not stand , but would be dissolved , if every part were not filled , because nature subsists by being one ; if there were the least vacuity , then all things should not be joyned in one , there would not be a contiguity of one part with another . this is the reason that water will ascend when the ayre is drawn out of a pipe , to fill it ; this is to prevent division in nature ; o that we had but so much naturalnesse in us , that when we see there is like to be any breach of union , we would be willing to lay down our self-ends , to venture our selves , to be any thing in the world that is not sin , that we may help to a joyning : o foolish heart , that in such a time as this art selfish , when the danger is publike ! as in a storm , when the ship is in danger , if every mariner should be busie about his own cabbin , dressing and painting that , what infinite sottish folly were it ? and is it not our case ? it were just with god to leave thee to thy self hereafter , if thou wilt look so much to thy selfe now . ezek. . . and thou shalt take thine inheritance in thy selfe in the sight of the heathen , and thou shalt know that i am the lord : this is in a way of threat , as appears if you compare it with vers . , . woe to us if god leaves us to our selves . i have heard of a story of a fool being left in a chamber , and the door locked , and all the people gone , he cries out at the window , oh my selfe , my selfe , o my selfe , nothing else came from him but o my self . such fools have we amongst us now , nothing but selfe is in their thoughts , their hearts and endeavourt . the apostles complaint , phil. . . may justly be ours , all seeke their own , not the things which are iesus christs : their own things , that is , says chrysostome , their pleasure and their security , their temporal commodities , their profits , their honours : so others , why are not the comforts , the safeties , the honours of the saints the things of christ , doth not christ own them ? are they not under his protection and care ? ans . yes , and he would own them more , if we owned them lesse ; the more we deny them , the more hath he a care of them : we may by our giving them up to the honour of christ , make them to be amongst the number of his things , and then they would be precious indeed : but by desiring them , using them , rejoycing in them , in reference to our selves , christ accounts them not amongst his things , things of a higher nature are his things , the glory of his father , the propagation of the gospel , the spiritual good of his people , and the things of eternall life , they are his things ; let us make his things ours , and he will make our things his . chap. xviii . the third dividing distemper , envy . envie is a squint-eyed foole , job . . envie stayeth the silly one . jam. . . if yee have bitter envying and strife in your hearts . envy is a bitter thing , and causes strife , and makes that bitter too : so vers . . where envying and strife is . gal. . . hatred , variance , emulations , wrath , strife , seditions , heresies , envyings . cor. . . there is among you envying , strife , divisions . envy made divisions between angels and men ; it was the fist sinne , not the first born of the devill , but that which t●rned angels into devils . the first heart-division amongst men was between gain & abel , and what caused it but envy ? who can stand before envy ? she is subtil , undermining , dares not appear at the first : but if she cannot be satisfied with her under-works , then she flings , ●ends , frets , and fights , uses violence , seeks to raise a contrary faction , fals on any thing in the world so be it mischief may be done , let become of gods glory , of service to the publike , of saving souls , rather then that steem , respect and honour that otherwise might be had , should not be obtained ; all must come under , all must be serviceable to this base lust , rather then the glory of an envious man must be eclipsed , god himself and his blessed truth must be darkned : o hideous wickednesse and high impudence against the god of heaven ! envy divides in counsels , in instruments , actions , in all proceedings ; she will make use of good to oppose that which is good ; if she cannot raise evil men to oppose good , she will seek to get good men to oppose ; she would make god contrary to himselfe , she would strike at god with his owne sword . phil. . . some preach christ out of envy . as envy makes use of good for evill , so god makes use of this evill for good : many seek to excell in preaching , or otherwise , by this means ; and sayes s. paul , howsoever i doe rejoyce , and will rejoyce . if envy cannot reach others by imitation , she will reach them by calumniation . zoilus the common slanderer , being asked why he spake evil of such and such men ? because , sayes he , i can doe no evill to them . if there be any good done , that she seeks to blast , together with the instruments of it ; if any evil , that she rakes into , and feeds upon , like that bird ibis in africa , that eats serpents . luther sayes , envious men feed upon the dung of other men ; they are like flies , that love to be upon sores . erasmus tels of one , who collected all the lame defective verses in homer , and passed over all that were so excellent . when you see a man seeking to rake and gather together all he can of any distempers , disorders , mistakes , miscarriages by hear-sayes , letters , or any way , so be it he may fill up his dung-cart ; and for the good , the graces or gifts of god in men , those are laid aside , or slightly passed over , if at all mentioned , it is with some dirt mingled : surely this is an envious man fitted for strife and debate , whom god permits to be an affliction to his people , in raising up a spirit of strife and contention , and causing divisions amongst them , like the kite , who passes over faire medowes , and pleasant fields , not regarding them , till she meets with a carrion , there she fals and fastens , now she is upon her prey where she would be : how pleasant is it to some men to hear of , or find out evil in others whom they doe not love ? to say no worse , you know how it hath been an old practise , to seek to get any thing by reports , or any other wayes that might blast the professors of religion ; and how glad were they ? how did it please them at the heart if they could meet with any thing that might serve their turne ? this is a very shamefull distemper , some men will upon occasion confesse they fear other men , and others that they love not other men , or that they contemn others , but no man will acknowledge that he envies others , there is too much shame in this , to be owned by any . the impiety and wickednesse is not lesse , it is a monstrous wickednesse for a man to complaine of god , that he made the world no better ; and yet such wickednesse there is in some mens hearts , but what is it then to complaine of , and quarrel with god , that he hath made the world , or any part of it so well ? this the envious man doth . an envious man cannot endure to see others better then himselfe , or to have more respect then himself . it is reported of licinius an intimate familiar with constantine the great , who also married his sister , but fell off to be a desperate enemy against christians , alledging this to be the reason , because in their assemblies they prayed for constantine , and not for him . envious men , whether they deserve respect or no , yet if others have it , and not themselves , they rage , and are mad . there is no vice but hath some kind of opposition to some other , as covetousnesse to prodigality , &c. but envy only opposeth that which is good , and all good , therefore there is nothing in it but evil , and an universal evil . gulielmus parisiensis brings in gregory , saying , that all the poyson in the old serpent is in this sinne , as if it had emptied it selfe of its poyson , and vomited it in this sinne , so much venome there is in it . is it not a very evill thing , that in mens opposition against what they see others desire , they should give this reason why it should not be suffered , because if it be , the greater part of the most godly people in all places will joyn with it ? this brings to mind what i have read in ecclesiasticall history : in the second century , the emperour adrian would have build a church for the honour of christ void of images , because such was the custome of the christians ; but his friends disswaded him , saying , if he did so , all men would forsake the temples of the gods , and become christians . i find in that learned piece of voetius , desperata causa papatus , a notable story of ray●erius a popish inqui●●tor , he exclaims against the waldenses , those poor men of lio●s ( as he calls them ) he sayes there was never any more pernicious sect then that ; and i pray why ? he gives . reasons ; first , that it is very ancient ; some say ( says he ) it hath continued from the time of sylvester ; others , from the times of the apostles . secondly , it is so generall , there is scarce any countrey but this hath got into it . thirdly , whereas others are guilty of blasphemy against god , upon which they are abhorred , these appeare to be holy men , they live justly , their beliefe of god is right , they believe all the articles in the creed ; we can finde no fault with them either for their lives , or for their doctrine , onely they are against the church of rome , in which the people are ready to joyne with them . these are strange accusations ; for do not they themselves make all these the signs of the true church ? and yet are these poor men so vile , because such things are found amongst them . surely , it is envy that imbitters the spirits of men against others , because they see in them those things which they cannot but acknowledg to be good , and herein the great evill of envy , that malignity of it , by which it causeth such great contentions does appear , they are angry they can find no evill in them , whereby they may get advantage against them . the holy ghost say , that envy is rottennesse to the bones ; the same learned man guliel . paris . applyes this to such as are chief in church and common-wealth , who are as it were the bones , the strength , the support of the societies whereof they are ; envy , says he , is often found amongst them , and it is rottennesse to them . this vile sin hath caused a rot in many men of eminent abilities and places , who might otherwise have done much service for god & his people in church and common-wealth : oh it is a michievous sin . take away envy , says augustine , and what is mine , you have ; take away envy , and what is yours , i have . we read acts . of barnabas , that hee was a good man , and fu●l of the holy ghost , and he was a man of a cleaving disposi●ion , of an uniting temper , ver . . he exhorted them that with full purpose of heart they would cleave to the lord : this man was free from envy , for the text sayes , when he had seen the grace of god , he was glad : he rejoyced in , and blessed god for the grace he saw in his saints . do you envy for my sake , says moses ? i would to god all the people of the lord did prophesie . moses was a fit man for publike service , who was so void of envy ; no men are so fit for publike employment as such who can bles god that he is pleased to make use of others as wel as , yea beyond themselves . it was a good speech of that gracious holy , old disciple mr. dod lately deceased , i would to god says he , i were the worst minister in england ; not wishing himselfe worse then he was , but all ministers better . the fourth dividing distemper , passion . prov. . . an angry man stirreth up strife . passion is so opposite to union , that prov. . . the holy ghost would have us make no friendship with an angry man. first , this fire of anger burns asunder the bands of union , the bands of relation , as nebudhadnezzars fire did the bands of the three children . a froward heart car●● not for any relations . what makes divisions between husband & wife , brother and brother , servants and masters , and mistresses , neighbour and neighbour , but passionate forwardnesse ? secondly , this fire burns asunder the bands by which mens lusts were tyed up and kept in ; it sets mens lusts at liberty . the lusts of mens hearts are like a bed of snakes in the cold , but the heat of passion warming them , causes them to crawl and hisse . what a stir would the lions in the tower mak● , and the bears in paris-garden , if they were let loose ? passion lets mens lion-like lusts loose . philosophers say of the inferiour orbes , that were they not kept in , restrained in their motion by the primum mobile , they would set all the world on ●ire : if our lower affections , especially this of anger , be not kept in and ordered by reason and religion , they wil set all on ●ire . passion makes men and women to be lawlesse , boundlesse , carelesse . men know not what they doe in their anger ; this raises such a smoak , that they cannot see their way ; the more corrupt the heart is , the greater and the more noysome is the smoke raised by this fire in the heart . put fire to wet straw , and filthy stuffe , oh what a filthy smoke arises ! lev. . . we read of a leprosie breaking out of a burning ; seldome doe mens passions burne , but there is a leprosie breaking out of that burning , and what union can there be with such ? it froward people were dealt withall like the lepers , shut up from others , we should have more peace . some men when once their anger is got up , they will never have done , we can have no quiet with them ; this fire in them is like that of hel , unquenchable . the dog-dayes continue with them all the year long . seven devils can better agree in one mary magdalen , then seven froward people in one family . if one should set the beakons on fire upon the landing of every cock-boat , what continuall combustions and tumults would there be in the land ? those men who upon every trifle are all on a fire by their passions , and what in them lies set others on fire , do exceedingly disturb the peace of those places where they live , those societies of which they are . their hot passions cause the climate where they live to be like the torrid zone , too hot for any to live near them . christ is the prince of peace , and the devil is the prince of divisions . hence that expression of the holy ghost , ephes . . . let not the sun goe down upon your wrath , neither give place to the devil : you are loth to give place to your brother , you will say , what , shall i yield to him ? you will not yeeld to him , but you will yeeld to him that is worse , to the devil . so you doe when you yield to wrath . there are divers other dividing distempers that we shall speak to ; but for the present let us make use of the great mercy of god towards us that yesterday we solemnized in a publick thanksgiving ; let us see how we may improve this glorious work of god for the closing of our spirits , the healing our divisions . it cals to us aloud to joyn , oh let your hearts joyn . there are : arguments in this great work of god , to perswade us to union . first , there hath appeared much of gods presence in this his great work . i will praise thee o lord , for thou hast done it , ps . . . the lord hath appeared wonderfully , his naked arm hath been revealed , his right hand hath become glorious in power . those who were present saw much of god in this work . they send to us to give god the glory , and all the countrey about sent still to tell us how much of god they have seen in this . but how is this an argument for us to unite ? suppose children or servants were wrangling one with another , were not this an argument to make them be quiet , your father is here ? your mr. is come ? will not all be whist presently ? god is come amongst us , wee may see the face of god in what he hath done for us , and shall we be quarrelling before his face ? but . days before this great goodnesse of god , by speciall order from the house of commons , there was a day set apart to humble our souls before the lord , and to seek him for this mercy that now we rejoyce in , & in our humiliation was not this one great sinne we did confess our divisions ? did we not then acknowledg that it were righteous with god because of our divisions , to give us up as a prey to our adversarie● ? now then , have not our divisions overcom gods goodnes , lest gods goodness overcome our divisions ? suppose there had been a day of humiliation set apart to mourn under the heavy hand of god against us in delivering us up into the hands of our enemies , as ( through his mercy we have had a day of thanksgiving , to blesse him for our deliverance from them ) would not this sinn have been the matter of a great part of the comfession of all your ministers ? oh the divisions that are amongst us ! thou hast dealt righteously with us . our wraths were up one against another , and just it is with thee o lord to let out the rage of the adversary upon us ; & shall we yet continue in that after a mercy , which we have confessed might justly have prevented the mercy ? shall we stil be guilty of that which our consciences tell us would have been the burden of them , as the just ●ause of our misery , if the lord had come against us in his sore displeasure ? god forbid . let not that evill now be found in us , that would have galled our consciences , if mercy had been denyed us . . we are delivered from being devoured by our enemies ; shal we now devour one another ? oh unworthy we of such a deliverance as this . it went ill with us in the beginning of the fight , but god looked mercifully upon us , his bowels wrought , if i come not in for their help . these ungodly men wil devour my servants , howsoever they have been faire to some , because yet they have not attained their own ends ; but if they prevail here , they will account all their own , and then they will begin to exercise that cruelty that yet hath not been heard of , but it shall not be , my heart cannot bear the cries of my servants under such cruelties as i foresee . do you think this was gods end in delivering us from being devoured of our enemies , that we may be devoured one of another ? we read ezek. . , . the prophet was bid to bind up a few hairs in his skirt , which was to signifie a few of the people which were preserved from that common calamity , but after these were cast into the fire , and fire came forth from these to all the house of israel . polanus upon the place hath this note , that grievous evils may come upon those who have been preserved from former common miseries , and those who for a while have been preserved by their contentions and divisions , may be the cause of woful evil to others . god forbid that this text should be fulfilled in us . let not a fire come from us , who yet are so graciously preserved , to devour the house of israel . ly . god in this work of his hath joyned severall sorts of instruments , men of severall opinions ; he hath made them one to do us good , why should not we be one in the enjoyment of that good ? let the one part , and let the other part have their due honour under god , in the mercy god hath made use of both , and why may not both enjoy the fruit of this mercy together in the land ? fiftly , we were not without some feares , lest god should leave us in the work of reformation begun ; but now god speaks aloud to encourage us , he tels us he owns the worke . now what doth this require of us ? a little logick will draw the consequence , hath god declared himself that he intends to go on in this work he hath begun ? then let us all joyn together , to further it , to the uttermost we can ; let us not exasperate the spirits of one another in ways of strife and opposition , but let every one set his hand and hand to this worke , that he may be able to say . oh lord god , thou that knowes● the secrets of all hearts , knowest that upon this great mercy of thine , my heart was so moved , that whatsoever i could possibly see to be thy will for the furtherance of this great work of reformation , and that i was able to doe , i did set my selfe to doe it , and am resolved to spend my streng●h and life in it . if every one did thus , oh what glory might god have from this mercy of his ! ly . when the lord comes to us with mercies , and such great mercies , he expects we should rejoyce in them , and sing praise ; but how can we sing without harmony ? prayer requires an agreement . mat. . . if two of you shall agree on earth touching any thing they shall aske , it shall be done for them . surely praise requires agreement much more . psalms out of tune are harsh to the eare ; disagreement of heart is much more to the spirit of god. . surely when god hath done so much for us , it must be acknowledged to be our duty , to study what sacrifice would be best pleasing to him ; some sacrifice we must offer : if there be any more acceptable to him then other , surely he deserves it no. if a friend had done some reall kindness for you , you would be glad to know what might be most gratefull to him , wherein you might testifie your thankfulness : is this in your hearts ? do you now say , oh that we did but know what is the thing that would be most plea●ing to god ; what sacrifice would smell sweetest in his nostrils ! the lord knowes we would fain offer it , whatsoever it be . i will tell you , that we would lay aside our divisions , our frowardnesse , that we would abandon our contentions and strife , that we would put on the bowels of mercies , kindnesse , humblenesse of minde , meekenesse , long-suffering , forbearing one another , forgiving one another ; if any man hath a quarrell against any , even as christ forgave you , so also do ye , col. . . and . pet. . . a mee●e and a quiet spirit is in the ●ight of god of great price , it is much set by , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . psal . . . the sacrifice of god , that which is in stead of all sacrifices , is a broken spirit . our hearts have been broken one from another in our unhappy divisions , oh that now they could break one towards another in love and tenderness ! here would be a sacrifice more esteemed of god , then thousands of rams , and ten thousand rivers of oyle : loving mercy , and walking humbly is preferred above such sacrifices , micah . . ly . god might have sode●'d us together by the fire of his wrath , he might have made our blood to have been our cement to have joyned our stinty hearts together ; but it is otherwise , god seeks to draw us to himselfe , and one to another by the cords of love , the allurings of his mercy . ninthly , what can have that power to take off the sowrnesse of mens spirits like mercy ; the mercy of a god ? surely if any thing possibly can sweeten them , that must needs do it . we read sam. . , , . a notable experiment of the efficacy of mercy to sweeten mens hearts . after saul had slain the ammonites , some of the bosterous spirits would have had him to have slain those who formerly had rejected him ; but mark sauls answer , ver . . there shall not a man be put to death this day : why ? for this day the lord hath wrought salvation in israel . though saul at another time was a man of a harsh and cruell spirit , yet now mercy sweetens him ; that which he was one day by the sense of mercy , that should we be not only in the day of our thanksgiving , but in the course of our lives . when salvation came to the house of zacheus , o what a sweet temper was he in ! behold , halfe of my goods i give to the poore , and if i have wronged any one , i restore foure-fold . salvation is this day come to the kingdome , o that all we had hearts to say , if wee have wronged any , wee will restore ; if wee have wronged any in their names , by word , or writing , any way , we will restore : mercy and love calls for mercy and love ; if we were in a right tune , there would be a sympathy between the bowels of god and ours ; as in two lures , if the string in one be wound up to be answerable to the other , if you then strike one string , the other will move though lying at a distance : now gods love , gods bowels move , let our love , our bowels move answerably . . god shewes that he can owne us notwithstanding all our infirmities : was ever kingdome in a more distempered condition then ours hath been of late ? and yet the lord hath owned us : why should not we own our brethren , notwithstanding their infirmities ? why should our divisions cause u● to call off one another , seeing our divisions from god hath not provoked him to cast us off ? . is it not in our desires , that this great victory might be pursued , that it might not be lost , as others ( in great part ) have been ? surely it cannot be pursued better , then to take this advantage of it , to unite our selves more together then ever we have done . this would strike as great a terror into the hearts of our adversaries as the victory hath done . lastly , we had need take heed of breaches , lest god should be provoked to change his administrations toward us ; if there be so much choller in the stomack , that sweet meats are turned into choller , it were just with god to come with bitter and sowr pils to purge out our choller . we read jude , ver . . the lord saved the people out of the land of egypt , yet afterward he destroyed them that believed not ; the lord hath granted us a great salvation from our enemies , who would have brought us into egyptian bondage . we have been singing the song of moses , we have been praising god according to that , apoc. . . but let us take heed that yet god be not provoked against us , for we are not out of all danger ; as they by not believing , so we by not agreeing , but contending and quarrelling may at l●st be destroyed . you know how the lord of that servant to whom . talents were given , tooke it , that he should presently go to his fellow-servant who ought him but a hundred pence , and lay hands on him , and take him by the throat , and say , pay that thou owest , and cast him into prison , mat. . . if men be not mollified by this mercy , they will be hardened , they will use their brethren worse then they did before , the rather , because they would declare to all the world , that they make no such interpretation of this mercy , as that god would have them have further tender regard towards , to seek union and peace with , to beare with or yeeld unto their brethren more then before ; it is not unlikely but temptation may be suggested to do some act the more against them , either now or within a while , to wipe away any conceit of any such an interpretation of this gracious work of god for us . but those who are of gracious & peaceable spirits , should take the hint of this , and goe to all they know , who have been at distance one from another , of whom they may have hope to doe good , and seek to mollifie their spirits , to know what it is they have one against another , what prejudices , what hard thoughts have been entertained by them , and by all meanes they are able to remove them , that so we loving & delighting in one another , the lord may love us , and delight in us , nad shew mercy to us yet more and more . chap. xix . the fifth dividing distemper ( rigidnesse ; ) the sixth , rashnesse , the seventh , wilfulnesse ; the eighth , vnconstancy . rigid , harsh , sowre , crabbed , rough-hewn spirits are unfit for union ; there is no sweetness , no amiableness , no pleasingnesse in them , they please themselves in a rugged austereness , but are pleasing to none else in all their ways ; they will abate nothing of their own , nor yeeld any thing to others : this is against the rule of the apostle , rom. . , , . we must not please our selves , but let every one please his neighbour for his good to edification ; and this , according to the example of christ , who pleased not himselfe . this is the duty not of weake men only , who had need please others , because they have need of others , but ver . . those that are strong ought not to please themselves , but seek to please others : men who are of austere spirits affecting a gravity which turns to a dull , sullen , sternnesse , they think it to be the commendations of the strength of their spirits , that they can carry themselves as they doe towards others , seeking altogether content to themselves without any yeeldableness to others ; no , that is but lightnesse and weaknes in men , they are of a more staid and strong temper then to do so : these men by their wisdome do very much sinn against the wisdome of the holy ghost in this scripture ; yea , and against the example of jesus christ , who as in his whole course manifested tenderness , gentleness , affableness , amiableness towards weak ones , who were infinitely beneath him , and here is set forth unto us to be one who pleased not himself , far from this rigid harsh temper : those swords are not of the best tempered metall who will not bend but stand stiff , but such as yeeld and bend with most ease , and stand streight again ; neither are those dispositions the best , who are the stiffest ; but such as are most yeeldable , and yet stand streight too . this harsh and rigid spirit makes mens gifts and graces to be very unuseful . when plato saw xenocrates of an austere rigid temper , he advised him to sacrifice to the gra●es , that he might have more mildnesse , fearing that otherwise his parts and learning would be unprofitable . the jews observe upon exo. . . that no iron was in the stuffe of the tabernable ; rigid iron spirits are very unfit for church work . levit. . . they shall no more sacrifice to devills : the word translated devils , signifies rough ones ; devils had their names from thence ; this is the name of a satyr , isa . . . the rough one . the spirit of god is a dove-like sweet spirit , but the spirit of the devill is a rough harsh spirit , the spirit of a satyr . prov. . . he that is cruell , troubleth his owne flesh . that word here translated cruell , the septuagint elsewhere translates it by a word that signifies rigid , stiffe , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , jer. . . men of such tempers are very troublesome to themselves , to their families , to all with whom they converse : if a smith would joyn two pieces of iron , he must first file them , or beat them smooth : if the joyner would joyn two pieces of wood , he must plain them : except our spirits be filed , beaten smooth , or plained , they are unfit for joyning . the sixth dividing distemper , rashnesse . acts . . ye ought to be quiet , and do nothing rashly . doing thing● rashly , and quietnesse , are opposed . . rashnesse makes men engage themselves suddenly in businesse , before they have examined it well : this causes much trouble , for if a man be engaged he lies under a temptation to goe on in it : as chron. . . when the man of god came to amaziah , to take him off from a busin●sse he was engaged in ; o but says he , what shall i do for the hundred talents i have given out already ? thus many answer to the truth of god that would take them off from what they are engaged in , but what shall i do for my credit that lyes engaged ? ly . rashnesse causes men suddenly to provoke others ; whereas did they consider what ill consequences might come of it , they would forbear . rash men quickly take hold of the sword of justice to hack and hew ; they think that what they do is according to reason : but they do not wisely weigh things in the ballance of justice . remember , justice 〈◊〉 a ballance as well as a sword. prov. . . a foole uttereth all his mind . the sept. translate it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , utters all his anger . rash fools by uttering their anger , suddenly cause great stirre and trouble where ever they come . the hebrew word that signifies a fool , and that which signifies suddenly , rashly , is from the same root . ly . when peace sometimes is even concluded , and there is great joy in hope of a comfortable agreement , rashnesse will suddenly break it without any due consideration . o that that promise isa . . . were fulfilled among us . the heart of the rash shall understand knowledge . rash men think they presently understand all that is knowable in such a busisinesse , and thence presume to make sudden determinations ; but as over-hasty digestion causes wind , and brings much trouble to the body ; so over-hasty resolutions to mens spirits and to societies . the seventh dividing distemper , wilfulnesse . i think i may say in most men , will is the axletree , lust and passions are the wheels , whereupon almost all their actions are carried : where there is much will , though the thing be little about which men contend , yet the opposition may be great ; as a little stone thrown with a strong arme , may take deep impression . it is a dangerous thing to have mens wills ingaged in matters of difference , it is easier to deal with twenty mens reasons , then with one mans will : a man of a wilfull stout spirit , stands as a stake in the midst of a steam , le ts all passe by him , but he stands where he was ; what hope can there be of union , where there will be no yielding ? one mans will raiseth anothers , set will to will they may dash one against another , but not like to close , to get into one another . a wilful man thinks it is beneath a wise man to alter his way ; yea , it may be he thinks it a dishonour to the truth , that both he , his profession , and the honour of god shall suffer by it ; when a stubborn self-willednes is taken for a right constancy and setlednesse , it is very strong in men ; but let us take heed of this , it is no matter though we go back from our former assertions , so long as we go forward to the truth . luther was called an apostate ; i am so , says he , but it is from errour to truth . many times stoutnesse of spirit comes from weakenesse rather then strength ; there is not always the greatest strength of judgment where there is the greatest strength of will : as a mans judgment that is without prejudice is very strong , so a mans prejudice that is without judgment is as strong : the dullest horses are not always the most easily reigned . i know and am perswaded , says the apostle , rom. . . many men are perswaded before they know ; those who are perswaded before they know , wil not be perswaded to know . mens wills will not suffer their understandings to consider ; if they doe consider , they will not suffer them to be convinced ; if they be convinced , they will not suffer them to acknowledge that they are convinced . it is dishonest for a man not to give in his bond when the debt is paid ; so for a man not to acknowledg himselfe convinced , but stand out against the truth , though his conscience tels him it is made clear to him . let men lay down their wils , and there will be no hell , sayes bernard : so say i , take away mens wills , and contentions will cease . scaliger tels us , the nature of some kind of amber is such , that it will draw to it self all kind of stalks of any herbe , except basiliske , an herbe called capitalis , because it makes men heady , filling their brains with black exhalations : thus those who by the fumes of their corrupt wills , are grown headstrong , will not be drawn by that which draws others . but this charging men of wilfulness is presently catched hold of , in an abusive way ; if men wil not yeeld to what some conceive to be right , presently they are charged with wilfulnesse and stubbornnesse , they do not see because they will not see ; they are not convinced , because they will not . we who differ so much from others in things that others thinke to be clear , should take heed how we charge others of wilfulnesse who differ from us : as it is dishonest not to give in the bond when the debt is paid , so it is a cheat to require the bond before the debt be satisfied : men may think , and give out , they have done enough to convince men , when indeed upon examination , it will be found to be nothing , or far short of satisfying the reasons that are against it if they were their own . but when a man may have peace in his conscience , that what he holds or does , is not through wilfulnesse , but constancy of his love to the truth , i shall speak to presently . the eighth dividing distemper , vnconstancy . if a man had an art to change his face every day , to seem sometimes white , sometimes black , sometimes ruddy , sometimes pale , sometimes hairy , sometimes smooth , sometimes old , sometimes yong , how unfit were such a man for society ? this which men cannot do in their faces , they doe in the unconstancy of their spirits : as our affections and determinations must not be like the persian decrees , to admit of no alteration , so neither must they be such as the polonian laws are , which ( they say ) last but . days : when a thing is so brittle , that it breaks as soon as you meddle with it , how can you make it joyn ? there must be som consistency in that which you would fasten to another thing ; when mens spirits are so fickle , that a man cannot tell where to find them , how can there be a close ? o how much are men now differing from themselves , in what their thoughts of men and carriage towards them have been , though the men concerning whom they thus differ remain the same they were , yea the same they appeared to be long since , there was sweet agreement in affection , loving embracements ! rejoycing in the presence of one another , and yet nothing is known in those from whom their hearts , countenances and ways are alienated , &c. more then formerly was : not difference in judgment , that was known before : such a change of spirits and carriages in hodly men one towards another hath appeared , as never appeared in any age since the world began . a great deal of stir there hath been more then formerly , & yet what are these men otherwise then they have bin many years since ? were i to speak to wicked men , to charge them of the unconstancy of their spirits , i would make use of that similitude i have out of epiphanius , who speaking of the jewes desiring the coming of the messias , but when he was come , they hated him , they were ( says hee ) in this like mad dogs , who first glaver upon men , and then bite and devour them . but because i speak to many of the saints , i had rather use a softer expression , more sutable to the honour that is due to godly men ; i compare them in their unconstancy towards their brethren which hath caused so great division , to the sweetnesse of the , ayr in a fair sun-shine morning , oh how does it delight the traveller when he goeth forth ● and truly such were the serene countenances of our brethren towards us , but within a while the clouds over-cast , the sky looks lowring , gusts of wind arise , yea thunder-bolts of terrible words flye about our eares , and the flashes of their anger strike upon our faces . tantae ne animis coelestibus irae . unconstancy is evill , and a cause of division : stoutnesse is evil , and a cause of division : a man must not be one thing one day , and another another day ; not like a weather-cock , carried up and down with every wind ; neither must he be wilfull and stout , not like a rusty lock that will not be stirred by any key . now then , how shall we know when a man is neither fickle nor stout ? for except some rules of discerning be given , this temptation may be before me , i must not be fickle , unsetled , and unconstant , i will therefore stifly stand to maintain what i have professed . you may know whether your ficklenesse be avoyded by true setled constancy of spirit , or by stoutnesse , by these five notes : first , true constancy and setlednesse of spirit is got by much prayer and humiliation before the lord ; establish me lord with thy free spirit , unite my heart to feare thy name . when after thy heart-breakings and meltings , and heart-cryings and pourings forth , lord shew mee what thy will is in this thing , keep mee from miscarrying , let me not settle upon any errour instead of the truth , but what is thy truth fasten my soule in it , that what ever temptations come , i may never be taken off from it . tell god in prayer what the thing is , and what hath perswaded thy heart to embrace it , open thy heart fully to god in all thy aimes ; and if by this meanes the heart be fixed , now it is delivered from ficklenesse , and not faln into stoutnesse . ly . where true constancy is attained by the spirit of god , and not by the stoutnesse of thine owne , there is exercise of much grace , and growing up in grace , as faith , humility , love , meeknesse , patience , &c. pet. . , . take heed ye fall not from your stedfastnesse , but grow in grace and in the knowledge of our lord and saviour jesus christ . hearts stout and wilfull are dry and saplesse . ly . if the more a man hath to do with god , the more setled he is in his way ; when he hath the most full converse and sweetnesse of communion with god , he is then the most fully setled , satisfied , established in such a truth , which he before conceived to be of god. many men are very stiffe and wilful , unmoveable when they have to deal with men , they seem then to be the most confident men in the world ; but god knows , and their consciences know , when they solemnly set themselves in the presence of god , and have the most reall sight of god , and have to deale most immediately with him , then they have ms-giving thoughts , they have feares that things may not prove so sure as they bore others in hand they apprehended them to be : but if gods presence and thy dealings with him confirms thee in this , thy conscience may give thee an assurance , that as thou art not fickle and wavering , so not stout and wilfull . ly . when there is a proportion in mens constancie , if a man be resolute and constant in one thing , but very fickle and easily turned aside in others , there is cause to suspect his constancy is rather from stiffnesse then from grace ; for grace works proportionably through the whole soule , and in the whole course of a mans life . ly . if the more reall the presence of death and judgment appear to a man , the more setled he is in that way ; this likewise may be a good evidence to him , that his setlednesse in such a way , is right . chap. xx. the ninth dividing distemper , a spirit of jealousie . the tenth , a spirit of contention . the eleventh , covetousnesse . the twelfth , falsenesse . envy , strife , railings , evill surmisings , tim. . . strife and evill surmisings are neer of kin . if contentious men can get nothing against their brethren , they will surmise there is something ; if they can find nothing in their actions to judge , they will judg their hearts ; if there be nothing above-board , they wil think there may be something under-board ; & from thinking there may be something , they will think it is very likely there is something ; and from likely there is , they will conclude there is , surely there is some plot working . but this is against the law of love , for it thinketh no evill ; all the good that they see in their brethren , is blasted by their suspition of evil . love would teach us rather by what appears to judg the best of what appears not , then by what appeares not to judg the worst of what appears . suspition is like some jelly stuffe that is got between the joynts ; if the bone be out of joynt , and any jelly be got in , though it be but a little soft stuffe , it will hinder the setting of the bone . i confess in these times , because we have been so extreamly deceived in those who have been used in publike place , in whom we so much confided , there is a great deal of reason that we should be very wary of men , and believe ( till we have very good grounds of confidence ) with trembling . i remember melchior adam in the life of bucholcerus , tels of a witty counsel of his to his friend hubnerus , who being to goe to the court to teach the prince electors children , at their parting , i will give you , says he , one profitable rule for your whole life , he lissening what it should be : i commend ( saith he ) to you the faith of the devills : at which hubnerus wondring , take heed ( sayes he ) how you trust any at the court , beleeve their promises but warily , but with feare ; you may feare they will never come to any thing . but in the mean time while we are thus fearful of one another , while we cannot trust one another , we cannot joyn one with another . i have read of cambyses , he did but dream his brother should be king of persia , and he put him to death . many amongst us do but dream of men , with whom our hearts are not , that they have some plots working , and how do our spirits work against them ? groundlesse jealousies arise from much baseness in our owne hearts . those who have no principle of faithfulnesse in themselves , are suspitious of every one ; but as for those who suffer causelesly , in this thing let them be of good comfort , god will reward them good for what evill they suffer . wee read numb . . . that if a man were jealous of his wife , so that he brought her to the tryall by drinking the water of jealousie ; if she were clear , she should not onely be freed from hurt by that water , but she should conceive seed , if she went barren before , the lord would recompence her sorrow and trouble shee suffered by her husbands suspition of her . and paulus fagius upon the place , says , the jewes had a tradition , not only that she should conceive , but it should be a man-child ; if shee had any disease , she should be freed ; and if she brought forth before with difficulty , she should bring forth now with ease . let not men therefore who are of publike use , having their consciences clear , yet because they are under suspition , throw off all in an anger : such a temptation many lye under , but let them know , this temptation cannot prevail but upon the distemper of their hearts , the exceeding sinfull frowardnesse of their spirits ; they should trust god with their names , their esteem , their honour , and go on in their work . the only way to deliver themselves from suspition , is their constant industry and faithfulnesse in all opportunities of service god puts into their hands , and with the more quietnesse of spirit , with the lesse noyse they go on , the sooner will the suspitions they were under , wash off and vanish to nothing , god will make their names break forth as the light ; those weeds having no ground to take root , will wither and dye away . the tenth dividing distemper , a spirit of contention . as in some there is a strong inclination , a vehement impetus to whoredom , which the prophet cals a spirit of whoredome , so there is in others a vehement strong disposition of heart to contention ; these have a spirit of contention ; these are like salamanders , who love , and live in the fire . they thirst after the waters of massah and meribah , their temper is such , as if they drank no other drink then w ht was brewed of those waters ; contentions and strifes , that are as tedious to other men as death , are their delight , they are most in their element when they are over head and ears in them . a contentious spirit will always find matter for contention . prov. . . as coals to burning coals , and wood to fire , so is a contentious man is kindle strife : they are ready to put their hands to any strife they meet with : yet prov. . . hee that medleth with strife belonging not to him , is like one that holdeth a dog by the cares . many men have no mettal in any thing but contentions ; like many jades who are dull in travell , they have mettal only to kick and to play jadish tricks . if thou hast any spirit , any zeal and courage , it is pitty it should be laid out in quarrels ; reserve it for the cause of god , to strengthen thee in contending for the truth & the publike . the eleventh distemper , covetousnesse . this is the root of all evill , then of this ; there is no greater plague to friendship , then desire of money , sayes laelius apud cicer. a covetous man is witty to foresee wayes of gaine , and he is stiffe in holding fast what may be for his advantage . yet know what a stir demetrius and his fellows made in ephesus when their profit was endangered , they had rather set all in a tumult then let their gain go . tim. . . envy , strife , railings , &c. perverse disputings of men of corrupt minds , destitute of the truth , supposing that gaine is godlinesse .. how will some object against men , & withdraw from them , deprive themselves of the benefits of the gifts of god in them , of much good they have heretofore acknowledged they have got by them , & all merely to save their purses , & that in a poor pedling way ? what a stir hath this meum and tuum made in the world ? the sweetnesse of gaine amongst men is like honey cast amongst beares , they will fight , rend and tear out one anothers throat for it . they that will be eich , fall into temptations and a snare , and into many and hurtfull lusts . tim. . , . they pierce themselves and others too with many sorrowes . vvhen divisions arose in germany , upon luthers doctrine , men of base covetous spirits , judging luther by themselves , thought that luther made all this stir to get gaine ; why therefore , sayes one , do you not stop the mans mouth with gold or silver ? another answers , oh , this german beast cares not for money . the twelfth dividing distemper , falsenesse . nothing more firmly unites and holds together the common-wealth then fidelity , sayes cicero . truth is a girdle . stand therefore , having your loynes girt with truth , ephes . . . truth binds , and falseness loosen● . the apostle , eph. . . exhorts to put away lying , and every man to speak trueth to his neighbour , upon this ground , because we are members one of another . the romans esteemed so much of truth for uniting men into societies , that they built a temple to it , as to a goddesse ; in which temple all leagues , covenants , truces , and important bargains were made , which were so religiously observed , that whosoever broke them , was held for a cursed , damned creature , unfit for humane society . rom. . . full of envy , murther , debate , deceit , malignity . a man were better be true to false principles , then be false to true ones . those who are false , are also mischievous : they care not what mischief they do to any , so they may but uphold themselves , and repair that credite which formerly they had , but now through their base falsenesse is crackt ; and if they have wronged any by their falsnesse , they seek to keep such downe , if not to ruine them , fearing lest their falsenesse should hereafter be revenged : and if they cannot get them down by force , they will seek to do it by adding yet more falsenesse , by flattering them whom their hearts hate , and would gladly ruine . that scripture , prov. . . is very remarkable for this , a lying tongue hateth those that are afflicted by it ; and a flattering mouth worketh ruine . psal . . . he shall deliver their soule from deceit and violence . if men who are false cannot compasse their ends by deceit , they will seeke to doe it by violence : god hath his time to deliver his saints from both . come lord jesus , come quickly . chap. xxi . dividing practices . the first , the practice of the tongue . the second , needlesse disputes . provoking bitter language , is a great divider : an evill tongue in scripture is compared to swords , arrowes , razors , to poyson of aspes , ●ire , yea to the fire of hell , which sets all the world on fire , to wild beasts ; it is an unruly member that cannot be tamed . when a philosopher saw two women of ill fame talking together , he said , by this speech the aspe takes in poyson from the viper , which it seems was a proverbiall speech in tertullians time , he inveighing against marcion the heretique , let the heretique , sayes he , cease borrowing poyson from the jew , according to the proverbe , the aspe from the viper . many men of moderate spirits , if let alone , yet meeting with men who tell them stories , and speak ill of those men that heretofore they had a good opinion of , yet now before they have examined what the truth is , there is a venome got into their spirits before they are aware , their hearts begin to be hot , and to rise against those men they hear such things of , their thoughts are altered concerning them , their spirits alienated , breaches are made , and men who are innocent wonder from whence all comes . o take heed of these men of evill tongues , especially at your tables , for while you are warme with mirth and good cheere , you are in greater danger to take downe the discourse of such as are at table with you , some poyson may get into your spirits , and you not think of it . saint augustine could not endure such guests at his table ; he caused therefore these two verses to be writ over his table , it were well they were over some of yours . quisquis amat dictis absentum rodere vitam , hanc mensam vetitam noverit ipse sibi . to speak ill of the absent forbeare . or else sit not at table here . but if men of evill tongues doe so much hurt to men of moderate spirits , what hurt doe they doe one to another ? when two or three , or more of them meet together , having all of them bitter spirits and evill tongues , what hot burning venome doe they infuse one into another , inflaming one another with malice ? that proverbiall speech , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , is true of these men ; if one serpent did not eate another , there would bee no dragon ; by taking in one anothers poyson , they grow to bee fiery dragons , flying up and downe from place to place with their fiery stings . destroy , o lord , and divide their tongues , for i have seen violence and strife in the city , psal . . . the same letters in the hebrew word that is to signifie verbum a word , is also for pestis , the plague ; an evill tongue hath the pestilence in it . the whisperings of an evill tongue causes divisions , rom. . . full of envy , debate , malignity , whisperars , cor. ● . . debates , envyings , wraths , strifes , whisperings . many of fidling , paltry dispositions , goe up and down whispering , they speak very secretly to you , you must tell no body by any means , and yet themselves tell it to a second , a third , a tenth , and any one they meet with , with whom they desire to ingratiate themselves , and to every body they speak , yet still they must tell no body ▪ they doe not love to be brought forth as the authors , they tell you as a friend , what they heare ; and thus carrying tales up and downe in a secret way , they doe what in them lyes to blast the names of their brethren ; jealousies , suspitions , envyings , displeasure , anger is raised , and the parties against whom all this is , wonder what is the matter , they being no wayes conscious to themselves of any miscarriage towards such from whom they finde such strange carriage ; at last some nibling whispering mouse is found to be the cause of all . these whispering tale-bearers have such an art , as to cause what they thus speak in secret to sinke very deeply into mens hearts : they professe themselves very sorry for what they tell you , but it is too true , and with a deep sigh they mischiefe their neighbour ; et sic cum vultu maesto procedit maledictio , bern. but let men take heede of them , for they strike , they wound them as much , if not more , then they doe those against whom they speak , for they know nothing of it ; and though they suffer , yet they doe not sinne ; but you may not only be troubled , and that causelesly ( it may be ) and for nothing lose the sweetnesse of your love to your friend , and the enjoyment of his to you ; but withall , you may entertain sinne into your heart , and so be wounded . prov. . . the words of a tale-bearer are as wounds , and they goe downe into the innermost parts of the belly , beware therefore of such . prov. . . he that goeth about as a tale-bearer revealeth secrets , therefore meddle not with him that flattereth with his lippes . hee may come glavering , and fawning , and smiling to you , as if he accounted you a speciall friend , and therefore would not tell every body ; but meddle not with him ; if you shall hug and embrace him , you have received a wound even in the innermost parts of the belly . prov. . . where no wood is there the fire goeth out ; so where there is no tale-bearer the strife ceaseth . prov. . . a whisperer seperateth chiefe friends . those who have lived in entire friendship many yeares , sometime by some whispering woman , have their hearts very much estranged , the beauty of their friendship darkened , and the sweetnesse of it almost lost . whispering tale-bearing tongues is the cause of strife , take heed of it : and so is a censuring tongue : i can compare this to nothing better then to a candle , whose tallow is mixed with brine , as soone as you light it , it spits up and down the roome : thus many have salt brine in their spirits , which when they get a little knowledge , they spit here and there in hard and bitter censures , which are exceedingly provoking to the spirits of men ; though the censures should prove true , yet the mixture of so much salt brine in them , cannot but exasperate & cause mens hearts to fret ; but much more if they prove to be meere slanderers . jer. . . take ye heed every one of his neighbour , and trust ye not in any brother , for every brother will utterly supplant , and every neighbour will walke with slanders ; and c. . they are all grievous revol●ers , walking with slanders ; they are brasse and iron , they are all corrupters . and yet more if this be a raging tongue , hos . . . their princes shall fall by the sword , for the rage of their tongue . discontents rise high , first by too much liberty of the tongue , then higher , by the bitternesse of it ; but when it comes to the rage of it , by this many times they rise so high , that great men , yea princes come to fall by the sword . there is a story in the tripartite history of a christian who professed he had beene seven and thirty yeares learning that lesson , psal . . . i said i will take heed to my wayes , that i offend not in my tongue , and yet had not learned it . i feare there are many amongst us who have beene professors these seven and thirty yeares , and yet have not learned this lesson ; notwithstanding the scripture saith , if a man bridleth not his tongue , hee deceiveth his owne heart , this mans religion is in vaine , james . . the second dividing practice , needlesse disputes . when men have got a little knowledge , they thinke it a fine thing to be arguing and disputing in matters of religion : unnecessary disputes are their necessary practice , for otherwise they shall be accounted as no body , if they have not something to object against almost every thing , but in this way of theirs , they shall bee accounted knowing men , men who have an insight into things , who understand more then ordinary men doe : hence they turne all their religion into disputes , and by them they grow giddie . wine is good when it goes to the heart to cheere it , but when it fumes all up into the head , it makes it giddy . knowledge is good when the strength of it gets to the heart to comfort it , there to breed good spirits , for the strengthning it in the waies of holinesse ; but when it flies up all into the head , it fills it with thousands of phansies ; it causes pride and giddinesse . disputes draw the best spirits from the heart , by which it weakens it . it is a very ill signe in a man to have a contradicting spirit , to get into a veine of disputing against any thing , though it be good . i have read of gregory nazianzen , that he told his friends that julian would prove to be a notorious wicked man , he gave this reason , because be tooke such delight in disputing against that which was good ▪ disputes are seldome without much heart-distemper ; if they continue long , they cause snarling one at another ; and no marvaile though those who snarle so often , doe bite at last . a man shews most parts in the matter of truth , but most grace in the manner of handling it with reverence , holinesse and modesty . rom. . . receive not the weake in faith to doubtfull disputations . here is a direct injunction against those disputes i am speaking of . let no man say every truth is precious , the least truth is more worth then our lives , we must contend for every truth . the least truth is so precious , that we must rather lose our lives , then deny it ; you must doe and suffer much to maintaine truth , but this in an orderly way . first , you must be grounded in the maine fundamentalls of religion ; you must be strong in the faith , and after that labour to edifie your selves in all the truths of god , so as one may be helpfull to another . it is not for every one who hath but little time , little knowledge , little meanes , little strength , to tyre out himselfe and others in doubtfull disputes . the scripture is so much against this , as nothing can be more . tim. . . which minister questions rather then edifying . to aske and discourse of questions about the great things that concerne thy soule , thy eternall estate , how thou maist live further to the honour of god , is good , when you meet together ; to confer one with another what god hath done for your soules , to tell each other the experiences of your owne hearts , and gods dealings with you , what temptations ye meet with , and how god helps you against them ; such things as these would edifie . but when your questions are about things that you are never like to understand , and if you did understand , they little concerne you , they would not be helpfull to you one whit in the wayes of godlinesse , these the holy ghost would not have you spend your time in . eccles . . . man was made upright and he hath found out to himselfe many inventions , miscuerit se infinitis questionibus , so the old latine reads it , he hath mingled himselfe in infinite questions . if we had but that great question more amongst us , what shall wee doe to be saved ? it would cause many unprofitable questions to vanish . never such ignorance came upon the christian world , as in that age when the schoolmen were in the highest esteeme ; all religion then was turned into questions , both the mystery and the power of godlinesse was lost . the things of religion are rather to be beleeved then disputed . we beleeve fishermen , not logitians , sayes ambrose . the devill at this day seekes to darken the glory of religion this way ; he sees that in regard so much light hath broke forth , he cannot get men presently off it by prophaneness , therefore he labours to eat out the strength of it by busying them , and getting them to delight in multitudes of questions , and that about things of lesser concernment . tim. . . hee is proud , and knoweth nothing , but doting about questions , and strife of words , whereof commeth envie , strife , railings , evill surmises , perverse disputings of men of corrupt mindes , and destitute of the truth . these men conceit they have more knowledge then other men , but the holy ghost saies they know nothing ; they cry out much of the truth , and they contend for the truth , but the holy ghost saies they are destitute of the truth . tim. . , . follow charity , peace , but foolish and unlearned questions avoid , knowing that they doe gender strifes , but the servant of the lord must not strive . and titus . . . this is a faithfull saying , these things i will that thou affirme constantly , that they which have beleeved in god , might be carefull to maintaine good workes ; these things are good and profitable unto men , but avoid foolish questions , and genealogies , and contentions , and strivings about the law , for they are unprofitable and vaine . the question about the law , whether a man be justified by it , or by free grace in christ , this is not one of those foolish questions and needlesse strivings , this is a great question , this we are to contend for , our life is in it , but there are other questions about the law , which cause striving rather then edifying , as whether the law be a rule for our lives , as it was given by moses ; that we are bound to doe what is required in the law , this is generally acknowledged , as to love god , not worship images , &c. but whether we be bound to doe it as it was the law delivered by moses upon mount sina , this question troubles many mens heads ; that we are bound to doe the same things as they are delivered by christ in the hand of that mediator , is acknowledged by any that understand themselves in any measure . now then let these two things be granted about the law ; first , that we are not justified by it , but by the free grace of god in christ : secondly , that what duties of holiness are set downe in the law , we are bound to them by the most strong obligations : what neede we contend further about the law ? let us be established in these two , and it will be sufficient for our edifying ; it is like when paul wrote this epistle to titus , the heads of the people were troubled about some such kinde of questions about the law , as are amongst us ; therefore sayes he , avoid foolish questions , and strivings about the law. but now the questions about the law are driven on to such a dangerous issue , that we have cause not onely to be carefull to avoid them , but even to tremble at the thought of them . it is now accounted a legall thing against the grace of the gospel to confesse sin , to be humbled for sin , to make conscience of duty , or to be troubled in conscience for neglect of it ; no , they thank god they are delivered from such things , in respect of god , whether they sin or not it is all one : yea these things prevaile with those who have beene forward in profession of religion , who seemed to walke strictly , now are growne loose . that saith is easily wrought , which teacheth men to beleeve well of themselves , though their lives be ill . there is a mighty change in mens spirits now from that which was heretofore ; times have been when any opinion that tended to loosenesse , was presently distasted as unfavoury , and rejected by such , who made profession of religion . sleidan in the tenth book of his commentaries , sayes , the devill that sought to doe mischiefe at munster was not a skilfull devill , but rude and simple , because he sought to prevaile by tempting men to loosenesse ; whereas , sayes he , if he had beene a cunning devill , he would rather have deceived by abstaining from flesh , by abhorring matrimony , by shewes of wonderfull lowlinesse of minde , &c. he might sooner have taken men this way ; but truly now the most cunning devill sees it to be the best way to attaine his ends , to raise up and foment opinions that ●end to the liberty of the flesh , so be it he can carry them on under the colour of magnifying free grace ; he findes that these things are exceeding suitable to mens spirits in these times , that they are taken in by such who formerly appeared so conscientious , that hee feared hee should never have beene able to have prevailed with them ; hee never found a way like to this to prevaile with such men ; yea , never a way like to this to choake the word , when it first begins to worke upon the heart ; he hath blasted more young seeming converts this way , then ever hee did by any way since he was a devill : heretofore the way was to stirre up others to deride them for following the word , and for praying ; now he hath a way worth two of that , to make them to deride others for their conscienciousnesse in following the word and praying , and this strengthened with a high perswasion , that hereby they are the great magnifiers of the free grace of god in the gospel , the only men who understand the gospel way . this devill now lookes upon himselfe and his fellowes as simple and foolish in all their former devices , here is an experiment beyond them all , seeing this christ must needes be magnified , hee will magnifie him too ; seeing the gospel must goe on , hee will put it on too , hee will finde out a device here , to strike at the practise , power , life of godlinesse , in a more secret and prevailing way then ever formerly was done ; it is like in this generation the former principles of godlinesse will not be got out ; but if this way prevails still in proportion to what it hath done , in a generation or two it is like to bring generall prophanenesse and licentiousnesse upon the face of the christian world more then any way of satan ever did since the world began , for here is a way to be loose and prophane , and to satisfie conscience too . chap. xxii . the third dividing practice , men no keeping within the bounds that god hath set them . first , when men will be medling with that whith concernes them not , that is out of their sphere . thes . . . study to be quiet , and doe your owne businesse . prov. . . it is an honour for a man to cease from strife , but every foole will be wedling . choller in the gall is usefull to the body , but if it overflow , the body growes into distemper presently ; we may be all usefull in our places , if we keepe to them , contenting our selves with the improvements of our talents in them ; thus both our selves and others may have quiet . when mannah was gathered and kept in that proportion god would have it , it was very good ; but when men must have more , and keep it longer then god would have them , then it breeds worms . thus it will be in all that we have , or doe ; let us keepe our proportion god sets us , and all will be well ; but if we thinke to provide better for our selves by going beyond our measure , wormes are presently bred in all . but especially where men will not keepe within their bounds in their power over others ; for what is all our contestation at this time ? it is not about mens stretching their power beyond their line both in state and church ? from whence are our state-divisions , our warres , but because princes have been perswaded their power was boundlesse ? at least not to be kept within those bounds the state sayes it ought to bee . they think there is such a distance between them and others , that the estates , liberties , lives of all men within their country lie at their mercy ; not considering how they come to be raised so high : that what they have above others , is given to them by those above whom they are . no man inheriteth more then was given to his forefathers , and so to him , whereby they might see that they are not limited onely by the lawes of god , but by the lawes of men also , namely , the agreement between them and the people when they are raised to such dignities . there is nothing weakens their right more then the pleading it by conquest ; princes have little cause to thank those who plead their right that way . the surest foundation for princes to set their feet on , is the agreement between the people and them , or their progenitors ; but if they will goe beyond this agreement , what stirres , what wofull disturbances doe they make ! secondly , if either they , or any governours of the state , shall instead of being helpfull to the government of the church , take it all from it into their owne hands , in this they goe beyond those bounds christ would have them ; it is by the civill power that the governours of the church have the peaceable exercise of what power christ hath given them , but they have not their power from them . civill authority cannot put any spirituall power into a man , or company of men , which they had not before ; it can onely protect , encourage , and further the exercise of that power that christ hath given . they are inconsiderate men , sayes calvin , who make magistrates too spirituall ; this evill , sayes he , prevailes in germanie , and in the countries about us ; we finde what fruit growes from this root , namely that those who are in power , thinke themselves so spirituall , that there is no other ecclesiasticall government ; this sacriledge comes in violently amongst us , because they cannot measure their office within its due bounds . and for church-governours , if they would keep within their limits , we might enjoy much peace , if first they would assume to themselves no more power then christ hath given them ; secondly , if they would not extend it over more congregations then christ hath committed to them ; thirdly , if they would not exercise it in more things then christ would have them . let us looke a little into these three , for the want of a right understanding in them hath caused , and may yet further cause much disturbance . for the first . that christ hath appointed some to rule in his church , and that all the members of the church are not in the office of ruling , is apparent in scripture , cor. . . rom. . , but that these officers , preaching elders , or others , should so have the sole power of ruling as to doe all in their owne consistory classis , or ( whatsoever you may call their convening ) that the church should have nothing to doe with their acts of rule but to obey , this is assuming to themselves power beyond what is given them ; this hath brought tyrannie into the church , it hath made the church-officers to looke upon the rest of the church in a contemptible way , as the common vulgar sort , men ignorant and weak , not at all fit to meddle with matters of government , not so much as to take cognisance , or give any consent to what the church-officers doe ; but whether they understand or no whether they consent or dissent , it makes no matter , the determinations of those in place must stand , their censures must be submitted to . peter martyr in an epistle to the ministers , and such as professed the faith in polonia , exhorts them to endeavour the establishing of discipline in the church as soon as they could , while peoples hearts were heat with love to , and desires after the gospell , he tells them it will be harder to bring it in afterward , when their hearts begin to grow more cold ; and that they might not thinke discipline a small thing , he sayes , that those churches cannot be said to professe the gospell truly nor solidly , which want it ; he would have them acknowledge it not to be the least part of christian religion , but must know that the gospel is neglected by such as shall put off from themselves such a singular excellent portion of it . but sayes he , this will be the objection , under the colour of discipline , the ministers of the church will tyrannize , they will carry things according to their owne mindes . to this he answers , tyrannie in the ministers needs not be feared , where the rule of the gospel for censures is observed ; for in casting out any who will not be reclaimed , the consent of the church must be had ; and if it be done by this authority , none can complain of the tyrannie of a few . cyprian in his sixt epistle professeth his resolution to doe nothing without the counsell of the elders , and consent of the people . our brethren of scotland in their opposition to the prelates , give very much to the people in the matter of excommunication : it pertaineth say they to the whole church collectively taken to deny her christian communion to such wicked persons as adde contumacie to their disobedience , therefore it pertaineth to the whole church to excommunicate them . againe , it pertaineth to the whole church to admit one into her communion , therefore to the whole church to cast one out of her communion . and a page or two after , the apostle writing to the whole church of corinth will have them being gathered together , to deliver that incestuous person to satan , therefore every particular church or congregation hath power to excommunicate . there they give many arguments to prove , that the apostle would not excommunicate by his owne authority alone , but by the authority of the church , and that collectively taken , ( so they say ) not the ministers or elders of the church onely . let no man say , this was the judgement but of one minister , for at the beginning of this parliament , my selfe , together with a reverend brother , asked master henderson , two or three of the ministers of scotland being with him , whether we might not take that book as the judgement of the most godly and able of the ministers of scotland , for the matters of church-discipline ? they answered , we might . the second way of going beyond their limits , is their extending their power to more congregations then christ hath given them charge of . the chiefe church-controversie at this day is about this extent ; i shall onely shew you where the difference lyes betweene one and the other in it . the question is this , whether one that is set by christ to take charge of a particular congregation , as a pastor to feed them , by word , sacraments , and rule , may keep the pastorall charge he hath for word and sacraments to one congregation , but his charge for rule shall extend together with others to an hundred congregations or more . some say that no minister can have the charge of ruling over people in a large extent then his charge over them for word and sacraments reaches ; they thinke that those people that can say to a minister , that charge that christ hath given you for word and sacraments , extends not to take care of our soules to feed them , therefore you have no charge of our souls for ruling ; if you thinke you may , preach or administer sacraments in an accidentall arbitrary way onely , not as chalenging power over us for this , or looking upon us as those committed to you , for whom you are to answer ; then at the farthest you may exercise rule over us but in this way . but others hold this , that a minister may answer to this people thus , i confesse i have indeed onely such a particular congregation to be my flock , and although i being desired to help sometimes in another to preach or administer sacraments ▪ yet i doe it not as having the charge of their soules as being pastor to them : but as for that ruling power that christ hath given me , i conceive by joyning of it with others , it extends to hundreds of congregations , or more , according as our association shall be , so as we have not onely liberty to be helpfull to those who have the speciall charge of the congregations ; but we have the supreame ruling power in our hands , to challenge in the name of christ , to exercise over these congregations , as we shall see cause . i say , the supreme power above what your ministers or elders in your particular congregations have ; for though these ministers and elders of yours be admitted to be members of our court , yet if they all should be of a contrary minde from us , in some matter that concernes your congregation , we yet will judge and determine , we will censure and exercise all kinde of ecclesiasticall jurisdiction in that congregation , as we see cause , though it may be not one of us ever saw any of the faces of any of the men of your congregation before . here , i say , lyes the great dividing controversie , which is right , which is wrong is not my worke to shew ; all i am to doe , is but to shew you what the controversie is , about which there is so much dispute . and though i determine not the case either way , yet i shall leave two considerations to help you in your thoughts about it . first , the extent of power of jurisdiction must be by institution as well as the power it selfe ; all juridicall power whatsoever , either in state or church receives limits or extent from the same authority it first had its rise , this is impossible to be denyed : if a man by a charter be made a mayor of a towne , he cannot therefore challenge the power of a mayor wheresoever he comes , except the authority that first gave him his powver shall also extend it . now the charter by which any church-officer is invested with power , is the word , therefore we cannot streighten or enlarge the power of a minister otherwise then we find it in the word ; for civill power it may be streightned or enlarged , as the governours of state shall see cause , because their charter is from man , it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . secondly , man naturally is of nothing more impatient then to have jurisdiction challenged over him , except hee sees the claime to be right ; and in the point of spirituall jurisdiction , man is the most tender of all , because in that men come in the name of christ to him , challenging authority to exercise the power of christ over him , not over the outward man so much as over his soule , to deliver it up to satan . surely there had need be shewne a cleare and full charter , that any men have , that gives them such a power as this , that men in conscience shall be bound to submit to . now then here lyes the division , on sayes his charter does extend so farre ; the other sayes , hee does not finde it so in the reading of it . there is yet a further consideration of the stretching either civill or ecclesiasticall authority beyond their bounds , which hath been , and may be the cause of much division ; that is , their challenging and excercising power in things indifferent , beyond what god hath given them ; for the opening of which we must know : first , no man either in state or church , hath any authority given him by god , to command any thing meerely because hee will ; especially , when the things concerne the worship of god. our brethren of scotland in their dispute against english popish ceremonies , part . chap. . pag. . have this passage , princes have enjoyned things pertaining to the worship of god , but those things were the very same which gods written word had expresly commanded ; when princes went beyond these limits and bounds , they tooke upon them to judge and command more then god hath put within the compasse of their power : and pag. . of the same booke they say , the apostle , cor. . . forbiddeth us to be the servants of men , that is , to doe things for which wee have no other warrant beside the pleasure and will of men . this was the doctrine in tertullians time , you exercise , sayes he , an unjust dominion over others , if you deny a thing may bee done , because you will , not because it ought not to bee done . it is onely the prerogative of god , of jesus christ , to command a thing because they will. god hath appointed civill governours to be his ministers for our good . rom. . those things onely which they can doe in gods name as his ministers , and are for the good of a state , are the object about which their power is to be exercised ; they are not to require a thing because there is nothing against it , but because this thing is for god : and church-governours are to require onely such things as christ requires , all the exercise of their power ought to be in the name of christ , hence not because they will , or because nothing can be said to the contrary . in all they require of us , they must be able to say as paul , cor. . . giving rules about order and decencie , if any man thinke himselfe to be a prophet , or spirituall , let him acknowledge that the things that i write unto you are the commandements of the lord. you will say , but are governours alwayes bound to shew a reason of their will , to those who are under them ; or may not they obey except they know some good in the thing , besides their doing the will of those who doe command them ? though no governours may command but upon reason , yet the governours of state need not alwayes discover the reasons of their commands . wee may give up our civill liberties so farre as to be bound to yeeld to our governours commands , if wee see nothing against what they command , but have cause to suppose that they see some reason that we do not , which is not fit to make known to us . this is grounded upon this reason , that there are arcana imperii , mysteries of state that are not fit for every man to know , the secrecie of them conduces most to the good of the state : but it is otherwise in the matters of the church , which are spirituall , there are no such mysteries in the church , wherein any members of it can be required to be active , but it concernes them to understand as well as to doe . all the actions of the church as such must be done for spirituall edification ; now a man cannot doe a thing for the edifying his soule , or the soule of another , but he must understand his action and the rule of it ; he must see it required by the word , or otherwise he cannot expect any spirituall efficacy in what he does ; i may doe a thing for a civill good , wherein i may trust another mans reason , and this may be sufficient to attaine my end , the procuring of some good meerly civill , but this will never be able to reach to a spirituall good , i must see the reason , the ground , the rule of the action my selfe ; i must judge by the word , that this action at this time cloathed with all its circumstances is by christ sitted for such a spirituall good that i aime at . besides , if things meerely indifferent be enjoyned , then is christian liberty violated . no , say some , christian liberty is in the conscience , so long as a man keepes his conscience free , the thing may be still indifferent to him in regard of his conscience , though his practise be determined , and so christian liberty is preserved . this is the put off that the prelaticall party made use of against our brethren of scotland many yeeres since , when they pleaded that by their usurpation christian liberty was taken from them . to that answer of the prelates , they thus reply : when the authority of the churches constitution is obtruded to binde and restraine the practice of christians in things indifferent , they are bereaved of thir liberty , as well as if an opinion of necessity were borne in upon their consciences . they urge that place , colos . . . where the apostle gives instances , say they , of such humane ordinances as take away christian liberty ; he saith not , you must thinke that you may not touch , but touch not ; you must not practise , not be subject to such ordinances ; telling us ; that when the practice is restrained form touching , tasting , handling , by the ordinance of men , then is christian liberty spoiled , though conscience be left free ; if the outward man be brought in bondage , this makes up spirituall thraldome ( say they ) though there bee no more . and further , the apostle gives these two arguments against these things : first , sayes he , they perish in the use ; that is , there is no good comes of them . it may be you will say , what hurt is there in them ? that is not enough , sayes the apostle , to justifie them , though there should be no hurt in them , yet seeing they perish in the use , seeing there comes no good by them , you must not doe them : but what if they shall be commanded by authority ? may wee not doe them then ? no , sayes the apostle , that is another argument against them ; they are after the commandements and doctrine of men ; if it be a meere ordinance of man , and there be no other reason in the thing , but because man enjoynes it in the church , you are not to doe it . yea , in some respect we have not so much liberty in things indifferent , if they be enjoyned by men , as we had before . this is thought to be a very strange assertion by some ; but consider this one thing , and it will not appear so : though i might doe such a thing before , yet if man shall take upon him this authority to command , meerly because of his will and pleasure , if i now obey i am in danger to edifie him , to strengthen him in his sinne ; he challenges this authority , and i seeme to yeeld it to him , certainly he is strengthned in it by my subjection , except i doe this at least professe against any such authority of man granted by jesus christ . but say some , if you take from governours power to command things indifferent , you take away all their power ; for things necessary are required without them , and things sinfull they may not command . surely this conceit comes rather from tradition then from due consideration ; for it is not power enough to see to the keeping of the commands of god , that the ordinances be kept pure , that there be justice between man and man , to reward those which doe well , and to punish the evill doers . yet thus farre must be granted to the officers of the church , they have authority from christ to declare dogmatically , when a thing in it selfe indifferent , yet by reason of some circumstances , comes to be a duty , and this is to be regarded more then the declaration of any private brother or brethren , for they doe it by way of office in the name of christ . this we finde acts . the apostles and elders sent their decrees , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , their dogmaticall determinations about some things in themselves indifferent , but as cloathed with those circumstances they call them things necessary ; they determine them to be done from the reason of the things , not from their authority ; those things were duties before they decreed them , and had been , had they never decreed them . even forbearing the eating of blood was a duty in case of offence , though their decree had never been , and otherwise it was no duty , notwithstanding their decree , for afterward paul sayes , that whatsoever is sold in the shambles , they might eate of it , asking no question for conscience sake , and every creature of god is good , if it be received with thanksgiving . thus we have seen what the bounds are which god hath set to men in authority , or at least the controversie about them : let them be carefull to keep within their bounds , as they are set to keep others within theirs : by this , church and state , may enjoy much peace . chap. xxiii . the fourth dividing practise , gathering of churches disorderly . this is cryed out of as the greatest dividing practice of all : you may speak of this or that to be dividing amongst us , say some , but above all things , this gathering of churches is the great divider amongst us . to this i shall speak in these six things . first , it is not absolutely unlawfull for a church to be gathered out of a church . voetius that learned professor of viretcht , answering jansenius , pleading against us for seperating from the romish church , which was the most ancient and famous church : no , sayes he , it is not absolutely evill to separate from such a church , for then the christians gathering themselves out of the jewish church were schismaticks , which is false . doctor jackson , a prelaticall man , in the . chapter of his treatise of the church , gives two reasons which he sayes are just and necessary , for which men ( whether few or many ) may and ought to seperate themselves from any visible church . first , because they are urged or constrained to professe or beleeve , some points of doctrine , or to adventure upon some practices which are contrary to the rule of faith or love of god. second , in case they are utterly deprived of freedome of conscience in professing what they inwardly beleeve , or bereft of some other meanes , either altogether necessary , or most expedient to salvation . for which latter he quotes , cor. . . ye are bought with a price , bee not ye servants of men . although ( sayes he ) we were perswaded that we could communicate with such a church , without evident danger of damnation , yet inasmuch as we cannot communicate with it upon any better termes , then legall servants or bondslaves doe with their masters , we are bound in conscience and religious discretion , when lawfull occasions and opportunities ore offered , to use our liberty , and to seeke our freedome rather then to live in bondage . this doctrine was allowed of in the bishops times . now suppose upon these two grounds there be a withdrawing from a church , christ does no where require his people to live without ordinances all their dayes , rather then they should joyne themselves together into another body . secondly , yet where these causes are not , but men may communicate without sinne , professing the truth , and enjoy all ordinances , as the freemen of christ . men must not seperate from a church , though there be corruption in it , to gather into a new church which may be more pure , and in some respects more comfortable . first , because we never finde the saints in scripture seperating or raising churches in such a case : and secondly , there would be no continuance in church fellowship , if this were admitted : for what church is so pure , and hath all things so comfortable , but within a while another church will be more pure , and some things will be more comfortable there ? the generall peace of the church should be more regarded by us , then some comfortable accommodations to our selves . thirdly , although you cannot for the present communicate with the church , in which you are , without sinne , or bondage , yet you are not presently to withdraw , to gather into another , or to joyne with another , you are bound to give so much respect to the church , as to continue with much long-suffering , to seeke the good of that church , to remove the sinne that is upon it , with all good meanes you can . you must beare much with a brother , much more with a church . fourthly , if things were in that ordered and settled way , as they ought , there ought to be no gathering of any new churches without consulting and advising with neighbour churches , christ would have all churches unite themselves , and have conjunction one with another , being all of the same body of christ : if then there be to be raised a new sister church , that expects and is to desire the benefit of communion with the rest , there is all the reason in the world that the helpe , advice , and assistance of the other churches should be made use of in the raising and ordering this church that they are thus to owne in the way of communion with them to whom they are to give the right hand of fellowship . fifthly , all beleevers who live in a place together , ought so far as they can , joyne into one church , though they be of different judgements and tempers , what ever things they differ in , yet if they may stand with grace they can have no encouragement from the examples of any of the churches , we read of in scripture , for them to divide themselves into little pieces . the way of christ all along in scripture is , that all the saints in such a place , who are not more then can joyne in one , should joyne together and make but one church ; certainly this is more for the honour of christs body then the division of saints in the same place into severall little societies , christ stands much upon the union of his saints in one , in all wayes , by all meanes that may be . sixtly , as things are yet with us , there is no such great reason of that outcry there is amongst us against gathering of churches as so great a dividing practice as many seeme to make it . how can this practise be so very offensive , when almost all of you thinke it lawfull for a man for any commodiousnesse to remove from that church of which now he is , to joyne with another , sobeit he will remove his dwelling ? but these do not set up new churches . if a company of men who have estates , should not be satisfied with that ministery that belongs to that company that now they are joyned with , and should buy a piece of ground close to the place where they were , and build upon it , and have leave of the state to make a new parish of those dwellings they build ; who would blame them for gathering a church thus ? hence it is apparent , that withdrawing from our churches , and gathering other , is not according to the judgements of our brethren against any church principle ; the offence that is , is onely against some civill constitution . secondly , this thing in effect hath been ordinarily practiced heretofore without any offence to the godly ; yea , and is still practiced without any complaint : hath it not beene and is it not still ordinary for many not to communicate in the parishes where they live ? nor commonly to heare there , but from all parts of the city to come to some parishes where they conceive the best ministers to be , and there to heare and communicate , and this in a constant way , and that with allowance to the maintenance of such ministers ? yea , and thus the husband goes one way , and the wife another , and yet none offended ; it may be the gentleman can content himselfe with his parish-church , but his wife or lady is not satisfied , but must go elsewhere . if it be said , but this was in a time when things were in great confusion , not so reformed as now they are , and we hope may further be . then it is not howsoever simply unlawfull . . it continues so still in many places of this city . . when you have reformed further , it may be mens consciences will bee further satisfied ; you may reforme so farre as you may prevent much of what you now complaine so much of . but though they came for their present reliefe , yet they did not binde themselves one to another by covenant , so as men now doe . if those who came constantly to your ministry and sacraments had professed their willingnesse to joyne with you in all the ordinances of christ so farre as they knew , and to walke accordingly , you might the more comfortably have administred ordinances to them , but offensive to you it could not have been . but their covenant bindes them so , that they cannot returne back againe , whatsoever reformation there be . doe you pray for and endeavour the putting on reformation to the uttermost , and then see what they will doe ; they have not yet declared themselves , that they hold themselves so joyned by any covenant , that they may not joyne with you ; that what releife they have had for the present time , or what agreement there hath been amongst themselves , should hinder them from falling into that way all along held forth in scripture ; namely , for all the saints that live together , to joyne in one , so farre as possible they can . but these who gather churches thus , looke upon all others who are not in that way as heathens ; and what division must this needs make ? if this were so , it were a sad dividing practice indeed ; wicked men cannot endure to be thus judged of , to be cast out as unworthy of church-fellowship , much lesse can the saints bee able to beare it , it must needes go neerer to their hearts . aben ezra sayes , the ammonites and moabites burnt the bookes of the law , because of that place , deut. . . an ammonite or moabite shall not enter into the congregation of the lord , even to their tenth generation . if an ammonite or moabite cannot beare the being shut out of the congregation of the lord , how can the saints beare it ? but god knows , and our brethren may know , i hope they shall know , that the thing is not so : o no , they looke upon you as the precious saints of god , their deare brethren in jesus christ , they blesse god for the graces they see in you , and rejoice in the hope of living eternally in heaven with you . but why then will they not admit them to their communion ? in all worship that belongs to saints , as saints they joyfully joyne with them ; but they thinke there is some that belongs to saints as gathered in a society under officers , which cannot be performed orderly but in that way ; and they think it unreasonable , that any should have the benefit of the priviledges of the church , and be under no power , no discipline of any church ; that they should pick and choose ordinances , and yet live at liberty ; so that if they walke disorderly , no church hath any power to call them to an account . suppose this to be a reason why they admit not of some , this is another thing then the judging of them to be heathens . let me say further , i know none of these congregated churches , either here or in other parts , that ever refused any who appeared to be godly , from communicating with them , if they did but acknowledge themselves to be members of any church elsewhere , though that church were in a differing way from it in respect of government . you will say , what need that ? if it be to prevent loosenesse in men who will be under no government , if it be because they judge sacramentall communion to be a church-ordinance ; or if it should be through a mistake , yet howsoever this must not be judged to be the cause that they judge all , that doe not joyne with them to be as heathens ▪ this is the most uncharitable interpretation that can be . chap. xxvi . the fifth dividing practice , the aspersing and seeking to blast the credits of those men whom the lord uses to be instruments of good . this may be done you know otherwise then by the tongue : this hath beene an old dividing way , if wee can blast the cheife of a party , we shall doe well enough with the rest , wherefore let us make as ill interpretations of what they doe as possible we can ; let us fasten as ill things upon them as we can have any colour or pretence for ; let reports be raised , fomented and spread , whether they be true or no , it makes no matter , something will stick . jer. . . report , say they , and we will report it ; doe but raise a report , let us be able to say wee heard it , or there was a letter writ about such a thing , and wee will boldly assert it and divulge it ; the very apprehension of it will prevaile with many howsoever , these men shall not have that esteeme in the hearts of men so generally as heretofore they have had , and if we once get downe their esteeme , we shall doe well enough with their cause ; if we can meet with any bold spirit that will venture to encounter with them in this , that will dare to take upon him to gather up , or make , or aggravate , or wrest reports , or doe any thing that may render them otherwise in the thoughts and hearts of men then hitherto they have beene , we shall break them , it is but one or two venturing the hard thoughts of men to make an experiment , some may bee found fit for such a businesse , we will finde out wayes to encourage them ; if their hearts begin to faile , we will apply warme cloathes to them , we will one way or other support them ; this must be done , or else whatsoever we doe will be to no purpose ; something or other must be found to serve our ends in this . doth moses prevaile too much in the hearts of the people ? something must be found against him ; if we can finde nothing against himselfe , yet we will finde something against his wife , shee is an ethiopian woman , numb . . and yet who was she but the daughter of jethro , to whom he had been married many yeers before ? for an ethiopian and a midianitish woman are all one ; but now we are resolved to pick out whatever we can get information of , though it be in things done many yeers since , when they were in the university , when they lived in such or such places in times of old , it will serve our turne , we may fasten it upon them , prov. . . an ungodly man diggeth up evill , and in his lips there is a burning fire : if he hath nothing above ground , he will digge something up , though it be what both by god and man hath been buried long since . david was a publike instrument of god for much good , yet psalm . . . hee was a reproach amongst his enemies , but especially amongst his neighbours . nehemiah raised up by god for great service , what dirt was cast upon him ? he was accused of sedition and rebellion . paul a pestilent fellow , hee and his company with him turned the world upside downe ; what evill can be devised , but was fastened upon the christians in the primitive times ? they charge them for being the cause of all their misery ; if they have ill weather , if the rivers overflow , if nilus does not flow , if there be any earthquake , plague , famine , hale the christians to the lions : at their meetings they said they made thyestes suppers , who invited his brother to a supper , and presented him a dish of his owne flesh , a limbe of his sonne : many such abominable things were fastened upon them as are not fit to be named . tertul tells the christians , that they were fun●mbulones , like men upon a rope , if they went one stept awry , they were in danger to be undone by it , so narrowly did their enemies watch them , and so maliciously did they aggravate all their miscarriages . thus the most eminent after his time , as athanasius , he was as miserably aspersed as ever poore man in this world , by the arrian party , they rendred him most odious to his friends , and strangers . in the beginning of reformation , the waldenses were so aspersed , that the story sayes of them , there was not one arrow in the quiver of malice , but it was drawne forth and shot at them . luther , calvin , beza , oecolampadius , bullinger , and the rest are by some in writing rendred the most black and vile pieces that the earth bore , both in their lives and deaths . i find it recorded of zuinglius , that he was a man so eminent , as his friends made him almost a god ; and so traduced by his enemies , that one would wonder the earth did not open and swallow up such a man. the like dealings did that worthy instrument of god mr. knox finde , who in queene maries time fled with divers others to frankford ; when men of vile contentious spirits could not prevaile against him any other way , they sought to asperse him , and that so maliciously , as his life was in danger , accusing him to the governours of frankford , for a sermon preached in england ; in which the emperour was concerned : the words were these , o england , england , if thou wilt obstinately r●●urne into egypt , that is , if thou contracting marriage , confederacy or league with such princes as doe maintaine and advance idolatry , such as the emperour who is no lesse enemy to christ then nero ; if for the pleasure of such princes , thou returne to thine old abhominations , then assuredly , o england , thou shalt be plagued and be brought to desolation , by the meanes of those whose favour thou seekest . the same measure did those worthy men of god meete with , who sought after reformation in queene elizabeths dayes , they called mr. cartwright an anabaptist , and whatsoever evill there was in any opinion in those times , they fastned it upon him . mr. vdall was accused for his life , and condemned to be hanged for writing , that if the parliament did not bring in the government of christ , christ himselfe would bring it in by some meanes that would make their hearts to ake ; or to that effect ; meaning , as he expounded the words , christ would in some way of judgement make way to set up his own government in the land , but they wrested the words to a seditious sense , as if he had meant to conspire to raise a force , and by violence of armes to make the parliament to yeeld to that way of government that he conceived to be christs , justly like those accusations that are amongst us at this day , that if such kinde of men cannot have the liberty of their way granted to them , seeing they have , or hope to have the sword in their hand , they will take it to themselves , and defend themselves also in it . only in this they goe beyond the bitternesse of the prelaticall party , they wrested what was said or written , these feigne what was never said or written ; who are the fire-brands amongst us , if not such men as these ? as fire-brands plucked out of the fire , and now they seeke to fire those who plucked them out ; but if this be too hot , what will you call them ? what will you say of them ? o is this the fruit of all prayers for them , reliefe of them , respect to them ! tanta ne vos generis tenuit fiducia vestri ? sed motas praesta● componere lites . whosoever shall reade that booke of bancroft , entituled , dangerous positions , published and practised by those who pretend reformation for the presbyteriall government , shall find the whole subject of the booke to be the blasting the names of the most eminent godly ministers that lived in those times , rendring them to the state , as men not fit to be suffered in any christian common-wealth . the state at that time being wholly for prelacie , and discountenancing that way of government these men sought for , their adversaries thought they might be bold to take what liberty they pleased , to calumniate , traduce , and to render them as vile as possible they might , there was no such way to keepe them downe as this ; in this , they being like those in the primitive times , who put the christians into beares and tygers skins , and then cast them to the dogges to be devoured . let the servants of god but appeare as they are , they will gaine reverentiall respect even from the multitude ; but when these ugly things are put upon them , they are prepared to be the objects of their fury . i have read in suetonius of the cruelty of tiberius , who because it was unlawfull that virgins should not be put to death , caused the hang-man to ravish them , and then to execute them : this is the cruelty of some amongst us , they can doe some men no hurt , but by offering violence first to their names , and if they be defiled , then they thinke they may doe any thing with them . of such as these are who make divisions amongst us in so ungodly a way as this , all that i shall further say , is , the lord rebuke them . as for the servants of god they commit their names and wayes to god , knowing that the lord takes care of their names as well as their soules . if dirt be cast upon a mud wall it sticks , but if upon marble , it soon washes or moulders away . god will in time justifie his servants even in your consciences , by the constancie of their peaceable carriage toward men , and their gracious holy walking with their god ; onely take you heed that you involve not your selves in the guilt of that wrong that is done unto them by readinesse of your spirits to close with , and take content in what evill you heare of those whom god accounts faithfull . chap. xxv . the sixt dividing practice , the giving characterizing names to men , names of division . this is an old continued practice of the devill , he hath gained much by it , and therefore is loath to leave it : the orthodox of old were called cornelians , cyrillians , by the followers of novatus and nestorius , in time of reformation lutherans , zuinglians , hussites , calvinists , hugonots . tertullian sayes in his apology for the christians of his time , their crime that they are persecuted for , hath no name , that for which they are hated and persecuted is the crime of their name ; such men are cryed out of under such a name , but when things come to be examined , their name is all their crime . and among other that of schismaticke is not onely a charactising , but a stigmatizing name , whereby of old and lately many have had a brand of reproach upon them , which upon examination will be found to be as it is applyed by many , nothing but a scaring word , taken up by such who understand little what schisme is ; i shall therefore endeavour to open this briefly . the word schisme comes of the greeke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , to rend , from thence 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , scisura , a rent ; it is amongst divines a tecnologicall terme . schisme in the church , is much like to what sedition is in the state : when the church grew up to the state and outward glory of an earthly kingdome , much use was made of this terme , as a brand upon those who would not subject to the yoakes of them who loved preheminence in the church . but the true nature of schisme is this , an uncharitable , unjust , rash , violent breaking from union with the church , or the members of it . the church is that from which the rent is : heresie divides from the head , schisme from the body , apostacy from both . this rent is either from the whole church , or some part , if from the whole , it is donatisme : donatus denyed any to be of the body of christ , to be beleevers , to be such as could be saved , except that company that joyned with him , and with those in his way . this is clear from the whole discourse of augustine against him , in that tract de unitate ecclesiae . wherefore those who censure such as deny communion with some particular congregations , as donatists , discover either ignorance or malice , if not both . yet schisme may be , though the rent be but from some part of the church , but this must needs suppose union with that part : now there may be a twofold union with the severall parts of the church , either that which all who are to be accounted christians have with them as they are of the same body catholick ; or that which is by agreement to grow up together into a speciall fellowship . the rending from any of these unions in such a way as before was mentioned , is schisme . if we seperate from , or refuse that communion with such as are to be accounted christians , that is due to all christians , this is the more grosse schisme . or if we thus breake off that communion which is by speciall agreement , which may be either when christians joyne together in a private way for mutuall edification and comfort : or when they so joyn together as to make up a distinct spirituall corporation , to set up the publick ordinances of christ , which the scripture calls a church : now though there may be schisme in the breaking the former , yet the censure of schisme is especially applyed to the undue breaking off communion in the latter . now this implyes an union by a church agreement ; where there never was such an agreement , there cannot be the guilt of this schisme . although they who dwell within such a perambulation , such a compasse of ground , should not joyne in some ordinances with some within that compasse , whatsoever offence there may be against some civill constitution , yet the guilt of schisme they doe not contract upon themselves , for that union they never had cannot be broke . but you will say , yes , they are schismaticks , though they were never so united , because they were bound to unite thus , and they have not . it must be granted that christ by what he ordered the apostles to doe , would have all christians dwelling together , so far as they can , to unite into a body , but there is no such order of christ , that all that dwell on the one side of the street should be of one body , and all on the other of another body : if they be more then can joyn into one spirituall corporation , they are bound to joyne into severall , so as they may best , to their own and other churches edification , and if they should fail in this , not joyning in the best way that possible might be , their sin is against that edification that christ requires , but not therefore the sin of schisme . who ever they were that bounded parishes , surely they did not so bound them to the greatest edification of the church that possible might be , and yet who will say they were therefore schismaticks ? but suppose you have joyned with any company of saints in a spirituall corporation , if you now shall uncharitably , unjustly , rashly , and violently break from communion with them , then you contract the guilt of schisme upon you . first , the separtion must be from want of charity . by faith especially we are united to christ our head , and by charity to one another . if a man appeares departing from any fundamentall article of our faith which joyned him to his head , he is to bee judged an heretick . so by his appearing to depart from that love by which he was joyned in communion with the members , he is to be judged a schismatick . if his departure proceeds from his love of god , his love to his saints , and his owne soule , yea his love to that very church from whence he departs , as sometimes it may , witnessing in a gratious way against evill in it , he is farre from the guilt of schisme . if you say , love is a secret thing , we cannot judge of what is in the heart . we cannot judge of it while it is in the heart , but when it appeares we may . you may know whether this or other principles act men or no by their behaviour in their breaking off communion . where this is not , bitcernesse , pride selfe-ends , will soone appear , and carry them beyond those principles themselves professe they goe upon . secondly , if the cause of leaving communion be just , then those who give this cause are the schismaticks , not those who withdraw upon it . thus the governours of the church may be the schismaticks , and a private member withdrawing may be free . suarez a great jesuite , in his disputation de schismate , sayes in some cases the pope may be a schismatick . if governours shall enjoyne any thing upon the church , or any member , that is sinne , or if they shall mingle evill in the publick worship , so that there can be no joyning with their worship , but there must be likewise a joyning with sinne , in this case if any withdraw from them , they are the schismaticks , not those who withdraw , they are fugati , not fugitivi . the blame of schisme , sayes learned vo●tius , must not be upon those who forsake such as have forsaken christ and the ancient faith ; but upon those who have thus forsaken christ and his truth . when the second councell of nice set up image-worship , many thousands could not yeeld to it , but were forced to withdraw , who was the schismaticall party there , but the synod and those who joyned with it ? yea further , if they impose that which is not necessary , ( though in it selfe not sinful ) and will not beare with the weaknesses of such as thinke it to be evill ; if upon that they be forced to withdraw ; in this the governours are the schismaticks also ; the cause of the rent is in them , they ought in such things to beare the weaknesses of their brethren , and not imperiously to require of them those things that there is no necessity of . if such things be sinne to their brethrens consciences , if they will stand upon it to enjoyne them , they lay a necessity upon them to withdraw from them . god will not lay the indictment of schisme thus , such a one departed from the communion of such a church , because he would not doe what was lawfull to be done ; but thus , you imposed that upon your brother which there was no necessity of , and would not forbeare him in what i would have you forbeare him , but caused him by your imperiousnesse and stiffenesse , to depart from communion with you . it is true , sayes god , the thing might have been done , but it was not necessary , it was out of conscience to me that they forbore , the weaknesse is theirs , but the schisme is yours . this hath beene generally received ( though it be very false ) that if a man departs from a church because he refuseth to joyn with it in that which is not in it selfe evill , that this mans departure is schismaticall : certainly no ; grant there is a weaknesse in his conscience , and so a sinne , he should informe his conscience better , but cannot ; and this inability is not without sinne , yet this arises not to that height of sinne , as to make that ( which ( supposing him to be in this condition ) is better for him to doe then not to doe ) to become schisme ; especially if he be willing to hold communion with that church still in all acts of worship , wherein he can joyne without sinning against his conscience , and continues brotherly love to them as saints in all the expressions thereof , as he is able . the first great schisme in the church , that was caused by the governours of it , was that which victor bishop of rome , and those who joyned with him caused , by that imperious way of enjoyning easter to be kept at such a time which you have mentioned , pag. , , . the story of which you have in eusebius , lib. . cap. . those who denyed not the lawfulnesse of keeping easter , yet have generally accused victor , and such who so violently urged this upon the churches as the cause of the schisme , not such who did not conforme to what was enjoyned them , because the thing was not necessary , and there should have beene a forbearance in it : no governour ought to urge such unnecessary things which are but under suspition by tender consciences , if they do , the schisme is justly charged upon them . thirdly , where a man cannot have his soule edified in some ordinances and truths of great moment , which that church whereof he now is shall deny , and is in great danger of being seduced to evill , he may depart from that church to another , if he does it orderly , and not be guilty at all of schisme , love to god and his owne soule is the cause of this , not want of love to his brethren . it is a good speech i finde chillingworth hath , what the goodnesse of the man was i know not , but in that treatise of his , the religion of protestants a safe way , cap. . part. . sect. . answering that plea of his adversary against protestants , that communion with a church not erring in fundamentals , upon pretence of erring in other matters , must not be forsaken , he hath this excellent saying : if i did not finde in my selfe a love and desire of all profitable truth ; if i did not put away idlenesse , and prejudice , and worldly affections , and so examine to the bottome all my opinions of divine matters , being prepared in minde to follow god , and god onely which way soever he shall lead me ; if i did not hope that i either doe or endeavour to doe these things , certainely i should have little hope of obtaining salvation . when i consider of these causes of departing from a particular church , that speech of tertullian concerning a martyr comes into my minde , non poena sed causa facit martyrem , not the punishment but the cause makes a martyr . so , non dec●ssio sed causa facit schismaticum , not the departing , but the cause makes a schismatick . aquinas shewing that wherein the vitiousnesse of schisme lyes , sayes , as in naturall things that which is by accident does not constitute the species , so in morall , not that which is beside the intention for that is accidentall : therefore , sayes he , the sin of schisme is in that it intends to separate from that unity which charity makes , and therefore schismaticks are properly those who of their own accord and intention doe separate themselves from the unity of the church . the next thing considerable in the description of schisme ; is the rashnesse of the separation : though the cause of separating be just , yet the manner of it may be schismaticall , if done rashly or violently . those who are joyned in communion with others , when they differ from those with whom they have communion , they are bound to examine , try , to make use of all meanes they can to satisfie their consciences in things they scruple : and if they cannot , yet before they breake off communion they are bound to seek by all means they can for a redress of those things which after most serious examination appeare evill to them , they are bound to wait with much forbearance , and longsuffering . and at last if there be a necessity of departing , they must not rend away with violence , but shew themselves willing and ready in the spirit of love and meeknesse to open their cause , to shew their reasons to the church why they cannot continue in that communion with them they formerly had , and desire that they may peaceably and lovingly depart , seeing they cannot with peace of their conscience and love to their soules continue with them , and that they may joyne with some other church , where they may enjoy peace and further edification . surely here is no schisme , this is no rending away , here is no violence used , here is onely a loving and peaceable secession ; notwithstanding this , were it not the pride , envy and frowardnesse of mens spirits , much love and peace might continue amongst christians and churches : true indeed , if men can beare no contradiction , no kinde of blame of their wayes , there must needs be trouble ; but then those who doe contradict or blame , though they be in the wrong , yet if it be through weaknesse , and carryed with meeknesse , they are not so much the cause of the trouble , as those who cannot beare this weaknesse of their brethren without frowardnesse and contention . there are other names of division ; the name of puritan , what a divider hath it been ? but that seeing it self ready to dye , divided it self into two , round head and independent ; these are now the opprobrious , discriminating , scornfull names of division amongst us : for the first , there is so much folly and absurdity in it , that surely it will soone vanish of it selfe if you contemne it ; it is too low and contemptible for a pulpit , or a pen to meddle with : but the other carries in the face of it an open defiance to all kind of government , a monstrous kind of liberty for men to live as they list , and to be accountable to none , whatsoever they hold or doe : certainly such kinde of people as these , are not to be suffered ; shall i say in any christian society ? no not in any humane society ; if there be any such people as these , they are one of the most monstrous kinde of people that ever lived upon the face of the earth : how many runne away with the word , and cry out of men and their wayes under this name which they know not ? how farre those who are for the congregationable way , are from such an uncontroulable liberty , hath beene shewne , chap. . pag. . i shall adde this one thing , of all kinde of governments in the church , that which hath this name fastened upon it is most opposite to the name of any in that sense it is ordinarily taken , for there is no church-government that holds forth more means to reduce from errour , or any miscarriage , then this doth ; examine it with the prelaticall or presbyteriall government , and you shall find it ; for first , in the prelaticall government , if once the prelates determine any case , you must there rest , there is no church helpe for you , except you will say it is in a convocation , where we know they ruled both in the choyce of members , and ordering all things as they list . in the presbyteriall way , if so many associated elders determine any case , it must in them receive the finall determination , you must rest in it , although the greater part of the churches , and the greater number of elders in a kingdome should be of another minde ; for if you rise to a nationall assembly , there are not the twentieth part of elders of the kingdome in it : but those who men call independents say , that if any thing be done by them that is offensive , not only those associated elders , but all or any elders or churches whatsoever may require account , may in the name of christ doe all in effect , for the reducing of them , that those associated elders can doe , still remembring that church-power in one or the other , goes no further then mens consciences ; if men wil not conscientiously regard what is done to reduce them from evill , there is no help within the church , but to appeale to christ ; as for the externall helpe by the magistrate , that concernes not the controversie about church-government , and yet for subjection to that ordinance of god , the principles and profession of those you call independents leave as much to the magistrate , as the principle or profession of those who are presbyteriall doe , if not more . tolle ●am nominis crimen & nihil restat nisi criminis nomen ; now take away the crime of the name , and there remaines nothing but the name of a crime . chap. xxvi . the seventh , eighth , ninth , tenth , eleventh , twelfth dividing practices . the seventh , whatsoever personall evill there is in any one who is in a differing way from others , is cast upon all that are in that way . this you know was the practice of former times , whatsoever evill any forward professour was guilty of , that was cast upon all , they are all thus ; doe you not see that hypocrites they are ? whatsoever their shewes be , yet if they have opportunity they will be as vile as any men ; enough may be found against the best of them all , if they were narrowly watched ; this is their way , they are a company of dissemblers : such kinde of imputations are carryed upon the miscarriage of any one , upon all , on purpose to enrage the people against them : we accounted this hard dealing heretofore , let us not now be guilty of such things our selves . some such practice it is like there was amonst the corinthians , when that foule fact of the incestuous person brake forth , some of them were puffed up , so the apostle chargeth them ; it is a very strange charge that any should be puffed up upon such a thing as that ; what was there in it to occasion puffing up ? the answer is this , it is cleare there were great divisions in corinth , some sided one way , some onother ; now one of them who was of such a side , fell into this foule and scandalous sinne , upon that the other side thought they had an advantage against the whole party , and this puffed them up ; nay doe you not see what one of them hath done ? you may by him see what kinde of men they are ; this made the whole party low in their eyes ; they cast the contempt of this one upon all that were associated with him in such a way differing from others : this could not but widen the divisions amongst them . it is an evill advantage that men take , if they see some very erroneous many wayes , and obnoxious in their lives , yet if these agree but in some one thing with those whom themselves differ from ; all the odium of these errours and loose lives must be cast upon such as they thus agree with , in that one thing though their consciences cannot but tell them , that those brethren who are in a differing way from them , doe abominate such errourrs and loosenesse of life as much as themselves . after god used luther to bring light into germany , there arose many sects ; papists say , there were grown in the church after luthers time , in one hundred yeeres , two hundred and seventy sects , whereas from christs time to his , there cannot be reckoned above a hundred eighty one . now this was the practice of the papists , that they might cast an odium upon the lutheran party , which they lookt upon as standing most in their light ; whatsoever errours were held , or miscarriages of life appeared in any of these sects , all was cast upon the lutheran party , upon this ground , because the lutherans and these sects agreed in this , that they were all against the papacie . there are many amongst us , who contend for severall wayes , anabaptists , antinomians , socinians , separatists , those that are for the congregationall way , seekers , with many others , they all agree in this , that they are against the prelacie ; doe you now thinke it were a just thing for the prelates to gather together all the errours , opinions , and miscarriages in life , in all these sorts of men , and cast the ignominy and odium of all upon our brethren , who contend for the presbytery ? if they should say , look what vile opinions are held by those who are against episcopacie , how scandalously many of them live , but they all concenter in this , they would have the prelacie downe , they are enemies to bishops : you would presently answer , what though they agree in this one thing ? yet such as are for the presbyterie , they are as much against the errours and disorders of those who joine with them in this one thing , as your selves are . we read ier. . . shemajah sent letters to zephaniah against ieremiah ; marke the argument he useth why ieremiah should be dealt severely withall . the lord , sayes he to zephaniah , hath made thee priest instead of iehojadah . why , what then ? where lyes the force of his argument , that ieremiah must therefore be punished ? it lay here , iehojadah had punished one matthan an idolatrous priest ; therefore , sayes shemajah , you must doe as iehojadah did ; as if he should say , they are both in one way , this ieremiah was a priest , and so was matthan ; such kinde of men must be looked to , they are all alike . matthan was odious to the people , they all said he was not to be suffered , and they being in some things alike , therefore all the evill which was found in matthan , all the odium that was upon him , must be cast upon jeremiah . certainly this is a very sinfull , unjust , uncharitable practice of men , ( especially such as professe godlinesse ) against their brethren : it widens , heightens , and lengthens our divisions very much . the eighth dividing practice is an innordinate cleaving to some , so as denying due respect to others . this was the practice amongst the corinthians , which caused great divisions amongst them ; some were of paul , some of apollos , some of cephas . no question a man may in his heart more reverence , and prize , and outwardly shew more respect to those whom god makes the greatest instruments of good ( ●ateris paribus ) then to others . david shewed more respect to nathan than to god ; nathan was by farre more intimate with him : the intimacy was such between them , that nathan thought it a very strange thing that david should doe any thing about the disposing of his crowne , and not make him acquainted with it . so valentinean the emperour upon this ground honoured ambrose above any of the bishops in his time . such men as god is not pleased to make so instrumentall for good as others , should not envy this ; let them be willing that those should be honoured whom god honours : but yet people should take heed that they give not so much honour to one , that they deny due respect to others ; and ministers and others in publike place should not entertaine , much lesse seeke for , or rejoyce in any honour or respect given to them , which they see detracts from that esteeme and countenance that is due to others . peter martyr upon that place , cor. . , . observes , that heathen philosophers were ambitious that their disciples should receive denomination from them : hence some were called platonici , others pythagorici , others epicures , but this should be abominated amongst christians ▪ lanctantius hath a notable speech against this , those ( sayes he ) cease to be christians ▪ who take upon them the names of men , and are not called by the name of christ . peter martyr upon the fore-named place , sayes of secrates , that he was more modest then the rest , he refused to be accounted the author of that learning he taught others , but said of himselfe , that he was a but a mid-wife to be helpfull to the bringing forth of that , which was in the mindes of men before . the weaknesse and folly of people in their inordinate giving or denying respects , is often caused , but more ordinarily fomented and encreased by the pride and vanity of teachers , in seeking for , or at least in a pleasing embracing such inordinate respects given to them , whereby others suffer much ; siding of parties is made , and more hurt comes to the publike , then their honours are worth a thousand times over : this evill many times comes of it , that reason and truth from one man is little regarded , and error and weaknesse from another man is greedily embraced , and stifly maintained ; whereas it should be with reason and truth , as it is with money , one mans money in a market is as good as anothers , so should one mans reason and truth spoken by him be as good as anothers . the ninth dividing practice . because men cannot joyne in all things with others , they will joyne in nothing . some men are of such dividing dispositions , that if they be offended with a man in any one thing , in hearing , or otherwise , they will goe away in a tetchy moode , resolving never to heare him more . you think you have liberty in any froward mood to cast off that meanes of good which god offers to you , to refuse to partake of such mens gifts and graces as you please ; it may be your stomack is so high and great on a sudden , or your spirit is falne into such a sullen humour , as you will not so much as go or send to him , to see if upon a serious and quiet examination of things , you may not have satisfaction in what for the present offends you . no , mens spirits are carryed on with present rash heady resolutions . i believe there was never such a kinde of spirit prevailing amongst such as professe godlinesse , since christian religion was in the world ; never did so many withdraw from hearing even those by whom they acknowledge god hath spoken to their hearts and that before they have gone to them , to impart what it is that scruples them , to try whether they may not get some satisfaction . certainly if you have no neede of the word , the word hath no neede of you . you may easily express your discontents one to another ; you may easily say you are resolved you will never heare such an one any more , but you cannot so easily answer this to jesus christ . when your weaknesses , the prevailing of your distempers shall grate upon your consciences , this will be a great aggravation of the evil of them , you neglected in a humorous way , and selfe-willed resolution , those means that might have done your soule good , even such as many hundred , if not thousands of soules blesse god for all the dayes of their lives , yea are now blessing god in heaven for . heretofore you would have been glad of that , which now you sleight and reject ; this is not from more light or strength that you have now which you had not then , but from more vanity , pride , and wantonnesse . others deny hearing , not from such a distempered spirit , but out of tendernesse , because they think the minister is no true minister of christ , because he had no true call , because he was ordained by the prelats , &c. i confesse though for mine own part i never yet doubted of the lawfulnesse of the call of many of the ministers of the parishionall congregations in england , though they had something superadded which was sinfull , yet it did not nullifie what call they had by the church , that communion of saints , amongst whom they exercised their ministery , yet i doe not thinke it the shortest way to convince those which refuse to heare , to stand to prove to them the lawfulnesse of the call of those ministers whom they refuse to heare , but rather to make it out to them , that though their call be not right to the ministery , yet they have not sufficient ground of withdrawing from hearing them . for they hold it is lawfull for a man to preach the word as a gifted man , and that these men from whom they withdraw are gifted and faithfull , and preach excellent truths they deny not . but they will say , if they did this as gifted men , it were another matter , but they preach by vertue of their call . the answer to that is , if they be acted by that principle , and therein mistake , this is their personall sinne , not the sin of those who joyne with them in a good thing , which they doe upon an ill ground . when i joyne with a man in an action , i am to look to the action , and to the principle that i goe upon , but let him with whom i joyne look to the principle that he goes upon . your hearing a man doth no way justifie his call to the office of the ministery . if a man doth a thing that he may doe by vertue of two relations or either of them , it may be he thinks he stands in one of those relations which indeed he doth not , yet he doth the action by vertue of it in his owne thoughts , in this he sinnes ; but there is another relation wherein he stands , that is enough to warrant the action that he doth to be lawfull . now though he doth not intend the acting by this relation , the action may be sinne to him , but not at all sinne to those who joyne with him in it . if he will goe upon a false ground , when he may goe upon a true , let him looke to it . i will joyne with him in that action as warranted for him to doe by vertue of his second relation , which it may be he will not owne himselfe . take an instance in some other thing , and the case perhaps will be more cleare . giving almes is a worke that a man may doe either by vertue of church office , as a deacon , or as a christian whom god hath blessed in his estate , or betrusted with the distribution of what others betrust him with . now suppose a man is in the place of a deacon , he thinks himself to be in that office by a right call into it , and he gives out the almes of his church by vertue of his call ; but i am perswaded his call to that office is not right , he is not a true deacon ; yet if i be in want , i knowing that both he & those who have given him money to dispose , may and ought to distribute to those that are in need , by vertue of another relation , as men , as christians , enabled by god , surely then i may receive almes from him lawfully , though his principle by which he gives them me is sinne to him . i may communicate with him in this thing , though he acts by vertue of that office that he had no true call unto ; why may i not as well communicate with a man in his gifts , though he acts thus sinfully himselfe ? this consideration will answer all those objections ●gainst hearing men , that they say are not baptized ; grant they are not , and so you thinke they cannot be ministers ; yet they are men gifted by god , and thereby enabled to dispence many truths of god to your soule . the tenth dividing practice , fastning upon those who are in any errour , all those false things and dangerous consequences , that by strength of reason and subtilty may be drawne from that errour . this imbitters the spirits of men one against another , it is true , grant one false thing , and a thousand may follow , but i must not judge of a man that holds that one false opinion , as if he had the malignity of those thousand evill things in his spirit . i finde our divines who have been of peaceable spirits have condemned very much this fastening of dangerous consequences of mens opinions , upon those who hold the opinions , and yet whose hearts are as much against such consequences , as possibly may be deduced from them , as any : in their giving rules for peace , they advise to take heed of this , as a thing which makes brethren , who are different in their opinions unlikely ever to become one . davenant sayes , it is abhorrent to charity and right reason , that any because of consequences from what he holds , neither understood nor granted by him , should be thought to deny or reject a fundamentall article , which he firmly beleeves , expresly asserts , and if he were called to it , whould seale the truth of it with his bloud : truer , and more gentle , sayes he , is the judgment of that great and peace-making divine , bucer , who sayes , it is our part not to look at what may follow from an opinion , but at what followes in the consciences of those who hold it . the eleventh dividing practice , to commend and countenance what we care not for , in opposition to what we dislike . when such as professe godlinesse shall make much of wicked men , shall commend them , joyne with them , embrace them ; yea , be well pleased with the bitternesse , boisterousnesse , boldnesse of their daring spirits , because there may be use made of them against those men and wayes they differ from , this is an evill which brings guilt upon themselves , and makes the division between them and their brethren very great : if your hearts be right , and your cause be good , you need not make use of any thing that is evill , to comfort your hearts , or to maintaine your cause : the lord will not be beholding to the evill , the bitternesse of mens spirits , for the furtherance of his cause ; and why should you ? god will not take the wicked by the hand , neither shouldest thou : are not your spirits strengthned against your adversaries , when you see them calling in papists , and all manner of the refuse of men wicked and treacherous : can you thinke that these are the most likely to maintaine the protestant religion , and the liberty of the subject ? why doe you seek to strengthen your selves by stirring up vile men to joyne with you , such as heretofore your hearts were opposite to ? how comes it to passe , you can close so lovingly now ? you can smile one upon another , and shake hands together : how comes it to passe , you doe rejoyce the hearts of evill men ; they encourage you , and you encourage them ? those unsavoury bitter expressions that come from them , you can smile at , and be well pleased with , because they are against such as differ from you ; blow up that sparkle of ingenuity that heretofore hath been in you ; lay your hands upon your hearts , bethinke your selves , is it the spirit of jesus christ , that acts us in such a way wherein we are ? surely , this is not the way of peace , but of division and confusion . the last dividing practice , the practice of revenge . when any provoke you , you say you will be even with him , there is a way whereby you may be , not even with him , but above him ; that is , forgive him . practising revenge is the way to continue divisions to the end of the world ; such offend me , therefore i will offend them ; and therefore they offend me againe , mee againe , and i them , and so it may run in infinitum ; they deny mee a kindnesse , therefore i will deny them , and therefore they will deny mee ; so these unkindnesses run on endlesly ; divisions will have a line of succession , where will it , where can it stop , if this be the way of men ? paulus fagius in his notes upon leviticus , cap. . v. . sayes , if reuben should say to simeon , lend me thy axe , and he should answer , i will not ; the next day simeon hath need of an axe , and he comes to reuben , and sayes , i pray lend me your axe , and reuben answers , no , you would not lend me yours yesterday ; the jewes accounted this to be revenge : there is much more malignity in our revengefull practices one upon another then this . basil invelghing against requiting evill for evill , in his tenth sermon , speakes thus to a revengefull heart ; doe not make your adversary your master , doe not imitate him whom you hate ; be not you his looking-glasse , to present his forme and fashion in your selfe . revenge god challengeth to himselfe as his , presume not to encroach upon gods proprietie , to get up into gods seate , and doe his worke , thou hast enough to doe of thine owne . and it is very observable , how god stands upon his challenge of revenge as his owne ; as that which he by no meanes will suffer others to meddle with : in those scriptures where this is mentioned , the challenge is doubled , yea , sometimes treble● , as psal . . . o lord god to whom vengeance belongeth , o god to whom vengeance belongeth : so nahum . . . the lord revengeth , the lord revengeth , the lord will take vengeance on his adversaries , heb. . . vengeance belongeth to me , i will recompence saith the lord ; and againe , the lord will judge his people : you must not think revenge to be so light a matter . how unbeseeming are revengefull practices to christian profession ! many of the heathens were above such things . plutarch reports of phocion , that when he had done notable service for the athenians , yet was put to death by them ; but being asked a little before his death whether he had any thing to say to his sonne ; yes , sayes he , that i have , i require of thee my sonne , that thou never wishest ill to the athenians for this they doe to me . how farre are most of us from this ? we can hardly passe by an ill looke without revenge ; but if we conceive our selves to be wronged in words or actions , then revenge rises high , such things must not be born . a gentleman of very good credit , who lived at court many yeeres , told me that himselfe once heard a great man in this kingdome say , he never forgave man in his life : and i am moved the rather to beleeve it to be so , because i have been told by some other gentlemen , that the same man would when he was walking alone , speake to himselfe , and clap his hand upon his breast , and sweare by the name of god , that he would be revenged , hee would be revenged ; and that she who lay in his bosome , was wont to sit alone , and sing to her selfe , revenge , revenge , o how sweet is revenge , ! if they get power into their owne hands , and are so uxorious , as they must needs give way to have things managed according to the will of their revengefull wives : what peace , what security is there like to be ? sir walter rawleigh in his history of the world , tells of the sad case of the lacedemonians , when nabis having power in his hands , having a wife , apega , a woman full of cruelty and revenge , her husband delighting in her , caused her image to be made , lively representing her , and apparelled with costly garments ; but indeed , it was an engin to torment men withall ; he made use of it thus , when he could not have his will upon men by his owne perswasions , he tooke them by the hand , telling them , that perhaps his wife apega , who sate by in a chaire could perswade more effectually , so he led them to the image , that rose up and opened the armes , as it were for embracement ▪ those armes were full of sharpe iron nayles , the like whereof were also sticking in the brests , though hidden with her clothes , and herewith she griped these men to death : at which nabis standing by , laughed to see the cruell death of these miserable men . the lord deliver us from revengefull spirits . chap. xxvii . the evill of divisions , they hinder much good . evsebius reports of constantine , that he was more troubled with the dissentions of the church , then with all the warres in his dominions , that he took them so to heart , that he could not sleep quietly for them ; yea , although he had a spirit full of heroick valour , yet the dissentions of the church were such evils to him , as to cause him to cry and sob : thus he writes in an epistle to alexander and arius , let me enjoy the dayes in peace , and the nights without mol●station , that the pleasure which riseth out of the pure light of concord and quiet life , may henceforth inviolably be conserved ; if it otherwise happen , it behoveth us to sob and sigh , and to shed many a salt teare . what heart that hath any tendernesse in it , bleeds not in the sense of those sore & dreadful heart-divisions there are amongst us ! the evill there is in them , is beyond what tongue or pen can expresse : take a view of it under these three heads . . the good they hinder . . the sinne they cause . . the misery they bring . first , the quiet , comfort , sweetnesse of our spirits is hindered by divisions : they put the spirit out of tune ; men who heretofore have had sweet spirit full of ingenuity , since they have interessed themselves in these divisions , have lost their sweetnesse , their ingenuity is gone . when the bee stings , she leaves her sting behinde her , and never gathers honey more ; men by stinging one another , doe not lose their stings , but they lose their honey , they are never like to have that sweetnesse in their hearts , that heretofore they had , shall i lose my sweetnesse , sayes the fig-tree , and goe to be promoted over the trees ? why doest thou not reason thus with thy spirit ? shall i lose my sweetnesse in contending , to get my will to be above others ? god sorbid . there was a time that both my my selfe and others found much sweetnesse in the temper of spirit ; there was nothing but peaceablenesse , quiet , calmnesse , contentednesse in it , and how comfortable was such a temper of spirit ! me thought when my spirit was in that sweet frame , all things were sweet to me ; but since i have been interested in quarrels and contentions , it hath beene farre otherwise with me . prov. . . perversnesse in the tongue causes a breach in the spirit . contentions cause much perversnesse in mens tongues , and this causes a breach in their spirits . your contending costs you deare : though it were in nothing else , yet the losse of this sweetnesse of spirit makes it very costly to you . all the wrong that you should have put up if you had not contended , had not been so great an evil to you , as this one thing is . there is nothing more contrary to ingenuity then quarrelsomnesse . it is reported of melancthon , that when he was to dye he had this speech , and strigelius at his death had the same : i desire to depart this life for two causes : first , that i may enjoy the desired sight of the sonne of god , and the church in heaven . secondly , that i may be delivered from the fierce and implacable hatred of divines . there was much disputing , contending , quarrelling in those times , which was so tedious to the spirits of these good men , as it made them the willinger to dye , that they might be where their souls should be at rest . that saint of god old m. dod , never loved to meddle with controversies ; he gave that reason , he found his heart the worse when he did . men seldome come away from hot disputes , or any other contentions , but their spirits are altered for the worse . they finde it so , and others finde it in them . if a man has beene abroad , and met with company with whom he hath been contending , his wife , children , servants , finde that he comes not home with the same spirit that he went out with . secondly , they hinder the freedome of a mans spirit , which a wise man sets a high price upon : the strength of many mens spirits is spent in contentions , they have no command of them to any thing else . when a man is once engaged in a contest , he knows not how to get off ; contention is a great snare to a man , he wishes he had never medled with it , he is weary of it , but knowes not how to come off fairely . i have read of francis the first , king of france , consulting with his captaines how to lead his army over the alpes , into italy , whether this way or that way ; amarill his foole sprung out of a corner where he sate unseene , and bad them rather take care which way they should bring their army out of italy back again . it is easie for one to interest himselfe in quarrels , but the difficulty is to be disengaged from them when you are in . thirdly , they hinder the good of the body ; many men contending with their brethren are so full of stomach , that they have no stomach , they hinder their sleep ; men lye tossing up & downe a great part of the night , sometimes whole nights , musing , plodding and contriving , how they may make their party good , what advantages they may get of those they contend with . have the thoughts about the breach sinne hath made between god and thy soul , broke thy sleep so much as the thoughts of breaches between thee and thy neighbours and brethren ? we reade of moses , deut. . . that he was an hundred and twenty yeeres old when he died , his eye was not dimme , nor his naturall force abated . some give this to be one reason of such a wonderfull preservation of his health and strength , the meeknesse of his spirit : god witnesses of him , numb . . . that he was the meekest man upon the face of the earth . that good old man mr. dod came very neere to moses in the one and in the other . fourthly , they hinder mens judgements : if the water be muddie , we cannot see what lies at the bottome . these dissentions disturb the medium of our sight : you cannot weigh gold in the middest of blustring windes : you cannot consider and give a judgement upon truth , except the heart be calme . gregory nazianzen hath this similitude : as the earth , sayes he , is fixed to men whose braines and eyes are sound , but to those who have a vertigo in their heads it seems to turne round : so we are deceived in our apprehensions of things , we have not the same judgment of things when we love , and when we doe not love . fiftly , they hinder the sweetnesse of christian converse and communion : you know your communion with the saints was wont to be farre more sweet then now it is : ye were wont to have your hearts spring at the sight of one another : ipse aspectus boni viri delectat , sayes seneca , the very sight of a good man delights , the sight of a godly man was wont to delight us otherwise then now it does : you look one upon another now sowrely , with lowring countenance , and withdraw from one another : your comforts were wont to be double , treble , seven fold , an hundred fold , according to that society of saints you conversed withall ; one godly man accounted it the joy of his heart , that he had any thing that he could communicate to another godly man , and the other had the like joy that he had any thing to communicate to him ; thus comforts were multiplyed ; but now your comforts are single , oh the sweetnesse , the sutablenesse there was wont to be in the spirits of christians ! shall i say sutablenesse ? it was a blessed onenesse of heart : they did as it were exchange soules one with another every day ; their soules did close claspe one with , and cleave one to another . oh how did they love to open their hearts one to another ! what delight was there in pouring forth their spirits one into another ! what cheerfulnesse was there wont to be in their meeting ! they eate their bread together with singlenesse of heart and joy , praising the lord. there were no such merry meetings in the world , as the meetings of the saints were wont to be : they parted one from another with their soules bound up one in another ; their hearts warmed , enlarged , resolved , strengthened in gods waies . but now they cannot meet together but they fall a jarring , contending one with another , and part with spirits estranged from , sowred , and imbittered one against another : their hearts weakned , and more unsetled in the things of god then before . heretofore when they were absent one from another , yet the remembrance one of another was joyfull ; but these dayes seeme to be gone . where is there that opening of secrets one to another as formerly ? every one is afraid of another . what sweet visits were there wont to be ? what bearing one anothers burdens ? what heart-encouraging letters ? it was with the saints as in tertulli●ns time , christians called brethren , and were ready to dye for one another : but now they are burdens to one anothers spirits , they bring evils one upon another . those who heretofore were forward professors , whose society was onely amongst the saints , now they can suit well enough with those who are carnal , they close with them , their converse is most amongst them . oh lord , what fire is it that is kindled amongst us ! the nature of fire is , congregare homogenea , & segregare heterogenea , to gather things of a like nature together , and separate things of a different : but our fire does quite contrary , it separates things that are homogeneall , and joyns things heterogeneall . surely this is no other then the fire of hell . sixthly , they hinder our time . abundance of time is spent about our divisions , which we are not able to give account to god for . when men are engaged in contentions , they will follow them night and day , whatsoever business be neglected , to be sure that must not : yea the choice of our time that was wont to be spent in meditation , reading , prayer , is now spent in contending and wrangling . those retired times that we were wont to converse with god in , are now spent in the workings of our thoughts about our divisions ; and when we come abroad then a great part of our time is taken up in going first to this body , and then to the other , to help forward and foment matter of division . of all the time of a mans life , that time that is spent in lawing and quarrelling is the worst , and happy it were for many that it might not be reckoned amongst the days , weeks , or moneths of their lives . seventhly , they hinder our prayers . if two or three agree together touching any thing they shall aske , it shall be done for them by my father , sayes christ , mat. . . tim. . . i will that men pray , lifting up their hands without wrath . when daniel was in a strait , he goes to his companions , and desires them to lift up prayers to god for him , dan. . . there was a a sweet agreement between them . hence their stock and trade in prayer went in common , but divisions do exceedingly hinder prayer , either one with another , or one for another . pet. . . the apostle giving rules for a peaceable loving life between man & wife , the woman must be meek , and the man live with his wife as a man of knowledge ; and they must walk together as the heires of life . why so ? that your prayers may not bee hindred . private contentions in families are great hindrances of family-prayers : so our publick divisions and contentions are the great hindrances of the prayers of christians in a more publick way . how were they wont to pour forth their hearts in prayer together ? then their hearts closed , but now it is otherwise . men do not walk now together as the heirs of life , therefore their prayers are hindred . god accepts not of our gift , if we offer it when our hearts are at a distance from our brethren . when breaches continue , and we are not reconciled , you know christ requires us to leave our gift at the altar till reconciliation be made . it is the spirit of god in the saints that is the spirit of prayer : now gods spirit is a dove-like , meek , quiet , and peaceable spirit . eighthly , they hinder the use of our gifts : when vessels are sowred with vinegar , they spoil liquor that is poured into them , they make it good for nothing : many men have excellent gifts , but they are in such sowre vinegar spirits , that they are of little or no use in church and common-wealth . . in these times of division , many men exercise their gifts and parts in little or nothing else but in matters of division ; do you think that god hath given you such parts for no other end but this ? . they have no hearts to impart to their brethren their gifts in counselling , admonishing , strengthning , comforting : no , their hearts are estranged from them , they care not to have any thing to do with them : but do you think , that you are so far your own men , that you may keep in , or imploy your talents as you please ? are you not the stewards of christ , are they not given to you for the edification of your brethren , as well as for good to your selves ? can this satisfie your consciences ? such a one differs from you , he hath angred you , therefore though you have opportunity of being useful to him , yet you refuse it , as if it were at your liberty to lay out your abilities for good , or not , certainly , this is not according to the mind of christ . cor. . . the manifestation of the spirit is given to every man to profit withall . . if you do make use of your gifts for the good of others , yet dissentions between you will hinder the profit of them , you are not like to do any good by them , except they be carryed on by the oyl of love , they wil not soak into mens hearts . when did you ever know a wrangling contentious minister ( though his gifts were never so excellent ) do good amongst his people ? and what comfort can a man have of his life , if he be laid aside by god as a useless man ? . these divisions cause men to make the gifts of others useless to themselves , whereas god puts opportunity into mens hands , to get much good by those excellent gifts their brethren have , yet if there be any difference between them , either they will not acknowledge the gifts of god in them , or otherwise they have no mind to receive from them that good they might have , because their hearts are not with them . ninthly , they hinder our graces ; how little of god and christ , little spiritualness appears in professours of religion since these rents and divisions have been amongst us , in comparison of what in former times hath appeared . as the members of the body ( sayes augustine ) are not quickned , except they be joyned , so even the members of christ do not receive of the quickning vertue of christ , except they be joyned : here is the reason of the deadness , coldness , emptiness , barrenness , vanity of your spirits , you are not joyned : o where are the heavenly christians that were wont to be , those humble , those holy gracious soules , who lived by faith , who were able to deny themselves , their whole lives were nothing else but a continuall exercise of self-denyall , who were not onely patient , but joyfull under afflictions ? where are those watchfull christians who walked close with god , who enjoyed such spirituall communion with him , as made their faces shine in their holy heavenly conversations ? where are those tender , broken-hearted christians that were wont to be , who lived upon the word , to whom the word was more sweet then honey and the honey comb ? now there is another kind of face of professours of religion , as if there were godliness in these dayes , not of the same kind with that which was formerly . if our fore-fathers , who were the most holy and gracious , should rise againe , they would not own those for professours of religion who now make a great noyse , keep a great stirr about religion , as if they had got up higher then their fore-fathers had , and yet are loose , vain , frothy , false in their way . certainly , those holy , gracious saints , whom these new professours sleight , were they alive , they would abominate them , as the great disgrace of , and dishonour to jesus christ and his saints . take but away their disputes , and for any else , how empty and dry are they ? if they ever had any grace , it is under a deal of rubbish , we cannot see it , and can these men be any other but an empty vine , seeing their hearts are so divided ? the graces that they seemed to have had , are quite blasted ; and if there were any in truth , they are exceedingly weakned ; vinegar will dissolve pearls . pliny tells of cleopatra queen of egypt , that in her wanton bravery , at a supper she made for marcus antonius , she dissolv'd a pearl in vinegar , and drank it off , and prepared another , both which were valued worth neer five thousand pounds : oh the many precious pearls worth thousands of gold and silver , that are dissolv'd by the vinegar sowreness of mens spirits in these sharp dissentions that are amongst us ! our divisions hinder the breaking forth of the lustre , the shine of religion in the beauty and glory of it . the fire of our contentions raises such a smoak , that it all besmothers us , it takes away our comliness , it makes us look black , no amiableness appears in the wayes of religion to convince men of the excellency of them . scratch'd faces , rent and torn garments we account a shame to us ; distracted , divided spirits , rending and tearing one another , and from one another in our divided wayes , o how uncomely doth it render us , and that profession of religion that we take upon us ! the turks were wont to wonder much at our english men for pinking and cutting their clothes , counting them little better then mad men , for making holes in whole cloth , which time of it self would tear too soon : the cuts , rents , slashes that are in our spirit , in our divisions at this day , are much more uncomely , and may justly render us foolish and mad in the eyes of all that do behold us . our divisions hinder our strength ; if you untwist a cable , how weak is it in the severall parts of it ? a threefold cord is not easily broken , but a single one is : divide a strong current into severall rivelets , and how shallow and weak will the course of the water be ? that act that plutarch reports to the king of scythia , scilurus , toward his sons hath been very famous , to set out how divisions weaken wheresoever they are ; he sayes he had eighty sons , and when he was near death , he caused a bundle of arrows to be brought and given them one by one , bidding each of them to break it ; they all answered , it was impossible for any man to do it ; then he causes the arrows to be taken out one by one , and bade one of his sons break them , this any of them could easily do ; upon this he speaks to his sonnes thus , if ye agree together , ye shall abide strong and unconquerable ; but if ye divide your selves , contending one with another , ye will be weak and easily overcome . they hinder our doing good in publick ; that which concerns many , must be done by many : but how can two , much less many , walk together , if they be not agreed ? that which one does , the other seeks to undo : now although god can turn whatsoever is contrary to his work , to the furtherance of it , yet man cannot do so . when god would hinder the work of building babel , he comes down and confounds their tongues , so as they could not joyn together in it : thus when the devill would hinder the work of jerusalem , he knows no way more likely then by dividing the hearts of those who are employed , if he can possibly , that thereby he might bring confusion . they hinder our own ends ; none are more crossed in their ends and designes , then contentious people ; we have not the mutuall benefits of one anothers estates , houses , the many ways of accommodation and help for one another , as heretofore we were wont to have ; now every man shifts for himselfe ; scarce any man who knew what the heartiness of friendship meant , enjoyes those outward accommodations as he was wont . they hinder the blessing of god , psalm . . the psalmist commending the love of brethren concludes , there the lord commanded the blessing , even life for evermore . there ! that is , where the love of brethren is , there is a blessing , a blessing commanded by god ; it comes with power , and this no less then life , and this life for evermore . god dwels in salem , sayes luther , not in babylon ; where there is peace , not where there is confusion . lastly , yea they hinder all good . they are like the torrid zone , nothing can prosper under it . when the dog-star rises no plants thrive as an other times . when a fire is kindled in a town , the bels ring backward . when fires of contention are kindled in places , all things go awke . there is little joy in any thing . thus you see how great evill there is in our divisions in respect of what good we lose by them : now then consider whether it be possible that any gain we can get by them can recompense this loss ; can any thing got by them quit the cost ? but if it could be supposed our loss may be recompensed , yet i am sure nothing can countervail the evill there is in them , in respect of the sinfulness of them . that is the next head . chap. xxviii . the sinfulnesse of our divisions . though there be sin in many things mentioned , yet we considered them in reference to our good that was hindred : but now let us consider what venome of sin there is in them . the number . hath been accounted accursed , because it was the first that departed from unity . the departure from that unity god would have , is a very cursed thing , for it hath much sin in it . that which s. aug. sayes of originall sin , we may well apply to our divisions , they are sin , the punishment of sin , the cause of sin , nothing but a heap of sin . first , they are against the solemn charge and command of god , and of jesus christ . john . . this is his commandement , that we should believe on the name of his son jesus christ , and love one another as he gave us commandement . it is not an arbitrary thing that we should love one another , but it is the command of god , and a great command joyned to that of beleeving in his son jesus christ . the one is as truly necessary to salvation as the other . let men talk of faith , of believing on the son of god , of trusting to free grace in christ , yet if they have dividing , contending spirits , no love , no sweetness , no grace of union with the saints , their faith is a dead faith : and because god stands much upon this to have his people live together in love , at the beginning of the verse he sayes , it is his commandement ; at the end of the verse he sayes , he gave us commandement ; and it is also observable , that he sayes of the commandement of love , that he gave us that commandement . it is a gift , for it is a sweet commandement . we should not onely submit to it , as being bound by the authority of it : but we should open our hearts to it , and embrace it joyfully as a gift from god. the commandement of love god gives us as a gift from his love . the excellency of these commandements are further amplified , ver . . and he that keepeth his commandements dwelleth in him , and he in him . i do not thinke that you can finde in all the scripture any command of god in one ver . and a piece of another so inculcated and commended . again , chap. . . this commandement have we from him , that he who loveth god loves his brother also . if you think you have any command to love god , or to believe in jesus christ , know the same authority layes a command upon you , to love your brother also . joh. . . this is my commandement , that ye love one another as i have loved you . and ver . . these things i cowmand you , that ye love one another . christ you see likewise makes a great matter of the saints loving one another . surely the sinne then must needs be great that breaks such a great commandement as this , upon which god the father and jesus christ his son layes so much weight . secondly , these unkind and unloving divisions are against the prayer of jesus christ , yea against that prayer he made for us a little before he died , joh. . . he prayes to his father , that all who did believe , and should after believe on him , might be one , as his father is in him , and he is in his father ; and that they may be one in the father and him : as if he should say , oh father , i am now going out of the world , and i foresee , when i am gone , even those whom thou hast given me , who are one in me , and in thee , will meet with strong temptations to divide them one from another : but oh father i beseech thee , let thy fatherly care be over them , to keep their hearts together , that they might be united in the strongest union that is possible for creatures to be united in . oh father , let them be one , as thou and i am one . would we not be loath to lose the benefit of that heavenly prayer of christ for us in that . of joh. read it over , see what soul-ravishing excellency there is in it , seeing he hath expresly said he intended us who live now , in it , as well as those disciples who then lived with him ; let us prize this prayer , as being more to us then ten thousand worlds . luther writes a chiding letter to melancthon ; by those sinfull distrustfull fears and carking thoughts of yours , sayes he , you do irritas facere praeces nostras , you make void our prayers . how great then is the evill of our divisions ? by them we do what in us lies to make void as concerning us the prayer , that blessed prayer of jesus christ . sathan , sayes christ to peter , hath desired to winnow you like wheat , but i have prayed for you that your faith fail not . he shall not prevail , sayes christ : why ? because i have prayed for you . oh blessed saviour , is not thy prayer against our divisions , as strong ? canst not thou prevail with thy father as well in this as in that ? we know thy father did and does ever hear thee : some way or other this prayer of christ is , and shall be heard ; yet our sin is not the less , for it tends to the frustrating of christs prayer . sathan desires to winnow us in our divisions , but he desires not to have the chaffe divided from the wheat , he rather would have the chaffe mixed with the wheat . the mixing the chaffe with the wheat makes a great stirre amongst us : but christs prayer which helped peter in his winnowing , we hope will help us in ours : only let not us do any thing that makes against it . thirdly , our divisions are against our own prayers , how often have many who now are estrang'd from one another , heretofore so prayed together , as their hearts have seemed to melt one into another , so as one would think it impossible that ever in this world there should have been that distance between them that now there is . how often have we prayed , oh that once we might be blessed with such a mercy , as to worship god according to his own mind ! that we might be delivered from conscience oppression , from spirituall bondage ! oh that we might be delivered from the inventions of men in the service of god : that the saints might joyn and serve the lord with one shoulder . there were never such hopes that the saints should enjoy their prayers so as of late there hath been , and yet never were they so divided as now they are : they now seek to bring one another in bondage . if five or six years since when many of us were praying together , making our moans to god for that oppression we were under , god should have then presented as in a map , such times as these are to our view ; could we have beleeved that it were possible that there should be such a distance in our spirits as now there is ? fourthly , our divisions are very dishonourable to jesus christ ; were it , that they darkned our names onely , it were not so much ; but that which darkens the glory of jesus christ , should goe very neere unto us . i have read of alexander severus , seeing two christians contending one with another , commanded them that they should not presume to take the name of christians upon themselves any longer ; for ( sayes he ) you dishonour your master christ , whose disciples you professe to be . it is dishonour to a general to have his army routed , and run into confusion . the devill seems to prevaile against us in these our divisions , so as to rout us . john . . . is a notable scripture , to shew the sinfulnesse of our divisions , in the dishonour they put upon christ , and it may be as strong an argument against them as any i know in the book of god ; christ praying to the father for the union of his saints , uses this argument , o father let this be granted , that the world may beleeve that thou hast sent me : and againe , ver . . let them be perfect in one , that the world may know that thou hast sent me . if they be not united one to another in love and peace , but have a spirit of division ruling amongst them , what will the world thinke ? surely , that thou didst not send me ; that i who am their head , their teacher and lord , never came from thee , for thou art wisdom , holiness and love , & if i had come from thee , then those who own me to be theirs , and whom i own to be mine , would hold forth in their conversations something of that spirit of holinesse , wisdome and love there is in thee ; but when the world does not see this in them , but the clean contrary , they will never beleeve , that i came from thee ; those truths that i came into the world to make known as from thee , o father will not be beleeved , but rather persecuted , if those who professe them by their divisions one from another , and oppositions one against another , shew forth a spirit of pride , folly , envy , frowardnesse ; therefore , o father , let them be one as thou and i am one ; if this petition be not granted , how shall i look the world in the face ; i shall be contemned in the world : what am i come down from thee , for such glorious ends as indeed those were , for which i came into the world , and when i should come to attaine those ends , for which i came , shall there be such a carriage in those who doe professe my name , that by it the world shall perswade themselves , that thou didst never send me ? o what a sore evill would this be ! surely any christian heart must needs tremble at the least thought of having a hand in so great an evill as this is . fifthly , divisions are sinfull because they grieve the holy spirit of god , ephes . . , . grieve not the holy spirit of god , whereby ye are sealed to the day of redemption . surely , there is no godly heart , but will say , o god forbid that i should doe any thing to grieve the good spirit of god , it is the spirit that hath enlightned me , that hath revealed the great mysteries of god , of christ , of eternall life unto me ; it is that spirit that hath drawn my soul to jesus christ , that hath comforted it , with those consolations that are more to me then ten thousand worlds ; the spirit that hath strengthned me , that helpes me against temptations , that carries me through difficulties , that enables me to rejoyce in tribulations ; the spirit that is an earnest , to assure me of gods electing love ; the spirit thet hath sealed me up to the day of redemption ; and now shall i be g●ily of so great a sinne as to grieve this blessed spirit of the lord ? if i did but know wherein i have grieved it , it could not but make my soul to bleed within me , that i should have such a wretched heart , to grieve this holy spirit , by whom my soule hath enjoyed so much good : i hope should for ever hereafter take heed of that thing , i would rather suffer any griefe in the world , to mine owne spirit , then be any occasion of grief to that blessed spirit of god. but would you know what it is that hath grieved it , and what it is that is like to grieve it further ? mark what followes , ver . . let all bitternesse , wrath , anger , clamour , and evill speaking be put away from you with all malice : and would you doe that which may rejoyce it ? oh! god knowes it would be the greatest joy in the world for me to doe it , then ver . . be ye kind one to another , tender-hearted , forgiving one another even as god for christs sake hath forgiven you . sixthly , these divisions doe grieve and offend our brethren , this should not be a light matter to us , christ accounts it a great evill to offend one of his little ones : we may thinke it a little matter to give offence to some of gods people who are poore and meane in the world , so long as we have the bravery of it , and the countenance of great men , no matter for them . but ( friend ) whatsoever slight thoughts thou hast of it , christ thinks it a great matter ; you may look upon them as under you , the times favour you more then them ; but if you shall give them cause to goe to god , to make their moanes to him , of any ill usage they have had from you ; lord thou knowest i was for peace to the uttermost that i could , so farre as i was able to see thy word for my guide ; but these who heretofore were as brethren to me , now their spirits are estranged , their hearts are imbittered , their words , their carriages are very grievous , and all because i cannot come up to what their opinions , their ways are ; certainly this would prove very ill to you , regard it as lightly as you will ; it may be when others carry themselves towards you otherwise then you expected , you vent your selves against them in quarelling , in giving ill language , in vilifying and scorning , your strength runs out this way ; but there are a generation of men , who being wronged , improve their strength in patient bearing , yet in making their moan to god in the exercise of faith , in committing their cause to him . mat. . from . to . you have the story of the servant who had ten thousand talents forgiven him , who yet took his fellow-servant by the throat who ought him a hundred pence , and put him into prison ; the text sayes , when his fellow servants saw what was done , they were sorry , and came and told their lord what was done . you do not hear them cry out of their fellow-servant , o what a vile base wretch was he , who would deal thus with his fellow ! no , but they went and told their lord. it is not the way of christians when they apprehend wrong done , to give ill language , to seek to right themselves or others by bitter provoking expressions ; but their hearts being filled with griefe , if they must needs vent it , if quiet debates with their brethren will not ease them , let them vent themselves in the powring forth their complaints to the lord. seventhly , there is much sinne in our divisions , for they stir up much corruption on all sides , both in our selves and others ; as if you shake a glass of water that has dirt in the bottome , the dirt spreads it self all over : so doth the dirty stuffe in our hearts , these divisions causing a commotion in them ; that corruption is now discovered , that neither our selves nor others had thought had been in us : do not you say in your hearts , and it may be one to another , who would have thought it possible , that so much filthy staffe should lie so long in such mens hearts undiscovered , which now appeares since these unhappy divisions have been amongst us ? james . . where there is envying and strife , there is confusion and every evill worke . when snakes are cold , they lye still ; but if the heat of fire come to them , then they hisse and put forth their stings : thus mens corruptions heat by the fire of contention that is kindled amongst us , begin to stirre , to act , yea , to rise very high . the reason that some give of that prohibition of the apostles , ephes . . let not the sunne goe downe upon your wrath , which also i finde chrysostome upon the place gives , is , because when mens wrath is stirred by contending , if it continues in the heat of it till night , as they lye upon their beds their corruptions will be boyling , they will lye musing and plotting against those that contend with them ; their thoughts in the night season will worke up their corruptions to a great height ; have you not found it so , when the sunne was gone downe upon your wrath , you could hardly sleepe that night ? william the conquerour in his first yeer commanded , that every night at eight a clock a bell should be rung , and that all people should then put out their fire , which was called the curfew bell : it were well that some were admonished every night , to cover the fire of their passions . we stirre up likewise the corruptions of others , in these our divisions ; doe you not see those distempers formerly mentioned , working and breaking forth in your brethren when you provoke them in your contending with them ? o pitty , pitty thy brother , if thou canst not pitty thy selfe ; does it not grieve thee , that thy brother should bring sinne upon himself ? were it not better for thee to suffer ; then for thy brother to sinne ? it is an evill thing to be an occasion of griefe to our brethren , the lord does not willingly grieve the children of men , but to be occasion of sinne to them is much worse : when did you ever meet with your brethren , and had your spirits put into any heat , but after your parting when you began to be coole , you then saw canse to grieve for unbeseeming words , carriages , breakings forth of passion , that there was either in you or them : sometimes in a froward debate there is more sinne committed in one houre , then there is otherwise in a whole twelvemonth , between those who live lovingly and sweetly together : yea , sometimes such corruptions are stirred by differences and divisions , that one would think were not competible to a saint ; namely , the rejoycing in the evill of other men , yea of godly men . david said , his zeal had ever consumed him , because his enemies had forgotten gods word ; but some mens zeale doe even consume them , because their friends do remember gods word ; the more inoffensive they walke , the more are they troubled ; it were endlesse to mention the uncharitablenesse , wrong , malice , injustice , oppression , cruelty , with the abundance of other sins that are caused by our divisions . eightly , yet further , as they stirre up sinne , so they harden in sinne . fire hardens the clay into a brick : thus are mens hearts hardened in evill by our divisions , men who heretofore had tender spirits , their hearts were redy to relent upon any brotherly admonition , now they are stiffe , they stand out sturdily , yea behave themselves scornfully : o this fire of contention hath baked their lusts , hath hardned their hearts . ezek. . god promises to give his people one heart , and this heart should be a heart of flesh : while the hearts of the saints are united , they are tender ; but when they divide , they grow hard . hence is the reason why brethren being falne out , it is so hard to convince either of them of any ill carriage , they are angry , & they think they do well to be angry , and all because their hearts are hardened . jonah was in a pettish mood , his heart was hardened with it , let god himself come now to convince him , he stands it out , he will by no meanes acknowledg himselfe faulty ; no , what he does he will justifie , he does well to be angry . ninthly , there is much sinne in them , for they are a meanes to keep off others from gods wayes ; if this be their religion for men to quarell one with another , i will have none of it : carnall hearted men use to charge religion with all the miscarriages of the professours of it . you know what saint paul sayes , cor. . if men speak with strange tongues , aud there comes in one unlearned , will they not be to him as barbarians , will they not say they are mad ? thus when the men of the world looke upon those who professe religion , and see their carriages , their wayes strange , divided amongst themselves , will they not think them even mad people ? i charge you , sayes the church , cant. . . by the roes and by the hindes , that you stir not up my beloved till he please . this by some is interpreted thus , the roes and hindes are shy and fearfull creatures , by them are signified such as are observers of the wayes of the church , and ready to take offence at any thing they see amisse in them , therefore i charge you , say those who are faithfull , that you doe nothing that may make any disturbance in the church , whereby such as are observers of your wayes shall be offended : if they see miscarriages in you , they will fly off , and of all miscarriages there are none more offensive to the lookers on , then wranglings and contendings ; when they see this , they will conclude , surely this is not the way of christ . . they are a very ill improvement of our zeal and courage ; zeal and courage have such an excellency in them , as its a thousand pitties they should have no other improvement then to raise and maintain quarels and divisions . the lord hath use of every mans zeal and courage , reserve them for his , for some notable work that god hath to do for thee , and do not spend them about that from whence comes no good . if soldiers lying neare their enemies , have no store of powder , should spend what they have in making squibs and fire-workes , would they not be condemned of folly , if not of treachery , by all ? those who have the most zeal and courage , have little enough to serve their turne , for the services that god requires of them , and must this be spent in unworthy brablings , wanglings and quarellings ? that mans body is in an ill condition that hath a sore to which the humors have recourse to feed it , leaving off the supplying to the parts of the body that are to be nourished and maintained by them ; the sore is fed , but the other parts grow lank and feeble . thus it is with many mens spirits , they are distempered , and then what abilities they have , are drawn forth to feed those distempers ; what account can be given to god of such a use of them as this ? . they make very much against the cause of christ now in hand , the great work of reformation . had we joyned hand in hand together , and set out selves to serve the lord with one shoulder , what abundance of service might have been done ? how might the honour of christ have been advanced high amongst us before this day ? but while one draws one way , another another , one seeks to set up , and another labours to pull down , how can the work go on ? you will say , that is true indeed , things would go on a pace , if those who differ from others would give up their judgements and practises to them , to beleeve what they beleeve , and to doe what they doe . but how can this be ? you would not have them give up their judgements or practices to them till they know they be right , and how can that be , till they by discussing , praying , reading , meditating , finde that out ? if some men had certainly found out the right , and other men knew certainly that they had done so , then the worke were at an end . but when we complain of our divisions for making much against the cause of christ , or work of reformation , we do not complain against men , because they cannot all understand things alike . but this we complain of , . that all men who professe godlinesse , have not joyned in opposing that which they beleeve cannot stand with godlinesse , by all the wayes that god hath put into their hands . . that they have not joyned to promote those wayes of godlinesse , which they are convinced to be so . . that they have not joyned to study what wayes and means may be found out to ease the hearts and consciences one of another , to beare with one another , so far as christ would have them be helpfull to , and beare with one another . it is this that hath made such a stop in the work of reformation . a peaceable , humble , and quiet discussing of things , furthers that reformation that christ would have . doe you thinke that christ would be pleased with such a reformation wherein the lesser part should give up their consciences and practices to the judgments of the greater ? such a kind of slubbering over matters might soon be , but christ must have all the matters of his worship and doctrine consented to , and practiced from a principle of faith . let us joyn with all our might in all we know , and with peaceable , quiet , humble spirits seek to know more , and in the mean time carry our selves humbly and peaceably towards those we differ from , and christ will not charge us at the great day for retarding his cause , the great work of reformation in hand . . these our dissentions are against a great part of the covenant of grace which god hath made with his people in christ , and those many promises of so much peace that there is to be in the times of the gospel . we by these do that which tends to make void the covenant , we doe as it were say that christ is not come in the flesh , joh. . . every spirit that confesseth not that jesus christ is come in the flesh , is not of god , and this is that spirit of antichrist . many men talk much of antichrist , bet such as profess the gospel , and yet are of unpeaceable , snarling , contending spirits , they have the spirit of antichrist , and they doe not confesse that jesus christ is come in the flesh . it is the argument the jews have against christ , say they , if he were come , then that prophesie esay . . would be fulfilled , the wolfe shall dwell with the lambe , and the leopard shall lye downe with the kid , and the cow and the beare shall feed together , &c. but this is not so , they bring many other places where peace is prophesied of , as esay . . of the encrease of his government and peace shall be no end . those who seeke for his government , should seek for his peace also . galatinus de arcanis catholicae veritatis , spends divers chapters in answering the jews objections against christ from these places with others , as lib. . the , , . chapters . a speciall part of the covenant of grace is in that promise , ezek. . . i will give them one heart , and i will put a new spirit within them , and they shall be my people , and i will be their god , ver . . and jer. . , . they shall be my people , and i will be their god , and i will give them one heart and one way . many men speak much of the covenant of grace , who manifest little of this part of it in them . if that which is against any command of god be sinfull , much more is that which is so directly against gods covenant with his people , that which tends to make even the covenant of grace to be of none effect ; if it be of no effect in one part of it , it will be of none in the other . . by our divisions we cross that end that god aimed at in the variety of his administrations in the gifts and graces of men ; that this was not christs end in dispensing gifts and graces in a different way , that there might be fuell administred to contentions and quarrels , but rather to exercise love , we spake to before , now onely take notice of it as a consideration that set out the exceeding sinfulness of our divisions . the aggravations of the sinfulnesse of our divisions . first , that we that are christians should be thus divided , it were not so much if we were heathens ; our divisions are against the very character of christianity : hereby shall ye know that ye are my disciples , if ye love one another , sayes christ . love and unity are christs badge , the armes of a christian , whereby he shewes of what house he is : but by these divisions of ours , what doe we but rend the very armes that christ hath honoured us with , and cast them under our feet ? secondly , that we who were so lately in bondage , should upon the beginning of our deliverance thus fall out one amongst another , one from another , one upon another ; for us who are newly come out of prison , who have upon us still the very smell of our prison garments , the sores of our necks by reason of those yokes that were lately upon them are not yet healed , and yet we thus presently fight one with another , this is uncomely and very sinful . thirdly , the union of our enemies is an aggravation of the sinfulness of our division ; s how great a shame is it that they should joyne better then we ! have they stronger bonds of union then we ? psal . . . . we read of ten or eleven sorts of men who could all agree in that which was evill ; the text sayes , they consulted together with one consent , it is in the hebrew , with one heart ; there was edom , the ishmaelites , the moabites , the hagarens , gebus , ammon , amaleck , the phylistines , with the inhabitants of tyre ; assur is joyned with the children of lot : these were of severall opinions and wayes in matters of religion , and yet could joyne . i remember gregregory nazianzen in one of his orations makes a bitter complaint of this , who is there , sayes he , that is of a right mind , that doth not deplore the present state of things ? who can find out expressions to set out this calamity of ours , that theeves and robbers , tyrants and whoremasters should be at peace amongst themselves , yet we cannot be at peace ? revel . . . we read of ten kings of the earth , that they are of one minde to give their power to the beast , and to make war with the lambe ; shall not we be of one mind to fight against the beast for the lambe ? fourthly , that such as god hath joyned in so many bands of union , should so divide as we do , as the bands of old acquaintance , of deare friendship in former times , that fellow-sufferers , that such as are related nearly , brethren , sisters , kinsmen , kinswomen , such as live in the same family , as are of the same society , the same calling , such as have received much good one from another , yet that now they should be thus divided , and thereby the occasions of so much evill one to another , this is a sore , and a grievous evill . luther in an epistle of his to his friend spalatinus , tells him , that if he must perish , he would not that the emperour charles should have a hand in it , out of respect to him , but let me rather , sayes he , perish by those of rome , for i know sayes he , what misery followed sigismund the emperour after the death of john husse . although we should desire that we might be no occasion of evill to any , yet if it must needs be , better a thousand times that the evill fall upon wicked men , and those who are at the greatest distance from us , then upon those who are godly , and so neare unto us . fiftly , that such as agree in so many things , yea in all things necessary ●o salvation , yea almost , if not in all the doctrinall part of religion , yet because of some few things of lesser moment , there should be such a fearfull breach as now there is , this makes the account we are able to give of our breach the worse , and our sin the more . and this is the evill spirit of some , they could wish our divisions were in greater things , that they might justifie their opposition so much the more . sixtly , the sinne is great , because it is heart-division ; if it were head-division , difference of judgment , it were ill , but not so ill . jer. . . their wickednesse is better , for it reaches to the heart . this makes the wickednesse of our divisions bitter ; the heart commands the head , but the head cannot command the heart . . they are the worse , because they break not so much as they doe ; wounds that take ayre , grow much worse then those who are kept closed ; it is an ignorant , foolish speech that some please themselves with , when they are provoked , & vent abundance of choler in bitter , wicked language : when i am angry , say they , i must vent what i have within ; it is better to let it out , then to keep it in . indeed if the breaking of it out did make it to be lesse within then it was before , as the corruption of a sore is when it breaks out , then there were some reason in what you say ; but it is otherwise . as the more you act grace , the more it increaseth , so the more you act sinne , the more it increaseth . and besides , heart-corruptions when they break forth , they dishonour god in a publike way ; whereas when they are kept in , the dishonour to god is but between god and your selves . . that our divisions are in the presence of wicked men , that we should discover our shame before them . gen. . . the text sayes , there was a strife between the herdmen of abraham and the herdmen of lot , and the canaanite and the perizite dwelt in the land . their strife was the more vile , because it was before them . let us remember when we are striving , that the canaanite and perizite dwell in the land. it is not safe , sayes nazianzen , to be trust him that hates a christian , with the hearing any thing against a christian . . our divisions are long continued divisions , nothing can quiet us , as if they were irreconcileable . there is , sayes nazianzen , a satiety in all things amongst men but in contentions ; in meat , in drinke , in singing , in all things otherwise most delightfull , but men have never adone in mischieving one another . we are like cocks , who are easily set a fighting , and when they are in , they will never leave till they kill one another . . the late covenant that should be a means to unite us , is made a meanes of widening our divisions , by making false interpretations of it , by drawing the sense of it to what may serve mens turnes , by charging men of perjury , because they come not up fully to what they would have them , by which abuse some seek to make it to be a very snare to their brethren . . we are thus divided at such a time as this , the most unseasonable for divisions that ever was in the world : for , first , it is a time of affliction . it was sad with the children of israel when they were in the wilderness to meet with fiery serpents to sting them ; while we are in the wilderness in an afflicted condition , we are fiery serpents one to another . the hebrew word that signifies afflicted , signifies meeke , to note , that afflicted ones should be meek ones . when the storm is comming , the bees flock together to the hive . ier. . . in those dayes , saith the lord , the children of israel shall come , and the children of judah together , going and weeping they shall goe and seek the lord their god. judah and israel could not agree at other times , but when they are in a weeping condition , then they shall come together . secondly , it is a time of fasting and prayer ; england never knew what such fasting and prayer meant , as it hath knowne of late : no nation in the world that we know of ever knew the like ; and shall we in such times as these , when we are casting downe our selves before almighty god , when we are judging our selves before him , in the pride and frowardness of our hearts contend against one another ? esay . behold , ye fast for strife and debate , and to fight with the fist of wickednesse . it is a fist of wickedness indeed , that fights in times of fasts . is it such a fast that i have chosen ? how doe we in the dayes of our fasts , acknowledge our vileness , our unworthyness of the least mercy , our pride , our self-love , our envy , our passions , all those distempers that are dividing distempers , yet still we continue in them , and they break forth into dividing practices ? surely our fasts will rise up in judgement against us , to make the sin of our divisions out of measure sinfull . thirdly , it is a time also of great mercies ; we are afflicted , but not forsaken ; and mercies should sweeten our spirits . this summer hath been a continued miracle of mercies ; if our agreeing together , our love to one another were now beyond the expectation of all men , as gods mercies to us have been beyond , and above all expectation , even such a fruit of mercies would be the greatest mercy of all . but if instead of being sweetned by mercies we are the more imbittered one against another , how great is this sinne ? if we shall take occasion from our victories at nazeby , taunton , bridgewater , sherburne , bristol , to seek to drive out of the kingdome thousands of godly men whom god used as instruments of so great mercy to us ; will not this be sin unto us ? god brought us indeed into a wildernesse , but he hath there spoke comfortably to us ; our wildernesse is our way to canaan . it was the charge of joseph to his brethren , gen. . . when they were going from egypt to canaan , see that ye fall not out by the way : we hope god is leading us to canaan , oh that we could see christ looking upon us , and charging us , saying , see that you fall not out by the way , do not grudg one against another , let not one say , you are the cause of our trouble , and another say , nay , but you are the cause of our trouble ; let every one charge his own heart , let every man fall out with his own sin as much as he will , but let not brethren fall out by the way . fourthly , it is a time of service ; god never put such opportunities of service into our hands , as now he hath . how many holy men who were furnished with large abilities and enlarged hearts to have done service for god and his people in former times , lived privately , onely enjoyed sweet communion between god and their owne soules , but oh how did they prize opportunities of service ! how did they thirst after , and greedily embrace advantages for publique work ! they were willing to submit to any thing to the uttermost their consciences would suffer them , that they might be employed in work for god and his saints ; though their encouragement from men was small , yet their work was wages to them ; but in those times , almost all places of publique imployment were in the hands or at the dispose of evill men ; could they have foreseen that within a few yeers , there should be a doore open for all godly men , to full opportunities for the imployment of their gifts and graces to the uttermost . how would they have rejoyced and longed to have seen those times , and blessed those who should live in them ! i am confident it cannot be shewn that ever there was a time since the world began , that so many godly people in a kingdome have had such a large opportunity of publike service , as for these last five yeers hath been in england ; and shall this opportunity be lost with our wranglings and contendings ? oh how unworthy are we to live in such times as these are ! when a master sets his servants to work , and that in such a peece of work as is of great concernment , the opportunity of which if lost , will be a great losse to him : if these servants shall trifle away this opportunity with wrangling one with another about their work , one opposing another in it , will this be a good account to their master ? so much time was spent in work , but so much in quarelling , whereby there is little of the work done . we read of nehemiah , cap. . . when sanballat and tobiah , those quarelsome companions sent to him to meet them , intending to quarrell with him , he answered them , i am doing a worke , so that i cannot come , why should the worke cease ? if we see men set upon strife and contention , we should not meddle with them , to spend our time in answering what comes from them ; our case were miserable , if we were at the mercy of every quarreller , bound to answer whatsoever he pleases to put forth . but let us tend our work ; these opportunities of service that now we have are too pretious to give away to them , to be spent , to be lost upon them . how just were it with god to take these opportunities from us , to bring us againe into such a condition as we should be glad of a dayes imployment in publick service , and then oh how would our consciences wring us , and grate upon us for such ill improvement of them , for such unworthy losse of them when we had them ! . this time is the time of the tryall of our spirits . we never had such a time to try what spirit of love , what principles of union are in us , as now we have ; and shall we now miscarry ? may it not be justly thought that all our seeming love one to , & closing one with another formerly , was only for our own ends ? before we were all under oppression , or at least the fears of it , when we looked upon our selves as in the same condition . then the trial was not so much : but now there is some difference made in the condition of godly men . some have the times smiling upon them more then others ; now is the time of tryal . the time of the triall of the spirit of phara●hs butler towards joseph , was when he was out of prison , injoying his preferment at the court , & joseph remained stil in prison . perhaps while they were fellow-prisoners he might tell joseph that his heart did close much with him , and if he had any opportunity to be useful to him , oh what a happinesse should he think it to himselfe ! surely it should be improved for the good of joseph to the uttermost . but when he was preferred , when he had respect amongst great ones , and joseph still was kept low , then he is not the same man that he was when he was josephs fellow-sufferer . now he hath other things in his head : joseph is forgotten by him . where this evill is , be sure god will find it out : for it is an evill very grievous to his spirit . put these together , and it will appeare that it is no time now to contend , whatsoever we doe at other times . i remember i have read of sir francis drake , having a dear friend of his slaine by a bullet as he sate with him at supper , ah sayes he , i could grieve for thee , but now is no time for me to let down my spirits . so when any shal do such things as might cause contention , do you speak to your own heart , ah i find my anger stirred ; i could contend , but now is no time for me to let my spirits rise in a contending way ; these times call for peace and union , not for strife and debate . this is the . aggravation we are divided in such a time as this . the twelfth is , we are divided , notwithstanding we are all convinced of the evill of divisions . we cry out exceedingly against them : we tell one another that of all the tokens of gods displeasure amongst us these are the greatest . yet scarce a man does any thing , or leaves any thing undone towards any help against divisions , or furtherance of our union . every man cries out of the theefe , but who stops him ? we all say we would have peace , oh peace is an excellent thing ! but where is the man who is willing to be at any cost for it , either in putting up any wrong which he conceives is done to himself , or bearing with his brother in any thing differing from himself ? the lord may justly judge us out of our own mouths . . we have complained of others who are in place of power , to be of harsh cruel dispositions . we have sayd if they had been of gentle , loving , peaceable dispositions , tendring the glory of god dearly , & the good of their brethren as their own , what abundance of good might they have done ! we have thought in those times , oh if such men were in place , who were then our dear brethren , whom we conceived to be of holy , humble , sweet , peaceable spirits , very tender-hearted towards any they saw godlinesse in ; had they power in their hands , what safety , peace , rest , would the saints have ! how comfortably should they goe on in their work ! how would they be edified , praysing the lord ! what a heaven upon earth should we have ! and yet we finde it otherwise . we may say , we looked for light , and behold , ( i will not say darknesse ) but behold dimnesse even from them : for brightnesse , but behold obscurity . oh how doe the carriages of these men in some degree justifie the harshnesse , sowernesse , domineering and cruelty of some of the prelates ! we hope nothing shall ever befall us as to be such a temptation to us , as to justifie their places . but some of their persons are so farre justified , as there is occasion given to think they were not such vile men as heretofore we thought they were . for now we see what a temptation there is in having the times shine upon me , in having power put into mens hands . we see now that men who have other manner of principles then ever they had , yet how sadly they miscarry when they come under the like temptations . how can we answer christ jesus for these things ? . we are still divided , though we have seen the wofull evils that divisions have brought upon others , yet we cannot be warned by other mens harmes . those who are acquainted with ecclesiasticall histories , may furnish themselves with volumes in this kind . who can read that short but sowre history of the troubles at frankford , but his heart must needs bleed within him ? and of late what evills have almost all the protestant party in germany and through the christian world , suffered by divisions ! and yet we engage our selves in them , and are every day engaging our selves more and more , how deep we shall sink the lord knowes . . in our very labouring for union we are divided , in our endeavours for peace we are at variance . nazianzen in his . oration rebuking this strange miscarriage of men , hath this notable expression , while we would have charity , we study hatred , while we seek to set up the corner stone which unites the sides together , we are loosned our selves , we are for peace , and yet we fight one with another . our wayes of late have been little else but doing and undoing ; yea we crosse our selves in what we would do , by doing what we doe . we are all full of contradictions in our own spirits and actions , and we cry out of others , that they are not consistent to their own principles . lastly , the sin of our divisions is the greater , because we make religion to patronize them . we divide from one another , and all under a pretence of religion . surely this virgin is forced , for there is nothing more contrary to the name or nature of religion , then to cause or further divisions . the name carryes union , strong union with it : religio à religando , from binding us againe to god , and to one another , after we were divided by our sin . to father our wicked divisions upon religion , is no other then to bring down the holy ghost in the likenesse of a dove to be like a vultur or a raven . what spirit is it that we professe our selves to be acted by when we are working for religion ? is it not the spirit of god ? and is not that a dove-like spirit ? although we dishonour our selves by discovering the basenesse of our own spirits by our divisions , yet let us not put dishonour upon the blessed spirit of god ; this makes the sin to be abhominable . nazianzen in his fore-named oration , inveighs against this in those in his time , in our pleadings for the truth , we ( sayes he ) belye one another ; as if this were the way to maintain truth . chap. xxix . the wofull miseries that our divisions bring upon us . they are themselves fruits of the curse , therefore there can come no other but cursed fruits from them , except god , contrary to their nature , be pleased to over-rule them , which he only is able to do . it was the curse of god upon the ground , briars and thorns shall it bring forth ; it is no lesse curse of god upon mens hearts , that they bring forth such briars and thorns , by which they tear one another . first , our divisions provoke the wrath of god against us ; though the wrath of man accomplisheth not the righteousnesse of god , yet it may accomplish the wrath of god. esay . . manasseh against ephraim , and ephraim against manasseh , and they together against judah ; for all this his anger is not turned away , but his hand is stretched out still . when we are thus one against another , the anger of god is not turned away from us , we may feare his hand will yet be further stretched out against us ; so long as our wrath one against another continue so hot , certainly gods wrath is not appeased . we read of abraham , when he was about sacrificing isaac , he found a ram entangled in the bryars , which god had prepared for him to be a sacrifice : we are this day entangled in the bryars , and we know not how to get out , it is a signe that we are prepared to be a sacrifice even to the wrath of god. secondly , by them we serve the designes of our enemies ; what would they have given when they first divided from us , to have procured so great divisions amongst our selves , as have been , & yet are ? if a million would have purchased them , rather then they should not have been , they would ( no question ) have given it ; i am sure they further their designes more then many millions would have done : hoc ithacus velit , & magna mercentur atridae . we have often said that some who have kept at the parliament have served the designes of the king and those about him better then they who were with him . certainly those who foment divisions amongst us , do serve our enemies turne more then many that are with them . when in our contentions our spirits rise one against another , and we reproach one another , we do not consider , sayes nazianzen , how unsafe it is to put weapons into our enemies hands . yea he thought in his time , though neer thirteen hundred yeers since , the divisions of the churches to be a great means to further and hasten the comming of antichrist : for so he sayes in the same oration before quoted , i verily fear lest antichrist should come sodainly upon these our divisions , and lest he should take the advantage of these our offences and distempers to raise his power over us . let those therefore who cry down antichrist so much , cry down divisions also , lest they prove to serve the designes of antichrist in a very great-measure , though they think not so . thirdly , by these we make our selves a scorn to our enemies . hosea . ult . the rage of their tongue shall be their division in the land of egypt . when malignants hear our rage one against another , we are a derision amongst them ; these egyptians jeere us , they contemne us , and all the power we can make against them . i find in one of melancthons epistles , a story of one bessarion , exhorting the princes to concord , that they might joyne against the turks he brings in this apologue : there was a war between the wolves and the dogs ; news came to the wolves that there was a h●ge army of dogs comming against them , intending to tear them in pieces ; the wolves sent an old wolfe out to be a scout , he comes and tells them there were indeed a great company of dogs more then themselves were , but they need not fear , for he perceived they were of different colours : upon this the wolves made nothing of them , accounting it an easie matter to deale with them who were so differing amongst themselves . in the same manner , sayes melancthon , doe staphilus , and canisius , and others of the pogish faction , triumph in respect of us ; upon which he folls to prayer , that the sonne of god , the lord jesus christ , would governe them , and make all in our churches to be one in him . fourthly , yea by these we are like to be made a prey to our enemies . here many sad storyes might be told you of the prevailings of enemies against divided people . the divisions of israel at this time made them a prey to their adversaries , which you may see cleerly if you read kings . afterwards the divisions of the other tribes made them a prey to the romans . when the turks have prevailed over christians , do not all stories tell us it hath been through the divisions of christians ? when normans , danes prevailed in england , it was by the advantage they had of our divisions ; if we will still divide and contend , our condition may prove to be like two birds pe●king at one another , in the mean time the kite comes and catches them both away . fiftly , if god should free us from our enemies , yet we are like to devoure one another , and this is a greater misery then to be devoured by the common adversary . gal. . . if ye bite and devour one another , take heed ye be not consumed one of another . what biting and devouring was this ? it was not in an open hostile way , they did not take up arms one against another , but by their different opinions and contentious carriages in matters of religion . their differences in the matters of religion were very great , non de finibus , sed de haereditate , not about the bounds , but the inheritance it selfe ; yet unpeaceablenesse and violence in their carriages one towards another , though the matter of their difference was so great , is condemned and threatned by the apostle . do not our adversaries say , let them alone and they will devoure one another ? god gives us good hope that he will deliver us from our enemies ; but the hearts of many godly and wise men tremble within them , fearing lest that wolvish distemper of ours should feed upon our own flesh , when the matter that it had to feed upon from without is taken away . sixtly , if we should not devour one another , yet being thus divided , we are like to perish of our selves , as those insecta , which after they are cut asunder , yet the severall parts live , they wriggle up and down a little while , but they cannot hold long . so it is like to be with us ; except we joyn we cannot live . seventhly , these divisions are like to make many miserable indeed ; for if god be not mercifull to them , and that soon , they are like to be such a rock of offence , as to split them , upon which they are running ; they are in very great danger to make shipwrack of their consciences , yea i fear some have done it already ; if it be not so , the lord be mercifull to them , and prevent it . the spoiled houses , the torn estates , the maimed bodies of men caused by our divisions , are sad objects to look upon ; but the broken , maimed , spoiled consciences that these have caused , and are like further to cause , were and yet are like to be objects before us to be lamented with tears of bloud . this shipwrack of conscience it may be is not felt now , but it will prove horrour of conscience hereafter . eighthly , they are like to lay a foundation of much evill to posterity , this consideration is almost as sad as any . we think it a great evill that kings children shold be brought up in the sight of bloud , that they should be in danger to have principles of cruelty or tyranny infused into them in their tender age ; we are afraid lest the muddy water they drink now should breed diseases in them that may break out afterward . surely it is a great evill also for the children of the church , to be brought up in the sight and exercise of divisions in matters of religion ; that that knowledge of religion which they now take in , should be as troubled waters full of soyle . in the beginning of this parliament there was as hopefull a generation of young ones comming up as ever the sun saw , but many of them have lost their lives in this publique cause ; god will certainly take a valuable consideration at the hands of the adversaries for their blood especially ; we have cause to blesse god for them : god made use of them to stop the rage , the overflowing of the proud adversaries upon us ; they have served their generation , and have been more usefull in it , then others who have lived . or . yeers formerly : but for those who are preserved , these divisions in the things of religion have spoiled many of them , they are carryed away with such a strange kind of spirit of error , of conceitednesse , folly , wilfulnesse , bitternesse , licentiousnesse , and boldnesse , that their hopefull beginnings are lost , so that the next generation is like to reap very sowr , bitter , and unwholsome fruits of these our quarrels and contentions . by what hath been said you may see why the spirit of god , prov. . . puts the sowers of discord amonst those whom god hates : what the harvest of such seed is like to be , we shall see in the next head. aggravations of the misery that comes by our divisions . first , our misery is the greater , because it is still increasing ; divisions make way for divisions ; we beat our brethren till they cry , and then we beat them because they cry , is not this hard dealing ? we read in our chronicles that those who were born in england the yeare after the great mortality . wanted some of their cheek teeth ; if we should judge of mens teeth by their biting , one would think that now men had more teeth , or at least farre sharper then they were wont to have ; there was never such biting as now there is . yet thanks be to god this increase is not in all places , not in our armies ; time was when we were much afraid of divisions there , but now we hear they are comfortably united , dividing terms are not heard amongst them as formerly ; though there be differing judgements , their hearts and armes are open one to another , they love one another , they are willing to live and dye one with another . the blessing of the almighty be upon you ; go on and prosper , the lord is with you ; he hath done great things by you , and delights to use you in great services , for the honour of his name and good of his people . you have had , and have the prayers of the saints , they blesse you , and blesse god for you . souldiers united in love , and hating that which is vile , are exceedingly strengthned in valour . plutarch reports of a theban band that were but three hundred , yet were the most terrible to the enemies , of any , and did the greatest services : they were called the holy band , because they hated dishonest things , and were willing to venture their lives for honest causes , fearing dishonourable reproach more then honourable danger . but though this was one cause why it had that name , yet plutarch thinks that the first cause why it was called the holy band , was from their intire love one to another . by the selfe same reason ( sayes he ) that plato calleth a lover a divine friend by gods appointment , these thebans , together with other of their countreymen , had a great power of the lacedaemonians to resist such a power as the athenians , for feare of it , left off to protect them , renouncing that league that they had before with them . every man , said the thebans , were undone . but these despised thebans meeting with the lacedaemonians about the city of tegyra , where according to the compute of some they were sixe to one , and a warlike valiant people , one came running to pelopidas the captain of the thebans , saying , sir , we are falne into the hands of the lacedaemonians . nay , are they not falne into ours ? sayes pelopidas . and so it fell out , for they utterly routed them . in all the warrs that the lacaedemonians ever had , as well with the grecians as with the barbarous people , no chronicle ever mentioned that they were overcome by any number equall in battell . whereupon these thebans grew so terrible to their enemies , that none durst for a long time encounter with them . after this battell pelopidas would never seperate them one from another , but keeping them together he would alwayes begin with them , to give a charge in his most dangerous battells . yet notwithstanding all this service they had ill requitall from the people , for when their captain pelopidas came home , they stirred up a party against him , that sought to break him , though they could not prevaile . it is farther reported of this band , that it was never broken nor overthrowne till the battell of choeronea , where it seems they had some added to them . and see what love and valour will doe in an army unto death . philip taking a view of the slaine bodies there , he saw foure hundred dead on the ground , one hard by another , all of them thrust thorow with pikes on their breasts , and being told that it was the lovers band , he fell a weeping for pitty , saying , woe be to them that thinke these men did or suffered any evill or dishonest thing . ever since our armies have been united , god hath wonderfully blessed them . shall men of warre be at peace ? and is this comely ? and shall men of peace be at warre ? how uncomely will this be ? yet so it is , the seeds of dissentions never sprung up more against us then of late they have done . the spirits of men seeme to be heat and ready to boyle one against another in this city more then heretofore they have done . the lord hath made london a blessing to the whole kingdome , and the neighbour kingdomes too . the children not yet borne will have cause to blesse god for london , for their union , their faithfulness , their courage , their bounty : and shall now , when god is about bringing in rest to us from the rage of our enemies , a fire of dissention be kindled amongst us ? shall the comfort of all our former mercies and future hopes be lost , by raising up of new quarrels ? and must this come from the city ? the lord forbid . the lord make you like jerusalem , a city compact , at unity within it selfe . your very name carries unity in the face of it . civis à coeundo , says cicer : quod vinculo quodi societatis in unū coeunt quasi coivis . i remember i have read in livy a notable speech of scipio to the citizens at carthage . by what name , sayes he , shall i call you ? i know not : shall i call you cives , qui à patria vestra descivistis ? things are not come to this passe in this city . the lord forbid that there should ever be that degenerating from that unity and love heretofore hath been , that there should be cause to say , shall you still be called cives ? qui à pristina unitate , à pristino amore mutuo descivistis , who have departed from your former unity and mutuall love . oh no , let brotherly love continue , heb. . . let none take your crowne , but abide glorious in the eyes of the whole nation about you , and all strangers that come in to you . we pray for the peace of london , let them prosper that love it , peace be within her walls , and prosperity within her palaces . if any shall say , the city is not guilty herein , it is but some few private men : i gladly answer as scipio in his forenamed speech did to the carthaginians , making such an objection , libenter credam negantibus , i am very willing to beleeve it . only do you make it appear to be so , by knitting your selves so much the more strongly together , by how much any amongst you seeks to disunite you . a second aggravation of the misery of our divisions , is , surely none will pitty us in all that evill that comes upon us by them . if god should have suffered our enemies to have prevailed against us , all the protestant party in the world would have pittied us . if those who escaped had fled for their lives to them , they would have entertained them with much compassion . but if we mischief our selves by our divisions , we shall be looked upon as contemptible in the eyes of all . if we should flye to them , we may expect to be entertained with rebukes ; you are an unworthy generation , god put a price into your hands , to have done your selves and all the protestant party good ; you might have freed your selves from thraldome , and many wayes have been helpfull to us , but you had such proud , envious , quarrelsome spirits , that you brake asunder one from another , you mischieved one another , and so have undone your selves and your posterity ; yea are not worthy to live amongst men . can we be able to bear such rebukes as these ? every man that is in misery desires to be pittied , but this misery is like to be such , as no pitty can be expected in it . thirdly , our consciences will fly in our faces , telling us that we may thank our selves for all this . it is a great part of the torment of the damned , that their consciences shall be alwayes upbraiding them for bringing so much evill upon themselves . this shall be the gnawing of that worm of conscience for ever . fourthly , our misery is and will be aggravated by the executioners of it : our familiars , our brethren , those who not long since were dear to us , will be made use of to make us miserable . how great a misery will this be ? when the men of judah came up to samson , to deliver him to the philistines , judg. . , . sayes samson to them , but sweare to me that ye will not fall upon me your selves . he thought it a very grievous thing for the men of judah to fall upon him . he did not so much regard what the philistines could do against him . certainly there is nothing in the world more sad then for one brother to make another miserable . the history of that warre between sylla and marius tells of one having slaine a man not knowing him , but after he looked and found it was his brother , in the anguish of his heart , because he had slaine his brother , he took his sword and ran it into his own bowels . it is a great evill to be an instrument of evill to our brethren , and to suffer evill from our brethren . this consideration might be enough to stop us in our divisions , and cause us to think of wayes of joyning . plutarch in the forecited place , the life of pelopidas , sayes , that the poets write that the misfortune of laias who was slaine by his brother oedipus , was the first originall cause that the thebans began to be in such love one with another , to joyn in that holy band before mentioned . if this were cause enough to take us off from our contentions , we have enough of this amongst us . the lord be mercifull to us . fiftly , the misery of our contentions in the civill state is such , as if we be overcome , we are undone , for our outward condition , we and our posterity are made slaves ; if we do prevaile , yet there is sadnesse in our conquest . that is a miserable war , which is thus . the civill wars of the romans were such , nullos habitura triumphos , there was no triumph , but sadnesse even in the victory . sixthly , what help can there be ? for we wilfully make our selves miserable ; if men will undoe themselves , who can helpe it ? except god comes in from heaven with a mighty hand to help , our wound is incurable . thus you have seen what evill and bitter things our divisions are ; their root is evill and bitter , and they are the root of much evill and bitter fruit . we reade gen. . . that pharez was the son of tamar ; pharez signifies division , fraction , from whence he had his name ; tamar signifies a palm tree , ab amaritudine , sayes pagnine , according to some , from bitternesse ; division comes from bitternesse , and begets , like it selfe , nothing but bitternesse . chap. xxx . cautions about our divisions , that we may not make an ill use of them , but try if it be possible to get good out of them . our divisions are very evill , yet let us not make them worse then they are , and let us take heed that we be not made morse by them . wherefore we shall ▪ first , shew what are those ill uses which many make of them . secondly , that it is no such strange thing as some would make it , that there should be divisions in times of reformation . thirdly , how it comes to passe that godly men are divided , who above all men , one would think , should agree . fourthly , why these differences are so strong , and sometimes so sharp amongst those men who seem to come very near together in the maine , the matter of whose difference lyes in smaller things . fiftly , how far god himselfe , and christ , and the gospel may be said to have a hand in our divisions . sixtly , what good uses we should make of our divisions . for the first . the ill uses that many make of our divisions , are , first , some upon the evills they see and feel in them , think it was better with us heretofore , and wish we had those times againe ; just like the murmuring israelites , as soon as they were put to any straits , they wished they were in egypt again ; it was better with us then , say they . yea num. . . out of discontent with their present condition , they commend the land of egypt , wherein they were bond-slaves , to be a land that flowed with milk and hony , murmuring at moses that brought them out of such a land. the land of canaan that god promised to carry them to , was a land that flowed with milke and honey , but out of the perversnesse of their spirits they despised that land , and egypt now in this froward humour of theirs , must be the land that flowed with milke and honey . oh the perversenss of mens hearts ! if they be but a little crossed , how hard is it for god or man to please them ! how unworthy are such froward spir●ts as these , to live in such a time as this , to see the great work of god that he hath done for his people . it is true , heretofore men seemed to be more united then now , there appears more differences in mens opinions and wayes then formerly ; but whence was it that men formerly were not at such a distance ? was it not because they were chained together ? two prisoners chained to a block keep together all day long ; men that are at liberty walk in the streets at a distance ; if the prisoners should commend their life as more comfortable then yours , because they keep closer together all the day then you do , would you envy their happinesse ? time hath been that a tyrannicall chain hath been upon us , we dared not then discuss any matters of differerence with freedom ; if a convocation determined it , there was a chain upon us to fasten us to it ; now god hath given us more liberty to debate things freely , that we may finde out the truth more clearly ; and though men while they are in their debates be at some distance one from another , do not say it was better with us heretofore then it is now , thou dost not speak wisely concerning this thing . surely these men who are so desirous of former times , are ad servitudinem nati , born to be slaves ; it is pitty but they should have their eares bored for slaves . secondly , the ill use that others make of these divisions is to cry out of religion & preaching ; since there hath been so much profession and preaching , we never had good world , there was more love and unity before , all things were more quiet , neighbours were more at peace one with another : this is no other then if men when christ lived amongst them , should have objected against him , since this christ hath come amongst us , we have had more trouble then we or our fore-fathers heretofore have known ; we were not wont to heare of men possest with the devill , so as now we do , now what a noyse is there in all the countrey of men possessed with evill spirits ? we do not read of such things before christs time ; yet do you think this was a good argument why men should wish that christ had never come ? if the devill be put into a rage now more then before , it is a signe he is more opposed then he was before ; he possessed all in quiet before , but now his kingdome begins to shake . thirdly , because of these divisions , many resolve they will stand neuters , they see it is doubtfull which way things may goe ; seeing there are such differences , we will stand by and look on till we see how they will agree ; by this means they do not only disert the publick cause that is now on foot , but they are in danger to be for any thing at the last , or to turn atheists . chrysostome in his sermons upon the acts , chap. . inveighs against such men as these ; he there makes an apologie for the dissentions of the christians , the heathens objected , we would come to you , but we know not to whom we should come ; one is of one mind , another is of another , we cannot tell what you hold , you are so different from your selves . chrysostomes answer is , this is but a cavill ; for first , this hinders you not in other matters , where there is difference amongst men , yet you will take paines and enquire which is the right ; yea secondly , if you did know what you should hold , yet you would not embrace it , for you doe know what you should do , and yet you do not do it ; do what you know , and then aske of god , and he will reveale more to you . fourthly , others cry out against these men that have been most active in this common cause , putting forth themselves , venturing their estates and lives , and putting on others ; at the first these men were honoured , but men did not then see what would follow , they did not think that such troubles would have attended such undertakings as now they have found ; upon this their hearts rise against those who were the most publique spirited ; had it not been , say they , for a few hot fiery spirited men who know not what they would have , things had never come to this passe , we might have been quiet ; these men are by some , yea many , looked upon as no other then disturbers , men of turbulent unquiet spirits , and yet they have been the means of preserving you and your posterity from slavery , and of continuing the gospell amongst you . this is an ill requitall of all that willingnesse of theirs to hazard their estates and lives for your good ; you have cause to blesse god , seeing you were of such low , narrow , timerous spirits your selves , unfit for such a work as god had to do in the beginning of the change of these times , that he raised up others , and gave them enlarged , resolved spirits , fit for such a publique work , accompanied with so many difficulties as attended upon this , did they break the ice for you , and do you thus requite them ? this is like a froward , perverse patient , who flies in the face of his physitian , because his physick makes him sick . fiftly , others seeing much evill come of the divisions amongst us , they think there is no way to help them but by violence , forcing men to yeeld to what they think is right . they think they do god good service in compelling men to the same judgement and way that themselves are of . this is a very ill use of them . it is a new and unheard-of way of preaching , sayes gregory , to require men to beleeve by blowes . to go from the divine word to an iron sword , from the pen to the halbert , to perswade men to beleeve , is a way that gerard. confess . cath. l. . p. . exclaims against . socrates in his ecclesiasticall history , lib. . cap. . reports of the macedonians petitioning jovianus the emperour for the banishing of those who were not of their judgement in matters of religion of great moment . the emperour receiving their supplication gave them no other answer but this , i tell you truly , i cannot away with contention , but such as embrace unity and concord i do honour and reverence them . tertullian in his book ad scapulam , cap. . sayes , it is not the way of religion to compell religion , which ought to be taken up willingly , not by force . if you should compell us , sayes he , to sacrifice , what did you in this for your gods ? none desire sacrifice from those who are unwilling , but such as are contentious : but god is not contentious . i finde in thuanus his history , lib. . a notable passage in a writing that the senat of paris sent to their king in the yeare . after he had sent forth an edict requiring great severity against those who differed in matters of religion : they professed to him they did not think his edict equal , and that they could not subscribe to it : for , say they , we see that such severe punishments , for matters of religion , render men detestible to the people , but their errours abide the same still , they are not at all altered in their opinions by severity but for their parts they give their judgements , that it were better to go in the old way of the church , which did not propagate religion by sword and fire , but by pure doctrine , and the good examples of the lives of their bishops . let them live piously , and teach the word of god sincerely , this is the way to root out errours that encrease so fast : but if this be not done , no lawes , no edicts of men will doe any good . sleidan in his commentaries hath set down a decree of the emperour , king ferdinando , and the rest of the princes and states , that the controversie of religion should be appeased by none other but by godly , friendly , and quiet meanes . but a few pages after he relates the effect of a petition of those in austria for their freedom in religion , to king ferdinando , with an answer of the king to them : in which there was this passage , that such as shall not like that religion which the prince hath chosen , may have free liberty to sell that they have , and go dwell in another place , without any blemish to their estimation . to which the embassadors of austria reply : what discommoditie were herein , how heavie and sorrowfull newes this would be to the people , who seeth not ? when they shall heare that they which have been ever most ready to spend their bloud and life for the preservation and dignity of the house of austria , must now forsake their most sweet native countrey , so many yeers inhabited and enriched by their fore-fathers ? therefore we admit not that answer in this behalfe : but as we have done heretofore , for the honour of god we beseech you , that you would suffer us to have no let in this matter , &c. but you will say , what does all this tend to , but to plead for an absolute toleration , which you seemed before to be against ? i answer , in quoting these authors i own not such a judgment that possibly you may think to be in some of them for an absolute toleration . how a toleration should be limited and granted , i have spoke to before : but i produce the authors to this end , that the rigidnesse of the judgments of some amongst us that think all differences in religion thot cannot be quelled by argument , must be quelled b● violence , may be mollified . i am sure if any of these men go too far one way , those which i am now reproving goe as wide another . fierce violence in matters of religion is dangerous ; as the chirurgeons rigorous handling his patients arm , breaks that bone quite , which before was but out of joynt . . some take advantage by them to give themselves to loosenes in their lives : it is a time of liberty , and they will take their time . if times were quiet and settled , they would be observed more narrowly , there would be means of restraint ; but in these times every man takes his own way , and so will they . but know that god takes this very ill at thy hands . the more loose others are , the more conscionable shouldest thou be : the worse the dayes are , the more circumspectly shouldest thou walk . ezek. . . the levites that are gone from me , which went astray when israel forsook me , they shall also bear their iniquity . the commonnesse of a sin is an aggravation of it . . some make no other use of them , then to observe which way there may be advantage got by them : how they may sute themselves to this side or the other , for their gaine , or to drive on some private designe : so long as they can make use of the times that run such a way , they are for them : if the stream turn they can turn too : they can tack about to every wind : their study is not to help to heale them , but to contrive wayes how they may get by them . hence they wrench and sprain their consciences with the quick turnings this way and that way : they will be on the sunny side wheresoever it be . cunning heads and corrupt hearts will serve their owne turnes by all varieties of times . if they were in dioclesians time , they could be pagans ; if in constantines , christians ; if in constantius , arrians ; if in julians , apostates ; if in jovians , christians againe ; and all this within lesse then the age of a man. . some have their spirits in a base manner subjugated by these divisions and troubles that come upon them : they care not what they do or submit to : so be it they may have peace , they will bow down their backs and consciences , they will put themselves and posterity under the yoke of perpetuall slavery : so be it they may be at quiet , and enjoy their estates for the present , no matter what becomes of the publick , no matter what becomes of the truth . they are content to let all go , to betray all , for their own private advantage . this is beneath the spirit of a man. . others are discouraged , upon the sight of the great evils that daily ●low from our divisions , and are like still to flow , their hearts sinke in despaire . they call into question whether it be the cause of god that we now undertake . when the temple was building , there was no noise of hammer , axe , or any toole of iron heard in the house while it was in building . but oh lord is our work temple-work ! we heare the noise not of hammer and axe , but of swords and spears , of drumms and cannons , of railings and revilings ; these are dreadfull in our eares : but let us not be discouraged , for though there was no noise heard in the house , yet in preparation for the house there was . it may be all we are yet about is only preparatory work for the house of our god. if god will use us in this only , yet blessed be his name . wherefore though our divisions be many and very evill , yet they are not so evill nor many , but that there may be hope in israel concerning this thing . for consider , it is no new thing for divisions to be in the church . the apostle would not have us think it strange concerning the fiery triall , he means there of persecution . the fiery contentions amongst us , are another fiery triall . we should not think strange of this neither ; as if such a thing had befaln us that nev●r yet befell any . i think for all circumstances it is every hard to parallel , but the church in all ages hath been sorely afflicted with divisions . act. . . paul and barnabas , two great apostles , were so divided , that they could not keep company together , but went one from another in anger . the text sayes , the contentions were so sharpe betweene them , that they departed asunder one from another . the word signifies such a sharpnesse as there is in vineger . it is used by physicians to signifie the sharpnesse of the feverish humour when it is acting in a fit . their dissention put them as it were into the fit of a fever . you will say , surely it was some very great matter that should cause such eminent and holy men to be in such a passion one against another , to be so hot as not to company together . truly no : the matter was not great , it was whether mark should go with them or no ; the one would have him , the other would not have him , & about this the contention arose to this height . reade the epistle to the romanes , to the corinthians , to the galathians , you shall finde very great dissentions in these churches : and in after-times especially , when god delivered them from those ten bloudy persecutions , the contentions of the church were very great . when constantine came to the nicene councell , divers of the members of that councell accused one another to the emperour , and put up libels one against another , which libels constantine caused to be burned . after all the debates of the councell , with the presence of the emperour , who laboured all he could for peace and union amongst them , making large speeches to that purpose , to them , yet there were five of them dissented from the rest in matters of greater consequence then any amongst us dissent from our brethren , namely , in that point of christs being of the same substance with the father . i finde in eusebius this grievous complaint : after our affaires , through too much liberty , ease and security , degenerated from the rule of piety , one pursued another with open contumely and hatred ; we impugned our selves by no other then our selves with the armour of spite and sharpe speares , of opprobrious words , so that bishops against bishops , and people against people raised sedition ; and they which seemed our shepherds , laying aside the rule of piety , practised contention and schisme among themselves ; and whilest they aggravated contention , threatnings , mutuall hatred , and enmity , and every one proceeded in ambition , much like tyranny it selfe , then the lord according to the saying of jeremy , made the daughter of sion obscure , and overthrew from above the glory of israel . the contentions of the church caused by those four grand heresies of arius , macedonius , nestorius , eutyches , one after another , exercised the church a long time . there was much siding , some cleaving to one part , some to another in all these four . the first denyed christs divinity , upon which the first nicene councell was called . the second , the personality of the spirit , upon which the second generall councell was called at constantinople . the third , the distinction of persons in christ , upon which the third generall councell was called at ephesus . the fourth confounded christs natures , upon which the fourth was called at chalcedon . about this time pelagius and donatus caused much disturbance in europe and africa . epiphanius who lived in the third century , reekons threescore severall heresies that had got head , many followers of them all , which caused great breaches in the church from the time of the apostles to the time wherein he lived . after the division of the empire into the easterne and westerne parts , then arose mighty contention for the primacy between the bishops of rome and constantinople , that put the church into wofull contentions for many yeares , one part excommunicating the other , writing and opposing one another to the uttermost . when this heat is at the hottest then on the one side , upon the westerne parts god let out the gothes , hunnes , vandals , those barbarous people , and mahomet upon the easterne , so that all learning was almost extinct in the christian world , and grosse darknesse came upon the face of all churches . the church having lost her lights , men of learning and worth , then the great contention about images arose that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , the eastern churches demolishing images in temples , the western maintaining them with extreme contention against the eastern . there were not only excommunications thundred one against another , but much bloud was shed in that quarrell . in this condition have the churches been from time to time divided , yea fighting with one another about opinions . and for the divisions and contentions betweene particular men , and most eminent lights in the church , in those times , after they came to have rest from persecutions . we find most lamentable complaints in the writings of the ancients , of the extremè offence these dissentions were to the heathen . nazianzen in his first apologeticall oration : we are made a spectacle ( sayes he ) to angels and men , not as that valiant champion paul , who fought against principalities and powers , but we are made a scorn to wicked men , in their markets , their feasts , their playes , in all their meetings . the most vile people jeer us , and all this for contending and warring one with another . basil makes this complaint : i have lived now ( sayes he ) the age of a man , and see more union in arts and sciences then in divinity : for in the the church i see such dissentions as do divide it assunder , and dissipates it . chrysostome and epiphanius fell out so bitt●rly , that the one wished the other might never dye a bishop , and the other wished that he might never goe home alive . and it fell out to either of them as each one had wished to the other , for epiphanius came not to cyprus , he dyed on the seas by the way , neither did chrysostome dye a bishop , for he was deposed and banished the church . the contentions between jerome and ruffinus were bery bitter , who had been formerly great friends . augustine in his . epistle sayes , their friendship had been famous in all the churches . if such things may fall out between jerome and ruffinus , ( sayes he ) who that is now a friend may not fear to be an enemy ? yet ruffinus writes two books against jerome , which are intituled ruffini invectiva in hieronymum . he begins his first invective , applying that of the psalmist to jerome , ps . . . i lye among them that are set on fire , even the sonnes of men , whose teeth are speares , arrowes , and their tongue a sharp sword . in the beginning of his second , he accuses him of lying , and that he does himselfe what he reproves in others ; with abundance of such kinde of bitter stuffe . and jerome payes him againe in the same kinde . in his . epist . ad principiam virginem , he calls him a scorpion , in regard of the poyson that came from him . and in his apology against him , lib. . in the beginning of it he applyes that scripture to ruffinus , prov. . . in the mouth of the foolish is a rod of pride . and that of isay , isa . . . the vile person will speak villany , and his heart will worke iniquity , to utter error against the lord. and i finde in an epistle of augustine to jerome , a great complaint he makes to him of those differences there were between ruffinus and him : with very patheticall expressions to move jerome to peace . when i read your epistles , i pined away with griefe , my heart was cold within me for feare . oh miserable , oh lamentable condition that we are in ! you who were wont to be most familiar , joyned in the strongest bands ; you who are wont to lick up the honey of the holy scriptures , now there is bitternesse amongst you . woe is me that i cannot meet you together , that i might fall down at your feet , and weep my fill ! that i might beg of you as strongly as i love you , sometime either of you for your own sake , sometime both of you for eithers sake , and especially for the sake of those that are weake , for whom christ died , who look upon you with a great deale of danger ; that you would not in your writings spread such things one against another , which though you should agree you could not wipe off from one another ; or such things as if ye were agreed ye would be afraid to reade . yea many times there was very hot contest between jerome and augustine himselfe . sometimes i finde some of their writings one against another to be very sharpe . if we can debate things without bitternesse of discord , well and good ; but if i cannot tell you what should be mended in your writings , and you tell me what should be mended in mine without suspition of envie and breach of friendship , let us meddle no more , but favour our healths and lives . in after-times when god stirred up a spirit in luther , and others , to set themselves against the tyranny of antichrist , to throw off that heavy yoke of bondage , the dissentions between the chief publique instruments of god to the church was very great , as luther , and zuinglius , and oecolampadius , and corolostadius . luther in one of his epistles sayes , that there was no wickednesse , no cruelty , that zuinglius did not charge him with . and in another epistle he complains that corolostadius was more malitious against him then ever any of his enemies yet had been . and as for oecolompadius , luther was so provoked against him , as he called him the black devill . we may see what strange corruptions are working-sometimes in the hearts of godly men . as for the many sects and rents in and presently after luthers time , they would fill up a large volume to name them , with their severall opinions and wayes . there is one schlusselburgius a protestant divine , that hath gathered the chief of them together in twelve or thirteen severall books that he wrote about them . there is not any one strange opinion amongst us now , but you shall finde it amongst them in terminis , and that so prevailing as to get a strong party to joyne with it . only i remember not that one that hath taken some , who though they acknowledg the scripture , yet think there is no visible church upon the earth . in after-times whosoever shall read junius his comment upon psal . . will finde the state of the church in his time miserably distracted and distressed with contentions . i cannot ( sayes he ) : but be exceedingly moved , when i thinke of these evills . what shall i doe ? shall i hold my peace when the devill has stirred up so great a perturbation , has kindled so great a fire ? certainly there is such a fire kindled in the christian world , that unlesse god looks from heaven upon us , it will consume all : the mindes of men are as hearths for this fire , upon which sin burns ; the tongues of men , some are the bellowes that blow this fire , others as fuell by which this fire burnes more and more . that the tongue cannot do to blow up and down this fire , that virulent papers do , dung-carts of virulent papers , that is his expression . yea a great part of the christian world at this time , seems to be rather like the place of the burning of dead bodies , then the house of christs flock : are these shepherds ? are these the sheep of christ , whom i see to consume away in their miserable burning ? surely they are shepherds still , they are the sheep of christ , and anointed ones still : but many of them in this horrible and deadly burning , remember not that they are sheep or shepherds . and thus he proceeds further in pouring forth his soul in most grivious complaints . this fiery triall of dissentions in the church then is no new thing ; we are to be sensible of it , to account it a great affiction ; but not to look upon it as if some strange thing had befalne us , that never befell the churches before . but you will say , how can we do lesse but account it a very strange thing , that those who fear god should be thus divided ? that dogs should snarle one at another , is no marvaile : but that sheep , that those who are godly should do thus , this we cannot but wonder at : for what reason can there be given for it , yea what shew of reason can there be imagined ? if we consider of things wisely , we have no such cause to wonder that godly men in this their estate of imperfection should differ so much one from another as they do ; for first , every godly man prizes and seeks after knowledge ; others mind little but their profit and pleasure ; they trouble not themselves about the knowing the things of god , except ambition puts them upon it ; they care not which way truths goe : but the godly man prizes every truth at a high rate , worth the contending for , to the uttermost , rather then to deny it or lose it . in the dark , all colours be alike , but in the light they appeare diverse . while the egyptians were in the darke , they all sate still , but they moved with various motions when the light brake out upon them : when men discusse things , and desire to see farther into them , it is impossible , considering the weaknesses of the best , and the variety of mens apprehensions , but there must needs be much difference in mens judgements , & then considering that every thing they apprehend to be a truth , their consciences are engaged in it , at least thus farre , that they must not deny it for a world ; this puts mens spirits at distance , although both be godly , both love the truth equally . secondly , godly men are free-men , christ hath made them so , and requires them not to suffer themselves to be brought under bondage , they must not , cannot submit their consciencee to the opinions , determinations , decrees of any men living ; they cannot submit to any as lords over their faith ; this others can do : as for points of religion , say some , let learned men judge of them , we will not be wiser then they , we will submit , and others must submit to what they shall determine : this makes quick work indeed of divisions , but this , those who feare god , cannot do ; they must see every thing they own as truth , with their own light , yet received from jesus christ though they reverence men of greater parts , deeper learning , yet they have the charge of christ upon them , not to acknowledge it as truth , till they understand it to be so ; this causes much contention amongst good men , through their weaknesse and corruption of their hearts . the lesse distance men apprehend between themselves and others in regard of power , the more differences there are amongst them , as they say the greatest and sorest stormes are about the equinoctiall : men are kept more at peace in the common-wealth then in the church , because there is a greater subjection of one to another there , then may be admitted in the church . thirdly , godly men give up themselves to the strictest rules of holinesse , they walk in the narrow way of christ , it is broad enough to the spirituall part , but in regard of our corruptions , it is a narrow pent way ; they dare not give way to themselves to decline a haires bredth from the rule , to gratifie others ; they dare not bend to them , that they might sute more with them , but must keep themselves to the straight rule ; they must keep just in their path ; they cannot go aside to give way to others ; hence there is clashing , every one not having the same thoughts of the rule and way that others have ; those who walke by loose rules , in wayes that are broad , even to their flesh , they can sure themselves one to another easily , they can gratifie their friends , yea the corruptions of their friends more then others can do ; godly men cannot yeeld for peace sake to such termes as other men can . fourthly , the things that the saints are conversant about , are great things , things of a high nature , about their last end , their eternall estates ; hence every one is very charie , and carefull , and strongly set to maintain what he apprehends ; those who understand not the infinite consequence of those things , who have not had the feare of them fall upon their hearts , they wonder at the stifnesse of mens spirits that they can be brought to yeeld no more in such things that they conceive they might yeeld in , and where there are different apprehensions of those things that concern mens eternall estates , even amongst godly men , they must needs stand out one against another , till god causes one of them to see things otherwise then now he doth . fiftly , the things of religion are hidden mysteries , they are the secrets of god , they are hard to be understood , god reveals them in a differing way , they are not ordinarily so clearly revealed , but that the apprehensions of them are like to be different . sixtly , the saints are bound to watch over one another , each is his brothers keeper , they ought to advise , admonish , reprove one another , not to suffer sinne to be upon their brethren ; now this ( through our corruption ) is very displeasing , we doe not love to be medled with , to be crossed in what we have a mind to ; but other men can better preserve their own quiet , by letting their brethren alone ; i will not trouble them , lest i be troubled my selfe . hence it is that they many times live more quietly one with another , then godly men do ; yet this is a great evill , a shame to those who are godly , that it should be so upon any termes . seventhly , ungodly men are dead in sins , the devill hath them sure enough , he doth not seek to stir their corruptions so much as he doth the corruptions of the godly ; he shall not get so much advantage by the one as by the other ; therefore he labours to keep the corruptions of the godly acting as much as he can , that he may disquiet their owne spirits , and the spirits of those with whom they converse . thus you see it is no such wonder why there are dissentions amongst men that truly feare god ; suppose they should live all together , yet so long as they live here in this muddy world , it cannot be but there will be sometimes foule weather amongst them ; but if you look into the church , and consider of the dissentions there , there is a farther reason for them , for usually there are many hypocrites mingled with the godly there , they taking up a profession of religion and so creep into the church , they finde spirituall things unsuitable to them , hence they fly off , their spirits not being brought under the yoke of christ , they fling against those things that pinch them . we read num. . . that the great trouble the children of israel had among them , after they were got out of egypt , was from the mixt multitude that was among them ; these are as ill humours in the body , that do much disturb the quiet of it . none have more turbulent , cruell , impatient spirits , then hypocrites ; none are so desirous of revenge as they , sayes luther . yet further , the fourth thing propounded , is to shew , that those that come nearest together , yet differing in some things , are many times at greater variance one with another , then those who differ in more things from them . the jews and samaritans were at greater variance then jews and heathens . epiphanius tells of a sect of the jews , the nazarites , who continued the customes and ceremonies of the jewes , but acknowledged christ also ; and the jews in hatred to them cursed them solemnly three times a day , morning , noon , and evening , when they went into their synagogue to pray . the turks have a honourable esteeme of christ , which the tartars have not ; yet they say , that the tartars turn . christians sooner then the turks : the turks and persians are both mahometans , they are both circumcised , but the turks follow the way of ebubezer , and the persians are of the schohle of haly ; they detest one another more then they do the christians ; they will both tolerate christians to live amongst them , but they will not tolerate mahometans , who are in a different order from themselves . luther complaines much of those who acknowledged the same doctrine , professed the same faith with himself , came to the same sacraments , yet were worse enemies then the papists , so that the papists laughed at them , and said , they bite one another , and are consumed one of another . i have read of a profane speech of one cosmus duke of florence , against some perfidious friends , you shall reade ( sayes he ) that we are commanded to forgive our enemies , but you never read that we are commanded to forgive our friends . breaches of friends of such as are otherwise nearest are the greatest . prov. . . a brother offended is harder to be won then a city , and their contertione are like the bars of a castle . . we see it in nature , the nerrer the union is , the more grievous is the usurpation ; t is not so great an evill to a man for his arme to be seperated from his body , as his soule ; for the union of the one is integrall , of the other it is essentiall . the bone is more firmly united in all the parts of it then the flesh , and the least breach in that is farre more hurtfull then a greater in the flesh . . those who agree in many things , have hope it may be to get one another to them ; upon this they struggle with one another the more : as for those who are at a great distance , they have no hope to prevaile with them , therefore they make no onset , but seeing themselves frustrated of their hopes , there this troubles them , yea it oft stirs up a spirit of anger against them whom they cannot get up to themselves . . those who agree in many and great things , and yet stand out in few and of lesse consequence , are thought to be the more unreasonable ; if you yeeld thus far , why not a little farther ? the one thinks so of the other , and the other thinks so of him , and hence their spirits are stirred one against another . . those who come up near to others , and yet dissent , seeme to stand more in the light of those they come up so neare unto , then those do who are at a greater distance : it makes men think such a one is not in the right , if he were , those who come so near to him would see it ; they who think themselves got beyond others , cannot enjoy that comfort and content in what they are beyond others in , as otherwise they might , because such as are so near them are against it , if they did not agree in most things , and those of greatest moment , their opposition would not be much regarded : but because they are such men who for their judgements and lives are so unblameable , their differing in such a thing is more then if a hundred times as many , who were at a greater distance in their principles and lives , should differ from us . . they who are so near one to another , have occasion to converse more together then others have , and to argue things oftner one with another , then with such as they differ more from . now it is seldome that men of differing judgements and wayes meet and argue , but there is some heat between them before they have done : and so their spirits grow more estranged one from another then before . and if your spirits be estranged , then those that you have reference to , and such as are in your way , will have their spirits estranged too , your relation of things to them according to what apprehensions you have of them , will be enough to estrange their hearts , and so by degrees a bitternesse grows up between you . the fifth thing , that god hath a hand in our divisions , and how farre . god had a great stroak in the division of these ten tribes from the two , . kings ● . , . the word of the lord came to shemaiah the man of god , saying , returne every man to hits house , for this thing is from the lord. in the sense of the prophet there , we may say that our divisions are from the lord. we are wrangling , devising , plotting , working one against another , minding nothing but to get the day one of another : but god is working out ends above our reach , for his glory and the good of his saints . there must be heresies , sayes the apostle , i cor. . . so there must be divisions . that word haeresis is used to signifie severall opinions , severall wayes , haereses platonicae , haereses peripateticae . chrysostome interprets the place of the apostle , there must be heresies , of such divisions as we are treating of . but why must there be divisions , what does god ayme at in them ? answ . first , the discovery of mens spirits , that they which are approved may be manifest , sayes the apostle . by those divisions in corinth , wherein the rich divided from the poore , whereby the poore were condemned , the graces of the poore in bearing this were manifested . thus chrysostome upon the place : the apostle sayes this , that he might comfort the poor which were able with a generous minde to bear that contempt . the melting of the metall discovers the drosse , for they divide the one from the other . these are melting times , and thereby discovering times . if reformation had gone on without opposition , we had not seen what drossie spirits we had amongst us . those who have kept upright without warping in these times are honourable before god , and his holy angels and saints . . by these divisions god exercises the graces of his servants . a little skill in a mariner is enough to guide his ship in faire weather : but when stormes arise , when the seas swell and grow troublesome , then his skill is put to it . in these stormy troublesome times there had need be much wisdome , faith , love , humility , patience , selfe-deniall , meeknesse , all graces are put to it now , they had need put forth all their strength , act with all their vigour ; our graces had need be stirring , full of life and quicknesse now . god prizeth the exercise of the graces of his saints at a very high rate . he thinks it worth their suffering much trouble . it is a good evidence of grace , yea of much grace , to account the trouble of many afflictions to be recompensed by the exercise of graces . in times of division men had need stirre up all their graces , and be very watchfull over their wayes , and walke exactly , be circumspect , accurate in their lives . those who have not their hearts with them , have their eyes upon them , prying into them , watching for their halting . when there is siding there is much observing . lord ( sayes david , psal . . . ) teach me thy way , and lead me in a plain path because of mine enemies , so it is in your books ; but you may reade it because of mine observers : enemies are observers . hence it was the policy of the lacedaemonians alwayes to send two embassadours together which disagreed among themselves , that so they might mutually have an eye upon the actions of each other . . god will have these to be in just judgement to the wicked , that they may be a stumbling block to them who will not receive the truth in love . there are so many opinions , such divisions , so many religions , say some , that we know not what to do . if your hearts be carnall , not loving the wayes of god , not prizing spirituall things , not savouring the things of another world , these opinions , divisions , may be laid by god in judgement as a stumbling block in thy way , that thou mayest stumble upon them and break thy selfe for ever . god hath no need of thee . if thou wilt be froward and perverse against his truths , if thou hast a mind to take offence , you shall have matter enough before you to take offence at . stumble and break your necks , as a just reward of the perversnesse of your hearts . these divisions which you rejoice in , which you can speak of as glad that you have such an objection against my people and wayes that your hearts are opposite to , shall cost you dear , even the perdition of your souls everlastingly . it was a speech of tertullian , i account it no danger to affirm , that god hath so ordered the revelation of truth in scriptures , that he might administer matter for hereticks . . god hath a hand in these divisions , to bring forth further light . sparkes are beaten out by the flints striking together . many sparks of light , many truths are beaten out by the beatings of mens spirits one against another . if light be let into a house , there must be some trouble to beat down a window . a child thinks the house is beating downe , but the father knowes the light will be worth the cost and trouble . if you will have the cloth woven , the woofe and warpe must be cast crosse one to another . if you will have truths argued out , you must be content to bear with some opposition for the time . those who are not willing to bear some trouble , to be at some cost to find out truth , are not worthy of it . those who love truth will seek for it , for truths sake ; those who love victory , yet because the truth is the strongest , will seek after truth that they may get victory , dan. . . many shall runne to and fro , and knowledge shall be encreased . to some these divisions darken truths , to others they enlighten them . we may well behold mens weaknesse in these divisions , but better admire gods strength and wisdome in ordering them to his glory , and his childrens good . be not discouraged ye saints of the lord , at these divisions , your father hath a hand in them , he wil bring good out of them . yea christ , who is the prince of peace , hath a ●and in them . matth. . , . he sayes , thinke not that i am come to send peace on the earth , i came to bring a sword . i am come to set a man at variance against his father , and the daughter against her mother . one would think it to be the strangest speech that could be , to come from the mouth of him who is the great peace-maker . oh blessed saviour , must we not think that thou art come to send peace ? thou art our peace . is not thine embassage from thy father , an embassage of peace ? true : peace with my father , but not peace on the earth ; not an earthly peace ; do not think that i came from heaven to work this for men , that they should live at ease in plenty and pleasure , that they should have no disturbance , no trouble to the flesh : no , the event of my comming you will finde to be a sword , divisions , and that between those of the nearest relation . a child who is wicked will despise and break with his godly father , and the daughter with her godly mother . and luke . . the carnall father and mother will have their hearts rise against their godly sonne and daughter . i am come to send fire on the earth , and what will i if it be already kindled ? let it kindle as soone as it will , i am contented , i know much good will come of it . these scriptures are enough to take away for ever the offence of divisions . first , christ himselfe is the greatest offence to wicked men that ever was in the world : he is the stumbling stone and rock of offence , thousand thousands being offended at him miscarry everlastingly . christ foreseeing how many would be offended at him , mat. . . blesseth the man who shall not be offended . some are offended at what they see in christ ; others apprehend whatsoever is in him to be most excellent and lovely , that which they cannot but defend and stand for to the death . he is disallowed of men , rejected by the builders , a stone of stumbling to them : but to the saints the chief corner stone , elect , precious , pet. . , , , , . such different apprehensions of christ must needs divide men . . christ comes to make the greatest alteration that ever was or can be in the world , and do we not finde that troubles accompany alterations , and above all alterations , alterations in government , and especially such a government as gives no composition , yeelds no compliance with any thing else ? when christ comes he brings his fanne in his hand , he must have his floore throughly purged ; he gathers his wheat into his garner , & severs the chaffe to be burnt in unquenchable fire . if he comes thus , who shall abide his comming ? mal. . . who shall stand when he appeares ? for he is like a refiners fire , and fullers sope , he shall sit as a refiner and purifier of silver , he shall purifie the sons of levi. certainly there will be much adoe when they come to be purified . no men in the world are like to make so much stirre when they come to be purified as the clergy will. christ comes to cast out devils , they will fome , fret , vex , rend and teare when they are a casting out . the gospel likewise divides . the word of the gospell is a dividing word . heb. . . it is quicke , powerfull , sharper then a two-edged sword , piercing even to the dividing asunder of soule and spirit , of the joints and marrow . it divides in a mans own heart , and divides between man and man. the light of it divides . the first division we ever read of was of gods making , gen. . , . when he said , let there be light , and god divided the light from the darkness . the doctrine of the gospel shews the spiritualness of gods commands , the sinfulnesse of thoughts , of the first stirrings of sin , mat. . this touches to the quick . the heat of the gospel divides : it is like fire when it comes , is not my word like fire ? the preaching of the gospel with power heaps coales of fire upon mens heads , which will either melt them , or burn them . in it there is a separation of the precious from the vile . the ordinances of the gospel divide , they difference men . some they will receive , others they will not . they must bring men to a higher , to a stricter way then the sluggish , dead , vain , slight , drossie hearts of men are willing to come up unto . the godlinesse that is in christ jesus divides , therefore whosoever will live godly so , must expect to suffer persecution , tim. . . . those who hold forth the life and power of godlinesse , seem to challenge a more speciall peculiar interest in god then others which cannot be endured , joh. . . we are of god , and the whole world lyes in wickednesse . . their lives condemne others , which they cannot abide , as noah is said to condemne the world , heb. . . . in godlinesse there is an excellency . they whose hearts are naught cannot look upon that hath any appearance of excellency , without a spirit of envy . if they judge men only to be conceited with it as an excellency , but for their parts they think it not to be so , then they look upon them with a spirit of indignation . . godlinesse makes men zealous in such things as others can see no reason why they should . they think they do incalescere in re frigida , and that the ground of their zeal is vanity , and turbulency of spirit . . it makes men constant : nothing can turn them out of their way . the son yeelds not to his father , the servant not to his master ; this is judged to be stoutnesse and wilfulnesse , though god knowes it is far otherwise , it must needs therefore enrage others at them . the good uses that we are to make of our divisions . why may not meat come out of the eater , and sweet out of these bitter things ? the heavens can draw up salt vapours from the sea , and send them down againe in sweet refreshing showres . why may not heavenly hearts change the very nature of these sowre brinish things , and make them sweet to themselves and others ? this is the excellency of grace ; it does not only preserve the soule from the evill of temptations , but it gets advantage by them , it turnes the evill into good . luther upon the galat. c. . v. . hath a notable expression to set forth the power of grace : by this a christian ( sayes he ) comes to be a mighty workman , and a wonderfull creator , who of heavinesse can make joy , of terrours comfort , of sinne righteousnesse , of death life . and why may not i adde , of division and contention , peace and union ? wherefore first , by these divisions men may come to see the vilenesse and the vanity of their own hearts : what were the thoughts of men heretofore ? oh , had we but liberty and opportunity to be instrumentall for god , we hope we should improve all to the uttermost for him , now god hath granted these to us , we abuse them , we grow wanton , we jarre one against another : we are like some marriners , who are calme in a storme , but storme in a calme . surely every man is vanity . the untowardnesse of the spirits of those who heretofore longed after ordinances , freed from these defilements they mourned under , when they have their desires in great measure satisfied , discovers so much evill in the hearts of men , that it justifies those whom themselves have had hard thoughts of , men who seemed carnall and naught , that you looked upon as very evill , men of bitter spirits against good men , you thought such things apparently argued them void of grace , and yet when you are got into church-fellowship , that way of freedome , that your soules mourned after a long time , now though you be joyned in covenant one to another , yet if your brethren differ any thing from you , though they be otherwise godly , what a bitternesse of spirit is there in some of you against them ! what pride ! what frowardnesse doe you manifest against them ! oh what a poor creature is man ! if once he gets power and liberty , what a deale of filth appears in him ! we may learn by this to have charitable thoughts of some , of whom we have had hard thoughts before ; we see if these men have any grace , grace may be in a mans heart lying under much corruption . secondly , learne to be humbled for that dishonour which comes to god by these divisions ; thou spendest thy time in vexing and fretting at , in crying out against these breaches , but when was thy heart broken with the dishonour that god hath by them ? thirdly , let these divisions confirme us in the maine , and settle us there more then ever ; for do we not see that those many sorts of men who are divided , who oppose one another much , yet they all joyn in the things of the greatest consequence , they all witnesse against the common enemy ? this , sayes nazianzen , is the greatest argument of the truth , that it is not overcome by time , neither can enmity one against another put out that little sparke of the love of it that is in us , &c. if a mans house stands after many shakings of strong windes , he concludes the foundation is good , this satisfies him , though some tiles be shaken off . fourthly , let us blesse god who hath carryed on the work of reformation thus farre , notwithstanding our divisions ; we were afraid that these differences , not so much betweene the good and bad , but betweene the good and good , would have undone all , and yet behold the lord beyond our thoughts , how infinitely beyond our deserts , hath carryed on the work hitherto , so as it gets ground , though it be not so speedily brought to an issue as we would have it . fiftly , let us hence raise our hopes in this , that satans time is not long ; his raging and foming so violently , doth evidence it to us . surely christ our prince of peace is at hand , he will tread down satan under our feet shortly . sixtly , let us from these stirs without , be put upon the labouring to make and to confirm peace within . oh consider , is the breach between man and man so grievous ? how grievous is that which is between god and the soul ! i find it hard , and doubt whether it be possible to be at peace with men in this world ; i find them of such froward , peevish , selfish , wilfull spirits , even many who seem to be good men otherwise , but god gives many encouragements to poor souls to come unto him ; he is a god of love and mercy , he delights not to grieve the children of men , to crush under his feet the prisoners of the earth : he is willing to be reconciled to sinners : there is nothing that his heart is more set upon , then reconciliation with wretched sinfull souls . oh that in these sad dayes of miserable dissentions , i might be blessed with the comforts of the reconciliation of my soul with god! if this were , i hope i should be able contentedly to bear , and with strength to pass through all those heart-sadning evils caused by these breaches and dissentions there are amongst us . this were a good use indeed , made of such evill things , if mens contending with you shall thus further your peace with god ; what he once said of adams sin , it was faelix ▪ peccatum , a happy sin , because it occasioned so much good in mans redemption : so i may say of that strife and contention there is among us , it is faelix contentio , a happy contention , that god hath turned to so much good unto you . i have read of robert holgate , who was arch-bishop of york , because he could not peaceably enjoy his small living in lincolne-shire , in regard of the litigiousnesse of a neigbouring knight , comming to london to right himselfe , he came into the favour of king hen. the . and so got by degrees the archbishoprick of york , he thought he got well by the litigiousnesse of this knight ; but if the strifes of men shall put thee upon those providences and duties which shall be so blessed unto thee , as to further thy getting into the favour of the high god , and the enjoyment of the soule-satisfying sweetnesse there is in peace with him ; what cause shalt thou have of admiring free grace , which hath brought to thee so great a good from so great an evil ? and if these strifes have been a meanes to move thy heart godward for thy making thy peace with him , let them also put thee on still to further , to confirme , to settle , to maintaine thy peace with him . vvhen the winde and storme rises , the traveller plucks his cloak the closer about him ; these dividing times are stormy times , labour to get your souls to the harbour under shelter , labour to make sure of that one thing necessary ; the more strangely men looke upon you , let your hearts be stirred up to seek with the more strength the face of god , that you may never look upon it but with joy . you hear harsh notes abroad , such things as grieve you at the heart , labour so much the more to keep the bird alwayes singing in your bosome . . if your peace be made with god , blesse god for it . it is a great mercy for a man in these times of trouble , to have rest in his own spirit ; while others are tossed up and down in the waves of contention , you sit quietly in the arke of a good conscience , blessing the lord that ever you knew him and his wayes . . labour to make up your want of that good and comfort you heretofore had in christian communion , with a more close and constant communion with the lord , who hath been pleased to speak peace unto you . although i have not that comfort in communion with the streams , yet i may find it fully made up in the fountain . . by way of antiperistas , let us labour to be so much the more united with the saints , by how much we see others to be divided : men make void thy law , sayes david , therefore doe i love it above gold . we use to put a price upon things that are rare : what makes jewels to be of that worth , but for the rarity of them ? unity , hearty love , sweetness of communion among brethren , is now a very rare thing , a scarce commodity , let us prize it the more , and you who do enjoy it , bless god for it . . the more confused , broken , and troublesome we see things to be , the more let our hearts be stirred up in prayer to god , putting him in mind of all those gracious promises that he hath made to his church for peace and union : lord is it not part of thy covenant with thy people , that thou wilt give them one heart ? hast thou not said that they shall serve thee with one shoulder ? hast thou not told us that thou wilt make jerusalem a quiet habitation , that thou wilt take away violence , that there should be no pricking bryar nor grieving thorn ? . those whose consciences can witnesse to them , that it hath been their great care not to enwrap themselves in the guilt of these divisions , but they can appeale to god that they have endeavoured after peace so far as they could with a good conscience , let them bless god for this mercy , it is a great deliverance to be delivered from the guilt of those divisions . deut. . . of levi he said , let thy vrim and thummim be with thy holy one , whom thou didst prove at massah , and with whom thou didst strive at the waters of meribah . massah signifies tentation , and meribah , contention . places and times of contention are places and times of tentation . now if god shall prove us at those places in those times , and we be found upright , this will bring a blessing upon us . at those waters where the people murmured , contending even with god himselfe , aaron ( though there was some weaknesse in him ) yet kept himselfe from being involved in the guilt of that sinne of contending with god. and sol-jarchi , with other of the hebrewes , say , that the levites were not in that sinne neither ; which they thinke that place malachie . . refers unto , my covenant was with him of life and peace , for the feare wherewith he feared me , and was afraid before my name . the feare of god was upon levi , at that time he dared not contend as then others did , and therefore my covenant of life and peace was and is with him . we have been these three or foure yeeres at these waters of massah and meribah , god hath tryed us . how happy are those who have held out , who have kept their consciences free , upon whom the fear of god hath been , and through that feare of his , have walked before him in the wayes of truth and equity ? the blessing of the covenant of life and peace be upon them for ever . chap. xxxi . the cure of our divisions . vvhat gracious heart is not cut asunder with griefe for those sore and fearfull evils that there are in , and come from our divisions , and is not even the second time cut asunder with carefull thoughts in it selfe , what may be done to heal them ? mat. . . christ forbids that carking care that cuts our hearts , when it is in matters concerning our selves , yea for our lives , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , take no thought for your life , so it is in your bookes : but the word signifies , doe not take such thought as should cut your hearts asunder : so v. . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ; why doe you divide your hearts ? and ver . . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , and ver . . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 again . but though this charge of christ be doubled and doubled againe , against our carefull dividing cutting thoughts about our selves , yet for the uniting the hearts of the saints together for the good of the church , this heart-cutting care is not onely allowed , but required , cor. . . that there should be no schisme in the body , but that the members should have the same care one for another . the words are , that the members may care , the same thing one for another , and that with dividing , cutting care , that there might be no schisme in the body . the word that is here for care , is the same that in the former places in the . of mat. is forbidden . the expressions of my thoughtfull cares about this work , is the subject at this time : when i set my self about it , my heart doth even ake within me at the apprehension of the difficulty of it . there are some diseases that are called opprobria medicorum , the disgraces of physitians , because they know not what to say or doe to them ; or if they do any thing it is to little purpose . if there be any soule-disease that is opprobrium theologorum , the disgrace of divines , it is this of contention and division . how little has all that they have studied and endeavoured to do , prevailed with the hearts of men ? what shall we do ? shall we but joyn in this one thing , to sit down together , and mourn one over another , one for another , till we have dissolved our hearts into teares , and see if we can thus get them to run one into another ? oh that it might be , what sorrow soever it costs us ! we read judges . . , , . the lord sent an angell from gilgal to the men of israel , who told them how graciously he had dealt with them , yet they had contrary to the command of god made a league with the inhabitants of the land , for which the lord threatned that they should be as thorns in their sides . when the angell spake these words to the children of israel , the people lift up their voice and wept . and they called the name of that place boehim , a place of tears . their sin was too much joyning , joyning in league where god would not have them : those whom they joyned with , god told them should be thornes in their sides . upon this they wept , and that so sore , that the place received its name from their weeping . but oh that the lord would send his angell , yea his spirit to us , to convince us of our evill , that we to this day have not joyned in sure league one with another , but are thorns in the sides of one another : and that after so many mercies , such great deliverances from our bondage , from the rage of ungodly men , yea that we are so false one to another , though the lord hath never broke covenant with us , which was the heart-breaking argument the angell used , ver . . yea the lord hath done abundantly for us , beyond our hopes , desires , thoughts , and that after all this there should be nothing but breaches and divisions amongst us , that we should be not only thornes , but speares and swords in one anothers sides , piercing to one anothers hearts . are we the children of israel ? let our hearts then break for the breaches of our hearts . let them break , and melt , and mourn , and bleed , and resolve that nothing shall comfort them , but peace with our god , and peace one wth another . that one text , thes . . . were enough alone to pierce our hearts through and through . as touching brotherly love , ye need not that i write unto you , saith the apostle , for ye your selves are taught of god to love one another . oh lord , what are we in these dayes such kinde of christians as these were ? oh that it were so with us , that we had no need to be wrote to , to be preached to , concerning this . does it appear by our carriages one towards another , that we are taught of god to love one another ? but that god may teach us this day , attend to what shall be said to you in his name , which i shall cast into these five heads : . joyning principles . . joyning considerations . . joyning graces . . joyning practices . . conclude with exhortation . wherein we shall endeavour to set before you the beauty and excellency there is in the heart , union , and mutuall love of christians . i shall not need to be long in these : for take away dividing principles , dividing distempers . dividing practices , and be thoroughly convinced of the evill of divisions , and one would think our hearts should of themselves run into one another . but that i may not seeme to leave our wounds open , so that aire should get into them , but endeavour the closing of them , and so the healing , i shall speak something to these five heads : the first joyning principle . in the middest of all differences of judgement , and weaknesses of the saints , it is not impossible but that they may live in peace and love together . if notwithstanding the differences from gods mind , and many weaknesses , there may be peace and love between god & his saints : then surely notwithstanding these things , the saints may be at love and peace among themselves . let this be laid for a ground , and let our hearts be much possessed with it , we shall finde it very helpfull to our closing . away with that vain conceit which hath been the great disturber of churches in all ages , if men differ in their judgement and practice in matters of religion , though it be in things that are but the weaknesse of godly men , yet there must needs be heart-burning and division . let all peaceable men deny this consequence , let us not say it will be so , and that our words may be made good afterwards indeed make it so : certainly the connection of them , if there be any , is rather from the corruption of our hearts , then from the nature of the things . i have read of two rivers in the east , sava and danuby , that run along in one channell threescore miles together , without any noyse , and yet they keep themselves distinct , the colour of the waters remain distinct , all along : why should we not think it possible for us to go along close together in love and peace , though in some things our judgements and practices be apparently different one from another ? i will give you who are scholers a sentence to write upon your study doores , as needfull an one in these times as any ; it is this : opinionum varietas , & opinantium unitas non sunt 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . variety of opinions , and unity of those that hold them , may stand together . there hath been much ado to get us to agree : we laboured to get our opinions into one , but they will not come together . it may be in our endevours for agreement we have begun at the wrong end . let us try what we can do at the other end : it may be we shall have better successe there . let us labour to joyn our hearts to engage our affections one to another : if we cannot be of one mind that we may agree , let us agree that we may be of one minde . eusebius records a letter that constantine sent to alexander and arius , before he apprehended the grossenesse of arius his heresie , conceiving them to differ but in smaller things , he endevours to reconcile them : for that ( sayes he ) the things wherein you differ , concerneth not any waighty substance of our religion , there is no reason why it should breed at all any division in minde , or discord in doctrine ; and this isay not to compell you in this light question , of what sort soever it be , altogether to condescend unto the same sentence : and though you dissent amongst your selves about a matter of small importance , ( for neither truly are we all in all things like minded , neither have we all the same nature and gift engrafted in us ) neverthelesse for all that the sacred unity may be soundly and inviolably retained among you , and one consent and fellowship conversed between all . i have read of the like peaceable disposition in divers german divines , meeting to confer about matters of religion in difference , in marpurg . the conclusion of their conference was this : although we see we cannot hitherto fully agree about the corporall presence of the body and bloud of christ in the bread and wine , yet both parts ought to declare christian love one to another , as farre as every one can with a good conscience . oh that this were the conclusion of all our debates and conference , wherein we cannot come up fully to one anothers judgements . if we stay for peace and love till we come to the unity of the faith in all things , we must stay for it , for ought i know , till we come to another world . ephes . . , . he gave some apostles , some evangelists , some pastors and teachers , for the worke of the ministery , till we all come in the unity of the faith , and knowledge of the sonne of god , unto a perfect man. the unity of the faith , and the perfect man will be both together ; and when they are , there will be no more need of any ministry , there shall be no more preaching after we are all come to this unity : when that is done , our work is done for this world . the second joyning principle . that shall never be got by strife , that may be had by love and peace . vve would all fain have our wills : now that which lies uppermost upon many mens hearts , that which is the first thing they do , if their wills be crossed , is presently to strive and contend : but this should be the last thing , after all other means are tried : this should never be made use of but in case of pure necessity . we should first think , is there any way in the world whereby it is possible we may have our desires satisfyed with peace , let us try this , and another way , a third , a fourth , yea a hundred wayes , if they lye between us and the way of strife , before we come to meddle with that . this rule you will find of very great use to order all our businesses in churches & common-wealths , of townes , families , yea whatsoever concernes any of your persons in reference to any other . the apostle , cor. . rebuking the divisions of that church , of which they are guilty more then any , for they had many among them of raised parts , of eminent gifts , and therefore puffed up more then others . except god joynes eminency of grace , men of eminent gifts joyne lesse then others , whose gifts are meaner . among those meanes he directs for union , when he speakes of love : i will shew you , sayes he , a more excellent way , ver . last ; 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , a way of the highest excellency , beyond any expression . the way of love , of the engaging hearts one to another , is the only way to bring men to unity of judgement : yea the only way when all is done , for men to have their wills . i may give you this or the other rule to bring you to think and do the same thing , but that which hath an excellency in it with an hyperbole , is the way of love . if you could get your mindes by other wayes , certainly you cannot enjoy it with that sweetnesse and comfort as you may if you have got it this way . marcus cato repented that ever he went by sea when he might have gone by land ( it seems the skill of those times for navigation was not great ) but certainly there is no man living but hath cause to repent him that ever he got that by strife & contention that he might have got by love & peace . what hinders why soft and gentle words may not prevaile , as well as hard and bitter language ? why may not a loving winning carriage do as much as severe rigid violence ? if it may , thou providest ill for thine own peace and comfort , to leave this way and betake thy self to the other . tell me , were it a signe of valour in a man to draw his sword at every whappet that comes near him ? yea at every fly that lights upon him ? were it not folly and madnesse ? why ? he may by putting forth his finger put them off from him . thy froward cholerick spirit is ready to draw at every thing that thou likest not . this is thy folly : thou mayest with lesse adoe have what thou hast a minde to . if i would put a feather from me , i need not strike violently at it , a soft gentle breath will do it better . why should a man labour and toyle till he sweats again , to take up a pin ? have none of you sometimes made a great stirre in your families about that which when the stir is a little over you plainly see you might have had as well with a word speaking : and hath not your heart secretly upbraided you then ? try the next time what you can do by faire and gentle meanes . why should we let the strength of our spirits run waste ? let this be a constant rule ; never make use of severity till you have tryed what clemency will do : there is more power in that to conquer the hearts of men you would faine have yeild to you , then you are aware of . plutarch reports of philip of macedon , that when one arcadion railed on him , the courtiers would have had him dealt severely with ; but philip took another course , he sends for him , and spake gently to him , and shewed great love and respect to him : upon this arcadions heart was turned , so as there was no man in the world that arcadion spoke more honourably of then of philip , wheresoever he came . after a while philip met with those who would have him to have revenged himself upon arcadion , what say you now of arcadion ? sayes he : how doth he now behave himself ? there is no man living , say they , speaks better of you now then he . well then , sayes philip , i am a better physitian then you ; my physick hath done that which yours never would have done . the like he reports of fabius , who was called the romans target : when he heard of a souldier who was valiant , yet practised with some others to go and serve the enemy , he calls him to him , and in stead of dealing with him in rigour , tels him he had not had recompense according to his desert , and gives him honourable gifts , and so gaines him to be faithfull for ever . and sayes he , as hunters , riders of horses , and such as tame wilde beasts shall sooner make them leave their savage and churlish nature by gentle usage and manning of them , then by beating and shackling them ; so a governour of men should rather correct by patience , gentlenesse , and clemency , then by rigour , violence , and severity . none but a cruell , harsh , sordid spirited man , will say , i had rather men should fear me then love me : god prizes most what he hath from us by love . the third joyning principle . it is better to doe good , then to receive good . active good is better then passive ; only god himselfe , his angels and saints do good ; all creatures can receive good . this principle would quickly joyne us ; for if this were in mens hearts , they would study to do all the good they could to one another , and so gaine upon one anothers hearts : and the more good we doe to any , the more will our hearts be inclinable to love them . the very communication of goodnesse , if it be out of a good spirit , carryes the heart along with it to the subject this good is communicated to : the more good god doth to any , the more he loves them . god hates nothing that he hath made , but loves what there is in any thing of his work : but when he communicates his grace , his spirit , when he gives his christ in these gifts , he gives his heart : they do not only come from love , but they make the subject further lovely in his eyes . so it is with us in our proportion : if you take a poore childe from the dunghill , or out of the almes-house , and make him your heyre , you do not only do this good to him because you love dim , but you also love him more , because you look upon him as an object of your goodnesse as one raised by you . titus accounted that day lost , a day wherein he had not raigned , if he had done no good . this principle would make men great as well as good . it is the glory of god that he does so much good . and if men could account this greatnesse , satisfying greatnesse , the most and greatest contentions that are in the world would be layd down : for what do men contend so much for as for greatnesse ? the fourth joyning principle . the good of other men is my good as well as theirs . vve are all of one body : whatsoeuer good others have , it is the good of the body ; it makes them some way able to doe that good that we would have done , or at least that we should desire to have done . plutarch sayes that solon made a law whereby every man was enabled to sue whosoever wronged his neighbour , as if he had wronged himself ; he gave this reason for it , there is no good that one man has in a common-wealth , but it is another mans as well as his . community in the church is more . cor. . . whether paul , or apollos , or cephas , or the world , or life , or death , or things present , or things to come , all are yours , you are christs , and christ is gods. if you be godly you have an interest in all the eminent godly men in the world , in all their gifts , their graces , in all they have or do ; all that is in the world that hath any good in it , is yours , yea what is evill shall be serviceable to you for good . this is brought by the apostle to quiet the jarrings and contentions that were amongst the corinthians . one would be for paul , another for apollos , sayes the apostle , what need this contention , who you are for , and who another is for ? they are all yours , all the excellency there is in them is the good of every one of you . a speciall reason why men contend so much , is , they think the good that other men have is their evill , therefore they must either get it to themselves , or darken it in those that have it . but such men acted by such a principle are poore , low-spirited men . a man of a raised , enlarged spirit , opens his heart that it may be filled with that infinite good in which there is all good . now if it be that good my soul closeth with , and is satisfied in , then whatsoever hath any goodnesse in it , be it where it will , it flowes from this infinite ocean of good that my soul is launched into , and some way or other flows into this againe ; though thorough mens corruptions , there may be windings and turnings in the course of it , yet hither it comes at last , and therefore it is mine as really and truly as any i have in mine own hand : my soul then shall rejoyce in all the good i see my brethren have , in all they do , i will blesse god for it , and seek the furtherance of it what i can . surely this man must needs be a man of peace and love . the fifth joyning principle . my good is more in the publique then in my selfe . the strength , safety , excellency of a cabbin in a ship consists not so much in the boards of the cabbin , or the fine painting of it , as in the strength and excellency of the ship . it is because we have such private spirits that there are such contentions among us : were we more publique spirited , our contentions would vanish . when i read of what publique spirits many of the heathen were , i am ashamed to look upon many christians . paulus aemilius hearing of the death of his children , spake with an un aunted courage thus , that the gods had heard his prayer , which was , that calamities should rather befall his family , then the common-wealth . the publikeness of his spirit made it very sweet and lovely : the story sayes of him , he intreated them gently and graciously whom he had subdued , setting forward their causes , even as they had bin his confederates , very friends and neer kinsmen . publique spirited men are men of sweet and peaceable spirits . the sixth joyning principle . what i would have others doe to me , that will i endeavour to doe to them . vvould not i have others beare with me ? i then will bear with them . i would have others do offices of kindnesses to me , i will then do offices of kindnesses to them . i would have the carriages of others lovely , amiable to me , mine shall be so to them . i would have others live peaceably with me , i will do so with them . this rule of doing to others as i would be done to , is a law of justice ; such justice as keeps the peace . alexander severus the roman emperour , was much taken with this : he sayes he learned it from the christians , if he had to deal with his common souldiers that did wrong , he punished them : but when he had to deal with men of worth and dignity , he thought it sufficient to reprove them with this sentence , do as ye would be done by . chrysostome in his . sermon to the people of antioch , makes use of this principle , thus , after christ had spoken of many blessednesses , ( sayes he ) then he sayes , those things you would have others to do to you , do you to them : as if he should say , there needs not many words , let thine own will be thy law : would you receive benefits ? bestow benefits then : would you have mercy ? be mercifull then : would you be commended ? commend others : would you be loved ? then love . be you the judge your selfe , be you the law-giver of your owne life . that which you hate , doe not to another . cannot you endure reproach ? doe not you reproach others . cannot you endure to have others envy you ? doe not you envy others . cannot you endure to be deceived ? do not you deceive others . the seventh joyning principle . it is as great an honour to have my will by yeelding , as by overcomming . many men in their anger will say , i will be even with him . i will tell you a way how you may be above him : forgive him . by yeilding , pardoning , putting up the wrong , you shew you have power over your self , and this is a greater thing then to have power over another . numb . . , . now i beseech thee let the power of my lord be great , pardon , i beseech thee , the iniquity of this people , ver : . and by this thou maist honourably prevaile with thy brother : hereby shalt thou heap coals of fire upon his head . i have read of two famous philosophers falling at variance aristippus and aeschines , aristippus comes to aeschines , shall we not be friends ? sayes he . yes with all my heart saith aeschines . remember , saith aristippus , that though i am your elder , yet i sought for peace . true , saith aeschines , and for this i will alwayes acknowledge you the more worthy man ; for i began the strife , and you the peace . the eighth joyning principle . i will never meddle with any strife but that which shall have peace to the end of it . no war is good upon any terms , taken up upon the justest ground , except it aymes at peace . bellum minime bellum : that souldier is a murtherer that sheds bloud not in reference to peace . the swords and ensignes of souldiers should have this motto upon them , sic quaenimus pacem , thus we seek peace . hercules his club was made of the olive , the emblem of peace . the ninth joyning principle . no man shall ever be mine enemy , that is not more his owne then mine , yea more the enemy of god then mine . if a man offends me meerly through weakness , this is his affliction , in this he is neither an enemy to himself nor me ; he mourns for it , and i will pitty him in his mourning ; he is more troubled for what he hath done , then i have cause to be for what i have suffered . if he offends willingly and purposely , he is his own enemy more then mine . when latimer was cousened in buying a commodity , his friends telling him how he was cheated of his money , he fell a mourning for him that had cheated him , he hath the worst of it , sayes he . if my heart rises against a man in this , and i seek to oppose him in his way , it may very well be interpreted to be out of love to him , for my heart rises against his enemy , i oppose his enemy , even himself , but an enemy to himself , more then to me ; he hath hurt me a little , but himself more . i am troubled a little for the wrong i suffer , but more for the evill he hath done . if his wayes be enmity to god , i will oppose him , because i love god , and no farther then wherein i may manifest my love to god rather then hatred of him . when servetus condemned zuinglius for his harshness , he answers , in other things i will be milde , but not so in blasphemies against god. let us keep our enmity within these bounds , and the peace of god will not be broke . the tenth joyning principle . i had rather suffer the greatest evill , then doe the least . if when others wrong you , you care not what you do to right your self : this is your folly and madness , such a one hurt me , and i will therefore mischief my self ; he hath pricked me with a pin , and i will therefore in an anger run my knife into my side . if in all we suffer we be sure to keep from righting our selves by any wayes of sin , there will not be much peace broke . such an one is thine enemy , and wilt thou of one enemy make two ? wilt thou also be an enemy to thy self , yea a greater enemy then he or any man living can be to thee ? for all the men in the world cannot make thee sin , except thou wilt thy self . the eleventh joyning principle . i will labour to do good to all , but provoke none . a father hath not so much power over his child , as to provoke him . col. . . fathers provoke not your children to wrath . surely if a man hath not this power over his child , he hath it not over his friend , his neighbour , much less his superiour : yet how many take delight in this , such a thing i know will anger him , and he shall be sure to have it ! oh wicked heart ! dost thou see that this will be a temptation to thy brother , and wilt thou lay it before him ? dost thou not pray for thy self and for him , lord lead us not into temptation ? we should accout it the greatest evill to us of all the evill of afflictions , to be any occasion of sin to our brother ; but what an evil should this be to us , to provoke our brother to sin ? if we will needs be provoking , then let the apostles exhortation prevaile with us , heb. . . let us consider one another to provoke unto love , and to good works : let us not consider one another in a way of curiosity and emulation , to envy , or find fault with one another , from whence frowardness , pride , hatred , dissentions , factions may arise , saith hyperius upon the place , but consider one another , so as we may further the good of one another , so as to make one another quick and active in that which is good . the twelfth joyning principle . peace with all men it is good , but with god and mine owne conscience it is necessary . but how will this joyn us one to another ? answ . very much , both as it holds forth the goodness of peace with all men , and as it carryes the heart strongly to the making and keeping peace with god and a mans own conscience . this peace with god and a mans own conscience will so sweeten the heart , that it cannot but be sweet towards every one ; a man who hath satisfaction enough within , can easily bear afflictions and troubles that come without . when saul had made great breaches between god and his soul , and in his own conscience , then he grew to be of a very froward spirit towards every man , before his apostacy he was of a very meek and quiet spirit , but this sowred his spirit , and made it grow harsh , rugged , and cruell ; this is the cause of the frowardness of many men and women in their families , and with their neighbours , there are secret breaches between god and their own consciences . the thirteenth joyning principle . if i must needs erre , considering what our condition is here in this world , i will rather erre by too much gentlenesse and mildnesse , then by too much rigour and severity . mans nature is more propense to rigour , then to lenity ; but the account of overmuch lenity is easier then of too much rigour . men who are of harsh , sowre spirits themselves , are ready to think that god is so too . as the lacedaemonians because they were of a warlike disposition , they represented their gods all armed . but god is love : there is anger and hatred in god as well as love : but god is never said to be anger or hatred , no not justice it self ; but he loves that expression of himself to the children of men , god is love . if god intended that all things amongst men , either in church or common-wealth , should be carryed with strictnesse of justice , he would rather have governed his church and the world by angels , who have right apprehensions of justice , who are themselves perfect , altogether free from those evils that are to be punished , then by men , whose apprehensions of justice are exceeding weak , unconstant , partiall , as often false as true , and have much of that evill in themselves that they judge in others . the last joyning principle . peace is never bought too deare , but by sin and basenesse . vve use to say , we may buy gold too deare , and so we may peace : but whatsoever we pay for it beside sinne and baseness , we have a good bargain . suidas tells of the emperour trajan , that he would cut his own cloaths to binde up the wounds of his souldiers . we should be very pitifull to souldiers , who are wounded to keep us whole . we should binde up their wounds , though it cost us dear : but especially our care should be to bind up those wounds that by divisions are made in church and common-wealth : and well may we be willing to cut our cloathes to binde them up , when the evill of them is such as either does or should cut our hearts . but though peace be a rich merchandize , yet we must not saile too far for it , not so farre as to sinne . we read kings . . mount olivet is called the mount of corruption , because of the idolatry committed upon it . though we are to prize mount olivet at a very high rate , with the olives growing upon it , yet we must take heed that we make it not a mount of corruption . we may give peace to buy truth , but we may not give truth to buy peace . we may be bold with that which is our own to purchase peace , but not with that which is gods : yet we must not be base in our yielding in things naturall or civill for peace sake , that is , first , we must not for our own private peace yield to that which is like to prove publique disadvantage and disturbance . there is a notable story of a turkish emperour , perceiving his nobles & people to be offended that he was so strongly in love to his concubine irene , his heart vvas so taken vvith her that he grevv remiss in his regard to the stern of the state. nothing must be done but as irene vvould have it : vvhatsoever resolutions there vvere of any good to the state , yet irene must be consulted vvithall before they were put in execution , & if they pleased not her all was dashed , so much did he dote upon irene . this the nobles and state could not bear : he therefore at last so far considered the publique , as he overcame his doting affections . he brought irene before them , and sayes , that ye may see how much i prize the content of my people , i sacrifice her to them , and so drew his sword , and slew her with his own hands before their eyes . if according to her demerits for drawing his heart away from the good of the common-wealth , she had bin given up to the sword of justice , it might have satisfied as well . but lest i be thought to be too literall , give me leave to allegorize upon this irene . her name is a greek name , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , it signifies peace : we must not so dote upon our irene , our private peace , that the publique should suffer for the sake of it . this is baseness : let her be sacrificed for publick good ; this is true generousness . secondly , that is baseness , when our yeilding is thorough ignorance , cowardize , base fear , not from a principle of wisdome and understanding : not so much out of true love to peace , as a foolish , ignorant , sottish , sordid spirit of our own : whereas had we had a spirit of wisdome and courage , we might have peace upon more honourable terms . indeed many think every kinde of yeilding basness , but they are for the most part such as are not put to any great triall themselves . but when our consciences tell us , that what we do is what the rule allowes us ; it is not because we would avoyd trouble , but we find thorough gods grace , our hearts in some measure prepared for suffering , if god were pleased to call us to it , in any thing wherein he may have glory , and the publick may be benefited . but because all things duly considered , we see that god in such a way shall have more glory , and our brethren generally more good : therefore whatsoever becomes of our particular in regard of esteem , or other wayes , we are willing to yeild , and in this we finde our hearts as much closing with god , enjoying communion with him in all holinesse and godly fear , and in other things that go as near to us , we are able to deny our selves as much as ever : in this we may have comfort , that it is not baseness that makes us yeild , but rather the grace of god enabling us to rule over our own spirits . the peace that we thus purchase with the suffering much in our names , and the loss of many comforts does not cost us too dear . chap. xxxii . joyning considerations . the first . the consideration of the many things wherein god hath joyned us . god hath joyned us together as we are men : we are not dogs , not wolves , let us not be so one to another . act. . . moses speaks thus to those who strove one with another : sirs , ye are brethren , why do yee wrong one another ? the words in the greek are , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , men yet are brethren . there is a consideration in this , that ye are men : if there were no more , yet ye should not strive one with another , but much more considering ye are brethren . if we be men , let us be humane . what is the meaning of humanity , but courteousness , gentleness , pleasantness in our carriages one towards another ? but still the consideration growes higher , as we are the same country-men , of old acquaintance , in the same imployment , of the same family and kindred , but above all , joyned in such a blessed root , the fountain of all love and peace . ephes . . . presents this consideration most fully to us . the reason the apostle gives why we must keep the unity of the spirit in the bond of peace , is , because there is one body , and one spirit , ye are called in one hope , one lord , one faith , one baptisme , one god and father of all . here you have seven ones together in two or three lines . it is very much that the spirit of god should joyn so close together seven ones ; surely it is to be a strong argument for us to unity . first , one body . the meanest member yet it is in the body . is it comely for the body of christ to be rent and torn ? any reference to christ might perswade unity , but union with christ as the members with the body , what heart can stand against the strength of this ? what can cause one member to tear and rend another , but madness ? . one spirit , cor. . . that one and the self same spirit : he does not only say , the same spirit ; but , the self same spirit : and as if that not enough , he addes one to the self same ; and that yet not enough , he sayes , that one , all this is in the greek , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . the repeating the article hath a great elegancy in it . and is not this one spirit the spirit of love and meeknesse ? what does a froward contentious spirit do in thee , who professt thy self to be a christian ? what , sayes cyprian , does the fierceness of wolves , the madnesse of dogs , the deadly poyson of serpents , the bloudy rage of beasts , in a christians breast ? . called in one hope . are not you heyres , joynt heyres of the same kingdome , and do you contend as if one belonged to the kingdome of light , and the other to the kingdome of darknesse ? . one lord. you serve the same lord and master . is it for the credit of a master , that his servants are alwayes wrangling and fighting one with another ? is it not a tedious thing in a family that the servants can never agree ? mark how ill the lord takes this , mat. . . , . that evill servant who begins to smite his fellow-servants , provokes his lord against him so as to come upon him with such severity as to cut him asunder , and to appoint his portion with the hypocrites ; 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , he will dichotomize him , divide him in two ; he by his smiting his fellow-servants makes divisions , but his lord will divide him . it may be he pretends that his fellow-servants do not do their duty as they ought ; as if he were more carefull of the honour of his lord then others who are of a different way from him . but in the meane while he inveighs against others , smiting them with the tongue , and otherwise as he is able . he sits at full tables , eats and drinks of the best , with such as are carnall and sensuall , but they are great men , to have their countenance is brave ; this is extreme sutable to a carnall heart , who yet keeps up a profession of religion , hath some forme of godlinesse , he is afraid to lose his fleshly contentment , therefore he smites those who stand in his way : thus divisions and troubles are made in gods family : the lord the master of it will reward accordingly ; he will divide such by cutting them asunder , and appointing them their portion with the hypocrites . . one faith. what though we agree not together in some things of lesser moment , yet we agree in one faith . why should we not then keep the unity of the spirit in the bond of peace ? the agreement in the faith one would think should swallow up all other disagreements . we should rather blesse god for keeping men found in the faith , then contend with them for lesser mistakes . when the pharisees , acts . . understood that paul agreed with them in that great doctrine of the resurrection , they presently overlooked his other differences , saying , we finde no evill in this man. our brethren agree with us in more fundamentals then this , and yet we can finde evill in them , and aggravate their evill beyond what it is , and improve it all we can against them . this is worse then pharisaicall . master calvin in his epistle to our countreymen at frankford , fled for their lives in witnesse to the truth , yet miserably jarring and contending one against another there , to the scandall of all the churches of god in those parts , begins his epstle thus : this doth grievously torment me ; it is extremely absurd that dissentions should arise amongst brethren , exiles , fled from their countrey for the same faith , and for that cause which alone in this your scattering , ought to be to you as a holy band , to keepe you fast bound together . their contentions were about church-worship . . one baptisme . we are baptised into christs death , and is not that to shew that we should be dead to all those things in the world that cause strife and contention among men ? our baptisme is our badge , our livery , it furthers somewhat the unity of servants that they weare all one livery . . one god. though there be three persons in the divine nature , and every person is god , yet there is but one god ; here is an union infinitely beyond all unions that any creature can be capable of ; the mystery of this union is revealed to us , to make us in love with union . our interest in this one god is such a conjuction , as nothing can be more . josephs brethren , gen. . . looked upon this , as having very great power in it to make up all breaches , to heal all old grudges . after their father was dead , their consciences misgave them for what they had done to joseph , they were afraid old matters would break forth , and that joseph would turn their enemy ; now how do they seek to unite josephs heart to them ? we pray thee , say they , forgive the trespasse of the servants of the god of thy father , and the text sayes , joseph wept when they spake unto him . oh this was a heart-breaking speech to joseph , the servants of the god of my father ; shall my heart ever be stranged from the servants of the god of my father ? the lord forbid . this offence indeed was great , but their god is my god , & he was my fathers god ; this argument had more in it to draw josephs heart to them , then if they had said , we are your brethren , we came from the same loynes you did : true , that is something , but the servants of the god of thy father is much more . let us look upon all the godly , though they have many weaknesses , though they have not carryed themselves towards us as they ought , yet they are the servants , yea the children of our god , and of our fathers god ; let this draw our hearts to them . if they be one with us , in their interest in one god , let them be one with us in the affections of our heart , to love them , delight in them , and rejoyce in communion with them . one god and father . mal. . . have we not all one father ? hath not one god created us ? why do we deale treacherously every man against his brother ? job . . did not he that made me in the wombe , make him ? and did not one fashion us in the wombe ? is it seemly that one mans children should be alwayes contending , quarrelling and mischieving one another ? do you thinke this is pleasing to your father ? it followes in that . of ephes . who is above all , and through all , and in all . you have enough in your father to satisfie your soules for ever , whatsoever you want other wayes ; he is above all ; he that is so glorious and blessed , infinitely above all things , hath put honour enough upon you , that he is your father ; why will you contend and quarrell about trifles ? he hath absolute authority to dispose of all things as he pleaseth ; let not the different administrations of his , to some in one kinde , to some in another , be matter for you to contend about . and he worketh in all . those gifts and graces especially that are in his children , are his workings ; that some have more then others , it is from his working . you may see the workings of your father in the hearts of your brethren . he is in all . men may have children in whom little or nothing of their father appeares , but god is in all his children , notwithstanding all their weaknesses , therefore our hearts should be in them and with them . this scripture is one of the most famous scriptures for the union of the saints in one , that we have in all the book of god. you will say , if indeed we could see god in such , if we could see grace and holinesse in them , our hearts would close with them , but we see not this . . take heed thou dost not reject any from being thy brother , whom jesus christ at the great day will owne for his , and god the father will call child . . suppose thou canst not be satisfied in their godlinesse , yet the gifts of the spirit of god that are in them , should cause some kind of closing ; common gifts are of a middle nature , between nature and grace , as the spirits of a man are neither of the same nature with the soule , nor of the body , but between both , and serve to unite the soule and body together , which otherwise are of natures very different . the common gifts that men who are not yet sanctified have , may and should cause some union between the godly and them while they live in this world , so far as to be usefull one to another in what god hath given them . the second joyning consideration : let us consider how farre we can agree . vve differ thus and thus , but what doe we agree in ? doe we not agree in things enough , wherein we may all the dayes of our lives spend all the strength we have in glorifying god together ? many men are of such spirits as they love to be altogether busied about their brethrens differences ; their discourse , their pens , and all their wayes are about these , and that not to heale them , but rather to widen them . you shall not hear them speak of , or meddle with their agreements ; their strength is not bent to heighten and strengthen them : if at any time they do take notice of their agreements , it is to make advantage of them : to render their disagreements the more odious , or to strengthen themselves in what they differ from them ; they desire to get in men , and to get from them , only to serve their owne turnes upon them , this is an evill spirit . no marvaile therefore though some be so loath to discover to them how near they can come to him . pliny tells us of apelles , that drawing the face of antiochus the king who had but one eye , that he might hide this deformity , he devised to paint him turning his visage a little away , so he shewed but the one side of his face : and from him , sayes pliny , came the invention first of concealing the defects and blemishes of the visage . but the painters of 〈◊〉 time are quite in another way , if there be any deformity or defect on any side , they will be sure to paint that side in all the lin●●ments of it , that must be set forth fully to the view of all men ; yea if it may be made to look more ugly and monstrous then it is , all the skill they have shall be improved to do it . but my brethren , this ought not to be , god doth not so with us : he takes notice of the good of his children , but conceals their evill . there was but one good word in sarahs speech to abraham , gen. . . she called him lord , the speech otherwise was a speech of unbelief , yet the holy ghost speaking afterwards of her , in reference to that speech , pet. . . conceals all the evill in it , and mentions only that reverend title she gave to her husband , commending her for it . thus should we do ; had we peceable hearts thus we would do : all the good of our brethren we would improve to the uttermost , and what is evill , so far as with a good conscience we might , we could conceal . when i shall see this temper in mens spirits , i shall hope there will be peace . the third joyning consideration : let us consider of mens tempers , spirits , temptations , education , yeeres , gifts . there must be a due consideration of all these , and we must indulge something to them all . this would allay much strife : as we read numb . . . every thing that may abide the fire , ye shall make it goe thorough the fire , and all that abideth not the fire ye shall make goe thorough the water . we must deal with every man according to his temper . some men are by their complexions of a more harsh and rugged temper then others . consider what is the best way of dealing with such : in the main they are faithfull and usefull , they will joyn with you there , and spend their lives for you : if the harshness of their natures cause some excrescencies , unpleasing carriages , consider their tempers , though no evill in them is to be justified , yet deal tenderly with them , indulge them what lawfully you may . some mens spirits , though upright to god and you , yet they have a fervor in them that is not qualified with that wisdome , meekness , humility , as they ought , do not presently take these advantages against them , that they in their heat may perhaps give you ; do not fly upon them as if those unjustifiable expressions that com from them , came from a spirit of malignity : you know the man and the manner of his communication , pass by weaknesses , accept of uprightnesse . some mens temptation are very strong ; it may be their hearts are pressed with disappointments , it may be they are pricked with the want of many comforts you have ; they have family-temptations , and personall temptations that you are freed from : you do not know what you might doe if you were under the like temptations . blesse god that you are delivered from them ; but do not adde to your brethrens affliction , by taking advantages against them , but according to the rule of the apostle , gal. . . if a man be overtaken in a fault , ye which are spirituall restore such a one in the spirit of meekness , considering thy selfe lest thou also be tempted . beare ye one anothers burdens , and so fulfill the law of christ . consider their education . some men have been brought up altogether amongst prelaticall men , perhaps among papists ; some all their dayes have lived in wicked families , they never were acquainted with the society of the saints , with that way of godlinesse that hath the most strictnesse and power in it . you must not deale with them for all things you see amisse in them , in the same way you would deale with such who have had godly education , who have had acquaintance with the most strict and powerfull wayes of godlinesse , but now manifest a spirit against them . consider mens yeares : old age looks for respect , and justly : especially such as have gone through the brunt and suffered much for your good : though some infirmities should break forth that are incident to old age , we must cover and passe by what we can , not forgetting that reverent respect that is due to the hoary head found in the way of godlinesse . consider mens gifts : it may be they are not able to rise to your height , to understand what you do ; thank god for your strength , but be not angry with your brother because he is weaker . this was one of the arguments for peace that constantine in that forementioned letter of his to alexander and arius , used , we are not in all things like minded , neither have we all the same nature and gift engrafted in us . the fourth joyning consideration . what we get by contention will never quit cost . a merchant thinks it an ill venture , if when he casts up his accounts he finds the charge of his voyage rises to more then his incomes . if thou hast so much command of thy spirit , if thou canst so farre overcome thy passions as to get a time in coole bloud to cast up thy accounts truly , what good thou hast done , or what thou hast got by such and such contentions ; and on the other side cast up what the hurt thou hast done , what sin hath been committed , what evill hath got into thy spirit , i fear you will have little cause to boast of , or rejoyce in your gains . to be freed from that expence that comes in by strife , is not a little gain , says ambrose . in strife you will finde there is a very great expence of time , of gifts , and parts . many men in regard of the good gifts god hath given them , might have proved shining lights in the church , but by reason of their contentious spirits , they prove no other then smoaking firebrands . it may be by all the stirre you keep you shall never get your minde ; if you do , it will not quit cost ; the charge you have been at for it , comes to much more then it is worth . god deliver me from having my minde at such a dear rate . the fifth joyning consideration . the strongest hath need of the weakest . let not the hand say , it hath no need of the foot ; nor the eye , it hath no need of the hand ; god hath so tempred the body , that every member hath need of every member . it was a sweet spirit in peter , that great apostle , writing to the scattered christians , he begins his epistle thus : simon peter a servant and an apostle of jesus christ , to them that have obtained like precious faith with us . little nayles may be usefull , where great wedges can do no good . little chips may help to set great logs on fire . the sixth . consider when any thing falls out that occasions strife , it may be this is but for a triall , this is a temptation . when men provoke us we are ready to flye upon them , looking no further then the men with whom we are displeased . but if you look a little further , perhaps you may see the devill is on the other side of the hedge , and hath been the chief agent in this business . augustine presseth this by a most excellent similitude . when a fowler , saith he , hath set his net to catch birds , he sets it at a distance from the hedge , and when he has done he takes stones and throwes at the hedge , upon this the birds flye out , and flutter about . the fowler does not intend any hurt to the hedge , neither does he think to hit any birds with his stones , but that which is in his eye is the net on the other side of the hedge , he hopes to drive the birds in there . so sayes he , the devill prepares his net to catch men in , he raises up contentions , and causes much trouble to be in churches , and among brethren , you think all the evill is in the trouble of your present contentions . oh no : the devill is behinde , he intends to bring some of you into some great sin by these ; he hath set his net for you , when you are troubled and vexed by such contentions , the devill sees you fit for a temptation , now i hope i shall get him to do such and such things , which otherwise i could never have got him to . oh that we had hearts when we find contentions stirring to consider , but is there not a temptation in them ? the seventh . consider how the heart of god is set upon making peace with us , and what it cost him . god was in christ reconciling the world to himself : this work hath taken up the thoughts , councels , heart of god from all eternity above any thing that ever he did : this is the chief master-piece of all the works of god. there is more of the glory of god in this , then in all that god hath done . this is and shall be the object of the admiration of angels and saints , the matter of their praises to all eternity . the heart of god was so in this , that he was resolved to have it whatsoever it cost him ; it cost the dearest that ever any thing in this world did ; yea the price of it was more then ten thousand worlds are worth : it was no lesse then the bloud of the sonne of god , of him who is the second person in trinity , god blessed for evermore . col. . . in whom we have redemption through his bloud who is the image of the invisible god , the first borne of every creature : by him were all things created , he is before all things : by him all things consist , in him all fulnesse dwels : and having made peace through the bloud of his crosse , ver . . what god hath done for peace with us , cals aloud to us to prize peace one with another . it is the apostles argument , joh. . . he laid down his life for us , we ought to lay downe our lives for the brethren . it cost his life to make our peace with god. we should be willing to do any thing we are able , even to the hazard of our lives , to make peace among the saints . christ laid down his life even for this peace also . ephes . . . for he is our peace who hath made both one , and hath broke downe the middle wall of partition betweene us , having abolished in his flesh the enmity , to make in himselfe of twaine one new man , so making peace , and that he might reconcile both unto god in one body by the crosse . christ reconciles both unto god : but how ? it is in one body . lay this consideration warm at your hearts , and it will comfort your hearts , and so preserve and encrease peaceable dispositions in you towards one another . the eighth . consider how unworthy we were when jesus christ received us into union with himselfe . what uncomely , what loathsome creatures we were ! yet christ took us into his bosome , into his heart , and resolved that never any thing should seperate us from him againe . but that those embracements of his should be everlasting , and yet shall every trifle take us off from one anothers hearts ? shall every jealous spusitious conceit , every little difference , be enough to seperate us and that almost irreconcileably ? have we the spirit of christ in us ? is the same minde in us that was in christ jesus ? the ninth . consider that we are called to peace . god hath called us to peace , cor. . . that case upon which the apostle mentions our calling to peace is as difficult a case to preserve peace in , as any can fall out in ones life . it was the case of man and wife unequally yoaked , one is a beleever , the other an infidell , yet being man and wife the apostle determines that the beleever must be content to live with the unbeleever , as it becomes a wife or a husband ; except he or she of themselves will depart , but they should give them no occasion of departing , but rather by their holy humble conversation seek to convert them : this no question was accounted a hard task , but it must be , sayes the apostle , and upon this he grounds it , for god hath called us to peace . there is another case almost as difficult as this , where the patience and quietness of spirit is very much tryed , and that is when a servant meets with a harsh , rugged , cruell master , that abuses him very injuriously ; if any thing would put ones spirit into a rage , one would thinke this would do it . no , saith the apostle , such must be the command you must have over your spirits , as you must patiently bear this : and he grounds it upon this , for hereunto were ye called , pet. . , . but though husbands and wives should live at peace , though they suffer one from another : though servants should put up wrongs from their masters , yet it followes not that the like patience should be required in us , when we are wronged by our equals , by those to whom we have no such band of relation to tye us . yes , this argument of calling is strong in this case also : pet. . , . love as brethren , be courteous , not rendring evill for evill , or railing for railing , but contrariwise , blessing , knowing that ye are thereunto called . the tenth . consider the presence of god and of christ . our god , our father , our master , our saviour , stands by looking on us . it is a most excellent passage that i finde in an epistle of luther to the ministers of norimberg . there were great divisions amongst them : he writes to them that he might pacifie their spirits one towards another . suppose ( sayes he ) you saw jesus christ standing before you , and by his very eyes speaking thus unto your hearts , what do you , o my dear children , whom i have redeemed with my blood , whom i have begotten againe by my word , to that end that you might love one another ? know that this is the note of my disciples . leave this businesse , ye wholly cast it upon me , i le look to it , there is no danger that the church should suffer by this , though it should be stilled , yea though it should dye , but there is a great deale of danger if you dissent amongst your selves , if you bite one another : do not thus sadden my spirit , do not thus spoile the holy angels of their joy in heaven ; am not i more to you , then all matters that are between you ? then all your affections ? then all your offences ? what ? can any words of a brother , can any unjust trouble penetrate your hearts , stick so fast in you as my wounds , as my bloud , as all that i am to you , your saviour jesus christ ? oh that we had such reall apprehensions of christ looking upon us , speaking to us ! the eleventh . consider what account we can give to jesus christ of all our divisions . when christ shall come , will you stand before him with scratched faces , with black and blew eyes ? thes . . , . the lord make you to increase and abound in love one towards another , and towards all men : to what end ? to the end , saith the apostle , he may establish your hearts unblameable in holinesse before god , even our father , at the comming of our lord iesus christ with all his saints . it will be a sad thing to be found in our divisions , at the comming of jesus christ , mat. . . the comming of christ is mentioned as a terror to those who shall but begin to smite their fellow-servants . we may wrangle & stand out one against another in our contentions now ; but it will not be so easie to answer jesus christ , as it is to answer one to another . in the name of jesus christ i now speak unto you , yea as from him charge you , let no reason move you to contend with , dissent or seperate from your brethren , but that which you are perswaded in your conscience , and that after due and serious examination will hold out before , will be approved of , jesus christ at his comming . the twelfth . let every man consider his owne weaknesses . you are ready to take offence from others , within a while you are as like to be offensive to others . there will be as much need they should beare with you , as now there is you should beare with them . the common law of those who intend to live at peace one with another , is , veniam , petimus , damusque , we desire pardon , and we doe pardon . the thirteenth . let us consider our mortality . it is but a little time we have to live ; shall the greater part of it , nay why should any part of it be ravel'd out with contentions and quarrels ? i have read of pompey , that upon a time passing over divers hils , where there lived many people in caves , but their order was that the man lived in one cave and the wife in another ; he asking the reason , they said , in those parts they live not long , therefore they desired that the little time they did live , they might have peace and quiet , which they had found by experience they could not have , if man and wife lived constantly together . though the means they used for their quiet was sordid , yet the good use they made of the shortnesse of their lives was commendable . virgil sayes , if swarms of bees meet in the ayre , they will sometimes fight as it were in a set battell with great violence ; but if you cast but a little dust upon them , they will all be presently quiet . sprinkle upon your hearts the meditations of death , that within a while this flesh of yours will be turned to dust , this will quiet you . the fourteenth . consider the life of heaven . there is and will be perfect agreement there . we are here as bees , flying up and down from flower to flower all day , but at night they come all into the same hive ; that is a place where luther and zuinglius will well agree . shall not we whom god from all eternity hath ordained to live co-heires in heaven , to joyn together in praises there , agree together here on earth ? chap. xxxiii . joyning graces . . wisdome . the deepest seas are the most calme , so men of the deepest judgements are most quiet . a man of understanding is of an excellent spirit , prov. . . or thus , is of a coole spirit , for so the word signifies ; his spirit is not heat with passion , there is a coole dew of examination and deliberation upon his spirit , he weighs the circumstances , consequences , and issues of things ; he orders and disposes of things so , as jarres , contradictions and oppositions are prevented . the wisdome that is from above is pure , peaceable , gentle , and easie to be entreated , jam. . . reason and wisdome have a majesty in them , and will force reverence . let passion reverence the presence of reason , sayes basil , as children doing things unseemly are afraid of the presence of men of worth . . faith. . this unites us to christ and god , and in them to one another . . faith commits all causes , all feares , injures to god. . faith layes hold upon , and improves those gracious promises that god hath made to his churches for union . faith sues out the bond. . faith is able to descry the issue of troubles and afflictions ; though sense sayes , it will not be , reason , it cannot be , yet faith gets above , and sayes , it shall be , i descry land : and thus quiets all in the soule ; all being quiet there , the turbulent motions that are in our spirits one towards another are soon quieted . . humility . coloss . . . put on as the elect of god , bowels of mercies , kindnesse , humblenesse of minde . ephes . . . with all lowlinosse and meeknesse , and long-suffering , forbearing one another in love , endeavouring to keep the unity of the spirit in the bond of peace . phil. . . let nothing be done through strife or vain-glory , but in lowlinesse of minde let each esteeme others better then himselfe . we may say of humility , as tertullus , acts ▪ said of felix , by thee we enjoy great quietnesse . an humble heart looks upon every truth of god as infinitely above it selfe , therefore it is willing to receive it from any ; a child may lead it , esay . . one baldassar , a german divine , writing to oecolampadius , hath this notable expression : let the word of the lord come , let it come , and we will put under six hundred necks if we had them . such a disposition as this would make much for peace . esay . , . we have a promise , that the people of god should dwell in a peaceable habitation , and in quiet resting places , and the city shall be low , in a low place . when the heart lyes lowest , it is quietest . . self-denyall . the joynts in the body cannot joyne , but one part must be hollow , and give way to the other . condescention of one to another is a principall thing in friendship . philip. . the example of christ emptying himselfe , and making himselfe to be of no reputation , is set before us as an argument for our union , that therefore we should doe nothing through strife , be like minded , having the same love , and be of one accord , and one minde . it is indifferent to a heart emptyed of selfe , whether it conquers , or be conquered , so truth may triumph . in other conflicts the conquerour hath the honour , and the conquered is disgraced ; but in the conflicts for truth , both conquered and conquerour are honourable ; the mercy is the greater to him that is conquered ; but he must have a self-denying heart to make him think so . . patience . the olive , the embleme of peace , will continue greene , though overflowne by the waters for a long time together . after noah had been so long in the ark , the dove brought an olive leafe in her mouth to him . it may be an emblem of patience as well as peace . patience and peaceableness are neere akin . ephes . . , . long-suffering is amongst the graces , where the unity of the spirit is to be kept in the bond of peace . there is a notable story i finde in the lives of the german divines : one vitus theodorus a divine , sends to advise with melancthon what he should do when osiander preached against him ; melancthon writes to him , and beseeches him for the love of god , yea charges him that he should not answer osiander again , but that he should hold his peace , and behave himself as if he heard nothing . vitus theodorus writes back again , this was very hard , yet he would obey . let not men be too hasty to oppose oppositions , but let them go on patiently in a constant way , resolving to bear what they meet with , and god at length will make their righteousness break forth as the light . confute evill reports by thy life . he that knowes not to beare calumnies , reproaches , injuries , he knowes not how to live , sayes chytraeus , another german divine . . joy in the holy ghost . rom. . . the kingdome of heaven is righteousness , peace , joy in the holy ghost . this grace in the heart puts a grace upon all a mans conversation ; it makes it lovely and amiable . the beames of the sunne shining upon the fire will put it out ; the beams of this spirituall joy will put out the fire of our passions . . meeknesse , gentlenesse . milk quenches wild-fire , oyle ( sayes luther ) quenches lime , which water sets on fire . opposition will heat , will fire men , when meeknesse and gentlenesse will still and quench all . cicero sayes , sweetnesse of speech and rarriage is that which seasons friendship ; severity in every thing and sadnesse must not be among friends in their converse ; such a kinde of carriage may have a seeming gravity , but friendship must have a remisness , it must be more free and sweet , disposed to all mildness and easiness . ephes . . , . meekness comes in as a speciall grace for peace and unity , so col. . . . love. that is the speciall uniting grace ; faith indeed hath the preheminence in our union with christ our head , but love is the grace that unites the members . cor. . the apostle shews many of the fruits of this grace , all tending to union and peace ; it suffers long , it envies not , it is not puffed up , it behaves not it selfe unseemly , it seeketh not her owne , it is not easily provoked , thinketh no evill , beareth all things , believeth all things , hopeth all things , endureth all things . bearing all things and enduring all things seem to be the same . therefore some would have it , it covereth all things , for so the word also signifies ; but there is a greater elegancy in it , in the translation , beareth all things , it is like the crosse maine beam in a house , supporting the whole building : and were it not for some who have the love of god and his truth , and the good of the publiqu● , enabling them to undergo what they do , more then any encouragement from men , all things in church and state would be ready to fall into confusion , to be nothing but a heap of rubbish ; but this love enables to beare all things . but if they have no encouragement , but see that though they hazard themselves never so much , be of never so great use , do the greatest services that can be expected from men , yet when mens turns are served , they are little regarded , but envyed and narrowly watched , to spy out any thing that may have some shew of excepting against them , and left to shift for themselves as well as they can , when they might justly expect a great reward of their services , yet are disappointed , their hearts are grieved . but yet because they are acted by a principle of love to god , his cause , the publique , they therefore still hold out , go on in their way , labour to be as instrumentall as they can for good , commit themselves and all their endeavours to god , expecting encouragement from him , and so they endure all things : such men are worth their weight in gold : here is a heart that hath much of the spirit of god in it , god is love , and he that dwelleth in love , dwelleth in god , and god in him . no marvell though these men act so swiftly in their way ; no marvell though their motion in publick service be so speedy , for their charet is like that charet of salomons , cant. . . the middle thereof is paved with love , and this is for the daughters of jerusalem . now the love of god be for ever with these his servants , the blessing of the almighty and all his saints , be with them , upon them , in them and theirs for ever . where men are acted by love they may do any thing without offence . if you be silent and be silent out of love ; if you cry out , and you do it out of love ; if you spare , and it be out of love ; if you correct , and you correct from love ; let all be for amendment for good , all from the root of love ; love , and do what you will. thus augustine in his . tractate upon john. these with other uniting graces that might be mentioned , are the graces that god expects should be in a special manner acted in these times ; and this is in a holy manner 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , to serve the time , as some copies have it , rom. . . this is the most sutable work for the times wherein we live . what is more seasonable for divided times then uniting graces ? and that union that comes from the acting of these graces , is a spirituall , holy , truly christian union , a raised union to a farre higher pitch then any naturall excellencies can raise unto . it is an excellent saying of clemens alexandrinus , if the spirituall man be in us , our humanity is fraternity . what then is our fraternity ? it is raised to that which hath no name to expresse it : the union of the saints in heaven is beyond the unity of fraternity ; this which is of grace is of the same nature . chap. xxxiv . joyning practices . the first the practice of the tongue . gentle language . a soft answer turneth away wrath , prov. . . in your disputes let your arguments be as hard as you will , but let your words be soft . soft words & hard arguments make a good dispute . gentle language gains much upon the hearts of men , chron. . . heare me my brethren , and my people , sayes david . this was better and tended more to union between king and people , then the rugged churlish answer of rehoboam , my father made your yoke heavy , and i will adde to your yoake . but what came on it ? ten tribes were rent from him . as good a man as he could say , heare me my brethren and my people . good words are as cheap as bad . gentle courteous language is as easie as rough and bitter . napthali is said to give goodly words , sayings of goodlinesse or fairenesse ; so the hebrew hath it , that is , faire , pleasing words : this tribe were faire spoken men . now compare this with deut. . . there naphtali is said to be satisfied with favour , and full with the blessing of the lord. faire , courteous language hath an acceptation among men , and the blessing of god is with it . the second joyning practice . let us humble our selves for our divisions . that is a rule , whatsoever sinne you have been guilty of , though you have for the time life it , yet if you have not been humbled for it , a hundred to one but you fall into it againe . yes , say some , it is fit we should humble our selves for our divisions , we will have dayes of fasts , that we may do it . but take this note with you , in your dayes of fast , or at other times when you would thus humble your selves , let it be principally for your owne guiltinesse herein . many in their humiliations make great complaints of others , as the cause of divisions , whom it may be god will own , and acquit ; take heed of being too forward in medling with others in your fasts , lest your fasts prove like those , isay . . ye fast for strife and debate , and to smite with the fist . the third joyning practice . an amnestia . where we see there hath been mistakes and differences thorough humane frailty , and a willingnesse to be otherwise so far as god gives light , let all former unkindnesses be forgotten , so as never to rip up old things to charge them one upon another : let there he a line of forgetfulnesse drawn over them ; let them be buried in oblivion . this was the athenians amnestia ; a law that was made by thrasybulus , with the consent of the people ; that former injuries should be forgotten . it was made upon this occasion . after lysander had conquered the athenians , he set thirty governours over them which tyrannized exceedingly . thrasybulus , with many others , were banished ; but after a while , thrasybulus gathering together his banished countreymen , he got up an army , and by it delivered the athenians from the yoke of these thirty tyrants : now because when the banished men came home ●o their former possessions , thrasybulus feared there would be exceeding heart-burning amongst the athenians , that those who had been banished would be revenged upon those whom they judged the causes of it , and the other would be enraged against them : therefore thrasibulus got the people to joyne with him in this law , which they called amnestia , that all former wrongs should be forgotten , & that they should live lovingly and peaceably henceforth one with another , as if such breaches had never been among them . whensoever god shall deliver these kingdoms from bondage , and settle things amongst us , the addition of such a law which we may call our english . amnestia will be very necessary . otherwise oh the abundance of the fire of malice that will remaine raked up under the ashes , ready upon any occasion to burst out ! one will look upon the other with eyes full of revenge , with scorn , hatred , and disdain ; one will charge the other as the cause of all our miseries , and curse him ; the other will charge him , and curse him as deeply . every time men think what they have suffered , their hearts will be enraged . such now is that extreme bitter exasperation , and deadly rage of mens hearts one against another , that whensoever peace shall be concluded , if it be not made exceeding sure , our pacification is like to be the foundation of far greater evills to us then yet have befalne us . if this amnestia be not strengthned with what is in the wisdome , power of man to do , and the blessing of the almighty also with it , we are an undone people . the fourth joyning practice . never contend but be sure you understand one another what it is you contend for . i have read of a quarrell there was between the eastern and westerne churches ; the eastern churches said there were three subsistences in the trinity , but not three persons ; the western said there were three persons , but not three subsistences . athanasius comes and reconciles them both . it is true , the contentions among us are more then verball , yet for any thing a great part of the kindome knowes ( even of those whose spirits are bitter enough ) they may be no other then meerly verball . how many ignorant people , women , yong ones , understand not where the difference lyes between presbyterians and those whom they call independents ; and yet they can with much bitternesse cry out against the one or the other . perhaps you have some ministers , or others , come to your table , they tell you a tale of such and such , your heart is hot presently , but do you understand the matter ? you begin to make a stirre , but can you give account of it ? be silent , forbeare , take heed what you do ; meddle not in way of strife , till you understand where the controversie lyes , and that from both parties . the fifth joyning practice . be ingenious ; . do not lye at the catch to take advantages , . make the best interpretation of things you can . if god should catch advantages against us , what would become of us ? this is most unseemly , when men are seeking to finde out truth , if then they shall piddle about words , catch at phrases ; get hold of expressions ; and seek to make their advantages out of them ; and in this shall be the greatest strength of their answer , though this may have a specious shew before men , who are willing to receive any thing which makes against what they would have crushed , yet this will not abide before the throne of christ . we reade matth. . christ had a great dispute with the devill , in which he had him at great advantage in his quotation of a scripture , ver . . he shall give his angells charge concerning thee , and in their hands they shall beare thee up , lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stoue . this was quoted out of the . psal . ver . . there it is , he shall give his angels charge over thee to keepe thee in all thy wayes . yet christ did not catch this advantage , he did not so much as upbraid him for leaving out that passage , which he might justly have done , but he answers to the thing . yea christ might have taken a further advantage against the devill , for the words following in the psalm are a prophesie of christ destroying the power of the devill , thou shalt tread upon the lyon and adder , the young lyon and the dragon shalt thou trample under thy feet . christ did not ▪ take the advantage of this neither , and upbraid him with it , he had enough against him in the thing it selfe he brought . it is a signe that men have lesse advantage in the matter , when they seek so much to catch at all the advantages they can in the manner of the expressions of those whom they oppose . . make the best interpretation of things you can . cor. . . love thinkes no evill . it may be if you meet with a man in the streets , if he stayes not to talk with you , if he takes not speciall notice of you , you presently think it is his pride , his sleighting , disregarding you , this is the worst interpretation that can be . why ? is it not possible that it may be thorough multitude of businesse in his head that you know not of ? may it not be that his eyes and thoughts were another way ? he did not take notice of your passing by him ; is it not thus often with your selfe in respect of others ? againe , perhaps such a man you find not in his behaviour towards you when you are with him , looking so smilingly upon you , carrying himselfe in that familiar affable way as you expected ; you presently think and say , surely it is his pride and surlinesse , whereas it may be it is because his head is fuller then yours , which may afterwards be for your good , if you would be but patient a while ; it may be it is from some trouble of his spirit at that time ; it may be it is from the temper of his body , his constitution , or some weaknesse in it at that time ; if such a faire interpretation may be made , why should not an ingenuous candid spirit make it ? this very exception i find was taken against basilius magnus , and nazianzen in one of his orations , in which he highly commends basil , answers it , and justifies him ; it is hard to keep unity , love and peace with men who are of exceptious carping dispositions ; if god were strict to mark what we doe amisse , what would become of us ? god is strict to mark what good there is in his saints ; if there be any little good in the midst of much imperfection , gods way is to passe by the imperfection , and take notice of the good ; but our way is often , if there be a little bad , though but through a very pardonable mistake , in the midst of much good , to passe by all the good , and to seize upon the mistake , to make it the seed of contention , to brood over it , and so beget the brats of contention from it . certainly this ought not thus to be . the sixt joyning practice : so farre as reason and conscience will give way , yeeld to those whom you contend withall . that standing at a distance with those that dissent from us , even to the utmost , is the way of many ; but certainly it is a false way , god is not in it . it may be some , yea many will judge this yeelding to be a faire , handsome turning about to the other side ; take heed of such bold censures : is every difference from that rigid , stout spirit of thine , a warping from the truth , a sinfull temporizing for private ends ? the lord judge between you and his servants . some men who have been of yeelding spirits in things that god would have them , have stood out undauntedly when god hath called them to witnesse to his truth , when those who have been stout and harsh in their owne wayes have basely betrayed it , when they have beene tryed with greater sufferings . ambrose was a man of a sweet and moderate spirit , witnesse amongst other things that notable saying of his , if that end of vertues be the greatest that looks at publique good , moderation is of all the most beautifull . ay , but i warrant you , ambrose was a man who saw which way the times went , he was loth to hazard himself in standing out against men who had power in their hands , this temper of his made him thus plead for moderation . no , ambrose was a man of an invincible spirit in the wayes of god ; in all ecclesiasticall story we read not of a braver spirit then his contesting with men of power in the cause of christ . for when theodosius the emperour had been the cause of a great slaughter in thessalonica , though provoked to it by a sedition there , the emperour a while after comming to milan , where ambroses charge was , after the usuall manner he came to the church , ambrose meets him , and forbids him entrance , reproving him before all the people , doe you not know , oh emperour , ( sayes he ) the barbarousnesse of that vile fact of yours ? or doe you not remember we have another emperour above you ? what bold impiety is thi● ? doe you not feare to bring those feet of yours , polluted with the blood of innocents , into this holy place ? or to stretch forth those hands of yours , wet , yea dropping with blood , to take the most holy body of the lord ? or to put that mouth of yours , which ( forgetting not onely the clemency which belongs to an emperour , but the justice ) gave out the sentence for the killing so many innocent men , ) to the precious blood of the lord ? away therefore , will you adde impiety to your sinne ? doe not think much to come under that discipline which the lord commands . upon this the emperour goes back to his palace with sighing and teares , and spent eight moneths in mourning and lamentation , and yet after this he was not received by ambrose , till againe being sharply reprehended , he cast himselfe downe in the porch , upon the pavement , bewailing his sinne , and rising up he was about to sit in the chancel where the emperours seat was , he was required to goe forth into the place of penitents . with the like , yea more boldnesse he dealt with ruffinus , a great courtier , the master of the emperours horse . here behold a man of a moderate , quiet spirit , yeeldable in what he could , yet when he conceived himselfe interessed in the cause of christ , his courage raises him above the feares or favours of men . the seventh joyning practice : if you will needs be striving , strive who shall doe one another most good , who shall engage one another in the most and greatest offices of love . this is a good combate ; such striving as this is , god and his blessed angels looke upon , and take much delight in . i find a notable story in the life of alexander the great , which may put on and encourage christians in such a combat as this : there was a great king in india , his name was taxiles , who on a time came to salute alexander , and said unto him , what should we need to fight and make wars one with another , if thou commest not to take away our water and our necessary commodity to live by , for which things men of judgement must needs fight ? as for other goods , if i be richer then thee , i am ready to give thee of mine ; and if i have lesse , i will not think scorn to thank thee , if thou wilt give me some of thine . alexander being pleased to hear him speak thus wisely , embraced him , and said unto him , thinkest thou that this meeting of ours can be without fight , for all these goodly fair words ? no , no , thou hast won nothing by them , for i will fight and contend with thee in honesty and curtesie , because thou shalt not exceed me in bounty and liberality . so alexander took divers gifts of him , but gave more to him . oh that our contentions were turned into such contentions as these are ! let us rejoyce in any opportunity of doing any office of love to those we differ from , yea to those who have wronged us . it was wont to be said of arch-bishop cranmer , if you would be sure to have cranmer doe you a good turne , you must doe him some ill one ; for though he loved to doe good to all , yet especially he would watch for opportunities to doe good to such as had wronged him . had we but a few leading men of such spirits among us , how great a blessing of peace might we enjoy ! the eighth joyning practice . let every man be diligent in that work that god calls him to . study to be quiet , and to doe your owne businesse , and to worke with your owne hands , as we commanded you , thess . . . it is not an arbitrary thing , the command of god lyes upon it . i am verily perswaded that many of our divisions in opinion and otherwise , our hard thoughts one of another , are raised and fomented by such as want imployment . hence they go about from place to place , arguing , disputing , jangling about things they understand not ; and yet think themselves to have a deeper insight then ordinary . i would be loath to adde to the affliction of those , who by the rage of the enemy have been put out of their imployments , and are come for shelter amongst us ; god forbid that i should willingly grieve them , their case is to be pittied , we are to succour , comfort , and helpe them what we can ; but yet i desire them withall to take heed of a temptation they may be under , and think not of it , in this their want of imployment , now they are here they meet with variety of company , with all sorts of people , and having too much time to spare , the devill may soon and unawares to them prevaile to cause an itching desire in them ; after this opinion and the other , this and the other way , which having taken their hearts , they carry up and down what they heare , and what apprehensions they have of things , and persons , pleading and arguing for that they have but sleight and sudden apprehensions of , and by arguing , the thing gets down into their spirits , before it be thoroughly examined and understood , and being got down there , then it must needs be maintained , and so a spirit of contention rises in them , and seeds of contention are sowne among others . it may be some of your callings are low and mean , and that may possibly be your discouragement : but let it not be so , for there may be as much obedience to god in thy faithfulness in that mean calling of thine as in the highest and most honourable imployment upon earth , yea thy reward may be as great , for god looks at faithfulnesse in the work , not the greatnesse of the work . let every man know , sayes luther , that his work in any godly kind of life is a divine worke , because it is the worke of a divine call , having gods command for it . the ninth . in all strivings with men have a care that due respect to their persons be kept as much as may be . it is very observable , when god in the manifestation of his displeasure against the devill , in the serpent , cursed him , then he sayes cursed be thou ; but when he would manifest it against simeon and levi , it is not , cursed be ye , or cursed be they ; but cursed be their anger , for it was fierce , and their rage , for it was cruell . you may be bitter against mens sinne , so be it you show due respect to their persons ; by denying that respect you might and ought to give to mens persons , you deprive your self of that liberty which otherwise you might take in opposing their sinne , which is the thing you say you ayme only at . the tenth . labour to get good by the wrongs that are done us . if we found god blessing them to us for good , our hearts will be very moderate towards those that have done them . the over-ruling providence of god turning the wrong that josephs brethren had done him to so much good , took off iosephs spirit from practising any evill against them ; but when this good shall come to us by the exercise of our own graces , it will be more prevalent to quiet and moderate our spirits . philip of macedon thanked some great men of athens who had brought up ill reports of him , because both in speech and life he was the better labouring by words and deeds to prove them liars : the best answer to ill reports , is to live contrary to them . the eleventh . turne your zeale from working one against another to zeale for god. you will say , are workes of zeale any helps to peace and union ? who are they that make the greatest disturbances in the world , but your fiery zelots ? if men were of a cooler temper , we should have more peace . ans . distempered zeale may cause disturbance ; but true zeale , the cleare flame of the spirit of god , making men in their waies zealous not for themselves , but for god , this has the blessing of gods peace with it . numb . . . . phinehas there has the promise of the covenant of peace , because he was zealous for his god. the twelfth . in seeking to reduce others to good , let it appeare that you seek rather to be helpfull to them ▪ then to get victory over them . it is grievous to a mans nature to be conquered , but not to be helped . ambrose writing to his friend marcellus about composing some breaches between him and his brother and sister , hath amongst other this excellent expression , i thought that to be the best way , i would have none to be conquered , and all to overcome . the like practice is reported of scipio , when at the taking of new carthage two souldiers contended about the murall crowne , due to him who first climbed the walls , so that the whole army was thereupon in danger of division , when he came to scipio , he decides the matter thus : he told them they both got up the wall together , and so gave the scaling crowne to both . the thirteenth . make up breaches as soone as may be . take them , if it may be ; at the beginning . when good men fall out , onely one of them is usually faulty at the first , but if such strifes continue any time , both of them become guilty . if you deferre the setting of a bone broken , it cannot be done without much difficulty , and great paine . prov. . . the beginning of strife is as when one lets out water , therefore leave off contention before it be medled with , antequam immisceat se , so you may reade it , before it be got into thee , and mingle it selfe in thy heart , or between you and your brother . if your house be on fire , you doe not stay quenching it till it breaks out of the roofe ; divisions that are but sparks , very little at the first , if let alone , grow very high and great in a little time . i have read a story of two sonnes of the duke of florence , who having been hunting , the one said , my dog killed the hare , and the other said , nay but my dog killed it : words multiplyed , they grew into a heat , the one drawes upon the other and kills him ; the servant seeing his master killed , draws upon him who had slaine him , and kills him . neglect not beginnings of quarrels , you know not to what they may grow . the fourteenth . let us account those brethren , in whom we see godlinesse , and carry our selves towards them accordingly , though they will not account us . let us not be too ready to take the forfeiture of our brethern . the learned and godly men who lived in that age wherein the donatists renounced all christian communion with other churches , yea disclaimed any brotherhood with other christians , yet seeing godlinesse in many of them , they did account them part of the church and their brethren ; thus they sought to pluck those to them , who thrust themselves from them . lastly , pray much . pliny sayes of the pearles they call unions , though they be engendred in the sea , yet they participate more of the heavens then of the sea . certainly this precious union , though it be amongst men yet it hath its lustre and beauty , yea its very being from the heavens . you must look up to heaven therefore for peace , for the preservation , increase , lustre , beauty of it , if you would have it . job . . god maketh peace in his high places , the lord can make peace between high and low . let us carry mens rugged , crooked , perverse hearts to god in prayer , who is the great joyner of hearts ; it is he that makes men to be of one mind in a house , he maketh the wars to cease . psal . . . pray for the peace of jerusalem . in your prayers for the church this must be mentioned as a speciall blessing . if praying prevaile not , fighting will not . those are the most peaceable men in church and common-wealth , that pray most for the peace of them ; god hath more prayers for the peace of this church and state upon the file , of theirs whom some of you account hinderers of it , then of yours . you complaine much for want of peace , you inveigh much against those whom you are pleased to mark out as hinderers of the peace , but doe you pray as much ? you have these meanes presented unto you for the furtherance of peace ; what other you may meet with any way , make use of . thes . . . the lord of peace give you peace alwayes by all meanes . and that all may be the better improved , let the exhortation of the apostle , thes . . . sink into you , study to be quiet , the words are , love the honour of being quiet : there is great excellency in it . that is the last thing . cap. xxxv . exhortation to peaceable and brotherly union , shewing the excellency of it . and now , my brethren , as the eunuch said to philip concerning his baptisme , here is water , what lets but i may be baptized ? i shall say concerning our uniting in peace and love one with another . here are joyning principles , joyning considerations , joyning graces , joyning practices ; what now le ts , but that we may joyne in love and peace one with another ? surely nothing can let but extreme corrupt , perverse hearts of our owne . the apostle paul is mighty earnest in his desires , in his exhortations for this : cor. . . now i beseech you brethren by the name of our lord jesus christ , that ye all speak the same thing , and that there be no divisions among you , but that ye be perfectly joyned together , in the same mind , and in the same judgement . the word translated perfectly joyned , signifies such a joyning , as when a bone is out of joynt , is perfectly set right againe . so philip. . . if there be therefore any consolation in christ , if any comfort of love , if any fellowship of the spirit , if any bowels and mercies , fulfill ye my joy , that ye be like minded , having the same love , being of one accord , of one mind , let nothing be done through strife , &c. the apostle poures forth his soule in this exhortation , it is a heart-breaking exhortation . luther , though a man of a stirring , hot spirit , yet writing to the pastors of the church of strasburg , hath these words : i pray you be perswaded , that i shall alwayes be as desirous to embrace concord , as i am desirous to have the lord jesus to be propitious to me . i finde also in a letter that martin bucer writes to a godly minister , a very high expression , of that high esteeme he had of , and earnest desires after the curing of divisions : who would not ( sayes he ) purchase with his life the removing that infinite scandall that comes by dissention ? oh that there were such hearts in us ! christ expects it from us all , but especially from his ministers , for they are his ambassadours for peace , to beseech men in his stead to be reconciled to god : reconciliation with god will reconcile us one to another . if god so loved us , we ought also to love one another , john . . the faces of the cherubims in the temple looked one towards another , which some think signified the agreement that should be amongst ministers of the gospel . so the six branches in the candlestick joyned all in one ; those who hold the light of truth before others , should be united in peace in one , amongst themselves . the first thing christs ministers were to doe when they came to any place was to say peace be to that place ; if any sons of peace were there , they were to abide , otherwise not : surely then it is expected that themselves should be sonnes of peace . the contentions of private christians are offensive , but the contentions of ministers is a scandall with a witnesse . yet in all ages of the church , the corrupt clergie have been the greatest causes of divisions ; they have been of the most cruell spirits against any that differed from them . but let not such a spirit be in us ; we have enough to do to contend with the wicked of the world , with the malice of satan , let us not contend one with another . luther writing to the ministers of norimberg , brings in christ saying to them , satis est vobis ob nomen meum malorum , you are like to suffer evil enough for my name , you need not be afflictions one to another . it was barbarousnesse in the priests of baal to cut and slash themselves , but it is worse for the ministers of jesus christ to cut and slash one another . kings . . the cherubims were made of the olive tree ; if you be typified by them , as we hinted before , let it appeare that you are olives , not brambles : yea and v. . for the entring of the oracle the doores were of olive-tree : who will believe that you bring the oracles of god with you , when they see by your froward , contentious carriage , that you never entred in at these doores ? people cannot but think it a miserable thing to have a scratching , tearing bramble to be over them . oh that god would set the beauty , glory of peace , friendship , love , before us ! that this precious pearle , vnion , might be highly valued by us ! all men are taken in some degree or other with the excellency and sweetness of love and friendship . some men , sayes cicero , despise riches , others honours ; those things that by some are delighted in by others are vilified ; but all men of all sorts have a high esteem of friendship , they think there can be no life without it . gen. . . the great commendation that hamor and shechem give of jacob and his sons as an argument to perswade the men of shechem to joyn with them in the giving their daughters to them for wives , and in taking theirs , is , these men are peaceable with us . a peaceable disposition is very convincing . cant. . . my dove , my undefiled is but one , she is the onely one of her mother , she is the choice one of her that bare her . what then followes ? the daughters saw her and blessed her , yea the queenes , and the concubines , and they praised her , who i se she that looketh forth as the morning , faire as the moone , cleare as the sunne , terrible as an army of banners ? let the saints be but one , and then they will appeare beautifull and glorious indeed , yea they will be terrible as an army of baners . evagrius in his ecclesiasticall history records an epistle of cyrill of alexandria , written to john of antioch , upon the occasion of a pacificatory epistle of john unto him , his spirit was so taken with it that it breaks forth thus : let the heavens rejoyce , and let the earth be glad , the mid wall of rancour is battered downe , the boyling choler which bereaved the mindes of quietnesse , is purged from among us , and all the occasion of discord and dissention is banished away , for our saviour iesus christ hath granted peace unto the churches under heaven . the thebans made harmonia a goddesse , they accounted her the defender and patronesse of their city . harmonious , peaceable , uniting dispositions , have much of god in them ; if not from sanctifying grace , yet it is from a common work of the spirit of god : there is a noblenesse in such a heart . by the lawes of england noblemen have this priviledge , that none of them can be bound to the peace , because it is supposed that a noble disposition will never be engaged in brawles and contentions , it is supposed that the peace is alwayes bound to him , that of his own accord he will be carefull to preserve it . it is the base bramble that rends and teares . nazianzen reports of alexander , who having taken a city , and consulting what to doe , one parmenius answered , if he were king he would raze the city to the ground . alexander answers , so would i too , if i were what you are ; rigour may become you , but gentlenesse becomes me . gentlenesse , mercy , goodnesse , love , tendernesse of others sufferings , are the greatest ornaments to a noble spirit . if this be sanctified , the glory of god shines bright indeed in such a heart . for god glories in this , to be the god of peace and love . thess . . . the very god of peace . thess . . . the lord of peace himselfe . jesus christ in being the prince of peace ; the holy ghost in being like a dove that hath no gall : the gospel is the gospel of peace ; the kingdome of god is peace as well as righteousnesse ; the legacy that christ left is a legacy of peace ; the apostolicall benediction is grace , mercy , and peace : the glory of the church is in this , that it is a city compact at unity within it selfe . yea this will be the glory of that glorious church , that god is raising a new jerusalem , there shall be no more crying there , apoc. . . ezech. . . the lord shall be king over all the earth , in that day there shall be one lord , and his name shall be one . there is but one lord now , but he is called by different names , but in that day his name shall be but one . zeph. . . then will i turne to a people of pure language , that they may call upon the name of the lord , and serve him with one consent . the hebrew word is with one shoulder , now we shoulder one another , but then all shall serve the lord with one shoulder . this love and peace is compared to the most delightfull , and the most profitable things ; behold how good and pleasant it is for brethren to dwell at unity ; it is like the precious ointment upon the head , that ranne downe upon the beard , even aarons beard ; that went downe to the skirts of his garment , as the dew of hermon , that descended upon the mountaines of sion . psal . . there are many promises made to this . mat. . blessed are the peace-makers . cor. . . be of one minde , live in peace , and the god of peace shall be with you . john . . christ sayes , this is his commandement , that we love one another . ver . . he sayes , ye are my friends if ye doe whatsoever i command you . by loving others we doe not only get them to be our friends , but christ too . me thinks i see christ here pleading for love , as one who had to deale with two men who were at some variance , perswading them to peace and love ; come , you shall passe by all former things , you shall be made friends , by this you shall gaine me also to be a friend to you as long as i live . genes . . ver . . to the end , is a remarkable scripture to shew how god is with a loving , gentle , peaceable disposition . ver. . . we have abrahams kinde gentle yeelding to lot his inferiour for peace sake ; but mark what followes , and you shall finde he lost nothing by this his yeelding : for as soone as lot was gone from him , the lord came to him , ver . . and said to him , lift up now thine eyes and looke from the place where thou art , northward , southward , eastward and westward , for all the land that thou seest to thee will i give it , and to thy seed for ever : arise , walke thorough , the land in the length of it , and in the breadth of it , for i will give it unto thee . the difference of what jacob sayes of reuben when he was to dye , gen. . . from that of moses , deut. . . is observable : jacob sayes , hee is the first borne , the beginning of his strength ; but he shall not excell , because he went to his fathers bed . but moses , let reuben live and not dye , and let not his men be few . the reason of this difference is given by some , because it was fit that jacob , to deter his other children , should exercise the authority of a father , but moses frees him from the curse , because he was alwayes loving to his brother ioseph . brotherly love hath a blessing going along with it : god loves it exceedingly , for it makes much for the glory of god. and to what purpose do we live , if god have not glory by us ? rom. . , , . the apostle first prayes that the god of patience and consolution would grant them to be like minded one towards another , according to christ jesus , that they may with one minde and one mouth glorifie god. then he exhorts : wherefore receive ye one another , as christ also received us to the glory of god. much of gods glory depends upon our union . yea god stands so much upon this , that he is willing to stay for his service till we be at peace one with another . mat. . , . leave thy gift before the altar , and first be reconciled to thy brother , and then come and offer thy gift . my worship shall stay till you be reconciled . i love my worship , and desire it much , but i must have peace and love amongst your selves first , i will stay for that . but i beseech you let us not make god stay too long . remember while you are wrangling and quarrelling , god stayes on you all this while . if children should be quarrelling , and one comes to them , and sayes , your father stayes for you , it is time for them to break off . but not unmannerly with god , in making him stay so long upon you : some of you have made him wait upon you for an acceptable duty of worship divers weeks , yea it may be many moneths , and yet your spirits are not in temper to offer any sacrifice to god. what a fearfull evill is it then to stand out in a stubborne , sullen , dogged manner refusing to be reconciled ! learned drusius cites hebrew writers , saying , that he that offends his brother ought to seeke to pacifie him ; if he refuse to be pacified , then he must bring three of his friends with him to intercede twice or thrice , and if he shall after this refuse , then he is to leave him , and such a man quia implacabilis est , vocatur peccator , is called a sinner , with a speciall note upon him . lastly , the saints enjoyment of the sweetnesse of love , peace and unity among themselves , what is it but heaven upon earth ? heaven is above all storms , tempests , troubles , the happinesse of it is perfect rest . we pray that the will of god might bee done on earth as it is done in heaven ; why , may not we have a heaven upon earth ? this would sweeten all our comforts , yea all our afflictions . but the devill envies us this happinesse . come lord jesus , come quickly . if you would have the excellency of love set before you more fully , reade over and over again the epistles of iohn . ecclesiasticall story reports of this blessed apostle , whose heart was so full of love , that when he grew very old , not able to preach , yet he would be brought into the congregation in a chaire , and there say only these words , little children flee idolatry , love one another . but the more excellent union and peace is , the more is the pitty that it should be abused to be serviceable to mens lusts ; the more would our misery be if we should be abused in our treaties about it ; if we should have a mock-peace ; if we should be gulled in either offers of or conclusions about peace ; if peace should be made our ruine , but a preparation of us for slaughter . it hath been by many observed , that what the english gained of the french in battell by valour , the french regained of the english by cunning treaties . the lord deliver us from such french tricks . let us all be for peace , yet so as not to be befooled into bondage by the name of peace . now god hath by his mighty arme helped us , let us not be put off with a bable , and made to beleeve it is this pearle . we know with whom we have to deale . and now as the apostle , thess . . . the lord direct your hearts into the love of god : let me adde , and into the love of one another . let us all study peace , seek peace , follow peace , pursue peace , and the god of peace be with us . finis . the contents . chap. . the text opened , and suitableness thereof shewed , p. . chap. . the evill of dividing between god and any thing else , p. . chap. . heart-divisions one from another : the difficulty of medling with them , . the causes of them , and method in handling them , . chap. . the first dividing principle , there can be no agreement without uniformity , . wherein is shewn in what things it is necessary for peace we should be the same , and in what not , . chap. . the second dividing principle , all religions are to be tolerated , wherein is discussed the power of the magistrate in matters of religion , . and . chap. . that question discussed , what should be done to a man who pleads his conscience , . chap. . the congregationall way does not held absolute liberty for all religions , . chap. . not to tolerate any thing which is conceived evill , is a dividing principle , as well as to tolerate all things , . chap. . rules to know in what things we are to beare with our brethren , . chap. . the fourth dividing principle , division is the best way for rule . wherein the cursed evill of this principle is shewn , and some freedome from it that are thought to be guilty of it , . chap. . the fifth dividing principle , that every man is bound to profess and practice alwayes , what he apprehends to be truth , here that case of conscience , when a man is bound to professe , when not , is discussed , and what rules to be observed in it , to . chap. . the sixth dividing principle , is , what is in it selfe best , must be chosen and done , not weighing circumstances or references , . chap. . the seventh dividing principle , that it is obstinacy for a man to be convinced by the judgement of many more learned and godly then himself . . wherein is shewn . what respect is to be given to the judgments of learned and godly men ; . what men should do that cannot submit to their judgements ; by what rules we should judge men to be obstinate , . chap. . if others be against what we conceive to be truth , we may judge them to go against their owne light : the rashnesse and evill of this principle , . the ninth dividing principle , that rules of prudence are sufficient to guide us in naturall and civill things , therefore they may suffice us in spirituall and church affaires , . to . the tenth dividing principle , every difference in religion is a differing religion , . chap. . dividing distempers ; what they are , how they cause divisions , . chap. . dividing practices : what they are , . chap. . disorderly gathering of churches : divers things discussed about it , . chap. . characterizing the names of division , amongst others the name of schismatick . the point of schisme , who is a schismaticke , who not , is discussed , . . because men cannot joyn in all things , they will joyn in nothing , . the point of hearing such as are supposed not to have a lawfull calling , discussed , . chap. . the evill of divisions , how much good they hinder , . aggravations of the sinfulnesse of our divisions , . chap. . the wofull miseries of our divisions , . futher aggravations of this misery of our divisions , . the ill uses that are made of our divisions , . reasons why it is not to be wondred at , that godly men should be divid●d , . that christ and the gospel occasion divisions , and how , . the good use to be made of our divisions , . the cure of them , . fourteen joyning principles , from . to . fourteen joyning considerations , from . to . eight joyning graces , . sixteene joyning practises , . an exhortation to peaceable and brotherly union , shewing the excellency of it . . finis . notes, typically marginal, from the original text notes for div a -e 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . chrys . hom. de diloct . plutarch in the life of pelopi●as . notes for div a -e 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sleid. com. lib. . si di midio christi essemus contenti , facile transigeremus omnia . object . . answ . object . . answ . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . chrys . hom. . ad rom. vide montague act. & mon. of the church cap. . p. . . &c. cui usui reipublicae christianae & cui bono mihi . abi in celiam & dic miserere nostri . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . dividing principle . what circumstanti●●● of worship must have institution , and what not . quemadmodum ista varietas herbarum & florum mirifice oculos recreat , sic in imperio meo diversa fides & religio potius usui est quam oneri modo pacate vivant . cum de praecipuis articulis doctrinae christianae inter nos constet , complectamur nos mutuo amore , neque dissimilitas & varietas rituum & ceremoniarum , addam ego & politiae ecclesiasticae , disjungere debet mentes nostras . the second dividing principle . a magistrate not an officer regus mediatorie . object . . answ . answ . answ . s● ideo dicetur ●ronari licere , quia non prohibeat scriptura ; ●que retorquebi●ur ideo corona●i non licere , ●uia scriptura ●●on jubeat . tertul. de co●o● milit . dominatum in conscientias & animas soli deo relictum . deum tria sibi reservasse ; ex nihilo aliquid facere , futura scire , & conscientiis dominari . nullam esse tyrannidem intollerabiliorem , quam conscientiis dominari velle . what shou'd be done to a man that pleads his conscience . quest . answ . object . answ . conscientia erronea non obligat . mr. concn . quest . answ . answ . answ . those who are to deale with mens consciences , must be tender hearted . the moan of a true conscientious man to god. directions to them who plead their consciences . congregationall men charged for liberty to all religions . answ . answ . answ . object . answ . answ . answ . answ . . the civil magistrates not to punish every thing that is evill . answ . answ . answ . ways to draw forth mens judgments , who would keep them to themselves . answ . a itaque capita omnia controversa certa quadam formula concipiantur , quae utrisqu ▪ satisfaciat ex ipsis sacrae scripturae verbis ( si steri possit ) contexta , n●mo a fra●re quicquā praeterio exigat . b est hoc quod dico diligentur observandum , qui autores sunt principibus ut omnes illi populi , regna , respublicae , quae aliqua in re , fundamenta tamen religionis non convellentes ab ipsis dissentiunt , damnentur haereseos , excludantur ab amicitia , pellantur a finibus , ii certe nec suis principibus , nec ecclesiae christi bene consulunt . fraternam inter ecclesias evangelicas communionem non esse rescindendam ob diversas de quaestionibus controversis opiniones , probatur rationibus petitis a defectu legitimae potestatis , ni ministris ad eandem dissolvendam chap. . hoc mihi inprimis videtur esse praemittendum , vincula fraternae communionis non oportere dissolvi inter ecclesias christianas ob quaevis opinionum dissidia , sed solummodo ob fūndamentalium dogmatum oppugnationem aut negationem . cypr. ep ad steph. ep. . ad jubajanum . aug. cont . don. l. . c. . l. ● . c. , . servire debet judicium , non dominari charita●i ▪ 〈◊〉 est unum de quatuor istis malis quae turbant terram ( ut solomon ait ) scilicet , servus regnans , seu ancilla haeres dominae suae luth. ep. ad theol. norimberg . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 chrysost . in phil. . hom. ● . answ . answ . answ . answ . quia solius dei est corda scrutari , nostrum est in partem beni●niorem semper propendere & de quolibet praesu●ere ubi con●●arium non constat manifestis indiciis , qu●d conscientia poiius quam pertina●ia ab assensu praestando reta●dotur , & inhibeatur . adhort . ad fratern●m communionem , p. . proscindi nec debent nec possunt a communione particularium ecclesiarum quae manent conjunctae cum ecclesia catholica . b hominem a communione aliorum christi quorum excludere licet propter haeresim damnabilem , in qua est proprio judicio condemnatus , aut de per●inacia convictus , non licet propter errorem in q●em aliena fraude deductus est , quemque nulla pertinaci animositate , sed imaginatione veritatis & p●etatis illusus defendit . daven . ad pacem eccl. adhort . c. . c rex arbitratur rerum absolute necessariarum ad salutem non magnum esse numerum , quare existimat ejus majestas nullam ad in●undam concerdiam braviorem viam fore , quam si diligenter separarentur necessaria a non necessariis , & ut de necessariis conveniat omnis opera insumatur in non necessariis libertati christianae locus detur , pauca sunt ista necessaria , atque istam distinctionem sereniss . rex tanti putat esse momenti ad immuniend●s controversias , quae hodie ecclesiam , tantopere exercent , ut omnium pacis studiosorum judicet officium esse diligemissime hanc explicare ●●ocere , urgere . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . arist . pol. l. ● . object . answ . answ . suadenda est fides non imponenda . bern. nova & in a●d●●a est ista praedicatio quae verberibus evigit fidem . greg. l. . ep . . the ● dividing principle ▪ answ . the . dividing principle . salvi esse non possumus nisi ad salutem proximorum , etiam ore profiteamur fidem . aug de temp . . ad aras jovis aut veneris adorare , ac sub antichristo fidem occultare . zuingl ep . non perfecte credunt , qui quod cre●●nt nolunt loqui . aug. in psalm . quando in particulari tanta sit utilitas vel necessitas proximi , ut prae●isam obligationem inducat , arbitrio prudentis judi●a● dum est , nam regula omnino certa assignari non potest . suar. de . f●d . disp . ● . sect . . in what cases we are bound to make profession . six cases in which we are not bound to make profession . object . answ . object . answ . five rules for the ordering our profession of truth . the sixth dividing principle . the seventh dividing principle . what respect is to be given to the judgement of learned holy men . multa anxie considerare eum oportet , & multas noctes ab sumere insomnes , & cum multis lacrymis petere a deo veritatis demonstrationem , qui se a fratribus separare vult . quantum apud alios valeat authoritas ecclesiae , nescio ; certe apud me tantum valet , ut cum arianis & pelagianis sentire possim , si probasset ecclesja quod illi do●uerunt . eras . bilibal do pyrckeymeroll . ep . . ep . . answ . answ . answ . answ . the . dividing principle . nolo libertatem meam captivari quam paulus dedit , dicens , omnia probate , quod bonum est tenete . luther . what are those things we must have institutions for . answ . answ . the . dividing principle . answ . lib. . hoc disco mea experientia , quod non habeo tam magnam causam timendi extra me , quam intra me . luther . carnales inter se dividuntur , spirituales nullo modo aug. de civit . lib. . cap. . how many wayes mens lusts cause divisions . omne invalidum natura querulum . gravius persequitur filius pa●rem male vi vendo , quam pater filium castigando . grav●● . ancil●a saram pe●sequuta est per iniquam superbiam , quameam sara per debitun disciplinaun aug. de unitat . e●cl . c. . the first dividing distemper . the severall workings of pride causing divisions . answ . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 interrogatus cur hoc egerit , respondit , ut qui bonis non poterit , vel malis innotesceret . difficile est cum praestare caeteris concupieris servare equitatem . m. tul. li. . offic . the . dividing distemper . ego plane in ea opinione sum , monarchias longe diutius duraturas , si monarchae hoc ●num pronomen [ ego ] omisissent . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . superbus fictor est audacia & f●rtitudinis . arist . e●h , l. . c. . quicquid est hujusmodi in quo non possunt plures excellere , in eo plerumque sit tanta cententio , ut difficillimum sit sanctam fervari societatem m. tul. lib. o●●ic . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . the . dividing distemper . nemo existimet bonos de ecclesia posse discedere : triticum non rapit ventus . cipr. de unitat . eccles . sectae haereticorum ab ol●● fuerunt multae , inter quas omnes quae sunt vel fuerunt non est perniciosior quam pauperum de lugduno , ●ibus de causis ; prima quia diuturn●or a tempore sylvestri , alij quidam dicunt a tempore apostolorum ; secunda quia generalior , fere enim nulla terra est in qua haec ●ecta non serpat ; tertia , quod omnes aliae immanitate blasphemiarum in deum horrorem inducant , haec leouistarum magnam habet speciem pietatis , coram nominibus juste vivant , & bene omnia de deo credant , & omnes a●ticut●s qui in symbolo cominentur , solum romanam ecclesiam blasphemant . voet. vesp . causa papa●us , l. . sect . . tolle invidiam , & quod meum est , habeo ; tolle invidiam & quod tuum est , ego habe● . aug. in psal . . the . dividing distemper . the week after the victory at naseby ▪ answ . the . dividing distemper . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the . dividing distemper . fa●uus . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 subita , repente . cesset propria voluntas , & non erit infernum . bern. ser . . de resur . scalig. excert . . num . . the . distemper . adv. haeres li. . tom . . epist aduers . antidic●marianitas . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , &c. answ . how to know whether we avoid our ficklenesse by true constancy , or by stoutness : five notes . the ninth distemper . justius est occulta de manifestis praejudicare , quam manifesta de occultis praedamnaie . tert. apol. c. . quandoquidem ex scholasticis aulicus futurus es praecepto mihi instruendus es ad omnem vitam utili , hubnerus audire gestit , fidem diabolorum tibi commendo ( inquit ) hoc tibi monitum semper in promptu situm esto promissionibus aulicis credere quidem sed timide . melch. adam . in vita bucholceri . si morbo aliquo laboraret , liberaretur , masculum parreret ; si difficulter ante pariebat , facilem assequeretur partum , p. fagius in numb . c. . the tenth distemper . the . distemper . pestem majorem esse nullam in amicitiis , quam pecunia cupiditatem . cur hominios non obstruitis auro argentove ? hem germana illa bestia pecuniam non curat . melch adam . vita lutheri . the . distemper . nulla res vehementius rempublicam continet , quam fides , cicero . the . dividing practice , the practice of the tongue . eo sermone aspidem à vipera sumere venenum . definat nunc haereticos à judaeo aspis , quod aiunt , à vipera mutuare venenum . tertul. contra marcion , lib. . cap. . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the . dividing practice , needlesse disputes . answ . credimus piscatoribus , non dialecticis . ambr. the . dividing practise . sed interca sunt homines inconsiderati , qui faciunt illos nimis spirituales , hoc vitium passim regnat in germania , in his etiam regionibus nimium grassatur , & nunc sentimus quales fructus nascantur ex illa radice quod scilicet principes & quicunque potiuntur imperio , putant se ita spirituales esse , ut nullum ●it amplius ecclesiasticum regimen , & hoc sacrilegium apud nos grassatur , quia non possunt metiri officium suum certis & legitimis finibus . calv. in amos c. . ver . . consulo ut disciplinam quanto ocyu● fieri poterit in vestras ecclesias invchatis , nam si ab initio non recipiatur , cum homines fervent non facile cum aliquod frigus obrepscrit admittetur periculum , aiunt imminere ne disciplinae colore ministri tyrannidem occupent , excommunicent pro libidine non attendunt , ii ●omines nil a ministrorum tyrannide posse timeri , ubi evangelli regula servatur in excludendis à fratrum societate ecclesiae consensu● est adhi●endus , cujus autorita●e si agatur , nemo de unius aut paucorum tyrannide ●ure poterit conqueri . p. mart. ep . . statuerim nihil fine con●ilio vestro , & ●ine consensu plebis agere . cyp. ep . part . cap. . digres . . l. . dispute against english popish ceremonies . iniquam excercetis dominationem , si ideo negatis licere quia vultis , non quia debuit non licere , tertul. apol. advers . gentes . answ . dispute against english popish ceremonies , p. . cap. . pag. , . answ . the . dividing practice . alioquin christiani collecti ex judaeis & divulsi ab eorum ecclesia antiquissima & celeberrima essent schismatici , voet. despera a causa papatus , l. . sect . . two causes for which a man may seperate from a visible church . answ . answ . . answ . object . answ . answ . mald. in lam. , . answ . answ . the . dividing practice . fortiter calumniare , aliquid haerebit . existimet omnis publica calamitatis , omnis popularis in commodi christianos esse causam ; si tyberis ascendit in maenia ; si nilus non ascendit in arva , si coelum ●●etit , si terra movet , si fames , si lues , statim ad leones acclamatur , tertul. apol. advers . gentes cap. . tam magnus apud ami●os ut fere deus factus ; tam vituperatus ab inimicis , ut mirum fuit ne cum terra devoraret . quia more tradito nefas esset virgines strangulari vitiatae prius à carnifice , de in strangulatae . suet. tybe●●us , num . . the . dividing practice . nullum criminis nomen nisi nominis crimen . tertul. apo. answ . schismatis peocatum speciale vitium est , charitati oppositum . aquin. . q. . art. . conclus . schismatici discissionibus iniquis a fraterna charitate dissiliunt . aug. lib de fide & symbolo , cap. . answ . culpam schismatis non debere conferri in eos qui desertores deserunt , sed in ipsos desertores qui christum & antiquam fidem deserum erant , voet. desper . causa papatus , lib. . sect . . answ . sicut in rebus naturalibus id quod est per accidens non constituit speciem ; ita in rebus moralibus , id quod est intentum . quod sequitur praeter intentionem , est quasi per accidens , & ideo peccatum schismatick proprie est speciale peccatum , ex eo quod intendit se ab unitate separare quam charitas facit , & ideo proprie schismatici dicuntur qui propria sponte & intentione se ab unitate ecclesiae separant . aquinas da . dae . quest . . art. . c. vide stanis●●um reschium in centur . evang . sect . jer. . . ethnici philosophi hoc ambierunt , ut discipulos quos habuerunt suo cognomine à reliquis distinguerent , ut aliqui platonici , aliqui pythagorici , alii epicurci vocarentur . christiani esse desierunt , qui christi nomine omisso , humana & externa vocabula indu●runt . lactant. lib. . c ▪ . attamen socrates visus est modestior caeleris , quod se non faceret authorem doctrinae quam docebat ut qui diceret se fimilem obstetricis quae parientibus opem ferret ita is existimavit suis interrogationibus , juvenibus adesse ut scientias quas babu issent in animo , in lucem exire faceret . abhorret à charitate , im● à recta ratione , ut quis propter consequentias , rec intellectas , nec à se co●●esas putetur fundamentale● articulum negasse aut regecisse quem s●●mit● credit , explicite 〈…〉 ejusdem vel sanguine suo obsigna●et : verio● & 〈…〉 est non quid ex quov●s sequata● 〈…〉 daven . fentintia de pace in●er 〈…〉 pag ● . hae● est ultio , cum reuben dicit ad simeonem , da mihi accomodatam securim tuam , respondet , non accommodabo , in posterum sime●n dicit , da accommodatam securim tuam , & respondet reuben , nequaquam ; siquidem tu mihi non accomodasti . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . basil . hom. . de ira . plut●●ch . vitae ph●cion . rawleigh hist . l. . c. . sect . . eus●b l ● . de 〈◊〉 constantin . eus●b l. . de v●t . c●n●t . cupio ex hic vit● migrarc propter duas causas : ut f●uir desiderat● conspectu f●lii dei. & coles●●● ecclesiae . 〈◊〉 ut liber●r●●ab im●●a nibus & implacabilibus od●is theologorum . melchi●r adam in vita strigehi . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . greg. naz. orat . . 〈…〉 . pli●y nat. hist . l. ▪ ● . . bidul●h in his travell to jerusalem . p. . plutarch in regu● & i●p●rat . apoth . stob. serm . peccatum , poe●a peecati , causa peccatj . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , &c. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , &c. greg. naz. orat. . mallem me solis romanistarum manibus perire , ne carolus in hanc causam involveretur , scio quae miseria sigismundum consequuta est , &c. melchior adam in vita lutheri . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . naz. orat. . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . greg. naz. orat. . . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . naz. orat. . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . naz. orat. . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . naz. orat. . bellum erat inter lupos & canes ; cumque nunciatum esset lupis venire ingentem exercitum canum ad lacerandos lupos , missus est speculator unus ex vetulis lupis , renuntiat esse quidem multitudinem canum longè majorem quam luporum , sed benê sperandum esse quia v●derit multas esse dissimilitudines col●rum in canibus , hac voce confirmati lupi dissimiles facile pelli posse sperebant . melancthon . epist . . t. walsingham in eodem anno . plutarch in the life of pelopidas . liv ▪ hist : l. . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , &c. chrystost . in act. c. . nova atque ina●dita est ista praedicatio , quae verberibus exigit fidem . gr. lib. . ep ▪ . a verbo ad serrum , ab atramento ad armamenta , à pennis ad bipe●●nes confugere . gerard. nec religionis est cogere religionem quae sponte sus●pi debeat non vt ; & si nos compulernis ad sacrificandum , nihil praestab t is d●is vestris , ab invitis enim sacrificia non desiaerabunt , nisi contentiosi sunt ; contentiosus autem deus non est . tertul. cum mini●e aequum censcret senatus , suarum partium esse duxit ut ad te racionibus referretur , quibus adductus fuit quo minus et subscriberet , suppliciis id tantum effectum est ut ●rimen potius detestabile esset , quam erro●es ipsi corrigerentur , aequum videri ut potius ●eteris ecclesiae vestigiis 〈◊〉 , quae non ferro & flammis in religione constituenda ac propaganda , sed puriore doctrina & honestis vitae antistitum exemplis 〈◊〉 confecis , hic vivant & sincere dei verbum doceant , hac ratione pravarum de religione opinionum luxueris co●●ceatur , haec remedia si spernaantur , nullae leges , nulla edicta huic malo curando satis erunt . th●anus hist . lib. . sleidan . lib. . anno . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , acetum . socrat. eccles . hist . lib. . c. . euseb . eccles . hist . lib. . c ▪ . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . nazian . apologet. orat. . socrat. eccles . hist . l. . c. . quae agit arguit , quae detestat●r ●peratur . invect . . cont . hieron . 〈…〉 vanae intelliget , ut compleat iniquitates , & lequatur contra deum mendacium . so jerome ●eads the words . cum legissem contabui dotore , & obrigai timore , o misera , o mistranda conditio , conjunctissimi & familiarissimi mella scripturarum sanctarum pariter lamberitis , tantae amaritudinis irrepsisse perniciem heu mihi quivos ali●ubi simul invenire non possum , procid●rem ad pedes 〈◊〉 , fierem quantum valerem , rogarem quantum amarem , &c. august . ep . . rogo te , si fieri potest ut inter , nos d●sseramus fine amaritudine discordiae , diat . si autem non p●ssum dicere quod emendatum videatur in scriptis , tuis , nec tu in meis , nisi eum suspicione invidiae , aut laefione amicitiae , quiescamus , & nostra vitae salutiqus parcanus . august . hieronymo , ep . . nihil est scolerum aut oredulitatis cujus me non reum agat . lu●h ep . ad michaelem stifelinum . infensior mihi est , quam ulli bactenus sucrunt inimici . luth. ad spalatinum non possun quin vehementissime commovear quotie , haec mala apud me reputo : quid agam ? taceam ne in tanta perturbatione publica , tantoque incendo , quod s●tanas ex it wit ? certe incondium est in orbe christiano , nisi deus è caelo prospixerit omnia , conumturum animi huma●i foci sunt , in quibus peccatum fl●g●ati linguae hae folles sunt , illae fomites . quilius incandium magis ac magis ina ●descit : linguis succedunt chartarum virulentissimarum plaustra quibus perrumpit incondium in omnes partes , qu●●unquae linguae p●stari non possunt bona pars christiani orbis , bustum videtur potius quam christiani gregis domicilìum : an his pastores ? an hae oves christi , quas in suo mi erabili hust● misere 〈◊〉 contab . ●scere ? sunt certe pastores adhuc , sunt oves christi , & christi sunt , sed in hoc tetro & lethali incendio , nec se essc christi , nec pastores nec oves esse meminerani . ju . ps . . answ . reasons why godly men differ so much one from another . hypocritis nihil est crudelius , impatientius , & vindictae cupidius , plane sunt serpentes , quo nullum est animal vindictae cupidius . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . epiph lib . tom. . haeres . . vel . . montague act. and mon. c. . p. . neque tantum nocent pontificii quantum falsi fratres , qui eandem spem , fidem , doctrinam , invocationem jactant , & sunt nobis simillimi ; ideo papistae ridcut , & dicunt , mordent se invicem , & invicem consumuntur . luth. in gen. c. . what god aymes at in our divisions . non sum in eadem cum illo haeresi . tul. paradox . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . chrysost . in . cor. . . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . chrysost in . cor. . . aristot . polit . lib. . c. . non peri●●it●dicere ipsas 〈…〉 subministrarent . tertul. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , &c. greg. naz. orat. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . euseb . of the life of constant . l ▪ cited by socrates eccl. hist . lib. cap. . quanquam in t●r no● hactenus non potuit plane convenire num verum corpus & sanguis christi pane & vino corporaliter infit , debebat nihilominus utraque pars altera erga alteram declarare christianam charitatem , quatenus id omnio eujusque conscientia s●rre potest . coll. qu. ma purgen● . this subscribed by luther , melancthon , o colampadius , brentius , osiander , zuinglius , bucer , and others . plutarch in his life . plutarch in the life of fabius . hodie non regnavimus , quia neminem affecimus beneficio . petro mex●a in the lives of the roman emperours . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , &c. plutarch . de cohibenda ira . in aliis mansue●us ero , in blasphemiis in christum non ita . zuingl . in ep . ad servet . non curiositate vel ae nulatione is eos invidiose deferamus , aut reprehendamus , unde protervia , fastus , od●a , dissidia , factiones possent oriri , &c. hyper. in heb. c. . v. . melius est propter misericordiam rationem reddere , quam propter crudelitatem . quid facit inpectore christiano luporum feritas ? canum rabies ? vinenum lethale serpenium ? cruenta sevitia bestiarum ? cypr. de unitate eccles . num. . hoc vero me garviter excruciat , & valde absurdum est , inter fratres ab eandem fidem à patria , exules , ac profugos , dissidium oriri , & quidem haec de eausa quae sola debuerat in bac vestra dispersione quasi sacrum vinculam vos simul devinctos tenere , &c. calv. anglis francford . answ . plin. lib. . cap. . dispendio litle carcre non mediocre lucrum est . ambros . offic . l. . c. ● . fingite christum in medio vest●i corporaliter , & ab ipsius vultu discite ipse vel oculis sic alloquetur corda vestra , quid facitis charissimi filii , quos meo sanguine ●edemi meo verbo regenui , ut diligeretis invicem hanc esse notam meorum discipulorum scitis . ponite hanc caus●m , vel in me rejicite ego videro , nihil periculi est ; si qu●escat vel etiam moria●ur nihil nocet ecclesiae , sed hoc erit p●riculum si dissideatis & mordeatis invicem . nolite sic contristare speritum , nolite angelos sanctos in coelo gaudus spoliare ; an ego non plus sum vobis quam omnes causae , omnes affectus , omnes offensiones ? itane fortius penetrant , & haerent verba aliqua fratris , vel iniquae molestiae quam mea vulnera , meus sanguis , quam t●tus ipse salvator jesus christus ? luther epist ad norimbergensis . hi motus animorum atque haec certamina tanta , pulveris exigui ●actu compressa quiescunt . virgil. georg. lib. . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . basil . hom. de ira . veniat , veniat verbum domini , & submittemur ei sexcenta si nobis essent coll● . maximum est in amicitia superiorem parem esse inferiori . cic. de amicit . per deum obtestatum ut taceret , & se ita gereret quasi non audiret . qui nescit ferre calumnias , convicia , injurias , nescit vivere . melchior adam . in vita chytraei . su●vitas sermonum atque morum condimentum amicitiae ; tristitia & in omni reseveritas , absit ; habet illa quidem gravitatem , sed amicitia remissior esse debet , & liberior , & dulcior , & ad omnem comitatem facilitatemque proclivi●r . cicer. de amicio . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . sive taceas , dilectione taceas ; sive clames , dilectione clames ; sive parcas , dilectione parcas ; sive corrigas , dilectone corrigas ; ad disciplinam siant omnia , de charitate procedant radice ; dilige , & fa● quod vi● . aug joan. tract . . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . clem. alex. strom. lib. . gen. . . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ; &c. naz. orat. . si virtutum fi●is ille sit maximus qui plurimorum spectat profectum , moderatio omn●um plucherrima● est . ambr. de paenit . l. . c. ● . ne intret , cum probibet gravissime coram f●aequenti ●aetu cum objargans , an nes●is , inquit , imperator , quae sit atrocitas à te commissi facinoris ? aut non me●inisti alium nobis esse imperatorem te superiorem ? quae con●idens impietas ut nihil v●rearis , &c. vide magdebu●g . cent . . c. . pag. . quoting theod. l. . c. . and zozomen l. . c. . plutarch in the life of allexander . unusquisque sciat opus suum in quocunque vitae genere divinum esse opus qui●est opus divinae vocationis , habeus mandatnm dei. luth. illud sequendum putavi ut neminem vinci v●llem & omnes vincer● . ambr. ep . . plutarch in the life of scipio . ipsum f●at●rnitatis nomen , u●cunque donatistis fastidiosum est tamen orthodoxis erga ipsos donatistas necessarium . optat. l. . init . plin. nat . hist . lib. . cap. . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , gale●o est cum ossa reducuntur ad locum . vobis oro persaadeatis tam cupide me amplecti concordiam , quam cupide velim mihi dominum jesum propitium semper fore . luther eccles . agentinensis pastoribus . quis non vita etiam sua redimat submotum istus infinitum dissi●ii scandalum ? martin . bucer . ambr. blaurero . veteres s●ruta●s ●istorias invenire non possum , ita scidisse ecclesiam & de domo dei populus s●duxisse praetereo● qui sacerdotes dei posit● sunt ; & prophetae , id est speculatores isti vertuntur in laqueum tortuosum & in omnibus scandala p●nunt . jerome cited by john hus , tractat . de pace . multi divitias despiciunt , quo● parvo contentas , tenuis victus cul●●sque delectat , honores vero quorum cupiditate quidam inflammantur , quam multi ita contemnunt ut nihil inanius esse vellevias existiment , item caetera quae quibusdam admirabilia videntur , permulti sunt qui ni●ilo putent ; de amicitia omnes ad unum idem se●●●unt , fine amio●●ia 〈◊〉 esse nullam sentiunt . cicer. de amicit. evargius l. . cap. . plutarch in the life of pelopidas . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . nazian . carm . iamb . d●usius praet . l. . c. . comineus lib. . c. . an exposition with practical observations continued upon the eleventh, twelfth, & thirteenth chapters of the prophesy of hosea being first delivered in several lectures at michaels cornhil, london / by jeremiah burroughs ; being the seventh book published by thomas goodwin ... [et al.] burroughs, jeremiah, - . approx. kb of xml-encoded text transcribed from -bit group-iv tiff page images. text creation partnership, ann arbor, mi ; oxford (uk) : - (eebo-tcp phase ). a wing b estc r ocm this keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the early english books online text creation partnership. this phase i text is available for reuse, according to the terms of creative commons . universal . the text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. early english books online. (eebo-tcp ; phase , no. a ) transcribed from: (early english books online ; image set ) images scanned from microfilm: (early english books, - ; : ) an exposition with practical observations continued upon the eleventh, twelfth, & thirteenth chapters of the prophesy of hosea being first delivered in several lectures at michaels cornhil, london / by jeremiah burroughs ; being the seventh book published by thomas goodwin ... [et al.] burroughs, jeremiah, - . goodwin, thomas, - . 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should bear in mind that in all likelihood such instances will never have been looked at by a tcp editor. the texts were encoded and linked to page images in accordance with level of the tei in libraries guidelines. copies of the texts have been issued variously as sgml (tcp schema; ascii text with mnemonic sdata character entities); displayable xml (tcp schema; characters represented either as utf- unicode or text strings within braces); or lossless xml (tei p , characters represented either as utf- unicode or tei g elements). keying and markup guidelines are available at the text creation partnership web site . eng bible. -- o.t. -- hosea -- commentaries. bible. -- o.t. -- hosea -- criticism, interpretation, etc. - tcp assigned for keying and markup - apex covantage keyed and coded from proquest page images - ali jakobson sampled and proofread - ali jakobson text and markup reviewed and edited - pfs batch review (qc) and xml conversion an exposition with practical observations continued upon the eleventh , twelfth & thirteenth chapters of the prophesy of hosea . being first delivered in several lectures at michaels cornhil , london . by jeremiah burroughs . being the seventh book published by thomas goodwin , william greenhil , sydrach simpson , william bridge , john yates , will. adderly . london : ●●inted by peter cole , at the sign of the printing-press in cornhil , near the royal exchange . . to the reader . god who alone is perfect in himself , hath reteined this prerogative to himself , that his work should be perfect ( as moses speaks ) and as another holy one hath it , doth al his pleasure . paul , though in what-ever he was to commit to writing ( in matters sacred ) had infalibility of assistance , yet perfected not all be intended : these things we will do , if god permit , said he to the hebrews : but we no where find extant any evidence , that he accomplished what he there intended ; namely , a full methodical discourse upon those first principles , and foundations of religion , which that speech had reference unto . it is no wonder then , that if such a kind of imperfection accompanied the works of so great a master-builder , if it attend those who build on this foundation , and are not priviledged ( as yet he was ) from building hay and stubble . this sort of incompleatness hath befallen the works of this worthy author , in respect to the finishing of this prophesie , which he intended , and had performed ; wherein yet to the church of god , there shal be no loss , there being no thoughts nor notions suggested to any man , which though for the present they die with him . but the same spirit that is the inspirer of all , doth bring to light in some one or other servant of god , in his own time . what a treasury of thoughts seemed to be lost , and to die with the savior of the world , which he had not , could not then utter ; which yet the spirit that fil'd him without measure , distributed amongst the apostles that came after him , according to the measure of the gift of christ in each . there is no beam of divine light hath shone into any mans heart that shal finaly , and for ever be put under a bushel ; but in the end shall be set up , to give light to the whol house . the purpose of this preface is , to consign the pasport thorough the world , of these last notes of the author upon this prophesie ; namely , the eleventh , twelfth , and thirteenth chapters ; and to assure the reader , that they are the best and most genuine that can be expected , being collected out of those under his hand , al along ; and the best copies of those that took them from his mouth : and to subjoyn this hearty prayr , for a blessing from heaven on these , & the rest of these our brothers labors that are published , that his works may follow him , and he receive ( at latter day ) a full reward , even according to the fruit of his doings . thomas goodwyn , william greenhil , sydrach simpson , william bridge , john yates , will. adderly . the contents chap. xi . vers . i. cohaerence page observation god stands much upon the cleering of himself to be a god of love and mercy ibid. obs . it is the priviledg of the saints to be beloved of god obs . . it is a great aggravation of sin , to sin against love obs . it 's very useful to call to mind gods old love obs . all gods old mercies remain engagements to duty , and aggrations of sin obs . let not our hearts sink though we are able to do but little for god obs . if god love us so soon , our love to god ought not to be deferred obs . the church is in the same relation to god as a son is to a father obs . . let wicked men take heed how they use the saints , for they are gods sons obs . the saints are not only sons in relation but in community . ib. obs . . gods sons are not free from sore and grievous evils in this world . obs . it 's a great mercie to be called out of egypt obs . . god hath an eye to christ in all he doth ver . ii. exposition obs . it 's a mercie of god to have gods ministers calling us to obedience obs . when god hath called us out of affliction , it 's a great addition of mercie to call us out of son unto duty ib. obs . it 's a great aggravation of mens sins if they be called to duty , after god hath called them out of misery , and they do not obey it ib. obs . for men not only to disobey gods call , but to turn away themselves from it , and from those that speak to them in his name , is very micked and a high degree of sinfulness obs . it is yet a higher wickedness to have our corruptions irritated by the word , and provoked . ib. obs . that gods free grace is very great and very strong use comfort against a stubborn heart ver . iii. exposition obs . when god calls his people out of afflictions , yet they know no more how to guide themselves in their way , than a little child doth vse for england obs . the way that god leades people in many times may be a way of much difficultie ib. use we have cause to bless god that we are in his way obs . though we meet with difficultys in our way , yet god loves to teach his people how to go in their way , and the more difficult their way is , the more care hath god of them , to teach them how to go ib. use be not discouraged at your difficulties , but look up to god for guidance ib. obs . seeing god makes it a fruit of his love to teach them how to go ; when you see others slip and stumble in the way of profession of religion : bless god then for his mercie towards you that he helps and teaches you in your way obs . take heed , you that have need of teaching that you be not wayward , foolish , wanton , and unruly , and that you do not wilfully run into rugged and slippery waies obs . gods ministers and all others should labor to follow god in this way of his , that is , to have a tender care of others ib. obs . gods ministers must not be discouraged though they meet with those that are very froward obs . it is a great aggravation of sin when children requite not their parents for their education obs . god will not cast off his children though they get hurt use be not discouraged when you have gone out of gods way , because the lord will heal his people obs . . god doth us much good we knew not of use not to abuse our strength in the waies of sin , and so manifest that you know not that god hath healed you ver . iv. exposition obs . that the waies of god are very rational so that they may draw any man of understanding to love thew . obs . the way to prevail with men is to deal with them in a rational way obs . it 's a great aggravation of sin , not to be drawn dy these cords of men use , saints should be eminent in courtesie use , we should draw our relations with gentleness ib. use , gentle means rejected , aggravate sin obs . we must preserve the honor of our inferiors though their faults be great ib. obs . it will aggravate the shame and confusion of men which disregarded gods using them in an honorable way obs . not to be drawn to our duty but by violence and strength , it is beastial obs . as god deals with us according to our nature so we ought to deal with god ( as far as we are able ) sutable to his nature ib. obs . that the lord doth not alwaies stand upon number , though the greatest obs . that love , it hath strong bonds obs . we should labor to cast the bonds of love upon those we have to deal with obs . seeing love hath such bonds in it , we should make use of the love of god to bind our hearts to him obs . there 's nothing more aggravats sin , than that it is against love obs . that deliverance from oppression is a great mercie obs . to abuse our ease when god is pleased to deliver us from yokes , is very sinful obs . to oppress one another , after we are delivered from oppression is likewise a great evil obs . mercies prepared and provided for , laid before us are to be prized obs . in receiving of our food , we must look up to heaven obs . the service of gods people is easie , and their provision is bountiful ib. use how great is the mercy of god to us who hath eased our yokes , and laid meat before us 〈◊〉 ver . v. obs . that which bardens men hearts against threats in their sin , is some shifts that they have in their thoughts obs . a stout heart cares not whether it goes rather than it will return to god obs . stubborn hearts if any thing crosses them will foolishly and desperately wish their return to their former condition of misery ib. obs . god knows how to cross wicked men of their wills , to spoil them of their plots obs . if we will not do gods will , god will cross us of our own obs . god is not so much displeased at our sins , as at our not returning obs . to refuse to return notwithstanding means used and mercies tendered , is a fearful thing ibid. obs . scornful spirits when they are called upon to return from their evil waies , do not only deny returning , but also scorn and slight what is said to them ver . vi. obs . it 's time for a people to return , when god doth whet , or draw out his sword obs . that the abiding of the sword is a sore judgment ib. use , against protractors of the war obs . the sword shall abide as long as god will have it ibid obs . that though it be sad for the sword to be in the field , yet for the sword to be in the city is sadder ver . vii . exposition application publick to england ibid private to particular persons why men start back reasons gods waies are unsutable to them ibid they have a greater mind to other things ibid they are weary of the waies of god ibid. they have watched advantages to get off from what they have formerly made profession of ibid they are sorrie they engaged themselves so much as they did ibid they greedily embrace any objections against such waies ibid they are very greedie to take any offence ib. they watch for offences they are willing to embrace any opinion , that will give them liberty obs . that it is a great evil for men to strive against their conscienoes obs . . mens hearts sink down to low and mean things naturally . obs . . it is the end of the ministry of the word , to call men to the most high god , who have their hearts groveling after low and base things ib. obs . it is a great and sore evil to stop our ears against the calls of the word obs . that the calling to the most high god is a special means to cause those that are in a suspence to come in to a full resolution . ibid obs . the true worship of god is an elevating thing an exhortation to great men ibid to saints ibid how god hath exalted the saints . he hath raised them from the depth of miserie he hath made them one with his son ib. hath loved them with the same love wherewith he loved his son ib. hath made them co-heirs with his son ib. hath given his angels to be ministring spirits to them ibid god intends to honor himself in their eternal good ib. he hath prepared for them a crown of glory ib. obs . god hath little honor in the world ver . viii . exposition general exposition particular obs . the greatness of mans sin hinders not the work of gods mercie use , if the bowels of gods mercie work towards us , let ours work towards our brethren . use , why should great afflictions for god hinder our hearts working to him , when our great sins against god hinder not gods heart from working towards us ibid. obs . sinners are at the very mouth of misery when they do not think of it ibid. obs . gods free mercie is that which keeps us from being destroyed ibid. obs . sinputs god to a stand ib. obs . the salvation of a sinner breaks through manie reasonings and workings in gods heart obs . according to the relation a sinful people have to god so difficult a thing is it for god to execute his wrath upon them why god is not readie at any time to execute judgment upon a sinner . the prayers of the saints stand against justice the lord look upon the place with an eye of pitie ib. god considers that he hath but little worship in the world he looks upon the service hath been formerly given him in that place ib. there may be a remnant of saints there ib. he eyes the miseries they will endure ib. the lord sees how the adversaries will insult he looks upon the elect ones not yet born ib. if my wrath must be satisfied let it run out upon others ib. . the affliction of the saints is gods own affliction god will fetch good out of their evil ib. gods justice is glorified by his patience ib. gods mercie may convert ib. obs . a chollerick disposition is none of gods image use take heed of being passionate ib. use , let not ministers be tart in the pulpit ib. obs . saints may be bold in seeking god in prayer obs . the saints that walk close with god must needs be verie secure obs . when judgments come upon gods own people there is some great matter in it obs . there is a difference between the day of patience and the day of wrath ib. obs . if god do not hasten judgment against us , we should not hasten it against our selves ib. obs . the people of god are subject to as sore evils as the worst of men obs . when sinners are neerest to judgment , then the bowels of gods mercie works towards them obs . those that are in relation to god have a priviledg that others have not ib. use take heed of abusing gods mercies obs . if god be unwilling to make his people like the wicked in punishment , let them not make themselves like them in sin ib. obs . though god be never so much inclin'd to mercy he doth not hide his eyes from the sins of his own people ib. use let not the encouragement of mercie hide our sins from us obs . . strong motions to repentance , give strong encouragements to come to god obs . let arguments of obedience to god cause stirrings in our hearts . obs . let us not think it too much to have our hearts turned from strong resolutions to do evil . ib. obs . god's repentings are mighty encouragements to prayer obs . wee must gather as many arguments as we can to kindle repentance in us ib. obs . our mercies to others should not be cold , but burning ver . ix . exposition obs . the stirrings of mercie in our hearts should rather prevaile with us than stirrings to wrath obs . stirrings for god should rather prevail with us than temptations to sin obs . gods mercies do not free his people from all fruits of displeasure ib. obs . we should acknowledge mercie , though we suffer hard things . obs . sinners should not be secure when evil is upon them , and think now we know the worst on 't . obs . god is very gracious to his people when evil is upon them ib. difference between god and man in point of anger . man is not able to rule his anger ib. man is of a revengeful and cruel disposition man is in a rage often-times with others , because of the disquit of his own heart ib. there is but very little , if any mercie at all in man ib. . man is of a fickle and unconstant disposition ib. if man pass by an offence , it is from some motive from without ibid man thinks it his dishonor to be reconciled to those that offend him ibid man cannot foresee the consequences that may follow upon his pardoning of offences man cannot work good out of what ill carriages are against him ibid though man promise much mercie yet upon any offence , he will recall his promise again ibid . man thinks it's best to take his advantage of offenders at the present time man is bound to positive rules of justice that are set to him . but god is free . he will have mercie on whom he will have mercie ibid obs . god glories in the goodness and mercie that is in himself . ib. use passion and anger debases man obs . if god were like man , sinners could not be forborn obs . it is a good way to exercise faith in gods mercie ibid use let us labor to be holy in our anger obs . god delights to shew the glory of his holiness in mercie toward sinners obs . gods faithfulnesse is a special part of the glory of his holiness ibid use we may see hence how holiness will help our faith ibid use let us manifest our holiness in our faithfulness ibid obs . god continues among a people for his saints and elects sake ibid obs . . the saints are of great use where they live obs . humiliation and reformation do often save a city from destruction use let not our sin provoke god to destroy us ibid ver . x exposition ib. obs . it is the lords infinite goodness to be the captain of his people obs . it is the honor , safety , and happiness of the saints to have god go before them ibid obs . that the majestie and terribleness of god causeth the wicked guilty conscience to fly from him use oh the blessing of a clean conscience ibid obs . that when gods time is come for a through reformation in the world , he will make the earth tremble use despair not at the strength of the wicked use learn to prepare for those times ibid obs . ult . there are like to be great stirrings in the west ver . xi . exposition obs . god hath his time to place his people in their own houses , in peace , and safetie obs . it 's a good work to be instrumental in this ibid obs . they that walk after the lord shall be placed in their houses ibid use trust god with your houses . ib. ver . xii . exposition general particular obs . many profess to god the acknowledgment of his greatness , glory , power , &c. but it is but as a lye to god ib. obs . many men beset the business and affairs that they mannage , with lyes also obs . that when men are once engaged in shifts and lyes , they grow pertinacious in them obs . the sin is the greater , where there is no example of evil in others obs . to continue in a false way of worship when a right way is held forth , is an aggravation of sin ib. obs . it 's a great comendation to continue in the truth , when others fall off ib. obs . we should be more severe to those that are nearest to us , when they dishonor god , than to others obs . to enjoy but little with god , is better than to have much without enjoying god obs . to serve god , is to reign obs . . god hath never bin without som witnesses to his truth ib. obs . it is unfaithfulness to forsake the true worship which god hath appointed obs . god hath a special eye to a states faithfulness in point of worship ib. obs . . faithfulness consists in a constant persisting in good ib. obs . we should look more at the example of a few saints , than of thousands of wicked men . chap. xii . ver . i exposition obs . creature-comforts will prove but wind obs . . it 's a grievous thing when troubles come to have nothing within us to help us but wind several waies of encreasing lyes by carrying about reports . by mis-reporting of reports . ib. by adding to reports ib. by inventing new reports ib. by maintaining lyes by lyes ibid. use . take heed of spreading reports to the dishonour of religion use . search out the truth first , before you report at all ib. obs . when people are guilty of a sin , the prophets should beat upon it again and again ver . ii. exposition obs . god commends and contends with his church at once ib. ver . iii. exposition , . obs . . we are to acknowledg god's election of our forefathers to be an act of free grace obs those which receive great blessings from gods mercy to their ancestors , are to acknowledg the free grace of god ib. exposiston exposition ib. exposition exposition exposition exposition obs . that when god strives against his servants , he gives them sirength obs . it 's a great honour to manifest much strength in prayer ib obs . the way to prevail with men is , to prevail with god obs . that the time for the church to prevail in , is then when she is most weak ver . iv. obs . prayer is the great prevailing ordinance with god ingredients to prayer faith in the covenant of god to be in gods way to plead a particular promise ib. sence of our own unworthiness ib. acknowledgment of mercies and truth in promises remembrance of former means ibid. deep sence of the thing desired ibid. strong arguments obs . god finds his people many times when they little think of him obs . the foundation of the saints comfort is in the covenant of god obs . mercies promised should beleeved when there is much unlikelihood obs . the multiplying of the church is a great blessing ibid. obs . the saints have need of renewing promises ibid. obs . the blessing that comes to the world comes by promised seed ibid. obs . it was in gods heart to do good unto us gentiles thousands of yeers since ibid. obs . god is still working towards the fulfilling of promises obs . the mercie and faithfulness of god is constant for continuance ibid. obs . the saints have need of the confirmation of mercies ibid. obs . it 's a great help to fiath to have god present himself to the soul as god almighty obs . god delights to revive his people in their fears , with sutable mercie ibid. use , to learn tender-heartedness towards them that are in fears and troubles ibid. ver . v. exposition obs . that though god be never so strong and terrible in himself ; yet faith hath strength to wrastle with him use , christians should raise up their spirits when they have to deal with god ibid. obs . god is the same to us ( if we forsake him not ) as he was to our forefathers obs . . there 's no need of images to keep gods remembrance obs . god manifests his glory , that he may be remembred from age to age ib. obs . the meditation of the name , jehovah , is a useful memorial of god ver . vi. obs . . the consideration of our godly forefathers is a great argument to turn us to god ib. obs . that god is the lord of hosts , is another argument to turn us to him obs . . because god is jehovah , we must turn to him obs . the excellencie of the saints is an argument to turn us to god obs . . we depart from god in the midst of our services , when we perform them not in gods way . ib. obs . . in our turning to god , we must reform our special sins obs . we must reform as well in duties of the second table , as in matter of worship obs . there must be righteousness among men , where there is a turning to god obs . those that are in authority must manifest their turning to god , by execution of judgment . ib. obs . the mixture of mercie & judgment is very comely obs . . a turning heart to god , is a waiting heart ver . vii . exposition obs . . men by their sin may lose the honor of their progenitors . ib. ver . viii . exposition obs . wicked men will have somthing to say for themselves ib. obs . wicked men may prosper a while in their evil courses ib. obs . wicked men attribute all that they get unto themselves ib. obs . carnal hearts account riches the only substantial things obs . wicked men glory in the estates they have gotten ib. obs . carnal hearts seek to relieve their consciences with outward comforts obs . wicked men beleeve not that god is so angry with them , as they are told he is obs . evil things many times have good names obs . it 's hard to convince covetous men of their iniquitie ib. obs . it 's hard to convince them that they do not love to be charged with their sin obs . men may in words profess the thing that they are guilty of to be abominable ib. obs . wicked men care not , so other men cannot accuse them obs . a carnal heart extenuates his sins obs . if wicked men can but scape the danger of law , it 's all they care for ver . ix . obs . the prosperity of men in a sinful way makes them forget what god hath done for them in former times obs . god takes notice of mens unthanfulness ib. obs . old mercies are great engagements to duty and the neglect of dutie a great aggravation of sin obs . god gives hopes of mercie to sinners upon their repentance use to persons offended by others doct. the consideration of what god 〈…〉 h done should help our 〈◊〉 in beleeving what he will do ib. applied to england . ver . x. obs . it 's god that speaks by his prophets obs . it is a great mercie to a people for god to speak to them by his prophets obs . god will take account what becomes of the labor and pains of his prophets obs . 't is a great mercie for god to declare his mind again and again ibid. use , how may god upbraid us with this obs . the lord takes account of the manner of mens preaching , as well as of the things they preach obs . the revealing the word by similitudes is very useful and profitable ibid. obs . slight not the word when it comes by a simile obs . rest not in the pleasantness of the simile ib. ver . xi . obs . whatsoever is presented in the worship of god ( if not of gods appointment ) is meer vanity obs . when gods judgments have been against any for sin , all sinners guilty of the same sins have cause to feare . obs . such whose principles are neerer to god than others , if they be superstitious god will surely be revenged of them ver . xii . scope obs . such as take pride in their ancestors should look back to the mean condition of their ancestors obs . dependance upon god in afflictions shews grace of god in any use , to servants which are in hard service ib. use , to servants which are out of it . ib. obs . love wil carry through long service obs . a good wife is a great blessing of god , though she have no portion ib. obs . children should not marry without their parents consent ver . xiii . obs . none shal lose any thing by what they do for god obs . . the shiftless estate of our ancestors , should humble us much obs . god works great things for his church by smal means ib. obs . it 's a great aggravation of sin , to transgress against god's more than ordinary appearing for peoples good obs . abuse of suth as have reference to the service of god , is a great evil ib. ver . xiv . obs . . god is not angry unless he be provoked obs . . it is only sin that provokes god obs . som sins provoke god more than others obs . they that be wilful in sin , their blood will be upon their own heads obs . god will be lord , let wicked men do what they can chap. xiii . ver . . obs . it 's an honor to have respect from others when we speake vse for inferiors ib. obs . those who are in place of power account it their honor , that others should tremble at what they say obs . the subjection of the hearts of men to those in authority , is a work of god obs . the meaner the beginnings of men are , the more imperious they prove obs . men of great repute , and reverend respect , by sin fall from their dignitie verified in magistracy and ministry ibid. use , for magistrates and ministers obs . alteration in marter of government is a hard and difficult thing obs . men of resolved spirits will break through difficulties , when god raiseth them up to it obs . if after they have gone through difficulties they rest in their own strength , they shall vanish and come to nothing . obs . alteration in religion is a difficult business obs . men of resolute spirits will go on in matters of religion , though it be from better to worse obs . when god withdraws his protection from a familie , he leaves it as a dead carkass obs . corruption of worship causeth god to withdraw from a people ib. obs . when wicked men are most active in their evil way , then they may be under the sentence of death ver . ii. obs . vse makes a mighty alteration in mens spirits obs . when destructions neerest , evil men are wickedest obs . there 's no stop in apostacy . obs . every sin against conscience , weakens the work of conscience obs . in what degree a man fals off from god , in that degree he loseth his comfort in god obs . when one hath sinned against god , his spirit and holy duties are unsutable ib. obs . the presence of god is terrible to an apostate ib. obs . what may turn an apostates heart to god , is grievous to him ib. obs . one sin cannot be maintained without another obs . the pride of an evil mans heart is such that he will be justifying his sin ib. obs . when men are grown far in an evil way they grow desperate ib. obs . when men trust to their own understandings in matters of worship god gives them up to sottishness obs . it 's false worship to give religious respect to any creature by kissing as well as bowing to it use against such as kiss the book when they take an oath ib. ver . iii. obs . the messenger of wrath drives unsetled men to misery ver . iv. obs . it 's a great evil to sin against the work of mercy obs . deliverance from egypt is a note of gods being our god obs . the end of gods great work is , that he may be known to be god ib. obs . god delights to manifest himself in a way of salvation . obs . saving mercies are great mercies ib. obs . no creature can do us good further than god gives it leave . ib. obs . our faith should be exercised on god as a savior ib. obs . we are never safe but when our peace is made with god. obs . god is never worshiped as god , but when he is worshiped as a savior ib. ver . v. obs . . it 's a great mercie for god to know a man in time of trouble obs . gods knowing us in distress , is a mighty engagement to us . ver . vi. obs . it 's better to want the comfort of the creature , and to have gods protection , than to have the creature and live of our selves ib. ver . vii . obs . the lord pities sinful men in adversity ver . viii . obs . . the wrath of god is more dreadful than the dreadfulness of all the creatures in the world . ver . ix . obs . it 's an aggravation of sin another day , to be the cause of the evils we suffer obs . men would put offtheir evils from themselves to god obs . god knows how to turn all the evils upon our selves obs . a man can bring himself to no misery but there 's help in god for it use , look up to god when you have done evil obs . those that seek help in god and yet misery grows upon them , let them examin themselves . obs . the more god hath helped men , the greater will their destruction be if they be destroyed at last ver . x. obs . it 's a sad condition when god rules over a people in spight of their hearts obs . the things that carnal hearts rest upon will vanish obs . god loves to insult over men in their carnal confidences . obs . it 's great confusion to carnal hearts when they shall be asked , where 's their confidences ? use let us learn to seek after those things we may be able to give an account for use , let not the saints be afraid of evil men ib. obs . though god be much with a man , yet if he be of a low rank , carnal hearts regard him not . obs . men will not hear so long as they do not suffer ver . xi . obs . god may have a hand in things wherein men sin exceedingly . obs . things that are very evil , may have present success obs . gods gifts are not alwaies in love ib. notes whether it be out of love , or hatred . when we desire the gift rather than god in it when our desires are immoderate and violent when god grants men their desires before due time when there comes no blessing at all with what we enjoy when what we desire , is meerly to satisfie our lusts when men are so eager that they care not whether they have it from a reconciled god , or a provoked god. when the mercy is given , whether we be fitted for it or no when we rest upon the means we use and not upon god. when god gives our desires , but not a sanctified use of them when there goes a curse together with what we have ib. when we regard not what becomes of others , so we may have our desires satisfied when god satisfying our desires makes way for some judgment when men are greedy of things , and never consider the inconvenience ib. when men seek to have their desires satisfied meerly because they love change when it comes through impatiency to submit to god in a former condition when desire of further mercies make us forget former ib. when men desire new things out of distrust of god if god change our conditition , we bring the sins of our old condition into our new . if we seeek to attain our desires by unlawful means ib. corralaries drawn from the former notes . be sure you quiet your desires let us prepare our hearts to seek proportionable grace for what we have ib. be not too much exalted when your desires are satisfied ib. never draw arguments of gods love by satisfying our desires envy not at men when their lusts are satisfied ib. learn to deny your selves in your desires ib. never rest in what you enjoy , before you know from what principle it comes ib. look after what god never gives but in love bless god when you find what you have in love ib. notes of another sermon prepared by the author , but not preached the names of several books printed by peter cole , at the sign of the printing-press in cornhil , by the r exchange , in london . seven books of mr jer . burroughs , lately published ; as also the texts of scripture on which they are grounded . viz. . the rare jewel of christian contentment , on phil. . . wherein is shewed : what contentment is . it is an holy art and mysterie . the excellencies of it . the evil of the contrary sin of murmuring , and the aggravation of it . . gospel-worship , on levit. . . wherein is shewed , the right manner of the worship of god in general : and particularly , in hearing the word , receiving the lords supper , and prayer . . gospel-conversation , on phil. . . wherein is shewed : that the conversations of beleevers must be above what could be by the light of nature . beyond those that lived under the law. and sutable to what truths the gospel holds forth . to which is added , the misery of those men that have their portion in this life , on psalm . . . . a treatise of earthly-mindedness , on phil. . . wherein is shewed : what earthly-mindedness is . the great evil thereof . also to the same book is joyned , a treatise of heavenly-mindness , and walking with god , on gen. . . and on phil. . . the fifth , sixth , and seventh books are , an exposition with practical observations , on the , , , , , , , and . chapters of the prophesie of hosea . an exposition of the prophesy of hosea . chap. xi . vers . . when israel was a child , then i loved him , and called my son out of egypt . this chapter is made by some , the sixth sermon of hosea's prophesie . the scope of it is this : to cleer god from severity , and to upbraid israel for ungrateful and stuborn carriage , against mercies and means : and yet to promise mercy to the remnant , to his elect ones , which is to the end of the . verse . as for the . verse , though it be made a part of this chapter , yet it were more aptly a great deal joyned to the . chapter ; and so it is by some . there were in the end of the former chapter dreadful threatnings against israel , that the mothers should be dashed in pieces upon their children , and the cutting off of the king utterly , this was in the close of the last chapter . but now , doth not this argue god to be a god of ridgedness and severity ? where is the mercy , goodnese , and clemency of god towards his people ? what! to have the mother dasht in pieces against her children ! to cut off the king of israel u 〈…〉 terly ! yes , saith god , for all this i am a god of mercy and goodness , for i have manifested abundance of mercy already , and am ready still to manifest more ; but you have been a stubborn and a stout hearted people against me . and from that general scope , note : that , god stands much upon the cleering of himself to be a god of love and mercy : whatsoever becomes of wicked men , yet god will be cleered before all the world , that he is a god of much mercy ; god takes it very ill that we should have any hard thoughts of him , let us not be ready to entertain such thoughts of god , as if he were a hard master . i remember luther hath such an expression , that , all the scripture , the general scope of the scripture it is , to declare the lord to be a god of mercy and goodness ; saith he , the whol scriptures aim at this , that we should beleeve and be confident that god is a gracious and merciful god. and this is the scope of this chapter . let us rather charge our selves of wickedness , and ungrateful dealings with god , and let us for ever justifie god and acknowledg him to be not only a righteous god , but a gracious god ; though thou and thousands such as thou art shall perish to all eternity , yet the lord shall be acknowledged a god of mercy before his angels and saints for evermore . but thus much for the scope . when israel was a child . at his first beginning to be a people , that 's 〈…〉 in his yong time my heart was towards him . indeed , the heart of god was to israel , that is , jacob , the father of the tribe , before he was born , before he did either good or evil : but here 't is spoken not of the father , but of the tribes , israel , when they were first a people , in their yong beginnings , then i loved them . when he was a child . that is , first , when he knew little of me . secondly , when he could do little for me . thirdly , when there was much vanity and folly in him , as there is in children . fourthly , when he was helpless and succo 〈…〉 ss , and shi 〈…〉 ess , and knew not how to provide for himself . and further , tarnovius , a learned commentator upon this prophesie , thinks that the hebrew word that is here translated a child , is a word that notes the stubbornness of israel against god , one that hath often shaken off the yoke of parents , or of a master , and so [ ky ] that is translated [ when ] is sometimes [ although ] although israel was a child , a froward and perverse child , that shook off the yoke , yet then i loved him . and what a child israel was when god loved him you may find , in ezek. . , . &c. and as for thy nativity in the day that thou wast born , thy navel was not cut , neither wast thou washed in water to supple thee , thou wast not salted at all , nor swadled at all . ( and then in the . verse ) none eye pi●ed thee to do any of these unto thee , to bave compassion upon thee , but thou wast cast out in the open field to the loathing of thy person in the day that thou wast born : then in the . verse , and when i passed by tree and saw thee polluted in thine own blood , i said unto thee when thou wast in thy blood , liv● : yet , i said unto thee when thou wast in thy blood , live. again and again , ( and then in the . verse ) now when i passed by thee , and looked upon thee , behold , thy time was the time of love ; and i spread my skirt over thee , and covered thy nakedness : yea , i sware unto thee , and entred into a covenant with thee , saith the lord god , and thou becamest mine . well , but wherein did god manifest that he did love israel when he was a child ? mark the . verse , when i passed by thee , and looked upon thee , behold , thy time was the time of love ; and i spread my skirt over thee , and covered thy nakedness : yea , i sware unto thee and entred into a covenant with thee , saith the lord , and thou becamest mine . the love of god to israel i exprest in these three particulars . first , that god made a covenant with him . oh 't is a great mercy of god , and a fruit of great love , that such an infinite god would be pleased to make a covenant with his people , to bring them into covenant with him ; all man-kind was in covenant with god at first , but falling from that first covenant , there was but only a peculier people that god took into covenant with himself , and made it as a fruit of his great love , to take a certain people into covenant with himself more than others . and secondly , thou becamest mine ; that is , i had separated thee for my self , and took thee for a peculier one to me , and intended special mercy and goodness to thee , thou becamest mine , so as that i should have a special propriety in thee , and thou shouldest have a special propriety in me . and then thirdly , i confirmed all this by an oath , i sware this unto thee ; was not here love , for god to covenant , to take in to such propriety , and to swear that we should be his ? thus when israel was a child i loved him , that 's the meaning of this scripture . now the note of observation is this . first , that , it is the priviledg of the church and of the saints , for god to love them : god loves his people , this is their priviledge , he loves them with a special love . in the . of jer. . they are called , the dearly beloved of gods soul ; see how god loves his people . god he delights in his saints , and there is nothing in the world that should sanctifie a gracious heart more than this , that god loves him ; and as gods love is extraordinary to them more than to other people , so their love again should be reflected upon god in a more than ordinary way ; there 's nothing can be a recompence to love , but love : that 's certain , love is never satisfied but with love ; and therefore , seeing god professes love to his people , he doth expect love from them , therefore he will not be satisfied with any duties you perform , whatsoever you do , but it must be out of love , love must have love , and know , that you cannot prize gods love more than god prizes yours , there is nothing in heaven and earth that god prizes more than the love of his saints , and therefore , if ever gods love , or gods prizing of your love , may gain love , oh you saints , love the lord. that 's the first . but secondly , it 's a great aggravation unto sin , to sin against love . for to that end god here shews that he loved them , that he might aggravate their sin so much the more , and cleer himself . many times you make in the daies of your humiliation , and at other times , many aggravations of your sin , that your sin it is against knowledge ; this is great ; that your sin it is of an hainous nature , that it doth a great deal of hurt , that it brings you under dreadful threatnings , that it provokes the wrath of an infinite god against you ; these are great things for the humbling of your hearts for sin . but above all aggrevations for sin , this is the great aggravation , that your sin is against love , that though god hath shown much love to you , yet you sin against a loving god , and a gracious god. god begins with this aggravation , being his scope here to cleer himself , and to charge his people of ungratefulness , yet god loved them . oh! sins against love are great sins indeed . but thirdly , i loved him when he was a child . 〈◊〉 very 〈…〉 to mind gods old love . that 's the third note ; the love of god unto us when we were children ; yea , the love of god unto our fore-fathers , the love of god unto a people when they were at the first beginning , the ancient love of god to a people , 't is of very g 〈…〉 use , it is of great use for al to consider of the love of god in former times to them ; nay brethren , it would be of very great use for us to consider of ancient love of god to england . and i will give you one remarkable note of gods antient love to this nation , that 's this ; that it was the first nation that ever god set his heart upon for the chusing of the gospel , the first nation in the world that by publick authority did submit to the gospel , and certainly god remembers that love of england . for we find it recorded ; it 's true , we cannot expect scripture for this , because it was ●●nce the time of any scripture ; but so far as we may give any credit to stories , we find it , of all nations upon the face of the earth , the first that received the gospel with the countenance of publick authority . and this is not a little matter : certainly the lord remembers the kindness of our youth , and the old love of england , and the first love of england in receiving the gospel . indeed god caused the gospel to be preached to other places before it was to england ; i , but there was no plac● that by the countenance of publick authority 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it so soon as england did , and therefore england may be said to be the very first fruits of the gospel in that respect . oh! 't is good for us to consider of that , and many good uses we may make of gods old & ancient love ; when we see any further expressions of gods love it may encourage us upon the thoughts of his former love , there was an old love and this god continues , his old love unto his people , and surely god intends yet further love unto us . and then for our selves in particular , it 's very good for us to look back unto his ancient love : that is , now god hath loved some of you from your child-hood , how the providence of god did work towards you then ; some of you ( i suppose ) in this place may say , that god loved you when you were children , when i was a child i had such and such expressions of gods love towards me , it was love that i was born of christian parents , and that i was brought up in christian education , that i was delivered from such and such dangers , yea ( it may be ) god began to reveal himself to me betimes . and if you would call to mind all the loving passages of gods providence since you were children , you might have matter of meditation sufficient . there 's many of you that complain you cannot find matter for meditation : i 'le give you a rule to help you in meditation at any time , it 's this , when you cannot meditate of other things but you are presently be wildered and know not whither to go , then turn your selves to this meditation , to think of all the gracious passages of gods providence towards you ever since you were children , and this the weakest may be able to go along in . and that 's the third note of observation . fourthly , all gods old mercies remain engagements unto duty , and aggravations to our sin . i loved him when he was a child ; 't is brought to that end , to aggravate their sin , and further to engage them unto duty . remember that the love and mercies of god unto you when you were children are engagements to duty when you are old . and they are aggravations of your sin , the sins of those men and women that are against old mercies they are the greatest sins : oh! that you should sin against that love of god unto you when you were children ! god began with you then , and hath continued his love and mercy to you ever since ; then , oh! make this an aggravation of your sin , in the day of your humiliation , charge it upon your own souls , these and these sins have i committed , though god loved me , though gods mercy and goodness was towards me when i was a child and hath gone along to me , yet i have walked unworthy of all that love and mercy , know that if you do forget the old love of god , yet the lord remembers it , he remembers his old mercies , and he remembers your old sins . but then fiftly , let not our hearts sink in despairing thoughts , though we see that we are able to do but little for god , and though we are unworthy of love ; though there be much vanity and folly in our hearts , and in our lives , yea , though there hath been much stubbornness , yet still let not our hearts sink in despairing thoughts , i loved them when they were a child , they could do little for me , and they knew little of me , and they were vain , and foolish , and stubborn , and yet i loved them . certainly the waies of god towards israel are as a type of his waies towards his saints , as the afflictions of israel are typical to the church ; and we gather an argument to be patient in afflictions when we reade how god dealt with the people of israel in the wilderness ; so we may gather an argument to help our faith when as we reade how god dealt with them , though they were unworthy and were poor and weak , yet god loved them . therefore you poor people that find your selves weak in understanding , alas ! you know little , and can remember little of that which is good , and alas ! you can do little for god , ●ea i find ( perhaps saith one ) much frowardness and stubborness in my heart against god ; but do you bewail it ? if so , let not your hearts be discouraged , do not think that these are things that will hinder the love of god ; gods heart may be towards you notwithstanding this , when god comes to love he doth not find the object to be lovely before he loves , but his love makes the object to be lovely , therefore god can love though thou knowest little , and can do but little . but you will say , he can love , i but , will he love ? if i did but know that , this would satisfie my heart . to that i answer , first , how ever , when you hear that god did love israel when he was such a child that none eye pitied him , this is enough to help you against any concluding thoughts against gods love , for god did love his people when they were as unworthy as you are . and then secondly , but would you know whether god would love you ? the readiest way for you to know whether god will love you , yea or no , it is first , to raise up your faith , if you are able , upon such grounds as these are , upon the consideration of his love to his people when they were unworthy . and then secondly , in quietness and meekness of spirit to lay thy self before the lord as an object of his pity . if thou doest not think thy self worthy to be an object of love , yet lay thy heart before god as an object of pity , and there resolve to wait til the time of love shall come , till god shall make known that his heart is towards thee for good , 't is not the way for thee to be froward and vexing because of thy unworthiness , meanness , poverty , and baseness , and so to determine that he will not love thee therefore ; but , i say , the way for thee to have the sence of gods love , is this , when thou seest there is no worthiness in thee why he should love thee , yet there is enough in thee to make thy self an object of his pity . and sixtly , doth the love of god to his people begin so soon ? i loved israel when he was a child , oh! let not thy love then to him be deferred too long ; gods love begins betimes to his people , let not his people ; love be deferred too long . god is before hand with you in love , and when ever we begin to love him it is upon this ground , because he loved us first . you who are yong youths , do you love god betimes , for if you be such as ever shall be saved , god did not only love you when you were a child , but he loved you before you were born , before the foundations of the world was laid ; oh! it is pity that the first springing of your love should not be bestowed upon god : certainly old love is the best love , as old love in god is sweet , so old love in the saints ; it 's a sweet thing to think that god loved me from a child ; but then , if i can say this too , i loved god from a child , this will make it sweeter : put but these two together , oh! when these two can be added , what is wa 〈…〉 g to the comfort of ones life ? god loves that love that is from a child , jer. . . i remember the kindness of thy youth , saith god. for yong people to love god , oh! god loves that , god loves the love of yong ones , the love of children ; how sweet will old age be to thee if thou canst say thus , lord , through thy mercy i have loved thee from a child , and that 's an evidence that thou didest love me when i was a child ? how many are there now that are old whom god loved when they were yong , that would give ten thousand worlds if they had them that they had known and loved god sooner than they have done ? though it 's true , i lived in wickedness almost all my daies , and yet at length god manifested himself to me , and by that i know god hath loved me from eternity , but , oh! that i had loved god from a child ; i say , those whose eyes god enlightens , and hearts god converts to himself , would give ten thousand thousand worlds that they could but say this , oh that i had but loved god from a child ! you who are children and yong ones , do you begin betimes to love god , that if you live to be old you may say , that god loved you from a child . it was an excellent speech of austin when god pleased to work upon his heart , lord , i loved thee too late : and so it will be with any that do begin to love god , they will say that they loved god too late ; and it will be the great burden to their souls that they loved god so late as they did . and called my son out of egypt . i call'd him ; that is , by moses and aaron , i sent them to call them out of egypt and bring them from thence ; and this seems to have reference to that scripture in exod. . . where the lord saith , israel is my son , even my first born . moses comes to pharaoh in the name of god to have israel out of egypt , and he coms to pharaoh after this manner , and , tell him , that god saith , israel is my son , even my first born , so in jer. . . i am a father to israel , and ephraim is my first born . my son , the seventy have it in the plural , my sons , his sons out of egypt ; but in the hebrew it is in the singular , i called my son out of egypt , and although the holy-ghost speaks of al the people in general , yet he puts them in the singular number , and in their very community they are cal'd the son of god. the church ( that 's the note from hence ) is related to god as a son to the father ; yea , the very first-born ; what god speaks of the people of israel is especially intended towards his saints which are the true israel of god , they have the priviledg to be sons unto god , to be children , is it a light matter ( saith david ) to be the son in law to to a king ? but then what do you think it is to be the son to the king of heaven and earth ? and the heir of heaven and earth ? is ephraim my dear son ? jer. . . ephraim my dear son , this is the priviledg therfore of the saints , that god deals with them as sons , i 'le spare them as a father spareth his own son that serveth him , in the third chapter of malachy , the . verse . and the special priviledg that they have from this is , that they are not under that law that slaves are under , in reference to god ; those that are in the state of slaverie they are under this law , do , or die , if thou doest offend but in the least thou shalt perish for ever , the curse of the law is upon thee ; but the sons of god are brought into another condition not to be under that law , they indeed if they do offend may be corrected and chastized , but they are never under the law of the sentence of eternal death for their offence ; there 's a great deal of difference between the administration of god towards slaves , and towards sons , this is the great priviledg of son-ship , that thou art not under the law , thou art brought under another law , under the law of jesus christ , that though thy sin indeed of its own nature , if god should deal with thee in justice , would be enough to put thee under an eternal curse , yet being a son , god puts thee under another law , and doth not deal with thee by that law that pronounces a curse against every sin . they are sons . secondly , let wicked men who have to deal with gods people , when any of the saints of god are under their power , let them take heed how they use them ; for they are sons ; they are not slaves , they are the sons of the eternal god , in jer. . . is israel a servant ? is he a home-born slave ? why is he spoiled ? how comes it to pass that israel is dealt withall so as he is ? what , is not israel a son ? when as any of the people of god are under the power of any men , god looks upon them as sons , and if they deal hardly with them god will enquire and will say thus , is such a one a slave ? had he been a slave i would not so much have car'd for your dealings thus with him , but he is a son. you find in the acts that they were afraid when they heard that paul was a roman . when thou knowest thou hast to deal with a son of god , know that thou hast not so much liberty to misuse him as thou hast to misuse another man , though no liberty to misuse any . thirdly , the saints are not only sons in their particular relation , but in their community they are sons too : take them joyn'd together , as the members of the church , and so the whole community of the church now , is but as one son : i called my son out of egypt . he speaks of the whole body of israel : now the lord looks upon the community of his church as one son in the singular number . there are many priviledges that do belong to the church of god in their community , as well as in their particular relation . and they should labor to unite themselves much together , seeing god puts them altogether in the singular number . oh! the lord loves unity in his church . though a son , yet in egipt . that 's the note further from thence , that gods sons are not free from sore and grievous evils in this world , though they be sons , yet they may go into egipt . in jer. . . i have for saken mine house , i have left mine heritage , i have given the dearly beloved of my soul into the hands of her enemies . though the dearly beloved of gods soul , yet given into the hands of enemies : though gods son , yet goes into egypt : so the church under antichrist for above twelve hundred years , god gave up his sons into that spiritual egypt . we must not think therefore as soon as we come under greivous afflictions , that god hath cast us off from being sons ; though they were in egypt , yet stil they were my sons . now we are ready to think that if god bring us into sore afflictions then we are no more sons ; no , thou mayest be delivered up to the power of the enemy , and yet a son of god still , and no slave for all that , and no enemy . there 's a notable scripture in deut. . . where it is said of the people of israel , that they were in the waste howling wilderness , and yet they were as the apple of gods eye . : so thou maest be delivered up to the wast howling wilderness , to suffer sore things , to be banished from thy house and home , and to wander up and down in the wilderness , and yet remain as the apple of gods eye . it is a strange sight indeed to see a child of god , an heir of heaven , a co heir with jesus christ , one dearer unto god , than heaven and earth , to be under the power , the humors , the lusts of wicked men , of base ungodly ones ; yet it is so , yea , for a time they may be slaves to satan ; i say , those that god hath an eternal love to even are for a season oft times slaves to satan : but then they have not the comfort of this son-ship , nor do not know it . but now they may know themselves to be sons , and yet slaves to the humors of wicked and ungodly men , there is not a stranger sight in the world , i beleeve the angels in heaven do not see a stranger sight that they more admire at , when they see a godly man to be under the lusts of wicked men ; but this is gods work for the present : god intends to manifest himself in another way hereafter , but for the present he fetches about the glory of his own ends this way , to let even his own dear sons to be in egypt . but god calls them out of egypt , god hath his time to deliver his people and call them out of egypt : and 't is but a call , and it 's done , it is as easily done as a man that gives a call for such a one out of such a place ; let our bondage be never so great , 't is but a word from god to deliver us . again , it is a great mercy to be cal'd out of egypt . this the lord here brings as a great testimony of his love to them , that he calls them out of egypt . in exod. . . it is a night to be much observed of all the children of israel in their generations ; to be called from that egypt was a fruit of love ; and so to be called from spiritual egypt , ( for mans natural estate , is a spiritual egypt ) to be cal'd from antichristian egypt is a great fruit of love ; and as 't is a fruit of love , so it is an aggravation of sin , for so it is brought , i called my son out of egypt , and yet they did thus and thus . if god remembred this mercy , of calling them out of egypt so many years before as an aggravation of their sin , how much more may the lord make that an aggravation of our sin that called us of late out of that egypt that we were in ? many waies i might shew you that we were under a great , if not a greater bondage than the israelites were under in egypt . and there hath been as out stretched an arm ( though not so obvious to sence ) in calling of us out , as in calling of them out of egypt ; now let not this be an aggravation of our sin , the sound of our cries under the yoke of our bondage is not yet out of our ears , and the very sores of our shoulders through their yokes are not yet throughly healed , and therefore if we now before the sound be out of our ears and our sores be healed , yet grow to be wanton , foolish , vain proud , cruel , oppressing one another , and abusing of our liberty , oh! our sin must needs be accounted exceeding great before god. well , but yet we see not all the mind of god in this expression , nor the chief part of his mind , for we find in in matth. . . that there the holy ghost cites this scripture that now i am opening to you , and interprets it of jesus christ . when jesus christ was fain to fly into egypt to save his life , the holy ghost saith , that it was to fulfil that scripture , i called my son out of egypt . it is a very strange interpretation , ( as we have divers other such in the new testament ) and hierom upon the place saith , that julian takes advantage upon this , and some of the jews , with others that hated christian religion , did take much advantage upon this quotation of matthew , against the authority of the gospel , and said , surely it argued matthew very unskilful in scripture , that he should make such a quotation as this , when it is apparant that it is spoken of the calling of the people of israel out of egypt . and truly we should never have thought that there had been such a meaning in this place of hosea , had we not found it so interpreted by the holy ghost . and by the way , before we come to open that , and shew how that was a right quotation of this scripture , i 'le but observe this one note from it , that we may see that by the interpretation both of matthew , and divers other places we find in the new testament , that there is much more of the mind of god in the old testament , than was ordinarily known to them that lived in those times . which of the jews could have made such an interpretation , i have called my son out of egypt ? that is , jesus christ after he is born , he shall be persecuted and forced to fly for his life , and that into egypt , and he shall come again out of egypt ; who could have thought the holy ghost could have intended such a thing as this is ? things were not understood til they came to be fulfilled , and then they were understood . and the truth is , as in the old testament , so in the new , there are a great many scriptures that we understand yet but little of . and the time of our knowing the meaning of them is reserved to the time when they are to be fulfilled , many prophesies we have in the revelations , and other places , that are ( i am confident ) as dark to us as this place of hosea was dark to the jews ; and there is as excellent a spiritual meaning in many places of the new testament hidden from us , that will hereafter to the church of god be revealed cleerly , as there were in the old testament , many places ( i know not whether i may say as many as those ) but are as much hidden from us . jesus christ that was the lamb slain from the beginning of the world , in rev. . 〈◊〉 he that shall open the book that is seal'd , and it is a fruit of the death of christ , it is the lamb , as he is a lamb slain from the beginning of the world that shall open the book that is sealed : there are many things in the book of god that are sealed to us this day , and 't is the purchase of the blood * of jesus christ to open it , and 〈…〉 hen his time comes it shall be opened to us . i have called my son out of egypt interpreters i do find do much weary and tire themselves and the readers about this point , and those that will search into interpreters about the aptness of this quotation may quickly spend daies in it , i find the opinions reduced to these three heads . some think that matthew quotes this but only by way of allusion , and similitude , that there is a similitude between christs going to egypt and returning , as the people of israels going to egypt and returning , but that is a fridged and a poor , weak interpretation , and against what is said in matthew , which saith it was that the scripture might be fulfilled . but the second hath more in it , which is of junius that learned man , he thinks that the very litteral sense of the place is rather a prophesie of christs going into egypt and returning again , than of the people of israels going into egypt and returning again . so he saith in his paralels , in his th of the first book , it is ( saith he ) as if god should say , i have threatned that i will utterly destroy the king of israel , what shall i wholly destroy israel therefore ? no no , i will not do that for my sons sake , for though israel is unworthy and receive not my son , and by my sons going into egypt it is declared that they are unworthy of him , and that they should never have my son come among them again , yet he shall come amongst them again , and that shall be an evidence to them that i will not cast off my people of israel , and it 's a very spiritual and good interpretation , and we find often that , the lord when he did promise mercy to his people , and would give an evidence that he would not destroy them , he would give a promise of jesus christ ; as in isa . . . vnto us a child is born , unto us a son is given : he seals the promise that he will not cast off his people by promising the messias ; so junius thinks that the lord here doth seal this promise of mercy to the people of israel , that he will not utterly cut off his own people , why ? because he will call his son out of egypt . but , yet i cannot think that it will fully satisfie , but i will give you that which may more cleerly appear to be the mind of god , and that 's this , that this scripture in hosea , it was intended to be typical , not only to shew what was past , that god did indeed call his people out of egypt , but to be a type of what god did intend for the time to come ; as to give you other instances , there are many things that are spoken in the old testament , that are spoken litterally of some other things , and yet apparantly are meant typically of jesus christ , first in exodus , . . compared with john , . . in exodus , it is in the institution of the pass-over where god saith , not a bone of it should be broken : now in john . . it is said , when as the soldiers came to break the bones of the two theeves that were upon the cross , through a providence they find that christ was dead and so they broke not christs bones . one would think now that this were a meer accidental thing , but yet the holy ghost saith there , it was for the folfilling of that prophesie , that not a bone should be broken . thus you see things that are very accidental yet god hath a special work in them , god intends great things by things that seem to be of little moment in our eyes , what more light thing than that , that they should not break the bones of christ ? though meant cleerly at first , & litterally concerning the paschal lamb , yet typically concerning jesus christ . compare two other scriptures together in sam. . . with heb. . . in sam. it 's apparantly spoken concerning solomon , i will be his father , and he shall be my son. but now the apostle in heb. . . he speaks of christ there cleerly , and saith , to which of the angels bath he said , thou art my son , this day have i begotten thee ? and again saith he , he shall be my son , and i will be a father to him . it 's meant firstly of solomon , and typically meant of jesus christ . so the people of israel going into egypt and turning back again , are meant litterally of israel , but god meant to prophesie what would be done with christ , that he should go to egypt and return back again . and indeed , god hath an eye to christ in all things he doth , in all his works some way or other they have reference to jesus christ ; that indeed was one of the greatest works of god for his people carrying them to egypt and bringing them back again , but god did not intend that so much , but he had an eye to jesus christ in it . and we shall see hereafter ( take this note ) that it will be one great part of the glory of the saints to see how god had an eye to jesus christ in all his great works in the world ; now we look upon such a work , and such a work to have such an influence upon such a business , but we do not see the reference that it hath to jesus christ ; hereafter it will be a special part of the glory of the saints that they shall see how in all the works of god , he had an eye to jesus christ ; even the work of creation ; god would not have created the world but for his son , and the fall , and in every thing he had an eye to his son , for the magnifying the great work of his son , and such who had a special work of the spirit of god in those times did understand gods meaning , though ordinarily they did not : i remember one learned interpreter hath this expression , to shew how they might understand gods mind by his types , he expresses it thus , as it was with jonathan when he carried his bow and arrows into the field to give david a note whether he should fly away for fear of saul , or return back again . now when jonathan shot his arrows , he said unto his youth , it is beyond , and on this side . now the youth knew no more but thus , that he was to look at the arrow ; yea , but saith he , david knew more , that when he said it was beyond him , then he should do thus , and when it was on this side then he should do thus . it is a very good expression in the difference of the types and the letter of things , those who knew but meerly the letter they were but like jonathans youth that did but only according to what jonathan said , but david he knew the reach of jonathan , and so was able to make use of it . oh! it 's an excellent thing to be able to understand the reach of god in his word ( as i may so say ) and it 's a fruit of love . it 's a fruit of the love of jesus christ to his saints that we should know his mind more than other men do . and certainly if the people of israel had but known this when they first went into egypt and returned back again , that the lord did aim at jesus christ in it . would it not have been a comfort to them , if they had known that god intended to make them conformable to his son ? would it have been a comfort to them to have known it ? then certainly it must needs be a comfort to the saints to know now , that in all their sufferings they have a conformity to jesus christ ; we know it now , and that 's the reason why we do suffer , it is to make us conformable to jesus christ ; the jews did not know this , that which was the reason why god would have them suffer , but we know it , and therefore in all our sufferings we should exercise our faith in the sufferings of jesus christ , do we suffer thus and thus ? he did so , to take away the sting of our sufferings : and in a special manner you that have been driven from house & home , if there be any here that have been driven to fly for their lives , and perhaps you have been driven to go among strangers ; oh! but your suffering is not so great as the suffering of jesus christ was , he fled for his life when he was but an infant , and did not only fly to strangers , but to his enemies , to the egyptians : you are driven but from one part of england to another , oh! exercise your faith in this ; it was a very strange work of gods providence that presently after he was born he must fly for his life ; you that are fain to carry your children with you , oh! remember how joseph and mary was fain to do it , was fain to fly for the life of jesus christ , and carry him , and this flight was a great deal more than your flight , for they were fain to fly to egypt . now supposing it was by land as that many reasons may be given , they were fain to fly a matter of an hundred miles through the desert wilderness where there was no habitations : you fly from one town to another and find relief ; they were fain to fly above an hundred miles , it 's fifty leagues , which your marriners accompt three miles to a league , and was in the very desert between the land of canaan and egypt : now though it 's true , the people of israel was fourty yeers in the wilderness ; but it was not through the length of the place , three daies journey might have carried them into the land of canaan , but it was fourty years that they were about it , god prolonged it , and they did intangle themselves and were stubborn and rebellions , and so it was prolonged , though the way was but in its self short : but yet certainly this flight of joseph with christ to egypt must needs be sad and miserable ; it cannot be conceived that any of your flights should be so said and miserable as that was , for they could not carry any provision with them , but were fain to fly in a private way to save the life of jesus christ ; oh! how often do you think did joseph and mary look upon this babe when they were flying through the desert wildernes , & think , what , is this the son of god ? is this the savior of the world ? is this he that should be the redeemer of israel ? is this he that is god and man ? is this he that is the second person in trinity , that presently after he is born we must fly for his life through a desert wilderness ? oh! the strange work of god in the very work of mans redemption ! things were so low and poor , and seemed to go on in such a contrary way , as it would have put any ones faith to it , to have thought that jesus christ should have done such great things as he did . oh my brethren ! this is the way of god to put the faith of men to it , especially at first . so it was with christs flight into egypt . it follows ; vers . . as they called them , so they went from them , &c. as they ] that is , moses and aaron , and other prophets , and ministers of god sent unto them , they called them to serve the lord , and to worship him according to his own way . and especially they called them from idolaters and false worship . as they called them , so some turn it ; that is , though they were so called , so called , yet they went from them . when the means of god is so powerful , to resist then is a very great evil . if our gospel ; that is , our gospel preached with so much plainess and power is hid , it is hid to those that are lost . but take it here : as they called them ] that is , look what earn 〈…〉 ess there was in moses and aaron and other ministers of god to call them from their evil waies , so much stubornness and stoutness was it for them to go against it . calvin thinks it is , because they called them , therefore they went from them . because they called them ; that is , they went from them for the very nonce ( as we use to say . ) because moses would have us do thus and thus , we will do the quite contrary for the very nonce . they went from them : that is , turned their backs upon them ; like stuborn children and servants when they are called they will not hear , but turn their backs upon you ; so did they to moses from whence observe ; first , it is a mercy of god , to have gods ministers calling us to obedience . who are we that god should send his messengers after us ? what need hath god of us ? suppose we go on in the waies of death and perish , what shal god lose by it ? but this is gods mercy , that he will cal after us ; god may say , if you will go , go on and perish everlastingly : oh! but he doth not so . secondly , when god hath called us out of affliction , it is a great addition of mercy to call us out of sin unto duty ; and we should account one as great as another . we think it a great mercy if the lord will call us out of an affliction ; but when god calls us out of a misery , and calls us to a duty , do you think that that 's as great a mercy ? that 's a sign of a sanctified heart indeed . you are in sickness and under great extremity ; if god should say , i wil give out my word to deliver you , that would be a sweet word you would say . i but when god gives out his word to call thee out of thy sin to a duty , thou shouldest as joyfully take an hint of that word of god too ; oh! do you prize gods call unto you from sin to duty , as much as from misery to prosperity . thirdly , it 's a great aggravation of mens sins if they be called to duty , after god hath called them out of misery and they do not obey it . after thou comest out of an affliction , whether bodily or spiritual , god expects thou shouldest as diligently hearken to his call that calls thee to duty , as thou doest take hold of his mercy when he held it to thee to deliver thee out of thine affliction ; charge thy soul thus , oh wrenched heart that i have , i called to god , and god hath heard my call , and now god hath delivered me , and calls me to a duty , and shall i stop mine ears against gods call ? oh how just were it for god to leave me in misery , when i turn my back to him when he cals me to a duty ! fourthly , for men not only to disobey gods call , but to turn away themselves from it , and from those that speak to them in his name , this is very wicked , a high degree of sinfulness before god : in jer. . . they have turned their back unto me , but not their face ; and so in jer. . . they turn their backs , that 's more than not to obey . our backs , that is , to refuse to obey , to resolve not to obey , in jer. . . god threatens them that in the day of their calamity he would shew them his back too ; as when a traytor is petitioning to his prince , so long as the prince is but willing to parly with him , and reade his petition , there is hope , but if the prince turns his back and will not look upon his petition , there 's no hope then : so there is hope of people that we may bring them to obedience so long as they will hearken to the word , but if once they turn their backs , then there 's little hope ; so when god turns his back upon sinners there 's little hope then . remember you that turn your back upon calls to obedience , oh! remember that scripture in jer. . . that god threatens in the day of your calamity he will turn his back to you . now this wickedness men do not grow to on a sudden ; at first they are loth to be convinced that such a thing is a truth , but at length when the evidence of truth comes cleer they in a desperate way turn their backs upon it and resolve not to hearken to it : a famous instance you have of this in jer. at first they said that jeremiah did not speak the word of the lord , but afterward , as for the word of the lord that thou hast spoken , we will not hear . fifhly , it is yet a higher wickedness to have our corruptions irritated by the word and provoked . as they call'd , so they went away . when mens hearts grow as lime , that the showers of the word shall inflame them , this is a sad condition indeed ; when the more cleer evidence they have of the word , the more desperate wicked they grow . we find it so in some places , when the word comes with the greatest power , this is all the effect it hath upon the hearts of men , to make them the more desperate wicked . you wonder sometimes that where the word is preached with power men should grow more wicked ; wonder not at it , for where the word doth not convert sinners , it doth harden them . sixtly , from the extream perverseness and stubornness of the jews we may learn this lesson , that gods free grace is very great and very strong ; the lord was merciful to his people that were thus stuborn and stout , but the more they were call'd to obedience the more wicked they grew , and yet gods mercy continued towards them for a long time together , and indeed in that god should set his heart and love upon such a people as this , it is one of the greatest helps against despair almost as any we know , do but look into the book of god , and reade of the people of the jews what wretched , froward , perverse , stuborn , stout-hearted people they were , and yet that god of all the people of the earth should chuse them to be his peculier people ; oh! the free grace of god! there 's nothing that god hath in his design more than to honor free grace . i confess i had thought to have spent some time in shewing to you the extream stubornness of the people of the jews , and all to this end to magnifie the free grace of god towards such an unworthy people ; you find that god doth so himself when he speaks of his mercy to that people , he doth give them this notice , that he would have them to know , that what he did for them was not for their own righteousness , in deut. . . vnderstand therefore that the lord thy god giveth thee not this good i and to possess it for thy righteousness ; for thou art a stiff-necked people ; as if god should say , i might magnifie free grace , whereas i might have chosen some other people that might have been more yeeldable to my hand , i chose you , that it might appear that all that i did was out of free grace . in psal . . . be not stuborn as your forefathers were ; they are called stout-hearted , stiff necked , strong , they seem to be of strong spirits , but it is strong against the truth ; and though stubornness hath a kind of glory in it , yet the truth is , there is nothing but weakness in it : in ezek. . . how weak is thy heart , saith the lord , seeing thou doest all these things , the work of an imperious whorish woman ? they are said to be strong-hearted , stiff hearted , but saith the holy ghost , how weak is thy heart ? and you shall find in scripture that they are called stiff necked , and iron-●inewed , and that they walked contrary to god , and that they are perverse and crooked , and that they had hardened their hearts and made them like an adamant ; and saith stephen , you have alwaies resisted the holy ghost ; and impudent children , and rebellious children : it is very observable if you read those scriptures , presently after they came out of the land of egypt , within three daies after god had shown them such a miraculous work they fell to murmuring , nay , they did not stay so long , for it is said in psal . . they provoked the lord at the sea , even at the red sea. and in exod. . . . and in chap. . ver . . the people did chide with moses again , so reade the story of exodus , numbers , deuteronomy , judges , and the kings , and you shall find them continually rebelling , a people with an iron sinew against god , and yet for all that the lord makes choice of this people , and loves them ; oh! free grace , the free grace of god. when your children are stuborn and stout against you consider of this , you think it a grievous affliction to you , oh! but there is none in the world that are so crossed with stuborn children as god himself is . and though you should find your hearts to be very stuborn , yet for all that do not have your hearts sink with despair , for gods grace is free to overcome even stubornness , as it did here . you have a most remarkable place for that , for the overcoming of stubornness , in exod. . . let my lord i pray thee go amongst us ( for it is a stiff-necked people ) this was no argument of despair , that god should not go among them ( for it is a stiff-necked people : ) but moses makes such an argument with god , lord , they are a stiff-necked people , yet i pray thee let my lord go amongst us , and pardon our iniquity and our sin , and take us for thine heritage . [ where by the way we may note how the chaldae paraphrase renders this , viz. let the majesty of the lord go with us ; the majesty or divine presence : the hebrews call it shecinah 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they usually distinguish this from god the father , and say there is no coming before the blessed high king without shecinah . so our savior more plainly , john , . . but to return . ] god holds forth by this example that he would have none sink with despair , but be brought in by his free grace , notwithstanding their stuborn hearts that they have had against him . now as for the latter part of this second verse , of their sacrificing to baalim , and burning incense to graven images , i shall not need to speak to that , as having spoken of that heretofore . ver . . i taught ephraim also to go , taking them by their arms : but they knew not that i healed them . here we have the third degree of gods goodness towards ephraim , the fruit of his love , he call'd them out of egypt , and he call'd upon them by his prophets , and he taught them to go . god here compares himself to a nurse , or to a tender mother , or loving father , that carries along the child , and guides the hand of it , and the feet of it ; and as they are leading the children if there be any rugged foul way , the nurse or the parent takes them up in their arms , such was my dealings towards ephraim said god. in psal . . god there is said to lead them by the hand of moses and aaron , like a flock of sheep . but here he is said to lead them like a nurse , or a parent , and this expression seems to have reference unto that we have in deut. . . in the wilderness the lord thy god did bear thee as a man doth bear his son in all the way that ye went ; look as a man leads his son by his hand , and when he comes to hard way doth bear him up and take him in his arms , so did the lord thy god deal towards thee as a man to his son : for so he call'd ephraim in the former verse , his son , he loved him when he was a child ; so he is compared to to a child , and god to the parent that teaches him how to go , god taught them how to go in their way out of egypt all along in the wilderness until they came to canaan when they came first out of egypt they knew not which way to go no more than a child , and if god had left them when they were brought out of egypt , certainly they had perished in their way , the way was very full of difficulty in which they were to go and god did seem to leade them about , but the scripture saith , he led them in the right way , in psal . . . though they were fourty years in the wilderness , whereas they might have gone through within a few daies , yet still they were led in the right way , god taught them to go . from whence there are these notes of observation . first , when god calls his people out of afflictions , yet they know no more how to go , to guide themselves in their way than a little child doth . we think if we be delivered from such and such an evil we are well , but when god doth grant deliverance if he should leave us there , we should quickly spoil our selves , we should quickly turn the mercies that we have into misery if we be left but a while ; it is the pride of mens hearts that makes them venturous of them selves , hence they get many a knock and bruise ; oh! many stumble in their way and split themselves and perish because they will be going themselves and not depend upon gods hand . we find by experience now god hath brought us out of egypt here , in great measure we are called out of egypt , and we hope that god intends a canaan to us , yet what children are we ? we do not know how to step a step in our way , oh! how often have we been at a stand in our way since god hath been pleased to call us out of egypt ? we have been at a maze ; not knowing which way to take , this way or that way , oh! how often have we fallen in our way , and gone astray ? if ever people had need to have god to teach them how to go , then have we at this day ; our path is an untroden path , and there are many stumbling blocks in our way , we often stumble and fall in them ; poor children have not more need to have the hand of the parent or nurse , when they go upon the ice , in slippery waies , then we have need of the hand of god upon us to leade us in our way and to guide us . that 's the first note . secondly , the way that god leads people in many times may be a way of much difficulty ; he said , he taught ephraim to go , and led him in the way . if we enquire what that way is ? it was the way through the wilderness , yea , before they came into the wilderness , before they came at the sea , in exod. . . the egyptians pursued after them , ( all the horses and chariots of pharaoh , and his horsemen , and his army ) and overtook them , encamping by the sea , befides pi-hahiroth , before baal-zephon . pharaoh and all his host pursued them , they were in a very straight way , the sea was before them , pharaoh and all his army was behind them , and they were encamping by the sea , before pi-hahiroth , at the mouth of those mountains , that the mountains did compass them round about , and they were before baal-zephon , that is , the god of watching , the egyptians god that they made accompt was the god that did watch those that went out of their country without any leave , they came before that god that was the god for their watching those that went out of their their country , and to keep them from going out , and between the mountains , and the sea before them , and a great army behind them , and yet god taught them to go ; what a way doth god teach them to go in ? and then when they go further they must go through the sea , or no other way , god taught them to go through the sea , and when they have gone through the sea , is all the evil over ? no , they must come into the wast howling wilderness , and there be led along for fourty years together , and yet god doth reckon up his guidance of them here in this way as a fruit of his love . so long as we are in gods way , though the way be difficult , yet we have cause to bless god that we are in his way , and let not us be troubled at the difficulty of our way when we see god before us , and leading us in our way . thirdly , though we meet with difficulties in our way , yet god loves to teach his people how to go in their way ; and the more difficult their way is , the more care hath god of them to teach them how to go . we do not find such an expression of gods care of them to teach them in any other way but this of theirs , when they went first out of egypt ; because that way was the most difficult , therfore god takes upon him in a special manner to teach them in that way . be not discouraged at your difficulties , but when you are in your way , and your conscience tels you that it is not a way that you have chosen to your selves , look up to god for guidance , cry to him ; as you find in psal . . . they cryed to the lord in their trouble ; ( and then vers . . ) he led them forth in a right way . mark how these two are joyned together : they cryed to the lord in their trouble , and he led them forth in a right way . when you are in straights , cry to god in your trouble , the lord will lead you forth in a right way . when we have been in the greatest straits and have had the hardest way to go , how hath god taken us up in his arms ! through gods mercy , though we be very weak ; yet we are gone on a great way even from egypt , from our spiritual egypt and bondage . it is unthankfulness in people , to say , we are in as bad a condition as ever we were . vvhat god may bring us to through the unthankfulness of men we know not , but certainly through gods mercy we have been led along a great way in our journey , god hath taught us to go ; it hath not been the wisdom nor providence of men that hath carried us on in our way so far as we have been , no , we have found apparantly we are not much beholden to the wisdom of men for that way that we have been carried on in , but 't is god that hath come in in our straits , we see by what hath fallen out , how we should have perished in our way , we should have returned into egypt ; how often have we been ready to think , would things were with us as heretofore they have been : oh! this hath been the peevishness of our spirits , to be thinking of turning into egypt : as it was with this people , though god was with them in their way , yet often they thought of returning back again . we have been ready to be thinking of by-waies for our selves , and every one to be shifting his own way , and what cross paths have we walked in , first one way , and then another way , undoing what we have done ? first engaging men , and then discouraging the same men that we have encoraged ; though they have continued the same , yet our spirits have not continued the same towards them . vve may apply that that you have in jer. . . which is spoken in reference to their way , coming out of their captivity ; how long wilt thou go about , o thou backsliding daughter ? it may be well applied to england at this day ; oh! how long wil we go about ? that is , shifting this way and that , and not daring to trust god in his way ; we are afraid that if we should go on in the right path that god guids us in , that we should miscarry , and therefore we go about , and that 's the reason it is so long before we have our deliverance , because we go about , and do not follow gods guidance in our way . there 's an excellent promise that god makes to his people in jer. . . in reference to the guiding of them in their way from their captivity ; they shal come with weeping , and with supplications wil i lead them : i will cause them to walk by the rivers of waters , in a straight way wherein they shall not stumble : for i am a father to israel , aud ephraim is my first born . this is a scripture very sutable to that scripture we are now opening . it 's a fruit of fatherly love to guide us in a straight way , and keep us from stumbling . but mark how this shall be done : they shall come with weeping , and with supplications will i lead them . there must be weeping and supplication to cry to god for guidance in our way : as a poor child if it be left a little by the mother or nurse , it stands crying to be guided in its way ; and this should be our care in all our straights , not to fly upon this instrument , or the other , but to cry to god to guide us in our way . we may apply this to gods guidance of the soul from spiritual egypt ; when god brings the soul out of the spiritual bondage he guides it in the way to heavenly canaan : you whom the lord are bringing out of your spiritual bondage , look up to god to teach you how to go : why ? for your way is a hard way , it is a straight way , it is a narrow way that you are going now , it hath many stumbling blocks in it , it hath many by-paths near it , that are very like to it ; your way is a very slippery way , and you had need be taught how to go ; you may slip and fall and break your selves quickly if you be not taught how to go ; you that are yong beginners in the way of religion be not too confident in your own understanding , and your own strength : many poor children for want of the care of their nurses have gotten such fals when they were children that have lam'd them and made them go crooked all their daies ; and so it hath been with yong professors of religion , many yong ones in the profession of religion , because they have been too bold and confident in their own understanding , the lord hath left them to such fals that they prove but crooked all the daies of their profession , but though they do go on in a way of profession of religion , they are but maim'd professors , crooked professors , because of the falls that they have gotten when they were yong ones : and truly we have very great cause to fear that who lives but a few years , to see those that are yong professors of religion now live to be something old , i say , we have cause to fear that those that live to see it , will see a great many maim'd and crooked professors of religion , for there are a many yong ones in these slippery times gets fals that venture so much upon the ice , upon doubtful things that they understand not , which get such falls and bruises that are like to stick upon them as long as they live . some of you it may be may remember when you were children you would use to venture upon the ice , and be sliding , and you got such bruises then that now you feel them ; oh! let yong ones take heed of venturing upon doubtful things , let them look up to god to make their way plain before them , and not lean to their own understandings lest they have falls ( i say ) by which they get bruises that they may feel another day . and further : seeing god makes it to be a fruit of his love to teach them how to go , when you see others slip and stumble in in the way of profession of religion and spoil themselves , oh bless god then for his mercy towards you , that he helps and teaches you in your way : as when a man is riding upon the road in winter time , it may be he sees some before him whose horses get into holes and stumble , and it may be the man breaks his leg or shoulder before him , if it proves not to be deadly to him ; now if you should see a man falling and breaking his leg or arms , falling down with his horse in such dangerous waies as there is in many places , would you not have cause to bless god that you are delivered from that , that god hath preserved your limbs ? thus when you see professors falling in the way of profession of religion , oh! bless god that he teaches you in your way , that he guides you . to women that are weak in waies that are slipery you will take hold of their hands to guide them ; and so god doth to you , know the whol course of your way from spiritual egypt to spiritual canaan , it is ice and rugged al the way , that god is fain to take you by the hand , and oh! the goodness of god to condescend thus to his poor creatures , to compare himself to a nurse , oh! how often would we run into harms way ( as we use to say ) if god did not lead us ? and further , take heed you who are weak and have need of teaching , that you be not wayward and wanton ; that you be not foolish and unruly ; and that you do not wilfully run into rugged and slippery waies : god indeed is as a nurse to teach you how to go , yea , but be not you as wayward and froward children that sometimes tire their nurses ; it 's more difficult to teach some children than others how to go , they are so froward and wilful that they will go their own way , if the eye of their nurse be but from them never so little they will go their own way ; oh! take heed you be not among those froward wilful children that will be going their own way . again further , i taught ephraim to go . gods ministers and all of us should labor to follow god in this way of his , that is , to have a tender care of others ; we should be like our father : god takes a delight in teaching weak opes how to go , and in guiding of them in their way . truly we that profess our selves to be gods children , we should imitate our father , and especially gods ministers , they should take a delight to help weak ones on in their way , and to carry weak ones in their very arms ; that which god is said here to do , moses in another scripture is said to do , as in numb . . . have i conceived all this people ? have i begotten them , that thou shouldest say unto me , carry them in thy bosom , ( as a nursing father beareth a sucking child ) unto the land which thou swearest unto their fathers ? it seems moses , though he thought it to be very hard to bear so many people in his arms ( as it were ) yet god gave that commission to him , and he did it according as he was able , he did carry the people as a nurse , or a father or mother carrieth the sucking child in their bosom . yea , and though gods ministers meet with those that are very froward , yet they must not be discouraged ; we are as froward in reference unto god , as any can be in reference unto us , and therefore you must consider you that are ministers , when you meet with yong professors , and others that are beginning in the waies of godliness , and you find them untoward and peevish many times , do not cast them off because of that ; if god should have cast off you because of that , what would have become of you ? no , instruct them with meekness , even instruct them with meekness that oppose themselves ; though they kick and spurn , yet instruct them with meekness though they oppose themselves , and in thess . . . we have a notable pattern of a minister there how he should carry himself in this respect ; but we were gentle among you , even as a nurse cherishes her children . thus ministers should be of gentle spirits , and know that god doth put them in place to teach children how to go in their way ; and therefore we find it in tit. . . that they must not be soon angry , ministers must not be of angry dispositions ; you would be loth to put your children to froward nurses , their very milk would some way favour of them , and your children may get a great deal of hurt by nurses that are pettish and froward ; it is a special qualification and necessarily required in a nurse , that she be of a gentle and patient disposition : now gods ministers are compared to nurses , and do not think the comparison too mean , for god himself is compared to a nurse , when he saith he taught ephraim how to go . and then lastly , seeing the tender care of god , like a parent or a nurse towards the child , is made an engagement to their duty , and an aggravation of their sin , because they were not what they ought to be . as if the prophet should have said , oh! therefore you should have served and loved the lord that was so gracious to you as to teach you , but you have not done so , and therefore your sin is greater . from whence the note is , that the love and tender care of parents and nurses in bringing up children , and enduring much trouble with them , is a great judgment to children when they grow up to requite with duty and due respect their parents and nurses ; and if they do not it's a great aggravation of their evil . you that are grown up from children , remember the care , remember the sorrow , remember the trouble of your bringing up , and be ashamed of your undutifulness ; how is it that you have all your limbs , but from the care of your parents and nurses ? you are to bless god for your parents care , and the care of those to whom you were committed when you were children , and know that you owe due respect unto them for it . he is an apostate to the great law of nature who violates charities due unto parents and nurses . i remember i have read of the pisidians , a certain heathen people , that when they were a feasting at any time , the first fruit of all their feast they would offer to their parents , as thinking it unseemly for them to rejoyce in the use of the creature without shewing due honor to their parents from whom they had their being and education ; heathens have ever condemned undutifulness in children to be unnatural and liable to punishment , and they have punished undutifulness ; and the law of god ( we know ) doth punish a stuborn child with death . but they knew not that i healed them . many times children , though there be a great care to teach them how to go , yet they will venture themselves , and by their venturousness and wantoness they get many a knock and bruise . so it was with this people , indeed my care was towards them , but they would go their own way , and they often bruised themselves . well , did god therefore reject them and say , it is through your own fault that you have gotten these bruises and maims . no , i healed them saith god. though he were never so froward , and he got by that many bruises , yet my pity was so great that i healed those very bruises and maims that he got by his wilfulness . though in the reading of this we may pass it easily by , yet it is as notable a scripture as most we have in the book of god. what 's the reason our consciences do so misgive us , and that we are so afraid that the lord will leave us to our selves ? when our consciences accuse us of this , oh! we may thank our selves for it , the lord shewed us another way , but we through our sinfulness , and frowardness would go in our own way , can we think that the lord should have care of us in our sores that we got our selves by our wilfulness ? yes , ( saith god ) such was my compassion towards ephraim , that i taught him how to go , and yet they got bruises , but i healed them afterwards . that 's the note from it , god will not cast off his children though they get hurt ; yea , though they get hurt by their own sin , yet the lord is so gracious as to heal thm . you have a notable scripture for this , in isa . . , . for the iniquity of his covetousness was i wrath , and smote him : i hid me and was wrath , and he went on frowardly in the way of his heart . he went on frowardly when i smote him ; what then ? in the . verse , i have seen his waies . one would have thought that should have followed , i have seen his waies , and i 'le smite him , and plague him , and make him to know what it is to deal so frowardly and perversely with me , but , behold the goodness of the lord ! gods waies are not the waies of men , his thoughts are not our thoughts , for he saith , i have seen his waies , and will heal him , and restore comforts to him ; i will not say , i will never leade him more , because he would not regard my teaching but goes his own waies and gets many bruises ; no , i have seen his waies and will heal him , and lead him notwithstanding . oh! be not discouraged when you have gone out of gods way , but be troubled and ashamed , make use of this promise , the lord sees the frowardness of his people , and yet will heal them , and lead them , and restore comfort to them . and my brethren , thus hath the lord dealt graciously with us in our inconsiderate , foolish , sinful courses , how often we in this land have been brought low by our inconsiderate , foolish waies , we have been sore wounded , we have been in danger to bleed to death by the falls that we have got , we have often given all for gone as it were , mens waies have been so perverse and cross as there hath been little hope of any good , that sometimes when we have met together we have even said , al is gone , we are but betraied , and therefore there is little hope of any good ; have not we oftentimes said thus ? but the lord hath come in and healed us , and that scripture in isa . . hath been made good unto us , the lord hath beheld the frowardness of our waies , and yet hath healed us , and yet hath led us . you have gone one in such and such waies saith god , and you have even undone your selves in them , and you were made but fools , and others squandered away your estates and nothing came of it ; well , you knew not what to do , i 'le leade you in waies that you do not think of , in such waies as you have the least hopes of good by , i wil lead you on in those waies and restore comfort to you . my brethren , the waies that the lord hath this last summer restored comfort to england by , were they waies that any of you did think of this time twelve month ? certainly it was never in the imaginations and thoughts of men to be brought in such waies as the lord hath lead us in , and restored comforts to us by , the lord did see that the way of the old soldery was not the way to restore comforts to england , but the lord hath led us in other waies : well , let gods healing of our bruises that we get in walking in our own waies make us thankful and careful that we run not wilfully into any such waies any more , that we be not still more ventrous , and more careless ; if we be , god may suffer us to break our bones ; for though god be patient and loving , and merciful , yet he hath times to leave men in the perversness of their waies , it may cost us dear before we are healed if god doth leave us , though god may not take away his love , to cast us wholly off , i but we may be forced to cry again and again with david , in psal , . restore to me the joy of thy salvation , that the bones which thou hast broken may rejoyce ; david would go out of his way , and he got such a fal as he broke his bones ; oh! that the bones which thou hast broken may rejoyce . when god heals us , he expects that we should take notice of his work , that we should acknowledg him . but mark what follows . but they knew not that i healed them . i healed them saith god , but they knew not that i healed them . my brethren , that 's the note from it , god doth us much good that we know not of : i say , god doth us much good that we know not of ; not only in preventing mercies in a day that we know not of , but in healing mercies , we attribute our healing to this and the other cause ; but it is god that comes in in the use of means , somtimes comes in beyond means ; though means oftentimes hath been used and no good hath been done by them , at last god by a secret and invisible blessing he comes and heals us ; we must not envie at the honor that is due to instruments ; but certainly by the healing that we have had this last summer , we have cause to look beyond all men and means ; though god hath used means , yet it is god that hath healed us , and they desire that we should attribute all the glory to god , our healing hath been such that except we even maliciously shut our eyes we cannot but know and acknowledg that god hath healed us in great measure ; oh! let not us by our pride and stoutness , our oppression , our foolishness make it appear that we do not acknowledg that god hath healed us , god stands much upon that , because it is his glory to heal his people therefore he stands much upon it to be acknowledged to be the healer of his people . for bodily healings we are ready to acknowledg those that do heal us ; what thankfulness is given to physitians when they have been instruments to heal our bodies ; before healing any body would say they would give , oh! what would they give ! al their estates that they might be healed of such a disease ; but when they are healed it may be they will neglect the physitians , but 't is those that are of base spirits : but others are very ready to acknowledg thankfulness that way to the physitians that heals their bodies : how gainful therefore is the practice of physitians that god makes use of to heal mens bodies ? i remember i have read of lewes the eleventh of france , that for his chaplins he allowed them twenty shillings a month , but for his physi●ian , one john cottiere , his allowance was ten thousand crowns a month ; four crowns would serve his chaplin and ten thousand for his physitian , that 's a gainful practice , because men are more sensible of the healing of their bodies than the healing of their souls . well , any of you who have been in great sickness and distresses of body , yea , and in distresses of soul too , and are healed , do not you now by the frolickness of your spirits and the abuse of your strength in the waies of sin , manifest that you do not know that god hath healed you , both in respect of national healing , and in respect of personal healing ; let every one make use of that of david in psal . . bless the lord , o my soul , and all that is within me bless his holy name ; and again , bless the lord o my soul , and forget not all his benefits , who forgiveth all thine iniquity , who healteh all thy diseases . oh! that we were able to joyn these two together now , who forgiveth all thine iniquity , and healeth all thy diseases . healing is a mercy indeed , but then 't is a mercy to purpose when it is a fruit of forgiveness , when we can make good the former ; who forgiveth thine iniquitie , and healeth thy diseases , when we can say our healing is a fruit of our forgiveness ; god hath in great measure healed the land and nation , oh that we could say that he had forgiven us ! our healing without our forgiveness will be to little purpose , and therefore in the times of our greatest wounds we should cry for forgiveness in the first place , and not be satisfied with anie healing without forgiveness of our sins . and so particularlie , god hath healed some of your diseases in body , it may be your families have had the plague , or some other disease , pox , or measels , why the lord hath been pleased to heal you , you were in a sad condition then , and the lord hath healed your families , yea , but can you put both together , bless the lord who hath forgiven the iniquitie of my familie , and healed the diseases of my familie ? and so for your own particulars , do not satisfie your selves with this , that you have your healths restored you , except you can bless the lord who hath forgiven mine iniquity , and healed my diseases ; when thou findest the one , that thou art healed , be not satisfied except by faith thou canst see the other , that thou art likewise forgiven all thine iniquities . and thus much for the third verse . vers . . i drew them with cords of a man , with bonds of love . this verse is a great verse , and it will be very hard to pass over this in an expository way only . i drew them with cords of a man , with bonds of love . here 's a fourth or fifth expression of gods love , ; for there was two in the former verse , taught them to go , and healed them . now here 's the fifth , i drew them with cords of a man , with bonds of love . god still aggravates his mercy that they might see their sin . as there 's no such way to be kindly humbled for sin , as to see it against much mercy . i drew them with cords of a man. some would carry this as if it were a proper name , with the cords of adam , for so the word is , for the word adam , signifies a man of red earth . but it 's rather to be taken appellatively , with the cords of a man , that is , i did not deal with them like beasts , which must be drawn or put on with violence , my way was not thus with them , to draw them and to have iron chains about them , or strong cords to force them on in their way , no saith he , i dealt with them like men , i drew them on with the cords of a man. it doth note these three things : first , i dealt with them in a rational way , as men , not as beasts , and sought to draw them in that way , as men . secondly , i dealt with them in a gentle way , not with rigor and violence , but as a man , for they were humane , so my waies were waies sutable to their humanity : as the scripture sometimes speaks of the rods of men , i 'le chastise them with the rods of men , by which some think is meant , ( that is ) more gentle , i dealt with them gently . and then thirdly , with the cords of a man , that is , i dealt with them in such waies as were honorable to them , as were sutable to that respect that is due to a man. i considered that they were men made at first according to my image , and they were the most excellent creatures that i had upon the earth here , and therefore i dealt with them in a way sutable to their nature , to preserve the honor of their humane nature , rationally , gently , honorably . first , consider how rationally god dealt with this people . first , the law that i gave to them it was according to the principles of right reason , there was nothing in my law but was sutable to the very principles of right reason , in deut. . saith he , the nations shal hear al these statutes , and say , surely this great nation is a wise and understanding people , ( why ? ) in the verse , what nation is there so great , that hath statutes and judgments so righteous , as all this law which i set before you this day ? mark , all the nations that are about you shall say , what nation is there so wise , that hath statutes and judgments like this nation ? surely then my law it had abundance of reason in it , it had the reason that might convince not only you , but all the nations about you ; i drew you with the cords of a man , in a rational way . secondly , god strengthened it with many arguments , which is some way beyond the manner of men ; if the lord had but only given out his law , and left men to find out the meaning , it had been enough ; yea , but the lord drew them with the cords of a man , that is , added to his law many arguments and reasons to shew the equitie of the law that he had given to them : now men think it enough if they give out a law , you do not use to have the proof of the law and the reason of it ; yea , but saith god , i drew them with the cords of a man , i gave them a law that had reason in it , and explain'd that ; as if we should go no further than the very moral law , see how god begins , i am jehovah thy god , that brought thee out of the land of egypt , every word a reason to back the law. i am jehovah , therefore obey . i am thy god , therefore obey . i am thy god that brought thee out of the land of egypt , therefore obey . so you shall see how the lord doth argue his law by the strength of reason . yea , not only reason , but many perswasions and motives , and exhortations , as man deals with man , if you reade the , , and . chapters of deuteronomy , you shall find all those , with motives , and perswasions , besides reasons , to draw them on to obedience , now motives and perswasions are the cords of a man , to draw man as a rational creature . fourthly , if there were any objections that they had , i answered al their objections . do not you find when you come to hear the word , that the word meets with every secret objection , you can have no secret objection against any thing that god requires but at some time or other the word meets with it . fiftly , yea , i called them to reason with me , therefore i dealt with them like rational creatures , as in isa . . . come , let us reason together , saith god ; see how god deals with people after the manner of men : as now , if you should fall out with a neighbor , and it may be your neighbor is froward and humorous , but now , you are able to overcome your own passion , and you go to him and say , i pray thee let us reason the case together , and if it be yours , take it ; now you deal with him like a man. so god , why saith he , let us reason the case together , be not carried on with humor and passion , but let us come and fairly reason the case one with another . further , sixtly , god earnestly desires that they would but consider of things , in deut. . . oh that they were wise , that they understood this , that they would consider their latter end . now when you have to deal with them that are humorous , if you by the strength of reason have power over your own passion you would be ready to express your selves thus , oh that i could but find such a man in a way of reason , that he were but wise , that he would but weigh things ! thus god saith concerning his people , oh that they were wise and considered , and understood things ! seventhly , god pleads with them after the manner of men , in jer. . . i will plead with thee , because thou saiest , i have not sinned ; thou art righteous in thine own thoughts . come , i will plead with thee , and convince thee saith god. as now , if one wrongs you , and they will not acknowledg that they have wronged you , perhaps some are of turbulent spirits and they will make them know that they have wronged them by casting them into prison , and by law ; but god he doth not do so , but he pleads the case with them . and then in the last place , the lord will appeal to their own consciences whether they have dealt well with him , yea , or no ; he will make them to be the judges ; in isa . . . remember this , and shew your selves men : bring it again to mind , o ye transgressors : do not be led on like beasts in your passion and humor , shew your selves but men , and do but remember , and think of it , i will leave it to you to judg , and so , judg between me and my vinyard ; and then again , are not my waies equal , and your waies unequal ? now all these expressions are to shew how god did draw them with the cords of a man in a rational way . secondly , in a gentle way : as if god should say , i have not driven them on with rigor , but i have dealt gently with them like men : indeed if so be that one should be alwaies striking a youth , or servant , or man , you would be ready to say , you are not medling with a beast , or a dog , but with a man ; saith god , i remembred i have to deal with a man , and therefore i dealt in a gentle way . there are these six or seven particulars , how god expresses his dealing with them in a gentle way . as first , i have suted my self to their verie dispositions , this is now to deal in a gentle way ; as a schoolmaster he looks upon his scholers not as a company of beasts , but as the children of men , and therefore he considers their dispositions and tempers , and he sutes himself with their temper , ( if he be a wise schoolmaster ) and will draw them on with such waies and cords as are sutable to humane nature . so i do saith god. secondly , i have observed when they were in the best temper , and have sought to work upon them then , i have observed what their dispositions are ; but now though men and women are of such and such dispositions , yet alwaies their good humor doth not work . if you that are wives will deal with your husbands like men , observe when they are in a good temper , and then deal with them and seek to draw them ; god doth so ; i observed when they were in the best temper of all , and then i came upon them with the most strength , to draw them at such a time rather than another . thirdly , i gave them time to consider ; though they were never so untoward , yet i did not come instantly upon them with blows , but i gave them time to consider , to bethink themselves : many scriptures we might shew for either of these : you do not give beasts time to consider . now when you fly upon others presently without giving them time to consider , you deal not with them like men but beasts . fourthly , i have hired them to obedience by my gifts ; i do not only in an imperious way command them to obey , or else look to it at your peril , but i have come and hired them to the waies of obedience , and gave them gifts to draw them , and so i dealt with them like men . fifthly , i have had consideration when they did not obey , whether it were through weakness or wilfulness , when they were disobedient , i did not make it all one whether they disobeyd through weakness , or wilfulness , and so i dealt with them accordingly . and then sixtly , in all afflictions that was brought upon them , i considered that they were but men of weak natures , and could not bear much ; i did not lay on as if i were laying on upon an ox , or such a creature that had so much strength to bear , but i considered they were men , and i laid on my strokes gently considering that they had tender natures : as you know the prophet speaks in isa . . . i will not contend for ever , lest the spirit that i have made should fail before me . the lord looks upon the weaknesses of his people , and therefore will not contend , lest their spirits should fail before him . seventhly , in their afflictions , i was sensible of their afflictions as well as themselves ; so you know what the lord saith , in all their afflictions i was afflicted , i was sensible : so as a tender father , or wise master , if he doth strike the child or servant , the very blows in a manner will be as sensible to him as to them : but it is not so with you when you strike a beast . so saith god , i did not afflict them , but it went to my very heart , and i was afflicted as well as they . thirdly , i drew them with the cords of a man ; that is , in an honorable way , so as that honor and respect that was any way due to such a creature , or that was sutable to such a creature it was preserved . first , my instructions was ever more than my blows , i never struck more blows than i gave them instructions , if i struck them one blow , i gave them twentie , fourtie instructions to one blow . when you have children or servants , and perhaps you will give them fourty blows to one instruction , you deal with them not like men , but like beasts . that 's the first . it 's a dishonor to mankind , for any superior to give more blows than instructions , but i dealt with them like men , sutable to that respect that is in a kind due to humane nature . secondly , whatsoever spark of ingenuity remained in them , i took care to preserve it ; that 's the second thing ; if there were but a spark of ingenuitie in any of them i took great care to preserve that ingenuitie , and not to quench that spark in all my dealings towards them . thirdly , i aim'd at their good as well as mine own , as well as my glory ; there 's many scriptures that way ; you do not do so when you strike beasts , you do not consider of the good of the beast , but at the benefit that you should have , that he may further your work . but now when you come to strike men you must look at their good as well as at your own good ; there 's no parent must strike the child , but must look at the benefit of the child rather than to satisfie his humor . when you strike meerly for your own advantage without aiming at the good of those you strike , you deal not with them like men , but like beasts . fourthly , i did never any thing towards them but so as they might have hope still preserved in them of being reconciled to me upon their coming in , though they deserved never so much , and i seemed to come against them the most harshly , yet i never so came against them but there was hope preserved , that at any time of their coming in and repenting i would be reconciled to them ; this is to deal with them like men , when you deal with any that offend you ( parents or governors ) never be so harsh , but though they be very evil , there must be preserved som hope that upon their coming in they be reconciled to you . fiftly , i was careful to maintain their honor as my people , ( that is ) in all my dealings with them , though they were hard somtimes to flesh and blood , yet i put a difference between them and other people ; other people were to me in comparison but as dogs ( as it were ) but these as men , and as free men , in jer. . . is israel a servant ? is he a home born slave ? why is he spoiled ? what , israel a servant , a home-born slave ! no , he must be look'd upon as a free man. so in isa . . . hath he smitten him , as he smot those that smit him ? no , i look upon them with some different respect , and as men , and as free-men , and deal with them so . sixtly , whensoever they began to return , i met them half way ; i did not stand it out to the uttermost to discourage their hearts , but i met them half way in all their returnings . and did not god deal honorably with them ? indeed if you would deal in a contemptuous way with another that hath offended , you will say , let them wait ; yea , but if we will deal with another in an honorable way , if we see him but in coming a far off , we will run and meet him , as the father of the prodigal did ; so saith god , i did not deal with them in a contemptuous way , but i drew them with the cords of a man , and in an honorable way i dealt with them . thus you have this expression opened , i drew them with the cords of a man. now there are divers observations from hence : the first is , that the waies of god are very rational , so that they may draw any man of understanding to love them : if mans nature were not degenerated , were it that we did but stand right in regard of our principle of reason , it were impossible but the waies of god should draw us , at least to an outward obedience to them ; there 's no reason in your waies , but there 's reason in gods waies , and therfore if you had but the hearts of men , though you had not the hearts of saints , yet to approve of gods waies , at least : and for an outward conformity to them you might be drawn ; if men were not besotted with their lusts , certainly they would never be so confident in their sinful waies as they are , if men did but bethink themselves of the way of god. saith solomon , when thy people are carried away captive , and shall bethink themselves : there is so much reason in gods waies , that if one did but bethink himself : saith david , i considered my waies , and turned my feet unto thy testimonies . oh! it 's a great mercy to have a considering heart ; and it 's a great judgment of god to leave men and women to a slight and vain spirit , not to weigh and ponder things ; most people are led on in a continued hurry of passion , like to the horse in the battel , and no man saith , what have i done ? oh! couldest thou but have so much power over thy passion , and the violence of thy lusts , as to get alone and weigh gods waies , surely thou couldest not but be convinc'd that the waies of god are better than thy waies , they are so rational . the second observation is this : the way to prevail with men , it is to deal with them in a rational way ; the way that i took with this people to prevail with them , it was , to draw them with the cords of men : certainly the way that god takes to prevail with people is the best way . therfore those men that would prevail with any people to bring them to any thing that they desire , t is to deal with them in a rational way , and so seek to prevail with them ; the spirit of god doth so , in joh. . . and when he is come , he will reprove the world of sin : it is , shall come with demonstration , for so the word logically signifies ; it 's a word that signifies to convince in a way of demonstration that one cannot deny possibly , and so the apostle saith , we came in the demonstration of the spirit and of power . mark ; demonstration of the spirit , so it came to be in power ; and it concerns ministers more especially . if you that are ministers would speak powerfully to people , speak in demonstration , the demonstration of the spirit indeed it must be , there is a spiritual reason in the scripture ; ministers must not think to scare men into the waies of godliness , though i know some times god makes use of the bare terrors of the law ; but the main thing whereby ministers must have hope to do good to their people must be by preaching convincingly , to overcome their very reason as much as possibly can be , and to set the law of god so before them as if they will but judg between god and their own souls , they shall condemn themselves , and approve of god. that ministry is like to be the best soul-saving ministry , that meets with every objection of their hearts , and at every turn the secrets of their hearts comes to be opened ; oh! remember you preach to men and therefore you make use of that reason that you find in scripture : i know reason alone will never do it ; i , but god when he works to the salvation of souls , he works upon them after the manner of men , and therefore the ministers of god that are co-workers with god , they should work in such a sutable way . and not only ministers , but majestrates too , they must labor to draw them with the cords of men also , that is , not by violence , in thing , that men cannot be convinc'd of , to think to force them in a way of violence , ( i say ) in things that they cannot be convinc'd of , in such things as they are not wilfully ignorant of , they must not make prisons and fines to be arguments , these are not the cords of men ; indeed in things that have the light of common equitie and justice , as civil things that carry in the very face of them a light of common equitie and justice , there majestrates need not stay for any further convincement , and there ( i say ) they need go no further , but they may deal with them in a violent way if they break those ; but in all things that are of a more dubious nature , and that are from connexions , and consequences , and more difficult to be understood , and that are controversal even among godly men , and wise men , there they must look to it , and people must have waies of instruction first , and to be informed first , and likewise if they do not oppose them in a wilful way , but if they see that they do desire to understand what they are able and cannot , they must not think to go on in a way of violence there , that is not to deal with men like men in that thing , to force them unto such waies that they do not see reason for , and let them labor to the uttermost they can , they are not able to understand , then certainly there must be forbearance in such things ; and especially the rather , because that christ hath given us charge , not to yeeld to any thing in matter of religion till we do understand the rule of it ; whatsoever is not of faith , is sin ; when chist gives that charge , that we must not yeeld to it because such and such men do so , till we do examine it and be able to understand the rule ; now then surely the uttermost that the power of violence and force can do is this , to make men examin things , but no further . and so for you that have any under you , your servants and children , instruct them , shew them the evil of their waies , do not fly upon them with your rage and passion , but deal with them like men in way of instruction . the third note is this , it 's a great aggravation of mens sin , not to be drawn by these cords of men ; for a man to stand out against reason is a great aggravation : so men stand out against many waies of god , and yet their consciences fly in their faces and condemn them . oh! thou art a wretch , that though the lord hath sought to draw thee with the cords of a man , with reason , and hath convinc'd thee , he hath gotten the cords into thy conscience , and god pulls , and thou pullest , and wilt not be drawn with those cords , oh! this is a wickedness for men to go on in waies that their own consciences do condemn them in ▪ some vain reasonings can draw men to sin as a cart-rope , that 's the meaning of that place , they draw iniquity as it were with a cart rope ; that is , their vain reasnings that they have for their sin twisted together make a strong cart-rope to draw iniquity ; oh! shall not gods cords be as strong as the devils cords , or mans cords ? manie there are , though god seems to draw them with these cords of a man , yet their lusts are so strong like pamperd horses in a team , they will break the cart-ropes , break all their harness to peeces ; and so do manie unruly spirits even say like those in psal . . let us break his bonds , and cast away his cords from us . well , thou shalt one day be held by the cords of thine own sin ( as the scripture speaks ) and thy conscience shall lash thee with those cords of conviction that did not draw thee : shall not the cords of conviction draw thee from thy sin ? they shall serve to be as whips to lash thy soul even to all eternity ; know that the rules of right-reason , and scripture-reason shall stand when thou , and thousands of such wilful fools as thou art shall perish eternally . and these are the notes for gods dealing in a rational way . and then the second was , in a gentle way . first , mans nature , ( if it be not degenerated ) is of a loving , gentle disposition , 't is the nature of man to be of a gentle disposition , that 's the note from hence , and i raise it thus : i dealt with them , with the cords of a man : that is , gently , which is mans nature , such a gentleness as fair means will work upon it rather than ridged waies , and hence in ordinarie speech , kindness is called humanity , let men have some humanity in them , that is , let them be courteous ; to be courteous , and to shew humanity we use for al one ; so that the nature of men , though it be fallen , yet if it be not twice dead , and overcome by its corruptions exceedingly . there is an humanity , an ingenuity in the very nature of man naturally . oh! you that profess religion , labor you to be eminent in this ; in courteousness , in gentleness , in humanity , know , that grace though it doth elevate above humanity , to christianity , yet it doth not take away humanity . no , it raises it higher ; and therefore seeing there is something left in mans nature of gentleness , and fairness , surely those that have grace , and have a principle to curb corruption , they should have much gentleness , and fairness with them . secondly , seeing that these are the cords of men [ gentleness ] we should use them to draw those on to goodness that we do desire . ministers , parents , governors , neighbors , observe the dispositions of those you have to deal with , sure your selves to them , labor to gain their hearts that way if possibly you can , that they may have good thoughts of the waies of godliness , do not put them on by bitterness and sowrness . did not god gain upon your hearts in a gentle way ? however , if god did come in a harsh way to your apprehensions at first , yet know , there is no such distance between you and your neighbors , those that are under you , your children , or servants , as there is between god and you ; therefore it is for you to deal with your fellow creatures in a gentle , fair way . if a hunter would get his game , he doth not make a houting and noise , but he goeth gently without any noise : and so it is not through violence , noise , and horror ; if you would get people but in a gentle way , hire children and servants to that which is good . learn that way you that are of harsh tempers , to entice your children and your servants to good : you do nothing but threaten them to good , and say , if you wil not do thus and thus i 'le deal with you thus and thus , by way of threatning : oh! try what an enticing way will do ; do not you so domineer over others as to think that it is for you to satisfie your wills upon them , but labor to sute your selves to them . and never chastife children nor servants but with greef , and put a difference between weakness and wilfulness in your children and servants , and let your hand be heavie upon them only upon meer necessity , when all other means are tried , never but then let your hand be heavie upon them : thus you should do with those under you , as god deals with his people , with the cords of a man , gently . thirdly , from hence it is a great aggravation of sin , that we stand out against gentle means , the fair glosses of temptation they take our hearts . as now , if you can bring gifts to a man you can quickly blind his eyes : we have found these cords of men , we have found that mans nature loves gifts , and those in the place of justice if they have bribes and gifts brought them ; oh! those are the cords of men , those are sutable to their natures indeed . now god doth thus ( as i may so speak ) bring gifts , but if god shall not prevail with his gifts , this will be a great aggravation of your sin . and then the third and last is , the honorable respect that is shewed unto men . the observations are these . first , in your dealings with children and servants , remember you have not to deal with beasts , that is , alwaies preserve their esteem . it is a rule that will be very helpfull to those that have yong ones to bring up , though the fault be great , yet put them not to so much shame before others as they should have no esteem or honor to lose , they will grow desperate them ; and so long as there is that bridle you may keep them from much evil . and this is the reason that your goal-birds never com to any good almost ; why ? because they have no honor to lose , all is gone already and therefore they grow desperate ; and there 's nothing more sutable to a mans nature to be kept from evil , than the loss of respect , and the loss of honor ; and therefore the very doom of the damned at the day of judgment it is exprest , that they shall rise to shame and confusion of face ; to shame , that 's as much against humane nature as any thing : and therefore you that have to deal with men , take heed how you deal , alwaies keep such a hand over them as those that are under you may see that there is some honor that they have yet to lose , do not deprive your selves of such a means to bridle your children or servants : some of you have for your servants of good birth in this citie , divers have children of very good birth , and very good education , that had very good breeding , use them accordingly , draw them them with the cords of men , and draw them with the cords of men of such education , and of such birth : if you be of meaner birth and education , and had hard breeding , and were drawn by iron cords , do not you think to deal thus with others that had better breeding than your selves , but deal with them fairly , consider of what breeding and education they had , and so deal with them according to that respect that is due to such of such a qualitie . and then secondly , how will the shame and confusion of men be aggravated hereafter , which did disregard gods using of them in an honorable way ? this is the way to bring shame and confusion upon you for ever , so as hereafter men and angels shall say , and so your conscience shall say : just it is with god to punish me with eternal shame and confusion , why ? for god had respect to me when i lived , and god dealt with me in an honorable way , and did seek to draw me with the cords of a man , and it 's just with god that now he should give me my portion among devils and reprobates , and that he should no more regard me as a creature but rather hate and abhor me as a devil , for i would not regard his dealing with me as a man : this will justifie god in that wrath that will be upon you another day . and from all together observe , not to be drawn to our duty but by violence and strength , it is beastial : bruit beasts can roar and cry out when the pain is upon them : and so it is with many men , they never cry out of their sins , never fear god , never yeeld to the hand of god but only then when gods strokes are upon them , then they cry out and bellow like beasts ; well , god delivers them , but they to their lusts as formerly , and spurn against god as soon as they are delivered , make vows and covenants to god , and then sin again , and god comes upon them again , and they fall a crying out of their sin again ; well , they are raised , and the hearing of the word that never prevails with them , but in their afflictions then they will repent and cry out , oh! cry out of their companie , oh! that we had spent our time in praying , and in lamenting for our sin , that we spent in such and such company ! yea , this is when gods hand is upon you , but what do you do upon the hearing of gods word , that 's to be like a man , to be drawn by the word , and not to be mov'd only by blows , oh! thou hast a beastial heart , and brutish heart , and charge your selves with that brutish heart : i fear some of you have cause to say , that in all the course or my life my heart hath never yeelded to god , but just when blows hath been upon me . i beseech you brethren deal with god like men , god deals with you like men . ( and that might have been another note in wind●●g up all . ) i drew them with the cords of a man , and with the bonds of love. the lord deals with us sutable to our nature , oh let us deal with god as far as we are able sutable to his nature . why , doth god regard us as men ; let us regard him as god then , let us glorifie god as a god ; when the lord hath to deal with us he considers we are men , when we have to deal with god let us consider he is god , and as the lord is pleased to condescend to us as men , oh! let us labor to ascend up to him as god. with bonds of love : the word here translated bonds , it is , thick cords , not only with cords , ( as you have it before ) but with thick cords , so the word that is translated bonds signifies ; for it comes of a word that signifies to [ wreath ] and to thicken with wrea hing ; that as you see those that make cords and lines , they take their hemp and wreath one wreath , and then they take another and wreath that , and so another , and wind many wreaths together , and so make a strong cord , that 's the propriety of this word . with the bonds of love. ] that is , with such bonds as have many wreaths in them , have many things joyned together to make it to be a strong cord , a cord as strong as a cart rope : for so i find the same word is used in isa . . . where it is said , they draw iniquity with the cords of vanity , and sin as it were with a cart rope . the word that is trranslated there , cords , it is the same that is in the former part of our verse , the cords of a man ; but now the other : and sin as it were with a cart rope , that 's the same word that here you have in the text , translated the [ bonds ] of love. with a thick rope of a cart , with a rope that hath many wreaths in it ; so that though the former word in your english [ cords ] seems to have as much as the latter [ bonds ] yet according to the hebrew this latter hath more in it , and signifies such cords , as have many twisted and wreathed together ; as indeed we shall find when we come now to open the bonds of love that god did draw this people withal , we shall find many cords wreathed and twisted together to bind this people fast to god ; you have a sutable expression somewhat paralel to this in jer. . . with loving kindness have i drawn thee , saith god. i have drawn them with the bonds of love ; that is thus ; i have used them in a loving way ; if love would have gained them , if love would have overcome them , if love would have bound them to me they have wanted no love saith god , whereas they had deserved the bonus of iron to be upon them ; instead of those iron bonds that their sins deserved , they have had the bonds of love . if you ask me what were those bonds of love that god drew this people of israel unto himself by ? the first was this , god did wonderfully separate this people from all the nations in the world unto himself , to be a people unto himself , and that out of love , and this was a great fruit of love , and a strong wreath this was , had there been nothing else , that god should set his heart upon this people above all other people in the earth to be his people , in exod. . . wherein ( saith moses ) shall it be known that i and thy people have found grace in thy sight , if thou goest not with us ? for thereby ( saith he ) shall ne be separated from all nations of the earth : it is in your books , only , shall be separated , but the hebrew word signifies wonderfully separated , we shall wonderfully be separated from all the nations of the earth . indeed the lord he did wonderfully separate the people from all the nations of the earth , and this was only out of love , it was not from any excellencie he saw in this people . in deut. . the lord did not chuse thee &c. but in the . verse , he did not set his love upon you , nor chuse you , because you were more in number than other people , for you were the least of all people . observe my brethren by the way , that the lord doth not alwaies stand upon number , upon the greatest ; this indeed is our argument that so many go in such a way , and so few in another way , and so surely god is most like to approve of that that the most go on in ; no , god doth not alwaies stand upon number ; saith he , i did not chuse you because you were most in number , for i knew that you were the least ; therefore it was only love that made the lord chuse this people at first , and separate them from other nations . and then the second bond of love is : i chose you , and your seed also : and this was a great mercie ; if i had but only set my heart upon your selves , it had been somwhat , but it was upon you and your seed , so as to bring you , and your seed into covenant with me . there 's two twists ( as i may so say ) in this bond of love , that he should chuse them and their seed , and bring them both into covenant , for thus you have it in deut. . . because he loved thy fathers , therfore he chose their seed after them . and in ezek. . . there the text saith , it was a time of love ; and i took you and entered into covenant with you . it was a time of love : and that made the lord to enter into covenant with this people . god shewed it was a time of love indeed , that he would take such a people as this was , and enter into covenant with them . and then the third twist : i set my heart upon them to delight in them too ; i made them my portion , my inheritance , my treasure , the deerly beloved of my soul , my glory , a royal diadem to my self ; i could shew you scripture for every one of these expressions that this people were taken by god to be his chief treasure , his peculier treasure , and his delight , deut. . . the lord thy god hath chosen thee to be a special people to himself : a special , and he gives them all those epethites . surely these are bonds of love. and then in the fourth place , if so be at any time they were in any afflictions , i pitied them , and looked upon them with the eye of mercie , and releeved them , redeemed them out of their afflictions , in isa . . . in his love and in his pity he redeemed them . and then fifthly : i set on work all my wisdom , and my power , and my mercy to do them good above all nations , working great wonders for them . now this we shall not need to mention any particular scripture for , the whol story of god , carrying of them from egypt along in the wilderness to canaan , and there providing for them is a testimony for this , so in isa . . we named before gods redeeming of them , he ads this too , and carried them all the daies of old . the lord never was so glorious in his power towards any people as towards them , the right hand of his power and excellencie was stretched out for them , in exod. . and then sixthly , by the bonds of love , i had a continual watchful eye over them , and their land , mine eye was upon their land where they dwelt for good , above all other lands that were upon the earth , in deut. . . a land ( saith the text ) which the lord thy god eareth for : the eyes of the lord thy god are alwaies upon it , from the beginning of the yeer , even to the end of the yeer . canaan was a land that god cared as little for as any place of the earth before his people came into it , a land wherein god was as much dishonored as in any place of the earth ; but now when his people came into it , now it is a land that mine eye is upon , that the lord takes care of , from the beginning of the yeer to the end of the yeer : this respect did god shew to his people . seventhly . i gave them my oracles , the revelation of my will. this was another notable fruit of the love of god to this people ; in judah was god known : his name was great in israel , in psal . . , . he shewed his word unto jacob , his statutes and his judgments unto israel . i dealt not so with any nation : and as for my judgments they have not known them , saith god. this was a notable priviledg that israel had above all other people . in rom. . what advantage hath the jew ? ( saith the scripture ) or what profit is there of circumcision ? yes , every way , the jew hath much advantage every way above al other people of the earth : why , wherein ? for unto them were committed the oracles of god other men had the book of nature , they could see gods name as it were written in the characters of the book of nature ; yea , but the special things of god , the counsels of god concerning the eternal estate of the children of men , were not then revealed : but saith he , i gave to this people my oracles , they had those counsels of mine concerning mans eternal estate revealed , i opened to them my whol heart and soul , all that i would have known to the children of men for that time i opened to them ; oh this is a bond of love indeed , to have the oracle , of god committed to a people . and then the eighth twist ( as i may so say ) in this bond of love to make it a great cable ( as it were ) to bind them unto god , was this : i set my heart so upon , as to have the messias to come from them , in whom all the nations of the earth should be blessed ; i rather chose this people than another to have my son to be born of them , to be of their stock . and then ninthly , i gave them a law , the sum of which was nothing but love : ( as i opened the last day , that the law of god had strength of reason in it , and so god drew them with the cords of a man , his law was rational . ) so i drew them with bonds of love , i gave them a law , the sum of which was nothing but love , as thus : what 's the sum of the first and second table of the law ? the sum of the first table it is , thou shalt love the lord thy god with all thy heart , and with all thy soul : and the sum of the second table is , thou shalt love thy neighbor as thy self : so that love is the sum of the whol law. and then tenthly , i have out-bid all temptations , whatsoever good , pleasure , delights , honor they could expect in following any thing else , i shewed them that they might have it , and much more in my self ; there was nothing they could have in following after any of their false worship 〈◊〉 creature they would have any good in , i made it appear that they might have as much in my self , i out bid all temptations for the encouraging of them in my waies , that is in the full course of scripture , we find the lord propounding himself to his people as a lovely object , on purpose to draw their hearts away from all other things that might seem to be lovely , that he might have the whol soul to himself . yea , and in the eleventh place , whensoever they were in any want , if they did but cry to me , i heard them . what people is there so great as this people that the lord is so nigh unto in all that they call upon him for , saith moses ? yea , and lastly , i have done so much for them , that it cannot be conceived that i should have done more . what should i have done more for my vinyard than i have done , isa . . ? let any one speak what love they could conceive could be more from a god to his people than i have shewen . so that put all these together , and you see how god did draw this people with bands of love . now this for the explication . now from hence our first note is , that , love it hath strong bonds ; strong , as strong as death , cant. . . none are so strongly bound together as friends that are bound in love. the bonds of nature are not so strong as the bonds of love. a friend is nearer than a brother saith the scripture . the bonds of love are the strongest bonds , they are a twisted bond . for first , love it is in its self a lovely thing to behold , there 's an amiableness in love to draw the eye and the heart to it : in cant. . . how fair and how pleasant art thou , o love , for delights ? how fair and how pleasant is love ? take love for the affection of love , it is fair and pleasant for delight ; and when the beloved is called by the name [ love ] it shews that love is very amiable , and very beautiful . secondly , love it hath much sweetness in it , much power to insinuate its self into the heart : as we know base love , adultrous love it hath a great deal of power to insinuate into the heart : in eccles . . . the hands of the whorish woman are called bonds : if whorish love hath such power so to insinuate and to be bonds , much more then hath true love , cracious love. thirdly , love it is generative , love hath a great generative power to beged love. augustin saith , there is no greater provocation to love , than to begin to love . * love can draw iron hearts . love , it is the loadstone of love , it will draw love , and beget love where ever it is . fourthly , where love is got into the soul it cōmands all , it commands all the faculties and understanding where love is got . look what a man loves , so accordingly his understanding will work : it a man loves his sin , his understanding will be working for his sin ; oh what subtil arguments will men have for their sin when they love it ! any way that a mans heart is engaged in love he will be very subtil to argue for it . so on the contrary , when once the lord hath taken the heart with love , this love commands the understanding , and then all reasonings are for god , and the soul it hearkens after no reasonings that are against god , or against his waies , when once the heart is taken with love. if a mans heart be taken with love to a woman , he will hear nothing against her ; but if his love be taken off from her , then every report that he hears against her he will aggravate to the uttermost he can , and will soon beleeve it . so it is , when a mans heart is taken with the things of god , and of religion , it will hear nothing against them ; but if a mans heart be off and do not love the waies of god , then they are glad if they can hear any thing that makes against them . love commands all the faculties of the soul , the understanding , and the thoughts , it commands the will , and affections , it commands the body , it commands the estate , it commands the liberties , it commands all that a man hath , or is , or can do . love hath the absolute commanding power of all , oh! love hath strong bonds . and again , love it makes every thing that is done for the beloved to be delightful ; it doth not only command to do a thing , but it makes it delightful , i will rest in my love and rejoyce over them with singing , saith god. when the heart is once taken with love , ( i say ) it doth not only do that which is good for that which it doth love , but doth it with delight . and then , love knows not any bounds , it never sets its self any bounds at all , but would do , and do , and do , and do even infinitly for that it doth love , so far as love prevails no bounds are set . yea , and when it doth much , it will not be wearie neither . so far as the soul is acted with love , it will never be wearie with what it doth . men that love their pastime all night they will sit up at it and never be tired ; so those that love the waies of god , though the flesh may be weak , yet not the spirit . and then , love it is strong , so as it stands out against all oppositions , nothing that doth oppose can prevail against love : in cant. . , . love is as strong as death , and many waters cannot quench the fire of love . and then in the next place , love , it rejoyces in suffering , not only delights in doing , but delights in suffering . if one that loves another shall suffer for him that he doth love he will rejoyce in those sufferings . and lastly , love , it suffers not its self to be its self ( as it were ) to be at his own dispose . love doth wholly give its self into the possession of him that it doth love , it is not his own no longer ; the heart that is once taken with love is no more its own , but gives its self into the possession of that that it doth love : so that put all these together , and you may see that love it hath strong bonds . i drew them with the bonds of love. and then a second note of observation is this ; let us do as god doth then ; that is , labor to cast the bonds of love upon those we have to deal with ; it 's gods way to his people to bind them to himself , to throw upon them bonds of love , and then saith god i have enough , i have them strong enough if i get them with the bonds of love. oh let us do as god doth , labor to draw people with bonds of love ; if you would draw any to you , let it be by love , do you desire to draw any to you , you that are ministers , especially you are appointed to draw others to god , it 's your work : what should you do ? open the love of god to them , present the grace of the gospel to souls , labor to work upon their hearts by all the mercies of god , by the mercy of god tendered to them , by the mercy of god received by them , bestowed upon them : there 's no such way to draw souls to god as this . repent , for the kingdom of heaven is at hand , that 's the preaching of the gospel . the first preaching of all christs sermons , and of his disciples was , repent , for the kingdom of heaven is at hand . as if he should say , oh! sirs , look about you , consider your waies , there 's a glorious kingdom now at hand , a kingdom of righteousness , and mercy wherein the glory of the grace of god comes to be revealed to the children of men in another way than ever formerly . this is the way to bring men to repentance . it 's true , it 's good to use all means , to shew the greatness and the justness , and the holiness of god , and the like ; but the prevailing argument above all to bring men to repentance it is , that the kingdom of heaven is at hand ; and indeed we would do so if we did consider that repentance it is a gospel grace , it is not that that comes by the law , the law takes no notice of repentance , but the gospel , and therefore to present the love of god as it is in the gospel , so there god manifests his love to the children of men , and that 's the way to draw to repentance ; there 's a notable story that we have in the book of martyrs , not far from the beginning , as also in the ecclesiastical history of eusebius : speaking of john the apostle that did commit a yong man which was very hopeful unto a bishop , to take care of him ; but afterwards proved to be very wicked , and got among a company of theeves , and so came to be the captain of a company of theeves and robbers , and was wholly bent to slaughter , and murder , and extream cruelty , and lived in the mountains : afterwards john comes to this bishop to whom he had committed the yong man , and bid him restore unto him the charge which he and christ had committed into his custody , then the elder looking down with a heavy countenance , sobbing and sighing , said , he is dead . john enquiring how , and what kind of death , he answered he is dead to god , for he is become the captain of a company of theeves in such a place . the apostle then rending his garments in great sorrow , said , prepare me a horse and let me have a guide , and so rode in post , being come unto the place he is taken by the theevish watch , he neither flieth nor resisteth , but saith , for this purpose came i hither ; bring me unto your captain , who being armed beheld him coming , but when he knew that it was john , he was strucken with shame , and fled away . the old man forgetful of his yeers pursueth him flying , and crieth : my son , why fliest thou from me thy father , unarmed and old ? o son ! tender my case , be not afraid , as yet there remaineth hope of salvation , i will undertake for thee with christ . and thus he runs after him crying that yet there was hope of mercie and pardon , and that he would die for him . he hearing this , first stood still , turning his countenance to the ground , next shoke off his armor , then trembled for fear and wept bitterly , so that this broke his heart and he returns back and falls a weeping upon the neck of john , and became an eminent christian afterwards . whatsoever is to be thought of this story , yet certainly there 's no such bonds as the bonds of love to draw the hearts of people unto god. have you to deal with stony hearts ? the way it is to lay them upon the soft pillow of the gospel , and so you may break them ; lay a stone upon a stone , and so it goes from you and doth not break , but if you lay it upon a pillow you may presently break it with a hammer . the word is compared to a hammer , yea , but we must labor to lay the hearts of people upon the pillow ( as it were ) of love , upon the grace of god in the gospel , and that 's the way to break their hearts ; there are none so bound to god as those that are bound to him by love , those that are bound to god by fear , that hath not love mixt withal , their bonds will not hold , they will seek quickly to break the bonds of fear ; there 's no men ( i say ) that are held to god by the bonds of fear but they will seek after any occasions to break those bonds , and if they can but get any opportunity to get themselves out of those bonds , they will , and commonly at last they do break them and get themselves out of the bonds of fear : but now those that are held by bonds of love , they are held for ever unto god. i beseech you observe this note , when men cast off the sweet of their sin , by the sweet of the love of god , then they will never return to their sin again . oh! but if it be only the bitterness of the law , of punishment , that makes them cast off sin , they will be ready to turn to their sin again , as a dog will return to the vomit , as a dog casts out the vomit meerly in regard of the pain he doth feel ; but when it is cast out by the sweet of love , when one sweet enters for another , such hold on their way . austin hath a notable expression for that in the . book of his confessions , about the beginning , speaking of a swee● of sin , thou lord ( saith he ) didest cast out those sweetnesses , and thou didest enter in thy self instead of them , who art more sweet than any pleasure whatsoever . and it was from hence that he held on so in his way , because god casting out the sweet of sin , instead of that sweet he had by sin before did himself ( i say ) enter into the soul , that was more sweet to austin's soul than all other sweetnesses whatsoever . oh! saith he afterwards , the sweet it is to want those sweetnesses , when he had the love of god come in instead of whatsoever sweetness he had before . no mervail though grace be so persevering , and we reade so much of perseverance , especially in the times of the gospel , because that there 's none truly converted unto god but they have that sweet come into their souls through love , that is more delightful to them than all the sweet they had by sin before . never be afraid , you that god is beginning to turn to himself , never be loth to part with any sweetness you had in the waies of sin , for by turning to god you shall find that sweetness in god and his waies that will be a thousand times more . oh they are things that they love and they are loth to part with them ; yea , but when you are turned to god , god will be as lovely to you as ever any thing in the world was . if the ice be but broken over night by the husbandman , he comes the next day and it is frozen up again ; but let the sun come with his warm beams , and then it runs down with flakes , then it breaks throughout many countries together , it breaks all at once by the beams of the sun : and so the beaking of the heart by the terrors of the law , it is but li● the breaking of the ice with a pole by the husbandm●● to give the cattel drink , but when the love of god co 〈…〉 to the heart , then the corruptions of the heart dissolve even as the ice dissolves when the warm sun comes upon 〈◊〉 . th 〈…〉 ay therefore to gain the hearts of men , it is by love . and we should the rather do it , because it is the great design of god in the gospel , to manifest his love to the children of men , he hath opened his heart , and the treasures of love in the gospel ; what is the gospel but the treasures of the love of god opened ? those eternal loving kindnesse , of god towards mankind they are opened in the gospel ; and no minister can be a faithful minister of the gospel , but those that shall endeavor to open the heart love of god to the children of men in jesus christ , and go to gain souls unto himself ; oh! 't is a pleasant work to be a minister of the gospel in this respect , to be alwaies searching into the treasures of love , and to make them known to souls for the gaining of them unto god. and then likewise , if you have to deal with men , you must labor to draw them with the bonds of love ; in phil. . . if there be therefore any consolation in christ , if any comfort of love , if any fellowship of the spirit , if any bowels , and mercies ; fulfil ye my joy , that ye be like minded , saith the apostle . oh! let it be through love , that you come to be like minded ; and do not think to force men into the same mind , to use bitter language and expressions to men if they differ in judgment from your selves : but if there be any love , be of the same mind , labor to get into one anothers hearts , if you would do good to one another . as a minister , if he would do good to his people , he must labor to get into their hearts , that the people may love him : therefore it hath been observed that your wrangling ministers , and bitter men , that if they be but crost in any thing they presently went their own bitterness , they never do any good at all . but those that can be willing to deny themselves , and willing to suffer for the case of the gospel , they prevail most . and so , if you would do good for any of your kindred , do what you ca 〈…〉 get into their hearts that they may love you , and so 〈◊〉 may be a means to draw them to the waies of god : 〈…〉 y love you may come to have any liberty in their hearts that you would , you may say what you will if once they be perswaded that you love them , then you may ask more liberty to reprove any thing that is evil in them , and to perswade them to any thing that is good , then they take nothing ill from you ; and therefore 't is a great disadvantage that men of sowr and bitter spirits have in obtaining their own designs ; if they once speak any thing though never so good , yet it is rejected , because that people think it is not out of love : but on the other side , it is a mighty advantage that a sweet and loving disposition hath , let such an one speak never so , though the thing be never so harsh , yet the party will take it wel , because he knows he loves him . oh! these bonds of love , my brethren , they are mighty strong . when you meet together in any society , if you would have any thing , do not seek to get your wil by wrangling , and frowardness , but by bonds of love. i confess there are some men that are of such perverse spirits , that the neerer one comes to them , the further they go from one , that they have even lost all ingenuity ; but if you have to deal with men that you think to be gracious , and to be ingenious , then do not think to gain any thing from them but by love. these bonds of love that here we have in the text the devil seeks to break , the great design of the devil it is , to make men to have hard thoughts of god , & his waies , and to make them beleeve that god hates them , and that though they have some good things from god for the present , yet that the heart of god is not towards them , and so labors to make a separation between the soul and god. and so the great design of the devil is to break the bonds of love between christian and chistian : it was a fearful judgment that we reade of in zach. . . when the staff that was called bonds was broken , even the brotherhood between judah and israel , he threatens it as a judgment ; i 'le break the bonds of brotherhood . and then you find that the staff of beauty was broken when the staff of bonds was broken . my brethren , never was the bonds of love more broken among christians than they are now . we reade of bands of love , but what 's become of them ? they are broken . they were in former times so twisted ( as i told you the word in the hebrew signifies ) love so twisted into so many wreaths as one would have thought they could never have been broken ; but whatsoever the matter is , we find they snap asunder . oh! how justly might god bind us with iron bonds , seeing that the bonds of love will not bind us ! god hath cut the cords of divers of our yokes asunder , and hath broken the bonds of the oppressor , and now behold we break the bonds of love ; oh! unworthy wretches that we are , every one of us looks with a jealous eye one upon another , every one shifting for himself , there are no bonds of love in our hearts ; the wicked in scripture are said to die without bonds , that 's gods patience , that they shall die without bonds ; but wo to us , we live without bonds , and that 's our sin , and the wrath of god upon us , in eccles . . . there is a time to love ; when is the time ? certainly if ever there were a time to love , then this is a time to love . and there is a time to hate . oh divine love ! whither art thou gone ? hast thou left the earth as unworthy of thy beauty and glory ? oh! that thou wouldest come again unto the hearts of the saints , and bind them together ! the want of the bonds of love every one complains of , oh! those soul-refreshing , and soul-ravishing meetings that we were wont to have . but especially more publickly , we find the bonds of love quite gone , and quite broken : reade but over the cor. . and see the effects of love there , and by that you will find the bonds of love quite to be gone ; love , the scripture tells us , it thinks no evil , it maks the best interpretation of things that can be ; now surely there 's a great deal of want of love amongst us , that when men in the uprightness and sincerity of their hearts shall desire to find out the mind of god , and the will of god , and meerly out of conscience because they dare not go any further than they see the mind of god to go before them , therefore they shall be judged to be a stiff-necked people , and to be the great hinderers of reformation ; is this the best interpretation that possibly can be made of things ? is it not possible why there should be some other grounds why they differ from their brethren , but meerly stiff-neckedness ? how if it should be owned by jesus christ at the great day , that it was out of sincerity , because they did desire to know the mind of jesus christ fully , and yet they could not see what their brethren say they did ? we should make the best interpretation of things that possibly we can . love it cures all things , and it bears all things ; now for such publick striking against any such forbearance , and crying out that we would have a tolleration of all things u● religion , this is the great argument when they know in their consciences that their brethren do joyn with them in the doctrinal part of religion , and in the main things , and those things wherein they differ are things of no such great moment , but may be forborn with peace enough if mens hearts were peaceable and still ; now to in fuse that into the peoples heads that if they were but in any thing forborn there must be a tolleration of all things , surely this is not any fruit of love , this is not that which the holy ghost saith , that love bears all things . i am loth to mention any further , lest there should be any occasion of stirring up any spirits , and so hindering the fruit of love : let me say on the other side , there may be too eager censure the other way , that is ; to censure such as are of a different way and judgment that they do it altogether out of their self-ends , and self-aims , i verily beleeve that on the other side , those brethren that do differ , they may be consciencious in their way , and do it out of zeal to god , and to what they apprehend to be truth ; we should apprehend one another so , if we see there be nothing else wherein they do manifest corruption of heart but meerly in their waies of difference in their judgments and opinions . now if both could but thus judg each of other , that they both are upright in what they do pursue : one side imagins that our part is gods mind , and the other side judges that that party is gods mind ; let us judg now that they do it in uprightness except it apperrs some other way , then we should quickly come to close and joyn hearts together , if we had such upright opinions one of another , therefore the more it is the design of the devil to break those bonds of brotherhood , and of love , the more should we labor to unight together . and you who are superiors , labor you to gain your inferiors by love , oh let those tie together ; do not say of your inferiors , they are of untoward dispositions , and how can my heart be towards them , to love them ? oh! none of your inferiors are more untoward unto you than you are unto christ ; and christ , if he should not love you because of your untowardness , what would become of you ? now consider of this , when your servants and children are untoward , why should that hinder love , when as my untowardness doth not hinder the love of christ to me . i remember i have read of monica , austins mother , her husband being an heathen , and that some of her neighbors that had christian husbands wondred how they came to live so lovingly together , saith other christian women that were neighbors , our husbands are christians , and yours an heathen , and yet you live more lovingly with him than we do with our husbands . she answered them , it may be when your husbands do any thing that provokes you , you are presently froward with them , but i labor to overcome my husband by love , & so to gain his heart to me , and upon that we live so lovingly together , christianity teaches me to perform the duties of a wife to my husband , though my husband be an heathen . i verily beleeve there are many godly men and women , that sometimes when the one is godly and the other is wicked . you will say , how can that be ? yes , though there be godliness , yet there may be such frowardness and passion as may cause wonderful disturbance : but on the other side , where there is godliness and love , there is such an overcoming with love , that though the man be wicked and never so harsh , yet he hath the nature of a man in him , and so long as he hath the nature of a man in him he will be overcome by love , and therefore that 's the way to bind men and women together ; would you be united more than ever yet you have been ? labor to cast the bonds of love one upon another ; let the husband study how to overcome his wife with love , and so the wife the husband , and then there will be a sweet union indeed : and so for masters and servants , there should be love there to unite one to another , though the master be above the servant , yet the master should account it a happiness to him in that his servant doth love him ; there is not such a distance between you and your servants , as there is between god and you ; oh! it 's a sweet thing when a man can say in his family , i bless god all my familie loves me ; and whatsoever they do , they do it out of love to me ; it may be you are harsh towards your servants , and you will make them do what you command them to do , and they dare not do otherwise , yea , but what 's that ? but do your servants love you ? do they do all for you out of love ? you might have as much obedience from your servants as you have , and have it a great deal better than you have , if you have it out of love ; and so likewise in a family , when one servant loves another ; as it was said of david in sam. . . all his servants love thee , all sauls servants did love david ; so those that are servants should labor to live so in families as all the other servants should love them . but you will say , they are so wicked that how can i hope to have love from them ? yes , though they cannot love thee as thou art godly , yet godliness hath something in it that is common to the excellency of mans nature . yea , and those that are in place of power in the magestracie , they should labor to gain those that are under them by love : as the greatest in a family if he be a lord , or an earl , should not think it too much to gain a servant by love ; so those that have the greatest power in government , they should not think it too much to gain their meanest subjects in a way of love : we see it was thus with david , chron. . . then david the king stood up and said , hear me my brethren , and my people . see what a sweet expression is here of a great prince , then david the king stood up , and he said , hear me my brethren , and my people ; he did not sit down majesterially and say , my people , and you that are my subjects , and that are under me , i command you to do thus and thus ; but he stands up unto them and saith , hear me my brethren , my people : this was a way to gain the hearts of people unto him . you know absolom he sought in a false way to steal away the hearts of people by a gentle carriage . i remember i have read of john the second , a king of portugal , he chose his emblem to be a pelican , that he might express his love to his subjects upon this ground ; for the pelican when her yong ones have been bitten with serpents , she feeds her yong ones with her own blood , and thereby cures them : now upon this , this king of portugal chuses the pelican to be his emblem , thereby he would testifie his readiness to let out his blood for the good of his subjects , for the healing of his subjects . he would not feed upon his subjects blood , but he would rather let out his own blood for their good . this is the commendations of a prince , not to seek to feed upon subjects blood , and to raise up his honor , and prerogative by his sheding of their blood ; but to love them so , as to be willing to let out his blood for their good if it might be . the maxim that some have labored to infuse into princes , i had rather be feared , than be loved ; it is a maxim only beseeming tyranny , and no way sutable to an ingenuous spirit , but to a base and sordid spirit ; certainly that man , be he what he will , that is acted by that principle , is a man of a sordid and low spirit : a man of a generous spirit , and of an ingenuous spirit would rather be beloved than be feared : let every man seek to gain another by love : if you strive otherwise to gain any but by love ; first , you are not likely to prevail . secondly , if you do prevail , there will be so much trouble before you do prevail , that it will not be worth the having when you do prevail . thirdly , when you have your will upon them , they do the thing that you would have them , they dare not do otherwise ; i but they hate you though : what good is this , for a man to have his will upon another , if in the mean time he hates him ? then fourthly , if you do not prevail by love , they will do no more than just needs must ; and this is the reason indeed why hypocrites do so little for god , god hath never gained their hearts by love , but only by fear , and therefore they will do no more for god than they must of necessity ; whereas ( as i said before ) love never propounds bounds . and then fiftly , if you do not get them by love , they watch for all opportunities to fling off . now what a poor gain is this , to gain one with a deal of trouble , and for him to do what i would have him , and yet to hate me , and to do no more than needs must , and then to wath for all opportunities to appear against me ? where fore my brethren , for the close of this note , let us follow after love , and provoke one another to love , you will find sweetness in your own love , and sweetness that you get by love , in the very exercise of love you will find sweetness , and then the love that you get by others you will find that sweet , and you will find it so much the sweeter because you get it by love. and then further , another note is this , seeing love hath such bonds in it , let us make use of the love of god to bind our hearts to him . you have heard that love hath bonds ; and then you have heard that we should do as god doth . and then thirdly , is this gods way ? oh! let us make use of all the love that ever god hath shewen unto us for to gain our hearts unto himself . and this would be a large theam to speak of , if we should lanch into it ; if i should come to open unto you what the love of god hath been to you , how much love god hath shewn to the nation , and to our selves for the gaining of our hearts , oh the many twists of this cord ! 't is a strong cord indeed to bind us to god. in deut. . . if thou shalt diligently love the lord thy god ; there 's that that he requires of them , after what he hath done for them . if thou wilt but diligently love the lord thy god. that 's that that god seeks by al his love , to work our hearts to love. not to speak now of the love of god to you as you are creatures , nor as you are men ; but a little to speak of the love of god to you as you are saints . i shall shew you very briefly what strong cords of love god hath cast upon you , to gain your hearts to himself to love him . as first , gods love to you ( if you be saints ) it is eternal love , before ever you were born the bowels of god yerned towards you , ( as i may so speak with holy reverence . ) god was twisting these bonds of love from all eternity that he might gain your hearts , god was thinking that in such a time there shall be such and such men and women that shall live upon the earth ; i 'le make preparation by such bonds now as shall unite and fasten them close to my self when ever it comes to be revealed to them . it was love from eternity , oh! the transactions that were between the father and the son from all eternity for to manifest love to your souls ! the great counsels ( i say ) that were transacted between the father and the son before the world was , were about these bonds of love to you . secondly , it 's choise love , when he left many thousands , he set his heart upon you , mal. . . was not esau jacob's brother , saith god ? yet i loved jacob. so wert not thou of such a familie ? and yet thou seest how god hath cast off a great part of that familie , and yet hath he loved thee ? wert not thou such a ones brother , such a ones sister that remained wicked and ungodly , and it may be died so ? and yet god hath loved thee , he hath past by so many great ones in the world , and so many of thy kindred , and rather pitcht his love upon thee . it 's choise love , and therefore this might gain thee to himself . thirdly , it is free love , the love of god is free ; so you have it in hos . . i will love them freely : and in deut. . . the lord did not set his love upon you , nor chuse you , because you were more in number than any people : for you were the fewest of all people . god there would manifest his love to his people to gain their hearts to him : saith he , the lord did not set his love upon you , because you were more : ( why then did god set his love upon us ? ) in the . verse , but because he loved thee . it 's a strange arguing : the lord did not set his love upon you because you were more , but the lord did set his love upon you , because he loved you ; he could go no higher . there can be no other reason why the lord should love you , but because he did love you . we use to say , it 's a womans reason to say , i will do such a thing , because i wil do it . now if any of you would have a reason why god loved you : why thus , he loved me , because he loved me . the lord did not set his love upon you for this reason ; but he did set his love upon you , because he loved you . so , it is a free love . oh! let the freeness of it be another ingredient , so as to bind your hearts unto him . fourthly , god hath so loved you , as he gave his son for you . so god loved us . sometimes it hath been in the thoughts of men whether there might not he more worlds than this world . certainly god in his infinit power he might make a thousand worlds more glorious than this , such worlds , as the meanest creature in those worlds might be as high in excellencie above the sun , as the sun is high above a piece of earth . but now this we may know , let there be never such excellent creatures made , they cannot have a greater fruit of love than mankind hath from god ; oh! this is the love of god to mankind , this cals aloud to the children of men to love god , here 's a fruit of love beyond that which is to angels ; for the lord took not upon him the nature of angels , but the nature of man. fifthly , god so loved his people , as he hath given himself too , as well as his son. not only given the second person in trinity , but himself . he doth not think enough to give heaven and earth to thee to be thy portion , but he will make himself to be thy portion , he will be thy god. you would think it a great matter if god should say , well , all this world i will give to be thy portion ; yea , that i might give a testimony that i love thee , i will make another world for thy sake , and make thee the emperor of it all ; but in that god hath given thee his son , and given thee himself , this is a greater degree of love ; and the soul of man , were it enlarged indeed so as it might be , yea , so as grace doth enlarge the hearts of the saints , such a soul would say , lord , what will thou give me , if thou givest me not thy son , if thou givest me not thy self ? though i be less than the least of thy mercies , yet except i have thy self to be my protion , this is not sufficient for me . well saith god , that thou maiest know that my heart is set upon thee for good , i 'le give thee my son , i 'le give thee my self and my spirit . oh! what love is this to the children of men , that ever we should live to have our ears filled with this sound from heaven , that god should do such things as these are for the children of men ! sixthly , god doth so love his people , as in comparison of his saints he cares not what becomes of all the world ; in isa . . . i loved thee , therefore will i give men for thee , and people for thy life . if thy case be so that it shall not be well with thee without great evils that shall come upon the children of men , the generality of men , and many people and nations ; i do not so much care for them ( saith god ) my heart is upon you : so as in comparison of you i care not what becomes of all the world . oh the love of god unto his saints ! yea further , god hath loved thee so , as he hath pardoned all thy sins ; here 's another twist of gods love , in rev. . . vnto him that hath loved us , and washed us from our sins , by his own blood . for his giving himself for us that is in gal. . . he hath loved us , and washed us from our sins by his own blood : here 's a fruit of love. you do not hear it said , that christ hath loved us and hath purchased great kingdoms for us , hath made you lords , and earls , and countesses , and so hath loved you ; no , but he hath loved us , and washed us from our sins by his blood . now it 's a good argument ; that the love of god is upon you , if you account this to be a great fruit of love to wash you from your sins by the blood of jesus christ ; surely if he will do so much for you , as shall cost him so dear as his own blood , he loves you ; the love jesus christ broke through these difficulties , for when there were such transactions between the father and son about redeeming the soul , saith god , if thou wilt take upon thee to deliver them from their sin , thou must come thy self and be made a curse for their sins . what , will you undertake such a thing as that , to deliver them from their sin ? it will cost you thus much . saith jesus christ , lord , thy will be done in it , yet let me deliver them from their sin , though i lose my life , though it cost me my blood , though i be made a curse , whatsoever it cost me , yet let their sins be washed from them . he hath washed us from our sins , though it cost him his blood . oh! the love of christ to his saints ! what bonds of love have we here ! i have seen some that they may twist and bind their cords the more fast , they will wet them that so they may close and bind the more . oh the cords of the love of jesus christ , are wet with his own blood . again , loved thee , surely his love hath been great , he hath put loveliness upon thee , he hath put upon thee his own nature . if one can say any thing greater than hath been said , this one would think should be very high and great , tor god so love us as to put his own nature into us , to make us partaker of the divine nature , so to love us , as to put his own life into us , to enable us to live the very same life that himself doth live , so to love us as to put his own image upon us , oh! this is the love of god to his saints . again , he loves thee with the very same love wherewith he loves jesus christ himself ; in john . about the latter end , that thou maiest love them with the same love wherewith thou hast loved me , saith christ to the father . oh! to have the same love that the father loves christ withal , is not this a strong bond to bind thy heart to god ? if god had loved thee only so , as to give thee an estate and honors here in this world , this is no other love but that the reprobate may have , and will this love satisfie thee ? oh! the difference between the love of god to his saints , and the love of god to other men ! he loves the great ones of the world that are wicked with no other love , but with the love that he loves a reprobate ; but he loves the saints with the same love wherewith he loves his son , and this love will bring thee one day , to be one with the father and the son , and is not here a strong bond of love to gain thy hea●t to himself ? and further , from this it must needs be , that the lord must delight in communion with his saints : and indeed god doth all this for his saints , puts the divine nature into them , and the life of god , and sets so much love upon them ; why ? that he might have a people to enjoy everlasting communion with him ; saith god , i would fain have some creatures that might live with me , to enjoy communion with me , that might live to see my face , and see all the glory that i intend to manifest to all eternity : oh blessed god! hast not thou the angels that are with thee to enjoy thy glory , to have communion with thee ? no saith god , but i would have these poor creatures that are so low and mean in the world , i would have them to be raised up to enjoy communion with my self ; this is the end of gods bestowing any grace upon his saints , it is that he might raise them to enjoy communion with him , and to delight in him , and he to delight in them , that he might have creatures to communicate the treasures of his goodness too , and that thou mightest communicate what thou art able to him . surely christ doth not account himself to be full without his saints ; and therefore you find in ephes . . . that the church is called , the fulness of jesus christ , and therefore he praies , father , let them be where i am , i shall not account my self so full except they be with me , and see my glory . oh the love of jesus christ to his saints ! and then further , this love it sweetens and sanctifies all for good ; thou maiest see love in every thing , now though thou hast less of the creature than others have , yet thou hast it out of love ; when thou comest home it may be thou hast not so much as others have , perhaps but a piece of bread and smal drink ; yea , but i have it out of love : look upon all thy mercies , and thou mayest see the eternal love of god to thee in them . they are all sanctified to me for the furtherance of eternal good , the lord from all eternity did see that such a kind of life was the best for me to further the eternal good he intended for me , and therefore he hath disposed of me to this condition rather than another condition . oh! how sweet may the life of a man or woman be when as they can reason after this manner , well , this condition that now i am in , the lord from eternity saw the fittest condition to work my heart to himself , and therefore it is that i am in this estate rather than another . and then love ; thou findest daily by experience , how hath the lord helped thee in thy straights , and heard thee in thy prayers , and answered thy desires . this i told you in the opening of the text was a fruit of love to the people of israel , and so it hath been with thee . and this love is very strange too , for though the lord did forsee all thy weakness , and all thy unbeseeming carriages , thy unworthines , &c. yea , the lord did not only foresee what thou wouldest be before he did manifest love , but he did forsee how thou wouldst walk unworthy of his love after it was manifested to thee , and though he forsaw all this , yet still his love was not quenched towards thee , but saith the lord , my love shal break thorow all this . many times you set your love upon some , and they prove untoward , and unworthy , and you think with your selves , could i have but foreseen this untowardness they should never have had my love : but now the lord did foresee al thy il requitals , and yet it did not hinder the love of god towards thee . and then further , in the love of god there is the love of all relations . as now , the love of a father towards a child : the lord takes upon him the relation of a father , and the love of a husband ; the lord takes upon him the relation of a husband , and the love of a friend too , that 's sweet . and then , that that crowns all it is this , that it is an abiding love , an everlasting love , a love that shall never be quenched : he that the lord loves , he loves unto the end , he will rest in his love , zeph. . . jer. . . thess . . . if thou knowest that he hath loved thee in his son , thou hast hereby an everlasting consolation ; let heaven and earth meet together , let there be what changes and alterations there will , yet there is everlasting consolation for thee , if thou knewest but this love of god. now my brethren , all this i have done to that end , that your hearts may be gained unto god ; and what wilt thou do now ? wilt not thou now love the lord thy god ? shal not al this love of god to thee in christ constrain thee ? the love of christ constrains me , saith the apostle . oh! love the lord , all ye saints ; if the lord hath thus loved you , love ye the lord all you his saints . then god is love himself , he is the element of love ; and whither should love go but up to the element ? air it desires to be in its proper place ; and earth will descend to its proper place : the proper place of love , is god , god is ( as it were ) the element of love , for so the scripture saith , god is love : and he that dwels in god , dwels in love . oh labor to be rooted and stablished in love . in ephes . . . being rooted and stablished in love , you may be able to comprehend with all saints , what is the length , and breadth , and depth , and heighth , and to know the love of christ , which passeth knowledg . being rooted in love , thereby ye come to comprehend with all saints , the breadth , and length , and depth , and heigth , and to know the love of christ , which passeth knowledge . it is not the strength of natural parts , learning doth not so much teach us what the length , and heighth , and depth of the love of christ is , as love , get but your hearts rooted in love , and you wil come to understand the glorious things of the gospel in another manner than ever you did . and mark what follows : that you might be filled with all the fulness of god. had we not such an expression in scripture , we should not dare to make use of it ; what , for a poor creature to be filled with god , to be filled with the fulness of god , to be filled with all the sulness of god! this is the reason why christians are so scant in their obedience , and empty in their spirits , because they are not acquainted with this breadth , and length , and depth , and heighth of the love of christ : oh know , that god prizes thy love , and he is satisfied with nothing but thy love ; in cant. . . there will i give thee my loves , saith the spouse . when thou comest to the ordinances , to hear the word , receive sacraments , or prayer , yet if thou comest not to give the lord christ thy loves , it is nothing ; there will i give thee my loves . oh! christ prizes love at an high rate : and that love that will serve for other things , certainly will not serve christ . he loves thee too little ( saith augustan ) that loves any thing besides thee , who loves not that thing for thee . you may love wife , and children , and friends , yea , but you must love them all for god ; when you see any thing lovely in husband , or wife , or children , or friends , yea , but think this is but a beam of the loveliness of god. and thus i have endeavored now to raise your hearts to god by love ; the lord hath cast bonds of love upon your souls , on ! that by the ministry of his word this day these bonds may be somewhat strengthened , that you may feel some strength in these bonds , that you may go away with your hearts more strongly united to the love of god than ever . i drew them with the cords of a man , with bonds of love , and i was to them as they that take off the yoke on their jaws , and i laid meat unto them . part of the last sermon it was spent in opening unto you these bonds of love. and shewing , first , what were the bonds of gods love towards the people of israel , the several expressions of gods love to them in several particulars . and shewed you how that all those that had to deal with men to draw them to god should do as god doth , labor to draw them with bonds of love ? i have especially directed my self unto the saints of god , and shewed to them what bonds of of love god hath laid upon their hearts to draw them to himself . i have not applied this point generally yet ; for indeed one principal bond of the love of god towards the nation will follow in the words after ; but certainly the lord hath sought to draw this nation to himself with bonds of love. we may say concerning god , he hath loved this nation : loved it . it was the first nation that ever received jesus christ by the countenance of publick authority , of the supream authority in the nation . and when antichrist had darkned the light of the gospel here , the bowels of gods compassions yerned towards it , and god wrought wonderfully to deliver this nation from antichristian tyrannie . moreover ; the lord hath not sent the light and power of the gospel to any nation under heaven more fully ; nay , without prejudice to any other we may say not so fully as to this nation ; though there are many of the saints of god else where , yet in no place under heaven hath god more , yea , so many saints ; ( i might almost say , put all the nations of the earth together ) so many that know him so fully , and have that power of godliness in the worshiping of him , as here in this nation . oh! the bonds of love that are upon us ! yea , if we look upon our outward mercies , those liberties that we enjoy , there 's scarce any nation that hath the commonalty of the people that live like men in comparison of ours ; for the most part of all the nations in the world , the generality of people are like slaves rather than any free-men , their governors rule over them with tyranny ; but here the common people have liberties , and god works mightily for them , for the vindicating of the liberties , that they have both for their bodies and outward estates , and their souls likewise , and oh! the love that god hath shewn unto us of late in working so miraculously for us as he hath done ! but there is one point more observable in these bonds of love that god draws people unto himself by . the scope of the prophet here in mentioning these bonds of love , it is to aggravate their sin , from whence there is this : that there 's nothing more aggravates sin than that it is against love. god hath three bonds to bind us to obedience . there 's the bond of his law. and the bonds of afflictions . and the bonds of love. but now to break all these bonds , the bonds of the commandements , and the bonds of afflictions , and bonds of love too , this aggravates sin very much . oh charge thy sin with this aggravation , oh thou sinner ! what against such a god , such love , oh what a vile heart have i ! saith augustin , oh 't is too hard a spirit ; that though it will not bestow love , yet it will not requite love. o! let not there be such a hardness in the spirits of the saints . thou didest not begin with god to love , thou didest not begin to bestow love ; be not so hard towards god as not to requite love. do not we see how base love can gain upon mens hearts , adulterous love , what strong bonds that love is , the giving of gifts and bribes , what bonds they are to tie mens harts , their hands and tongues ! and shall not the love of god and the fruits of that be a stronger bond to tie thy heart unto him ? nothing goes more to the heart of man of god than the abuse of love : a man can better bear the abuse of his mony , the abuse of any thing he doth , or hath , than the abuse of his love : gods spirit is grieved with his saints : we do not reade that the spirit of god is grieved with the wicked , god may be angry with the wicked every day , but not grieved , but when the saints sin against him the spirit of god is grieved , because their sins are against love ; when thou sinnest against god the lord looks upon thee , as caesar once upon brutus ; what , thou my son ! what , thou whom i have so loved ! what , break all those bonds . when we reade in the second psal . of the kings and princes of the earth , that said , let us break their bonds asunder , and cast away their cords from us , we think that 's great rebellion ; but for thou that professest thy self to be gods , it 's a greater evil to break these bonds of love ; oh! thou my son , my child , thou whom i have bestowed so much love upon , yet thou to sin against me , when thou art committing of any evil , conceive with thy self as if god were looking upon thee , and pleading with thee , by all those fruits of his love that ever thou hast received from him , and wilt thou yet sin against him for all this ? we reade in mark . . when peter had sinned , christ did but look upon him , and he wept bitterly ; oh! peter saw love in the looks of jesus christ , and therefore we know after when christ came to him , he pleaded with him with this argument of love , doest thou love me ? and doest thou love me ? oh! when he saw the eyes of christ so sparkling of love , and then considered that he had sinned against that christ that had so loved him , broke all those bonds of love , then he went out , and wept bitterly ; the word is in mark . . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , he did break out in weeping . for so it may signifie , that force that there is in doing any thing , to lay a force upon ones self to do a thing , he did break out , break out in weeping , he was not able to bear it , his heart burst even in sunder , when he considered how he had burst asunder the bonds of love. oh that after such manifestations of mercy and goodness , such warmings of heart in communion with jesus christ , what thou , oh my soul ! what , canst thou find in any waies like gods waies ? canst thou find the like love and the like sweetness in any as thou hast done in god , yet for all this unkind , unloving dealings , god follows thee with love , his heart is yet open unto thee ; as a man that goes from the sun yet he hath the warm beams of the sun that follows him , and doth warm him ; so the hearts of the saints do many times go from god , decline from him , yet they have the warm beams of love that follows after them to draw their hearts again to him ; oh! return , return into this bosom of infinite love , here thy soul may have everlasting imbracings . and i was to them , as they that take off the yoke on their jaws , and i laid meat unto them . here 's a fruit of love in delivering them from their bondage ; as a husband-man who is merciful to his beast he will not tire it too much with hard labor , but takes off the yoke , lifts up the yoke with his hands and gives it food ; so did i saith god , i did not tire epbraim with labor and servitude . when you were in egypt , and often afterwards when under your enemies yokes , i freed you from your bondage ; as the husband-man when the beast hath been plowing and begins to be hot lists the yoke up to cool the neck that the beast may refresh its self . from their jaws . because of some instruments , some bridle that was fastened to the yoke that was on their neck and put into their jaws . therefore there 's this phrase , lifting up the yoke from their jaws . luther upon the place understands this of that spiritual ease that there is in the yoke of jesus christ : so saith he , the lord by his spirit doth help us to obey ; he doth not only command , and tel us what to obey , but assists us with his spirit , and gives us power , and lifts up the yoke , and bears it together himself with us , and hence christ tells us that his yoke is easie , and his burden is light . indeed it 's an easie yoke in comparison of the law , the law saith , do this , and live ; do not , and die : the law takes advantage upon every infirmity , it admits not of endeavors without performances , it gives no strength to what it commands ; oh! but the yoke of christ is easie , christ continues strength ; there 's never a command without a promise to give strength ; as an artery that runs together with the veins . and christ accepts of endeavors , oh! the yoke of the gospel is far easier than the yoke of the law. so , i have taken off the yoke . ] we must not think this too far fetcht , because we find that the holy ghost in the new testament interprets the beginning of this chapter concerning christ , that we would never have thought to have been meant of christ ; i called my son out of egypt . i opened there how this was to be understood of christ . now if so be that god had an eye to christ , when he said , i have called my son out of egypt : why should we not think that there might be an eye to christ in this , when he saith , i took the yoke from off their jaws ; i delivered them from the yoke that neither they , nor their fathers could bear ; and i brought a more easie yoke of the gospel upon them . but though the holy ghost had an eye to this , yet that that is firstly and litterally meant , it is , the deliverance from oppression , i delivered them from the oppressions that were upon them . from whence then the observation is this , first , that deliverance from oppression is a great mercy . oh! what ease is there in it ! oh! how doth it cool our necks ! in levit. . . i have broken the bonds of your yoke , and made you go upright . there was a time that we had heavie yokes upon us , that made us stoop , we stoop'd under them , but through gods mercy these bonds of our yokes are in a good measure broken , that we may go upright , and wo to us , if we go not upright now . in ezek. . . they shall know that i am the lord , when i have broken the bonds of their yoke , and delivered them out of the hand of those that served themselves of them . my brethren , if ever god manifested himself to be the lord towards us , it hath been in breaking the bonds of our yoke , of the yokes that were upon us , and in delivering us from those who served themselves of us ; we were under a proud and cruel generation of men , that minded themselves , and car'd not what became of the consciences , of the estates , liberties , and lives of men , so be it that they could have their humors , their lusts served upon us ; and what means could we see for the deliverance of our selves from their yoke ? but the lord hath appeared ; and then saith the text , they shall know that i am the lord ; if we did not know that god was the lord before , yet now we may know him ; and the truth is , such hath been the wonderful works of god towards us in the breaking of our yokes , that it were enough to convince an atheist me thinks ; those of you that have been heretofore troubled with temptations of atheism , the strange waies of god towards this nation in freeing of us from those yokes that have been upon us , may convince you of a god , may make you say , surely there is a god in heaven that beholds the waies of the children of men , the lord is god ; then shall you know that i am the lord. oh! that upon the manifestation of god in this way of mercy , we may come to know that god is the lord , the lord might have forced us to have known that he was the lord , by laying more grievous yokes upon us , by bringing us under more dreadful evils than ever yet we were , but the lord hath rather been pleased to chuse a way to make us to know that he is the lord , by taking our yokes off from us . this god hath done . the second observation is from the scope that the prophet brings this for , which is , to aggravate their sin so much the more ; as if he should say , i have taken off the yoke from your jaws , and yet now you are wanton and kick and spurn with the heel against me . from whence note ; that to grow wanton , to abuse our ease , when god is pleased to deliver us from yokes , is very sinful , a very great evil . what now when we come to have a little libertie more than we had before , to be freed from that yoke and bondage that we were in , and begin to feel our necks freed of those yokes that were before upon them , what! now to begin to frisk , and spurn , and kick , and against god himself , that hath taken the yoke from off us , oh! this is very dreadful . what , to abuse our libertie that we have from our bondage , to all manner of licentiousness in horrid and wanton opinions , in wicked and abominable practises ; certainly this is an ill requittal of this fruit of love , in lifting up the yoke from off our jaws . this is a very great evil which we are this day guilty of ; if ever there were a people guilty of this evil , of kicking and spurning against god so soon as he hath taken off the yoke from their jaws , than we are at this day : could any have beleeved that if it had been revealed from heaven , but six years since , that within six years this people of england should be delivered from those sore yokes that they cried to heaven because of the burden of them , and the lord would work in a miraculous way to deliver them ; but upon their deliverance there shal be such wantonness , such horrid , blasphemous opinions , and wicked licentious waies , yea , that those that make profession of religion shall be guilty of , presently upon the taking off of their yoke , could it have been beleev'd ? certainly if our forefathers that were under the yoke , that were godly , and cried to god for deliverance , if they should rise out of their graves now , and assoon as ever they were risen out , ye should make a full narration of all that libertie that god hath granted to his people in england , in the breaking of all that yoke of tyrannie in the civil state , and the yoke of tyrannie in the ecclesiastical state , they would presently think that they should see wonderful glorious effects of this in england ; but if within a month or two after they should have conversed with men they should hear of such monstrous opinions , they should see the extream licentiousness and wantonness in the hearts of men , expressed in their waies , oh! they would be ready to spit in the very faces of their children , of those that now live in such times as these are . the wantonness and licentiousness of men hearts in abusing of our freedom from our yokes , it 's very evil in these respects : first , because this hardens the hearts of former oppressors : our former oppressors , our prelats and others , will not they say , ( or do not you give them occasion to say ) now you see what is the fruit of casting of us out , was there such wantonness before ? were there such horrid opinions before when we had power ? we kept down all such things , we could easily curb these , when we had power ; but you see what extravegancies there are , how men run wild assoon as our power is taken from us . by this means they are hardened : and others that are of prelatical spirits , they are hardoned , and begin to think surely the other way is the better way ; and indeed if this be a good argument , that the keeping men in union , and the keeping down errors by violence shall prove the truth of any way , or of any government , it may as well prove prelatical , as any other , for we know that they kept men from venting of such notorious errors by violence ; but shall we , because there is not this violence upon us , shall be more erronious , and more wanton in our spirits ? secondly , this wantonness and abuse of our liberty , and licentiousness , it darkens the glory of this great work of god in our deliverance ; the lord hath been pleased to magnifie his name in the deliverance of these kingdoms from the yoke ; now what should be the care of all the people of god , but to seek to magnifie the great work of god , to make it beautiful and glorious before the eyes of all ? but now by this wantonness and licentiousness men do darken the glory of god , they take off the lustre and beauty of it , psal . . . the lord there promises , to beautifie the meek with salvation , he will beautifie them with salvation : now the lord hath wrought so towards us as to beautifie us with salvation , and indeed there is a great beautie upon the work of salvation that he hath wrought ; but this doth ( i say ) darken the glory of god , and it takes away the beauty of the work of god in our salvation ; what , hath god done all this for us , that men might turn wanton and run w●ld into monsterous opinions , and blasphemies ? oh! wo to thee that thou shouldest live in such a generation as this is , how unfit art thou to live in such a time as this is to darken the glory of such a glorious work as god hath wrought for us here in england ! thirdly , by abusing our liberties from our yokes , you do wrong others , wrong those who are wise , and holy , and peaceable , and you make them to be denied that liberty that otherwise they might have . it is for your sakes who are so wanton and run so wild in opinions , and in the loosness of your lives , that ( i say ) those that are otherwise discreet , wise , and holy , and peaceable , and that would make use of what liberty christ would have given to his people , they must be denied it for your sakes , it will be upon your account one day , what ever denial they have of that liberty that they would use in a gracious and peaceable way for the honor of god ( i say ) you must answer for it one day , for 't is your wildness that is the cause of it . yea fourthly , this wildness , and loosness , and abuse of deliverance from bondage , it will be the means to bring others to be under greater yokes again , it were just with god ( at least ) that it should be so . yea , it might make any that have but any civility , or morality in them , to think that they shall do god good service in yoking these men in another way than ever they were yok'd , ( i say ) it might make them to think that they do god good service when they see the name of god dishonored , and religion so abused ; i say , by this means they may come to think it would be a good service to god to lay yokes upon such kind of men as these are . if ever , instead of the great strings that have tide yokes upon you , you should have lesser strings , if you should have them multiplied to tie yokes upon you , yet thank your selves , you are the cause of it , in lament . . . the yoke of my transgression is bound by his hand : the lord may justly bind the yoke of your transgressions upon you ; oh! that god would humble us for the abuse of our libertie of the freedom from our yokes , oh let us take heed of this , and say with our selves , surely this is not the use that we should make of our deliverance from our yokes ; no , but rather this use , we will rather so much the more willingly take the yoke of jesus christ upon us : in exod. . . after the people of israel were delivered from the yoke of egyptian bondage , presently upon it , thou shalt keep this service ( speaking of the passeover that was to be kept upon their deliverance from egypt ) thou shalt keep this service . the word that is there , service , it is the same that is used somtimes for their service and bondage under the egyptians ; as if the lord should say , you were once in service indeed , there was a service that the egyptians requir'd of you , a servile service it was , and your necks were under it , now i 'le work thus miraculously to deliver you from that servility that you were under , and now you shall keep this service , oh my service is a great deal better than the service under your enemies . and indeed this should be the use , we were slaves to our adversaries , let us be willing now , seeing we are free men , to be servants of jesus christ , and to take his yoke ; but the growing wanton upon the taking off our yoke , is a great aggravation of sin. but further , as it is a very great evil to grow wanton when we are delivered from our yokes ; so certainly to oppress one another after we are delivered from oppression must needs be a great evil likewise . in deut. . . ( but that belongs to the former note that we should serve god with the strength that before was spent in serving our enemies . ) because thou servedst not the lord with joyfulness and gladness of heart , therefore shalt thou serve thine enemies which the lord shall send against thee , in hunger and in thirst , and in nakedness , and in want of all things : and he shall put a yoke of iron upon thy neck , until he have destroyed thee . but surely , if this be a mercy that we should bless god for , that we are delivered from the yokes of men , and the abuse of it in our wantonness be great ; then this must needs be greater , that we should fall upon laying yokes one upon another . if it be the mercy of god to take off your yokes , we should seek to take off yokes from our brethren , and to make their waies to be as easie to them as possibly we can , not to seek waies to pinch their consciences ; conscience oppression of all opp●ssions is the worst , there was heretofore a generation of men who studied what would pinch conscience most , and that that they found would most pinch conscience , that they would urge to the uttermost upon men ; this was devilish ; i hope we have not many so vile as these were . but you should consider what though such and such opinions and waies will serve my turn , will they not be burdens to others ? well , but though they be burdens , if they be truths , why should they not be urged ? nay , suppose they be truths , yet except they be necessary , let not men be instrumental in imposing them upon them : if there be a necessity then there 's no plea , but some men are so happy ( if i may so call it ) as that they have a latitude in their judgements , that which way soever the times turn they can find out a distinction to help themselves , that so their fair necks should never come under a yoke , so it fals out that alwaies their judgments sutes with the times . i will not condemn these men , for possibly it may be god gives them to see further than others do , but yet , by this they have ease : but now were these men ingenuous , they should consider their brethren thus . i have a latitude , and i could go along with the countenance of the times as they were before , the former times , and now the times are changed , i can go in these times too ; but some others whom i have reason to judge , as faithful , as gracious as my self , they have no such latitude , it falls out unhappily for them , for in former times their judgments could not suffer them to do what was enjoyned them , they were fain to suffer and to be deprived of estates and livings and whatsoever they had ; well , now the times are changed , it falls out so that their judgments cannot sute now neither with these times , and yet surely it is not through frowardness , nor through perversness , for take these men in all things else , i find them as consciencious , as spiritual as my self , alas ! must they now suffer , and shal i ad to their afflictions ? shall my hand be used to lay the yoke on them & to press it hard ? god forbid , i 'le rather study , though i will not bauk any truth , i 'le stand to defend what ever i am perswaded in my conscience is a truth , yet i 'le study what possibly i can to ease them , and to make their lives as comfortable to them as i can ; i know god hath given them ability and hearts to do him service , and it may be as much as i , oh! why should they be hindered and discouraged in their work ? i 'le study what latitude there may be for them : this were somewhat like , oh! this were ingenuity indeed , this would savor of a good spirit indeed , this would be a good testimony of your thankfulness unto god for breaking off the yokes that were upon you : my brethren when our yokes are taken away , or lifted up we must have regard to others as well as our selves , and not think or say , let them bear , let their necks bear ; oh no , what are our necks more than theirs ? if god pities his people and will lift up the yoke , let us do what we can to put under our hand although we bear somewhat our selves . some men they glory in imposing upon others ; but it is the glory of god to take off the yoke from the jaws of others , and from their necks , that 's his glory ; 't is not such a glorious thing to lay yokes upon others , but the glory is in lifting up the yoke from them . christ professes his yoke is easie , his burden light ; oh! let not ours be hard and heavy then , if christs be easie ; and especially in these daies of our fasting and prayer , oh! let us be verie careful to lift up the yoke from our brethren as much as possibly we can without sin , isa . . . is not this the fast ( saith god ) that i have chosen , to loose the bonds of wickedness , to undo the heavy burdens , and to let the oppressed go free , and that ye break every yoke ? is not this the fast that i have chosen , that ye break everie yoke &c. and in the . verse , then shalt thou call , and the lord shall answer ; thou shalt cry , and he shall say , here i am : if thou take from the midst of thee the yoke . still mark how god urges this , when you come to fast ; is this the fast that i require , to do thus and thus ? no saith he , but to undo the burden , and to let the oppressed go free , to break every yoke : and again , if you shall do so , then shalt thou call , and the lord shall answer ; thou shalt cry , and be shall say , here i am . god stands much upon this in the daies of our fasting , that we lay no burdens and yokes upon our brethren ; but that we do possibly what we can to take off yokes , that we may be able to appeal to god , lord , thou knowest that i do what possibly i can , and i pray that thou wouldest direct me to do any thing to make the lives of those that i beleeve to be faithful and consciencious to be comfortable to them . this is not to let liberty to all licentiousness and blasphemy whatsoever , but when i see that such and such things are no other but that may stand with godliness , and godlie and peaceable men may have many doubts among them , and especially seeing i hold this now of late , and did not see it heretofore as now i do , i will do possibly what i can with a good conscience that my brethren may enjoy thy ordinances in what liberty thou wilt afford unto them , this savours like the spirit of a christian indeed . and likewise you that are governors , seeing god account ; it his glory to take off the yoke from his people , oh! be you tender towards them that are under you ; as majestrates , so all governors , parents , and brethren , and neighbors , not to lay too heavie yokes upon children and servants ; fathers provoke not your children to wrath , and masters they should be gentle towards them that are under them , knowing they have also a master , and therefore give them what libertie may be without sin , even outward libertie , not to keep them continually at work , but some times of recreation , some times of refreshment , it 's true , your holy-daies are taken aken away , but surely there was no such way and means to bury them in oblivion that they should never be thought of again , then to have some set times for servants , and children to have their recreation ; it were the only way to keep the sabbath pure , for if they have it not in the week day , they will have it on the sabbath , or otherwise they will keep up that which they were wont to have in their former holy daies . the beast must not alwaies be plowing , sometimes the yoke must be lifted up , and must have some refreshing . it follows . i laid meat unto them . luther . i so wrought for them , as they should eat their meat quietly : as if he should say , you did not provide for your selves your meat , i prepared it for you , and came and laid it before you ; thus god laid meat before them when he rained manna from heaven ; when the quails were he provided it . whence observe : mercies prepared , and provided for , laid before us , are to be prized : when we come to have a mercy , i say , that did not cost us much , when it is prepared and set before us , this is to be prized . how many of you have all your mercies prepared for you ! when you go abroad about business , now you take no care for provision at home in your families , you do but dress you , and go abroad , it may be to a sermon , or other company , and return home again ; you have your tables spread , and find full dishes upon your tables without any care of yours , it 's all prepared for you . oh! consider of the mercies of god towards you in this thing . whenas many poor people they are fain before they can get bread , to be working hard to prepare food for their families , their wives and children ; but the lord laiet meat before you . god is to be acknowledged in this . the propriety of the word is , i made it to descend , it came down from heaven , it was neither too high nor too low , but it came just to you , fitted for you ; which teaches us thus much : in the receiving of our food , we must look up to heaven , we are more beholden to the heavens than to the earth for our bread ; god is to be acknowledged , in that he satisfies the poor with bread , yea , and that he satisfies the rich with bread ; you that are the richest of all , you are to see how it comes from heaven ; i made it to descend . i say , our very food we should look from whence it doth descend , it doth descend from heaven ; lift up thine eyes to heaven when as thou art eating meat , be not as the swine under the tree that looks downward to the achorns , but never upwards towards the branches of the tree from whence the achorns fall ; but look up to heaven from whence thy meat and provision did descend . i took off their yoke , and i laid meat unto them . i made their service easie , and i made their provision comfortable . it 's quite otherwise with many ridged and cruel governors , they make the service of those that are under them hard , but their provision to be very scant , quite contrary . the service of gods people is easie , and their provision is bountiful : now the service of your servants is hard , and your provision is very penurious , you would have your servants to do your hard labor , and yet provide little food for them ; oh this is a baser cruelty than any , to put their servants to hard labor , and yet not to provide comfortably for them for their food . but my brethren , the main thing that i would note from hence , is ; how great the mercies of god is to us , who hath eased our yoke this day , and laid meat before us too ; my brethren , who would have thought four years since , that there should be civil wars for almost four years together in our land ? and such cruel bloudy wars , and so overspreading the kingdom as they have , and that yet we should at this day have provision so plentiful as we have ? did not all say , even at the first year when the wars began , surely things would be very scarce ? many began to lay in corn and other provision , and we had cause enough to have feared it ; but behold the bountifulness of the love of god , that hath eased our yokes , and hath laid meat before us , that the poor is satisfied with bread , there is no complainings in our streets ; we have not only our bread , but our tables fi'ld ; what difference do you see upon the tables of men now from that they were in former times ? if a stranger should come into this kingdom , hearing what miserable wars there hath been , as bloody and cruel as in any kingdom , and yet come to see every mans table so fill'd , he could not but stand and wonder ; certainly strangers think our condition to be far more sad in respect of provision than it is ; let 's not be wanton with our plenty : we were wont to say , if we might have but bread and cheese and the gospel it were good cheer . now my brethren we have outward food , and the bread of life too . what , is this sweet , to be freed from outward bondage , and to have meat laid before us ? how sweet is it then to be freed from spiritual bondage , and to have the food of life laid before us ? yet this is our condition . our blessing is specially in having our spiritual yokes taken off from us , and having the bread of life laid before us in a more plentiful measure then ever we had ; was there ever a time that this city had so much meat laid before it for the soul as at this day ? the misery of other parts of the kingdom is your mercie ; the lord grant that you do not loath your manna , and despise it , god hath waies enough to cut you short . ver . . he shall not return into the land of egypt , but the assyrian shall be his king ; because they refused to return . he shall not return . to give you first a short paraphrase of the words , for there 's no difficulty in them , and then the notes of observation . it is , as if the prophet should say : howsoever he thinks to help himself with ease , to shelter himself there , yet he shall not , but he shall go into captivity into assyria , for all means that have been used would not bring him to return . so then the observations : first , that which hardens mens hearts against threats in their sin , is some shifts that they have in their thoughts ; let the worst come that can be , yet i have such a relief . my brethren , it 's a great mercy of god to take mens spirits off from all their vain shifts and hopes , so as to be throughly convinced that there 's no help in any thing , in the creature , in heaven and earth , but only in my turning to god , and casting my soul down before mercy ; if that saves me not ; i am undone for ever : when the heart comes to this , ( i say ) god is in a gracious and merciful way working , i see my sin , my affliction that is upon me , and feel it , though my heart would be shifting this way and that way , yet god hath convinc'd me , nothing can do me good , but i am lost and undone , what ever course i take , except i return to god , and humble my soul before him , and seek his face , and obtain meroie from him secondly , he shall not return to egypt . it was a verie strange perverseness to think of this shift , to go back to egypt , why was not egypt the place of his bondage , and the egyptians still retained their cruelty , and yet they thought of this help that they would turn to egypt rather than to god. from whence the observation is , a stout heart cares not whither it goes , rather than it will return to god. as the prodigal will rather go to the swine to feed upon husks , than to his father ; like some stout children , they care not what miseries they suffer rather than they will come and humble themselves to their parents , they will hang themselves , and drown themselves , and seek their fortune ( as they use to say ) rather than be perswaded to come in and submit themselves ; no , never as long as they live , though they die , yet they will not , and thus their hearts are stout , and while they think they are stout against their parents they are stout against god too , yet god hath waies to bring mens stout hearts to yeeld . thirdly , a stubborn heart though god be in any way of mercy , god calling them to waies of mercy , yet if any thing crosses them they will foolishly and desperately wish their return to their former condition of misery . if you make any thing that god doth , an argument to a stubborn heart for duty , if it pleases him not , he will reject all that 's done for him and say , he had rather be as he was before , let me go into egypt again ; stubborn hearts if they meet with any cross in their way , this is their unthankfulness , that because they are vext and crost in some one thing they will ( i say ) foolishly and desperately wish that they were in the the condition that heretofore they have been in . oh! thus it is with many of us , how foolishly , how wickedly have we thought and said it was better with us heretofore then now , let us return to our former condition ! this is thy folly and thy desperat wickedness ; but saith the text , he shall not return , though he thinks of returning ; as if the holy ghost should say , do not please your selves to think it is but to return to egypt , you cannot be worse than now you are , for god hath worser things for you . and my brethren , this is our case this day , let not us think of returning to our former condition , certainly if we should take such a course to return to our former condition , we should be far worse than we were before , our danger would be far greater ; this is certain , to the view of any men that have their eyes open , that our condition in england must either be far better than it was , or far worse than it was : there 's many say , oh! we were thus and thus in former times , and if we were but as we were , we should do well enough ; oh! let 's not think of that , we must certainly either be far better , or far worse than we were , for if we think of returning it will not be to egypt , but to assyria , which will be worse . the fourth note is this , god knows how to cross wicked men of their wills , to spoil them of their plots ; they please themselves with this and the other thing , they will do thus and thus , if they be put to this shift then they have a second , and a third , yea , but there 's a god in heaven that hath determined otherwise . never were wicked men more cross in their plots than they are at this day ; they have said , that they would do thus and thus , but god hath said they should not , and they have not done it . now god in his mercy crosses his people of their wills that are set upon sin ; but when the wicked are crost upon their sin , it is , because god hath other waies to bring about greater evils to them , to bring them to assyria . well then , whatsoever any mans thoughts and desires are , the lord deliver us from turning into egypt again . and likewise the lord grant the assyrian may not be our king. it follows . the assyrian shall be his king. the lord deliver us from both , that an assyrian may not be our king. why an assyrian ? why was he threatned to be their king ? you shall find that he was one of a cruel stout heart , an hard heart , and a proud heart , the assyrians were so ; they were a generation of men of cruel , proud , stout , hard-hearted men . isa . . . oh assyrian ! the rod of mine anger , saith god , and in the . verse , it is in his heart to destroy , saith god , of the king of assyria : and in the . verse , when the lord hath performed his whol work upon mount zion , and on jerusalem ; i will punish the fruit of the stout heart of the king of assyria , and the glory of his high looks . oh! 't is a sore evil to be put under the rage of a proud and a stout hearted man , who will set his heart against god himself , who though god fights against him , yet will stand it out , though his design is crost yet he will not come in , he will not give glory to god though his will cost him the blood of many thousands , yet he goes desperatly on , he regards more his own will and lusts than the blood or lives of millions . for people to have such a stout heart , armed with power , raised with pride , enraged with cruelty to reign over them , how sad and dreadful condition are those in ? this is that the lord threatens here ; and why ? because they refused to return . i beseech you observe this ; saith he , they shall not return to egypt , but the king of assyria shall reign over them ; because they refused to return . from whence the observation is this . if we will not do gods will , god will cross us of our own . they would have their will , they would return , but they shall not saith god , for they will not return to me , therefore they shall not return whither they will themselves . god can cross us in our own wills at every turn . foolish men who will presume to cross god in his will , when god hath them at such infinite advantages to cross them every way in every thing ! if you cross god in that he delights in , you may expect god will cross you in that you most delight in . oh! when you are crost in your minds in any thing that you have set your thoughts and heart most upon , reflect upon your own hearts and think thus ; have not i crost god in his mind , in that which god hath set his heart and mind upon ? it 's a good way , my brethren , to take a holy revenge upon our selves , if we cannot get our hearts to work for god as they ought , not to suffer them to work for our selves as they would . again , for they would not return , saith god. god is not so much displeased at our sins , as at our not returning . he doth not say , that the assyrian should rule over them because they had sinned , but because they refused to return . it is too much that thou hast sinned , but as soon as ever thou hast sinned it concerns thee to think of returning , god expects presently as soon as ever the sin is taken notice of , that thou shouldest begin to return , it is dangerous to continue in sin in the least ; this aggravates thy sin dreadfully , and endangers thy sealing up to wrath everlasting . and then thirdly , he refuses to return , after all means used , after all mercies tendered , after all callings after thee , yet to stand out , this is yet worse . not to return is evil , but to refuse to return notwithstanding means used , mercies tendered , oh this is fearful indeed ! oh! lay this to heart thou convicted sinner , what offers of mercie hath god made to thee ? what calling unto mercie hast thou heard , outward calls , inward calls of the the spirit of god. oh! how hath god called after thee , return , return thou shulamite ; return , return , return thou wretched wilful sinner , oh come in and return , what means of all sorts hast thou had to cause thy heart to return to god , and yet standest out ? think of that scripture in job , . . who hath hardened himself against him and hath prospered ? what , doest thou think to harden thy self against god , and yet think to prosper ? who hath hardened himself against him and hath prospered ? and mark what follows ; which removeth the mountains , and they know not ; which overturneth them in his anger , which shaketh the earth out of her place , and the pillars thereof tremble . and yet cannot thy heart be overturned , nor tremble ? in this that thou refusest to return , thy sin is aggravated above the sin of the devils themselves , for we do not know that ever the devils refused to return ; for they were never offered mercie , god did never offer the devils mercie , god never sent to preach to them , either by his ministers , or spirit , and to call them to return and you shall have mercie ; here 's a price paid , here 's a salvation for you , your sins may be pardoned ; the devil had never such an offer , who knows what the devil might do if such an offer were made to him ? but now these offers are made to thee , and thou refusest to return ; oh! return therefore , o thou sinful soul who art wandering from god in the waies of death and destruction , give in thine answer ; as we reade in jer. . . where the lord there calls his back-sliding children , return , ye back-sliding children , and i will heal your back slidings . mark the answer that they give to god , behold , we come unto thee ; for thou art the lord our god. oh! that there might be such an answer given this day from some back-sliding soul that is turned from god! oh poor soul ! whither art thou gone ? god calls this day to thy soul , return , return , and professes that he is willing to heal thy backslidings , oh! give in this answer , oh lord , behold we come ; for thou art the lord our god : oh! that some soul might return , and might refuse no longer to return ; why wilt not thou return ? god is content to return to thee , thou art turned from god , and god in the waies of his administrations is turned away from thee ; but mark the promise , in jer. . , . thus saith the lord , shall they fall , and not arise ? shall he turn away , and not return ? by then is this people of jerusalem sliden back by a perpetual back-sliding ? they hold fast deceit , they refuse to return . shall he turn away ] some interpret this of god : the lord is not so turned back , but he is ready to return ; oh! why should●● thou backslide with a perpetual back-sliding ? and then the last note is : they refuse to return ] the word that is translated , they refused , may signifie they scorned . what , talk to him of returning , tell him of his sin against god , the greatness of his sin , and the greatness of the danger , and the threatnings of god against his sin , he despises all these things , these are poor things to scare children withal ; tell him of the mercies of god in pardoning his sin , he slights all ; this humiliation now for sin , this breaking off of sinful courses , they deride the motions of them , they scorn to return . scornful spirits when they are called upon in the bowels of mercy to return from their evil waies , they do not only deny returning , but they scorn and slight what is said to them . wel , know there are some who admire at gods mercies , calling of them to return , who admire at mercy tendred to them , and prize it more than all things in the world , they turn unto the lord with all their souls , nothing in all the world can stop them , they bless god that ever their ears heard the call of god , calling them to return , and they would not for ten thousand thousand worlds but they had heard gods call , and felt the spirit of god working their hearts to him to return , howsoever thou dost scorn and contemn it . thus much for the th verse . it follows ; ver . . and the sword shall abide on his cities , &c. they relied upon their cities and therefore refused to return ; but saith the lord here , the sword shall abide on his cities ; the old latin hath it , the sword hath begun : and hierom in his translation takes it so . if we should take it thus , we might have a hint of a very profitable meditation . it 's time for a people to return , when god doth but wher his sword , or draw out his sword ; in jer. . , . at what iustant i shall speak concerning a nation , and concerning a kingdom , to pluck up , and to pull down , and to destray it ; if that nation against whom i have pronounced , turn from their evil , i will repent of the evil i thought to do unto them . oh! happie had it been for us , if when the sword begun with us we had turned from our evil . but we must rather take it as it is in our books , and so the words are more proper , for , the sword shall abide on their cities . as for the evil of the sword , that i have already opened in the latter end of the former chapter . but that which i here would note , is ; the abiding of the sword upon their cities ; from whence observe ; that the abiding of the sword it is a sore judgment . so it was here , for afterwards in the reign of hoshea then was this prophesie fulfilled , when samaria was besieged for three years together . when god threatens fearfully , he threatens the abiding of the sword ; when he doth not only threaten the sword , but bathing his sword , and being filled with blood , and made fat with fatness , and devour , and shall be made satiate , and made drunk with blood . all these expressions we have in scripture , these six expressions , in two scriptures you have them all . isa . . . . and then jer. . . oh! this is a dreadful thing , for the sword to abide . it hath abode long upon germany , the lord hath been angry with them for almost this thirty years : we think three or four years long for the abiding of the sword. but if it be such a fearful judgment for the sword to abide ; how vile are they that seek to prolong the abiding of the sword upon a people , and that for their own advantage ? oh! that is a cursed thing , these men live upon blood , every draught they drink they drink blood , that have endeavored the prolonging of the sword upon this kingdom for their private advantages . my brethren , we have cause to bless god , that god hath raised up instruments for us , who have hazarded the shortening of their own lives for the shortening of the war , who have done their work of late this year , as if they took it by the great ; there is a froward and envious generation of men that will say of some kind of men because they differ from them in somethings , they would be glad that these troubles might continue because they might have the more libertie . but we see that men , though of different judgments , they do not take a course to have the trouble continue , you see how they hazard themselves to make all the hast possibly they can , and that to admiration , and doing things in the winter season , that is not ordinarilie heard of among other nations , and all this , that the sword may not abide upon their country , but that peace may be hastened , so that the blessing of god be upon such . again further , the sword shall abide as long as god will have it ; he that is the lord of hosts , he gives the commission to the sword , and till he calls for his commission back again , the sword it shall go on : we may think the wars may be at an end , oh! let us look to it that we make up our peace with god , and then we may hope it , but otherwaies the lord may cause a serpent to come out of the cockatrice eg , the lord may kindle fires otherwise than we can imagin ; therefore saith god , the sword shall abide . it may be they thought , that indeed if the enemy come he will not stay long : oh! but he shall abide . i verily perswade my self , that there were many , yea , and the wisest in this kingdom , that did perswade themselves at the begining of the taking up of the sword , that it would scarce have held twelve months together , it was impossible to have foreseen the abiding of the sword so long upon us as it hath . yea , but if god gives commission it must abide : there 's a notable text for that in jer. . , . o thou sword of the lord , how long will it be ere thou be quiet ? put up thy self into thy scabbard , rest and be still . mark the answer there : how can it be quiet , seeing the lord hath given it a charge ? it must go on , it must abide , seeing the lord hath given it charge . and then , the sword shall abide on his cities . ] it is a sad thing for the sword to be in the field , but for the sword to be in the cities it is sadder ; for in the cities there is the strength of the kingdom : when the sword comes into the cities , oh! the fearful sights of houses fired , of streets running with blood , the hideous noise of shreeking and cryings out of women and children : i remember joseph us in his story of the jewish wars , reports of jerusalem when the romans came against it and took it , that the narrow streets of the city of jerusalem was so filled with dead bodies , that there was no passage , and he saith , that the streets ran with the blood of men , and there were many things set on fire , that were quenched with the blood of men and women that ran in the streets , so dreadful was the sword there ; and the number of those that were slain , & died in that time that the sword was stretch'd out against that one city , he saith was , eleven hundred thousand , because it was that time that the people came-up to the passeover , and then he saith it was that they were surrounded . oh! for the sword to come to populous cities is very dreadful . and the dreadfuller it is , the greater is the mercie of god to our citie , the lord hath wholly delivered it from the sword that it hath not come at all upon it ; if the sword should have come to this city , oh! it would have raged indeed : for this was the but of the malice of the adversaries , their furie it was reserved for this city , oh! but the lord hath protected it , it hath been the citie of the lord of hosts , the lord hath commanded that no army should meddle with it for hurt : isa . . . . . i will defend this city ( saith god ) and i will save it for mine own sake . yea , it is for gods own sake indeed that he hath said to the sword , go through the land ; and indeed quite through the land except this city , and a few counties about it : as in ezek. . . or if i bring a sword upon that land , and say , sword , go through the land , &c. the sword hath even devoured from one end of the land to another , jer. . . and yet this citie preserved , oh! not only preserved , but made a refuge and a succour for all the godly partie flying from the rage of the sword , great is the lord , and greatly to be praised in this city preserved by the lord , except it had been preserved by the lord , the watch-men certainly had watch'd in vain . it follows . and shall cousume his branches , and devour them . the branches ] that is , the towns and villages about the city ; for the cities in a kingdom are like the root , or the bodie of a tree , and the villages or the towns are as the branches of the tree ; and here 's threatned both citie and branches . and this citie hath been as a great body of a tree that hath sent out juice , and sap , and succor to all the towns and villages in the kingdom . when the sword is upon the citie there is little hope that the villages shall escape , isa . . . howl , o gaie ; cry o city , thou whol palestina art dissolved . when the city cries , then whol palestina is dissolved ; no mervail then though there hath been such plotting in this city , by making divisions , besides other treacherous and villanous waies , to spoil this city , to bring the sword upon it , what laboring hath there been to betray us , one plot upon another , assoon as one is broke presently another , and all against this citie ? oh! what a pleasant sight would it have been to our adversaries to have seen this city in confusion , & wallowing in its own blood ! but the more there is depending upon this citie , the more careful should all that love peace , and the welfare of the kingdom , labor for the good of this citie , everie one should labor for the peace of it , that it may be a citie compacted with unitie within its self , that all that are godly and faithful may joyn in one , that every one may bear the infirmities of his brother , that there may be no grating upon one anothers spirits , no exasperation , no stirrings up violence one against another , especially against those that are gracious and peaceable . the more plotting , and falsness , and treacherie there is against this citie , the more should we be faithful and labor for the good of it , yea , and the more should we encrease our prayers for it . you have a notable scripture in psal . . . i have seen violence and strife in the city , day and night they go about it upon the walls thereof , mischief also and sorrow are in midst of it . what then ? in the . verse , evening , and morning , and at noon will i pray and cry aloud , and he shall hear my voice . what saith the psalmist ? i have seen violence and strife in the citie , yea , and deceit and guile do not depart from their streets . what shall i do then ? evening , and morning , and at noon will i pray . we complain of contentions and divisions , and strifes in the citie , and that there are so many plots and treacheries against the citie ; oh! let not us only talk of these things , but encrease our prayers in the frequencie , and fervency of them , oh! let there be no family , but let there be praying to god in the family , evening and morning at least ; and if you prayed twice a day before , then thrice a day now , because of the strife in the city , and the treachery and deceipt that is here , and the lord wil hear our voice ; and he concludes the psalm thus , bloody and deceitful men shall not live out half their daies ; but i will trust in the lord. let them be never so bloody minded , and desire to imbrue the city in blood , yet saith the text , the bloudy and deceiptful man shall not live out half his daies : but i will trust in the lord. because of their own counsels . the evil , folly and danger of mens own counsels , we have spoken to , in the th chapter , th verse , they shall be ashamed of their own counsels . now only a word of that , in reference unto the abiding of the sword upon them . the sword hath abode upon us divers years ; the wisest amongst us did not think the sword would have continued so long as it hath don ; and yet who can tel when there will be an end of these things ? among other evils , certainly this evil of our own counsels is a great evil , that hath made the sword to abide upon us : every man follows his own counsel , one man for his friend , and another for his friend : mens own counsels , both in parliament , in city , in the army , in the country , throughout the kingdom hath been a great cause of the abiding of the sword so long a time upon us . their own counsels . the old latin hath it , shall eat up , or destroy their heads , those men that had heads amongst them , that seem'd to be the wisest , the chief heads that were the wisest and most full of counsel , they were the cause of the continuance of this evil upon them . so montanus hath it , their counsellors . and so vatablus . because of those that put them upon those counsels were the cause of the abiding of the sword , in ezek. . . jaazaniah , and pelatiah , these are men that give evil counsels in the city ; god hath an eye upon them , upon such as give evil counsel in the city , as the men that are causes of the evil that is upon the city : there is nothing more useful in troublesom times , than counsel , if set aright ; and nothing more dangerous in troublesom times , than counsel , if it be wrong . the lord deliver us , both parliament , army , city and kingdom from their own counsels ; this wil ever be , men will ever follow their own counsels , till they be taken off from their own designs , their own ends , till they can trust god with his work , and be willing to be swallowed up in the publick . squint-eyed , and selvish counsel will destroy us , if god be not infinitly merciful unto us , yea , and it may be there are some that have good aims for god , and yet in their counsels they may be led aside by carnal principles : as for instance , only in this own thing : that there is no such way for the furtherance of the kingdom of christ , but by the corespondancy of it with the kingdoms of the world . certainly this counsel is very dangerous in such times as these are , this principle upon which many that have good intentions do go , they desire the furtherance of the kingdom of christ , they can ●ppeal to god of the sincerity of their hearts , and their ●earts are sincere in their desires of the furtherance of the ●ingdom of christ , and they think this principle is a very good one . that the best way to further it is , to do that that may stand with peace in a way of corespondan●y w th the kingdoms of the world , it wil be the best way 〈◊〉 set it up , and if they did not think that were the best ●ay to set up the kingdom of christ they would not do i 〈…〉 but certainly they are mistaken in their counsels h●e ; for as the kingdom of christ is not of this world , so he way of the promoting of the kingdom of christ it is not by endeavoring the correspondencie of it with this world ; god hath laid the great work of mans salvation , the greatest work that concerns the glorie of his name , in that which is foolishness to men , and almost all the great works of god , especially those that have a more immediate subservencie unto the kingdom of his son , he brings those works about , not by mans counsel , but by waies and means that seems folly to the counsels of wise men , of men carnally wise . but we come now unto the seventh verse . ver . . my people are bent to back-sliding , &c. it may be sometimes they begin to reform , but they are quickly off again , for there is a principle of apostasie in them , they are bent to back-sliding ; if they do any thing in the way of reformation , it is upon some external motive ; but their hearts are another way ; they are like a bough of a tree that is bent contrary to the nature of it , by an external force , it may be for the present yeelds such a way , but there 's an inclination , a propension in the bough to go another way , the way that its own nature carries it unto . thus it was often with israel , upon some extraordinary work of god they would do such and such things , but they were as a deceitf●l bow that soon starts back . my brethren , let us search our hearts ; there was a great forwardness of reformation in the beginning of the parliament , then how did men stir ? the spirits of men did seem to be then of another way than now thy seem to be , it appears that in many of them it was ony a spirit against those that had oppressed them , and a 〈◊〉 umphing and rejoycing in having their wills upon them , and in the novelty of change of things , but their hearts remain as carnal , drossie , & vain as ever , and therefore when mens wills were a little satisfied , and they saw that the godly people of the land began to rejoyce , hoping that now there should be a greater freedom for , and countenance of the religious party than ever , and finding that there were some difficulties in the work of reformation , and that thereby their lusts should be curbed , they should not have that licentiousness in their sinful waies as before , upon this their hearts are bent to back-sliding , that is , they fall off from the godly people of the land , that they formerly closed with , and seem'd much to rejoyce in , now their hearts are against them as much as ever they were with them , yea , their hearts do vex , and fret at any liberties they may possibly enjoy , or at any work of reformation that is begun . thus it is in the publick , mens hearts are bent to backsliding . and privately for the particular , mens hearts are bent to backsliding from the waies of godliness that they began to profess , as thus , many yong ones , and others , who have had workings on their hearts , and have made great profession of religion , yet not having their hearts changed . first , gods waies have been unsutable to them , and therefore have been hard and tedious to them . secondly , other things they have had a greater mind to , only they have been kept from them by the strength of conviction and external motives . but upon that they have grown wearie of the waies of god , that 's a third degree , weary of them . yea , fourthly , they have watched all advantages how they might get off from what they have made profession of . yea , fifthly , they have been sorry that they have engaged themselves so much as they did . yea , sixthly , any objections against such waies , they greedily imbrace , and diligently improve . yea , seventhly , they are very ready to take any offence . yea , eightly , they watch for offences . and ninthly , any opinion that will give them a liberty from that straitness they made profession of before , they are willing to imbrace and entertain ; if there be any practice that may give them any more liberty , they fall presently to it , and so they come to backslide . now their actural backslidings are but a fruit of the bent of their spirits , their spirits were bent to backsliding before , and what they do now is but a fruit of the inward bent of their spirits . let such know , that if they have no need of the waies of godliness , the waies of godliness have no need of them ; the waies of godliness shall be justified and honored , when they shal perish and be swept oft as filth and dung from the face of the earth . i 'le leave only that scripture with them , in heb. . . if any man draw back , my soul shall have no pleasure in him . but i find the reading of these words [ bent to back-sliding ] very various , and indeed the hebrew doth seem to countenance divers readings ; and calvin he doth reade it , and pareus , and others of our later writers , suspenst sunt , they are as men in suspence , hanging as it were in suspence ; for so the word translated [ bent ] it is a word that signifies a propension to a thing ; and they turn it , men that are in suspence ; and so the septuagints translation , they are a people in suspence : and it is very proper to the hebrew word here to translate it thus , they are a people in suspence . now then , if the translation of the word be thus , which is for ought i know as sutable , or rather more than the other , why then there are these two things mainly in it . first , they are in suspence ; that is , they being in straits know not what to do , i find in deut. . . [ thy life shall hang in doubt before thee . ] the same word that here is translated [ bent ] it is there [ hanging in doubt ] and that makes me the rather think that this interpretation may set out the mind of the holy ghost in this scripture ; so then the meaning must be this . they see themselves in a sad condition that they know not which way to turn themselves , they see their plots take not , their designs prosper not , they see god is out against them , they would fain fal upon new plots , but they see as great an unlikelihood to prosper in their new plots , as in the former , what the issue of them may be they know not , thus they are in suspence , and in doubt not knowing which way to turn themselves . and blessed be god that hath put our adversaries in suspence , and doubt : this is a judgment of god upon men who cannot trust god in his right and holy wayes , they must have waies of their own , they follow their own counsels . and these counsels of their own insnares them , and brings them into most miserable straights that they know not how to extricate themselves . god makes the waies of the righteous plain to them , but the counsels of mens hearts brings them into straights . they thought to deal more wisely for themselves , but the truth is , their counsels in which their wisdom was much applauded , brings them into most miserable straights and extremities , that they know not what to do . and then secondly , luther hath a very good interpretation of this , he reads the words thus : my people doth doubt whether they would turn to me or no ; thus he reads it , and interperets it thus , they see they profit not in their way , their consciences misgive them , they have some thoughts of returning to me , sometimes they are perswaded it's best for them to return , but the corruption of their own hearts stirs up temptations , temptations present themselves to them , so they are off and on , they know not what to do , they give many onsets , but they came not off freely , my people do doubt and hang in suspence and do not come off freely to my way . and this is according to the * chaldae paraphrase , they have plots , thus they do doubt to convert themselves to my law. there are rowlings of their thoughts , this way , and that way , but they are in doubt and come not to a full resolution . now my brethren , this is a great evil , for men to strive with their consciences . when their consciences puts them upon the waies of god , they think , there is good in gods waies , they think that god is not well pleased in the waies that they are in , they think it might be very well if they did reform their way ; yea , but then on the other side , there comes in temptations , i but there are such difficulties in the way , i shall discountenance such and such great ones , i shall have opposition by such and such , in that they will be displeased , i shall hazard my self , and the like , i must deny my self in many things , i must go against the hair in these and these things , i must cross my heart in such things that my heart is strongly bent upon , why may i not do well enough in some other way without so much trouble to my self ? and thus their hearts reason within them , and yet again at other times they have serious thoughts begin to work , and their consciences begin to stir again , but have not i to deal with a holy and glorious god ? how if things shall prove otherwise than they are apprehended by me ? what good will it do to me to cozen my own soul ? were it not better for me to return ? [ oh! that i could but tel how to speak this day to such as are perhaps yet in suspence , it may be there are some here this day that are in suspence in their own thoughts , they cannot be quiet in that way that now they are in , when they awake in the night season their consciences trouble them , and yet when they come abroad among company then that carries them away again , and thus their lives do as it were hang in suspence , and are vext and troubled in their own thoughts , not knowing what to do ; oh! that i could ( i say ) speak to these hearts this day , that i could but tell how to present some determining thoughts to such as these that are in this suspence : i 'le but in a few words present four or five meditations to such that may help them to determine , to come to a determination ; for the truth is , this is the cause almost of all the wickedness of such as live under the means , that have enlightned consciences , they do not come to a full determination : if thou beest in suspence , let me cast into the scale these thoughts . first , these stirrings that are now upon thee , that put thee thus to oppose the waies of sin , and to bring thee so far as to be in suspence , know , they are the work of the holy ghost in thee , take heed of sinning against the holy ghost ; i do not say , that all going against such stirrings and workings is , the sin , that unpardonable sin ; but this i say , the sinning against those stirrings and workings of thy conscience is a sin against the holy ghost , take heed of sinning against the good spirit of god ; the holy ghost hath begun to conceive in thee , take heed thou doest not destroy the child in the womb . we know it's murder to destroy a child in the womb , when it is but beginning to be conceived ; and thou that art in this suspence , thou hast a conception of the holy ghost in thee ; take heed of murdering of it . secondly , if the spirit of god leaves thee after this , thou wilt be more hardened than ever ; let this be in thy thoughts ; thou hast stirrings of conscience , and some propension to the waies of god , but yet thy corruptions hang off , look to thy self while these workings of god are upon thee , if they leave thee , they will leave thy heart harder than ever it was . and then thirdly , take this meditation , when thou art about matters of infinite consequence ( as now thou art ) certainly , the safest way is the best way ; 't is not enough for thee to say , it is necessary , and why must i do thus and thus ? and what need it ? and may not i do wel enough without it ? but when thou art reasoning about matters that concern eternitie , though thou canst not fully satisfie thy self in this , or the other way , yet to take the safest way is the best way , and that thou art upon the safest way , it 's enough to countervail what ever trouble thou meetest withal ; though it should not be absolutely necessary that thou shouldest take such a course in such a particular , yet if thy conscience doth but dictate to thee , that this way is safer than the other ; it 's the best way to go the safest way . and the fourth meditation is this , that there is more evil in the least sin , than there can be good in whatsoever all the creatures in the world can tender to thee resolve upon this : this is a certain principle that cannot be denied : there is more evil in the least sin , than there can be good in all that all the creatures in the world can tender to thee . and then fifthly , that it is best for me to do that now , which i would wish i had done if i were now to die . put that meditation into the scale ; art thou in suspence , hanging this way or that way , whether fully to come off of those waies of sin that thou art upon , or no ? put this fifth thing into the scale , it is best for me now to do that that i would wish i had done if i were now to die : this wil be a mighty thing to weigh down abundance of temptations that may be put into the other scale ; and so thou maiest come to a determination . they are in suspence . the old latin reads it , my people they hang in a kind of hope that i will return , and that all may be well with them at last ; that though they do thus and thus , yet all may be well with them at last : god hath often delivered them out of great afflictions , and why may not he deliver them still ? and so they hang in expectation of gods coming to them . so they make the word that is here translated , [ backsliding ] to be a returning , a returning of god , [ they would have me to return first ] and so i confess the word hath something in it that signifies returning : but those that are skilful in the tongues say , it is not used in a good sense , but in an evil ; it 's rather a going from , than a returning . but yet , as the old latin hath it , the hope for gods returning , and that things may be well , is the cause of the hardening of many hearts in the waies of sin ; they hang as it were in the air , thinking that it may be well with them , and that things may not prove so bad as they hear : but cursed is that hope of comfort that hath nothing else to ground upon , but only , that it may be things are not so bad as they hear out of the word . but it follows ; though they called them to the most high , yet none at all would exalt him . though they called them ] that is , the prophets and messengers of god called them unto the most high , they wanted not means in the ministry of the word , they were called to the most high , that is , to god. now that god is the most high , we have spoken to in chap. . vers . . there he hath the title of the most high . you who are highest , look upon god as above you , know that god looks upon you , and all men that are lifted up in the pride of their own hearts , as infinitly below him . god is the most high : well , but , they called them out unto the most high ; that is , they called them in the ministry of the word . first , that they might know him , that is , the most high , that they might know him to be the infinit , supream , high , glorious , majestie , that they might know the infinite distance that there is between god and the creature , and that they might know him to be the highest end of all things , so as to work after him as the most high . then secondly , that they might acknowledge him , that they might thus fear him , that they might worship him , that they might love him , and trust in him , as the most high god. that they might submit their wills to him whose will is supream above all , and especially in matters of worship . they called them to the most high , that they might come to have this high god to be theirs , to enjoy him to be their portion ; thus the prophets call'd them to the most high . whereas their hearts were d●ossie , and low , and base , they minded only the satisfying of their flesh , and having their wills one upon another , their hearts hung down to their devised worship , though the thing it was sutable to their publick ends , and it was great wisdom for them so to do , yet god would not own that , but did dispise that worship of theirs that they thought to honor him withal , and the prophets therefore called them from these base , drossie things , called them to the most high god. the note of observation . first , mens hearts they sink down to low and mean things naturally ; unworthy of their souls , unworthy of that excellent nature that they are indued withal : men indeed have swelling hearts in their base sinful way , but this is their disease ( this swelling ) i say the heart of man wants a true elevating principle , the knowledg of the most high would raise them up higher than their pride can do , the pride of man raises mans heart , yea , but that 's their disease ; but the knowledg of the most high would raise them up higher than their pride : but sin wheresoever it is it doth debase mans nature . secondly , it 's the end of the ministry of the word , to call men to the most high god , to call after men that have their hearts groveling after low and base things , that they might come up to the most high god , to know him , to fear him , to worship him , and to enjoy the most high god to be their portion . have not you found this fruit of the ministry of the word in your hearts , calling you many a time to the most high god ? have not those things sounded in your ears , that have called you from vain things that your hearts were upon , telling you of the high god that you have to deal withal in all your waies , who will have to deal with you to all eternity ? i make no question but many of your consciences have found this , have found a word darted into your hearts that hath called you from low base things to the high and blessed god. and then thirdly , it is a great and a sore evil to stop our ears against the calls to the most high god , against the calls of the word that calls you to the most high god ; i say , to stop our ears against this is a sore and a dreadful evil . what , not answer to gods call ! doth god call you , and you not answer to him ? we say to a child , your father calls you , or to a servant , your master calls you , will you not answer ? oh! to shut our ears against the call to the most high god is a dreadful thing , it will lie heavie upon thee one day , those calls thou hadest in thine ears will prove to be terrors in thine heart ; certainly , though thou lettest go the calls of the word to the most high god , remember this one note , the calls that thou hadest to the high god being neglected by thee , will prove terrors in thine heart ; poor creature , what is it that thou listens to ? what invitations doth take thy heart , that the calling to the most high cannot overcome thee ? and then fourthly : their hearts are in suspence , though they called them to the most high . from the connexion of these two we have this note . that the calling to the most high god is a special means to cause those that are in a suspence , to come in to a full resolution . in psal . . . thou lord art high above all the earth , thou art exalted far above all gods. what follows in the . verse ? ye that love the lord , hate evil . god is a high god above all gods , hate evil then , set your selves against evil , be resolved in the waies of god , for when you are called to the most high , by this you come to see how infinitely worthy god is of all glory from you , you may see by this what infinite good there is in this god , and that there is infinite power in this god to avenge himself of you , if you neglect his call , therefore there is a mighty deal of force to cause resolution . in the . of acts , we have a notable speech of stephen concerning abraham . abraham was called from his fathers house , and it cannot be imagined but that abraham had many thoughts to keep his heart in suspence , when he was called from his kindred , and al the contentment and comfort he had there , it 's impossible but flesh and blood would suggest many thoughts to abraham to keep his heart in suspence : but what took abrahams heart off from suspence , to resolve fully what to do in such a case ? the text saith , the god of glory appeared to him ; it was not only god , but the god of glory . my brethren , when god is calling you off from all creature comforts , from all things that may quiet your hearts in the world , and you have strong temptations to keep you in the waies of sin , let but the god of glory appear to you , and this will take up your hearts , this will bring your hearts to a full resolution . oh! blessed , blessed are those souls though they have continued long in suspence , yet at length the god of glory appears to them , in the midst of their doubts , and temptations , and hangings off . and if there be such a force in this , then learn to present before thy soul that is in such a suspence , the glorie of the great god , look up to this great god , 't is the infinite high god that i am called to ; oh! thou suspending , thou wavering soul , look up to this most high , and answer this call of god unto himself , answer it thus ; oh lord , thou art an infinite , blessed , glorious being , the supream being of all ; i am a poor , vile worm that lie under thy feet , it 's mercie that thou wilt vouchsafe to look towards me ; thou mightest have let me gone on in base waies , and perished to all eternity without giving me any call to thy self ; but now that thou shouldest give me a call to thy self , the high and glorious blessed lord , this is mercy ; lord , i come , and with fear and trembling fall down before thee saying , lord , what wilt thou have me to do ? those who have been wavering and afterwards setled they have found that this hath been the thing that hath setled them , some dreadful authoritie of the high god that hath come to their hearts in some truth beyond what formerly he hath done , and this hath fully taken off their souls to him . and then fifthly ; the true worship of god is an elevating thing . then are they called to the most high when they are called to the true worship of god , for it raises the soul to the most high . mens inventions are low things , are base and unworthy things , oh consider whether thou findest this in the worship of god ? doest thou find thy soul raised up to the most high in his worship ? thou doest never worship god aright , except thou findest in some measure thy soul raised up to the most high in his worship ; let no man look upon the worship of god as a low mean thing ; know , when thou art to come to worship god , thou hast now to deal with the high god , whom angels worship and adore ; 't is that god who is far above all creatures in heaven and earth : thus thou art to look upon the worship of god. oh! how far are most men from this when they are worshiping of god! very few there are that lift up their hearts to the most high ; even in the duties of worship . and so it follows in the words , none at all would exalt him . why , if god be the most high god , how can he be exalted ? i answer : he is so high , as he cannot be more high than himself , god cannot be more excellent than he is in himself , god cannot make himself better than he is , nor more glorious in himself than he is : therefore no creature can make him more than he is : all that all the creatures in heaven and earth can do for god , can ad nothing to him : in nehem. . . he is exalted ( saith the text ) above all blessing and praise . yet then god accounts himself to be exalted . first , when he is known and acknowledged for the high , supream , first being of all things , when we fear him as a god , when we humble our selves before him as before a god , when we are sensible of the infinite distance there is between him and us , when we are willing to lay down what we are , or have , or can do for the furtherance of his praise , when his will is made the rule of all our waies , and especially of his worship , when we make him the last end of all , when 't is the great care of our souls , and work of our lives to do what possibly we can that he might be magnified & lifted up in the world , and when we account the least sin a greater evil than can be recompenced by all the good that heaven and earth can afford unto us ; and now god accounts himself exalted by us . and this is the work that all of us have to do ; to give up our selves to the exalting of the name of this blessed god ; he is worthy , so worthy of honor from us creatures , that though ten thousand millions of men and angels should perish eternally for the furtherance of the least degree of his honor , he is worthy of it all , so high is this god , and therefore know it to be our work to endeavor in our places to exalt him , and blessed is that man or woman that when they are to die are able to say , oh lord , thou hast been high in my heart , thy wisdom i have adored , and submitted mine unto it , thy will i have honored , and yeelded mine likewise to it , and it hath been the great care of my soul that i might do somthing in my place to lift up thy name according as i have been able ; i say , thou maiest go out of the world in peace as having done in some measure that thou camest into the world for . oh! you whom god hath exalted , let it be your care to exalt this god ; and especially the saints of the lord , know god hath exalted you on high , and expects that you should lift up his name ; he hath lifted up you out of the depth of miserie , from the nethermost hell , he hath joyned you to his son , he hath made you one with his son , he hath loved you with the same love wherewith he loveth his son , he hath made you heirs , co-heirs with his own son , he hath given his angels to be ministring spirits to you , he hath made it his great design to honor himself in your eternal good , the greatest work that god hath to do in the world it is the honoring himself in your glory ; he hath prepared a crown of glory for you ; oh then , do you joyn together to exalt the name of this god who hath lifted up you who were such poor vile worms , let the high praises of this god be in your hearts and mouths for ever ; in psal . . . thy mercy is great above the heavens , and thy truth reacheth unto the clouds ; mark what follows in the . verse , be thou exalted , o god , above the heavens , and thy glory above all the earth : oh lord , we see thy mercy is exalted above the heavens , and thy truth to the clouds : then lord be thou exalted above the heavens , that is in our hearts , and in our lives ; oh! that god may be exalted , in an answerable way above the heavens in what we do for him , as he hath been exalted above the heavens in what he hath done for us ; let 's all exalt gods name : he will be exalted in spight of your hearts . my brethren , god hath exalted himself of late in our eyes , in a glorious manner , in psal . . . be thou exalted , o lord , in thine own strength ; oh the lord hath exalted himself in his own strength : but mark what follows ; so will we sing and praise thy power : oh! let us sing and praise the power of god , who hath exalted himself in his own strength , and for the good of his own people so of late . but none would exalt him ( saith the text . ) god hath little honor in the world ; men seek to exalt themselves , but none to exalt god ; every man follows his own way , his own lusts , but the blessed and glorious god is exalted by few , or none . men will appear to lift up antichrist , to exalt him ; the kings of the earth they will give their power to the beast , but none will exalt the lord. oh! let this grieve the hearts of the saints , to see that the blessed god , so blessed in their eyes should be exalted by so few . and consider , every one of you , how little he hath been exalted by you in all your waies . and why should you vex and fret that you have not honor and respect , when as the blessed god who is so infinitely worthy of honor and glory , yet none ( almost ) respects him. well , let this be the meditation from it ; the less glory i see god have from the children of men , the more let me labor to honor him . none would exalt him ] so the words are read in your books , and i think that is the most proper sense . yet i find luther hath another reading , and so others , and that might likewise stand with the original ; for if you observe the words [ him ] is not there : but it may be ( saith luther ) there is none that lifts up himself ; he , and others turns it thus : that 's thus , men are in a sleepy , sullen mood , that when god calls them , they will not stir up themselves to listen to gods call ; and so luther makes use of this similitude : as a stuborn servant , or child when the master cals him , he will not stir and lift up himself to his call ; there 's none will lift up themselves ; drossie , base , drousie spirits , that are sleepy and sink down to base , low things , they will not lift up themselves when they are called to the most high god. it 's a great evil to give way to a dead , dull , and sullen heart , not to lift up our selves when god calls . when you come to the ministry of the word , you come with hearts dead and sinking down with discouragements : now when god cals , you should stir and lift up your hearts to close with those truths of god that do concern you ; and it 's a great evil in many , when they hear excellent truths that might do them good , yet they do not lift up their hearts to close with those truths . and now we come to the eighth verse , which is a verse very full ; and if in any , you will give me liberty a little to enlarge in that verse . ver . . how shall i give thee up , ephraim ? how shall i deliver thee , israel ? how shall i make thee as admah ? how shall i set thee as zeboim ? mine heart is turned within me , my repentings are kindled together . here , according to luther , ends the eleventh chapter , and the twelfth begins at the next verse . for the words themselves , we have not a more full expression of pathetical affections of mercy and compassion in god , in all the book of 〈◊〉 than here ; how shall i give thee up ? i beseech you observe ; god was in the midst of his threatnings of judgment , & charging of them with their sin : saith he , the sword shall abide upon their cities , and consume their branches : because of their own counsels . and when they were called to the most high god , yet none would exalt him : how ! not one would com in ! what would follow ? one would think , now let wrath pursue them , let the curse of the almighty overtake them , one would wonder that it did not ; but mark a greater wonder , that after the charging of them for this wickedness , and in the midst of gods threatnings of the most dreadful judgments to consume them by the sword , how shall i give thee up , ephraim , & c ? the lord here takes upon him ( as it were ) the person of a loving father towards a stubborn and rebellious child , the child hath gone away from the father , and hath continued in slout waies , it may be the father sends after it , it will not come , it will not return , but goes on stubornly , the father hath many workings in his heart to cast it off ; he shall never be a peny the better for me , let him beg his bread from door to door , he is unnatural to me ; yea , but when he is in the midst of these resolutions , and hath these sad thoughts towards the child , yet there comes a turning of his bowels on a sudden , oh! but how shall i give it up ? how shall i disinherit it ? how shall i do it ? it is my child , though stuborn , why may it not return ? why may not yet god work good upon it ; it 's very evil , but how shall i give it up ? i know not how in the world to bring my heart to it . thus the lord breaks out here . here we have in your books four [ how 's ] how shall i give thee up , ephraim ? how shall i deliver thee , israel ? how shall i make thee as admah ? how shall i set thee as zeboim ? i confess in the hebrew there are but two , but yet for the sense of it the interpreters put in the other , and they have the sense of four , how ? how ? how ? how shall i do it ? there are four interogations here , and four answers . four pathetical interogations that god asks as it were himself . first , how shall i give thee up , ephraim ? secondly , how shall i deliver thee , israel ? thirdly . how shall i make thee as admah ? fourthly , how shall i s●t thee as zeboim ? god is here interogating himself in these four interogatories that come from his own bowels . and here are four answers to these , as thus ; first , mine heart is turned within me . secondly , my repentings are kindled together . thirdly , i will not execute the fierceness of mine anger . fourthly , i will not return to destroy ephraim . these are the four answers ; and the last answer hath two arguments . first , i am god , and not man. secondly , the holy one in the midst of thee . now what the force of the arguments are , we shall see when we come to them . but first to give you the brief opening of the words in a way of paraphrase , and then the several doctrinal notes from them . first , how shall i give thee up , ephraim ? or as some others reade it , what shall i do to thee ? i am as it were at a stand what to do ; as the father that hath the rod in his hand comes to correct , and lets the rod fall out of his hand , his affections work so strongly ; what shall i do ? as if god should say , oh! were there but any repentings , were they but ever so little , i would be glad of it , i would take any little repentings , could i but tell how to vindicate mine honor any other way , i would do it ; oh! what shall i do ? it is your foolish , wilful stubornness , going on in such a vile , finful way that puts god to such a stand ; what shall i do ? god seems here to have his heart troubled in him , much like that in exod. . . when god was offended with the people there , saith he , put off thine ornaments , that i may know what to do with thee . it 's a strange expression : as if he should say , come and fast , and pray , put off your ornaments , and humble your selves before me , that i may know what to do to you : oh! why may there not be some hope ? put off your ornaments , if there be but any repentings and turning to me . or if you take it as it is in your books , how shall i give thee up ? then the scope is thus : thou art upon the very brink of destruction , wrath and miserie it is prepared for thee , thou art in the very mouth of ruin , it 's nothing but only a giving thee up and thou art undone , wrath and miserie stand waiting only for my giving thee up , oh! but how shall i do it ? i see thee upon the very brink of ruin , thy very neck upon the block , and thou now waitest for my giving up , but i cannot tell how to find in my heart , how shall i do it ? how shall i give thee up , ephraim ? oh! here was a strong argument that mov'd the bowels of god. ephraim , if thou wert indeed the refuse of the world ; i would not so much care for many thousand of them , but thou art ephraim , thou art my deer child , ephraim , my deer son , you know what god saith in jer. . about the . verse . how shall i give thee up , ephraim ? how shall i deliver thee , israel ? as if he should say , justice calls for thee , that i would deliver thee up to him , thou art call'd for to be delivered up to justice , justice plead , that thou art her due ; but , how shall i do it ? how shall i do it ? how shall i deliver thee ? it goes much against me to do it . the septuagint they turn the words , how shall i protect thee ? so the old latin. and the mistake comes from a little difference in the hebrew word , so that the same radical letters in the hebrew word that is for [ delivering ] signifies a [ shield ] likewise , to protect as with a shield . and therefore they translate it so , how shall i protect thee ? but that comes to the same , thus : how shall i protect such a one as thou art ? how shall it be for mine honor that thou shouldest be under my protection ? men indeed do abuse their power they have , to give protection to others , you know there hath been a great abuse since the parliament begun by protections that have been given to others , but saith he , how shall i do it ? that is , i who am a holy and infinite god , how shall i protect such a one as thou art ? how shall i protect thee , israel ? israel , here 's another argument indeed ; israel , i remember thy father , i remember that mighty prince who wrastled with me and prevail'd , and i account it my glory to be the glory of israel , and his seed : what , art thou the posterity of israel , of such a one so deer to me , and such a prince that heretofore prevail'd with me in prayer ? what , art thou his posterity ? oh! how shall i deliver thee up , israel ? oh when god looks upon them he sees them sinful and wretched , but when he looks upon what they were in reference to their forefathers , how shall i give thee up , israel ? how shall i make thee as admah ? how shall i set thee as zeboim ? admah and zeboim , they were the names of two cities , that were two of the five cities that were together with sodom and gomorah ; now four of these five cities were destroyed by fire from heaven , for the wickedness of them , and one of them only was spar'd for lot's sake . but this admah and zeboim were two of the cities that the judgments of god was most terrible upon ; the apostle jude in his epistle , the . verse , saith , that they did suffer the vengance of eternal fire . now saith god here , the truth is , you have provoked me as much as admah and zeboim have done , their sins were not greater than yours , and there is as great wrath that belongs to you as to them , but oh ! how shall i do it ? how shall i make thee as admah and zeboim ? how is it possible for me to find in my heart to yeeld to do it ? hierom upon the place doth move this question . why doth he mention admah and zeboim , and not sodom and gomorah ? the answer that he gives is this , that judab , those tribes they are compared in their sin to sodom and gomorah , in isa . . and ezek : for judah had more means than israel had , judah had the temple with them , and therefore their sin was the more aggravated . sodom and gomorah they were the chief sinners ; and admah and zeboim they did but as it were follow them , ( so he ) and by following their example they came to inwrap themselves in the same judgments , but yet altogether their sin was not like sodoms and gomorahs , therefore judah that had more means is compared to sodom and gomorah ; and the ten tribes , to admah and zeboim . my heart is turned within me . luther hath a note upon this , according to his usual way in expressing the grace of god to the height , saith he , 't is as if it were , that the heart that 's stir'd with anger for the sins of men , were not the true heart of god , and therefore saith he , my heart is turned to me , mine own heart ; now i have my own heart indeed when i have thoughts of peace ; when i had thoughts of wrath that was not as it were mine own heart , sutable to that expression we have in scripture , that god calls his execution of jugment , his strange work . so that 's gods own heart that is affected with our evil , and that doth even turn with mercie towards us ; so mine heart is come to me saith god , as if it were gone before . but , my heart is turned within me . the meaning is this ; as when a mans heart is much affected in love and compassion , there 's the working of the spirits and blood round about the heart , and mighty motions and stirrings in the heart . so saith god , me thinks i find all the blood as it were , and my spirits so working and stir'd , that i find my heart even turning up and down within me when i come to the execution of wrath . and then , my repentings are kindled together . it is a very notable phrase , here , by [ repentings ] i take is meant those thoughts of god by which he came to do such things as men do in their repentings . my repentings together ] that is , all the thoughts that i could ( as it were ) possibly muster up , that could be mustered up together for to turn my heart from the waies of truth to the waies of mercy , they are all come up together to me ( saith god ) and being all joyned together , they make a fire , and have set my heart on fire ; as a company of brands being laid together make a great flame ; so all those thoughts that possibly may be any means to work my heart to good to this people , they are all presented together , and being come and joyned all together in one , they set my heart even of a flame , and mightily are stirring in my heart . oh! this is the goodness of god to his people , to have all things that any way may be a motive to do good to his people , to come up all together before god , all in one , and when they come in one there to make a fire in the very bosom of god , all the reasonings as it were of my heart being joyned together for them have kindled a fire , so that i cannot hold , but i must needs vent my self thus , how shall i give thee up , ephraim ? but you wil say , why doth god express himself thus ? god might without any more ado pardon , and help , or deliver , why should he express himself in this manner ? it 's the answer of mr. calvin here , he doth accommodate himself ( saith he ) to our rudeness ; god who disdained not to take mans nature upon him , disdained not to act in the person of a man , who being much wronged , is reasoning in himself what to do , his heart is full of pity , his bowels yern , and he would fain find a way for mercy ; and when provocation of execution comes in in his mind , it is as a dagger to his heart . oh! how shal i do this ? as if you would imagin any merciful man in the world that were put to a straight , would fain have a way for mercy to save a wretched sinner : god takes upon him the person ( as it were ) of this man , and saith , how shall i do it ? god doth ( as it were ) in this bring mercy and justice both together , to plead the case , both against , and for ephraim . justice comes in and pleads , lord , their sins are great and many , their mercies have been great , their means that they have had hath been exceeding much , thou hast been exceeding much , thou hast been patient a long time towards them , and this hath been abused , their hearts are still hardened , thy name is blasphemed because of them . these arguments come up against them . but now there comes up arguments for them . i , but than mercy steps up and pleads , but lord , art not thou a god : thou art a god : these actions indeed may overcome men , but shall they overcome thee ? [ and this is ephraim . ] are not they thy people ? are they not in relation to thee ? are they not in covenant with thee ? spare them lord for their for fathers sake , for abrahams sake , for israels sake , who was so mighty with thee ; remember lord the kindness of their youth , the wonders that thou hast done heretofore for them , when they were stuborn and rebellious ; lord , thou hast many of thine elect among them , and therefore wilt thou utterly consume them . oh! when the lord hears these prayers of mercy on the other hand , how shall i do it ? i cannot do it . thus you have seen the opening of the words , with the paraphrase . but now for the notes . if any one of you should have any thoughts that i do not briefly pass over this scriptur in an expository way , i may even answer you , how shal i do it ? it were a very great burden upon one , to meddle with such scriptures as these are , in an auditory that doth desire to have something spoken to their hearts , and meerly to pass it over in a meer expository way ; therefore for the notes , the first observation is this , the greatness of mans sin , hinders not the work of the bowels of god towards them . there was none exalted him , but they followed their own counsels and did what they list , yet , how shall i give thee up ? ( this from the connexion . ) i will give you an instance , and that 's a very famous one as we have in all the book of god. what sins were greater than the sins of jerusalem against christ when he lived ? and yet christ looks on jerusalem , and weeps over it ; weeps over it , when he considered of the destruction of it . yea , and mark , though jerusalem were guilty of the blood of christ , took away the very life of christ ; yet when christ was risen again , one of the first things that christ doth in the . of luke , . when he was going there to emaus , christ saith , that repentance , and remission of sins was to be preached in his name among all nations , begining at jerusalem . repentance , and remission of sins preached to all nations : oh! but surely jerusalem must be left , jerusalem that did slay the prophets , and was so injurious , yea , jerusalem that put jesus christ to death : though all nation should have repentance , and remission of sins preached to them , yet one would think jerusalem now should be excepted ; no saith christ , begining at jerusalem , jerusalem shall be the first place where i 'le have preached repentance and remission of sins , even that jerusalem that took away my life , i 'le have preached repentance and remission of sins there in the very first place of all , oh! gods mercies are beyond mans iniquities . my brethren , if the bowels of gods mercies shal work toward us , notwithstanding our great sins , why should not the bowels of our compassions work towards our brethren , notwithstanding their infirmities ? why should we upon every little discontent cast off all pity and love to our brethren ? what , such great things in us , and yet moves not god to cast us off , but still , how shall i cast thee off ? oh! when you look upon your brethren that once your hearts did close withal , and that were as your own souls , and if now you should be any instruments of evil to them , you should have such reasonings as this , how shall i do it ? i see infirmities in them , i , but notwithstanding my great sins , god saith of me , how shall i give thee up ? and then secondly , why should great afflictions for god hinder your hearts working to him , seeing great sins against god doth not hinder gods heart yerning to you ? why should any great afflictions for god hinder your hearts working twards him ? surely if god will he merciful to us notwithstanding our sins , we should go on in the waies of obedience to him notwithstanding any afflictions that we meet withal for our obedience . again , a second note is this : sinners are at the very mouth of misery , the brink of destruction when they think not of it , there 's nothing but giving of them up . and then thirdly , it 's nothing but gods free mercy that keeps us from being destroyed ; le's the lords mercy that we are not consumed . in the fourth place , sin puts god to a stand ; how shall i do it ? it brings disorder into the world ; god must set his infinit wisdom on work to bring thing about to his own glory , sin hath brought disorder and confusion ; now saith god , i must set mind infinite wisdom on work to bring glory out of this confusion . if god hath any good intentions to thee , know , they sin laies such difficulties in gods way to find out a way for thee , as puts him to a kind of stand , as thus , for god to find out a way that all the wrong that sin hath done to him should be made up , and yet thy soul should be sav'd , 't is the hardest thing in the world : thou canst commit sin easily , but ( i say ) when the sin is committed , for god then to find out a way that all that wrong that 's done to him should be made up ( as it must be , for otherwise all the disorder will not be brought into order ) and yet thy soul sav'd , it 's the hardest thing in the world ; and were not god , a god infinite in wisdom , it would put him so to it , as he were never able to find out a way . god doth seem as it were to be at a stand , how shall i do to save these sinners , and yet not to wrong my self ? oh! this should humble us for our sins : as if a child should do so much evil as to bring himself into such bryars and troubles , as that his tender father being affected with his sad condition would fain help him , but if he doth help him , he is put to abundance of difficulties for the helping of him , and he is fain to beat his brains , and study waies and means how he shall come to save this his child from utter undoing ; now if the child hath any ingenuity in him , he will not only think , it 's no great matter , so be it i be delivered , oh! but this will break his heart , oh! what troubles have i brought my father into ? it is thus with us in reference to god , if we look upon god thus as personating a man. and then in the fifth place , the salvation of a sinner it breaks through a great many reasonings and workings of gods heart . how shall i do it , saith god ? we little think what reasonings there are between mercy and justice about our lives , about our souls many times , could we but hear what reasonings there are in heaven between mercy and justice about our lives , oh! it would go to our hearts : the great salvation that comes by christ , it was not determined without many reasonings between mercy and justice , there was presented to god whatsoever justice could say , and what ever mercy could say ; what ( saith god ) must my son be under my wrath for the satisfying of justice , and be made a curse ? yet this must be , justice requires satisfaction , how can it be done without the son of god being made a curse for mans sin ? these kind of reasonings there are in the heart of god for saving of mans soul ; in sam. . . we reade of abishai , and davids reasoning the case about sauls life ; saith abishai to david , god hath delivered thine enemy into thine hand this day : now therefore let me smite him , &c. no , saith david , do not smite him , do not destroy him , and thus they reasoned one with another ; saul was in a very ill case when there was that reasoning about his life ; such a case are we in many times , the justice and mercy of god doth reason about our lives , and souls , oh! how do we depend upon god for our lives and souls ? and if we be sav'd , we are sav'd through many reasonings . but the main point of all is this , that according to the relation that a people , a sinful people , or persons have unto god , so god finds it a difficult thing to execute wrath upon them . how shall i do it ? the wrath of god is many times brought to the birth , and god cannot as it were ( to speak after the manner of men ) know how to put strength to it to bring it forth . this is the reason that in scripture we have such sending after sinners , and crying to them , to return , such earnest wishes , oh! that they would return ! and such pleadings with them , they will not come in , and return ; this is the reason why we reade of the lord whetting his sword , and bending his bow , and preparing his arrows . why , is not god ready at any time to execute judgment upon a sinner ? oh no , he will be whetting , and bending , and preparing , and all because it is a work that he is loth to go through withal ( as it were ) and this is the reason why god will not stir up his wrath , or if it be stir'd up , he will call it back again . lament . . . the lord afflicts not willingly ; neither doth he grieve the children of men ; and all this is , because gods nature is to be merciful , mercy pleases him , and the lord doth perfectly foresee , and hath perfectly in his view all the reasons that might move him to mercy . as now thus : these are the things that makes god to be at a stand when he comes to execute judgment upon a people , or persons that have relation to him , where his name is professed , and where himself is worshiped . first , this reason is presented , the many prayers of the saints withstand against justice . justice must break through all the prayers of all the saints of god that are in such places ; and this is not an easie matter ; we account it not an easie matter for to break through a mighty army ; god cannot come to a people that he is related to , and is worshiped by , but that he must break through an army , the army of the prayers of his people ; now saith god , how shall i do it ? oh! it is a mighty army that is between me and them . yea , secondly , the lord looks upon such a place with pity , because of the many children and little ones that there are in such a place , yea , the children of his own people . you know when god was about destroying of neniveh , he look'd upon the many thousands that knew not the difference between the right hand or the left . but when god comes to destroy a kingdom that doth worship him , he looks upon those many infants , and the little ones , and sees them many of the posterity of his servants ; as they are but littles ones that moves his bowels , they have not been guilty of those sins that their parents have been guilty of , and they are the little ones of mine own precious servants , many of them , how shall i destroy this place , even for their sakes ? thirdly , god considers that he hath but little worship in the world , there are but few in the world that do worship him at all ; and though it 's true , there are such mixtures in worship here , as in respect of that i cannot accept of what they have done , yet it is somewhat that i am worshiped , there are very few in the world that own me to worship me at all . fourthly , if ever god hath been honored in such a kingdom by his saints , either by their doing or suffering , the lord regards all this when he is about to draw out the sword of judgment . it 's true thinks god , there are but few that honor me now , but there are many of my servants that have done much , and suffered much , how many have i that have stood out to witness for me , and my truth ? certainly my brethren , the lord in saving any kingdom when the kingdom is in danger , if it be a place that he hath been honored in , and that his people have suffered much there for his names sake , then he remembers it ; and there is not a louder argument next to the blood of jesus christ , in the ears of god to save a place from ruin , than the blood of his people that have been shed for him ; and therefore such a place is beholding to all that have suffered for god. fifthly , he accounts what number of his saints are there : there are yet some of them left ; and would i have saved sodom if there were but ten righteous persons ? now i 'le reckon how many i have , not ten , or an hundred , but ( it may be ) god shall find thousands of righteous persons ; now the blood of my son that pleads for them , and therefore how shall i give them up ? sixthly , i foresee the miseries they would endure , oh! the very cries are in mine ears already , if i should deliver them up into the hand of their enemies , oh! the extremity they would endure , how would they be plundered of all they have , put into prison , put to miserable torments ! oh! what shreekings and cries would there be , even from my people that would worship me ! and me thinks 〈◊〉 ears are fill'd already with their cries before-hand . many times when we speak of the sorrows and miseries of people , before they come we are a little affected with them , but when we are eye-witnesses of the miseries of people ; as if any of you have seen the woful miseries of those that have been under the power of the adversaries , then your hearts would be affected indeed : but now all the miseries that they should endure are present before god , as if they were now in real being , and therefore , how shall i give them up ? and that 's the sixt thing that puts god thus to a stand , that makes it hard for him to give up a people that are any way related to him . seventhly , the lord sees how the adversaries would insult ; if i should deliver them , they will not honor me , they will blaspheme , they will scorn at their prayers , and fastings , and at all their trusting in god , and at their good cause , and what 's become of your good cause , and of your pretending to god , so much as you have done ? now the lord foresees these blasphemies and insultings of the proud adversaries , how they will triumph , and tread upon his saints as dirt under their feet . eighthly , there are many of mine elect ones that are to come out of their loyns , and therefore though i do not preserve the kingdom for their own sakes , yet for those elect ones that comes out of their loyns ; if i should deliver them up to the rage of the enemy , then the line of my election would even be cut asunder , and therefore , how can i give them up ? i shall wrong my self in this thing , in cutting asunder even the very thread of election in giving them up . ninthly , if my wrath and justice must be satissied , let it run out upon others , who will set the bryars and thorns before me that i may go through them and burn them up together . tenthly , if my saints be afflicted , it will be my affliction ; it 's true , they will suffer very much , but in an their afflictions i must be afflicted too ; i foresee what afflictions it will be to mine own soul. eleventhly , i am bound to fetch good out of all their evils . suppose i should give them up , yea , but then i must work for mine own glory , and fetch out good from all their snfferings ; and will it not be as easie for me to be patient towards them , as to work good from their sufferings when they are given up ? god reasons in this manner . twelfthly , if i destroy them , what glory shall i have ? i shall have the glory of my justice ; i , but it will be but passively : and will that be much , to have the glory of justice in a passive way ? i have enough in hell to glorifie my justice in a passive way . yea , lastly , why may not mercy yet work upon their hearts ? who knows but if ye i continue the gospel amongst them , and deliver them from those great straights that now they are in , who knows but their hearts may be turned unto me ? oh! my brethren , i make no question , but at this day all these reasonings have been in the heart of god , concerning england . when we have been at the very pits brink , the lord hath been often saying even concerning england , how shall i give thee up england ? how shall i make thee as admah ? and set thee as zeboim ? mine heart it turned within me , my repentings are kindled together . at that time when forces were raised ( before the parliament ) against our brethren of scotland , then said the lord , how shall i give thee up ? and then at edge-hill , and at brainford , and at newbery , and marston-more , and nazeby-fight , we were at every one of them even at the delivering up to the rage of the enemy ; and then comes in these reasonings of the heart of god , oh! how shall i make them as other people , as germany , and other people ? besides others in former times , as in . and the pouder-treason ; i say , there have been the workings of the bowels of god towards us , a poor , wretched and sinful people . and let us now learn to acknowledg whence our preservation is ; it is not from this man , and the other man , so much as from the reasonings of the heart of god thus for good unto us . hence let us learn what to do when any temptation comes to any sin : what , is it thus with god ? doth god say when we are in danger of being destroyed , how shall i do this ? then when any temptation comes to us to sin against god , oh let us say , how shall i do this , and sin against god ? as joseph ( you know ) it was his reasoning , when he had as fit an opportunity to fin as almost a man could have had , with his mistris , yet presently comes there this reasoning in his heart , how shal i do this , and fin against god ? oh! there is reason it should be so with us , when god hath fit opportunities to destroy us , there comes the reasoning of gods mercy into his heart ; so when we have our temptations to sin , there should com these reasonings into our hearts , oh! how shall i do this , and sin against the lord our god ? let us present al these reasonings to our souls . men wil gather reasonings for their sin : and so we should gather al the reasons that possibly we can against our sins . it were well my brethren , if men after they have sinned would say , oh , what have i done ? but it 's better if men before they have sinned would say , how shall i do it ? oh! certainly our mind : are very barren that we have not upon every occasion when a temptation comes , reasonings to move us against it ; indeed after a sin is committed , men then can think of this reasoning , and the other reasoning , oh! if god should thus deal with us , first deliver us up and and destroy us , and then god should think of this and that what might have been to have preserved us , it would have been ill for us ; therfore god , just when the danger comes for our ruin , then he thinks of all that might keep off ruin from us : and so when the temptation to a sin comes then should we think of all things that might keep us from this sin . how shall i give thee up ephraim , &c. the last exercise we opened unto you this verse , and made some observations from it ; to proceed now : the next note is this , it is not the image of god in any man to be prone to wrath , to delight in wrath , to be sudden in , the execution of anger ; when god comes to execute anger he cannot do it , but he must have a how shall i do it ? before he doth it , he must make a stop : proneness to anger , suddenness to let out wrath , it is not the image of god in any man or woman . when any of you are about to do any thing , especially against your brethren , against those that you have relation to , be not over passionate , reason the case first in thine own heart , how shall i do this ? true , i think such and such they are in the wrong , but what good will come of it if i do thus and thus ? are they not those that i have had sweet converse with , and experience of their godliness ? would it not be more for the honor of god if i did forbear ? will any good come to the publick ? shall not i rather serve the designs of the enemies with such sharpness and bitterness ? will they not laugh and scorn at religion ? oh! how shall i do this ? oh! when we have workings in our own thoughts as bitter as gall , if before we vent them , we would but put this to our selves , how shall i do this ? with presenting all the arguments that possibly we can to stop it , much good would come of it . yea , ministers when they are to preach , when they have prepared to deliver something , yet if there will be any tartness in it , they should think , how should i do this ? what may come of it ? i may vent my self , but what good may come of it ? what glory to god ? what good to the church ? we should make many pauses , and many stops to our anger . as somtimes when you are traveling abroad in the country , you come upon some steep hill , you shall find that the country men they lay here and there in several places something to stop the current of the water , for otherwise it would gore too much , if it should run down swiftly , but when it hath some stop it doth not do so much hurt : oh! how doth the anger of men gore deep ; why ? because it runs headily , and violently down , and it hath nothing to stop it . men in anger they are very full of thoughts , and resolutions , and continually all the reasonings of the hearts of men and women in their anger tend to nothing else but to heat their hearts more , all their thoughts work that way , till their hearts are made fiery hot , and so they burst out and cannot stay , they muse upon nothing else but that that may further their anger and displeasure : and those that are barren enough in their thoughts otherwise , yet are very quick in invention , and wittie for the letting out of anger and wrath . but this would be your wisdom had you the image of god prevailing in you , when you find anger stirring in your bosom , you would rather muster up reasons that may allay your anger , that may qualifie it , you would muse upon those things that may serve to be a stop to it for the present , as god doth here : oh! did men but do so , say , how shall i do this ? what peace and quiet might we have among us ! a ninth observation is this ; you see when god , though he threatned very sorely , and charges deeply , yet , how shall i do this ? he reasons in his own heart for waies of mercy towards his people . the note from it is this ; here we have encouragement , plentiful encouragement to come to god in prayer in seeking mercy , notwithstanding our wretchedness , and sinfulness , yea , encouragement for beleeving , this scripture may be a mighty help to faith in our prayers , seeking of our resting upon god , as thus , what , doth god find it hard to him to execute wrath , doth god muster up all arguments that may be to stop his anger , and how he may manifest goodness and mercy ? why then if thou hast any arguments to plead with god for mercy , thou mayest come up with boldness , and freedom to him , he is ready to receive it , for thou bringest unto him that which is exceedingly sutable to him , sutable to his very heart , thou bringest matter to him that is agreeable to what his heart is set upon ; what , doest thou apprehend the displeasure of god out against thee , or against the land where god hath any relation ? hast thou any arguments at all in prayer to plead with god , for so god gives his creature leave to plead with him as if he were a man ; oh! come ( i say ) with a free spirit , come cheerfully , come with encouragement , for thou comest now to do that which gods heart is full of ; if so be that a man could know the thoughts of other men , know what thoughts their spirits are most full of , and could come at that time and suggest thoughts unto them sutable to what their thoughts are upon , what entertainment would they have , why surely , when poor sinners ( if they be penitent sinners ) shall come to god and suggest any arguments for mercy , i say thou doest suggest that which the heart of god was full of , and exceedingly sutable to it , the same thing that thou pleadest , mercy is pleading already , and mercy carries on those arguments with a great deal more strength than thou art able to do , but it takes it well at thy hand to present any to it , thou art loth to perish , and god is as loth thou shouldest perish , if god give thee a heart to come to him to stop wrath , thou comest to him to do a work exceeding acceptable to him , 't is as acceptable to god , such a work , as it can be acceptable unto thee : when thou apprehendest judgment ready to be executed , look up to mercy , it may 〈◊〉 the holy ghost may raise an act of faith , and this act of faith will set bowels on work , the bowels of god are very ready to work ; that which is very ready to work , a little thing will set it on work ; i say , gods bowels are very ready to work in the waies of grace and mercy towards sinners , and the least act of faith in that mercy , would certainly set bowels on work a main : mercy calls thee to help , mercy hath been pleading a great while , and justice pleading ; mercy calls thee in to help , and assist her to plead for thee , and who knows but the casting voice staies for thy coming in , though there hath been pleadings in gods heart , yet the dispensations of god may be such as the casting voice shall not come till thy pleadings be come in , and then the business may be determined as it was here . the tenth observation is this , oh consider the different dealings of the father with his son ; let our meditations be raised from this , doth the bowels of god thus work towards poor sinners , pleading for them when wrath is ready to be executed , then we may here see the great difference between gods dealings with his saints , and with his son. when god comes to deliver his people , these that he had relation to , where he had some of his saints , and for their sakes he speaks this , he saith , how shall i deliver thee ? we do not find that god said so concerning his son , god did deliver up his son unto wrath without a how shall i do it , yea , the heart of god was in it , there 's no such expression of reluctancie about this work , but the scripture saith that it pleased god to bruise him ; it pleased him well , it was an act that pleased god to bruise his son : indeed it was for glorious ends that he had in it ; why so ? god might have ends enough for to bring forth his glory in our bruising ; but yet notwithstanding any ends that he might bring about , he saith , how shall i do it ? god doth not delight to grieve the children of men , but god did grieve his son , he bruised him , and it pleased him to bruise him . you shall find such an expression in isa . . and in psal . . in the volumn of the book it is written of me , that i should do thy will : it was the will of god that christ should come and suffer what he did ; when ephraim was bemoaning himself , góds bowels were troubled within him , he doth let the rod fall out of his hand , in jer. . , . when ephraim was bemoaning himself ; mark how gods bowels there works , but the scripture saith that god did not spare his son ; god would spare ephraim ; jesus christ did bemoan himself when he cried out , if it be possible , let this cup pass from me : and , oh god , my god , why hast thou forsaken me ? oh what a bemoaning of himself was this ! and yet in rom . . god spared not his own son , he did not spare him , notwithstanding all the moans that he made unto him , but he delivered him up . here we reade of the repentings of god that are kindled , and divers times in scripture of gods repenting of the execution of justice upon sinners , but when he speaks of chist , i have made him a priest for ever , that is , so as he should be a sacrifice , both the priest to offer , and the sacrifice its self , in heb. . . the lord sware , and will not repent : oh certainly it was from this work of god , the delivering up of his son , that the lord hath such working of bowels towards sinners when wrath comes to be executed , to say , how shall i give thee up ? yet further , if the heart of god doth thus work towards sinners when they are ready to be given up , yea towards those that are very evil , for so these were , their hearts bent to back-sliding ; hence then we may learn. that the state of the saints that walk close with god must needs be very secure ; if the lord deals thus with rebellious sons , what will he do with a son that serves him , that walks close with him ? though a son very vile , very sinful , yet there is a how shall i give thee up ? oh then , thou whose conscience witnesses of thy sincere endeavor in walking close with god continually , know that thy estate must needs be secure . yea further , if this be so , surely whensoever god delivers up his own people to any judgments , there 's some great matter in it ; some great matter in it , for never doth any affliction come unto them , but it breaks through many reasonings of gods heart , god intends some great matter ; doth judgment begin at the house of god ? it is because the lord hath some great intents to bring forth , it is not because the lord takes pleasure in the moans of his people , in the sorrows and sufferings of his servants , but it is because he intends some great things ; for certainly these bowels of compassion would not let such sore and grievous evils pass , if there were not some great ends and purposes of god to bring about . and yet further , hence observe , the difference between the day of patience , and the times of wrath : for the sakes of those that were godly here , gods patience speaks thus towards the body of the people , and so was patient and long-suffering towards them . there is a time that god wile laugh at the destruction of sinners , and he will mock when their fear cometh , when he will execute his wrath , and be comforted as the scripture speaks : there is a time indeed when god saith , how shall i give them up ? but there is another time wherein god doth give forth the wine of his wrath , the wine , it doth delight the lord as wine doth unto a man , when indignation shall be as wine to god , then mercy and patience shall hold their peace , for they have then their glory already , they will never speak more , but turn over the sinner unto justice , yea , pleads unto justice against the sinner . and then lastly , seeing that god comes off thus , when he is about the letting out of wrath , making such stops as he doth , then surely we should not hasten judgment against our selves ; but let us make use of these dealings of god for the breaking of our hearts , and causing them to return unto him ; let not us assist justice to our own destruction , seeing mercy pleads ( as it were ) against the execution of it , let us take heed of new provocations , when god is about the letting out of his wrath , let not us pull it upon our own heads , seeing god keeps off , and forbears , let not us hasten it ( i say ) and pul it upon our own heads . if sodom had but known gods reasonings with abraham in the behalf of it , one would have thought it might have broke the very hearts of sodom . and let us consider of the reasonings of god in this , and lay them to our hearts for the breaking of our hearts , and think thus with our selves , lord , why should it be so hard with thee to deliver me up , when it is so easie with me to sin against thee ? there 's no pleadings hath stop'd me in the course of my sin , the word hath pleaded , conscience hath often pleaded , but i have not been stop'd in the course of my sin ; oh! why should any pleadings stop thee in the course of thy wrath ? the lord cause such kind of workings to be in our hearts for the breaking of them , considering , that indeed it is through the pleadings of mercy that any of us are alive , that we are out of the nethermost hell. and thus much for those words , how shall i give thee up , ephraim ? how shall i deliver thee israel ? it follows ; how shall i make thee as admah , and set thee as zeboim ? i opened the words the last day , what is meant by admah and zeboim , the two cities that were neer to sodom and gomorah , that were destroyed in the same destruction . the notes of observation follow . first , that gods people may be in danger of as sore and great evils as the vilest and worst of men , their sin may have such agravations upon them , as may make them liable for the present in this world to as sore & great evils as the worst of mankind . for indeed , the aggravations of the sins of the saints are such as makes their sins , if god should deal with them according to a covenant of works , and not in a covenant of grace , their condition would be sadder than the most wicked and vile : in amos , . . saith god there , are ye not as the children of the ethiopians unto me ? you have had ( indeed ) deliverances , and so have they , and are you not unto me as the children of the ethiopians ? what are you better than the children of the ethiopians unto me , if i should look upon you as in your selves ; therefore in isa . . . the princes of judah are called the princes of sodom ; and the people , the people of gomorah : and in lament . . . the punishment of the iniquity of the daughter of my people is greater than the punishment of the sin of sodom . ezek. . . as i live , saith the lord , sodom thy sister hath not done , she , nor her daughters , as thou hast done , thou , and thy daughters . [ as i live ] god swears to it , that sodom was not guilty of such great sins . you will say , yea , but we are delivered from such evils , by being under another covenant . yea , but that should not at al hinder the work of your humiliation , but rather further it , considering what you are in your selves . secondly , when sinners are at the worst , and the neerest judgment , yet bowels of mercy are working towards them , when they do deserve to be as admah and zeboim , even then . this note rises from hence : but we had it also from the dependance of the words . thirdly , those that have relation to god have a great priviledge that others have not : thus : as if god should say , let admah and zeboim perish if they will , let fire and brimstone come from heaven , and eternal fire pursue them , what care i for admah and zeboim : but how shall i make thee as admah and zeboim ? oh! i know not how to find in my heart to make thee so . those that have relation to god have a great priviledge that others have not ; god disposes his mercies as he pleases . it may be some of you think that your sins are not so great , or not greater than the sins of others , and therefore you may escape as well as they . no , you may mistake in that , god may save some that are guilty of greater sins than you , and yet damn you , damn you for sins less than the other . gods mercy is his own ; if god wil destroy admah and zeboim eternally ; who can say against gods dealings with them ? but , how shall i make thee as admah and zeboim ? god knows how to make a difference between man and man. let no man presume , and say , because others commit as great sins as i , i may escape aswel as they ; no , thou reckonest in this without thine host ; god may make a great difference between his dealingswith them , and with thee , and do thee no wrong neither ; for the mercies of god are his own . fourthly , seeing god is loth to make his people like to others , like to the wicked and reprobates in punishments , let not them make themselves like to them in sin . doth god put a difference between reprobates and his people in punishment ? oh! let the saints then labor to put a difference between themselves and such as are of the world in matter of sin , let that be no argument to them , such and such do thus , and why may not i do so ●oo ? that 's no argument with god ; i have destroyed such and such , and why may not i destroy thee ? that argument wil not prevail with god. thou committest such a sin , and i have some in hell that i sent thither for the same sin : but this argument prevails not with god : oh! let not such an argument prevail with thee , that because such and such sin , therefore i will venture too . a fifth note is , though god be never so inclined to mercy , yet this doth not hide from his eyes the sins of his own people , he still sees them , he sees what they are in themselves , and he sees what would become of them if they were left to themselves : now i am in a way of mercy towards you , yet i look upon you now as such as have deserved to be as admah and zeboim , do not think that because my mercy works towards you , that therefore your sins are not before my eyes , i know your iniquities , and yet am gracious and merciful . and is it so ? neither then should the hope , or encouragement of mercy from god hide our sins from us : as the thoughts of gods mercies to us do not hide our sins from him , so our hope of mercy from god should not hide our sins from our own eyes , but at the same time when we think of the greatest mercy , yet we should look upon our selves as the most wretched , miserable , forlorn creatures in our selves . it follows . my heart is turned within me , my repentings are kindled together . the word here translated [ turned ] it signifies some great stirring , some change into another condition . and that expression of god here , my heart is turned , it is not only to note , ( according as i see several interpreters go ) that god doth change the sentence of his wrath , yet without any change in gods nature , for the same god working upon divers objects , works in a diverse way without any change in himself , so that though there were those things that might have produced wrath , and reasoning for it , and ( god speaking after the manner of men as it were ) inclinations to it , yet upon such considerations it should not be , and though this would be a change in man , yet god is infinitly above us , and we are not able to know his nature , this is without any change in him . but i think the words besides that , it specially hath another scope , and that is to note the strong affections ( as it were ) in god , for so in all this we must speak of him after the manner of men , to note the strong affections that there were in the heart of god ; as now , we know that strong affections in us , whether they be affections of love , or of joy , or of anger , they carry the heart along with them , and cause very strong motions in the heart . i 'le give you one scripture that hath this very phrase , that will shew you the meaning is not , turned within me , that is , in a way of change so much ; as to note strong motions that there are in the heart of god towards sinners : lam. . . there the church is lamenting for her sin , and expressing the mighty workings of heart that she did feel in her self by reason of her sin , and of her affliction , and you have there the same expression that you have here : i am in distress , my bowels are troubled ; mine heart is turned within me . the meaning is not there , that i am changed in my heart , so as i am turned from my sin ; but , my heart is turned within me , that is , i find a mighty moving in my heart through the mighty workings of it , and the strong affections of my heart , ( as we say sometimes ) you make my heart to leap in my belly , or pant , or ach within me . any kind of strong affections makes strong stirrings in the heart . so 't is here , my heart is turned within me , i find mighty strong motions and stirrings in my heart . the notes . first , when there are strong movings of the heart of a penitent after god , such an one may be very well encouraged to come to god , for there are strong motions in gods heart after him . my heart is turned , there are mighty strong movings in my heart for mercy to you , do you find such movings in your hearts as you never were acquainted withal before ? before your hearts lay dead , and dull , and nothing would stir your hearts ; and now you find your hearts mightily stirring and working ; doth your hearts work strongly towards god ? be encouraged in those stirrings , there are as strong stirrings in gods heart towards sinners . and then secondly , let arguments to obedience for god cause stirrings in our hearts ; let them not lie dead and dull in us : as arguments for mercy , oh! how stirring are they in gods heart ! if any argument for mercy towards finners be propounded , the heart of god mightily stirs , oh! what arguments do you meet withal coming from the word many times , that one would think might work upon the heart of a devil to draw to obedience , and yet your hearts lie dead , and dull under all those powerful arguments , oh! how unsutable are your hearts to god! do you expect that gods heart should work strongly towards you to do you good , and yet nothing stir in you ? and then thirdly , my heart turned within me ; we must not cast out wholly the sence that 's given of it ; turned in respect of the revoking of the sentence . the note is : when we have resolutions , strong resolutions to that that 's evil , let us not think it too much to have our hearts turned , to recall our thoughts , and our determinations , and our strong inclinations : many times men have strong resolutions to a thing , and they see arguments that might turn them , but only this , they have resolved , and they are loth to change their thoughts and resolutions : oh! take heed of this , for god expresses himself after the manner of men , there have been many times strong resolutions to have destroyed thee eternally , but the lord doth that which man would do when he changes his resolutions , though there be no change in gods nature ; and he would by expressing himself after this manner to us , hold forth this note , that we should take heed we stand not upon our resolutions when there are arguments to the contrary , but be willing to have it known that now we are otherwise than before we were . my repentings are kindled together . surely god repents not as man doth . but you know the answer of divines ; viz. that his administrations are such as if he did repent : but the word here translated repenting , comes from a root that signifies as well comfort , as repentance , noting that repentance and comfort are very neer a kin one to another : as the hebrews express sin , and punishment with the same word ; so they express repentance and comfort with the same word . my repentings are kindled . my bowels yern within me ; so that expression you have in gen. . . josephs bowels did yern within him . and kings , . . the mother of the child when she saw it would be cut pieces , her bowels yerned ; the word yerned there , is the same here with kindled , her bowels kindled within her , she found a heat in her bowels . they are kindled [ together . ] whatsoever might cause any repentings , they all come together , they lie glowing at the heart . the notes are these three , first , here 's mighty encouragement for prayer ; when we present arguments to god for mercy , to think , that those arguments we present , and all other that possibly may be presented they lie glowing at gods heart , they lie glowing warm at the heart of god ; they are not only before god , but there they lie as a company of sticks that are gotten together and so glow and are ready to flame out ; so all considerations that any way may serve to do good unto the saints , they do lie glowing at the heart of god altogether . it may be sometimes we come in prayer , alas we are straightned in our own bowels , perhaps we cannot express our selves , it may be but in one or two particulars we are able to express , and that which comes out of our hearts comes very cold ; but when we are straigtned in our own bowels , and can express but little for our selves , and if we see such as belongs to gods covenant , we must know that all considerations that possibly men and angels can express , that may do thee good they are all with god , and are in a heat in gods heart . i do not know such a full expression as this is of repentings kindled ; kindled together . then secondly , let us gather as many arguments as we can to cause repentance , and lay them together , and never leave working them upon our hearts till we find them kindled : surely there 's all the reason for it in the world ; doth the lord gather all together that may be for our good , and lay them upon his heart , and there keep them to his heart till they kindle and work powerful workings upon his heart for good to us ? then , when we would repent , ( for there 's reason that we should repent as well as expect that god should for us ) we should be gathering all arguments that possibly can be , and never leave till we find them kindled and warm at our hearts . oh! many of you , at some times you have one argument that sticks at your hearts , and at another time there 's another ; at such a time there was some one truth darted in , and it took your hearts , and you would say as those that went to emaus , did not we find our hearts burn within us ? so you found truths coming in at such a sermon , and at another , and another ; yea , but now could you get but all those arguments that ever god did dart into you to waies of repentance , could you but get them together , and work them upon your hearts , and never leave till they be kindled , and be crying to god as elisha did , till he got fire to come from heaven to consume the sacrifice : oh lord , my heart hath a deal of waterie stuff in it that will not kindle , till the fire of the holy ghost come to kindle these arguments and make them to burn ; oh! if it were with us , as david in psal . . . saith he , while i was musing , my heart was hot within me , and the fire burned : so we should go into our closets and be gathering all things together that we can to work upon our hearts , and continue mufing till we find the fire burning within us . nay , our hearts heat so , as to break forth with our tongues , and even to say from our souls , well , the lord is god , it is he that is worthy for ever to be feared , and honored , and serv'd , i have lived like a base , and sinful , wretched creature , without a god in the world , but it 's the lord that is god , that is worthy to be honored , from my bodie , and soul , and estate , and name , and liberty , and life , and whatsoever i am , or can do ; now if it would break forth in such a resolution , how excellent would it be ? oh! let us be humbled i beseech you for the coldness of our hearts , that nothing can kindle there ; what a damp is there upon our spirits , that when any argument is laid it goes out presently ? we have truths laid upon us when we come to the word , but our dampie hearts quenches them all , they do not kindle ; many are wittie enough to gather arguments for sin , and lay them upon their hearts , and so to kindle wickedness in their hearts , as in psal . . . you have a notable scripture there of wicked men that came to david , they gathered iniquity in their hearts ; all things that might sute with their wicked hearts , and for the furtherance of their ungodly waies they gathered them together for the encouraging , and strengthening of them in their evil waies : but it should be the care of the saints to gather all things that might further repentance in them ; that 's the reason why wicked men are so hot in that that 's evil , they gather arguments together ; and hence it is that wicked men when they have been in wicked company they come from it so hot in their resolutions to sin , why ? because they have gathered a great deal together for the heating of their hearts in their sin ; and so should the saints when they are together in a holy communion and fellowship , they should be gathering one from another , every one come and afford something to lay ( as it were ) to kindle the fire , but how ? laying their light ends together , and not their dead ends together . and then the third note is this , our mercies to others should not be cold , but burning : let us be merciful , as our heavenly father is merciful : that is , not only wishing good to others , but let there be kindled mercies in our bowels , that we may not be able to keep them in . i suppose many of you , especially of estates , have had many thoughts , that you would do this and this for such good uses , and you see some reason why it should be so ; yea , but now , have these arguments burnt in your hearts , so as to cause you to break forth into resolutions ? well , though i have had thoughts and inclinations to make use of my estate thus and thus , yet i have been kept off , but now they are kindled in my heart , and i am resolved upon it . thus it was with god ; and let it be so with you . and thus much for the eighth verse . the ninth follows . ver . . i will not execute the fierceness of mine anger . i will not execute the [ burning ] of mine anger ( so the words are ) it 's true , your sins , and arguments against you did lie at my heart , and did even burn it ; but i will not execute that , i will execute the kindling of my mercy , but not the kindling of mine anger . mark the several phrases , bowels was kindled in way of mercy , and wrath was kindled , there was burning wrath , and burning mercy , but that which prevails , it is , the burning mercy , that prevails , i will not execute the burning of mine anger ; why ? for i have kindlings of mercy in my bowels . but how was this true ? was not israel carried into captivity , and continued there many yeers , and never yet returned again ( as some think ) and when they were carried into captivity for three yeers together , there was a siege at the city , and yet god saith here , he will not execute the sierceness of his anger ? for the answer : that which before was said , will give sufficient answer to it , how shall i make thee as admah , and zeboim ? that is , though god did suffer them to be carried away captive , and their enemies prevail'd against them , yet he did not make them as admah and zeboim though : there was not the fierceness of gods anger , the burning of the anger of god , out against them . and the lord had even in their carrying into captivity , yet he had respect to his elect ones , and hath to this very day an intention to do them good afterwards : and so we shall find in the next verse , that there is a promise of the returning from their captivity , and therefore though they were for a long time to continue in captivity , yet still god did not execute the fierceness of his anger . sin indeed stirs up anger and fierce anger in god. the septuagint translate the words thus , i will not do according to the anger of my wrath , that is , in extremity , i will not do thus with you , there were mighty stirrings in gods heart , pleadings of justice , and pleadings of mercy , but gods mercy overcomes , gets the day , as it were : mercie triumphs over justice . the observations : when we have stirrings between mercy and wrath , the stirrings of mercy should rather prevail , the bent of our hearts should rather be in them . when we have workings this way and that way ; which is the most benign side ? the arguments had need be very much the stronger for wrath , than for mercie ; if the arguments have any equality , or neer any equalitie in them , certainly the arguments for mercie should prevail : they do so with gods heart ; oh! be you like god in this . and then secondly , when there are stirrings with god , and temptations to draw to sin , the stirrings for god likewise should prevail . have not you found it thus many times in your selves ? you have had stirrings in your hearts to such and such duties , and at the same time there hath been temptations coming to such and such sins ; now i put it to your consciences , as in the name of god , cannot you tell divers times how the temptations to sin hath got the day ? you have been rather carried from god to your base sinful lusts , and your conscience hath been overcom ; conscience hath pul'd , and drawings of the spirit have been very powerful , but yet temptations have been more powerful , and you have gone that way ; oh! be ashamed of this , that it should ever be said , that at such a time there were stirrings with conscience and temptations , temptations and conscience stirring together , yet that temptation should overcome conscience . thirdly , gods mercies do not free his people from all fruits of displeasure . [ but i will not execute the fierceness of mine anger . ] and my brethren , this is not meant meerly of the times of the law ; for this anger of god upon them is to this very day ? but yet it is not fierceness of anger , like that of adamah and zeboim : there are ( no question ) among them the elect ones of god at this day , god wil not have this called the fierceness of anger . so , 't is displeasure , 't is captivity , long captivity , they are a reproach , and a by-word to the world , and yet not fierceness of anger : our discontented hearts are ready to call every little affliction , fierceness of anger ; oh! how fierce is god , if we suffer any little ! and indeed did we but know what anger our sins deserve , we would learn , not to call every affliction that is upon us , no , nor our greatest afflictions , fierceness of anger . fourthly , we should acknowledge mercy , though we suffer hard things ; if yet we be not utterly , not everlastingly cast off , acknowledge mercy ; it is mercy my repentings kindled : i will not execute fierceness of anger : why ? because they were not as admah and zeboim . learn we all this : this day whatsoever afflictions are upon me ; though it may be you are ready to say , such afflictions are upon me , as upon none ; we are ready to think our afflictions to be the greatest of all ; yea , but bless god that thou hast not fire from heaven to consume thee and thy family , for this might have been thy portion , this fierceness of anger . i will not return to destroy ephraim . god here compares himself to a captain that comes with his soldiers unto a town : i suppose many of you in this place may easily come to understand the meaning of this word , by what they have seen and felt themselves : soldiers come to a town , and there they pillage it and away they go , and so the poor people think , soldiers have been here , and i hope we shall do well enough now , and think all 's over : it may be within a month or two after , the same soldiers come again , and utterly ruin the place , and strip them of all . but now saith god , i will not return to destroy ephraim , that is , though i lay my hand upon them , and afflict them , and take away many comforts from them , yet when i have done that , there i 'le leave , i will not come back again with a purpose utterly to ruin them ; this i might do , i might return upon them with one evil upon another , but i will not do so . from whence note : there is no cause that sinners should be secure when some evil is upon them , to think this is all , now they know the worst : no , god may justly return upon them again and again ; if thou turnest not to god under thy affliction , god may justly return upon thee to ruin thee . indeed if thy afflictions were such as hath caused thy heart to return to god , thou maiest then hope that god wil not return upon thee , but if so be thou behav'st thy self frowardly under thy afflictions ( i say ) thou maiest justly expect that god should return upon thee . but secondly , god is very gracious to his people when evil is upon them , he will not ad , and ad , till he utterly destroy them , but he will forbear that he might have some subject for his mercie , he will not contend for ever . for i am god ( saith he ) and not man. here 's an argument that is very full , i will not execute the fierceness of mine anger , for i am god , and not a man. before god took upon him the person of a man in those yernings of his bowels , that is , when he would express his mercie , mark , there god would come in the most familier way to make us know the meaning of his mercy ; but when he comes to speak of anger , there he would have us know that he is not like to a man in way of anger ; in the way of mercie , saith he , if there be the most merciful man upon earth , know that i am like him ; but when i come to anger , i am not like man in the way of anger : god is verie desirous that we understand fully his heart in the waies of his mercy , but when he speaks of the execution of his wrath , i will not do that , why ? for i am a god , and not a man : and mark the strength of this expression , the difference between god and man in the point of the execution of wrath , you will find it very useful to you ; first for the opening of it , and then for the several observations to be drawn from it . as first , man is of a weak spirit , not able to rule his anger , man , if he be but a little heat with anger , it 's turn'd into rage , and there 's no rule at all ; but i am not man saith god , i am god , i am no man , 't is not with me thus , i am not of a weak spirit , i am able to rule my anger , in nahum , . . the lords anger there is said to be furious , but i find the word in the original , the lord of anger , so montanus turns it , a god that 's able to rule his anger , and expresses it in the midst of the expression of his greatest wrath , i am god , and not man , [ man ; ] the word is not [ adam ] but [ ish ] a strong man , or a noble man , but i am god [ ell ] i am a strong god , and i am able to rule anger so as man cannot . secondly , man is of a revengeful and of a cruel disposition , man cares not what he doth so that he may have his lusts ; but i am a god and not a man , of a loving , sweet , and tender disposition . thirdly , man , many times because he hath not satisfaction within his own heart , therefore he is in a rage with every body : man flies upon others , not so much for any thing that they do , but because of the disquiet of his own heart ; but i am a god and not man , i am infinitly alsufficient of my self , & there is no disquiet in me , all it at rest and quiet within me , and this makes me to be of such a quiet disposition towards my creature . fourthly , if there be any mercie in a man , it 's but verie little , a little matter will stop the current of the mercy that is in man ; but i am a god and not man , there is infinite mercie in me , an infinite current , and the current of the mercie that is in me cannot easily be stopt , for i am a god. fifthly , man is of a fickle and an unconstant disposition , but i am jehovah and change not , and therefore the sone of jacob are not consumed . sixthly , if man passes by an offence , it is from some motives or some perswasions from without , if there be none of those motive and perswasions from without , he is fevere , and he is ridged , but i am a god and not man , i have enough in mine own heart to perswade me , though there be no arguments from without , yet there 's enough within me , in my own bowels to perswade me , for i am a god. seventhly , man he thinke it a dishoner to him to begin reconciliation with those that have offended him , what shall i go and disgrace my self to begin with my inferior ? let him begin with me if he will ; this is mans disposition ; but i am a god and not man , i account it my glory to begin the work of reconciliation , there is not such a disposition in me as in man. eightly , man , he cannot foresee the consequences that may follow upon his forbearing , or pardoning of offences , and therefore he is loth to forbear or pardon : but i am a god and not man , i have infinite wisdom and can foresee all consequences that will come . ninthly , man , he cannot work good out of what ill carriages there are against him , and that makes him not to forbear ; but i am a god and not man , i know how to work out mine own ends , and for the glory of my name out of all the sins of my people . tenthly , man though he promises much mercie , yet oftimes , if those that he promises meroy to do offend him , he will recal his promise again , and he thinks he may do it , and he makes all his promises but conditional ; yea , but i am a god and not man , i do not stand so upon it , though i know beforeh and there will be many weaknesses , and infirmities is my creature , yet i have some promises that are absolute promises to those that are my elect ones , and i will not recal my promises though they be unfaithful and sinful . man doth not only recal promises when there is occasion given , but many times through unfaithfulness . and therefore i remember brentius an approved divine , hath this more upon this place , the word ( saith he ) is ish , not adam , and so he translates it , i am a god ; and not a noble man ; you shall not have such dealings with me as from your great men , many great then make great and fair promise● and you depend upon them , but they will deceive you , according to that in psal . . . surely men of low degree are vanity , and men of high degree are a lye ; and your courtiers and great men , how do they deceive the expectation of those that are with them , especially in their need , they leave them in the lurch many times ; but i am a god and not man , you shall not have such unfaithful dealings with me . further , if man forbears and passes by offences now , he cannot have the offenders again at advantage when he pleases , and therefore he thinks he had best take the advantages now ; oh but i am a god and not man , my creatures i have them alwaies at advantage ; it 's true , i can spare them now , for i can have them under my feet again , and again , and again , and therefore i have no such reason to take advantage of my poor creatures as one man hath of another . lastly , i am god and not man ; that is , man he is bound to positive rules of justice that are set to him , but i am a god and not man , i will have mercy on whom i will have mercie , and whom i will i harden . the observations . first , goodness and mercy in god is that wherein he glories : it 's true , the lord is high above man in all excellencies , but mark here how he glories that he is a god and not man in the point of execution of wrath : many glory in their anger , and make that to be their excellencie , and their bravery , oh they are brave men and of brave spirits when they can vent their wrath , when they can rail and speak evil , and make others to come and submit to them , and strike or punish them , why now they are brave men , i 'le make you do thus and thus : as in a familie you shall have sometimes a poor man or woman manifest abundance of pride of spirit as if they were princes and monarchs , they will do thus and thus , and you think your selves to be of brave spirits ; but mark , god glories in this , that he doth not execute the fierceness of his anger . i am infinitly above man : wherein o lord art thou above them ? i am above them in this , that i can rule mine anger , and am merciful to those that are beneath me : here 's gods glory . my brethren , this scripture ( were there no other ) shews that passion and anger debases man , we have a notable scripture for this , that god glories in his long suffering and patience towards his creature , in numb . . . and now , i beseech thee , let the power of my lord be great , according as thou hast spoken . what had god spoken , or where had he spoken any thing ? mark , this scripture hath reference to the latter end of exod . there god promised that moses should see his glory , and in chap. . god made his glory pass by him , and what was it ? the lord , the lord god , merciful and gracious , long-suffering , and abundance in mercy and truth &c. now moses hath reference to this , moses laies hold upon this , as if he should say , oh lord , was not there a time that i was pleading with thee ? and didest not thou promise to shew me thy glory ? and was it not the lord long-suffering and of great mercy , forgiving iniquity and transgression & c ? why now lord manifest thy glory , now lord shew thy self to be a glorious god , in doing what ? mark in the . verse , pardon i beseech thee the iniquity of this people : that 's the glory that god should shew forth , and manifest his power in it ; one would rather think that the power of god should rather be manifest in the destruction of sinners ; no , the power of god is manifest in mercie as well as in miserie and destruction : and we find that those that come up neerest to god , they are the most loving and gracious merciful hearts , yet if they do but come neer to god so as possibly natural men may , to have but any magnanimitie , that 's a little neerer to god than a base sordid spirit , the magnanimousness of of any mans spirit appears in his love and forbearance and meekness , and gentleness , for so we know the heathens could say , the greater any one is the more placable is his anger , a generous mind not easily mov'd , and so he compares the lyon , and bears , and wolves , 〈…〉 , the lyon is a magnanimous creature , therefore saith the heathen , it 's enough for to fall down before a magnanimous lyon , but for wolves and bears they insult over those that falls down before them ; so those that have the most magnanimous spirits have the most patient spirits , and forgiving spirits , and pardoning spirits : this is as cross a note unto a carnal heart almost as any thing , i mean to one that gives way to the lusts of his passion , for he thinks himself only magnanimous when he can vent his anger ; and were it not for the thought that he thinks he should be a fool , he would forbear his anger ; it is not thy honor , but it makes thee base in the eyes of thy servants , children , and wife , when thou comest into thy house like a mad fool , it makes them look upon thee , and despise thee , when they see thee thus drunken in thy passion . secondly , such are the provocations of god caused by sin , that if god were like to you , sinners could not be forborn ; as if god should say , the truth is , your sins were such as were not i a god , it were impossible that i could bear ; for so it is ( though we think not of it ) the evil of sin is so great that if all the patience that were in all the men that ever was since the world began were put into one man , if he knew the great evil that there is in sin , he would destroy the world , he would not bear , if his heart were but holy , as here god saith himself . thirdly , it 's a good way to exercise saith in gods mercy , to look upon god as a god beyond us , beyond any creature ; for so this is therefore exprelled , to the end that the people of god might exercise faith in beholding god as a god ; that 's the way to help thee in thy faith ; wouldest thou exercise faith upon god ? look upon him as a god , 〈…〉 do not conceive him to be as a man ; it 's 〈◊〉 , 〈◊〉 〈…〉 upon him somtimes as a compassion at man is a litle help , 〈◊〉 that will not do it ; i suppose it would help a little , some that are here , suppose this , thou hadest to deal with the most merciful man that ever liv'd upon the face of the earth , wouldest not thou hope then that thou mightest be sav'd if he had the dispose of thy eternal estate : suppose there were a judg that had the most relenting heart that ever was in the world , and all relentings that ever were in all mens hearts were in him , if this judg had the dispose of thy eternal estate , would it not help thee , to know thou hast to deal with one that is infinitely above that judg : that judg were a cruel tyrant and tyger in comparison of this god , god is god , and not man , he is infinitely above man in the waies of his mercy : we many times with looking upon god as our selves it makes us bold in sin first , and afterwards it makes us despair in sin , as thus in psal . . . thou thoughtest i was like to thy self , saith god there , that is , because i was patient and long-suffering towards thee , thou thoughtest i was like unto a man ; and a man though he be a little offended , you think you may please him again , and so you thought i was like to your selves , therefore you go on in your sins ; so the devil first makes us look upon god like our selves , and so we think that god hath no greater hatred to sin than we have ; but then turn the other side , when we have once committed the sin , when the devil would tempt to despair then he makes us look to god , like to our selves , that 's thus , i find that i could not forgive such an one if he had wronged me in such a manner , and therefore they look upon god like a man , nay , like a corrupt man ; oh! what a dishonor is this to god , that because thou thy self hast a froward perverse cruel heart that thou canst not forgive , therefore thou lookest upon god as if it were as hard for him to forgive as for thee . my brethren , the looking upon god as a god , it would help against many discouraging thoughts in poor sinners : as first thus , my sins are very great ; men will forgive little offences , but god is a god , and not man , and therefore great mercies are little in comparison to him . a second discouraging thought is , i have sinned against many offers of mercy ; but god is god , and not a man , and gods mercy is such as brings in men that have refused the offers of mercy . and then thirdly , none is so sinful as i , but god is a god , and not a man , and therefore he is above thee in the waies of his mercie , god hath more mercy yet than ever he did manifest to any one creature in the world , and though i be the vilest of all sinners , yet let me look upon god as a god , and not a man. fourthly , i am unworthy ( saith the sinner ) of any mercy from god. indeed , if you had to deal with a man it might hinder , but god is a god , and not a man , therefore 't is not unworthiness that hinders mercy in god , it is that mercy pleases him . yea , but i am like to be of no use to god. it 's true , if you were to deal with a man , he might not be pleased , but god stands in no need of you , or any of his creatures , for he is a god , and not man ; thou doest not honor god , as a god , if thou doest not cast thy soul upon his mercy , as the mercy of a god. if i put this unto thee , i hope the glory of it will be so great as will keep it from being abused , what , doest thou think thy condition is grievous , but doest thou think that such mercy would not serve the turn as this is that now i am naming , that thou shouldest have such mercie as an infinite god should therefore manifest , to that end that he might shew to men and angels to all eternitie what the power of his infinite mercy can do ? would not this mercie serve thy turn , such a mercie as this is ? i 'le name it again , abuse it at your peril suppose thy condition so low , yet would not this serve thy turn , such mercy as an infinit god should shew , to that end that he might appear to men and angels to all eternity , what he is able to do in the infinitness of his mercy , would not this serve thee , and help thee , and heal thee ? now this is tendred to thee in the gospel , even this mercy is tendred to thee in christ to be an object of thy faith ; and the very presenting of this is a work of the ministry of the gospel that it might draw acts of faith , for it hath a power to draw forth faith , yea , to beget faith , the very presenting such a thing as this is hath a quickness in it : it 's true , if you look upon god only as a merciful man , this is no such glory as the shining of it upon the soul will ad life ; as now , the shining of the moon , or a hundred torches wil never beget life in a garden ; but the shining of the sun wil do it : so the apprehending of the mercy of god any other way but as a god , as a god in christ , will never beget life in the soul , but look upon him in the infinitness of his mercy , whose thoughts of mercy are beyond ours as high as the heavens are above the earth , this is the way to beget faith . and therefore those that cannot beleeve , they take very il courses for themselves , only to have their thoughts upon such things as may discourage them , and they think that this is as pleasing to god ; but certainly the way to beget or raise faith in thy heart is , to look upon god as a god in the waies of his mercy . yea , but you will say , the truth is , this that you speak of , that god is a god , and not a man , is rather a discouragement to my heart , 't is a god that i have sinned against , and not a man ; as one way it may encourage me , so another way it may discourage me ; against thee , against thee only have i sinned ( saith david ) psal . . and indeed , this is the most piercing thought in a true penitent heart , my sin is against god , i have lived so long a time without a god in the course of my life , and i have struck at god himself in my sinful waies . oh wretch that i have been ! i have been guilty of the darkening of the glory of the great god in the world : now i 'le answer thee this in a word ; and is this that which doth aggravate thy sin in thy heart ? does this work upon thy heart most , that thou canst appeal to god , that of all the considerations of sin that ever thou hadest in thy life , there is nothing grieves thee so much , as that it is against god ? because god is so glorious , so infinitely worthy of honor from all his creatures ; be of good comfort , and take encouragement from this point , and mark what i am saying , and with that i shall close all . if the confideration of the glory of god above a man doth thus aggravate thy sin to thy humiliation , then it will aggravate the mercy of god to thy consolation as well ; if thou workest this thought upon thy heart , oh my sin is against a god and not a man , and therefore my heart is humbled , then the lord would have thee to make use of the consideration of his glory as a god for thy comfort ; god is a god , and not a man , in the way of mercy . the holy one in the midst of thee . god glories much in his holiness , and that in the midest of his people . gods holiness is , [ he is ] here said to be the holy one. . to shew that the anger he would let out should be such , as should have no mixture of evil . but what considerations might be to order and guide it should not be wanting . mens angers are very unclean , there is much smoke and fil thy stuff together in their fire . but here in exod. . . [ god is said to be ] glorious in holiness . gods vials [ of wrath ] are golden , revel . . . let us labor to be holy in our anger . this is a rare thing , if there be any corruption in mans heart it usualappears in his anger . . because of his gracious carriage toward them in regard of his covenant , to make that good to them , he would remember his faithfulness to abraham . obs . . god delights to shew the glory of his holiness in mercy , and in pardoning of sin rather than in revenging for sin . obs . . gods faithfulness is a special part of the glory of his holiness . use , . hence see how holiness will help our faith . use , . let us manifest our holiness in our faithfulness . i am holy to make them holy ; to sanctifie them to my self . in the midst of thee . casting the beams of his glory on every fide of him . but how in the midst , when they so vile , and cast off from being his people , a sink of idolatry and wickedness ? in respect of some of his elect saints . obs . god continues among a people for his saints , his elects sake . the saints should consider of god , a holy god in the midst of them , and accordingly behave themselves , levit. . . i will walk among you , and i will be your god ; but cor. . . i will dwell among them , and walk in them . obs . men of place and government , should be in the midst of those that are under them , carrying themselves holily , though they should be froward , pettish , sinful , yet they should carry themselves according to rule in all holiness , gravity , wisdom , moderation , &c. rivit , tarnovius , with some others , thinks that here is ( enallage numeri ) a change of the number ( sanctus , for sancti ) holy , for holy ones , or saints , and so hath reference to the destruction of sodom , because there were no righteons , here are . obs . the saints are of great use in the places where they live . they are the cause of mitigation of judgments . i will not enter into the city . luther thus , god would [ signifie himself ] to be merciful to scattered israeh among the gentiles , vt tamen non redeant ad politiam mosaicam , but so that they should not return to the mosaical law. but rather it is to be taken in reference to the manner of gods proceedings in the destruction of sodom ; after he had done conferring with abraham , he entred into the city , and destroyed it by fire and brimstone . obs . god many times stands at the gates of a city , ready to enter in and destroy it , but humiliation in prayer , and reformation keeps him out . god hath not entred in here thus yet ; oh! let not our sin cause a meroiful god to go out , and a provoked god to enter in . ver . . they shall walk after the lord , he shall roar like a liyon . they shall not walk after their own inventions any more ; nor after the lusts of their own hearts , nor after the examples , or the counsels of men , but after the lord , they shall see god before them , their hearts shall be drawn after him , as they shall see god in his various administrations , so they shall turn this way , or that way which way soever god leads them ; though in paths they have not known before , yet now they shall walk after him , though in paths that few others walk in yet . through fire and water , though in difficult paths never so dangerous to outward appearance ; though god should lead them from their dearest comforts , sweetest contents , though it did not appear to them , whither the way tended , what god meant to do with them ; yet seeing god before them , they shall be willing to walk after him ; they shall account that way god is in , the best way , the safest way , the most comfortable way , revel . . . these shall follow the lamb whither soever he goeth , these were redeemed from among men , being the first fruits to god , and to the lamb. they shall walk in a constant steady course of obedience after the lord. it is the lord , the blessed glorious god , whom their souls love ; whom they desire to honor ; to whom they have given up souls , bodies , lives , liberties , names , estates , whatsoever they are , have , or are able to do . when peter heard it was the lord he threw himself into the sea , that he might walk after him there . thus the soul converted to god , loves to walk after him . but this is spoken of the church , as walking after the lord in times of reformation , especially that famous time of the restitution of all things , when god shall call home his people , the ten tribes , who yet are scattered up and down wandring and groping in darkness ; they shall walk after the lord , the lord shall be a captain to them , leading them along as his redeemed ones , working by them glorious things in the earth , and bringing them through all opposition to places of rest , and fulness of all good ; god shall appear in such visible administrations of his , so as they shall say , lo , this is our god , this is the captain of the host of the lord , yea , it is even the lord himself , we will joyn together and follow him , whose wisdom , faithfulness , and courage is infinite ; we will follow no other but him , and in subordination to him . the sight of such a captain going before them , shall put life , courage , and magnanimity into them , whatsoever they were before . hence note , obs . it is the infinite goodness of the lord , to be the captain of his people . obs . it is the honor , safety , happiness of the saints to have god before them , to be walking after him . he shall roar like a lyon. if god appears thus it will make them fly from him : no , they shal , notwithstanding this , walk after him . obs . that the majesty , and terribleness of god , in his wonderful and dreadful works , causes the wicked , guilty conscience to fly from him ; but the saints shall follow after him , and cling unto him : isa . . the sinners in syon are afraid , fearfulness hath surprised the hypocrites . who amongst us shall dwell with devouring fire ? who amongst us shall dwel with everlasting burnings ? he that worketh righteously , and speaketh uprightly . act. . , . of the rest durst no man joyn himself to them . and beleevers were the more added to the lord , multitudes both of men and women . psa . . ( luthers psalm ) . we will not fear , though the earth be moved , though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea , though the waves thereof roar , though the mountains shake . vers . . the heathen raged , the kingdoms were moved ; be uttered his voice , the earth melted , the lord of hosts is with us , the god of jacob is our refuge . nahum , . . the lord revengeth , the lord revengeth , and is furious ; the lord will take vengeance of his adversaries . vers . . the lord hath his way in the whirlwind , and in the storm . vers . . the mountains quake at him , the hills melt , and the earth is burnt at his presence . who can stand before his indignation ? who can abide the fierceness of his anger ? his fury is powred out like fire , and the rocks are thrown down by him . vers . . the lord is good , a strong hold in the day of trouble , and he knoweth them that trust in him . joel , . , . the sun and the moon shall be darkened , and the stars shal withdraw their shining ; the lord shall roar out of syon , and utter his voice from jerusalem ; the heavens and the earth shall shake ; but the lord will be the hope of his people , and the strength of the children of israel . hab. . , . although the figtree shall not blossem , &c. yet will i rejoyce in the lord , i will joy in the god of my salvation . oh! the blessing of a clean conscience , it looks on th 〈…〉 terror of the law , and of god , with comfort . where there is neighing of horses , beating of drums , ratling of pikes , foaring of cannons , yet if a friend be the general , we fear not . al the terror there is in god , is comfort to the saints ; the wicked have the dark side of the cloud , the saints the bright . deut. . . from his right hand went a fiery law. vers . . moses commanded us a law , even the inheritance of the congregation of jacob. nehem. . . the great , mighty , and terrible god , will keep covenant and mercy . psal . . , . shout unto god with the voice of triumph , for the most high is terrible . be godly , and keep conscience clean in these latter times ; train up your children in waies of godliness . shall roar like a lyon. the roaring of the lyon invites the rest of the beasts , there is something for them . quest . but when was this ? answ . many think when the babylonian monarchy was broken by cyrus ; then belshazzars knees beat together , and then the captivity returned , and that divers of the ten tribes joyned in the return . but this is spoken of the body of them ; and if any such remarkable return [ had been ] ezra would not have left out their genealogyes . others refer it to the times of the gospel , heb. . . yet once more i shake not the earth only , but also heaven . the voice of the gospel , repent ; and he that beleeves shall be saved ; but he that beleeves not , shall be damned , was a terrible voice . when secure minds ( saith luther ) hear , that salvation belongs to none but those that are baptized , and that beleeve in the name of christ ; they indeéd tremble , and are solicitous concerning their salvation . junius when he read the first chapter of the gospel of john [ was terrified ] but i take this rather to be meant of some notable work of reformation and calling in these ten tribes to joyn with the church . the lord will roar to terrif● the hearts of their adversaries , that they shall not be ab●● to hinder their return . hence note , that when gods time is , come for a through reformation and bringing in his people ; he will roar terribly in the world , he will appear in such majesty , glory , and justice , that he will make the earth tremble , psal . . . when the lord shall build up sion , he will appear in his glory . it hath been his way in his appearing for his church , psal . . . thou , even thou art to be feared ; and who may stand in thy sight when once thou art angry ? thou didest cause judgment to be heard from heaven , the earth feared and was still 〈…〉 god arose to judgment to save the meek of the earth 〈…〉 . ) he shall cut off the spirit of princes , he is 〈…〉 kings of the earth . isa . . . all the host of 〈…〉 be dissolved , and the heavens shall be rolled together as 〈…〉 and all the host shall fall down as a leaf ; for my sword shall be bathed in heaven . ( ver. . ) the sword of the lord is filled with blood , it is made fat with fatness . ( ver. . ) the land shall be soaked with blood . ( ver. . ) for it is the day of the lords vengance , and the yeer of the recompences for the controversie of sion . ezek ! . . shall it not wither when the east wind toucheth it ? at the raising of christs kingdom , psal . . . thy right hand shall teach thee terrible things , revel . . . the kings of the earth , and the great men , the rich men , the chief captains , the mighty men hid themselves in the dens , the rocks of the mountains , and said to the mountains and rocks , f●l● on us , and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the thron and from the wrath of the lamb. dan. . . there shall 〈◊〉 a time of trouble , such as was never since there was a nation all that time thy people shall be delivered . lactantius lib. cap. . as then egypt imitten , so now all places ; as then signs and prodiges , so now ; admirable wonders in all the elements of the world , [ earth , sea , air. ] . because the ungodly have been cruel against the saints , psal . . . thine enemies roar in the midst of the congregation . . the wicked will be secure ; yea , his own people , [ and will stand in need of roaring to awaken them . ] . the adversary will be stout and proud , consundetur omne jus , & leges perilunt . all right will be overturned , and laws perish . . the difficulties will be great , so as when christ comes shall he find saith on the earth [ namely that ever his work shall be brought about ] luke , . . there will 〈…〉 ighty changes of things . hence observe , 〈…〉 ir not though wicked men strengthen themselves 〈…〉 uch , god can soon make mighty alterations . 〈…〉 . . be not afraid ; remember the lord which is ve 〈…〉 and terrible . deut. . . thoushalt not be afrighted at them , for the lord thy god is amongst you , a mighty god and a terrible . again , hence learn to prepare for thosetimes . when he shall roar , the children shall tremble from the west . amos , . . the lyon hath roared , who will not tremble ? there shal be mighty stirrings of heart : mens hearts shal shake within them , so as there shall be way made for people whose hearts are awakened to come into the church . there is a trembling of the enemies , they shall be struck with such astonishment , that they shall not hinder ; their violence and rage shall be abated . they shall say 〈◊〉 once the egyptians , let us take heed what we do , the lord 〈…〉 t s for them . and the hearts of those that god intends to call shall 〈…〉 wakened , the slightness , and vanity of their spirits shall be taken off ; the fear upon their hearts , shall make them fear ; they shall be roused from their sluggishness ; they shall make hast to come in to joyn with the people of god. fear causes hast , so the word * here signifies , [ and is rendered by some ] men delay and trifle , till god strikes their hearts with fear . spiritus sanctus nescit tarda molimma . the holy ghost likes not lazy laboring . isa . . . thy children shall make hast . the children shall tremble from the west . those afar off [ which were ] most unlikely , isa . . legem expect abunt insulae . the isles shall wait for my law. the mediterranean , the mid land sea is in the west . isa . . . . hence note that , there are like to be great stirrings in the western parts . ver . . they shall tremble as a bird out of egypt , and as 〈…〉 out of the land of assyria . being strucken with fear they shall hasten , so the word ▪ advolabunt , they shall fly . this some think to be fulfilled when divers of the ten tribes joyned with judah in the return of their captivity ; for the monarcy of the assyrians was subdued by the persians , whose king was cyrus . therefore it is thought that the fame liberty was given in assyria for the ten tribes , as in babylon for judah . and not long after cambyses the son of cyrus , overcame the egyptians , as herodotus , lib. . justinae , lib. 〈◊〉 . saies . and it 's like he would be favorable to the ten tribes , as his father had been to judah . but ezra , as was noted above , in likelihood would not then have omitted their genealogies : howso 〈…〉 in the great restauration of things , this will be fulfill 〈…〉 the jews were strongly set to go to egypt ; now they shall as strongly desire to get out , to joyn with the churches . fly as a bird , not come as a snail ; get over all difficulties , [ having ] their spirits elevated , raising them from earthly drossie things , they have no consideration of them . now all their desire is to joyn with the saints , that they together with them may follow after the lord. and as a dove out of the land of assyria . . doves are sacred there . euseb . preparat . evang. lib. . . . they are terrified with the least noise . terretur minimo penae stridore columba . . doves fly swiftly , oh! that i had the wings of a dove ( saith the psalmist , psal . . . ) . they fly by flocks , isa . . . who are those that fly as a cloud , and as the doves to their windows ? . it may be from those countries , doves come at certain times of the yeer , as several sorts of fowls do to to us in their seasons . and i will place them in their houses ( saith the lord. ) i. e. i will provide lockers for them [ he followeth the the former metaphor of doves . ] gods people have been tossed up and down , they have had no abiding in their houses . but god hath his time to place them in their houses in rest , quietness , and safety ; to deliver them from violence and wrong . sam. . . moreover , i will appoint a place for my people , israel , and i will plant them that they may dwell in a place of their own , and move no more . it 's a good work to be instrumental in this , that those who live godlily and are peaceable , may abide quietly in their houses and not be tossed up and down , because they cannot beleeve or practice what others do . this tossing such up & down , though it may be from a zeal for christ , yet christ will never own it . those who walk after the lord , shall be placed in their houses . they were willing to leave their houses that they might follow him ; and now god places them in them . trust god with your houses , resolve to follow the lord whithersoever he goes ; he hath time to place his people in their houses , when others , who dared not trust god , shal wander in darkness . — . saith the lord. this must be the work of the lord , it 's only he can do it . that mercy that comes beyond all means , it 's the sweetest mercy . no matter what the means be , whether any or no , so be it you have a word of god for the thing . ver . . ephraim compasseth me about with lyes , and the house of israel with deceit . the lord having manifested the bowele of his tender compassion towards ephraim , ( the ten tribes ) he comes further to shew what was that , that stopt the way and course of his grace , of the grace that otherwise might have been let out unto them . ephraim compasseth me about with lyes . besets me with lyes , that 's the word , be besets me round ; i am in respect of the sin of ephraim , ( that is , of the governors , and of the [ house of israel ] that is the people ) i am ( as it were ) a man beset round . as a men that would have a passage such a way , he goes one way and there he is stopt ; and another way and there he is stopt : so god compares himself to such a man , as if he would be going on in the waies of mercy , & there he is stop● in one co 〈…〉 of sin or another , and going on in another way , there 〈◊〉 is stopt again . ephraim hath beset me with lyes , that is , with false wor ship , ( for that 's a lye ) with pretences , they put fair glosses upon things but all are but lyes , he hath beset me with politick shifts of his own . these did beset god , yea , and beset the prophet too , for so i find some turn it , they think it 's spoken as in the person of the prophet , the prophet complaining that he was beset with lies , that they might prejudice his ministry , that they might do what they could to take off the power of his ministry in their hearts , they beset him with lyes , with false reports of this and the other thing . upon which one hath that note . a faithful divine , a preacher , is nothing else but as it were a center to which all lyes of falsehood do tend , they all go that way , 't is a great plot of the devil to draw his lines , and to let them make the ministers of god ( that god uses as any instruments of good unto his people ) to be as the center of them all . thus meisnerus in his comment upon the place . but i rather take it as spoken in the name and person of god ; beset me with lyes , ( i. e. ) they do not only seek to blind men , but they would do what they could ( if it were possible ) to deceive me , saith god. and indeed when men seek to blind their own consciences , what do they but seek what they can ( if it were possible ) to deceive god. in the very act of worship ( saith god ) they are false , they do profess , honor and service to god , but they lye unto him , even when they are worshiping of him. many in their prayers , in the solemn act of worship , they beset god with lyes . oh! how do many come into the presence of god when they are worshiping of him , and there profess to god the acknowledgment of his greatness , his glory , his majesty , his power , his sovereignity , his dominion over them , and profess a great deal of the fear of the name of god! and yet god knows it is not in their hearts , it is but as a lye to god ; when they are worshiping god there they acknowledg their sin , and judg themselves for their sin , as if they were very much humbled , and troubled for their sin ; but god knows that this is but a lye to him , there is no such humiliation of their hearts before him as seems to be in their expressions before god ; especially when they are in company they cry to god for grace , and would fain above all things in the world have his grace , but god knows 't is but a lye , all their prayers are even besetting god with lyes . oh! consider how far any of you have been guilty of this , especially in praying with others , according to that scripture , psal . . . they flattered him with their mouth , and lyed unto him with their tongue . the word that is translated flattered , it signifies deceived , they deceived him with their mouth . why , can god be deceived ? no ; but they did what lay in them to deceive him , if it were possible that he should be deceived they would deceive god. no mervail though men do deceive men so much as they do ; many that are of upright hearts they wonder when they hear of the falsness of mens spirits that they can be so . no mervail ( i say ) when as god himself complains of being deceived by them , that is , they are so false , and do so beset god with lyes , that if it were possible he himself should be deceived . that 's the first note . and then secondly , as it was here with this people besetting god with lyes , thus many do compass and beset businesses , the businesses and affairs that they mannage they beset them with lyes , that 's thus , they plot with themselves how they may handsomly contrive a company of lyes together , by a handsom putting of them together , that so they may beset mens unsterstandings ; there is such a cunning abroad in the world ( i say ) to seek to beset the understandings of men , so as men shall not know what to say to things , and yet they cannot tel how to beleeve them , neither do they know what to say , things are so contriv'd , and so set , they think with themselves , if such a thing shall be questioned , then i have such a shift to put it off ; and if another thing shal be doubted of , then i have such a report to make it good , some fair pretence or other : and thus they beset businesses with lyes , and beset mens understandings . but judah yet ruleth with god , and is faithful with the saints . this of judahs ruling with god , luther , meisnerus , and others , do think that it hath reference unto the story that you find in king. . the story of hezekiah , of the great reformation that he made : truly if it should be so , then it appears that this people had continued very long in besetting god , and his prophet with lyes , for then the prophet had been threescore years and ten a prophet to this people , and had been shewing to them their sin above seventy years ; for from the time of hosea's prophesie , unto the begining of hezekiah's reign , it will appear to be above threescore and ten years , and stil the prophet is complaining of this people , at that time when judah did thus rule with god , that they still continued besetting god with lyes . i would only note this observation from it ; that when men maintain their way by shifts , and falsness , if they be once engaged in falsness , and shifts and lyes , they grow pertinacious then , there 's little hope of their recovery , then let what will be said against them , let gods hand never so much appear , let the truths be never so cleer before them , they go on pertinaciously when they are engaged in such a way as that . but for the words themselves , judah yet ruleth with god , and is faithful with the saints . that 's thus , israel , the ten tribes were not encouraged by her sister judahs example , for judah did otherwise , though the ten tribes they did beset god with lyes thus , their worship was all false , and nothing but a lye : yet judah continued still in the true worship of god. though examples of evil in others are no excuses , yet where there is no such temptation , the sin is so much the greater . that 's the note from it . if indeed israel could have said thus , you indeed complain of our false worship , who doth otherwise ? doth not judah do so aswel as we ? do not they follow the same course aswel as we ? we took our example from them . no , israel could not say so , this would not have wholly excused , but it might somewhat have lessened , evil examples do somewhat lessen , but not excuse wholly . yet when there is no examples at all , but men take up evil of themselves , and are rather examples to others : this is a great aggravation of their sin . again , note , that , to continue in a false way of worship when there is a right way held forth by others , this makes the sin the greater . it 's true , if we could say , we have been all our daies brought up in this way , we never knew no better , we saw none that held forth any other to us ; this might have been somewhat . but they could not say so , for judah yet ruled with god , judah held forth the right way of worship according to the mind of god , and therefore the sin of israel is here aggravated . thirdly , yet judah rules with the saints . it was more to the commendations of judah to continue in the true worship , after israel ( the ten tribes ) had broken off ; for they were the ten tribes , they were more in number , they were a more flourishing kingdom a great deal than judah was , yet for iudah to hold on in the right worship of god , when so many fel off from it , and when a more flo●rishing kingdom than judah was , had continued so many years in false worship , this was a great commendations . indeed there is a great temptation in this , when we see a multitude go another way ; the devil prevails much to draw mens hearts to that way ; but the stronger the temptation is , the greater is the commendations of those that shall stand out ; what though they be but a few , what though they see others for the present seem to prosper , yet if thou canst hold on in the way of truth , in the way of gods worship according to his word , god looks upon this as a thing very pleasing to him ; it is a very great commendations to those that do thus , and god takes it kindly from them : yet judah doth thus , whatsoever israel doth . there were many evils , and that very gross in judah , but yet saith the prophet hosea here , judah ruleth with god. why ? for the prophet hosea he was a prophet to judah , he was not sent to judah to enveigh against judah , but to the ten tribes ; and therefore though there were many evils in judah , he takes not so much notice of their evils , as of the evils of the ten tribes . from whence the note is this , that we should be more severe to those that are neerest to us when they dishonor god , than to others that we have not so much to do withal ; as now ; a minister he is not so much to enveigh against those that god hath not set him over , that doth not belong to his charge , but if there be any evil in those that belongs to his charge there he should deal more plainly ; and so for others , you are not so much to meddle with other men that do not concern you , as with your own familie , those that are under your charge . it 's true , we should not see god dishonored , but we should some way or other ( as god calls us to it ) testifie for him ; but the main thing that we should look to , it is , to those that are under our charge ; many are very indulgent towards those that are under their charge , and very busie and bitter against others . again , judah ruleth with god. hierom upon this place tells of a tradition that the jews have here about judahs rule , and it is this , faith he , when the people came out of egypt , and pharaoh pursued them , and the red sea was before them , the mountains on either side , they were mightily terrified , yet god bad moses bid them go on , the people thought with themselves , whither shall we go ? and so were afraid . now judah had a spirit ( say they ) beyond the rest , and was the first tribe that ventured to go into the sea , and from thence obtain'd to be the principal tribe : this is but their tradition . but here the meaning is , judah yet ruleth with god , that is , the kingdom of judah yet continued according to gods mind in the house of david , and maintained the true worship , and so ruled with god. there are divers excellent notes further from hence : first , that which men enjoy with god , though it be but a little , it is better than to enjoy much , and not with god ; as thus ; the kindom of judah was but smal in respect of the kindom of israel ; yea , but judah rules with god : to have a little with god , it 's a great deal better than to have a great deal without god. as here in a kingdom , so in an estate , hast thou a little estate , yea , but hast thou it with god ? oh! it 's a great deal better than to have a great estate ? and have much guiltiness with it , and not to have it with god ; israel maintained their rule by shifts , and that 's a great evil ; though thou hast thy desires , yet if thou gettest them , and doest maintain them by shifting courses , that 's a sore and a great evil , thou canst have little comfort in the enjoyment of thy desires ; for this is the meaning of the prophet , as if he should say , israel rules , but how did they get and maintain their rule ? it was in false , sinful waies : it may be thou hast thy will over thy brother , yea , but thou hast it in a sinful way , thou blessest thy self in that thou hast thy will , but thou hast little cause if thou knewest all . israel did not rule with god. luther upon the place , saith , papist , dare not venture to i 〈…〉 the true doctrine , for fear their rule should be lost ; so 't is in many people , they are afraid of the loss of their rule , if they should entertain the true waies of gods worship , they think that the true waies of gods worship cannot stand with their ruling , and power , and therefore they had rather have their rule , and power , and let the true worship of god go . thus it was with israel . or thus : judah yet rules with god ; that is , judah continuing in a right way of worship , and doth so reform as he rules in an honorable condition , judah rules with god , judah reforming as he doth , why judah rules with god , is , in an honorable condition . to serve god is to reign the kingdom that serves god , reigns indeed , yea , that man or woman that serves god , reigns . it 's an honorable thing to serve god ; the lord christ hath made us kings unto his father , because the service of god is so honorable . judah rules with god. this saies meisnerus , and others , hath reference to hezekiahs notable reformation , and victory thereupon over the assyrians , of which king. . &c. the old latin hath it ▪ they translate ruling with god , thus : he doth descend , or come down as a witness with god , so they render it . and indeed the difference , though it may seem to be very much in our english tongue , yet in the hebrew the letters that are for ruling with god , and for coming down to be a witness for god , there is very little difference , it is in the pointing , not in the hebrew letters . ribera maintains this reading , and hath these two meditations hinted from that reading : first , others they leave the true worship of god , but judah continues , and so witnesses for god. god hath never been without some witnesse to his truth . and in evil times when others do forsake god , and his worship , then for people to be willing to venture , and appear any way to witness for god is a very honorable thing ; oh! 't is a blessed thing to be a witness to the truth , therefore was i born saith christ , that i might bare witness to the truth , for those that are faithful and upright in evil times they are gods witnesses . that 's his first note . and then secondly , he descends , that is , he is content to be in a lower condition so be it he may witness for god , though israel be in a more flourishing condition , and we be kept low , it 's no great 〈◊〉 so be it we may be gods witnesses , thus doth a gracious heart , i indeed see others in the world , they are brave , and have the countenance of the times , and have all things according to the desires of the flesh here , but we are kept low , it 's no matter , so be it we may but witness for god , let others take the outward glory and bravery of the world , let us be witnesses with our god. it follow● . and is faithful with the saints . he is faithful , that is , he continues in the right government god would have him , and in his true worship . to forsake the true worship and government god hath appointed , is unfaithfulness . and cleaving to it 〈…〉 lly through much difficulties and suffering is a special p 〈…〉 of faithfulness ; 't is an evil not to be 〈◊〉 with the state in civil 〈◊〉 , but not to be 〈◊〉 with god in matters of religion is a greater evil . again , god hath a 〈…〉 to a s 〈…〉 faithfulness with him in point of worship ; though there may be many evils otherwise , yet if they be 〈◊〉 ●o him in point of worship , god hath a special eye to that . lastly , 〈…〉 in good , it is not faithfulness only to profess good , but to continue in our profession . judah is faithful with the saints . i find divers learned men to take this to be an e●●ll age of the number , and reade for , with the saints , with the holy one , for we may find such examples in scripture that the plural number is used sometimes for the singular , as i 'le give you an instance in this very word , how the saints , is used for the holy one ; for god himself , in joshua , . . for be is a holy god. the word that is translated holy there , is in the plural number , as here , and yet it must be understood and read in the singular , he is a holy god , and so faithful with the holy god , so some reade it . but to take it as you find it in your books , faithful with the saints , that is , with abraham , isaac , and with jacob , with moses , with the prophets , with the forefathers , he doth continue faithful with them . or secondly , faithful with such as are sanctified ; the true priests of god , that god had sanctified to himself , faithful with the sanctified ones : whereas jeroboam took off the lower sort of the people and made priests to god , judah he would have no other priests , but the sanctified ones of god. thirdly , he 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 faithful with the people of god ; for all of israel that were holy , that were godly , that were the saints , that were not detain'd by some special hand of god , as much as they could they went from the ten tribes , and went to judah to the true worship of god , now judah entertain'd them , and used them well , and were faithful to them ; but on the contrary , israel , the ten tribes they were unfaithful , by using the saints of god evilly , that would worship god according to gods own way , they were cruel , and oppressing , and unfaithful to them , but judah was faithful towards such , imbracing and encouraging of them . for us to go on in faithfulness , though we have none to joyn with , it is a commendation , and the waies of god are excellent whether any or no do joyn with us in them . but it is a great encouragement to be faithful with the saints , that is , to go on in those waies that we see the saints go on in , and ●o joyn with the saints of god , with such as are the choice saints of god , to joyn with them , that 's a great ●ncouragement , it strengthens the people of god in their way very much , faithful with the saints ; oh! 't is good to be with the saints , to be with a few of the saints , a great deal better than to be with abundance of the men of the world . judah is faithful with the saints . you should look more at the example of a few saints , than at the examples of thousands of wicked men , yea of carnal men , of loose and carnal professors ; it 's true , the example of no man is to be a rule , but it is a mighty encouragement , and hath much probability in it , when the most gracious and holy saints are in such or such a way . and thus much for the opening of this eleventh chapter . chap. xii . ver . . ephraim feedeth on wind , and followeth after the east wind . wee reade in the th chapter of this prophesie , the th verse , that they had sown the wind , and should reap the whirlwind , and now they feed according to what they sowed , and of what they reap'd ; according to our proverb , ( they drink according to what they have brewed ) they did sow the wind , and here they feed upon the wind . by feeding on the wind , is a proverbial speech , to note the following after vain , unprofitable things , that 's to feed upon the wind , when men please themselves in their own conceits , and in their own counsels , and plots , and waies that are unprofitable , [ and wil certainly be unprofitable to them ] these men feed upon the wind . when men have vain confidences in such waies of their own , leaving the waies of god , and blessing themselves in foolish plots , and hopes of their own , these men feed upon the wind . when men think to please god with their own inventions , they feed upon the wind ; when they think to escape danger by their own shifts they feed upon the wind ; when they think to prevail against the saints by their deep counsels , and fetches , these men feed upon the wind ; when they promise to themselves great matters by waies of their own , that are not gods , these men feed upon the wind : and the prophet rebuk●h the ten tribes for this . they feed upon the wind , and so their hearts come to be puft up , to be filled with pride by such food ; you know according to the food of a man or woman , so will the body be ; so those that feed upon wind must needs have puft-up hearts , proud hearts , puft up with conceitedness of themselves , and contempt of others that are not in the way that themselves are in , they lie sucking of imaginary content and sweetness in their own waies , they are full of themselves , wheresoever they come they must needs vent themselves , they are so ful of their wind , they feed upon the wind , yet one prick of disapointment wil quickly let out all the wind from such bladders , they are quickly amort and dead in the nest if they be disappointed . evil men that live upon comforts , that are carnal in any creature , upon the applause of men , upon honors , they likewise feed upon the wind and are puft up for a while , but any prick of gods appearing against them lets out the windy stuff and quickly they are dead ; any member of the body that is puft up with wind it seems to be greater than any other part , but it is not stronger , no , it is the weaker for being puft up with wind : and so it is with the hearts of men that are puft up with windy conceits , and with the contentment of the creature , they have no strength by this puffing up , though they seem to be higher , yet when they are call'd either to do , or suffer for god , they appear to be very weak then , and therfore will change as the wind changes . i remember pliny observes this of the chamaeleon ( a creature that feeds upon the wind ) and he cites democrates for it , ( that hath written a whole book upon that creature ) that there is no creature in al the world more fearful than the chamaeleon is , and the reason ( saith he ) that it is so changable , ( that it will change into all kind of colours according to that that it joyns to ) is , the fearfulness of its nature . and truly it is a very good discription of men that feed upon the wind , they seem big when they have no opposition , and ô , what they will do ! they will do thus and thus , and great matters ; but the truth is , no men are of more fearful hearts than those men that are puft up with the wind of their own conceits , when god comes to cross them , or they are call'd to suffer in the way that they go in , they will quickly turn to any colour , this way or that , because they do but feed upon the wind , therefore they come to be feeble creatures , they have no strength at all in them . and we know that the wind raises tempests and storms : and so men that are puft up with the wind of their own conceits , they are the men that raise such tempests and storms in the places where they live . my brethren , the saints have better food to feed upon , that that makes them more sollid , and more staid , while the men of the world feed upon the wind of applause , upon their own conceits , and upon their own vain counsels and plots , and upon the creature , and think to fill their bellies that way ; the saints they feed upon the mercy of god , upon gods al-sufficiency , they feed upon his word , and promises , and upon the covenant of grace , they feed upon jesus christ whose flesh is meat indeed , and whose blood is drink indeed , and so they come to have strength in them , for their food is ●great deal better than the food of others ; other men feeding upon the wind their stomachs are fill'd , and hence it is that they cannot savor , nor relish heavenly things , the breathings of the spirit of god are not entertain'd by them , because they are fill'd with their own wind ; but the saints are willing to empty themselves , and to receive in the holy ghost into their souls , and the blessed things that the holy ghost doth bring , christ comes in to sup with them , and they to sup with him , and thus they come to be nourished to eternal life , and fitted for any service , or any suffering that the lord is pleased to call them to ; their food is different . it follows ; and followeth after the east wind ▪ this east wind , especially in those countries , it is noted to be a very hurtful wind ; exceedingly hurtful to man and beast ; and so we have a proverb of the east wind , the east wind blows neither good to man nor beast ; but more especially in that country . so we find it in scripture , in gen. . . the text saith , the seven thin ears that pharaoh saw of corn that came up , but were blasted with the east wind , and in ezek . . shall it not wither when the east wind toucheth it ? and in job , . . should a wise man utter vain knowledg , and fill his belly with the east wind ? when you see men talk and utter vain things , they do but seek to fill their bellies with the east wind . the east wind was so hurtful because there came a heat of the sun that made it dry and scorching in those countries ; and therefore the septuagint translate this , the scorching wind , for the burning and heat of it . and the vulgar latin likewise , renders it , heat . now you will say , what doth the holy ghost mean here ? it 's to hold out a very excellent truth to us : that those men that seek to satisfie themselves with creature comforts , the thoughts of their own counsels and plots , their own inventions , their own waies , they do not only deceive themselves , and will be disappointed at last of what they expect ; but they will find these waies of theirs to be very pestilentious ; very hurtful , very dangerous , they will find that such waies as these , will undo them , will bring them to misery . oh! how many have undone themselves with their own counsels ; were it indeed that men were but meerly disappointed of their vain hopes , there were a great evil in that , but if that were all it were not so much , if so be that men at last should meet with no other evil but disappointment , it were not so much , but you must not escape so , you that will feed upon the wind , and bless your selves in your own waies , you must expect to meet with wrath and misery , those waies that you may think to shift from danger will bring you into danger ; oh! how many upon their sick beds , and death beds , have cried out in the bitterness and trouble of their souls , for following of their own conceits , and counsels , and waies , and the waies of other men , they see how that they are undone , undone by those waies : oh! we have fed upon the wind , and we find evil waies that pleased us then to torment us now , to bring anguish , sorrow , and trouble upon us . and one note further , follows the east wind . they met with storms , ( observe ) for the east wind was very hurtful , and tempestuous in those parts : now to meet with storms , and tempests , and have nothing within us to bear us out , but the wind , but emptiness , this is grievous , when they shall meet with the east wind , and have nothing within them ( i say ) to bear them out but meerly emptiness , this is very sad and grievous . suppose men meet with the rough east wind , or there 's such storms and tempests , yet if they have had solid food whereby they come to get good blood , and marrow , and spirits , they may be able to bear it ; but when the body is empty and meets with tempests , oh! this is very grievous to the body : so it is with many when they meet with afflictions , but the saints they have such solidity within them that bears them out ; but other men that are empty , that have fed upon the wind all their daies , they have nothing to bear them out in great afflictions , but their hearts sink down in horror and despair . but it follows ; he daily encreaseth lyes and desolation . ephraim together with the ten tribes , with them all , all the day long he encreaseth lyes , that is , he hath new plots , and new devises , and new shifts for himself , he encreaseth lyes , new opinions , and new reports , so we are to understand the word in the latitude , encreaseth lyes . first , in matters of doctrine , there he encreaseth lyes , having forsaken once the truth : if the truth be once forsaken , men do not know whither they shall go : grant but one error ( we use to say ) a thousand will follow , and they will multiply abundantly , especially some errors , there are some such breeding lyes as if they be granted , there must be a great many others to maintain them . never was there such an encrease of false doctrine , of lyes in that sense , as there is at this day , in revel . . . the text saith , that when the dragon could not prevail against the church , against the woman , by bloody persecutions , ( for that 's the meaning of it ) then saith the text the dragon cast out of his mouth water as a flood after the woman , that he might cause her to be carried away of the floo 〈…〉 this was the policie of the devil , first laboring by violence to prevail against the church , but that he could not do , and when he could not do that , then he cast w●ter out of his mouth like a flood , that it , as interpre 〈…〉 observe , he did labor by a deluge of error and her 〈…〉 undo the church , when he could not do it by open violence : truly this scripture is even fulfilled , concerning us this very day , the lord hath been pleased to curb the dragon in this sense , and those that were instruments of the dragon in open and violent perse 〈…〉 cution , so that they cannot persecute the truths as they were wont to do ; now this is the way of the devil , this dragon he sends out of his mouth a flood of errors and heresies after the truth , after the church , laboring to swallow up all by this flood ; and certainly we are in a great deal of danger at this day in this respect , there is a flood and deluge of such things , of all sorts almost of old errors that ever were , and many of them extream dangerous , and men are serviceable to the dragon in this thing more than they are aware of , oh! that we could but see the subtilty of satan in this , in the continual encreasing of lyes , for these four or five yeers there hath been such an encrease as it could never have been thought ; certainly if some of our forefathers that were holy and gracious should rise out of their graves , and come to see and hear such things as may be seen and heard in our daies , they would stand amazed at it , and they would wonder how it were possible that ever england should be fill'd with such horrible opinions , and waies as they have been in these latter times , so that now there lies the hope of the devil , by encrease of such lies , to eat out godliness , and religion thereby , and this indeed seems to be the most hopeful design , that the devil hath in these latter times , mens hearts are carnal , loose , and sensual , and therefore they are prepared to receive these lyes ; and hence they multiply apace , because they are prepared to receive them , but yet let none multiply them more than they are , by putting among those lyes some truths , by shutting in truths in the midst of them , to make them appear likewise to be lyes , and to be taken as honest men are when they are gotten by any accident in the company of lude people , they are apprehended upon suspition , meerly because they are in their company ; and it is a way of the devil to multiply and encrease these falshoods and lyes by shuffling in some truths among them , and because he could not have them suspected otherwaies they must be taken upon suspition because they are there among them ; let not men gather these lye● together to the end that they may oppose some truths thereby , but as the prophet speaks , what is the chaff to the wheat ? if men will speak of lyes let them enveigh against them , and only against them , and make it appear that that 's the work of their spirits , meerly to oppose them , and not under such a pretence to make other things that yet they cannot make appear to be false , to make them appear to be odious and monstruous , meerly by shufling them together among such horrible and damnable lyes . that 's for false doctrine . and then secondly , thy encrease lyes and desolation , that is , lyes against the prophets of god , against the saints , and against the waies of god. and certainly there was never the like multiplying as there is at this day in this sense too , men carry their multiplying glasses along with them up and down ; at first , a lye , it 's like a stone in the water ; you know a stone first cast in makes a little circle , and then that another , and that another , and every one greater than another : and so it is with many lyes , at first they appear not so great , but that makes another , and that another , and that another , and so they grow greater , and greater , and that exceedingly ; there 's many waies of multiplying and encreasing lyes . first , by carrying about reports , and so make one lye to become many . and then a second way is , by misreporting of reports , that is , by putting reports into another dress , according to what men themselves apprehend , and that which is a truth when it comes to be examined nakedly , yet they will , being put into another dress , and such and such things laid together in another way than they were at first , they will seem to be very false . this is a way of multiplying lyes . thirdly , by adding to reports , every man according to his spirit , draws consequences , and when he hath drawn them , he makes them to be part of the report , and so makes it to be the original , as if it were the original , whenas it is but the comment , and so lyes comes to be multiplied . fourthly , by inventing new ones they come to encrease and multiply , because such and such falshoods will not do the feat , more shall then be added to them . fifthly , they encrease and multiply , by maintaining lyes by lyes , as if men be engaged once in a business , they must defend themselves ; if once they have misreported a thing , there 's no help for it , but now it must be defended one way or other , somewhat must be done to defend it ; as 't is many times so in your servants , a servant hath done a thing amiss , well , this servant seeks to cover it by a lye , and when once he hath told one , he must tell a great many more to defend that one ; and thus it is with men . and truly my brethren , seeing that this scripture doth so by providence come in our way , let me speak thus much to you from it . it is one of the strangest things that ever was in the world , that there should be such strange reports of things that are matters of fact , yea , that one godly man , or company of men should say one thing , and others , that we think godly men , should say quite contrary , and both in matters of fact ; i say , 't is that which would make men stand amazed as much as ever any thing that fell out in any age , to consider of it ; for there is no sin that is more against the ingenuity of a gracious heart , than a deliberate lye , to speak against a mans knowledg , and against a mans conscience , this sin is against the ingenuity of a gracious heart as much as any sin ; and yet even such as we think to be godly , and gracious , even reporting so quite cross , what shall we say to this ? austin hath such an expression of his , to a friend that writ to him about the telling of an officious lye : he answers him again , no ; he must not tell a lye , no , not to save the whol world . now what a difference is there in the hearts of men in these daies ? truly , i do not know a greater temptation to atheism at this day than this is , for what will men think ? there 's such religious men speak thus , and others that we account as religious as they speak quite contrary ; is there any religion in the world ? we see so much contradicting one against another , surely one side must be false . it 's that that i am verily perswaded is the cause of much atheism amongst us , and if god be not pleased to prevent one way or other , it will open a wide door to atheism in the nation ; but therefore those that would fain get this stumbling . block to be remov'd , and do not rejoyce at it as some do , some there are that rejoyces at these things , there 's nothing more pleasing to them when they meet together , whereas they should be matter for our humiliation , we should mourn for them , to see how god is dishonored this way , and what abundance of hurt is like to come to souls by this means ? but now therefore , a little to quiet our hearts , so as we may not be endanger to turn atheists by it , let us consider from whence this comes , that so many lyes should be encreased and multiplied . for first , consider , though one saith this thing is so , and the other faith it 's quite contrary , yea , but it may be that both sides do report according to their own apprehensions of things , and apprehending things in a different way , having divers principles , both of them may think they are in the truth , and yet one may contradict the other , because they may speak according to their apprehensions on both sides , for it is very much according to the principles of ones spirit in any thing , especially if a business hath many things depending on it , and there are many circumstances to be laid together , then according to mens apprehensions and their principles , ●hey will lay things together , so as may best sute their principles ; and others will say things together , so as may best sute their principles , and so both of them may think they are in the truth , and contradict one another , and yet neither of them speak against their consciences : this ( possibly i say ) may even be among good men . and then sometimes the reason of contradiction , it is , because men do not speak from their own knowledg , but they are ready to speak from others , and are so confident in others ; whomsoever men love , when they see men to be of their side and way , they are very confident in their rports , and so speak it , not from being eye-witnesses themselves , and so they may come to contradict one another , and not go against their own consciences : reports are cross one to another ; and this is the evil indeed of giving credit to reports , and of running away too suddenly with them ; but though it be an evil in men , yet it comes not from this , of speaking against their consciences . and then a third cause it may come from this , that when men report , they do not report all ; reports are cross one to another , yea , but did you hear all , or do you report all ? it 's a great matter when a man will take one piece of a thing and make a report of it , and not all ; another man may come and report the quite contrary , whereas if all were brought together there might appear some agreement , and perhaps they would be both of the same mind if the whol series of the thing were laid before them ; bring things to the original and then you see how they agree ; as now , sometimes in scripture , there are divers readings , yea , but now by the bringing divers translations to the original , we come to see what an agreement there is : and so it is with reports , bring them to the original , and so you may come to help your selves and see what agreement may be made . and then further , reports ( may be ) are cross , but the crosness of things may be in mens memories , rather than in the things themselves , i say meerly in the memory , and people do not in all things that they speak , say , why i remember thus , or i remember this is not expressed , but sometimes the very nature of the thing carries it so . my brethren , therefore take heed of spreading reports to the dishonor of religion . and , secondly ; if you hear any false things that you think surely this must be a lye , rather go to the party , or get some that are acquainted with them to go to them to see whether they can satisfie you in the thing ; there 's many men that stand and wonder at such a report , whereas if they , or any friend for them , would but search out the thing , they might have such a plain history of the things related to them , as should fully satisfie them , as they should say , there would be no such matter at all , so that their apprehensione would be changed presently . but so much concerning encreasing of lyes in regard of reports . but then there 's a third thing here ; that is , encreasing lyes in regard of practice , still following after new vanities , if they find not satisfaction in one they are not mov'd thereby to seek the true god that they may have satisfaction , but seek to have satisfaction in other things : oh! let 's consider thus ; i find no satisfaction in this , yea , but is it not because i forsake the lord god , in whom there is all satisfaction ? let me repair to god , and in him i shall find satisfaction . no , but they take another course ; i have not satisfaction in this thing , then i 'le seek to have satisfaction in another thing , and so they go from one false way to another , and encrease lyes in this sense ; i will have new devises to shift off truth ; the consciences of men will not be put off with old shifts , they have satisfied their consciences a while with one shift , yea , but conscience will not be put off long with that , but they must have another , and when conscience comes to apprehend the weakness of that , then it must have another ; oh ; take heed of being inventive for the satisfying of conscience . it follows ; they have encreased lyes and desolation . men when they imbrace their own vain conceits , and hopes , and false waies ; they think they have gotten a great catch ; but the truth is they imbrace their own ruin : mark how they are put together , encrease lyes , and desolation is the fruit of lyes ; and secondly , desolation is encreased by lyes ; the more sin the more desolation , you will perish the more dreadfully , in prov. . . a false witness ( saith the text ) shall not be unpunished , and be that speaketh lyes shall perish . he that walks uprightly he walks surely . prov. . . the lip of truth shall be established for ever , but a lying tongue is but for a moment ; it may bluster a while and keep ado , and deceive many , yea , but it is but for a moment . it follows ; and they do make a covenant with the assyrians ; and oyl is carried into egypt . that is , that they might have power to crush their brethren of judah , they think to strengthen themselves and so seek to make a covenant with the assyrians ; you have found this charged upon them many times here in this prophesie of hosea , . . . and in hosea , . you have this sin of making a covenant with wicked men , and it is repeated again , and again , to shew the hainousness of this sin , in forsaking god , to joyn with ungodly men . and to teach us this lesson , that when people are guilty of a sin , the prophets of god should beat upon it again , and again . i shall not need to speak any further of this , but only so . and oyl is carried into egypt ] that is , they carry oyl for gifts , and merchandize , the land of canaan abounded much in oyl ; but there was little or no oyl in the land of egypt , and therefore it was a great merchandize to carry oyl from the land of cannan into egypt ; in ezek. . . judah , and the land of israel were thy merchants , they traded in thy market , wheat of minnich , and pannag , and honey , and oyl , and balm . but this was ( as it were ) the staple commodity . now my brethren , egypt you know is a type of antichrist , and canaan a type of the church ; egypt hath no oyl , there 's no oyl grows there , no , there 's gall and wormwood , there 's no oyl ; but oyl is in the land of canaan . my brethren , what are we but almost like egypt this day ? we would be loth to return into egypt to our former bondage , but we even turn our selves to be as egypt , we have little oyl among us ; what , is god bringing us to canaan ? how comes it to pass there is no more oyl then ? oh! the oyl that is among us ( if there be any ) it's rather the oyl of scorpions , than any thing els ! mens spirits , and mens pens , and mens tongues are even full of this oyl , as if the ink that were made in these daies , were made of the oyl of scorpions . israel ( the ten tribes ) would send oyl to egypt , to gain the favour of egypt , that they might have their wils over their brethren , they would be at a great deal of cost , and part with their oyl : oh! my brethren , shall it be so with us ? to apply it spiritually , that we might have our wils over our brethren , shall we part with our oyl ? why do not we say as the figtree , shall we leave our sweetness to come and reign over you ? so , shall we leave our oyl ? that is , the suppleness , the gentleness , the tenderness of our spirits , shall we lose these , that we may prevail over our brethren ? oh! how many were of supple tender spirits , and loving one towards another , yet out of a desire to prevail against their brethren , they have parted with their oyl , even with the tenderness and suppleness of their spirits : remember , egypt hath no oyl , but oyl is in canaan , it grows there . ver . . the lord also hath a controversie with judah , and will punish jacob according to his waies , according to his doings will he recompence him . this verse i shal presently pass over . but the first part is very observable . calvin saith of it , it 's a wonderful thing ; did not god say , that judah rules with god , and is faithful with the saints ; and now saith , he hath a controversie with judah ? i find some therefore would reconcile it thus , and say , the lord hath a controversie for judah ; ( but that 's a little strain'd ) but the lord hath a controversie with judah . and there may be four reasons why after god had said , that judah rules with god , and is faithful with the saints , that he saith , he hath a controversie with judah . the first reason is this , to shew , that god doth not so look at the good of his people , but he sees the evil in them too . you know those passages in the d of revelations , where god commends such and such churches for doing thus and thus ; but yet notwithsthnding , i have a few things against thee , i do not so observe your good , but i observe your evil too . my brethren , some there are , that if there be any evil in men , they can see no good in them , this is wicked . but others there are that if there be any good in them , can see no evil ; this is too much indulgence too , it is two extremities in both . secondly , yet god hath a controversie with judah ; judah hath no cause to bless her self in her waies that are good , because she retain'd the true worship of god : men are very apt to bless themselves in some waies that are not good , because they did chuse some other waies that are good ; i mean thus , that such men as imbrace the true worship of god , are right there , they will have pure ordinances , and the way of god right according to the word , and because of that though there be some loosness and negligence in their waies otherwaies , yet they put off conscience with this , and think they are the true worshipers of god , and have the ordinances of god in the purity and power of them , and so think to swallow down all , much loosness , much carnality , much pride , much sensualness , much hypocrisie , and yet because they are in the way of the true worship of god they seek to satisfie conscience with this . oh! take heed of this , god may have a controversie against you . thirdly , the lord hath a controversie with judah , he doth express himself thus , that israel might neither think god or the prophet partial . the ten tribes might say , doth god threaten us ? is not judah as bad as we ? are there not evils among judah as well as us ? are we only the sinful people ? no ( saith the prophet ) i acknowledg there 's much evil in judah , and therefore the lord hath a controversie against judah too , and judah is not like to escape , and let not this satisfie you , that because others are bad , therefore you may escape ; no , they are bad , and god hath a controversie against them . and this may be an useful note to us , men are very ready to put off the evils that they are guilty of with this , i am not worse than others , i do such a thing amiss , and others do such a thing amiss as well as i , and so they think to escape that way . oh! thou weak man , thou vain man , why wilt thou deceive thy soul with this ? doest thou think that another mans evil may be an excuse to thy evil ? thou art a vain man and knowest not the way of god. the fourth note is this : therefore doth god say , he hath a controversie against judah here , to shew them , how much more must the ten tribes expect the displeasure of god ; if judah who retains the true worship of god , yet for some other evils god hath a controversie against them , then what will become of israel , who have those evils , and reject the true worship of god too ? as if the prophet should say , your condition is far worse , therefore doth the lord say , he hath a controversie against judah , that he might aggravate the evils of israel : like that of peter , if judgment begin at the house of god , where shall the wicked and the sinner appear ? if so be that the church which have the ordinances in the purity of them , yet god is displeased with them for their sin , how much more will he be displeased with them who are corrupt in the worship of god ? therefore men should not bless themselves with such discourse as this : why , others have evils as well as we , yea , but if god will punish them for their evils that have sewer , and a great deal more good than thou , how much more will he punish thee ? oh! if those that are the dear saints of god , that worship him in truth and sincerity , and they have evils among them , but yet they shall not escape scot-free , oh! then , what will become of thee who art a wicked and vile wretch and hast no good at all ? if a moses that had done god so much service , yet for one sin of passion ( for so it was ) was shut out of the land of cannan , ( it was but one time that he spake unadvisedly with his lips , that god shut him out , and bid him speak no more to him of that matter ) what will become of thee that hast a passionate froward spirit , and thou that never hast , nor wilt do god the service that such a servant of his hath done , what will become of t 〈…〉 ? oh! how ●ayest thou look to be shut out . this use you must make of the sins of others , and gods dealings with them . and saith he , i will punish jacob according to his waies &c. there is two questions necessarie for the opening of this . first , why the ten tribes are call'd by the name of jacob , we never reade that they are call'd by the name of isaac , and of abraham . now for the answer to that , it 's given thus ; which is a very satisfying answer , that therefore the people of god are call'd in scripture by the name of jacob , and by the name of israel his other name , rather than by the name of abraham and isaac , because they ( though godly ) and were the father and grand-father , yet in abrahams family there was wicked aswel as good ; likewise from isaac's loins there came esau aswel as jacob ; but now from jacobs loyns there came none but were of gods church , all jacobs sons they are the twelve patriarchs , and therefore they are call'd by the name of jacob , rather than abraham or isaac ; and therefore when he speaks of the people of god , he calls them the seed of jacob , i said not to the seed of jacob , seek ye me in vain . but then secondly , why is jacob mentioned in this place ? because the prophet intends presently in the words that follow , to bring the example of jacob to them before he was israel , to aggravate their sin for the work of humiliation , and therefore here he names jacob to take away that vain plea of their hearts , whereas they would say , why were not we the posterity of jacob , have not we jacob to be our father ? well ( saith he ) i 'le punish jacob , and i 'le shew you by and by that you have no such cause to boast your selves , that you have jacob to be your father , and so i take it , and most interpreters , that by jacob he means the ten tribes . now for the other part of the text i shall speak nothing concerning that , because in chap. . ver. . we had the very same words there . it follows ; ver . . he took his brother by the heel in the womb , and by his strength had power with god , &c. this prophet enveighing against the sins of these ten tribes , and threatning judgments in these words ; he takes away the plea that he saw was in their hearts against what he had said , we are the children of jacob , and why do you thus charge us , and threaten us in the name of god ? was not jacob our father ? as in christs time they pleaded that abraham was their father . now in these words read unto you , the prophet takes away this plea , and the scope of them comes to this , as if he had said , you may bless your selves in that jacob was your father , but it will do you little good , for you are a degenerate off-spring from him ; it 's true , god was very gracious to jacob , and jacob was very deer to god , it 's otherwise with you , jacob worshiped god after another manner than you do ; the prophet therefore sets before this people here in the words read , gods mercy to jacob , and jacobs graciousness in his behavior towards god , that he might upbraid those children of jacob , who walked so unworthy of such a gracious father as jacob was , that 's the scope . now how this is set forth we shall speak to presently , only for the scope of the prophet in these three verses read unto you we take notice only of this one instruction . that it is a great upbraiding of children that are wicked , to hear of the graciousness of their parents , and should be a matter of much humiliation to wicked children to hear of the relation that their parents had to god , and what worshipers of god their parents were : children that have had gracious parents should look upon it as a shame to them when at any time the graciousness of their parents is but mentioned before them . i remember i have read of a king of poland , that was wont to carry the picture of his father in a plate of gold about his neck , that he had honorable esteem of , and when he was to do any matter of great importance , he would take this picture and kiss it , and use these words , god grant that i may do nothing now remisly , that i may do nothing now unworthy of my father ; because his father was so good a man. oh! you that have had gracious ancestors , think often of them , and when you are tempted to sin , think this , is not this unworthy of my ancestors ? would they have done thus ? children should so walk as the vertues of their fathers should not die in them , but they should hold them forth . as ambrose in an oration of his upon the commendations of theodotius , saith he , though theodotius be gone , yet surely so long as his son lives , theodotius will live among us . he meant thus , that the vertues of that vertuous emperor would certainly live in his son that was so hopeful . oh! it 's an excellent thing when the vertues of gracious parents do live in their children ; and it is a very evil thing when the parents are dead , yea , and their vertues are dead in respect of their children , there 's nothing of them appears in them ; they love to inherit their lands and estates , but it was a great deal better to inherit their vertues , and their godliness . but the people of israel did not inherit the godliness of jacob , and did not so much take to heart the goodness of god towards their father jacob , that the prophet doth here now lay open before them , and to that end he makes use of three histories . there is three famous histories in the two first verses that i have read to you that the prophet here makes use of , and there 's much of the mind of god in them , i shall open much scripture in the first two verses , for they refer unto three histories that we have in the book of genesis . the first history of jacobs taking his brother by the heel you shall find in gen. . . he took his brother by the heel . and then the second history you shall find in gen. . and the third history , partly in the , and partly in the . of gen. the first is , he took his brother by the heel . you must refer to that scripture in gen. to know the mind of god in this , there you shall find that in the womb of rebekah there was a striving between iacob and esau , this was before they were born , and at their birth iacob put his hand out and takes his brother by the heel , from whence he had his name iacob ; that signifies a heel , and from thence a supplanter . and esau he hath his name of acting or doing , he was made a man , that is , because he was hairy when he was born , he was as it were a man already , from whence he had his name esau , he is ( as it were ) a man made in the womb : saith * luther , here 's the man that will do all things famously ; when esau was born , and they saw him so hairy , they thought he was the man that would do very great and famous things in the world , and from thence he had his name esau : now iacob in his birth he takes this esau that every one thought when he was born would have been a famous man , and done famous things , he takes him by the heel : saith luther upon the place , a most wonderful history , this taking his brother by the heel . but what 's the meaning of this , ( you will say ? ) why doth the prophet instance in this ? to what purpose is this to the ten tribes , that iacob took his brother by the heel ? what good would this do to the people , that hosea was prophesying to ? he tells them that their father iacob take his brother by the heel ? what did he aim at ? was this story to be a means to humble the people for their sins ? how could it do it ? therefore we must know that the scope & meaning of this great work of god , in taking his brother by the heel , it was this : first , it shewed , that though esau was the first born , and so in an orderly course the birthright should have descended upon him , and upon his posterity , for so it did , the blessing did use to go along with the first-born , and with their posterity ; in which the first-born was a type of christ , who is called , the first begotten of all creatures : and the blessing upon the first born was a type of the blessing that we have by christ : now though this in an orderly way belonged to esau , as being the first-born , yet jacob's taking of him by the heel , was a certain token from god that jacob should supplant him , and that he should get the birthright from him , and so the blessing from him ; and in that jacob should thus get the blessing , though he were the yonger , and this sign was given of it when he was in the womb ; this did shew the free election of god , that it was through gods meer free grace that jacob had the blessing rather than esau , and so that the posterity of jacob were in a better condition than the posterity of esau : it was only the free grace of god , not from any excellency in jacob , any worthines in him more than in esau , for god shewed a sign of it that he intended good when they were in the womb , before jacob could do any thing that was good . though esau was the elder , stronger , hairy , active , stout man , and jacob a plain man , yet jacob is chosen , esau is rejected ; and god shews the sign of this , by his taking his brother by the heel . now this concern'd the people very much , they understanding this to be the scope of it . as if he should say , what , you are the posterity of jacob , and not of esau , and you glory in this ; wel , how comes it to pass there is so great a priviledge to the posterity of iacob rather than to the posterity of esau ? how comes this ? is it not from the free grace of god in chusing one rather than the other , & that in the very womb ? as in mal. . . i have loved you , saith the lord ; yet ye say , wherein hast thou loved us ? was not esau jacob's brother , saith the lord ? yet i loved jacob , and hated esau . in this i manifested my free love , even unto this people , that though esau was iacob's brother , and eldest brother , yet i loved iacob , and hated esau . so in rom. . . the children being not yet born , neither having done good or evil , that the purpose of god according to election might stand ; not of works , but of him that calleth . it was said , the elder shall serve the yonger ; as it is written , jacob have i loved , but esau have i hated . now this was to shew gods free grace , that it was in the womb . if any should say , but god foresaw that jacob would be a better man than esau . i answer : if it were of foreseen works , there were no argument in this to prove gods free election , but the apostle makes it to be an argument to prove gods free election of iacob rather than esau , because he chose them in the womb . luther upon the . chap. of genesis hath an excellent discourse upon this subject , concerning gods rejecting the pride , pomp and vanity of the world , and chusing the things that are mean and contemptible in the eyes of the world ; and it was an emblem of it , in that god would rather chuse iacob the plain man , than esau the hunter , and the hairy man : i say , it was an emblem of this , that the lord intends to reject the brave things in the world , the galantry , glory and pomp of the world , and wil rather chuse the mean and contemptible things of the world : who can perswade ( saith luther upon the place ) the pope , and charls the fifth , the french king , and the like , that they being great in the world , yet are contemptible in the eyes of god , and god hath rather chosen despised and contemptible things than them ? and that was the scope of the prophet to humble this people , that they should consider of the free grace of god towards jacob. and we should make use of this , we are to consider the free grace of god how it hath wrought in chusing our for fathers , and what good we do enjoy by such a choice , we are to acknowledg it to be a fruit of free grace too ; others were before god as well as our forefathers ; as now , when god brought the gospel first to england , other nations were before god as well as them , it was meer free grace that pitcht upon them rather than others , and we enjoy the blessing of it to this day , let us not sin against this free grace of god shewed to our ancestors . and more particularly , you that now enjoy great blessings from gods mercies to your ancestors either outward or inward , you must consider the free grace of god ; as now , such of you as are rich , great in the world ; whence is it that your ancestors were richer than others , and were not beggers as well as others ? was it not free grace , free grace in in the kind of it ? it was the free goodness of god ; others that had their ancestors to be beggers they were before god in the same lump with your ancestors , and that god should rather pitch upon your ancestors to be honorable in the earth and rich , and you enjoy the benefit of it in this world , look to the free goodness of god that hath made such a difference between your ancestors and others ; it may be some of you , though you be honorable , and rich , yet your elder brother might be rejected , and sometimes families rises from the yonger brother rather than the elder ; it was so here , iacob that was the yonger he afterwards came to have the blessing , and esau rejected . and it may be that the posterity of the elder brother proves wicked ; it was so here , religion in the family of jacob and not in esau ; look back to this , and see what cause you have to bless god , and how you are engaged to the free grace of god towards you in regard of your ancestors ; as here the prophet would have this people look back to the free grace of god to their father jacob ; and that 's the first thing the prophet aim'd at . but in the second place , jacob took his brother by the heel . that is , as if he should say , your father iacob he was greedy of the blessing , greedy of the birth-right , there was a secret in stinct of god upon the spirit of iacob when he was in the very womb , to be greedy of the blessing of the birthright , and therefore he would do what he could to get it from his brother , as if the prophet should say , oh! but you that are his posterity you are carnal , you do not regard the priviledg of the birthright , you do not regard the blessing that comes by it , being carnal you care not which way that goes , so be it you may but live and have your ease and contentment to the flesh ; oh! you are not like your father iacob that was so greedy to have this blessing . we are to make use of this for our instruction thus , some of you that have had your parents very forward in their youth , betimes some of your parents were gracious and godly , were greedy of the things of god , now you should make use of that for the humbling of your souls , oh! how negligent have i been ? how careless is my spirit , and slight and vain ? yea , though i be come to yeers , do little regard that which my parents were greedy upon when they were very yong . that 's a second thing . and then yet further , jacobs taking his brother by the heel , in the third place , it was a type of the prevailing of the church , of the people of god against the wicked at last ; god made iacob a famous and notable type in this work ; that certainly the saints though they may seem to be low and mean for the present , yet they shall get advantage over the men of the world . the men of the world are set out by esau , they are ruffling abroad in the world , & of fiery hot spirits as esau was , & they have great things in the world for a time , and the saints are under them , as iacob was under esau ; but certainly the saints shall prevail against all the edomites , all the esaus ( as i may so speak ) there is a time that they shall supplant them , and get the power over them , this was typified in this work of god upon iacob in the womb , in taking his brother by the heel , the godly shall prevail at length against all the wicked and ungodly in the world : you should consider it , as if the prophet should say to them ; you are seeking to provide for your selves in the sinful way you are in , oh! if you did but consider , that the faithful , though they be persecuted for a time , what low condition soever they are , yet they shall get the power over all the great ones in the world , it would be otherwise with you than now it is . so we find in scripture that though indeed the way of the saints be such as they are kept low for a long time , yet the scripture tells us , that at length they shall have the dominion , in dan. . . the saints of the most high shall take the kingdom , and in the . verse , i beheld , and the same horn made war with the saints , and prevailed against them , ( but how long ? ) vntil the antient of daies came , and judgment was given to the saints of the most high , and the time came that the saints possessed the kingdom . and verse . the kingdom , and dominion , and the greatness of the kingdom under the whol heaven shall be given to the people of the saints of the most high , there is a time that it shall be given to them . and psal . . . the upright shall have dominion over them in the morning . this was typified in this notable work of god in iacob's taking esau by the heel to supplant him . fourthly , here we may see the providence of god , how it extends towards infants , even in the very womb ; the very striving of children in the womb is not without providence ; there was a mighty providence of god in this , to set out the greatest things of god that are revealed in the scripture . now though there be such extraordinary and great things set forth by the ordinary stirrings of infants in the womb , yet certainly there is no stirring of the child in the womb but it is with some providence of god , and god he hath his eye upon , and his hand in the working even of the very child in the womb . and yet further , luther observes the secret waies of god in working upon infants , and though they have not the use of reason , yet saith he , there may be mighty workings of god even upon their spirits in a secret way that we are not able to understand : and upon that occasion he falls a crying out upon such as do deny baptism to them , upon that very ground , because they are not capable of any work of god upon them , and the denying of it upon that ground , he calls it a very odious opinion , to think that because of that , they should not have it , for saith he , as it is with children , they have their nourishment in the womb in another manner than when they are born , and so the works of god upon their spirits may be such as when they are in the womb , and when they are little ones before they come to the use of reason , that may be far different to what the work of god is upon them when they come afterwards to have the use of reason . and then the last thing that is to be noted from hence , is this , that men who prove notable in their lives , have many times notable presages of their notable exploits in their very birth of what they should do after ; as it was a notable exploit that jacob should do in supplanting his brother : by some notable providences god shews many times what men shall do that he chuses to be eminent in the world ; as moses , by what was done upon his birth there was a presage of his strange and wonderful kind of deliverance when he was both , and being brought into pharaoh's court : and so john baptist a presage of what should be afterwards ; and so other stories tell us of men that have been famous for good or evil , there hath been presages at their birth . i remember it is said of nero that did such monstrous things , that when he was born , he was born with his heels forward : and it is said of dominicus that great persecuter of the saints , that when his mother was with child , she dream'd that she had in her womb , a wolf with a fire-brand in his mouth , and he even proved to be so , for he was one of the first that stirred up persecution against the saints by fire ; and your papists they turn it quite otherwise ; i remember one of the papists interpreting this providence of god , that the mother of dominicus ( who was the father of the dominicans ) should have such a dream ; it was to signifie saith he , that by the splendor of his holiness , and doctrine he should inflame the whol world , and that was signified ( say they ) by the fire-brand in his mouth , whereas experience taught otherwise . now i note this only to shew the vanity of mens spirits in interpreting waies of providence meerly according to their own humors . and thus much for that notable story of jacobs taking his brother by the heel . now follows the next , and that is , — he had strength with god. now this story refers to gen. . you shall find if you cast your eyes upon the chapter before the . that god having bid jacob return into the land of his fathers , and to his kindred , he promised him that he would be with him in his journy ; yet mark , though god had made him go this journy , and had promised that he would be with him in the journy , yet jacob for all that doth meet with as hard things in the journy as almost a man can reade , or hear of , that ever man did hear of , or meet with in a journy or business that god set him about ; he had an express command of god to go , and a promise of god that he would be with him in the journy ; it would ask some time to shew the many hard things that jacob met withal in the journy , but among other of the hard things that he met with , this was a very sad one , that being to go by the land of seer , the country of edom where his brother esau liv'd , he sent messengers before him , not being altogether without some fear , that the old grudg that was in the heart of his brother still remain'd , and that his brother might now have an opportunity for to satisfie his desire upon him , and according as he fear'd he found it , for having sent messengers to his brother , they reurn again to him , and bring him word that his brother was coming against him with four hundred men in a hostile way , so manifesting by the manner of his coming that he did intend mischief against iacob , in gen. . . and now upon this the heart of iacob was much distressed , so the text saith , that jacob was greatly afraid and distressed , vehemently afraid , and great straits was upon his spirit ; now being in so great straights , iacob seeks to provide for himself , he did not presently conclude and say , we are utterly undone , but he would see what could be done , so though he knew the sury of his brother , yet if it were possible but to save some part of his company he would do it , and so he divides them in the way of prudence as might be the best way that he conceived for the safety of any of them , but though he dealt in a way of prudence for safety , yet , that he trusted not to , but seeks unto the lord , he would go to prayer in so great a straight and extremity that he was in , for so in verse he had been at prayer , and there he was found alone , which cannot be interpreted to no purpose but that he might be waiting upon god to know his mind , and to seek god. and when he was alone there appeared to him in the form of a man that came out against him as an enemy , and as though he would destroy him , not only esau his brother came out to destroy him , but there comes out one wrastling against him as though he intended to destroy him likewise , and this man that did appear as a man , the truth is , was no other than god himself , it was jesus christ , and so he is call'd an angel ; that it was christ appearing in the form of a man there , taking humane shape , it 's cleer from verse . for he is call'd jehovah , and the lord of host , and you shall find in gen. . that jacob call'd the name of the place peniel , for saith he , i have seen god face to face , and my life is preserved , so that jacob knew before he had done , he knew it was god , god comes and appears against him as an enemy even at that time that this holy man jacob was in so great straights as he was , and yet jacob though god did thus appear against him , he did not sink in his heart , but stir'd up all the strength that he had , and wrastles even with god himself thus appearing like an enemy and prevail'd , and had power at length , though one would have thought that there had been enough to have sunk jacob's spirit , the distress that he was in at that time , his brother coming with four hundred men ready to destroy him , he left alone , one comes and wrastles with him , yet he had power with god. this is a famous and a notable story as any we have in the old testament . and for the first , that which is implied here , he had power with the angel , that is , with god , when he came and wrastled with him in such a time of so great extremity . oh! i beseech you observe this in the first place , this is gods way with his saints , sometimes with his best and dearest saints , that when they are in the greatest dangers , and in the greatest afflictions and troubles , god even then comes and seems to be an enemy to them at that time ; for the time that god came & wrastled with him , and seem'd to be as an enemy to him , it was in the time of the greatest extremity that one would think it's possible for a man to be in , you cannot apprehend greater distresses , or greater cause than there was for the distres , of jacob at this time ; a poor man with a few women and children and cattel , and having his brother that owed him a grudg , and had sought his death , to come with four hundred men in an hostile way , and he left alone , and at this time god appears like an enemy to him , this was sad , a very heavie condition indeed . as god did with jacob , so with christ himself ; when christ was betrayed , god never appeared in outward appearance against christ as at that time when his disciples left him , just in the night when he was to be betrayed then he was in an agony , and sweat drops of water and blood , yea , and when he was in the hands of his enemies , and lift up to the cross , and made a decision to all the world , yet then he cries , my god , my god , why hast thou forsaken me ? forsaken at that time in so great a distress ; jacob in this was even a type of gods forsaking christ in times of such great distress . and so we find in job , when he was in so great distresses , yet the terrors of the almighty were upon him . and heman , with divers others that we might name : 't is a point of very great concernment to us ; oh be not discouraged , be not discouraged you that are the people of god , if at any time you be brought into his condition , for jacob was a type of all the people of god in this case , and therefore this story is of very great concernment , gods waies towards him were a resemblance of what they are like to be to others afterwards , and to the end of the world , namely this ; that the most eminent , precious saints of god must not think to be excused even from this condition , but when they are brought into the greatest outward afflictions that possibly can be imagined , that god even at that time should appear against them like an enemy , oh! this is the saddest condition that can be , to any one that hath any acquaintance with god. you shall have many poor servants of god in affliction wil say , as for these afflictions they are heavy indeed upon me , my estate gon , or husband gon , or wife gon , my friends leave me in this condition , yea , and it may be the hand of god is upon me in sickness , and so one trouble after another ; oh! but though these are heavy , had i but the light of the face of god upon me it would be nothing to me , had i but those comforts that once i had in the assurance of gods love , it would not be much to me ; but when all these outward comforts are gone , and i never saw god appearing like an enemy to me so as at this time , doth god deal thus with any of his people ? am i not a reprobate ? for god doth use when his people are in affliction , then to appear with the light of his face to comfort and encourage them ; but he hath not done so to me , even at this time i find god more terrible to my soul than ever yet i found him , and therfore surely i am but a cast-away : i make no question but some of you may know the meaning of such temptations as these are in the time of your afflictions , or if you have not known the meaning of them hitherto , you may come to know the meaning of them hereafter ; and you that have known , or hereafter if you shall know what these things mean , oh! treasure up this scripture , it will be worth a world to you , for the devil wil mightily strengthen himself with this , what , are not you a cast-away ? surely god hath rejected you , he would never appear against you in your afflictions if he had any love to you . or you may answer the temptation thus : yes , yes , i have read in the book of god , and heard that even thus god dealt with my father jacob that was so precious . yea , but was not he in some way of sin ? no , he was in the way that god bad him go on in , and yet even then when he was in so great a distress , god wrastled with him , never wrastled more with him than then , and seem'd to come against him like an enemy , and such a time as that was , oh! treasure up this that your hearts may not sink in despair , in the greatest afflictions , and spiritual dissertions that are both together . only this by the way , — he had power with god. it appears that when god came thus against him to wrastle with him , god intended no hurt to him , it was but to stir up his strength , and to prepare him for great deliverance , and for choice mercies , god at this time did intend to jacob as great a mercie as ever he gave to any of the children of men in this world , and that was this , that he should have strength to prevail with god , and as a prince to prevail with god , and that he should in this be a type of all his people hereafter that they should prevail with god , that he should have his name changed and be called israel , because he was a prince prevailing with god , and in this he should be honorable to the end of the world , and be set up as a type for the comfort of al the saints to the end of the world ; i say , it was as great a mercy as ever any meer child of man had in this world , at this time when jacob was in the greatest depth of affliction almost as you can conceive a man to be in . therefore oh remember this that it is the way of god when he doth intend the greatest mercy to any of his people , sometimes to bring them into the depth of affliction , and therefore do not conclude that never any was so afflicted as i have been , why jacob might have said so , and yet at that time god had never greater thoughts of mercy than he had to him then , and therefore remember this again , when such kind of temptations work , never any was so afflicted as i have been , grant it , yet it may be there is mercy intended for you at this time , that never yet was granted to any of the children of men before , 't is possible it may be so , it was so with jacob , and therefore let not your faith flag . he had power with god ; in this great distress that he was in he doth not lie down as a man discouraged , but he 〈…〉 rs up what strength he had , and he falls a wrastling , a wrastling with this man , even with god thus appearing against him as an enemy : oh! thus should the seed of jacob do , you that are the seed of jacob , for so specially your praying christians in time of distress are call'd by the seed of jacob , [ i said not to the seed of jacob , seek ye me in vain . ] they are not call'd the seed of abraham , but of jacob , because iacob was so eminent in praying in so great extremity , the seed of iacob should do so , every little opposition that comes upon a sluggish heart , a heart that hath low and mean principles , sinks him presently , i say , take a man or woman that hath but low and mean principles , every little opposition presently damps his spirit and maketh him yeeld and bows him down , and they are ready to say al is gone if they are but opposed a little ; oh! art thou of the seed of iacob ? the seed of iacob should never think their condition to be so sad , but there may be recovery ; is it a great affliction that is upon me ? am i in great distress ? let me so much the more stir up my strength . as i remember it was said of alexander , that when he was in a great danger , saith he , now there 's a danger fit for the mind of an alexander . so , doth god bring into great straights ? now there 's a straight fit for a gracious heart , for one that is partaker of the divine nature to incounter with ; stir up therefore what strength thou hast , do not say , i shall never be table to overcome this difficulty , do not say so , for you are not in greater straights than iacob was at this time , and yet mark , iacob had power , and stirs up his power . it may be you have that strength that will do more than you are aware of , the grace of god is mighty in the hearts of his saints : have you never been enabled to do more than ever you thought you should have been enabled to have done ? he stirs up his strength , he doth not lie down sullen and discouraged ; as it 's usual for christians to do if god doth but afflict them , and specially if he draws but the light of his face a little from them , presently they lie down discouraged , and will not be comforted : oh! thou doest not shew thy self to be of the seed of iacob , thou hast not the spirit of thy father iacob in thee . by his strength he prevailed with god. strength : what strength , you will say ? he had very great bodily strength , he wrastled partly with bodily strength , as in gen. . . . you shall find that jacob was a very strong man of his body , for the stone of the well that the shepherds was fain to meet together to roul away , jacob took it and roul'd it away presently ; but certainly he had strength beyond his ordinary bodily strength at this time , god raised a bodily strength beyond what ever he had , and it 's like beyond what ever man had before ; god raised sampsons bodily strength to be very great , and the power of god was seen in that , and may be seen much in the elevating of nature in a creature , whereas the scripture saith , the body that is sown in weakness , shall rise in power . i remember luther saith , that mens bodies shall be raised to that strength that they shall be able to coss mountains as a man tosseth a ball. and anselme hath such an expression tending that way , that the saints shall be so strong in the world to come , that if they will they can shake the earth at their pleasure . surely much bodily strength was here to wrastle with an angel ; you know the power of an angel , one , in one night could slay above fourscore thousand men , and yet here jacob himself wrastles with an angel , that is the son of god , the second person in trinity , that is the messenger , the angel of the new covenant , but especially his spiritual strength was great , wrastling with his soul , the wrastling of faith that was in his soul at that time , that was very great , he had power with his spirit when he did prevail . now from hence observe , that he did prevail with his strength . that when god strives against his servants he gives them strength answerable to his striving . here jacob , was in great extremity , and god comes and wrastles against him , but god gives him strength proportionable to his wrastling ; oh! take this for thy comfort and encouragement , many times thou art ready to reason thus , alas , i am not able to lie under a little affliction , what shall i do if i meet with a greater affliction ? certainly then i should sink . oh! be not discouraged with such unbeleeving thoughts , for though thou beest weak , and it is as much as ever thou canst do to stand under the burden that there is upon thee , now , it may be there may be greater burdens , but then there may be greater strength ; there was answerable strength put into jacob to wrastle with those difficulties he was call'd unto : he will not suffer us to be tempted beyond our strength . and then , with his strength ] what , jacob's strength ! mark , the strength that god puts into us , though it be gods own , yet when we have it , and work by it , god accounts it as ours , 't is call'd jacobs strength , though the truth is , it was gods strength , god himself wrastling with him gives him strength , and yet he will account it jacob's own strength . further , that 's another note , it 's a great honor to manifest much strength in prayer in wrastling with god ; this was the honor of jacob , o! with his strength he prevailed with god , a great honor to put forth strength in wrastling with god even in prayer . we should not come with weak and empty prayers , but we should put forth strength ; if a christian hath any strength in the world for any thing , he should have it in prayer : according to the strength of the fire the bullet ascends ; so according to what strength we put forth in prayer it 's that we prevail with ; this strength of jacob was a type of the spiritual strength that god gives his saints when they have to deal with him : and we find in the new testament , there 's mention of very great strength that the saints have by the grace of god ; in ephes . . . according to the riches of his glory , to be strengthened with might by his spirit in the inner man. mark what expressions are here , that they might be strengthened , be strengthened with might , and with might by the spirit of god , and in the inner man ; and all this according to the riches of his glory : this is the strength that a christian may attain to , i say , a christian may here in this world attain to that strength , as it shall appear that there is might added to strength , and the spirit of god to enable him to that might , and that in the inner man , and that according to the riches of gods glory ; surely the strength is great that is by the spirit of god , but such strength as shall manifest the glory of the spirit of god , yea , such strength as shall manifest the riches of the glory of the spirit of god , this is the strength that is attainable for christians , even here in this world : this is that the apostle praies for the ephesians . oh! let us be ashamed of our weaknesses seeing there is such strength to be had , jesus christ is the lyon of the tribe of judah , he hath strength , and of his fulness we may come to receive grace for grace , oh! let us not be satisfied with faint desires and wishes , when as jesus christ is tendered to us as the fountain of strength . now i appeal to you christians , do you walk so as that it doth appear that you have such strength as doth manifest such riches of the glory of god in you ? and there 's another scripture , col. . ● . strengthened ( saith the text there ) with all might , mark ; strengthened with all might ; with all might , according to his glorious power : thus christians should seek for to be strengthened with all might , according to the glorious power of god : to what ? vnto all patience , and long suffering , with joyfulness . vnto all patience ] it may be you have strength to bear some afflictions , you have some patience ; but are you strengthened with all might ? and are you strengthened according to the glorious power of god , unto all patience ? and it may be for a time you seem to have some patience ; but hath patience had her perfect work in you ? and is it to all long-suffering ? though the affliction doth continue a great while , will you patiently hold out to long-suffering , and that with joyfulness ? this is the glory of a christian , to have strength with god , the glorious power of god strengthening of them to all might , to all patience , with long-suffering , and with joyfulness ; and with his strength he had power with god , and he prevail'd ; he was as a prince with god , and so , that 's the word according to the expression , in gen. . . for as a prince he hath power with god ; whereas it is said in your books , that with his strength he had power with god , the words may be as well translated , he was a prince with god ; and then it is repeated , yea , he had power over the angel , he was a prince against the angel , and so prevailed . now the main thing in this expression , that he had power with god as a prince , and prevailed ; the main thing that is held forth , is this , that the way to prevail with men , it is , to prevail with god : this was an evidence to jacob , that certainly he should prevail against his brother esau , esau came against him to destroy him , and he was afraid , god gave him a certain evidence that he should prevail , saith he , thou hast prevail'd with me , and there 's no fear of prevailing with all the men of the world , now thou hast prevailed with god. this indeed were a notable point , if one would speak of this at large , and a very useful point in these times , that the way to prevail with men , it is , to prevail with god : what 's all the powers of men ? they are all at the dispose of god ; the work is done when thou hast but prevail'd with god ; thou heatest of great dangers that there are abroad in the world , but do thou get alone in thy closet and fall a wrastling with god , and be wrastling till thou feelest thy faith wrastling with god , then thou mayest come down and conclude the work is done ; no men shal ever prevail against you that have so much interest with god , these may live joyfully in the world , never need fear the power and the rage of wicked men , they have that within them that helps them to prevail with god , and certainly man cannot prevail against them . our rough brethren have come out against us , as here esau this rough brother of jacob came out against him , and yet jacob prevailing with god , prevail'd against him : and blessed be god , that when our rough brethren have come enraged against us , there hath been some amongst us have prevailed with god , and by prevailing with god , have prevailed over them , and against them : but though we are delivered from these rough brethren , yet we have rough ones in another kind still , that are against us ; oh , but let us carry our selves blamelesly , and inoffencively towards them , that yet behave themselves roughly and furiously against us , and so seek to prevail with them that way , in a constant carriage of innocence and blameless lives before them , to convince them if it be possible of all their mistakes : but above all , let us seek to prevail with god , and then god may turn their hearts , turn the hearts of our roughest and furiousest brethren , whose mouthes are so opened as they are , and whose pens do go so as they do , let 's prevail with god , that so at length they may come and fall upon their necks as esau did , and to give them the right hand of fellowship ; it 's not impossible that such things may be done , surely one would not have thought that they that were at such a distance as they were , that they should have come so together , surely we have never provoked our brethren so as esau hath done jacob : let 's not be troubled more than god would have us , but seek god , and wrastle with god , it 's in vain to stand wrastling with them , giving ill word for ill word , and pen for pen , that 's not the way , but wrastle with god , and walk convincingly before them , and so you may turn the hearts of our rough brethren , and that in a little time ; surely it 's not more impossible to soder the spirits of brethren that seem not to be at so great a distance and so imbittered one against another , it is not more impossible to soder them , than it was here with god to soder the spirits of esau and jacob , and to have such a comfortable meeting as there was at this time . in this prevailing of iacob against esau we have a type of the churches prevailing against all the ungodly ; though the enemies may be strong and furious , certainly the people of god shall prevail . as before in iacobs taking esau by the heel , there was a type that the people of god shall supplant all the wicked ; so in iacob's prevailing at this time , here 's a type that certainly the churches shall prevail let men do what they will , and be as bitter as they will , the iacobs shall prevail at length . mark yet further , with his power he prevailed even over the angel. ] if you look into the story you shall find that he did prevail , but it was after he had wrastled a great while ; constancie in wrastling with god will overcome at length , though we do not prevail at first , as iacob did not , but was wrastling all night , and day broke , and then he prevailed : oh! be not discouraged though you prevail not at first . oh! i have been seeking god thus long , and have not prevailed , but go on still , you know not but that may be done in one hour that hath not been done a long time before . mark further , iacob after he was lame prevailed ; iacob had been wrastling all night , and got nothing , then the hollow of his theigh was toucht and he was lame , now surely he will be overcome ; shall he prevail now ? he that could not prevail when he was so long and strong he is not like to prevail now , oh! this is very useful and seasonable for us . that the times for the churches prevailing , it is the times when they are most weake , when they are most unlikely to prevail , when they are lame , why then is the time for them to prevail ; we are ready to think , oh! if we could not get it when we had so much strength , is it like to be done now we have so little strength ? now by this iacob came to be more humbled when his theigh was toucht , so that he was lame : god uses to damp means , and to bring even the sentence of death before he doth intend to bring the greatest mercies . further , iacob though he had a strong adversary against him , and he wrastled long with him , and he was lame , yet continuing wrastling , he grew more resolute towards the latter end than he was before ; for you never read of iacob so peremptory before , i wil not let thee go , until thou bless me ; and that 's one thing that 's very observable for the sad condition iacob was in , the hollow of his theigh was toucht , and that likewise should have been added , that the angel would have been gone , god would have been gon and have left him in that affliction , but then iacob's spirit grew up more with a greater resolution than he had before , i will not let thee go , except thou bless me : it seems now that iacob had more sight of him that he was god than he had before . this should be our way in our dealings with god , that when god brings us in the lowest condition , and god seems as if he would leave us , we should stir up our spirits then , and be more resolute and strong than before , oh! it 's time now for the heart to bestir its self , when god is ready to go away , do not say , god will be gone , and therefore link down sullenly , but it 's time for thee then to stir up all that thou hast , and to act faith more then , as if jacob should say , i will try yet one fall more , i will not yield the cause yet , certainly i must not perish ; as if jacob should say , it 's true , all things seem against me , as if i should be destroyed , but it must not be saith jacob , faith begins to stir , hath not god bid me come here ? have i not the word of god for it ? did not god say , he would do me good in this journy ? and though it 's true , the providence of god seems to work against me , but yet the word of god works for me , and i will try whether shall prevail , gods word , or gods providence : thus jacob wrastles , i will not let thee go , as if he should say , i have the word for what i do , and god hath bound himself by covenant , and so long , though heaven and earth meet together , although i see my brother coming against me , and god departing from me , and all threatning ruin , yet i will beleeve still that there is mercy for me ; this was jacobs last turn ( as i may so say ) as the trying as it were the last fall in this his wrastling , in opposing the word that he had , with the work of god towards him : and this is a note of very great use in al our conditions , let us not lay so much weight upon any work of god as upon the word of god , let us build upon the word rather than fear the works , for it hath been the usual way of god when he hath given out a word , that his works have seem'd to go quite cross , as not only in our father jacob , but even in our father abraham , what was the word of god to abraham ? there was two promises by god made to abraham , one was this , that he would bring him into a land that flowed with milk and hony . and a second , that he would make his seed as the stars in the firmament . wel , here was gods word , but how was gods work ? the very next thing that you hear of him , he was carried into canaan , after he had left all his friends and was ready to starve presently , now the word is , thou shalt be brought into a land that flows with milk and bony ; and assoon as ever he comes into that land he was ready to starve . here 's a land indeed ! and then a second promise of having his seed as the stars of heaven ; abraham was twenty five yeers after this before he had any one child of the promise , and he grew old , and also his wife : well , he had at length one , and god commands him to kill that one , to sacrifice that one ; but what a work is here ? how quite contrary to the word ? well he was saved ; and isaac is forty yeers before he marries ; here 's sixty five yeers gone from the promise , and there 's but even one of his seed that must be as the stars of heaven , at length isaac marries and he was twenty yeers without a child , here 's eighty five yeers and but only one birth from him ; yea , and after that the story will make it out , that jacob was above fourscore yeers before he married and had any children , there 's between eight and nine score yeers gone , and here 's but only isaac and jacob. how doth the work of god seem against his word in appearance ? it 's the way of god , and therefore let us never trouble our selves about gods works ; he came indeed afterwards with his works and fulfilled his word to the uttermost , but for the present it seem'd to be against it . oh! lay up this as a lesson , you will have use of it many , and many a time . it follows . with his strength he prevailed . prevailing at last will recompence all our strivings ; jacob was fully recompenced ; here he speaks in a way of recompence of jacob after his striving , oh! it was a hard wrastling , i , but he prevail'd at length . and so it will be with all the people of god , let them go on and wrastle , and though things be hard for the present , when mercy comes it wil pay for all : oh! thou wilt hereafter see no cause of repenting that ever thou did est continue in this wrastling with god , oh! thou wilt see cause to bless god : blessed be god that kept up my heart all this while ; oh! god knows that many times it was ready to sink , and if i had left off , what had become of me ? i had lost the mercy that now i find ; but i continued through gods mercy , and now he is come , he is come at length ; prevailing recompences all our labor and trouble in seeking . well , he prevail'd , but what 's this to this people of israel ? thus ; this was to shew , the base degenerateness of this people , as if he should say , oh! of what a brave spirit was your father jacob , but you , you are a base people , you basely subject your selves to heathens , to idols ; your father was of a brave spirit indeed , and would not have subjected himself to any creature in the world , yea , he would wrastle with god himself when he had his word for it ; oh! but it is otherwise with jacob's posterity , you can crouch to every base thing , you will crouch to the humors of men in the worship of god , and do any thing to save your skin saith he , you are unworthy to be counted of the posterity of jacob : that 's the meaning of the prophet here : jacob's posterity indeed they should be prevailers upon the world , above temptations , it 's unseemly for one of the seed of iacob to yeeld to the base lusts , and the humors of men ; what , shall we yeeld to a base lust when iacob would not yeeld to the almighty , but prevail'd with him ? are we of the seed of iacob now ? oh! we are of low , mean spirits , led aside of every vanity , and overcome with every difficulty . but how did he prevail ? in what way did he put forth this his strength ? it follows ; ver . . he wept , and he made supplication . this weeping of jacob is not recorded in the history of genesis , nor in all the book of god , but only here ; his supplication is recorded , but not his weeping : therefore his weeping was had either from hand to hand , by way of tradition , ( it was known that when he wrastled so with the angel he prevailed ) or otherwise by revelation , but certain it was that he wept when he did wrastle : there are many ridiculous conceits of the jews , and some old writers about this , they say it was the angel that fell a weeping , and prayed jacob to let him alone , thus they carry it ; but to take it generally as our divines do , that jacob wept , and made supplication , and so prevailed with god , iacob's heart was prest in the condition that he was in , and so prest , that it caused tears to bubble from him , and no mervail though tears came from him , his heart could not but be full , for when he came to think thus with himself , what , after i have served such a hard service under laban my uncle , and god bad me come away from him , which i took to be such a great mercy from god to deliver me , yet how soon was i presently in danger of my life , even my uncle laban pursuing of me , and god delivered me there ; and must i now fall into the hand of my brother ? is the day come for him now to have his rage upon me ? i see little other likelihood , his strength is great , and god himself appears against me , and i have been wrastling a great while , and i can get nothing from god , but that it 's likely here i must die and perish , yea , and that god should leave me thus as he doth , that god should appear a greater enemy to me than my brother esau , and lame me : oh! now might not this be a sign that god intends to destroy me , yea , god would be gone too when i am in such a strait as this is ; oh! this makes him weep . as a poor child when it is in straits and is crying to the mother , the mother beats it and strikes it , yea , the mother will be gone and leave it in those straits ; can you blame the child though it cry ? so it was here , jacob was in straits , and was seeking god , and god beats him and makes him cry , and would be gon ; oh! this doth press tears out of the eyes of jacob , oh! what will become of me now ? as if jacob should have said , were it that i should perish alone it were not so much , but my wives perish , and how can mine eyes be able to see their destruction ? yea , it may be they will be ravished before mine eyes by these rude soldiers : these kind of workings in jacob's spirit you cannot but conceive that it must draw tears ; he wept before the angel , considering this his sore distressed condition . and on the other side , there were thoughts would make him weep too , the thoughts of his misery , and the reasoning of his faith , when he considered ; i , but surely i am in the way of god though i be in a great deal of danger , i have the promise of god , i have his covenant with me , i have to deal with the holy , blessed and gracious god in all my waies , who knows but that my extremity may be gods opportunity ? the heart of my brother it is certainly in the hand of god , and all creatures are in gods hands too : now the actings of faith would make one to weep aswel as of fear and trouble , and it were well if we could weep on both sides : sometimes you roul in your thoughts all the aggravations of your afflictions , and they make you weep : now can you roul in your thoughts the aggravations of gods goodness and mercy , and can that make you weep ? the end why god brought jacob into this condition , to fal a weeping before the angel , it was , that he might humble him , and break his heart before he gives him deliverance ; for it was one of the greatest honors ( as we intimated before ) that god did for jacob , that ever he did to man , therfore god would bring him very low before he would raise him so high , and make him fall a weeping aswel as praying before he should have the mercy ; oh! this is gods way , he will bring men very low , to humble them before they shall have mercy , therefore when mens hearts are high and lofty , stout and hard , they are not in a way of mercy from god ; but when mens hearts begin to break , thaw and melt , and are tender , then they are in a way of mercy , as here ; so we find it often in scripture that god intending mercy , first breaks the heart and melts it by mourning and sorrowing ; as josiah , you know that was his condition , his heart melted when he heard the law , and god sends presently a promise of mercy to him : and in ieremiah , there the lord promises his people , that he will bring them with weeping , and with supplications , that shall be the way . one note or two more : it becomes the most generous and magnanimous spirit , to have his heart breaking , and to express his heart breaking with tears before god ; it is an excellent thing to see a man of a brave spirit , strong and ful of courage in any service of god , and yet when he comes to have to deal with god , to have a melting , tender and soft spirit in his dealings with god. if you should see now a great captain or general that were brave and magnanimous when he was abroad in the field about any difficult work , but when he comes before god in prayer , there he can weep like a child , there he can mourn and lament , and his heart break assoon as a child ; this is an excellent spirit now , spirits that can turn according to what god cals them to , this way or that way , can be stout and hardy in a work that requires stoutness , and can be soft tender and yeelding in such a work that requires such things : thus was our father jacob : oh! to have tender hearted captains and generals , to have couragious spirits , yet broken hearted spirits , to mix the work of grace thus it is most excellent , and it becomes the most bravest spirit in the world , not only to fall down to prayer , but to weep before the lord ; some men think it 's too low a thing to fall a weeping in prayer , as if it were a womanish and a childish thing ; oh! it 's an argument that thy heart is carnal and base to think , that it 's for want of understanding , i say , this is evil , and it comes from much corruption in the heart for to think it either beneath a brave spirit , or beneath a prudent spirit ; i 'le give you one example that weeping is not beneath a brave spirit , this is enough , and also that of david , no man did shed more tears in the presence of god than david that brave captain ; but to put both together , i 'le set before you the example of jesus christ , in heb. . . the text saith , that in the daies of his flesh he offered up prayers and supplications , ( how ? ) with strong cries and tears : even jesus christ , the son of god , god blessed for ever , he that was equal with the father , the lyon of the tribe of judah , he that had all strength and power , and had all the treasures of wisdom hid in him , and the fulness of the god head dwelt bodily in him , and yet when he had to deal with the father , he offers up prayers , with strong cries and tears . doth it become the captain of our salvation in his seeking of god to weep ? know then , it is not unbecoming any man or woman : are you of the seed of jacob ? then when you would prevail with god labor to work your hearts even so as you may express your affections , outwardly labor to do it in prayer , it will help to break thy heart : as a broken heart will cause outward expressions , so outward expressions will be a further cause to break the heart . and work thy heart by all arguments thou canst to come to that tenderness and softness , that thou mayest be like the captain of thy salvation , when thou art crying to god to cry even with tears before him , and when thy heart is so broken with tears , then exercise thy faith upon the prayer of jesus christ . now it is through the spirit of jesus christ that my heart doth thus break , but i do not rest upon these , god forbid that i should rest upon my enlargements , upon my breakings ; no , but i will rest upon the breakings of jesus christ , who in the daies of his flesh did send up mighty cries with tears to god , and was heard , he prevail'd . — he made supplication . supplieation ( or prayer ) it is the great prevailing ordinance with god ; that 's the note . it hath been the great engin that hath carried things on in the world , prayer , in revel . . . the prayers of the saints were offered up , and voices of thunder , and lightening , and earthquakes followed when they were offered . prayers of the saints can move heaven and earth , they can prevail with the god of heaven and earth . the praying legion , was called the thundering legion . and luther saith of prayers , they are our guns , our cannons , our prayers can prevail more than cannons ; the saints have alwaies put their great strength upon prayer . it 's a very observable scripture . psal . . . for my love , they are my adversaries ( but what then ? ) but i pray ; it is in your books , but i give my self to prayer , but the words , give my self , you may observe printed in another distinct character , which is to note that those words are not in the original , but added by the translators , and in that they dealt * faithfully ; but if you reade it as it is in the hebrew it is , for my love , they are my adversaries ; but i pray : as if he should say , that 's my refuge , i account prayer to be the great help that i have , when they are my adversaries and rail upon me , i will not rail upon them again ; when they oppose me , i will not oppose them again ; but i pray , i 'le pray to my god , and i make account i have help enough there to resist my enemies that i have . jacob prevailed over the angel by suppication . it 's a good sign of a gracious heart to lay the weight of business upon pra 〈…〉 but i will not enter into this common place of the excellency or power of prayer and supplication , but only this , it 's not every prayer that will prevail so with god. what prayer will then ? such a prayer as jacob's was , in gen. . . there 〈◊〉 shall find how your father jacob prayed , and there 〈◊〉 excellent ingredients ; saith the text , and jacob said , o god of my father abraham , and god of my father isaac , &c. that 's the first ingredient to prayer , faith in the covenant of god , upon that the strength of any prayr most depends ; indeed to have strong expressions , and affections in prayer are good ; but strength of faith in the covenant of god is the greatest strength of prayer , and it was with this strength that jacob did prevail : oh! god of my father abraham , and god of my father isaac , as if he should say , oh! thou god that hast entred into covenant with my father abraham , and isaac , o god , remember thy covenant , o god , i rest upon 〈◊〉 covenant , the covenant of grace that 〈◊〉 hast made with them , for so certainly that with 〈◊〉 hans and isaac was the same , for it 's said , that circum 〈…〉 sion was the sign and seal of the righteousness that he had 〈◊〉 faith. and in thee shall all the nations of the earth be bl 〈…〉 there was the covenant of grace . now o lord 〈◊〉 it is the covenant of grace that i rest upon in the 〈◊〉 straits . when you are in any strait , and go to go 〈…〉 prayer , if you can have recourse to the covenant 〈◊〉 grace , and act your saith upon gods covenant with you , oh! that will be a strong prayer . when there are but words in prayer they vanish as the wind , but when there is much saith in prayer , that makes it to prevail ; the prayer of faith , that 's prevalent , saith the apostle james , that 's the first ingredient in his prayer , he made supplication and exercises faith in the covenant . and then the second was , his appeal to god that he was 〈◊〉 the way that he had set him ; he could appeal thus to god ; which saidst unto me , return unto thy country , and to thy kindred . why lord , am i out of my way ? am i not in the way that thou hast set me ? i met with difficul 〈…〉 in my way , but lord , thou saidest to me , return 〈…〉 to thy country , thou bidest me return ; so that 's an excellent ingredient in prayer , and ads much strength , when the soul in prayer can come to god and say , o lord , there is this and this difficulty befallen me , but lord , i am in the way that thou hast set me , i am doing thy work , i am not out of my way . for any man or woman to be out of their way that god hath set them in will mightily damp their hearts in prayer . and it 's a mighty encouragement to prayer , and carries it on with mighty strength when the soul can appeal to god , lord , whatsoever straits i meet withal , yet i am in thy way . then the third thing in prayer , it is the pleading of ●particular promise , and i will deal well with thee . ] god 〈…〉 de a promise to jacob in particular that he would deal 〈◊〉 with him in his journy that he went. and the 〈◊〉 faith we have to take hold upon particular promises that concerns the particular business we pray about , 〈◊〉 we pray about any business , ( though it 's true , the 〈◊〉 strength is in the great promise , the covenant of 〈…〉 ) but then it ads much strength likewise to have 〈…〉 f particular promises that concerns the very business we are about , and it 's a very good thing when we go about a business that hath difficulty in it to search the word , and to see what promises there are that doth more particularly concern the business we go about . the fourth ingredient it was , his acknowledgment , and sence of his own unworthiness , and vileness , in ver . . i am not worthy of the least of thy mercies and of all the truth which thou hast shewn unto thy servant . when the soul comes with humility before god in prayer , and is truly sensible of its unworthiness of any mercy , lord , i am not worthy of the least crum of bread , but rather worthy to be cast out from thy presence for ever , it 's an easie matter for men and women to have such words in their mouths , but to have this indeed in their hearts in prayer , ads very much strength to prayer . the fifth ingredient in his prayer it was , the acknowledgment of the mercy that he had received , and of the truth of god in fulfilling promises ; and both ads much strength to prayer , to take notice of what god hath done for us , to take notice how god hath fulfil'd his word in great measure for us : when we are praying , we many times are sensible only of what we would have , but not of what we receive ; and the vehemencie of our desires after what we would have , doth take away our apprehensions , and hinders our acknowledgment of the mercies we have had already ; but when thou comest to prayer , whatsoever thy condition be , though in never such great straits , yet acknowledg what thou hast already , be willing to praise god in the lowest condition that thou art in . and then he doth proceed further , and looks back to his former meanness that once he was in ; for with my staff passed i over this jordan , and now i am become two band 〈…〉 that 's a further expression of his humility , and god. 〈◊〉 ther mercy . and then the next thing is the great sence of what he praies for , deliver me i pray thee from the hand of my brother , from the hand of esau , for i fear him lest he will come and smite me , and the mother with the children . lord , i do not speak words that have expressions in them without sence of my heart , for lord , as i am crying to thee for help against my brother , i do apprehend my great extremity , lord , i fear him lest he come and smite me , with the mother and the children . when we come to prayer , we must not have words , that are puft-up words , and have little in them , but there must be as much sence of the thing that we pray for , as the words that we speak do seem to import & carry with them ; many times we have great words , and little sence , and that makes our prayers to be so empty . and then the next thing in his prayer it was , the strong arguments that he did use with god ; though it 's true , that what we can say to god cannot move god , yet it may move our own hearts , and god would have us to use strong arguments in prayer ; and thou saidest ( in ver . . ) i will surely do thee good , and make thy seed as the sand on the sea which cannot be numbred for multitude . as if he should say , lord , how will thy promise be fulfill'd ? didest thou not say that my seed should be as the sand of the sea ? now if the mother and children be cut off , what will become of thy promise ? god is so indulgent as to suffer us to plead our cause with him . and these pleading prayers are strong prayers , he wept and made supplication , so he prevail'd with god. now labor you , ( if you be of the seed of jacob ) to pray as your father jacob did . but so much shall suffice for that second history , about jacob's prevailing with the angel. now the third history follows : he found him in bethel , and there he spake with us . the words in the hebrew are , he [ will ] find us in bethel , and there he spake with us . as if it were an encouraging word of the angel to jacob , that god would find him in bethel ; and indeed the gramatical sense of the words would carry such a sense , but rather , because the learned know that the word is often used for the preter tense in the hebrew , and it 's more according to the scope of the place , to reade them as you have them in your books , he found him in bethel , and there he spake with us . that is , he found jacob in bethel , and spake to jacob , and in speaking to jacob , he spake unto us all . now for the opening of this history , and the shewing how it sutes with the scope of the prophet in this place . we reade in scripture of two meetings that god and jacob had together at bethel , and this text in hosea doth refer to them both , god finds him in bethel two times and spake with jacob , and spake to us both those times . the first time for fear of danger he fled from his brother , when his brother had mischievous thoughts against him , after he got the blessing from him . and the second time ( again ) after his wrastling with the angel god meets him in bethel . the first of these you have in gen . . and the second in gen. . . and so on . and it 's necessary to refer to those two scriptures for the interpretation of this scripture , you will not know what it means else . . he finds him in bethel , gen. . . yea indeed , for jacob he lay asleep , with a stone under his head , he saw a vision of angels ascending , and descending from heaven and god speak excellent things unto him . but the note is , that god finds his people many times when they little think of him : he comes unto his people in waies of mercy when they scarce dream of it : jacob was but in a dream at this time , and yet god came in very wonderful waies of mercy towards him . oh! how often hath god found us in this way ? how often may many of you say , that the lord hath come unexpectedly to you in waies of mercy ? that you never made account of such mercies as you have met withal . oh! when unexpected mercies come , we should consider that god found us , whereas our sins might have found us ; but the mercies of god have found us out . and the other time that god found jacob , it was when he was in great distress , after his daughter dinah had been defloured , and his sons simeon and levi had committed that great outrage against the shechemites , so great an outrage as to kill the city , and upon that jacob and all his family was in great danger of being destroyed , for the act was so foul , that it could not but make all the people ( as jacob thought ) to abhor him , and would be a cause that they should all rise against him , and utterly to cut him off , therfore in gen. . jacob tels his sons , that they had made him to stink among the inhabitants of the land , so that he was afraid they would gather together and destroy him and his house ; no question the distress that jacob was in , was very great , that his daughter should be defloured by the uncircumcised ones , and that his two sons should commit such an outrage , and should endanger him to be destroyed utterly by them ; for , who would have thought but that all the inhabitants of the land should have risen against him , and have cut him off ? now the next thing that we hear of , god meets with him at bethel , and speaks very gracious things to him there , and he did not only speak to him , but there he spake with us . that is , god meeting with jacob in bethel , that which he spake to him there concern'd us aswel as it concern'd jacob. an expression to the same purpose we have in psal . . . he turned the sea into dry land : they went through the floud on foot : there we did rejoyce in him : for indeed the mercy of god towards the isralites at that time that did rejoyce them , was a matter of rejoycing for us . whatsoever is written , is written for our learning , 't is as if god spake to us : that which god spake to abraham , [ i am god alsufficient ; walk before me , and be upright ] he spake that to us , he spake that to thee and me . that that god spake to joshua , i will never leave thee , nor forsake thee ; that the apostle to the hebrews applies to the christians at that time : that he spake to us , he spake it to thee and me ; if we be beleevers , that that god spake to the distressed and afflicted ones in psal . . he will regard the prayer of the destitute , and not despise their prayer , that he spake to us , for in ver . . this shall be written for the generations to come . and that which god spake to jacob at these two several times in bethel , it 's written for the generations to come , it 's written for us , well then , what was it ? what was the special thing that god spake to jacob when he found him at bethel ? and what was that to us ? i 'le shew you many things , there are nine or ten notable things to be observed by us , which god spake unto us : the first thing that he spake to jacob that concerns us as well as himself was this , that the foundation of the comfort of the saints it is in the covenant of god. that he spake to us there , gen. . . when he appeared to jacob , what said he to him ? i am the god of abraham , thy father , and the god of isaac ; jacob was flying for his life then , and this was to comfort him in his danger , i am the god of abraham , thy father , the god of isaac ; then he spake this to us , that the foundation of the comforts of the saints in the times of their distresses , it is the covenant of grace that god hath made with them , and their fathers before them . the second thing was this , that the seed of jacob are the inheritors of the land of canaan ; for so he told him , the land wherein thou liest , i 'le give to thee , and to thy seed . now this concerns us , that the seed of jacob shall inherit the land of canaan , that was typified by it . there are some that have a thought that yet there shall be an inheritance of the land of canaan by the faithful seed of jacob , but however , this certainly he spake to us , that all the seed of jacob are the inheritors of the land of canaan one way or other , take it in the litteral , or in the typical sense . the third thing was , god would have faith raised to beleeve in mercies promised , even when there is a great deal of unlikelihood of the fulfilling of it ; that 's the third thing he he spake of to us there ; he tells jacob there at that time when he was a poor , lone man , with his staff , and no provision but a stone for his pillow , then he tells him of making good his promise , it was as unlikely a time as could be , a poor , lone man that jacob was , went over with his staff at that time , and that he should have such a promise fulfill'd , and his seed to be so great , and to inherit the hand of canaan , how unlikely was this ? but god would have him to exercise his faith upon the promise at this time when there was such a great unlikelihood of it . the fourth thing is this , that the multiplying of the church is a great blessing , for saith he , thy seed shall be thus and thus , as the sand of the sea shore , i 'le encrease my church abundantly from thy loyns . fifthly , promises defer'd , though they are to be looked upon as certain as ever they were , yet the saints of god have need of renewing of promises , even those that have most faith . god renews the same promise to him that was made ; before god had promised to abraham to make his seed great , but the truth is , that the promise though it be as certain as before , yet it had been a long time and there was little come of it . and then the sixth thing was this , that the blessing which comes to the world , it is by the promised seed . he tels him that in his seed all the nations of the earth should be blessed ; the great blessing of the world is , by the promised seed , by jesus christ . and then the seventh thing was , that we gentils were in gods heart , to do good unto us for thousands of years since ; though at that time we were as dogs , yet it was in gods heart to bless us . oh! this is a comfortable speech to us , it concerns us gentils in a more special manner , than it did them that hosea did prophesie to at this time . and then the flighth thing is , that the presence of god and his protection , is the only encouragement of the saints in their waies . for in vers . . saith god , behold , i am with thee , and i will keep thee in all places whither thou goest ; this he spake to us ; this the saints should make high account of . and then the ninth thing is , that though promises be not yet fulfilled , yet god is still working towards their fulfilling ; for so he tels him , i will not leave thee until i have don all that i have promised to thee , though you cannot see how my administrations towards you do any way work for the fulfilling of my promise , yet know i will not leave you until i have fulfilled my promises . and then the last thing is this which god spake to us there , he tels us of the constancy of his mercy and faithfulness , that however things may go with us here for a while , yet the mery of god continues , the line of gods mercy is not cut asunder , but his faithfulness is carried along till all the good that he hath promised , or that faith can beleeve shal be granted to us , for so he tels iacob there , i will not leave thee till i have done that which i have spoke to thee of . all this he spake with us . that 's the first time of gods meeting with iacob in bethel . now the second time that he met with iacob in bethel , it is in gen. . . and there see what god spake with us , there god changes his name to israel , there god confirms his promise and covenant to him again as before , god there remembers his prevailing with him , and his wrastling with him , and in that god tells us he remembers our servent prayers , after they are gone , yet his heart is upon them , there he confirm'd his name , israel ; and confirm'd his promise ; that 's that he spake with us there too . that the saints have need of the confirmation of mercies , especially the covenant . but then further , gods presenteng himself to the soul as god almighty , that 's a great help to faith . i am god almighty , saith he there , thou hast had experience of my almighty power in turning the heart of thy brother , and now thou art in a great danger . because thou art few in number , thou art afraid of the people of the land , but i am god almighty ; there 's little power in thee , but there 's great power in me. the consideration of gods almighty power , is that that should help the saints in the midest of all their straights and afflictions . we find in scripture that god very seldom when he speaks of his almighty power , speaks of his willingness to do them good , for that god would have his people take for granted , that 's implyed in his covenant that he made with them at first . and then lastly , when iacob was afraid of being cut off because he was few in number , now god presents himself as god almighty , and he blesses him now with fruitfulness , and tells him he will multiply him to a company of nations , and kings shall come out of his loyns ; in this we have an excellent lesson that god speaks to us . that god delights to receive his people in their fears with sutable , and seasonable mercies . iacob was never in greater fears than at those two times , yet now the lord comes at this time of his great straits , and tells him now of multiplying of him to many nations , and that kings should come out of his loyns ; at that time when he was afraid that the nations should come and destroy all that belonged to him , at that time god tells him that kings should come out of his loyns : oh! the lord delights to revive his people in their fears , and doth come with sutable mercies to them . oh it should teach us to be tender-hearted towards the saints that are in sears and troubles , and to labor to comfort our brethren with seasonable and sutable mercies , and especially after great conflicts , that 's observable ; for jacob had been wrastling with god not long before , and after these great conflicts god comes with the manifestation of great mercies , this god spake to us there , that we should not be discouraged , though god bring us into great conflicts ; because after those times are the seasons for god to speak the most comfortable , and the most encouraging things unto us . there god spake to us . so you see the third story thus opened unto you , and the usefulness of it , i know scarce a scripture fuller than these two verses . and the reason why the prophat brings this third story to upbraid this people is this ; as if he should say thus ; first , your father jacob , he worshiped the true god in bethel ; you worship the calf in bethel , ( for you know that in dan and bethel the calves were set up ) as if the prophet should say , are you the children of jacob ? did jacob worship an idol in bethel ? no , god found him in bethel , and god spake with him there ; but you worship a calf in bethol . secondly , god made gracious promises to your father jacob in bethel , you flight them , you regard them not , you go to shifting courses for your selves and dare not rely upon promises as your father jacob did . thirdly , you pollute the place that god had made his house , that place where there were such gracious manifestations of god , you pollute it . it 's an aggravation of sin to sin in those places where god hath shewed much mercy . and then lastly , you are gone from the covenant that your father jacob made with god at bethel , your father jacob ( as god renewed his covenant ) enters into covenant himself with god at bethel , and saith , that the lord should be his god ; but have not you forsaken that covenant ? you do not stand to the covenant that your father iacob did make at bethel . it follows . ver . . even the lord god of hosts , the lord is his memorial . he that appeared to your father iacob was no other than the lord of hosts , jehovah , and jehovah is his memorial . your father jacob conversed with god , he had great power with the great god , the lord of hosts , jehovah . you forsake this god , you see no such excellency in him , you rather turn to idols . the lord of hosts . but how doth the prophet make use of this title of god , the lord of hosts ? it is in reference unto those hosts of god that appeared to iacob a little before he met with his brother esau , the prophet is speaking of the story of jacob's meeting with esau , and how he then wrastled with god , upon which his name was changed , in gen. . , . the text saith , the angels of god met him . and when jacob saw them , he said , this is gods host : this hath reference to that place . the hosts of god appeared to iacob just upon this time of his wrastling , and the text saith there , he called the name of the place mahanaim , that is , two hosts , or two camps . saith hosea , the lord of hosts is his name , as if he should say , it is the same lord that was the lord of hosts that appeared to iacob your father a little before his wrastling , it 's the same god , he remains the same god still , and your sin is against that god , and return unto that god that is this lord of hosts . now for this title , the lord of host . that which you see this morning , may put you in mind a little of it , yet i shall not speak much of it now , because you that have been auditors here , and others too , may know , that even in this place i have preached upon that title , the lord of hosts , that glorious name of god , the lord of hosts , and likewise published it , i opened that title some yeers since , because god did appear to england in that title , the lord of hosts more fully than in former times . therefore to the end that we in this land might learn now to sanctifie that name of god , the lord of hosts , i endeavored to open it as i was able unto you , to shew what glory of god was in that name , that we might sanctifie it ; and since that time the lord hath given us more occasion to sanctifie that name of his than formerly , indeed this title , lord of hosts , as well as iehovah is the memorial of god , and should be to the posterity that remains , we should tell the posterity after how the lord hath manifested himself the lord of hosts among us ; if ever god appeared in the glory of this title in any country and nation , then he hath done it here : it is from the lord of hosts that our armies have prevailed so as they have done ; one that hath but half an eye ( as we use to say ) can see it . had god wrought our victory by a company of old , brave , gallant soldiers , and by mighty armies , then the glory of god as the lord of hosts had been ecclipsed in some measure , but when as such great things have been done , as scarce any story can tell us , since ioshua's time , the great things that have been done as have been here in this kingdom within this twelve months , i say the most remarkable story it will be , of what hath been done , as ever we reade of in any stories . how wil the lord of hosts be in his memorial if these stories be set out to the life , lustre , and verity of them ! the children that are not yet born will learn to magnifie god by this name of his , lord of hosts , that such things should be done by an army so contemptible in the eye of flesh and blood as this our army was , it is no other than the lord of hosts that hath appeared for us . and in that god hath manifested himself by his own people so much ; i will give you one scripture which i do not remember i made use of then , to shew you what the hosts of god are besides the angels , there 's the angels , and sun , and moon , and stars , and the wholeworks of creation , there are two special armies that god hath besides the sun , moon , and stars , and the works of creation in general . there are two armies , the saints , and the angels , these i may call mahanaim , the two hosts of god , the angels , and the saints . for that of the angels i shall not need to give you scripture . but for the people of god , that they are call'd the hosts in way of distinction from all other of the hosts of god : gods own people ( i say ) god glories in as his hosts in way of distinction from all other people , this you have in exod. . . where the people of israel going forth from egypt , the text saith , and it came to pass at the end of the four hundred and thirty yeers , even the self same day it came to pass , that all the hosts of the lord went out from the land of egypt . what were they but gods people ? the church is call'd here the hosts of god. and so in cant. . . the church of god is said to be terrible as an army with banners . and through gods mercy the lord hath manifested what great things he can do by such an host , by an army that hath had so many of his chosen ones among them , they have been the hosts that god , the lord of hosts hath taken so much delight to be the captain of , and to go forth withal . but thus much for that name , the lord of hosts , what use the prophet makes of that name we shall speak to presently , how it is a doctrinal point that he builds his exhortation upon , therefore return unto the lord. the next name is , jehovah : the lord jehovah is his memorial . this name jehovah is a name that god glories much in , for indeed it is the name of gods being , it signifies the being of god more fully than any name god hath ; this , and that name of god , i am that i am , which comes from the same root , and is in effect the same with this name jehovah ; i say , god glories in this above all his names : and therefore in deut. . . that thou maiest fear this glorious and fearful name jehovah , the lord ; in your books it is , the lord thy god , but in the original , that thou mightest fear this glorious and fearful name , jehovah , thy god ; god looks upon this name , as his glorious name , and his fearful name , and would have people to take heed that they look to this , that they fear this glorious and fearful name , jehovah , thy god : this name the jews keep a mighty stir about , and think they find great mysteries in it , they have such superstition , and do so reverence this name , that they will not so much as pronounce it , they call it the ineffable name ; and if it be written upon a paper , they think it is a very wicked thing to tread upon that paper . but it 's very observable here how cross the superstition of men is to god , they in way of reverence to god will not so much as mention this name , because they say 't is a name that god so much glories in : and yet mark here , my text saith , this name is gods memorial , god would have this name mentioned above any of his names , 't is the name by which he would be remembred to all generations . so in exod. . . there you shall find , that god speaking of this name of his , [ iehovah ] it is that that he would be known by to all generations . surely there is much then in this name . first , this name [ jehovah ] it sets forth the glory of god more than any name in this , because it is a name that above all names shews , that god hath a being from himself , in which much of the glory of god is , this is proper to god : and indeed from this one principle , that god is from himself ; we come to understand almost all things that can be known of god by any light of nature , by any natural understanding , besides what you have by divine revelation , as the knowledge of god in christ , that 's above it ; but the knowledg of god as adam knew him , and as the creature can know him by any natural light , there 's most of all known from this principle , that god hath his being from himself . first , from himself follows , that he is the first being of all things . secondly , from hence follows , that he is the supream being , he is above all . thirdly , from hence follows , that he is an eternal being , he can have no begining , because it is from himself . fourthly , from hence follows , that he is an infinit being , that there 's no bounds at all of his being ; for what ever is bounded is bounded by some thing that is without it ; but god being from himself , and having no cause , can have nothing to limit and bound his being . fifthly , from hence follows , that there is all being in god , whatever hath any being , it must be either that that is the first , or from the first , he is an absolute being of himself , having it from himself , and therefore al being is eminently contain'd in god himself . sixthly , from hence follows , that whatsoever is in god , is god himself , from this name iehovah , he is an absolute being , nothing but himself : this is the difference between god and any creature : whatsoever is in the creature , is not the being of the creature . a man hath wisdom , now the wisdom of a man is one , and the esteem of the man is another thing ; but it is not so with god , whatsoever you can say of god , is god , the wisdom of god , is god ; the mercy of god , is god ; the justice of god , is god himself : and so all the attributes : we conceive of the attributes as if they were distinct from the being ; when we say , god is wise , as if god were one thing , and wisdom were another ; but certainly if we would apprehend god as in himself , we cannot apprehend him so ; as if his wisdom were one thing , and god another ; or his mercy one thing , and god another ; so that the truth is , nothing can properly be predicated of god , because when a thing is predicated there 's a difference between the subject and the predicate , but there 's no such distinction in god ; but whatsoever can be said of god , is god himself , and there 's as much of the glory of god appears in this one thing , in this ( i say ) that all that is in god is god himself . the understanding god thus doth help us to see god in his glory as much as any way whatsoever , and few people apprehend this , but look upon god as a creature , and so they think god is some excellent thing that hath so many excellencies in him ; but to understand , that all that is said of god , is god himself , and therefore it is all but one being in god ; it doth appear divers to us , wisdom , mercy , justice , power , life , holiness , and faithfulness appears many things to us , but in god all is but one excellency ; as now , the beams of the sun appear divers to us , they shine through a blue glass , and there 's a blue reflection , and a green glass and then 't is green , and a red glass and then 't is red , but all one beam : so the infinit , first , absolute being of al things appearing in the several workings of his , in the several administrations of his , this way or that way , seem to be several , but it 's all but one being that is in himself : and this is signified by the name jehovah . and further ; by the name jehovah , is signified to us , that all the being of the creature depends upon god , is from god originally , and so depends upon god every moment , every time you hear the name jehovah you should be put in mind of this , that as all creatures had what they had from god at first , so they do absolutely depend upon god every moment for their being , and for all the good they have . and then lastly , in this name is signified thus much , that the lord will give a being unto all his promises , and to all his threatnings ; and therefore when he did appear to moses , to tell him that he would fulfil the promise made to his people , to bring them out of egypt , then he doth tell him that indeed , though he did appear to abraham by the name elshaddai , god-alsufficient , yet he did not appear to him by the name jehovah , which is as much as if he should say , yea indeed , when i spake to abraham , i made a promise to him , that i would give him such a land , and thus and thus , but i did not give a being to the promises ; but now i come to make way to the fulfilling of this promise , now i appear to be jehovah , thus jehovah is gods memorial , that is , every time you reade of the name jehovah , ( it might very well be wish'd that the very word jehovah had been kept in your english translation , but almost alwaies when you reade the word lord * it is jehovah ) every time therefore you reade the name jehovah , or hear that name , then you should meditate this , and contemplate of god , it will help your meditation of god very much , god jehovah , the lord he is a being from himself , the first-being that is the supream of all , an infinite being , that hath no bounds at all , it is he that is such a god as is of himself , whatsoever is in him it is his own essence , it is his being , an eternal being , and from whom all creatures have being , and do depend , and it 's he that will give a being to all his promises , so all his threatnings , all this is contained in the name iehovah which is the memorial of god. and thus for the opening of these two names . now then for the observations from them . the first is this , though god be never so strong and terrible in himself , never so great and glorious , yet faith hath strength to wrastle with this god , it 's brought in to this end , iacob he prevailed with god. god , what god ? the lord of hosts , iehovah , even this god that is the lord of hosts , the lord of all armies , that hath al power , that is so terrible in all the armies in heaven and earth , and is this iehovah , this infinite , glorious , supream , eternal first-being of all things ? and yet iacob wrastles with this lord of hosts , god iehovah , and prevails with him . so that hence christians should learn , to raise up their spirits when they have to deal with god , if god hath given them faith they should not be daunted with gods terror , or with gods greatness ; thou sometimes lookest upon god as the great creator of heaven and earth , the great lord of hosts , the infinite iehovah , the lustre of his glory seems to amaze thee ; be not afraid , oh thou beleeving soul , if thou beest a seed of iacob , notwithstanding all the terribleness there is in god , and all the glory that there is in god , the infinite distance that there is between him and us , which his name iehovah sets out unto us , yet thou mayest wrastle with this god , even with this god , and prevail with such a god as this is . many poor christians are much daunted , and discouraged with the sight of the greatness of god ; but this text is a very great help to us that we should not be daunted and discouraged with the apprehensions of gods greatness ; indeed it is for ungodly men , to whom god is an enemy , they are to be daunted with the apprehension of the greatness of god ; but to the seed of iacob , even when iacob prevailed it was with this god , that is the lord of hosts , whose memorial is iehovah . the second thing is this , that the greatness and glory of god in these names of his is a great aggravation of sin : for to that end it 's likewise brought to aggravate the sin of this people in departing from this god. oh! the lord is infinitely terrible , he is the lord of hosts , and he is iehovah , and yet you wretched creatures have departed from this god , you have sinned against this god ; oh! 't is a fearful aggravation of mens sin , that their sin is against such a god that is the lord of hosts , whose name is jehovah ; there is nothing that can humble the soul of a sinner more than the sight of the lord in his glorious attributes , when thou comest to know what a god it is thou hast to deal with , this will make thee to see thy sin to be great ; therefore the prophet sets god in his glory before this people , that they should come to see their great sin , and that there should be a stop given to the course of their hearts that were running on in the waies of sin . thirdly , which is very useful ; look what glory and excellency of any title , or name , or work that god hath ever appeared in to our forefathers , the same we may have god to appear in to us , if we forsake him not : that 's the third end why the prophet here brings these titles , the lord of hosts , jehovah ; as if he should say , he was thus to your father jacob , the lord of hosts , and he was jehovah ; and his memorial is still the lord of hosts , and jehovah , and therefore you might have this god to appear , the lord of hosts for your good as well as he did to your forefathers , and you might have god appear to be jehovah for you as well as he did to jacob , if you forsake him not ; oh! wretches , that you should forsake this god whom you might have to be the lord of hosts , and jehovah to you . oh! let 's learn this , that when we reade in scripture , or hear from our forefathers how god hath appeared heretofore for his saints , for our forefathers , let us make this use of it , god is the same god still , and we may come to have as much good from this god as ever any had since the world began , there 's no shortning of his power , there 's no darkning of his glory , but whatsoever power hath wrought , whatsoever glory of god hath appeared in former times , we may come to have it appear to us now , it 's a mighty argument for people to keep close to god and be faithful with him even because of this . fourthly , there 's no need of images to keep gods remembrance ; the glorious titles of god and his attributes , and the manifestation of himself in his works , is the best memorial of god ; that 's our way , the way of man to make to himself memorials . god hath made himself a memorial . when you reade in the word this glorious title of god , jehovah , it 's a better memorial of god than all the images in the world are , and we may better sanctifie gods name , and have our hearts better wrought upon by such titles of god , than by all kind of images whatsoever . the fifth note , when god manifests himself in his glory , it 's not only for the present that men now might see his glory , but it is that he may be remembred from generation to generation , from one to another , from one time of our life to another , and so from one age to another ; so here , the lord of hosts , jehovah is his memorial , as if he should say , the lord manifests himself jehovah thus and thus , and he would be remembred in other ages to be so ; what god doth to his people in one age , he doth not expect only to have his name sanctified for that present , but he would have it laid up from age to age , and would be honored in all generations from those great manifestations of himself in some one age. my brethren , oh! that we had hearts to do this , oh! that we could make this god his memorial , that we could lay up what god hath manifested of himself in this age for the benefit of another age ; i hope god wil one way or other provide means for the recording of the famous things that god hath done in this age , that it may be a memorial to the posterity afterwards ; for certainly our age cannot give god the glory that is due unto his name for what he hath done , we had need labor to continue it to posterity that the ages to come may remember what god hath done to give glory to him , it is his memorial . and then the last note is this , when we would have a holy memorial of god , the meditation of the name jehovah is very useful for us . you that say you cannot meditate , your meditations are barren ; would you help your selves in meditation to have a holy memorial of god , think much of the name jehovah , remember what hath been hinted to you from that name , and what is contained in it ; and thus much for the fifth verse . ver . . therefore turn thou to thy god ; keep mercy , and judgment , and wait on thy god continually . therefore ] here comes the use now , all the other seem'd to be the doctrine , and this is the use , therefore turn unto thy god , so that this therefore , it hath reference unto all that the prophet had said concerning jacob , and to these titles of god , as if he should say thus . . you had such a gracious father that did thus prevail with god , to whom god did so appear , therefore turn to god. . it is the lord of hosts , therefore turn to him . . iehovah is his memorial , therefore turn to him . for the first , the reference it hath to their father jacob affords us this note , that the consideration of our gracious predecessors , of our forefathers that were godly , to whom god appear'd in mercy , is a great argument to turn us to god. oh! you that are children , that have had parents that were wrastlers with god , are you wicked now ? consider what parents you had , and turn you therefore unto god : in. tim. . . i thank god ( saith st paul ) whom i serve with a pure conscience from my forefathers . oh! 't is a great comfort unto a man or woman , if they can be able to say thus , i thank god , whom i serve with a pure conscience , from my forefathers : my forefathers served god , my grandfather , or grandmother , or father , or mother they were godly ; and i thank god , even from them that i serve god : god is my god , and my fathers god , exod. . . the second is this , that the consideration of god , to be the lord of hosts , is a mighty motive to cause us to turn to god : wilt thou go on in waies of enmity against the lord of hosts , the lord of hosts who hath angels and all creatures to fight for him ? wilt thou , a poor worm , stand out against this god ? thou that goest on in a way of wickedness , know , thou fightest against the great lord of hosts . what were it for a drunken fellow to come and think to oppose but such an army as we have that goes out of the city at this time ? but for a poor wretched worm to think to stand against the infinit god , the lord of hosts , oh! 't is infinit boldness , and presumption , and desperate madness in that man ; therefore turn to the lord : all the while thou art going on in waies of wickedness , thou art fighting against the lord of hosts . and on the other side , if thou hadst but an heart to turn unto the lord , oh how joyful would this title be to thee , that that god which is thy god , is the lord of hosts , is the lord of all the hosts in the world : we are not afraid now to see soldiers , and hear the beating of drums , and shooting of guns , when we know that all are our friends ; but if we should have heard the beating of drums , and neigbing of horses , and shooting of guns of our enemies , that would have struck fear : so , one that hath turned to god need not fear any army , any creatures , why ? for all is commanded by god their father , and oh! the joy , peace and security that a heart may have that is turned to god. i 'le give you one notable scripture , in act. . . saith paul , there stood by me this night the angel of god , whose i am , and whom i serve , saying , fear not , paul. mark , there stood before me the angel of god. did not that terrifie him ? the angel that is but one of the members of the hosts of god , any one angel hath a great deal of terror in him sometimes , for there is much of the glory of god in angels , and we know that the appearing of angels hath struck terror into many men : but now saith paul , the angel said , fear not ; if it be the angel of god , whose i am , and whom i serve , then i need not fear ; yea , let god muster up all his hosts , and appear to one that hath turned to him , if he can say thus , whose i am , and whom i serve , these hosts will say , fear not . therefore turn unto the lord , because he is the lord of hosts . thirdly , because god is jehovah , therefore turn unto the lord. there 's a great deal of force in this name to cause sinners to turn to him , because he is jehovah , for this name jehovah hath as much terror in it to a guilty ungodly soul , as we reade of in all the book of god , i say , put all together that we reade in the book of god , yet if we did but throughly understand the name jehovah we should see as much terror in it to a guilty conscience , and a sinful soul that goes on in the waies of wickedness , as almost all that is mentioned of god that might be terrible . as thus , jehovah . ] if he be jehovah , he hath power over every thing that hath a being to torment thee with it , for he hath all being in himself , al being is from him , and the dispose of all , therefore whatsoever thing hath any being in it , this god hath the power over it , to make use of it to torment thee withal . do but consider how some little creature , if it be in some part of a mans body , what power it hath to bring torment , a little gravel in the kidneys , or stone in the bladder , that 's but a poor weak creature in its self , but being in that place , what tortor doth it bring ! now if a little gravel or stone hath that power to torment thee , then what power hath all things in the earth , and the infinite god that hath all essence , and all being , and can dispose of all things as he pleases , to bring pain , misery , and torment to a sinner ? it 's a very humbling consideration to a sinner . and on the other side , if there be any power in any thing that hath a being , to bring any comfort to a man or woman , it 's all in god , for god hath all in him eminently ; as now , one creature hath power to torment in one way , another in another way ; and so one creature hath power to comfort us one way , another another , but all this is eminently in god , the gravel torments one way , the humor in the veins in the gout that torments another way , and fire torments another way , and the sword torments after another manner , and burning feaver torments in the body , fire without , and burning feaver within , the stinging of serpents torments after another way ; now all power of all things is in god eminently , the quintessence of all things is in god , and therefore the power of god is able to bring all sorts of torments at one time in one thing ; as now , suppose several herbs that have several vertues , one hath a vertue in one kind , another in another , but if these herbs were all distill'd into one water , then a drop of that water hath the same vertue and efficacy that it may be forty several herbs hath ; so now , all creatures that have their several kind of efficacies and vertues distilled into one , if i may compare this distillation unto god , he hath all kind of power in himself , and is able to put it forth in one instant , all the power and efficacie that there is in all creatures in heaven and earth , either to torment , or to comfort us , if one herb hath one sweetness , and a second another , and the third another , the distillation of them all together , how sweet will that be ? now all these being in god eminently , oh what comfort is there in god than to the soul ! so that look either way to the name jehovah , we may see an argument to humble us for sin , the dreadfulness of the wrath of god appears in this , more than in any one meditation that i know of . neither do i know any meditation that may stick upon the heart to comfort and encourage the heart to turn to god and to rejoyce in god so much as this , that there 's all being in god eminently , and all depending absolutely upon him ; therefore turn to god , because he is jehovah . thus you see the connexion of these two . further , when the excellency of the saints , or glory of god is set before us , we should make it an argument to turn to the lord : when both together , the exccellency of jacob , and the excellency of god , this is set as an argument to turn to the lord ; turn to me . but they might say , do not we turn to god ? we do serve god. that may be another note , that whatsoever services men do perform to god , yet if they be not in gods way they do in the midest of them all depart from god , and do not turn to him . they did worship god after a fashion , but god did not account that worshiping of him , but departing from him , therefore turn to god. but turn thou to god. that is , every one of you , do not stand objecting and cavelling against what i say , but turn to god every one of you , turn thou to god. thou art israel , thou art the posterity of that great prevailer with god , therefore turn thou to god , that 's the note of observation from hence ; and if you lay it to heart , you will find it of very great use , every one should consider what peculier arguments there are that concern him in particular to turn to god ; therefore turn thou to god , o israel . there 's a great deal more reason why thou shouldest turn to god , than others . oh that every one of us here in this place would but in our meditations labor to recal all those particular arguments that concern our selves , that might turn us to god , do not take it in the general , turn to god because he is your creator , turn to god that you may be saved , this concerns all ; but consider what special arguments thou hast , as thus ; consider what special manifestations of god there hath been to thee ; consider what special offers of grace there hath been to thee ; consider what special workings of the holy ghost there hath been upon thy heart ; consider what special illuminations of gods spirit there hath been in thee ; consider of what special dangers thou hast been in ; consider what special vows , and covenants thou hast made to god , and yet hast departed from him afterwards ; consider what special engagements thou hast had ; these are but the hints that men and women may lay to heart all the arguments that may concern them especially to turn to god. turn thou to god therefore . do not thou look upon others , and think thus , i do as others do , yea , but thou hast more reason to turn to god than others . there are more arguments to perswade thy heart than others , turn thou to god. and this is a great mercy of god towards any man or woman , when as god shall dare powerfully those special considerations and arguments that concern their souls to turn to god ; a man or woman comes to hear the word , and hears the nature of repentance , & the motives to repentance , but that generally concerns all , and this doth not much stir the heart , but at another time it pleaseth god to hint something out of the word that concerns them in particular , and this gives a mighty turn to their hearts more than all the other ; as if a man be asleep , though there be a great noise , perhaps this doth not awaken him , but let one come and call him by his name , thomas , or richard , or john , and speak particularly to him , and that will awaken him when a greater noise will not do it : so though there be general arguments of turning to god , it doth not so much prevail with people , as when god speaks to men and women by name , and saies , turn thou to god. there are these special arguments why thou shouldest turn to god rather than others . many times you will say , if ever any were bound to god , then i am , then turn thou to god because thou art more engaged than others . turn thou to thy god. that is , though you have departed from him , yet he hath not wholly cast you off so but he may yet be thy god : from whence the note is , that the sight of any relation to god , or hope of mercy from him , is a special means to draw the heart to turn to him ; yet he may be thy god , god hath not left thee , o thou wretehed sinful soul , who knows but that he may be thy god , and thy god to all eternity ? thou mightest have been past such an argument of hearing any possibility of god's being thy god , and therefore turn to god , turn to thy god , — and keep mercy and judgment . want of mercy ( in the fourth chapter of this prophesie ) was charged upon this people , that there was no mercy in the land : and so in diverse other places , want of justice . now , turn to thy god , and keep mercy and judgment . the note from the connexion is this , that in our turnings to god , we must look to our special sins , and reform them . it 's not enough for men and women to turn to god , and leave some gross sins ; but is there any sin more special than another , that you have lived in before your turning unto god ? reform in that sin above all . a man or woman can never have any sure argument that their repentance is true , though they have left many sins , if they have not left their special sins ; there 's som special sin that thou hast liv'd in , what saiest thou to that ? then secondly , it is nothing for people to reform in gods worship , except they reform also in the duties of the second table , that 's wonderful . the duties of the second table , mercy and judgmeut , turn to thy god , and keep mercy and judgment . many men and women that seem to be forward in duties of instituted worship , which is very good ; we are to honor god , god is jealous in that business ; but now , together with that , if we be not conscionable in the duties of the second table , of mercy and judgment too , it 's nothing , all will vanish and come to nothing except thou livest righteously and mercifully with men also , as well as worship god ; do not think to put off thy conscience with the duties of worship , except thou doest keep mercy and judgment , that 's more general . and then particularly . keep mercy , and then , keep judgment , be merciful unto thy brethren , a heart turning to god , if it be a true turning , it must needs be very merciful to men , god expects that from all that do turn to him , that upon thy turning to god , thy bowels should yern towards thy brethren , and turn to them in love , and in mercy , and meekness , and gentleness , and forgiveness , for when thou turnest to god , is it not the mercy of god that draws thy heart ? if it be not that , thy turning is not right ; never any turned to god rightly but their hearts were taken with gods mercy : and can thy heart be taken with gods mercy , and thou not merciful to thy brethren ? many professors of religion think little of this , but i find the scripture makes as much of this as of any thing , but faith its self , faith in the covenant of grace . these three thing●●he scripture holds forth , and urges very much upon men . faith , mercy , and vnity ; the two latter are thought to be little and of no moment with men , but certainly the lord christ doth lay much upon mercy towards men , that all that are his members should be of merciful dispositions , and of uniting dispositions one towards another ; oh! 't is mercy that the scripture makes religion to consist in , jam. . . pure religion , and undefiled , is , to visit the fatherless and widdows : and in jam. . . mercy rejoyceth over judgment , it is that which will help men and women in the time of straits , and in times of danger , that they have been merciful towards their brethren , for that i take to be the meaning of that text , mercy rejoyceth over judgment ; not that gods mercy is more than his judgment , and that though a sinner hath deserved judgment , yet gods mercy will prevail , and triumph over it ; but i take the meaning of that text to be , mercy in man , and not mercy in god , that 's thus ; that when man hath had a merciful heart towards others , towards his brethren , that then if he should live to meet with affliction , live to a time of judgment , times of common calamity , common dangers , that mercy that he hath exercised towards his brethren in the time of his prosperity will cause his soul to triumph in the midest of all dangers ; in the time of affliction mercy rejoyces over judgment ; let judgment come , let afflictions come in the world , let there be never such hard times abroad in the world , yet i have a testimony to my conscience , the lord hath given me a merciful heart towards my brethren that are in misery , and i that am but a poor creature that have but a drop of mercy to that god that hath , an infinite ocean of mercy , will not that god be merciful to me much more ? keep mercy therefore , you that turn to god , be of merciful dispositions towards your brethren ; oh! this is wanting among many that are professors of religion , they are of cruel and harsh dispositions , ridged , sowr , and severe dispositions towards others , care not what becomes of others ; oh! be merciful to your brethren , you that are turn'd to god , shew it in this , that you keep mercy . the next is , jvdgment . where there is a turning to god , there must be righteousness among men . judgment ] that is , righteous judgment among men , thou canst not turn to god from thy unrighteousness , and to a righteous god , and yet still not be righteous towards men ; certainly if thou beest turn'd to god , from thy unrighteousness towards a righteous god , then thou will be turn'd likewise from thy unrighteousnes towards men , and will be righteous towards them . many texts of scripture i might have shewn you , that commend this grace of righteousness , and it 's made the great promise to the glorious church when that shall be , that righteousness shall prevail there , that the people shall be a righteous people . and judgment : not only judgment in doing no man any wrong , and being righteous in dealing ; but thus judgment , execute justice against sin , manifest thy hatred against sin , by the execution of judgment : this is the note from thence , that those who turn to god will manifest their hatred against sin , by the execution of judgment , if they be in place of power . though in thine own cause thou maiest forbear , yea , thou shouldest be merciful ; but when publick manifestation of hatred against sin requires justice , then there 's no place for sparing ; when god calls thee in any publick place , to manifest hatred against sin , then ( i say ) thou maiest not think of sparing . but you will say , oh! i must pity , and shew mercy . well , if you would be merciful , be merciful in your own cause . many men that will pleade for indulgence to malefactors , yet in their own business they have no indulgence to those that offend them . it beseems a judg to be very pitiful when he is wronged himself , but it beseems him to be very righteous and just when the publick calls him . keep mercy , and jvdgment . mercy is first , and judgment afterwards . the scripture makes a difference between our respect to mercy & judgment : that place in micah , the lord hath shewen thee , o man , what he would have thee to do , love mercy , and do jvstice : there should be a preheminency in mercy , mercy must not only be shown , but loved ; and justice must be done . and then , keep mercy and jvdgment . the mixture of mercy and judgment is very comely ; the scripture doth mix them very often , psal . . . i will sing of mercy and iudgment : and prov. . . he that followeth after righteousness and mercy , findeth life , righteousness , and honor. psal . . . the upright man he is full of compassion , and righteousness . jer. . . the lord there doth seem to glory in this , in his righteousness aswel as mercy , saith the lord , let no man glory in the flesh , but let him glory in this , that he knoweth me , that i am the lord , which exercise loving kindness , iudgment and righteousness in the earth . let him glory in this , that he knows that i am such a god , this is my glory , that i am both righteous and merciful . now for the several rules , when mercy should be shown , and when judgment should be executed , that would be the use here , how men should be directed to mix both these together . mercy , when men offend by infirmity , when i see it 's but a weakness , it is not through wilfulness , mercy then should be shown . oh that we would consider of this , our brethren that sometime differ from us in judgment , in practice , consider , do they appear in any of their carriages any waies , to be wilful in their way ? can you take it upon your consciences , that it is through obstinacy , and through any wicked principles that they have , that they go against conscience ? doth it not appear in all their other waies that they walk humbly and conscionably , that if they be in the wrong , yet it is through meer weakness that they cannot see the truth , that thou thinkest thou doest see ? now thou shouldest be merciful towards them , and carry not thy self in a ridged , severe , bitter , and harsh way towards them , but in a merciful way , mercy when the offence is by infirmity . and then when the offender is already sensible of his offence , then mercy . or , when there may be as much good done in a fair , gentle , merciful carriage , as in a harsh , ridged carriage . and then especially at that time when any man or woman begins to feel passion arise in their hearts and a spirit of revenge to stir in them , above all times , then is the time for mercy ; examin thine heart , thou hast to deal with thy brother , now see whether there doth not begin to arise passion and revenge in thy spirit towards him , now is the time for mercy , it 's not the fit time for judgment , it 's not a fit time to give judgment , nor for thee to execute judgment , but now is the time for mercy . and then there 's the time for judgment , when thou art call'd to manifest hatred against sin , when the publick good requires it ; when you cannot be merciful to one , but you must be cruel to another : as in many things wherein men would be merciful , the truth is , the mercy they shew to some is cruelty to others , and when thou hast the least interest in a business , then there 's the most like to be the time for judgment . well , keep mercy and judgment : keep it , not only do some acts of mercy and judgment , but keep it . many men in some good moods ( observe it ) oh how pitiful are they ! how merciful are they ! but come to them at another time , and oh! how ridged are they then ! oh! how sowr are they ! how bitter , how cruel ! how harsh are they ! we have found it so by experience , you can say , such a man , oh! what sweet converse had we together , and what a sweet temper'd man he was , how loving , how meek , how gentle , how pitiful ! but come to him now , how harsh , and how rugged in his expressions , and extream bitter , mightily turned as if he were not the man ; keep mercy , keep it . doth god at any time melt thy heart , and make thee apprehensive of thy need of mercy ? doth thy heart begin to bleed towards thy brethen ? oh! keep it , keep this temper ; the lord keep this in the thoughts and purposes of thy heart for ever , oh take heed of change of heart . it should be the care of christians , not only to do that that is good , but to keep their hearts in such a constant frame . oh that some of you would but call to mind the dales of old , was there not a time that your hearts did melt towards your brethren , and had sweet converse and communion with them , what 's become of those spirits now ? oh! turn to that gracious , sweet , temper again , and if ever god bring you to that temper again , keep it ; consider what is it that hath changed my heart , what hath brought me to it ; now if god doth discover how thou hast lost that sweetness of thy heart , oh! labor to repent and turn to god , and resolve , if ever god bring me to that temper again ( as sometimes through his mercy i have felt ) i hope through his grace that i shall keep my self in that temper ; oh how happy were it with us if when god brings our hearts into a good temper if we had but hearts to keep them in that temper , keep mercy . and keep judgment too . in some acts you shall find men very just , and take them in other acts and there they will be false enough . but now , it should be our care , to be as it 's said of god in jer. . , . god is said there to be the habitation of justice , so it should be in the courts of justice , there should be the habitation of justice . perhaps sometimes , in some one cause a man may have justice in a court : yea , but if it be not so in all causes , at all times , there is not the keeping of justice ; justice should be alwaies at home : sometimes you may come to a court and not find justice at home , but it 's gone abroad , but it should be alwaies the habitation of judgment . and so it should be in families , and in particular persons ; it may be at some times thou wert just in thy waies , yea , but then thou hadest not a temptation , the tempration came not for unjust dealing : there are some men that by a temptation are brought to such unjust dealing , that if a man should have said some divers yeers ago , that thou wouldest have done such things , you would have been ready to think , am i a dog , that i should do such things ? but now , when a man is once engaged in any unjust way , then he must go on : and therefore keep judgment . it follows ; keep judgment , and wait on thy god continually . that 's thus , do not satisfie your selves in duties of mercy and judgment only , but worship god ; for by waiting on god is meant the exercise of spiritual graces , wherein the worship of god consists , wherein we come to make god to be our god : as it is not enough for men to think they worship god , and yet make no conscience of the second table ; so neither is it enough for men to make conscience of the second table , and not to worship god. it may be there is som of you that are very just , yea , but what worship of god is there in your families , and in your own hearts ? do your souls worship god , and sanctifie the name of god in all your waies ? therefore this is added , turn to the lord thy god , and keep mercy and judgment , and wait on thy god continually . wait on god. the bases , or foundation of waiting , is faith , beleeve there is good in god , help , supply here , and that in god alone ; however things seem to be contrary , let things go how they will , i beleeve there is help in god alone , and not in those former base waies that i have taken before , that my corrupt heart hath led me into , here 's help , and not in the other way . secondly , waiting on god , is , to attend god in the use of what means god hath appointed for the attaining of such a thing that i expect from him . thirdly , a looking out for mercy ; i beleeve here is mercy and no where else , i attend on god for it in the use of these means , and i look out for mercy . fourthly , i quietly submit in the mean time , though god staies long ; that 's to wait , so as not to be discontent , not to have my heart sink , though god staies long . fifthly , i keep in the way of seeking of god all the while : that soul that doth this , may be said to wait on god. a turning heart to god is a heart that is a waiting heart , the heart that turns truly to god is taken off from all creature contentments , so as to rest in them , and looks up to god for all help , and for all supply . and this waiting is of very great use to those that are turning to god , consider of it , is any of you about the work of turning to god ? hath god begun to make a turn to any of your hearts ? know , that when you are turning to god , you are very like to meet with a great many things that may discourage you , many suggestions of the devil and your own hearts ; why should not i go back again ? what good have i gotten by reading , and praying ? i get nothing by it , and all will come to nothing at last , temptations are like to come thick and three-fold upon the heart of a sinner turning to god : i am confident i am speaking in this to the hearts of all that knows what it is to turn unto god , there was a time that thou wert departing from god , and then thou wentest on quietly , but ever since the time that god hath begun to turn thy heart , oh! the thick , and three fold temptations of the devil that come to thee ! now this is a very seasonable exhortation , turn to god and wait upon him , be not discouraged not withstanding all difficulties , fears , temptations , and discouragements , from men , and devils , and thine own heart , yet wait upon god and keep in his way . oh! it had been happy that this exhortation had been set home upon the spirits of many that the lord was beginning to give a turn to their hearts , not long since the lord was beginning to turn thy heart to himself , and thou mettest with some things that discouraged thee which hath turned thee quite off again , oh! had but this exhortation come seasonably then , turn to the lord , and wait upon him , oh! it had been happy for thee . the lord make it seasonable now to thee , oh! remember this text , turn to god , and wait upon him . wait. ] oh! there 's reason that thou shouldest wait upon god , oh! thou saiest if i had comfort , and if i were sure i should be saved at last , though i have discouragements from men , yet , if i had but comfort from god , then i could be content ; yea , but wait , wait for comfort , wait for peace , wait for assurance , god is a great god , and is worthy to be waited on : men that are above others will take state upon them , and they will be waited on ; god is great , and therefore wait upon him . and we are vile creatures and unworthy , and therfore let us wait . beggers if they should rap and rap , and you come and see it to be a begger , your heart rises upon him , if he beg he must wait if you be busie . we are beggers , and therefore it is fit for us to wait . and thirdly , god hath waited on us a long time , how long did god wait upon thee , it may be thou wert twenty yeers old before thou didest begin to turn to god , perhaps thou wert thirty or fortie yeers old and god was waiting upon thee to be gracious all that time , god was waiting for opportunity to do thee good , and therefore wait thou upon god. and fourthly , what we wait for , it is worth our waiting . if a man did beleeve there were nothing but scraps to be had at last , then he would not wait so long ; but if he did hope there was some great thing to be gotten , then he would wait : beggers if they come to some mean house , they knock at the door and stay a little , and if they give them nothing , away they will go ; but if they come to great houses , or coaches , they will wait though it be long , and run a great way after them . so , that which we wait for , it is worth thousands of worlds , we wait for the pardon of sin , and wait for the assurance of gods love , we wait for the shedding abroad of the holy ghost in our hearts , we wait for rich treasure , and know that there is enough to be had in god ; your waiting will pay for all . know also , 't is a great part of gods worship to wait upon him , 't is not the worship of god , only to pray , and hear the word , and receive sacraments ; but when you are waiting , you are worshiping of god. further , god is all this while preparing mercy for you . suppose you come to have a scrivener write somthing for you , well , the thing is not yet done , yea , but he is writing as fast as he can : know , o thou soul who art turning to god , all the while thou art waiting , god is working , god is setting all his attributes on work for thy good , while thou art waiting , and therefore wait on thy god. and know , god is infinitly wise , and he knows when 't is best for us to have the mercy , he knows the times and seasons , wait upon god , for the lord is a god of judgment . alas ! we are hasty , we cannot judg when the time is fittest , but god is a god of judgment , and therefore wait upon him : should we have a mercy just when we would , our mercy would undo us , and therefore let us wait . oh my brethren , we have as much encouragement here in this land to wait upon god as ever any people had ; we would fain have had the wars ended , and we began to murmur and repine because it was not done , oh! but we will not wait , therefore we will not turn ; and those that turn to god least , will wait least upon him ; and those that turn to god most , will wait most upon him ; do not you see that god hath wrought abundance of good for us by deferring what we would have ? had we had no opposition at the beginning of the parliament , and suppose the king and parliament had agreed , and said , you shall have your desires , what would we have desir'd , we would have desir'd some few things , as taking away ship-mony , tonnage , and poundage , monopolies , &c. and to have a triennial parliament , and the like . now what abundance hath god wrought by deferring what we would have had ? oh it is good for people to wait upon god , oh let us look back to our murmurings and repinings all this while . it 's true , we have suffered something , yea , but hath not god wrought good out of our sufferings ? and suppose there should be fears of new storms arising . oh let us not say we will wait no longer ; oh i take heed of foolish resolutions of your own : god is wisest , leave god to do his own work , keep the way of god and go on in your duty , and then let god work his own ends , either by war , or peace , any way as he pleases , wait upon god ; and mark , wait upon god continually . wait ] it 's fit for us to wait . yea , but we have waited a long time . well , but yet know that you are at the right door : suppose a man be knocking at a door , and he hath knockt a great while and no body comes , he begins to think it 's not the the right door , but some body tells him that it is the right door , and then he staies : so we may assure our heares thus much , we are at the right door certainly , and let us not think to go away , and we shall find somebody within , god wil appear at length , what , shal we lose all for want of waiting a little while longer ? thus it is with many wretched apostats , that have taken a great deal of pains in seeking after god a great while , and for want of waiting a little longer they have lost all : oh! let there be this resolution in your hearts , if i die and perish , yet i 'le die and perish waiting upon god. certainly that soul that hath this resolution will never come to dispair , yea , there 's no such way for the hastening of mercy , as for a soul to lie flat at the feet of god , let god do what he will with me , if i perish , i 'le perish waiting upon him , though he kills me , i 'le trust in him , and stay upon him : you have waited , how long i pray ? oh! you have been waiting and seeking of god it may be this half year , or twelve months , what 's that i pray ? o thou wretched soul ! thou hast deserved eternal flames , and wilt thou grudg at god for waiting a few years ? if god would keep thee waiting * all thy daies , and at the last manifest himself unto thee , thou hadst cause to bless god for ever , and therfore do not grudge though thou hast been waiting a while , and it may be though thy time is come , yet gods time is not come , the time that you call long , god doth not call it so ; one day with god is as a thousand years , it 's no time with god , and therefore do not complain of the length of thy time . and your betters have waited longer ; reade but the . psalm , and there you will find your better waited all his time ; the lord was pleased to work grace upon him when he was yong , his heart was turned to god then ; and you may find in the text , that from his youth up the terrors of god was upon him . wait upon god continually . and you cannot better your self : whither wilt thou go , poor soul ? now you are seeking god , you have not what you would have , whither will you go ? can you mend your self any way ? if you cannot , then wait upon god continually . it may be before god began to turn thy heart , thou thoughtst mercy was easie to be obtain'd , thou thought'st then it was nothing to beleeve , thou wondrest that people spake so much of the hardness of beleeving , thou thought'st it easie ; wel , the lord is now working upon thy heart , and the lord would humble thee for those slight thoughts thou hadst of faith , the lord will have thee to know , that beleeving in his grace it requires a mighty work of god , even the same power that raised jesus christ from the dead . be humbled for thy slight thoughts about the work of faith , and know , that this ( it may be ) is the thing that god intends in keeping thee so low so long , that thou maiest come to see that faith requires the mighty power of god to work it , that so thou maiest give glory to god when ever thy heart shall be raised by the work of faith to beleeve in him , and to be enabled to triumph in him , and say , lo , this is our god , we have waited on him , and this is the god of my salvation : and therefore you that are turning to god , wait upon him continually . but besides , the use of exhortation , he hath a use of reprehension , and that 's in the . and . verses . notwith standing all this , as if the prophet should say , oh! your hearts are set upon your covetousness , upon the pelf of this world , these vanities that are here below . you are not ( saith he ) as your father jacob ; i exhort you thus to turn unto the lord , and to keep merey and judgment , but it 's otherwise with you . ver . . he is a merchant ; the ballances of deceipt are in his hand ; he loveth to oppress . this scripture , though it seems to be somwhat a harsh one , and hard to reade , yet it may be a good providence of god that did bring it to hand at such a time as this is . that 's the scope of the prophet : we may exhort long enough saith he , yet so long as their hearts are covetous , and set upon their way of getting gain , they will never regard what i say , they will not turn to god , they will not hear of turning to god , but will turn a deaf ear rather . this indeed is the guize of men that have great dealings in the world , and their hearts are set upon their riches , let there be the most glorious truths set before them that ever were , yet they are as nothing to them : we reade in luke . of christ himself preaching before a company of men , and some of them being very covetous , mark what the text saith , vers . . the pharisees also who were covetous , heard all these things , and they derided him , they blew their noses at him , so the word * signifies , they scorn'd him . christ he spake of excellent and divine misteries , and there were some of his auditors that had dealings in the world , and great estates , and they scorn'd at whatsoever he spake ; tel us of such things as these are ! tell us of waies of gain , how we may come to enrich our selves : this seem'd to be the disposition of some of the auditors of hosea at this time , therefore saith he , he is a merchant . the word that is here translated a merchant , it signifieth a cananite , and may be translated , if you would translate it according to the very letter of the word , he is a cananite , for the same word that signifies a cananite signifies a merchant in the hebrew tongue . you have the like in other places of scripture , job , . . shall they part him among the merchants , among the cananites , so is the word in the hebrew : and in prov. . . she delivereth girdles to the merchants , the word is to the cananites . now the reason why that a merchant , and a cananite hath the same name in scripture , it is , because the country of canaan was much given to merchandize , and indeed much to deceipt . as the mathematicions were cal'd caldeans from the country because the country was so full of mathematicions ; so arabia , robbers and theeves , were call'd by the name of arabians because that it was so full of them ; and so because canaan had so many merchants therefore it hath the denomination , a cananite , and a merchant . but here the holy ghost calls them not israelites , mark , god he doth not say , you are an israelite , but a cananite , and that is by way of upbraiding of them , because they had degenerated so much from israel , ( that was spoken of before ) so he would not call them israelite , but calls them cananite . observe that , men by their sin may lose the honor of their progenitors . and further , though it 's true , that the calling of a merchant is not only lawful , but a very honorable imployment , yet the abuse of it may make it very contemptible , if it be abused and corrup ed it may grow to be very contemptible ; for so here , the holy ghost doth cast such a word upon them , to shew , how through their corruption they had made a calling that was honorable , to become contemptible , and , they had brought contempt upon their own persons : for though merchants that are subtil may in the pride of their hearts rejoyce in their subtilty and cunning , and think that they can circumvent others by their deceipt , and get money that way in going beyond them ; they may glory in this as if it were a great excellency in them , but the holy ghost casts contempt upon those , he is a merchant , a cananite , and the ballances of deceipt are in his hand . the ballances of deceipt are in his hand ] the lord abhor'd their ballances of deceipt , yea , and professed that they are an abomination to him , if you reade levit. . , . ye shall do no unrighteousness in judgment , in metyard , in weight , or in measure . just ballances , just weights , a just ephah , and a just hin shall ye have : i am the lord , i am jehovah . this lies upon it , if you will acknowledg me to be the lord , to be jehovah , be just in your dealing , have no unjust ballances , let there be no injustice in your trading . and in deut. . . and so on to the . thou shalt not have in thy bag divers weights , a great , and a smal ; thou shalt not have in thy house divers measures , a great and a smal : but thou shalt have a perfect and a just weight , a perfect and a just measure shalt thou have , &c. for all that do such things , and all that do unrighteously ( mark ) are an abomination to the lord thy god. there 's much laid upon it , you think you may take liberty in such things , no saith the text , all that do such things they are an abomination to the lord thy god , 't is not only a thing that god forbids , but a thing that god abominates to be deceiptful in trading . doest thou profess any interest in god ? hast thou any hope that god should be merciful to thy soul , to do thee any good ? doest thou think that god is thy god ? know this is an abomination then to thy god , to that god that thou professest to have any interest in ; nay , in prov. . . there 's likewise a scripture to the same purpose , a false ballance is an abomination to the lord ; but a just weight is his delight . god takes pleasure in that . now saith the prophet here , the ballances of deceipt are in his hand , as if he should say , let him have riches any way , he doth not mind turning to god , but he regards the ballances of deceit . we are to understand this for all kind of deceit in trading , though only ballances are here mentioned , yet here 's a synechdoche ; one special thing is mentioned in a business to set out all of that nature , not only deceitful ballances , but measures , and tale , and lights , and mixtures , when they shall mix water and other things with any commodity to make it heavier , or mix ill ware with good ware , deceiptful glosses , and appearances , to make wares that are ill to seem to be good by many arts that trades-men have to put a gloss upon their wares ; deceiptful words , to tell them what they cost , and what the goodness of it is , to make many protestations , yea , and deceiptful oaths , all such things are here condemned ; and deceiptful books , and deceiptful reckonings ; so that by ballances of deceipt , are alwaies of merchants , of trades-men , whether by ballances , weights , measures , tale , lights , words , protestations , oaths , appearances , glosses , mixtures , books , and reckonings , all kind of deceiptfulness is here condemn'd , he is a cananite . yet those have their due honor , that are righteous in their dealing ; but such as make profession of merchandize , and are not righteous in their dealings , they cannot think much that the scripture should call them in the way of upbraiding , a cananite . or if he doth but joyn with others in deceipt , that com● in here : as if there be any men , and the way they take he knows it is to cozen others , yet to get gain he wil be content to joyn with them to partake a part of their gain : these things , and perhaps your own consciences would tell you of abundant more that you know of , of the mysteries of iniquity that there is in trading : as we reade of those in the revelation , that were under the power of antichrist , they might not buy nor sell , except they had the mark of the beast upon them . and the truth is , among a great part , if not most of our buyers and sellers there is the mark of the beast upon them , deceiptfulness and falsness among them , and because this is thought to be so light a matter , therfore the scripture laies the more weight upon it . and so much as the time will give me leave , i shall labor to lay some weight upon this , of deceiptfulness in waies of trading . the ballances of deceipt are in his hand . that is ( saith a learned interpreter upon the place ) by this that they are in his hand , is intimated a continual and perpetual study and endeavor to deceive , he hath it at hand , and it is in his hand continually . in the forenamed place , deut. . . and so on , there men are forbidden to have a false weight in their bag ; you must not keep a false weight in your house , much less in your hand . or it may be he alludes to those that have a slight of hand , to make the ballances turn one way , or the other way , so as their customers shall not perceive it . — and he loveth to oppress . what oppression is there in trading ? if i buy a commodity and sell it again , what oppression can there be ? there may be oppression in trading , as thus : . oppression in monopolizing of commodities , that poor men that have been brought up to such a trade , and that have no other livelihood at all but that , that a few men get into their own hand , and make such use of it themselves that poor men are not able to live by them , this is oppression ; certainly this monopolizing in trading is a great oppression , the lord hath in great measure delivered us , but not wholly delivered us from that , there is a great cry in many parts of the land still of that . and then secondly , oppression in trading ; when as men take the advantages of mens weaknesses that they deale withall in their trading : but especially when they take advantages of mens necessiries , that is , if i know that such a man must sell his commodity , now for men to take advantage of his necessity and therefore beat it down , so as even almost to undo a man because he is necessitated for the selling of it . i verily beleeve you know the meaning of such things as these are . or now , those that work upon the necessity in buying , as sometimes when men bring over commodities , and must bring over such commodities , you will let them lie to the last period , that so you may have them at any rate , and so when you come to know that men must needs have a commodity of you , then to raise the price so as they cannot live upon it , this is even to drink their very blood , this is oppression . they love to oppress : ( that is ) the poor of their wages . there are many poor men that are servants to you that are merchants , and trades-men , they live upon their labor , and they must come and fetch commodities of you , that they must live by ; now you knowing their necessity that they must have your work , therfore you beat down their wages , and not give unto them according as they may maintain their families : you will say , i do not wrong them , if he doth not , another will , i but that will not serve the turn . or otherwise , they love to oppress : trades-men oppress their debtors , when they have gotten poor men into their debts then they will make them that they shall buy of them , and of none other , and so will put off any of their braided ware to them , and put it off at a deer rate . you will say , we sell it them , yea , but you force them to buy of you ; for if they should go from you , then you fall upon them , and put them into prison , or evil intreat them some other way . this is to love to oppress , to take the advantages of mens necessities when they are grown poor . certainly these things are grievous to the spirit of god , and are abominable in the eyes of god , these are rebuked here , and that you may see that there is a great deal of evil in these ballances of deceit , and oppression in trading , do but consider these particulars . first , observe how this is brought in , in my text , as opposite to turning to god ; turn to god , then presently , he is a merchant , the ballances of deceipt are in his hand ; he loveth to oppress . those men that live in any way of deceipt or oppression to get gain to themselves by those waies , these are men that yet have not turned to god ; thou hast not turned to jehovah , thy heart is not turned to him , thy heart is turned to the earth , the earth is thy portion , thou art to look for the things of the earth to be thy portion , it is not god that thou hast chosen , nor turned unto him . then secondly , thou doest certainly not know what sin doth mean , that darest venture the least sin for the greatest gain ; had god ever enlightened and awakened thy conscience to see what sin doth mean , thou wouldest rather lose all thy estate , and be cloathed with rags all thy daies , than willingly to commit the least sin , to get the greatest estate . it was a speech of austin , that there must not be so much as an officious lye , that is , a lye when a man intends no hurt , but good , yet this must not be told , saith he , no not for the saving of the souls of all the world : surely then a lye must not be told to get twelve pence in a bargain , or five shillings , or fifty shillings , or five pounds , it must not be told to save the souls of all the world ; now to tell a lye to deceive others as well as thy self , surely , god hath not yet laid the weight of sin upon your souls , the day is yet to come that you shall know ( perhaps to all eternity ) what the weight and burdon of sin means . and then in the third place . certainly you do not trust in god , you may speak of trusting in god , but it is apparant by this , that you have jealous thoughts of god , that you do not beleeve that god takes care of you ; and here 's not only sin , but it shews your misery , you are in such a condition , that your own consciences condemn you , and tell you that god takes no care of you , for did you beleeve that god had care of you , care over my bodie , my estate , my soul , then i 'le leave it to god , i 'le cast my care upon god , i 'le go on in gods way , and leave all other things to god. but now , when a man is low in the world and would fain rise higher , or would provide such a portion for his children , and he falls to deceiving , and so thinks to get it that way , this is the plain explicit english of it ; for my part i dare not trust god to take care for me , and that that i think god to do for me is not enough , if i trust to gods blessing , i may be a poor man , my children may be poor , and i dare not trust to promises , nor protections , nor providences , but i must take my own way ; ( the truth is , the language is as much as thus much ) i cannot get an estate by god , and therefore i 'le see what i can do by the devil . and then fourthly , all duties of religion that thou performest are rejected by god ; you who are conscientious to your selves of waies of falseness in your trading , and it may be have gone on many daies and yeers in your waies , i say , all the duties of religion that you perform are rejected by god , you will deceive , and yet come to hear , and deceive again , and yet hear , and so make the duties of religion to be a colour to your deceipt . who would suspect such a man that is so forward in matters of religion that he should be so deceiptful ? oh! cursed is that wickedness above all wickedness , it is aggravated by this , when thou makest religion to be a colour of deceipt , know , that god casts all thy profession and duties as filth and dung back again in your face . i 'le give you this on scripture in ezek. . . thou hast ( saith the text ) defiled thy sanctuaries ( how ? ) by the multitude of thine iniquities , by the iniquity of thy traffick : by the iniquity of thy traffick thou hast defiled thy sanctuaries . you go abroad and there you traffick , and deceive , and put off false commodities , and have false reckonings , and the like : now you come into the sanctuary , oh but you defile the sanctuary by the greatness of your iniquity ; and among other greatness of your iniquities , the iniquity of your traffick is that that defiles the ordinances of god unto you : in micah , . . when those hypocrits had said , what shall we do ? shall we come with ten thousand rams , and rivers of oyl ? saith the prophet , he hath shewed thee , o man , what is good ; and what doth the lord require of thee , but to do justice , &c. as if he should say , though you come with all these things , it 's all to no purpose , whatsoever offerings you offer to god , it 's all nothing , except you do justice . fifthly , there is a curse mingled with every thing thou doest enjoy . though it may be some things are gotten honestly , yet ( i say ) there is a curse mingled in all things thou doest , it doth venem and poyson every thing thou doest . in zach. . . there was a flying rol of twenty cubits , and the breadth of it ten cubics : then said he unto me , this is the curse that goeth over the whol earth , ( for whom ? ) for every one that stealeth shall be cut off &c. everie bit of meat thou eatest at thy table thou maiest look upon it as dipt in the curse of god , i have gotten this by deceipt , thou wouldest be loth to have everie bit of meat rouled up in dirt and so put into thy mouth , but everie bit of meat is rouled up in the curse of god. and then sixthlie , surelie thou that art guiltie of this deceipt in the way of trading thou canst not pray , if thou comest to prayer , surelie thy conscience is verie blind , for when thou art conscious to thy self of deceipt , how canst thou come into the presence of a righteous god ? canst thou say , oh righteous father ? darest thou come into the presence of such a holy and righteous god that profess , to abominate thy waies , surely thy conscience must be very blind , if thou doest not understand the evil of thy sin ; it may be there was a time at first of thy trading that thy conscience did trouble thee for a little time , thou had'st mis-giving thoughts , but thou hast worn them out , and so art ready to bless thy self that thou hast gotten over such a difficulty as that is : thy condition is far worse . or if not , if thy conscience be not sear'd with a hot iron , then thou wilt be terrified . i verily think that those that have any light left in them that they dare not go to prayers ; oh! doest thou so prize a little gain , as to take away the freedom of thy spirit , and the holy boldness of thy heart in prayer ! oh how shouldest thou say to gain , get thee hence as a menstruous cloath . seventhly , know , that if thou shouldest come to make use of thy estate in any good work , god rejects it : isa . . . for i the lord love judgment . i hate robbery for burnt offerings ; what will you come and get by deceipt an estate , and come and offer it to me , i abhor it saith god. 't is a speech of chrysostom , why doest thou despise , and despight god in this , in bringing unclean things to him ? it's a reproach to god : a man that hath gotten an estate by deceipt , if he brings his estate to any service of god , he doth reproach god. eightly , know that god will avenge such things , it may be the poor man that thou oppressest in thy trading he cannot right himself upon thee , because a bargain is a bargain ( you will say ) yea , but god will come over with the bargain again ; it may be you have done with him in your bargain , but god hath not done with you . you will say to him , you saw what it was , and you bought the thing of me as it was , and i have nothing to say to you ; but god hath much to say to you in this , mark those two scriptures , micah , . . the lord having shewn what he did require , that men should be just in their waies , now saith the text in ver . . shall i account them pure with the wicked ballances , and with the bag of deceiptful weights ? for the rich men thereof are full of violence , and the inhabitants thereof have spoken lyes , and their tongue is deceip ful in their mouth ; therefore also will i make thee sick in smiting thee . oh! when god comes to smite thee , he will make thee sick to purpose : sickness to such men as have defiled consciences in their trading is dreadful sickness indeed , as if god should say , you shal have not great content in what you have , i will be avenged on you for what you do , either you , or your heirs shall no enjoy it . but that place concerns christians very much , a place that it 's impossible for you that are exercised in scripture , but you must needs take notice of it , thes . . . that no man go beyond , and defraud his brother . in any matter , you must not go beyond your brother ; your brother is weak , you will say , let the weaker look to it as well as he can : no , you must not take advantage of his weakness , he is your brother , you must not defraud him , no not in any matter , why ? because that the lord is the avenger of all such , as we also have forewarned you and testified . and know this day , the lord forewarns you once more by the ministry of his word , and the lord by his word doth testifie against you in this one thing , and if you go on in anie way of deceipt , you go on against the verie strength of the word , and strength of conscience this day , and this word that is preached this day to you shall certainlie testifie against you another day . yea further , when you come to die , oh! how terrible will death be to such men ! when they shall leave the sweet of all their estates , and carrie nothing but the guilt , of all with them : in job , . . what hope shall an hypocrite have , though be hath gained , when god takes away his soul ? sometimes men they seek to deceive , and they are discovered , and so they are rendered base and contemptible to all the world ; yea , but sometimes again , they may carrie it so cunninglie , as they shall never be discovered , perhaps in this world , but they shall gain , as ephraim saith here , i am become rich and have gotten substance , but what hope hath this hypocrite though he hath gained ? what profit shal it be though thou hast gained the whol world and shalt lose thy own soul ? see also james , . . the rust ( of your gold and silver ) shall eat your flesh as it were fire . yea , know further , that thou must restore , if thou hast any estate now , or if thou ever comest to have any estate , it must be restor'd or thou canst not expect to find mercy from god with all the sorrow , cries , and prayers that can be , without restitution , there cannot be expectation of pardon and forgiveness . the ancient speech that all divines in all ages of the church have closed withal was , there must be restitution of that that is falslie gotten , if it be in thy power to do it , thou must restore it or else thou canst not have anie hope of mercie , those sweet morsels that you have swallowed , must be vomited up again ; and therefore you that are apprentices take heed of pleasing your masters , to be deceiptful , for if you have a hand in it you must restore . i 'le give you scripture and reason for it . the reason is this , that 't is impossible that any kind of repentance can be accepted of god without restitution , the reason is ; because , that if i have power to restore , all the while i do not restore i do continue in the sin , i do not only wrong the man just the verie hour i have deceived him , but all the while i keep that which is his in my hand , this is the argument that repentance can never be accepted of god that may stand or doth stand with a wilful continuance in the sin that a man seems to repent of , do i repent of my sin , and yet wilfully continue in the sin ? i say , wilful , for i have it in my hand to restore : oh but i shall undo my self ; i but that 's wilful still , is it better for thee to keep an estate , or to keep a sin ? now certainly any man that hath anie light must needs acknowledg thus much , that if i truly repent me of my sin , i must do what possibly i can to undo my sin ; can i say , i am heartilie sorrie for a sin , when i do not what i can for to undo that sin again if i can ? and for the scriptures for restitution , there are divers , i 'le give you two or three , ezek. . , . and when i say unto the wicked , thou shalt surely die : if he turn from his sin , and do that which is lawful and right , if the wicked restore the pledg , give again that he hath robbed , &c. he shall surely live , he shall not die . he doth not walk in the statutes of life except he give again that which he hath robbed . and so in numb . . , . there you have the law about restitution , when a man or woman shall commit anie sin that men commit , to do a trespass against the lord , and that person be guilty , then they shall confess their sin which they have done , ( is this al ? ) and he shall recompence his trespass with the princial thereof , and ad unto it the fifth part thereof , and give it unto him against whom he hath trespassed . he must confess his sin , yea , but that 's not enough , but he must recompence the partie . this is a most excellent scripture ; mark , it 's said here , if a man shall trespass against the lord , it 's not only against man , but against the lord , against the rule of justice that the lord hath so set for the maintaining of order and humane societie in the world : and then observe it further , if a man or woman commit a sin , that men commit , and do a trespass : you wil say , i do no other than all trades-men do , mark , saith the text , if a man or woman commit any sin that men commit , as if the holy ghost should say , i confess it is a sin that is ordinarie , but though it be ordinarilie committed by men , though there should be confession of that sin , yet if there be not restitution , it will do you little good . i remember latimer in one of his sermons that he preach'd before king edward , speaking of this verie point of restitution , he saith that the first day that he preached about it there comes one and gives him twenty pounds to restore ; the next time he preached there comes in another and brings thirtie pounds , and another time he preached and there comes another and gives him two hundred pounds , ten shillings , and he hath this homelie expression , restore what you have gotten , else you will cough in hell , and the devils will laugh at you ; certainly it is that , that will lie heavie upon conscience ; gravel in the kidnies will not grate so upon you as a little guiltiness that is upon your consciences . i my self knew one man that had wronged another but of five shillings , and it seems he did not much regard it being but five shillings , yet god awakening his conscience fiftie yeers after he comes and could not be quiet till he had restor'd that five shillings . and therefore know , that though it be manie yeers since you have gotten any thing by deceipt and wrong , yet god will ( if he hath a love to you ) put you to restore it again . oh! what foolish lusts are the lusts of covetousness , as the apostle saith , those that will be rich they fall into many foolish lusts ; this sin of covetousness , and deceiptfulness it doth bring men into foolish lusts , and makes men pierce themselves with manie sorrows ; and oh! that god would pierce them with some sorrow this day , that they might never have one nights rest quiet , till at least they do resolve in their hearts that they will set upon a way to make restitution . and even those of you that have made false agreements with your creditors , if god awakens your consciences , i see not how you can satisfie your conscience till you satisfie them , these things will not be peace another day . now the lord convince those that hearing the word of god are guilty , and know that god will call for an account of this thing , and of this text that through providence you have come to hear of this day . ver . . and ephraim said , yet i am become rich , &c. in the verse before ephraim is charged for being a merchant , for having the ballances of deceipt in his hand , and loving to oppress ; but yet ephraim saith , i am become rich . yet . the particle here is [ nevertheless , ] as if they should say , let the prophet say what he will , let him enveigh against me as he pleaseth , i know not what he means by his deceipt , and oppression , i am sure i gain well by it , yet i am become rich , i am sure i prosper in this way , and that 's enough for me . i have found me out substance . the hebrew word that is here translated substance , it signifies sometimes iniquity , labor , violence , rapine , affliction , riches , an idol , and substance ; all these things this word signifies : for indeed most of them , if not all are usually joyned together with riches , where men are wicked that do enjoy them . i have found substance . the greeks they have a word , rest , refreshing to my soul . they account the great refreshing and rest to their souls to be in the riches that they have gotten , however they get them . i have found substance . those things that the prophet tels us of , they are but notions , imaginations ; but in what i have found there 's substance , to have an estate , and riches , and comings-in , there 's substance , i have found substance . first from this observe , wicked men will have something to say for themselves though their waies be never so foul . the prophet charges them of very foul things , the ballances of deceipt , and loving to oppress , and other sins before were named . yet ephraim [ saith ] he hath somewhat to say : it 's a very hard thing to stop the mouths of wicked men , and especially rich wicked men ; wicked men that prosper in their wicked waies , say what you wil you cannot stop their mouths : the work of conversion is not so much as begun till the mouths of sinners be stopt , till they be so convinc'd of their evil waies as they have nothing to say for themselves . secondly , men though very wicked and going on in very sinful courses , yet they may prosper for a while . ephraim said , i am become rich. it 's true , sometimes god meets with wicked men and curses them in their way , that they have not their desire satisfied , but many times they have , they do become rich , they get their hearts desires : job , . psal . . with other places sufficient for this . thirdly , wicked men in their prosperity and riches , what they get , they attribute to themselves . i am become rich , and i have found substance , i have got : they do not look up to god , indeed they dare not ; those that get by a sinful way , they dare not acknowledge god in it : and this is the evil of getting any thing in a way of sin , that a man cannot come to god and say , lord , i bless thee that thou hast given me this ; no , his conscience would fly in his face ▪ wicked men attribute all to themselves : this is a very wicked and vile thing , deut. . . beware , lest thou forget the lord thy god , speaking of their having houses , and lands , beware , lest thou forget the lord thy god , and only look at thy self , & atribute al to thy self , that 's the meaning . then fourthly , carnal hearts they account outward things ( riches ) to be the only substantial things . i have found substance ; they think there is no substance in other things ; you speak of spiritual things , of communion with god , of faith in jesus christ , and of the promises , they are but poor dry things that have no substance in them ; but tell me of gain , and comings-in , there 's some savour there , there 's substance there ; for indeed there 's nothing gives substance unto spiritual things but faith , in heb. . . faith is the evidence of things not seen , and the substance of things hoped for , faith doth give a substance to spiritual things , a beleever looks upon spiritual things as the most substantial , and looks on these outward things as imaginary ; carnal hearts think spiritual things imaginary , and an outward estate substantial ; it 's quite contrary in those that are spiritual , in the . of proverbs , vers . . saith wisdom there , that i might cause them that love me to inherit * substance , to inherit that , that is ; as if there were nothing had a substance but only that which comes in by wisdom , by grace . we call rich men , substantial men , such a man ( we say ) is a substantial man , for indeed all the substance that the world looks after , it is riches , they make account that 's substance . and then fifthly , when carnal heats have got estates , they much glory in what they have got . i am become rich , and i inherit sustance . they make their boast in what they have got , they bless themselves in their way ; in zephan . . vers . . it is spoken of the verie servants of rich covetous men , that seek to get an estate but to their masters , in a way either of violence , or of deceipt , they leap upon the threshold ( the text saith ) they triumph , and leap , and skip in their rejoycing that they have circumvenced others , that they have got such and such things to their masters ; much more then will the masters themselves leap and rejoyce in the having their hearts desires fill'd : they glorie in it . and then sixthly , and that 's especially to be observed here , that carnal hearts that get estates in sinful waies , they seek to relieve their consciences that are full of guilt , with the consideration of the outward comforts they do enjoy . the prophet charges them with their sin , charges the guilt of their sin upon them . but we are rich say they , and we inherit substance . wicked men will seek to relieve their consciences , their guiltie consciences , in the rejoycing in their riches , and in their estates , and in what they have got ; in isa . . . you have a scripture somewhat sutable to this , thou hast found the life of thine hand , therefore thou wast not grieved : it may be if a man goes on in an evil way and doth not prosper in it , if god crosses him in it , then he begins to bethink himself , is not this a finful way ? doth not god oppose me in it ? and then he begins to be griev'd ; but if he can find the life of his hand go on , and he prosper and have what he desires , then he will not be griev'd , then his heart is hardened : wicked men will set their riches and estates against all their guiltiness , and think it will countervail it . i beseech you consider this note , there is no more full and sure sign of a man of the world , of a worldlie man than this , that he can think to relieve his conscience in the guilt of the least sin , by the enjoyment of all the things of the world that he can set the good of the things of the world against the guilt of sin , that he can put any thing in the world in the ballance to down weigh the least guilt of any sins ; here is a worldly heart , here 's a man of the world , a wretched heart , thou doest bless thy self in a great estate thou g 〈…〉 test , but hath there been no guilt at all that thou hast contracted by that estate which thou hast got , thou canst not say but some guiltiness hath been contracted , yea , but this contents thee , there is so much gain comes by it , oh! thou art a wretched man that canst set the gain in the world to the least guilt that thou hast contracted , oh! it hath been an ill bargain , riches got by guilt , thou hast made ( i say ) an ill bargain for thy self , thou knowest not god , knowest not with whom thou hast to deal that canst set any gain by sin for to countervail the evil of that guilt that thou hast committed for the getting of that gain of thine . and further , wicked men labor to satisfie their consciences with the prosperitie they are in , and what they have got by their sin as they set it against their guilt , so in the seventh place , they perswade themselves that god is not , ( at least ) so much displeased with them as many would bear them in hand . surely if my condition were so dangerous as you would perswade me to , i should not prosper so much in my way as i do , i should not get riches so as i do ; upon this they begin to think that god is of their mind , as in psal . . . thou thoughtest i was like unto thy self : we find it by experience that when men are under affliction , when gods hand is upon men then they begin to think that god doth not like of their waies ; but when they go on and prosper they are readie to think that god approves of their waies , that they walk in . there 's a notable storie concerning the mother of lumbard , gratian , and comestor , [ the first , the master of the sentences ( as they call them . ) the second , the compiler of a great part of the popes law , the decretal epistles ; the third , the author of the scholastical historie , the best man and book of the three . ] all famous men , and all three of them were bastards ; now the mother of them being a whore , when she came to make her confession to the priest , she could not acknowledg much evil in it , and she profest she could not find her heart griev'd or troubled much about it ; ( when the priest urged her penance and repentance for it ) because though it 's true , that the thing was evil that she did , yet that she did prosper so wel , that they were three such eminent men of such great use as those were . thus it 's ordinarilie , men think that it may lessen the-greatness of their sin if they get any thing by it , if they prosper in their sinful way , there is no such cause of trouble and grief for it : the people they may laugh at me ( saith a covetous man ) but i applaud my self at home , when i behold the money in the chest , so long as i see comings-in , let men talk what they will , i cannot beleeve that things are so bad as they report , that god is so much against me , but i hope god loves me . these are the reasonings of a carnal heart , and all because he prospers in his sin . i remember it 's reported of dionisius that when he had committed sacriledg , and had a good voyage after it , saith he , see what a good navigation the gods hath granted me ; you tell me of sacriledg , but i am sure i have had a good voyage after it . oh! these are heathenish reasonings , and yet i fear they are not altogether rooted out of such as profess themselves christians . you that have good voiages abroad ( observe it ) it may be if you meet with an ill voiage , then you begin to recollect your self , what sin have i been guiltie of ? but now , if you have a good voiage , though you have contracted much guiltiness upon your spirits while you were at land , yet prospering in your voiage , you never think of anie danger , but all is well because you have a good voiage . oh no , a good voiage is no sign that there is not guiltiness : as sometimes i have told you , that a painted face is no sign of a good complexion ; it may be it is the curse of god upon thee that doth let thee so to prosper , and if god had anie love unto thee he would not let thee to prosper so as he doth , he would cross thee in thy waies that so thou mightest bethink thy self , there 's another man perhaps that was as wicked as thou , and yet the lord had a love to him , and he crost him in his waies , so that he hath begun to bethink himself , and not to be at rest till he gets the guilt of his sin done away ; but for thee , gods heart it seems is not yet towards thee , he hath no love to thee ; and if he lets thee go on and still prosper in a sinful way , this is from the fruit of reprobation ; and certainlie there cannot be scarce a greater note of a reprobate than for a man to prosper in a sinful way : this is that we should all pray to god to deliver us from , lord , let us never prosper in a sinful way , if thou feest our way be naught , that we contract guiltiness upon our spirits in our way , lord , let us not thrive and prosper ; if we do , a thousand to one but we are undone for ever . he said he was rich , and he had found substance . so he put off all that the prophte spake . i remember in luke , . when christ was preaching to the pharisees , the text saith , those that were rich derided him ; rich covetous men they slight any thing that is said against them , for they have where withal , they think to relieve their consciences against all their guilt ; well , though thou maiest think to relieve thy conscience for the present , it will not alwaies be so , there is a time that conscience will speak , and will not be put off with those conceits that now thou puttest it off withal , the saints they beleeve the ward against sence , and carnal hearts beleeve sence against the word ; here 's the difference between a godly man , and a wicked ; i say , one that 's godlie , and hath faith , he beleeves the word against sence ; let me go on in a way that i know is gods way , though i do not prosper , yet i have peace in it , i do not repent me of it ; but a wicked man , he will beleeve sence against the word , let the word say , my way is never so dangerous , yet if i have experience by sence , that i prosper in it , that shall suffice me , yet i am rich , and have got substance . — in all my labors they shall find no iniquity in me , that were sin . in all my labors ] that is , in all that i get by my labors . they shall not find in me that that is sin ] that is , let them search they shal not find in me that that is ; no , as if they should say , labhor what you say , to oppress , cheat , and cozen , who can prove it ? let any man prove it if he can , that i do cheat , or get any thing in a false way , let any man dare to come and say it ; is there any law that can take hold of me ? they shall not find iniquity in me ; though there be some little matter , yet there 's not any great matter , not any thing that the law of the land can take hold of me ; and if my way be such as no man can take advantage against me by the law , why should i be thus condemned and cried out of as i am . that 's the meaning of these words , in all my labors . from thence the first note is this , that evil things many times have good names . the truth is , that which is meant here , is that which they had got by oppression and deceipt , and they call it by the name of their labors : so covetousness is call'd by the name of good-husbandry , and following their callings , and the art and mystery of their callings ; many men think to put off their consciences with good words , it 's but the art of my calling , and good-husbandry , and the like , in all my labors . further , observe ; it 's very hard to convince any covetous men of their iniquity , rich , covetous men are much conceipred in themselves ; in prov. . . the rich man is wise in his own conceipt . you shall sometimes see a men that gets riches , and as we say of some when we look upon their wit , we wonder at their wealth ; and others when we look upon their wealth , we wonder at their wit to get an estate , they have wit only to get money , but for any thing else they are ignorant , poor , weak men , especially in matters of religion , as weak as children , and yet they are wise in their own conceipts , for they have got that that they see all the world runs after : it 's very hard to convince covetous men of their falsness , that they get any thing in a sinful way . again , there is no fin that is more hard to convince a man of than the sin of covetousness ; and yet the apostle speaks in cor. . . that it 's a sin for which a man is to be cast out of the church . when almost did you ever hear of a covetous man convinc'd ? what example can you almost ever bring of one that hath been covetous , and rich , and got his estate in a false way , that shal come and give glory to god , and acknowledg his sin , and cast up his sweet morsels again ? covetousness it is a beforting sin , it is a blinding sin ; who shall find any iniquity in me ? what do i do but that i may ? then thirdly , that covetous men , as it 's hard to convince them , so they do not love to be charged with their sin : for so according to some it is , who dares charge me ? it is a very dangerous thing to charge a rich man of any evil , for he hath his purse by his side , and can tell how to revenge himself upon you . yea , fourthly , men notoriously guilty , may yet in words at least profess what they are guilty of , to be an abominable thing . who shall find iniquity in me , that were sin ? if i should be false that were a very horrible and vile thing . come to all trades-men one after another , and tel them of cheating , and cozening , and deceiving ; they will scorn your words , it were a wicked thing , one were unworthy to live : how often trades men when they have a mind to cheat , will profess , that if they should cozen and cheat , they were unworthy to trade any more ? oh! what cauterized consciences have many men that give up themselves to gain , that make all their godliness to consist in gain , that make mamon their god , that will go so directly against their consciences . luther renders it , god forbid that i should be found wicked in my actions . oh! manie that have much guiliness upon them , will clap their hands upon their breasts , and when you charge them , you have cheated and cozened us , oh! god forbid that i should do so ; and yet their consciences will tell them that they have done so , and will be ready to take their oaths , and swear , and use such curses that they never did such a thing , or never had such a thing ; and when their books are false , wil sware that they are true . again , if wicked men cannot be accused by other men , then they care not . if they can carry it so closely that men shall not see it , then they bless themselves , all is well and fair , if they have cunningly contrived their wickedness that men cannot charge them , who shall find iniquity in me , that were sin ? well though you think your selves wel enough because men cannot accuse you and find out your sin , yet god can find it out , deut. . . be sure your iniquitie will find you out , god hath his time to find out iniquitie , that will be sin to you , and there is much between god and your consciences , though men cannot charge you . oh! but if so be , that god would but discover unto the world , unto all your neighbors what he is able to charge you of , how loathsom would many of you appear to your neighbors ! how unfit would you be to trade with men , or who would meddle with you ! if ( i say ) god should open to the world all that he is able to charge you of . now certainly your condition is not the better because it is kept so secretly that men cannot charge you , but perhaps it would be better if they could , for it might bring you sooner to be humbled for it ; you think now because you have only to deal with god you can do well enough with him : do you think it such a matter to deal with the infinite , holy , and glorious god! indeed servants would be troubled if their masters should know their deceipt and cozening ; but if a little child knew it they care not for that ; so men think it is no matter for the knowledge of god , but they are loth that men should know it , that will bring shame and disgrace unto them ; oh! carnal , wicked , athiestical heart that canst not be satisfied if men know the evil , but can be satisfied well enough though god knows it ! a sixth note is , a carnal heart lessens his sins that he commits . indeed the words may carry it , who shall find iniquity in me ? if they could find it i would acknowledg it to be a great sin . but i rather take it thus ; who shall find iniquity in me that were any great matter ? both these waies i find interpreters carry it . it is but a little over-reaching , a little craft and cunning , the matter is not great . well , that which thou accountest little , the lord will account great another day , the over reaching thy brother , the defrauding thy borther , though it be but a slight of hand , god will find it to be a great matter one day , if god were but humbling thy heart , and doing good to thy soul , thou wouldest rather aggravate thy sin , that 's in ▪ the way of a true convert , he labors rather to aggravate his sin , to bring all the circumstances he can to make his sin heavie upon his soul : oh! i find i cannot get my heart to break for my sin , i cannot apprehend the evil of my sin as i would in the greatness of it , and therefore , oh! that god would help me to see the greatness of it ; he studies all the circumstances that he can to make his sin great in his own eyes : but now a heart that is not wrought upon to a work of repentance , all that he labors for , it is to lessen his sin , and to have all the reasonings that he can in a way of deminution of his sin ; oh! this is an ill sign . it is a very ill sign , that a man stands it out as long as he can . . when he can stand out no longer , than he falls a lessening ; it is no more than others do , and how should i maintain my family ? and i hope men may make the best of what they have ? oh! if the lord once shew thee the evil of sin , all these reasonings will vanish before thee , and thou wilt fall down and humble thy self before god as one worthy for ever to be cast out from the presence of god : for in this that thou darest not trust in him , thou seekest to hell to provide for thy self and family , rather than thou wilt depend upon god. and then the last note is this , that if men can but scape the danger of law , that they cannot be sued , there 's all that they care for . who shall find iniquity in me , that were sin ? that is , by the law : oh how many are there that you may easily convince them that they have been very false , you speak to their consciences , yea , but what 's that ? can you take your advantage ? take your advantage if you can , say they : now if it were not for atheism in mens hearts it would be the greatest advantage of all , that a man is able to charge his conscience : what witness have you for such a thing ? i have your conscience , oh they are glad of that , if they hear that you have no other witness , then they think they can do well enough : now that 's an argument of atheism in mens hearts , that they think they are well enough whatsoever they do , when law cannot take hold on them . well , there is a court of conscience to sue thee in , and justice will sue thee in that court , and cast thee one day , though mans law cannot . it follows ; ver . . and i that am the lord thy god from the land of egypt , will yet make thee to dwell in tabernacles , as in the daies of the solemn feast . the dependance is this : you say you are grown rich by those sinful waies of yours ; i am grown rich , i have found substance : you think now you have no need of me , you have found substance other waies , and i am forgotten by you ; but you should remember that i am the lord your god , and that god that brought you out from the land of egypt ; there was a time when you had need of me , there was a time when you knew not what to do without my help , when you were in great affliction , then i delivered you with a mighty hand , you should remember those old mercies of mine ; oh! but you are ungrateful , you do not think what i have done for you in bringing you out of the land of egypt ; if i be the same god still , why might not you live upon me , and receive as much good from me , as others ? you wil go and seek to shift for your selves by false waies , and forsake me , a●● not i the lord ? that god that brought you out of the land of egypt , have not i by what i have done for you shown plainly to you that you might aswel provide for your selves by me , as by any other god , by my waies aswel as by any other waies that you take ? can any god work for you so as i have done ? is there that good to be got in those waies of sin as there is in mine ? i am the lord thy god from the land of egypt ; not only at that time , delivering of you , but ever since , providing for you , graclously preserving of you , doing you good many waies , from the time that i have been a god to you , and yet you do thus wretchedly forsake me ; in all your straits i have helped you , in all your necessities i have supplied you , in all your difficulties i have relieved you , in all your distresses i have delivered you , in all you burdens i have eased you , everie way of my providence hath been gracious to you , from the verie time of your coming out of the land of egypt , how did i provide for you in the wilderness after by judges , raising you up kings ? and i am the lord thy god from the land of egypt . the observation is , first , when men prosper in a sinful way they forget what god hath done for them in former times . as if he should say , you do not remember that i am the lord thy god from the land of egypt ; now you are frolick and merrie , and have your hearts desires ; but remember there was a time when you were low enough , and cried and made your moan to me in your affliction , oh! remember those daies . oh! how ordinarie is it for us in our prosperitie to forget gods mercies in delivering of us , from affliction ? we have been low enough not long since , but the lord hath in great measure delivered us from our egypt , and presently assoon as god hath delivered us , everie man begins to think of enriching themselves and are plotting for estates , presentlie ( i say ) we have forgotten our sad condition , the time of our mourning , our praying , oh what disposition is there in our hearts now contrarie to what seem'd to be a while ago ? when we were under sore and sad afflictions , new sins that we commit doth as it were occasion god to remember afresh his mercies that he hath done for us . the second note is this , when you walk unthankfully it doth occasion the fresh remembrance of gods mercy to you ; god looks upon such a people that walk so vilie , what , are these the people that i have done such things for ? it's as fresh in gods memorie ▪ ( to speak after the manner of men ) what he hath done for us . and if we could have what god hath done for us afresh in our minds upon the commission of new sins , it would be a mightie means to humble us . and the next is , old mercies are great engagements to duty , and great aggravations of our sin or neglect of duty : but we have had occasion to speak of these things for merlie . it follows ; and i will yet make thee to dwell in tabernacles . by way of interogation some reade it thus , what shall i the lord that brought thee out of the land of egypt make thee to dwell in tabernacles ? shall i yet continue my wonted love to you as to make you to keep your feast of tabernacles still with joy as you were wont to do yeerly ? shall i do thus saith god ? or as calvin hath it : ( and it 's a peculier interpretation that he hath , different from all ) it 's as if god should say thus , it is a wonderful thing that you should be so forgetful of my great mercie , in bringing of you out of egypt , it is so out of your minds that i had need work over that deliverance again ; what , shall i cast you out of your houses , and bring you into captivity again , and then deliver you again , and bring you into the wilderness to dwell in tabernacles again ? shall i go over my work again ? it is so much gone out of your minds and hearts , as i had need to quicken up your spirits to go all over it again ; this is calvins interpretation upon this place ; and he commonlie hits as right as any : and this interpretation may be of verie good use to us thus , let us consider our selves , that if all gods merciful dealings towards us were to begin again , if we were to go through all those straits , and fears , and sorrows that we have passed through , our hearts would shake within us : as a marriner that hath past through dangerous seas , oh he thinks if i were to pass over these again , it would be hard and grievous : now let us consider of this , if god should but put us into the same condition that we were in seven yeers ago , and say , you shall pass through all those straights that you have been in ▪ and you shall come into the same condition that you have been in , it would be very sad to us to think of , it would make our hearts quake to think of it ; i verily beleeve there 's scarce any of you who have been any way observant of the providence of god towards you , but would be very loth to venture all again , would be loth that god should be to go over with you in all those providences ; and yet god is the same god still , and may do it , yea , but flesh and blood would shake at it ; now do not show your selves so unworthy of gods gracious dealings with you , as to put him to it to bring you into straits again , to renew what he hath done unto you . thus he . many carrie the words in a meer threatning way , and no otherwise . i did indeed bring you from the land of egypt , but i 'le bring you into tabernacles again , as if god should say , i 'le cast you out of your brave stately pallaces , your city and country houses , and you shall come into the wilderness again , and dwell in tents and tabernacles . thus many . but rather i think the scope and meaning of the words , is a consolatory promise , whereby the holie ghost invites them here to-repentance , as if god should say thus , though you have indeed deserved to be cast out of your dwellings , you have deserved to be brought into tents and tabernacles in the wildernes again , yet i remember my ancient goodness towards you , and my covenant with your father abraham , i am the same god that brought you out of the land of egypt , and therefore return and repent , and i 'le be with you in as much mercy as ever i was , what ever the breaches have been for time past , i 'le be as gracious to you as ever i was ; as you have celebrated the feast of tabernacles with abundance of rejoycing , so i 'le continue this your prosperous estate , you shall from yeer to yeer have cause to rejoyce , hav●●ause to rejoyce in the feast of tabernacles : for this feast of tabernacles it was the principal feast of their rejoycing that they had , and therefore all their feasts were feast of rejoycing , in lament . . . they have made a noise in the house of the lord , as in the day of a solemn feast . there was triumph and joy in their solemn feasts . but now this feast of tabernacles was a special feast of rejoycing , and that you have in deut. . there they are commanded to rejoyce in this feast , for it was after the gathering in of their corn , and wine , in deut. . , . there you shall see further , and in the end of the , verse , thou shalt surely rejoyce , it is not only you may , but a command , look to it that you do rejoyce in this feast of tabernacles , so that the feast of tabernacles was a very joyful feast . now saith god , i am the lord thy god from the land of egypt , and i will yet make thee rejoyce , as in the feast of tabernacles . from hence we have these notes . first , god loves to give hopes of mercy to sinners upon their repentance ; god loves to draw the hearts of wretched , vile sinners , by giving them hopes of mercie upon their repentance ; so you have it in sam. . , . there they confest their sin , and their special sin , in asking a king above all ; but saith samuel , though you have sinned , yet do not depart from the lord , yet there is hope in israel concerning this thing , as in ezra , . god sees that if there be not hope , men will grow desperate in their wickedness ; jer. . . they said there was no hope , and therefore they would go on still . oh! it 's good for sinners to see there may be hope . and gods ministers when they have to deal with sinners , though very wicked , yet to give them some line of hope to catch at ; though they be even drown'd in their covetousness in the world , and in their guiltiness , yet to cast a line of hope ; there is nothing reveal'd to the contrary but there may yet be possibility for thy sonl at length to be saved . oh! let men take heed of dispa 〈…〉 g , determining conclusions against themselves . it 's not the greatness of any sin that can be ground enough for a desperate determining conclusion ; for any man or woman to say , god wil never shew mercy , i say , there 's no greatness of sin , there 's no circumstances to aggravate , that can be ground enough for thee to say , god will never shew mercy ; it is a proud , sullen , desperate spirit of thine to make such conclusions ; thou maiest indeed , and thou oughtest to say , it were just with god not to shew mercie , the lord might justly cast me out of his sight , but to say , that he will not shew mercie , it 's more than thou , or any angel in heaven can say , & therfore , o wretched sinful guilty consciences , and especially you that have been apostats , that have forsaken god and his truths , yet return , return , o return thou shulamite , thou maiest possibly find god as merciful to thee as ever he was , there 's hope of mercy for thee still , and if thou doest perish eternally it will rather be for some sin to come , than for any past ; if god let thee live , if god let thee live to night , i say , thou wilt rather perish for the sins cōmitted this moment , than for all the sins committed in all thy life time before . but now for thy continuance in impenitency , that 's a new sin , for thy continuing in rejecting the grace of god , for thy continuing in thy unbeleef , this indeed may cause god to bring over again all thy former sins , and reckon for them . oh! this consideration might draw the hearts of the wretchedest wicked sinner to god. is it so , that it is not for any sins that have been past that i am like to perish , but if i perish , i shall perish for continuing rather in evil , than for what evil i have committed , oh! the lord forbid then that i should continue , let me this day make a stop in evil . the lord would have hopes of mercie cast to wicked and vile sinners . and let us be merciful , as our heavenly father is merciful that is , let servants and children that have offended you , let them see , that upon their returning they shall find as much favor from you , as ever they did ; sometimes governors when they are provok'd , behave themselves so ridgedly towards them that it makes them even desperate : god deals not so with you , do not you deal so with your inferiors . and as god shews himself not to be changed , but wil be the same towards this people as ever he was in goodness ; and so it beseems us to be , that if we have shewn respect anie way to other , either in speeches or otherwise , if they appear to be what they were , it beseems us to be towards them as then , let them but appear to be what they were when such respect were shown to them , and according to the example of god it beseems us to shew our selves to them again , and again , to what we then did . i that am the lord thy god from the land of egypt , will yet make thee to dwell in tabernacles . that 's another note , the consideration of what god hath done , should help our faith in beleeving what yet he will do ; he that hath delivered us thus far , may he not deliver us further ? i am the lord that hath delivered you from egypt ; oh! let us make use of what god hath done for us to help our faith in confidence of him for doing further ; the truth is , god hath done so much for england , as there is not more to be done than hath been done , and if there be but as much of the power , goodness , and mercie of god towards us for the next five or six yeers ' as hath been for these last six years , ecrtainly it will be as glorious a nation as ever was upon the face of the earth , it will be the beginning of the new jerusalem , if god should continue so as he hath done . and why may not the lord that hath brought us out of egypt , bring us to rejoyce as in the feast of tabernacles ? and so spiritually ; god who at first did enlighten thy mind , & brought thee from egyptian darkness , certainly that god he is able to do as great things for thee still , and to finish the work for thee . how many are there that though they have found gods mighty hand upon them in giving a turn to their hearts , and bringing them out of the gall of bitterness , and the bond of iniquitie , and yet at any time when they feel but their corruptions a little stirring , oh they are readie to think that they shall perish one day by the hand of those corruptions ? when we were enemies , were we not reconcil'd to him ? god hath struck the deadly wound to it , he hath mortified thee , and the truth is , ( consider but of this ) i say there is not more to be done to bring thee to heaven ( thou that hast the least degree of grace ) than god hath alreadie done ; by giving thee the least measure of grace he hath made a greater alteration in thy estate , from one that is in an estate of nature , than the alteration will be from thy conversion to the height of glorie , that alteration wil not be so much , neither will it require such a great power of god to make thee a glorious saint in heaven , as it did require to make thee of one that was a child of wrath to be a child of god , thou hast the better half , and the most eminent power of god is put forth alreadie ; for our change from grace to glorie will be but gradual , but our change from nature to grace , it is total ; and therefore let thy faith be helped from what god hath done , to beleeve what he will do . — i will yet make thee to dwell in tabernacles . divers learned men carrie this , i will yet make thee to dwell in tabernacles , to be a promise of their return from captivity , that they must again in the land of jewry keep the feast of tabernacles . i confess were this a promise to judah i should think it to be the meaning of it , but because it is to israel who never returned , i shall follow those that think it hath reference to the times of the gospel , and to all the true israel of god that should be converted to the faith , and i think it hath reference to that , because we find so often in this prophesie of hosea things that are so far off to be interpreted to the times of the gospel . therefore i will yet make them to dwell in tabernacles , thus to be understood in this spiritual sense , that the lord hath his time , though he seem'd to cast off these ten tribes , yet to bring the jews and all the israel of god , to bring them into his church , and to build several tabernacles for them in his church : and there in several churches as so many several tabernacles there they shal have the feast of sweet things , of fat things , of refined wine upon the lees , as in isa . . the promises of the gospel are set out by a feast of fat things ; so saith god , i 'le bring thee into several churches , as several tabernacles , and there shall they keep a feast , and there shall their hearts rejoyce and be satisfied as with marrow , and fatness . my brethren , the lord hath delivered us in great measure from egypt all the difficultie now is about building of tabernacles ; for the present there 's verie little matter to make tabernacles of amongst us . i remember mr ainsworth in exod . . he tells of a tradition of the jews , and cites rabbi menachem for it , that observed there was no iron stuff for the building of the tabernacle : truly our hearts are most iron , and hard one towards another , and therefore notfit matter for tabernacles , in king. . . there was no iron tool neither heard in the building of the temple . oh! my brethren , iron tools will not do the work for the building of gods tabernacle , we must have other manner of tools than these , there 's no tabernacles almost yet , wherein the saints either of one judgment , or of another , have much rejoycing . the glory of god hath not yet filled our tabernacles that we have built , what god intends towards this generation , whether ever to bring them into those tabernacles that here he promises , i know not , but surely that god that hath brought us out of egypt , he will bring either us , or the posteritie after us , he will bring a generation of his people to keep the feast of tabernacles with rejoycing . it follows ; ver . . i have also spoken by the prophets , and i have multiplied visions , &c. this is a further declaration of gods goodness to this people , and upbraiding them for their wickedness , they have had so much means ; as if god should say , they have not wanted the revealing of my will , i have spoken by my prophets , and multiplied visions : heb. . . seems to have reference to this , that god at sundry times , and in divers manners spake in time past to the fathers , by the prophets ; several sorts of waies god reveal'd himself in former times . i have spoken by my prophets . there is not much difficulty in the words . the notes briefly are these , that it's god that speaks by his prophets ; though prophets are mean , and the messengers of god mean , yet so long as they speak to you in his name , the authoritie of what they say it is above any ; they may be under their auditors many waies , but the message they bring it is above them ; though they are weak , yet there 's the power of god goes along with what they speak , to make it good ; and therefore you shall find when christ sent his disciples to preach , go ( saith he ) and teach all nations ; but first he saith , all power is given to me in heaven and earth , then the words that follow are , go ye therfore and teach all nations ; as if he should say , all the power that is given to me shall go along with your teaching ; it is the lord that speaks , the lord christ that speaks in his word by his messengers ; he that hears you , hears me ; and he that despiseth you , despiseth me . the word doth little good til men come to apprehend this , that it's god that speaks by his messengers , thess . . . the apostle saith , that they received the word , not as the word of men , but ( as it is in truth ) the word of god. that is observable of samuel , god called to samuel , and samuel thought it had been eli that spake , and all that time god would not reveal his mind to him , til at length samuel gives this answer , lord , speak , for thy servant heareth . mark , god would reveal his mind to samuel then , and not before : so 't is here , you come to the word , and you come to hear the gifts of such men , and such a man hath excellent gifts , and abilities , and delivery , and such kind of things ; god reveals nothing to you , you go away and hear a sound , and there 's all , and no more is revealed to you than if you heard an oration in a school ; but when god shall be pleased to dart this thought into your minds , i am now going to hear that which is the word of god himself , the word of that god that is my judg , and that must be my judg at the great day ; now see whether god will not make himself known to you , that so you shal say , methinks i never heard sermon before in all my life , i have come and heard a man preach , but i never heard god preach before , it was not as the word of god , but as the word of such a man. god expects that men should tremble at his word , and therefore look upon it as his word . secondly , it is a great mercy to a people , for god to grant his prophets among them to reveal his mind to them . what would all the world be but as a dungeon of darkness , were it not for the prophets and ministers of god 〈…〉 ey are as the light of the world , and the salt of the earth , the world would rot and be unsavorie were it not for the ministry of the word in the world ; and so we find that when god-would make a special promise to his people , he promises them , that they shall have their teachers , in isa . . . and though the lord give you the bread of adversity , and the water of affliction , yet shall not thy teachers be removed into a corner any more , but thine eyes shall see thy teachers ; oh! here 's a promise to a gracious heart . but to another it 's nothing , what , shall the ministry of the word countervail the loss of my estate ? god doth not say , i 'le take away from you your afflictions , oh no , but your eyes shall see your teachers ; perhaps your eyes shall never see your money , and estates again , but your eyes shall see your teachers . and we know when christ was ascended up on high , in his coronation day ; kings in their coronation daies use to give great gifts to shew their magnificence , then the conduits will run wine sometimes . now when christ ascended up to be crowned on high , what was the great thing that he gave in the world ? he gave gifts to men , some to be prophets and apostles , and some pastors and teachers , that 's the great gift of jesus christ upon his ascention into heaven and taking the crown of glorie , as if christ should say : shall i give a magnificent gift to the world like a prince , like the king of heaven ? i 'le give gifts to men , i 'le give them apostles , prophets , pastors , teachers , that 's the great magnificent gift that jesus christ hath given to the world , oh! that we could learn to prize it . i remember i have read in chrysostoms time , that the godlie men when he was silenc'd , they were so affected with it , that they had rather the sun did withdraw his beams and not shine in the world , than that the mouth of jo. chrysostem should be stopt ; they did so prize the word of god by his mouth . oh that men could learn to prize it more , at a higher rate . and you that are citizens , shew your prizing of it in this one thing , many of you here have your city , and your country houses , but what little care is there for men to seat themselves in places where they shall have faithful ministers of god to reveal the mind of god to them ? if they come to seat themselves any where , they scarce take it into consideration to give a peny the more , because of a faithful minister , or a peny the less if it hath none ; oh! this shews the extream neglect of god , and of his ordinances . how few country villages about the city were supplied with faithful preachers ? it 's a great blessing of god to the world to have faithful prophets . thirdly , god will take account of what becomes of the word , labor and pains of his prophets ; for so he speaks in a way of upbraiding of them , god will take account of all the spirits that his ministers spend , of every drop of their sweat , and of all their watchings in the night , i sent my prophets rising early , and going to bed late , god will take account of all , and you shall know that there hath been a prophet among you , the ministers shall be brought out to say and testifie : lord , i was in such a place , and i reveal'd thy mind thus and thus unto them in these and these waies , that they could not but be convinc'd of , and yet still they continued thus and thus wicked . fourthly , it is a great mercy for god to declare his mind to men again and again ; i have multiplied visions , saith god : it were a mercie for god but once to tell us of his mind , and if we will not come in at first , for ever to cast us off ; but i have multiplied visions , in jer. . at what instant i shall speak &c. god may justly expect that at what instant christ is preached , that people should come in , for indeed their commission seems to run very quick , go , and teach all nations : he that beleeves , shall be saved ; he that beleeveth not , shall be damned . as if christ should say , there shall be quick work made with men ; but yet the lord is gracious to men , to multiply visions one after another , to reveal his mind at one time , and at another time , the lord is long-suffering : though our hearts be not mov'd at one time , yet still he would try , and he would have his ministers to do so too , tim. . . instruct with meekness those that oppose themselves , if god per adventure will give them repentance , to the acknowledging of the truth . it was a great aggravation of solomons sin , that he departed from god , after the lord had appeared to him twice , king. . . oh! god took this ill , i have appeared twice to him , and yet he departed from me . oh! how may god upbraid us with this thing , that not twice , but twenty , yea , an hundred times god hath appeared to us , we have had even the visions of the almighty , some of you at least ; may not your consciences tell you , that at such and such a time you have had the visions of the almighty , and yet you have stood out against them , yea , and at another time , and another time ? oh my brethren , the multiplying of visions is a great aggravation of our sin in standing out : it was the comfort of paul at his conversion , in act. . . saith he , o king agrippa , i was not disobedient to the heavenly vision . oh how happie were it for you if upon the first vision your hearts would come in ! oh that you could but say so ! though it 's true , i lived at such a time , in such a place in ignorance and darkness , i knew little of god , but the first time i came to hear the word , wherein the mysteries of the gospel were reveal'd , i bless god my heart came off then ; so the aposile he blesses god for the effect that the word had upon the thessalonians from the first day , even until that time . i multiplied visions . and then it follows ; i used similitudes . now for that i will not trouble you with divers readings , or divers interpretations of those words , i used similitudes , it is a very strange expression , ( we have it not that i know of in the book of god , but here ) to shew the aggravations of mens sins that they hearkened not to the word , though the word was brought to them in way of similitude . you may see here , that the lord takes account of the manner of mens preaching , as well as the things they preach ; and men may have their sins aggravated , not only for standing out against the word , but against the word so and so delivered . the main necessary truths of god are made known to you all , yea , but some of you , have them made known to you in a more sweet , woing , and winning way , and a more convincing way than others have , and god takes account , not only of the things you hear , but of the manner of it . and secondly , the revealing the word by similitudes is a very useful and profitable way ; for it makes much for the setling of truth , and the making truth go to a mans heart before he is aware , the truth conveyed in a way of similitude takes impression upon the memory ; sometimes speak a truth , and express it in the way of a simile , and many will go away and remembring the simile , so come to remember the truth . i remember it 's reported of that noble marques , marques galeacias that had a great estate , and was of kin to the pope , and yet coming upon a time but to hear peter martyr preach , and upon a meer simile that he had , god stroke his heart , and it was the means of his conversion , the simile was thus : peter martyr was preaching , and he had occasion to speak of this , men may think very hardly of god , and his people , but this is because they do not know him ; as suppose a man a great way off sees a companie of excellent musicians that are dancing , and there they are playing , and there 's exact art in what they do , but he thinks they are a company of mad men , but ( saith he ) when he comes to draw neerer and neerer to them , and hears the melodious sound , and observes the art that they use , then he is much taken and affected : and so it is with you , you are a great way off , and look upon the waies of god a great way off , and so you think men mad , but could you but come to observe what excellencie there is in them , it would take your hearts , god blest such a similitude as this to that great mans heart , so that though his wife and children lay sprauling at his feet , yet he came to geneva and there continued a godly man all his daies . but now similies should be brought from things known . and we must not urge similies too far neither , we must take heed of a luxuriant , wanton wit in urging of similitudes . and they must be very natural and plain , and proper , or else there will appear rather men in them than god. and because of this expression here , learn you not to slight the word when it comes by a simile . you will say , this is but a simile : but though it be , yet god is speaking to thy heart in it . and above al w th which i must conclude , take heed when you come to the word , and it may be you come to the word where you hear excellent similies , take heed that you do not rest in the pleasantness of the simile . as many men , they come to the word to have their fancies touch'd , and pleas'd , ● more than any thing else ; do not play with similies , look rather at what you can see of god in a simile , than of what wit of man you see in them . and thus much for this tenth verse . ver . . is there iniquitie in gilead ? surely they are vanity ; they sacrifice bullocks in gilgal , yea , their altars are as heaps in the furrows of the fields . what gilead was you have formerly heard in the sixth chapter , and eight verse . gilead is a city of them that work iniquitie ; it was a city of the priests , beyond jordan , where the priests that were beyond the river liv'd . sometimes it 's taken for the mount gilead where jacob and laban met and made a covenant one with another ; here neither is excluded . but most i find refer it to the citie of the priests . and what gilgal was you had opened to you in the ninth chap. fifteen vers . all their wickedness is in gilgal . now gilgal was the place where they were circumcised on this side jordan , and belong'd to judah ; gilead belong'd to israel , and gilgal to judah . is there iniquity in gilead ? surely they are vanity , they sacrifice bullocks in gilgal . they sacrifice bullocks . ] the septuagint reade it , the princes sacrifice . and indeed the word that is for bullocks is very neer in the hebr. to the word that signifies princes , the difference is only a title on the right hand , or on the left , and so there might easily be a mistake , but to reade it as it is here , they sacrifice bullocks in gilgal , great sacrifices , and they think to put off god with their great sacrifices , sacrificing bullocks but all in vain . i may spare a great deal of time in speaking to the places , having before spoken to them : therefore now to see what the scope of the holy ghost is here , is there iniqnity in gilead ? is there ? an interogation ; it is , as if he should say : first , who dare say , there is iniquity in gilead ? gilead , what , the city of the priests , iniquity there ! who will charge gilead of iniquity , where the priests are ? what , are you wiser than all our priests ? just like to the plea that some heretofore have had , what , do not our ministers do thus ? is not this the opinion of our ministers ? shall we not regard what our ministers do ? is there iniquity in gilead ? is there iniquity among them ? do they not joyn in this way ? this seems plainly to be even the scope of this charge , is there iniquity in gilead ? a wonder that there should be iniquity ; what , 't is the city of the priest ? is there iniquity there ? what in such a place where they use to meet , where they dwel ! surely they are vanity , saith the prophet : even these priests of gilead , even these that you rest so much upon they are but vanity , you may give up your consciences and your waies to them , because they come and perswade you that such a thing is to be done , and you must do it , and so by giving up your consciences and waies to them you may be led into much evil . surely they are vanity ; though they be your priests , though they be learned men , and should understand the way of god , yet they have their own interests too , they drive their own designs , they keep not the truth of god , but they follow their own minds , surely they are vanity ; those waies that they perswade you to , god allows not of , they will prove vanity , even wise , learned , understanding men , the priests who seem'd to be much for god , may yet be vanity . whatsoever is presented in the worship of god , if not by gods appointment , it 's meer vanity . surely they are vanity , even gilead . again , this gilead being on the other side of jordan , it was taken by the assyrians , and those in gilead were carried captive before the other cities , they were carried afterwards , as it appears , if you reade that story in king. . . & also king. . . those that were on the other side jordan were carried captive first , and gilead among the rest ; so that it 's probable that this prophesie of this prophet was after the taking of gilead , after gilead had been taken by the enemy , before the rest of the tribes were taken : and then the force of his argument is this , there is iniquity in gilead : yea , and gilead hath smarted for her iniquity ; though they promised themselves peace , yet all proved but vanity , yea , they smar●ed very dreadfully , for in amos , . . it is said there , that gilead was thresht with instruments . now amos was contemporary with hosea , and speaks of the wonderful miseries that had befallen the citie of gilead ; as if the prophet should say , do not you know there is iniquity in gilead ? hath not god declar'd it by his severe wrath upon gilead ? have not they prov'd vanity ? what then can gilgal expect ? they yet sacrifice bullocks , they are guilty of the same sin of false worship as gilead was ; god had appointed but one place to worship in , but they had abundance of sacrifices , and had their altars as common as the very heaps of stones that was in the fields . from whence you may note , first , that when gods judgments have been against any for sin , all sinners that are guilty in the same kind they have cause to fear , and not promise safety to themselves though they be spar'd a while . but further , the principal note is this , gilead had smarted thus and thus , yet gilgal , that belonged to judah , and the prophet now speaks to them , look to your selves , if gilead hath smarted thus , you are like to smart as much and much more ; for gilead they did not own the temple ; the ten tribes ( you know ) had forsaken the temple ; and were in a more remote way from god in their very profession ; but gilgal did belong to judah , and so were in a neerer way to god in their profession , they profest a greater care of gods worship ; now saith he , what , shall not gilead escape , who was in a remoter way of profession , and yet shall god be thus avenged of gilead for false worship ? how shall gilgal escape that professes a greater neerness to god in his worship , and yet for all that corrupt gods worship , and sacrifices bullocks upon the altars , as heaps of stones in the furrows of the field ? that 's then our note from hence , that such whose principles and professions are neerer to god than others , if they be superstitious , if they mingle any thing of their own in the worship of god , god will be sorely avenged upon them : those ( i say ) whose principles and profession comes most neer in the matters of worship . we may look at this point as neerly concerning our selves thus , if a superstitious , prelatical ministry , and people had the wrath of god pursuing them , as it hath been heavy upon them , then those who shall profess to come neer in the point of reformation , whosoever they be , this side or the other side , any way , whosoever professes to come neerer , if they mingle their own inventions in worship , god will be more sorely displeased with them , the more piety and holiness , the more we profess to come close to the word of god , and yet withal mingle our own inventions , the more is god displeased ; gilgal is rather more than gilead . again , their altars ( he saith ) are as heaps in the furrows of the field ; as common , and as ordinary , as husband-men use to gather their stones that kept the corn from growing , and every furlong almost there was some heap of stones laid , and saith he , their altars were as common as those heaps of stones . or it may have reference to some superstitious or idolatrous way of theirs ; in the furrows of the field they had many altars built to sacrifice , that they might seek god for the fructifying of their field ; such a kind of worshiping of god as afterwards the heathens had , that is in the bounds of their fields , they there performed some superstitious right and ceremony unto their gods for the blessing of their fields ; and following their example , the papists and those that are superstitious : and heretofore in england you know it was ordinary when men went up and down their perambulation in the bounds of their field they would set up crosses , and crucifixes , and would have prayers read , and psalms sung there , which was not meerly to shew what was the bounds of their parish , but to invocate god for his blessing upon their fruits ; and by making and setting up crosses in the bounds of their fields , they thought there came a blessing upon their corn that way , and therefore in that time of the yeer rather , they would go to their crosses and have their prayers there that they might have their corn and pastors more blessed : thus we see old waies in superstition and idolatry even since that time , and among the gentiles is kept , and the same kind among the papists , and lately was among our selves , they had their altars in the furrows of the field . or in a way of threat , as some have it , their altars shall be broken down , and they shall be as heaps of stones in the furrows of the field ; according to that in jer. . . zion shall be a field plowed , and jerusalem as on heap ; as god threatned them , so their altars are here threatned to be broken down , and to be as heaps in the field ; god will regard their altars no more , ( that they built brave , and with a great deal of cost ) then rubbish and heaps of stones in the field . and thus much for that eleventh verse . it follows ; ver . . and jacob fled into the country of syria , and israel served for a wife , and for a wife he kept sheep . god by the prophet here brings in jacob further , he had spoken of him before ( you know ) about his wrastling with god and prevailing , and still the prophet cannot get off from this , about jacob , because he saw that the people of israel when they were charged with their sins , and threatned with the anger of god , they still had recourse to jacob their father , and thought because they were the seed of jacob , therefore god would not deal so severely with them ; therefore still the prophet seeks to take them off from such a kind of reasoning . and jacob fled into the country of syria . as if he should say thus , you pride your selves in your father jacob ; yea , but consider in what a mean condition jacob was , and if there hath come any priviledg to you by being the seed of jacob , it is the meer free grace of god , and not from any excellency there was in your father jacob. he would take off the conceit of the excellency there was in their father jacob , for whose worthiness they thought that god surely would not forsake his posterity , though they were very wicked : as if he should say , consider what a poor condition your fa ▪ jacob was in . first , he was a poor exile , he was fain to fly for his life , even from his fathers house ; and then when he did fly , he fled to his uncle , and what was he there ? a poor servant , he liv'd in two hard apprentiships ( as it were ) he found his uncle laban to be a very hard master to him for seven yeers , and for seven yeers after that behav'd himself roughly and ridgedly with him , and changing his wages often , and carrying himself very proudly and haughtely towards him ; saith he , do not forget the meanness of jacob , he fled thus : and there he would have a wife , and when he had a wife , he had no dowry , but be was fain to serve , for his condition was so low and mean. that 's the first end why the prophet brings in jacob here again , to take them off from too high a conceit of jacob their father , that they should not rest themselves in him , nor pride themselves in his excellency . secondly , it is for this end , that he might shew what their father jacob was , how unlike to him they who were of his posterity were , for he was patient and humble under long and hard afflictions , as if he should say , he was content to serve , and be in a low and mean condition , but you are proud and haughty , you can bear nothing , but be high and brave , and must sute your selves with other nations ; your father jacob was content to serve a long time for a wife , seven years , and seven yeers again , and went on in a humble and patient way , and kept close to god all that while , it 's not so with you who are his posterity . thirdly , he brings in the example of jacob , to shew how wonderful the providence of god was towards him , in carrying him to his uncles house , and providing there for him , in protecting of him against his uncle laban , is raising of his estate , for he went over with his staff in his hand , but the lord raised him to be two bands ; the providence of god was that towards your father jacob , as if the prophet should say , you speak of your father jacob , oh that you would but consider of him , to be as he was , to be patient , and humble under gods hand , and wait upon gods providence to work good for you ▪ no , but you will be providing and shifting for your selves , and you dare not trust to god as your father jacob did , and thus you see the scope why the prophet brings in jacob. but this will not suffice for the opening of this notable scripture , we must have some reference to the story this scripture is taken out of . you shall find the story of jacob's flying into syria , in gen. . . and then there 's a second story in gen. . about the . for this verse hath two stories in it , the story of his flying into syria , from the house of his father isaac to labans house ; and then the story of his serving for his wives , those two seven yeers . now for the first , you shall find matter of much instruction . the first story of his flying into syria , it was for two ends ; that was the first to fly for his life , because esau did threaten the life of jacob , and by the counsel of his mother he fled to his uncle labans , until the wrath of esau should be appeased . yea , but there was a second reason . god made advantage of that flight of his . as many times god is pleased to turn the flights of his people to abundance of good unto them , they may fly because of the danger of their enemies , and they may think that if they can but have their lives for a prey , if they can avoid the danger of the enemy it will do well ; yea , but god may have a further end and intend abundance of good to them , that they shall find more mercy in that place where they fly but to get a shelter for their lives , than ever they had in all their lives before ; many that have fled from persecution of ungodly men , they have found greater mercy in the place they have fled unto , though they have fled from their fathers house , and from their own country , yet they have found greater mercies there than ever they did in all their lives , they can tell great stories of the mercies of god unto them in the places of their flight . so it was here with jacob ; that was one end of god that he should fly , that he might provide a wife for himself out of his mothers kindred , for so he was charged , you shall find in the story of gen. . that he was charged there by his father to get a wife of the daughters of laban . and now observe it in gen. . . ver . when as jacob did thus fly into syria , because isaac did see that he was like to endure a great deal of trouble and affliction in this his flight , isaac doth renue the blessing upon him . and thus god doth use to do when he sees his people to be in such a way wherein they are like to suffer sore and hard afflictions , the lord prepares them by renewing his blessing upon them , by a fresh manifestation of himself unto them , and the renewing of gods blessing is enough to carry a man or woman through abundance of afflictions , for that did help much to carry jacob through all his afflictions . further , observe in the second place , when isaac sent jacob away , he sent him away in a very mean condition , without any such provision as abrahams servant was sent with when he went to seek a wife for isaac , we reade in gen. . . where abraham sent his servant to find out a wife for his son isaac , abraham sent him with a great deal of provision , with ten camels , and with earings , and bracelets , and the like ; but jacob is sent away to seek for a wife , and sent with a staff in his hand . if it be said , that this is the reason why he was sent so meanly , that it was for privacie , because he would not be discovered in regard of the rage of esau . though that might be a reason of his first going away in so mean a condition , yet that could not be the reason why isaac should not send after him afterwards , for we never reade that isaac sent any servant after him , but sent him away with his staff in his hand , having only the blessing of god upon him ; therefore it is more probable this , that god did mean to train up jacob in a low condition , in an estate of affliction , to train him up to patience , and humility , and in dependance upon god. well then , he goes to laban , he flies to syria : that is , to his uncle laban , when he comes there he serves him , yea , he was a servant to him for twenty yeers together in a low condition , so you find it in gen. . . he saith there , he had served him twenty yeers , and in all this time he found laban , though his kinsman , very rough to him ; as many times yong people coming to their kindered find them very rough and hard towards them . laban was very churlish towards him : and very false to him , yet jacob goes on and endures all the heat of the day , and the cold of the night , and isaac his father was alive all this while , and yet we never reade that isaac sent to him all this time , a thing much to be wondered at , there was never any intercourse that i read of between his father isaac and him all this while , but lives from his father , though his father , a rich man and a great man , and yet he goes on in a humble , patient , and quiet way , depending upon god to make an issue out of all his sufferings , and god did at length make a very glorious issue out of all , though laban used him hardly . now being isaac's son and he had the blessing , one would have thought that laban should have been willing to have bestowed a daughter upon him , nay but he serves for a wife , and when he had served him , yet he was deceived with a leah , which was a very great injury to jacob , laban urged her upon him ; and it 's a very great part of roughness , and ridgedness , and cruelty in guardians , or parents , or any that have the government of others , to force wives upon them for their own private advantage , to force wives upon their children or kindred , those matches seldom come to good ; though god turned this to good , yet i say they do seldom come to good , these forced matches , it 's that which is the undoing of many men and women , yong women to be so used : but jacob saw no remedy , fulfill her week , that is , the week of the festivity of her marriage , that is , confirm this match first ; he would have had that wife that he had served for , nay saith laban , confirm this match , for laban knew that except he had willingly afterwards gone in to her , he had not been bound to her as a husband , but laban would have him make sure and own her for his wife , and then we will agree together , you shall seve serven yeers more for rachel , and you shal have her ; but now these seven yeers that he served for rachel we must not understand so as if laban did keep rachel from jacob til he had served that other seven yeers , as if jacob had not married with rachel before fourteen yeers was at an end , no , he did but fulfill the week of leah , and then laban gave rachel unto him , upon condition , yet that he should afterwards serve seven yeers likewise for rachel , for so it 's plain that which was requir'd of him ; and as an evident demonstration that rachel was given to jacob before the seven yeers were out , it appears plainly , if you reade the story you shall find that leah had no children until rachel was married to jacob , and yet all the twelve tribes were born to him within the compass of twenty yeers that he was with laban ; now if the first born had been after the fourteen yeers service , it could not possibly be , that all of them should be born after , for we find in the story that leah had four children one after another , and then left off bearing , and then she gave zilpah to jacob , who bare two sons , there was six of them ; and after that leah had another son , and a daughter , and all this before rachel had any children ; so that it must needs be understood that rachel was given to jacob as the first seven yeers , yet he served two seven yeers for these two wives . now the lord was pleased to turn this to a great deal of good , though it was hard service and bondage , yet these two wives that jacob served so long for , they were made the two greatest instruments of good that ever had been in the church before , or ever since , but only the virgin that brought forth christ ; for by these two was the house of israel built up , twelve tribes came of them , and those that they gave unto jacob ; but the holy ghost reckons the building up by these two , and the blessing that was wont to be upon a married condition , it was taken from these two , in a kind of proverbial way ; in ruth , . . the elders said to boaz , the lord make the woman that is come into thine house , like rachel , and like leah , which two did build the house of israel : so that this was the common blessing in a married condition , the lord make this woman like rachel , and like leah that built the house of israel . why like these two , rather than sarah ? it is from hence , because they built up the house of israel , and all that came from them were of the church , oh it is a great blessing in a married condition to build up the house of god , that 's the blessing in a married condition ; though thou shouldest serve hardly for a wife , yet if god makes thy marriage so blessed to thee , as thou comest to build up the church of god by thy marriage , that 's a blessed marriage ; and those that are married , in their prayers , should pray to god for such a blessing , and their friends should pray to god for such a blessing , oh that the lord would make this woman , and my wife , so to be a builder up of the house of israel . but for further notes upon this . jacob fled , and served for a wife . from the scope of the prophets bringing this in here , we may 〈◊〉 ▪ that such as pride themselves in their ancestors , should 〈◊〉 back to the mean condition of their ancestors ; some are very high in their conceits , because they have such and such to be their ancestors , it may be two or three degrees off they were great , but look but half a dozen degrees off and they were but mean trades-men , or yeomen in the country ; here the prophet would take off their pride from priding in their ancestors ; it is a great vanity for any to pride themselves in their ancestors , because some of them are great and rich by some providence or other they think themselves out beyond the common sort of mankind , they look upon others under them in a mean contemptible way ; look unto the rock from whence ye are hewen . but secondly , patience and humility , and dependence upon god in times of long continued afflictions , doth much commend the grace of god in any : i say , when any shall be patient and humble , and depending upon god , in times of long affliction , this much cōmends the grace of god in them . oh! let me commend this note of observation to any of you that have hard services : if i were to speak to a congregation of apprentises , that had hard services , and rough masters , and cruel mistrisses , and though it may be a ruin to them , do not fret and vex , do not be desperat , do not fling off and say , why should i bear such services ? do not grow into any desperat moods , to go and seek your fortunes ( as they use to say ) many yong men have undone themselves through the roughness of their masters and mistrisses to them in their apprentiships , and though the evil will be upon themselves , yet god will require this at their masters & mistrisses hand ; and this is a sign that there is no fear of god , that because they are in hard services , that therfore they should go to take desperat courses ; you see it may be your brother or sister hath an excellent service , they have liberty , and better wages , and better provision than you have , yet seeing god in his providence hath disposed of you to such a hard service , look up to god , and wait upon god to work good through this service , god may intend good unto you in this service more than you are aware of , and as for any of you that are come out of hard services , look back to the services that you have had , and consider , how did you behave your selves in those hard services ; are you the seed of jacob ? if you be , though your service have been hard , yet you should go on patiently , and humbly , and depending upon god as iacob . did : and god will remember this for good to you afterwards . yea but now , did not you behaue your selves proudly and stubbornly , and so make your service so much the more hard , by provoking your governors ? oh! look back to these things , and consider how far you are from being of the disposition of iacob , that you pro●●ss to be your father . many apprentises in their hard services have don that that they have cause to repent of afterwards . he served for a wife . first , the note is , that love will carry through long service . love is ashamed to complain of difficulties . oh! so it wouid be if we loved god ; do not complain of the service of god to be difficult . the second is this , that a good wife is a great blessing of god , though she hath no portion ; though a man serve for her , yet it is a great blessing of god , there is a more special mercy of god there than there is in giving men an estate : he served long , and long , even for a wife luther upon the place , speaks much about the blessing in marriage , and of a good wife . saith he , certainly iacob did not serve so long that he might have a companion of his life , with whom there should be nothing but railing , scolding and wrangling ; no , but he look'd upon an estate of marriage at the school of all vertue , for so should a married estate indeed be . and then further , another note that is very observable , he served these two seven years . this may be one ground why iacob served so long for a wife , and a special ground why , because that he had a charge from his father . isaac , to take a wife in la 〈…〉 's family , and therefore he would rather serve seven years , and seven years after that to have a wife from him , than to go to seek a wife any other where , in obedience to the charge of his father . luther in his comment upon this very scripture , he doth much urge that very note , that children should be obedient to their parents in their matches , and take heed of matching against their parents consent . if you profess your selves to be of the seed of jacob ( for so the godly are set out in scripture ) be like unto your father jacob in this , in being obedient to your parents in your matches ; there is no greater disobedience in the world , than the disobedience of a child in the case of marriage , in the flinging off of the yoke of subjection to your parents in this kind . luther urges this exceeding much from hence . civil laws require the consent of parents in all lawful marriages ; and so the authority of sacred scripture declares to us that those marriages have been ever happy that have been with the consent of their parents : and again ( saith he ) experience doth testifie that those marriages have been for the most part unhappy that have been without consent of parents ; certainly the blessing of god is not upon them ; you may to satisfie your lusts , think to please your selves for a week or two , but it 's just with god that you should live miserably all your daies , that make no more conscience of disobedience to your parents in your matches . and any of you that are here present , if you be guilty this way , know that the lord rebukes you this day , and you are taught to go alone , and humble your selves , and to bewail that sin of yours , which is certainly a very great sin , and you had need both husband and wife together , both fast and pray to get away the guilt of that sin , that so you may have a blessing upon your married estate , and upon your posterity , without which you cannot expect it ; therefore did jacob serve thus that he might be obedient to his father isaac , which did charge him to go and take a wife in that place . and thus much for that twelfth verse . it follows ; ver . . and by a prophet the lord brought israel out of egypt : and by a prophet was he preserved . still the prophet goes on in shewing their meanness in their ancestors , your father jacob was thus mean , a poor exile , he was fain to serve thus for his wife : it 's true , joseph was a while in prosperity , but when joseph was dead , all your ancestors then they were in egypt as miserable bondslaves ; they were there as bondslaves , and how should they get out ? there was no way in the world , pharaoh a mighty king , they had no friends abroad , nor no armies to help themselves , only a prophet , god sent them a prophet , moses , and what was this prophet ? one that had been a poor shepheard for forty yeers together in the wilderness , and when this prophet was to go into egypt to be a deliverer of them , was it ever like that he should be the man ? in exod. . . the text saith , he took his wife , and his sons and set them upon an ass , we reade but of one beast that he had , and so he went into egypt in a mean and low condition , and when he came there he was not owned , and we never read that moses did declare who he was , and the children of israel would not own him , and pharaoh begun to busl● and would not let israel go ; how should this one moses deliver them ? nay , their bondage did encrease when moses came unto them , yet by a prophet ( the text saith ) the lord brought israel out of egypt , and by a prophet was he preserved . this was a mighty work of god to bring israel out of egypt by a prophet , and to preserve them in the wilderness ; and be the way there is on useful note , you reade in exod. . . there was six hundred thousand , and three thousand five hundred and fifty males from twenty yeers old and upwards . and in numb . . . that was the second yeer after they went out from egypt , and there you shall find that there was just so many , besides levi , after god had taken levi for himself to be his portion , thereby god would shew that none should lose any thing that they did for him . how often when men have been willing to give any thing to god , god hath made it up in one yeer ? ( but that by the way . ) this that i bring this for , it is , to shew the great work of god , that by a prophet he brings such a number out of egypt , and he preserves them in the wilderness , uses no means for their preservation , for the guiding of them which way they should go , but a mean prophet ; for the providing water for them , for the providing meat for them , for the providing of cloathes for them , for the defending of them against their enemies , that they should not come and destroy them ; when they were in any danger , to help them ; when they were stung by the serpents , to shew them what they should do to heal them , and to keep them all in peace that they should not mutiny one against another ; to compose all their differences , this prophet had the great stroke in all these things , this was the mighty work of god towards them . he doth not say , he brought them out of egypt , but by a prophet he brought them out of egypt , and by a prophet was he preserved . this was first to shew their very low and mean condition , that they had no succor nor help in the sight of humane reason , humane reason could no way help them , they had none but a poor prophet . secondly , it was to shew this , that god in their deliverance would appear himself , and would work such a glorious work by his own hand . thirdly , it was to upbraid this people that hosea did preach unto at this time , for the abuse of his prophets , there was a time ( saith he ) a prophet stood you in stead , now you care not for the prophets , they may speak what they will , but you care not for them ; but there was a time that a prophet stood you in stead , how ever stout and proud you are now . i find divers interpreters observe this , and among the ancients especially cyril of alexandria hath it , shewing how instrumental a prophet had been after good unto them . had not god blessed the endeavors of a prophet for good unto your forefathers , where had you been at this day ? first note , that the consideration of the shiftless estate of our ancestors should humble us much : and if the consideration of our ancestors should humble us thus , how much more when we consider of our own shiftless estate . oh! lately , how shiftless were we ! and the truth is , though there were armies raised , yet god would not so much look at them , but rather look'd at his prophets , and his servants ; the praying people were the main and principal means that did help us in that condition , and this should humble us , we should take heed of growing haughty and proud when we are delivered , considering how shiftless we were but a little while ago ; and therefore if now we have gotten peace , and prosperity we think is coming in , take heed of pride now , look back to that shiftless , poor condition that you were in a little while ago . secondly , god shews here mercy to his people by a prophet , that notes this , that when god works great things for his church , his way is to work it by very smal means , little means god uses when he intends the greatest mercies to his church . gods deliverance of his people from egypt it was a type of the deliverance of his churches to the end of the world from their bondage and afflictions , and god sends them a prophet , and he must deliver them . though god did it , yet god puts it upon the prophet as the great instrumental means for their help , god takes delight in this , when he doth good to his people , not to make use of such great means , as when he doth work his own ends other waies towards other people ; when god intends good towards other people he will do it in a more natural way , by natural means ; but when he comes to work good for his own , he will do it in a more supernatural way : for mercies are so much the sweeter by how much the more god is in them ; so much the more as we see the finger of god in a mercy , so much the sweeter it is . and above all things the lord accounts himself glorified in his peoples depending upon him in the want of all means , the lord accounts this his glory , that he may be an object of the rest of the souls of his people , that when they are in any straights , in any afflictions , that yet they can look upon god as an object for their rest , and can say , my soul , return unto thy rest . oh consider of this you that are the servants of god , when you are in straits and difficulties , remember this note , that god accounts it to be the great glory that he rejoyces in , the special glory of his name that his servants shall make him in their strai●s to be the rest of their souls , and this is the reason why he hath used to work so much good for his people by such poor and weak means as he hath done . thirdly , it is a great aggravation of mens sins , if they grow naught and wicked after god hath in a more than ordinary manner appeared for their good . if then they grow naught and wicked when god hath appeared from heaven for their good , and wrought beyond all natural means , and set them upon their legs again and delivered them , it much aggravates their sins . fourthly , which is a principal thing that i verily beleeve the holy ghost aim'd at in this place , and that is this , that the unkindness to , and abuse of such as have reference , though but in a way of succession unto such as god hath used to be instruments of our deliverance , is a very great evil , ( that 's the note ) by a prophet the lord brought them out of egypt , and by a prophet he preserved them ▪ and what , do you abuse them now , and are so much against them ? divers good things god hath done for his people by prophets , as by moses here , so afterwards by samuel , and eliah , and elisha ; great things in the matters of state god had done for this people by prophets , and therfore he takes it very ill that they should so abuse and slight the prophets as they did . this shews , for people to do thus , . a base levite of spirit : . an abominable ingratitude of spirit , and vile injustice , and god will avenge these things . we have a notable scripture in judg. . , . and in judg. . . in the . chapter of judges , you reade there , how god charges the people ; and it came to pass assoon as gideon was dead , that the children of israel turned again , and went a whoring after baalim , and made baalberith their god ; and the children of israel remembred not the lord their god , who had delivered them out of the hands of their enemies on every side : neither shewed they kindness to the house of jerubbaal , namely gideon , according to all the goodness which he had shewed unto israel . gideon had been a famous instrument of good to israel , that they received forty years prosperitie by him , but assoon as he was gone , the people went a whoring from god , and then they were unkind towards his posteritie ; so you find in chap. . vers . . all the men of shechem gathered themselves together ; and all the house of millo , and went and made abimelech king. and one of gideon's sons goes and expostulates the matter with them , and tels them the parable of the trees that did desire a king , but saith jotham to them afterwards in the . vers . if ye have dealt truly and sincerely with jerubbaal , and with his house this day , then rejoyce in abimelech , and let him also rejoyce in you : but if not , let fire come out from abimelech , and devour the men of shechem , and the house of millo ; and let fire come out from the men of shechem , and from the house of millo , and devour abimelech . as if he should have said , god will avenge this : what , did god make my father an instrument of so great good to you , and do you so ill requite all his kindness and service that he did for you ? the lord judg , and if it be so indeed as now i charge you , let this be a manifestation of gods displeasure , that fire come from abimelech , &c. as if he should say , do not think that you can have peace and quiet in such kind of waies as you are in , you think you have provided well for your selves in setting up of abimelech , and now you bless your selves ; we shal have peace , and go on and be quiet ; oh no , the displeasure of god will go on and pursue you , and there wil be a fire among your selves , and it 's just with god that it should be so , for this ingratitude of yours towards those that have bin so instrumental for your good . the scripture holds out this , that this is one way for god to avenge himself upon a people that shall be ungrateful to such as have been instrumental for good to them , that they shall have a perverse spirit mingled among themselves , that when they think to provide for their own ease and peace , they shall have a fire mingled among themselves , so as in the conclusion to devour themselves . these people were very zealous for gideon in judg. . when god had delivered them , they came to gideon and said unto him , rule thou over us , both thou , and thy son , and thy son's son also : they made great promises , oh how were the people affected ! come , rule over us , thou , and thy son , and thy son's son , &c. oh! we were in a dangerous condition , and were like to have been in a perpetual bondage under our enemies , but god hath stirred up thee , and blest thee , and therefore thou , and thy son , and thy son's son shall rule over us : they were mightily affectd with this mercy of god when it was fresh , but presently after you shall find they were off , and forgot what an instrument of god gideon had been unto them , and required the posterity of gideon as ill as if he had been one of their greatest enemies . oh my brethren , this is a sore and grievous evil , the lord cannot endure ingratitude . and thus much for the . verse . it follows ; ver . . ephraim provoked him to anger most bitterly . it 's true , ( saith god by the prophet ) i loved your father jacob , and i have magnified my self towards his posterity in great and wonderful things which i have done for them . but you have been a wretched people , and provok'd me most bitterly : as if he should say , i have a spirit of gentleness , sweetness and love , as indeed there is nothing else in god , if he be not provok'd , if there be any anger , it is from mens provoking him . you have provok'd me bitterly , [ in bitterness : ] you have provok'd , you have imbittered my spirit against you , by your sins that are bitter ; you make my spirit that is so sweet of it self , you have made it to be bitter . the word signifies sometimes to exalt and make high . and i find tremelius , vatablus , calvin and others , translate it , high places . you have provoked me with the high places , so it 's true ; and indeed that was a special sin , the sin of idolatry that did provoke god most bitterly against them , and he will come to one in the main , if we take it so . but it is more full to translate it according to that that the word doth signifie more properly , you have provok'd me in bitternesses , you have been very bitter against my saints that would go from samaria to worship at ierusalem . i have shewn in this story of the prophet how bitter the ten tribes were against any that would separate from them and go worship at the temple ; you have provok'd me in that kind of bitterness , you have provok'd me in that bitter sin of abusing my prophets , you have provok'd me in that ingratitude of yours towards those that i have made instrumental for your good , you have provok'd me in finning against such great mercies , oh! you have provok'd me bitterly , you have for saken the living god , the fountain of all good , and have turned your selves to vanity , you have provok'd me to anger most bitterly . from whence the notes are , first , that god is not angry but when he is provok'd , neither should we be ; let us be as our heavenly father is : saith god , you have provok'd me to anger . and then secondly , it is sin that provokes god , it puts god to stir up his anger , it puts it to tryal , to see whether there be any anger in god or no ; in heb. . . your fathers provok'd me , they tryed me , they would put it to tryal whether there was such anger in me yea , or no. wicked men indeed do so , they hear much of the anger of god against sin , and they put it to tryal , they will see whether it be so or no ; they dare not say so in words , but their actions do so : oh! it 's a dreadful evil to provoke god , cor. . . do ye provoke the lord to jealousie ? are you stronger than he ? can you stand it out with god ? is it not folly to provoke a man that is a superior , that hath power over you , and can crush you ? oh wretched , bold heart that darest stand it out to provoke the eyes of his glory , to provoke the holy one of israel ▪ what , to provoke him that can stamp you into hell presently ▪ to provoke him that hath the point of the sword of justice at your hearts ! but yet this is the boldness of ungodly men ; a man that dares not provoke his landlord , yet will dare to provoke god. my brethren , it 's a great evil to provoke one another to wrath , but a greater evil to provoke god to wrath : in ephes . . . parents are charged not so much as to provoke their children to wrath ; and wilt thou provoke god then ? if we will be provoking one another , let us be provoking to love , and to good works : ( as in hebr. . . ) unto a kind of acrimony of love . if there be a kind of sharpness let it be that which puts us on with an eagerness of spirit to love , and so provoke one another as much at you will , provoke one another to love , and to good works . in gal. . . be not desirous of vain glory , provoking one another ; calling forth one anothers corruptions , that 's the meaning of it . let there not be a desire of vain glory , provoking one another , calling sorth one anothers corruptions . oh! 't is an evil thing that we do call forth the corruptions of one another so . was there ever times of provoking so as there are now ? every man provoking one another , and stirring up one another to envy , wrath , and malice , oh take heed of provoking one another ; wonderful mischiefs have come of provoking out another : what mischief do you think will come then of provoking god to anger ? consider this , especially you that are of passionate spirits , if a wife , a servant , a child doth any thing a mise , you are presently all on fire , oh that you would have this meditation , what , shall i a poor worm be so soon provok'd with a fellow creature if he doth displease me ? o lord , what a wretch am i then that dare provoke the infinite god! what , can i think my anger to be so terrible to a child , a neighbor , a servant ? oh! how terrible is the anger and wrath of an infinite god against a creature when he is provok'd ! i cannot beat it whoever provokes me , why should i think that the infinite god should bear with me when i provoke him ? oh! that passionate men and women would have these considerations . but further ; they provoke me bitterly . bitterly . ] i remember gualter hath a very good expression about this ; and specially speaking of the way of idolatry , provoking of god : just as if a wife that had plaid the whore , and had used many dalliances with the whoremaster , and this wife should come to manifest respect to her own husband in the same way of dallyance as she did with the whoremaster before , and he knew what love tricks and sports she had with him , and she makes use of the same waies when she comes home to her husband . oh what a bitter provocation would this be ! a husband would not bear that . just so did this people do in the way of idolatry ; in idolatry they go a whoring to idols , and they will tender up to god himself that kind of worship that they give to their idols : oh this is a bitter provocation . the note from whence is this , that though sin of its own nature doth provoke god , yet there are some sins provoke him bitterly . in heb. . . harden not your hearts , as in the day of provocation , in the time of bitterness , so the word is ; do not harden you hearts as in the provocation , as in the bitterness of my spirit . oh! some things doth imbitter gods spirit ; as hardness of heart doth imbitter god spirit , and false worship ; yea , many times even those things wherein we think we do god a great deal of service doth imbitter gods spirit . oh! there 's many men that think they serve god in doing that which provokes him bitterly : we know what the scripture speaks of men , that when they shall deal thus and thus with the saints they shall think that they do god good service . they may have a good intention in what they do , and yet they shall provoke god bitterly : oh let us not rest in good intentions : i make no question but this people did say so to the prophet . wel , whatsoever their intentions were , yet god was provokt biterly by what they did . and as there are some sins that are as bitter clusters , ( as the holy ghost speaks in deut. . ) so god will be as bitter against those that do provoke him bitterly , in deut. . . he threatens bitter destruction . oh! for the creature to forsake god is an evil and a bitter thing , in jer. . . and it will be bitterness in the end . as abner said to joab . in sam. . . will it not be bitterness in the end ? oh those dalliances of thine will be bitterness in the end : those sins of thine that are the most pleasing to thee , as they are bitter to god , so god will make them bitter to thee one day : in prov. . . her end is bitter as wormwood : though the beginning is as pleasant as sugar to you , yet the holy ghost saith that her end is as bitter as wormwood . in jer. . . thy way , and thy doings have procured these things unto thee ; and this is thy wickedness , because it is bitter . my brethren , we are charged in scripture to take heed of being bitter one against another , the husband ( in colos . . . ) is charged not to be bitter against his wife . it is an evil thing when in a family there is bitterness . oh! but when the spirit of the eternal god is bitter against a people : you wives who have such a bondage upon you , and you find it evil to have such bitterness from your husbands : oh but then look up to god , is gods spirit sweet to you ? oh! it is a blessing to have the spirit of god sweet . there is a generation of men that hath gods spirit bitter towards them , it 's one way whereby we provoke god bitterly , by being bitter one against another : in ephes . . . let all bitterness , wrath , and evil speaking be put away : there 's a charge of god : as we would obey him in any thing , we are charged to put away all bitterness , anger , and evil speaking , oh what a spirit of bitterness prevails among us ! what bitter words and speeches are there among us ! in psal . . . there the tongues of wicked men are said to be as arrows , they shoot their arrows , even bitter words ; if ever bitter words did fly like arrows about our ears , then they do at this day : i verily beleeve that england never understood what bitter words meant as lately it hath known : we reade in revel . . . it 's said , that the third part of the waters became wormwood , and men died of them , because they were bitter . my brethren , sometimes the third part of sermons are wormwood , are bitter : oh! i would to god that sometimes we could not say that the third part of prayer were not bitter ; bitterness in prayer , in writing , in speaking , in conferring one with another ; do not you think that this provokes god bitterly ? yea , even those men that were wont to sweeten one anothers spirits , and there was a sweetness came upon one anothers spirits in their prayers , and yet now what do they do but imbitter one anothers spirits , so that they cannot meet together now , but they come with bitter spirits , one imbittering the other , as if there were nothing but gall and wormwood among us ? let me apply that scripture in jam. . doth a fountain send forth , at the same place , sweet water , and bitter ? what , those that were of such sweet natures and dispositions , and by grace much more sweet , and now nothing but bitterness come out of such fountains ! one would wonder to see mens natures so changed besides the work of grace : oh! shall out of the same fountain come forth sweet water , and bitter ? it follows ; therefore shall be leave his blood upon him . that is , he shall bring his sin upon his own head , those that will be wilful in sin , the blood be upon their own heads ; that 's the meaning . never stand excusing any more , you have warning enough , if you will go on in your way , the blood be upon your own head , you wil undo your selves and there is no help : mark the phrase ; he shall leave his blood upon him . when god comes to bring the guilt of sin , and the punishment of sin on a mans own head and there leaves it upon him , that 's sad indeed . we reade in sam. . . there it is said , when nathan came and rebuk'd david for his sin , david confest his sin , and saith nathan to him , the lord hath put away thy sin ; the word is translated by some thus , the lord hath made thy sin to pass away ; oh that 's a happiness indeed , when it may be said of god , he doth make the sin and the guilt to pass away from the sinner , that 's a happiness . but on the other side , when god shall leave the sin upon the sinner , leave the guilt of the sin upon him , as if god should say , here 's the guilt of sin upon the head of such a man , and let it abide and lie , he shall leave his blood upon him , as in ezek. . . the lord saith , he will bring them into the fire , and leave them there ; the lord many times brings his saints into the fire of afflictions , oh but he will not leave them there : but when he brings the wicked into the fire , he leaves them there . and his reproach shall his lord return unto him . his reproach ] that 's thus , they do what lies in them to bring a reproach upon me the living god , as if there were not an alsufficiency in me , but i 'le make the reproach to turn upon their own heads ; yea , they reproach my saints too , but i 'le make this to return upon their own heads , oh take heed of doing any thing to bring a reproach upon god. you will say , can the creature bring a reproach upon god ? i might shew you divers waies : i 'le instance but in this one thing . apostatizing from god , when professors of religion that have been very forward and seem'd to rejoyce in the waies of god and to relie upon god , and they shall forsake god to follow after their vain lusts , i say , these do bring a reproach upon god himself , in heb. . . they did * despite to the spirit of grace , they wrong , and bring a reproach upon the spirit of grace . and then heb. . . they put the son of god to an * open shame ( saith the text ) they make him a reproach before all . as when you cart people up and down the city you hold them out as a scorn ; so they put the son of god to open shame , they do ( as it were ) hold forth the son of god to open shame : so what thou professest , there is more good to be had in a whore than in jesus christ , and god , and the blessed spirit , that 's the language of a whoremaster . well , you that are apostates and think to bring a reproach upon religion and upon the saints , and they all suffer for you ; from whence is it that the people of god are reproach'd , but because of apostates ? well , do you bring a reproach upon god , upon his name , upon profession , upon his saints ? the lord hath waies to turn the reproach upon your selves ; and usually such men as these before they die , god doth put to open shame , he leaves them to such vile courses as they come to be a shame , a by-word , a scorn , and cast out as dung and filth , not only to the churches , but from such as have any kind of civility or morality at all , oh! take heed of bringing a reproach upon god , and so by bringing reproaches upon his saints ; oh! let the saints go on in a constant way of holiness and faithfulness , god will wipe away their reproach , the lord will return the reproach upon the heads of such as seek to reproach them . and when there comes a reproach upon the wicked , it shall be another manner of reproach than upon the saints , it 's call'd a perpetual reproach ; the reproach of the saints is not a perpetual reproach , but when it 's upon the ungodly , it shall be a perpetual reproach , and in jer. . . those two things are joyned together , a curse , and a reproach , nehem. . . hear o god , for we are despised , and turn their reproach upon their own heads , saith nehemiah . sanballat , and tobiah did reproach the servants of god , that did seek in the uprightness of their hearts to honor god ; but lord , return their reproach upon themselves , saith nehemiah . and truly this is the best way , when the servants of god are reproached , though they may by lawful means seek to vindicate their names , yet their chief way is , to pray , lord , turn the reproach upon the heads , or bosoms of our adversaries . and then the last note is this : — and his reproach shall his lord return unto him . his lord ] what is god the lord of this people ? his lord shall turn it , yes saith he , 't is as if the prophet should say thus , you reject god and will not be in subjection to him , you will not own him to be your lord ; but he will be your lord in spite of your heart , god will be god , and he will be lord , let wicked men do what they can , and what they will he will be their lord ; christ hath purchased to be lord over the world , and he will be lord over all , over all apostates , hypocrits , wicked men , let them do what they can against jesus christ , jesus christ will be lord over them in spite of their hearts . oh it s a blessed thing to give up our selves willingly to the subjection of jesus christ . if we say we will not have thi● man to rule over us , christ will say , but i will rule over you , the lord hath sworn by himself , and the word hath proceeded out of his mouth in righteousness , that every knee shall bow unto him , and every tongue confess his name ; be still saith god , and know that i am the lord : so i say to the most troublesome and tumultuous spirit , that would cast off the yoke of god ; oh! be still thou wretched , thou proud spirit , and know that god is the lord , he will prevail against you . god made julian to know this , that when a dart was struck into him , he cast his heart blood into the air , with an o than galilean , thou hast overcome me ! and so all wicked men shall be forced to say one day , well , though i would cast off the commands of god behind my back , and break his cords , yet the lord hath overcome me , and though i perish to all eternity , yet god will be god blessed for ever , and lord of the whol earth . and thus through gods mercy we have gon through this twelfth chapter . chap. xiii . ver . . when ephraim spake , trembling , he exalted himself in israel ; but when he offended in baal , he died . this chapter is partly legal and partly evangelical . legal , charging this people with their fin of idolatry , and of ingratitude , shewing them gods wrath , partly already inflicted , and further threatned them to the . verse ; and again in the . and . verses , there returning to further threats : but in the . vers . there is something mixt of the gospel in the midst of these charges and threats . ephraim would have put off all the evil that came on him , upon god ; but god charges ephraim himself with it , all the change of ephraim's condition from what it had been , comes from his own sin ; and the evil that is like further to come upon him , will be for their own sin . when ephraim spake , trembling ; not when ephraim spake tremblingly ; but when ephraim spake , ( there 's a stop ) trembling : as much as if it were said , there was trembling when ephraim spake , those that heard him did tremble . when ephraim spoke , there was trembling : there was a time when ephraim was very honorable among the tribes , when the very speaking of ephraim had great power , and took great impression upon whomsoever he spake to . yea , though ephraim was the yonger brother , that came of joseph , yet by the guidance of the hand of god upon jacob's hand , the blessing came upon him more especially ; and so from time to time god put much honor upon this tribe of ephraim , according to the blessing he had from jacob , when his right hand did lay hold upon the head of ephraim . joshuah he was of the tribe of ephraim , and when joshua spake , what trembling was there among all the people ? what mighty power and authority had he ? and you reade in judges , . in their speaking to gideon , what trembling they caused , and what yeelding presently when they spake , in judges , . the beginning , and the men of ephraim spake unto him , why hast thou served us thus , that thou calledst us not when thou wentest to fight with the medianites ? and they did chide with him sharply . and he said unto them , what have i done now in comparison of you ? is not the gleaning of the grapes of ephraim better than the vintage of abiezer ? and so in judges , . when ephraim came to fight with jephthah they had thought to have done the same , they spake great and swelling words , ephraim took much upon him , and made account that all should tremble and shake when he spake . and jeroboam he was of the tribe of ephraim , and so it hath reference in a more especial manner to him , and his house , when jeroboam spake , the princely power being put upon that tribe of ephraim in jeroboam , and they having power in their hands they did prevail very much at the first , and caused trembling to all those they spake to . but as if the holy ghost should say , there 's a great change now in ephraim , he is not now as he was , nor is not like to continue so . ephraim presuming upon his excellency , and upon his strength , and worth , he presum'd to sin , he sin'd in baal , that is , in a way of idolatry , for so baal sometimes is a general word for an idol , jer. . . they have walked after the imagination of their own hearts , and after baalim , after their idols . and the chaldae paraphrase , they seem to allow of this , say they , they did sin , in that they did worship idols . when he sin'd in baal : but though it 's meant of jeroboam presently , including his calf , yet especially is it meant of that special sin that was afterwards in this princely tribe , in the successors of jeroboam , and that was in ahab in a more special manner , ● kings , . . there he did not satisfie himself in worshiping of the calves , but added this , to worship baal , the god of the sidonians . when he sin'd , then he died . he died . ] his spirit even died ; he was of a stout spirit , but afterwards came to be of a low , base , and sordid spirit , and died . they were under the sentence of death , jeroboam's house was cut off , and ahab's house cut off , and the people died at last : they came to be vile and contemptible at last , so that every body could insult over them . when a lyon is alive and roars , he is terrible to all the beasts ; but a lyon that is dead , the most timorous thing that is will run over , or trample upon him ; so ephraim was terrible to all about him , but when he had sinned in baal , his honor was taken from him , and every one would insult over him , and then he was fain to crouch to every one , and the wrath of god did pursue him till it never left him , nor his family , nor the people , but they died and came to nothing ; oh the poor spirit that there was in this tribe afterwards , when they sinned in baal ! in kings , . you shall see what a low and mean spirit they had , whereas before when they spake , men trembled , none could make them tremble , but they made others tremble , but now in king. . it is said of benhadad the king of syria , that he gathered all his host together ; and he sent messengers to ahab king of israel into the city , and said unto him , thus saith benhadad , thy silver and thy gold is mine , thy wives also and thy children , even the goodliest are mine . and the king of israel answered and said , my lord , o king , according to thy saying , i am thine , and all that i have . they had a low and a mean spirit yeelding to any thing , and yet of a mighty surly spirit to be cruel over those that were under him ; the lord was departed from him , and so their spirits were gone , and they were as a dead carcass , and every one then could insult over them . thus you have the meaning of this scripture in general ; yet we shall see more particularly when we examin it in reference to jeroboam . but from what hath been said , these are these observations . first , it is an honor to have respect from others , when we speak , to have what we say to be received with reverence and respect , that it takes impression upon the hearts of others , when we speak to them , that it is not cast out as a vain and worthless thing ; thus job describes his honor , in chap. . . the princes refrained talking and laid their hands on their mouth , the nobles held their peace , and their tongue cleaved to the roof of their mouth ; and in the . vers . vnto me men gave ear , and waited , and kept silence at my counsel . a great honor it was to job , that when he spake , his speech was regarded . let children , and servants , and all inferiors learn to give due honor unto those that god hath set above them , not to scorn at their speeches , not to slight their speeches , when they speak to them , to go away & smile & jeer , but it is fit when a father speaks to his child , that the child shew reverence and respect , there should be an awful reverence manifested in the very countenance and carriage of the child , and so when governors speak to their servants , and superiors to their inferiors . but especially let us give god that honor when god speaks , oh let there be trembling , is this an honor that inferiors should give to their superiors to shew reverence when they speak , oh let us give this to god , psal . . . bless the lord , ye his angels , that excel in strength and do his commandements , hearkening to the voice of his word . the angels they excel in strength , the most excellent creatures , and what , do they slight and disregard the word of god ? oh no , they hearken to the voice of his word , they give a reverent respect to the voice of gods word , and it infinitly beseems us when god speaks to give respect to him , that 's the first . secondly , those who are in place of power over others they account it their honor , not only that those under them regard what they say , but that they should tremble at what they say . it is a great delight that man hath to lift up himself above others , and to be imperious above others , we might give divers examples of men that have had great power in their hands , and when any thing hath displeased them , they would speak so as to make others to shake and tremble ; nay , not only men in great place will do it , but you shall find this disposition in men that are very mean and of a very low rank , yet if they have any under them , they will be imperious over them ; as now in families , how many when they do but speak to their wives , though she be colateral , and not directly under him , yet how imperiously do they speak , speak so as to make the house shake almost when they speak , and so servants and children : and this they account their glory . my brethren , though this be often through much distemper , and pride , and vanity in men to delight to make all that are under them to tremble when they speak , yet this is an honor due to god , and god expects it from us , for the lord is infinitely above us , and we are all of us under the feet of god , and at his dispose , both for our present and eternal estate . and it is ●it for us , therefore to give regard and some reverence to god when he speaks , to have an heart to tremble at his word , that 's that god looks for . in isa . . . the lord that is on high , yet he looks to him that is of a poor and contrite spirit , and trembleth at his word ; the word that god speaks is that that hath the dreadful authority of god in it , it is that that binds conscience , it 's that word that if thou obeyest not , will bind thee over to eternal death : it becomes the greatest monarchs in the world to have shaking and trembling hearts when god speaks : oh! who art thou that canst stand against the voice of god when he speaks ? oh bold and hard heart ( i say ) that canst stand out against gods voice . in psal . . . the voice of the lord is powerful the voice of the lord is full of majesty . and in hab. . when i heard , my belly trembled , and my lips quivered at the voice , and i trembled in my self again . this is the honor that is due to god , oh it is a comely thing to see a congregation sit even trembling under the word of god , manifesting their hearts to be affected with the authority and majestie of what it is that god speaks ; for there 's much majesty in the voice of god , oh! 't is full of majestie . again , when he spake , there was trembling . this the prophet mentions as a means to aggravate his sin and misery afterwards , as if the prophet should say , there was a time that god did subdue the hearts of people under ephraim , so that ephraim had a great deal of authority over those that were under him , when ephraim spake , there was trembling . from whence the note is this , which pareus hath upon the place , saith he , the subjection of the hearts of men unto those in authority , it is a work of god , god is to have the glory of it : it is from god that the hearts of multitudes shall be brought under some few so as to fear them , and to receive what they speak with trembling , it is from god. in josh . . . on that day the lord magnified joshua in the sight of all israel , and they feared him as they feared moses . joshua before moses dyed , was but a servant to moses , and we do not reade that he was so magnified among the people , they did not fear him so much ; no , the fear was then upon moses , because moses was in place of authority ; but when moses was taken away , and joshua was to succeed him in authority , then the lord magnified him , the lord put a lustre upon him , and the lord caused the people to fear him , as they had feared moses : it is a work of god to cause people to fear magistrates . so in dan. . . for the majestie be gave him , ( that god gave the king ) all people , and nations , and languages trembled and feared before him . it 's god that puts majestie upon governors , to make those that are under to fear . it 's a very observable scripture we have in psal . . there it 's spoken of god , that he did wonders and marvellous things ; what are those wonders and marvellous things ? if you reade , you shall find among others , thou leadest thy people like a flock of sheep by the hand of moses and aaron ; that 's reckoned among the wonders and marvellous things that god doth , that he did lead his people like a flock of sheep , by the hand of moses and aaron ; that so great a multitude should be led like a flock of sheep by the hands of two , it is a wonderful work of god , god is to have the glory of it , it is for the maintaining of government and order in the world , that god doth so subdue the hearts of many under few . then fourthly , when ephraim spake , trembling . though ephraim the yonger , yet when he got authority in his hand , how imperious was he ? and observe , the meaner the beginings of men are , the more imperious often-times they are when they come in place of power , none more imperious and insulting over men than such as have meaner beginings : this was the yonger brother , and had power by a special providence of god , not according to the ordinary common course , and very often we find it , that men of mean qualitie , and that were inferior to others , if any providences raises them above others , they grow more imperious than others . and then a fifth is this , ( which is a principal thing to be observed here , a note from the change of the condition of ephraim , when ephraim spake , trembling , but after he sinned , he died . ) that men which heretofore have been of very high repute , and of reverend respect , so as they had much power to prevail with people that they had to do with , yet by their sin they fall off from their dignity : sin will bring mens honors down ; though there was a time that every one reverenced him , had high esteem of him , and did much regard what they spake , yet they falling to sin and wickedness , it 's just with god to bring their honor and esteem down , to bring it into the dust , and to make them vile and contemptible in the eyes of those that ere while did reverence them , we find this threatned both to those in the place of magistracy , and in the place of ministry . for magistracy in job , . he powreth contempt upon princes , god powers contempt , though they had very great honor and esteem , yet through their sin contempt is thrown upon them . and then for those in the ministry , in mal. . . therefore also have i made you contemptible , and base before all the people . the priests lips should preserve knowledg , and they were very honorable those that were faithful , but when they come to be partial in the law , that is , when they come to turn the word of god to their own ends ; it 's a remarkable scripture , that the lord made them vile in the eyes of the people . it was , that they were partial in the law , that was a main thing , that is , they would handle the word of god partially , what they could get to drive on their own waies by , they would improve that to the uttermost , and turn the word which way they pleased ; upon this , though they thought to prevail that way , and to get esteem of the people by this means , ye● this was the thing that god threatens , to make them to be vile and contemptible in the eyes of the people because of this . when people come to discover this , that men do indeed drive on their own designs , and their own ends in the waies of god , there 's nothing will take away their repute and their honor more , oh the great change that there is , in the honors and esteem of men , god for their sin casts them out , and their names as vile men and women who have out-liv'd their honors , even in the very hearts of the saints : indeed when there is a change in an outward condition from prosperity to afflictions , then wicked and carnal men will not regard those that they did honor before . as in job's case , in job , . job tells us how he was honored , and regarded , and reverenced where he liv'd in prosperity , but when he was in affliction , in job , . . now those who are yonger than i , have me in derision , that 's a wickedness to change our minds of the esteem of men , because of their prosperity , or adversity ; it shews a great vanity of spirit , and where the heart is right , if one that hath been godly and in publick place heretofore , and now god by his providence hath brought him down in regard of his outward estate , yet he is to be honored still continuing in his integrity and holiness . but now this is that which i speak of as a judgment of god upon men , when god casts out their names from the very hearts of the saints , and that worthily too , when they shall be worthy to be look'd upon as dead carcasses , though heretofore much honored and respected , heretofore they were as gardens that had many sweet flowers , excellent common gifts they had for which they , were respected ; but now like gardens over-grown with weeds that no body doth regard ; as houses that were hung with costly hangings , but afterwards pull'd down and nothing left but the bare walls : so their gifts were very precious , but now as those houses having their lord and prince gone away there 's nothing but bare walls , and it may be mice and vermine run up and down in those rooms that were hung so bravely : so it is with many that had excellent gifts which were highly honored and esteemed of by people that knew them , but now the hangings are gone , now there 's nothing but vermine running up and down in their spirits ; oh! what a mighty havock sin will make in the honor and esteem of men ! let men therefore take heed of trusting in their former repute , for let them have done what they will heretofore , yet if they depart from god their honor will be gone ; men that are in place of authority , or in place of ministry , had need consider this point well , for it 's a matter of great moment for men in place of authority to keep up their repute and esteem that they may be the more useful and do service , not only for themselves , but that they may be of the greater use to do service for god. and it is one of the great designs of the devil to seek to cast dirt upon those that god doth use as instruments for good ▪ oh! it concerns them to look to it that there be nothing justly cast upon them . it 's very observable how god remembers ephraim a long time after to put dishonor upon him . you shall reade in the book of the revelations where the tribes are reckoned up , in chap. . there 's only two tribes left out , dan & ephraim , ephraim is not mentioned there by his own name , but by the name of joseph , and the reason that is given is , because those two tribes were ring-leaders in waies of idolatry ; as dan , if you reade judg. . you shall find him there a ring-leader ; and you know the great change of things that ephraim made in the worship of god , by jeroboam's setting up of calves , and so afterwards sinn●ng in baal , and so the great dishonor that god put upon him afterwards . when ephraim spake . spake , what ? what did ephraim speak when he caused trembling ? all this hath been only from the general , but what did he speak referring it to jeroboam that was of ephraim , and so to the courtiers that were with him ? these spake these two things , and so caused trembling in the hearts of the people . first , when jeroboam spake about the altering of the way of government , about the taking off of the ten tribes from the house of david , what portion have we in david , and in the house of jesse ? when this was mentioned , then there was trembling ; it did certainly at first cause the peoples hearts to shake , they thought it was a very great matter , they knew not what would come of it , what , for to forsake the house of david and to have a change of government in another way ! this caused many thoughts of heart , and much trembling , fearing that there might come very ill consequence of it : when he spake there was trembling . but , he exalted himself . notwithstanding such concussions of spirit as there was , yet jeroboam went on in his way , and would venture the worst , let come of it what would , he would on , he exalted himself . but then afterwards he sins in the way of his idolatry , ( and so his successors sin in baal ) and then he died , god struck him , and his familie , and so the ten tribes . from whence our notes of observation are , first , that alteration in the matter of government , is a matter of very great hazard and difficulty ; men that have to deal in any kind of alteration in matter of government , had need be very wise in their carriage in it , in respect of the people , for much depends upon them . when there was any alteration in government there was trembling then , mighty fears and troubles in the hearts of the people . secondly , men of spirit they will break through difficulties , if once they be resolved upon a business . and when god doth intend to have a work acomplisht , he will raise up men of spirit to go through with it , notwithstanding any difficulties there is in it . he exalted himself . though the peoples spirits were very much troubled , and a great deal of shaking there was throughout the land , yet he lifts up himself , he had some encouragement from the prophet and otherwise so that he would go through . when god ( i say ) hath an intent to bring a business about ; for this was , that he might fulfil what was threatned to solomon for his former sin . and then thirdly , if men when they have been helped to go on through difficulties , yet if they shal afterwards rest in their parts , rest in their strength so as to forsake god , and sin against him , it 's just with god to leave them that they shall vanish and come to nothing : he did exalt himself and prevailed in what he spake , notwithstanding the trembling of the people , for having got himself warm in the nest , and strong in his kingdom , then he lifts up himself in another manner , and forsakes god , and trusts in his own strength , and now he dies , now god casts him off . men had need take heed , though they be carried thorow many and great difficulties , and by a spirit more than ordinary , they had need take heed ( i say ) that afterwards they do not walk in their own strength , but walk humbly before god ; if they forsake god , they wil die and perish . that 's the first thing that jeroboam spake . secondly , when he spake , when he first mentioned the business in the alteration of religion , this it 's like caused more trembling than the other : what is that jeroboam spake ? that now they were not to go up to worship at jerusalem , god did not stand upon such things , no , they might save that long journy ; and so there was a calf set up at dan and betbel , and they must go and worship there : this was a mighty alteration in the matters of religion . and surely when this was mentioned first to the people there could not but be great trembling , the spirits of the godly to be sure they would tremble at such a motion , they would look upon it as a most dreadful curse of god upon the kingdom , that there should be such a change in the matters of religion , from the truth to that which is false ; and even others too , there was a general trembling , for men have some kind of conscience of religion and of worshiping god , this was so flat against the word , that where there was but any conscience of god they could not but have som fear , they could not tel what might come of it , and therefore there could not but be a very great concussion of spirit in the people of the land , to tremble at such a strange kind of thing as this was : at first it was so ; but yet afterwards they had dead spirits , that he might do with them what he would , and so joyned with jeroboam , and joyned with abab , and sinned more and more . from this speaking and trembling , you have these notes . first , that the alteration in religion is a very difficult business , it cannot be expected but the hearts of people will stir much upon the alteration of religion , though it be from worse to better , yet the hearts of people wil stir very much at first . when the reformation was first from popery here , what a stir was there ? they were presently ready to take up arms in cornwel ; what ad● was there for the book of common prayer , so that the king was fain to write to them , that it was no other than the sum of what they had before , only translated into english , with some amendments . and certainly the casting out of prelacie hath caused a great deal of trembling , a great ado there is , how hard it is to get but any rotten tooth out of a mans head , it costs a great deal of pain and trouble . though the warrs were undertaken for the maintainance of our liberties , as we are subjects , and men , and for the civil-right we have to our religion also ; but yet we see that the very thoughts of any kind of change in matters of religion whatsoever it be , it causes the hearts of men to be up , and shake , and to be unsetled , it 's a matter of great moment the change in matters of religion , and therefore requires much prayer where it is changed , though from the worse to the better . if it cause trembling when it 's changed from the better to the worse , it wil likewise cause trembling where it is changed from the worse to the better ; and therfore it requires that al the godly should joyn al their strength together , against those that would oppose their strength against it . the second is this , that men of resolute spirits will go on , even in the matters of religion , though it be from the better to the worse , yet you shall have some men whose spirits are resolute that they will go on . oh! but you will say , the people will not bear nor endure it . yea , but they will venture to go on with their way and design , though it be from the better to the worse ; but now , if the change be from the worse to the better , than it 's a special gift of god to give men hearts to go on , notwithstanding difficulties . and then in the third place , he exalted himself , though there were trembling : that is , he did prevail in this his way , in this change of religion , jeroboam did not carry things by open violence presently , it was a great while first , but he carried things on by fair shews , one thing after another , and so he prevailed with the people . this is the way to get a design , and not by open violence at present . and then fourthly , then he died , when he sinned in baal . though god may suffer men to make some alteration in religion , though it be to the worse , and let them prosper , yet if they will grow from one degree to another in forsaking god , then god comes upon them with his wrath , then they die ; if they know not where to hold , then god will not continue patient towards such a people any longer . and then the fifth thing is this , that a family or people from whence god hath withdrawn his protection and blessing , is a dead carcass . then , he is dead , that i take to be the meaning of that in mat. . . for wheresoever the carcass is , there will the eagles be gathered together ; though it 's true , it 's spoken about the coming of christ , yet i do not think that the carcass is christ , and the saints like eagles , and so will be where christ is , yet it hath been carried so by divers ; now though it 's spoken there of christs coming , yet it 's meant , of his coming against jerusalem , there 's a great part of that chapter of the coming of christ in his judgments against the people of the jews , and now they were as a dead carcass , god having forsaken them ; and the eagles , birds of prey , would come upon them : and it might have reference to the romans coming upon them , whose ensign is the spread eagle , those eagles would come . the body of the jews that had forsaken god , and his truth , and so was but as a dead carcass , the eagles would make prey of them . a people , or family that forsakes god and his worship is as a dead carcass . and then sixthly , 't is corruption of worship that causes god thus to withdraw from a people , and make them to be as a dead carcass . when they sinn'd in baal . as it was said of troy so long as they kept the palladium ▪ [ the image of minerva ] it was safe , and could not be overcome , but when that was gone then they were overcome and spoiled . so when gods worship which is the life and safety of a place when that 's gone , and worship is corrupted , then there doth come death : though i do not think that god alwaies observes the strict rule for matters of worship , as towards the jews ; for the jews certainly though they had a covenant of grace that god dealt with them in , yet they had a special covenant that god made with them for their being in the land of canaan ; now indeed god goes by general rules , that is , to punish the disobedient , and to reward those that are godly , the waies of god now towards nations and people for his outward punishments , and mercies , are but according to general rules , but gods administration towards the jews , besides general rules were according to a special covenant that god made with them about their living in the land of canàan , either prosperously , or in adversity . but then further , when wicked men are most active in their evil way and violence , yet then they may be under the sentence of death , when they seem to have the greatest power to do what they list ( i say ) then they may be as a dead people . when he sinned in baal , then he died . if you will but observe the story , for these prophets cannot possibly be understood without reference to the story of kings , and chronicles : observe but the story of the kings , when was it that ephraim did sin in baal ? it was in ahab's time , you shall find that they were never more active for their way of idolatry than then , nor never more violence , never more cruelty to the prophets of the lord , than there was at that time . for then jezebel she had her . prophets set at her table , but the prophets of god were fain to be hid in a cave , and eliah to shift for his life ; and yet when he sinned in baal , he died . died ! why he seem'd to be full of life and activity and vigor , and thought to do what he list , and to trample all under feet that would stand against that way of worship , but for all this their bravery and pride they were dead , saith the holy ghost , they were under the sentence of death , and a base people , god was gone from them , and they were decaying , and so should deny more and more till he did perish ; when he sinned in baal , he died . ver . . and now they sin more and more , and have made them molten images of their silver , and idols according to their own understanding , all of it the work of the craftsmen ; they say of them , let the men that sacrifice , kiss the calves . the family of ephraim and the ten tribes , for so ephraim is taken for jeroboam sometimes , and sometimes for the whol tribe , and sometimes for the governors , and sometimes for all the ten tribes as distinct from judah . now they sin more and more . from whence i beseech you observe the taking in the people now together with ephraim , now the number is changed ; at first it was , when he sinned in baal , then he died . but now 't is said , they sin more and more , all the people joyn with him in way of sin . at first , when he hegan to speak about the alteration of religion , the people trembled to think of it , but it seems afterwards they could swallow it down well enough , they could joyn with jeroboam , yea , and ahab too , more and more , let them impose what they would upon them , they could yeeld to it . from whence the note is , that men at the first apprehension of things they are much affected , and it may be think that they will never yeeld to them , yet within a while when they have been a little used to them , then there 's a mighty alteration in mens spirits both to yeeld to this , and indeed to yeeld to any thing . how many mens hearts and waies are so different from what they seem'd to be ? if one had mentioned hereto 〈…〉 uch things as now they do , they would have trembled at them , if about six yeers since one could but have presented in a map all our speeches and waies one against another , and told us how things should be , our hearts would have shaken , and we would have trembled at the thought of it : but now more and more we go on , and god knows whither we shall go ; oh! the alteration that a little time makes in mens spirits ! now ( saith he ) they are a dead , heartless people , now you may do what you will with them , now they will do things so disagreeing to their former principles , as nothing can be more ; a man would wonder , what , that this people that were so astonished at the very thought of the change of religion , now that they should be swallowed up in idolatry . my brethren , let us never regard much the sudden affections and sudden expressions of people , though people may seem to be up and very forward in their affections and expressions , yet ( i say ) never rest too much upon them ; there is nothing more uncertain than the spirits of the multitude , and therefore it is the most irrational thing for any of wisdom to think to carry things that way , if he thinks to carry it constant ; you may get them in a hurry in one way at one time , but they will be quickly off again , and that which one time they will cry up , at another time they will cry down ; and such a kind of alteration of spirits these times will be a witness to , i beleeve as great as ever times were , from the beginning of the world , now they sin more and more . and now . there 's a great emphasis in this particle , [ now ] they sin more and more , that is , even now , when the very sentence of death was out against them , even now , they do it . thus did ahab in kings , . . and ahab did evil in the sight of the lord , above all that we 〈…〉 fore him , he added evil . from whence observe this , that when destruction is neerest , then evil men are wickedest . now their sin ripens apac● ; when the scum grows highest , then it 's neerest the fire , and so the neerer it is to the fire the higher it will grow : it 's a great sign of the neerness of mens times , that they are not long , when they grow notoriously wicked ; see a man that hath been forward in that which is good heretofore , he may have failings and yet the lord may pity him ; but now let this man grow to be very wicked , not only to abate of his profession , but grow to be very wicked , expect the ruin of that man suddenly , it will not be long . and then secondly , it is a great aggravation of mens wickedness to sin after gods threats , and in the times of judgment , when they are under gods hand ; oh! when god appears against us we should presently submit , at the least holding up of his finger : but this is the pride of men , not to stoop even when the hand of god is against them , and the rather because they would justifie their sin ; if they should stoop and yeeld upon the hand of god coming out against them , this would debase them , but they rather will stand out the more that they might justifie their sin , that they are not thus and thus as men would take them to be . and then a third note is this , that when men have lost their credits , honor , and esteem through the just judgment of god , then they grow more base and vile in their sinful waies than ever . ephraim had a great deal of esteem and honor , but he lost it through gods just judgment , and now he , and the people together sin more and more . we find this usual , that mens esteem and credit though they have very base hearts within all the while , yet it will keep them in a very fair way ; but now you shall have many men that though they liv'd very fair so long as they had esteem and credit , yet if their credit be but crack'd , and their este 〈…〉 e but gone , they will prove very sordid in their waies ; as 't is in a garden , you know if a man have but a few weeds grows up in it , he will have them pull'd up , but if it be over-grown with weed , then he doth not much care for it , but lets it run more and more ; so it is in mens hearts , indeed though there be something amiss in them and their names kept up they will reform , but if once they have fallen so as their honor , credit , and esteem is gone , then they go on more and more , and fall still more and more to further and further wickedness ; or as 't is with a man when he hath a new garment , oh he is afraid at first of every little spot , and much more afraid of a rent , but if afterwards the garment be come to be sullied much , or be dirtied a little , he is careless of it then , then he never stands brushing of it so as before : it is thus for all the world with men in respect of their hearts , and in respect of their lives , and therefore it is good for men to look to it betimes , when their names begin but a little to be lost , when they may see the just hand of god beginning to come , then to reform ; for if they let themselves go upon liberty , they will grow vile and abominable . they sin more and more . and then a fourth note is this , that there is no stop in apostasie ; let men apostatize once from god , and there is no stop then , they cannot tell whither to go then , if once they be rowling down , a man may not think thus , i will but roul thus far , and there i 'le stop ; no , if you be once rouling , you will roul , and roul down to the bottom , and you know not whither you may roul or fall : if a man should leap into the water and say , i will but sink thus far , to the middle and no further , this were but folly , you will sink more and more : so it is with apostates , i verily beleeve those that did make slight at first , they did not think that they should go so far , oh! god forbid that they should do such things as were so vile and abominable , yea , but when once they are rouling , when once they are sinking , they 〈◊〉 and sink more and more , till they roul into the bottom 〈…〉 pit of hell , they sink more and more till they sink into the very bottomless gulf , into such things as they would abhor before . there 's a curse upon the wicked in psal . . that god would set them in slippery places , and that the angel of god should persecute them ; when men will go out of the waies of god into the slippery paths of their own , it 's just with god that an evil spirit should drive them on in those waies . it is in going from the waies of god , just as you shall find it in your traveling in champion countries , there 's a high-way goes to such a town , and there 's another way that lies close by it , and you ( it may be ) are got out of the right way , and so go on and think it will bring you to the place where you are traveling , but it winds you out of your right way , and so you go further and further , out of the right road , perhaps some miles before you are aware of it . and so it is in apostacie , it may be at first when they are got out of the way of god they think it not so much , but then these evil waies wind them out by degrees so that they grow further and further ; they sin more and more . i wil give you the steps of an apost●t , going more and more from god. first , when one doth apostatise and sin against god , if it be any sin against knowledge , though never so little , for sin of meer infirmity i cannot call apostasie , but if it be ever so little against knowledge , this breaks the bond of obedience ; when i wil venture to do that which i know is against god , this bond of obedience being broken , no marvel though you fall and sin more and more . secondly , every act of sin hath such a nature in it , as to encrease the habits : corruption doth grow by acting . as it is with grace , every act of grace doth extend grace in the heart of a man ; the way to grow in grace is , to act grace much , so that when you are acting of your grace , you do not only that that is your duty , but you are growing in grace , for when you are acting of corruption , you are not only doing that that is evil , but you are encreasing it , and therefore every sin that causes us to decline from god , makes us to go more and more from god. thirdly , every sin that is against conscience , it weakens the work of conscience ; the authority of conscience will quickly be weakened when it is once broken ; break but off the yoke of conscience , and conscience will be weaker than it was before : at the first time when a man sins against conscience , his conscience hath a great deal of strength in it , and mightily troubles him at the very first , but having had a flaw ( as it were ) it grows weaker . i remember a notable story which that reverend and famous divine , doctor preston hath , of one in cambridg that had committed a great sin , and he had this temptation upon him ; do the act again , and your conscience will trouble you no more : and this temptation did prevail upon him , he did it again , and then he grew a very sot indeed , and went on in his wickedness : every sin doth somewhat to weaken conscience , and therfore one that fals off from god , will sin more and more . fourthly , when a man hath once fallen off from god in any degree , according to the degree he doth lose his comfort that he had in god ; for some kind of comforts hypocrites may have ; as there may be common gifts of the spirit to enable them to do service , so there may be common gifts of the spirit to comfort them ; they may tast of the powers of the world to come , many have some flashes of joy ; but when they are departed from god then they cannot have so much comfort as they were wont to have , and when they have not the comfort they were went to have , they must have it some way , and they are fain to go sharking up and down to get it some where else ; i cannot have that comfort in god as i was wont to have , i was wont when i was troubled , to go & read the word , i could find comfort there , let me go into good company i could find comfort there , let me go into the presence of god i could find comfort there , but now i cannot , and so the heart must have comfort some way or other , and therefore goes more and more from god. fifthly , when one hath sin'd against god , then his spirit and holy duties comes to be very unsutable , they are harder than they were before , it 's a more difficult thing to get his heart to any holy duty than before , and so comes to neglect duties , and by neglecting them his corruption grows , they were a means to restrain corruption verie much ; for when a man is abroad and takes liberty , yet when he thinks thus , yea , but i must pray before i go to bed , i must go to prayer , and how shall i beg grace from god another time , when as i wilfully sin against him ? this curbs a man : so long as he can keep any kind of sutableness between his heart and holy duties , though he should fail in some kind of things , he would quickly recover ; but when he begins to have holy duties so vail'd as he leaves off holy duties , then he will sin more and more , for the curb is taken off . yea sixthly , the presence of god is terrible to an apostate , he cannot think of god without some terror ; before he would often think of god , and speak of god , but now he puts off the thoughts of god because they are terrible to him , and having put off the thoughts of god , and gods presence being terrible , it must needs be that he must wander up and down even more and more , be as a cain wandering away from the presence of god. yea further , the thoughts of whatsoever might turn an apostates heart to god , are grievous to him . if he hath gone away , if he thinks of turning to god , oh presently will be presented to him some difficulty that will make him even put off al those thoughts , and rather give himself liberty to his own waies . yea further , there 's this in it , that when a man hath sin'd against god , one sin cannot be maintain'd without another , one sin calls to another to help it , and maintain it . as now , you find it ordinarily when a man hath done wrong to another man , he knows not how to carry it out , but by doing him more wrong , to crush him if he can : and so there 's divers other sins that have many sins depending upon them , if a man be engaged in a business that is sinful , that he might carry out his business , a great many other sins he must commit , and so comes to fall off more and more . yea further , the pride of mens hearts is such , as when they are once got into an evil way , it 's a mighty difficult thing to keep them from not justifying their evil : men love to justifie what they have done ; when they have sin'd , they will grow more resolute and violent , that all people might think that they have not the least kind of recoil in their hearts , you think many times when you see men mighty strong and violent in an evil way , you think surely they are fully satisfied in it ; oh! you are mightily mistaken in that , they may be very violent , and very strong in their way , only that they might perswade other folk , though their own consciences tels them , that they are not satisfied ; and thus the pride of mens hearts makes them sin more and more . and besides , if they have grown far in their sinful way , then they grow desperate , they grow into desperation , they little hope ever to recover themselves so as before , and therefore go on more and more . yea , and god in his just judgment withdraws himself from them . god withdraws those gifts and common graces that they had , and saith god , let them go on , he that is filthy , let him be filthy still . yea , and besides gods withdrawing , there 's 〈◊〉 judicial act of god upon them , to give them up to their corruptions , and give them up to the devil ; it 's a dreadful thing when the church doth it , but that 's for the salvation of the soul , and for the destruction of the flesh ; but when god delivers up one to his corruptions , that 's for the destruction of the soul : do you rule him ( saith god ) because he would not be rul'd . no marvel then though an apostate sin more and more . oh! stand against the beginning of sin what you can , keep a trembling frame at the beginning . oh! had this people done so ! at the first they trembled ; oh! had they but kept that trembling heart continually , it would have kept them from abundance of evil : and so , do not some of you remember that there hath been a heart-trembling at the very thought , of those things that it may be some of you now practice ? oh! happy had it been for you that you had kept your trembling frame . and you that are yong beginners , in whose heart there is a trembling frame , you tremble at temptations , you tremble at the thoughts of sin , at the first rising of corruption in your hearts , oh keep this trembling frame , and do not regard that boldness of spirit that there is in some , some are alwaies so frolick , and so bold in their way , oh but that 's a dangerous condition for you to be in ; but rather keep a trembling heart , fearing sin , for if you lose that and begin but to tamper with some sin , if the devil tamper thus with you , . to one but when you are once gone , you will go more and more , and never leave tumbling till you come into the pit . and let us learn , my brethren , to be more and more in the waies of god , as apostates are more and more in the waies of sin , oh that it were so with us in the waies of god , let 's not content ourselves to do a little for god , but still more and more , as david in psal . . i will yet praise thee more and more , i will add to thy praise , so the words are in the hebrew : lord , some praise thou hast had in the world , oh that i could live to ad any thing to it , i will praise thee more and more . and t 〈…〉 further note is this , that idolatry ( for so it is spoken of their apostacy more generally , but particularly it aims at their apostacy in the matters of worship ) is a very growing sin . they have sinned in baal , and died , and now they sin more and more . gross idolatry hath grown upon men by fair pretences , upon plausible principles . my brethren , do but break this one bond in the matters of worship , and that 's this , that all worship must be by institution , i say , all the worship of god must be either that which is written in mans heart ; or otherwise what is in the word by institution . if so be that men will venture to raise any creature , beyond what god either in a work of nature hath raised it , or by an institution hath raised it , then begins superstition , then begins false worship , i say , here 's the beginning of all false worship , to raise any creature higher than ever nature hath raised it , or then it is raised by institution , do but venture upon one ceremony to put any thing in it more than nature , or divine institution hath put into it , then you know not where you shall stop . you know what a height of idolatry popery is grown to , but it began fair at first . and so we were going to most vile and abominable idolatry , but by what steps ? we had broken the bond of binding up the worship of god unto the word , and bringing in mens own reason and inventions , and for to put a religious respect upon that which god had never done , now do but grant that thing in the least matters , and then you do not know whither you will run in way of idolatry , you will run more and more . oh let reformation be to us as idolatry is to wicked men , let not us rest in any degrees , but still reform more and more : idolaters they will not stand at a stay , oh why should they then that seek to reform stand at a stay ! it follows ; and have made them molten images of their s 〈…〉 r. they were at great charge in making of them , and so went on strongly in their way ; though it would cost them much , yet still they would go on strongly in their way . they made themselves images tertullian in his book of idolatry , in the , , and . chapters , enveighs much against the maker of any images in way of religion , and saith he , 't is not enough for you to say , we will not worship them , but you must not make them . — of their silver . silver is put for their money . silver is used in divers languages for their money in general : the calves were of gold , but it 's said they were of silver , because the people did contribute their money ; and other images they added to them that they made by their money ; their idolatry was chargable to them , to avoid trouble in going to jerusalem , and charge there in their journy , oh they would not go to jerusalem to worship ; but they were willing to be at charge in their way of idolatry . though men will not have gods service to be chargable to them , yet their own waies are chargable to them . they made them molten images , and idols . the word that is translated [ idols ] it signifies griefs , and those things that do terrifie ; and indeed idolatry will bring grief , and men that are of superstitious , idolatrous spirits they are fill'd with fears many times . but this is all according to their own understanding , that is as they thought fit themselves , such as should be sutable to their own ends , they took the liberty to tender up their respects to god according to their own inventions ; and herein indeed comes superstition , as i told you . hence comes the worship of god to be so much corrupted : when men will interpose their own understandings , when men will leave the simplicity of the rule , and go their own way , when men think that the worship of god is not pompous enough of its self , they which do not worship god in a spiritual way , they will labor to make up the want of the spiritual part by addition of many outward things , by their own understanding ; and because they think those things in the service of god are rational to them , they think they must be acceptable to god , and therefore wonder that any body should be against them . calvin upon this very text hath most notable expressions against men bringing in their own understandings in the worship of god , saith he , here is ●oken of the worship of god , in which whatsoever is of mans prudence , whatsoever is of reason must give way , prudence and reason must give way to it ; yea , whatsoever counsels of men , that they in a prudential way shall think this and the other fit , they must not judg by sence , by reason , by prudence in the matters of worship ; if they do give way to themselves in the least degree , they do nothing but defile the worship of god and another notable expression he hath about it , this is the very principle whereby men must be taught to worship god ●●ight ▪ that they must be made fools first themselves . it men will come to worship god , they must deny their understandings , they must lay down their understandings , they must not so much as permit to themselves to be wise , and thus he heaps one upon another , these expressions , only ( saith he ) let them listen to the word of god , for this ( saith he ) doth condemn whatsoever is pleasing to the judgment and reason of men . oh! god is little beholding to mens understandings in the matters of worship , and in the matters of faith , those two things ; the respect it may be to the man may be somewhat the more to make such an expression to go down , that it 's the very principle of right worshiping of god for men to be fools ; and here 's the rea 〈…〉 that you have many of the learned men of the world accounted them fools and simple men ; as heretofore the non-conformists , were not they accounted simple men and fools , because they would not yeeld to those things that were imposed upon them ? yea , we must be fools ; it 's true , there is use of mens prudence and reason when once i have an institution to help me further to mannage an institution ; but for to raise up any thing in the worship of god beyond what i have warrant for in the word , there it 's not enough for men to say , this is good , and what hurt is there in it ? and without this there will come a great deal of stir , and can any man in reason but think that this is good ? i say , when we come to matters of worship that we must expect a presence of god in them for a spiritual work upon the soul of a man , all these arguments , we must lay them aside , and there is no use of them . here i cannot argue for a thing that it is good , and i have need of it , and therefore i must have it ; but i may argue it 's good , and i have need of it , because there is an institution . and there 's another speech of luther , saith he , in matters of worship we must not regard so much what the thing is , but who it is that commands it ; do not lean to our own understandings . this for their sin of idolatry . but further , they thought to carry themselves in a prudential way , but the lord condemns it as sottish , they thought they were very understanding in it , yea , but it was but sottish . for it follows ; all of it is the work of the craftsmen , they say of them , let the men that sacrifice , kiss the calves . as if he should say , what a sottish thing is this , that when themselves put all the excellency that the creature hath put upon it , and yet they will worship it , and say to the men that sacrifice , kiss the calves ? but god challenges worship upon this ground , because he is the cause , the supream , the only cause of all excellency himself . from hence note , that those that venture most upon their own understandings in the matters of worship , god gives most up to sottishness ; i say if men will venture to go according to their own understandings in worship , god may justly give them up to sottishness , and none are given up more than those that think to be most prudential and wise , in the matters of worship : isa . . . saith he , their fear towards me is taught by the precepts of men : what then ? therefore i will do a mervailous work among the people , even a mervailous work and a wonder ; ( what 's the mervailous work , what 's the wonder ? ) the wisdom of their wise men shall perish , and the understanding of the prudent shall be hid . what , they will venture upon their own understandings in the matters of my worship , and they wil prescribe what i should have , and they think they are very wise in what they do ; i wil do a mervailous work and a wonder : ( what 's this ? ) i will cause the wisdom of their wise men to perish , and the understanding of the prudent shall be hid , they shal be left to sottish waies , to absurd waies , that all that are about them shal see that they are blinded in their courses and waies . oh my brethren , we do see this fulfil'd at this day , those that will venture upon their own understandings in worship , how hath the lord left them in blindness ? though they were men of excellent parts in former time , yet their parts begin to be blasted . and observe it , you will find that more and more such men as bring in their own understandings into gods worship , i say , the lord will blast them at one time or other , so as others shall see , and take notice of it , and stand and wonder at it . all of it the work of the craftsmen , &c. all of it . ] as if he should say , if there were any thing of god in it , possibly it might be accepted , but when 't is all of man — this may be said of many of our services ; they are all of man , there is nothing of god , nothing of the spirit of christ in them ; no mervel though they vanish , and we vanish in them . — they say of them , let the men that sacrifice , kiss the claves . the old latin hath it : sacrifice men , in the imparative : so the greek . in zeal to their idols they sacrificed men . [ according to which reading the sense would be ] those are worthy to kiss the calves that sacrifice men . this was forbidden , levit. . . and chap. . . but it was done in a perverse imitation of abraham , who would have offered up isaac . it prevailed much among the heathen . the king of moab as we reade in king. . . sacrificed his eldest son , that should have reigned in his stead . tertullian saies ( apolog. cap. . ) that it continued till the time of tiberius . lactantius hath a story of the carthaginians , who being vanquished by agathocles king of sicily , they thought the gods to be displeased with them , and that they might appease them , they sacrificed two hundred of the noblemens sons . the place where the jews sacrificed men , was in tophet , in the valley of the son of hinnom . hinnom is drawn from a word signifying to lament , and roar . [ because of the noise of those that were sacrificed ] whence gehenna . tophet , of a word signifying to beat on a drum. which they used not only to drown the noise ; but all the kindred of the sacrificed person did rejoyce with tymbrels and dances in great mirth , till the sacrifice was fully consumed . the hebrews are quoted by selden de diis spris . cognati omnes tympanis & chordis summa cum laetitia exultant quoad omniuo combust us fuerit . but ( to pass by that interpretation and to ) take it as it is read in our books : by these words they call upon the sacrificers and encourages them in their idolatrous waies . kiss . ] the kiss is a ceremony of worship . psal . . . kiss the son ; but withal it expressed their love and delight as well as their homage . herculus his chin , in sicily , was worn bare with kissing , saith cicero . and if they could not reach the chin , then they kissed the hand in token of their worship of the thing : hence job , . , . if my hand hath * kissed my mouth . see pliny , lib. . chap. . of the ceremony of worship . how foolish were they , to forsake the blessed god , to worship calves ? how should we be forward and cheerful in the worship of the blessed god , in coming to kiss the son. it is false worship , to give religious respect to any creature , what ever the creature be , by kissing , as well as by bowing to it . i know no reason why a book may not be set up to be bowed to as well as to be kissed in taking an oath . the lifting up the hand to the high god in an oath , we find in scripture , therefore that is safe . ver . . therefore they shall be as the morning cloud and as the early dew it passeth away ; as the chaff that is driven with the whirlwind out of the floor , and as the smoke out of the chimny . here are four elegant similitudes to fet forth ephraims weak vanishing condition , gods power over them , the swiftness of the punishment , the violence of it , and his utter desolation , so that his place shall not be found . . a cloud . ] ephraim was risen , seemed to threaten great things , overcast the leaves [ like a cloud ] but upon the brightness of gods justice appearing , all was dispelled . their righteousness ( chap. . ) was as a cloud and dew [ now they shall be so themselves . ] . dew ] the dew it seems to bespangle the grass ; but the sun rising , it is soon dried up . ephraims estate was beautiful , but the heat of gods wrath consumes all presently . . the chaff . ] the word signifies the smallest of the chaff , the dust of the chaff-heap , and that abroad where their floors were , and a whirlwind coming upon it , psal . . let them be as chaff before the wind , and let the angel of the lord chase them . oh! many when they begin to be unsetled , to be going the angel of god as a messenger of wrath drives them on apace to misery . . smoke . ] the smoke out of the chimney , it seems to darken the heavens but presently , it is scattered . the words signifies a chink or hole : because in judea there were not such chimnies as we now adaies use , but as it were windows , or open places in the upper part of the house , or in the wall , as it is this day in norway , and swethland , saith a learned interpreter upon the * place . we may note hence . the vanity of proud men . here god compares them to such mean vile things , persons that heretofore were so lofty . so king. . . jeroboam's house is threatned to be destroyed , as a man takes away dung till it be gone . why should wicked men be feared who are thus before the lord. do not bless you selves in any prosperity , never think your selves setled ; for when you are in the most prosperous setled way , yet are ye but as the cloud , yea , as the dew , the chaff , the smoke . ver . . yet i am the lord thy god from the land of egypt , and thou shalt have no gods but me , there is no other savior besides me . this is spoken first by way of aggravation of their sin ; as if he should say : you have thus provoked me , notwithstanding i am the lord thy god. i have done very great things for you and for your forefathers : yet , it 's very evil to sin against great works of mercy , wherein the hand of god hath appeared plainly . when we do any thing for another wherein we think we might gain him to our selves for ever , and he yet — this is very grievous . . it is spoken by way of encouragement . yet i continue to be the lord thy god , i am ready to shew thee the like mercy still . this is to break their hearts , and to provoke them to come in to the lord. he speaks to an apostate people ; as if he should say ; were you yet what you sometimes seemed to be , oh how gracious should i be to you ! i am yet what ever i seemed to be to you , why are you so perverse and untoward towards me ? jer. . . i remember the kindness of thy youth , the love of thine espousals , when thou wentest after me in the wilderness , in a land that was not sowen i am the lord thy god. ] this should have been a strong argument to obedience . when the will of god is once known ( saith luther ) we are no further to dispose of rights , because neither parents , neither lords and masters have this title , i am the lord thy god. from the land of egypt . ] as if he should have said , what a case had you been in , if i had not delivered you out of egypt , from the iron furnace , a low , base imployment ? ye had been bond-slaves , there you might have spent your daies in sorrow and trouble . consider first your low estate . . how your strength might have been spent . when this anguish was upon you what crying to me [ and my delivering of you . ] hence note , that , deliverance from egypt is a great note of gods being our god. q but how doth this concern us ? a. yes , there is a spiritual egypt from which we have been delivered , as the apostle makes use ( cor. . &c ) of the paschal lamb in a spiritual sense : the power , severity , and holiness of god appears in the delivery of his people from egypt ; so also of us from antichrist , as revel . . , . the church is brought in singing the song of moses ( which the children of israel sung for their deliverance from pharaob ) for its deliverance from antichrist . pharaoh was the dragon in the waters , psal . . , . so is antichrist . the city of zurick engraved the yeer of their deliverance from antichrist , upon pillars in letters of gold. — thou shall know no god but me . that is , effectually acknowledg , worship , serve , love god as a god , and no other . hence note , that the end of gods great work is , that he may be known to be a god , a sincere , gracious , holy one. the knowing god to be a god is a special part of that worship that is due to god. to acknowledg god to be god , is to know him in his excellency , majesty , & glory , above what is known of him by the light of nature . this cannot but have a mighty operation upon the heart . for , to know god to be a god is , . to know him to be the first being of all . . the infinit , al ▪ sufficient god. the fountain of all good to his saints . this must needs gain the heart to him . there is no worship of god where this is not . where this is all follows . the right knowledg of god keeps from false worship . gal. . . since you know god , or rather are known of god , how turn ye to the weak and beggerly elements of the world ? [ see the jewish way of ceremonial worship ] — thou shalt know no god but me . this is the first commandement , of which luther saith , all flows from that great ocean of the first commandement , and again return thither . we see the prophets to be most exercised in the use of the first commandement . hence note , it is not good to know idolaters worship at all : [ for this is spoken in the text by way of opposition : thou shalt know no god but me , that is , thou shalt be acquainted with no other worship , according to that in deut. . . thou shalt not enquire how these nations worshiped their gods ] therefore for those that are not grounded ( and who is so grounded if it be against the precept of god ? ) not to go to see it . again , nothing should be known or acknowledged to have any good in it , but with an infinite distance between it and god , for so the words also imply , thou shalt know no god but me , i. e. nothing but with infinite difference from me , as much as between god and the creature , there is none like to thee , saith the psalmist ( psal . . . . and other places ) there is an infinite distance between god and every creature . we may know creatures as creatures , but nothing as god , but god. we should know god and acknowledg god when we are in misery and straits . so the church , isa . . . verily thou art a god that hidest thy self , o god of israel , the savior . many in time of prosperity will know god , and acknowledg him ; but when troubles come , they change their thoughts . — there is no savior besides me . hence note , that god delights to manifest himself a god in the way of salvation . jer. . . o hope of israel , the savior thereof in the time of trouble . isa . . . thou shalt suck the milk of the gentiles , and shalt suck the breast of kings , and thou shalt know that i the lord am thy savior , and they redeemer , the mighty one of jacob. chap. . . who is this , that cometh from edom ? — i that speak in righteousness , mighty to save . and act. . . speaking of christ , him hath god exalted with his right hand , to be a prince and a savior , for to give repentance to israel and remission of sins . there is his glory , and there should ours be also . he might manifest himself a god in our ruin . again note , that saving mercies , are great mercies . thirdly , though god does more for us than any , yet he hath not so much from us . fourthly , no creature can do us any good further than god gives a saving power unto it . fifthly , our faith should be exercised on god as a savior , as such a savior as none but he . be strong in the lord ( saith the apostle ephes . . . ) and in the power of his might ; if our dangers are more than any ; yet , our savior is more than any also , sam. . . i will call upon the lord who is worthy to be praised , so shall i be saved from mine enemies . sixthly , god must be acknowledged in all salvation . psal . . . they forget god their savior , who had done great things in egypt . we should make use of all his saving mercies , to engage our hearts to him . for , . god saves from such evils as none else can . . he saves some from as great or greater than ever he hath . . god saves from all evil . . without means . . above means . . contrary to means . . none saves but by him . there is no god else besides me , a just god and a savior , there is none beside me . . god saves in all kind of waies of saving . see sam. . and psal . . but will he be such a savior to me , in my condition ? yes , he expresses himself thus in the midst of threats , in that place of isaiah now cited , and adds vers . , look unto me and be ye saved , all the ends of the earth ; even then when he threatens , look up to him as a savior above all . god magnifies this his title every day to some in one kind , to some in another : time is coming when he will magnifie this to all together saving them from all evil . though god does us more good than any , yet for our hearts not to be with him as with other things , this is vile . happy are they who have an interest in this god ; if we have interest but in one man that is able to do us good we bless our selves in it . we are never safe but when our peace is made with god. unless you pray to god as a god , having all power to save , you pray to an idol , isa . . . they have no knowledg that set up the wood of their graven images , and pray unto a god that cannot save . then is god acknowledged as god , and worshiped as a god , when he is acknowledged and trusted in as a savior . it is not to say god is our god ; but to rely on him as a savior . ver . . i knew thee in the wilderness , in a place of great drought . the wilderness , where there grew not one grain of corn. and you who were so poor in the wilderness , depending on me for every bit of bread ; yet after when you were fed , how proud and wanton grew you ? deut. . . but jesurun waxed fat and kicked — then he forsook god &c. ezek. . . the sodomites are condemned for behaving themselves contemptuously against the poor . but these do it against god. god evidenceth this his knowledg and acknowledgment of them as his people , in leading them through the wilderness , by several instances and expressions ; he takes notice of this wilderness . deut. . . who led them through that great and terrible wilderness ; luctus ubique pavor , et plurima mortis imago . he knew them as peculier treasure above all people , a kingdom of priests , an holy nation . exod. . , . he kept them as the apple of his eye . deut. . . as an eagle beareth her yong ones on or wings , vers . . they lacked nothing , deut. . . he led them with a glorious arm isa . . . now god knew them in the wilderness , in respect of their sin , which he visited . in regard of their wants , which he provided for . first , they went three daies and found no water , exod . . then when they found it , it was so bitter they could not drink of it , vers . . then he sweetned it by a miracle , chap. . then in the wilderness of sin they complained that the whol assembly would be slain with hunger . then manna , a rain of manna . then quails , numb . . exod . . they pitched in rephidim , and there was no water , so that ( vers . . ) they were ready to stone moses . then water out of the rock is given them . but vers . . then came amalek to fight against them . as an even lay they were , when moses hands hung down , amal 〈…〉 prevailed , but at last joshua discomfited them cap. . jethro was sent to refresh them , with moses his wife , and two sons . chap. . and chap. . god gave them his law. miriam and aaron contend with moses , numb . . [ that god appeases ] numb . . spies being sent they discourage the people , yet god leads them on , numb . . corah , dathan and abiram conspire , upon which the earth opened and swallowed up the rebels . on the morrow ( vers . . ) all the congregation ( an hundred forty and seven thousand ) murmured against moses and aaron for it ; upon which the plague came . they were idolaters , amos . . act. . . besides the calf , num. . king arad the cananite fought against them , and took some of them prisoners . vers . . they loathing manna , had fiery serpents sent , vers . . sion king of the amorites coms out against them and fights . vers . . og king of bason fights against them . chap. . then balac sends to curse them . numb . . the people committed whoredom with the daughters of moab ( upon which a plague ) and went to the sacrifice of their gods at baal-peor , upon which all the heads of the people , which joyned to baal-peor , were hung up before the lord. numb . . they war with midian , slay their five kings , destroy their cities , women , children , flocks , thirty two thousand women that had not known man , they take captive . and in this war they had not lost one man , vers . . now , . from their sin that god knew , and yet destroyed them not for it . observe , mans wickedness , and gods goodness . . from the provision god made for them . observe first , it 's a great mercy for god to know a man in time of distress . this is gods way . men know in prosperity ; but let us make god our friend , he wil be a friend otherwise than men will be . let not us be dejected in times of trouble ; that 's the time for god to know thee ; be willing to follow god in any estate . gods knowing of us in distress , is a mighty engagement . let us look back to the times when we were in trouble . let us know gods cause when it suffers , and know our brethren when they suffer . gods knowledg is operative and working : it does us good . our knowledg of god should be so too . to sin against our knowledg of god is evil , but to sin against gods knowing of us is worse . ver . . according to their pasture , so were they filled : they were filled , and their heart was exalted ; therefore have they forgotten me . you have formerly heard the gracious providence of god towards his people while they were in the wilderness , i knew them in the wilderness , in the land of great drought . god glories much and mentions often , the care over , and goodness to his people in the wilderness ; when they had got out of the wilderness into the land of canaan where there were much pastures , they thought themselves to be well , now they could live of themselves , they could provide for themselves , and so they liv'd to themselves , and in a little time destroyed themselves , the truth is they were in a worse condition then , than when they were in the wilderness , for saith he , according to your pastures , so you were filled , and then you forgot me , and therefore i 'le be as a lyon to you , and as a leopard and a bear. we do not hear such terrible things against them when they were in the wilderness . i knew them in the wilderness , but now it 's otherwise . from the connexion note first , it 's better to want the comforts of the creature , and to have gods care and protection , than to have abundance of the creature , and to live of our selves . we do not love a depending life , but it 's safest ; many have more of gods presence with them , and protection over them when they are in the wilderness , when they are in adversity , than they have when they come into prosperity , when they come to enjoy abundance of the creatures ; god knows them when they are in afflictions , and they knew god , but when they come into prosperity , god doth neither know them so much , nor they know god so much . examin i beseech you , when you were low any of you , say , had you not more of gods presence with you then , than you have now ? did not god know you more then ? did not you know god more then ? had not you more sweet communion in those times than now you have ? oh! god made you know him by gracious visitations of his spirit , and there were gracious workings of your spirit towards him . are not you grown flat , dead , and drossie , and carnal now more than before ? do not you seek greedily after the world to fill your selves ? and do not you begin to be exalted in your own hearts ? do not you begin to be puft up ? have you none of your friends so ? if you know but any of your friends that when they were lower than now they are , knew god better than now they do , and god knew them , and there was more sweet converse between god and them than now there is , put them in mind of this text , i knew them in the wilderness , in the land of great drought , but now according to their pastures they are filled , and their hearts are exalted , and they have forgotten me : god deliver them from the remaining part of the text , i 'le be a lyon , and a leopard , and bear to them to tear them . you seldom find in scripture any of gods saints worse for afflictions ; give me any one example , for my part i know not one in all the book of god that came worse out of an affliction than when they went in ; but i can tell you of many , even of gods dear people that came worse out of prosperity than when they came in ; therefore it 's observable in chron. . . it 's spoken in commendation of jeboshaphat , it 's said that jeboshaphat walked in the first waies of david his father ; david his father at first was in an afflicted estate , afterwards in a more prosperous estate ; he was hunted like a partridg at first , but when he came to prosperity , his waies were not so good , therefore the holy ghost doth put a commendation upon his first waies rather than upon his after waies . i fear it may be said so of some , that their first waies when they were low were a great deal better than their after waies . this for the connexion . according to their pastures , so were they filled . according to the fatness and riches of the land when they came into it they were filled ; they fell upon whatsoever sensual content they could enjoy to the uttermost , according to what means they had for to satisfie the flesh . according to their pastures . they would improve all the means and opportunities they had for to give content to the flesh , so that they were filled . thus you see men that love to live in the satisfaction of the flesh up to the height of their means , according to all means that they have to satisfie the flesh , this way , or the other way , they will be sure to have satisfaction if it be to be had ; therefore you shall see men that have estates , they please the flesh to the uttermost they can think of ; if they go abroad and see any thing that may give content to the flesh , they resolve to have it if they can when they come home . according to all the means that they have so they will have the flesh satisfied . oh! how happy were men if they were so wise for their souls , if according to the means of grace we sought to fill our souls : oh how doth the lord lead us in green pastures , and yet what empty souls have we ! according to their pastures , so were they filled . but can we say , that according to our green pastures that god leads us in , so are we filled ? oh! we live in green pastures , and yet are empty . here we see that men regard their bodies , regard the sensual pleasures of the flesh abundantly more than spiritual , as if there were a greater good in sensual delights , than there is in all spiritual comforts . according to their pastures they were filled , they were filled ; twice we have filled , filled . a little will serve the turn in spiritual things for men , but they will fill , and fill up again themselves in sensual things . it notes the greediness of their spirits in falling upon those contentments they had to the flesh . when they came into a fertile land they were filled , they were filled ; such is the nature of men that are carnal , to fall with greediness upon contentments to the flesh , and to think on nothing but filling themselves , filling , filling , in psal . . . you may see what their disposition was , even before they came into ther fat pastures , when god but in the wilderness granted them flesh , so they did eat ( saith the text ) and were well filled : so it is in your books : but it is , they were filled very much , they were filled exceedingly , valde , they were filled , that 's the propriety of the hebrew phrase there ; oh! they filled themselves to the uttermost they could . and you may see a discription of the greediness of mens hearts to carnal contentments , when they have any opportunity to enjoy them , in prov. . . wilt thou see thine eyes upon that which is not ? you have it thus in your books , wilt thou set thine eyes upon that which is not ? ( speaking of riches ) now it is according to the hebrew , will ye make your eyes to fly upon that which is not ? a carnal heart when he sees any way of enjoyment of carnal contentments , he makes his eyes to fly upon them , to fly upon them with eagerness , there was a mighty greediness . according to their pastures they were filled . they thought of nothing but filling themselves , whereas there should have been the mixture of other thoughts , when god brought them into their fat pastures , there should have been such thoughts as these mixed with the enjoyment of the comsorts that god gave them , it 's true , that we may enjoy what god gives us , comforts , yet , but we must not only seek to fill our selves , but we are to labor to mix these kind of thoughts with the good things that we do enjoy : as thus now ; here i come to enjoy abundance of good in the creature , whence have i all this ? is it not from god ? they did not think of this , so be it that they may fill themselves , like the swine under the acorn tree seeks to fill the belly , but never looks from whence the acorns come ; so carnal hearts , they fill themselves , but never look from whence they come ; whereas a gracious heart may take the comforts of the creature that god affords , but while it's receiving of them , it looks up to god the principal of all . secondly , what do i think god aims at ? god gives me abundance of the creature , but what is gods end ? is it only to satisfie my flesh ? hath god no further end than this ? thirdly , i come now to fit my self with these contentments , but what opportunities have i by these to do good more than before ? surely these are not given me meerly to pamper the flesh , these are given me as large opportunities of service for god. fourthly , now i come to enjoy abundance , what 's the rule that god hath set in the word for the ordering of my heart in what i do enjoy ? again , i come to have much now in the world more than before ; but o my unworthiness ! how unworthy am ●of these comforts i have ? unworthy of the least bit of bread , and yet my table is furnished , and i am filled : oh! but carnal hearts they fall upon their dishes , and powr down their full cups , and never think of their unworthines , how unworthy they are of the least drop of water . sixthly , god gives me abundance of the creature : but what is it that makes the difference between me and others ? others there are that are empty enough , their bellies are empty , their houses empty , their cupboards empty ; but i am filled , why should god deal thus with me rather than with others ? again , i come to enjoy abundance here in the creature : but is there not danger , is there not a snare in what i do enjoy ? have not i a naughty vile heart ? how if these should prove to be temptations to me to draw my heart from god ; were i not better be without them ? it 's made ( in the epistle of jude , . vers . ) an argument of one that is carnal and wicked , that he doth feast without fear , he fals upon what is before him and fils himself , but without fear ; whereas we should never enjoy fulness in the world , but we should mix fear with it : these thoughts should make us fear the snare that there may be in abundance . further , i have abundance ; but what uncertainty is there in all these things ? i have it now , but how quickly may it be gone ? these things taken from me , or i from them . again , i have much , and therefore i have a great accompt to give to god of these pastures that now i have , this fulnesse that now i enjoy will make my accompt to be so much the greater . i have much , oh but considering how little service i do for god , may not i fear that this i have it is to be my portion ? i have much , but have i not much engagements with what i do enjoy ? that fulness that i have , doth it not more fully engage me unto god than others ? carnal hearts are void of these thoughts in the enjoyment of their fulness , they care not , sobeit they can but fil themselves , how they get what they have , or use it . oh my brethren , our hearts should be filled with these thoughts in our fulness ; but it is with most as we reade in isa . . . come ye , say they , i will fetch wine , and we will fill our selves with strong drink ; and to morrow shall be as this day , and much more abundant : there 's all that they care . and especially those fall most greedily upon carnal contentments that have been kept short a long time . so it was here . i knew thee in the wilderness : but according to their pastures they were filled ; they were filled , they minded nothing but filling themselves , now they gormundize , now they fill themselves ; as it 's usual with them that have lived very sparingly and meanly before , if they come to a ful dyet they fill themselves greedily more than others , so as to distemper themselves , and occasion plagues and grievous diseases by filling themselves greedily when they come to fuller dyet than formerly they did enjoy ; when a man hath fasted to starving almost , he had need be very careful what he doth when he comes to a full table : physitians will not suffer men that have fasted long to eat much ; it 's that which brings many diseases in souldiers and others , because sometimes they want much , and sometimes they have abundance , and so they spoil themselves : as we read of saul's men that they fell upon the cattel so as they did eat the blood they were so greedy of it . oh let us take heed of this , this should be a seasonable lesson to those that have known what emptiness hath meant in these times , and now they are going into their countries again , and to enjoy their possessions , oh let them take heed how they fal upon the comforts of the creature greedily , oh they should rather prepare themselves before hand , and season their hearts with those thoughts , that may keep them from the danger that there is in fatness ; and when they come to their houses and lands , and begin to stock them again , they should think , oh! what were those sins of mine when i was here before in my house , and enjoyed fulness ? how little honor had god by my fulness before ! oh! let me now remember all my murmurings and repinings when god took away my estate , and let me seek to make peace with god even for them ; in the time of my distress , i cried to god then , and i was afraid that i should never come to enjoy my estate again , and hath god given it to me again ? oh let me improve it better for his service than ever i have done . such kind of thoughts men should have when they come to their estates again , and not to fall upon them , and only seek to make up all again , and think of nothing else . there 's a great deal of danger here , god hath waies to make men cast out their sweet morsels when they regard nothing but the filling of themselves . it follows ; and their hearts were exalted . this their fulness puft them up ; pride is an ordinary disease that follows fulness . saith an ancient , it 's hard to be in honor without swelling ; pride is the disease of prosperity , in psal . . . i saw the prosperity of the wicked , and so on , he describes their prosperity , and in the . vers . therefore pride compasses them about as a chain , violence covereth them as a garment : and hence that caveat of the apostle , tim. . . charge them that are rich in this world , that they be not high minded . charge them saith the apostle , for it 's usual for men that are rich , that are full , to be high minded . charge them . first , because that these things in the world , they are great things in their eyes , yea , they are the only good things to a carnal heart , they are his happiness , and therefore he blesses himself in them , and that puffs him up . secondly , when they enjoy fulness in the world , then their lusts are satisfied , then they have fewell for their lusts , and their lusts grows mighty high . thirdly , they can live of themselves and depend upon none , and this it is that puffs them up , in psal . . . ( speaking of proud men in prosperity ) they puff at their enemies , they care for no body in the world , they can live of themselves ; others depend upon them , and they depend upon none , and this puffs them up . fourthly , they conceive some excellency in themselves , why they have more than others , as if it were because they had more excellency in themselves , and were more worthy than others ; and they are not every body , but are culd out among others as the prime and chief , as if there were more worth in them : this puffs them up . fifthly , they see all others desire what they have , they see a great distance between them and others , and those that are under them do highly esteem of them , they call the proud , happy , they have many flatterers . they were fill'd , and their hearts were exalted , not only above men , but above god. psal . . . they set their mouths against heaven , and their tongue walketh through the earth . ( speaking of wicked men in prosperity ) they wil speak against every one when they are high themselves , scorning at the waies of god , and at his saints ; when is the time wherein wicked men that are of scornful spirits , do scorn and speak most roughly against the people of god and the waies of god , but when they are fill'd , when they are at taverns and have fill'd themselves with wine and good cheer , then they scorn , and blaspheme , and set their mouths against heaven , and their tongues walk throughout the city and country , against parliament and all ; their tongues are free at that time , it is when they are filled . hence that scripture in psal . . . with hypocritical mockers in feasts , they gnashed upon me with their teeth : in the time of their feasts when they were filled , then they were mockers , and then they gnashed upon me . oh abundance of evil is done by scorning and contemning at feasts , and in that respect their wine that then they fill themselves withal may be called by the name of that in deut. . . their wine is the poyson of dragons , and the cruel venem of asps ; for as it fills their bodies with heat , so then their spirits are fill'd with rage , and mallice ; and especially those who were heretofore low , if they come to be fill'd , their hearts are most exalted : oh! the sad examples we have of this at this day , many that were not long since we know in a low and mean condition , and they have gotten places , they have got estates and power in their hands , oh how are their hearts exalted ! would you ever have thought to have liv'd to the time to have seen such a change in their spirits as at this day ? how do they discover their pride now they are got up ? first , in their estrangement towards those that they were familiar with heretofore , they go aloof off from you , they are fill'd , and now their hearts are exalted . and then secondly , their carriage is very high and lofty , you must wait now if you would but speak to them . thirdly , now they need no advice or counsel ; they were wont to communicate themselves to you , and to be willing to hearken to advice and counsel , yea , but they are fill'd now and their hearts are exalted , as if the exaltation of their estates put more wit into their heads . fourthly , now they are harsh ; to those that are under them they speak harshly and ruggedly , and care not for any under them ; when they lived formerly among their neighbors then they would complain of harshness and ridgidness of others , but since they are filled they are as harsh as any ; and so before , when they were low they cryed out of oppression , but when they come once to be in place themselves and be filled , then they go the same waies that others go ; hence that in psal . . . concerning oppression , they speak loftily . if you complain of oppression , you have lofty expressions from them ; it 's spoken of wicked men in prosperity . fifthly , they shew their pride ; when they are filled they cannot beat contradiction now as they were wont to do , they cannot endure reprehension now . again , those mercies that not long since they would have highly prized , now they slight them , now they are mean things . and lastly , all the use they make of what they do enjoy now more than before , it is to get higher and higher , there 's all the use they make of all . those that have bin low and mean in their estates heretofore , now they begin to be filled , their hearts are exalted , and thus do they discover the exaltation of their hearts . oh! but this is a great and a sore evil , for so 't is rebuk'd by the prophet . oh thou that hast thy heart exalted , being fill'd it is a sign thou hast a poor , low spirit of thine own , to be lifted up with those things that thou doest enjoy . for first , what low and mean things are they ? what are they but crums that the master of the familie casts to dogs ? they are such things as make thee never a whit the better , nor the more excellent ; indeed it 's said , that knowledg puffs up the heart , for that puts an excellency upon the man : the heart of the wicked is little worth , let him have never so much prosperity . those things that thou pridest thy self in , they are no other than may be the portion of a reprobate , and have been , they are no other than may stand with gods eternal hatred of thee , and gods eternal wrath against thee : yea , they are such things as may come from gods wrath , and like enough they do , and it 's a sign they do when thou art filled with them , and thereby puft up by them , it 's a sign that there 's a curs mixed with what thou hast filled thy self withal . if a man comes to a table and eats , and then he swels presently upon it , god be merciful to me , am i poisoned , saith he ? if thou fillest thy self , and art puft up , it is an argument thy prosperity is poisoned , there 's the curse of god in it : had not you rather have the coursest dyet that is wholsom , than the daintiest dish with poison in it ? is it not better to have the russet coat that is not dangerous , than a velvet coat that hath the plague in it ? thy condition , if thou knewest it , it may be was a great deal better before . oh that any considerations might prick the bladders of mens spirits that are so puft up with outward prosperity ; thou art les , filled with spiritual good than before , that that is substance thou hast lost , and thou art filled with wind . ere long what thou hast must be taken away ; and perhaps the right to what thou daest enjoy , it is but the right that a malefactor hath to his supper , before the day of his execution ; the evil of any one sin is a greater evil than all thy prosperitie is a good ; if it doth but occasion any one sin to thee , it doth bring more evil upon thee than all the filling thou hast is good unto thee : thou art filled , but often-times it falls out so , that the very time for god to let out his wrath upon wicked men , it is when they are mostfilled . we have a notable scripture for that in the . of job , , and . verses : in the fulness of his sufficiencie he shall be in straights : it is an excellent phrase , they think they have sufficient now to live of themselves , but in the fulness of their sufficiency they shall be in straits . and in vers . . when he is about to fill his belly god shall cast the fury of his wrath upon him . and in psal . . , . so they did eat and were filled , for he gave them their hearts desire , they were not estranged from their hosts , but while the meat was yet in their months , the wrath of god came upon them and slew the f●●test of them , saith the text . oh there 's no cause of lifting up thy heart because of thy fulness that thou ; hast for when thou art fullest then is the time of gods hottest wrath to be let out upon thee , it doth but prepare thee for slaughter : how much better is it for the beast to feed upon the common and live , then to be brought into fat pasture and prepared for the butcher ? when thou wert feeding upon the common , thou wert in a way of preservation , but now thou art come into the fat pasture it is to prepare thee for slaughter , be not exalted in thine own heart because of thy fulness . and it may be god hath respect to others in thy fulness , it 's not in regard to thee . and hereafter thou mayest perhaps curse the time that ever such an estate befell thee , curse the time for thy fulness : perhaps upon thy sick bed thou maiest lie and wish , oh that i had kept my shop still , and been in my low condition still , i had gone out of the world with a great deal less guiltiness than now i am like to go out of the world withal , oh be not exalted because thou art full . — therefore have they forgotten me . proud men forget god , psal . . . the wicked through the pride of his countenance will not seek after god , they have forgotten what need they had once of of me , they have forgotten what cries they sent up to me , what moans they made before me , they have forgotten how gloriously i wrought for the helping of them , they have forgotten all their engagements to me , they have forgotten to acknowledg me , or sanctifie my name in all the good they do enjoy , oh this is a sore and a great evil , and yet an ordinary evil , assoon as we have our turns served , god is minded no more , psal . . . they remembred not his hand , nor the day when he delivered them from the enemy ; they remembred it not : oh! it should have been in their memory , to have sanctified the name of god in their great deliverance ; but when they were delivered they remembred it not . call upon me in the time of trouble , and i will hear you , and you shall glorifie me saith god. we call upon god in the time of trouble , and god hears us , and delivers us , but the latter part is forgotten ; and they do it soon too , in psal . . . they soon forgot his works , saith the text , somtimes before the work is quite accomplish'd , oh! the lord deliver us from this great evil , shall i say , deliver us ? i may say , not deliver us from this evil only , but out of it , for it is upon us alreadie ; oh! the great things that god hath don for this land w th in this six years , never since joshua's time , or moses's time was there a story of gods wonderful working for a people , so as the story of this last six yeers will be if it be faithfully recorded , and yet though the lord be going on in his waies and hath not yet finish'd it , we have forgotten , oh doth it not appear so ? what do men look after ? everie man his own advantage , and own ends , and seeks to fill themselves , minding nothing else . and what mighty haughtiness of spirit there is in many men within this six yeers , oh how have we forgotten the lord , and forgotten those instruments that god hath made use of for good unto us ! god had more honor from us when there was not the hundredth part done for us as now there is , now we ( as it were ) shake our ears , and let god do as he will , we hope we can do prettie well to shift for our selves ; oh! the lord deliver this citie out of this , and from this evil of forgetting the lord when we are fill'd : you begin to have more full trading now than formerlie , now the countrie begins to be open , and they repare to the citie for all : oh the lord deliver this citie from surfetting by their fulness , and from this of forgetting the lord : oh that we could but say , that the lord having restored the trading to the city , having such ful trading as now they are like to have , oh to sanctifie the name of god more than ever they did ; oh how do you remember god everie time you see customers come into your shops , everie time you see the waggons come out of the countrie into your streets , how do you bless god , and how is god honored among you ? oh that it were so , it 's a sore and grievous evil to forget the lord , after the lord hath granted us fulness , it 's a horrible ingratitude , as if there were nothing to be regarded but our selves . first , it 's against many charges that god gives beforehand to forwarn us of it . if you reade the th of deuteronomy , . vers . and the . chap. . vers . you shall find there how the lord charges this people ; when you come into the land , and your houses are full of good things , and you eat of the good of the land , beware you forget not the lord ; beware , and forget not ; beware , and forget not , again and again this is inculcated , shewing how prone we are to forget the lord in our fulness . oh! that those of you that providence hath brought this morning , would consider of these scriptures , now god is beginning to come in with more fulness than before , oh beware that you forget not the lord god in the midst of your fulness , oh! let there be as much , or more prayer in your familie than there was in former times , that you may have a sanctified use of the fulness that now you enjoy ; yea , it 's worse than beastlie , the ox knows his owner , and the ass his masters crib , but israel hath forgotten me . if the ox be but fed , he knows his owner : who is it that feeds you ? is it not the lord ? and will you forget him ? oh! this will lose the blessing of all you do enjoy , and your hearts will grow very wicked beyond what you can imagine , you cannot imagine the evil that your hearts will grow to , if you forget god in the enjoyment of that estate that god sets you in . and it is a sin that god knows not how to pardon : for so he expresses himself , ier. . . how shall i pardon thee for this ? why is it that god should say so ? as if he should say , though i be a god of infinite mercy , yet here 's a sin i know not how to pardon , why saith he , when i had fed them to the full , they committed a dultry , and they abused that fulness , oh! how shall i pardon thee ! and if ever you have need of god again , how will conscience be stop'd ? with what face can you go to god again to seek for help , if god should bring you low , conscience will presently say , you were once emptie and god fill'd you , and what honor had god from you ? no , your hearts were exalted , and you forgot god. and 't is a most foolish thing for you to do so , you depend upon god in the midst of all your fulness as much as before , everie moment you lie at gods mercie ; though perhaps you are not sensible of it , yet certainly it is so . a foolish thing it is then to forget the lord , your forgetting god will make you forget your selves , and just it may be with god to forget you and to change the waies of his administration towards you ; oh take heed then of being exalted , and of forgetting the lord in your fulness . truly brethren , god had rather have his people fall into any sin almost than into the sin of pride and forgetfulness of him , and specially that of pride , therefore you find in scripture , that god will rather set the devil upon his people than to have their hearts exalted ; as paul , lest he should be lifted up above measure he had a prick in the flesh , the buffeting of satan , god had rather see the devil buffeting of his people than to see the hearts of them to be exalted . yea , he had rather suffer them to fall into any other sin . charge your souls then against this , as david in psal . at the beginning , bless the lord , o my soul , and all that is within me bless his holy name ; bless the lord , o my soul , and forget not all his benefits : see what a charge he puts upon his soul , oh my soul thōu hast received many benefits from the lord , and there is this deadness in thee , if thou beest but left to thy self , thou wilt forget the lord , and this will be a sore evil in thee , oh my soul , forget not all his benefits . oh that you would go home and charge your souls not to forget the lord and all his benefits ; let husband put wife in mind with this charge , and wife the husband , but especially your selves in secret , between god and your selves , to charge your souls , not to forget his benefits . the more we remember god in the blessings we have , the more sweet will our blessings be to us . you have a great many mercies , but when you forget god , you lose the verie sweetness of all your mercies ; oh! when you can see a mercie , and see the god of that mercie , then it 's sweet ; when i can see a mercie , and the fountain from whence it comes , and whither it tends , then the mercie is sweet ; oh! therefore you deal foolishlie in forgetting the lord. and the more safe you will be ; and the more eminent you will be in grace , oh what a lovely object is it to behold a man or woman in the midest of all outward enjoyments to be heavenlie and spiritual ; i say , the graces of such , oh! they glister like diamonds , like most precious pearls indeed ; and therefore remember the lord in al the good things that you do enjoy . it follows ; ver . . therefore i will be unto them as a lyon ; as a leopard , by the way will i observe them . there 's most dreadful expressions that here follows : god is exceedingly provok'd with the exaltation of mens hearts , and their forgetfulness of him in time of their prosperitie . is this the same god that spake so of ephraim heretofore ? is ephraim my dear son ? ephraim my pleasant child . how shall i give thee up , ephraim ? my bowels are turned within me ; ever since i spake against him , i do earnestly remember him , and my bowels are troubled within me ; is this the lord that now will be a lyon , a leopard , a bear , a tearing lyon , a wild beast unto ephraim ? what , is this the god that heretofore carried them as eagles do their yong upon their wings , and nourished them as the eagle nourisheth her yong ones ? is this the god that was as a hen to the chickin , that was as a gracious father unto them , to whom this people were as the dearly beloved of gods soul , and now god a lyon , a leopard , a bear , a wild beast to come and tear them ? is this the merciful god ? is this that god that is love and mercie it self thus to appear ? oh my brethren , how dreadful doth sin render god unto his creature ! but all this while there 's no change in gods heart , god is the same in himself as before ; the change is in the creature . the sun that softens the wax , the same sun hardens the clay : the same infinite blessed being that doth good to his creature in one condition , the same blessed , infinite , glorious being is dreadful to the creature in another condition . with the froward , he will shew himself froward ; and with the upright , upright . therefore above all doth god set himself out in a most terrible manner here against those men that were in prosperity whose hearts were exalted and forgot him . my brethren , the lord pities men , yea , sinful men in the time of their adversity , but when they are at the height and forget him , oh the anger of god is against them now above any men . i 'le give you one scripture to shew how god hath regard to men in low conditions ; but to tho 〈…〉 that are fatted up in prosperity gods anger is most against them . ezek ; . . . i will seek that which was lost , i will bring again that which was driven away , and will bind up that which was broken , and will strengthen that which was sick ; but i will destroy the sat and the strong , i will feed them with judgment , saith he . those that are lost , i 'le seek them ; those that are broken , i 'le bind them up ; those that are sick , i 'le heal ; but i 'le destroy the fat , and the strong , i will feed them with judgment . oh here 's an excellent scripture for the comforting of the hearts of those that are in an afflicted condition . see how god regards such : but god hath not such regard to fat ones , and strong ones , he will feed them with judgment , and destroy them . the care and protection of god is more over the lost ones , and the broken ones , and the sick ones , than the fat ones , and the strong ones , they are to be fed with judgment , i 'le be to them as a lyon ; and the reason of this is ; first , because their hearts are very much hardened in their sin , their sin is grown to a height . secondly , because there are so many creatures that they have use of more than others that do cry against them , poor people have not so many creatures to cry against them as the rich have . further , they can make friends to avoid the stroke of justice from men ; but the poor people they are more punished , therefore god takes them into his hands and deals with them more severely . and when judgment comes upon them it 's more observed , and therefore god to them will be as a lyon. as a lyon. you have a paralel scripture in psal . . . i held my tongue , and ye thought i was like unto you ; but consider this ye that forget god , lest i tear you in pieces , and there be none to deliver : their hearts were exalted , they forgot god , therefore will i be to them as a lyon. first , a lyon , is the most terrible creature , amos , . if the lyon roar , the beasts tremble . oh my brethren , the threats of god should be to us as the roaring of a lyon , and our hearts should tremble at them . secondly , none can take away the prey from a lyon , mich. . . as a yong lyon among the flocks of sheep , who if he go through , both treadeth down , and teareth in pieces , and none can deliver ; none can deliver out of gods hand . thirdly , a lyon is strong and crushes the whol compages of a mans bones at one crush ; alas man , what is he ? in job , . . he is crushed before the moth , much more before a lyon then ; oh then much more before the lord god when he comes to be as a lyon. fourthly , it is observed of the lyon , that she will narrowly mark any one that wounds her , if there were hundreds of men together , and one did but wound it , or shoot at it , or do any thing to it , she will be sure to mark that man. oh! the lord mark out those that sin against him , and that wounds his name , they must not think to escape among others . the lords eye is upon them particularly . and it is observed of the lyon , that she sleeps but little , and with her eyes open ; so the lord : as he that keeps israel neither slumbereth nor sleepeth , so he that destroies his enemies doth not slumber nor sleep . further , the lyon will fall upon no creature except it be in hunger , or be provok'd : the lord though his wrath be terrible as a lyon , yet he is not so ready to fall upon his creature , it must be from some special end that he hath , or some provocation that he hath , but then he falls terribly indeed . again , it is observed of the lyon , that if you do but fall down on the ground , and submit and yeeld , the lyon doth use to pass by , and will not tear and rend where there is an humble submission to him , whereas other creatures will. oh thus god is a lyon terrible , but yet only to those that stand out against him . and the naturalists observe of the lyon , that it cannot endure to be look'd asquint upon by any ; thus it is with the lord , the lord loves no squint-eyed christians , i mean none that have by ends of their own , the lord loves uprightness in our waies and dealings . and lastly , they say of the lyon , that it is a great enemy to apes , and welves ; so is god to flatterers , and tyrants . thus god is compared a lyon. secondly , to a leopard . and as a leopard by the way will i observe them . the seventy reade the words otherwise , by the way of the assyrian , say they . and indeed the hebrew word that is here translated observing , is very neer to that which is assyrian . the she leopard it all one with that they call panther ; and , first , they say , it is so fierce , that presently it flies in the eyes of a man. i 'le be a leopard , i 'le fly in the very faces of such ; oh! such manifest much pride in their faces , and i 'le fly in their very faces , saith god. secondly , the leopard is a very swift creature , hab. . . so the lord will swiftly come against wicked and ungodly men , as a leopard , swiftly , and overtake them . thirdly , a leopard to watch his prey , is very subtil to observe his fit times and opportunities to fall upon the prey ; so you have it in the text , as a leopard will i watch them ; oh this set : out much of the fearful wrath of god against wicked men : you have the discription in jer. . . a leopard shall watch over their cities . i say there 's much of gods wrath in this , it 's very terrible , the lord sets his infinite wisdom on work to watch fit times and opportunities for to let out his wrath upon ungodly men . i 'le watch over them for evil , that we have in another scripture threatned ; oh ; those are in a sad condition that the lord watches over them to do them evil : god watches over his people for good ; but such as when they are fled , exalt themselves , and forget the lord , god watches over them for evil ; they should be destroyed soon , but saith god , i have a fitter time than now wherein i 'le get my self a greater name , wherein it shall be worse for them ; in due time shall their feet slide ; this is the reason why men live so long in their prosperity , and go on and satisfie their wills , because god is watching over them , and his time is not yet come . further , it is observed of the leopard , that when it comes upon its prey , it leaps upon it suddenly : and so doth the lord to ungodly men , he comes in a sudden way and leaps upon them ; and therefore you must not think that you are as wel because you are in as safe a condition as you were a year since , or seven years since ; it is as wel with me ( saith one ) as it hath been with me in all my life-time ; what then ? you may be never a whit the further off from dangers , for the way of god in bringing his wrath , it is sudden many times . lastly , it is observed of the leopard , that sometimes it will sleep a very long time together , it is said to sleep three daies together ; but after it awakes it is more fierce than before : and so the lord , though sometimes he may be patient towards sinners , yet when he comes to awake out of his sleep ( as he speaks of himself , psal . . . ) he is more terrible . ver . . i will meet with them as a bear bereaved of her whelps , and will rent the caul of their heart , and there will i devour them like a lyon : the wildbeast shall tear them . the third creature is the bear : i will meet with them as a bear bereaved of her whelps , &c. this creature ( you know ) is very fierce and terrible too ; therefore we reade in the d of kings , that there were two she bears came out of the wood and tore in pieces forty two children . prov. . . let a bear robbed of her whelps meat a man , rather than a fool in his folly : she is fierce at all times , but above all if she be robbed of her whelps : as it is observed that there 's no creature loves her yong ones more than the bear , and yet the mo 〈…〉 deformed of any ; and an emblem it may be of a man that loves his own deformed fancies , it 's a note that one interpreter hath upon it : oh how will the lord be in an holy rage , if his children be wronged ! if you do any hurt to his own children , that hath his image in them , when the instinct of nature is so in this creature , the bear , to be in such a rage when she is robbed of such ugly things as her whelps are . sam. . . saith hushai to absalom , thou knowest thy father and his men , that they be mighty men , and they be chafed in their fury , as a bear robbed of her whelps in the field . thus the scripture often discribes exceeding fierceness , and rage , to the fierceness of a bear bereaved of her whelps , therefore saith he here , i will rend the very caul of their bearts , and there will i devour them like a lyon. here he mentions the lyon the second time : the word in your books is the same , but in the original it is somewhat different . it is observed of the lyon when he comes upon the prey ( because it 's named here the second time ) that it rends the body asunder , and loves to suck the blood and the fat that is about the heart , and as for other parts of the body , except it be in very great hunger , it leaves them for other beasts to prey upon , but the heart , and the blood and the fat that is about the heart that the lyon loves to suck : and therefore saith god here , i will rent the caul of their heart , and there will i devour like a lyon. luther hath an excellent note upon this , saith he , the lord here will do as a lyon doth , he more immediately will strike out their hearts , and punish them with spiritual plagues and judgments , and as for their estates and bodies he will leave them to other beasts and they shall plague them and punish them that way : they had a film upon their hearts ( saith he ) and instructions could not get to their hearts ; but god will tear that caul , will tear that film from off their hearts that kept off instructions . oh! let us take heed of this film of our hearts that keeps out the word of god , take heed of that for ever , for god hath waies to tear this film from off thy heart . as i remember bernard saith concerning his brother , when he gave him many good instructions and admonitions , and his brother was a soldier and did not mind them ; he puts his fingers to his sides , and saith he , oh! one day a speer shall make way to this heart for instructions and admonitions to enter . so i may say to such whose hearts have a film upon them , that whatsoever the preacher saith , it cannot get in , god may justly come and tear the film from off thy heart that keeps out the instructions of god. and arias montanus hath a note further upon this , of sending the plague upon their hearts , and to leave their estates and comforts to the assyrians . and the wild beasts shall tear them . why ? did he not name wild beasts enough before ? there was the lyon , and the leopard , and the bear , and the lyon again , and yet he comes over again with wild beasts ; as if he should say , if there by any terror , any dreadfulness in any wild beasts whatsoever , there is that in my wrath , if you escape one wild beast another shall tear you , and that 's the reason that the bear is added to the lyon and the leopard , because the bear runs up a tree so much , which the others do not ; and now he comes to all wild beasts , put them all together and my wrath is as fierce as them . and this is one excellent meditation from hence , that put all the dreadfulness of all creatures in the world together , and all that , it is in the wrath of god. as put all the good things that are in all creatures together , all this is in the love and mercy of god ; so put al things that any way may bring any torments or tortor to us , and the quintessence of all this is in gods wrath , the wild beasts shall tear them . lyra thinks that this prophesie was fulfill'd when they were carried captive , and in their journey many died , and so they were cast into fields and devoured by wild beasts : and it 's likely it may be fulfill'd in part so : as usually when soldiers carry an enemy captive , why if they be sick , let them die , and if they die , throw them into a ditch , there 's all they care for them : and so it was with this people , that the lord though he knew them in the wilderness , and his protection was over them , yet now to forget them , and lets them be carried into captivity and cast to wild beasts , and so their carkasses was torn . and some think that the expression of gods wrath by these beasts , hath reference to the four monarchies , which god would make use of to be very terrible to his saints . in dan. . you shall find the four monarchies of the world , the babylonian , the persian , the grecian , and roman monarchies set forth in the same manner , as here the holy ghost sets out the wrath of god against israel ; for the truth is , those things that we have here in hosea were to set forth gods waies to his people in after-times , not only when they were to be carried captive . in dan. . . there appeared four great beasts , the first li 〈…〉 lyon , by which was signified the babylonish empire , the second like a bear , by that the persian , the third like a leopard , and that 's the graecian , for alexander was as a leopard , exceeding swift , all his exploits he did in twelve yeers : he was but thirty three yeers old when he died . and moreover , they observe of the leopard ( which hath the name from a panther ) that it smels exceedingly , the very body of it smels sweet above all beasts , and so it doth invite the beasts to it ; and so it was said of alexanders body , that it had a sweet smell with it : and then the fourth being the roman empire , mark how that 's set out , just as gods sets out his wrath , he doth not name any particular beast , but the wild beast , this is dreadful , terrible , and strong , exceedingly , and it had great iron teeth , it devoured . and broke in pieces , and stamped the residue with the feet of it , and it was diverse from al the beasts that was before it , and it had ten horns : you know now that that was divided into ten kingdoms , or ten sorts of civil governments at several times . this is the roman empire , the power of whom antichrist was to have , by both whom the lord would exercise his people , and be very terrible to his people , especially those people of his that were apostatizing people , that would worship him according to their own waies , god would be thus terrible to them where ever they lived , under any of the former empires , they should have god either as a lyon , a leopard , a bear , or like this dreadful creature at the last unto them . oh but you will say , why do you speak thus ? or it may be people would speak thus to the prophet , oh why do you speak of god in this terrible manner ? is not our god a gracious god , and a merciful god ? why then will you render god thus terrible ? why saith the prophet , then comes in , ver . . o israel , thou hast destroyed thy self , but in me is thy help . oh ! do not find fault with the dreadfulness of god , that god appears thus dreadful to you , and do not you blame the ministers of god that they do render god in this dreadful manner before you ; though it 's true , that god appears in a way ready to destroy you , bu 〈…〉 the lord yet is infinite holy , and blessed , and a god of mercy and goodness in himself , o israel , thou hast destroyed thy self , thou maiest thank thy self for all this 〈◊〉 many of you when you hear the terrors of god set before you , perhaps your hearts rise against them , and your spirits do exceedingly distast such things as those are , and why do ministers make god appear to be so terrible to people , when as he is such a merciful and gracious god ? oh! rather lay thine hand upon thine own heart and say , god indeed is thus gracious and merciful , but it 's through my wickedness that makes god appear so terrible , the judgments of god are call'd , strange things , it 's because that god hath not such delight in the execution of wrath , in appearing like a lyon , a leopard , and a bear ; it 's that that pleases the heart of god to appear as a father to do good to his people , oh! but thou hast destroyed thy self . and this is a main point indeed , that sinful people should charge themselves with all the evil that doth befall them , they destroy themselves , oh! this it is that will be the aggravation of mens judgments another day , that they are the cause of all the evils they suffer . you may think to put it off to god and say , oh how dreadful is gods justice ! but god knows how to put off all upon your selves , and the destruction of sinners will appear to be from themselves , and god will cleer it up to all the world , before men and angels , and will cleer it up unto their consciences : the damn'd in hell shall not be able to speak against gods justice at all , but they shall be forced to charge themselves with all the evil that is upon them : oh! it was through this wretched , and vile , wicked heart of mine , god was not wanting to me in any means of good , but i had a rebellious heart , and i have brought all this evil upon my self , i have destroyed my self . o israel , thou hast destroyed thy self . destroyed himself ! did not god in the words imme 〈…〉 〈◊〉 before say , that he would meet him as a bear that is bereaved of her whelps , and would rend the caul of their hearts , and would be as a lyon to them , and a leopard ? and yet o israel , thou hast destroyed thy self ! though god execute severe wrath , and makes use of instruments of wrath against a people , yet their destruction is to be attributed to themselves , oh israel thou hast destroyed thy self , thou mayest thank thy self for all this . the reading of the words i find to be somewhat different from what you have them in your books , calvin and many others read it . it hath destroyed thee , israel . and in the old english translation , wherein beza's [ the geneva ] notes are , there it is , one hath destroyed them , so the word may be read , so as it must be made up with somewhat else ; either one hath destroyed them , or it hath destroyed them , or somewhat hath destroyed them ; as if god should say , 't is not i that have destroyed them , but as if somewhat else had done it . tremelius makes it up thus , thy king hath destroyed thee . for so the words will bear , to reade it to be made up with what the text and the dependance of other passages in the prophet may help us to , hath destroyed us ( so are the words ) hath ; what hath ? why your king hath dedestroyed you , saith tremelius ? saith the hebrews , ( most of them ) your calf hath destroyed you , your idols have destroyed you . aben ezra , your fained comforts hath destroyed you . and drusius he reades it interogatively , who hath destroyed thee ? your fulness , of which vers . . or your own heart and wickedness hath destroyed you . the greek thus , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ? who shall give help to the corruption of israel ? so that though the words be read so diversly , yet that wherein most agree , it comes to the same effect as you have them in your books , your own wickedness hath destroyed you , your s 〈…〉 ungodly , idelatrous living , forsaking god and his 〈…〉 putting confidence in an arm of flesh , that hath destroyed thee . in me is thine help . those words are somewhat different in the original from what you have in your books ; for there are two inn's , in me , in thy help , so 't is in the hebrew . and you shal observe it , that in your books [ is ] hath another character , which notes that it is not directly according to the original , in me , in thy help . now ( in me ) saith learned drusius upon the text , i am in thy help , and thy help is in me , therefore there is two inn's , in me , in thy help , that is , i am in thine help , and thine help is in me ; so in a way of elegancie he expresses it : and it seems to be according to the intention of the holy ghost , whatsoever help thou hast , i am in it , and thy help it is in me , in me is thy help . and pareus he read it , against thy help , and so supplies the word , thou hast rebelled against thy help , oh thou hast destroyed thy help ; why ? because thou hast rebelled against thy help : and the words in the original will bear this , to be read , against thy help . but the other more full , according to the general stream of inerpreters , and according to the words , thy help is wholly in me , and i am wholly in thy help . thou hast destroyed thy self , but thy help is wholly in me . that shall suffice for the reading of the words . now for the several truths that are to be here held forth to us out of the words . first this , men would fain put off from themselves to god what evil is upon them . men naturally are loth to charge themselves with the evil that coms upon them , it 's their ill-hap , their ill-fortune , their ill-lock ; or they could not help 〈◊〉 they did what they could , and so think to 〈…〉 ll to god ; 't is for want of means , for want of this or that thing that god did deny to them , it 's because god put them into such and such a condition , but never come to charge themselves : but the propet speaks here in a compassionat way , oh israel ( saith he ) never stand charging it upon god , thou hast destroyed thy self . secondly , god knows how to turn all the evil upon our selves , god knows how to right himself ; though we may think to lessen our evil by putting it upon god , god will turn it all upon our own heads , and make it out to all the world that we were the cause of al the evils that were upon us , both temporal evils , and all the evil that shal come upon those that shall perish eternally , it will be one of the great works at the day of judgment , to make it out to men and angels , that all the misery that comes upon the damned it is from themselves , and their consciences will acknowledg it , and god wil be cleered before all ; it will be found that the cause of mans perdition it is not the decree of god , gods decree it damns none , it is their sin that damns them , not the decree . the decree of reprobation it is but the leaving of men to be dealt withal in a way of justice : whereas saith god , here 's a company i am resolved to magnifie my grace upon to all eternity , whatsoever comes between to hinder it , i am resolved that these shal be the subjects for me to exercise my grace on toal eternity , that 's election : but there are others that i wil have to a way and course of justice , they shal have what they earn , and no otherwise ; so that the decree is not the cause of mens damnation , their sin comes in between that and their damnation , so that they destroy themselv 〈…〉 . secondly , it 's not the infusion of any evil into them . you will say , 〈…〉 n comes in between decree and damnation : but how comes sin in ? certainly not by any infusion from god , 〈…〉 t comes in by man himself , man himself is the author o 〈…〉 . thirdly , it is not by any coaction . you will say , though sin is in men for the cause of it , yet men cannot help it , man cannot but sin . now to that ; first , god made man in such a condition , that he might not have sinned , and though there be a necessity , that man fallen cannot but sin , yet it excuses not this necessity , he sins as freely as if he could do otherwise . men , though it 's true , through their fall they cannot do that that is good , they cannot but sin , eyes full of adultry that cannot cease from sin , as the apostle saith of some , yet they sin as freely as if they had power to keep from sin , it 's that that pleases their wills , it 's that that is sutable unto them , it 's true , that the saints in heaven they cannot but glorifie god , but yet they glorifie god with freedom too , they are so set in an estate of glory , as they cannot sin , but yet they honor god freely , that is , they do that that 's sutable to their own spirits in the honoring of god ; if so be that there be a necessity of sinning from mans fall . yea , . from a judicial act of god in giving men over to sin , yet that 's but in a way of punishment for former sins , and they bring this upon themselves , so still they destroy themselves . every sinner that perishes , murders himself . and all that are damn'd eternally , they all of them are self murderers , this is a grievous thing , o israel , thou hast destroyed thy self . the more there is of self in mens destruction , the more grievous is their condition ; it would make our hearts to pity any fowl that should be shot with an arrow that was feathered from her own body : all the judgments of god , all the arrows of the almighty that come against sinners , they are a it were feathered by that that comes from sinners themselves , they are the cause of their own evils : the moreself in sinners destruction the more hard is our condition . as first , when men do so bring miserie pon themselves without any temptation , the less temptation , the more self in any thing , and some destroy themselves so , it comes meerly from themselves without any temptation . secondly , when mens sins are plotted sins , contriv'd sins , 〈…〉 he more plotting and contriving about sin , the more art thou the author of thine own evil or destruction . thirdly , when men sin , and yet are warn'd before-hand of their sin , they are told beforehand of the evil yet still are wilful in it , and will go on in it , they may thank themselves for their destruction . fourthly , when men notwithstanding they are often stop'd in the way of their sin , and though god doth many times come in the way of his providence , and in his word to stop them in their way of sin , and yet still they will go on , thank thy self if thou beest undone . fifthly , the more means they have to the contrary , the more enlightenings they have , the more drawings of the holy ghost they have to draw them from their sin , and yet still will go on . sixthly , when mens sins are of that nature , that they do not only deserve their destruction , but they do work their destruction ; all sins deserves it , but some sins works it : as drunkenness works diseases in mens bodies , brings them to poxes , and feavers , and so they destroy them , their very sin destroies them : and so some others might be named . seventhly , when men shall presume to venture further in any danger than they can help themselves out of , they think they will go but so far , and so far , and so they venture further than they can help themselves out of ; they destroy themselves . now this evil of self destruction is so much the more grievous , when men destroy themselves in things that they most bless themselves in , in things that they do most seek themselves in , they most glorifie themselves in , i mean , in which they do most glory , and in which they do promise to themselves greater good , if this proves to be their destruction , it is so much the more grievous . oh! it is a sad thing to be a self-destroyer , for what pity can there be ? who will pity a man or woman that is the cause of all their own evil , wilfully brings it upon themselves ? you will say , thank your selves , who will pity you ? oh! this will be the condition of all that perish ; neither god , nor angels , nor saints shall pitie them : neither the father out of whose loyns they came shall pitie them , nor the mother out of whose bodie , for they shall see that they have undone themselves . and besides , oh the extream vexation that there will be in mens spirits , when they shall be convinc'd of this , when the lord shall present to them all the means they have had , and all the mercies they have enjoyed , so that their consciences shall fly in their faces and tel them , oh you may thank your selves for this , it was that wretched heart of thine that thou hast so talk'd of , i told you of this before , oh! that pride , and that hypocrisie , and that self seeking , and that falsness of thine hath brought thee to all this . oh this will be an eternal vexation , it will be the matter for the worm to gnaw upon in hell hereafter , oh! that we have destroyed our selves ! and besides , god will revenge this upon men : for no man hath the power over himself ; thou destroyest one of gods creatures in being a self-murderer , thou shalt be punished for destroying thy self . because they have not the dispose of themselves , they are gods creatures ; and here it is a greater sin for a man to murder , himself , than his father or mother . it was a speech of austin that way , it 's a greater sin than paracide , to be a self-murderer , and the reason he gives is this , for saith he , the neerer any one is to one , the greater is the sin of murdering that one ; as it 's a greater sin for me to murder a kinsman than a stranger , it 's a greater sin to murder a brother than a kinsman more remote , than yet higher , a greater sin for me to murder a father then a brother , but then it 's a greater sin for me to murder my self than my father , why ? for i am neerer my self than my father : and so the 〈…〉 is greater for any one to lay violent hands upon ones self , than upon another : you think it a horrid thing if the devil should come with a temptation , go and take a halter and hang up your mother that bore you , or take a knife and cut your fathers throat ; but when you are tempted to murder your selves it is a greater sin . self-murder it is a great evil , and yet all people in the world that perish are self murderers , when we do but hear of a man that hangs or drowns himself , we think it 's a very sad thing ; now when you look upon wicked men going on in the waies of sin and destruction , look upon them as so many men running to drown themselves , and plunge themselves into the bottomless gulf , and as so many men cutting their own throats , and hanging themselves , for certainly so they do . then learn we to charge our selves of all the evil that is upon us , do not put it off , neither to god nor the devil so much , but charge our selves stil , for certainly we cause more evil to our selves than all the devils in hell can do , all the devils in hell could not undo us , if we did not undo our selves ; we are ready to charge it upon wicked men , or temptations of the devil , and if not so , then upon god ; for so you do , when any man or woman thinks to excuse his sin thus , god knows i do what i can ; that 's as much as if you should say , for my part i am free of any evil that comes upon me , if i perish i am free , i do what i can , and it 's because god doth not give me grace , thus you put it from your selves to god : no , learn to charge your selves of evil ; a tender heart will take even that which is the devils to himself , and a carnal heart will put off that which is from himself to the devil : observe the difference between one that hath a tender spirit , and another ; when any temptation of the devil comes , that are indeed the devils rather than his own , he presently charges his own heart , oh! what a wretched vile heart have i ! when as it may not be it , but meer suggestions and temptations of the devil and not the steam and filth of his heart , but he doth judg his heart from those temptations , and thinks it is nothing but the uncleanness and filthiness of his heart : but you shall have another man that hath a most filthy wicked heart , and there comes most abominable steams which break forth into filthy diseases , and though it comes altogether from himself , yet saith he , oh the temptations of the devil doth leade me aside , and i cannot tell how to resist him , it 's from temptations , it 's from thy self , from that wicked unclean heart of thine , and were there no devils in hell at all , thou hast the seeds of all sin in thy heart , it 's from thy uncleanness . oh! let 's learn to be afraid of our selves , and to pray to god to be delivered from our selves , better to be given up to the devil than to ones self . you know the incestuous person was delivered up to satan , but it was for the destruction of the flesh , and the saving of his soul ; but when one is given up to himself , it is for the damning of his soul : then , that 's no way for to save ones self to be given up to himself : thou hast destroyed thy self . and my brethren , we have cause to think of this point very seriously , in another notion , in respect of the kingdom and nation ; certainly if ever this kingdom be destroyed , it must needs be written for the generations to come , here 's a kingdom , a nation that hath destroyed its self . certainly we cannot say 't is from god , if we perish , what god will do with us we know not , but truly , this we may plainlie see , that if god leaves us but a little more to our selves , we are in a very fair way to destroy our selves , and that after god hath wrought so for us , god hath wrought like a god for us , but we , how do we deal for our selves ! like men shall we say ? oh no , like brute-beasts , if men , mad men , men that are appointed to destruction . if we be destroyed , it will be the saddest storie that ever was in the world against a people , if so be that at length we should perish after god hath done so much for us , truly now god hath wrought like a god to deliver us from our common enemies , god had need to work as much for us like a god to deliver us from our selves : great hath the works of god been in delīvering of us from the rage of those that we thought intended to destroy us , and surely did : well , now god hath done such works , if god should say , well , i have done my work , i have delivered you from those you were afraid of , and now i will leave you to your selves , oh! we had cause to fall upon our faces , and say , o lord , do not so , for it had been better that they had destroyed us : for if thou shouldest leave us to our selves , our destruction would be a more bitter destruction . do not we see how fast we run towards destruction , being but a little left to our selves , what a perverse spirit is there now among our selves ? we say sometimes of the prelates , oh the hand of god is against them ; how they brought themselves into a snare ? now they may stand and look upon us , and even laugh almost at us , and say , well , let them alone , as we speak of some , give them line enough and they will quickly hang themselves , let them alone and they will fall out one with another , and destroy one another , they will quickly ruin themselves if they be let alone . oh we have as much experience of the vanitie of mens hearts , and the follie , and pride , and hypocrisie , and stoutness , and frowardness of mens hearts , as ever there was experience since the world began . who could ever have thought this five or six yeers ago ? if this could have been presented as it were in a map unto us , oh you shall be in great dangers , you shall have mighty enemies rise and readie to swallow you up , but i will appear and work for you , i will put forth my glorie , the right hand of my power and excellencie shall appear for you , and when all this is done , you shall undo your selves , and out of your own selves shall be your ruin , even from those that you trusted in much , and those that you much applauded , they shall be cause of the evil , yea , and even you that now think your hearts are so right , and have said , oh! if god would but deliver us , how we would magnifie his name ! you shall be the cause of the evil of the kingdom . had any said so of some , that we have cause to have our hearts shake within us when we think ( as the prophet did of hazael ) you shall do thus and thus , they would have been readie to answer you , what , are we dogs ? are we dead dogs that we should do such things ? well , the lord deliver us from our selves . in me is thy help . we can easily destroy our selves , but can we save our selves ? a child can break a glass that all the men in the country cannot make it up again . everie fool may do mischief to himself , yea , and to others , but can he help ? 't is god onlie that is the help of his people , 't is not means that help , but god ; yea , 't is that that god doth much glorie in , to be accounted the cause of all good ; he would have all evil cast upon men , but al good from himself , even present good , and eternal good he would have attributed to himself . in the reading of this scripture , i find a very strange expression of one commenting upon it , that one would think had some knowledg of the freeness of gods grace and goodness , and yet a jesuit . [ in me is thy help ] hence it follows ( saith he ) that predestination , vocation , and grace , do not come from the foresight of the merits of those that are predestinated , but from gods predestinating , calling , preventing with his grace : these things are the help of god : even from the mouth of a jesuit we have this , acknowledging sometimes in their writings , and when they are serious , that neither predestination , nor vocation , nor grace comes from any forefight of what man would do , but only from gods predistinating , calling , preventing with his grace , and this is the help of god , all good it is in god , both for the present , and our eternal good . it was a speech of augustin , god doth many good things in a man that a man doth not himself , but there are other things that god works in man ; but ( saith he ) though he works them 〈◊〉 him , and man doth them , yet it is god that doth them . this point we must not speak at large to , but pase it presently , for we met with that before in the prophesie , where it was said , god was the only savior . in me is thy help . in me ] that is , thy continued help ; not only help for the present , but whatsoever help thou hast continued it is all in god. isa . . . be thou their arm every morning , our salvation also in the time of trouble ; not only their help for the present , but they need stil a continued supply and help every morning . but further ; in me is thine help , though thou hast destroyed thy self . observe , there 's no misery that man can bring himself to here in this world but there is help in god for it : though thou hast destroyed thy self , yet in me is thine help , there may yet be help in god ; as if god should say , i do glory in it , to be an helper . it is god glory to help men in miserie ; let it be ours . it 's the glory of many men to destroy , to do mischief ; but it 's the glory of god to be an helper . saith luther upon the place , i desire to defend thee , to preserve thee , this indeed is to be a god saith he : to be an helper , god glories in this , that he is a god for this end , to be an helper . oh that we could account it our glory , to be helpful unto others . let us also look upon god in this his glory , and make him the object of our faith in times of distress , let us not lie vexing and fretting under our misery , b 〈…〉 ●ift up our eyes to god that is the helper , let no want of means , no unworthiness in us cause our hearts to sink , those despairing temptations that saith to us , there is no help in god , they are very sinful at any time , let the condition be never so bad . you will say , i am a wretched creature , i have undone my self . well , though thou hast , yet such kind of thoughts as these , to say , there is no help in god , they are wicked and sinful . god accounts it his glory to help men even when they have destroyed themselves . there is a time indeed when there will be no help for sinners ; but for the time in this world , we may say as shechaniah , in ezra , . yet now there is hope in israel , concerning this thing . oh make use of that scripture when thou seest thy self sink down even to the very gulf , oh yet there is hope in the god of israel for this very thing . suppose my condition be worse i think than any in the world , yet you know , it hath not been known what god hath laid up for them that love him , there is help in god. yea , but whether he will help or no ? do but carry it now in this notion , that there is help in god , and he accounts it his glory to be an helper ; he accounts it not his glory to be a destroyer so much , no , that 's his strange work , but to be an helper , that 's his great glorie . and again , even at that time when men are most undone , then is the time for god to help . thou hast destroyed thy self ; in me is thine help . oh! come and return , yet there may be help for thee , though thou hast destroyed thy self . thou hast destroyed thy self , in me thy help . it may be in a way of aggravation of their sin and stubbornness , why doest not thou come in to me ? have not i alwaies been a help to thee in all times of straights and distresses ? you are in great miserie ; now i am the same that ever i was , yet there 's help enough in me : from whence the note is this : those that heretofore have seen help in god , and yet if now their misery grows upon them , and they sink yet lower and lower , they had need examin themselves throughly : surely they have shut the door against themselves for help , for god is never wearie of doing good , his arm is not shortened , as in isa . . but your iniquities have separated between you and your god. i beseech you mark but this , there is a great difference between god and man in this thing of helping . men that are verie kind sometimes and helpful , yet at other times they will be very surly and harsh towards those that they have been very helpful to in former times , and that not from any cause without , but meerlie from the temper of their own hearts , and the change that there is in their own spirits ; not because those that they have been kind to are worse now than before , no , but because of a froward , surly , harsh humor that is risen up in themselves : you shall see such a difference in men that have been very sweet , loving , and helpful to you at some times , but come to them at other times , and you shall find them dogged , and surly , and harsh , and you cannot tell what hath provok'd them ; no , it is nothing but from a surlie distemper that is risen in their hearts . oh! thus it is with men , but it is not so with god. thou hast destroyed thy self , but in me is thy help ; it is still , i have been thy helper all thy daies , and still am the same god ready to do good unto thee , and to help thee . and then the last thing that i would note is this : the more god hath been helpful to any , the greater aggravation will it be to their destruction , if they be destroyed at last . thou hast destroyed thy self , but in me is thy help , i have been a help alwaies , i am ready to help and to do good , and yet thou art undone ; oh to be destroyed when god is at hand to help , to perish when there is a fountain just before us , as hagar ; this will be sad indeed . oh to perish in the midst of means , and in the midst of mercies , oh what an aggravation will it be to mens sins ! another day when they are past the time of mercie to help , but then to think , oh! but how gracious was god to me while i liv'd , at such and such a time ! and so concerning our selves again , from this , in me is thine help . it will be the aggravation of our misery , if we should yet perish . oh my brethren , consider of it , what , shall all the great stories , and notable famous stories that we have told of gods mighty working in helping us , shall they be of no other use but to aggravate our miseries at last ? it would be a sad thing . but to proceed . ver . . i will be thy king : where is any other that may save thee in all thy cities ? and thy judges of whom thou saidst , give me a king and princes . first , to speak a little to the words as you have them in your books , for the words will bear them so in the original . and yet i shall shew you another reading by and by that is as sutable to the original text as this . i will be thy king. what ever you do contrive , plot , keep never such a stir , fret , vex , and rage , i will govern you for all that , i will be your king , and will do that which beseems me as the great king of heaven and earth , i will not be born down by you with all your boisterousness , i will govern you , 〈◊〉 will have mine own ends , do what you can , things shall not go as you will , but they shall go as i will have them ; you would cast off my authoritie , but i wil maintain it , i wil be your king. this is a sad condition to a people when god rules over them in spight of their heart . and yet god doth do so , many times god rules over people in spight of their hearts , whether they will or no ; while they are plotting and striving for themselves this way , and that way , god is bringing about his own ends in their ruin , the lord is king , be the people never so unquiet , ( saith the psalmist , psal . . . ) it 's not thy fretting and wilfulness that wil hinder the course of gods ordering things in the world , he will be king at last do what thou canst , while thou and thousand thousands of such as thou art shall perish eternally , god will be king ; oh it 's infinitly better for thee to fal down before the lord , and say , lord , thou shalt be our king , thou art above us , thou hast power over us , thou shalt be our king for ever ; it 's just with god alwaies to say thus , i will be king : but certainly god hath not made such a distance between man and man that any man should say so , that whatsoever injustice he doth , whatsoever misery he brings people into , yet i will be thy king , i will have mine own ends , mine own will. the bonds between kings and states certainly is * mutual . but further thus : i will be their king. i will not cast off all care of them , i will not leave them to the mercy , or rather to the crueltie of others , but let them come and return to me , and i will deal with them as a king to defend them , to govern them , to do good to them . that god should be king over a people it 's his mercy , and it's mans felicitie ; this should be our prayer , lord , give us not up to be rul'd by our lusts , but do thou rule over us , and lord give us not up to be rul'd by the lusts of wicked men , of unjust and cruel men to rule over us , but do thou reign over us , let the kingdoms of the earth be the lords and his christs , and he shall reign for evermore . but there is another reading of the words , and that 's thus . you that have books of the old-translation , where beza's ( the geneva ) notes are , you shall find the reading thus , i am , and there 's a stop , where is your king that should save your city ? & i find most interpreters go so . so the septuagint translation , where is your king ( say they ? ) and the chaldae paraphrase , where is your king that should save you in all your cities ? the chaldae paraphrase , the septuagint , and very many interpreters reades it so , it 's so translated in the old translation , and according to the original , i will be , ( there may be a stop ) your king ; where is he that should save you in your cities ? yea , and many learned men in speaking of this text in their comments upon it , say they , it 's but a transposition of the letters which is ordinarily in the hebrew tongue , and though the word that is ( i will be ) it is as much as ( where ) upon a transposition of the letter , but though we do not make the transposition of the letter in the first words ( i will be ) but take them as they are there . but if you make a stop there , i will be , your king ; where is he that shall save you in your cities ? the sense comes to one . as if he should say , i am the same god that ever i was , but where is your king that should save you in your cities ? oh the words read so , may pierce the hearts of some , if ever they have had any acquaintance with god , and known what communion with god hath meane heretofore , to hear but these words , for god to say , i am , i am the same god that ever you knew me to be , that ever you found me to be , but where is your king that should save you ? and if you reade it as here , i will be , and there make the stop , so pareus : i will be ( saith he ) and so refers it , then i will be ( what he had said before ) as a lyon , a leopard , and as a bear bereaved of her whelps ; and then , where is your king that should save you ? this is gods name , in exod. . . i am that i am , or , i will be what i will be ; so saith god here , i am lord , i will be ; but then where is your king ? where is your king that should save you in your citie , and your judges , of whom you said , give us a king and princes ? my brethren , i am no prophet , and have not the spirit of a prophet that could prophesie of things before , or could order scripture when it should be preached of , and when not , i am you see in an ordinary course and way , and meeting with this scripture , am bound ( according to my ability ) to demonstrate unto you wherein the force of it lies . i hope your consciences shal be witness that there shal not be the least straining of it , but to give you the storie of the thing , and the temper of the people at this time ; it appears plainly that there was three things that they much rested upon : say they , let the prophet say what he will , we have the king for us , and the citie for us , and the nobles for us , put king , and citie , and nobles together , and who can prevail ? saith god , where 's your king that should save you in your cities ? and your judges , of whom ye said , give us a king and princes , and nobles . there 's these three put together . if our king come to the cities he will have a partie there , and there will be strength in the citie , and we know the cities are able to command all the country , and kingdom , there 's the militia , and a numerous company of men , and there 's riches in the cities , and therefore the king together with them , and then having the nobles of the land , and the princes , we are sure in a safe condition , and yet in the midst of this he asks them , by way if derision and insultation . for so it is , where is your king that should save you in your cities ? the notes from the words are these : first , those things that carnal hearts rest upon will vanish ; where are they , saith god , what 's become of them ? you would encourage one another and say , come , we shall have a day yet , for we have this strength , and the king and nobles for us : where are they ? those things that carnal hearts rest upon will vanish and come to nothing . yea , secondly , god loves to insult over men in their carnal confidences ; for so , he doth not say here , your king shall not save you , nor your cities shal not save you , nor your princes , and nobles shall not save you ; but , where are they ? in a kind of irony ; god loves to insult over the carnal confidences of men . and we find in scripture many such kind of insultings over men : in deut. . . where are your gods that should deliver you ? and in is . . . where are thy wise-men ? what , we have got states-men , men known in state affairs , we have them with us . but where are they , saith god ? thus the lord insults over men that put their confidence in the flesh , and especially when they have been confident in their own waies , forsaking god , and so bringing themselves to misery ; when they have brought themselves to misery by forsaking the waies of god , now god insults , now where are these things that you put such confidence in ? and truly , even the saints , so be it they do it in an holy humble way , they may have some kind of insulting over ungodly men , only because they have so much flesh in them , there 's danger , therefore they had need keep their hearts very low : but if they do it in the strength of god ; we have it in scripture , that the virgin , daughter of zion shall laugh at them , and laugh them to scorn . only keep your hearts ( i say ) low , and you may come to see the glory of god ; even insult in this , that god hath heard your prayer , and hath been with his people , and that the enemy hath had so much power and strength in the flesh , and yet how the lord hath disappointed them . and then further , this is the great confusion to carnal hearts , when they shall be asked , where 's their confidence , and their boasting ; and they shall be found speechless ? when this shall be ask'd them , where 's your bravery , and pride and stoutness of your hearts ? and they shal be able to say nothing ; oh! this wil be a great confusion and shame upon them . certainly ere long it will be so to all carnal hearts that make their boast in the pomp and glory of the world , there shall be a confounding . where ? asked them , where 's all your bravery , and pride , and rage ? i say , this confounding [ where ] will be asked to every wicked and ungodly man : what will they be able to say then ? in judg. . . we reade of one gaal the son of ebed , who said , who is abimelech ? but in vers . . when abimelech came with strength against him , zebal said to him , where is now thy mouth , wherewith thou saidest , who is abimelech , that we should serve him ? when men are in their pride & bravery , then they scorn at god and men , they little regard any thing that is said to them ; but when god brings them down low , then wheretis that mouth of thine that did so boast and speak so proudly , as heretofore it did ? my brethren , let us learn from hence therfore , to seek after , and rest upon those things which we may be able alwaies to give an accompt of where they are , if it should be ask'd us ; the saints , if it should be ask'd them , where is their god ? they can give an accompt , it 's the god of heaven that we have trusted in , it 's the god that is in the highest heavens , and in the hearts of the saints , we can tell where our god is : it is just with god that wicked men should be insulted over , because they insult over the saints ; so if god do but seem to absent himself from his people , they will presently insult over them , yea , where 's your god ? where 's your prayers and fastings ? have not some of you heard such language many times in this kingdom ? there 's no such time but the saints of god can give an answer to this [ where ] they can tell where their fastings and prayers are : but the wicked are not able to tell what is become of their confidences and boastings . therfore , o you saints of god , never be afraid of evil men , for ere long it will be demanded of them , where their pomp , and glory , and pride is ? but they cannot answer . and it follows ; thy judges of whom thou saidst , give me a king and princes . by judges ( though sometimes kings are meant , as amos , . . i will cut off the judg out of the midst of thee , he speaks ( saith drusius ) of the king of moab : ) we are to understand here their nobles and great men upon whom they relied , for so they are call'd in scripture , judges : they had indeed judges before that time , when they said , give us a king and princes ; they had judges , but they were of meaner rank in comparison of those they had after , they had judges that by gods appointment govern'd them , but they were too mean for them ; no , they must have a king , they must have princes , they must have such judges that are kings and princes , great men , for these that they had to rule over them , they were but of their own rank , and this would not satisfie them , but they must have such as were great ones , above them : those were but ordinary men , what were they but the commons of the same ranke with other men ; and raised up but a little while ago from the ordinary way and rank of men ? and why should not we be rul'd and govern'd by them ? no , we must have a king , and nobles , and they must govern us , give us a king and princes . god had been much with these judges , reade but the story of the judges , and you shall find that god had ever more appeared with them , i do not remember any one of the judge , but ever prevail'd when god raised him up : but now this people they regard them not , why ? because they were but meaner men , they were but men of their own rank , though god did assist them so exceedingly . oh my brethren , this is the ordinary guize of carnal hearts , though god be much with men , yet if they be but of a low rank , carnal hearts regards them not ; let them do never so great services , and be never so instrumental for the kingdom , even those men that have had their estates preserved by them , that have had their liberties and all kept by them , and by a mighty spirit that god hath put into them , yet when the work is over , they look upon them but as mean ordinarie men , men of a common rank , and so let them go ; they after all the great things that god hath done by them , still their thoughts and minds are upon others that are above them , and princes , and nobles , such men , they rely more upon men in whom they see outward pomp and glory ; then upon those that have the presence of god never so much with them , and they regard them more , and they do think that they shall receive more good by them , and their hearts are more towards them if they have outward pomp and glory , than towards such men that are in a meaner condition though there be never so much of the presence of god with them : oh we see that , that which hath been is still to this verie day . — of whom thou saidst , give us a king and princes . where did they say so ? they said so in sam. . . there say they to samuel , come , give us a king that may reign over us ; indeed the word princes , i do not 〈…〉 here , but here the holy ghost ads princes , and give us princes too ; but that must of necessity be supposed , for if there be a king , a king must have his court and nobles about him , and must be as a fountain of honor , and must confer honor , and have great men about him ; so that though princes be not named there , yet the holy ghost supplies them as a thing that must of necessity be understood , come , let us be governed by a king and great ones that are about him . but you wil ask me , what 's the reason that nothing would satisfie them but a king and nobles ? there are these seven reasons that may be given for it , nothing would satisfie them but a king onlie . first , consider their extream earnestness about it , if you reade sam. . you will find that they were almost mad upon it , a king they must have , and would have . oh! it was very grievous to samuel's spirit , he told them their great sin , and the lord said , they have rejected me , and not thee . samuel told them what god said , and god bad samuel go and tell them what a king they should have , that he would oppress them extreamly , they shall have arbitrary government come in to the full , he will take away your servants and children , and do with them what he pleases , you will be brought to be slaves to him , any parasite at court may easily get your estates , you shall be accounted an offender for a word , and fin'd what they please , you shall be in most miserable bondage if you have him . but now you shall find afterwards , after samuel had told them all this ; nay say they , but let us have a king for all this , they answered him nothing : if any one should come and reason , why do you desire a king so much ? what shall you get by it ? do not you think that he will have your estates and all you have at his dispose , and your liberties ? no man now could denie this , they did not denie the 〈◊〉 word that samuel said , but they will hold their conclusion , nay , but we must have a king say they . what 's the matter that should make them thus ? first , somewhat even for novelty sake ; they had other kind of government before , but now they would have somewhat more , mens spirits are very much given to change , though they can give no account in the world for the thing . but secondly , there might be some distrust in them , in their former judges , because they were men of meaner rank ( as i told you ) they might think that they should not be able to help them , oh say they , let us have a king that shall go before us in our wars . though they had never so much experience of the judges , yet they thought there would be more good if they had great ones , and they were afraid that these men of a lower , meaner rank would fail them at last . and then a third reason is , that they might be like other nations , because they loved pomp , what say they , shall we see our neighbor nations to be governed by those that have great pomp and glory , and shall we be governed by men that were but trades-men a while ago ? no , they would be like other nations . fourthly , it is like they had some oppressions upon them even from the former judges ; though most of them were good , yet certainly there cannot be a government of men but there wil be some cause at one time or other for some to complain : take the best government that can be in the world , yet seeing it is a government of men , by men , there will be some cause or other to complain at some time or other . now this is the peevishness of mens hearts , that if there be but any condition wherein they suffer , they do nothing but complain of their suffering , and therefore would fain have a new way ; and never think of the inconveniences and sufferings that would come in by that new way ; oh! they would be rid of these that now they were under , and would have a king , these men angred them , these men laid some taxes upon them that they were not pleas'd withal , now so be it they might be rid of them , they car'd not what they bring upon themselves , and therefore they would have a king , not minding what sufferings they should bring upon themselves in another kind . and then fifthly , a king they would have out of a spirit of opposition against that way that god had set ; god was in a way of governing of them , and their hearts was against that way of god , a meer spirit of opposition , though they would give no reason why they might not be as well that way as another : but it was gods way , and there is an opposition in the heart of man to any thing that hath god in it ; the more any thing hath of god in it , and the more god rules in a way , the more opposite are the hearts of evil men . and then a sixth reason is this , they had some hopes that they should have some more liberty for their lusts . now having such a way of government as they had there was more inspection over them , and they could not so easily corrupt them , but now in the government of one man over them , if they can but make a friend to him they may do what they list , they might brave it over all their other neighbors , if they would be but willing to be a slave to him , they might make all their neighbors slaves to them , they had a great deal more hopes of libertie for their lusts it 's like this way than the other . and then lastlie , many of them had hopes to get preferment this way : let us have a king and princes , and we shall get preferments in the court , and places this way , and therefore this is the best way , we will not be satisfied with any other way but this , we live in a mean low condition without this , but we shall get preferments this way , therefore give us a king. but now that 's observable , though they thought they had agreed deal of reason for themselves , yet after they had once smarted , and they found indeed that there was that oppression upon them after they had a king and these princes more than ever they were under in their lives , now was a time that hosea could speak freely to them , and say in the name of god , where is your king , and those men that you were so earnest for ? what good have you got ? for it is observable though they were never so eager upon having a king , yet if you reade the story in samuel , when god did but thunder from heaven , oh! then we have sinned ; and when they were under oppression , then hosea could speak freelie and plainlie to them , where is your king ? and where are these men ? men will not hear so long as they do not suffer ; if men be once set upon a way , and have their estates about them , and countenance from great ones , speak what you will against their way , they will not hear you ; but let these men smart for their way , and find by experience the evil of it , then you may speak to them and say , do you think now that it was wiselie done , that that you were so eager upon ? do you think you dealt well for your selves ? oh then they will be readie to say , i confess i did not think so seriouslie of those things before , i lookt onlie upon that , that appeared for the present , and now after-wit is bought , although it be dear , i see cause now to repent of what i have done . my brethren , surelie kings and nobles are great blessings of god when they are good : you see i have not strain'd in the least thing , but held forth to you what the scope of the place is ; let none go away and say , that i enveighed against kings , or nobles , certainlie in themselves they are great blessings of god , and we must acknowledg it fitting to have a difference between man and man. it 's a slander that is upon a sort of people . as if they would have all things to lie level , and one to have as much horer as the other ; god forbid we should have such a thought : let us give honor to those whom god would have honored , and never envy nor grutch at their honor , if god pleases to send those that are good , i say , they may be great instruments of great blessings of god to us . but now mark the verie next words that follow in the eleventh verse , they would have a king. ver . . i gave them a king in mine anger , and took him away in my wrath . they were readie to say , why do you thus blame us for our eager desire ? did not god approve of it ? god himself was content we should have one , god himself chose our first king , saul , and he appointed samuel to anoint him . and if you understand it of the other king jeroboam , for so interpreters go , they might say , and jeroboam also ; did not god foretel by the prophet , that jeroboam should have ten tribes ? and did not the man of god tell us that this was from the lord ? and therefore why should you so much upbraid us about our kings ? it is the mind and will og god that we should have them . the answer of the prophet is : it 's true , god did give you a king , and god did appoint samuel to anoint him , and god did foretel that jeroboam should be king over the ten tribes : yea , but it was in his anger , he gave you one indeed , but it was in his anger , you were so set upon it , that you would have one , if you will , take him saith god , and take him with all that shall follow after , so that it was ( as one speaks ) rather from an angry god than from a god that was intreated by them in a way of prayer . there are many exceeding useful observations here , which time will not give leave to go through all , even from the first part . i gave them a king in mine anger . saul and jeroboam was given in anger , those primarily , as a punishment of their sin : saul was given as a punishment of their sin in rejecting samuel , and in their disobedience to samuel , and the way of government that they had then . and jeroboam was given as a punishment of their sin of idolatry , that was committed in solomon's time , [ as also of their rebellion and apostacie ] and yet it 's said , that god did it . the first note may be this : that god may have a hand in things wherein men sin exceedingly . they sin'd in geting a king , they sin'd exceedingly in setting up jeroboam , and yet god hath such a hand in it , as he saith he , gave them these things . i remember mr calvin hath an excellent note upon this very scripture . and i rather name it , because the adversaries would cast that aspersion on him , that he held that god was the author of sin . saith he , * from this place we learn , that god doth so exercise his judgments , that whatsoever evil there is , it is to be ascribed to men ; whatsoever good , to himself : god seems to direct this work wholly to his own providence : from hence let us learn soberly to admire the secret judgments of god ; neither let us imitate those impure dogs ; impure dogs , what are they that do therefore grin and bark at god , because they cannot understand how god doth use wicked men ; because they understand not this , they conclude that god is the cause of sin . he cals them the impure dogs , because they understand not how god doth work in making use of wicked men , that god is the author and cause of sin . his spirit was was much against this , and therefore it was an extream slander upon him , as if he should hold such an opinion . that 's the first . god may have an hand in things wherein men sin extreamly , and yet he remain holy . secondly , things that are very evil , yet may 〈…〉 esent success . it was a very evil thing for them to desire a king at this time , and likewise for the people to rend from the house of david , yet both of them had success according to their own desire . let us learn for ever not to judge of the goodness of a thing by the success of it . say some , i 'le warrant you we will have this ; and if they get what they desire , they think god approves of it : they may desire a thing , and be set upon it , and though much be said to the contrary , yet they may drive on their designs , and prosper in it : but this is no argument that god owns it as good , never judge of things by success . and then the third point , and that wil require some time indeed to speak to , and that is , that gods gifts are not alwaies in love . i gave them a king saith he , but in mine anger . gods gifts are not alwaies in love ; no , they are in anger many times : reade but the . of numbers , . . you shall find there of god giving people their desires . he lets them have them , but how ? say thou unto the people , sanctifie your selves against to morrow , and ye shal eat flesh , for ye have wept in the ears of the lord , saying , who shall give us flesh to eat ? therefore the lord will give you flesh . you have wept and cried , saying , who shal give us flesh ? the lord wil give you flesh , and , ye shall not eat one day , nor two daies , nor five daies , neither ten daies , nor twenty daies , but a whol month shal you eat it , til it comes out at your nostrils ; you shall have enough of it , even till it be loathsom to you : why ? because you have despised the lord , which is among you : the lord gave them their desires , because they had despised him . so you are ready to bless your selves in this : i have what i would have , and think that therefore god regards you , that god gives you what you would desire , because you have sinned against him ; whereas if he were not angry with you , he would not give it . saith augustin , god many times in giving is angry , in denying is merciful . it is because he is angry that he gives you such things as-you would have . there 's the same in psal . . , . and so on , there it appears how god gave them flesh according to their desires , but while the meat was in their mouths , the wrath of god came upon them . it is a most excellent point , if we had time a little to open it , oh it might quiet our desires : for that i had thought to have spoken to , how we might know when a thing is given in gods anger , or in his love , the several waies of gods giving ; you may come to know whether a thing be given in love or in anger , by seeing the waies of things , and comparing one thing with another , you may come to know much of god in it . but only now let me leave this with you about it , take heed of immoderate desires for any worldly thing : to say , i must , and i will , and i will have it ; when ever you find your hearts strongly rising to a thing that you must needs have , then be afraid , be afraid of having it , as much as you were of having any thing in your lives ; no man or woman can have any comfort in anie thing as coming from gods love until they can first quiet their hearts , and be willing to be at gods dispose , to be willing to be without it , that 's one main sign of giving in gods anger , or in love : when as a man or woman finds an eager desire after a thing , oh it is verie sutable to such and such a purpose ; yea , but now if i can go alone and consider that god is wiser than i , and knows what 's best for me ; if i can labor to work my heart to this , lord , if it be good for me , then i desire it ; but if thou seest it would not be good , then lord , here i am , do with me what seems good in thine eyes , as david did : surely nature could not but work strongly , yet saith david , if the lord hath any pleasure in me , he will bring me again to this city &c. but if he shall say , i have no pleasure in thee , lo , here i am , let him do what seemeth him good in his eyes . yea , this was a thing indeed , and no question this temper of davids heart in his affliction was the thing that did so much help him in enlargement to praise god , when he returned to the ark and citie again : had david kept a stir , and fretting , and vexing , and what , must i go from the citie of jerusalem ! and how doth god deal with me ! and i am resolved though it cost me my life i will return to jerusalem and take possession of the citie , whatsoever comes of it ; perhaps david might have gotten thither , but there would not have been so much love of god in it , as when he could give up himself to gods dispose . and so if this people could have said thus , it 's true lord , thou art our king , but we are despised because we are governed by men of such mean qualitie , and the truth is , god had promised them a king also , and therefore it was not such an evil thing to desire a king , but so eagerly , they would have him now , if they had been but quiet , and said , lord , thou tellest us in thy word of a king that we shall have , lord , fulfil this thy word , and for the present we are content to submit to thee , as long as thou thinkest fit ; now it may be god would have given them a king , or presently after , and so they might have had a holy and gracious king ; but they must have him now , and so they had him with the anger of god. you know the storie of rachel , oh! give me children or else i die . so she had a child and she died ; though it was not in gods anger as an enemie , yet it was a fatherly anger . oh! think but of this , you women that are so desirous of children , or any outward blessing , you that are desirous of altering your condition . how manie in altering their estate , as in marriage , they must needs alter it , and to this partie , and such a one they must needs have , although they beg their bread all their daies , and although parents against it , and though they cannot see evidences of grace . now saith god , you shall have it , you shall joyn together , i , and you shall work your own miserie by this eagerness of your spirit . oh brethren , let us learn to be moderate in our desires , and commit our desires and heart to god. i gave them a king in mine anger , and took him away in my wrath . the last exercise , there was only these two or three observations named . first , that god may have a hand in things wherein men do sin exceedingly . secondly , things that are very evil may have success according to the hearts of men for a time . the third thing was this ; that gods gifts are not alwaies in love. now because it is a great point , there are two things that i shall desire to do first , to shew to you , how a man may know that what god doth give him , it is in anger and not in love . and then secondly , some corralaries to be drawn from it ; but very briefly in both . for the first then , how we may come to know a thing to be given by god in anger rather than in love . it is a verie hard thing to convince men , if they have their desires satisfied that it is rather from anger than love ; men are so well pleased with the satisfying of their desires that they can verie hardlie be convinc'd but that god intends good to them in it , and therefore you shall find in sam. . . that god was fain to do a great and wonderful work of his to convince this people that , that which he gave them there ( saul ) it was in anger rather than in love , is it not wheat harvest to day ? i will call unto the lord , and he shall send thunder , and rain , that you may perceive and see that your wickedness is great which ye have done in the sight of the lord , in asking you a king. samuel had before in chap. . told them of their sin in asking a king , but they would not be convinced , still they must have a king. now saith samuel , it is wheat harvest , and whereas the people of the jews were never wont to have rain in harvest time , it was a strange and wonderful thing for them to have rain then : but though it be harvest-time , yet it shall rain and thunder , and all to the end that you may be convinced of yourgreat wickedness in asking you a king. they had not only had their desires granted before this time , but as they thought had some confirmation of their desires ; for saul had prospered after he had been a king : but yet for all that ( saith he ) i will give you an evident demonstration that it is not in love that you have him , but it was your great wickedness in seeking you a king. and samuel called upon the lord ( saith the text ) and the lord sent thunder and rain that day . and then in vers . . all the people said to samuel , pray for thy servants unto the lord thy god that we die not , for we have added unto all our sins this evil , to ask us a king : now we do acknowledg it to be a very great and sore evil indeed , though our king hath prospered a while , yet god shews us now that it is an evil . and by this you may see that it is hard for men to be convinced when they have according to their hearts desires , that it is in anger rather than in love. but to give you some notes whereby you may be helped to come to see , whether what you have granted by god according to your desires be in anger or love . as first , when you desire , a gift , rather than god in it ; when your desires are for the gift rather than the giver you can have no comfort that there 's love in it . there 's no man that hath to deal with another , if he knows that what he doth desire from him , it is not out of love to him , but meerly from the love of the gift , certainly though he may give him for some other ends , yet he doth not give it out of love , those desires that are not out of love , are not satisfied from love . love satisfies no desires that are not raised by love , love it acts alwaies upon love . now god knows what the ground of our desires are , if we desire the gift rather than the giver , rather than god in it , ( i say ) we can have no comfort that it is from love what we do enjoy . a gracious heart whatsoever it would have from god , yet this is the main thing in its desires , oh! let me have god in it , such is my condition here in this world , that god appoints that i shall not enjoy him immediately altogether , but i shall enjoy him through such and such mercies , oh then that i might have these mercies that i might enjoy him in them . certainly any thing that thou hast in way of satisfaction to these desires is out of love ; but when thou lookest no further than the creature , thou wouldest have the thing but lookest not at god in it , thou canst not expect the love of god to be conveyed by it . that 's the first thing . secondly , when our desires are imoderate and violent , then we have cause to suspect , if god satisfies them , that they are not out of love , when we are in a hurry in our desires . this was just the case of this people here ; nay , but let us have a king ( say they , ) we must needs have him , whatsoever comes of it , we will have him . when god doth use to satisfie the desires of his people in his love , he doth first quiet their hearts , he brings their hearts into a sweet and blessed moderation ; but when mens hearts are violent , that the thing they desire they must have , god doth manie times say , you shall have it then , take it : but then he speaks not in love , that 's verie remarkable : the desires of the people in the . of numbers for quails , it 's a notable scripture to confirm our point here , that god doth not alwaies satisfie in love . reade psal . . . and so on , there you have the same story recorded of their desiring of quails , they were mightily violent in their desires . but that 's the thing i would observe there , that the lord after he had shewed that he did not answer their desires in love , but in wrath , then in vers . . after the judgments of god had come upon them in the satisfying of their desires , that many of them were slain by god ; then saith the text , he called the name of that place , kibroth-hattaavah , because there they buried the people that lusted : that is , the sepuleres of the lusts of the desires that they had : god sets a brand upon that place , saith he , here are the graves of the desirers ; oh! the desirers , they must needs have flesh , and they stood upon their desires , their desires must be satisfied ; and here 's the graves of the desirers saith god. oh remember , you that lust after evil things , remember when your desires are immoderate and violent , it 's just with god to set a brand by som remarkable hand of his against you , and say , here 's the mark of these desires that were so immoderate , and so violent . that 's the second note . thirdly , when god grants unto men their desires , but it is before the due time : they have what they would have , oh! but they have it not in gods time . children they long and desire after green fruit , but if they could stay but a few weeks or months , one apple then would be worth an hundred when they are green ; but they cannot stay , they must have the fruit when it is green ; they have it , but it breeds worms in their bellies and doth them no good . so when we have our desires satisfied before the due time , it 's not in love then . certainly a mother intends little good to her child , though her child should cry for green apples from off the tree , to fill the belly of her child with those green apples , no , it 's not the due time ; god had promised that israel should have a king in due time , that there should come kings from the loins of abraham : and in deut. . . there 's a prophesie of a king , that they should have ; yea , but they would not stay gods time , and therefore it was not out of love : in psal . . . it is said there , that those that did so lust , god gave them their lusts in his wrath , they did not wait for his counsel . that 's that which is noted there oh! we should be willing to wait for gods counsel . we would have the thing presently done : yea but gods counsel works one thing after another , and one thing depends upon another , and we should be willing to wait for his counsel ; if we will not mind gods counsel , but must have our desires satisfied , and that now ; we cannot expect love in them , but it 's rather wrath ; he gives unto them in his anger : and that 's the third note . fourthly , when god grants us what we would have , but there comes no blessing at all with what we enjoy ; he doth grant the thing , but takes away the blessing of the thing , he takes away the comfort of it , the satisfaction in it , they shal eat , but they shall not be satisfied : so in psal . . . there he gave them their request , but sent leanness into their soul , the text saith , he filled them according to their desires with flesh , but sent leanness into their soul ; the meaning of the text is this , it is a similitude transfer'd from the bodie to the soul , that as many times men may have a dogs appetite ( as the physitiaus cals it ) that is , a mightie greedie stomach , but they cannot digest what they eat , and so the body is lean ; so here , they had a mightie desire , but as in the bodie manie times there is such a disease that the meat turns not to nourishment , so in their souls , they had even that their souls desir'd , yea , but their souls could not be satisfied , there was that distemper in the soul as in the bodie , the bodie doth not thrive with what it eats when it hath such a disease upon it ; so though the soul hath what it did desire for the matter of it , yet it had a distemper in it ; thus it could not be satisfied , nor thrive , nor prosper with what it had , oh he sent leanness into their soul . how many times are men and women mightie greedie , and desirous after such and such contents , and think thus , oh how happy should i be if i had this and the other thing ! it may be god lets you have what you would here , but when he hath let you have it , he snatches away the comfort of it ; you shall have a well , but it shall have no bottom , you shall not be able to get out the good and comfort in what you have . and that 's the fourth thing . surely god is not in it , for the blessing of god makes rich , and ads no sorrow with it , no , he brings comfort . fifthly , when that which we desire is meerly to satisfie our lusts , meerly that we might have our humors and lusts satisfied , that 's all ; we do not desire such and such comforts that by them we may be fitted for the service of god in our places , not so much because we have need of them to help us in our work , but because we would have our lusts satisfied , there 's all , we cannot give an account why these and these things should help us in the work of the lord , but that we may go on as well without them : but these and these things are sutable to our lusts : oh! if god doth give thee any thing to satisfie thy lusts , certainly he gives it in his wrath ; as now , if a man that hath a disease in his bodie , if he hath an enemie comes to him and knows what will feed his disease , the enemie will give it him that he might dispatch him the sooner ; there 's no faithful physitian , nor no loving friend will give unto any that that will feed their disease , but will take it from them , and take it from them in love , because it will feed theirdisease . oh! the lord sees mens hearts set upon such and such lusts , and if they have such and such things granted them their lusts will be fed by them , they shall have them saith god : it 's as dangerous a sign of reprobation as any thing , to give them that , that shall be most sutable to their lusts , that shall most harden them . and on the other side , the greatest love when god shall take that from his children , that he knows will but feed their lusts , there 's many diseases are such that the only way to cure them , is to keep the patient in a short dyet ; though they crie for food , and be very hungry , yet they must be kept very sparing , why ? because the nature of the disease is such as will draw all nourishment to it self to feed it : and so god is fain to do with his own people when he sees them sick of such a disease , the nature of which will draw all nourishment for the feeding of it . sixthly , when men desire that they would have , and are eager upon it , but they take no great care , whether they do enjoy it from a reconciled god , or a provoked god , it 's all one to them , let me have it ; but whether it comes from god reconciled , or god provoked , they do not much stand upon that : that 's very remarkable here , in numb . . there is this notable story of gods satisfying desires in his wrath . if you turn to the beginning of the chapter , you shall find that god was very much provoked with the people here : the people complain'd , it displeased the lord , and the lord heard it , and his anger was kindled , and the fire of the lord burnt among them and consum'd them , and the people cried to moses , and so the judgment was got off from them ; but then presently after they fell to murmuring before ever any thing was done to reconcile god and their souls together ; you do not reade of any work of humiliation to seek reconciliation with god , between the time that god did manifest his sore displeasure against them , and the time that god satisfied them in their desires ; no , they look'd not upon that , god indeed was displeased , but it was off now , and for any matter of atonement , or making up their peace with god , that they look'd not at , but let them have their desires , hence it came to be in wrath the satisfying of their desires . doth thy conscience tell thee that there hath been a time wherein god hath been displeased with thee , the anger of god hath burst out against thee ? perhaps thou art in a better condition now than thou wast before ; oh but tell me , hast thou humbled thy soul before god to make up thp peace with him ? hath there been a day of atonement between god and thy soul ? hath gods displeasure been out against thee , and now doth he come and satisfie thee in what thou doest desire before any thing hath been done in falling down before him and seeking his face , and making peace ? thou canst not have comfort in this satisfying of thy desires , but it 's rather in wrath than in mercy . seventhly , when god regards not our preparation for a mercy , he gives it whether we be fitted for it yea , or no : no great matter . and carnal hearts take no great care themselves of it , let me have it whether my heart be in a fit condition , that 's not the thing . it 's your sin and wickedness not to regard the preparation of your hearts for what you have ; and it 's gods judgment to give it to you before you be prepared . a gracious heart when it would have a mercy , it is as careful to get the heart prepared for the mercy , as to obtain it ; oh! there 's such and such things that indeed would be sutable to me , but is my heart fit for such a deliverance ? is my heart fit for such a mercy as this ? when as it is thy care to prepare thy heart ; and when thou art labouring for the mercy , thou art as well labouring to prepare thy heart for it , surely then when it comes , it must be sweet indeed ; but when there 's no preparation before , thou canst not know that it is in love . we little think that we have need of preparation for mercies . if indeed god should threaten some judgment , we would think that we had need be prepared ; but certaialy there is as great need for preparation for mercies to be able to make good use of them , as for afflictions to be able to bear them . and this seventh note i have likewise from numb . . . and say thou unto this people , sanctifie your selves against to morrow . there 's a charge that they should sanctifie themselves against to morrow , for god would give them flesh . i do not find that they did do it , but when god promised to give them sesh● ; he bid them sanctifie themselves ; as if he should say , if that your desires come before you have sanctified your selves , it wil be in wrath , not in mercy ; oh therefore when as you are earnest to have your desires satisfied , think thus , the lord charges thee to sanctifie thy self , oh! doest thou take care of this ! doest thou make it to be thy endeavor to sanctifie thy self before the mercy comes ? then thou maiest have comfort in it , and not otherwise . eighthly , when we seek greedily to have our desires satisfied , but rest in the means we use , and seek to be beholding to the creature only for it , we do not lay the great weight upon prayer : what ever it is , that we enjoy , and we do not get it by * prayer , we cannot know that it is in love . when god intends a mercy from love , he doth first fill the heart with the spirit of prayer ; when a mercy comes after much prayer then it 's a mercy from love . when the saints have been praying , and then god hath come in with mercy , oh then they have gathered arguments of gods love to them ; this i had because i sought thee ; as hannah did concerning samuel , how did she rejoyce in samuel ! oh! this is the child that i prayed for saith hannah unto eli : oh! this is the mercy that i prayed for ; therefore she called her childs name samuel , one that was sought of god. and so when we can call every gift we have , we can call it samuel , that is , a gift ask'd of god , here 's a gift that 's got by prayer ; whatsoever means was used , yet prayer was the chief ingredient , this is an argument of love . but otherwise we can have no assurance that it is from love : it 's true , a king was not unlawful for them to desire , because they had such hints in scripture ; oh but they did not so much mind them ; no , but they come to samuel , and say , come , give us a king , we do not reade that they go to god for it . such a great change of their state as that was , one would think should have required divers daies in seeking of god. it was a mighty change from such a government as they had , unto a new kind of government , and from a government that was of gods own appointment to another government wherein now they would sute themselves according to the nations . and yet we find no daies of prayer for this ; and therefore it was in wrath that they had it . therefore when you would have any thing , look not so much to come by it according to second causes , but be much in prayer , according to the excellency of the thing that you seek for . ninthly , when god gives our desires , but doth not give a proportionable measure of grace , that so we might make a sanctified use of them : when god gives you the shell , but not the kernel , surely it is not in love . if your children should ask a nut of you , and you give them a nut that hath no kernel , they wil not think ( if so be that you knew it ) that it is in any great love . truly , all the good things that wicked men have , they are but shels without kernels , they are not in love . the kernel of every blessing , it is a proportionable measure of grace to use it for god. you have a great desire that god should change your condition , if he should change it , and not give you a heart fit for that condition , you had better be without that thing ; you have a desire that god should prosper you in such a business , yea , but if he doth not teach you how to abound , you had been better never to have abounded : now it 's not in love for god to give any success , except he gives a proportionable measure of grace according to the success : therefore that 's that which you should all examin , the lord hath altered my condition , and many good things i have more than before ; but what graces have i more than before ? what exercise of grace ? what work of grace more than before ? certainly if it be in love it will be so . tenthly , surely our desires cannot be in love , when god doth not only deny a proportionable measure of grace 〈◊〉 there goes a secret curse with what we have . if so be that 〈◊〉 man should be very hungry , and hath a mighty desire to satisfie himself , and he fals greedily upon his meat , and eats it , but assoon as he hath eaten it , his body swels more and more till it be as big as two bodies , surely he begins to think then that all is not well , lord , have mercy upon me ( saith he ) he is afraid that he is poysoned . so god gives you your desire , and assoon as you have it , you begin to swell , you are bigger than you were before , your hearts are proud , and you can look scornfully upon others then , oh you are poysoned ; this is an ill satisfying of your hunger , you are poysoned surely in this . in isa . . . you have there a notable expression to this purpose , therefore shall the lord , the lord of hosts , send among his fat ones , leanness ; and under his glory he shall kindle a burning , like the burning of a fire . even such things wherein there appears to be a great deal of glory , such things perhaps as when your desires are satisfied in you can glory in , oh you glory in such and such a mercie ; such a good thing you have above others ; but under this glory there is a burning kindled , there 's a great deal of the wrath of god in it , a secret curse that goes along with it . eleventhly , when we regard the satisfying of our desires so as we regard not what becoms of others sobeit we have our desires satisfied ; and this is from their example here . let 's have a king : a king ! what shall become of samuel then ? hath not he judged you , and been faithful with you ? what , will you shew your selves so ingrateful to him for all the good he hath done to you , as to reject him , and his house , and family ? oh! they cared not for that ; let us have a king , let become of samuel what wil come , and of his house , what care they ? and so when men are greedy in their desires ; let us have such and such a thing , but care not what becomes of others . that 's another n 〈…〉 of desires not granted in love . twelfthly , when god satisfying of our desires , makes way for some judgment . now indeed the thing is comfortable that we have , but stay a while and you shall see there is some judgment making way by that very thing that you have : and when the judgment is come , afterwards you will see how it made way for it : there are very great judgments many times upon men , that are made way for by the satisfying of their own desires : god hath many waies to prepare a path for his anger , by giving you your desires many times , there 's nothing more ordinary in experience than this , and therefore we need not stand upon it ; if you wil but examin the course of your lives , sometimes you may see that if god had satisfied your desires in such and such things , it would have made way for the greatest misery that ever you had in al your lives , and when god denies sometimes to his people , they can confess , o lord , i see that had i had my mind in such a thing which i would have had , i had been undone . and on the other side , you wil find that those things which you accompt the greatest mercies to you , do make way for the greatest evils , surely they were not given in love then . thirteenthly , when men are greedy of things , and never consider the inconvenients ; when they would have their desires satisfied in a foolish way , never minding what inconveniences may follow in this thing more than in the other thing , meerly looking upon that which is for the present sutable to them , but never think what inconveniences may follow . thus it was here ; they would have a king ; but samuel came and told them all the inconveniences that would follow upon it , how that they should have this affliction and the other ; you that are so desirous of him , if he comes among you , he will bring you into slavetie , your estates and your children shall be under his power , you wil be in slaverie to everie courtier . nay but we will have a king for al this , they would needs change the way of government , o that we might have a king ! and they would be brought more under law than before ; for indeed in the time of the judges , if you reade that storie , you shal find that the people of israel were in a great deal of libertie then , and they obeyed the judges in a great measure in a voluntary way ; if you raade the storie you shal find but two tribes that followed barach and deborah , and so of jepihthah , and sampson , those that were willing freely to offer themselves they followed them ; and those of ephraim they did chide with the other , and ask'd them , why did you not call us to it ? as noting that there was a great deal of freedom in the time of the judges . yea , but we will have a king , and we wil all then be tied to the same thing , and be under the same power , and so there will be a great deal of union that way : when this man shall not be in this way , and the other shal not be in another way , and men to have their freedom thus & thus , but al shal come in and joyn under the same law , and so we shall go on in one : certainly this was their reasoning in their desire of having a king. now this kind of union ( no question ) was verie good among the people ; but to have it in this way , that whereas the people were governed in such a way before as stood with a great deal of libertie ; it 's true , they shall have a kind of union , but they do not consider what inconveniences there will be in their being thus chain'd together . prisoners that are chained at a post , they are altogether all the day long : but would you have such a kind of union , to be united with such chains ? consider that with the union there may come a slavery upon you . but they did not consider of any such things , no matter say they , come , let us be all joyn'd in one , and let the same law be upon every one . but now , how this would bring them under bondage and slavery in those things they would be loth to be brought under in , in that they considered not at all . fourteenthly , when men seek to have their desires sarisfied meerly because they love change . we cannot have any comfort that god doth it out of love , when it is out of a foolish spirit that loves novelty . they , though they had bin long enough under that kind of government , and in a meer kind of novelty , not knowing what might come of such a change , but a change they would have . and so people though there be never so much good in a way , yet out of a novelty they would fain have a change : and if god grant them a change when they have no other ground but that for it , it is a sign that there is wrath in it , and not love . further , when it is through impatiency , and want of heart to submit to god in a former condition . it 's ill when it is through a meer novelty , but when it 's through impatiency then it 's like to be in wrath , and not in mercy , if your condition be changed , god hath put you in a lower and mean condition , it 's true , it 's lawful for you to desire a change , yea , but if you desire it because you cannot submit to gods hand , then it 's a sign that it is in wrath , but when you have brought your hearts to this , lord here i am , dispose of me as thou pleasest , i am content to lie under thy hand , but lord , i look up to thee for mercy ; consider i am a poor weak creature , and it is fit that thou shouldest have thy will , and not i mine : then if god make a change , you may have comfort that it is in mercy : but if you have it through impatiencie , you can have no comfort at all in it . it was just so here , they could not bear the hand of god that was upon them , any present trouble that they had upon them , and so thought to help themselves by having a king , and god gave them one , but it was in his anger . further , when our desires of further mercies makes us forget the former mercies , and makes us unthankful for former mercies ; they would have a king that might go before them , and fight for them . fight for them ! did not god fight for them before ? oh wonderful and glorious battels they had when they were under their judges , when they had samuel to direct them , they never had more glorious victories afterwards than then : nay , you shall find in the whol story of the judges , that they did alwaies prevail , and their judges generally were good , and guided them in gods waies ; but the kings did not so ; for the kings of israel were none of them good , from the beginning of them to the end . oh unthankful wretches that they are , so eager to have another condition , never minding nor blessing god for what they had , forgetful of all the good that ever they had . samuel could appeal to them , whose ox , or ass have i taken ? he judged righteously in his judgment . but they forget all gods goodness and mercy towards them , and must now be in another condition . oh! consider of this you that desire new conditions , be not you unthankful for what you have had , if you be so eager to have more so as to forget what you have had , if god should send you more your case is like to be worse than now it is : if one should go and take meat to eat befor he hath digested what he eat before , he hath fill'd his stomach , but there comes new dishes to the table that pleases his pallate , and he falls upon that and eats more and more , but that doth not nourish him , but turns to evil humors and so doth him hurt ; but if he would stay till he hath digested what he hath eaten before , then he might eat and have good nourishment . and you that would fain have more and more , have you digested what you have had ? are you thankful for what you have had ? hath god had the glory of what you have had before ? then if god gives you any thing you may have comfort to your souls that it comes out of love . further , when men desire new things out of distrust of god , and make such conclusions of unbeleef ; surely if god should not grant such and such things unto them then they are lost and undone , and there 's no way in the world to help them , and their desires are put on by distrust : whereas ( my brethren ) gracious desires are put on by faith , it 's the prayer of faith that doth ●ood , it is faith that doth inflame gracious desires that are sent up to god , they are sent up by the strength of faith , and not the strength of vnbeleef : it is the strength of vnbeleef that makes the desires of people so strong as they are , as thus ; these people desir'd a king ? why ? because they could not trust god to have but only judges as they had before . samuel was an old man & his sons were naught , and they see themselves in a hard condition ; yea , but now seeing god had nor spoken to them about a new government , they should have had it from god , if they had it at all , god should chuse them one ; but they thought that they must have one to go before them in their battels , or else their battels would miscarry , and they saw the princes of the earth , they went before their subjects in their battels , and therefore they would be like unto them , and durst not trust god in that way that they were in before : and therefore it was in wrath that god gave them their desires . yet further , if when god changes our condition , we bring the sins of our old condition into our new , we can have no comfort then that it is out of love ; our care should be when our condition is changed , oh but what were the fins of my former condition ? what were the sins of my afflicted , my low condition ? let me take heed that i do not bring those corruptions into my new condition . and then lastly , if we seek to attain our desires by unlawful means , certainly that is curs'd ; if god doth let us prosper in waies that are unlawful in themselves , we cannot beleeve that what we enjoy comes out of love , but out of wrath . i was the willinger to enlarge this point because of the great usefulness of it . now then by way of corallary , by all that hath been said . first , learn we then from hence , to take-heed that we quiet our selves in our desires ; be not too earnest in your desires ; remember that scripture , cor. . . now these things were our ensamples , to the intent we should not lust after evil things , as they also lusted . it hath reference even to their lusting for their quails , it was call'd lusting after evil things ; though the things themselves were good , yet because of the way of their lusting , it made them evil to them : these are for our ensample , because we should not lust so as they lusted . oh! when you reade but that . of numb . and the . psal . and there find how they lusted after evil things , and how the wrath of god came upon them when they had their desires satisfied , let these be ensamples for us that we take heed of lusting so . and so when we reade of their desires so after a king , and what they met withal when they had him , ( i say ) it should teach us so far to moderate our desires , as to labor to regulate them by the word of god , and not be headie in them , but to order them according to the mind of god. and then the second is this , let us by all that hath been said learn , to prepare our hearts for what we have , and to seek proportionable grace for any thing that we do desire . treasure up this lesson ; when thou wouldest have a mercie from god , oh seek proportionable grace , and prepare for the mercie . thirdly , learn this lesson , be not too much exalted when thou hast thy desires satisfied me thinks this point might be as a prick , to prick the bladders of the pride of mens hearts . oh! take heed though you have prospered according to your desires ; saul prospered a great while , and yet it was in wrath . certainly there 's no great matter to be expected from such things as we may have in gods wrath , and therefore no cause to be exalted . fourthly , learn from hence , never to draw any arguments of gods love , by satisfying your desires in outward things . it is a vain conceit of people to think thus , god loves me , why ? because i have desired such and such things , and god hath given them to me . if a man were to go and chuse a wife , if he knew her face were painted , would he conclude , surely here 's one of an excellent complexion ? no , he would rather suspect it ; truly the argument is as good , that this womans complexion and the constitution of her body is whole and good , as that argument , that my condition is good because god satisfies me in my desires . fifthly , draw this consequence likewise , learn never to envie at any men that have their lusts satisfied ; there 's little cause that you should envie them . if you should see a man that loves wine , and you knew it were poisoned . and a man that hath a sattin sute , and you know it hath the plague in it , there were no cause of envying such a man ; a leather sute were a great deal better . god satisfies men many times , but it is in wrath , and to prepare them for slaughter . sixthly , learn from hence , to be content to wait , and to be denied of your desires . oh! this is a point of verie great use , to teach us patience when god denies us ; be patient and content when god denies you your desires , for you do not know what god may aim at in it . seventhly , learn from hence , not to rest in what you enjoy , but to seek to know the principle from whence it comes . and this i take to be as special a difference between a carnal heart , and a gracious heart as any i know . a carnal heart thinks this : if i have the thing , i care not for any more : but a gracious heart looks at the principle from whence it comes , he loves to look at the root and principle of all . a gardener that oweth the flowers regards the root more than the flower a great deal : but a stranger is mo●e pleased with the flower than with the root . so carnal hearts look only at flowers ; but gracious hearts look at the root : i have such and such a thing , but have i an evidence of gods love ? look how high the head of the fountain is , so high the water will go , and no higher ; water will ascend as high as the place was from whence it did descend . and so everie mercie we have wil carry us as high as from whence it came : if from common general bounty , it carries us to god but it came in a general way ; but if it comes in a special love in christ , it carries us to god in christ . eighthly , learn hence , to seek those gifts that god never grants to any but in love . there are some things that are of such a noble and excellent nature , as god doth never grant to any but in love , they are precious things indeed ; and this one consideration doth shew the difference between spiritual blessings , and temporal blessings as much as any one thing i know . temporal blessings though they are in themselves good , and have manie sweet accomodations with them , yet they are of such a low nature , as many times they come to men , and come out of gods wrath , they may stand with wrath , yea , they may flow from wrath . but come to spiritual blessings , the graces of gods spirit , come to those spiritual blessings wherewith we are blest in jesus christ , and these are of such a nature as they can never com but from love , and out of love . from this point you see , that a little grace is more worth than the enjoyment of all the world : god may give a man the empire of all the world , and he may do it in wrath , and tend to the furtherance of wrath ; but now , if you have but the least drachm of grace , if you have but any spiritual knowledge of god in christ ; this is eternal life , to know thee , and thy son whom thou hast sent into the world : if thou , hast any faith , oh! this is precious faith : if thou hast any knowledg , oh it 's the divine nature , it comes from the infinite ocean of eternal love and will carry thee to the infinite ocian of love ; oh! prize grace , and seek after grace . you whose hearts have been so eager and desirous after outward things , turn now the stream of your desires ; oh i have been eager after such and such things ; if i have them , yet i may have the wrath of god with them and what good will they do me then ? oh! but i hear that there are such and such things to be had that i can never have them but in love , they are the priviledges that come to the saints in jesus christ . ninthly , oh bless god , you that know and find that what you have , it is in love . you are to bless god for what you have ; but in that he hath given you your desires , and given them out of love too , here god blesses his blessings , and your blessings should be double , trible , seven , an hundred fold : oh that the lord hath delivered me from such an affliction , and i find it is in love ; as hezekiah could say , when he was delivered from his sickness , in love to my soul hast thou delivered me from the pit of corruption : so i make no question but there 's many of the people of god , even many of you that are before him this day , that are able to say , well , upon these arguments that i have heard this day upon this point thus opened , i can say to the glory of god , out of love to my soul hath he delivered me out of such an affliction , from such a sickness ; out of love to my soul hath he granted me such a mercy : i had been praying and crying to him for such and such mercies , and out of love to my soul hath he granted them to me . oh! you may go away with comfort in what you have , if it be but a very little that god hath given you ; oh the lord hath given you a good portion , your lot is fallen into a good ground , you have a goodlie inheritance , certainlie you have a childs portion , and go away and be satisfied in it . and now my brethren , though this part for the practical part of it is the chief : i confess i have not yet come upon that that is held forth in the verie words , and that is about giving of governors in his wrath ; i only have spoken to the point hitherto , as it concerns the giving of our desires whatsoever it be : but now for the particulars , as the specification of their desires , that god had given them a king in his wrath . that i confess is a point that i think there may be much of the mind of god known in it , and a point that will require some time in opening it . and it will be hard to speak of such a point as this is without very great deliberation , and to have full scope when at any time i speak of it ; and therefore i do not intend at this time to meddle with this point of gods giving kings in wrath , i shall rather defer it to the next day . only one note further , and that 's this ; a hint of a meditation upon gods giving our desires in his wrath ; when men by the violence and strength of their spirits do get their desires from god though in wrath , it hath hinted to me this meditation which may be of very great use to you . many men they do get from their consciences those things they have a mind to have , as they get from god that they have a mind to have ; many men are very violent in their desires , and would fain have god grant them such and such things , at length , though it be a thing that is very displeasing to god , saith god , let them have it . just so it is in regard of conscience , for conscience is gods vice-gerent in the soul of man. now there are many men that are verie desirons of such things as their consciences at first are very much against : oh! they would fain have such and such things : saith conscience , you may not , you will sin against god , you will would me , and bring sorrow and affliction to your selves ; this makes them at a stand , and they are very much griev'd at it that conscience will not give them leave , and it may be they have so much enlightening in their consciences as they dare not take it without the leave of conscience , and although they may restrain for a while , yet still their lusts are very violent , and they would fain have their consciences to yeeld to them , they labor and struggle what they can with conscience , and they seek to find out some evasions and distinctions whereby they may satisfie conscience , either to lay conscience asleep , so that it may not trouble them , or at length to satisfie conscience so far as conscience may be content that they should have their desires satisfied , now their lusts when they are grown hot send up such streams into their understandings as hinders the work of conscience , that conscience begins to be more dull in the work of it , and is not so quick in the apprehensions of it , nor in the exercise of it as before ; and at length after much ado , when they have tir'd and wearied themselves , and tired conscience , they at length do obtain even of their very consciences to do such things as they have a mind to , so that now their consciences begins to say to them , seeing you have such a strong and earnest desire , do it ; now upon this they eagerly fall upon it , and they bless themselves in this , and think they have gotten a great victorie that they have prevail'd over their consciences , that their consciences hath given them leave to do such a thing ; it may be these men will say , if i thought it were against conscience , if conscience did tell me that it ought not to be done , i would not do it for a world . yea , but friend , how do you get leave of your conscience to do it ? there was a time that conscience was against it ; how came you to get leave of your conscience ? was it not through the violence of your spirits ? you would needs have it , you were set upon it that you must have your liberty , and preterment , your ease , and content , and you must not suffer such & such things , and by this violence of your spirits you come to prevail with your consciences : now conscience lets you go one but do not you think that conscience will tear you for this another day : for all you have prevail'd with your conscience so as it doth not acuse you of such and such an evil way , but lets you go on ; do not you think to hear of it another day ? oh yes , certainly conscience being gods vice-gerent , will do as god will do in this case , when men get their desires of god , why saith god , let them have them , but do not you think that god will call them to an account for it ? so it is here ; as men shall hereafter pay full dearly for those things that god suffers them here to have ; so many men and women will pay full dearly for those things that conscience gives them now libertie to enjoy : though you have libertie yet you have got it in a forced way from conscience , and conscience will have another reckoning with you hereafter : you know how it was with balaam , he had a mind to go to curse the people , it was because of his preferment , and though god did deny him once , yet he would ask again , and he would not be satisfied till god said at length , go ; yea , but god met him in the way , and had like to have destroyed him for all that . just so do many men with their consciences , it may be they see some preferment that they may get such a way , and their consciences for the present have some tenderness , but they will ask their consciences , and their consciences saies no , but then they will ask again , and again , and , as i say , god said to balaam at length , go , but he said it to him in anger , and met him in the way and had like to have destroyed him ; and so though conscience may do so , yet conscience will one day come out with a drawn sword against thee , and it may be thy destruction . notes prepared by the author for another sermon on hosea . which ( being prevented by the lords taking him to himself ) he preached not : i gave them a king in my wrath , &c. kings and princes sometimes are given to a people in anger . job . . . that the hyyocrite reign not , lest the people be ensnared . it is in anger if an hypocrite reign . psal . . . set thou a wicked man over him , and let satan stand at his right hand . dan. . . in the latter time when the transgressions are come to the full , a king of fierce countenance , and understanding dark sentences shall arise ; and his power shall be mighty , he shall destroy wonderfully , and shall prosper . so it was said of the * agrigentines , that phalaris was given to them as a plague , and marius to the romans . ‡ anastasius nicenus , quest . . in script . speaketh of one in the time of phocas , pleading with god and saying , wherefore lord hast thou made phocas emperor ? the answer from heaven was : because i could not find a worse . he tells also of the bishop of thebais , being proud because advanced : had these words spoken to him : wherefore miserable man art thou proud ? thou wert not made bishop because thou wast worthy , but because the city deserved such a bishop . but it may be demanded : when are kings and princes given in anger ? i answer ; . when men are eager upon them , the men of shechem were eager upon abimelech , judg. . . they had him , but in wrath ; for vers . . god sent an evil spirit between the men of shechem and abimelech . and what the issue was we know . . when kings and princes are desired out of an opposition to what god would have them to be under as here in the text : so sam. . . . . when such are given as was saul and jeroboam . for explication of this observe , . what saul was . first , he was tyrannical , sam. . . psal . . with the title . secondly , a bold venturous man , to do things of his own head in gods worship , sam. . . he sacrificed before samuel came . thirdly , hypocritical , sam. . . he blessed samuel , and pretended he had performed the commandement of the lord ; whereas he had rebelled against it , vers . , . fourthly , a rash spirit , sam. . . cursed ( saies he ) be the man that eats any food till evening : when as first , it was an hindrance to the execution , as vers . , . and again , all the people heard not , and namely his son jonathan , upon whom he had like to have executed the curse , if the people had not rescued him . fifthly , hardly convinced , sam. . . he stands in the defence of himself against samuel the prophet . sixthly , greedie of gain , sam. . . samuel charges him , with flying upon the spoil . seventhly , regarding the people more than the commandement of god , sam. . . i feared the people , saith he , and obeyed their voice . eighthly , seeking his vain honor , sam. . . i have sinned , yet honor me now i pray thee before the elders of my people , and before israel . ninthly , gods spirit leaves him , sam. . . the spirit of the lord departed from saul , and an evil spirit from the lord troubled him . tenthly , a poor low spirit to help himself when god was departed , sam . . when he was troubled with the evil spirit , he was fain to except of the poor help that musick could afford him . eleventhly , subtil and crafty , psal . . . david saith ( speaking of saul ) that he had prepared a net for his feet , and digged a pit , so psal . . . twelfthly , proud and haughty , psal . . . for the sin of their mouth , and for the words of their lips , let them be taken in their pride . viz can the son of jesse give you fields and vinyards , sam. . . ly given to cursing , psal . . . cursing , and lying they speak . ly envious . sam. , . when they had sung in the dance , saul hath slain his thousands , and david his ten thousands : the text saith , saul was very wroth , and the thing displeased him ; and saul eyed david from that day and forward . ly hating the saints . sam. . . saul cast his javeling at david , and said , i will smite david to the wall . and vers . . he removed him from him . and sam. . . saul spake to all his servants , that they should kill david . and vers . . he calls him his enemy , saying to michel , why hast thou sent away mine enemy ? ly cruel . sam. . , . he caused to be slain priests ; and smote the city of nob ( the city of the priests ) men , women and children , sucklings , oxen , asses , sheep , with the edge of the sword . psal . . . david prayes for help , lest he ( saul ) tear my soul ( saith he ) like a lyon , renting it in pieces &c. and psal . . he saith , my soul is among lyons , men that are set on fire , whose teeth are spears and arrows , and their tongue a sharp sword . ly treacherous : pretends a benefit , intends a mischief : sam. . . and saul said to david , behold , my elder daughter merob , her will i give thee to wife , only be thou valiant for me , and fight the lords battles : for saul said , let not mine hand be upon him , but let the band of the philistims be upon him . ly . false of his word : ver . . but it came to passe at the time when merab sauls daughter should have been given to david , that she was given to adriel the meholathite to wife . sam. . . return my son david for i wil do thee no harm , yet chap. . . david was so pursued by him , that he fled to achish king of gath. psal . . . lying they speak . ly . he regards not oathes , . sam. . . and saul sware : as the lord liveth he shal not be slain : yet , ver . . . he would have smitten him to the wal with his javalin , and missing that , he sent messengers to murder him in his house . ly . stout against his conscience , and all means that god used to reclaim him . sam. . . . . . thou art more righteous then i , &c i know wel that thou shalt surely be king and that the kingdom of israel shal be established in thine hand , &c. hence david psal . . praying against saul , as appears in the title of the psalm , ver . . saith , be not merciful to wicked transgressors . ly preferring base men , and rejecting the good , psa . . . david was his enemy , but doeg a mighty man with him . ly . cares not for his own laws to satisfy his humors , sam. . . where having suppressed wizards and witches , yet he seeks to them and promises immunity to them . ly . he is unwearied in his malice , never rests , but follows david , as one hunts a partridge from place to place , if disappointed one way , he tryes another : sends to davids house , then to naioth , then to keilah , then to ziph , then to engedi , to hachilah , saul sought him every day sam. . . psal . . . behold be travelleth with mischief , &c. ly . one that could not be overcome by kindnesse , love , faithfulness , not taking advantage , &c. . sam. . . &c. chap. . . . ly . vexed because he could not have his mind , psa . . , . they return and grin like a dog , vexed to lose his morsel . ly . desperate forsaking of god , and going to the devil for counsel , sam. . . and afterward wilfully kils himself . . what jeroboam was . . one that seemed to be much for the good of the people , but when he had power in his own hands , then none more fierce then himself , king. . . he cared not for the people . hos . . . . one whose carriage was very taking , he was diligent industrious and valiant , a man fit for rule . kin. . . but when he had got power into his own hands , there was nothing but imperious domineering , tacitus saith of galba , that al men judged him fit for rule , til he did come to it . subjecting of religion unto policy , king. . . and jeroboam said , now shall the kingdom return to the house of david , if this people go up to do sacrifice in the house of the lord at jerusalem : whereupon the king took counsel , and made two calves of gold , &c. . false , pretending one thing , and meaning another , king. . . he said unto the people , it is too much for you to go up to jerusalem : behold thy gods o israel which brought thee up out of the land of egypt . . idolatrous , ibid. and king. . . but thou hast done evil above all that were before thee for thou hast gone and made thee other gods and molten images &c. . he was a conscience oppressor , he laid snares for those that went up to jerusalem to worship , as was noted , hos . . . . a scorner , hos . . . he stretched out his hand with scorners . . subtil , king. . . he ordained such a feast as was at jerusalem , made an house of high places , and priests that all might be furnished like the worship at jerusalem . . intemperate , hos . in the day of our king , the princes have made him sick with bottles of wine &c. despising the true ministers of god and loving a base clergie , king. . . made priests of the lowest of the people . enraged against the servants of god , and god himself when opposed , king. . . and it came to pass when king jeroboam heard the saying of the man of god , which cried against the altar in bethel , that he put forth his hand from the altar saying , lay hold on him . extream stout , notwithstanding such a hand of god upon him , vers . . after this jeroboam returned not from his evil way , but made again of the people priests for the high places . slighting god and his worship , king. . . thou hast cast me behind thy back . he did evil above all that were before him , kings , . . . he trusted to his many men and policie , not regarding what is said to him about fighting against god , chron. . . , . . though conquered before gods servants , who relied on the lord , chron. . . so as he lost five hundred thousand men at one time , yet he continued in his evil . . for his own ends he would make use of gods prophets , king. . . a man of a base spirit ; god threatens he will take him away as man takes away dung , king. . . . his familie was such , as , except in one little child , there was no good at all found in it , king. . . . he made israel to sin . the common epethite the scripture gives him . . he ruined the kingdom by his sin : king. . . he shall give israel up , because of the sins of jeroboam . yet for al this he continued his reign two and twenty years . king. . . seing governors are sometimes given in wrath , let us pray that they be given to us in love : but it follows , i took them away in my displeasure . as if he should say , though they were evil , yet i took them away , to make way for worse . whence note , oppressors are taken away , and greater oppressors came in their room . cavlin , thus , i wil take away this kingdom from you which i see to be an occasion of blindness to you : for if it remain , i shal be no body with you , nor wil my word be of any authority . obs . . what god gives in anger never prospers . expect not therefore help from those men or things that god gives in wrath . sometimes god accepts of repentance when it is unfeigned , as in davids taking bathshebah to wife of whom he had solomon , &c. viz. if the thing it self be good . what god gives in anger cannot hold long with us , [ caut. yet this kingdom of israel continued twentie yeers . ] those things that begin ill , prosper not usually . ( initium maledictum finis maledictus , calvin in loc . ) the beginning is accursed , and so is the end . thus many businesses beginning in anger end in wrath ; this kingdom of israel is an example of this from the beginning to the end . [ but yet here also that holds the author noted above vers . that no condition is so bad but there is help in god for it , and if so be that the continuance in it be not with sin , or the thing a sin in it self . ] when men have enjoyed their desires in wrath a while , god rends them in fury from them , this is terrible indeed , for as it was given in indignation : all the while it was enjoyed it was abused , psal . , . while the meat was yet in their mouths , the wrath of god came out against them . but yet we must here note the difference that pareus observes , that these calamities upon what god gives in displeasure , are indeed wrath to his own people , but in fury to his enemies . when god takes away what he gave in wrath it is more wrath [ ofti 〈…〉 ] but here are two questions . . how we may know when god takes away and not in wrath ? first : when the comfort or creature he takes from us , began to draw the heart from god , and now he seasonably takes it away with a sanctified use . . when we can bless god and be thankful . . when god makes it up in himself , and in the comforts of his spirit . when does god take away in wrath ? first , when 't is given in anger . secondly , when he takes them away by violence in some terrible manner . psal . . . before your pots can feel the thorns he shall take them away as with a whirl wind , both living , and in his wrath . psal . . . god shall destroy thee for ever , he shall take thee away and pluck thee out of thy dwelling place , and root thee out of the land of the living . lam. . . he hath violently taken away his tabernacle . as a man that is angry snatches away what he had given . thirdly , when we have most need of the comfort of it , zeph. . . i will drive out ashdod at noon day , [ when they should have taken the benefit of their houses for shelter , and their meat for refreshment . ] fourthly , when we murmur and complain inordinately of our affliction . fifthly , when we shift and shark out for succor . sixthly , when there is nothing but bitterness , and only evil in the removal . seventhly , when one evil makes way to another evil and none sanctified . psal . . . he made way to his anger . eighthly , when it carries with it the marks of special sins . yea , when as the sin it self deprive us of a mercie ; a when in emperance takes away health ; ambition brings into disgrace ; glottonie takes away the stomach ; greediness takes away 〈…〉 ches . rom. . . this is my covenant with them when i shall take away their sins . ninthly , when it happens according to those misgiving thoughts we have had , and yet would not take warning . tenthly , when it brings sin into remembrance , job , . . thou makest me to possess the sins of my youth . king. . . art thou come to call my sin to remembrance , and to slay my son ? wherefore seeing this is so fearful , let us pray with david , psal . . o lord rebuke me not in thine anger , neither chasten me in thy heavy displeasure . again note , that our sin may bring us to this : that whether we have our desires , or whether they be taken away , yet still all may be wrath . change of oppressing government by forreign power , is a sign of wrath . gods hand in a business excuses not mans sin ; he can make use of mans sin to the furtherance of his ends , and yet be innocent . lastly , we must not judg by success ; of which above . thus far the authors notes . the supervisor to the reader . the author was prevented by several providences , from preaching the fore going sermon for some months together , insomuch as himself wondred what purpose god had in it ; till at last god visited him by sickness , whereof he fell on sleep in the lord : his disease was thought to be infection , but without any sore , yea , and ( as the gentlewoman his wife hath related ) without any spots or tokens ; only there was a black setling of blood on one side of his back , which she supposed might have come with a fall from a horse which he had taken not long before . this is mentioned by occasion of some contrary reports concerning his death . about the time of his imediate dissolution be lift up his eyes , and was heard to speak these words , i come , i come , i come : and so gave up the ghost . it had been much to be wished that the author had been more concise & brief in som amplifications which , though they were al exceeding useful , yet they have deprived us of his preaching and compleating both the former sermon , and the rest of the prophesie . but god was pleased ( for our sin no doubt ) to deprive us of that mediator like instrument between the divided godly parties of this nation , and of the further mind of the holy-ghost which be had revealed to this his servant , touching the scope and vse of this prophesie in these daies . god took him away in the strength of his parts and graces , that he might not lose in the reputation of his ministry or piety , as some have before their * death . also ; though we cannot affirm , as one of josiah , that he was taken away ( ne malitia mutaret intellectum ipsius ) lest the evil of the time should have wrought upon his temper : yet we may say , as another doth , he was taken away from the evil to come . moreover : it is not an unuseful note , that the preface to the * tigurine bible hath , whereof the inference is , that whilst in some weighty point we labor for great exactness and preparation , we are either disabled by our diligence , or prevented by our tardiness and delay , whereas moderat preparation seasonably applied , might be more useful to the church , than such exactness so deferred . which is not spoken to reflect any thing on our reverend author , but to admonish others , ut maturens . now among other arguments ( good reader ) to commend this excellent piece : this is one , that it hath been brought to thy hand , through several elements , having been in danger , part of it to be rotted in the earth where it was buried , part of it to be consumed in the fire , wherewith much of the town where it was * flamed part of it to be lost in by holes where it was hidden in the midst of enemies . make special use therefore of what is come ( as it were ) through fire unto thee for that end , ( to use the prefacers words before mr cartwright's answer to the rhem. test . ) and if thou find that fruit the supervisor did in preparing it for thee , thou wilt not repent thy pains or peny . farewel . finis . an alphabetical table of the eleventh , twelfth , and thirteenth chapters of the prophesie of hosea . a abuse abuse of instruments of deliverence , a great evil page affliction none of the saints worse for affliction afflictions sometimes deepest when greatest mercy is intended affliction , see difference afflicted wee may be sorely afflicted in doing gods commands aggravation the aggravation of provoking god an aggravation of self destruction alteration alteration of government causeth trembling anceston ancestors , see mean condition , free-grace anger anger , see difference the effects of anger apostats apostats , see folly apostats to return again apostacy apostacy see language , punishment , steps apostacy brings a reproach on gods waies . arabian arabian , why taken for a thief . aright . how to conceive aright of god armies gods armies astrologer astrologer , see chaldean awaking saints need awaking before reformation b baal-zephon baal zephon , what baptism baptism , see church . base base spirits most insolent beast beast , see mark beginning the beginning of superstition , ceremonies , and popery bethel bethel , see jacob bitterness bitterness , see england blessing what 's the blessing in a married condition blessing , see peace bonds gods bonds , what ? blows to be forced by blows , is to be drawn like a beast c canaanite canaanite , why it signifies a merchant carnal it 's mercy to be taken off from carnal props carnal heart , see difference a sore sign of a carnal heart cause the cause of corruption in gods worship caution a caution concerning earthly kings chief the chief work of the ministry chaldean chaldean , why taken from an astrologer child child , see israel a childs great disobedience children how we may know whether god loved us when we were children christ god hath an eye to christ in all he doth christians christians , see love. church the church one in faith , spirit , baptism , and visible government comfort comfort , see lives . comfort of a dying person common comforts , common to hypocrites command command , see promise . company company heats , whether it be go●d or evil confident yong beginners not to be too confident confident men sink lowest if disappointed confidences the confidences of the ten tribes congregation congregation , see posture . conduct gods conduct of his people through the wilderness conscience the conflict of conscience and corruption conscience oppression , the most grievous convince convince , see ministers . it 's hard to convince men , when they have their desires that it is not in love conviction conviction , see parents . convert a true convert , what ? cords cords of a man , what ? correction correction , see parents . covenant covenant , see jews . covetousness covetousness , hard to be convinced d day day of judgment , see mercy . dangerous a dangerous sign of reprobation deceiptful dealers deceiptful dealers , see excuses decree decree , what it is ? the decree of election ibid. gods decree damns none ib. devils the devils stratagem an obstinate sinner worse than the devil deliverance deliverance from oppression a great mercy difference difference between spiritual , and temporal blessings difference between a carnal , and gracious heart difference between the churches and gods excommunication difference between god and man in point of anger difference in the saints from others in time of affliction . difference of gods working for his people and for others disappointed disappointed , see conceited , and confident . disobedience disobedient , see child . drawn to be drawn by the word , is to be drawn like 〈◊〉 man doctrine doctrine , see false . drowsie a drowsie spirit , a great evil duty duty , see ministers . dying dying , see comfort . e east wind the east wind , why hurtful effects effects , see anger . effectual effectual preaching , what . elect elect , see thoughts election election , see decree . element god the element of love england gods ancient love to engl. england , the first nation that imbraced the christian religion ibid. god remembers the kindness of england's youth ibid. publick love gone out of england gods special love to england . englands sin procession weeks in england englands bitterness aggravated england , see instances encouragement encouragement to saith and prayer error mens error in judging others . evil evil of licenciousness after deliverance men excuse their evil by their good evil of deceipt in trading evil , see suspense , drowsie , company . excellency excellency of the name jehovah excellency of gods saving exalted we should not be exalted by prosperity , and why ? excommunication excommunication , see difference excuses excuses of deceiptful dealers . mens excuses f faith faith , see church , encouragement , root . faculties faculties , see love. families families , see imperiousness false false , see encrease . fill men fill themselves with sensual things forced forced , see blows , wives . folly folly of apostats form a form of answering to gods call forgiveness healing with forgiveness a sweet mercy free , see grace . free grace of god to our ancesters fruit to understand the scriptures is a fruit of love fruit , see way . g gift , see ministry god gods great design is to magnifie free grace god deals gently with his people gods great design in the gospel god deals roughly with the great , and graciously with the grieved and oppressed . god will be a lyon to them that forget him ibid. why god compares himself to a leopard god is to be preached as terrible god , see christ , england , know , trembling , help , healer , merciful . godly heart godly heart , see difference good good , see london , company . good cause good cause , see success . goods goods ill got , the third heir enjoyeth not government government , see church guides guides , their changeableness guiding why the soul needs guiding . h hear hear , see reverence healing healing , see forgiveness healer god will be acknowledged the healer of his people help god delights to help men in misery high minded why the rich are apt to be high minded honor honor of our inferiors must be preserved god hath little honor in the world hope hope , see wind host host , see people . humbles what humbles most effectually hurtful hurtful , see east wind. i jacob what god spake to jacob at bethel jacob's mean condition jacob's flying into syria why jacob is sent away so meanly jacob hath the blessing renewed at his going away why jacob served seven years for rachel jehovah jehovah , what it infer's jehovah , what it should mind us of jehovah , what terror is in the name jehovah , what consolation in the name jehovah , see excellency jews one of gods special covenants with the jews ill-got ill-got , see goods image image , see wrath imitate imitate god in resisting temptations to sin immoderate immoderat desires to be taken heed of imperiousness the imperiousness of some in their families increase whence such increase of false doctrine increasing , see lyes inferiors inferiors , see honor ingratitude ingratitude , see perverse spirit insolent insolent , see bass israel what a child israel was wherein gods love to israel stood israel , see mercy instances instances of the working of gods heart towards england instruments instruments , see abuse iron iron tools unfit to build god's tabernacle israelites why the israelites would have a king and princes judgment it may prove a judgment to invent a way to satisfie conscience judgment , when to be executed judging judging , see error . k kingdom kingdom , see troubles . king king , see israelites kings kings , see caution . kissing against kissing the book in swearing know what it is to know god l labor labor , see prevailing language the language of the sin of apostacy law saints not under the law liberty what use we should make of liberty licentiousness licentiousness , see evils lives lives , how to compleat the comfort of them leopard leopard , see god lyon the lyons property lyon , see god little a little of spiritual things serves mens turns london gods mercy to london all this war london's good is to be labored for love gods love doth not find , but make the person lovely love commands all the souls faculties the love of christians formerly , compared with our divisions love , see persons , children , fruit , england . love , see superiors , convince , notes , magistrates . love , see servants , sanctifies , overcomes . love , see relations , element lyes several waies of encreasing lyes . m magistrates magistrates must deal by reason rather than by violence . magistrates should govern by love mark the mark of the beast marriage marriage founded on consent . married condition married condition , see blessing mean condition the mean condition as well as the greatness of our ancestors is to be regarded the mean condition of moses meditation a meditation for passionate spirits a meditation ser trades-men in london merchant merchant , see canaanite . mercie gods mercy towards israel is a type of his waies with his people mercy , when to be shewn mercy , see carnal props , london , plea. affliction . merciful hearts neerest to god. ministers . ministers pattern ministers must convince , not scare men it's ministers duty to open gods love ministers should be wary in using tartness ministry the ministry a magnificent gift why men profit no more by the ministry in chusing our habitation we should have regard to a good ministry monopoliz : to monopolize commodities is oppression n necessary necessary , see truth . new new officers , see pride . notes notes to know whether it he love or hatred by all that is before us note of peprobation ●● o obstinate obstinate , see devil . oppression oppression of others after deliverance from oppression , is a great evil oppression , see deliverance , monopolize . oppression , see conscience , trading , evil. opression , see under-trades-men . overcome gods love overcomes all unworthiness outward outward comforts , see thoughts . p pardon pardon , see restitution parents parents and masters , must use more conviction than correction particular particular persons should remember gods ancient love. particulars affect most passionate passionate spirits , see meditation peace a blessing for them that hastens peace people gods people are his host perseverance perseverance , why more frequent under the gospel than under the law perverse a perverse spirit the punishment of ingratitude piety piety raiseth the heart more than pride plea the plea of justice and mercy popery popery , see beginning . posture the posture of a congregation . prayer prayer , see encouragement . priests priests , see vanity . preserve preserve , see honor prevailing prevailing recompenceth all our labor in seeking pride notes of pride in some new officers priviledg priviledg , see saints procession procession , see england . profit profit , see ministry . promise no command in the gospel without a promise prosperity many saints worse for prosperity prosperity , see exalted proud proud men , see vanity providence things accidental are under providence provoke how we should provoke one another provoking provoking god , see aggravation provoking sins expressed punishment the punishment of apostacie . r reason reasons of jacob's taking his brother by the heel reason , see magistrates , use relations the love of all relations in gods love religion religion , see england reformation reformation , see awaking . recreation times for recreation to be allowed to servants repentance repentance , a gospel-grace , not of the law reproach reproach , see apostacy reprobation reprobation , see note , dangerous sign restitution why no pardon without restitution scripture for restitution : repute repute not to be trusted reverence we are with reverence to hear the lord speak rich rich , see high-minded root what 's the immediate root of faith rule rule for matter of meditation . the general rule of worship . s saints priviledg of israel refer to the saints saints , see law , affliction , prosperity . satan satan's great design sanctifie gods love sanctifies all things scare , see ministers scripture what the scripture presses much scripture , see restitution . self . wherein self appears in sin self destruction , see aggravation . sensual sensual things , see fill. servants servants should love one another servants , see recreation . sign sign , see carnal heart . similitude similitudes what , and how to be used sin. sin , see imitate sinner a sinners duty soul soul , see guiding spirit gods spirit grieved only by the saints spirit , see church gods spirit bitter to some slaves gods sons , slaves for a time . slavery god hath his time to call his sons out of slavery ibid. spiritual spiritual things , see little. state the state of the saints is very secure steps the steps of apostacy stout the character of a stout heart stratagem stratagem , see devils . success . success no note of a good cause superiors superiors should win by love. superstition superstition , see beginning . suspense suspence , a cause of great evil swearing , see kissing the book . sword for the sword to be in a city , a sad thing t tartness , see ministers . terror , see jehovah . terrible , see god. their , see arabian . thoughts gods thoughts from eternity concerning his elect what thoughts we should have of outward comforts time , see slavery . tools , see iron . trading oppression in taading a great evil tradesmen vnder - tradesmen to oppress , is wicked tradesmen , see meditation . trembling trembling due to god trembling , see alteration . tribes , see confidences . troubles great troubles at the raising of christs kingdom truths truths not necessary to be imposed v vanity the vanity of proudmen priests may be vanity that seem to be much for god. vindicate how the saints are to vindicate reproaches violence , see magistrates . use the use of reason in religion w wait how we are to wait on god. why we should wait way to be guided in our way is a fruit of love the way to vniformity a way of holy revenge gods waies not our waies weeping weeping not sutable to a high spirit wilderness wilderness , see conduct wind creature-hopes are but winde . wives wives or husbands not to be forced on children word word , see drawn work work , see chief one work of the day of judgment world world , see honor worship worship , see rule , corruption wrath proneness to wrath not gods image . y yong yong , see confident z zeal all men should shew zeal 〈…〉 r god finis . notes, typically marginal, from the original text notes for div a -e heb. notes for div a -e the scope of the chapter . where the chapter ends . the coh●e●ence . obs . . tota scriptura hoc praecip 〈…〉 è agit , ne dubitemus , sed certo speremus 〈…〉 dan●u & credamus deum esse misericordē benegnum patientem . luth. 〈…〉 rom . . . the phrase opened . excuss●● 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 significat eum , qui creb●ò sugum parentis vel heri excutit & quamvis 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ternov . in 〈…〉 c. what a child israel was . ezek. . . &c. applied . wherein the love of god to israel stood obs . jer. . . obs . . 〈◊〉 . . gods ancient love to england . an instance of it . england the first nation in the world that god chose for the embracing religion by publick authority . lucius of england is said to be the first christian king. ( centur. cent. . cap. . tit. de propagation . ecclesiiae 〈◊〉 j. balai catal. ) who also by publick authority established christianity , about the year . lucius in lucem prodit . de patre coello . j. b. author primus apud britones religiones erat . rossaei britania . god remembers the kindness of englands youth & first love particul . persons should recal gods antient love unto them when they were children a rule how we may never want matter of meditation obser . . obs . . gods waies of mercy and affliction toward israel , a type of his waies toward his people in all ages . gods love doth not find , but make the person lovely . object . answ . how to know whether god will love us or no ? obs . . youth . what will compleat the comfort of our lives . jer. . . how we may know whether god loved us when children . nimis serò te amami . aug. exod. , . jer. . . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 obs . . priviledges of israel refer to the saints . malach. . . saints therefore not under the law. psal . . , . &c. obs . . jer. . . use . obs . . the church one [ in faith , spirit , babtism , &c. eph. . , . not in outward incorporation and visible government ] obs . . jer. . . deut. . . observed . gods sons slaves to satan oft-times , and for a season . and to wicked men ; which is the admiration of angels . god hath his time to call them out of that slavery . obs . . exod. . . applicat . to england . the text as cited mat. . , further expounded . hierom matthew's interpretation seems strange to some . * see bucer on matth. . p. . shewing , that the apostles allegations of scripture were not proper , unless to such as the holy ghost enlightned to see the mystical sense of them ; and except we shall say that those expositions were received things in those daies , as are among the jews , now the chaldae paraphrase ; expounding many places of christ , which according to the letter have another sense , and this perhaps may be the sa●er to affirm , because else it may seem the apostles could not so well have charged the jews with obstinacy , as act. . and chap. . and else where . opinions about the place in matthew . junius in loc . paralel . lib. . paral. . isa . . . isa . . . . preferred . ( so hierom on hos . . . expounds it . ) exod. . . and joh. . . compared things accidental are under providene . great things intended of god by smal . sam. . . heb. . . compared also . obs . god som way or other aims at christin all his works ; which to see wil be one part of the saints glory . a similitude . a fruit of gods love , and of christ's spirit , to understand the reach of god in scripture a comfort to the saints in their sufferings , that they have a conformity with jesus christ by them . those that fly with their children . the danger and length of christs flight into egypt . the inward tentations of the parents 〈◊〉 christ in thei 〈…〉 flight . expos . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . . cor. . . illustrated . calvin in loc . obs . obs . . obs . . how we should charge our souls if we answer not gods call to duty after deliverance . obs . . jer. . . chap. . . chap. . . illustrated . use to ministers . jer. . . to be remembered by those that turn their backs on the word . how men come to that height . ier. . . with chap. . . obs . . simile . why men most wicked where there is great means obs . . the jews a very wicked people : yet notwithstanding god makes them his peculier people . gods greatest delign is , to magnifie his free-grace . deut. . . illustrated . psal . . . ezek. . . act. . . psal . . . exod. . , . exod. . . . chap. . . with the continual story of the israelites confirm the doctrine . a meditation for parents vexed with stuborn children . use . comfort against a stubborn heart . exod. . . expos . psal . . . the t●xt referred to deut. . . psal . . . observed . obs . . use for england . our path untroden . obs . . exod. . . baal-zephon what ? use . obs . . use . psa . . . . england . the changableness of those that have been our guides . jer. . . enligntned and applied . jer. . . illustrated . it 's a fruit of fatherly love to guide us in our way . applied to the guidence of the soul . why the soul needs guiding yong beginners not to be too confident . an apt simile . a prophesie touching the proof of much of the profession of these times . obs . . simile . obs . . obs . . num. . . obs . . thes . . . ministers pattern . tit. . an apt sim●le . a nurses qualification . obs . . be ashamed undutiful children . the pisidians . expos . the text one of the most remarkable in scripture . obs . . isa . . . use applicat . to england . the new-model of the army , . psal . 〈…〉 obs . ● . god stands much upon it to be acknowledged the healer of his people . lewis the . of france . use . psal . . . healing with forgiveness a sweet mercy . applied to visited families & persons expos . . . cords of a man what . how god dealt rationally with the people of israel . . a law in its self rational . deut. . . explained . . backt with reasons . preface to the decalogue . . urg'd with motives . deur . chap. , , . . cleered from objections . . god desires con●erence with us isa . . . simile . . would have us consider . deut. . . simile . . pleads with them . simile . . appeals to their own consciences . isa . . . illustrated . isa . . ezek. . . how god deals gently with his people . . sutes himself to their dispositions . simile . observed when they were in a good temper . wives . gave them time to consider . use . . hired them to obedience . . distinguished of weakness & wilfulness . . afflicted in measure as their natures might bear . isa . . . . was aflicted in al their afflictions . isa . . . simile . . how god drew his people in an honorable way . . instruction more than correction . . preserved their ingenuity . . aimed at their good in all . . stil held forth hope of reconciliation . admonition to parents and governors . . kept up their honor . jer. . . isa . . . . met them half way . simile . obs . . king. . . observed . psal . . obs . . use joh. . . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . cor. . . ministers must convince , not scare men . the most convincing ministry the most powerful . majestrates 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 must deal by reason rather than violence in difficult cases of consience . why reason and not violence is to be used to tender consciences . parents and masters must use more conviction than correction . obs . . psal . . who wil nor be drawn by the cords shal be whipt with them . . how god deals with his people in a gentle way . use . saints should be eminent in courtesie . . draw our relations with gentleness . and why ? an apt simile . harsh natures should observe this . . gentle meaus rejected agravate sin . evidenced . how god deals honorably with men obs . preserve the honor of our inferiors , yea , though the faults be great . dan. . . illustrated . masters that have apprentices in the city . obs . . obs . . to be drawn by the word ; is to be drawn like a man ; to be forced by blows is to be drawn like a beast . obs . . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in densis 〈…〉 bus a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 contorsit condensavit torquendo . expos . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 isa . . . the hebrew of the te● empharical . jer. . . the text paraphrased . the bands of love to israel . . separation from all other people . exod. . . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 [ mirisicemut prae omnibus pop munster ] deut. . , . obs . . . election of the parents & their seed . deut. . . . made them his inheritance , portion , treasure , &c. deut. . . . pitying thē in their afflictions . isa . . . . engaged al his attributes for their good isa . . . a continued watchfuley over them deut. . . . gave them his oracles . psal . . , . rom. . . the messiah to come of them . . a law of love. the sum of the law. . gave thē more than any else could offer . . heard thē in all their prayers . deut. . . . it could not have been conceived god should have done more . obs . . cant. . . the bonds of love. . cant. . . illustrated . . eccles . . . observed . . nulla est major ad amorem provocatio , quam praerentre amando . aug. * magnes amoris amor . love commands al the souls faculties . makes all services delightful . . hath no bounds . . caution . . song . . , . . rejoyce in sufferings . . seeks not its own . cor. . obs . . ministers duty to open gods love . mark , . . applied . repentauce a grace of the gospel , not of the law. book of martyrs , lib. . euseb . lib. . cap. . simile . simile . aust . confess . lib. . cap. . eji●●●bas eas à me tu vera ac sumum suavitas ejici●bas pro 〈◊〉 omni voluptate dulcior . why perseverence more frequent under the gospel than under the law , use to yong converts . an apt simile . gods great design in the gospel . . gain men with love in dealing with them . phil. . , . the way to uniformity . spleenful ministers . deal with kindred in love. a sowr disposition doth disadvantage much . but perverse spirits are otherwise to be dealt with . satans great design . zach , . . the love of christians one to another in england formerly compared with our divisions now . eccles . . an apostrophe to love. publick love gone out of england . a conviction of the consciences of some many of both sides in mater of discipline and churchgo ●rnment sincere . caution . we should countermine satan . . superiors should win by love . monica the mother of austin . godly couples for want of love live worse than when one yoke-fellow is carnal oft-times . the distance betwixt christ and us greater than betwixt us & our servants . a masters comfort . sam. . servants should love one another object . answ . magistrates shold govern by love . chr. . . the difference betwixt the gesture & language of david , & the princes of these times john d king of portugal the property of the pelican . a princes pattern . timeri quàm diligi . a pernitious state maxime the evils of striving otherwise than by love . why hypocrites are hide-bound towards god the benefits of love . obs . . deut. . . the cords of gods love to his people , eternal . gods thoughts from eternity concerning his elect. elective and separating . malach. . . use . free. hos . . . deut. . . discoursed . he gave his son for them which he did not for angels . and himself also . this is set forth by gradation and prosopopie . . regards nothing else . isa . . . illustrated . pardoned all their sins . revel . . . gal. . . observed . a representation of the love of christ in coming to take away our sin . an apt simile . puts loveliness upon them . loves them with the love he hath to christ . joh. . . . hence god delights in his saints . why god does all the former things for his saints . eph. . . illustrated by joh. . gods love sweetens and sanctifies all . a meditation for afflicted saints . . gods love overcomes all our unworthiness ( both before & after conversion ) which he foresaw . gods love hath in it the love of all relations . an everlasting and unchangable love . zeph. . . jer. . . thess . . . application . cor. . . god the element of love joh. . . eph. . , , . the rarity of the expression in eph. . . why christians ar so scant in their obedience , and empty in their spirits . cant. . . noted . god regards nothing but love . our love should be eminent toward christ minus te 〈◊〉 deus diligit , qui praeter te aliquid diligit qui propter te non diliget . august . confess . gods special love to engl. . . . . . the scope of the text. obs . . three sorts of gods bonds . use . ni●●● durus est animus , qui amore & si nolebat impendere , noltt rependare . august . adulterous love . gifts . the spirit grieved only by the saints . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a meditation for a saint about to sin . mark. . . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . erupisset . beza . ovelatione capitis : he covered his head as marriners use to do . theophylact. simile . simile . expos . luther . no cōmand in the gospel without a promise . simile . obs . deliverance from oppression a great mercy . levit. . . ezek. . . expounded . a cure for atheistical thoughts . obs . . to grow wanton after deliverance from yokes is very sinful . englands sin . the evils of licentiousness after deliverance . it hardens our adversaries suppression of errors by violence no argument of the truth of church-government . [ omnes licentiâ deteriores sumus ] it obscures the work of god. psal . . . enlightned . deprives others of just liberty . which wil be charged on the ocasioners of it . it ●a● bring the yoke on again . it justly provokes men against liberty . lam. . . what use we should make of our liberty . exod. . . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 illustrated . obs . . oppression of others after deliverance from oppression , a crying sin . deut. . . conscience oppression the most grievous what statesmen should consider in imposing things . object . answ . such truths as are not of necessity , not to be imposed men of latitude in judgment . a meditation for such : and necessary at this time . isa . . . . we should make the lives of beleevers comfortable . in what things we should bear with our brethren . and why . use . to magistrates and governors of families . times of recreation to be permitted to servants . . it would drown the memory of the superstitious holydays . . it would forward the sanctification of the sabbath . expos . faciam eos edere quietè . luth. obs . . use . to the rich. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 descendere ferit obs . . obs . . use to hard masters . use . . the misery of other places , cy . mer . the text paraphrased . obs . . use . a great mercy to be thorowly taken off from carnal props . . obs . . obs . . use for england . englands condition must be far worse , if it think of returning . obs . . who the assyrian was . isa . . . . . a character of a stout heart . obs . . use . a way of holy revenge . obs . . obs . . use , to the convicted . job . . . to be observed by such . an obstinate sinner worse than the devil in some respect . jer. . . should be our example . an exhortation to backsliders . jer. . . expounded . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 renuit , fastidinit , p●el . obs . . expos . . caepit vulg . & hierom. of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in hiphil . obs . . jer. . , . england . expos . . obs . . isa . . . . jer. ● . ● . use . against protractors of the war. the war taken by the great . the new-model of the army . anno , . a blessing for those that hasten peace . obs . . use for engl. how men were deceived at the begining of this war. jer. . , . obs . a sad thing for the sword to be in a city . ioseph de , bello iudaic. lib. , cap. . . slain in the siege at jerusalem . the mercy of god to london all this war. the butt the enemy aimed at . isa . . . . . ezek. . . jer. . . not only preserved , but made the city of refuge for the kingdom . expos . isa . . . this the caus why london hath been so aimed at . every good patriot , ought to labor the the good of london . by prayer and all good endeavors . psal . . . . explained . our own counsels a cause of englands lasting war. expos . com●det capita torum . vulg. propter consilia eorum . pagn . ezek. . . when parliament , army , city , and kingdom wil give over their own counsels . good intentions may be seduced . a false religious and state principle . gods waies not our waies expos . application , . 〈…〉 england . why some were 〈◊〉 ▪ w 〈…〉 at the begining of this reformation . why they started off again . . private & particular persons . why these start back . . . . . admonition to such . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 suspenst sunt . calv. par●us . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . . in suspence here what . applicat . to england . populus meus dubitat au velit redire ad me luth. * populus me●s haesitat se convertere ad legemmeam . chald. paraphrase . obs . the conflict of conscience & corruption . suspence a caus of much evil . considerations tending to settle the unresolved about the waies of god. simile . populus meus pendebit ad reditum meum ( i. e. pendulus sperabit ) vulg . montanus . expos . . . obs . . piety raises the heart more than pride . obs . . obs . . simile . obs . . psa . . , . illustrated . abrahams example . act. . . observed . use . a form of answering to gods call . note . obs . . quest . answ . when we exalt god. note . the comfort of a dying person . an exhortation ; to great men . to the saints . how god hath exalted the saints : . . psa . . . . noted . also psa . . . obs . god hath little honor in the world . use . luthers reading of the text. nemo erigeret se . alij : ne unus qui se erigeret . 〈◊〉 . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 simile . obs . a drousie spirit , a great evil to nourish it . expos . general . analysis of the text. the text paraphrased expos . in partic . . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . al. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . simile . exod. . . noted ephraim . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . protegam . vulg. a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 tradidit 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ●lypeus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 protexit 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a israel . ieroms quest . on the place . his answer . sodoma & gomorah principes fuerunt in peccato , adama & zeboim earum exempla sectala sunt . luth. expos . cor inversum , cor concitatum ira propter peccata h●minum , non sit verum dei cor verum dei cor quod afficitur malis nostris quod ardet commiseratione the authors expos . accommodat so ruditati nostrae . calv. simile . the plea of justice . the plea of mercy . the authors apology . obs . . jerusalem's exsample noted . use . . . obs . . obs . . obs . . the incompossibility of satisfaction & salvation , puts god to the highest exercise of his wisdom . simile . obs . . sam. . . simile . obs . . quest . answ . the reason . other reasons . . prayrs of the saints . simile . . the little ones . . few worshipers . former service to god. a remnant of saints . . groans of the afflicted . insulting of the adversary elect in the loins of their parents . other objects of wrath . . gods own affliction . god makes himself work . justice glorified by others . mercy may convert . application to england . instances of the workings of gods heart towards engl. obs . . for the resisting of temptation to sin , imitate god in the text. god reasons before , not after our evils are upon us . obs . . proneness to wrath , not gods image . use . ministers should be wary in using tartness . simile . the effects of anger . obs . . encouragement to prayer & faith. advice when the blow is coming the casting voice , prayer . obs . . isa . . jer. . , with rom. . . obs . . obs . . obs . . rev. . . illustrated . obs . . note . obs . note . object . answ . obs . . obs . . use of admonition . obs . . obs . . use . direction . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 expos . . . the authors . obs . . obs . . obs . . a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 consolat poenituit , &c. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 expos . obs . the text remarkable . obs . . note . note . psa . . . opened company heals whether evil , or good . obs . . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 expos . quest . answ . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . . obs . . obs . . obs . . obs . . expos . obs . . obs . . text. expos . the differences betwixt god and man in point of anger . . — 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 note . . . . . . . brentius . noble men . . obs . . masters of families . use . numb . . . explained vers . . neerness to god most merciful . yea , if but in amoralneernes . masters of families . obs . . obs . . an apt simile . the devil's stratagem . discouraging thoughts in afflicted consciences curable by the former doctrine . 〈◊〉 . . a ground of strong consolation , from ephes . . , , , . caution against the abuse of this doctrine . the chief work of the ministry . what is the imediate root of faith. objects answ . expos . use . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . quest . answ . obs . obs . . expos . . obs . . luth. expos . cultum meum non ponum in unâ tantum civitate , sed per totum mundum from the rising of the sun , &c. obs . . use . expos . reas . expos . . obs . . obs . . expos . obs . use . simile . plutarch . quest . answ . . rejected . quid faciomus viri fratres eum severe mentes audiunt , non contingere salutem nisi baptizatis & credentibus in nomen christi , verè expanescunt ; et de salutemsunt soliciti . luther . ● obs . great troubls at the aaising of christs kingdom . lactant. prodigia miranda per omnia elementae mundi . reas . . luke , . . eulightned . obs . . obs . . text. saints need awaking before times of reformation . * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 turpidè accurrent . tremel . properabunt , vatablus in notis . text. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 filij maris . expos . obs . expos . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 advolabunt . vulgat . expos . . expos . . text text expos . obs . . obs . . obs . . use . text. obs . cohaerance . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 expos . general . particular . expos . . theologus fidelis nihil aliud est , quàm centrum , ad quod omnes line 〈…〉 dolorum tendunt . meisner the meaning obs . . use . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 quest . answ . obs . . let deceitful men note . expos . . the time between hosea the prophet , and king hezekiah . obs . expos . . obs . obs . . obs . . obs . . ministers ] masters of families . al men shold shew zeal for god. jerom in loc . expos . obs . . few regard this . shifts . luther in lo 〈…〉 why some decline the waies of god expos . . obs . revel . . . illustrated . testis descendit cum deo. vulg adhuc 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 testis 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 à 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 damnatus est 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 descendit 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 riberain loc . obs . . obs . . text. obs . obs . . obs . . expos . holy ones for the holy one expos . . . . . obs . a caution feeding on the wind . . simile . the chamaeleon , the reason of its changablenes ▪ none sink lower when disappointed , than conceited and confident men . . the east wind , why hurtful . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . . aestus . vulg. obl. creatures hope will prove but wind , and pernicious . obs . . difference in the saints frō others in afflictions . expos . . lyes in doctrine . vno absurdo dato mille sequuntur . these times . rev. . . enlightned . england . let novelists mark . whence it comes that there is such an encrease o false doctrine in england . note . an apt similo lyes against the prophets . simile . several waies of encreasing lyes . servants ( see the apology of the dissenting brethren : and the assembly's answer to it . ) austin . a horrible temptation to atheism . we should mourn for this . condderations to prevent suggestions of atheism frō the contrary reports of godly parties . . simile , in scripture . . use . . . . lyes in practice . why men find not satisfaction in their waies . invention to satisfie conscience , may prove judgment . expos . expos . obs . expos . aegypt . canaan . note . mir●m est &c. calv. in loc , expos . . god comends , and contends with his church at once . reas . , mens error in judging others . . . . men excuse their evil by their good . reformed worshipers . a note for passionat men quest . answ . quest . answ . scope of the text. note . ambrose . theodotius . three historys to explain the text. . . . expos . . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 á 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 supplantavit . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 á 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 operatus est . * habet nomen à faciendo , hic ille vir qui praeclarè omnia faciet , ut ●ulgd dicitur fac totū mirabilit profectò historia . luth. reasons why the scripture sets down iacobs taking his brother by the heel . quest . answ . luther in gen. . obs . . obs . . the free grace of god to our ancestors . expos . . use of instruction . expos . . . . odiosum & impium dogma anabaptistarum , qui ideo pueris baptismum negant , quia sensu ac mentacareant , nec intelligant quae cum eu aguntur . luth. in loc . . s. dominic . vt splendore sanctitatis & doctrinae homines toto orbe inflammaret . text. expos . gen. . . observed . we may be sorely afflicted in doing that which god commands us . see judg. . . & sam. . , . , . gen. . . vers . . gen. . . explained expos . use . . use . . encouragement to the saints . . quest . answ . text. expos . . god sometimes brings the deepest afflictions when he intends the greatest mercy . text. expos . . text. quest . answ . cor. . luther . anselm . obs . . text. obs . . eph. . . explained . use . col. . . enlightned . gen. . . opened 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 princeps fuisti . obs . . expos . expos . obs . two promises to abrahā . . . . text obs . prevailing recompences al our labor in seeking . a jewish fiction . simile . note . weeping sutable to an high spirit . text. obs . rev. . . opened . bombardo nostrae . * for the sens is more full and cleer by that addition . quest . answ . faith. rom. . jam. . . in gods way . particular promise . . sence of unworthiness . . acknowledgment of mercies , and truth of promises . . remēbrance of former meanness . . deep sence of what is prayed for . use . . strong arguments . use . text. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 expos . . . obs . use . josh . . . with heb. . . what god spake to iacob and to us at bethel . obs . . obs . . obs . . obs . . obs . . obs . . obs . . obs . obs . . the second story implied in the text. obs . . obs . . obs . . use . the scope of the text. expos . quest . answ . lord of hosts . [ the glorious name of the lord of hosts : the title of a book of the authors , being one of the first in defence of the wars on the parliaments side ] an impartial story of the late warrs would tend much to gods glory . the new-model at first gods armies . . gods people are his hosts in a special song . . . exemplified in england . jehovah . iehovah what it signifies . iehovah , gods being of himself . what it infers . . . . nothing can be properly predicated of god. how to conceive aright of god. simile . the name iehovah , what it shold remind us of . iebovah to be kept in the translation . * alwaies when it is in capital letters as lord , not when it is in other letters , as lord obs . . use . obs . . what humbles most effectually . obs . . use obs . . obs . . use . obs . . cohaerance . obs . . obs . . simile . simile . act. . . explained . obs . . what terror in the name - iehovah . and whrt consolation . a fit simile . the excellency of the name iehovah . obs . . obs . . text. expos . use . . . . . . a mercy , for god to speak particularly to a soul . particulars affect most . text. expos . obs . expos . obs . . obs . . obs . . the scripture most in this next to faith. what the scripture presses much jam. . . interpreted . ridged professors . obs . expos . obs . quest . answ . pretended mercy . obs . mic. . . obs . quest . answ . 〈◊〉 . when we are to shew mercy . . difference in judgment . . . answ . when we are to execute judgment . text. obs . note . courts of justice . families . text expos . how we ar to wait on god. . . . . obs . use for new converts applie . to some back-fliders . why we should wait . . simile . . . simile . what we wait for . . . simile . . england . note . expos . simile . the folly of apostats . * as he hath done divers . . note . the text seasonable . the scope . great dealers * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 expos . cananite , why signifie a merchant . chaldaeans , why taken for an astrologer . arabian , why a thief . expos . . obs . . obs . . levit. . 〈◊〉 . illustrated . the point urged . the text opened . . the mark of the beast . . innuitur continuum ac perpetuum studium . meisn . in loc . deut. . . observed . . text. oppression in trading . . monopolizing commodities . . expos . . oppression of under-trades-men . . debtors . the evil of deceipt in trading . . . . . . chrysostom . . the excuses of deceiptful dealers . de mali quaesitis non-gaudet tertius haeres : — of goods ill got , the thud heir joyeth not . a vehement applic . of the text . . . restitution . why we pardon without restitution . reason . . scripture . numb . . , . an excellent scripture for restitution . illustrated . . . mr. latimer his expressiō of non-restorers . ve 〈…〉 tamen . labor , opes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vanitas , &c. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 expos . obs . . obs . . obs . . deut. . . interpreted obs . . prov. . . noted . * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 obs . . zeph. . . opened obs . . isa . . . interpreted . a sure sign of a carnal heart . obs . . the mother of gratian &c. populus me sibilat , at mihi plaudo ipse domi simul ac numos contemplor in arca. videtis quàm bona navigatio , ab ipsis dijs , sacriligis tribuatur . val. maximus , lib. . cap. . a dangerous note of reprobation . text. the difference between a godly and a carnal heart . text. expos . . . . . obs . . obs . . covetousness hard to be convinc'd . obs . . obs . . absit ut deprehendar sceleratus in meis factus . luth●● l. obs . . simile . obs . . a true convert ill signs . . . obs . . cohaerance . obs . . applied to england . obs . . use . obs . . expos . . . calvin . applic. to england . . the authors exposition . feast of tabernacles . obs . . ministers duty . note . a sinners duty . apostats . note in special . use to persons offended by others . obs . . applied to england . applied spiritually . text. albertus and others . reformation in england . ainsworth . a note for the congregational and presbyterian churches . expos . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . obs . . matt. . , . observed . note . why men profit no more by the ministry . how to profit better . obs . . matth. . . isa . . . noted . with eph. . , , , . the ministry a magnificent gift . chrysostom how esteemd in his ministry . in choice of our habitations we shold have respect to a good ministry . obs . . obs . . use . expos . exponit deut in verbo similitudinem sui hoc est , pingit voluntatem suam luth. in loc . obs . . effectual preaching . obs . . pet. martyr on john , . see the life of galeaci●n . what similitudes should be used , and how . . . . obs . . obs . . gilead . gilgal . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . bones 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 princeps 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 [ ququam hic c. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 irregular . vid. buxtorf . in lexic . heb. ] expos . note . let the learned note . obs . expos . . amos contemporary with hosea . obs . . expos . obs . applic. to reformers in england . expos . . expos . . dij terminalis procession-weeks in england . expos . . scope . . expos . iacob's mean condition . scope . . scope , . a further exposit . of the text. iacob's flight into syria . . . note . how isaac sent iacob away . note . . why sent away so meanly . . . the chief reason . kindred . parents or guardians may not force wives or husbands upon children . gen. . . expounded note . marriage founded on consent . quest . answ . what is the blessing in a married condition , which they should pray for . obs . . let the nobility & gentry note . [ plato said all kings came from plow-men , and all plow-men from kings ] obs . . applic. . to servants that are in hard service . . to those that are out . obs . . obs . . non tam longo tempore servivit jaacob ut haberet socium vitae , cum qua perpetuò rixaretur , tanquam scholam omniū virtutem matrimonium cupidè ingressus est . luth. in 〈◊〉 . why iacob served the other . years for r 〈…〉 ▪ obs . . a childs great disobedience . . . . cohaerance moses his low condition . obs . reason of the text. . . . cyril . obs . . applied to england . obs . . difference of god's working for his people , and for others . reas . . . use . obs . . obs . . let some note this now , as others had cause to note it formerly . note . the aggravations of this sin . . . a perverse spirit , the punishment of ingratitude . cohaerance . expos . . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in hithpael exaltari . [ graec. ezek. . . ] in excelsis suis . calv. &c. expos . . the particular intimation of the text. obs . . obs . . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the aggravation of provoking god. wherein we may provoke . against provoking one another . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a meditatiō for passionate spirits . gualter . simile . note . obs . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . provoking sins . . . the spirit of god bitter to some . england now more guilty of bitterness tean ever . rev. . . alluded to . aggravated . text. expos . obs . obs . t●●msire fecit 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 expos . quest . answ . apostacy brings a reproach upon gods waies . * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . simile . the language of the sin of an apostat . how god usually punisheth them the reproach of the wicked how tho saints are to vindicate reproaches . expos . obs . use . iulian the apostat . the pointing of the text. joshua . jeroboam . chald. paraphrase . expos . . . base spirits most insolent . obs . . use for inferiors . we are with reverence to hear the lord speak . obs . . the imperiousness of some in their families . trembling due to god. the posture of a congregatiō● expos . pareus . obs . . psal . . . observed . obs . . obs . . verified in . magistracy . ministry . note . note . simile . use . for magistrats and ministers that have bin of repute . revel . . explained . see mr mead in loc . expos . in partic . what ieroboam spake to cause tremling . . alteration of government expos . obs . . obs . . note . obs . . use . caution . expos . . obs . . episcopacy a fit simile . obs . . obs . . obs . . obs . . mat. . . interpreted . note . obs . . troja retineus palladium inexpugabiles manebat . a caution . one of gods special covenants with the jews . his way with them . obs . . ahabstime . expos . obs . . note . mobile vulg 〈…〉 . expol. obs . an apt simile obs . obs . . simile . simile . obs . . simile . simile the steps of apostacy . . . . a story related by dr. preston . . common comforts . . . . . note . . . difference between the churches excomumnion and gods. note . yong beginners . use for the saints . obs . . the general rule of worship . . . the beginning of superstition . . . ceremonies . popery . use to reformers . expos . tertull. de idolataria , cap. . , . silver . note . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 dolorei terriculamenta . the cause of corruption in gods worship the root of that evil . hoc agitur de cultu dei , in quocessore debet quicquid est prudentiae , quicquid est rationis in hominibus , quicquid consilij & omnes co●●um sensus ; nā si hic tantillum fib● er 〈…〉 tunt , nibil aliud 〈◊〉 àm dei cultum vitiant . hic principiū est vitè colen●● dei , ut ●omines ●●ul●●ant neque permittunt sibi sapere , s 〈…〉 tantum prele●nt aurem deo , hic damnat quicquid arridet judicio hominum , vel rationi . calv. in l c. non-conformists . the use of reason in religion . text. expos . obs . isa . . . observed . fulfilled in england of la. e. note . expos . applic. text. expos . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . g 〈…〉 tertull. lactant. just . lib. . cap. . ge-hinnom . in valle filiorū hinnom . hinnō 〈◊〉 nahem , genuat rugijt from whence gehenna . * adorare ad os applic. obs . use . against kissing the book in swearing . expos . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 gluma palea temissima obs . * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 significat foramen , in judaeâ non fuerūt tables camini , qualibus nos hodie ultimur , sed feuestrae superiore parte domus , vel in pavicte , quemadmodum bodie in norwegiâ , & sueciâ , tar 〈…〉 ov , in loc . obs . use . expos . . obs . expos . . expos . see luth. in gen. . expos . . obs . text expos . obs . what it is to know god. obs . . obs . . text obs . . obs . . obs . . obs . . obs . . obs . . the excellency of gods saving . quest . answ . obs . . obs . . obs . . obs . . obs . . expos . gods knowledge & conduct of the people in the wilderness , obs . . use . obs . obs . . obs . . obs . . expos . obs . . applic. none of the saints worse for affliction : many for prosperity . david . text. expos . note . prov. . . noted . what thoughts we should have about enjoying outward comforts . . . . . . . . . . . note . text difficile est esse in honor sine tumore . bern. why the rich and great are apt to be high minded . . . . . note . psal . . . noted . deut. . . applied . notes of the pride of some new officers . . . psal . . . observed . . . why we should not be exalted by prosperity . . . . . an apt simile . . . . . job , . , . noted simile text expos . . . . . . applied to england . a meditation for trades-men in the city , &c. . . . . . note . note . psal . . urged . . . . obs . psal . . obs . ezek. . . &c. an observable scripture . why god deals roughly with the great & graciously with the grieded and oppressed . . . . . why god wil be as a lyon to them that forget him . . . . . . . salis est prostrasse leoni , . . . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , &c. [ sicut pardus in via assyriorum vulgat . so hieron . ] why the locōpares himself to a leopard . plin. lib. . cap. . aelian . lib. . cap. . scalig. exerc. . . aelian . lib. . cap. . plin. l. . c. note . vers . y. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vers . s. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the lyon's property . luthers observation on the place . bernard his speech to his brother . arias montan. expos . the bear , obs . lyra. other interpreters upon the place . the text parelleld with dan. , . panthera , hinc leopardus . arist . histor . animal . lib. . cap. . note . sleid. de . imperijs lib. . object . answ . expos . god to be preached as terrible . obs . expos . obs . perdidt te israel . calv. perdidit te rex tuus . trem. vitulus tuus . rabb . consolatio fictitia . ab. ezr. corrupit te . drus . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ego in auxiliotuo , & auxiliūtuum est in me . drus . expos . pareus . quod in me in auxiliatorem rebellasti . obs . . obs . one work of the day of judment . gods decree damns none . what it is . the decree of election . . . note . wherein self appears in sin . . . . . . . . an aggravation of self-destruction . . note . . . austin . note . applic. . to persons note . mens excuses . . cor. . . applied to england . note . note . note . note note . a prophesie . note . simile inde sequitur , praedestinationem , vocationem , & gratiam ; non esse ex praevijs praedestinatorum meritis ; sed ex deo praedestinanter , vocanter , gratiâ suâ praedestinatos praevenicute ; haec enim sunt avxilivm dei. cornel à lapidè in loc . multa bona facit deus in homine , quae non facit homo ; nul●la facit homo , quae deus non facit , us faciat homo . august . expos . obs . use . cupio te detendere , te servare , hoc verè esse , deum esse . luth. in loc . use . . quest . answ . a useful scripture . quest . answ . . expos . obs . obs . applied to england . . reading . expos . obs . a caution concerning earthly kings . * see bucer in matth. . ver ult . cuncta supremo magistratus concedenda proper conscientiam : i. e. the supream magistrate is to be submitted to in all things , but matters of conscience ; hee speaks of private men , not of those who by laws are appoynted to be a screen between the prince and people , such as calvins instit . lib. . cap. . sect. . saith the . estates in parliament are . . . reading . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , i. e. ubi est rex isle tuus . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ubi rex tuus nunc ? chald. ubi est rex tuus ? vulg. ( so hierom. none of these read 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 heb. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 expos . pareus in lo● the confidences of the ten tribes : king. city . nobles . obs . . obs . obs . . use . use . iudices aliquan do reges designant , ut amos , . . exscindam iudicem de medio tui . de rege moab loquitur note . obs . if a king , then nobles . why the israelites would have a king , and princes . note . . . note . . note . . . obs . a slander noed by the author . cohaerance abirato , potius quàm ab exorato deo. obs . . * ex hoc loco discimus deum sic exercere sua judicia utquicquid mali est , debeat hominibus ascribi : deus videtur hoc totum dirigere sua providentia , discamus admirars sobriè , arcana dei judicia , neque imitemur impuros istos canes qui obga : niunt , quia non pessuat agnoscere quomodo deus utatur etiam improbis hominibus , quia hoc non percipuint , concludunt , dominum esse causa peccait . cals . in loc . obs . . success no note of a good cause . obs . . dando irascitur , non dando miseretur . august . take heed of immoderate desires . sam. . , . note . text. . . . it is hard to convince men when they have their desires , that it is not in love . note . notes to know whether it be love or hatred by all that is before us . . . note . note . . simile . note . . psa . . . opened . a dangerous sign of reprobation . . note . . note . . * [ before , or sanctified by prayer after ; for thou preventest me ( saith david ) with thy blessing of goodness ps . , god doth so somtimes to his saints ] samuel . note note . . simile . isa . . . explained . . . ● . note . an apt ▪ . note . simile . . note . . corallaries frō the former notes . . . . . simile . similies . . . . a special difference between a carnal & a gracious heart . simile . note . . an essential difference between spiritual & temporal blessings . note . joh. . . the point urged . . isa . . encouragement . note . note . text. obs . . * agrigentinis phalaris , marius romanis . cur domine eū ficisti imperatorum ? ‡ resp . quoniam non inveni pesorem . quest . answ . when governors are given in anger . saul a discription of him . jeroboam : a discription of him . omniam consensu capax imperij nisi imperasses . how long he reigned . use . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 expos . obs . . expos . calvin . obs . . use . caution . obs . . obs . . obs . . caution . paenae piorum ira , impiorum furor , pareus . obs . . quest . . answ . when god takes away , and not in wrath . quest . . answ . when god takes away in wrath . . . [ tempus sanè incommodissimum , iter aliquo facientibus in aestate & in locu calidioribus . drus . in l. note . note . use . obs . . obs . . obs . . obs . . notes for div a -e * solve senescentem maturè sanus equum , ne peccet ad extremum videndus & ilia ducat . horat. jer. . 〈◊〉 * — esse praeterea alios , qui priùs multas adire gentes &c. quae priusquam assequantur aut sibi satisfaciāt & in his quicquem tentandum esse putent , vel senio , vel nimiis & intempestivis studiis conficiantur , vel serò nimis incipientes , nihil ad justum finem perducant — ut ecclesiae carendum sit non tam praecellentium quàm mediocrium ingeniorum fructibus , &c. * the original was with the superoisor in colchester when besieg'd and much of the town burnt . an exposition of the prophesie of hosea begun in divers lectures vpon the first three chapters, at michaels cornhill, london / by jer. burroughes. burroughs, jeremiah, - . approx. kb of xml-encoded text transcribed from -bit group-iv tiff page images. text creation partnership, ann arbor, mi ; oxford (uk) : - (eebo-tcp phase ). a wing b estc r ocm this keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the early english books online text creation partnership. this phase i text is available for reuse, according to the terms of creative commons . universal . the text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. early english books online. (eebo-tcp ; phase , no. a ) transcribed from: (early english books online ; image set ) images scanned from microfilm: (early english books, - ; : ) an exposition of the prophesie of hosea begun in divers lectures vpon the first three chapters, at michaels cornhill, london / by jer. burroughes. burroughs, jeremiah, - . the second edition newly corrected. [ ], p. printed for r. dawlman, london : . reproduction of original in the union theological seminary library, new york. created by converting tcp files to tei p using tcp tei.xsl, tei @ oxford. re-processed by university of nebraska-lincoln and northwestern, with changes to facilitate morpho-syntactic tagging. gap elements of known extent have been transformed into placeholder characters or elements to simplify the filling in of gaps by user contributors. eebo-tcp is a partnership between the universities of michigan and oxford and the publisher proquest to create accurately transcribed and encoded texts based on the image sets published by proquest via their early english books online (eebo) database (http://eebo.chadwyck.com). the general aim of eebo-tcp is to encode one copy (usually the first edition) of every monographic english-language title published between and available in eebo. eebo-tcp aimed to produce large quantities of textual data within the usual project restraints of time and funding, and therefore chose to create diplomatic transcriptions (as opposed to critical editions) with light-touch, mainly structural encoding based on the text encoding initiative (http://www.tei-c.org). the eebo-tcp project was divided into two phases. the , texts created during phase of the project have been released into the public domain as of january . anyone can now take and use these texts for their own purposes, but we respectfully request that due credit and attribution is given to their original source. users should be aware of the process of creating the tcp texts, and therefore of any assumptions that can be made about the data. text selection was based on the new cambridge bibliography of english literature (ncbel). if an author (or for an anonymous work, the title) appears in ncbel, then their works are eligible for inclusion. selection was intended to range over a wide variety of subject areas, to reflect the true nature of the print record of the period. in general, first editions of a works in english were prioritized, although there are a number of works in other languages, notably latin and welsh, included and sometimes a second or later edition of a work was chosen if there was a compelling reason to do so. image sets were sent to external keying companies for transcription and basic encoding. quality assurance was then carried out by editorial teams in oxford and michigan. % (or pages, whichever is the greater) of each text was proofread for accuracy and those which did not meet qa standards were returned to the keyers to be redone. after proofreading, the encoding was enhanced and/or corrected and characters marked as illegible were corrected where possible up to a limit of instances per text. any remaining illegibles were encoded as <gap>s. understanding these processes should make clear that, while the overall quality of tcp data is very good, some errors will remain and some readable characters will be marked as illegible. users should bear in mind that in all likelihood such instances will never have been looked at by a tcp editor. the texts were encoded and linked to page images in accordance with level of the tei in libraries guidelines. copies of the texts have been issued variously as sgml (tcp schema; ascii text with mnemonic sdata character entities); displayable xml (tcp schema; characters represented either as utf- unicode or text strings within braces); or lossless xml (tei p , characters represented either as utf- unicode or tei g elements). keying and markup guidelines are available at the text creation partnership web site . eng bible. -- o.t. -- hosea -- commentaries. - tcp assigned for keying and markup - aptara keyed and coded from proquest page images - john latta sampled and proofread - john latta text and markup reviewed and edited - pfs batch review (qc) and xml conversion an exposition of the prophesie of hosea . begun in divers lectvres vpon the first three chapters , at michaels cornhill , london , by jer . burroughes . the second edition newly corrected . inter omnia dona , donum verbi dei est amplissimum : si hoc auferas , soleme mundo sustulisti : quid erit mundus , sublato verbo , quaminfernus ? luther . london , printed for r. dalwman , in the year , . to the reader . you have these lectures as they were taken from me in preaching , iperused the notes , but i could not bring the style to that succinctnesse that i desired , except i should have wrote all over again , which i had no time to doe : my perusall was but cursory , therefore many things have slipt me : you have them as i preached them , without any considerable alteration . i had thought to have been far briefer : that which caused me to goe somewhat beyond an expository way , was the meeting with so many things almost in every lecture so neerly concerning the present times : in the remaining part of the prophesie , if god give life to goe through it , i shall keep my selfe more close to an expository way : what here you have , take it as you finde it : what good you meet with , receive it in . this will be the encouragement of thy friend in christ , j. b. aug. . . imprimatur , ioseph caryll , an exposition of the prophesie of hosea . the first lectvre . chap. . vers . , . &c. . the word of the lord that came unto hosea the son of beeri , in the dayes of vzziah , iotham , ahaz , and hezekiah , kings of iudah , and in the days of ieroboam son of ioash king of israel . . the beginning of the word of the lord by hosea : and the lord said to hosea , &c. the preface to the work. this day beginneth a scripture exposition exercise , which hath lost much of the honour of it , by the disuse of it : the best apology for it is to set presently upon it . it is ancient in the church of god , old enough to speak for itself . nehem . . . we read , that ezra , ieshua , bani , and the rest read in the book of the law , and gave the sense , and caused the people to understand the reading . you love brevity ; in this exercise you shall have it , in all that shall be delivered unto you . i have pitched upon the books of the small prophets , to open them unto you , of whom ierome hath this expression : a you cannot tell which to wonder at most , either the brevt●y of speech , or the greatness and abundance of sense . and this prophet hosea in speciall is excellent this way , of whom the same author speaking , calls him b exceeding concise , & speaking by sentences . being the propheticall books is the work that falls to me , why i chose rather to begin with hosea then isaiah , i shall afterward give you an account . if god continue this exerciseand life , we may goe through them all , both small and great . in these prophets we have most admirable divine truths revealed to us , and pity it is , that the minde of god contained in them should be so little known , even unto his children , that such treasures of heavenly truths that are there should lie hid from so many so long a time as they have done . we might preface this our work ( because this is the first dayes entrance into it ) vvith labouring to raise and sweeten your hearts with the consideration of the excellency of the scriptures in generall . luther hath an high expression about them ; he calls them c the highest genus that containes in it all good whatsoever . take away the scripture , and you even take away the sun from the world . what is the world without the scriptures , but hell it self ? we have had indeed the word of god to be as the sun in the world , but oh hovv many mists have been before this sun ! we have seldome the sun shine clearly to us . it is pity , seeing there is such a glorious sun risen , that there should be such a misty day . now this is the work we are called unto , to dispell the mists and fogs from before this sun , that it may shine more brightly before your eyes , and into your hearts . chrysost . in his . sermon upon genesis d exhorting his auditors to get the scriptures into their houses , and to a diligent exercise of himselfe in them , tells them that by them the soul is raised and elevated , and brightned , as with the beame of the sun of righteousnesse , and delivered from the snares of unclean thoughts . the scripture is that wherin the great god of heaven hath sent his mind to the children of men , wherein he hath made known the counsel of his wil , & opened even his very heart unto man-kind . it is the epistle that god hath sent into the world . and did wee but heare of such a book that were dictated imediatly by god himself , to the end to shew the children of men what the eternall counsels of his will were for the ordering of them to their eternall estate , and to open his thoughts and intentions concerning their everlasting condition what it shall be : did wee i say but heare that there were such a book in the farthest part of the indies , would we not rejoyce that the world was blest with such a mercie ? what strong and vehement desires should we have to enjoy but one sight of it before we dye ! wee would be willing to venture upon any hazard , to passe through any difficulty , to be at any charges , that we might have but a sight of such a booke as this . my brethren , you need not say , who shall goe to the farthest part of the indies to setch this book ? who shall descend into the depth , or goe to the uttermost part of the earth to help us to a sight of this booke of scripture ? for behold , the word is nigh unto you , it is in your houses , and we hope in your hearts , and in this exercise is to be in our mouths , not only to tell you what it saith , but open unto you the mind of god in it . the exercising our selves in this book is sweet indeed ; luther professes himselfe out of love with his own books , and wished them burnt , lest men spending time in them , should be hindered from reading the scriptures ; which saies he are the only fountain of all wisdome : and i tremble saies he at the former age , that was so much busied in reading of aristotle and averroes . wee read in that . of nehem. vers . , . when ezra opened the book of the law to expound it to the people , he blessed the lord the great god , and all the people answered , amen , amen . and now blessed be the lord , the great and gracious god , for stirring your hearts up to such a work as this is , and blessed be his name for those liberties we have thus freely to exercise our selves in this service ; o praised be the name of the great god for this dayes entrance into so good a work as this is . yea they did not only blesse god , but the text saith , they lifted up their hands , and they bowed their heads , and worshipped the lord with their faces to the ground . why ? because the book of the law was read to them and expounded . how comes it to passe that their hearts were so taken with it now to hear the book of the law expounded to them ? surely it was because they were newly returned out of their captivity ; and now they came into their owne land , and heard the law of god opened to them , they blessed his great name , & bowed their faces to the ground , worshipping him . this day ( my brethren ) witnesseth to us our great deliverance and returne from our bondage . it was not long since that wee could have either ordinances , or truths , or religious exercises , but onely according to the humors of vile men : but now through gods mercy a great deliverance is granted to us ( as this day witnesseth ) that wee may come and have free liberty to exercise our selves in the law of our god : o doe you blesse the lord , and bow your faces to the ground , worshipping of him . in the . vers . of that chap. we read , that after they had heard the law read and expounded to them , they went their way to eate and to drink , and to send portions , and to make great mirth : why ? because ( saith the text ) they had understood the words that were declared unto them . i hope if god shall please to give in assistance unto this work , many of you shall goe away hereafter from this assembly rejoycing , because you will come to know more of gods mind revealed in his word then formerly : and this will be the comfort of your meat and drink , and of your trading , and the very spirits of all the joyes of your lives . as the sweetnesse of the fruit comes from the graft , rather then from the stock , so your comforts , and the blessings of grace in you , must come from the word ingrafted in your soules , rather then from any thing you have in your selves . in the first vers . the text saith , that all the people gathered themselves together as one man , into the street that was before the water-gate , to desire ezra to bring the book of the law , and to read it , and to open it unto them . behold it is thus this day in this place ; here are a great company met together , perhaps some to know what the businesse will be , some for novelty , and some for other ends ; howsoever , come unto us you are , and we hope many for this end , that you might have the booke of the law read & opened unto you . now we expect that from you , which is said of them , ver . . and the ears of all the people were attenti●e unto the book of the law , when it was read & opened to them . and truly that attention that you now begin withal , doth promise unto us that we shall have an attentive auditory . but that is not all ; let us have further a reverential demeanor and carriage in the hearing of the law , as it becomes those that have to deale with god in it . the text saith , vers . . that when ezra opened the book of the law , all the people stood up . we doe not expect the same gesture from you , but by way of analogie we expect a reverentiall demea nour in the carriage of he whole worke , as knowing we are to sanctifie gods name in it . and as those people after the first dayes exercise were so encouraged , that they came again the second day , ( for so the text saith , vers . . on the second day were gathered together the cheife of the fathers of all the people , the priests and the levi●es , unto ezra , to understand the words of the law ) so ( i hope ) god will so carry on this worke , that you shall find encouragement too , to come again and again , that you may know more of the mind of god ; and that this work shall not be only profitable to the younger and weaker sort , but to the fathers , to the priests and levites too . let it be with you as it was with them , according as you have any truth made known unto you , submit to it , yeeld to it , obey it presently , and then you shall know more of gods mind : he that will doe my will , shall know my doctrine to be of god : thus did they , for vers . . when they found it vvritten in the book of the law , that the children of israel should dwell in booths in the feast of the seventh moneth , ( this was one passage of the law that was expounded , how they should keep the feast of tabernacles , and what booths they should make ) the people went forth presently unto the mount , and fetched olive branches , and palm branches , and branches of thick trees , and made themselves booths , every one upon the roofe of his house . in this prophesie of hosea you shall find many sutable truths to the times wherein we live , the lord grant you obedient hearts to what shall be delivered . i must not retard the work , nor your expectations any longer with large prefacing to it , only somewhat have been said about the rules for interpretation of scripture ; i will say no more of that but this , to interpretation of scripture , a scripture frame of heart is necessary , a heart holy & heavenly , sutable to the holinesse & heavenlinesse that is in the word : as it was said of tullies eloquence , that nothing but the eloquence of tully could set out the excellency of it : so it may be said of the scriptures spiritualness , nothing but a heart filled with scripture spiritualness can set forth the excellencies of it : and because the authority of scripture is dreadfull , wee desire the prayers of you all to god for us , that his feare might fall upon our hearts that seeing we are menfull of errour , and full of evill , yet howsoever wee may not bring any scripture to the maintenance of any erroneous conceit of our own heads , nor any evill of our own hearts : this wee know to be a dreadfull evill . it was a fearfull evill for lucifer to say , i will goe and ascend up , & be like the highest , it is as great an evill for any to seek to make the highest to become like lucifer ; for so do they that make the scripture come down to justifie any erroneous opinion , or any way of evill they goe about to make the blessed god and the holy ghost to be the fathers of lies . it is counted a great evill in a common-wealth to put the kings stamp upon false coine ; and to put the stamp of the spirit of god upon an error , upon a conceit of a mans owne , is certainly a great evill before the lord : and it was for this that god did make the priests vile and contemptible before the people , because they were pa●tiall in the law , mal. . . and for you ( my brethren ) our prayer shall be , that the feare of god may fall upon you likewise , that you may come to these exercises with scripture-frames of heart . what frame of heart is a scripture-frame ? the holy ghost tells you , isa . . . god looks at him that trembleth at his word : come with hearts trembling at the word of god ; come not to be iudges of the law , but doers of it . you may judge of your profiting in grace by the delight you finde in scripture , as quintilian was wont to say of profiting in eloquence , a man may know that , saies hee , by the delight hee findes in reading cicero ; much more may this be said of the scriptures , it is a true signe of profiting in religion , to whom the scriptures are sweeter then the honey , and the honey-combe . and now i shall onely tell you what the work is we have to doe , and then we shall fall upon it , and that is to open scripture unto you , not onely difficulties , but to shew unto you what divine truths are contained in them what may come fresh , and spring up from the fountain it selfe , to present them unto you with adding some quickness . this is our worke not to enlarge any thing with long explication , probation , or application . there are these five things to be enquired concerning this our prophet , whose prophesie i have now pitched upon to open . who he was . to whom he was sent . what his errant was . his commission . the time of his prophesie all these you have either in the first verse , ( where most of them are ) or you shall find them in the chapter . for the first then , who this prophet was . i will tell you no more of him then what you have in the first verse , hosea the son of beeri . his name signifieth a saviour , one that brings salvation . it is the same root that ioshua had his name from ; and many saving and savory truths wee shall finde this prophet bringing to us . he was the sonne of beeri . this beeri we doe not find who hee was in scripture , only in that he is here named as the father of the prophet in the entrance into this prophesie , surely it is honor is gratia to the prophet , and from it we may note thus much . that so should parents live and walke , as it may be an honour to their children to be called by their names , that their children may neither be afraid nor ashamed to be named by them . the iews have a tradition that is generally received among them , that whensoever a prophets father is named , that father was likewise a prophet as well as the son. if that were so , then surely it is no dishonor for any man to be the son of a prophet . let those that are the children of godly , gracious ministers , be no dishonour to their parents , their parents are an honour unto them : but we find it by experience , that many of their children are farr from being honours to their godly parents . how many ancient godly ministers , who heretofore hated superstitious vanities , whose sonns of late have been the greatest zealots for such things . it puts me in mind of what the scripture notes concerning iehoiakim the sonne of iosiah , the difference betweene his father and him . iosiah when he heard the law read , his heart melted , and he humbled himselfe before the lord. but now iehoiakim his sonne , when hee came to heare the law of god read , he tooke a pen-knife , and cut the roll in which it was written , in peices , and threw it into the fire that was on the hearth , untill all the roll was consumed . a great deale of difference there was between the son and the father , and thus it is between the sons of many ancient godly ministers and them : their fathers indeed might be an honour unto them , but they are dishonour to their fathers . the sonne of beeri . this word beeri hath its signification from a wel that hath springing water in it , freely and cleerly running : so ministers should be the children of beeri , that that they have should be springing water , and not the mud and dirt , and filth of their own conceits mingled with the word . this only by way of allusion . to whom was this prophet hosea sent . he was sent especially to the ten tribes . i suppose you all know the division that there was of the people of israel in rehoboams time , tenn of the tribes went from the house of david , only iudah and benjamine remained with it . now these tenne tribes renting themselves from the house of david , did rent themselves likewise from the true worship of god , & there grew up horrible wickednesses , and all manner of abominations amongst them . to these ten tribes god sent this prophet . he sent isaiah & micah to iudah , amos and hosea he sent to israel , all these were contemporary . if you would know what state israel was in , in hoseas time , read but k. . . & you shall find what their condition was , ieroboam did that which was e●ill but he fight of the lord , he departed not from all the sins of ieroboam the sonne of nebat which made israel to sinne . but notwithstanding israel was thus notoriously wicked , and given up to all idolatry , yet the lord sendeth his prophets , hosea and amos , to prophesie to them even at this time . o the goodnesse of the lord to follow an apostatizing people , an apostatizing soule ! it was mercy yet while god was speaking ; but woe to that people , to that soul to whom the lord shall give in charge to his prophets , prophesie no more to them . but what was hosea his errand to israel ? his errand was to convince them clearly o● this their abominable idolatry , and those other abominable wickednesses that they lived in , and severely to denounce threatnings , yea most fearfull destruction . ( this was not done before by the other prophets , as wee shall afterward make it appeare , but it was hosea his errand to threaten an utter desolation to israel more than ever was before ) and yet withall to promise mercy to a remnant to draw them to repentance , and to prophesie of the great things that god intended to doe for his church and children in the latter dayes . what was his commission ? the words tells us plainly , the word of the lord came to hosea . it was the word of iehovah . it is a great argument to obedience to know it is the word of the lord that is spoken . when men set reason against reason , and judgment against judgment , and opinion against opinion , it prevails not : but vvhen they see the authority of god in the word , then the heart and conscience yeeldeth . therefore hovvever you may look upon the instruments that bring it , or open it to you , as your equalls or inferiours , yet knovv there is an authority in the word that is above you al : it is the word of the lord. and this word of the lord , it came to hosea . mark the phrase , hosea did not goe for the word of the lord , but the word of the lord came to him : he sought it not , but it came to him , factum fuit verbum , so are the words , the word of the lord came , or was made into him , was put into him . such a kind of phrase you have in the new testament , iohn . . if hee called them gods unto whom the word of god came ; that is , to whom the commission came , to put them in the place wherein they were . so the word of the lord came to hosea . the knowledg of a call to a work , will help a man through the difficulties of the work . one of the notablest texts of scripture to encourage a man to that work to which he sees he is clearly called , is that which is spoken of christ himselfe , isa . . . i the lord have called thee in righteousnesse : what follows then ? i will hold thy hand , and will keep thee , and give thee for a covenant to the people , for a light to the gentiles . if wee know gods call to a work ( as for the present this of ours is exceeding clear unto us ) though the worke will be difficult and liable to much censure , yet the lord will hold our hands , and will be with us , and with our minds , and our tongues , and our hearts , and will keep us in this work , and make us instruments to give some light unto you . but the principall businesse is to enquire of the time when hosea prophesied . you have it in the text , in the dayes of vzziah , iotham , ahaz , and hezekiah kings , of iudah , and in the dayes of ieroboam the son of ioash king of israel . it is computed by chronologers , that hosea lived about . years before christ : in his time was the city of rome built . it was the beginning of the olympiads . eusebius tells us that there was no grecian history ( and if no greek learning , then not any that was of any authority ) extant before this time of hosea . he prophesied in these kings reigns , vzziah , iotham , &c. you shall find that we shall have much of gods mind revealed in this , more then at first view we can comprehend . we shall find by this that hosea prophesied a very long time , it is very probable fourscore years , but it is certaine he was in the work of his ministry above seventy yeares , and i make that clear thus , he prophesied in the dayes of ierobam ( who though he be here named last , yet he was the first of these kings , and we shall shew you the reason by and by , why he was named last ) that then took up some of his time : but suppose you reckon from the end of ieroboams reign , yet from that to the beginning of hezekiah , here were . years , and yet the text saith he prophesied both in ieroboams time , and in hezekiahs time too : after the death of ieroboam , vzziah lived . years ( he reigned . in all ) he began his reign in the . of ieroboam , king. . . now ieroboam lived after that . years , for he reigned . in all , take . out of . and there remains . and after him iotham reigned . years ; and then ahaz . succeeded him , and reigned sixteene yeares more : so that between these two kings , ieroboam and hezekiah , there was . yeers , in which hosea prophesied , besides the . yeers of ieroboam , and . yeers of hezekiah , in both whose reigns too you see he lived , and therefore it is probable it was . yeares at least that hosea continued in the work of his prophesie . see what of gods minde we have that will spring fresh from this . hosea continued so long , and yet you see there is not much of his prophesie extant , only short chapters . it pleaseth god sometimes that some mens labours shall abide more full to posterity than others , though the labours of those others more large , and as excellent as theirs : this is according to the diversity of gods administrations . let the ministers of god learn to be faithfull in their worke , and let god alone for to make them eminent by having their labours extant . . it appears from hence that hosea must needs begin to prophesie very young . if hee were a prophet . years , certainly hee was but young when he began first to prophesie , and yet he was set upon as great an employment as any of the prophets were ( as we shall see hereafter . ) it pleaseth god sometimes to stir up the hearts of young ones to doe him great service , he sends such sometimes about great works and employments , so he did samuel , and ieremiah , and timothy , therefore let no man despise their youth . . hosea prophesying thus long , it appeares hee lived to be old in his work . when god hath any work for men to doe , he doth lengthen out their days . so he did the days of john the disciple , he lived near upon an hundred years , if not more , for the time of the writing of his gospel ( as it is noted ) was in the . yeare of christ , . after the ascension . let not us be too solicitously carefull about our lives , to maintain our healths and strengths , let us be carefull to doe our worke ; for according as the lord hath work for us to doe , so he will continue to us our health and strength , and life : when you come to dye , you may dye comfortably , having this thought in you ; well , the work that the lord sent me to doe , is done , and why should i seeke to live longer in the world ? god hath others enough to do his work . it was a sweet expression of iacob , gen. . . behold i dye ( saith he ) but god shall be with you , and bring you againe unto the land of your fathers . so may the prophets of god say that have been faithfull in their work : behold i dye , but the lord shall be with you , my work is finished , but god hath others that are young , to goe on in his work , that is the third observation . . you may soe by hoseas continuance in so many kings reigns , that hee went through variety of conditions ; sometimes he lived under wicked kings , sometimes under moderate kings , sometimes hee had encouragement from godly and gracious kings , although they were of iudah . not only the people of god , but specially gods ministers must expect variety of conditions in the world , they must not promise to themselves always the same state . yet further . hosea prophesied in all these kings reigns . here appears the constancy of his spirit , notwithstanding the many difficulties hee met withall in his work : for he prophesying in jeroboams , iotham , and ahaz his time who were wicked princes , surely he must meet with many discouragements ; and though he continued . years , yet he saw but little successe of his labour , for the truth is , the people were never converted to god by his ministry . nay it is apparent that they grew worse and worse , for it is said of that ieroboams time in which hosea began his prophesie , only that hee did evill in the sight of the lord , and continued in the wayes of ieroboam the son of nebat , king. . . but after wee read most horrible things that israel was guilty of , king. . . it is said , they caused their sonnes and their daughters to passe through the fire , and used divinations , and inchantments , and sold themselves to doe evill in the sight of the lord , to provoke him to anger , besides many dreadfull things , you may read in that chapter , israel was grown guilty of . this vvas in king hoshea his time , which was many years after hosea began to prophesie , towards the end of his prophesie . god may continue a prophet a long time amongst a people , and yet they may never bee converted . it is a distemper in ministers hearts to think to give over their work because they see not desired successe . i remember latimer in one of his sermons , speaking of a minister , who gave this answer , why he left off preaching , because he saw he did no good , this says latimer is a naughty , a very naughty answer . that we have here may be a great stay to these who have lived many years in the work of the ministry , and yet have done little or no good . hosea was fourscore yeers a prophet to israel , and yet did not convert them . yet notwithstanding all these discouragements , he continued constant , and that with abundance of freshnesse and livelinesse when he comes to the end of his prophecying . it is an honour to the ministers of god , that meet with many difficulties in their way , and with many discouragements , yet to continue fresh and lively to the very end ; not to be fresh and lively only at first , as many yong ministers are when they begin first . o how fresh are they , how full of zeal and activity are they then ? but after they have been a while in their work , or when they have gained what they aimed at , then they grow cold , and that former vigour , freshnesse , and zeale , which appeared to be in them , comes to be a great deale flatter . like souldiers , that at the first were forward , and active in service , but afterward come to live upon their pay , and can doe no service at all ; or rather as vessels of wine , that when they are first tapped are very smart , and quick , and nimble , but at last grow exceeding flat : as we commend that vessel of wine that draws quick to the very last of all : so it is an excellent thing indeed for a minister of god to continue fresh , and quick , and lively , to the last end . it is true , nature and naturall abilities may decay , but a spirituall freshnesse may appear , when naturall abilities are decayed . to see an old prophet of god , that hath gone through many difficulties , and sufferings , and yet to continue fresh & lively in the work of the ministry , and to have spirituall excellencies sparkle in him then , this is a most honourable sight , and calls for abundance of reverence . lastly , hosea prophecyed so long that he came to see the fulfilling of his prophesie , for he continued prophesying till hezekiahs time , and in the sixth year of hezekiahs reign came the destruction of israel . hosea had threatned an utter taking of them away , but all this while it was not done till then , and then it is most likely he saw the fulfilling of his prophesie . it pleaseth god many times to let his prophets see the fulfilling of their threatnings upon the people against whom they have denounced them . perhaps they goe away , and scorn , and contemn the prophets , and their words are but winde with them , but god many times lets his ministers live to see their words fulfilled upon them . for particular persons , when they are cast upon their beds of sicknesse or death , it is then ordinary for them to say , oh the word of the lord is true that i heard at such a time , it is now come upon me . so god dealt with the people in jeremies time , they laughed and contemned him , but jeremy lives to see the fulfilling of those threatnings at last . and if they live not to see the fulfilling of their words , yet presently after their death they are fulfilled , as it was at hippo , where austin threatned judgements against them , they were not executed in his time , but presently after he was taken away , they came . yea but he did not only prophesie in these kings dayes , but in the dayes of jeroboam king of israel . here are three questions : . what is the reason that jeroboam , who in truth was the first of these kings , that he is named last ? . why only one king of israel is named , and three kings of judah ? for besides him in the time of hosea's prophesie there were . other kings of israel , zechariah , shallum , menahem , pekahiah , peka , hoshea . . why jeroboam is named at all ? one answer will be sufficient for the two first questions , why jeroboam is named last , and why there is but one king of israel named . the answer is this , god took no great delight in the kings of israel , for they had forsaken the true worship of god. though there was much corruption in judah , yet because they kept to the true worship of god , god took more delight in judah then in srael . therefore hee nameth jeroboam in the last place , though he was first , and only him . but why was jeroboam named at all ? this is of great use . you shall finde that it was for this end , that you might understand what estate the people of israel were in at this time of hosea's prophesie . much you shall see is to be learned from hence . the state of the people of israel in the time of jeroboams reign was very prosperous , though their wickednesse was very great . for if you look into k. . you shall find there , that a little before this they had been in very great distresse , and under sore afflictions : now in jeroboams time they were in the greatest prosperity that ever they had been in : for this jeroboam was not the first jeroboam the son of nebat , that caused israel to sin , and was a means of the rent of these ten tribes from the house of david , that was . years and more before this ; but this jeroboam , in whose time god sent hosea to prophesie this greatwrath against the house of israel , was the sonne of joash . now in all this time this kingdome was never in a more prosperous condition then in the dayes of this jeroboam . two things are to be observed concerning the condition of this people at this time . first , that they were a little before this in great adversity , and then after they grew upto great prosperity . for if you read that . chap. of kings , you shall find that they were under sore affliction , for the text saith , vers . . there was not any shut up , nor any left , nor any helper for israel . it is a comparison taken from shepheards , that use to shut up their flocks when they would keep them safe from danger ; but now here was such a generall desolation and wofull affliction upon israel , that there was none shut up , nor no helper left . but then comes this jeroboam , and it is said , ver . . that he restored the coast of israel from the entring of hamath unto the sea of the plain . and ver . . he recovered damascus and hamath , which belonged to judah , for israel . this hamath that he speaks of was of great use , it was the in-let of the assyrians , and for jeroboam to conquer that place , land to recover damascus , and to add that to the crown of israel , which belonged to judah , it shews that after their bitter affliction , god granted a great mercy by jeroboams means , and that now israel flourished greatly , and grew exceeding prosperous . there is much of gods mind held out to us in this : as , in that the people of israel had been under sore affliction , and delivered , yet god sent hosea to them , to shew them their horrible wickednesse , and to threaten destruction . hence see the perversenesse of the children of men , that after great deliverances granted them from bitter and sore afflictions , yet they will continue still in their wickednesse and rebellion . the lord grant this may not be true concerning us . god hath delivered us in great measure from those sore and bitter afflictions , and heavy oppressions , under which wee lately vvere , and many gracious liberties are restored to us ; now have we not need of an hosea to be sent unto us to rebuke us , and to threaten judgment for the evill of our wayes ? this is a sad thing . further , god may let a sinner continue a long time in the way of his sin , and when he hath flourished many years , and thinks surely the bitternesse of death is past , then god may come and threaten judgment . jeroboam reigned ● . years , and it cannot be but that hosea prophesying so long after jeroboams death , came in the latter end of jeroboams time . jeroboam might think , what doth he come to contest with me , and to tell me of my sin and wickednesse , and to threaten judgment ? have not i continued these , years king , and have prospered ? and surely god hath been with me . well , a sinner may hold out long , and yet afterward judgment may come . thirdly , a people in a flourishing condition , when they prosper most , and overcome their enemies , and have all according to their hearts desire , even that may be the time for god to come out in his wrath against them . so it was here , therefore we must not judg our enemies to be happy , nor feare them because of their flourishing estate for the present , neither let us be secure our selves because of the mercies wee enjoy . god doth not alwayes so , but sometimes he is pleased thus to deale with sinners , to stay till they be at the height of their prosperity , and then to come upon them , as here he did . sometimes god is more sudden , it is like zechariah the son of this jeroboam thought he might venture as well as his father , his father prospered in such wayes years , and why may not i ? no , god came upon him in six moneths , king. . . fifthly , hosea when he came to prophesie against israel , he saw them in their prosperity , and yet continueth to threaten judgment against them . it was a further argument of the spirit of god that taught him , and of a speciall insight he had into the mind of god , that he should thus prophesie destruction to them when they were in the height of their prosperity . it is true , if hosea had come afterward in zachariah his dayes , when the kingdome was declining ; or if hosea had pophesied in shallums time , and others after him , then he might have seene by the working of second causes , that the kingdome was going downe indeed . no , but he comes in jeroboams time , when there was no appearance of second causes at all of their destruction , and then prophesieth destruction unto them . it is a sign of speciall insight the soule hath in the wayes of god , that can see misery under the greatest prosperity . the prophet did not think israel in a better condition , because of their outward prosperity . a signe his prophesie was from god. yet further , this being in the reign of jeroboam , when they were in great prosperity , surely their hearts were exceedingly hardned against the prophet ; and it cannot be imagined , but that they entertayned his prophesie with scorn and contempt : for it is an usuall thing , when men are in the height of their pride , and in their ruffe , then like the wild asses colt , to scorn and contemn all that comes against them . it is nothing for a minister of god to deale plainly with people in the time of adversity , when they are down the wind , but when men are in the ruffe of their pride , and in all their jollity , to deale faithfully with them then , this is something , and thus the prophet hosea did . that their great prosperity did raise up & harden their hearts with pride against the prophet , it appears plainly , if you will but read amos . . ( for we must finde gods minde by comparing one place with another ) there you shall find what the fruit of jeroboams prosperity was , for amos and hosea were contemporary . when amos was prophesying , amaziah the priest of bethel sent to jeroboam king of israel , saying , amos hath conspired against thee , the land is not able to beare his words . this was said of amos , it is like that hosea did not meet with better measure then this . amaziah the priest of bethel did this . if there be any enemies against the faithfull ministers in a place , they are the priests of bethel , idolatrous and superstitious ministers . and what course doe they take ? they send to the king , to the governours , o they have conspired against the king , they are seditious persons , factious men , that keep a stirre in the kingdome , and break the peace of the church , the land cannot bear their words . such a message as this you see did amaziah send concerning amos ; he turns off all from himself to the king , and all the punishment that must be inflicted upon amos , must be in the name of the king. and mark the . ver . of that chap. also amaziah said unto amos , o thou seer , goe , flee away into the land of judea , and prophesie there . we are not holy enough for you forsooth , we are idolaters , we doe not worship god aright , we are no true church , get you to judah among your brethren , and prophesie not any more here at bethel , why ? because it is the kings chappell , & it is the kings court. it seems then in those times , that the kings chappell , the kings court could not beare with a faithfull prophet . and what was the ground of it , but because at this time jeroboam prospered in his way , and the kingdome was in such a flourishing condition as it never was before ? here then was the tryall of the faithfulnesse of hosea's spirit , yet to goe on in the work of his prophesie . yet further . in that hosea did prophesie in the time of jeroboam , by that it will apppear that he was the first prophet that ever brought these hard tidings to them , of the utter destruction of israel , it will appeare by that which is said , king. . . that before this time god had not so threatned israel ; for the text saith : the lord said not before this time that he would blot out the name of israel from under heaven , but hee saved them by the hand of jeroboam the sonne of joash . mark , there is given the reason why the lord saved them by the hand of jeroboam , because he had not yet said he would blot out the name of israel from under heaven , that is , the lord never before sent any of his prophets thus plainly and fully to declare his intention to them for the utter blotting out th name of israel , upon their going on in their sins . so that it is clear , that hosea was the first that was sent about this message . and certainly it was so much the harder , he being the first of all . for they might have said , why do you come with these new things , and in so great severity , who did ever so before you ? it was a hard task : for we know if a minister come with any thing that seems to be new , if he presents any truth to you that hath but a shew of novelty , that you heard not before , though it be never so good aud comfortable , he shall find little encouragement . nay if hee doe but come in a new way , as this very exercise , because it is like to goe on in a way that yet hath been disused , it will meet with many discouragements . what then will the threatnings of hard things , of judgments , and destruction do when they come with novelty ? surely hosea had a hard taske of this , and yet he went on faithfully with it . thus much for the time wherein hosea prophesied . now to make a little entrance into the prophesie . the beginning of the word of the lord by hosea . some from these words doe gather that hosea was the first prophet that ever was , though it is true , we cannot gather it directly from hence , yet it is apparent , that notwithstanding isaiah be set first , yet hosea was before him ; for if you look into the isa . you shall find that his beginning was in the dayes of vzziah . now hosea was in the dayes of jeroboam , and jeroboam was before vzziah . and this may be one reason why though i intend the whole propheticall books , yet i rather pitch upon hosea first , because indeed he was the first prophet : it is cleare you see from the scripture , though we cannot gather it from these words in this second verse . but yet thus much we may gather from these words , the beginning of the word of the lord by hosea , that this was the beginning of his prophesie . and what was this beginning ? what did god set him about first ? mark presently the next words , he must take him a wife of whoredomes , and children of whoredomos , and so declare to the people of israel that they had committed great whoredome departing from the lord. the most grievous charge , and most severe and terrible expression of gods wrath against that people that you meet with in all the book of god. this is the work hosea must doe , and hosea was very young when first he went about it . now as i told you before , god sometimes calls young ones to great services ; but to call a young man to this service , to goe to this people with such a message , now in the midst of all their pride and flourish to contest with them thus , & to tel them that they are children of whoredomes , and no longer the people of god , for what ? for a young man to do this ? why , they might have said , if this came from the mouth of some old ancient prophet , reverent for his years , and experience , it had been somewhat ; but to come from a green head , for an upstart to upb●aid us with such vile things . thus men grown old , and sodden in their sins , are ready to reason . but let us know ( my brethren ) if god send any message unto us , though by young ones , he expects your entertainment of it . when god would destroy elies house , he sends the message by young samuel ; but eli did not reason thus , what this young boy come to speak thus malapartly to me ! no , he stoops to it , good is the word of the lord , saith he . againe , hosea must tell them that they are children of whoredomes , and not the people of god. what for a minister when he comes first among a people , to begin so harshly , and severely , and ruggedly , is it not better to comply with the people , to come with gentle and ●aire means , to seek to win them with love ? if you begin with harsh truths , surely you will make them fly off presently . thus many do reason . now i beseech you take heed to your own hearts in reasoning thus , many have done so , and have sought to comply with people so long till they have complyed away all their faithfulnesse , and conscience , and vigour that before they had : when they come to great men , rich men , men in place and emmency , they will comply with such ; but let them have any of gods people in their parish that are of a mean rank , and poor , they comply little enough with them , but are harsh and bitter to them , and regard not the tendernesse of their consciences at all . it is true . if ministers have the testimony of their own consciences that they would take no other way but what shall be for the greatest profit of their people , maintaining such a disposition as to be willing to undergoe any sufferings that god shall call them unto : they may say first when they come to a house , peace be to this house , especially when they come to a place that hath not had the means before . but if it be to a people that goe directly against the light of their consciences , a superstitious people that cannot but be convinced , and have had many evidences that it is against the mind of god , and yet only for their owne base ends will goe on and not amend ; in such a case as this wee may come with harshnesse at the very first . so paul gives a charge to titus in dealing with the cretians who were evill beasts and slow bellies , that he should rebuke them sharpely , ( so wee translate it ) the word in the originall is , cuttingly . the beginning of the word of the lord by hosea . the particle which is translated [ by ] signifyeth [ in ] as well as by , it is not el , but beth , and so it is read by some , the word of the lord came in hosea . this expression notes the inward and intimate converse that the lord had with the spirit of hosea in the work of the ministry . the lord spake first in hosea , and then he speaks out unto the people . some such expression we have concerning paul , gal. . . that christ may be revealed in me , not onely to me , but in me . the more inwardly god speaks , and converseth with the hearts of his ministers , the more inwardly and efficaciously they are able to speak to the people . this is the deep preaching , when it is from the heart . and so augustine sayes of hosea , because that which he spake was so deep it wrought more strongly . hoseas prophesie must needs be deep , for god spake in him before he spake out to the people . we say , that which commeth from the heart will go to the heart : surely that which commeth from the voyce of god in the heart , will goe beyond the ears to the hearts of people . and blessed are the people that have such ministers that shal speak nothing to them , but what hath first been spoken by god in them . againe in this second verse he comes twice with the same expression , the beginning of the word of the lord by hosea , and againe , the lord said to hosea ; and yet in the beginning of the first verse , the word of the lord came to hosea . why all this , three times ? all this upon good reason ; for hosea was to come with a terrible message to the people , and to reprehend them with much sharpnesse , to tell them that they were the children of whoredomes , and that they had departed from the lord , and he would have no more mercy upon them , but would utterly take them away . he had need therefore have an expresse command for what he did , and to have much evidence of the spirit , that what he said was from god , and not any thing of his owne spirit . when a minister of god shall come and reprehend a people severely for their sins , and threaten gods judgement , let him then if ever look to it , that he hath a good ground for what he saith , that what he shall deliver may be nothing but the word of god in him , the sheer word of god , without any mixture of his owne . it is an ordinary thing in ministers in reprehending of sinne , and denouncing of threatnings , to mingle much of their own spirit and wrath : but if at any time ministers should take heed of mixing their own wrath , then especially when they are to denounce gods wrath , then they should bring nothing but the word of the lord ; for it being a hard message , the spirits of men will rise up against it , if they once see the spirit of the minister in it , they will be ready to say as the devill in the possessed man , iesus i know , & paul i know , but who are you ? so they , the word of the lord i know , but what are you ? here is your own passion , your own humour , &c. o let not any think to oppose sin with sin , the wrath of man doth not accomplish the righteousnesse of god. you that are ministers , would you have a sentence ? i wil give you one ; and i have done : when you are called to reveale gods wrath , conceals your owne . the second lecture . hosea . the middle of the second verse , and so on . go , take unto thee a wife of whoredomes and children of whoredomes : for the land hath committed great whoredome , departing from the lord. . so he went and tooke gomer the daughter of diblaim , which conceived and bare him a son . . and the lord said unto him , call his name iezreel ; for yet a little while , and i will avenge the blood of iezreel upon the house of iehu , & will cease the kingdome of the house of israel . . and it shall come to passe in that day that i will break the bow of israel in the valley of iesreel . the preface to the work , and to the whole prophesie you heard the last time . the scope of the prophesie is the very same that the scope of this chapter is , to declare , first , the evill condition that israel , the ten tribes were in , in regard of their sins , and punishment that was to be executed for their sins . secondly , gracious promises of mercy , to a remnant , to iudah in the . ver . and to judah & israel both , from the . ver . to the end of the chapter . first , god beginneth with conviction , to shew them their sin , and the dreadfulnesse of it . conviction should goe before correction . you must not presently fly in the faces of those that are under you when they crosse you : first instruct them , and then correct them , do as god did here , god would first convince them of the greatnesse of their sinnes , not by verball , but by reall expressions . those things that come but to the eare , they doe more slowly stirre and work upon the heart , but things that are presented before the eye are more operative ; and therefore hosea must not tell them onely that they had committed whoredome , but must tell them in this way , he must goe and take a wife of whoredomes , and beget children of whoredomes . in the very threshold , in the entrance of the prophesie you see we meete with a difficulty , a great difficulty . first , a command from god , from the holy god , unto a prophet , a holy prophet , to goe and take a wife of whoredomes ; not an ordinary whore , but a most prostitute whore , for so the word signifieth , * of whoredomes , as in the scripture phrase , a man of bloods , is a man that hath shed much blood ; and a man of sorrowes , is a man that hath been exercised with many sorrows ; and so a wife of whoredomes is one that hath committed notorious whoredomes , vile whoredomes . yet such a wife must the prophet take to himselfe , and his children must be children of whoredomes too . how can this be ? s. austin , who had been a manichee , having to deale much with macichees , met with this object on , from one faustas a manichee , against the old testament , for they denyed it : saith faustas , that old testament of yours , moses and the prophets , is that of god ? doe you not finde there a command to take a wife of whoredomes , and can this be from god ? austin answereth it thus . though shee had been a prostitute whore before , yet she might be reclaymed , and so shee might be called a wife of whoredomes , from that whoredome that heretofore she was guilty of , and now reclaymed . and so he thinketh that it was a reality indeed , that hosea did take to himselfe a wife of whoredomes , and think to salve it up thus . theodoret is somewhat angry with those that thinke it was not really done , but done only in away of vision . i find many of our later men that are of the same minde , that thinke there was a reality in it , that god did command hosea to take to himselfe a wife of whoredoms , and that he did take such a wise , one that was a notorious harlot , so arius montanus , piscator , pareus , tarnovius , and others , they go that way , and they thinke to salve it only thus , that it is a command of god , and therefore though it had not been lawfull for hosea to have done it , yet god commanding it , he might do it : as they instance in other cases that seeme to be somewhat of the like nature , as the children of israels robbing the egyptians , abrahams killing his sonne , and the like . if this should be so , ( as many interpreters going that way might make one to thinke it not a thing impossible ) wee might learne thus much from it . first , that gods command takes away all matter of offence . it would be a notorious offensive thing for a prophet , a minister of god to marry one that is wicked , a wicked whore ; yet so farre as the offence is , gods command is enough to take it away . for the subject of offence is not duty , but indifferency : any thing that is a duty to be done , we must goe on in it , though it be never so offensive to others , that is no rule at all to hinder us if it be a duty : but if it be a thing of indifferency , then wee must stop . gods command takes away all plea of offence ; i say not that mans command doth so , for men , even magistrates themselves are bound not to offend their brethren , as well as others . but then it may be said they should command nothing at all , for some or other would be offended , and shall not they command , because some weak ones may be offended ? it is true , that which they may take upon their consciences to be their duty , that they are bound to command , and they should sin against god if they did not command it , and require obedience to it ; they must doe it though never so many be offended . but in matters that they themselves acknowledge to be neither here nor there , either for gods service or for the good of a common-wealth , herein the rule bindeth them as well as others in regard of offences , to forbear . . supposing this to be a reall thing , we see that the prophet must suffer much in his credit before men , only to be serviceable to god for a further expression of his mind . all our credits , all our names , and all we are , or have , must lie down at gods feet to be serviceable to him in the least thing ; if but in a way of expression of his mind , much more then in bearing witness to his truth . . this being so , wee see the way of god in putting the prophet in the very first service upon a very difficult work : it could not but be a thing exceeding tedious and irksome to his spirit to marry such a one , yet god put him upon it . it is the usuall way of god , when he calleth any to great services , at the beginning , to put them to such difficult works , to try them thereby , that if they goe through them , then they may be confided in , that they will goe through more afterward . but we shall rather take this in a way of vision , as others do ; not that indeed hosea did really marry such a wife , but this did appeare to him in a vision , as if such a thing were really done , onely to declare what the condition of the people of israel was at this time in respect of god : as if god should say , hosea , this people of israel is to mee no other then as if thou shouldest have a wife that were the most notorious whore in the world , and all their children are to me as if thy children were the children of whoredome and fornication . and this i conceive to be more directly the minde of god , and i will not give you my meere conception of it neither , but reasons for it why it must be so . first , because we find in scripture that which is historically related , yet was done by way of vision . and it is an usuall way of scripture to express that which is done in a way of vision , as if it were a history , as if it were really done . i will shew you two examples for this , one of ieremy when he was at jerusalem , yet the scripture speaks as if he had been at babylon : and the other of ezekiel , when he was at babylon , it speakes as if hee had been at jerusalem . it is as fully related as this is here , and both must therefore needs be understood as in a way of vision . first for ieremy , you have it chap. . ver . . god requireth there that he should goe to euphrates and hide his girdle there in the hole of a rocke . but this river was a river in babylon , and ieremy was not in babylon at this time , nor in all the time of the siege , nor in the time of the captivity , neither could he goe to babylon , for the city was now besieged , and when he did but assay but to go a little way to anathoth his own towne , he was presently taken hold upon as if he had been a traytor to his country . therefore this which is here declared as a history , as if he had really done it , was but only done in a vision . and so ezekiel the other way , hee was at babylon ( for he was that prophet that prophesied to the people that were carryed captive to babylon , god sent a prophet to them to help them there in their captivity ) yet in the . chapter of his prophecie , ezekiel seemeth to be brought to ieremiah , and he is bidden there to dig a hole in the wall to see the wicked abominations that the ancients of israel did there . now ezekiel was not there , he was at babylon all this while , but it is declared as if the thing had beene done really . so we are to understand isaiah his going naked . dayes , and ezekiels lying three hundred and ninety dayes on the one side , and . on the other , ezek. . . that it was a vision and not really done , the reason is , it was gods command , lev. . . that the priest must not marry with a whore ; & of all mens wives god is most careful of the wives of those that are in the work of the ministry , that are church officers , therefore tim. . . when but a deacon is described what he should be , there is his wife described too , that she should be grave , no slanderer , sober and faithful in all things . you never read that when god appointed what a magistrate should be , what his office should be in a common-wealth , that hee takes such care to set downe what his wife should be : but when he appointeth the lowest officer in a church , a deacon , he appointeth what his wife should be too . therefore the wives of ministers should goe away with a lesson from hence , and know that god hath a more speciall eye to them , then to the wives of all the men in the world besides . god is tender of the credite of the officers of his church , and so should man be ; for their discredit is a hinderance to their work . yea further , we read amos . . that it was threatned as a curse to amaziah the priest of bethel , that his wife should be a harlot , for resisting the prophet : shall then the wife of hosea be a whore ? for amos & hosea prophesied both at the same time . and the scripture saith ( you know the place , cor. . ) that the woman is to be the glory of the man. what a glory should hosea have had in such a match as this ? the woman is the glory of the man , how ? ( for so i desire not only to open the scripture that i read here , but as i go along and quote scripture , so far as may be for your edification , and suteable to our argument to open there too . ) in two respects she is so . . because it is a glory to a man that he hath such an image , for shee is from the man , and as the man being the image of god , sheweth the glory of god , because he is the image of god , and from him ; so the woman being from the man , and as it were his image , shee is the glory of the man. . because man hath such an excellent creature brought under subjection to him : so the woman is the glory of the man. man is not only made glorious by god , in that god hath put all other creatures under him , but especially in this , that god hath put such an excellent creature under him as the woman is , so the woman is the glory of the man. this could not be here in such a match as this . . it could not be that it was a reall thing , but a vision from the prophesie it selfe , for then hosea must have stayed almost a whole yeare before hee could have gone on in his prophesie : for first he must take to him a wife of whoredomes , and beget a child of whoredomes , then he must have stayed till the child had been born , before he could have come to the people and say , my child is borne , and his name is iezreel , and it is upon this ground that i have named him thus , and then hee must have stayed almost a yeare more before he could have locuhamah , and then after that he must stay almost another yeare longer before loammi could be born . and lastly , that which is noted by polanus , the expression that wee have here is , that god spake in hosea , speaking and appearing to him by an inward vision as it were in an extasie , saith polanus ; therefore we must take it so that this wife of whoredomes that hosea was to marry , was in a way of vision , it was to signifie that israel was to god as a wife of whoredoms , and as children of whoredomes should have been to the prophet if he had been marryed to her . from all these there is this result , that the people of israel were gone a whoring from god. idolatry it is as the sin of whoredome , and i cannot open this scripture except i shew you wherein idolatry is like the sin of whoredome : the idolatry of the church , not the idolatry of heathens is whoredome . one that committeth adultery doth give her selfe to another : the heathens because they were never marryed to god , their idolatry is not adultery ; but the people of gdo being marryed to the lord , their idolatry is adultery . adultery first , because it breaks the marriage bond , there is nothing breaks the marriage bond between god and his people but the sin of idolatry , as not between man and wife . though a wife may be guilty of many faylings , and be a grievous trouble and burthen to her husband , yet these doe not breake the marriage knot except she defile the marriage bed : so though a people may be guilty of notorious and vile sins , yet if they keep the worshp of god pure , they are not guilty of whoredome , but still god is marryed to them . . whoredome is a loath some thing , though delightsome to men , yet loathsome to god : idolatry is so , therefore the scripture calleth the idols that men set up by a name that signifieth the very excrement that comes from creatures , ezek. . . idolaters think their way of idol-worship to be very delightsome . but that which they call delectable , god calleth detestable , so you shall find it if you compare these two scriptures , isa . . . they call their idols delectable things ; but in ezek. . . god calleth them detestable things . idolatry is a detestable loathsome thing . . there is nothing wherein a man is so irreconcileable as in the point of the marriage bed , the defiling of that by adultery causes an irreconcileable breach . jealousie is the rage of a man , and he will take no ransome . there is nothing wherein god is so reconcileable to a people , as in the point of false worship . . adultery is a besotting sinne . whoredome and new wine take away the heart , saith the prophet : and in that . isa . . there , saith god , he hath no understanding to consider and say , what , have i not taken one part and roasted flesh with it , and with another part have baked bread upon the coales , and warmed my selfe with another part , and shall i make the residue thereof an abomination , and fall downe to the stock of a tree ? hee hath no understanding to consider this . idolatry is a besotting sin as well as adultery . and therefore we need not marvail though-men of great parts and abilities continue in their superstitious way of worship , for nothing besotteth mens hearts so much as that doth . againe . whoredome is a most dangerous sinne . wee have a most dreadfull place for that , prov. . . the mouth of a strange woman is as a deep pit ; heth at is abhorred of the lord shall fall therein . oh most dreadfull place to an adulterer ! if there be any adulterer in this place this day , when thou goest home turn to that scripture , and let it be as a dart to to thy heart , the mouth of a strange woman is as a deep pit ; he that is abhorred of the lord shall fall therein ; a signe of a man abhorred of god , and so is idolatry , for in thes . . , . god gave them over to believe a lye that they might be damned . those that follow the idolatries of antichrist are given over by god to beleive a lye , that lye of popery is altogether one lye . hence it is that the popish party invent so many such strange lyes , all to uphold that great lye . what is this ? that they might be damned . it is a dreadfull dangerous sin the sinne of idolatry , though they think they please god in and by such wayes of worship , yet they are given over by god that they may be damned . if this prove to be a place that concerns those that follow antichrist , & if rome proves to be so as by that place is described , it is a dreadfull place to all papists . again , whores use to deck themselves up in pompous attyre , in dainty , glorious rayment . so idolaters use to deck up their idols in bravery , and lavish gold ( as the scripture speaks ) upon their idols ; whereas the kings daughter is all glorious within , and the simplicity of the gospel will not permit such things . and lastly , as whores , though they goe a whoring from their husbands , yet still they retain ( before the divorce ) the name of wives , and their children ( though bastards ) retaine the name of children , and beare the fathers name : so idolaters , they will retain the name of the church , the church , and those that they beget , must still be called the only sons of the church . but how are his children said to be children of whoredomes ? for suppose his wife were a wife of whoredomes , yet being marryed to her , wherefore should the children be called children of whoredomes ? to that is answered first , some think upon this ground , because the children when they are grown up would ●ollow the way of the mother , as it is an usuall thing for children to doe . therefore you need to take heed how you enter into the state of marriage for your childrens sake , for they will follow the way of the mother . or rather this , because though they were begotten after marriage , yet they will ye under suspition as those that are illegitimate ; the children of one that hath been a whore are always suspected , and so in repute they are the children of whoredome and fornication : so saith god , these people are to me as if their children were accounted the children of fornication . for the whole land hath gone a whoring from the lord. in going a whoring they goe a whoring : or as arius montanus reads it , in going a whoring they will goe a whoring . they not only have , but will , they are set upon it , they are stout-hearted in the way of idolatry , and it is the land that hath done it , the people of the land . but why the land ? it is a secret check to them , and upbraiding them for their unthankfulnesse , that when god gave them so good a land , the land of canaan , that flowed with milk and honey , the land of promise , that was given to them for that end to nourish up the true worship of god , yet they made this land of god , this land of promise to be a land to nourish up most vile idolaters . gone a whoring from the lord. from jehovah . the more worthy the husband is , the more vile and odious the adultery of the wife . what , to goe a whoring from god , the blessed god , in whom is all beauty and excellency , and turn to blind idols ? what , change the glory of the invisible god , into the similitude of an oxe that eateth grasse ? with what indignation doth god speak it ? oh you that go a whoring after your sinfull lusts , this one day will lye most dreadfully upon your consciences , that it was from the lord that you departed , from that infinite glorious eternall deity , the fountain of all good , to cleaye to whoring after base , sinfull , and unclean lusts . who is this whore ? and what are the children that are begotten to hosea by her ? so he went , saith the text , he obeyeth , we must obey god in things that seem to be never so much against our reason and sense . he tooke gomer the daughter of diblaim . the word gomer , here , commeth from a word that signifieth perficere , and defi●ere , perfection & defection : and so it may be applyed both ways . some apply it to perfection , that is , a harlot that was perfect and compleat both in her beauty , and in her fornication and wickednesse . the word likewise signifieth rottennesse , corruption , and consumption : so indeed are all things in the world ; as soon as they grow to any perfection , they begin to decline quickly to corruption . all things but spirituall do so , they indeed grow still higher and higher . this gomer we will take rather in the second acceptation of it , as it signifieth rottennesse and consumption . who was this gomer ? she was the daughter of diblaim . the signification of that is ( according to so me ) one that dwelleth in the desart , in reference to that famous desart diblath , of which we read ezek. . . noting the way of idolaters , that they were wont to goe into woods and desarts , and there to sacrifice to their idols . but rather , according to most , diblaim signifieth bunches of dryed figs that were the delicacies of those times , so oecolampadius , from which hee hath this note , that rottennesse and corruption proceedeth from voluptuous pleasures , from delicacies , and the like . though the pleasures of the flesh be very contentfull to you , yet destruction is the fruit of them ; destruction is the daughter of sensuall pleasures and delights , of all your delicacies , so saith the scripture , rom. . . if you live after the flesh you shall dye . phil. . ult . whose god is their belly , whose end is destruction . but to apply it to israel . israel was as gomer the daughter of diblaim , that is , the people of israel were now neare to destruction , and were the daughters of sensuall delights , they gave over themselves to sensuall delights and pleasures . it is the usuall way of idolaters , those that forsake the true worship of god to give up themselves to the pleasures of the flesh . sensuality and idolatry doe usually goe together . when the people of israel sacrificed to the calves , what did they ? they eate and dranke , and rose up to play , that was all their worke , and good enough for the worshipping of such a god , a calfe . you know the more we began to decline in the worship of god , we began to be so much the more sensuall , there must be proclamation to people to take their sports and delights upon the lords day ; and indeed it is that which doth usually accompany defection in the way of gods worship . false worship doth not lay such bonds upon mens consciences for the mortifying the lusts of the flesh , as the worship of god doth . therefore those men that love most to take liberty to the flesh , they are those that are soonest enticed to ways of superstitious worship . jerem. . . there jeremy setteth out the state of those naughty jewes that were in captivity by that similitude of a basket of rotten figs , sutable to this , and the more confirming this interpretation , that israel was as gomer the daughter of diblaim , that is , rottennesse , the daughter of sensuality . thus for the mother . but now the son that is begotten of this mother , it is iezreel . call his name iezreel . the prophet must give a name to his son . it is that which belongeth to parents to give names to their children . godfathers and godmothers ( as they call them ) are of no use for this , or for any thing else that i know ; and in such holy things as sacraments are , we must take heed of bringing in any unusefull , any idle things . but here we are to enquire , first , the signification of this name , secondly , the reason why the son of hosea must be callied by this name , iezreel . you shall find a great deale in this before we have done with it . for the first , iezreel signifies the scattered of the lord. for the second , there are five reasons may be given why the sonne of this prophet must have this name put upon him , iezreel . first , that hereby god might shew that he did intend to avenge that blood that was shed in iezreel . secondly , to shew that israel had lost the honour of his name , and was no more israel , but jezreel . there seemeth to be much neernesse between the name israel , and jezreel , but there is a great deale of difference in the signification , for israel is one that prevaileth with god , the strength of the lord , jezreel is one that is scattered by the lord. israel hath lost the honour of his name . many out-live the honour of their names and reputations . these tenne tribes are no more worthy to be called by the name of israel , their famous progenitor , but now jezreel , the scattered of the lord. thirdly , jezreel , to shew the way that god intended to bring judgement upon these ten tribes . and what was it ? the way should be by scattering , god would scatter them . it is a speciall way of gods bringing judgement upon a kingdome , by scattering of them . we read , that when micaiah saw the destruction of ahab and his people , he had this vision , i saw ( saith he , king. . . ) all israel scattered one from another as sheep that have no shepheard . there is a two-fold scattering ; a scattering among our selves in wayes of division , and a scattering by the enemy one from another to flie for our lives . the one part of this judgement ( the lord be mercifull to us ) is upon us already , and in this sense we may be called jezreel . oh how is our kingdome divided ! how is it scatted ? the lord keepe us from the other scattering , that wee be not scattered one from another , by being forced to flye for our lives before the enemy . it is just with god that if wee scatter our felves sinfully by way of division , that god should scatter us in his wrath to our destruction , by giving us up to our enemies . if we love scattering , if we delight in division , we may soon have scattering enough , there may soon be divisions far enough one from another . . call his name jezreel , to note that the lord would scatter them even in that very place where they did most glory , as they did in the valley and city of jezreel , they did much glory in that place ( as you shall hear afterward ) but god would scatter them even in that place in which they did so much boast . and lastly , jezreel , because the lord would hereby shew that he would turne these conceits and apprehensions that they might have of themselves , quite the contrary way . as thus , jezreel , it signifieth indeed scattered of the lord , but it signifieth also the seed of the lord , or sowen of the lord : and so the jewes were ready to take the name jezreel , and would be content to own it , because it signified the seed of god ; and hence it commeth to signifie scattered too , because that seed is to be scattered when it is sown : and hence it was that they might glory so much in that name . oh! they were the seed of the lord , in an abiding condition , as being sowen by the hand of god himselfe : no , saith god , you are mistaken , i doe not call you jezreel upon any such tearms , because you are sowen of mee , but quite the other way , because you shall be scattered , and come to be destroyed by me . it is the usuall way of god to turne those things which men take as arguments for their comfort to their confusion . haman who made such an interpretation of the action of esters inviting him to the banquet alone with the king , the truth is the right interpretation of it had been that it was to his destruction : and so here , whereas they might make such an interpretation of iezreel , as that they were the seed , the sowen of the lord , the true interpretation is , that they are the scattered of the lord. all these five reasons you have either in the nearenesse of the name israel with iezreel , or otherwise in the words that follow after . for yet a little while i will avenge the blood of iezreel upon the house of iehu , and cause to cease the kingdome of the house of israel . here now wee come to that which is the maine in this scripture ; and these foure questions are of great use , and will tend much to edification . . what is this blood of iezreel that god will avenge ? . why god will avenge the blood of iezreel upon the house of iehu ? . why is it called the house of iehu , and iehu alone without the addition of the name king , as it is usuall in others , as hezekiah king of iudah , and such a one king of israel , but here only the house of iehu . . what is this little while god speaks of ? yet a little while . the words are read i suppose ordinarily , and past over as if there were little in them , but you shall finde that there is much of the minde of god held out to us in them . for the first then , what was the blood of jezreel that here god threatneth 〈◊〉 ? you may read the history of it in king. chap. , , . ( for the way of opening the prophets is to compare them with the scriptures that went before ) read those chapters and you shall find what this blood was . it was the bloud of the house of ahab , the bloud of iezabel , the bloud of the . sons of ahab , whose heads the elders of iesreel sent to iehu in baskets . this was the bloud that was shed here in this place , which god saith he will aveuge . god will certainly avenge bloud , and if god will avenge the bloud of ahab , he will surely avenge the bloud of abel ; if the bloud of iesabel then surely the bloud of sarah ; if the bloud of idolaters , then the bloud of his saints . oh what vengeance then doth hang over that antichrist , for all the bloud of the saints that hath been spilt by him ! the scarlet whore hath dyed her selfe with this bloud , yea and vengeance will come for that bloud that hath been shed of our brethrens in ireland upon any whosoever have been instrumentals in it great or small : certainely the righteous god will not suffer that wicked and horrid work to goe unavenged , even here upon the earth . let us wait a while , and we may live to see that time wh●rein 〈◊〉 shall not only be said by the voice of faith , but by the voyce of sense itselfe , verily there is a god that judgeth the earth . but why will god avenge the blood of iesreel upon the house of iehu ? indeed this to an outward view at first is one of the strangest things wee have in all the book of god. if you compare this place here in hosea with other scriptures , you shall find that it is a strange thing that ever it should be said that the lord would avenge the blood of iesreel upon the house of iehu . for in king. . . you shall finde that iehu was anointed by the lord on purpose for that action , to shedd that bloud , and he had a command from god , he was bidden to goe and shed it , and the holy oyle was poured upon him , for that end that he might shed that bloud ; yet now this bloud must be avenged , and avenged upon the house of iehu . yea chap. . v. . you shall find that god saith , because he had done such a thing , & shed the bloud of the house of ahab in jesreel , that he would reward him for it , and that his children to the fourth generation should sit upon the throne of israel , and governe that kingdome . now that which jehu was anointed to doe , that which he was commanded to doe , that for which god afterward rewarded him for doing ; now god saith he will avenge it , and avenge it upon his house . what should be the reason of this ? there are three reasons why god would avenge this bloud upon the house of jehu . first , because though jehu did it , yet he rather looked at himselfe and his owne ends than at god in it , his ayme was to get the kingdome to himselfe , but he never aymed at god in the work , therefore god saith hee will avenge it upon his house . . because though he did that which god set him about ; yet he did it but by halves . indeed he destroyed ahabs house , but he should have destroyed ahabs idolatry too , but he did not doe that , and therefore now god commeth upon him . yea . though he were made ahabs executioner for his idolatry , yet he proved ahabs successor in his idolatry . he was gods rod in punishing ahab , but he yet continued in the sinnes that ahab did commit therefore now god saith , hee will avenge the blood of jezreel upon the house of jehu . from hence we have most excellent observations , that doe spring naturally as a fountaine bubleth up fresh and springing water . i will but only shew them to you , and so passe them over . first , that a man may doe that which god commandeth , and yet not obey god. he may doe that which god would have done , and yet not please god. he may doe what god requireth , and yet serve himselfe therein , and not god. secondly , a carnall heart is contented to goe so farre in gods commands as will serve his owne turne , but there hee stoppeth . so farre as might serve the bringing up of iehu to the crowne of israel , to the setting of him on the throne , so farre hee goeth in the way of gods command , but no further . such a heart is like to the hand of a rusty dyall : suppose a rusty dyall hath the hand stand ( as now ) at tenne of the clock , come and looke upon it now , and it seemeth to goe right , but it is not from any inward right frame of the clocke it doth so , but by accident ; for stay till after tenne , and come againe at eleven or twelve and it standeth still as before at tenne . so let god command any thing that may hit with a mans owne ends , with his owne way , and be sutable to him , and a man seems to be very obedient to god ; but let god goe on further , and require something else , something that will not serve his turn , that will not agree with his owne ends , and here god may seek for a servant , as for him he will goe no further . thirdly , god knoweth how to make use of mens parts and abilities , and yet to punish for their wickednesse notwithstanding . jehu was a man of an excellent , brave , valiant , and quicke spirit , full of activity and courage , and god would make use of this for the destruction of the house of ahab , yet jehu must not scape . many men that have excellent parts of learning and state policy , which god may make use of for the pulling downe his proud adversaries , yet god may punish them afterward notwithstanding , many that have but weake parts , and can doe but little , shall be accepted of god : and others that have strong parts and can doe much , shall be punished by god. wee read revel . . . the earth helped the woman , yet chap. . . the vialls of gods wrath were poured forth upon the earth ; men may be usefull for the publique , and yet not freed from the 〈◊〉 of god. fourthly , the lord knowes how to make use of the sins of wicked men for his owne ends , to further his owne counsels , yet no excuse to them , but his curse will come upon them at last for those sinnes , god knoweth how to make use of the proud heart and ambitious spirit of jehu for that end to fulfill his purpose against the house of ahab , and yet afterward when god hath done with him , hee commeth against jehu with a judgement . there are many whose lusts being strong , yet god over-ruleth them for himselfe , and overpowreth them for the furtherance of his own ends . many a scholler who through the meere pride of his heart will study hard and preach very often and well , god makes use of that for the good of others , and yet the minister may be damned himselfe , a fifth observation , god may sometimes reward a worke here in this world , yet may curse a man for the worke afterward . many there are that doe some outward service for god , and perhaps rejoyce in it , and thinke that god must needs accept of them : what they ? they have been excellent men in the common-wealth , they have stood for ministers , they have been forward in a good cause . well , thou hast done these ; hath not god rewarded thee ? hast thou not health of body , and strength ? looke upon thy estate , art not thou blessed there ? looke upon thy table , thy wife and children , art not thou blessed there ? thou hast thy peny for what thou hast done . but yet after thou hast had thy pay here in this world for what thou hast done , god may curse thee hereafter even for the sinfulnes of thy heart in that work which for the matter of it was good . god may reward thee for the matter of thy work , but curse thee for the manner of it . . it is a most dangerous thing for men to subject the workes of god to their own base ends , specially the publique works of god , when a man is called to publique services , if he subject that to his owne base ends , god will be sure to be even with him for that . the more excellent any worke is , the more dangerous it is to subject it to a lust . it is an evill thing to make use of meate , and drink , and cloath , to be serviceable to our lusts ; but to make use of the great works of god , suppose he calls us to publique services , to make these stoop and be serviceable to your base lusts , must needs be grievous indeed . it is a thing accounted burthen enough for the basest servant that is , to be serviceable to some base lust of his master ; but if the mr. should make his wife serviceable to his filthy uncleanenesse , oh what a vilany were that ! so i say , the greater the thing is any man makes serviceable to his lust , the more vile and the more dangerous is the sinne . hearken to this you that are professors o● religion . the drunkard he makes beer serviceable to his lust , and hee shall bee damned for that : but you make the worship of god , prayer , and hearing , and fasting , &c. serviceable to your lust , oh what shall become of you ▪ a base wretch that sitteth tipling in an alehouse you account vile , but it is but a poore creature that hee subjects to his base lust ; but a minister or a magistrate subjects things of a higher nature to their lusts , oh this is exceeding vile . we had need ( my brethren ) all pray earnestly for those whom god employeth in publique works , that they may not only have strength to assist them , and successe in them , but that they may have hearts to give god all the glory of them ; for though they may doe never so worthily for god in the church or in the common-wealth , yet if they be not carefull to give god all the glory , god will curse them at last notwithstanding . further , jehu doth somewhat which god commanded him , but not all . we learn from hence , that when but halfe the work is done , god curseth the whole for our neglect of the other halfe . i remember master calvin upon this place , likeneth jehu unto king henry the . henry the . saith he , cast off some degree of popery so farre as would serve his owne turne , but there were the five articles in force still , for which many suffered at that time , and so he was like jehu in that . god will be served with the whole heart , for all our good is in god , & therefore all our hearts must make out after god. god must have per●ect obedience in the desire and endeavour , or else he will have none . certainly that which must make any man acceptable , it is not so much that there is somewhat done , but is there that which god calleth for done ? or is it done in regard of the endeavour ? for that indeed will be acceptable : though we cannot doe all at once , but it we bring somewhat to god as a part , and acknowledge the debt as the whole , and so are working for the other , it will be accepted . as suppose a man owes you an hundred pound , and bringeth you but fifty pound in part of payment , yet if he acknowledg the rest , and promise the payment of it . , if you know hee will be faithfull in the payment of the other he will accept of it : but if a man bring you fourscore pound in liewe of all , you will not accept it . so it is here , hypocrites they say they cannot be perfect in his world , and so think to put off god with a little ; it is true , if thou hadst an upright heart , and didst bring god but part , and labourst after the whole , hee would accept of it : but if thou bringest him ten times more then a sincere heart can bring him , it will not be acceptable , no not ninety nine pounds will be accepted if brought in stead of the whole . god must have a man according to his own heart , such an one as david ; you know what was said of david , i have found a man after mine own heart that shall fulfill all my wills , for so the words are in the originall , not all my will , but all my wills , in the plurall number . again , jehu did but half , and the worst half too , and therfore god commeth upon him . for the great care of jehu was only to reform things in the state and kingdom , and theerfore that indeed he did throughly , he altered the way of government from the house of ahab , and set up another government . but for the matter of the worship of god , hee cared not what became of that , still the calves continued in dan and bethel , hee tooke no care that the people of israel should goe up to jerusalem , the place that god had appointed to worship him in a right way . this is that for which god thus cursed him and his house . it is a very evill thing in reformers who have power in their hands , to be more carefull of the state then of the church ; to be more carefull of affairs in civill policy , than of affairs in religion , who are affraid to meddle with religion , for feare of hinderances in their civill policy , to be so timerous in fearing disturbances in civill policy , that they will sacrifice religion for it , and let that goe which way it will : this is an evill thing , and a bitter . or if they doe reform in the church , yet to reforme only that which is notoriously evil and vile ; so far jehu went , he destroyed the priests of baal , but not the priests of dan and bethel : the idols of baal were destroyed , but the idols of dan and bethel were kept still . it is the speech of the philosopher in his politiques , when he giveth a rule of policie . first , the care of divine things must be , and that is the best policy . politicians must trust god in the way of policy , & take care of divine things first . yea , and goe to a through reformation too ; for jehu did something in religion , but left other things therefore god cursed him . men must take heed of betraying , of sacrificing the cause of god for the maintenance of state policy ; let them be never so excellent in their way , yet if they doe thus , god will blast them . yet further , jehu saw the danger of that wicked and abominable sin of idolatry in others , but he could not see it in himselfe . what peace ( said hee to ioram ) so long as the whoredomes of thy mother iezebel continue ? what peace ? then what peace iehu , so long as the whoredomes of israel continue afterwards ? this is ordinary ( my brethren ) for men to see a great deale of evill and danger in the sins of others , but when they should come to themselves , to be blind there ; to inveigh against the sinnes of other men , when they seem to be far off from them , or that they cannot make use of them ; but when they can make use of them , then to embrace them . thus it was with saul , he was exceeding severe against witch-craft , all the witches in israel must be put to death : but when saul had use of a witch for his lust , he himselfe goeth to the witch of endor . in the tenth place , jehu thought by retaining the calves in dan and bethel , to preserve the kingdome to his posterity , and this proved the ruine of his posterity . those wayes of sinfull policie by which many think to raise their houses or themselves , are the meanes of the ruine of them . hee that walks uprightly , walks surely . lastly , iehu doth thus , and god punisheth iehu because hee continued in the same sin that ahab was punished for . this is of excellent use , specially to magistiates ; and indeed it is a dreadfull place to magistrates , if considered of . let them who are used to punish the sins of others , take heed what they doe , lest they be found guilty themselves ; for if they bee found guilty , god will plague them , as if they did the greatest act of injustice that can be : as for instance , suppose a magistrate should take away the life of a man lawfully for that which god would have him take it away : yet if this magistrate should be guilty of the same sin , or that which amounteth to the same sin , god will avenge himselfe upon this magistrate , as upon a murtherer , as here , god revengeth himselfe upon the house of iehu as for murther , yet iehu was a magistrate , and this was commanded iehu by god himselfe . so suppose a magistrate fine a man for any evill , and that justly , yet if he be guilty of the same himselfe , god will deal with this magistrate as if he robbed by the high way side , and took away a mans money by violence . it is apparent out of the text. certainely my brethren , therefore great wrath and vengeance hangeth over the head of wicked magistrates . all this you learn from what is here said , that god will avenge the blood of jezreel upon the house of jehu , upon the inquiring into the reason of it . and he will doe this upon the house of iehu , ( that is the third question . ) what is the house of iehu ? that is his posterity , his family that was to succeed . and indeed it was to the fourth generation till god came against him , ( as we shall heare by and by ) god followeth wicked men to the . and . generation . the posterity of the ungodly , specially idolaters , shall suffer for their fathers sin . it is very observable what you have in the second commandement , that god in no other doth threaten the sinne of the fathers upon the children , but in the second commandement . what is thereason of this ? ( that commandement forbiddeth images ) because your superstitious worshippers of all men are strengthened by the tradition of their fathers . oh our fathers did thus and thus , and shall we be wiser then our fore-fathers ? we have now a company of up-start men , and they will be wiser then their ancestors . because superstitious worshippers harden themselves so much in that way upon their fathers , therefore it is , that in that very commandement against making and worshipping of images , god threatneth to visite the sinne of the fathers upon the children , and in no other . what , the house of iehu , after iehu was dead ? how can this be ? yes , as a prince that hath to doe with two traitors , both of them have deserved death , but the prince is enclined to shew mercy ; and against the one there commeth this accusation , this mans father was a traytor , and his grand-father , and his great grand-father were traytors : nay then let him dye , saith the prince . but now the other that is guilty of as much as this man was , yet it is told the king , sir , this mans fathers hath done a great deale of excellent fervice for the common-wealth , there were never any of his house but were loya●l . this man now is spared though hee deserveth death , and guilty with the other of the same treason ; and the king is just in this . and so the first man may be said to dye for his fathers sinne , that is , he should not have been executed if his fore-fathers had not been in the fault . take heed what you doe in the course of your lives , ( if you regard not your selves , yet for your childrens sake ) that you may not leave a curse behind you upon the off-spring of your loins , and fruit of your wombs ; look upon them , pity them . though you your selves may escape in this world , yet you may leave the inheritance of your sinnes unto your children . pity your children , that they may not have cause to curse the time that they were borne of such parents , and wish that they had rather been of the off-spring of dragons , and a generation of vipers , then to be born of such parents that have left them a curse for an inheritance . it had been better you had left them never a peny , then to leave them to inherite the curse of your wickednesse . vpon the house of jehu . the house of jehu fareth the worse for jehu . those that desire to raise and continue the honour of their houses , let them take heed of wayes of wickednesse ; for wickednesse will bring down any family whatsoever . but why is it the house of jehu , without any addition of jehu the king as in others it is usual ? hereby god would give a check to jehu , and bid him look back upon the meannesse of his birth , for jehu was not of the kingly race : yet how unthankfull was he who was raised from the dung-hill , thus unworthily to depart from the lord. you whom god hath raised up on high to great honours and estates , look back to the meannesse of your beginning , that god hath raised you from , and labour to give him an answerable return of obedience . those that will not give god the glory of their honours and estates , it is just their honors and estates should be taken from them . but what is this , yet a little while ? this is to be understood in reference to jehu , or in reference to the house of israel . yet a little while , and i will avenge the blood of jezreel upon the house of jehu , and will cease the kingdome of the house of israel . it was a long while before god came upon the house ol jehu , and yet now he saith , yet but a little while , i will stay but a little longer ere i avenge the blood of iezreel upon the house of iehu . it was now the third generation since iehu committed those sins , nay , it will appeare that it was above an hundred years from the sinnes of iehu to gods avenging the blood of iezreel upon his house : for iehu raigned . years , his sonne iehoahaz . years , and iehoash his sonne . years , and ieroboam his son . yeares , and then in the days of zachariah the son of this ieroboam , god came to avenge this blood , which was above a hundred years . oh the patience of the lord towards sinners ! but though he stayed long , yet he saith , yet a little while . here is an excellent observation from hence . that god sometimes commeth upon sinners for their old sins , for sins committed a long time agon : sins a long time agone committed , are perhaps forgotten by you , yet they are remaining , filed up , and recorded in heaven , above a hundred years after the commission . it is like these sinns of iehu were forgotten , yet god commeth now at last to avenge the sins of iehu upon his house . so he did for the sins of manasses , and for the sins of iosephs brethren , it was . years before they came to have their consciences troubled , and then say they , we are verily guilty concerning our brother , therefore is this distresse come upon us , and now ( saith reuben ) behold also his blood is required . looke to your selves you that are young , take heed of youthfull sinnes , youthful sins may prove to be ages terrors . perhaps you think it was a grat while agone that you ( when you were a young man ) were in fuch a taverne , or in such a journey , and committed such and such sins : have you repented for them ? have you made your peace with god for them ? though you were then young , and did not fear the wrath of god to come upon you ; yet now you are old , the wrath of god may come upon you for sinnes committed in your apprentiship . a sinner of a hundred years old shall be accursed . yet a little while . in reference to the house of israel : yet a little while and i will cease the kingdome of the house of israel : this nation had continued a pompous successfull nation ( thoughidolatrous ) for about . years before the wrath of god came upon it that was here threatned . god may come a long time after the flourishing of a nation upon it in wayes of judgement . which may make us look back to the sins committed in henry the , his time , and in queen maries time . let us not plead for our fore-fathers for the maintenance of superstitious worship , but let us look to the sins of our fore-fathers , and bewaile them before the lord , for god may come upon a nation for former sins after it hath flourished a long time . but at length it will prove but a little while . what , was it but a little while from the beginning of this prophesie till the ceasing of the kingdome of the house of israel . yes ( my brethren ) it was many yeares . and it is very observable that from the beginning of this prophesie ) which was in the end of the raign of jeroboam ) to the rulfilling of what was here threatned , to the ceasing of the kingdome of the house of israel , it was . years . for ( as i reckoned the last day , to shew the time of hoseas prophesie ) from the end of jeroboam here spoken of , ver . . unto the time of hezekiah was . yeares , and in the . yeare of hezekiah israel was destroyed by the king of assyria , and yet god saith here by hosea ( which was in the time of jeroboam , for then was the beginning of hoseas prophesie , as ver . . ) yet a little while . seventy six years is but a little while in gods account . sinners thinke either in wayes of judgement or mercy , a little while to be a great while . if god do but defer mercy seven yeares , it is a great while in our account . we think our parliament hath sate a long time ; how long ? almost two yeares . a great while ! wee think every day a great while , for that wee would faint have but . years , yea a hundred , a thousand years are but as one day unto god. so for judgement : a sinner if hee hath committed a sinne seven years agoe , he thinketh it is a great while , and he hath not heard of it , thereforre surely it is forgotten . but what if it be seventy years agoe ? you that are sinners of seventy yeares old , all is but a little while in regard of god. againe , yet a little while . the apprehension of a judgement just at hand is that which will stir the heart , and worke upon it most . yet a little while , and god will cause the kingdome to cease , therefore if ever you repent , repent now , for it is but a little while ere god will cause the kingdome to cease . the apprehension of a sinner to be upon the brink of judgment , when a poore soule shall see him selfe ready to lanch into the infinit ocean of eternall destruction , to lie under the scalding drops of the wrath of the almighty ; this works upon the heart indeed . it is the way of the flesh and the divell to put far from us the evill day , to make us believe the day of death is a great way off . but it is the way of god to present things present and reall ; and in this consisteth the efficacy and power of faith to make things that are to come as if present . wee say in nature , there must be a contiguity and neernesse between things that must work . so wee must apprehend a neernesse between the evill that is to come upon us and our selves , that so it may work upon our hearts . an excellent place you have to this purpose in king. . . where the lord threatneth to stir up a king over israel who should cut off the house of ieroboam that day ; but what ? ( saith he , he presently calleth back his word ) even now : you may think the day a great way off , but it is even now : and therefore now come in , return , and repent . oh sinners consider that your danger is now , not only in that day of christ , but what ? even now , it may be at hand . lastly , yet a little while . jeroboam had continued above forty yeeres in his sin , but now zachariah his son , upon whom this threatning was fulfilled , continued but six moneths , perhaps he thought to escape as long as his father . no , god suffereth some sinners to continue long , others he cutteth off presently : though the father continue old in his sins , if the son presume to follow his steps , he may be cut off presently . and i will cause to cease the kingdome of israel . kingdomes , great kingdomes and monarchies are subject to change , what is become of all the glorious monarchies in the world ? how hath the lord tossed them up and downe as a man would tosse a ball ? idolatry is enough to destroy the greatest monarchy , the greatest kingdome in the world . but here is some instruction in the elegancy of the word . it is in the originall , i will cause to cease . it is a metaphor ( according to some ) taken from instruments that a man makes use of for a while , and when hee hath done with them , either hangs them up against a wall and regards them no more , or else bringeth them to the fire to be burned . so saith god , yet a little while , and i will cause to cease , &c. as if he should say , indeed there was a time wherein i had some use of this way , of the rent between judah and israel , and of this kingdome , but i have done with that use , there is an end of it now , the use is over i intended , & now i will cause to cease the kingdome , i will take them away , they shall be to mee as an instrument not to be used any more , or for the fire . when the lord hath any use of a people , or of any particular men to do him service , he will preserve them though they be wicked , and when he hath done with them , he either layes them aside , or else brings them to the fire . a husband-man so long as he hath use of thornes to stop a gap with them , he lets them alone , but when there shall be no further use of them , he then bring them to the fire . so god here , i will cause to cease the kingdome of the house of israel . but how and where will god cause to cease the kingdome of israel ? vers . . i will break the bow of israel in the valley of jezreel . by breaking the bow , is here meant the blasting and bringing to nothing all the strength of their warlike power , all their armes and ammunition , for the bow was a great warlike instrument in these dayes , therefore in psal . . . he makes wars to cease , he breaks the bow , and cutteth the spear in sunder , &c. but here , by breaking the bow , there is something more , it is not onely mentioned because the bow is a warlike instrument , but there is some particular reason why the bow is instanced here , and that is this , because whereas jehu did many memorable things in his warlike affairs , yet none more then that he did by his bow . mark that place , king. . . and iehu drew a bow with his full strength , and smote jeroboam between his arms , and the arrow went out at his heart , &c. so that the victory that jehu got ever the two kings of israel and iudah , was by the bow especially . what observe we from hence ? that wherein wicked men have been most prosperous and succesful , even in this god will curse them , and let out his wrath upon them . againe , breake the bow , blast all the power of their ammunition . carnal hearts trust much in their warlike weapons , but they are nothing when god commeth to break a peoples strength . god hath the power of all ammunition , the lord is called the lord of hosts , ( and he delighteth much in this title ) first , because god hath not only the power over ammunition and all warlike weapons , so as they cannot be used but by him : but secondly , because when they are used , they can have no successe at all but by him ; and so the lord is the lord of hosts in a peculiar sense : hee is the great generall of all armies , more then all other generalls , for the successe of all dependeth upon him . my brethren , why then need the church of god feare the strength of weapons , the bow , the cannon , or all the ammunition of the enemies of the church , seeing our lord is the lord of hosts ? no weapon can be used or have successe but by this lord of hosts . he can break the bow , though of steele , when pleaseth , and can give his people strength to doe so too . for this you have an admirable promise , esa . . . behold ( saith god ) i have created the smith that bloweth the coals in the fire , and bringeth forth an instrument for his worke , and i have created the water to destroy . no weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper . what need the church fear then ? god breaks the bow when he pleaseth : for as god hath a providence over all the things in the world , so there is a specialty of providence of god to order battels , to give the victory , not to the strong , or to the multitude , but sometimes to the weak and few , even as hee pleaseth . and therefore hee is the lord of hosts , because though his providence is generall over all creatures , yet there is a specialty of providence of god in warlike affairs . but what was this valley of jezreel ? it is worthy our time to enquire after this valley of jezreel , wherein god will break the bow of israel . there were two places called jezreel , the one belonging to iudah , iosh . . the other belonging to israel , iosh . . . & chap. . . iezreel was a fruitfull valley , ten miles long , and by it there was a famous city built , which was in ahabs time the principall seate , the metropolis of the kingdom , and there was a glorious tower in it , & from thence they might see over galilee and over iordan . now there were two great cities that belonged to the tenn tribes , samarea and iezreel , as we in england have two principall cities , london and yorke . but this iezreel was the most fortified , in which they put a great deale of confidence , yet god saith here , he will break the bow of israel in the valley of iezreel . that is , there by that city in that place , that they accounted the great strength of their kingdom , there he would break the bow of israel . fortified cities cannot help when god cometh out against a people . if we can fortifie our cities against sin , we may soone fortifie them against an enemie . if sinne once get in , the enemie will quickly follow . nah. . . all thy strong holds shall be like fig-trees with the first ripe figs ; if they be shaken , they shall fall into the mouth of the eater . you shall with the least wind like the first ripe figs sall off , all your strong holds shall doe so . yea , ver . . thy people in the midst of thee are women , the gates of thy land shall be set wide open to thine enemies , the fire shall devourthy bars . you see what the valley of iezreel is , & the meaning of it . but why will god breake the bow of israel in the valley of jezreel ? there are these two reasons for it . . because god would deale with this people of israel , as judges deale with malefactors ; they will hang them up there where the fact was committed , as wee see some hanged up in chains neer to the city , at or about the place where their villany was done . so in jezreel was shed the blood of jezebel , and the blood of the . sons of ahab , and the blood of jehoram , and there will god break the bow . hence it is that guilty consciences are many times afraid to goe neere to the places where they have committed wickedness , because their consciences will fly in their faces , for feare god should come upon them in the place where the fact was done . but further , he will break the bow of israel in the valley of jezreel , that is , in that fortified place in which they did so much glory ( this is specially observable . ) even in that place wherein a kingdom shall most glory , & seem to trust most in , god many times doth come and break the kingdom in that very place , and makes that the breaking of the kingdome most . nah. . . art thou better then populous no , that was scituate among the rivers , that had the waters round about it , whose rampant was the sea , & her wall was from the sea ? mark , a people just like england in this case : what we overcome by the enemie ? we that have the seas for our wall , and such a multitude of people amongst us ? these have been & are the two pleas that england hath for her selfe , because our people are many , and we have the seas for a wall : but art thou better then populous no ? yet was she carryed away , she went into captivity , &c. vers . . thus the prophet pleadeth with them . but further , these trusted in jezreel , they seemed to scorn the prophet what , the kingdome of israel cease , what thinke you of jezreel , such a strong place as that ? just as we should say , what , an enemy come to us what say you to london , a brave city , a strong city ? what say you to the ammunition , to the militia , to the strength that is there ? are they not able to resist all that can come against it ? have we cause to feare danger ? it is true , the kingdom hath cause to bless god for london , and london hath not yet been the valley of jezreel , but an israel , the strength of the lord , & hath prevailed with god , as an instrument : & therefore we blesse god for that we have had . but yet let us not trust in that we have , for even in london , in the valley of jezreel the bow may be broken , and god knows how to bring things about so as to make the ammunition of london to be broken in pieces , and turned against themselves : oh therefore do not trust here . only let it be your care you of this city of london that you prove not the valley of jezreel , and then we shall do well enough , our bow shall not be broken . what attempts have there been to have made london by this time the valley of jezreel , that is a scattered vally , to have brought divisions in this city , that it might be a scattered people ; & wo to the kingdom if this had bin effected , better these men had never bin born then that they should have had success in that horrid enterprise . oh london now the blessing of god is over you ! the meanes of grace abundantly among you . the eys of the kingdom are upon you ; take heed you be bee not the valley of iezreel , your divisions will cause great thoughts of heart ; continue you untyed one to another , and then you are as one israel of god , the instrument of god for our strength . pardon me this litle digression , though it be a little from an expository exercise . thus we have done with the mother , and with the first sonne . the third lecture . hosea . . . . and she conceived again and bare a daughter , iune . and god said unto him call her name loruhamah : for i will no more have mercy upon the house of israel , but i will utterly take them away . but i will have mercy upon the house of judah , and will save them by the lord their god , & will not save them by bow , nor by sword , nor by ba●tell , by horses , nor by horsemen . concerning hosea's first son , the last day . shee conceived again . this conception sets out also the estate of israel in regard of her sin and misery : sin it is fruitful , and what bringeth it forth ? parents bring forth a likeness to themselves , and so doth sin ; and what is that ? nothing but ruine & misery . this second child it is a daughter , it noteth the weaknes of the state of the ten tribes at this time , they were grown to be effeminate in regard of their lust , and the basenes of their spirits , and in regard of their strength also they were like the female sex . there are . estates of the people signified by the . children of hosea ; the first was their scattered estate , and that was signified by jezreel , the first son ; of which the last day : and the story of that you had in k. . ver . . to the . where you may read their wofull sedition ; for zach●riah reigned but . months , & then shallum sle● him , & reigned in his stead , and he reigned but one month , for menah●● came & smote shallum & slew him , & reigned in his stead : so here was nothing but murthers and seditions amongst them . a scattered people . the . state of the people of israel was their weake condition that they were brought unto , signified by this daughter ; and the history of that you have from v. . of that ch. onwards , where when pul the k. of assyria came against israel , menahem presently yeelded to him what hee would have , giveth him ioco . talents of silver to go from him , & so layeth a taxation upon the people for it . here they were brought to a very low & weak condition . and afterwards this k. of assyria cometh again , and carryeth part of them into captivity . the . child was loammi , and the history of the state of the people signified by that you have in k. . . where they were fully caryed away , & wholy rejected for ever : and because they were a little before that time grown up to some strength more then formerly , therefore this last was a son . we are now to speak of the second . she conceived again and bare a daughter . from that interpretation i have given of it , to note the weaknesse and effeminacy of the state of the people at this time , a little before their ruine ; the observation from thence is this , when the manliness , courage , and vigour of the spirits of people are taken away , then they are under a fearfull judgment , and neare to ru●ne . even when their men shall be as women , as nah. . . when there shall be such basenesse of spirit in people , that for the enjoyments of their present ease and quiet they yeeld to any thing . so it was with these , and in thar their effeminatenesse was shewed . when the king of assyria came to them , they yeeelded to any termes he would appoint , to give him any thing he would demand ; and when the taxes were laid upon the people , they enquired not whether they were just or no , but meerly for their peace & safety they yeeld . we must take heed of bringing our selves into trouble , we were better pay this then venture the loss of all , we must not displease those that are above us , we know not what hard things may follow ; it is our wisedome , though things are hard , and we complain the taxations are heavy , yet to suffer something , they had rather have a little though with basenesse , then venture any thing for further peace and liberty for themselves and their posterity . . the eff●mina●enesse of their sp●rits were shewne in this , that they were willing to bow downe their necks to submit to the government of most vile murtherers , without any enquiry after them , or taking any course or way at all to finde out their murthers and wickednesse . zecharia was slain by shallum , then commeth menahem and hee killed shallum , after menahem , raigned pekahiah , and against him conspired pekah the sonne of remaliah , and smote him in samaria , and with him killed . men , and reigned in his roome , then cometh hoshea the sonn of elah , and he made a conspiracy against pekah , and slew him , and reigned in his stead . here were murtherers upon murtherers , and yet the people all this while bow down their necks , and looke not after these things : they have gotten power in their hands , and we must take heed of looking so high , to enquire after things that are above us , and it is ill displeasing of them , we were better a great deale be quiet and hold our peace , & say nothing , than to enquire after such high matters as those are ; and so they let all goe , and bowed their necks to the yoke , and by no meanes such horrible guil of murthers must be questioned , because the murtherers had got power in their hands . their cowardly timerous spirits were much like the temper of issachar , we read of gen. . . isachar is a strong asse couching down between two burthens , he saw that rest was good , and the land that it was pleasant , and he bowed his shoulders to bear , & became a servant unto tribu●e . and when mens spirits are effeminate in regard of the civill state , they quickly grow so in regard of their consciences and religion too . purity of religion in the church cannot stand long with slavery admitted in the state. we read rev. . . of . ages of the church set out by four living-creatures : the . living-creature the text saith , had the face of a man , and that was to note the state of the church in the time of reformation , they began then to be of manly spirits , & to cast off that yoke of bondage that was before upon them , to enquire after what liberty god had granted to them . not then like those we read of , isa . . . that would bow down to such as would say to their soules , bow downe that we may goe over them . this ( my brethren ) hath been the condition of many of us ; there hath bin that effeminateness of spirit in us , that we have bowed down our necks , yea , our souls to those that would go over us ; yea , ( as it is there in . isa . ) they made themselves the very street to them that went over them , their very consciences were trampled upon by the foot of pride , and all for the enjoyment of a little outward accomodation in their estates , in their shops , and in their trading , oh they must not venture these , rather yeeld to any thing in the world . and truly we were afraid not long since that god was calling us by the name of this daughter loruhamah , in regard of our effeminateness of spirit , that the lord was departing from our nation . but blessed be god that now here hath begun to be a rising of spirit among us , especially among our worthies in parliament , and their warmth , vigour , & life , hath put warmth , vigour , spirit , and life , into the whole kingdome . now our kingdom will never bow downe and submit their consciences , nor estates , nor liberties to that bondage and oppression that heretofore hath been . no , they had rather die honorably then live basely . but why do i make such a disjunction ? dy honorably , or live basely ? had we spirits we might free our selves and posterity from living basely , and we need not dye at all ; for the malignant party hath neither spirit to act , nor power to prevail , if we keep up our spirits and be strong in the lord we are safe enough , yet we shall not have our name loruhamah , but ruhamah , the lord will have mercy upon us . king. . . god threatens to smite israel , that they shall be as a reed shaken with the wind : and then mark what followeth , and then he would root them out of this good land which hee gave to their fathers . if this judgement be upon england that our spirits be shaken as a reed with the winde , that wee bow and yeeld to any thing in a base way , the next may justly follow that the lord may root us out of this good land. as it was with israel before their destruction , they grew effeminate , so it was with judah too before theirs , isa . . . when god intended judgment against them , you may observe there that he took away the mighty man & the man of war , the prudent and the ancient , the captain & the honourable man & the counseller . men of truly noble spirits were taken away , their nobles became to be vile and sordid , & to yeeld to any humors and lusts , then they were neer the ruine ; and ver . . the text saith women rule over them ; for women that have many spirits to rule is no judgment at all ; but for women of revengeful spirits to rule over a nation is a most fearful judgment . but so much of the first , that it is a daughter that is here born to hosea . what is this daughters name ? call her name loruhamah ? non dilecta , so some , non misericordiam consecuta , so others , both come to one , either not beloved , or one that hath not obtained mercy , for gods mercy proceedeth from his love . i will no more have mercy . i will add no more mercy ; nothing that god had shewed abundance of mercy to israel before ; but now he saith , i will not adde any more , i will shew no further mercy to them . but i will utterly take them away . tollendo tollam ; so turned by some , in taking them away i will take them away ; levaho levando , so others , i will lift them up , that i may cast them down so much the more dreadfully . the old latin hath it thus , obliviscendo obliviscor , forgetting i will forget . and this was upon a mistake of the hebrew word , because there is little difference in the hebrew , between the word that signifieth to to forget , and that which signifieth to take away . the . setting my selfe against them , i will set my selfe against them . well the name of the child must bear this upon it , that god will have no more mercy upon them . hence then first . sometimes the very children of families , and in a kingdom do bear this impression upon them , that god will have no mercy upon this family , upon this kingdome . one may ( my brethren ) read such an impression upon the children of many great families in this kingdome , when wee looke upon that horrible wickedness of the young ones that are coming up , how different from their former religious ancestors ; we may see with trembling hearts ) such an impression of wrath , as if god had said , i have done with this family , i intend no further mercy to this family . as sometimes when we see in a family gracious children , gracious young gentlemen , noble men , we may see the impression of gods mercy to that family , ruhaniah , i intend mercy to it . it was not long since that we might , and we thought indeed wee did see such an impression upon the young ones of this kingdome , the young ones in the city , the yong ones in the chief families in the country ; that we vvere afraid that lornhamah to england was written upon them , for oh the rudenes and wickednes of the young ones ! but blessed be god that we see it otherwise now ; now in regard of that graciousnesse , that forwardnesse of so many young ones amongst us , we may see written upon them , ruhamah to england , mercy to england , god hath taken away his lo , and writeth only ruhamah , mercy to you , this great change god hath made . for the great ground of the hope we have for mercy to england , is the impression of god upon the young ones : when god hath tender plants growing up in his orchard , certainly he will not break down the hedg or dig it up . secondly , call her name loruhamah , for i will no more have mercy upon the house of israel . there is a time when god will not have mercy upon a kingdome or upon a particular people . gather your seves together , oh nation not worthy to be beloved , before the decree come forth . there is a time for the decree to come forth against a kingdome , when god will not be intreated ; a time when though noah , job , and daniel should stand before him , yet he will not be intreated , though they cry , cry ●arly , cry aloud , cry with teares , cry with fasting , yet god will not be intreated . gods mercy is precious , and he will not let it run out to waste , he will not be prodigal of it , a time wherein god will say , now i have done , i have done with this people , mercy hath had her turn . it is true , except we had that immediate revelation that the prophets had , we cannot now determine of the particular time ; yet by examining gods way toward his people in former times , the truth is , that those that laboured most to search gods minde in his word , they were even afraid that this decree had been gone out upon us in england . it is true , god hath seemed for the present to tell us that hee hath a prerogative , and he will have mercy upon whom he will have mercy : but yet neither are those altogether to be blamed , that even in their own hearts determined ( as it were ) that mercy was gone ; except they did wholly limit god , and left nothing of prerogative at all to him , but because it was gods ordinary way ; and except god had wrought with us in a way of prerogative otherwise than ever he did with any nation before , they did then conclude that the decree was gone forth ; and so it might be true , and what god may do with us yet we do not know . but this we can say , if the decree be not gone forth , if there be mercy for us , god hath shewed his prerogative , that he will now goe on in such a way otherwise than formerly he hath done in the world ; and if god will do so , who can say against it ? a time there is likewise for god to say against particular persons , he wil not have mercy upon them , a time when god will say , those men that were bidden shall not tast of my supper ; he that will be filthy , let him be filthy still , my spirit shall no longer strive with them . god hath no need ( my brethren ) that we should receive or entertain his mercy , we had need that god should grant it . god many times is quick in the offer of his mercy . goc and preach the gospel , he that believeth shall be saved , he that believeth not shall be damned . a quick worke god makes many times in the effects of mercy . yet . i will not have mercy : this is pronounced as the most dreadfull judgment . what , not have mercy upon them ? then indeed is a state or a kingdom in a dreadful condition , when god shall say of them that he will not hve mercy . wo to you ( saith the lord ) when i depart from you , wo then to you when my mercy is for ever gon , then all judgments & miseries must needs flow in upon a nation , or a particular soul ; when the sea-bank is broken up , then the waves will all flow in . isa . . . all you beasts of the field come to devour , yea , all you beasts in the forrest , why what is the matter ? his watchmen are blind , &c. i argue thus from thence , if the prudence of the watch-men being taken away which should stop misery , then all evils come flowing in upon a nation . what then if the mercy of god that should stop misery be taken away ? whither should the poore creature goe if mercy be gone ? to what creature should it look for help ? if it cryes to any creature , the creature saith , i can afford no comfort , because god affordeth no mercy : what shall uphold the heart then when it hath no hope at all ? it must needs sink . i will not add mercy ( saith god ) shewing , that what good they had received before it was from his mercy , though they would take no notice of it ; well , saith god , you shall have no more , you have taken no notice that it was my mercy that helped you before , but when my mercy is gone , then you will know it , but then i will not add more . men best know what the worth of mercy is , when mercy is taken away from them , when god addeth no more . again , i will not adde mercy . god doth not use to take away his mercy fully from a people or from a soul : but when mercy hath been shewed and abused , after much mercy hath been received , and that being abused , then god saith hee will not adde more . you have a parallel place to this , iudg. . . i will deliver you no more , saith god , i have delivered you many times , my mercy hath been abused , i will deliver you no more . it is just with god when mercy is abused , that wee should never know farther what mercy meaneth . mercy as it is a precious thing , so it is a tender thing , and a dangerous thing to abuse it . there is nothing that more quickly works the ruine of a people or of a soule , then abused mercy . but further , i will utterly take them away . before it was only that they should be scattered , the name of the first child before was but iezreel , that they should be the scattered of the lord ; but the . is loruhamah , that they shall have no more mercy from the lord. gods . strokes usually are more dreadfull then the first : god beginneth first with the house of correction before he bringeth to the gallows . there is branding first before hanging : there are warning pieces before murthering peeces . god makes way for his wrath by lesser afflictions , before hee cometh with destroying judgments . i remember mr. knox in his history of scotland hath this story of one sir iames hamilton , that having been murthered by the ks. means there , he appeared to him in a vision with a naked sword drawn , and strikes off both his arms , with these words , take this before thou receive a finall payment for all thy impieties , and within . hours . of the ks. sons dyed . god cometh to nations & particular persons with a sword , cutteth off arms before he takes their lives , he commeth by degrees upon them . as the lord when he cometh in a way of abundance of mercy , lesser mercies make way for greater mercies . when manna was rained down , the dew ever came before it : so , lesser judgments to the wicked are forerunners of , and makers way for greater judgments ; first they are parboild before they come to be rosted in the fire . further , i will not adde mercy to the house of israel . he doth not say , i will not adde mercy to this or that particular man of israel , but to the house of israel . a multitude of sinners , with god is no argument for their escape of judgment . it is a rule indeed with man , multitudo peccantium , tollit peccatum , multitude of offenders take away their offences ; men know not how to execute the offenders when they are in multitudes , here and there some of the ring-leaders may be taken for example sake . but it is no rule with god , though it be the whole house of israel , god hath no mercy for the whole house of all the people of israel . let no man presume to sin against the lord , because there are multitudes that do offend , & think that he shal escape with the multitude . no , all the nations of the world with the lord are but as the drop of a bucket , & as the small dust of the ballance , nothing , even lesse then nothing . and yet further , no mercy upon the house of israel : though it be the house of israel , yet no mercy upon her . if it were the house of pharaoh it were not so much , but what , no mercy to the house of israel ? the neareness of any to god exempts them not from the wrath of god. god hateth sin , and hateth sin most when it is nearest him : you have i knowne of all the families of the earth , therfore wil i punish you for your iniquities , saith the lord. as we hate a toad in our bosoms more then when it is at a further distance ; so god hateth sin in those that are nearest to him more than in those that are further off ; for god will be sanctified in all those that draw neer unto him . but wherefore is all this that god wil have no more mercy upon the house of israel ? what hath the house of israel done , that god should be so angry with it ? it is worth our searching and enquiring after , why the lord will at this time have no mercy upon the house of israel . it concerns our selves neerly . the first and main reason is , because of their continuance in their false way of worship , notwithstanding all the means that god had used to bring them off ; not only by his prophets , sending them again and again to shew them the evill of their false worship in those . calves in dan and bethel , but by most remarkable works of his providence against them . as for example . the work of god against jeroboam , when hee was but stretching out his hand against the prophet that came to denounce judgement against that altar upon which he was offering sacrifice , his hand that he put forth against him dryed up , so that he could not pull it in again to him , and upon the prayer of the prophet it was restored & became as was before . again , the remarkable work of god in anointing iehu to destroy the house of ahab and his seed for their idolatry . yet notwithstanding these prophets , and these works of god , with many other , they still persisted in their way of idolatry . and this caused the lord now not to have mercy upon the house of israel . let us take heed of this , god hath used , and still doth use means to bring us off fully from all wayes of false worship , not only by sending his ministers from time to time to declaim against such things , but by wonderful and remarkable works of his providence towards england , especially at this day . never had any nation , never had england heretofore more remarkable works of god to draw them off from all wayes of false worship , to bring them to worship god in the right way according to his will. now let us tremble at this sentence ; i will not add mercy , i will have no more mercy . god hath added mercy to us again and againe from time to time . and now me thinks in this work of gods mercy , that he is about concerning us , he speaks to us as he did to the people , come and put off thy ornaments , that i may know what to do with thee . come now and humble your selves that i may know what to do ; as if god should say , come & give in your last answer . certainly in that way that god is now in with us , he calleth england to give its last answer , as if he should say , now i am sheing mercy once more , take heed of rejecting it , lest you have a loruhamah upon you , i will adde no more mercy , consider not onely what wee have done , but what we do , how we have abused mercy , and how wee doe now abuse present mercy ; how opposite the spirits of most are against the work of reformation now in hand , who even say to the lord christ depart from us , we desire not the knowledg of thy ways . when the people of israel were offered canaan , and god bade them go in and possesse it , they were then neer unto it ; but when they then refused canaan , god sware in in his wrath that they should not enter into his rest . if ever a people were offered canaan , were offered the ordinances of god in his owne way , certainly wee are at this time , let us tremble lest god ( if wee reject this mercy ) should swear in his wrath , i will have no more mercy upon you , and so we prove to be a loruhamah indeed . but a second reason why this people could have no mercy , might be , because of their forsaking god even in the civill state. for you are to know that this people of israel had not only left god in their church , state , and defiled themselves with false worship , but they had in their civill government wickedly departed from that that god had appointed over them : they had departed from the house of david , and rent themselves from it . it is true , this was of gods permission , but yet it was the wickednes of their hearts , & no excuse at all for them . hence chap. . . god chargeth them that they had set up kings , but not by him . from whence this may bee observable . that it is a most dangerous thing for a people to forsake that government to rebell against that civill government that god doth set over them . when the people in sam. . . had required a king , and would not be ruled by judges any more , saith the lord to samuel , they have not rejected you , but rejected me , that i should not reigne over them : a most dreadfull place , and i confesse freely to you , this one text of scripture was the first scripture that took impression upon my thoughts and heart about fearing to goe on in a way of church-government that god had not appointed . for thus my thoughts reasoned ; what is god so provoked against a people that will reject but a civill government , a government that hee hath appointed , that specially concernes but the outward man ? then if it proves that god hath appointed any government in a church , that is divine institution , that concerns the good of the soule , and is immediately to work upon that , surely god will be much more provoked there for rejecting it . and going yet further upon search , finding that though we have not a civill government appointed by god as the jewes had , yet for the church state , wee have one appointed even by god himself . and reason there must be for it : for whatsoever hath a speciall efficacy upon the heart , must have a spirituall rule for the warrant and direction . indeed prudence and reason is enough for the ordering of things that concern the outward man , except god will come in with his owne institution . but when it cometh to the ordering of the heart , and there is a spirituall efficacy expected ( as in all church ordinances there must be ) and that authority by which they are executed giveth a great influence into them , now nothing can goe beyond its principle , therefore it must have a divine institution to give it its efficacy . it may here be demanded , whether hat not god appointed over us a particular civill government as he did over the jews ? that our government and all lawfull government of other nations is appointed by god , we must conclude is a certain truth . but not so appointed by god as the government of the jewes was . and the reason is this , because the church and common-wealth of the jewes was involved in one , and therefore the apostle speaking of the church , hee saith they were aliens , and strangers from the common-wealth of israel ; it was meant of the church state . there was such a kind of paedagogy under the law , that the church and state were involved in one , for christ would be the head of the church and common-wealth too , and appoint them lawes ; and so their government was imediately from heaven . now for us . that we should have a government according to the rules of wisdome and justice ; that indeed is appointed by god. god would have us have a government ; but he leaveth the ordering of that government to generall rules of prudence and justice . so that now it is lawfull for any kingdome or country to agree together , and according to the rules of wisdom and justice , to appoint what government they wil , as vvhether it shall be a monarchy , or an aristocracy , or a democracy , and to limit this according to covenant of agreement , as whether that the fundamentall povver shall be vvholly put out , or any part reserved , hovv farre this or that man , or society of men shall have the managing of it , and the like ; then so farre as it is agreed upon , vvee are bound in conscience to obey either actively or passively , but no further are vvee bound to obey any man though he be in authority , yet vvee are not bound to obey him , either actively or passively , conscience is not tyed . though those men be in authority , yet it is no resisting of authority at all , not to do what they would have . yea though the thing be lawfull they would have , yet if it be not according to the law of the kingdom , to the first agreement , i may be bound by the rules of prudence to save my selfe ; but it is not authority that binds me to obey out of conscience : for we must of necessity distinguish between men in authority , and the authority of those men . wherefore so long as wee seeke but to keepe authority in the right channell , that it flows not over the banks , we cannot be charged for resisting the government god hath set over us , though we do not obey the wills of those who are set over us , and therefore there is no cause that we should fear , that god should say to england upon this ground , loruhamah , hee will have no mercy . to proceed . but i will have mercy upon the house of judah . the people of israel they might say , hosea thou art a preacher indeed , what preach nothing but judgment , nothing but wrath , to be utterly taken away ? is there no mercy at all ? is not god a mercifull god ? yes saith the prophet , though you be taken away , god knoweth how to glorifie his mercy ; he hath others that he can make to be objects of his mercy though you be destroyed . from whence first you see that though god utterly reject some , yet in the mean time he hath others to shew mercy unto . therefore it is no plea for any sinner to say thus , well , i have sinned indeed , but god is mercifull . what if god be mercifull ? so he may be , though thou be damned and perish everlastingly . yea , whole kingdoms & nations may perish , yet god may be mercifull , god hath stil infinite ways to glorifie his mercy . many people in desperate moods , lay violent hands upon themselves , & certainly there is a kind of spirit of revenge in it , as if they thought there would be some trouble about it , and so god should lose some honour . but if you will have your will in this , or in any thing else , though you be dead and rotten , and your souls perhaps in chains of darkness , god will have wayes to be glorious in his mercy , whatsoever come of you . but . i will have mercy upon the house of judah . god will alwayes have a church , he will never destroy his church at once , the lord loveth publique worship in the world : though he will utterly take away the house of israel , yet he will have mercy upon the house of judah . again , israel might say , what will not god be mercifull to us ? why i pray you what doth judah get by her worshipping of god in that which you say is the only right way ? judah indeed keepeth her selfe to ierusalem , keepeth her selfe to worship in the temple , but what doth she get by it ? for ought we see iudah is in as hard an estate , and in as low a condition as we ( nay as we shall see afterward , iudah was in a lower condition than israel , ) and certainly such kind of expressions as these they would be ready to have against the prophet . well , saith god , let iudah be what she will , i will have mercy upon her . though carnal hearts , when they look upon the low condition of the true worshippers of god , think that there is no difference between those that are in a good way , and themselves that are in the ways of sin , yet god will make a difference ; i will have mercy upon iudah , but not upon israel . many carnal men please themselves with this ; i see others that are strict , that pray in their families , that run to sermons , and wil not do thus and thus , as others do , yet they are as poor , in as mean a condition as any others , what do they get by their forwardness in religion ? are not we in as good a condition as they ? well friend , though thy carnal heart think there is no difference between him that serveth god , & him that serveth him not , god hath a time to manifest a difference ; there shall a time come ( saith god , mal. . . ) that you shall returne and discerne between the righteous , and the wicked , between him that feareth god and him that feareth him not . i will not have mercy upon israel , but i will have mercy upon iudah . fourthly , judah had at this time many grosse and fearful evils amongst them , yea scarcely delivered from sodomy ; it will aske a great deale of time to shew you the state of judah in regard of the horrible wickednesse that was in it , yet god saith , i will have mercy upon the house of iudah . what is the reason of this ? because though iudah had many grosse evils , yet iudah kept to the right way of worshipping god , kept to ierusalem , to the temple ; so farre they kept the worship of god pure . hence we see , god will favour a people exceeding much , though there be many weaknesses , yea many wickednesses among them , if they keep the worship of god pure . it is true , there are many spirits that are most bitter against those that seek to worship god in the right way , if they can but get them tripping in any small thing , they follow it against them with all their might , with all the bitternesse that they can possibly . this is not like unto god , god will favour those that worship him in a right way , though for other respects hee may have many advantages against them . but this ( you will say ) seemes to contradict what you said before , for you said , the nearer any are to god , the more he hates their sinnes , and the sins of those that make a shew of worshipping god in a pure manner , are worse than the sins of others . it is true , but as their relation to god in the nearnesse of his worship , is an aggravation of their sins , so their relation to god is a foundation of their hope of mercy from god. how is this ? it makes their sin indeed worse , so as to provoke god to punish them sooner , and perhaps bitterer , yet their relation to god keepeth this ground of faith , that god is their god still , and will have mercy upon them at last . but the wicked though god spare them longer than his own people , yet when he cometh against them he rejecteth them utterly , so he did israel : iudah indeed was punished , but yet iudah had mercy at last , but ( saith god ) i will have no more mercy upon the house of israel , but will utterly take them away . fiftly , israel had prevailed a little before against iudah ; for if you read in king. . . you shall finde that iudah was put to the worst before israel , the text saith , they fled every man to their tents , and iehoash the king of israel took amaziah king of iudah , and came to ierusalem , and brake down the walls of ierusalem , from the gates of ephraim to the corner gate , four hundered cubits : and he took al the gold and silver , and all the vessels that were in the house of the lord , and in the treasures of the kings house , and hostages , and returned to samariah . and this was but a little before this time , israel had thus prevailed against iudah , and brought iudah under , yet now saith god , i will have mercy upon iudah but not upon israel . what should we note from hence ? god sometimes sheweth mercy to poor afflicted ones , and yet rejecteth those that are greater & enjoy more prosperity in the world . many that are poor people , poor souls that are in a low afflicted condition , god looks upno them and sheweth mercy unto them , when brave ones that carry it out , and thrive and live gallantly in the world , are many times rejected of god. mark what god saith , zeph , . . i will leave in the middest of thee an afflicted and poor people , and they shall trust in the name of the lord. god lookes not at the brave and gallant ones of the world , but at the poor and afflicted ones , and they shal trust in the name of the lord. we must not then judge at the happiness of men according to their successe in the world : for you may now be delivered , and others kept under affliction , yet afterwards you may be rejected , and the others received unto mercy . further , hosea was the prophet of israel , he was sent to the ten tribes , yet hosea tells them , whose prophet especially he was , and god would have no more mercy upon them . and he speaks to judah ( he was not sent to them ) and he tells them that god would have mercy upon them . here we may learn how impartial the ministers of god ought to be in their work , they must not goe according to their particular private engagements , though they are engaged more to such a people in divers regards , yet if they be wicked , they must deale faithfully , and plainly , and denounce the judgements of god : and if others , though strangers to them , be godly , they are to give to them that comfort that belongs unto them . my brethren , partiality in those in publick places , especially of the ministery , is a great evil . it was for this that god said he had made the priest and the levite contemptible and base before all the people : why ? because they were partial in the law , malac. . . . it is a great aggravation of the misery of some , that god sheweth mercy to others . for it is here set down as a part of the threatning against israel , i wil have no more mercy upon israel , but i wil shew mercy to judah . to aggravate the misery of israel , god manifesteth his mercy to judah . mark how god in esay . . . makes it a part of his threatning against the wicked , that he will shew mercy to his servants : behold , my servants shall eate , but you shall be hungry ; my servants shall drink , but ye shall be thirstie : behold , my servants shall rejoyce , but ye shall be ashamed ; behold , my servants shall sing for joy of heart , but yee shal crie for sorrow of heart , & howle for vexation of spirit . these [ buts ] are cutting ones to the heart of the wicked . and observe it , here is the word [ behold ] three times used , in setting out the difference that god will make between his servants and the wicked , and how god will aggravate the misery of the wicked by shewing mercy to people , because it is a thing much to be considered . a like place you have , mat. . . many shal come from the east & west , and shal sit down with abraham , isaac , and jacob , but the children of the kingdom shal be cast out into utter darkness there shal be weeping and gnashing of teeth . mark , they shall gnash their teeth when they shal see how they are rejected and others received , gnash their teeth for envie and vexation of spirit , for it is a great aggravation of mens misery . and is it not fulfilled this day ? how do many bite their nailes and gnash their very teeth to see the mercy that god sheweth to his people in giving them liberty and encouragement in his service , while he casteth shame & contempt upon their faces , & bringeth them forth to answer for their wickedness , and to suffer condigne punishment . wicked mens spirits vex at this , it is that which they cannot possibly beare , it is that which galleth and fretteth the very gaul of their heart to see the mercie of god to his people now in these dayes ; to see such an opportunity as this , to meet together with this liberty to exercise our selves in the word , when they are caged up . this they gnash and grind their teeth at . it is observeable , that which you have in acts . . paul was speaking there a great while to the jews , & they heard him quietly till he came to that word depart , for i wil send thee far hence unto the gentiles ; the text saith , they gave him audience unto this word and then they lift up their voices , & said , away with such a fellow from the earth , for it is not fit that he should live . what to disgrace us thus , and to think that the gentiles should come to have more mercie then we ! away with such a fellow from the earth . we have such an expression likewise in luke . . our saviour christ told the jews of the widow of sarepta , that elias the prophet was sent onely to her , and that naaman the syrian of all the lepers in israel was cleansed ; they of the synagogue when they heard these things , the text saith , they were filled with wrath , and rose up and thrust him out of the citie , and led him to the edge of the hill whereon their citie was built , that they might cast him down head-long . they were so vexed at christs sermon there , that they could have broke his neck as soon as hee had done preaching . it was at this word , there were many widows in israel in the time of elias , but unto none of them was elias sent save unto the widow of sarepta ; & many lepens were in israel in the daies of elisha , and none of them were clensed , saving naaman the syrian . the meaning is this , christ intimated thus much , that though there were many of the people of israel , yet the lord would have mercy but upon a few of them ; yea that god would choose rather other people to shew mercy to , then themselves ; at this they were inraged . and certainly this wil be the aggravation of the misery of the damned in hell : when a damned soul in hell shall there come to know the mercy of god to others : it may be wicked parents shal see their children that came out of their loyns . or out of their wombes , at the right hand of iesus christ in glory , and themselves cast down into eternal torment ; this will be a stinging aggravation of misery , no mercy unto thee , but mercy unto thy gracious child , the child that thou snibbedst and rebukedst for being forward , he is now at the right hand of christ & thou cast into everlasting misery . so it may be a poor servant , a poor boy in a family , may stand at the right hand of iesus christ hereafter and ascend with him in glory ; and his rich master that was , that murmured at him , & would not suffer him to have the least time for to do god service in , but checked him in every thing , and cast it upon his conscience , oh this is your preciseness : perhaps he sees himself cast down into eternal misery , when that poor servant of his , that poor apprentise shall go up to eternal glory but yet further , god saith , i will have mercy upon the house of judah . here is another note very observable , & much concerning our present condition too . god promiseth to judah mercy , after israels rejection ; yet if we search the scriptures we shal find that after this promise both before the rejection of israel was executed , and after the execution thereof ; i say , we shal finde that even judah was under very sore afflictions , and a sad condition she was put into after this promise was made . as if you will turn but to that scripture ( for we must look to one scripture and compare it with another . chron , . . you shall see there the text saith , that pekah the son of remaliah slew in iudah an hundred and twenty thousand in one day : we never heard of such a battel , such a slaughter , wee wonder when we hear of five or ten thousand slain in the field , here we have . slaine , and this was after this promise that this slaughter was made : yea & further , [ ver . . ] there were besides carried captives . women , sons , and daughters . yea further , [ ver . ] the edomites came and had smitten some of iudah , and carried away captives . and [ ver . . ] the philistims had invaded the citties of the low-country , and of the south of iudah , and they dwelt there : and ver . . ] it is said , the lord brought iudah low , and [ ver . . ] it is said that tilgath-pilneser king of assyria , whom ahas had sent to help him , he came & distressed them , but strengthened them not . here was pekah the son of remaliah slayes , and carries away captive . then there comes the philistims and they invaded the countrey , and then the edomites they carried away captives , and god bringeth them low , and then comes tilgath-pilneser , and he instead of helping , distressed them . what a case were they in now ? yet this was after this promise , for this promise was made to judah in the beginning of hosea's prophesie , for it is ver . . the beginning of the word of the lord by hosea , and it was before the rejection of israel , for it was in the reigne of ahas that judah was brought into this low condition , which was about . yeers before the execution of the sentence against israel , for that was fulfilled in the sixth yeere of the reigne of hezekiah , which ( if you take it from the beginning of the reigne of ahaz , who reigned . yeers ) make . yeers . now this promise to iudah ( as i told you in the beginning ) was made in the dayes of vzziah king of iudah , and of jeroboham king of israel , which was at least . yeeres before the rejection of israel ; and yet after the making of this promise , judah you see cometh to be in this so sad a condition . yea and wee shall finde besides , that presently after israels rejection , though god had said he would reject israel , and be mercifull to judah , so that a man would think now that iudah should come into a better condition than ever , yet see how iudah was dealt with . and for that marke the . king . . . the text saith that in the thirteenth yeer of hezekiah , senacherib king assyria came up against judah , and this was after the casting off of the ten tribes , for that was in the sixth yeer of hezekiah , as ver . . and seven yeers after came senacherib against iudah , thinking to prevaile against them as they had done before against israel ; and then hezekiah was faine to give him all the silver that was found in the house of the lord , and in the treasures of the kings house ; yea the text saith , ver . . that hezekiah was faine to cut off all the gold from the doores of the temple of the lord , & from the pillars , and to give it to the king of assyria . now the lord keepe our kingdom , our parliament from giving the gold of the temple doores in any way of compliance with any malignant party ; that have any evil eye at the beauty of our sion . yea after senacherib had gotten this , not content with it , he sendeth rabshekah from lachish , with a great host against ierusalem . you may see , the adversaries of the church are never satisfied , yeeld to them , gratifie them , in what you will , this is the first temptation : what will you be so strict , and rugged , and yeeld to them in nothing ? but if they prevaile with you , to begin to yeeld , they will never have done , they will still encroach upon you , hezekiah yeelded to senacherib , even to take away the gold of the temple doores , yea a little while after he cometh againe with a great host , so that hezekiah said , it was a day of trouble and rebuke , chap. . nothing will quiet them but the ruine of the church , they must needs have that , downe with it , downe with it , even to the ground , nothing else will satisfie them . to this low estate and sad condition was iudah brought not long after israel was taken away , and yet god promiseth mercy to iudah for all this . vvhat shall we learne from this ? this profitable lesson for our present condition , god may intend much mercy , yea god may be in a way of mercy to a people , yet may bring that people into very great straits & difficulties . the promises of gods mercies are alwayes to be understood with condition of the crosse . if we thinke that upon the promise of mercy we shall be delivered from all trouble & affliction , we lay more upon the promise , then the promise will or can beare . it is a great evil that proceedeth from much weaknes of spirit and distemper of heart , for people , though god hath done great things for them , yet if there come any rub in the way , and difficulty , any trouble , oh now we are gone , now vve are all lost , now god hath left us , we hoped that there would have come mercy , we looked for light , and behold darkness , now the heart sinketh , and all is presently given for gone . know my brethren this is an evil and an unbeleeving heart , an evil and an unthankful heart . god hath indeed done great things for us , yet how ready are wee though god be in such a way , a glorious way of mercy , if we hear of any difficulty , of any little rub , any combining of the adversaries together ? we must expect nothing now but blood , and bid farwel , and adue to all our peace ; we thought to have had happy dayes , but now the lord is coming out against us , and all that is done must be undone againe . why , why are you so full of unbeleefe ? surely this is unworthy of christians , that professe an interest in god , & unworthy of all the good that god hath done for us . peter though before he had walked upon the seas through the power of christ , yet when the waves came , now master save me , or else i perish . hath not god made us walk upon the waves of the sea all this while ? wrought as great a miracle for us in england as he did for peter ? yet when a wave doth but rise a little higher then before , we are so distressed in our spirits that we can scarcely cry , oh master save us ; but we look one upon another and discourage one another hearts , and in stead of crying unto god , wee cry out one to another in a discouraging way , and so pine away in our iniquities : certainly god is exceedingly angry at such a demeanour as this , and yet this is ordinary , both in regard of nations , and particular persons . of nations : it was so high with judah ( for i desire to keep as close as i can to the work i am about ) though god had made this promise to judah here , yet if we look into the . isa . ( isaiah was contemporary with hosea & it was not much after the making of this promise ) wee shall see how they were troubled with fear ; saith the text , when it was told the house of david , saying , syria is confederate with ephraim , the heart of the king of judah , and the heart of his people were moved as the trees of the wood were moved with the winde , they were afraid and shook as the very leaves of the tree shake , both the king of judah and all the people , well , but god speaks to the prophet , in the . chap , ver . . ( and it was at this time when they were so troubled because of the enemies coming against them ) god i say in that chapter speaks to the prophet , & ( saith the text ) he speakes with a strong hand , saying , say not ye , a confederacy , a confederacy : oh the king of israel & the king of syria are confederate together , what shal we do ? we are undone , we are lost for ever ; say not ye , a confederacy , neither fear ye this fear , nor be afraid , but sanctifie the lord of hosts himself , and let him be your fear . thus god would have his saints do , not when you hear of confederate enemies , or any ill tidings abroad ; oh the papists are linked together , & a confederacy , a confederacy : do not say a confederacy , fear not their fear , but sanctifie the lord of hosts himself , & let him be your fear , and let him be your dread , & he shal be for a sanctuary to you : and mark the resolution of the prophet afterward , ver . . i will wait upon the lord that hideth his face from the house of jacob , and i will looke for him . oh that this were the disposition of our hearts ! take that note away wi●h you , amongst many , though you cannot remember all , when you hear so many rumors of fears and troubles , as if all were gone , and there were now no more hope , let this be your answer ; i will wait upon the lord that hideth his facè from the house of jacob , for god is in a way of mercy , and mercy certainly we shall have , let us look for it . and for particular persons , how ordinary is it though god be in a wonderful gracious way of mercy towards them , yet if they do but feel their corruptions stirring never so little , all is gone presently . i was indeed in a good way , but god is gone , christ is gone , and mercie is gone , & all is gone , surely god intendeth no thoughts of good to me . oh be not unbeleeving , but beleeving ; for this is the way of god , though he promiseth great mercie , yet in the meane time he may bring into great afflictions . i will not have mercy upon israel , but i will have mercy upon judah , and will save them . for a people to be saved when others neare them are destroyed , this is a great setting out of gods goodnes to them : as to stand upon the shore safely , & see others suffer shipwrack before us , is a great augmentation of gods mercy towards us . when the people of israel could stand upon the banks , and see the egyptians tumbling in the red-sea , and their dead bodies cast upon the shoare , then , saith the text , sang moses and the children of israel unto the lord. and this kinde of mercie the lord hath granted to us in england , for while our neighbouring nations have been in a combustion , and many of them spoiled , we have sate under our own vines , & under our own fig-trees , and our greatest afflictions have been only the hearing of what our brethren have suffered & yet do suffer : whereas all about us is as the fiery furnace , and we walk in the middest of it like the three children , & our garments not touched , nor the smell of the fire passed on them : when as we see all countreys as gideons fleece , bewetted with the tempest of gods wrath , yea with their own blood , behold we are dry , aud the sun-shine of gods mercie is upon us , the blackness of the misery of our brethren is the brightnesse of our mercie . i will save them . it is the lord that will save them . this is an upbraiding of israel . oh israel you think to be saved by your owne policy , you have got a fetch beyond god , you are afraid that the people should go up to jerusalem to worship , therefore you have set up the two calves to save your selves . but judah shall be saved , and saved after another way ; iudah need not go to such carnall setches and policies to save themselves , for the lord shall save them . though carnal hearts thinke , and endeavour to save themselves onely by their own policie and carnall waies , yet let gods people know , that they have a stronger means to save them then all the policie in the world . so long as the wisdom , the power , the mercy , the faithfulnesse of god is for them , they need no other string to their bow but that . i will save them by the lord. vvhat is the meaning of this ? this by interpreters is carried concerning christ : that god the father promiseth to save by christ . as dan. . . we have such an expression in prayer , now o lord hear the prayer of thy servant for the lords sake ; that is , for christs sake : so here , god wil save by the lord ; that is , by christ . a sweet lesson we have from thence : viz. that the administration of gods grace to his people is given into the hands of jesus christ . it is christ that doth save the people of god , and hath saved them in all former times , in all ages . it is true , in the merits of christ all are saved ; that every one will grant , as zach. . . by the blood of thy covenant i have sent forth thy prisoners out of the pit . all the prisoners of gods people ever since the world began , that have been sent out of the pit , it hath been by the blood of the covenant , by the merits of christ : and not onely so , but christ in the administration of all hath been the chiefe , he hath been the angel of gods presence , that hath stood up for his people in all their necessities , he hath been the great captain & deliverer , the saviour of them all . let christ then have the honour of a soveraigne to us in regard of our salvation in outward deliverances . let us look up to him then for salvation in all our straits . and if christ was the saviour of his people in all ages , and still will be , then surely those ages and places where christ is most known and honoured may expect the greatest salvation . and this is for our comfort , far above all the ages that ever was since the world began , christ is most known and honoured in this age , and of all places in the world , here in england and amongst our countrey men ; and if christ will be a saviour of those places where he is known and honoured , surely england may expect a salvation : england hath had it , and as england is peculiar in the way of the knowledg of christ , so england shall be peculiar in a way of gods grace to her . i will save them by the lord their god. not your god oh israel , but their god. thus he upbraydeth the people of israel that they had forsaken their god ; that iudah had kept their god , but israel had not . it is a great upbrayding of a people when it can be said of them that they have forsaken the lord. it is a wofull thing not to have god to be our god at all , that conscience can charge this upon a man that daniel did upon belshazzar , that god in whose hand thy breath his , & whose are all thy ways , hast thou not glorified ; but that conscience can charge this , that god that thou hast chosen , that thou hast entred into covenant withall , oh thou apostatized soule , thou apostatized nation , thou hast forsaken him , he is not thy god. this is a sore and heavy charge indeed . again , the lord their god. it seemes he is the god of judah , though judah had many evils , but not the god of israel . those then that do not worship god in a right way , god will not acknowledge himself to be worshipped by them at all . the people in the wildernesse proclaimed a fast to jehovah , and yet the apostle cor. . . calleth them idolaters , and it is said they sacrificed to idols , because they worshipped god by the calfe , and not in gods way . though we may think we worship god , yet if wee doe not worship him in his own way , he doth not own himself to be worshipped by us at all . again , the lord their god. this could not but sting israel , that judah should be thought to have more interest in god then israel had . it is a stinging thing to carnal hearts , and much bitternesse of spirit it must needes be entertained withall , that any one should but think of challenging any peculiarity of interest in god. thus they scorned at christ , oh he trusted in god , he thinketh he hath more interest in god then others , now let his god come and save him . i remember in the book of martyrs we read that the papists were much vexed against the protestants , because they used to say , our god and our lord , they were knowne by this speech , and the papists were inraged against them for this , because they seemed to claime more interest in god then others . and indeed what is the cause of the quarrel in the world against gods people , but because they thinke they claime more peculiarity and interest in god than others ? and this is the reason that soule-searching preaching cannot be endured , because it makes a difference between the one and the other , and shewes that some have an interest in god more than others . hence it is that in no places in the world mens spirits so fret against preaching as in england , why ? because there is not such soul-examining , such soule-distinguishing preaching in the world as in england . yea that is the reason of the bitternesse of one professor against another , because one is a protestant at large , and the other manifesteth more power of godlinesse , is more strict in his course ; and seemes to claime a greater share in god than the former . profession in england is a more distinguishing profession than in other places . i will save them by the lord their god. god is the god of judah still , therefore god will save them . so long as god is our god we need not fear our adversaries . yee have heard of that palladium of the heathens in troy , they imagined that so long as that idol was kept safe , they were unconquerable ; all the strength in greece was not able to prevaile against it , wherefore the greecians sought by all means they could to get it from them . i have read of the men of tyrus that they were afraid their god apollo should forsake them : they therfore chained and nailed that idol to a post that they might be sure of it , because they thought their safety was in it . let us fasten our selves to god in an everlasting covenant , and certainly god will be fast to us , & then we are safe enough . i will save them : but how ? what shall judah be saved by and not israel ? judah a poor contemptible people , how saved ? i will not save them by bow , nor by sword , nor by battel , by horses nor by horsemen . it shall not be by any outward meanes , but by the immediate hand of god. this promise that god would save them not by bow nor by sword , &c. it was performed two several times , and there is a third time for the fulfilling of it which is yet to come . it was done first when the angel of the lord went out and smote in one night in the camp of the assyrians an hundred fourscore & five thousand : kings . . and god tells them , that the king of assyria should not shoote an arrow there , nor come before the citie with a shield : so god saved them without bow , for they had no need to use the bow then , because the angel of the lord destroyed them . the second time was when he saved judah in their returne from captivity , then as it is zach. . , he saved them not by might nor by power , but by my spirit , saith the lord of hosts . marke the phrase , as if god should say , i have strength , for i am the lord of hosts , i can command armies , if i would , to save you ; no , though i be the lord of hosts , yet i will not save you by might nor by power , but by my spirit . therefore isa . . . their strength is said to be in sitting still , and ver . . in quietnesse , and confidence shall be your strength . thus they were saved not by bow , nor by sword . then the third time , which is yet to come , that is , in the wonderful work of god in calling the jewes , when god shall raise up out of them , a glorious people to himselfe , and save judah once again , and it shall not be by sword , nor by bow , but by the lord their god ; for as it is said , dan. . . the stone that smote the image was cut out without hands , so there shall be a power that is not visible from whence it comes , but jesus christ shal come from heaven to do his great workes , as the lightning from the east to the west , so shal the comming of the sonne of man be . what learne we from hence ? first , god ties not himself to the use of outward means in procuring of good to his people . though all outward means fail , yet there may be wayes of salvation for the saints . wicked mens hearts presently sinke , if outward means fail : and indeed so much as our hearts faile when outward meanes faile , it is a signe that we did before rest upon the means , and if we had had the means , we should have robbed god of his honour . we must use means , but not rely upon the means . i might shew you excellent texts of scripture for this , as psal . . . there is no king saved by the multitude of an host , a mighty man is not delivered by much strength , &c. and psal . . . . through thee will we push downe our enemies , through thy name we will tread them under , that rise up against us ; for i will not trust in my bowe , neither shal my sword save me , &c. but secondly , not by bow , nor by sword , &c. deliverance of a people without bow , and without sword is a great mercy : for such are the wofull miseries that a people doe suffer when warre commeth , that usually the victory will scarce pay the charges of the battel : though we be sure to be saved at last , yet if we must be saved by bow , and by sword , i say the misery that we may suffer in our salvation , may be more then the salvation . it was the height of that mercy promised , isa . . . that it should be without confused noise and garments rolled in blood . such a mercy we have had ; and had christ come to have raigned amongst us , though he had come with his garments rolled in blood , we should willingly have entetrayned him ; if he had come ryding upon his red horse ; but behold he comes ryding upon his white horse , in peace and mercy all this while , and the mercies we have had , have been very cheap , they have not been by bow , nor by sword . and if god should come at length by the sword , and bring perfect salvation to us by blood , which god forbid ; but if he should , we have had already more mercy without blood , than our bloods are worth ; should we now have our bloods shed , god hath paied us beforehand : who almost in this congregation , but two or three yeers agoe would have lost his blood to procure so much mercy to england , as england hath had already ? further. such is the love of god to his people , that he is pleased to worke for them beyond meanes . the other point was , that he can save his people without means ; this , that he will do it beyond means : for the grace , and love of god to his people , is so high , & glorious , that it is beyond that which can be conveyed by means , therefore it must be done more imediatly . exod. . . thy right hand , o lord is become glorious in power , in the greatnesse of thine excellency thou hast overthrowne them that rose up against thee . first , it is the hand of god , secondly , it is the right hand of god , thirdly , it is the right hand of god in power , fourthly , this is glorious in power . fiftly , there is excellency ; and sixthly , there is the greatnesse of excellency . it is an high expression . magnitudine excellentiae , or magnitudine elationis , in the greatnesse of thy lifting up , for the same word signifieth pride , that is here translated excellency ; and if god he lifted up in any thing , it is when hee shewes himself for his people . now take all these six expressions , gods hand , gods right hand , his right hand in power , a right hand that is become glorious in power , his excellency , the greatnesse of his excellency , and all this for his saints , surely this is more then can be conveyed by means , god must borne imediately and save them by himselfe . but lastly , the more imediate the hand of god appeareth in his mercy to his people , the more sweet and precious ought that mercy to be then ( this were an excellent argument to follow to the full , and so neerly concerning us ; you see the scriptures were made for other times , then for the times in which they were first revealed ) a most excellent place of scripture you have for this psal . . . be thou exalted o lord in thine own strength , so will we sing , and praise thy power . when god cometh in his own strength , and not in the strength of the creature , and by meanes , then do the saints sing and praise the power of god. dulcious ex ipso fonte , wee use to say , that which cometh imediately cometh exceeding sweetly : then the saints may boast in god , when god cometh immediately with his salvation , so you have it , psal . . . . thou hast saved us from our enemies , and hast put them to shame that hated us : what followeth ? in god will we boast all the day long , and praise thy name for ever . so that the saints of god then praise god , nay they may lawfully give up themselves to boast , when god works imediately . when god works by means , then they must take heed of ascribing to the means , but when god cometh imediately , then they may boast . it is the blessednesse of heaven , that gods mercy cometh imediately : created mercies are the most perfect mercies . suppose god had bin with them by bow , and by sword , when senacherib came against them , could they have been saved as they were ? gods hooke that he put in his nose , and bridle that he put in his lipps ( for so god saith he would doe with him , use him as a beast ) were better then their sword or bow . surely , if ever any nation knew what it was to have imediate mercies come down from heaven , england doth : if ever nation saw god exalting himselfe in his own power , england hath : we have lived ( and blessed be god we have lived ) to see the lord exalting himselfe in his own power : oh let us cry out with the psalmist ( and with that i shall end ) be thou exalted o lord in thy own strength amongst us , so will we still , and still , and still , sing and praise thy power . the fourth lecture hosea . . &c. . now when she had weaned lo-ruhamah , shee co●ceived and bare a sonne . . then said god , call his name ly●ammi , for you are not my people , and i will not be your god. . yet the number of the children of israel shal be as the sand of the sea , which cannot be measured nor numbred , &c. the last day was finished the signification of the name of the second childe of hosea , lo-ruhamah . we now come unto the weaning of it , and the begetting of the third , lo-ammi . when shee had weaned loruhamah . we doe not reade of the first child jezreel that it was weaned ; but the second childe loruhamah that was weaned , before the third child loammi was conceived . what is the meaning of this ? there is much of gods minde shewed unto us even in this very thing that we ordinarily let slip and passe over . the reason is , because this second childe loruhamah was to signifie unto the people of israel their carrying out of their own countrey into captivity into assyria : it was to signifie to them that they should be weaned from the comforts and delights that there were in their owne countrey ; they should be taken away from their milke and honey that they had there ; and be carryed into assyria , and be there fed with hard meate , even with the water of affliction and the bread of affliction . the first childe did but signifie their scattering , especially in regard of their seditions amongst themselves . but the second childe signified the carrying away all of them wholly into captivity from their own land , therefore the second childe is weaned , cibis sustent abitur immundis , so. jerome hath it , they should be carried amongst the gentiles , and be fed with unclean meat , they should be deprived of prophesie , and of the milke of the word , and of the ordinances that they enjoyed , so vatablus . ordinances are as the breasts of consolation , out of which the people of god suck soul-satisfying comforts . so you have it , esay , . . that you may suck and be satisfied with the breasts of her consolations , that you may milke out and be delighted with the aboundance of her glory . and cant. . . we will remember thy loves more than wine : the old latine hath it , wee will remember thy dugs above wine ; and so the words will beare . these people should be deprived of those dugs and breasts out of which they had sucked much sweetnesse before , even deprived of all comfort in god. gods people hang upon god , and suck comfort from him , even as the infant upon the mothers brest , and sucks sweetnesse , and comfort , and nourishment from thence . this expression then of weaning the childe , implies these two things . first , that the enjoyment of the comforts of a sweet native soile , specially where there are any ordinances together with it , is a very great blessing of god ; and the being deprived of it is a great affliction , yea to some it comes as a curse . the very sucking of the ayr of a sweet native soile ( and especially such a comfortable soile as we have here in england ) is certainly a great blessing from the lord. those that have been deprived of it , and banished away , have been more sensible of it than any of you who alwayes have enjoyed it . many have laine sucking at the sweetnesse of this our english ayr , and at the comforts that there have been in their accommodations , so long , till they have sucked in that which ( if gods mercy had not prevented ) would have proved to have been poyson to them to have baned their soules . but i speak not of all , i make no question but there have beene many of gods dear servants that have tarried in their native soile , and kept the uprightnesse of their hearts and consciences as cleare as others that went away . it is true , the comforts of a native soile are sweet , but except we may enjoy them with the breasts of these consolations ( or ordinances of the church ) they are notable to satisfie the soul : yea , except we may suck out such milke of these breasts as is sincere milke , and not soiled nor sowred by the inventions of men , better a great deale that we were weaned from all the sweetnesse and accommodation we have in our native soile by the mortifying of our affections to them , then that god should weane us from them , by sending of us into captivity , or by giving the adversary power over us , or by making the land too hot for us . but that for the first . again , in that this childe was weaned , and by the weaning was to signify their being carried away out of their own into a strange countrey ; this expression implies thus much . that it is an evil thing for a childe to be taken from the mothers brest too soone , and sent away to be nursed by others . the expression doth fully imply this , for it is to tell us the evill condition of the people , that they should be taken from their own , and sent to another countrey : this their affliction is set out by a childes being taken from its owne mothers brest ; it could not expresse what it intended , except it were to imitate thus much unto us , that it is an evil thing for a childe to be taken from its own mothers bres● . it is unnatural then for mothers out of daintinesse , and curiosity to deny the fruit of their wombes , the comfort of their breasts . it is true , in time of weaknesse and danger , when it may be dangerous to themselves and the childe , god permits it . but when it is meerly ( i say ) out of daintinesse , and curiosity , certainly it is an evil that is against nature it self . hannahs care of her sonne samuel , is recorded by this , & it is mentioned by the holy ghost , in her commendation , that she gave him suck . sam. . , the woman abode and gave her sonne suck untill she weaned him , saith the text. it is said of the ostrich , iob. . . that she is hardned against her young ones as though they were not hers ; and this ostrich is reckoned among the fowles that are unclean : and lam. . . even the sea-monsters draw out their breasts , they give suck to their young ones , yet the daughter of my people is become cruel , like the ostridges in the wildernesse , more cruel then the very sea-monsters themselves , that draw out their breasts and give suck to their young ones . the instruction of the son belongeth to the father , the nursing of the son belongeth to the mother . the mothers milke is the most profitable and wholesome for any one , ( saith plinie ) except it be in some extraordinary case . we read in tim. . . that in the latter day , when evil times should come , some should be without natural affection : that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , that is here spoken of , is the affection of the parents to the children , as well as of the children to the parents . but enough of this ; if not too much , to such that are so pleased with their curiosity and daintinesse ( the children of their own fancies ) that they neglect the fruit of their wombes & natures duty to the children of their bodies . but further observe here , that the lord staies for the weaning of the child , he staies till lo-ruhamah was weaned before lo-ammi was conceived . and there is much to be known in this . why doth god stay ? this is to shew the great patience of god toward his people : for god was now about to reject his people utterly , from being his people , god was about to come with the height of his wrath , to declare that they were no more his people ; and here god makes a stop , stays till lo●ruhamah was weaned , i have read of the jewes , that their manner was to be a long time , three yeeres sometimes , before they weaned their children . god then it seemes stayed long here , before he would have the third childe , ( that is lo-ammi ) born , before he would come with that dreadful sentence , you are not my people , and i will not be your god. first when jezreel was born , then they are scattered up and down , yea but they are not all carried away captive yet : then lo-ruhamah is born , and then they are gone , carried away captive , never to return again . but for all this , god may yet own them in their captivity ; this is not so bad as for god to say i will have no more to do with you as my people ; lord though we be under affliction , under the power of our enemies , own us still , acknowledge us to be thine , though we be in the fiery furnace , yet let us have thee to be our god , no ( saith god ) you shall not onely be scattered , but you shall be all carried away captive , and i will not own you neither , i will cast you off , you shall not be my people , neither will i be your god. now before this god makes a stop . hence observe first . that god stops in his anger for a while as long as he pleaseth . god is called , nah. . . the lord of anger , so are the words , though translated otherwise . we may apply it at least thus , god is the lord of his own anger , he can let it out as far as he will , he canstop it when he will , he can command it to come in when he pleaseth . it is not so with us ; our anger , our passions are lords over us ; if we once let our anger our passions arise , we cannot get them down againe when we would , we cannot still them when we please ; if we let our affections run , we cannot call them in when we will , but are sometimes slaves to our own passions , and they lord it over us . this is that frame of spirit that we should all labour for , to be like to god , though angry , yet sin not , so as we can stop when we will , and command our anger as we please . as it is said of god , that he sayes to the proud waves , hitherto shalt thou go & no further : oh that we were able to say to those proud waves of our passions , hitherto are you gone , but you shall goe no further ! againe , mark here , god stoppeth in his anger for a while . when this dreadful judgement was come to be executed , god is even ready to say ( as he saith afterward in this prophesie ) how shall i give thee up ? oh ephraim ? how shall i deliver thee , o israel ? teaching us thus much , that those that have been once the people of god must not be suddenly rejected from being gods people : but when we are about any such thing , either to reject any particular man or woman ( who have made profession of religion ) from being gods , or to reject a church from being gods ; we had need make a stop , we had need pause , we had need examine the matter very well ; yea and when we have examined , and are ready to doe it , to make a stop againe , and to bethink our selves what we doe . we must not be too sudden in rejecting those that have been once the people of god. from being the people of god now : it is gods way you see here . many men are too hasty in this point , in rejecting both particular servants of god , and particular churches from belonging to god , assoone as they see some few things amisse in them , especially if there be any thing grosse , presently they are no churches at all , they are altogether antichristian , they belong to the beast ; and so while they strike at the beast , they wound the lamb. certainly there is to be acknowledged much of christ , not onely in particular saints , but in regard of the church ordinances of many particular congregations in england : we must take heed therefore of too sudden rejection of them from belonging to god , to be his people in that way of church fellowship . we come now to the conception of the third childe . it was a sonne , and his name was lo-ammi . the second childe a daughter , but the third a son : what is the meaning of this ? i told you ( the last day ) that by the second childe was noted the state of the people at that time , that it grew weaker and more effeminate : weaker in regard of their outward strength , and more effeminate in regard of their spirits : and that i made good to you out of the history of those times in the book of the kings . well , but now it is a son , what doe they grow stronger then before , now they are come neerer to destruction then before ? yes , though neerer to ruine and destruction , and more heavy wrath then they were before , yet they get up a little strength before that time : therefore the third childe is a sonne . concerning the strength that this people had got at this time , a little before this their utter rejection , upon which their spirits were raised , you shall finde the history of it in kings . . where you have a declaration of the state of the ten tribes then when lo-ammi was borne ; for the text tells us , that they began to joyne in confederacy with the king of egypt ; and so whereas formerly they had done homage by presents to the king of assyria , now being confederate with the king of egypt , they refused to bring any more presents to him ; they begin now to be a jolly people , and hoped to cast off that yoke of bondage under which they were in regard of the assyrians . god sometimes letteth men , and nations , and churches to rise a little out of their affliction , before their utter ruine : he gives them a little reviving , they have a little lightning before their death . many men think themselves in a very good condition , if having been in affliction , their afflictions doe begin once to abate , and they begin to get a little up ; now they think they are safe , and they are ready to say with agag , surely the bitternesse of death is gone , surely the worst is past . but you may sometimes be recovered , when god intendeth you should be suddenly rejected . many may be preserved from some judgements , because they are reserved to greater judgments . the lord hath begun indeed to give us in england a little reviving , a little strength to enable us to rise against the oppressions of our adversaries , those cruel oppressions . but let us not be secure , notwithstanding this ; for though we have some little reviving , if we follow not god on in the way of humiliation and reformation , this our little reviving may be but a lightning before our death . and yet further , it is very observable , when the condition of israel was at this time when god was about to say , lo-ammi , they are not my people ; what it was not only in regard of their strength , but what it was in regard of their sins . for you shall finde ( if you examine the history ) that the people of israel were at this time somewhat better then they had been before : not only had gotten somwhat more strength , but they were somewhat better in regard of their sins then they had been ; imeane they had lesse sins then they had before : yet now god is saying to them , lo-ammi , you are not my people . and for that observe , kings . . if you reade that chap●● , you shall finde that the very time of the utter rejection of israel was in the dayes of hoshea , and the text saith , he did evil in the sight of the lord ; the king in whose dayes they were so rejected , did evil in the sight of the lord , but not as the kings of israel that were before him . he was not so bad as the former kings of israel , and yet in his dayes there comes utter destruction upon israel . yea and as the king was not so bad then as others before him ; so it may seeme the people were not so bad as in former time , for ver . . the text saith , that the children of israel did secretly those things that were not right , against the lord their god. indeed they were sinful , but their sinfulnes was secret , they did not sin with such an open impudent face , as it seemed , as heretofore . yet in this kings time , and when these people were thus , commeth their utter ruine . what may we learne from hence ? this , that sometimes when there are greater sinnes , patience stayes judgement ; and yet afterward when a people seeme to be in a better condition , not onely in regard of their outward strength , but then in regard of their sins too , yet then god cometh with his wrath upon that people . let us not flatter our selves , although we can say that some things here amongst us are not so bad as heretofore they have beene . suppose there be some partial reformation , this is not ground enough to secure us . we cannot reason thus , why heretofore the land was more sinful then now ; and the governours were more oppressing then now , there hath been ( thanks be to god ) much reformation . this is not enough , we may be neerer the forest misery at this time ( if our reformation be not a through reformation ) then we were before . and the reason is this because god when he comes against a nation , he doth not onely come against it for the present sins that they are actually guilty of at that time , but to reckon with them for their sins comited fore , though the judgement falls out to be inflicted just at that time . it may be a concourse of many passages of gods providence might so fall out as might su●e with gods ends , that the destruction of this nation should be at this time rather then before , yet the nation not more sinful then before , but to fulfill other passages of providence that god intends ; and then he comes to reckon with them for sins that were along time ago committed , & for their present sinnes altogether . as hee doth sometimes with particular persons : perhaps they have been drunkards , unclean , wicked , . yeers agone , god hath spared them , afterward upon some lesser sins , god may take advantage to come against them for all their other sins together . we use to say , it is not the last blow of the axe that fells the oak , perhaps the last may be a weaker blow then any of the former , but the oake was a felling down all the while before , the other blowes made way for the felling of it , and at length a little blow comes and doth it . so our former sinnes may be the things that make way for our ruine , and then at length some lesser sinnes may do it . you that have been guilty of grosse sins , take heed of small sins ; for though god hath pared you when you were guilty of great sins , do not say that he will spare you now you commit lesser sins ; but at this time of committing lesser sins , you may be called to an account for grosser . did you never know a house stand out against many strong and blustring winds , yet afterward some little puffe of wind hath tumbled it down ? so it is with nations and people that somtimes stand out ( through gods patience when their sins are grosse and vile , & afterwards upon some lesser sins they are utterly undone . vvhat is the name of his son ? the name of this son is lo-ammi , and the word signifieth ( as it is interpreted here by god himselfe ) you are not my people , and i will not be your god. the people to whom hosea prophesied , they might have objected against him thus : what , hosea doe you say that god will not have any more mercy upon us ? what will not god have mercy upon his own people ? is not god our god ? what doe you threaten such-things as these are ? the prophet answers , it is true , god hath been your god , and you have been his people , but there is an end of those dayes , god now degradeth you from those glorious priviledges that formerly you had , he willowne you no more to be his , and you shall have no further right to own him to be yours . from whence first this , a people that have been once a people dear to god , may be so rejected as never to become a people of god more : for so these did not , though afterwards wee shall bear of the promise for others in other ages . god hath no need of men . god is able to raise up a people what wayes he pleases , even from the very stones in the street , to raise up children unto abraham . though rome may boast that they have been a glorious church ; true , there hath been heretofore a glorious church in rome , what then ? those that were his people are now no more his people . vve shall meet further with this in the next chapter . only in this note , observe but this thing , the great difference betweene the estate of a christian in communion with christ by grace , and a church estate . men and women may loose their church estate , and that for ever ; but their estate in communion with jesus christ by grace , they can never lose that : and this is a great difference , and affordeth abundance of comfort . true , our church state ( i mean in regard of an instituted church in congregations ) it is a great priviledge , a great mercy ; but our communion with jesus christ is a higher priviledge , and that priviledge gan never be lost ; we may be cut off from the one , but never cut off from the other . secondly , yet it is a most heavy judgemen● for any to have been heretofore the people of god , now to be unpeopled , for god to be no more theirs , and for them to be no more the lords . a heavy judgement for the lord to say , well , i will be no more a god to you whatsoever i am to others , no more yours in my goodnesse , in my mercy , in my power , or whatsoever i am in my selfe . the being cast off from god. first takes us off from that high honour that was before upon a people ; for so in esay , . . since thou wast precious in my sight , thou host beene honourable , the people of god gathered together in church communion , certainly are in an honourable condition ; when they are dispeopled , they are cast off from this their priviledge , from their honour . secondly , they have not the presence of god with them as before , not the care of god towards them , nor the protection of god over them , not the delight of god in them , nor the communication of god to them . what should i speake of all these particulars ? but among other priviledges they want this , namely that great priviledge of pleading with god for mercy upon this relation , which was the usuall way of the prophets to pleade with god , because they were the people of god. so esay , . . be not wroth very sore o lord ; neither remember iniquity for ever : upon what ground ? behold , see we beseech thee , we are all thy people . this is a good argument againe , jer. . . why doest thou stand as a man astonished amongst us , as a mighty man that cannot save ? yet thou o lord art in the middest of us , and we are called by thy name , leave us not . this text is ours this day , and well may we say , o lord why doest thou stand as a man astonished ? oh yet if we can but take up the second part , and say , we are called by thy name , we may make more comfortable use of the former , why doest thou stand as a man astonished ? how doth a man astonished stand ? he stands still in a place , as if he knew not which way to goe , he is in a kinde of destraction . first he goes one way , and by and by he returns again . the lord , we know , knoweth his purpose from eternity , but the scriptures are pleased to expresse gods wayes towards us in the similitude . hath not god stood amongst us as a man astonished ? god hath beene in a way of mercy , and then stood still , and then gone forward a little , and afterward gone back again ; and yet back and back still , and we have prayed and cryed , and god hath stood as a man astonished , as if he were not yet resolved which way to goe . let us pray earnestly to god that he would not stand as a man astonished , but that the way of the lords mercy may be made cleare before him , and cleare before us . but this i bring in to shew that the relation that people have to god , is the ground of their encouragement to pray to god , and when a people is rejected they lose this priviledge . our relations to god are very sweet things , though ordinarily they are exceedingly abused ; yea they are glorious things . as it is said of other relations . relations are of the least entity , but of the greatest efficacy ; so it is here , our relations to god are of very great efficacy , whatsoever the entity be : and therefore to lose our relations to god , especially this relation of gods being ours , and we being his , is a sore and he avy curse . again , you are not my people , and i will not be your god. marke here , the first is , you are not my people , before the second commeth , i will not be your god. vve first begin with god in our apostacy , before god begins with us in his rejection ; i would not have withdrawn my self from being your god , if you had not first rejected me , and would not be my people . when god loveth , he begins first ; we love not him , but he loveth us first : but when it comes to departing , it then begins on our side , wee first depart before the lord doth : and this is that which will be a dreadful aggravation to wicked men another day to think with themselves . this evil is come upon us , god is gone , mercy is gone , but who began this first ? where is the root and principle ? thy perdition is of thy selfe : i begin first , and therefore all the losse of that grace and mercy which is in god , i may thanke this proud , this distempered , this base , passionate , wretched heart of mine owne for it . again , i will not be your god. he doth not say , you shall not have the fruite of my patience to be yours , you shall not have my creatures to be yours , you shall not have those fruites of my bounty to be yours : no , but i will not be yours , i my selfe will not be yours . this is the sorest threatning that posibly can be to a gracious heart . it is a greater misery to lose god himself , then to be deprived of whatsoever commeth from god. and this indeed is one special difference between an hypocrite , and a true gracious heart ; an hypocrite is satisfied with what cometh from god , but a true gracious heart is satisfied with nothing but god himselfe : though god lets out never so many fruits of his bounty and goodnesse to him , yet he must have union with god himselfe , or else he is unsatisfied . it is a notable speech of bernard , lord , saith he , as the good things that come from me , please not thee without my selfe ; so the good things that come from thee please not me without thy selfe . this is the expression of a gracious heart . let us tender up to god never so much , never such duties , with never so great strength , except we tender up to god our selves , they never please him : so let god bestow never so many favours upon us , except god give us himselfe , they should never pleaseus ; i mean please us , so as to satisfie us , so as to quiet us , if for our portion . you know what god said to abraham , fear not , i am thy exceeding great reward : but lord what wilt thou give me , seeing i goe childelesse ? what is all this to me so long as i have not the promise fulfilled , that so i may come in christ to enjoy thy selfe ? and moses would not be contented though god told him his angel should goe before them ; no , saith hee , except thou goe with us thy selfe , let us not depart hence . it is the difference between the strumpet and the loving wife , the strumpet careth not so much for the person of her lover , as for his gists , for what she hath by him : but the true lover cannot be satisfied with lovetokens , but she must have the person himselfe . so it is with a gracious heart . it is very observable that of david in psal . . . turne away thy angry face from my sins . it seemes gods face was angry ; and yet presently , ver . . cast me not away , a facie tua , from thy face . gods face was an angry face , yet david would not be cast away from this face of god : oh no , rather let god be present with a gracious heart , though he be angry ; though his anger continue , yet let me have his countenance . this is plainly gathered hence , in that god saith not , i will not give you these and these favours , but i will not be your god , that this is the sorest threatning that possibly can be to a gracious heart . . this is the judgement for sin , gods not being their god. it hence appeares that sin carryes along with it in it selfe its own punishment . how is that ? thus , by sin we refuse to have god to be our god ; by it we depart from god , we do not trust god , nor love him , nor fear him . the very nature of sin hath this in it , that it causeth a sinner to depart from god , yea to reject god from being a god unto him , and this is the punishment , i will not be your god. and this is the sorest punishment to a sinner , that he shall not for ever have god to his god. lastly , you are not my people , and i will not be your god. hence learn this . when any forsake god from being their god , we should do as god doth , reject them from being ours , if they will not be gods , neither should they be ours : will not such a man have acquaintance with god , will he forsake him and his wayes , then he shall not have our acquaintance , we will forsake him . how far we may withdraw from a church that it shall not be ours , we shal fully meet with all in the second chap. somewhat will be said about it there : onely now thus much , though it be true when a people forsake god , we are to forsake them , yet let them grow never so wicked , our natural and civill relations cannot be broken because of their wickednesse ; but the relations of husband and wife , father and childe , master and servant must be acknowledged : servants must be dutiful to their masters though never so wicked ; and the wife must be loving and dutiful to her husband , though he be never so wicked a man. but for any inward intimate familiarity with those , not thus joyned in such relations , ought not to be ; if they reject god , if they will not be gods , they should not be ours . it is said iob. , . that god will not take the ungodly by the hand ; it should be true of us all , wee should not take the ungodly by the hand . thus much for the name of this third childe lo-ammi , you are not my people , and i will not be your god. that which remaineth in the chapter , it is a promise of mercy , both to israel , ver . . and afterwards to israel and judah together , ver . . to israel first , and that is , yet the number of the children of israel shall be as the sand of the sea , which cannot be measured or numbred , &c. and so he goeth on with wonderful gracious promises of mercy to israel in future generations , though for the present god had determined what to do with this israel . here then we have first a promise of mercy to israel , in the middest of the sorest judgement that god threatneth , he comes in with promises of mercy even unto israel . and secondly , this mercy to be in future generations . and thirdly , to consist in the multitudes that should be gathered to israel . these three things are observable in general . first , that there is such a gracious promise immediately after such a sore and dreadful threatning as this , as indeed it is one of the most dreadful threatnings we have in all the book of god ; yet here in the close of the chapter , we have as gracious a promise again as is in the whole book of god. from whence we may observe thus much . that the lord in judgement remembreth mercy . it is a sore thing when god in mercy shall remember judgement , but it is as comfortable when god in judgement remembers mercy . when god threatneth most dreadfully yet he promiseth most graciously . wee should therefore when we most feare the threats of god , yet looke up to the promises of god , looke up to see when wrath is denounced in the most hideous and dreadfull way , whether we cannot spie a promise , whether there be not yet a little cloud , though but as big as a mans hand , whether there be not yet a little crevis through which we may see whether god doth not break forth with a little light in a way of promise . it is a usual thing when we are in prosperity to forget all threatnings , and fo it is as usual when we are in adversity to forget all promises . when wee hear of mercy to gods people , we are taken up and never thinke of gods wrath ; and on the other side when we heare of his wrath on unbeleeving hearts are taken up as wel , and never think of his grace and mercy . we ought to sanctifie the name of god in both : when god is in away of justice , look up to his grace ; and when he is in a way of grace , look upon his justice , and sanctifie that name of his likewise . and for that end , i shall give you two notable texts of scripture ; there are many of this kinde , but two i shall give you , that are as famous as any i know in the book of god : the one that declareth to you that when god expresseth the greatest mercy , yet then hee doth expresse greatest wrath ; and the other when god expresseth greatest wrath he then expresseth greatest mercy : and i shall shew you the name of god oughto be sanctified in both . the first is in that . of exod. . . the lord there when he passed by before moses proclaimed , the lord , the lord god , merciful and gracious , long suffering , and abundant in goodnesse and truth , keeping mercy for thousands , for giving iniquity , & transgression and sinne . what abundance of mercy is here exprest ? now it followes . and that will by no meanes cleare the guilty , visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children , and upon the childrens children unto the third and fourth generation . here is an expression of great wrath . and then for our sanctifying of gods name in this , it followes , ver . . and when moses heard this , he made hast and bowed his head toward the earth and worshipped before the lord. thus we must bow and worship before god in our sanctifying his name in both together , both his mercy and justice . on the other side , nahum . . . and soon , god is jealous and the l●rd revengeth , the lord revengeth and is furious , the lord will take vengeance on his adversaries , and he reserveth wrath for his enemies , dreadful expressions , yet ver . . the lord is slow to anger ; there is a mittigation at first . then he goeth on still in expressions of wrath , but he is great in power , and will not at all acquit the wicked : and ver . . the mountains quake at him , and the hills melt , and the earth is burnt at his presence , yea the world and all that dwel therein : who can stand before his indignation , and who can abide the feircenesse of his anger ? his fury is powred out like fire , and the rocks are throwne downe by him . what more terrible expressions of wrath then these that come from god here ? now marke . ver . . the lord is good and a strong hold in the day of trouble , and he knoweth those that trust in him . what a strong expression of grace is here ? observe it my brethren , that in the middest of gods anger , yet god is good still ; a gracious heart must acknowledge god , though he be provoked to anger , yet to be a good god still ; and it is a good signe for the soul to fall downe before god when he is in the way of his wrath ; and to say , the lord is good . as that good old man eli did after the denuntiation of that dreadful sentence against him and his house by samuel , the word of the lord is good , let him doe what seemes him best . all of you will say when god bestoweth avours upon you , the lord is good , oh blessed be god he is a good god : but when god revealeth his greatest wrath , truely then the lord is good . luther saith he will acknowledge god to be a good god , though he should destroy all men in the world : much more then is he to be acknowledged in a day of trouble , when indeed he appears most graciously to his saints . the lord is good , and a strong hold in the day of trouble : is god a strong hold now when such wrath is revealed ? yea , and specially now , a strong hold to his saints in the day of trouble , and he knoweth those that trust in him ; for all his wrath is abroad in the world ; he knoweth those that trust in him . many men when they are angry they scarce know the difference betweene their foes and their friends : many when they go abroad if any displease them , they come home and are angry with their wives , with their servants , with their children , with their friends , with every one about them , they know not then who is a friend and who is not when they are in their passion , their wives , and children , and servants wonder what the matter is with them . sure some body or other hath displeased my master abroad to day he is so touchie , so angry upon every little thing . my brethren , it is a dishonour to you in the eyes of your servants , and it layes low your authority in your families , for them to see you come home in such a per that you know not how to be pleased , though they have done nothing to displease you . god doth not so , though he be never so angry , yet hee knowes those that trust in him . let gods anger be never so publick , and general abroad in the world , if there be but a poor soul in the world that lies in a poor cottage , in a hole , that is gracious , the lord knowes it , and takes notice of it , and that soul shal know too that god doth know it . it is true , when the wrath of god is revealed abroad in the world , & seemes as if it would swallow up all those of the saints , whose spirits are weake and fearfull , they are then afraid of gods wrath , that they shall be swallowed up in the common calamity : be of good comfort , god knowes those that trust in him , even when his wrath is never so dreadful and general abroad in the world . it is in this case with gods children , as it is with a childe in the mothers armes ; if the father violently layes hold upon his servant and beates him , and thrust , him out of doores for his demerits , there is such a terrible reflection from the fathers anger against the servant upon the childe , that the poor childe falls a crying . so it is with the children of god , when they see god in a terrible way , ●aying hold upon wicked men , to execute wrath upon them , they cry out , they are afraid lest some evil should befall them too . oh no , be of good comfort , the lord is good , and a strong hold in the day of trouble , and knoweth them that trust in him , when his anger is never so great and general . so it is here ; though this israel be not my people , yet the number of the children of israel shall be as the sand of the sea for all that , so you shall find it in the . ver . of that first of nahum , behold ( saith the text ) upon the mountains , the feete of him that bringeth good tidings . what at this time though gods way be in the whirl-winde and so terrible , yet now behold the feete of him that bringeth good tydings , that publisheth peace . god abroad publisheth war , yet he hath a messenger to publish life and peace to some . is it not so this day ? it is true , the wrath of the lord is kindled , the wrath of the lord burneth as an oven , and it is hot , but it is against the ungody , but peace shall be upon israel . and let us sanctifie the name of god in this too , for so it followes in this very chap. of nah. ver . . oh iudah keepe thy solemne feasts , performe thy vowes , for the wicked shall no more passe through thee . and because god revealeth such rich grace in the middest of judgement , let this engage your hearts to the lord for ever . yea a little further ( because it is an instraction of great use in these times , and may be yet of further use in times we may live to see ( not onely when god threatneth judgements , let us sanctifie gods name in looking up to promises : but when judgements are actually upon us . suppose we should live to have most fearful judgments of god upon us , yet even then we must look up to promises , and exercise our faith , and have an eye to god in the way of his grace at that time , this is harder then in threatnings . you have an notable place for that in esay , . . in the way of thy judgements , o lord , have we waited for thee , the desire of our soule is to thy name . oh blessed be god ( my brethren ) the lord calleth us to wait upon him in the wayes of mercy for the present . it is true , there was a time not long since , that the lord was in a way of judgement toward england ; and there were some of gods people , when he was in the wayes of his judgements amongst us , yet would wait upon god and keepe his wayes ; though there were many because gods judgements were abroad , and they saw that they were like to suffer , departed from god and declined his wayes . much cause of bitterness of spirit , and of dread of humiliation have they that did so : but others may have comfort to their soules , that in the very wayes of gods judgments they waited for him , & they can now with more comfort wait upon god when he is in the ways of his mercy . but if god should ever come untous in the ways of his judgments , let us learne even then to wait upon god & keep his way . and yet another text that may seeme to be more notable than this for this purpose , and that is iere. . . consider est thou not what this people have spoken , saying , the two families which the lord hath chosen , he hath even cast them off ; thus they have despised my people , that they should be no more a nation . marke the low condition the people were in at this time : oh , god hath cast them off , they are despised & contemptible , not worthy to be accounted a nation . this condition was very low : but though they were brought low , & in a condition contemptible , yet now god confirms his covenant with them at this time . for observe , ver . . thus saith the lord. if my covenant be not with day & night , and if i have not appointed the ordinances of heaven & earth , then will i cast away the seed of iacob , ond david my servant . as if god should say , let them know that whatsoever their condition is now , yet my love , my mercy , my faithfulness is toward them as sure as my covenant with day & night , and as the ordinances of heaven and earth . an admirable text to help not onely nations , but particular persons when they are cast under contempt by wicked & ungodly men ; yet at that time the lord is most ready to confirm his covenant with them , to be as sure as his covenant with day & night , and heaven & earth . this bringeth honour to god when at such times we can looke up to god and exercise our faith . and indeed this is the glory , and dignity , and beauty of faith to exercise it then , when gods judgements are actually upon us . but what promises are these ? they were not promises to any that then lived : the promise that is here made , was to be fulfilled in future ages , yet it is brought in by the prophet as a comfort to the people of god living then in that time . hence this excellent note that nearly concerns us . gracious hearts are comforted with the promises of god made to the church , though not to be fulfilled in their dayes . if the church may prosper and receive mercies from god , though i be dead and gone , and rotten in the grave , yet blessed be god. when jacob was to die , saith he unto joseph . behold i dye , but god shall be with you and bring you again unto the land of your fathers ; he will fulfill his promises to you though i am dead . our fore-fathers , that generation of the saints that lived a while since , how comfortably would they have dyed if god before their death had revealed to them , that within . or . or . yeares so much mercy should come to england as we now have seen in these dayes ! yea how comfortably should any of us have died ( i appeal to any gracious heart here ) suppose god should have taken thee away but this time two yeares , and he should have said thus to thee , go and be gathered to thy fathers in peace , within these two years such and such things shall be done for england , as we now live to see ; would not we willingly have dyed ? would it not have been comfort enough against the fear of death but to have had revealed to us what should have been done in after time to our posterity ? what mercy then is it now , that it is not onely revealed to us but enjoyed by us ? that is the second note . but thirdly , what was this promise ? this promise was that israel should be a multitude , that the number of them shall be as the sand of the sea shore . vve shall examine the excellency of the mercy of god in this promise by and by . onely for the present , enquire we a little why god would expresse himselfe in this , that his grace should be manifested , in this to multiply them as the sand of the sea shore . if we compare scripture with scripture , we shall finde that god therefore promiseth this , because he would thereby shew , that he did remember his old promise to abraham , for that was the promise made to abraham that god would multiply his seed as the starres of heaven , and as the sand which is upon the sea shore ; and now god along time after commeth in with renewing this promise . hence we are to observe this note . that the lord remembers his promises though made a long time since . god is ever mindful of his covenant , as it is , psal . . . when we have some new and fresh manifestations of gods mercy , our hearts rejoyce in it , but the impression of it is soone gone . many of you when you have beene seeking god , have had many manifestations of his love , and god hath entred into covenant with you , & for a while you have been comforted , but you lose all your comfort againe within a short time : oh remember , god is ever mindefull of his covenant , though made . . years agoe , he remains the same still , be you the same still ; be you ever mindful of your covenants . when men are brought into the bond of the covenant , their consciences are awed with it , and they walke very strictly , and they clare not in the least thing goe from the covenant at first : but after a few moneths or weekes are over their heads , they forget their engagement , their covenant they made with god , there is not such a strong bond upon their spirits as there was before . oh my brethren , know that this is a great and sore evil in you ; god is ever mindfull of his covenant , so you should be . and as of his covenant , so of his threats too , by way of proportion : god remembreth his threats that were made many years agoe ; we are affected with gods threats for the present , but within a while , the impression is gone . but let us know , time altereth not god as it doth us . but yet we must enquire a little further , because it is often in scripture that the children of israel should be like the stars of the heaven and as the sand upon the sea shore ; why did god expresse this covenant to abraham ? what was the matter ? thus , first , abraham hee left his fathers house and all his kindred at gods command , and upon that first god made this covenant wi●h him that he would make his seed as the stars of heaven , and as the sand of the sea. as if god should have said to abraham ; abraham be willing to leave your fathers house , i will make a great house of you , a great family of yours . secondly , you shall observe that afterwards god confirmed this covenant to abraham , and that with an oath . it is very observable , when he came first out of his countrey , and left his fathers house , god made this promise of the encreasing of his seed , but not with an oath ; but afterwards in gen. . god renews this promise of multiplying his seed , and that by an oath ; for saith he , by my selfe have i sworne , for because thou hast done this thing , and hast not witheld thy sonne , thine onely son , that in blessing i will blesse thee , and in multiplying i will multiply thy seed as the stars of the heavens , and as the sand which is upon the sea shore . marke here , it was upon abrahams being willing to offer up his son isaac , his onely son isaac . abraham was willing at gods command to offer ● ship own son , and upon that god promiseth to multiply his seed as the stats of heaven , and as the sand of the sea . yea he comes in with an oath , by my selfe i sweare , saith the lord , that i will do it , because thou hast done this . we have two most excellent notes from hence . first , there is nothing lost in being willing to lose for god. abraham was willing to lose his fathers house , the comfort of his family for god : i will make thee a glorious family as the stars of heaven , saith god. againe , abraham was willing to lose one son , his onely son for god. art thou willing to lose one son for me ▪ thou shalt have ten thousand sons for this one thou losest , yea though it be lost but in thy intention . thou shalt have thy own son , and yet have ten thousand sons besides . oh let us not be afraid to part with any thing for god : gods people they know how to make up in god what ever they lose for god : but god will not onely make it up in himselfe , but will make it up even in the very thing it selfe , the creature it selfe thou losest for god. art thou willing to lose a little of thy estate ? thou mayst with comfort expect ( so far as if thou knewest all thou thy selfe wouldst desire ) to have it made up in abundance , even in that very way . you know the promise , he that forsaketh father , or mother , or wife or children , or lands , or houses for my sake , shal have an hundred fold in this world , and in the world to come life everlasting . how hath god fulfilled this this day in many of our eyes , and too many of our experiences ! how many have you known who have beene willing to part with that they had , and to put it out ( as it were ) to the wide world ; god hath made it up not onely in himselfe , but in the very thing it selfe , and thereby taught them and all the world to be willing to venture for god , to part with any thing for him and his cause . secondly , when we are willing to lose for god , then is the time when god will renew and confirm his covenant with us . then god confirmed his covenant with abraham when he was willing to part with his sonne , to be deprived of all his seed . the way to be made sure of what we have is to be willing to part with it . you all desire to be sure of your estates , oh that we could in these times , wherein we see nothing sure make our estates sure ! this is the desire of every one . would you make sure of your estates ? sure ! illing to imploy your estates for god & for a good cause : this is the way to have god to renew his covenant to you for an assurance of that way . here is the best assurance office in the world . but how comes this in at this time , & to his people in hosea his prophesie ? thus it comes in now , because the lord by the prophet would answer an objection of the people . they might have said thus , what hosea , doe you thus threaten judgement , the destruction of israel ? why , you promise mercy to judah , and judah is but a handful to us , we are the ten tribes , & with us are the chiefe , the greatest part , almost all the seed of abraham , and yet you threaten our destruction , it can never possibly be : what will become of gods promise then ? did not god promise abraham , that his seed should be as the stars of heaven , & as the sand on the sea shore ? you seeme to goe crosse to god , god saith that he would multiply that seed , and you take a course to make men beleeve that the seed of abraham should bee brought into a narrow compasse and be nothing . thus doubtless they were ready to pleade against the prophet . the prophet answereth thus . what doe you say , what will become of abrahams seed ? know that god can tell how to provide for his church and fulfill his promise made to abraham whatsoever becomes of you , for you are mistaken in thinking you alone are the seed of abraham ; for you shall know that abraham hath not onely a carnal but a spiritual seed ; all those that shal come to joyne in the faith of abraham , and subject themselves to the god of abraham , they shall be the seed of abraham , and so they shall be the children of israel as well as you , and thus god will make good his word . and so the apostle , rom. . doth quote this scripture about gods casting off of the people of israel threatned here by hosea ( ver . . as he saith also in hosea , i will call them my people that were not my people : this is the very text that the apostle there quoteth , though all the words are not quoted , and it is a very good thing to acquaint your selves with the scripture , and to see how one scripture lookes towards another , and specially in the new testament to see how the old testament is quoted . ) this i say the apostle applyeth to the gentiles ; and the holy ghost ( who is the best interpreter of scriptures ) there shewes , that it is at least in part fulfilled in so many of the gentiles comming in , and being converted to the faith of the true messia . there are this and many other excellent prophesies concerning the glory of israel , that were made good in part in the first times of the gospel ; but that was but as the first fruites of the fulfilling of those promises & prophesies ; the accomplishment of them is yet certainly to come , when the fulnesse of the gentiles shall come in , and the jews be converted ; then not onely the spiritual seed , but the very carnal seed of abraham shall have this promise made good , and shall be multiplyed and come into the faith too . rom. . . the apostle speakes there of a general salvation of israel , that was yet to come after the fulnesse of the gentiles . so it appears plainly , that those prophesies concerning the glory of israel , though they were in part made good in the first times of the gospel , yet there was a further accomplishment of them after , when there should be a fulnesse of the gentiles come in , and then israel should be saved too . i might spend a great deale of time in shewing how many promises concerning the excellency of the church were made good in part in the first times of the gospel , and yet that but as the first fruites , and to be fully made good afterwards . and certainly this promise ( as we shall afterward come to know ) it is not yet throughly fulfilled : though it was in part made good at the calling of the gentiles , there is a further degree of it to be accomplished another day , of which hereafter . from hence ( the words being thus opened to you ) take these observations as they do immediately spring from them . first , that all beleevers , though of the gentiles , are of the seed of abraham , they are of israel , and therefore have the same priviledges with israel , the same in effect , yea ( as we shall see afterward ) better . they are all the heirs of abraham , who in rom. . is said to be the heir of the world , they have the dignity of israel , to be the peculiar people of the lord , to be the treasure , to be gods portion . whatsoever you reade of israel , of excellent titles and appellations about israel . they belong now to all beleevers , though they be the children of the gentiles . a comfortable & sweet point to us of the gentiles secondly , god hath a time to bring in abundance of people to the profession of the faith , to bring in multitudes , even as the sand of the sea-shore . he will do it , and he hath wayes enough to accomplish it . though there is for the present this reproach upon the way and people of god , that they are but a few , a company of poore mean kinde of people , a handful , and what are they in comparison of the rest ? this reproach ( my brethren ) will be wiped away , & we may yet expect that before the world be come to an end , that the greatest part shall come in & imbrace the faith of christ , and come to be godly too . ful vision , in which he saw a man of macedonia , appearing to him , and praying him to come over to macedonia & help them ; one would have thought that when paul had gone to preach there , all should have come flocking in , and there should have beene a glorious worke done , that hee should have brought in a great number to the faith : but when he came to macedonia , he was faine to go into the fields by a rivers side to preach , and onely a few women came there to heare him ( there was all the auditory he had ) and amongst them , there was but one poor woman wrought upon . god opened the heart of lydia , here was all the great do that was upon such a mighty call ; and yet we know how gloriously god went on with paul. this i note to confirm you in this , that though the beginnings be very small , yet we may expect a glorious increase afterward . as it was with the church at the beginning , so it will be here : that which bildad said of job , chap. . . may well be applyed to the church , though the beginning of it be small , yet the latter end of it shall greatly increase . but thirdly , as god hath a time to multiply his church , so it is a great blessing to the church of god when it is multiplyed . it is a fruite of gods great grace and mercy to make the church to be a numerous people : as the multitude of subjects is the glory of a prince , so it is the glory of jesus christ , and therefore it was prophesied of him , that the church should come in as the dew of the morning . psal . . . thus it began in the primitive times in the apostles dayes , and presently after multitudes came into the church . i remember jerome writing to cromatius , saith that there might be computed for every day in the yeere ( except in the first of january ) five thousand martyrs : therfore the church was grown to a numerous multitude . and tertullian speakes in his time that they were become so numerous then , that in his apologetiques he tells the heathen that they had filled their cities , and that if they would they had strength enough to make their party good against them , but they were patient and submitted themselves to their tyranny . i know many make this of tertullian an argument that men must lay down their necks , and suffer their throats to be cut , if those that are above them will it , and if they cannot obey actively , they must obey passively any thing that is acording to the will of such as are over them . why ( say they ) did not the christians so in the primitive times ? yes , the christians did so , they though they were under idolaters , and were commanded to deny christ , which was utterly unlawful ; yet though they could not obey actively , they obeyed passively , they did subject and submit themselves to all their rage ; and though they had strength , yet they would not resist . why should not christians do so now ? you are exceedingly gulled with this argument many times : true , we are bound to obey authority actively or passively , and yet this argument doth not serve the turne . there is a great deale of difference between authority abused , & men that are in authority commanding ; here the difference lies not in authority abused , but in that which is no authority at all . for there is no authority that we are subject to now , but ( as i have said heretofore ) according to the laws and constitutions of the countrey where we live . not to the commands & meer wils of men till it be brought to a law are we bound in conscience to submit , no way , neither actively nor passively ; though it be a good thing that is commanded , conscience doth not bind to it , earatione , to yeeld to it , because it is commanded , till it be brought to a law. now when things are brought into a law , & be according to the agreements and covenants of the place and countrey wherein we live . and then suppose this authority be abused , & there be an ill law made , then i confesse ( if that law be of force ) wee must either quit our selves of the countrey or else submit or suffer , for then the power of god is in it , though it be abused , and we are to be subject to all powers . when then it comes once to be a power , to be a law , it is authority , though abused , and we must yeeld obedience to it either actively or passively . but we must enquire whether it be a power ; it is not because the man that is in authority commandeth it , except he command it by vertue of that authority , which is according to the nature and condition of the fundamental constitutions of the countrey where he liveth . now in the primitive times they submitted themselves to suffer when they could not do the things that were commanded ( as to deny christ ) because by the constitutions of that countrey they had such a kinde of power given to them , a legal power to proceed against them ; so that they had a power in their way given them , and they had authority , but they abused it in that they did . and therefore the christians were so willing rather to suffer any thing than to resist , and were ours the same case wee should do so too , if once it come to passe that mischiefe be established by a law , though it be mischiefe , yet if we cannot obey it actively we are bound to suffer or else to quit the countrey , one of the two , if it be urged upon us : we may seek what we can to get it alleviated , but we must either do or suffer if once it be framed into a law , otherwise we are not bound in conscience , bound wee may be in regard of prudence , and in regard of preventing other disturbances , but conscience doth not bind to wils of men , but binds to laws . thus much still , for the satisfaction of conscience in this case . but to come to what i brought this in for . the christians were wonderfully encreased at this time . now we know this is the point ; we are to rejoyce when the church is increased , and to esteeme it as the great blessing of god when they are made as the sand upon the sea-shore . there is an admirable place for this in psal . . where there is a large prophesie made of the kingdome of christ and of his glory in this particular , ver . . he shal have dominion from sea to sea , and from the rivers to the end of the earth , then ver . . all kings shall fall downe before him , and all nations shall serve him : and ver . . his name shall endure for ever , and shall continue as long as the sunne , and men shall be blessed in him , all nations shall call him blessed . now marke upon this , how the saints rejoyce and bless god , vvhat shall all nations come in and serve christ ? shall there come multitudes in and joyne with the church ? oh blessed be the lord god , the god of israel who onely doth wonderous things , and blessed be his glorious name for ever and ever , and let the whole earth be filled with his glory , amen & amen saith the church of god then , let all the saints send forth their eccho . amen , yea and amen to this , that all the earth shall be filled with the glory of christ , this is that they are affected with , this is that they desire much , as if they should say , this is a blessed thing indeed . my brethren this is a good and consely sight in a gracious eye to see multitudes come in & to flock to christ and to his ordinances . it is true indeed , the spirit of antichrist that is in many makes them that they cannot look upon his but with a malevolent eye , and their hearts do vexe , and rage , and fiet at this , as much as at any thing , they love scattering of them up and downe , but to see people come flocking to ordinances , to see multitudes come in and joyne themselves to christ , this they cannot endure . the same malicious spirit that was against christ , that we reade of in the acts of the apostles , yea , and in the gospel too , wee finde it still in such kinde of men . marke that text , act. . , . there it is said that almost the whole cittie came together to hear the word of god , to heare a sermon . now the pharises when they saw the multitude they were filled with envie : why what hurt was there done ? they saw no hurt done , but meerely saw the multitude , and they speake against those things that were spoken by paul contradicting and blaspeming : when they saw the multitude , they could have borne it otherwise . marke againe the vile spirits of the pharisees that envied at the multitude that followed christ himselfe : not onely did they envy at the apostles , for they might be factious and singular men in their esteem , but what say you to christ himselfe ? john. . . the pharisees said , behold , perceive yee how ye prevaile nothing ? behold , the world followes him . certainly the same pharisaical spirit hath beene a prelatical spirit in our dayes . we know it hath beene matter enough for a godly , painful , conscionable minister to be outed of all he hath at an instant , and his mouth to be stopped , meerly upon this , though they had nothing against him , no , not for their own laws , but because he was a popular man , and multitudes followed him . what a dangerous thing hath it beene of late times for men to be popular , that is , to bee such as multitudes shall come and flock to the word preached by them . certainly it is an evil spirit , for the promise of god to his church is , that there shall come multitudes and joyne with the people of god in the way of his ordinances . yea but it may be they do not envy at all that multitudes should follow that that is good , but it is the humour and pride of such men to have multitudes to follow after them . take heed first of putting this off with such a plea. consider whether it will hold at that great day . the devil himself did never plead against christ or any of his wayes , but with some colour or other . and surely these men they judge thus by looking into their own hearts , because they know that if multitudes should come to them , it could not be but their hearts would be lifted up , and so they judge accordingly of others . but suppose it be so ( for men are men ) that they through corruption should have any such workings of pride , yet do they say anything that is not justifyable ? do they preach any thing that is not according to christ ? if they do not , then thou shouldest encourage that which is good , and for that which is evill leave it to the comming of christ , except thou canst by prayer and instruction helpe it , have it i say till then . it is worse to envy at multitudes now then it was for the jewes to envy paul for multitudes following him , for they thought they could contradict him in what he said , and therefore for multitudes to follow such as should preach false doctrine ( as they thought paul did ) they had some colour to contradiet it , & to envy at the multitudes following of him . but here it is nothing else in the world but meerely because multitudes come to heare the world , for though men first preach in corners privately , where they have but a few auditors , they will cry out of that , well , if they preach publikely , and multitudes come to hear them , then they cry out of that too . nothing at all will please them , nothing can please envious & malicious spirits . if we keep our selves retyred , that hath exceptions enough , and then if we come in a publicke way , they have exceptions at that too . here the grosse malice of satan appeareth , because when the thing it selfe cannot be excepted against , he runs to the intention of the heart . and to mens inward aymes , and bringeth an argument of that which he knows no man can confute him in : for who can say that that is either true or false that men have inward aymes of pride , and vaine glory , and selfe-seeking in multitudes , flocking after them ? here is the wisdome of the serpent too , because if they goe upon other objections they may be answered by all the world that there is no such thing as they pretend , but put them from those , and you may be sure to have such objections as no man can answer : oh but ( say they ) their hearts are lifted up and they have ill aymes and ill intentions . who can answer this objection ? no body can confute this . nay suppose we professe before the lord & christ as we desire to stand before him , and answer it at that day what our aimes are , this will not serve the turne . why then ( my brethren ) if men will choose such an argument as cannot possibly come to be answered before the coming of christ , and so make a stumbling-block , there is no help but men must stumble and fall , and many do stumble and fall , and break their necks . how ever let wisdom be justified of her children ; let the saints rejoyce in this , that multitudes come in to the ministery of the word and to the ordinances of christ . be careful and wise in this , and give no just occasion , and therefore give all due respect that possibly can be to those you have the most relation unto . this you see is the promise that there shall come in such multitudes to the church . but marke then how the promise runnes ; as the sand of the sea . rabbin ezra makes an allusion from hence , as the sand ( saith he ) keepes the waves of the sea from breaking in , and drowning the world : so israel , so the saints keep the world from being drowned by the waves of gods wrath . i doe not say that this is the intention , but surely the intention of god is mainly this , to signifie the multitudes that should come into the church : onely this allusion we may make use of , as being a comfortable and pretty allusion , and it is a truth that israel is as the sand of the sea , not onely in respect of multitudes , but as the sand to keepe in the waves of gods wrath from drowning the world : and indeed were it not for the church of god , the waves of gods wrath that are abroad would overflow all the world , and the world would quickly be confounded . so saith hee , when the waves of gods anger seeme as if they would overflow all the world ; they doe but see israel , and they returne back presently , they retire and are not able then to overflow the world as they do desire . the fift lecture hosea . i. the middle part of the . verse . and so on . and it shall come to passe , that in the place where it was said unto them , yea are not my people , there it shall be said unto them , yee are the sonnes of the living god. then shall the children of judah and the children of israel be gathered together , &c. according to the division of the chapter that luther makes in his comment upon this prophet , we are already in the second chapter ; for he makes the second to begin at this tenth verse . from that to the end , we have the promise of mercy to israel that was to come , and both to israel and judah together . some part of gods promise of mercy to israel we finished the last day ; now wee are to proceed . and it shall còme to passe in that place , &c. in that place . ] this according to some hath reference to the very land of canaan it selfe , that god will have a very glorious church there , specially in jerusalem before the end of the world come , and many prophesies seeme to encline that way , as zach. . . jerusalem shall be inhabited againe , even in jerusalem . this cannot be meant onely of their returne out of captivity that was in cyrus his time , for the text saith , in that day thee feeble among them shall be as david , and the house of david shall be as the angel of god , & god will poure upon them the spirit of grace & supplication , and they shall looke upon him whom they have pierced , and the like . it shall be in that day when jerusalem shall be inhabited , even in jerusalem . the return of their captivity at first was not so glorious , there was not such a glorious spirit put upon them then ; for if you read the story of it , you shal find that even all that while they were in a contemptible condition before the nations about them . but god speaks here and in other places of a glorious returne of their captivity , & coming into their own land. the jewes have a tradition , ( buxtorfius hath it in his synagoga iudaica ) that there is a time that all the iews where ever they dye , shall come through meatus terrae , and rise againe at jerusalem ; and therefore some of them when they think they have not long time to live , they will sell all their possesions , and goe and live neere jerusalem , at least to prevent the trouble of coming through those meatus terra that they speake of . thus they are deluded in their conceits . but yet more generally , in that place . whereas the place of my people was confined into a little and narrow roome , hereafter it shall be inlarged , and even among the gentiles that shal be made spiritual israel , where i was not known , among the heathen , even there shall i come to be known , and i shall have a people there , and not only people , but sons , the sons of the living god , and that so apparently , that it shall be said unto them . yee are the sonnes of the living god. thus saint peter seems to interpret this place , in the pet. . . speaking of the gentiles whom god would have a people among them , saith the apostle , which in times past were not a people , but are now the people of god. generally interpreters doe conclude that the apostle had reference to this very place in hosea : and so we may build then upon this interpretation howsoever , that it is the intention of the spirit of god , that god would call home the gentiles to himself , & so they that were no people should become his people , his sons : it should be said in that place where before it was said that they knew him not , that now they are his sons . yea the heathen shal be brought in , so as they shall be convinced of the vanity of their idolatry . we worshipped dead stocks ; our gods were dead stones & stocks that we were vassals unto ; but now we see a people that is come in to the profession of this christian religion , they worship the living god , their god is the true god , certainely here are the sons of the living god. this is the scope of the holy ghost . for observation . . it is a comfortable thing to consider that in those places where god hath not been known & worshipped , that afterward in those places , god should be known & worshipped . that such nations , such countreys and towns that have lived in darkness & idolatry , should now have the knowledge of the true god , that the true god should come to be worshipped amongst them , this is a blessed thing . england was once one of the most barbarons nations in the world , and in that place where it was said you are not my people , where there was nothing but a company of savage barbarous creatures that worshipped the devill ; how in this place , in england is it said , even by the nations round about us , surely they are the sonnes of the living god! and so many times in dark corners in the countrey where they never had the knowledge of jesus christ , but were nuzled up in popery and in all kinde of supesticious vanity , god is pleased to send some faithful minister to carry the light of the knowledge of christ unto them , and efficaciously to work faith in their hearts , and now , oh what an alteration is there in that towne ! the like of a family . it may be said of many a house and family , in which nothing but blasphemy , and atheisme , and scorne of religion , and uncleannesse , and all manner of wickednesse hath been , now it is a family filled with the servants and sonnes of the living god. as it is a grievous thing to think of a place wherein god hath been truely worshipped , that afterward the devil should come to be served there , so it is a comfortable thing to think of other places wherein the devil hath beene served , that god is truly worshipped there . some stories report that the turkes having possession of the temple at jerusalem , there where was the arke , and the cherubins , and the seraphims , there now are tygres , and beares , and savage creatures ; but on the other side to consider that in places where there have been none but tygres , and bears and savage creatures , they should now be filled with cherubins , and seraphims ; this is a comfortable thing . secondly . it shall be said they are the sonnes of the living god. it shall be said so . god hath a time to convince the world of the excellency of his saints . they shall not onely be the sonnes of the living god , but it shall come to passe that it shall be said they are the sonnes of the living god : all about them shall see such a lustre of the glory of god shining upon them , that they shall all say , verily whatsoever other people have said hertofore , whatsoever the thoughts of men have beene , these are not onely the servants , but the sonnes of the living god. we have an excellent prophefie of this in zachar. . . the governours of iudah shal say in their heart the inhabitants of jerusalem shall be my strength in the lord of hosts their god. not onely the people shall be convinced of this , but the governours of judah , they shall say in their hearts , our strength is in the inhabitants of jerusalem , in the lord of hosts their god. howsoever they were heretofore scandalized , as seditious , and factious , and as enemies of the state , yet now the governours of judah shall acknowledge that their strength is in them , and in the lord their god , that this lord of hosts is their god. that time will be a blessed time when the governours of judah shall come to be convinced of this ; when god shall so manifest the excellencies of his saints , as that both great and smal shall confesse them to be the sonnes of the living god. it is promised to the church of philadelphia , revel . . . that the lord would make them that said they were jews , and were not , & said they were the church and were not , but were of the synagogue of satan , to come and how before their feete , and to know ( saith he ) that i have loved them . there is a time that ungodly men shall be forced to know that god doth love his people . and one thing amongst the rest that will much convince the men of the world of the excellency of the saints , will be the beauty of gods ordinances that shall be set up amongst them , that shall even dazel the eyes of the beholders . for this you have an excellent promise , ezek. . . the heathen shall know that i the lord do sanctifie israel . how shall they know it ? when my sanctuary shall be in the middest of them for evermore , then they shall know that i the lord do sanctifie israel , when the beauty of my ordinances shall appeare in them , then they shall know it . and if god be not onely satisfied in doing good to his people , but hee will have the world know it , and be convinced of it ; let the people of god then not be satisfied onely in having their hearts upon god , but let the world know that they love god too . you must do that that may make it appeare to all the world , that you are the children of the living god. let your light so shine before men , that they seeing your good works may glorifie your father which is in heaven . it is one thing to do a thing that may be seene , and another thing to do a thing that it may be seen . and yet gods people may do both , not do good onely that may be seen , but ( if they keepe still the glory of god above in their eye , as the highest ayme ) they may desire and be willing too that it may be seene to the praise of god. but this i confesse requireth some strength of grace to do it , and yet to keep the heart upright . the excellency of grace doth consist not in casting off the outward comforts of the world , but to know how to enjoy them , and to over-rule them unto god : so the strength of grace doth consist , not in forbearing of such actions as are taken notice of by men , or not to dare to ayme at the publishing of those things that have excellency in them ; but the strength of grace consists in this , in having the heart enabled to do this , and yet to keepe it under too , and to keep god above in his right place . thirdly , it shall be said they are sonnes , &c. it is a great blessing unto gods children that they shall be accounted so before others . not onely that they shall be so ; but that they shall be accounted so . blessed are the peace-makers for they shall be called the children of god , this is a blessing not onely to be gods children , but to be called gods children . we must account it so , and therefore we must walk so as may convince all with whom we do converse that we are the children of god ; and not thinke this sufficient , well , let me approve my heart to god ; and then what need i care what all the world thinks of me . god doth promise it as a blessing to have his people called the children of god , then this must not be slighted . you shall find it often in the gospel that christ made a great businesse of this to make it manifest to the world that he was sent of god , he would have them to know that his father sent him , and that hee came from him : so the people of god should count it a blessing , and walk so as they may obtaine such a blessing that the world may know that they are of god. further. in the place where it was said unto them , ye are not my people , there it shall be said unto them , ye are the sonnes of the living god. marke , it is not said thus , that in the place where it was said they are not my people , it shall be said to them they are my people . no , but further , it shall be said they are sonnes , and sonnes of the living god : this goeth beyond being his people . hence then the observation is , that the grace of god under the gospell , it is morefull , and large , and glorious , then the grace of god under the law. for this is spoke of the estate of the church under the gospell , they were gods people indeed under the law , but the sonnes of the living god , this is reserved for the times under the gospel . sometime they under the law are called by the name of sonnes ; but it appeareth by this text that in comparison of that glorious son-ship that they shall have under the times of the gospell , that they in former times were rather servants then sonnes . there is very little of our adoption in christ revealed in the old testament , no , that was reserved for the sonne of god to reveale , for him that came out of the bosome of the father , and brought the treasures of his fathers councel to the world , the revelation of these things were reserved to the time of his comming , both adoption and eternal life was very little made knowne in the time of the law , therefore saint paul saith , that life and immortality were brought to light through the gospel . tim. . . . sonnes , because in the time of the gospell , the spirits of the saints are of son-like dispositions , they are ingenuous , not mercenarie . in the time of the law god carried on his people in offering rewards , especially in outward things : but in the time of the gospell we have no such rewards in outwards , but the scripture speakes of afflictions most , there is not spoken so much of afflictions in the time of the law , but much outward prosperity there was then : but in the time of the gospel more affliction , because the dispositions of the hearts of people should not be so mercenary as they were before , they should be an ingenuous , a willing people in the day of christs power . . sonnes , because of the son-like affection to be much for god their father out of a naturall 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , that they should have more then in the times of the law. i suppose some of you have heard of the story of craesus his sonne , though he was dumb all his dayes , when he perceived a souldier striking his father , his affection brake the barres of his speech , and he cryed out to the souldier to spare his rather . this is the affection of a sonne , and these affections doth god looke for from his children , especially in the time of the gospel , that they should heare no wrong done to him , but though they could never speake in their own cause , yet their should be sure to speake in their fathers cause . . sonnes , because they have not such a spirit of servility upon them as they had in the time of the law. christ is come to redeem us that we might serve the lord in holinesse and righteousnesse before him without feare all the dayes of our life , to take away the spirit of feare : hence the apostle saith , we have not received the spirit of feare but of love , and of a sound minde . and heb. . . christ is come to redeem those who through feare of death were all their life time subject to bondage . the spirit of a sonne is not be spirit of feare , we have not received the spirit of bondage to feare again , but the spirit of adoption whereby we cry abba father . it is unbeseeming the children of god , especially in the time of the gospel , to be of such servile spirits as to feare every little danger , to be distracted with fear , and presently to be amazed . hath not god revealed himselfe to us as a father to his children that we must not feare ? he would not have us feare himselfe , not with a servile sear as men do , and therefore surely not to fear men be they what they will be . we are sons . again , not only sons , for so we might find in scripture , where the people of god under the law , perhaps are sometimes called so , but elder sons , sons come to yeares . it is true , they were before us , and so in that respect we are not elder ; bnt sons that are come to our inheritance , that is it i mean that we are such sons ; not children under tutorage , not under school-masters and governours , as they were in the time under the law. you know what comparison the scripture makes of the difference betweene the church in the time of the gospell , and that in the time of the law. in the time of the law it is true indeed they were children , but how ? they were children that were under tuttors and governours , they were not as yet come to years , they were but as young children that were put out to school . but now as the apostle saith , gal. . . chrst hath redeemed us from being under the law , that we might receive the adoption of sonnes : marke , that we might receive it , so that now the state of the church is like unto a child that cometh to be of age , and so is freed from his tutors and governors , and cometh to his inheritance , sui juris , as it were , so is the state of the church now . therefore the saints now are not to be dealt withal , as if stil they were in their childish condition . now how were the jewes dealt withall , becausethey were in their childish condition ? thus , they had outward externall ethings to gain them to serve god , they worshipped god much in externall things : as we deale with children , we give them apples and fine things to get them to doe what we would have them do , so god dealt with them : and as children when they begin to learne , they must have a great many gayes in their book ; so god taught the jewes with outward ceremonies , which afterward the scripture calls but beggarly rudiments , poor things . children you know are pleased much with gay things , and they that would bring in jewish ceremonies , or ceremonies of their own invention in the church , they make account the church is in her childish condition still , as if gay things would please them , therefore they must have pictures , and images , and such things to please people , this makes the people of god beneath themselves as if they were yet children , and were to be pleased with such things as these . no , now in the state of the gospel they are come to the adoption of sons . and so children you know are pleased as with fsghts , so with hearing of musick , and pipes , and such things , so men would bring such things still into the church in the time of the gospel . i remember iust . martyr in the . quest . ad orthodoxos , in answer to that about musicall instruments , he saith that they are fit for children and fooles , as organs and the like , and therefore hee sayes , they were not in use in the church . one of the most ancient writers we have after the apostles time gives this for a commendation of them . and indeed for the childish state of the church those things are fit , but now when they are come to the adoption of sons , other services that are more spirituall , are more sutable and honourable , as a man that is grown to be a man , would think himselfe wronged much to be taught as a childe , to be put off with gay things ; so should the people of god under the gospell think it a great wrong that hath been done to them , when men have sought to teach them with gayes and poor things , we are not still children , but so grown up to the adoption of sons as to receive our inheritance , and therefore are to have the priviledg of such . againe . in that place where it was said , yee are not my people , it shall be said , &c. israel that was cast off from god , now shall be brought in more fully then ever he was before . thence the observation is , when god is pleased to be reconciled to a people , he is as fully theirs as ever , yea sometimes more fully . he comes rather with more full grace then ever formerly he did . people before , but sons now . o what an incouragement is this to all apostatizing soules that have fallen off from god! come in , come in , and be reconciled to god , and thou shalt not only find god as good as ever thou didst , but thou shalt find him much better and much sweeter then ever thou didst in all thy life . it is seldome we are so . when men fall out one with another , though possibly they may be reconciled , yet it is seldome that they are so fully reconciled , so fully one as they were before ; they are but as a broken vessell sodered together , that is very weake in the sodering place ; or as garments that have been rent , and are mended , soon torn and quickly ready to fall in pieces in the place where they were mended ; it is not so between god and a penitent soule . again , sons , not onely of god , but of the living god. there is much in this , that the people of god under the gospell should be called the sons of the living god : the life of god is the glory of god : he sweareth by his life : by this he is distinguished from the heathen gods , that hee is the living god. life is the most excellent thing in the world ; augustine therefore saith , that the life of a very fly is more excellent then the sun in the firmament : and certainly it is the glory of god , that he is the living god. and as god is the living god , so he is the object of our faith , and so he is the happinesse of his people . trust in the living god ; my soule pants and thirsts after the living god , o when shall i come and appear before god. but why is god called the living god in reference to his church here ? 〈…〉 thing we must enquire after . this is a treasure of comfort to his people that he is called the living god in reference to his church . god would hereby declare to them that all that is in him shall be active for the good of his church for ever , hee will shew himselfe not only to be a god , but a living god , hee will shew all his attributes to be living attributes for the good of his people . did god shew himselfe active for his people in former times ? much more may his church in the time of the gospell expect the lord to manifest himself to be active amongst them . therefore we make use o● what we read of gods activeness for the good of his church in former times , to plead with god to shew himself as much active now . you shall see how the church made use of the former activeness of god , isa . . . awake , awake , put on strength , o arme of the lord , awake as in the ancient dayes , in the generations of olde . art not thou it that hath out rahab and wounded the dragon ? art thou not it which hath dried the sea , the waters of the great deep ? &c. thou hast been active heretofore for thy people , oh be so sti● . if they might make use of former times , much more in our times of the gospell may we make use of former times , and plead with god , o lord hast thou not shewn thy selfe glorious in defence of thy people , in helping thy fervants in their great straits , and in destroying thine enemies ? wilt not thou be so still ? in the times of the gospel , we may expect more activenes of god then ever he manifested since the world begun . therefore when god would set out the state of the church of the gospel , mark how he takes that title to himselfe . revel . . . the . living creatures ( mentioned in the verses before , by which is meant the state of the church under the gospel ) they give glory , and honour , & thanks to him that sate on the throne , who liveth for ever and ever : and ver . . the . elders fell downe before him that sate on the throne , and worshipped him that liveth for ever and ever , and chap. . . both joyne together , the . living creatures and the . elders fell downe and worshipped him that liveth for ever and ever . and chap. . , . the angell which stood upon the sea , and upon the earth , lifted up his hand and sware by him that liveth for ever and ever . thus the attribute of gods life is made use of for the state of the church in the gospell , to shew how active god will be for them . thence heb. . . the church is called the cities of the living god. now then if we expect that god should be a living god unto us , it becomes not us to have dead hearts in his service . if god be active for our good , let us be active for his honour . a living and a lively christian is beautifull in the eyes of god and man. let us labour not onely to be liviing , but to be lively for god and his cause . abundance of service , and good , may living and lively christians do in the places where they live , specially in these times . but oh what a few are there who are active and stirring , and are carryed on by the spirit of wisdome and zeale , for god and his cause ! away now with out cold and dead wishes , and luskish desires , let us up , and be doing , and the lord will be with us . the adversaries are lively , so saith the psalmift , mine tnemies are lively , and they are strong , psal . . . we may well make use of that expression too , our enemies they are lively and strong ; shall they be more lively and active for the devill , and for their lusts , then we for the living god ? as god is the object of our happinesse as he is the living god , so wee are the objects of gods delight as we are living too . god is not the god of the dead , but he is the god of the living . we should be lively and active , for we live upon the bread of life , and drink the water of life , we have lively oracles , lively ordinances , therefore life and activity is required of us . rom. . . be fervent in spirit serving the lord , be burning , boyling up in your spirits , for you are serving the lord , the living god , be boyling up in your spirits ; dead spirits become not the services of the living god. grace is called the divine nature , and god ( wee know ) is a pure act , and it is called the very life of god. it is impossible then but a christian must needs be active , seeing his grace is the very life of god in him . by being lively and active , we shall prevent abundance of temptations , that otherwise will befallus : a dead luskish spirit is lyable to a thousand temptations : as when the honey is scalding hot and boyling , the flies will not come to it ; when it is set in the window and grows cold , then the flies come to it : so when the spirits of men are boyling hot for god , belzebub the god of flies with his temptations , comes not then upon them , but when their spirits begin to cool , and grow dull and heavy , then comes belzebub , then comes all manner of temptation upon the soule . the breath that comes from life , we know it is warme breath , but artificiall breath that is cold ; the breath that comes from the body of a man , that 's hot , but the breath that cometh from a paire of bellows , that is cold , because it is artificiall breath : so when men are cold in the services of god , it is to be feared that their breath in praying and other duties , it is but artificiall breath , it is not the breath of life , if it were living , it would be warm . that was the reason why god would not have an asse offered him in the law in sacrifice , but his neck must be broken , because the asse is a dull creature , god loves not dull creatures in his service . i remember i have heard of a people that worshipped the sunne for their god , they sacrificed to the sun a flying horse ; the reason was this , because they would offer to the sun somewhat sutable to it ; they honoured the sun for the swiftness of his motion , and a horse you know is a swift creature , and therefore somewhat sutable , especially having that emble me upon him , with wings . they that would honour the sun as a god for swiftnes would not offer a snayle , but a flying horse ; so if wee do honour god for a living god , an active god , let us not offer snayles to him , dull , heavy , sluggish services , but quick and lively services . that which the courtiers of nebuchadnezzar flatteringly said to him , that in the name of god say i to you , live for ever , joh. . . saith christ there , as the living father hath sent me , and i live by the father , so he that eateth me even he shall live by me . christ was active , exceeding active in his way , in the work he was sent about ; why ? because the living father sent him ; so letus consider , that in all our services and employments , it is a living god that sets us about them , and we shall be active as christ was . i am willing a little to inlarge this because of the necessity of it in regard of our present times , and give me leave to do it by telling you what this activeness is that i would put you upon in these three things . first , stay not for company in any good cause . an active spirit will not stay till he see others to accompany him , but if he must go , rather then the cause should fall he will goe alone . mark that saying , isa . . . i called abraham alone and blessed him : be not discouraged , if god give thee an active spirit and others will not appear , god calls thee alone , and he will blesset hee . secondly , when you have company do not lag behind , but he willing to be formost rather then any cause of god should suffer by your lagging ; do not stay to have others go before you . hence in pro. . . amongst the comely goings of many things there , the going of the he-goat is said to be very comely , why ? because the he-goat useth to go before the flock . those that out of love to the cause of god are willing ( if they be called to it ) to goe before the flock , they goe comely in the eyes of god. thirdly , do not forbear the work till all difficulties about it be first over . that is a sluggish spirit that wil not set about the work till they can see how all the difficulties about the worke are or may be removed . you must up and be doing , be doing presently , fall to the worke , and then when you are working , wisely to prevent and avoid the difficulties that come in it ; as those active spirits did that we read of in nehem. . . when they were at work , with one of their hands they wrought , and with the other hand they held a weapon ; they did not stay the building of the wall of jerusalem till all their adversaries were quashed ; but prefently they fell to it , and with one hand they wrought in the work , and with the other held a weapon . this is an active spirit . further , we must not be active in a sudden mood , & upon a meer flash , and so gone , but in a constant solid way ; active , yet solid . many indeed are stirring and active for the present , but as the flame of a wispe of straw that makes a noise , and a great stir for the present , but soone after there remains nothing but black dead ashes . but we must be considerately active ; therefore observe , the scripture saith ( speaking of the saints specially in the time of the gospel ) that they are lively stones ( you know the place of peter ) what a stone , and yet lively ? a stone of all things is the most dead thing , and so it is used to set out a dead spirit in that story of nabal , when abigail came to tell him of the business of david , the text saith , that his heart dyed within him , and became as a stone . what is this but to shew , that though we must be lively and active , 〈…〉 must be solid , firme , and substantiall in our activeness ; and again , that when we are solid , firm , and substantiall , yet we must be active . there are many that know not how to be active solidly , and therefore grow slight and vain in their activity : and many others striving to be solid and substantiall , they quicly grow dull : many through a kind of affected gravity , they would forsooth be accounted solid and wise , and so become at last dull , and heavy , and of very little use in the church of god. take heed of either , and labour to compose both together , that is acceptable to god , to be living stones before him . ver. . then shall the children of judah , and the children of israel be gathered together , &c. here you have a promise both to israel and judah together . great was the enmity between judah and israel heretofore . they worshipped the same god , but in divers manners . one worshipped god according to his owne institution , judah did . and israel worshipped the same god , but after their own ways , according to their own inventions , so as might best sute with their politique ends . there was a great deale of bitternesse and vexation between these two people , though worshipping the same god ; and god here makes it a great matter to bring these two together , that they should be gathered together in one . for that here wee have the promise : first , that there shall be an union : secondly , that there shall be an union under one head . first , that there shall be an union . hence then the first observation is this : the enmity of such as seem not much different in matters of religion , and yet do differ , is sometime exceeding great and bitter . there shall be an union between judah and israel saith god. here is a mercy , here is a wonderful worke of the lord. in that god doth i say make this so great a matter , this observation doth spring forth of the text clearly , that many times between such as professe the same religion , and seem not to differ much , and yet do differ , their oppositions are most bitter and ineconcileable , and requires a mighty worke of god to bring them in and reconcile them . it appears it was so between judah and israel . i will give you but one text for it , chr. . . the prophet obed tells the children of israel , when he came to reprove them after the slaughter committed by them upon the children of judah , saith he , ye have slain them in a rage that reacheth up to heaven . what a rage was this this ? and yet thus the people of israel were inraged against the people of iudah , their opposition was very bitter , yea , more bitter were they many times one against another , then they were against the heathen , the philistims , and assyrians , and egyptians that were round about them , they were nothing so bitter against them , as they were one against another . thus it hath been , and ( untill that blessed time come that here is spoken of in the text ) thus it will be . you know the calvinists and lut he rans , though they agree together against papists in the main fundamental things , yet ●h the bitternesse of their spirits one against another ! a lutheran is scarce so bitter against a papist as he is against a calvinist . luther himself complaineth , not only open wicked men are our enemies , but even our frends , and those that at first received the doctrine of the gospel from us ; even they persecute us most bitterly . and he complaineth in particular of zuinglius ; zuing. ( saith he ) accuseth me of my wickedness , of any cruelty , so that the papists doe not teare me so much as these my friends . again , speaking of corolost adius , he is more deadly against mee , more set against me then ever any of my enemies were . even hee that god did ufe together with luther for great ends and purposes for the furtherance of the gospell , yet such bitterness was between them . and hath it not been so amongst us ? those that are protestants and such as are nick-named puritans , though they do agree in all the fundamentall points against popery , yet because there is some difference in matter of discipline and ceremonies , oh what bitternesse of spirit is there ? and it is so much the more sinfull in those who say themselves that discipline and ceremonies are but in different things , they themselves are specially to be blamed for bitterneesse on their side , because the conscience of the other is bound up and cannot yeeld , yea , not only such as doe contend against popish discipline , but such as doe goe a further degree in reformation of discipline it selfe , yet because they are differing in some few particulars , oh the bitterness of spirit that is many times even among them ! these are times that call all the people of god to see what they can agree in , and in that to joyne against the common adversary , and not to tear one another by dissentions . god may justly give us over to our adversaries , if we agree not among our selves , and they may chaine us together : perhaps a prison may make us agree , as it was said of ridley and hooper ; though ridley stood much against hooper in point of ceremonies , and they could not agree , yet when they came to prison they did well enough there . the lord deliver us from that medicine of our dissentions , that wee be not made so to agree ; yea that we be not sodered together by our own blood . secondly , god hath a time to gather judah and israel both together , that is , to bring peace to his church : god hath a time to gather all his churches together in a way of peace , that there shall be an universall peace amongst his churches . for thought it is true it be meant here of judah and israel literally , yet israel and judah is to set out to us all the churches of god that shall bee afterwards among the gentiles : and as god will fulfill this scripture literally , so he will fulfill it in the spirituall sense , to bring judah and israel , that is , all the churches of god to be under one head . isa . . . ephraim shall not envy iudah , and iudah shall not envy ephraim . ephraim envyed judah , because judah challenged to himselfe the true worship of god , and judah on the other side envyed ephraim , because hee was the greatest , there was vexing spirits one against another : this shall not alvvays be , saith god , but the envy of ephraim shall depart , i will take away this envious , this vexatious spirit . those two staves the holy ghost speaks of in zach. . , . . the staffe of beauty , and the staffe of bands , they were both broken , but god hath a time to unite together again , and for that mark that excellent prophecie in ezek. . , . . . there you shall find fully set out gods bringing judah and israel together , and joyning those sticks together again . son of man ( saith the text there ) take thee one sticke and write upon it , for iudah and for the children of israel his companions , & then take another sticke , & write upon it , for ioseph the sticke of ephraim , & for all the house of israel his companions ; and joyne them one to another into one sticke , & they shall become one in thy hand . and then ver . . this is interpreted of the union of them , behold i will take the stick of ioseph which is in the hand of ephraim , & will put them with the stick of iudah , & make them one sticke , & they shal be one in mine hand : and vers . . i will make them one nation in the land upon he mountains of israel , & one king shall be king to them all : and in the . ver . that king is said to be david which we shall afterward shew more fully , when we shall come to shew this head that they shall be under . now this god hath never yet fulfilled , that the ten tribes , and judah and benjamine should come together , and be set in one stick , he hath never set together the staffe of bonds that was broken , and yet this must be done , and it is the great blessing of god upon his churches , the bringing about of this union one with another . mark that text for this purpose , ier. . god having promised having promised there in the . ver . that in the latter dayes he would bring judah & israel together , and build them up at first : then in the . vers . behold the dayes come , saith the lord , that i will perform the good thing which i have promised unto the children of israel , & to the house of judah . what is that good thing that god had promised to the houses of israel and iudah ? that good thing ( my brethren ) is the building them up together as they were at first ; that is the good thing . behold how good & pleasant a thing it is for brethren to live together in unity : it is like the precious ointment upon the head that ran downe upon the beard , even aarons beard , that went down to the skirts of his garments , as the dew of hermon , & as the dew that descended upon the mountains of zion , for there the lord commanded the blessing , even 〈…〉 the churches of god where there is this 〈…〉 here is god commanding blessing , that 〈…〉 powerfully ; commeth efficaciously , and blessing of life , and life for evermore . o who would not then love union and peace in the churches ! zach. . . the lord shal be king over all the earth , in that day shall there be one lord , & his name one . the churches now , they have one lord , they all acknowledg god & christ to be their lord , yea but this lord hath not one name , though they all pretend to christ , & that they will honour christ , and set up christ , yet this one lord hath many names . but here it is prophefied that there shall be but one lord , and his name shall be but one neither . and zeph. . . then will i turne to a people of a pure languag that they may all cal upon the name of the lord & serve him with one consent . the word in the originall is , one shoulder ; all the people of god shall have but one shoulder that they shall set to the service of god. o blessed time when they shall come so to be united as to have but one shoulder ! and the greater will this blessing be of iudahs and israels gathering together , if you consider these two things ( i beseech you observe them ) and i goe no further then this very scripture i am now opening to you . first , that they shall have this perfect union together even then when israel shall be as the sand of the sea : when there shall be such multitudes comming in and flocking to the church , yet then they shall be united into one , and then there shall be peace in the churches . it is not a hard matter when there are but very few of a church , perhaps halfe a dozen or halfe a score , for them then to be of one mind , and to agree in one lovingly together , and to have no divisions nor dissentions among themselves ; but when a church grows to be a multitude , and a great many , then there lies the difficulty . when did ever any church though never so well constituted at first , but increase in divisions and dissentions , as they increased in number and multitude ? you see you find it very hard when you have any meeting in any society , when any business concerns a great many , you finde it i say a very hard thing so to agree together as to be of one and the same mind . an instrument , as a watch or any thing that hath many wheels , is sooner out of frame then that which hath but a wheele or two . so when a great many come together about any businesse , it is mighty hard to bring them to be united in one . there are few families that have many persons in it , but quickly dissentions and brablings grow among them : perhaps where there are two or three in a family they keep well enough together : but where there are many , where there are but seven in a family , they cannot so well agree , nor so long a time together as the seven devills did in mary magdalen , they agreed better and longer then many a seven in a family : but god hath made this promise to the church , that though it shall increase as the sand on the sea shore , and that multitudes shall come flocking to the church , yet they shall be all gathered together into 〈◊〉 under one head , and they shall have peace , for certainly that is the●● 〈◊〉 of the holy ghost here . secondly , they shall agree in one , not only when they are multitude , but when they shall come to enjoy their full priviledges , and the full liberty that christ hath purchased for them , even then there shal be a blessed agreement . for it is spoken here of those times when they shall come under one head , and christ alone shall rule them , and not mens inventious ; christ will grant his church those priviledges that he hath purchased for them , & rule them according to those , and then there shall be a blessed agreement among them all . men now think it impossible that the church should have those liberties christ hath purchased without dissentions , oh say they , grant them but such and such things , let them have but such liberty as they speak of , and we shall have nothing but brabling and divisions ; what shall every man be left to do what he list ? why then we shall have nothing but breaches in the church , and heart-burning one against another . no , christ hath never purchased so much liberty for every man to do what he list in things apparently unlawfull against the common principles of religion , in those there may be compulsion . but that liberty that christ hath purchased , is the lawful use of the things of indifferency , and the lawfull use of his ordinances . and though now men think that even in such things that are in themselves indifferent , if men be left at their liberty , there will be such heart-burning , & such dissentions , and no peace at all in the church ; they are much mistaken in this , for the onely way to have true peace in the church , is to leave things as christ hath left them , & to force nothing upon mens consciences that christ would not have forced , this is the way of peace ; and the special way of dissention ( we have had experience of it ) hath been and ever will be , the urging upon mens consciences those things christ would not have urged , this is it that makes the greatest rent & division in the church . the urging of uniformity in all indifferent things as necessary to unity is a most false principle , you wil finde it so . it is a principle that many have been led by , but it is an extream , false , and corrupt principle , and is and will be found to bee the cause of the greatest distractions . vvhen this time comes that is here prophesied of , there shall not be any such neede of any antichristian chaine , to chaine the servants of god together , but they shall be one without any such doings . it is true , papists and prelaticall men , they cry out of others ; there are such divisions among them say they , none of them can agree , there is more uniformity and unity with us than there is with them , every one there among them runs up and downe and doth what he pleaseth . marke these two answers to that . first , they have little cause to brag of their unity if we consider all ; for in the meane time though many thousands of christians , and hundreds of faithful , painful , and conscionable ministers of god that did more service to god and his church then ever they wil●●o , though they be banished out of their countrey , and put 〈…〉 ●●remities , and endure sore afflictions for 〈…〉 ●●ch of unity with them at all , though 〈…〉 things they have caused many 〈◊〉 〈…〉 . this is no breach of unity with them . but suppose by their power they could have brought all to an uniformity , in their own inventions and innovations as they desired . what then ? they have little cause to brag of that unity neither . certainly there the remedy would have been worse then the disease , and work a greater mischief . their bragging then of unity would have been no other but thus , as if a couple of prisoners chained to a block , and kept close all day , should see others goe abroad in the streets at a distance , and they should cry out to them , why doe you not take example by us ? you keep at a distance one from another , doe you not see that we keepe close together from morning to night ? pray take example by us , and do not go so distant one from another . would not such an argument be most ridiculous ? what is the reason of their union but their choine ? certainly there is the same argument in these mens pleading for that uniformity that they force men to by such a kinde of antichristian chaine . what breach of unity is it if in a broad street one goes a little distant from another ? and so what breach is it if in matters of indifferency one take one way and another another ? it is the corrupt and perverse spirits of men that thinke they cannot have unity , and yet have things as christ have left them . christ needs no such things to cause unity in his church , the spirit of his people that shal love truth & peace is enough to cause that unity he would have . and o that this time that this gathering together were come , of all churches to be made one , & be under one head ! for abundance of mischief is done now among the churches , and in the world by the spirit of division and dissension . the devil delights ( especially that devil that is the spirit of division ) to live in the region of the church . there are some devils especially that are spirits of pride , ( as the dumb devil ) and some of dissention , and some of one kinde and some of another ; and i remember cajetan hath a note upon that place of the gospel , where our saviour christ cast the devils out of the possessed man , they besought him that he would let them enter into the swine , & that he would not send them out of that region , because ( saith he ) they have several regions where they most haunt , and they that are in such a region , they are loath to be put out of it , but would faine keep their place . whether that be so or no we will not say , but this we say , that if their be any religion in the world that the unclean spirit of division loveth to be in , and is loath to be cast out ; it is the region of the church , for their he doth the greatest mischiefe . but christ hath a time to cast this unelean spirit out of the region of the church , and that so , as hee never shall returne any more . this point in regard we meet with it so fitly , and is so fully agreeable to the necessity of our times , i cannot tell ( though i go a little beyond the ordinary way of exposition ) how to get off from it . this union of the churches is that which will be the stability of it . you have an admirable place of this , isa . . ●● . thine eyes sball see jerusalem a quiet ation habit . o that our eyes migh● 〈◊〉 blessed 〈◊〉 behold jerusalem a quiet habitation , then we should be will 〈…〉 hold simeon to say , lord now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace , for mine eyes have seen thy salvation . marke then what followes , a quiet habitation , a tabernacle that shall not be taken down , nor one of the stakes thereof shall ever be removed , neither shall any of the cords thereof be broken , but there the glory of god will be unto us a place of broad rivers and streames , wherein shal no galley with oare , neither shal gallant ship passe thereby . the kingdoms of the world though they seem to be built upon mountaines , yet god will tosse them up and down , and they shall come to nothing : but the church when it is made a quiet habitation ( observe it ) though it be but a tabernacle & set upon stakes , yet this tabernacle shall not be taken downe , nor one of the stakes thereof shall ever be removed , though it be tyed by lines , yet not a cord thereof shal be broken . yea in this the glory of the church doth consist , for so saith the text there , when it is a quiet habitation , the glory of god shall be there , god shall dwell among them as a glorious god. no church more honourable then the church of philadelphia , for that is the church the adversaries must come and bow before . rev. . . and that church carryeth brotherly love in the very name of it , for so it signifies . cant. . . my dove , my undefiled is but one , the onely one of her mother . what followeth ? the daughters saw her and blessed her , yea the queens and the concubines , and they praised her . when christs dove and undefiled comes once to be but one , the daughters shall see her and blesse her . esay , . . . &c. there you have a promise of judah and of ephraims joyning together . mark what followes , chap. . . in that day thou shalt say , o lord , i will praise thee . ( observe , in that day . ) and again , ver . . in that day shall you say , praise the lord , proclaime his name , declare his doings among the people , make mention that his name is exalted , sing unto the lord , for he hath done excellent things ; cry out and shout thou inhabitant of zion . then indeed god doth excellent things , when he makes ephraim and judah come to be but one . therefore saith the apostle , cor. . . yet shew i unto you a more excellent way , what is that way ? in the chapter following he falls upon the commendation of love , where you have the highest commendation of it that is in all the book of god ; that is the more excellent way . cant. . . there the church is compared to the charet of solomon : the pillars of it ( saith the text ) were all of silver , the bortome thereof gold , the covering of it of purple , and the middest thereof being paved with love . then indeed doth the church ride in triumph in her charet , when there is much love and peace in the midst of it . it is true ( my brethren ) considering the weakenesse and peevishnesse of mens spirits ( yea of good men as well as evil ) we may wonder how ever this shall come to passe ; is it possible that this shall ever be so ? indeed it must be a mighty work of god to do it . we must not think to effect it by strugling one with another , and to say 〈◊〉 will make them be at peace and unity , or they shall sma●● 〈…〉 pull them together by law. this will not do it , 〈…〉 for the accomplishing of this great thing . ier. . . thus 〈…〉 , call unto me and i will answer thee , and shew thee great and mighty things which thou knowest not . what are those great and mighty things that we must call to god for ? amongst others this is one principal one , ver . . i will cause the captivity of judah and the captivity of israel to returne , and will build them as at the first , and so make them bochone . and then ver . . it shall be to me a name of joy , a praise & an honour before all the nations of the earth , when they shall heare of all the good that i doe unto them . marke , joy , praise , honour , yea a name of joy , praise , honour , followes upon this blessed union , and that before all the nations of the earth . for the accomplishment of this . come lord jesus , come quickely ! yet let us further observe the difference between the scattering of the wicked , and the scattering of the saints . judah & israel they were scattered , but , now they shall be gathered together . there is a great deale of difference between the scattering of the saints , and the scattering of the wicked : when god scatters the saints , he scatters them that they may be gathered ; when he scatters the wicked , hee scatters them that he may destroy them , psal . . . let god arise , and let his enemies be scattered : how scattered ? as smoake is driven away ; so drive them away . smoake you know is driven away and scattered , so as it comes to nothing . psal . . . cast forth lightning and scatter them , shoote out thine arrowes and destroy them . this is the scattering of the wicked : but as for the saints , they may be scattered , but it is to spread abroad the gospell by them in the world . acts . . the text saith , they that were scattered abroad by reason of the persecution of saul , went every where preaching the word : but within a while our god shall come and all his saints with him , and hee will gather together the out-casts of israel , with abundance of mercy : so micah . . in that day saith the lord , i will gather her that is driven out & her that i have afflicted ; and esay , . . for a time , for a small moment have i forsaken thee , but with great mercies i will gather thee . god will gather his people with great mercyes . god hath ( my brethren ) fulfilled this in a great part , in our eyes even this day . many of those that were driven out of their places and countryes , those that were afflicted , and those the land could not beare , god hath gathered together these out-casts of israel . let every one take heed how he hinders this worke of the lord , and how he addeth affliction to those that have been afflicted . again further . they shall be gathered together in that day , that is , in the time of the gospel , when that shall prevail then judah and israel shall be gathered together . then , the more the gospel prevailes , the more peace there shall be . the gospel is not the cause of divisions then , of seditions , of factions ; no , it is a gospell of peace ; the prince of it is a prince of peace , the ambassage of it is an ambassage of peace . it is next unto blasphemy , if not blasphemy it selfe , to say that since the preaching and profession of the gospel , we had no peace , but it causes act 〈…〉 and divisions among the people . it is true , people that are in the darke 〈…〉 and quiet together , as it is said of the egyptians , when they were in the darke for those three dayes together , they stirred not from their stooles , there was no noise among them ; shall the light be blamed because afterward when it came , every one stirred , and went , one , one way and another , another ? so when we were in grosse darknesse , we saw nothing , we knew nothing ; now light begins to breake forth , and here one searcheth after one truth , and another after another , and yet we cannot attaine to perfection ; shall we accuse the light for this ? yea but we see too apparently that those that seem the strictest of all , that would worship god ( as they say ) in the purest manner in his ordinances ; yet there are woefull divisions and distractions even amongst them . how then is the gospel a gospel of peace ? but a word in answer to this ; to satisfie your consciences , that the gospel may not be blamed , for indeed where the gospel comes , there is promised peace . consider this one reason that may be given for it . because so long as we are here we are partly flesh and partly spirit . yet those that have the gospel prevaile with their consciences , they come to be of this temper , that they cannot move any further then they can see light for , and their consciences will give them leave . but now other men they have more liberty , they indeed quarrel not one with another , why ? because they have wide , checker , lyther consciences , & having ends of their owne they will yeeld to any thing for the attaining of those ends ; so that here they have this advantage , that if they see that the contention will bring them more trouble then they conceive the thing is worth , they will condescend though it be against light of conscience . but other men upon whom the light of the gospel hath prevailed have that bond upon conscience , that though all the world should differ from them , they must be content to lye down and suffer , they cannot yeeld , though you would give them all the world they cannot go against that light . but indeed they may search , and it may trouble them that their apprehensions of things should be different from the apprehensions of their brethren , and that they cannot yeeld to that which their brethren yeeld too . it is true , they should be humbled , and suspect their hearts , and look to themselves , and fall down before god and pray , and use all means for advice and counsell , and consider of things again and again . well , but suppose they have done all this , and yet the lord doth not reveale to them any further light , though it be a sad affliction to them yet they must lye down under it , for they cannot yeeld , one known truth is more then all the world , therefore unlesse others will beare with them in their infirmity , they must suffer whatsoever men will lay upon them . true indeed , the world calls this stoutness , and stifnesse , and being wedded to their own opinion . but they know it is otherwise , they can appeal to god and say , lord thou knowest what a sad affliction it is unto me that i cannot see what my brother sees , and that i cannot yeeld to what my brother yeelds to , thou hast hid it from me : i 〈◊〉 wait upon thee till thou shalt reveal it , & in the 〈…〉 and not make disturbances in the places vvhere i come , but pray , 〈…〉 for light , and that thou wouldst incline the 〈◊〉 of my brethren unto me , 〈◊〉 they may not have hard thoughts of do but thus , thou shalt have peace with god , and in thine own heart howsoever . but again marke , judah and israel they shal be gathered together . so soone as any are converted to the faith , they are of a gathering disposition . they desire to gather to the saints presently . every childe of god that is converted is a gatherer , as solomon is called ecclesiastes , so in the greeke , but the hebrew word is interpreted by some a soule gathered , because it is in the faeminine genger . none in the world love good fellowship so much as the saints of god. they fly as doves to their windows , & doves you know use to fly in great flocks , thousands together . the more spirituall any one is , of the more joyning & uniting nature he is . thousands of beames of the sun will meet together in one better then the beams of a candle will doe . the saints of god in the apostles times when they were converted , it is said , they were added to the church , they gathered presently . so in esay . . ( it is an observable place ) ver . . the text saith , they shall bring their brethren as an offering to the lord out of all nations , upon horses , and in chariots , & . in litters . how comes this ? there shall be many that dwell a great way off . they shall not make that their excuse for their not joyning to the people of god , because they are afar off , it is a great journey ; no , but there be horses to be got : but it may be some cannot ride ? then get charets : but some perhaps are so weake that they can neither ride on horses nor in chariots , then they will get litters , and litters you know are to carry weake & sick persons . this shews the intention of spirit that is in the people of god to be gathered to the church , either to be carryed on horses , or in chariots , or in litters , one way or other they will come and joyn themselves to the people of god. for there is the presence of christ , and the protection of christ , and the comunication of christ in their union and communion , and where the carcasse is , there will the eagles resort . o they love alife to be going towards sion , gathering one to another , as in psal . . . they walk from strength to strength , and at last they all appear before god in zion . from strength to strength , that is thus : from one place of the country perhaps there comes halfe a score , or twenty , to go toward zion , and perhaps before they come to such a town or turning , they meet with halfe a score more , & so they grow stronger ; when they are a mile or two further , perhaps they meet with another town coming , and they joyn presently & are stronger , and so they go from strength to strength comfortably together till they come before god in zion they shall appoint themselves one head. although they be multitudes , & be as the sand of the sea , yet this is no great matter , unless they come under one head , & a right head too . it is not multitudes that is a sufficient argument of truth . a multitude coming under one head , under christ as one head , they are the true church . the papists they give this note of the church , universality , that there are so many papists in the world . we must not regard people how 〈…〉 they are , but under what head they are : they shall be gathered undermine head , looke to the head they follow ; for so s. paul tells us that there shall be an apostasie before the revelation of that man of sin , thes . . . and rev. . . . all the world wandred after the beast : and ver . . the dragon gave him his power , and his seat , and great authority : and rev. . . the whore sitteth upon many waters ; & ver . . these many waters are interpreted to be peoples , and multitudes , and nations , and tongues . the whore doth sit upon them , that is , doth use them vilely , and basely , sits upon the very consciences of them in a base manner , as if a whore should sit upon you and keep you under . and who doth she sit upon ? upon peoples and multitudes . it is not an argument then of a true church though they are multitudes , though they be as the sand of the sea , though they be gathered together , for they must be gathered under one head , under christ . secondly , neither is unity a sufficient argument of the verity of the church . they shall be gathered together . they shall be joyned together in one way , with one consent ; yea but if it be not under one head , it is like simeon & levi , brethren in iniquity . it is not enough that we be one , unless we be one in christ ; and that is a blessed union : for a great deale of unity there shall be under antichrist , revel . . . these have one minde ( saith the text ) and they shall give their strength & power to the beast . and chap. . . her sins reach unto heaven . their sins cleave together , and so get up to heaven . a union of persons , and a union of sins there is amongst them . the turks have as little dissention in their religion as any ; they are allunited in one . but well may that garment have no seame , that hath no shape . and a notable place we have in ps . . . . . &c. they have consulted together with one consent , they are confederate against thee . there are two or three things exceeding observable in this scripture about the union of the wicked : first you have ten countreys joyn together against the church ; there is the edomites , the moabites . &c. and it was not by accident that they joyned , but in a deliberate way , they consulted together , and not onely consulted together , but consulted together with one consent , or heartily , for that which is translated there with one consent , the word in the hebrew is , with heart together , their very heart was in the consultation ; but mark , it was against thy hidden ones , so ver . . let them consult together , let ten of them consult together , and consult with their hearts , yet the saints are gods hidden ones . esay . . they shall surely gather together , but not my me ; whosoever shall gather together against thee shal fall forthy sake . my brethren , peace , though we should all desire it , yet so as not to have it too chargeable : peace is then too chargeable when it costs us the losse of any truth . take heed of any such costly peace : there may hand joyn in hand together in wickednes , yet they shal not be unpunished , pro. . . and nah. . . while they are folded together as thorns , they shal be devoured as stubble fully dry . wicked men they are as thorns to prick the people of god , yea they are thorns ●●lded together , there is a peace amongst them : yet though th●● be folded ●●gether , they shall bedevoured , they shal be 〈…〉 division that comes by truth , is beter then the union that comes by 〈…〉 a noble speech of luther , rather then any thing should fall of the kingdome of christ and his glory , let not onely peace 〈◊〉 , but let heaven and earth goe too : so wee should love peace , the sixth lecture hosea . the middle of the . verse . and appoint themselves one head , and they shall come up out of the land . from the tenth verse to the end , you have heard that god promiseth mercy to an israel that he will in time raise up : although for that israel to whom the prophet spake , they shall go into captivity and shall not returne as judah did . secondly , mercy to israel and judah both together , and that first , in the multitude that shall be gathered , secondly , in the excellency of the state of the church at that time above that which was before ; before they were people , but then they shall be sons : thirdly , in the unity of them , israel and judah shall be both gathered together under one head . some time was spent in the last exercise about unity , and the excellency of the unity of the churches ; wherein we laboured to convince you that uniformity in judgement , and practice is not necessary for unity in the churches , for unity of hearts . it is a false principle that runnes in the world , that all men must needs be brought to believe and doe the same thing or else there can be no peace . if we would have light let in to us , we must so prise it as to be willing that in the discussion of truths there should be some hazard of some differences in lesser things . if a man have a house closed on every side with a thick brick-wall , and he is so desirous to keepe his house safe and stronge , that he will rather all his dayes sit in the darke , then be at the trouble to have a hole digged or a few bricks broken to let in any light , wee would accuse that man of folly . it is true indeed , we must not be so desirous of light as to break so much of the wall as to indanger the house , we must keepe that safe ; but yet it is hard to let in light but there will be some bricks taken away , and there must be some trouble . a childe when he sees the work-man with his tooles breaking the wall and making a deale of rubbish , hee thinks he is pulling down the house , but a wise man knows it is but a little trouble for the present to let in light that shall be for the beauty of the house afterward . unity in the churches is lovely . but it must be under one head . they shal be gathered together and appoint themselves one head . agreement in errour is farre worse then division for the sake of truth . better to be divided from men that are erroneous , then to agree with them in the wayes of their arrour . a company gathered without the covenant of peace , without the observance of gods law is a headlesse multitude , saies bernard , it hath much of babylon , but little of jerusalem . what is this head ? i finde both the jewes and divers of the ●●cyents , theodoret , cyrill and others , that would make this head to be zerubbabel , and onely to have reference to the returne of the people from their babylonish captivity . but this certainly cannot be upon these two reasons , to name no more . first , because both israel and judah are here to joyne together and to returne out of the land : there it was judah and not the ten tribes that were delivered from their captivity . secondly , compare this scripture with others that are but a comment upon it , and we shall finde that zerubbabel cannot be meant , ezeck . , and . ( you may reade the chapters at your leasure ) in those chapters wee have expressions such as plainly appeares they are but comments to this text of hosea ( for ezekiel prophesied after hosea did : ) and especially in the . chap. we have a prophesie of the union of all the tribes together , judah and israel , and ver . . david my servant shall be king over them , and ver . . my servant david shall be their prince for ever . that one head that they shall have when they come together shall be david . and so in chap. . ver . . i will set one shepheard over them , and he shall feed them , even my servant david : and ver . , i the lord will be their god and my servant david , not zerubbabel , now by david we are to understand christ cleerly , for so in other palaces , as esay , . . i will give unto you the sure mercies of david , they can onely be meant of the sure mercies of christ , and so it is interpreted by s. paul , acts . . therefore then we conclude certainly this is meant of christ ; and they shall appoint christ to be their head. this is then the first great point that we have in this text , a head-point of divinity indeed , that jesus christ , is the head of the church . and secondly , he shall be so appointed . we shall shew you what the meaning of that is when we come unto it . jesus christ it is he that is the head for the church , and shal appear so hereafter further then now he doth . the church is not a headlesse multitude , it is a community of saints that hath a glorious head. that body cannot be contemptible that hath a head so honourable . it is he that is the brightnesse of the glory of his father , in whom all fulnesse dwelleth , yea , the fulnesse of the godhead bodily . it is he by whom all things consists , that is the beginning of all things , he that is the head of angels themselves , col. . . you are compleat in him which is the head of all principality & power . the head of angels , how ? first , because the angels are joyned together with the church , and are part of the church triumphant , and so christ is their head. secondly , yea the angels have influence from him . that grace which they have from god , which is beyond naturals ; it is from christ , for christ is canalis gratiae , the channel of grace from god. their establishment in their condition it is from christ , for it is not due to them in a natural way , yea the glor● they 〈…〉 with the church , it is above that which is due to their naturals , and 〈…〉 from christ . . h●● the head of all men , cor. . . the head of every man is christ . the head of every man , how ? what are all men in the world the body of christ ? if he be the head , then it seemes they are all the members . no , though christ be the head of angels , yet angels are not said to be members of him , yea in the same place of the corinths , god is said to be the head of christ , and yet christ is not a member of god. so that he may be the head of every man , and yet every man not a member of christ . the head of every man in regard of that superiority that christ hath over every man , and some kinde of influence even from christ commeth to every man ; he inlightneth every man that comes into the world . thirdly , yea , hee that is the head of his people , of his church , is the head of al things . ephe. . . god hath given him to be head of all things to the church . mark it , it is a most admirable place , that christ is the head of all things . but how ? to the church , for the sake of the church , as ayming at the good of the church especially . sure it is the honour of the church to have such a head , that is thus the brightenesse of his fathers glory , the head of angels , the head of every man , the head of all things for the good of his church . and as their honour consisteth in it , so secondly it is their strength . christ is the head of the church in regard of the strength that the church hath by him . an oppressed multitude cannot help it selfe if they have no head , but if god shall please to give them strength and a head , and that in a legall way , if they have hearts they may deliver themselves from oppression , this god hath done for us ; if therefore god doth not vote us to misery and slavery , if we be not a people given up of god to ruine , we may have help . the church is a communion of saints oppressed here in the world , their strength is in heaven , it is in their head , that hath received all power to exercise for them , in him is their strength , to him do they cleave , for him they blesse god even the father , because he is their strength . thirdly , he is their head because the saints do hold all upon christ , all that they have they hold in capite , as the best tenure of all , the tenure upon which the saints hold all their comfort all their good in this world , it is in another way then other men hold it : other men have what they have through the bounty and patience of god ; but the saints hold all in capite , in their head , in christ , in the right they have in him . fourthly , their head , because their safety is in him : though the church , all the members be under water , yet all is safe when the head is above water , our head is in heaven . it is a speech of luthers ; he saith he was even as a devil to them they did so accuse him , but let christ live and raign , christ is above , the head is above water . fifthly , their head in regard of his compassion to his church and people . the meanest member here below , if wronged , christ is sensible of it . when but the toe is trodden upon , the head cryes why doe you hurt me ? christ the head cryes , saul , saul , why persecutest thou me ? and observe , the meaner and poorer the members of christ are here in the church , the more is christ sensible of their sorrowes and afflictions , and the more will he appeare for them , when he shall appear a head yet more gloriously then ever he hath done . for this that forenamed place ezek. . from the . ver to the . is very notable . you shall finde there christ is said to be one shepheard to his people and a prince to them ; but mark what is promised , that he will binde up the broken , and bring back again that which was driven away , and strengthen that which was sick , but as for the fat of the flock and the strong he well destroy them , and feed them with judgement ; and he will judge between cattell and cattell , between the rams and the hee-goats , he will judge between the fat and the leane cattell ; he will judge those that thrust with side & with shoulder , and push at the diseased with their horns , untill they have scattered the sheep abroad . when christ shall appeare , he will not shew such respect to the jolly spirits of those that were in the church , to your brave , stout , jolly hearts , that would carry all before them with force ; no , he will looke to the poor of the flocke , and those that thrust with the side , and pushed with the hornes , and scattered the poor , and the leane ; they shall be judged . my brethren , have you not known times when stout-hearted and cruel-hearted men have thrust with the side , and pushed with the horne , and scattered up and down in divers countreys thousands of the weake ones & tender conscioned christians ? vvell , but here is a promise , that christ our head will come , and he shall be one shepheard , and he shall shew his tender affection toward the poor afflicted of the flocke , he shall take away from the land the evill beasts , as you have it there in the . vers . he is the head in regard of his compassion . sixthly , christ is their head in regard of guidance and direction . the body is to be moved and guided by the head : so all truths , all doctrines of religion must hold on christ ; they hold on christ in capite , colos . . . the apostle rebuking worshipping of angels and other false opinions , he saith , that they did not hold of the head ; all doctrines in the church therefore must hold of the head , and must not be obtruded upon the church , but as they come from the head and hold there . seventhly , and that principally , and which we must stick upon a while , which is intended here in the text most of all . christ is the head in regard of his rule , in regard of his government ; and therefore he that is called one head here is called a prince in those two forenamed chapters , ezek and . it would spend time needlesly to shew you in scripture how governours are called heads , that i suppose you are all acquainted with . this therefore is the maine thing that we are now to open unto you , how christ is the head of the church in regard of his rule and government . there are many things of concernment in this point . i shall desire to decline what possibly i may , all things that are controversall , especially with our brethren , & only speak of what i think for the present you are fit to beare first then , there are four 〈…〉 especially of the government of christ in his church , for which he is to be accounted the head . first , all offices and officers in the church hold upon christ and are from him as from the head . as ( you know ) it is in a civill body , the offices of a civill state holds of the king ; holds upon him in a legall way , the power of the king being regular , it regulateth all power in all other officers ; that which is done , is done ( you know ) in the name of the king. so all the officers & offices in the church , are in the name of christ , they all hold on him . first , that there can be no officer nor offices in the church , but such as christ himselfe hath appointed , for they must hold of him , they must be by institution . i beseech you observe the difference between officers in a civill state , and officers in a church . a civill state because it directly reacheth but to the outward man , hath liberty to appoint what officers it please according to the rules of prudence and justice ; to appoint more or lesse according to the necessity of the country & place . but it is not so in the church , there we have no liberty to goe according to the rules of prudence meerly , to erect any office , because we think it may make for the good and peace of the church ; i say , therefore to erect any new office that is not erected before in the word , we have not that liberty , we cannot do it , we are too bold if we shall do it , for such an office will not hold of the head. in the state none can erect new offices ; new courts , but the supreame power , the supreame legislative power ; so in the church , none can erect new offices , but onely from the head. in the civill state god leaveth a great deale of liberty ; there may be change of officers , those that are good now , perhaps they may seem not to be so fit afterwards , and those that are in one country may not be so fit for another . but the officers of the church they must be all the same in all places , where they can be had , and no more but those that are appointed by christ . again , further , the difference between the civill state and church state in their offices and officers is this : the civill state may limit their officers as they think fit . they may choose one into an office , but he shall goe but so far , he shall have power but in so many things , this shall be the object of his power , when he is come hither , there he shall stop , though he that was before him had more power , yet he that comes after him may not have that power , the civill state may limit that , if they see it fit . but now in the church state it cannot be so . and upon this ground , because they hold upon the head. indeed the men that beare any office in the church , are designed unto it by the church , but they doe not hold of the church , they hold of christ the head , therefore it is not in the power of the church to limit them being in it , but they must go to the word , for their office once taken upon them , ( whether it be the office of teachers or of pastors ) they cannot then be limited by any power , but what the word saith is the office of a teacher or of a pastor , that they must doe ; they cannot have the rule so propounded to them , as , you shall go but thus far , and you shall do so much of the office of a teacher and no more , but when they are once 〈◊〉 they are in without any limitation of the power of their office : it is onely from christ the head. yea further , in a civill state there may be alteration , raising the dignity of the office , and making of it lower then before ; but in the church no such thing , the officers of the church are alwayes the same , no raising , no depressing , why ? because they hold upon the head. others depend upon mans prudence , but these are institutions by christ , and hold of the head. . christ is the head in regard of rule , because all ordinances hold on christ too , and all lawes . i will put both together , ordinances and laws , and institutions do hold upon christ the head. it is not in the liberty of man to erect any new spirituall ordinance in the church , no nor to make laws in the church that are spiritual , that shall tend to the spirits of men , ( according as i shall open it by and by . ) no new ordinance , no new institution can be in the church . in the civil state there may be thousands of new institutions . i call that an institution that hath an efficacy in it for the attaining of such an end by vertue of the institution , not by vertue of any naturalnesse that is in the thing . as for example to instance in divine institutions . the sacrament is an institution , and therefore is a virtue , a spirituall efficacy to be expected from that and by that , through the strength of the institution more then it hath in it in any naturall way . so in preaching the word , and ecclesiastical censures , there is more to be expected , more efficacy to worke upon the soule , for the spiritual man , by virtue of the institution , then there is in the natural things that are done there . so for lawes . christ makes a law in the church , it being an institution there is to be expected a spiritual efficacy and virtue to goe along together , with that thing that christ commandeth , beyond what it had before it was commanded . now then in rhis way no man in the world can make any church institution , no , nor law for the church , so as to appoint any thing , to have any spirituall efficacy by vertue of that institution beyond what it hath in a natural way . we must take heed of being so bold , that when christ hath made an institution , an ordinance , and revealed it to us , for us to think we may imitate christ and make another ordinance , or another institution like that , because christ hath done so , because we finde such a thing in the word therefore we may do so too ; no , this is too bold , this is to set our post by gods post , for which the lord did charge the people , ezek. . . in esay . . it is said , the lord is our judge , the lord is our law-giver , the lord is our king in this thing . but yet you will say , how is that opened further ? ( for indeed it needeth opening ) that there can be no new institution , nor no new law made in this sense , but all must hold of christ ? for the opening of that i shall afterward come to speake more fully about the power of governours and what their authority is , but thus much for the present . vve are to consider that there are some things belonging to the church ( i beseech you observe ) that are common with all other societies , 〈…〉 to them , that is natural and civill , and there 〈…〉 ●●wer of man may come in , there the 〈…〉 may order things . those things i say that belong to the church , that yet are not so proper , but belong to other societies too , there mans reason may come in . as for instance . first , a church is a spiritual society and community , they must meete together , and if they do meet they must meet in some place : this is common to all societies in the world , if they will meet they must meet in a place . yea secondly , if they meet in a place ; this place must be determined where it shall be . this also is common to all societies . thirdly , this likewise is common to them with all other societies , that what they do in that place must be done decently & in order , all things ought to be managed in an orderly decent way . as if there be many things to be done , one thing must be before another , one thing must not exclude another ; if they come together , they must come together as befitting men in a decent way . therefore that rule of the apostle , let all things be done decently and in order , it is not properly an institution , it is nothing but the dictate of right reason , so that if we had never found such a sentence , such a maxime in scripture , as let all things be done decently and in order , it had beene a truth that we were bound in conscience to . again , if men will come and meet together , it is natural and common to all societies , that they should be decent in their garments and otherwise . but then you will say , when commeth it to an institution ? i meane an institution that is forbidden , that none must meddle withall , that is proper to christ . thus , when any man shall by virtue of any law , any imposition , put more into the thing then god , or then nature hath put into it , when they shall make their institution to put any efficacy into it for the worship of god more then god hath , this we call sinfull . as for instance suppose we should instance onely in garments . that all that meetes together in christian assemblies , should meet decently in decent garments , ministers and others , the light of nature tells us , and there may be law if men will be refractory to compell them unto it , to meet so as they may meet decently in regard of their garments . but now if it come thus far , that we leave natural decency , and such or such a garment shall be made decent for gods worship because it is appointed , whereas if it were not appointed it would not be decent at all . when i say all the decency doth not depend upon what god hath put into it , or what is natural to it , but depends meerly upon the institution of man , for take away that institution it would not be decent ; as in some kinde of garments , put case men were left to their freedome , that there were no institution , i put it to your consciences whether it would be decent to weare them : if it would not be decent , then it seems it is the institution that puts all upon it ; and now here we must take heed . this then puts more upon that creature then nature or the god of nature hath put upon it , then in way of common prudence ( i say were it not for an institution , that seemes to go further , that seemes to intrench upon an ordinance ) would be done . further , there is more put upon 〈◊〉 then nature hath put into it , when there shall be expected by vertue of an institution , some kinde of spiritual efficacy to worke upon the soul , then it comes to be sinfull . as thu when that creature by virtue of the institution , and appointment shall be made , and esteemed , or accounted of more effectual to stirre up my mind , or to signifie such a thing , as purity or holynesse , then another creature that hath as much in it naturally to signifie the same thing , and to stirre up my minde ; this is to imitate gods institution , which is too much boldnesse in any man. as , when god doth appoint a thing in his church , a ceremony or the like , he will take some thing that hath a resemblance to put men in minde of such a holy thing , that hath some kinde of metaphor or likenesse in it . but when god hath taken this creature and separated it from others , this creature must be expected to have more efficacy to signifie the thing to my soul , and to stiree up my soul to think of his holinesse , then any creature in the world not so appointed , though other creatures have as much in them naturally to do it . this is gods institution . now mans institution , that cometh neere to gods , where there is a setting our post by his post , is when man shal take one creature from thousands of others , and all those thousands have as much in them naturally , and put into them by god , to put me in minde of holynesse , and to stirre up my heart ; now this creature shall be separated from the rest , and by virtue of an institution put upon it , there shall be expected more efficacy in this to stir up my mind , and to draw my heart nearer to god then other creatures that onely do it in a natural way , here i say is intrenching upon that which belongeth to the government of christ . therefore i beseech you my brethren be not mistaken in this , because i know you are ordinarily led by that speech of the apostle , let all thinge be , done decently and in order . understand it aright , it is true we must do so and it is a sin , not to do things decently and in order , in the worship of god : but this doth not at all countenance any institution of mans when it comes to be spiritual , to draw the heart nearer unto god , or god nearer unto the heart , by virtue of mans separation of it from common use . i might instance in other things , in places , that there should be a convenient place for gods worship , the light of nature will tell us : but when any man shall set one place aside separated from another , and shall make the worship of god to be better , and have more efficacy to draw men nearer unto god , or god nearer unto men , then another place that hath as much natural decency and fitness in it as that place hath ; here it commeth to have the evil . by these few instances you may judge of all things , when they do come to be institutions in gods worship , and beyond the rule of the apostle , let all things be done decently and in order , this is the second thing of christs government , that all ordinances , all lawes in the church must hold on him the head. the third thing in christs government in the church is , that those laws that he makes for the ordering and government of his church , do not onely hold on him 〈…〉 such a virtue and efficacy in them comming from the head , that they do binde the consciences of men , because they come from him that is the head of the church , they do lay bonds upon consciences , and that primarily in another way , and more efficaciously then any law of any man in the world can . yea they lay such a bond upon conscience , that though a thing be commanded that hath no other reason for the command but meerly the will of christ , and that we cannot see to what other good the thing doth tend , but meerly because christ will have it , yet we are bound to obey , yea and that in secret ; yea so farre as the rule goeth , wee are bound to do what is required by it , though wee should suffer never so much prejudice to our selves . here is the binding power of christ in binding conscience . but there is no law of man doth in this way bind conscience , perhaps these things , with some others that are to be delivered may at the first naming of them seeme to be somewhat tickle points : yet i know there is a necessity , and a kinde of absolute necessity to informe the consciences of men in them , especially in these times , and because they fall so full here in my way i could not out of conscience omit them : and yet still if you diligently observe , i hope we shall carry on all so as to speake modestly and yet safely and fully too . i say therefore , the lawes of men are different from the lawes of christ . it is a part of the head-ship of christ to lay bonds upon the conscience . but what will you say then to that text of scripture ( i suppose it is in every one of your thoughts , and would be ready in every one of your mouthes if you were from the assembly ) rom. . let every soul be subject to the higher powers ; for there is no power but of god. whosoever resisteth the power , resisteth the ordinance of god , and they that resist , shall receive to themselves damnation . yea ver . . you must be subject not out of feare of wrath , but for conscience sake . this text seemes to imply that the lawes of men do binde the conscience ; and we finde it by experience how this is urged by many upon every thing , there is no kinde of institution of man whatsoever ( except we can apparently shew , it is contrary to the word of god ) but they thinke by virtue of this text the consciences of men are bound ; and so they flie upon men , that they are not men of conscience , that they will not obey authority . in that they doe not submit to authority , they sin against their consciences , &c. you shall have many men that will jeere at those that are so conscionable in gods commands that seeme to be but little things ( and in themselves are little things ) oh they dare not disobey because they are bound in conscience , they will jeere at the scrupulosity of their consciences there . but when it comes to mans commands , then they must obey in the least thing whatever it be , though in its own nature it be never so indifferent ; yet they must obey for conscience sake . i shall desire as fully and as cleerly as i am able , to satisfie consciences in this very thing . to open therefore that scripture unto you . first , you must observe , that every one is bound to be subject to the higher powers : ( mark ) it is not to the man first , but it is to the power : let every soule be subject to the higher power , where ever this power lyeth . it is not to the will of a man that hath power , but it is to the power of that man. now the power , the authority is that , that man hath in a legall way . the first must be understood . secondly , we must consider in what they must be subject : the laws of men are of three sorts . some perhaps command that which is simply unlawfull , that we all yeeld the scripture doth not binde us to be subject , there we must obey god rather then man. but secondly , there are other things that are commanded , that are lawfull , and they are of two sorts . either such things as do tend by the rules of justice and prudence to the publique good , to the good of the community of which we are members : and there we are bound to obey for conscience sake . but still this not according to that obedience we owe to christ our head , this is secondarily , not primarily , because commanded by man , but because the rules of justice and prudence doth require this for the publique good , of which we are a community ; and then because there commeth a law of christ to us to walk and live according to the rules of justice and prudence : so wee are bound for conscience in those things , but not primarily , and so they cannot be said to bind conscience , so as christs lawes do . there are other things that are commanded by man ( and that especially concerns our question ) and these are such things as indeed are neither here nor there for the common , for the publique good , the good of the community doth not at all depend upon them , and there is nothing in them but meerly the satisfaction of the wills of those that are in authority above us . now here is the question , how far those laws bind men , and bind conscience ? indeed many poor christians that are conscientious have been extreamly snared in these things . to that i answer : that though such things should be commanded to be done , yet it they be not done . ) so be it they be not omitted out of contempt , nor so as may bring scandall upon the authority that doth enjoyne them ; and those that doe omit them shall patiently and willingly submit to what punishment the law of the land shall require ) in such things this mans conscience shall not , nor need not bind him over to answer before god , that he hath sinned against that rule , you will say , how do you prove that ? how doth it appeare ? for that must needs be made out . i vvill make it appeare from the text , from the nature of subjection that is required in the text , and from reason . first , this text here in rom , . giveth this as the ground why we are to be subject , because ( saith the text , ver . . ) he is the minister of god for thy good . so that that which is the speciall ground of our subjection , is , because they that are in place are ministers for our good . but here is then an abuse of their power , if they will command what is not indeed tending to the good of the publique , but meerly the satisfaction of their own mindes . but suppose it be an abuse , the text saith we must be subject . 〈…〉 you must do the thing for conscience 〈…〉 be subject , we must not resist , but be subject : the words are , we must be subordinate for conscience sake , ( so it may be translated ) here is all that is required , that i must be subordinate and not resist , that is , though there be a thing commanded by authority , though this authority should be abused , yet i may not resist , i must be subject . if then out of that reverent respect i have to authority , though i do not doe the thing , yet i doe not forbeare out of contempt : it is a thing exceedingly prejudiciall unto me , and it is not for the common good , but yet i am so carefull that authority shal not be despised that i will keep it secret . i will not refuse to do it , so as shall be ascandall upon authority . and yet further , if authority shall so far urge upon me as to inflict punishment because i do not do it , i will patiently beare it . now when these three things are done , here is that subordination to authority that the apostle in that scripture requires . and the reason why this of necessity must be granted , is , because otherwise all the christian liberty that the scripture so much speakes of , may be utterly taken away in regard of the practice , that it is in the power of man wholly to deprive us of it . this scripture cannot be so understood , that all that liberty we have in all things in their own nature indifferent should be so under the power of men , as that we for the practice , and for our conscience too must be tyed that we cannot have liberty , no not in secret , certainly that is that which is against the judgement of all orthodox divines of the reformed churches . but it may be said , who shall be judge whether things be tending to the publicke good yea or no ? will you take upon you to judge your self ? to that the answer is thus plainly , that indeed those that are appointed by law have the power to judge legally , and authoritatively to judge so as to bind others . but every man hath liberty so far as concerns his owne act to judge at his perill . and that a two-sold perill , first at his perill , lest he judging himself should sinne against god in this , that he should judge that not good for the publique , which indeed is good ; that he should perhaps judge that to be of an indifferent nature that justice and prudence requireth of him : here he mis-judgeth at his perill , hee sinneth against the lord , against the rules of justice and prudence , and indangereth his own soul if he goe amisse in this . secondly , if he mis-judge it is at his perill that comes by the lawes of men , that he is in danger then to suffer what the laws of men shall inflict upon him : and so submitting this way , his conscience may have some ease ; and yet no gap open at all to liberty , or any disturbance to any lawfull authority for all this . this is necessary for men to know that they may understand aright how to answer that question about lawes binding of conscience . you heare it is the prerogative of christ our head , so to be our law-giver , so as to lay bonds upon conscience in such a manner as no man can doe the like . that is the third . fourthly , christ is the head of the church ( in regard of some ) even personally , so as to come and rule in the world in a glorious manner personally , and so they thinke this may be interpreted , that christ shall be a head ( how said to be appointed , we shall speake of when we come unto it ) that he shall come personally , and rule and governe things even in this world . as christ in his own person did exercise his priestly and propheticall offices , so they thinke in his own person he shall exercise his kingly power & office . which opinion , because the further discussion of it , i suppose generally you are not able to beare yet , therefore in modesty i will forbeare , and though out of modesty i shal for the present forbeare , yet out of conscience i dare not altogether deny it , but so we will leave it , to see what trueth may be in this , we must expect to have light let in by degrees . in these four things then we have the rule of christ , three determined of , the fourth only propounded , which christ in time will shew further light unto us in . christ is then the head. now from all this there followes three consequences that are very usefull . . hence we learne that the seeking after the right government of christ in his church is not a light matter , it doth concern the head-ship of christ . . by what hath been said we shal come to be instructed to know what is properly antichristian and what not . . wee shall come to have light how far the king may be said to be head of the church . these things you will finde needfull for conscience to be informed in , & i shal carry them on too i hope with modesty , fulness , & safety , first , i say it followes from hence that it is not a light matter to seeke after the right government of christ in his church , it concerns a head-ship of christ . the head-ship of christ in a speciall manner consisteth in that there are some other things in which it doth consist , which perhaps may be spoken of hereafter , but here in this place especially that . indeed in the primitive times there the greatest contention was about the doctrines of religion , what doctrines should hold upon christ and what not , and the people of god did there suffer most for contending about the doctrines that held upon christ the head , they would not receive a doctrine but what held on christ , and what was obrtuded upon them , not holding upon christ the head they did reject . and luther upon this place hath this speech , he tells us how much the church in after time did suffer for this very thing , and saith , what kinde of dangers did inviron the church , and do inviron it for acknowledging christ to be the head , these our times doe sufficiently testifie . and further , because we preach christ to be the whole head , therefore we are subject to anathemas , and to all kinde of punishment . and in these latter times it is like that the great contention will be , rather about the head-ship of christ in the point of his government then in the other , the other being so cleare unto us ; and the sufferings of the people of god will be so much the more grievous , because that this is accounted such a little thing , such a poor businesse : and further , because this doth not seem to be altogether so clearely revealed in the scripture , as other doctrinall points that hold upon christ the ●ead . and christ the rather hath so disposed of things , that this shall not be so clearly revealed , because he intended to suffer antichrist to rise to his height : and it cannot be imagined that if the doctrine of christs government in his church had beene clearly and demonstratively laid down , so as there could have beene no gain-saying of it , i say it cannot be imagined how it is possible for antichrist to have risen to that height that he hath ; christ because hee intended to bring about many passages of his providence , and many great workes of his that way in suffering antichrist to arise ; therefore he hath left this point so in the word as is subject to many doubts , and may occasion many objections against it . but the nearer the time comes for antichrist to fall , the more clearly this shall be revealed . secondly , by this that hath beene said we may learne what to account antichristianisme , and what not : for there are many amongst us that cry out against every thing that displeaseth them , that it is antichristianisme , that it is antichristianisme , and yet understand but very little what antichristianisme is . but by this that hath beene said , you must know that antichristianisme is not every errour : it is true in a large sense antichrist is as much as against christ , and so every sin , every errour is against christ , and in antichristianisme , if you take it so . but you are to know the scripture speakes of the antichrist , and of antichristianisme in a speciall acceptation . what is that ? this my brethren is antichristianisme , that which shall oppose christ as a head , and set up another head-ship ; here is the propriety of antichrist and antichristianisme ; as in all those foure things named before . first , vvhosoever shall obtrude any doctrine upon the church to be believed , by their own authority , he is guilty of antichristianisme , not whosoever shall preach or hold an error in the church . but when any shall presume to obtrude upon the church , any doctrine that holds upon humane authority , to be urged upon the authority of those that do impose it , this i say is properly antichristianisme , for it doth oppose christ in his head-ship . secondly , the intrusion of such offices and officers in the church as meerly belonging to the spirituall man , such as are properly church offices , that do not hold upon christ the head , but only hold upon them , this is antichristianisme . thirdly , the imposing of any ordinance , any new institutions that are , as hath been opened , upon the church , belongeth to antichristianisme . fourthly , the imposing of lawes so to bind conscience as the lawes of christ do , here is antichristianisme . this is antichristianisme , and that not onely because these things are directly against the head-ship of christ , but because these things doe set up another head too ; and so the word antichrist may signifie as well for one to be in stead of christ ( for so 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , the greeke signifieth , sometime as well , for , as against as of his fulness we receive grace for grace , it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , in the greeke , grace for grace ) so antichrist is one that shall set up h●mselfe as head of the church in stead of christ , one that shall clayme unto himselfe that head-ship that is proper to jesus christ , and not to be communicated to any from jesus christ . this is antichristianisme . now the apostle faith that there were many antichrists in his time , and this mystery of ungodlinesse , of inquity did worke then ; but now it comes to grow to a height in that great antichrist of rome , ( for you know ) in these foure are the speciall things wherein he is the antichrist ; because hee obtrudes doctrines , articles of faith upon the church by his owne authority ; he makes all offices of the church to hold on him ; and appointeth lawes , ordinances and institutions likewise to hold on him ; and claymeth the binding of consciences , so as is proper to jesus christ . and all those that hold thus on antichrist , and are thus abettors of him in these things , these are guilty of this greatsinne of antichristianisme . that for your right information about the sin of antichristianisme . the third consequence . you say christ is the head , but you know the king is called the head of the church , in what sense are we to understand that ? or how may we come to understand aright that oath that is given , of supremacie . these things ( my brethren ) are necessary for information of conscience , and the burthen lyes upon us to make out these things as cleare to you as we can , that you may go along with the more freedome of spirit and conscience in your way , and yet give every one their right too . you are to know that the oath of supremacy came into england thus : in the time of popery , the pope claymed unto himselfe the head-ship of the church : he being excluded , then came in that oath to acknowledge the king or queene the head of the church . but now you must know , first , that this title , the head of the church , as it hath been attributed to the king , hath been much abused , and it hath given some advantage to our adversaries , for the king is not the head of the church , neither as christ is , nor as the pope claymed it : not as christ : christ is the head to governe unlimitedly . no limits or bounds are set to the government of christ , but only his owne minde , his owne will. it is not so with any prince in the world , he is not so the head to governe . but all governours have a two-fold limit ; they are limited by lawes of god , they are limited by the lawes of man too . neither is he the head , as the pope challengeth unto himselfe , how is that ? you will say . in the fore-named foure things , the pope challengeth holding of doctrines , and holding of offices , and the like , upon him . offices do not so hold upon any governours , upon the king or others , as the pope challengeth to hold upon him . how doth he challenge them to hold upon him ? thus , that all are in him virtually , and so to be derived from him to others . and indeed in a 〈◊〉 part do many of our prelates say that 〈…〉 : that is , that all the offices hold on 〈…〉 , and ●o goe from them unto others : and hence it is they account all other ministers but their curats , and they must not pray but as they will , and do nothing but what they will , why ? because they are but them substitutes , as if all offices were virtually in them , and so came from them unto others ; whereas every office in the church , even the meanest , holds upon christ the head. now it is true , in the civill state in some sense it may he said that the officers of the common-wealth are in a kinde virtually in the king , he being the supreame , but you must not thinke that all are thus virtually in him in church affaires , for if they were virtually in him , then he could himself dispence those things that others by virtue of their office , can but that he cannot , as to give the sacrament and the like . but how is he the head then , or in what sense may we quiet our consciences in acknowledging the king to be the head of the church ? onely thus he is said to be the head , because he is the supreame to govern in a civill way , not onely the civill state , but even affaires that belong to the church too . we doe not deny the power of princes even in affaires that belong to the church . and because he is the supreame in that civill power , to governe in a civill way by civill laws , so as to see christ not dishonoured , so as to keepe out idolatry , to protect the church , to punish enormities that are there , to defend it from enemies . in that sense he is said to be the head , but that title of supreame governor being understood in a civil way is more proper . to make that a little out unto you ; that there is some supremacy in this , not onely in the civill state but in church affaires : for wee must not exclude the king quite out of all church affaires , as some would do , no we doe not ; but though we would informe your consciences aright , yet wee would not by any meanes take away any lawfull power god hath put into him . now that he hath power even in church affaires , there are many reasons that fully move me to be perswaded in it . the first that i shall name , i think it will least prevail ( though it be the most ordinary ) with them that make most doubt of it , therefore i will not stand upon it , only name it . we know that all along among the jews in the time of the old testament , the governours there , and kings and princes had power in affaires that belong to the church as well as to the state. but this i say i doe not think to be the greatest strength in this point , especially to p●●swade them that make any scruple of it , they will us that the power there was but tipicall and the like , and sobindeth not now . there are therefore other reasons that perswade the same thing . the first is this , because i finde that in the prophets , where wee have a prophesie of the state of the church in the times of the gospel . god doth promise that he will make kings to be their nursing fathers , and queens to be their nursing mothers . now if they be to be nursing fathers of the church , surely they must have some influence by their power into it . secondly , that place in rom. . spealtes indifferently and faith , he is the minister for thy good . it doth not say for thi● ; good or that good , 〈◊〉 this civill good or ecclesiastical good , but he is the minister for thy good , for all good unto thee so farre as his power can reach . it is a hard thing you know ( if men will put us unto it ) to shew in the new testament the power that kings had , because there was then no king but heathens , yet saith he , they are ministers for thy good , and speakes to christians . but thirdly , and that which yet may seeme to have more in it , i finde this in the new testament that saint paul when he was accused by his brethren in matters of religion , hee did appeal unto caesar . act. . . who was a heathen magistrate , his accusation was in matters of religion , in questions about their law , and about one jesus that was dead , whom paul affirmed to be alive . and yet in his answer to those things he appealeth unto caesar , therefore there is somewhat that caesar hath to doe in over-looking of the affaires of the church , that concerns the wayes of religion . but you will say , how can he be a competent judge ? can caesar a heathen be a competent judge in matters of religion ? is it possible ? or suppose that a governour be wicked , can he be a competent judge in matters of religion ? i answer , the wickednesse of a governour , though he be a heathen , yet loseth not his power , he hath still a true and a lawfull power ; yea he hath some oversight of things that concerne church affaires . how can that be ? christianity gives not the authority , but enables to execute that authority , a heathen magistrate hath authority , it is his duty to see that christians be not wronged , and if he doth not it is his sin , but if he becomes a christian , he is the better able to do what he ought , but this puts not the power into him . but if a man be wicked , and understands not the things of the church , how can he be a judge ? thus , though the king be not a competent judge of the principles upon which the church goes , whether right or no , he hath not skill to do that being such a one : yet he may have ability to judge betweene man and man , whether one to the other doth wrong yea or no , and that in matters of religion . as thus ; though he doth not think the principles upon which they go to be right , yet he can judge whether according to those principl● they doe right one to another , whether according to their principles , they doe not wrong one the other . and this is a great matter to be able to judge and to punish with civill punishment when any of the church wrongs his brother against the principles that himselfe doth professe . as for example , though he be not a physitian , he doth not understand the difference between the poyson and a wholesome medicine , yet when things are brought before him , he may be a competent judge , by evidence so as to condemne a physitian that hath poysoned a man instead of giving of him wholsome physick . and that objection against his competency in judging in the affairs of the church hath no more power then if it should have been objected that hee must not judge upon a physitian , whether he hath poysoned a man or no , because he himself is not a physitian . thus wee have done with these three consequents that follow upon the opening of the headship of christ in point of his government . and now we see more clearly how christ is head & none but christ , & what glory we are to give to christ as the head of the church . there is one thing more belongs to the head-ship of christ which must not be passed by , though it be not so fully aymed at in the text as what hath already been said , and that is the influence of spiritual life , that comes unto the church by christ the head , as the animall spirits come from the head to the members . and this is the very reason , first , why grace in the saints is of such a beautifull and glorious nature as it is , because it comes from christ the head . secondly , this is the reason of that power and efficacy that there is of grace in the saints , because it comes from christ the head . thirdly , this is also the reason why grace in the saints is of such an everlasting nature , and that beyond that of adam . it hath more beauty then the grace adam had , and it hath more power and efficacy then the grace adam had , and it is of a more everlasting nature then that was , upon this ground , because the grace of the saints holdeth upon christ the head , & hath an influence from christ , god-man in a speciall and peculiar way , such an influence as adam had not . this is the excellency of grace in the saints . and to conclude this point of the head-ship of christ . the rather hath god the father thus advanced christ to be the head , because he was willing to stoop so low , to be as a worme under foot , for so he saith of himself , psal . . . i am a worme , and no man. christ was low in his own eyes , and submitted himself to such a condition , and now behold the father hath advanced him , for so it is said , ephes . . . god hath made him head over all things , hath made him head over principalities , and powers , and dominions , over angels , and over all men and all things in the church , hath advanced him to this high and glorious dignity , we see somewhat of it now , and we shall see more gloriously the head-ship of christ hereafter . in this god the father doth shew that as he hath dealt with his sonne , so he is willing to deale with the members of his son , in a proportion . his son that was willing to be so low and under foot , is now advanced to such a high glory that all must stoop , and yeeld , and submit unto him . let us be willing to lye low , and though it be under foot , to be troden upon by the wicked and ungodly of the world ; though we cannot expect to be advanced to be head , yet we may expect to be advanced to glory & dignity . you know what god said to saul , sam. . when thou wert little in thine own eyes then i made thee king. the lesse any of us are in our own eyes , the more are we like to be advanced by god , for god wlll observe a proportion between his dealings with christ the head , and his dealings with all his members . the seventh lecture hosea . . the latter part of the verse and appoint themselves one head , and they shall come up out of the land for great shall be the day of jezreel . they shall [ appoint ] themselves one head. ephes . . . it is said , god gave christ to be head over all things to the chnrch. how then it is said here that they shall [ appoint ] to themselves one head ? it is true , god the father hath advanced his son , and extolled him above all things , and hath given him to be head over all : but yet when the church , when the saints shall choose this christ to be their head , when they shall come in freely , and willingly submit themselves unto christ , lifting him up above all , honoring his ordinances , laws , institutions , depending upon him for light ; they are said to appoint christ to be their head. as , though gods eternal decree hath made himself to be the god of his saints , yet when the saints do choose god to be their god , god doth account himselfe to be made their god by them : they make god to be their god in choosing of him . so though christ by the father be appointed to be the head over all , yet the act of the church in choosing christ , and comming to him freely , and submitting unto him as to the head , is accounted even an appointing of christ to be head. this is that happy work which the saints have been doing , and which we are to doe , and they will doe to the end of the world , appointing christ a head. though there be some speciall time that this text hath reference unto ( of which by and by ) yet in all ages of the church , when the saints doe choose christ to be their head , they are said to appoint him . let us joyne in this blessed work , an honourable work for creatures to appoint the lord jesus to be head over them . let us say as hushai did in another case , sam. . . him whom the lord , and this people , & all men of israel choose for king , his will i be , and with him will i abide . so , he whom god the father shall give to be head over all things , him whom the saints have in all times chosen for their head , it is he that shall be our head and our king , his will we be , and with him will we abide . let us give christ the preheminence above all , prizing his government , his ordinances above all the comforts we have in this world , psa . . if i prefer not jerusalem above my chiefe joy , the words are in the o●●nal , if i make not jerusa●●● 〈◊〉 ●end above the head of my joy ; whatsoever is high in our thoughts , as a head , let christ be above it ; christ in his ordinances must be above the head of our joy . for otherwise he is not a head unto us . if you invite a man of quality to your table , though you provide never such chear for him , yet if you should set any people of meane quality above him , he would not regard all your courtesies . when you tender up any thing unto christ , when you seeme to entertaine him with the greatest respect , yet if there be any thing you set above him , especially if a vile lust be set above him , he cares not for all your entertainment . we read in that col. . . ( the place we made use of in opening the former point ) that there were some blamed for not holding of the head ; what is that ? because they gave more honour to angels then was due unto them . it is spoken about the worshipping of angels , though never such glorious creatures , yet by over-prizing they come , not to hold of the head. what , is the giving undue honour to angels enough to take us off from christ the head ? certainly then the prostrating our selves before our vile and base lusts , doth much more take us off from holding christ to be the head. let us look at all the offices and ordinances of christ , as holding upon him the head ( as you heard before ) that so we may have a more reverent esteem of them . let us depend upon him for influence of life , and not depend upon means . let us manifest in our conversation the spirit and life that wee have received from such a head as christ is , that we may not be a dishonour to this our head . i remember chrysostome in his comment upon that first of the ephesians , sayes , in this regard wee must be better then angels , yea greater then arch-angels , and he hath three most excellent expressions about this , that christians should take heed of dishonouring christ their head. first , saith he , suppose a man had a precious diadem upon his head , or a crown of gold , that would be some argument unto him to make him take heed of doing things unworthy of that ornament that is upon his head : and we ( saith he ) have not a diadem , wee have not a crowne of gold upon our heads , we have christ himself to be our head , therefore let us doe nothing unworthy of this our head . secondly , he hath this expression . o the honour ( saith he ) that god affordeth unto us in this ! the thought of this were enough to terrifie us from sin , more then the setting of hell it self before our eyes . and indeed so it is . the right understanding of christ to be our head , and we having so neer an union with him , is of power to terrifie us from sin more then the sight of hell , if it were before us . thirdly , he goes on further . saith he , what , is christ your head ? doe you know next unto whom this your head doth sit in heaven ? is he not placed at the right hand of the father above all principalities and powers ? and shal the members of this head be trampled upon by the devil ? god forbid . and yet so honour the head as to give the honor likewise to all that are unto him , to those that he hath placed for the administration of any ordinance of his unto us . we must not under pretence of giving christ all the honour , dishonour those that are set over us by christ . we have a notable expression of the apostle paul , cor. . . where reproving the dissentions of the church of corinth : there are some ( saith he ) that say we are of paul , and others wee are of apollo , and others said , we are of cephas , & others we are of christ . why , are these all blamed ? how could those that said that they held of christ be blarned ? it is apparent that the apostle blames them all , as well those that said they did hold of christ , as those that said they did hold of paul , or apollo , or cephas . how is that ? thus. among the corinths there were some that made divisions , some were for some officer , others for others ; we are for paul said some , we for apollo said others , and we for cephas , and for our parts ( said others ) wee are for none of them all , we are neither for paul , nor for apollo , nor for cephas , but we are for christ , what are men ? what are officers ? what are ordinances ? what are all those to us ? christ is all in all unto us , he is our head , and we are compleat in him , and we hold upon him , we are for neither of all the other . these are blamed as well as the other . we must so hold upon christ , as yet to give all due honour to the ordinances , to the institutions , to the officers and offices of christ . yet i confesse when any that are in christs stead to dispence his ordinances unto us , if they prove to be wicked , of all people in the world they are the most contemptible , and a just judgement of god ●t is upon them . esay , . . the ancient and honourable , he is the head , and the prophet that teacher●● lyes , he is the taile , mark , the prophet there speakes against those that were in place and power , though they were naught , yet still they retained the name of ancient and honourable , but the prophet that teacheth lyes , a contemptiblename is put upon him , he is the taile , no generation in the world more contemptible then those when once they degenerate . but you will say , though they should be vile in their lives , yet the wickednesse of them that are in office doth not hinder the virtue and efficacy of the ordinances , it depends not upon them . true , the efficacy of no ordinance depends upon men , and it is not either because the minister is vile , or communicants are vile that communicate with you that can hinder the vertue of an ordinance . if the church contract no guilt upon themselves by retaining such in place , and by not casting out such as doe come into communion with them . take but that for granted that there is no guilt contracted . it is not the wickednesse then of the minister or of the people that hinders the efficacy of any ordinance at all . but if it prove that there be guilt contracted upon the church through the negligence of their duty this way , then the case is the same with those of corinth , cor. . . a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump , what is that whole lump but their communion ? but was not christ the head before because now it is said , they shall appoint themselves one head ? it is spoken of a glorious time when the jews shall he called again , and 〈◊〉 and judah shall joyne together . now they shall appoint themselves one head , christ to be their head. christ was the head to the fathers under the law , how now is he appointed their head ? christ indeed was a head to the fore-fathers , but now in the times of the gospel , especially at these times that are spoken of here , at the calling of the jewes , and that glorious time that shall be then , christ will appeare to be a head in another manner , to governe in another way , farre more gloriously then now he doth , and far more influence of grace & light will come from him unto his members then now . though christ hath alwayes been a head to his church , yet there is a time comming when the seventh trumpet shall be sounded ( spoken of revel . . . ) when that voyce shall be heard that yet was never heard , the kingdomes of the earth are the lords , and his christs , and he shall reigne for evermore . a time comming wherein christ shall say unto his people ; to him that overcometh will i grant to sit with me in my throne , even as i also overcame and am set downe with my father in his throne . the throne that christ sits upon now , is his fathers throne ; hee doth not call it his , and at the day of judgement the scripture tells us that he shall give up the kingdom unto his father . there is a time therefore for the throne of christ to be here further then it hath beene , which christ hath promised to those that doe overcome . a time comming when there shall be heard the neise , not onely of many waters , but as a mighty thunder , saying , allelujah , for the lord god omnipotent reigneth . he shall be a head another way . now if it bee true that christ himself is appointed by the church to be head , then the officers and ministers of the church should not think much to be appointed in their places by the church too . it is true , their offices hold on christ the head , but the designation of persons it must be from some church worke or other . who of the church , should do it , we do not now list to enter into any such controversie , but that there must be more then a civill act to make any man that was not before in the place of a pastor or teacher of a church , now to be so , somewhat to make my conscience to yeeld and submit unto him as an officer that jesus christ hath placed over me , some church-work certainly there must be in this : christ himself would be appointed a head by his people , that they might submit to him the more chearfully , and give glory to him with the more freedome of spirit . and as for all such as shall thrust themselves upon a people , no marvaile though they complain of want of respect from them , or of their going away from them . they never did any thing towards the appointing them officers over them . they sholl appoint themselves a head . not force christ upon others by fire and sword . heritiques are to be burnt with fire ( saith luther ) but with what fire ? the fire of charity . they shall appoint to themselves . let others do what they will , let others choose what head they please , yet the saints will appoint to themselves the lord christ to be their head , they will blesse themselves in christ , he shall be a head unto us , whatsoever he be unto others . others it may be will choose unto themselves other heads , but the saints say as they in micah . . . all people will walke every one in th● name of his god , and we will walke in the name of our god for ever & ever other people they will walke in their wayes , and choose to themselves such as they may have most liberty under , they perhaps thinke the government of christ to be too strick for them , but for us we will blesse our selves in our christ , we will never prostitute our consciences so to men , to lusts and humors as we have done , it is christ shall be our head and we will submit unto him , it is he that is our law-giver . secret a mea mecum ( it is an hebrew proverb ) my secret is with my selfe , what good we finde in christ it is to our selves ; let christ be a stumbling-block and a rock of offence to others , to us he is precious , he is one of ten thousand , he is altogether lovely . they shall appoint to themselves one head. but one ; the church is not a monster or divers heads , it hath but one head . there cannot be a ministeriall head of the church , christ is alwayes present , and hath left his laws with his people . if we consider the difference between ecclesiasticall power and civill power , wee shall see it cleare that there cannot be a ministeriall head of the church ( indeed there is a contradiction in the very mention of it : a ministeriall head ? it is absurd to speake it ) it is true in the civill power , it is not against any institution of christ that there should be one head over all the world , nor against any law : but for to have one head over the church , yea to have any general officers over all the churches ( to challengde a head-ship ) it cannot be . the reason is , because there can be no delegation of power that belongs to the church . there may be a delegation of a civill power , one man may be king over many countreys , and he may appoint substitutes under him , and delegate them that they shall officate under him . there is no such matter in the church , there is no delegation of power from one to another . grant but once delegation of the teaching power here you stablish non-residency ; grant but delegation of the ruling power and you presently establish a papacy . there is no such thing therefore . again , the civill power is by way of coaction , a magistrate is not alwayes bound to give a reason of his injunctions , he may by way of compulsion require obedience , but church power is to deale with conscience ; and therefore every one that hath any power must officiat himself , and deale with the consciences of men to perswade and to instruct . these two things being granted it is impossible that there can be a head over all the churches , yea or over many . but one ; we must joyne nothing with jesus christ , in the way of his head-ship . as alexander said to darius , when he sent unto him that he would be willing to divide the kingdom ; no , saith alexander , there is but one sun in the firmament , and there can be but one king in a kingdom . so saith christ , but one head he head alone or no head at all ; nothing must be joyned with him as head ; indeed the heathen gods 〈…〉 to divide their honours , and to . have but some , and other to have some other : and hence the senate of rome rejected christ from taking in him to be a god , after they consulted about it , for said they , if christ come to be acknowledged a god he will not share with the rest , he will have all himself , and so upon this reason they refused him , thus do many reject christ for a head , and for a god , because christ will not share with others ; he must be but one . and a speciall help is here to our faith in looking up to christ for help and protection when all meanes faile ( i beseech you observe it ) what , doth christ require of us that wee should make him head alone and joyne nothing with him as head ? then we may well expect from him in all our wants , a protection , and that he alone should help us ; or otherwise , the condition of a christian were the worst condition in the world , were worse then the condition of a heathen : for the gods of a heathen would be content to have but part of the honour of the heart and life because they could help but in part . if a heathen god should require the whole soulto be lifted up above all , and he alone to be honoured and worshipped as a god , and yet when it comes to a matter of helpe and protection , he could doe nothing without some other joyned with him , a heathen might well reason the ease with him as doing him wrong , certainly christ will never wrong his people , so as to challenge from them , that they should lift up him alone , and joyne no other with him , and yet when it comes to their help and succour that there should be need to call in others besides himselfe to their help . therefore as christ doth challenge it from us to make him our head alone , so we may challenge it from christ to helpe us alone when there is no other helpe for us . thus we have finished both the head-ship of christ , and the churches appointing him to be that head . now followes the next mercy , the next blessing , and that but in a word , and then we come to the conclusion of this chapter . they shall come up out of the land . aterrenis affectibus , so jerome , he makes it a comming up from their earthly senses , earthly affections . a vita miserabili , so luther upon the place , makes it a comming up from their miserable life and condition . but rather thus , come up out of the land , that is , out of their captivity . judah and israel they shall joyne together in comming to jerusalem , and so joyne in the same kinde of worship , as they were wont to come out of all parts of the countrey to worship at jerusalem , and there were united in one kinde of worship , so they shall now come from all parts of the world where they are scattered , and joyne in the same way of worship , yea and it is very probable in their own land . there was a time when the people of god did sing songs of praise in the wildernesse , exod , . but the time shall come when they shall do it in their own land ; and this shall be a blessing of god upon them . isa . . . in that day shall this song be sung in the land of judah , vve have a strong city , salvation will god appoint for walls and bulworkes . it shall be sung in the land of judah , ezek. . . in the mountaines of the height of israel , saith the lord god , there shall all the house of israel , all of them in the land serve me , there will i accept them , and there will i require your offerings , and the first fruites of your oblations , with all your holy things . ezekiel . . . i will take the children of israel from among the heathen whether they begone , and will gather them on every side , and bring them into their own land . this blessing hath god granted unto many of his servants this day ; who never thought to have seen their owne land , their own good land : but god hath bin pleased to gather them up that they are come not onely into their own land , but they finde the armes and hearts of the saints open to imbrace them , and call them to publicke imployments . it was not long since that the land could not beare them ; we hope that the time may come ere long that the lord christ may so rule and that in our land , that it will as hardly beare wicked and ungodly men as it hath borne the saints , though it were hard to say that there should be so much violence used even to keep them from some sins , as hath been used here against the saints to keep them from their god , yet time may come ere long that wicked men may be glad to flye ( though not forced unto it ) out of their owne choyce , into another land , because they cannot have the enjoyment of their lusts so freely here : as the saints have been forced to flye out of their land that they might serve the lord and keep their consciences cleare . but we let this passe , and come now to the close of the chapter to the epiphonema of it all . for great shall be the day of jezreel . they shall appoint themselves one head , and come up out of the land , for great , licet , so tremelius turnes it , although the day of jezreel be great : & indeed the hebrew particle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifieth quamvis as well as quia , it may be translated [ although ] as well as [ for ] and he translating it so , although the day of iezreel be great , he takes it in this sense , that is , although the people of israel shall be brought into great affliction , yet god will be so mercifull then when his time comes , as they shall be gathered together again , and appoint themselves one head , and come up out of the land . and from such an interpretation of the words there might be an excellent meditation raised , and that is this . that the greatnesse of the misery of the church is no hinderance to the course of the freenesse and abundance of gods mercy to it . although the day of iezreel , their day be never so calamitous , never so afflictive , never so grievous , yet they shall come up out of the land and appoint themselves one head . the greatnesse of the churches misery is no hinderance unto the churches delivery : why ? because their deliverance dependeth upon a god who doth delight not onely to manifest some power , but the excellency , and the glory , and the choyce of his power in their deliverance . for that take this scripture , isa . . . where speaking of these very times that we shall heare of afterward , of gods being mercifull unto his people , he saith , the lord hath sworne by his right hand : and we have not onely mention thereof gods right hand and swearing by it , but the arme of god too ; marke that , the arme of god and the arme of his strength : there is gods hand , gods arme , the arme of his strength , & god sweareth by it . surely when god delighteth to put forth such power for the deliverance of his church , it is no great matter whether the afflicted estate be great or small . it makes no great matter for the hinderance of the churches delivery , no more then if you should see two bubbles of water rise up , & one hath a little thicker skin then the other . now there is as much difference in the difficulty that the thick skin bubble makes when a mighty cannon or peece of ordnance shal be shot off with a mighty bullet to resist it , from the thinner skin bubble , as the greatest and forest affliction that the people of god were ever under in this world makes a difference in the difficulty of their deliverance ( when they have to deale with an infinite god ) from the least affliction that ever the church was in . the difference is no more . if a childe indeed should see the thicker skin bubble , he might thinke t is harder to be broke then the thinner skin , but if a cannon should be shot off , nay if it be but a fillip , it makes no difference . now the afflictions of gods people they are to this right hand of gods power , and the arme of his strength , but as a bubble of water before a mighty cannon . yea if there be not help at all to deliver gods people in time of affliction yet god can create helpe , he will create jerusalem a rejoycing , and their people a joy . yea suppose their condition be such as yet never was the like since the beginning of the world , yet isa , . . since the beginning of the world men have not heard , nor perceived by the care , ●either hath the eye seene what god hath prepared for them that waite for him . and as the greatnesse of the churches deliverance is no hinderance of gods power in delivering them , so it should be no hinderance to the work of our faith . common prudence and reason will go a great way to uphold us under some affliction , but when the affliction comes to be sore , and grievous , and long ; prudence & reason then sinketh under the burthen ; but then should faith lift up it selfe , and cast an eye upon this right hand of gods power , this arme of his strength that he hath sworne by , and exercise it self in the glorious acts of it . for certainly faith is appointed for such a time as this , when the church is under grievous extremities . the ordinary afflictions of the church do not call for such a work of faith , but when they come to extraordinary that requires such a power of god for their deliverance , then there is called for a worke of faith proportionable , as alexander when he was in great danger , now ( saith he ) there is a danger fit for the spirit of alexander to incounter withall . so when the church comes to be in any great danger , all the members of it should say , here is a danger , here is a trouble fit for the spirit of christians , fit for the spirits of those that are able to exercise the most noble and glorious acts of faith . this glorious exercise of faith , i may even say we are scarce yet for the present put to it , for reason and sense sees much help , they see that the cause of god at this day hath the better of the adversary ; reason i say and prudence may see far this way . let us not look upon every difficulty as a thing that calleth for such a mighty glorious worke of faith , whereas men by reason and prudence , and may carry themselves under such difficulties much better then most of us doe . but we do not know but the lord may call us unto such difficulties and dangers as requires such a faith as hath such a kinde of work as i have spoken of . let us therefore lay up this instruction for the time to come . again , for great shall be the day of jezreel , if the words be read thus ( as they are in your bibles ) and yet have reference to the calamitous time , and grievous extremities of the day of jezreel , then there will be these two excellent meditations from thence . the first is , that gods bowels of compassion do work toward his church because of the greatnesse of their affliction . when their afflictions shall be very great , and the greater they are , the more do gods bowels of compassion work toward them . we know the misery of gods people in exo. . was a marvailous quickning argument to the compassion of god ( as i may so speake ) i have seene , i have seene ( saith he ) the affliction of my people , and their sorrowes , and therefore am come down to deliver them . if the greatness of the affliction of the church move the bowels of gods compassion , then let not the greatnesse of affliction hinder our faith . let not the greatnesse of trouble reason down our faith , but rather let it reason up our faith , for so indeed it should ; and so the saints of god heretofore have done , by the greatness of the trouble we must reason up our faith as thus : it is ●●me for thee o lord to work , for men have almost destroyed thy law ; yea the high time is come for thee to have mercy upon zion , for thy people begin to favour the dust thereof . what , was this a good argument , have mercy upon me , and pardon my sin for it is very great , to move god withall ? surely then this is a good argument , deliver us in our afflictions , for they are very great : for sin makes a great deale more distance betweene god and us then afflictions : yet if the greatness of sin shall come to be put as an argument for gods mercy and compassion to work , much more the greatness of afflictions . yet this is the grace of god in the second covenant that even the sins that before made the creature the object of hatred , those sins come now to make it an object of compassion . so afflictions that before were part of the curse , they come now to be arguments for the moving of the bowels of gods tender compassion toward his people . another note ( if you read it so , for great is their affliction ) is this , the promise is the only support of the soul , and that which carrieth it thorow the greatest affliction . afflictions are as leade to the net , the promise is as the corke , the promise keepes above water when the lead pulls down . but i leave these meditations , though i finde many interpreters run this way . and i rather take it as a further expression of gods wonderfull mercy unto his church . for great shall be the day of jezreel , that is , god hath a great day of mercy for jezreel . that is the meaning , they shall appoint themselves one head , they shall be gathered together and be made one , they shall come up out of the land , why ? for god hath yet to come a great day of mercy to his pepole , a gr●●● day of jezreel . and herein therefore god makes use of the name of jezreel in a good sense . they that carry it the other way would carry the signification of the name thus , for great is the day of scattering , of the scattered people , so iezreel signifieth ( as you heard in the beginning of the chapter ) but jezreel signifieth likewise the seed of god. before god made use of their name in the worse sense , that he would scatter them according to their name ; now he makes use of their name in the best sense , they are the seed of god , and there is great mercy from god for them . when god is reconciled unto a people , he takes all in the best sense and makes the best acception of every thing , as he doth here of the name jezreel . we have onely these two things to consider of in this expression . . that the saints of god , and the church , they are gods jezreel . that is , they are the seed of god. . that there is for this seed of god a great day . . they are the seed of god. the seed of the blessed , and there is a blessing in them . they are the precious seed that god preserves in the world , & hath done ever since the beginning of the world . they are that seed that preserveth the glory of god in the world . were it not for a few gracious , holy people in the world , where would the glory of god be ? what would become of it ? those that are godly , however contemptible in the world , they are the precious seed that god reserves in the world for great and glorious ends . they are the seed to preserve the continuation of the doctrine of the gospell , and the blessed truths of god ; as isa . . . the holy seed shall be the substance thereof . though they shall be under great afflictions , yet there shall be a holy seed that shall be the substance thereof , and there shall be his blessing . psal . . . his name shall endure from generation to generation : the words are read by montanus , his name shall be childed , that is , so continued as families are continued , one generation after another , one begetteth another : and so shall the name of christ continue in the world , and so it hath done . and though seed be but a handfull in comparison of the harvest , so the saints of god then were , and yet are but as a handfull in comparison of the glorious harvest that shall be , yet they are very precious before god , and god will make the world hereafter know that they are the precious ones of god , isa . . . all that see them shall acknowledge them that they are the seed which the lord hath blessed . seed ( you know ) a man will be carefull of that what ever becomes of his other corne . in the time of dearth the husbandman wil rather pinch his own belly , then have his seed-corne to be spent . so in times of common calamity , of common dearth , yet gods care is over his seed ; the saints are ( as i may say ) gods seed-corne to preserve his name in the world , to other generations that are to come , he will not therefore have them destroyed . seed is the most precious of the corne , which is most winnowed and made cleane , and so are the saints , the cleane ones and the most precious ones . god perhaps doth winnow them and fanne them more than he doth others by the fannes and winnows of afflictions , why ? because they are his seed . perhaps other corne that hath drosse in it , the husband-man will give the fowles and the cattell that , he bestoweth not much winnowing upon it , but the corne that is for seed he winnows that , he would not willingly have a dernell amongst it . it may be thou complainest thou art more winnowed , more fanned then other men , perhaps thou art more precious in gods eyes , thou art to be reserved as seed , as the seed of the blessed . the wicked indeed they are seed too , but a corrupt seed , a seede of evill deers , esay , . the grand-father was an enemy unto god , yea the great grand-father , and the father , and the children after him continue enemies to god. and god in mercy unto his church doth many times cut downe the wicked before they do seed too much . as you that have gardens , if they have weeds in them , and you see the weeds come up and grow to seed , you think then that it is time to pull them up , you will not suffer them to seed . god lookes upon many families and sees wretched and sinfull men as a seed of evil doers , and sees they are ready to seed , and if they be not cut down suddenly there will be a wretched brood of wicked ones in such a family . this is the reason of gods suddain cutting down of many wicked families . but to come to the point that is chiefly intended , that is , that this seed of the lord shall have a great day . great shall be the day of jezreel . the men of the world they have their day in which they ruffle it out , and they have all the doings . saint paul seemes to speake of this in cor. . . he saith there that he did not passe for mans judgement , the word is , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , for mans day . now men have the day , they have all the bravery in the world , well saith saint paul , i doe not passe formans day , i expect another day , besides mans day . i know not how it commeth to passe to be otherwise translated , you translate it judgement in your books , but in the originall it is day , man hath a day . as men have a day , so shall gods saints have a day too . wee use to say many times when we see the malignant party jocund and merry , surely they hope to have a day . my brethren be joyfull in the lord , god hath a day for you , and a great day too , great shall be the day of jezreel . the beginning of gods mercy to his people is called a day of small things , zach. . . and that must not be despised , let no man despise the day of small things . it was the beginning of the reformation and deliverance of the people of judah from their captivity . but god hath a day of great things , and certainly that day shall be honorable . a day first in which the glory of god shall exceedingly appear , wherein god shal be ( as i may so speak with holy reverence ) as it were in his robes : as we know princes upon great dayes put on their robes , so the king of glory shall have a day for his people , wherein even he himself will put on his robes , ps . . . when the lord shall build up zion he shall appear in his glory . it seemeth while the church is in affliction , while the witnesses prophesie in sack-cloath , god is as it were cloathed in sack-cloath , in all their afflictions he is afflicted , but because god hath a day , a great day to his churches , he will reserve his robes till then , and when that day commeth he will put on his robes , for when he shall build up zion ( saith the text ) then the lord shall appeare in his glory . a great day it shall be for jezreel , for the seed of the lord. secondly , it shall be a great day , for this day shall be the riches of the world . marke that place in rom. . , speaking of the jews , if their fall ( saith he ) be the riches of the world , and their diminishing the riches of the gentiles , how much more their fulness ? it was a rich mercy to the gentiles when they were brought out of darknesse , and called into the knowledge of jesus christ , here was riches to the world of the gentiles : but god hath a greater day then that , for it is spoken here of a day that is to come , that is , their fall was the riches of the gentiles , much more their calling in again . so then there is such a day of calling home the people of god , as shall be the riches of the gentiles , the riches of all the world . yea thirdly , great shall be this day , for it shall be as a day of resurrection from death to life : so dan. . . many of them that sleepe in the dust shall awake , &c. it is not spoken of the great resurrection at the last day of judgement , for first , it is spoken but of some that shall arise : secondly , the greatest glory that is here put upon the just , is but to shine as the stars in the firmament , but at the last day the saints shall shine as the sunne in the firmament , more and above the starres . yea , thirdly , this that is here revealed to daniel must be sealed up as a great secret till the appointed time come ; but for the resurrection at the last day that is no great secret , that they knew well enough , it is not as a secret to be shut up and sealed from men till the time appointed come . but this resurrection here spoken of , it is to be sealed up as a great secret that was not knowne in the world , nor should be much knowne till the appointed time should come . and then lastly , it was promised to daniel in the . ver . that he should stand up in his lot , as a peculiar and speciall favour that god stould bestow upon him . now it is not such a peculiar and special favour for a saint to stand up at the great day , at the last day , this was a favour to daniel as an eminent saint , that he should stand up thus in his lot . therefore this resurrection is the same with this great day of jezreel , wherein there shall be such a glorious work of god in calling israel and judah together & the fulness of the gentiles , that it shall be as the resurrection from death to life ; so the apostle calls it likewise in that rom. . . what shall the receiving of them be but life from the dead ? . great shall be the day of iezreel , for this shall bring refreshing to all the saints , this is the time of the refreshing , act. . . there shall be such things then as will refresh and revive the spirits of all the saints . yea , . it shall be the day of restitution of all things . acts . . vntill the times of rest it 〈◊〉 of all things come , which god hath spoken by the mouth of all his prop●● since the world began . i know it is ordinary carryed by many another way , concerning the last day ; but that it cannot be so , it appears , because that then there shall not be the restitution of all things , but the annihilation of many things . further , this speakes of a restitution of all things , that was spoken of by the mouth of all the holy prophets . now the holy prophets spake but very little concerning the day of judgment , of another life to come , we reade but little of it in the prophets ; and therefore the apostle in tim. . . saith , that life and immortality was brought to light through the gospel . not but that it was known somewhat before , but it was very darkly known , there was very little spoken of life and immortality in the prophets ; but this speaks of a time that all the holy prophets spake of as an argument that was the general theame of them all . and indeed there is no argument whatsoever that is more general among the prophets , then this great argument of this great day of jezreel . again , . a great day , for it shall be a new creation ; a new heaven and a new earth shall be made when this great day of iezreel shall come . esay , . . behold i create new heavens and a new earth : and in ver . . if you observe it , you shall see what this new heaven and this new earth is : but be glad and rejoyce for ever in that which i create , for behold i create ierusalem are joycing , and her people a joy . those are the new heavens & the new earth that are to be created : and this is meant of the church plainly , for the text , ver . . speakes of building houses , and inhabiting them , and of planting vineyards , and eating the fruit of them , upon these new heavens & this new earths creation . and pet. . . neverthelesse according to this promise , we looke for new heavens and a new earth , wherein dwelleth righteousnesse . now where is this promise ? this is usually taken for the kingdom of heaven hereafter . but where is this promise ? we do not finde it any where but in that place i named before , esay , . now it is apparent that promise doth speak of an estate of the church here in this world ; and there is spoken of a new earth , as well as of a new heaven ; if it were onely spoken of new heavens , it had bin another matter , but it speaks of a new earth likewise , therefore meant of an estate in this world , a new creation of a new heaven and earth , that is , there shall be such glorious things done by god , as shall manifest a creating power , as if god did now make new heavens and a new earth . . great shal be the day of iezreel , for it shall be as another world , when this day cometh . heb. . . . . . vnto the angels hath he not put in subjection the world to come , whereof we speak . but one in a certain place testified , ( this certain place is in psa . . ) saying : what is man that thou art mindful of him , or the son of man that thou visitest him ? thou hast made him little lower then the angels , thou crownedst him with glory and honour , and didst set him over the works of thy hands , thou hast put all things in subjection under his feet . this is clearly interpreted of christ , ( as vers . . and so on ) that all things must be subjected to hi●● man , what is man that thou shouldst regard him ? that is , that thou 〈◊〉 advance the nature of man so far as to unite it even to thy son , and pi●● things in subjection under his feet . this the apostle interpreteth of christ . but saith he , wee see not yet all things put under him , that time is yet to come , for , saith he , we speak of things that concerne the world to come . therefore ( mark my brethren ) there must be such a time wherein all things , all creatures must be put under subjection to christ , and this is in the world to come . not in that world to come where the saints shall raign gloriously in heaven , it cannot be meant of that , for the heavens must depart as a scroll , and many things shall then rather be annihilated , and the kingdome must then be given up by christ to god the father , so the apostle saith , cor . that is , when the saints shall reigne gloriously with christ in heaven . but here this place speaks of a time when all creatures must come under subjection to christ , and it is called the world to come , why ? because of the great change there shall be of things , it shall be ( as it were ) a new world . as we call this world from noahs time a new world , and when we speak of the other world we call it the old world ; so the scripture calls it , pet. . . god spared not the old world : and chap. . . the world that then was being overflowed with water , perished . so this world that we live in is as the old world , and there is this day of jezreel , in which there shall be such a glorious change , all things being put in subjection under christ , that it shall be as it were a new world , god hath made an excellent world in which there is much beauty and glory , and yet his enemies have the rule here ; what then will that world be that god intends for his saints ? . great shall be the day of jezreel . it shall be such a great day that all former things shall be even forgotten because of the lustre and glory of that great day . as isa . . . the former heavens and the former earth shall not be remembred nor come into mind ; and so jer. . . in those dayes saith the lord , they shall say no more the arke of the covenant of the lord , neither shall it come to minde , neither shal they remember it ; at that time they shal call jerusalem the throne of the lord , and all the nations shal be gathered unto it , to the name of the lord , to jerusalem , neither shal they walk any more after the imagination of their evil hearts ( mark my brethren ) in those dayes the house of judah shall walke together , ver . . it is apparent that it is spoken of this great day of iezreel ; for now god saith he will gather iudah and israel together , and here he saith that they shall walke together , and that then former things shall be forgotten ; they shall call jerusalem the throne of the lord ; heretofore even the temple it self the glory of jerusalem was but as the place of gods feet , and the arke of god was but gods footstool . chron. . . it was in mine heart ( saith david ) to build a house of rest for the arke of the covenant of the lord , and for the footstoole of our god ; and isa . . . i will make zion the place of my feet glorious . but now in this great day , jerusalem that was but gods foot stool , the place of his feet , shall be gods throue ; a great day certainly this shall be when all things shall be thus forgotten . in the last place , a great day , because it shall be a day after which there shal be no night . and that you will say will be a great day indeed , after which the saints shall be raised to such a state of prosperity and happiness that shall never fall again , that shall never come to be darkened any more . the churches here many times have had some little release , they have had their dayes of peace for a while , but it hath soone grown to be night , and a dismall night of darkness . but when this great day shall come it shall be a day that shall never have night , for so god promiseth here to his jezreel , to make it to be an eternal excellency , and to make jerusalem an everlasting joy , and dan. . . god shall in the dayes of those kings set up a kingdom that shall never be destroyed , that is , the great day of jezreel . the first thing that shall be done in this great day of iezreel , shall be the deliverance of the churches from wofull affliction which they shal be found to be in a little before . for so the scripture tells us , dan. . . that before this day there shall be a time of trouble such as never was since there was a nation even to that same time , and at that time thy people shall be delivered . i might tell you much how some of the ancients have spoken of this , that though it be a point that seemes to be somewhat strange to us , yet it was one of the most ordinariest things that was known in the primitive times . it was then so generally acknowledged , that i remember just in martyr ( who was but . years after saint john ) hath such an expression as this , there is no man ( saith he ) that is of the orthodox faith in all things , but he doth acknowledge it . and lactantius in his . book , cap. . . . and divers other chapters he spends in shewing the glory of this great day of iezreel , but withall he shewes that a little before there shall be most grievous times that shal fall out , such times saith he , as that all right shall be confounded , the law shall perish , no body shall know what is his own , the wicked they shal have the preheminence , & the saints they shall be persecuted , so that ( saith he ) though in this our time wickednesse is grown to such a height , that a man would think it could increase no higher , yet in comparison of the time a little before that great day , these times may be called golden ages . these expressions he hath , so that great times of affliction will be before that great day ; and it is therefore called a great day , because god appearing so gloriously in the deliverance of his church at that day . the scripture speakes of wonderfull thing that god will do , and shew himself marvaylous as he did in the people of israels comming out of eg●●t . who knowes but that god now sendeth abroad so much of the light of his gospel , and is so working in the hearts of men , and giveth us such a time of reviving , and calleth home so many young ones as he doth purposely because this great day is at hand , and because before this day wee may have a day of dismall darkenesse ? and by this he will prepare people for those times , god will have a great seed that he intends to be in the world , therefore so many young people are converted and are so forward , because i say god meanes to prepare them by this light that we now have , for this seed , for this great day . and you that are young may expect to go thorow some difficulties & hardship before this great day comes , but be of good comfort , you may hope to live to see all the glory of this great day , and god gives you now time that you may lay up , and be fit seed for such a glorious day as this , that you may not when sufferings come , be found among the number of the fearfull ones , spoken of in rev. . . that shal have their part in the lake which burneth with fire & brimstone ; those that through base cowardliness and complyance shall yeeld to base vile superstitious vanities shall be cast out amongst dogs when that great day comes . god now gives you a day that you may see the evil of superstitious vanities , that you may have truths revealed to you with more freedom then formerly , i say who knowes but this may be to prepare you for that darknesse that may come a little before this great day of jezreel . secondly , a great day in subduing the adversaries of the church . though they shall come to have a great deale of power a little before ; yet when that great day of iezreel shall come , they shal be cert●inly all subdued & brought under . rev. . . christ when he shall come in this great day he shal have his garments dipt in blood , in destroying the wicked and ungodly , and rev , . the saints when they see the wicked destroyed as the egyptians were in the sea , the text saith that they sung the song of moses . what was this song of moses , but the praysing of god for the destruction of their adversaries in the sea ? god hath another sea to destroy the wicked , and god hath a day for his saints to sing over the song of moses again , and especially for the destruction of popery . my brethren be not troubled to see papists make a concourse and flock together , be not troubled at it , for when this day shall come , god will so order things that his adversaries shall come and flock together , but it shall be that they may be destroyed , for god hath a great feast and a great sacrifice , and he will sacrifice them especially . and therefore lactantius that i spoke of before , and is one that lived . yeares since , saith he ( speaking then of this day ) i have a thing to say , but i even tremble to speake it , but i must speake it , and what was it ? romanum nomen ( saith he ) de terra tolletur ; those are his words , the roman name shall be taken off from the earth . he in those primitive times proph●sied of the destruction of rome . perhaps though he did not see it so clearly , yet god might so order it , as though hee understood it not , god might intend it for these times . god will destroy the enemies of his churches then . yea. ezek. . . there is a promise to the saints that there shall beno more a pricking bryar , nor any grieving thorne of any that are round about them that despise them , & in another place god saith that he will take away the canaanite out of the land. further , the third thing that shall be done in this great day , is the glorious presence of christ among the saints , let it be personall or what it will , wee determine not , but thus far we may confidently affirme that there shall be a more glorious presence of jesus christ among his people , then ever yet was since the beginning of the world . rev. . . the lord god almighty , and the lamb , shall be the temple of it : and chap. . . . the throne of god and of the lamb shal be in it , and his servants shall serve him , & they shall see his face , and ezek. . the last words of the chapter , the name of that place shall be jehovah-shammah , that is , the lord is there . fourthly , the glory that shall be put upon the saints at that day , shewes it to be a great day . glory shall be put upon them , first in regard of their admirable gifts & graces they shall be heightned and inlarged , the weake shall be as david , and they that are as david shall be as the angel of god at that day . the bowing down of their adversaries before them , the high esteeme that they shall have , even in the thoughts and judgments of many great ones of the world , they shall be called up to heaven , that is , those that are in highest place and dignity , shall call them up and honour them in that day , yea the text saith , the kings of the earth in that day shall came in , and bring their glory to the church . therefore it is apparent , that place rev. . . cannot be understood of heaven , for it is said , the kings of the earth shal bring their glory , they shall not bring their glory to the church , when the church shall be in heaven . and fiftly , a great day it shall be in regard of the wonderfull change of all creatures , glorious , fruitfull times , so i remember lactantius speaks of that time , that the rocks them selves should issue forth honey and precious things ; but that we cannot say , yet that there shall bee a wonderfull change of all things , and all creatures brought to a further happiness ( even the sensitive creatures as well as others ) then they had before , the scriptures are cleare euough in it . and literally we are to understand many scriptures that tend this way concerning the fruitfulnesse of the earth , and the outward external glory that there shall be in the creatures . as upon a great marriage feast or coronation day , all the servants of the prince are in their best array ; so when christ his bridegroome shall come and meet with his wife , with his spouse , all creatures shall be put into a new cresse , shall have further glory . and lastly , that which we have here in the text , the multitudes of all nations and people that shall flock to the church , that they shall be as the sand of the sea . but this i have spoken of before at large . now put all these things together , and great shall be the day of jezreel . yea , but shall these things be so ? shall they be so ? though flesh and blood may reason against these things , yet i may apply that place , zach. . . be silent , o all flesh , before the lord , for he is raised up out of his holy ha●●●tion . flesh may say , how can these things be ? but let all flesh be silent , for god hath made known in his word , the great things that he intends to bring to passe . and zach. . . thus saith the lord of hosts , if it be marvaylous in the eyes of the remnant of this people in these dayes , should it also be marvaylous in mine eyes ? saith the lord of hosts . it may be applyed to this as well as the other . these things may seeme marveilous to your eyes , especially because we have been but little acquainted with them , but they are not marveilons in the eyes of god. yea we find it out of the word that these things were to be kept hidden till the appointed time should come , till we draw neerer to that great day ; we are not to wonder why these things have not been opened unto us , for god tells us dan. that they were to be sealed up even to the time appointed , and rev. . . god telleth iohn that he must prophe sie again before the kings of the earth , that is , before the time of the fulfilling of all things , that booke of the revelation shall be made out as cleere as if iohn were come to prophesie again before men . and we hope it is comming , because god beginneth to let in light that way , and the morning star seemeth to begin to arise . in zach. . . you have mention of a day , that we may apply to the present day that we have now . and it shall come to passe ( saith the text there ) that the light shall not be cleere nor darke , but it shall be one day which shall be known to the lord , not day nor night , but it shall come to passe that at evening time it shall be light . mark what shall be in that day , ver . . and it shall be in that day that living waters shall go out from jerusalem ; & ver . , in that day shall there be but one lord , and his name one ; and then ver . . in that day shal there be upon the bels of the horses holiness to the lord ; and ver . . in that day there shall be no more the canaanite in the house of the lord of hosts . certainly my brethren these scriptures speakes of a glorious day that is a comming , but yet in the beginning of it is just like such a day as we have now for the present , wherein the light is neither cleere nor darke : it is true , not long since it was darke , now this darkenesse beginneth to be a little dispelled , but it is not cleere yet , many things for the present darken the light , and there is opposition and many dampes upon the hearts of gods people , and things go not o●●s we desire ; but blessed be god it is not night with us , though it be not 〈◊〉 day it is not darke as it was , though it be not as cleere as we desire ; therfore this is now a day which is neither cleer nor darke , but even as it were twilight . well but it shall be one day that is one special day , and indeed it is our day now , it is the greatest day that ever yet england had . it shall be one day which shall be knowne to the lord , a day wherein the lord hath great thoughts and purposes to do great things , and certainly this our day is known to the lord , great things god is about to do for his churches , & laying a foundation of glorious things for the good of his people . and then mark , though it be neither day nor night , yet at the evening time it shall be light . what a strange expression is here ? it shall be a duskie cloudy day all day , and then a man would thinke that at evening it should be quite dark , what to be cloudy at noone and to be darkish at three or foure of the clock in the afternoone , what then will it be in the evening ? surely then it must needes be more darke : no , though it be not cleere now , though it be a cloudy day and part of it darke , yet at the evening time it shall be light : when it shall be least expected to have light , and when we shall most feare darknesse , when wee shall be ready to conclude , o our day is gone , once indeed god did bring a day to england , a comfortable day though it was a little darke , yet there was a glorious light in comparison of what we had before , but now it is grown towards evening , the evening begins to shut upon us , we looked for light but behold darknesse . perhaps many will be complaining , if they see things go on with any difficulty and opposition they will be ready to have their hearts sink within them , and to cry out , now our day is gone and the evening is comming , & we must look for darkness , yea and feare a dismall darknesse . now my brethren , be of good comfort , for at evening time it shall be light ; when we think it shall be evening , when it is most unlikely to be light , then shall the light of the lord breake forth most gloriously : for whensoever this day of iezreel commeth , there must be such a glorious work of god as may magnify his name before the eyes of all men , and therefore at evening it shall be light . and in that day living waters shall go out from jerusalem : we have had some drops of living waters in this our day , but there is a day a comming wherein living waters shall even flow out of jerusalem . now to winde up all . there is a day for the saints , a rest for the people of god , a day wherein god will deliver them from all afflictions . i have met with one , that speaking of the sabbath , that the jewes might kindle no fire upon their sabbath , because that rest was to signifie the rest of the saints , he applyeth it thus : that was ( saith he ) a type that there is such a time of rest for the saints , that they shall be delivered from all fiery tryals , all their afflictions shall be gone and taken away : great shall be the day of iezreel . the consideration of this ( me thinks ) might be a strong argument to draw in all people to the wayes , to the love of godlinesse and religion ; to come and joyne with the churches in appointing christ head over them . all you wicked ones that hath forsaken the lord hitherto , come in & joyn now , and submit unto jesus christ as your head , for great shall be the day of iezreel . there is a great day for the church of god , a day of glory , a day of abundance of wonderfull mercy of god to the churches . they shall have their day ; come you in and embrace religion , that you may partake of their glory . certainly the saints of god shall have the better of it : shall have the day of all the world , let the world strive against them what they can . every man desires to follow the stronger party and to cleave to that : would you cleave to the stronger part ? cleave to the saints of god , to the church , for certainly it is the stronger part ; it is a going up , it is rising , and will rise more and more till it be risen unto the heighth . though there be some opposition , yet it is such as shall make the glory of the day so much the more . those men that 〈◊〉 shall stand to pleade for antichrist , and to oppose the work that god is about , certainly they are men borne out of time , borne in an ill hour . your papists and superstitious people that heretofore stood for that way , they prospered in their way , because the day of god was not so neare , but the day of his patience in permitting antichrist to continue , was then . but doest thou come now ? what superstitious now ? what opposing the work of god now ? when god is comming out to fight against popery and superstition , when god is about to do such great things for his churches as he certainly is , thou fightest against god , and god will fight against thee , and thou shalt be throwen upon thy backe , thou art borne in the worst time that possibly could be , worse then all the adversaries of the truth in former times . and if there be such a day , let us be willing to suffer for a while , let us be willing to mourne for the churches a while in that way of mourning that god calls us unto , for there is a recompence comming , glory enough comming even in this world . there is a time of triumphing , let us be content with our warfare here for a while . thirdly , let us study these things . these things are usefull for people in these times to look into , to search into these truths of god , that so they may be the better prepared to meet christ their bride-groom when he cometh . marke that place , ezek. . . it is spoken of the glorious times of the gospel , especially of these times i am speaking of ; where god saith to the prophet , behold with thine eyes , and heare with thine eares , and set thine heart upon all that i shal shew thee . and what did god shew him ? hee shewed him the measure of the temple and all the glorious things that there should be in the church in future times . so i say to you my brethren concerning that i have spoken of the great day of jezreel ; behold with your eyes , look into gods book and see what is said there ( for i have named but little ) and heare with your eares , and set your hearts upon what hath been set before you . so in isa . . . you have a place somewhat like this , speaking of the mercies of god to his church in latter times , saith the text , that they may see , & know , and consider , and understand together , that the hand of the lord hath done this , and the holy one of israel hath created it . mark how one word is heaped upon another , that they may see , & know , and consider , & understand what god would do for his people . and when god came to reveale the glorious things he intended for his churches in future times in the book of the revelation ( which is the special book that declareth this unto us . ) mark how the lord beginneth ; it is said that god gave this first to christ ; secondly christ to the angel , thirdly the angel to iohn , and then there is pronounced a blessing to him that reads and hears the words of this prophesie and understands it . what a solemne way of blessing is here ! there is not such an expression in all the book of god : where have you a blessing so solemnly proclaimed to the reading and hearing of any of the bookes of god as to that book ? therefore though they are things that seeme to be above us , yet certainly god would have us to inquire into these things . it is the fruit of the purchase of the blood of christ to open these seales . rev. . . we reade that there was no man in heaven nor in earth that was able to open the book and to loose the seales thereof , only the lambe that was slaine and that hath redeemed us unto god by his blood , he was onely worthy to open the seales . it is a fruit i say of the slaughter of christ & of his blood , and therefore cry to him for the opening these things to thee . and though thou beest very weake in regard of parts , and thinkest with thy self , how can i understand such things as these ? know that it is christ that through his blood comes to open these seales , and seeing it is a fruite of his blood , it is no matter whether thou art weake or strong if he come to open them to thee : as ier. . . saith god to the prophet . call unto me and i will shew thee great and mighty things which thou knowest not ; so i say to you , be a praying people , call upon god and he will cause you to understand great and excellent things that you have not known . and ( my brethren ) seeing these things shall be thus , o what manner of persons ought wee to be ? how heavenly ? our hearts should rise up from the earth , seeing god intendeth to do such great things for his people . as it is isa . . arise , arise , shake off thy dust , for the light is come and the glory of the lord is risen upon thee , so i may say to the churches now , arise arise shake of the dust of your earthly affections , for the light of god is now ready to arise upon you ; now sur sum corda , now lift up your hearts above the things of the world . vvee reade in rev. . of the foure living creatures that appeared unto john , the first was like a lyon , and the second like an oxe , and the third had a face as a man , and the fourth was like a flying eagle . they are ( according to the interpreta●ion that reverend brightman gives ) to set out unto us the foure states & conditions of the church . the primitive times were lyon-like for their valour : the second age like an oxe to beare the burthens of antichrist , the third had a face as a man , that stood for their liberties and would not be under such slavery , and they are but times : and then the fourth as an eagle that sored aloft : in the state of the church hereafter they shall be like an eagle , have heavenly hearts , no such drossy , base , earthly hearts as we have now . labour we even now to be so that we may be fit for that day . and let us all prepare for the bride groome against his comming . how shall we prepare ? the cloathing that then shall be , shall be white linnen , which is the righteousnesse of the saints . that great doctrine of our justification by the righteousnesse of christ shall be the great businesse of that day , in which the glory of the saints shall much consist , and they shall be clothed with that , it shall be clearly understood of all men , they shall be ashamed to rest upon duties and ordinances as now they do . let us study the doctrine of the righteousnesse of christ afore-hand , for that is like to be our clothing at that day , that is the white linnen of the saints which shall be their glory . let us prepare our lamps and keepe them all burning and shining , the oyle not onely of ju●●●cation , but sanctification , active , stirring in our hearts , that so we may 〈◊〉 to entertaine the bride-groom whensoever 〈◊〉 〈…〉 . and all of you labour now to instruct your children in the knowledge of god and of christ , bring them up in the feare of the lord that they may be seed for that day . acquaint them with these things , for though perhaps you may be dead and gone before this great day , yet they may live to see it ; therefore catechize them , and instruct them , and drop into them those principles that may fit them for the meeting of jesus christ their bridegroome , to conclude all . let us be all praying christians . it is that which is charged upon us in isa . . . all you that make mention of the lord , keep not silence and give him no rest , till he establish , till he make jerusalem apraise in the earth . god hath a day to set up jerusalem as the praise of the whole earth , oh be praying , praying christians every one of you , and give god no rest till he effect this . and remember god of all his promises , search the prophets , search the book of god , and urge god with his promises to the church in this way . and you that are the weakest , be not discouraged in your prayers , and you may be a meanes to further and hasten this great day of jezreel . psal . . . the psalmist had spoken before of gods building up zion , and certainly that psalme is a prophesie of the glorious times of the church that shall be , marke what the text saith , the lord shall regard the prayer of the destitute , and shall not despise their prayer ; speaking of those that shall live in those times a little before this day of iezreel shall be , the lord shall regard the prayer of the destitute : the word that is translated destitute , it signifieth in the hebrew , a poor shrub in the wildernesse , a poor shrub that the foot of every beast is ready to tread downe , and that poore shrub that perhaps is despicable in the eyes of the world , and despicable in his own eyes , yet saith the text , the lord shal regard the prayer of that poor shrub . is there ever a poor shrub though never so destitute , so despicable in the eyes of the world or in thine owne eyes ? yet be thou a praying christian , a praying soul , praying for those things , and god will regard thy prayer , he will not despise thy prayer . perhaps thou art ready to despise thy prayers thy self , but god will not despise them , let all our hearts be lifted up , and let us all cry with the church , come lord jesus , come quickly . o let this day come , for great shall be the day of jezreel . hosea , chap. . the first lecture . chap. . ver . . say 〈◊〉 your brethren , ammi , and to your sisters , ruhamah . pled with your mother , plead ; for she is not my wife , neither am i her husband , &c. some joyne the first verse of this chapter to the end of the former : and ( according to a sense that may be given of the words , agreeable to the scope of the latter part of the former chapter ) it may seem more fit to be made the end of that , then the beginning of this . in the latter end of the former , god was in a way of promising mercy to his people , that those that were not his people should be his people , and those that had not received mercy should receive mercy . now he calleth upon all whose hearts were with god , to speake to one another of this great favour of god to his people , fo● their mutuall encouragement , and for the praise of his name . as if he should say , well , you have been under dreadfull threats of god , your sins have called for dreadfull things ; but my grace is free , and it is rich & powerfull , therefore you that were not my people , and have deserved to be for ever cast off from being my people , you that had not obtained mercy shall obtaine mercy ; say to your brethren , ammi , and to your sisters , ruhamah , that is , o you that are godly , speak one to another , and tel● one another , for the quickning of one anothers hearts ; of this great favour of god of his free grace , oh say , ammi , ammi , the people of god , ruhamah , gods mercy : we were not his people , but now ammi again , god hath promised to make us to be his people ; we were rejected from mercy , but mercy is come again , now ruhamah , o the mercy of god , o that free grace of our god , that wee that have beene : so vile , so provoked the eyes of his glory , we that have so sinned against mercy it self , yet mercy should thus follow us , to make us his people , and to save us from his wrath ! it is a good thing to speake of the loving kindnesse of our god. psal . . . it is a good thing to give thanks unto the lord , and to be telling of the goodnesse of god in the morning , and his faithfulnesse every night . that psalme is appointed for the sabbath . it is a work of the sabbath to be speaking one to another of the goodnesse of god : especially in this case , when a people were afraid that they should have been for ever rejected , that now god should call them againe , ammi , my people , and say now againe that he will have mercy upon them . psal . . . . one generation shall praiss thy name to another , and shall declare thy mighty acts ; i will speak of the glorious honour of thy majesty , and of thy wondrous works . mark what the wayes of god are toward his church , when he commeth in the wayes of mercy ; they are wondrous works of god , they are the mighty acts of god , they are such wherein the honor of god appears , yea they are the honour of his ma●esty , yea they are the glorious honour of his majesty● there is majesty , honour of majesty , glorious honour of majesty , mighty works of god , wonderfull works of god. when these appeare , these are to be declared indeed ; and for them to be able to say to one another , ammi and ruhamah , it was to declare the wonderfull works of god , and the glorious honour of his majesty . yea it followeth further in that psalme , verse . men shal speake of the might of thy terrible acts , and i will decla●e thy greatnesse . and verse . they shall abundantly utter the memory of thy great goodnesse . e●ucta●u●t , so arias m●ntanus renders it , they shall not be able to keep it in , but break ●orth in the memory of thy goodnesse . happy are those people that god g●ants such subjects of discourses unto , that they may say one to another , to their brethren and sisters , ammi , and ruhamah . it was not long since , that when we met with our brethren , we could not have such a subject of discourse as this is , but usually when christians met together after their salutations , their first question was ; oh! what shall we do ? what shall we doe ? what course shall we take ? all the newes almost that was in the kingdome , and the subject of discourses ( specially among the saints ) was this , such a minister silenced in such a place , such a one banished in another place , such a one imprisoned in another place , such a one high-commissioned in another place , such signes of the wrath of god upon us , we are afraid that god is going , if he be not quite gone already , we are afraid that he will not onely reject us from being his people , but reject us from being a people upon the fac● of the earth . but blessed be god , he hath changed the subject of our d●scourses . now gods wayes have begun to be towards us as if he intended to make us again to be his people . now we may when we meet together have plentifull subjects of discourses about gods grace & mercy , to say ammi , ruhamah , o the lord manifesteth goodnes to an unworthy nation & we have hope that yet he will owne us to be his people , we have hope that yet he will shew mercy to us though never so unworthy . who would have thought ever to have seene and heard of such things as we have seene & heard ? who would have thought ever to have seene the hearts of the adversaries so daunted , their power so curbed , their rage so quelled , the wicked in their own workes so ensnared ; their hopes so disappointed ? who would ever have thought to have seene the saints so rejoycing , their liberties so inlarged , their hearts and expectations so raised ? this is the free grace of god : ammi , ruhamah , we have obtained mercy , god hath dealt with us in abundance of grace . this we must not discourse of when we meere , as matter of newes onely , but we must speake of it to the praise of god , for the sanctifying of our hearts . our brethren in ireland have another subject of their discourses at this day . when a brother or a sister meet this is the subject of their discourse , oh my father , my mother taken such a day by the rebels and cruelly masacred , such a kinsman , such a kinswoman taken such a day and fearfully murthered , such houses were fired , such cities and towns were taken , and with what gaftly visages doe you think they look one upon another , when they are thus relating these sad things ? the word of god came out against england , but it hath lighted upon ireland . o unworthy are we of these mercies we enjoy , if when we meete together our discourses be frothy and light , about vain and trivial things , when god hath given us such a subject of discourse as he hath done by such gracious , and wonderfull , and glorious wayes of his mercy towards us in this latter age . say to your brethren ammi , and to your sisters ruhamah . the mercies of god are to be inculcated upon our spirits , we should not onely tell them one to another , but again and again inculcate them upon our hearts . indeed gods mercies at first they seeme to take impression upon our spirits , but the impression is soone vanished . say to your brethren . this is ( according to some ) let judah to whom god shewed special mercy , say to israel , to the ten tribes that were more threatned then judah , for judah was not so threatned as israel was , to be cast off from being the people of god. let judah rejoyce in this , that their brethren are received again to mercy . a gracious heart should rejoyce in gods mercies towards others . gods mercies are an infinite ocean , there needes no envying there , no grieving for that which others have . indeed when one man is richer then another , another is ready rather to envy him then to rejoyce : a courier is ready to envy the favour that another hath , why ? because these are narrow things . but when we come to gods mercy there is roome enough there , that soul that hath beene made partaker of mercy , counts it a great happinesse that any way the mercy of god may be magnified . say to your brethren and sisters , &c. these whom god hath received unto mercy , we should receive into brotherly affection . hath god shewed mercy to such and such , well may wee account them our brethren and sisters then . if god takes them to mercy we must be ready willingly to take them into brotherly society . but now if we take these words as the beginning of the second chapter , then we shall see them carried in some different way . and taking of them so ( as most doe ) i shall first shew you the scope of the chapter in the parts of it , and then shew in what sense the words may be carried , as the beginning of this chapter . the scope of thi●●●ond chapter is much according to that of the first , viz. 〈◊〉 shew unto 〈◊〉 their sinne and their danger , and secondly to promise gods aboundant grace and mercy again . the first is especially from the beginning to the . verse , and the second , from the . verse to the end of the chapter . yet this is not an exact division . neither can we give an exact division of this no more than we could give of the other . why ? because things are so intermixed ; for they are the patheticall expressions of a loving , and yet a provoked husband , and therefore when he is comming to ●●●●vince his spouse who hath dealt falsely with him , and to shew her her sin and danger , whilst he is manifesting of his displeasure , the bowels of his compassion begin to yerne , and he must have some expression of love in the middest of all ; then when he hath had some expressions of love , he falls again to rebuke her and to shew her her sin again , and then his bowels yerne again , and he commeth to expressions of love again . we have found it so in the former chapter , and shall find it so in this : for though the beginning of this chapter to the . verse is specially spent in convincing of sinne and threatning of judgement , yet in the sixth and seventh verses there is promise of mercy and favour , and expressions of love , and then in the eighth verse he goes to threatning againe , and in the . ver . begins to express mercy again . as god doth in this case , so should we . when we rebuke others that are under us , we should so rebuke them , as yet to manifest love to them , and when we manifest love , to doe it so as yet to take notice what is amisse and to reprove them . many parents know not how to rebuke their children , but they do it , so as that there is nothing but bitternesse ; and they know not how to manifest their love but they do it so as that there is nothing but cockering and immoderate indulgency . god mixeth both together . say to your brethren , &c. take it for the beginning of the first part of this second chapter , for the shewing of them their sinne , and rebuking them , what then must be the sense and scope of the words , say to your brethren , amm● , &c. then it is carried thus . some thing must be supplied for the making up of the full sense . as if god should have said , oh ammi , you whom i have reserved to be my people , you to whom i have shewed mercy , there is yet remaining a handfull of you , while you remaine to be may people , and others cast off , and you obtayning mercy , and others rejected , let it be your care to exhort , perswade , convince , use all the meanes you can to bring your brethren and sisters on to that grace of god you have received : say to your brethren , say , it is not expressed what they should say , but by that which followeth wee may understand what the meaning of god is , when hee saith plead with your mother , &c. that is , you that have received mercy and are my people , there is a remnant of you ; do not you think that so long as you scape and are well enough your selves , no great matter what becomes of others , oh no , but let your hearts be much toward your brethren and sisters , let your bowels yerne toward them , oh seeke if it be possible to draw them unto god that they may receive mercy too , labour to convince them , say and speake to them that they may not yet stand out against god and be obstinate ; say to your brethren ammi , and to your sisters ruhamah , you that are ammi , and you that have received mercy do you speake to your brethren and sisters . and this affordeth unto us many excellent observations . as first , that in the most corrupt times of all , god doth use to reserve a people , to deliver some from the guilt of the generall corruptions of the place where they live . for so this ammi and ruhamah , were a remainder , that god did deliver thorough his grace from the generall corruptions of the place where they were ; for otherwise they had not beene fit to have said to their brethren or to have spoken to their sisters in this sense . secondly , those whom god delivers from the guilt of generall corruptions are to be acknowledged the people of god , such as have receiv●● mercy from god in a speciall manner ; it is free grace that hath made this difference between you and others ; augustin in his second book concerning preservation , has a good note upon that scripture , king. . . i have left me seven thousand in israel , god sayes not , there are left , or they have left themselves , but i have left ; it is the speciall work of god to preserve any for himselfe in evil times . thirdly , the lord takes speciall notice of such who are thus by his grace preserved in evill times . ammi , ruhamah , there are a people amongst these that are ammi , my people , that have obtained mercy from me , mine eyes are upon them , my heart is toward them ; there are a number that have kept their garments undefiled even in sardis , and i will remember this for ever for their good . noah was a just man , prefect in his generation , gen. . . and what then ? chap. . . come thou and all thy house into the ark , for thee have i seene righteous before me in this generation . fourthly , such as keep themselves from the corruptions of the times wherin they live , they and onely they are fit to exhort and reprove others . those that are not guilty themselves as others are , are fit to speak to others , to say to their brethren and to their sisters . they are fit to exhort , who performe the duties themselves that they exhort unto . we say it is a shamefull thing for one to be teaching if he be guilty himself ; he cannot with freedom of spirit , say to his brethren and sisters . fifthly , it is the duty of those whom god hath delivered from the corruptions of the times , to seeke to draw all others to god ; to seeke to convince others of their evil wayes , and so bring them in to the truth . we ●eade levit. . . thou shalt not hate thy brother in thine heart , thou shalt in any wise rebuke thy neighbour , & not suffer sin to lye upon him . surely those who have obtained mercy , have the impression of gods mercy upon their spirits , they are farre from having hatefull hearts ; now it is hatred for any to suffer sinne to lye upon his brother , and not to doe what in him lyeth to help him . it is desperate pride for men to triumph over others in their falls , and it is wicked cruelty to suffer others to lye down when they are fallen if they can raise them . 〈◊〉 - faring men who are delivered themselves from shipvvrack , and all is 〈◊〉 with them , if they see another ship ready to sink in the sea ; and those on ship-board shoot out to have them come to helpe to save them , though they be never so farre remote , yet if it should be knowne that they decline to goe out to help them , all the sea-men would cry out shame on such , and be ready to stone them for etting a ship sinke when they might have helped : certainly the same case-it is with those to whom god hath shew ed mercy , if others lye in their sins they do not what they can for their help . . say to your brethren and to your sisters . the neerer the relation of any is to us , the more should our compassion be towards them , in seeking to deliver them from their sins ; there is more likelihood of prevailing with your brethren and sisters . hath god converted you , and have you a brother or a sister not converted , or any of your kindred ? goe and say to them , tell them of the danger of their evil wayes , tell them of the excellency of the wayes of god , exhort them to come in , to make tryall of the blessed wayes of god. when a brother speaks to a brother , or a sister to a sister , it is the bringing a hammer of gold to work upon gold , and of silver to work upon silver . lastly , say to your brethren and sisters . exhortations unto and reprehensions of others should be with much love and meekenesse . say to your brethren and sisters , yet look upon them as brethren and sisters , though they have not yet obtained the like mercy that you have . saint paul , thes . . . speaking of one that walketh inordinately , from whom we are to withdraw in respect of any private familiar society , yet saith he , admonish him as a brother . those who reprove and admonish others with bitternesse of spirit and evill speaking , are like a foolish fowler who seekes to get the fowle , but he goes on boysterously , and makes a noise ; the way ( if he would get it ) is to goe on quietly , softly , and gently ; so the way to gaine a brother , is not by boisterousnesse and violence , but sofness , and gentleness . it is observed by some of the jews out of that . exod. ver . . where the matter of the tabernacle is said to be gold , and silver , and brasse : you doe not see nor hear of iron to be required for the building of it ; no , iron , rigid , severe , hard dispositions are not fit either to be matter of the tabernacle themselves , or to draw others to be the matter of it . yea but if saying will not be enough to doe the deed , then there followes pleading . that is the second . say to them , admonish them , exhort them , but what if that will not doe ? doe not leave presently , but plead , yea and plead with your mother too , not onely with your brethren and with your sisters , but with your mother . plead with your mother , plead , for she is not my wife , &c. pleade , litigate , so some , contendite , strive , the old latine hath iudicate , iudge your mother . it may seeme to be a hard and harsh phrase at first , but we shall labour to acquaint you with the minde of god in it . here is an exhortation even to the private members of the church , to all , one o● other , to plead even with their mother , to plead even with the church of which they are members , and so to plead as to deale plainly and to tell her that she is not the wife of god. pleade with her , first , here we see gods condescension , that he will have us pleade the ease betwixt others and himselfe , as esay , . . iudge between me and my vineyard , faith god. this sheweth the equity of gods dealing . pleade the case , perhaps some of you might thinke . i deale hardly with your mother in so rejecting of her , in bringing such judgements upon her . no , not so , but plead you the case , plead rather with her then complaine of me for my dealing with her . secondly , plead with her . when exhortations and admonitions will not doe , we must strengthen our selves and falla pleading . if there be any way more powerfull then exhortation and admonition we should take that way , and not presently give over , for though it is not said here , pleade with your brothers and sisters , yet they are included in this when he saith , plead with your mother . thirdly , it is a hard thing to convince idolaters of their sin , and of the justice of god comming against them for their sinne . plead with your mother , plead , shee will not acknowledge it , she will stand it out , and say she hath not done so ill , shee is not worthy to be cast off , you had need pleade and plead hard with her , she will stand out else : idolaters have so many distinctions , so many evasions , so many shifts and pretences , that it is a thousand to one ever almost to prevaile with them . when you deale with papists about worshipping of images they will have such distinctions of worship , perse , and worship per accidens , of honouring the creature , propter se , & propter aliud , proprie , improprie , and a hundred of such kinde of distinctions and evasions , till they distinguish out the truth , and scarce understand themselves what they meane by their distinctions . hence idolaters scorne at judgements threatned , they thinke onely a company of foolish & timorous people fear such things , they cry out , say they , that we are idolaters , idolaters and grievous judgements of god are comming ●●on us , a company of foolish melancholly people they feare their own 〈◊〉 . was it not so heretofore when we were going on in the wayes of idolatry space ? was it not the jeere and scorne of all such spirits ? if any did seeme but to make a question about idolatry , they would never be convinced of such a sinne , nor never feare any judgements hanging over our heads , though god hath prevented it through his grace , and hath shewed his prero●ation in the ways of his mercy , yet certainly there was signe enough of dreadfull wrath hanging over us , and what yet may be we know not . fourthly , plead with your mother , pleade . it is a 〈◊〉 of forensecall word , and carrieth with it such a kinde of pleading , as must be a convincing , a powerfull pleading . god loveth to have people dealt withall in a convincing way . the lord doth not cry out to the prophet or to these other good people that were free from that idolatry that the people of israel were generally corrupted withall , he doth not say , i say , bid them go and terrifie them , and cry out of the● 〈◊〉 speake bitterly unto them ; but 〈◊〉 and plead● the cause with them , seeke to convince them , doc not goe and 〈◊〉 upon 〈◊〉 〈…〉 them . god loveth to have people dealt withall in a convincing way , let not therefore any thinke it enough either minister or other , that they can speak terribly to people , and cry out of the sinnes of the people , but let them labour to convince them , to deale with them as rationall creatures , and to take away their secret objections and their secret shifts , and to make their sinnes plaine before their consciences . a convincing preacher and a convincing christian is such a one as may be very usefull , and doe aboundance of good to the church of god. fifthly , pleade with your mother . it is very fit that god should have some to pleade for him , to pleade his cause as well as the devil hath to pleade his . the devill never wants pleaders . when was there ever such an ill cause came to a bench , or to any society in any publique way , but found some that would pleade for it ? a shame that the worst cause in the world should have pleaders for it , and many times the cause of god suffers by mens being mute that should pleade for it . god will take this very ill at their hands . it is true , god saith , hee will pleade his owne cause , and wee are bound to pray according to that of the psalmist , that god would arise and pleade his owne cause . and indeed if god had not risen and pleaded his owne cause better then we did , his cause would have been in the dirt before this . though it is true , god is raising up his own cause , no thanke to us ; wee have cause to lay our hands upon our mo●thes as guilty , in that we did so basely and cowardly let the cause of god suffer , and god appearing so immediately and gloriously , is the rebuking of us because we did not , wee would not before stand up to plead● his cause . sixthly , when any have found mercy from god , the sweetnesse of that mercy so warmeth their hearts , that they cannot endure to see that blessed god be dishonoured . pleade you ammi , ruhamah ; what , my people , those to whom i have shewed mercy , what though it be your mother , what though it be any deare to you , what though they be great ones , though they be a multitude , yet pleade , plead for me against them , this note is grounded upon the title that god giveth them who should plead ammi , and ruhamah , those that are gods people , those that have found mercy from god. gods mercy is so sweet , it doth so inflame them , that they must plead for god against any in the world . seventhly , pleade with your mother . that is , with the church , called a mother , because as the mother is as it were the roote from whence children come , divideth her selfe into branches ; so the community of a commonwealth or a church , any community , is called in scripture a mother , and the particulars they are as severall branches that growe from that roote , they are as children . therefore you have such expressions in scripture as the daughters of jerusalem oftentimes , and there is no great difference between calling jerusalem , that is , the state , mother ; or jerusalem , that is , the church , mother , for indeed the church and state were mixed both together . from this expression we learne that it is lawfull for children to plead with their parents . though it is true , this aimeth at a higher thing then what is between natural children and their parents , yet from the expression this is intimated and implied , that it is lawfull for children to pleade with their parents . if children see their parents in an ungodly way , they may lawfully pleade with them , and their parents are bound to hearken to their pleading gods cause . it is a speech of tertullians , the begetter is to be beloved , and we may adde , he is to be honoured , but our creator is to be preferred . children must give due respect to their parents , yet so as preferring the lord before them ; and if the parents goe against god , even their children must plead against them . as it is a great sinne for parents to prefer their children before god , so it is a great sin for children to prefer their parents before god. do not think i come to set children against their parents in this , be but content to heare to the end ( though i will not be long in this observation ) and you will be convinced i suppose of it , that it is fit for children to plead with their parents when they go from god. thus we see it was with jonathan , sam. . . there you shall finde that he pleaded with his father when he saw him so furious and in such a passionate mood as he was in , and in such a cruell way toward poor david , let not ( saith he ) ●he king sinne against his servant : let not the king , he gives him very respectufll words , and sheweth his due honour to his father , let not the king sinne against his servant , and then goeth on and tells his father of the good service david had done , and that david did not deserve such ill usage from him . thus when children shall see their fathers or mothers to be in a f●●ous rage or passion , it is fit enough for them , if they come in an humble and subm●ssive way , in a beseeching way , i be seech you father or mother , consider that by these distempered passions , in stead of helping your self , you sinne against god , you have known it by experience that you have often in such passion so broken out , that many sinnes have broken from you , and you have grieved for it afterwards , oh doe not againe that which your conscience hath so often checked you for . if children should come thus in an humble and submissive way to plead with their parents , they doe no more then their duty , and their parents are bound to hearken to them in it . i confesse they should be very carefull in keeping their due respect to their parents , and not speake mallapertly , but with all reverence and submission to them , and to speak privately too , if possibly it can be , not to divulge their parents weaknesses . you know cham was cursed for discovering his fathers nakedness , though he was drunk he did not shew his due respect at that time to his father ; but if he had sought to cover his fathers nakednesse , and after had come and pleaded the case with him , certainly he had not beene cursed , but received a blessing . yea and there is a great deale of reason that children should pleade with heir parents , and that you should give them leave so to doe , because you know , children are the worse for your sinnes , god thr●tneth to visit the sinnes of the parents upon the children , unto the third and fourth generation there are many threatnings against children for the sinnes of their parents , therefore it concerns your children that they should plead with you , and that you should suffer them . for you say , sirrah what have you to do with me ? what doth it concern you ? yes , the child if he doth it in modesty and humility may say , o father it doth concern me , i may fare the worse for your sinnes , god may come upon me for them , therefore give me leave i beseech you to pleade the cause of god with you . and if you will not give your children leave in this , they may rise up as witnesses against you another day . if children in an humble and submissive way plead with their parents , and they will not hearken unto them then , a very good pleading will be for them to burst out into teares before their parents , and it is a very sutable and powerfull pleading , that when children cannot prevaile in an humble and submissive way , then to burst out into teares before them . we read in the story of king edward the sixth , when cranmer and ridley came to him , and were so earnest to let him give way to his sister the lady mary to have masse , he stood out and pleaded the case with them , & told them it was a sinne against god , they used many carnall arguments to perswade the king , but hee withstood them a great while ; at length when king edward ( who was but a childe about years of age ) saw hee could not prevaile with pleading against those grave men , he burst out into teares , and that so prevailed with them , that they went away and concluded that the king had more divinity in his little finger , then they had in all their bodies , and so yeelded to him . certainly in such pleadings the heart of a parent must needs be much hardned if hee will not breake and yeeld to his child . you that are parents , looke upon your childrens pleading with you , and consider with your selves , what doth god send one out of my loins , out of my own wombe to come and plead the cause of god with me , to draw me from the wayes of sinne , and to do good to my soul for ever , surely it is a mercy to have one out of my owne bowels to stand for the cause of god ; surely god is in it , i see this child in other things walks humbly and obediently unto me . as indeed you that are children , that plead with your parents , you need be carefull so much the rather to be obedient to them and not take upon you in an unseemly manner to check and reprove them ; and then it cannot but convince the heart of a parent . what a blessing will it be to your children if you that have received your naturall life from your parents , should be a means of the spiritual and eternal life of them . thus much for the expression . plead with your mother . now for that which is chiefly aimed at , plead with your mother , that is , the church and state. hence the note is , those that are godly should not onely sacrifice themselves to do good to themselves or friends in private , but they are to labour to doe good to the publique too . not onely say to your sisters and to your brethren , but pleade with your mother . there are many narrow spirited men , who if they can discharge as they think their consciences with their families , and can plead with their servants and children , or some of their own neere acquaintance perhaps , they have done enough , though for the publique they take no care at all . hence it is apparently implyed , that all those that are members of any church , ought to be men of knowledge ; why ? because they are such as are called upon to plead with their mother . it is not for an ignorant sot to plead with a church of god ; and yet such should be all the members of every church , as in some cases they should plead with their mother . lastly , which indeed is the maine observation of all , god giveth liberty to some private members of churches , yea it is their duty in some cases to plead with the whole church . this we must speak unto a little more . gods wayes and his cause are so equal , that private christians , though they be very weak , yet they may be able to plead it with a church . it is true , there is a great deale of disadvantage that a poore , weak , private christian hath , when he is to deale with a whole church , where there are many godly and learned : but where as there is a disadvantage one way , so the advantage is as much the other way , in regard that the cause of god is one the one side , and not on the other . the goodnesse of the cause is as great an advantage as the abilities and number on the other side is a disadvantage . and sometimes particular members of a church have no other way to free themselves from the guilt of the sinnes of the church , but onely by pleading with them ; except they plead , they are many times inwrapped in the guilt , and therefore of necessity they must do it , though they be never so weak , yea and sometimes god hath blessed the pleading of some few , and of weak ones too , with a multitude . perhaps you may have heard of that notable story we have in ecclesiasticall histories of paphnutius , who being in the councel of nice where there were . bishops , and the businesse was about the marriage of ministers , and generally they cast against it , that those that were single should not marry : only paphnutius , one man , comes and plead against them all in that case , and god so wrought it that he carried the cause , and he , one man , convinced all these . bishops . therefore this is no discouragement for one man to stand up and plead against a great many . so petrus waldensis in the story of waldenses , though he was but one at first , yet he stood against many thousands , and god blessed that which he did for the conversion of thousands . and luther you know he stood against all the world almost . yea and though this one man may be but a private man , a weake man. god may blesse that which he saith sometimes more then that which more learned men shall say . i remember i have read in the centuries this story : a company of bishops being met together , there was a phylosopher that stood out against the christian religion , and so reasoned against them all , that be seemed to have the better of it : amongst them there was one , a very godly and holy man , but a very weak man ; he seeing the cause of god like 〈◊〉 suffer , desired leave to speak and encounter with this phylosopher ; all the rest being troubled at it , thinking that gods cause would suffer more by him , knowing he was a very weak man , but yet knowing withall that hee was a very holy man , none would oppose , but let him speak : so he beginneth with the phylosopher , reciting many articles of the faith , tell me , saith he , do you believe these things are so ? ( and spoke with majesty and authority ) doe not so reason the case about these articles of our faith , but do you believe ? presently the phylosopher acknowledged himselfe overcome : hitherto ( saith he ) i have heard words , and returned words , but now i feel the divine power , and i cannot further answer ; and so yeelded to be a christian upon the pleading of this poor weak man , yet a very holy and godly man. god hath blessed the pleading of weake ones , though it be against those that are very strong , therefore they must not be contemned . i remember oecolampadius hath such an expression as this , saith hee , * christ should be contemned and dishoncured , if we should not heare , were it but a child speaking with his spirit , though all the world should be against it . and in esay . . . there is a promise that in the times of the gospel , the spirits of men should be so brought down , that they should not stand upon their greatnesse and learning , but the text saith , a child should leade them ; that is , the humble temper that god would have under the gospell . but it may be said , will not this argue self-conceit ? what , for one man , a private man to plead with so many , with a church ? it is a signe that such a one is very well opinionated of himself , that should think that what he apprehendeth should be sufficient to stand against the apprehension of so many learned and godly men as are in the church . how can this be freed from arrogancy and proud conceitednesse . i answer , not so , it may be conscience , and not self-conceit , for the rule of conscience is not the abilities , nor the holinesse , nor the multitude of others , but it is that light that god doth let in to convince according to his word . nay further , i suppose i may convince you that this pleading for god , may proceed from much self-deniall , and the not pleading may proceed from very vile , sinfull self-respect . how will that appeare ? thus. for a private man when he sees the truth of god to suffer , certainly if he be an humble and an ingengous spirit , it cannot but be exceeding grievous unto him to think , that he must contest with such a multitude of able and godly men , more able then himself , it cannot but be to him a very hard work that god putteth him upon . he would rather a hundred times , if he did look at his own quiet and ease , sit down : for , think he , if i come to speak , then by this i shall be endangered to be accounted self-conceited , i shall have the accusation of pride , i shall displease many of my friends , i shall make a great disturbance in my self , i am sure to my own peace , whatsoever i do to others , and how much bette● were it for me to sit still and be quiet . an humble spirit would reason thus ; but only ? conscience puts him upon it ; i shall contract guilt to my self , if i be not at least a witnesse for gods truth , therefore though i shall suffer so much in it , yet rather then the truth shall suffer , rather then conscience shall plead against me , i will plead though never so much to my disadvantage . now if such an one carry it humbly and quietly , certainly he is rather to be accounted a self-denying man in it ; for it is a very hard taske . vvhereas on the other side , self-love is more like to think thus ; it is true , these things are right , i see they are not according to the truth of god. conscience indeed would have me speak , but i shall trouble my self , and what will they think of me on the other side , where there are so many able and godly men ? surely i shall be thought a conceited fool , and therefore i were as good hold my peace , and sleepe in a whole skin , and be quiet . thus because they have so much self-respect , and love their own quiet , and cannot endure to suffer any trouble , they will leave the truth to suffer , and their consciences to be pleading with in against themselves ; rather then thus to plead for the cause of god. certainly they that are charitable should rather take things in the better part then in the evill . it is true , it is possible that men may through pride of spirit be pleading with others ( i shall speak a word of that by and by ) but yet you may perceive it in the carriage of such a one , in the generall course of his way . now if in the generall course of the way of a man , hee doth carry himselfe humbly and submissively , that you see him yeeldable as much as ever he can in all lawfull things , and then when he commeth to plead against an evil he is not suddain , he is not rash , and he pleads not against every light evil neither , but when he comes he comes with a great deale of trouble in his spirit , and carrieth it with all quietnesse and humility , it is your rigidnesse , and that spirit which doth not beseeme a christian , that is not the spirit of christ in this thing , for to judge of this to be pride . for certainly under this false judge ment the cause of god hath suffered exceeding much . you will say , how can it be imagined , that one man should see more then many , more then others that are able ? to that i answer . in a community where there are many , though they should be godly , yet many of them may have their spirits biased with prejudice , vvith selfe-ends , and so not come to see the truth though they be more able . again perhaps though they may be moreable in most things , yet in some one god may leave them . yea , though they may be more able at other times , yet for some one time god may leave a man in a thing that he is very able in it another time . and perhaps a great many of them for the present may have so much distemper of spirit , as they may not speak according to what they think themselves . therefore it may be usefull for some one man to be pleading with many others . i beseech you consider of this , it is very usefull . men must not think that god doth dispence the knowledge of his truth alwayes according to natural 〈…〉 . for want of this consideration many are led into much evill . for thus they think with themselves , if a man have more abilities to understand natural things then others have , therefore he must needs have more abilities to understand spirituall things then others have . there is a mistake in this . a great learned man that hath great abilities , understands the rules of nature , yet a poor weake man may have the mind of christ more then he hath . for the promise is to them that feare god. psal . . . the secret of the lord is with them that feare him . it may be another man hath more abilities , but this spirit may be more soild , may be more distempered then the poor weake mans . i thanke thee , o father , lord of heaven and earth , because thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent , and hast revealed them unto babes ; even so father , for it seemed good in thy sight . if multitudes had beene an argument against the truth , then in the primitive times , when christian religion began , certainly very few should have followed jesus christ . yea , and there is not more disadvantage and disproportion between one or two private members of a church and the whole church , then there was at that time disadvantage and disproportion between the whole church then and all the world . and if we mark saint iohn , we know ( saith he ) that we are of god , and that the whole world lyeth in wickednesse . we know . what a singular spirit was here ? here was singularity indeed , if you talke of singularity ; you are afraid you should be counted self-conceited , and singular in differing from others . we know that we are of god , and that the whole world lyes in wickednesse . thus we see the thing a little cleared , as this point had need be , but we have not done with it , we must not let it go so . there must be some rules given for this , or otherwise we should wrong the point in naming it . christians may plead , private members may plead with their mother , yet they must observe these rules . first . they must not plead with her for every light thing . for the scripture giveth us this rule , that love covereth a multitude of infirmi●ies ; we must not stand pleading for every infirmity with our brother , but rather passe by many and cover them , much lesse then with the church . but if there be that which is notorious , or if i be called unto it , that i cannot have communion with them , but in my communication with them , i shall be wrapped up in the guilt except i testifie the truth . certainly then i am bound to plead , the second rule is , it must be orderly done , that is , if possibly it may bee , you must make the officers of the church to be your mouth in pleading , i say if it can be . if it come to such a way of rebuking or declaring the evill to the church , it should rather ( if it can be ) be by him whom god hath appointed to be his mouth to the church . for you doe it in gods name , therefore the most orderly way to do it ( if it may be done ) is by him that is gods mouth . thirdly , it must be so as you must manifest all due respect to that society you are of , to that church , shewing in your carriage , that you are apprehensive and sensible even at this time of that distance that is betweene you and that whole society whereof you are a member . fourthly , you must do it in a very peaceable way , so as to manifest that you desire peace , and not to be the least disturbance to the peace of the church , but that the peace of it is deare & precious to you . therefore when you have witnessed the truth and discharged your conscience in it , you must be then content to sit down quiet , for so the rule is , that the spirits of the prophets must be subject to the prophets , in that case : but if it should prove that the church should continue , if the evill be notorious and great as requires departing , and the church after all means used & all patience should continue in it , in such a case , you may desire to be dismissed from it and depart . but in as peaceable a way as possibly can be , yet continuing in due respect unto the church for all that , though you should depart , onely leaving your witnesse behind you . the papists cry out against us for pleading against them , and say it is an ill bird that will defile its own nest , and they tell us the curse of cham is upon us for discovering our parents nakednesse . they are to know this , that there is more liberty for a member of a church to plead with a church then for a childe to pleade with his parent . though there be liberty for a child , yet there is more liberty for the member of a church . for a parent though he should be never so evil , yet hee doth not lose his right over his childe . though your parents should be very wicked , yet know , that their wickednesse doth not discharge you of your duty ; that all children should take notice of but a church may so fall off from god , as the members of it may be free from their duty to it , and therefore may have more liberty to plead then a child with his parent . that but onely in answer to them . and certainly so far have they fallen from god , as they have discharged those that plead against them . well but if a member , a particular may plead with a church , a whole church , with their mother ; certainly then , there is no one member of a church so high but he may be pleaded withall , even by private people in that church . colos . . . say to archippus , look to thy ministry , it is an exhortation to all the church to say to archippus and admonish him to looke to his ministry . for though the officer of a church be nearer to christ the head ( of which you heard before ) then other members are , as the arme is nearer the head then the hand ; yet if the arme shall send forth any thing to the hand that it hath not from the head ( as in a flux of putrid humours that resteth in the arme ) then it would be the strength of the hand to resist those ill humours that the arme sends forth . so if any officer of the church shall send forth that which he did not receive from the head , to any member , but some putrid humour of his own , it is the virtue of that member to resist the receiving of any such humour . certainly it is the pride of many that thinke it scorne for any private people any way to have to do with them . it is i say a pride in men which thorough want of that right order that should be in all churches is growen to that height , that those that take to themselves as proper the name of clergy , they think it such a dishonor to them for any other that is not a clergy-man ( as they speak ) to speak to them or admonish them of any thing , or to reason with them about any thing , or when they have preached , to come to them for further satisfaction in somewhat that they have delivered , or if they be negligent in their duty , to tell them of it though never so submissively & meekly , their pride makes them rise so high . and for that observe , because they do it upon that ground that they are the clergie , which signifies gods inheritance and gods lot , and so contemning others as inferiour . you shall find in scripture the people are called clergy in distinction from the ministers , and never the ministers in the new testament from the people , the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is not attributed to them to my remembrance , but i am sure it is attributed to the congregation , to the private members by way of distinction from them . that you shall see in pet. . . be not lords over gods inheritance . doe not lord it over gods clergy , over gods lot , so the words are , now in that he saith do not lord it , certainly that is spoken to the officers of the church , and they must not lord it over gods inheritance , that is , over gods clergy , for so i say the words are . the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 therefore , from whence clergy commeth , is you see attributed to the people . and we shall find in scripture , acts . . that apollos an eloquent man and mighty in the scriptures , and a man of a fervent spirit , yet the text saith , that aquila and priscilla , that were private people , tooke him unto them and expounded to him the way of god more perfectly . where have you an apollos now , an eloquent man , a scholler , a great clergy man , but would scorne and contemne that a poore man and his wife should take him home & instruct him in the way of god more perfectly ? yet apollos an eloquent man & mighty in the scriptures tooke it well and was willing to receive further instruction from these people : and we finde cant. . that in the time of reformation of the church , the church went to the watch-men , the watch-men beate her , shee had more reliefe from the daughters of jerusalem then from them . but we must not leave this so neither . it is true , there may be a notorious abuse of both these , and it is exceeding hard for a people to understand their liberty without abusing of it , either against the church or against the officers of a church . this power may be abused in people very much in too much pride , arrogancy , mallapertness , a spirit of contention in some , taking a delight in contradiction . there are many people i say that are of such a humor that it is their very delight to be in a way of contradiction , & they think they are no body except they have somewhat to say against their officers or against what is delivered , and upon that very ground will go quarrelling , not out of meere conscience , but that it may appear to others that for their parts they have a further reach than other men ; it is true , such things are delivered , generally they are received : yea , but men must know that they look into things further then others doe : and if they be in a community , they conceive that every one would think them no body if they stand still and say nothing , therefore that they may appeare to be some-body , they will speake , they will have somewhat to finde fault withall , though they scarce understand what they say , or whereof they affirme , and shew it they will in a virulent spirit , in a domineering way , and brave it to the faces of those that god hath set over them . certainly this is a grosse and abominable thing giving it may be reproachfull tearmes to such : whereas the rule of christ is , rehuke not an elder , ( tim. . . ) but intreate him as a father , do not you think presently that because you may pleade with them , that gods cause may not suffer by your silence ; that therefore you may rebuke them in an undecent and unseemly manner . you may indeed in an humble way goe as acknowledging the distance betwixt you and him , hee being an officer , and so inereat him as a father . doe many of you so when you go and reason the case with a minister , whom you your selves will acknowledge to be officers of christ , yet it may be sometime through bitternesse of spirit you will be casting them off from being officers of christ before you have sufficient warrant for it : and therefore the apostle saith in the same chapter ver . . against an elder receive not an accusation but before two or three witnesses ; marke , you must not receive an accusation , much lesse a condemnation , for the credit and honour of the ministers of christ are very deare and precious unto him , therefore take heed how through a violent and turbulent spirit you cast any dishonour upon those that christ hath set over you . thus i have indeavoured to discover the truth unto you , and so limited as i hope it may be for edification , and not for hurt at all to any . pleade with your mother . but what is this pleading ? she is not my wife , neither am i her husband . it hath much bitternesse in it indeed if it be considered of , yet it is in as faire termes as can be set out . shee is not my wife . he doth not bid them say to their mother she is a whore , but she is not my wife . you will say , why ? what difference is there between her not being his wife and her being a whore ? may we not call things as they are ? it is true , the thing is the same , but hence the spirit of god teacheth us an excellent note , that those who pleade against others must not give ill termes , especially when those they plead against are superiors , you may declare your mindes fully , but in as faire , modest , comely , the least provoking termes that can be . it is a foule evill in many if they see ministers or churches do things they ought not , presently to give reviling speeches , nothing is in their mouths but there is one of baals priests , and antichristian , they cry out of every thing they dislike as antichristian , whereas you are to study with your selves if there be any terme more mollising then other to make use of that terme , although the fault you pleade against might beare a harsher terme if rebuked by one in authority , yet you who are but private christians should be very carefull in the fairest , gen●●st termes that may be to erprove what you dislike . again , ●●ee is not my wife . for that point , that a people that have been gods people , may prove not not to be gods people , that we have already met withal in the former chapter . we shall not speak of it as then we did . onely now wee have it more fully , that a church may come to be un-churched . here is a difficult case , that is , when a church may come not to be a church . it is through gods providence more then i did make account of when i began this prophesie of hosea , though i had spent some time in it before , yet little thought to have met with so many things so fully presented to me as i have found , that doth so neerly concerne us and the times . i would not violently draw on any thing but what is so presented to us , as that i should be injurous to the scripture and to you not to take notice of it : we have already met with as tickle points as can be almost , and this also is exceeding difficult . i desire in this to go as i have done , your own consciences witnessing with me as in the other , without the least spirit of contention and division , or medling with controversies , but laying the truth in the principles of it plaine before you . when may a church come to this , that had god before to be her husband , now not to have god to her husband . i confesse for the church of the jews i cannot finde any thing to pitch upon certainly when they did cease to be a church but onely this ; e●●er when god did send them a bill of divorce by some extraordinary men ( as ever they had some amongst them , some prophet ) or that they did wholly leave off from being under the pedagogie that god put them under : for i finde this that their idolatry was not enough to cut them off from being a church actually . it is true their idolatry was that which did deserve it . they broke the marriage bond by their idolatry , but god did not alwaies take the advantage of that , hee did not alwaies send them a bill of divorce when they did commit idolatry . these ten tribes had beene idolaters a long time before god had said to them they were not his wife . therefore barely idolatry did not cut off , no not the jews . neither do i think that all idolatry ( if it be through ignorance ) cutteth of a church now in the time of the christians . the lutherans certainly are guilty of idolatry by consequence , and so other churches may be through ignorance , and yet they not cease to bee churches . therefore in the time of the jews , i say i do not finde any particular sin that did actually cut them off so long as they did keep under the pedagogie of the law , unlesse god by some extraordinary messenger sent them a bill of divorce , they yet remained the people of god , isa . . . where is your bill of divorce , saith god ? it is true you have deserved it , but where is it ? i have not given you a bill of divorce , therefore they were a church . but for the time of the gospel this i think may very safely be asserted , that so long as there is a communion of saints imbodied , holding forth the profession of all fundamental truths , and joyning in all ordinances , so far as they are convinced , so long there is a church . any communion of saints imbodyed , holding forth the profession of all fundamentall truths , and are willing to set up ordinances so far as they know to be gods mind they should set them up , this multitude though it should have abundance of corruptions , though many wicked be mingled amongst them , yet they are a church of god , though they should not set up all ordinances , though perhaps through ignorance they are not convinced that such an ordinance is an ordinance , yea though they be convinced that it is an ordinance , and yet perhaps they are not convinced that it is gods minde they should set it up , though this should be their error , yet this communion of saints imbodyed , remaine th a true church of christ . but thus . though it be a true church of christ , yet it may be such a church , that perhaps you , nor i , nor another cannot have communion withall . you will say , how is that possible for any church to be a true church of christ , and yet we may not have communion with it ? so far communion we may have as to acknowledge it to be a church , and to have communion in some duties , but it may be a true church of christ , and i may acknowledge it so , & yet not have communion in all ordinances . in what cases may that be ? first , if this church shall so mingle any ordinance , any work of their publique communion , as i for the present cannot joine without contradicting guilt upon me , as not seeing gods will in it , i cannot have communion with them now in such ordinances . yea secondly , if a church shall require me to yeeld in my judgement , and subscribe to such and such things that i cannot satisfie my conscience in , they put me off communion with them , it is not my fault , but they violently keep me off . that is a second case . thirdly , when they shall not suffer me to do the duty that god requires of me , i cannot have communion with them there neither , because if i should joine with them , not doing my duty which my conscience tells me i am bound to doe , i thereby contract guilt . nay further , a man may be of a church , and perhaps they may not be so ill , but it may be lawfull to have communion with them in many ordinances , and yet for those that are free , and are not by any speciall call of god tyed to such a place , they are bound in consciences in some cases not to joyne with them as a member of them in a constant way . as thus . first , when i cannot enjoy all ordinances with them , but god openeth a door to another place where i may have communion in all ordinances , i may receive sacraments with them upon occasion , and yet not be constantly with them as a member of that church . it is true , if god did shut the door that i could not enjoy all ordinances any where , then it were better to joine with a church that hath not all , though i doe but en joy some . secondly , when god offereth 〈◊〉 else where that i may enjoy the ordinances with more power and pu●● , and with more freedom of spirit , and 〈…〉 ( i suppose one to 〈◊〉 and not to be tied ) then if there be nothing but outward accommodations that shall cast the ballance on the one hand , and the purity and power of the ordinances on the other , if i shall rather chuse the one then the other , it will be apparant that i love my body better then my soule : in this case conscience biddeth me to shew more respect to my soul then my bodie . this can be no controversie , for it is generally acknowledged by all that if one will but remove his house from one parish to another , he may go and joine with that parish . but that which i affirme is not so far as that , i doe but suppose that a man is free and not yet actually joined , he is then if he be free to regard more the puritie and power of the ordinances then outward accomodations . let her therefore put away her whoredoms . the end of all pleading and exhortation , is reformation , & not contention . plead with her ; to what end ? let her put away her whore domes . plead with her that she may reforme , ●oe not plead for contentions sake . there are many men that will rebuke others , and plead with others , but what for ? meerly in a spirit of contention , meerely that they may brave it over them , that they may upbraid them , shame them , and not out of love to reforme them , they care not whether they reforme or not ; if they have vented their gall and malice they have what they would have . but how will you know that ? how can you know a mans heart ? thus. you shall know that men come not to plead for reformation but for contention , first , if they rather make it appeare that they are glad of the sinnes of their brethren and doe not grieve for them . you shall have many a man come in a sury and rage to rebuke men they have advantage against , but not with a spirit of sorrow and mourning ; if you came to plead and rebuke them for reformation , you should have come with a mourning spirit , you should have mourned that such a one should be taken away from you , saith the apostle to the corinths . you should mourne at your very heatts that church or the member of it hath offended . secondly , vvhen men are partiall in their pleading , when they will rebuke others and that sharply too that are afar off , but such as are neere to them they are carelesse of . ezek. . . turne yee , turne yee that ye may not dye ; ( say your bookes there ) turne your selves and live . now the word is reverti facite , for so it is in hiphil , doe you make to returne , and so it may well be read . so arias montanus reads it , make others to returne . you must plead so as to desire reformation , not that you may get the victorie and have the better of it by your pleading , but with bowels of compassion to seeke reformation you must not cut as an enemie to conquer , but as a chirurgian to heale : therefore before you goe to rebuke and to plead you must goe to prayer , that god would blesse your rebuking , and your exhortation to your brethren , and when you have done pray againe to god for a blessing upon it . and look after your reprehensions , and see what becometh of them ; and if they doe not prosper to reformation , then mourn , and crie to god for your brethren ; and if it do prosper , then blesse god that you have converted a soule . thus it was with the tribes on this side jordan , when they pleaded with the tribes on the other side jordan , you shall finde in the story that when they heard the answer of their brethren they blessed god when they saw that their brethren were free from sinne : so you should do , you should goe and plead with your brethren , perhaps your brethren may have the better of it and may convince you that that which you apprehend to be a sinne is not a sinne , now many men perhaps are angry & will not be convinced that it is no sinne , then i shall goe a way with the shame , what dloe i rebuke him of a sinne , and it is no sinne ? many a man holds on in an argument what he hath begun , and is loath to yeeld that it is not a sin , whereas he should be glad to yeeld it . if a minister plead or preach that men do any thing that he conceives is a sin , if another should come and convince him that it was no sin , it is a vile spirit in any mnister not to blesse god that he is mistaken , why ? because now the g●●ilt of his brother is removed in his heart . if i had not beene mistaken , t is true , my credit had beene somewhat , but i am mistaken , the sin is removed from my brother , oh blessed be god that my brother is not guilty , though i am mistaken ; if we plead against others with such a spirit as this , god will blesse us . the second lecture . hosea the latter part of the second verse and verse . let her therefore put away her whoredomes out of her sight , and her adulteries from between her breasts . lest i strip her naked , and set her as in the day wherein shee was borne , and make her as a wildernesse , &c. plead with your mother , and plead so as to tell her plainly that she is no more my wife , she hath her bill of divorce , shee is now none of mine . well it seemeth then there is no hope , no helpe , god hath left us , forsaken us , hee hath said we are no more his wife , wee have our bill of divorce and we must be gone . not so neither , but now it followeth , let her put away from her sight her whoredomes , and her adulteries from betweeen her hreasts . herby insinuating at least , that her condition , yet notwithstanding the greatnesse of her sin and the fearfulnesse of the threat , is not altogether hopelesse , but he would have those that plead with her , yet to exhort her and to bid her put away her whoredomes . it is true , when a man puts away his wife for whoredom , and giveth a bill of divorce , he will never take her againe , upon no termes . jer. . . will a man when he putteth away his wife , returne unto her again ? as if he should say , no certainly , no man will do it ; yet returne unto me saith the lord , and i will receive you againe . gods mercies are beyond mans . it is a most excellent and usefull observation that we have from hence . there is no such dreadfull threatning against any in the word of god for any of their sins ( only we except that sin against the holy ghost ) but there is a dore of hope left for those sinners . here seemeth to be the greatest sin , of idolatry and forsaking of god as could be , the most dreadfull threatning , she is not my wife , shee is divorced from mee . yet here is insinuated a hope of mercy . i will give you one text which is as notable for this as any i know in the booke of god , that is in judges . . . compared with ver . , in the . and . verses , saith god , you have for saken me , & served other gods . what then ? i will deliver you no more . i am resolved against you now , i have delivered you often , but now i will deliver you no more ; go your wayes , cry unto the gods you have chosen , let them deliver you in the time , of your tribulation . one would thinke this people to be in an ill case , of whom god saith thus much ; for observe these foure things here . first , god chargeth them with the greatest sinne that could be , they had forsaken god and turned themselves idols . secondly , this great sin is aggravated with the most aggravating circumstance almost that could bee , implyed here , this they had done notwithstanding god was wonderfull mercifull to them , and had often delivered them , yet they had still forsaken him & served other gods. thirdly , here is one of the most peremptory resolutions against shewing mercy that we can imagine , saith god , i will deliver you no more , now i have delivered you so oft . fourthly , here is a most bitter sarcasme , a biting , upbrayding , taunting speech for their serving other gods . as if he should say , what doe you come now ? now do you cry & howle to me now you are in trouble , in your prosperity i was no god for you , you le●t me then for other gods , and now i will be no god to you , to other gods i leave you , go now and cry to those other gods , and see whether they will help you . put these together and one would thinke this people were in a hopeless condition . is there any help for this people yet ? are they not a lost people ? is not repentance too late for this people ? no , for all this , repentance is not too late for such a people as this , for mark , the text saith in the . ver . and the children of israel said unto the lord , we have sinned , do thou unto us what seemeth good unto thee , and ver . . they put away their strange gods from among them , and served the lord. they do not now lye downe sullenly in their sinnes and say , there is no help , therefore we were as good go on in our sinfull wayes , but they venture to put away their strange gods , and crye unto the lord , and tell him that they had sinned . what then ? the text saith , the soul of the lord was grieved for the misery of israel . though he had thus pronounced against them , yet his soule was grieved for them , they were not the same they were before . it is true , i will deliver you no more , you impenitent ones , i will deliver you no more , but god did not say he would not give them repentance ; but when they had put away their strange gods , though they had grieved gods spirit with their sinnes , yet god was grieved for their affliction now , and though god had thus threatned them , yet his bowells now do yerne towards them , and hee comes in again with mercie ; and subdues their enemies under them , the children of ammon were conquered , and god gives them twenty of their cities , as chap. . . god never threatneth any people , but the condition of mercie upon repentance , it is either expressed , or implyed . it is therefore the frowardness and the fulness of the hearts of sinners , to give over all upon the thought of the greatness of their sins , or the severity of gods threatning against them , o no , you great sinners , that have beene guilty of many horrible sins , come in and repent , i may say to you as secaniah did to the people in another case , of a grievous sin , ezra . . . there is hope in israel concerning this thing . it is the cavill of many carnal hearts against many faithfull and zealons ministers , that they do nothing but preach judgement , and they threaten damnation , and say people shall be damned , and go to hell , aud the like . this they speak against them , not mentioning at all the conditions upon which damnation and hell is threatned . certainly there can scarce a minister in the world be found that threatneth damnation or hell absolutely , but upon those termes of impenitency . i will give you one scripture to shew you the most absurd perverse spirits of men in this kinde , how they will take a piece of the words of the prophets and separate the threatning from the condition , on purpose that they may cavill at the word , it is in jer. . . saith god to the prophet there , thou shalt say to them , thus saith the lord , if you will not hearken to me to walke in my law which i have set before you , ●o hearken to the words of my servants the prophets whom i sent unto you ; then will i make this house like shiloh , and will make their citie a curse to all the nations of the earth . see how fairely the words of the prophet go , if you will not hearken to me to walke in my lawes , and the words of my prophets whom i sent unto you , then i will do so and so . the prophet delivers his message as faire as can be . but see now their perversnesse in the . ver . it came to passe that when jeremiah had made an end of speaking all that the lord commanded him to speake unto all the people , that the priests and the prophets and all the people tooke him , saying , thou shalt surely dye . what is the matter ? why hast thou prophecyed in the name of the lord , saying . this house shall be like shiloh ? they leave out , [ if , ] whereas he said , if you will not return and heare the words of the lord , this house shall be as shiloh ; they come and lay hold upon him with violence , why hast thou said this house shall be like shiloh ? and leave out the other . this is the perverseness of the hearts of men . well then , the conclusion of this observation is this , that the worst pleading against any for their sinnes , it is not to sinke the hearts in despaire , but to turne their hearts towards god that they may receive mercy ; let her put away her whoredomes . secondly , let her put away her whoredomes . after such a kinde of pleading that included a most dreadfull threatning in it , she is not my wife , yet god exhorteth . hence the observation is this . while god is pleased to speak to a people and call upon them , and exhort them to turne unto him , the condition of that people is not desperate . exhortations from god do argue that the condition of a people may be hopefull . so long as the king is but speaking to a traytor , especially giving of him good counsel , there may be hope : if he turne his backe upon him , and will speake no more , then he looks upon himself as a gone man. many people are troubled that god doth so continue exhorting by his ministers and others , and they cannot be at quiet . if thou hast such a quiet as god should leave exhorting and drawing thee from thy sinnes , woe to thee , thou art a lost creature . make much of exhortations and threatnings . come we now to the exhortation it selfe , let her put away her whoredomes out of her sight , and her adulteries from betweene her breasts . it is in the plurall number , her whoredomes , and her adulteries . they were many , shee must put them away all . if a wife that hath been naught shall be contented to forsake divers of her lovers and retain but one there is no reconciliation , all her adulteries must be put away . but the words are not onely in the plurall number , but those that understand the originall , well know , that there is somewhat in the words to extend the signification beyond the plurall number , and that is the duplication of the radicall letter , in the first word the second radicall letter which is [ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ] is double , & in the second word the third radicall letter [ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ] that is double . it is the note of tarnovius upon the place , saith he , the doubling of these radicall letters shew the exceeding multitude of those whordomes and adulteries that israel was guilty of at this time . and indeed when once there is giving way to superstitious vanities there is growing to notorious whordomes and adulteries without measure , without number , ubi sistendum . we never know where to stop , if once our worship be corrupted . let her put away out of her sight . the eye is the receiver of much uncleanness into the heart , and by it the uncleanuess of the heart is much exprest . the scripture speakes of eies full of adulterie , let her put her adulteries out of her sight , let them be abominable now in her eies , those things that before were delectable , let them now bee detestable . let them cast away their idols as a filthy menstruous cloath , and with indignation say , get yee hence . or from before her face , so it is in the hebrew , noting her impudency in her idolatry , that it appeared in her very face . though men at first may be a little wary , yet at length they grow to manifest outwardly their idolatry in their very face . but what we shall meet with afterward . and because israel did not according to the exhortation of those that pleaded with her , put thus her whordomes out of her sight , god did put israel out of his sight , for so we have it , king. . . . the children of israel walked in all the sinnes of jeroboam which he did , they departed not from them . promises could not draw them , threatnings could not derer them . vntill the lord removed israel out of his sight . they might have prevented this ; if they had put their whoredomes out of their sight , god would never have put them out of his sight . and from betweene her breasts . whores use to discover their filthyness much in their breasts , either in the nakedness of their breasts , or in those ornaments they hung about their breasts , as they were wont to do in those countreys , for the int●sing of their lovers . her breasts . hypocrates sayes there are veins that goe from the belly to the breasts , and that is the reason he gives of the temptation to lust that is in the breasts . the whoredomes of the breasts in the nakednesse of them hath been condemned , not onely in the churches of god , but amongst the heathen . terrulian in his book de habitu muliebri hath this expression : women adorne themselves immoderately with gold , and silver , and precious apparell , this is , saith hee , crimen ambitionis , the sin of ambition ; but for them to seek to adorne themselves solicitously carefull about their haire , and their skin , and those parts that draw the eyes , this is crimen prostitutionis , it is the sinnne of a prostituted whore so to doe . yea besides , tertullian in another book of his , de velandis verginibus , brings the heathen , rebuking christian women in those times : the very women of arabia , saith he , shall judge you , for they do not onely cover their faces , but even their heads , rather then they will have their nakedness appeare , they will let the light but into one eye . now if the heathen did so , if they would not have their nakedness in any thing appeare , much more should christians cover those parts that are incitements to lusts . that which is the bedlams madness , and the beggars misery , namely , nakedness , that is the whores pride , and the strumpets glory . let her put away her whordoms out of her sight , and her adulteries from between her breasts . that which is intended especially here , is , that they should not be content meerly with change of their hearts , to say , well , we will acknowledge the lord to be the true god , and our hearts shall wholly trust in him , but for these externall things what great matter is there in them ? oh no , they must abstaine from all appearance of evill ; from the badges of idolatry , there must not be so much as the garbe and dresse of a whore upon them , they must take away their adulteries from betweene their breasts . the breasts of the church are the ordinances that are there , for out of them do the saints suck sweetness and spirituall nourishment . so they are called in isa . . . that you may suck and be satisfied with the breasts of consolation . now certainly it is an evill thing for any thing that is whorish to be upon the breasts , to be in the ordinances of the church , to thinke to adorne them withall as whores do their breasts . no , the breasts are so neare the heart that it is pitty any thing should be upon them but christ himselfe ; it is most fit that he should lye there . cant. . . a bundle of myrrhe is my wel-beloved unto me , he shall lye all night between my breasts , myrrhe we know is a bitter thing , but though christ were as a bundle of myrrhe , and brought many afflictions that adde bitternesse to the flesh , yet the church would have christ to lye between her breasts and she would rejoyce in christ , christ was sweet to the church though with afflictions , as a bundle of myrrhe is my wel-beloved . so many faithfull ministers of god have been contented , yea joyfull to keep christ between their breasts , and in the ordinances , though as a bundle of myrrhe , though hee hath brought some afflictions to them , yet rather then they would endure any expression of that which is whorish upon the breasts of the church , upon the ordinances , the word and sacraments , christ jesus a bundle of myrrhe between their breasts hath been delightfull to them . i finde another reading of the words in the septuagint translation . whereas we reade it , let her take away her whoredoms from her sight , i finde that they reade it as a speech of god , i will take away her whoredoms from my face . and ciryl reading the words according to the . hee hath an excellent note from thence . god ( saith he ) threatneth that he will take away her whoredomes from his face ; as when a member of a body is so putrified that it cannot be cured by salves and medicynes , it is cut off , and so the disease commeth to be cured : so god laboureth to cure the people of israel by admonitions , by exhortations , by threatnings , by promises of mercy , and when all would not do , then he threatneth to cure them by another way , that is , by cutting them off by the assyrians ; i will send an enemy against them and he shall take them out of their owne land , and carry them into a strange land , & then they shal be farre enough from their calves , far enough from dan and bethel , so i will take their whoredomes from before my face . thus many times doth god take away the sinnes of a people or of a particular person from before his face . as for instance , thou drunkard , thou unclean person , thou hast had exhortations , threatnings , many mercifull expressions from god toward thee from thy sinnes , to take away thy sinnes from thee ; that will not do ; god commeth with some noysome vile disease upon thy body that thou shalt not be able to act thy sinne any more , and god takes away the act of thy sinne at least that way in such a violent manner by his judgements : and so sometimes men and women that have estates , and will be proud , and vaine , and make their estates the fuel of their lusts , when the word cannot take away their sinnes and the expression of their wickednesse , god by some violent judgement takes away their estates , that they shall not be able to commit those sinnes that they did before though they would never so faine . this is a dreadfull taking away of sin . yea when god shall come so to take away the sinne of men and women as to take away their souls together with taking away their sinne : for so it is threatned , job . . . what is the hope of the hypocrite when god taketh away his soul ? thou that wouldest not suffer the word to take away thy sin , thou must expect that god wil take it away another way , even by taking away thy soule . ezek. . . it may be said of some sinners as there god threatneth , the time is come ( saith the text ) when their iniquity shal have an end . god will suffer them to live no longer to sin against him : he will take away their sinnes , but so as to take away their soules , they shall not sinne any more against god in this world . lest i strip her naked , and set her as in the day wherein she was borne . there is much in these words , and because they are so exceeding sutable unto us ( god still bringing points to hand sutable to our times ) so long as this is , you must give me liberty to insist a while upon them , and not runne over them so fast as otherwise i would doe . i must not slightly passe over those truths that are so cleerly presented , and so neerly concerning us . lest i strip her naked , &c , it seems by this that israel had once been in a very low condition when she was borne , a very pittifull estate . but god had put many ornaments upon her , and now he threatneth to bring her again into the same condition , and to strip her naked . in the day wherein she was borne . this i finde interpreters to referre to divers conditions of israel , but most refer it to the time of their deliverance out of egypt : that is called here by god , the day wherein she was borne . we must inquire first what was the condition of israel in the day wherein she was borne . secondly , what ornaments god had put upon her afterwards ; and then we shall come to see the strength of the threat , that god would strip her naked , and set her as in the day wherein she was borne . for the first two we shall not need to goe farre , we have them fully and most elegantly set out unto us in ezek. . that chapter may be a comment upon this , what israel was in the day wherein she was borne , and what ornaments god had put upon her . in the third verse , thus saith the lord god unto jerusalem , thy birth and thy nativity is of the land of canaan , thy father was an amorite , and thy mother an hittite , ver . . and as for thy nativity in the day thou wast borne , thy ●avill was not cut , &c , we must a little open the expression there , or else wee cannot open this text in hosea . thy father was an amorite , and thy mother an hittite , when thou wert borne thou wert in this condition . what , their father an amorite , and their mother an hittite , abraham was their father , and sarah their mother ; why here an amorite , and an hittite ? secondly , because there were other nations besides amorites & hittites , the●● were the jebusites & the perizites ; why rather an amorite & hittite then a jebusite and perizite ? these two questions must be answered . first , abraham was their father , yet because they were in such a disposition , so like to the amorites and hittites , so vile and so wicked , now they deserve not to have the honour of abrahams being their father , but to be called the children of the amorite and the hittite . as john baptist calleth the pharisees the viperous , the serpentine brood , so those that are like the devil are called the children of the devil . secondly , why the amorite and hittite rather then others ? for the first , the amorite ; because the amorite was the chiefest of those nations in canaan that were driven out . all the five were called by the name of amorite : the sinnes of the amorites are not yet full . secondly the hittite , because they seemed to be the vilest of the five , and for that , there is a text of scripture that seemeth to infer so much . gen. . . i am weary of my life ( saith rebekah ) because of the daughters of heth. she onely mentioneth the daughters of heth , and those that were now called hittites were of the daughters of heth : and saith she , what good will my life doe , if jacob take a wife of the daughters of heth ? why , there were other daughters besides them , but those were the vilest , therefore she onely mentioneth them . yea , but what was israel at this time when they were delivered out of egypt ( for that is the time wherein shee was borne that is spoken of here ) were they in so ill a condition , as that their father was an amorite and their mother an hittite at that time ? there are two most usefull observations that flow from hence , before we proceed any further in the explication of the words . israel though they had been . years in egypt under grievous afflictions , yet they continued exceeding abominable and wicked . the fire of their affliction did seeme to harden their hearts , as much as the fire of the furnace did harden the bricks : their hearts were clay , foule , dirty hearts , and were hardned by their afflictions . and secondly , when god came to deliver israel out of egypt , god found them to be in a very wicked condition then ; then their father was an amorite , and their mother an hittite , then they were thus vile when god came to deliver them , in the day wherein they were borne , ( for their deliverance is their birth . ) oh the freenesse of gods grace ! god often told them that his grace was free , and so indeed it was if hee found them thus as he did , for so you shall finde if you read the story of the people of israel , that when god sent moses unto them , they were a very wicked and stubborn people , even at that very time when god came with his deliverance . let us then raise up our hearts and looke up to the free grace of god even toward us . we are vile , we are wicked , mercies , christisements have hardned us ; and yet all this hindreth not the free grace of god for the deliverance of a people . god hath begun in a way of deliverance to us ; and when did he begin it ? certainly england was never since it was borne , since it was delivered out of spiritual egypt , out of the bondage of popery , it was never in a worse condition then when god came in with his mercies of late to us : then if ever it might be said of us that our father was an amorite , and our mother an hittite , we were then in the very high way towards egypt again when god came with his free grace to deliver us . as hee dealt with his own people , so he hath dealt with us , magnified be the free grace of god towards us an unworthy people . further , thy navill was not cut . that is the expression how he was in the day wherein he was borne . first , thy navill was not cut , the loathsomenesse of their condition is set out by that . naturallists observe that the nourishment that the childe hath from the mother , it is by the navill : as afterward the childe sucks of the breasts and so is battned , but all the while it is in the wombe , it is nourished by a string , in the navill that draws nourishment from the mother . now israel even when god did deliver them from egypt , had not their navill cut , that is , they did even still seeme , nay , not only seeme but still they did draw their nourishment from egypt ; they did batten themselves & suck out the egyptian manners , and customes , and superstitions ; and in their growth up they did seeme rather to have their nourishment from egypt then from god , so god himselfe chargeth them , ezek. . . neither left she her whoredomes brought from egypt , saith the text , her navill was not cut , shee drew , she sucked still the egyptian manners , customes , and superstitions . it is not thus in part with us ? let me a little speake of this by way of allusion at least . is our navill cut to this very day ? it is true , god hath delivered us from popery , from egypt , as he did israel , but still do not we continue sucking , drawing nourishment from our old superstitious wayes of popery ? we seeme to live still upon them , and to have our hearts delighting in them . oh how just were it with god to come in a violent way and cut our navill , even by the sword ! it is mercy he commeth not thus to cut it , and so to take from us all those secret hankerings that wee have after the old egyptian customes . yet again , seeing it is such a full allusion , wee may apply it to those that seeme to have a new birth to be borne again , those that seeme now to make very faire profession of religion , and to forsake many evill wayes that formerly they have delighted in : but yet their navill is not cut neither ; they do secretly suck sweetnesse and battning from their former lusts ; the curse of the serpent is upon them , upon their bellies they doe goe and dust they do eate , their bellies do even cleave to the dust . neither wast thou washed in water . this also sets forth the wofull condition of israel when he was borne , he was not washed . the infant when it commeth first into the world , cometh from blood and filth in which it was wrapped , that ( as plutarch saith ) it is rath●r 〈◊〉 a childe killed , then a child born : so bloody and polluted it is , that were it not that there were a natural affection stirring in parents , they would even loath the fruit of their wombes . it is true , parents may see that with their bodily eyes , but there is more polution in their soules ; they are wrapped up in original sin and filth , more then their bodyes are wrapped up in blood and filth in the wombe . therefore infants are washed , but thou wast not washed , thou wast let goe in thy filth . i have read of the lacedemonians , that when their children were borne , they used to throw them into the river , to consolidate their members and parts of their bodies , as they say , to make them strong , that was the custome of that barbarous people . thou wast cast out in the open field . what is the meaning of this ? we cannot understand it fully without examining what the custome of the people was in those times . we finde in histories that the custome of divers of the heathen was , when their children were borne , to observe by their countenance , by the making of their members , whether they were like to be usefull to the commouwealth or not ; and if not like they threw them away , and if they were like to be usefull they nourished them up . they nourished up no other children but those that they judged by their countenance or making , would do good to the common-wealth : we finde it in divers histories . strabo tells us that the indians and brachmanes had certaine judges appointed for that very end ; their office was , that when any childe was borne , to judge by the countenance and parts of the body of the childe , whether it were like to do any good in the common-wealth , & so either to save it or cast it out . so likewise aelian in his various histories telleth us of the thebanes , that there was an express law made among them in these words , that none of them should cast out their children , noting thereby that it was wont to be the custome a●●ngst them . so clemens romanus telleth us that indeed the jews , as a thing peculiar to them , amongst them the children are not cast out . so that the holy ghost alludeth to the way of the gentiles and barbarous people , and telleth israel that they were as a childe cast out , such a one as the countenance and feature promised no good , thou wert cast out in the open field , because they never hoped to have any good of thee , and indeed ( as if god should say ) if i had regarded what i saw in you , i might have past this judgement upon you too , there was little hope of good from you . but what though the child be cast out in the field , yet there may come some by , accidentally ( as pharaohs daughter did ) that may pitty the child , and have compassion on it . no ( saith god ) thou wast not onely cast out , but worse then so , thou wast cast out , and so cast out as no eye pityed thee . you have sometimes bastards & poor childred laid at your doors , and left there , some in baskets & otherways , yet when you open them & see a child , and a childe weeping , there is some pity in you , and you will take care some way or other that it may be fed & brought up . but saith god to israel , you were cast out in the open field , & no eye pityed you , that is , all the heathen were against you , and others in the land rose up against you , the egyptians they came out to destroy you , you had the sea before you , and them behind you , none had pitty upon you . this was the condition wherein you were borne . now see what ornaments god had put upon them . they were in a sorry condition you see when they were borne . but marke , that fore-named place of ezek. ver . . i took the ( saith god ) and entred into covenant with thee , and then becamest mine . that is the way of a peoples becomming gods , his entring into covenant with them . the lord hath begun to enter into covenant with us , and we with him in former protestations , and if any farther covenant binding us more strictly to god be tendred to us , know that god in this deals with us as he did with his own people . we are as children cast out in the open field , and no eye pityeth us ; but many plot against us , and seeke our ruine . if god will be pleased now to enter into covenant with us , and give all the people of the land hearts to come close to the covenant , to renew their covenant with him , and that to more purpose then in former covenants , the lord yet will own us . the covenant of god was the foundation of all the mercy the people of israel had from god , and we are to look upon it as the foundation of our mercy ; and therefore as in the presence of god willingly and cheerfully to renew it with him . after gods taking this people to himselfe as his own , it followes . ver . , . i decked thee also with ornaments , & i put bracelets upon thine hands , and a chaine on thy necke ; and i put a jewell on thy fore-head , and ear-rings in thine ears , & a beautiful crown upon thine head . thus wast thou decked with gold and silver , and thy rayment of fine linnen , and silk & broidred worke , and thy renown went forth among the heathen for thy beauty . thus god did with the people of israel , he had added to what they had when they were born . miserable they were when they were borne ; but the mercies of god toward them are thus set out , and nowhee cometh to threaten that he will strip them naked and set them as in the day wherein they were born . yet further for the opening of this , we must know that it was the custome among the jews , when any married , what they brought to their husbands , and their dowry was written down in a table : and if afterward he should divorce his wife , except there could be proved some grosse and vile thing against the woman , though she should go away , yet she was to go away with her table , with her dowry and what she brought , she must not goe away naked . but if there could be proved some notorious villany that shee had committed , then she was sent away sine tabulis , naked without those tables wherein her dowry and other things were written , and destitute of all things , as being unworthy of them , because she had played the harlot . thus god threatneth this people . she is not my wife , but unlesse she put away her whore doms from before her face , and her adultery from between her breasts , i will strip her naked as in the day wherein she was borne . she shal be se●●●ay without any tables , naked and wholly destitute . and thus you have th●●●pening of the words . the observations follow . the first is , the beginnings of great excellencies are sometimes very low and meane . this plainly riseth up from the opposition of her condition when she was borne , and what she had gotten from god afterward , i will strip thee naked and set thee as in the day wherein thou wert borne . therefore it is cleare she was born in a very mean condition , & gotten up to a very excel lent condition , though now they be high & glorious , yet once they were very low & mean. god many times raises up golden pillars upon leaden bases , & the most glorious works of god have had the lowest beginnings . this beautifull frame of heaven & earth was raised out of a chaos of confusion & darkness . this is true , personally , or nationally , and that in regard of outward conditions or spirituall . how poor , and low , and meane , have many of your beginnings beene even in the world ? who could ever have thought that such low beginnings could have beene raised unto such high things as some of you have beene raised unto in the world ? it was not long since when you came hither to this city ( which may be said to be the day wherein you were borne for your civill estate , though not your naturall ) you were low enough , meane enough , you had but little to begin withall ; you came hither with your staffe , and now behold two bands . it is sometimes so likewise in regard of the spirituall estate . you may remember not long since , oh what darkness and confusion was there in your mindes and hearts ; what poore , low , meane thoughts had you of god and the things of his kingdome , what unsavory spirits , when at first god was pleased to worke upon you ? oh what a poor condition were you in then ? though you had some light put into you , yet you were as a childe new borne wrapped up in filth and blood , many noysome distempers and boisterous lusts there were in your hearts , as it is usuall with new converts , like a fire newly kindled where there is a great deale of smother and smoke that afterwards weareth away . but now behold the shining of gods face upon your soules , oh the abilities that god hath given you to know his minde and doe his will ! oh the blessed communion that you have with god , & the sparkling of that divine nature ! the glory and beauty of the divine nature is put upon you . so for nations , we will not goe further then our owne . how low and meane were we at first ? we were a most rude , barbarous , and savage people , almost as lived upon the earth . brittons had their name frome hence , in the old brittaine language , birth signifies blew coloured , because those that lived here , instead of brave cloathes , as you have , they with woade besmeared their bodies with blew , they were from thence called brittains ; for [ tania ] was added as it is usuall in other languages for the signification of such a region or countrey , as mauritania , lusitania , aquitania , &c. so that brittania is as much as to say , the region of the blew coloured people , so called because they were thus painted : the best food that they were w●nt to eate ( historians tell us ) was barkes of trees and rootes . hollinshed in his chronickle sayes there were old men that he knew who told of times in england , that if the good man in the house had a matterres or flock-bed , or a sack of chaffe to rest his head on , he thought himselfe as well lodged as the lord of the towne , for ordinarily they lay upon straw pellets covered with canvace , and a round log under their heads instead of a bolster , they said pillows were fit onely for women in child-bed , and in a good farmers house it was rare to finde foure pieces of pewter , and it was accounted a great matter that a farmer could shew five shillings or a noble in silver together . and camden in his britania tells of ailesbury a towne in buckinghamshire , that there was in it a mannour of the kings , and the condition of holding certain lands there , was , that the possessor or holder of them should find straw for litter of the kings bed when he came there , and latimer in a sermon before king edward tells of his father whom he sayes kept good hospitality for his poor neighbours , and found a horse for the kings service , brought him up at learning , and married his sisters with five pound or twenty nobles a piece for their portions . this was the poore and meane condition of these times . and jerome contra iovinianum , and diodorus siculus tells us concerning the people in ireland , our neighbours , that the best delicates they used to eate in former times , were the flesh of young children , and paps of women ; and the ships they used to have were sallowes wreathed together , and bowes twisted , and covered with the hides of beasts , and the wives they had were common to all their brethren and parents . as for their religion , they offered to the dev●ll mans flesh , they worshipped apollo , and jupiter , and diana . and gildas one of the ancientest historians that relates the conditions of these brittish people , hee sayes the idols they had were such horrible , devillish , monstrous things , that they did even overcome the egyptian idols in number ; and no people had so many idol-gods , and so monstrous as the egyptians , and yet these went beyond them . so saith he . afterward , no people in the world more rent & torn with civill wars then england hath been . and in the times when popery was here profeit and establisht , oh the bondage we were under then ! outward and spiritual bondage . our bodyes , our soules , our estates , our consciences were in miserable thraldome . it is the most sordid , miserable slavery that it is possible for a rationall creature to be under , not onely to be bound to practice , but to be bound to beleeve for truth the dictates and determinations of men , yea and that upon paine of eternall damnation , to beleeve what they say , as the articles of faith upon which salvation or damnation depends , for conscience to be under them , so as i must not question or scruple any thing ; if any man that is a rationall creature should think there is any such distance between man and man , he debaseth himself beneath a man , and advanceth the other above a man. better it is to be in slavery to another to scrape kennels , then to be in this slavery . and to have the scriptures kept from us , the epistle that god hath sent from heaven to us , that which enlightens the world , revealing the great counsels of god concerning eternal life ; this is worse bond● then to be ch●●●ed up in dark holes all the dayes of our lives , to have no ordinances but according to the lusts and humours of vile men , how great a slavery is this ? the manifestation of the least suspition of the falsnes of the vilest errors , dislike of the basest practices , was enough to confiscate estate , to imprison , yea to take away life . was not this a low condition , a base slavery that england was in ? could any beare it but such as were slaves to their own lusts ? but now what ornaments hath god put upon us ! no nation under heaven more renowned then wee have beene , our renown hath gone thorough the earth , england , o angliquasi angeli , and albion , from our happinesse , we see now ( by our selves ) that glorious excellencies have many times low beginnings . a second observation hence is , when we have any excellency , and beauty upon us , it is gods mercy that is all our beauty . i will strip you naked and set you as in the day wherein you were born . if you have any excellency it is my mercy . gods mercie is a peoples beauty and glory , we have nothing belonging to us but shame and confusion , but misery , if we have any ornaments , it is mercy , free mercy : therefore in the . ver . of that . ezek. thou wert perfect in beauty , how ? through my comlinesse which i had put upon thee , saith the lord. let god take away but his mercy , we are quickly left naked , and poor , and miserable ; like the ragged walls in the court when the king goeth away , and all the rich hangings are taken down , what a difference is there in their look from what was formerly ? the beauty of the walls were the hangings when the king was there . so if wee have any thing that makes us beautifull , they are the hangings that god hath put upon us ; his mercies are those hangings of gold , and silver , and needle-work , and when they are gone , we are poor , and ragged , and miserable . thirdly , lest i strip her naked , &c. god had said before that she was not his wife , she was guilty of whoredoms , yet it seemes shee was not yet stripped naked ; she was left with gods ornaments upon her , notwithstanding her whoredoms . hence the third observation is , though sinners deserve great evils , to be stripped of all comforts , yet god in patience and clemencie continueth them a long time . they may be under fearfull threatnings , and yet retaine many comforts ; yea the truth is , it is possible for a people to be cast off from god , & yet to continue for a while in outward prosperity . the tree that is cut up by the roots , yet may have the leaves green for a while . saul who was rejected of god , sam , . , yet after that ( if you reade the story you shall finde it ) that god suffered saul to prosper exceedingly in overcomming the phylistims & the amalekites fourthly , the mercies that god bestoweth upon a nation , the ornaments that god putteth upon a people that are but common favours , not spirituall graces , they are such as a people may be stripped of . great mercies that a people have , they may wholly loose . here is the difference between true spirituall graces , whereby jesus christ doth adorne his spouse , when christ , not onely takes in an outward way a people to himselfe , but marries them to himself in a spirituall way , he decketh the soule with such ornaments , bestoweth suchmercies upon them , as shall never be taken away . such a soul hath no cause to feare that ever it can be stripped as in the day wherein it was born , you need not feare that you shall ever lose the jewels given you at that marriage day . it is true , common graces and gifts you may be stript of and made naked ; as it is usuall in many professors that have not truth at heart , yet have excellent gifts , as of prayer and the like , but afterward they prove naught , god takes away their gifts from them , they have not that gift of prayer they were wont to have , though they have excellent words , yet a man may perceive a shuffling in them , and such an unsavoriness mixed with their gifts , that it breeds loathing in others to joyne with them . as when the king goeth away from his pallace , the hangings are taken down ; so when god departeth from a soul ( as from such he may ) then their hangings , those excellent gifts are taken from them . but those gifts that are spirituall they are never stripped of them . we read in ezek. . . when a king gave gifts to his servants , they were to returne to him againe at the yeere of jubilee , but when he gave them to his sonnes , they were to be their inheritance . there are many that are outwardly in the church gods servants , they have many gifts , but god will take them away and strip them naked of those gifts : but then there are his children , they shall have their gifts as an inheritance for ever . it is true , god may stay a while , as when the king is gone from court , if there be any thought of his returne again the hangings do continue , but if the message come , the king will not be here this twelve moneths , or a long time , or it may be never any more , then the hangings are taken down ; so though these gifts of the hypocrite may stay a while , yet they will vanish at last . the fifth observation . — continuance in sinne , and especially the sin of spirituall whoredome , is that which will strip a nation from all their excellencies , from all their orments and beauty ; the continuance in that sin especially ; for so the words imply , let her pnt away her adulteries from between her breasts , lest i strip her naked . &c. if she continue thus , certainly naked she shall be . this alwayes brings nakednesse meritoriously , but if continued in , effectually , it makes them naked . exod. . . you may see there what made the people naked at that time , the text saith , that aaron had made the people naked , that is , aaron by consenting to the people to make the calfe had made the people naked : naked , that is destitute now of gods gracious protection , deprived of those favours from god that formerly they had . and as the priest had made them naked , so you may finde it in chron. . . that the king made them naked too . the lord brought judah lowe , because of ahaz king of israel , for he made judah naked and transgressed sore against the lord. he made judah naked , that is by countenancing idolatry , by syding with those that were idolaters , even he made judah naked at that time . here we may see who they are that are like to strip us , if ever god should come to strip us . we have many amongst us that see false burthens of all the miseries and troubles that come upon the nation ; they cry out presently of the puritans , and of others that they say are factious and seditious spirits , and turbulent , and all must be laid upon them . certainly whosoever hath eyes in his head may easily see who makes us thus naked as we are , and if we be made more naked , who will be the cause of all ? those that stand against the way of reformation , those that will keep their whoredoms in their sight , and their adulteries between their breasts , those that will not be willing that the church shall be purged from that filth and whorish attire that it hath ; these are they that make us naked . we read in lamen . . . thy prophets have seene vaine and foolish things for thee , and they have not discovered thine iniquity to turne away thy captivity ; but have seen for thee the false burthens , and causes of banishment . mark it , the prophets have seene vaine a●d foolish things , they have not discovered thine iniquity , they have not dealt 〈◊〉 inly with thy people , neither have they told them the reason of their captivity , but they have seene for them false burthens and causes of banishment , the prophets say it is a company of these precise and strict ones , that will not be obedient to authority , and will not doe what is commanded in such and such things , and ( when there were wayes of corruption in gods worship ) they would not submit to such and such orders . the prophets lay the blame upon them , but they see false burthens , saith the text , and false canses of banishment . we have many such prophets amongst us who see false burthens and causes of banishment , and they cry out of those that certainly are the causes of our peace and of the good of the kingdom . tertullian tells us that in the primitive times , if they had but any ill weather , or any trouble at all , they would cry out of the christians as the cause of it , and presently the voice was , adleons , let the christians be dragged to the lyons , and devoured by the lyons ; it hath beene so amongst us . but may we not answer as elijah answered ahab , when ahah told him that he was the man that troubled israel , i have not troubled israel , but it is thou and thy fathers house . may we not well say to them as jehu to iehoram when hee asked him whether there was peace , what peace so long as the whoredomes of thy mother iezebel and her witchcrafts are so many ? those have been popish , certainly they have endangered us of being stripped of all . who were the causers of the first disturbances amongst us , even of all the persecution here of gods saints , and of all the discontent among the people ? who were they that perswaded the bringing in of an arbitrary vvay of government ? who were the cause of laying such things upon the people that they could not beare ? who were the causers of the troubles in scotland , & sending of bookes thither full of superstitious vanities ? was it not the prelaticall faction ? who are those that hinderthe reformation at this day ? certainly , if it were as apparent that they that are called puritans had been the cause of such charge to the kingdom & disturbances to the state as the prelatical faction hath been ; it had been impossible for them to go in the streets but they would have been stoned to death . i speake not this as though we should do the like , but i speake it to shew what the virulencie of their spirits would have beene to them if it had beene apparent that they had beene such charge to the kingdome , and such disturbers of the state. the truth is , vve may charge our papists , and charge others that are of that way ) and we know who are next to them ) we may well charge them as the cause of stripping of us naked as we have been . it is cleere enough , those that put not away their whoredoms from them , but continue still superstitious and idolaters , they are they that endauger a people to be stripped naked . a sixth observation that presents it selfe fully and cleerely without any the least straining , is , that it is time for people then to pleade , when there is danger of desolation . plead with your mother , plead , why so ? why should we not be quiet ? lest i strip her naked and set her as in the day wherein she was borne . what , you are in such a condition as you are in danger to be stripped naked and to be left desolate as a wildernesse ( as it followeth in the text ) is it not time then to plead ? oh pleade with god , and pleade with those that are in authority , and plead one with another , and pleade with all , stirre up your selves and do what you can ; let there be no sluggish spirit , no neutralizing spirit . it is not time for any to be newters now . it is time now for all to come and plead , not so much time now to dispute of things , but now time for every one to stand , and appear , & plead , not only verbally , but otherwise as god calls them to it . luke . . when john saith , the axe is laid to the roote of the tree , what then ? then every one commeth and saith what shall we doe ? you ( saith he to some ) that have two coates impart to him that hath none : and to the souldiers when they say what shall we doe ? doe you no violence to any man , and be content with your wages . mark , when the axe is laid to the roote of the tree , every one comes in then and saith what shall we doe ? you that are women and inferiour , doe you pray , and cry , and further your husbands in all good , be not you backward , do not you dravv them away when they would be liberall and forward , and adventure themselves , thorough your nicenesse and daintiness . and you that are men of estates , if you aske what you should doe ? it is apparent , he that hath two coates let him impart to him that hath none , bee willing to part with much of your estates in such a cause as this . and so souldiers , if you aske vvhat you should doe , behave your selves so as you may convince others , offer no violence , but according to an orderly way , and be content with your wages , perhaps it may not come in so fully afterwards , yet let it appear that it is the cause that strengtheneth you rather then your wages . thus every one should be of an inquiring spirit when the axe is laid to the roote of the tree . when we are in danger to be stripped of all , it is not time then to stand about curiosities and niceties . seventhly , lest i strip her naked , &c. i have sent my prophets already before , and they have offered mercie and denounced threatnings : well , i will now come another way , i will strip her naked , &c. the observation is , that those that will not be convinced by the word , god hath other means to convince them , he hath other wayes then the word ; if the word will not convince them , pleading will not doe it it seems , and convincing arguments will not do it , well then , stripping naked shall doe it : as the expression is usuall in scripture , then you shall know that i am the lord , when i do thus and thus . as you use to doe with those that are of a sleepy disposition , if you call up a servant that is sluggish & sleepy , he answereth anon , and then falls down and sleeps again , you call him again , and he answers & then sleeps again , at length you come up and pull the cloaths of him & leave him naked , and that will awake him . so god , he calls upon them to leave their whoredoms and idolatries , and to repent , he threatneth , and he offers mercie , and they seeme a little to awake , but to it again . well , saith god , i will come another way , and strip you naked , and that will doe i● . eighthly . lest i strip her naked , and set her as in the day wherein shee was borne . lest i doe it . whatsoever the means be of stripping a nation naked , it is god that doth it . it is god that gives , and it is god that takes away . but let that passe . . it is a grievous judgement for one that is advanced from a low degree to an high to be brought thither again . lest i strip her naked and set her as in the day wherein she was borne . thus job aggravateth his misery . you have it in the . and . chapters of job , the candle of god shineth upon my head , i washed my steps in butter , and the rock powred me out rivers of oyle , my glory was fre●h in me , and my bow was renewed in my hand , &c. but now ( saith he ) they that are younger then i have me in derision , whose fathers i would have disdained to have set with the dogs of my flocke . &c. thus he aggravateth his judgement because he was brought into a low condition having once beene in a high one . the like aggravation of misery have we lameat . . . the precious sonnes of zion , comparable to fine gold , how are they esteemed as earthen pitchers ? and vers . . they that did feede delic ately are desolate in the streetes , they that were brought up in scarlet embrace dunghils , thus the scripture is cleare in it , and your experience is enough to confirme it . for a man that hath beene a bondslave in the gallies , and after he should be ransomed by the liberality of his friends here in england , if hee should be taken and brought back again to the gallies , oh how tedious and grievous would it be ! but if he had lived long here , and flourished and gotten preferment and lived bravely , and had grown a great merchant , & then after this to be brought againe to the gallies , how sad a thing would this be ! it would be very terrible to him . if some of you that have beene beggars heretofore , if god by some way or other should bring you to the same poverty you were in before , oh how tedious would it be ! you would rather venture the losse of your soules and god and all , then be brought into such a condition , and we see it that many men that have beene raised from a low estate to an high , are so afraid of returning to a low estate again , that they will venture soule , and conscience , and god and all , rather then they will endanger themselves in the least degree in their estates . hence it is very observable that the chiefe curse that god threatneth the people of israel with , is that they should returne to egypt again , that the lord would bring them back to the condition wherein once they were . you shall finde that whole chapter , deut. . is spent in denouncing most dreadfull curses upon the people ; now for the conclusion of all , as the chiefe curse of all the rest , saith the text , there ver . . the lord shal bring thee into egypt again , with shippes , and there you shall be sold unto your enemies for bond-men and bond-women , and no man shall buy you . were it not a sad thing for us who have been acquainted with the glorious light of the gospel , and with the blessed priviledges that come in thereby , for us to be brought into popish bondage and thraldome again ? as ezra . . . we may use his words , now for a little space grace hath been shewed from the lord our god , to leave us a remnant to escape , & to give us a nayle in his holy place , that our god may lighten our eyes , and give us a little reviving in our bondage ; and shall we ( as in ver . . ) again breake thy commandements , and joyne in affinity with those abominations ? as for our selves who have had now of late a little tast of the sweetnesse of our outward priviledges and our liberties , for us to be brought into the bondage that wee not long since were in , it would be a very sad thing . who could endure to be under that bondage that he was in three or foure years agon , under every parator , promoter , pursevant , commissary , chancelour , and tyrannical prelate as formetly ? we could not have met together and enjoyed the liberty of such exercises as these ; no , you could not have met in your families to pray , but one or other would have been upon you and indangered your estates . the bondage was intollerable , we may well complaine it was a yoke that neither we nor our fathers could beare . the last observation , and the way to prevent all is , when god hath delivered a people out of misery , and bestowed upon them great mercies , it is their duty often to thinke of the poor condition which once they were in , & to use all the means they can that they may not be brought thither again . god loveth this , that we should remember and seriously take to heart , what once we were , so it is here , lest i strip her naked and set her as in the day wherein she was borne ; as if he should say , i would have you consider what condition you were in when you were borne , what a low condition it was , and consider of the danger you are in to be brought thither again , and to looke about you , and to seeke to prevent it if you have the hearts of men in you . this we shall finde in deut. . . . when thou art come into the land which the lord giveth thee for an inheritance and possessest it , thou shalt take of the first of all the fruite of the earth , and thou shalt put it in a basket , and shalt goe unto the place which the lord thy god shall chuse ; and ver . . thou shalt speake and say before the lord thy god , a syrian ready to perish was my father , and he went down into egypt , and became there a nation , and the egyptians evil intreated us , and afflicted us and layed upon us hard bondage . and isa . . . looke to the rocke whence you are hewen , and to the hole of the pit whence you are digged . it is very usefull for us to consider of our former low condition . it was a speech master deering in a sermon that he preached before queen elizabeth , hee hath this bold expression to her , if there were a time that you thought your self tanquam ovis , as a sheepe ready to be slaine , take heed that the words of the prophet be not now true that you be not tanquam indo mita iuvencula , as an untamed heifer . you may note the difference between the spirits of men in former times in their plainness and boldness ; and if there were an excesse that way , how far the other way are our court sermons now ? qeen elizabeth was once in a very low condition indeed , and she thought her selfe to be as a sheepe appointed for the slaughter . it is usuall for men raised up from a low condition to forget god and themselves , and to grow proud & scornfull . nothing is more sharpe then a low thing when it getteth up high ; so there is none that have more proud and scornfull spirits then those that are raised from the dunghil and gotten up high , they know not then where they are ; as the proverb is , set a beggar on horse backe , and he knowes not how nor whether to ride . thus it was with saul , the vvay to humble saul was for him to consider what he once was , and that is the way to humble us all who are subject to be proud of our prosperity that god hath raised us unto . when thou wast little in thine own sight , then thou wert made the head of the tribes of israel . there was a time that he was little in his own eyes , and i beseech you observe the difference between the spirit of saul when he was in a low condition , and his spirit vvhen he vvas raised . when saul was in a low condition his spirit vvas low , therefore sam. . . you shall finde that though there vvere some children of eelial that would not have saul to reigne over them ; what ? ( say they ) how shall this man save us ? and they despised him and brought him no presents . but saul ( the text saith ) held his peace . and chap. . . when saul had gottensome credit and honour by his victories , some of the people said , where are they that said , shall saul reine over us ? bring the men that we may put them to death . no , saith saul , there shall not a man be put to death this day . o how meeke was saul ! what a quiet spirit had he before he got up high ! but afterward when he got up and had many victories , then vvhat a furious and outragious spirit had saul ! you know the story of the four-score and five priests that must be slaine in the city of nob , and the whole citie , men , women , and children , sucklings , oxes , asses , and sheep must be put to the sword , why ? because one of them did but give a little refreshing unto david . what a strange spirit is here in saul , different to that he had when he was low . is it not so with many of you ? when god hath brought you low , you seeme to be humble , and meek , and quiet then , and then you are content with every thing , and prize every little mercie . oh the tenth , the hundreth part of that will not serve your turne now , you vvould have been glad of then , and blessed god if you had had it ; but now you know not your selves , your hearts are raised up as : your estates are . vvell it is good for you to looke to the condition that once you were in , vvhen you were low ; as vve reade of agath●cles , that king , that was a potters sonne , and after advanced to a kingdom , he vvould alwayes be served at his table in earthen vessels , to put him in mind of that condition he was in before : certainly if in any place in england it be seasonable to speake of this , it is here in london , where many that have been potters children , and in a low degree , have been raised up high , and have gotten great estates . let them remember in what condition once they were , that they may be humbled , and so may prevent that danger of being brought thither again . many put others in mind of it in a taunting vvay , i know vvhat you were not long agoe , i know vvhat your father vvas , &c. but doe you put your own soules in mind of this in an humbling way ? this is the vvay to continue mercies . but now apply vve it a little to our selves for the generall and then vve shal conclude all . let us vvork this upon our hearts . look vve back to vvhat we vvere lately , and let us check our hearts for any discontent in our present estate . not long since vvould not many of us have beene willing to have laid dovvn our lives to have purchased that mercy we have had this yeer or two ? god hath granted to us our former mercies , & raised us from our low condition of free cost hitherto . god hath been afore . hand with us ; and what if those mercies that are to come will be at some vvhat a dearer rate then those vvee have had already ? those mercies vve have had already have been very precious and sweet ; but surely they that are to come are more precious and sweet , and therefore vve may be content though they cost us deare . yet hovv vile are the spirits of men in forgetting the condition the sad condition they lately were in , forgetting the taxes and monopolies , and uncertainty of enjoying an thing that was your own ; and now if there be but a little charge comming , you presently fall a murmuring and repining , oh these are heavy burthens , the parliament burthens the kingdome and the couutrey , and as good have ship-money and other taxes as these burthens . oh unworthy , unworthy are you to live to see the goodnesse of the lord in these dayes : unworthy to have thine eyes open to see what god hath done , and thus to murmur . thou shouldest magnifie gods mercies , and not murmur at his proceedings . vve have a notable parallel to this numb . . in the story of corah , dathan and abiram , those murmurers , when they were but in a little strait , they come to moses , and say , ver . . why hast thou brought us up out of a land that floweth with milks and honey ? what land was that , that moses brought them up out of , that they said flowed with milke and honey ? it was the land of egypt , the land of their bondage● indeed they were promised a land of canaan that should flowe with milke and honey , and they put that upon the land of egypt ; though they had been in bondage and slavery in egypt and were now going to canaan , yet when they did but indure some trouble in the vvay , and had but some opposition , and were put to some straits , then egypt was the land that flowed vvith milke and honey , and who would come out of egypt ? so though god be bringing us to canaan , to a blessed land that floweth with milke and honey , yet because there are some straits in the way , some difficulties , some oppositions , that may cost us somewhat ; now how doe men cry out we vvere better before , you talke of reformation and such and such things , but for our parts would vve might have but vvhat we had before , and be as quiet as vve were then , why will you bring us out of a land that floweth with milke and honey ? oh base murmuring and discontented spirits that forget what once they vvere , and rather prize the bondage they were in before , then are thankfull for gods present mercies . for us not to look back to gods former mercies , it goeth to the very heart of god. god hath an expression that it frets him to the very heart : you have it in ezek. . . because thou hast not remembred the dayes of thy youth , but hast fret●ed me in all these things . it is a thing that frets god at his heart to see a people so unworthy of mercie , when god commeth in such wayes of mercie to them as he doth . my brethren , god hath done great things for us whatsoever others say and thinke : let them murmure , and repine , and say what they will , let us say god hath done great things for us : let us lay to heart the condition we lately vvere in , that so we may be stirred up now to seeke after god , that wee may never be brought into that condition any more , if they would have it again , much good may it do them , but for us let it be our care to seeke god , and to use all lawfull meanes to prevent our bringing back to it again . for even the very straits we now are in are an aggravation of our former misery and present mercie , it should not therefore make our former misery or present mercie seeme lesse , but greater . how is that you will say ? thus , if now wee have so much helpe and power to hinder a malignant party that seeke our ruine , yet they have so much strength and resolution , what would have become of us if this had been before , when we had no way nor no meanes to help us ? if men complaine now , what vvould they have done then ? therefore whereas we make use of our straits , to make us thinke that our former misery was lesse , and we are now in a sadder condition then before , rather let us make it an aggravation of gods mercie towards us , and if wee be in such straits now when god hath raised up such meanes beyond all our thought to resist the flowing in of misery upon us , lord whether were wee a going ? what would have become of us if the streame which hath been so long a swelling had broke in upon us when there was no meanes to have resisted it ? vve may well see now that if their intentions and resolutions be so strong for mischiefe as will not be hindered , notwithstanding the present strength god hath granted us to oppose them , surely they had most vile intentions , and dreadfull things were determined against us , which would have brought us low indeed , and have made us the most miserable people upon the earth , if god had not come in so mira culously for our help as he hath done at this day . therefore as we read of jeremiah , chap. . . let my supplication , saith he to the king , i pray thee be accept able before thee , that thou cause me not to returne to the house of jonathan the scribe , lest i dye there . so let us present our supplications to the king of heaven , that wee may not be sent back to that condition we were once in , that god may not strip us and leave us naked . wee have many blessings , lord do not strip us , doe not strip us of all the ornaments thou hast put upon us . and would you not have god strip you of your ornaments ? be you willing to strip your selves of your ornaments . ezod . . . god calleth upon the people there . put off your ornaments from you that i may know what to doe unto you . this is true and seasonable at this time in the literall sense , you are called now to strip you of your ornaments . strip from your fingers your gold-rings now when there is neede of them , perhaps one gold-ring that you have upon your finger would serve to maintain a souldier a month or five weeks or more , and yet you may have the benefit of it againe afterward . strip your cup-boards from that pompous shew of plate that was wont to be upon them . it is much if you should not be willing to have your fingers stripped naked when we are in danger to have the state stript naked of all our comforts and ornaments : is it such a great matter to have your cup-board naked of plate now ? what if a white cloath were upon it , and all that glistering shew taken away , were that such a great matter now when god is about to strip us naked , and set us as in the day wherein wee were borue ? certainly all of you that shall keep your plate now for the pompous decking and adorning of your cup-boards you cannot but be ashamed of it in these times , surely you must rather keep it up in your trunkes and hutches , it cannot but be both a sin and a shame to see such glistering pomp and glory in such times as these are . strip your selves of your ornaments that god strip you not ; and not only outwardly , but strip your selves of your ornaments by your humiliation , for that is the meaning of that place in exodus ; oh come and humble your selves , and come now with naked hearts before the lord , open your hearts before god , bring them naked and sincere before him , lest he strip you and the kingdom naked ! crie unto god for mercie , o lord thou knowest what a vile heart i have had , a base time-serving heart , yet lord i desire to take away all those clokes now , and to rend and bring this heart naked before thee , though it be a filthy heart , yet open it , lord thou knowest those vile things , those innovasions , those superstitions , those horrible wickednesses that were in danger to be let into the church and comman-wealth , yet they were things that could goe down very well with me , i could make shifts to swallow them , and i had distinctions to colour them , but lord it was my base heart that i could not trust thee , but now here i open it naked before thoe . o lord for these ordinances of thine in the purity and power of them that others spake so much of , they have bin things unsavory to me , i had no skill in such things , thou knowest i had a neutrelizing spirit , i looked which way the wind blew ; how just were it for thee to give me upto be of a desperate malignant spirit ! now lord i come as a naked wretched creature before thee , in the shame and guilt of my sin , and here i acknowledge thou maiest justly strip me naked of all the comforts of my estate , and leave me in the most miserable condition that ever poor creature was left in ; and now my heart is open before thee , doe but shew me what i shall doe , and if thou doest reserve any of my estate and comforts which i have forfeited , in testimony of my humiliation for my former sinnes i bring it before thee , and am willing to give it up for the publique good , and to prevent that evill and mischiefe that i am sure my sinnes call for , for my sins cry for wrath against the land , that thou shouldst strip it naked ; and if all had beene such base spirits as i have beene , what would have become of the land by this time ? in testimonie therefore of my humiliation for my sins , here i bring in this of my estate , though indeed if i had not been guilty of such sins , yet out of common prudence , and respect to my own security , i might bring some part in , but here is so much the more of my estate , because my conscience tells me of my former guilt . and lord for the time to come i am resolved to doe the uttermost i can for thee and thy cause . and those worthies that carry their lives in their hands for me , god forbid that i should have the least hand in betraying them , in withdrawing my hand and assistance from them . lord here i give up my self to thee , and my estate , i surrender it to thee in an everlasting covenant . this is to come with a naked heart indeed before the lord. were it not better that we should be willing to strip our selves naked , then that god should doe it by violenee , that god should send souldiers into our houses to strip us naked , as they have dealt with our brethren in ireland ? they took not away their estates onely , but all their clothes , and sent them in droves as naked as ever they were borne . vvee know wee have deserved the like . if you will not strip your selves of your super ●●uities , god may justly by them strip you naked as ever you were born ; and not onely bring you into the same condition you were in , but into a far worse , for so he threatneth in that . deut. you shall not onely be carryed backe againe into egypt , but there you shall be sold for bond●men , and no man shall buy you ; they should be in a worse condition the when they were first in egypt . so if there be any of you that are willing to sell your consciences in hope of preferment ; oh the other side may get power and prevaile , and so out of hope to be , preferred , to sell your consciences , you may be disappointed , not only be brought into as ill but into a far worse condition ; & perhaps though you would have sold your selves , yet no bodie will buy you ; if the papists corne to have the power of your bodies and estates , you may misse of that preferment that you thinke of . so saith ezra , chap. . . after he had spoken of gods mercie in giving them liberty , and remitting their captivitie , shall we ( saith he ) yet continue in sin , & break the commandements of the lord , would he not be angry with us till we were utterly destroyed ? and certainly if god do not awaken the hearts of people now , if god do not give the people throughout the kingdom a heart to stick to the cause of the truth , and to those whom they have intrusted with their estates , liberties and lives in every good way , it were the heaviest judgement of god that ever was upon a nation since the beginning of the earth , it would never be paralleld , that ever a people should have such an opportunity put into their hands to help themselves , aud to vindica●e themselves from slavery and bondage , yet out of i know not what respects to betray all those that have ventured their lives for them , and to have their blood shed ; i say it were such an example as were not to be paralleld since the beginning of the world . therefore i beseech you my brethren let us lay this to heart , and the lord make known to us all what is to be done in such a time as this , that we may not be stripped naked , and set as in the day wherein we were borne . the third lecture . hosea part of the third verse and verse . and make her as a wildernesse , and set her like a dry land , and slay her with thirst . and i will not have mercy upon her children , for they be the children of whoredomes . in the first part of this second chapter , wee have already shewed part of gods threatning , even to strip his people naked as in the day wherein they were borne , to bring them into as low and mean a condition as ever they were in . now that which was more generally exprest the last day , we have in the latter end of this third verse more particularly set forth unto us . and make her as a wildernesse , and set as a dry land . god would bring this people that dwelt in the land of canaan flowing with milke and honey ; that were in regard of the beauty that god had put upon them , excellent for beauty , now to be as a wildernesse . in the former chapter you heard that the state of the ten tribes vvas set out by hoseas wife , her name was gomer , ad this gomer was the daughter of diblaim . gomer signifieth perfection , and what diblaim signifieth i told you then . but now there is another signification of this diblaim , that we are to refer unto this expression of the lord in this place , that he will make her as a wildernesse , for you shall finde ezek. . . that there is mention made of a desolate countrey and a wildernesse that was towards diblath , to which this that the prophet speaks of the mother of gomer may seem to have reference . diblath then , it appeareth , was a place where there was a very desolate , waste wildernesse , and gomer was the daughter of this diblath , from whence diblaim , that is , though the ten tribes were as gomer in regard of their beauty , perfect , for so they were ; yet she was the doughter of diblath , or diblaim , that is , she came forth out of a low and meane condition , and was even brought out of a wildernesse , now shee shall be brought again into the same estate wherein shee was , for i will set her as a wildernesse . as a wildernesse . the church of god is in it selfe gods garden , a garden inclosed , and so it is called cant. . . as a garden inclosed is my sister , my spouse . it is the place of gods delight , not a place for beasts to come into , but inclosed , they are to be kept out of it ; a place where very precious fruits doe grow , that are very pleasing to god , a place that hath the dew , the showers of gods blessing , the dew of hermon , the dew that descendeth upon the mountains of zion , there god commandeth his blessing , even life for evermore . but now she must come to be a wildernesse . for first , the hedge , the pale , the wall of gods protection shall be taken away from her , and she shall be laid open , lyable for all wilde beasts to come in and to devoure her . they loved liberty , and were loth to be inclosed , though it were in gods garden , though it was with the pale & wall of gods protection ; well , seeing you will have liverty , you shall have liberty , and this pale and wall of my garden shall be taken away , and your condition shall be like the condition of the beasts in the wildernesse . againe , you shall be as a wildernesse . there shall no good grow among you . there was no good grew amongst you , that was your sin ; and there shall no good grow among you , that shall be your plague and punishment . the blessing of god shall be taken away from you , you shall not have those showers of blessing as formerly you were wont to have , but you shall be as a wildernesse , jer. . . . cursed be that man that trusteth in man , and maketh flesh his arme , and departeth from the lord : why ? for he shall be as the heath in the desart , and shall not see when good commeth , and he shall inherite the parched places of the wildernesse in a salt land . vatablus interprets this judgement upon the hearts of idolaters ; they are dry , unsavory ; they are destitute of all spirituall good . and i will set her as a dry land . ] so the septuagint read it , i will order you so . your sinnes bring you out of order , but gods plagues order that which sin doth disdorder . at a dry land . this is contrary to the blessing of a godly man , for he is said to be as the tree planted by the river of water . the graces and comforts of gods spirit are compared to waters in the scripture , psal . . . all my springs are in thee , all my comforts , all the gifts that i have , all the graces that i have are in thee . but now god will set them as a dry land , he will take away his gifts , and take away their comforts from them , and so leave them wast and desolate . the observation then from hence is , that sinne is of a wasting nature : sinne layeth wast countreyes and places that people live in . vvee have a most remarkable place of scripture for that , zach. . . they laid the pleasant land desolate , they , who are they ? you shall finde it ver . . those that made their hearts as an adamant stone , lest they should heare the law , and the words which the lord of hosts had sent in his spirit by the former prophets , they made the pleasant land desola●e . vve cry out of those that make stripe and waste , and there are actions commenced against them . o let not us lay waste this pleasant land , this good laud of ours , this garden of the lord. it is indeed as an eden , as a paradise , our fore-fathers have left us this our land as gods garden ; let not us through our sinnes leave it to our posterities as a wildernesse and a dry land , psal . . . there is a threatning that god will make a fruitfull land barren for the wickednesse of them that dwell therein . sinne hath heretofore laid wast as pleasant and fruitfull countreys as ours . those that travell in germanie , their hearts even bleed within them sometime to see where famous towns have stood , now the places are overgrowne with nettles , they are laid wast as a wildernesse . aud in this god threatneth after the manner of great kings who when their subjects obey them not , threaten to lay their countreys wast and to destroy their cities , as ecclesiasticall stories tell us of theodosius , that had layed great taxes upon the city of antioch at which they were much grieved , and imagining it seemes that the queen had a speciall hand in it , they pulled down the brazen statue of the queene that was in the citie in a kinde of anger upon this , theodosius threatneth to lay the citie and countrey wast as a fruite of his displeasure . it is a fruite of the anger of a kings according to their power , to manifest it that way , not onely upon particular men , bnt to lay whole countreyes wast . god is the great king , and he threatneth this against his people for their sinnes , that he will lay them wast as a●wildernesse . god had rather that the wilde beasts should eate up the good of the land , then that wicked stubborn sinners should enjoy it : god had rather have a land under his curse , to have nothing but thornes and bryars brought forth of it , then that wicked wretches should partake of the sweetness and fruit of it , for sin doth not only pollute the sinner , but the land , and putteth both the sinner and the land under a curse . and s●ay them with thirst . in the . psal . ver . . vve have a full expression of the plentifull provision of cods people that dwell in the house of the lord. ●he text saith , they shall be abundantly satisfied with the fulnesse of thy house , and thou shalt make them to drinke of the river of thy pleasures , o what a sweet promise is here to those that dwell in gods house , and walke with god as beseemeth those that are in his house ! they shall have fatnesse , and drinke of the river of his pleasures : but here is threatned slaying with thirst , that god will not onely take away those rivers , but even drops of water , they shall not have a drop to coole their tongues , but shall be slaine with thirst . there was a time wherein god had such pittie upon his people , that hee would cause water to gush out of the rock , rather then their thirst should not he satisfied : but now god threatneth that hee will make the heavens as brasse , and the earth as iron , and though a little water might save their lives , they should not have it , he will slay them with thirst . oh what an alteration doth sin make in gods administrations of his wayes towards us ! it is a great judgement thus to be slayn with thirst . i knew my self a man once that lying in a burning feaver , professed that if he had all the world at his dispose , he would give it all for one draught of beer . at so low a rate is the world at such a time as that is . if the want of a little beer or water to satisfie thirst for a little while be so great a judgement , oh what is it then for all good to be eternally with drawn from all the faculties ! i have read of darius , that when he fled from his enemies , and being in great thirst ( though those kings had a delicate drinke that was peculiar to them which they called coapsis , and others 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ) he met with a dirty puddle of water with carry on lying in it , and he sucked in that and dranke very heartily of it , and profest , that it was the sweetest draught that ever he dranke in his life . this meditation may be very usefull upon this evil of thirst , that if a little puddle water can afford so much comfort when the faculties are in such a disposition as they are fit to draw out that comfort that is in this puddle water , oh then what comfort and goodnesse is there in an infinite god when he shall communicate to his creature all that good that is communicable , and when all the faculties of soul and body shall be in a full disposition , to receive all the good that is communicated , and not put into a disposion by reason of want , but by reason of the excellency of the faculty raised to such a height , and inlarged to receive what good god himselfe hath to communicate to his creature ? but further , it is observable . though god did bring them into a wildernesse , and set them in a dry land , yet if they might have some drinke , though but water to refresh them in this wildernesse , and in this dry land , it were not so much . though they were in a scorching countrey , in the wilderness , parched with heat , might they have but some refreshment there , the judgement were not so great : but they shall be in a wildernesse , in a dry land , and there they shall be scorched with heat , and then god shall deny them all succour , all helpe . he will slay them with thirst . god useth thus to deale with wicked men , to bring them into extremity , and there to leave them destitute of all succour , of all helpe , vve have an excellent scripture for this , ezek. . . i will gather you in mi●e anger , and in my fury , and what then ? i will leave you there and melt you , saith god. this may be a comment upon this text. i will bring into the widernesse and set them in a dry land and slay them with thirst . the saints may be brought into great extremity , but god leaveth them not there . god makes their extremity his opportunity for mercy , he bringeth refreshing to them then , they never have more sweet refreshings from god , then when they are in the greatest extremities in regard of trouble and affliction . god promiseth , esay , . . that he will be a shadow for them in the day time from the heat , and a covert from storme and from raine . this is gods peculiar mercy to the saints ; perhaps they have no shelter now , but when the storme commeth they have a shelter then , and they have a shadow when the heat commeth ; in their extremity they have comfort . but it is otherwise with the wicked , the wicked perhaps may have many shelters before the storme commeth ; but when the storme commeth , then they are destitute , they may have many shady places before the heat cometh , but when the heat commeth , then they are left fuccourless , then they are slain with thirst . when wicked men are in prosperity , then there may come one blessing after another ( i meane that which is in it self a blessing ) heaped upon them , but when they come into adversity , when they have most need of comfort , then they are left destitute . this slaying with thirst is applyed by some spiritually ; i will bring a spirituall famine upon them . when they shall be in a wildernesse , in a dry land , when they shall have most need of comfort for their soules , they shall be deprived of it . many men in the time of their health and prosperity have many sweet promises of the gospel revealed unto them , many blessed manifestations of gods free grace and goodnesse in his christ made known unto them , but they slight and disregard them : but when god shall bring them into the wildernesse , when god shall cause them to be under the torment of a scorching conscience , when conscience shall be burning , and scalding , then perhaps they may long , oh that i had one drop of water , one promise out of the word to comfort me ! oh that i might have but never so little refreshing ! oh that i might heare againe those things i have heretofore heard and neglected ! but then god may deny one drop of water to coole their scorching consciences and stay them with thirst , slay their soules with thirst at that time : and thus many poore creatures are slain with thirst , that did so little regard those rivers of consolation , that in the time of their prosperity they might have had . ver. . and i will not have mercy upon her children , for they be the children of whoredoms . i confesse at the first view , looking upon this verse i thought i might quickly passe it over , the rather because we had some such expressions in the former chapter , where god threatned that he would have no more mercy upon them : but the scripture is a vast depth , and there are many excellent treasures in it , there is alwayes aliquid revisentibus , something for those that come to see again and looke again , and this something will appeare to be much , that we shall see out of these expressions further then before hath been observed . and i will not have mercy ] this particle [ and ] hath much in it , it is a most terrible and. this conjunction many times in scripture is as a pleonasme , and doth not serve for much use , but here in this place it is of great use , and it is filled with terrour as full as it is possible for such a little particle to hold . i know there may be many curiosities sometimes in observatious of particles , of conjunctions : but we shall not meddle with any curiosity , but speake of that which is plain , and the intention of the holy ghost here . i say this and is a most dreadfull and ; marke the conjunction , you had foure and 's before , saith god , i will strip her naked , [ and ] set her as in the day wherein she was borne , and ] make her as a wildernesse , [ and ] set her as a dry land , [ and ] slay her with thirst . is not here enough ? oh no , there cometh a fifth and , and that is more terrible then all the former foure [ and ] i will have uo more mercy upon her children . this addeth terrour to all the rest . suppose that all the other foure had beene , and if this had not come , there had not beene such a grievous threatning , if god had said , i will strip her naked & set her as in the day wherein she was borne , and i will make her as a wildernesse , and set her as a dry land , and slay her with thirst , yet if there might be mercy in all this , their condition had not beene so miserable , but ( saith god ) i will doe all these , and i will have no more mercy upon them . oh this hath that terrour in it , that it is impossible for the heart of a man that apprehends it to stand under it . and for the opening of this i shall shew you how that all the former foure not only may stand with gods mercy , but they have stood with gods mercy ; that god had heretofore shewed mercy to them when they were in such a low condition in which they were borne , when they were in the wildernesse , when they were in a dry land , yea when he did slay them , he shewed mercy unto them . but now he saith , he will do thus and thus , and shew no mercy unto them . so that then though this and be conjunctive in grammar , yet here in divnity it is a disjunctive , and a most dreadfull disjunctive to part them and mercy a sunder , yea and to part many of them and mercie eternally asunder . to shew you therefore the soure former , that though they were in such a condition heretofore , yet god did shew them mercie ; now what a condition is that god will shew them no mercie . as first , in the day wherein they were borne , that ( as you may remember ) i shewed you out of the . ezek. what a low and pittifull condition the people of israel were in , they were cast out in the field , & they were in their blood , and not washed , and the like : but mark in the . ver . i passed by thee and looked upon thee , behold the time was a time of love , and i spread my skirt over thee , and covered thy nakednesse , yea , i sware unto thee , and entered into covenant with thee , and thou becamest mine . here are the highest and the fullest expressions of gods grace that could be . first , i looked upon her , and then the time was a time of love , and then , i spread my skirt over thee , and i entered into covenant with thee , and thou becamist mine : here are all these expressions of mercy , even at that time when they were cast out as forlorne in the open field , and no eye pitt●ed them : but now they are threatned to be cast out into the open field againe , and no eye to pittie them in heaven or in earth , no , nor the eye of god to pittie them : now god threatneth to cast them off for ever , so as he will see them in their blood , but it shall be no more a time of love , but a time of wrath , and he will no more enter into covenant with them , neither shall they be his . . when god brought them into the wildernesse , god there shewed them mercy , for that you have a marvellousfull text , deut. . . hee found them in a desart land , and in the wast howling wildernesse ; but mark , he led them about , he instructed them , he kept them as the apple of his eye . though they were in a wast howling wildernesse , yet they were as deare to god as the apple of his eye . yea further , ver . . as an eagie stirreeth up her nost , fluttereth over her young , spreadeth abroad her wings , taketh them , beareth them on her wings , so the lord alone did lead them . it is the note of paulus fagius , citing for it rabbi solomon upon this , as the eagle carries her young ones , not as other birds , for other birds it is observed carry their young ones in their claws , the eagle bears hers upon her wings , and this is the reason that is observed , because the eagle is more tender of her young ones then other birds are , why ? for other birds carrying their young ones in their claws , if any shoot at them , they hit the young ones , and kill them first , but may misse the old one ; but the eagle carries hers upon her back , upon her wings , that whosoever shoots at her young ones , they must shoot through her first : so saith god , i carried you in the wildernesse as the eagle carries her young ones upon her wings , that if any shoot at you to hurt you , they must shoote through me first before they can come at you . this was gods mercy to them when they were in the wast howling wildernesse , here is not such an and , they were in a wildernesse , yet god had much mercy upon them . thirdly , milestone god brought them into a dry land , in this wildernesse they wanted water , yet ( though they were ready to murmure ) he made them sucke honey out of the rocke , and oile out of the flinty rocke , deut. . . you will say , when did god make them suck honey out of the rock ? wee read indeed that water gushed out of the rocke in a dry land , but here the scripture speaks , that he made them suck honey & oile out of the flinty rock . it is a note of chrysostome speaking upon this very thing , of gods making them sucke honey and oile out of the rocke : not , saith he , that there was indeed honey or oyle came out of the rock , but because they being in the wildernesse , and in such great want , the water that came out of the rock was to them as sweet and delightfull , as if it had beene honey or oyle . thence he gathered that note , that want and necessity will make every thing very sweet and comfortable , water will be as honey and oile to them that want . when you are at your full tables , this wine pleaseth you not , and that beere pleaseth you not ; but if you were in necessitie , water would be as wine , it would be as honey and oile to you . yea but what say you to the fourth and , he will slay them with thirst ? can you shew us any place wherein god did slay his people , yet shew mercie to them ? yes , i can . there is a place where it is said , god slew his people , yet for all that at that very time he shewed abundance of mercie to his people ; when god did come with his sword in his hand , yet with abundance of compassion in his heart . the scripture is in psal . . . marke what the text saith there , when he slew them , then they sought him , and they returned and enquired early after god , and they remembred that god was their rocke . well , they sought him , and they remembred this , that god was their redeemer , but did god redeeme them at that time ? yes , verse . he being full of compassion for gave their iniquity , and destroyed them not , yea many a time he turned his anger away , and did not stir up all his wrath , or as the old translation hath it , he called backe his anger , which here he will not doe : he was full of compassion , and forgave their iniquity , and called back his anger , though he did slay them at that time . he denieth to doe it here , he letteth out his anger here to the full , and will not call it back , i will have no mercy upon them : and it is observable in this scripture that yet the text saith before that , they did but flatter god with their mouth : though they did but flatter god with their mouth , yet such was gods mercie toward them , that he calleth back his anger . my brethren , god hath a high esteeme of his worship in a nation ; though it should be but externall ( but we must not rest in that ) yet many times externall humilliation and worshipping of god in a nation hath beene effectuall to deliver them from externall judgements . therefore we have much cause to be incouraged , in that god doth stirre up our nation at this day , yea and those particularly that are going in that expedition and service for the kingdome , that god doth stirre them up to goe forth worshipping of him . our adversaries come against them with oathes and curses , and they goe against them with fasting and prayer , not externally onely , but we hope internally many of them , and thousands that joine with them in our nation . and if god will shew so much mercy to them when they did but flatter him with their mouth , surely then when as there are so many true worshippers of him , yea those that are the instruments of the work ; we have much cause to think that god will shew mercy to us , and that if anger were come out against us , yet god will call it backe . thus then we see that so long as gods people be gods people , though they may be brought to great troubles ( we cannot be secured from troubles ) yet still there is mercie for them ; so long as they are his people , so long as the knot is between god and them , and they are in covenant , there is mercie for them . but now when they are cast off , now there commeth an and , i will doe thus and thus , bring them into these extremities , and i will shew no mercy to them , there shall be judgement without mercie . the observation then from hence is , when god commeth upon the wicked with wrath , hee cometh with pure wrath . wrath without mixture of mercie , and this is intolerable . we have a remarkable place for this isa . . . an evil ( saith the text ) an onely evil , behold it is comming . marke , there may come an evil to the people of god , that which materially is evill , but it can never be said of gods people that an evill , an only evill is comming : if an evil come , there cometh a great good together with that evil : but now it is upon the wicked , an evil , & an onely evil is coming . god threatneth psal . . . that he hath a cup in his hand , full of mixture , the mixture of that is an aggravation of the wrath that is in it : but here there is a cup in gods hand without mixture , and the want of mixture is the aggravation of the evil of this cup. vvhen wrath is pure , then it is grown beyond anger , and grown to hatred : so long as it is but meere anger , it admitteth of mixture of love , but when once it is ( as we may speak ) grown to that height of sowerness that all the mixture of love is gone , then it is turned to hatred . there was a time when israel spake in a murmuring way that god brought them into the wildernesse because he hated them . deut. . . but now god threatneth to bring them into the wildernesse and to hate them indeed , according to that hosea . . all their wickednesse is in gilgal , for there i hated them . david prayeth psal . . . that god would not rebuke him in his wrath , neither chasten him in his hot displeasure ; but what then ? have mercy upon me o lord : so long as god sheweth mercie he doth not chasten in his sore displeasure : but when god commeth with afflictions & denyeth mercie , then he commeth in sore displeasure indeed , it is hatred . secondly , when god commeth without mercie he commeth upon the wicked in the most unseasonable time for them that can be . that is the difference betwixt the evills that come upon the godly and the wicked . there may be evills ( that materially are so ) upon the godly , but yet they shall come upon them when it shall be seasonable for them : but when they come upon the wicked it shal be when they are most unseasonable for them : as a husband-man if he would cut his tree so as onely to lop it that it may grow and flourish again , he will be sure to do it in due time , as in january or february , but if he would cut it that so it may dye , hee will lop it when it flourisheth most , at midsummer . god indeed letteth wicked men grow up and flourish to the height of their prosperity , and then he commeth and loppeth them because then hee knowes they must die and perish . it were better to be lopped in january , in winter time before you flourish , then you may live for your good ; but if you stay till the summer , you die for it . you have an excellent scripture , zeph. . . they shall drive out ashdod at noon day . in those countries that were exceeding hot and scorching , she pheards and others that had their businesse abroad , used to keep their houses at noon day , or get into some shady places and sleepe . now when god threatneth a judgement in wrath , and denyeth mercie , saith hee , they shall drive out ashdod at noone day , in the worst time that possibly ashdod can be driven out , in the middest of scorching . because god intended to destroy them , he drives them out at noone day . again thirdly , when god commeth upon the wicked and denyeth mercie , he regardeth not the proportion of any affliction or any evill , whether it be enough or not enough for them , what is that to him ? when hee cometh upon his own people he weigheth out his wrath . never did any skilfull physitian or apothecary more carefully weigh out to every dram what the potion should be that is to be given to a child , then god doth weigh out every affliction that he sendeth upon his children . the difference is just as if you should goe to the apothecaries to take ratsbane to poyson or kill vermine , you doe not weigh out how much you should take , but give them it at adventure , and let them take as much as they will , and let them burst : but if you take any thing for your child , if it have any strong vertue in i● , or without composition , it may be poison , you will take heed , you will not take a dram , a graine too much , but will be sure to weigh it out exactly . thus though when god commeth to his children hee weigheth out their afflictions , yet when he cometh with judgements upon the wicked , he cares not how much , how many or great they be , whether sutable to their conditions or no , whether they can beare them or no , whether their backes breake or no , he cometh with judgements upon them to destroy them . fourthly , when afflictions commeth without mercie upon the wicked , god stoppeth his ears at all their cryes . if they cry when god cometh with judgements against them , he calleth their cryings howling . hee tells them though they cry aloud , yea cry with teares he will not heare them , fifthly , god commandeth all creatures that they should deny help to them . they may stand and be amazed , but help them they cannot . they all say how can we help , seeing god helpes not . sixthly , there is the curse of god mixed with every judgement to drive them further from god , and to harden them more in their sinnes . lastly , one judgement is but the making way for another , yea all judgments in this world are but the fore-runners , and makers-way for eternall judgements . this is the portion of the cup of the wicked when god saith he will shew them no mercie . the afflictions of the saints may seeme to be more grievous outwardly , but thus god never afflicteth them , there is mercie alwayes for them . vvherefore all yee saints of god who are under any affliction at any time , be patient and quiet , be contented under it , for though your afflictions before and grievous , yet god delivereth you from such afflictions as these wherein he saith he will shew no mercie . but further . i will not have mercy upon her children . her children . ] the judgement of god in punishing the sin of the fathers upon the children we spake somewhat of in the chapter before , wee will wholly let that passe now : and onely consider children in another way then we did before , in a politicall consideration , for certainly that is the meaning of the text , i will not have mercy upon her children ; that is , i will not have mercie upon the particular people that belong to iezreel . private and particular people are called the daughters of jerusalem , the daughters of such a country . so that the whole community together with the officers & governours they are as the mother , and the private and particular people they are as the children . so that when god saith he will have no mercy upon her children , hee doth not onely threaten the state and the church , the governours and the whole community thus , but he threatneth every particular person of them , though you that are in the multitude perhaps thinke you may escape in the crowde ; no saith god , i will looke to every one of you of the multitude of the private and particular persons of israel , and my wrath shal● not onely come out against those that are in higher places , but it shall come out against you also , i will slay her children . it is true indeed , the heads and governours of places are usually most invelved in the guilt of the sins of nations , and their judgements are usually most dreadfull when god commeth with nationall judgements . as num. . . . the text saith there that israel joyned themselves to baal ▪ peor , and the anger of the lord was kindled against israel , and the lord said unto moses , take all the heads of the people , and hang them up before the sunne . the lords anger was kindled against the people , but he bade moses especially look to the heads , and take them and hang them up be●●re the lord , that the fierce anger of the lord might be turned away from israel . certainly execution of wrath upon great ones , upon such as have beene heads in evill , is a sacrifice exceeding well pleasing to god. but though god ay●●e at them especially in nationall judgements , yet the multitude and private people must not thinke to escape , and that upon these grounds . first , because many times it is for their sins that god suffereth their governours to doe so much evill as they doe , as , israel had sinned , and god was wrath with israel , therefore david did what he did in numbring the people . when you see your governours doe that which is naught , lament for your own sins ; doe not spend your time onely in crying out against them , but look to yourselves , it is for your sinnes that god hath left them to do as they have done . secondly , it may be the reason why governours do not reforme , is , in the perversenesse of people , that they are not in a preparation to receive that good which otherwise our governours had in their hands & hearts to bring to passe . as chron. . . it is cleere there , howbeit the high places were not taken away , why ? for as yet the people had not prepared their hearts to seeke the god of their fathers . why ? should they have pulled down the high places ? no , but they should have beene in a preparation for the pulling of them downe . certainly this is the great cause why our high places are not pulled downe , why reformation hath gone on no better then it hath , and why we have so much evil remaining amongst us , because the people have not prepared their hearts , they are not in a disposition to receive the mercie that our governours have hearts to bring unto us . they have hearts to work for us , but when we speake to them of what is fit to be done , their answer is , but is england in a fit disposition to receive such a thing as that is ? so that the truth is , although you are ready to cry out of your governours , you say , they have power in their hands , why doe they not reforme things ? yet the guilt in great part devolves upon the people , they are not in a fit d●sposition to receive such reformation : therefore god threatneth the child●en , the peo●le here . again further , it may be it is from you that the governours that are evil are so much incouraged and abetted in that which is evill : though you doe it not , yet you so much incourage them as the guilt redounds upon you . yea lastly , if you do but obey them in any thing that is evill , in doing of that , the guilt devolveth upon you , for you should not do it , but rather obey god then man. many thinke to make this their plea , they are commanded to doe thus and thus , and governours would have them doe it , and it is law and the like , and they thinke upon this plea they may do any thing in the world . this will not secure you , god may come with judgement without mercie upon the children as well as upon the mother . and if gods wrath should come in nationall judgements against england , let the people know that they are like to smart most dreadfully , for never was their a time in our dayes , nor in our fore-fathers dayes , that so much depended upon the people as at this day ; never were they called to that help as now they are called to at this day . so that the people now may have reformation , they may have blessings , if it be not through their own default . as cant. . . the church is there described in her beauty , and it beginneth at her feete , how beautifull are thy feete ? and cant. . there christ is described in his beauty , and it beginneth at the head , his head is as the most faire gold . god sometimes makes use of the people to be great meanes , and perhaps the beginning of means to bring beauty to the church , though they cannot perfect it . heretofore private persons could doe little : alas though they were under grievous oppressions , they knew not now to help themselves . many men that had purses , and strength , and heads , and hearts and all , yet they knew not what to doe , but to make their moane one to another , and to heaven ; but now it is otherwise , now you may do somewhat else besides making your moane one to another , yea besides making your moa●e to heaven : for you that have purses now you may see waies to employ them for the publique good , for religion , for liberty , you that have strength of body may know what to doe , you that have head-pieces , i mean parts , you are called to help , you may joyne together for god and the good of your country , you may do much more then heretofore could be done . wherefore now if you should desert the cause of god , and desert those that you have trusted , you must expect the most dreadfull wrath of god , and that without mercie , even upon the people that ever was upon any nation since the beginning of the world , for never any nation that we know of , had more depending upon the people then there is at this day upon the people of england , o consider of it , and oh that all the people of the land did but know what god would have them to do in such a time as this ? again , i will not have mercy upon her children : upon particular private persons in the society . one note more upon that , it is a dangeraus thing for men in any societie to do as the most doe : if they be in a civill societie to give their votes and to do as the greater part doth ; if you be in a church societie , to do as the greater part doth without any examination of it , this dangerous . for though the greater part , the communitie may doe that which is evil , you shall not be excused by that , for you to say , why what could i help it , wh●n the most doth it ? god commeth upon private and particular men , upon the children , even every one of them : and why ? for they are the children of whoredomes . that is either passively or actively , passively , because they were begotten of whoredomes and brought up , their education hath been in whoredome , they have had it from their parents , or else they are the children of whoredomes actively , they live in the same whoredomes their mother did . from hence , first , there is little hope of children brought up in wicked education , who have wicked parents also . if the dye have beene in the wooll it is hard to get out of the cloth . if wickedness , if evill principles have beene dropped into children , there is little hope of them for good , especially of those children that have been brought up in wayes of superstition and idolatry , their hearts being so soyled , and defiled , and hardned in superstitious and idolatrous wayes , they seldome come to any good . therefore that which hath been mentioned is very good , namely of wayes to take the children of papists to bring them up in the education and knowledge of the truth . yet secondly , this shall not excuse children , though they be the children of whoredomes . it is no excuse for them to say they had it from their parents , and they did as their parents have done , and as they bade them , and according as they brought them up . no it excuseth not at all , for the wrath of god commeth upon them that are the children of whoredomes . then what a mercie is it for us to be brought up in the truth ; to have parents that doe professe the truth , and for our education to bee in the way of truth ? it is a mercy that we do not consider of to give god the glory of it : how dangerous is it to have superstitious idolatrous parents , and to have such kind of education ! there is not one of ten thousand that altereth his religion : if they have turks , or jewes , or papists to their parents , and such education , it is not one of tenne thousand i say that altereth his religion . therefore it is like our condition would have been the same if god had not cast it that our parents should be such as professe the truth , and our education according to the truth . blesse god for this . and you that are parents doe you look to your children , and bring them up in the truth . children who have gracious principles dropped into them , and those watred by prayers and tears , there is hope of them ▪ and not of them alone , but of the nation where they live . lastly ( which is the observation which mainely wee are to consider of ) when gods judgements come abroad in the world , let the children of whoredomes look to it , god threatneth he will have no mercy upon them , or they are the children of whoredomes . the children of whoredomes are the butt of gods wrath when his judgements come abroad in the world . isa . . furie is not in me , saith the text , that is , it is not in mee toward my saints ; though i come out in a kind of fury , yet it is not in me toward them , what then ? who would set the briers and thorns against mee in battle ? i would goe thorough them , i would burn them together . when my wrath commeth against the briars and thornes , i will go through them , and burne them together ; but for my children , fury is not in me toward them : when gods wrath is abroad in the world , let not the children of the bride-chamber feare , but let the children of whoredomes feare and quake , let briars and thornes feare , but not the fruitfull trees in gods garden : godjudgements know how to make a difference between men , they are dis stinguishing things when they come abroad : god sendeth not his judgements hand over head , but putteth into them a distinguishing quality . god hath a chamber of rest and safety for his people , wherein he will hide them till his indignation be over-past ; but for the children of whoredomes , superstitious , idolatrous , wicked and ungodly people , they are the people of gods indignation , they are like idumea , the people of gods curse , as you have it , isa . . . there are a people this day amongst us who are certainely the people of gods curse , and let them look to it as well as they will. rev. . . babylon is fallen , is fallen ( saith an angell there ) and mark what followeth . ver . . and another angel followed , saying with a loud voyce , if any man worship the beast and his image , and receive his mark in his forehead or in his hand , the same shal drinke of the wine of the wrath of god which is powred out without mixture into the cup of his indignation . it is according to that in the text here , god will have no mercy , they shall drink of the wine of the wrath of god without mixture , without mixture of any mercy at all . and further , he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels , & in the presence of the lambe , and the smoake of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever , and they have no rest day nor night that worship the beast and his image . here is a dreadfull threat against the children of whoredomes , against such as follow the wayes of the great whore of babylon . blessed are they that in these times have testimony in their own consciences , that it hath been their care above all things to draw themselves out from the guilt of all superstitious and idolatrous vanities , and to keep themselves ( according to that light that god hath discovered to them ) pure from the pollutions of that man of sin . blessed i say are these , they need not feare this day ; but for those that have involved themselves in the guilt of those pollutions , they have need to humble their souls before god , and to cry mightily , for wrath is going out against the children of whoredomes . this text here spoken of , is not meant only of hell hereafter , but it is meant of judgement even in this world : and above all times that ever yet have been since antichrist began , it is a most desperate thing to be a papist in these dayes , because now is the time for god to make these children of whoredomes the very butt of his wrath and indignation . we heare of wars , and rumors of wars , and a great deale of stir there is abroad : my brethren , keep your hearts chast to god , and fear not , for god hath another manner of people to deal withall then you ; you shall be sealed first , before the wrath come out . though i cannot excuse you altogether from suffering some afflictions , these children of whoredomes may bring some trouble upon the saints for the present ; yea perhaps some of you may have your blood spilt , but god hath mercy to bestow upon you , but for them there is wrath , and wrath without mixture , god saith he will have no mercy upon the children of whoredoms . let such as are going forth then in this service , for religion and liberty , go forth with courage and undauntednesse of spirit , why ? for they fight against none but those that god fighteth against . who are they but the children of whoredomes that they go to fight against , those who have shewed themselves to be open fighters against god and his truth , such as are most abominable swearers , cursers , and blasphemers , such as make no other use of the light of the gospel that they have , but only to scorn and contemn it , such as are open despisers of god and his truth , and of his people ? certainly if there be a cursed generation upon the face of the earth , these are the people , whose mouths are full of curses , and certainely gods curse is upon them who are so full of cursings themselves . if there be any of you here that are now , or hereafter may go forth in this service , your spirits should even rise with indignation against such monsters upon earth , and goe against them as david against goliah , what shall this uncircumcised philistine defie the hoast of the living god ? thus your hearts should rise if you have any love to god and his truth ; shall a company of cursed monsters that do nothing but blaspheme , and curse , and sweare , and defie god and his servants , and his tabernacle , and worship ; shall these uncircumcised philistins go on thus defying god and his truth ? if you have the hearts of men within you , especially of christians , me thinks you should not be able to beare it , but goe forth against them with fulnesse of spirit and resolution , certainely god will make them a prey to you , they are not only such as not only have put off christianity , and are become atheists , but they have put off all kind of humanity , and are rather turned monstrous beasts , or devils . fear them not , though their hearts be full of pride and rage , and though they beast never so much what they are , or what they have done , or what they will doe ; i say feare them not , for this is part of the curse of god that is upon them that though god fighteth against them , they will not see it , they shall not see it , because god intendeth to destroy them ; though judgments are out against them , yet they will not repent . you shall finde it divers times in the book of the revelation , that those that followed antichrist , though they were tormented , all the judgments of god were against them , yet they repented not . this i say is the curse of god upon such , god will not give them repentance unto life , for they are the children of whoredoms , whom god intendeth to have no mercy upon : therefore the higher their rage riseth , the higher your hearts should rise against them . but we must go on to the . verse . for their mother hath played the harlot . their mother , that is , the state and the church , for they were both involved in one , hath played the harlot . this [ for ] hath reference two ways ; either it may have reference to those words , i will not have mercy upon them , for not only they are , but their mother is defiled with whoredomes , she hath played the harlot : or secondly , it hath reference onely to the latter part , they are the children of whoredomes , for their mother hath played the harlot : either it referreth to the reason why god will not have mercy upon them , because their mother hath played the harlot : or secondly to the reason why they are the children of whoredomes , for their mother hath played the harlot . and from both these references we have very usefull observations for us . the first , god cannot endure a succession in wickednesse , i will not have mercy upon them , their mother hath played the harlot , they are children of whoredoms themselves , and their mother hath plaid the harlot , there is a succession of wickednesse among them , and that i cannot beare . the ground is , because those that keep up a succession of wickednesse from the mother to the children , and so goe on downeward , they are guilty of all the wickednesses that went before them in that line ; else how can that be understood where christ saith he will require all the blood from abel to zacharias upon that generation ; but because they continuing in that way of sin , kept up the succession of that sin , and so that generation was guilty of all the sins of that kind that went before even unto abel . so the father is a whore-master , and the child he proveth to be one too , and so goeth on , the child is not only guilty of that sinne of his owne , but of his fathers , and of his grandfathers , and hee is guilty of all that kind of sinne that is gone before , even up to the beginning of the world ; why ? because hee keepeth up the succession of that sinne in the world . this is a most terrible thing to consider of , enough to wound the strongest heart in the world , especially of those that know they have had wicked parents . again , for their mother hath plaid the harlot , consider this word for , as having reference to the reason why they are children of whoredomes , for their mother hath plaid the harlot . the observation is , children usually goe according to their parents , which way their parents goe , commonly the children goe . it is a usuall thing where there are prophane parents to have prophane children , if the parents sweare to have swearing children , if the parents be superstitious to have superstitious children ; if parents be scorners of religion , to have children scorners too : we find it true in experience , in that new nick-name that is brought up on the godly in roome of the former , it is as frequent in the mouths of children as in others , because children go according to what their fathers formerly did : i will give you one notable text of scripture for this , it is king. . . when elisha the prophet was going up to bethel , there came forth little children out of the city and said unto him , goe up thou bald-head , goe up thou bald-head . the thing that i note it for is this , that not only the children did it , and so were destroyed , ( for two she-beares came out of the wildernesse and tare . of them ) but what children were they that did this ? if you observe the text , you shall finde that they were the children of bethel ; and what place was that ? that was one of the places where the calves were set up , and it was a place of much superstition , and the children were as superstitious as their parents : a place that had the name , the house of god , but a place exceedingly abused , and no place did more degenerate from the name then it , it was a bethaven , a house of vanity and wickednesse . it was the place that was most superstitious , and those were the children that scorned at the prophet : but we need no other proof but only experience , yet there is one notable scripture further for it , jer. . . the children ( saith the text ) gather wood , their fathers kindle the fire , and their mothers kneaded the dough : the children joyned you see : pelagius thought that there was no sinne came into the world but only by imitation , children imitating their parents . certainly imitation is of great power and force to prevaile with the hearts of children . you that are wicked parents , had need to looke to it what you doe before your children . he that sinneth before a child , specially a parent , sinneth doubly , for a child will be ready to imitate it . what , will you not only sin against god , and be enemies unto him , but will you leave a succession , that when you are dead and gone , some must out of your loynes , and from your bowels , blaspheme god after you are rotten in your graves ? suppose you that are parents had a plague sore upon you , would you goe among your children , and breath upon them ? this cruelty is much worse , will you goe into your families , and breath infection into your children , and so make them like you , and guilty of your sins , and of the plagues of god together with you ? oh cruell parents ! on the otherside , as therefore children of whoredomes , because their mother hath plaid the harlot , why then should not children be gracious and godly , who have gracious and godly parents ? why should it not be said , this childe is a godly childe , for his mother was a gracious woman , and his father a godly man ? you that have godly parents , let this be your encomium , you are godly and gracious children , and you had godly and gracious parents , this will be your honour before the saints . but how vile is it , when it may be said , here is a wicked wretch , yet he had a godly father , and a godly mother ; here is an uncleane and filthy liver , yet hee had gracious parents ? it is no wonder to say thus , this man is filthy , for his father was filthy , and his mother was a harlot ; but to look upon one , and say , here is a whoremaster , yet his father was a godly gracious man ; here is a harlot , yet her mother was a holy woman ; o how vile is that ! i remember a speech of that reverend master bolton , who died not long since ; it is repo●ted , that upon his death-bed he had his children come to him , & he speaks thus unto them , i doe believe , saith he , there is never a one of you will dare to meet me at the tribunall of christ in an unregenerate condition . so let me say to you that are evill children of godly parents , let me in their names speak to you , how dare you , with what face doe you think you shall dare to meet with your godly father and gracious mother before the judgement seat of jesus christ ? at that day if your godly father stand at the right hand of christ , how dare you appeare before that face in the guilt of those horrible wickednesses that you now live in ? certainly the thought of this hath power to daunt your hearts . she hath done shamefully . the word in the hebrew ( it is in hyphil , and so it may be translated transitively ) signifieth , she hath made ashamed , as well as done shamefully ; and so i find it according to some thus rendered , shee hath made ashamed her husband , she hath made ashamed her children , shee hath made ashamed her self , and all these three may be meant . yea i conceive the intent of the holy ghost is to expresse them all . her husband first , the church is the spouse of jesus christ , christ is the husband of the church , and you know the scripture saith that the woman is the glory of the man. i remember i gave the meaning of that heretofore ; so the church being the spouse of christ , should be the glory of christ : the woman should be the glory of the man , but yet being wicked and filthy , she makes her husband many times ashamed . the evil of the wife is a shame to the husband , so the evill of the church is a shame to iesus christ . the church in scripture is called the glory of christ , cor. . . if our brethren be enquired after , they are the messengers of the churches , and the glory of christ . isa . . . vpon all the glory shall be a defence . it should be so , but when it commeth to be defiled , it shameth christ , their wickednesse reflects upon christ . christ is said to walke in the middest of the golden candlesticks , rev. . . every church is a candle-stick , and it should be a golden candle-sticke , but if it come to be a filthy rustie candle-stick , it is a dishonour unto christ who walketh amongst them . wicked men doe not shame christ , but godly doe . my brethren let us take heed of that , it is an evill thing to bring shame to our selves , and one to another , but to bring shame upon jesus christ is the greatest evil . many of you perhaps are ashamed of christ , take heed you be not a shame to christ . they are ashamed of christ that are ashamed to appeare in the cause of christ ; but as for you that are so , christ hath more cause to be ashamed of you , for you are a shame to him . it is true , i cannot deny it but many churches of god , and that of late have brought some shame to jesus christ by their dissentions and fractions , and they must take shame to themselves , and they have taken shame to themselves , they have acknowledged it to the glory of christ , and in that regard in some measure have washed off that shame that they have brought to christ . againe further , a shame they are to their children . wicked parents are a shame to their children ; when a child appeareth forward , towardly , and hopefull , and it be said , would you not wonder to see him so forward ? the father of him is a beastly dr●nkard , a filthy whore-monger , of a vile and malignant spirit ; now the child is ashamed to heare of the evil of his father , and of the evil of his mother . as foolish children are a shame to their parents , so wicked parents are a shame to their children . you that have gracious children take heed you be not a shame to them , and so a shame to your selves . and then a shame to her selfe , she hath plaid the harlot , she hath done shamefully . wherein had she done shamefully ? i will onely mention one particular . certainly that shame of hers was especially in subjecting religion to carnall policie . for what did she doe ? what was the great sinne of the ten tribes ? it was this , because they were afraid that if they did go up to jerusalem to worship , the people would then depart from the house of jeroboam , to the house of david , therefore out of politicall regards they would have the worship set up at dan and bethel , there they would have calves , they must not goe up to jerusalem the place which god had appointed to worship in , but at dan and bethel . this was a meere politique fetch , for they could not but acknowledg that god did require that they should worship at jerusalem where the temple was , and there was no other reason why they would worship at dan and bethel , but meerely out of state policie that they might prevent the people from going backe to the house of david , and indeed they did professe so much themselves . here then they did shamfully . the observation then from hence is , that for governours or any to subject religion to policie is a shamefull thing . it is shamefull to make religion an underling , and to make policie the head . perhaps they call this wisedome , a prudentiall way , wee must be carefull and wise to foresee inconveniences that may follow . but what if god give it another name ? god may give it a name of base temporizing , a name of folly and wickednesse : to subject religion to policie it is shamefull , because it abaseth that which is the great honour of any country , it makes it an underling : what is the excellency of man but religion ? what is the excellency of a country but religion ? and what hath england been glorious for more then for religion ? now to put the excellency of a thing under any inferiour , this is shamefull , to put the crown that is for the head under ones foot is a dishonour to it : although a thing hath in it self but little excellencie , if it be brought beneath it selfe under other things that have not so great an excellency in them , it makes it vile . and shamefull also it is because it holdeth forth this , that we dare not trust god for our civill estate and for our peace , therefore religion must come under . shamefull it is again because it is grosse folly , for there is no such way to breede disturbance in a politicke state , no such way to undoe a state , as to make religion an underling to policie . was it not so here ? that very way that they tooke to uphold their policie was the way to destroy their state , & did destroy it at last , even their corrupting of gods worship . what cause had they then to be ashamed of this , that god should take that which they thought to helpe themselves by , and make that the very thing that should cause their ruine ? and certainly it will be so , they that are of the deepest and politikest ferches and reaches , if they thinke to secure themselves and preserve their peace , out of that principle , so as religion must come under , and must be serviceable , it will appeare at last they doe shamefully , god will make them ashamed of it one way or other , it will be the onely way to undoe themselves and us . i confesse in matters of religion there are some commands that are affirmitive precepts : these though they doe ligare semper , yet not ad semper , there is not a necessity that at every time and instant they should be urged , so that it may be that a people may be in such a frame that men cannot but by degrees bring in a reformation to the height of it , and then it is not carnall policie to bring in such wayes of god gradually , as are commanded by affirmitive precepts ; but negative precepts binde semper and adsemper , and the state must looke to that , that they do nothing against christ out of policie that they doe not hinder by any positive law the way of christ , for though christ may be willing to forbeare some ordinances for a time , and he doth it out of mercy to a people , he saith he will have mercy and not sacrifice , but christ will never beare that there should be any thing done against him in that time . if they should out of any state policie to preserve peace , or to gratifie an evill party , sacrifice any part of religion , or any godly person , this will prove a shamefull thing , christ accounts it so , and whosoever doth so will be ashamed of it at the last . now my brethren , why should not god be trusted ? let us looke at religion in the first place , and so pray wee that those who are our reformers who have power in their hands may never prove to be guilty of this shamefull way of putting religion under policie . i will give you a notable example in scripture about it . it is josh . . when joshua had brought the people of israel over jordan ( that you know was the very beginning of their entrance into canaan ) now as soone as they were brought unto the borders of the land , they were to encounter with all their enemies , and you may imagine that when joshua had passed the river the , people might thinke that all the country would be about their eares , one would thinke then that policy would have taught them to lay aside all thoughts of religion , and to look to their enemies that were at hand , if ever they were outragious they would be then , and therefore now let us minde nothing but arming our selves against them : but mark now god goeth another way to worke , as soone as they were gone over jordan , and were upon the borders of the land of canaan , they must goe and circumcise themselves , and you know when they were circumcised they were sore that they could not fight . simeon and levi destroyed a whole city when they were circumcised , they were not then in a posture of fighting or defending themselves , but lay at the mercie of their enemies . but this was gods wisedome . nay further , they must go and keepe the passeover too , they must mind and tend religion : and mark you shall finde in the latter end of the chapter , that after they had been circumcised & kept the passeover , then appeareth one to ioshua with a drawn sword , and saith he , i am the captain of the lords hosts . then the captain of the lords host appeareth to fight for them when they had once obeyed ; whereas had they neglected circumcision and the passeover , & thought of fighting onely , they , might have missed of the captaine of the lords hosts to have fought for them , and what would have become of them then ? so you see god would have us minde religion in the most dangerous times , and though we thinke we must mind our peace and safety , and lay our hands upon our swords ●or our defence , yet let us be carefull of our religion , and then we shall have a captain of the lords host come and fight for us . marke . . we are charged to take heed of two sorts of leaven , the leaven of the scribes and pharises , and the leaven of herod . the leaven of the scribes and pharises is corruption in church affairs , the leaven of herod is corruption in religion too , but in order of the common-wealth , in bringing under things of god to the affairs of the state , for in this herod was like jeroboam , he was affraid of his kingdome as ieroboam was , hee had many wayes and plots to keepe himselfe in that kingdom as ieroboam had , and many did cleave to herod in his plots , as israel clave to ieroboam in his , therefore saith christ , take heed not onely of the leaven of the scribes and pharises but of the leaven of herod . and it may be the lord saw us to prone of sinfull compliances , even ready to have sacrificed much of his worship and many of his saints for the obtaining peace in the state , and so to have fallen off from that reformation that both god and his people expected , hence hee hath taken the worke into his owne hands , hee will bring about his owne worke , though it may cost us deare , who knowes how much blood ? the fourth lecture . hosea . . shee that conceived them hath done shamefully ; for she said , i will goe after my lovers , that give me my bread , and my water , my wooll , and my flaxe , mine oyle and my drinke . gods threats against israel to make her as a wilderness and as a dry land , to slay her with thirst , in the . verse , to shew no mercy to her children , in the . ver . the reason because her mother had played the harlot , in the beginning of this . ver . we finished the last day . onely in a word to give you one note from that title of mother here , that wee observed not before . the community of the church and civill state is called mother , in way of distinction from private people , and private people are as the children of that mother , so we opened it in the second ver . the observation is , the community of a state and church should be to particular persons as a mother . they should have the affection of children to it , they should take much to heart those things that concerne it , the sufferings of state or church should be the sufferings of all particulars . there are children of belial that are risen up among us , that are even taring the bowels of our mother , a viperous generation that seeke to eate out the bowels of her mother , let our hearts breake for this , as psal . . . i bowed down heavily as one that mourneth for his mother . let not us lift up our heads and be jolly now , but for the present bow down heavily as those that are called ( though in some respects to rejoyce , ) yet in many others to mourne this day for our mother . yea let our hearts rise against these vile monsters that joyne with a malignant party to bring such woefull confusion and trouble even to our mother . we may say to them justly as saul said unto ionathan passionatly , you children of the rebellious and perverse , why have you chosen to joyne with them for the confusion of your mothers nakednesse . let us do what we can to help . shall we see her bowells torne and not stirre at all ? she calleth now to us to come and help her , and let us know that if it go ill with her , it cannot go well with us . if the mothers breast thorough some incurable disease must be cut off , the tender father takes away the children and will not suffer them to behold the torture of their mother ; who knows but that this hath been gods end in taking away his deare children in former times , because hee would not have their tender hearts to see so much sorrow and evill as should befall their mother ? and what god hath reserved us to see in the sufferings of our mother we do not know . howsoever let not her suffer by us , let not her suffer for want of our help , let not her suffer without us , let not us be so unnaturall as to be every one shifting for himselfe , for the private and particular , neglecting the publicke , the community , neglecting our mother that should be as deare to us as the bowels out of which we came . she hath done shamefully . vve should have the affections of children to her though she hath done shamefully . but further , here you have the amplification of her whoredomes , shee hath plaid the harlot , and so plaid as she hath done shamefully : the latter end of the verse is by way of probation of this amplification , for how doth it appeare she hath done shamefully ? for she hath said , i will goe after my lovers , &c. for the first then , this amplification of her whoredome , her whoredome is such as is shamefull , hence first observe . that sinne , but especially whoredome is a shamefull thing . pro. . . a wicked man is loathsome , and commeth to shame : pro. . . sinne is a reproach to a nation , or to any people ; sinne of its owne nature let it bee what it will be , it is shamefull : much more then whoredome , to play the harlot , for all sinne doth drowne a man , it brings him beneath the excellency of a man , it is contrary to the image of god in man , to that wherein true honor , beauty , glory doth consist . it makes men vile . i will give you but one text for it , dan , . . and there shal arise a vile person . who was that ? it was according to interpreters , antiochus epiphanes , the great king of assyria , and yet a vile person . josephus tells us that the samaritans when they were in danger of suffering from him because he thought them to be jewes , they wrote to him in this manner . to antiochus the mighty god ; and his very epithet , epiphanes , is as much in our english as illustrious , antiochus the illustrious , the famous , bright in his glory : he that was so illustrious and so great a prince , that was written unto as the mighty god , yet in the scripture language being wicked he is a vile person . it is a special note of one that is fit to dwell in gods mountain , of one that is a saint , psal . . . to be able to see the vilenesse of sin thorough all the glory of the world , in whose eyes a vile person is contemned . sin is a shame because it deceiveth a man , the way of the wicked shall deceive him , what profit have you now of those things where of you are ashamed ? it is a good signe of grace to be able to see into the deceits of sinne , so as to be ashamed of it . but though all sin be shamefull , yet whoredome especially , and that either bodily or spiritual . first bodily , the expression of shamefulnesse though especially it aymeth at their idolatry , yet it hath its rise from bobily whoredome , if that were not shamefull , the expression could not be full ; that she had played the harlot , and done shamefully , pro. . . whoso committeth adultery with a woman , lacketh understanding , he that doth it destroyeth his own soul ; a wound and dishonour shall he get , and his reproach shall not be wiped away . it makes one to be as one of the fooles in israel . and i ( saith tamer when amnon defiled her ) whether shall i cause my shame to go ? and as for thee thou shalt be as one of the fooles in israel . sam. . . amnon though a kings sonne , though a brave gallant , yet by his uncleannesse he makes himselfe as one of the fooles in israel , deut. . . thou shalt not bring the hire of a whore , nor the price of a dogge into the house of the lord ; they are joyned both together , for scripture language makes those to be doggs who are uncleane and filthy . when ishbosheth charged abner with the sinne of uncleannesse , sam. . . am i a dogs head , saith he , that thou chargest me with a fault concerning this woman ? many adulterers goe very fine and spruce , many young wantons are bravely drest , but in gods esteeme they are as dogges thorough their uncleanness . it is not a harsher title then the spirit of god gives them . i have read of a people amongst the heathen that condemned this sinne with death , and with a shamefull death according to the nature of the sinne , the death was this , they would have the adulterers or adulteresses head to be put into the paunch of a beast , where lay all the filth and uncleannesse of it , and there to be stifled to death , a punishment fit for so filthy a sinne . and as this sin is ever shamefull , so especially the more lovely any yoke fellow is that is forsaken , and the more vile and fowle the whore is , so much the more shamefull is the sin : athenaeus bringes in plato , bewayling himself in his own condition , that he was taken so much with a filthy whore . it is more shamefull for christians then for heathens , because they know that the covenant of mariage is the covenant of god , as pro. . . but further , corruption in gods worship is most shamefull , for that is aymed at especially here . the shamefulness of corrupting the worship of god is exprest in that most famous text we have for this purpose . exod. . . aaron made the people naked unto their shame , how was that , but by false worship though it was of the true god ? in false worship , there is shame because in that a man subjects his conscience to vile things . conscience that is not to be subject to any creature , only unto god himselfe is here made subject to low and vile things . indeed it is not shamefull to subject our consciences to god in the use of creatures though never so meane appointed by himselfe , but those that doe subject unto creatures in wayes of false worship not appointed by god , subject not their consciences to god but unto those creatures , and that is shamefull . in false worship though there may seeme to be a great deale of humility , yet there is notorious pride and presumption , and therefore much shame . for a creature to take upon him by his owne fancie and conceit to raise up creatures higher then ever god hath raised them , to put higher respects upon creatures then ever god hath done , this is boldnesse and presumption , yea to presume so far as by his owne fancy and conceit , to raise up the creature so high as that god himself according to the humors of men must come to be nearer men , and to be more present with these creatures then otherwise he would . thus men presume to bring god to be under their fancies , and is not this shamefull . further it is extreame folly , for we contradict our selves when we thinke to honour god and yet goe against him , when wee put high esteeme upon such things as are abominable and detestable . marke that excellent scripture for this , ierem. . . i sent unto you all my servants the prophets , rising early and sending them , saying , o doe not this abominable thing that i hate . marke , god cryeth out with a kinde of shrieke , all my servants the prophets i sent , saying , o doe not this abominable thing ; it is a delightfull thing 〈◊〉 your eyes , but abominable in gods. and ezek. . . they are called by a word that signifieth the very excrements that come out of a man they glory in them , but he saith , they defile themselves by them . when god opens their eyes they will see false worship a shamefull thing , and when they doe so , god will shew them the excellency of his own . you have an excellent scripture for this , ezek. . . . sonne of man shew the house to the house of israel , that they may be ashamed of their iniquities , and if that they be ashamed of all that they have done , that is , of all their false worship , what then ? then shew them the forme of the house , and the fashion thereof , and the goings out thereof , and the commings in thereof , and all the formes thereof , and all the lawes thereof , and all the ordinances thereof , and write it in their sight that they may keepe the whole for me thereof , and all the ordinances thereof and doe them . marke my brethren , you see how god standeth much upon formes , all the formes thereof , and the forme thereof : let not us slightly account of any thing in gods worship , of circumstances for god standeth much upon his own forme in his own worship . many who have no religion but a forme , yet neglect gods forme . men love to stand much upon their owne forms , let them know god stands much upon his formes , and it is no hinderance but a furtherance to the power of religion to keep close to gods forme , and if we would come to know what are gods ordinances ( we cry out , o that we could but know what is the right way ) this is one way for you to know : first , be ashamed of what you have done , be ashamed of your former false worship , and then god will shew you the ordinances of his house , and the true beauty of his true worship : till then there are so many distinctions , and evasions , and objections that they never come to understand it : when god humbleth the heart , and makes ashamed of what hath been naught before , all the distinctions , and evasions , and objections vanish away as the mist before the sunne . and the more excellent the lord is , and those ordinances are from which we doe depart , the more shamefull is that ●●lse worship that our hearts doe decline unto . she hath done shamefully , why ? she hath forsaken such a husband , she hath forsaken the lord jesus christ who is so lovely , she hath forsaken the blessed ordinances that god hath appointed , and turned her selfe to vanities of her owne . cant , . . christ is there said to be altogether lovely , there is lovlinesse enough in christ to satisfie the soul for ever . and ezek. . . as for the beauty of his ornament ( speaking of gods ordinances in his temple ) hee set it in majesty , but they made the images of their abominations , and of their detestable things therein . oh how shamefull was this ! this sheweth the shamefulnesse of it , because god set the beauty of his ornament in majesty . the ordinances of god that he appointed himselfe , they are gods ornament they are the beauty of his ornament , they are the beauty of his ornament set in majesty ; and shall these beautifull glorious things be forsaken , for vanities of our own inventions ? this is shamefull . she hath done shamefully for she hath said thus and thus ; here is implyed , that the thing done was not onely shamefull , but that she was shamelesse in that she had done . she hath played the harlot , and done shamefully , for she hath said , &c. from hence the observation is , sinne , especially whoredome either bodily or spirituall , being let alone to grow to a height , will growe to an impudencie ; those that continue in these , will grow not onely to doe shamefully , but to be shamelesse in their doings , ier. . . were they ashamed they committed abomination ? no , they were not all ashamed , neither could they blush . at first sin may seeme to be a little shame-faced , but afterward it growes brazen-faced ; modest a little at the first , but bold , and impudent , and daring afterward . true , indeed if men should be told before-hand what they would doe afterward , they would be ready to say as hazael to the prophet , am i a dead dog that i should do this ? their hearts would even shake at the thought of it : yet when sinne hath hardned their hearts but a while , they will doe it , and that with open face too . whoredome you know at first , it is that that every man blusheth at , but within a while , uncleane ones can make their boast of their filthynesse , but especially spirituall whoredome , the corruption of gods worship at first may be a little modest , but see to what a height it growes if in time this be not prevented . i will give you a notable example of this , and that is of solomon himselfe . at the first we shall finde solomon very modest in the matter of idolatry . chron. . . the text saith there , that he brought up the daughter of pharaoh out of the city of david to the house he had built for her , for he said , my wife shall not dwell in the house of david king of israel , why ? because the places are holy whereunto the arke of the lord hath come . marke how carefull solomon was of any pollution , of any thing that had any seeming holinesse in it ; my wife shall not so much as dwell in the house of david , i have so much respect to the arke of god , to the worship of god , to those places that are holy that my wife shall not so much as dwell there ; but oh what did solomon grow unto afterward● he suffered idolatry most shamefully , as we shall finde king. . . there the text saith , that he went after ash●oreth the goddesse of the zid●nians , and after mileom the abomination of the amorites , and built a high place for ch●mosh the abomination of moa● in the hill that is before jerusalem , just there he built it too , as if it had been in defiance to the temple of god and his true worship , and that for molech the abomination of the children of amm●● ; and thus he did saith the text , ver . . for all his strange wives which burnt incense , and sacrificed unto their gods . this shamefulnesse he was grown unto ▪ and thus we see it in experience ; how faire are men in their wayes of superstition at first ? at first it is onely decency , that is all they plead for ; well , afterward it riseth from decency to significancy , that is a little higher , to put them in minde . thirdly , from significancy it riseth to efficacy , to stirre up the dull mind of man : fourthly , from efficacy , it riseth to necessity , that now it must be done , and the worship of god cannot be without it , and there shall be no ordinance , no administration at all without it . decency , significancy , efficacy , and necessity , thus it riseth to be shamefull at last . so amongst the papists in their traditions , surely at first only they would come with this argument , what , will you not regard them as you would doe other bookes and other histories ? they are the traditions of our fore-fathers ; but at length they came to this , in the fourth sexion of the councell of trent , the synod doth take & honour the bookes of the old and new testament , and the traditions of the fathers , with equal● affection of piety and reverence as they doe them . to this shamefulnesse they grew to at last . and so for worshipping of images , why , it is it for the decency of churches to have them , and they are but to put you in minde at the most ; but at length they came to this , these are the very words , the same honour is due to the image and to the exemplar . lastly , from this amplification that she hath done shamefully ; vvhen men doe grow shamelesse , impudent in evil , there is little hope of them . i will have no mercy upon them , why ? for they have done thus , they are grown thus impudent . it is a good thing to keepe the bridle of shame as long as we can upon our children and servants , and any of our inferiours ▪ therefore take this one instruction with you , be not too ready to rebuke and chastise your servants , your children , in reproachfull manner before others , left you bring them to that , that they shall see they have no honour to lose , and then there is little hope of them : evermore keep such a hand over your children and servants as they may see they have some respect to lose , that they may not be so ashamed by you , as for them to thinke they cannot be worse , they cannot be more disgraced , there is no such way to bring them to grow desperate as that is . it is very great wisedome in governours to keepe the bridle of shame still , and not to let those raines goe , and this is the reason that your bride-well or goale-birds seldome or never come to good , why ? because they have no bridle to keepe them in , they have lost all their honour and they can lose no more , and there is no rational creature but would have honour , there is not the meanest servant you have but hath a kinde of respect to honour , and that will doe more then blows except they be grown to be very beasts . but how doth he prove that it is shamefull ? thus , for she hath said , i will go after my lovers that give me my bread and my water , my wooll and my flaze , mine oyle and my drinke . for she hath said : hence first . deliberate sins are most shamefull sinnes . this is a proofe of her shamefulnesse , because that which she hath done she hath done upon deliberation , she said she would do thus and thus , she considered before what she would doe , and yet she would doe it . wickednesse committed de industria , ex consilio , of purpose resolved upon , this is very shamefull . gal. . . it is said of godly men that they may be overtaken with a fault : if a man be overtaken with a fault . it is one thing to be overtaken with a sinne , and another thing to overtake a sinne ; a gracious heart may have sinne overtake it , but it is a shamelesse heart that overtakes sinne . secondly , she hath said i will goe . whoredome either bodily or spirituall is usually very wilfull : as if she had said , let all the prophets say what they can , let them talke out their hearts , i will have my minde , i will follow my lovers still . thus it is with bodily whoredome . those who are guilty of this usually grow extreame wilfull . prov. . . none that goe unto her return again ; neither take they hold of the paths of life : it is a most dreadfull scripture against all adulerers & unclean ones , there is none , saith the text , make it out how you will , there is none that goe unto her return a-again ; neither take they hold of the paths of life , those are the words of the holy ghost , i leave the words with you . so pro. . . a whore is a deepe ditch , and astrange woman is a narrow pit : they cannot easily get out , nor will they easily get out they are so ▪ plunged in , pet. . . eyes full of adultery that cannot cease to sinne : why cannot they cease to sinne ? it is not because they have a heart but no power , but their wills is brought into that bondage and subjection that they cannot will otherwise : therefore ezek. . . wee finde that though the waters of the sanctuary were very healing , yet saith the text , the miry places and the maershes were not healed , miry , filthy , uncleane hearts are very seldome healed by the waters of the sanctuary , i remember aelian reporteth that there was a whore that did boast that she could easily get scholars away from socrates , but socrates could get no scholar from her , none of her followers . it is true , that a whore is prevalent , and when she hath once gotten them it is almost impossible to get them away from her . therefore that place heb. . that speakes of that sinne that is impossible to have repent anoe , tertullian interprets it to be no other but the sinne of uncleannesse : the author of this epistle ( saith hee ) knew no promise of second repentance to the adulterer and fornicator ; that is his expression , shewing how ordinarily those that are guilty of that sinne and are given up to it , grow wilfull in it : and therefore in ephes . . , these two are put together , being past feeling , and having given themselves over to laciviousness and want onness , wantons usually grow past feeling . and for spirituall adultery , that usually is very wilfull too , for those that are left by god to that way of false worship , to superstition and idolatry , they seldome returne againe but grow exceeding wilfull in that wickedness . you have a notable text for that , jer. . . . the people say there , the word that thou hast spoken to us in the name of the lord we will not heare , but we well doe whatsoever commeth out of our own mouth , to burn incense to the queen of heaven . vvee will goe on in that way to burne incense to the queene of heaven talk as long as you will. and so you have it jerem. . . goe ( saith god ) passe over the isles of chitrim , and see , and send unto kedar , and consider deligently , and see of there be such athing ; hath a nation changed their gods , which yet are no gods ? men are setled in the wayes of idolatry , and will never give over the worshipping of their gods ; but you have forsaken me : therefore be astonished o ye heavens at this , and be ye horribly afraid , be ye very desolate , saith the lord. so micah . . . all people will walke every one in the name of his god : their hearts are set upon it , they will doe it . spirituall whoredome doth mightily besot the heart . i suppose you know the sext , it is a very famous one , esay . . . none considereth in his heart , neither is there knowledg nor understanding to say , i have burnt part of i● in the fire , yea also i have baked bread upon the coales thereof , i have rosted flesh and eaten it , and shall i make the residue thereof an abomina●● ? shall i fall down to the stock of a tree ? he feedeth on ashes , a seduced heart hath ●urned him aside that he cannot deliver his soul , nor say , is there not a lie in my right hand . and so rev. . . where , those that were given up to antichrist , though they were tormented , they blasphemed the god of heaven , because of their pains and their sores , and they repented not of their deeds . thirdly , wilfulnesse in any sinne , but especially in these sinnes , is a very great aggravation of it : i will have no mercy upon them , i will give them up , why ? they have done shamefully , and they have said , i will goe after my lovers . there are a great many who in their passion think it a brave spirit to say , i will , and i will , and i will , and i care not , say what you can , or whatsoever becommeth of it i will doe , or i will have this and this : especially men in place and of estates are not able to endure the controlling of their will in any thing , and therefore when their wills are but crost , they burst out into outragious speeches , and fall a blaspheeming , and swearing , and saying they will have their wills , though it cost them their lives . thus we find it in the people of israel , sam. . , when samuel from god came and told them in a long narration what hardship they should endure in having a king that was not them according to gods minde , they 〈◊〉 him all that he said , and they doe not stand to answer any of samuels arguments , but presently they break out into this resolution , nay , but we will have a king. those whom god leaveth to hardnesse of heart , and intendeth ruine to , he usually giveth them up to this wilfulnesse in their evill wayes . the scripture records pharaoh for a famons example of one hardned and prepared for ruine . he was of a most wilfull spirit . exod. . . you shall find his wilfulnesse expressed foure times there in that one verse , i will pursue , saith he ; and then again , i will overtake , and thirdly , i will divide the spoile ; and then fourthly , i will draw my sword : and there are two other expressions that come to the same effect , that are equivalent to the former even in the same verse , my lust shall be satisfied , my hand shall destroy them . put all these six expressions that you have in that one verse , together , and where have you such an expression of a wilfull creature as pharaoh was ? and what became of him you all know . only one more example i find in scripture paralleld to this , and that is the king of babylon ; egypt and babylon were two the most eminent for idolatry and persecution of the church that ever were in the world , and these are the two most famous examples for wilfulnesse that ever were , esa . . , ▪ you have in these two verses five times i will. . i will ascend into heaven . . i will exalt my throne above the stars of god. . i will si● upon the mount . . i will ascend above the heights . . i will be like the most high . and what became of him afterwards you all know , yea the next wo●ds tell you , yet thou shalt be brought down to hell , &c. these two little words , [ i ] and [ will ] doe a great deale of misch●efe in the world . luther i remember npon psal . . saith , i am of that opinion , saith he , and verily perswaded , monarchies would longer time by farre endure , if those that are high monarchs and states would but omit this one pronoun , i , this same ego . it is true , in publique wayes they express themselves in the plurall number , we , but private resolutions are in the singular number , i. this for that little word , i. the second is will , i will , that is a little word too ; but i may say of this little will , this little word , as james saith concerning the tongue , it is indeed a little member in the body , but it setteth the whole world on fire , and it selfe is set on fire of hell . so it is true that this same little will it is but a little word , but it setteth whole kingdomes on fire , it setteth whole townes and cities on fire , and it is it selfe s●ton fire of hell , bernard hath an expression , take away will once , and there will be no hell . o the mischiefe that it doth in the world ! i will only say these two things to those that keepe such ado with these two little words , i , will. first , that which thou dost so much pride thy selfe in , and thinkest thy selfe such a man that canst say , i will and i will , know , it may be as heavy a judgement of god upon thee as can befall thee in this world , for god to give thee up to thy will. there is nothing wherein god doth more let out his wrath upon the children of men here in this world , then in this , in giving them up to their will. therefore tremble at this when thou hast so many expressions , i will and i will doe this . i will give you a scripture or two for it , sutable to the businesse : shevving the wilfulnesse of those that had their will in wayes of false worship , perhaps some of you may be set upon this , that you will have this , and let men say what they can , you will have this used : the place is , ezek. . . goe ( saith god ) serve yee every one his idols , and hereafter also , if you will not hearken unto me . goe , saith hee , you will not hearken to me , you heare out of the word what should be the way of my worship in the purity of it , oh say you , that is novelty , a new thing , and you will not have it thus , you answer not any arguments , but you cast it off , and say , you will not have it , wel saith god , go and serve your idols , if you will not heare me , if you beset upon your will , go and serve your idols , and take your fill of your own wayes . and psal . . . my people would not hearken to my voyce , israel would have none of me , they were all upon their will , they would not , and they would not : marke what followeth , so i gave them up unto their owne hearts lusts , and they walked in their owne counsels . you will have your owne counsels , and your own will , and so god giveth you up to them , and then woe to you , you are undone . secondly , you that are set upon your wils in that which is evil , know god is and will be as wilful toward you as you can be toward him . marke that notable text , jer. . . that setteth out the notorious height of wickednesse that was in the people of those times who were so wilfull , you and your wives have both spoken with your mouths , & fulfilled with your hand that which is evill , you vvill not say onely you will doe it , but will doe it indeed . well saith god , you have done so , you have both spoken with your mouths , and fulfilled with your hands , saying , we will surely perform the vowes wee have vowed , we have vowed it , and we will do it , we have vowed to burne incen use to the queen of heaven , and to pour out drinke-offerings unto her ; you will surely accomplish your vowes , and surely performe your vowes ; you will goe on in your false wayes of worship ; mark what followeth in vers . . therefore heare ye the word of the lord , i have sworn saith the lord , you have vowed , and i have sworne , i have sworne by my great name , that my name shall no more be named in the mouth of any man of judah , in all the land of egypt : and vers . . behold , saith god , i will watch over you for evill , and not for good , and all the men of judah that are in the land of egypt shall be confirmed by the sword and by the famine untill there be an end of them . god will be as resolute as you for your hearts , as the stoutest sinner that liveth : you will , and god will , who shall have their will think you ? answer to this you stout hearted that are farre from god , answer to this you stout children , and stout servants , and stout wives , you will and you will. a wilfull man never wanteth woe . if you will be resolute in any thing , my brethren , be resolute in that which is good , be resolute in the work of repentance : say with david , psal . . i will confesse my sins , indeed i had many thoughts to come and shame my selfe , and open all unto god , but i could not get it off , at length i grew resolute , and said i will and i have sworne to keepe thy righteous precepts ; and as they mic. . we will walke in the name of the lord our god ; and as joshua , i and my louse will serve the lord , doe you what you will , wee are resolute that wee will serve the lord. this is a blessed wilfulnesse indeed . oh that 〈◊〉 ●outnesse and wilfulnesse of many people might be turned to this resolution for god and for his truth ! especially carry this note home with you , you that have had such often expressions of your will , you will and you will , and turn it unto the willing of that which is good , i will follow my lovers , sayes the apostate , from god ; i will follow my beloved , who is altogether lovely , let every gracious soul say . fourthly , for she said : she profest what she would do . profest sinnes are shamefull sins . it is an evill for sin to lye lurking in any ones heart , but for sin to breake out into open profession , this certainly is a great evil : this is to prove that she had done shamefully , because she said she would doe so and so . there is a great deceite in the hearts of many men , they are ready to say , i were as good say so as thinke so , i say so , and perhaps others think so , it were as good for me to speake it as to keepe it in my heart . my bre thren there are two deceits in this kind of speaking . first you suppose that when you speak so , that therefore it is not in your heart , and you make this comparison of what is in other mens hearts , and in your mouthes , as if the evil were in your mouthes onely , and in their hearts onely , as if the comparison lay thus , they think and doe not speak , and you speak and doe not thinke . here is the deceit , for if you speake you have it in your hearts too , you both speak and think , for so the scripture telleth us , that out of the abundance of the heart , the mouth speaketh ; if you speak maliciously you have a malicious heart , if you speake uncleanly , you have an uncleane heart , if oathes be in your mouthes , you have a profane heart . secondly , here lyeth the deceit , as if you should have lesse in your heart because you vent it ; as your passionate people will say , i were as good vent my minde and then i shall be quiet . thou deceivest thy selfe ; the venting of the corruption that lyeth in thy heart will never lessen it but increase it . it is not with the corruption of our hearts , as it is with liquor in a vessell , that the more is let out the lesse is within it ; but as it is with a fire in a house , that when it is kindled within and burstech out , there is not lesse within because it bursteth out , no , the more it bursteth out and flames , the more still b●rneth within : and as it is with water in a fountain , when it bursteth out of the fountain , there is never a whit the lesse water in the fountain , it may rather have the lesse by stopping , and fire may be lessened by smothering . know therefore that professed wickedness it is aggravated wickednesse . it is true , secret sins may be more dangerous in regard of the cure , but they are more abominable to god in regard of the open dishonour that is done to him by them . the aggravation of the blood that was shed by the people , that god speakes of , ezek. . . it is set out thus , the bloud that was shed , saith the text , it was not poured upon the ground to cover it with dust , that it might not cause fury to come up to take vengeance , you did not conceale the blood , you did not cover it , but set it upon the top of a rock ; what then ? not being co vere● , but being professed and lad open , this did cause fury to come up with vengea●●● against them , gods anger would have been against them if they had shed blood though they had covered it ; but to shed blood & not to cover it , it causeth the fury of the lord to come with vengeance . so you know he saith in that place of isa . chap. . . they declared their sin as sodome , and hid it not : woe unto her soul , saith he , woe unto them when they shall presume to declare their sin as sodome . and as i said before , god will be as wilfull in punishing a sinner , as a sinner is wilfull insinning ; so here god will be as professed in plauging , as thou shalt be professed in sinning for thy heart . that you shall see in that forenamed place of ezek. they did not cover the blood , well marke it , saith the text , i have set her bloud upon the top of the rock that it should not be covered ; woe therefore to the bloody city , i will even make the pile for fire great , &c. i will be as profest in my plagues and punishments as you are profest in your sins . my brethren , if we will be profest in any thing , let us be professed in that which is good , let us do that as openly as we can , cor. . . the text saith there that god is glorified for their professed subjection to the gospel , for their subjection of profession , so the words are . it is not enough for to subject to the gospel , but there must be a professed subjection to it : therefore rom. . . confession with the mouth is there made as necessary to salvation as beleeving with the heart , they are put together . there may be times that confession may be called for as well as beleeving , and as necessary to salvation . i remember i have reade of one gordius a martyr , who when his friends came to him , and would have him keepe his heart to himselfe , & only with his mouth to deny what in his heart he beleeved was true , oh no saith he , it is fit for my mouth that was made for god should speake for god : and zwinglius is of the opinion that we may even as well worship the altar of jupiter or venus as hide our faith and profession when we live uuder antichrist , such a speech he hath . the way to honour religion & bring it into credit , it is for those that are godly to professe what they doe . i knew once one that was noble both in birth and grace , and having to doe oftentimes with those of his ranke , greatones , that would be scorning at religion under the name of putirrnisme , he would usually take this course , when he was to come into such company he would begin himselfe & owne himselfe to be one of those that they called a puritan , and so he prevented them , and by that meanes prevented much sin in them , and much scorne of religion by thus owning of it . it is certain , that the best way for the honoring of religion it for every one to owne it , though there be ignominous termes put upon it . if ever we were called to profession of what we doe beleeve , we are now called to it in these dayes . certainly god professeth for us , god doth not onely respect us , but he doth professedly , he doth it openly , in the eyes before the faces of our adversaries . let us not onely have god in our hearts , but professe his name openly before the faces of our adversaries . it is time now to do it . it had beenewell if . you had professed heretofore when gods truth called for it . it may be many of you may be found to be guilty in betraying the truth of god for professing no sooner then you did , but however betray it not now for want of profession , be willing now to professe of what party you are , that as wee reade of jonah chapter . when he was in the storme , and the marriners awaking he saith unto them , i am an hebrew that feare the god of heaven , which made the sea and the dry land , and so he goeth on in making an open profession of himselfe . my brethren , if we be not in a present storme , yet the clouds grow black , therefore awake you sluggards , you that are secure awake out of your security , and now professe what you are , i am an hebrew that feare god , whatsoever they talke of such and such men under such ignominious terms and titles , i am one of them , and i am willing to appeare so . many times you will be like nichodemus you will come to jesus by night , you are affraid to be seene : you would give in money to the parliment , and help to forward that worke god hath in hand , but onely you are affraid to be seene . i know there may be possibly some occasion to keepe some men in from appearing , but not many , the cases are very rare ; ordinarily , certainly it is not enough to do it , but to doe it professedly , let it bee declared who you are , and what side you take , she said i will goe after my lovers . if you say we live in wicked and evil times , it is dangerous to appeare , i may not onely keepe my heart right , but i will doe as much as another , but why should i appeare ? the worse the times are , the more thou shouldest appeare . mark. . whosoever shal be ashamed of me in this adulterous generation , of him shal the son of man be ashamed when he commeth in the glory of his father , with his holy angels , if the generation were holy , it were nothing to appeare , not to be ashamed or affraid ; but wee must not be either ashamed or affraid in the midst of an adulterous generation . . why should wickedness have this advantage , that it dares appeare , but godlinesse dares not ? . if all should reason as you doe , what would become of the cause ? why should others venture themselves more then you ? what is your flesh , your estate , your liberty more then theirs ? . you must appeare for examples sake , to provoke others . this is a duty as well as any . . if the adversaries prevaile , they will finde you out , except you meane to give up your consciences to them , and then you will escape no more then others ; to be sure you will not have so much peace as others who have most appeared . fifthly , i will follow after my lovers , who are they ? either first they who they were in association withall , as the egyptians and the assyrians , ( and so i finde some interpreters carry it ) or thef● idols , and that is especially aymed at , but the the other may beare an observation , and perhaps both may be included . it is a dangerous thing , very sinfull and vile for the people of god to joyne in aff●●ciation with forraigners that are of a different religion , to think to have help from them . the people of god , jer. . were set upon this , to have their association with egypt , and they could not be brought from it ; and if you read that story , it will appear to be very vile and dangerous ; they seemed to yeeld unto god , that they would doe what hee would have them , and they would not goe into egypt if he forbade it ; but in chap. . when ieremiah had told them the mind of god , that they should continue in the land of iudah , and not goe down into egypt , then spake azariah , and joha●an , and all the proud men , saying unto seremiah , thou speakest falsly , the lord hath not sent thee to say , goe not into egypt to sojourn there . they are loth to break off their association with egypt . i remember gwalter in his comment upon hosea , though not upon this text , telleth a story of the grecian churches , that in the yeare . because they were afraid of the turks breaking in upon them , they sent to the bishop of rome , that they would be under his subjection , meerly that they might have the help of the latine churches to keep them from the rage and tyrannie of their adversaries ; but within a few yeares they were destroyed , constantinople and the empire were subdued , so as heathenisme and atheisme prevailed , and this is the fruit saith hee of seeking the association of others in a sinfull way . but because this is not the chi●● thing that is aimed at we passe it by . she said she would goe after her lovers , that is , her idols . what those were we shall see by and by . idolaters use to keepe good thoughts of their idols . they call them their lovers , they look upon their idols as those that love them ; and hence they used to call them baalim , from baal , a husband . so it should be the care of the saints , evermore to keep good thoughts of god , to look upon god as their lover , as one that tendereth their good . idolaters doe so to their idols , shall not the saints do so to the true god ? my brethren , let us not be ready to entertain hard thoughts of god , it is a dangerous thing . gods great care is to manifest to us , and to all the world that he loveth us , and he hath done much to manifest to us here in england , and to our brethren of scotland , that he loveth us and them . in revel . . . the text saith of the church of philadelphia , that god loved them . forty yeares ago master brightman interpreted that text of the church of scotland ; philadelphia signifieth as much as brotherly love : you know how they are joyned in covenant one with another , and wee see that those that said they were iewes , they were the church , the church , but proved themselves to be of the synagogue of satan , are forced to bow before them ; and if they were not madde with malice , they must needs acknowledge that god hath loved that church . and since god hath done great things for us , to manifest that he is the lover of england , let us then keep good thoughts of god. seventhly , idolaters highly prize the love of their idols . they do not only maintain good thoughts of their idols , or thinke that their idols are their lovers , but they set a price upon them , they said i will follow my lovers , i must make account of their love , they must doe me good for ought i know more then any thing you speak of . it is true both of bodily whoredom and spirituall whoredom , i will onely make use of one scripture to daunt the heart of whore-masters and uncleane wretches that so much prize the love of their whores and whore-masters . you prize their love , but what get you by it ? you get gods hatred by it . you rejoyce that you have the love of your whores , and upon that god hateth and abhorreth you . marke that good you will say . thus , pro. . . the mouth of a strange woman is a deepe pi● , he that is abhorred of the lord shall fall therein . what get you by this ? your whores imbrace you , and god abhorres you . if there be any whore-master , any unclean wretch in this congregation , either thou art an a●heist or this text must strike thee at thy heart . art thou in that way and yet not repenting , thou art the man that this day god tells thee to thy face , that he abhorres thee . but how then should wee prize the love of jesus christ our husband ? cant. . . the remembrance of thy love is better then wine . the church prizeth the love of jesus christ more then men in the world prize their delight in wine . and my brethren doe you prize christs love , and christ will prize yours , and that is observable , according to the degree and way of your prizing christs love , so christ will prize your love . cant. . you have there the same expression of christs love to his church , answerable to what hers was before , thy love is better then wine saith the church to christ , how much better is thy love then wine ? saith christ to the church : eightly , i will follow my lovers . in bodily and spirituall whoredome there is a following hard after those things they commit whoredome withall . i will follow them and not onely say they are my lovers , but i will expresse it by following of them . the heart of whore-masters and idolaters do follow hard after their uncleannesse in bodily and spirituall filthynesse . first for bodily filthyness , observe whore-masters how they follow their lovers , josephus in his antiquities tells us this strange story of one decius mundus , that offered to give so many hundred thousand drachmies , that came to six thousand pound english money to satisfie his lust one night with a whore , yet could not obtaine his desire neither . will not you be content now who have been guilty of spending a great part of your estate , in a way of uncleannesse , now to doe as much for religion , for god , and christ , and his kingdome , as ever you have done for your whores ? if there should be any in this place that have beene profuse for their uncleannesse , and yet now are strait handed in these publike affaires , such as these are fitter to be taken out of christian congregations , and to be shut up in slies . for spirituall whoredome , i shall shew you how superstitious and idolatrous people as they prize their idols , so they follow hard after their lovers . you know that story of the children of israel when the calfe was to be set up , upon proclamation all the men and women tooke off their ear-rings and their jewels , and brought them to aaron to make the calfe . what a shame will it be to us if we should keepe our eare-rings , and our jewels , and things perhaps that have not seene the sunne a great while , that we should keepe them now when god calleth for them ! let women do that for god & his truth , for your own liberties & posterities that they did for their idols . though you have care-rings , and jewels , and rings that you prize much , yet let them be given up to this publicke cause . and it were a shame that gold-rings should be kept meerly to adorn the fingers when the church and state is in such necessity as it is . away with your niceties now and your fineness and bravery , and look to necessities , and to the preservation of the lives and liberties both of your selves and your children , if you should see a malignant party come with their spheares and pikes , and your children sprawling upon the toppes of them , and their blood gushing out , what would your gold-rings , what would all your niceties and braver doe you good ? i will give you for this ( because it is a point of such concernment ) foure notable expressions in scripture about idolaters eagerness and earnestness of spirit in following after their idols . the first is isa , . . the text saith there , that they were inflamed after their idols , they were on fire after them . the second is , jer. . . they were madde upon their idols . thirdly , you have a text more sutable to that i am speaking of ; it is isa . . it is said there , that they did lavi●h gold out of the bagga . they did not onely give their gold rings that were of no use , and part with that which they could well spare , but they did lavish gold that was in the bagge : they would not onely bring some of it , but they did lavish it , for so the word is ; and they lavished not their silver but their gold , and that not a piece or two out of a paper , but out of the bagge , they brought their bagges of gold , and did lavish gold out of them , and this they did for their idols , oh what a shame is it then that any should be penurious , and not come off full in the publicke cause of the church and common-wealth ? the fourth text is jerem. . . and there we have five expressions together of the pursuance of the heart of idolaters after their idols , the like wee have not in all the booke of god in one verse . speaking of their idols . first he saith , whom they have loved . secondly , whom they have served . thirdly , after whom they have walked . fourthly , whom they have sought . and fifthly , whom they have worshipped : and all this in this one verse , o how are the hearts of people set upon the wayes of idolatry ! i remember cambden reports of a king of england , canutus , that spent as much upon one crosse , a● the revenues of the crowne came unto in a whole yeer , he was so profuse in charges about his superstitious vanities . master calvin in a sermon of his upon that text seeke ye my face , hath this expression . foolish idolaters when they endure much in their pilgrimages spend their money , waste their bodies , and abused in their travail , yet they goe on , and thinke all sufficiently recompenced , if they may see and worship some image of a saint or holy relicke : shall the beholding , saith he , some dead carrion or apish idol have more power to strengthen them then the face of god in his ordinances shall have to strengthen us ? my lovers that gave me my bread and my water , my wool and my flaxe , mine oyle and my drinke . what were these idols ? the idol that gave their bread was caeres , shee was the goddesse that the heathens did worship for corne . for their water , luna , the moone was the idol they worshipped for their drinke , and all moist things . for their wool and flaxe ashtaroth was their god : and for their oyle fryapus . the seventy translate that which wee say here wooll , clothes ; and that which we say flaxe , they linnen ; and they likewise for the fuller expression adde a word or two more , and all other necessary things . so they , though their idols gave them all , flaxe , and wool , and hempe and all things . observe from hence . idolaters have a great many idols to supply their severall wants . my lovers , in the plural number . the idols of the heathen do not supply all good , but one one thing , and another another thing . and that is the difference betweene the true god and idols . the excellency of the true god is , that he is an universal good , we have all good , flaxe , and oyle , and bread , and wine , and all in one , in our god , in our lover . and that is the reason that god chalengeth the whole heart . idols are content with a partiall obedience , because they are but partiall in bestowing of good things , but god justly requires the whole heart of his worshippers , because he is an universall good to them . my lovers that gave me my bread , &c. marke , the end that idolaters ay me at in their worship is very low . they follow their lovers and are very earnest , for what i pray ? for their wool , and their flaxe , and their bread , and their water , their oyle and their drinke . these are the things they aime at ; they desire no more , they look no higher , may their flesh be satisfied , give them but-liberty to sport on the lords day , to have their feasts , their wakes , merry meetings and they care for no more . their spirits are vile , and accordingly is their worship . therefore their worship is external , it is bodily , because their aimes are at externall and bodily things . as a mans end is , so is a man , either base or honourable . there are many men that cry out as if they aimed at god and religion in many things they doe , they make a noise about religion , and god , and christ , and his ordinances , and the publicke good , but the truth is , their aimes are at gaine and credit , and at their wool and their flaxe , and herein they shew the baseness of their spirits , like the lapwings that make a loud cry , as if they were come neere their nests , when their neasts are somewhere else . vvhatever their cry be for god and the publicke good , but if you marke them , their neast is in their wool , in their flax , in their profit in their honour and preferment , in these outward things . but the end of the true worshippers of god is a great deale higher , they soare aloft , there is a spirituall heighth of soule whereby they are raised upwards by the grace of god. a godly mans feete are where a wicked mans head is , that which he accounteth his chiefe good , a godly man can trample under his feete . he lookes at god himselfe , at his service , he worshippeth the high god : he is a child of abraham , not abraham but abraham , what is the signification of that ? pater excelsus ; a high father , for he is the father of children of high spirits , not only of children that are beleevers , but of those that have high & raised spirits , so abraham signifieth a high father . cleopatria told marcus antonius , that he was not to fish and angle for gudgeons and trouts , but for castles , & forts , and towns ; so i may say of a christian , he doth not fish & angle , especially in matters of religion , for wool , and flax , and oile , he hath no such low and base ends , but at god , and christ , and heaven , and glory , and imortality , he lookes there ; he serves god not for these things , hee desires these things , that by them he may be fitted more to serve god. one that hath beene acquainted with the free grace of god in christ will serve god for himselfe without indenting with him , he will be willing to go into gods vineyard , and not indent for a penny a day . you that will indent with god in his service and will have your penny , you who have such low and meane spirits , god may give you your penny and there 's an end of you . but further marke , there is another observation flowes from hence . there ends are ●ow , they looke no higher then corne , and flaxe , and wooll , and oyle . hence it followes , that that way of religion that men can get most bread , and wool , and flaxe , and oile by , that is the way that most people will follow , because the hearts of most people are low and base , and they aime at no higher things . that way of religion that most estate is got by , that can please the sence , that is the religion that pleases most people . it is the speech of one pamchtius an heathen , make me a bishop , saith he , and though i be now a heathen yet i will bee a christian as well as any other : he saw in what pompe the bishops lived , and by that he thought it was a fine thing to be a christian . by outward pompe and glory antichrist draweth many followers , they go where they can have most wool and flaxe , they can get most preferment that way . i remember a story i have read of aeneas silvius , hee observed the reason why the pope prevailed against the councel , though it was a general councell , which hee said was above the pope , though afterwards when he came to be pope himselfe his minde was changed , but how came it to passe that the pope alwayes prevailed ? this is the reason , saith he , the pope hath a great many places of preferment and honour to give , the general councel hath none , the general councel can enquire after the truth , and present the word , and can tell what is gods mind , but it hath no honour , no promotion , no preferment to give , therefore alas the general councel prevailes little ; the pope getteth all , and all because he hath bishopricks , and cardinals places , and livings , and great honours to bestow . luther in his comment upon hosea , and upon this text tells a notoble story of one that he knew that lived like a noole man by his many ecclesiasticall preferments , who when he was at his table , and bread and wine was brought to the table , that was excellent bread and wine , he ( pointing to it with his finger ) said these are the things tha● make me that i cannot leave this kinde of life , and so after he came to be a bishop , who had several canon-ships before . so certainly these are the arguments that prevaile most in the world , arguments taken from bread , and flaxe , and wool and oyle , are stronger arguments then any taken from the scripture , then any thing taken from the honour of the father , sonne , and holy ghost , when men can come with sauls arguments , sam. . . will the sonne of jesse give every one of you fields and vineyards , and make you all captaines of thousands , and captains of hundreds ? what will you follow him ? can he prefer-you ? o no , he can doe little for you ; so i say when men come with this argument , you go along in this way , i pray what will this bring you in ? what preferment will you get this way ? you may get preserment in the other way , this drawes , this prevails . it was a speech , not many yeers agoe , in a publicke commencement at cambridge , made by the vice-chancelour , speaking to the young scholars , wishing them to take heed of being puritans , what can you get in that way saith he ? you shall live poorely , perhaps you may have some three halfe-penny ben●fice in following that way ; but in the other way come to be children of the church , and then you may be sure to have good benefices , you may come to be prebends , to be deans , to be bishops : thus he perswaded the young scholars to take heed of puritanisme . there is a mighty strength in this argument upon the hearts of most . hence the poverty of christ is great scandall and offence to most people , when they see that religion will not bring them flaxe , and wool , and oyle , but that they must live poorely , they scandalize at this exceedingly . it is reported in the story of charles the great , that he having war with an heathen king , aygolandus king of africa , because this king would make peace with charles , hee made some profession as if hee would be a christian , and charles was very glad of this , and got him to his court to parley with him ; being in his court he saw . poore people that charles fed , who were halt , and may med , and blind , and in a very poore garb , charles the great did it on purpose , because he would have poverty before his eyes continually , that hee might not be too high in , and proud of his prosperity . now when aygolandus saw them , who are these saith hee ? these saith charles are the servants of god : nay then replyed he , if your god will keep his servants no better , i will be none of his ; i thought to be a christian , and to serve your god , but seeing those that serve him have no better food nor no better rayment then these , i will be none of those servants . thus it is with many , thought their consciences are convinced which is the best way , yet because of the want of flaxe , and wool , and oyle , they will not come off . further observe , it is a shamefull thing for men to make religion to be in subjection to their wool , and corne , & oyle . they have done shamefully in this . many wil do this , but this is very shamefull . before i shewed that it is shamefull to subject religion to politique affairs , to the publique state of a kingdome , but now to subject religion to our owne base sensualities , to our own particular ends , for profit and preferment , oh this is very shamefull . gain gotten this way , it is filthy lucre , as the scripture saith of it , yet hujusmodi lucri dulcis odor , the smell of this gaine is very sweet unto many . what , is thy religion serviceable to gain , to a trade , to sensuall lusts ? what is this but to stop the holes of a mudd wall with diamonds and precious pearls ? that were a folly you will say , that because you have a hole to be stopped in a mud wall , to put in diamonds and pearls to stop it , and to make such precious things serviceable to such base ends , thou dost as much , thou wouldst have that which shall be a content to thy flesh , and thou wilt make religion subject to that , thou art as base and vile in this . religion my brethren is the glory of a man , the glory of a nation , and shall we turn this glory into shame ? it is a base thing in magistrates to subject the acts of justice to their base ends , for gain and profit ; for a judge , or a justice of peace , or a prelate to shew most favour where there is most flaxe , and wool , and oyle , where butts , or rundlers of sack , or the like are to be got , this is basenesse in them : but to subject religion to such base ends as these , this is the villany of all basenesse . a generous spirit is far from this . it is observed of the generous spirit of luther , that when a papist was vexed at him for his preaching and writing , faith a bishop , there is such a stir with this luther , why do you not stop his mouth with preferment ? as it hath been the speech of a bishop here in this land , that hearing that a kinsman of his was a zealous preacher ; well falth he , let me alone , i will silence him ; and indeed hee did , how ? he gave him two livings , and that silenced him presently . so here , why do you not stop this luthers mouth with preferment ? he presently answered , that germane beast cares not for money , he is above money . he called him beast in his anger , whereas he might have called him an angel , because his spirit was above these things , his mouth would not be stopped with them . some mens lust of malice goes beyond their lust of covetousnesse , like those cockatrices , jer. . . that will not be charmed , it is a shamefull thing then that our zeale for god should not goe beyond our lust for gaine , to subject your religion to flaxe , and wool , and oyle , it commeth from a base diffidence in god , as if he would not provide for us such outward things , therefore luther hath this expression in his comment upon hosea . they followed their idols for bread , and wool , and flaxe , and oyle , as if god would not give bread to his church , or as if it were more safe to goe to the devill for it , as if we could not have wool enough , and flaxe enough , and oyle enough from god. oh let us trust god for all , for our cloaths , for our meate and drink , for our estates , for our children , god certainely will feede his church . and yet those men that have hearts so base themselves , they thinke it impossible for any man but to be taken with such arguments : they may talke of religion and conscience say they , but i will warrant you they may be taken off with money , and preferment , places of profit and honour . they think it impossible for men to stand against these arguments . it putteth me in mind of that speech that balaak used to balaam , did not i earnestly send unto thee to call thee , wherefore camest thou not unto me ? am i not able to promote thee to honour ? as if he should have said , thou art a strange man indeed , did not i send thee word that i would promote thee to great honour , and give thee silver and gold , or whatsoever thou wouldst have ? what will not preferment and money tempt you ? i thought this would have tempted any man in the world . thus many think that whatsoever mens spirits are , they may be taken off with promotion and money : but let all such know that there are a generation of men in the world of true generous spirits , that are above all these things , and take as much delight , and have as much sweetnesse in denying these places of honour and preferment , and gaine , as those that offer them have in the enjoying of them . it was a notable speech plynie had concerning cato ( it is in his epistle dedicatory to his naturall history ) speaking of what a notable spirit he was , cato ( saith he ) tooke as much glory in those dignities and honours that he denyed , as he did in those he did enjoy , certainly it is so with the saints , the true generous spirit of christians take as much content in those places of preferment they deny for christ , as in any gaine they enjoy . there is no tempting of such men . let us pray therefore for those that are intrusted by us , not onely for civill things , but for matters of religion , that temptations for bread , & corne , and wool , and flaxe , and wine , and oilemay never tempt them , that the preferment , and gaine may never byasse their spirits , may never sway them . these meanes have been assayed ( certain it is ) totempt some of them with , such wayes have not been left untryed by some , and have prevailed , but thorough gods mercy he hath preserved others , and he hath made the world to know that christ hath a people to whom religion and the publicke good is more deare then all the flaxe , and wooll , and wine , and oyle in the world , then all the estates , and high places , and great preferments that can be offered them . and now the lord our god keepe this in their and in our hearts for ever . the fifth lecture . hosea . . . therefore behold , i will hedge up thy way with thorns , and make a wall , that she shall not finde her paths . and she shall follow after her lovers , but she shall not overtake them ; and shall seeke them , but shall not finde them : them shall she say , i will goe and returne to my first husband ; for then was it better with me then now . the last day ( you may remember ) wee spake of that reason that god giveth in the former verse , why he would shew israel no mercy , because that she hath done shamefully , and said she would go after her lovers that gave her her bread and her water , her wool and her flaxe , her oyle and her drinke . there are yet one or two observations ( that time would not give us leave to speak of the last day ) in those words . i will onely give you a hint of them , and passe suddenly to these two verses . the first is this , prosperity and successe in an evil way is a great hardning of the hearts of men in their evil . i will follow after my lovers , for they give me bread , and water , and wooll , and flax , and the like . i remember eusebius reports that maximilian the emperour in an edict of his against the christian , crying out of christian religion as an excrable vanity , & seeking to confirme the heathens in the worshipping of their idol gods . behold saith he , how the earth bringeth forth fruit for the husbandman in abundance , how our medows are adorned with flowes and h●rbs , and moistned with the dews of heaven , what health we have , and what quiet and peaceable lives ; and thus he goeth on in seeking to conforme the hearts of idolaters in their wicked wayes . prosperity in a wicked way is exceeding hardning . that story of dyonisius is famously known , having committed sacr●ledge against their idol-gods , robbing their temples , yet his voyage being prospetous , after he had ended his journey , hee boasted himselfe that though he did not worship the gods as others did , yet he prospered as much as they . in that yeere when those innovasions in gods worship were principaly brought in amongst us , especially in that diocese of norwich , is proved to be a very fruitfull yeere ; and one commissary among the rest in his court , after the harvest was taken in , speakes to the countrey-men in this way , doe you not see how god prospereth us ? what a plentifull harvest have we had this yeere ? this is since you began to worship god with more decency then you we●● wont to doe . thus attributing all the goodnesse of god to that way . let it be all our prayers , that god will never prosper us in asinfull way . further , it is very observable how often this word my is iterated : give me my bread , and my water , and my flax , and my oyle , and my wooll , nothing but my. we noted the last day , what hurt those little words , those particles [ i ] and [ will ] doe : now we are to consider what evil there is in this particle [ my ] hence the observation is , that carnall heatts looke upon what they enjoy as their owne , and thinke they may use it as their owne ; and especially such as are idolaters . though they will acknowledge that that they have commeth from the idols , ( as here they did , for they said their lovers gave it them , yet when they had these things , they thought they might do with them what they would , then they were theirs , mine , and mine , and all is mine . thus it is usual for carnall spirits to acknowledge in the general that that they have commeth from god , but when they have it , then it is their owne they think ; they little thinke that god reserveth the propriety of what they have after he hath given it them . you mistake if you think that that is all the acknowledgement you owe to god for what you enjoy , that you had it from god ; but you must acknowledg like wise that god reserveth his propriety after he hath given it you . god doth never give any thing in that way that one friend giveth to another ; a friend may give you a gift , yet when you have it , it is your owne , and you may use it as you please , your friend parteth with his own propriety . god never giveth any thing so , as to part with his own propriety ; though he hath given it you , yet you cannot say it is mine , in respect of god , it is still his . there is no such bond upon conscience as to use all the comforts we have for god as this , & see that all comes from him in the way of a covenant of grace . i say this it is that will lay a bond upon conscience , to make use of your estates , and of all you enjoy for god , and not thinke to employ them for your own ends : it is not the slight acknowledgement that idolaters have , that all comes from god , will doe it ; carnal men looke upon that they have , comming from god through second causes , and no further ; but a christian lookes upon that which he hath as coming from god in a covenant of grace , and this engageth the heart strongly to use all for god , from whom all is received in such a way . verse . therefore behold , i will hedge up thy way with thornes , and make a wall , that she shall not finde her paths , &c. these two verses are the workings of gods bowels of mercy towards his elect amongst israel , in the midst of the most dreadfull threatnings against her . they are as it were a parenthesis of grace ( in the chapter ) to the elect , though mingled with some severity . they are indeed the epitome of the whole chapter , for i told you in the division of the chapter at the beginning , that those were the two parts , declaring israels sinne , with threatning judgement , and yet promising mercy unto the elect , unto some amongst them . the first part is from the beginning to the . verse , the second from the . verse to the end ; only this . and . ver . commeth in the midst , as it were a parenthesis , and containeth the sum of all the other ; for hee was in a threatning way altogether in the . and . verses , and you shall finde him in the . vers . and so on , going in a threatning way again : onely in this . and , verses is abu●dance of grace , though mixed with some severity , as you shall see in the opening of them . for the explication of the words . therefore . this must have reference to some-what before , and answereth to a wherefore , therefore , wherefore ? because i have dealt with you by the way of my prophets ; in convincing , in admonishing , in threatning , and all this will not doe , therefore i will deale with you in another way . therefore behold . ] that way of mine that i now speak of , it is a singular way , you shall find much of the grace of god in this way , a wonderfull way that i will deale with you in now , behold . i will hedge up thy way . ] there is a two-fold hedge that god makes about his people ; there is the hedge of protection to keep evill from them , and there is the hedge of affliction to keep them from evill . first , the hedge of protection , that you have in isa . . . where god threatneth that he will take away the hedge from his vineyard , he will take away his protection ; and so it is said of job , that god had hedged him about ; but that is not the hedg heer meant , it is the hedg of affliction . i will hedge up thy way , that is , i will bring fore and heavy afflictions upon you , but yet in a way of mercy , these afflictions shall be but as a hedge to keepe you from evill , they shall not do evill to you , or bring evill upon you . i will hedge ●p thy way with thornes . ] that is , i see you will be going on in these wayes of idolatry and false worship , i will make them difficult to you , you shall goe through thornes ; if you will goe to your idols , you shall not get to your idols , but you shall be pricked . it is a metaphor taken from a husband-man , who when the cattle will break over pastures , makes thick hedges that they shall not get over , they shall be pricked , it shal be with much trouble if they do goe over . so i will deal with you saith god. or when a husband-man seeth passengers make a path in his ground too broad , and so spoile the grasse or the corn , hee layeth thornes in the way that they cannot goe into his corne ; or if they doe , they shall goe with some trouble : so saith god , i will hedge up your way with thorns . and make a wall . ] maceriabo maceriam , i will wall a wall , so the words are . it may be they will get through the thorns , but though they do get through i have another way to deale with them , i will come with stronger afflictions and they shall be of more power to keepe them from their same , they shal be as a wall , and though they get through the thorns , they shal not get over the wall . that she shall not find her paths . ] mark the change of the person , that is observable , i will ●●dge up thy way , first , and then i will make a wall , and she shall not find her paths ; the person is changed , and so wee have it often in scripture , that is to signifie some kind of perturbation of spirit , that manner of speech is usuall amongst men when their spirits are troubled , they speak sometimes in one person , sometimes in another : and indeed the lord here speaks after the manner of men , as if his spirit were troubled at the perversenesse of his people . besides the change of the person here is to expresse some indignation of god against their perversenesse , therefore he speakes as if he would turn from them , and rather speake to some body else , as if hee should say , i speake to these , yet they are stubborn and stout , well i will speake to all that are about them , to all the beholders , take notice of their stubbornesse , and perversnesse , and judge between them and me . and she shall follow after her lovers , but shee shall not over take them ; and she shall seeke them , but she shall not finde them . in the . ver . it was but i will goe after my lovers , vadam , but here it is , shee will follow , from that root which signifieth persequor , to follow with eagernesse , it is not only sectari , but insectari , the word is the very same that is used for persecutors , who eagerly pursue those that they doe persecute . psal . . . david speaking of his enemies following of him , the same word is used that is here , save me , saith he , lest the enemy persecute my soule , it is the same , and so the seventy turn it . yea , and beside the form of the word , it being ( in piel ) that signifieth to do a thing auxiously , and diligently , carefully , whereas ( in cal. ) it signifieth onely a bare doing of a thing : but when it commeth into forme , as those that are skilfull in the hebrew tongue know that fignifieth to doe a thing with care , that solicitiousnesse , and diligence , so therefore it is turned by polanus , anxie prosecutus est , she hath prosecuted or followed with a great deale of care . so that this is more then the other , for it seems that after she had some affliction she grew worse for a while , and was more eager upon her idols then she was before . but she shall not over take them . though she be never so much set upon that way of evill , yet i will take a course to keep her from it , she shall not overtake them . yea she shall seeke them , but shall not finde them . the word signifieth to seeke with a great deale of endeavour , not onely to seeke in ones thought and minde , but to goe on to walke up and downe that wee may finde it , is by the seventy turned by divers words that signifie a seeking more then ordinary . but shall not find them . let them be never so set upon their ways of idolatry , yet i will keep them from them . then shall she say , i will goe , &c. this shall be the effect of it . one would think all this were nothing but threatning , oh no , it is mercy , for it is for this end , that she might at length say , i will goe and returne to my first husband , &c. you may take them in the meaning of these versus , and the scope of them in this short paraphrase : as if god should say , oh you israelites , all you have grievously sinned against me in forsaking me , and following of your lovers , sore and heavy evills are ready to befall you , even you my elect ones , upon whom my heart is for good , you have involved your selves in the common guilt of this wickednesse , therefore even you must expect to be involved in the common calamity that shall come upon the nation , and when you are under those calamities , know that i know how to make a difference between sinner and sinner , though guilty of the same sin , though under the same affliction , that what shall be for the destruction of some , shall be in mercy to others , it shall be but to hedg up your ways , to keep you from further sinning , to make your wayes of sinne difficult , that so your soules might be saved : and although your hearts will be a long time perverse , and will not come in and submit to me , yet i will so order things in the way of my providence , that at length i will so worke upon your hearts , that you shall come in and return unto me , you shal bethink your selves and remember what sweetnesse once you had in my wayes , and you shall take shame to your selves , and acknowledge that it was then farre better with you then it is now , and so i will remain to be your god , and you shall give up your selves to worship and serve me for ever . this is the meaning and scope of the words . now then having the words thus opened and paraphrased , take the severall observations , for they are exceeding full , and very sweet and sutable . first , from the generall the observation is , though such as are in covenant with god may for their sins be involved in the same judgement with others , yet god will make difference between them and others that are not in covenant with him : god will have other ends in his afflictions towards his people then hee hath towards others , though the difference be not in the things that they suffer , yet the difference is very broad and wide in the ends for which they suffer . when the bryars and thornes are set before god , it is that they may be destroyed , the fire of gods anger passeth through them to destroy them ; but when god cometh to his people , though some anger be stirred up for a while , yet all the fruit thereof it is to take away their sinne . see what difference god makes between some and some even under the same affliction , in that . of jer. ver . . i do not know a more remarkable place in the scripture for this purpose , saith god there , speaking of the basket of good figges , i will acknowledge them that are carried captive of iudah , whom i have sent out of this place into the land of the caldeans for their good . though they be carried into the land of the caldeans , i will acknowledg them there to be my people , and it shall be for their good . well now there was likewise a basket that had very naughty figs , and they were carried away captive too , both went into captivity , what doth he say of them ? i will deliver them ( saith he , vers . . ) to be removed into all the kingdomes of the earth for their hurt . i will 〈◊〉 at their hurt when i deliver them into captivity . this should be a mighty support unto the saints under all their afflictions , though the affliction be the same to sence and view with that of the wicked , yet you see the difference is broad . it is true , may the troubled heart say , there may be different ends of gods afflicting some & others ; hee may afflict some for tryall , and others for their sins ; but what will you say if an affliction come upon us for our sins ? is there a difference here ? yes my brethren , though your afflictions come upon you from your sins , if you be in covenant with god , the difference still may hold , for so it is here , those afflictions that here are spoken of , god calleth the hedge and the wall , they were fore afflictions , and they were for their sins , for their perversness , and yet god intendeth good and mercy to them in those afflictions : here is the vertue of the covenant of grace , it takes out the sting , and venome , and curse even of afflictions , that are not onely for tryal but for sin , they are to keepe you from greater misery ; if god bring some misery upon you ( it so appeareth unto you ) yet being in covenant with him , this is the blessing of god upon you , that those troubles are to keep you from greater misery that would befall you . that for the general . now for the particulars , as the words lye , therefore behold . this inference therefore i told you it was as if god should say , thou wilt still goe on , notwithstanding all admonitions and meanes that i shall use by my prophets , therefore behold i will doe thus and thus , from hence we may observe , first , there is even in the saints such a slavish disposition remaining that they will stand out against god along time even against admonitions exhortations , convictions , and threatnings of his word . not only the reprobate will doe so , but such is the perversnesse of the hearts of men , that even the elect of god will many times do so , this is a sore and grievous evill that it should be said so of them , for if there be ingenuity in the spirit of men , the very notice of the minde of god is enough to cause the heart to yeeld , and surely grace doth make the heart of a man ingenuous , and god expects that there should be melting of spirit at the very notice given of his displeasure , yet behold even in the hearts of the godly many times there remaineth so much slavishnesse , that they will not come in but upon gods dealing very hardly with them , they must have many afflictions , they must be whipped home before they will returne home , god must send the dog many times to worry his sheepe before they will come in . this god complains of jer. . . is israel a servant ? is he a homs-borne-slave ? why is he spoiled ? ver . . hast thou not procured this unto thy selfe ? so it may be said of many , even of the saints when we see how the wayes and dealings of god are toward them , yea even god himselfe speakes thus , what , is such a one a servant ? is he a slave ? is not such a one my child ? how is it then that hee must be dealt with like a slave , like a servant ? secondly , therefore , because one meanes will not do it , namely my prophets admonishing , and threatning , therfore i will do thus & thus , therefore i will consider of some other way to deale with you . the observation is . vvhen one means will not keepe from sinne either those that wee have to deale with , or our selves , we must not rest there , but set even our braines on work to look after other meanes . what will not this do it ? is there any things else that possibly may doe it ? that means then shall be used . thus god ( as we may speak with reverence ) even studyes his administrations towards his people when he is frustrated in one , and if that do not do it , he bethinks with himselfe , is there any thing else will do it ? if there be any thing in the world can do it , it shal not be left unattempted . god doth not presently cast off his people , because they stand out against him in the use of one meanes . it is true , for others that are not in covenant with him , god is quick with them , and if they come not in presently , he cuts them off , and will have ●o more to do with them , but for his own people though they stand out long , yet god tryeth one meanes after another , and after that another . this is the grace of god towards his own . it should be our care to imitate god in this , when you are to deale with others that are under you , with your children or servants , do not satisfie your selves in this , i have admonished them , and threatned them , and perswaded them , what then ? yet they will not come in : what will you have no more to do with them then ? will you cast them off presently ? you should study what further course may be taken , study their dispositions , what do i think will work upon them if this do not ? will faire meanes ? will foule meanes ? vvill any thing do it ? if any thing will , you should labour to deale with them that way . so for your own hearts , when you are convinced of the evill of your own hearts , it is true your consciences will not be quiet unlesse you use some meanes against that sinne that is in your heart , well , but i have used meanes , i have layed the word to my heart , the threatnings , the promises to my heart , and i have followed gods ordinances : will it not doe ? will not my heart come off ? is there no other meanes to be used ? what doe you say to the afflicting of your soule ? try that ; you have layed the word to your heart , and you finde it doth not work , try the afflicting of your soules in humilliations , fasting , and prayer , for the overcoming of your sinnes . thus god doth , when admonitions and exhortations of the prophets vvill not doe , yet saith god , i will try another way , i will bethinke me of some other course , i will hedge up their way with thorns , & i will see whether i can bring them in that way . these two from the inference therefore . from the note of attention , behold , we have an excellent usefull observation that naturally springeth up . for god to make the way of sin to be difficult to sinners , is a most singular mercy . howsoever alwaies it doth not prove so , but take it at the worst , yet it is better for the way of sin to be hedged with thorns , & to be made difficult to us , then to have the smoothest way that possibly can bee . as it is one of the greatest judgements of god upon wicked men to lay stumbling blocks before them in the way of righteousnesse ; so it is one of the greatest mercies of god to his children to lay stumbling blocks ●●d difficulties before them in the way of sin . it is an 〈◊〉 way of gods dealing even with reprobates , with those he hoth no love unto , that in the wayes of godlinesse , in the way to life , he in his just judgement layeth stumbling blocks before them , and they appeare very difficult to them , the hedge of thornes compasses about the way of righteousnesse to the wicked , therefore you shall finde it in pro. . . that the way of the slothfull man is said to be as an hedge of thornes ; that is , a slothfull man ( who is a wicked man there ) hee lookes upon any duty that he should perform as compast about with an hedge of thornes , god in his just judgement suffereth difficulties at least to appeare to him in the way of his duties , that makes him to have no mind to them . now this is a grievous judgement of god to cause the way of his feare to appeare so difficult , and so scare them from it , what should i medling with such & such wayes ? i see i must suffer thus and thus , there are these and these stumbling blocks that i must go over , these and these troubles that i must meete withall , i were better sit still and be quiet , i shall never be able to goe through . such stumbling blocks god layes in the way of godlinesse before the wicked , and they stumble at them & fall , and break their necks . on the other side , god in abundance of mercy casteth stumbling blocks in the way of sin before his people that they cannot get over , if they stumble , it is but to break their shins and to save their soules . but when the wicked stumble , they breake their necks , and damn their soules . but now the wayes of god are plaine to the righteous , prov. . . they are all plain to him that understandeth , and right to him that findeth knowledge . gods wayes are very plain to the godly , and sins wayes are very difficult ; but on the other side , to the wicked gods wayes are very difficult , and the wayes of sin are very plain . oh unhappy men , sayes luther , when god leaveth them to themselves , and doth not resist them in their lusts ! woe , woe to them at whose sinnes god doth wink , when god lets the way to hell be a smooth and pleasant way . that is a heavy judgement , and a signe of gods indignation against men , a token of his rejection of them , that he doth not intend good unto them . you blesse your selves many times that in the way of sinne you finde no difficulty ; if a whore-master , or a malicious man , who would accomplish his owne ends , find all things goe on as he desires , so that he hath not any rub in his way , no not so much as a prick , he blesseth himselfe . blesse thy self ? if thou knewest all , thou hast cause to howle , and wring thy hands , for the curse of god is upon thee , a dreadfull curse to make the way of sinne pleasant . on the other side , perhaps many of gods saints when they find the wayes of sinne somewhat difficult to them , they are troubled at it , that they cannot have their will. troubled ? thou hast cause to blesse god who hath thus crossed thee , for it is an argument of much love to thee . there is a behold put to this , that god should be so mercifull to them , to make their wayes of idolatry and supersition difficult to them . from hence these three observations : i will hedg up her way with thorns . first , there is much bruitishness in the hearts of gods people . not onely slayishnesse that was before , but bruitishness too : that is thus , they must not only be dealt withall as slaves ( hardly ) and so be brought home , but as brute beasts , they must have some present evill upon them , or otherwise they will not return out of their evill way , except their sin be for the present grievous and troublesome to them . it is not enough ( you know ) to threaten brute beasts , but they must have some present evill upon them , if wee would keep them from such a place we would not have them goe unto . a man that hath some understanding , though he hath a slavish spirit , yet he may be kept for feare of future evils ; but when a man comes to this , that nothing but present evils will keep him off , hee is worse then a slave in this , he cannot be kept from sinne by the exercise of his reason , god must also deale with him as a brute beast , god must come and let some present evill be upon him to prick him , or else he will goe on in an evill way . this is brutishness , even in the hearts of the saints . secondly , hence we may see the pronenesse of mens natures to idolatry the way must be hedged up to keep men from it . it is not enough to forewarn men of it , but all means that can be used is little enough to keep off men . how wicked then is the way of many amonst us , who seeke to make the way of idolatry too smooth , and plain , and open as they can ! yea in stead of stopping such as have inclinations to it , they lay before them the inciting and intifing occasions which adde to their owne propension such delectation as putteth them on forward with a swift facility . thirdly , afflictions to the people of god , are gods hedges to keep them from sinne . the command of god is one hedge , and affliction is another . therefore sinne is called by the name of transgression , transgression , what is that ? that is , going beyond their bounds , going over the hedge ; a man that sinneth goes over the hedge . and wee finde , eccles . . . hee that breaks the hedge a serpent shall bite him . ; it is true , in regard of the hedge of gods command , he that will venture to break that hedge , must expect a serpent to bite him , must expect the biting of conscience , the anguish and horrour of that : but when that hedge is broke , god cometh with another hedge to keep his people from sinne , so you have it exprest in job . , . speaking of afflictions , by them , saith hee , hee withdraweth man from his purpose , and he keepeth back his soule from the pit . as suppose a beast be running to such a pasture , perhaps he doth not see the hedge , and it may be if he should run a little further , he would be plunged in a pit , and there destroyed , but now the husbandman setteth a hedge there , and when the beast commeth just to the hedge , to the thornes , then it is withdrawn from what it was about , and so the life of it preserved ; so it may be with a man that is running to such a place , when hee meeteth with something that hinders him , he is drawn from his purpose , and his soul is kept back from death . you use to deale thus with your children , if you live in the countrey neer ditches and pits of water , you will hedge about the pits , for feare your children should fall into them and so the hedge keepeth the children a●ive . as afflictions keep the saints from sinne , as a hedge to them , so the difficulties in gods wayes keepes the wicked from god. vvhen difficulties therefore do fall out , it should teach us to consider what way we are in , why ? for god useth to compasse about sinfull wayes , with difficulties , on purpose to keep his people from them . well , i am in a way going on in it , i am sure i am compast about with difficulties , it may be these difficulties are but gods hedges to keepe me from sinne ; how shall i know that ? for sometimes difficulties are but tryals of our graces , and they may be such as call for the stirring up of our graces to breake through the hedge , so pro. . . difficulties are said to be a hedge of thornes ; they lye in the wayes of gods people that are blessed wayes , then the worke of the saints should be to stirre up their graces , and to breake thorough the hedge , though they be pricked , and their flesh torne , that is , their excellency , that they can breake thorough those difficulties , faith will carry through all difficulties in gods wayes . therefore here is the triall , when i meet with difficulties , i must not forbeare because there are difficulties , but i must examine , is it the way of god or not ? if it be the way of god , then lay aside the thought of difficulties , if i have a rule for it let the difficulties be never so many , and the hedge never so thicke , yet i must breake through , and god is so much the more honoured by it : but on the otherside , if upon examination i finde the way i am in is not warrantable by god , then i must know that gods end in laying difficulties in the way , is to stop my going on in it , and it is desperatenesse in me to seeke to breake thorow , in seeking to break thorow i may break my neck , therefore i must look to it that i have warrant from god for those waies i am in . oh that men would think of this when they meet with difficulties in their wayes ! i might shew how the saints have many times met with difficulties in their wayes , and yet have gone on with strength ; that of jacob is one of the most famous examples we have in the book of god , the difficulties he met withall , and that in the way that god himselfe bad him go in . god bade him returne to his father isaac , and yet he met with sixe or seven prodigious difficulties , that one would have thought should have made him doubted whether he was in gods way or not , and have caused him to returne back againe . first , laban pursueth him , and intends mischiefe gainst him ; and esau he in that journey comes to meet him with a purpose to destroy him , his wives nurse dyed , and rachell her selfe dyed in that journey , he had his daughter diana defloured , his two sonnes committed that horrible wickednesse , in murthering the sechemites : all these fell out in jacobs journey ; he might have said , am i in the way that god would have me ? yes , jacob was in his way , hee had an expresse warrant from god to goe that journey . difficulties therefore must not discourage us , but we must breake through them ; especially in these times . it were a low and poor spirit , to be kept from a good way because of ●●ew thorns , because of some difficulties that we meet withall in the way . if we know it be gods way , goe through it in the name of god , let the difficulties be what they will. but if they be not warrantable by god , let the difficulties we meet withall stop us , for god intendeth them to be a hedge to keepe us from sin . againe , it should make us be content when any affliction befalls us ; why , because it is more then we know that god intends abundance of good to us ; it may be , if this affliction had not befallen thee , thou hadst undone thy self : if this affliction that thou doest sor riggle to get out of , and thinkest thy selfe so miserable under it , if it had not befalne thee , thou mightest have faln into the pit and beene lost , therefore be not troubled so much at the affliction , but examine whether it be not a hedge that god hath set , to keepe thee from a further misery . but it seemes that this will not serve , there must be a wall , as well as this hedge . hence the observation is this , the perversnesse of mans heart is such , that he will breake through many difficulties to get unto sin . we reade of idolaters , who would cause their children to passe through the fire to their idols , that was more then a hedge of thorns . we see it often that mens hearts are so strongly bent upon their sins , that though it were to passe through a great deale of trouble , though they prick and tare themselves , yet they will have their sin . as that notable story that ambrose tells us of , of one philotimus who brought his body to grievous diseases , by uncleannesse and drunkennesse , and the physitians told him , that if he did not abstain he would certainly lose his eyes , there was no help for him ; as soone as ever he heareth this , he answereth thus , valeat lumen amicum . farewell o pleasant light , rather then i will deny my self in this , i will never see light more ; he would venture the losse of his eyes , rather then lose the satisfaction of his lusts . thus it is with many , o what do they venture for their lusts ! what an argument should that be to us to venture much for god , to indure hard things for the blessed god : though there be some hardship between us and our duty , breake through all to get to that duty ; wicked men will break through great difficulties to get to their sins . there need be a wall as well as a hedge . vvell , if there be need of a wall , i will have a wall , saith god , i will wall up her way , though she may make a shift to breake downe the hedge , she shall not breake down the wall , it is too strong , and too high . hence the observation is , god when he pleaseth will keepe men from their sinnes in spight of their hearts , they shall not have their way , they shall not have their desire do what they can . vvhen god sees men set upon their wicked desires , if they be those that belong not to him , perhaps god may damne them for their wicked desires , and yet they shall not have them neither ; they shall goe to hell for them and never come to accomplish them . saul , how desperately set was he to mischief● david ? but god made a wall that he could not get to have his desire doe 〈…〉 , many , especially great men , how strongly are they set upon their desires ! they must have it , and they will have it , and they must and must , nothing commeth from them but must and will ; well , they may be deceived , god knoweth how to crosse the most stubborn and stout hearts that live upon the earth , that they shall not have what they would have in this world . i will make a wall . god doth thus make a wall about mens sinnes , by sending sore and heavy afflictions , as about the drunkards way , when god brings some grievous disease upon his body , perhaps he is so stopped that he cannot drink , that is a wall about his sinne , that he cannot goe to it according to his desire : so the unclean person , god brings such a disease upon him , that hee cannot have the pleasure of his lust , though hee would never so faine : so when god brings poverty upon others , that they caunot follow their ambition and pride , doc what they can , these are as walls to them ; but god doth not alwayes doe this in a way of mercy . i will make a wall . first , a hedge , and then a wall . hence observe when lesser afflictions will not serve to keep men from their sins . god usually cometh with greater and sorer ; i see some of them will break through the hedge , i will make a wall therefore , that is , i will come with stronger and greater afflictions , and so keep them off . levit. . . if you will not for all this , saith god , turne unto mee , i will punish you seven times more , and i will breake the pride of your power ; you thinke there is a power in your hand , and there is pride in your power , for power raiseth the heart up to pride ; i will break it , i will never leave till i have broke your hearts in spight of you ; and you shall find ein that chapter four or five times mention of seven times more . this is after the hedge , then there cometh a wall . and they shall not find their paths . hence , god is able to strike men with blindness that they shall not see their way . though there be an evill way of mischief before them , yet god knows how to strike them with blindness , though there be nothing to hinder them in it , god can strike men with blindness one way or other , that they shall not bee able to see their way before them . we have this , this day exceedingly fulfilled in our eyes , how doth god blind and befot our adversaries , that they cannot see their way ? the truth of that scripture , job . . is this day before our eyes . he taketh the wise in their owne craft inesse , and the counsel of the froward is carried head long . how hath god taken wise men in their own craftinesse ? & the counsell of froward men , their spirits are froward , because they are crost , they are vexed , & their counsell is carried headlong ; god takes away their understanding , and doth baffle them in their own counsels . a notable text we have in psal . . . the stout-hearted are spoiled , they have slept their sleep , and none of the men of might have found their hands . they are cast into a slumber , and know not what in the world to doe , they know not how to make use of that power they have in their hands ; it followeth further in that psalme , at thy rebuke o god of iacob , both the charet , and horse are cast into a dead sleep . a strange expression , that a charet should be cast into a deepe sleepe ; the meaning is , they can no more tell how to make use of them , then if they all lay for dead , or asleepe . let us not be afraid of the power of adversaries ; suppose they had power in their hand , god can strike them with blindnesse , & they shall grope to find the door , they shall be baffled in their own waies , they shall not tell how to make use of their own power . isa . . . behold ( saith god ) i will proceed to doe a marvailous worke , even a marvailous work and a wonder : what is it ? the wisedome of their wise men shall perish , & the understanding of their prudent men shal be hid : this is a wonderfull thing that god will doe ; yea , and he will mingle a perverse spirit in the midst of them , so you have it , isa , . . surely the princes of zoan are fooles , the counsell of the wise counsellours of pha●aoh is become bruiti● ; and verse . where are they ? where are thy wise men ? and againe verse . the princes of zoan are become fooles , the princes of noph are deceived ; and verse . the lord hath mingled a perverse spirit it in the midst therof , they have caused egypt to erre in his worke , as a drunken man that staggereth in his vomit . here is the judgement of god upon men , when he list he can blind them in their way that they shall erre in their worke , and they shall stagger in their own counsels and designes as a drunken man in his vor●it , they shall not finde their paths , they shall not know in the world what to doe . vvell , thus god dealeth with wicked men : but now let us consider this in reference to the saints , to gods own people , they shall not finde their paths ; then the observation is , it is a good blindnesse for men not to see the way of sinne : it is promised here in a way of mercy , that they shall not finde their paths ; this darkeness , it is not the shadow of death , but the way of life . it is rich mercy . i have read of one maris , a bishop of calcedon , a blinde man , to whom julius the apostate giving some opproptious words , and calling him blinde foole , because he had rebuked julian for his apostacy ; the good man answered thus , i blesse god that i have not my sight to see such an ungracious face as thine : so many may blesse god for their bodily blindnesse , because , it may be it hath prevented abundance of sinne that might have beene let in at the casements of their eyes ; but especially for blindnesse , not to see the way of sinne , if we may call that blindnesse ; it is a mercy that god doth not grant to all , it is a singular mercy to the saints : for you shall finde there are abundance of people exceedingly quick-sighted in the way of sinne that can finde the path there , and yet are exceedingly blinded in the way of god , and cannot find the path there : on the other side , that saints are blinded in the way of sinne , but are quick-sighted in the wayes of god. how many men are wise to do evill , as the scripture saith , they are able to see into the depths of satan , they are profound to damn themselves , they can finde out such objections against the 〈…〉 , & answer such things that are said against 〈…〉 devises & contrivances how to get to their sinfull wayes , but when they come to the wayes of god , as blind as moles , they cannot see such necessity of such strictnesse , they cannot understand , men of great parts , great rabbies , of great understanding otherwise , they have no skill in the wayes of god. i thank thee , o father lord of heaven and earth ( saith christ ) that thou hast hid these things from the wise and learned , and hast revealed them unto babes : whereas on the other side , you shall find that the saints are able when they come to gods waies , to see farre into the excellency and glory of them , they have understanding there , though they be but weake otherwise , they can see into the great mysteries of god , into the beauty of his wayes , so that it dazeleth all the glory of the world in their eies , they are not easily catched with temptations , but can see into the subtilties of the devill that would draw them out of gods waies ; but when they come to the wayes of sin , there they want understanding , and it is gods mercy to them to doe so ; there they are but bunglers , they do but grope as blinde men , they are not their crafts masters , they are not cunning artists in those waies , but as the apostle saith , cor. . ● . wee have not received the spirit af the world , wee cannot shift for our selves as the men of the world can , we cannot be so cunning to contrive such plots , & tricks , and devices for our owne ends as the men of the world can , but wee have received the spirit of god , we can understand things there ( through gods mercy ) to eternal life . there are many men cunning for their own destruction , they can find every secret path of sin , though sin be a labyrinth , they can goe up and down in it , finde out ever by-path in that way . when the waies of god are propounded to wicked men , there is a mist before their eyes , they cannot see , & when the wayes of sin are propunded to the saints , god in mercy cafteth a mist before their eies that they cannot see . eccles . . . the foole knoweth not how to goe to the city ; wicked men they know not the path to the church of god , to the ordinances of god , they talke much about such and such ordinances , and setting up of christ in the way of his ordinances , but they doe not see the way of it , they know not what the true worship of god meaneth ; no , a foole doth not understand the way to the city of god , he cannot finde out that path . but the saints , though they know not the wayes of sinne , yet they can finde out the paths of god , they know the way to the city , possidonius tells us a austin , that when there was wait laid for his life , thorough gods providence he mist his way , and so his life was preserved , and his enemies disappointed . so many times when you are going on in such a way of sin , perhaps you little thinke what danger there is in it ; god in mercy therefore casteth a mist before your eies , and you misse that way and save your lives . ver. . she shall follow after her lovers , but she shall not overtake them , &c. the observation is , untill god subdues the hearto himselfe , men will grow worse and worse in their sinnes ; yea , even gods elect ones to whom hee intendeth mercy at last , yet till god commeth with his grace to subdue their hearts , they may grow worse and worse : they would before goe after their lovers , and now here commeth afflictions upon them , yet still they will follow their lovers , and that with more eagernesse of affection , and with more violence then before . afflictions in themselves are part of the curse of god , and there is no healing vertue in them , but an inraging quality to stir up sinne , till god sanctifie them by his grace , & god may suspend for a time the sanctifying worke of his grace to those he intended good to at last . isa , . . the text speakes of some whose afflictions were not sanctified , that they lye as a wild bull in a net in the streets , and they were full of the fury of the lord ; they were full of the fury of the lord , and yet lay like a wild bull in a net , in a raging manner . this distemper of heart proceeds from two grounds . . when outward comforts are taken away by affliction , the sinner having no comfort in god , he knows not where to have comfort but in his sin , if conscience be not strong enough to keep from it , he runs madly upon it . . because he thinks that others looke upon him as one opposed by god for his sin , therefore that he may declare to all the world that he is not daunted at all , nor that he hath no misgiving thoughts , ( though perhaps hee hath nipping gripes within ) yet he will put a good face upon it , and follow his wayes more eagerly then formerly . a second observations ; she shall follow , but she shall not overtake , a man may follow after the devises of his owne heart , and may be disappointed ; he may not overtake them . there is a great deale of difference betwixt following gods wayes , and our owne wayes ; there was never any in the world that was disappointed ( if he knew all ) in following gods wayes , but he got , either the very thing he would have , or something that was as good , if not better for him : but in the wayes of sinne , in our owne wayes we may meet with disappointment ; why should we not then rather follow god then follow our own desires ? the desires after sin , as they are desideria futilia , so they are desideria inutilia , as one speakes ; as they are foolish , so they are fruitlesse desires , they doe not attaine what they would have . how hath god disappointed men in our dayes● they have not overtaken what they greedily sought after ; our adversaries blessed themselvs in their designes , they thought to have their day , they propounded such an end , and thought to have it , but how hath god disappointed them ! but whether god hath done this in mercy to them , ( as it is spoken of here ) that we know not , we hope god hath crost some of them in a way of mercy , though perhaps he may deale in another way with other of them . but further , disappointment in the way of sinne is a great mercy . as satisfaction in sin is a judgement of god , and a fearfull judgement , so disappointment in sin is a mercy and a great mercy , prov. . . there you shall find , that the back-slyder in heart shall be filled with his own wayes : a dreadfull threatning to back-slyders and apostates ; when god hath no intention of love and mercy for backsliders , god will give them their owne devices , they shall have their fill in their owne wayes ; you would have such a lust , you shall have it , you shall be satisfied to the full , and blesse your selves in your owne wayes . this is the judgment of god upon backsliders : but for the saints , when they would have such a way of sin , god will disappoint them , they shall not have it . we account it ordinarily very grievous to be disappointed of any thing , and many times i have had this meditation upon it ; what , doth it trouble the hearts of men to be disappointed almost in any thing ? oh what a dreadfull vexation and horror will it be for a man to see himself disappointed of his half hopes ! remember when you are troubled at any disappointment , what will be the terrour then and anguish of spirit if it should prove that any of you should be disappointed of your hopes for eternity ! but those whom god doth often disappoint in the way of sin , they may have hope that god will deliver them from that great disappointment . and againe yet further , shee would have her idols , but god will take them away , shee shall not have them saith god , though shee follow after them , and have a great mind to them , yet they shal not overtake them . god will remove them from their idols , or their idols from them , ( that is the meaning ) they should not come to their dan or bethel , they should either be removed far enough from their calves , or the calves from them . thus it should be with governours , they should take such a course as to take away idols and superstitious vanities from those that will be worshipping of them , and sinning against god by them ; either take them away from those vanities , or their vanities from them , they should not so much as suffer those things to stand to be inticements and snares for the hearts of people , though they be very brave , and abundance of gold and excellent artificiall work be about such things , yet deut. . . thou shalt not desire the silver or gold that is on them , nor take it unto thee , lest thou be snared therein , but thou shalt utterly destroy it , and thou shalt utterly abhor it , for it is a cursed thing . you shall not look upon the bravery of the worke of their idols , and upon the great cost that is bestowed upon them , and therefore spare them because of that , oh no , but take them away , that men may not be insnared by them ; so god will do . further in the fifth place , they shall follow after their lovers , but shall not overtake them . idolaters hearts are after their idols when they cannot get them . though they cannot get them , yet they will be following of them . it is of an excellent use for us , so it should be with us in the pursuing after gods ordinances ; though perhaps for the present we cannot enjoy the ordinances of god , yet be sure to keep our hearts working after them . many deceive themselves in this , they think , we would have all the ordinances of god , but we see we cannot , and so upon that we sit still & mind no more seeking after them , neither doe they labour to keepe their hearts in a burning desire after them ; and hence many times it is , that the opportunities of enjoying them are let slip . but now if thou canst not have the beauty of an ordinance , if thou keepest thy heart in a burning desire after it in the use of all means for the attaining it , know then , that the want of an ordinance is an ordinance to thee . you shall finde in the english chronicle of edward the first , that he had a mighty desire to goe to the holy land , and because he could not goe thither , he gave charge to his sonne upon his death-bed that he should carry his heart thither , and he appointed . pound to defray the charges of carrying his heart to the holy land , out of a superstitious respect he had to that place , though hee could not attaine it his heart should . thus should our hearts worke after ordinances . and now we come to the close , and that is the blessed fruit of all this , she shall follow after her lovers , but she shall not overtake them , and shee shall seeke them , but she shall not finde them . vvhat followeth after all this ? now commeth in the close of mercy , for saith the text , then shall shee say , i will goe and returne to my first husband , for then was it better with me then now . now they shall returne , at length they shall bethinke themselves . hence we have likewise many sweet and excellent observations . as first , in times of affliction the only rest of the soul is to return to god. they keepe a rigling , and a stirre , and a shifting up and downe to provide for themselves , yea but they could finde no rest in what they did , but as a poor prisoner that is shakled keeps a stir with his chaines , but instead of getting any freedom he galls his legs : but when the poor soul after all shiftings , and turnings , and vexings , comes to thinke of returning to the lord , and of humbling and repenting it selfe before him , now it findes rest . returne to thy rest , o my so●le ; so the words are . remember after all your afflictions here is your rest in returning to the lord. secondly , then they shall say , that is when they are so stopped in their way that they cannot tell in the world what to do , when they are hedged , and walled , and cannot overtake their lovers , then they shall returne to the lord. hence the observation is , so long as men can have any thing in their sinfull way to satisfie themselves withall , they will not returne to god : there is that perversnesse of spirit in men : onely when men are stopped in the way o● sinne , that they can have no satisfaction nor no hope , then they begin to think of returning to god. this is the vilenesse of the spirits of men , they never or very rarely will come off to god till then . as the prodigall , what shift did he make ? hee goes to the farmer , to the swine , to the huskes to fill his belly , and it is likely if he had had his belly full of them he would never have thought of going to his father , but when he came to the huskes and could not tell how to fill his belly there , when he was in a desperate estate , then he beginneth to thinke of returning to his father . so you have it isa , . . yet saidest thou not , where is no hope , thou hast found the life of thy hands , therefore thou wast not grieved ; thou wast not brought to such a desperate stand as to say the is no hope , that noteth that till men be brought to such a stand that they can say , certainly there is no hope or helpe this way , they will seldome thinke of returning to god. thus is god infinitely dishonoured by us , it is very strange how the hearts of men will hanker after their sinne this way , and that way , till god take them quite off from hope of comfort by it , they will never have a thought to returne unto god ; god is faine to be the last refuge , we account our selves much dishonoured when we are the last refuge , when no body will i must . it seemes god is saine to yeeld to this , when no body will give satisfaction to the soul , then men come to god , and god must . but you will say , will ever god accept of such a one ? marke the next observation ; returning to god , if it be in truth , though it be thus after wee have sought out for all other helpes , yet god is willing to accept of it . this is an observation full of comfort , the lord grant it may not be abused , but it is the word of the lord , and it is a certaine truth , that returning after men have sought other meanes , and can finde no help , though they are driven to it by afflictions , yet it may be accepted by god. it is true , man will not accept upon these termes , but the thoughts of god are as sarre above the thoughts of men as the heaven is above the earth . it is true indeed some time god will not , nay god threatneth pro. . . though they call upon him he will not answer , though they see●e him early , yet shall not finde him . god is not thus gracious to all , therefore you must not presume upon it : god some time at the very first affliction hardneth his heart against men , that he will never regard them more , for his mercy is his owne ; but those that are in covenant with him , though they come to him upon such termes , yet they may be accepted of him ; therefore take this trueth for helping of you against this fore temptation , when you are in affliction , which will be apt to come in , oh i cry to god now in my affliction , i should have done it before , surely god will not heare me now . this may be a temptation ; i confesse i cannot speake in this point without a trembling heart lest it be abused , but the text presents it fairely to you , and you must have the minde of god made known unto you though others abuse it , psal . . . mine eye mourneth by reason of affliction , lord i have called daily upon thee : this is spoken of heman , and god did accept of him as it is apparrent in the psalm , yet he cryed by reason of affliction ; and psal . . . in my distresse i cryed unto the lord and he heard me ; though it were in my distresse , yet the lord heard me . onely take this one note about it , it is true , though our being stopped in all other wayes may make us cry to god , and god may heare us , but when god doth hear us , he works more then crying out by reason of that affliction ; though at first our affliction be the thing that carryeth ns unto god , yet before god hath done withus , and manifest and any acceptance of us , hee workes our hearts to higher aymes then deliverance from our affliction . againe further , i will goe and returne . a heart effectually wrought upon by god is a resolute heart to returne to god. as they were resolute in their way of idolatry , i will follow after my lovers ; so their hearts being converted , they shall be as resolute in gods wayes , she shall say , i will returne to my first husband . when god will worke upon the heart to purpose , he causeth strong arguments to fasten upon the spirit , and nothing shal hinder it , no not father , nor mother , nor the dearest friend . perhaps the lord beginneth to worke upon the child , and the father scornes him , and the mother perhaps saith , what shall we have of you now ? a puritane ? this grieveth the spirit of the child , yet there are such strong arguments fastned by god upon his heart , that it carryeth him thorough , he is resolute in his way , he will returne . further , those who have ever found the sweetnesse of christ in their hearts , have yet something remaining , that though they should be apostates , will at length draw them to him . christ hath such hold upon their hearts as at one time or other he will get them in again , there will be some sparkes under those embers that will flame and draw the soule to returne againe to christ . therefore if any of you ever had any friends in whom you were verily perswaded there was a true work of grace , though they be exceedingly apostatized from christ , do not give over your hope , for if ever there were any true tast of the sweetnesse that is in christ , christ hath such a hold upon their hearts , that he will bring them in again one time or other . further , i will return to my first husband , for them was it better with me . there is nothing gotten by departing from christ . you goe from the better to the worse when ever you depart from him ; what fruit have you in those things , whereof you are now ashamed ? i the lord ( saith god , isa , . ) teach to profit ; sinne doth not teach to profit , you can never get good by that , but the lord teacheth to profit . it may be you may think to gaine something by departing from christ , but when you have cast up all the gain , you may put it into your eye , and it will doe you no hurt . job , . . it is a notable place . what is the hope of the hypocri●e , though he hath gained , when god taketh away his soul ? perhaps a hypocrite that is departed from god , a back-flider , that was forward before in the way of godlinesse , and now like dema● he hath forsaken those wayes and cleaved to the world , he thinkes he hath gained , and perhaps is grown richer , and liveth braver then before , yet what hope hath this back-slyder , this hypocrite , when god taketh away his soul ? then he will see that he hath gotten nothing . as it is said of the idolater , isay , . , a deceived heart hath turned him aside , he feeds upon ashes , that he cannot deliver his soul , nor say , is there not a lye in my right hand ? what shall there be more in a lust then in the blessed god ? then in jesus christ who is the glory of heaven , the delight of angels , the satisfaction of the father himselfe ? can a lust put thee into a better condition then christ , who hath all fulnesse to satisfie the soul of god himself ? certainly it cannot be . againe , there must be a sight and an acknowledgement of our shamefull folly , or else there can be no true returning unto god ; i will goe and return to my first husband , for then it was better with mee then now . as if the church should say , i confesse i have plaid the foole , i have done shamefully , i have loft by departing from christ , it was better farre then it is now . ier. . . we lie downe in our shame , and our confusion covereth us , for wee have sinned against the lord our god , saith the church there ; so it should be with all that come in to return to christ , they must lie downe in their shame . this i note as very seasonable in these times , we have many now who not long since have been very vile apostates , they have gone with the times , they saw preferment went such a way , and their hearts went that way ; now they see they cannot have preferment in that way they went , and god of his mercy hath changed the times , they will bee converts : wee have in england many parliamentary converts , but such as wee are not to confide in . why should wee not confide in them ? if they will repent and returne , god accepteth them , and why should not we ? it is true , such an one was before an enemy , and followed superstitious vanities , but now he is grown better , and preacheth against them , and why should not wee receive him ? to that i answer , it is true , if deep humiliation have gone before that reformation , if together with their being better they have been willing to shame themselves before god and his people , to acknowledg their folly in departing from god , and be willing to professe before all that knew them , and have been scandalized by them . it is true , god began with mee , and shewed me his wayes when i was young , i began to love them , and to walk in them : but when i saw how the times went , and preferment went , the lord knows i had a base time-serving heart , i went away from god , they were no arguments that satisfied my conscience , but meerly livings and preferment , and now i doe desire to take shame and confusion of face to my selfe : woe unto me for the folly and falsenesse of my heart , it is the infinite mercy of god ever to regard such a wretch as i. if they do thus take shame to themselves , and acknowledg their folly , this were something . we read in the primitive times of one ecebolius , who when he had revolted from the truth , he cometh to the congregation , and falling down upon the threshold , cryeth out , calcate , calcate insipidum salem , tread upon me unsavory salt , i confesse i have made my selfe unsavory salt by departing from the truth , let all tread upon me . this was a signe of true returning when this went before , we have done foolishly , it was better with us then now . againe , i will goe and returne , for it was better with mee then it is now : hence , though acknowledgement must goe before , yet returning must follow that . it is not enough to see and acknowledg , but there must be a returning : for as reformation without humiliation is not enough , so humiliation without reformation suffices not . and i speak this the rather , because these are times wherein there is a great deale of seeming humiliation , and wee hope true humiliation : but you shall have many in their fasting days will acknowledge how finfull , how vile , how passionate they have been in their families , how worldly , what base selfe-ends they have had , and they will make such catalogues of their sins in those dayes of their humiliation , as causes admiration : the thing itselfe is good , but i speak to this end , to shew the horrible wickednesse of mens hearts , that after they have ripped up all their sinnes , with all aggravations , acknowledged all their folly of their evill ways against god , yet no returning , after all this as passionate in their fam●lies , as froward , as peevish , as perverse as ever , as earthly as ever , as light and vaine in their carriage as ever . they will acknowledge what they have done , but they will not returne . remember humiliation must goe before reformation , but reformation must follow after humiliation . but the chiefe point of all is behind , that is , the sight of this , how much better it was when the heart did cleave to christ , over it is now , since departure from christ , it is an effectuall meanes to cause the heart to returne to him . this is the way that christ himselfe prescribed , rev. . . remember whence thou art falne , and repent . thou wert in a better condition once then now thou art , oh come in and return , and that thou maist returne , remember whence thou art falne . i will give but a little glimpse of what might be said in this point more largely . the reasonings of the heart in the sight of this may briefely bee hinted thus : heretofore i was able through gods mercy to look upon the face of god with joy . when my heart did cleave to him , when i did walke close with god , then the glory of god shined upon mee , and caused my heart to spring within me every time i thought of him : but now , now , god knows , though the world takes little notice of it , the very thoughts of god are a terrour to mee , the most terrible object in the world is to behold the face of god. oh it was better with me then it is now . before this my apostasie i had free accesse to the throne of gods grace , i could come with humble and holy boldnesse unto god , and poure out my soule before him , such a chamber , such a closet can witnesse it : but now i have no heart to pray , yea i must be haled to it , meerely conscience pulleth me to it ; yea every time i goe by that very closet where i was wont to have that accesse to the throne of grace , it strikes a terrour to my heart ; i can never come into gods presence but it is out of slavish feare . oh , it was better with me then , then it is now . before , oh the sweet communion my soule enjoyed with jesus christ ! one dayes communion with him , how much better was it then the enjoyment of all the world ! but now jesus christ is a stranger to mee , and i a stranger to him . before , oh those sweet enlargements that my soule had in the ordinances of god! when i came to the word , my soule was refreshed , was warmed , my heart was inlightned ; when i came to the sacrament , oh the sweetness that was there ! and to prayer with the people of god , it was even a heaven upon earth unto me : but it is otherwise now , the ordinances of god are dead and empty things to me . oh it was better with mee then , then it is now . before , oh the gracious visitations of gods spirit that i was wont to have ! yea , when i awaked in the night season , oh the glimpses of gods face that were upon my soule ! what quicknings , and refreshings , and inlivenings did i finde in them ! i would give a world for one nights comfort i sometimes have had by the visitations of gods spirit , but now they are gone . oh it was better then , then it is now . before , oh what peace of conscience had i within ! whatsoever the world said , though they rayled and accused , yet my conscience spake peace to me , and was a thousand witnesses for me : but now i have a grating conscience within me , oh the black bosome that is in me , it flieth in my face every day , after i come from such and such company ; i could come before from the society of the saints , and my conscience smiled upon me : now i go to wicked company , and when i come home , and in the night , oh the gnawings of that worm ! it was better with me then , then it is now . before , the graces of gods spirit , how were they sparkling in me , active and lively ! i could exercise faith , humility , patience , and the like : now i am as one bereft of all , unfit for any thing , even as a dead logg . before god made use of me and imployed me in honorable services , now i am unfit for any service at all . oh , it was better with me then , then it is now . before i could take hold upon promises , i could claim them as mine own , i could looke up to all those blessed , sweet promises that god had made in his word , and look upon them as mine inheritance . but now alas the promises are very little to me : before i could look upon the face of all troubles , and the face of death , i could look upon them with joy , but now the thought of affliction and of death , god knows how terrible they are to me . it was better with me then , then it is now . before in all creatures i could enjoy god , i tasted the sweetnesse and love of god , even in my meat and drinke : i could sit with my wife and children , and see god in them , and looke upon the mercies of god through them as a fruit of the covenant of grace ; oh how sweet was it with mee then ! but now the creature is an empty thing unto mee , whether it come in love or hatred i do not know . it was better with me before then now . before i was under the protection of god where ever i went , but now i do not know what danger and miseries i am subject unto daily , what may befall me before night . god only knows . before the saints rejoyced with mee in my company and communion , now every one is shy of me . before i was going on in the wayes of life , now these wayes i am in , god knows , and my conscience tels me are wayes of death . it was better with me then , then it is now . now then put all these together , as i make no question these thoughts are the thoughts of many apostates ; if wee knew all that were in their hearts , we should find such thoughts as these . as the prodigall , when hee was feeding upon the husks , he began to bethink himselfe ; what , is not there food enough in my fathers house ? every servant there hath food enough , and here i am ready to starve , i feed upon huskes , when there is bread enough in my fathers house ; so may many apostates say , alas ! before i had s●eetnesse enough , and was satisfied with those abundance of pleasures that were in the house of god , in his word and ordinances , now i feed upon husks , and amongst swine , oh that it were with me as it was before ! as job speaks in another case concerning his afflictions , iob . . oh that it were with me as in mo●eths past , as in the dayes when god preserved me , when this candle shined upon my head , and when by his light i walked through darknesse . before i had some afflictions , but i could walk through all afflictions by that light which i had from god ; oh that it were with me now as it was then , as in the dayes of my youth , when the secret of god was upon my tabernacle , when the almighty was yet with me ! it may be said of many apostates , as lam. . . they were once as polished sap●irs , but now they are become as blacke as a coale . but ●h that you had hearts to say , let me return , let me returne , because it was otherwise with mee heretofore then it is now ! oh that this day there might an angel meet thee , as he met with hagar when shee fled from sarah ▪ the angel sad to her , hagar , sarahs maid , whence comest thou , & whether wilt thou goe ? so i say , oh apostate , whence commest thou , and whither wilt thou goe ? marke , hagar , sarahs maid , whence comest thou ? dost thou come from sarah ? from abrahams family where god is worshipped ? where the church of god is ? and whither goest thou ? canst thou be any where so well as there ? so i say to thee , thou who wert a forward professor before , whence comest thou ? dost thou come from such ordinances , from such communion with the saints ? what hast thou gotten by those base wayes ? thou canst eate , and drink , and laugh a little , and have some esteem with such as are carnall ; oh whither wilt thou goe ? oh that god would shew you this day whither you goe ! there followeth yet another observation , seeing there is so much grief and shame in complaining of our apostatizing when ever god awakeneth us , it should teach all that are not yet apostates to take heed what they doe , that they may never bring themselves into such a condition that they may not be forced to complaine . oh it was better before then it is now . it is a note of caution to you who are through gods mercy in his way , you are now well , know when you are well , and keep you well . and you young ones who are beginning to give up your names to god , take heed you do not decline from what now you doe , that you doe not apostarize and fall off from god afterward , lest this be your condition that you shall be brought to at best , for this is at best , thus to lament the change of your condition , perhaps you shall goe on , and god will never cause you to see your shame and folly , till you be eternally undone ; but at best you must be brought to this shame and confusion of face , to acknowledg how much better it was with you before then now ; how much better was it when i lived in such a family , under such a master , in such a towne , oh it was better then with me then it is now ! oh the precious days that once i had when i was a young one , those dayes are gone , and wheth●r ever they will come again , god knows . yet further , when the judgement passeth on gods side , that it was better before then now , then the soul is in a hopefull way . so long as the judgment holdeth for god and his wayes , though thou beest an apostate , though perhaps thy heart be drawn aside from god , and thy affections be unruly , thou art not in a desperate condition , there is hope of thee . there are two sorts of apostates . there are some apostates , who though they are so through the unrulinesse of their affections , and the strength of temptation , yet they keep their judgements for gods wayes , and acknowledge gods people to be best , and his ordinances to be best , and themselves in the danger . but now there are some apostates , who do so fall off from god and his wayes , that they begin in their very judgements to thinke that those wayes they profest before were but fancies , and that the people of god are but a company of humerous people , and blesse themselves in their owne wayes , and think that they are better now then they were before : oh this is a hideous thing . if thy judgement be once taken , that thou thinkest the wayes of sinn to be better then those wayes of god that before thou professedst , then lord have mercy upon thee , thou art a gone man , wee doe not know that god will doe with thee , but in the judgement of man thou art even a gone man. i remember latimer in a sermon before king edward hath this passage . i have known ( saith he ) many apostates , but i never knew any more then one that proved a scorner , and yet returned again . take heed therefore , saith he , of apostasie . though a man may fall off from god , and possibly return ; but yet if he fall off , so that his judgement is taken that he is become a scorner , that is a wofull condition , such a one scarce ever returneth . many such apostates you have in england , & i would challenge you all to give me one example of any one that ever returned again that so fell . i know many scorners are converted , but they that have beene forward in professing , and then fall off , and prove scorners , where have you any of them come in ? you have a notable place for this , levit. . . there you shall finde when the priest shall come and see a man that hath got the leprosie in his head , the priest shall pronounce him utterly uncleane , for the plague saith the text , is in the head . you shall observe in all the chapter , when the priest found uncleannesse in any other thing , he was to pronounce it unclean , but if the leprosie be in the head , he shall pronounce the party utterly uncleane , for the plague is in the head , there is not that utter uncleannesse any where as when the plague is in the head , so i may say here , when a man falleth off from the wayes of god by some strong temptation or unruly affection , this man is uncleane , verily he is uncleane ; but when it commeth to the head , that his judgement is against the wayes of god , and so commeth to contemne them and those that follow them , and to thinke his own wayes better , this man is utterly unclean , for the plague is in his head , the lord deliver you from that plague . the sixth lecture . hosea . . . for then it was better with me then it is now . for she did not k●ow that i gave her corne , and wine , and oyle , and multiplyed her silve● , and gold , which they prepared for baal , &c. there remaines onely one observation from the . ver . and the taking a hint of a meditation from thence concerning our present times , of which briefly . upon returne unto god , apostates may have hope of attaining their former condition ; to be as well as ever they were , i will return to my first husband , for then was it better with me then now , by returning , i hope to recover to be as i was then , that is the meaning . in this , gods goodnesse goeth beyond mans abundantly , ier. . . will a man , when his wife hath committed adultery and he hath put her away , will he return to her again ? but thou hast played the harlot with many lovers , yet return againe to me saith the lord : hence ver . . the holy ghost exhorteth to return upon this very ground , returne ye back-sliding children , and i will heale your back-slidings . is there any back-sliding soul before the lord ? god now offereth to heale thy back-slidings , thou knowest that it is not with thee now as heretofore it hath been , loe god tendereth his grace to thee that thou maiest be in as good a condition as ever ; o that thou wouldest give the answer of the church there , behold we come unto thee , for thou art the lord our god ; truly in vaine is salvation hoped for from the hils , or from the multitude of the mountain truely in the lord our god is the salvation of israel . it is true , god might justly satisfie thee in those present wayes of apostacy wherein thou art , as sometimes he doth apostates , the back-slider in heart shall be filled with his own wayes , he shall have enough of them , and pro. . . they shall eate the fruit of their own way , and be filled with their own devicss . but behold wisedom it selfe calleth thee now to returne again , and makes this faire promise , pro. . . turne ye at my reproofe , behold i will poure out my spirit unto you . there is not onely a possibility of being received into thy former condition , but christ doth wooe thee , and calleth after thee , hee promiseth to poure forth his spirit unto thee , yea and there would be triumph in heaven upon thy returning . but let me say thus much to thee , though there be a possibility of comming again into as good a condition as thou wast in afore , yet first there had need be a mighty work of gods spirit to raise thy heart to beleeve this . it is not an easie thing for one who hath that fearfull sin of apostacy setled upon him by god to beleeve that ever god should receive him and returne in the wayes of mercy and comfort as before . yea second , though there be a possibility to be recovered to mercy , yet you must be contented to be in a meaner condition if god shall please , you must come unto god with such a disposition as to be content to be in the lowest condition that can be , onely that thou mayest have mercy at the last , as the prodigall , let me be ( saith he ) but as one of thy hired servants . and know lastly , that if you doe not return upon his gracious offer , god may give thee up for ever , take thy fill and there is an end of thee ; he that will be filthy , let him be filthy still . yet further , this expression doth strongly present occasion to digresse a little in the comparing our present times with former times , to examine whether wee can say , it was better with us heretofore then it is now ? in these dayes there is much comparing our present times with times past , and divers judgements there are about present times , some complayning and crying out of the hazards and dangers wee are in , in these present times , much better was it heretofore say they then it is now . to such as these let me say , first as the holy ghost saith , eccles . . . say not thou , what is the cause the former dayes were better then these ? thou dost uot enquire wisely concerning this thing . certainly , those people who make such grievous complaints of present times , comparing them with times past , doe not wisely enquire after this thing . it is true , there are many sad things for the present amongst us , things that our hearts have cause to bleed for , such mis-understanding betweene king and parliament , some blood shed already , and danger of shedding much more ; yet perhaps if we enquire wisely concerning this thing , we shall find , that notwithstanding all this , we have little cause to complaine that it is worse with us now , in comparison of what was before , consider , first ▪ that which men do most complain of , which makes the times hardest now , it is but the breaking out of those mischievous designes that lay hid long before , & would have done us a great deale more mischiefe if they had been kept in ; now they breake forth , and breake forth as the desperatenesse of the hopes of those who had such designes ; because they could now goe no longer underhand , but being brought into a desperate passe , they are faine to see what they can doe in wayes of violence , and this certainely is better then that mischiefe should work secretly under board . secondly , by this we have a discovery of men which way they stand , what was and is in their hearts , and this is a great mercy . thirdly , with the breaking forth of these things , god grants that helpe now to england , that it never yet had in the like way , so fully , and putteth such a faire price into the hands of the people of england , that never yet was put into their hands . yea , and consider farther , that the more violent men are now , the more doth it tell us what a lamentable time was before ; for if now when there is such means of resistance , and yet the adversaries prevaile so much , what would they have been by this time , if this means of resistance had not been ? what a case were we in then when they might do what they would , and we had no means to help our selves , what a danger were we in then ? certainely things then lay at more hazard then now . fifthly , though there be many sad things amongst us , yet god hath been before-hand with us , we have had already even of free-cost as much mercy as these troubles come to . sixtly , these troubles that we are in are making way for glorious mercies to come ; though there be some pangs , yet they are not the pangs of death , they are but the pangs of a travelling woman that is bringing forth a man-child : and certainly any prince would think , that though his queen should be put to some paine in travaile , yet her condition is better then when shee had nopaine , and was barren , or then that she should lye upon her sick bed , and her senses benummed , and she ready to dye : the pains of a travelling woman are better then a sensless dying . and yet further , if you thinke that you had better times heretofore then now , what times will you refer your selves unto in making the comparison ? i suppose you will instance in the time of the first reformation , then things were in a good way , when those worthy lights of the church , and blessed martyrs had such a hand in the reformation . many there are that do magnifie the ●●nes of the beginning of reformation , for their owne ends , that they may thereby hinder reformation now . this you know is the great argument that prevaileth with most ; what , were not those prayers composed by learned godly men , as cranmer , latimer , ridley , and others ? and can we be wiser then they ? did not they seale their profession with their blood ? my brethren , we need goe no further to shew the weaknesse of this argument , but only to shew how it was in the church in those times , and you wil● find that you have cause to blesse god that it is not so with you now as it was then , and if that will appeare , then the argument you will see can no further prevail with rationall men . certainly those first reformers were worthy lights and blessed instruments for god , i would not darken their excellency , but weaken the argument that is abusively raised from their worth . it is reported of mr. greneham that famous practicall divine , who refusing subscription , in a letter of his to the bishop of ely , gives his reasons , and answers that prelates objection against him , namely , that luther thought such ceremonies might be retained in the church ; his answer is this , i reverence more the revealed wisdome of god , in teaching mr. luther so many necessary things to salvation , then i search his seeret judgements in keeping back from his knowledg other things of lesse importance : the same do i say of those worthy instruments of gods glory in the first reformation , & that it may be cleare to you that god kept back his mind from them in some things . consider , whether you would be willing that should be done now that was then ; as in the administration of baptisme , we find that in the book of lyturgy in king edwards time , which was composed by those worthy men ; first the child was to be croft in the fore-head , and then on the breast , after a prayer used , then the priest was to say over the child at the font , i command thee thou unclean spirit , in the name of the father , and of the son , and of the holy ghost , that thou comest out of this infant , thou cursed spirit remember thy sentence , remember thy judgment , remember the day is at hand wherein thou shalt bee burnt with everlasting fire prepared for thee and thy angels ; & presume not hereafter to exercise any tyranny over this infant whom christ hath bought with his precious blood . then they dipped the childe thrice in the water , the godfathers and the godmothers laid their hands upon the child , and the priest putteth a white vestment over it , called a crysome , saying , take this white vesture for a token of thine innocency , which by gods grace in this holy sacrament of baptisme is given to thee , & for a signe whereby thou art admonished as long as thou livest to give thy selfe to innocency . then the priest must anoint the infant upon the head , saying , almighty god , &c. who hath regenerated thee by water & the holy ghost , who hath given thee remission of all thy sins , vouchsafe to anoint thee with the unction of his holy spirit . would you now have your children baptized after this manner ? yet these learned holy men thought that to be a good way . so at the buriall of the dead , the priest casting earth upon the corps shall say , i commend thy soule to god the father almighty , and body to the ground : and in another prayer , grant to this thy servant ; that the sinnes he committed in this world be not imputed to him , but that he escaping the gates of hell , and pains of eternall darknesse , may ever dwell in the region of light . you will say , things are otherwise now . true , therefore i say there is no strength in that argument , that those men that composed that liturgy were worthy lights in the church ; for they were but newly come out of popery , and had the scent of popery upon them , therefore it is too unreasonable to make that which they did the rule of our reformation now , as if we were to goe no further then they did . the like may be said of the primitive times , which many plead for the justification of their superstitious vanities , for the christians then came but newly out of heathenisme , and lived amongst heathens , and therfore could not so soon be delivered from their heathenish customes . i could relate to you sad things there were in qu. elizabeths dayes , in k. james his dayes , but i must not take too much liberty in this digression , onely let us hereby learn not so to cry out of evill times that we are faln into , as to be unthankfull for present mercies ; let us blesse god for what wee have had , and looke unto the rule for further reformation . for shee did not know that i gave her corn , and wine , and oyle , and multiplyed her silver and gold , which they prepared for baal , &c. the spirit of god returneth here again to convincing , upbraiding , accusing , threatning israel . the sin of israel went very near to the heart of god , and god speaks here as a man troubled in spirit for the unkindenesse , unfaithfulness , unreasonableness of the dealings of his spouse with him , it runneth in his thoughts , his heart is grieved at it , and he must vent himselfe , and when he hath told his grief and aggravated his wrong , he is upon it again & again , still convincing , upbraiding , charging israel for dealing so unfaithfully and treacherously with him , all shewing the trouble of his spirit . for she did not know , &c. these words depend upon the . ver . ( for the . & . they are as a parenthesis ) she hath done shamefully , for she said , i will goe after my lovers that give me my bread , & my water , my wool , & my flae●●e , &c. for she did not know , &c. she did thus and thus , for she did not know that i gave her corn , and wine , &c. what was israel worse then the oxe or the asse that knows his owner & his masters crib ? it is impossible but israel ( that was the onely people of god in those times , where god was most , nay we may say onely knowen in the world ) should know that god was the cause of all the good they had , certainly they could not be ignorant of that , for in their creed ( as buxtorfius and others make mention ) they had . articles , and this was the first article , i believe with a true and perfect faith , that god is the creator , the governor , the sustainer of all creatures , that he wrought all things , still works all things , & shall for ever worke all things . and at their feasts they had these expressions , blessed be thou o lord our god king of the world that dost create the fruit of the vine . the mr. of the feast himself came in ( he did not set a boy to it ) publiquely to bless god for the fruit of the vine , and yet here the text saith they did not know that god gave them wine . when they came to take bread they had this speech , blessed be thou o god that art the king of the world , that bringest forth bread out of the earth ; and at the end of their feast this , let us bless him who hath sent us of his owne , of whose goodnesse we live . the question answered , and blessed be he of whose goodnesse we live , yea they used to blesse god solemnly for the sweete and fragrant smell of spices and herbs . this was their constant way , and yet god chargeth them that they did not know that he gave them bread , and wine , and ●●le , they did not lay it to heart . we shall see afterward of what great use this is unto us , to shew what profession they made of acknowledging that god gave them all , and yet god charges them that they did not know it . that i gave them , what ? corne , wine , and oyle , & multiplyed her silver and her gold . here god expresseth himselfe more largely then they did before in that they received from their idols , they talked in the . vers . of receiving from their idols bread , and water , and wool , and flax , &c. but here is wine , & oyle , and silver , and gold , more then they had from their idols . god setteth out his mercy to them , to upbraid them . and they prepared them for baal . we must enquire here first what this baal was . the name of him [ bagnal ] it signifieth a lord ( and from thence signifyeth a husband ) because they attributed such dominion that their idols had over them , acknowledging their idols to be lords , therefore they called them by the name bagnall , their lords : and because they chose them as their husband , therefore also they had this name , it is all one with bel too , for the chaldee put out that letter [ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ] and the pricks being altered it is all one baal and bel. now this baal either was some speciall idoll , or else a generall name given to all idols ; sometimes it is a name given generally to all , in the plurall number baalim . jer. . . they have walked after the imaginations of their owne heart , and after baalim . but it likewise notes a speciall idol , an idol that was the same with that of the zidonians , which they called iupiter thalassius , or their sea iupiter , that idol was called baal in a speciall manner , king. . . you may see how the worship of baal came into israel at that time . it is true , the worship of baal had been in israel a long time before , in iudg. . . you shall find there that they served baal , yet the idolatry of baal was often cast out by the people of god , but in that place of the kings you shall find how it came in afresh , the text saith , that ahab tooke to wife iexebel the daughter of eth-baal king of the zidonians , & went and served baal , and worshipped him ; that was the occasion that ahab matching with a zidonian , to the end that he might ingratiate himselfe with his wives kindred , he would worship his wives god. and this baal hath divers additionall names . sometimes you shall find in scripture called baal-zebub , or belzebub ( it is all one , for baal and bel is the same , only changing the points ) and that signifieth their god of flies , & the reason why baal had that name , was , because in those countreyes they were extreamly perplexed with flies , and they attributed the power of driving them away , and of helping them against the molestation they had by them to their god baal , hence they called him baalzebub ; you may see how much they attributed to their god for deliverance from flies , wee have other manner of deliverances by the goodnes of our god then this , yet for this baalzebub was one of their principall gods , therefore it is said of christ , that he cast out devils by belzebub the prince of devills , which is by the god of flies , mat. . . he is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , belzebul , which is as much as the dung , god , zebel in the●●y ●iac signifying stercus , dung . then there was baal-perazim , that addition was onely from the place , the mountain where he was worshipped . there was also baal-berith , that signified onely the covenant they entred into with that god. so that it seemes the very idolaters did binde themselves to worship their god by solemne covenant or very strong arguments , to teach us to be willing to binde our selves in worshipping the true god by all the legall bonds we can , to make god to be the god of our covenant , as their god here was . it is needlesse to name more who had this name . i shall afterward shew how god himselfe had once the name of baal , for the word signifying the name of husband or lord was as due to god as to any other , and god himselfe tooke that name . but here we are to understand it of their idols . they prepared them for baal , they made them for baal , so the word is . it importeth these two things . first it importeth that they did sacrifice these thing to their baal , for so facere , to make , is as much many times as sacrificare , to sacrifice ; and bella mine takes advantage from this word , when christ saith , hoc facite , do this , he draweth an argument that the lords supper is a sacrifice , for the word to doe is used somtime to sacrifice . but secondly , they prepared them , that is , of their gold and silver they made images of this their idoll god baal , they would not spare their gold and silver , but laid aside and prepared it to make images of baal , and they thought that gold and silver thus laid out as good as any in their purses . the observations . first . it is god that supplyeth all the outward good of his people . they did not know that i gave them , &c. i gave them all the corn , and wine , and oyle they had , i did not onely give them mine ordinances , but i gave them corn , and wine , and oyle , and gold , and silver . it is the lord himselfe that supplyeth all outward good to his people , he doth not onely prize the soules of his people , but hee takes care of their bodies too , and outward estates . psalm , . . he keepeth all his bones . yea , he takes care of the very haire of their heads . the bodies of the saints are very precious in the eyes of god , the most precious of all corporall things in the world : the sonne , and moone , and starres , are not so precious as the bodyes of the saints , how much more precious are their soules ? vve have an excellent note of austin upon psalm , . . where the text saith , my soule thirsteth for thee , my flesh longeth for thee , &c. upon this he hath this note : if the flesh hath any need of bread , of wine , of money or cattell , seeke this of god , for god giveth this too , for marke , those who thirst for god must thirst for him every way ; not only their soules ●●rst for him , but their flesh must thirst for him ; for saith he , did god make the soul , and did the devills or any idols make the flesh ? no , he that made both soule and flesh , he feedeth them both , therefore all christians must say , my soule longeth after thee , and my flesh also . if then we can trust god for our soules , and our eternall estates that hee will provide for them , we must trust him for our bodies also , for our flesh , for our temporall estates , that he will provide for them also . secondly thus . all that we have , all our supply that we enjoy in this world , it is the free gift of god. they did not know that i gave them corne and wine , &c. all of us live upon the meere almes of god , the greatest man in the world is bound to goe to gods gate and beg his bread every day ; though he were an emperour over all the world , hee must doe it to shew his dependance upon him , that he lives wholly upon almes : men thinke it hard to live upon almes , and because they have maintenance , so much comming in by the yeare , such an estate in land , they thinke they are well provided for many yeers : but what ever estate thou hast , though by thy trading thou hast gotten so much by the yeare coming in , yet god requireth this of thee , to go to his gate , & beg thy bread of him every day ; so christ teacheth , give us this day our dayly bread ; and certainly if we did but understand this our dependance upon god for all outward comforts in the world , we could not but feare him , and seeke to make peace with him , and keepe peace with him , and it would be a meanes that our hearts would be inlarged to give to others who need our almes , and seeing every man and woman of us is an almes-man , and an almes-woman . thirdly , it is our duty that we owe to god to know and take notice of god as the author of all our good . they know not , that implyeth they ought to have knowne . this is a speciall duty of that worship we owe to god : it is the end of gods communicating all good to us , that he may have active glory from his rational creature as well as passive glory , and there is no creature else in all the world that god hath made capable of knowing any thing of the first cause but only the rational creature , therefore it is the excellency of such that they do not onely enjoy the good that they have , but they are able to rise up to the highest and first cause of all their good : there is a great deale of excellency in this . it is observed of doves , that at every pick of corne they take in their bill they cast their eyes upward ; and in the canticles you shall finde the eyes of the church are called doves eyes , because they looke so much up to heaven upon every good they receive : they have not dogs eies , the men of the world have dogs eies , dogs you know looke up to their masters for a bone , and when they have it they presently looke downe to the ground ; so the men of the world , they will pray to god when they want , but wh●n they enjoy what they would have , they look no more upward but all downward . this taking notice of god to be the author of all our good , and to give him praise , is all the rent we pay to god for what we enjoy , therefore it is fit we should doe that ; and if we doe any thing for god , be sure god takes notice of that to the uttermost , yea though it be himselfe that enableth us to do it , yea though it be but a little good mingled with a great deale of evill , god takes notice of it , and will reward it , surely then we should take notice of the good that he giveth out to us . this sweetneth our comforts to see that they all come from god , and for that observe the difference betweene the expression of jacobs blessing , and esaus blessing ; when isaac came to blesse jacob , hee expresseth himselfe thus , gen. . . god give thee of the dew of heaven , and of the fatnesse of the earth , and plenty of corne and wine , &c. now when he commeth to blesse esau , marke his expression then verse . thy dwelling shall be the fatnesse of the earth , and of the dew of heaven from above , but hee never mentioneth god in that ; it is not esaus blessing . god give thee of the dew of heaven , and of the fatnesse of the earth , though it is true isaac meant so , but yet he doth not mention the name of god so in esaus as in iacobs blessing , certainly my brethren , the seed of jacob count their blessing to be a double , a treble blessing , that they can see god in it : carnall hearts do not much regard god , if they can have what they would have , if they can have their flesh satisfied in what they desire , from what hand it cometh that they doe not much care ; but a gracious heart , a child of jacob , rejoyceth more in the hand from whence it commeth , then in any good he can possibly enjoy . fourthly , they did not know . god doth a great deale of good in the world that is little taken notice of , or laid to heart . many of gods dispensations are invisible , the angels , ezek. . are described with their hands under their wings . god doth great things somtime so invisibly , as he cannot be seene ; and when he doth great things that we might see , yet through onr neglect , stupidity , and drossinesse of our hearts , we doe not see them . the most observing eye that is in the world , that takes the exactest notice of gods mercy , and hath the greatest skill to set forth the riches of gods goodnesse to himselfe and others , yet alas it is but very little that he takes notice of , no not of that he might doe . it is with the quickest sighted christians as with a skilful mathematician , a skilfull mathematician takes notice of and understands many parts of the world , and is able to set out the several parts distinctly to you in such a climate , in such a countrey , but yet when he hath done all , he leaveth a great space for a terra incognita , for an unknown world , and that unknowne world for ought we know may be five times bigger then the known world ; so they that have the most observant eye of gods mercies , and take the most notice of them , that can best set out the mercies he bestoweth , spiritual mercies , temporall mercies , preventing mercies , past mercies , present mercies , delivering mercies , &c. yet when they have done all , they must leave a great space for the terra incognita , for the unknowne mercies of god. the truth is , those mercies of god that are obvious to our knowledge every day , one would thinke they were enough to melt our hearts , to breake them in pieces : but besides these mercies we take notice of , there are thousands and thousands of mercies that we know not of . as we daily commit many sins that we know not of , so daily we receive many mercies that we know not of likewise ; and as in our confession of sins , we should pray to god first to pardon our sins we know , and so to name them in particular ; and when we have done , then , lord forgive us our unknown , our secret sins ; so in our thanksgiving , first blesse god for the mercies before us , and when we have done . lord blessed be thy name for all thy unknown mercies that i have little taken notice of . we soone grow cold and dead if we doe good ; and men take no notice of us , neither what we know , nor what we doe is any thing to us except others know it too , but this is the vanity and pride of mens hearts , it is gods prerogative above his creatures , to doe all for himselfe , for his owne glory , and yet he doth much good in the world that none knows of ; we are bound to deny our selves in that we doe , not to seeke our own glory ; the most excellent peece in the most excellent of our workes is our selfe-denyal in it ; why should we not then doe all the good we can doe cheerefully , though it be not known ? we should doe good out of love to goodnesse it selfe , and if we would doe so we should be encouraged in doing good secretly . fifthly , and which commeth yet more fully up to the words , they did not know , &c. in gods account men know no more then they lay to heart and make good use of . the schooles distinguish of want of knowledge , there is nescientia , and ignoratia ; nescience is of such things as we are not bound to know , it is not our sinne not to know them ; but ignorance is of such things as we are bound to know , and that ignorance is two-fold ; there is an invincible ignorance , let us take what paines we can , wee can never know all we are bound to know ; and there is an affected ignorance , when we do not know , because out of carelesnesse we doe not minde what is before us , and when we have minded it so farre as to conceive it , yet if we lay it not to heart as we ought , still in gods account we know it not , if we digest not what we know into practise , god accepteth it not . as god is said not to know when hee doth not approve , i know yee not , saith he , so when any man hath a truth in notion and it doth not get into the heart , when it is not imbraced there , god accounts that that man knowes it not ; therefore you have in scripture such an expression as the seer is blinde ; it is a strange expression , it seemes to be a contradiction , such a thing as we call a bull : the seer is blinde : but it is not so here , because god accounts those that have never so much knowledge , yet if it doe not sanctifie the heart so as to give him the glory , they are blinde , blinde as a beetle ; the knowledge of the saints is another kinde of knowledge then other men have . we have , saith cyprian no such notions as many of your phylosophers have , but we are phylosophers in our deeds , we doe not speake great things , but we doe great things in our lives . thes . . . you have an excellent expression for this , you are taught of god to love one another , what followeth ? and indeed so you do , that is an evidence that you are taught of god when it p●evay leth with your hearts , when it may be ●aid , indeed so you doe : vvho is there in the world but knowes that wee should love one another ? but men are not taught of god to love one another untill it may be said of them that indeed so they doe . there is nothing more obvious to the understanding of a man then the notion of a deity , that there is a god , we may as it were grope after him as the holy ghost speakes ; but yet iohn . . he that saith he knowes him , and keepes not his commandements , is a lyar , and the truth is not in him ; any man who ever he be , though the greatest schollar in the world , if he saith he knowes god and keepes not his commandements , he hath the lie told him to his teeth , hee doth not know god at all , though this of god be the most obvious thing to be understood that possibly can be , and yet christ saith no man knoweth the father but the sonne , and to whom the sonne shall reveale him . hence it is when a soul is converted , you shall heare these expressions , i never knew before , i never knew what an infinite deity meant , i never understood the infinite soveraignty and majesty of the great god , i never knew what sinne meant before ; yet if you had asked him afore , he would say , i know god is a spirit , that he is infinite and eternall ; i know that sinne is the transgression of the law ; i never knew that christ was before , yet before hee would have told you that christ was the sonne of mary , and came into the world to dye for sinners . i remember an expression of a germane divine , when he was upon his sick bed , in this disease saith he , i have learned what sin is , and how great the majesty of god is ; this man though a preacher , and doubtlesse he could preach of sinne and of the majesty of god , yet hee professeth he knew not these things untill god came powerfully upon his heart to teach him what they were . the hebrews say , words of sense carry with them the affections , or else they be to no purpose : when men have notionall knowledge onely that comes not down into the heart , they are like men that have weak stomacks and weake heads , when they drink wine all flyeth up to the head & it makes them giddy , but if the wine went to the heart , it would cheare & warme it : so all this mans knowledg flyeth up to his head & makes him giddy , whereas if it were digested & got to the heart , it would warme and refresh , yea 〈…〉 the text saith of elies sonnes , sam. . . that they knew not the lord ; they were priests of god , yet they were sonnes of belial , and know not the lord. be not offended at great schollars who have skill in the tongues , arts and sciences , do not you say these men that are great and knowing men , would they do thus and thus , if things were so as you speake ; they are not knowing men , god saith that elies sonnes did not know , the lord , the things of god are hid from them . i thanke thee o father lord of heaven and earth , that thou hast hid thess things from the wise and prudent , &c. sixthly , they did not know that i gave them , &c. affected ignorance comming thorough distemper of heart is no excuse , but rather an aggravation . it is a high degree of ingratitude not to prize gods mercy , but not to take notice of gods mercies , oh what a high ingratitude is this ! that which shall be part of gods charge against sinners can be no excuse of their sinne , it is a part of gods charge that they did not know , therefore their ignorance cannot be their excuse . god threatneth to cut people off , to have no mercy upon them for want of knowing as well as for not doing , they are a people of no understanding , therefore he that made them will have no mercy upon them , and he that formed them will shew them no favour , esay . . ambrose hath this expression , thou doest sinne greatly if thou doest contemne the riches of gods long suffering , but thou sinnest most of all if thou doest not know it . from the word [ for ] as depending upon the . ver . ( for so it doth , ) the observation is , the not taking notice and considering of gods mercies , and laying them to heart , is the cause of vile , and shamefull evils in mens lives . therefore they did shamefully , therefore they went after their lovers , because they did not know , the cause of almost all the evill in the world it is from hence , they that know thy name will trust in thee , those who know the lord will feare him and his goodnesse . esay . . ah sinfull nation , saith god : god fetcheth a sigh under the burthen of it , his spirit is laden and troubled with it , ah sinfull people , &c , what was the matter ? the oxe knoweth his owner , and the asse his masters crib , but israel doth not know , my people doth not consider , they were more stupid then the brute creatures . oh sinfull soul , this is the cause of all thy inordinate walking , of all thy profanenesse , of all the ungodliness in thy wayes , because thou dost not know , thou dost not consider , thou dost not lay to heart the wayes of god towards thee . ier. . . god chargeth his people that they were gone from him , and ver . . that they had made his heritage an abomination . what is the reason that is given of both these ? it is in the . ver . they did not say , where is the lord that brought us up out of the land of egypt ? &c. they did not take notice of what the lord had done for them , therefore they were gone far from him , &c. if thou hadst but a heart to lay to heart what god hath done for thee , it is impossible that thou shouldst goe so farre off from god as thou dost . for these deductions are easie and obvious to any from such a principle . . justice , common equity requires living to god , seeing we live by and upon god. . common ingenuity calls for requiring good with good ; the publicans and heathens will do good to those that do good to them . . if all be from god , then all still depends upon god. . how much good is there in god from whence all this good and mercy comes , when god shall shew another day to men and angels how hee was the fountaine of all good ! it will confound those who have not laid it to heart . . she did not know that i gave her corne , and wine , and oyle , and multiplyed her silver and her gold . god is more bountifull to his people then the idols can be . the idols by their owne confession gave them but their bread , & water , and flax , and oyle , &c. but god giveth them wine , & silver , & gold . god gives them better pay a great deale then the devill doth ; yet the devill usually hath more servants to follow him then god hath , though his wages bee lesse and worse . it is usuall for men to get souldiers from adversaries , by giv●ng them more pay : this is the way god takes , he offereth a great deale better pay to those that will follow him , then they have that follow the devill , yet god can get few to follow him . this shews the vilenesse of mans heart against god. . she did not know that i gave her , &c. which she prepared for baal . when men get abundance , then they soon grow wanton . when i gave them corn , and wine , and oyle , and multiplyed their silver and their gold , then they followed baal . this is the reason of so many solemne charges of god , take heed when thou art full , that thou dost not forget the lord. as they that are neerest the sun are the blackest , so those to whom god is neerest in regard of outward mercies , are many times blacker then others . it is observed , that the fatter mens bodies are , the lesse blood and the fewer spirits they have ; so the fatter mens estates are , many times the lesse spirit they have to any thing that is good ; god hath lesse spirit from them , sinne hath much more . we read of the sunne melting the manna that fell downe , but the same manna was able to bear the fire ; so many a mans heart is able to beare affliction , and the affliction doth good , prepareth for much good , as manna was prepared to be eaten by fire , but prosperity melteth them , makes them useless . many men when they were poor and in a low condition , were very usefull ; but when they grow high and rich , they are of very little use in the places where they dwell . trajan the emperour was wont to liken a man growing to a great estate , to the spleene in the body ; for as the s●leene grows big , the body growes lesse : so when mens estates grow bigger , they grow lesse usefull . euagrius noteth it as a speciall commendation of mauritius the emperor , but notwithstanding his prosperity he retained his ancyent piety : it is a very rare thing to see men advanced to high places , do so . . i gave her corne , and wine , and oyle , and i multiplyed her silver and gold which they sacrificed to baal . even those creatures that wicked men abuse to their lusts , god gives them . though he doth not give them for that end , yet those creatures that they use for such an end are given of god. if thou beest a drunkard , that wine or drinke that thou dost sacrifice to that lust of thine , who giveth it thee ? is it not god ? thou hast a good estate more then other men , and all the use thou makest of thy estate is meerly that it might be but as fewell for thy lusts , who gave thee this thy estate ? is it not god ? god giveth thee cloathes and thou sacrificest them to thy pride , thou hast more money then others , and so canst vent thy malice more then others , from whence hast thou this ? thou hast more strength of body then others and thou ventest it in uncleannesse , where hadst thou this ? consider this , and let this meditation prevayle with thine heart to stop thee in thy sinful way , let it be seconded with the next ; viz : that is a most horrible wickedness and abominable ingratitude , for any man to take gods creatures and abuse them against god. what , i gave them corne , and wine , and multiplyed their silver , and their gold , and have they prepared these for baal ? god speakes of this as of a monstrous sin , as if god should say , let all my people lament my condition , that i should do so much for them , and they doe nothing for me but all against me , sacrifice all to baal : as perhaps many of you have beene kinde to some of your friends , and have raised them , and made them , as we use to say ; they have wanted nothing , but you have been bountifull to them , if now these men should turne your enemies , and that estate they have got by you , they should use it to doe you a mischiefe , would you not call in your neighbours and friends , to joyne with you in lamenting your condition ? what , did you ever heare of such an example , that i should doe so much for such , and they turne all against me ? you tell it as a most lamentable story to your friends ; god doth so here ; he makes this his grievous complaint . this is as if a bird should be shot with an arrow , whose feathers came out of her own body ; we would even pity a bird in that case . many men make no other use of their estates but to turne them against god ; they are not as the slothfull servant that hid his talent in the napkin , if it were but so it were not so much , but they take their talents & imploy them against god. would it not goe to your heart if one should sue you in law , and beare the charges of the suit out of your owne estate ? vve use to complaine such a man sueth me , and it is my owne money hee goeth to law with ; so thou goest against god , and hee is fayne as it were to beare all the charges : it is not against the light of nature ? the very heathens : the publicanes and sinners will doe good to those that do good to them : thou art worse then a publicane and sinner , wilt thou do hurt to god that doth thee good ? when julius caesar saw brutus come to give him a stab in the senate house , he cryed out , what thou my sonne , wilt thou do it ? but suppose that iulius caesar had given him the dagger with which he stabbed him , then o thou my sonne , what stab me with that dagger i gave thee ? if when jonathan gave david his sword and bow , david should have turned against jonathan and killed him with his own sword and bow , would not the unkindnesse or rather the abominable wickedness have pierced deeper into his heart , then any swords or arrows possibly could ? if you can finde any creature that is not gods to fight against him withall , you may doe it , but if all you have is from him , it is horrible wickednesse to take that and to sacrifice it to baal . certainly god giveth it for other ends , to goe crosse to gods ends is an evill thing : vvhen god aymeth at such a thing , for us not to joyne with god in the same end he aymeth at is an evil , but for us to ayme at a quite contrary end , that is horrible wickednesse indeed . they sacrificed to baal . when once superstition and idolatry hath got into a place , though there be much done against it , yet it is not easie to get it out . it is from hence that god doth so often complaine of baal , yet you shall finde in iudg , . ( i thinke that is the first place it is mentioned that they served baal ) but it appeareth that they fell off from baal , yet they fell to him againe , for in iudg. . . after gideons death it came to passe that the children of israel turned againe and went a whoring after baalim , and made baal-berith their god ; it speakes as if it were a new thing now that they should fall to worship baal after they had left worshipping him ; after his death . and sam. . . the children of israel did put away baalim ; and yet if you reade chap ▪ . . they fall a confessing that they had sinned , because they had forsaken the lord and served baalim ; though they had put him away before , yet he had got up again ; so in that place before named , king. . there ahah would serve baal , it is brought in there as a new thing , as a novelty , because baal had beene so much suppressed , king. . you find that iehu sought to destroy baal & all his priests , but yet baal was not got out for all this , but he got in againe , for in kin. . . the text saith , that josia who was long after that time , caused the vessels that were made for baal to be taken away and burnt . this is a marvailous use , and seasonable for our times . if superstition be opposed , though it be cast out as we thinke in a great degree , yet if there be not a thorough reformation , it will winde in one way or other againe . if we thinke it enough to cut things short , and to take away their strength , and their enormities , we deceive our selves ; if there be nothing done but so , they will grow up againe ; it is but cutting the weeds a little ; if branch and root be not taken away , they will up again ; baal will put up his head one way or other . i remember cluverus a late historian , yet much approved of , bringeth in one that gave this councell concerning rome , because it was much annoyed with wolves ; saith he , there is no way to save rome from wolves , but to cut down the woods wherein these wolves breed and live , for otherwise they might kill and kill , but they would breed agaiue . so sometimes when childrens heads are overrunne with vermine , the way to destroy the vermine is to shave the haire quite of off : so certainly , this is the way to destroy superstition from amongst us , to take away the places and revenews of those men that have beene maintainers and upholders of superstitious wayes of worship ; let us by cutting down the woods , and shaving off the hayre destroy these wolves , and if they will needs be priests , let them be shavelings . which they sacrificed to baal . lastly , idolaters are very liberall to their idols , they are willing to sacrifice gold ' silver , corne , wine and oyle , and all to baal , but of that before . the seventh lecture . hosea . . . therefore will i returne and take away my corne in the time thereof , and my wine in the season thereof , and will recover my wooll and my flaxe , given to cover their nakednesse . and now i will discover her lewdnesse in the sight of her lovers , and none shall deliver her out of mine hand . in the former verse , israel is accused for abusing her silver and gold , &c. in the service of baal ; now it followes , therefore i will take away my corne in the time thereof , &c. if there be a therefore , we must enquire wherefore it was , because they did prepare their corne , &c. for baal , therefore i will returne . . what is the meaning of returning . . what the meaning of the time and season thereof , i will take away my corne in the time thereof , and my wine in the season thereof . . what that phrase imports , i will recover my wooll . for the first therefore . i will returne , that is , i will change the way of my administrations toward them , i will goe out of my way of mercy , and turne into my way of judgement , i will goe back againe ; i was in a way of judgement toward them , and they cryed to me , and i turned into a way of mercy , but i will goe back againe into a way of judgement , i will returne , arias montanus hath a good note upon the place , whereas god hath heretofore bid them not to be afraid of all the tokens of the southsayers that is , when they say by astrology some signes of death that might follow , they were afraid ; be not afraid , saith the lord , but know your corne , and wine , and oyle depends on me , not on the second causes ; though second causes make against , yet feare not , for i will give you come , and wine and oyle ; but now it is quite contrary , though second causes promise all kind of ple●ty whatsoever , that there shall be abundance of corne , and wine , and oyle , yet i will take away your plenty , there shall be a dearth of all things amongst you . i will take away my corne in the time thereof : that is , first in the times of harvest just when their corne is to be taken in , and in the time of their vintage , i will then take it away , whereas i might take it away in the seed , i will let it grow till the harvest , and then take it away . . in the time when they have most need of it , when they are in the greatest straits , and know not what to doe without these creatures , . in tempore suo , so some , in the time i have appointed , though i have let them goe on and enjoy the creatures in abundance , yet my time is come that i will take away all . and will recover , the word signifieth , i will snatch it away , i wil spoyle you of it ; and it hath reference to two things . first , i will recover it as out of the hands of usurpers , you have my corne , and wo●l , and flaxe as usurpers , but i will recover them out of your hands , as a man that hath his goods taken away from him usurped , hee by some meanes or other recovers his goods againe ; so saith god , you have my corne , and wine , and as you have carryed the matter , you are but usurpers , i will sue you for them , you shall not enjoy them long . secondly , i will recover , it hath a reference to prisoners and bondslaves , when the enemy shall get any of ours into their power , and make them bond-slaves , a greater power goes against the enemy , and recovers them out of his hands , and gets them again ; as abraham recovered lot and his goods , gen. . . or as if marriners should get those gally-slaves the turks have gotten : and recover them out of their hands , as if he should say , these creatures of corne and wine , &c. they are in bondage , and i will recover them out of your hands , you know the creatures groane under their bondage while they are in the possession of wicked men , . rom. my creatures are in bondage to you , and they cry to me , and i will recover them out of your hands . there are many precious and choice truths to be presented to you out of the words . first , therefore i will , &c. whence observe , though god gives mercy out of free grace without cause in our selves , yet he takes not away mercy without cause , there is a therefore for taking away mercy , but we have many mercies given without a therefore : when god takes away mercy we have cause to look into our selves to finde out a therefore , but you may find out thousands of mercies that god gives to us , and you shall finde never a therefore for them . it is not so great a wonder that thousand thousands are in misery as that any one enjoyes mercy , for misery hatha therefore in our selves , for mercy there is reason only in the breast of god. secondly , i will returne . sinne causeth god to change the way of his administrations towards his people . though god be in wayes of mercy , yet sinne may put him out of those wayes , and make him returne and go in a way of judgement agnine : how much better were it for sinners to returne , then that sinnne should cause god to returne ? oh sinner , returne out of thy evill wayes , if god returne , it will be a sad returne . not long since god was in wayes of judgement against us , and lately he hath come into wayes of mercy , and now he seemes to returne againe to his former wayes of judgement . ier. . . why art thou as a man astonished ? a man astonished stands still ; or if he moves , it is up and down , as if he knew not which way to goe , though we have suffered hard things , wee cannot yet say god is returned , but he seemes as a man astonished , and knowes not which way to go . thus god is pleased of himselfe after the manner of men , to speake ; let us cry to him that he may not turne out of his way of mercy , into those sad wayes of wrath that he seems to be looking towards . i will take away my corne , and my wine . abuse of mercy causeth the removing of mercy , zach. . woe to the idoll shepheard that leaveth the flocke , the sword shall be upon his arme , & upon his right eye , his arme shall be dryed up , and his right eye shall be utterly darkned . hath god given any a right hand , any abilities ? take heed god doth not strike that right hand , or right eye , any quickness of parts , let them take heed that thorough abuse it be not put out : how many shepherds when they were young had many excellent parts , great abilities , but having abused them to their lusts , god hath taken them away ! so in children , there is no such way to lose your children , as to abuse them , if your hearts be inordinately set upon them , god takes them away . i will tell you of a speciall passage of providence concerning this , & i speak it the rather , because i was an eye and eare witnesse of it , living not far from the place , a godly man desiring his friends to meete to blesse god for his blessings in a plentifull harvest , after dinner was done comes in a little child , who was indeed a very lovely child , oh saith the father , i am afraid i shal make a god of this child ; by and by the child was missing , and presently they went to looke him , and hee was found sprawling drowned in a pond . consider this ye parents who have your hearts inordinately set on your children . againe , i will take away my corne , and my wine , and my wool , and my flaxe . marke , before they made them their own , in the former verse , they said they are theirs , now god challenges them for his , here we have , my , my , my , repeated on gods side , as frequent as before it was on theirs . fourthly , god keepes the propriety of all that we have ; though god gives all , yet he keepes the propriety of all in his own hand : god hath another propriety in our estates , then any prince in the world hath . subjects have propriety in their estates , and enjoy them with as true a right as their soveraignes , but no creature hath any propriety in what it hath in reference to god , this great soveraign of all the world holds the propriety of all his hands , not onely what we have , but what we doe , and what we are is all gods : yea sayes luther , even our thanksgiving to god for gifts is a gift of god : it is therefore a very vile thing to attribute to our selves what is gods , when god hath enriched us we adde this odious particle , sayes luther , i have done it , yea , sayes he , men do so often say , feci , feci , i have done , i have done it , that fiunt faeces , they are as dregs before the lord ; by this you may see they are not your goods that you abuse it is a great argument to be bountifull and free for good uses ; because what wee have is gods. i will give you a notable text for this , chron. . . for all things come of thee , and of thine own we have given thee . david thought not much of his bounty towards the temple , because all was gods. therefore i will take away . this [ therefore ] hath not onely reference to the abuse of them , but to that in the . ver . and she shall follow after her l●vers , but shall not overtake them , &c. then shall she say , i will goe and return to my first husband , for then it was better then now . god makes this to be a meanes of working that frame of spirit in them of returning to their first husband . and from hence the note is . fifthly , the taking away those good things we enjoy , is a meanes of making us returne to god , it is a speciall meanes of conviction , to convince us of sinne , when god comes with some speciall worke of his against us , it workes more upon us when we see some reall expression of gods displeasure , when god takes his mercies from us then when we heare the threat , now wee come to be sensible of our sinnes . you that are tradesmen and runne into debt , and your creditors tell you they will come upon you , yet you goe on , till the bailife comes into your shop and seizeth upon all , and goes into your house and takes away your bed from under you , and all your goods ; when you see all goe out , then you thinke of your negligence , and then the husband and wife wring their hands . so though god threaten you for the abuse of the creature that hee will take it away , yet you are not sensible of it till god indeed takes away all , and then conscience begins to be awakened and fly in your faces . vvhen david saw god taking away his people , then his heart smote him for numbring them ; hee was told of the evill of that way of his before by ioab , but he goes on in it . vvhen samuel prayed for raine in wheat harvest , and there came thundring and lightning , then the people feared exceedingly , and acknowledged their sin in asking a king. those who have abused their estates in these times , when the enemy comes , what gratings of conscience will they have ? then these thoughts will arise , have i used my estate for god ? have i done that i might doe ? have i not satisfied my lusts with those things god hath now taken from me ? there is usually a grating of conscience for the abuse of any thing , when god takes it away . when god takes away a wife , if the husband hath a tenderness of conscience , his first thoughts are , have i performed the duties of my relation to my wife as i ought ? have i not neglected my duty towards her ? and this causeth sad thoughts . and when god taketh away a child . have i done my duty towards this child ? have i prayed for it , and instructed it as i ought ? againe , i will take away your corne in the time thereof , and your wine in the season thereof . this presents this truth to you . that there is an uncertainty in all things in the world ; though they promise faire , yet they are ready to faile us , when they promise most . a husbandman that hath a good seed time , promiseth much to himselfe , it comes up and thrives , and yet at harvest it is all blasted . habak . . . though the labour of the olive faile , the phrase is , though the labour of the olive lye , that is , the olive promised faire , it grew up , and looked very faire , and ripened , but it did lye , that is , it did not performe what it seemed to promise , for in the time thereof it vanished and came to naught . i had certain information from a reverend minister , of a strange work of god this way ; the thing was , in his owne towne there was a worldling who had a great crop of corne ; a good honest neighbour of his walking by his corne , saith he , neighbour you have a very fine crop of corne , if god blesse it : yea , saith he , i will have a good crop , speaking contemptuously and before he could come to get it into the barne , it was blasted , that the corn of the whole crop was not worth six pence . here we see the uncertainty of the creature in the time thereof , when it seemes to promise never so faire , when wee are ready to take it into the barne , it depends on god , as well as when it is under the clods . oh the blessednesse of gods servants , who are sure of their good for time to come ! we may promise our selves certainty , even for the future in the things of christ ; but for outwards they are never sure , no not when men have them in their hands . many things fall out betweene the cup and lip , as we have it in the proverb . i will take away my corne in the time thereof , and wine in the season thereof . hence observe . god lets out his displeasure many times to those that provoke him , when they make account of the greatest mercy , when they are at the greatest height of prosperity , when afflictions seems to be the farthest off from them , then it comes heaviest upon them : when they thinke least of it , when they thinke all sure , then god comes upon them by his displeasure , when his displeasure shall be most bi●ter to them : for that is the strength of the point , he will not onely take them away in the time thereof , but when the affliction shall be most grievous to them . that in the . of job , ver . . is a most notable scripture for this , in the fulnesse of his sufficiency he shall be in straits . a man may seeme to have sufficiency of the creature , and may have his fulnesse of sufficiency , yet god saith he shall be in straits in the fulnesse of his sufficiency , i can give you another admirable work of providence in this very things wherein you may see god to come in sore affliction at such a time , when it is most bitter : it came from that worthy divine doctor preston , it was in the towne where he was born ; there was a man who of long time had no childe , but when god gave him one , at the weaning of it hee called his friends and neighbours to rejoyce with him for this great mercy : and the nurse going to dandle the child in her arme , and wearing a knife in her bosom , the point of the knife being upward , while she was dandling of the child , runs into the belly of the child , at that time when all his friends were about him to rejoyce with him . when men thinke the bitternesse of death to be past , ( as agag did ) the curse of god comes on them . ps . . . while the meate was in their mouths , the wrath of god fell upon them . i have read of pope john the . that he said he knew by the position of the stars he should live a long time , and boasted that he could cast his nativity , and the same night by the fall of a chamber he had newly built for his solace , he was s●ain . another example in this kind i have heard credibly reported of a drunken fellow in an inne was swearing most dreadfully , and one comes in and saith , sir , what if you should dye now ? saith hee , i shall never eye , and going down the stairs when he went out of his chamber , he presently feldown and broke his neck . there is likewise a history of one bibulus a roman , that riding in triumph in all his glory , a tyle fel from a house in the street and knockt out his brains . as on the contrary , gods wayes and dealings with the saints are such , as what time their condition is most sad , god comes in with mercy to them , when they are in the most dark condition and gloomish , gods face shines on them ; so when the wicked are in their prosperity , god smites them , when the irons entred into iosephs soule , god delivered him . when the apostle had received the sentence of death in himself , god comforred him cor. . . when abraham was lifting up his hand to slay isaac , the angel of the lord stayed his hand . as it is observed in nature , a little before day breake it is darker then before , so a little before the happinesse of gods people , there are some great afflictions . zech. . . at the evening time it shall be light . i will recover . from this phrase of [ recovering ] observe , first , when men abuse mercies , they forfeit their right in their mercies , they come then to be but usurpers ; they are not usurpers of mercies , meerely for the use of mercies , but for the abuse of them ; they are not charged for their right to use them , but for their not right using them , there is great difference between these two . it hath beene taught by many , that all wicked men have no right at all to use any creature , but are to answer as usurpers before god. but certainely there is a mistake . it is certain man hath forfeited all , but god hath given a right to all that they do enjoy in a lawful way , a right by donation . they have not such a right as the saints have , a right in christ , once being in christ we may challence of god all things that are good for us . another man hath right , but how ? as a malefactor is condemned to dye by his offence , being condemned , he hath forfeited all his estate , and all the benefit of a subject ; but if the king be pleased to allow him provision for a day or two , till the time of execution , he cannot be challenged as an usurper , for that he hath , he hath it by donation , and it is such a right that all wicked men have ; all wicked men in the world are under the sentence of condemnation , & have forfeited their right , and all the good of the creature , only the lord is pleased out of his bounty to give such and such enjoyments , they shall have such and such houses , and such and such lands for a time , till the day of execution comes . this might daunt the hearts of wicked men : you look upon your selves as great men , you have your shops full , you have large estates , you are like some malefactors , who have a better supper before execution then others . but still your not right using may make you usurpers before god. you give your servant order to buy such and such commodities , suppose your servant run away with your money , or bestow it on his whores , &c. if he run away do you not follow him as a thiefe ? you trust him with such a stock , to keepe such markets , now he hath right to use your estate ; but if he run away with your estate , and use it against you , if you meet with him again , you will say , what a thief are you to run away with your masters estate , and abuse it against him ? i will recover , &c. all the time the creature serves wicked men , it is in bondage , and god looks upon it with a kinde of pitty . god hath made all things for his owne praise , and he gives the children of men many mercies , but it is for his owne glory ; but when these creatures which were given for the glory of god , are abused to thy lust , the creature groanes under thee . thou drinkest wine , but the creature groans under thy abuse ; never any gally-slave did groan more under the bondage of the turks , then thy wine and thy dishes on thy table groan under thy abuse , rom. . . as god hears the cry of the widow and fatherless , so he hears the groans of the creature . cornelius a lapide tels a story that he heard of a famous preacher , shewing this bondage of the creature , brings in the creatures complaining thus , oh that we could serve such as are godly ! oh that our substance & our flesh might be incorporated into godly people , that so we might rise into glory ! but if our flesh be incorporated into the flesh of sinners , we shall go to hell , and would any creature go to hell ? the very creatures shall be in hell eternally , when wicked men consume them on their lusts , being incorporated into their bodies . certainly , the creature one day wil have a kind of revenge upon ungodly men , & divers think that hell will be a turning all creatures into a chaos , into a confusion again as it was at the first , and the wicked put into that , and so tormented there , there shal not be an annihilation , but god shall take away the beauty , comfort & glory of the creature , and whatsoevershal be for the torment of ungodly men shal abide , and so they shall bee tormented eternally by the creatures they do abuse . as in such a building as this is , there is lime and stone , and morter , but now the art of man puts a beauty upon them ; but suppose all the art of man were taken away from this building , at an instant , what would become of us then ? it would bury us in the rubbish of it ; now it is usefull and delightfull , but if the art were taken away , it would be our destruction . so the creatures of god have much of gods wisedome , power and goodnesse in them , which god suffers wicked men to enjoy ; but god will take away all his wisdome , beauty and goodnesse , so that nothing but the confusion & rubbish of the creature shall be upon the wicked to all eternity . i will recover my wooll and my flaxe given to cover their nakednesse . whence observe , god gives his blessings to us , not for luxury , but for necessity ; i gave them to cover your nakednesse . therefore when our saviour teacheth us to pray ▪ it is for dayly bread , or bread which is for our substance , so much bread as serves for our substance , and that but for a day neither . most are abusive in their desires , after , and use of the creature , they looke at bravery rather then necessity ; as cyprian hath an expression , it is not the heat of their cloathes , nor calor , but color , the colour is rather regarded by many . god lookes now especially that we should cut of our superfluities , when our br●thren want necessareis . to cover your nakednesse . it seemes that our nakednesse needs a cover . sin hath made nakednesse shamefull . hence therefore our bodies are called vile bodies ; those bodies that we study so much to pamper and adorne , they are bodies of vilenesse , as the apostle speakes , phil. . . yea , of that vilenesse with an article , or of the vilensse ; to be proud of our cloathes that cover our shame , that cover our nakednesse is an unreasonable thing . would you have your bodies adorned ? labour for godlinesse , and then you shall have bodies like the glorious body of jesus chrst ; you may have bodies that shall not need a covering . lastly , when abundance is abused , it is just with god that we should want necessaries , i will take away their corne , &c. how many are there who have lavished out their estates , upon whom you may see gods judgement so grievous , that they want a piece of bread ; now you often tell your lavish wasting servants , they will be glad of a crust before they dye ; it proves true often of masters and mistresses also , who out of pride and delicacy of spirit , will be so fine & brave above their ranks , that god doth blast them that they have not to cover their nakednesse . those in the third of isa , who had that gorgeous and brave attire , are threatned with baldnesse , and grinding with sackcloath , ver . . and such as come to misery by their wasting superfluity have none to pitty them . i have read of alfonsus a king of spaine , who when a knight falling into want and being arrested for debt , there was a petition to the king to succour him , i saith the king , if he had spent his estate in mine , or in the common-wealths service , it were reason he should be provided for , by me or the common-wealth , but seeing he hath spent all in rio●ousness , let him suffer . consider this you who are so loath to part with your estates for the publicke , you murmure at every thing that is required of you for that , but you are profuse in expences for your lust , god hath wayes to bring you low enough in your estares . ver. . and now i will discover her lewdnesse . and now , that is , when i recover my wooll , and flaxe , i will discover her lewdnesse , i will take their covers from their own eyes , and from the eyes of others . wicked men , and especially idolaters have divers covers for their lewdnesse . there are especially three covers that these people had for their lewdness . the first was their outward prosperity : do you speak so bitterly against us , as if we were idolaters , as if we had forsaken god , are we not in as good a condition as judah , who you say hath not forsaken god ? secondly , their externall worship is that yet they kept something according to gods own mind , they yet kept the sabbath and some solemn dayes according to the law , this cover they rested in ; as if they should say , what doe you accuse us as if we did not worship the true god , have not we gods service with us , and our solemne assemblies ? thirdly , they had other services which were not gods , yet they did cover them , with glorious pompous shewes , they had pompous dayes of solemnity , pretended for god , but being of their own invention , they were hatefull . well saith god , i will take away your prosperity , and i will take away those things you thinke to put me off with , i will take away your solemnicies , and all the pomp in your services . i will discover their lewdnesse . the word lewdnesse , that comes of nabal , that signifieth to fall , it signifies the falling of the spirit low , poor , vile , and unworthy things . hence the hebrews use that word for a foole , one that hath a vi●e spirit , set upon base contemptible things , is nabal , a foole . hence that speech of abigail concerning her husband , as is his name , so is he , he is nabal , and folly is with him . the seventy turne this by another word , that signifieth uncleannesse , the mixture of their spirits with vile things that make their spirits to be unclean . the english word lewd comes from loed an old saxon word , which signifieth one that is of a servile disposition , of an under spirit ; some are of servile spirits naturally , they are born to a kind of servility , & bondage , they are inclined to baseness , and vileness , by their natural genius : others are of more sublime spirits naturally , as if they were borne for great things ; these people are lewd , they have vile spirits , forsaking the blessed god , & his glorious wayes , turning to vanities that can doe no good . so we say of many , they are lewd base fellowes , that is , they are of such sordid dispositions , that they seeke only after such things as have no worth in them , & satisfie themselves in things beneath the excellency of a man , unbeseeming a rationall creature to take content in . act. . . we finde this word lewdnes , the greek word translated there lewdness doth elegantly set forth the disposition of a lewd man , namely , such a one as is easily drawn to any wicked way . i will discover her lewdnesse in the sight of her lovers . in the sight ; this is a great aggravation of their shame . god will cast filth on them , not before those that are strangers , but those before whom they would be honoured . it is a note of calvin upon this , that seemes to reach the meaning of the holy ghost , alluding to the way of whores , who having great men for their lovers , favourites with princes at the court , they rest on their power , and confide in their greatness , they care not what their husbands can doe against them , and so grow proud against their husbands , because their lovers have great power . there was a remarkable example of this here in england , that you may remember , it were but to ●ake in a filthy dunghill to mention it . i will take away their confidence , though their lovers be never so great , the assyrians , and aegyptians , whosoever they be , they shall have no power to help you , but i will discover their lewdnesse before their face . from hence take these observations . first , all wickednesse , and especially idolatry , hath many covers for it ; except we looke very narrowly to those that are superstitious and idolatrous , we shall not see the evill of that sin . some covers are subtilly woven , but it may be said of them all as isa . . . the bed is shorter then that a man can stretch himselfe on it , and the covering narrower then that he can wrap himselfe in it . secondly , prosperity in a sinfull way is a great cover ; though it be a very vile and sinfull way , yet prosperity is a cover to it : this glisters so in many mens eyes , that the filth of sin is hid , many a foule hand is under a faire perfumed glove , an ill complexion may have a painted face , and prosperity is no other to wicked men , then a painted face to a foul woman . as a painted face is no argument of a faire complexion , so neither is prosperity of a good condition . crooked diseased bodies , halfe rotten , may have fine cloths . green leaves on a tree may hide the rifts , the mossiness , and blackness of the body which appears in winter . many men are abominable false in all their wayes , cruell , and bloody in their hearts against god and good men , their spirits are invenomed , and they have given up themselves to most horrible sins , yet so long as they have power about them all is covered , were all their prosperity taken from them , and all their glory and greatness , and nothing but their falshood , and hatred of the wayes of god appeared , what dreadfull creatures would they bee ? there is many a man that is taken with a strumpet , when shee hath painted her selfe bravely like iezebel , but if he should see this whore whipped up & down the streets , and full of botches , how odious would this strumpet be in his eyes ? take away her bravery , and she is to him the ioathsomest creature upon earth . thirdly , retaining some truths in the way of worship is a great cover to much falsenes . when some of you are to pay a great sum , you can shuffle in a brasse six pence or shilling , or a light piece of gold : so some , though they retaine many errors , yet because they keep some truths , they think to cover much superstition . false wares will be holpen off amongst good , and a man that useth to lie will sometimes tell some truths to put off a lie . a man that is a base selfe-secker , will many times deny himselfe ; many times you shall have the proudest spirits that are , to bee as crowching and subject to those that are their superiours as any , and so by seeming humility , cover a great deale of pride . so the evill of ceremonies , and false discipline , passe without much contradiction , you must not trouble your selves about these things , and why have not we as wholsome soule-saving doctrine as in any church in the world ? because of this the corruption of the other is covered , much hypocrisie is covered under excellent gifts , the gifts are gifts of gods spirit , but they oftentimes cover much vileness . further observe , outward pompous devotion in gods worship is a great colour of notorious idolatry , as gilded crosses , painted churches , pompous ceremonies : how hath it covered the most desperate hatred to the power of godlinesse that ever was ? i will discover thy lewdnesse . god hath a time to discover wickednesse , it shall appeare one day in its colours , vile and abominable wickednesse shall not always goe uncovered . god will not discover her infirmities , neither should we ; wee should doe as god doth , discover the lewdnesse of men , but not their infirmities love covers a multitude of faults , if they be but infirmities . and when you discover the lewdnesse of others , take heed you do not discover your owne lewdnesse in the mean time . many when they go about to discover the lewdnesse of other men , do it with such bitternesse of spirit , and with rejoycing , that they have got any advantage against those that are religious , if they heare any reports against such , whether true or false they care not , they relate it confidently , something will stick . this is for men to discover their own lewdnesse , when they cry out against the lewdnesse of others . those who are wise and understanding , are able easily to see it ; but if wee would not have god discover our lewdnesse , let us get such a cover as shall never be uncovered ▪ you may have many shifts to cover your sinnes that are not large enough , but i wil tell you of a cover that is large enough to cover all : what is that ? the righteousnesse of jesus christ . psal . . . blessed is he whose transgresison is forgiven , whose sin is ●overed . there is a cover that covers from the eyes of god and man for ever . i will discover her lewdness in the sight of her lovers . i will take such a way to manifest her vile lewdness before her lovers , that she shall neither prevail with them , nor be upheld by them . whence observe , when god discovers mens lewdness , they shal do little hurt . tim. . . but they shall proceed no farther , for their folly shall bee made manifest to all men . there are many who have secretly gained on the spirits of other men , by faire pretences , that they will doe nothing but thus and thus , and they seek nothing but the publicke good , and they desire the furtherance of the gospel , but when opertunity shall serve , there shall be a ciscovering that their intentions goe another way then their words seemed to import , and then they shall proceed no further , for they shal be vile and contemptible in the eyes of those with whom they prevailed before . againe , further , i will doe it in the sight of their lovers . when god sets himself against his enemies , he will goe through his work in the face of all those that seekes the contrary , doe what they can . god needs no shifts , no tricks nor devices to carry on his work , but he can carry it on in the sight of his adversaries , he will carry on his worke , and shame them in the sight of their lovers , and bring them downe low , doe what they can . god can make use of the wisedome and policy of men , and hee can make as much use of their indiscretion , as he hath done of late . the great workes of god amongst us of late have been carryed on with a high hand in the sight of those that have been our adversaries ; what discoveries have there been of the filth of men ? how hath their nakedness been made naked ? what charges in their conditions ? what contempt hath god cast in the face of those that were the great champions sor lewdnesse , and that in the very face of their lovers ? their lovers looked on them , and had as good a heart to them as ever , there was little or no change in the hearts of their lovers ; and though their lovers were as eager for them as ever , yet their shame hath been discovered . this scripture is as cleerely made good this day , as any scripture in the book of god. againe , in the face of their lovers . dishonour before those we expect honour from , is a sad , a great evill . oh , saith saul , honour me before the people . saul cared not much if hee were dishonored before strangers , but he would be honored before the people . it is such a thing to be dishonoured before those that we would be honoured before , that the stronger a mans spirit is , the more intolerable the burden is ; one of a mean and low spirit , doth not much care for dishonour any where , but a man that hath strength of spirit indeed , counts it the worst thing that can be to be dishonoured before those that love him . this we finde among many tradesmen that are civill at home , but if they get among strangers , oh how lewd are they in an inne ! those that love god and the saints , are most afraid to have their evill discovered before god and the saints , for a gracious heart desires honour from them most . one that is godly can beare disgrace , any contemptuous abuse from many of those that are profane , rather then from one that is godly . wicked men care not for dishonour among the saints , because they care not for their love . if dishonour before lovers be such a shame , what will dishonour before god at the great day be , and before the saints and wicked men too who were your lovers ? i will discover their lewdness in the sight of their lovers . when i take away their corne , and wine , and flaxe , and these things , their lovers will be ashamed of them . the way of carnall friends are to esteem of men when they are in prosperity , but when they are down in adversity , then they contemn them . huntsmen when they would single out a deer , they shoot her first , and as soon as the blood appears , all the rest goe out of her company , and push her from them . it is so with carnall friends , if a man be in affliction , if they see their friend shot , they look aloofe from him . wee have had wofull experience of this of late , when many godly ministers were persecuted , those who before had seemed to be their lovers , grew strange unto them . in a sun-shine day , men that passe by look on a dyall , but in a darke stormy day , a hundred may ride by it and never look to it . when wee are in a sun-shine day of prosperity , men will look towards us ; but if the gloomy day of adversity come , then they passe by without regard to us . i● a man of fashion come to a house , the dogs will be quiet , but when a beggar comes in raggs , they flye upon him . it is apparant by this , that men in their prosperity are not regarded for any thing in themselves , but for their prosperities sake , for their moneys sake , for their cloathes sake . suppose any of you have a servant goes up and downe with you , and you know whither soever you goe , the respect that is given , is not for your sake , but for your servants sake , you go to such a house , and they use you kindly , only for your servants sake , you take it very ill . this is all the respect that men have from false lovers , it is not for any good in them , it is for their prosperity , for their servants sake ; o how vaine is respect from the world ! if you be gracious , god will not deal with you thus ; if you have your estates taken from you , god will not despise you as carnall friends doe . psal . . . for he hath not despised nor abhorred the affliction of the afflicted . when the saints are afflicted , god doth not hide his face from them , but when they cry to him he hears them . yet further we see here , carnall hearts have a great deale of confidence in many things they trust to , in time of danger they will not believe but they shall escape . let us not be troubled at the confidence our enemies have , they doubt not but to prevaile ; this is from the curse of god upon them ; their case is never so desperate , but they have something to shelter themselves in their own thoughts : oh what a shame is it that any thing is rather trusted in , then god! the husbandman casts seed-corn that costs dearer then any other corne into the ground : the merchant trusts all his estate to the winds & waves of the sea , & if they saile , all is gone ; you trust servants with busines of weight . if you goe to westminster , you trust your lives in a boat halfe an inch thicke , god is not trusted so much , that blessed god who is the only true object of soule-confidence . lastly , when god sets himselfe against a generation of men , or any particular , all the means in the world shall not help . ezek. . the prophet had a vision of six men with weapons of war in their hands ; there were six principall gates in jerusalem , and god would set these sixe men with weapons in their hands at each gate , that if they run to this , or the other , or any gate , the man with the weapon in his hand should be sure to take them , they should not escape . amos , . . seeke him that maketh the seven stars and orion ; why are these named seven stars and orion ; the one is the extreame of cold , and the other of heate ; the lord hath the power of both : if they escape the heat , the cold shall take them ; if the cold , the heate shall take them : and i likewise , saith the lord , can make both these helpfull to you as i please . hence there is such blasting of means , for the cursing of those whom god sets himselfe against ; let us not be afraid of the great assistance that our adversaries have , though they have great assistance , they are in gods hand , and none can deliver out of gods hand ; all their strength is but as tow and flaxe before the flame of fire . if god be in a way of mercy , none can take out of his hands , isa . . . there is none can deliver out of my hand , i will worke , and who shall let it ? wherefore it is a fearfull thing to fall into the hand of god when he is in a way of wrath , and it is a blessed thing to be in his hand when he is in a way of mercy , for none can deliver out of either . christ holds the stars , not only ministers , but all his elect in his hand , and none can take them out . i will give you a notable example in gods preservation in times of danger : in the time of the massacre at paris , there was a poor man , who for his deliverance crept into a hole , and when he was there , there comes a spider and weaves a cobweb before the hole ; when the murtherers came to search for him , saith one , certainly he is got into that hole : no saith another , he cannot be there , for there is a cobweb over the place ; and by this meanes the poore man was preserved . the hope of the wicked , job saith , is as the spiders web ; yet if god please he can make a cobweb to deliver his people . the least things shall deliver when he will , and the greatest meanes of deliverance shall not deliver when he pleases . the eighth lecture . hosea . . i will also cause all her mirth to cease , her feast dayes , her new moones , and her sabbaths , and all her solemne feasts . the lord proceeds still in his threats against israel , in this verse we have as sore a threat as any , for it is in part spirituall . her mirth , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , so the seventy reade it , the word signifieth the right temper , the right posture of the minde , when the minde is in a right frame , then it may be merry ; whosoever is merry ( saith s. james ) let him sing ; there the word though not the same , yet signifying the same thing ; who ever hath his minde in a right frame , let him sing . no man can be truly merry except his minde be in a right frame . i will cause [ all ] her mirth . god many times takes away from his saints much of the matter of their mirth , but never takes away all . this is a dreadfull threat to cause all their mirth to cease . i will cause it to cease . i will turne it away , so the seventy . i can soone have all their mirth down , they shall never be able to rejoyce more if i please ; it is gone all with the turn of a hand . it appeares that israel , though an apostatizing people , though a people of gods wrath , designed to dreadfull judgements , yet was a merry jocund people , they went on still in their mirth and joviallity . that which is here implyed , is more fully exprest in amos chap. . . who was contemporary with hosea , and hee was the prophet of the ten tribes as hosea was , now see there how amos setteth forth the mirth of this people , they lye upon beds of ivory , and stretch themselves upon their couches , and eate the lambes out of the flock , and the calves out of the middst of the stall , they chaunt to the sound of the violl , and invent to themselves instruments of musick like david , they drinke wine in bowles , and anoint themselves with the chiefe oyntment . this was their condition when they were under such fearfull guilt and in such dreadfull danger . sensuall men , while they prosper , they looke upon themselves as above the word , and blesse themselves in the satisfying of their own carnal desires , as if it were but a poore low and meane thing for them to be under the power of the word , to feare sin and threatnings , it is too low for such brave spirits as they have ; but , come let us sing away all care , let us live merrily , let us take our pleasure for the present , and crowne our selves with rose-buds . this is the disposition of carnall hearts under all their guilt and danger ; they swim delightfully in that river of jordan , and suddenly fall into the dead sea ; they spend their dayes in pleasure , and in a moment go down into hell . this is all the portion of their cup they receive from the lord : they have a little joy here , this is all they are like to have , and therefore they will take their fill of what they have . but this will not hold . i will cause this mirth to cease . sinne and mirth can never hold long together ; there must be a separation between them . the union that there is betweene sinne and mirth at any time , it is a forced union ; god never joynes them together , and if you will joyne those things god never joyned , your joyning cannot hold : sinne is of such a canker-fretting nature , as it will soone fret out all the varnish of mirth and joy that is upon it . if you will not take away sinne from your mirth , god will take away mirth from your sin . it is indeed the happinesse of the saints that they shall have everlasting joy , the pleasures at gods right hand are for evermore , but the pleasures of sin must cease . thirdly , when afflictions come upon the wicked they are all amort , their joy , their mirth is gone . we say of fire , it congregates things of the same kinde , and separates things that are of diverse kinds . so it is with the fire of affliction , it congregateth things of the same nature , as thus , sinne and horror , trouble , anguish , sorrow , vexation , accusation of conscience , condemnation , these are of the same kinde ; sin and these are homogenall ; now when affliction commeth , it congregateth all these ; here is sinne , yea but sorrow , and anguish , and horror of conscience seemeth now not to be together with your sinne , but when the fire of affliction comes it joynes all these together . on the other side , sin and joy , and prosperity , and peace , these are heterogeneall , things of another kinde , now when the fire of affliction comes , it separates these heterogeneall things ; then the hearts of the wicked sinke as lead , they lye down in sorrow , the candle of the wicked is blown out , all their mirth and joy it is but the light of a candle , affliction makes all to be but as a stinking snuffe . and indeed ungodly men when affliction comes are men of the poorest spirits of any men , they quickly dye , they succumb , they fall downe under the least weight of affliction ; they seeme to have brave spirits , to out-brave the word of god , but they have poore , meane , and low spirits when they come to beare gods hand upon them ; affliction takes away all their good , that they conceive and understand good . there is nothing within them to support them , there is nothing but darknesse and blacknesse within , nothing but guilt and gnawings of the worme ; and they looke upon every suffering they indure but as the beginning of eternall suffering ; and there is the venome and curse of god goes together with their affliction , which drinks up their spirits . oh the happy advantage the saints have in their afflictions over that the wicked have in theirs ! they have spirits indeed that well may be called brave spirits , that can stand under the greatest weight of affliction , and that with joy , in the midst of them ; paul can rejoyce in tribulation , yea and glory in it too . they have comfort in the creature , but they are not beholding to the creature for comfort ; they depend not upon the creature for comfort , their joy is a great deale higher ; that is precious light indeed that no storme can blow out . see an example of a brave spirit that way , that in the midst of affliction can have the light of joy , habak . . . although the figtree shall not blosome , neither shall fruit be in the vines , the labour of the olive shall faile , and the fields shall yeeld no meate , the flocke shall be cut off from the fold , and there shall be no herd in the stals ; what then ? yet i will rejoyce in the lord , i will joy in the god of my salvation : all their joy shall not cease ; perhaps in times of affliction , in sad dismall times , they may abate somewhat of their outward joy , but all their mirth shall not cease , there shall be joy within , though none without . lastly , i will cause all the mirth to cease . all our mirth depends upon god , he can take it away when he pleaseth . god is called in scripture , the god of all consolation ; joy is gods propri●ty , he gives it when he will , and takes it away when he will. tou have an excellent text for gods hand in taking away joy from the hearts of men when he pleaseth , it is lamen . . . give them sorrow of heart , thy curse upon them : marke it ; now that word that is translated sorrow of heart ( i especially take the note from thence ) a word that comes from that that signifies a helmet , or a shield to fence of any thing , or to cover a thing as a thing is covered by a shield and helmet ; and it doth note to us that disease which physitians call cardiaca passio , a kinde of disease whereby the heart is so opprest , and there is such a stopping , that it is as it were covered sicut scuto , as with a shield , there is a lid as it were put over the heart , a shield to keepe out all things that should comfort , and to fence off all things that may be taken to be any refreshments to the spirits ; let the most precious cordials in the world be given to those that have that disease , they cannot be refreshed by any of them , and so the heart comes to be suffocated with sorrow . this is the meaning of the word here , lord give them sorrow of heart ; put them into such a condition , as that their hearts may be so stopped and stifled with sorrow , that what ever meanes shall be used to bring any comfort to them , let it be kept off , that no creature in the world may be able to afford the least refreshment to them ; they were wont to shield and fence off thy vvord : when thy word was used to be delivered to them , wherein the treasures of thy mercies were , and they heard the sweet promises of the gospel opened , yet they fenced off thy word as with a shield ; now when they are in affliction let their hearts be choaked so , and let there be such a fence put upon their hearts , that though there be never so many promises brought to them , they may be fenced off by the secret curse . as , doe we not finde many wretches who have lived under the gospel , and fenced off the treasures of mercies opened to them , when they have beene in affliction they have beene in horrible desperation , and whensoever any thing out of the gospel hath been spoken to them for their comfort , they have had strange kinde of fences to put off such things ; as those that reade the story of spira , may wonder what a cunning fencer he was to fence off all comfort that was brought to him . this was from the lord , lord give them sorrow of heart , that is , lord put such a shield upon their hearts , as all comfort may be fenced of from them . we see ( my brethren ) how we depend upon god for comfort , we all cry out for comfort , let us know and take to heart our dependance upon god for it , god can fence our hearts from comfort when he pleaseth , let us take heed we doe not fence of his word form our hearts . i will cause all her mirth to cease , her feast dayes . these two are put together , for the hearts of men when they enjoy a more liberall use of the cheature then ordinary , and are amongst cheerfull company are warmed , raised and inflamed at such times , if the heart of a man be gracious , and hee feasts in a gracious way , his heart is warmed , and cheered , and inlarged in things that are good ; so the heart of the wicked when they are at their feasts , all their lusts are warmed , and their spirits are raised & strengthned in the things that are evil . you have a notable example of the cheering and raising of the hearts of men in good things in the time of feasts , chro. . . the feast that hezekiah made for the people of jerusalem in that great passeover , the text saith that they kept the feast of unleavened bread seven dayes with great gladness , and vers . . the whole assembly tooke counsell to keep other seven days , & they kept other dayes with gladness . now mark how their hearts were raised , and mightily up upon this , chap. . ver . . when all was finished , all israel that were present went out to the cities of iudah , and brake the images in pieces , and cut down the groves , and threw downs the high places and the altars out of all iudah and benjamine , in ephraim also and manasseth , untill they had utterly destroyed them all . their hearts being up , and their feasts being in a gracious way , they were so inflamed , that now they tooke upon them a mighty courage in doing great things for god. it were well if it were always so with us when god calleth us to feasting , ( as sometimes he doth , though not now ) that our hearts were alwayes up in our feasting , warmed and inlarged to do much good . it is that which hath been the honour of this citie , that in their companies feasting yearly , they were wont heretofore usually when they had rejoyced one with another , when their hearts were up , to consult together what good to do for their countries in which they were borne , and then to resolve to send the preaching of the word to such a great town where most of them were bred , and to such another towne . this was a gracious feasting , and for this they were much envyed at : and though these feasts were prohibited upon other pretences , yet the hindering this good done at those times , lay in the bottome of that prohibition . feasting also warms the lusts , and desperately inflameth wicked resolutions of ungodly men . when a company of ungodly men met together in a tavern , and there have drunk and eat liberally , how desperately are they set against the ways of godlines ! then they scorn and jeer godly ministers , and parliament , and christians ; they are then as if they were above god , their tongues are their owne , and who shall controule them ? and all when their lusts are heated with wine and good cheer . mark that scripture , ps . . . with hypocriticall mockers at feasts , they gnashed upon me with their teeth . here is scorning and violence , gnashing upon the psalmist with their teeth , and this at their feasts . hos . . . in the daye of our king , the princes have made him sick with bottles of wine , he stretched out his hand with scorners . they brought bottles of wine , and when his lusts were heated with wine and good cheere , then hee joyned with them in scorning the wayes and worship of god ; they scorned at all those that would goe up to jerusalem to worship according to the institution , these must be so precise that they will not joyne with us , as if wee had not the worship of god among us , they tel tales to jeroboam and the other princes of the godly who would not yeeld to their idolatrous wayes of worship , they scorned at their precisenesse ; now saith the text , the king stretched out his hand with scorners , takes them by the hand , and encourageth them in that way , and tells them he will take a course with them , not one of them shall be suffered to live in his dominions . their hearts were put all agog with their feasts , but god hath a time to take away feasting times from a people , a time when those who have delighted themselves so in the use of the creatures , shall have all those merry meetings and brave times cease , never feast more , never meet with such merry company more ; as that pope adrian said when he was a dying , o my soule whither art thou going ? thou shalt never be more merry . for kingdomes also , though there be times for feasting , yet there is a time of mourning ; and god seems this day to be comming to us to take away our feasts , to call upon us to spend our times in another way ; it were good for us to do what we can to prevent god , by humbling our selves in a voluntary way , to take away our owne feasts , and to change our festivities into humiliations . the times call for fasting now , rather then feasting ; and it is a most dreadfull sin then for men to give liberty to themselves for feasting , when god calls for mourning and fasting . it is not at your liberty to feast when you will. isa . . . is a most dreadfull place , that might make the hearts of those who are guilty in this kinde tremble . vers . . and in that day did the lord of hosts call to mourning , and to girding with sackcloath , and behold joy and gladness , slaying oxen , killing sheep , drinking wine . surely this iniquity shall not be purged from you till you die , saith the lord god of hosts . while the bread is taken away from our brethren , and the land is so miserably spoyled , and when such a black cloud hangeth over our heads , here is no time for festivities . whatsoever your customes have been , at this time now coming ( i mean that which you call your christmas festivity ) you are certainely bound now to turne it into a time of mourning ; for if wee should grant it lawfull for men to appoint holy-days that way , for feasting , ( of which more by and by ) yet certainly it cannot be but a sinfull thing , so to set those dayes apart , as whatsoever providence of god falls out , yet they will continue what they themselves have set . you will all grant this , that if it be lawfull to keep this time of festivity , yet this not that that god himselfe hath set apart and enjoyned . we never have it required by christ , or by his apostles , that at such a time , just when the yeer cometh about , that wee should have solemn dayes of festivity . well then , at the most , if we suppose it lawfull , it is but the institution of man ; if it be mans institution , then certainly it must give way to gods work , to providence . for man to put so much upon his institution , because hee hath appointed such a day when the yeer cometh about to rejoyce in , that whatsoever worke of god falls out in the mean time , that calls for humiliation and fasting , yet hee will hold to his own institution ; what is this my brethren but to make the commandements of god to be of none effect through mans tradition ? it is apparent breach of that scripture . for this is certaine now that it is the commandement of god that you should mourne and fast , if then because of mans institution you will put by the command of god , and now spend time in feasting and rejoycing , which ought not to be but in such times when god shines upon a kingdom in wayes of mercy , know this is sin unto you . if you can say that god shines upon us now in present extraordinary mercies then we may feast . i confess they are extraordinary mercies in regard of what wee may hope to be the event and effect of them ; but for the administrations of god towards us , they are such as if ever they called for fasting , they call for it at this day . therefore here by gods works amongst us , wee know we have gods will revealed to us , namely to fast ; the other at most is but mans institution and tradition . now the traditions of man must yeeld to the commandements of god. with what conscience now can you take such a plentifull use of the creature , and suffer your brethren to want cloaths and bread ? if god have yet granted to you such a comfortable estate that you have so much to spare as to feast , know you are bound in conscience then to lay out that in relieving your brethren who have been so cruelly used , therefore god brings them to you to be objects of your compassion . it would be very acceptable to god if so much as any of you have usually spent in feastings , or intended to spend in these twelve dayes , you would set it now apart for the reliefe of those who want bread , and set the time apart also for mourning in your families , that god would pardon the sinne of these times formerly committed . and now not only feasts in private families should cease , but the feasts of companies in your publique halls likewise . what abundance of poor plundered people might be relieved , if all that were spent in one yeere in the feasts of your companies , were laid aside for their use ! these are times for mercy , not for festivity ; if wee will not cease our feastings , let us know , god hath thousands of wayes to take away feasts from a kingdome , and to bring cleanness of teeth among us , i will take away their feasts , saith the lord. the main thing in this verse to be opened to you , is , what these feasts of the jews were . in the opening of all these we shal be put upon the opening of much scripture , and therefore i shall not make hast out of this verse . the words here are feasts and solmne feasts ; they are feasts both in your english , but the words in the hebr. differ much , the first comes from a word that signifies to rejoyce and leape , the second from a word that signifies a stated , a setled time . our english word feast comes of the greek 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a goddes , as the heathen so called , that which the latines call vesta , the goddess both of earth and of fire . the jewes had their civill feasts , and their holy feasts . amongst their holy feasts , some were of gods appointment , and some of their own . of gods appointment , some were more solemn , some lesse . their civill feasts were times wherein they tooke a more liberall use of the creature , in rejoycing one with another upon some specially occasion , this they called a good day , not a holy day , so you have it , esth . . . the jewes had joy and gladnesse , a feast and a good day , so they were wont to expresse the day of feasting , facere bonum diem , to make a good day to their brethren , it will appeare by examining that text of esther , that that day thought it was set to be kept every yeer , yet it was but as a good day to them , and could not be said to be a holy-day ; we do not read of any religious solemne exercise that they had for the day : such a day i take to bee our fifth of november , a good day , not a holy-day , wherein wee have a more liberall use of the creature then at other times , and remember the mercies of god with thanksgiving : but wee know the day is not set apart for this end , so as it is unlawfull to be exercised in any other thing , and we shall shew afterward , how that dayes cannot be set apart annually , or be made holy by men . their religious feasts which they presumed themselves to make holy , were [ their ] feasts rather then gods , and for that you have the example of jeroboam , he appointed a feast even of his own head ; it is in king. . , . and jeroboam ( saith the text ) ordained a feast in the eighth month , on the fifteenth day of the month , like unto the feast which is in iudah , so hee offered upon the altar which hee had made in bethel , the fifteenth day of the eighth month , even in the month which hee had devised of his owne heart , and ordained a feast unto the children of israel . marke here , ieroboam is rebuked for appointing a feast of his owne heart , like the feast god had appointed ; this is no excuse that he would be an imitator of god. this reason many think will justifie their superstitious way , they do but imitate what god did , as thus , god had an ephod for the priests , therefore they will have a holy garment ; god had a temple consecrated , they will have one so too god had his feast days and holy-dayes , they will have theirs too in imitation of god. this very thing that ieroboam did , hee is rebuked for , that he would set up a thing like unto gods. where god hath set his stamp upon any thing , wee must take heed wee presume not to set our own stamp . suppose any one should take a piece of silver , & should set just the same stamp as neer as he can that the king doth upon his coine , be it but a two-pence , the silver is his owne ; well , but if he come to be examined , why do you thus ? what hurt saith he is there in it ? i have done no more then the king , i have done but as he did ; why , may we not follow his example ? will this answer think you serve his turne ? it is as much as his life is worth : just such a plea is this , they will doe such and such things in gods worship , why ? god hath done so before , and they doe but imitate god ; there is as much strength in the one as in the other . therefore that word here [ devised of his owne heart ] in the hebrew comes from a word that signifies to lye , ieroboam did lye , isa . . he frustrateth the tokens of the lyars , it is the same word : jeroboam indeed in setting this day apart , he did it under a pretence to honour and worship god , but though it might seeme to make gods honour and worship better then before , yet the scripture puts the lie upon it , so the word is ; i thinke this was the reason he set it apart in the eighth month , the feast of tabernacles was the fifteenth day of the seventh month ; now he would not alter the day , but have it the same day that gods was , but in the eighth month , for the feast of tabernacles was appointed for this end , to praise god for the in-gathering of the fruits of the earth , and it was as upon our september ; now because upon the fifteenth of september perhaps all the creatures were not gathered in , there might be some remaining abroad , therefore ieroboam might have this device , he would stay till every thing be gathered in , till they had it in their barnes , and in their vessels ; when they had it all fully in , and it was fit to eate and drinke , then saith ieroboam , now it is the time to praise god , you praised god before when you were taking in of the fruits , but you have not taken them all in , you cannot come to use them , but now having them all in , and now being able to make use of them , now is the time to praise god. this was jeroboams wisdome , and he thought to make a feast to take the people rather then gods feast . there are no superstitious men but will have some argument and plea for their wayes , to take the hearts of people to embrace those wayes rather then gods simple , plaine and pure ordinances . well , but though jeroboam did it under this pretence , yet hee lies still ; so those men that will take upon them to sanctifie dayes , or places , or garments , or any gesture that god never did , though they say they doe it for gods honour , to make gods worship more glorious and decent ; yet it is a lie : just as those who will make images , brave golden images of god , o say they , it is for the honour of god , but marke what the text faith , hab. . . what profiteth the graven image that the maker thereof hath graven it , the m●lten image and a teacher of lyes ? if images be lay mens bookes , they are books that have abundance of err●aes in them , they are full of lies . here now ariseth the question about mans appointing feasts , whether there may he holy feasts ( taken so in a proper sence ) by mans appointment ? ieroboam is accused for it plainly : and gal. . . there is a charge upon the galatians , and that very severely . you observe dayes , and months , & times , and yeers , i am afraid of you le●t i have bestowed upon you labour in vaine . it appeares by this that peoples hearts are mightily set upon their feasts , their dayes , and months , and yeeres , they were loath to be taken off from them , so that the apostle speakes with a deale of bitternesse of spirit , i am afraid of you that i have lost my labour ; and indeed when godly ministers take paines amongst people whose hearts are set upon such things as these , for the most part they loose their labour , little good is done . yea will some say , to observe the jewish dayes after they were abolished by god , that was sinfull and dangerous , but we doe not keepe jewish days . but mark what these men say , god abolisheth his owne , and yet they thinke hee gives liberty to man to set up others . if this were so , that upon gods abolishing his own , men should have liberty to set up theirs , then the christians are under a more heavy bondage and grievous paedagogie then ever the jewes were , for it is better to have a hundred days of gods appointing , then one of mans , it is more honourable . further , if god appoint , there needs no scruple , as there is if man appoint ; yea , if god appoint , wee may expect a speciall blessing , and efficacy , and presence of god , we cannot expect such things in mans appointment . now if this were so , when god hath taken away jewish ceremonies , man might lawfully appoint others as he pleaseth , and when god hath taken away iewish dayes , man might appoint other dayes , we may pray to god with good reason to bring us under the pedagogie of the law again , rather then to be thus under mans power . thus farre we grant , that upon any speciall work of god , the very revolution of the yeare hath a naturalnesse in it to put me in mind of such a thing , and so farre as there is a naturalnesse in it , there is good in it , i may make use of it . therefore i dare not say that is altogether unlawfull at such times to have some outward rejoycing , when god doth not call for mourning some other way , ( except the argument from the extraordinary abuse there hath been of it may be of force ) nay that there may be advantage taken of the peoples leasure , to preach the word , and to heare sermons upon such dayes we deny not . wee know that christ was in the porch of the temple at the feast of dedication , which was one of the dayes of their owne appointing , not that he was there to countenance or honor the feast , but because he had been there before at another feast of gods appointment . now there being a multitude of people at that time also gathered together , he takes advantage of the concourse of the people to come to the out-porch to preach to them . so much therefore as we may grant , we will not deny . for the understanding of this point , the setting apart days , i suppose there are these two things will be questioned . first , why may not governours of the church set apart dayes , as well as appoint times for preaching , or as well as others of themselves will appoint such times , as once a week so much time set apart for a lecture ? secondly , vve may appoint fast dayes , and dayes of thanksgiving , these are set apart by man , how cometh it to passe then that this can bee cleare that a man may appoint a time for preaching constantly once a weeke , and he may appoint times of fasting , and dayes of thankesgiving , and yet not have this liberty , to make a day that may be properly called a holy-day ? vve must cleare that point from this objection , or else we do nothing ; and for the clearing this wee must know there is a great deale of difference in these three things , the right understanding of which will cleare all the matter . between deputation , and dedication , and sanctification of a thing . i may depute a creature to be made use of to help me in holy things , and yet still this creature is not sanctifyed by its deputation , and so we do a time for a lecture , such an houre in such a day deputed , but the time is not made holy by it the place is deputed , but is not made holy by it . yea i will appoint such a garment that i have when i am in such a service such a day to weare , but yet the garment is not made holy by it . a creature is not made holy meerely by being made use of at holy exercise or in a holy thing . as thus , suppose i goe to reade the holy scripture , i make use of a candle to reade it by , i doe not make the candle holy by this , because i make use of it . if the making use of a creature in a holy duty did make the creature holy , then it would fall out generally in all creatures . i make use of the very light and the ayre when i am reading and speaking holy things in publicke assemblies , i do not make the light and ayre holy , because i make use of them in holy things ; so i make use of this houre to preach in , though i make use of it in a holy duty , i make it no further holy then a man doth his spectacles that he useth to reade the scripture by . a deputation is this , when such a creature as i shal think most commodius for such a service shal be put a part for such a service , or when such a creature , as i have use of for such a service , will be a naturall and usefull help to me , to appoint it for that service upon that ground . the second is dedication , that is when i give a thing out of my own power , for a pious use , that i cannot make use of for any thing again . as when a man hath given so much of his estate to build a school or an hospitall , it may be said to be a kinde of dedication , he hath devoted , given so much of his estate to that end , so that hee cannot make use of it himselfe to another end . now we doe not so set apart the time of preaching , as that we cannot make use of this time for any other end , wee may as wee see cause alter it , where it is from . to , we make it from two to four , whereas if it were a thing that we had dedicated , that is given out of our own power then it cannot be changed by us . that is a second degree , this is not sanctifying yet . now sanctification is beyond dedication , that is when any creature or time is so set apart for holy things as it must not be used in any thing but that that is holy ; and though the same holy actions be done at another time , and with the use of another creature , they shall not be accounted so holy as at this time , and when this creature was made use of . this is the proper sanctification , and the setting apart of any day thus , that is , such a day god giveth to me to make use of for my occasions , if i shall thus set it a part , so devote it for such a businesse , as it may not without sin to me ( whatsoever falleth out ) be used to any other occasion . and secondly , when i have set it apart i shall put so much in it as if the same holy actions be performed to another time , they shall not be accounted so holy as at this time , although that time hath as much natural fitnesse in it , now i sanctifie time to my selfe , but thus i cannot doe without sin . you shall finde that there are these two things in all holy feasts , and indeed in all things that are accounted holy . first , it was a sinne for them to make use of that time for any other thing , or any other wayes then god had appointed : secondly , the actions that they did at that time were such as were more acceptable to god then if they had done the same thing at another time . yea it was so in their very days of humiliation , that were once a yeere , a day of expiation , this day must not be used for any thing else ; and if they humbled themselves or fasted upon another day , that would not have beene so acceptable to god as upon this day . so wee shall see it in all superstitions of men when they set apart either dayes , or places , or things , they put these two upon them . as for places , they say we appoint a place for people to meet in a religious way ; yes , but when comes it to be superstitious ? thus first when it comes so to be set apart , so as i shall make conscience of using it to any other use but this ; secondly , when i shall be perswaded in my conscience that god accepts of service done him in this place better then in any other though as decent as this . so for superstitious garments . you will say , may not ministers be decent ? i have heard a great doctor give this argument for a surplice ; somtime saith he i ride abroad to preach and my cloake is dirty , is it fit for me to come into a pulpit with a dirty garment ? and therefore there is alwayes appointed somewhat to cover it ; it is decent . suppose it be so , but if it be so that this garment must be made use of for nothing but such a holy exercise , and secondly if i thinke the wearing of it doth honour the service , and that god accepts of the service performed in such a garment rather then in another , this is superstition ; as in one place in suffolke when that garment was lost , there was a strict injunction to the poore countrey men that there might not be any service or sermon till they had got another : for which they were appointed ten dayes , and this being upon a friday , there were two sabbaths without any service , therefore it is apparent they put the acceptation of the duty upon it . so for days , for any man to set apart a day , so that it shall be a sin , that a mans conscience shall condemne him before ged as sinning against him , if he doe any thing upon that day but such holy duties . secondly , that though the same holy duties be done upon another day , they shall not be accounted so acceptable to god as done upon that day , this is superstitious . yer certainly of this nature have many of our dayes been , for if you opened your shops , what a deale of disturbance was there in the city ! it was a profaning of the day , every proctor and such fellowes had power given them to molest you : . did not they account it a greater honour to god for to have service read that day then to have it read upon an ordinary teusday or thursday ? yea preaching upon a lecture day that was not one of their holy dayes , they accounted not so acceptable unto god as service upon that day . here comes their institution , their institution puts upon it more then god puts upon it , so it cometh to be sinfull . so if you should set apart this time you call christmas , so as you should make conscience of doing any other service or worke that day , and besides , you should think that to remember christ and to blesse god for christ upon another day is not so acceptable to god as to doe it upon that day , here comes in the evill of thus putting mans institution upon dayes . well , but this is not cleare● except we answer another objection . but doth not the king and parliament command dayes of fasting and dayes of thanksgiving , and are not they of the same nature ? will not you say it is sin for us to open shops upon these dayes . i answer , our dayes for fasting and thanksgiving have not those two ingredients in them , for first , if god by his providence call any particular man to any particular businesse in his family , then ( let this man take heed he doe not appeare in a way of contempt ) he need not have his conscience condemn him though he spend all that day in that businesse . they may set apart a day to be spent publickly , yet with this limitation , not to enjoyne every particular man , that whatsoever gods providence calls him to in particular businesses , he must leave off all , & make as much conscience of doing this as upon the lords day . you will say , upon the lords day , if we have any extraordinary thing fall out , we may go a journey or doe businesse , as a physitian may ride up and down , workes of mercy may be done , therefore this makes no difference betweene gods day and these of mans appointment . i answer , though a physitian doe a worke of mercy upon the sabbath day , yet he is bound to doe it with a sabbath dayes heart , as a work of mercy ; whatsoever calls him off from those services that are gods imediate worship , he must doe that thing with a sabbath dayes frame of heart , he is bound in conscience to doe it so , and he sinneth against god if he rides up and down to patients with such a heart as he may doe it upon another day , he may follow it as a businesse of his calling upon another day , but not so now ; but if he do it with a sabbath dayes frame of heart as a worke of mercy , he keeps the sabbath in that . but if there were a necessity upon a fast day to ride , a mans conscience need not to condemne him before god , if he went about that worke as the worke of his calling at that time . it is not therefore so dedicated but gods providence may take us off to doe other civill actions , and that as the works of our calling . secondly , neither is it so sanctified as if the same works done at another day were not so acceptable to god as done upon this day . as our fast dayes set upon the last wednesday of the moneth , to thinke that the worke done upon another day were not so acceptable to god as done upon that day , this is a sanctification of the day , and such a sanctification is sinne . the same answer may be given for dayes of thanksgiving . besides , yet there is another thing considerable , that is in the stating of the time . though men may thus depute and appoint dayes to worship god , yet they cannot state any such dayes , but onely as gods providence calls them to it , according to the present occasion . therefore it were certainly a sin if a state should appoint once every yeer to be a fasting day in a religious way , god did so , but men have no power to do so , the reason is this , because they doe not know but god may call them to rejoycing upon that day , they have not the liberty of the time . all that we can doe is this , when god calleth us to fasting , wee must appoint dayes of fasting ; when god calls us to rejoycing we must appoint dayes of rejoycing . therefore to appoint the time of lent as a religious fast is sinfull , and the statute it selfe threatneth a mulct upon that man that shall call it a religious fast ; for civill ends it may be , but stated fasts which are not limited by providence , are certainly evil ; and so for these monthly fasts that are now injoyned , if we should say we will have a fast once a moneth upon this day these twelve moneths , or these two yeers , i perswade my selfe the state should sin : but to have it as long as gods hand is upon us , as long as the occasion lasteth , and gods providence calls us to it , that is justifiable . our brethren in scotland wholly deny both stated fasts and all other dayes : nay they will scarce agree to this monthly fasting we have , because they are so loth to yeeld to any stat a jeiunia . and i remember i have heard of a speech king james once made in scotland , blessing god that hee was borne at such a time , and was a member of such a church ; and the reason he giveth is this : for , saith he , the church of scotland exceeds in this all other churches . england though it hath pure doctrine , hath not pure discipline ; other reformed churches have pure doctrine and discipline , but they retaine the observation of many holy dayes ; but the church of scotland hath pure doctrine and discipline , and keeps no holy dayes , and therefore saith he , it is a purer church then any in the world . thus i have endeavoured to shew you how far things may be set apart , & how far not , when it commeth to be a sinne for any one to sanctifie a day . by this we may see what a mercy it is to be delivered from those men who have robbed the kingdome of so many dayes as they have , and put so many superstitious respects upon them , and so have involved us in much guilt , blesse god for delivering us from them , and for those dayes that god giveth us liberty to exercise our selves in his worship , let us know our liberty in them . thus much for those feasts that are called their feasts , that were of their owne appointment . her new moons . the ordinance of god in the new moons is in numb . . . in the beginning of your new moons you shall doc thus and thus , &c. it was gods ordinance that the jews at the beginning of every month should have a holy day , when they had a new moon they should keep that day holy to god. that which the latines call calends , were their new moones . the holy solemnity of these dayes was in three things . first , the offerings that were there appointed by god particularly for that time , were many & chargeable , two young bullocks , & one ram , seven lambs of the first yeer without spot , besides their flower & oyl for their drink offerings , and one kid of the goats for a sin-offering . secondly , at these times they were wont to repaire to the prophets for instruction , to know the mind of god. that you have king. . . where the husband of the shunamire said to his wife , wherefore wilt thou goe to him to day ? it is neither new moone nor sabbath . indeed if it were new moon or sabbath you may goe , but while it is neither , why will you goe ? that implyeth that this was a thing in use among the jewes to repaire to the prophets for instruction , and to heare gods word from them upon those dayes . thirdly , yea it was unlawfull to buy and sell upon those dayes , amos. . . when will the new moone be gone that we may sell corn ? they were weary of it , it seems , because they might not buy and sell in it . these three things we finde in scripture upon their new moones . now euxtorphius who relates to us the jewish way , hee tells us of three other things they were wont to doe in their new moones . first , those that were most devout among them , used to set apart a day for fasting and prayer to intreat god to blesse the new moon to them . . as soone as there was an appearance of the new moone , one steppeth up and cryeth , o thou creator of the moone , be ever blessed , and so he goes on in the benediction of god for this creature . . they used to leap and to reach toward the moon so soone as they saw it , speaking after this manner : we reaching to the moon , we cannot reach it ; so all our enemies that reach at us , are as unable to reach us to our hurt , as we that . but why did god appoint this feast of the new moone ? it was appointed for these . ends . . because god would be acknowledged to have the government of all inferiour things in the world , and especially of all the changes of times . as the sabbath was for putting us in minde of gods creating the world , so the new moones were appointed for them to blesse god for the government of the world , for many nations have attributed much of the government of the things of the world to the moone ; the tydes you know ebbe and flow according to the moone , the great worke of god in the seas seeme to bee governed by god in the use of that creature , yea things seeme to be governed more sensibly by this creature then by others , to the end therefore that they might not sticke in the creature , but give god the glory : therefore hee appointed the feasts of the new moone ; if they had any changes of times and seasons , god caused it , rather then this creature , and as the heathens , so they called the moone the queene of heaven , and they would not be taken off from offering cakes to the queene of heaven , they attributed all their prosperity to her , as we reade in the prophet . now from this , god would take them off , therefore he appointed this solemn feast of the new moone , . god would hereby teach , that the bringing of any light unto us after darknesse is meerly from himself , and he must be acknowledged in it . the moone is a glorious creature , and causeth much light , but soone after there is darknesse , and after this darknesse light springeth up againe . here is the work of god , we are taught a morall lesson from this feast , that is , hath god at any time brought darknesse upon a kingdome , or upon a family , or upon a particular soul , doth he begin to bring light ? he must be acknowledged and praised for it . . god would teach them this also , that the beginnings of all mercies are to be dedicated to him ; when god reneweth a mercy , at the very first , before it comes to perfection , it is to be given up unto god ; they were to celebrate this feast upon the beginning of the light of the moon . and lastly , which is more , this aymed at christ , as all other ceremonies of the law did . it pointed out our condition in our depending upon christ , for our light must be renewed by our conjunction with jesus christ who is the sun of righteousnesse ; as the light of the moone is renewed by her conjunction with the sun , that gives the great light to the world . and as the light of the moon increaseth , as it takes it from the sunne , so doth our light increase as we take it from the sun of righteousnesse . thus this feast was typicall , and thus we see these feasts were of speciall use . but when they come to abuse these feasts , saith god , i will take them away , you shall have no more ; and therefore isa . . god professeth a loathing of their feasts , and amongst others of their new moones . not but that they were holy in themselves , but when they came to abuse them , by adding their owne superstitious vanities , or else had not the due end for which god appointed them , then god is offended . now saith god , you acknowledg darknesse to be from me , and light to be from me , and change of time to be from me , but what use do you make of your time ? you seeme to give up the mercies you receive unto me , but you do not honour me with them , nor for them . you seem to think of the messias in these things , but your hearts are not with him , but all your wayes are after your lusts . i loath your feasts . just as if a man comes to god , and prays devoutly , lord lead me not into temptation , and assoon as he has done , he presently goes into wicked company , god loatheth you for going quite crosse to your prayers ; you pray , lord give us this day our daily bread , as if you should say , lord i depend upon thee every day for my bread , and for a blessing upon all my outward estate ; and assoon as you have done , you cozen , and cheat , and goe presently to the devill for your bread : god loatheth these prayers of yours , as god loatheth their new moons , because when he appointed such a worship for those and those ends , yet they went quite contrary . yet there are two th●ngs exceeding observable about these new moones . we often read of these things , but we passe them over and do but little mind them . first , god will have the glory of his creature , of the new moone , and that solemnly , yet it must be at that time when the moon is very little , scarce any at all , it must not be at the full , when the moon is most glorious , god doth not call to be glorified in that creature when it is fullest of glory ; but when that creature is ( as wee may say ) in the meanest condition , when it hath but a little light beginning , scarce any at all , then god will be glorified . this is the instruction and morall lesson from hence , which is no strained one , but i think intended by god himselfe , in appointing this feast , in that god will have the glory due to him from this creature in the beginning of its light , rather then at any other time . we are taught in this , that there is a great deale of danger when we are giving god the glory of the creature , of sticking in the creature , and not passing through the creature speedily enough , and going from it to god. god is very jealous of his glory this way . god hath made many glorious creatures indeed , & he would have his glory from all his creatures , he would have us give due esteeme to his creature ; but when we esteem it for any excellency there is in it , god is jealous lest any of his glory should stick in the creature , therefore he cals for it at that time when the creature is most meane . that is the reason that gods ordinances are so plain , we have but plaine bread , and plain wine , and a plaintable , and no brave pompous attire , because god saw that when wee are to deale with him spiritually , if we had pompous things we would sticke there ; and we see men that are taken so with pompous things , they give not god that glory that is due to him , but they stick much in the creature , and honour it rather then god. it seems that the heathens making the moone to be their goddesse , especially looked at it when it was most light , as appears , iob . therefore iob to cleare himselfe from that idolatry , saith , if i beheld the sunne when it shined , or the moone walking in brightnesse : they used to worship the moon thus when they saw it walke in brightnes , because they could not reach the moon , they kist their hand , and so bowed to the moon in acknowledgment of a deity , therefore job would free himselfe from that , if i beheld the moone walking in brightnesse , or if my mouth have kissed my hand , that is , saith he , i have not worshipped this creature . this is it i note it for , that when the creature is most glorious , there is danger of giving god the lesse . it is thus with us many times , god hath many times more glory from us when our estates are little , then when they are very great ; there is many a man , who when hee hath beene in full light of prosperity never minded god , bus when god hath brought him into darknesse , then he hath given god glory , and then it hath been indeed most acceptable , because then he sees gods hand helping him without the creature . further , god had most glory from the moon when it had the least light , so god may have glory from us though our light be extinguished , it is no great matter . there is yet another thing that is remarkable concerning this feast . you shal observe what difference there is between the feasts of the new moones by gods appointment under the law , and the feasts of the new moones as they are set forth to us in ezek. i lay this for a ground , that those chapters in ezek. from the fourth & so on , though they seem to speak of the iews ceremonies , and temple , and feasts , yet the scope of those texts is to set out the glorious condition of the church of god in the time of the gospel ; as in isa . . . then they shal worship me from sabbath to sabbath , and from moon to moone , that is , their constant worship shal be in comparison as a sabbath , and they shal not only worship me at the beginning of the moon , but all times , their worship shal be so full & so constant : therefore though in that place of ezek. there be speaking of new moons & other feasts , yet it is to set out the condition and blessed estate of the times of the gospel under those shadows & types , the prophet speaking according to the jewish language in that way . this being granted , let us compare the institution of the feast of the new moon , in num. . with what is laid in ezek. . in num. . they were to offer for a burnt offering two bulloks , one ramme , & seven lambs , but in ezek. . , in the daies of the new moon there should be but one bullock & six lambs . god himself had said , that in their new moons they should offer two bullocks & seven lambs , yet when the prophet would set out a more glorious condition of the church , he saith , they should not offer so much as they did before , they should offer but one bullock and six lambs . what are we taught from this ? we are taught by this two excellent lessons , which are the reason of the difference . first , that there is such a blessed estate of the gospel coming , that shall not be subject to such changes as hath been heretofore , but a more setled condition of peace and rest , so that they shall not have such occasion to blesse god for his providence in the changes of times as before they had . their solemnity of the new moon , that is , of doing that spirituall thing that was done in a ceremonious way , that was to give god the glory for the change of times : now in the times of the gospel they shall not have so many sacrifices , to make it such a solemn business as it was then , why ? because the church shall be in another condition of more rest & safety , and more constancy in their wayes , not hurried up and down by mens humors , and lusts , and wills as before . secondly , that the state of the gospel shall not be so subject to danger neither as it was before , there shall not be that occasion to blesse god for bringing of light presently after darkness , for that is one end of the feast of the new moon , that when they could not see the moone a great while , and it was darke , as if that creature had been lost out of heaven , now they see it againe they were to blesse god for it : but in the time of the gospel that is comming , there shall be no such darknesse , this time is not yet come , we yet had need to have our seven lambs and two bullocks for we have much darkness , those places in ezek . aime at some speciall time more then other , there is a glorious time of the state of the church , when there shall not be such occasion of blessing god for delivering us from darknesse as there hath beene . the ninth lecture . hosea . . i will cause all her mirth to cease , her feast dayes , her new moones and her sabbaths , and all her solemne feasts . of the jewish new moons the last day , god threatens likewise to take away her sabbaths . sabbaths . ] plutarch thought that the sabbath of the jews was from sabbos , a name of bacchus , that signifies to live jocundly , and bravely , and merrily . indeed the sabbaths that many keep have such a derivation , their sabbaths are sabbaths of bacchus , to be merry , and to eate , and drinke , and play , is the end of all their sabbaths . but the word hath a better root . god would have us upon the sabbath rest from all other works , that we may be free to converse with him : therefore it is so much the more inexcusable if when we have nothing else to doe we shall deny to converse with god as he requireth of us . if a friend should come to your house to converse with you , and he should know you have no businesse to take you up , yet you will scarce see him , or spend a little time with him , will hee not take it ill ? if indeed you could have such an excuse that your businesse is extraordinary , though your time be lesse you spend with him , it would not be so ill taken ; but when he knows you have nothing to do , and yet you deny time to converse with him , will not this be taken for a slighting him ? thus you deale with god ; had you indeed great occasions and businesses to doe upon that day , though you did not so converse with god in holy duties , it were another matter ; god might accept of mercy rather then sacrifice . but when hee shall appoint you a day to rest , wherein you have nothing to doe but to converse with him , yet then to deny it , this is a sleighting of the majesty of god. now the jews had diverse sabbaths , amongst others these were principall ones . the sabbaths of dayes , and the sabbaths of yeers . the sabbath of dayes , every seventh day they had a sabbath , and it was kept unto the lord. now this feast of theirs had so me what in it memorative , somewhat significative , and somewhat figurative . it was a memorial , a signe , and a figure . a memoriall of two things . . of the works of gods creation . after god had finished his works of creation , then he rested , and sanctified the seventh day , and psalm . . being appointed for the sabbath , the argument of it is the celebrating the memoriall of gods great works . . of the deliverance out of egypt , in remembrance of the rest that god did give them from their bondage . so you have it deut , . . remember that thou wast a servant in the land of egypt , and that the lord thy god brought thee out thence , through a mighty hand , and by a stretched-out arme : therefore he commanded thee to keepe the sabbath day . secondly , it was significative , a signe , exod , . . it is a signe betweene me and the children of israel for ever : and verse . it is a signe betweeue me & you , that i an the lord that doe sanctifie you . god made it a signe , that as this day was by his command to be sanctified , set apart from other dayes , so god had set apart this nation of the jewes from other nations . thirdly , it was figurative , it did figure out or typific the rest that did remaine for the people of god , heb. . there remaineth a rest to the people of god , both here in the time of the gospel , and in heaven eternally . now we are to know there was some speciality in this day of rest , in this sabbath of the jews more then in any other sabbath . as , first , in the antiquity of it . it was the most ancient of all the dayes , set apart for an holy use , being from the time of the creation . secondly , it was written with gods owne finger in the tables . thirdly , god rained no manna upon this day , and that even before the law was given in mount sinai , for the honour of this day . . the whole weeke doth take denomination from the sabbath . luke . . i fast twice in the weeke , twice a sabbath , so the words are in the greek . so marke . . the first day of the weeke , the first of sabbaths , so the words . . this sabbath is called an everlasting covenant by way of eminency , as if nothing of gods covenant were kept if this were not . exod. . . ye shall keepe the sabbath for a perpetuall covenant . yea . god puts a remembrance upon this day , and not upon any other sabbath . if a friend who would faine converse with you , send to you three or four dayes , or a wecke beforehand , i pray think of that day , i will come to you then and converse with you , wee will enjoy communion together ; now if when he doth come he shall finde you emplyed in unnecessary businesses , will he take it well ? god doth so with you , saith god , i desire to converse with your soules , and i appoint you such a day , think of it , remember that day that you and i may be together , and converse sweetly one with another ; if god finde you then occupied in unnecessary businesses , he will not take it well . this sabbath the jewes rejoyced much in , and blessed god for it , nehem. . . as a great mercy . and philo iudaeus speaking of the fourth commandement saith , it is a famous precept , and profitable to excite all kinde of vertue and piety . and the hebrews say we must sanctifie the sabbath at the comming in and going out , and blesse god that hath given us this sabbath : yea it is called by some of the hebrews , the very desire of dayes ; and drusius telleth of a jew , who when the sabbath d●y approached , was wontto put on his best cloathes , saying , come my . spouse , &c. as being glad of tharday , as a bride-groome of his spouse . it is not my worke to handle the point of the sabbath-day , or lords-day now , but to open it as we have it here in the text , to shew what kinde of sabbath the jews had ; onely observe this one thing about this sabbath ; if you compare numb . . . with ezek. . . you shall finde that the offerings in the time of the gospel prophesied of , were more then those were in the time of the law. in numb . you finde but two lambes , but in ezekiel you finde six lambs and a ram for the sabbath : this by way of type shewes , that in the setled times of the gospell , gods worship upon the christian sabbath should be solemnized more fully then it was in the time of the law. the next is the sabbath of yeeres , and they were of two sorts . there was one to be kept every seven yeeres , and another every seven times seven , every fiftieth yeere . every seventh yeer there was a rest of the land ; as every seventh day there was a rest of the labour of their bodies , so every seventh yeere there was a rest of the land . exod. , . six yeeres thou shalt sow thy land and gather in the fruits thereof , but in the seventh yeere thou shalt let it rest analye still , rhey must not prune their vines , nor gather their vintage one yeere in seven . the sabbath of dayes signified that they themselves were the lords , therefore they ceast from their own labours : but the sabbath of yeeres , the resting of the land signified that the land was the lords , at gods dispose , and that they were to depend upon the providence of god for their food in the land ; god would dispose of the land , when they should plow , and when they should sow , and gather in the fruits thereof as he pleased . we must acknowledge ( that is the morall of it to our selves ) that all lands are the lords , & the fruit that we enjoy from the land it is at his disposing . if any man should aske , what should we eate that seventh yeere , seeing they might not plow , nor sow , nor reape , neither have vintage , nor harvest ? the lord answers them , levit. . . . i will command my blessing upon thee in the sixth yeere , and it shall bring forth fruit for three yeeres . god you see will not have any to be losers by his service . let us trust god then , though perhaps you have now one yeer in which you have no trading ; people cry out , oh this twelve-month we have had no trading in the city , we can get no rent out of the country neither . do not murmure , trust god ; it may be god hath beene beforehand with many of you , you have had full trading formerly that may preserve you comfortably now : if not before , trust god for the next ; the jews were faine to trust god every seventh yeer , they had nothing comming in for one yeere in seven . if once in all your life time god take away your trading upon extraordinary occasion , do not murmure , do not give lesse to the poore now ; i speak to those whom god hath blessed in former yeers , so as that they are not only able to subsist , but to give too ; see for this deut , . . beware thou sayest not in thine heart the seventh yeere is at hand , and thine eye be evill against thy poor brother , and thou givest him ●ought , and he cry unto the lord against thee , and it be sinne unto thee . if now because you have not such a full income as you were wont to have in your trading , if a company of poore distressed plundered people come among you and desire your helpe , if you deny to relieve them , if they cry unto god against you , it will be sin unto you . now this rest of the land was to put them in minde that there was a time comming when god will free them from labour ; now they were faine to eate their bread in the sweat of their browes , but god would supply them once in seven yeeres without the sweat of their browes in ●illing the land , shewing that there was a time where in god would bring his people to such a rest that they should have full supply of all things without labour . but further , besides this there was a second thing , in this seventh yeere all debts that their brethren owed to them were to be released . deut. . . it is called there , the lords release , the lord is mercifull to those that are in debt . god knowes what a grievous burthen it is for his people to bee in debt , it is indeed an inconceivable burthen ; rich men who are full-handed do not understand what a burthen it is for men to hang upon every bush , to be in debt to every man they deale with , they cannot sleep quietly , they can have but a little joy and comfort in their lives , the burthen is so grievous . now god in mercy to his people that they might not all their dayes goe under such a burthen , and so have little joy of their lives , therefore he granted this favour to them , that once in seven yeeres their debts were to be released : but it was the debt of an hebrew , deut. . . forraigners debts they were not bound to release : by that wee are to learne this instruction , that there should be more pity and commiseration shewen to those that are our brethren in the flesh , or our brethren in regard of religion and godlinesse , in regard of their debts then others . it is true , there is a complaint of many that are godly , that they have little care and conscience in paying their debts : the justnesse of that complaint i know not , but there may be a slothfulnesse in many , if not unfaithfulnesse , and if there be carelesnesse & unfaithfulnesse in some , it is enough to cast an aspersion upon all that are godly : but though those that are godly should be more carefull of paying their debts then others , but if they cannot , you are bound to be more mercifull unto them then to others , because they are godly , and not to seeke to take advantage the rather upon them , because they are godly , this is a vile and a wicked heart , to take advantage so much the rather , if thou seest them godly & laborious in their calling , and it be meerely a providence of god , and not any negligence of theirs , thou art bound to shew much commiseration unto them . in that forenamed place , deut. . . beware there be not an evill heart in thee , to be lesse merciful to thy poore brother because of the seventh yeeres rest of the ground , or because the debt was to be released that seventh yeere , but ( verse . ) thou shalt surely give it him , and thy heart shall not be grieved , because for this thing the lord thy god shall blesse thee in all thy workes , and in all that thou put test thy hand unto . notwithstanding there must be a cessation of plowing , and sowing , and vintage in the seventh yeer , yea and notwithstanding thou wert bound to release thy debt in the seventh yeer , yet you must doe this , and not do it grudgingly , you must not murmure and say , what doth god require of us that we must neither plow uor sow , and that we must release our debts and give too , nay and give , and not have our hearts grieved too , that we must not complaine of this ? oh my brethren , god loveth exceedingly cheerfull givers , and hearts inlarged with bowels of compassion , he doth no : love hearts grumbling and objecting against giving . many men have no quicknesse of understanding in any thing else but against workes of mercy , how quick are they in their objections , and can finde such subtle wayes to save their purses that a man would wonder at it , against this there is a solemne charge , deut. . . thou shalt open thy hand wide unto thy brother , to the poore and needy in the land . the third thing to be done once in seven yeers was the release of servants too , they must goe free , and they must not be sent away empty neither , as ver . . of that deut. . it shall not seeme hard to thee when thou sendest him away free from thee , you must give them liberty , as ver . . it is true , we are not bound to the letter of this , every seven yeers to doe thus , but there is a morall equity in it , when servants have done you faithfull service , you must not think that it is enough that you give them meate and drink , and cloth , but you must be carefull of your servants how they should live after they are gone from you . this was the first sabbath of yeers . but the second was most famous , and that was the rest that was every seven times seven yeers , the fiftieth yeer , which was called the yeere of jubile , from that trumpet that they were wont to proclaime that yeer by , which as the jewes tell us was a rams-horne . in this yeere there were divers of the same things done that was in the seventh yeer , as the release of debts , the release of servants . but there are some things observable that were done at this time beyond what was done every seventh yeer . as for servants , the release of them was not onely of such servants as had then served seven yeers , yea if they had served any time , they were then to be released , but besides there was order taken by god for release of some servants that would not be released in the seventh yeere , for when the seventh yeer came , though all servants might then be released , yet there were some that would not be released , and there was an order taken by god for that , exod. . . if there were a servant that loved his master and would not goe free , then his master should bring him to the post of the door , and with a nayle bore his eare , and then the text saith , he should serve him for ever : now that [ for ever ] is by interpreters interpreted but for a time of jubile , and then he should have rest . here it is to be understood of the . yeer , the yeer of jubile . there are some kind of spirits that are so slavish that when they may have liberty they will not , they deserve to have their eares bored , to be slaves to the fiftieth year , if not for ever . many amongst us this day have such spirits . god offereth us a release from bondage , how many of us love servitude still ! it is just with god that we should have our eares bored , and that we should be slaves even for ever , but we hope there will be a iubile come at length for our deliverance , god would have a iubile even to deliver those that were of the most servile spirits , and might justly be left to serve for ever . it is true , when god began with us in the beginning of our parliament , like the seventh year god offered to us a release , and we refused it then , and since we deserve that our ears should be bored ; but god is infinitely mercifull , though we be of servile spirits , and know not how to pitty our selves , we hope the lord will pity us , and grant us out of free and rich grace a iubile , even to deliver those who have a mind to be bond-slaves ; i am sure god doth so spiritually . if god should not deliver those that are minded to be slaves , he should deliver none . it was a great mercy so to provide for servants , that they might be delivered . the greater , because servants then were not as they are now , there was a great deal of hardship that servants indured then more then now , they were bought and sold , not only other nations , but the hebrews were bought for servants also , so you shall find it , exod. . . besides , servants were in such bondage then , as if the masters did beat them with a rod untill they killed them , yet they must only be punished , they must not have blood go for their blood , yea though he died under his hand , yet he was but to be punished , and if the servant lived but . or . days after , the master was not to be punished at all , so you have it , exod. . , . if a man smite his servant with a rod , and he dye under his hand , he shall be surely punished , notwithstanding if he continue a day or two , he shall not be punished , for he is his money . oh that servants would consider of this , and bless god for the liberty they have now more then servants had in former times ! it was so likewise with the romans , the word [ servant ] cometh à servando , because the romans used to have such for servants as were preserved in time of war , that should otherwise have bin put to death , whether they were those or others , yet the condition of all was very servile both amongst iews and romans , which may justly rebuke the pride of servants now , if they be but crost in their minds in the least thing , they make such a complaint as if they were exceedingly wronged . let servants rather bless god for their condition , then murmur at a little hardship they indure , for the hardship of servants in former times was another manner of hardship then any you can indure who have the hardest masters . hence it is that in the day of iubile the servants did so rejoyce ; iewish antiquities tell us that nine days before their release , the servants feasted and made merry , and wore garlands , because of their freedom approaching . the second thing extraordinary in the day of jubile , was , that not onely debts , but lands were released . lev. . . the land shall not be sold for ever . and there were divers reasons for this , why the land must not be sold for ever , but must return to the first possessors in the year of jubile . one reason is in the text , lev. . . for the land is mine , saith god , for yee were strangers and sojourners with me : god would hereby teach them that they must not account themselves absolute lords of the land , the land is mine ; and you that are the greatest land-lords of all are but as strangers and sojourners with god , the land is still gods. and vers . . if a man bee not able to redeeme his land , nor his kinsman for him , it shall remain unto the yeer of iubile , and in the iubile it shall goe out , and hee shall return unto his possession . if he could redeem his land himself or a kinsman for him , he was to redeeme it before ; but if a man should be so poor as he could not give any thing to redeem it , yet in the year of iubile it should return unto him . god would not have his people too greedy to bring the possession of the countrey in to themselves , to have a perpetuall inheritance to themselves and their posterity . this is the greediness of many covetous and ambitious men , oh that we could lay land to land , and house to house , to get a perpetuall inheritance for our selves and posterity ! god would not have his people be of so greedy dispositions , for a few of them to get the whole countrey into their own possession , therefore he would have no man that ever had any possession , but once in fifty years that possession must return to that familie again . the land was to return to the first owner , that the distinction of tribes might be continued , which was known much by the continuance of their possessions that belonged to every tribe & family . god had great care before christs time to keep the distinction of tribes , that so it might be cleare out of which tribe christ came . but further , this year of iubile aymed at a higher thing , it was a type of christ , to set out the blessed redemption that we have by christ . the trumpet of the gospel which the ministers blow is a trumpet of iubile . that place isa . . , . seems to have reference to a iubile , there the text saith , that christ was appointed to proclaim liberty to the captives , & the opening of the prison to them that are bound , to proclaim the acceptable yeer of the lord ; now that acceptable year was the year of iubile , there was the opening of the prison , and the releasing of them that were bound . psal . . . saith the text , blessed are the people that heare the joyfull sound , that hear the jubile . oh blessed are our ears who live to such a time as we do , to heare the trumpet of iubile blowing in one congregation or other almost every day ! now we have a release of our debts & bondage , this is the joyfull sound . we are all by nature in debt ( sins you know are called debts in the lords prayer ) every soul is bound over to gods eternall justice to answer to the law , for not obeying the law ; now cometh this iubile and releaseth all debts . and we are all bond-slaves , in bondage to sin , to the law , and to the devil , now cometh the gospel , this iubile , and releaseth our bondage , sets us at liberty . . we have forfeited our right to the crea ure , yea to heaven it self ; now the gospel comes and restores all , we have right now to the comforts of this world , and to heaven . canaan was a type of heaven , and the loss of their inheritance , there was a type of the loss of heaven , and the bringing them again to the possession of it , a type of the restoring of right to heaven ; oh happy are they then who hear this joyfull sound , not only with the eares of the body , but who have it sounding in their hearts , and that by the work of the spirit of god in them . in this year of iubile there is one thing further very remarkable , and that is the time when this trumpet that was to proclaim this yeer was to blow , lev. . . the trumpet was to blow upon the tenth day of the seventh moneth . what remarkable thing is there in this , that the trumpet must be blown the tenth day of the seventh month ? yes , there is this remarkable in it , the tenth day of the seventh month was their day of expiation ( the day of their atonement , their publique fast ) this day appointed every year for all israel to afflict their souls before god , to humble themselves for their sins , and to seek for mercy from god ( as we shal shew you more largely when we come to open the solemnity of that day ) i only mention it now to shew that the trumpet of iubile was to be sounded upon that day . it is a strange thing that upon that day wherein they were to afflict their soules before god , and to mourn for their sins , the trumpet of iubile was to sound , that was to proclaim joy and mirth , things of a contrary nature to humbling and mourning . yea but this affords us divers excellent instructions . as first , god would have his people so to mourn as to know their joy is coming . in the darkest day they had , wherein they were bound to afflict their souls most , yet they were so to mourn , as to know there was a iubile at hand . we are not to mourn as those without hope : in our most grievous & sorest mournings we must have our hearts sink in desperation , wee must so mourne as to expect a iubile . yea further , the saints mourning is a preparation to a iubile o● joy . ioy then is neer at hand when the saints must mourn in a godly manner . did not the lord deal graciously with us the last fast day when we were mourning before him ? there was amongst our brethren in other parts a kind of trumpet of iubile blown ; the lord was then working for us ; what great deliverance did god grant that very day at chichester ? god shews that the mourning of his people doth make way for joy . yea further , then indeed is the sound of the trumpet of iubile sweetest , when we are most afflicted for our sins . when we are most apprehensive and sensible of the evill of sin , then the joy of god , the comforts of the gospel are sweetest to the soul . when the trumpet of iubile is blown in congregations , if it meets not with hearts afflicted sensible of sinne , they are not delighted with the sweet sound of this trumpet , it is not melody in their ears , it rejoy ceth not their hearts : but let a poore soul be brought down and made sensible of the evill of sinne , and gods wrath , then let but one promise of the gospel be sounded forth , how sweet , how joyfull is it ! again , pardon of sin is the only foundation of all jubiles . for this tenth day of the seventh month , wherein the trumpet of jubile was to be sounded , was a day of atonement . what is that ? a day of covering ( for so the word is ) of pardon of sin to the people of god. many men keep a continuall jubile , live merrily and bravely , doe nothing but eate , and drink , and play , and dance , and laugh , and cannot endure these fadde melancholy people . what is the foundation of this thy jubile ? art thou sure there is an atonement made between god and thy soule ? art thou sure thy sin is pardoned ? is this the foundation of thy rejoycing ? know it will not last , it is not gods , but the devils jubile , except there be an atonement made between god and thee as the foundation of it . yet further , in that the sound of the jubile was at that time when the day of atonement was . note this , when god hath pardoned us , then our hearts are in a fit frame to pardon others . now comes the jubile , and now you must release your lands , your debts , and forgive those that owe you any thing . this is the day wherein god testifieth his mercy in pardoning your sinnes , and they might well say , now lord command us what thou wilt in shewing mercy to our brethren , we are ready to pardon , to release them , to extend the bowels of our compassion towards them , for thou hast pardoned our sins . the reason of the rigidnesse , of the cruelty , the hardness of the hearts of men , and straitnesse of their spirits to their brethren , is this , because god hath not witnessed to their souls the pardon of their own sinns , an atonement between god and them . their solemn feasts . among their feasts , they had three that were especially very solemn feasts more then others : and they were the feast of the passeover . pentecost . tabernacles . these three were very solemn , especially in this one regard , wherein they are all three united in one thing , that is , upon these three feasts all the males were to ascend up to jerusalem to worship , to the place which god did choose , and so you have it , deut. . . three times in a yeere shall all thy males appear before the lord thy god , in the place which he shal choose in the feast of unleavened bread , ( that was the passeover ) and in the feast weeks , ( that was pentecost ) and in the feast of tabernacles . but how could the ten tribes then keep these feasts ? for they went not to the temple . you may as well say , how had they an ephod ? of which chap. . jeroboam was wise enough to keep the feasts , though not in that way god appointed , he could tell them the going to the temple was but circumstance of place . from this connection of these three together in this solemnity , upon which these three were especially called their solemn feasts , there are divers things to be noted . first , we may see a reason why there were sometimes so many beleevers at ierusalem . an argument is brought by some from that place , acts . . to prove that there may be in one church more then can possibly assemble together in one congregation , for the text saith there , thou seest how many thousands of iews there are which beleeve , how many millions it is in the originall ; now say they , there could not be so many millions to joyn in one congregation : the answer to this is cleare , that the time of which this place speaketh , was when the people of the jews were all assembled together at jerusalem to keep the feast of pentecost , for chap. . vers . . the text saith , that the apostle hastned , if it were possible for him to be at ierusalem the day of pentecost ; now reading the story on , it plainely appears , that in that journey in which he did so hasten , he did get to ierusalem at the day of pentecost , and being there at that time , no marvail that they said , dost thou not see how many thousands of iews there are that beleeve ? for all the males of the people of the iewes were got together at ierusalem , according to the institution , so that they were there by reason of that law that as yet they submitted to , they were not in a church state at ierusalem , therefore there is no strength in that objection against congregationall churches . secondly , where there is a nationall church , there must be an uniting of them in some way of nationall worship . there is this nationall worship that the iews by institution from god were united in , three times in a yeare to go up to the temple to worship : and except there shonld be some such kind of individuall worship , not in the same species , that is , as others are praying , so are we , and as others are hearing , so are we , for so all the churches in the world may be joyned , but to joyne in one act of worship together , as that was of going up to the temple , there must be such a thing . and that made the iews a nationall church , because we have no such institution now , no nation in the world can in a proper sense be said to be a nationall church as theirs was ; in some figurative sense we may so call it , but not in that proper sense as it was among the iews . thirdly , there are some ordinances that cannot be enjoyed but in the way of church-fellowship . the iews could not enjoy these feasts as they ought ( indeed it may be israel , the ten tribes would make a kind of patched up feast , but they could not feast so as they ought ) unlesse they went to ierusalem in that way god appointed . as among the iews , there were some ordinances they might enjoy in their synagogues and private houses , but some which they could not enjoy but in the temple ; so there are some ordinances we may enjoy in our families , but others wee cannot enjoy but in church-communion , which ierusalem is a type of . a fourth thing observable is , these three times wherein they were to go up to ierusalem , were all in the summer time , not in the winter . for the first , which was the feast of the passeover , was in the latter end of our march , and the beginning of april ; the feast of pentecost was fifty dayes after , the feast of tabernacles was about the middle of our september . it was indeed a very laborious thing for them to goe up to ierusalem to worship , but god did so commiserate and pitty them , that they were not to goe in the winter time . that is the reason of that phrase in acts. . . sayling was dangerous , because the feast was already past , that is , the feast of tabernacles was past , which was about the fifteenth of september , and so it began to be winter . god would be so indulgent to his people that they should have the summer time to go up to jerusalem in . if it would be an affliction to goe up to jerusalem in the winter , and therefore god would favour his people in that ; oh what an affliction is it then to flie from jerusalem before our enemies in the winter time ? we had need pray the more hard now for those that are in danger of the enemy , that god would be mercifull to them in this . a fifth note is when they did goe up to these three feasts , they must not come empty , but full-handed , so you have it , deut. . . ye shall not appeare before the lord empty ; noting thus much , that when ever we come to acknowledge gods mercy for any thing , we must come with full hands , and liberall hearts , with hearts ready to distribute , or otherwise we doe but take gods name in vaine . the last is , the wonderfull providence of god toward them , though all the males in the whole countrey were to come up to jerusalem three times in the yeere , yet their countrey should not be in danger of the enemies : for the jews had not such walls of seas about their country as we have , but they lived in the very midst of their enemies , they were surrounded with them , on the east the an●onites and moabites ; the west , the phylistims ; the south , the egyptians . idumeans ; the north , the assyrians , to whom the prophet seemes to have reference , zach. , . now they might say , shall our males goe up to jerusalem three times a yeer , why then our enemies that lie close in our borders , ( for they lay as neere them as yorke , or any other shire is to us ) may come upon us and destroy us ; therefore god laid in a caveat and provision for the incouragement of them , exod. . . he tells them there , none shall desire thy land when thou shalt goe up to appeare before the lord thy god thrice in thee yeere ; god tooke care that none should desire their land . let us goe on in gods service , and hee will take care to deliver us from our enemies . many times out of slavish feare of the danger of enemies , and what disturbance they are able to make amongst us , wee are ready to betray the cause of god , and neglect his worship . let us learne from hence to goe on in gods wayes , and not feare any hurt our enemies can doe us , god saith that he will take care when they are all at jerusalem in the exercises of his worship that none should desire their land . now for the opening these severall feasts , in it you may be helped fruitfully to reade much scripture in the old testament , for much of it is spent in things concerning some of these . the first was the passeover . you have the history of it numb . . . . and in divers other scriptures : that feast was in the beginning of the yeere . it is true , our scripture was the beginning of their annus civilis their yeere for civill affairs , but the month abib , which was the middle of march , and part of aprill , was annus ecclesiasticus , the ecclesiasticall yeere , and it was so appointed , upon their deliverance out of egypt when god commanded them then to celebrate their passe-over , hee told them that that month should be unto them the beginning of monthes , the first month of the yeere . noting thus much , that deliverance from great evills are mercies that we are highly to prize ; the jews were to begin their yeere in memoriall of the mercy they had upon that month. for the name [ passeover ] from god sending forth destroying angels that yet passed over the houses of the israelites that night ; he went thorough the land and destroyed all the first borne of the egyptians , but saved the israelites , this feast was also called the feast of unleavened bread , luc. . . because they were to goe out of egypt in hast , and could not have time to leaven their bread , but tooke only a little flower and water together , and so carryed it upon their backs ; josephus tells us that they tooke onely a little flower with water together that might serve them with a great deale of sparing but for thirty dayes , there was all they had for so many thousand thousands onely for so many dayes , god put them to it , to depend upon him . we are ready to murmure if we see not enough to serve us many yeers , if our armies have not enough for so long time : they had but a little meale and water that might serve them for thirty dayes , and they knew not where to have more when that was spent ; no marvaile that it is said of moses , heb. . . by faith we went out of egypt . this bread is called the bread of affliction , deut. . . and it was unleavened bread , not onely to typifie that we must not have our hearts leavened with malice , but to put them in mind of that sore affliction they were in , not onely when they were in egypt , but when they went out of egypt , that they had then but a little meale and water to serve them for thirty dayes . now this passeover was partly memorative , and partly figurative . memorative , first to remember the deliverance of their first borne . secondly , to remember their deliverance from the bondage of egypt . when others are smitten ( that is the morall signification ) and we passe over , this is a great mercy . againe , deliverance from bondage , and in that outward man and bondage in respect of religion and conscience is a mercy for everto be celebrated . god is pleased now to offer us this mercy of deliverance from both these bondages , certainly we are a people devoted to misery if we shall not take gods offer of mercy . we have beene in bondage in our estates and liberties , god offereth us freedome , and freedome also from antichristian bondage which is worse then egyptian bondage . the text saith when they were delivered from the bondage of egypt moses sang , and in the revelation when they were delivered from antichristian bondage they sang the song of moses . we were long since delivered from a great part of this bondage , now the lord ostereth to deliver us altogether . but to let that goe . they were to eate this passeover with their staves in their hands , this was to note their hasty going out of egypt . we should not when god offereth us mercy of deliverance , goe forth slowly . this is our misery at this day , the lord offereth deliverance and we lye slugging on our beds , and are like that foolish child the prophet speakes of that sticks in the birth : we have stuck these two yeers in the birth , whereas we might have beene delivered long before this . it concerns us all to consider what the cause is , and to lament it before the lord that we may make our peace with him . but further . in thanksgiving for a mercy we are ever to remember what we were before that mercy . they must eate unleavened bread at this feast , the bread of affliction , they must remember the afflictions they were in before they had this mercy , whereof this feast was a memoriall ; when wee blesse god for a deliverance , we must really present before our souls the sad condition we were in before we were delivered . further , the speciall thing that is aimed at in the passeover , was that it should be a type of christ , who was that paschall lamb that was to take away the sinnes of the world , he that was rosted in the fire of gods wrath for our sinnes , as that lambe that was to be eaten in the passe-over was rosted in the fire : and if ever the angell of gods vengeance do passe over us , it is thorough the blood of that lambe sprinkled upon our hearts , which was signified by the sprinkling the blood of the lambe upon the posts of their houses . in the lords supper we celebrate in effect the same feast of the passe-over they did : and by this we may learne this excellent note . there is little comfort in the remembrance of outward deliverances , except we can see them all in christ . they were in this feast to remember their deliverance out of egypt , but withall they were in it to have a figure and type of christ , that sweetned their remembrance that made the feast a joyfull feast , when they could see their deliverance out of egypt as a fruit of christs sufferings , when this lambe that was to put them in minde of it , did put them in minde likewise of christ the paschal lambe . in all deliverances from any kinde of affliction , if you would have the remembrance of them sweet unto you , you must looke upon them all in the blood of christ , and so remember them , and then your hearts will be inlarged to blesse god. this was the ordinance of god in the passe-over , but besides gods ordinance , the jews added divers other things . the first thing observable that they added , was earnest prayer to god for the building of the temple ; which many of them observe to this day . those who writ of the customes of the jews tell us , that because the temple is destroyed where they were to goe up thrice in the yeere to solemnize these feasts , therefore they pray so earnestly and mightily for the temple in this manner : they cry altogether to god , lord , build thy temple shortly , very quickly , very quickly , most quickly in our dayes : & then they go over it again , mercifull god , great god , kind god , high god , sweet god , with divers other epithets , now build thy temple quickly , very quickly , &c. now , now , now , five times together , ●o euxtorfius tells us . they teach us how much the temple doth concern us . here is onely their mistake , they rested in the materiall temple , they did not consider that this temple was a type of christ , therefore as earnestly as they prayed for the building of their materiall temple , so we are to pray for the building up of the mysticall body of christ , now lord , build quickly , doe not defer it , even in our dayes do it . a second thing they added was the manner of casting out of unleavened bread , in this they observed three things , their inquisition , their extermination , their execration , first with a candle they would narrowly search every corner of the house , to see if they had the least crumme of leaven , if any were found they cast it out with solemnity , and then they used to wish a curse upon themselves if there were any left in their houses that was not cast out . this morall observation wee may be taught from it , it should be our care when we are to receive the sacrament , to make narrow inquisition , to get the candle of the word , and to search every corner of our hearts , every faculty of the soule , to see if there be no leaven in it . . whatsover we see to cast it out of doores . and . to be so much set against sinne , as to be willing to take a curse upon our selves , if we should willingly let any knowne sin be in our hearts , and to acknowledge that god might justly curse us in his ordinance , if we be false in this . thirdly , they used to shew forth all their brave rich things , if they had any bravery in cloathes , in furniture , in any good thing , they would shew all at this feast . by their superstition we may learne this note , that in the time of our comming before god , it is fit for us to manifest his graces , to exercise all those beautifull graces that the lord hath endowed us with by the work of his spirit , for there is the riches of a christian , there is his brave cloathes , and his plate , all his excellencies are his graces . the fourth thing they did was , after the passe-over was at an end , they would fast three dayes , to humble themselves for their faylings in keeping that feast . this was not gods institution , but it was their custome , and we may learne this from it , ( though not to binde our selves to that they did ) too looke back to our receiving the sacrament , and to bewayle all our miscarriages ; i beleeve if things were examined to the quick in our receiving the sacrament , you would finde matter enough to fast and pray for the humbling your soules from your miscarriages . lastly , in the passe-over they used to reade the book of the canticles , because that booke treats especially of the conjunction of the soule with the messiah , which is sealed up especially in the passe-over . and that indeed is a speciall meditation for us when we come to the lords supper , to meditate of our conjunction with christ . the next is the feast of pentecost . this feast is called also the feast of weekes , because there were seven weekes to be reckoned , and then at the end of them it was solemnly to be kept , you shall finde it , levit. . . there you have the feast of the passe-over , and in that the first day of seven , and the last day of seven was solemnly kept ; now they were to count from the morrow after the first sabbath , seven sabbaths , that is , seven weekes compleate ; the first sabbath of the passe-over was the fifteenth day of the month abib , and then the next day from that they were to count seven weeks , and at the end of seven weeks was the feast of pentecost to be kept . now in this first day wherein they began to count their weeks ( for the preparation to this feast of pentecost ) you shall find that the first fruits were to be offered up to god , it was a kinde of distinct feast , called the east of the first-fruits , in which they were to bring a sheafe of the first fruits of their harvest unto the priest to be offered to god ; and the reason was , because new their harvest began : assoone as ever the passe-over was killed , and they had kept the first sabbath of the passe-over ( for they were to keepe it seven dayes ) they began their harvest , they must not put a sickle into the corne , nor reape any thing of their ground untill they had kept the passe-over ; it affordeth auto us this instruction . we cannot enjoy any sweetnesse nor any blessing from any fruits of the earth , but through the blood of jesus christ : after they had solemnized the memorial of the blood of christ , then they might put a sickle into the corne & reape it , and not before , & as soone as they had solemnized the remembrance of christ in the passe-over , they might goe with comfort and take the fruits of the earth & rejoyce in them , but not before . now this was in the month of abib , that is part of our march , & part of april , then began their harvest , & thence it hath its name , for abib signifies an eare of corne . now their harvest began so soone in the land of canaan , not only because it was a hot country , for it is observed that africa was a hotter country then theirs , and yet their harvest began not so soone ; but because of the blessing of god upon that land , therefore ier. . . it is called a goodly heritage , because of the timely bringing forth the fruit ; the words translated goodly heritage , signifies an heritage of comlinesse ; the same word that is here for goodly , signifies a roe-buck , to which this land was compared , and so it may be said to be a land of a roe-buck , because of the speedy and swift ripening of the corne . the observation is , it is the blessing of the church to have their fruit ripe betimes , not to stay too long before they be ripe , for canaan was a type of the church . you young ones consider of this ; the lord loveth to have the fruits of canaan ripe betimes ; if you grew in the wildernesse , though you did not bring forth fruit in your young time , god did not so much regard it ; but if you live in his church , in canaan , the lord expects you should beg in betimes , in the very spring of your yeeres you should bring forth fruit un to god. men doe much rejoyce in timely fruits , they are lovely : yea and god rejoyceth in them too , micah . . . my soul desireth the first ripe fruits , this is true of god himselfe . your parents and godly friends may say , our soule desires that grace may spring up betimes in these young ones , so it may be said of god , the very soul of god desireth to see the first fruits ; fruit in young ones is that which is pleasing to gods soule . we may further note , when we have had communion with god in holy things , then we may have a holy and more comfortable use of the creatures . as before we noted when we have solemnized the blood of christ , then we may enjoy sweetnesse from the comforts of the earth ; so now , when wee have enjoyed communion with god in his ordinances , then it is a fit time to have a holy use of the creatures , yea then you must be carefull of having a holy use of the creatures ; as soone as ever they came from the passe-over the first day they were to celebrate the first fruits unto god , from whence , thirdly , after the blood of christ is sprinkled upon the conscience , then men will be ready to dedicate things unto god. then as zacheus said , halfe my goods i give to the poore ; here are my goods , here is my estate , doth the church , doth my brethren stand in need of helpe ? loe wee are ready to offer them up unto god. fourthly , the first of blessings are to be offered up unto god. god gives them a charge , that the first of the first of all the fruits of their land should be offered unto him , all that commeth afterward should be the more blessed . learne this you young ones , dedicate the first of your years unto god , the very first of your first , the dawning of your years . now assoone as they had dedicated their first fruits , when harvest was done , then comes the feast of pentecost : then they rejoyced in the consummation of harvest . if you dedicate your young dayes unto god , when the consummation of your years comes , how may you keepe a feast of pentecost ! the jews first deditated the first fruits , fifty dayes before , and then at the fifty dayes end they kept their joyfull feast of pentecost , so might you if you dedicated your young yeares unto god , on the other side , what a sad thing will it be for old men that but now begin to thinke of god and christ ; it is well you do so ; but you cannot doe it comfortably as you might have done , if you had begun in your younger yeares . if the jewes when their harvest was done had brought two loaves unto god , might god say , why did you not bring the first fruits unto me ? god might so upbraid you , but however come into god and he will not upbraid you , he upbraideth no man , but yet the comfort will not be so much because your consciences will upbraid you . fiftly , note this , happy is the man that when he comes to reap the fruit of his actions , shall have a feast of joy . thus is was with the jews , the very beginning of their harvest was with a feast , and the conclusion with a feast toe . all the actions of our lives are a sowing of seed , if you sow sparingly you shall reap sparingly , and happy those men when they come to reap , that both the beginning and conclusion of their reaping shall be a joyfull feasting . many sow merrily , but they reap horrour and anguish ; but when the saints come to reap , they shall have a feast of joy . at thy right hand are joyes and pleasures for evermore . . at the fiftieth day then they were to solemnize the mercy of god in giving to them the fruits of the earth for their harvest . hence this note , much praise is due to god for the fruits of the earth , for outward comforts , how much praise then is due for jesus christ , and all spirituall mercies in him ? though we ought to blesse god for the things of the earth , yet we should be so swallowed up in blessing god for his word & ordinances , and spirituall mercies , as in comparison our hearts should be above the fruits of the earth . therefore it is observeable , that in ezekiel where there is a prophesie of the state of the church , set out by the jewish way of feasts , though there be mention of the passeover , and new moones , and sabbaths , and of the feast of tabernacles , yet there is no mention of the feast of pentecost , no mention of keeping a feast for blessing god for these things . not but that they should doe so , but that their hearts should be so carryed up with abundance of spirituall mercies , that then all for christ , and for heaven , and for eternity , their hearts should be wholly set upon spirituall things . . it was a great ingagement to them to use the creatures , when in the first beginning they had dedicated them unto god , and in the conclusion of harvest they had solemnized his mercy in giving them the creatures . for god did thereby teach them that they might be further engaged to use all creatures for his service . as it is a mighty engagement to any man if god give him a heart to dedicate the beginning of a mercy unto god , and when he hath got the mercy fulfilled , then in a solemne manner he blesseth god for it , to make use of this mercy for gods honour . certainly the reason why many are so loose in their conversations , and doe not employ the creatures of god to his glory , is , because they do not in a solemn manner blesse god for that they enjoy . as in your trading , suppose you have some comfortable incomes , perhaps you take these comforts , and thanke god in a slight manner for them , how doe you use them afterwards ? onely for your selves and for the flesh . but when you heare of incomes of riches flowing in upon you , if you can then presently take the first . fruits and give some part to gods service as a testimony of thankfulnesse , and in your families and closets in a solemne manner give god the glory for the good successe you have had in your estate , this will be a mighty ingagement to you to use your estates for his service . . mark at the first , in their preparation , they were to bring but a sheafe , but afterward , levit. . . they were to bring two loaves ; in the first they were to offer one he-lambe without blemish , but afterward seven lambes , & a young bullocke , and two rams , &c. both burnt-offerings , and sinne-offerings , and peace-offerings when they had received the full harvest . thence learne , though you be forward to give god glory when you are young , the first fruit of your years , yet when you come to be old , you should flourish in the courts of gods house . first they offered but a little unto god , afterward abundance . doe you so ? i appeale to all old men that are here this day , if god did give you any heart to give up your young years to him , blesse god for it ; but now when you are old , are you as forward as ever you were ? you ought to be not onely so , but much more abundant in the work of the lord. nay cannot others witnesse against you , that there was such a time wherein you were more forward , and that now you begin rather to temporize ? the lord forbid this should be spoke of any old men . god expects more afterward then at the first fruits ; and though nature may decay , yet their is a promise that in their old age they shall flourish in the courts of gods house , and shall manifest the graces of his spirit much more . vve are ready at the first fruits to offer unto god some what , when his mercy commeth first ; but when mercy comes afterward more fully , we should be more in our offerings . you will say , what is the meaning of this , that there is a burnt offering , a sin-offering , and a peace-offering in the feast of pentecost ? what is the difference of these three offerings ? the difference is this ; the burnt offering was in testimony of their high respect to god , they wholly had respect to god in the burnt offering ; that is , they tendred up something to god as a testimony of the high & honoraable esteem they had of his majesty , it was wholly to be given up to him . now in the other they had respect to themselves , the sin-offering was not to offer a sacrifice meerly to testifie respect to god , but to be a typicall signification of christs sacrifice for sins ; they were to looke through their sacrifice to christ , and their sin-offering was to be an atonement for their sin . the peace-offering was in thanksgiving for a mercy , or when they would petition to god for a further mercy . all this must be done in the day of pentecost . but besides this end of pentecost , to solemnize the mercies of god in their harvest , there is an other that is constantly affirmed by the jewes , and i finde many divines making no question of it ; but i finde it not so clearly laid down in the word . they say god in this feast did solemnize the giving of the law , and this is their ground , because fifty dais after their coming out of egypt was the time of gods giving the law , and so they say pentecost was appointed to blesse god for giving the law . the iews say that god dealt with them , as a king should deale with a poor man in prison , first hee releaseth him of his bondage , and withall tells him , that after such a time he will marry him to his daughter ; now say they , will not this man count every day , & long untill this time come ? so when god did deliver us out of aegypt , he told us that after such a time he would give us his law , and marry us to his daughter , which is the law , and this is the reason why wee count so disigently the very weeks , nay the days , as longing for that time when we are to be marryed to the law , when the lord shall grant to us such a mercy . from whence we may note , that we are not only to keep gods law , but to rejoyce in gods law ; not only to look at what is commanded as a duty , but as a high priviledg , and so blesse god for the law . it is a higher thing to love gods law , and rejoyce in it then to obey it ; great peace shall they have that love thy law ; david profest that he loved the law of god more then silver and gold , that it was sweeter to him then the honey and the honey combe . the iews at this day do much reioyce when the law of god is read , and in their synagogues when the law of god is brought out , they lift up their bodies in a kind of exlatation , reioycing that god gave this law unto them . further , the time of their pentecost was the time of the descending of the holy ghost upon the apostles : as god at that time gave the law by moses , so the spirit at that time came by christ , to shew that we are in the gospel to receive the spirit of god , to inable us to fulfill the law . they had the letter of the law , but in comparison of what we have , they had not the spirit , but now the holy ghost is come in a full measure ; as hee then came upon the disciples , so he comes now in the time of the gospel in a fuller way then formerly , there is a continuall pentecost . but the works of god do not of themselves sanctifie any time , except we take that note with us , we may run into a thousand absurdities ; if we argue thus , because the iews had such a time vve may have such a time , or because there vvere such blessings at that time , therefore vve may sanctifie that day . no , the vvorks of god do not sanctifie any time of themselves , it must be the word , some institution or other , either the vvord vvritten , or some immediate dictate of the spirit that must sanctifie any day . certainly the vvork of our redemption it self is not enough to change the sabbath , if vve had not s● me footing for a nevv institution . vvee usually give this ground for a change of the day , because of the greatnesse of the worke ; but though the works of god be great , though never so great , it is not for us to sanctifie a day , it must be an institution of god , or else wee sinne in sanctifying any set and stated time for any such work , for christs resurrection , or sending of the spirit , except there come an institution , though the work be as great as any thing god ever did for the iewes , it will be but will-worship in us , and god will not be put off with this , what is not this as great a worke as that the iewes had , and may not we celebrate the memory of it as they did ? but god will say , who required these things at your hands ? thus far you may do , that is , blesse god for those works all the dayes of your lives , but to sanctifie any particular day for them , certainly that cannot be done without sin ; we have our warrant for the lords day as well as the greatnesse of the work , because of the practise of the apostles who were inspired by the holy ghost . the next is the feast of trumpets , onely one particular about it at this time , because providence makes it so seasonable . in the seventh moneth , ( which was the first moneth of their annus civilis ) there were three feasts . festum tubarum , expiationis , tabernaculorum . the first was the feast of trumpets ; now there was a three-fold use of trumpets among the iewes . . for the calling of the congregation together , as we use to doe with bells . . the calling of them to warre . . for the solemnizing of their feasts . this feast of trumpets you have , numb . . there are four ends given by divines of the feast of trumpets , some i confesse are very improbable , but there are two very probable . the one is , this feast was to celebrate the new-yeer with them ; as upon every new moneth , that was called the feast of the new moon , to celebrate the beginning of the moneth , so in the beginning of the yeare they had a feast to celebrate the beginning of the year , that was this feast , for it was on the first day of their civill yeare ; so that it is very probable that feast was appointed to blesse god for the new yeere , as well as they had one to celebrate the new moneth . it was gods insti●ution for that time to have the new-year consecrated by that feast , yet this can be no ground for us now to consecrate the beginning of every new yeer unto god : that was iewish , and it is ceast , if we will have any consecration of a new yeer , it must be by vertue of some institution or other , let ( who can ) shew the institution : we must not thinke because it hath a shew of wisdome , and it seemes to bee reasonable to us , therefore it may be this is not enough in matter of worship , you must strictly tye your selves to an institution in matters of worship , in consecrating of times . as it is iewish , so it is heathenish , the heathens consecrated their new yeer to the honour of their god ianus , and we read in concilium antisiodorense , in france in the yeer . it was the judgement of that councell that it is not lawfull to observe the festivities of the gentiles , to keep their worship and observation of their calends , ( that is , the beginning of their months ) to adorn houses with lawrel & bayes , for all these practises saith the councell ) savour of paganisme . and likewise an ancient writer saith , that the kalends of ianuary are rather to be taken heed of , then to be accounted kalends , and so to be sanctified ; and further , hee saith , the church hath appointed a solemn feast to be upon that very day , because o● the notorious abuses there were wont to be upon that day . and polydore virgil saith , that these solemnities of lawrell and bayes , and masques , and mummings , and such vanities , they all come from the heathens bachanalia , and saturnalia , that were wont to be at that time of the year . however therefore we put them upon christ , and think we honour him , and call it the circumcision day of christ , yet by those customes we dishonour him , for they are rather heathenish then christian , to doe it , i say , because we think to consecrate ●ine ; though there may be some naturall reason of rejoycing , yet no ground for consecration . let no man object and say , these solemnities have beene a long time in the church . it is true , these are ancient , but from whence comes the antiquity ? it comes from hence , because christians being newly converted out of paganisme , they would keepe as much as possibly they might of the pagan customes , only they would give them a turn , turn them to christian solemnities , but the rise was from their pagan customes : therefore all the argument of antiquity , either for these , or ceremonies , or prelaticall government , it comes from this ground , because their pagan customes were so , and they lived among pagans , and having been lately pagans , they savored and smelt of heathenisme still . so now , many plead that such things were in the first reformation : no marvail they retained them , for they were but newly come out of popery , and they savoured and smelt of popery . indeed to plead the antiquity of these things , which men must shew when they are put to it , is one of the greatest arguments against them . thus was they feast of all-saints turned from the feast pantheon , and so the feast of the virgin mary , which they call candlemas , the heathens had the festivity of their goddesse febru ( who was the mother of mars ) upon that day , from whence the name of our moneth february cometh , they did then celebrate that time with candles , and such things , as papists doe now . this antiquity have you for celebrating of candlemas . the like may be said for the argument of antiquity for the prelates . o say some , such a kind of government hath been ever since christian religion hath been in england . grant that there hath been some kind of bishops ever since , but from whence came they ? we find in histories , that when the pagans were here in england , they had their flamins , and their archflamins , london was one , and yorke was another , and when they were converted to the christian religion , yet still keeping some of their heathenish customes , instead of their arch-flamins , they made arch-bishops , and of their flamins , bishops , and that in their very places , as london and yorke , and some say chester , they kept their bishopricks still . this is the very ●●und of the antiquity of them ; therefore my brethren , let not us be put off with such arguments as these , men delude you , they baffle you by these arguments . the tenth lecture . hosea . . and all her solemne feasts , &c. wee began the last day to speake something of the feast of trumpets , you shall finde the institution of it in leviticus . . you shall have a sabbath , a memorial of blowing of trumpets , now there were divers ends of gods institution of this feast , i have spoken of one ; the second reason of that feast , the hebrews thinke , was a remembrance of isaacs deliverance , when he should have been sacrificed , and the ram caught by the hornes to be sacrificed in his stead ; they drew it from this argument , because that feast is called a memoriall , ( say they ) to remember the deliverance of isaac , and it must be by the trumpets of rams hornes , to call this to remembrance , the deliverance of isaac , and a ram sacrificed in his stead ; this is the iews opinion of it , but it seemes to be farre from the meaning of the holy ghost . a third reason of the feast of trumpets , some say , ( cajetan amongst others ) was instituted for a memoriall of gods giving the lay by sound of the trumpet ; that is not likely neither , because this feast was not kept at the time of gods giving the law , if there were any time for the celebration of giving the law , it must be at the feast of pentecost . a fourth , it was for a celebration of a memoriall of gods goodness to them in the time of war , for all the mercies of god unto them in their wars , which was declared by the blowing of the trumpets . but i rather take another reason , to be a maine and principall reason of gods institution of this feast , to be a preparation to the feast of atonement and expiation , and therefore ( saith calvin ) it is called a memoriall , levit. , for this reason , to put them in minde to humble themselves before god , to afflict their hearts in the day of atonement ; and secondly , a memoriall before god , that god may remember them for mercy , so the iews observe from the seventh day of the first moneth , unto the tenth day , there was more then ordinary exercises in giving of almes , in praying , in going to their synagogues , they were very devout for those ten dayes in way of preparation for the day of atonement , of expiation . from whence note , it is of this use to us to prepare for the day of fasting ; ministers should blow their trumpets to the people to prepare them for that day : god hath accepted of those poore kinde of fasts that we have kept , abundance of mercies we have received on them ; there is scarce any one fast day that is kept , but we presently hear good news after it ; if we had kept fast dayes as we ought , if we had been prepared as we should , o what might we have obtained of god by this time ! if god accepts such poor things as we do , ( as god knowes they are poore and meane ) if we had every time a trumpet blown before us to prepare us for the day of atonement , what atonements might england have made with god before this time ! to reade understandingly those things you reade about the feast of trumpets . the next feast was the feast of expiation , in the tenth day ; i thought not to have spoken of that , because the feast of expiation is a fast rather then a feast , but that is meant here as well as any of the other , for this reason , though it were a fast , yet the hebrew word here that is translated solemne feasts , signifies onely a setled , stated , solemn time . and secondly , it was a great mercy to them to have such a day of fast ; though the day of atonement , be a day of afflicting themselves , yet it is the cause of rejoycing to a nation , that god grants them such a day of atonement ; it is the speciall meanes to make way to the joy of a nation , and therefore this is included amongst the other : now the history of that , you have in these two famous scriptures , levit. . and levit. . in this day of atonement , the tenth day of the seventh month , there are divers things very observeable , and usefull for these times . the first is , the solemn charge that god gave for the afflicting mens souls upon that day ; you shall finde in a few verses three severall times a solemn charge to afflict their soules , to humble their souls , levit. . . . . god appointed one day in the year for all the jews to afflict their souls , to make an atonement between god and them , in a day of fast , and they were charged to be sure to afflict their souls then , and that soul that did not , god threatened to cut it off . the second thing observeable is , that the priest was to goe into the holy of holies , where he was to go but once a year ; levit. . the beginning and the latter end compared together ; you shall finde it . this may teach us thus much ; if ever we are to looke upon jesus christ in the presence of god , to go into the holy of holies , making intercession for us , it is in the day of atonement , in the day of publick fast of the kingdome , then are we to exercise our faith upon christ , as entring before god into the holy of holies for us , after we have charged upon our souls our sins , and afflicted our souls , we must likewise cast up an eye of faith , beholding jesus christ our high priest at that day before the father making intercession for us . the third thing observeable is , at that day the priest was to make an atonement for all the holy things ; in lev. . . when he hath made an end of reconciling the holy place , the tabernacle , and the altar , &c. the priest was not only to seeke to make reconciliation between god and the people , but to reconcile the holy places , even the holy of holies had a kind of pollution in it , and must be reconciled then , and the tabernacle , and the altar , all of them had a kind of pollution upon them : so infectious is the sin of man , and all these were to be 〈…〉 a day of atonement . 〈◊〉 teacheth us , that in a day of atonement , of f●sting , we are then 〈…〉 speciall care to sc●●● mercy from god , to be ●●conciled to us in regard of all our holy things , our holy duties , and offerings ; we are to seek then to get the best services that ever we performed in all our lives , to be cleansed , that god may be pacified in regard of the filth and uncleanness that hath cleaved even to them . you are not in the day of a fast , onely to confesse your notorious sins to god , those that in their own nature are sinfull , but you are then to examine all your holy duties , and to humble your selves before god , and to seek to make peace with god , in regard of the uncleannesse that hath been in them . this few thinke of , they 〈◊〉 the day of a fast confesse such sins as are vile in themselves , but to be made sensible of the uncleannesse of holy duties , that is little thought of in the day of their fasts . . in their day of atonement , the priest was to lay the sins of the congregation upon the scape goat . the story of the scape goat was this , the priest must come and confesse the sins of the congregation , laying his hand upon the head of the goat , and then he must send this goat into the wildernesse . the meaning is of great use to us ; jesus christ he is the scape goat , and we are in the dayes of our humiliations to come and lay our hands upon iesus christ , and to confesse all our sins over him , and look upon all our sins as laid upon him . now the scape goat was to be sent into the wildernesse : what is that ? that is , sent into a land of forgetfulness , so as the iews should never come to see that goat again that their sins were laid upon , it signified to them , that their sins were now so forgiven them , that they should never hear of their sins againe . thus are our sins upon christ , as we shall never come to see , nor heare more of them , in the day of our fasts we should thus exercise our faith upon christ . a fift thing that was to be done , was to sprinkle the blood of the slaine goat upon the mercie-seat , and before it . it is the blood of christ that is upon , and before gods mercie-seat , that procures mercy from thence for us . the sixt thing . in the , of leviticus , ver . . the priest must take a censer full of burning coales of fire from off the altar , and his hanfull of sweet incense beaten small . this he must doe in the day of atonement ; to teach us , that in the day of our solemne fasts , we must be sure to get our hearts full of burning coales from the altar , full of affection and zeale , full of mighty workings of spirit to god , although you that are godly , and so are priests to god , at other times come with few coales from the altar , a little affection , your affections are scarce heated , but in a day of atonement you must come with your hearts full of coales , and be sure it be fire from the altar , doe not satisfie your selves in naturall affections then , but be sure you be full of spirituall affections ; and then full of incense . vvhat was that ? it typically represented our prayer , you must be sure to have your hearts full of prayer , to send up abundance of incense before god ; the incense must be of spice● beatou small , what is that ? the prayer● that we are to send up to god , in the day of atonement , must come from much contrition of spirit , our hearts must be beaten small to powder , when the hearts of men are beaten to powder , then they are able to send forth such incense , as is a sweet favour in the nostrills of god. many of you in the day of a fast seem to be full of prayer , but is this prayer a sweet incense to god or no ? how shall i know that ? by this , god hath appointed the incense , upon the day of atonement , to be that , that must come from spices beaten , if thy heart be beaten to powder , and thy prayers be but the savour , and the odour of thy graces that are as spices , and heated by the fire of gods spirit : then here is the incense that pleases god. first , graces , which are the spices , the contrition , that is the beating small , then the fire of gods spirit to cause the incense to rise up in the nostrills of god as a sweet savour . further , a seventh thing in the day of atonement was , the cloud of the incense must cover the mercy seate , ver . . and then the blood both of the bullocke , and the goate , must be sprinkled upon the mercy seate , and that seven times , and ver . . the blood of the goat must be sprinkled not onely ●pon the mercy seate , but before the mercy seate ; what is the meaning of this ? must our mercy seat be clouded in the day of atonement ? wee had need have it appear to us , and not be clouded ; yes , in the day of atonement it must be clouded , but clouded with incense ; the incense that was sent up , was a type of the sweet perfume of the merit of jesus christ ; now in the day of atonement we must look up to the mercy seate , as clouded with the merit of christ , clouded , that is , the merit of jesus christ round about it , as a cloud , and covering the mercy seat , to teach us that no man must dare to look upon the mercy seat of god as it is in it selfe , but he must have the incense of the merit of christ round about it , the reason was given why the lord must have the incense as a cloud to cover the mercy seat , lest hee die ; if he had entered into the holy place , and there looked upon the mercy seat , and not clouded by the incense , he must have died for it ; those men that think to come into gods presence , and look upon god out of christ , and think to receive mercy from god out of christ , they die for it , this is the damnation of mens soules , to look upon god as mercifull out of christ , mercy is an attribute of god , but if we dare ( who are sinfull creatures ) to looke upon this attribute of mercy , and not have the incense of christ merit , it is the way to destroy our souls . o how many thousands are in hell for this ! many who are afflicted for their sins , and cry to god to forgive their sins , and believe he is mercifull , and think to exercise their faith upon god as mercifull , and yet not looking upon the mercy seat as clouded with the merit of christ , it proves the destruction of their soules . in a fast , when you come to look upon god , you must not look upon god as the creator of heaven and earth , or as mercifull in himself barely , but look upon gods mercy in his sonne , and so exercise your faith , or else you can never make an atonement , but rather will procure gods wrath . it is not only dangerous , but horrible , once to think of god without christ , sayes 〈◊〉 . again , the blood of the bullocke and the goate must be sprinkled seven time 〈◊〉 the mercy seate , when wee come to make our atonement with god , we must exercise our faith in the blood of christ , and sprinkle it seven times , again and again upon the mercy seat ; wee looking upon god when we pray to him as a god of mercy , and we present our selves in our humiliations before the mercy seat , but know this , that the mercy seat will doe us no good , without the blood of christ ; faith must take this blood of christ , and sprinkle it , tender it up to god his father , for the atonement of our souls and procuring mercy to us ; and not only so , the blood of the bullock & the goat must be sprinkled upon the mercy seat , but before the mercy seat ; we must not only thinke there can be no mercy obtained from god , but by the blood of christ , but we cannot so much as have accesse to gods mercy seat without the bloud of christ , we must not dare to enter but by the bloud of christ , by him we have accesse to god ; we must all know , that all sinners are banished from the presence of god , and must not have accesse to gods presence as they are in themselves . lastly , this day divers times is called a sabbath of rest , that is , a sabbath of sabbaths , so it is in the originall , as one of the principall sabbaths that they had ; i did not handle it amongst the sabbaths , because it comes in now more fully amongst these solemne feasts ; there must be more rest in the days of atonement , then in other of their solemn days : there was that permitted in other solemn days , that was not permitted in that day ; this may teach us , that in the dayes of fasting , above any dayes , we must get our souls now separated from the world , there must be a rest in our hearts , a rest from sinne , a rest from the world , it must be a sabbath of sabbaths unto us . now notwithstanding god had given this solemne charge for this day of atonement , yet theodoret tels us , that in his time they did so degenerate , that they spent this day in sports , and made it a day of mirth , god grant that the ordinariness of our days of atonement do not grow to this abuse , as in some places it is amongst us ; the most solemne things that ever god gave charge of yet in time degenerates , this is the wickedness of mens natures . one note more from this feast of expiation , it is very probable that the grecians did use yearly in expiation of their cities , in this manner from this we find amongst the stories of the grecians , that yearly they were wont to have a kind of expiation , in imitation of the ways of the jewes ( the devill is gods ape ) for their cities , there was this custome amongst them , certaine condemned persons were brought forth , with garlands in manner of sacrifices , and these they were wont to tumble down from some steep place into the middst of the sea , and so offer them up to neptune the god of the sea , with these words , be thou a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for us ; the like was used by them in the times of publique infection , when they had a publique plague in their cities , they used such a custome to make an atonement betweene them and their gods , there were certain men brought to be sacrificed to their gods , for an expiation for ther whole city , and they were caled 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 this word was used to signifie that that man that was to expiate for all the sins of their cities to their gods , ing all their sins upon him , was as filth and 〈◊〉 - scouring ; and from these two words it is probable the apostle in the first to the corinthians . . hath that expression , by which we may come to understand the meaning of those two words there , we are ( saith he ) made the filth of the world , and off-scouring of the people ; 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ▪ in these alluding to the manner of the grecians , we for our parts ( saith he ) are made as despicable and odious in the sight of the people , and are as much loaded with the curses of the people , as those condemned persons that had all the sins and curses of the people put upon them , and so were offered to their gods for expiation . the feast of tabernacles . the history of this feast is leviticus . . & soon ; in this feast the iews were to take boughes off the trees , and make booths of them ; and those that write the history in their manners , they tell us , they used to carry boughs in their hands , because they could not make booths & tabernacles for all the people , therefore some of them thought it sufficient to carry boughs in their hands , and those boughes they carried in their hands they used to call hosanna ; do thou fold , or prepare the hosanna , so they used to speake , therefore when christ came to ierusalem , they cryed , hosanna to the sonne of david ; the meaning was not a prayer , save us o thou son of david , as some would have it ; but hosanna to the son of david , that is , we hold forth these boughs to the honour of the messiah , the son of david , the feast of tabernacles was to point at the messiah ; now for those boughs , ver . . there was a command of god , they should be goodly trees , palme trees , or willowes of the brooke , but why so ? it noted that thereby they were to acknowledge gods goodnesse to them , that whereas they had lived forty yeares in the wildernesse , in a dry place , they were now brought to a fruitfull land , that had much water , which was a great matter in those hot countries , and therefore they were to bring the willows of the brooke , and goodly trees , those that might most testifie the goodnesse of god to them in delivering them from the wildernesse , and in bringing them to a land , filled with sweet and pleasant brookes : things observable in this feast are , first . the end why god would have this feast kept , he aimes at these three things chiefly . first , god would have them to blesse his name for his mercies to them in the wildernesse , when they dwelt in boothes ; it was appointed by god , that they should once a yeare call to minde the great mercies of god , while they were in the wildernesse , and there dwelt in boothes , and had no houses , for so was the dispensation of god towards his people , for forty yeares they were to be in the wildernesse , and not to have a house in all that time , but dwelt in tabernacles ; this was a mighty worke of god , and manifested his exceeding protection over them , and provision for them , and his providence every way to provide necessaries for them , even as well as if they had had the strongest houses ; that so many hundred thousands should live forty 〈◊〉 , and never have a house built all that time , was a great work of god ; god ●ould declare thereby , that the church in this world is not to expect any certaine habitation , any setled condition , but to be as men that dwell in tents , removing up and downe , and so seeke after a city that hath foundations , as it is said of abraham . at this feast the jewes were wont to reade the booke of ecclesiastes , principally because it speakes so much of the works of gods providence . all the while gods people dwelt in boothes and tabernacies , god himselfe would dwell in a tabernacle ; god would never have a house built unto him , till he had brought his own people to be setled in houses of their owne ; and therefore when david began to thinke that he had a house of cedar , and therefore surely god must have one too , god tells him , did ever i speake of a house for me ? as if he had said , as long as my people went up and down in booths and tabernacles , i was content to have a tabernacle , and a booth for my dwelling , thus god is willing to suite himselfe with the condition of his people ; is the condition of his people in a fleeting way , then i will be so too , saith god ; if your conditions be afflicted , and unsetled , i will be so too ; in all their afflictions , god was afflicted , in all their unsetlednesse , god seemed to be so too . indeed afterwards when gods people came to be in a setled estate in ierusalem , then god would have a house built him ; god would hereby teach us , that if himselfe be content to be in a condition like us , then we must be content to be in a condition like him , as thus ; when we are afflicted will god be afflicted with us ? when we are unsetled , will god be ( as it were ) unsetled with us ? then let us not thinke it much , if afterwards god be in an afflicted way , his truth and his gospell be in a suffering way ; let us be willing to suffer with god ; when god is magnified and praised , then our hearts should be inlarged too , and rejoyce in his praise ; we should consider the condition that god is in the world , & we must suite our selves with that . again , would god have them once a yeare to celebrate the remembrance of their dwelling in boothes and tabernacles , and that after they came to ierusalem ? from hence note . it is good to remember our low estates , to have a reall remembrance of our low & mean conditions we had heretofore ; doth god now bring us into a more setled condition then heretofore ? let us not forget in what an afflicted condition we were in , how unsetled , how ready we were to fleet up and down ; if god should grant his people , that they should think themselves setled in their own kingdoms , yet let them never forget the time , when they were unsetled in this & other countries , there hath been a great part of the people of god , whose thoughts have been , what shall become of them , & whether shall they go , and perhaps to this day many have such thougts , unlesse there be some speciall mercies of god prevent it , yet may be the condition of thousands in the land , before a yeare go about ; if god should prevent you , ever remember your fleeting condition once you were in ; it was gods great care of the people of israel , that they should never forget their dwelling in tabernacles . thirdly , note the time of their feast of tabernacles , they were to dwell in booths , upon the fifteenth day of their moneth , it was but five dayes after their day of atonoment , so that being so presently after the day of publique atonement ; this lesson may be learned . after our humiliations for our sins , and making up our peace with god , it is good to keep our hearts low with the meditation of the uncertainty of all things in the world . you have been humbling your selves , and making your peace with god , yet when your hearts are comforted with the hope of your alonement made , keep your hearts low , take heed of pride ; the feast of tabernacles must be kept , presently after the feast of atonement ; this is one speciall means to keep your hearts low , to have a reall remembrance of the uncertainties of the comforts of this world . this lifteth up mens hearts to conceive some excellencies in things here ; therefore goe into your boothes , and work your hearts down , keep your feast of tabernacles . fourthly , god would have their hearts kept low by the actuall going into their booths and tabernacles , though they had faire and sumptuous houses in the city , yet they were to go out , and live in their booths a while ; you might think , were it not enough for the priest to tell them , and bid them remember their dwelling in tabernacles , but they must go forth from their houses and abide in booths . it is a good way to keep those men humbled , that are raised from a low condition to a high , even actually to goe into those houses that are low and mean , go into the houses of poor men , look into the cupboards , see what provision they have , this will be a means to humble your hearts , when you consider , this was once my condition . a second end of this feast was , to blesse god for all the fruits of the earth they had received , when they had received all in , their vintage and all . as the feast of pentecost was to blesse god for their first fruits , and their harvest , but now all the fruits of the earth , vintage and all were gathered in . now they were to joyn all together , and to blesse god for all the fruits of the earth . that this is gods end , is cleare in deut. . , . thou shalt observe the feast of tabernacles , after thou hast gathered in thy corn and thy wine , and thou shalt rejoyce , &c. because the lord thy god shall blesse thee in all thy encrease , therefore thou shalt surely rejoyce . from hence there is this lesson . it is usefull to remember what a poor condition we were once in , and the uncertainty of all things that we have ; even when we have got our riches into our houses , when all things are in our possession , it is not so much to think how uncertain they are , when they are growing in the field , but after the vintage was gotten in , then they were to keep the feast of tabernacles , to remember the uncertain condition of all things in the world , this we are very loath to doe , it is unsutable to our natures , and therefore this feast of tabernacles was much neglected among the jewes untill such time as they 〈◊〉 been in captivity , after god had carried them into babylon , and the●● b●ought them back againe into their own countrey , then they kept the feast of tabernacles , more solemnly then ever they had done , as we finde nehem. . . since the day of ioshua the son of nun , they had not done so , they never kept the feast of tabernacles so solemnly from their first comming into canaan , as then they did , now being come out of prison they could remember the uncertainty of all things in the world ; men forget the uncertainty of all things in the world , but if they be driven from house and home , and lose all , then they remember what they have heard and confessed ; of the uncertainty of all worldly things : some of our brethren who are plundered and driven from their habitations , if god should ever restore them to their habitations againe , then their hearts would be enlarged in blessing god , then they would be more sensible of the uncertainty of the comforts of the creature then ever before . thirdly , the feast of tabernacles had an aime at christ and the state of a christian , it was to typifie jesus christ to come into the world , and to pitch his tents amongst us , as john . . he dwelt amongst us ; he came and pitched his tabernacle amongst us , it is in the greek , and the state of a christian likewise , is an abiding tabernacle , cor. . . if our earthly house of this tabernacle be dissolved , till we goe where jesus christ is gone before us , to prepare mansions for us , iohn . our dwelling is in tabernacles . in the offerings that god appointed to offer in this their feast , numb . . . there are some things very observable , but hard to finde the meaning of , the feast was to be kept seven dayes , the first day was a great day , and the last day a great day , the first day there were . bullocks to be offered , and . lambes , the second day , there was but . bullocks , and the third day but . and the fourth day but . and so every day one decreased , ( as you may see there ) and the last day , there was but one offered , now divers expositors have sought to finde out the meaning of this . i doe not finde any such thing in all the scripture , as this is , but onely in this place , calvin confesses when he speakes of this , that for his part he doth not understand the meaning of it , and rather then to make guesses of it , & uncertainties , i will saith he be silent in it , & yet he ventures upon a conjecture a very unlikely one , therefore i shall not name it . that which is most likely seems to be in two things . the first is , they must offer every day lesse and lesse , that is ( saith another interpreter ) to shew their increase in sanctification , that they should grow to more and more perfection , every day of their feast , and so have lesse need of sacrifices then they had before , and so it will afford a good note to us , that when we come to keepe dayes to god , every day we should grow more and more in sanctification , and have lesse and lesse sin to answer for , then we had before . another interpretation that is given , is , that it was to shew the cessation of the sacrifices of the jewes , that they were to decrease day by day , and this i take rather to be the meaning , because the last day is but one bullocke that was offered , and yet the text saith , that that was the great day of the feast , when there was fewest sacrifices to be offered . ioh. . . the last and the great day of the feast , jesus cryed , if any man thirst , let him come unto me ; there is somwhat to be noted about christ there , though it is true , it was the feast of dedication , which was their own feast , from whence many would prove the lawfulnesse of holy daies , yet the truth is , upon examination you shall finde there is scarce strength enough , from that place to prove it , though it be lawfull to take the advantage of such times , but it will appeare there , that it was the feast of tabernacles , as in chro. . . their feast of the dedication of the temple , was at that time that the feast of tabernacles was ; one thing is to be observed from christs being there at the feast , the last and the great day , jesus cryed , if any man thirst , let him come unto me ; why did christ upon the great day of the feast cry out thus , if any man thirst , let him come unto me to drinke ? one reason may be , because when men are most strongly possessed with the uncertainties of all outward things in the world , then they are fit to entertaine the gospell , then fit to heare of jesus christ , when their hearts are taken off from the world , and they looke upon all things here as unsetled , the conclusion of that feast is a speciall preparation to the gospell . esay , . . , &c. the preparation to the good tidings of the gospel , is the proclamation that all flesh is grasse , and all the goodlinesse thereof as the flower of the field : yea the withering of the grasse , and the fading of the flower must be proclaimed again and againe . and then seasonably and acceptably it followes , ver . . o zion , that bringest good tidings , behold your god. tremelius thinkes that the reason of the expression of christ at this time was , from the custome of the iews at this feast ; at the feast of tabernacles the iews were wont with great joy to bring store of water out of the river of shiloh to the temple , where being delivered to the priest , he powred it out upon the altar , together with wine , and all the people sung that of isaiah , with joy shall ye draw water out of the wells of salvation ; though it were their own invention , christ takes a hint upon it , they accustomed themselves to draw water , and powre it out , christ saith , what do you stand upon this ceremony of yours , this your custome will die and perish in the use of it , but come to me and there you shall have water , i am the well of salvation , a spring of grace shall be continually in the heart of that man that beleeveth in me . one note more is observable in this feast , we have a prophesie that in the times of the gospel , the feast of tabernacles should be kept then , that is in the truth of it , not in the ceremony . in zach. . . there is a prophesy that when christ cometh , the very truth of the feast of tabernacles , then all people shall worship the true god , and keep the feast of tabernacles . why is it there prophesied that all people shall come and keep that feast ? the reason may be this , this feast is named , because in the times of the gospel , men shall acknowledge their outward comforts to be from god , & 〈◊〉 ●ertainty of all things here , and that they are strangers and pilgrims 〈◊〉 in the times of the gospell , this shall be made more evident to the hearts of people , then ever before , the more jesus christ shall be known in the world ▪ the more shall the hearts of men be taken up with the knowledge of god in every creature , and of the uncertainty of every creature , and have their hearts taken of from the comforts of the world , and never account any setled condition here , but account themselves pilgrims , and strangers ; that is a signe that the gospel hath prevailed with your spirits , if you have your hearts taken off from the creature , and you looke upon your selves , as strangers in the world , and looke for an abiding city , then do you keep in an evangelicall sense this feast of tabernacles . or secondly , if it be meant of the glorious setled condition god in the latter dayes shall bring his saints unto , yet then they shall remember with thankfulnesse , what their poor unsetled condition once was . thus you have had a view of the chiefe of the jewish feasts , which god threatens here shall cease . there are onely these three observations to be drawn from altogether . first , even those things that are appointed by god himselfe , if once they be abused , god will not own them , but then they are accounted ours rather then gods , her sabbaths , why not my sabbaths ? why not gods sabbaths ? god did appoint them , but because they had abused them , god would not own them ; her sabbaths , and her solemn feasts . the ordinances of god , though never so good in themselves , if you pollute them , god rejects them , they are your ordinances then and not gods , looke then that all ordinances be , as god would have them . secondly , it is a grievous and lamentable affliction upon any people , for god to deprive them of his sabbaths and ordinances , his ordinances are included in their solemne feasts , nay ( saith god ) you will goe on in your wickednesse , and would put me off with your sabbaths , and solemne meetings , and with those things that were once my ordinances , you will satisfie me with them , though you continue in your wickedness , no , you shall be deprived of them , you shall have no more sabbaths , no more solemne feast dayes ; it is a sad affliction for a people to have no more sabbaths . how many of you neglect solemne meetings of gods people ? time may come when god will rend these priviledges from you , and then your conscience will grate upon you , o the sabbaths that once we had ! o the solemn meetings that once we enjoyed ! but our hearts were vaine and slight ; we did not make use of them , and now they are gone , now perhaps thou art cast into a goale , or into a dungeon , and there thou keepest thy sabbaths & thinkest upon thy solemne meetings . o how unworthy is this land of sabbaths ? how did we set our selves to persecute those that kept sabbaths ? there was never any such a thing in any christian nation : other places though they are somewhat loose upon their sabbaths , yet they never persecute them that will keep sabbath : how justly might god have taken away our sabbaths ? let us acknowledge gods free grace ; what reproach hath it been in england to assemble to heare sermons ? how justly might god have taken away these solemne assembles from us long before this ? let us pray that what ever judgement god sends upon us , he will not take away our sabbaths , nor our solemne assemblies , but that we may still enjoy those we have , and enjoy them to better purpose then ever we have done . . god hath no need of our services ; if god call upon us to worship him , it is for our good , not for any need he hath of what we doe . what do i care , saith god , whether i have any sabbaths kept or no ? i can provide for my glory , what ever becomes of your duties ; i need them not , i can be glorious without you . but these threats are but to take away things that are spirituall ; carnall hearts thinke if they may live and prosper in the world , what care they for sabbaths , and for solemn meetings ? tell them of taking away ordinances , tell them of truth of gods worship , what is that to them ? let us have our peace , our trading , and our outward blessings , and truth will follow , o no , a gracious heart will rather reason thus , o lord , let us have thy ordinances , let us have thy gospel , and then for our vines and fig-trees , our tradings , and our outward blessings , we will leave them to thy dispose ; if thou will give us thy sabbaths , and thy ordinances , we will trust thee for our vines , and for our fig-trees . but if the lord be so angry to deny us his ordinances , how can we ever thinke that he will be so mercifull to us , to continue our peace , or our civill liberties ? no sure , if truth be gone , vines and fig-trees will not stay long : the next words therefore are , i will destroy her vines and her fig-trees . the lord may suffer those places that never had sabbaths and ordinances to prosper in their civill ●eace a long time , but where these have , and the wrath of god be so incensed as to take away these , it cannot be expected that outward peace and plenty can hold long there , first seeke the kingdom of heaven , saith christ , and all these things shall be added unto you : no , ( say they ) let us first seeke the kingdome of earth , and the things of heaven will be added to us ; which shewes the sleightnesse of their account of heavenly things . as the paper and the thred in a shop , is given in to the commodity , it is added , if a man bargaine for the paper and thred , and think the commodity will be given in , what a folly were it ? many men have their thoughts altogether upon the things of this life , and they think the gospel will be given into the bargaine , as if they have peace , they shall no question have truth , as if the gospel were the paper and thred , and the things of the world were the commodities . it is your wisdome if you would enjoy outward peace , let your hearts be for ordinances , cry to god for ordinances , and then god will take care you shall sit under your vines , and under your fig-trees peace . the eleventh lecture . hosea . . . and i will destroy her vines and her fig-trees , whereof shee hath said , these are my rewards that my lovers have given me : and i will make them a forrest , and the beasts of the field shall eate them . and i will visit upon her the dayes of baalim , wherein she burnt incense to them , and she decked her selfe with her eare-rings and her jewels , and she went after her lovers , and forgat me , saith the lord. gods threatning israel , in taking away spirituall mercies ; their sabbaths , and ordinances , their solemne feasts , you have in the former verse ; but because they might not be much sensible of such a judgement , to be deprived of sabbaths , and solemnities of worship , would not be so grievous to many , but the destroying of the fruit of the ground , the spoiling of their land , the losse of those things wherein their riches and outward comforts lay , would be more grievous , therefore god joynes this threat with the former , and i will destroy her vines and fig-trees ; in these two , vines , and fig-trees , there is a synecdoche , by these are meant , all her outward prosperity ; i will not lop their vines , i will not cut downe some branches of their fig-trees only , but destroy them . if god stayes long before a judgement comes , hee comes fearfully indeed , he comes with destroying judgments , then he strikes at the very roo●e of all a peoples prosperity , and leaves them hopelesse of ever recoveriug themselves ; it concerns us to humble our selves under gods hand , when he doth but cut off some branches of our vines and fig-trees , of our outward comforts , lest ere long there followes a destroying judgement , a cutting to the very roote : doth god come in your families , and cut off a branch or two , a childe or two ? humble your souls before him , he may cut downe the tree , stub up the root ere long , he may come to the mother , or the father , and so roote out the family : so in a nation , it is a very remarkable place that you have , ezekiel , . . i will overturne , overturne , overturn , when was this spoken , and to whom ? it was spoken unto israel , and to israel when they were in captivity , and yet god threatens them thus even there , i will overturne , overturne , overturne , whereof she hath said , these are the rewards that my lovers have given mee ; the word that is translated reward , signifies merces meretricia , it comes of the hebrew word that signifies hired with wages , but such wages as are given to harlots , and yet she is so impudent as to make use of that very word , these are my rewards ; the word she useth here might upbraid her , but so impudent doth idolatry make men to bee ; if we be guilty of whoredome , we have our rewards of whoredome then , ( say they : ) whoremasters use to give rewards unto their whores ; whoredome is a costly sin to many a man ; many men secretly wast , and consume in their estates , and their neighbours wonder how they come to be so low ; uncleannesse is as a gangrene , as it will consume the body , so the purse , it beggars many men , when the world little thinks of the cause . secondly , these are my rewards , these that you call idols , give mee liberall rewards , i have what i served them for . god may suffer men in wickednesse to prosper , to gaine their hearts desire . thirdly , it is a dangerous thing for sinners to look back to their sins committed , and then to blesse themselves , as if they had gotten by them ; indeed , before a sin is committed , the sinner by temptation may be perswaded there is much gaine to be had in that way ; and in the very act of comission , the sinner may find some flashie false contentment and delight , but usually after the act is over , when the sinner looks back , he sees nothing but shame , guilt and horrour ; sinners scarce dare look back to their sinnes after they are committed , except such as are most desperately hardned in their sins , they dare not think of what they have done : but here you see , they look at what they have done , and blesse themselves , as if they had got a goodly reward by it : as the sight of the evil consequences of sin is a means to humble , so the apprehending of gayning by sin , is a speciall meanes to harden in sin . judas thought it a brave thing to get the thirty pieces , yet when hee saw the evill fruit that his sin produced , he looked with horrour upon his sin , his soule sunk under the burden of it : if a judas looking after sinn , hath his spirit filled with horrour , what hope is there then of such a one , as looking after it , blesseth himselfe as a gainer by it ! if a man either prospers at that time he sins , or prospers more a little after he hath committed a sin , then he did before , or so prospers as that he conceives his sin to be some way instrumentall to bring in that gain that was got : this hardens exceedingly . fourthly , these are the rewards that my lovers have given me . it is a provoking sin to attribute the blessings of god to our own wicked sinfull ways , and thereby to harden our hearts in those ways . it is too much to attribute any of gods blessings to second causes , to our lawfull endeavors , to our industry , to our care , to any instruments , but to attribute them to our wickednesse , this is abominable , god expects glory in the acknowledgement of every mercy , and improvement of it unto him : where then there is not only a deniall of this to him , but a giving it to his enemy , to wickednesse , to the devill , whom he hates , this goes exceeding neer to the heart of god. it is a great part of our sanctifying of gods name in the use of all the creatures , to acknowledge him in all , that all depends upon him , and thereby to be quickned in his service : but to thinke all depends upon that which is contrary to god , and therefore if we want what we would have , to begin to think we have not served our lust enough , and to be put on to serve them more , this exceedingly provokes . i le give you one notable example of this wretchednesse of mans heart , and indeed it is a very dreadfull one , i had very credible relation from a minister , who being at hamburgh , hee was told this story . there was a consultation of many of the ministers of germany at that town in the time of the sorest distresses and calamities that were in germanie , the ministers were lutherans , they consulted to find out what might be the cause why the hand of god was so heavy upon germany , in those parts where they lived , that so they might reform what was amisse , and make their peace with god , the isse of their consultations came to this , that the reason of their calamities and troubles that were upon them , was because the images of their churches were not adorned enough : because there was not cost enough bestowed upon them , they were not decked as they thought they should have been : and therefore for the preventing of the continuance of those calamities in those parts of germany , they unanimously consented to improve all the strength they had to beautifie and adorn the images in their churches more : this was a sad thing for ministers who professing against popery , as the lutherans do , they indeed keep images in churches : but could it be thought that they should be thus vaine , yea wicked , as to attribute the want of their vines and fig-trees to the want of their superstitious vanities , and to bring up their consultations to this conclusion , that if they were more zealous of the one , they should the more prosper in the other ? was not this a sore and grievous evill , going neare to the heart of god ? many attribute the increase of their estates to their lying , to their over-reaching , their swearing , and rejoyce in this , this i have got by these wayes ; zeph. . . god threatens to punish those that leape on the threshold , and fill their masters houses with violence and deceit : that is , the servants of great men , who by oppression and by fraud bring in gain to their masters houses , and then they leap upon the threshold for joy , applauding themselves in the successe they have had in their wicked wayes : it is usuall in whatsoever ways men are , if they meet with any prosperous success , to bless themselves , as if this success came in the rather because of those ways , let the ways be never so wicked : of late have not some made the world believe they have had great success , & have made an argument that their ways have been good , and god hath blessed them , because they have done as they have , though we know their ways to be such as brings most fearfull guilt upon themselves , and their families , and we have all cause to have our hearts tremble within us , to think of them ; and if it be through seducement , and not through a worse principle , to pray to god , o lord forgive them , for they know not what they doe : and for the success they boast of , who would not if he might wish such success to his enemy ? but if idolaters can encourage themselves in those ways they are in , from what good they suppose they have by them , for their rewards ; how much more then should the saints encourage themselves in the rewards that they have from their lover , from the lord christ ? psal . . . this i had ( saith david ) because i kept thy word ; this is the reward i have had from my lover ; i blesse god , i have in some measure got my heart to breake before the lord , and to melt after him , and the lord hath come in mercifully to me , though indeed there be no worthinesse in what i have done , yet the lord hath beene gracious , he hath encouraged his poose servant in his way ; these and these mercies the lord hath given me as a fruit of seeking him ; he hath not said to the seed of iacob , seeke ye me in vaine ; i have sought for comfort , for peace , and at last it is come , i will call upon the name of the lord , as long as i live ; we should consider of gods mercies we have , and rejoyce in them as the love-tokens that come from our beloved ; these are the rewards , these are the love-tokens that come from our dearly beloved . hereafter when the saints shall come to heaven , how will they blesse god , and blesse themselves in their god , for those glorious things , those blessed rewards that they then shall receive from their beloved , and enjoy for ever with him ! then they shall triumphingly say , the world said heretofore , what profit is there in serving of the lord ? but blessed be god , that i went on notwithstanding in the wayes of god , and now i see there is profit to purpose ; o these joyes ! o this glory ! o this crowne ! this happinesse ! these are the rewards that i have from my beloved . a fift , what any man gets by sin , or lookes upon as gotten by sin , or uses as a meanes to harden himself in sin , the curse of god is in it , and it will rend it from him , he shall not ever enjoy it ; i will destroy their vines & their fig-trees , whereof they have said , these are the rewards that my lovers have given me , kings . . you shall finde that ahab blessed himselfe in getting naboths vineyard , by the device of iezebel , the text saith , he rose up to goe to take possession , but verse . thus saith the lord , hast thou killed , and also taken possession ? in the place where the doggs licked the blood of nabeth , shall doggs licke thy blood , even thy blood ; what , you have got an estate now , you have got the vineyard , you have got possession , how got you it ? by wickednesse , though you blesse your selves in it now , as a reward of your vile wayes , certainly the lord will either force you in the anguish and terrour of your soules , to vomit up those sweet morsells againe , you shall not hold them , or some fearfull judgement of god up-you , will rend them from you ; that which many have got by unjust and sinfull wayes , they have indeed rejoyced in for a while , but after a while that estate hath beene in their consciences as drops of scalding lead in the very apple of a mans eye ; so terrible hath it been unto them . for this i will onely give you an example , a late one , that came to my owne hands in restoring that that was wrongfully got many yeeres agoe , from one neere my selfe , i shall the rather name it because the partie desired that the thing might bee made knowne to the glory of god , he sends that that he had wrongfully got ; divers yeeres after , with a letter with these expressions ; many a throb of conscience had i about it , many an ●king heart , and many promises have i made of restitution , and thousands of times have i wished unto you your silver againe ; what shall i doe ? to keep it , it is to continue in sin ; to give it to the poor , alas , it is not mine owne ; or at least the evill purchase of gaine hourded up in the stuffe of my iniquity ; to send it home , the owner is dead , i would to god i had sent it before , that it might not have layne so hard upon me ; but seeing that is past , and cannot be recalled , here i sent it you , i aske god forgivenesse , and pray you fayle not to pray for me ; sweet jesus forgive me : it was kept divers years , but was biting all the while in the conscience of the poor man , and at length it must breake forth in such expressions as these are . consider of this , every one who hath got any thing by a sinfull way , and have blest himselfe in it , this is the reward i have got by such a cunning device , and such an unjust and deceitfull way , you got it cleverly , and have enjoyed it , and been merry with it , well , one day it may thus lie grating in your conscience , o then how rerrible will it be to you ! this is the best way to be rid of the rewards of sin , when they begin to cause aking in your consciences , cast them out your selves , all your praying to god for forgivenesse will never ease you without this way ; if you be able to restore , but if you will not doe it this way , god may come by some hideous judgement , and force them from you in spite of your hearts , and then how terrible will it be to you , when you looke upon them as going from you , as being rent by god from you ! o now i must part with all that gaine , and sweetnesse that such and such wayes of sin have brought me in ; the gain , the sweet is gone , but the guilt , the curse , the dregs , the filth , that remains upon my spirit , and for ought i know must stick by me to all eternity ; gods judgements will be upon you one day , but as strainers to let out whatsoever is sweet , & delightfull to you , and to keepe in the filth and dregs ; remember this , you that have got rewards by sinfull wayes , your rewards of sinne may now delight you , but there is a time you shall have rewards for your sins , that will not please you . i will make them as a forrest . god threatens his people to make them as a forrest , the seventy they reade it otherwise , i will put those things as a witnesse ; you will say here is a great difference ; i will make her as a forrest , and i will put those things as a witnesse ; those things , that is , those rewards ; they rejoyce in the rewards that they have had of their iniquity , but i will make them to be as a witnesse against them ; certainly there is a truth in this , those things that you rejoyce in as got by sin , the lord will make them to rise up , and witnesse against you ; be sure now you cast them out , they will be witnesses against you another day else ; a man that is guilty , would be glad , when he knows one that would witnesse against him , were dead , or out of the way ; have you got any thing by a sinfull way ? have you got any thing by a sinfull course ? put it out of the way , for otherwise it will bee a witnesse against you , either upon your sick-bed , or at the great day of judgement ; but how can thesee-two readings be reconciled , i will make them as a witnesse against you , and i will make her as a forrest ? it is true , the words in the english seem to be very wide one from another , but there is an easie mistake that might cause the seventy to read those words , so as to render them thus , i will put them as a witnesse , for [ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ] signifies a forrest in the hebrew , and [ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ] signifies to witnesse , so it is used , zach. . . montanus reads those words , contestabatur angelus ; now those that are skilful in the hebrew know that there being no more difference in the words then in those letters which are so like one another , one is [ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ] the other is [ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ] there might easily be a mistake in that regard ; but we take it as it is here , i will make her as a forrest . the church is gods garden , hedged in with gods protection , but god here threatens to take away the hedge , and let in the wild beasts ; concerning the hedg of god about his church we have spoken before : the wilde beasts are one of gods sore judgements often threatned : those who will not be subject to the blessed holy god , they shall be subject to the ravening and rage of beasts : and it is like the seventy understood it , even literally of that judgment of noysome beasts to be let in upon them ; for i find that they add to these words [ the beasts shall eate them ] the fowles of the heaven , and the creeping things of the earth shall devoure ; but though i find that in the translation of the seventy , yet i do not find it in the hebrew text , and therefore we must let it passe , and only speak of what we have here , of the beasts eating : now therefore by that according to most interpreters , i incline to think , and am perswaded , that it is the intention of the holy ghost to express a judgment beyond the judgment of letting in of noysome beasts , namely the assyrians , the adversaries of israel , who should come upon them as ravening beasts to devour them ; from whence the words being so opened , you have these three notes of great use concerning us . the first is , sin makes men like beasts , the beasts of the earth , he meanes the assyrians , great ones , and yet he calls them the beasts of the earth , to be like a beast , is worse then to be a beast ; for to be a beast is but to be as god made the creature , it is no dishonour to it : but to be like a beast , that is the corruption of a creature , and the deformity of it , the worst deformity that possibly can be : chrysostome shews it thus , beasts ( saith he ) have but some particular evill , take the worst of all , as the swine , sensuality , the tyger , and the bear , cruelty ; the fox subtlety , &c. but wicked men have all evills that all beasts in the world have in them . one wicked man hath the sensuality of a swine , and cruelty of a tyger , of a bear , the subtilty of a fox , and whatsoever is set out emblematically by any beast , a wicked man hath it all in his heart ; yea and farther , wicked men are worse then beasts in this , that they doe corrupt themselves in those things that they have common together with beasts , more then beasts do . as the drunkard corrupts himself in his drink , which a beast will not do , a glutton corrupts himselfe in his mea●●ore then ordinarily a beast will do , and that i think is the 〈◊〉 〈…〉 in 〈…〉 iude , ver . 〈…〉 of that they know not , and what they know naturally as bruit beasts , in those things they corrupt themselves . as for their intellectuall parts , they will be speaking evill of what they know not , they will take upon them as if they knew much , but the truth is , they understand little , and yet they will speak evill of that they know not . it is a dreadfull text against such as will be crying out against men and their ways , when as in truth they know not what they are ; but further , in that they know naturally as bruit beasts , in that they corrupt themselves , that is , in things they do know meerly by sense , as bruite beasts do , they know by tasting , and by smelling , as bruit beasts do , in those very things they corrupt themselves more then bruit beasts , that is , by excess in meats and drinks . would not any account it to be one of the greatest judgments that could befall him , if god should turne him into the fashion of a beast while he lives here in this world , though he should still retain the mind of a man in him ? suppose god should inflict this judgment upon a drunkard , he should still have his intellectuall parts as now he hath , but yet his body should be turned into the form of a swine , or a rayler into the form of a dog , as they say hecuba priamus his wife was for her rayling ; would not this be a fearfull judgment ? it is an expression of a heathen , lactantius hath it from cicero , ( saith he ) if it would be such a judgment as a man would be willing to indure any misery in the world , rather then to have his body turned into the fashion of a beast , is it not as great a misery to keep the fashion of the body , and to have the mind to become like a beast , to keep a humane shape with the soul of a beast ? surely it is worse then to have the shape of a beast with the soul of man. secondly , god looks upon wicked men who do great things in the world with a contemptible eye : the beasts shall devour , that is , the great king of assyria , and all his courtiers about him , and cavalliers with him , they shall come to devour them , they are but the beasts , god speaks in a contemptible manner , as he doth against senacherib that king of assyria , in isa . . . god threatens to put a hooke in his nostrils , and a bridle in his lips , because of his rage and of his tumult , that is , he would use him as a beast , to hook his nose , & to put a bridle into his jaws . mark likewise how contemptible god speaks of the king of babylon , and his whole army , ioel . . his stinke and his ill savour shall come up , because hee hath done great things ; and so in psal . . . they belsh with their mouths ( saith david ) and they goe up and down the citie grinning like a dog : these are the expressions of david , and in that psalm he means no other but those his adversaries , that were about saul in his court : and ezek. . , . to the chief prince of meshech and tubal , i will put hooks in thy jawes ( saith god ) and in dan. . the four great monarchs , babylonian , persian , grecian , roman , are set out by four beasts , & the fourth monarchy which by most interpreters interpreted the roman empire , dan. . . it is described to bee dreadfull and 〈…〉 and strong exceedingly , & it had great iron teeth , it devoured and brake in pieces , and stamped the residue with the feet of it , and it was divers from all things that was before it ; now this beast raged first in the heathen empire , and after it gave its power to the beast antichrist , as you may reade in rev. . and that beast was like a leopard spotted , full of uncleannesse and filth , or as some translate it , a panther , who by the scent of it drawes other beasts to him , but devoures them , and his feet like a beare , and his head like a lyon. thus you see how god describes the great ones of the world , to be as beasts looking with a contemptible eye upon them . thirdly , it is a sore and a heavy judgement for a people to be delivered up to the rage of cruell adversaries ; the beasts shall devoure them . i will give you up to them who will bring you under , you will not be obedient to me , but to them you shall , i will let out cruell wicked men upon you . hence david prayed , lord let me not fall into the hands of men , when god would put him to his choyce , to choose what judgement he would have , he was quickly resolved what to refuse , hee would be sure he would not have that judgement , to be given up to the hands of men , that he knew was dreadfull ; and psal . . . he prayes , o that i had the wings of a dove , that i might flye into the wildernesse , and there abide . into the wildernesse ! why hee should be among the wilde beasts in the wildernesse , and yet he cryes , o that he had the wings of a dove , he would abide in the wildernesse ! vvhy what is the matter here ? it was because of the cruelty of saul , and his courtiers , david apprehended them so cruell , that he had rather fall into the hands of tygers , and wilde beasts in the wildernesse , then into theirs . i could give you notable examples of people that would rather endure any misery in the world , then be given up into the hands of their enemies . that story is most famous of numantia in spaine , when scipio came against it , and they were afraid it would be taken , all the young men first took all the old men in the city and killed them with as faire a death as they could ; then they brought all the treasure and riches of the city to the market place , and set all on fire , and after that they all took poyson and poysoned themselves , and thus in one day old and young , and all in the city , were quite destroyed , rather then they would fall into the hands of their enemies . psa . . . deliver my soul , saith david , from the sword , my darling from the power of the dog , the power of the dog , and the sword , is but one the interpretation of the other ; and that text is observable , cor. . . that i have fought with beasts at ephesus after the manner of men ; some interpret this litterally , that he did indeed really fight with beasts , as being one way of torment they put the christians to , to fight with beasts ; but it is rather thought by most interpreters , that the meaning is with men that were beastly , with cruell men , and esthius thinkes those men to be no other , but those that are mentioned in acts . . of whom the text saith there , that divers were hardned , and spake evill before the multitude , paul then departed from them , and 〈◊〉 he disciples , paul says that it was a most 〈…〉 to get the multitude to be gathered together , and there to speake against him and his doctrine , and against christ , when all the multitude were got together , now their malice thought that a fit opportunity to vent all their venome against paul and his doctrine , upon that the spirit of paul was so provoked ( saith the text ) that he departed from them , and separated the disciples : he saw them desperately set upon it with malice that they would take such an advantage , so to speake against him and his doctrine before the multitude ; it is thus with many , the more sedition is raised , the better are their designes furthered . christ tells his disciples , marke . . that serpents should do them no hurt , and drinking poyson shall not hurt them ; yea , in the . of luke the beginning , he tells them they shall have power over divels ; serpents shall doe them no hurt , poyson shall doe them no hurt , they shall have power over devils : but mathew . . . beware of men ; they might say , why blessed master , what need we be afraid of men ? serpents shall do us no hurt , we shall have power over devils , and yet for all this , christ bids them take heed of men ; as if there weere more danger of hurt from wicked men , then from devils , or from serpents , and therefore s , paul in the . of the thessalo . . . prayes that they may be delivered from absurd men ; so the words are , that those that had lost the very principle of reason , and were even as beasts . there are a generation risen up amongst us , who have sucked up the poyson of the old serpent , and are sweld with it , who are set on fire of hel , and the poyson of asps is under their lips , and in their hands , and as it was said of romulus and romus , the founders of rome , they were suckled by woolves , so are these , who desire to build up rome againe ; much like the first founders of that rome , they seeme to be men suckled by wolves , or as the poets faine of lycaon , turned into a wolfe for his cruelty ; or as it is said of their s. dominick , that was the father of the dominicans , that when his mother was with child of him , she dreamed that she brought forth a wolfe , with a firebrand in his mouth ; according to that representation she had in her dream of her childe , she proved afterwards ; and if we look to the cruelty , and the rage of these kind of men , we may even think , that their mothers have brought forth wolves with firebrands in their mouths ; in these satan rages , and we hope therefore his time is but very short , because he rages so much ; had they prevailed , and brought all under their power , no chronicle of any nation under heaven would afford the like stories of horrid cruelties , as the chronicles of these times would have done ; where they have prevailed , in ireland , there have beene the beginnings of such barbarismes , as here would have risen to the perfection of all rage and horrible cruelties ; they may be faire a little while , till they get more strength ; but certainly had they their will , there would never be parallel examples of that horrible rage and cruelty as you would finde among them , the lord deliver us from being scourged with these scorpions ; let us humble our soules before god , that god may not humble us before such beasts , that we may not say that england shall be as a forrest , and these beasts shall devoure them ; in the meane time let us not be offended at their prevailing in some places , for then we should be as beasts our selves , psal . . . so ignorant was i , i was as a beast before thee , ( saith david ) genesis . . god saith , he will require of the beasts the blood of his people , certainly , god will require of these beasts , the blood that hath been shed , it is precious blood that they have drunke ; had it beene corrupt blood , god would not so much have cared for it , but it hath beene the blood of his saints ; let us believe that god will turne the rage of man , the rage of beasts , to his praise , psal . . . surely the lord cannot possibly behold without indignation such vile beasts to worrie his lambs , who are so deare to him , even such so precious in his eyes , to be torne and worried by such beasts as these are , the eyes of the lord are purer then to behold such iniquity as this is , we may well cry out with the prophet , haback . . . . how long shall we cry out of violence and wrong ? spoilings and violence are before me , whe●efore lookest thou upon them that deale treacherously and holdest thy tongue , when the wicked devoureth the man that is more righteous then himselfe ? the higher the scum ariseth , the nearer we know it is to the fire . i have read of philo , when the people of the iewes made use of him to apologize for them unto cajus the emperour , cajus used him very ruggedly , when he came out of his presence , the iews came round about him , well , ( saith he , to encourage them ) surely cajus will arme god against himselfe for us . but it may be said by some , surely these men are not beasts , for they are skilfull warriers , they are not so bruitish as you take them to bee , but are skilfull enough in their wayes ; marke that text of ezekiel . . i will deliver thee into the hand of bruitish men , skilfull to destroy ; they are skilfull to destroy , and yet bruitish men ; we have a promise from god , and our prayers should hasten the fulfilling of it , in ezek. . . he will cause the evill beasts to cease out of the land , and ver . . the beasts of that land shal no more devoure them ; o that that time were come ! o that the lord would so worke for us as to cause our beasts to cease out of our land , that they might no more devoure ! isaiah . . no lyon shall be there , no ravenous beast shall be found there , but the redeemed shall walke there ; there is such a time coming ; let us be patient in the mean time , and comfort our selves in these scriptures , though our brethren endure hard things , by these cruell beasts , and though god may perhaps bring some of us under the rage of them , yet there is an estate of the churches , that will be ere long that they shall be troubled no more with such uncleane , such outragious beasts . verse . and i will visit upon her the dayes of baalim , wherein she burnt incense to them , and she decked her selfe with her eare-rings and her jewels , and she went after her lovers , and forgat me , ( saith the lord. ) here is the conclusion of the threatning part of the chapter ; now god will come upon them for all their sinnes together , if a generation shall succeed 〈…〉 esse , god may justly come upon 〈…〉 , for all the suns of the former generations ; all the blood from abel to zechariah shall be required of this generation ; i will visit all the dayes of baalim , ever since they served baal , let men take heed of continuing in the wayes of sin , who can tell what sin may put a period to the time of gods bringing his judgement upon a nation , a family , or a particular person ? though god hath spared heretofore , upon the next sin committed , there may be such a period put , as god now may come upon the family , not onely for that sin , but for all the sins of the family , that ever have been committed since it was a family , and so upon a nation , for all the sins of a nation , since it was a nation , and all thy sins , ever since thou wast a sinner . men goe on a while in the wayes of sin prosperously , but when god commeth to visit , what will become of them ? isaiah . . what nill you doe in the day of your visitation , and in the desolation which shall come from far , to whom will ye flee for help ? and where will you leave your glory ? now you are merry , and laugh , now you feare nothing , but what will you do in the day of visitation ? what will become of you then ? whether will you flee then ? and where will you leave your glory ? i will visit upon them the dayes of baalim ; in the plurall number baalim , by which some think and that not improbably , that it is meant of their under gods that they had , which they called baalims , for the heathen had their chiefe gods , and their dii minores , their lesser gods , that were unto them , as mediators to their chiefe gods , and so our papists have , they have their diiminores , lesser gods , who are tutelar gods , either over nations , or over families , or over particular diseases , &c. as they say , for england , s. george , for erance , s. dennis , for ireland , s. patrick , for wales , s. david , for scotland , s. andrew , &c. these saints they are in imitation of the heathens , baal , or in the caldee dialect bel , was the king of babylon after nimrod , the first that was deified , and reputed as a god after death , whence those men that were deified after their death , and worshipped as gods , as the papists worship their saints , they called baalims , as from iulius caesar , the other that followed after , were called caesars : this interpretation gives unto us much light to understand that scripture that you have in the first of the corinthians , . . . though there be that are called lords whether in heaven or in earth , as there be gods many , & lords many , but to us there is but one god the father , and one lord iesus christ ; if the apostle had spoke in hebrew , it would have been thus , though there be many baalims , there is to us but one god , and one baal ; for in hebrew , baal is lood , there are many gods , ( say they ) there were divers greater gods , and there were many lords , many baalims , that is , there are many amongst the heathens that are mediators to their other chiefe gods ; but to us ( saith he ) there is but one god , and but one lord , but one baal , we have not baalims , wee have not many mediators , to mediate between us and god , but as we have but one god , so we have but one lord , but one mediator , who indeed in regard of his humane nature is inferiour to the father , but yet such a lord by whom are all things , and we by him , we acknowledge not greater gods , and lesse gods : the papists acknowledge but one god , but they have many lords , many mediatours , many that must be between god and them , but this is a heathenish opinion . again , baalim in the plurall number . another reason given by some , and not improbably , is , that in regard of the severall images they had of their baal , in severall places , even in their private houses ; for idolaters would not satisfie themselves in worshipping their gods in publicke , but would worship them in their private houses also . now though the jewes had onely two idols set up , one in dan , another in bethel ; yet they had some representations of those images in their private houses , which may be grounded upon that text hosea . . because of the calves of bethaven , that is of bethel , calves of bethel . why , how many calves were there ? there was but one calfe set up there , and yet here it is in the plurall number : now the reason of that is given , because though there was but one calfe set up for the publicke worship , yet they had in their private families , the picture of that calfe , and so would bring the worship of their baal into their families . a good lesson for christians , not to satisfie themselves with publicke worship , but to bring as much of the worship of god as they can into their families . wherein she burnt incense to them . incense was a typicall signification of prayer , in two respects . first , in the sweet savour of it . and secondly , in the ascending of it by fire , so all our prayers should be as incense , sweet before the lord , and ascend up with the fervency of zeale , and faith ; it is properto god alone to have incense burnt unto him in a religious way , the heathens burnt incense to their idols , imitating the worship of god. she decked her selfe with her eare-rings , and her jewels : they worshipped their idols in sumptuous manner , adorning themselves with as costly apparell as they could , especially their foreparts : the word that is translated jewels , signifies the nose jewel , the same word that you have in isay , , . nose jewels , they hanged upon their faces , jewels to make themselves beautifull before their idols : whores use to adorne themselves more pompously then grave matrons , by this many simple people are drawn to the love of idolatry , which is spirituall whoredome ; outward braveries draw the sences ; they thought god would accept of their service the rather , because of their costly jewels , that hung about their eares and nostrills . from hence this note . to thinke that god will accept our service the rather , because of any apparel , or any thing of our own devising , is to deale with god as the heathens with their idols ; we must take heed of that : the heathens instituted garments , that so they might be accepted . there was a councel in the . year of christ , that hath this canon in it , it anathematizes all those that shal judge one vesture , one garment more holy then another , & make more for piety then another doth . we are to learn from idolaters thus much , to 〈◊〉 adorn our souls , when we come into the 〈◊〉 of god ; did they deck their bodies , and hang jewels about eares and noses when they came before their idols for acceptance ? let us beautifie our souls every time we come before the living god ; and would you know what fine cloathes you should have , when you come into gods presence ? i will tell you , and especially women who delight so much in fine cloaths , pet. . . be yee cloathed with humility ; so the word is to dresse with a dresse that gentlewomen used to weare in those times , with ribband ; about their heads ; well ( saith the apostle ) would you have a fine dresse ye women ? be ye cloathed with humility ; the finest dresse you can possibly have : and i will tell you another dresse too , in pet. . . adorned with a quiet and meeke spirit , which is with god of great price ; it is much set by of god , so translated in some of , your books . you love to be fine , if you come into gods presence with quiet and meek spirits , and cloathed with humility , you will be as fine as can be in the very eyes of god ; but withall remember , both men and women , the robes of christs righteousnesse , except you come cloathed and decked with that garment also , certainly you can never find acceptance . they followed after their idols , but forgot me ( saith the lord. ) their lovers were remembred , but i was forgotten , saith god ; god speakes here in a lamenting way , as a man bemoaning his sad condition : as if he should have said , how am i flighted by my people ? the idols can be followed , they can be remembred , but i am neglected , i am forgotten , they have activity for their idols , none for mee , memory for them , but none for mee . god takes it very ill , when men can find memory , strength , and activity enough for their sinfull wayes , but none for him ; many complain of strength , they are weak , but who was ever so weak , but had strength enough to sin ? though memories be weak , yet sinfull ways can be thought on . forgot me , that is , first , they have forgot what a god i am . secondly , what i have done for them , the great works i have done befor them . thirdly , all their engagements to mee ; many follow wicked wayes , yet so as sometimes they have checks of conscience , they have somewhat of god yet sticking upon their hearts , some remembrances of god , and so long there is hope ; but when a sinner hath so far departed from god , and followed on his ungodly ways , as god is quite worn out of his thoughts , then hee is in a sad case indeed . i appeal to you , is it not the case of some here ? there was a time that you had mighty impressions of god upon your spirits , and then you could never go up and down in your shops , streets , fields , but the thoughts of god were in your minde , and when you awaked in the night season , the thought of god was in your hearts ; but there was some haunt of wickedness that your hearts hankered after all that while , temptation came , and you have given way to it , and now ( friend ) you can go up and downe , one day after another , and scarce think of god at all ? what is the matter that you have no thoughts of god now , as you were wont to have ? yet perhaps you are not gone so farre , but that now and then there commeth in some darting thoughts of him , but so as your conscience knowes they are very terrible to you , you can never now have a thought of god , but it is as a clagger at your heart , and indeed it must needs be terrible to a guilty conscience that is departed from god. well , take heed what thou doest o thou sinner , goe not on so long in thy sinfull wayes , till thou wearest out all the thoughts of god , for some have done so , though they had checks of conscience , when they have beene in wicked company , god hath come into their thoughts , and troubled them , but they have gone to wicked company againe , and some thoughts of god have yet followed them , but they have gone again and again , and now they have forgot god , as if there were no god at all in heaven , as if god had nothing to doe with them , and they nothing to doe with god , o this is a sad condition indeed . if any of you be declining into such a condition as this is , the lord stop you , this day the lord awaken your consciences . ordinarily the more prosperity men have , the more forgetfull they are of the lord ; they forgat me , as genesis . . jacob set ephraim before manasses , first ephraim , then manasses ; ephraim signifies fruitfulnesse , and mansses signifies forgetfulnesse ; thus it is with men , ephraim comes first , f●uit fulnesse , god is fruitfull to you , and blesseth you in your estates , & then comes manasses , forgetfulness ; you are forgetfull of his goodnesse to you : my brethren , if always we had such impressions of god , as we have sometimes , o how happy were it ! it will terrifie hereafter , when god shall againe so present himselfe to you , and cause you to remember what impressions of his divine majesty once you had ; let us hold forth our continuall remembrance of god , so as all that behold our conversaions , may say , surely the thoughts of god are mighty upon the spirits of these men ; thus we should live before our brethren : i will give you this one rule for your lives ; live such lives as by them you may hold forth before your brethren such remembrances of god , as they may conclude by that they see in your conversations , certainly there are deepe thoughts of god upon the heart of this man , there was a time indeed he walked lightly ; vainly , foolishly , but now he is serious in his way , he is considerate , he is heavenly , he walks with feare ; certainly there are great impressions of the divine majesty upon his heart ; if it be so with us , how joyfull will it be to us hereafter , when god shall appeare in his glory , then to have our consciences tell us , the impressions of the majesty of this god , that now i see so high and great have beene upon my soul , in the whole course of my life , i now see the glory of the great god shining , and blessed be his name , even this god that appeares so gloriously , hath appeared often to my soul before , and i have kept the impressions of his glory upon my heart , and he was continually in my thoughts . it is a wonder that god should ever thinke of us , who are so forgetfull of him as we are ; psalm . what is man that thou remembrest him ? ( saith the text ) what is man ? the word there that is translated man , some would bring forth the hebrew roote which signifies forgetfulnesse ; i finde eusebius taking it thus , what is man o lord , that thou shouldst remember him ? that is , what is forgetfull man , that thou shouldest remember him ? yet i confesse the hebrew word that is there translated man , comes from another roote that signifies weakelinesse , sicklinesse ; what is weake man , what is sick-man ; yet if this word come not from that roote that signifieth to forget , yet i am sure there is a word that commeth from that roote that signifies to forget , that is used for women , because of their forgetfulnesse ; we would be glad to have god remember us , in the day of our adversities , let us remember god now ; all you young ones , remember god , remember your creator in the dayes of your youth ; you old people , whatsoever you forget , forget not the lord ; let us all remember the lord , who hath remembred us all ; who hath remembred england , in its low estate . for his mercies endure for ever . we have done with the threatning part , now it followes , therefore , behold i will allure her , bring her into the wildernesse , and speake comfortably to her ; [ therefore ] beloved , it is a strange therefore ; what , they followed after their idols , they have said , that all their prosperity was a reward of their idols , they have forgot the lord , they have decked themselves with their jewels , to honour their idols ; ( and marke ) it comes presently , therefore i will allure her , and i will speake comfortably to her ; one would rather have thought it should have followed ; therefore i will yet plague her , therefore my judgements shall pursue her , and cut her off ; but marke it followes , therefore i will allure her , and speake comfort ably unto her ; o the rich and free grace of god to his people ! but of that the next day . the twelfth lecture . hosea . . therefore behold i will allure her , and bring her into the wildernesse , and speake comfortably unto her : and i will give her her vineyards from thence , here begins the second part of this chapter ; the former was in conviction , threatning , pronouncing judgements : this from verse . unto the end , is the opening of the free and rich grace of god to israel . it may be said of this chapter , as psalm . . mercy and peace are met together , righteousnesse and truth kisse each other , there is a blessed conjunction betweene threatning of judgement , and proffering mercy ; but where is the copula of this conjunction ? what is that knits these two together ? here is a conjunction , but it is very wonderfull , it is in the first word , therefore ; that is the copula , [ therefore ] i will allure her ; wherefore ? this therefore hath a very strange and wonderfull wherefore , if we consider of what went before ; the words immediately before were , she went after her lovers , and forgate mee , saith the lord , [ therefore ] behold , i will allure her ; there needs an ecce be put to this [ therefore ] be hold ; behold , i will allure her . lyra could not see how these things could bee joyned together , therefore hee thinks that this verse hath not reference to that that immediately went before , but to the words in the beginning of the chapter , say to your brethren , ammi , my people , and to your sisters , ruhamah , shee that hath obtained mercy , therefore : and cornelius à lapide not understanding the cause of such a connection , he would referre the beginning of this verse to the end of the seventh verse : she shall say , i will goe to my first husband , for then it was better with mee then now , therefore also i will allure her ; these two , though learned men , yet are papists , and therefore understand but little of the free rich grace of god , and hence are put to it , so much , to make a connection betweene that that went before , and this therefore ; but wee need not go so farre , the right knowledg of the fulnesse , and the riches of the grace of the covenant , will help us out of this difficulty , and tell us how these two , the greatnesse of mans sin , and the riches of gods grace may have a connection one to another , and that by an illative therefore . i confesse the hebrew word is sometimes conjunctio ordinis , rather then causalis , a conjunction that only sets out the order of a thing , one thing following another , rather then any way implying any cause , but the reading here by way of inference , i take to be according unto the scope of the spirit of god , and it gives us this excellent note . such is the grace of god unto those who are in covenant with him , as to take occasion from the greatnesse of their sinns , to shew the greatnesse of his mercy , from the vilenesse of their sins , to declare the riches of his grace . and the scripture hath divers such kind of expressions as these , as gen. . . the lord said in his heart , i will not again curse the ground any more for mans sake ; vvhy ? for the immagination of mans heart is evill from his youth : a strange reasoning ; i will not curse the ground for mans sake , for the imagination of mans heart is evill from his youth . one would have thought it should have been rather , i will therefore curse the ground for mans sake , because the imagination of mans heart is evill from his youth ; but the grace of god knowes how to make another manner of inference then we could have imagined : so likewise , isa . . , . for the iniquity of his covetousnesse was i wroth and smote him , i hid me and was wroth , and he went on frowardly in the way of his heart ; i have seen his wayes ( saith god ) now one would have thought that the next word should have been , i will therefore plague him , i wil destroy him , i will curse him ; but mark the words that follow , i will heale him , i will 〈◊〉 him also , and restore comforts unto him , and to his mourners ; i will create the fruit of the lips , peace to him . this is a consequence at least , if not an inference . david understood this reasoning to be indeed the true reasoning of the covenant of grace , and therefore he pleadeth thus with god , psal . . . pardon my iniquity , for it is great ; lord my iniquity is great , therefore pardon it . hearken you saints , ( hearken i say ) this is the great blessing of god unto you who are in covenant with him , whereas otherwise your sins should have made you objects of gods hatred , your sins now render you objects of his pitty and compassion , this is the glorious fruit of the covenant of grace . i would only the saints heard me in this thing , but why doe i say so ? i will recall my word , let all sinners heare me , let the vilest , the worst sinners in the world heare of the riches of the grace of god in this his covenant , that if they belong to gods election , they may see the fulnesse , the glory of gods grace , to be inamoured with it , their hearts ravished with it , that they may never be at rest till they get evidence to their soules , that god indeed hath actually received them into this his covenant . if then god be pleased in the riches of free grace to make such an inference , therefore let us take heed that wee make not a quite crosse inference from the greatnesse of our sins , nor on the other side , from gods grace . as thus , you have followed your lovers , you have forgot me , therefore will i allure you . an unbelieving heart would make this inference : i have followed my lovers , i have followed after vanity and folly , and therefore god hath rejected mee , therefore god will have no mercy upon me , therefore i am undone , therefore the gates of mercy are shut against me , unbelieving heart do not sin against the grace of god , he saith , you have forgotten me , therefore will i allure , and speake comfortably to you ; doe not you say , i have forgot the lord , and therefore the lord will for ever reject me ; these discouraging , determining , despairing therefores are very grievous to the spirit of god. god would have us have all good thoughts of him . it is a maine thing that god intendeth through the whole scripture that his people should have good thoughts of him , and that they should not think him a hard master . it is an excellent expression of luther , ( saith he ) the whole scripure doth principally aime at this thing that we should not doubt , but that wee should hope , that we should trust , that we should believe , that god is a merciful , a bountifull , a gracious , and a patient god to his people . it is an excellent expression that i have read of master bradford , in one of his epistles , ( saith he , o lord sometimes me thinks i feel it so with me , as if there were no difference between my heart and the wicked , a blind mind as they , a stout , stubborn , rebellions spirit , a hard heart as they , and so he goes on ; shall i therefore conclude thou art my father ? nay , i will rather reason otherwise ; saith he , because i do believe thou art my father , i will come unto thee , that thou mightest enlighten this blind minde of mine , that thou mightest soften this hard heart of mine , that thou mightest sanctifie this unclean spirit of mine ; i this is a good reasoning indeed , and is worthy of one that professes the gospel of jesus christ . again , as the inference of this unbelieving heart is grievous to gods spirit , so the inference of a prophane heart , an unbelieving heart makes his therefore from the greatnesse of sin against gods mercy , and the prophane heart makes his therefore from the greatnesse of gods mercy , to the hardening of his heart in his sins ; what , shall god make his therefore from our sin to his mercy , and shall we make our therefore from his mercy back again to our sins ? where sin abounds , grace abounds , but where grace abounds , sin must not abound , because god is mercifull to us who are very sinfull ; let not us be very sinfull against him who is so mercifull . god takes occasion from the greatnesse of our sins , to shew the greatnesse of his mercy ; let not us take occasion from the greatnesse of his mercy , to be emboldened in greatnesse of our sins . therefore [ behold . ] behold . here is a wonder to take up the thoughts of men and angels , to all eternity , even that that we have in this inference , behold , notwithstanding all this , yet you men and angels behold the fulnesse , the riches of gods grace , i will allure her ; what will not god cast us away notwithstanding the greatnesse of our sins ? let not us reject gods ways , notwithstanding the greatnesse of any sufferings we meet with in them ; there is a great deale of reason in this that i speak ; you may as well beare with sufferings in gods wayes , and yet embrace them , as god doth beare with sinns in your hearts , and yet embrace you ; but it follows , therefore i will allure ; the heb. word translated allure , signifies to entice , and is used many times in the ill part , blandiendo decipere , to deceive by subtle enticing : the seventy in their translation , thus , therefore also i will deceive them , and the old latine lactabo , and others seducam , therefore also i will seduce them , so sometimes the word is : god makes use of this word to expresse a very gracious affection to them , the sweete and gracious wayes that god intendeth to deale with them in . what god means by alluring of his people , when once he is reconciled unto them , may be expressed in these three things . first , i will open the beauty and excellency of the infiniteness of my grace and goodnesse , and i will set it before them to allure them . i will spread before their soules the beauty , the glory of the riches of my grace . secondly , i will out-bid all temptations of their lovers , whereas before they went a whoring from me , because their hearts were allured by their lovers , their lovers proffering unto them such and such contentments , and so did subtilly draw their hearts from me , i will now deal with them in a more powerfull way then their lovers possibly could , and i will out-bid them all . did their lovers proffer to them comfort ? i will bid more then they ; did their lovers proffer gaine ? i will bid more gaine ; did they proffer more honour and respect ? i will out-bid them in this too : i will bid more honour , and more respect , so as i will perswade their hearts that they shall come to enjoy more in me then possibly they could com●● enjoy in whatsoever their lovers could doe for them . and indeed then hath the gospell the true , full , gracious worke upon the heart of a man or woman , when it yeelds to the profers of the gospel , as finding that all that the world can bid is now out-bidden ; i have a better bargaine here in christ then the world proffers to me . you know when one comes to offer so much for a commodity , and another out-bids him , he carries it away : so when the world , and lust , and sin proffers to the soul such and such contents , then comes god , and out-bids all , and so the bargaine is made up , god carries away the heart . againe , further , i will allure , that is , i will come upon them even unawares , and as it were steale away their hearts , by a holy guile ; as s. paul tells us , that he caught the corinthians as it were by guile . i will secretly insinuate my selfe unto them , and i will draw their hearts in such a sweet way , in such a secret hidden way , that i will take them before they are aware . so it is with many a soule ; god takes it before it is aware , though it is true , that afterward the soul comes to understand things more clearely about gods grace , but at the first , god hath taken the heart even almost before it thinks of him . indeed the sinner sees himselfe , he is not where he was before , surely there hath been here something working upon my heart ; i finde it otherwise with me now then it hath beene , but how this comes to passe , i scarce understand for the present , but shall understand more ; like that expression we have in the . of canticles , ver . . ore ever i was aware , my soule made me as the chariot of aminadib : that is , the chariots of a willing people , so the word aminadib signifies . my heart was caught , and run amaine to god , and this was before ever i was aware , there came such wayes of gods grace into my heart more then i thought of , and caught my soul , that my soul run mighty freely , swiftly after the lord , and this is a blessed deceit , when the heart is so deceived , so allured , so enticed ; as sometimes it is with an adulterer , he doth but give a glance of his adulterous eye , and catcheth the adulteresse before she is aware ; it may be she never thought of any such thing ; but there is a glance of an uncleane eye that catcheth the heart secretly . thus with christ , hee sometimes gives such a glance of his eye upon the heart of a sinner , as takes the sinner before he is aware ; the sinner is brought in love with the wayes of god , and with the truths of god , even before he thinks of it . we are to know that the grace of god hath a subtilty in it , as well as the serpent ; the scripture , pro. . . attributes a subtilty to gods grace ; it is a blessed thing to be thus out-subtilled , ( as i may so speake ) for the grace of god to be too subtile for our sins ; as i remember luther , when he was charged for apostacy , he acknowledged it , ( saith he ) i confesse i am an apostate , but how ? an apostate from the devil , falling off from the devill , & returning unto god , such an apostate i am ; so many a mans heart may be deceived , but if he can say , blessed be god , i am deceived indeed , but so deceived that my sin is beguiled ; i am seduced , but it is out of the wayes of sin , into the wayes of god. many are easily allured by temptations , they are presently taken by the devills allurements , but they are very subtile in objecting against all the allurements of gods grace , but he is subtile enough to put off the allurements of sin and of the devill . therefore behold , i will allure her , and bring her into the wildernesse . here is some difficulty in this ; how comes this in ? therefore i will allure her , and bring her into the wildernesse , and speake comfortably to her . how can this , to bring into the wildernesse , be between alluring , and speaking comfortably ? i told you , that this second part of the chapter was altogether mercy : what can be meant then by bringing into the wilderness ? some for the shewing that yet it is a way of grace that god intendeth in this phrase , i will bring them into the wildernesse , translate the words , after i have brought them into the wildernesse , postquam per duxero eam , so t●emelius , he was a jew , and therefore could well understand the hebrew tongue , he tels us that vau , that is translated and , is as much as postquam , after i have brought them into the wildernesse , and then the meaning is thus . after i have humbled them throughly , as i did their fore-fathers in the wildernesse , then will i speake comfortably unto them : god humbled their forefathers in egypt , yet that was not enough , hee humbled them afterwards in the wildernesse , and then he brought them into canaan ; many times god brings one affliction after another upon his own people to break their hearts , to humble them throughly , and at last he speaks comfortably to them . it hath been so with us , the lord not many yeares since brought us into bondage , it might have humbled us , & broke our hearts before him ; but when wee began to bee delivered a little out of our bondage , the lord brings us into the wildernesse , and follows us with afflictions to this day , that he might throughly break us , and yet we hope all this while , it is but making way unto canaan . but in the second place , take it as you have it here , i will allure her and bring her into the wildernesse . then wee may take the scope of it to be not the afflicting part of the wildernesse , but only the manifesting this unto israel , that he would shew unto them great & wonderfull works of his power , & wisdome , and goodness , as he did unto their forefathers in the wildernesse . what ever your conditions shall be into which you shal be brought , yet you shall have me working in a glorious way for your good and comfort , as ever i did for your forefathers when they were in the wildernesse : and this exposition is rather strengthened from that we have ex thargum ionathae , i will work miracles , and great wonderfull , famous things for them , such as i did work in the desert : hath god wrought gloriously for his people hitherto in the wayes of his mercy ? if reconciled to him , they may expect the fame wonderfull works of god for their good even to the end of the world we may read the stories of gods wonderfull power in deliverances of his people in their straits in the wildernesse , and make them to be our own , and pleade with god , that he would shew forth that old , that ancient power , and wisdom , and goodnesse of his , as he did unto his people formerly , this is the ground of that excellent prayer , that we have esay . . . awake , awake , put on strength o arme of the lord , awake as in the ancient dayes , in the generations of old ; art thou not it that hast cut rahab , and wounded the dragon ? art thou not it that hath dryed the sea , the waters of the great sea ? awake , awake , thou art he who hast done such great things formerly ; it is a great help to our faith to consider what god hath done for the church of old . but further , poreus saith this expression is taken from the condition of a poor man that is drawne aside out of his way by a thief , a thief comes and entices him out of his way , and carries him into some desolate place , & when he hath carried him thither , then the manbegins to bethink himself , where he is , and sees himself in a sad condition , and knows not what in the world to do , and yet at that time there comes in supply , comfort , and help for him ; so ( saith god ) i will bring you into the wildernesse , that is , i will put you into the same condition , that such a poor man is put into , i will allure you , as the thief allures , i will make proffer to you of abundance of good , and by that i will draw you into such and such wayes , wherein you shall meet with very great straits , for a while , and you shall be put into an amazed condition , as not knowing what in the world to do , and when that is done , then i will come with the fulnesse of my grace , and speake comfortably to your hearts . thus though god speakes of bringing into the wildernesse , yet still it is with an intention of shewing mercy there ; and is not this just to a very haire for all the world our condition ? have not the ways of god toward england for these two or three years been alluring wayes ? god hath made proffer unto us of a great deale of mercy , and raised the hopes of his people , and the ministers of god have spoken encouraging words to his people , that surely the lord intends great goodnesse to us , and because gods wayes have been such towards us , as they have been , we have endeavoured ( god knowes ) to follow him in those ways of his , to do that , that for the present those present ways of his called for : and yet we are even brought into the wilderness now , even into a kind of desolate condition , that for the present we even are at a stand , & we see afflictions to be round about us , & the very beasts to be ready to come & teare us , and pull us in pieces , and yet we can say to the comfort of our hearts , lord , if we be deceived , thou hast deceived us , for ( lord ) thou knowest that whatsoever we have done , it was our duty to doe , and although we be brought into great straits , for the present , yet we repent not of what we have done , nor of what we have said , for thou hast allured us into this condition , thy gracious wayes of mercy towards us in the beginning of the parliament , and so on hath allured us , and hath brought us into what we have done . wee will not therefore say , what is now become of all our hopes ? but wee expect god even in this wildernesse , to speake comfortably unto us , let not men upbrayde us for what wee have done , we would doe as we have done , if it were to do again , for god hath brought us into these wayes , and if he hath allured us into the wildernesse , the next words shall be made good unto us , he will speake comfortably to us : if we be in no other then that wildernesse he hath allured us into , then we may expect fully that he will speake comfortably to us . here is the difference betweene men bringing themselves into trouble ; or being brought by the devils or worlds allurements , and by gods. in the one we cannot expect comfort , but in the other we may confidently . further , there is yet another interpretation that i think is most genuine , and full ; for the ground of that i shall say in this , we must know that from the beginning of this part of the chapter to the end , god is expressing himselfe unto his people in a conjugall way ; that is , whereas his people had gone a whoring from him , yet he would receive them againe into a conjugall affection , and communion : all along god expresses himself thus , from the fourteenth verse to the end . now this being laid for a ground ; in this expression of gods bringing into the wildernesse , the prophet alludes unto the custome of the jewes , that they had in their marriages . their custome that i reade of , was , that the bride-groom used to take his bride , and carry her out of the city , into the fields , and there they had their nup tiall songs , and delighted themselves in some place there , one with another , & afterward he brought her back againe , leaning upon him , into the city , to his fathers house , and there they rejoyced together , and solemnized the further nuptials : now these fields are called the wildernesse , either because they might be some champion dry fields that were about the city ; or otherwise , let them be what they will be , yet because he would allude unto the mercy of god in bringing of his people out of egypt , into canaan , and would put them in minde of that mercy of his , therefore he gives these fields this title , calls them by this name , and this custome of the jews seemes to have warrant from scripture it self , canticles . . who is this that commeth up from the wildernesse , leaning upon her beloved ? that was the way of marriage , they came out of the fields , leaning upon their beloved , and so were brought unto the bridgegroomes fathers house : so christ brings his spouse through this world , which is as the wildernesse , and christ is here solemnizing his espousals , and hath his nuptiall songs in this world ; and the church leanes upon christ , all the while she is in the world , but christ is carring her to his fathers house , and ere long we shal be with him there , solemnizing the marriage of the lambe in a more glorious way : this expression goes on clearly thus , i will allure her , and bring her into the wildernesse ; as the bridegroome speakes sweet and comfortable words to his bride , and carries her abroad into the fields , and there solemnizes the nuptials , and so comes back againe , having his spouse leaning upon him , and bringing her to his fathers house ; so i will deale with you in the fulnesse of my grace . i will performe all the nuptiall rites with you . i will be married againe unto you , and looke what the most solemnity in your city of jerusalem , or any of your cities , there is in any nuptials , i will make as great a solemnity in the nuptials betweene you and me : it is true , when a marriage is such as people are loath to make it known , then there is no such solemnity , but when it is a great marriage indeed , and such as marry together with their friends would glory in it , then there is the more full solemnity ; so saith god , i will not be ashamed to take you againe , but i will take you openly ; i wil have the solemnity of my marriage with you as publickly as may be , i will carry you abroad into the fields ; and look what rights soever there are in the most solemne marriages amongst you , those rights i will performe unto you , that it may be a most glorious marriage solemnity between you and me again : thus i will bring into the wildernesse , and speake comfortably unto them . and speake comfortably to her . these words that are translated here , speake comfortably , in the hebrew are , loquar super cor , or ad corejus , i will speake to her heart , i will speak to her , either so as to prevaile with her heart , or speake to her so as to do her good at the very heart : many scriptures may be brought to shew , that speaking kindly , friendly , or comfortably , the hebrews expresse by speaking to the heart ; i will give you two or three instances , genesis . . shechem spake kindly to the damosell , the words are in the hebrew , shechem spake to the heart of the damosell ; so ruth . . thou hast comforted me , for that thou hast spoken friendly to thy handmaid ; thou hast spoken to the very heart of thy handmaid ; there are two more remarkable places for this , one is esay . . speak comfortably to jerusalem , the words are , speak to the heart of jerusalem ; what should be spoke to the heart of jerusalem ? cry unto her , her warefare is accomplished , her iniquity is pardoned ; these are the comfortable words that god required should be spoke to the heart of jerusalem : o that god would speak thus to england ! this would do good at the very heart , if god would speake thus from heaven , her iniquity is pardoned , and her warefare is accomplished . but yet a place that is more suitable unto this expression in the text , it is iudges . . there you have the story of a levite , whose wife having played the harlot , yet he was willing to be reconciled to her , & the text saith , that he went & spake friendly to her ; now the words are in the hebrew , hee went and spake to her heart ; and indeed it is a word to the heart of an adulterous spouse , if her heart be humbled , when she knows that her husband will be willing notwithstanding her playing the harlot to be reconciled to her , this was the condition of israel , who had gone a whoring from god , yet when god promises a renewall of the marriage rites he saith he will speake to her heart ; from whence we might observe this note . that an apostatizing people , or an apostate soul , had need have words of comfort spoke to their hearts , or else there can be little ease to their terrified consciences . we read of spira that famous apostate , he had words of comfort enough spoke to his eare , but they did him little good , god did not come in and speak to his heart , therefore his conscience could not be quieted , the throbs of it could not be eased : how many lie under the troubles of an accusing conscience , and have the throbs and bitings of a guilty spirit , because they have been back-sliders from the truth ; and though they come to sermons , one after another , & hear the covenant of grace opened to them in the fulnesse of it , & the riches of gods goodnesse set before them in the beauty of it , yet they goe away without comfort , why the words come to the eare , god all this time speaks not to the heart ; sometimes it pleases god to take but the hint of a truth , and dart it upon the heart of a troubled sinner , that he feeleth it at the heart , and sayes , well , this day god hath spoken to my heart , so he goes away rejoycing , eased , comforted , pacified ; when as perhaps such an one had heard a hundred sermons before , wherein there were blessed and glorious truths presented to him , and it did no good untill gods time ; and when the time of gods love is come , some little hint of a piece of a truth god darteth to the hearts and that doth the thing . god shews hereby that it is not in the word of man to comfort an afflicted conscience . hence an expression luther hath in his comment upon genesis , it is far harder to comfort an afflicted conscience , then to raise the dead ; you think it is nothing to apostatize from the lord , you thinke it is easie to receive comfort , you will find it is not so easie , you will find it as easie to raise the dead as to comfort your afflicted consciences . but you told us before , how rich the grace of god was , that god tooke advantage from the greatnesse of our sins , to shew the riches and greatness of his mercy : grant it , let the grace of god be never so rich , but till this grace be applyed to the heart , till god be pleased to speak himself to the heart of a sinner , it will not do . i remember a story of one who had made profession of religion , and afterwards apostatised and made little of it , when his acquaintance told him that those things he now did he would smart for one day , he thought because he had some knowledg in the gospel , that it was but to believe in jesus christ , jesus christ came to pardon sinners , &c. when he came upon his sick bed , he was in great torment of conscience , and grievous vexation , and cryed out bitterly of his apostacy , there came some of his acquaintance to him , and spake words of comfort , and tells him that christ came to save sinners , and he must trust in gods mercy , &c. at length he begins to close with this , and to apply this to himself , and to have a little ease , upon which his companions began to be hardned in their ways , because they saw after so ill a life it was so easie a matter to have comfort ; but not long before he dyed , he brake out roaring , in a most miserable anguish , o! ( saith hee ) i have prepared a plaister , but it will not sticke , it will not sticke : wee shall find though the grace of god be rich , and the salve be a soveraign unlesse god be pleased to make it stick by speaking to our hearts , nothing can be done . from hence further , learn this note . as when god speaks comfortably to his people , he speaks to their hearts : so gods ministers , when they come to speak in gods name , should labour to speak so , as to do what they can to speak to hearts . it is true indeed , it is impossible that any man of himselfe can speake to the heart of another , but yet he may endeavour , and aime that way , there is a kind of speaking that god doth assist , so as to bring it to the heart of his people . what speaking is that ? you will say . that that cometh from the heart , will most likely go to the heart , though i know god can take that which comes but from the lips , and carry it to the heart when he pleases , yet ordinarily that that comes from the heart , goes to the heart , therefore ministers when they come to speak the great things of the gospel , they should not seeke so much for brave words , and enticing ways of mans wisdome , but let them get their own hearts warmed with that grace of the gospel , and then they are most like to speak to the hearts of their auditors . it is a good note that i have met with from ribera , let ministers remit ( saith he ) of their care of fine curious words , of brave neate phrases , and cadencies of their sentences , but let them bend their studies to manifest humility , and mortification , and to shew love to the soules of people ; otherwise , though they speake with the tongues of men and angels , they shall become but like the sounding brasse , and the tinckling cymball : this is an expression even of a jesuite , it were then a great shame that gods ministers should not labour to speak so , as that they may speak to the hearts of people : you must be desirous of such kind of preaching as you find speaks to your hearts , not that that comes meerly to your eares : how many men love to have the word jingle in their ears , and in the mean time their hearts go away , and not one word spoke to them ? but when you finde a ministry speake to your hearts , close with it , bless god for it , and count it a sadd day when you goe from a sermon , and there is not one word spoke to your hearts in that sermon . from the connection of these two , i will bring them into the wildernesse , & speak unto their hearts : if we should take the wildernesse for bringing into affliction ( because there are so many interpreters that are very godly men , & learned men , go that way ) i dare not wholy reject it , but that there may be some intention that way . hence the first note is , afflictions make way for gods word to the hearts of sinners ; there are many obstructions at the hearts of men while they are in prosperity , but when afflictions come , god by them opens those obstructions , and so gets his word to their hearts ; afflictions cannot convert the heart , but they can take away some obstructions that did hinder the word from coming to the heart . many of you have heard thousands of sermons , and scarce know of any one that hath come to your hearts , but when god casts you upon your sicke beds , and you apprehend death , then you feele the same truthes , that you were not sensible of before , they lie upon your hearts , the threatning word of god , that went but to the ear before , now it is got to the heart , now it terrifies , now you cry out of your sins , and rellish the sweet promises of the gospel that afflictions make way for . i remember an expression that i have read of bernard , he had once to a brother of his , who was a souldier , but riotous and prophane , bernard gives him many good instructions , wholsome admonitions , and counsels , his brother seemed to slight them , he made nothing of them , bernard comes to him , and puts his hand to his side ; one day ( saith he ) god will make way to this heart of yours , by some speare , or launce , he meant god would wound him in the wars , and so hee would open a way to his heart , and then his admonitions should get to his heart , and as he said , so it fell out ; for going into the wars , he was wounded , and then he remembers his brothers admonitions , they got to , and lay upon his heart to purpose . it god should let the enemy in upon us , their swords or bullets may make way to our hearts , that so gods word may come to have entrance there , the lord rather pierce our hearts by his spirit , then that way to our hearts should be made thus . secondly , when we are brought to great affliction , that is the time for gods mercies . this should make us not to be so afraid of afflictions , how afraid are we ? how do we hang back when we see afflictions coming ? why art thou so loth , o thou christian , to come to affliction ! the time of affliction is the time for god to speake to the heart of a sinner ; many sinners may say that their condition hath been like jacobs , he never had a more sweete vision of god , then when he lay abroad in the fields , with no other pillow under his head then a stone , it may be god will take away all your outward comforts , and when they are all gone , then may be gods time to speake comfortably to your heart . thirdly , the words of mercy , o how sweet are they , when they come to the heart after an affliction ! psam . . thy judges shall be overthrown in strong places , they shall he are my words , for they are sweet . if the words be taken , for bringing into the wildernesse , that is , for gods wonderfull workings for the good of his people , then the note is , when god works great and wonderfull things amongst a people , then god speaks to the heart of that people : then surely god hath spoken to our hearts , for he hath done great and wonderfull things amongst us ; he did not more wonderfull things amongst his people in the wildernesse , then he hath done omongst us here in england . but from that meaning , of bringing into the wildernesse , as the custome of marriage , of solemnizing of nuptials , then the note is this , when god is reconciled once to a people , they may expect full manifestations of his love unto them , one manifestation after another , as alluring , and carrying abroad into fields , and nuptiall songs , all kind of manifestations of gods love : a people , a soule that was never 〈◊〉 sinfull before , and is new reconciled , may expect it . let all back-fliders then , whom god is about to draw again to himself , listen and hear what god saith unto their hearts ; if they come in and repent let them know that god is willing to manifest all expressions of love and goodnesse to them . againe , there is yet one note more from this expression of bringing into the wildernesse , and speaking to the heart ; yet because it is the most improbable , i will onely but mention it to you , there may be yet some good use made of it , and therefore i will set it before you ; i finde divers going that way , it is this ( say they ) by bringing into the wildernesse , god meanes that he would take them off from their engagements in their own country , carrying them to a strange place , and so take them off from their houses . lands , shops , estates , friends , acquaintance , from the pomp , the glory , and all the clutter of the world , that they enjoyed , and were snared by in their owne countrey , and so he will carry them aside into desolate places , and there he will instruct them , when he hath got them as it were alone ; that hath been gods way in making himself known unto his people , whom hee hath had a love unto , to draw them aside from the clutter of the world , from their engagements , and there to speak to their hearts . we have a famous place for that , mar. . . the poor blind man , whose eyes christ intended to open , the text saith , christ took e him by the hand , and carryed him out of the city , and there fell a working upon him , and opened his eyes ; he carryed him from the clutter of people , from his friends and acquaintance , and there opens his eyes . while we are in the midst of engagements here in our owne land , while we have our estates , and all well about us , wee are scarce fit to hearken what god hath to say to us : many of gods people have found it by experience , that whereas there were many truths of god , that they had some incklings 〈◊〉 while they were here , and read books about them , and heard much of them , yet they could not be convinced of them , and their consciences tell them , while they were here they did not go against the light of their consciences , but how ever it came to passe , convinced they were not ; but when god took them aside from their engagements , and from the pomp and glory of their land , and carryed them into the wildernesse , or into some remote places , where the glory of their own countrey did not so glister before their eyes , they then could see into truths , that they never saw before ; those things that could not get into their hearts before , now when god drew them aside got in ; and it is not now their conceit , but they knovv certainly , that they do understand much of gods minde , that they did not understand before ; vvhen god hath taken them aside , then god hath opened their eyes . vers . . i will give her her vineyards from thence . vinatores , so some translate the vvord , her vine-dressers , and indeed the heb. vvord that is for vine-dressers , & vines , or vine yards , is the very same letters , only the puncta are different , but vve vvill read it as it is here , from thence ; illinc , ibi , either from that time that they are in the vvildernesse , or from that condition of their affliction in the wildernesse , wherein i will speak comfortably to her , thence i will give her her vineyards ; god threatned to destroy her vineyards , now god saith , he will give vineyards . observe , god can as easily restore , as he can destroy : it is an easly thing for men to make havock , to do mischief , but it is not so easy a thing for them to restore all again ; they can easily spoile a country , but they cannot so easily raise a country again . psal . . . why beastest thou thy selfe in mischiefe , o mighty man ? there is no reason that a man should boast that he can do mischiefe ; we have some who make their boasts in nothing but this , that they can go up and down the country , and plunder , spoile , and make havock , but can they make all up againe , that they undo ? plut arch tells us of one commending the power and valour of philip , for that he had utterly destroyed olynthus , a city of tracia ; a lacedemonian standing by answered , but he cannot build such a city . a foole may breake a glasse , and all the wise men in the countrey are not able to make it up againe . men may do a great deale of hurt and mischiefe , but it is not their lives , nor the lives of a thousand such as they are , can make up againe what hurt is done by them : but it is gods property , he can destroy vineyards , and he can restore them againe ; i will give them their vineyards againe , when i am reconciled to them : suppose there be the greatest pacification that can be , yet all this while , who shall make up the hurt is done ? if there be reconciliation with god , he will make up all our hurts again . secondly , i will give her her vineyards . it is a note of calvin , god saith not , i will give them their corne , that is for necessity , but i will give them their vineyards , that is for delight : the note is , when god is reconciled to a people , hee will not onely give them substance , but abundance , even for delight , as well as for necessity . thirdly , when god is reconciled to a p●●ple , he comes with present reall evidences of his love , he reserveth indeed abundance of mercy afterwards , but he is never reconciled , but he comes presently with some reall evidences and demonstrations of love ; god saith not onely , i will speake comfortably to them , and there is an end , and they shall expect mercy along time after ; no , but i will speake comfortably to her , & i will give her her vineyards againe : i will give unto them reall manifestations of my love ; so it should be with us , when we come in to god , to be reconciled to him , we should come in with reall expressions of our repentance , of our respects unto god. here is a deceit , ( i beseech you confider of it ) many when they lye upon their sick beds , will promise what they will doe for god , if god restore them , but they doe nothing for the present , and so they are deceived . when you therefore finde your hearts wrought upon , broken , and melting , take heed of this deceit , doe not satisfie your selves in promising what you will doe for god , if you be in such a condition , and such a condition , but doe something presently , set upon the work presently , and so engage your hearts to god ; if once you be engaged by doing something , the worke will goe on : it is a great matter when we can engage the heart of a man to god in any businesse , suppose a man promise to doe this or that , yet if all this while he have done nothing , he lookes not upon himselfe so really engaged , as when something is done , he therefore sooner flies off again ; but if together with his promise he be brought to do , hee will not so readily flye off ; god doth so with you , he together with his promise , gives some real evidences of his love . againe , after god speakes to the heart , and then restores vineyards , then they are blessings , then they are sweet indeed , for then god restores them as fruits of reconciliation with him ; many a poor afflicted soul know what belongs to this comfortable note : i thought my sinfulnesse forfeited all my comforts , all mercies , and god indeed tooke away this , and the other comfort from me , but it pleased god to come in graciously upon my heart , and to speake to my heart , and in some measure to breake it , and to humble it before him , so that i hope peace is made up , and notwithstanding those great offences of mine , he hath now restored mercies ; he took away a childe , but he hath given another , a be●●e● ; he hath took away one mercy , & he hath given a better ; & this i can ( though with holdness , yet with humility ) say it is as a fruit of my reconciliation with my god ; o how sweetly may such a one enjoy that mercy from god! if after the meltings of thy heart after god , he then comes in with mercies to thee , thou mayest take them , as tokens of love to thee ; now thy house is a comfortable blessing to thee , & thy yoake-fellow , & thy children about thee ; o how comfortable blessings are they ! yea , the meat on thy table , is sweet with a double sweetness , when thou canst looke upon all , as the fruit of gods reconciliation with thee ; as the christians acts . . . when they once believed in christ , they did eate their bread with gladnesse & singlenesse of heart , praising god. we may enjoy all our common mercies in another manner then other men can they will be blessings doubled , yea a hundred fold encreased ; i will speake to her heart , and then , i will give her her vineyards . perhaps god hath given thee an estate in the world , more then thy neighbors , more then thy brother ; but hath god spoke to thy heart ? are gods blessings upon thee as a fruit of gods speaking to thy heart , in away of reconciliation with thee ? otherwise it is but a flat dry comfort , to have an estate , and not to feele god speaking to our hearts . i will restore unto you your vineyards from thence : from whence ? from the wildernesse . there the note is , god can bring vineyards out of wildernesses . let us not be afraid , onely let us make up our peace with god , and then though we be in a wilderness , god can from thence bring us vineyards . our brethren have found vineyards in the wilderness , and many of gods people in the midst of their straits have found abundance of mercy . further , from the wildernesse ; they shall have more love , mercy working more strongly for them now it seems , then they had before ; they had vineyards before , but they had none in the wildernesse . now god will dravv mercies out of those things that were unlikely , he will bring forth good unto them , out of things that seemed to goe quite contrary to them : the lord hath done so for us , out of those things that seemed to goe quite contrary to us , god hath brought much good to us , as if hee had made vineyards to spring out of a wildernesse . but the close of all is . those mercies that come to us out of great difficulties , and seeme to be raised out of contraries , are the sweet mercies indeed , those we are to rejoyce in ; and therefore it followes , and they shall sing . deut. . . god made them to suck honey out of the rock , and oyle out of the flinty rock ; when did god doe so ? where did you ever reade , that god did cause his people to suck honey out of the rock , or oyle out of the flinty rock ; wee reade indeed , that the rock was smote , and the water did gusb out of it , but when did we reade that ever oyle or honey came out of the rock ? there was never any such thing that we reade of ; but the meaning thereof is , because they being in necessity , god brought forth water , yet being brought out of the rock by such a mighty hand of god , it was oyle , it was honey to them , it was as good as if god had given them oyle and honey ; why ? because it came out of so much difficulty : so all the mercies that god gives to his people , when he brings them out of difficulties and straits , they are sweet and glorious mercies . let us be patient a while , though we seeme to be in the wilderness , and we see nothing to fetch out water from , but onely rocks , stones , and difficulties , yet god at length will bring mercies out of those difficulties , and they will be honey mercies to us , then we shall sing and praise the name of our god with joyfull hearts . the thirteenth lecture . hosea . . and the valley of achor for a doore of hope , &c. the words are an excellent expression of mercy to israel ; for the opening of which these three things are to be enquired into . . what this valley of achor was . . the reason of the name . . why this is said to be a doore of hope . for the first , achor was a very pleasant , delightfull , fruitfull rich valley , and lay neer jericho ; the first place that israel came into , in the entrance upon , and taking possession of the land of canaan , esay , . . and sharon shall be a fold of flocks , and the valley of achor a place for the herds to lye down in , for my people that have sought me . first it is joyned with sharon , can. . . i am the rose of sharon , that was a sweet pleasant place . secondly , it is said to be a place for the herds to lye downe in ; a fat pasture that they shall even tumble in . and thirdly , it is promised as a bles●●● 〈…〉 the lord. the reason of the name achor . that hystory we have iosh . . sheweth achan , who chron. . . is called achar , having taken the accursed thing , god left the campe , and israel fell before the men of ai , which was the first battell that ever they fought for the possession of canaan , upon that their hearts were exceedingly troubled , as if the whole worke had been at an end ; so fraile is mans nature , so soone discouraged when it meets with opposition , notwithstanding all the experiences of gods mighty power going along with them , so lately bringing them over jordan so wonderfully , and given them jericho so miraculously , yet now at the losse of . men , their hearts begin even to faile , ioshua falls with his face upon the earth ; and josephus in his hystory of the jewish antiquities , sets down ioshuahs prayer at large , these are some expressions , beyond all expectation , having received an overthrow , being terrified by this accident , and suspitious of thy promises to moses , we both abstaine from war , and after so many enterprises , we cannot hope for any successfull proceedings , by thy mercy relieve our present sorrow , and take from us the thought of despaire , wherein we are too farre plunged . now god comes to him and askes him , why he lay upon his face , and bad him get him up , for israel had sinned in the accursed thing ; upon search made , achan was found out , whereupon joshua tells him , that he had troubled the hoast of israel , and god would trouble him ; upon which they stoned him , and from thence it was called the valley of achor , vers . . that is , va●●is tribulation is , the valley of trouble . the third thing is the principall , why this valley is called a doore of hope . herein two things , first , how it was a doore of hope to israel then , when they first came into canaan . secondly , how it is promised to be a doore of hope to repenting israel in after-times . for the first , it was a doore of hope to them in two respects . first , because it was the first place wherein they tooke the possession of canaan , when they began to have outward means of substance , to eate of the corne of the land , all the while they were in the wilderness although god provided wonderfully for them , by sending them manna from heaven , yet because they had no way of substance by ordinary means , they always feared lest they should want upon any strait they were brought into , their hearts began to sinke . now in this valley god gives them outward means , & this raises hope in them , that their danger was over , and that they should do well enough . this is our nature when ordinary means fayle , our hearts fayle , yea though in regard of gods extraordinary workings , we have never so many gracious encouragements , and when god grants means againe , then we hope . secondly , god made their great trouble there a means of much good unto them , for by that they were brought to purge their campe , they learned to feare the lord , and were prepared more then before , for so great a mercy as the further possession of that good land . the septuagint instead of those words a doore of hope , have these , to open their understanding for there indeed they learned the dreadfulnesse of god , who for one mans sin was so sorely displeased ; there they understood to purpose , that the god that was amongst them , was a holy god , and that he would have them to be a holy people . but how should this valley of achor be a doone of hope to israel in after times ? first , the jews think that israel shall return into their own country againe , yea and the same way , they shall come again into canaan by that valley which shall be a door of hope to them . secondly , but rather by way of analogy , as god turned this valley of trouble to much good unto them , so he would turn all the sore afflictions of israel in after dayes to their great advantage , grievous afflictions should make way for glorious mercies . thirdly , but especially thus , in this expression , god followes the allegory of marriage ; now it was the custome of the jewes in their marriages , that the husband gave his spouse according to his quality , as a dowry , some peece of ground , rich as he was able , and this he gave as a pledge of his love to her , to assure her that whatsoever was his , she should have the benefit of it ; so saith the lord , although you have gone a whoring from me , and may justly expect that i should for ever reject you , yet i will marry you to my selfe , and i will fully perform all marriage rights for the expression of my love towards you to the uttermost , you shall know that you are marryed to a husband who is rich , i will give you a rich and plentifull dovvry , and this but as a token and pledg of further love , mercy , riches , that you shall enjoy by me , it shall be that valley of achor , that rich , delightfull , fruitfull valley . by this he means he would bestow some speciall choise mercy upon them , at his first taking them into his favour again , and that should be a pledg of , and making way to much more mercy , that he intended for them a doore of hope to let in greater things , as the first fruits of all those glorious things that he had treasured up for them . from this valley of achor , as it concerned israel before . first , sometimes when god gives men their hearts desires , when they think themselves happy , as if all trouble were past , then he comes in upon them with great and sore afflictions . secondly , although god hath been humbling mens hearts with sore and long afflictions , yet just before he bestows great mercies , he afflicts againe , to humble and break their hearts yet more . thirdly , sin will make the pleasantest place in the world , a place of trouble . fourthly , the afflictions of the saints do not only go before mercies , but are doors of hope to let in to mercies , means to further the way for mercies . god commands light to shine not only after darknesse , but out of darkness . josephs prison , davids persecution , daniels den , made way for glorious mercy god had in store for them ; that which once the mistocles said to his children and friends , the saints may much more say to theirs , i had beene undone , if i had not been undone ; had it not been for such a grieyous affliction , i had never come to the enjoyment of such a mercy . hence we must learn not only to be patient in tribulation , but joyfull . but the especiall thing intended in this expression is this : when god is reconciled to his people , then present mercies are doors of hope to let in future mercies ; the saints may look upon all mercies received as in-lets to further mercies to be received . every mercy a door to another mercy , and all mercies here put together , are a door to eternall mercy . when rachel had a sonne she called his name joseph , gen. . . saying , the lord shall add to me another sonn . every mercy the saints have may well be called ioseph , it brings assurance of mercy to be added , this is the high priviledge of the saints : every mercy that a wicked man hath , he may look upon as his utmost , as his all , he may write a ne plus ultra upon it ; one misery , one judgment upon a wicked man makes way toanother , but not one mercy : howsoever god in his bounty may lengthen out mercies to him , yet it is more then he can expect , he rather hath cause to wonder he hath so much , then expect more , but god ever draws out his loving kindnesse to his saints . psal . . . draw out thy loving kindnesse unto them that know thee , and thy righteousnesse to the upright in heart . first , the good that others have from god is bounty , patience , but that which the saints have is loving kindnesse . secondly , that which others have is no ways tied to them by promise , but that which the saints have they have by promise . it is righteousness , ps . . thou makest me lye down in green pasture , thou anointest my head with fresh oyle , my cup runneth over . here is a great deal , but is here all ? no , ver . . surely mercy & goodnesse shall follow me all the dayes of my life . that we read of david , sam. . . is very observable , from gods prospering him in his present way , he draws an argment to confirm him in the assurance for the future , that his kingdome was established to him , why ? did not saul prosper at the beginning of his raign as well as david ? & yet it was no evidence of his establishment ; but david could see gods mercy coming to him after another manner then saul could , all mercies the saints have come from the covenant in which there is a rich treasure of mercies , a blessed connexion of the mercies . the covenant between david & ionathan was , sam. . . that loving kindnes must not be cut off from the house of ionathan . the covenant between god and the saints is , that loving kindnesse shall never be cut off from them , but the links of mercies shall be fastned one to another , so as they shall reach eternity . mercies to the saints come from love , & amor nescit nimium , love knows no such thing as excesse . the saints understanding this mistery in the way of gods grace towards them hence they follow god in seeking his face then , especially when he is most in the way of mercy ; whereas the men of the world who know not this , seldome seek after mercy , but in times of affliction , when god is in a way of justice and wrath , this is their folly . infinite reason there is ; o ye saints of the lord , that one duty should for ever make way for another , seeing on mercy makes way for another : here lyes a great difference between doing duties from the strength of common grace , and from sanctifying grace : in the one the spirit by doing some things is wearied and thinkes now it may rest , but in the other , the very doing still encreaseth strength , and puts the heart upon doing more . but may not security promise continuance of mercy ? yes , but if so , then when affliction comes , the heart will sinke for feares of continuance in misery , as well as before it hoped for continuance of mercy . when then may we assure our selves that our mercies are doores of hope to further mercies . first , when they are created mercies wrought by a more imediate hand of god , generation may be imperfect , but creation never ; omne creatum est perfectum , esay , . . lord thou wilt ordaine peace for us , what is the argument ? for thou hast wrought all our workes in us . secondly , when they are spirituall mercies , ezek. . . neither will i hide my face any more from them , vvhat is the argument ? for i have powred forth my spirit upon the house of israel ; but is not this your private opinion that this argument will hold ? no , the words following are , thus saith the lord god. thirdly , when mercies carry us to the god of mercy , and are turned duties , as if we can turne our duties into mercies , that is , account every duty a mercy , that is a good argument that we shall hold out in duty , when wee can turne mercies into duties , that is , make every mercy an engagement to duty , that is a good argument that mercy will hold out . but are there not interruptions many times in the wayes of gods mercy to his own people ? vve sometimes think there is an interruption , when if we knew all we should see a blessed concatenation , but it must be granted that there may sometimes be some kinde of enterruption in such a particular . after israels returne from captivity and beginning to build the temple , there were such enterruptions as it was seventy years before it was finished : but though there may be enterruptions for a time , yet not a quite breaking off , there is yet a strength in the grace of the covenant that carries the work on and perfects it at last ; by ceasing in one way of mercy , god prepares for another ; the very ceasing in such a way may be a mercy ; we our selves at this day are a sad spectacle of the interruption of the wayes of gods mercies towards a nation . mercy that ere while shined in her beauty upon us , hath now seemed in a great measure to have withdrawn the beames of her glory ; our doore of hope that we thought to be so wide open , seems almost shut against us . i dare not say that it is shut , lest i should wrong the present grace of god yet continuing to us . but first , sinne , yea our many and fearfull sins , lyes at this our door , gen. . . secondly , and now a crowd of difficulties seeme even to stop up the door , they come thronging still to it , as if they would certainly stop it up against us . thirdly , as the prophet ezek. . . . saw at the door of the gate five and twenty men , amongst whom there were some chiefe ones , who devised mischiefe and gave wicked councell in the city , so may we at this day , see many even of the chiefe ones , devising mischiefe , and giving wicked counsel , by which they labour to shut , yea to lock , and bolt up this our doore of hope . fourthly , vve hoped that this our door of hope would have been like the doors that entred into the oracle , of which we read kings . . made of the olive tree , yea the side-posts and lintels were of olive tree , & carvings of palm trees & cherubims , all overlaid with gold , but now our door seems to be of iron , the way to our help and mercy must be through the iron gate , we must get to it by suftering hard things . . our door that was wide , whereat mercy began to come flowing in apace freely , now it seemes to be straitened , it is now the strait gate , we must be content to strip our selves of a great part of our estates , of many of our outward comforts , yea we must venture them all , and well if possibly at length we may crowd in . . yea , our door-posts are like the israelites in egypt , besprinkled with blood , the keeping up of our meanes of mercy hath cost much blood , and may cost more . . now when we knock , when we would step in the dogs bark at us , and are ready to flye upon us , yea it may be the servants , yea some of our brethren are discontented at us , frowne upon us , speake against us . . alas we have rejected the right key that should have opened this our door , no marvaile then though we stand blundring at it , and it opens not unto us . vvhat is that right key that would have opened it before this time , had we made use of it ? that key of david that we reade of , apoc. . . that openeth and no man shutteth . this key the church of philadelphia had , therefore it followes , ver . . i have set before thee an open doore , that no man can shut . but what is this key of david ? it is the ruling power of jesus christ in his church ; david in his government was a speciall type of christ , the first godly king over his people that ever was : government is emblematically set forth by a key , esay , . , god promised eliakim to commit the government to him by that expression , the key of the house of david will i lay upon his shoulder , esay , . , . the government is said to be upon christs shoulder , and he sits upon the throne of david ; that is observable that to eliakim there was promised , but the key of the house of david ; but to christ the key of david himselfe ; the one was to governe but as a steward , the government of the other was to be princely . if we had been the church of philadelphia , united in brotherly love , and had had this key of david amongst us , we might before this time had had a door set open amongst us , that no man could have shut against us ; but woe unto us , how many amongst us say of christ , we will not have this man to rule over us ? mr. brightman more then thirty years since paralelld this church of philadelphia with the church of scotland , he made it in a typical way to set forth the wayes of god towards that church in after times ; and indeed they have been very like one another divers wayes , and god ways towards the one hath been the same with his ways towards the other in many things . . they are both philadelphians , united so in a brotherly covenant , as no churches in any kingdome more . . it was said of philadelphia , it had but a little strength , and yet it kept gods word . vvhat churches in any nation have beene more contemptible , then those in scotland ? they have beene accounted a poore beggerly people , despised of all , and yet god hath enabled them to doe great things . . god hath caused their enemies to come and bow before them , and to know that he hath loved them , even those who said they were lews and were not , that they were the onely church , when indeed they were the synagogue of satan ; & they have rejected false government , and have received much of the government of christ , the key of david is more received among them then in any kingdome in the world ; no marvaile then though their doore be so opened that none could shut it , thorow gods mercy ; our houses of parliament have cast away the false key , ( the lord deliver them and us ) for ever medling with it any more whatsoever come of us . they have further professed their desires to enquire after the true key . this door of hope we hope will open to us in due time , so as none shall shut it . . we have lost many opportunities for the opening this door , never had a people fairer opportunities for mercy then we have had , we cannot looke back upon them without trembling hearts , we may see cause to lament the losse of them with teares of blood , even this hath cost much , and is yet like to cost more blood . . yea woe unto us , out father comes forth and seemes to be angry with us , and bids shut the doore against us , yea hee shuts us out himselfe ; is not that complaint of the churches , psal . , . truly ours , o lord of hoasts how long wilt thou be angry with the prayer of thy people ? if god be angry with out knocking , what shall we doe ? . and well may god bid shut the doore against us , for we have shut it upon our selves : this our doore of hope hath a spring lock , it is easily shut too , but it cannot so easily be opened againe : we have stood wrangling and strugling one with another , and have clapt to the doore upon our selves before we were aware . that scripture hos . . , is as truly ours , as ever it was israels , when i would have healed israel , then the iniquity of ephraim was discovered , and the wickednesse of samariah . vvhen the lord would have healed england , then the iniquity thereof hath been discovered more then ever . there is the vilest spirit of malignity , against godlinesse , against the saints , against the way of christ in his ordinances , that ever was upon the face of the earth . now men care not though they ruin themselves , though they bring themselves and posterity to be bondslaves , so they may but have their wills upon those that are godly to suppresse them . the controversie now is almost grown to that height , that the kingdome divides it selfe into those who have some shew of religion , and the haters of it . those times complained of in micah are even ours , chap. . . trust ye not in a friend , put no confidence in a guide , keepe the doores of thy mouth from her that lyeth in thy bosome ; yea , it is almost come to that in the fourth verse , the best of them is a bryar , the most upright is sharper then a thorny hedg . there is much frowardnesse , much perversnesse even in the best , many contentions and grievous breaches even amongst them ; they cannot endure you should be jealous of them , and they give cause of jealousie daily . this generation for a great part of it , shew themselves to have such sullied , such puttid spirits , so defiled with superstitious vanities , so imbittered with a spirit of malignity , that we may feare god hath no pleasure in the generality of it : yea moses and aaron have sinned , the best have so sullied themselves with antichristian pollutions , that just it were with god that this whole generation should be first taken away , and that the young generation that is comming on , who have not so defiled themselves , should have this doore that lets into canaan opened to them , that they onely should goe into , and possesse that good land , but our carcasses should fall in the wildernesse . you who are godly young ones , whose hearts began betimes to yerne after jesus christ , know the heart of jesus christ yernes after you : and although some of you may fall in fighting for your brethren , & so be received to heaven , yet you are of that generation god will open this door of mercy unto , you shal go in & possesse canaan , all this valley of achor is but a door of hope to you ; continue you on in your sincerity , god will reveale himselfe more fully to you then he hath done to us , if we be cut off before those treasures of mercy that god has ready for his people be opened , we must accept of the punishment of our iniquity , and even beare this indignation of the lord because wee have sinned against him . . yea the lord hath strucke us with blindnesse at the doore , we grope up and down and we cannot finde it , as gen , . . never were a people at a greater losse , in a greater confusion then now we are ; every man runs his owne way , wee know not what to doe , nay the truth is , we know not what we doe . . yea many because they have found some difficulties at the right door , they have gone away from it , and have sought back doors to help themselves by , even base , false , shifting , treacherous ways , seeking to comply for their own private ends , as if their skins must needs be saved , whatsoever becomes of the publique . . this is yet a further misery , that we are groping up and downe at the doore , and night is come upon us , stormes , tempests are rising , dangers are approaching , and yet god opens not to us . . above all our misery this is yet the greatest , that even our hearts are shut up too , there lyes a stone rowled at the doore of our hearts , and such a stone , as is beyond the power of an angel to rowle away , were it that after all our hearts were but open , our condition yet had comfort in it . oh now what shall we do● ▪ . let us resolve to waite at this doore , ●●aite upon god in those wayes of helpe that yet in mercy he affords unto us ; certainly we are at the right doore , let us say with shecaniah , ezra . . . we have sinned against the lord , yet there is hope in israel concerning this thing . let us resolve whatsoever becomes of us not to goe from our fathers door , if we perish , we will perish at his gates . . let us worship the lord at this our doore , though we be not entred in ; yet let our hearts bow before the lord in the acknowledgement of his greatnesse , power , dominion that he hath over us ; to doe with us what he pleaseth : as ezek. . . it is said , the prince shall worship at the threshold of the gate , and the people of the land shall wo●ship at the doore , . let us look in at the key-hole , or at any crevise that wee can , to see something of the riches of mercy that this door opens into . within on the other side o● the door we may see what liberty of conscience , what enjoyment of ordinances , the blessing of gods worship in his own way , we may see the wayes of god and his saints would be made honorable in this kingdome , yea in a higher degree then any where upon the face of the earth ; yea we may see many sweet outward liberties , the free enjoyment of our estates , peace , plenty , prosperity in abundance , all these , and more then we can think of , if this door were but once opened to us ; howsoever it is good 〈◊〉 looke in , to quicken our hearts , and set on our desires and endeavours the more strongly in the meane time . oh how happy were we if we had these mercies ! . let us yet knock lowder , and cry lowder at our fathers doore . but did not you tell us our father seemed to be angry at our knocking ? mark what we have in that very scripture , where the church complains that god is angry with her prayer , psal . . . how long wilt thou be angry against the prayer of thy people ? yet ver . . turne us againe , o god of hosts , and cause thy face to shine ▪ and ver . , returne we beseech thee , o god of h●sts , look down from heaven , behold & visit this vine : ver . . turne us againe o lord god of hosts , cause thy face to shine , and we shall be saved . . let every one take away his sinnes that lye at this door , let every one sweep his owne door , zech. . . . again have i thought in these ●●●yes to doe well unto jerusalem , and to the house of iudah , feare not . but yet mark what followes , these are the things that ye shall doe , speake ye every man the truth to his neighbour : execute the judgement of truth and peace in your gates . let none of you imagine evill in his heart against his neighbor . both private men , and men in publick place must reforme , how far are we from this ? never more plottings , more heart-burnings one against another , & those in publike place neglect the execution of judgement ; they would have their policies beyond gods wisdome . god puts these two together , and commends one as a meanes to the other , the execution of judgement and peace ; but they have a further reach they will not exe cur●●●dgement for feare of a breach of peace . it is just with god that we should never have peace , till we can trust god for it in his own way . . let us seek to god againe , and call to him for the right key . lord reveale the way of thy worship , and thy government to us , and we will yeeld our selves unto it . . stir we up our selves against all difficulties . things are not yet so bad , but we may help our selves , if we have hearts . our father heares us , he can command many angels to come to help to rowle away the stone ; yea he hath opened divers doores to us already . we are indeed come to the ●ron gate , the lord can make that at length flye open of its own accord , as acts . . the church was praying , and after the pr●●on doo●es were opened to peter , and he had passed the first and second gate , he came unto the iron gate that led into the city , and there he found as easie passage as any where else . in the mount will the lord be scene . . let us exercise faith in the blood of christ , let us as it were besprinkle this our door with the blood of the lambe ; yea looke we up to christ as the true doore to let into all mercy ; let faith act as well as prayer . . let us now especially watch all opportunities of mercy , and take heed we neglect no more as we have done many very foulely , lest hereafter wee knock , and cry , lord open to us , and it proves too late . . let us open to god who knocks at our doores ; it wee would have him open to us , god knocks at the doore of every one of our hearts , open we to him fully , set all wide open for him , openye gates , stand open ye everlasting doores , let the king of glory come in . these who doe thus are the true generation of those that seek the lord ; let england open , for god yet stands at the doore and knockes , and if we will yet open to him , he will yet come in and suppe withus , and we shall suppe with him . it is true god rebukes and chastens severely , so he did laodicea at that time when he stood at her doore and knocked , apoc. . . . if any church be or ever was like to that of laodicea , we have been ; luke-warm as that was ; a mixture of gods worship hath beene amongst us , more then in any reformed church ; we have beene a proud people , we have thought our selves rich , & wanting nothing , whereas we knew not that we were indeed wretched , miserable , poore , blinde , and naked : and those who would be angels of this church , how hath god spu●d them out of his mouth ! they are cast out as filthy , they have laine upon the stomack of god and his saints a long time ; they with all that belonged to their courts , have made themselves a most ●oathsome generation of men ; and now god is at our doore & knocks , cals to us to let him in , that he may come and rule us , that he may bring peace & salvation unto us ; but howsoever whether christ be admitted by the state yea or no , yet let the saints who are willing that christ should rule over them , hold on to the end , the promise is even to those in laodicea , to him that overcometh will i grant to sit with me in my throne even as i also overcame , and am set down with my father in his throne . . ●et us encourage what we are able ; all our faithfull doore-keepers , those who are the publicke instruments of god for our good , upon whom so much of the great affayres of the kingdom , under god depends . and for the quickning of our hearts that we may doe all we can , that this our doore of hope be not shut against us , consider further , first , this doore was opened to us when we began to think , yea almost to conclude that all doores of hope had beene shut against england , when we were ready to give up all for lost . secondly , it was opened to us after much knocking by prayer . if ever there were a parliament of prayer since the world began , this was , and is , how dreadfull then would it be to have this doore shut against us ! thirdly , it was opened by a mighty hand of god. josephus tells us of a doore of the temple that used to have thirty men to open it , and yet as a prognostication of some great thing to fallout , it opened of its own accord : this our door was more hard to be opened , thousands of men could not have opened this , it was the mighty work of god to doe it . fourthly , it is a door that opens to the greatest mercies that ever england had : how happy would england be in the happy success of this parliament ! . it is a door that our adversaries have laboured all they can to shut by policy , and by force , and thorow gods mercy , yet they cannot . . how sweet have the manifestations of god been to us , in the beginnings of his goodnesse , and our endeavours ! can● . . . my beloved put his hand at the door , & my bowels were moved , my hands dropped myrrhe , and my fingers sweet smelling myrrhe upon the handles of the locke , the beginning of reformation : but the hand upon the door is sweet , what would the work compleated be ? . if this doore should be wholly shut against us , what a miserable people should we be ? if these men have their wills , then never expect parliaments more , or never good from parliaments , they will be the most contemptible and servile things that can be , if any , they will be doores to let in all misery , to frame mischiefe by a law ; then what are we and our posterity but slaves ? the popish party must , yea will be gratified , their designe will be effected ; what contempt of the saints , of religion ? what hatred ? what persecution will then follow ? what horrid blasphemies ? how will they be hardned in all manner of wickednesse ? our estates , our liberties , our religion are then gone , yea it is like our lives , and if not so , so miserable would our lives be , as we had better have the grave open her mouth upon us , and we be shut in it , then to live to see , hear and feele such things as we and our friends , are like to heare , see , and feele . it would be the most horrid judgment that ever was against a nation , it may be told to all the nations of the world , god gave england a fair opportunity to help it self , to be a most happy nation , but they had no hearts , they were blinded , their hearts were taken from them , those worthies they chose , who ventured themselves for them , they basely deserted , and betrayed , they have also vilely betrayed themselves , their liberties , their religion , their posterity , and now are become the most miserable nation , the most fearful spectacle of gods wrath upon the face of the earth . wherefore beloved in the lord , let us make sure of christ , who is our hope , and who says of himselfe that he is the door , as indeed hee is to let in all mercies of god into us , that whatever disappointment we have of our hopes here , yet we may not be disappointed of our last hopes , though it should prove that here looking for light , behold darknes , yet we looking for the light of gods face eternally , we may not be driven out to everlasting darknes . but shall i end thus ? nay the close of all shal rather be the close of the psal . be of good courage and he shal strengthen your heart , all ye that hope in the lord hope yet that god will make the valley of achor adoor of hope unto us . the next words in this scripture are words of joy , she shall sing as in the dayes of her youth . was there ever a time wherein shee had cause to sing praise to god ? there are times coming that shall be as joyfull as ever yet times have been , god hath mercy for his people , he hath singing times for them . the foureteenth lecture . hosea . . — and she shall sing there as in the dayes of her youth , & as in the day when she came up out of the land of egypt . you have heard formerly of the valley of achor , that god gave to his people to be a doore of hope . this day you shall heare of gods people standing singing at this door of hope . though it be but a door of hope , yet at that day they shall there sing , as in the days of her youth , when they came up out of the land of egypt . there are six things needfull to be opened for the meaning of gods mind here in this their singing at the door of hope . first , the reading of the words are to be cleared . . the scope is to be shewed . . what the dayes of youth that are here spoken of are , is to be opened . . what was the song that they did then sing in the dayes of their youth , is to be declared . . what cause they had to sing in this the day of their youth , is to be enquired after . lastly , how this is applyable to repenting israel , and what time this prophesie a●meth at , likewise is to be manifested . for the first , the reading of the words , you have it in your bookes [ they shall sing as in the dayes of their youth ] there are only two words that have need of opening . first , the word translated [ singing . ] secondly , that which is translated comming up out of the land of aegypt . for the word [ singing ] the septuagint have it thus , she shall be ●●mbled ; a strange translation you will say ; how much different is it from this in our books , she shall sing ! i find divers translate the word so [ she shall be humbled ) cyril , theodoret , and he caryeth it thus , that she shall be humbled by the assyrians , as she was before humbled by the egyp●ians . but certainly the words cannot be carryed so , for it is spoken of ascending , of coming up out of the land of egypt . but they might easily mistake in translating the words , because the hebrew word signifieth both humiliavit , and it signifieth likewise ce●init and contavit , both to be humble , and to sing . the hebrews divers times by the same word set forth contrary things ; as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifieth both to blesse and to curse , many there might be named in the same kind . this word likewise that is translated singing , signifieth , ( and so it is translated by some ) respondebit , she shall answer , and i finde a very excellent note from it in cyril , and some others : shee shall answer as in the dayes of her youth : what answer did shee make ? thus , god in the dayes of her youth , when she came out of egypt , did bring her to his covenant , and gave his land to her , as exod. . , . now therefore ( saith god ) if you 〈◊〉 obey my voyce indeed , and keepe my covenant , then ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto me above all people ; ( a sweet promise to all in covenant with god , that they shall be a peculiar treasure unto him above all people . ) now vers . . all the people answered to gether and said , all that the lord hath spoken we will doe . thus they answered him in the days of their youth , so some would carry it , they should answer as in the dayes of their youth , when they came up out of the land of egypt , as if the meaning should be thus ; whereas god in the dayes of their youth did tell them , that if they woul● keepe his covenant , they should be a peculiar treasure unto him above all people of the earth , they all with one consent answered , all that the lord hath spoken that will we doe . so saith god , when i shall againe convert them to my selfe , i will renew my covenant with them , and upon the declaration of my covenant to them , they shall freely , readily , and wil●ingly answer , lord we accept of thy covenant . thus it is carryed by some , and the exposition is very sweet . but we shall joyne both the significations of this word together , both ●●ing , and to answer ; and that i take indeed to be the meaning of the spirit of god , they shal sing by way of answering : thus , they were wont to sing , ●lternis choris , they were wont in their joyfull songs to answer one another , his praecinentibus aliis succinentibus , some singing before , and some answering . so that it was not a bare singing , but a singing of a canticum dramaticum , or such a kind of song , as they did answer one another in their singing . and thus ( saith god ) shall be the melody of my people , when i am again reconciled to them upon their repentance , there shall be mutuall singing , one singing to another , and the others answering in a joyfull way . the other word to be opened , is that which is translated , coming up out of the land of egypt . the word you have in your books [ came up ] it is ascended , as in the day when they ascended up out of the land of egypt . and wee are to take notice of the manner of the expression , because it will afford to us a profitable note anon . they ascended out of the land of egypt , partly because egypt was a countrey that lay very low , and in that respect they may be said to ascend . but that is not the chiefe , they were in a low condition , they were in a state of bondage , and in that regard they were said to ascend . the second thing to be shewed is the scope , what the spirit of god aymeth at , they shall sing as in the dayes of their youth , when they ascended out of the land of egypt . read it so , and it is a further expression of the nuptiall solemnity that there should be between god and his people , in the time of their reconciliation ( for so i have told you formerly , that god goeth along in this second part of the chapter , in that continued allegory , to shew his bringing of his people to him in a way of marriage , in a betrothing way , which afterward is exprest more fully ; and all the way god expresseth it , is in the manner of nuptiall solemnities : ) as if he should say , marriage is an ordinance i have appointed for mutuall joy and delight that the man and wife should have one in the other , so i will bring you and marry you to my self , and there shall be a great deale of joy that i will have in you , and you shall have in me ; there shall be the singing of the epithilamium , the nuptiall long between us ; there shall be a time of abundance of rejoycing between us , when i shall take you again to my selfe . doe you think with your selves , when was the greatest time of joy that ever you had in your lives ; know i will bring you to as much joy as ever yet you had . looke what mercy you had when you came out of the land of egypt , and rejoyced in it , you shall hereafter have mercies as great as that . did i then appear in a miraculous way to you ? i will do so again . had you mercies that were promised long before , and rejoyced in them ? you shall have the like again . had you mercies that you a long time prayed for before ? you shall have the like againe . did moses and miriam goe before you in singing , and you followed after ? there shall be the like time again , when both governours and people shall joyne together in singing and praysing the name of the lord. this is the scope . the third thing is , what is meant by the dayes of their youth ? the dayes of their youth is the same that after wards is exprest , and the day when they came up out of the land of egypt , that is , the time when they were delivered out of bondage , after they had passed through the red-sea , and had seen the great works of god in their deliverance , then was the day of their youth . jer. . . i will remember the kindnesse of thy youth when thou followedst me in the wildernesse . the time that this people were delivered from pharoah , and saw the great works of god in the wildernesse , is the time of their youth , in the time of their bondage ; they did not outwardly appear to be the lords ; but when god manifested himself so gloriously in their deliverance , then god did as it were take them again to be his people , and they did seem as it were then to be born againe , and the time of their being in the wildernesse was gods training them up as it were in their youth . for a people that are under bondage can scarce be said to be born , they are but as the enbryo at least in the womb in that prison . they cannot be said to be a people when they are under bondage , at least they are not a living people . hence chap. . of this prophesie , when they were in bondage under jeroboams wicked commands , the text saith , vers . . that they died . when ephraim spake , trembling , in israel he exalted himselfe ; but when he offended in baal , hee dyed . a people under bondage are as a dead people ; before they have their liberty , they are to be accounted as not born ; and if they lose their liberty , they are to be esteemed as if they lost their lives . but here a question ariseth . how can god have reference to this time , and tell them they shall sing as then , whereas in the beginning of the chapter we find that when god threatneth them , he telleth them he will set them as in the day wherein they were born ? so that to be brought to the same condition they were in , is a threatning ; how then is it here a promise ? the answer to that is , it is true , the time when they came up out of egypt was indeed a time of much mercy , but they were in great straits in regard of externall helps , as a succourlesse , helplesse , and shiftlesse people , when therefore god threatneth to set them as in the day wherein they were born , he only aymeth at that , that is , to bring them into a succourless , helplesse , and shiftlesse condition in regard of creature-helps as formerly they were . but when god promises mercy , and telleth them he will bring them into that condition they were in their youth , hee doth not consider of their succourlesse & shiftlesse condition , but rather looks at all the mercie they had in their deliverance out of egypt . as it is a great affliction for a people to be brought into the same condition that once they were in , that is , to have all the sowr & bitter without any of the sweet , so it is a great priviledge for a people to be brought into a former condition , when they shall have all the sweet without the sowr , when god shal take away all the branne , & give them only the flowr , strain out all that is evil , & give them all that is good , that is a comfortable condition ; but when god shall strain out what is good , and give them what is evill , that is a sad condition , and that is the threatning before , and this is the promise now . the fourth thing for explication is , what the song was that they did then sing in the daies of their youth when they came up out of the land of egypt . that song of theirs you shall find , exod. . then sang moses and the children of israel this song unto the lord , &c. and afterwards you shall reade that miriam and all the women sang likewise . in this song of theirs , there are these five things observable . first , this song o moses , exod. . was the most ancyent , the first song that ever was in the world that we know of . orpheus , musaeus and linus , the most ancyent of the poets were , yeares after this time . secondly , it was a triumphing song ; then sang moses and the children of israel , the lord hath triumphed gloriously , &c. when they saw gods judgements upon the adversaries , then they sang in a triumphing way . but you will say , how could they sing thus when they saw such a dreadfull spectacle before their eyes ? what , sing at such a lamentable object , when the egyptians were so miserably destroyed , when they were sprawling up and down in the water , and it is like they heard their shriekings , their dolefull cryes , and saw their bodyes how they were cast upon the shore ; and then shall moses and the people of israel sing ? o cruell hearted people that should sing at such a lamentable object as this ! what , to triumph over their adversaries thus fearfully perishing ? to that we answer . we must not be more pittifull then god is , psa . . . the righteous shall rejoyce when he seeth the vengeance , he shall wash his feet in the blood of the wicked . but you will say , this is austerity , they are cruell hearted people that shall doe so . not so neither . moses was the meekest man that ever lived upon the face of the earth , the lovingst man except christ that ever was ; yet moses sang thus when he saw the egyptians destroyed ; so that to rejoyce in gods judgements against the ungodly , may stand with meeknesse & quietnesse of spirit , with a loving and sweet disposition as moses had . it is true , we ought not to insult over wicked men in way of revenge , in respect of our selves , but when we consider the righteous judgments of god upon his adversaries , we may be swallowed up in the consideration of gods justice , and rejoyce in it ; but so , as not altogether to be without some pitty and commiseration of the persons perishing : as titus vespation is said to weep , when he saw the destruction of jerusalem , though his enemies . but there is a time comming when all the saints shall be so swallowed up with god , so as they shall rejoyce in the destruction , yea in the eternall damnation of the wicked , without the least pitty & commiseration of them ; they shall wholly mind god and his glory without pitying of them , yea though they were the fruit of their own bodies , and came out of their owne loyns . but for the present , though wee are to rejoyce and triumph in the works of god and his judgements upon the wicked , yet with some mixture of pitty and compassion towards their persons . and mark by the way some difference between gods affection toward his people , and toward wicked men . it is very observable , that when gods people come to be in an afflicted condition , if there shall be any that dare to be so wicked as to rejoyce in that , god will avenge himself on them ; yea if they doe but looke upon his servants that are in affliction with any kind of contentment , the lord will be avenged on them for it . but when the wicked are destroyed , god doth not onely give us leave to look at them , but to rejoyce and sing praises to god for their destruction . i will give you a text for this , obad , verse . thou shouldest not have looked on the day of thy brother , neither shouldest thou haeve rejoyced over the children of iudah in the day of their destruction . mark , god hath a quarell against them that did but look upon the day of their brothers distress , and rejoyce . but when destruction commeth upon the enemies of god , then the people of god may look , and rejoyce , and triumph . thirdly , it is a song most excellent , in regard of the elegancy of the expressions , and variety of the matter . for verse . he hath triumphed gloriously , or thus , he is become gloriously glorious , or , in magnifying himself , he hath magnified himself . what an elegant expression is here , he is magnifyed above the magnificent , so some . all gods works are glorious , but some are gloriously glorious ; and so is this work of god towards his people . rivet hath a good note upon this : the greatest glory of god , wherein he is most glorious , it is in doing good to his own people ; so ( saith he ) great men should account it their glory not in spoising others , especially those that are their owne , but in doing good , that was the great glory of god wherein he was gloriously glorious , in delivering of his people , not in spoiling them . in esay , . . there is threatned a dishonourable buriall to the king of babylon , upon this ground , saith the text , thou hast destroyed the land , and slaine thy people : yea he threatneth his seed , the seed of evill doers shall never be renowned , because he had destroyed his land , and spoiled and slaine his people , his owne people . againe , the elegancy of this song is in those expressions that are in the abstract ; he is fortitudo mea , and laus mea , and salus mea : hee is my strength , and my praise , and my salvation , all in the abstract . so in that elegant epiphonema , or patheticall eruption of spirit , which though it should have beene in the close as comprehending all the rest , yet he breakes forth in the midst of the song , verse . who is like unto thee , o lord ? glorious in holinesse , fearfull in praises , doing wonders . in many other particulars , we might shew abundance of elegancy in this song . fourthly , it is not onely narrative of what was , but propheticall of what is to come . a propheticall song , the dukes of edom shall be amazed , the mighty men of moab trembling , &c. ver . . fiftly , it is typicall , that is , a song that doth typifie out the rejoycing of gods people in after time , when the saints shall overcome antichrist , then the song of moses shall be sung over again : that is a very observable place , rev. . . . of those that overcome the beast , the text saith , they sung the song of moses , that is , they sung that song , which this of moses was but a type of . sixtly , according to some , this song was a miraculous song , so augustine hath it in his tractate , de mirabilibus scripturae , a miracle worthy of admiration without measure . wherein did he think the miracle of this song to be ? in this , that he imagined that both moses and all the people , were at one instant inspired by god to sing this song : this is that which hath beene thought by some . but we are not able to make out that there was such a miracle at this time , but rather god inspired moses onely , and the other people followed moses as he sung this song . i note it the rather for this , because here by we may see that singing is an ordinance in the church of god , not onely in the time of the law , but in the time of the gospel , for this place , she shall sing as in the dayes of her youth , is spoken of the time of the gospel , therefore not onely when one man hath an extraordinary gift , ( as the scripture speakes , if any one hath a psalme , an extraordinary gift in the congregation of making a psalme ) that he should sing , but it is an ordinance to joyne with others who have the gift of making a psalme ; so were the people to doe here . the fifth thing to be enquired after is , the reason of their singing , what cause they had thus to sing in the dayes of their youth . the reason was because of their great deliverance they had from egypt , and therein indeed are many things considerable , that will afford unto us many excellent observations . first , then they sang because of their freedome from outward bondage . bondage hath three things in it . . when any one is under the power of another , under any law without his consent given , either explicite or implicite . . when he serveth another without any respect to his own good ; only ayming at the satisfying of the will of him whom he doth serve . . vvhen he is forced to doe what he doth with rigour . here you may see the difference between a free subject , and a slave ; no free subject is bound to any laws of men , as mens laws , but such as some way or other he giveth his own consent unto ; thus it is with us in england , that is the difference betweene us and the turks , who are slaves , they are bound meerly to the will of those above them ; but in england , every freeholder , some way or other gives consent to whatsoever law he is bound unto , therefore there is none can challenge any further power over him by any law , but what he hath either explicitely or implicitely given his owne consent unto . secondly , he is a slave that is forced to obey , without any respect of good to himselfe , but onely to satisfie the will of him whom he doth obey . there is no such distance betweene one man and another , that one should serve another , without respect to his own good . indeed there is such a distance betweene god and us , that the more we are swallowed up in aiming at god , and the lesse we ayme at our selves , it is the better service ; but there is not such a distance between men and men , we are not bound to serve men , but in some ayme and respect to our own good , so far as it concernes men , therefore in england when any thing is granted to the king , it is usulaly so , as to send up some other bill , that may be for the good of the subject , as giving him somewhat , but withall expect some good and benefit from him to them . indeed in our service to men , we are to ayme at god , and in the condition god hath put us , to seek to glorifie him , more then to provide for our selves ; but so far as our service hath regard to man only , and looks no further then him , we are not bound to serve him , further then with respect to our selves and the good of others . wherefore subjects may know that they are not made meerly for the will of those that are above them , they indeed serve them , but they serve them for the good they expect from them . the third is to serve out of love , and not to have only rigorous lawes to force them to such service . now the people of israel were under bondage in all these three respects . first , they were forced to serve without any consent at all . secondly , they that did governe them , did not at all ayme at their good ; it is no matter for them , let them perish as dogs , we will have our worke done , and well done too . vvhen men shall governe so as they care not what become of thousands of others , so they have their wills satisfied , this is to make free subjects bondslaves . and thirdly , all was done out of rigour , they forced from the people what they did , as for their love they cared not for that . wherefore when they were freed from these three things , they sung , and they had cause so to doe . secondly they sung when they came out of the land of egypt , because they were not only in bondage in egypt , but in bondage under such a king as they were . for , consider who it was they were in bondage unto , and then to be delivered from such a one , you will see a great deale of cause of singing . first , they were bondslaves to a king of another nation . sometimes country and kindred sake moves compassion , but being they are another people , to whom i have no relation , but only to serve my own turn of them , it is no matter what becomes of them ; let become of them what will , i will have my will satisfied . secondly , they were bondslaves to a king that ruled by an arbitrary government , there was but only his will for the law , he would impose what work and taskes he pleased , how many bricks they should make , and when he pleased take away their straw , and yet tye them to the making of so many . he governed them not by law , but by will. thirdly , they were in bondage under a cruell king , for the king of egypt in the scripture is called a dragon , for his cruelty , ezek. . . i am against thee pharaoh , king of egypt , the great dragon . fourthly , they were in bondage to a king that was an unnaturall king ; unnaturall in this , that whereas the predecessors of the israelites had saved egypt from perishing , saved the king and his family from destruction ; yet now , without any regard to what was done in former times by their predecessors , having this power over them , he oppresses them in such an unnaturall way , so as not to care what becomes of them . fiftly , they were in bondage under a king that extreamly hated them , & that is a sad thing . the text saith , gen , . . the egyptians might not eat bread with the hebrews , for that is abomination to to the egyptians . sixtly , they were in bondage under a wilfull king , under one who was extreamly set upon his will ; we scarce read of any one that ever was so set upon his will as this king was , therefore they expresse this in their song which they sung when they came out of egypt . exod. . . blessing god that they were delivered from such a wilfull prince as he was . in the . ver . four times he saith [ i will ] i will pursue , i will overtake , i will divide the spoile , i will draw my sword , and the . time , my lust shall be satisfied upon them , but of this before , to be slaves to such a one , so wilfull , was a very hard condition , the like wilfulnesse hath beene already noted of the king of babylon , and none the like to these two ; the text speakes from their deliverance in part from under the king of babylon also , as if he should say , you did sing when you came up out of egypt merrily , and joyfully , because you were delivered from such a cruell wilfull king , you shall sing so again , for you shall be delivered again from as cruell and wilfull a king as he was ; for though not all the ten tribes came back , yet it was in part fulfilled by many of them . lastly , they were in bondage under a suspicious and jealous king , lest they should grow to a head , and so rise against him , one that thought he could not confide in them . it is a sad thing when there are such suspitions between king and people , or people and king , that they cannot tell how to confide and trust one in another . vvell might they sing therefore in the dayes of their youth , when they came up out of the land of egypt . thirdly , they sang when they came up out of the land of egypt , because they were freed from what hindered them in the exercise of religion . hence moses told pharaoh , that they must goe three dayes journey in the wildernesse to sacrifice unto the lord their god ; they could not sacrifie in egypt , therefore when they got freedome to sacrifice to god , this being a great mercy they sang praises . fourthly , they sang , because their deliverance out of egypt was wrought with a mighty hand . the lord hath triumphed gloriously , hath been gloriously glorious ; so the words are . and ver . . & . marke what the text saith , thy right hand , o lord , is become glorious in power . the hand of god is god , strength , but the hand of god in power is a greater expression . thirdly , gods right hand in power . fourthly , the right hand of god is glorious in power , this is a mighty expression , surely great was the work of god in their deliverance . yea and further , ver . . it is said , by the greatnesse of his arme , not onely gods hand , but his arme , and the greatres of his arme was in this work . and ver . . in the greatnesse of thine excellency , mulititudine celsitudinis excellentiae , superbiae elationis , in the greatness of thine excellency , in the multitude of thy height , of thy elation of the lifting up of thy self in a kind of pride , ( for the word that is translated excellency there signifies pride too . ) now god did this in the multitude of his excellency , that is , he did such a work toward his people , as had a multitude of glorious works in it , which if you could analyse , anatomize , you should find a multitude of glorious excellencies in it . well might they sing , when god did manifest himself thus . all these will afford us excellent and sweet observations by and by . further , they sang when they came up out of the land of egypt , because this mercy was the fulfilling of a promise made long before . therefore the scripture telleth us , that at the end of . years , even the selfe same day , the hoasts of the lord went out of the land of egypt ; which hath reference to a promise , and sheweth us that god kept his word to a very day . hence in vers . . of that . of exod. he is my god , i will prepare him an habitation , my fathers god , and i will exalt him ; as if hee should have said , o lord thou didst make promises to our forefathers , now thou hast fulfilled those promises , thou art our god , and our fathers god. this made them sing so merrily . . it was a mercy that was got by much prayer , for exo. . . it is said , they cryed unto god by reason of their afflictions , there were many cries sent up to god before their deliverance , and now being delivered , this made them sing . . it was a mercy that came after a sore and long bondage . lastly , it was a mercy that they had in order to that great mercy of leading them into canaan , therefore this they mention as the especiall cause of the joy of their hearts in the . vers . thou hast guided thy people in thy strength to thy holy habitation , and ver . . thou shalt bring them in , and plant them in the mountaine of thine inheritance . the holy ghost speaks here as if the thing were done already , as if he should say thus , o lord thou hast indeed granted unto us a great mercy in delivering us out of egypt , but herein we prize thy mercie that it is in order to the bringing us to thy habitation , and it will bring us at length to the mountain of thy holinesse ; it is not so much that were are delivered from bondage , as that wee expect to bee brought to thy holy habitation . now saith the lord , you shall sing as you did then , look what causes you had then to sing , you shall have the same causes to sing again , when i am reconciled to you . the last thing for the explication is , when this was fulfilled , or to what time this is to be referred . there are four times that this prophesie aims at , and refers unto . first , it began in some degree to be fulfilled at their returne out of their captivity from babylon , though it is true few of the ten tribes returned , yet it is clear in scripture that many of them did then return , and had the beginning of this mercy , and there was joy and singing . isa . . the whole chap. is a song blessing god for their return from the captivity , jehovah is my strength , and my song , he also is become my salvation , &c. . this prophecie aims at spiritual israel ; so in rom. . it is applied to the calling of jew & gentile together ; when the gospel was first preached , jewes and gentiles being called home , became the spiritual israel of god , then there was singing , rom. . . again he saith , rejoyce ye gentiles with his people . the third time that it refers unto , is the delivery of gods people from under the tiranny of antichrist , typified by the tiranay of the egyptians : for that , the former place is very full , rev. . . there you shall observe , those that had gotten the victory over the beast , and over his image , and over his marke , and over the number of his name , stood upon a sea of glass mingled with fire , having the harps of god in their hands , and they sang the song of moses , & the song of the lamb , saying , great & marvellous are thy works lord god almighty , just and true are thy ways thou king of saints , &c. in this song , which i make no question but this scripture hath reference unto , there are divers things observable . to take them up briefly by the way . . that they that sung were those that had gotten victory over the beast , over his image , and over his mark ; that is a full victory , not only abominating antichrist himself , but any image , any character of him , any thing whereby they might seem to allow of him , to be owned by him . . they stood upon a sea of glasse mingled with fire . the sea of glasse , i find interpreted , christian doctrine , so called , for the clearness of it , though not so clear as afterward it should be , for there is some darknes even in glass , but clear in comparison of what it was before ; for k. . . the sea was of brasse , which is far thicker and darker . but there was fire mingled with this sea of glass , that is , though they had a clearer doctrine then before , yet there were many contentions in the church through many different opinions , and much division there was even amongst the godly . it was a sadde condition indeed , yet it is ordinary , especially when doctrines come to be first cleared , to have great contentions grow in the church among godly men . it is no wonder though good men should be of different opinions , yea and have some heat of spirit one against another , when the light first breaks forth . when men are in the dark they sit together , and walk not at such a distance ; but when light comes , it cannot be expected but there will be differences . but yet mark , the godly then , they did not reject the doctrine , because there was fire mingled with it , because there was heate of contention , but the text saith , they were there with their harps in their hands , they were professing this doctrine and rejoycing that ever they lived to that time , to have the gospel so clearly revealed unto them . and they sang the song of moses , and not only of moses , but the song of the lamb too . what was that ? first , great and marvellous are thy works , in that we see we are delivered from antichristian bondage , as the people of israel were delivered from egyptian bondage with a mighty hand of thine ; oh it is a marvellous worke of god that wee are thus at liberty . therefore know this , that whensoever the church shall be delivered from antichristian bondage , it shall be a marvellous work of god , therefore we may not be discouraged , because wee meet with some difficulties by the way , for wee shal never be delivered , but so as it shal appear to be a wonder ; if we should be delivered without difficulties , we should not see the marvellousness of the worke . further , iust and true are thy wayes . god in that deliverance will shew the fulfilling of all his promises , and he will fully satisfie the hearts of his people , who have been a long time seeking him , and suffering for him . whereas the adversaries , because god did forbear a while in his patience and let them prosper , thought there was no god in heaven that looked upon them , they scorned at the fastings , and prayers , and faith of the saints ; but though the hearts of the saints were ready to faile , yet at last they shall say , iust & true are thy wayes , lord we now see all thy good word fulfilled , all thy promises made good ; now we see it is not in vaine to seek thee , it is not in vain to wait upon thee , for just and true are thy wayes . o thou king of saints . god will appear then to be a king of saints . he is indeed the king of the world now , and the king of his saints , but he doth not appear so clearly , the kingdome of jesus christ as king of saints hath been much darkned in the world ; we have some what indeed of the priestly and propheticall office of christ made known to us , but very little of his kingly office ; but when god shall fully deliver his people , then they shall magnifie jesus christ as the king of saints in an especiall manner . lastly , they shall say , who will not feare thee thou king of nations ? as if they should say , wee see now it is good to feare god , wee see now god hath made a difference between him that feareth him , and him that feareth him not . the angel that john saw , apoc. . , . flying in heaven , having the everlasting gospel to preach , cryes with a loud voyce , feare god , and give glory to him ; the feare of god will be mighty upon the hearts of the saints in those times . this shall be the song of moses that this scripture aymeth at , they shall thus sing as they did in the dayes of their youth , when they came up out of the land of egypt , yea and the truth is , their song shall be much more glorious . the last time this prophesie aymeth at , is the great calling of the jewes , then the scripture saith , everlasting joy shall be upon their heads , they shall obtain gladnesse and joy , and all sorrow and mourning shall flee away . they shall so sing , as never mourn more in this world , in regard of any malice and rage of their adversaries . this was not fulfilled at their return out of the babylonish captivity , therefore there is yet a time for the fulfilling of it , and the scripture is clear about the fulfilling it , even in this world ; that place rev. . . is a repetition of that prophecy , he saith there , god shall wipe away all teares from their eyes , and there shall be no more sorrow nor crying . when jews and gentiles shall joyne together , then they shall siug indeed to purpose , as they did in the dayes of their youth , when they came up out of the land of egypt . first , it is a great mercy for people to be delivered from outward bondage . it will be found a great mercy when the world shall be delivered from their outward bondage , when men shall see they were born free-men , and not slaves , though subjects , yet not slaves , when men shall see that the world was not made for twenty or thirty to doe what they list , and they to account all the rest as beasts , yea dogs ; as if it were not so much for the lives of thousands of them to goe , as for their humours and lusts not to be satisfied ; but when men shall know , that they are men and not beasts , and so shall live like men , and not like beasts , to be at the will of others , this will be a great mercy . but to be delivered from antichristian bondage , is a greater mercy , then it was for the children of israel to be delivered from their egyptian bondage . for , first , when they were in the egyptian bondage , we reade not that their consciences were forced , that they were forced at all to any false worship . pharaoh did not this , but antichrist forced to idolatry . secondly , though pharaoh layed heavy taskes and burthens upon them , yet he did not kill them , indeed at length they killed their first borne , but the people of israel themselves might have their lives still , though with hardship . but antichrist thirsts for blood ; papists are bloody men . thirdly , it was the affliction of gods people to be in bondage in egypt , but it was not their sin : but to be in bondage under antichrist , is not onely an affliction , but it is sin , and that of a high nature too . . though they were under egyptian bondage , yet they were delivered from egyptian plagues ; but those that are under antichristian bondage , shall come under antichristian plagues . come out of her my people , lest you be partaker of her plagues . you must not think to escape so as they escaped out of egypt ; if you stay in that bondage , you will be involved in their plagues . with what an eye therefore should we look upon those who would bring us into this bondage againe , when god hath begun to give us a little reviving ? jer. . . o my lord the king ( saith jeremy ) let my supplication , i pray thee be accepted before thee , that thou cause me not to returne to the house of ionathan the scribe , lest i die there . so let us ery to the king of heaven and earth , o lord our king , let our supplication be accepted before thee , since wee are begun to be delivered from that bondage , doe not cause us to returne to that house againe . the second is , a reconciled condition is a singing condition . when there is a harmony between heaven and the soul , between god and a sinner , there is a sweet melody indeed , there may well be singing , esay , . . the ra●somed of the lord shall returne and come to zion with songs and everlasting joy upon their heads . and esay . . sing oye heavens , for the lord hath d●ne it ; s●out yee lower parts of the earth , break forth into singing ye mountains , we being justified by faith having peace with god , saith the apostle , we not only rejoyce in hope of glory , but we even rejoyce and boast in tribulation : having peace with god , though war withall the world , we rejoyce . thirdly , it is a great mercy , when magistrates and people shall generally joyne together in praising god , when they shall sing as they did in the dayes of their youth , ( for that is the promise . ) how is that ? moses beginneth , and miriam followeth , the leaders of israel , and then all the people joyne together , and answer one another in their singing . when that day shall come that god shall stirr up the hearts of magistrates and great ones , that there shall be singing hallelujahs to him that sitteth upon the throne , and the lamb for evermore ; and when god shall generally move the hearts of the people , that they shall answer one another in their singing , and so joyne in a sweet melody ; this will be a blessed time indeed . now perhaps in one place there is singing , and blessing god for what is done , in another place there is cursing , and cursing those that do sing . some mens hearts are rejoycing in the great things god doth , other mens hearts fret and rage when they heare of the great works of the lord , this makes no melody in heaven . perhaps now in the family the husband singeth , and the wife frets ; perhaps the wife singeth , and the malignant husband is inraged ; the servant rejoyceth , and the master chafeth ; the children sing , and the parents vex ; this is harsh musique . this is our condition at this day ; there are better times coming , when moses , aaron , and miriam , and all the people shall joyn in singing praise to our god. . thankfulnesse to god , for mercy cannot be without joyfulnesse . a grumbling , pensive , sadde , dumpish disposition , cannot be a true thankfull heart as it ought . god will not accept in this sense of the bread of mourners . it is grievous to the spirit of god , that we should be pensive and sad in the midst of abundance of mercies . . they shall sing there . there , where ? at the door of hope in the valley of achor . you may remember in the opening of that valley of achor , i gave you what might be understood by it according to the most , that is , that god would make the greatest trouble and affliction of his church to be a door of hope , to bring mercy to them : and if you take it in that sense , here rises an excellent observation . when god brings into straits , yet if he shall sanctifie our straits , making them means of good to us , we have cause to rejoyce . you have an excellent text , isa . . , . for in the wildernesse shall waters breake out , and streams in the desart , and the pa●ched ground shall become a poole , and the thirsty land springs of water . those things that seem to goe most contrary to you , i will work good unto you out of them , saith god. vvell , what is the fruit of this ? this is set as the reason of the words immediately before , then shall the lame man leap as an hart , and the tongue of the dumb sing . because the lord shall make the parched ground become a poole , and the thirsty land springs of water , this shall make the lame to leap as an hart , & the tongue of the dumb to sing . though our tongues be dumb , yet it should make us sing when we see god working good out of contraries , when wee see things that of themselves tend to our ruin , and would bring us to misery , that are as the valley of achor , yet god working good out of them ; if wee have the hearts of men in us , much more the hearts of christians , though we were dumb before , this should make us sing . yea all this is brought in as an argument to strengthen the weak hands , and the feeble knees , and as a reason why those that have weake hearts should not feare , because god workes good out of that which seemeth the greatest evill ; vers . . say to them that are of a fearefull heart , be strong , feare not , and then followeth this in the . verse . are we in the valley of achor , a place of trouble and straits ? wee have cause to sing even in this valley of achor , for we have not yet been brought into any straits , but god hath brought good out of them ; he hath turned the parched ground into a pool , and the thirsty land into springs of water . it is our great sin , that when god calleth us to singing , we are yet concluding of rejecting ; we are ready to think if we be brought into the valley of achor , we are presently cast off : oh no , god calleth you to singing , nothwithstanding you meet with difficulties . isa . . . sing o heavens ( saith the text there ) he joyfull o earth , breake forth into singing o mountaines , for god hath comforted his people , and will have mercy upon his afflicted ; but mark now the next words , but zion said , the lord hath forsaken me , & my god hath forgotten mee . at that very time , when the lord was calling for singing , even then they were concluding of rejecting . take we heed this be not our condition . but take the words as then i told you as i conceived them to be the meaning of the spirit of god , that this valley of achor was some speciall mercy that god gave at first as a door of hope to further mercies he would give afterward , and there they shall sing . then the observation is , when the lord is beginning with his saints in the ways of mercy , though they have not all that they would have , yet it is a singing condition . though you be but yet brought into the valley of achor , and be but at the doore of hope , and not entred into the door , though you have not yet got the possession of all the mercy god intendeth for you , yet god expects you should sing . you must not stand grumbling , whining , complaining , and murmuring at the door , because you have not what you would have ; though god makes you wait at the door , you must stand singing there . it may be said of gods mercy as of his word in psal . . . the entrance into thy word giveth light , so the entrance of gods works of mercy giveth light . psal . . . yea they shall sing in the wayes of the lord , for great is the glory of the lord. in the ways of the lord they shall sing , though god be but in the wayes of his mercy , and they have not what they would have , yet they shall sing . this is certainly one great reason why our doore of hope is not yet opened to us as we desire , or at least that we have not that entrance that we would have at that door , because we stand murmuring ; yea we stand quarrelling one with another at the doore , whereas god expects that we should stand singing and praising his name there . though wee have not what wee desire , yet let us blesse god that ever we lived to this day , to see so much of god as we have done , though we should never see more , though the mercy we look for should be reserved for the generation that shall follow , yet we have cause to blesse god while we live , that we have seene and do see so much of god as we have done & daily do . let us stand at our fathers door singing , and if we must sing at the foot of zion , what song shall we sing when we come to the height ? ier. . . they shall come and sing in the height of zion they shall flow to the bountifulnesse of the lord. if there be any one with whom god is dealing in a way of mercy , though you can see but a little light thorough the key-hole , yet you should sing there . there are many poor souls , with vvhom god is beginning in very gracious ways , yet because they have not their minds inlightned , their hearts humbled as they desire , power over corruptions , abilities to performe duties as they expect , they are presently ready to conclude against themselves , surely the lord will not have mercy , we are rejected . they think they have nothing , because they have not what they vvould . o unthankfull heart ! this is the very thing that keepeth thee under bondage , because when the lord is setting open a door of hope unto thee , thou wilt not take notice of it , but art presently murmuring and repining , because thou hast not all that thou wouldest . wouldest thou enter in at this door , and have god perfect the mercy he hath begun ? take notice of the beginnings , and blesse god for what thou hast . this would be an observation of marvey lous use to many a drooping soul , if they would learne by this dayes coming hither , to sing hereafter at the doore of hope . yet further , they shall sing there as in the dayes of their youth . it is the condition of gods own people many times , when first they enjoy liberty , then to be in a singing condition , but afterward to lose their joy . at first indeed when gods mercies were fresh to them , in the dayes of their youth , o how their hearts were taken ! how then they sung merrily and chearfully , moses and all the people ! but in processe of time it appeareth they had not kept up this singing , this harmonious , this melodious heart of theirs , therefore god promiseth they should sing as in the dayes of their youth . we finde it so in people , when they first come to enjoy liberty out of bondage , church liberties , oh how they rejoyce in them ! how do they blesse god for them ! o how sweet are these mercies at their very hearts ! they rejoice that ever they lived to this time ; but within a while the flower of their youth is gone , and they soone have the teats of their virginity bruised . at first indeed , o the sweetnesse ! but stay a while and you shall finde contention or scandoll arising amongst them , or deadnesse of heart befalling them . oh the blessed condition that god hath brought us to , to have these liberties and ordinances according to his own way ! but within a while we may say as the apostle to the galatians , where is the blessednesse you spake of ? they would have pulled out their eyes for paul , what is become of all now ? all their beauty & glory is quite damped , let us take heed that when our hearts seem to be raised and mightily affected with mercies , we do not soon loose our vigour & heat . it hath been so with england , when they have had fresh mercies at first , they rejoyced in them exceedingly . i have read of the city of berne , when they were first delivered from antichrist , they wrote the day of their deliverance upon pillars with letters of gold . was it not so with us here in england ? i will only instance in that deliverance upon the fifth of november , how mightily was both king and parliament affected with it ! their hearts were exceedingly up , then there was blessing god , for their deliverance from papists , then there were prayers and thanksgivings set forth , and in them , this expression against popery , whose faith is faction , whose religion is rebellion , whose practice is murthering of soules and bodyes ; when the mercy was fresh , how did their spirits worke ? then they profest against all kinde of popery . reade but the proclamation about the solemnity of that time , and the expressions of the prayers then set forth , and one would have thought verily then that popery should never have prevailed in england again ; who would ever have thought it possible that a popish army should ever have had any countenance in england more ? certainly , if a popish army had been raised at that time when mens hearts were so up , all the people of the land ( if it had been but with clubs ) would have risen and beaten them to pieces . it is so with many young people , when god first beginneth to worke upon their hearts , o how are they for god! then their spirts are mightily up for christ , psal , . . o satisfie us early with thy mercies , and then we shall be glad and rejoyce all the dayes of our lives ; it is a sweet thing when the latter part of that prayer followeth , when god satisfieth young people with his mercy , and that satisfaction abideth , so as they rejoyce all the dayes of their lives afterward . the lord doth many times satisfie young ones with his mercy , but they quickly grow dead and cold , and their hearts are soone hardned and polluted , and they doe not rejoyce all the dayes of their lives . another observation , that restored and recovered mercies , are very sweet and precious mercies . they shall sing as in the dayes of their youth ; they were once in a blessed sweet singing condition , they had lost it , but now god promiseth to recover them . iob . . o that i were as in months past , as in the dayes when god preserved me , when his candle shined upon my head , and when by his light i warlked thorough darknesse ; as i was in the dayes of my youth , when the secret of god was upon my tabernacle . iob desireth this earnestly , that he might have restored , recovered mercies ; what a happy condition should i be in then , saith he , if it were now with me as in the dayes of my youth ! may not many in this place say so ? god hath been gracious to them in former dayes , he hath given many sweet manifestations of his love , many soule-ravishing communications of himself unto them ! but how have they lost them ! they may well say , o that it were with us as in the dayes of our youth ! oh that god would restore to us what mercy we once had ! what a blessed condition should we be in then ! but god here giveth a gracious promise , that he will restore them , that he will give them that which is the petition of david , psa . . restore to me the joy of thy salvation ; lord i have lost it , o that i might have it againe ! how happy should i be ! so ps . . . by the rivers of babylon there we sat down , yea we wept there when we remembred zion , we hanged our harps upon the willowes . they were in this sad condition , but if one should have come to them and have said , what will you say if you shall be restored againe and goe to zion , to jerusalem againe , and have songs there , as much and as delightfull as before ? their hearts could not have held in them . this mercy would be like that wine mentioned , cant. . . that is so sweet , that it causeth the lips of those that are asleepe to speake ; if there be any life left , such a mercy will raise and actuate it . psal . . . . when the lord turned againe the captivity of zion , our mouthes were filled with laughter , and our tongues with singing , when god granted them a recovered mercy . as a poore prodigal , that hath left his fathers house , and afterward is come to beggery and misery , and is under bondage , & is almost starved ; he sitteth down under a hedg , wringing his hands , falleth a lamenting the losse of his fathers house , and considering what comfort he had in his fathers presence , cryeth out of his folly and madnesse ; but if one should come and say to him , what will you say if your father should be reconciled to you , and send for you home , and promise to put you in as comfortable a condition as ever ? o how would this cause singing in his heart ! thus god promiseth to his people , that he would restore them to that singing condition they had lost . they shall sing as in the dayes of their youth . that which made this mercy so sweet , was because it was a promised mercy . hence this note . promised mercies are sweet mercies . luke . . blessed be the lord god of israel , for he hath visited and redeemed his people , and hath raised up a home of salvation to us , in the house of his servant david , as he spake by the mouth of all his prophets . and ver . . to performe the mercy promised ; there is the cause of singing , blessed be the lord god of israel , that hath performed the mercy promised . giving out of a promise is sweet to a gracious heart , it can sing then ; much more sweet is the promise when it cometh to be fulfilled . chron. . . stand still and see the salvation of the lord , there is the promise . mark now how jehosaphat and the people were affected with the promise : and jehosaphat bowed his head with his face to the ground , and all iudah and the inhabitants of ierusalem fell before the lord , worshipped the lord. and the levites , and the child en of the koathites , & the children of the korhites shall stand up to praise the lord god of israel with a loud voyce on high . and ver . . he appointed singers unto the lord that should praise the beauty of holinesse , and to say , praise the lord , for his mercy endureth for ever . jehos●phat had not got the promise fulfilled , it was only made ; they had not got the victory over their enemies , but onely a promise that god would be with them , & presently jehosaphat & all the people fell a singing . a gracious heart seeth cause enough to sing , if he have got but a promise , but much more when he hath got the performance . if the promise of a mercy hath such sweetnesse in it , what sweetnesse then hath the mercy of the promise ? but the promise was not only barely fulfilled , but fulfilled with a high hand , and that made them sing . this may be another observation : when god appeareth remarkably , with a high hand in delivering his people , then the mercy is to be accounted a precious mercy indeed , and all the people of the lord should sing and praise him . esay . . . mark there , when god had told of an extraordinary hand of his in a way of mercy , saith he , i will plant them in the wildernesse , and so goeth on : then ( saith he ) shal this be , that they may see , and know , & understand , & consider , that the hand of the lord hath done this , and the holy one of israel hath created it . when gods imediate hand doth a thing , when it helps a people in an extraordinary way , he expects that they should see , and know , and consider , and understand together : all these expressions are heaped one upon another . and if any people be called to this , we are at this day ; god hath appeared extraordinarily to us . oh that we had eyes to see ! oh that we had hearts to consider and understand , that we might give god the glory that is due to him ! the fifteenth lecture . hosea . . . — and she shall sing there , as in the dayes of her youth , and as in the day when she came up out of the land of egypt . and it shall be at that day , saith the lord , that thou shalt call me ishi ; and shalt call me no more baali . some few observations are to be added to the . verse . mercies that have been much sought for , that have had many cryes sent up to god to obtaine , when once they are granted , should cause singing forth the praises of god. the people of israel cryed much , before god granted them deliverance from egypt , exodus . . i have heard their cryes , saith god : and god sayes here , they shall sing as they did when they came out of egypt . psal . . . they shall praise the lord that seek him . the more we seek god for any mercy , the more we shall praise god when we have obtained that mercy . psal . . . . blessed be the lord , because he hath heard the voyce of my supplication ; my heart trusted in him , and i am helped . what followeth ? therefore my heart greatly rejoyceth , and with my song will i praise him . because god had heard the voyce of his supplication , therefore with his song he would praise him . those mercies that we get by crying unto god , those are singing mercies indeed . such mercies as come to us only through a generall providence , without seeking to god , they are not such sweet mercies ; as hannah said to eli concerning her son whom she had got by prayer , ( and therefore named him [ samuel , ] sought of god ) as thy soul liveth , this is the son , this is the child that i was here praying for , and the lord hath given me my petition which i asked of him . this she spake , triumphing in gods goodnesse . mercies got by prayer may be triumphed in . when you want a mercy , pray much for it ; the more you pray for it , the more you will sing when you have it , and the lesse prayer went before , the lesse singing will follow after . further ; mercies that make way for the enjoyment of ordinances are very sweet mercies , singing mercies , they shall sing as they did when they came up out of the land of egypt . why did they sing when they came up out of the land of egypt ? because that mercy , that deliverance from egypt made way to that rich mercy of the injoyment of gods worship in his ordinances . how doth that appear ? thus , exod. . where they sung when they came out of egypt , ver . . i will build him an habitation saith moses , together with the people ; they rejoyced in that , that now they were going on in the way to build god an habitation ; but more , ver . . thou hast guided them in thy strength unto thy holy habitation : as if moses and the israeli●es should say , this indeed is a great deliverance that we are delivered out of bondage , but what is this but in order to a higher mercy that we looke at yet further , that is , guiding of thy people in thy strength to thy habitation ? we looke upon this present mercy of our deliverance , for which we doe now sing and give thee praise , but in order to the guiding of thy people to thy habitation , and that in thy strength : as if moses should say , lord there will be a great many difficulties between this and our comming to enjoy thy habitation , but thou wilt guide us in thy strength , thy strength shall carry thy people along till it bring them to thy habitation ; this was that which made them sing so chearfully as they did . and again , v. . thou shalt bring them in , and plant them in the mountaine of thine inheritance , in the place , o lord , which thou hast made for thee to dwell in , in the sanctuary , o lord , which thy hands have established . this was that that made them so sing . so david , psa . . . one thing have i desired of the lord , that i will seeke after ; that i may dwell in the house of the lord all the dayes of my life , to behold the beauty of the lord , & to enquire in his temple ; that is a choice mercy , therefore all mercies that make way for that mercy , are indeed sweet mercies . so we should looke upon all our deliverances , from outward troubles , and whatsoever peace god giveth us to enjoy , as sweet and comfortable , in order to this mercy of enjoying gods mountaine , of living in god● habitation , that we may dwell there all the dayes of our life . a third observation is , new mercies should renew the memory of old . they shall sing as in the day when they came up out of the land of egypt , that is , i will grant to them yet further mercies , and that mercy that i shall grant , shall renew the memory of all the former mercies they have enjoyed from me . as new guilt renews the memory of former guilt , so new mercies the memory of former . hath god delivered you from any danger now ? were you never delivered before ? if but when you were a childe , those deliverances you now have should bring into your memory what then were . so in a nation , doth god grant to a nation any new mercy ? this new mercy should bring into the memory of that nation all the former mercies that ever that nation hath received . psal . . . blesse ye god in the congregatations , even the lord from the fountaine of israel . not only you who are true israelites , but in your blessing god now , let present mercies be to you but as streames to bring you to the fountaine . consider of all the mercies along till you come to the fountaine , even that covenant that god hath made with israel . a fourth is , all former mercies to gods people should help faith in beleeving future mercies . that is raised from hence . why doth the prophet tell them or comming out of the land of egypt ? he speaks of some mercy that was to come to israel ; now hee names this coming out of the land of egypt , that he might helpe and strengthen their faith in the beleeving of what mercy was to come : as if he should say , that god that hath wrought so wonderfully for you , in delivering you out of the land of egypt , is able , and willing to make good his word in granting to you deliverance for time to come . we have excellent scriptures for this , as psal . . . he turned the sea into dry land , they went thorough the flood on foot , there did we rejoyce in him . marke , they went thorough the flood , and there did we rejoyce in him : how did we rejoyce in him ? it was many hundred yeares after that we came to rejoyce : but upon the manifestation of gods great goodnesse to his people in former dayes , our faith commeth to be strengthened in gods mercies for our times , and there did we rejoyce in him , we did rejoice in the worke of god when they went thorough the red-sea upon dry land , for it is an argument of gods mercy to us of the power , goodnesse , and faithfulnesse of god to us . another temarkable text is , hos . . . hee had power over the angel , he found him in bethel , and there he spake with us : marke , he had power over the angel , he found him in bethel ; vvho was that ? it was jacob , who many years before , but there he spake with us , hee did not speake with jacob onely , but there hee spake with us , that is , whatsoever goodnesse the lord did shew to jacob in bethel , it concerned us for the strengthening of our faith , mat. . . . have ye not read that which was spoken unto you , saying , i am the god of abraham , and the god of isaac , and the god of iacob ? this was spoken to moses many hundred yeares before ; but that expression of gods grace then , was a strengthening the faith of the godly , when christ spake , and is the same to us now . a fifth is , where there is a proportion of mercies , there ought to be a proportion of thankfulnesse . they shall sing as they did in the day when they came out of egypt . i will grant unto you as great mercies as they had , and i expect as great thankfulnesse from you as i had from them ; as they sung to my praise , so must you sing too . god sheweth as much mercy to you now , as he hath done heretofore , i appeale now to you , nay god appeales to your consciences , is there a proportion of thankfulnesse as of mercies ? there hath been a time when you have sung to the praise of god , when your hearts have been inlarged to give god praise , why should it not be so now ? a sixt observation is , deliverance out of egypt is an ascending condition , that ariseth from the words as they are in the originall , they shal ascend out of the land of egypt , so i told you the words were in the hebrew ; as then god would never rest till he brought them up to mount zion , so when god beginneth to deliver his people from antichristian bondage , they should never rest in their spirits , untill they be got to the height of reformation , to the height of their deliverance , that is , to come to enjoy gods ordinances in his own wayes , in the purity and the power of them . this is our misery and our b●senesse , that upon some little deliverance we presently are ready to rest , whereas we should rise yet higher and higher , and expect that god should goe on still with us , and raise us in the wayes of mercy , untill he hath brought us even to the top of mount zion . seventhly , from the connection of these words with what followes , they shall sing as in the day when they came up out of the land of egypt , and they shall call me ishi , and shall call me no more baali , for i will take even the very names of baalim out of their mouths , and they shall remember them no more , that is , there shall be a most glorious reformation , & they shal be delivered from all the remainders of their idolatrous worship , they shall not so much as remember their very names , the reformation shall be so perfect ; from thence the observation is , when god raiseth the spirits of people to rejoyce in his mercy , then is the time for them if ever , to set up a through reformation ; then when their hearts are warmed , inflamed , and inlarged with the goodnesse of god unto them , then is the time to cast out all the remainders of all superstition , of all kinde of false worship . i will give you two excellent scriptures for this , the one is , esay . . thou shalt weep no more ( saith he ) he will be very gracious unto thee at the voyce of thy cry ; the lord promiseth abundance of mercy , he tells them that they shall weep no more , he will be very gracious ; now marke what followeth in the . verse , ye shall defile the covering of thy graven images of silver , the ornaments of thy molten images of gold , thou shalt cast them away as a menstruous cloth , thou shalt say unto it , get thee hence ; the other scripture is , chron. . . there you finde that there was great joy in jerusalem , such joy as the text saith , was not since the dayes of solomon , it was upon the celebration of their passe-over , there had not beene the like ; marke then in the beginning of the next chapter , saith the text , when all this was finished , that is , when they had celebrated a passeover so full , and had such abundance of joy , such a joy as had not beene in jerusalem since the time of solomon ; now all israel went out to the cities of iudah , and brake the images in pieces , and cut down the groves , and threw down the high places , and the altars out of all iudah & benjamin . their hearts were inflamed with the joy they had , & they went with resolution and brake down 〈◊〉 ●●ages , &c. and marke it , the text saith , it was 〈…〉 that did this ; 〈◊〉 went out into the cities of iudah , and brake the the images in pieces , and threw down the high places , & the altars out of all iudah : what had israel to doe with iudah ? iudah and israel were divided ; but now their hearts were so inflamed for god , that they were not able to abide any false worship amongst their brethren , though it belonged to judah , yet they would goe help their brethren to cast down all their images , and to cut down their groves and altars , this was when their hearts were warmed with joy in blessing the name of god. vvhen god once warmeth the hearts of people , it is much what they will doe for god then : they will not stand examining every nicety , but they will fall upon the work directly ; the joy of the lord was the strength of their hearts at this time : as it is with the lusts of wicked men , when they get into company , at feasts , in taverns , and there they are drinking , while their lusts are warmed , then what desperate resolutions have they to doe wickednesse ! so when gods saints are exercised in gods ordinances , and are refreshed with the sweet love of god , when that lies glowing at their hearts , what strong resolutions have they for god! then they can doe any thing for god. now the very name of baalim must be taken away . verse . and it shall be in that day , saith the lord , that thou call me ishi , and shalt call me no more baali . . for i will take away the names of baalim out of her mouth , & they shall be no more remembred by their name . here we have as full a prophesie and promise of as thorough reformation of the church , as any i know we have in scripture , god hath a time to reforme his church thorowly , the very names of their idols , the very remembrance of them shall be taken away . this reformation is ●ods worke , i will doe it saith god , i will take away the names of baalim they shall call me ishi , and no more baali . ] why ? what great difference is there betweene these two names ishi and baali , that god will have one but not the other ? the truth is , both of them signifie even almost the same thing ; both of them are names very fit for a wife to call her husband by , ishi is my husband , and baali is my husband too . but the word ishi cometh from a word that signifieth strength , the woman being the weaker vessel , therefore shee calls her husband ishi , my strength ; for the husband should be strength to the wife , he should live with her as a man of knowledge , he should be a protection to her , he should help her in all her weaknesses , & afflictions . baali signifieth my lord , as well as my husband ; it is a word that moteth rule and authority , ishi is a word that hath more love and familiarity in it ; baali is a word that noteth the inferiority of the wife to the husband . now god saith he will be called ishi , but not baali ; why ? there is no hurt in the word baali it selfe ; the word baali is a very good word , and hath a good signification , & it is proper to god , as any word that can be given to him by the church ( but that god did forbid it here ) for it is no more when the church cals god baali , then if the church should say , o god that art my lord , my husband , who art to rule & govern me ; yea and we find that god gives to himself this name , isa . . . thy maker is thy [ husband , ] so it is in your books , but the word in the hebrew is the same that we have here , thy maker is thy [ baali , ] so that husband and baal is the very same . but now because they had abused this word baal , and given into their idols , therefore god would have no more of it ; though it was a good word , a significant word , and as proper to god as any was . as the word tyrannus was a name once for a king , kings were called tyrants , without any such ill signification as now it carries with it ; but because they had gotten the sole power into their hands , they did so oppress , abuse their power , therefore oppressors were called tyrants . so the latine word fur , which is for a thiefe , it was once the ordinary word for a servant , fures , and servi were wont to be the same , and without any ill signification ; but because afterward many servants grew to be false , to steale from their masters , therefore fures was altogether taken in the worst part , onely for theeves . so sophista , a sophister , was one that studied wisdome , but because they did so much degenerate , many under the colour of the study of wisdome , deceived others , therefore the name sophister was used in the worst part . i might instance in many other . for further opening this . may not the name baal be mentioned ? god tells them that he would take away the name of baalim out of their mouths . vvhy may not we use this word baali in our mouths ? to this i answer , yes , it is not unlawfull for us to mention the word , notwithstanding this , for the holy ghost a long time after this mentions the word in an historicall way : rom. . . hee speaks there of those that had not bowed their knees to baal , the word you see is mentioned & remembred by the spirit of god , therefore it was not a sin ; nay not only the word baal , b●r it is not unlawfull to mention the names of any idols of the heathen , for the holy ghost doth so likewise , acts . . speaking of the ship that they sayled in , he saith there , whose signe was castor and pollux , the names of two heathen idols . and you may observe that here in the text the remembring is as much forbidden as the mentioning . now if it were a finne meerly to mention the names of the heathen gods , it were a sin to remember them . therefore god means the mentioning of them honoris gratia , any way for their honour , or without detestation of them . the words being thus opened , you have many excellent observations out of them very usefull and seasonable for our times . first , there is a great deale of danger in words and names . you shall call me ishi , i will not have you call me baali , i will not have that word used ; the devill hath got much by words and names , heretofore by the word puritane , though 〈◊〉 knew not what it meant ; now by this new name that he hath of late invented ; the devill hath alwayes some words , some names for distinction of men , in which he sees advantage is to be had . the speaki●●●f the ways of 〈…〉 the language of superstition doth much hurt . 〈…〉 a notabl● 〈◊〉 ●etion from the papists themselves concerning that , it is in the rhemists testament in their notes upon that place , tim. . . keep that which is committed to thy trust , avoyding prophane , and vaine bablings , so we translate it , they translate it , prophane novelties , this is their note upon it ; let us ( say they ) keep our fore-fathers words , and we shall easily keepe our old faith ; you shall see that wee had not long since the very spirit of these men breathing in many amongst us . the hereticks call repentance amendment , but let us say they keep the old word penance , they say the lords supper , but we will keep the old word masse ; they say communion table , but let us keep the old word altar ; was it not just thus with us ? the call elders and ministers , let us say priests ; they say superintendents , but let us keep the word bishop ; ( it is a scripture word indeed , but not in that sense they call it , for in the scripture sense every presbyter is a bishop ) they say sacrament , let us keep the word sacrifice and host ; they say congregation , let us keep the word church ; they morning , evening prayer , let us keep the words mattens , even-song ; and so oblation & lent , and palmsunday , and christmas day , &c. this was the policy of papists , and it hath been the policy of many of us to bring in popery by . let us take heed of this , for the devill is subtile in this ; for though these words have some kind of good sense in the originall , yet there is danger in the use of them . augustine in his preface to his narration upon the psalms hath this expression . it is a better thing in the mouths of christians to speak according to the manner of the church , so we may well say , it had been better that in the mouths of protestants , there had been the ordinary language of protestants , not the language of papists . certainly if god had not been very mercifull unto us , the very language of papists that began to be amongst us would have done abundance of mischief , take heed as long as you live of the language of papists , whatsoever pretence they may have for their words . in that place of the rhemists testament quoted , they say , let us take heed of the words of hereticks , they there confess that heretiques ( as they call us ) use many words that have no great hurt in them , but because they are the words of heretiques , let us not ( say they ) use them ; they are wise enough , they will not use our words , though they confesse the words themselves have no harme in them , yet because they are our proper language ( as they make them ) distinct from themselves , therefore no catholiques should use them , why should not we be as wise as they ? the second observation , idolatry is a most loathsome and abominable thing ; why ? surely that is most loath some that we may not so much as mention , that we may not so much as remember . we must seek to abolish the very name , the very remembrance of idolatry as much as possibly we can . first , one that we hate , we do not love his presence , we do like his company . secondly , if we hate him very much , we doe not love so much as to see him ; and if perhaps we doe see him afar off , out hearts rise , that is a second degree . but thirdly , if our hatred be so great thee wee cannot endur●●● name him , that is a greater degree of hatred . but fourthly , if wee cannot endure to remember him , that is more then to name him . yet thus should it be in our manifestation of our hatred to idolatry : we should not admit it into our company , much lesse then to joyn in the ordinances of god. we should not admit , no not the very sight of it , no not the name of it , no not the memory of it without a great deale of indignation . jer. . . oh doe not this abominable thing , saith the lord there ; the lord cryes out with a shriek as it were , oh! doe not this abominable thing , as if any of you should see one ready to murther your child , or to cut the throat of your father , you would shrick out , oh! what mean you to doe ? do not such a horrible villany as this ; so god cries out as it were with a shriek , do not this abominable thing . it is observable in the second commandement , that god saith hee will visite the sinn upon the third generation of them that hate him : none seem to love god more then wil-worshippers ; they will not only worship god as he hath appointed , but will devise ways of their owne , and yet god charges the breakers of no commandement with hatred of him but onely these . as if god should say , you pretend love to me , in that you will finde out new wayes to worship me by , you pretend decency and reverence , but i account it hating me , you can provoke me in nothing more . tertullian in his book de idololatria , hath this expression ; idolatry is the principall hey nous crime of mankind , it is the chief guilt of the world , and the onely cause of judgment in the world . it were good therefore , seeing god hates it , and loaths it so much , that we should hate and loath it , and therefore even cast out the name and the memory of it ; it were a happy thing if this could be obtained , that now the names as of popish , so of heathenish idols could be got out from the church ; but i know not how it comes to passe that we christians do still retaine the use of their names , the very dayes of the week am●●g us are called by the names of planets , or heathen gods : not that i think it a sin , when it is the ordinary language of the world , so to speak as may be understood ; for the apostle ( as i said afore ) mentioneth the name of castor and pollux : but if there could be an alteration by a generall consent , it were a thing desireable ( as our brethren in new-england doe ) and it were very desireable likewise , that our children might not be educated in the use of heathen poems , where the names of heathen idols are kept up fresh amongst us ; the papists themselves acknowledge so much in their notes upon the rhemists testament , rev. . . where they say , the name sunday is heathenish , as all other of the week dayes , some imposed after the name of planets by the romans , some by the name of certaine idols that the saxons worshipped , to which they dedicated their days before they were christians ; which names the church used not , but hath appointed to call the first day dominike , ( the lords ) the other by the name of feries , untill the last day of the week , which she calleth by 〈…〉 name sabbath , because that was of god , and 〈…〉 imposition of 〈◊〉 ●eathen . and in their annotations upon luke , . . the first day of the sabbath , that is , first after the sabbath , which is our lords day . and the apostle ( cor. . . ) commanded a collection to be made on the first of the sabbath ; whereby wee learn ( say they ) both the keeping that day , & the churches count of days , , , . of the sabbath : that is , the second day , the third day of the week , and so on , to be apostolicall , which s. sylvister afterward named . . . feriam . thus you have the papists acknowledging the lords day to be apostolicall , and the calling the days of the week , the . the . the . &c. to bee likewise apostolicall . the heathenish roman names of the days were from the seven planets , . sol , from thence dies solis , sunday , dedicated to the sun. . luna , monday , dedicated to the moon . . mars , tuesday , dedicated to mars . our english tuesday is a saxon name , from tuisco , who they say was chiefe leader and ruler of the german nation from the tower of babel , who in honour of him called this day tuisday , tuisco his day . . mercurius , to whom wednesday is dedicated . our english is from the saxons , woden , who was a great prince amongst them : after his death they adored his image . the . jupiter , to whom thursday is dedicated : our english is from the saxon thor , the name of an idol which they anciently worshiped . the . venus , to whom friday is dedicated : our english is from friga , an idol of the germans . this idol represented both sexes , as well man as woman , an hermaphrodite . she was reputed the giver of plenty , and the causer of amity , it is like it was the same which the romans called venus . the . saturnus , dedicated to saturn , from whence our saturday hath the name : or as others think , from seater , an idol of the germans . exod. . . we have this charge , in all things that i have said unto you , be circumspect , & make no mention of the names of other gods , neither let it be heard out of thy mouth . psal . . . david professeth he will not take the names of idols into his lips . a third note is , that little things in point of gods worship , any way tending to idolatry are to be taken heed of . the very word baali , meerly to mention it , one would think to be one of the smallest things that could be , but yet we see god would have his people take heed of that . there is no commandement wherein god speaks of himself as a jealous god , but in the second : now jealousie you know doth not only cause one to bee offended at some grosse thing , but at any thing that doth but tend that way , as if a husband be a jealous husband , hee is not onely offended if hee should meet with his wife committing the very act of adultery with another man , but the least glance of a wanton look will displease him , the least thing that is any way tending that way will offend him . so saith god in this commandement . i am a jealous god , to note that though wee should not agree to grosse idolatry , to worship images in a gross way , yet if we do any thing that doth but tend that way , that hath but any likeness to superstition , the lord is jealous of that , even such a thing would displease him , in matters of gods worship little things are not to be contemned ( if in any things in the world ) we are to make conscience of little things then in point of worship , when we come to deal with god , we had need to look to the smalest things . no question but the pharises when they washed their hands , and christ would not was his , would be ready to accuse him of too much precisenesse , what is there any hurt in the washing of a mans hands ? yet christ would not wash his hands . though this might seeme to be but a little matter before others , yet because it had some kind of tendency to shew some respect to their superstitious waye , christ would not agree to them therein . there is a story in the primitive times of that noble servant of god and minister of the church marcus arethusius , who in the time of constantine had beene the cause of overthrowing an idoll temple , afterward when julian came to be emperor , he would force the people of that place to build it up againe , they were ready to doe it but he refused it , whereupon those that were his own people , over whom he had been bishop , tooke him and stript him of all his cloathes , and abused his naked body , and gave it up the children to lance it with their pen-knives , and then caused him to be put in a basket and anoynted his naked body with honey , and set him in the sun to be stung with waspes , and all this cruelty they shewed because he would not doe any thing toward the building up of this idoll temple ; nay they came to this , that if he would doe but the least thing towards it , if he would give but a halfe-penny to it they would save him ; but he refused all , though the giving but of one halfe-penny towards the re-edification of that idoll temple might have saved his life , hee would not doe it , for a little thing in that which concerns the worship of god in religion , is of more concernment then your or my life . i have read in theodoret of valentinian , who was afterwards emperour , going before julian into the temple of the goddesse fortune ( which by the way , because we are speaking of the names of idols , take this note ; the word fortune , as it is commonly used , such a man hath a good forture , should be forborne : the heathen had a goddesse that they called fortune , and we should not continue those names ) when they went up into that temple , the priest there had his holy-water , ( just as the papists who imitate the heathens ) as he sprinkled it upon julian , by accident there came but one drop of water upon valentinian , he thereupon presently struck the priest , and withall tooke his garment and cut that part of it in pieces upon which the water was sprinkled . some would say , alas what was that ? it was but a little water that dropped upon him , & that by accident ; yet in detestation of that idolatry , he cut in pieces that part of his garment . vve cannot shew our hatred against idolatry fully , except wee show it in little things , as well as in things that are very grosse and vile . theodoret lib. . cap. . tells of the zeale of children of samosaten , who because a tennis-ball with which they played , had but touched the foot of the asse whereon l●●ius their hereticall bishop rode , they cryed out it was defiled , and burnt it in the market-place presently ; hatred is much shewn in little things . fourthly , it is the 〈◊〉 of all gods people , to keepe themselves as free from idolatry and superstition as can be , from the very verges of it : why ? here they must not so much as mention the very names of their idols , certainly therefore they must keepe themselves at a great distance from it : we must not thinke it enough to say , can any man convince us that this is idolatry ? though it be not , yet if it but borders upon it , it is your duty to keep your selves from it . ps . . . you shall not have any strange god with you , or by you . it is not onely sorbidden that you shall not worship a false god , but you shal not so much as have a false god by you ; as deut. . . when god would forbid the sinne of injustice , of selling wares by false weights , mark what the expression is , thou shalt not have in thy bag divers weights ▪ a great & a smal one , it was sin to have a great and a small weight in a mans bag ; why ? if you should find a great and a small weight in ones bag , perhaps you would say , but can you prove that ever i sold wares by the small weight , or tooke wares in by this great weight ? yea , bnt saith god , to the end you may be farre off from the sinne of injustice , i require you that you shall not have them in your bag ; god would have us keepe off from the very verge of that sin , much more from idolatry , which is the worst of all other sins ; esay . . god chargeth upon them , not onely that grosse sin of eating swines flesh , but the having the broth of abominable things in their vessels ; they might say , we will not eate the flesh , but the broth ; no you must not have the broth of abominable things in your vessels , you must keep far off from that defilement ; as the lord speakes concerning corporall whoredome , prov. . . remove thy way farre from her , come not ●igh the doore of her house ; if one should say , we will not commit uncleannesse , but saith god , you must remove your way farre from her , and you must not come nigh her , no not nigh the door of her house . we must not come nigh popery , we must abstaine from the appearance of that evill . certainly , it hath beene a great distemper in many of your hearts , that you went so nigh to popery as you did , especially at such a time when the tyde was comming in upon you ; for a man to stand just at the edge of the water when the sea is comming in , especially if you were in some places , as in the washes in lincolneshire , is a dangerous thing , to stand at the edge when the tyde is going away , is not so dangerous : many of you when the tyde of popery and superstition was comming in , you stood upon the very edge of the water ; this is a sin you ought to repent off . fifthly , the church of god must not worship god after the manner that idolaters doe : they must not so much as make mention of the names that they did , certainly then not worship god in the way they doe , in those orders and ceremonies they doe . marke that place ; deut. . . take heed to thy selfe that thou be not snared by following them , and that thou enquire not after their gods , saying , how did these nations serve their gods ? even so will i doe likewise ; thou shalt not doe so unto the lord thy god ; then verse . vvhat thing soever i command you , observe to doe it , thou shalt not adde thereto nor diminish from it . thou shalt not so much as enquire how others serve their gods , what their rites and ordinances , and manners of serving their gods are , thou shalt not worship me so ; how then lord ? as if they should say , whatsoever thing i command you , observe to doe it , thou shall not adde thereto , nor diminish from it , you must keep to that , and not think to worship me , as others worship their idols . the lord stands much upon this , though the thing in it self may be a lawfulthing , yet because it is the way idolaters have taken up , therefore it must be rejected , ezek. . . there is a comandement to the priests of the lord , that they shall not shave their heads , nor suffer their lockes to grow long , but they shall round their heads , so the words are rendred in the old translation , and arius montarus translates them thus , they shall clip equally their haire all of a length , that is the meaning of the words as they are in the hebrew ; the old translation , they shall round their heads , is according to the hebrew ; the reason is this , because the idolatrous priests , according to the several ways of worshipping their idols , some did shave their heads , others wore long hair as women , some kind of idols being worshipped one way , some another , all in excessive ways : now saith god to his priests , they shall doe neither ; so that it is the injunction of god to his ministers there to be round-heads . certainly the devil forgate that place of scripture when he raised up such a name to reproach men by , which we have the expresse word in scripture for the injoyning it : and on the other side , when the scripture would describe the enemies of god , it describeth them by the contrary , the hairy scalpe . i remember i have read of the lacedemonians , when they would reform excesse in apparell , which was much amongst them , at length their consultation came to this result , that there should be a law made , that none but harlots should weare pompous and rich cloathes , and by this meanes they thought to get all women that regarded their credites , or chastity , to goe in meane or plain cloathing , by this they attained their end : if by the light of nature once a thing come to be in fashion with harlots , grave and sober matrons will never meddle with it , then what idolaters take up in worship , the church should abstaine from ; if there must not be a conformity betweene matrons and harlots , there must not be a conformity between the church of god and idolaters . arius montanus in a treatise he hath de templi fabrica , saith , that the jews report of . tables of stone that were in the outward court of the temple , at which men were wont to pray , & all of them were made , saith he , so as some looked to the north , some to the south , and some to the west , but not one toward the east : and so god built his temple that the holy of holiest was not to look toward the east , but toward the west : hence ezek. . . it is said that ●●●se that worship 〈◊〉 the sunne , with their faces toward the east , they had their backs upon the temple , so that it appeareth plainly , that the temple stood west-ward , and upon this ground , because there were so many among whom the jews lived , that were worshippers of the sun , and in their worship they would ever look eastward , & upon that very reason the lord would not have the holy of holiest built eastward ; now all your chancels in england are built eastward , and it was wont to be the order and way of your superstitious worshippers evermore when they came into such a place to look eastward , and bow solemnly themselves , not only to the altar , but eastward . i have seen my self a bishop , who when the communion table was set down in another place , he neglected that , and goes to the east end of the chancell , and boweth himself , though his back was upon the table . and you shall observe it in all your burials , the corps are laid east and west , for this end by some , that when christ comes to judgment , they may be ready to look him in the face , it being a trodition that he shall come from the east . you must not think , that those who do not follow the old customes of superstition , do it out of crosness of disposition ; it is the same way that god brought his people up in , when they saw idolaters worship one way , they should worship another way ; we must take heed of borrowing from the egyptians , if you borrow from them you may think it riches , but you may get their botches and boils : we have enough in the word of god , we need no imitation of idolaters and papists in the way of worship . yet further , that which lies more fully in the text is , such things that in themselves considered have no hurt in them , yet when they come to be abused to idolatry , they must be cast away ; i will take the name of baali out of your mouths , the name was good , but being abused , was to be taken away ; yea not only such things as are in the originall of them from idolaters , but even such things as in the beginning were of gods own institution , if they do not yet continue his institutions , if god doe not require the continuance of them still , they must be taken away , not only corrected , but removed , and wholly rejected from gods worship . i will give you an instance for both these together , exod. . . ye shall destroy their altars , break their images , cut down their groves . many will easily grant , those things that came from idolaters at first , should be rejected by us : but they say those ceremonies we have , we have them from the ancient fathers in the primitive times before popery was . for a full answer to that which may for ever stopp the mouth of that objection , you have an expresse command here , that those groves were to be cut downe whose originall was not from idolaters , for gen. . . the text saith that abraham built an altar , and planted a grove , and called there on the name of the lord , the everlasting god ; groves and altars had a good originall from abraham , but afterwards being abused by idolaters , god requires of them now to cut down the groves . and that example k. . . of the brazen serpent , it had a good beginning , and was an ordinance of god for a time , only it did not continue as an ordinance afterward , but they might think and so plead that it was kep● as a religious monument : but h●zekiah according to the command of god by moses , beat down the braz●n serpent , and called it nehustan in a way of contempt , a piece of brasse , though it had been a notable instrument of good to the people of israel in former times , yet now it was but nehustan , but a piece of brasse . and further , to the abolishing those things that have been abused to idolatry there is added a gracious promise , esay . . by this shall the iniquity of iacob be purged , and this is all the fruit to take away his si●ne , when he maketh all the stones of the altar as chalke-stones that are beaten in sunder ; then indeed hath jacobs correction the true fruite npon him to purge away his sinne , when hee makes all the stones of the altar as chalke-stones ; and josiah is commended king. . for destroying the high places , the groves and altars and the charets for the sun , &c. and repenting manasses , chron. . . is commended that hee did take away the strange gods , and the idols out of the house of the lord , and all the altars ; and daniel , chap. . would not eate of the kings meat , because it had been abused and consecrated to his idols . but for the opening of this there will be something required by way of answer to an objection . you will say , are not those prohibitions there particular , concerning the jews and not so fully concerning us ? they somtimes are forbidden to take of the gold and silver of the idols , doe such prohibitious concerne us in every thing that hath been abused to idolatry ? for answer , i confesse i thinke we are not bound in every particular circumstance according to those commandements that god required of them : neither doe i thinke that they had been bound if they had not had some expresse commandement in some things that they did , if they had made use of the silver , or gold of an image , for some civil use , before the expresse prohibition came to them , it had been no sin unto them , those things being required of them by some positive law , and not required in the second commandement further then there is a morall equity in them . but how farre do they binde us ? all those rules god gave to the jews to destroy all things abused to idolatry , binde us in these three cases . first , we must retaine nothing whereby any false worship may retaine any honour . if mordecai would not bow to a living monument of that nation , whose name god had ordained to be blotted out from under heaven , much lesse should we reverence dumbe monuments of those idols which god hath devoted to destruction ; we must not shew respect to any thing that idolaters have abused , when our reserving of them , or respect to them may any way keepe up any honour of them . therefore certainly thi● is a truth , that to take a ceremony from papists , to bring it into the most solemne ordinances of christ , yea so into them to that end that it may adde to the honour of that ordinance , can never be justified . there never was any ceremony more abominably abused then that of the crosse ; now though it be not a sin to make a crosse , yet to bring it into one of the most 〈◊〉 ordinances of christ in his church , and to make it there to conduce to the honour of such an ordinance , it is impossible but men must shut their eyes if they doe not see it a great evil . so for vestments , suppose there might be some use of them some other way , yet to bring them to make the worship of god to be decent , to think that those vestments that have beene ●o notoriously abused , should adde to the honour of divine worship must needs be sinfull , surely all those scriptures that required the jews to abolish those things that have been abused by idolaters , if they have any morality in them , they will cast out these . secondly , when any thing that hath been abused to idolatry , shall in the use of it imply any communicating with idolaters , then it must be rejected : that is cleare out o● rev. . . there the church of ●hyatira is charged that they did eate things sacrificed to idols ; why ? the meat sacrificed to idols was good meat , a good creature of god , and we have that rule , that every creature of god is good , if it be sanctified by the word and prayer , yet they are charged for it as a sinning against christ in it ; you will say what is that to them if it were offered to idols ? they might eate it as gods creature : but it was a sin because the eating of that did argue communion with them , that is plain in that cor. . . . . where you have the argument of the apostle against eating things offered to idols , thus he reasoneth , when you eat the same bread in the sacrament it is a note of your communion one with another , so when you eate of the things sacrificed to idols , that is a note of your communion with them : that is the argument of the apostle in that place , and upon that ground it is made a sin , you cannot ( saith he ) partake of the table of the lord , aud the table of devils , if you eat of their meat , you communicate with them & so it is sinne to you . thirdly , to make use of any thing abused by idolaters when it cometh to be a scandoll to our brethren , a snare to those that are weake , then it is a sin against god , cor. . . eating meat offered to idols , is forbidden in the former place upon a ground of communicating , but in this . ver . it is forbidden upon the ground of scandoll , that is enough : calvin in his epistle to the lord protector in king edwards dayes , hath these words ; what other things were those ceremonies maintayned by in england but so many pleasing allurements that ensnare poore miserable soules , & bring them into evil ? certainly these that we have retayned have brought abundance of evil this way , they have been the ensnaring of many souls . in these three things the rules that concerne the jews have a morality concerning us . but yet these rules must be observed with some cautions , or else we may goe away and not understand the ruels aright . they must be understood first in things that are not ordinances continued by god ; for certainly if it be an ordinance that god hath appointed , though idolaters abuse it never so much , we must goe on in it . it is true , the brazen serpent was an ordinance of god , but it was an ordinance but for a time , it was not a continued ordinance , and therefore being abused to idolatry it was to be destroyed ; but when a thing is an ordinance appointed by god to be continued in the church , we must go on in the use of it , though it be abused . as in baptisme , the ordinance is water , though they abuse water , we must continue the use of it ; in the ordinance in the lords supper is the use of bread and wine , though they abuse those elements , we must continue them , why ? because no abuse is an argument to refuse that which is a duty ; the subject of scandall is a thing indifferent , but if it be an ordinance , we must continue our obedience , whether men be offended or not offended . secondly , neither can any of these rules hold in any thing that is of necessary use for the worship of god , so as we cannot enjoy the worship of god without them . as for places , supose idolaters have abused a place of meeting for gods worship , when we have no other place to meet in , this is ( for the present at least ) of necessary use to gods worship , there is a naturall necessity of a place , and if no other for the present may be had , we are bound to worship in that place , the abuse of men must not hinder gods worship , god hath never put his worship under the power of wicked men , so as they should keep his people off from it when they please . thirdly , if it be any ceremony that of its own nature ( not by vertue of any institution from man ) hath that decency in it as that the want of it would be an undecency , then though it be never so much abused , we are to goe on in it ; for it is the duty of gods people to worship god in a decent way ; it is the rule of the apostle , let all things be done decently , but there is a mistake in that use that many make of that scripture , this rule is , that which the light of nature teaches , though we had never found it in scripture , it is not meant of such a decency as the institution of man puts upon a thing , but such a decency as god in the nature of the thing puts upon it , so that if it were wanting , the worke would bee undecently performed : but if the things be meerly mans inventions and institutions , having their supposed decency , not from what is indeed in the things themselves , but from that which mans institution puts upon them , then they come not under that rule of the apostle , but the abuse of them is argument enough for their rejection . but it may be objected , if we can instruct people what the abuse is , and what right use they may make of such things , will not that serve for the retaining them ? no certainly , it had not been enough for the jews to use the name baali , though their prophets had taught them what the abuse of it was . this is as if a man should keep a company of rags , that have lien a great while upon plague sores , and say it is enough , i will wash them cleane , and lay them out to ayre them ; will any wise man keep such rags in his house upon this precence ? those things that have had poyson in them , none will be so unwise to keep them by them , upon pretence of washing them clean ; if they be broken vessels of which there is no use , they are cast upon the dunghill with lesse trouble and more safety . all things that are of mans invention , yea those things that have beene gods ordinances , but now are out of date , & are not for the present gods ordinances the scripture calls them beggerly rudiments ; you cannot compare mens inventions to cloaths , or any thing worth the ayring or keeping , but the truth is , all such things that have been abused to idolatry , are no other but as such dirty rags , and plaisters laid upon plague-sores . but further you will say , if that use we receive them for be not the same use they were in , if we retain them for another use that is good , why may we not doe it ? the text answers that , though the jews should call god baali in a right sense , it was not enough , they must wholly reject the very mentioning of the name . but further , suppose a harlot should be brought out of a most notorious stews in rome or paris , and brought to dover into an honest mans chamber , is shee not a harlot still ? and is there not a provocation in her to uncleannesse , though she become now to lye not in the stewes , but in the chamber of an honest man ? so in all those things that have been abused to idolatry , though you should think you make use of them in a better way , it is no other then to bring a harlot out of the stews , into a place not so vile , and to company with the harlot there . besides , if a mans wife whom her husband had not without just cause suspected for uncleannesse with another man , should get something from that man , and keep it in her bosome , or lay it next her heart , and should tell her husband , true , she keeps such a thing , but she intends no hurt in it , it is a good thing , onely she had it from him , will this think you satisfie any jealous husband ? the church is the wife of christ , he is jealous , and he hath cause to be jealous , for he knows while we are in the flesh , we are prone to spirituall filthinesse ; and if we take any ceremony from popish idolatry , and joyne with his own ordinances , and think to put off christ thus , we intend to make no ill use of it , this will not satisfie christ . if any say , why should we not retain our liberty if the things be good ? but why shouldst not thou manifest thy hatred to all idolatry ? and why shouldst not thou tender thy brethren so , as to prevent all scandall that may come by the use of such things ? but you will say , the idolatry of papists , and the idolatry of heathen is not the same , there is a great deale of difference between the heathens in worshipping their idols , and the papists worshipping of god , though in a false way ? indeed the difference seems to be much , but yet the idolatry is even the same in both ; for you are mistaken , if you think that many of the heathens worshipped a false god , otherwise then the papists doe ; though they made stocks and stones their idols , yet they worshiped the god that was primum ens , the first being , in and through those idols : therefore austin upon ps . . brings in one answering thus , we do not worship a stone , but the vertues , the strength , and the powers of the great god wee worship : and another , one maximus madaurensis that austin speaks of in his . epistle , who is so madde , or so void of sense that will doubt whether there be more gods then one ? we invocate the vertues of this one god under many names , diffused through the frame of the whole world . vvhat more faire answer can papists give for their idolatry then they did ? therefore the thing continueth still cleare , that ( with those rules and cautions that have been named ) such things as have been abused to idolatry , must wholly be cast away ; we must not retaine them , and think to put off god with such distinctions . to what end doe we retaine them ? is there not sufficient in the worship of god it selfe to make it acceptable to him ? the sixteenth lecture . hosea . . . . and it shall be at that day , saith the lord , that thou shalt call me us more baali . for i will take away the names of baalim out of her mouth , and they shal be no more remembred by their name , &c. and in that day will i make a covenant for them with the beasts of the field , and with the fowles of heaven , and with the creeping things of the ground : and i will break the bow and the sword , and the battell out of the earth , and will make them to lye down safely . to adde a word or two more about that principall observation in these words opened the last day ; god would not have his people to worship him in that way that idolaters worship him ; it hath alwayes beene the care of the churches of god , to distinguish themselves in wayes of worship from idolaters . the manichees were wont to keepe their fasts upon the lords day , and upon that the churches did utterly prohibit the keeping of fasts upon that day , because they would not doe as the man●chees did . tertullian saith it is nefas , a detestable wickednesse to fast on the lords day . and ignatius saith ; to fast on the lords day is to kill christ . there is a notable and famous tractate of tertullians , concerning a christian souldier being in the army of the heathens , when they in honour of their idol gods did weare upon their heads a coronet of bayes , he tooke his coronet , and instead of waring it upon his head , he held it in his hand , upon this there was a great mutiny in the army , his fellowes storming at this , that one souldier should be in a different garbe from all the rest , surely this was some nice conscienced souldier , that ( he forsooth ) must not doe as others did , he must hold the coronet of bayes in his hand , whereas others wore it on their heads : the mutining of the souldiers came at length to the officers of the army , and upon that this christian souldier was called to question , why he was in a different kinde of way from his fellowes ; hee gives this answer , i am a christian , and therefore it doth not beseeme me to doe as these doe , that we are the bayes upon their heads in honour of their idol gods ; upon that they were all in a mighty rage , against this souldier , and not only himself , but all the christians that were neere hand were in danger of a great persecution ; nay , there was a great mutining amongst other christians , that this one man for such a nicety should indanger not only himself but other christians . tertullian therefore writes a whole tractate to defend this souldier for this his practice , and he saith of him , that he was holier then his holy brethren , who thought and presumed they might serve two lords , that they might comply themselves for the avoyding of persecution with the heathens in the observation of their superstitious way of worship ; and he cryes out in an exclamation , in commendation of this souldier ; oh most glorious souldier , who would thus venture himselfe , and not comply with idolaters ! and whereas some would pleade against him , even christians , that would rather comply then indure the hazard , and say , where is it written in all the word of god that we should not weare bayes upon our heads ? tertullian answereth againe , where is it written that we may doe it ? saith he , we must looke into the scripture to see what we may doe , and not thinke it enough that the scripture doth not directly forbid this or that very particular . by this we see that some to avoid trouble and persecution , will as much as ever they can comply with the wayes of idolatry , yet those that are of a true christian heroick spirit indeed , will not comply with them , but will rather hazard the sorest persecution . thus it should be with us , we must not retaine any thing that hath been abused to idolatry , so as to keep the honourable memoriall of it ; wee must not comply with idolaters that way ; and especially in regard of that great idol of the crosse ( which we instanced in , the last day ) not so far to retaine it as to bring it into the ordinances of god , the very sacrament , this puts a great honour upon it ; yea and too too great an honour is put upon it in reserving it in the eminentest place of the city , and to thinke it is an ornament unto it , whereas it is indeed a great disgrace and dishonor , and retaines the memory of your fore-fathers superstition , which is their and your shame . augustine sayes , it is better to dye with hunger then to eate that which is offered to idols , so far were these ancients from suiting themselves with idolaters . gabriel biel saith the church of rome though meet to use leavened bread , lest in unleavened they should seeme to be like ebion the heretick : and bellarmine would not have paul called divus paulus , but beatus , because divus and diana were the words of the heathen for their gods and goddesses . this promise to take away the names of baalim comes in upon gods reconciliation to his people . from whence the next note is , when god is reconciled to his people , there will be a thorow reformation both outward and inward . idolatry is cast out not onely from the heart but from the mouth , the taking away the names from their mouthes is a synechdoche , and notheth the uttertaking away of all wayes of idolatry in the outward practice as well as in the inward affection . the more reconciliation there is with god , the more enmity against idols and superstitious worship . a fruitfull signe then it is that we in england were never thorowly reconciled unto god , because we never yet have cast off our idols . as some remaynders of superstition abiding amongst us , did not long since break forth to most horrid and vile ways of false worship , so some remainders of gods wrath that hath been amongst us , this day breakes forth into a most dreadfull flame . when the people of the iews shall be called again , and god shall be perfectly reconciled to his churches , then idolatry shall be perfectly rejected , and there shall never be so much as mention of their idols any more , this text aymes at those times , and shall perfectly be fulfilled at that day , that is the day when god will do it . they shall call me no more baali , but ishi , my husband . thence the note is , when a people is reconciled to god , then they call god theirs , my husband , isbi . psal . . , . david professeth that he would not so much as take up their names into his lips , of which before . now mark what followeth presently upon that , ver . . the lord ( saith he ) is my portion , when the prophet is so taken off from idols , as not to mention the names of idols , then the lord is my portion ; so here now ishi , the lord is my husband , now can we claim a peculiar interest in god indeed . this is the evil of sin , it hindereth a nation , a soule from clayming this interest in god. god is a blessed and glorious god , yea but what is that to this people , to this apostatizing people ? what is that to this apostatizing soule ? but when the soule comes into god , & comes off throughly to the work of reformation , then this god is my god , ishi , my husband . can any comfort , any profit that you have in ways of sinne countervaile this great loss ? you gaine some contentment in the flesh , some profit in your estate , but you lose the comforts of your interest in god , what is your gaine now ? thinke of this when any temptation comes , i may be yeelding to this temptation , get this contentment to the flesh , but i shall lose this blessed priviledg of clayming an interest in my god , i shall not be able to say , ishi , my husband . thirdly , ishi , the word compared with the former baali , is a word of more love then the former . baali is a word , though it signifies my husband too as well as ishi , but it is husband under the notion of dominion , under the notion of power that causeth feare ; but ishi is a husband under the notion of love and protection . hence the note is , god delights to have his people look upon him with love and delight . it is gods care , and it is his good pleasure that his people should not looke upon him so much as one that hath dominion over them , but that they should look upon him with joy and love , and call him ishi . the more reconcyled we are unto god , the more have we the use of the loving appellations of god. for a soule to be alwayes under the spirit of bondage , to looke unto god only as the lord of all , this is not so pleasing to god ; but when you come to have the spirit of adoption , the spirit of grace , an evangelicall spirit , that you can look upon him with love , and say ishi , my husband , that title of love and goodnesse , this pleases god at the heart . it is reported of augustus that he would not have the title of lord given to him , he refused it , and would rather have his people to looke upon him under the notion of love as a father , rather then to feare him . it were happy that all princes were of this minde , to desire that their people should rather love them then feare them ! it is a most villainous , wicked , and cursed principle that is in some , who infuse into the spirit of princes , let your people feare you , no great matter whether they love you or no. suetonius relateth this passage of augustus , when a poor man came to present a petition to him with his hands shaking and trembling out of feare , the emperor was much displeased , and said , it is not fit that any should come with a petition to a king , as if a man were giving meat to an elephant that is afraid to be destroyed by him . god doth not love the bread of mourners to be offered up in sacrifice , hee loveth to have people come unto him with a holy boldnesse , with a filiall , not with a servile and slavish spirit . christ laid down his life to redeeme us that wee might serve the lord without feare . fourthly , they shall call me ishi , that is , my strength . the church should looke upon christ as the strength of it ; thy maker is thy husband , and who is he ? the lord of hosts is his name , thy redeemer , the god of the whole earth shall he be called . when the people of god can look upon christ their husband as the lord of hosts , and their redeemer as the god of the whole earth , then they finde quiet and satisfaction in their spirits , psa . . . god is said to be the glory of the strength of his people ; though we be weake in regard of our outward helps , let us looke up to christ our strength , he hath been our strength , he is the glory of it . fiftly , i will take the names of baalim out of their mouth , and they shal be no more remembred by their name . repentance must be proportionable to mens sins . how doth that arise ? before ver . . god charged them that they had forgotten him , they went after their lovers and forgat me , saith the lord. now saith god , your idols shall be forgotten , your hearts were so far set upon your idols as you forgat me , now in your repentance your hearts shall be so much upon me as you shall forget your idols . those men who have beene so wicked and ungodly heretofore , that they have forgot god , god hath not been in all their thoughts . god expects now from them that their lusts should not be in all their thoughts . it is not enough that you forbeare the act , but you must not roule the sweet of them in your thoughts you must not so much as remember them , except it be with the detestation of them . if there be not a proportion between your repentance & your former sins , you may expect there will be a proportion between gods wrath and your former sins , further , they shal not so much as be remembred by their name , they shal not thinke of them . the note from hence is , all superstitious vanities though they may seem for the present never so glorious , yet in time they will vanish and come to nothing , god hath a time to make them so to vanish , as they shall not so much as be thought off . col. . . it is said of the rudiments of the world , that are according to the doctrine of men , they perish in the use , in the present use , that is , they effect nothing that they seeme to be appointed for , there is no good cometh of them for the present , but in the very use they come to nothing ; but time shall be that god will cause them all to perish utterly , and the very remembrance of them shall be taken away . it is true for the present while mens hearts are set upon superstitious wayes , o how glorious are they in their eyes ▪ but these glorious things will come to nothing , whereas those ordinances of god that seeme to be but meane things , wherein the simplicity of the gospel appeareth , they shall appeare full of beauty , though for the present they seeme to be darkened , they shall be glorious in the eyes of the saints to the end of the world . not long since what a stirre was there about the more then decent , even superstitious adorning of temples , and building of altars , and brave canopies , what sumptuous things and fine knacks had they , and all to set out a pompous superstitious way of worship ? this altogether prevailed ; as for the purity and simplicity of gods wayes and worship , how was it trampled under feet as an unworthy contemptible thing ? but these things that for a while seemed so glorious , begin to vanish , and wee hope ere long will come to nothing , the very memory of them shall perish , the purity of gods worship , and the simplicity of the gospell in gods ordinances shall recover their beauty and glory when those braveries shall be no more . . a true penitent cannot remember former sinnes without indignation , for so is the meaning of the phrase , they shall not remember . some of us may remember how we have beene intangled with wayes of false worship , and how we have fullyed and wrung our consciences that way , we said we would yeeld as far as we could , but indeed we yeelded further then wee could , for id possumus qnod jure possumus , we have cause to remember it with shame and confusion of face . ye old men may remember the sins of your youth , but how can you remember them and speake of them with joy and meryment ? that is an evil , yea almost a desperate signe , do you so remember the sinnes of your youth as to tell tales of the pranckes of your younger dayes with joy ? you are in a high degree left of god , and given up to hardnesse , you shall remember them with shame and indignation , the sweet morsells of former sinnes coming up into remembrance should be bitter and sower unto you . the last note is , the taking off mens hearts from idolatrous wayes , is a speciall worke of god , i will do it saith god. i will take away the names of baalim out of their mouthes . certainly the people in these times hung much upon their false ways of worship , they had many arguments for their way , no question but they had many distinctions to uphold it : but there shall come a day saith the lord , when i will take away the names out of their mouths . i will stop your mouthes , i will take off your hearts from all those objections and reasonings you have had to maintaine such ways as those were , i will silence all , & then you shal see evidently & convincingly to your shame that you have been gulled by such vaine & false distinctions , i will take off all those ingagements your hearts were bound in , those being taken off i will soon take you off from all . what a deale of stir hath god ( that we may speake with holy reverence ) to take mens hearts from wayes of false worship ? what a company of distinctions and objections have men , their hearts clinging to them , being very unwilling to be taken off , now & then their consciences are wrung , yet they hold fast , and then conscience hath another wring , and then they another objection , and another distinction , and yet perhaps true grace lyes at the bottome after all this . but god having a love unto them , by some way or other takes off their hearts , if he doth it not by settling truths upon the heart by his spirit , he will doe it by some notable works o● providence ; we finde it by experience , so long as mens engagements hold , that they cannot enjoy their estates , liberties and comforts , without yeelding to such wayes of superstition , they will not be taken off from them ; they please themselves in this ( and perhaps they speake what they thinke ) that they doe nothing against the light of their consciences ; for why ? their ingagements keepe off the strength of truth , that it comes not to a full conviction of conscience : but when god shall by any worke of his providence take off their hearts from ingagements , and then come and set before them the same truths that formerly he did , they come to see now a convincing evidence in those truths , they stand admiring that they saw it not before , wonder what the matter was , they read such bookes before that had the same arguments against their wayes , and for the truth , but they could not see the strength of them before , now they see it apparently , and they are ashamed of themselves every time they goe into the presence of god , they are confounded in their owne thoughts to thinke , that though truths were so clear before , they did not see them , now they see them with such cleareness , as they thinke they could lay downe their lives for them , whatsoever they suffer for time to come , they can never yield to what they have yeilded to heretofore : what is the matter ? god hath come in with power , god hath taken off their hearts . god attributeth this to himself , i will take the names of baalim out of their mouthes ; whatsoever they have to say for the keeping of such names and reliques of idolatry , yet i will come with power upon their hearts and take them out of their mouths . then indeed when god thus commeth the thing will be done . and let us take heed we doe not stand out too long , lest god come to take off our hearts by some dreadfull way of judgement or other ; it were better our mouths were stopped , our objections silenced , and so all the reliques and remainders of false worship were taken from us thorough the word and spirit of god : if that will not doe , god will come in some other way , and take the name of baalim out of our mouths ; and if wee will keepe the memory of superstitious wayes , god may extirpate the memory of them by such wayes as may prove fearfull unto us , and make our hearts to ake , and our eares to tingle . vvee have a notable passage for this , ezekiel . . in all your dwelling places saith god , your cities shall be laid waste , and the high places shall be desolate , ( marke ) that your altars may be laid waste , and made desolate , and your idols may be broken and cease , and your images may be cut down , and your works may be abolished . observe the text , in all your dwelling places your cities shall be laid waste ; to what end ? that your altars may be laid waste ; so that god will lay waste their cities for this very end , that hee may lay waste their altars ; if they will not lay waste their altars , if they will not abolish their superstitions that are amongst them , god will abolish their cities , lay waste their cities that he may lay waste their altars . god hath begun to put it into the heart of our governors , the parliament , to abolish many superstitious pictures and crosses in divers places , there is yet one great one remaining , and we hope god upon the same grounds may put into their hearts the abolishing of that . it would be a dreadfull thing unto you , if god now calling upon us to cast out the remainders of all idolatry & superstition , to lay waste all idolatrous pictures , images and crosses , if we should not come off , but that god should lay waste your cities , to lay waste your altars , crosses , and reliques of idolatry : you see god threatneth this here , as if god did not intend so much to lay waste their cities , hee would preserve them , but because he could not ( that we may speake according to the manner of men ) abolish their altars , but by laying waste their cities , saith god , rather then your altars shall stand , your cities shall downe . god hath wayes , and most terrible wayes too to take away the memory of superstitious vanities ; oh that vve had hearts to joyne with god before he cometh in such a dreadfull manner to abolish the memory of such things ! were our prelates in their power , such a speech as this could not be borne , when master vdal a godly preacher in queene elizabeths dayes , was charged with such an expression . if it come in , ( that is , the true government of christ as he meaneth , ) by that means that will make all your hearts to ake , blame your selves ; for these words especially was he then condemned to be hanged ; such was the rage and potency of the prelates in those dayes : what i have said may be against the spirits of such as cleave to superstitious vanities , wee have no cause to feare the exasperating of these , for surely they cannot be more exasperated then they are for the present , and it were a foolish thing to exasperate and provoke god , for feare of further exasperation in those who are for the present exasperated even to the utmost against us . and if they were not , but the exasperation would arise new , what is the exasperation of vile men , to the abiding of the wrath of god upon us ? verse , . and in that day i will make a covenant for them with the beasts of the field , and with the fowles of heaven , and with the creeping things of the ground ; and i will break the bow , and the sword , & the batteli out of the earth , and i will make them to lye downe safely . in this verse god promiseth peace and security ; peace , in regard of their deliverance from the beasts of the field , and fowles of the heaven , & creeping things of the ground ; peace from the hostility of their adversaries , he will break the bow & the sword , & the battell out of the earth ; and security , they shall lye down safely . i will make a covenant for them with the beasts of the field , &c. some allegorize upon these words , the beasts of the field , they say are meant cruell wicked men ; the fowles of the ayre , ambitious wicked men that are lofty in their thoughts & counsels ; the creeping things of the ground , subtill adversaries , god here promises , they say , to deliver them from all these . but i desire not to fall upon allegories , but when there is a necessity , therefore take the words literally , the beasts of the field , fowles of the ayre , and creeping things of the earth . but how may god be said to make a covenant for his people , with the beasts of the field , and the fowles of heaven , and the creeping things of the earth ? for to speake properly , no creature is capable of a covenant with god , but onely the rationall . the meaning is , there shall be such an establishment of gods worke upon the beasts and fowles , and creeping things for the good of his church , as if god had bound them to doe them good by way of covenant ; that way of god is called making of a covenant with them ; i will shew it you in another scripture , ier. . . if you can break my covenant of the day , & my covenant of the night , that there should not be day and night in their season , &c. how doth god make a covenant with the day , and a covenant with the night ? thus , there is an establishment of gods decree upon the day , and upon the night , that it should be in such and such a way from the creation unto the end of the world , and that establishment is called gods covenant ; so oceolampadius upon my text , i will order inviolably and unalterably , there shall be an establishing decree upon these creatures that they shall doe you no hurt but good . from hence the notes are these . first , sin hath caused enmity between man and the creatures ; that is implyed here , i will , saith god , make a covenant ( upon your reconciliation with me , and your reformation ) with the creatures , now they shall be at peace with you , i will doe it , noting that by our sin there is grown enmity betweene us and gods creatures . vve have lost by sin a great part of our dominion that god gave us over his creatures , that was the result from that image of god that man was created in . therefore when you see any creature to rebell against you , bee put in minde your rebellion against god. it is true , god hath kept a little of mans dominion over the creature still , to the end that the world and humane society may be preserved . sometimes you may see a little child driving before him a hundred oxen or kine this way or that way as he pleaseth , it sheweth that god hath preserved somewhat of mans dominion over the creatures . but a great part is lost by our sin . if we that are the servants of god rebell against him , it is just with god that the creatures that were made to be our servants should rebell against us . and you who are superiors , when any of your inferiours are stubborne against you , your servants , your children rebellious , raise your hearts up to this meditation , my servant is rebellious against me , how have i been rebellious against the lord ! my child is stout and stubborn against me , how hath my heart been stout & stubborn against the lord my father ! againe , peace with god brings peace with the creatures . i will make a covenant with the beasts of the field , with the fowles of the ayre , &c. job . . you have a strange kind of promise , thou shalt be in league with the stones of the field , and the beasts of the earth shall be at peace with thee . this goes somewhat deeper then that which is here promised , there shall be a league , not only with the beasts , but with the stones of the field . how in league with the stones of the field ? it is more easie to be understood , to be in league with the beasts of the field , for they are many times hurtfull unto us . but how with the stones of the field ? there are many interpretations given of that place . only thus much for the present . it was wont to be the way ( and so it is still in many places ) in setting the bounds of their fields , they took stones which they set up for land-marks , and engraved upon their stones , to note to whom this or the other parcell of ground belonged . now this is the promise , that the lord would be so gracious to his people , that they should enjoy the bounds of their own habitations securely , they should not be wronged , their land-marks should not be taken away . the stones of the field shal be in league with thee , that is , the stones of the field that stand for your land-marks shall abide , and none shall take them away ; i will preserve your bounds , as if you were in league with the stones that are your land-marks , as if they had agreed with you , and were in covenant that they would undertake to stand , and to set out the bounds of your fields for ever : and the beasts of the field also shall bee usefull to you , and do you no hurt . but you will say , sometimes the beasts of the field doe hurt the saints , how doth god make a covenant with them ? many things might be answered to that , vers . . of that place of job he speaks of a time when god corrects and men despise not the chastning of the almighty , now this in vers . . hath reference unto that time : that is , when any do make use of gods correction , doe not despise it but in a reverent way submit unto gods hand of correction , then god will make this league with the stones of the field , and with the beasts of the earth . if god hath corrected you with any sicknesse , and you doe not profit by that sickenesse , it is just with god that a beast of the field , that some or other creature should meet you , and be more terrible unto you then ever your sicknesse was . and the promise here in hosea is to those that are reconciled to god , who have cast off their superstitious vanities : and because wee are not here perfectly reconciled , therefore this promise is not perfectly fulfilled ; but i make no question but the holy ghost here aymeth at the t●me of the call of the jews , and then i believe that this promise shall be literally fulfilled , and those other promises in esay and other places , where god sayes he will make the lion to eate straw with the oxe , and the like , and that no venomous creature shall doe them hurt ; when the calling of the jews shall be , the creatures shall be brought into such a kind of excellency in a manner as they were in adam in paradise , they shall come to the primitive institution , the lion was not at the first creation wont to live upon prey : the creatures were not made to prey one upon another , therefore the promise is that the lion shall live in that kind of quietnesse as it was to do in paradise , if man had not sinned ; and at the calling of the jewes it is very like there shall be such a restitution of all things ( as it is called acts . . ) the creatures shall be restored to such a knd of excellency as it had at the first in the creation : and though in part this may be fulfilled to gods people , so as the beasts of the field shall do them no hurt , that is , if they prevail against them it shall be for some gracious ends that god aymsat , yet for the literall fulfilling of it it is reserved for that day . thirdly , vvhen god is reconciled to his people , shall the beasts of the field and the fowles of the ayre , and the creeping things of the earth be at peace with the saints ? what a wicked and ungodly thing is it then in men , that the more any are reconciled unto god , the greater enemies are they unto them ? god promiseth when his people be reconciled to him , the creature shal be reconciled unto them ; yet thou a vile wretch when thou seest one grow up in the wayes of reconciliation with god , thy enmity increases towards him ; what a horrible wickedness is this ? it is more then bruitish by farre , it is desperate wickednesse ; as it was with those kings of canaan , iosh . . . assoone as the gibeonites had made peace with ioshua , and were in coveuant , the five kings conspired against them , they lived quietly enough before with them , but when they heard that they had made a covenant with ioshua , they presently conspired against them ; thus it is with many at this day , when you had your companions who would drink , swear , and break the sabbath , and be unclean , and scorn with you , they were good fellowes then , how would you hug and embrace them , and delight in them ? but so soone as god hath wrought upon their hearts , and they are brought from enemies to be reconciled unto god , now your hearts are opposite to them , now you look upon them as your enemies , now you hate them , now your spirits rise against them : o horrible & desperate wickedness ! the lord rebuke you this day , the lord strike upon such a heart . before saul was converted hewas a man of repute , but assoone as he turned christian , he was a pestilent , a seditious fellow , away with such a man from the earth , he is not worthy to live , the next newes wee heare , forty of them conspired together , and bound themselves with an oath , that they would neither eate nor drinke till they had killed him . fourthly , i will make a covenant , saith god , you shall have this mercy , and have it by covenant . mercy that commeth by covenant is excellent mercy indeed . the same mercy that cometh in by a worke of generall providence is nothing so sweet , nothing so firme as that mercy that cometh in by covenant . when the saints enjoy a mercy , though it be outward , they are not so taken with the mercy , for the outward part of it , because they have some comfort and contentment to the outward man by it , but they are taken with it upon this ground , they see even this outward mercy cometh to them by vertue of gods covenant with them , that sweetnesse and makes firme the mercy ; when they goe up and down the field and the beasts come not upon them to destroy them , they can looke upon their present safety as enjoying it in the covenant . you will say , the wicked can walke up and down in the fields , and the beasts not destroy them . though they doe , yet a godly man hath more sweetnesse in this then he , in that he can see this his safety from the covenant : when he rides a journey , his beast is not made an instrument of gods wrath to dash out his braines , perhaps it is so with his wicked neighbour that rides with him , but that from whence the preservation is , is different , it is a mercy to the godly man form the covenant that god hath made with him , to preserve him in all his wayes , it is but generall providence to the other ; wicked men may have the same mercies for the matter of them that the godly have , yet there is a kernell in the mercy which onely the saints enjoy . there are two things observable in a mercy comming by covenant . . it is more sweet . . more firme . more sweet , psal . . . all the paths of the lord are mercy and truth , to such as keepe his covenant . this is a sweet promise , a soule-satisfying promise , more worth then all the riches of your city , even that one promise ; all the passages of gods ordinary providence are mercy and truth to those that keepe his covenant . marke , perhaps they are mercies to you , there is a generall bounty you have in your ordinary preservation , but they are not mercy and truth to you , there is the addition , they are mercy and truth to the godly , that is , they are such mercies as are bound to them by covenant ; therein david rejoyceth , therefore saith he in the beginning of the psalme , i will lift up my heart unto god , as amongst other reasons so for this , that all the paths of god are not onely mercy , but mercy and truth : you have beene preserved , and have had many mercies from god , well , they are gods mercies unto you , but are they mercies and truth to you ? that is , doe they come to you in a way of promise ? looke to that , there is the sweetnesse of a mercy , and it is a good signe of a gracious heart to looke more to the originall whence mercy commeth , then to the outward part of the mercy . secondly , they are more firme , esay . . the mountaines shal depart , & the hills be removed , but my kindnesse shall not depart from thee : why ? for the covenant of my peace shall not be removed . that mercy that you have , i give it in a way of covenant , and the hills and mountaines shall depart rather then that kindnesse of mine shall depart . . is it such a blessed thing for god to make a covenant with the beasts for us ? vvhat a mercy is it then for god to make a covenant with our soules ? the covenant that god makes with his people is a covenant in christ , there is mercy . it is a very observable place we have , gen. . concerning abraham , you shal find there that in ten verses of that chap. god repeateth his covenant which he made with abraham , thirteen times , to note thus much , that that was the mercy indeed that must satisfie abraham in all his troubles , sorrowes , and afflictions : as if god should say , be satisfied with this abraham , that i have entred into covenant with thee and thy seed , i am a god in covenant with thee . and sam. . . there is a notable text , although ( saith david ) my house be not so with god ( as i desire , as i expect ) yet the lord hath made me an everlasting covenant , ordered in all things and sure ; for this is all my salvation , & all my desire , although he make it not to growe . take this scripture christians , take it i say and make use of it in these times of trouble , though things doe not go as you desire yet say as david did , yet the lord hath made a covenant with us ordered and sure in all things , ands all our this isalvation and all our desire . . is this a mercy for god to make a covenant with the beasts for his people ? what a mercy is it then for god to make a covenant with his son for his people ? it is that we are to blesse god for , that he will make a covenant with brute beasts for our good , but that god will make a covenant with his owne son for our good , for our eternall good . that god should bring the second person in trinity ; to be the head of the covenant for us , what a mercy is this ? tit. . . the apostle speaks there of eternall life that was promised before the world began , why , what promise was there ever made before the world began ? to whom was this promise made ? who was there before the world began for god to make any promise unto ? it was onely the son of god , the second person in trinity , and there was a most blessed transaction between god the father , and god the son , for our everlasting good before the world began , and upon that dependeth all our salvation and our hope . when we reade the promises of the gospel that the lord hath given to us as branches of the covenant of grace made with us , we are ready to think , we are poore weake creatures , we cannot keepe covenant with god , we cannot performe the conditions of the covenant : but christians know this , thy peace , the salvation of thy soul doth not depend so much upon a covenant god hath made with thee as upon the covenant he hath made with his son , there is the firmenesse , the original , the foundation of all thy good & thy salvation ; and though thou art a poore weake creature that doth not keepe covenant with the lord , yet the son of god hath kept covenant with the father , and hath perfectly performed all conditions the father required of him , the worke hath been perfected by the son , and here is our comfort . raise your drooping hearts by this meditation . the second part of this peace , and that is a promise of deliverance from hoftility , from the enemy , i will breake the bow , and the sword , and the battell out of the earth . first , peace is a great blessing , it is a great mercy to have the bow and the sword broke . it is a part of the covenant that god makes with his people , to take away the instruments of hostility . esay . . god promiseth the breaking of swords into plough-shares and spears in pruning hooks . you finde the contrary when god threatneth judgement to a people , joel . . . he threatneth thus , to beate their plongh-shares into swords , and their pruning hooks into spears , then they are in a sad condition . it is a great deale better that their swords should be beaten into plow-shares , then that the plow-shares should be beaten into swords ; that the speares should be made pruning hooks , then that pruning books should be made spears . this peace is a most amiable thing , and lovely in all our eyes , every man desireth it , and god promiseth it unto his people in many places as a most speciall fruite of his love unto them . esay . . jerusalem shall be a quiet habitation , a tabernacle that shal not be taken down ; and num. . , . the lord make his face shine upon thee and be gracious unto thee , the lord lift up his countenance upon thee and give thee peace ; the shining of gods face appeareth in giving of peace to a nation : therefore jer , . . where god threatneth the taking away of peace , marke the expression , i have taken away my peace from this people saith the the lord , even loving kindnesse and mercies . he doth not say i have taken away peace , but i have taken away my peace , and then , when my peace is taken away , i will even take away loving kindnesse and mercies , how easie were it to let out ones selfe in large discourses in the high commendations of peace ? god teaches us in these days to set a high price upon it . we have had a peace a long time and the lord knowes we have not priced that mercy ; now we know what a sad thing it is to have war in our gates . and if this be a fruite of gods covenant to have peace , we have cause to bewayle the breach of our covenant . surely there is a great displeasure of god out against us ; this cup of blood that is prepared and powred forth and drunke in a great measure is a most dreadfull one , our brethren have drunke deepe of it , we have been afraid of it long since , we have heard of rumours of wars , and when the cup was abroad we prayed that if it were possible it might passe from us , this cup did passe and went to our brethren in ireland , and now it is come unto us , the sword hath had its circuite , and now it is come amongst us , and that which is come is exceeding dreadfull , because our wars are not with forreign enemies , but civill wars the worst of all . i have read in the romane chronicles , that in a battell between sylla and marius , there was a souldier by accident killed one , not knowing who it was , but after he was slaine he saw it was his brother , presently in anguish of spirit he ran his sword into his owne bowels . this we finde to be ordinary among us , even brother to be against brother , yea son against father of each side at this time . certainly therefore it is time for us to fall upon our knees , and to be humbled before the lord for the breach of our peace . peace is a sweet mercy , therefore pitty it is that it should not be improved , pitty is it that it should be abused . oh how have we abused our former peace ! god gave us peace before , to what end ? that we might be edifyed and so built up in the feare of god and comfort of the holy ghost , as acts . . it is said , the churches had rest , & were edifyed , and did walk in the feare of god , and the comforts of the holy ghost . we have not made this use of the rest god hath been pleased to afford us , but we have growne wanton with our peace , with this precious jewell , and just it is with god to take it from us . and now we doe desire peace , but to what end ? still ayming at this especially at this that we might have more freedome to satisfie our lusts , and to make provision for the flesh , that is the very ground of most mens desire of peace : whereas if we did understand the true worth of peace indeed , we would thinke it a very low end to desire peace onely to attaine this . ezek. . . marke the promise that is there , i will make a covenant of peace with them , it shall be an everlasting covenant with them , and i will place them and multiply them , and will set my sanctuary in the middest of them for evermore . yea that is a comfortable peace , to be desired indeed , when god by peace shall make way to set his sanctuary amongst us . if we did desire peace upon these termes , we might have peace sooner then we are like to have it . againe , peace is sweet , therefore pitty it is that it should be falsifyed . ps . . . there are some that speake peace to their neighbours , but mischiefe is in their hearts . it is pitty that such a precious thing as peace should be serviceable to mens lusts , that it should be pretended only to drive on a mischievous designe , peace is too good to be serviceable to mens base ends . yet further , peace is a great blessing , therefore pitty it is that it should not be endeavoured for to the uttermost . yea cursed be that warre that hath not peace for the end of it , it is that which ought to be as the embleme of every souldier , to have it written upon his sword , sic quaerimus pacem , even thus doe we seek peace . it is a great deale better to have a war that aymes at , and works peace , then to have a peace that ayme● at , and works war. it is true , war produceth very dreadfull effects , but war that shall bring forth peace , is better then peace that produceth war ; and the more we do commend peace , the more doe wee still commend that war that tends to the bringing forth true peace , rather then to seeke for a false peace that will produce most dreadfull war afterwards . peace is a great blessing from god , but we must take heed we buy it not too deare ; we may say of this as we use to say of gold , we may buy gold toodear . you will say how is it possible to buy peace at too deare a rate ? yes , if you give these three things for it , you have but a deare bargain of it . first , if you sell truth for it , selling any truth for peace , you buy peace too deare , for the least truth is better then all the kingdomes of the earth . it first cost the blood of christ , and since hath beene watered by the blood of thousands of martyrs . secondly , if you shall betray those that have beene most active for the publique good , onely that you may be way of complyance provide for your own particular peace , this peace costs you too deare . thirdly , if you for love of peace shall subject your selves to tyranny or slavery . this is peace at too deare a rate , and the posterity that comes after may curse that basenesse of spirit , and cowardlynesse of the generation that went before , that should buy peace for themselves so deare , as to bring not onely themselves but their posterity under the bondage of miserable tyranny and woefull slavery . it is true , it is a great deale easier for a man that is striving and fighting with his enemy , to lie downe , then to spend his strength with fighting and striving ; he shal not spend so many of his spirits in the act of lying down , why will he we ary himself ? is it not better to lye down upon the soft grasse then to tyre himselfe in combating ? but if this man lye down , he hath his throat cut by his enemy ; hath this man thinke you done wisely for himself ? to prevent trouble , he hath lost his life , if we should be so weary of present troubles as to lye downe to have our throats cut by our adversaries , shall the generation to come commend either our wisdome or valor ? it is true , when a stream runneth strong , you cannot expect to stopp that streame , but there will be some trouble in doing it ; and the truth is , that war that is now o● foot with us , though it hath much trouble in it , and many of our brethren suffer many hard things by it , yet let us know it is but to stop a streame of misery that was comming upon us , and it is better to undergoe some difficulties in the stopping the streame , then to be quiet , and so let it overflow us , till all be past recovery . our adversaries cry out that we are enemies to peace , and they all for peace , that is they would have us to be so quiet as to let them doe what they list , they would faine have us so to love peace as to give up our strength to them , & to be irrecoverably under their power . therefore let this generation be wise , for great things depend upon these present affaires of the kingdome , that concerne not only their own outward comfort , but the glory of god , and the good of their posterity to many generations after . i will breake the bow and the sword , &c. it is god that bringeth peace as he pleaseth ; it is a great blessing , and it is gods peculiar work to bring this blessing . we may treat and treat about peace , but untill god pleaseth to give a commission for peace , it will not be . if god commeth in with exceptions , our treaties and our plots will never do the work . [ i ] will breake the bow , saith god , jer. . . o thou sword of the lord , how long will it be ere thou be quiet ? put up thy selfe into thy scabbard , rest and be still . the sword answers , how can i be quiet seeing the lord hath given me a charge against askelon , &c. till god give a commission to the sword it cannot rest and be still . job . . . when he giveth quietnesse , who then can make trouble ? and when he hideth his face , who then can behold him ? whether it be against a nation or a man onely . if he cause trouble , who can make quietnesse ? oh no , none can . it is god that is to be looked at in breaking of treaties , it is god that hardneth the hearts of men that they shall not make peace untill his time come . iosh . . . . a most remarkable text . there was not ( saith the text ) a city that made peace with the children of israel save the inhabitants of gibeon , for it was of the lord to harden their hearts that they should come against israel in battell that they might utterly be destroyed . of all the cities in canaan that gods people came against , though gods hand was very remarkable in going along with them , working many miracles for them , yet the text observeth that there was none that would make peace with them only gibeon , why ? for was of the lord to harden their hearts to come against israel in bat tell that they might utterly be destroyed . god intended to destroy them , therefore god hardened them that they should not make peace with his people . god is the prince of peace , therefore he disposeth of it as he will ; many devices may be in the hearts of men , they have many plots and contrivances , but the counsell of the lord shall stand . psalm , . . the lord sitteth upon the floods , yea the lord sitteth king for ever . the lord will give strength to his people , the lord will blesse his people with peace . that is not the peace for god to blesse his people with , for which they must lay open their throats to be cut , and betray his cause . god need give no strength for this , but gods way is to give strength to his people , and then to blesse them with peace . we love peace , but let us look to have our peace thorow the strength of god : put those together , the lord hath promised it , & do you pleade this promise ; though we seem weak , yet the lord will give his people strength , and so he will blesse his people with peace . we must work our peace by improving gods strength , not thinke to get peace by a sluggish complyance , & a base unworthy yeelding to our adversaries , jer. , . we looked for peace , it seemes they were in some treaties , and there is no good , for healing , and behold trouble , all their treaties came to nothing : but mark what follows , ver . . we acknowledge , o lord , our wickednes & the iniquity of our fathers ; o lord we dwell amongst people that are set on fire , we speake of peace , yea when they speake of peace they have mischiefe in their hearts , o lord our wickednesse and the iniquity of our fathers is great , o lord pardon our iniquity . this is the way to have peace , to make up our peace with god. thirdly , thorough reformation is the way to bring peace , mark how it riseth , they shall call me no more baali , then will i break the bow ; when they shall break of throughly their idolatry , then will i break the bow & the sword ; so long as they worship false gods , war shall be in their gates ; but when they shall throughly reforme and set up my worship in that way that i wil have , then will i break the bow . that is the way if we could trust god for it . here is our baseness that we will not trust god in this way of peace , we are ready think that reformation will bring disturbance , o no , reformation is the way to a thorow peace . let our wisdomes be pure , and then certainly it will be peaceable . we have a most excellent scripture for this , isa . . jerusalem is there promised to be a quiet habitation , what followeth ? ver . . for the lord is our judge , the lord is our law-giver , the more we entertain him as judge , & our lawgiver , the more peace we shall have , isa . . . of his government & peace there shal be no end . when the government of christ commeth , then cometh peace . zach. . . he shal rule upon his throne , & be a priest upon his throne , & the counsel of peace shal be between them both , that is , advance christ in his kingly office as well as in his priestly office , & then there shal be a counsell of peace . vvhat is the reason that the counsell of peace hath not prevayled to this day ? we have cause to feare they have not beene set betweene both , betweene the kingly office and priestly office of christ to advance them both . esay . . . the works of righteousnesse shal be peace , and the effect of righteousnesse quietnesse , and assurance for ever , and my people shall dwell in a peaceable habitation , and in sure dwellings , and in quiet resting places . see how the holy ghost addes one word to another , to shew that true peace is in the wayes of righteousnesse . when mens counsells for peace are crooked counsells , when they seek to company for their own ends , when the honour of god is not their chiefe ayme , it is just with god to dash all their counsels . esay . . the way of peace they know not , saith god , there is no judgement in their goings , they have made them crooked paths , whosoever goeth therein shall not know peace . wee know the going of the serpent is a crooked going , it windeth up and downe ; so many of our counsellours of peace have gone like the serpent , winding up and down in their carnall policies , they have not studied reformation , but have gone in crooked paths , and therefore they have not brought forth the true effects of peace . but one place more , jer. , . , there the lord speaks concerning his people , when he was about to deliver them from captivity , how long wilt thou goe about ? that is , you doe not goe on the right way , you compasse about , you have fetches because you meet with difficulties in your way , you thinke by this and the other meanes to avoid troubles , but you shall goe on by a right line : what followeth ? the lord blesse thee o habitation of justice and mountaine of holynesse ; apply your counsels that way to be the habitation of justice and the mountaine of holinesse , and the worke is done , execute justice upon delinquents that are in your power , and set up the ordinances of god in the right way of worship , this is the way of peace , but all this while you have gone about , oh that the lord would deliver our great councellours from going about . they shall lye down safely . hence the note is , onely gods great peace bringeth safety , if we patch up a false peace upon base & unworthy terms , we must not thinke to lye downe safely ; but when god promiseth peace a fruit of the covenant , then it followes , they shall lye downe safely , and i suppose none of you would have any other peace but such a peace as you may lye down safely , and how is it possible do you think to lye downe safely , except the lord destroy the evill beasts out of the land ? levit. . . i will give peace in your land , and you shall lye down , & none shall make you afraid , and i will rid evil beasts out of the land . what is the end of our war at present , but to rid the evill beasts out of the land , that so we may lye downe safely ? can you thinke to dwell safely so long as so many evil beasts are in the land , & so exasperated in the highest of all their rage ? certainly , if a false & a patched up peace should be made , we were in a mosticle & hazardous condition , especially those who have appeared for the cause of god ; those who have shewed themselves most faithfull , can they lye down safely in the confidence of such a peace ? if you have the hearts of true english-men , you would never desire any other peace , but such as that you and your brethren , your ministers , & those worthies in parliament , and all that have appeared for you , might lie down safely , acts . . . we reade of a soft south-wind , that did blow , but the text saith , that not long after there arose a tempestuous wind called euroclydon . so if we have a false peace , it may blow as that south wind did , softly and still , but certainely the euroclydon , the most terrible east-wind will follow after . chron. . . jehosaphat was quiet , for his god gave him rest , suppose we should be quiet , and our owne base counsells and our own complyances should give us rest , our quiet would never be security to us , there will follow dismall things afterward ; but then is a people quiet safely , when we have the peace of god , together with the god of peace . phil. . . the peace of god which passeth all understanding , keepe your hearts &c. then presently , ver . . the god of peace shall be with you . we would be loth to be without the god of peace , then let us be loth to have any peace but the peace of god. you all desire peace , and so the adversary pretendeth ; take heed you be not deluded with vaine words ; that which is your end in your thoughts , is their means to drive on their designes ; and what good will such a peace doe you ? you will be no more secure then you are , nay your danger will be far greater . lastly , it is gods owne gift to his people to lie down safely , this is a further blessing then to have the sword and bow broken . we may be delivered from our enemies , but the lord may afrighten our consciences with visions in the night , hee may terrifie us a thousand wayes , and take away our security , therefore he addeth this , i will breake the bow & the sword , and then i will make thee lye down safely . this is a precious mercy , it is recumbere faciam , in fiducia dormire faciam fiducialiter , i will make them lye down in trust and confidence , that is , to go to bed without any feare of evill to befall us afore morning . we little thinke what a mercy this is , we have many nights lain down safely , and slept quietly , and have risen up comfortably , you have little thought of the giving god the glory of this mercy . many of our brethren in divers countries would prize such a mercy now , when they goe to bed they are afraid of every little noice , and can scarce have a nights sleep , but are scared with alarums . what would some of our brethren give for one nights rest in safety , that when they goe to bed they might say , well , i hope this night i shall have quiet rest , i shall not be troubled in my sleep . in many places they are faine to sleep in the day , and to watch in the night . it is true , here in the city you can go to bed & sleep quietly , & rise quietly , oh think of those that want this mercy , and give god the glory of it while you have it . it is a mercy of god , a great priviledge for the lord to quiet our spirits in these dangerous times , in these trembling dayes , when every mans hands are upon his loyns . many who are free from their adversaries , yet through the timerousness of their spirits they cannot have one nights quiet , they turmoyle themselves without own thoughts , oh what will become of us hereafter ? it may be the enemies will come , and we shall lose our lives , and all will be rent-from us , and this makes them that they cannot lye downe safely , though danger be not yet neere them , but when god is pleased to quiet the heart in the most troublesome times of all , that you can lye down securely , this is a choyce mercy , it is a fruite of the covenant . this mercy the lord promiseth , pro. . . then shalt thou walke in thy way safely , thy foot shall not stumble . mark the ver . when thou lyest down thou shalt not be afraid , yea thou shalt lye down , and thy sleepe shall be sweet , be not afraid of sudden feare , for the lord shall be thy confidence &c. this made good to one in these dayes is a text worth gold indeed . so ps . . . so doth the lord give his beloved rest ; others they labour and toyle , and they eate the bread of carefulnes and are mightily perplexed , but so doth the lord give his beloved rest , that is , the lord takes away care and thought from his beloved , and gives them rest , so that they can lye downe quietly as it were in his bosome . there is a false ●est and security of the wicked when they make a covenant with death and with hell , as esay . . ye have said , we have made a covenant with death & with hel , when the overflowing scourge shal passe through , it shall not come unto us ; for we have made lyes our refuge , and under falshood have we hid our selves . this text is as proper a text to our adversaries as any i know in the scripture , they promise to themselves all security and safety they make a covenant with hell & death , but how ? they make lyes their refuge , and under falshood have they hid themselves . here is a security , and it is by a covenant , with hell & death ; but this text holds forth a lying down safely by vertue of another covenant , even the covenant of god , therefore it followes , ver . . behold i lay in zion for a foundation , a stone , a tryed stone , aprocious corner stone , a sure foundation , he that believeth shall not make haste . it is an observable text concerning our times , there is a security upon that ground , the overflowing scourge will breake down all , but saith god , i lay in zion for a foundation , a stone , a tryed stone , a precious corner stone , a sure foundation , he that believeth shal not make haste , you may be secure , though your enemies doe vaunt themselves and will boast in their own wayes , they have made a covenant with hell & death , yet for you i lay in zion a stone , a sure foundation , he that believeth shall not make haste . although god doth not come with his deliverance for the present , yet you who believe , quiet your selves , & lye downe safely , and do not make haste . a horse saith the scripture , psal . . . is a vaine thing for safety , they trust in the creature , ver . . but behold the eye of the lord is upon them that feare him , they have a greater safety then if they had troopes of horses lye about them to defend them , and ver . . our soule waiteth for the lord , he is our help & our shield , so pro. . . the horse is prepared against the day of battel , but safety is of the lord. let us the resore cry with the psalmist , lord lift thou up the light of thy countenance vpon us , then will we lye down in peace & sleep , for thou only makest us dwell in safety . would you have quiet sleepe in these troublesome times ? make your peace with god , if there be peace within , then you may lye downe safely notwithstanding all the rumors and tumults of war abroad , but if there be no peace in the heart , though you should live to see outward peace , your sins would dog you , they would pursue you , the terrours of the almighty would be upon you , and you should not have one nights rest . but lord what is all this except we may have communion with thy selfe , except we may have communion with jesus christ ? this is the voice of a gracious heart , therefore follows that blessed promise as a further fruite of the covenant that god would make with his people , saith the lord , i will betroth thee unto my selfe , i will be yours too , there shall be a most blessed union and conjugall communion between you and me , you shall enjoy me in all the sweetnesse and love that the wife enjoyeth the husband in , though you have most wretchedly departed from me , yet behold , i will betroth you unto me in righteousnesse and in judgement , & in loving kindnesse , and iu mercies . the seventeenth lecture . hosea . . . and i will betroth thee unto me for ever , yea , i will betroth thee unto me in righteousness , and in judgement , & in loving kindnes , & in mercies . i will even betroth thee unto me in faithfulness , & thou shalt know the lord. but how betroth ? ( this phrase seems to be very strange ) she had been the wife of god before , and was gone a whoring from him ; though god should be reconciled to her , one would have thought it should rather have been , i will receive you againe , no , but i will betroth you . the reason of the phrase is , to note that god would receive her with that love as if she had been a pure virgin , and he would never upbraid her former departing from him : you have beene an adulteresse , beare your shame , but for my own names sake i will be content to receive you again , no , but i will be●roth you unto me , you shall be as now taken to me , and your sins shall be no more remembred , they shall be as if they had never been committed . when god pardoneth sin he will remember it no more , the lord will never charge upon sinners their former sins . and if god will not remember the sins of his people , of his repenting people , to charge them upon them , we should not remember them , to up brayd them for them ; what ever they have been before , if now converted , it is too much boldnesse in any of us to upbraid them for any of their former sins . i remember beza tells of himselfe , that the papists upbraided him much for the sinnes of his youth , for his lascivious poems he made before his conversion ; but beza answers them thus , hi homines invident mihi graciam divinam , these men envy me the grace of god. i will betroth thee unto mee , yea i will betroth thee unto me , i will even betroth thee unto me . the repenting church might say , how is it possible that such an adulteresse who hath been so vile , who hath been so impudent in her wayes of forsaking the blessed god , her glorious husband , who hath so long continued in filthy whordoms , should yet expect to receive mercy ? what , this mercy , to be betrothed to god , to be taken as if she were a chast spouse before him ? yes saith god , i will do it , and therefore it is repeated three times for the assurance of the humbled repenting church that god will again betroth himselfe unto her , and that with some emphasis , i will betroth , yea i will betroth , even i will betroth : there is betrething , and betrothing , and betrothing , and i , and i , and i , shewing how much the heart of god is in this thing . as if god should have said , though you think such a thing can never be , you see nothing but cause of doubting and discouragement in your selves , but i wil doe it , yea i wil doe it , and it is thus repeated to note also the excellency of the mercy that is in it . it is an excellent mercy indeed that the lord will take a people into so neer a communion with himselfe , from this mercy floweth most glorious mercies , i will doe this saith god , i need say no more , here is mercy enough to satisfie any soule living , i will doe it , i will doe it , i will doe it . but will this mercy hold ? will it hold ? i have already apostatized from the lord , i have still an apostatizing heart , & am like to fall off from god againe , and so may condition is like to be worse then ever yet it was ; no saith god , i will betroth you unto my selfe for ever , my heart shal bee for ever towards you , and your heart shall be for ever towards me , there shall never bee any breach of conjugal love and communion betweene you and i any more . but the lord is a righteous god , he is a god of infinite justice , and i have most fearfully sinned against him , oh the hideous sins that i stand guilty of before him ! how shall that infinite justice of god be satisfied for my sinnes ? this is the care of a repenting heart , not onely to obtain mercy for pardon , but how shall that justice of god be satisfied ? yes saith god , i will have a way for that too , though you have been very sinful , yet when i receive you to mercy , it shall be in such a way as i will be righteous , as wel as gracious , i wil doe it in righteousnesse , it shal be no dishonour at all to my righteousnesse , that i take you again to my self . and i wil put such a righteous frame into your hearts , that it shal be no scandal unto me before the nations that i have betrothed such a one as you unto my selfe . but what reason can there possible be that god should do thus ? how can it be imagined that ever the lord should do such a thing as this ? god hath ten thousand wayes to honour himselfe , though we perish for ever , no people have ever provoked him as wee have done saith this repenting israel . well saith god , though you know no reason why it should be done , yea indeed though there bee no reason at all in your selves , yet that which i will doe , i will doe it in judgment too , i know a reason why i will do it , it is not a rash thing that i shall do , i will do it in judgement , it is no other thing that now i promise you , but that i have exercised my wisdome about from all eternity , it is not onely a worke of my grace and mercy toward you , but it is a work of my wisdome too , and there will one day appeare a glorious shine of wisdome in this my work of taking you unto my selfe again , i know what i do in it , yea and on your part though hitherto you have seene no such excellency in my wayesto cleave to them , but you have departed from them , and followed other lovers , yet i shall when i come in wayes of mercy to you , convince you so of the vanity of all other things your hearts runne after , and of that fulnesse of good there is in me to satisfie your soules for ever , that you shal see infinite reason to joine your selves unto me in an everlasting covenant . you though there were some more specious shews in wayes of false worship , but when you shal be reconciled , you shal see there is infinite reason in those wayes of worship your soules have heretofore rejected , you shal not only have your affections a little stirred , and have some heate for the present , but that change that shal be in you shal be out of judgment , i will betroth you unto me in judgement , in judgement on my part . i will have reason for what i doe , and in judgement on your part , you shall see reason for what you doe , you shal see so much reason in comming in to me , that you shall admire at the former folly of your hearts , when you departed from me , and sought your comforts else-where . the workings of my heart shal be in judgment toward you , and the workings of your hearts shal be in judgment toward me . but take it at best that my heart doth indeed come in to god , yet i shall remain a poor , sinful , weak creature , there will hang upon me many infirmities that will be grievous to the spirit of the holy and just god. well saith god , i will betroth you unto me in loving kindnesse . i wil deale gently and favourably with you , i will not take advantage of your failings and infirmities , i will remember you are but flesh , i will have a tender respect to you . but it may be there will not onely bee some ordinary infirmities which may be grievous enough to the spirit of god , but i may perhaps fall into grievous offences that will provoke the spirit of god bitterly against mee , and so i shall fall into as woful , yea worse condition then before : no saith god , i will betroth you unto me in mercy as well as in loving kindnesse , my bowels of mercy shall yearn toward you , not only to passe over lesser infirmities , but to swallow up greater iniquities . and accordingly i will worke in you gracious dispositions of loving kindnesse towards mee , you shall have a most sweete and ingenuous disposition of spirit , you shall doe what you doe for mee out of principles of love , out of abundance of sweetnesse in all your ways , that perverse , surly , crooked , sowr spirit of yours towards me shall be changed into a sweet , gentle , gracious frame . and this sweetenesse and loving kindenesse shall be in you toward one another , you shall have your hearts changed that were so rugged , and so harsh , and peevish toward one another afore , when i am once reconciled unto you , you shall be reconciled one to another . and you shall have bowels of mercy , as my bowels shall yerne towards you , so your bowels shall yern toward me , as it shall pity my soule to see you in misery , so it shall pity your soule to see me dishonoured , and you shall have bowels likewise one toward another , pitying one another , and helping , and relieving one another in the greatest straits , i will betroth you unto me in loving kindnesse and in mercy . but there are many glorious promises that we find god made to his people , surely according to what wee read in his word there are great things to be done for them , shall ever these promises be made good unto us ? if wee may have mercy , though we be never so low , if gods loving kindnesse be manifested unto ●s in a way of reconciliation , though wee be but hired servants ; if we may be spouses , though we be kept hardly , it will be well with us : but saith god , there are glorious promises made to the church , and i will fulfill them all unto you ; though you have departed from me , and provoked me against you , yet upon your returning you shall be so received , as to have interest in all the precious , gracious , glorious promises i have made to the church , i will make them all good to you , for i will betroth my selfe unto you in faithfulnesse , as well as in mercy ; looke what ever i have said concerning my church , that is yours to be made good to the uttermost , and there is nothing that can be for your good , that concerns me as a loving husband to doe , but you shall be sure to have it : and as for you , howsoever your hearts have been hitherto unfaithful towards me in departing from me , yet now you shall have put into you a faithful spirit , there shall be faithfulfulnesse on your part as well as on mine , so as my heart shall confide in you , you shall not deale falsely with mee as before ; your hearts shall confide in me , that i will deale faithfully with you , and my heart shall confide in you , that you will deale faithfully with me , so that whatsoever befalls you , yet you shall be faithfull to me , and faithfull one to another , so as your hearts shall trust one in another . i will betroth you unto me in faithfulnesse . and whereas it is but little that yet you have known of me , and this indeed hath been the cause of all your vile departings from mee , because you have not known me the lord , therefore you shall know the lord ; know him in another manner then ever yet you knew him ; i will shew my glory to you , i will open my very heart to you , the secret of the lord shall be with you , you shall all know me , though your parts be but weak and meane , yet you shall be taught of god ; perhaps you may be ignorant of other things , but you shall know the lord. and as for outward blessings , you shall have your fill of them too , all the creatures shall be moved towards you to comfort you , to succour you ; let iezreelory to the corne , the corne shall cry to the earth , and the earth shall heare the corne , the earth shall cry to the heavens , the heavens shall heare the earth , and the heavens shall cry to me , and i will heare the heavens ; there shall be in them , a readinesse to help , a greedinesse to relieve you ; yea a concatenation of them all , and i will joyn them for the good of iezreel . but yet we are a people scattered about the world , and most of us are consumed : but , i will sow her unto me in the earth ; you were scattered , this is a judgment , but now it is turned to a mercy , your scattering is as seed , you shall fructifie , & encrease abundantly , & so be a blessing to the whole earth . but we have lien underthe curse of god a great while , and have seemed to be rejected ; but saith god , i will have mercy upon her that had not obtained mercy . lastly , we are a proverb uuto all the world ( as you know the jewes are ) we are a by-word , a scorn , a reproach amongst all people , they say , god had rejected us , and so trample upon us : no saith god , i will not onely betroth you to my selfe , but it shall appeare to all the world you are my people , i will say to you which were not my people , you are my people ; though you be a people scorned and vilified in the world , yet i will owne you , and it shall appeare so , your low and miserable condition shall not hinder me from saying , you are my people : and as for you , whatsoever you shall meet withall in my wayes , whatsoever you suffer for my worship , though it be scorned and despised in the world , yet you shal own it before the world , and you shall say , thou art my god. thus you have a short paraphrase upon this gracious expression of god to his reconciled people . you have here but a flash of this mercie of the lord to his saints . but when was all this fulfilled you will say ? or is it to be fulfilled ? to what times does this prophesie refer ? there is in part the making good this prophesie , when ever a soule is brought into the embracing the gospel ; but the height of this shall be at the calling of the jewes , then not only the spiritual estate of particular converted soules shal bee thus happy , but the church state shal bee thus , the visible church shal be betrothed unto the lord for ever . we cannot say so of any visible church here , there is no visible church but may fall off from the visibility of it , but when god shal bring in the iewes , they shall never fall off from the visibility of their church-communion . revel . . . seemeth to have reference to this prophesie . and i john saw the holy city , new jerusalem , coming down from god , prepared as a bride adorned for her husband : and i heard a great voyce out of heaven , saying , behold the tabernacle of god is with men , and he will dwell with them , and they shall be his people , and god himself shall be with them , and be their god. this hath almost the same words that wee have here in this prophesie that is to be fulfilled in that glorious church-estate , that shal bee when god calls home to himselfe his own people : mark there , god himself shall be with them ; god is always with his people ; but god himselfe , that is , a more especiall , and immediate , and full presence of god shall be with them . but the words must have yet a more full search into them i will betroth thee . ] the scripture makes much mention of espousals and of marriage , to expresse the great mysterie of the grace of god to his people . the holy ghost seems to delight much in this allegory : there is none more frequent in scripture then it , which is a very great honour to a married condition : and such ought to be the lives of those that are in a married condition , as much as may be to resemble the blessednesse of the condition of a people reconciled unto god , for in all similitudes there must be something in the thing to resemble that which it is brought for . married people should so live , as all that behold the sweetnesse , the happinesse of their lives , may be put in mind thereby of that sweetnes & happiness there is in the churches comunion with jesus christ . i appeale to you , are your lives thus ? now in a married condition there are these foure things most remarkable . first , there is the neerest unino that can be , they two shal be made oneflesh ; this is the power of god in an ordinance , consider it , two that not perhaps a month before were strangers one to another , never saw the faces one of another , did not know that there were such in the world , if they come under this ordinance , though it be but a civill ordinance , these two shal now be neerer one to another then the child that came out of the fathers loynes , or out of the bowels of the mother , the fruite of the wombe shall not be so neere now to thee , nor must it love thee so much as this party , that not long since it was a meere stranger unto . whence cometh this but meerly from the power of an ordinance ? one would thinke that the affection of a mother to the fruite of her own bowels should be more then it were possible for her to have to a stranger she had never seen before in her life ; but it is not so , when a woman cometh under this ordinance , she now commeth to have ( according to that which is her duty ) more affection to one that was ere while a stranger , then to the child that came forth of her owne bowels , so a man then to one that came out of his owne loynes . here is the power of gods ordinance , though but civill . now then if an ordinance of god , though but civill , hath such an efficacy in it , what efficacy have divine ordinances then ? certainly they have mighty efficacy upon the soule when they are administred in the way of god. so it is here , i will betroth thee ; as if god should say , thou wast not long since as a stranger unto me , one cast off , yea thou wast as an enemy unto me , but now all the creatures in heaven and in earth , the very angels themselves shall not be more deare unto me , in a nearer communion then you . this is true of a wretched sinfull creature that hath not onely been as a stranger unto god , but an enemy unto him , he cometh now upon conversion and union with christ , to be in a nearer conjunction and further communion with god then the very angels in heaven are in some regard , for they are never said to be the spouse of the son of god so as the saints are . this is the mighty power and love of god in uniting his saints to his son. secondly , there is in nothing in the world that full communication of one creature to another , as there is in that condition of marriage ; so in our spiritual marriage with christ , there is an inconceiveable communion of one to another ●●ally , god hath two wayes of communication of himselfe , one is infinite , that is to his son in that inconceivable mysterie of the generation of the son ; he hath other wayes of communication of himself after a finite manner ; but of al the finite ways this is the greatest , his comunication of himself to his saints in christ ; god hath no such comunication of himself to all the creatures , as he hath to his saints in his son. god in comparison communicateth little or nothing of himself to the frame of heaven & earth , so as he doth to any one of his saints . so far as there wants communion in a married estate , so far there wants the blessing of it , it should be full : the communion of god to his church is a full communion , his wisdome , power , riches are made over to the saints , the merits , the righteousnesse of christ are made all over to them . this is mutuall , there is no such communication of any creature to another , as there is of the hearts of the saints to god ; one converted to god , le ts out his heart into god in a fuller way then any creature can let out it selfe to another creature . suppose all the creatures in the world should have their beauty and excellency put together in one , and present it self wholly unto thee to be an object of thy delight , yet it were not possible that thou shouldst communicate thy self so fully to it , as thy soul will communicate it selfe to god upon thy conversion . the soul gives up it selfe to god , as into an infinite ocean of goodnesse , so as it would not retaine any thing of its owne , as a drop of water into a tun of wine , it retains not its savour or colour that it had before , but it is as it were turned into wine . and hereby you may know whether your conversion be right yea or no , as that which is christs cometh to be thine , so that which is thine cometh again to be christs . my beloved is mine , and i am his , saith the church . hence it is that the honour that christ the husband hath , reflects upon the saints ; they shine with the brightnesse of his beams . esay . . since thou wast precious in my sight thou becamest honourable . it was wont to be the custome among the romanes in their marriages , when the wife was brought home , she had this speech , where you are ca●us , i am caja . how meane soever the woman was before , yet being married , she partakes of the honour of her husband . so the saints , whatsoever they were before , they are now looked upon as honourable in the eyes of the father , in the eyes of christ , in the eyes of the holy ghost , aud in the eyes of the angels and the rest of the saints , who are able to discerne their excellency . and so on the other side , ( for still it is mutuall ) as the church hath honour from the lustre of the beams of christs glory , so even the church is a glory unto christ . as the scripture saith , the wife is the glory of the man. ( which place heretofore you have had opened unto you ) so the truth is , the church is the glory of christ . how is that ? you will say : it is true , christ is the glory of the church , but that the church who is a company of poore creatures should be the glory of christ , how can that be ? yes , it is so , christ accounteth himselfe glorified before the father , that he hath such a spouse . mark that place , cor. . . whether you inquire of titus , he is my partner , or of our brethren , the messengers of the churches , the glory of christ , titus and the brethren are there called the glory of christ . and ephes . . . the church is said to be the fulnesse of him that filleth all in all . howsoever we are to be low in our own eies , yet this is certaine , that it is the glory of christ before the father and the blessed angels , that he hath such a spouse as he hath . hence rev. . . come , behold the bride , the lambs wife : the very angels rejoice in this , o come , behold the bride , the lambs wife . certainly had it not been for the glory of christ , the angels would not in such a triumphing way have called all to behold the bride the lambs wife . they call to behold the glory of christ in his bride , psalm , . the church is described to be brought in to the king all glorious and beautiful , with ara●ment of needle-worke , &c. christ rejoyceth , and his very heart even springs againe to present his church unto his father , father here behold my spouse that i have married unto my selfe . it is true , a childe may sometimes marry against his fathers consent , such a one as he may be ashamed to think of bringing to his fathers house , because she will be a disgrace to his father and his friends : but how mean and sinfull soever we are in our selves , when once we are betrothed unto christ , he will not thinke it any dishonour , no not before his father , that he hath such a spouse , but he will account it his glory before him and the blessed angels , that he hath betrothed her unto himself . and again , this communion makes the afflictions of christ the churches afflictions , and the afflictions of the church the afflictions of christ . there is a communion in evill things as well as in good . the very sins of the church come to be charged upon christ ; as a woman that was in debt before maryage and so subject to arrests , if she be once maryed she is no more troubled with the serjeants , none can arrest her , but all the debts are charged upon the man : so though we be in debt , owing a debt of punishment because we have not payed the debt of obedience , and while we are out of christ , before this blessed marriage , we may feare every moment to have some sergeant of the lord upon us to arrest us , to hale us to prison , there to lye untill we have paid the uttermost farthing ; but when the soul is married unto christ , all debts , all sinnes are all transacted upon christ , all charged upon him , if the law come now and require satisfaction , if justice comes you may send them unto your husband to answer all , and he will not take it ill . a husband perhaps may take it ill , and thinke he hath brought himself to misery , when arrests come upon him for his wives debts , it may take off his heart from her , but christ will never love you the worse for all your debts when they are charged upon him , he will willingly satisfie them , and he will rejoyce in the satisfaction of them before his father . and if there be any affliction befall you , christ is afflicted with you . esay . . in all their afflictions be was afflicted . so on the other side , all the afflictions of christ are the afflictions of the church ; doth christ suffer ? you take it unto heart as if it were your own suffering . christ takes your sufferings unto heart , as if 〈…〉 his own ; 〈◊〉 and you take the sufferings of christ unto heart as if they were your owne . thirdly , in a married condition there is a mutuall intire love . that is , first , loving the person more then what cometh from him . true conjugall love is pitched upon the persons mutually , rather then upon the estates , or any thing they enjoy by the person . so on christs part , his love is pitched upon the persons of the saints , christ loves your persons more then al your actions . it is true , all these gracious actions you doe are lovely before christ , for they ate the fruits of his spirit , but know , the pitch of christs love is upon your persons chiefly . so the pitch of your love , if it be a right conjugall love , is upon the person of christ rather then upon any thing that comes from him ; thou seest him altogether lovely in himselfe , besides those riches of pardon of sin and precious promises that thou enjoyest by him , his person is that which satisfies thy soule . secondly , in prising the love each of other , true love can be satisfied witht nothing else but love , love villifies every thing that is tendered , except it comes as a fruit of love , and if there be love , a little is highly prized , if it be but a cup of cold water , it is more then a kingdome without it , the giving the body to be burned is nothing without it . i will give you two scriptures , one wherein the saints prize gods love , the other wherein god prizes the saints love , psal . . . how excellent is thy loving kindnesse o god. psal . . . because he hath set his love upon me , therefore will i deli●er him , i will set him on high . thirdly , this intire love is a love in all conditions . christ loves his church in their afflictions as intirely as he doth out of their afflictions . deut. . . he found him in a desart land , and in the wast howling wildernesse , he led him about , he instructed him , hee kept him as the apple of his eye . marke , they were in the wildernesse , in the wast howling wildernesse , yet even there they were deare unto christ , they were kept as the apple of his eye . the church on the other side looks upon christ in his afflictions as lovely still as ever , cant. . . a bundle of myrrhe is my well beloved unto me , he shal lie all night betwixt my breasts . myrrhe is a bitter thing , yet the church professeth that christ though bitter in his afflictions , should lie as lovely betweene her breasts as a bundle of myrrhe . i remember herodotus reports of one artemesia , queen of halicarnaffus ( and plinie speaks something of her too ) when her husband was dead , she took his ashes & drank it in wine out of respect to him though dead . the church loveth a crucified christ as well as a glorified christ . a most notable example of the love of a spouse to her husband wee have in our english chronicle , elenor the wife of edward the first , the king having got a wound by a poysoned dagger , she to shew the intire love she bare to her husband , because she thought if the poyson did stay a while in the wound there would be no cure , therefore with her own mouth she sucked out the poyson that was in the wound , & so ventured the losse of her own life to preserve her husbands . here was love in a spouse to her husband . there is the like love of the church unto christ , if christ be wounded with the poysonous tongues of ungodly men in reproaches and blasphemies , let him be never so persecuted in the world , they that are truly gracious are willing to suck in that very poyson to themselves , so they may take it from him . let the reproaches of christ fall upon me , o let me suffer rather then christ . it was ambrose his wish , oh that god would turne all the adversaries of the church upon me , that they might turne all their weapons upon me , and satisfie their thirst with my blood , this is the disposition of a true spouse of christ . the fourth is unspeakable delight ; communion hath delight : the greatest communion , the greatest delight : the greatest delight that god hath is to communicate himselfe , to his son firstly , and next in letting out himselfe to his saints . if there be delight in god in letting out himself to the saints , in reason one would thinke there must needs be delight in the saints , in letting themselves out into god , in flowing into god. god takes such delight in letting out his mercy to his saints , as that he was well pleased with the death of his own son as a meanes conducing thereunto . one would thinke that the death of christ should be the most abhorring to the heart of god of any thing in the world , yet the scripture saith god was well pleased with it , esay , . . why was god pleased with it ? because the lord saw this was the way for him to communicate himself in the fulnesse of his grace unto his church , and therefore though it cost him so deare as the death of his own son , yet he was well pleased with it . and as for christ , he takes delight in letting out himself to his people , after he had suffered , the text saith , he was satisfied when he saw of the travell of his soul . as if christ had said , o let me have a church to communicate my self unto , though i see it hath cost me my blood , it hath cost me all these fearfull sufferings , yet i am satisfied , i thinke all is well bestowed , so i may have a people to partake of my love and mercy for ever . cant. . . thou hast ravished my heart , my sister , my spouse , thou hast ravished my heart with one of thine eyes . then for the saints , the delight they have in communicating themselves unto christ is unutterable . stay me with flaeggons , comfort me with apples , for i am sick of love , saith the church , cantic , . . psal . . . my soul shall be satisfied with marrow and fatnesse , and my mouth shall praise thee with joyfull lips , when i remember thee upon my bed , and meditate of thee in the night watches . take this note , the more fully you lay out your selves for christ , the more comfort you shall have in your lives . here is the great difference between hypocrites and others in the comfort of their lives . it is impossible that any hypocrite can have that comfort in his life as a gracious heart can have , upon this ground , because a hypocrite reserveth somewhat of himself for something else , there is not a full comunication of himself unto christ , he alwayes keepes somewhat back and thereby loseth his comfort : but a gracious heart fully letting out himselfe into christ , from thence cometh the comfort , & sweetness that he hath in the ways of christ above all hypocrites in the world . perhaps you thinke that the onely comfort you can have is by receiving some benefit , some mercy from god , you are much mistaken , the comfort of letting your hearts out to god , is a greater comfort then any comfort you have in receiving any thing from god. and now , oh how happy are they unto whom christ is thus espoused ! how comfortably may you live being made sure to christ ? and how comfortably may you die ? it is our work to seeke to draw soules to christ , to allure soules to be in love with him . gen. . . you may see what course abrahams servant took in drawing the love of rebekah and her friends to his masters son , he begins wi●h telling them that he is the servant of abraham , and that the lord had blessed his master greatly , so that he was become great , and that the lord had given him flocks , and herds , and silver , & gold , and that he had an onely soone that was to be heire of all this . this is the work of ministers , to tell people what riches of mercy there are in god , and that all the treasures of those infinite riches of the infinite god are in jesus christ and to be let out in him , this gaines the heart . yea it is not onely the work of ministers , but it should be worke of every gracious heart thus to seek to draw souls to christ , as rev. . . not onely the angels there say come , but the bride saith come , and let him that hea eth say come , and let him that is a thirst come , and whosoever will let him take the water of life freely . vvere i not in such a way of explication as i am , surely wee could not get off such a point as this ; but that which i shall say for the present is onely this . know that it is not want of any worth in you that can hinder communion with jesus christ , doe not reason in that manner . i am a poor wretched sinfull creature , will ever christ be married unto me ? it is not thy sinfulnesse , it is not thy base condition that can hinder thee ; christ never joynes himselfe to any because they are worthy , but he joynes himself to them that they may be worthy , hee makes them to be worthy in joyning himselfe unto them . the woman is not married unto the king , because she is a queen , but the king maryeth her , to make her a queene . and further know , if your hearts be not taken with christ to joyne with him in his holy mariage , if he be not your husband to enjoy conjugall communion with you , he will be your judge to condemn you . but besides this betrothing between christ & a soul , there is a betrothing between christ & a visible church , especially the church of the jews when they shall be called . god shal appeare in his glory when this maryage shall be between christ and the jewish church , the king will then be in his robes , if a man of estate have a sonne to marry , and intends to solemnize the maryage according to his estate , if he have any better cloathes then other , he puts them on that day ; so at the calling of the jewes , the king of heaven will be in his robes ; god will appeare in a most glorious manner to the world then ehe did since the creation . yea and you know the bridegroome too will be very fine upon the mariage day ; so jesus christ will then appeare , ( whether personally or otherwise wee say not ) but certainly hee will gloriously appeare at that day . tit. . . we looke for the glorious appearance of the great god , and our saviour jes●s christ . and thes . . . christ shall come so as to be admired in all them that believe ; the church likewise shall then be arrayed in her fine cloaths , shee shall be then cloathed in white cleane , and fine li●nen , as it is rev. . . all in the righteousness of christ , the great doctrine of justification by christ shall be made out full and cleare . yea and the creatures , her servants , shall put on the best rayment , as in a great marriage the servants in the house have new cloathes , at that day there will be a change in all the creatures , and another kind of face in the world then now there is . then will be the marriage supper , and happy shall those be that shall then be found worthy to enter into the bed-chamber ; let us now love christ , let us now cleave to him , let us now suffer for him ; we may perhaps be some of those , who beside our eternal enjoyment of christ in heaven , may enjoy him in this mariage upon the earth . but we must leave this argument , we spake something of it in the end of the first chapter . and i will betroth thee unto me for ever . [ for ever . ] this adds to the mercy to make it glorious , this [ for ever ] makes a misery though never so little , an infinite misery , and a mercy , an infinite mercy . this betrothing for ever , shall be fulfilled in a visible church communion to the jewes , and in the spirituall communion of christ with the soule for the present . of the visible form first . isa . . . i will make thee an eternall excellency , a joy of many generations . i thinke this is not onely meant concerning the spiritual happines of the saints , but that god hath a time to make his visible church to be an eternall excellency , and a joy of many generations , an excellency that shall never have an end . and this their perpetuall condition , their enduring happinesse shall arise from three grounds . first , from the precious foundation that shall be laid upon that church when it shall be . isa . . . with everlasting kindnesse will i have mercy on thee , saith the lord ; but mark the ground , vers . . behold i lay the foundation with saphires ; all the rubbish shal be taken away , it shal not be raised upon a rubbish foundation . god will lay the foundations of it with saphires , and then with everlasting mercy he will embrace that church . secondly , that church shall be in a peaceable condition , no rent , no division there , therefore in a perpetuall condition . esay . . a tabernacle that shall not be taken down , not one of the stakes thereof shall ever be removed : why ? the very words before shew the reason , jerusalem shall be a quiet habitation . thirdly , this church shall look wholly at christ as their judge , and their law-giver , and their king. isa . . . the lord is our judge , the lord is our law-giver , the lord is our king. churches are ready to change , while they mixe other things with the worship of christ , and the lawes of men with his laws ; but when they can look to him , i mean in that which is spirituall , as their law-giver , as their judge , and as their king , then the happinesse of it shall be perpetuall never to cease in this world , the lord christ will betroth this church unto him for ever . though i verily think the holy ghost aymeth at this in great part , yet we are to understand this betrothing for ever , further of the spirituall communion the soul hath with christ . when christ betroths himselfe unto a soule , it is for ever ; the conjugall love of christ with a gracious soule shal never be broken : at the first , mans condition was such , as man laid hold upon god , and let goe his hold ; but now god lays hold upon man , and hee will never let goe his . the bond of union in a believer runs through jesus christ , it is fastned upon god , and the spirit of god holds the other end of it , and so it can never be broken ; this union is in the father who hath laid a sure foundation , tim. . . rom. . . in the son who loves his to the end , iohn . . in the spirit , who abides in the elect for ever , john . , . esay . . the mountains shall depart , and the hills be removed , but my kindnesse shall not depart from thee , neither shall the covenant of my peace be removed , saith the lord that hath mercy on thee . my loving kindnesse shall be more stable with thee , and endure longer then the mountains themselves . it is as sure as the ordinances of heaven . jer. . , . thus saith the lord , which giveth the sun for a light by day , and the ordinances of the moon and of the stars for a light by night , if those ordinances dopart from before mee , then the seed of israel shall cease , &c. and jer. . , . thus saith the lord , if you can break my covenant of the day , and my covenant of the night , that there should not be day and night in their season , then may also my covenant be broken with david my servant . you have these three expressions of the abiding of gods love to his people . . the continuance of the mountains . . the continuance of the ordinances of heaven and earth . . gods covenant with night and day . here is the bottome of consolation to the saints , they shall be kept by the power of god , pet. . . as if god should say , the speciall power that i meane to put forth in this world , shall be to uphold the spirits of my saints , to bring them to salvation , certainly it is so . the speciall work that god hath in this world to exercise his power about , is to keep christ and the saints together . though it be through gods power that the heavens and the earth be kept up , yet if god must withdraw his power from one , hee would rather withdraw it from upholding heaven and earth , then from upholding one gracious soule that hath union with his son. the union that is between christ and his people , it is too neere an union ever to be broken . i remember luther hath a notable expression about this : as it is impossible for the leaven that is in the dough to be separated from the dough , after it is once mixed , for it turneth the nature of the dough into it selfe ; so it is impossible , saith he , for the saints ever to be separated from christ : for christ is in the saints as neerly as the leaven in the very dough , so incorporated as that christ and they are as it were one lump . christ who came to save that which was lost , will never lose that which he hath saved . heb. . . it is said that christ was made a priest not after the law of a carnall commandement : that is , he was not made a priest as the priests in the law , after a ceremonial way , but after the power of a indissoluble life : coeli virture , by a celestiall vertue , so calvin upon the place . the argument why christs life is indissoluble , rather then the priests in the law , is because they were made by the power of a carnall commandement , not by a celestiall power . so those who professe godlinesse according to a carnall comandement in a ceremoniall way , may faile , vanish , and come to nothing in their way of worship as many have done ; but such as are professors of religion by the vertue of gods spirit in them , they have the power of a life indissoluble . there are two soul-staying and soul-satisfying grounds to assure of christs betrothing himselfe for ever . first , when any soul is taken in to christ , it hath not onely all the sinnes that it hath committed heretofore pardoned , but there is a pardon laid in for all sin that is to come . there is forgivenesse with thee , psal . . . there lyes pardon with god before hand for all that is to come , as well as for that which is past . there is no condemnation unto them which are in christ jesus , rom. . . that is , there is no instant of time after they are once in christ jesus wherein it can be said they are under the sentence of condemnation . now were it not that there were a pardon laid before-hand for all sin that is to come , there might upon commission of a new sinne be said at that time , that now they are under condemnation ; for if the least sin be not pardoned , there is condemnation : but this cannot be . i do not say the sin is pardoned before it is comitted , for that is a harsh & improper speech : for when we speake of pardoning sin , we speak of a work applyed to the creature , not of that which is in god : a pardon is laid up to be applyed by god when ever the sin is commited , so that there shal be no instant of time wherein the sinner is unpardoned , & so under condemnation . then surely he can never fall off from christ ; for what doth endanger the falling off from christ , but commission of sin ? christ hath as well merited at the hand of god pardon for any sin that is to come , as he hath merited pardon for sin past ; do not say this opens a gap to licentiousnesse , then we need not care ; no , the grace of christ hath no such malignity in it , in saying thus thou speakest against thy life . the second soul-staying argument for perseverance is , that perseverance is a spiritual mercy purchased by christ as well as any grace , ephes . . . blessed be god who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in jesus christ . now you will say , faith is a blessing , and humility is a blessing , and joy is a blessing we have in christ , why is not perseverance a blessing , a spirituall blessing too ? christ hath as truely and as really layd down his bloud to purchase the perseverance , as to purchase thy pardon , as to purchase any thing he hath purchased for thee . that which christ hath laid down his blood to purchase , surely must be had , the purchase of christs blood shall not be frustrate . is there any thing thou hast by vertue that purchase ? thou mayest be as sure of perseverance , for chrst hath laid down his blood to purchase that also . christian then satisfie thy soul in this , god gives the comforts in this world , but he gives them not for ever , but when he betrotheth thee unto his son he betrotheth thee for ever . perhaps the lord in mercy hath made thy life here in this thy pilgrimage very comfortable in giving thee a comfortable meet yoke-fellow , in this thy betrothing thou art happy , but this happinesse is not for ever , thou canst looke upon thy yoke-fellow as a mercy of god unto thee , that makes thy pilgrimage sweet , but there must be a dissolution between thee and her ; but thy union with thy husband christ is for ever , there shall never be dissolution of that . perhaps some of you have lost comfortable yoke-fellowes , death hath come and snapt asunder the union between you , and you complain never woman lost such a husband , never man lost such a wife as i have , if you be godly you have a husband that you shall never lose , it is he that will fill up relations , he saith , thy maker is thy husband , esay , . . and further , this is mutuall , i will betroth thee unto me for ever , & i will give thee a heart that thou shalt cleave unto me for ever . this will afford unto us another usefull meditation , viz. when the lord chooseth any soule to himselfe , as he setteth his own heart for ever upon thar soul , so he gives unto that soul a principle of grace to cleave unto him for ever too ; to give up himselfe unto him in an everlasting covenant , psal . . . i have inclyned my heart to performe thy statutes alwayes ; is not that enough ? no , he must have another word to expresse the thing , alwayes , even to the end . davids heart was much taken with the statutes of god , o lord through thy mercy my heart is inclined to keep thy sta●utes , yea and it is so alwayes , yea and it shall be unto the end . it is a kinde of pleonasme , or rather the expression of the fulnesse of his heart , in his resolutions never to depart from god. but what are those riches christ bestoweth upon his people whom he betrotheth to himself ? the bracelets , and ornaments hee putteth upon their necks and upon their hands are these . i will betroth thee unto me in righteousnesse , and in judgement , & in loving kindnesse , and in mercies , i will ever betroth thee unto me in faithfulnesse , aud thou shalt know the lord. there is much of the gospel in this . in righteousnesse . ] this according to some is understood , as opposed to dissimulation , sine fuco , without any dissembling , in this he assures his people that they shall finde his dealings with them altogether right and equall , and so i expect from you , and will cause it in you , that in your dealings towards me , you be right and equall , there shall be nothing feigned betwixt us , all shall be plain , right , and just . you know there is often a great deale of dissimulation in marriages , great pr●ffers , and promises , and overtures of what one should enjoy in the other , and when they meet not with what they expect , it causes great dissention between them , and makes their lives exceeding uncomfortable ; but now saith god , there shall be no dissimulation betwixt you and me , i will deale with you in the plainnesse of my heart , and you shall deale with mee in the plainnesse of your hearts . so the word [ righteousnesse ] is taken in scripture , isa . . . they make mention of the god of israel , but not in truth nor in righteousnesse , one expounds the other , i will receive you againe though you have departed from me , in the very integrity of my soule , doe not feare me , doe not suspect me , doe not thinke though he make a shew of love unto mee , and of great favour , yet hee intendeth to cast mee off at last : these are the jealous thoughts of many troubled consciences . indeed i heare of mercy , and god is working toward me as if he intended mercy to me , but i am afraid he will cast me off in the conclusion ; no saith god , do not feare , do not suspect me , this mercy i offer is bona fide , it is in the very truth of my heart , therefore let there not be such suspitious thoughts betwixt you and me , you may be sure that what is fit and right for you to have from such a husband as i am , that doth belong to such a spouse as i professe to take you to be , you shall certainly have it , you need not be afraid , for you shall have plain and upright dealing with me . this i take to bee one part though not all of the meaning of the holy ghost here , i will betroth thee unto me in righteousnesse , that love i professe to you i do not do it to mock you saith god , but i do it in truth . from whence the notes which are very usefull may be , first , guilty hearts are full of suspitions of gods reall meaning in all his expressions of love and mercy . they judge god by themselves . as they first slight sinne , because they judg of god by themselves , they see not such a dreadful evill in sinne , they think god sees it not : so after they have sinned , they judge of gods mercy by their own , they think thus ; if any had offended us so as we have offended god , though we might say wee would be reconciled to him , yet wee could not bring our hearts fully to come off to it , something would remain in our hearts , they therefore think so of god , they suspect god that he doth not mean really in his expressions of love and mercy to them . but take heed of this , doe not judge of god by your selves , though you have a base and cruell heart , and cannot be reconciled to those that provoke you ; it is not therefore so with god. there are these two evils in sin , first in the nature of it there is a departing from god ; secondly , it causeth jealousies and suspitions of god , and so hinders the soul from coming unto god again . secondly , god is very carefull to prevent all these suspitions in the hearts of his people . god desires that you should have good thoughts of him , and this is that we plead with you for , and do often open the riches of gods grace to this end that you may have good thoughts of god , and to take off your jealousies and suspitions of him , as if there were no reall intention in all the proffers of mercy he makes to you ; doe not thinke that all those riches of gods grace are meer words , they are certaine intentions of gods heart towards you . i will betroth thee unto me in righteousness . and for your parts , i will give you a heart , you shall return to mee bona fide , you shal do it in the plainnesse of your hearts . there was a time indeed , as psal . . , , . god complained of his people that they sought him and returned unto him , neverthelesse they did flatter with their mouth , and lyed unto him with their tongues , there was no reality in their returning unto him , they made great promises , that whatsoever god should say unto them they would do it , but there was no reality in it , yea but saith god , there shall come a time that you shall have righteous hearts , and that which you promise to me you shall promise really , there shall not be that falsenesse in your hearts , those shews and overtures that were heretofore , but you shall return to me with all your hearts in righteousness . god hath made adoe at first with us to make us believe that he is in good earnest with us in his proffers o● mercy ; and much adoe there is before our hearts can be gotten to work towards god in good earnest . further note , this is one reason why god doth betroth for ever , because he doth it in the plainnesse of his heart ; and this is also a good reason why the saints continue for ever , because what they do to god is in the plainness of their hearts . those who return to god in an hypocriticall way , will fall off , but they that return in uprightenesse will hold constant with him , prov. . . it is said of wisdome , that with her are durable riches and righteousnesse , they are put together ; where there is true righteousnesse in the heart , there is durable riches . but yet there is another thing in this betrothing in righteousnesse , and that i thinke hath more in it then the former . god will be so reconciled to his church , as yet he will manifest himself to be a righteous god. in the works of the riches of his grace he will manifest the glory of his justice too ; i will doe it in righteousnesse , though indeed the lord intendeth to glorifie rich grace , yet so as he will declare his righteousnesse to men and angels , that in this very work of his he shall be acknowledged by them unto all eternity to bee a righteous god ; god will make such a way for this his love and goodnesse as that hee will have satisfaction to his justice in it . that place , rom. . , . is remarkable for our purpose ; whom god hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood ; how ? to declare his righteousness for the remission of sinnes . marke it , it is not that he had set forth christ to be a propitiation , to declare his mercy in the forgivenesse of sins ; you will say , what is there in the forgivenesse of sins but only the mercy of god ? yes , there is somewhat else , there is righteousnesse too , and the lord doth declare his righteousnesse in the forgivenesse of sins , and therefore it is that he hath set forth christ to be a propitiation , that hee might declare his righteousnesse . if the lord should have said but thus , well , you are great and grievous sinners , i will be content freely to forgive you all your sins , this would have declared gods mercy , but not his righteousnesse : but now when the lord hath set forth christ as a propitiation , and forgiveth sins through the blood of his son , in this god declareth as much righteousnesse as grace . this text luther had a great deale of do to understand , and he prayed much before he could get the right meaning of it ; yea it is repeated again , to declare , i say , his righteousnesse , that he might be just , & the justifier of him that believeth in jesus ; not that he might be mercifull in justifying him that believeth in jesus , but that he might be just in justifying him that believeth in jesus . and this is the great mystery of the gospel , this is that which the angels pry into , the saints and angels shal admire & blesse god to all eternity , for the reconciling riches of mercy , and infinite justice both in one . this was that which set the infinite wisdome of god on worke from all eternity , how to find a way to save sinners , and to be infinitely righteous notwithstanding . if all the angels in heaven , and all the men in the world had been put to it , to find out a way to answer this question , how shall sin be pardoned , the sinner reconciled unto god , and god glorifie his justice ? they could never have done it , but god in his infinite wisdome hath found out a way to doe it . this cost god dear , it cost him the heart blood of his own son , and that was a sign that gods heart was much in it , and indeed we are not christians untill in some measure we see , and have our hearts taken with the glory of god in this mystery . we must looke at righteousnesse in our reconciliation , as well as to loving kindnesse and mercy . when god is reconciled unto a sinner , there is not only his mercy glorified , but in that way that god hath found out to save a sinner , hee hath the glory of his justice as much , yea more then if the sinner were eternally damned in hell . how is that you will say ? i make that good three ways . first , when god appointed a surety , his son , and charged his debt upon him , to satisfie his justice , in that god would not spare this sonne of his the least farthing token , i mean , not the least degree of punishment , he would not remit any thing to his son , the lord did hereby shew a stronger intense love unto justice , then if he had damned tenne thousand thousand creatures suppose a malefactor comes before a judg , the judg will not spare the malefactor , but requireth satisfaction to the law , this shews that the judg loves justice : but if the iudges own son be a delinquent , and it appears before all the country that the iudg will not spare him , but he must satisfie the law to the uttermost , you will say the iudge doth honour unto justice more in this , then in condemning many other malefactors . so when the lord shall cast many thousands into hell , there to be tormented for ever , this sheweth that god loveth justice ; but when his own son shall take our sins upon him , but by imputation , & god will not spare him ( that is the very word of the scripture , he spared not his own sonn , saith the text ) this declareth gods love to righteousness , more then if all the world had been damned . secondly , suppose the sinner that is reconciled had been damned , then the justice of god had been but in satisfying , and never had fully been satisfied ; but in that way that god hath found out to save a sinner , his justice is not only satisfying , but it comes to be fully satisfied , to have enough . now it is a greater honour to justice to be fully satisfied , then to be in satisfying . as for instance , suppose a man be a creditor to one who owes him five thousand pounds , this man is poore , and the utmost he can pay is but sixe pence , or twelve pence a weeke ; suppose the creditor should lay him in the jayle untill he had payed all , this man would be paying , but would never be payed so long as the debtor liveth ; but if another rich man should come and lay downe five thousand pound at once , the man is presently satisfied . here is the difference between gods satisfying his justice upon sinners , and upon jesus christ ; god cometh upon the sinner , he requireth the debt of punishment , because he did not pay the debt of obedience , god cast him into prison , the uttermost he can pay is but twelve pence a week as it were , that is but a little , and thereforefore he must be still paying and paying eternally , which is the very ground of their eternall punishment in hell , because they cannot pay enough in any finite time : now commeth christ , and he fully payes the debt , so that justice saith it hath enough , it is satisfied , this is the greater glory to the justice of god. thirdly , if the sinner had been sent down to hell , god had had the glory of his justice passively upon him , hee should be for ever under the power and stroke of justice , but in the mean time the sinner would have hated god for his justice , and hated justice ; but when justice is honoured actively , the sinner falleth down and acknowledgeth himselfe guilty , putteth himselfe under the stroake of gods justice , and accepteth of the punishment of his iniquity ; now god is delighted more abundantly in this active way of glorifying his justice , then if the sinner should have beene eternally in hell to have satisfied . and now devils and all wicked men must needs have their mouths st●pped for ever , they cannot cry out of god becanse he will marry himselfe to such sinners , this is mercy , but where is his righteousness ? where is the glory of his justice ? here is an answer to them all , though the lord setteth his love upon vile sinners , yet so as hee doth it in righteousnesse . and this is a great encouragement to come in and believe , as thus , if the sinner be terrified with the apprehension of his sinne , i see by them the wrath of god is incensed , and infinite justice comes upon mee , and i heare that crying for satisfaction ; this bids the sinner know likewise , that god hath a way to satisfie infinite justice , and yet to save thy soul , he will marry thee unto himself , and yet he will do it in righteousnesse . and this is a mighty helpe unto a sinner against all faylings afterward , a mighty establishment against a thousand objections the sinner may make against himself . thus we must seek to god when wee seek for reconciliation , to be received againe when wee have departed from him , whatsoever god doth for us , hee must doe it in the way of righteousnesse as well as in the way of mercy . take this with you sinners , if ever you have a pardon sealed unto you , it must be sealed in the court of justice as well as in the court of mercy ; therefore thou needest not appeale from the court of justice to the mercy-seat , for in that way of the mystery of godliness that there is in god reconciling himselfe unto a sinner , there may be as much comfort in standing before the bar of justice as at the mercy-seat , that is , by standing there , in and through christ , for he hath made justice propitious to us , and now it pleadeth to mercy for us . and indeed this is the very work of faith , to go unto god this way , when by faith the sinner shall tender up unto god the father the righteousness of jesus christ for an atonement and satisfaction for sins ; it brings the comfort of justification this way . when you come to god in any other way but this , it is but in a natural way , not in a true evangelicall way ; a man by nature may know thus much , that when he hath sinned he must seek unto god for mercy , to pardon his sin , or else he is miserable ; but to seek unto god for pardon with a price in our hand , to tender up the merits of christ for a satisfaction to divine justice , here is the mystery of faith ; faith is not onely to rely upon gods mercy for pardon , but this , i see riches of grace in christ , and christ my surety hath made an atonement , hath laid down a price , now by faith i tender up this unto god the father , and by this way i believe my soul shall be accepted in him . what a mighty ingagement is this for us to be righteous with god ? the lord betrotheth us unto himself in righteousnesse , & we should give up our selves to him in righteousnesse too . o my brethren , take this away with you , what ever you forget ; if the lord hath thus ingaged himselfe unto us in a way of righteousnesse , and if it hath cost him so deare to shew himself righteous unto us ; what an infinite ingagement is this unto us to be righteous before him , to glorifie gods righteousnesse in our conversations : i will doe it in righteousnesse , and you shall have such a righteous heart , as you shall never be a dishonour unto me before the people , neither devils nor wicked men shal ever be able to upbraid me , that i set my love upon such creatures as you , because whatsoever you were , you shall be now righteous . when ever we expresse our selves to be the spouse of christ , and be unrighteous in our conversations , we upbraid jesus christ , wee are a dishonor unto him before men and angels ; what you the spouse of christ , where is this ornament , this bracelet of righteousnesse then ? whosoever christ maryeth , he putteth upon them this jewel of righteousnesse . hee blasphems religion which he seems to honour , sayes cyprian ; who makes not good in his life what he professes . the eighteenth lecture . hosea . . — and in judgement , and in loving kindnesse , and in mercies . in judgement ] some interpreters we finde make this and righteousnesse to be all one , according to that psal . . . he loveth righteousnesse and judgement , and so passe it over , but we must not do so , for wee shall finde much of gods minde in this . others take judgement , as divers times it is taken in scripture for sanctification , so they would make this promise sutable to that of christ , john . . . i will send the comforter , and he shall convince the world of sin , of righteousnesse , and of judgement ; that righteousnesse there , is the same with that here ; judgement there by many interpreters is understood of sanctification ; because the prince of this world is judged , the power of satan is already broken , he is already cast out of your hearts . and they thinke to strengthen that by that place in mat. . . he will not quench the smoaking flaxe , nor breake the bruised reed , till he send forth judgement unto victory , that is , untill he perfect the work of sanctification , that it shall overcome corruption . this text in matthew is quoted out of esay , . . but there we have the words somewhat different , there it is , he shall bring forth judgement unto truth . now if that should be the meaning , that by judgement is meant sanctification , then we may learne an excellent note from the comparing these two texts together ; that it is all one to bring judgement , sanctification unto truth , and to bring it unto victory , when it is in truth it will certainly be in victory . but we shall a little more examine this interpretation of judgement presently ; for my part i do not think that it is meant either in this text , or in any of the texts named . thirdly , i finde others make this [ in judgement ] to be gods judgement against the adversaries of the church . i will betroth thee unto me in righteousnesse ; i will deale with you in a way of righteousnesse , and for your adversaries , i will deale with them in a way of judgement , you shall have judgement against them . so i finde luther carries it , and he saith that judgement here is the second pearle of the husbands ring he gives to his spouse , god promiseth to exercise judgement & vengeance against the adversaries of the church , and so he applyeth it unto those times wherein he lived in germany ; saith he , for these many years wicked magistrates have oppressed the church , and prophane doctors have corrupted the doctrine of it , but germany hath seene god judging his adversaries . and if we should understand it in this sense , we have a sutable place , esay . . where god telleth his church , that he that is her maker is her husband , even the lord of hosts , and her redeemer the god of the whole earth ; the word there is vindex , the avenger , he that will avenge thee of thine enemies , is the god of the whole earth , he is thy husband . this might afford a sweet meditation , that the lord will defend his church from the rage of adversaries , as the husband will defend his spouse being betrothed unto her ; the lord certainly will take a valuable consideration at the hands of the adversaries who wrong his church . but this i thinke not to be the scope of the place , another is [ in judgement ] though things be now out of order , all things seeme to be in confusion , yet the time is coming when all things shal be ordered in the church according to equity and right . these two i thinke are meant in the former texts , i will convince the world of judgement , that is , the world shall be convinced that christ hath all judgement committed unto him , and he shews it in this , that the prince of this world is judged ; so that place before in matthew , i will cause judgment to returne unto victory , that is , though the adversaries of the church be many , yet he will cause them all to be vanquished , judgement shal conquer over them all ; though there be much opposition and confusion in the church , yet i will bring all things in the church to be ordered & composed in a right way according unto equity . that place likewise esay . . where the lord saith , he will purge his church by the spirit of judge●ent and by the spirit of burning . i know some carry it as if it were meant of the spirit of sanctification , that is as fire to consume lusts , but rather thus , whereas there were such as did oppresse the church by false judgement , the lord would cleanse the church from wrong and oppression by giving a spirit of judgement unto those that should be the officers of it , and consuming the adversaries . but yet i thinke we have not the full scope of this place . i rather would pitch upon this as that which is more principally intended , though the other may be in some degree included , viz. i will betroth thee unto me in judgment , that is , there shall be a good reason for what i doe , that which i will now do in betrothing thee unto my selfe shall not be out of rashnesse , it shal not be done unadvisedly , but with understanding , with good deliberation , i know what i do in it , and i know what glory i shall have by it , i will do it in judgement . so i finde the word judgement taken in scripture , jer. . . thou shalt sweare in truth , in judgement , and in righteousnesse . in judgement , that is , when you sweare , know it is a worship of god , and you must doe it in judgement , you must not only sweare in truth , that is ; sweare to that which is true , and in righteousnesse , that is , not to the wrong or prejudice of your neighbour , for you may sinne in swearing though you sweare in truth if you have an intent to wrong any ; but thirdly you must sweare in judgment too , you must understand what you doe , that is , when you take an oath you must know that it is not as the ex officio was , to sweare to answer to every thing that shall be asked you , but you must understand beforehand what you are to sweare to , and so sweare out of judgement ; so saith god , i will betroth thee unto me in judgement , that is , i have considered what i am to doe in this thing , and i doe it out of judgement . and for your parts when you shal come and close with me , in this blessed conjugall union and communion you shall doe it out of jndgement too ; i will betroth you in judgement so as to make it appeare before the world that i had good reason so to do , and you shall likewise close with me as you shall be able to justifie it before men and angels , that you had reason for what you did , that it was out of judgement . there is nothing wherein there is more need of judgement then in marriages & contracts ; therefore the heathens were wont to set mercury , there god of wisdome , by venus , their goddesse of maryage , to note that there was need of judgement there , yet there is nothing usually in the world undertaken with lesse judgement , with more rashness and inconsideratness then contracts and maryages , which is the reason of the trouble of their lives ever after . but though there be many contracts between men and women that are not out of judgement , yet saith god i will betroth you out of judgment . christs match with his church is a match of judgment , christ considereth of our meanness before he marryeth with us , hee knoweth us fully what we are , he knowes our sinfulness , our wretchedness , he knows , we are in debt before he maryeth us , and whatsoever else we can think might be any hinderance , he knowes as perfectly as ever he shall know it , & yet he goes on . yea the match between christ and his church is that which hath been plotting in heaven from all eternity , it is not a sudden , rash match , it hath been plotting between the father and the son from everlasting . god the father giveth consent to this match , god the holy ghost is sent to draw the hearts of his people to come in and consent to this match , it is a match out of the deepest judgement that ever thing was done . though it be true that god can see no reason in us why we should be thus united to his sonne , yet he can see abundance of reason in himself ; therefore the conversion and salvation of a soul , is not only out of gods mercy , but it is from gods wisedome too , hence the scripture attributes our pr●destination and our calling , unto his wisdome as well as unto the freeness of his grace , as ephe. . . being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsell of his own will. mark , it is not only because god will. i will have mercy because i will have mercy , i will choose such , and i will refuse such , i will do it ; no , but it is after the cou●sell of his will. we indeed are set upon our wills many times to do a thing & there is no reason for it , there is no counsel of our will ; but god even in this thing that we can see no reason for at all , hee workes according to the counsell of his will ; and ephe. . . the apostle having said before , vers , . that he was to preach the unsearchable riches of christ , he saith , he was to preach it to the intent that now might be made known the manifold wisdome of god. in all things in the gospel there is a great deale of wisdome ; vocation is one of the mysteries of the gospel , and cor. . . the gospel is said to be the power of god and the wisdome of god ; the apostle there instances in one thing , which one would thinke hath as little reason in it as any thing in the gospel , that is , the leaving of the rich , wise and noble , the great ones of the world , and calling the poore ; but herein is not onely the power , but the wisdome of god , god doth even this in judgement . and although we can now understand little or nothing of any reason that there can be of gods choosing us unto himselfe ; yet this will be made known at the great day of judgement . it will be a great part of the glory of that day for the lord to make known the counsell of his will ; we now know his will , but we shall then know the counsell of his will , and praise him to all eternity for it ; this shall be the glory of the saints , that they shall see into the counsel● of gods will in choosing and calling them , and letting others goe . gods betrothing himselfe thus to his people in judgement , is an especiall reason of the perpetuity of this betrothing . i will betroth thee unto me for ever ; why ? first , it is in righteousnesse , therefore it will hold . secondly , it is in judgement , therefore it will hold too . things that are done rashly will seldome hold , but though we are set upon them for the present , we quickly undoe them afterward , but that which is done in judgment holds ; the calling of a sinner , and uniting him unto christ , is done in judgement , therefore it will hold , that is the ground of the perseverance of a sinner ; if a man before marryage knoweth perfectly all the faults his wife hath , or ever shall have , and knowes perfectly her estate & all the incumbrances he shall have with her , yet loveth her out of judgement , surely this love will hold : it is so between christ and his church ; christ before he betrotheth his church , perfectly knowes all the faults the church hath , or shall have , all the sins that ever she shall commit , and all the incumbrances & dishonor she shal have , yet out of judgement he betroths her to himselfe , therefore surely this will hold . comfort yourselves with this christians , though there be many faylings after your comming to christ , christ knew them all before you were united to him , yet out of judgement he betrothed himselfe unto you . there must also be judgement on our parts ; i will put into you a judicious heart , to choose me out of judgement . the saints who choose christ , know what they doe . they shall be all taught of god ; every one therefore that hath heard , and learned of the father , commeth unto me ; none cometh unto me , but such as are taught of god , who heare & learne of the father , they come to me out of judgement ; i know whom i have loved , saith paul , and so may every christian say . they doe not come to imbrace christ and his wayes out of novelty , because they are new things , ●o not any truth of christ , out of meer novelty as many doe , and so vanish to nothing ; though it is true , there is alwayes some new excellency in christ , i meane newly revealed ; christ hath alwayes something that is further revealed more then we knew before , and delightful i he is in that regard , if we love novelty : it is not a sufficient plea against any truth , because it is now revealed , and was not known before ; pet. . . be established in the present truth : though truths be from the beginning yet there are present truths in regard of manifestation : but the saints must not therefore receive them , meerly because they are new to them , neither must any reject them , because they are but now cleared , whereas before they lay in the darke ; but all out of judgement , we must examine them , when any truth is presented , though it seems new , because you heard not of it before , reject it not upon that , neither imbrace it upon that , but try it , and when you are convinced , then out of judgement imbrace it . neither must the saints follow god , or any way of truth , meerly from the example of others , but out of their owne judgements . perhaps you see such and such , of whom you have a reverent esteeme , and that justly doe thus and thus ; i confesse , that is enough to put you upon examining , to bethinke your selves , surely there is something in it , or else it is not like they would do it , but that must not be the onely reason , but if upon examination you finde it to be good , then embrace it out of judgement , never rest untill you come to that that the men of samaria said to the woman , now we believe that this is the messiah , not because of thy sayings , because you told us so , but we have heard him our selves , and we know that he is indeed the saviour of the world . at the first they came to christ upon her relation , but they did not beleeve in christ , but upon seeing and hearing christ themselves . you may come to examine the wayes , the truthes of god upon the relation and example of others , but you must not ingage your hearts in them untill you see the reality of them your selves . thirdly , you must embrace christ and his wayes out of judgement , not out of sudden flashes of affection ; suddeu flashes goe out as soone as they come . you have a notable example for this , luke . . happy are they that may eate bread in the kingdome of god : o this is blessed doctrine indeed . but by that which followes we may finde that they were such as presently went to their farmes and to their oxen , and prized them before christ , & refused to come to the supper . sudden flashes there were in thsoe that cryed hosanna , hosanna , but presently they cryed , crucifie him , crucifie him . josh . . . the people seemed to be moved with sudden affections , they would serve the lord , yea that they would , but they considered not what they said , you cannot serve the lord , saith joshua to them . so deut. . . all that the lord our god hath said unto us , that will we do , but presently , saith god , oh that there were such a heart in this people to doe it ! the truth is , they know not what they say , they have sudden affections , but they will quickly vanish . we must choose christ out of judgment . againe , not choose him out of mistakes , we must understand who hee is . we must sit downe and cast with our selves afore-hand what we are like to suffer in his wayes . compare for this cant. . . with the beginning of chap. . what is the●● loved , say they , more then another beloved ? let us know what thy beloved is : then the church falls a commending her beloved , and in the beginning of chap. . whither is thy beloved gone ? whither is thy beloved turned a side ? that we may seeke him with thee , that he may be our beloved too . nor out of by-ends , but out of a right knowledge of the excellencies of christ , having our judgments overcome that way . we must not choose any truth or wayes of god , because the times favour that way ; we have now a company of parliament converts , who were formerly prelaticall and ceremoniall ; they see how the times sway , this is not out of judgment . every christian should be a judicious christian . those adorn religion , they are an honour to christ . as the more deliberation and judgement there is in sin , the worse it is ; so the more deliberation , the more judgment there is in godlinesse , the better it is . when a soule chooseth christ and his ways upon this , oh i see a beauty in the lord jesus that i never see afore , i see him to be the character , and the ingraven form of the image of the father , in him dwels all treasures , the very god-head dwells in him bodily , he is the most precious among ten thousand , the wayes of god are holy and righteous . here is the rule of eternall life , here lyes the happinesse of the rationall creature , these are the wayes that my soule closeth with , and shall cleave to for ever , whatsoever i suffer in them , for i see the excellency , the beauty , the equity , the glory of them , the lord is worthy of all honour from all his creatures . this is a choise will hold . the world thinks the saints are giddy headed people , why ? because they cannot see any reason for what they doe ; they cannot see bottome enough in reason of such forwardnesse , and strictnesse , and zeale as there is in them ; they think they do in calescere in re frigida , that they are very hot about a very poore , sorry , cold businesse , and therefore they count their ways folly ; that any man will do , when he seeth another do a thing that he understands not the reason of , hee will either suspect his owne judgment , or otherwise think the man foolish ; now wicked men are too proud to suspect their own judgments , to think their own reason folly , therefore they count the wayes of god foolishnesse . they looke upon gods wayes at a distance , therefore they thinke there is no reason for them . it is reported of that notable convert marcus galeasius , that hee was converted by a sermon of peter martyrs , coming to heare him he expressed the excellencies of gods wayes , and the mistakes of the world in this similitude , the men of the world ( saith he ) mistake gods wayes , as if a man see a company of musitians that were playing and dancing according to the most exactest rules of art , if he see them at a distance , he sees them skippiug and leaping up and down as a company of madde men , and wonders what they mean ; but when he comes nearer and hears the melodious sound , and observes how all their motions are directed according to rules of art , then he begins to change his thoughts ; so the men of the world look upon the wayes of god , and upon the saints at a distance , and 〈◊〉 thinke the motions of gods people and their ways are madness , but when they come nearer , and observe the exactnesse of the rule they walk by , and the wisedome of god that appears in them , they change their judgments , and begin then to thinke , surely there is something in them more then they thought . this similitude god blessed , so as it was the means to convert that noble man , and made him leave all his possessions in italie , and come to geneva , where hee became such a pattern of self-deny all , as scarce any age ever had the like , god working by such a thing upon his heart . when you come neer gods ways and see them indeed , you will see infinite reason in them , and charge your selves o● infinite folly that you should have such low thoughts of them as you have had . this is the reason why the saints hold on in their ways . this judgment is as the ballast of the ship ; many hurry on in a kind of profession of religion , and the truth is , they know not what they do , nor what they professe , if there be any new opinion , i mean not only in regard of new manifestation , but in regard of the thing it selfe , presently they follow it that they may be counted some body , and seem to go beyond other men , they are as a ship that moveth a mighty pace , all the sails are up , and winds blow fairely , but there is no ballast , so the ship topples up and downe , but never comes to the end of the voyage . lu. . . when the seed was sown in the stony ground , it sprung up presently , but because there wanted moisture at the root , it withered away . this judgment is as moysture at the roote , that is the reason that mat. . . we read of the stony ground , that notwithstanding it received the word with joy , yet when persecution arose because of the word , by and by they were offended , they were mightily taken with the wayes of god , with the great things of the gospel at first , but not having judgment as soon as suffering came , by and by they were offended . if times should change again , & the adversaries should prevaile ( which god forbid ) we shal soon have experience enough of abundance of professors who have chosen the ways of god not out of judgment by and by they will be offended . thirdly , i will betroth thee unto me in loving kindnesse . though christ takes us to himself , and will not cast us off , yet he may see such failings and frailties in us , as we may be grievous and burthensome unto his spirit , we shall enjoy but little sweetness in our comunion together through the wretchednesse of our hearts . no saith christ , i will betroth you unto mee in loving kindnesse , my heart and wayes toward you shall be full of gentlenesse and sweetnesse , and i will put such a frame likewise into your hearts both toward me and toward one another , you shall have hearts full of sweetness and gentleness . the scripture speaks much of the loving kindness of god to his people in christ , eph. . . the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindnesse towards us in christ jesus . tit. . . after the kindness & love of god our saviour toward man appeared . you have these epithets given unto gods kindness ; great kindeness . neh. . . marvellous kindness . psal . . . mercifull kindness , 〈◊〉 . . everlasting kindness , isa . . . excellent ●ving kindnes , ps . 〈…〉 multitude of loving kindness , isa . . . thus full is is the scripture of the loving kindness of god towards us in christ . to open it a little , the kindnesse of god unto us in christ , consisteth . first , in the freenesse of gods goodnesse : kindnesse in a friend is seene much in this , when he doth a thing meerely out of his good nature freely , when he doth a kindnesse so as he doth not burthen it , he doth not upbraid his friend with what he hath done ; as he expects little before , he will not be mercenary , so when he hath done he doth not upbraid him with it , he expects not such great matters in lieu and recompence of what he hath done , as shall make his kindness worth nothing , but leaves it to his friend to answer him in a way of kindness again as he thinks fit . thus it is in all gods dealings with us , he looks not for much at our hands before , but that he doth is out of his free grace , he doth not upbraid us , he giveth liberally and upbraideth no man , he doth not burthen his kindnesse towards us . but doth not god burthen his kindnesse ? he requireth that we should give up our selves unto him , and serve him , and suffer for him , for his kindness ; i answer , there is nothing god requireth in lieu of all his kindness to us , but it is another kindness in god to enable us to do it , and a further kindness in him to accept it at our hands when we have done it , therefore his kindness is free . the heathens were wont to paint their gratiae , their goddesses of kindness naked , upon this ground , because all workes of kindnesse should be free , not clogged , not burthened , the blessing of the lord maketh rich , and he addeth no sorrow with it . the kindnesses of this world are ordinarily clogged , scarce worth the having ; the kindn●ss of god not so , it is free . again , kindness consists much in this , in our tenderness over those wee shew kindnesse to . the kindness of god in christ is much this way , in tendring our weaknesse and dealing with us in all his wayes accordingly , esay , . . i will not contend for ever , why ? lest the spirit which i have made should faile before me . he considereth our weakness . psal . . . the lord knoweth our frame , and heremembreth we are but dust , isa . . . christ gathers the lambes with his arme , and carryeth them in his bosome , and gently leadeth those that are with young . esay , . . in his clememcie ( so the word is ) he redeemed them , and he bare them , and carried them alwayes , continually . kindnes makes one long-suffering , he bare them always and continually . it is kindness for the man to consider all the weaknesses of the wife , and to deale with her in a loving way accordingly , tendring her good ; this is the kindness of christ to his church , thirdly , kindness is passing by all infirmities , not taking advantages against his people because of them . christ takes notice of all the good that is in his people though it be never so little , but that which is a weaknesse he will passe it by ; the lord is not strict to marke what we doe amisse , but the lord is strict to mark what we do well , if there be never so little good in an action that hath an hundred weaknesses in it , christ will mark what good there is in it , and passe by all the weaknesses . 〈◊〉 commended by pecer for calling her husband lord , in that speech of hers there was nothing but sin saving that word , and the holy ghost takes notice of that one word and le ts goe all the other . if thou aymest at serving christ , and canst appeale to him that thy heart istowards him , to honour him as he requireth , i say though there be an hundred weaknessesin an action , if there bee but one thing good , all thy weaknesses are past by , that one good thing is taken notice of . again , kindnes is in a loving , sweet , amiable carriage toward one another in our converse one with another . oh the sweet , amiable carriage that is in christ toward his people ! and that christ expects likewise from them to him again . if you reade the book of the canticles you shall finde what sweet , amiable expressions there are between christ and his church , what rebounding as it were there is of love and kindnesse one to another , thy love is better then wine , saith the church unto christ ; and , thy love is better then wine , saith christ unto his church , this ought to be between man & wife , this is kindness , cor. . . love is there said to be kinde , there is no morosity in love , but all a sweetnesse . fiftly , kindness is in easiness to be entreated , jam. . . peaceable , gentle , and easie to be intreated . thus in christ , he is easie to be intreated by his church , and the church should easily be intreated , and indeed is : when the hearts of the saints are right , there is an ingenuity in them , they are soone moved to any service christ calleth for . lastly , kindnesse is compassionate , sensible of all sufferings , so christ and his saints mutually . such loving kindnes as this should be in all maryage-communion ; where there is this loving kindness there is a sweet conjugall communion indeed , and so far as any of this is wanting , so farre the blessing of a maryage estate is wanting ; one reason amongst others , why god makes so much use of this allegory of marryage , to expresse so great a mystery of godliness , as the union betweene christ and his church , is to teach those that are married to live so together , as they may express all that excellency of communion that is between christ and his saints . now i put it to you who are in a marryed condition , is there this loving-kindnes in you , as may hold forth the loving kindnes that is between christ and his spouse ? so far as you want in your endeavours after this , so far there is an evil ; when you goe home take this lesson with you , labour to walke so in that way of loving kindnes one to another , as that you may expresse how the loving kindness of christ is unto your soules . there are many frailties in the man , in the wife , but not so many frailties as there are in you in reference to christ , christ beareth with more frailties in you then you can beare with in your wife ; christ is not morose to you , he is not a bitter husband to you . i have read of monicha , austins mother , who lived neare a heathen , and she had a very ill husband , of a very crosse and perverse disposition ; this heathen comes to her one time , and asked her , how cometh it to passe that you and your husband live so well together as you doe ? we know your husband is of a very crosse and perverse disposition , yet we see nothing but there is a great deale of sweetness and love between you ; it is not so with us , we cannot doe so for our lives : monicha gives her this answer , it may be , saith she , when your husband is untoward & perverse , you are perverse again , and you give crosse answers ; but christian religion teacheth me otherwise , when my husband cometh home and is in passion , christian religion teacheth me to be as loving , and dutifull , & amiable to him as i can , and so i have gained the heart of my husband . it were a happy thing if all women would take this home with them , and learne this of monicha austins mother , and so on the other side , the man in reference to his wife , this loving kindness is between christ & his spouse , let it appeare between man & wise who professe their interest in christ . and this loving kindness of christ , oh how should it draw our hearts unto him ! what more prevalent meanes to draw then loving kindnesse ? marke that scripture to shew the power of loving kidndnes , chron. . . if thou be kinde unto this people , they will be thy servants for ever , say those ancient counsellors of rehoboam , who gave him wise counsell . if this be the way to draw the heart , surely christ must need have our hearts , he is not a bloody husband , but a kind husband to us , let us then be his servants for ever . it were a good lesson for all governors to consider of , that it is kindness that drawes the hearts of people , they rule not over beasts , but men , therefore if they would rule over them with comfort and safety to themselves , they should rule with kindness . hence cant. . . it is said , that the charet of solomon was paved with love for the daughters of jerusalem , it is an expression of solomons gentleness toward the people of jerusalem . i have read of alexander severus , when his mother and his wife would put him upon harsh wayes , & objected to him his mildness & yeildablenesse to his subjects , saying , you have made your power more contemptible by your kindnes & yeelding so much to your people ; his answer was , at securiorem , but more secure and lasting . certainly , it would be so if magistrates had not the evill councell of young gallants ; if they would follow the counsel of the ancient counsellors , to be kind to the people , they would be their servants for ever , their peace and safety would be more then now it is . christ expects loving kindnesse from you unto himselfe , & loloving kindnes likewise one unto another . first . christ expects you should be full of loving kindnes unto him . o blessed redeemer , what is that we should do , that we should be kind to the ! the very phrase seems to be too low for christ , that christ should look for our kindnesse . yes , christ lookes for our kindnesse , and he prizeth it dearely , nothing in the world is prized by christ more then your kindness ; as a kinde husband prizeth nothing in the world more in his wife then kindness . but how kind to christ ? thus , you are kinde to him first , when you cleave to him , when he standeth in most need of you , sam. . . saith 〈…〉 hoshi , is this thy kindnesse to thy friend ? that is , what is thy friend in danger , and hath now need of thee , and doest thou now come from him ? is this thy kindnes to thy friend ? thou shouldst now be with thy friend in time of his danger and need , and that is kindnesse . so i say , there are some times wherein christ standeth in more need of us then at other , in suffering times , in times wherein his cause hath many enemies , and our help is called for , if we should now forsake him in times of suffering , may not christ , nay may not the holy angels and saints say , is this your kindnesse to your friend ? to come to christ when you have need of him is not so much kindness , but to come to him when he hath need of you , this is kindnesse . secondly , it is kindnes when we serve christ in the midst of difficulties . you have a notable place for this , jer. . . i remember the kindnesse of thy youth , the love of thine espousals , when thou wentest after me in the wildernesse . to be willing to follow christ in the wilderness , that is kindness . christ doth not account it kindnes for us to serve him when we may prosper in his service , when serving of christ may stand with our own ends , when we may keepe our shops , our lands and possessions , when there is no difficulty at all in his service , what great kindnes is this ? but when for love to the ordinances , & the truths of christ , you are willing to follow christ even in the wildernes , this is kindnes & christ will account it so ; however some men have thought that they have shewen great kindness unto christ , in that they have staid & born the brunt ; but how have they born it ? by yeilding to superstitious vanities , & being ceremoniall and prelaticall ; it will be found that those who have been willing to follow christ in the wilderness , our of love to him , his truth and ordinances , that christ will remember that for kindnes . thirdly , for young people to give up their young yeares to christ , that is kindnes , by way of allusion at least we may make use of that scripture , i remember the kindnesse of thy youth ; when thy bones are full of marrow , and when the world seekes to draw thy heart after the vanities of it , when thou mayest have thy delights and pleasures in the flesh to the full ; if then thou beest willing to deny all , and to give up thy selfe to christ , this is loving kindnesse ; one that is old may possibly come to heaven upon repentance , but what kindness is that for him , who hath nigh worn out all his dayes and strength in wayes of sinne , in the pleasures of the flesh , and now when he is going out of the world , and can have no more pleasure in his sin , he comes to christ for mercy ; what kindnes is here ? here is selfe-love indeed , but little kindness . secondly , loving kindnes one to another , i wil bet roth thee unto me in loving kindness ; i will put such a spirit into you of loving kindnes unto your brethren , as i have towards you ; the word that is here used for loving kindness , you shall finde it often in scripture used for saints ; those who are called godly , and saints in your bookes , in the hebrew are called kinde ones , it may be as well translated kinde ones ; as thus , psal . . . know ye that the lord hath set apart him that is godly for himself : it is a most admirable text , as if he should say , there are multitudes in the world , and all the world is mine , but i looke upon all the world , as refuse in comparison of some few , onely here is a godly man , a godly woman , i set them , apart , they are for my self ; but the note i observe is , that that word which in your books is godly , in the hebrew is the kind one , the lord hath set apart those that are kinde , those that are of sweet , gentle , kinde dispositions . and psal . , . not suffer thy holy one to see corruption , the hebrew is , not suffer thy kinde one to see corruption , it comes from the same roote with that that here is translated loving kindnesse . so psal . . . sing his praise in the congregation of the saints , of the kind ones ; and the same word againe is verse . let the saints be so full in glory ; the saints , that is , the kind ones ; noting what an ingredient loving kindness is to saint-ship , unto godlinesse ; therefore it is not enough for christians to be godly , but they must be kinde one unto another too . pet. . . and to godlinesse adde brotherly kindeness : you thinke you are godly , but you are of a rugged rough-hewen disposition , surly , cruell , rigid , severe , froward , perverse , know here is the exhortation unto you this day from god , if you will approve your selves to be godly , adde to your godlinesse brotherly kindnesse , except you adde that , you can have little comfort in your godlines . it is impossible indeed for one that hath the power of godliness , and hath the true comfort and sweetnes of it , to be of a rugged and rigid disposition ; the reason is , because there is that infinite satisfaction as i may so say , that such a heart hath in god , that there is nothing that can come from without that can make such a heart bitter , there is so much sweetnes in that satisfaction that it hath in god , as the scripture saith , a good man is satisfied from himselfe ; that it is not all the bitterness from without that can sowre such a heart . it is true indeed if you have a vessel of honey , a little gall will make all that bitter , but if you have a vessel of gall , a little honey will not make that sweet : but in grace it is thus , though there be a great deale of bitterness in a man or womans nature , though they be of rugged natures , yet a drop of true saving grace will sweeten all that gall ; and if they be once gracious , a great deale of gall & bitternes that cometh from without will not imbitter that sweetnes . i beseech you take notice of this one note , when god hath left men they grow more passionate and froward then they were before ; and i verily beleeve this is one ground of the frowardnesse , and passionateness that is in professors , they have made breaches between god and their soules , their peace between god and them is broken , and nothing then can give them content . as usually it is when a man hath been abroad and others have angred him , when his inward comfort and joy is gone , then every thing angreth him , he is pleased with nothing , his countenance is lowring , and he is unto ward to every one , and why ? because he hath lost the sweetnesse of his own spirit , and now nothing from without can content him , all seems bitter unto him ; but let this man goe abroad and things fall out well , it may be he gets a good bargaine , hears of excellent good newes ; that his goods are come home safely , hee can now beare a hundred times as much as before , and you can scarce anger him , why ? because his heart is filled with sweetness . so it is here , let a christian walke close with god , keepe his peace with him , he will have so much sweetnes in his heart that it is not easie to put him into any passion of frowardnes , why ? he hath enough within , perhaps his friend , his wife , his neighbour is crosse , but his christ is loving ; though there be little comfort in my maryage with one who is so peevish & perverse , yet in my marryage with christ there is satisfaction enough . but when the heart hath made breaches between christ and it self , when it hath lost the sweetness in that marryage communion , no marvaile if there be no sweetnes in the other maryage communion . i will give you a notable example of this , a man who before his breach with god was of a sweet disposition , was very milde and loving , but after he was of a perverse , and cruell , & froward disposition . the example is saul ; when he was first chosen king , how humble was he ? hee acknowledges himself to be of the least of the tribes of israel , and the least in his fathers house , and when some raysed npon him and said , shal this man raigne over us ? the text saith , he held his peace ; and when others would have had them killed , no , by no means they must not be slain , because god had shewen him mercy in a late victory given him . but after saul had fallen from god , o the rugged , perverse , cruell disposition of his spirit then , even to jonathan his son , a gracious , loving , sweet natured son , then thou sonne of the perverse , rebellious woman , he cast a jave lin at him to kill him , then the fourescore & five priests in the city of nob must be all slain in his anger ; what was the bottome of all this ? it was the breach between god and his owne spirit . oh take heed of breaches between god and you , for they will put you into a perverse and froward disposition . what doth a man get by the want of this kindness and loving disposition . he troubleth himself , pro. . . he that is cruell , of a sharsh disposition , troubleth his own flesh . i appeale to you , do you not lose much of the sweetness of your lives , you that are in a marryed condition ? what comfort have you in your lives when there is nothing but snarling at , and crossing one another ? you trouble your own house , and your own flesh ; whereas if there were loving kindness betwixt you , it would sweeten all your comforts , yea all your crosses . the loving kindnes of a man or a woman is the beauty of a man or woman . pro . . the kindnes of a man , is the desire of a man , saith the text there ; and of a woman , pro. . . among other high comendations of a vertuous woman who had done excellently , this is one , the law of kindnes is in her tongue , kindnes giveth a law to her mouth , many women have no law given to their mouthes , their tongues are lawlesse when they are angred , but a woman that is commended of god , the text saith , the law of kindnes is in her tongue , the kindnes of her heart doth give a law to her mouth , & that is the honor of a woman . to be of a sweet , kind disposition is an exceeding beauty , it addes a glorious lustre to any man living . isa . . . all flesh is grasse , and all the goodlinesse thereof is as the flower of the field , the word is in the originall 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the same word that is here , that word which signifyeth kindnesse is translated there goodlinesse , noting that kindnesse is the goodlinesse of the spirit of a man or woman ; what the beauty of a flower is to a flower , that is kindnesse to a man or woman , it is goodlinesse . just in martyr in his apologie for the christians faith , that their adversaries did hate only the name of a christian , they had nothing against the christians , and what is there saith he in the name ? nothing but that which is good and lovely enough , now saith he , it is not just to hate that which is profitable & gentle , for so the word signifyeth , they are christians , what if you call them christiani , of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 mild , profitable ? for to they are indeed , they are profitable , gentle , sweet natured people , and why should you hate those people ? cor. . . being filled with the holy ghost , and kindness , are put together , there is much of the holy ghost where there is much kindnesse . the spirit of christ is a spirit of kindnesse and gentleness , and though you may thinke that your rigidness and roughnesse may argue bravenesse of spirit in you ( for it is ordinary for froward and passionate people to thinke they have more brave spirits then others ) but know that your spirits are more base and vile then the spirits of others . i will give you only one text for that , psal . . . it is said of christ , in thy majesty ride prosperously , because of truth and meeknesse ; now the same word that is here translated meeknesse , sam. . . is gentlenesse ; thy gentlenesse hath made me great ; mark , gentlenesse , magnificence or majesty may stand together , yea christ is magnificent and full of majesty in the gentlenesse , and quietness of his spirit , ride on in thy majesty prosperously because of thy meeknesse , because of thy gentleness . would you have a brave spirit like unto the spirit of christ in his glory ? let your spirits be gentle , sweet , and loving spirits . i will betroth thee unto me in mercies . loving kindnesse and mercies may seem in the reading as if they were the same , but there is a great deale of difference in them . and in mercies . ] viscera , so the word is , i will betroth thee unto my self in bowels . not the fruit only , but the root ; not the water onely , but the fountaine ; thou shalt have the fountain of all good , my very bowels , from whence flowes all mercies . wherefore christians you need not fear the want of the supply of mercies , why ? because you have the fountaine of mercies from whence they spring . god may grant to wicked men many fruits of his bounty and goodnesse ; yea but they have not his bowels , they have not the fountain , the root from whence all springs . here is the happinesse of a christian , not onely to have much good from god , but to have those very bowels from whence that good cometh . here lies the dignity , the glory of a christian , the vastnesse of his riches . christians , you shall not therefore neede feare to give up any mercy god calls for at your hands , for you have got the bowels of mercy to be yours , you have got the spring-head of all mercy to bee yours , whence you may fetch all seasonable , all sutable mercies when you will. here is the reason why many who are carnall , when they have got a mercy from god , they keepe it so sure , they are afraid to lose it , they are loth to part with it , though god calleth for it againe . why ? because they are not acquainted with the true priviledg of a christian , they do not know what it is to possesse the bowels of god , they know not where to goe for more , therefore they are loth to part with what they have . now the saints can part with any thing for god , let him take what he will have , let him strip me as naked as hee pleaseth , i have the bowels of god , i have the spring-head to goe to for all mercies again . it is true , if there were want of water , and you had only water in a cistern , if your neighbour came to borrow of you , you would be loth to lend any ; but if you have a well-spring , and a fountaine that never was dry , and never will be drawn dry , is it a great matter for you to lend water then ? so , it is true , the men of the world are needy creatures , they have something indeed , but it is as water in a cistern , when that is gone , they think that all is gone , therefore they will not lend it , no not unto god himselfe when hee calls for it . but the saints have the bowels of mercy , the spring-head of all mercy , therefore whatsoever god calls for , they presently say , lord here take all , i know where to have it againe , and much more then that . this makes godly men so ingenuous for god , and so free hearted to him and to his servants . i will berroth thee unto me in mercies . a little to search into these mercies : it is an argument that hath much depth in it . first , they are a depth swallowing up the greatest evill of sin or affliction . if you should poure a paile of water upon the planchers in your chamber , it seems a great deale of water , like a little sea ; but take a paile of water , and poure it into the deep ocean , and it is there swallowed up , and appears nothing . our afflictions that are upon us , and our sinnes , in themselves appear great , but when they come to be swallowed up in these bowels , in these depths of gods mercies , in which he betrotheth himself unto us , they are as nothing in comparison . therefore the scripture hath such strange expressions of the wonderfulness of gods mercies to his people in christ . the scripture hath three notable words to expresse the fulnesse of gods mercies in christ . the first is ephes . . . the abundant riches of his grace , the riches that are cast in , over and above . the second word is in rom. . . the grace of god hath been more then exceeding , there is a second 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . and a third is , tim. . . the grace of god was exceeding abundant , it had a pleonasme asore , yea but here is a super-pleonasme . here are three 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 put upon gods mercy , to note the riches of the glory , and depth of the mercy of god in christ . secondly , consider these mercies in the effects . they set on worke all that is in god for the good of his people . if there be any thing that gods wisedome , or power , that all that blessednesse that is in god can doe , for the bowels of mercy yerne toward thee , and they will set all on worke for thy good if thou beest in christ . yea further , know that it is such mercy as it is the great designe , yea the greatest designe that ever god had from all eternity to honour this his mercy , to set out the infinite glory and the riches of this his mercy in christ . certainly god had great designs in doing such great things as he hath done , but above all the designs that ever god had in all his works , that is the chief , to glorifie the riches of his mercy in christ . they are indeed bowels of mercy , when they are such as in the glory of which god attaineth his great designe in making the world , he would never have made the world , had it not been for that . fourthly , they are the heart-blood mercies of jesus christ , they are such mercies as are worth all the blood of christ , and his blood was certainely most precious blood , when christ sees any converted and brought home to him , to be made a subject of gods mercy , hee thinks his blood well bestowed . the text saith , he shall see his seed , and his soule shall be satisfied . i have enough for all the blood i shedde . indeed i came from my father , and was made a servant , a curse , i suffered the wrath of my father , my blood was shed , but if this be the fruit of it , that such and such a soule shall have this mercy , i have enough for all my blood , i am glad that ever i shed it . yea god the father is well pleased with it , he thinks the blood of christ but a valuable price to purchase such mercies as these . as for all the glory of the world god can give that unto men that he hates , to reprobates , as luther saith of the whole turkish empire , it is but a crum of bread that the master of the house throws to his dogs ; but when it cometh to his mercies in christ , they are such as are worth the blood of his sonne , that must goe to be the price for the purchasing of them . . they are such mercies as god bestows on purpose that hee may declare to all eternity before angels and all his saints , what god is able to doe for a creature , to what a height of excellency and glory these infinite mercies are able to raise a poor creature unto . these must needs be great . yea they are such as must be the object for angels and saints to admire at , adore and magnifie the name of god for , everlastingly . what shall i say more in naming any fruits of these mercies ? such mercies as whereas before sin made thee to be the object of gods hatred , it makes thee now to be an object of his pity , god takes the rise from thy sin to shew his mercy . take heed of abusing it , it is childrens bread , that which i now speak , let us not sinne that grace may abound , god sorbid ; seeing thy sin cannot overcome gods goodnesse , let gods goodness overcome thy sin ; only let us learn to admire at these riches of mercy in christ , and let us exercise much faith about them . certainely wee should thrive in godlinesse much more if we did exercise faith in the bowels of god in christ . those kind of fruits , as your apricocks and your may-cherries , that grow up by a wall in the open sun-shine , and have the hot reflection of the sun , come to be sooner ripe & have more sweetness then those that grow in shady places ; your grasse you know that is shaded by the trees , in orchards , is sowre ; so that fruit that christians bring forth under discouragements and dispairing thoughts , is very sowre ; some things they do conscience hales them to duties , but alas it is sowre fruit ; though it be better to doe what conscience requires then not , for we must not go against conscience , but to doe it meerly because conscience hales to it , it is but sowre grasse . but when a christian can by faith set himselfe before the sun-shine of these mercies of god in christ , and continually live in the midst of the lustre of the grace of god in christ , he groweth ripe sooner , and his fruit is sweeter . you may know whether it be the sun of righteousnesse or no that you are set in , doth your fruit grow ripe ? and is it sweet fruit ? those who talke of mercy and of christ , who have the name of christ in their mouths , but is their fruit sowr , does nothing come from them but crabbed fruit ? these men are not in the sun , they are blinde , they cannot see the sun , they are but in a light of their own fancy , and in a heat of their own making . ephes . . . . the apostle prayes for the ephesians , that they may be able to comprehend , what is the bredth , and length , and depth , & height of the riches of god in christ : marke , the phylosophers tells us but of three demensions , but here are foure ; but what is the fruit of this ? and that you may know the love of christ that passeth knowledge , that ye might be filled with all the fulnesse of god ; here is the effect of it , when we come to know the bredth , and length , and depth , and height of gods love , and have that knowledge by the spirit of god that passeth all naturall knowledg , then we come to be filled with all the fulnesse of god. here now is a glorious christian , a christian filled with all the fulnesse of god. vvould you be so ? learne then to exercise faith much about the infinite riches of the mercy of god in christ , this will fill you with all the fulness of god , you complain of barrennes and emptines in your hearts and lives , it is because you exercise so little faith in these mercies of god in christ . god betrotheth his church unto himselfe in mercies , in bowels . let us learne to pleade these mercies before the lord , to pleade them when we are in any strait , to pleade with god for bowels , esay , . . looke downe from heaven , and behold from the habitation of thy holi esse and thy glory , where is thy zeale , and thy strength , the sounding of the bowels , and of thy mercies towards us ? are they restrained ? lord , hast thou not said that thou wilt betroth thy church unto thy self in bowels ? where is the sounding of thy bowels ? lord let us have these bowels of thine in which thou hast betrothed us through christ . oh what confusion will there be one day unto those that shall misse of all these mercies of god , in which the lord hath betrothed himselfe unto his church ! vvhat , will you content your selves now with crums that god casteth to dogs , with the fruits of gods generall bounty and patience , when you heare of such glorious mercies as are in jesus christ ? these things should so raise our hearts , that wee should protest as luther did , i protest saith hee , god shall not put mee off with these things of the world , with my portion here . oh no , the lord hath shewed me greater riches , though i be unworthy of any , yet i know his mercy is free , why then should not i have my portion in these glorious things ? come in then ▪ come in oh sinfull soule , be in love with jesus christ , & the ways of godlinesse , know that all these mercies are tendred unto thy soule this day , to break thy heart , even that hard heart of thine , and they are as free for thee as for any . there is nothing more pleasing unto god then for thee to be taken with the glory of the riches of his mercy . thou canst perform no duty so acceptable unto god as this , to have thy heart break upon the codsideration of his bowels , to have thy bowels yern again , and to come in and close with this infinite , rich , and glorious grace of his . which if thou dost , know that the first moment thou art united to christ , thou dost lanch into the infinite ocean of mercy , now thou breathest in the element of mercy , now thou livest upon nothing but mercy . is it so ? then know god expects a mercifull disposition from thee too . god betrotheth thee in righteousnesse , and putteth righteousnesse into thee ; in judgment , and gives thee judgment too ; in loving kindnesse , and makes thee loving and kind likewise ; in mercies , and putteth mercies into thee , bowels into thee also . first , toward himself . why ? can we be mercifull unto god ? what good can wee doe to god ? god expects you should have bowels toward him ; how ? thus , dost thou see the name of this blessed god thy husband to be dishonoured in the world ? oh thy bowels should yern , thou shouldst have bowels working now . what , doth god look upon thee in thy blood , in thy misery , and doth his bowels yern toward thee ? canst thou look upon god in his dishonour , and his cause trampled under foot , and do not thy bowels yern toward him ? it should pitie thy soule to see this blessed god to be so much dishonoured in the world as he is , to see that there are so few in the world that love and feare this god , who is thy god , and hath done thee so much good . vvhat , is there any good cause up wherein the name of god should be honoured ? thy bowels should work presently toward it . cant. . . my beloved put his hand by the hole of the doore , and my bowels were moved for him . vvhen christ did but begin to open a door , put but in his hand , when there was any good but beginning to be done ; oh my bowels were moved , saith the church , and i could never be at quiet untill i had enquired after , yea and found my beloved . is there any beginning to let in christ into the kingdome in his government amongst us ? dowe feele him putting in his hand at the door ? ( certainly if we be skilled in the way of christ , we may seele him putting his hand in at the door ) oh that our bowels would yern , and cause our hearts to flow to the bo●ntisulnesse of the lord , and joyn with christ in that blessed work of his that he is about . our bowels must also be toward the saints . it is extreamely against the spirit of christ for a christian to be hard-hearted toward his brethren , christ expects bowels ; and as you would account it ●grievous misery to have your bowels rotten , to have diseases in your bowels , know it is as great an evill to have your hearts unmercifull , that is , to have a disease in your bowels , so the scripture phrase is , amos . . he cast off all pitie , & his anger did tear perpetually , so it is in your bookes ; but the words in the originall are , and corrupted his bowels ; their bowels were corrupted when they were not pittiful toward their brethren in misery . it was a grievous condition that iehoram was in , chron. . . when his bowels came forth by reason of his disease . an unmercifull heart is a worse disease then this . what are wee , and who are we that gods mercies should be shewen towards us ? why not our mercies toward our brethren then ? the scripture calleth exceedingly for mercy in the saints toward one another . col. . . put on as the elect of god bowels of mercy and kindness . vvould you have an argument unto your selves that you are gods elect ? put on bowels then . never was there time since you lived , or your forefathers lived , wherein god called for bowels more then now . do you hear of the miseries of your brethren , their goods spoiled , houses burnt , wives , children ravished , themselves imprisoned , their bodies wounded , and yet no bowels all this while ; what , you hard-hearted in the meane time ? are you the elect of god ? why i pray you , what is your flesh more then the flesh of others ? what are your comforts more then the comforts of others ? why should you lie soft and safe more then others ? is there any such difference betwixt you and your brethren , that they should be in misery , and you must be pampered , and scarce feele the very wind to blow on you , and yet in the meane time your hearts hardned towards them ? it is true , god it is that hath made the difference you will say ; and god may make a difference where he pleaseth . i grant it , and it would not grieve god to make such a difference betweene you and them , if he saw your bowels yern towards them . but if god layes such afflictions upon your brethren who are better then you , and have done more for him then ever you have done , and yet you are hard-hearted , this will grieve god at the heart . ioh. . . he that seeth his brother hath need , and shuiteth up his bowels of compassion from him , how dwelleth the love of god in him ? if thou hast bowels , and shuttest them up from thy brother , surely thou never knewest what the love of god meant . mark that place ▪ cor. . . what encouraging expressions we have unto bounty and liberality toward our brethren , for the opening our bowels toward them . god is able to make all grace abound towards you , that yee alwayes having all sufficiency in all things , may abound to every good worke . there is no such text in all the book of god to encourage to the opening our bowels to the administring to the necessities of the saints , for that scripture is brought to that end , that part of the chapter is spent about that argument , if you believe any thing in the scripture , if you have any experience of gods bowels towards you , read over this , and see if it will not open your bowels . god is able to make all grace abound ; grace abound , that is something ; all grace , that is more ; but all kinde of grace , that is more then that , & that from gods almighty power too ; but that is not enough , marke , that you always having all sufficiency in all things . it were enough one would think god should say , you shall have all things needfull , no you shall have all things , if he had said thus , you shall have sufficiency in that you have , that is something , no but you shall have all things , and sufficiency in all things , and all sufficiency in all things . yea but i may want before i dye ? no , you shall have alwayes all sufficiency in all thiugs . well , this may make us doe something , you may thinke if i do this good work , and another , and another , i hope i do my part , no but you must abound , you must doe every good work and abound in every good work . but i shall draw my self dry if i be so abundant in every good work ; no , god is able to make all grace in you to abound towards you , that you alwayes having all sufficiency in all things may abound ; you shall never be drawn dry , for you have the bowels of gods mercy . alexander giving large gifts , some asked him , what will you keepe for your selfe ? spes , saith he , i will keepe hope for my self , i will make account that still there are greater things comming for me ; what he had he gave away , because he had a spirit that looked after and hoped for great things to come ; certainly christians have that left , alwayes they have hope , they may expect great things , why ? because they have the bowels of gods mercies to be theirs . one thing more ( to knit all together ) all righteousnesse , all judgement , all loving kindnesse , all mercies comes from god through our union with christ . though god be an infinite ocean of goodnesse , yet we can expect nothing from god but through our union with christ , man hath forfeited the title he had to all the goodness of god , and now the title upon which he is to hold all his good , it is the union he hath with this husband , with jesus christ by vertue of this marryage . whensoever faith goes to heaven for any good from god , it goeth to heaven by vertue of this right , and obtaineth all the good it gets from god by vertue of that conjugall union the soul hath with jesus christ . how blessed then was the time when christ was first revealed to the church ! cant. . . behold king solomon with the crown where with his mother crowned in the day of his espousals , in the day of the gladnesse of his heart , these things opened in our espousals with christ , must needes make that day the day of the gladnes of our hearts . o how deare should this christ thy husband be unto thee ! how happy , when thou shalt have full communion with him ! when jsaac met rebekka , he carryed her into his mothers tent : when the lord christ shall meet his spouse , he will carry her into his fathers pillace . behold the riches , the glory of my father whom i told you of , these are all yours in my right eternally . the nineteenth lecture . hosea . . . . , i will even betroth thee unto me in faithfulnesse , and thou shalt know the lord. and it shall come to passe in that day , i will heare saith the lord , i will heare the heavens , and they shall heare the earth . and the earth shall heare the corne , and the wine , and the oyle , and they shall heare iezreel . and i will sowe her unto me in the earth , and i will have mercy upon her that had not obtained mercy , and i will say to them which were not my people , thou art my people , and they shall say , thou art my god. i will even betroth thee unto me in faithfulnesse . here is a third betrothing , i will betroth , i will betroth , i will betroth , jerome hath a note upon that and saith , that it is thrice repeated to note three several times of gods betrothing himselfe unto his people . . vvhen he called abraham . . after they went out of egypt and were in the wildernesse at mount sinai . . in the time of the gospell . and of this exposition calvin saith , it may be accounted witty , but it is frivolous . he giveth a better reason ( which i thinke to be the minde of the holy ghost ) why it is thrice tepeated ; because apostatizing israel could hardly beleeve that ever god would doe such a thing as this , what after the lord had cast israel away ? yea cast her to the beasts ( for so he threatneth in the former part of the chapter ) yet now betroth her to himself , this was unlikely . i will [ even ] betroth thee , so you have it in your books ; now the truth is , the word in the originall is vau , the same that is translated and before , but because the third time it is said [ and ] the translators thought there was an emphasis in the third and , and therefore to expresse that emphasis they put in the word [ even . ] infaithfulnesse ] in steadiness , so the word signifieth , i will betroth thee unto me in a steady way , my goodness toward thee shall be stable and sirme . so the word is often used in scripture , exod. . . his hands were steady , the same word that we have here for faithfulnes , so deut. . . i will make thy plagues of long continuanoe , thy plagues stable and constant , the same that is here for faithfulness . and sam. . . i will raise me up a faithfull priest , and i will build him a sure house , there the word is of the same roote , a sure house , a firm , steady house . faithfulnes here imports , gods stability & steadines in his covenant with his people . it notes not so much the perpetuity , for that was before , i will betroth thee unto me for ever : but firmeness & constancy , as opposite to ficklenes & uncertainty . there is much unconstancy & fickleness in our love one to another , but the love of god to his people is stable , setled , firm & constant love . that is the meaning in the first place , though not all . esay . . as the eridegroome rejoyceth over the bride , so shal thy god rejoyce ●ver thee , that is , the love of christ after thousands of yeers is still but as the love of a bridegroome upon the wedding day , then ordnarily love is hot & appears much ; not the love onely of the husband , but as the bridegroome . there is no moment of time , but christ rejoyceth not onely as a husband , but as a bridegroome over every gracious soule . christs love is steady , because it is pure , without mixture ; it is a holy love . observe the comparing of two texts , esay . . the sure mercies of david are promised there . in acts . . that scripture is quoted , and there it is the holy things of david ; as noting , because the love of god is holy , therefore it is sure and stedfast . christs love unto his people is in righteousnesse , as before , and in judgement , and in loving kindnesse , and mercies : it is from the sweetness of his nature , and therefore it is steady & firm . with him there is no shadow of change . it is grounded upon a sure covenant , therefore firme . though indeed the love of christ may be to us as the shining of the sun , not alwayes in the fruits of it , shining out so gloriously , but the sun keepes his course in a steady way , though sometimes it is clouded , and we have it not so gloriously as at other times . the saints should fasten upon the love of christ in the covenant ; and though other things be never so uncertaine , yet they should quiet their hearts in this , that their happiness in the covenant of grace is certaine . perhaps the love of our friend is uncertaine , very fickle and inconstant ; those who will glavor upon you , and seeme as if their hearts were with you , but what sullen moods and fits will there be at times ! and when you have most need of them , you know not where to finde them . but the love of christ is certaine and stable , sam. . . marke how david comforted himself in the stablenesse of the love of god in the covenant . though he doth not cause my house to grow , yet he hath made with me an everlasting covenant , ordered in all things and sure , and this is all my desire & all my hope , that is , that the covenant is sure and stedfast . and ( as we have opened it in all the former ) so here it must be mutuall . i will betroth thee in faithfulnesse , and make thee faithfull too ; that is , thou shalt have a steady , firme , stable spirit in thy love to me , though not in that degree that christs is , yet there is a stability in the hearts of the saints unto christ , they are not carried up and down with every wind of doctrine , with every puffe of temptation as other men are . the righteous is an everlasting foundation , pro. . . the upright holdeth on his way , iob. . . it must needs be so , because the affections of the saints unto christ are holy affections too , though not perfect , they have indeed some mixture , therefore some instability ; but they have holiness , therefore stability . and they choose christ in righteousnesse and in judgement . and they have the divine nature in them ; and as that hath no shadow of change , so they come to have something like to the immutability of the divine nature , some shadow of it . esay . . a godly man is described thus , whose minde is staid upon god : he hath a stable spirit , not a wandring , fickle , roving spirit , he hath fixed himself upon god , he can say , my heart is fixed . the men of the world , because they have not that which can satisfie , run up and downe , first , after one contentment , then after another , they have no where to fix : but the saints finde all-sufficiency in god , when they are there , their hearts are satisfied , and there they fix . as a bee lighting upon a flower , finding but a little honey , gets away to another , and to another , and to another ; but when it comes to a flower , where it may suck honey enough it fixeth , it stayeth there . the hearts of the saints find a fulnesse of good , in god , and there they fixe . a fickle , wavering , unstable spirit is exceeding unbeseeming a christian . as it is in the body , some who have flushings of heat , have a very good colour for a while , but when we know this good colour is but a flush , it is rather an argument of a disease , then of a good complexion . an end of a candle that burnes in the socket gives some flashes of light now and then , but a candle that is set upon a table gives a steady and constant light . mad people you know have their iudicia intervalla , some times wherein they doe acts of reason , but you may perceive they are not in their wits , because there is not constancy , and evennesse in their actions . this stablenes , this evenes in a christian way is the beauty and glory of it . though you be never so forward sometimes in that which is good , yet if at other times your hearts be off , there is no beauty in your conversation . but give me a christian whose wayes are even , that you may finde a constancy in him in all his wayes . those who have such fickle , uncertaine , inconstant hearts , are never like to excell ; if they have any truth in them , yet they will never be eminent christians , gen. . . it is said of ruben , ruben unstable as water , but hee shall not excell ; so it may be said of a christian unstable ; here is one of good affections , at sometimes very forward , but unstable as water , he shall not excell . constancy in love is exceeding comely and beautifull between man and wife , from thence is the expression of the holy ghost here ; it adds much unto the lustre and comfort of their lives . for men to seeme sometimes to be mighty fond , & other times to be bitter and sowre , like nabals ; or the wife to be very fond sometimes , and to be grievous & irkesome at other times , this takes away the beauty , the comfort of their lives . but there is more in this faithfulnesse then stability and firmeness , i will betroth thee in faithfulnesse ; i will certainly performe all the good you can expect from me , which is befitting a husband , yea such a husband as i am , to doe to my spouse ; you may confide in me , i will be faithfull to you , not onely my love , but my faithfulnes shall binde me to you : my loving kindness , my mercifull disposition is a great bond , but my faithfulnes shall binde me also , i will be content to ingage my selfe to you , that you may certainly confide in me , so as you may not only expect it from my love , but challenge it from my faithfulness . we deny not gods providence to other creatures , but the spouse challengeth gods care , saith bernard , which is beyond providence , such as is out of faithfulnes , as well as out of love . christ here condescends to his spouse , as a man is willing to give satisfaction to his wife & her friends , though the truth is he would doe any thing in the world out of love to his wife , yet in regard of her weaknesse , and to satisfie some friends he is content to enter into bond , to do any thing that is fitting ; it is good to make all things sure before-hand , say her friends , he presently yeilds , for it is no other but what he is willing to doe without bonds , onely to satisfie her and their minds . thus it is between christ and his spouse : the truth is , the love of christ is enough to make a supply of any of our wants , but wee are weake , and would faine have things made sure , therefore saith christ to helpe our weakeness , i will even enter into bond , and you may be sure i will be faithfull then , i will binde my faithfulnes to you for all the good you would have . and this faithfulnesse of christ is either in regard of the great marriage-covenant , there hee will be sure to be faithfull to his spouse ; or in regard of all particular promises , that are under things as it were . there is the great marriage-covenant , about reconciling god , and paying all debts that are owing and satisfying gods justice , and bringing to eternall life ; but there are many under-promises , and christ will be faithfull in them all . ps . . . you have a promise worth a kingdome , all the paths of the lord are mercy and truth , not onely mercy , but mercy and truth , mercy ingaged . vvicked men may have mercy from god , from the generall bounty and goodnesse , and mercifull disposition of god , but what the saints have is from ●ruth , as well as from mercy , it is bound to them . god stands much upon this that the hearts of his saints should confide in him . he accounts not himselfe honoured except we confide in him : therefore marke how christ suiteth himselfe unto our weaknesse , that wee may confide in his faithfulnesse . what is it ( saith he ) that you poore creatures do one to another when you would make things sure betweene you ? wee answer thus , lord we ingage our selves by promise one to another . i will do so saith christ , you shall have my promise , my faithfull promise . acts . . peter invites to baptisme upon this ground , because the promise is made to you and to your children , and to as many as the lord our god shal call : the first he speakes to the jews , the other to the gentiles ; as if he should say , come in and receive baptisme , for to you and to your children the promise is made , to you that are jews and to your children , and to the gentiles , they have the promise that you have , they come under the same covenant for the maine , the promise is to them and to their children too . and this promise that christ hat●ing aged himself in , is no other then a draught of that which was before the world began , from all eternity , and therefore it is so much the more sure . tit. . . the gospell is called a promise before the world began . all promises in the scripture are but a draught of that grand promise that god the father made to his son before the world began ; as if christ should say , will you have engagement by promise ? this is past long agoe , my father hath engaged himself to me from all eternity , & if you have any promise it is but a draught of that first copie of that great promise my father hath made me from all eternity . vvhat doe you doe more when you would make things sure one to another ? vve answer , we doe not onely make a verball promise , by word of mouth , but we write it . god hath therefore given us his scripture , and the chiefe thing in scripture is the promise , god hath set to his hand to his promise in scripture . hence luther hath a notable expression , the whole scripture doth especially aim at this , that we should not doubt , but believe , confide , hope that god is mercifull , kind , patient . vvhat do you more ? here you have my promise and my hand , is there any thing else you use to do , to make things sure ? vve answer , lord wee take witnesses . i will do so too , saith god. vvhen we would make things sure indeed , we take not only two , but three , or four , but half a dozen witnesses sometimes . you shall have witnesses ; saith god as many as you will , witnesses of all sorts , witnesses in heaven , witnesses in earth ; in heaven , i iohn . . the father , the word , and the holy ghost , witnesses authenticall , of credit enough , the three persons in the trinity , upon earth , the spirit , the water , and the blood . what do you more to make a thing sure ? lord , we set to our seales too ; you shall have that too saith god , you shall have seals of all sorts , you shall have the broad seale of heaven , the sacraments , the seals of the covenant ; and you shall have my privie seale , i will take my ring off my finger , i will give you even the seale of the spirit , and do but shew this seale , it is authenticall enough . is there any thing more ? yes we answer , there is one thing more , we take an oath , i will do that too , saith god , that you may be sure , and confide in my faithfulnesse . heb. . . god willing more abundantly to shew unto the heirs of promise the immutability of his councell , consirmed it by his oath . as if he should say , there is no such need of an oath , but i will be abundant to you , because i would have you trust mee , and mark this is for the sake of the heirs of promise , god would never have done this for other men , it is for your sakes onely who are the heirs of promise , in regard of your weaknesse he conrfims all with an oath . and if wee would have things sure , wee will not have the oath of such as are of no great credit . mark , therefore it is that god sweareth , and that by the greatest oath , ver . . because he could sweare by no greater , saith the text , he sware by himselfe . is there any thing more saith god that you use to do among your selves to make things sure ? yes lord , we use to take a pawn too . you shall have that too saith he , i will give you a pawn , and such a pawn as if you never had any thing more you would be happie . what is that ? cor. . . who hath sealed us , and given us the earnest of his spirit in our hearts . i will send my spirit to be an earnest of all the good that i intend to do for you everlastingly . is there any thing else you would require of me that you may confide in me ? yes , if god would doe some great & notable work as a beginning & as an ingagement of that which is to come after , this is yet more then a pawne , when there is some speciall thing done in way to that which wee make account of , that we are not only promised it , and have it under hand and seale , and have an oath and a pawne , but it is in a great degree begun , and so begun as the difficulty is over . those who live under the gospell see the greatest part of our salvation already done for us . god made a promise of sending his son into the world ; now in gods performing that promise that god-man should come into the world to be made a curse for sin , this is the greatest worke of all that is to be done to all eternity , and if god would have failed in any thing it would have been in that . it is not so much for god to deliver us in this world , it is not so much for him to bring us to heaven , as it is to send his son into the world to be made a curse for us . now when god hath done so great a work and hath beene faithfull in that great promise , he hath taught us for ever to trust in him , to beleeve his faithfulness in making good other promises . if a man who owes five thousand pound , and payes you foure thousand nine hundred of it , you thinke surely hee will never breake for one hundred , i may trust him for the rest , seeing hee hath dealt so faithfully with me in the great summe . god hath paid the four thousand nine hundred and much more , in comparison of what god hath done for us , take all the glory of heaven , we have not one hundred of the five thousand left behince , therefore we may well confide in him for the payment of the rest . but is god able ? it is true , god is faithfull : this is seldome an objection , at least an explicite objection in the mouths of people , but surely an implicite one it is in the hearts of many ; that appears by those cautions , god gives to take away that objection , pet. . . commit the keeping of your souls unto him as unto a faithful creator , as if he had not said enough in saying he is faithfull , he adds faithfull creator , as if he should say , f there be no means to help you i will create means , i will put forth my almighty power to create helpe for you , but you shall have helpe , dan. . . the lord will confirme the covenant ; the word is used for a mighty man , a giant in scripture . gen. . . he began to be a mighty one in the land , as a giant in the earth , the word here is of the same root , god will come forth as a giant , as a mighty man to make sure the covenant he hath made with his people , if there be any thing in the world wherein god will stirre up his infinite power , the excellency of his power , the glory of his right hand , it will be in confirming his covenant to his saints , esay . . trust ye in the lord for ever , for in the lord jehovah is everlasting strength , esay . . . thy maker is thy husband , the lord of hosts is his name , the god of the whole earth shall he be called . seeing god is so faithfull , let not us be faithlesse . but things goe very crosse , and how shall we beleeve , our faith shakes ? the true genuine love of the saints is such as will love god without gifts , for himself , so the genuine art of faith , is to beleeve in god without experience , yea though things seem to goe contrary . that love is but a lame love that loveth god onely for that which vve receive from him for the present , and that is but a lame faith that beleeveth only in ●od for that which we see for the present . doe things goe crosse ? they are corrections , and those may come from faithfulnes as well as any thing the church enjoyes , psal . . . i know o lord that thy judgements are right , and that thou in faithfulnesse hast afflicted me ; as god comes downe to you and sutes himself to you as his poor creatures , so you should labour to raise your hearts to him , to beleeve in him as a great god. ●od deals with you as having to deale with weak creatures , you should deale with him as having to doe with an infinite god. you must give god leave to doe his worke his owne way . the object of our confidence in god , it is , the thing will be done , it is not how it will be done , or when it will be done , but that god will carry his worke thorough . shall our weakness be so much regarded , as that things must not work so as to shew gods power ? certainly it is too too much for us to think our weakness must be so far condescended to . one would think that it is enough , that god condescendeth so much as to expresse himself so to you as you may beleeve ; would you have god condescend to expresse himselfe so to you , as he should not have the glory of his worke , nor you the glory of your faith ? this is too low . though we be bound to deny our selves much , because of the weakness of our brethren ; must god deny his glory because of our weakenesse ? we burden god too much with our weaknesse . it is for gods glory that things goe as they doe ; lazarus was dead , and dead so long , that the work of god might appeare . but i finde not things go so as i expected , i thinke i have beleeved , at such a time in prayer i thought my heart did close with the promises of god , but yet things goe not so as i expect . though things be otherwise then thou expectest , yet it may be god calls for new acts of thy beleeving , and it is because there is no renewing of thy faith in his faithfulness . you must know , the continuall actings of faith draw out the continuall actings of the power of god. i will give you for that one famous text , perhaps you may reade it often and heare it , but not perceive the strength there is in it . psal . . . o how great is thy goodnes which thou hast laid up for them that fear thee ! but marke what followeth , which thou hast wrought for them that trust in thee . great is the goodnesse thou hast laid up . gods goodnesse is great to admiration for them that feare him , but how ? it is laid up for them , but now marke , which thou hast wrought for them that trust in thee . all the goodnesse that is in god , is for them that feare him , but it is not fearing god that will bring it to work , it is laid up in a treasury indeed ; do you feare god ? god hath laid up abundance of goodnesse in a treasury for you , but you must not expect this will work for you , unless you trust in him ; your faith must bring it forth into work , and that before the sonns of men ; thou shalt hide them in the secret of thy presence from the pride of men . would you be hid in the secret of gods presence from the pride of men ? you must not onely feare god , but trust in his faithfulness . mat. . . christ did no mighty works there because of their unbelief : and ma●k . , . he could not doe no works because of their unbelief . one says he did not , and the other sayes he could not , when we have a promise , let us put on to get the goodnesse of god to work , which is by believing . for that i will give you as notable an example as any i know you have in the book of god , of a believing heart , catching hold upon a promise upon gods faithfulnesse to work it out , chron. . . and so on . in the former part of the chapter you shall finde god had promised david to establish his house , to build him a sure house ; well , as soone as david had got the word , mark how hee improves it , how hee works upon gods word ; as if he had said , seeing i have got his word , i will hold to it , he shall not goe from it , saith he , therefore , o lord , let the things thou hast spoken concerning thy servant and concerning his house , be established for ever , and doe as thou hast said . thou hast spoken , do as thou hast said . ver. . let it even be established , i expect it , seeing thou hast been pleased in such a gracious way to promise me thus , i will relye upon it , let it be even established , that thy name may be magnifyed for ever . i will plead thy name in it , if there be any thing to be pleaded more then other , i will plead it before thee ; but is not this enough ? vers . . thou o lord god hast told thy servant that thou wilt build him an house , therefore thy servant hath found in his heart to pray before thee . he had said before , that god had spoken it ; here he goes over it again , as making much of gods word , thou hast told me , and i pray for nothing but what thou hast told me . nay yet still david encroacheth more upon god , ver. . now o lord thou art god , & thou hast promised this goodnesse unto thy servant . i have not to deal with a man that will be fickle and inconstant , wavering and unfaithfull , but thou art god , and i will trust in thee as a god , thou art god , and thou hast promised this goodnesse , it is thine owne goodnesse , now therefore do it . see how he followeth god upon his promise . and mark what admirable effects followed upon this , chap. . ver . . after this , saith the text , he prospered , when his enemies came against him , he took a thousand charets , and seven thousand horsemen , and twenty thousand footmen from hadarezer , and when the syrians came to help that hadarezer , he slew of the syrians two and twenty thousand men . after this , mark the connexion of that chapter and this , after david had improved the promise , hee might have what he would ; thus the loving kindnesse of god was laid up in a promise , but wrought out by davids faith . this is our evill that we do not improve this faithfulnesse of god , wee lose abundance by it . it is an argument that wee have base spirits . it is a great evill between man and wife , when they cannot confide one in another , but are jealous , how can such live comfortably together ? so we are jealous of god , we lose our comfort in him ; jealousie comes oftentimes from much basenesse of spirit , and selfe-guiltinesse , because we are of such base hearts our selves , that is the reason we are so jealous of god. where there is much love between man and wife , there cannot be much jealousie , and if there were intire love in the spouse of christ , there would not be jealousie . you have an excellent passage for that , john . . you will not come unto me that you might have life , you will not believe in me , that is the meaning : then ver . . i know you have not the love of god in you . is there any thing in the world more tedious to a husband , then that the wife should be jealous of him ? think of it , the same tediousnesse it is unto the spirit of jesus christ , that thou shouldst be jealous of him , and not confide in his faithfulnesse . surely if we did trust in gods faithfulnesse , wee would not think to compound with him so as we do , but wee would improve his promise to the utter most . as you that are merchants , and have much owing you , all the while you confide in your debtors , you will not compound with them for less then your debt ; if you should come to one that ows you money , and say , i pray sir pay in my money , and i shall be content to take ten , or fifteen in the hundred ; the party would think himselfe disg●aced ; what , do you distrust me ? do you think i will break ? no , i will pay you every penny , he stands upon his credit . the truth is , we poor wretches , because we have not gods promises presently fulfilled , we would compound with god , that is , if god would give us any little comfort for the present , we would be satisfied rather then waite for that which is to come , though it be infinitely more ; this is a great dishonour to god , and an argument of our unfaithfulnesse . it is an argument of little faith , if thou canst be satisued , should god give thee tenne thousand worlds for the present , if god should say , what will yon have ? would you have your enemies destroyed ? would you have your peace and your trading in the world , your ease and quietnesse ? is this all ? this is to compound with god for twelve pence in the pound as it were . no saith a gracious heart , lord thou hast promised mercy , & i expect it to the full , i wil not abate the least farthing of it . god loveth we should stand with him for his promise unto the uttermost farthing . no , but i hope god give me heaven at last , yet i doubt hee will leave mee here in the world . this is to compound with god another way ; there are some who perhaps will pay eighteene , or fifteen shillings in the pound , but it is a dishonour to god to abate one shilling in the pound , therefore we must not onely believe in god for heaven , but for earth , and for safety and comfort , and that in times of greatest trouble . god is well pleased with such kind of holy impudence , as we may say , that is , to follow him for the uttermost , and to urge him upon his word again and again , to pay what he is ingaged for . again , had we faith in god we would set upon great things though we see but little meanes . many of you who have but little stockes , yet if you have rich friends that have given you encouragement , and that you know will be faithfull to you , you will trade for great things with your little stock , because you know you have those friends will stand by you . so though we have but little strength , if god call us , we should be willing to set upon great things , because god hath stock enough , and he hath ingaged himself to stand by us . i will bearoth thee unto me in faithfulness . as i will be faithfull to you , and you shall conside in my faithfulnesse , so you shall be faithfull to me , that i may confide in your faithfulnesse , as i fulfill all my promises , & covenant vvith you , so you shall be faithfull to make good all the promises and covenant with me . the spouse of christ is such a one as the spirit of christ can confide in . it is said of the vertuous woman , pro. . . her husband trusteth in her . let him be abroad or at home , in what company soever , yet his heart trusteth in her , he can leave all his businesse , his writing , or any thing that concerns him with such a wife : vvhere there is want of this trusting of the heart of the husband in the wife , there is want of comfort in their lives ; thus god saith of his people , esay . . they are children that will not lye ; i can confide in them , i can turne them unto any businesse as i will , for they are children who will not lye . they are faithfull to god first in the great covenant , in the surrendring themselves to god , as they doe at their first closing with christ . in the first act of beleeving ▪ every gracious soul enters into solemn covenant with god , & it will be faithfull in that covenant . and they will be faithfull likewise in all their under promises & vowes that they make to god , in days of fasting , and thansgiving , and at other times . as gods promises are gods gifts unto us , so should our promises be as gifts unto god. tim. . . according to his purpose and grace , which was given unto us in christ iesus before the world began ; not onely promised , but given unto us in christ jesus . gods eternall purpose is called gods gift , so our purposes and our promises ought to be as sure as gifts unto god. so in thy conversation thou must be faithfull to christ , not prostitute thy selfe unto another , but keep thy selfe for christ . indeed the spouse of christ may be ravished by open violence , but she will not prostitute her self to any other , she keepes her self onely for christ . thus the saints are described , ephe. . . faithfull in christ jesus . there is a kinde of natural faithfulnes as i may so speak , as in that place esay . . i took unto me faithfull witnesses , calvin saith it is meant of vrijah , that base temporizing vrijah , who made the altar according to the patterne that ahaz sent from damascus , he is said to be faithfull , that is , he was a faire , honest dealing man , his word was as good as his bond ; so many civill men will be faithfull of their words ; but mark here in the ephesians it is faithfull in christ jesus , it is nnt onely faithfulnesse between man and man , for many heathens were so , they would rather dye then cozen and cheate one another , but this is a higher degree of faithfulness ; it is a faithfulnesse in christ jesus , so the saints must be faithfull , faithfull to christ jesus , and faithfull in christ jesus . they who are thus faithfull , are fit for the service of christ , christ hath a great deale of work to do , they are only fit for it , rev. . . the lamb shal overcome , why ? for they that are with him , are chosen , and called , and faithfull , not called faithfull , but called and faithfull , and therefore the lambe shall overcome . it were happy that all that are in this publicke service in the kingdom that are with the lambe , with christ in this cause , were called and faithfull , the work would soon be at an end ; it is faithfulness we shall be hereafter re●●rded for , well done good & faithfull servant ; not well done good and rich servant , or servant who had great imployment in publicke works , but well done good and faithfull servant . every one of us cannot be eminent , every one cannot be employed in publicke services , but you may every one bee faithfull ; you that are poore servants you may be faithfull as well as a magistrate , as well as a minister ; you that are poore labouring men , porters and water-men the meanest , you may be faithfull as well as the nobles of a kingdom ; god regardeth faithfulnes rather then service , hee hath no need of the services of men , great or small , it is all one unto him , but he looks upon the faithfulnesse of their hearts . and as you must be faithfull unto god and his cause , so you must be faithfull one to another . you who are servants , if you be godly , be sure you be faithfull to your masters , that there may be no occasion of any such scandoll as often there is concerning those who are professors , such a servant is forward , he must goe to sermons , and he is set against ceremonies , &c. but i never had any so unfaithfull , if mine eye be but off him , hee is from his businesse presently . god forbid there should be such scandols given . so vvives who professe godliness , be you sure you be faithful to your husbands and tradesmen who professe more then ordinary strictness in religion , be you faithfull in your dealings . hath christ married himselfe unto thee in faithfulnesse ? he expects that his faithfulnesse to thee should have that reflection upon thy heart as to make thee faithful to others . there is one note that is to be taken from all together . as if god should say , o israel , you have dealt unrighteously with me , you have broken your covenant , you have gone a whoring from me , but i will betroth you to me in righteousnesse . you have done foolishly in departing from me , but i will betroth you unto me in judgement . you have been unkind to me , but i will betroth you unto me in loving kindness . it hath not pittied your souls to see me dishonored , but i will betroth my selfe in bowels of mercy to you . you have been unfaithfull to me , but i will even betroth you unto me in faithfulnesse . the note from thence is this . god dealeth not with those in covenant with him as they deale with him . it is a note of admirable use and comfort . marke the difference betweene gods dealing with others and those that are in covenant with him . let others deale with god in a froward and perverse way , god will deale with them so too , psal . . . with the froward thou wilt shew thy selfe froward . will you be froward with god ? god will shew himselfe froward with you . will you be proud with god ? in the thing you are proud god wil be above you . will you be subtil and contriving mischiefe against god and his truth ? god will meet with the wicked , and insnare them in the work of their own hands . are you resolute in wickednesse ? god will be as resolute as you for your hearts , as jer. , . . but when god comes to deale with his saints in covenant , though they deale frowardly with him , hee will deale gently with them : though they deale proudly with him , hee dealeth in a way of condescension with them ; though they bee unfaithfull to him , yet he will be faithfull to them . oh my brethren this point hath abundance of sweetnes in it , take heed of abusing it ; thy sins cannot overcome gods goodnesse , let gods goodness overcome thy wickednesse . and they shal know the lord , they shal know that i am the lord , so the septuagint hath it ; so the old latin , thou shalt know because i am the lord ; but we rather reade it as it is in your bookes ; they shall know the lord. but how comes this in , in faithfulnesse , and they shall know the lord. thus , upon these two reasons . first , because this shall be the means to keepe the church the spouse of christ in faithfulnesse for ever , they shall know christ to be the lord. as if christ should say , the reason of all your vile departings from me all this while , what is it ? you doe not know me , you doe not see into the bounty and glory , into the excellency of my worship , and what i am , that is the reason you are gone from me and have been unfaithfull to me , but when i betroth you my self again , you shall know me , you shall see so much beauty and excellency in me & mine ordinances that you shall never depart from me . low thoughts of god are the cause of superstitious vanities . had men high and honourable thoughts of god they would never thinke to put him off with such bauble-worship as they do . acts . . it is said the god of glory appeared to abraham , that is given as a ground why abraham would forsake his countrey his fathers house and his kindred , if we once knew the lord , and that the god of glory had appeared to us , we would be ready to forsake all for him and give up our selves unto him in an everlasting covenant . secondly , and they shall know me ] this is as a fruit of my betrothing my self unto them , as a fruite of the covenant , jer. . . they shal teach no more every man his neighbour and every man his brother , saying , know the lord , for they shall know me from the least of them unto the greatest of them , saith the lord , for i will forgive their iniquity , &c. it is a fruit of the conjugall union betwixt christ and the soul . as it is betwixt man and wife , when they are but only suitors , well willers , they do not communicate their secrets one to another , but when they once come to be marryed together , then they open all their hearts , there is no secret but they will disclose one to another . so saith god , when i am once marryed to you , i will open my whole heart to you , the secret of the lord is with them that feare him . those that have but natural knowledge , understands something of the wayes of religion , of the minde of christ ; as a man that is in the dark may know where he is , by feeling he may know what length and thickness many things in the house are of , but when the light of the day comes , then hee knowes what the ●●is in the roome after another manner then he did in the darke : this is the difference betweene knowledge of god in a natural man , and the knowledge of one espoused to christ , by his naturall knowledge he may understand the hystory of the gospell , he may have some generall notions of god and of christ , but when the sun of righteousnesse ariseth , then be sees the excellency and glory of god , then he sees god shining in all his attributes , he sees that in christ which drawes his heart unto him in an everlasting covenant . as we reade cant. . . christ is held in the galleries , that is , christ assoone as he is marryed to the foule , takes it as it were by the hand , and walkes into the galleries , and there openeth his heart unto her . there is many a sweet turne that a gracious heart hath with christ in his ordinances , wherin christ openeth even his whole soul unto it , joh. . . all things , saith christ , that i have heard of my father , i have made knowne unto you . an admirable text , surely you cannot but know the lord then . here is the fruit of our union with christ . oh that our hearts were inflamed with desire after further conjugall communion with him ! according to the capacity of the soul , so christ makes knowne to it what he hath heard of the father . certainly christ hath heard great things of the father ; he is the wisdome of the father , he hath been with the father from all eternity , and the father loves him , he will tell him all the glorious things he hath in his heart , and christ will hide none of those things from his saints . this is the priviledg of a saint ; who would not be godly , by which he shall come to know the minde of the father , according to what christ knowes of it ? yea and christ makes god known to the saints in another way then others know him . sam. . . thou o lord god of hosts hast revealed unto thy servant , so you reade it in your bookes , but it is in the hebrew , lord thou hast revealed this to the eare of thy servant . i wonder how that word to the eare comes to be left out in your books , in which indeed the emphasis lye , i am sure it is so in the text. when god makes known himselfe to his people he revealeth things to their eare , as we to a friend who is intimate with us , we speake a thing to his eare . there is many a secret which jesus christ speakes in the eart of his saints , which others never come to be made acquainted with , cor. . . god who commanded the light to shine out of darknes , hath shined in our hearts , to give the light of the knowledg of the glory of god in the face of jesus christ . it would aske time for the full opening the gradations of this scripture , here is knowledg , & the knowledg of the glory of god , & the light of the knowledg of the glory of god , and shining , and shining into our hearts , and into our hearts in the face of jesus christ . surely then they shall know the lord , and they shall know him in a very spirituall way . the light of the saints is a light three story high ; first , they have the light of nature , which other men have , the light of reason . secondly , they have the light of common gifts , which other men have too , and that is a story higher then the other ; thirdly , they have the light of a sanctifying spirit , that is a third loft , and they shall come to a fourth story , and that is the light of glory . the light that other men have is but as the light you have in a lower room , in ware-houses , which in some you know is so little that you are faine to use a candle at noone day , so some natural men have onely the light of reason , which indeed is rather like your cellars that have but a little light coming in at a grate ; others have somewhat more light , they have common gifts , which is like the light in the next story , somewhat more clear , but the light of the saints is higher then all these , they know god as their god , great is the excellency of his knowledge , the soul hath blessed satisfaction in it , let us see the father and it sufficeth us , the fulnesse of glory that is let out into the soul , the sanctification of the heart by the presence of the beams of the glory of god , being transformed into the same image , it is the very beginning of eternall life . take onely this note about our knowledge of god by christ , what a different way have we to know god by , from that which heathens had . if you reade the hystories of the romanes , you shal find the poor & mean ways of those wise men had to know god , as thus , they would look into the intrails of beasts thereby to finde out the mind of their gods , they would observe how the beasts came to the slaughter , whether willingly or not willingly , whether haled or not haled , they guessed somewhat at the minde of their gods by that , then they would looke into the colour of the bowels of the beasts , then observe whether the entrals were sound or not , then they would observe the fire of their sacrifices , whether the flame ascended right or not , thus they came to know the mind of their gods ; what poor wayes are these ? we have jesus christ god blessed for ever , the eternal son of the father , who is come from the bosome of the father , to make all known to us , the mind of god , his and our father : we know the truth as it is in jesus , not onely as it is in the works of nature ; some know much of god in the works of creation and providence , wee may know much of god in those great things the lord hath of late done amongst us ; but to know the truth as it is in jesus , to know god in christ , this is another manner of knowledge then to know god in the way of his works , here we see the truth really indeed when wee see it in christ jesus . certainly then none united unto christ in a conjugall union can be an ignorant sot , for christ ingageth himselfe in his faithfulnesse , upon this marryage of a soul with himselfe , to reveale himselfe and the father unto it , joh , . . of whom ye say he is your god , but mark the next words , yet ye have not knowne him . a likely matter that he should be your god and you not know him , a likely matter that christ should be your saviour and you not know him , seeing he hath ingaged himselfe in his faithfulnesse , that if you bee married to him you shall know him and his father . ver. . and it shall come to passe in that day , i will heare saith the lord , i will heare the heavens , &c. now come in temporall promises , after the assurance of mercy in the covenant , then come promises for corn , and wine , and oyle ; god would teach us this lesson by it , that all our outward things ( at the least the sweetness and comfort of them ) depend upon the covenant in christ . i will heare , the word is respondebo , i will answer , so it may be rendred as well , god will so hear as that he will answer . many times a poor man cryes to the rich , & he hears him but he will not answer , but saith god , i will hear so as i wil answer . this is a most elegant expression , i wil hear the heavens , and they shall heare the earth , and the earth shall hear the corne and the wine and the oyle , and they shal heare iezreel . miraorationis sublimit as , a wonderfull sublimity of speech , saith one expositor of it ; hyperbolica metaphora , a hyperbolica metaphor , saith another ; pulcherrima prosopopoeia , a most beautifull and delightful prosopopoeia , saith another ; these creatures being put as it were in the person of a man as if they understood what they did . as if the lord should say thus . my people , you indeed through your sinnes have been brought into great straits , you have wanted corne , and wine , and oyle , you have been scattered in your banishment , but when i shall betroth my self unto you and enter into a covenant with you , then , when you shall cry , o that we might have these outward comforts , presently the corne , and the wine , and the oyle , as if they heard your complaints , shall say , oh lord we would help , jezreel and satisfie these thy servants ; the corne shall cry to the earth , o earth let me come into your bowels , i will rot there that so i may bring forth fruit for this people , the vines and the olive shall desire the earth to receive them , to give juice and nourishment to them , that they may refresh these reconciled ones to god ; the earth shall say , o that i could entertaine the corne , and wine , and oyle that i may be fruitfull in my kinde , but o heavens i can doe nothing except i have your influences and the shine of the sun to warme mee to make mee fructifie , therefore o heavens come in and assist me that i may fructifie for jezreel ; and the heavens they shall cry , lord , we would faine help the earth , that the earth may helpe the corne , and wine , and oyle , that they may supply jezreel , but we can doe nothing without thine hand , therefore doe thou heare us , do thou give us leave to raine upon the earth that it may be fruitfull . thus the creatures are brought in crying to help jezreel . take these observations . first , see our condition in this world , though reconciled to god yet while we are here we must be beholden to the corne , and wine , to the earth , and heavens , we know not how to doe without them . secondly , vvhen we are reconciled to god , then the creatures will be serviceable to us , yea they will be greedy to do us good , they will cry for it . let us take heed of provoking god , the creatures then will be against us . i have read of cordius a martyr , giving this answer to those who would have had him deny the truth , if deny it saith he , the sun , moon , & starres will deny me light . if we serve god , the creatures will account it their happines to serve us . thirdly , god useth to work good for his people by second causes . he doth not send these things immediately from heaven , but the heavens heare the earth , and the earth hears the corne and the wine . we must looke to second causes , but take heed of resting upon second causes . it hath been gods work amongst us of late in finding out treacheries & giving successes to manifest himself very strangly when the means have been very poor ; nay indeed god hath made as much use of mens weaknesse , as of their strength ; but let not us therefore be slack in the use of means , let us do the best we can , though god sometimes work beyond means , and contrary to means , yet ordinarily he makes use of second causes , not only to work , ad praesent iam , as biel the schoolman and others say , that is , only together with the creature ; but there is say they no efficacie at all of them issuing into the effect ; but the truth is , god doth make use of second causes otherwise , so that there is some vertue and efficacy in them to work the thing that god intends . fourthly , there is a concatenation of second causes , not onely an use of them , but every one in their order supplyes the other , the heavens heare the earth , and the earth hears the corne , one after another . if we could see the comely order of the creatures , wee should see them all hang together in a golden chaine ; as it is in the joynts of the body , one bone supplyeth another , one place is hollow to take in another , so one cause in nature supplyeth , and cometh in to the other . as in our salvation there is a golden chain which we have rom. . so in the creatures there is a golden chain of comely order and mutuall supplyance . fiftly , god is at the higher end of the chaine , and nothing can be done by any link of the chaine of second causes , but by gods being at the uppermost link . jezreel must cry to the corn , and wine , and oyle , and they must cry to the earth , and the earth must cry to the heavens , he must be the highest cause . sixtly , it is most comely , and a great blessing , when the right order and chaine of second causes hold ; as it is in nature , so in any society , in a common-wealth , in a city , when all keep their due subordination , as when the trades-man works in his way , the magistrate in his way , the minister in his way , and every officer in his place , every one keeping his order . but when it is otherwise , when they are out of order , it is a great misery upon a city or kingdom . as it was once among the athenians , themistocles saith of his son , a bol● youth , this boy can do more then any man in all greece , why ? for saith he , the athenians command the grecians , and i command the athenians , and my wife commands me , and my son commands my wife ; here was the concatenation of that government . god deliver all societies from such a concatenation , that the beginning of any publick work , i meane the lower link of the chain should be perhaps in a whoremaster , & he should command one , and that one another , and so one after another . this is a fearfull judgment where soever it is . . god is the giver of all plenty , hee accounts it his glory to give raine . ier. . . god there wonders that men will not feare him because of that , neither ( saith he ) doe they say in their hearts , let us feare god that giveth raine . as if hee should say , it is a strange impudence in men , what , will they not say in their hearts , let us feare god , seeing he gives us raine ? thus god gloryeth in this great work , when hee heareth the heavens , and the heavens heare the earth , the heavens will be as brasse over us , and the earth as iron , unlesse god heare them , and send raine . therefore let god be acknowledged in that rain we have had of late ; the creatures wanted grasse , and the grasse cryed to the heavens , and the heavens cryed unto god , and god hath heard the heavens , and sent downe raine , and so we see the earth hath been refreshed , abundance of good hath come to us by those showers . give god the glory of this . . all plenty is given for the sake of the saints . how ? god heares the heavens , and the heavens hear the earth , and the earth hears the corn , and the wine and the oyle , and they hear jezreel . it is for jezreels sake that the earth heares the corne , and the heavens hear the earth , and god hears the heavens . were it not for the saints , the earth wauld soon come to a confusion . they are the blessing of the earth , isa . . . . if the creatures work so graciously for us , how should wee then worke for god , and one for another . what , shall the creatures cry one to another , and heare one another for our good , and shall god cry to us , and wee not heare god ? the senseless corn cries to the earth . o earth help me that i may help iezreel , and the earth cryes to the heavens , o heavens send down your influences , and the heavens say , we will heare , and the earth saith , i will heare ; shall the earth heare , and the heavens heare for our good , and shall not we hear when god cryes for help ? god cries to you many times to helpe in his cause , and wilt not thou hear to work for him ? o vile creature , how unreasonable are thy ways before the lord ! again , how should we hear the cries of the poor ? when wee are in want , the corn cries to the earth , and the earth cries to the heavens , and the heavens cry to god for us . vvhen the poore , i mean gods poore , whom gods hand hath made poore , cry , will not you heare ? vvill you be more hard-hearted then the earth and the heavens are ? seeing they heare you , doe you hear the cry of your poor brethren . further , if god will hear the creatures when they cry for us , how much more will he hear jesus christ when hee cries for us ? it is our happinesse in part , that we have all the creatures cry to god for our good , but the top of our happinesse is this , that wee have iesus christ the mediatour of the new covenant , making intercession at the right hand of god continually for us . lastly , gods mercies go through when they work for the saints , the corn beginneth to cry to the earth , that stays not here , but the earth goes on , and cryes to the heavens , the heavens go on and cry to god. gods mercies to his saints never leave till the thing be done . and i will sow her unto me in the earth . vvhat great mercy is this for god to grant plenty , if he destroy his people ? our country is plentifull , but if god should consume us out of the land what good wou●d our plenty do us ? therefore saith god , i will sow her unto me in the earth . indeed she is now a poor contemptible people , & there are but few of them remaining upon the earth , but i will make them a seede , and a seed that the lord hath blessed . i will sow her . here the lord alludeth to the name iezreel , which signifies the seed of the lord , the sowen of the lord. it was used in the first chapter in an opprobtious way , and in the latter end of that chapter in a way of mercy . i speak of it there , therefore i shall not need say much now , only this , god makes use of the word here , to put her in mind of what shee deserved ; as if he should say , though thou beest a jezreel , and deservest to be scattered , yet i will be mercifull to thee out of free grace , i will sow thee , there shall come a blessing upon thee , and though thou beest scattered up and down in the earth , yet in all places thou shalt be as seed from whence my church shall spring . hence the notes are : first , that gods people are the seed of the earth : but of that before in the latter end of the first chapter , onely i will adde a note of ribera about it : the seed , saith he , lies under the clods , and at length fructifies ; so should the saints be content to lie under the clods , and though they may seem in regard of their afflicted condition to be dead , to be rotten , yet they shall be glorious and fructifie afterward . before the time of the churches glory , times of great calamity and distresse come , which this rotting of the seed before the fructifying sets out unto us . secondly , every godly man should so live , as either in life or death hee should be as a seed from whence many may spring ; he should be a meanes that many should be begotten to god. it is reported of cicilia , in the history of the church , a poore virgin , that by her gracious behaviour in her mattyrdome , she was the means of converting four hundred to christ : as in the indies , one corn bringeth forth divers hundreds , so we should labour to convert as many as wee can , that some that live after may continue to beare up the name of christ , and the profession of his truth . especially be carefull of your children , leave them as seed to hold up the name of god in thy family when thou art dead and gone . and further , i will sow her to my selfe . the saints are sowen unto christ they are seed for christ , therefore all their fruit must be given up unto christ , christ must have all the fruit we bear : who should have the fruit but he that soweth it ? therefore cant. . . all manner of pleasant fruits new & old which i have laid up for thee o my beloved . are we able to bear any fruit ? let us lay it up all for jesus christ , for it is he that soweth us unto himselfe , we must not sow to our selves , not to the flesh , for then wee shall reap corruption , but all for christ . and i will shew mercy upon her that had not obtained mercy . divers things about gods shewing mercy after rejection were spoken of in the first chap. only these notes for the present . there are none so rejected , as that they can conclude that they shall never have mercy ( those that have committed the sinne against the holy ghost excepted ) though israel had not obtained mercy , though they were cast out , yea cast out to the beasts to be devoured , yea saith god , i will shew mercy upon her . . children of wicked parents may at length obtain mercy from god. though israel be cast off , yet her children shall have mercy . a comfort to us in regard of the idolatry of our fore fathers , yea a comfort in the regard of the children that are to come . our fore fathers have broken the covenant , why may not we obtaine mercy ? but suppose we should be the generation of gods wrath , and not obtaine mercy , yet we may have hope that the posterity following shall have mercy . thirdly , mercy after it is thought to be past ; if then it come , oh it is sweet mercy indeed ! when she seemed to be utterly rejected , then to have mercy shewed , this is sweet . fourthly , mercy is the cause of all the good the saints have . one scripture for it , psal . . . send from heaven saith david . david was in the cave , in a poor condition , hunted for his life , persecuted by saul ; i see little hope from earth , saith he , therefore o lord send from heaven ; what , shall god send angels from heaven to deliver thee david ? no , but mark what followeth , god shal send forth his mercy & his truth ; as if he should say , lord though i have no help in earth , though i see no angels from heaven to helpe me , yet let me have thy mercy and truth , and that is enough . this satisfies a gracous heart , if he may have gods mercy and his truth , that is gods mercy revealed in a promise . lastly , god hath a speciall day of mercy for his people , for his churches ; i will have mercy upon her that hath not obtained mercy . let us cry to god for the hastening of this day , let us open the miseries of our own kingdome , and of ireland ; oh when shall this day come that thou , wilt shew mercy to thy owne people which thou hast told us of ! oh that that day may hasten ! come lord jesus , come quickly . and i will say to them which were not my people . this is that we had in the first chapter onely with some differences , there it is , in the place where it was said yee are not my people . and i shewed you when i opened that place , both out of the romanes , and out of peter , how the apostle makes use , both of that in the first chapter , and this here in the second , onely take a hint of the truths in it . first , god hath a special interest in his people ; they are his people , they are called his peculiar people , tit. . . the word hath this emphasis in it , god lookes upon all other things as accidents in comparison , and his substance is his people , they are his very portion , as deut. . . and exod. . . they are his peculiar treasure above all people in the world ; and esay . . assyria the worke of my hands , and israel mine inheritance . i have made all people , but israel is mine inheritance , this is the happines of the saints , therefore they are not as other people are . num. . . this people shall dwell alone , and shall not be reckoned among the nations , this is a great ground of prayer , lord leave us not , we are thy people , called by thy name , we have an interest in thee . againe , this is an argument to walke so as god may not be dishonored by us , for we are his people . if those in a mans family walke disorderly , it is a dishonour to the master of the family ; it is no dishonour to him for a stranger , or one who hath little reference to him , to walke disorderly ; it is not so much dishonour to god for the wicked to walke disorderly , as for the saints , in regard of their neerenesse to god : and besides , their light is ( as i told you ) three story high , and if they sin , they sin against a greater light then others doe , their sin is greater then the sinne of the wicked in that regard . further , i will say to them which were not my people , thou art my people , i will own them before all the world . it is a great mercy for god to make it knowne to the world , that his people are his people . the world will not beleeve it , they think they are a poor contemptible people , but there shall come a day that i will make it knowne they are mine ; and amongst other things by which god will make all the world to know that his people are his , this is one , in s●tting up the beauty of his ordinances amongst them , ezek. . . my tabernacle also shall be with them , yea i will be their god , and they shall be my people , and the heathen shall know that i the lord doe sanctifie israel , when my sanctuary shall be in the midst of them . thus they shall know , saith god , that they are my people , and that i am their god , when i have set my sanctuary in the midst of them for ever . were it that the ordinances of god might be set up in their purity amongst us in england , were reformation perfected , and the saints walked humbly & peaceably as they should , the whole world will be convinced , that these are indeed the people of the lord , and that god is amongst them . and they shall say , thou art my god. god must begin withus , we cannot begin and say , lord , thou art my god , but god must begin with us first , and say , you are my people . there are a great many who say , god is their god , but god never said , they are his people , joh. . . it is said of those who beleeved in christ , that god gave them [ power ] to be the sonnes of god , the word signifies authority , that they might with authority acknowledge themselves to be the sons of god , and call god father , they had the broad seale for it . will you call ▪ god father ? where is your 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , your authority ? if god call you children , if he say you are my people , you may give the ecchoto gods mercy and say , thou art our god. secondly , when god speakes mercy to us , we must answer according to it . doth god say , you are my people ? we must answer , lord , thou art our god. this is a great fault amongst christians , god manifests himselfe to many a gracious heart in abundance of love and mercy , & they give an answer to god in a way of dispaiting and discouragement . gods ways toward thee speake thus , and say , thou art one of my people , but thy heart works as if god were none of thy god , hath not god done much for thee ? thou thinkest it is all in hypocrifie that thou dost , whereas the truth is , it is the fruit of his love and kindnes to thee . he speakes aloud in what he hath done for thee , that thou art one of his people , and yet thy heart thinks that he is thy enemy , that he ha●●s thee , and will cast thee off at last . the wayes of god are full of mercy to thee , and he hath set his stampe upon thee , & by his ways of love he tels thee , that thou belongest unto him . o unbeleeving soul , answer lord thou art my god! & lay aside these discouraging & sinking thoughts of thine ; o that thou wouldst goe away with such an answer in thy mouth ! doe not answer gods loving kindnesse , and his gracious dealings towards thee with discouragement and sinking of heart , this is dishonorable to him , and tedious to his spirit . thirdly , god works an answerable disposition in the hearts of his people unto him . this is thy duty , but god will work it in time if thou belongest to him . as thus , doth god chuse us to be his people ? then the hearts of the saints chuse him to be their god ; doth god say , you are my people ? the saints say , lord thou art our god ; doth god say , i will dwell with them ? they answer lord , thou art our habitation . doth god say , i delight in them ? they say , lord our delight is in thee . doth god say , i will rest in them for ever ? the church saith , o my soule returne unto thy rest . here is a sweet answer , a rebound of all gods loving kindnes . lastly , the saints must professe god to be theirs . it is not enough to beleeve with the heart , but thou must confesse with the mouth ; professe it outwardly : of this before . further , this is the highest happinesse of the saints , that god is their god , when they can say this , they have enough . if we could say , this house is mine , this street , this lordship , this city , this kingdome , this world is mine ; what is all this ? a christian comes at length , and saith , this god that made all is mine . as it is reported of the french ambassador , and the spanish meeting together , saith the spanish ambassadour , my master is king of spaine ; my master ( replyed the french ) is king of france ; my master said the spaniard againe is king of naples : and my master said the french is king of france ; my master is king of portugal , and my master is king of france ; still he answered with that my master is king of france , as being enough to answer all the several kingdomes of the spaniard . so one saith , i have this house , this land , this stock , this estate , this trade , yea but saith a christian , i have god , god is mine ; surely having him thou hast enough . and if god be thy god , he will be a god to thee . chron. . . the lord of hosts is god of israel , even a god to israel . so it must be with thee , if thou beest a saint of god , be a saint to god ; are we a people of god , then we must be a people to god. blessed are the people that are in such a case , yea happy are the people whose god is the lord. thus we had opened the gracious manifestation of god to his church , in part fulfilled spiritually , to spiritual israel here , but more sensibly to be made good at the great day of jezreel , that is , when the jews shall be called , then the spouse of christ in a visible way shall be thus married unto him , and the lord will be their god. jerome saith upon the text , all these things that are here promised to the church , the jewes expect it at the end of the world , after the time of antichrist . and i make no question though in a spiritual sence this scripture is made good for the present unto the saints , yet in a more visible and sensible way , all this scripture will be made good to the people of the jews , & the gentiles then joyning with them even literally , the glory of the church shall be visible and apparant . more whereof in the next chapter . hosea , chap. . the first lecture . chap. . ver . . . . then said the lord unto me , go yet , love a woman ( beloved of her friend , yet an adulteresse ) according to the love of the lord toward the children of israel , who looke to other gods and love flaggons of wine . so i bought her ●o me for fifteen pieces of silver , and for an homer of barley , and an halfe homer of barley . and i said unto her , thou shalt abide for me many dayes , thou shalt not play the harlot , and thou shalt not be for another man , so will i also be for thee . the close of the former chapter had much mercy in it , and this chapter containes the expression of much love also to israel , but yet withall , god tells them of that meane and low estate they are like to be in before that time comes , for the fulfilling of all that good that god intends to them . god purposes great mercy for them , his heart is much set upon them , but they must for a long time beare their iniquity , they must be brought into a vile and desolate condition in their captivity , even untill a second appearing of christ . but in all this time the heart of god would be toward them , his intentions would be strong for good to that people above all the people upon the face of the earth : though they might seeme to be utterly rejected of the lord , and that for many yeers , yet hee would look toward them as a people that he intended yet to marry unto himself , & in time mercy should breake forth gloriously upon them , and his name should be magnified in their returning unto him , so as their hearts should melt toward his goodnesse , they should not abuse it any more as formerly they had done , but they should returne and seeke the lord their god and david their king , and feare the lord and his goodnesse in the latter dayes . this is the scope of the chapter . in which you have three things . . gods love continued unto an adulteresse , israel . . the low and mean condition of this adulteresse for a long time . . the returne of god in infinite mercy toward them at the latter day , together with their returne unto him . and the lord said unto me , goe yet , love a woman ( beloved of her friend , yet an adulter esse . ) we have here a new injunction to the prophet , and that somewhat harder then his former . in the first chapter god commanded him to goe and take awife of whoredomes , but here god commanded him to love an adulteresse , which is somewhat more then to take her unto himself , what that was of taking a wife of whoredomes hath been opened in the former chapter , and may spare some labour in this . it is here a vision as it was there ; as if god should say unto hosea , hosea it is just with me as it would be with thee , if thou shouldst goe and have a wife an adulteresse , notwithstanding all the love she hath found , yet still an adulteresse , & thine heart should be upon her , so as thou couldest not take thy heart from her , but thou must needs love this adulteresse still . this people whom i have loved , for whom i have done so much good , yet they have gone a whoring from me , they are an adulteresse , yet for all that my heart cannot be taken off from them , but is still toward them , yet i love them . this is through the strength of the covenant that gods love is so permanent . others who are not in covenant with him , god casts out for lesser sins for any sins ; but as for his people who are in covenant with him , no not their adulteries , their idolatries takes not the heart of god wholly from them . surely then , if thou canst appeale to god. o lord , thou knowest all things , knowest that there is nothing of thy mind revealed to me but my heart is ready to do it , and if i faile in any thing thou knowest it is the greatest burden of my soul ; o that i knew more of thy minde ! and that i had power to doe more ! surely god will love thee , you heare he loves his people though an adulteresse , as before , so now take this lesson , thy sinnes cannot over come gods goodnesse , let gods goodnesse overcome thy sinfulnesse . an adulteresse beloved of her friend . this is ( as some carry it , calvin , vatablus , and many others ) beloved of her husband , as if god should say , had they any such excuse for their departings from me , that i have been a bitter husband to them , that i have used them hardly , and rigidly , then indeed they might have some plea ; but i have loved them dearly , i have done much for them , they were beloved of me , & i have carried my selfe to them in the most friendly way that possibly could be , yet they are gone a whoring from me . the wife that followes other lovers , thinks if she have but this to say , her husband is hard to her , hee cares not for her , he loves her not , it excuses in part her adulteries ; and so the husband , a company keeper , an adulterer , if he can say , what will you have me to doe , i never come home but my wife is alwayes b●awling and she loves other men , he thinks this is plea enough for him . but israel could not have this excuse for her selfe , for she was an adulteresse , yet beloved of the lord. if we take the words thus , the notes briefly would be these . first , the husband should be a friend to his wife . there should be nothing but friendly carriage betweene man and wife ; yea the love of the husband to the wife should farr surmount the love of any friend in the world , but a friend at least to comfort her , to cherrish her in time of sorrowes , to beare the burthen of affliction with her , and so the wife towards the husband . secondly , a base heart will be base against all bonds of love ; beloved of her friend , yet an adultoresse ; if you should ask , who is he or where is he that is so base ? lay thy hand upon thine owne heart and consider what the love of god hath been towards thee all the dayes of thy life , and how thou hast carried thy selfe toward him , what love thou hast had from god that might breake the heart of a devill , yet when any temptation comes to draw thee from god , thy base heart listens to it . thirdly , it is a great aggravation of sin to sinne against much love . we ought to doe our duties to those that we stand in relation unto , though they doe not their duty to us ; if a wife hath a froward husband , a bitter , churlish rugged , wicked , ungodly husband , yet she is bound to doe her duty to him , she is bound to love him , to obey him , to be observant of him in what may give him all lawfull content . so if servants have froward , churlish , cruel masters or mastresses , yet they are bound to be obedient to them . pet. . . be subject to your masters not onely to those that rae good and gentle , but to the froward . it is no sufficient excuse for the wife to say , my husband is froward and unquiet , and therefore what shall i doe ? nor for the servant to say , my master or mistresse are unreasonable , they are cruell , what can i doe ? you must doe your duty to them , though they doe not theirs to you , but if you have a loving husband , tender over you , then love is required much more . love above all things should draw the heart ; the knowledge that it is duty may force obedience , but it is love that draws the heart most kindly . so if a servant have a godly master and mistresse , who respects and tenders his good , if he should sinne against them , this aggravateth the sinne exceedingly . to wrong love is a very great sin , delicata res est amor , love is a most delicate thing , and it must not be wronged , it is tender , a precious thing . a man who is of an ingenuous spirit , had rather a great deale be wronged in his estate , then in his love ; he cannot beare the injury that is done unto his love ; when his love is abused , that goes to his very heart . so it goes to the heart of god for his people to sin against his love ; therefore it is said of the saints when they sinne , that they grieve the spirit of god ; he never saith so of wicked men ; they anger god , but the saints grieve him , because they sinne so much against gods love . charge this aggravation of your sinne upon your hearts , and be humbled ; collect together all the expressions of gods love to you , and let them lye glowing at your hearts , and melt them . but in that god bids him take an adulteresse beloved of her friend , and calls not this friend husband , i thinke those who goe another way expresse the minde of the holy ghost in this more fully , thus : this friend is not meant of one who is fully married , but rather one in a way of marriage . amongst the jewes it was usuall for all women to be under the protection of some men or other . esay . . seven women came and tooke hold of one man , and said , let us be named by your name , we will eate our own bread , and weare our own cloathes , onely let us be named by your name , let us be under your protection . even whores were wont , though they had many lovers , yet to have some one speciall man , under whose protection and care they would be , who was to see them not to have wrong , and to make provision for them , and such a one they were wont to call their friend ; and many times these friends would so provide for them , that if they would be reclaymed , forsaking all their other lovers , they would give them good hopes of marrying with them at length . arias montanus refers us to one propertius , in his first book and second elegie , to reade about the charge and care of such a friend . the grecians had that custome likewise : they called him under whose protection they put themselves , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , the whore was called from it , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . it is said of plato that he had a whore , one archenassa , who was called plato's 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . here the lord would have the prophet take an adulteresse beloved of her friend , that is , one that was a common adulteresse , and yet under the protection of some speciall friend , so as if he might come in place of that friend , and gain the love and affection of this adulteresse to himself , and in time getting her to be reclaimed , he might marry her unto himselfe . this is according to the love of god to his people , that is , as if god should say , this people is a going a whoring , but i will be content to take them unto my selfe , i will be as their friend , and so love them as a friend to protect them , to have care over them , untill such a time that there may be some experience of their being reclaimed , and then i will marry this adulteresse fully unto my selfe , for god is not now fully marryed unto the jews , neither will that marryage be untill that glorious time of their calling comes ; but yet god is as a friend to them to this day , that is , god takes this people yet under his protection , though they seeme to be in a rejected condition , and so , as he gives hope , yea makes many promises that upon their return unto him he will marry them unto himselfe ; yea there shal be a more glorious marriage between the jews & the lord christ , then ever yet there was between him and any people upon the face of the earth . this i thinke to be the very scope and meaning of the words , beloved of her friend . somewhat sutable is that we have deut. . . . when one of the jews took a captive woman , he might not marry her presently to himself , but if he had a love to her , she was to continue a certaine time , and to be so and so purified , and then he was to take her . the jewes are for the present as that captive woman , they are in bondage , yet god hath a love to them unto this day ; but so , as they must abide a while untill god be maryed to them ; they are beloved of god , but yet with the love of a friend . the seventy reade these words , beloved of her friend , one that loveth evill things , upon the mistake of the hebrew word , for indead a friend and evill are the same letters , only differing in the points ; so there might easily be a mistake . who looke to other gods . their eyes are upon other gods . where the heart is , there the eyes is . timor figit oculum , so amor : feare fastens the eyes , and so doth love. the workings of the soule appeares as much in the eye , as in any member ; the workings of love , of trust and confidence appeare much in the eye . they looke to other gods , that is , they have confidence in other gods . looking up to a thing in scripture phrase , is to have some confidence in it . psal . . . i lift up mine eyes unto the hills from whence commeth my help : that is , i look for help , i have confidence and expect help . but how here to the hills then ? what doth davids help come from the hills ? some thinke this to be the place where afterward the temple was built , and was then the place of the sanctuary ; but for that it is said that usually in scripture is but in the singular number , the hill of god ; not the hils ; therefore i finde calvin , mollerus , and others , thinke that david here speakes of confidence in the creature , because he presently retracts him selfe in the second verse , my helpe is in jehovah . as if he should say , i lift up mine eyes unto the creature for help , this is the frailty of my nature , and of the nature of man , to look for auxiliary forces from jerusalem , ( which was a hilly place ) i looke for forces to come from jerusalem , but they doe not come , well , i will not rest any longer upon them , jehovah is my help , so they carry it . but now i would rather ( if it may be ) free the prophet from vaine confidence in the creature , and so the words being rightly understood , may free him if you reade them thus , doe i lift up mine eyes unto the hils ? doe i expect help from the creature ? god forbid i should doe it , for my help is in god. further , sometimes the hebrew [ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ] is used for [ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ] and so it would bee translated above the hils , other men look to the hils , i look above the hils . but rather thus , i lift up mine eyes to the hils , that is , i look to god , why ? because the place where the temple was to be built , it was not onely upon one hill , but upon hils , and so this expression hath reference to those two hills it was built upon ; the hill of moriah and the hill of zion ( which were rather but two ridges of the same ) as chron. . . solomon began to build the house of the lord upon mount moriah ; and psal . . . i have set my king upon my holy hill of zion : i look saith david unto god , my faith hath reference to that place that god hath chosen for himself ; that this is the meaning will appeare if we compare this with psal . . . his foundation is in the holy hils , not hill , but hils . the respect idolaters had to their idols , being manifested by lifting up their eyes to them , therefore god commanded them , that they must not so much as lift up their eyes to their idols ; and indeed we had need take heed in what we doe in this , so much as to lift up our eyes to look upon the inticements of the flesh ; many will not commit their former sins , but they love to be looking that way . i have read of a lady , a loving wife , who being at the maryage of cyrus , she was askt how she liked the bridgeroom ? how , saith she ? i know not , i saw no body but my husband . love and respect drawes the eye either to god or to the creature . according as our hearts are , so our eyes will be . and love flaggons of wine . the word comes from a word that signifies fundavit . the old latin turns it vivacia uvarum , the leaves , skinnes , and stones of the grape that remaines after pressing , that sinke down into the bottome of the vessell . noting thereby how saplesse , and savourlesse , and unworthy idolatrous worship is in comparison of the true worship of god. true worship of god is sweet , and savoury , lovely , and excellent , but mans institutions , how saplesse are they ! the spirits of such men as pleade for and delight in superstitious vanities , the devises of men , how saplesse and unsavoury do they quickly grow ! though heretofore they have had some quicknesse and livelinesse in their wayes , yet if once they delight themselves in the inventions of men , in gods worship , their spirits grow very unsavory to those with whom they converse . but take the traslation as it is in your books , flaggons of wine , called by this name in the hebrew , because that vessell , the flaggon is broad in the bottome : that is , ( as some carry it ) thus , they are as drunkards that call for one flaggon after another . superstitious and idolatrous people , when they have one way of superstition , they call for another ; and when they have got that , they will have another , and are still greedy of more , they are never satisfied , as drunkards are greedy of their flaggons . or rather , to note the sensuality of the wayes of their idolatrous worship , their flaggons of wine are joyned to their gods . the seventy translate the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , bellaria , fine cates and junkets , delicate things made with wine and grapes together by all the art they can devise for the pleasing the appetite . from thence the note is cleare . spirituall adultery and carnall sensuality goe together . they used flaggons of wine in their idolatrous solemnities , that made them love their idols so much the rather . in the true worship of god there is abundance of sweetness to satisfie the hearts of the saints , they need not have sensual pleasures to make up their delight , but in superstitious worship there is no such sweetness to satisfie the spirits , therefore they are saine to call for flaggons of wine , and other sensuall things to make up a full delight to themselves . superstitious and idolatrous rites bring with them pleasure to the flesh , hence how are they loved and followed by people ? they can hardly ever be taken off from them . in their idolatrous solemnities they were wont to have feasts to pamper the flesh . judg. . . they went out into the field , and gathered their vineyards , and trod the grapes , and were merry , & went into the house of their god , and did eate and drinke , and cursed abimelech . so amos. . . they drinke the wine of the condemned in the house of their god. what is that ? by oppression and violence they would rend the estates of men from them , and when they had gotten them , then they made merry , yea they would come into the house of their gods , and drinke bowles of wine that they had gotten from the estates of such men whom they had wrongfully condemned , let idolaters have their lusts satisfied , and they care not what god they serve . cor. . . if any see them sit at meate in the idols temple ; at meate , they had their flesh satisfied in the idols temple . thus god complaines of his people here . as if he had said , let all bemoane my condition , for though i have loved israel dearly , she hath gone a whoring from me , and she loveth flaggons of wine , because she hath more pleasure to the flesh in serving idols , she will serve them . what an abominable thing it is to forsake the blessed god meerly for the love of wine ? how many are there in the world who forsake all that good that is in god , in christ , in heaven , in eternity , meerely for flaggons of wine ? calvin hath a note from the word that carries some-what more with it , flaggons of grapes , so the words are in the hebrew , not flagons of wine , and of grapes rather then wine saith he , because there were artificiall wayes used by them to make their superstitious ways to be more pleasant to them ; as when drunkards have drunk even ad nauseam , that they begin to loath what they delighted in , then they will use some artificiall way or other of mixture of grapes or some other thing with the wine to make it have a new tast , that they may have still delight in drinking ; so ( saith he ) because their old superstitions have nothing in them to satisfie the heart , therefore they are fain to invent new kinds of artificiall wayes to please themselves withall , although ( saith he ) they brag of their antiquity , yet the truth is , they are fain to invent new things every day , to give a new lustre and pomp to their worship , they are alwayes devising some new ceremony or other , or else it would grow loathsome to themselves . this wee have seene in our owne experience , the wantonnesse of mens hearts in superstitious ways is very great , they invent new ways to uphold their old moth-eaten vanities . so i bought her to me for fifteen pieces of silver . the prophet obeyeth god in this other hard command . god many times sends his prophets upon very hard businesses , yet they must be willing to serve the lord in the hardest work ; and bought her to himselfe for fifteen pieces of silver . the word that is here translated bought , signifies to digg , it is taken ( as some think ) from the piercing or boring into the servants eare , which was to be a slave untill the year of jubile , to note the slavish condition of this people they should be in for a long time . but sometime the word signifies not only boring , but any kind of getting by buying or bargaining , taken from the manner of the jews , it seems to be a hard expression , how distant do those two seem to be , to dig and to buy ? it signifies also to cut , saith pagnine , ( excidit ) he hath cut a sunder , because in their bargainings they were wont to cut a beast in sunder , & so to go between the two pieces ; or because in their bargaines they joyned their right hands together , and then another came and put his hand between theirs , as a spade is put into the earth , and so did as it were cut them asunder , and from thence , though the word seem harsh , yet those who understand the manner of their bargainings know the meaning of it . i bought her to my self . this buying was in order to marrying , that shee might be under his care for a while , and then come to be his wife . it was the custome of men in those days to buy their wives . iacob served twice seven years for rachel , and so bought her . david bought his wife for a hundred foreskins of the philistims ; and christ purchased his church to himselfe at a dear rate , even by his own blood : but i bought her ( saith hee ) for fifteene pieces of silver . there is a necessity for the opening these words , not onely that you may see the scope of the holy ghost here , but likewise may the better understand some other scriptures . fifteen pieces of silver ; how much is that ? it is fifteen shekels , for that is a rule among the hebrews , when a piece of silver is named , and not the summe ; then a shekel is always understood , and when a shekel is set down , and the mettall not exprest , the silver is understood , not gold or any other mettall . now the common shekell was according to the account of some of the weight of . graines of barley . josephus saith it was about foure drachmas ( and so i find most carry it ) about . or . pence of our money ; though a great deale of difference there be among interpreters about the sum of that shekell ; jerome upon the fourth of ezekiel , makes it half an ounce , but there is much difference you know about ounces . this was to signifie the vile and base condition that israel had brought her selfe into , for thirty shekels of silver was to be given for the price of a maid-servant , exod. . . if an oxe have pushed a man-servant , or a woman-servant , he shal give to his master thirty shekels . thirty shekels must be given for recompence of losse of a servant who was but a slave ; yet the prophet must buy this adulteress for half as much , fifteen shekels . israel , all the tenn tribes , yea the whole people of the jews are signified by this adulteress beloved of her friend : so that now the people of israel , who heretofore the dear ly beloved of gods soul , his only people upon the face of the earth , the peculiar treasure of god , his portion , his inheritance , had now by their sin brought themselves into a meaner condition then any poore bond-woman in israel , that they were worth but halfe as much now as a poor woman-slave . this thirty pieces of silver was the goodly price christ was valued at by the jews , zech. . . mat. . . this shewed how christ was humbled , that he must bee sold for no more then was the price of a slave . but the price of israel was but . pieces , halfe as much . israel was proud in the day of her prosperity , but now she hath brought her self by her sin into a meaner condition then a slave . and for an homer of barley , and an halfe homer of barley . what that homer of barley was , and what the scope of the holy ghost is in mentioning of it must be enquired . first , an homer contained ten ephaes . but by that ( you will say ) we know no more then we did . an ephah then is neer upon as much as our bushell , so that this homer is neer upon tenne of our bushels . ruth . . it is said of ruth that when shegleaned in the field after the reapers , she beat out that she had gleaned , and it was an ephah of barley . and by that you may know the meaning of that text , esay . . the seed of an homer shall yeeld an ephah ; why a homer was ten bushels , how then should the seed of neer tenn bushels yield but one bushell ? it was a threatning of a famine , that though they did sow much , they should reape but little , they should sowe a matter of ten bushels , and reape but one . or thus , some interpret an homer to be about the burthen that an asse was able to beare , for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the hebrew signifies an asse , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 so the burthen of that creature was called an homer ; but ezek , . . the text telleth us plainly , that an ephah is the tenth part of an homer . there is a great deale of difficulty to understand this , if we compare it with another scripture , exod. . , where the text saith they were to gather of the manna every man according to his eating , an homer for every man ; and ver . . an homer is the tenth part of an ephah . this seems quite contrary , here it is that an ephah is the tenth part of an homer , and there it is that an homer is the tenth part of an ephah . but for the salving of this , those who are skilfull in the hebrew tongue know that these words are written with different letters , though in our english the pronounciation is the same , for that in exodus is written with [ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ] and the other [ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ] one thus gnomer , the other chomer , so it should be read . now this homer of manna that god gave for every man for one day , was almost the tenth part of a bushell , it was foure or five times as much as the romanes were wont to allow their men , their dimensum which they called a chaenix , which was their allowance for their servants , was but the fourth part of this , and scarce that ; noting thereby , tha● god is exceeding liberall unto his people . but why an homer of barley ; because it was a meane food , and in those times rather the food of beasts then of men ; god promised to feed his people with the finest flower of wheate . therefore revel . . . a measure of ●heate for a penny , and three measures of barley for a penny . but what doth this tend to , that there must be a homer of barley and halfe a homer of barley given for this adulteresse that the prophet was to take unto himselfe ? the scope of all is , to signifie the meane condition , that the ten tribes , and afterward all the jews should be in , till christ came to marry them to himselfe . first they should be in a contemptible condition , they should be valued but at halfe the price of a slave . secondly , they should be fed but meanly and basely , even as slaves , or rather as beasts , this homer and half of barley should be for their sustenance , in which they should be used very hardly for along time . and that you may see how this hath been fulfilled , ( for it did not only refer to the time of their captivity before christ , but to all the captivity they have been in ever since christs time to this day , and shall be in untill their calling ) the mean condition they were in before , in the time of their first captivity , you may see lament . . . those that were clothed in scarlet , embraced the dung-hill ; they either lay in filthy places that had dung in them , like beasts , or else they were imployed in carrying dung up and down . and to this day , histories tell us , that generally the jews have a most stinking savour , and we know that they are the vilest people in the esteeme of others that are upon the face of the earth . an historian tells us of an emperour travelling into egypt , there meeting with some jews , he was so annoyed with the stink of them , that he cryes out , o marco-mani , o quadi , &c. at length , saith he , i have met with worse , with viler men then such and such , reckoning up divers of the basest people that were upon the face of the earth . and to this day the turks will admit of no jew to turne to the mahumetan religion , unlesse he first turne christian ; they have much more honorable esteeme of the christians , they think that jesus christ though he was not god , yet he was a great prophet ; but for the jews , they have such vile thoughts of them , that they think it a dishonour to the turkish religion that any of them should turne turk , unlesse be first turned christian . and we reade of the romanes , that when they conquered other nations , they would permit them to call themselves romanes , after they had conquered them , but they would never permit the jews to call themselves romanes , though the jews would comply never so much with them and be their servants , ( augustine hath it upon psalme . ) lest there should be some blot stick to the glory of the romanes by that odious people . thus we see what shame hath god cast upon that nation even unto this day , that they are counted as the very off-scouring of all nations . suetonius tels us that in the exactions that the romanes require of people , they put upon the jews more then upon all people . this that we reade of in histories , & that which we finde by experience of the base condition these people are in , is the fulfilling this scripture , that i am now opening unto you , she shal be bought for fifteen pieces of silver , and fed with barly , she shall be in a very low , base and meane condition untill christ shall come and marry her to himself . notes from hence are . first , a people who have been high in outward glory , when they depart from god , make themselves vile and contemptible , god casts contempt upon wicked men , especially upon wicked men who corrupt his worship . do we not see it at this day ? mal. . . it is threatned that the priests who departed from the law , & corrupted their waies should be base and contemptible before the people . hath not the lord done thus at this day ? even those that not long since gave themselves the title of the triumphant clergy and the triumphant church , and went up and downe jetting as if they would out-face heaven it self ; they feared all men with the high commission court. but what shame hath god cast upon this generation ? the people loath them , and we hope in time the lord will sweepe away the proud and haughty of them , as the reffuse of the earth . yea our whole nation hath been a proud nation ; what vaunting hath there been of what a glorious church we had ? never such a one upon the earth , we sate as a queen amongst the nations ; we have been a haughty people , and god may justly cast contempt upon us . the jewes were so ( the temple of the lord , the temple of the lord ) but god hath now made them the vilest nation upon the earth . and the truth is , god hath begun to cast much shame upon this nation . the time was when the kingdom of england was a terror to other people , of late they have been the scorne and contempt of other nations . when ephraius spake there was trembling ; he exalted himselfe in israel , but sinning it baal he died , he became as a dead , poor , vile , contemptible people . hos . . . the lord loveth to name the pride of men . how many have you known who have been proud and lofty , and the lord hath cast shame and contempt in their saces ? even before those whom they looked upon heretofore with contempt , they have now been made objects of contempt . secondly , though a people be under contempt , yet gods heart may be towards them to doe them good at the latter end . there is the love of gods election still to this people , god remembers them , and intends good unto them for all this . vvho knowes what contempt god may cast upon us ? perhaps he may let our proud adversaries trample us under their feet , but we hope he will not , because he sees their hearts so proud as they are . but if he should , we should not despaire , we must not conclude god hath quite cast off england , though he should bring all his people under contempt , so as to betrampled under the foot of pride . and if there be any of you whom god hath so humbled as he hath made you contemptible ; doe you humble your selves before god , but do not despaire , the lord may yet have a love to you , though you are now under shame and contempt , who knowes but that this was the only way that god had to humble your hearts ? god putteth his ovvn people under contempt , and yet it is all out of love unto them , and vvithan intent to do them good at last . thirdly , ( which is the most especial note hence ) after many promises of gods mercy and of a glorious condition , which he intendeth his people , he may yet hold a very hard hand over them a great while , god having promised so much mercy in the former chapter , israel might quickly grow vvanton , and say it is no great matter , though we be vile and wicked , yet god will marry us to himself , and we shall be a glorious people , and what need we take care ? nay saith god stay here , though my heart be toward you , yet this generation shall suffer , and the next generation , & the next generation after that shall suffer hard things , you shal be brought into the most vile condition that ever any people was brought into , yet my promise shall be fulfilled at the last . here we see what care god taketh that people should not grow wanton with his mercy , and think , oh we are in covenant with god , and god hath pardoned our sins , what need we care ? take heed of growing want on , thou maist suffer fearfull things in this world . though god may save your souls , yet you may be brought into as wofull a condition in your ovvn apprehensions as ever any creature was upon the earth . and for england , though it is true , we have as many arguments of the love of god to 〈◊〉 as ever any nation had , but yet who knows what this generation may suffer that hath so sullied it self with superstitious vanities ? we may be brought into vvefullslavery , and then god may raise up unto himself another generation , upon whom he will be stow the mercy intended . fourthly , those who will take their fill of delight to the flesh in a sensual use of the creature , it is just with god they should be cut short , & be made to live meanly and basely , to be made to feed with course fare , with barley . the jews had their delicates before , they fared deliciously , now they must be sed worse then their servants , and eare that which was meate for beasts . how many hath god thus dealt withall , who not long since had their tables furnished with the choysest sare , with variety of dishes , & now perhaps are glad of a harley loafe for themselves and their children ? again , if god will not utterly destroy a people as he might , but reserve mercy for them at last , though they have never such a meane subsistence for the present , yet they have cause to blesse god. though this here be a threatning , yet there is a promise in it . the people of israel ( if they knew all ) had no cause to murmur at gods dealing , but to admire at his mercy , though they had but a little barley to sustaine them . and suppose god should bring us in england into a low condition , so as we may be glad of a barley loafe ( we know famine commonly followes warre ) ( it was wont to be a phrase ; browne bread and the gospell is good fare ) and god may bring that upon us in another way then ever yet we or our fore-fathers were acquainted with , but yet if the lord do not cast us off utterly from being his people , though he feed us with brown bread , though we have never so mean a subsistance for the present , we shall have cause to blesse his name . lastly , it is the way of god to humble those he intendeth good unto , to prepare them for mercy , by cutting them short of these outward comforts . if the lord hath dealt so with any of you , you have lived full-handed , perhaps wives have brought good portions to their husbands , and now they are broke , and all is lost , perhaps you had good friends in the countrey , & many of them are plundered in their estates , & now you are faine to fare meanly , and if you have bread for your children you think it well ; but consider this , is not god now humbling me , and thereby preparing my heart for himself ? oh blessed be god for this my condition , this bread is sweeter to me then all the dishes i have had in my life . vvhen you sit in your houses with your wives and children , and have nothing but barley bread to feed upon , have these thoughts , i hope god doth this in love & mercy he is making this my condition the best condition i was ever in , the greatest blessing to me verse . and i said unto her , thou halt abide for me many dayes , thou shalt not play the harlot , and thou shalt not be for another man , so will i also be for thee . you shall not only be in such a low condition as a slave , and worse then a maid servant , and be sed with barley , but you shall abide thus , & abide thus many dayes . thus they have abode these sixteene hundred yeares since christs time , besides their former captivity . the lord would have a full experience of israel that their hearts were throroughly humbled , before he would take them to mercy again . there was never any people dealt more falsely with god in their humiliations then they had done before . how often when they were in misery did they come with their seeming humiliation & cryed for mercy , and god ●●●wed them mercy , and assoone as they were delivered , they fell off againe and went after their idols , and then being in misery again , they cryed to god and he delivered them , and then presently to their idols again ; well , saith god , i will not deale so with you hereafter , i will not trust you so as i have done , you have beene in misery , and i have delivered you when you cryed to me , and then you have fallen to your sins againe , but now you shall be humbled to purpose , you sh●l be ●ow many yeers in this low and meane condition , and then your hearts ●●ll be th●rowly broken , so that when you shall returne to me againe , you shall never fall from me . god hath dealt so with many of you , you have been in affliction , god hath delivered you , you have gone to your sinnes again , you have been in affliction againe , and he hath delivered you , & you have fell to your sins again , and thus you have dallyed with the great god : god may bring a fore & long affliction upon you , that you shall be so thorowly humbled , that you shall never goe back againe to your sins as you have done . this is the meaning , abide many dayes , when we would scoure & purge a filthy garment thorowly , we do not onely wash it , but wee lay it a soaking a great while , and a frosting many nights ; the jews have lyne a soaking & frostning many hundred yeeres , this is the hardnesse of mans heart , afflictions wil not work presently ; though many wedges be put into , & many blows struck upon knotty wood , it stirs not : some metals are long in melting , yea though the fire be very hot . againe , here we see it is gods ordinary way when he promiseth mercy , to seeme to goe quite contrary to a people , to seem as if he would quite destory them . i will marry my self unto them in loving kindness and in mercies , but yet i will let this people be above sixteen hundred yeers in this forlorne condition . and so it hath been in all gods administrations since the beginning of the world . when god comes to humble sinners , they must be content to be humbled gods own time , they must not out of a sudden furious humor say , lord how long ? i have been thus long in a sad condition , i have prayed thus long . is your sadness & affliction eternal ? oh no , a yeer or two perhaps , but you have deserved eternity of misery . thou shalt abide for me many dayes , thou shalt not play the harlot , & thou shalt not be for another man , so will i also be for thee . that is , in all this time you must have a care of your self that you do not seek after other lovers , let me have experience that you will now worship the only true god , and i will promise you to stay for you as you do abide for me . for the phrase , thou shalt not be for another man. the hebrew phrase to be to or for another man is to marry , thou shalt not marry another , ezek . . . i entred into a covenant with thee and thou becamest mine , fuisti 〈◊〉 , thou wort to me , that is , thou wert marryed to me , levit. . . a virgi●●hich hath no hath and , quae non suit viro , a virgin that w●●n to another 〈◊〉 . a usefull note may be had from ●●nce , that husbands must be to their wives , and wives must be to their husbands , that is , live to them ; whatsoever thou hast , any knowledge , any parts , any grace , it must be to thy wife , for the benefit of thy wife , & what the wife hath must be to the husband . you shall abide for me many dayes , and take heed in all this time you doe not depart from me & worship another god : hence we may observe . in the time of the sorest affliction and trouble we must then take heed we forsake not god. though i use you hardly for a long time , yet you may not thinke to go and shift for your selves any other way . in time of affliction we must take heed of using shifting wayes , we must not seek to help our selves by false comforts , though trouble continue long . we have an excellent place for that , psal . . . thou hast scattered us amongst the heathens ; and ver . , thou sellest thy people for nanght ; and ver . . thou makest us a reproach to our neighbours , & a derision to them that are round about us ; & ver . . and all this is come upon us , yet have we not forgotten thee , neither have we dealt falsely in thy covenant ; and ver . . thou hast sore broken us in the place of dragons , and covered us with the shadow of death , if we have stretched out our hands to a strange god ; as if he should say , god forbid such a thing as this is , though we be in the place of dragons , though we be under reproach , under great affliction ; ( you may find in that psalme the most wofull afflicted estate of gods people described , as in any part of the booke of god , ) yet we have not lifted up our hands to another god. we must not say as king jehoram , king . . why should i waite for the lord any longer ? he seemed to be humbled , and put on sackcloth , but he would not be contented to waite for the lord any longer , but shift for himself . it is that which is in the spirits of men under affliction to thinke , why should i waite for god any longer ? i will now seeke to helpe my selfe in my owne way , to shift for my self , the lord forbid that such thoughts should be in any of our hearts . sedebis mihi , thou shalt be quiet , though thou doest abide in this sad condition a long while . esay , . . their strength is to sit still , and ver . . in rest shall ye be saved , in quietnesse and confidence shal be your strength . alas , thou art now afflicted , where wilt thou mend thy self poor soul ? wilt thou go to false gods , to thy former sinful lusts ? that is not the way to help thee , thou must abide untill gods time come that he wil shew mercy to thee , the heart of man is strongly set upon good , and cannot be content to stay gods time , but if god fubdue thy heart so far as that it is content to abide though never , so long for god , & will not go out to help it selfe in any unlawfull way , this is a good signe that there is much love in the bottom . it is a signe of a strong affection in a woman , when there fall out things that hinder the match between her lover and her self . well saith she , though there be this and that in the way , though you object never so many things , yet i will have him , i will never marry as long as i live except i have him : this argueth heat & power of affection . so here , i will marry you unto my selfe , saith god , but i will have you stay for me my time , many things are to be done before that day , and then after you have stayed , i will come to you in a glorious manner . as god dealeth with the jews , so often it is in marrying himself to a particular people . thou shalt do it . god doth not only command them to do it , but it is a promise and a prophesie that they shall doe it . but you will say , how have the people of the ●ews abode for god ? thus , they have never to this day chosen any other god , though they have not been convinced of the messiah , yet ever since the captivity they have hated idolatry , & that was the thing god specially meant in this , thou shalt not have any more idols , thou shalt choose no other god , no other husband , though thou hast been very wicked and sinfull this way heretofore ( the jews formerly chose all manner of gods , the gods of the amorites , and moabites , and of all the heathens about them ) yet now thou shalt choose no other gods but me ; thus far this is fulfilled , to this day the jews since the captivity have never chose any other god , but have acknowledged the jehovah to be the only true god , they cannot abide images . there is a notable history for this in eusebius , in the . chapter of his antiquities . caius caligula sent one petronius to set up an image in the temple of jerusalem ; divers of the jewes came to petronius to plead with him , and said , sir , what is it that you do ? we beseech you do not do it , dep●ive us of our lives first , for say they , it is impossible so long as our soules are in our bodies to abide it , we will all dye first ; but saith petronius , it is the command of the emperour , and there is no contradicting it , it must be done . they answered , seeing you will not transgresse caesars command , neither vvill we violate the command of our god , nor are we so fainthearted , or have wee such a vaine desire of the continuance of our lives , as to enjoy them upon such terms to lose the reward of eternall life , that is proposed for the keeping gods commands . this was their spirit then , and to this day they will not endure idols ; one main thing that hinders the conversion of the iews is , they being scattered here and there among papists , and seeing so much idolatry among them , they are thereby stumbled at christian religion , and if god would once pull down popery , certainely the jewes would quickly come in , god is now about that . therefore all of us should assist in what we can to take down all monuments of idolatry , to make the worship of god more pure , this will be a means to bring about their conversion , and in this regard they have abode for god all this while ; this i conceive to be the meaning of the text. and i also will abide for thee . vvhat is the meaning of that ? first , in their captivity , saith god , though you shal be long in captivity , and in a low condition , be content , do not take any other god to be marryed unto as your husband ; i will be content , i will stay , i will have no other people upon the earth but you all the while you are in captivi●y . but how doth god abide for israel now ? god hath chosen the gentiles how the● doth he stay for them ? yes certainly , god stayes for israel to this day , thus . first , all the gentiles that are called , they come into god , as being joyned to the people of the jews ; god honoured the jews so farre , as that all the gentiles that doe come in , are to be made the israel of god. but rather further thus , god abides for the people of the iews to this day , in this sense , god never hath taken , nor never will take to himselfe any nation upon the earth to be a nationall church , as the jewes were , and as it is probable the jews shall be at their calling again , though god takes the gentiles that are converted , and severall congregations to be churches , but to marry himselfe to a whole nation , in that way as the iews were , that is , if a man be born of that nation , it shall be sufficient to make him a member of the church , this god did never do since the iews rejection , and never will do it till the iews be called again ; though god takes kingdomes , and so in some figurative sense a nation perhaps may be called a church , but to speak properly and strictly , to be a church so as the iews were , there is no such nationall church , nor never will be till the calling in of the iews again ; then god will be marryed to that nation in a more glorious manner then ever , & god abideth to this day for that glory which hee intendeth for iesus christ , untill they come in . and this i take to be a great reason why god for the present suffers his churches to bee persecuted so much as they are , herein god suffers himselfe as well as they ; the church ever since christs time hath been in a low and persecuted condition , the wicked have prevailed ; what is the reason ? god abideth for this people of the iews , and hee is pleased himself to undergoe many sufferings , in the mean time do you abide for me , i will be content to suffer much dishonour my selfe , many shall come in to christ , but yet they shal be a poor contemptible people , the wicked of the world shall prevail against them , shall scorn them , shall contemne them , so that i shall not appear to the world to be their husband , untill you be called again , i shall be as it were without a wife ; but when the time shall come that you shall return to me , then i wi● manifest my selfe indeed , you shall be a most glorious church , and then there shall be such a full marriage between us , that all the world shall acknowledge it , then they shall all come and say , come , behold the bride , the lambs wife , this is the scope of this scripture ; from whence these observations . first , husbands should not require of their wives any thing but what they will answerably do for them . god doth so here , abide for me , saith hee , and i will abide for you , there shall be parpari , like for like . many husbands will require hard things from their wives , but will doe little themselves ; and on the other side wives expect great things from their husbands , but do little themselves . there must be a proportion betweene what the wife expects from the husband , and what shee doth to or for her husband , and so mutually . . in our sadde condition god suffereth as well as wee . this may helpe us in our sufferings we should thinke , though wee suffer much , god suffereth as much as we , why then ●●ould we think much ? the people of the iews if they had hearts might see it now , god stayes for his honour till they come in . so in all the persecutions of the church , doth not christ suffer , in that the great work of reformation doth not go on ? it is true , we are grieved , 〈◊〉 spirit of god is grieved as well as we , and suffereth as much as we , god ●oth as it were abide for us , and stays for his glory . wee desire ( it is true ) ●hat god would come in and manifest himselfe , then we shall be happy and ●ejoyce ; but so long as god stays our happinesse , he stays his own glory . what abundance of glory doth god lose in those praises hee should have , if the reformation were presently perfected ? but god hath other ends , god is content to stay for his prayses , let us be content to stay for what we desire to have , it concerns god to hasten the work as much , yea farre more then it concerns us to desire it , we suffer something for want of it , but god suffers more . . that people , or that soul that endureth hardship a long time for god , and resolveth to reserve it self for him , so as if it cannot have comfort in god it will have none elsewhere , may assure it selfe that god reserveth himselfe for it . certainly nothing shall take off the heart of god , but there will be a blessed marriage between that soule , that people , and him . is there ever a poor creature here is in a sad condition , & god seemeth to deal hardly with it , yet hee findeth in himselfe this frame of spirit , well though god seem to leave me , and i am thus desolate , yet if i can have no comfort here , i will have none elsewhere ; i wil be content to stay and wait , no creature shal have my heart . it is true , i am not able to guide my selfe , but i am resolved the devil shal never guide me ; i am not able to do the will of god , but i will never do the wil of the devil ; and if god should leave me never so long , nay leave me eternally , i wil never have any other husband , i wil rather dye a widow , i wil never let out my self to any ; if he doe not come in and marry himself to me , i wil be without comfort as long as i live . is thy heart in this frame ? peace be unto thee , certainly god intends thoughts of mercy to thy soule , there wil certainly be a marriage betweene god and thy soule . and this frame of heart where it is , oh how wil it help against temptation ! when a poor soul is in distresse , and it may be god seemeth to go off further & further , i have prayed long and long , and yet god seems not to heare , afflictions , they prevail ; why do you pray any more ? why do you come and heare any more ? you were as good leave off at first , god wil never come , you were as good take your pleasure for a while , you can but perish at the last : this temptation many times comes very sorely upon poor distressed soules ; but now when the heart can answer , it is true , the lord indeed seemeth to be gone , and i have cause to fear lest he should reject me , but become of mee what wil , yet i wil never have any other husband , never any other comfort but god comfort , no other peace but the peace of god , and i am resolved that if i 〈◊〉 i wil perish crying for it ; if thou beest in this frame waiting for god , god is waiting for thee in way●● of his mercy , and at 〈…〉 bowels of gods mercy will yerne towards that , as the bowels of joseph yerned towards his brethren so that he could hold no longer . you know joseph for a long time used his brethren hardly , but his brethren yet behaved themseves humbly and submissively toward him , and at length he could not refraine ; so it may be god useth thee some what hardly for a while , yet do thou keep in an humble and submissive frame of spirit unto him , do that which beseemeth a creature to do , whatsoever god doth to thee , it is fit god should exercise his absolute power over me , and that i should do my duty to him , do this and be sure thou art a soul that god will marry himself unto in the end . fourthly , so farre as we are willing to be for god , god is willing to be for us . god requires that you should seek him with your whole heart , jer. . . mark how god answereth , i will rejoyce over them to doe them good , yea i will plant them in this land assuredly with my whole heart and with my whole soule ; will you seeke god with your whole heart ? i will do you good saith god with my whole heart . god is as willing to doe for you as you are to do for him , if all the faculties of your souls work toward god , all the attributes in god shall worke for your good . if thy estate be wholly given up for god , gods riches shall be wholly for thee . vvouldest thou know how gods heart works toward thee ? do but lay thine hand upon thy own heart , according to the beatings of thine heart towards god , so are the workings of the heart of god toward thee ; thou mayest determine it thus ; thou canst not goe up to heaven to know it , but go into thine owne heart and there thou mayest know . as a man may know by the working of an engine within , how the workings are abroad . that is the reason that the saints , when they have had their hearts enlarged in prayer , they have come to be resolved what god will do for them or for his church ; as it is said of luther , when he was in prayer one time more then ordinarily earnest with god , he comes down to his frinds and saith , well it shall goe well with germany all my dayes , look ye to it afterward : he knew what was done in heaven , by what was done in his own heart . we may know in a great measure what god meaneth to doe with his churches according to the inward beatings of our own hearts . further , see here the happy advantage of the saints , beyond the men of the world thus : be you for me saith god , & i will be for you . the men of the world can say , i am for the world , & the world is for me , i am for my honour , and my honor is for me , i am for my whore , and my whore is for me , this is all their happines , but now a saint can say , i am for god , and god is for me . oh the goodness of god toward us , that he is willing to be for us as we are for him ! for him , alas what can we be for him ? we are poor worms , vile creatures in our selves , what can we do ? he hath no need of us , we are bound to do all that we do . it is all one as if a king should come to a poor beggar , & say thus , poor man thou hast but little , yet do what you can for me , i will do what i can for you ; this were a mighty disproportion : alas what can the beggar do for the king ? if you will but use your staffe or what you have for me , i will use my riches , & glory , and all for your good ; saith the king to the beggar . so saith god to a poore creature , be you for me , and i will be for you ; stand for me , and i will stand for you ; use any thing you have forme , and i will use what i have for you . oh the blessed condition of the saints ! who would not be for god ? do not now say , alas ! i am a poore vile and unworthy creature , so were the jews , do not say i am gone a whoring from god , and dealt falsely with him , the jews did so , yet saith god , whensoever you will be for me , i will be for you , it is now the great question amongst us , who are you for ? i will put the question to you all , who are you for ? are your hearts wholly given up to god , or are you for your lusts for the creature ? certainly the creature will deceive you ere long , you will have no good from the creature that now you are so much for ; if you be not for god now , hee will send you to the creature in the time of your distresse . there is a time comming that every one of us shall see the need we have that god be for us ; let us be for god now , that god may be for us then , when we come to cry to him , and say , oh lord , let thy mercy and goodnesse be for us , he will say , who were you for ? you were for your lusts , now goe to your lusts , you would have none of me before , i will have none of you now . pro. . . . you would have none of my reproofe , i also will laugh at your calamity and mock when your feare commeth . marke , they would have none of gods reproofe , hee doth not say , they would have none of my mercy , they would have none of my grace , therefore i will laugh at their destruction ; but they would have none of my reproofe ; why ? the reproofes of god are the bitterest , the harshest things of all , yet because they would have none of gods reproofes , he laughes at their destruction . what shall become of them then , who will have none of the riches of gods grace offered to them in christ , the second lecture . hosea . . . for the children of israel shal abide many dayes without a king , and without a prince , and without a sacrifice , and without an image , and without an ephod , and without a teraphim . afterward shall the children of israel returne , and seek the lord their god. here is much privation , six withouts , . without a king , . without a prince , . without a sacrifice , . without an image , . without an ephod . . without a teraphim , but the last verse makes all up , they shall return and seeke the lord their god , and david their king. these withouts shew the wofull confused estate that israel was to be in for many dayes , many years , both in regard of their civill , and of their church state . the civill state , without a king , without a prince . their church , in the four that follow after . though once they were the happiest people upon the face of the earth both in regard of their civil and church estate , yet now they shall be most miserable . this they had brought upon themselves , they had set up their idols in dan and bethel , dan is the place of judgement , bethel the house of god , so the words signifie ; there was abundance of corruption both in places of judgement , and in the house of god , and now there comes upon them abundance of confusion both in their civill and in their church state . they received their order for both from god himself , from heaven , and their laws as well for cvill as for church government , which no other people yet ever did in the state manner ; but they leave gods instituions , and so they are brought into all confusion . they shall be without a king. how without a king ? when they were in captivity , yet they were under a king , the king of babylon and the assyrian , and now they are scattered under the government of kings and princes still where ever they are . they have kings over them , but they have none of their own nation to be their king , and that is the judgement ; neither are they governed by their own ( or rather ) by gods laws , and for them to be in slavery under kings , was to them as ill ( yea worse ) then to have no king at all . it is a sad condition for a people to be so without a king , to protect them , without a king to maintaine their laws , their priviledges and liberties . when men reject god from ruling over them , it is just with god to put them under the rule of tyrants , of oppressors , of publike enemies unto their state , of destroyers . the blessing of government is very great , if it be right , and therefore the persians were wont after their governor dyed to let all the people for five dayes be without any governour at all , that seeing the inconvenience and mischiefe of being without it , they might the more willingly yeeld themselves under government , and be obedient to it when they came under it . it is a question among polititions , whether tyrannie or anarchy be the better , tyrannicall government , or no government at all . though tyrannie ( except it come to a great extremity ) may be better then anarchie , yet certainly it is not better then to bring power to be regulated , though it be with some trouble , that power that at first raiseth power , that designes such persons and families to have the power , that limiteth that power , surely cannot want power to regulate that power that it should not be to its owne destruction . but here it is not onely to be without a king , but without a prince too . the word that is here translated prince , signifieth a ruler , judge , or governour , and so i finde it often used in scripture . chron. . . all these were rulers of the substance , princes , the same word that is here used ; and nehem. . . the ruler of the halfe part of jerusalem , the prince . so that by prince here is meant judges or any kind of rulers , they shall be without prince , without any judges or rulers . though they had no kings , yet if the government had been in the hand of eminent men , of judges over them , their condition had not beene so sad . time was ( not long before ) that their happinesse did not consist in being under the government of kings , they were in a happy condition before ever these were over them , and the first time that ever they came under their government , it was upon their own choice : and so as god professeth they had rejected him , and god sent them their first king in his wrath . therefore their misery certainly did not depend wholly upon being without a king. if god restraine not kings , they often desire to encroach upon the liberties that the laws of the land , the light of nature , and god himselfe gives subjects . plutarch tells us a story of pyrrhus , who comming to athens , the athenians to shew their respect , and to give honour to king pyrrhus , let him come into their castle , to sacrifice there , to minerva , which was a place they were not wont to let strangers into . vvhen he came out of the castle , he told them that he was much engaged to them for that great favour ; in requitall of which , hee told them he would give them this good counsell , take heed , saith he , that you never let king come more into this place ; immitating how easily they may be perswaded to internch upon the liberties of those who come under their power . and this should abide for many dayes . it did abide for . yeares and upward before christs time in regard of the ten tribes , for from the sixt of hezekiab to christ it was so long , the tenne tribes never came under any governour of their owne in all that time : and since christs time neither judah nor israel have had either king or prince of their own . oh what a blindness is there upon this people ! how dreadfull is that darkness they are now in ! that notwithstanding the prophesie was so cleare , that the scepter should not depart from judah untill shiloh came ; and yet now they have been without prince these . yeares , and yet they will not believe that shiloh is come . thus when god giveth over to blindness and hardnesse , things that are never so cleare will not be believed . but their confusion in their church state is more grievous then the other , they shall be without a sacrifice , and without an image , and without an ephod , and without a teraphim . two of these foure , expresse their being deprived of gods own ordinances , and the other two their being deprived of their false worship . they made a mixture in worship , they would have their sacrifice & their ephod , but together with them their image and their teraphim . this is mans perversness to make mixtures in gods worship , they will keep something of that which is gods , but they will bring in something of their own too , and that spoiles all . i have read of an emperour of rome , that in one temple he would have christ and orpheus worshipped both together . and those who were sent into samaria by the king of babylon , of vvhom we reade , kings . . they feared the lord , and served their own gods : but verse . it is said , they feared not god , that is , though they would acknowledge the true god , yet they would mix the worship of idols with the true god , and so god rejected all , they did not feare 〈◊〉 god at all ; it is no feare of god except we feare him onely ; it is no worship of god that is accepted , unless we worship him onely . it is true , the heathens are content with mixture in their worship ; you may worship one god , and have the worship of another god mixed with it , because there is not any one of them who challengeth to himselfe to be the universall good , but god being the universall good , he must be worshipped alone without mixture . there are two things wherein we must take heed of mingling ; the one is in divine worship , the other is in that great point of justification . it is as much as our lives are worth to mingle in either of these , we must keep to the rule very close and strict in these two , rather then in any thing . these people had both , and god threatens they should be without both ; seeing they would not keep themselves fully to his institutions , they should have none at all , they should have neither gods institutions nor their own . vve are this day much like to israel . in regard of our civill state , much confusion there is in that , though not altogether so much as was in theirs . and in our church state wee are very like them ; we have neither the right way of worship , nor the false , in regard of the government of the church ; the false is cast away and profest against , yet we have not the true ; onely here is the mercy of god that we are inquiring after the true , & seeking the lord , and david our king. the lord give us hearts to inquire to purpose . those who understand the septuagint , shal finde that they translate these foure here , sacrifice , image , ephod , and teraphim , by words that onely signifie the true worship , and therefore for image they put 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an altar , and for the teraphim 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 priesthood , and for the ephod , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 manifestation ; a word used for the vrim and thummim . but the hebrew is other wayes , s●crafice , image , ephod , and teraphim , as in your bookes . first then to enquire after that which was right , the true worship , sacrifice and ephod , what that was , and then the other , image and teraphim . sacrifice . they should have no sacrifice at all , for since their temple was destroyed they could never have any . that is the reason that they pray with that mighty fervency of spirit that god would build the temple again , ( as i remember i formerly shewed you out of buxtorfius . ) aedifica , aedifica , aedifica ; cito , cito , cito , lord build , build , build thy temple , in our dayes , &c. because they knew they could have no sacrifice so long as their temple was downe ; and this was a sad condition they were in ; this is their lamentable estate to this day , they have not the legall sacrifices , nor that which was typed out by them . there were these three things in their sacrifices . . their tendring up of themselves to god , the shewing their respect to him in that way he required , that was in their burnt-offering . . seeking the expiation of sinne , that was in their sinne-offering . . seeking for mercy and thanksgiving , that was in their peace-offering . now to have no sacrifice in either of these three kinds , that is , to have nothing to tender up to the high and blessed god to shew our respect to him ; to have no means to expiate our sins when we have offended him ; to have no way to seeke to god for mercy when we need , nor to returne praise , this must needs be a sad thing . this the jews have not for the present , we have christ who is to us all these , the tendring up of him . to god , is the tendring the greatest respect to god that possibly can be , the tendring of him is the expiation for our sins , it is the seeking of whatsoever mercy we would have , and it is our eucharisticall sacrifice too for all our mercies . but those who are without christ , are to this day without sacrifice , they have nothing to tender up to god. if thou wilt tender up thy estate , thy body , or thy liberty , or thy name , this is no sacrifice acceptable unto god , except thou hast christ to tender up to him , and canst tender up all in him and through him , then indeed god accepts of these . when thou hast sinned what sacrifice wilt thou offer to god to explate thy sin ? all thy prayers , thy teares are nothing , except they come with this sacrifice , jesus christ ; in him indeed a contrite heart is a sacrifice very acceptable to god. but so long as thou art without christ , the judgement of the iews is upon thee , thou art without a sacrifice . and without an ephod . ] by this he meaneth , first , that they should be without the priesthood . they should not have any church officers , and secondly , they should have no meanes to know the mind of god. that is the scope , which appeares thus . first , that by the ephod is meant the priests , is cleare by that expression sam. . . where it is said that doeg slew four-score & five persons that did we are a limen ephod , that is , four-score and five priests . secondly , without the meanes of knowing gods minde , for the vrim and the thummim , was upon the pectorall , upon the breast-plate thas was fastned upon the ephod ; so that when they were without the ephod , they must needs be without their breast-plate , for the breast-plate was annexed to the ephod , and could not be used for the knowing the minde of god but onely by applying it to the ephod , sam. . . david said to the priest , bring me hither the ephod , and david inquired at the lord , saying , shall i pursue after this troope ? it was by the presence of the ephod , that he did enquire vvhat the minde of god was what he should do in this businesse that he was now about , whether he should follow the troope , yea or no. and the text is very observable in the sixt verse , you may see at what time it was that david was so carefull to make use of the ephod , to know the minde of god what he should doe , he was in an exceeding distressed condition , for ziglag his owne city that he had the charge of was burnt , and the men of the city were all in a fretting mood , and talked of stoning him , because the amalekites had come in his absence & taken away their goods , their wives and children , and burnt the towne . this is the condition of men in publique places , if any thing fall out unsuccesfully , the people are ready in rage to fall upon them ; this makes men in publicke places to be in a hard condition , very dangerous and troublesome . we had need pray much for them , we are ready to envy those that are above us , & employed in publique services ; but considering what danger they are in , & how every thing that falleth out amisse , otherwise then we desire , the blame is presently laid upon them , their condition is not so happy as we imagine . this was davids condition , nay the text saith , that being in this condition , he and the men that were with him wept , so as they had no more power to weep their hearts were so broken , yet in this sad and grievous condition , he encourageth himself in the lord his god , and he calleth for the ephod to enquire , and know the mind of god what he should do in it . you shall observe that this is the first time we read that david in his vvars and battells called for the ephod , when he went to achish , then he did not enquire , when he invaded the geshurites , and amalekites before , he did not enquire , but now when he was brought into straits , when his heart was broken , when he was in a weeping condition , now he calleth for the ephod : vvhen god brings men into straits , and humbles them , then they will enquire of god to purpose . vve are now about to enquire of god , to know his mind but we are not humbled enough , our straits have not broken our hearts , and perhaps we shall not so readily know gods mind , god may yet humble us more , and then when we come to enquire gods mind , it may be to further purpose . but to open this garment a little . the word ephod is that hebrew word , which signifies to close in , and to compasse about , to gird about , because of the fitting garment to the priests , and the girding of it about them . there were divers sorts of these ephods , one peculiar to the high priest , that you have exod. . . others that the ordinary priests had , that you have in the former places i named about the fourscore and five priests slain by doeg ; a third was common for the ordinary levites , thus samuel , sam. . . ministred before the lord girded with a linnen ephod . and there was a fourth that other people did we are in their holy actions , especially before kings , david danced before the lord , girded with a linnen ephod , sam. . . and to this day the jewes have a kind of linnen garment , but not of the fashion of our ephod , but some little kind of resemblance to it , they wear it upon their heads , and so downward . vvhen alexander came to jerusalem , i addus the high priest came with all his priestly garments to meet him , which caused him to fall down , prostrating himselfe before him , out of reverence to him ; iosephus tels us in that story , that the people came with white garments , garments that had some kind of resemblance to this ephod : iosephus saith that this ephod was a garment but of a cubite long , only covering the shoulders and the breast , open above and on either side , and girt about the breasts ; others make it a longrobe , reaching down to the very feet , but there was a robe beside the ephod , the ephod was over another robe so christ appeared unto john , rev. . . cloathed with a garment downe to the foot , and girt about the paps with a golden girdle , like the priests , for so they were wont to be arrayed ; and revel . . . the ministers of the churches called by the name of angels , are described , cloathed in white linnen , having their breasts girded with golden girdles ; not girt about their loynes , but about their breasts , near their hearts . that which makes ministers of the gospel ready prepared for the work , is the girdle of truth , and this must be about their hearts ; if their owne plottings and self-ends shall gird them , that is , put them on to a readiness to do what may serve for those ends ; this girdle is not the golden girdle , but like that rotten girdle of jeremiahs , chap. . . that was profitable for nothing . this garment of the ephod was a holy garment then , and others must take heed of medling with such garments , or of seeking to imitate to make the like garments . we read of gideon , judges . when god had given him a great victory over the midianites , he would imitate this ephod , of the spoil he had gotten of the midianites , he made a rich and glorious ephod , but the text observeth that thing proved to be the destruction of gideons house , for the people went a whoring after it ; he made it with a good intention to testifie his thankfulnesse to god for his victory , not thinking that ever it should be worshipped . it is a dangerous thing for governours to imitate gods ordinances in garments or the like , and to preserve them amongst people , though it be with never so good an intention , their good intention will not excuse them ; gideons presumption in making an ephod , in imitation of the ephod appointed by god proved to be the destruction of his house , yet this was gideon who a little before had destroyed the altar of baal , though he was so much against idolatry before , yet now he doth that which furthereth idolatry : so many governours , if they take not heed , they may pull down one kind of false worship , and set up another . the iewes have many mysteries about this garment , it would weary you to hear them . i shall only observe that which is most usefull for you , wee must not read the books of the old testament , as if they concerned us not . first , upon the shoulders of the ephod there were set ranks of precious stones , upon them were in graven the names of the twelve tribes according to their generations : and in the middle of the ephod upon the breast-plate , which was to be four-sq●are , there were four rowes of precious stones , upon those likewise were ingraven all the names of the tribes of israel , & he bore them upon his heart . there is much to be observed in this . first , let the tribes be what they will be in themselves , though never so mean , yet upon the ephod they were precious stones . the priest wearing the ephod was a type of christ ; let those who are godly , be never so meane in themselves , yet in christ god looks upon them as precious stones . secondly , these precious stones that were upon the shoulders of the ephod are called a memoriall , exod. . . that was to signifie christ , bearing the names of all the saints before his father for a memorial , those , tribes presenting all the churches that should be unto the end of the world . when god remembers his church , it is thorow christ ; god never remembers his church , but it is by christ carrying it before him , that is the comfort of the saints ; therefore he can never remember them to revenge himself upon them , for he never thinketh of them but only as christ presenteth them unto him . and further , a memoriall ( say the jewes ) not onely because the priests were to beare the names of the twelve tribes ingraven in those stones for a memoriall before the lord , but to signifie that the priests themselves were to remember to pray for the tribes . and thirdly , a memoriall to signifie that both the priests and all the people were to remember their godly ancestors and predecessors , and to follow their vertues , and not to be any dishonour unto them . but the first is the chiefe , these precious stones with the names of the tribes were first upon the shoulder , and then upon the heart : upon the shoulder , this notes that christ carryes his church upon his shoulder , hee beares the burthen of his church , all their weight , all their afflictions upon his shoulder , the shoulder of christ standeth under the churcher , certainly therefore they shall never sinke . but may they not be so burthensome to christ as that he may shake off his burthen ? no , therefore he hath them upon his breast-plate too as well as upon his shoulder , there was upon the breast-plate in the middest of the ephod the names of the twelve tribes , christ carryes the memoriall of his churches at his heart as well as upon his shoulders , & that makes christ put his shoulders to the good of the churches because they are so neare his heart . an infinite comfort it is in the spirituall meaning of this ephod that belongs to all the godly , christ night and day hath thee upon his shoulder , and upon his heart as a precious stone before god the father . this one thing further is observable about it , you shall finde if you reade that place in exodus , that the names of the twelve tribes were to be ingraven upon these stones in order according to their birth , now in revel . . the twelve apostles who in regard of their doctrine are made the twelve precious stones of the foundation of the new jerusalem , you shal reade that they are all the very same precious stones by name excepting four , and those foure i finde that interpreters think to be the same that the other were , only with different names , for precious stones either in regard of the places where they are found , or in regard of their quality or colour carry divers names , so that it is very probable that those precious stones in rev. were the same with these in exo. but there we do not finde that they are set according unto any dignity of one apostle before another , as they were in the setting of the names of the tribes , for the first precious stone that was to be set of the foundation of the new ierusalem , of the glorious church that should be , it is the stone of benjamin who was the youngest ; and if there might be any mystery in it , we may think it signifies thus much , at least we may make use of it by way of allusion , that the lord wil use of the young ones of this generation , who shal make way for the new jerusalem before any of the other tribes ; god will cull out them to the first stone of the foundation of that glorious church . in that we find there was not such order set of the apostles as was of the tribes , we are taught that christ would not have us look upon the apostles as one above another ; therefore you shall find the apostles are never named in one and the same order ; in one evangelist they are set down in one order , and in another , in another , as mat. . mar. . luc. . so act. . in all these they are named in a different order , noting thereby that there is no superiority nor inferiority in the ministers of the gospel . upon the ephod there was likewise the vrim and thummim . it is very hard to tell you what this vrim and thummim was , it costs a great deal of time to find out what men think it was , and if i should tell you the variety of the guesses of men about this , it would be tiresome unto you and me . austin in his . question upon exod. in venire quid sint deficile , what this vrim and thummim was , it is hard to find , and cajetan saith , none ever yet explained what it was , and they tell us that even the rabbins themselves say , the jewes were very ignorant of this . but most probable one of these two , especially the latter . some think that they were some stones set in the breast-plate , which by their brightness or darknesse did give an answer to what they demanded of god , that is thus ; when the high priest went to demand of god what was to be done in any great and publique affairs , hee presented this breast-plate with these stones before the lord , and if god would give an affirmative answer , the stones gave a more then ordinary brightness and lustre ; but if he would give a negative answer , then the stones were darker then they were before ; but we are not certain of this , we may rather conclude upon the other , viz. that the vrim and thummim , ( though we know not what matter they were made of , no more then we know what manna was made of ) it was somwhat that god gave moses to put into the breast-plate , which by him was appointed as an ordinance which was to be presented before the lord by the priest when they would know the mind of god , & when this was presented before the lord , god did then usually give an answer to the priest , either by an audible voyce , or by secret inspiration , yet not always tying himself to give it thus ; for we find in scripture , somtimes god did not give an answer when he was sought by vrim and thummim , as when saul enquired of god by vrim & thumim there was no answer from god ; and it is like josiah would not have sent onely to huldah the prophetesse if hee could have had answer by vrim and thumim ; but when god pleased he would give an answer this way . the word vrim & thummim signifies light and perfection , some would make it to signifie the knowledg and integrity of life that is to be in ministers , but i rather think the meaning is , that they were bright precious stones which were of a great perfection , and fit to doe that which god did appoint them for . the septuagint calls this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , the oracle . hence pet. . let 〈◊〉 speak 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , as the oracles of god. now this must be upon the breast-plate of the priest , which the priest making use of , thereby the people came to know the minde of god. this was to signifie that we must look for the mind of god by christ . it is christ who is come from the father to reveale his counsels to us ; if we look to have the mind of god any other way but through him , we are mistaken . and further , this vrim and thummim , this breast-plate of judgment , was to be upon the heart of the high priest , and that when he went in before the lord , as exod. , . there are two notable morall observations to be observed from thence . first , the answer that any minister of god in the name of christ should give his people , should be such an answer as should lie at his very heart , hee must speak nothing but his very heart unto them ; when he would answer any case of conscience , or make known any thing of the mind of god , his answer must lie at his heart . secondly , it must be as in the presence of the lord , it must be as before god , he must consider in whose place he standeth to answer as from god , from the great prophet of the church . it is a great judgment threatned to be without vrim and thummim , seeing it was of so great use to them . and this should be for many dayes . josephus saith , that they were without this two hundred years before he wrote his antiquities , that was an hundred and five years before christ ; but it appears that they had no vrim and thummim long before that time , for at their return from captivity , ezra . . the tirshatha , that is , the ruler , said unto them , that they should not eate of the most holy things till there stood up a priest with vrim and thummim , therefore they had not then a priest with urim and thummim , they expected to have one , but whether ever they had one after it is not know . this was the reason of that complaint of asaph , psa . . . we see not our signes , there is no more any prophet , neither is there any among us that knoweth how long ; that is a grievous complaint . now it is like that psalme was made about the very time of their return from captivity ; for ezra . . asaph is named among those that came to jerusalem from the captivity , the singers , the children of asaph , an hundred twenty and eight . but let it be then or after , by this psalme wee may finde that it was a very lamentable complaint to be without urim and thummim . the result of all is , that it is a grievous thing to the saints , that in the time of their strait they dono● know gods mind . at any time when god brings his people into straits , yet if they can know the mind of their god , they are refreshed and encouraged ; but when they shall seeke to know gods minde , and the lord resuseth to discover it to them , this is a sad condition indeed . i find one note more of jeroms about their being without an ephod . we may observe , saith he , the hardness of the hearts of the jews , that they should be so many hundred years without sacrifice and without ephod , without the true worship of god among them , and ways to know gods mind , and yet they are not guilty of any greater sin then the sin of idolatry , except it be of the killing of jesus christ , that they should not reason thus , what sin is it that thus provokes god against us more then ever he was provoked ? surely there is some greater sinne then ever yet we have committed ; but saith he , they can never finde any other offence , beside the killing of christ , to be a greater offence then idolatry , and yet they have a greater judgement upon them then ever they had , though they are not guilty of that sinne as they were formerly ; surely were they not extreamly hardned , they would be convinced that all this is because of our rejecting & crucifying christ the son of god. as they had the ordinances of god , so they had wayes of false worship of their owne , images and teraphim . i must shew you what those were , and then how it is a threatning that they should be without those . image , that seemeth to refer to the two calves they had set up in dan & bethel , which they so much gloryed and rejoyced in , they should be taken away . teraephim , that likewise should be taken away . now if you aske what this teraphim was ? in the general , taraph is a divining image ; as the ephod was gods ordinance to know the minde of god by , so the teraphim was a way of the devil , an idolatrous way to know things that were to come . it was an image made after this fashion , so i finde those that write of it tell us , the teraphim was the image of the head of a man wrung off his body , salted and bespiced with precious spices , and then upon this head there was a plate of gold with the name of that spirit they would divine by , ( or , as some ) the name of the uncleane spirit was to be put un der the tongue of this head , and this being set upon a wall , there were burning candles and incense offered to it , and that under the constellation of some star , and so enquiring to know something that was to come , by it the devill was used to answer , and to tell them of such things as were to come ; it was an oracle of the devil that told them what successe they should have in this or the other businesse ; sometimes it hit right . see the superstition of the jewes ; they desired much to know the minde of god , now because they were afraid they should not know all by the ephod , which was the ordinance of god , they would joyne with the ephod , the teraphim . from hence there is this profitable note . it is a very great and fearfull evil for men in searching to know any thing of gods mind , not to keep themselves to gods ways of knowledg , to gods own ordinances . it concerneth us much now at this day . we are about enquiring the mind of god , that wee may know it about matters concerning the common-wealth , but more especially about religion , i suppose there is none of us but will acknowledge that way that god hath appointed for the revealing of his will in the scripture ; that we must look into the scripture , and seek to know gods minde there ; that is good , but let us not joyne teraphim with it ; then do we joyne teraphim , when we rest not upon scripture alone , but search after rules of mans devising , and what will stand with our own carnal ends . the lord may justly meet with us in wrath , if we presume to joyne our teraphim with his ephod . pray that at this day where there is so much searching after gods mind , that those who are employed in it , may keepe themselves to the ephod , to the scriptures , to that which is gods ordinance for the revealing his minde , that they may not joyne the teraphim , their own fancies and inventions of men with the scriptures ; so long as we keepe to that rule , we may hope to do well enough ; but if the teraphim be joyned with the ephod , if any thing be joyned with the scriptures , though it may seeme to be never so rationall , we have cause to feare god will leave us . we finde this word teraphim used sometime in scripture for the image of any man : as sam. . . when michael took an image , and laid it in the bed instead of david , the word in the hebrew is teraphim : so when rachel stole away her fathers images , the word is , she stole away her fathers teraphim , and some thinke they were her fathers divining images , & that she did rather steale those then any others , because she would not have her father divine which way they were gone . zachar. . . it is said the idols have spoken vanity ; the word is the teraphim . by which we may see they were wont to aske of their idols about their successes . and sometime wee find in scripture that idolatry is called by this name , as . sam. . . stubbornnesse is as idolatry , the word is , is as teraphim . but here comes in the question , god threatneth to take away the sacrifice and the ephod , that plainly is a threatning , but how is this a part of the threatning to take away the image & the teraphim ? you may understand it as a threatning by this similitude ; it is as if god would threaten to bring israel into such a desolate condition as a strumpet is brought into , not only when all her friends leave her which were her kindred , her true friends , but when all her lovers leave her too , even those who were filthy with her , those who pretended the most love to her , in whom she took abundance of comfort , and from whom she expected protection ; yet now she is brought into such a condition , as she sitteth desolate , for lorne and helplesse : so shall ye be , saith god , your sacrifice and your ephod , yea and teraphim shall leave you . or rather thus , howsoever it is a mercy for god to take away false worship from a people , images and teraphim , yet in this regard it comes in a way of threatning , because it would crosse and vex them to bee deprived of these images and teraphim , it would bee a judgement in their apprehension : as for instance , what a deal of stir have we with people , when they conceive that any false worship shall be taken away from them , they think they are undone in it ; when the inventions of men in gods worship are but questioned , what a do is there ! men think their gods are taken away ; as judges . when the children of dan came to the house of micah , and took away his ephod and his teraphim , he cryed out after them , yee have taken away the gods that i have made , and what have i more ? what worse thing could you have done more ? i had rather you should have taken away all i had , and yet you say unto me , what aileth thee ? is it not so at this day ? what is it that now breedeth such disturbance in england at this time , but that people thinke their teraphim shall bee taken from them ? whereas they have heretofore worshipped god in a false way , after the inventions of men , and now god is pleased to discover light , and thereis an enquiring after the government of the church in the right way , and the true manner of worshipping god , they are even mad upon this , and would rather lose their lives and their estates , then their teraphim should be taken away ; let that be taken away , and how shall they be able to pray ? what , will you take away their religion ? this is the language of men in many ignorant places in this kingdome , yea , the very language of many even amongst us here , they are verily perswaded that the parliament are intended to take away all religion in the kingdome , and such principles the adversaries go about to infuse into men , that the parliament are a company of brownists , meerly because they goe about to enquire after the true way of worshipping god , and would have the land purged of all superstitious vanities ; thus people cry out for their teraphim , great is diana of the ephesians . you may read the like in the history of the life of king edward the sixth , when he had but banished the masse , there was an army rose in devonshire , and they sent severall articles unto the king about their grievances , as causes of their rising ; first , they said that their children were denyed to be baptized , as now they cry out that none but a company of anabaptists doe all this ; the popish priests did then infuse into the people that were in those remote countryes , that they were to have no more children baptized , thinking this would exasperate the people then against king and parliament : and then they complained that their service was taken from them ( meaning the masse ) king edward was fain to write to them , to tell them that they were exceedingly abused , that they should still enjoy what was according to the word of god , that their children should be baptized ; and for the masse , saith he , the common-prayer book is that masse the same that it was before , only whereas it was in latin before , now it is turned into english , and so he quieted the people of that countrey . thus it comes to be a threatning , that god will take away their image and teraphim , because the hearts of people are so vexed when their superstitious ways are taken away . now upon this confusion , when they are without king , prince , sacrifice , ephod , image and teraphim , when all is come to this confusion , then comes the time that they shal return and seeke tho lord their god , and david their king. when gods time is come to raise the most glorious church that ever was in the world , a little before that there is like to be the greatest confusion that ever was in the world : lactantius ( i have made use of before in speaking of the first chap. great shall be the day of jezreel ) tels us , that just before the glorious church ( he speaks of it at large , in lib. . c. . . & . ) all right shall be confounded , laws shall perish , men shall possesse all things by force , good men shall be scorned & contemned : and though these times , saith he , wherein we live be naught , so that one would thinke that wickednesse were grown up to the height , yet in comparison of those evill dayes that shall be a little before this glorious time , these days may be called the golden age . god will bring all into a chaos first , as he did in the first creation , & then bring a glorious building out of that chaos . we know the raising of that glorious church that is so much prophesied of , is called a creation , a creating a new heaven and a new earth ; and it is probable enough , that as the heavens and the earth were first made out of a chaos , so those new heavens and new earth that god is about to make , will be raised out of a chaos , out of that which seemeth to us to be but confusion . vvhat do people cry out of at this day but of confusion ? all things they say are brought into confusion : it is true , confusion is an evill thing , and we are to grieve for it , and to seek to prevent it , yet let us not be too much troubled , for you see when the greatest confusion comes upon the people of the jewes , then follows the greatest mercy , then they shall return and seeke the lord their god , never return before that time . indeed till men be taken off from all , they will not return to god , if they have any thing to go unto , they will never return to god. vvhen saul had but a witch to go to , he would rather go to her , then seek the face of god in way of repentance . let not this be our way , because god seems to leave us for the present , and letteth us be in a confusion , and we know not what to do , let not our hearts fiet and vex , let us not go to unlawful means ; for mark , it was just a little before sanl was to be destroyed that he was growne to that height of evill . there was a time that saul did enquire after gods mind , and god refused to answer him , but yet hee would not take such an unlawfull course then , but he searched to see whatsin was amongst the people that caused god to refuse to give him an answer , so you have it in the case of jonathan , sam. . . when he took the honey , he enquired of god , and god answered not , and saul said , draw neere and see wherein this sin hath beene this day . but afterward he grew to a greate● height of evill , when he was in a strait , and god answered him not , presently he goeth to the witch , but it was when he was near destruction . the note from thence is , vvicked men neare destruction ( as saul was ) finding things in a confusion , and god not shewing them what is to be done , presently are in a rage against god , then they frer , and seeke after unlawfull means to help them . the lord forbid that this should b● our condition . let not us say , things are now in such a confusion that we know not how to find out the mind of god , we consult with ministers and they know not what to say , they have cast out such a government , and they know not what to bring in , and therefore it were better we were as before . if this should be our teasoning , it is a signe we are like saul nigh to destruction . let us be content to wayte , they shall be many dayes without a king , &c. and then they shal return ; this shall be the fruite of being without a king , and prince ▪ & ephod , and sacrifice , not vexing and raging , but returning to god and repenting . it things be worse , & we be brought into greater straits then ever we thought of , let us not murmur , but let us repent . every one is complaining , but who is repenting ? if there were as much repenting as there is murmuring , then we should soone know the minde of god. then they shall returne . here is the use of sanctified affliction , it is to cause returning to god. jerome expresses the life of an impenitent sinner by a line stretched out , he goes saith he from the center in a right line , and so goes in infinitum from it , but a penitent sinner is like a line bent , and turning back to the center , though by sin he goes from it , yet by repentance he turnes to it again , they are gone from me a great way saith god , but i will give them a turne , they shal bend back again and return to me . they shall returne . repentance is set out by this vvord , to note the folly of sinne . in sin thou goest out of the way , and the truth is though you thinke you choose a good way for your self , yet you must either come back again or perish . it is just like a man travelling in a rode , and he sees a dirty lane before him , which he is told is the way , he must goe there , but on the other side of the hedg he seeth a green and pleasant vvay , and he gets over into that way , and so perhaps rides on a mile or two , at length he is compast about with ditches and rivers so that he must either return back or else lie there & starve , he returnes back , with shame , and if any one that before told him of the other way see him , he tells him now of his folly , i told you that the other was the way , and that if you went over the hedge you must come back again : so it is with sinners , there are wayes of god that go directly to heaven , but because those wayes are rugged , and they meet with trouble and persecution in them , & they see by-ways that leade to hell that are more plaine & smooth , they get over , they will transgresse , ( for that is the word for sinne ) they are got over , now they are merry & sriske up and down for a while in this fine way ; but friend you must come backe again , and if ever you mean to be saved , you must goe in the way that you have refused . further , they shal return and seeke the lord their god. here is an encouragement for old sinners . the jews have been above . years in this wofull condition , for saking god , but in their latter dayes they shall returne and seeke the lord , and god shall be mercifull to them . hast thou been forty , fifty , sixty years going from god ? there is hope for thy soul , oh returne , return you old sinners , but further , 〈◊〉 shall return to jehovah , and seeke him , jer. . . if thou wilt returne o israel , saith the lord , return unto me . they shal not return from one false way of worship to another , but from the false way to the true , they shall return to god. it is that we had now need look unto . we must not think it enough to cast one false way of government out of the church , and turn to another , though not so ill yet not gods , if out of any politicke pretence we reject the way of god it will prove a sore evil unto us , it is one thing not to be able to bring in the way of christ , and another to reject it , they shall seek jehovah , not their idols , but god himself . the word signifies conatu ac studio quaerere , to seek with endeavouring , with study rather then meerly to ask and enquire , they shall be studious in asking after god. they shall seek the lord , that is , first , they shall seeke his face and favour for the pardon of all their evill wayes , they shall come and acknowledge their false wayes and their doings which have not been good , and seek mercy for pardon . secondly , they shall seek the lord , that is , they shall seeke the true worship of the lord. calvin in a sermon upon that place seeke ye my face , interprets it to be seeking the ordinances of god , the true worship of god , so psal . . . seeke the lord & his strength , what is meant by the strength of god there ? it is the arke , for that psalme was made at the bringing in of the arke into the place that david had prepared , as you may see by comparing that psalme with the chron , . the arke of god is called the strength of god , psal . . . he gave his strength into captivity . surely if the true worship of god be the strength of god , it is our strength too , a people are then strong when they entertaine the arke of god , the true worship of god , and then indeed we seeke god aright when we seeke to know the way of his worship . lastly , they shal seek the lord , that is , they shall seeke to know his will in all their wayes , and to do it . it is not enough for them to be content to do just that which shall be put upon them , but they shall seek to know what his minde & his worship is . some yeeld thus far to god , if any come to them and convince them that this is to be done , then they will do it , they dare not then but yeeld to it ; but when the heart is in a true repenting frame , it is then in a seeking frame , it is laborious and industrious to know the mind of god. whereas the heart of a sinner heretofore lay dead & dull , never stirred after god , now it is in a stirting , in an inquiring , in a seeking way , this is a signe of much good : though thou hast not what thou seekest for , yet be comforted in this that thou art in a seeking way , their hearts shal re●oyce that seeke the lord. if thou beest seeking god in his ways , though thou complainest , i have beene seeking a long time , but i know not the minde of god , i cannot apprehend the love of god , the pardon of my sins , yea , but the hearts of those shall rejoyce that seek the lord , if thou beest in a seeking way thou art in a saving way , there is cause thou shouldst rejoyce in this , that god hath brought thee into such a way . they shall seeke the lord , and that not saintly but to purpose , auxiously , jer. . . . they ( the children of israel , and the children of judah , when they shall be both together ) shall goe weeping , and seeke the lord their god , and they shall aske the way to zion with their faces thitherward . many of you come to aske questions , but your hearts are not right , your faces & the strength of your spirits are not set to yeeld to the will of god when it is revealed to you . and mark how it appeares that their faces are thitherward , come ( say they ) let us joyne our selves to the lord in a perpetual covenant that shall not be forgotten . this is to seeke god , it is not meerly to goe to a minister and aske him a question , but it is to goe with our faces , with the strength of our spirits set to know the minde of god above any thing in the world , and so to resolve to obey what shall be revealed to be gods mind , as to be willing to enter into a perpetual covenant , to binde our selves to yeeld to whatsoever god shal reveale . when you come to a sermon , you must not come to get a little notional knowledge , but come with your faces towards christ and his truth , before you come you should get alone ( if you be a true seeker ) and enter into covenant with god , that whatsoever god revealeth to be his minde you will yeeld to it & obey it , though you have heretofore gone against many truths revealed to be the minde of god , but lord no more now , here i am ready and willing to enter into an everlasting covenant to be under the command of every truth . here is the right seeking of god. they shall seeke the lord their god ; [ their god ] this hath two references , either to what is past , or to what is to come . to what is past , their god , that is , the god who was once the god of the jews , the god of their forefathers , the god of abraham . of isaac , and of jacob. and secondly , their god , that is , that god that is yet ready and willing to be reconciled to them , not withstanding all their sinnes . thus they shal seek the lord their god. these two references afford two excellent observations . first , this prevailes much with the heart of an apostate , when he can but think what god was once unto him before he did apostatize , and what he was unto his godly parents and predecessors . there was a time that i enjoyed god sweetly , when i went to prayer i had blessed communion with him , it is otherwise with me now , i have apostatized . let this consideration catch h●ld upon thy heart and turn it this day ; oh turne , turn thou apostate soul . god who was once thy god in a gracious manner is that god that thou hast vilely forsaken , yea thy fathers god also . thou hast a godly father , a godly grand-father , remember what a blessed god he was unto them , and return . secondly , their god , that god that yet they may have hope to enjoy , notvvithstanding all their departings from him . hence the note is this , the apprehension o● a possibilty to obtaine mercie from the lord , is a strong means to draw the heart to returne to him ; when they look upon god as a god in covenant with them yet , and there is nothing to the contrary but he may be their god. let this be an argument to catch hold upon the spirits of all sinners who are departed from god , thou hast departed from god in a soule and vile manner , but men and angels know nothing to the contrary but that he may be thy god for all this . let me speake to the vilest sinner that is in this place before the lord this day , thou hast indeed most desperately and wickedly sinned against god , the jews have done so ; hast thou crucified christ ? they have done so ; hast thou denied the truth and followed false waies ? they have done so ; notwithstanding all thy wicked and evil waies , seeing thou art yet alive , i doe this day yet once more pronounce thee in the name of the great god , that there is nothing to the contrary that either angels or men can possibly know , but that god may be thy god , and that this day god may enter into covenant with thee , & thou with him , this night he may come in and sup with thee , and thou with him , there may be a blessed reconciliation between god and thee , return , return thou sinful soul . the third lecture . hosea . . — and david their king , and shall feare the lord and his goodnesse in the latter dayes . that the jews shall returne and believe in christ , is most ordinary and famous both in the words and hearts of those that are faithfull , saies augustine . in this their returne and seeking god , they shall seek david their king. for the opening this , there are these five things to be inquired into . . who this david was . . why david is rather named then any other . . why he is mentioned in this place . . why joyned with seeking jehovah , . why this epithet is added to david here . david their king. for the first , david clearly is meant jesus christ , nothing is more manifest then that christ is meant by the name of david , sayes augustine . the scripture is cleare in this , it is usuall in the gospel to call christ by the name of david . compare esay . . with acts . . esay . i will give you the sure mercies of david ; what are those ? act. . that place in isaiah is quoted , and there the word is sancta davidis , the holy things of david ; the holy ghost there going according to the translation of the septuagint , as it is usuall in the new testament . and that psalm . . . where david seemes to speake in his owne person , thou wilt not leave my soul in grave , nor suffer thy holy one to see corruption : this is interpreted of christ , act. . . . act. . . in the assembly the church of jerusalem , together with messengers of the church of antioch , james makes a speech to the assembly , & tels them of a prophesie that god would raise the tabernacle of david , that is , convert the gentiles to the profession of christ . but you will say how is this quoted right , for that was james his intention in the assembly ( and it concerns those who are of such a grave assembly as that was , to speake what they speake to purpose ) but how doth james here speake to the purpose ? for the point he was to speake to , was that the gentiles were to be called , and he proveth it by that scripture where it is said that god would raise the tabernacle of david , how doth that prove that god would call the gentiles ? you may see if you looke into the prophesie whence this was quoted , that this text was right to the purpose ▪ the prophesie is amos . . . there it goeth thus , after he had said that he would raise the tabernacle of david , it followeth , that they may possesse the remnant of edom , and of all the heathen which are called by my name : so that the tabernacle of david indeed is the tabernacle of christ , and it shall be raised to this end that he may possesse the remnant of edom , and all the gentiles that were to be called by the name of god. david is christ because he was his type , and christ was the seed of david . the second question , but why is david rather named then any other , rather then abraham , isaac , or jacob ? others were types of christ as well as he and christ was , their seed as well as davids , the reason is , because david typified christ especially in his kingly power over his own people , david was the first godly king that ever was over gods own people ; melchisedech was a king , king of salem , but over the people of god david was the first type of christ . thirdly , why doth the holy ghost adde this to seeking the lord , that they shall seeke david ? why was it not as full if the holy ghost had said , when israel , these ten tribes ( for he speakes of them especially ) when they shall return they shall seeke the lord , and the messiah , but that they shall seek the lord and david ? the reason is , the expression is brought to this end , to put these tribes in minde of that great sinne of theirs , in their defection from the house of david , there was an intimation in this expression of that defection they had from david , when they shall repent this will lye neere their hearts , they will mourne for this their sinne , when they choose christ to be their king , they shall do it under the name of david ; as if they should say , we indeed have cast off the house of david sinfully , but we now come and choose the son of david to be our king. thereby putting us in minde of this note of instruction . true penitents in mourning for their sinne and returning to god , will go to the roote of their sin as much as they can , to their first defection & mourn for that , and labour what lies in them to reforme in that very thing wherein the root and beginning of their sin lay . the fourth is , why seeking the messiah ( under what name soever ) is here joyned to seeking the lord , the very marrow of all the gospel is in these words , they shall seeke jehovah , and david their king. it is added for this end , to shew us , that none can seek god rightly but through christ , they must seek god in christ ; this is eternal life to know thee and thy son , to know god alone is not eternall life , but to know god and his son ; so to seek god alone is not eternal life , not will it ever bring to eternal life , except there be a seeking of god in christ , seeking jehovah and david , putting them together . grace from god the father , and from jesus christ , those must goe together , no grace from god the father , but from him through christ ; so no seeking of god the father , jehovah , but it must be with seeking of david likewise : it is not only dangerous , but it is a horrible thing to think of god without christ ; the very thought of god not through christ is a most dreadfull thing to the heart of any who knows god. indeed there are a company who have bold presumptuous hearts , who will go into gods presence though reeking in the very guilt of their sin lately committed , and seeke to god for mercy , and never think of christ the mediator ; they understand not the necessity of seeking god in christ , because indeed they know not with what a god it is they have to deale ; but that soul that knows what god is , dares not think of god , much lesse come into his presence & seek him but only through christ . it was wont to be the way ( as plutarch in the life of themystocles reports ) of some of the heathens , the molossians , when they would seek the favour of the prince , they tooke up the kings son in their armes , and so went and kneeled before his altar in his chappell ; so themystocles did when he sought the favour of king admetus . it should be the way of christians in seeking the face of god the great king , to take up his sonne in the armes of faith. a notable speech luther hath in psal . . often and willingly , saith he , doe i inculcate this , that you should shut your eies & your eares , and say you know no god out of christ , none but he that was in the lap of mary , and sucked her breasts ; he means none out of him . we must not , we should not dare to looke upon ●od but through christ , and seeke him together with david . this is the evangel●call way of seeking god ; when we have sinned , if there be any way of help , it must be by seeking this mercifull god ; thus farre nature goes , and most people goe no further , yea most christians , though they have the name of christ in their mouths , yet the worke of their hearts is no further then natural principles carry them on . but the seeking god in christ , is the true supernaturall way , the evangelicall way , that is the mystery of godlinesse , to tender up a mediator to god every time wee come into his presence . i feare that many of our prayers are lost for want of this . there is much fasting and prayer thorough gods mercy amongst us , and i would to god there were no abating that way ; but though wee thinke , will god leave his people when there is such a spirit of prayer ? if it be not a seeking of god in his son , know it is our own spirits rather then the spirit of god. vvee may be earnest in prayer , and cry mightily to god , yet if we take not up his son in the armes of faith , and tender him to the father , thousands of prayers and fasting days may be all lost for want of this . the truth is , wee must not depend so much upon our prayers , though we are to rejoyce and to blesse god that there is so much prayer ; but gods wayes towards us seeme as if hee would take us off from means , and make us look up to free grace , not take us off from the practise of any , but from relying upon any , onely to rely upon free grace in christ . as this is the supernaturall seeking god , so it is the most powerfull way of seeking him . it is not enough to seeke god by vertue of a promise , except vve seek him by vertue of christ , who is the foundation of all the promises . vve seek him because he is mercifull , that is one way ; yea we seek him because he hath promised mercy , this is a higher degree ; but we must go higher yet , we must look to his son , in whom all the promises are yea & amen ; otherwise , though we seek him never so earnestly , though we chalenge his promises , and cry to him to remember his promises , yet if we do not act our faith upon his son , wee may misse in all , and herein we sanctifie that great name of god in that which is the great work of his , his master-piece as we may say , or the great designe hee hath to honour himself in the world here , and everlastingly hereafter . certainely , though god hath made the creature for his own glory , & expects we should honour him in beholding him in the creature , yet the great design god hath to honour himselfe in and by , is in that glory of his that is manifested in his son , to have the children of men behold this his glory , and reflect it upon his own face ; except you give god his glory in this , he cares not much for what soever glory you can give him otherwise . you must not therfore expect when you seek god , that you must have good things from him meerly because he is mercifull , you must not thinke that the mercy of god serveth to eike out our righteousnesse . perhaps some will say , it is true , we are poor sinfull creatures , and what can wee expect from god being fin full ? but we hope that god will pardon our sin , and so will accept of the poor services that we perform ; this is the way that most goe , they do as it were imploy gods mercy in such a worke that god never intended it for , that is , they would make the mercy of god to eike out their owne righteousnesse , and so both put together , they think they will serve to be a means of atonement : no , you mistake gods mercy ; the worke of gods mercy is not this , but it is to shew us our unrighteousnesse , our misery , our unclearnesse , to shew us jesus christ , to draw our hearts to him , to emptie us of our selves , that wee may wholly rely upon that righteousnesse that is by faith in him , and tender up that to the father for sanctification and attonement , that is the work of gods mercy ; when it hath this work , then it hath the true genuine work indeed . the fifth is , why here added king. true , wee must seeke the lord and christ , but why christ the king ? the reason is , because christ in the latter dayes shall be fully honoured in his kingly power : they shall looke upon him not only as prophet and priest , but as king. hitherto christ hath bin much honoured in his propheticall and priestly office , but not so much in his kingly ; but in the latter dayes when god shall call home his people ( the jewes ) then christ shall be fully honoured in his kingly office . the tabernacle of christ was raised in the primitive times , according to that speech of st. james we had before , acts . . god shall raise the tabernacle of david , hee puts it as fulfilled then ; but there is a time when god shall not only raife the tabernacle of david , but the throne of david ; christ the king shall appeare in glory . ezek. , , . and david my servant shall be king over them . it was spoken upon the union that there should be between judah and israel , then david my servant shall be king over them . david was dead a great while before , there is a time that david must again be king , that is , christ , upon the union of all the tribes together ; and againe , david shall be prince for ever , when they are brought againe into their owne land , david shall be prince over them for ever , saith the text : surely this prophesie is yet to be fulfilled . and luke . . the lord shall give him the throne of his father david , and he shall reign over the house of jacob for ever , and of his kingdome there shall be no end . i know we usually think that this is meant only of his spirituall reign , but there is a mistake in it , certainly there is to be a fulfilling of this prophesie in a reign that shall outwardly appeare before the children of men , which will appea more in comparing this with other scriptures . revel . . . the kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of the lord & his christ , and so he shall reign for ever and ever . vvhy in a spirituall sense the kingdoms of this world are always the kingdomes of the lord and of christ , but there is spoken of some famous notable time when the kingdomes of this world shall appeare to be the lord , and his christs , and then he shall reigne for ever and ever , after another manner then now he doth . revel . . . to him that overcometh will i give to sit with me in my throne , as i also overcame , and am set down with my father in his throne . mark this text , as one of the most notable of any wee have . that kingly rule that christ hath for the present is upon his fathers throne ; he is not yet upon his own in comparison of what he shall be , the kingdome that christ hath now is the joynt reigne of him with the father , but there is a time for christ to have a throne himselfe . now that throne of christ it may be you will thinke it is in heaven at the day of judgement ; but we finde cor. . . that at that day he comes to refigne the kingdome , the words do not seeme to import as if hee came to take it , but that then hee doth give up the kingdome unto god the father , therefore there is a time for christ himself to have a throne , with whom the saints shall reign . matth. . . the children cryed out hosanna to the sonne of david , because they looked upon the sonne of david as one who was to reign . in these latter dayes christ shall breake the kings of the earth who stand against him , as indeed many , yea most of the kings of the earth have ever stood out to hinder this kingdome of his . there will be a mighty shaking of the kingdoms of the earth when this shall be , heb. . . whose voyce then shook the earth , but now he hath promised , saying , yet once more i shake not the earth onely but also the heaven ; quoted out of hag. . . . god in giving the law shooke the earth , but he will shake the earth and the heaven● , which some interpreters expounds thus , not only the meaner power of people , but the powers of kings and emperours the highest powers in the world , whatsoever is lofty in the world shall be shaken when christ comes to take the kingdom to himself , the father will set him king upon his holy hill ; though the kings of the earth set themselves , and the rulers take counsell together against the lord & against his anoynted , saying , let us break their bonds asunder , and cast away their cords from us ; he that sitteth in the heavens shall laugh , the lord shall have them in derision , then shall he speake to them in his wrath , and vex them in his sore displeasure , yet have i set my king upon my holy hill of zion , yet have i done it , though the kings of the earth and great ones of the world fret , vex , and rage , and gather power together , though they blaspheme and say he shall not raigne , the lord sitteth in heaven and laugheth at them , let them do what they can , and gather what strength they can , & oppose to the uttermost they can , yet will i set my king upon my holy hill . this is acceptable news , it is the joyfull voyce of the gospel to tell you of christs comming to raigne in the world , esay , . . how beautifull upon the mountaines are the feet of him that bringeth good tidings ? what are those good tidings ? this tidings , that saith unto zion , thy godraigneth , this is the triumph of the church , esay . . the lord is our judge , the lord is our law-giver , the lord is our king , for then shall the churches be delivered from the oppression of all tyrants in the world . and this kingdom of christs shall indeed be like davids kingdome , christ shal be david the king. i might shew you the parallels in many things , but i will only parallel the kingdome of christ and of david in these two particulars . first , david of all the princes that ever were was one of the most gentle , he was exceeding loving and sweet unto his subjects ; that you shal finde chron. . . then david the king stood up upon his feet , & said , he are me my brethren , and my people . marke how a king speaks speaking to his people , he stood upon his feet , and said , heare me my brethren , and my people . thus the kingdome of christ is set out to us , psal . . . in thy majesty ride prosperously because of truth and meeknesse . christ shall be a most meeke king , hee shall not be a bloody king to his people , he shall not be a king ●●●ing in viòlence and harshness , so as not to care for the love of his people , his singer shall not be heavier then the loynes of others , but he shall rule his people with all gentleness . therefore the government of christ is set out 〈◊〉 a she●he 〈…〉 leading those that are with young ; & 〈◊〉 ●his , david david and christ are parallel , psal . . . . he chose david his servant , & tooke him from the sheep-folds , from following the ewes great with young , he brought him to feed jacob his people , and israel his inheritance . so the kingdome of christ , esay . having spoken ver . . of the glad tidings of the kingdome , it followeth , he shall feed his flocke like a shepheard , he shall gather the lambs with his arme , and carry them in his bosome , and shall gently leade those that are with young . when christ shal raigne he shal have great respect to the good and comfort of his people over whom heraigneth , he shall not raigne over them without regard to their liberties , and what may be for the comfort of their lives , the good of his people , and his own glory shall be put both in one . secondly , david their king , in regard of faithfulnesse . david was exceeding faithfull to his people , and therefore the mercies of god in christ are called the sure mercies of david , because david was found faithfull before the lord. psal . . . is the prophesie of christs kingdom , the text saith , in thy majesty ride prosperously , because of truth , and meekness , and righteousnesse ; there shall be righteousness in the kingdome of christ . this is a blessed thing when we may confide and fully venture our estates , liberties and our lives upon the promises of those who are above us . vve know how many there are about great personages to take them off from those things that they have promised , though never so seriously , and with never such solemne protestations to performe them . i will give you a story or two remarkable for this , to shew what danger people have been in when they have confided upon the promises of princes , when there have beene those about them that endeavoured to take of their hearts from performing what they had ingaged themselves to . you shall finde in the life of edward the sixth this story ; the king sends his letters to london in the behalfe of the duke of somerset the then protector ; there were divers of the lords rose up against him , thinking he did oppresse the people , and they sent the same time their letters to london for their aide and assistance ; hereupon there was a common counsell called in the city , and amongst them there was one that the story saith was a wise and an honest man , one george stadlowe , and he speakes thus to the counsell , i remember , saith he , a story written in fabians chronicle , of the wars between henry the third and his barons , at which time the baronsdemanded aide of the city of london , as our lords do now , and that in a rightfull cause , for the good of the common-wealth , for the execution of divers good lawes against the king , who would not suffer those lawes to be put in execution , and the city did aide them , and it came unto an open bartell , and the lords prevailed against the king and tooke the king and his sonne prisoners , and upon certaine conditions the lords restored the king & his son again to their liberties , amongst other conditions this was one , that the king should not only grant his pardon to the lords , but also to the citizens of london , which was granted , and the condition of their accommodation of peace were ratif●ed by act of parliament ; but saith the story , what followed of it ? was it forgotten ? no surely , nor forgiven neither , during the kingslife , the libeties of the cities were taken away , strangers were appointed to be our head & governours , the citizens , their bodies and goods were given away , and so from one persecution to another they were most miserably afflicted . again , in the history of queen maries time we find , that qeene mary , because there was some dispute about her comming to the crowne , at that time she went down into suffolke , to the place where the duke that then rose up for another was most hated , and she being at framingham castle the suffolke men came to her , and promised their ●ide , upon condition that she would not attemp the alteration of religion , which her brother king edward before had established ; she promised them there should be no innovation of religion , no god forbid , yea she so promised that the story saith , no man would or could misdoubt of the performance : but afterward when she came to get the power in her hand , the suffolk men came to make supplication to her , that she would be pleased to performe the promise she made them , she answered them thus , forasmuch as you being but members desire to rule your head , you shall one day well perceive that members must obey their head , and not looke to beare rule over the same ; and not only so , but to cause the more terrour , a gentleman one master dobs that lived about windsor , who did but in an humble request advertise her of her promise made to the suffolke men , he was three times set on the pillory , and others for the same cause were sent to prison . we may see what hold hath been heretofore in the promises of those who had power to breake them , you know what temptations they have to withdraw their hearts from what they have ingaged themselves unto . but when this our prince comes , david our king we shall finde the sure mercies of david , we shall finde nothing but faithfulnesse in all his dealings . and they shall feare the lord and his goodnesse in the latter dayes . they shall feare the lord. the words are , they shall feare to the lord , pavebunt ad dominum . the feare of god is much upon the heart of a sinner in his returne to god. such a sinner hath high and honourable thoughts of god , they shall returne and feare the lord. the slightnesse , the vanity of his spirit , the boldnesse of his heart , it is taken off , and the feare of god ruleth in it . the majesty , the power , the authority of the great god is strong upon him , when he comes to worship him , the feare of god makes him to worship god as a god , and in all his conversation he walkes in the feare of god , even all the day long , you may see written upon his life the feare of the great god , and this not a servile slavish feare , but a holy , reverenticall , fil●●● feare , jsaac had such a feare of god that god hath his dominion from isaac● feare , he is called the feare of isaac . this is a most precious feare , others feare poverty , feare imprisonment , feare disgrace , feare men , but saith a true repenting heart , i feare the lord ; this feare is the well-spring of life to him , it is the very treasure of his soul , esay . . i shall speake of the feare of god here onely as it concerns this place , the intent of bringing it in here , that is to shew that in the time when this glorious church shall be , when god shall call home his own people the jewes , and bring in the fulnesse of the gentiles , then shall the feare of god mightily prevayle upon the hearts of people more then ever , and the greater gods goodnesse shall be , the more shall the feare of god be upon their hearts , this we shall finde almost in all the prophesies of the glorious condition of the church ( which is very remarkable ) there is ever speaking of the feare of god that should be upon the hearts of people . one would rather thinke there should be speaking of the joy that they should have , that there should be nothing but mirth and triumph in those times ; but the scripture speakes exceeding much of feare that shall be then , and more then , then at any other time . thus revel . . . a most famous prophesie of christs comming , and taking the kingdomes of the earth , and bringing his reward with him , he shall come and give a reward to those that feare him . and revel . . . i saw an angel flee in the middest of heaven having the everlasting gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth , saying with a loud voyee , feare god and give glory to him . marke , an angel when he comes to preach the verlasting gospel , how doth he preach it ? what , now cast away fear and rejoyce in this everlasting gospel ? no , preaching this everlasting gospel , saith with a loud voyce , feare god and give glory to him . so rev. . . . there is the song of the saints when they are delivered from the power of antichrist , what is it , be jocund and joviall ? no , great and marvailous are thy workes , lord god almighty , just and true are thy wayes thou king of saints , who shall not feare thee , o lord , and glorifie thy name ? for thou onely art holy , for all nations shall come and worship before thee , for thy judgements are made manifest . and again rev , . . and a voyce came out of the throne , saying , praise our god all ye his servants , and yee that feare him both small and great . but feare the lord now in these times , why so ? upon these foure grounds , first , feare the lord now , because of the glory of christ their king , they shall behold their king in that glory that shal cause fear , rev , . . christ is described with his eyes as flames of fire , and on his head many crownes , cloathed with a vesture dipt in blood , at wo-edged sword out of his month , and on his vesture and on his thigh written , king of kings , and lord of lords . thus they shall behold christ , and therefore they shall feare . secondly , in those times the feare of god will much prevaile in the hearts of people , because of the great workes of god that shal be then , the heavens shall depart like a scrole , and the elements melt with fervent heate . this is meant of the time when there shal be new heavens & a new earth , which referreth to the prophesie of esay , and it is apparantly ) and so generally interpreters carry it ) meant of the estate of the church , then the heavens shall depart like a scrole . heb. . . quoted out of hag. . . the lord did shake the earth once , but he hath promised , saying , yet once more , i sha● not the earth onely , but also heaven . there shall be wonderfull workes of god in the earth when those dayes come , therefore there shall be much of the feare of god. thirdly , much of the feare of god then , because of the holiness of the worship of god and of his ordinances , the purity of them shall cause fear : did we see the ordinances in the true and native purity and holinesse of them , it would strike much feare in us . some have but seene the execution of that one ordinance of excommunication in a solemn gracious way , and it hath daunted their hearts , it hath struke feare in a most proud , profane , stubborn , wicked heart , the beholding then of all the ordinances , and all duties of worship in their true native purity , holiness and glory , cannot but cause much feare , psal . . . o god thou art terrible out of thy holy places ; god will be terrible out of his holy places and out of all his holy ordinances . fourthly , much feare there will be at that day , because of the holiness of the saints , there shall be so much holiness that shall appeare bright in the very faces and conversations of the saints that shal strike great feare . holy & reverent is thy n●me ; you know it is said of god , and so it shall be said of the saints in that day , their graces shall be much raised , they shall sparkle with abundance of the graces of gods spirit in them ; their wisdome & holiness shall make their faces shine , holy and reverent shall be their names , psal . . . god is greatly to be feared in the assembly of the saints , those saints of his who walke close with him , have a daunting power in their appearance . i appeale to guilty consciences , to apostates , to professors who have secret haunts of wickedness , sometime when you come but into the presence of one who is a truly gracious godly man or woman , whom your conscience tels you walkes close with god , doth not even the very sight of such a one terrifie you ? the very lustre of that holiness you see in such a one strikes upon your conscience , then you thinke such an one walkes close with god indeed , but i have basely forsaken the lord , and have had such a haunt of wickednesse , i have brought dreadfull guilt upon my soul since i saw him last . ecclesiasticall stories tell us of basil , when the officers came to apprehend him , he being then exercised in holy duties , that there was such a majesty & lustre came from his countenance , that the officers fell down backward ( as they did who came to apprehend christ ) they were not able to lay hold of him . surely when the saints shall be raised in their holiness , when every one of them shall have their hearts filled with holinesse , it will cause abundance of fear even in all the hearts of those that converse with them . but wicked ones shall feare too as well as the saints . luke . . mens hearts shall faile them for feare , it shal be true in these dayes as it was in the destruction of jerusalem . the saints shall feare the lord and his goodness ; the words in the original are they shall feare , ad dominum to the lord , & ad bonum , to his good . it is all one in effect , that good that god shall manifest shall cause this feare to be in their hearts . you will say , what goodnesse ? what shall that goodness of god be that shall move the hearts of this people with so much feare ? i will tell you briefly , i need not spend much time in it , for i have spent a whole sermon about it when i spake of the last words of the first chapter of this prophesi● , great shall be the day of jezreel ; i shal now adde to what i had then . this shall be the goodness of god in that day that they shall feare . first , the goodnesse of god that ever he should regard such a wretched people as we are , and pardon all our sins ! what israel , the ten tribes , who had most wretchedly forsaken god , who had crucified jesus christ , crucified david their king , yet that blood they have shed is applyed to them for the pardon of their sin ; oh the goodness of god! they shall feare this goodness in being mercifull to such a hard-hearted , such a stubborne , such a stiffe-necked people as they have been , this goodnes of god will break their hearts . secondly , then god shal make the difference between him that feareth god , and him that feareth him not . then shall god take away all the reproach of his saints . what bitter reproach hath been upon the saints since the beginning of the world , especially since the times of the gospel● reproach , first because they are meane people , of the lower sort . . reproach , because they suffer much , and god lets his adversaries prevaile over them . reproach , because they waite upon god , and god seems not to come , the adversaries say , where is your god ? no marvaile you pray and fast , what is become of all ? here will be the goodness of god at that day to wipe off all this reproach . they shall have so much mercy , so much honour from god , that it shall appeare before all the world that it was good to waite upon him , so much as shall countervaile abundantly all their sufferings , they shall blesse god that ever it was put into their hearts to suffer for him , to waite upon him . and because god foreseeth this , what goodness he hath laid up for his people , that they shall enjoy ere long , ( and we know a thousand years with him are as one day ) that is the reason why he suffereth his people to be so under for the present , he knows he hath that goodness for them hereafter , yea in this world , that all the world shal say that god hath dealt well with them , that he was not a hard master to them to make them waite so long , and to let them suffer so much as they do . i will give you for this one excellent scripture , perhaps you have not considered of the emphasis of the argument that is in it . it is heb , . . they desired a better countrey . that is , an heavenly ; wherefore god is not ashamed to be called their god , for he hath prepared for them a city . the poor persecuted saints wandred up & down , they were content to leave their own country , their estates here , and sought another country , an heavenly , but they had it not , their enemies prevailed over them , as if god had forsaken them ; but god is not ashamed to be called their god , what is the argument ? for he hath prepared for them a city ; marke the force of the argument , for he hath prepared for them 〈◊〉 city : this city is this text i am now speaking of ; sometimes it is described as a tabernacle , the tabernacle of god shall come downe from heaven ; sometime a city , sometime a countrey , sometime a kingdome , sometime an inheritance . here god hath prepared for them a city : that is , there is a glorious time for gods people , when they shall have the new jerusalem come down from heaven unto them . now then , saith god , though my people be in a suffering condition , i am not ashamed to be called their god. i am not ashamed to own this people , for i have glory enough for them , as if god should be ashamed that he should ever professe such an interest in his people , and this people professe such an interest in him , if there were nothing to come for them , if there were not a time to recompence all their suffering . as if a master should own a servant , or a prince a subject , if this servant or subject suffer extreamely , and hath no help , but still when he expects help , there comes none , and when he thinketh , surely now it will come , still it fayls him ; yet if you know that at such a day you shall recompence all this , you shall advance him and bring him to such honour that he will blesse god that ever he was in your service ; you will not be ashamed to owne this servant : but if this servant shall suffer in your cause , and you have no time , nor no ability to recompence him , but he must suffer and suffer for ever , it would be a shame to you to owne him . so god is pleased to speake here , because i have prepared for them such a city , though they be in present persecution , i am not ashamed to own them for my people , and i doe not account it any dishonour to me , for there is a time coming that will answer all objections whatsoever . this is the goodness of god. they shall feare his goodnesse . feare it , how ? in these severall regards . first , they shall admire at his goodnesse , and in their admirations even stand amazed at it , the feare of amazement . thes . . . when christ shall come , he shall come to be admired of his saints ; luke . . the text saith they were all amazed , and glorified god , and were filled with feare , saying , we have seene strange things to day . vvhen this goodnesse of god shall come , all the saints shall stand admiring it with amazement , & say one unto another , we did heretofore heare of prophesies and promises , and we thought when they were opened to us , our hearts did burn within us , o they were blessed things ! but now here is goodness we never thought of , this is higher and more glorious then ever we imagined . thus they shall feare the lord & his goodness . you have such a place jer. . . it shal be to me a name of joy , apraise , and an honour before all the nations of the earth , & when people shal heare of all the good that i do unto them , they shal fear & tremble for all the goodnes , & for all the prosperity that i procure unto it . secondly , feare this goodness ; they shall upon this fall down and worship this god with feare : oh how shall their hearts adore this god ; because of this his goodnesse ! as we reade of moses , exod. . . god had told him that he would make all his goodnesse passe before him ; now when god came and passed by before him , and proclaimed his goodness , the lord , the lord god ; mercifull and gracious , long-suffering , and abundant in goodnesse and truth , keeping mercy for thousands , forgiving iniquity , and transgression , and sinne ; the text saith , when moses heard this , he made haste , and bowed his head and worshipped before the lord. there is nothing will cause a gracious heart to make more haste to worship god then the beholding the glory and lustre of gods grace and goodnesse : then the heart will not stand dallying and triffling any longer , but will make haste to worship before the lord. many times god shews his greatness unto you , and that convinceth your consciences a little , and you think you must leave your sinfull wayes , then temptation prevailes over you againe ; but when god comes and makes known his goodnes , then the heart stands out against the lord no more , but it gives up it selfe to the lord in an everlasting covenant . thirdly , they shall feare his goodness , they shall feare to offend this goodness of god. it shal be a mighty ingagement upon their hearts to walke close with god because of his goodness . this is a sweet disposition indeed . then it is a sweet disposition when the heart hath been likewise humbled before god and his justice , and now feares god and his goodness , mark a note in this by the way : whereas many will say , o the goodnes of god will breake our hearts ; if ministers did preach onely his goodnes● ; but when they preach the law , when we heare of terrour , that hardneth our hearts . take heed of this , there is more evil in this then you are aware . a heart that is truly gracious will fall down before the lord any way , and it is not a good signe to be wrought upon only by the goodness of god , it may come through much stubbornness of heart for one to be of such a disposition , to be onely wrought upon by kindness . did you never know a stour servant or a stout child , that so long as you are dispeased with him , he would stand out against you still , but perhaps if you yeeld to him a little , he would yeeld to you ? is this a good disposition ? is not this stoutness and pride in a child , or in a servant , or in a neighbour , that will never yeeld to you till you yeeld to him ? this is just for all the world the disposition of many people , so long as they heare of gods greatness , and terrours of the law , and gods justice , they are hardned ; what is that ? that is , they stand it out stoutly against god , notwithstanding his wrath is revealed from heaven : but say they , when gods goodnes is preached , then they yeeld , that is as much as to say except god yeeld to them they will not yeeld to god. but when i can yeeld hoth ways , fear his goodnes & his justice , then it is as a signe of a gracious disposion indeed . they shal feare his goodness , so as they shall be no longer wanton upon the goodnes of god , they shal not slight gods goodness , they shal not do evil because god is good , but they shall fear his goodness . we have a generation of men who doe extreamely abuse the goodness of god at this day , even gods goodness in the gospell , in those blessed things revealed to us in jesus christ . as thus , vve finde this revealed in the gospel , that it is god that must worke the will and the deed , the covenant of grace is such , as that god doth not only require but work all for us ; how is this goodness mis-interpreted and abused ! therefore say they , what need we do any thing ? why doe ministers urge people to duties ? your principle is good , the truth is good , that it is god that works all in the covenant of grace , but this distinction is very absurd and vile , and an abuse of gods goodnesse , and therefore you must not work together with the lord as rational creatures . again , the gospel reveales to us the righteousness of god in christ , that we must not stand before god in our own righteousnesse , but it must be in the righteousness of christ ; this principle is good ; o but what abuse of this goodness is there 〈◊〉 false doctrines , and absurd consequences drawn from it ; therefore to make conscience of duties , what is it but legall ? they are but duty whore-mongers ; such kinde of bold and absurd expressions come from them . oh wanton , wanton spirits who do not feare god and his goodness , but abuse god & his goodness ! agaiu , the scripture tells us in the gospel that all sins unto believers are pardoned in christ , all sins both great and smal , there is no condemnation to them that are in christ , no not one moment of an houre after they are once justified ; this is gods goodnesse , and thou shouldest feare it , here is the principle right , but the deductions & consequences are vile , therefore to preach that we must be humbled for sin , this is legall preaching , neither will these men ever confesse their sins because of this goodness of god. this is to be wanton , not to fear the goodnes of god. the goodnes of god in the gospell telleth us that the grace of god is strong , that the saints shall persevere , that those that are once in christ shall never fall away ; therefore let us take liberty to our selves , what need we be carefull of our wayes , seeing the grace of god will carry us through ? oh to abuse this goodnes of god thus is wicked , the heavens may blush to behold it , and the earth tremble under it . but we have not so learned christ , the more of the goodnes of god in christ is made known to us , the more should we fear him . the goodnesse of god in the gospel is so rich that the truth is because the hearts of men are so vile , and so ready to abuse it , we are almost afraid to preach it . oh is this the fruit of the preaching of the gospel ? never was the gospel so cleare as in england , and in no age so as in this age , and is this the fruit of all , that men should draw such absurd consequences from this goodnesse of god , that men should goe away harder from that which is the softning word ? vvhen we come to preach the gospell , the goodnesse of it , we come i say with feare ; with what feare ? trembling lest it should cost the damnation of some soule . the preaching the goodnes of god in the gospel , doth certainly cause , ex accidente , the damnation of many a soul . therefore in the mean time you who are gods saints , know how dearly god tendereth you , god will have the goodnesse of the gospell preache● to you though it cost the damnation of 〈◊〉 a soul ; you had need it therefore , & make a good use of it . let this meditation cause you to improve to the uttermost what you hear of all the goodness of the lord. that which i hear is costly to some , it costs the perishing of many a soule that i may have it , though god sees that many souls will be hardned by it , well , saith god , let them be hardned , these my servants shall not want it , though they perish for ever . when a man hath a thing in his house , and he hears that it cost dear , even the lives of many men , he hath other thoughts of it then before . david had a reverent respect to the water of the well of bethlem , because it cost the hazard of the mens lives , learne then to feare god and his goodnesse . . fearing god and his goodnesse is this , in all rejoycing in , and praysing god for his goodnesse , there shall be a mixture of feare . they shall be well skilled in this mystery of godlinesse , when they enjoy so much of gods goodness , and are called upon to sing and rejoyce , they shal sing with a mixture of feare . their hearts shall be very serious and spirituall in all their joy . it is very hard for us to rejoyce in gods goodness , and not to have our hearts grow slight and vain , it is a hard thing to keepe a day of thankesgiving with a serious spirit , joy commonly causeth vanity in the hearts of men . but now the goodnesse of god shall be so strong in their hearts , that though they shall seek gods goodness , and rejoyce abundantly in it , yet with a mixture of abundance of feare , their hearts shall be kept very serious , holy , and spirituall in the service of god. i will give you a text or two for this . exod. . . when moses was blessing god for that goodness in delivering his people out of egypt ( which was a typicall song as appeareth in the revelation , that bondage typifying antichristian bondage ) mark the expression , who is like unto thee o lord among the gods , who is like unto thee , glorious in holiness , fearful in praises ? god is to be praysed , but so praysed as his name must be fearfull in prayses . consider this in all your joyfull celebrating the memoriall of gods goodness , you must so rejoyce and blesse god , as you must hold forth this before all you converse with , that the name of god is fearfull in these praises you tender to him : this a slight heart cannot doe . so psal . . . the righteous also shall see and feare , and shall langh at him . mark what a mixture here is , the righteous shall see , and feare , and laugh , he shall rejoyce , but with trembling , psalm . . god much delights to have the glory of his goodnesse thus . we have much goodnesse of god at this day , and god calleth us to feare him and his goodnesse ; if we give him not his glory in this , god may soone call us to feare him and his greatnesse ; to feare him and his justice , to feare him and his wrath . this is the argument now , there is forgivenesse with thee that thou maist be feared . but how soon may god justly turn this argument , there is wrath with thee , vengeance with thee , there is sword , fire , blood , storm , an horrible tempest with thee , therefore shalt thou be feared ? our consciences are ready to misgive us when wee have any evill tidings , for wee have much guilt upon our spirits , we 〈◊〉 had much goodnesse indeed from god , ( who ever thought to have lived to see that goodnesse you have seen ) but because you have not feared god and his goodnesse , here is the reason of those misgiving thoughts , when you heare of any ill newes , oh now god is coming against us with his wrath , that he may be feared . something might be said to open a little the difference betweene fearing god and his goodnesse , and fearing god and his wrath and justice in a legall way . only thus in a word . the fearing god and his goodnesse is such a feare as enlargeth the heart . other feare contracts the heart . we have an excellent text for this , isa . . . compared with ver . . arise , shine , for thy light is come , the glory of the lord is risen upon thee , and so he goeth on describing gods goodnesse , that referreth to these times that we are speaking of ; then ( vers . . ) thou shalt see and flow together , and thy heart shall feare upon that , and be inlarged . when the heart so feareth , as it is inlarged unto god , this is the fearing god and his goodnesse aright . again , it is such a feare as yet the heart clings to god for ever ; it drives not from god , but makes the heart cleave closer to him , that is the phrase in the text in the hebrew , they shall feare to god and to his goodnesse , i will put my fear in their hearts that they shal not depart from me . this keeps the heart to god. further , this fearing god and his goodnesse workes the heart to a high degree of sanctification . cor. . . seeing we have such precious promises , let us perfect holiness in the feare of god : and heb. . . wherefore we receiving a kingdome that cannot be moved , let us have grace whereby we may serve god acceptably with reverent and godly feare . lastly , it is a feare that is joyned with love , whereas the other fear makes the heart to have hard thoughts of god ; take heed for ever of that feare of god that makes you to have hard thoughts of him . in times of danger many begin to feare , then presently they wish they had never ingaged themselves so much in these wayes that have such ill successe , they now cry out of others , you would needs do thus , you see what is become of it . but feare of god and his goodnesse is joyned with blessing god , that ever you knew his wa●es , and were ingaged in them . this shall be in the latter dayes . god is content to stay for his glory untill the latter dayes , that which is indeed his chiefe glory ; for though in these former dayes god hath had glory , yet hee hath had but very little . god is content to stay for that which is his chief glory untill the latter dayes . let this be an argument for our patience , though we have sufferings now , let us wait as god waiteth . but the latter dayes , when are these ? the times of the gospell are generally called the latter dayes ; but this , though it referreth indeed to the whole time of the gospel , yet especially unto the latter times of those latter dayes . if you would know what these latter dayes are , though i will not take upon me to give you the day , or 〈…〉 i will shew you that it is like these latter dayes are at hand . for giving light unto this , that is a good help to us that we have in daniel , concerning the four kingdoms , there we have a propheticall chronologie from the captivity of the jews unto the time when the counsell of god shall be fulfilled . you have a description there of four severall monarchies , the babylonian , assyrian , grecian , and roman : now in the last of these daniel saith , chap. . . the god of heaven shall set up a kingdome which shall never be destroyed , but it shall breake in pieces , and consume all the other kingdomes , and it shall stand for ever . in this latter ( namely the roman ) hath the kingdom of christ begun to appear already , but god telleth daniel , chap. . . thou shalt stand in thy lot at the end of the dayes . now observe , the chiefe prophesies wee have about the time of these latter dayes , when they shall be set out in that expression of time , and times , and halfe a time , . dayes , or . months , all comes to the same three years and a halfe , reckoning every day in those yeares for a yeare , compare these prophesies , dan. . . and they shall be given into his hand , untill a time and times , and dividing of time . rev. . . the holy city shall they tread under foote forty and two moneths . vers . . the witnesses shall prophesie . dayes ; now . days are the days of three years and a halfe , so the dayes of . moneths . then the woman in the wildernesse , rev. . . she shall be fed there . dayes , still the same number ; the witnesses shall prophesie . dayes ; the holy citie that shall be trodden under foote . months ; and the woman in the wildernesse shall be there . dayes and againe , dan. . . from the time of the abomination that making desolate , there shall be . days , there are a few days more , not many , but about this time you see the scripture prophesieth of some great things to be done , at the end of this time are these latter dayes . but all the difficulty is to know the beginning when the three years and a halfe , or . moneths , or . dayes begun , then we may know when these latter dayes shall be . brightman makes the beginning of the . days from julians time , when he would have set up the abomination , that is , set up the jewish worship again , by re-edifying the temple , that is , sayes he , the abomination of desolation , reckoning . dayes , for . years , hi● time by computation will come out about the year . the other wee have in the revelation ( and that in daniel likewise refers to the same ) notes the time that the churches shall be under the persecution of antichrist , for a thousand two hundred and sixty years , so long the beast shall prevail , and the witnesses shall so long prophesie in sackcloath , and the woman shall be in the wildernesse for so long a time . but when did antichrist begin to reign ? for that take this rule , it must be at that time when the roman emperour was broken , and when the dragon giveth up his power to the beast ; when the power of the dragon that persecuted the christians under the roman empire is given to antichrist , so that now they come to be persecuted under him ; here is the beginning of the . dayes . that the roman empire must be given up first , appeareth , thes . . for the mystery of iniquity doth already worke , only he who now letteth , will let , untill he be taken out of the way ; that is , as generally expositors carry it , the power of the roman empire , when that is taken out of the way , then shall that wicked one be revealed ; the●e were many antichrists before , but then that wicked one that shall exalt himselfe above all that is called god , shall have power to persecure the church . hence it is observable , that the custome of the church was to pray for the continuing the roman empire upon this ground , because they knew when that was broken antichrist would come . now the breaking of the roman empire was at the raising up of those ten severall sorts of governmens called in the revel . tenn kings , and the raising up of those kings was . yeares and something more after christ , as chronologers tell us , between the . and . years . it is hard to reckon to a year , there is so much difference in chronologers computations ; after that time there must be . days , that is . years . make this computation , and compare all these scriptures one with another , it cannot be long , but in this century that is now currant , these latter dayes are here meant , when the people of god and the jews shal return to jehovah , and david● heir king , and fear the lord & his goodnesse . the nearer the time comes , the more will these things be cleared . dan. . . goe thy way daniel , for the words are closed up and sealed till the time of the end , and none of the wicked shall understand , but the wise shall understand . take but one note and we have done , why the scripture sets ●●is out rather by many dayes , then by so many yeares ? the reason is , because god would have his people think that time untill his goodnes should be revealed , but a short time , if he had said they should be . years under antichrists persecution , this founds harder ; no , saith he , it shall be but so many dayes , ( though flesh and blood may think this time long ) yet look upon it as dayes , it is but a short time to me , it will be but a short time to you , within . days you shall be delivered from his tyranny , and then you shall have this voyce from heaven , the kingdoms of the earth are become the kingdomes of the lord and of his christ , and hee shall reign for ever , and then shall ye together with the jews seeke the lord , and david your king , and fear the lord and his goodnesse . now through gods goodnesse wee have gone through these three chapters . tertullian hath this expression of the fulness of the scriptures ; ador● plenitu d●nem scripturarum , i adore the fulnesse of the scriptures ; by searching thus into the scriptures , we may come to see rich treasures in them , and so adore the fulnesse of them ; how do we read over texts , as if there were nothing in them ? but certainly god hath revealed much more of his mind in scripture then wee are aware of , let us all be in love with the study of the scriptures . notes, typically marginal, from the original text notes for div a -e may . . a nesco utrum brevitatem sermonum , an magnie tudiuem sensuum admirari debeas . b commaticum & qua si persentias loquen tem . c ge●●s generalissimum omnium benorum . si hoc auferas , sol●m e mundo sustulisli : quid mundus sublate verbo quam infernus . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . d 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , &c. quid est scriptura sacra nisi quaedam epistola emnipotentis dei ad creaturam suam . greg. . ep. ● . ad . gregorium theodorum medicum . sacrae scripturae expositio est emnium quae ad cul●●m dei fiunt ●pus maximum , & utilitates humano generi max 〈◊〉 efferens . lect. . wolfius in loc . luther in gen. c. . ego adi lie beos me●s & saepe opto eos interire , quod metuo , nemorentur lectores & abducant lectione ipsias scripturae , quae sola omnis sapientiae fons est , &c. ioh. . . ●um debere scire se aliquid profecisse cui ciceronis lectio eft valde iucunda . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in hiphil . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 salvavit . obs . ● king. ● . . ier. . . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 puteus . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . magna semper facerunt , qui deo vocaute docuerunt . luther . euseb . de prapar . euan. l. . c. ult . ab hec tempore graeca de temporibus historia vera creditur . obs . . obs . . obser . . obser . . obser . . obser . . obser . . obs . . obs . . obser . obser . obser . obser . . obser . obsec . ch. . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . quanto 〈…〉 dius 〈◊〉 em lo●●itur , 〈◊〉 into opeto●ius pene●●ratur . aug. de hosea l. . deciu. iam. . . may . . the scope of the chapter . segnius irritant animos demissa per aurem , quamqua sunt oculis subjecta fidelibus : & quae ipse sibi tradit spectator . lect. . * such a one as thais was among the athenians . vir sanguinum . aug. cont . faust . l. c. . quid adversura clementiae veritatis , quid fidei christianae si meretrix relicta for●●catiane 〈◊〉 castum conjugium commutetur , &c. eorum audaciam mirari satis nequeo qui non verentur dicere verba haec esse rebus destituta . theod. in hos . ena● . c. . obser . gods command takes away the offence , not he com●mand of the magistrate . ans . . obser . obser . reasons why hoseas marrying a whore was but only in a vision . . . how the woman is the glory of the man. . apparens & loquens ei per vifiouem interiorem ecstafi . obs . adulterium committen● quasi ad alterium se 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 conferens . wherein is idolatry like to the sinne of adultery . . . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . . . hos . . . . . . filii ecclesiae . quest . answ . . fornicando fornicatur . or as arius montanus fornicando fornicabitur . obser . obsec . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 obs . . reasons of the name of hoseas son . obser . . obser . a twofold scattering of a people . . . obser . obser . god will avenge 〈◊〉 blood . answ . . three reasons why god avenged the blood of iezreel upon the house of iehu . . obser . . obser . obedience so farre as serves a mans owne turn . obser . . god makes use of mens parts . obser . god makes 〈◊〉 use of men● sins . obser . god rewards here those works that must be answered for he easter . obser . a dangerous thing to subiect publique works to our own ends . obser . . god curseth partiall obedience . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . obser . . reformers must not be more carefull of policy then of religion . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . arist . pol. l . cap. . m●n can see the evill of sin in others rather then in themselves . obser . oser . . magistrats must take heed of liv●ng in the same sinnes they punish . quest . ans . obs . why a threat against posterity in the second command rather then in any ●ther . theequ●ty of childrens suffering for their parents . observ . question . answer . observ . question . answer . king. . . . . . . obser . sin punished a long time after the commission . gen. . isa . . . observ . quest . answ . observ . many years are but of little while in gods account . obser . present things affect not . omnis actie fit per contactum . obser . obser . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 quiescere faciam . obser . observ . observ . no weapons can prosper against the church . observ . fortified places are nothing where the wrath of god is out against a people . . obser . god punishes men in that they most glory in . lect. . hoseas . children shews the estats of 〈◊〉 observ . base effeminatenes of spirit in a people yeelding to what shall be imposed upon them , a signe of ruine . purity in the church cannot stand long with slavery in the ●eate . viri fort●● est aut pul chrevivere aut fartiter mori . after base yeelding to slavery follows ruine . quae su●●u , abjecturi in altum tolimus ut majori ruina decidant . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 oblitus fuit . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ab●●ulit . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . obser . encouragement from gracious youth in england . obser . . 〈◊〉 . . the feares of the saints that heretofore mercy was departed from us iustified . luk. . . rev. . ● gen. . god must not be dallyed withall in the offers of his grace . obser . obser . . obser . obser . lesse judgments forerunners of greater . obser . obser . amos . . kings . . exod. . a dangerous thing to reiect an offer of mercy after reiection of former offers . . obser . the ground of civill & churh government different . answ . how farre mans authoritybindes . obser . obser . obser . obser . object . . obser . poor afflicted ones finde mercy when the rich are rejected . . obser . ministers must be impartial . obser . , mercy to the saints are aggravation of judgement to the wicked . dives magis uritur gloria lazari , quam suo incendio . chrysologus . after promise of mercy , yet great afflictions may follow , no advantage in yeelding to wicked men . obser . a great evill to be discouraged at some difficulties , when god is in a way of mercy . the destruction of some , sets forth gods mercy to others . exo. . gods people need not seek to save themselves by carnal policie . obs. administ . ration of gods grace is given into the hands of christ . obs. dan . . lect. . observ . obser . carnall hearts cannot endure that any one should think they have more interest in god then themselves observ . ejus fimulacrum catenis constrinxerunt clavisque basi affixe . iunt . lect. . iudah saved , not by bow , norby sword , two several wayes . obser . . mediis utendam , non innitendum . obser . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . iune . . lect. . vaticiantur hic dura ut desti . uantur verbo dei prophetiis & gratiis . vatab. in loc . memares uberum tuorum supervinum . obser . the sweetness of the comfort● of a native soile . . mothers must nurse their children . 〈◊〉 nun e●●dire pa●ris est , ●n●rire matris . ●●●utilifimum euique maternum . plin , l. . c. . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . quest . ans . obs . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 power over passions . hos . . . churches not too suddenly to be rejected . observ . sam. . . obser . when sins seem to be less then be fore , yet then judgements may come . vltimus ictus non dejicit queteum . quest . ans . obs . a church state may be lost , but not the fouls communion with christ obser . . the great argument to pleade with god by , is our relation to him . relationes minimae ●n titatis , maximae efficaciae . observ . perditio tua●e● te . observ . bona mea tibi non pla cent nisi me cum ; nec bona tu● mi hi non placent nisi te●um . gen. . . exo. . . cujus faciem timet , ipsius faciem invocat . aug. . obser . those who will not 〈◊〉 gods must not be ours observ . it is usuall in prospe ●●it ▪ to forget threats , and in adversity to forget promises . god in the middest of his anger knowes those that trust in him , deus bonus est , etiam 〈◊〉 omnes homines perderet . luther . it is good ● way●ing on god in the waies of his judgments . obs . gen. . . obser . god is ever mindfull of his covenant , so we should be . why god pr●mised to abraham to multiply his seed observ . nothing lost in being willing to lose for god. observ observ . obser . the reproach of the fewness of the godly will in time be taken away . obser . prov. . , answer to the argument from the sufferings of the primitive times against resisting tyranny . we should rejoyce in multitudes joyning to the church object . ans . malice of satan envyina multitudes coming to the word . quando , flanctus maris volant obruere , & submergere 〈◊〉 , vident isra elem & red●unt & frangantur in seipsis , & non possunt dominari munde iuly . . . lect. . obser . a comfortable thing to have religion set up in townes & families , where once it was not . obser . the world shall one day be convinced of the excellency of the saints . obser . mat. . . son-ship revealed by christ . . ● . ●●m . . . rom. sons must not feare . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . observ . why god is call 〈◊〉 the living god in reference to his church christians must be living and lively . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . pet. . . eph. . . things wherein christians must be lively . . . active & yet solid . pet. . . obser . non solum hostes palam impij persequuntur nos , sed etiam hi qui fuirunt dulces amici nostri , qui anobis acceperunt doctrinam evangelij , fiunt infencissimi hostes nostri persequentes nos acerime . nihil est scelerum aut crudelitatis , cujus me non reum agat , adeo ut nec papistae me sic lacerunt hostes mei , ut illi amici nostri . ep. ad mich. stifelinum . infensior mihi est quam ulli hactenus fuerint inimici . luther . ep . ad spalatinum . a prison will make men to agree . . the 〈◊〉 of the churches 〈◊〉 . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . a hard thing to a agree wh● there are many . . vrging things indifferent the cause of divisions in the church mar. . . the blessednesse of union . obser . obser . the gospell is not the cause of divisions the reason why godly men are not so yeelding as others . obser . the saints love to gather together . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ●micus ●●aro , sed ●agis amica vetas . potius quam aliquid regno christi & gloriae ejus decadat , ruat non solum pax , sed 〈◊〉 & terrae . luther . july . . vbi sive saedere pacis , sive observantia legis , sive disciplina & regimine acephala multitudo congregata fuerit , non est civitas sed confusis , babylonem exe hibet , de hierusalem nihil habet . bern. ser . de ded c. eccles. . . christ the head of the church . obser . the honor of the church is in christ their head. how christ the head of angels . . . . how christ the head of every man. . how christ the head of all things . , the strength of the church in christ their head . the church holds all on christ . . safety in christ . lutherus apud illus satan est , sed christus regnat & vivat . . christ the head hath compassion of the members . . christ the head in regard of guidance . . christ the head in regard of his rule . . things in church government belonging to the headship of christ . . all offices hold on christ the head three differences between civil government and church government . . . . . all ordinances hold to christ the head. what the nature of an institution is . no man can make any new institution in the church . vvhat makes an institution so as if man presume to do it , it is unlawfull . . . . vvhat comes from christ the head , binds conscience in another manner then mans laws can doe . answer to that place . rom. . brought to prove humane laws to binde conscience . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . . , . every one must judge of his owne act , but yet at a two fold peril . . . . . not a light matter to seek after the right government of christ . quae pericula ecclesiam exceptura sunt christum caput agnos centem tempora nostra satis ostend unt , quia christum totum praedicauius caput nostrum ana themati & omnis generis suppliciit subsecicimur , . what is to be accounted antichristianisme , what not . . . . that the king hath power in church affairs , and how . . . . quest . ans . quest . ans . the excellency of grace in the saints above what was in ada● . lect. . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 we must not dishouour head. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 quest . ans . rev. . . rev. . . igna charitatis combucenrendi , s●at ha●etiti luther . cant . last . there can not be universall officer in the church as in the state and why ; observ . lect. . the greatness of the churches affliction is no hinderance to the deliverance of it . iam periculu● pa● animo alexitiri . obser . afflictions should raise our hearts . obser . obser . the godly are pretious seed . filibatur nomen ejus . the wicked are corrupt seed . . , . that place dan. . . opened , not understood of the generall resurrection at the last day and why . . . . ego autem & qui sunt per omnia orthodoxae sententiae christiani , &c. vt jam nostra haec tempora quibus iniquitas & malitia usque ad summum gradi●m crevit , soe licia , & prope aurea possint judicari . si tum forte su●rint boni , undeque practae sint scel●ratis , ac divexentur , soli autem mali opulenti sint , boni vero in omnibus contumeliis atqùe in egestate , confundetur omne jus & leges peribunt , nihiltunc quispiam habebit , vi omnia possialebunt . lactant. l. . c. . . romannm nomen horet animus dict re , sed dicamq●ia futurum est toll●tur de terra . lactant. l. . c. . lect. , terra aperiet f●cunditat●m suam , & ub●rrimas fruges sua spont● generabit , rupes montium me●●e sudabunt , perrivos vina decurrent , f●umina lacte inundabunt , ominù natura letabitur ; erepta & liberata a dominio mali , & impietatis , & eroris ; non hestia per hoc tempus sanguine alentur , non aves praeda sed quieta & placid a crunt omnia . lactant. l. . c. . tun● qui erunt in corporibus vivi , non morientur , sed per mille annes infinitam multitudinem generabunt , & evit s●boles eorum sancta , & deo charre . lactant. ibid. in the evening time it shal be light . exhor●at . to come in to embrace godliness , to joy●e with the saints . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 notes for div a -e obser . a good thing to speak of gods loving kindne●●●● . , 〈◊〉 ct so discon●se of gods mercies , as our hearts may be sanctified by that discourse . chap. . esa . . obser . obser . obser . le●ct . i obs . . obs . . reliqui mihi septem milliaonon ait relicta sunt vel reliquer●nt se , sed reliqui reliquiae per electionem gratiae . august , de bono perfev . l. . c. . obs . . obs , . turpe est doctori cum culpa redarguit ipsum . obs . . obs . . obs . . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 obs . . obs . . idolaters hardly convinced . obs , . obser . obser . obser . children may plead with parents . amandus generator , sed praeponendus creator . obs . . we must endeavour the good of the publique . obs . . obs . . private members may in some cases plead with the whole church . one man may prevail against many . hactonus verba audivi & verba rededi , sed cum divina virt●● accessit , ultra r●spondore non potui . * conte●● neretur eccl●siae christi , sivel vnum puellum ejus divino spiritu lequentem non audiremus , etiamsi totus orbis illi reclamet . orcolam padius . object . ans . quest . ans . no pride but selfedenyal to plead against the sinnes of others . obj. ans . the truth is not alwayes seen best where there is greatest natural abilities , no nor alwayes where there is most 〈◊〉 . mit. . iohn . . rules to be observed by private christians who plead with the church . . . no officer in a church member be he never so great , but he may be pleaded against by a private member . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 private people must take heed they abuse not their liberty . obj. ans . when a church comes to be unchurched . a chuch may continue a true church though with much mixture . a church may remain a true church , yet so corrupt as in some cases we cannot have communion with it . cases . in a cases though i may have communion yet i may no●●oyne as a constant member . obser . pleading must not befor contention but for reformation . quest . this may be known . cor. . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ioshus , . . obser . lect. . hope for mercy even when god seems most to reject . peoples perversness against ministers threatning gods wrath against sin obser . while exhortation continues there is hope . geminatio apud hebraos auget . ibive●ae & viae quibus ab utero ad mamillas accessio fit ille ( cultus scilicet vtl ornatus ) in auro , & argento , & gemmis , & vestibus deputatur , iste , in curae eapilli & cutis , & earum par●ium corporis quae oculos trahunt , alteri ambitioni : crimen intendimus , alteri prostitutionis . tertul. de hab . mul. c. . iudicabunt vos arabia soeminae ethnica , qua non caput sed fac●em quoque ita totam tegunt , ut uno ocu●lo●liberato , contentae sint luce frui dimidia potius quam totam facien● prostituer● . tertul. de . vel . virgin . cap. . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , &c. cyril in hol. c. . in what sense israels father is an amirite and mother an hittite . obser . obser . lect. . thy navil was not cut , what is the meaning of that . strabo , l. . aelian variar . hist . li. . ne cui thebano lic●at infontem expouere . nunquam apud eos infans natus exponitur . lect. . portenta diabolica p●nenumero . egyptia●● vinc●ntia lect. . obs . . obs . . obs . . lect. . gifts of hypocrites will vanish obs . . who they are that bring evill upon the nation . lect. . obser . . it is time for every one to appeare in times of danger . obs . . lect. gods works will convince when his word will not . obs , . obs . . a sad condition for one advanced high , to bee brought down low . obser . wee must lay to heart our low coudition wee once were in . asperius nihil est humilicum surgit in altum . lect. . lect. . lect. ▪ psal . . anima idololatriae dedita , nullos profert fructus , est que inutilis prorsus ut desertum in quo nihil noscitur vatab. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . psalm . . obser . sin layes wast countryes . cum in fu ga aquam turbidam & cadaveribus inquinatam bibisset , negavit unquam se , bibisse ju cundius , ●unquam scilicet ( ut cicero lib. . tuso . aiit ) sitiens bibisset . obser . god brings wicked men into straits , and there leavs them destitute of all succour . obser . wrath upon the wi●ed is pure wrath with out mixture of mercie . iudgments upon the wicked at times most unseasonable for them . god proportions afflictions to his childdren , but not to the wicked . hos . . . ezek. . lect. . gods judgments against people , as well as against governors , and why . sam. . . much depends now upon the people . obser . obser . little hope of children ill educated . obser . obser . when judgements are abroad let the children of whoredoms , not the children of the bride-chamber feare . revel . . . chap. , . . obser . succession for si●ne i● dreadfull . qui peccat coram puero his peccat . pudef aciens . the saints must take heed they be not a shame to christ . wicked parents are a shame to their children . lect. . obs . every one should have such an affection towards th● church and state as children towards the mother obser . sin causeth shame . false worship 〈◊〉 shamefull thing . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the more full of beauty gods ordinances are , the more shamefull it is to decline to waves of false worship . obser . omnes libros tam veteris tam novi testamenti nec non traditionis ipsas pari pietatis affect● ac reverentio suscipit ac veneratur idem honor debetur imagini & exemplari . governers and parents must take heed of putting their servants 〈◊〉 children to too much 〈◊〉 . obser . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . obser . aelianus variar . histor● ▪ bodily and spirituall whoredom makes men very wilful in their uncleannesses . obser . ego in ea opinio●e sum , monarchias longe diutius dura●uras , s● monarchae hoc unum pronomen ego omisissens . luther in psal . . tolle voluntatem & non erit infernus ▪ bern. it s a fearefull iudgement for a man to hee given up to ones owne will professed wickedness is shamefull wickedness . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . adaras iovis aut veneris adorare ac sub a●tichristo fidem occul tare . zuin. ep . . it is not enough to have goodnesse at the heart , but we must professe it . ans . . association with those of a different religion is dangerous . obser . wee must keepe good thoughts of god. obser . if we prize christs love , hee will prize ours . obser . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . obser . the en●es of false worshippers are very low and meane . a true child of abraham hath a high spirit . obs . men love that religion that brings them most corne and wine , &c. fac me pontificem et christi anus ●ro . novi homin●m non ex vna canoni catu nebilem commonstrantem digito delicatiorem penem & vin . m quod , prestan . i●simum erat oppositum haec in quit sunt quae faciunt ut hoc vitae genus dejerere non libeat . triobojare beneficium . magis soliciti de meroquam de vero 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 magis amantm●n di deliti●s quam christi divitias . obser it is a shamefull thing to subiect religion to corn , wine , and flaxe , and wool . ●erm●ns illa bestia non cura● aurum . quasi vero deus nolit darelanem ecclesiae suae aut satius sit asathana pe●era . obsre . prosper●ty in evill wayes hardens . obs . god reserveth propriety in all that he giveth , unto us . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vadam . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 persequa . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 s●udiose qua●rens● summae conatuam . bulatione & pedibu●● 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . obser . isa . . ver . . the difference of gods aims in afflicting his saints from his aims in afflicting the wicked . obs . . there remains much of slavi●h disposition in the godly . obser god studies what may do his people good . obs . a mercy to have stumbling blocks laied in the way of sin . o in●aelices et miseros quando relinquit deus homiones sibi ipsis nec resisti● eorum fureri et cupiditatibus : sed vae illis ad quorum peccata connive● deus . luther . obser . much brutishness remains in the h●arts even of the godly . obser . . obser . . afflictions are ●ods hedges . if our way be gods wee must breake through all difficulties obser . wicked men will suffer much for their lusts . obs . god keeps many from thit sins in a way of violence whether they wil or no. obser . obser . god strikes wicked men with blindnesse . it is a good blindnes not to find the paths of sinne . obs . obser obs . obs . obser . when wee cannot enjoy all ordinances , vet our hearts must be working after them . obs . obs . cum ne mi ni ob trvdi po test , itur da me . obs . god accepts of us when we come to him in our affliction . obser . rom. . . nothing got by departing from christ . obs . object . answ . humiliation must go before reformation . obs . lect. . in vaine to be humbled except we reform . obs . the reasonings of heart in a repenting apostate . obser . obser . pro. . . lect. . apostates seeming mercy must observe three things . examination whether times before were better then they are now . the weakness of the argument taken from the opinions and practises of learned & godly men . cre●o vera & purfecta fide quod deus creator , gubernator , & susteu . ator sit omnium creaturarum quod idem ipse operatus si● omnia , operetur adhuc & inaeternam operaturus sit . buxtorf . synag . iudaic. c. . benedictus sis domine deus noster rex mundi quod fructum vitis condidisti synag . iud. c. . benedictus esto deus qui & dulcia & bene volentia crearis , &c. buxtsynag . iud. cap. . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 what baal was . obs . god provideth for the bodies of his people . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 si opus est corni pa●e , si opus est aqua , si open est vin● , si opus est nummo , si opus est jumento , a deo petere debet , nan a daemoniis & idolis : qui deo sitiunt , undi que debent sitire , & anima & carne . nunquid animam tuam deus fecit , & carnem damonia fecerunt ? qui fecit ambas res ipse pascet amlias . aug. in 〈…〉 . longeth for thee , 〈…〉 obj. the greatest man in the world must beg his bread at gods gate every day . obs . the sweetnesse of a comfort is , that it comes from god. obs . many and great are gods unknown mercies . scire tuum nihil est , nisi te scire hoc sciat alter . obser . we know no more then we lay to heart . philosophi sumus factis , no● verbis , nec magna loquimur , sed vivimus . cypr. de patienti● . mat. . . hoc morbo didici quid sit peccatum & quanta majestas dei. gasper , olevianus . verb● sensus denotant affectus . obs . affected ignorance is no excuse . graviter o homo peccas , si divitias dei longanimitatis contemnis gravissime si ignoras . ambro● obser obs . obser . prosperity makes men grow wanton . obser . obs . an evill thing to fight against god with his own creatures . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . obs . obs . lect . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 obser . obs . . abuse of mercies causes god to take them away . obser . gratiarum actio ipsa confessio donum est acceptum , quanto magis ipsa dona . luther . postquam locuplitati sumus bane ●idesam particulam addimus , ego geci . obs . . when god takes away a mercy , then conscience troubles fo● the abuse of that mercy ▪ obser . obs . . wrath from god when wiked men least think of it . obs . . how far wicked men have right to the creature . obs . . substanti● caro nostra incorporetur sanctis nt in ●is ad gloriam resurgat , non peccatoribus , in illis enim resurg●t ad ●ehenam . obser . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . obs . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . obser . prosperity hides much filth . obser . lect. . re●taining some good covers much evill . obser . obser . lewdnes of men must be discovered but not their infirmities . obser . lect. . obser . god carrieth on his work in the face of his ●●●mies . obser sam. . . it is very grievous to be dishonoured before those we love . carnall friends grow strangers in time of adversity . obser . job . . . james . . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . lect. . w●●kel men though under god● wrath yet w●ll be jocund and merry . obser . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 obs . difference between the spirits of the wicked and the godly in their affliction . obs . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the wickness of men at feasts . animula mea vagubla blandula , quo vadis , non amplius joco● dabis . we must not then feast when god calls for mourning . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 we must not presume in way of imitation to god to devise things in his worship like to his former institutions . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 mendat●s ▪ why a day may not be made holy as well as time set apart for a lecture . vvhat it is to dedicate a thing . vvhat it is to sanctifi● a thing . how it may be lawfull to set apart fasting dayes and how not . the feast of new moons opened . benedctus esto conditor t●us o l● na , benedictus aesto dominus tuus . ter subsiliunt s●elum ver sus quod quanto sublimius possunt , taute melius est , lunamque alloquentes . quemadmodum inquiunt not ●e versus sub●ilientes attingere ●e non possumus , sic hostes nostri omnes nos ad malum attingere nobi●que●●eere non poterunt . buxtorf . synag . iudaic. c. . ier. . . . . obser . lect. . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 iovialiter vivere . why a sabath was ordained . what speciall things in the seventh day sabbath above other sabbaths , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 quartum pra●eeptum egregium prae septum , & ad omnem virtutem excitandam utile , p●etatem vero praecipue . d●esiderium dierum . veni spon sa m●a . the meaning of the rest of the seventh yeere . mercy to the poore in regard of their debts . iubilee opened . it is an observation of ierome . when 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is written without vau , then it signifies the fiftieth yeer , but when it is with van , then it signifies eternity , but this pagni●● rejects , for it will not hold . the hard condition of servants in former times . god win iewish antiq lib. . c. . reasons why land must return in the yeare of iubile . the trumpet of iubile to blow on their fasting days and way . what to be learned from that law , requiring the iews to go thrice a yeer to the place that god chose . the feast of passeoever . obs . . apoc. . obs . . when god offereth deliverance we should not bee sluggish . obser . obser . deliverances looked upon in reference to christ are sweet . the iewish additions to their pass-over . templum tuum brevi , valde cito , valde cito , in diebus nostris , citissime , nunc aedifica templum tuum brevi . misericors daus , magne deus , benigne deus , pulcher deus , dulcis deus , virtuose deus , iudaica deus , nunc aedifica templum tuum brevi , valde cito , in diebus nostris , valde cito , valde cito , nunc aedifica , nunc edifica , nunc aedifica , nunc aedifica , nunc aedifica templum tuum cito , robuste deus , fortis , vineus , potens deus , &c. buxtorf . de synag . iud. c. . the feast of pantecost . no blessing ●o be enjoyed from the earth but through christ . hereditatom elegantiae . obs . . timely fruit is pleasing to god. obser obs . obs . exod. . . obser . obser . obser . obs . obs . the difference of burnt off●●ing , sin-offering , and peace-offering . lect. . obser . the feast of trumpets . non licet iniquas observa●iones agere kalendarum & ●ciis vacare gentilibus , neque lauro aut viriditate arborum cingere do●mus . omnis enim haec observatio paganismi est . canon . . cavendae potiusquam kalendae . s●atuit ●niversalis ecclesia ieiunium publicum in isto die fieri . al●huvinus de divinis d 〈◊〉 . c. . lect. . the day of atonement festum expiationis : eight things especially observable in it . obser . obs . non solum periculosum sed horribile est de deo extra christum 〈…〉 ps . . suida● . the feast of tabernacles . necte hosannam . god suites himselfe to o●r condition , wee must suite our selves to him . obser obser . obser . a second end of the feast of tabernacles . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . obs . obser . obser . lect. . obser 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 obser . obser . obser . it is a vile thing to attribute gods blessings to our ways of ●in . obser . obs . what soever is got by sin the curse of god is in it . an example of trouble of conscience for ill gotten goods . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 lect. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . obser . sin makes men beasts yea worse then beasts . si nemo ist quin emari malit quam converti in aliquam figuram bestiae quam , vis hominis sit mentem habiturus quanto est miserius in hominis figura animo esse esserato , lact. l. . c. . obser . god looks upon wicked great men with a contemptible eye . obser a fearfull judgement to fall into the hands of men . one new sinne may bring upon us wrath for many formerly committed papists like heathen . we must worship god in our private houses . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 we must not think that god will accept of our service , because of any thing of our owne 〈◊〉 cancilium gangrense anathematizat eos qui asiam vestem aliae sanctiorem aut plus facere ad pietatem iudicant . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . obser . lect. it is a dangerous condition when god is gotten on t of a m●ns thoughts . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 obser . the grace of the covenant makes inferences from our sins to mercy . tota scriptura hoc agit ne dubitemus , sed sperea mus , confic damus , eredamus deum miscricordam esse benignum ; patiente●● ; luther . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . the mercy of god out bids all temptations . cor. . . the s●cret waves of god drawing the heart to himselfe . idem cum 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 operabor miracula , & grandia , facinora , qualia edidi in deserto . thargum ionathae . gods former wayes towards his people , great helps to our faith. when god brings into trouble : there is comfort in that trouble . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 obser nothing can ease a troubled conscience but gods speaking to the heart . multo difficilius est conscientiam afflictam censolari quam martuos excitare . luther . false applying comfort will not hold . obs . remittant aliquid de cura nit●ris culiusque verborum venustatis & numerofit atis sententiarum , & verae humilitati & mortificationi , impendant ut charitatem habeant , sine qua si linquis hominum loquantur , & angelorum , facti sunt sicut as sonans vel symbalum tinniens . ribera . obser . obser . times of affliction gods comforting times . obser . obser . obser . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 cuidam philippum laudanti qued olynthum subver●erat , lacedaemonius respoudit , ●tal●m civitatem non possit condere . plut. l. de trac . obser . obser . together with ptomiks somthing must be done presently . lect. obser . me ●cies are sweet w●en they come as fruits of our peace with g●d . obser . obser . lect. obser mercies comming out of great difficulties are very sweet . lect. why called the valley of achro lib. . c. . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 turbavit . ho●● the valley of achor was a doore of hope . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . quest . answ . . . obser . obser . . obser . . obser . . obser . . picrem nisi periissem . obser . quest . ans . quest . ans . , . . object , ans . . . . . . . quest . answ . quest . answ . psal . . . . lect. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in 〈◊〉 , humiliavit , in nip●a● humiliatus a●pitus 〈…〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 thē excellency of moses his song . how may we rejoyce at the destruction of the wicked enormi admiratione dignum miraculum . august . ans . , . the differences betweene a slave and a free subject . isa . . . obser . obs . antichristian bondage worse then egyptian . obser . obser . obser . obser . the saints should sing in the midst of their straits● obser . we must reioyce at the beginnings of mercie though we have not al we desire . lect. obs . obser . fresh mercies affect much : gal. . . lect. . obser . obser . promised mercies are sweet . mercies got by prayers are sweet . lect. obser . mercies that make way for ordinances are sweet . new mercies should renew the memory of old mercies . obser . former mercies must strengthen our faith in future . obs . obser . obser . the danger of superstitious & idolatrous names . melior in ore christianc ritus loquend● eeclesiasticus , aug. in praef . enar . in ps . . ep . non debemus consuetudinem serntonis humani in epta loquasitate confundare . obs . the loathsomeness of idolatry . principale crimen generis , humani , summusseculi reaatus tota causa judicii , idolatria . tertul. lib. de idololat . little obser . things in matters of religion must not be slighted . we must take heed of coming too neer idolatry . obser . tondendo aeque , aeque atondebunt . ps . . . tredecim mensas lapidias in airiis exterioribus fuisse , quibus adstantes homines orarent fuere vero illae partem ad meridiem ad occasum , ad septem trionem sitae ad orientem nulla . montan. de fabrica templi . l. . we must not imitate idolaters in worship obser . things abused to idolatry must be reiected . object , answ . quest . ans . rules to know how far things abused to idolatry are to be rejected . quid enim illae c●remonia aliud , fuerint quam totidem lenocinia quae miseras animas ad malumperducerent . object . answ . object . answ . object . answ . object . answ . non lapidem colimus , sed virtutes deï magni . tert. de coron . milit . ignat. ep . . ad philip. lect. sanctior caeteris sratribus qui duobus dominis servire se posse prasumun● . tertul de corone militis . o militem in deo gloriosum . vbi scriptum est ne coronemur ; at ubi scriptum est at coronemur ; tertul. ibid. melius mori fame quam i do lothytis v sci , august de bono conjug c. . obser . sin makes us lose the boldnesse of our claim in our interest in god. obser . god delights to have his people look upon him with love . obser . obser . obs . pompous superstition will vanish & come to nothing . obser . obser . mens hearts will cleave to superst●tious vanities till god takes them off . god will destroy cities that he may destroy altars object . ans . how a covenant with beasts ita ordinabo inviolabiter . obser . obser . the stones of the field at league . object , answ . time coming when the beasts do no hurt . obser . a wicked thing , the more god is reconciled to men the more to hate them . obser . mercy that comes in by covenant is sweet . obser . gods covenant with his people is the satisfaction of their hearts in their deep●st sorrows obser . obser . the excellency of peace . the evil of civill war. peace rightly prized . war that brings peace is better then peace that brings war. peace may be bought at too dear a rate . obser . god is the prince of peace , he is the disposer of it as he pleaseth . obser . thorough reformation brings peace . only gods peace brings safety . tranquillitas ista tempestas erit : hieron . obser . the blessing of a quiet spirit in troublesome times obser . lect. quest. answ . the strong union in marriage . conjugall communion the ful . lest the saints partake of christs honour , and they are an honor unto christ . afflictions are mutual betweene christ and his church intire love in a married condition in three things . vtinam dominus avertat adversarios ab ecclesia & in me omnia sua tela convertant , meo sanquine sitim suam expleant . ambr. mutual delight betweene christ and the saints . christmar rying himselfe to the church of the iews . the grounds of the enduring happiness of the church . sicut impossibile est fermentom mixum a pasta separari , quia immutabit pastae naturam , it a impossibile christianus rapi achristo , quia est in eis christus fermentum , it a incorporatus , ut unum sit corpus , una massa . luth. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 two soul-staying and soul-satisfying grounds for perseverance . obser . obser . obser . ●lasphemiam inge it religioni quam colit , qui quod confitetur no● ante omnes impleverit . cyper . de sing . cler. lect. secunda gemma marital is annuli . luther . vt judicium excerceat in hostes verbi jam multes annos hoe agit sathan ut per impi●s magistratus ecclesia opprimatur & doctrina per prophanos doctores depravetur , sed videt germania deum indicentem luth. in loc . the match betweene christ and his spouse is in rash things , it is out of judgement . the saints chuse christ out of judgement . christas est novitas semper renovanda . sudden flashes of affections soone vanish . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 wherein gods kindnesse to us in christ appeares . iam. . pro. . . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 kindnesse betweene man and wife . kindnes to 〈◊〉 the loving kindness of the saints one toward another . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . iust . mar . non fructus tantum , sed radicem , non aquam sed fontem . the reason why the saints can so easily give up any comfort they have . the bowels of gods mercies searched into . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . purcicum imperium quantum quantum est mica est quam pater families canibus p●eciicit . luther . . valde protestatus sum me nolle sic satiari ab eo . luther . our bowels must yerne towards god. lect. . argutum sed srivolum . infide , in constantia , in stabilitate . christs love is steady , and why . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . the saints love to christ steady . the evil of a fickle unconstant spirit . providen tiam creaturis non negamus , curam sibi sponsa vendicat . bern. christ stands much upon this , that the harts of his saints should confide in him . god a sure object for our faith . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 our faith must rayse us above difficulties . renowned acts of faith drawes forth god power to worke foe the saints faith will hold god to his word . evidences that we do not trust in gods faith fulness . we must be faithfull to god , so as god may confide in us . we must be faithfull one toward another . obser . quia ego dominus . obser . the right knowing god is a fruit of the covenant . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the light of the saints is three stories high . ephes . , . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 obser . obser . obs . obser . obser . obser . obser . obser . lect. obser , obser . obser . obser . obser . obs . obser . obser . obser . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . obser . obser . obser . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 obser . obser . obser . obser . quae omnia iudei post antichristum in fine mundi prestolantur . hieronym . in locum . notes for div a -e lect. . obs . obser . obser . love must not be abused . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . ezek. . . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 obser . idolatry and sensuality goe together . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 cognatum cum 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 pagn . contrabentes dextras invicem datas ut rem ratam ess● significarent percutiendo discinderent , sicut & in faederibus bestiae disse cabantur . pagn . o mar●emani , o quadi , o sarmatae , tandem alios vobis deteriores inveni . ammian . lib. . alios romanos appellari permitterent , non iudaeos , ne quid labis ad haertscenit nomini ab odioso ac sordido genere . august . in psal . . ad illud ne occidas . suetonius in domitian● . c. . obser . sin puts into a vile condition . obs . obser . those to whom god intends great mercy , may for a long time be in a sad condition . obser . obser . obser . obs . obser . obser . lect. . obser . obser . ier. . . vve may know what is done in heaven by by the beatings of our own hearts . obser . answ . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 lect. . plutarch in the life of pyrrhus . obser . . things in which wee must take heed of mixture . some coples . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . the evill condition of those who are out of christ . god is sought in straits . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 what the ephod was . what to be observed from the precious stones upon the ephod . obser . obser . faetentur rabbini sum mam esse apud hebraeos harum rerum ignorantiam . we must know gods mind by christ . obs . obser . obser . quae sit causa tam grandis offensa ut tanto tempore relicti sunt ? maxime cum idolae non colant praeter interfectionem salvatoris , aliam non valent invenire . hieron . in loc . what teraphim was . quem admodum per ephod deo consecratum quid agendum esset consule● illbus significabatur , ita per teraphim idolorum praedictiones declarabantur . procop. in sam. . . mactabant hominem , cujus caput terquendo prescin debant , quod postea ●ale & aromatibus condiebant , scribebantque super laminam auream nome●● spirit●● immundi , qua sopposita capiti ejus , ponchant illud in parict● intendentibus coram eo candelas , & adorantes coram eo , supponebant nomen spiritus immundi sub lingua ipsius , & ille alloquebatur eos , sic. r. eliez . how the taking away the image and the teraphim is a threatning . how violently mens hearts are set upon superstitious wayes . obser . obser . obser . obser . obser . obser . obser . obser . obser . i●daos in christum nostrum credituros celeberrimum est in sermonibus cordibusque fidelium . august . . nihil ista propheta manifestius quam david regis nomine significatus intel●igitur christus . august . de civit . lib. . c. . lect. . answ . obser . non solum periculosum , sed horrtbile est de deo extra christum cogitare . luther . ego sape & lib●nter hoc inculco ut extra christum oculos & aures claudates , & dica●● nullum vos scire deum nisi qui fuit in graemio mariae & suxit ●bera ejus . luther . david and christ paraleld in their exercise of kingly power . obser . the feare of god is strong in a repenting 〈◊〉 . the fear of god wil be most strong when the church shall bee most glorious . foure grounds of the feare of god in the times of he churches deliveranc● 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 what is that goodnesse they shall feare . god will take away the reproach of his saints . how the goodnesse of god is to be feared . wantons who abuse gods goodnesse . differen ces between legall feare & evangelicall . gospel-conversation: wherein is shewed, i. how the conversation of believers must be above what could be by the light of nature. ii. beyond those that lived under the law. iii. and suitable to what truths the gospel holds forth. by jeremiah burroughs, preacher of the gospel to stepney and criplegate, london. being the third book published by thomas goodwyn, william greenhil, sydrach simpson, philip nye, william bridge, john yates, william adderly. burroughs, jeremiah, - . approx. kb of xml-encoded text transcribed 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(eebo-tcp ; phase , no. a ) transcribed from: (early english books online ; image set ) images scanned from microfilm: (early english books, - ; : ) gospel-conversation: wherein is shewed, i. how the conversation of believers must be above what could be by the light of nature. ii. beyond those that lived under the law. iii. and suitable to what truths the gospel holds forth. by jeremiah burroughs, preacher of the gospel to stepney and criplegate, london. being the third book published by thomas goodwyn, william greenhil, sydrach simpson, philip nye, william bridge, john yates, william adderly. burroughs, jeremiah, - . goodwin, thomas, - . [ ], , - , - , - , [ ] p., plate : port. printed by peter cole, at the sign of the printing-press in cornhil, near the royal exchange, london : . the words "thomas goodwyn, .. philip nye," and "william bridge, .. william adderly." are bracketed together on title page. 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gospel-conversation : wherein is shewed , i. how the conversation of believers must be above what could be by the light of nature . ii. beyond those that lived under the law. iii. and suitable to what truths the gospel holds forth . by jeremiah burroughs , preacher of the gospel to stepney and criplegate , london . being the third book published by thomas goodwyn , william greenhil , sydrach simpson , philip nye , william bridge , john yates , william adderly . london : printed by peter cole , at the sign of the printing-press in cornhil , near the royal exchange . . to the reader . the order and method which we propounded to our selves , and still pursue in publishing this blessed mans labors committed to us , is the same with his own in preaching them ; and in his preaching stile also we present them , that so both for matter and miner they might be every way his own . we need not set him up any other pillar or monument then what himself erected by his own worth ; and yet we may as truly say of him , as nazianzen of athanasius , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , he was high in worth , but humble in heart : he dyed in the strength of his parts and graces , and did not wear with rust , but use : ( amplissimum vitae spatium usque ad sapientiam vivere ) he did the work of him that sent him , whilest it was day , because he feared ( as he would often say ) a night was coming upon the kingdom , wherein he could not work ; and so he lived long in a little time . it grieved his soul to see how among professors of religion , holiness of life , and circumspect walking , is not attended to in this dissolute and dissolved age we live in : what truths therefore served most to revive and renew that spirit and vigor of practical holiness , which was breathing in them before these times ; these he most insisted on , and pressed upon the consciences of believers : and he that is conversant in his writings , will readily discern , that he judged the power of godliness not to consist in high-towring-speculation ( though himself was of excellent-raised-parts ) but in an holy conversation , which is peculiarly the subject of this treatise ; therein following the direction of paul to titus , exhorting believers in god , to maintain good works , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , to go before others in good works , or to set before others good works , as the words imply , tit. . . which yet whilest a christian pursues with all zealous fervency and intention , he must withal be acquainted with the root from whence all his holiness must spring . good works are dangerous , if they be made the foundation in the great point of justification by faith ; but if they be used in the superstruction , then they are very useful . we cannot have children from christ , except we be first married to christ : no works of sanctification , before vnion with christ . many cry out for obedience and good works , yet are profane , because they go not to christ for these ; you will not come to me , that you might have life , saith our savior : except we do all for and from christ , our lusts will not be mortified , our duties not accepted , our consciences not purified ; we shall not be strengthned against crosses , neither shall we go on chearfully , nor persevere : the foolish proud heart of man is loth to be so much beholding to iesus christ , as to receive salvation from him altogether , but something it will do , and something christ must do ; yet it leans much , if not most upon it self , onely it will take in christ to make more sure work . there is a sturdy stoutness and unyieldingness of spirit in men , against the blessed truths of the gospel made known unto them ; they must have peace , comfort , assurance , their own way , or else reject all ; they would finde a principle of life and power within themselves , and not go to christ for it ; they would bring something to christ , and not fetch all from christ ; not knowing that the way which all true believers have gone ( after much wearying of themselves to finde something in themselves ) hath been at the last to rowl themselves wholly upon the free-grace of god through iesus christ , seeing nothing in themselves , yet giving glory to god by believing ; and if they could bring their hearts so disposed and qualified , yet they see the danger of resting in what they are , have and do . and if want of such and such conditions and qualifications had ground enough to keep from christ , it might have hindred any that ever did cast themselves upon the free-grace of god , because they would still have been at a loss , finding a defect in them . these things we judge not unseasonable to premise , in the reading of this and all other treatises of this nature , that christians may ( when they abound in much-doing and well-doing ) be still as much afraid of resting in doing well , as of committing ill , and be content to have all flowers withered that refresh them without christ ; and when after humiliation and casting down for sin , they begin to stand upright , as they think , upon the legs of their prayers , performances , inherent graces and qualifications , and righteousness and holiness expressed in their lives and conversations , they may yet notwithstanding all this , be brought , not to glory in themselves , but in iesus christ , and willingly come down from the throne of their own conceits , sufficiences , abilities , and be at the footstool and threshold of iesus christ ; that seeing they know nothing , are nothing , have nothing , do nothing , they may be nothing in their own eyes , that christ might be all , do all their work in them and for them , that so they may wholly live upon christ , and to christ , still drawing vertue from him , seeing a need of christ , and of nothing else , and finding a fulness and help in him , and in nothing else . this word of direction being given the reader in his perusing this treatise about gospel-conversation , the publishing of which in these perillous times , we conceive exceeding suitable and useful , wherein so many are led away after those doctrines that are not after godliness , as the apostle speaks . this holy man would often much bewail that he did not see that holy frame and temper of spirit in the professors of our days , which was in those god was pleased to take out of this world to himself in the days immediately foregoing these troubles : he would often say , we seem to have more light now , but we have lost our heat and first love . we pray the lord awaken us , that we may do our first works before he come against us quickly , and remove the candlestick out of its place . amen . thomas goodwyn , william greenhil , sydrach simpson , philip nye , william bridge , john yates . william adderly . the contents sermon i. the words opened . page doct. those that profess the gospel , must have a great care of their conversations that god may be honored because the saints are gods witnesses they hold forth gods renewed image they further gods designs ibid they make up the great dishonor he hatb from the world ibid . in respect of wicked men that you may convince them ibid to stop their mouthes to convert them ibid to condemn them in respect of the saints ibid they rejoyce in it ibid they bless god for it ibid they have boldness before men ibid . they are established by it . they are edified by it ib. in respect of your selves ibid it evidenceth the truth to your souls . ibid it continueth and encreaseth what is in you it gets honor in the consciences of men ibid it is an instrument of publick good ibid it furthers a joyful account at the great day ibid it keeps up the honor of religion from one generation to another ibid application to reprove careless professors . to exhort to be careful of your conversations arg. it is a mercy you have conversation among men wicked men are able to passe judgment on your lives , but not on your principles sometimes you must displease wicked men ibid your lives are but short the eyes of all are upon you god promiseth salvation to them that order their conversation aright sermon ii. rule have a special regard to the duties of your relation take heed of the sins you are most inclined to take heed of the temptations of your callings take heed of the sins of the times take heed of secret sins . ibid look not upon those that are below , but upon those that are above you in profession be constant to the end doct. the conversation of profesfessors must be sutable to the gospel of christ . . it must be higher than the light of nature will raise it viz. that we are to knew god . that we must do as we would be done to ibid we must make conscience of secret sins ibid what conversation becomes the gospel , that is above the light of nature to worship god as a father to love our enemies to do to others as god hath don to us to labor for the mortification of the body of sin within us . to love the commandement you obey secondly , it must go beyond such as lived under the law sermon iii consider first as a covenant of works for life , as it was at first made to adam obedience to god meerly as creator had only promise of natural things ibid he must work by his own strength ibid he was in hazard of miscarrying in his eternal estate ib. the saints are in a better condition . they serve god as a father vpon better promises ibid our strength is not put into own hands to keep are delivered from the hazzard of eternal miscarrying ibid . as the law was in the ministration of it by moses given under low promises . ibid their ordinances mean their burden great ibid the administration terrible ibid their spirits servile ibid but under the gospel our covenant is better our worship more spiritual our yoke more easie we have access with boldnes to the throne of grace ibid we have the spirit of adoption ibid . it must be sutable to what the gospel holds forth herein consider what the gospel holds forth how to sute our conversations according . the gospel holds forth , . the infinite love of god to mankind love in us becomes this love of god sermon iv. . the willingness of god to to be at peace with man when we were enemies to him we were under his power . ibid he had no need of us ibid he begins the work of reconciliation ibid it costs him very dear ibid he will never be at enmity with us again this cals us to love peace , ib. the infinite mercy of god to miserable creatures it should work mercy in us . he is merciful in such a way that justice is not wronged it should warn us first , not to turn the grace of god into wantonness to be just in our conversations what a high price he sets upon the law. sermon v gods infinit hatred of sin it should move us to hate it . the great price of souls it should teach us , to set a high price upon our souls not to pollute them with sin the great honor god hath put upon human nature above angels . in the personal union of mans nature with the god-head ibid the body is the temple of the holy ghost the personal vnion of our natures with the second person in trinity the great example of self-denial sermon vi. our conversations should be sutable to spiritual worship our spiritual union with god god is a father , beleevers are children ibid we are one spirit with god and christ the union of the saints one with another their hapines in heaven sermon vii . what conversation becomes the gospel denying ungodliness ibid sequestred from this world . a change of estate from what there was before the gospel came ibid between one man and another becoming the ordinances of the gospel sutable to the power of the gospel ibid seeing the glory of the gospel , have a glory in our conversations application to reprove those whose conversations becomes not the gospel exhortation to walk worthy of the gospel five motives to it john , . sermon i. text opened doct. . christ hath a kingdom ibid providential mediatory ibid doct. christs kingdom is not of this world difference between worldly kingdoms & christs kingdom ib. in regard of pomp and glory ibid in regard of his subjects in regard of his rule his laws are spiritual ibid his homage spiritual the officers by divine institution his weapons spiritual in regard of priviledges in regard of penalties sermon ii. priviledges of the saints all their businesses are in the court if christ they are all free men they have free trade to heaven ib. they have right to all the ordinances of christ ib. they have his protection they shall have certain victory over their enemies ib. they are all kings ib. they have peace and joy in the holy ghost they have right to the gifts and graces of all the saints they are coheirs with christ why christs kingdom is not of this world . because he would confound the wisdom of the world because he delights to exercise the graces of his saints ib. that his power and wisdom may appear the more glorious application use there is a happiness beyond the things of this world their world called an evil world the devil is called the god of it ibid the pomp of it is not of the father ibid its glory is but darkness ibid it knows not god it lies in wickedness ibid psalm , . . text opened doctrine there are men to whom god gives some outward good for a while , and this is all they are like to have arguments of gods love to saul he was chosen by god himself &c. explication why god deals out something to wicked men they are his creatures ib their time of life is gods patience ibid it is their day they do something for god here ibid to shew them what little good is in this world he hath time enough to manifest his justice upon them hereafter he shews what great things he hath reserved for his children god fetcheth glory from hence ibid to harden their heart to chasten his own people ibid because he would have no argument of love or hatred drawn from outward things ibid here is all they are like to have because their names are not in the book of life ibid they are vile in the eyes of god ibid because they chuse it themselves they are sutable to them . they abuse the portion they have they have no interest in jesus christ ibid they are no sons the manifestation of gods patience is ended ibid they must have imediately to deal with god corrollaries flowing from hence . this is the reason why worldly men are so cunning in things of this world this is the reason why so many great ones regard religion so little this is the reason of the stir that is in the world to maintain this their portion what kind of portion this is that the men of the world have what poor things they are they are but imaginary ibid of a low nature but a poor pittance it will vanish it will stand with the hatred of god the tenure by which thou boldest them opened in . things . ibid there is a great deal of mixture in what you have of trouble ibid of curse ibid what portion thou losest by it it is fit for the spouse of christ ibid sutable to an heir of heaven ibid it is the height of happiness it is gods great design in making heaven and earth ibid it requires the infinite power of god to support a creature in it ibid it remains to eternity ib what is like to be thy end ib perplexity of spirit when death comes you 'l be called to account for all a dreadful portion at the day of judgment ib. who the man is that hath his portion in this world god gives him nothing but what belongs to this life by the working of your hearts about your portion whether your hearts terminate in what you enjoy ibid whether they go out in full strength to them how the loss of them take thy heart ibid whether they only be sutable to thy heart what thou accountest thy cheefest good ibid what you strive to make most sure what thou most admirest men for ibid what thou art careful to lay up for thy children ib. examine thy services in particulars are they slight ? hypocritical ? forced ? doest thou draw back in religion ? ibid doth god for the present curse thy portion ? ibid doth god convince thee of what stops the current of his mercy ibid . he spends his daies without fear of being put off with the things of this world exhortation to those that have evidences of a better portion bless god for it be content with it ibid envy not wicked men ib. mind higher and better things to all to put on for another portion motive ye are capable of it ye are in a fair way for it ib means be stir'd with the fear of god take off your hearts from outward comforts ibid set the glory of heaven and eternity before your eyes honor god with your substance here ibid let your services be choice services be willing to cast away what you have sinfully got ibid be willing to joyn with those that suffer for god conclusion ibid reader , thou hast here the names of the books that are lately published of mr. jeremiah burroughs : as also the texts of scripture upon which they are grounded . viz. . an exposition with practical observations on the , , , & . chapters of hosea . . a treatise of earthly mindednes : wherein is shewed : . what earthly-mindedness is , . the great evil thereof , on phil. . part of the . verse . also to the same book is joyned a treatise of heavenly-mindedness , and walking with god , on gen. . . and on phil. . . . the rare jewel of christian contentment , on phil. . . wherein is shewed : . what contentment is , . it is an holy art and mysterie , . the excellencies of it , . the evil of the contrary sin of murmuring , and the agravations of it . . gospel-worship , on levit. . . wherein is shewed : . the right manner of the worship of god in general : . and particularly , in hearing the word , receiving the lords supper , and prayer . . gospel-conversation , on philip. . . wherein is shewed : . that the conversation of beleevers must be above what could be by the light of nature , . beyond those that lived under the law , . and sutable to what truths the gospel holds forth . to which is added , the misery of those men that have their portion in this life only ; on psal . . . all which are published by thomas goodwin , sydrach simpson , william greenhil , william bridge , john yates , william adderly . all printed by peter cole , at the printing-press in cornhil , at the royal exchange , in london . gospel conversation . philippians , . . only let your conversation be as becometh the gospel of christ . the apostle ( in the . verse of this chapter ) we find to be in a straight what to do , whether to be willing to live , or to die ; for his own inclination or desire it was rather to die , because then he should be with christ , which was best of all : a notable scripture to prove the immortallity of the soul . for if so be the soul did die with the body , it could not have bin better for paul to have been dead than to live , it were better that paul had lived even to the day of judgment than to have died , and so to be nothing and turned into dust ; but he saith , that when he died , he should be with christ , which was better for him ; but that which swayed him on the other side , why he should be willing to live , it was this , that he might be useful to the churches , nevertheless , it is better for you that i should abide in the flesh . service to the churches is the great cause that makes one who hath made his peace with god , to be willing to live , it is not that he may live in ease , and enjoy pleasures to the flesh , but that he may live and do service for god , that makes him willing to live . and then he tels them , he is confident he shal continue with them a while for the furtherance of their faith , and that by his coming to them their rejoycing should be more abundant ; but in the mean time , whether i do come , or come not , only let your conversation be as becometh the gospel of christ . as if he should say , i shall the more willingly live , my life wil be the more comfortable to me ; it will somthing recompence my absence from heaven , my staying from the joyes of it ; if your conversation be as becometh the gospel of jesus christ : if i may hear from you being absent , or when i come to you , i may see that your conversation be as becommeth the gospel of jesus christ . this is the dependancy of the words . for the opening of the words . only ] only let your conversation . that is as if he should say , be not solicitous about me and my sufferings , and what shall become of me , and whether i shall come to you or not , be not so careful about that ; only let your care be taken up about this great business , that your conversation be as becometh the gospel of christ : for saies he , this should be the main thing that i should aim at if i should come to you ; this is that i should put you upon and give you directions about , that your conversation be as becometh the gospel of jesus christ : and if i be absent there is not any thing i desire more to hear of than this , that you that have received the gospel of christ from my hands ( as it were ) through my ministry , that your conversations be as becometh the gospel of jesus christ ▪ brethren , if we had paul here present with us , or preaching among us ; or if he were alive and could write an epistle to this congregation , or any other congregation , the main drift of his preaching or writing would be , to those that had heretofore received the gospel , that they would make it their great care that their conversations be as becomes the gospel of christ . only let your conversation ] the word here , is a word taken from the ordering of a city , or a common-wealth , wherein every one acts in their own sphere , and is serviceable each unto other , to the publick good ; so saith he , the church of god , it is as a city , as a common-wealth wherein every christian is to act in his own sphere , and every one laboring for the good each of other in a comely order , that so there may not only be peace in the churches , but edification of all , and the gospel may thrive and prosper , that 's the meaning of this word translated here , let your conversation ; as if he should say , do not think it enough that you have some enlightenings , that you have some stirrings , some affections are moved by the ministry of the gospel , rest not there , but look to your conversation . it is not enough for christians to have knowledg , and to be able to speak of the gospel , and have some stirrings of affection , but they must look to their conversations , let your conversation be , as it becometh the gospel of christ ] for the opening of these words there are these two things considerable : first , what is this gospel of christ that here is spoken of ? and secondly , what is it so to live as becometh the gospel of christ ? let your conversation be as becometh the gospel of christ . the gospel of christ in general is this : it is the good tydings that god hath revealed concerning christ , this hath come unto your ears , the good tydings concerning christ , for so the word [ gospel ] the greek word signifies nothing else but the good tydings ; the good tydings that comes from heaven unto you concerning jesus christ , that 's the gospel of christ . more largely it is this , as all mankind were lost in adam , & become the children of wrath , put under the sentence of death , god though he left his fallen angels , and hath reserved them in the chains of eternal darkness , yet he hath thought upon the children of men , he hath provided a way of atonement to reconcile them to himself again . namely , the second person in trinity takes mans nature upon him , and becomes the head of a second covenant , standing charged with mans sin , and to answer for it in a way of suffering what the law and divine justice required , and for making satisfaction , and keeping the law perfectly , which satisfaction and righteousness he tenders up unto the father as a sweet savor of rest for the souls of those that are given to him ; and now , this mediation of christ is by the appointment of the father preached to the children of men , of what nation or rank soever , freely offering this unto sinners for atonement for them , requiring them to beleeve in him , and upon beleeving , promising not only a discharge of all their former sins , but that they shall never enter into condemnation , that none of their sins or unworthiness shall ever hinder the peace of god with them , but that they shall through him be received into the number of sons , that they shall have the image of god again to be renewed in them , & that they shall be kept by the power of god through faith and salvation , that these souls and bodies shall be raised to the height of glory that such creatures are capable of , that they shall live for ever enjoying the presence of god , and christ , in the fulness of al good ; this is the gospel of christ ; this is the sum of the gospel that is preached unto sinners : when you hear speaking of the gospel your thoughts may be about this , this glad tydings that is come into the world for salvation of sinful creatures through jesus christ , and all the good things that jesus christ by his blood hath purchased for sinners . when ministers are cald the ministers of the gospel , the meaning is , they are appointed by god ministers to declare and to preach this glad tydings to the world : oh it is glad tydings indeed to the world ; could there be such glad tidings preached at hell gates , that there were any such way of reconciliation of them to god , we could not but conceive there would be joy there , they would account it acceptable news indeed . now then , those that do beleeve this gospel , or do profess it , that they have entertain'd this gospel , this glad tydings , they must be careful to walk in their conversation so as it becomes this gospel , as becomes such glorious glad tydings as are sent unto them from heaven . as becomes ] the word signifies , worthy of the gospel , that that is translated in your books become , it signifies , worthy of the gospel . but this cannot be meant as if so be that our conversation should be such as deserves al the good that there is in the gospel , no , but worthy , that is , as much as beseeming the gospel , as meet for the gospel , or as it is translated in your books , becoming the gospel ; as he that eats and drinks unworthily , eats and drinks his own damnation ; can one eat and drink so as to be worthy of the body and blood of christ ? no , but he that eats and drinks so , carries himself so in that ordinance of the sacrament as is unbeseeming the body and blood of christ that he comes to receive ; and on the other side , those that do eat and drink so , as to sanctifie gods name in that ordinance ( as you have heard ) they do it worthily , for so the same word is here , worthy of the gospel of christ . and so bring forth fruit worthy of repentance , saith john to those that came to him , that is meet , sit for repentance , such fruit as may manifest your repentance , as is sutable unto such men or women that do profess their repentance for their sins . further , i find that the word that is here translated becoming , in another place is translated convenient and meet , and can be understood in no other sense ; as in cor. . . if it be meet that i shall go also , the word that is translated there , [ meet ] it is in the greek [ worthy ] the same word that we have here translated becoming , if it be a comly thing or a meet or convenient thing then i 'le go : so then it 's cleer that this word that we have here is , meet , convenient , sutable , or , becoming the gospel , let your conversation be such , as it meet for , or becoming the gospel . you will say , what conversation is that which is meet for , or becoming the gospel ? to that i answer , first , a conversation raised to a higher degree than the light of nature , or than the law can raise one to , it must be that certainly , it is not a conversation becoming the gospel , except it be a conversation raised higher than the light of nature , or than the law can raise one to , it becomes not the gospel else . secondly , a conversation sutable and answerable to those many blessed and glorious truths that are revealed in the gospel , there is much of the mind of god revealed in the gospel , glorious truths are there presented to us , that is a conversation becoming the gospel that is sutable and answerable unto these blessed and glorious truths that are revealed in the gospel . thirdly , a conversation manifesting the power of the gospel . fourthly , a conversation that is sutable unto al the ordinances of the gospel , agreeable unto whatsoever there is in any ordinance of the gospel . and then fiftly , a conversation holding forth the beauty , excellency , and glory of the gospel before those with whom we do converse , here 's a conversation becoming the gospel ; when those that are christians professing that the lord hath revealed the gospel unto them , and that in some measure they have been brought to beleeve in the gospel , when as now their conversation is beyond that which any man can attain unto by the light of nature , when it is beyond that that any man by the law can be raised unto , when it 's answerable to the many blessed and glorious truths that are revealed in the gospel , when it manifests a power of the gospel in him , when it 's answerable unto the blessed ordinances that he doth enjoy in the gospel , and when his life and conversation holds forth the beauty , excellency , and glory of the gospel before the world , here is a conversation becoming the gospel ; and this is that which the apostle here exhorts unto , only let your conversation be such , as becomes the gospel of christ . thus you have had the words opened . now for the doctrinal points in the words , only these two , the first is but to make way to the second . . doct. the first is this , that those that profess the gospel , must have a great care of their conversations . . secondly , this conversation of theirs must be such , as becomes , as beseems the gospel . these are the two main points in the text. i shall this morning but make way to the second point which is the great point in the text. first , that christians that do profess the gospel , must have a great care of their conversations , to look to them . they must not satisfie themselves with what is inward in their minds , or in their affections , but look to their conversations ; you think , or hope at least , that through the gospel there hath been conversion wrought in you : after the lord hath wrought conversion , he doth expect that you be careful of your conversations before men : you have knowledge , you can speak well , you have some stirrings of heart that you have felt in hearing of the word , preaching of the gospel , but now look to your conversations , and know , there is a bond laid upon you more than ever was , to look to your conversations : in james , . see the exhortation of the apostle there , at the . verse , who is a wise man , and endued with knowledge among yeu , mark , let him shew out of a good conversation his works with meekness of wisdom . it is a very sweet and excellent scripture , who is a wise man and endued with knowledge among you : what should he do ? let him shew out of a good conversation his works with meekness of wisdom : here is wise , and knowledge , and wisdom again . if you would manifest that god hath wrought any true saving knowledge , any wisdom in you to save your souls , why know that god requires that you should show your good conversation & that with meekness and wisdom , your conversations , you must have a care of them , both in respect of men , and in respect of god. in respect of men , pet. . . having your conversation honest among the gentils : and ( the latter part wee shall speak to by and by ) so that christians they must look to their conversations in respect of men . and then in respect of god : in pet. . . but as be who hath called you is holy , so be ye holy in all manner of conversation ; there you have honest conversation ; and in this scripture , holy in all manner of conversation : so that you are to have regard to your conversations , both in respect of men , and in respect of god : and upon these grounds . first , in general . first , in regard of god more generally , that god may be honored by your conversations . oh! you that have ever heard from god the glorious glad tydings of salvation in the gospel , is it not in your hearts to do what you can to honor him ? now let your conversation be such ; have a care of your conversations that god may be honored ; the name of god will be blasphemed , except you have a care of your conversations , in matth. . . let your light so shine before men , that they may see your good works , and glorifie your father which is in heaven . as if christ should say , what , hath god brought the light of the gospel to you ? hath it shined into your hearts ? and hath he revealed unto you those glorious mysteries of salvation in him ? o then , let this light break forth and shine in your conversations before men , that others seeing your good works may glorifie your father which is in heaven . some men and women are ready to say , what do they care what others observe in them so that god knows their hearts ? i but that 's not enough , if it could be so that you could have good hearts unto god without good conversations ; but we shall see that there cannot be any such thing , and it is required of you , your works should shine forth before men , that they may see your good works , and glorifie your father which is in heaven . 't is one thing to do a good work that may be seen , and another thing to do a good work that it may be seen ; to do a good work that may be seen that is lawful , though we should not do them principally aiming that they may be seen , but our works should be such , that of their own nature they may be seen , but not to make that to be our main end , that they may be seen ; so , as aiming not so much that they may may be seen , but that being seen , men may glorifie our father which is in heaven , that god may be honoured . now god is honoured by the conversations of his saints many waies , and therefore they should be very careful of their conversations . as in the first place , the people of god , saints , beleevers , they are the great witnesses that god hath in the world , to witness for him against the corruptions of the world ; if so be that you are not careful of your conversations , god will lose witnesses to his truth : now a witnesse is not a thing that is kept within , a man cannot be a witness by keeping things within his own thoughts and heart , he must manifest something to witness . the lord makes use of the lives of his saints to be his witnesses in the world , to stand and witness for his truth ; whereas others they will think when the gospel is preached that it is but a meer notion , or imagination , and that there is no reallity in what is preached : no saith god , look here upon the conversations of these that have beleeved the gospel , do you not see they witnesse , that there it a reallity in those things of the gospel ? look what a change my gospel hath made upon them in their lives and conversations , those that were before proud , how humble they are ; that were before froward , how meek they are , and the like ; these are my witnesses . many scriptures might be given , especially that in revel . . . where the saints in general are called witnesses : and that 's the first thing . you are to look to your conversations , that you may be gods witnesses . secondly : that you may hold forth the image of god in the world ; that image that god made man in at first , by the sin of man was lost ; but now through the gospel it comes to be renewed , and god delights to have his image held forth in the world , that men may behold somewhat of the glory of his image : but how can the world see the image of god ? they cannot see it in your hearts , but now god would have it conspicuous , therefore have you a care of your conversations , that in your conversations you may hold forth the image of god in the world . it 's much to the glory of god to have his image held forth in the world . as men that would honor their parents , and other dear friends , if they have a curious picture of them , when their image is drawn , they will not see it abused and sullyed , but they will keep it fair ; a man that hath the image of his father or dear friend , will not hang it in a smokey hole behind a chimney , or door , but in some conspicuous place ; so we should hold forth the image of god conspicuously , it should appear in our lives and conversations . thirdly , by your conversations god may be honored , for you will further the great designs that god hath in the world : the holy and gracious lives of the saints serve to further the great designs that god hath in the world to do . and lastly , they may serve to make up the great dishonor that god hath from others ; the lord hath abundance of dishonor from most in the world ; but now there are some that god cals out of the world , and he gives his grace unto them to the end that he might have some of the great dishonor that he hath in the world from others made up ; now such as are carefull of their conversations , as walk exactly and closely with god ( i say ) they are made use of by god for the making up in some part of the great dishonor that god hath in the world . what honor should god have in the world were it not for the holy and gracious conversations of some of his saints ? and therefore you who profess the gospel , look to your conversations that god may be honored by you . secondly , have a care of your conversations , look to them in respect of wicked men among whom you live . as first , that you may convince evil and ungodly men among whom you live in the world . pet. . . having your conversation honest among the gentiles , that whereas they speak against you as evil doers , they may by your good works which they shall behold , glorifie god in the day of visitation . this likewise doth confirm what was said before , for the glory of god , and the conviction of wicked men ; that they beholding , may glorifie god in the day of visitation . there are many interpretations upon this place , in the day of visitation , the day wherein god shall visit them . though now they rail against you , yet when god shall visit them , either in his stroke upon them by sickness , then they will acknowledg you to be righteous , and holy men , and wish that their conditions were like yours ; or in the day of visitation , if god shall visit their spirits to turn them , or in the day of visitatiō ( as some think ) in the day of jesus christ : but i find others looking narrowly into the words , in the day of over seeing , the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from whence the word bishop comes , it is an over-seer , now this word visitation , signifies nothing else but an overseeing ; as if god should say thus , walk ye honestly , and holily before the world , perhaps they will vail your glory , & one will say this , & the other that , but go ye on in a constant way and course , there will be a time that all things shall be over-seen , all things shall be examined , and narrowly searched into , and when that day comes , the wicked men shall be convinced , and shal be forced to give glory to god , and shal say , that whatsoever aspersions there were cast upon you , yet certainly you were the servants of the living god , in the day of inspection , of overseeing ; therefore be ye careful of your conversations in respect of wicked men , to convince them . secondly , in respect of wicked men , to stop their mouthes , their malice , violence , and rage , pet. . . for so is the will of god , that with well doing ye may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men . the word there translated put to silence , it is to put ( as it were ) a bridle into their mouthes , or to stop their mouthes , you may even stop their mouthes by your holy conversation ; oh christians look to your conversations , that by them you may stop the mouthes of wicked and ungodly men , that they may not be able to say any thing against your holy conversations ; so in pet. . . having a good conscience , that whereas they speak evil of you as of evil doers , they may be ashamed that falsly accuse your good conversation in christ . thirdly , yea , you may by your good conversation be a means to convert other men , to bring wicked men into the love of the waies of god : pet. . . . the exhortation there is directed to wives that had wicked husbands . likewise ye wives be in subjection to your own husbands , that if they obey not the word , they also may without the word be won by the conversation of the wives , while they behold your chast conversation coupled with fear . mark , how the apostle urges upon wives to look to their conversations to the end that they may be a means to gain their husbands . i am verily perswaded that there are many gracious women that would give ( if they had it ) a thousand worlds to gain their husbands to those waies of godliness that they have found so much sweetness in , but perhaps they cannot get them to come and hear the word , and if they do , their hearts rise against it , or it may be they little regard it ; but you by your conversations may do that which the world will not do , you may be converters of them ; and in this sense indeed ; there may be women preachers , that is , preaching in their lives and conversations , and that 's all the preaching that the holy ghost allows women , let them preach that way , in their lives and conversations in their families , and preach every day a sermon , and neither god nor man will find fault with any such thing , and this is the way for them to do great service for god ; and so likewise should husbands do to convert their wives , you complain one of another , but do you labor to convince and convert one another by your holy conversations ? i am confident that there are many that are able to say by experience , this ; that the lord struck upon my heart and conscience by seeing the holy conversation of my wife , since she went to hear the word , by seeing the wisdom , humility , obedience and carriage of my wife , it struck upon my heart . there is many have given glory to god and acknowledged this , both wives by their husbands , and husbands by their wives ; and sometimes the parent in seeing it in the child , or the child in the parent , or brother in brother , or one servant in another , it hath been a means to turn them unto god. in the last place , if they be not turned to god , then your conversation shall serve to condemn them , to aggravate their sin , and their condemnation in the day of jesus christ . as it is said of noah , in heb. . . that noah prepared an ark , by the which he condemned the world . he condemned the world by that course of his , in beleeving in god , and in making the ark , every nail that he smote into the ark , was ( as it were ) a condemnation of the world : and so the saints by walking in their holy conversation , shal be the judges and condemners of the world . therfore you are to be careful of your conversations , in respect of wicked men . also , in respect of the saints , we must be very careful of our conversations . . for by your conversation you will rejoyce the hearts of the saints . oh those that are godly , when they see others that profess godlines to walk in a strict and holy conversation , how doth it rejoyce their hearts ? it is the comfort of their lives . . besides , they blesse god for it ; they not only rejoyce in it , but bless god for it ; when they get alone in secret they are blessing god for the gracious , and holy , and convincing conversations of such and such kind of men that they converse with . . and by that means the saints they have a boldness before men , they can lift up their heads wheresoever they go , when they know that all such who make profession of religion in the places where they live , they walk unblamably : upon that godly men can hold up their heads with boldness , whereas otherwise it makes such as are professors of religion ashamed , when they see and hear of such and such that make profession of religion to walk scandalously , and loosly : but of them we shall speak presently . . then further , your holy conversation it will establish the hearts of the saints , it will settle young beginners ; there are many that are giving up their names to christ , when they see the holy and gracious conversations of these that are ancient professors , oh how are they stablished in the waies of godlinesse . . and it wil edifie the saints , they wil edifie and grow up in holiness , they will imitate you , and will find the graces of god not only strengthened , but increased in them by your conversations , oh the abundance of good that you may do ; and therfore christians have a care of your conversations . . then , you in respect of your selves , by this means you wil have an evidence to your souls of the truth of grace in your hearts , which you cannot have if your conversations be not right . in john , . . mark what the apostle speaks there , if we say that we have fellowship with him , and walk in darkness , we lye and do not know the truth . and again , you have a notable scripture in the . chap. . vers . little children , let no man deceive you ; he that doth righteousness , is righteous , even as he is righteous . as if he should say , there are a company of deceivers in the world , and they think it enough to talk of righteousness , they say they beleeve in jesus christ , and it's faith that is only required of them ; and as for the other , that 's but a meer legal thing , for men to make conscience of duties , and of their lives , this is but legal , but let them trust in jesus christ , christ hath done all , what can we be saved by our lives ? hath not christ done all ? is there not righteousness in him ? let no man deceive you ( saith the apostle ) if there be not a doing righteousness , there is no righteousness in you , he that doth righteousness is righteous : you have nothing to do with the righteousness of christ as your own applied yet unto you , except you do righteousness ; therefore have a care of your conversations , that you may have evidence to your souls of the truth that there is in your hearts . secondly , have a care of your conversations that you may continue and encrease that which is within you ; certainlie those that make profession of religion and have not a care of their conversations , they wil never continue in their profession , mark that , they may be a comets a while , blasing-stars , but they will vanish , & within a little while you shall find that their profession will wear away ; where there is not a godly life together with profession , profession will vanish and come to nothing , their very common graces will be taken away from them if they have not a care of their lives , but if they have a care of their lives they wil continue in the waies of godliness and grow up and encrease more and more . thirdly , have a care of your conversations , that you may get honor in the very consciences of men . quest . some will say , should we have a care of our conversations that we may get honor ? ans . yes truly , a man may desire to have the testimony of the consciences of those that he lives withal , it 's no matter for their talking this or that , but that you may get into their consciences , god gives you liberty for that . fourthly , you by this means will be instruments of a great deal of publick good , if you live according to your profession , otherwise no body will regard you , you are reffuse , no man will imploy you , you will be contemn'd and slighted , but when they see mens conversations according to their profession , everie bodie loves to make use of these men , they know they shall find them faithful in whatsoever they are imployed , and so they come to the instruments of much publick good . fifthly , you will further a joyful account against the great day ; for you must be call'd to account , not only for your thoughts , and the inward workings of your hearts , but for whatever you have done in the flesh , we must appear before the judgment seat of christ to answer whatsoever is done in the flesh : oh be careful of your conversations that so you may be able to give a comfortable accompt . sixtly and lastly , be careful of your conversations in respect of your profession : this should be the care of those that make profession , that we may keep up the succession of the honor nor of religion from one generation to another : heretofore there were some godly people that liv'd , and they kept up ( in their generation ) the honor of the profession of religion , wel-now , we are upon the stage of the world ; and god looks upon us that we should in our generations keep up the succession of the honor of the profession of religion : and so afterward in another generation , as men come upon the stage of the world and live here : god expects succeeding ages should keep up the honor of the profession of religion in their times . and this one consideration might go to the very heart of ungodly men ( if they would mind it ) that it may be thou art the man or woman among others that keeps up in a continual succession enmity against god in the world ; do but consider of the difference between these two , one mans conversation is wicked , and anothers is holy and gracious , thou that livest wickedly this evil is charged upon thee , that thou art the man that joynest in this work to keep up a continued succession of enmity against god in the world , ever since cains time there was an enmity against god , and cains posterity kept up the succession of it ; and so from one generation to another there hath been wicked men keeping up the succession of enmity against god , and thou in thy generation art come to it , and this ( it seems ) is thy work : but now on the other side , ever since adams and abels time , there hath bin godly men in the world , and in every generation some have kept up the honor of profession : and now , hath god been pleased to reveal his glorious gospel to thy soul ? why now , thou being careful of thy life and conversation , god imploys thee in this work to keep up the succession of the honor of profession in the world . and this is a comfortable life indeed . and thus we have done with the explication or the point . now i shall only give you some passages for the application of it . application . only ( saith the apostle ) let your conversation be as becomes the gospel of christ . have a care of this above all things , oh you would fain get more knowledg , and be accounted somebody in the place where you live , and be an eminent professor where you live ; well , whatsoever you would fain be accounted of , let it be your only care , that your conversation be as becomes the gospel of christ . oh! this point speaks bitter things , and sharply rebukes the carelesness of the professors of the gospel in point of their conversation . oh lord , how have we cause to bewail the loosnesse of the professors of the gospel at this day ! and i fear , that some may be present whose consciences may tell them that they are very loose in the point of their conversations . thou professest thou knowest jesus christ , that the lord hath made known the glorious mysteries of the gospel to thee ; what is thy life ? canst thou say as in the presence of god , that thy conversation is answerable ? i beseech you as in the presence of god , examin but this , see whether thou art able to say , lord , thou knowest according to what light thou hast given me in the gospel , it hath been my care to look to my conversation , oh that i might live to thy honor , and be a witnesse to thy truth ; that i might hold forth thy image and further thy designs , and make up the dishonor that thou hast from others in the world ; and that i might convince wicked men , and stop the mouthes of those that are opposite ; and that i might be a means to convert those that i live with , or otherwise to judge them ; oh that i might rejoyce the hearts of the saints , that they might lift up their heads with boldness because of me , that they may , and so i might be stablished and edified ! go along in the rest of the heads . can thy conscience tell thee that thou hast done so ? no , but it s quite contrary in some . the lord speaks now to the consciences of those that this point concerns , that have been negligent in the point of their conversation , thou art the man or woman that god hath as great dishonor from as from most in the world , yea certainly , there is no men upon the face of the earth that darkens the glory of the blessed god so much , as professors of religion who live loosly , al the prophane ones , all your drunkards that reel up and down in the streets , and your blasphemers , yea name what sinners you will , there is non that do darken the glorie of god so much as thou doest , who art loose in thy conversation , and yet a professor of the gospel , thou castest dirt upon the blessed image of god , thou doest as much hinder the designe that god hath in the world as any men whatsoever , thou standest against the great works that god hath to do in the world , oh wretch that thou art , what is this a time to be loose and wicked in ? there was never a time that the conversations of the professors of religion were so pried into as now , and never a time since christian religion was professed upon the earth that the loose conversation of professors have done more hurt ; and i verily beleeve never a time wherein there were more loose professors . if so be that our fore-fathers that were godly and holie , and kept strict with god were now alive again , they would spit in the faces of manie that would think themselves eminent professors of religion , because of the looseness of their conversations : and this is the worst , that they can all put it upon christ , and the doctrine of christ : but of that we shall speak more when we come to shew how our conversation must be as becomes the gospel of christ : certainly it is that that is quite opposite to the gospel of jesus christ . the lord rebuke thee this day , and let this point be as a dart in thy liver , thou art the man that livest in this generation as if thou wert born to do mischief ; no men live so as if they were born to do mischief as the professors of the gospel that live looslie in their conversations : if i should give a mark of a man that were born on purpose to do mischief , it 's that man that lives in these times and walks looslie . what , doest thou convince wicked men , and stop the mouthes of wicked men ? oh no , thou hardenest them , and openest their mouthes , nay , all the scorns of religion thou art charged with , and shalt be brought to an account for it ; i say such as live looslie in their conversations they shall be one day charged for all the scorn that is cast upon the profession of religion , and for all the opposition of it , and for all the persecution of it , and for all the dishonor of it ; it is because of you , you harden the hearts of wicked men , that they think they do god good service in following and persecuting such and such men so forward in religion , for they think they are all like to you , what care they for mens talking and profession when they see your conversation loose and wicked , therefore they be hardened by you ; and the saints they fare the worse for you , they are ashamed of it , when they go in the streets and meet with some of their acquaintance , oh say they , do you not know such a one , what he did such a week in his house , how false he was , and how he plaid the knave ? what! one that would go in a morning to hear , and rise early in the winter time , and take so much pains , and yet do such and such things ! it casts a mighty scorn upon all professors of religion , and upon the ministers of the gospel , and the waies of the gospel , all ( i say ) is scorn'd and contemn'd and men be hardned against it , meerly for thy conversation ; and it may be some that were coming on , and began to think that the profession of religion was the way to heaven , and for them to be more strict than they were , and to enquire after the waies of god more than before , and to attend upon the ministry of the word ; but since they heard of such a miscarriage , such loosness in such a ones conversation , their hearts rise against it , and they blesse themselves from such a way , god blesse me ( say they ) from such waies ! if this be the fruit of their profession , and of their talking of religion , to do thus and thus ! so that thou provest to be a stumbling block that others stumble at and perish by , and dost thou think that ( they stumbling and perishing at thy sins ) that thou shalt go scot-free ? canst thou think that thou that art a means to send so many to hell , that thou shalt not go thither thy self ? certainly there 's no men in the world that are the causes of sending so many to hell , as such as live loosly in their conversations , when they make profession of religion . canst thou have any evidence to thy soul that there is any work of grace in thee , and yet live looslie ? oh! christ and his gospel will scorn such as thou art , such wicked loose ones , thou art a dishonor to jesus christ , a dishonor to the gospel , and i may say of thee that dost so , as it was said of judas , it had been happy if thou hadst never been born : especially to be born in these times . but we shall meet with these again , when we come to the point in the particulars , how we should walk as becomes the gospel ; this is but only in the general for such as are loose in their conversations ; for certainly this must be granted as an everlasting rule , that that man or woman which makes not conscience of every thing in their conversations , makes conscience of nothing , if there be anie that upon deliberation , and knowing this or that to be sin beforehand , and yet for by and base ends , will sin to get monie , or the like , and so think to gain or free themselves from some trouble , by going against their light , and that upon deliberation , let that man or woman know that they can have no evidence that they ever made conscience of anie one thing : he that breaks one commandement breaks all ; and there is such a bond in the commandements , and conscience doth knit the bond so uniformlie , that where there is one bond thus broken , the truth is , all is broken : knowest thou not ( saith saint james ) oh vain man , what doest thou talk of faith if there be no works ? thou art a vain man and thou doest deceive thy self . certainlie those men that are loose in their conversations , if god doth not humble them , and bring down their hearts , they will grow in time not onlie to lose their profession ( as i said ) but to be enemies to those that are stricter than themselves ; that is , when men have corrupt hearts , and cannot get up to that height of strictness that others do , they fall to persecute that way which is above them . first , they begin to envie others that live better than themselves , and after having envied them , then they will begin to have their hearts rise against them , and to hate them , and after hating to speak against them , and after speaking against them , to persecute them , and thus by degrees men that have been forward professors , now they grow as bitter persecutors as others , oh therefore look to your conversations . and that should have been the exhortation , christians be careful of your conversations in your families , be careful there . psal . . . you have an excellent scripture of davids professing his care of his conversation in his familie , how he would walk , i will behave my self wisely in a perfect way : when wilt thou come unto me ? i will walke within my house with a perfect heart . oh i beseech you look to this scripture ; i will behave my self wiselie in a perfect way ; mark , i 'le look that my way may be perfect , everie way right and square to the world , and when it is so , i will labor to behave my self wiselie , i will not carrie my self foolishlie in those waies that are good : and then , oh when wilt thou come unto me ? mark , it was a time that god was absent from him , and yet then he professes that he will behave himself wiselie in a perfect way ; and i wil walk in my house with a perfect heart : there are some that make profession of religion indeed , and if you come to them before other companie , then their conversations seem to be very fair and square ; but if you do but follow them to their families , and see what they do there , oh those that live with them in their families , after they have been abroad in companie shall see in what guiz they come home . shal they see their conversations to be holy as becomes the gospel of jesus christ ? but thus it was with david , saith david , let those that live with me in my house mark me as narrowlie as they can ; i will walk in my house with a perfect heart ; what i am in the congregation or among those that are godly , or any company ; i will be in my family , that those in my family shall see my conversation to be thus and thus . oh that professors of religion would look to this , not only to live before others in the parish or the town where they live , but to walk in their familie with a perfect heart , so as all in their family may even bless them and say , oh how doth my master or mistriss walk ! how graciously in their whol course from morning to night ! observe them in all their waies and you shall not be able almost to see anie miscarriage in them : oh that 's excellent , when a man shall have a better testimony even from those in his familie than from those that are strangers ; it may be they think though thou makest profession of religion , yet all things are not answerable ; but those that see it everie day can testifie all things are answerable ; thus it should be w th every christian that professes the gospel , to walk with a perfect heart in the midst of his family , & so to converse in the world . divers arguments i shall give you , to stir you up to look to your conversations . . arg. first , it is the mercy of god that you have your conversations among men to this day , that you have not your conversations among devils and reprobates , it might have been your portion that your conversation might have been among devils and reprobates , god might have sent you down to your own place to have conversed with them . let this be an argument for you to look to your conversations . . arg. secondly consider this , wicked and carnal men ( among whom you live ) have no skill in the principles that you walk by , but they have skill in your lives and conversations , they are able to pass judgment upon your lives and conversations , but not of your principles . godlie people are acted by such and such principles that are mysteries to carnal men ; but when it comes to their lives they can understand them ; they cannot search into their principles , whether such a doctrine be true or no , or such a thing be according to such a scripture , whether there be a right interpretation of such a scripture that carries them on in such a way , they take no pains to look after this , but they look to your lives , there they have skill to discern how you walk , and whether you walk to the rule or not in your lives and conversations , and therefore let it be your great care to look to your conversations . . arg. a third motive is this , there are some things that you cannot but do , that will displease wicked men , if you will act according to your principles . well , but this should make thee so much the more careful of thy conversation in all other things , that so wicked men may be convinc'd , that if such men do some things that i do not understand , yet surelie it is for some thing that god hath made known to them more than to me , for i find this , that in all things that i do understand there they walk exactly , therfore though there be some things that they do that i cannot understand , why should i be enraged against them ? as now in point of institution of worship , which doth not depend upon the light of nature at all , but meerly upon scripture , and such and such interpretations of scripture ; and such principles wicked men have no skill in : now the professors of religion they are tyed up by institution , and by the words of scripture thus interpreted , which they think in their consciences is the truth , they having compared all things together think this is the mind of christ rather than the other , and so long as they think thus they must follow it : now there 's many of these things that carnal men understand not , ( for they take no pains to search into them ) and therefore they will be angry with you for them ; and indeed they will have cause to be angry with you for those things they understand not , if they see you make no conscience of those things that they understand ; but if in other things that they do understand you walk circumspectly , and that it appear to them that in those things they understand they walk conscionably , then they will beleeve that it was meer conscience that made you differ from them in those things which they understood not , or had no skill in ; this will make them ready to stand for you , yea to speak and plead for you ( no such way to get true libertie of conscience as this is ) if you be careful to walk blameleslie in all those things that they understand with whom you converse ; they will be convinced in their consciences that if these men differ from us , it 's conscience that makes them differ , for ( say they ) we find that in all those things we understand these men walk conscionablie . certainlie a holie conversation will make manie men ( even carnal men themselves ) plead for libertie of conscience ( so far as things be not destructive to godliness or the kingdom ) for such men , they will say , were they all such men as these men are they might verie wel be born withal , for they differ in nothing but that conscience puts them upon , ( say they ) for we find them in all their waies square and just , they walk conscionablie . therefore be careful of your conversations , because in some things you cannot but do that which will displease wicked men . . arg. fourthlie , consider that your lives are but short , within a while you must have your conversations either among devils or angels , one of the two ; and how soon it may be , only god knows . now then i would appeal and put this to your consciences , are your conversations now , such as can give you comfort ? oh i hope within a while i shall have my conversation among angels ; i desire now that the will of god may be done in earth as it is in heaven , and that my familie and life were as it were a heaven , i would fain have my conversation in heaven now , and this gives me some good hope that my conversation shall be with angels within a while . but on the other side , will not mens consciences mis-give them , if you would make a judgment of what your conversation shall be within a while by that they are now ? are not the conversations of many of you in your families , and when you come in some companie more like to those that are appointed to have their conversation among devils ? why ? what 's done among devils ? there 's hatred religion , and of god , and of his saints , there 's railing and blaspheming , the devils they accuse the brethren , and blaspheme the name of god ; and what is your conversation otherwise than theirs ? know , that your conversation is such as is an evident fore-runner , that if you continue as now you are , that within a while your conversation will be among devils ; for that 's the most sutable to you . and my brethren consider further , the eyes of the world , yea the eyes of god , and of christ , and the angels are upon you , to see how grace acts in your conversations ; the eyes of the world are upon you watching for your halting , and rejoycing : remember but this ; that your conversations are not onlie before men , but the eyes of god , and christ , and his holy angels , they look upon you where ever you are ; when you are in your familie , there god , christ , and his holie angels stand looking upon you to see what your conversation is with your wife , husband , children , servants ; when you come into companie , there the lord god , and jesus christ , and angels stand looking upon you : and therfore look to your conversations . and besides , the eyes of wicked men are upon you , they watch for your haulting , and they would rejoice to see any thing that they might have against you . that place that we had before , in pet. . . where the holie ghost saith , that whereas they speak against you as evil doers , they may by your good works which they shall behold , glorifie god in the day of visitation . the word is thus : that is , beholding with a narrow circumspection ; it is not onlie seeing , but with a narrow circumspection : oh! it 's an excellent thing , that when wicked men bend their eyes and look narrowlie upon the saints , and would be glad and rejoice if they could find them halting , yet that they are able to find nothing . as it was said of christ , the pharisees sent to watch him , but they could find nothing amiss in him. and so though others should be sent on purpose to watch your lives , yet your lives should be so exact that they might find nothing amisse in you . and i conclude all with that excellent promise that we have to such as are careful of their conversations . in psalm . . . these times you all crie out of , as dangerous times : mark , that one scripture will help you that are careful of your conversations , against the danger of the times wherein we live : who se offereth praise , glorifieth me ; and to him that ordereth his conversation aright , will i shew the salvation of god. these are times that you are called upon for praises and thanksgiving for mercies , we are bound to do that : but mark , do not put off god with a verbal praise : it 's true , he that offereth praise , honoreth me ; but yet together there must be an ordering of our conversations ; and to him that ordereth his conversation aright , will i shesh the salvation of god : this is that which is required of christians , to order their conversations aright : oh! it 's an excellent thing to see the conversations of christians in due order , all guided with spiritual wisdom and holiness ; oh that man or woman that is careful to order their conversations aright , here is a promise to them : that the lord will shew them his salvation : what ever times thou livest in , though never so dangerous , though god apear never so dreadful in the times wherein thou livest , yet if thou canst have but this testimonie of thy conscience , lord , thou knowest it is the care of my soul , not only to make profession of religion , but to order my conversation aright , therefore lord , save me in evil times , lord shew me thy salvation : thou maiest take this promise and lay it to thy heart , and comfort thy heart with it , thou maiest plead it with god in prayer , oh make it to be a matter of thy prayer to god in these evil times , that the lord would shew his salvation to thee , because he hath put it into thy heart through his grace to order thy conversation aright . sermon ii. phil. . . only let your conversation be as becomes the gospel of christ . wee concluded the last day with an exhortation to christians . do you hope that god hath wrought the work of convertion ? be you careful of your conversation . and many motives there were to stir up christians to be careful of their conversations . i shall not look back , but proceed ; only give unto you some few rules that i desire to add unto the motives , and then we shall come unto the second point . look to your conversations , and especially observe these rules . . rule . first , if you be convinced that it ought to be your care to look to your conversation , then have a special regard to the duties of your relations . the work of grace in mens conversations doth appear much in the duties of their relations ; as children towards their parents , parents towards their children ; servants towards their masters , masters towards their servants ; husbands towards wives , wives towards husbands ; the younger towards the elder , the elder towards the younger : if you stand in a private , or publick place , majestrates , or subjects ; if you profess godliness , manifest in your conversations in performing the duties of your relations : what soever men may talk of godlines , except it appear in their relations , except a servant be a diligent obedient and a faithful servant , all his , her or their talk of religion is to no purpose ; except a child be an obedient and loving child , a wise an obedient and loving wife , all profession of religion is to no purpose ; and so on the otherside , except masters , and husbands , and parents be careful in their places to perform the duties of their relation , all their religion will come to nothing ; look to your conversations in the duties of your relations . . rule . secondly , look to your selves in those things that especially you are most in danger to offend in , take heed of that speciall sin that you are most inclined to , that that do not break forth in your conversations . it may be in your conversation you will have a care that you do not offend in such and such things that you see other men offend in , but there is some special haunt of evil , there is some other sin that your natures are most inclin'd unto , and you ( it may be ) give liberty to your selves in that ; this spoils your conversations , this darkens your conversations , whatsoever good you do otherwise this spoils it all : if you give but liberty to your selves in that corruption that your natures are most prone unto , nay if you be not more watchful against that corruption than against any , your conversation will have no beauty at all in it , god will have no glorie by it , you will but dishonor your profession ; therefore if you would make conscience to have your conversation to be rightly ordered , be very watchful over your selves in that special sin that your nature is most inclin'd unto ; are you one that find your self very hasty by nature ? it may be you are not guiltie of other sins so much , i but that will spoil the beauty of your conversation ; a man or woman that is a froward peevish and passionate professor , there 's no beauty in their conversation : and so if you find your disposition to ponuriousness , and coveteousness , that will darken all , and carry you into foolish lusts ( as the scripture speaks ) oh how have men that have made profession of religion , by one fit of base covetousness been carried into such foolish lusts that every boy in the streets could point at them as foolish and silly ones , and crack their credits , and names , and wound their own souls , yea , and endanger their lives , and make them a by-word to all , and dishonor their profession , and get nothing by it at length ! coveteousness carries into foolish lusts , foolish base sordid extreams , unbeseeming the gospel of christ ; as we shall hear more when we come to speak of what conversation we should have as becomes the gospel of christ ; take heed of your special sins if you would be careful of your conversations . . rule . a third rule is this , take heed of temptations that you are liable to without , by reason of your calling , by reason of your places wherein you are , or through any providence of god that may be ; these temptations that do most attend your condition , take heed of them . everie one should consider this ; what temptation am i most liable to ? some mens callings are liable to some temptations , other mens to others , some men by reason of their businesses and occasions in the world are liable to such and such temptations as others are not , and sometimes a man is liable to some temptations that he is not liable to at another time ; when you are at sea you have your temptations there in forraign parts , and when you come home you have other temptations , yea manie times when a man is at home among his neighbours there he dares not take that liberty that he doth when he is gotten abroad in a journey , then he thinks he is free when no bodie knows of it , there 's his temptation ; and so you that come from sea , when you were there you were kept short of manie comforts and of much companie ; now when you come home , the companie comes about you , now there 's a temptation comes that was not heretofore ; now if you would make conscience of your conversations , you should look to your temptations , and consider , what temptations am i liable to now , that i was not before , and let me be careful of them . this you pray to god , that you may not be led into temptations , but delivered from evil ; if you would not dally with god in your prayers then be careful of your selves when a temptation comes to such and such evils : this is a vain plea for men and women to say , oh the temptation was a strong temptation : god expected therefore ( if you have the spirit of christ and wisdom ) that you should fore-see temptations , and especiallie that you should be careful when temptations come , you should watch against all temptations : what a vain plea were it for a soldier that keeps a town , to say , oh but they came against such a weak part of the town with a great strengh ; that 's no argument to excuse him ; for if you knew that that was the weakest part , you could not but know that if the enemy knew of it he would come against that with his greatest strength , and therefore you should have man'd that part rather than any other part of the town ; so let not us say , o the temptation came stronglie upon me in such a thing : we should watch the more against that that the temptation comes strongest upon us in , for the devil knows wherein we are the weakest . and that 's the third rule for the helping of us in our coversations . fourthly observe this , take heed of defiling your selves with the sins of the times wherein you live . that the lord doth expect from everie christian that he should look to himself in regard of the present times wherein he lives , and consider what 's the special sin of the time , age , or of the place ; cōmonlie as there are some truths that are more eminentlie revealed in one age than another , so there are some sins that more prevail in one age than another , and in one place than another , everie countrie almost have their sins that are most predominate ; you should consider ( i say ) what are the sins of the times , of the places where you live ; manie they think to excuse themselves because that which they do it is but what others do , it is the common sin of the time and place where they live , thou shouldst be so much the more careful to avoid it , that thou maiest keep thy self undefiled in thy way ; and that 's a fourth rule for the helping of us in our conversations . a fift rule for the helping of our conversations is , to live so that your lives shall be convincing lives . then take heed of anie secret sin , take heed of keeping anie sin at all within thy heart , for it will break out , take heed of entertaining sin so much as in thy thoughts or affections ; what 's the reason that some that have been professors of religion a great while and seem'd to be verie glorious in their profession , and yet at length break out into some vile scandalous sin ? surelie the reason is , they have kept hid some corruption within , and they have thought it were a verie horrible thing that this corruption in my heart and thought should break out , oh god forbid ( saith he ) i hope i shall never live to that time to be so left of god as to commit this sin ! well , thou thinkest verily that thou shalt not commit it , i but if thou takest libertie to dally and play with this sin secretlie in thy thoughts , and affections , it is just with god to leave thee to thy self to shame thy self , to leave thee to the commission of that sin thou hast for a long time kept dandling in thy thoughts and affections within , although it be with resolution not to commit it ; that man that shall please himself in any kind of secret sin ( i say ) it were just with god to lead him forth with the worker of iniquity , so as to lay his shame open and naked before all that he lives with : therefore you that are professors of religion be careful of secret sins , if you would never dishonor your profession in your conversations . a sixth rule is this , if you would be careful of your conversations , do not so much look at those that are beneath you and in the lower form ; as let your eye be upon those that are most eminent in their conversations , look upon them rather as your mark and aime . manie christians live , and their conuersations are very dark and no beauty at all in them ; why ? because they think they live as others do , they look upon such are beneath them , and they think their lives are rather better than some others that have made profession , and this makes them go on in a dull and sluggish way ; but now , if you would have your conversation indeed as it ought , so as to be convincing , set before you the examples of the most eminent of those whose conversation doth most glister , not a meer glistering shew , i do not mean them , but that glistering that comes from diamonds and gold and pearls , that have the excellencie of grace shining in their verie faces and conversations , set them before you , and labor to imitate them , and so this will help you in your conversations . we have in heb. . . a scripture for this , remember them which have the rule over you , who have spoken unto you the word of god , whose faith follow , considering the end of their conversations . 't is supposed that they should be most eminent , such as have the rule over them , that are their guids ; but mark , he speaks of those that had spoken unto them the word of god , for he doth not speak of the rulers in civil states , but of the ministers that were their guids , for so the word is : now though there be a work of ruling besides teaching , we find in scripture ; yet we find no rule of anie minister but over those that they speak the word of god unto , what ruling any minister hath ( i say ) it is over such people as he speaks the word of god to : if anie minister shall come to rule over a people , that people may well ask them , have you spoken the word of god to us ? do you teach us the word of god ? do you chalenge rule over us and have not spoken the word of god to us ? remember them which have the rule over you , who have spoken unto you the word of god , whose faith follow , considering the end of their conversations . they were it seems eminent in holiness of life , and eminent so as they continued in that way of eminencie , and the apostle would have all christians to look at them ; it 's a notable scripture to shew that the ministers of the word should be eminent in their conversations everie way , and that all those that they speak the word of god to , should see in their conversations the beautie and the excellencie of the word of god that they speak to them ; for people look at the lives of ministers as well as at their word , it is not enough onlie to be a good man in the pulpit , except it be in the constant way of their conversations . the seventh and last rule , you have it here in this scripture heb. . . whose faith follow , considering the end of ther conversation . that is , be not only careful of your conversations at first , when you begin to be professors of religion , then to be exact , but be constant to the verie end . mark , considering the end of their conversations : he doth not mean the end onlie , the reward that comes upon their conversations , that they shal have a glorious reward , but considering the end , as if he should say thus , look at these that have spoken the word of god to you , they come not onlie at the verie first to you and speak great things , and seem as if they were saints or angels come among you , but they go on in a constant way , whatsoever discouragements they have they go on in a constant way to the verie dying day ; observe not onlie what they were when they came first among you , but what they are in the end of their conversations , and follow them : this is a notable scripture to shew how careful christians ought to be , not onlie to be holie in their conversations when their hearts are first stir'd by the ministrie of the word as 't is with many , many there are that when the word of god comes first to them , when they are first enlightened , and first converted , oh how strict are they ! oh how careful are they ! then they walk exactly , and they are afraid of the least sin , and examine everie thing by the word , oh how curious are they in everie thing then ! and-their consciences are verie tender , and are afraid that this is sin , and that the other thing is sin , and there is a mightie change in the familie , their masters , or parents they see them so afraid of everie thing , and careful of their verie words , on the lords day careful in seeking of god , and attending upon ordinances , and in their particular calling at the first verie strict : but now , within a little time you shall find manie of these that by degrees they grow more loose , and especiallie in these times , because in these times there is a way that the devil hath to get men to be loose in their conversations , that hath not been known in england ; indeed in germany it was known , and there it was ordinarilie in the beginning of luthers reformation ; that it is weakness in men to make conscience of dutie , to be troubled for their sin and be humbled . paul and peter and david , it was their weakness when they were troubled so much for their sin : oh this is a most horrid and abominable wickedness that doth dishonor the gospel of christ , and will make it rediculous to the world ! ( i say ) such carriages of people , to think that they may take libertie to walk in a loose way because of the gospel . but that we shall come more fully to , when we speak how our conversations should be becoming the gospel of christ . but i speak this in this point as a preparation to that , & especiallie to young professors that have been wrought upon by the word within these few yeers , since there hath bin more freedom of preaching the gospel ; and i verily beleeve that divers of you in this congregation do know many young ones and others , that have been wrought upon by the ministrie of the word , that for the first yeer were verie exact , and verie careful of their lives , and verie punctual in every thing , but you now see them begin to grow loose and wanton , and vain in their conversations : oh this is a sad and an evil thing ! if you would be careful of your conversations observe this seventh rule ; be not onlie careful at the first work of god upon you when you begin to be enlightened , but in the constant course of your lives ; oh give me a professor of religion , that was wrought upon when he was a youth , or a young maid , and yet continues till they be old disciples in a constant way of holiness and strictness , oh! they are the most beautiful objects that are in the world to behold ! the sun in the firmament is not so glorious , as an ancient professor of religion that hath continued constant in the waies of godliness from his youth , that can say as good obadiah once said , king. . . i have feared the lord from my youth , and my conscience , though it tell me of many failings and weaknesses , yet my conscience excuseth me in this , that i have endeavored with a good conscience to walk with god , and without offence to man , and not given way to my self in any way of loosness since god made known himself to me ; oh such may have an abundance entrance into the kingdom of heaven , and die with abundance of comfort . but thus much for this first point : that christians ought to be careful of their conversations . we come now to the second , and that is the main point in the text. let your conversation be as becometh the gospel of christ . . doct. every kind of conversation of professors is not enough ; it must rise to that height as must be sutable to the gospel of christ , meet for the gospel that they do profess . that 's our point . now we shall come to the particulars , what conversation it is that is meet for the gospel of christ . i gave you the heads in the opening of it : but now i shall speak to them . first , that conversation that is meet and becomes the gospel of christ , must be a conversation raised to a higher degree than the light of nature will raise it . that conversation that is no higher than possibly may be raised by the light of nature , certainly that 's not a conversation becoming the gospel of christ , that 's beneath not fit for the gospel of christ . as thus , suppose a man in his boat here in the thames rows , very exactly , i but this is not a work sutable to shew the skill of a navigator , of one that professes the art of navigation , it 's beneath that . why so ; to live exactly according to the light of nature it is beneath the conversation that becomes the gospel of christ : if so be that a man should make his boast that he hath great skill in the art of navigation ; and how will he shew this skill ? he will go into a boat and there he will row over the thames , and by that you may see what a mighty navigator he is ; this would be ridiculous to any man. and so if one that professes the gospel of christ , would manifest that he is a good christian , what doth he do ? the life that he lives it is no other than a man by the light of nature may be enabled to , this is even as ridiculous as the other . . as now for instance ; the light of nature that will teach this : that we are to worship god : the heathens have worshiped god in their way . . yea , the light of nature will teach , that we must live justly among men , yea , and that we must do as we would be done to : this the light of nature will teach . many of the heathens have had that principle , to be just with men , to do as we would be done by . the light of nature condemns grosse sins , of drunkenness , adulterie , swearing &c. i could give you many instances in the laws of heathens , punishing those sins very severely , and some of them with death . . yea the light of nature will rise thus high , that a man should be consciencious , should make conscience of secret sins , of sins that none in the world could know of , or are ever like to know of . as i remember sometimes i have told you of one of the heathens that did but owe for a pair of shoos to a shoo maker , and no body knew it but only the shoo-maker himselfe ; the shoo-maker dies , no body could challenge this of him , yet his conscience would never let him be at quiet , until he ran and threw the money into the shop , and said , though he be dead to others , yet he is not dead to me : whereas he had a temptation to have kept it because no body could challeng it ; he knew it was not his , he knew it was either the childrens , or executors , and so he restortd it . many particulars might be named to shew how far we might go by the light of nature ; but now i only bring it in to this end , to shew that if we would have our conversations such as becomes the gospel of christ , we must go beyond what ever anie have done by the light of nature : and yet oh lord how short do manie professors of religion come of this ! how manie that will profess they hope to be sav'd by christ ! i suppose there is not anie one in this congregation , or if i should go to everie ones house that belongs to the parish , they would say they hope to be saved by jesus christ ; and yet what worship of god is there ? and what justice is there among men to do as they would be done by ? nay , this is a rule that will examin manie professors of religion , and their consciences would tell them that in such and such things they would be loth to be dealt with as they deal with others : and for gross sins , manie professors of religion break out into them also , for all are a kind of professors of the gospel at large , drunkards , and adulterers , and blasphemers , and yet they will come and make profession of religion , and think it very much if they should be denied the sacrament of the bodie and blood of christ , why , are they not christians ? and their children christians ? and yet must they not be baptized ? and yet they are beneath heathens , heathens will rise in judgment against them . and for conscienciousness in secret , i appeal to everie one of your consciences , are there no sins that you live in that your consciences condemns you for ? a heathen would not do it , a heathen would not wilfully live in a sin that his conscience tells him is a sin , manie of the heathens came to that : and what way have you made in profession ? perhaps you have seemed to be in the school of christ manie yeers , and others take you for a forward professor , and yet your conscience tells you that you live in some sins that are known sins to you , but because they are secret and none knows them but your self , therefore you have continued in them , and ventured upon them hoping of gods pardon , being perhaps but one and no great one , ( i say ) in this you are beneath the light of nature , and therefore you are far from having your conversations such as becomes the gospel of jesus christ . this conversation of yours is not such as becomes the light of nature ; divers heathens would abhor such conversations in christians , yea , if it were among themselves , and they would hardlie companie with you ; there are manie that make profession of religion , that ( i say ) if they lived among heathens , heathens would not keep companie with a great part of this kingdom , yea and of most congregations , and therefore they should not think much though they may not be admitted into such a near communion as the lords supper . q. you will say then , but what is that conversation becoming the gospel , that is beyond the light of nature ? first , the light of nature teaches to worship a god : that many of you do , you worship god : but this is that that becomes the gospel of christ , to worship & honor god as a father , & as the father of our lord jesus christ ; this goes beyond the light of nature in that particular ; not only i am convinc'd that there is a god , that he is the creator of heaven and earth , and my creator , and therefore i 'le worship him ; but i do not do that that becomes the gospel of christ , til i get my self to this , that i am able through the grace of the gospel to worship god as a father reconciled to me in christ , and as the father of our lord jesus christ , and so do i come and present all my services unto god : this few of our civil men do ; yet your civil men will make a profession of the gospel too , and your civil men they worship god , but it is in a meer natural way . the god of heaven and earth , that made them , is to be worshiped : they can say their old catechism . q. who made you ? a. god. q. wherefore did he make you ? a. he made me to serve him &c. i but doest thou ( when thou comest to serve and worship the lord ) look upon god as a father reconcil'd in christ , and as the father of our lord jesus christ ? and so doest thou tender up all thy services to god ? thou art not raised to that that becomes the gospel of christ , except thou doest thus worship god in this way ; that 's that which becomes the gospel of christ ; and know that all other worship that thou tenderest up to god , meerly as god is creator , god that made thee , and therfore thou must serve him : i say al that worship ( if thou goest no further ) god rejects it ; indeed we are to worship god as a creator , god would have that ; i but , if he hath not that and the other too , and if he have not both , he will not accept of one , for the first is included in the second , but the second is not included in the first . a man that worships god as a father , and as the father of our lord jesus christ , he doth worship god as a cretor too ; but a man may worship god as a creator and not at all be acquainted with him as a father , and as the father of our lord jesus , and therefore till the lord in the ministrie of the gospel hath been pleased to shine in upon thy soul as a father , and the father of our lord jesus christ , and thou comest to worship god thus , or at least this is the endeavour of thy soul that thou maiest worship god in this way , thou art not satisfied in worshiping god after the other way , because he made thee , and thy heart works after this , indeed i have not got this full assurance that he is my father , but this is that my heart is unsatisfied untill i have got it , and i cannot be quiet in anie other kind of worshiping god , till i find some abilitie to tender up all to him as a father , and as the father of our lord jesus christ , ( i say ) till thou comest to this , thou doest not in that particular worship god as becomes the gospel of jesus christ . and so in the point of justice , thou doest give every one his own . i but this is beneath that that is required in thy dealing with men according to the gospel of christ . if you reade the . of mat. there you shall find when christ comes to preach what he requires , he raises the point of justice beyond doing as we would be dealt with : saith christ there , you have heard that it hath been said , thou shalt love thy neighbor and hate thine enemy . but i say unto you , love your enemies , bless them that curse you , do good to them that hate you , and pray for them which despightfully use you , and persecut you ; this is higher than meerly to be just , and for one man not to wrong another ; you shall have manie men say , who is able to say black is mine eye ? i live and no bodie can say i wrong them ; you think this is an excellent conversation , it 's true , it is good in its kind and it were good if all professors of religion could say they live so that no body can charge them for unjust dealings , i but this doth not rise to that height to be the conversation as becomes the gospel of christ ; you must come to this height , to love your enemies , and to bless them that curse you , you must do good to them that hate you , and pray for them that despightfully use you and persecute you ; can you find this : this is somewhat like the gospel of christ , this is somewhat more than to do no wrong to others . and to do as we would be done to , we must go higher , we must not onlie set this as a pattern , i 'le do as i would be done by . no , but i 'le labour to do to another as god hath done to me . this is higher ; that 's thus , hath god shewed himself gracious unto me ? i 'le labour to do that good to others as much as i am able even as god hach done to me : you have for that those two scriptures , ephes . . , . let all bitterness , and wrath , and anger , and clamor , and evil speaking be put away from you with all malice , and be ye kind one towards another , tender hearted , forgiving one another . the light of nature now will justifie all this : but mark the conclusion , even as god for christs sake hath forgiven you : set the example of god before you , what god hath done for you for christs sake , and let that be the great motive ; do not only argue thus , well , i would be forgiven if i had offended ; and i would not have another to bear anger and malice against mee , and therefore i will not be angrie with them nor malign them ; this is a low principle : but if i find that this is revealed in the gospel , that the lord for christs sake hath forgiven me , and it 's this that quiets my passion , when i feel my corruption rising and stirring against any that hath offended me , when i do but think of gods mercie in forgiving me for christs sake , this quiets me . i this is somewhat like as becomes the gospel of christ , when we walk upon such principles as these are . and so you have it in col. . . forbearing one another , and forgiving one another : if any man have a quarrel against any , even as christ forgive you , so also do ye . it is very unbeseeming such as profess the gospel of christ to be quarrelsome with their neighbours : now you shall have some that are of very meek and quiet dispositions naturally , i love to live quiet ( say some men ; ) thus far thou maiest come by the light of nature not to love to quarrel : but now when any doth cause any quarrel , doest thou labor to quiet the quarrel upon this ground : evn as christ forgave me : o i have found the lord jesus christ , notwithstanding my wretchedness against him , and all the wrong i have done him , he hath forgiven me , and therefore seeing christ will not take advantage against me as he might , i will not take advantage against another : is it upon this ground ? and dost thou raise thy conversation with thy neighbor in keeping from quarrelsomness , and contentiousness , dost thou naise it to this height , upon this ground , so to forgive as christ hath forgiven you ? i will not forgive only in this particular , or in this lesse offence , but as christ hath forgiven me . we shall still have further occasion to mention these things , in opening the sutableness of our conversations to the gospel ; that is , for the point of justice , it must rise higher than that of doing as we would be done by . and then for grosse sins , thou keepest from them , thou thankest god , thou art no swearer , no drunkard , no whoremonger , such kind of notorious sins thou art not guilty of : but what art thou in respect of inward sins ? what art thou in respect of secret sins ? mark that scripture in matth. . . saith christ there , i say unto you , that except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and pharisees , you shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven . we shall likewise speak further of this , when we open that of the law , that our conversations must rise higher than the conversations of those did that lived under the law , or else it doth not become the gospel of christ . you shall find further in the chapter , how christ would raise them higher than meerly not to commit adulterie , or to be openly prophane : verse . . ye have heard that it was said by them of old time , thou shalt not commit adultery . but i say unto you , that whosoever looketh on a woman , to lust after her , hath committed adultery with her already in his heart . and if thy right eye offend thee , pluck it out and cast it from thee : for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish , and not that thy whol body should be cast into hell. and then , if thy right hand offend thee , cut it off . and so in the point of anger , in the , & . verses , ye have heard , that it was said by them of old time , thou shalt not kill : and whosoever shall kill , shall be in danger of the judgment . but i say unto you , that whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause , shall be in danger of the judgment : and whosoever shall say unto his brother , racha , shall be in danger of the councel : but wosoever shall say , thou fool , shal be in danger of hell fire : that is , liable to the same judgment that you think murder is . now is your conversations as becometh the gospel ? here christ is a great preacher of the gospel ; and shews that there is more strictness in the gospel than ther is by the light of nature , or by the law , or by that that they understand by the law : this the light of nature doth dictate , that men should not kill , nor commit adultrie , but now , if thy conversation be such as becomes the gospel , then thou must make conscience of anger , and tremble at that as a natural man would tremble at murder , for that becomes the gospel ; ( i say ) one that is a professor of the gospel , he should tremble at sinful anger as a natural man would tremble at murder ; for observe it here , look what ( they said ) murder did make a man liable to ; the same thing ( christ saith ) anger would make a man liable to ; therefore one that would walk as becomes the gospel , must tremble at the inward sin of anger , as a natural man would tremble at the outward sin of murder . and so for adultry , thou art no whoremonger . but one that professes the gospel , must look at the lusting of the eye , and of the heart , as a natural man that hath but the light of nature would look upon the cōmission of adultrie , for christlaies that upon the lust of the heart that they lay upon the commission of adultrie . this is as becometh the gospel . further , by the light of nature a man may be consciencious . that is , make conscience of several sins . q. but now you will say , wherein should a man go beyond this as becomes the gospel ? what can any man that professes the gospel go beyond this , of making conscience of a secret sin , that though he knew that no bodie in the world did know his sin ? nay , suppose he knew certainlie that it should never be known , yet he dares not do it , how can a man go beyond that ? ans . yes , you must labor for the mortification of the body of sin that is within you ; not onlie to make conscience to keep from the act of secret sins , but thy work must be to labor for the mortification of the bodie of sin and death that is in thee , that 's that that is reveal'd by the gospel , that no man by the light of nature ever knew ; you shall never reade among all the phylosophers of the point of original sin , nor of mortification of the body of sin and death , this the light of nature never tels . so that now , when a man come to his height , that is , first my conscience being enlightned by the word so that i dare not commit any secret sin for the world , though there be none but god and my conscience together , but besides that , oh i carry about with me a body of sin and death , a root of bitterness , that original corruption , and this makes me cry out , oh wretched man , oh wretched woman ! who shall deliver me from this body of death ? and oh that i could find this mortified in me , this is that that is the strength and endeavor of my soul , to get this bodie of sin to be mortified , i , this is as becomes the gospel , so to live in your conversations as it may appear that you are not content meerly to keep from actual sins , though in secret , but it is your great care and endeavour to mortifie this verie bodie of death that is within you ; and by this a great manie of your civil men , and meer moral men will or at least may be convinced that their conversations comes short of that that becomes the gospel of jesus christ , for they are not acquainted with this . lastly , if you would have your conversations such as becomes the gospel of christ , you must not only think to make conscience of secret sins , but that which you do , you must manifest that it doth proceed out of love , not only that you do obey , but that you love the commandement that you do obey . now this , neither any hypocrit or meer moral man doth , if you take it universallie one commandement as well as another . obj. you will say , love is a secret thing ? ans . but as you may know in your family the difference between your childrens obedience to you and your servants , so there may appear a difference between the obedience of one that is meerly moral , or doth it out of conscience , and the other that doth it out of love ; therefore you must know that you do not rise beyond the light of nature , except that you do love the command as well as obey the command , and so carrie things in your conversations as you may make it appear that all those waie of god that you make conscience of , that you likewise have a love unto them , and do them out of a principle of love , and thus you come beyond the light of nature , and in some measure it is as becomes the gospel of christ . and that 's the first thing how we should walk in our conversations as becomes the gospel of christ . but now this is the lowest of all . the second is , that our conversations must be such as is beyond such as live under the law , for the law of god goes higher than the light of nature , for there 's more reveal'd there than in the light of nature . it 's true , that that you call the moral law , the light of nature , if it be cleer it is sutable to it , to the most part of it , only there is some part that is positive , but most part is but sutable to the principles of nature if they were cleer and pure ; but now because , since the fall of man , the light of nature is darkned , and the principles of nature are much corrupted , therefore god hath given his law , that is as it were a glass of his will , that is , the cleer glass of what was written in the heart of man in innocencie , that 's the law : only there is that of the limitation of the seventh day particularly from the creation that hath somewhat positive in it , but take all the other and ( i say ) it is nothing but as a glass of what was written in the heart of man in the time of innocency : there was written in mans heart to keep some solemn time for the worship of god , only the specification was by revelation , but the substance of all those ten commandements ( i say ) is the glass of what was written in the heart of man in innocency : and because god saw that this writing was so much blotted out , almost all obliterated , therefore god wrote it in tables of stone , whereas it was written in the table of mans heart at first ; but now when he comes to bring men to the gospel there he writes over that law again in the tables of their hearts : at first it was written in the heart of adam , but he falling , doth blot it out in a great measure , then god writes it over fair again , but how ? he writes it over in a fair copie , but it is in tables of stone : but when god receives any soul in the gospel he writes it over again in the tables of their hearts ; now this gives you a little hint of the difference between the law and the gospel , between the conversations of men that were meerly legal , and the conversation that is evangelical : but the opening of it to shew the difference between the law and the gospel in reference to this , and to shew how low the conversation was that was meerly legal , and how high raised the conversation of a christian ought to be if he would make it evangelical , such as becomes the gospel of christ , would ask more time , and therefore we must defer that to the next day . sermon iii. phil. . . only let your conversation be as becomes the gospel of christ . a conversation becoming the gospel of christ , it must be beyond what the law can inable one to attain to , or else it doth not become the gospel . i have shewed you already what the gospel of christ is . but now we are upon the point of conversation , that it must be higher than can be by the law , those that live under the gospel must live in a higher way of holiness than those that lived under the law. now for this , we are to consider of the law under these two considerations . first , as it is a covenant of works for life , so it was made at first to adam : it was a covenant of works for eternal life to adam , and so to man kind in him . secondly , we are to consider the law as in the ministration of it by moses : take it either of these two waies . those that live under the gospel , and profess the gospel , must live in a more holy conversation , or aim , or endeavour at least after a more holy conversation than that conversation could be that was under the law : as now , i say thus , the law as the covenant of life to adam , but what was his conversation ? first , it was obedience to god meerly as creator , no further ; adam in innocency he lookt upon god as creator of al things , as the first being of all , and so adam tendered up his service to god meerly as the creator and first-being . that was his obedience . secondly , the law to adam had promise only of natural things , of a natural life to be continued : we do not reade of gods promising adam to live in heaven if he had obeyed ; but , do this and live ; that was the tenour of the covenant with him : that is , he should have continued in paradise and so have lived a natural life , but yet continued eternally , god would have upheld that natural life of his , that 's all we reade of that ever god promised to adam if he had stood by vertue of that covenant of the law : that 's the second thing considerable in him . so that his obedience was tendred up to god to that end , that he might obtain the continuance of a natural life here in this world , only in order unto that , for we find no more revealed . the first man adam he was natural , the second spiritual , the first of the earth earthly , the second , the lord from heaven . the apostle . cor. . speaks of adam in innocency as the common head of al man-kind , he was of the earth earthly , and in way of distinction the second adam was the lord from heaven ; he brings all heavenly glory . though adam had stood , yet we never reade of any heavenly glory that ever he or his posterity should have had ; but the second adam he is the lord from heaven that brings heavenly glory with him . that 's the second thing considerable in the law as a covenant with adam . the third thing in the law as a covenant with adam was this , that adam under the law he must have wrought by his own strength that he had received . god at first gave man strength for obedience , and he puts his stock into his own hand , and so he must have wrought and continued by the power of the strength that god did at first give him , he had not that fountain to go to for that continual supply of strength as we have , which you shall see presently . fourthly , adam , he was in such a condition , as he was in hazard of his miscarrying for his eternal estate ; he was indeed in a way of obedience to the law that god gave him , but still so as he was in hazard of eternal miscarrying ; this was the condition of adam under the law. obj. you will say , he was holy , and had no sin . ans . but considering his condition under the law ; that it was obedience to god as a creator , he did work for natural good ; and he wrought by the strength he had received , and he was in hazard of miscarrying eternally . now compare his condition with the condition of the saints in the time of the gospel , and you will find the condition of the saints having the fruit of the gospel , to be in a great deal better condition , even now ; not only shall be in heaven , but are in a better condition now than adam was in paradise . . adam he obeyed god , and tendered up his service to god as a creator . but now the people of god under the gospel , those that are brought home to god by the gospel , they look upon god under another relation , not meerly as creator , but all their services that they tender up to god , it is as unto the father of our lord jesus christ , and their father in him ; i go to my father , and i go to your father ( saith christ ) john , . . it 's true , still we look upon god as the first-being of all things , as creator ; but we look upon him in a higher relation than meerly our creator , we look upon him as the father of jesus christ , and so in jesus christ as our father , and so we tender up obedience to him in that way , and surely such obedience tendered up to god as under such a relation ; should be a higher kind of obedience , a higher kind of holiness than was in adam . although it is true , in respect of our condition here , we are not so free from corruption as adam was in innocencie , yet the obedience that we tender up to god , though it be not so free ( i say ) from mixture , yet it is of a higher nature than adams was , it is to god as the father of our lord jesus christ . . we have better promises than ever adam had , we have promises of heavenly glory that he had not : god doth not say , do and live to us only , live hear in the world in a natural life , and i will free you from outward troubles , and from the death of the body : but we know that the gospel brings immortallity and glory to light , it tels us of the glory of heaven , and of the mansions that jesus christ is gone before to prepare , of the glorious communion that the saints shall have with god in the highest heavens , which is another manner of motive to obedience than ever adam had : and therefore our obedience to god should be raised in a higher way than ever his was . . the strength that we have , it 's not put into our own hands to keep and so to improve , and there 's all . but jesus christ the second person in trinity , he is fil'd with all fulness that we might receive grace for grace continually from the fulness of jesus christ that hath all the treasures of wisdom in him , in him it pleased the father that all fulness should dwell ; now the saints by faith have as it were a pipe laid into that cistern that hath all fulness , from whence continually by the work of faith they draw strength and nourishment , new supply from him , they have not somewhat given to them and so are set to trade for themselves and improve what is given them , but they suck new vertue from jesus christ as from a head. adam he was the head of the first covenant himself , but now 't is jesus christ that is the head of the second , and all beleevers draw spirits from jesus christ , and strength from him as from the head , they have a head that adam had not to draw strength from , and therefore they are to manifest the strength of jesus christ in all their waies , that fulness that there is in jesus christ they are to make that appear to the world in their lives and conversations : and therefore that text col. , . is very remarkable , that ye might walk worthy of the lord unto all pleasing , being fruitful in every good work , and increasing in the knowledg of god : mark in the . verse , strengthened with all might , according to his glorious power ; this is worthy of the lord , because that now we come to receive of his fulness , of the fulness of jesus christ , and to have a continual supply from him ; though 't is true , so god hath ordered it that so long as we live we shall have some mixtures of corruption here , but yet he hath provided a help for us , a fulness in his son , that from him we should draw of his fulness , and so come to be strengthened with all might . . we now serve the lord and obey him in our lives as those that are delivered from the hazard of eternal miscarrying . adam obeyed , but yet he might know when he was obeying ; i now obey , but i am in danger to miscarry eternally , every hour to undo my self and posterity for ever . but now certainly this very thought , and the understanding of this , it could not stand with that full freedom of spirit that the saints may have now under the gospel , the saints under the gospel come in a way of obedience to god , and upon this ground they have their feet ( as it were ) upon sure ground : well , as for my eternal estate the hazard of miscarrying there , it is over , i blesse god that is over , for that now my obedience it is not that i might work out , and earn salvation ; but my obedience to god now is ( being set safe upon the shore ) that i might live to the praise of the grace of god that hath delivered me from al danger of miscarrying , and hath set me with jesus christ in heavenly places , i am now already set in heavenly places with jesus christ , and as sure of heaven ( for so a believer may come to be ) as if so be that i were there already , and so i am now to begin the life of heaven , to be blessing and magnifying god , not in word only , but in my life , therefore am i to hold forth the glory of god in my life and conversation , that i might blesse and magnifie the name of god , that hath delivered me from darkness , and hath translated me into the kingdom of his dear son , and upon these terms do i serve god now ; i do not serve god as one that is in hazard for ever to miscarry , and out of a base and slavish fear lest i should miscarry , i do endeavor to work out my salvation ; but it is as one that is redeemed and delivered from eternal misery , yea , i now begin to joyn with the saints and angels that are in heaven , that are there magnifying god , and shal be to al eternity praising of him for his free grace towards them ; surely this conversation should be in a higher degree of holiness than the conversation of adam could be even in paradise : yet still remembring this , we cannot in this life attain to such a conversation as to be without mixture of evil , but we should be more spiritual and heavenly in our waies , we have more cause to be so than adam had in his innocency , and we do not walk answerable to the gospel except our hearts do rise in a more spiritual and heavenly way than his heart could rise when it came new out of the hand of his creator . that 's the first consideration of the law as it was a covenant of life to him and al man-kind in him . oh that as we go along we would but consider what cause we have of humiliation then ; oh how far are our conversations short of that that becomes the gospel if it should rise to so high a pitch as this is that hath been mentioned . secondly , consider we the law as in the administration of it to moses , and so to the people of the jews : the administration of the law to them it was under another notion , it was to bring them to christ , and that they might come to see their inability of keeping of that covenant , and come to understand christ so much the more , and to be driven unto christ by having the law presented to them , god did never intend by giving of the law to the people of the jews that it should be a covenant of eternal life to them ; indeed there was this in the administraon of it somewhat different from us , some special covenant about their living in canaan , and about mercies in that promised land , beyond that that we have in the law , as we find in the new testament , they ( i say ) had this annexed to it . the law that was first given unto adam and written in his heart , afterwards even obliterated , then it was transcribed by the same hand in tables of stone and given unto them chiefly to shew them their misery , and their need of christ ; to be a preparation for christs coming into the world ; and with this one addition beyond what we have in the new testament , that there was a temporal covenant annexed unto it , that concern'd their living prosperously in the land of canaan , ( & so far we are delivered even from the law as it was given by moses , that is , from the connexion of the covenant that was added unto the delivering of the law ) concerning their happy and comfortable condition in the land of canaan upon the keeping of their law ; but now ( how ever it was ) certainly that conversation that becomes the gospel should be beyond what could be even from godly men in the time of the law. as first , the law to them it was given under low promises , their promises were but very low that were under the law : it 's true , they had somewhat of the gospel that we have , but extream darkly , and very little that they knew of it , but the chief ministration of god towards them was then in a legal way , and that had but low promises , as their living in canaan ; you shall find generally al the promises that are annexed to the law even by moses , it is but , that they shall prolong their daies in the land ▪ the lord their god shall give them , that they should be blest in their basket and store : their promises were under heaven-promises , promises of this life only ; and therefore it could raise them but to a very low degree of holiness . secondly , their ordinances were but poor and mean , and beggerly in comparison of our ; for so the gospel cals them , col. . they were but beggerly rudiments , which stood only in meats and drinks , and divers washings , and carnal ordinances imposed on them untill the time of reformation . heb. . . they had an earthly tabernacle , a worldly sanctuary , heb. . . &c. thirdly , the burden of them under the law was very great , they were under a heavy yoke & burden that did bow them down : a man that is under a heavy burden it makes him stoop & bend in the back , he cannot stand so upright nor fast as others that have no such weight upon them . fourthly , the administration of the law was with thunder and lightning very terrible , it made even moses quake and tremble , ( as the author to the hebrews speaks . ) fiftly , their spirits were very servile under the law , they were subject to bondage even all their daies ; god so ordered things as to carry on his people even in a very servile way , they were but mean servants then , hewers of wood and drawers of water . but now under the gospel , first , our promises are far better , and our covenant better , in heb. . . there the apostle compares their condition and ours , who serve ( saith he ) unto the example and shadow of heavenly things , there was but the shadow of heavenly things ; the gospel hath the heavenly things themselves , and they are but the shadow , for so you have it in heb. . . for the law having a shadow of good things to come , and not the very image of the things : they had but a shadow of good things to come , and not the very image it self . as moses was admonish'd of god , when he was about to make the tabernacle , for see ( saith he ) that thou make all things according to the pattern shewed to thee in the mount. and then in heb. . . but now hath he obtained a more excellent ministry , [ that 's christ ] by how much also he is the mediator of a better covenant , which was established upon better promises : a better covenant , and stablished upon better promises , or a better testament : their promises i say were but low and mean ; and our promises are high and precious , and we have a better covenant , a covenant not of living in the land of canaan , but of heaven , of which that canaan was but a type , and therefore our conversations should rise higher in holiness according as our covenant and promises are better than theirs . secondly , our worship is more spiritual than their worship was . as that known place in joh. . . where christ saith to the woman of samaria , you serve god in this place : but the time shall come that they shall serve him every where , for god is a spirit , and will be worshiped in spirit and in truth . there is more spiritual worship in the time of the gospel than was in the time of the law : the lord carried them on in a carnal and a sensitive way : and indeed this hath been a great design of antichrist to bring men to a carnal way of worship , to carnal ordinances , for so they are called in scripture , the commandements of god by moses , are called carnal , heb. . . for their worship was in comparison of the worship in the gospel but carnal ; ( i say ) it hath bin the design of antichrist to darken the glory of jesus christ in the gospel , by bringing the church to a carnal way of worship , and to take away spiritual , and therefore they are altogether about carnal institutions , whereas jesus christ hath instituted but only two sacraments , wherein there are outward carnal things , wherein we worship god through the creature , otherwise his worship is altogether spiritual ; but now antichrist he would bring in altogether carnal things , he would ad a hundred inventions of his own , as building sumptuous temples , railing in of the communion tables , and then turning them into altars ; with such kind of apish gestures , foolish garments , and heathenish musick , all which was carnal worship , the devices of men to please children and fools with : exceedingly much against the very life and soul of godliness , and the only rule of worship in the word of god. besides this rediculous and carnal way of worship , made the worshipers twofold more the children of satan than they were before . but now the more spiritual any worship of god is , the more spiritual it makes the heart , the lesse we stick to the creature while we are worshipping of god , the more communion we come to have with christ , and so it doth raise holinesse to a more higher pitch . thirdly , vnder the gospel our yoke is more easie : you know what christ saith , ( in a scripture that i have opened to you at large ) come , take my yoke upon you , for my yoke is easie , and my burden is light . you are delivered from that heavy burden that they were under , and therefore you should run the waies of gods commandements , and follow after holiness more readily and freely than they could do . fourthly , we have access with boldness to the throne of grace , ( as the scripture speaks ) god doth not reveal himself in that terrible way to his saints now , as in the time of the law , but would have them come with boldness , and have libertie of speech : for that 's the word , as in the second of the ephesians , of the boldness that we have to come into the presence of god ; through him we have access by one spirit unto the father . [ access ] the word signifies a coming with freedom ( as it were ) being led by the hand of god. in ephes . . . in whom we have boldness and access ( saith the text there ) with confidence by the faith of him. three words here are together : we have boldness , and access , with confidence by the faith of him. the word that is here translated [ boldness ] it is , liberty of speech ; we may come and speak our minds and unbosome our speech freely to god without any such terror ; and we may come to god without desiring . moses must go into gods presence for them as he did ; oh they durst not go themselves , but moses must go and speak with god. we may come into the presence of god and speak our hearts freely with a holy boldness in the name of christ . fifthly , we have the spirit of adoption more than they . rom. . we have not received the spirit of bondage to fear again , but the spirit of adoption , whereby we cry , abba ▪ father . there was a spirit of bondage under which , even the people of god were in former times , and now the spirit of adoption is more spread abroad and cōmunicated in the world to the churches than it was before , and therefore the lord expects a conversation sutable to the spirit of adoption . as now , take one that is a child and hath a servile spirit and is afraid to come into the presence of his father , it may be he will do some works in obedience to his father , but in a heavy & dull way , but afterwards when his father is fully reconcil'd to him , & comes & speaks kindly to him & there comes a spirit of adoption upon the child , oh then he goes lively on in duty to his father , then he rejoyces in the presence of his father , & to do any thing that may please his father ; when he is acted by a spirit of adoptiō , there 's more service done according to the mind & wil of christ than there was before . so ( my brethren ) we should exceed all under the law with a more fillial obedience , than ever there was in that time , or else our conversation it is not such as becomes the gospel : therefore when you open the old testament and reade of those excellent gracious spirits that were there , especially in the psalms , what holy breathings and pantings after god there are , and in the prophets , what exemplary holiness then liv'd and shined in the world : be ashamed of your selves if you do not rise to as high a degree as they and higher too obj. why you will say , but they were eminent men , they were the prophets of god and so were extraordinary ; and can ordinary christians rise as high as they did , and be such burning and shining lamps as they were ? ans . i 'le give you one scripture about that , in zach. . . it is a cleer prophesie of the times of the gospel , in that day shall the lord defend the inhabitants of jerusalem , and he that is feeble among them at that day shall be as david ; and the house of david shall be as god , as the angel of the lord before them . mark , he that is feeble among them shall be as david , who was a man according to gods own heart . oh reade davids psalms , particularly the . psalm , and see the holy breathings of david , and observe that there is a prophesie , that those that are feeble shall be as david , and those that are as david , that is , the eminent christians , the lords champions , and the house of david shall be as god , as the angels of the lord. christians in the time of the gospel that are eminent should live as angels , angelical lives , and the weakest of all should be as david : indeed considering what we have revealed in the gospel we should be ashamed that our hearts and lives should come short in spiritualness , and heavenliness of any that lived in the times of the law : see in the . psalm , how you find davids heart taken and ravished with the word of god , oh how sweet was the law of god to him , sweeter than the honey and the honey comb . he doth not mean there the law in opposition to the gospel , but the whol word of god ; now you should consider this , what part of gods word had david there , he had not many of the prophesies , he had but the books of moses and some other books ; the book of job was then , and some of the chronicles , some part of the kings , and the book of judges ; but most part of the kings he could not have , for he was the second king : therefore what little part of the word of god was written at that time ; and yet how sweet was the word to him , as sweet as the honey and the honey comb , and how he did delight in it above gold and silver . and then for the ordinances of god , o how was he taken with them ! though in comparison of ours they were but carnal : in the . psalm , he did envy the very birds that were in the temple of god , how aimable are thy courts o lord ( saith he ; ) now do but compare those scriptures he had with these that we have , the five books of moses , and joshua , and judges , and job which were the chief scriptures then extant , and do but compare them with the history of the gospel , in particular the sermons of christ , from the fifth chapter of matthew to the eighth ; so those remarkable places from the fourteenth to the eighteenth of john , and so on ; o what heavenly things are there let down amongst us ! what heavenly truths we have , study and reade over pauls epistles ( which are several holy letters sent from christ to his saints here on earth , ) oh what spiritual transcendant truths ! what great mysteries and depths of god are opened and revealed there beyond what there is in genesis , or exodus , or leviticus , or numbers , &c. and yet the word of god was dearer to him than al the world , and he profest he did meditate in it day and night . now we have that word in two testaments , that doth reveal abundance more of god in christ than ever he had , and therefore our conversations should rise higher in holiness than the converstions of those that were under the law ; we should endeavor to be more exemplary in holy walking than they were . and thus much for the second head . now for the third , which is the chief of all , if you would have your conversations to be such as becomes the gospel , it must be suitable to what the gospel holds fo●●h unto you . now this is a gre●t point , and it will serve for two ends . first , to hold forth unto you the principal things in the gospel . secondly , to shew you how you should sute your conversation to those things that are in the gospel . and we shall abide upon this head somewhat long . the first and principal thing in the gospel , it is the holding forth unto us the infinite love of god to man-kind ; this is the very end of the gospel , that god might declare what an infinite love he hath unto the children of men , yea unto men rather than unto angels ; you know that scripture in john , . ● . so god loved the world that he gave his only begotten son , that whosoever beleeveth in him should not perish but have everlasting life . and indeed that one verse hath more of god in it than all creatures in heaven earth ; the whol frame of heaven and earth hath not so much of god in them as that one verse hath ; so god loved the world that he sent forth his only begotten son that whosoever beleeveth in him should not perish but have everlasting life : it is as if god should say when he comes to reveal the gospel , i will have a way wherein it shall appear to men and angels for ever what the greatness of my love is unto these poor creatures , unto the children of men : and to that end i send my son the second person in trinity to take their natures upon him , to come to be their mediator ; there will i manifest what my love is ; that shall be the great fruit of love . it is the similitude of a learned divine ( saith he ) the love of god in all other things in comparision of the love of god in christ reveal'd in the gosspel , it is a little spark of fire in comparison of the heat in a furnace ; when a furnace is heated red hot , it may be a few sparks of fire fly out , but what is one of those sparks of fire that fly out in comparison of al the heat that there is in the furnace , ( so saith he ) all the fruits of the love of god to man-kind in all the works that ever god did do , are but as that one spark only ; excepting this of christ ; and the love of god unto mankind in christ is as it were the heat of the furnace , there 's burning love indeed , the love of god in christ , this is the great scope of the gospel , the great aim of god , the great design that god had in the gospel to make known the infinitness of his love unto the children of men : now then if so be that god in the gospel doth reveal what there was in his heart from all eternity to man-kind ( for so it is ) that 's the scope of the gospel ; there was in the heart of god infinite love burning toward man-kind , god from eternity saw man-kind before him , and there was that strong inclination of his heart towards them in love , as did even burn in his heart : now in time god reveals this in the gospel , in the doctrine thereof he doth open his heart to the children of men : when ever the gospel comes to be preached in any place , god doth look upon that place and hath these kind of workings in himself , well , that love of mine that i have had burning in my bosom from all eternity towards these poor creatures , now it shal be opened , now it shal be revealed ; just as it was with joseph that had his heart so warm in love unto his brethren , that though he kept it in a while he could not keep it in long , but at length it breaks out as fire , his bowels yerned towards his brethren , and he weeps tears of love over their necks : so in the gospel of christ , look upon god towards poor creatures , as joseph towards his brethren , and god as it were keeping in his heart towards them for a long time ; but now when the gospel comes among them god opens his very heart to them , now therefore there must be a conversation that becomes the gospel , as becomes this great thing in the gospel , that is the chief thing indeed that the gosspel holds forth in every line of it , and discovers his eternal love towards them in particular , in the son of his love , christ jesus in whom he is well pleased . quest . you will say , what is it that becomes this thing in the gospel ? ans . surely love , answerable love , that we should return love for love , he that dwels in god dwels in love , god himself is love ; reade but the first epistle of that beloved disciple john , what abundance of love is there made known of god ? every letter thereof is a character of love ; and what commendations of love in heavenly expressions ? but you reade no such thing in the scripture before the gospel was revealed in that cleerness as it was then ; now nothing but love , love , and how it called for love : then there must be this conversation , love to god , as god to us . and that must be real as gods love in christ was . quest . how did god manifest his love ? answ . a conversation becoming the gospel , must be a manifestation of our love in some proportionable way : so god loved the world , as he gave his only son : that is as if he should have said thus , god so loved the world , so dearly , as that which was the dearest thing unto god he gave for a testimonie of his love to man-kind . the dearest thing , what 's that ? his son. if god should have said , that i might testifie my love to mankind , as i have made one world for them , i will make ten thousand more , yea i will make so many worlds as every one of the children of men shall have a world to possess ; you would think this were very much : oh this were nothing in comparison of that expression , so god loved the world , as he gave his son ; the son of god is infinitly dearer to god than ten thousand thousand millions of worlds are . now , a conversation that becomes the revelatio of such love , must needs be this , whatsoever then is dearest to our souls let that be given up to god. as it was a testimony of the love of abraham to god , hereby i know thou lovest me . why ? because he gave up his isaac to god , he would not spare his only son whom he loved : so god shewed his love to us : we may say , lord , hereby we know thou lovest us , that thou hast given thine isaac , thine only son for us , and hereby lord shal men and angels know that we love thee , that whatsoever is dear to our souls thou shalt have it , we will offer it up to thee in way of sacrifice : this is a conversation that becomes the gospel . so that when god cals for anything , never think it much , oh this is hard and costly and dear to me , and how shall i part with this ? is this becoming the gospel , to stand with god for any thing ? for thy love must be somewhat sutable to gods ; his love was such as he gave the dearest to thee , and thy love therefore ( if it runs paralel with his ) must give the dearest to him . and then if we be acted by love ( for that 's the conversation that becomes the gospel to be acted in all that we do with love to god ) to be in a flame of love continually , as the salamander ( they say ) doth alwaies live in the fire ; so should we do in the fire of love , not in the fire of contention : but now , love hath no need of any argument to do any thing but only this , this thing will be pleasing unto him that i do tender it unto , it will please my father ; that 's argument enough for love , that if i do such a thing it will please my beloved ; therefore never stand arguing thus , such a thing is a duty , but is it necessity ? must i do it ? cannot a man be saved unless he do it ? be all damn'd that do not this ? these are arguments from base sordid spirits : but here 's enough for love , here 's a thing would please god ; if we did thus , we should please god better than in not doing it : therefore that place that you had before , in the first of the colossians , walk worthy of the lord to all pleasing , let the heart presently spring upon this , there 's such a thing propounded out of the word at such a time , and i heard it would be well pleasing to god if i did this . if we put but this upon you , you that do not set up the worship of god in your families , do not you think that it would please god better to set up his worship in your families than not ? is there no conversation that your consciences tell you would please god better , than that conversation which you live in ? would it not be more pleasing to god ( ask but your conscience now ? ) if your hearts were acted by love you would presently fall upon that which your consciences tel you would be more pleasing to god. and then love : this is a maxim of love , love never knows when it hath done enough , it knows no such thing as too much , for men to say , what need we be so strict as to walk circumspectly ? what need we do so much ? why must we be so holy ? this is a base kind of reasoning ; is this as becomes the gospel ? if thou wert acted by love then thou wouldst never think that thou hadst done enough for god , oh thou wouldst rather think , had i ten thousand thousand times more strength than i have , lord thou art worthy of it all , what soever i have , whatsoever i am , whatsoever i can do , thou art worthy of it all , never stand arguing thus , what need so much ; is the thing a good thing ? love never knows any such thing as too much . we know love , it cannot bear with dishonor done unto those that we do love , if any wrong any one that we love , if our hearts be inflam'd with love we know not how to bear it ; such strike us in the apple of our eye ; oh that 's a conversation that becomes the gospel , that when we see the name of god dishonored , our hearts rise more against any thing that is done against god , than it doth against any thing that is done against our selves , we are inflam'd for god when we see any thing done that is a dishonour to the name of god. and love we know it will make us mourn and melt for any offence to those that are beloved of us : so that 's a conversation that becomes the gospel , when we manifest melting hearts , and mourning spirits . love makes us delight in the presence of those that we do love ; so that 's a conversation that becomes the gospel , when we manifest that there is nothing in the world that we delight in more than to be in the presence of our beloved ; oh to be alwaies with god in the arms of christ , it is our heaven on earth . and then , a conversation that becomes this gospel , it is to be of a loving disposition towards those that have any reference unto god. reade over the epistles where so much of the gospel is revealed , for indeed there 's the chief of the gospel , though we call those four evangelists the gospel , because they are the story of christs coming into the world , and his actions ; yet there is more of the doctrine of the gospel in the epistles ; for the time of the law was not fully expired till the destruction of the temple ; which was after christs death , and therefore though the gospel began to shine forth , yet till after the time of the destruction of the temple there was not so much of the gospel ; and therefore reade ( i say ) the epistle ; , and you shall find there is no one particular duty that the gospel so calls for from men ( besides faith in jesus christ ) as it doth love in christians one towards another , yea love to all : if you reade the epistles of paul , divers places in the romans , and in the ephesians , and philippians , and colossians , continually still they are beating upon love ; and especially in the epistles of john ( that was the beloved disciple and lay in the bosom of christ ) nothing so much as love , because this indeed is the conversation that becomes the gospel , for the main thing in the gospel , it is the declaring of the love of god ; and therefore christians that would live as becomes the gospel , they must live so as acted by love : and so in the story of the acts , presently as soon as you reade of any that the gospel did prevail withal , they had one heart and one mind , oh how did they cleave one to another ! their hearts were one . and so we find in the stories of the primitive times , i remember tertullian saith , that that was the way that the heathens and persecutors did use to find out who were christians , for the christians did meet at nights for fear of danger , & did as wisely as they could to keep themselves from their persecutors , but they found this by experience that when they were converted to christian religion , then there was another kind of spirit in them that did act them , and especially a spirit of love one to another , there was another kind of love of christians one towards another then , than of any other society of man kind ; the heathens saw this , and wondred at it , and it was by this that they found out who were christians , if they saw any people beginning to have a spirit of love more than before , they would think surely these have heard of this christian religion , and they begin to be christian ; this was the glory of christian religion in those times , that there was such intire love and union of hearts amongst them . the apostle john would have such love as that christians should be willing to die one for another , and they did so in the primitive times , oh this were becoming the gospel indeed : but oh how far , how far are we from such a conversation in such times as we live in now ! as if so be that the gospel were gone from us , we speak of the gospel as if it were reveal'd more now than ever , and much concerning free grace in the gospel , but look upon the conversations of men , they were never more unsutable to the gospel , and in this particular , in respect of the sincere love in the hearts of christians : my brethren , malitious dispositions are extreamly unbecoming the gospel , hateful and malitious dispositions , what doth a beastly , brutish , savigeness do , the fierceness of beasts do in the breast of a christian ? oh it is infinitely unbeseeming a christian to have an unloving disposition , a hateful disposition , to be hating one another , and to have a spirit of opposition and contradiction , and frowardness one against another , there is nothing more unbeseeming the gospel of jesus christ than this . i remember i have read even of one of the heathen emperors , that being convinced somewhat about christ , and hearing much of him , saw two that professed the name of christians to fall out bitterly one with another , which as soon as he perceived he cals them to him , and gives a straight command that they should never afterward , presume to call themselves by the name of christians ; no ( saith he ) you do not do according to your master that you profess , your life is unsutable to your master , even one that was but a heathen himself speak this . oh if we profess our selves christians let our conversations be as becomes the gospel in point of love , and make that to be the argument of love , the love of god revealed in the gospel ; there are a great many arguments of love from humane society , from reason , that men that live together they should love one another as men , and that there comes a great deal of hurt from frowardness and bitterness , and that it is against the rules of society , and that men cannot live quietly except there be some way of sodering by love ; these arguments are somewhat , and yet these would be among heathens : oh but now , those that profess the gospel of christ , have one argument that is infinitely beyond all arguments that can be imagined , and that is in john , . . ( before named ) so god loved the world , loved the world , that he gave his only begotten . we hear how the love of god that was in the heart of god from all eternity is brought forth and revealed in the gospel , oh let this inflame our hearts with love , oh that there might be never a christian that professes the name of christ , but that it might appear in him that his heart is sweetened with love , and that he doth live ( as it were ) in the very element of love , and acted by love in all that he doth , o this would beautifie your christian profession more than all your talking of this and the other things : oh that it were come again , that this becoming conversation of christians were come again into the world . i remember i have heard a speech of dr. whittacre rebuking the conversation of the scholers in cambridg , he had this speech , surely ( saith he ) this that we preach is not the gospel , or otherwise we are no gospelers , because our conversation is so different from the gospel ; and so we may say of this one particular in respect of love , either it is but a fansie that we hear so much of the love of god in jesus christ in the gospel , or otherwise we are no gospelers , we are no true professors of the gospel : whatever profession we make of the gospel , yet except there doth appear divine love to act us in all that we do god will not own us for gospelers ; for certainly it is a main scope that god hath in the revealing the gospel to sweeten the hearts of men with love , either deny the profession , or walk more lovingly than thou hast done towards those that make the same profession : yea thou shouldest walk lovingly towards thy enemies , for the gospel reveals much of gods goodness even towards the whol world in general , so that there should be love even towards all from the knowledge of the gospel ; oh that it might be said of men and women , that were of rugged , harsh , and malitious dispositions before , yet since it pleased god that they came to the ministry of the gospel , and heard the truths of the gospel opened to them , oh since that time their hearts have been altered and changed , oh of what sweet dispositions they are of now , the husband towards the wife , and the wife towards the husband , in a family there was nothing but harshness and brawling , but now nothing but sweetness and love and this from the knowledg of the love of god in jesus christ : that love will be a divine grace indeed that 's raised in the hearts of men , and acted from this principle of the knowledg of the love of god in jesus christ . this is the first thing , and the great thing that is held forth in the gospel , namely the love of god to man-kind . i 'le but name one or two things more now , and the next is this . the infinite willingness of god to be at peace and to be reconcil'd unto those who have offended him , yea to his enemies , what is the scope of the gospel ? the eternal love of god to man-kind in christ : that 's the first thing . then the second thing is the infinite willingness that there is in god to be at peace to be reconciled to such as have offended him ; this is held forth in the gospel , the gospel is the ministry of reconciliation , now what conversation should be in us becoming this in the gospel that is held forth ? and then the infinite mercy of god in the gospel in delivering poor creatures out of a depth of misery , that 's a main thing in the gospel , and many other particulars as the infinite hatred that god hath against sin , and the great price paid for souls that 's held forth in the gospel too , with divers other things that might be spoken of . but i beseech you consider of the point that we are about , namely to shew you what the gospel holds forth to us ; and then what conversation becomes all these things , and is sutable to them . if god would but be pleased to go along even with this one point that we are now upon , we hope it may lighten the conversation of christians , and withal may commend this word of grace to those that sit in darkness and in the shadow of death ; and may ( if god will say amen unto it ) in some measure recover the dishonor that hath been cast upon the gospel of christ in these latter times , by that loose and uneven walking amongst professors themselves ; which hath very much darkned the glory of this marvellous great light , which should be a lamp unto their feet , and a light unto their paths . oh that jesus christ from whose hand and heart this gospel came would now preach it home to every heart of us , that the truths thereof , may be turned into grace , spirit and life in the midst of us , so that our lives and conversations may be a daily practical sermon of holiness , in particular , that we love one another as becomes the gospels sermon iv. phil. . . only let your conversation be as becomes the gospel of christ . wee closed with this the last day , that we should love one another . this holds forth unto us , not only the love of god the father , but the infinit love of jesus christ the second person in trinity , and this cals for love one to another ; and i 'le hint unto you one or two scriptures more about this : there is union of christian hearts in one bend of love : no duty more inculcated in the new testament ( next unto faith , that great engin of the covenant of grace ) than love , and love one unto another ; and upon the consideration of the infinit love of god , and of jesus christ unto us . ephesi . . . compared with ephesians , . . and to know the love of christ , which passeth knowledge ; that ye might be filled with all fulness of god. then in the beginning of the . chapter , i therefore ( here 's an inference with the use of it ) the prisoner of the lord , beseech you , that you walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called . you are called to christ , to the gospel , and there you have the love of christ made known . how shal they walk worthy of this vocation ; with all lowliness , and meekness , with long-suffering , forbearing one another in love . endeavouring to keep the unity of the spirit in the bond of peace . he prayed before , that they might know the love of christ : therefore upon that he doth exhort them , and builds his exhortation , or rather his beseeching that they would with all lowliness , meekness , and long-suffering , forbear one another in love ; for you are called to the profession of the gospel , and there you have the love of the father , and of christ set forth unto you : now would you walk worthy of this calling ? then let there be much meekness , and forbearing one another in love ; in ephes . . . and walk in love , as christ also hath loved us , and hath given himself for us , an offering and a sacrifice to god for a sweet smelling savour : walk in love as christ hath loved us , that is , sutable ; as if the apostle should say , would you walk sutable to the gospel of christ that you profess ? walk in love then as christ hath loved us , this is a principal thing . in the gospel you come to know the love of christ otherwise than other men do know it , therefore walk in love , walk in love as christ hath loved us , make the love of christ to be a pattern for your love ; there is nothing ( as i told you ) that is more unbeseeming the gospel of christ , than a hateful , malitious , rugged , dog star disposition , than for christians to be tearing one another , & falling out one with another , as those beasts at ephesus that paul complains of ; oh this is infinitely unbeseeming the gospel of christ : do you know what the love of god means in jesus christ ? are you sensible of the love of christ ? oh this love should sweeten your hearts that there should be no more bitterness in you , but you should live in this element of love . saith an ancient , what doth beastly fierceness and cruelty , and savigeness do in the breast of a christian ? it is unbeseeming the name of a christian , therefore let your conversation be as becometh the gospel of christ , that holds forth love ; oh let there be much love in you , be you acted by love in all your waies , so that they that run may reade this new commandment which christ left unto his followers , that they love one another in deed and in truth . secondly , the gospel of christ it holds forth this , the infinit willingness of god to be at peace with man-kind , to be reconciled unto man , unto those who have offended him , yea to those who are enemies unto him : this is the scope of the gospel , ( a principal scope ) i say god would in the gospel make known to all the world his infinite willingness to be reconcil'd to such as have offended him : indeed without the gospel we might apprehend this , that the lord is a god that is full of goodness , that he is good and doth good , that all good is in him ; but to apprehend god to be such a god of peace , so infinitely set upon it , ( as i may so say ) to be reconciled to such as are enemies , could never have been known but by this gospel of christ ; herein we find that though there was an infinite difference between god and man , between heaven and earth through our sinning sin , yet the lord was willing to be reconciled , yea though the offence of man was exceeding great so that it cried for vengance , yet he was pleased wonderfully to condescend to make a peace with him : yea though the lord had man under his power and could do what he pleased with him , he had his enemy under his feet , and might have broken him all to pieces with his iron-rod as a potters vessel ( which when it is broken can never be made whol again ) yet he was willing to be reconciled . thirdly , though god had no need at all of us , he was infinitly blessed in himself , who is perfection and blessedness it self . sometimes we are willing to be reconcil'd to our enemies , either because we have them not under our power , or because we have some need of them ; but god that had us under his hand , and might easily have destroyed us , and had no need at all of us , yet was desirous to spare us , as a father spareth his only son whom he loveth , fourthly , the gospel holds this out to us , that the lord he begins the work of reconciliation , he first loving us , the infinit god seeketh to us his creatures to come in to be reconciled , therefore he sends his ambassadors of peace to beseech us in christs stead to come in to be reconciled to him , to accept of his propositions of peace which make so much for our everlasting salvation . fiftly , though reconciliation must cost god very dear ; that god must be at a great deal of costs and charges to reconcile his creatures to himself ▪ it cost no less than the blood of his only begotten son , and yet he is willing to be reconcil'd : saith god , my heart is set upon this work , and let it cost what it will , if it were ten thousand worlds yet my heart i● so upon it , that i will bring them in that they may be reconciled to me , and made one with me . sixthly and lastly , the gospel reveals this , that god is so set upon reconciliation , and is so reconcil'd to such as do imbrace the gospel as he will never be at enmity with them again . being once reconcil'd , he wil never suffer such a breach to be made between man-kind and himself any more . he wil be their father in christ , and ye shall be his sons and daughters through him to all eternity in christ jesus our lord. who shall separate us from the love of god ? thus the gospel holds forth , not only reconciliation , but such reconciliation as this is , which men and angels can never sufficiently admire and bless god for . this is a second beam ( as i may so say ) of the gospel . then what manner of persons ought we to be ? our conversations must be as becomes this gospel of christ in this great thing that the gospel holds forth unto us . surely then , this cals to us al aloud to love peace , o love peace , is god so set upon peace as he is ? and is he willing to be at so great cost for peace ? oh let us love peace , let us follow peace , le ts pursue peace , let 's seek peace , let us do what we can possibly for peace , if it be possible as much as lieth in you , live peaceably with all men : let us account peace never bought too dear with any thing but sin : the lord christ would not sin to purchase peace , if it could possibly have been conceived that any sin should have bin committed christ would never have purchased peace that way ; but if it be by any way of suffering , by his being willing to leave the heavens for a while to take upon him the form of a servant , yea to have the sence of the influences of the love of his father ecclipsed for a time , he was willing to endure , yea to be made a curse , whatsoever he suffered in his name , he was willing to endure any thing to make peace between god and man , to reconcile the world to heaven : oh! let us love peace , that 's becoming the gospel of christ , for our hearts to be set upon peace . and the exhortation that you have in the ephesians ( before mentioned ; ) it is likewise built upon the consideration of christs working so for our peace , ephes . . . for he is our peace , who hath made both one , and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us , having abolished in hi● flesh the enmity . and then in the . verse , that he might reconcile both unto god in one body by the cross , having slain the enmity thereby . so that this scripture holds forth , not only that christ is our peace in respect of god , and he died for that end to make peace between god and us , but likewise that jesus christ did die to make peace between man and man ; it was one fruit of his death to break down the middle wall of partition between us , and to slay the enmity ; he doth not say , to kill our enemies , but to kill the enmity it 's self ; the meaning is this , that christ died to take down the partition wall between jew , and gentile ; there was an enmity between the jew and gentile that they might not one converse with the other ; now it was a fruit of the death of christ to take down the partition wall and to slay the enmity between them , that so there might be but one sheep fold , that he might reconcile both unto god in one body . now , was this the end of the death of christ , not only to reconcile us to god , but one unto another in one body , jew and gentile ? certainly there cannot be such a distance between one christian and another as there was between jew and gentile : and christ did so love unity and peace in the world , especially among those that made any profession of his name , that he would die to that end , he would lose his life that he might procure peace between jews and gentiles , and bring them into one body : and truly so it should be with us , we should be willing , and those whose hearts are right ( i say ) cannot but be so sensible of the breaches that are among us , and the unpeaceableness of mens spirits , as if they could by the laying down of their lives procure peace , they should be willing to do it , every christian should make it appear , that he is so set upon peace that if the laying down of his life could procure peace he should be willing to do it , that if we may make up breaches by standing in the gap , and offering up our selves a sacrifice of atonement and pacification , let us thus prove our selves to be the true followers of christ our lord and master who hath left us his own example herein for our imitation : this were an excellent thing beseeming the gospel of christ that we do profess , yea , we should not only be willing to admit of peace , but seek for it , seek for it to our inferiours , do not say that such a man hath wronged me , and therefore let him seek to me , oh no , it doth become you that make profession of the gospel of christ , not to stay till he come to you that hath wronged you , but for you that are wronged by another , even to seek to those that have wronged you , that they would be at peace with you ; you might perhaps ( consulting with flesh and blood ) think it unreasonable that you that are wronged should seek peace ; i but it becomes the gospel of christ that you should do so ; god sought to you , you never sought to him : if god had not begun the work of peace with you , god and your souls would have been eternally enemies , and therefore remember that you are not to live according to reason , you think there 's all the reason in the world that those that have wronged you should crouch to your feet rather than you seek to them , well grant it , that there is all the reason in the world for it , i but what is there in the gospel to the contrary ? and you are not to live only in your conversations as beseems reason , but you are to have your conversations as beseems the gospel of christ : if you stand upon these tearms , let him come to me rather than i will go to him , is this as becomes the gospel ? what do you hold forth of the great work of the gospel , if you do not hold forth this ? your willingness to be at peace , and to seek for peace even from your inferiors ? and do not you say that the offence is great , oh! 't is a great offence that such a one hath committed , he hath dealt very proudly with me , and shall i seek to him ; his offence to you is not so great as your offence was to god , and yet god seeks to be at peace with you through christ : but he is my inferior , it may be he is a poor mean fellow that hath so wronged me : do not you think there is such a distance between you and other men , it may be thou hast a little power in thy hand , and a few pence in thy purse more than thy neighbor hath ; but what infinite distance was there between god and you then ? oh remember your conversation must be as beseems the gospel of christ : i but it will put me to a great deal of trouble , i can with more ease have him punished than i can bring things to make peace between us . with more ease ? could not god with more ease have sent thee down to the nethermost hell , how quickly could god have brought thee down and undone thee for ever : but god was content to be at peace upon hard tearms ( as i may so speak ) indeed they were hard tearms by which god came to reconcile the world unto himself , the hardest tearms that possibly could be conceived , for jesus christ , his eternal son , did take upon him our nature , and was made a curse for us , that knew no sin , that we might be made the righteousnes of god in him ; and therefore stand not upon any hard tearms , if peace may be purchased any way but by sin , stand not upon it , for this is as becomes the gospel of christ . yea , and when you are reconciled to your brother , be so reconcil'd , as to be firm in your reconciliation : not as some , there is peace made between them , but how ? so as they are ready to take advantage against one another upon any miscarriage afterwards : god doth not do so with you , the gospel holds not forth such a peace as this is , that god shall be at peace with you for the present , but look to your selves afterwards , god will take all advantages against you that he can ; if there had been such a peace made between god and you , you had been in hell long before this time , and therefore let your peace be a firm , a setled , and a constant peace ; oh! that this were but thought on in these contentions daies , wherein there is such breaches between brother and brother , in every town , in every family , and none almost but are broken off one from another with an irreconcilable spirit ; oh! how unbeseeming the gospel of jesus christ is an irreconciliable spirit ? certainly god hath not made thee to know what the mysterie of the gospel of peace is , who hast war in thy heart and tongue against thy brother . and that 's the second thing that the gospel holds forth unto us . only take this one note in this second thing , that whereas there are many arguments to move us to such a conversation as now i am urging upon you , yet let christians above all arguments , make the gospel to be the argument of arguments to move them to it : as now , for the matter of peace , there are many arguments to move us to be at peace with our brother , from the inconveniences that will follow upon our breaches & the like , now shew your selves christians in this , above all arguments make the consideration of what you understand in the gospel to be the great motive of motive to prevail with you for peace , and this argument will do it when nothing else will do it . it may be a friend comes and perswades you to be at peace , you will find a great deal of trouble in lawing and suing , and enmity one against another , there will come a great deal of anxiety , and therefore be reconcil'd and live like neighbors one with another : well , but when you find that your hearts do not stoop to any other argument , then get alone into your closets , search the scriptures , and there lay to your hearts all the arguments that you can from the gospel of jesus christ , there see how god reconcil'd the world to himself , and how god was set upon the work of peace : lay them to your hearts , and when no other arguments wil move , the consideration of that through the blessing of god will do it . and that 's for the second point . in the third place , the gospel holds forth the infinit mercy of god to miserable creatures . when man was plunged into such a depth of misery , nothing but bowels of mercy did move god to help men out of that depth of misery that they were plunged into ; and though man was unworthy of mercy , gods mercy was free , yea and it was a transcendent mercy of god , the mercy of god is over all his works . the heathens could understand that god was a merciful god , the light of nature will tel us something of the mercy of god ; but there 's nothing that sets out the bowels of gods mercy so as the gospel of jesus christ doth , there you have the very bowels of gods mercy ( indeed ) made legible to all the world , in luke , . . through the tender mercy of our god , whereby the day-spring from on high hath visited us : the tender mercies of our god , the bowels of mercy , so the words are : here 's the depth of the bowels of mercy held forth in the gospel of jesus christ ; it 's imposible that we could have understood the depth of those bowels of mercy but by the gospel : adam in innocency knew little of the mercy of god , for he not being in misery , had no need of that mercy to help out of misery , but though he by his understanding must needs know that mercy was a good thing , and therefore in god the first . being of all , but yet he did not understand that mercy that the gospel holds forth , yea the angels in heaven know it not but by the gospel , and so they desire to pry into those deep mercies of god unto man kind ; oh here are the mercies of god that shall be the subject of the praises of angels and of the saints to all eternity , held forth in the gospel : you think 't is a great mercy when a child is sick , that god recovers it ; you think it is a great mercy when you are at sea that god turns the wind , when if it had stood but one half hour more that way it did , you had lost vessel , lives and all ; when you have been in any danger abroad in forraign parts , that the lord was a present help in time of trouble , when there hath been any affliction upon your family , that god hath sent deliverance to you , these are mercies that god is to be praised for ; oh! but what are all these to the mercies of god in jesus christ , his right-hand mercies ; and indeed this would be a good argument of a gracious heart , when any particular mercie is granted unto them , either family mercies , or personal mercies . thus to meditate , lord i am less , i am less than the least of all thy mercies , yet here is seasonable comfortable mercies to me and mine &c. but o lord what is all this to that infinite fountain of mercy in christ , thy mercies in the gospel , thy mercies in thy son , there 's depths , infinite depths of mercy indeed , this is but a drop , and indeed that 's sweet , but the infinite ocean of mercy it is in jesus christ , christ is the mercy of god to mankind , in the bowels of which all other mercies are conceived and brought forth in the world : all my fresh springs both upper and neather springs are in him , who is all in all. oh it were a good argument that the gospel is revealed to you , if you admire at jesus christ as the great mercy of all mercies , though thankful for every mercy , yet when you come to consider of the mercy of christ , look upon that as mercy of wonder , stand amazed at the thought of that mercy ; well it 's the gospel that holds forth the glory of the riches of the mercy of god , god is said in the word to be rich in mercy , he is not said so much to be rich in power as rich in mercy . now what conversation is sutable to this ? what 's that but as christ himself saith , be ye merciful as your heavenly father is merciful , oh have you a merciful heart one towards another ? look with a merciful eye upon those who are in great misery ; this is it that becomes the gospel of jesus christ ; oh a harsh , rugged , and cruel disposition it is infinitely unbeseeming the gospel of christ : to see a christian , one that professes the gospel , that makes more profession of the knowledge of god and of the free grace of god in christ than others , and yet when it comes to it , that he hath to deal with such as are in misery , to have a hard heart , oh a hard hearted christian is a monster , i say a hard hearted christian is a monster in the world , not to be ready to forgive others , and to do any thing for others that are in misery is devilish ; but to rejoyce that they may have any object to shew pity and compassion unto , oh this is that which becomes the gospel of christ ; though they be strangers to you that are in misery , yet be merciful to them ; for you were strangers to god. yea , be merciful to your enemies , not only be willing to be at peace , but be merciful : do you see any that have wronged you to be in misery , do not let them perish but let bowels of compassion even work towards them ; oh that our hearts did yern towards all : christ when he came neer unto jerusalem , he wept over it : oh that the like spirit were in us as was in jesus christ : there 's no such argument for mercy to others , as the consideration of the mercies of god in jesus christ : oh bowels of mercy beseems the gospel of christ ; and it should be manifested really : let not people that are in misery have verbal mercies from you , that is , you seem to pity them in words , oh but let there be real mercies to them , open your hearts and let something drop from you for releef of them that are in misery : it is a notable scripture in ephes . . , . and sutable to that in col. . . in the . of the ephes . there the apostle ( speaking of the mercies of christ ) saith he , let all bitterness , and wrath , and anger , and clamor , and evil speaking be put away from you , with all malice ; and be ye kind one to another , tender hearted , forgiving one another , even as god for christs sake hath forgiven you . be tender hearted : oh god manifests the tenderness of his heart in the gospel ; and this is beseeming the gospel , to set forth this as a pattern , the tenderness of gods heart to poor sinners in the depth of misery ; do you see any to be in misery , and do not you find your heart begin to break towards them ? if you do not find your heart breaking , oh set before you the infinite tenderness of gods mercies in jesus christ , and 't is that will break your hearts if any thing in the world will : and so in col. . . a place somewhat paralel to this , forbearing one another , and forgiving one another ; if any man have a quarrel against any , even as christ forgave you , so also do ye : and above all these things , put on charity . you see the apostle accounts this the great argument of all , and therefore know that the lord takes it very much to heart when the bowels of professors are turned into gravel . search into that remarkable parable , matthew , from vers . . to vers . . where jesus christ preacheth down all cruel and unchristian like dispositions in those that are fellow servants , belonging to one and the same master , and living under one roof ; yea , the zeal of christ did break forth like thunder and lightning against such a servant as takes his fellow by the throat , therefore ( saith the text ) ver . . his lord was wrath , and delivered him to the tormentors til he should pay al that was due to him . the lord christ delivered that cruel servant , that hard hearted wretch to the tormentors that did a thing so unbeseeming the mercy he himself had received from christ , oh saith christ art thou cruel and unmerciful when thou hast received so much favour from me , as a full discharge of thy many great debts ? get thee to the tormentors , let the most cruel executioners of my sierce wrath torment thee without any mercy and compassion . oh those that have hard hearts walk unsutable to the gospel of jesus christ which is full of the riches of gods grace to all . oh you that have received any pardoning mercies from jesus christ , take heed of cruelty to your servants , to your children ; it 's very sad to see how some professors cast the gospel of christ behind their backs , if their passions are but moved ; what will ye bite and devour one another when ye receive the least offront either by tongue or hand ? oh where is you bearing and forbearing with one another ? for shame do not fly in the faces of any ( as a bear bereaved of her whelps ) when ye are buffetted by men , oh remember jesus christ , oh remember you that stand in so much need of mercy every day from god , for you to be cruel towards other , oh here 's a conversation infinitly unbeseeming the gospel of christ , and it is unbeseeming the grace that is offered , to have a sullen , a despairing , and an unbeleeving disposition , when as we see those that are disciples , and yet every little thing causeth them to despair , and to be sullen , and their hearts to snk within them , oh friends is this an evangelical frame of spirit ! let me speak plainly to you , when you come to hear the glorious , riches of the grace of the gospel set before you in the word , ye seem to be somewhat taken with it , but when you go home to your family , are ye not ready under the least cross then to bury a thousand mercies ? oh what a dishonor is this to the gospel of jesus christ that reveals so much mercy of god in it , that it doth call for christians that do profess it , to go through troubles , and through discouragements with cheerful hearts ? and although there be many things that might daunt the spirits of others that do not understand what the mercies of god in christ are , yet those that profess the gospel should shew undaunted spirits , for why ? it is infinite , free , rich , glorious grace that is made known to them by the word of christs lips . obj. you will say , i , if i knew that this mercy were mine ▪ ans . i but dost thou hear in the gospel that it is free , and there is no soul hath any right to this mercy , but by casting its self upon this mercy , and therefore it is as free for thee to cast thy self upon it as another ; indeed the mercy that is revealed by the light of nature , is such mercy of god that is more conditional , that is , if i do such and such things then god will be merciful unto me , the light of nature goes no further than this ; if i obey and leave my sin then i may hope that god will be merciful to me : it 's true , the scripture tells us , if i do not leave my sin , god will not have mercy ; i but the gospel holds forth mercy thus , there is mercy in god , first to pardon thy sin , and then to take away thy sin ; now the gospel reveals gods mercy in justifying the ungodly ; though i am poor and blind , and miserable , and naked , and have not power to leave my sin , yet i have free leave to cast my soul upon gods mercy , both for pardon and for power together against my sin , for so it must be , indeed i have no power , i may not stay till i have power against my sin , and then i will venture all that i have upon jesus christ , this is the mercy of the gospel ; i speak of this despairing and sullenness of heart , as it 's manifested in the conversations of men and women , by which they do dishonor the gospel of christ , when they live in their families and their hearts sink in such a sullen way as if there were nothing in the gospel of christ for encouraging of poor troubled souls , no more than men might understand by the light of nature ; indeed if i did live better , and honor god , i might have encouragement that god would shew me mercy ; but the mercy of the gospel it is such , that there is mercy to pardon and to heal my soul too , and therefore though i be sinful , i must not stay from believing in gods mercy till i be heal'd , but i must believe in gods mercy that i may be heal'd . that 's the third particular that the gospel holds forth unto us . now the fourth thing that the gospel reveals , is this , that though god be infinitly merciful , yet he is merciful in such a way that justice shall not be wronged : and this is proper to the gospel too . it 's impossible for men or angels to come to understand this mystery but by this gospel-light , how god should be infinitly merciful , and yet that he should be infinitly just too ; this is held forth in rom. . , . whom god hath set forth to be a propitiation , through faith in his blood , to declare his righteousness , for the remission of sins that are past , through the forbearance of god : to declare , i say , at this time his righteousness : that he might be just , and the justifier of him which beleeveth in jesus . now this is a great mystery of the gospel ; a scripture that luther fasted and prayed that he might understand , and he was a great while before he could know the mind of god therein . now the gospel saith this , i will manifest infinit riches of my mercy , but yet so as my infinite justice shall be no loser , and therefore though i le save man-kind , yet i 'le save them by such a way , as i 'le have as much glory of my justice as if all the men in the world had bin damned to all eternity : this is the mysterie of the gospel , and 't is cleer , that though god manifest infinit mercy , yet god hath a way for the manifestation of his mercy in the gospel , by which the justice of god is as much honored and satisfied as if all the men in the world had been cast into everlasting burnings , that is , through his sons dying for mans sin , being made a curse for us ; this is the great point of the gospel , which unlesse we understand , we know nothing of christ and his gospel as we ought to know it . most men and women in the world they seek to god for mercy , lord be merciful to me , a sinner , but they think not of a way of gods shewing mercy , so as yet he may have the glory of infinite justice , god seals the forgivenes of sin in the court of justice as well as in the court of mercy ; few think of this , and that 's the reason why people are ready many times to despair , because a great while they having but slight thoughts of god , they hope christ will be merciful to them , yet in time of temptation , when the devil comes and doth set before them the dreadfulness of gods justice , that god is a most just god as well as merciful , this makes their hearts to sink like a stone within their breasts . but now the soul that sees the way of god in the gospel , sees that god is infinitly set upon mercy , and likewise sees a way how gods infinit justice may be satisfied and seeing both these , this is a mighty help to faith ; now let there come never so many temptations , when the soul is catching hold upon gods mercy ; i but saith temptation , god is a just god as well as merciful , and dost not thou presume ? no saith the soul , the way of mercy that my soul rests upon , i see there is in it a way of satisfaction to infinite justice , as well as a way for the manifestation of mercy , and therefore though god be a righteous god , and a just god , yet here i see a way for my soul to be sav'd , yet for divine justice to have no wrong neither , and therefore i can beleeve and venture my soul upon this : it 's impossible for a sinner to venture his soul upon any way of mercy , if it comes to understand with what a god it hath to deal , except it comes to know god in jesus christ , in that way wherein infinit justice is satisfied to the utmost farthing which is declared in the gospel . now what conversation is sutable to this ? hence let there be that conversation in you , that may manifest that you do not turn the grace of god into wantonness , oh a wanton conversation is infinitly unbeseeming the gospel , oh there is infinite mercy and free grace treasured up here , and what wilt thou be wanton and vain and loose therefore ? there is infinite grace , but what way doth god take to manifest infinite grace ? is it not in a way wherein the dreadfullest justice of god appears too ? is not the grace of god let out to you through the blood of his son ? wherein the most dreadful fruit of gods justice is manifested that ever was since the beginning of the world , or ever shall be manifested to the end of the world ; if so be thou shouldest see all the damned in hell , the chambers of death unlocked under the wrath of god there flaming out in fire and brimstone ; it would not be such a dreadful sight as to see jesus christ made an offering for sin , and lying under the vials of the wrath of his father , falling down upon the ground , grovelling and sweating out great drops of water and blood , and crying out upon the cross , my god , my god , why hast thou forsaken me ? this is the way of the purchase of thy mercy , therefore there is infinit justice together with infinite mercy , oh be not wanton then , do not turn the grace of god into wantonness , but rejoyce in gods mercy , yet rejoyce with trembling and with fear and reverence of the name of god : when thou speakest of the free grace of god , and when thou comest to beleeve in the free grace of god in the gospel , thou maiest come cheerfully and boldly , i but come with reverence and holy humble fear , i do not mean despairing fear , nor servile slavish fear , but with awful reverence of the glory of god that doth appear in the lord jesus christ ; i need not send you to the law to cause fear in your hearts , there is enough in the gospel to cause your souls to tremble before god , as well as to beleeve in god , even our god is a consuming fire : oh what was he to jesus christ ? i need go no further to lift up god to make him an object of my fear , but to look upon him in his dealings with his son ; and therefore those christians that walk loosly , and altogether upon slight thoughts of mercy without any fear to ballast their hearts , oh certainly their conversations are not gospel conversations , for if thou didst understand the way of gods mercy in the gospel , thou wouldest see that that should fill thy heart with fear and reverence all the daies of thy life . and as to take heed of wantonness , so to reverence gods justice , even the dreadfulness of it so as the gospel holds forth ; to think that god would only have you to have your thoughts about his mercy , and not to have your hearts to give glory to his justice , it is certainly a vain conceit , and i fear it will cause the gospel to vanish into little in the hearts of men ; when men apprehend the gospel so , as not to apprehend the dreadfulness of his justice ; as if so be that god would not have the glory of his justice . christ hath satisfied that : hath christ satisfied that ? consider what thou saiest when thou saiest so , do but consider how much of the glory of gods justice doth appear in what christ hath done and suffered ; i desire to hold forth no further the glory of justice than by holding forth jesus christ to thee , doest not thou think that god would have thee to sanctifie in thy heart and life all the attributes of god that doth appear in jesus christ ? now the glory of justice doth appear as much in christ as the glory of mercy doth ; then thou that doest profess the gospel , thou must sanctifie this attribute of god as well as the other , thou sanctifiest them both in honoring gods justice ; i do not say that thou shouldest have a despairing heart , nay it will keep thee from despairing , or that thou shouldest have a servile spirit , but that thou shouldest sanctifie it with reverence . and another thing that is very considerable , what is god so set upon the glory of his justice in the gospel ? oh labour you to be just in all your conversations ; you see how god prizes justice , that he will rather have his son die and be made a curse , than justice should not have honor ; oh take heed of injustice , the sin of injustice is a sin unbeseeming the gospel ; and here 's an argument against injustice , a stronger than i know any in all the book of god , or can be imagined by men and angels , which is this , that in the gospel i find that god , hath his heart so set upon justice , that rather than justice shall not be satisfied he will not spare his son one farthing ( as the scripture saith ) he spared not his own son , but his son must pay to the uttermost , his son must bear his very wrath , and all , that god may shew his infinite love to justice ; oh then , let christians love justice in all their dealings , in their dealing with god , in their dealings between man and man. to see one that professeth the gospel , & sometimes accounts the feet of those beautiful that bring glad tydings of salvation , yet unjust in his dealings , so as do but follow him in his course between man and man , there he makes no conscience of justice , there he will rather break the rule of justice than ( it may be ) he will lose six pence , or a shilling ▪ what if it were the losing of thirty , or fourty pounds , is it such a thing , that the rule of justice must rather be broken than the loss of a little mony ? is this as becomes the gospel ? when as thou hearest the gospel say , that rather than the glory of justice shall be darkned , the blood of his son must go for it , and god expects that christians should be so in love with justice , that they should rather be content to be undone in their estates , to beg their bread from door to door , than be unjust in any of their actions , oh 't is an exceeding ecclipsing of the glory of the word when professors of it shall be false in their dealings ; oh remember thou christian who holdest up the gospel with thy right hand , that when thou hearest of the death of christ , there the love that god bears to justice is held forth , and god is set upon the honor of justice and he wil have it : thy justice in thy trading , this must be made up one way or other , either thou must pay eternally for it and so justice made up , or else it must cost the blood of jesus christ , god is set upon justice in another manner than you think of ; oh let your conversations be as becometh this truth of the gospel of jesus christ . fifthly , that the lord in the gospel , shews how he is set upon satisfying the law , and what a high price he puts upon the law ; the excellency of the law doth more cleerly appear in the gospel than in the doctrine of the law its self ; as thus , christ came to fulfil all righteousness , surely god set a high price of his law , that he would not save any soul living that had broken it , but by his son that must come to fulfil it : first , he must have all righteousness kept ; & to the end that he might manifest his love unto his law ( i say ) therefore it was that christ must come and subject himself to the law , he must be under the law ; it was from thence that christ saith , it becomes us to fulfil all righteousness . so was god set upon his law , that when christ did undertake for man-kind , if christ had not satisfied every part of the law that was required , if there had been one jot of the law unfilfilled , all man-kind must have perished in everlasting burnings : god sets an high rate on his royal law , therefore learn to prize the law of god : it 's true , you cannot keep it for justification , that was christs task , so to keep the law that he might justifie sinners , god by this teaches us to esteem highly of it , and not to slight it and contemn it : the law of god it is a precious cristal glass , it is the very glass of the holiness , and righteousness of god , and you must prize it , as you do prize your great glasses that your marriners have from other parts ; you bring home your great cristals , of . or . or threescore pounds according to the largenesse of them : now would not you take it extream ill , when you have bestowed so much upon it , that a child or servant should come and break it al to pieces ? now ( my brethren ) consider , the law of god here resembles the cristal glasse ; and as in your glasses you may see your faces , so in that cristal glasse of the law , the holiness of god is transparent , 't is such a glass that god prizes it more worth than all the world ; this is visible : for the lord stands much upon the observing of the law , and upon obedience unto it , and therfore take heed of breaking it meerly to satisfie your lusts , to accommodate and befriend your own base ends , this is unbeseeming the gospel of christ . there are many that make a great noise about evangelical truths , so that they cry up the gospel of christ , the gospel of christ , as they once did , the temple of the lord , the temple of the lord ; and they think that this doth wholly take away their obedience to the law of god , and that it must not be so much as a rule of life . certainly there 's nothing holde forth the excellency of the law more than the knowledge of jesus christ ( the only law-giver ) being subjected to the law , and his subjection it was to take away our guiltinesse , to cancel the bond of the law , binding us to eternal death : but we never reade that this subjection to the law was to make void our obedience to it , so that it should not be any rule of life unto us , for indeed , what is the law of god , but the pure will of god ? and do you think that christ came to take us away from obeying the will of god , which was christs meat and drink to do ? i stand not so much upon that term , whether as given by moses ? but upon those things that are therein contained , therein revealed as part of the will of god , god stands much upon that , that we should make the revealing of these things in the word to be the rule of our life , and this is manifested by christs ready and full subjection unto it . and that is the first particular , what it is that we come to know by the gospel , according to which we should sute our conversations . sermon v. phil. . . only let your conversation be as becomes the gospel of christ . in the sixt place , would you know what conversation becomes the gospel ? consider what it is that the gospel holds out to you , it holds forth gods infinit hatred of sin more than any other thing whatsoever . . a man may come to know the evil of sin partly by reason , he may understand that sin it is against a right rule , yea , by the light of reason he may conceive it is but reasonable for a rational creature to live by rule , and to transgress against the rule of justice and equity is evil . . a man may come to know the evil of sin by gods command : the law of god forbids sin , and therefore it is evil , certainly to transgress the law of god , to go against the will of god must needs be a great transgression . . a man may come to know the evil of sin by the dreadful threatnings that are added to the law , cursed is he that abideth not in every thing that is written in the book of the law to do it . this discovers a dreadful evil in sin : when a soul comes to have a real sight of the dreadful threats that are in the law , it doth exceedingly terrifie conscience and raise up that sleepy lyon out of his den . . a man may come to know the evil of sin by some dreadful judgments that god hath executed upon sinners here in this world , and by the terrors of conscience that there are upon the wicked , as on cain , saul , and judas &c. men many times here for their sins , by the wrath of god that is reveal'd from heaven against sin in the execution of it , but take all those together , yea , did we see the woful execution of the wrath of god in hell its self , did the lord open unto us a door into the chambers of death to discover the torments that are there , and to hear all the shreeks and cries of the damned in everlasting burnings ; yet all this , the threats of the law , the terrors of it , the agonies of conscience , the torments of the damned in hell , ( i say ) put all together , and they would not so much , nor so cleerly discover gods infinit hatred of sin , as what we find in the gospel ; the red glasse of the blood of jesus christ , that was shed for sin , doth discover more of gods hatred against it , than all the torments of hell can do , or all the threats of the law can do ; god doth in inflicting his wrath upon his son for mans sin , thus preach unto the world ? wel , i see that you cannot be brought to understand how i hate sin with a perfect hatred , but i 'le have one way of argument to convince you , that it is impossible you should stand against , i will therefore send my son to take your nature upon him , and to stand charged with your debt , and you shall see how i 'le deal with him , who is your surety , i 'le not spare him , i 'le powr out the vials of my wrath upon him to the last drop , i 'le make him a curse for sin , though he be infinitly blessed , and equal with my self , yet i 'le make him cry out in the anguish and trouble of his soul , my god , my god , why hast thou forsaken me ? he shal tread the winepress of my wrath , i 'le make the burden of sin heavy to him , that shall make him fall groveling upon his face , and sweat great clodders of blood in a winter season , that shall run down from his body upon the cold ground , i 'le do this to that end that all the world ( to whom the preaching of the gospel shall come ) may see how infinitely i hate sin : this is one of gods ends ; though it 's true , that the principal end of the death of christ it was , to satisfie divine justice : but there is another end that god aims at in the death of his son , to declare to all the world , to men and angels how infinitly the lord doth abominate all sin : now this is held forth in the gospel more than in all the execution of the law ; if the law were executed to the full upon all the world , it would not hold forth gods hatred of sin so much as this doth . do you beleeve this gospel ? hath god let you live under this gospel , that you hear it it your ears ? and do you profess that the lord hath enlightened you by his holy spirit , to understand the certainty and reality of this ? oh then , let your conversation be as becomes this evangelical truth . quest . what conversation doth become this ? answ . hence then , your own reason cannot but make a consequence from this that the gospel holds forth . hence then , cast away al sin as an abominable thing from you ; what have i to do any more with idols ? hence then , call no sin little which so much provokes the lord. indeed if you were only acted by the light of reason , reason perhaps will tell you that such things are but little and smal , and you need make no such great matter about them . but now , art not thou a christian ? a follower of christ ? a friend to the gospel ? for shame call no sin little ; for in the gospel you see the infinit hatred of god against all sin , yea , there is more evil in the least sin than in the greatest affliction whatsoever ( that 's a point that hath been long since opened to you at large , and this will shew it cleerly , there is more evil in any sin than in the greatest affliction , by the dealing of god the father with his son ) and therefore if you will be willing to live as becomes the gospel of christ , rather be willing to bear any affliction in the world than wilfully to commit the least sin : are these two in the ballance ? here is a great and a sore cross , you think , how shall i endure that ? on the other side , here 's a sin to be committed ; if i venture upon this sin , it may be i shall be delivered from this affliction ? now would this become the gospel of christ , for one that professes that he doth beleeve that god the father dealt thus with his son , that had sin but by imputation upon him , that he let out the vials of his wrath upon him , and made him a curse for sin ; and if christ had but undertaken for to have satisfied for one sin , though the least sin , he must have died for it , for the wages of sin , is death ! of sin indefinitly , it 's death : and do i beleeve this , and yet shall i rather chuse the commission of a sin than the bearing of any affliction ? oh this is infinitly unbeseeming the gospel of jesus christ : do i beleeve this , and is it real unto my soul ? oh let me then manifest in my whol course and life that i tremble at the very thought of a sin , at the appearance of evil , and am as much afraid of the least spark of lusts as of the fire of hell : let me discover the temptation to sin , that i may endeavour to avoid all temptations to sin , because god hath given such a testimony from heaven against sin , oh it is a loud testimony indeed that god hath given from heaven against sin in the death of his son , oh then let my conversation be such as i may make it appear that i am afraid of the beginnings of sin , of the first whispering and motions to sin , oh set me not stand dandling of sin in my thoughts , and roul it as a sweet morsel under my tongue , let me not entertain it in my affections in the least degree , as to love it , to approve it , to delight in it , but as soon as ever it enters into thy heart cast it out presently , let it not lodge within thy doors one moment , raise up all the power of thy soul against it , follow it with hue and cry , till thou hast overtaken it , and then do justice and judgment upon it , what though it may be a delilah , yet cut it off ; oh let me take heed of lying in any sin , have i bin overtaken in my sin ? oh let me be willing rather to shame and condemn my self , to deny any thing in the world rather than to continue in that sin , the lord forbid that if i have been once drawn to any sin , that i should think to cover it by another sin , by adding one sin to another , to think to shift for my credit or esteem by adding more sin to that already committed , oh no , the lord in his mercie hath made known unto me in the gospel of christ what sin means , the evil of sin , and therefore i have learned rather to endure any thing than to multiply iniquity ; indeed before i came to understand jesus christ , i thought sin was an evil thing , and i abstain'd from gross sins by that dim light of nature that is within me ; but since i came to understand the gospel of jesus christ , the great mystery of godliness in his son , & the dealings of the father with his son , the lord knows now i abhor a sin in secret ( though i were sure no body in the world should ever know it ) more than i do abhor hell its self ; i such a conversation as would manifest such a work of god upon the heart as this is would become the gospel of christ indeed . whereas otherwise brethren , if any of you that do profess the gospel of christ shall make sin but as a slight thing , and shall be ready to entertain sin in thy bosom , know that by this means , you do no other but trample under foot the blood of jesus christ as a cōmon thing , as a thing that had no worth at all in it . this doth despight to the gospel of christ , you do dishonor jesus christ , and you do put him to open shame whose name you have taken upon you by your profession : i 'le give you a scripture now for this in heb. . . &c. he speaks of some , that were once enlightned , and had tasted of the heavenly gift , and were made partakers of the holy ghost , and tasted of the good word of god ( that 's the gospel ) and the powers of the world to come : if they should fall away , it were impossible to renew them to repentance . mark the reason : seeing they crucifie to themselves the son of god afresh , and put him to an open shame : such as fall off after the profession of the gospel into sinful waies , they are said here to crucifie the son of god afresh , and to put him to open shame . this is far from walking as becomes the gospel . and so you have another text in heb. . . &c. ( he speaks of those that had fallen off from their profession into sinful waies ) of how much s●rer punishment , suppose ye , shall he be thought worthy of , who hath troden under foot the son of god , and hath counted the blood of the covenant wherewith he was sanctified , an unholy thing , and hath done despight unto the spirit of grace ? see how the holy ghost speaks of such as fall from their profession into sinful waies again . and there 's a great deal of reason for it , for 't is not so much for those that never made profession of the gospel , to fall to sin , not such a horrid thing for them ; but for those that have made profession of the gospel , that they hold forth thus much ; this is the language of their actions ( though they dare not say so ) lord i acknowledge that i have seen the fruit of thy hatred of sin in the death of thy son , that thou didst so hate sin , that thou madest thy son to be a curse for sin ; but yet for all this , such is the strength of my lusts , i must have my lusts , though it be so vile in thine eyes as the blood of thy son went for it , yet i must have it rather than deny my lusts ; oh what a dreadful thing is this ? how provoking must it needs be to the holy god ? oh happy had it been for such men and women that they had never heard of the gospel of jesus christ . but of the evil of walking unbeseeming the gospel of jesus christ , we shall speak to after , when we come to the application ; that 's then the sixt particular of what the gospel holds forth the infinite hatred of god against sin . now the seventh thing that is held forth in the gospel that cals for a conversation beseeming , is this , the great price of souls . there 's nothing in the world that ever god did , that doth discover the worth of mans immortal soul so as the gospel of jesus christ doth , there god manifests to all the world what a price he puts upon mans soul , the lord saw that men by sin had undone themselves and that those souls that he made were like to perish to all eternity , yea , were under the sentence of eternal death , and must certainly perish eternally , if so be that some way were not found out by an infinit wisdom for to ransome them ; now saith the lord , rather than i will have all souls perish ; ( it 's true , the love that i have unto my justice is such , as for many souls i 'le let them go , and they shall perish ; but yet that i might shew that i have an high esteem of the souls of the children of men , for the ransoming of that number that i have appointed from all eternity to save , ) i 'le send my son , and he shall die for the saving of souls , that souls may not perish : if the lord should have said concerning any one soul , i do so highly prize this soul , and account the worth of it to be such , as rather than it shall perish i 'le disolve heaven and earth , heaven and earth shall perish rather than this soul shall perish , you will say , this had been a great testimony of gods esteem of a soul : but know that the gospel holds forth a higher esteem of a soul than this comes to , when god shal say , rather than this , and the other soul shall perish , i 'le send my son to be made a curse ; this the gospel holds forth ; this is infinitly a higher price that god puts upon a soul : you know therfore what the apostle saith in pet. . , . forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed ( saith he ) with corruptible things ; as silver , and gold : then in the . verse , but with the precious blood of christ , as of a lamb without blemish , or without spot : 't is not silver and gold : or any corruptible thing that can redeem you , but the precious blood of jesus christ , oh that blood , that 's more precious than the world , even all the world must let the redemption of a soul alone for ever , all the angels in heaven if they would have joyned together to have redeem'd a soul , and would have ventured themselves to have been destroyed for ever that they might have redeem'd a soul , it would not have been , they must all let the redemption of a soul alone for ever ; the matter then of the redemption of a soul is more than we are aware of , and we could never have come to have known this but by the gospel of jesus christ : the full price of a soul is writ down by the finger of gods spirit in the gospel of christ , which is only this , the blood of the son of god , the blood of the son of god. well then , let our conversation be as becomes this that is held forth in this gospel , that 's thus , manifesting in your conversation that you set a high price upon your souls : do not venture your souls upon nothing ; oh how unbeseeming is this , that when god shall set such a price upon a soul , as to give for the redemption of it more than ten thousand thousand worlds are worth , yet that a man or woman that professes themselves to be christians shall venture the loss of their souls for the getting of sixpence or twelvepence , hazard those immortal jewels for one or two minutes of sensual pleasure , to satisfie the lusts of the flesh ; what is it else , when such will lye or cosen for a little while for thick clay ? for the lords sake , do not lay down thy everlasting soul at stake for a little gain , some for a little credit ; art thou a christian ? didst ever reade the gospel , man or woman didst thou ever hear of christ ? and dost thou know what the death of christ meant ? and wherefore christ came into the world ? must heaven and earth be mov'd to provide a way to ransom souls ? and dost thou set them at so low a rate ? oh how unbeseeming is this to the gospel ? and others pawn away their souls , when god manifests what a price he sets upon them , yet will pawn their souls to the very devil . quest . you will say , is any man so wicked as to pawn away his soul to the devil ? ans . yes , when any man will venture upon sin , but upon this condition , i will repent before i die ; that is , as if i should say thus , here i give my soul to pawn , if i do repent , then i 'l have it again , if i do not repent before i die , then it 's gone for ever . as when you give a pawn , you give it upon these terms , wel , i give you this , and if i bring you by such a time so much money , then i 'le have it again , and if not , then 't is gone . so do men and women , they say thus , here devil , thou shalt have the possession of my soul all this while so long as i am in a way of sin , if i do repent , then i must have it again , but if i do not repent before i die , then thou shalt have it for ever . now dost thou know the price of a soul ? oh! is this to shew the high price of a soul , that wil pawn your souls thus ? and mark to whom you pawn it , you pawn it to the devil , he hath it all this time , it 's in his custody : al the while that any one sins upon hope of repentance , ( i say ) til they repent the devil hath their souls in his possession , in his hands : as when you pawn a piece of houshold-stuff , til the time that you bring the money , so long the man you pawn it to hath the possession of it . and thus do people ; you put your souls into the devils hands , and upon such a condition that you are not able to perform ; that is , if you repent , you will have it again , if not , he must have it for ever : oh friends , you little know what repentance means ! what is it to repent ? it requires a mighty work of god , the same power of god that made the world is required to break the heart of a sinner , so that you put it to pawn upon that that is impossible for you your selves to perform by all the power that you have : now if a man put a thing to pawn for that which is impossible for him to redeem , it may be , if he should have a great many friends that will do some great matter for him , then he may redeem it , but it is beyond his power ; you will say , there is a great deal of danger then that that pawn shall never be redeemed . so know , when you pawn your souls , you put it into the hands of satan , and lock it up in the powers of darknesse , and pawn it for that that you have no power to bring : do you prize the gospel ? and know what a price god hath set upon souls ? o then take heed and set a greater prise upon your souls than to pawn them away for every trifle , a thing of naught . and then , if this be held forth in the gospel , o then do not pollute and defile you souls with sin as you do from time to time . god hath a high esteem of them , have you a high esteem of them likewise . do not make your souls drudges and scuullions to your bodies , only to make use of your souls to provide for the satisfying of the lusts of the flesh , as many men and women have no other use of their precious immortal souls all their lives , but only their souls are imployed to be slaves for the lusts of their flesh : oh! are these the souls that must cost the blood of christ , that god hath put such a price upon ? surely you do not know the gospel nor jesus christ . if i should tel you what phylosophers say of the soul , of mens immortal eternal souls ( though this be now doubted , yet it was plentifully known among the heathens ) these would be but dry things to you in comparison of this , to tell you that jesus christ hath died to redeem souls , there 's more in this than in al the arguments that possibly can be brought to shew the excellency of the soul of man. oh then , likewise let your conversation be as becomes this of the gospel , in your care of the souls of those that are committed to your care and charge . do you profess the gospel ? then you profess withal that god so esteemed of a soul , that he gave the life and blood of his son to ransom a soul ; oh then , really demonstrate that you do highly esteem of the souls of your children , and servants , by walking convincingly before them , that you may do all the good you can to them , by instructing of them , by praying for them , and with them ; and so before all your friends and acquaintance , let such kind of meditations work thus in you as these , oh lord , since i came to know the gospel , i have learn'd what a high price thou hast put upon souls , lord , this shall make me for evermore to value souls at a higher rate than heretofore i have done . oh it were an excellent point to urge upon ministers , who are charged with many souls , oh let them so watch over them , pray for them , and preach to them all the counsels of god , both in season and out of season , that in the great day of christ , they may be cleer of the blood of all men , as paul was . and that 's the seventh thing that the gospel holds forth unto us , the preciousness of souls ; and let your conversations be as becomes this great point of the gospel . but then eighthly , which is as principal a one almost as any and neerly concerns us , and that 's this : the gospel discovers unto us , the great honor that god hath put upon humane nature above the angels . this could never have been known but by the gospel , this is as proper a thing to the gospel as any i have spoken of : and one special design that god had in the gospel , was , to reveal those thoughts and counsels that he had from al eternity , to put mighty and great excellencies upon our humane nature in these two particulars . first , in the personal vnion of mans nature to the second person in trinity ; that 's the first , and great way of honor that god hath crowned human nature with . hence the apostle in tim. . . without controversie , great is the mysterie of godliness . what is it ? god was manifested in the flesh . god manifested in the flesh ! that 's a great mystery of godliness . now it could not be such a mystery , if god had only taken an humane shape upon him , ( for so it was in the time of the law ) jesus christ often took humane shape ; as when he strove with jacob , it was jesus christ , as might easily appear . but great is the mysterie of godliness , without controversie it 's great . god manifested in the flesh : that is , god taking flesh of man into a personal union , which is more fully exprest in john , . . the word was made flesh . this was a strange speech , but proper to the gospel . an heathen would have thought this a strange speech , and especially if he knew , that by the word was meant , he that was true and eternal god. and then , in heb. . . it is said , that christ did not take the nature of angels upon him ; but the seed of abraham . so that it appears by the personal union of our natures to the son of god , god hath advanced human nature above angels , above all creatures . truly my brethren , in christs taking our nature upon him , which the gospel holds forth to us , me thinks we may see god ( as it were ) resolving to do a work from himself , to the uttermost , to manifest the uttermost of his glory in a work out of himself , the work of god within himself , it is , his eternal generation , and the possession of the holy ghost : but now god would work out of himself , and work out of himself to the uttermost extent ; i 'le make a world ( saith god , ) heavens and earth by my word . but this is not such a glorious work as i am able to do : i could make ten thousand worlds , and when i have made them i could make as many more , and more glorious : but i would do some work wherein i might manifest even the uttermost of my glory : what work is that ? that is , the work that god pitcht upon , he would do one work from without to manifest the uttermost of his glory , and the lord rather pitches upon this , to take the nature of man into a personal union with his son , that 's the uttermost : and it is impossible that men or angels , if they were left to all eternity to imagin , could think of a work that it were possible for god to express more of his power , wisdom , and glory in : but we know but little of it now , but we shall know more in heaven . now , oh how hath god honored humane nature in this ! that when he would do a work to the utmost of his excellency , that he would pitch upon mans nature , to take it into personal union with himself ; here 's the mystery of the gospel : now this is indeed the marrow of the mysterie of the gospel , the word made flesh : the second person in trinity taking mans nature upon him ; this is the mystery of the gospel that angels and saints admire at , and shall be taken up to all eternity in admiring and praising and magnifying god for . that 's the first way of gods honoring mans nature . and then , there is a second thing which the gospel reveals , and that 's this , in putting honor not only upon the nature of man , as having soul and body , but putting a mighty honor upon the very body of man , the meanest and the very lowest part of man , the very shel , outside , rine and case of man : that you have in cor. . . what , know ye not that your bodie is the temple of the holy ghost , which is in you ? your body is the temple of the holy ghost . you have no such thing revealed in the old testament , this comes by the light of the gospel , that the lord hath made the bodies of the saints to be temples to the holy ghost , that the holy ghost dwels in their very bodies as in a temple ; as the king in his pallace , so the holy ghost in his temple : now these two are great things revealed in the gospel , and had we but a cleer understanding of these two things , oh! it would mightily elevate our spirits . and conversations sutable to these two particulars surely must needs be a high raised conversation . as now for instance , . in the personal union of our natures with the second person in trinity : oh how should this raise up our hearts and we should manifest the elevation of our spirits in our conversation , so as it becomes those that may expect great things from god , surely that god that hath honoured our natures so , as to be personally united to his son , he doth intend great things to some of the children of men , as now , suppose you that are the poorest and meanest here in this congregation , you had a sister that were married to the greatest emperor in the world , yea , to one that were emperor of all the whol earth ; now you would think to live another kind of life than you did before , were it beseeming such a man to live now upon scraping of chanels , or wiping of horse heels , ( or any mean imployment , ) when his sister is married to the only monarch of all the whol earth , surely he may think now , i must live at a higher rate , for i may expect something by this : so should every one of the children of men think thus , indeed i have liv'd in a mean base way , the humane nature of mine hath been basely subject to filthy lusts , all my daies , i have been a bondslave to sin and satan , but when i come to hear of the gospel , i hear that the second person in trinity , god blessed for ever , equal with the father , that is the heir of all things , that he hath not married my humane nature , but hath taken it into a personal union with himself , and is become my kinsman , my neer kinsman , hath taken this into the neerest union as is possible for a creature to be taken into with god : oh let us be raised then in our thoughts , to think , surely god intends higher things for some of the children of men , than to eat and drink , and satisfie the flesh , and be brutish here in the world , there are higher things that god will do for mankind , and why not for me ? i am not excluded no more than others ? it was a speech i remember of seneca , ( though a heathen ) i am greater ( saith he ) and i am born to greater things than to be a slave to my body : a heathen could say so : oh but when we hear of humane nature so advanced and enthroned in christ , we should think with our selves , that any one that hath humanity in them is born to higher things , than to make provision for the flesh to fulfil the lusts thereof : what wilt thou be a slave to the devil now ? thou hearest how god hath dignified the nature of man into so neer a union with himself , oh doth not this mysterie of the gospel call to all the children of men ? oh all you children of men ! behold what god hath done for man kind ! surely the thoughts of god for man-kind are great and glorious , there be higher things you may attain unto , and will you yet perish , and chuse your portion here in this world , and be groveling on the ground , as if there were no higher thoughts that god had for your good , than meerly to live as brute beasts , to eat and drink , and then rise up to play ? oh if god hath advanced mans nature so , do not despise it in the meanest of the children of men , the lowest servant , or poorest boy that lies begging at your door for a piece of bread , ( for it is of the same kind that is united in a personal union with the second person in trinity , of the same nature which this poor boy that lies begging at your door for broken bread and meat ) therefore honor humane nature in every one , and do not vilifie it in thy self ; those men that live under the gospel and vilifie humane nature , they put a dishonour upon jesus christ . and even reverence thy self in private when thou art alone , ( i say ) reverence thy self , do not abuse thy body , it is the temple of the holy ghost . oh remember this all you that are professors of religion , that these bodies of yours , this flesh of yours ( if you be godly and walk answerable to your profession ) i say this flesh of yours it is the very temple of the holy ghost , do not abuse it ; it 's the apostles argument , therefore fly fornication , and be not joyned to whores ; for your bodies are the temples of the holy ghost : oh it makes the sin of uncleanness to one that professes the gospel of christ a cursed sin , the sin of uncleaness in a professor of the gospel , it 's a thousand thousand times more abominable than the sin of uncleanness in another : why ? because they know how god hath advanced humane nature into a personal union with himself , and how their bodies are the temples of the holy ghost . what shal i make the temple of god a ●●y for the unclean spirit , a cage of unclean birds ? god forbid . there hath been a great deal of do about stony churches and temples , and you should have a great many base whoremasters plead for the whore of rome ( the mistris of all fornications ) in bowing , and cringing with cap , and knee as soon as they set their foot in some of our meeting places ; and in the mean time abuse the saints which are the temples of the holy ghost , and abuse their own bodies , and yet they profess themselves christians ; oh now , either deny thy christianity , or do not abuse thy body to any filthy lust , for it is the temple of the holy ghost . this the gospel holds forth . and let thy conversation be now as becomes the gospel of jesus christ ; not abusing thy body so ; for we see that the gospel cals for bodily cleanness , as well as spiritual cleanness , and truly i do not know stronger arguments to godliness than these that we have mentioned here in the gospel : we have gone through three , gods infinit hatred of sin . the price of souls . and the honor that the gospel shews that god hath put upon humane nature . conversations but becoming these three , would be other manner of conversations than you have . i shall only speak of a fourth , and that 's this . . the gospel holds forth the greatest example of self-denial that ever was in the world , & by all waies that ever god hath made known his mind , he never hath revealed his will in an example of self-denial so as he hath done in the gospel , and that is in the example of the lord jesus christ : god evidenceth there such a work of self-denial , as never was : and 't is impossible to apprehend a greater example of self-denial than that is ; though christ thought it no robbery to be equal with god ; reade but the second of the philippians , vers . , . and there you may see what christ was , and yet how he emptied himself , how he denied himself in his honor , how vile he was made in the world , though he was the brightness of his fathers glory , yet he was made of no reputation ; how he denied himself in riches , christ that was the heir of all things , though he were rich , yet he was made poor for us ; how he denied himself in his pleasures , he was the delight of the father from all eternity , and yet he was made a man of sorrows ; he denied himself in his life , for he was the lord of life , and yet he subjected himself to death , to a cursed death for us : oh the example of christ in self-denial is the greatest that ever was : and this seems to be one great end of the humiliation of jesus christ to hold forth a preaching pattern of self-denial to the world : and there 's a great deal more power in the pattern and example of self-denial , then in the commands of self-denial , i only present this to shew you that it is the most unbeseeming the gospel for any one that professes the gospel to be selvish , altogether scraping for themselves ; and whatsoever service they are put upon , except self may have an oare in it , they have no mind to it ; oh 't is becoming the gospel of jesus christ for men and women to be emprtied of themselves , no matter what becomes of our selves , but be willing to give up our selves for publick good , to venture your estates , and lives , and all your comforts , yea to be swallowed up in the glory of god , to be nothing , that christ may be all . in the gospel of christ , we find that christ he was swallowed up with the glory of his father ; and he came not to do his own will , but the will of his father that sent him ; and though he was one that had infinitely more excellency than all men and angels in heaven and earth , yet he was content for the honor of his father to be made as a worm and no man , to be trampled under foot , to endure the greatest extremities of all sorts ; this holds out an example to us , that while we live in this world we should be taken off from our selves : oh this self-love sticks much in the hearts of men and women : now upon the example of christs self-denial , we are required to deny our selves , and it is the proper lesson of the gospel , he that will follow me , let him deny himself , you never read of such a precept in all the old testament ; ( though no question the people of god did deny themselves then , ) but in expresse terms so fully you have not such a thing there : and there 's no such rules among the heathens for a man to deny himself , let him deny himself ; those that know the original , know that the word is , not only to deny , but there is that joyned to it that doth encrease the signification , let them deny themselves , throughly , there is a preposition put to the word , to shew that those that will come to christ must deny themselves , and that throughly , it is a proper lesson of the gospel , and the first lesson . oh when our lord and master hath thus denied himself , and emptied himself for good to us , what is beseeming this gospel , but that all that are professors of it should deny themselves ? it is very unbeseeming the glorious gospel , for a christian to be selvish , to have his self-ends , and self-waies , and interests in every thing , as generally almost al men in the world they are acted by self , some self-ends , or self-excellency carries them on in their actions , or else they have no heart to do any thing ; this is unbecoming the gospel . but now i say , one that would live as becomes the gospel , must be wholly emptied of himself , whatsoever parts , estate , credit , or honor he hath in the world , must be melted into the glory of god ; jesus christ for the glory of his father , was content infinitly to deny himself more than we can ; for what have we to deny our selves of ? do you or i live as becomes the gospel ? when ( i say ) all that we apprehend to have any excellency in , we have it all swallowed up in the glory of god , when we can dedicate and consecrate our lives , honors , liberties , estates , comforts , and all to the glory of god , and be as nothing to our selves , and let god be all in all to us , ministers may bring many reasons why we should deny our selves , but all these reasons comes to nothing , till the soul comes to behold the cleer light of the gospel , and there beholds the son of god by faith , how he did empty himself ; nay then , saith a beleeving soul , if the son of god did deny himself , was emptied thus for me , oh then let me be wholly taken off from my self , and venture wholly upon god , i must not live in my self , nor live for my self , nor live to my self ; but wholly live in god , and for god , and to god , and upon god : oh this is that which becomes the gospel of jesus christ . sermon vi. phil. . . only let your conversation be as becomes the gospel of christ . the ninth thing that the gospel holds forth is this , that our conversation should be sutable to spiritual worship , the spiritual worshiping of god. the worship that there was in the time of the law , it was carnal in comparison of what there is in the time of the gospel : and therefore a great part of the worship of god is called , a carnal commandement , and rudiments of the world , and beggerly things ; if you reade the d of colossians , there you have strange expressions about that which was even the worship of god : and so in the hebrews divers times . but now you know what christ saith in john . to the woman of samaria , the hour cometh , when ye shall neither in this mountain , nor yet at jerusalem worship the father : but the hour cometh , when the true worshipers shal worship the father in spirit and in truth : for such the father seeks to worship him . we must not think to worship god in such carnal waies as before . i beseech you consider this one thing , certainly god wil have as much worship in the time of the gospel , as ever he had : but where we have one external thing to worship god in now , in the time of the law there was an hundred , an hundred to one of external things : yet now this worship of god must be made up some way ; we are not cal'd to those outward worshipings , offerings , sacrifices , and costly things as they were in the time of the law ; now , how should this be made up , but in spiritual sacrifices , in presenting our bodies and souls to god as a living sacrifice , therefore such men and women as altogether are for the out-side of things in the worship of god , and because god hath appointed but a few things in his worship ; we have use of no other creature in the worshipping of god , but meerly the bread and wine , and water , only these elements ; and the man to speak to us , to be either gods mouth to us , or our mouth to god ; there 's all we have appointed in the gospel for the worship of god ; therefore it is expected if we would have our conversation be as becoms the gospel , to be very spiritual in our worship , and therefore to take heed of thinking to make up gods worship with external things of our own , that 's exceedingly unbeseeming the gospel : many thought in former times , they did honor god much by adding to his worship ceremonies , external things ; and peoples hearts are set most upon them , because they are from man , they are humane : i 'le give you but one-scripture to shew how we should for ever take heed of traditions of men , and of mixtures in the worship of god , because that the gospel points at spiritual worship : that place in pet. . . forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things , as silver and gold : from what ? from your vain conversations received by traditions from your fathers ; but with the precious blood of christ , as of a lamb without blemish , and without spot . see what an argument the apostle uses here unto those he writ to , saith he , there was a time that you worshiped god in an external way , and in a superstitious manner , according to the traditions and fancies of your fathers , this was before you knew jesus christ ; but ( saith he ) now you come to know jesus christ , know it was the blood of jesus christ that was shed to redeem you from this vain conversation that you received by tradition from your forefathers . i do not know any one scripture hath more power in it to take off mens hearts from all false and superstitious worship , from all old customs that they had from their forefathers , ( as people are mightily set upon old customs , to worship god according to them ) what a stir and do had we to get off men from their late service-book ( the great diana of england ) which was made up of the ends and shreds of the romish mass-book , only printed in an english letter ; and reading and babling over burials , and such kind of trumperies , oh how were those old samaritan customs setled in the hearts of men ? as coming up to the communion table , and there to kneel down at rails like so many beads-men to the pope , & votaries to rome . mens hearts are mightily set upon such foolish things as these are . but now this text tels you , that if you know what it is to be redeemed by the blood of christ , you must know that the blood of christ was shed for , to take you off from your vain conversation received by tradition from your forefathers : christ shed his blood that he might deliver you from all such traditional things , that so you might worship god in spirit and in truth ; this becomes the gospel . and at your leasure do but reade over that second chapter of the epistle to the colossians , speaking of men , that in a voluntary humility , worshiped angels , intruding into those things which they have not seen , and vainly puft up by their fleshly mind . and then in the . verse , let no man therefore judge you in meat , or in drink , not that you may not eat flesh at such and such times in the year ) or in respect of an holy day , or of the new moon , or of the sabbath daies , ( the jewish sabbath day : ) let no man judg you ( saith the apostle ) in regard of these things , which are a shadow of things to come . then in the . vers . and not holding the head . those that stood upon such things as these are , they are here charged for not holding the head , that is , they did not hold christ ; as if the apostle should say , if so be that you hold christ , and profess christ , you would not stand upon these things , upon these kind of superstitious waies in the worship of god. and you shall find in the epistle to the galatians , the apostle telling of the galatians about such kind of waies of continuing and holding of the worship of the law , saith he in gal. . . ye observe daies , and months , and times , and years : what then ? i am afraid of you , lest i have bestowed upon you labor in vain . as if the apostle should say , i profess i see you stand upon such old things , and worshiping of god in an external way ; i am afraid of you , lest i have bestowed all my labor in vain : this is so opposite to the gospel , as makes me think , and am afraid that all my preaching of the gospel to you is in vain : and yet mark my brethren , what were these daies , and months , and times , and yeers ? they were such as god heretofore had appointed , but now they were ceased , after christ came , out of date , and yet they sticking to them after the death of christ ( saith the apostle ) i profess i am afraid of you , that all my preaching in vain to you : now my brethren what shall we say to those that stick upon these things that god had never appointed , but were of popish ordination : as keeping one time more holy than another , and thinking thereby to tender up service to god : why should we not keep the memory of such and such times ? now as to keep them so as to think that they shall sanctifie any time , is a dangerous thing , a sign that they understand the gospel but little , to think that any men upon any reason whatsoever should be able to sanctifie a time , to make that time to be holy , ( i say ) that 's unbeseeming the gospel ; no man can make a holy day under the gospel . obj. but you will say , we keep daies of fasting , and thanksgiving . ans . but there 's a great deal of difference between them and these times that here the apostle speaks of . now the keeping of holy daies is this : we account the time holy , and the very duty is more acceptable because it is performed at that time ; as now on the sabbath day , there may be a sermon on the week day , but certainly it 's a more holy worship of god to hear upon the sabbath , than on the week day , and we sanctifie gods name more on the sabbath than on the week ; why ? because the time doth sanctifie the duty , being set apart by god : as in the temple , the duty was more acceptable than in any other place , why ? because it was set apart by god ; but we cannot make any place holy , and so no time holy : so that our daies of fasting & thansgiving are only thus , that we wil spend that time in holy duties , to humble our selves , or to bless god , but not to make this time holy , so that the duty should be holy because it 's on this day rather than on another day ; that 's the superstition of it , when a duty should be holy rather on this day than on another ; as now , some they think it 's a more holy thing to receive the lords supper on an ester day than on another day ; this is superstition , to think the duty is more holy by any holiness that men put upon a thing , that 's unbeseeming the gospel ; and we are redeemed from such vain conversations by the blood of christ ; and while men stick upon these things , and say , let them do what they will me thinks these things are good and right , it 's very evil . thus it was with the galatians , they had more seeming reason to think that those things that they stuck upon were according to god than you , yet saith the apostle , i am afraid of you lest i have spent all my labor in vain , lest i have been a burning and shining lamp to no purpose : and truly there 's no people of which there can be less hope that the ministry of the word should work sayingly upon , than those people that are set upon old customs in the worship of god , as wines upon their lees : and till the lord be pleased to take off your hearts from old customs in the service and worship of god , there 's a plain demonstration that the preaching of the gospel hath not prevailed with your hearts , for you do not live as becomes the gospel : that which becomes the gospel it is worshiping god only in a spiritual way , the consecrating of your souls and bodies . and all you have to the worship of god , in making them to be an holy sacrifice to god , and that according to the rules of the gospel , which is your reasonable service . and that 's another particular that the gospel teaches : and therefore to live as becomes the gospel is , to worship god in spirit and in truth . the tenth thing that i shall further add of what the gospel holds forth to us , and that is of such consequence that i shall a little insist upon it , that is , the near relation that we are in to god and christ , and spiritual union with him . this is opened in the gospel more fully than ever it was before . the relation to god. first , god as a father , and beleevers as children , yea , and as children of age ; for though in the law , it 's true , we find that god was there a father , and ephraim was his deer son : but you shall find in the . of galatians , that now we are as children of age ; whereas beleevers in the time of the law were under age . now you know any of your children when they come to be of age , and to live to themselves , and out of their apprentiships , then their lives are after another manner than when they were little children in their non-age , now they come to have stocks in their hands , to trade for themselves , and not to be any more as servants ; a child before he comes of age is under tutors and governors in the family , but when he comes to yeers of discretion , then he lives like a man , and commands rather in the family , and is serviceable to none , but his father and mother . so we should live as becomes children of age , that is , manifesting in our conversations a staiedness , wisdom , and gravity , and now to live more above the things of this world than before we did , as children of age . and for the union we have with god , that is , that the saints now are made one with god , and with christ his son : in cor. . . he that is joyned to the lord , is one spirit . it 's a very strange expression , we are one spirit with god and with jesus christ . o what conversation becomes this , that we should be principled and acted with the same spirit ? surely such a one as must manifest that we are crowned & graced with the same spirit , that is gods spirit , and the spirit of jesus christ his son ; now surely that must needs be a very holy spiritual conversation . cor. . . yea , the spirit of god dwelleth in you ( saith the text ) and cor. . , i will dwell in them , and walk in them , and i will be their god , and they shall be my people . see the neer union that we have with god that the gospel holds forth to us . yea and there is another phrase which is very remarkable , that as the spirit of god is in beleevers , so beleevers are in the spirit : gal. . . if we live in the spirit , let us also walk in the spirit ( saith the text . ) the spirit lives in us , and we live in the spirit , what conversation must there needs be here then ? oh let us walk , not in a fleshly way , to satisfie the lusts of the flesh , but in the spirit , the fruits that do become the spirit of god : you shall see them in this . of gal. . vers . &c. but the fruit of the spirit , is love , joy , peace , long-suffering , gentleness , goodness , faith , meekness , temperance , against such there is no law. and they that are christs , have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts of it . if we walk in the spirit , then here 's the fruit of the spirit ; would you have your conversations such as becomes the gospel , then mark but these three phrases . . the spirit of god is in you , in a constant way taking up his habitation and residence in your bosoms . . you live in the very spirit , as in the proper element of a christian . . you are one spirit with god. put these three , and oh now , how unbeseeming to these three expressions ( that we have in the gospel and no where else ) is it for professors of the gospel so satisfie the lusts of the flesh ? oh how unsutable are fleshly lusts to a spiritual man ? oh take heed of this for ever you that make profession of the gospel , do not wallow in the mire of uncleanness , do not give liberty to the lusts of the flesh , but mortifie the lusts of the flesh and the deeds thereof , for you are joyned so neer to god himself , ye live in god too : col. . . your life is hid with christ in god. it 's a very transcendent phrase that the saints do live in god ; you do not only live in the aire , and breath in the aire , but while you live here in the world you live in god , oh the wonderful mystery of the gospel ! and the high things that are held forth in the gospel , that gods spirit is in us , and we are in the spirit , and we are the same spirit with god , yea , and we live in god ; oh then what a conversation should be sutable to these things ; seeing these things are thus , what manner of persons ought we to be ? yea , and there is another expression and that 's more full than any of these , and that 's in the prayer of christ , in the . of john , . that they all may be one , as thou father art in me , and i in thee , that they also may be one in vs . the gospel discovers this union , for the saints to be one with the father and son , as the father and son are one ; now those that are joyned so neer to god , their conversations had need be holy , and blameless , witnessing the glory of that god that they are so neer related to . i remember in handling of that point in drawing nigh to god in his worship : there we shewed what holiness is required in those that are so nigh to god ; but those that are one with god , and in god oh how much of god , of jesus christ should shine forth by their lives in the faces of others ? reade these scriptures and by faith make them real to your souls , and then let your consciences tell you what conversations is required of you : if you be a beleever , this is so : charge your souls with this , when any temptation to evil comes ; what , is it fit for such a one as i to live thus , who have the spirit of god dwelling in me , yea and i dwelling in the spirit of god , and joyned so as to be one spirit with god , yea and to live in god , and to be one with god , as the father and the son is one ? and is this conversation such as beseems one that is raised to such a height of honor as this is ? christians , remember this , it wil be a mighty help to your holy conversations , to put you on to shine before men in a holy conversation , to walk in the spirit , considering the near union we have with god ; we should never have known these things had we not had them revealed to us by the gospel . oh this glorious gospel that hath revealed such glorious things to us as this is . and then , our relation and our union with jesus christ . you know the scripture makes christ sometimes to be the root , and we the branches , therefore we are to bring forth fruit , seeing that we are branches in him that is the root : bring forth fruit sutable to the sap. you that bring forth sowr grapes , grapes of gomorrah , that have bitter tart spirits , and live in any wicked and sinful way : is this the sap that is sutable to the root ? you are graffed into jesus christ , and not into a crab-stock : and do you receive this sap from the root ? oh you are a dishonor to the root you grow upon . i am the true vine ( saith christ , ) and every branch in me beareth fruit , and my father purgeth it , that it may bring forth more fruit . christians should so live in their conversations as to manifest the fulness of the sap and juyce that there is in the root , the lord jesus christ ; it 's not enough here and there to have a leaf , and a grape or two , but full ripe clusters of grapes becomes those that grow upon such a fruitful root . and then you know , christ is the head , and we the members . then do not dishonor your head : when there is a temptation comes to any sin , but will not this be a dishonor to my head ? do i receive such a spirit from the head to act after such a sinful course ? oh be not a crown of thorns to your head jesus christ . yea , and the union is very great ; for it is not only that we are members of christ , and so we are in christ ; but christ in us : the root is not in the branch , though the branches be in the root : and the head is not in the members , though the head be joyned with the members . but christ is in us , as we are in him , and so the union is very glorious and mysterious . you complain of weakness : but is there not strength in christ ? are you not joyned to christ thus , and a member of him , and a branch in him ? what ever infirmities you have which bows you down , yet there is power enough in jesus christ to convay to any , to enable them to walk in an holy conversation before the lord , to renew their strength as the eagle : manifest then the vertue of your head , from whence all the sinnews of every members strength doth arise . and then , you know the relation we have to christ , as he is the husband , we the spouse : oh do not discredit your husband . any wise vertuous wife would make it a mighty argument against any evil way ; it will disgrace my husband ; especially if her husband be a publick man in place and authority . oh let this be an argument against every sin , even the appearence of evil , it will be dishonorable to the lord jesus who is my husband , how can i do this wickedness against my lord , and my god , who hath betrothed me to himself , so that i am bone of his bone , and flesh of his flesh . that 's the second thing . and then a third thing that the gospel holds forth to us that we should labor to sute our conversations according , is this ; the near vnion that the saints have one with another . it 's not so revealed any where as in the gospel . rom. . . we are said there , to be members one of another , as we are members of christ . ( i beseech you observe it ) so we are members one of another . that scripture may be in stead of all for this , in ephes . . . the exhortation there to unity ; we must endeavor to keep the unity of the spirit in the bond of peace . why ? for , there is one body , and one spirit , even as ye are called in one hope of your calling . one lord , one faith , one baptism , one god and father of all , who is above all , and through all , and in you all . see , here 's some seven ones to be an argument of unity . one body , and one spirit , and called in the hope of one calling , and one lord , and one faith , and one baptism , and one god : where have you such a unity demonstrated but in the gospel of peace and love ? and i do not know in all the book of god where any one duty is more pressed than unity . somewhat we hinted in speaking of the love of god , which is a great design of the gospel to hold forth , and there we spake somewhat of love : but here of the unity of the saints , being so neer united into one thing , the saints should be one ; and certainly it 's the most unbeseeming thing in the world that can be for saints to be divided in their affections upon some little differences in judgment ; let me argue with you , what ? was the coat of christ without any seam , and shall the body of christ be rent all to pieces ? fy for shame , the gospel of christ is in your hands which teacheth another lesson . next to our salvation , the gospel intends the union of saints , & there 's nothing prest more strongly in every leaf of it , and it 's here in my very text that makes me to speak to this ; for mark the very words that follow in this of my text , phil. . . only let your conversation be as becomes the gospel of christ . now if you should say , wherein should we walk so ? the apostle doth answer then , that ye stand fast in one spirit , with one mind , striving together for the faith of the gospel . mark , striving together , he would have the saints to be strivers : i but strivers for what ? not for their own will and humors , and opinions , and fancies , and customs , and traditions which are out of date ; but strivers for the faith , for the faith of the gospel , for the doctrine of faith ; and they should labor to joyn all their strength together ( both shoulders and hearts : ) there 's a great deal of striving now , professors of the gospel they strive asunder ; but the holy ghost would have us strive together ; and this is as becomes the gospel ( saith the text : ) the apostle here doth instance in this particular above all others , that to live as it becomes the gospel , it is to stand fast , with one spirit , with one mind , striving together for the faith of the gospel . oh how unbecoming the gospel is the waies and lives of most christians now ! q. you will say , from whence are these sad divisions and risings up of hearts amongst the tribes , so that one thinks that he hath the truth , and another judgeth that he alone is in the right way ? a. i beseech you therefore , because it 's so fully instanced in the very words of the text , that the apostle instances in this particular , give me leave to speak of it in a few words , certainly his meaning is not ( when he saith , that you shall be of one spirit , and of one mind , ) that men should give up their judgements and consciences to the opinions of other men , that others ( according to their power ) may again lord it over us and so enslave our selves , to draw in their yokes , to grind in their mills , and plow with their asses , yea that were against other scriptures . no , but the meaning is this , that we should labor to find out what is truth , search for it as for silver , and go according to what light we have , but yet so , though we should differ , to keep the unity of the spirit in the bond of peace , and joyn in al things that we can , and walk so lovingly , that it may appear , that if there be difference , it is meerly that which conscience makes , because we dare not deny what we are perswaded in conscience is a truth : we cannot put out the convincing light of the candle of the lord which is set up within us , yet we can live in unity and peace and be useful one to another , communicating our gifts , and graces , comforts and experiences one to another as it becomes christians . and indeed it is a greater honor to the gospel , for men though they do differ in their judgments , yet if they can keep the unity of the spirit in the bond of peace , i say , it 's a great honor to the gospel than if they were all of the same mind . you know the turks they are al of one mind , but i cannot say so of the papists , yet they have a chain to keep them together . we read of the egyptians , that when it was darkness among them , they sat still and kept close together , but when it came to be light , every man went about his own business : so when light doth begin to break forth , and there 's liberty given to search into truths ; we cannot imagin that at the very first men should be of the same judgment , except they will give up their consciences and sacrifice their reason one to another , but though they be not of one judgement , yet there may be kept a blessed unity of affection , there may be a golden girdle clapsed about their loins : yea and of practice so far as men can with peace of conscience and joy in the holy ghost , so as not to sin against conscience and light ; unity of affection and practice should be endeavored to the utmost , and it is a most christian thing so to do ; and certainly this should be studied and endeavored by us , as much as lieth in us . me thinks when i reade over the epistles of paul , or any part of the new testament , i see nothing more pressed than this ( next to beleeving in jesus christ , ) and therefore it should be the care of christians . and as it ought to be the care of christians to study unity and peace ; so i beseech you that small differences may not be abused and heightned so far , as because some do differ from others , that therefore presently ( if they be the least part especially ) all the odium should be cast upon them , though they can appeal to god that they do endeavour to know the mind of god , and to keep unity so far as they can without sin . and we shall see that the scripture doth never lay the sin of devision upon any , except those that do lay it upon them are able to say , that those make division from some corrupt end or other of their own : and then it charges them deeply ; as that place is most famous that you have in rom. . , . ( and i verily perswade my self that there is many of your that hear this text very much abused ) now i beseech you brethren , mark those which cause divisions and offences contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned , and avoid them . this is the great place against that sin which we call schism , for schism is nothing but a rending asunder , that cause division , [ schism ] contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned and avoid them . now you know the sin of schism was cast by the popish bishops heretofore upon all that would not be of their minds in any ceremonies and will-worship , and because many would not come up to the rails , and submit to receive the lords supper by kneeling in that way that it was then admistred by our prelatical priests , therefore they were termed schismaticks : and so at this day , many cry out of others if so be they cannot swallow camels with them , if so be they differ in some things wherein they cannot joyn with them because it would be sin and a snare to them , they presently say they are guilty of schism , and faction ( there is a great deal of taking gods name in vain in this thing ; ) yet they do not tell you what the true nature of schism is , but if any persons joyn not with the greater part ( which is usually least conscientious ) that 's schism in an high degree ; this is not that that becomes the gospel , presently to judg all that differ from us . but mark the next words and there the apostle tells what schism is . first , it must be contrary to sound doctrine , for ( saith he ) they that are such , serve not our lord jesus christ , but their own belly , and by good words , and fair speeches deceive the hearts of the simple : the apostle could take it upon his conscience by seeing the behaviour of these men , that the cause why they differed from others it was , not out of tenderness of conscience and desire to know the mind of god , but by their behavior he saw enough to satisfie his conscience , their conversation gave their profession the lye ; and therefore ( saith he ) avoid such . so i confess , if men can take it upon their consciences , as they would answer to jesus christ ; i see such and such men to differ thus ; but i can appeal to christ in it , that upon these and these grounds i am perswaded it is not out of tenderness of conscience , and i am verily perswaded that there is no willingness in them to know the mind of christ , but it is to serve their own carnal ends , and purposes . i confess if we can take this upon our consciences as we will answer it to jesus christ , that there are such and such grounds upon which we beleeve christ wil so account , that such men do not differ through their tenderness , but from their own carnal ends , these men may be accounted schismaticks : this is the sin of schism , when through want of love and to serve their own by-ends men shall rend one from another : but now is it possible to think that the holy ghost should lay so great a load ( as to command the saints to avoid such persons ) upon men whose consciences are upright with god , sure when a man shall be able to appeal to god , and say , lord , thou that knowest all things , knowest that it is the desire of my soul to know thy will , and i search for it , and pray for it , and it is the affliction of my soul that i differ in any thing from my brethren that i see to be godly , and if i knew thy mind , thou knowest i would quickly close with them , and account it the greatest happiness that can befall me in this life to shake hands with them in such and such particulars ; but thou hast laid this charge upon me , that i must do what i do out of faith , and i should sin against that rule of thine if i should yeeld to that that i see no footing for out of thy word . now if a soul should make this moan to jesus christ , do you think that christ would account this man a schismatick ? and that he must be avoided and persecuted 〈◊〉 a schismatick ? no certainly there 's a great mistake in this , and this is meerly for want of charity ; and that which the holy ghost is so bitter against is , when men for want of love to their brethren , and for to serve their own base ends make breaches and rents in the church ; judge such now to be guilty of the sin of schism and no other ; for that is to break unity , to judge others guilty of schism , meerly because they differ from you , and cannot reade by your spectacles , these extreams that i have spoken of are waies that are very much unbeseeming the gospel of christ , for men our of base ends to break unity , to rend from the saints ; or otherwise because men joyn not with you in every thing you desire , therefore presently to put such a brand upon them , as to stigmatize them for schismaticks , certainly this unchristian like nicknaming the children of god maintains the breach and widens it more and more ; whereas the conversation that becomes the gospel is to study , to find out the truth . and do i see learned and godly men of another judgment ? let me pray more unto the father of lights for the spirit of revelation : it may be i may mistake ; if i be mistaken , lord discover it , let me not go on in the waies of darkness , but take away the scales from my understanding , that i may see into the deep things of god and his gospel ; and therefore others that they differ from should tender these as brethren , and look upon them and see , are they not consciencious in all their other waies ? can i be able to find any fault with them in their lives and conversations ? it may be it 's their mistake , then let me pray for them and labor to help them , and tender them all i can , it may be god will reveal his mind to them more fully afterward : now in what we have attained let us walk , and if any be otherwise minded god will reveal his mind to them , and this carriage should be in christians one towards another , that differ one from another , and this is a conversation becoming the gospel : but when one differs from another , for to give reviling speeches , and names of disgrace , and to cast dirt one upon another , this is exceeding unbecoming the gospel , yea , if the heathens were amongst us , they would even loath the gospel of jesus christ to see the carriage of christians that there are at this day amongst us : but the conversation that becomes the gospel of christ , is that which manifests unity , to live in unity one with another , for the gospel preacheth to us the greatest unity of christians that possibly can be between man and man. again , the gospel holds forth this , the glorious happiness of the saints in heaven . you cannot find much of that in the law , in all the old testament you find but little of eternal life , i cannot discover three texts from genesis to the end of malachi that doth cleerly hold forth eternal life ; it 's true , our forefathers ( no question ) in the old testament did know that there was eternal life , and some scriptures there are that do tend that way ; but i beleeve there 's none of you can give many texts from genesis to malachi that do expresly hold forth the glory of the saints in heaven . now the gospel that holds it forth in tim. . . saith the apostle there ( speaking of the glory of the saints and immortality ) in the . ver . who hath saved us , and called us with an holy calling , not according to our works , but according to his own purpose and grace , which he hath givin us in christ jesus before the world began : but is now made manifest by the appearance of our savior jesus christ , who hath abolished death , and hath brought life and immortality to light through the gospel . how comes life and immortality to be brought to light through the gospel ? did not our forefathers know of life and immortality before ? yes , but very darkly , and some of the eminent ones knew but little of that exceeding riches of glory and happiness the saints shall be crowned with in heaven , life and immortality is brought to light through the gospel . in former times was it known ( till christ came in the flesh ) that the happiness of the saints should be in the vision of god , in standing before the face of god , and beholding him in glory in heaven ? did they know the communion that the saints shall have w th god , and with jesus christ in his bodily presence in glory ? did they understand the fruition of god , and gods being all in all to the saints , as he shal be in the communication of all fulness of good ? did they understand the inheritance of the saints which is in light ? did they know that the saints were not only heirs , but co-heirs with jesus christ ? these things are known only in the gospel , the glorious reward of the saints . did they in the time of the law , know that these bodies of ours should be made more glorious than the sun in the firmament ? this the gospel tels us , that these lumps of clay which we carry now about with us , shall be one day more glorious than the sun shining in his luster . did they know that our bodies should be made like to the glorious body of jesus christ ? that it is sown in weakness ; but it is raised in power ; sown in dishonor , but raised in glory ; sown a natural body , but should rise a spiritual body ; and sown in corruption , and should be raised in incorruption ? certainly these things were very little known to the forefathers , ( if known at all . ) now these things were the great counsels of god , that were kept hid from all eternity , only the lord did reserve the discovery thereof to the coming of his son , that was the time for opening of heaven , heaven was shut , and there was little seen of the glory thereof till christ was incarnate in the flesh , the lord ( i say ) reserved the opening of the gates of heaven , and the shewing of the glory of it to the saints till the coming of jesus christ . christ now tels us of mansions that he is gone before to prepare for us , and when our earthly tabernacle is dissolved , we have a building , not made with hands , but eternal in the heavens . oh now my brethren , how ought we to live ? it 's the argument of the apostle when he speaks but of the great chang in the church here ( speaking of new heavens and a new earth ) it 's meant of the state of the church that it shall be in even here ; ●nd saith he , what manner of persons ought we to be in all holiness and godly conversation ? but then when we hear of the highest heavens , abrahams bosom , the paradise , the saints shall be living with christ , wrapt up to the third heavens ( as the apostle was : ) oh what manner of persons ought we to be in all godliness and holy conversation ? now if you should ask me , what conversation is becoming the gospel ? i would tell you , that which we have in the third chap. of this epistle ; for our conversation is in heaven . upon what ground is it ? from whence also we look for the savior , the lord jesus christ , who shall chang our vile body , that it may be fashioned like to his glorious body . we look ( saith he ) for the lord jesus christ from heaven , who shall put forth such a power as shall change our vile bodies , that they may be fashioned like unto his glorious body ; therefore our conversation is in heaven . do you expect that this flesh of yours should be made like the sun in the heavens , like the glorious body of jesus christ ? oh then do not abuse your flesh to sin , make not provision for the flesh to satisfie the lusts thereof , let no member of your body be a weapon of unrighteousness to sin against god withal : when you are tempted to any bodily sin , stop your selves with this meditation : shall i sin against god with this body of mine that i beleeve shall one day be more glorious than the sun in the firmament , which ere long will be made like to the glorious body of jesus christ ? have we the hopes and promises of such an inheritance in heaven ? oh then , let not only our thoughts be there , but our conversation , our trading , our only business be there also ; oh let it appear that we have heavenly hearts , and spiritual carriages , that we live as it becomes those that hope within a few daies , or months , to be possest with the glory of heaven which christ hath prepared for us ; such should our conversations be , heavenly conversations , shining with the light of the glory of heaven upon us , heaven should appear in our conversations now , so that they who look upon us and converse with us , may truly judg , these are the citizens of the new jerusalem , free denizons of heaven , they speak the very language of canaan already , and ere long they wil be possest of that promised land. i 'le conclude all now with one scripture , in cor. . . forasmuch as ye are manifestly declared to be the epistle of christ ministred by us , written , not with ink , but with the spirit of the living god ; not in tables of stone , but in fleshly tables of the heart . mark ; the apostle here tels the corinthians that they are manifestly declared to be the epistle of christ : observe the text , the people of god , beleevers , are manifestly declared to be the epistle of christ . quest . epistle of christ ( you wil say ) what 's the meaning of that ? or what use can you make of that to your point ? answ . the meaning of it is this , that christ doth by them , or in them , write an epistle to the world , to declare to the world his mind and his will ; 't is as if the apostle should say , you that are beleevers , know that christ makes use of you to declare to the world , what he is , what his glory is , you are his epistle ; christ sends by you the knowledge of himself into the world , so that when the world looks upon you , they that run may reade in your lives and conversations , and examples the very epistle of christ ( transcribed to the life ) whereby he declares to the world his excellencies and his glory in lively characters . now my brethren , this should be the conversation of all saints , ( that is ) they should in their lives be the epistle of jesus christ , there should be ( as it were ) fairly written in their lives the graces of jesus christ , the mysteries of the gospel , the deep things of god. would you know what christs mind is ? and what the excellencies of christ are , and of the gospel ? reade it in the saints , in their lives , see their waies and you may know much of the mind of christ in them , you that cānot tel a letter in the book , yet you may read this epistle , you may reade the epistle that jesus christ sends to the world , to convince the world : now the epistle that christ sends to the world , is not only in his word ( there indeed is a great epistle that christ hath sent , for the scripture is no other , but as an ancient cals it , the epistle of god to the world , god sends his letter to the world ) but the saints are christs epistle likewise wherin christs mind is to be read and known ; then let your conversations be such , as that you may be a full epistle of christ to the whole world , that all the world may reade what christ is in you , take heed of blotting and blurring this epistle . if there be a letter sent from a great man , if a prince or a king send a letter , it uses to come fairly written , and if those that should bring it , should all besmeer it , and blot the letter so as it could not be read , it would be taken exceeding ill . so , you that profess your selves to be christians , you do not bring the letter only , but you are the letter , therfore do not blot & blur this epistle of christ , but keep it fair , that all with whom you converse , all in the family may every day reade somewhat of the mind of jesus christ in your conversations , that so you may be the glory of christ , as in that scripture , cor. . . it is said of titus and other fellow-helpers , that they were the messengers of the churches , and the glory of christ . oh! this all professors of religion should endeavor to be , the glory of jesus christ ; that wheresoever they live , all might see the glory of jesus christ held forth there ; whithersoever you go , you may carry the glory of jesus christ about you . oh christians ! i appeal to your consciences , do you live so , as the glory of christ shines in you in the course of your lives ? as the shine of the candle goes through the lanthorn , so the shine and glory of jesus christ should go through christians in their conversations to dazle the eyes of the world ; oh! do not darken the glory of christ , but make it as bright as possibly thou canst , that so this pu●blind world may be able to see somewhat in the glory of christ in your conversations ; this should be the great care of your lives . sermon vii . phil. . . only let your conversation be as becomes the gospel of christ . we have preached ( you know ) many sermons upon this necessary and seasonable duty ; that as christians are to sanctifie the name of god in worship : so in their conversations : their lives and conversations must be such as becomes the gospel of christ , [ worthy ] of the gospel of christ , ( for so i told you the word signified . ) now we are upon this great point . what conversation is that which becomes the gospel of christ . i 'le only add one scriptare more to the last thing i named , and then proceed . that the revealing of the glory of heaven in the gospel should work mightily upon our hearts to labor for a conversation sutable thereunto . in titus , . , , . for the grace of god ( saith he , that 's the gospel ) that bringeth salvation , hath appeared to all men : ( what doth it teach us ? ) that denying ungodliness and worldly lusts , we should live soberly , righteously , and godly in this present world . we have made use of this scripture thus far already ; but that which i quote it for , is the refference of this to the next words , looking for that blessed hope , and the glorious appearing of the great god , and our savior jesus christ . here 's a scripture that if ever the lord did enlighten us in the things of the gospel , that we have been brought to beleeve it 's a scripture that would mightily work upon our hearts to live godlily and holily : the grace of god that bringeth salvation ; what doth it teach us ? not to be licentious , and vain , and slight , and bold in our sinful courses ; but teaching us that denying ungodliness and worldly lusts , we should live soberly , righteously , and godly in this present world . mark , it is not enough to live soberly , not to be a drunkard , to live righteously , that is , not to wrong any body , many think that 's enough : but mark , indeed the light of nature ( as i told you ) would teach us that ; but now the grace of god that bringeth salvation teacheth us more , to deny all ungodliness and worldly lusts , and to live soberly , righteously , and godly , and that in this present world : though we live in the midst of a wicked tempting world , yet to live godly . and what 's the great argument in the gospel to cause us to live godly in this present world ? looking for the blessed hope : oh we look for a blessed hope that the gospel reveals , oh we did not understand this hope , this blessed hope till the gospel was preached to us ; but since we apprehend a blessed hope , the holy ghost hath raised in our hearts a blessed hope of glorious things : what glorious things ? looking for the blessed hope , and glorious appearing of the great god , and our savior jesus christ . we have some little glimps of the great god when we set forth to sea , and launce into the deeps , we see the glory of the great god , who rideth upon the wings of the wind , and whom both the winds and the seas obey : oh but we look for another manner of the glorious appearing of the great god than ever yet hath appeared . i beseech you consider of this text , god did never appear great and glorious in comparison of what he will appear , and blessed are those whose conversations shall be such , that can look upon the face of this great god with joy when he shall appear in glory ; we look for this blessed hope , and then when this great god shall appear in his glory , then we shall have our blessed hope , and this teaches us to deny all ungodliness , and worldly lusts , the knowledge of this ; oh do you look to be saved ? have you a blessed hope , and do you expect the appearing of the great god in glory ? hath the gospel revealed these things unto you ? o let this that the gospel reveals teach us to deny all ungodliness , and all worldy lusts , and to live soberly , righteously , and godly in this present world . but there are yet some other things that the gospel holds forth that are very remarkable , for the furtherance of our godly conversation in this world , and if we would live as becomes the gospel , we must have a right understanding of these things , or else we shall never sute our selves to the gospel , except we do therby apprehend these great points that are published to us in and by the gospel . as now , this is a great point , that the kingdom of jesus christ is not of this world . the gospel holds forth this to us , that jesus christ the son of god , having taken our nature upon him , he is a great king , he hath a kingdom , but he hath a kingdom that is not of this world , neither is christ of this world , nor his kingdom of this world , nor the saints , those that are the subjects of his kingdom are not of this world ; the right understanding of this would much help us in our conversations , and a conversation beseeming this would much honor the gospel . first , we shall shew how the gospel holds forth this , that the kingdom of christ is not in this world , mark those scriptures in john , . . jesus answered , my kingdom is not of this world : if my kingdom were of this world , then would my servants fight that i should not be delivered to the jews ; but now is my kingdom not from hence . therefore ( as if he should say ) you must not wonder or think much that i am thus apprehended , and delivered up to men , that they do with me what they please ; though i be the great king of my church appointed by my father , yet my kingdom is not of this world , and i came not hither for pomp and glory . the glory of christ in his kingdom , here is spiritual . indeed when this world shall be at an end , then christ will appear gloriously , though the scripture speaks of a world hereafter wherein christ shall appear gloriously , but whether personally or otherwise that we speak not of : but that christ shall appear a glorious king even in the world , not this world , but upon the earth , and yet the scripture speaks of that as another world , a new heaven , and a new earth , but for the present ; for that that the scripture cals this world , we must not expect a pompous and glorious kingdom till ther ebe a new world , till there be new heavens , and a new earth , this the gospel holds forth . whereas the people of the jews they thought as soon as the messias came , he presently should be an outward monarch , in outward pomp and glory ; no saith christ , this world must pass away first , i must come first and reign spiritually in another way , and for my kingdom there is a time for the glory of it to appear when another world shall come , but while this world lasts , never expect any such outward pomp and glory in the way of my kingdom , i have a kingdom indeed here in this world , but it is not of this world , i have a kingdom wherein i reign spiritually in the hearts of my people , there i have set up my throne , and therein i have writ my laws by which i guide and order all things for their eternal salvation , but my kingdom is not of this world : yea and he saith likewise in john , . . i am not of this world neither . and john , . . ( for john that beloved disciple who lay in the bosom of christ he knew much of the mind and heart of christ , and was much instructed in this mystery , and indeed none of those that did converse with christ knew more of the bosom of christ than john did ) if ye were of the world , the world would love his own : but because ye are not of the world , but i have chosen you out of the world . so that as christ is not of the world so the saints are not of the world : in the . of john , . i have given them thy word , and the world hath hated them , because they are not of the world , even as i am not of the world ▪ mark , as i am not of the world , so they are not of the world : thus scripture is cleer , that neither christ nor his kingdom is of this world ; and therefore beleevers are not of this world . and hence then , what conversation becomes this gospel of christ ? even a conversation sequestred from the things of this world , a conversation that shall manifest the hearts being taken off and disingaged from sublunary comforts and accommodations , a conversation which proves that the soul seeks not great things for its-self here below , but is fully content with a morsel of bread and a cup of cold water , though others fare deliciously every day ; so beleevers should manifest in their conversations that they do not much pass or care how things go in this world , because christ is not of this world , and the kingdom of christ in which they make account their happiness to be involved , that is not of the world , yea they are men redeemed from this present world ; gal. . . it is said , that by christ we came to be redeemed from this present evil world ; ( it 's a very remarkable scripture ) who gave himself for our sins ; ( to what end ? ) that he might deliver us from this present evil world , according to the will of god , and our father . i beseech you observe this text , christ gave himself to deliver us from our sins , that we might not perish eternally : and was that all ? no , that he might deliver us from this present evil world ; i do not know a more forcible text in all the book of god to take off the hearts of those that profess the gospel from the world , so as they should not whine and murmur at the loss of every little thing in the world , nor be solicitously careful for the things of this life , nor be offended though the men of the world prevail in the world , and have the upper hand , and carry things in a worldly way , let them go on in all their pagentry and greatness : but if thou beest one that belongst to christ , know that christ hath laid down his life to purchase this for thee , to deliver thee from this world ; now , is christ blood laid down to purchase this ? and yet wilt thou have thy heart glewed to the ground , and wholly place thy contentment in the earth , and seek for thy happiness here in the dust ? oh get up thy heart then from all these things , and make it appear by thy conversation that thou art one that by the vertue of the death of jesus christ art delivered from this world , and therefore though thou hast not such a portion in worldly goods as other men have , never envy them , for christ hath ransomed you from the world , there 's another kingdom that thou hast thy portion and interest in , christ hath made us kings and priests to his father , and hath made us heirs and co-heirs of that kingdom that his father hath given him , yea , and that he himself hath purchased ; and so you must in your conversations make it appear , that you do see another kingdom beyond this kingdom of the world that you are made partakers of , wherein you shall reign with christ for ever : now this conversation doth beseem the gospel . and therefore you shal find it in the th of matth. about the . vers . christ shews what kind of conversation he would have in those that once come to beleeve in him , ( saith he ) he that loveth father or mother more than me , is not worthy of me : and he that loveth son or daughter more than me , is not worthy of me : and he that taketh not up his cross and followeth after me , is not worthy of me . he that findeth his life shall lose it ; and he that loseth his life for my sake , shall find it . here he shews what it is that would make the soul worthy of christ in a gospel sense . if our hearts be taken off from father and mother , and those comforts & relations that are the dearest in the world , brother , or sister , or son , or daughter ; not to take off our natural affection , but to take off our hearts so , as they should not be hinderances of us in spiritual things , that our main affections should flow forth after spiritual things ; then we come to be worthy of christ : then the other conversation is unworthy of christ . didst thou ever know the lord jesus christ and the way of his kingdom ? then why is thy heart set upon the world as the hearts of other men that are strangers to jesus christ ? in eph. . . ( when the apostle speaks of those things that most men in the world are greedy after ) but fornication , and all uncleaness , or covetousness , let it not be once named among you , as becometh saints . as if he should say , saints , those that know jesus christ , and the way of his kingdom , for them to have their hearts either set upon bodily lusts , or covetousness , the things of this world , it doth not becom them , it is not a gospel conversation becoming saints ; a heart greedy of the things of this world , and wallowing in the lusts of this world , oh 't is unbeseeming saints ! those that do profess the gospel of christ that shews unto us that the kingdom of christ is not of this world . again , another great point that the gospel holds forth to us , is this , the great difference or the change that it makes in the estate of a man or woman when once it prevails with him : then the great difference is made in him , from what he was before , and from other men ; this is held forth in the gospel and no where else : i say the wonderful change that the gospel makes in men when once it comes to work upon their hearts in the evidence and demonstration of the spirit , and the great difference between their estates before and what now is , and between them and other men ; i put these two together , first , the great change that the gospel makes in the hearts of men from what there was before the gospel came . you know the scripture in prophesying of the times of the gospel saith , that the wolf shall eat with the lamb , and the lyon with the kid , and the child shall play upon the very hole of the asp : the meaning is generally carried thus , that when the gospel comes it shall change the hearts of men so mightily , that though they were wolvish before , and cruel ; as if you should see a wolf changed into a lamb , or as if you should see a lyon changed into a kid , you would say , this were a mighty change ; the gospel makes such a change as this is , they that are in christ are new creatures , it 's a new creation ; suppose god should make a new world , what a mighty thing were this ! or a new sun should be created in the firmament that never was before , how would we stand and wonder ! those that are in christ are new creatures , god puts forth a creating power upon them , cor. . old things are pass'd away , all things are become new ( you know the apostle saith : ) and the change that is made , it is called a new birth , except you be born again , you cannot enter into the kingdom of heaven , john , . if there were a new soul put into one , or if god should infuse a rational soul into a beast , here would be a mighty change ; thou wert a beast before , but here is the soul of grace , there 's a new birth when the gospel comes to prevail , and to enter in upon an heart , and it 's call'd a new resurrection ; if there should be a voice come from heaven that should open all the graves that you have here in the yard , and all the dead bodies should stand up and live , what a mighty change would there be ? such a change doth the gospel make when it conquers a people ; indeed the gospel may be preached and little change may be wrought , because the power of the gospel prevails not with their hearts ; but when it doth prevail in their hearts there is such a strange change . oh then , what conversation become this ? it must be a conversation that doth hold forth to the world that there is such a mighty change wrought in you : now i appeal to you , you that make profession of the gospel , you know what you have been heretofore , worldly , and base , and carnal , and sensual , and froward , and peevish , and prophane men , altogether unsavory before the gospel came to you ; now you profess that god hath begun to work upon you by the gospel , what change hath it wrought in you ? can those that live with you see your conversations so changed as to make them stand and admire at the work of the gospel upon your hearts ? the husband to stand and admire at the work of god upon the heart of the wife as if she were another woman , and so the wife to admire at the grace of god upon the heart of the husband , as if he were another man ; and so your children and servants not the same that heretofore they were ? oh what honour would this be to the gospel , that in places where it comes to be preached in power there might appear a change , that becomes the gospel of christ ? certainly if your conversations be not such as holds forth a mighty change that god hath wrought in you , then it is not such as becomes the gospel of christ : it may be you are somewhat better than heretofore you have been , as not to be a common drunkard , you see that 's despised by men ; who regards drunken fools , mad-men , very beasts ? therfore you come to be of more understanding , that you will not be so prophane and lascivious as you were wont to be , but live somewhat better . oh but this change is not that change which holds forth the work of the gospel , for when the gospel prevails it makes the gre●test change that ever was made in the world , we may boldly ascert this , that since the creation of god in the first six daies , there was never such a change made in the world as the gospel makes ; and therefore a conversation becoming the gospel , must be a conversation that must be a changed conversation , must be mightily different from what they were before : sometimes we see it so through the mercy of god , that when men and women come to hear the word in the cleerness and power of it to be revealed , they have such changes , that al their friends stand wondring at them , what shall we have of you now ! oh such have cause to answer and say , blessed be god it is so , it is the gospel that hath made such a change in me . i , this becomes the gospel , when it shall appear that your conversation is so changed , so holy , and godly , and gracious now over it was before . but you whose lives are not better than they were before ; before you made some profession , only your profession now is greater than it was before , but your lives no better , know , this is a conversation that doth no way become the gospel of christ , the gospel of christ hath no honor by this conversation of yours . and then , the great difference that the gospel makes between one man and another . as now , those that the gospel doth not prevail upon , the scripture tels us , they are the children of wrath , they are dead in trespasses and sins , they are under the curse of the law , they are even enemies to god ; this is the condition of al men before this scepter of christ conquers their hearts , children of wrath , enemies to god , dead in sins , under the curse . but now , when the gospel comes to prevail over mens hearts , then they come to be the children of the living god , heirs of christ , co-heirs with him , they come to be partakers of the life of god , they encrease with the encrease of god , and their lives are hid with christ in god , and they come to be reconciled to god , to be friends with god , to be at peace with god , and to inherit blessings : oh the change that the lord puts upon the heart and state of the saints when the gospel prevails ! how high are they raised above other men ? therefore you must not make other men to be your example in your way , you must not think to live as the world lives , and to say , i do as other men do ; the gospel makes a mighty difference between your estate and the state of other men , therefore never look to what other men do , but consider as god hath made a vast difference between you and other men , so let there be a great difference between your conversation and the conversation of other men . now this meditation should have a mighty deal of power to prevail upon the heart ; i beleeve that i have such and such priviledges beyond other men , and i look for such and such mercies above others ; now what things i look for beyond others , i must labor to be as much beyond them in holiness of conversation , as god hath made me beyond them in spiritual priviledges , and spiritual mercies ; i think sometimes i would not be in the condition of such men as are in their natural estate for a world , nay i would not be one our in their estates if i might have ten thousand worlds , for fear i should die that hour , and then i should be lost for ever ; well , hath god made such a difference ? then let not my life be like theirs for one hour , nay for one moment . oh this meditation ( through gods blessing ) would mightily help us in our conversation . our conversation should be such as becomes the ordinances of the gospel : the word , and sacraments , they have a great deal more in them than the ordinances of the law ; but because i spake of the gospels being higher than the law heretofore , and these things may fall something neer , yet had i time i would speak a little concerning these , and shew how we are to hold forth a conversation sutable to them . our conversations should be sutable to the power of the gospel : there is a great deal of power in the gospel ; it 's call'd the power of god unto salvation , in the . of the rom. . the very light of the gospel it is a transforming light , it hath a mighty power in it , the gospel it 's called , the wisdom of god , and the power of god , cor. . . it brings a great deal of power with it to help men against strong corruptions , to overcome violent temptations , to carry them through in any difficulties : powerful corruptions , powerful temptations , powerful difficulties are overcome by the power of the gospel ; and therefore it is said by faith , that is , by faith in the gospel , we overcome the world ; the gospel certainly doth not only stir in some men and women , some wishings , and wouldings and faint desires , but it brings a power to transforme their hearts . to make a metamorphosis there ; when there comes the light of the gospel there comes the light of life together with it ; as that scripture in heb. . . after ye were illuminated ( that is , by the gospel ) then he speaks of their great sufferings , they were willing to endure any thing for christ ; therefore a conversation that becomes the gospel is such an one as exemplarily demonstrates the very power of godliness , that men and women should not be alwaies learning and never come to the knowledg of the truth , not alwaies wishing and desiring , and never come to any powerful resolutions and determinations , for certainly where the gospel hath the upper hand in a soul it doth bring power , but i do not say it brings power so as to overcome all our lusts , so as there should be no sin remaining , for so long as we live we must be hungering after a further degree of righteousness and sanctification ; but certainly when the gospel prevails there comes a great strength ; there 's the strength of christ put forth , the spirit of power ( as the apostle saith ) we have not received the spirit of fear , but the spirit of power , of love , and of a sound mind : be not therefore ashamed of the testimony of our lord. as if paul had said to timothy , it 's true , you meet with many difficulties , but hath not the gospel given you a spirit of power ? there 's spirit of power and resolution when the gospel comes in . timothy was a poor weakly , sickly man in his body , and paul himself had no bodily presence with him , a poor contemptible man in regard of his bodily presence , but he had a spirit of power given him by the gospel ; so we should manifest a spirit of power , that is as becomes the gospel of christ . lastly , the gospel of christ is a glorious gospel . tim. . . it is call'd there by the title of a glorious gospel , according to the glorious gospel of the blessed god. mark , what a title is here ? the gospel is the glorious gospel of the blessed god , that is , the glory of all the attributes of god doth appear in the gospel more brightly than they do appear in all the works that god hath made ; there doth appear indeed a great deal of the glory of god in the heavens , earth , and seas , and you have seen much of the glory of god there , but i appeal to you in this , have you seen more of the glory of god in the gospel , than ever you did in all the works that god hath made ? that were a good argument that you have had a true understanding of the gospel , and that the spirit of god hath shined into your hearts , if you can say , lord i have seen much of thy glory in thy works , when i have been abroad in the mighty waters where gods paths and foot-steps are , oh the seas they are thy glorious creatures , but thy gospel that 's glorious beyond all , there do i see thine infinite wisdom , and infinite power , and infinite justice , and infinite mercy , and infinite faithfulness , and the lord knows that all the glory of the creatures hath been darkned in my eyes since the lord hath shewed me the glory of his gospel , can you say so ? this is a good evidence that the gospel is a saving gospel to your souls , if you stand and admire at the glory of god in the gospel ; certainly there 's none though never so weak in parts , yet if so be that god hath revealed himself in the gospel to them , they see that which makes them stand and admire at god , and darkens all the world in their eyes ; have you seen the gospel thus ? then it is to you the glorious gospel of the blessed god : and in the cor. . . in whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which beleeve not , lest the light of the glorious gospel of christ should shine into them : oh reade over this scripture again and again , the god of this world hath blinded their minds . mark , compare this scriptrue with that i said before of christ , that his kingdom is not of this world , but the devil is called the god of this world , note this , he hath blinded the minds of them which beleeve not , if any which live under the gospel beleeve not , it is because the devil as he prevails in the world and by worldly things , by the pomp and vanity of the world he hoodwinks the eyes of those which beleeve not , lest the light of the glorious gospel of christ who is the express image of god should shine into them , oh the devil is loth that the gloriou gospel should shine into the hearts of men ; he is content that they should come and hear the gospel , but he labors to keep off the light of the glorious gospel of christ , that it shine not into them , for he know when once it hath shined into mens hearts , then all the glory of the world will be darkned in their eyes , and they will admire then at nothing but christ ; oh none but christ , none but christ , whom have i in heaven but christ ? and there is none upon earth that i desire in comparison of my dearest saviour , who is the fairest of ten thousand ; i never knew god before i saw him in the face of jesus christ ; and now i see god in the face of his son , i see him in another way than ever i did ; o the gospel is a glorious gospel , there is more of the glory of god in one sentence of the gospel , than in all the heavens and earth beside ; this we may boldly aver . now our conversations must be as becomes the gospel , then there must be a glory in our conversations , we must hold forth the gospel in our conversations : therefor professors of the gospel they should shine as lights in the world . i beseech you mark this one note . i remember in the close of all the last day , i shewed you , that the saints and godly people are call'd , the glory of jesus christ himself ; surely you that are professors of the gospel should live so as to be the glory of the glorious gospel , and what manner of persons ought we to be then ? it's not enough that our conversations be not defiled with the most filthy and abominable pollutions of the world , but our conversations should be such as should be a glory to the glorious gospel : look in the gospel , there shine the attributes of god in glory , so in our lives there should be shining the glorious attributes of god , that all that behold our conversations may admire the attributes of god shining in our lives , and glorifie our heavenly father . certainly a child of god that keeps close to god , and lives holily in his life , doth let out more of the glory of god shining before the world than the sun in the firmament ; a christian that professes the gospel , and doth walk answerably to the gospel , i say he is a more glorious creature in this world than the sun in the firmament ; certainly if we do but consider this , that we are appointed here in this world while we live , to hold forth the glory of the gospel , to make it to be a glorious gospel before all that we live among , it would cause another manner of conversation than as yet we have . but to wind up all in a few words of application , more particularly ( though all the way as i have gone i have labored to apply it ) all that i shall say may be refer'd unto these two particulars . application . and the first is , for the rebuking of those whose conversations are not as becomes the gospel . i appeal to your consciences , do not your consciences in hearing these things condemn you ? if this be a conversation becoming the gospel , o lord , how far are we from honoring the gospel in our lives ? for how do many of your conversations disgrace the gospel of jesus christ ? you put jesue christ even to open shame by your conversations ; and such as you are , are blots to profession & stains to religion , and the truth is , it had been better you had never bin born , if god doth not work upon your hearts in some measure before you die to recover the honor that you have taken away from this glorious gospel . gal. . compare the . vers . and the . together , and in the. . ver . you shall find paul , when he did but see peter to walk not as he ought to do , ( saith he ) i withstood peter to his face : what 's the matter ? you shall see the cause in the . verse , ( for saith he ) he did not walk uprightly according to the truth of the gospel : in that one particular ( it seems ) peter was blame-worthy , o how was pauls spirit stir'd ! i resisted him to his face saith he . though peter was a glorious apostle , yet because in that thing he did not walk according to the truth of the gospel , paul resisted him to his face . and are there any that make profession ? and do you see that they walk not according to the truth of the gospel ? resist them to their faces , though they be never so eminent , either in church or common-wealth , to be head and shoulders above others , yet these are to be resisted to their face . oh the gospel was precious to the heart of paul , and therfore he could not bear , no not a peter , not to walk according to the truth of the gospel . oh how many ! how many are there among you that do not walk according to the truth of the gospel ? now the lord cause your consciences this day to resist you to your faces , and to speak in secret to you , and to convince you of the dreadful evil that you are guilty of : is such a conversation as you walk in such as become the gospel ? i remember i have read a story , you shal find it in richard the first , when he prevailed in warr , and took a bishop , the bishop of bevoice , the pope was angry , and sends and expostulates with him , that he would presume to meddle with one of his sons , and imprison him . the king sent this answer again to the pope : he takes the habergion and other warlike instruments that the bishop had , and sends them to the pope with these words ; see , is this thy sons coat ? is it fit for him to wear such things as these ? so i may say concerning many professors , look upon their conversations , and what is this the coat ? this the conversation of the son of god ? as that richard the first , thought it such an unbeseeming thing for a bishop to have warlike instruments about him , and to be taken clad in armor . on 't is an unbeseeming thing for such as profess the gospel of christ , to have instruments of death about them , to have wicked conversations , to live in wicked and ungodly waies , oh! 't is not christs livery , not the coat of one that professes godliness : certainly there must be another manner of conversation than this . exhortation . and therefore to close all in a word or two of exhortation . oh that god would move our hearts now by what we have heard , to labor to honor the glorious gospel that we do profess , o that that worthy name ( in jam. . . ) may not be blasphemed by wicked men ; oh let not that worthy name of god and christ ( which you profess ) be blasphemed for your sakes , but walk worthy of that worthy name of the lord , and of his christ , and of his gospel . my brethren , know that when you undertake the profession of the gospel , you undertake a great matter ; do not come to the profession of the gospel and look upon it as if it were a slight matter ; 't is a great matter , the profession of the gospel : in tim. . . it is a good scripture for women , he speaks of women , that they should walk as those that do profess godliness , such should preach the contents of the gospel in an evangelical behavior before others , they should therefore bring forth fruits worthy of repentance , or meet for repentance : hath the lord wrought upon your hearts , to chang your minds and turn your hearts to him ? o then bring forth fruits worthy of repentance ; that is , your conversations must be worthy of the gospel , and that is fruit worthy of repentance : and in acts , . . works meet for repentance . oh you say , you have repented you of your sins : the word that is translated there repentance ; it is , change of mind : oh hath god changed your mind ? then let there be works worthy of this change of mind . and divers motives there should have been named for the stirring up of your hearts to walk worthy of the gospel : o consider what 's this gospel you profess , the scripture cals it as here the gospel of christ : so the gospel of the grace of god , act. . . it 's a gospel by which you are begotten , cor. . . thirdly , it 's the gospel of your salvation , ephes . . . and fourthly , it 's an everlasting gospel , revel . . . and then as you had it before , a glorious gospel . oh walk worthy of this gospel that you have got so much good by . i appeal to you any that have had the gospel working upon your hearts , have not you got so much good by the gospel that you would not part withal for ten thousand worlds ? oh then walk worthy of that gospel , seeing you have got so much good by it . and i beseech you consider that motive in the text , only let your conversation be as it becomes the gospel of christ . [ only ] as if the apostle should say , the gospel hath many things that darkens it , and many adversaries that do oppose it , oh but , only let your conversation be as it becomes the gospel ; you need care for nothing that opposeth , so you walk worthy of the gospel , only let your conversation , be as becomes the gospel . now what a many enemies hath the gospel at this day ? and what errors and divisions are there to ecclipse this evangelical sun ? why now , only let your conversation be as it becomes the gospel : that is , in these times wherein there is so much done against the gospel , as if the apostle should say , let all devils and wicked men do what they can they shall never prevail against the gospel , if your conversations be as becomes the gospel ; this is enough to stand out against all that is done against the gospel : oh me thinks this argument should be a prevailing argument . oh! do not your hearts bleed when you hear what opposition is made against the glorious gospel of christ that should be ten thousand times deerer than your lives ? here 's the way that the gospel should stand against hell , and the gates of hell , all counsels of the enemy shall not prevail against the gospel , if your conversations be as becomes the gospel , this will do it . and mark what paul saith , he looks upon it as a thing thing dearer than his life , to walk so as might further the gospel , cor. . . we suffer all things ( saith he ) lest we should hinder the gospel of christ : mark , ( as if he should say ) oh 'tis more dear than our lives a thousand times , we will do any thing , and suffer any thing ; oh the apostles spirit was filled with the sweetness of the gospel , he had found the good of it . and here in this scripture he saith , oh what shall i do ? what shall i suffer that i may not hinder the gospel ? let them do any thing that possibly can be to me , or take what they will from me , i crave not , we suffer all things that the gospel may not be hindred . now you will neither do nor suffer for the gospel , you will not part with a base lust that the gospel may not be hindred ; one professor being overtaken with an apparent sin may do more hurt to the gospel than he can do good all his life , let him live as long as methuselah ; that sin of yours that is so dear to you , will not you part with it ? it will hinder the gospel , oh wilt not thou part with thy sin , when any temptation comes to sin ? let every one of you that profess you love the gospel , but think thus , oh but shall i not hinder the gospel if i listen and yeild to this temptation ? indeed this will bring me a great deal of comfort and content , and i shall get so much by it ; oh but will it not obstruct the gospel ? the very thought of this that it possibly may hinder the gospel , should cause your hearts to rise with indignation against that temptation , and cast out that sin ; god forbid that i should meddle with that sin which wil hinder the gospel . and therefore in act. , . the apostle professes , that his life is not dear to him , so be it he might but further the gospel : and in cor. . from the . vers . to the . he professes there , he would become all things to all men , he would be a servant to any man , and yeeld to all things that he could , so be it he might not sin against god , to be never so vile in the eyes of men , and all that he might but further the gospel . oh that it were but so in our hearts . we reade of an excellent commendations of one , in the of cor. . . that his praise is in the gospel in all the churches . oh this is an excellent thing , when it can be said of a professor of religion ( it may be this man hath not any great commendation for parts , no but ) his praise is in the gospel . as the saints of god and all the churches of god that knew him , they highly commended him , why ? because that the gospel is furthered by him , his praise is in the gospel : this we should labor al of us what possibly we can . my brethren , what a mercy is it , that god should account any thing that we do worthy of the gospel ! mark the text , why , can we poor worms do any thing worthy of the gospel ? i but though you can do but little , god will account your endeavours even worthy of the gospel . john saith , that he was unworthy to loose the latchet of christs shoe , nor worthy to carry the shoe of christ● : then , are we such as can walk worthy of the glorious gospel ? oh 't is gods infinit goodness that shal account us to be worthy of the gospel . the apostles did not account themselves worthy to suffer for the gospel , acts , . . and shall god account us to do that which is worthy of his gospel ? oh this should be a mighty encouragement to us , to walk worthy of the gospel . and there is an notable encouraging text , in luke , . . walk worthy of the gospel : and then you shall see what god will account you worthy of : watch ye therefore , and pray alwaies , that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to passe , and to stand before the son of man. watch and pray , be watchful in all your converse , keep your communion with god close : what will be the fruit of this ? that ye may be accounted worthy to escape these things : that is , the many afflictions , dangers , and evils that shall come upon the world , you shall escape the evil of them at least . and to stand before the son of man. here 's a notable scripture to quicken up our hearts to walk conscionably and strictly in our conversation , watch over your waies , stand upon your guard , and pray , that you may be accounted worthy to stand before the son of man : why ? is there any that can stand before the son of man in glory ? or that shal be accounted worthy to stand before him ? yes , a godly and gracious man or woman that walks conscionably in their conversation , when the son of man shall come in his glory , they shal be able to stand before him , and be accounted worthy . oh then , let your conversation be as becomes the gospel , and you shall be accounted by god , worthy to stand before the son of man. jesus christ ▪ he walks towards you as becomes a mediator ; yea christ doth al things that are sutable to his relations , as a husband , as a savior : oh do you all things that are sutable to your relations . and for the close of all , i beseech you lay but to heart the great design that god hath in the gospel , think thus with thy self , surely the work of god in the gospel is a glorious work : well then : surely god hath some great design that he drives on in the gospel . what is it ? let me labor to serve it whatsoever in me lieth . now if you reade in the gospel you shall find that the design that god hath , it is , to purchase to himself , a peculiar people , zealous of good works : to promote holiness and godliness , that we being redeemed from the hands of our enemies , might serve him in holiness and righteousness all the daies of our lives . this is the design that god hath : i see that mankind is fallen from me , and the people in the world are generally fallen into wickedness , the whole world lieth in wickedness , over head and ears in sin ; but i would have holiness advanced , i would have my image renewed , i would have a peculiar people that might live for ever to serve and worship me : here 's the design of god : oh let me now serve this design of god , and labor to do all that i can to serve , and honor , and blesse , and magnifie that god that hath wrought such glorious things for us , as he hath wrought in the gospel . and as christ saith in mat. . when he came to be paptized of john , it becomes us to fulfill all righteousness . now shall the lord jesus christ himself say thus , it becomes us to fulfill all righteousness ; surely then it becomes you to fulfil al righteousness . would you walk as becomes the gospel ? give up your hearts , strength , and endeavors what possibly you can to fulfill all righteousness , do not say , why should i do thus ? and why need we be so forward and strict ? oh remember the text ; if any talk of too much strictness , and too much forwardness ; then answer thus ; i heard in such a place such a text opened and applied to me , that my conversation must be as it becomes the gospel ; and certainly let me do what i can , i cannot do so much but that the gospel will require ten thousand times more than i can do , and therfore i do endeavor to walk as becoms the gospel : and i hear that christ himself saith , that it became him to fulfil all righteousness ; and why should not i walk as christ himself walked ? o my life hath bin too vain heretofore , my heart hath been dead , and i have not been quickned up so as to walk worthy of the gospel ; but for the time to come my care and endeavor above all things in the world , shall be , that i may honor this glorious gospel of jesus christ , from whom i do expect to have such glorious things hereafter . consider now what hath been said , and the lord give you understanding in these things , that you may be kept blameless unto the coming of our lord jesus christ . sermon i. if you please to reflect back upon the last daies exercise , when we finished that scripture in the philippians , that teaches us to walk as becomes the gospel ; in the prosecution of which we shewed what it was the gospel principally did hold forh unto us ; and what conversations ought to be in the professors of it sutable unto those things the gospel holds forth ; and among those , this was one particular of great moment , that we did then but hint out unto you in a word or two , that the kingdom of christ was not of this world . they are christs own words . now because it is a consideration of very great use , i would be loth the benefit of it should be lost : therefore i have now pickt out that to speak to more largely , and to open the meaning of it unto you from this scripture ; john , . . jesus answered and said , my kingdom is not of this world . the words are a part of the story of christs arraignment before pilat . behold here the king of heaven and earth stands arraigned at the barr of a wicked man. in this arraignment we find a special charge which his adversaries bring against him , which was this : that he made himself the king of the jews . he was an enemy to government . the usual charge that the world hath had against the saints , that they are enemies to government . they fare no worse here than christ did . pilat requires of him to answer to the charge , ( whether it were so or no , that he hath made himself a king. ) now you shall find in the answer of christ , he doth not deny the thing , but implicitly grants it , neither doth he answer him fully to his mind , but saith , my kingdom is not of this world . my kingdom ] as if he should say , i acknowledg that i have a kingdom , as mean and low as i am brought now , though i stand here before you as a despised man , a carpenters son , yet i confess i have a kingdom , but it is not of this world . not of this world ] he doth not say , not in this world , but saith , it is not of this world , it is not a worldly kingdom . we have in the words these two things . first , that christ hath a kingdom . secondly , what kind of kingdom christs is , not of this world . i shall not here speak much unto the former , and so to handle the common place of christs kingly office , but only hint it to you as it makes way to the latter , there we shall stay a while . christ he hath a kingdom , he is anointed by the father to be king , as well as priest , and prophet of his church : psal . . . thy throne o god , is for ever and ever , the scepter of thy kingdom is a right scepter : ( that psalm is a prophesie of christ : ) and in the . of revel . . christ is there called , the king of kings , and lord of lords ; christ god-man , is the king of heaven and earth , christ god-man , is the king of angels and over all the world ; and we must know christ as a king , and act our faith upon him as a king or else we know him not aright , we have not the true work of faith except ( i say ) our faith act upon him as a king as well as a savior : in acts , . . god hath made him ( saith the text ) both lord and christ : mark , he it not only christ , but lord and christ ; though it is true , that in the word christ all his offices are implyed , which signifies , anointed to them all ; but yet this is expressed by its self , lord and christ , for indeed properly he is christ unto his church ; but he is also lord over all the world in some sense . but then you will say , how doth he say , that his kingdom is not of this world , if he he lord over all the world ? now that i might come to that point that i have chosen the text for , we are to know that christ hath a double kingdom . first , together with the father he hath a providential kingdom ( as i may so say for distinction sake . ) secondly , he hath a mediatory kingdom ( as divines call it . ) first , a providential kingdom together with the father whereby he mannages all the affairs of the world . ( i say ) god-man , the second person in trinity doth mannage all the affairs of the world , his scepter ruleth over all : as god did make all things by christ , so he doth govern all things by him ; if god had not deputed the second person in trinity god man the mediator to have been the governor of all things , the holiness and justice of god according to the covenant of works by which he had to deal with man would have destroyed the world upon mans sin ; had not the ordering and governing of the world been put into the hand of the second person in trinity god-man the mediator , for though he was not manifested in the flesh , he had not actually taken our humane nature upon him , yet he was look'd upon as god-man with the father even before the foundation of the world was laid , and so all things were committed to him ; and hence the world notwithstanding the sin that hath been in it hath been preserved so as it hath been to this day ; christ therefore hath a providential kingdom together with the father , and so he is king , not over the churches only , the king of the saints , but he is over all the heathen , over all the world , from the rising of the sun to the setting thereof : and the civil magistrate ( as i may so say ) is the deputy of christ in this his providential kingdom , gods vicegerent upon earth , all magistrates whatsoever are officers subordinate under him. but now , there 's another kingdom of christ that this scripture speaks of , my kingdom is not of this world . that is , the kingdom of the mediator ( as divines calls it , ) that more properly concerns his church in the execution of his mediatory office : now this kingdom of christ it was ever since there was a church , but it was very dark under clouds and curtains , the glory of it was little till the second person came to be manifested in the flesh , then indeed this mediatory kingdom of christ came to be revealed abundantly , more cleerly than before , and christ exercised it more fully ; this is that which the scripture so often in the gospel cals the kingdom of heaven . repent for the kingdom of heaven is at hand : 't is not of this world , but it 's cal'd the kingdom of heaven ; the mediatory kingdom of christ is not of this world ; there 's a great deal of difference between a worldly kingdom and this kingdom of christ . and that 's the subject that i am now to open to you , how christs kingdom is not of this world , the vast difference between worldly kingdoms and christs kingdom , which you will find to be a point of very great use . first , christs kingdom hath not that pomp and glory , that bravery and galantry that the kingdoms of the world have ; you know in the kingdoms of the world there 's a great deal of outward pomp and glory ; bernice and agrippa , they came in great pomp ( the text saith ; ) the kings of the earth have glorious attendance . christ hath no such thing , his attendance was a few poor fisher-men : kings have great courts , and crouded with courtiers : his court was but small , only a few of such kind of men , mean and contemptible , taken from the hedges , and out of the high waies : they have sumptuous pallaces : christ had not a place to hide his head here in this world ; he saith himself , that the foxes have holes , and the birds of the air have nests , but the son of man hath not wherewithal to hide his head , and yet a great king for all that : surely it was not of this world . the kings of the earth have all kind of delicates that this world can afford , they carry things in great state : it was not so with christ , zech. . . rejoyce greatly , oh daughter of zion , shout oh daughter of jerusalem ; behold thy king cometh unto thee , he is just , and having salvation , lowly , and riding upon an ass , and upon a colt , the foal of an ass . he comes lowly and mean , the way of christ in this his kindom is a way of humility and outward meanness and lowliness , it is a way of outward contempt , scorn and dirision , this is the way of the kingdom of christ , by poverty , and lowliness he would overcome the world , not by bravery and magnificence , nor by great pomp and glory , he doth not dazle the eyes of men by such means ; but his glory consists in self-denial , in emptying of himself , in becoming poor ; & therfore his kingdom is not of this world . luke , . . the kingdom of god ( saith the text there ) comes not with observation : that 's the word : the meaning of it is this : it is not a thing that by any outward pompous ceremonies can be observed . now kings when they go from one place to another , by their attendance , and by a great many ceremonies that are used for the setting out of their pomp and glory , they are taken notice of and observed ; you may know the king comes here , say the people , when they see such things . but saith the text there , the kingdom of god comes not by observation ; there 's no such outward pomp and glory , there 's nothing but outward meaness and baseness to the eye of the flesh , in the kingdom of jesus christ . he that is in himself the most glorious king , and from whom all other kings have their power , yet he hath a kingdom that is not of this world , that hath nothing but meaness , poverty , and lowliness that doth appear in it to the eyes of men . secondly , the kingdom of christ is not of this world , in regard of his subjects . look what subjects christ hath , they are such as are not of this world : so christ tels his disciples , as you may find in the . of john , i am not of the world : and you are not of the world . kings , they have for their subjects , nobles , peers , and great personages , especially those that are near about them : but now the subjects that christ hath for his kingdom ( for the generality of them ) they are of the poor , mean , base , & contemptible men of the world , such as are look'd upon , as the off-scouring of all things , these are his subjects : as in the second of james , . verse , hearken my beloved brethren : hath not god chosen the poor of this world , rich in faith , and heirs of the kingdom ? the poor of this world , rich in faith , and heirs of the kingdom : they are the great hears , even the poor of this world . you know what an offence it was unto the jews , say they , do any of the rulers beleeve in him ? but this multitude , which is accursed . a company of poor women , illiterat people they flock after jesus christ . the subjects of christ are men chosen out of this world , he himself appeared not with the glory of the world . and secondly , his subjects are men chosen out of the world . thirdly , the kingdom of christ is not of this world ; that is , the rule that christ hath in his subjects , and over these his subjects in this his kingdom it is not of this world , the rule it is spiritual , it is principally upon the hearts , the wills , the consciences of those that are his subjects , every subject of christ hath his will and heart subdued to jesus christ . it is not so in this world , men may be subject to the kings of this world meerly by constraint because they dare not do otherwise , many kings in this world have subjects whose hearts are not with them , who love them not , the kings of this world they rule only the outward man ▪ but christs kingdom is another kind of kingdom , he rules in the hearts of men , there is his throne , in the wills , in the affections of men , in the consciences of men , christ swaies his scepter in mens souls : men by conquest they subdue subjects to themselves ; christ he subdues too in a way of conquest , but he doth not subdue the outward man so much as the inward man , the will is subdued to christ , he swaies his scepter in their hearts : this is a great mystery of godliness , the swaying of the scepter of jesus christ in the hearts of the saints ; and therefore the scripture tels us , that the kingdom of god is within us , it is an inward kingdom . that 's the third thing wherein the difference between christs kingdom and the kingdoms of the world consists . fourthly , the laws of christ are spiritual . observe the difference between the laws of christ in the government of his church , and the laws that are for the government of the world , it will be of very great use for you to know : the lord in his providential kingdom appointing magistrates to govern here in the world in his room , he leaves them to make laws according to the general rules of prudence and justice , such laws are sufficient for the governing of the outward man , and for the attaining to a civil end for which their government is appointed ; but now jesus christ in his mediatory kingdom , in his church he makes all the laws himself , he doth not leave it unto the church to make new laws , according to the rules of their own prudence , what they conceive to be fit in way of prudence , no , but they must fetch the laws out of his word , and impose none but the same laws that are in his word , they must have a scriptum est , it is written , here are these and these texts of scripture for what is enjoyned , nothing must be added unto what he hath in his word revealed , only there are divine laws for the government of his church : now 't is true , that the church because they are a society of men , they have some things natural , and some things civil among them , so far as they have need of natural and civil helps , so far there may be laws made according to rules of prudence and justice , and magistrates may come in to be helpful to the church , so far as they have need here of natural and civil helps as a society of men ; but now to speak properly to that which belongs to them meerly as they are the church of christ , besides that that they have need of as they are men , and natural and civil societies , ( i say ) what belongs to them , meerly considered as a church of christ , they are to be governed only by the laws of jesus christ who is the only law-giver , only by the laws of the word ; and there is not that liberty of making new laws in the church as there is of making new laws in the common-wealth and state ; and that 's a great difference between the kingdom of christ and the kingdoms of this world . that 's a fourth ; the laws are different . the laws are different , not only that they are by divine revelation in the one , and left to humane prudence in the other : but ly in the one the laws bind conscience , in the other they do not , they do not bind conscience any further than the nature of the thing that is required binds , except it be in case of scandal and contempt , so our divines that have been the most orthodox have gone ; that the laws of men in the state they bind not conscience , that is , if a man should not do the thing that is required , he should in conscience be bound over to eternal death for not doing it , this is a very hard bondage , a cruel yoke : but thus , if the thing that is required be right and just , then the nature of the thing may bind conscience , for then there comes in a law of god , if the thing be just and right that is required : or however , if i know nothing to the contrary but it may be just and right , i must not break the laws of man so as to give scandal , or in a way of contempt ; but if it be privatly , so as it be no scandal , nor no contempt , and the nature of the thing bind me not , then my conscience is not bound over as guilty of eternal death , if so be i do not every thing that man requires . but now the laws of christ they are such as bind conscience as they come from him , he is such a king that ( i say ) because they come from him and from his will , though we see no reason in the matter of the thing , though they have nothing in the nature of the thing but meerly the will of christ , it 's enough to tye conscience , and to bind us even upon pain of eternal death to obedience . fiftly , christs kingdom is not of this world : that homage that the saints do unto christ it is not worldly but spiritual , the worship of christ , and the ordinances of christ they are not worldly but spiritual . now the kings of this world they may appoint what kind of worship they please , that is , what ceremonies they will , whereby their subject , should tender up their homage to them : and now men have ventured to be so bold with christ the king , because men may tender up their homage unto their earthly kings by any waies invented of their own , therefore they have thought that they might presume to tender up their homage to christ their spiritual king by any waies of invented worship ; and therein was a great error , they lookt upon the kingdom of christ only in a carnal way , whereas the kingdom of christ is such as all our homage that we tender up to him must be spiritual , it must be heavenly , it must be from heaven , it must be from christ himself , it must be from some institution and appointment of jesus christ : and the more the kingdom of christ doth prevail , the more spiritual shall that homage be that the subjects tender up to him : & therefore you shall find that when the holy ghost speaks of the kingdom of christ in the new testament , with reference unto that which was then in the old testament , he calls , even those waies of worship in the old testament worldly , in comparison of the worship and homage that the saints tender to christ in the new testament , as in gal. . . even so we , when we were children , were in bondage under the elements of the world . the ceremonies of the law are call'd here the elements of the world , that we were in bondage to , while we were children , for though we were subject to christ then , yet we were but in our non-age ; and indeed in comparison of what we are in the times of the gospel we were slaves rather than subjects ; we were then in bondage : and then in col. . . beware lest any man spoil you through phylosophy and vain deceit , after the tradition of men , after the rudiments of the world , and not after christ . [ after the rudiments of the world ] these rudiments of the world they had some reference ( as it appears in reading this chapter ) unto the ceremonies of the law , and together with them there was mixture of mens own inventions , they were the rudiments of the world , not after christ ; you do not acknowledge christ to be a king when you worship him in a worldly way , after the rudiments of the world ; as now for instance , because men were wont to honor the presence chamber where the king sits , when you go into it you are to be uncovered : now like unto that ( according to the way of the world ) men think that because they meet here for religious ends to worship god , that when they come ( as any time in the week ) into such a place as this is , they must come uncovered ; now this is after the rudiments of the world , you think to worship this king after the same way , but his way of worship is no such low institution . and as they bowed to the chair of state , and so they would bow with cap and knee to the communion table that they cal'd the altar ; now these are according to the rudiments of the world ; but christs kingdom is not of this world , his worship must be spiritual , in heb. . . then verily the first covenant had also ordinances of divine service , and a worldly sanctuary . mark , in the time of the law it was but a worldly sanctuary in comparison of what is now in the times of the gospel ; those waies of worship though they were once appointed by god , christ the king of his church in the new testament would not have his homage tendered up by these waies of worship , they were too worldly for him ; then surely to have the inventions of men in the worship of christ , in the new testament especially , it is too worldly for christ : no it must be divine and spiritual , he that worships , must worship in spirit and in truth : al that worship and homage we tender up to jesus christ , we must look to have it spiritual and not worldly ; and so the ordinances , though they have something external , as the sacraments , yet if we stick to the outward part , we do not worship christ as our king in a right way ; but we must be spiritual in all , look upon the spiritual part in al ordinances , or else ( i say ) we do not tender up that homage to christ that is due to him , as the king of his church . sixthly , christs kingdom is not of this world : that is , the officers that christ hath appointed , for the government of his church , are not of this world , are not to be of this world ; but they are all to be by divine institution . observe the difference in the administration of christs kingdom , and the worldly kingdoms : in the kingdoms of this world men may invent as many new officers as they please , they may errect new officers in a state and common-wealth : but al the men in the world cannot errect any one new office in the church , cannot make one new officer otherwise than is in the word ; we do not reade of any such name as tryers there : now though we do not find officers of states in the word , yet a human creation is enough , as the apostle cals it , be subject to every ordinance of men . you have it in peter , the word that is there translated , ordinance of men , it is , a humane creation . in the church there can be no new officers created : christ hath made pastors , and teachers , elders , and decons , and widdows in the church ; and not any new sort can be added by all the men in the world . and therfore it was heretofore , as in popery , so in prelacy , they would errect a new kind of religion ( as they cal'd it ) more spiritual , and so made the kingdom of christ like unto the kingdoms of the world , and thought that they had power to make as many new officers in the church as they pleased . certainly this was a derogation from the kingdom of christ , they made it too worldly . a second difference in the church-officers from the officers in the kingdoms of the world , is this , if once they be put into such a place in the church , they have the ful power of the place . as supose now a pastor or a teacher hath as much power as any one pastor or teacher upon the face of the earth ; there cannot be a difference between one officer and another of the same kind in the church as in the state : now the state may limit their officers as they please , in some countries they may make justices of the peace for one use , and in another country for another use , they may limit them according as they please , how they shall execute their places , and when they must leave their offices to others : but in the church , one pastor ( whatsoever he be ) hath as much power of christ in him as any that live , for as there can be no new offices in this kingdom of christ but by divine institution , so there can be no limitation of their office but according to the institution of jesus christ . so his kingdom is not of this world . it 's true , if so be that the magistrate shall come in by law to help the church , so far as they shall come in to give civil help to the church they may appoint officers , to see that their power be not abused ; but not any that are properly church officers , to administer any spiritual ordinances in the church , but such as are by divine institution . seventhly , the kingdom of christ is not of this world ; the weapons by which christ doth fight with his adversaries to maintain his kingdom , are not the weapons of the world ; in that notable scripture cor. . , . for the weapons of our warfare are not carnal , but mighty through god , to the pulling down of strong bolds , casting down imaginations , and every high thing , that exalteth it self against the knowledge of god , and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of christ . mark , here 's the weapons of the kingdom of christ , christ brings into captivity every thought , easts down strong holds , whatsoever strong hold , or high thing is lifted up against the kingdom of christ , christ hath weapons in his kingdom to cast it down ; but saith he , the weapons of our warfare ( there is a warfare ) they are not carnal but spiritual . christ in his kingdom he doth not appoint carnal weapons , he gives not unto his church weapons of the flesh , to make men beleeve whether they will or no. you will say , if there be not such weapons that are outward to force men , then all will be to no purpose , it will be nothing ? yes saith the apostle , our weapons are not carnal , but spiritual ; and he answers that objection , that men will not care for them if they do not come in an outward compulsary way , by imprisonments , and fyning , and such kind of waies . we speak not what power the civil state hath , but christ hath committed no such thing to the church , as the church : and these weapons the apostle speaks of , though they be not carnal but spiritual , yet they are mighty through god , and the more spiritual they are , the more mighty they are to cast down imaginations , and every high thing that exalteth its self against the knowledg of god , and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of christ . the weapons , what are they ? they are the two edged sword of the spirit , the word of god in the name of christ , and with the authority of christ preached to the people in the word of god , binding men in a dogmatical way , these are our spiritual weapons ; christ hath never appointed his church to defend its self by carnal weapons , the church goes no further than spiritual weapons , it 's in the very text that i have read to you , my kingdom is not of this world : mark what follows , what were the weapons christ had to defend his kingdom ? surely no worldly weapons , my kingdom is not of this world ; if my kingdom were ( saith he ) of this world , then would my servants fight , that i should not be delivered to the jews ; but now is my kingdom not from hence ; if my kingdom were from hence , i should have the like weapons to defend me as the kings of the world have to defend themselves . q. you will say , what 's the fighting and wars for now ? may there not be wars and fighting for the maintainance of religion and the kingdom of christ ? a. now to that i answer thus , that the church hath not these weapons , as a church they have only spiritual , yea and were it that any church of god were in any place where they had not a civil right to the exercise of their religion , then i confess ( meerly for their religion when the civil right of the state is against it ) if they should take up arms and fight for it , i think they should go beyond the commission of jesus christ : they should trust christ for his kingdom ; and we find no warrant in all the book of god for to take up weapons meerly for the defence of religion . and therefore in the primitive times , never took up weapons , all their armor were prayers and tears . obj. but we do ( you 'l say ) now ; are not our wars for the defence of religion . ans . now to that it 's cleerly answered thus , our wars are for the defence of the civil right we have to the outward practice of our religion , and so by weapons we may defend our civil right , that is , if we live in such a state where we have civil right by the laws of the sate to the peacable enjoyment of our religion , if any shall come to disturb us , then by the vertue of our civil right we may take up weapons to sight and defend our selves with ; i but this is not as a church , nor meerly for religion , for if now the civil state should be so changed that the supream power should be against the waies of religion , yet for civil things they would defend us , but for the waies of religion they were against us in it , i confess in such a case for men that have no civil authority at all to take up weapons , to force any practice , or way of religion , this would not be warrantable by christ , and by this we should fight for the kingdom of christ by other weapons than ever christ hath appointed ; but now , when we have the civil power , the civil magistrate may grant civil liberty , and civil liberty for the outward practice of religion , and so we may defend such a right as this for the peaceable practice of our religion , that none should come to force any other false religion upon us . but now , the kingdom of christ is not of this world , the weapons of christs kingdom are spiritual weapons ; and in those times when there were no outward weapons to defend the kingdom of christ , as in the primitive times when all civil states were against the kingdom of jesus christ , did it not thrive ? we are ready to say , al religion will be taken away except there be such compulsary waies ; i do not say but there may be compulsion to keep men from mischieving of others in things that are against the foundation . but now for the raising up of the kingdom of christ we know that when there was no compulsary waies , yet the kingdom of jesus christ went on and flourished as much as ever it hath done since , so that the kingdom of christ is not of this world , he hath not committed to his church those weapons that are carnal , all their weapons are weapons that are spiritual , to prevail with the hearts and consciences of men and no further : and if we did understand this aright , it would mightily quiet our spirits ; and the more we did rest upon the weapons christ hath appointed in his word , the more we did look into the armory of the gospel to find what weapons there are there against errors and abuses in his church , the more we should have the kingdom of christ prevail amongst us . eightly , the kingdom of christ is not of this world : that is , the priviledges of christs kingdom are not worldly priviledges , but spiritual , and divine , and heavenly priviledges . men that live in several kingdoms have several priviledges , some in one way , and some in another ; so every society of men , and every kingdom have priviledges , men that are subjects of such a kingdom , they have the priviledges that belong to such a kingdom . we plead for many priviledges as we are the free born subjects of england , that the people have a right to by their freedoms , being born free subjects , as those that are above them have a right to that power that they have . so now in the kingdom of christ , there are some priviledges that those that are in the kingdom of christ have that others have not . as now , when any man comes into the kingdom of jesus christ , oh he comes to partake of a great many excellent priviledges , being once made a free denizon in this kingdom of christ , he comes to have a great many priviledges that others have not . but of these i shall treat more particularly afterwards . ninthly , the kingdom of christ is not of this world ; the penalties and punishments that christ hath in his church are not worldly ; i do not mean only external ones , for they may be refer'd to that head of the weapons of christ ; but we take them under another notion ; those that are truly the subjects of christ they may be under penalties : you think that those that are beleevers cannot be chastised for their sin ; as if there were no penalties in christs kingdom ; i confess they are delivered from the penalties of the law ; but christs inflicts penalties as he is king , there may be penalties in christs kingdom . and the right understanding of this would much help us in that point ; whether beleevers may be chastised for sin or no , though they be beleevers . oh they will say , no. why ? because christ hath satisfied the lawfully , and how can god require it in them ? i confess the law cannot ; i but jesus christ in his administration as he is king , not as he is the judge of the law , but as he is the king over them , he may inflict chastisements upon them ; they may in christs kingdom have some chastisements , they cannot be carried out of that kingdom to have the chastisements of the law , but in christs kingdom jesus christ many times inflicts spiritual chastisements upon them , by hiding his face from them for sin , and by many spiritual discertions ; and such men as are but by outward profession under the kingdom of christ , and do seem to be his subjects , and are not so indeed , the lord inflicts spiritual judgments upon them , as hardness of heart , blindness of mind , reprobate sences ; and i beseech you observe it , the lord christ doth not so much observe the way of outward judgements upon wicked men that are in the bosom of the church , as he doth observe to inflict outward judgments upon the heathens and others that are out of the bosom of the church ; no , christ hath other manner of punishments for those that are in the church , though now and then christ doth inflict outward judgments upon them ; but the main thing that christ looks at in his church , is , to reward with spiritual rewards ; as righteousness and peace , and joy in the holy ghost and the like ; so he doth inflict spiritual punishments ; those that are professors in the church & naught and vile , it may be god may prosper them for a while as well as others outwardly , oh but the punishments of christ in his kingdom they are spiritual , your souls are bound over to eternal death , your hearts are hardned , your consciences are benum'd , and that 's more dreadful wrath a great deal than if the lord christ should punish your bodies , or take away your estates , those are punishments in christs providential kingdom , but the penalties as christ is the king of the church they are ever spiritual punishments which we should more fear and tremble at a great deal . thus the kingdom of christ is not of this world . now i should have shewed you how this kingdom of jesus christ will certainly prevail in the world , let the world do what they can . in the d psal . yet have i set my king upon my holy hill. it will at length prevail over all the world , and bring under all the kingdoms of the world to it ; but when it hath done so , then there shall be a new world : certainly there is a time that christ shall have the kingdoms of this world to reign over them in another manner than now he hath , and that is at the end of the world ; i will give you a scripture or two about that . revel . . . the seventh angel sounded , and there were great voices in heaven , saying , the kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our lord , and of his christ ; and he shall reign for ever and ever . that is , he shall subdue the kingdoms that were of this world , and then he shall reign ; he shall reign for ever and ever . now they are the kingdoms of this world , but when he reigns it is in this manner that is here spoken of , it is in another world , as appears in heb. . . for unto the angels hath he not put in subjection the world to come , whereof we speak . here the apostle shews that christ is above the angels , for he hath not put in subjection the world to come unto the angels ; therefore there is a world to come wherein christ shall have a further dominion than yet he hath : and adam was a type of jesus christ in this , adam he had the command of this present , world . now in this world christ doth rule but in the midest of his adversaries , but there is a time coming that christ shall have all under him ; as adam in his innocency had the whol world under his feet : and christ doth promise unto his people in the . of revel . to him that overcometh , will i grant to sit with me in my throne , even as i also overcame and am set down with my father in his throne . mark , it seems there is a throne of christ yet that hath not been , for here 's a promise that he will set them upon his throne as he sits upon his fathers throne : now christ rules together with his father , but saith he , you that are my saints , and my subjects now , you shall sit upon my throne . i but you will say , that is in heaven ? ( in heaven indeed the saints shall reign . ) nay , it connot be meant of a kingdom wherein the saints shall sit eternally with christ in heaven ; i might give you many scriptures for that , but i will only give you one scripture , cor . . and when all things shall be subdued unto him , then shall the son also himself be subject unto him , that put all things under him , that god may be all in all. here he tells us that there is a time that god shall be all in all , both unto christ , and unto his saints ; yea , and you shall find in this chapter , that jesus christ shall give up the kingdom unto the father , ( speaking of the time of the resurrection ) when all shall rise again ; and when that shall come , the kingdom shall be delivered up unto the father ; so that this is a time before the general resurrection , that christ shall sit upon the throne , there is yet a time between this and the saints being in heaven , when the saints shall sit upon christs throne ( as he upon his fathers ) in another manner than now they do : therefore surely christ shall have the kingdoms of this world subdued unto him in another manner than yet he hath ; and for the proof of it , do but reade the th chapter of the book of daniel , and you shall find abundant of proof , there shall be abundant deal of glory in that kingdom of his , there he shall have attendants to purpose , thousand thousands administred unto him , and ten thousand times ten thousand stood before christ ; and though there was a judgment , and the books were brought , yet its apparant afterwards , that the scripture speaks of a time that should be before the saints should come to heaven ; for he saith this , that as concerning the rest of the beasts , they had their dominion taken away ; yet their lives were prolonged for a season : therefore it is not meant at that time when the saints shall ascend up into heaven with jesus christ , for the beasts had their lives prolonged for a season and time after that : but saith he in the . ver . the saints of the most high shall take your kingdom , and possess it for ever , even for ever and ever . and in the . ver . i beheld , and the same born made war with the saints , and prevailed against them until the ancient of daies came , and judgment was given unto the saints of the most high ; and the time came that the saints possessed the kingdom . and then in the . ver . and the kingdom and dominion , and the greatest of the kingdom under the whol heaven , shall be given to the people of the saints of the most high , whose kingdom is an everlasting kingdom , and all dominions shall serve and obey him . what dominions shall there be when the saints are in the highest heavens , to serve and obey christ ? he means the dominions that are here upon the earth , shall serve and obey christ : therefore the kingdom of jesus christ is not of this world , nor be said hereafter to be such a world as this is : but when there shall be another world , then christ shall have a kingdom that shall have such glory as shall be apparent to all ; and such a kingdom as the kings of the earth shall come and bring their glory to it ; as in . of revelations , you shal find , that it 's said , of the kings of the earth . reade but that description of the glorious condition of the church of god there , and you shall see this true : and the nations of them which are saved , shal walk in the light of it : and the kings of the earth do bring their glory and honor to it . but that is in another world , not that world that christ speaks of here in this place of john. only now , do but consider a little of the excellency of this point by way of preparation to you for the next time . it would be a notable scripture to take off our hearts from all the things of this world : the right understanding of this would spiritualize the hearts of the saints , would take away the offence of the crosse of jesus christ , would help them to carry themselves through this world with a great deal of joy and triumph , and not much to regard how things go here below . i through the mercy of god am brought into the kingdom of jesus christ . and i find the whole tenor of scripture carries it so , that the kingdom of jesus christ is not of this world , but in a spiritual way : oh then , let me have spiritual mercies , let me enjoy jesus christ in way of his spiritual kingdom ; and farewell the world and all things under christ . truly , christians are not acquainted with this point of the spiritual government of jesus christ in his church , and how god the father hath so ordered things , that in this world christ should have a kingdom , but not of this world . and blessed are they that have by the holy ghost an enlightning to understand this mystery , to see the reality of it indeed , that the kingdom of christ is not of this world . sermon ii. john , . . jesus answered and said , my kingdom is not of this world . many particulars i past over the last day briefly , which i told you would need some further explication . i 'le give you some few things about that , & then proceed to aplication of al ▪ the priviledges of this kingdom of christ they are not of this world . i 'le name a principal one ; and this is the priviledg of al that are under the kingdom of christ ; that all businesses , transactions between god and them , are in the court of christ the mediator : they are not in the court of exact & severe justice , but they are to be tried for their eternal estates , & for all they do , in the court of christ , in his kingdom ; which is a mighty priviledg the saints have . as kingdoms have several priviledges : 't is a greater priviledg to be tried in one kingdom than in another : all men and women in their natural estate , not under the kingdom of christ , they are to be tried in the court of justice , i. e. the court of gods providential kingdom , and there they are either to be acquitted or condemn'd by the law ; that 's the way of gods proceedings towards those that are under his providential kingdom , only to be dealt withal according to the law. but al those that are under the kingdom of christ , have all their businesses , in reference to god , tried in another court , tried in the court ( as i may so call it ) of the gospel , in the judicature of jesus christ , for christ he is as mediator to them , he is the judge to pass all sentences concerning them : and the right understanding of this would much help in the point of beleevers being chastised for sin ; it 's true , they are not chastised by judgement out of the court of law as other men are ; but they are chastised by christ that hath the judicature committed to him , and the administration of all things , especially concerning his church and people , and by a sentence from him chastised ; not by a sentence from the father , as he is the judge of all flesh proceeding according to the law. this is the main thing which we spake to before . but yet there are divers other things . ly that all that are in christs kingdom , are free-men , they are delivered from bondage : all that are out of this kingdom are bondslaves , they are under the prince of this world , ( that is , the devil ) and in slavery unto him ; they are all as vassals under the law , in bondage , and have no other spirit but a spirit of bondage in them , they are slaves to sin , they are under the curse of the law : but now being brought to the kingdom of christ , they are made free , they are free denizons of heaven . ly and then from hence follows in the third place : all that are in christ's kingdom , have the priviledg of a free-trade to heaven , they have free traffick to heaven : there is now a blessed intercourse between heaven and them , that they have by being subjects of this kingdom : as we know the subjects of this kingdom have many freedoms that forreigners have not , that those that belong to another kingdom have nothing to do with . so the subjects of christs kingdom have a freedom of coming into gods presence , of trading to the promised land that others have not ; others are cast out of gods sight and cannot trade to heaven so as beleevers do that are brought under the kingdom of christ . ly by vertue of this kingdom they come to have right unto all the ordinances of christ : and only by this we come ( i say ) to have right unto them , so as to be our own . indeed , christ for the sake of such as are his elect ones , that he intends to bring into his kingdom , he sends forth his word , the preaching of the word unto them ▪ but when they are brought into his kingdom then they are under the ministry of the word in another way , christ then is their great pastor and shepherd , and so his ministers are in a more peculiar manner pastors & shepherds unto them . and besides , there are other ordinances that they have nothing to do withal till they be brought into the kingdom of christ , namely , the seals of the covenant , with some others that might be named : that 's the great privledge of those that are under the kingdom of christ , to have right to all ordinances ; certainly all saints and beleevers , have right unto all , but they are to come in an orderly way to them . ly by being under the kingdom of christ , there is this priviledge : protection . as kings should be the protectors of their subjects : jesus christ hath taken upon him the protectors of their subjects : jesus christs hath taken upon him the protection of all such as come under him , all power in heaven and earth is given unto christ , and it is al exercised for their protection , to deliver them from dangers bodily , and spiritual , to protect their souls , they are under christs kingly power for protection ; when any temptation to sin comes , they should fly unto christ as king , to shield them from their enemies , when their spiritual enemies come in like a floud , then the spirit of christ sets up a standard against them . ly they shall certainly have victory over all their enemies : this kingdom shall never be shaken , let all the world conspire what they will against it , the gates of hel shall not prevail against it , no cunning devises , no subtil waies shall ever overcome this kingdom , no , nor any one subject of this kingdom . this is a priviledge beyond what is in the world . a kingdom may preserve its self so as to continue a kingdom , but many subjects may be destroyed in the preservation of it : but this is such a kingdom as there shall never one subject be destroied in it , that is , al the enemies shal never take off one subject from this kingdom ; indeed they may take away their bodily lives ; but that is but a transferring of them to the more glorious part of the kingdom that they shall attain to : then may a subject of this kingdom be said to be destroyed , when he shall be cut off from christ and lose the grace that he hath received : but none shall be thus destroyed , but shall be preserved by christ , and shall certainly overcome all enemies , both inward and outward . and that 's a sixt priviledge . ly by being in this kingdom , beleevers are made every one of them kings : though they be subjects in some sense unto christ , yet christ hath made them kings and priests unto god ( so they are called in scripture . ) there 's no kingdom where all the subjects are kings ; it is so here , christ makes all that come under his kingdom to be kings , and they have too ( according to their princely state ) the angels to be their guard ; as kings have their guard where ever they go ; so the poorest and meanest beleever that is under this kingdom of christ hath his guard of angels wheresoever he goes ; though it be a poor smokey hole or cottage that he lives in , yet it is guarded by angels , every night they keep the door and watch about the bed : thus the scripture tells us that the angels are ministring spirits for gods elect . ly the benefit of this kingdom of christ , it is spiritual peace , and joy in the holy ghost : so in rom. . . the kingdom of god consists not in meat and drink , but in righteousness , and peace , and joy in the holy ghost ; there 's another manner of peace than the world gives . so christ in john , . . peace i leave with you , my peace i give unto you , not as the world giveth give i unto you . it 's the note of a learned interpreter speaking of this place , i give not peace as the world gives ; the world gives peace ( saith he ) by taking away afflictions from a troubled person ; but christ gives peace by taking away a troubled person from affliction his meaning is this ; the worlds way to give peace is to take away trouble from us , but the way that christ hath is to take the trouble of our hearts from our affliction ; the world cannot give so long as the affliction continues , but christ gives peace though the affliction doth continue ; that 's thus , christ he takes off the troublesomness of mens hearts from the affliction ; the world takes off the affliction from the trouble of mens hearts : now this is a great deal better peace when the trouble of our hearts is taken away though the affliction continues , rather than when the affliction is taken away and trouble of heart continues . i give peace , not as the world gives peace , 't is inward peace , the worlds is outward , the world takes away some trouble , but i take away the very root of all trouble ; the branches are taken away by the peace of the world ; that is , whereas you had not trading before , nor the freedom of your estates before , you shall have that now ; but the root of all your trouble the world cannot take away , that is , sin , but i take away sin that is the root of all trouble . we may ( through the blessing of god upon armles , parliament , we may ) come to have outward peace , that is freedom from outward troubles ; oh but there may be vexation and trouble in our spirits in the mean time . but christs peace is especially in the conscience and heart , within doors ; we may have peace here mixed with abundance of sin and wickedness : it may be procured in a sinful way , or it may be the cause of much sin ; but my peace is a holy peace , it doth further holiness wheresoever i give it , my peace is a lasting and a stable peace ; peace here may be but for a few months , but my peace shall be eternally , i give peace not as the world , that is the fruit of the kingdom of christ : so the truth is , though there be many outward afflictions attend the kingdom of christ , yet the kingdom of christ is alwaies in peace and in joy of the holy ghost . that is a priviledge which we can never be crowned with but in the kingdom of christ , as we can never enjoy peace but here , all the peace that mens consciences have till they come under the kingdom of christ it will turn to greater trouble , that peace they have and live loosly , not being subdued to the kingdom of christ will turn to horror and misery ; and so the joy that there is in the world it will turn to sorrow and vexation ; 't is proper to the kingdom of christ to have joy in the holy ghost ; thou mayest have joy in thy cups , joy in thy dishes , joy in thy mirth and wicked company , but 't is proper to the kingdom of christ to bring joy unspeakable and glorious unto the soul ; the soul never knows experimentally what the joy of the holy ghost means , till it comes under the kingdom of jesus christ , it 's the priviledge of the kingdom of christ to bring spiritual peace which passeth all understanding , and joy in the holy ghost . ninthly , this is a priviledg in the kingdom of christ , that all that are in his kingdom have right to all the gifts and graces of all the saints in the world : whether paul , or apollos , or cephus , or life , or death , all is yours , for you are christs , and christ is gods. they have ( i say ) right to all , all the gifts of all the ministers of the world , and the graces of all the saints they work for good unto them . tenthly and lastly , they are all heirs of christ with an immortal crown of glory , that is laid upon heaven for them . thus christs kingdom is not of this world , the priviledges of it are beyond the worlds , which can only be seen by the eye of faith , for they are spiritual and glorious priviledges . quest . if you ask me why it is that god the father would not have his son to have his kingdom in this world ? certainly god might have given to christ all the government of this world , might have made him the great emperor , to have rul'd in an external way , and all his subjects to have been in pomp and glory here below ; but god would not have the kingdom of his son here in this world for these reasons , ans . first , because that hereby he would confound the wisdom of the world , and shew the vanity of all the things of this present world , and the folly of the hearts of men that are set upon the things of this world ; we look upon these things as great things , but god hath shewed that he doth not look upon them as great matters , but as things that have little value and excellency in them , and therfore he would not have his son to have his kingdom here of this world ; surely if there were such excellent things here as men dream of , then undoubtedly christ should have had his kingdom of this world ; but that god might confound all the glory and non-plus the wisdom of this world , therefore he would go another way to work , god would so order things that he would fetch about the glory of his name and those great things that he did intend from all eternity , he would fetch them about in a way that should be hidden from the eyes of the world , in a way that should appear contemptible in the eyes of the world , and he would by this rebuke and shame all the pride , folly , and vanity of the world , there is no greater rebuke of the pride , folly , and vanity of the world than in my text here , that saith , the kingdom of jesus christ is not of this world . secondly , because the lord delights so much in the exercise of the graces of his spirit , the spiritual workings of the hearts of his saints ; there 's nothing that is ab extra from god , that is more delightful to him than the exercises of the graces of his spirit in the hearts of his saints , ( excepting what is in the person of christ himself ) nothing more pleasing in all the works that ever god made in which he takes more pleasure than in the exercise of faith , and of humility , and of patience , and the like ; and the holiness of his saints . now the less the kingdom of christ is of the world , the more bright and glorious do the graces of the saints appear , the more do they come to be exercised ; had the saints a worldly glory and pomp here , their graces would not shine forth so eminent , there would not be such a spiritual lustre and shine upon them : but now that god may exercise , especially the grace of faith , and humility , and patience , and self-denial , and brotherly love which are so precious to him ; therefore god hath so ordered things that the kingdom of his son should not be of this world , but it should be spiritual ; ( it may be ) you think it a sad affliction that you have not those comforts that you see others have in the world , you have not such estates and bravery as others have , brave dwellings , costly furnitures , and fine cloaths as others have , and you cannot provide for your children as they do ; i but is there the exercise of faith in god in the want of these things ; the exercise of humility , self-denial , of patience ? know that these are more glorious things than if thou didst sit upon a throne with a crown of gold upon thy head and a scepter in thy hand , and al the people prostrating themselves before thee , this were all but a childish vanity in comparison of the exercise of the graces of gods spirit , thou hast that that is more excellent in the eyes of god and of his son , and in the eyes of the blessed angels , far more excel , lent than these outward , pompous , glorious , glittering vanities that are here : & when thou findest by experience that the kingdom of christ is not of this world , oh then think , that surely god delights much in the exercise of the graces of his spirit in his saints : and this is the reason why he would not have the kingdom of christ to be of this world . thirdly and lastly , therefore he would not have it to be of this world , that hereafter when the lord shall come to fetch out all his glory from those things that seem to be the most contrary , that his power and wisdom may be more glorious and appear more evidently , that his glory may be more conspicuous : as certainly it will hereafter at the great day when the issue of all the great designs that god had in sending of christ into the world , when the issue of all shall come and be accomplisht , then the name of god will be so much the more honorable to all eternity , because he hath wrought out such glorious things , from that which did seem to the eye of flesh to be so mean and contemptible . application . but by way of application ; and that shall be built upon the consideration of the point more generally ; and upon the reasons that are named , why the kingdom of christ is not of this world . from hence follow , thus much in the first place , that if the kingdom of christ be not of this world , then there is a happiness beyond the things of this world to be had ; that we must certainly conclude and determin : if we beleeve this point , that christ kingdom is not of this world , we must lay down this for a certain and infalible ground that we may build upon , that there is a happiness to be attained unto that is beyond this world , for surely there is a good in the of christ , there is somewhat beyond this world for the souls of the children of men to look after as their cheef good , as their happiness ; that 's a confectory that follows from it . the kingdom of christ whatsoever it be , it 's a glorious kingdom , it is the kingdom of his dear son ( as the scripture speaks ) and therefore very glorious : and all the glory of the kingdom of solomon , it was but to typifie out the glory of the kingdom of christ ; now that is not of this world : therefore there is some glory beyond that of this world : and it is a good sign of a spiritual eye and a spiritual heart , to be able to see an excellency and glory that is beyond this world ; to be able to look higher and further than this world can : we think that all the good things that god hath to communicate to the children of men , should be here on earth ; but i beseech you consider of it : can we think in our consciences that all the good things that god hath to cōmunicate to such as he loves should be here in this world ? certainly , no. consider therefore that all the good things that god intends for his people are not of this world . first , it 's called , an evil world . truly it 's no great matter , and we should not account much that the kingdom of christ is not of this world , if we consider these things : first , that this world it is an evil world . gal. . we are delivered from this evil world . secondly , it 's a world , that the devil ( in scripture ) is called the god of , and the prince of this world ; cor. . . whose eyes the god of this world hath blinded . surely all the good things that god hath to communicate to his saints , are not of this world , that is an evil world , that is a world that the very devil is god of it ( in scripture phrase . ) thirdly , a world all whose bravery and pomp and glory it is not of the father . john , . . you have an epitomy there of what the excellency of the world is ; for saith he , all that is in the world , the lusts of the flesh , lusts of the eyes , and the pride of life : under these three heads are all things that the men of the world look upon as desirable ; either they are the lusts of the flesh , the lusts of the eyes , or the pride of life : but saith he , all that is in the world , is not of the father , but is of the world . surely the chief things that god hath to communicate to his saints , are not of the things of this world ; for all that is in the world , is not of the father , and wouldest not thou have the riches of the father ? 't is true , god is the creator of all things , and hath the dispose of all things ; but that that the men of the world look upon as the excellent things that are here , they are not of the father , they are none of the good things that god the father hath to bestow upon his children ; and therefore surely , there is a happiness beyond the things of this world . oh my brethren , that i could but so take off the hearts of people by this point from the things of this world , as to make them look after the kingdom of christ that is not of this world ; for you see that all that is here in the world , the scripture saith , it is not of the father . fourthly , as all the excellent things are not of the father , so the truth is , all the glory that is in the world it is but darkness , it is a dungeon of darkness to a spiritual eye : as the bats can see in the night ; so the men of the world they think they see some glittering here in the world ; but in the language of scripture , and to spiritual hearts , it is but darkness : hence the apostle eph. . . for we wrestle not against flesh and blood , but against principalities and powers , against the rulers of the darkness of this world . rulers of the darkness of this world are the unclean spirits , spiritual wickednesses ; the devils are the rulers of the darkness of this world , this world it hath a darkness in it , and therefore surely , the chief good things that god hath to bestow upon the saints , they are things that are beyond this world . fifthly , the world knows not god , john , ▪ . the world is that that christ saith , doth not know the father ; oh , righteous father , the world hath not known thee . take men that are the wisest of the world , and have all the wisdom that this world can afford , it will not help them to the knowledge of the father , the world knows not those excellent and glorious things that are of the father . sixthly , the world it lies in wickedness , john , . . ( as sometimes i have opened that scripture to you ) just as you see in a common shore , a carion , a dead dog that lies over head and ears in the mire or mud in a common shore , and in its own filthiness : so the whole world lies in wickedness , the wickedness of the world is like the common shore , in w ch there is nothing but filth and dirt ; and the world as a dead carion lies in its own pollutions ; surely , then there are other things that god hath to communicate to his saints than the things of this world : and we should not be offended though the kingdom of christ be not of this world . seventhly , the world it passeth away with the lusts of it , john , . . it is a notable scripture for that : and the world passeth away , and the lusts thereof ; but he that doth the will of god , abideth for ever , ( speaking before of what was the glory of the world ) and it passeth away with the lusts thereof . mark , not only the things of the world passeaway , but the very lusts to those things passeth away : as now , men and women who have their healths , and live bravely for a while , oh! how greedy are they for the contents of this world ? how do they long and desire that they might have such a merry meeting with such friends , and such cheer , and such commings in ; they make provision for the flesh , to fulfil the lusts thereof . but now ( mark ) within a little while , not only these comforts shall be taken from them , but the very lusts of them shall passe away ; that is , they shal have no mind in the world to them : take a poor man that was wont to long for these things , when he lieth upon his sick bed , at the point of death , now he looks upon these things as those things that are dry leaves , he hath no mind to them , not so much as a phansie after these things , all the varnish of the things of the world are gone in his eyes , he tasts them no more than the white of an eg , yea , the desire of his heart is dead to them : as now , a man that lusted after drink , when his desire is satisfied , the very desire after it is gon ; and one that liv'd in gluttony , when his body is a little distempered , the very lusts therof passeth away : surely there are other things that god hath for his people than the things of this world . eightly , there must be somwhat else besides the things of this world : for christ himself is not of this world , john , . . are all the good things that the father hath to cōmunicate of this world , and not christ himself of this world ? let me tell you , christ is the greatest gift that ever was given , or possibly could be received , and yet christ is not of this world ; therefore there is somwhat else besides the things of this world , that god hath for some of the children of men , that he intends good unto . ninthly , the saints are said , not to be of this world , joh. . . & . . if they be not of this world , then their happiness is not here , god hath other happiness for them than that which is here . tenthly , the scripture makes it to be a sign of a child of wrath that he walks according to the course of this world ( in joh. . ) this is enough to describe a child of wrath . eleventhly , it 's made a sign of one that is an enemy to god ; and that 's hateful before god , that is a lover of this world , jam. . . and joh. . . he that loves the world , the love of the father is not in him ; and the friendship of the world is enmity to god ( saith the holy ghost in those two scriptures ▪ ) if so be that in the world there were the special things that god hath to communicate to the children of men ; certainly then god would have his people to love the world , he would say , love these things , for these are the fruits of my favor and love , these are part of the riches that i have to communicate to those that i intend good to ; and therefore delight in these , expatiate your heart in these : oh me ! saith the holy ghost , whosoever loves the world is an enemy to god. and , if the love of the world be in you , the love of the father is not in you : surely then here are not the things that god intends for the children of men . twelfthly , the world is that that shall be condemned : cor. . . that ye may not be condemned with the world ▪ that notes that god intends to condemn this whol world , all these things are under the sentence of death , and all the men of the world are condemned before god ; and therefore these are not the things that men should so much look after to make them happy . thirteenthly , take all the world together ; the scripture speaks by way of supposition , that a man may gain the whol world , and yet his soul be lost for ever ; if one man could get all the world in to his possession and thereby lose his soul , it would be an ill bargain ; the world then hath no such excellency in it as we should place our happiness in it ; god hath something else for his people than these things that are at the best under moon-vanities . fourteenthly , if christs kingdom is not of this world ; then certainly those that are of the world are not of his kingdom ; for these two cannot stand together , that christs kingdom should not be of this world , and yet that these that are of the world should be of his kingdom , if such as are of the world are none of his kingdom , then certainly a worldly man or woman is not of the kingdom of christ , christ owns them not as under his kingdom , they are vagabonds and runnagates not under the protection of jesus christ , not partakers of any priviledg of jesus christ . quest ▪ you will say to me , how should one know when a man is a man of this world ? the scripture makes a plain distinction of some that are of this world , and some not ; the best of all you will say they have hearts worldly enough , and they desire to have the comforts of this world as well as others ? well , though there are some , yet we had need look to our selves ; to examine whether we be of the world yea or no , for there lies thus much upon it , that if we be of the world we are not of the kingdom of christ ; now i would give you but these three notes of a man of the world . answ . the first is this , one that is a man of the world is such an one as could be content if god would let him live here in this world , and enjoy what he doth , he would be content for to live here for ever , and could be satisfied though he never enjoyed any thing from god but what he hath received here , if he might alwaies bold it . here 's an evident argument of a man of the world , i mean such a man as hath health of body in this world , he hath for outwards as much as the world can afford any man , that for the properness of his body , his comliness , his health , he hath as much as the world can give , he hath convenient dwelling , with all accommodations belonging thereunto , and he hath the comings in of the world as much as his heart can desire , he hath his wife and children about him , in which he hath a great deal of delight and content ; now , i would but put it to this man , what sayest thou ? would not this satisfie thy heart if thou mightest alwaies be here , alwaies have thy house , and gardens , and walks , and these comings in that thou hast now , that thou mightest fare deliciously every day , and have the sweet and fat of the world , would it not satisfie thy soul , though god should never give thee any thing else but this ? i beseech you , in your own thoughts , answer even to god this question , and seriously look into your hearts , for you may know very much of your hearts upon the answer to this question , you may come to know what is like to become of you for ever , even from the answer that your consciences would give to this question : that man or woman whose conscience tels them that this would satisfie , then we may conclude , that surely that man or woman is of this world ; because the things of this world would be enough for his portion : but now take a man or woman that is chosen out of this world , that is of the kingdom of jesus christ , unto whom the lord hath made known the things of another world and the excellencies of jesus christ , and such a one though it had ten thousand times more than it hath , though it had what possibly can be imagined , it would say , lord , it 's true , i am unworthy of the least crum of bread that i eat , or of the least drop of water , but yet it is not all the world , nor ten thousand worlds can satisfie my soul , for the portion of it , it is nothing but thy self , the unsearchable riches in jesus christ , those blessed things that thou hast revealed in that glorious kingdom of thy son , it 's only that that can satisfie my soul for the portion of it ; and if thou shouldest say , well , thou shalt have all the things in this world for thy portion and enjoy them for ever ; i should account my self in a miserable condition , for thou hast revealed better and higher things to my soul ; this would be the answer of one that is chosen out of the world that hath a gracious heart and is brought under the kingdom of jesus christ . . a second note that i would give to know , whether a man be a man of this world or no , is this , a man of this world is one that accounts the possessions of worldly comforts , to be greater rices than any riches conteined in the promises ; that looks upon the comforts of this world as real things , they have them in possession : but looks upon the promise , as that that hath but a notion in it , as if there were no such reality and excellency in the things of the promise ; a man that dares not trust god upon his word upon his promise without seeing in a way of reason or sence how things may come in unto him for supply from the things of this world ; this is a man of the world , he hath a promise , but things go very ill with him in respect of his outward estate , in respect of whatsoever by sence or reason he is able to discern , he looks upon himself as miserable , if indeed god would give him in the things of the world in real possession , that would satisfie him , but not the promise : this is an evidence of a worldly heart , that regards more the possession of the things of the world than the promise of god for provision for him ; as for promises , he thinks that that man is but in a sad condition , that hath nothing but bare promises to live upon ; here 's a worldly heart that hath low and mean thoughts of the promises . but now , one who is taken out of this world , and translated into the kingdom of jesus christ , regards more to have a promise to live upon , than to have possessions to live upon : promises in the word are greater and more real things to that soul than any bills or bonds from men can be , he can live better upon a promise , than upon bils , or bonds , or leases , or any such things in the world : hast thou found such a principle within thee , that canst close with the promise , and canst bless thy self in the promises , i have title to , and an interest in many promises in the book of god , for life and godliness are more to me than all the treasures of egypt , and though i do not enjoy so much in the hand as others , yet my heart hath enough , because it is possest by christ , in whom all the promises are yea , and amen ; that is , sure and infallible . god is faithful who hath promised ; this is an argument that thou art taken out of the world , and taken into the kingdom of jesus christ ; but otherwise , thou that canst not trust god for thy outward estate , body and soul upon a promise , this is an evidence of one that hath his heart set on the world . a third sign of a man of this world , is this , a man of the world blesses those that are like himself , looks upon and measures the happiness or misery of other men , according to what they do enjoy , or according to what they do enjoy in this world . they call the proud , happy ; i mean by this they measure the happiness of other men , according to what they have of the world , and think that the meer enjoying of worldly accommodations is enough to make men happy , notwithstanding they see them to be very wicked and sinful , yet so long as they flourish as a green bay tree , yet rejoyce in them and with them , yea , get themselves in the midst of the guilt that is upon them , when conscience ( as a woolf in their bosom ) flyes in their faces , yet they can blesse themselves in the enjoyment of outward comforts , and set that against any trouble of mind whatsoever , as if so be it were enough to make up their comforts : i have been at such a place , and contracted such guiltiness upon my soul , committed such sins , oh! what shall comfort me now ? well , he comes home , and sees all wel about him , his house furnished , his table spread , means coming in as a floud , and this quiets him : here 's a worldly heart : whereas were the heart taken off from the world , the possession of al under christ would never calm a conscience that hath any guilt upon it ; when i have contracted any guilt upon my soul , although i see all well about me , oh! till i have an assurance from the holy ghost the witness of the spirit , that the guilt of my sin is washt away in the blood of jesus christ , what wil all these do me good ? i have these and these comforts , oh! but i have an unclean conscience , a leprous soul : doest thou set the good things here to countervail the evil of sin ? certainly , thou art a man of the world , thy name is written in the earth ▪ thou art but living dust and ashes at the best . and the world is like to be the only portion of thy soul , thou art a stranger to the kingdom of jesus christ . that 's a second use . vse . the third use should have been this : here we see the main thing that doth hinder people from the kingdom of jesus christ : what is that which keeps off men from coming under the scepter of this king of saints , from subjecting themselves to his kingdom ? certainly , this point shews it cleerly , his kingdom is not of this world , were the kingdom of jesus christ of this world , then people would flock into it , who would not joyn in such a kingdom and be a member therof , where he could have worldly glory and pomp and riches and bravery ; but now because it is not of this world , therefore they slight it : as i remember we reade in the gospel of herod , that when he heard of the great miracles that christ wrought , herod sent for christ , and he longed a great while to see jesus christ , but when christ came , and he saw him a poor , mean , contemptible man to the outward eye , he thought to have seen him to have done such and such great things , and to have been such a man as not the like upon the earth . but christ contemn'd herod as much as herod contemn'd him , and christ would not shew his glory before herod , but appeared in his outward meaness , and the text saith , herod set him at naught , he set him at naught , when he saw him so outward contemptible : and so it is reported of the roman emperors , that hearing that christ should be the king of the jews , and that out of davids stock there should come a king of the jews , they sought to destroy all of that family that they could find out , and all the tribe of judah : but afterward , when they found out some that were of the kindred of jesus christ , and saw that they were poor laboring men , that labored with their hands to eat their bread by the sweat of their brows , they set them at naught and contemn'd them ; certainly , this is the great offence to the world , that the kingdom of christ is not of the world , and as christ saith , wo to the world , because of offences ▪ so wo to the world because of this great offence , christs kingdom being so spiritual , hence it is that the world receives him not , in . john , . and so in john , . . even the spirit of truth whom the world cannot receive : mark , the world cannot receive the spirit of truth , the world receives not christ , and it cannot receive the spirit of truth . if you speak of the world to men , then they savor of those things , come to a man and tell him of a good bargain on the exchange , he will listen to you , and remember what you say , but come and speak to him of the great things of the kingdom of jesus christ , of the glorious priviledges of that kingdom , only there 's a sound in the air , and it passeth away , and takes no impression at all on the heart of one that is carnal , john , . . there you have this exprest fully , the very guize and way of a carnal heart , they ( saith the text ) are of the world , therefore speak they of the world : and the world heareth them : those that are of the world , they speak of the world , and discourse of the world , and savor the things of the world , and the world heareth them ; but now , let a man come and tell them of things that are heavenly , of a goodly pearl , of jesus christ , they savor not those things ; and they hear them not : oh! 't is from hence that men come not into the kingdom of jesus christ , because it is not of this world . what 's the reason that there are more comes into the kingdom of antichrist , than into the kingdom of christ ? revel . . . the whol world wandered after the beast , saith the text , because they are of the world , and antichrist doth set up a worldly kingdom instead of christs kingdom , and men that are of the world they flock after antichrist , and hence it was , that your great rich men in places where the gospel hath not been , they were papists , or popishly affected , so that therefore the papists make outward prosperity to be one badge or sign of the true church ; hence it is that popery is so sutable to worldly hearts , and the holy ghost prophesied before hand , that the whol world should follow antichrist , only here and there a few poor ones jesus christ chuses out of this world to follow him , for his kingdom is not of this world . one particular more , in a word , seeing the kingdom of christ is not of the world , then a worldly heart is the most unbeseeming thing in one that professeth himself to be a christian , of any thing that can be in the world : if christs kingdom be not there , certainly thy heart should not be there : thou that professest thy self to be of the kingdom of christ , which is spiritual and heavenly , and yet thou a worldly earthly heart , i say , it is the most unbeseeming thing that possibly can be : what , for a professor of religion to have an earthly , covetous worldly heart ? by that that i have already spoken in shewing the vanity and the evil of the world , and the great evil of loving the world were enough to strengthen this use ; but now that that i intended should have been to speakesp , ecially to those that are christians , that have hopes that god hath made them partakers of jesus christ , and would be loth to lose their hopes in the good things of the kingdom of jesus christ for . worlds , & yet there doth remain much worldliness in their hearts to this day , surely , this not beseeming one of the profession that thou makest , it is no honor unto thy king , the lord jesus christ ; worldly professors , they are great dishonors to the kingdom of jesus christ ; when there shall appear no difference between those that we account to be men of the world , and such as we hope are chosen out of the world ; oh! how is christ dishonored by this ? look but upon the lives of christians that profess religion , and one would think that the kingdom of christ were a kingdom of this world rather than any thing else , for i say , to outward appearance , though it may be christ may see some integrity within the heart , yet to outward appearance there is even almost no difference between them and the men of the world . it doth become christians to live so in their whol course , as to make it appear that they are men and women above the world , whose conversations are in heaven , that they do beleeve the kingdom of jesus christ that is not of this world . sermon iii. john , . . jesus answered and said , my kingdom is not of this world . what this kingdom of christ was , and how different from the kingdoms of this world we have already opened unto you . the fourth use which we are to proceed in , is , if the kingdom of christ be not of this world , then of all dispositions , a worldly spirit is most unsutable to those who profess themselves to be of the kingdom of christ . certainly , then such as are beleevers , that are come under the kingdom of christ , they must not be of earthly hearts : we find the apostle in the epistle of the ephesians , doth rank covetousness , and uncleanness together , and saith of them both , in the . chapter , . verse , let it not be once named among you , as becometh saints : so that a covetous heart after the things of the world , it is such a disposition , as it should scarce be named among saints no more than whoredom , they should abstain from it , as from whordom , as it becometh saints . it is the most uncomly thing for a saint of god , one of the kingdom of christ to have a covetous heart for the things of the world , that possibly can be . as it becomes them ; it doth not become you ; and luther that was a great man for the promoting of the kingdom of christ , he is bold to profess it ; that of all sins , he was scarce ever tempted to that sin , he found nothing tending almost that way ; though it 's true , there 's no sin , but we have the seeds of it in our hearts ; but yet he found his spirit most above that worldly sin , because he was so much taken up with jesus christ . and indeed , the more any soul is taken up with the excellency of christ , and with the glorious things of his kingdom , the more vile will the things of the world be to them . we look not at the things that are seen ( saith the apostle ) they are not things to be looked at , but at the things that are not seen . and in the . of the gal. . ver . the apostle paul , that was the great man for the promoting of christ in the world , and the setting up of his throne ; he professes , that he was crucified to the world , and the world was crucified to him : that is , he look't upon the world , but as a crucified thing . what esteem would you have of a man that is hanging upon a gallows ? all the world was to him no otherwise , was a thing crucified to him , and he was crucified to the world , the world cares not for me , and i care not for the world , i am quit with it that way , and do as much slight , and contemn the world , and trample it under foot , as the world slights and contemns me , and tramples me under foot . this should be the disposition of a christian that is under the kingdom of christ : for now it is to converse with things of another nature : and therefore you find that christ , he saith of those that are given to him by the father , they are given unto him out of the world : john , . . i have manifested thy name to the men whom thou hast given me out of the world . no men have christ manifested unto them , but those whom the father doth give him out of the world : saith the father , here 's so many of the world , and there are a select company that i wil take out of this rude heap and mass of man-kind ; and i 'le give them to thee : take them , and manifest thy self unto them . if this be so , that those that come under christ's kingdom , are given unto him out of the world , then though they live in the world , they should not live as of the world . secondly , they are chosen out of the world , john , . . and they are delivered from the world by christ . gal. . . and they are opposed to the children of the world . luke , . , speaking of divers sorts of people ; and makes the distinction between one and another : the lord commended the unjust steward because he had done wisely : for the children of this world are , in their generation , wiser than the children of light : these two are opposed one to another , the children of this world and the children of light are quite contrary one to another ; for indeed one is in the kingdom of darkness , and the other in the kingdom of light , in the kingdom of the dear son of god ; you must be children of light , others are children of the world ; it becomes a child of the world to follow after the things of the world ; but not the children of light : you are chosen out of the world , that you may be the light of the world . so the scripture speaks of the saints , that they should be the light of the world : philippians , . . now if they have as worldly hearts as others , how can they be the lights of the world ? oh! many that are professors of religion , they are indeed but dark lanthorns , they have a candle in them , have some kind of knowledg , but by their worldly conversations they are made but as dark lanthorns , that the light of knowledg and profession that they have is so darkned by it , as none can see the beauty and excellency of jesus christ shining through them . thirdly , surely it is a very unbeseeming disposition in one that is under the kingdom of christ to be worldly : for he is appointed to be one that shall judge the world another day , in cor. . . the saints shall judge the world . now there should be a great deal of difference between judges , and those that are judged by them : if they be of the same disposition that the world is , why should any be chosen out of the world to judge them ? now all the saints if they do beleeve themselves to be brought into the kingdom of christ , they should look upon themselves as those that are appointed by god hereafter to judge the whol world , and therefore they should not live so as the men of the world do , but as judges , very precisely and strictly according to rule . ly it is required of them that they should hate their own lives in this world , john , . . now if the saints should be such as should see so much excellency in the kingdom of christ as to hate their very lives in this world , then surely to look upon all things in this world as contemptible as hateful in comparison : it is not meant hate their lives , that is , absolutely , but in comparison : when any comfort or preservation of their lives in this world , comes in the least competition with the furtherance of the kingdom of jesus christ : they should look upon the comforts of their lives as a hateful thing , and look upon the very preservation of their lives as a hateful thing ; shall i make my life comfortable with any hindrance unto the kingdom of christ ? oh 't is that that my soul should abhor , and so should i preserve my life with doing any thing that may be any prejudice to the kingdom of christ , i should look upon the very suggestion to such a thing as that that my very soul doth abhor , and we find in scripture that it 's made an argument of apostasie , of one that 's falling off from the profession of christ to imbrace the world , as it is said of demas in the of tim. . . demas ( saith paul ) hath forsaken me , but what is it that hath made demas to forsake me ? he hath imbraced this present world . so look upon many of your professors of religion , such vs have been very forward in former times , and oh nothing but christ in their mouthes , they afterward begin to decline , and wax worser and worser , but observe them , they imbrace this present world , it is because of some honors and esteem , some comforts , riches , & estates that they would have , or live at ease in this present world , they cannot endure the hatred of the world . so it was with demas , when he began to hear paul , he perceived that it was a great excellency to be one of pauls followers , paul , he wrought miracles , and demas ( i say ) thought it an excellent thing to follow paul ; but after he had followed paul a while , he found that he was persecuted , and he saw there was no preferment came in by pauls preaching , nothing but blows and imprisonments ; and scorns , and contempt , then demas begins to bethink himself better , and thinks he was mistaken ; i had thought that this paul would have been a great man in the world one day , and that by my following of him i should get great matters to my self , but when he saw that all men were set against paul , and nothing but persecution was like to betide him , and his disciples ; demas begins to bethink himself , and is it not better for me to keep my credit , and esteem in this world ; so demas leaves him to shift for himself : and therefore saith the apostle , demas hath forsaken me , and imbraced this present world . this may be written upon every apostates grave , here lies an apostate that hath forsaken jesus christ , and hath imbraced this present world . but observe it , and look upon those that were forward in religion , and now are not ; and see whether they have not more worldly hearts than before , and give themselves up to honors , and pleasures , and profits ; therefore it 's exceeding unbeseeming the saints to have worldly hearts , they will certainly apostatize , if their hearts take deep root in the earth . if you find your spirits so glewed to the things of the world , that you know not how to part with them , that you know not how to live in a place , and not to have your neighbors love and respect , and to honor you , and to have the countenance of the times in which you live ; do you find your hearts thus cleaving to the things of the world , like the serpent , that dust you eat , and upon your belly you go ? know that thou hast a worldly heart , & thou art like to be an apostate from the truth of god ere long . in the . of titus , . the apostle saith , that the grace of god that hath appeared to all men , teaches them to deny all worldly lusts . oh my brethren ! let 's labor to walk worthy of our calling into the kingdom of jesus christ . thess . . . there the apostle with a great deal of earnestness speaks to the thessalonians , exhorting them , that they would , walk worthy of god , who hath called them into his kingdom , and glory . are you converted to christ ? you are called into this kingdom ; walk worthy of him : and mark his earnestness in the verse before , as you know , how we exhorted , and comforted , and charged every one of you , ( as a father doth his children . ) we comforted you , in shewing you the excellency of the kingdom of god , and the priviledges of this kingdom ; we exhorted you , and we charged every one of you , as a father doth his children ; and what did he exhort , and charge them to ? it was this , that they would walk worthy of god , who had called them into his kingdom , and his glory . oh! 't is a great mercy that god hath revealed any thing of the kingdom of his son unto you , walk worthy of it , as it becomes those that are called to be the subjects of such a glorious kingdom as this is ; and above all things , have a care , and let me warn you of this worldliness in the hearts of the saints : namely , of a crafty , cunning subtilness in the things of this life ; there is nothing more unbeseeming a christian , than a crafty cunning subtilness for the world : many men bless themselves in this , and they take abundance of content to think , that by their craft and cunning sophistry , they can fetch about things , circumvent others , & so provide for themselves in this world : ( i say ) there is nothing more unbeseeming a christian , than to be crafty and cunning in circumventing others , and providing for themselves in the matters of this world . in . cor. . . saith the apostle , we have not received the spirit of the world , but the spirit which is of god , it is that we have received . there is many men ( you may plainly see that ) they have the spirit of the world , that 's thus : i have many times wondered at it ; some men , come and speak to them about any matters of the kingdom of christ , they speak so foolishly and childishly , either they must hold their peace , and say nothing , or else if they do speak they discover so much ignorance , and childishness that a man would wonder where the understandings of such men are that have liv'd so long a time in the world as they have done , and heard so much of religion , and when one hears them speak so , one would wonder how these men should have understanding to live in the world : but now , these in the businesses of the world they are as worldly politick , no man can out go them there , they can foresee all kind of dangers in any miscarriage , and can judge of twenty things together in their thoughts , and compare one thing with another , see further into the world than other men ; so that a man would wonder sometimes ( i say ) when one hears them speaking of religion , whether these men have any wit or understanding ? but when one follows them in the things of the world , you shall see them as witty , as understanding , as judicious , and as cunning as any men ( almost ) can be : they have received the spirit of the world , and they are led by the spirit of the world , the god of this world hath taken possession of them , and it 's that that makes them so : but they have not received the spirit of jesus christ , they may say quite contrary to the apostle ; saith the apostle , we have not received the spirit of the world , but the spirit of jesus christ : they may say , we have not received the spirit of christ , but of the world : it 's true , christ would have us so long as we live in the world , to be as wise as serpents , yet innocent as doves ; the wisdom that is for the promotion of the kingdom of christ it is a wisdom that hath an upright plainess in it , and is according to the simplicity of the gospel ; indeed when they have to deal with wicked men , they may exercise a natural wisdom , to avoid the dangers of persecution , or to avoid the circumventing of wicked men ; but when they have to deal with spiritual things , there the wisdom is that that holds forth a simplicity of the gospel , that is carried on with plainess and simpleness of heart . the hebrews have the same word that signifies a naked man , and a cunning subtil man. you shall find where it 's said of adam and eve , they were naked , nakedness of spirit and subtilty may stand together , they signifie the same thing , to shew what kind of subtilty should be in those that are the people of god , it should be that that may stand with a naked spirit , so as if god would discover the secrets of all their hearts to all the children of men , that they should not be ashamed to have all their secrets to be opened to them : but now , the cunningness , that is , the cunningness of the serpent , is such a cunningness , as men ( if they were but laid open ) would quickly be ashamed of . and so much of the fourth use , that it is unbeseeming those that are of the kingdom of christ , to have the spirit of the world , because christs kingdom is not of this world . . vse . hence we see the reason of the meanness of the outward condition of the people of god in this world , why is it that christ hath so ordered things that the people of god should be so outwardly poor in this world ? my kingdom is not of this world ( saith christ ) therefore , why should any that come under my kingdom look for great things in this world ? they must look to have their comfort and glory in things that concern my kingdom , and not in the things of this world : in psal . . . behold ! those that are ungodly prosper in this world , ( saith the scripture . ) as for men that are godly and come under the kingdom of christ , they must look for a prosperity that is beyond this world ; god gives the earth to the children of men , and to the men of the world : let them prosper saith god , here 's their portion , here 's all that they are like ever to have . but now for the people of god , they must not look to prosper outwardly in this world ; john , . . in the world , you shall have trouble ( saith christ . ) christ does tell his disciples plainly beforehand , that in the world they shall have trouble ; never make account to have ease and prosperity here below in the world ; certainly you shall have trouble , this is not your kingdom ; and therefore john , in the . of rev. . ver . there he stiles himself in writing to the churches : your companion in tribulation , and in the kingdom and patience of jesus christ . observe it , john that was such an eminent member of the kingdom of christ ; when he speaks unto others that are brought into the kingdom of christ , saith he , ● john , who also am your brother , and companion in tribulation , and in the kingdom , and patience of jesus christ : these two may well stand together , to be of the kingdom of christ , and companions of men in the kingdom of christ , and in tribulation : yea , mark how the kingdom of christ is set in the middle , companion in tribulation , and then kingdom , and then patience ; so that trouble , and afflictions are on both sides ( as it were ) of the kingdom of christ . and it 's very observable here , john he doth not to get himself credit , say , i john that was the apostle of jesus christ , i john , that was the beloved disciple of jesus christ , i john , that was a kins-man of jesus christ : no , but i john , your companion in tribulation , and in the kingdom , and patience of jesus christ . if you would be the companion of the saints in the kingdom of jesus christ , you must be willing to be their companion in tribulation , and in the patience of jesus christ . so things are ordered by christ , that the saints should be in tribulation , live in trouble in this world . when any of you that are godly shall meet with crosses , and afflictions , ( the briers and thornes which spring out of the world ever since it was cursed by god ) the very thought of this text may be a means to quiet your hearts , and not to have any risings in your bosomes against the dispensations of god towards you : do not i desire to fear the lord , and follow him in all his waies ? and yet , how doth the lord cross me in this world ? these murmuring , and repining thoughts will be ; yea , it may be since the time that god wrought upon me by his word , i am more afflicted than before ; is not god displeased with me ? it may be i am not in the right way because of these afflictions . oh take heed of these temptations , let my text come into your minds , and answer all these temptations : christ saith , his kingdom is not of this world : since the time i was called out of darkness by the ministry of the word , no mervail though i meet with afflictions more than before , for i am translated into another kingdom , which is not of this world ; it pleases the father to make christ ( who is my captain ) to be perfect through sufferings : heb. . . for it became him , for whom are all things , and by whom are all things , in bringing many sons unto glory , to make the captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings : it 's an excellent scripture to quiet the hearts of the saints in the midst of their sufferings . [ it became him ] ( saith the text ) for whom are all things , and by whom are all things , in bringing many sons unto glory , to make the captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings : the captain of your salvation , yea , your king , that is the king of glory , yet he was made perfect through sufferings . now you must go the same way that he did . now if you must enter into a full possession of this glorious kingdom through sufferings , why should you murmur ? luke , . . ought not christ to have suffered these things , and to enter into his glory ? it 's a speech of christ himself . so i say concerning you : ought not you to suffer first , and then to enter into your glory ? why should not you come to the fulness of the glory of that kingdom that is prepared for you ; as jesus christ your head came to the fulness of the glory of his kingdom ? it was by suffering . remember his kingdom is not of this world . . vse . here 's the reason why the wicked hates the saints . why ? they love their own : john , . . if you were of the world , the world would love you ; but you are not of the world , therefore the world hates you ; you are translated into another kingdom , and therefore their spirits are bitter against you , and their tongues as sharp as two edged sword ; you come to live by other laws than they do ; they know no other law but the law of the land where they live but you have other laws that they do not understand the authority of , you have other rules for your consciences than they have ; their consciences can yeeld to this , or that , according as may serve for their worldly ends ; but now your consciences are subjected to another authority , you cannot have your consciences yeeld up and down as they can , and thereupon they think it to be ●●outness in you , but god knows it to be otherwise : and they wonder at this , they understand not the reason of this , and therefore it is that they malign you , they hate you with a perfect hatred , you are rebels against their kingdom , they are under the kingdom of satan , but you are brought under the kingdom of christ , and so do rebel against that kingdom . we hate rebels . it 's true , in some sense all the saints are rebels , that is , they do rebel against the kingdom of satan , and the powers of darkness , and if any thing should be enjoyed by men , yet if it be against the kingdom of christ , they cannot but rebel in a sense , that is , their spirits must needs be against it , and whatever they suffer , they cannot submit to it ; they do not rebel against lawful authority , but against the kingdom of darkness , and the power of darkness ; and therefore it is that the world doth so much hate them : when you come into the kingdom of christ you live upon other principles , and have other ends , you are a kind of separated people from the world ; and we know there is nothing more odious to the world , than that we should be a certain kind of separated people from them ; the world would have all to be like themselves , and for any kind of people to make a profession as if they were call'd out of the world , and live after another kind and fashion , and have other sort of hopes , and comforts , and ends , and rules by which they live ; oh this the world cannot endure : so long as paul was in the world , and liv'd as the men of the world , they loved him , and he was a man of authority among them , but when he was called out of the world , then a pestilent fellow , then seditious ; this separation from the world it cannot be born , there is nothing more provokes the world than separation from the world , and therefore no mervail though the people of god be hated in the world , and looked upon as the ringleadees of sedition : they are separated from the world , and translated into another kingdom , into a kingdom that is not of this world . . vse . from hence may appear the wickedness of the world , that they should reject christ and his kingdom . that they should not 〈…〉 it , that 's not so much wonder ; but that they shou●● 〈◊〉 it , and persecute it , and reject it ; there appears their wickedness . you will say , how doth it appear ? from my doctrine it appears thus : if christs kingdom be not a kingdom of this world , it would do men no hurt at al , it no way would hinder any lawful comforts or honors here in this world ; it is not opposite unto the kingdoms of the world , that is , so as to hinder any thing that is good in the world , the kingdom of christ may be set up , and the world need be never the worse for it . indeed , it doth oppose the wickedness of the world , but it doth not oppose any thing that they dare say themselves to be good herod persecuted christ , because he heard a king of the jews was born : but it was without cause ; jesus christ he did not come to take the kingdom of herod away from him : the kings of the earth ( the text saith ) they conspire together , and are engaged against christ : it is their wickedness ; christ , he doth not envy them or their kingdoms , they may live and be the kings of the earth still , and yet the kingdom of jesus christ may go on ; the truth is , that the kingdom of jesus christ doth not intrench upon any civil liberty of men , and it 's their hatred to it , that makes them think it cannot stand with civil peace ; the kingdom of christ may be set up , and civil liberty maintained . you may have your estates still , and yet have the kingdom of christ , and you may be in place of rule and government , and have outward honors still , and yet be of the kingdom of christ . it 's true , if you be brought into the kingdom of christ ; perhaps god may call you sometimes to suffering , but then it is so as you will be willing to it , you shall never be call'd to suffering , but you shall see cause to be willing to it , you shall have as much good by what you suffer , as you hav● 〈◊〉 of outward comforts : but this i speak , that the kingdom of christ intrenches not upon any civil liberties of men : they may enjoy all their lawful comforts , their estates , their rule , their government : and yet the kingdom of christ may flouri●●● ▪ now what a wickedness is this ? when as chri●●● would come and set up his kingdome without any prejudice at all unto the worldly kingdoms , and yet they cannot endure it : you would account that an ill neighbour if you should come and live by him and no way prejudice him , and yet for all that he would malign you , because you do but live by him ; thus it is with the world , they do malign jesus christ for living but by them ; indeed if a neighbor comes and will intrench upon your ground and liberties , you cannot bear it ; jesus christ doth not do it : one would wonder sometimes why wicked men should be so opposite against men when they come under the kingdom of christ more than before : i appeal to you , when god converts a wife to be under the kingdom of christ , doth that take her off from subjection to her husband ? let me assure you , it makes her to acknowledge her husband to be lord more than before ; indeed if when the wife were converted it did take the wife from subjection to the husband , then there were some reason why the husband should storm at it ; but when the more the wife is under the kingdom of christ , the more doth she acknowledg the authority of of her husband over her : and so for servants , i confess if the bringing of them by the word under the kingdom of christ , did take them off from their obedience to their masters and mistrisses , then there were some ground to oppose them from going to hear the word ; but when your conscinece tell you that the more they go to hear the word , and are wrought upon by the word they are the more obedient to you , why should you hate them then ? why should you so malign christs kingdom when as christs kingdom would help you ? i appeal to the consciences of divers masters , you have one servant that is prophane ; another cannot lie in his bed in the morning but he must come to ●●ar the word ; now if you had trust to commit to one of them , so that your whol estate lay upon it , which of these two would you trust ? your consciences would tell you that that servant that is come under the kingdom of christ were rather to be trusted ▪ so that you would trust him in a case of great trust ; and 〈◊〉 your conscieaces tell you that you hate that servant more than the other . now here 's the wickedness of men , that they do hate the kingdom of christ though the kingdom of christ doth not intrench upon them . oh let christ alone with his kingdom , and do not oppose him , he will not oppose you in any thing that you can desire as a rational man. and for the outward government : christ would have no man to be compel'd to it , but those that are convinced that it is the best way ; he gives no such rules to force any man ; if you think the government is to strickt for you , that you cannot live under it ; indeed there may be something used as a natural help , some outward , means used to take men off from their wantonness and wilfulnes : but now if it appear that you desiring to know which is the best way , and endeavoring to know , and after your desires , and endeavors you cannot be convinced that this is the way that you should walk in ; christ gives no rules to compel you ; but if you belong to god , he is content to stay till the word and spirit ●●all convince you to come under his government ; oh! why should you be against it then , when it forces you not to come into it ? oh! be not such an enemy to the kingdom of jesus christ , but let those that beleeve another way is the way wherein they come most under the kingdom of christ , and enjoy 〈◊〉 ●ommunion with christ , let them alone in that way especially , when they live peacable with you , and are every way useful as much as your hearts can desire in all civil things , living neighborly , lovingly , and faithfully with you in all things ; why should you malign them because you know there is some other way wherein they may enjoy more sweet communion with jesus christ than your selves do ? that 's the seventh use , which shews the wickedness of the world in opposing the kingdom of christ , when as it is not of this world , it is not that that doth intrench upon their worldly priviledges . . vse , hence this kingdom , if it be not [ of ] this world , then it doth not depend upon 〈◊〉 world ; become of the world what will , the kingd●● of christ will go on . men are afraid , oh! if the enemies should prevail , and overcome and take away our civil rights , oh then the kingdom of christ , what will become of that ? let us not be too solicitous about that , for the kingdom of christ is of another world , there is no such dependance of the kingdom of christ upon the kingdoms of this world , but though they were broken , the kingdom of christ would subsist . we indeed should labor to preserve our civil liberties as much as we can , yea and our civil liberty in exercise of religion in a war-like way , and i should wonder that any should mistake in that , when as this hath been so declared from the beginning of the war to this time , that we may fight for the civil liberty we have to the peacable practice and profession of our religion , so far we may , and that hath been the ground of our war : had we indeed liv'd in such a country , as the christians in 〈◊〉 primitive times , where the governors and the gener●●●ty of the country had been against it , then indeed the taking up of arms , might have been very questionable ; but now when we live in such a place where our civil laws are for the protection of us in the practice of our religion , if any will come and disturb us , we may take up arms because we have a right to the profession of it , by the laws of the kingdom , 〈◊〉 have to our houses , lands , and estates , ( but that by the way : ) but that 's the thing i aim at in this use : that though our civil right should be lost , yet the kingdom of christ would go on for all that : heb. . . this is a kingdom that cannot be shaken . at those times when the magistrates were the greatest enemies unto the kingdom of christ : yet even then the kingdom of christ went on as fully as ever it hath done since that time ; but the magistrates may be helps , and there is a promise that kings shall be nursing fathers , and queens nursing mothers to the church , but yet so it fell out that at the first when the church was in its infancy , that it did thrive as much when magistrates and civil power was against it as ever it hath done since , and thereby christ would shew us that his kingdom doth not depend upon this world , but the kingdom of christ doth stand and will stand , and it doth and will prevail to the end of the world , the gates of hell shall not prevail against it , it shall be more than conqueror ; and this is a great comfort to the saints . . vse . if the kingdom of christ be not of this world , but of another ; then hence we collect the absolute necessity of living by faith , christians had need then have a principle of faith to live by , for their greatest good is in things that are beyond this world , their very king that they obey is a king that cannot be seen by the eye of sence ; nor by the eye of reason , they had need have an eye of faith to behold their king in his glory : the throne of this king of saints is not a visible throne to be seen by the eye of sence , and reason but by the eye of faith . the priviledges that we speak of , are ●ot to be seen and enjoyed by sence and reason , but by faith , and so the ordinances of this kingdom , and the laws and statutes of it , they are spiritual , and must have faith to close with them , and all the comforts of this kingdom must be drawn in by faith , therefore it is of absolute necessity that the saints should exercise much faith in their lives , that they should live continually by faith ; as the apostle saith in cor. . . for we walk by faith , and not by sight ; it is not by sight we walk ; indeed all the good things that there are in the kingdoms of the world they are seen by sence and reason , reason and sence is enough to order us in the matters of the kingdoms of this world : but now the kingdom of the son of god that we are translated into , it 's a spiritual , an heavenly kingdom , so that the saints must walk by faith , and not by sight : therefore my brethren labor to strengthen faith , and act your faith , and live upon faith , exercise faith in all your waies , make much of grace and faith or you will never have much good in the kingdom of christ , but that grace will help you comfortably to enjoy , and spiritually to improve all the good things in the kingdom of jesus christ to an everlasting advantage . . vse . if the kingdom of christ be not of this world , then the greater mercy to thy soul , that ever thou wast brought under this kingdom of christ : oh! thou maiest look back unto thy former time , and know that thou hadst a worldly heart , worldly apprehensions , thy spirit was worldly , altogether for things of the world , taken with the pomp , and glory , and the pleasures of this world : how comes it to pass that thou shouldest have a heavenly kingdom reveal'd to thee ? whence was it that ever jesus christ should be known to thy soul , that was so worldly , so drossie , so earthy a soul ? thou wast as deep rooted in the world ( it may be ) as any , and yet that the lord should cull thee out of the world , and reveal such a kingdom to thee , that is such a mystery as the princes of the world have not known , that thou that art a poor creature shouldest come to understand the ●●alities of christ , that the wise and learned men of the world have not known : oh! the free grace of god to thee , and not unto the world ! as judas , ( not iscariot ) said , how is it that thou revealest thy self to us , and not unto the world ? how comes it to pass that such wise men , that bear sway in the world , they have very poor , and low , and mean , and contemptible thoughts of the kingdom of jesus christ ? they look upon it but as a meer notion , and a conceit of men , and the rather because they see but a few poor people that are but of mean parts that do imbrace such a way , upon that they contemn it ; and through the worldly wisdom that they have , they come to undervalue it . oh! then bless god that ever he should chuse such a poor weak wretch as thou art , for to make known the things of the kingdom of christ unto ; and therfore of al men , you rich covetous men they are hardest to be wrought upon by the ministry of the word . when christ himself was preaching , it is said in luke , . . that the pharisees who were covetous , they derided him ; they blew their noses at him , for that 's the meaning of the original . like as a man that scorns and derides another snivles in the nose ; that 's the propriety of the word , that is here translated derided . oh! a worldly heart is hardest brought unto the kingdom of christ : therefore bless god so much the more , that hath brought thy soul to understand the mysteries of christs scepter , that hath translated thee into another kingdom . . vse . if the kingdom of christ be not of this world : then they are rebuked that do seek to make the kingdom of christ a worldly kingdom . i might name very many sorts of men that do this : i will speak but of three or four. the first is the papists , those that are popishly affected ; all their way is under the name of honoring of christ , to raise up a worldly kingdom ; and therefore they make the pope to be as an emperor of all the world , as the king of kings ; and their cardinals , and many of their bishops to be princes , and all in a worldly pomp , and they carry it on , and maintain it by a worldly policy , and by worldly means , and worldly weapons , and therfore stir up the kings of the earth to root out all those that are against them : these understand not the kingdom of christ . secondly , such as would conform the government of the church meerly to worldly government ; that because worldly men may by their prudence order things as they please in common-wealths , so as shall be most sutable to them : therefore they falsly think , that the kingdom of christ must be so too ; that it must be suted to every country : whereas the truth is , there is but one way of the government of christ in all the world . the great argument of the prelates was , indeed say they , in some places there may be another government , where there is an aristocracy in the civil government ; but where there is monarchy , there must be a bishop . now certainly that's not the way of christ , to sute himself in his government , to the government of the world . but the government that was in the primitive times , must be still . thirdly , such kind of men as think that the success of the gospel , and the ordinances do depend upon worldly things ; as now , upon outward pomp : except there be some outward pomp go along with the gospel ; as now , great preferments of those that are the preachers of the gospel , they think the gospel will be contemn'd else , and except the ordinances be carried on in an outward pomp : they conceive that all will be despised : except there be magnificent temples built and beautified , and except brave gold and silver chalises , the sacrament would be despised ; and except they have their altars , and rails about them : with all their heathenish vanities , christ is not worshiped . but this is to look upon the kingdom of christ as the kingdoms of the world ; but oh no! the kingdom of christ prevails where there is but little of the world with it . i remember i have read of one boniface a martyr , that being asked , whether it were lawful to give the wine in the sacrament , in a wooden challis ; saith he , there was a time ( indeed ) when the church had wooden challises , and golden priests ; but now , the church hath golden challises , and wooden priests . no question , in the primitive times , they had very mean things in the lords supper , and all things were carried in a very low way to a worldly eye ; but ( saith he ) though their challises were wooden , the priests were golden : and so the gospel did prevail . oh! it 's the spiritualness of things that makes the kingdom of christ to prevail ; many think that the gospel cannot prevail , except it hath abundance of gingles of mens wit , and tongues , and such kind of school-boy-vanities as these are , but the gospel never prevails by such things ; but that which the world calls foolishness , that is made the power of god , and the wisdom of god to salvation : they have carnal hearts that think that the outward pomp , and glory of the world should be such a furtherance to the gospel , as if it should not thrive without it . lastly , those that think that the gospel and the promoting of christs kingdom depends wholly upon humane policy and strength , these do make the kingdom of christ to be but as a worldly kingdom . the last vse is this : if christs kingdom be not of this world , then it teaches us all for to labor to further a kingdom of christ as distinct from the world , it is a great point that i am speaking of , about furthering the kingdom of christ as distinct from the kingdoms of the world . christ himself professes that he came into the world to witness to this truth : and therefore certainly we should do so likewise . it is in the very next words to my text , when christ had said his kingdom was not of this world , pilate said to him , art thou a king then ? jesus answered , thou saiest i am a king. to this end was i born , and for this cause came i into the world , that i should bear witness to the truth . truth , pilate asked him what the truth was ? but he said not for an answer : but certainly the truth that christ means here , is the truth of his kingdom . oh my brethren , it is a matter of so great consequence , that it is a special end why christ came into the world , why he was born , that he should witness to this truth . then certainly we should account it a great end of our lives to set to our seal to this truth of the kingdom of christ , as distinct from the world , let this be a great engagement on our spirits , to further the preaching of the kingdom , further it as many waies as you can , improve your estates , improve your credits , your esteem , your places for the kingdom of christ ; and then , oh how comfortable will your death be ! though you should not live here to enjoy all the priviledges that the saints in other ages shall have in the kingdom of christ ; yet when you die your death shall be but a passage of you into the glorious kingdom of jesus christ , for there 's a kingdom of christ beyond this world , though christ will rule spiritually while this world lasts : but when men are taken off from this world yet they do but go into the kingdom of christ . in peter , . , . &c. with which i will conclude , and besides this , giving all diligence , ad to your faith vertue , and to vertue , knowledg ; ad to knowledg temperance , and to temperance patience , and to patience godliness , and to godliness brotherly kindness , and to brotherly kindness charity ; for if these things be in you and abound , they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledg of our lord jesus christ : and so he goes on further in his exhortation ; and in the . verse , wherefore the rather brethren , give diligence , to make your calling and election sure : for if ye do these things you shall never fall : for so an entrance shall be ministred unto you abundantly into the evelasting kingdom of our lord and savior jesus christ . christ is here a king , he rules in his church in a spiritual way : but when this world is done , he shall be a king , and if you be now godly you shall have an abundant entrance into the everlasting kingdom of our lord and savior jesus christ : mark , when a beleever dies , he goes into the kingdome of jesus christ , he goes but from one administration of it to another , but still he is in the same kingdom of christ : here 's the difference between the death of the men of the world , and the death of the saints : the men of the world they are of the world , and they are under the kingdom of darkness , and when they die they go to the kingdom of darkness : and the saints they are now under the kingdom of christ spiritually , and when they die they go to another administration of the kingdom of christ , and the more godly men are , the more abundant entrance shall they have into the everlasting kingdom of our lord and savior jesus christ . now suppose his excellency , that hath done so much service for the kingdom , when he shall come , what an entrance will be made for him into the city ? every man that is a free subject may come freely into the city , no body may wrong him , and he shall enjoy the liberty of the city ; but he hath not that abundance entrance into it as a man that hath done much for the kingdom we live in . so now , every godly man or woman , if they have but the least degree of grace , they shall come into the kingdom of christ , i but those that are powerfully godly , burning and shining lamps , and have been very active and faithful to the death ; when they die , the gates of heaven shall be set wide open , and they shall have an abundant entrance into the everlasting kingdom of our lord and savior jesus christ . finis . the misery of those men that have their portion in this life . psal. . . — from men of the world , who have their portion in this life . this psalm is davids moan unto god under sauls persecution , without doubt the psalmist aims at saul in it : in it we have these four things . . he appeals unto god , to judg the righteousness of his heart towards saul , verse . let my sentence come from thy presence : from saul and his courtiers , there comes a hard sentence , they call me traitor , they call me rebel , but lord leave me not unto their sentence , let my sentence come from thy presence : that i know will be another sentence than what cometh from them , for thou hast proved me , and tried me , and findest nothing in me . that is the first thing . . his prayer to god , to keep him in his way , his going , and his footsteps from sliding , verse . lord whatsoever the wrath of saul be against me , yet let neither that , nor any other thing , put me out of thy way , but keep my heart close unto thee , and keep my paths in thy way , let not my footsteps so much as slide from thee , for lord they watch for my halting ; if they can find but the least slip from me , they take advantage of it to the utmost ; and i am a poor and a weak creature , therefore lord help me , that my footsteps may not slide . . he prayes for deliverance , verse . show thy marveilous loving kindness to me ; lord my straights they are marveilous ; i know not what to do , whither to turn me , but my eyes are towards thee ; as straights are marveilous , so let the loving kindness of god be marveilous towards me , and keep me as the apple of thy eye ; o lord unto them i am but as a dog , a vile creature in the eyes of saul , and those about him , but blessed be thy name , i can look up to thee , and know that i am deer unto thee , as the apple of thy eye ; all the saints of god are dear to god at all times , but the persecuted saints , they are the apple of gods eye ; if at any time they are dear to god , then especially when they are most persecuted ; now they are the apple of his eye , and the apple of an eye is weak , and little able to resist any hurt , but so much the more is the man tender of the apple of his eye : the saints are weak and shiftless for themselves , but the lord is so much the more tender over them ; and one argument that the psalmist uses in praying against his enemies in this , and a special one , because they prospered so much in this world , they are inclosed in fat , and have their hearts desire , and thou fillest their bellies with thy hid treasure ; they leave to their babes , they have their portion in this life , lord keep me from them . . he doth professes is resolution , yet notwithstanding all the dangers he was in , to go on in the waies of god , and expects a gracious issue ; but i ( saith he ) will behold thy face in righteousness ; indeed i cannot behold the face of the king without danger to me ; there are a great many that run to kill me , and they desire his face ; but though i cannot see his face , yet lord i shall behold thy face ; i will behold thy face , and it shall be in righteousness , i will still keep on in the waies of righteousness , and when i awake , for i beleeve that these troubles will not hold long , i shall not sleep in perpetual sleep , but i shall awake and be delivered , and then shall i be satisfied with thy likeness : there shall be the manifestation of thy glory to me , that shall satisfie me for all the trouble that i have endured for thy names sake ; that my soul shall say , i have enough ; and this is the sum of this . psalm . now the words are ●●ad unto you : they are a description of davids adversaries : implying an argument , why he would be delivered from them ; they are described to be men of this world , they are only those that were adversaries to him : and a comfort it must needs be to the saints of god , to see that none are their enemies , but the men of this world ; men of this world , who have their portion in this life , they have somewhat here , and here is all they are like to have . . it implieth the argument , why he would be delivered ; lord , deliver me from them , because they are men of this world , who have their portion in this life ; wherein doth consist the force of this argument ? where lies the force of this argument , that he would be delivered from them , because they were men of this world , that have their portions in this life ? it consists first in this : lord , they care not what injustice they do , they have no regard to any thing , but in this world , therefore be it right or wrong , may they have but their lusts in this world , that is all they care for , lord deliver me from such men . . here is all their good , their portion is in this life , and therefore they are greedy upon this ; let it be upon the ruin of never so many men , though it be to raise their estates by my ruin , and the ruin of others that are never so innocent ; what care they ? they are greedy upon having their lusts satisfied , for here is all their protion . . their portion is here in this world : they care not for religion , they will make use of pretences of religion any way for their own ends , what care they what protestation they make for religion , and the maintainance of it , so be it that they may ruine me ▪ they regard not at all any thing in regard to have their own ●●ds : lord deliver me from such men . . they have their portion in this world : hence it is that their hearts are so swelled with pride in their lusts , and so warms their malice , it is so heated with such outrages ; oh let not the foot of pride come upon me , deliver me from proud men , that are flush'd with the enjoyment of their hearts desires . . they look only to what they enjoy in this world , and therfore so long as they may have their own ends and own lusts , they will be exceedingly hardened in their own waies , they will give no glory to thee , but will be so much the more inraged against me , by taking it as an argument , that their waies are good , lord therefore deliver me from those men . . they are men that scorn at prayer , or at any thing that is said concerning the tenderness of conscience , they despise conscience and prayer ▪ lord let me never fall into the hands of such men as those are , deliver me from the men of this world , who have their portion in this life . for the opening of the words , from the men of the world : the words are translated by some , from mortal men , from men though of the world , yet are not like to enjoy the world long , for the original doth signifie as much from frail men , they shall not have it long , in the . psalm , . remember how short my time is ; what little time i have in this world , the word is from the men that shall have but a little time in this world , and the men of this world , the hebrew word here , that is translated men , sometimes with but the change of the position of one prick , it signifies dead men , mortui as well as vivi , i say , with the change not of a prick , but only of the position of one prick , of one point , it signifies dead men ; they are men of the world , but such men as are within one prick of death , within one point of death , howsoever they rejoyce ; who have their portion , their dimension that is given out unto them in this life ; the word life , though in the singular number in your books , in the hebrew it is in the plural , lives , they are men that have all they have , but only leased for their lives , nay not so much as leased , they have but an estate for life at the most , and this present life unto them is instead of all lives ; from the men of this world , that have their portion in this life ; there are these two doctrinal conclusions in the words that lie plainly before you ; the first is , there are a generation of men , to whom god gives some outward good things for a while , but these are all that ever they are like to have , they shall never have any more good from god , than they have here for the present ; that is the first . that gods saints do desire to be delivered from such kind of men ; these two contain in them the scope of the holy ghost in the words . first , there are a generation of men , unto whom god gives out a portion , some comforts in this world , and here is all that they are like to have . and now set your hearts ( i beseech you ) unto what i have to say in this argument , for in my thoughts , thinking what to pitch upon , for such an assembly as this , at length i could not determine of an argument , that i thought might more reach unto the hearts of those to whom i was to speak ; as i hope ( before i have done ) you will find it such a serious argument that concerns us all ; i have read of gregory , that being advanced to preferment , professed that there was no scripture that went so to his heart , that struck such a trembling into his spirit , that daunted him so much as this scripture did . here you have your reward , son , in your life time , you have had your pleasure . oh this was a dreadful scripture , that sounded in his eares continually , as hierom speaks of that scripture , arise you dead and come to judgement : night and day he thought that scripture sounded in his his ears ; so gregory , here you have your reward , in this life you have had your pleasure ; this was the scripture that night and day sounded in his ears ▪ oh that it might please god , to assist so far , to speak out of this scripture to you , that i might make this scripture ring in your ears , even when you lie upon your beds , after the sermon is done ▪ that yet you may think this scripture rings in your ears . men of this world , who have their portion in this life ; if this scripture should prove to be the portion of any one of you , of the richest in this place , wo unto him that ever he was born ; which i shall after make out more fully to you : but ( you 'l say ) do you think to preach to men , that have their portion here in this life ? i fear me , i may meet with some , whom it doth so neerly concern , yet do not think that i have those thoughts of you all , for you shall find ( before i have done ) this scripture will concern every one in this congregation ; but yet be not any of you too too ready to put off this from you , to think your selves out of the danger of this scripture , for it was spoken concerning saul , and saul might have ( for ought i know ) as strong arguments of gods love to him , as many of you ( i fear ) have this day . . saul was a man chosen immediately by god himself , to be the first king that ever was over his own people ; and was not that a great favor ? . saul for his person , was one of the goodliest men that was amongst all israel , higher from the shoulders to the head than any of them . . for his endowments , he was a man whom god did endow with admirable gifts of government : he caused another spirit to come upon him : he was a man that when he heard of his preferment , seemed to be very humble , as judging himself unworthy of such a dignity ; in the first of samuel , . . saith he , who am i , and what is my fathers house , that i should be thus chosen ? and when he had been chosen , some that would reject him , children of belial , that notwithstanding god honoring of him , yet would seek to cast dishonor upon him , yet this saul , had mighty power over his spirit , he was very meek and a quiet man , in the first of samuel , . . the text saith , he held his peace , when the children of belial said , what have we to do with him ? . though he were quiet in his own cause , yet he shewed himself to have an excellent spirit of government in him , in a publick cause ; he was full of anger when it was for the good of the people , that he was a governor over ; though quiet in his own ; in the first of samuel , . . when he heard of a dishonor done to the people of israel , the text saith , that his anger did rise within him ; an excellent pattern for all governors , for all in publique places , to be very silent , and quiet , self denying ; putting up wrongs in their own cause ; but to be full of zeal for the publick cause ; to reserve their spirits for a publick good : many there are in publick places , that when they are anger'd in their private cause ; how full of spirit they are , and they spend their spirit there so much , that they have no spirit at all , when it comes to a publick cause ; saul went beyond them in this . . saul was one , who was much troubled at the sin of the people against god ; not only had a spirit to vindicate a publick wrong , but when he saw the people sin against god , his heart was much troubled at their very sin , and seemed to be grieved for it , and mighty solicitous and careful about it , to prevent sin in the people ; this you shall have in sam. . . they told saul there , that the people had sinned in eating with blood , upon that saul shews himself displeased , come ( saith he ) and do not sin against the lord , roul a stone to me hither ; and so he would see with his own eyes , that they did slay the cattel , and they did powr forth the blood , that they might not sin against god , in eating blood ; this was his care . . saul he was very careful to enquire of god , what he should do in businesses of great consequence , in the . ver . of that . chap. of the of samuel , there he would not go out , till he had first enquired of god. yea more than all this , . he was a man that had a very reverend esteem of the prophets of god : when samuel came to him , in the of samuel . . o thou blessed of the lord ( saith saul to samuel ) yea , yet further than this ; . when samuel shewed unto him , what his sin was , in the . ver . of that . chap. he comes and confesses it before the people , and saith , i have sinned , i have sinned against the lord : meerly at the conviction of one prophet : yea , yet more than this , . god seemed to be with saul very much , and to shew great respect unto him , to make him an instrument of much good to israel ; he granted unto him as glorious a victory as ever man had in this world : ( for so we may cal it ) and if there be any outward thing in the world might be gathered as an argument of gods love , then such a remarkable victory as he had over his enemies : the victory you shall find in the of samuel , . . and so reade on afterwards in that chapter , and the next , you shall find there , that the philistims were risen up against him , and israel ; and there were thirty thousand chariots , of his adversaries of the philistims , and six thousand horsmen , and people as the sand of the sea for multitude , besides all this ; wel , here was a mighty enemy : what had saul to oppose these ? you shall find in the . verse of that . chapter , that there were but six hundred men with saul : here was of one side thirty thousand chariots , here was six thousand horsmen , here was people as the sand of the sea without number , and saul had but six hundred with him , at this time ; yea , and of those six hundred , there was not any one of them that had a sword , but only saul , and jonathan ; for the philistims were wise enough to disarm all the malignants ( that they accounted so ) and would not let so much as a smith be amongst them , they would not only take away their arms , but they would look to them , to see that they had no arms supplied unto them ; that was the wisdom of the philistims ; yet we find , ( if you reade afterwards ) in the scripture , that god was so far with saul , that he blessed him , and gave him victory over all these . besides all this . . god blessed saul with a very gracious child , a godly son , of a sweet nature , jonathan , which indeed , if any outward argument in the world , might be an argument of gods love , that might be ; but now put all these things together , and yet here is the man that hath his portion in this world : i now challenge the man , especially one , i challenge him that hath certain evidence of a mighty work of god upon him in christ , let him shew me greater arguments of gods love to him , than saul might have done ; and yet it proved to be sauls portion , that he should have only his portion in this world : god herein shews that his mercy is his own , and that he will let out his mercy as he pleaseth ; it is your fathers pleasure to give you a kingdom : the father doles out the portion as he pleaseth unto his children ; god will let the line of his mercy to go thus far to one , and there stop ; and so far to another , and there stop ; and then come in a cross line again unto them ; god so disposes of his mercy that there are some that shall have heaven and earth to be their portion , and their portion is blessed indeed ; there are some that shall have earth , but not heaven , and their portion is poor , and mean , and sad ; there are others that shall have heaven , but not earth , and their portion is good ; and there are others that shall neither have heaven nor earth , and their portion ( you 'l say ) is miserable indeed : gods mercy is his own to dispose of , as he will. we reade that abraham in gen. . . he cals for ishmael and hagar , and he gives them a piece of bread , a bottle of water , and sends them away , there 's an end of them . so jehoshaphat in the of chron. . . he gave his other son ( saith the text ) gifts , but the kingdom he gave to jehoram . so god hath people to whom he gives pieces of bread , bottles of water , yea some to whom he gives great gifts in this world ; but he keeps his inheritance for his isaac , he keeps the kingdom for jehoram : esau , he had his portion in this world , and such a portion as he thought to be a very good portion : in gen. . . brother ( saith he ) i have enough . most rich men are complaining : they go not so far as esau , they have their portion , and yet complain of it ; esau hath his portion , and thought he had enough . christs auditors , in the . of luke , . they had their portion in this world , wo to you , here is your consolation ( saith christ unto them : ) o dreadful speech ! wo to this man , wo to these here is their consolations . dives he had portion in this world , in luke , . . son , remember in thy life time thou hadst thy pleasure ; and thou hadst thy good things , they were thy good things , those things that were measured out for thee , thou hadst them in thy life-time . in the handling of this argument , a shall divide what i have to say in these six particulars : that you may every one of you , go on the more readily along with me . first , why is it that god will deal out somewhat to wicked men in this world , why they shall have any portion at all ? secondly , that this their portion , it is confin'd to this life ; and why so ? thirdly , some corrallaries that you will see will naturally flow from those two. fourthly , we shall consider the condition of these men , who are such that have their portion in this world . fifthly , we shall endeavor to shew unto you , who are those men , to cull out of the congregation what that man is , or woman is , that is like to have their portion in this world . sixthly , conclude in the words of exhortation unto you all . for the first : god doth give to wicked men a portion , he doles out something . first , they are all his creatures . saith john concerning jezebel , go , take away this cursed woman , shew some respect unto her , let her not lie there in the streets , but take her away ; for she is the daughter of a king. so saith god , well , though these be cursed , yet they are my creatures , some respect they shall have from me , some good i 'le communicate to them ; indeed , it is not an argument strong enough , that because you are gods creatures , therfore god should be merciful eternally to you ; but it may be an argument strong enough , because you are his creatures , you shall have somewhat . secondly , this time of life , it 's the time of gods patience , the day of gods long-suffering . thirdly . therefore , somewhat you shall have ; and the day of patience is mans day : in cor. . . saith the apostle there , i pass not for mans judgement : the words are in the greek , for mans day . i pass not for mans day , so the words may be translated ; as if the apostle should say , it is true , man carries all before him now , man hath all the doings now at this day , and he may judg and censure as he pleaseth ; it is but his day , and i pass not for mans day ; the day of patience may prove to be mans day ; that is the third . fourthly , wicked men , they do somewhat for god here , some kind of service , that is at least materially a service for god : and god will not have them clamour upon him , that they have nothing for their work ; god will give to every one something for what they do for him , though it be never so little , here in this world . you have a famous place for that in ezekiel , . , , . nebuchadnezzer king of babylon , caused his army to serve a great service against tyrus , yet had he no wages for his army , ( saith god ) he had no wages for his service ; well , therefore , god he enquires about this , and seems to complain , that when a nebuchadnezzer did him any service , yet he should be all this while without his wages ; therefore ( saith god ) behold ! i will give the land of egypt unto him , he shall take a spoil and a prey , and that shall be his wages ; he will give him wages for what he doth . many wicked men god doth make use of in divers services , and much refreshing and good , his churches shall have from them ; the lord causes the very earth to help the woman ; earthly men to be of use to the church , and god will not be beholding to them for their work ; a thron may serve to stop a gap , though it be but a thorn bush , and if it serve to stop a gap , and be of any use , it hath that benefit by it , all that while it is kep from the fire , whereas were it not of use , it might presently be brought to the fire . an argument by the way , to provoke all men to be of as much use to the church of god as possibly they can , it may be that is the very thing that keeps thee from the fire ; thou art a thorn , but god hath use of thee , and therefore brings thee not to the fire ; but if thou once comest to be un-useful , the fire is the next thing thou shalt hear of . i remember austin ( in his th book , de civitate dei , and the . chap. ) speaks of the romans , that had such a flourishing condition for a while , and he gives that for one reason , the romans had brave spirits , they were men that had excellent moralities , and had herotick kind of spirits , and were delivered from that baseness of spirit , that other people had , and therefore god shewed some kind of respect unto them ; here many instances might be in that kind . that 's the fourth . fifthly , god gives wicked men a portion here , to shew unto them what little good there is in all these things , and to shew the world what little good there is in all the things that are here below in the world . certainly , if there were much good they should never have them ; it is an argument there is no great excellency in the strength of body , for an ox hath it more than you : an argument there is no great excellency in agility of body , for a dog hath it more than you : an argument no great excellency in gay cloathes , for a peacock hath then more than you : an argument there is not any great excellency in gold & silver , for the indians that know not god , have them more than you and if these things had any great worth in them , certainly god would never give them to wicked men , a certain argument : as it is an argument there is no great evil in afflictions in this world , because that the saints are so much afflicted ; so no great argument , there is any great good in this world , for the wicked they enjoy so much of it . luther hath such an expression as this is , in his comment upon genesis , saith he , the turkish empire , as great as it is , it is but a crum , that the master of the family , that god casts to dogs : the whol turkish empire , such an esteem had luther of it : and indeed it is no more . all the things of the world , god in giving of them to turks , and wicked ones , his enemies , shews there is not much excellency and good in them , god therefore will cast them promiscuously up and down in the world , because he looks upon them as worthless things ; god doth not so much regard whether men be prepared to give him the glory of them , yea or no , they shall have them however , he is content to venture them : indeed when god comes unto his choice mercies in christ , there he looks to have glory from them , and he doth never give them to any , but first he prepares them , that they may give him the glory of those mercies : but it is otherwise with others ; as suppose you see a man gathering of crabs , although swine be under the tree , he cares not much to drive them away , they are but crabs , let them have them ; but if he were gathering any choice and precious fruit , if any swine should come under , he drives them away . as for outward things crabs , the lord suffers the swine of the world , to come grunting , and take them up ; but when he comes to his choice mercies in his christ , there he makes a distinction , oh! that is precious fruit ! a black-smith that is working upon iron , though a great many cinders , and little bits of iron fly up and down , he regards them not : but a goldsmith that is working upon gold , he preserves every ray , and every dust of gold : and a lapidarie that is working upon precious stones , every little bit he will be sure to preserve : a carpenter that is only hewing of timber , he regards it not much if chips fly up and down ; but it is not so with a lapidary . so these outward things are but as the chips and cinders , and such kind of thing , as those are , and therefore god even gives a portion to wicked men out of them . sixthly . god knows that he hath time enough to manifest his justice upon them hereafter , he hath an eternity hereafter , for the declaration of his justice ; and therefore ( saith god ) let them have somewhat for a while . as you know it is natural in all , when they see a man going to execution , that is not like to live above an hour or two , every one is ready to pity him , and to be any way officious to him , oh! ( saith every one ) the man shall not have comfort long , we cannot do much for him , he shall have pain enough ere long , and misery enough ere long , and so every one pities him . it is observable , let a man go to execution for wickedness , and then he is pitied by all ; but if a man should suffer for godliiness , then perhaps they will not be so full of pity towards him . as i remember in the book of martyrs , there is a story of mr. in o frith , a learned , godly minister , and andrew hewit that were martyrs , and were to suffer for their conscience , and the story tells us , that one dr. cook , a parson in london , he openly admonishes the people , that they should pray for them no more than they would do for a dog ; that charity of theirs that they talked so much of , is such towards them that suffer out of conscience ; and as amongst papists so amongst ungodly men , let a man suffer out of conscience , they will rather rail at him , and when he is in his sufferings , they will rather give him gall and vinegar to drink , ( as they once did christ upon the cross ) though in other sufferings they pity men . seventhly , by this that god gives to the wicked , the lord shews , what great things he hath reserved for his own children ; what a portion there is for them ; surely if the dogs have so much , the father keeps a good house ; if the hang-byes may have such doles , certainly there is good provision for the children within : as by the afflictions of the saints , god doth declare to wicked men , and would have them draw such an argument from it , that there are fearful things , that are like to befal them ; if judgment begin at the house of god , where shall the wicked and ungodly appear ? so by the prosperity that wicked men have in this world , god doth declare to his children , and he would have them argue from thence , what then hath he reserved for his beloved ones ? for his saints , for his children , that are so dear unto him ? eighthly . god fetches a great deal of glory from hence , he fetches about his own ends very much , from the portion that wicked men have ; as sometimes he doth it , that they might stumble and harden their hearts , and break their necks at it , and to ripen their sins ; hence he lets them go on a long time , and have their wills ; in isa . . . wo to thee who spoilest , and wert not spoiled , and dealest treacherously , and wert not dealt treacherously withal ; when thou shalt cease to spoil , thou shalt be spoiled ; i 'le let thee go on , thou shalt spoil as much as thou wilt , and when thou hast done spoiling , thou shalt be spoiled . and sometimes god doth it , to fetch about this end , namely , to chastise . his own people , with the prosperity of the wicked : and as an ancient writer hath this story of one that ( he saith ) by an extraordinary way , from being a monk was advanced into an episcopal seat , and being a lewd wicked man , he began to be proud of this his advancement , and being proud , he heard these words in the story , ab angelo audivit , cur superbus ô infaelix , non es creatus episcopus , quia tu dignus , sed quia civitas haec digna fuit tali episcopi ; it was a wicked place , and this was the answer : why art thou so proud oh unhappy man , for thou art not advanced because thou art worthy of this advancement , but because this city is so ill ; it is worthy of such a prelate to be over it : in way of judgment to that place god advanced such a man : and so many are advanced that they may be heavy judgments unto others ; god gives them such a portion , not out of his love to them ( though they are ready to gather the argument ) but out of his displeasure unto others : and then he gives a plentiful portion to many , to teach us all to do good unto our enemies , not only humanitati ( as they say ) but homini , not only to human nature , but to men , to men that are wicked , some good must be done unto them . ninthly . the lord would shew hereby , that he would have no argument of love or hatred to be drawn from these outward things ; and also because he would not have them to expect any more . it may be many men that are ungodly , prospering in this world , they gather this argument , that therefore god loves them , and intends mercy to them , cujus contrarium verum ; nay , you may rather gather an argument quite th' other way , because god intends no further good unto you hereafter , therfore it is you have so much now . we use to answer men , that come for their dole , who have had out a dole , and they will come again , why do you come again ? you have had your dole already . so god will answer to many men , when they shall cry to him for mercy , at that day , why come you to me for more ? you have had your dole already ; have you not had already more than your work comes to , more than you have done ? you have had your part and portion already : indeed men speak much of gods mercy , and the mercy of god we acknowledge to be very great and glorious ; well , god doth shew himself glorious in mercy , that thou being so wicked , hast so much as thou hast in this world , and therefore though thou shouldst be denied of eternal mercy hereafter , yet thou hast cause to tel devils and damned creatures that shall be thy companions , that god was very merciful to thee , while thou didst live in this world ? somewhat thou hadst then , but here 's all . secondly , here is all that ever thou art like to have . . because there are some men , whose names are written in the earth , and not in the book of life : in jer. . . there it 's spoken of men that are written in the earth ; wheras the saints are described to be men that are redeemed from the earth . in revel . . . it is their happiness to be redeemed from the earth : and it is all the happiness thou hast , that thou art written in the earth . . here is their portion , because they are vile in the eyes of god ; if you should ask the question ; why you give bones to the dog , and swill to the swine , and nothing else ? the answer would be ; because it is a dog that hath it , and because it is a swine ; it is dogs meat . certainly god doth speak exceeding contemptibly of all ungodly ones in the world , let them be never so great in regard of outwards ; in the . of daniel , . a vile person shall arise : what is this vile person ? interpreters generally consent in this , that it is meant of antiochus epiphanius , that was a mighty great prince , such a prince as when the samaritans did write to him , they writ , antiocho magno deo , to antiochus the great god ; and his very name shews him to be a great one ; antiochus epiphanius , is as much as antiochus the illustrious , and the famous : and yet when the holy ghost speaks of him , it is antiochus a vile person : they are vile in the eyes of god. if there be any in a family that you care not much for , you make no great provision for them , doth god take care for oxen ? somwhat they have , but little ; doth god take care for wicked and ungodly ones ? . here is their portion , it is confin'd to this life ; why so ? because they chuse it themselves ; and in that they have no wrong ; make choice of this portion themselves : moses , ( speaking to the people , saith he ) i set before you life and death : so do the ministers of god in preaching to you , they set before you life and death : what do you chuse ? now you chuse the way that goes out of life , and into death ; you have but your choice ; you chuse vanity to be your portion , god doth you no wrong to give you vanity : now you that will indent with god for your peny , you cannot take it ill , if when the end of the day comes , god puts you off with your peny ; you know those in the vineyard , that agreed for their peny , they began to murmur indeed , when they came to receive their wages ; but saith the master of the vinyard , did you not agree with me so ? so you agree with god , all you intend in gods service , is , that you may have some present comfort in this world , you dare not trust god for the future ; and here is that that god will shew his infinit displeasure against the sin of distrust by , that when the lord propounds now in this day of grace , such glorious and blessed things to the children of men , and ( for ought you know ) any of you may have your portion in them , as well as others , and yet you dare not trust god for those gracious things ; you think rather with your selves , let me have somewhat now , somewhat for the present , some present pay ; the reward that you talk of , which is to come , i know not whether they be imaginations yea , or no ; therefore you mean ( it seems ) to serve god for your present pay , and present pay you shall have , and no more . there are some servants that are your day-servants , they serve you so as they expect their pay at night , and perhaps you give them their two shillings at night , and there is an end : but there are other servants now that will serve you in expectation of some reversions , and expectations of honor , especially when they serve noblemen , and princes , though they have no present pay given them at night , yet they go on cheerfully in their service , they expect some great reversions , as leases and preferments , they may have afterwards , and now though they have not their two shillings a day as the others have , yet when the other befals them , they are made rich men , they and their posterities : so now , the poor man that hath his pay every day , when a lease and preferment fals , if he should come in for his part , no , he may be answer'd , you had your pay every day ; here was one was content to relie and trust upon me , and had no pay , and he did trust upon me , and now he comes to be preferd : this is the direct difference between the men of the world and gods saints ; the men of the world will do nothing without present pay , that which is just before them , they must needs have , their hearts are upon it ; but the saints they hear what a blessed thing god hath revealed in his word , what a blessed covenant of grace there is , what rich promises of glorious things to come ; now they beleeve god , and trust in god for these , and they say , lord , let me have my portion in the life to come , and whatever thou doest with me here , i care not : as it was the speech of austin , lord , here burn , here cut ; but spare hereafter : i am content lord , to be burnt , to be cut , to endure any thing in the world , any sufferings in the world for thee , only hereafter i look for somewhat else , and i 'le wait for hereafter : you will not wait for hereafter , but you must have it for the present , and that is the reason , you are put off here : oh it is a serious thing i speak of to you , many a soul will wring its hands , and curse it self eternally , that it was not content to trust god for hereafter , but would have present pay . you that are great merchants , if you buy a thing that is but a trifle , you pull out your purse , and give the mony down presently ; but suppose you go to the exchange , and bargain for l there , you may give a little down now , but the great pay must come upon pay daies afterwards ; it is not expected it should be presently done : so there are some men in the world , will trade with god , but they trade with god for pedling things , for their credit , and applause , and for their preferments and estates , god gives down the pay presently , you shall have it , there is your d presently , it is done : but now there are other of gods saints , that trade with god for great things , for immortality and glory , and a kingdom , and a crown of eternal life ; now they expect not to have it done presently , they are content to stay : oh these are the best traders , the best merchants that will trade with god for great things , and be content to stay ; you will chuse that you have here for the present , and therefore you have your portion . fourthly , these things that are here , they are the only sutable things to your hearts , and what will you do with any more hereafter ? these things do exceedingly please you , and give you content as agreeable to you , and the things that are to come , are disagreeable ; what would men do that are carnal and wicked now ? what would they do in heaven ? certainly if you hate gods saints now , that have but a little grace for their grace sake , you would hate them infinitly more afterwards , when they are perfect in grace , when they shall be perfect , and then when all your common gifts shall be taken away ; for so it shall be . now the things of god are unsutable to you , though you have now many common 〈◊〉 , and you now abhor the grace of god , though it be imperfect , what then , when all common gifts shall be taken from you , and grace made perfect ? how unsutable will it be then to you ? therefore expect nothing hereafter . fifthly , you abuse your portion you have now , what will you do with more ? who will trust you with the true riches ? you abuse that you have . indeed men of the world that are wicked , and very rich , are presently in places of honor and power ; oh! what a deal mischief they do in the world ? what dreadful evils are they unto the earth ? such men , how do they abuse their portions ? why now , as it is with the tooth , in a mans head , a tooth indeed is prefer'd , to have an eminent place in the head , but when the tooth comes to be rotten , and put us to pain , what do we but pull it out , and throw it away ? so when god prefers men to eminent places , when through their wickedness they grow rotten , and so do a great deal of hurt , the lord plucks them out in his anger , and throws them away ; they abuse their portion , and do a great deal of hurt , and therefore must expect no more . but above all the argument is , sixthly , because they have no interest in jesus christ ; the rich treasures of the infinite grace of god , they are let out in jesus christ ; god hath divers conduit-pipes ( as i may so say ) of his grace , to let out unto his creatures ; there are some lesser conduit-pipes , and those conduit-pipes , may be open'd through the general bounty of god ; but now the lord hath the great current of his eternal mercies , for some that he doth intend eternal good unto , and this great current of his it is stop't by justice , the infinite justice of god doth stop this great current , so as it cannot be open'd to have any drop of the mercy let out , until divine justice comes to be satisfied ; in the mean time the other smaller pipes , they run , the general bounty of god ; now then , this is the very work of jesus christ , christ the second person in trinity , and it is the very mystery of the gospel ; the second person in the trinity , sees that the children of men , are capable of eternal happiness , eternal glory , and that there are glorious treasures with god , to be communicated to the children of men ; but through mans sin , this great current is stop't ; in the mean time gods general bounty lets out a great many outward comforts ; christ therefore out of pity to man-kind , that man-king may not be put off with these general outward comforts , he comes and satisfies gods infinite justice , that he might open the current , the sluice of his infinite , and eternal grace to others : now happy are those creatures , who have interest in the lord christ ; for this is his work , to satisfie the justice of the father , that so the great pipe may be opened , and then flows in all grace , infinit , eternal grace , when that comes once to be opened : no mervail though we hear of such glorious things , that the saints of god have in the life to come , no mervail , for christ doth come and open the great sluice of gods infinite grace and mercie to them ; as for the men of the world , they have but a little of the drizling of gods general bounty through some crannies , but the floudgates of gods grace are opened in christ ; therefore til divine justice be satisfied , there can be no further good for a creature here , but the fruits of gods general bounty , & patience : there are some creatures whom the lord hath left to the course of justice , they shall have what they earn , and no more : this is the difference between gods dealings with some creatures and others , ( i say ) some there are that shall have what they earn , and no more : others there are whom god hath set his heart upon , and whether they earn or no , god intends eternal mercies : unto them , and will bring them unto eternal mercies : here 's the difference of the covenant of works , and the covenant of grace ; and therefore the one is left to himself , and the other , christ the head of the covenant comes to undertake for him , that that he cannot do : and here is the very cut between the condition of some men , & other men ; that some have their portion in this world , and others have another higher portion in the world to come ; those have no interest in christ , these have . seventhly , they are no sons , no children , and therefore they must not expect childrens portions ; as many of you rich men , when you die , you will leave your servants some legacie , perhaps you 'l give every servant in the house five pounds , or so ; but when you come to your children , to write in your will , what such a son , such a daughter shall have , that is another manner of business than . or l. great things you leave to them : now the truth is , the world may be divided between children and servants , for though the truth is , all men are at defiance with god , yet god makes them servants one way or other ; and there is some little legacy that servants shall have , but they must not expect the childrens portion ; therefore they have it here , but must not have it hereafter . in ezek. . . thus saith the lord , if the prince give a gift unto any of his sons , the inheritance shall be his sons ; but if to his servants , then it shall be but till jubile . this was gods law , that if a prince gave a gift to his son , the son should inherit it for ever , but if he give it but to a servant , it should continue with him but for a while . so here is the difference of gods administration of all his gifts , he gives some to servants , and these shall continue but for a while , within a little while all will be called for again ; all the good , and all the comfort thou hast , god will call for it all again : but that which he gives to his sons , to his children , they shall have mercy for ever , though not to enjoy it in the same way , they shall enjoy the same good and comfort eternally . and then further : eighthly , the portion that the world hath here , ( you heard before ) it comes from gods patience ; now there will be an end of the manifestation of the glory of patience in this world , as thus : as there are some graces of the spirit of god in the saints , that shall have an end in regard of their exercise here in this world , so there are some attributes of god , that shall have an end in regard of the manifestation of them in that way that god doth now manifest them here in this world , and that is , the patience of god towards ungodly ones ; now if they hold all upon patience , when the time of the glory of that in this world shall come to be at an end , then all their good is at an end . further : ninthly , ungodly men , they shal have to deal with god immediately in the world to come , ( i beseech you observe but this answer , i 'le hasten ; ) they must have to deal immediatly with god in the world to come ; now they have to deal with god through creatures , and while they have to deal with god through creatures , they may get a great deal , and may make shift for much , but when they shall come to deal with god immediatly , then it will be otherwise with them : as for example , there are a great many hang-bies , at great mens houses , perhaps when they come to have to deal with the servants , they get some bits and scraps , and many things from the servants , but if they know they can have nothing , but from the very hand of the knight , or lord of the house himself , then they will expect no great matter . so wicked men of this world , they are as hang-bies , that all that they have are but as scraps from the servants , they have to deal only with creatures , they look no further ; but hereafter things shall be setled another way , and all things shall be weighed by god himself , in a ballance of justice , and distributed by the hands of god himself immediately , and now things will be carried after another manner , the lord himself will come to dispose of things . it was a speech of a german divine , though he were a good man , and lived very innocently , when he lay upon his sick bed , and apprehended death , he was in great terrors of spirit , mightily troubled , and some of his friends came to him , and asked him , why should you be so troubled , that have lived so good a life , as you have done ? this was his answer , the judgments of god are one , and the judgments of men are another , i am now to deal with god ; it is true , i lived thus before men , and men gave their verdict of me , as good , and thought i was in a good condition , but o i am now to go to god , and to deal immediately with him , and gods judgment , and mans judgements are different things ; when god shall come to weigh all mens portions out , as it will be then , so much righteousness , so much portion , so much happinesse , you will say then , lord , what shall become of us all ? all our righteousness is as the menstruous cloath ; i but for the saints , the righteousness of christ will be put into one scale , and their portion into the other , and their portion will be weighed by the righteousness of christ . now when thou comest to god , thou must come to the scale , and thou wilt put in thy good servings of god , and thy comming to church , and some good civil actions , and natural and moral things thou hast done , thou wilt put them in the scale ; saith god , that which thou hast had already , weighs down all those ; hast thou nothing to put into the scales but this ? thou hast had thy reward already for all this , and much more than this ; then if there be nothing to but into the scale but this , thou art undone , and there is nothing for thee for eternity . and here is the ground of the confinement of the portions of wicked men . these are the two first things . thirdly , i will give you some corrallaries only from hence . is it so that wicked men have a portion here , and here is all ? first , here we may see the reason why the men of the world are so cunning in the things of the world , why they can make so good shift for themselves in the world , rather than other men can : why , here 's their portion , their very happiness and good is here ; no mervail though they make such shift as they do here : the apostle in cor. . . we have not received the spirit of the world ( saith the apostle , ) we cannot tell how to shift in the world so as other men do , for indeed , we look further than these things , and so cannot shift as other men can ; they that have the spirit of the world , and have their portion in the world , they can shift ; but we have not received the spirit of the world . you know a swine though it goes abroad all day wandring up and down , it knows the way to the trough at night ; but a sheep if it go a wandring a little way out of his place , a sheep doth not know how to come back again , but wanders up and down till it be even lost , and is as a lost sheep when it is once wandring up and down ; but swine are not so . so ungodly men , though they go up and down wandring , they know how to come to their trough at night , they have better skil in the world , they are more artificial in the things of the world , they have better understanding ( as the scripture speaks , ) the children of this world are wiser in their generation , than the children of light : why is it ? their portion is in this world . that 's the first corrallarie . . corr. here we see the reason , why there are so many great ones in the world that regard religion so little as they do , and the waies of god , and the church of god ; why 't is not their portion ; those things that concern another life , is not any part of their portion ; they mind what it is that concerns the present life , because this is their portion . when many come into places of dignity and power , what are their thoughts ? now they think of gratifying their friends , now they think of respect and honor that they shall have abroad in the world , and be accounted some-body , now they think of revenging al their wrongs , of making up of all their broken titles &c. this hath been heretofore ( i suppose very ordinary ) in men advanced amongst you ; these are all their thoughts : as for doing service for god , and for his church , and vindicating the truth of god , and honor of god , that is scarce in all their thoughts , for they do not look upon that as part of their portion : here is the reason why so many magistrates are like to galio , in acts , . . carring for none of those things ; they were to him but matters of words , and yet they were about the great fundamental points of religio● , whether christ were the true messias , and whether he were god , or no ; but to gallio these things were but matter of words : and so the great things of god , and religion , to carnal hearts , they are things that are of no great consequence at all ; yea when as sosthenes that was the ruler of the synagogue for countenancing of paul , had the rude multitude of the city , rise up in a rude manner to apprehend him , and to lay violent hands upon him , gallio cared for none of these things ; but so far he did not go , gallio went not to stir up a rude multitude to lay violent hands upon a ruler of a synagogue , or a city , but he cared for none of those things ( saith the text : ) what did he care for rectifying any thing that was amiss in religion ? oh let us ( say they that have their portion here ) what ever becomes of things , let us make peace ( say they ) that we may go on and be quiet in our houses , & enjoy that we have quietly , and peacably , and they look no further : their portion is here , and as for truth , how do they reject it , & contemn it ! it is a speech ( as is credibly reported ) hath come even from a citizen here , in cursing of the truth so ; ( as had he lived among the jews he would certainly have been stoned to death ) let us have peace , and a pox of truth . ( i say ) such a speech as this among the jews would have caused him to have been stoned to death , being such horrible blasphemy . but how many are ready to say with pilat , in the . of john , . when as christ was before pilat , and talked to pilat of truth , truth ( saith pilat ) what is truth ? you shall observe it at the . ver . what is truth ? ( saith pilat ) as if pilat should have said , what a strange man is this , the man is in danger of his life , and he talks of truth , when he is in danger of his life , what is truth ? ( saith pilat ) & turns it back upon him presently . just thus are the hearts of many , what should we look at truth , or at any thing now , but to preserve our lives , and estates , and outward comforts in the world ? what is truth ? they are a company of mad-brain'd fellows , that are factious , and seditious , they talk of truth , and know not what they say , come , let us have peace , though it be upon any terms : who is there in this place that desires not peace ? the lord knows it is the desires of those that are accused most for want of desires in this thing ; yea so as we dare challenge any of you with this challenge : those who have been most at the throne of grace begging unto god for peace for england , let them carry the day ; those that have put forth most prayrs for peace , before the throne of grace , we are willing they shall have the day . we reade that amongst al the tribes that came up in a war-like way , to help the people of god against oppression , in the . of judges , . and so in that chapter , that of all naphtali was the only tribe that joyned w th zebulun , that jeoparded their lives in the cause of god , that would take up arms to defend themselves , and the people against oppression ; surely these two tribes , by the others that would not venture themselves , were at that time accounted very factious , and very seditious ; what they ! only zebulun and naphtali ; yet it is observable , though there were none joyned with zebulun but only naphtali , there is no tribe of which it is so much spoken , to be a tribe , full of courtesie , and civility , of a peacable and quiet disposition , as naphtali was ; you shall find it , if you reade in the . of genesis , . and afterwards in another text , there are these two things said of naphtali , only these two first , that he was a hinde let loose , and give goodly words . but they may be but words of complement , not reality ; nay , ( when moses comes with the blessing , you shall find these two places , one in genesis and the other in deuteronomy , ) when moses comes with the blessing again upon naphtali : naphtali filled with favour , and with the blessing of the lord. what is the meaning ? naphtali was a tribe that had most courtesie and civility of all ; compar'd to a goodly hinde , of a quiet disposition , and one that gave courteous language to all , & not meer words , but reality ; it was such a one that was fill'd with favour , that had the favour of god , and the favour of men ; he had such a courteous carriage , and he had the blessing of god upon him ; and yet this naphtali , was the tribe that would jeobard their lives , and take up arms in defence of the people of god , against oppression in those times , above all . and phinebas ( ye know ) was so zealous , and would make use of the sword , so as he did ; yet in the . of num. , . god saith there , he would make a covenant of peace with him . beloved ! phinehas , that is such a fiery hot man , yet a covenaut of peace must be made with him , by god himself ; for he did indeed , by that way procure peace to israel ; for so the text saith there in that place of num. that because phinehas was so zealous , it was , that i might not consume them in my jealousie : now it 's observable , the word in the original is , because he was zealous , therefore it was , that i might not consume them in my zeal . it s translated in your books ; because he was thus zealous , that i might not consume them in my jealousie ; the words are different in the english ; but in the hebrew they are the same : and so be turn'd thus , because he was so zealous , it was , that i might not consume them in my zeal ; as if he should have said , if there had not been some among them that had been zealous , ( and as they account fiery ) i would have been zealous my self , and fiery my self , and consumed them , and it was wel they had such amongst them ; and one day those that cry out of them , may come to see cause to bless god for them ; that would not have the world put off , and gul'd with the fair name of peace ; we know the devil hath made much use of it in former times , and would fain make use of it now ; as if those that desired truth most , were not greatest friends unto peace ; god forbid , but it should be so : though it's true , we think not , we have our portion here , and therefore we would not have peace upon any terms ; indeed we confess our portion lies higher , and that wherein our portion doth consist we would have upon any terms ; and therefore saint paul saith in philippoans , . if by any means , i may attain to the resurrection of the dead ; if by any means , upon any terms , that i may have peace at the great day , whatsoever i do endure : so say we for our portion ; and you say , let us have peace upon any terms ; why ? because your portion is here : we would be glad that all our mountains , were mountains of olivet , but we would be loth to have them mountains of corruption : in kings , . . you reade there of a mountain of corruption , of mons offenssionis , of offence ; so it is in the old latin ; now , what was that same mountain of corruption ? if we compare one scripture with another , we shall find it was no other , but mount olivet , mount olivet was made a mountain of corruption : in king. . . there solomon built idolatrous temples , for the honour of the gods of his queen , those gods that his queen did worship , solomon built temples for to gratifie her , and it was upon the mount before jerusalem , which was the mount of olivet , that was the mount. now you know the mount olivet was a mount that had his name from olives that did grow there , and were emblems of peace ; but yet the mount olivet may be made a mount of corruption : we would be glad that we might live upon mount olivet all our daies , but are loth this mount olivet should be made a mount of corruption . give me leave but in a few words , yet to put some considerations to you , and if i speak not reason in them , reject them . first , because that you are so greedy of comforts in this world , you would fain have peace ; be wise even for your own portion ; you would have peace , but i hope a safe peace , and that is all we do desire : if the peace be not safe , oh the bood that may follow after . we reade in the . of the acts , . that there was indeed a calm , and the south wind did blow softly , for a while , warm wind and very softly , but presently follows , not long after it appears that there did arise a tempestuous wind , called euroclydon ; euroclydon did arise presently after : take we heed ( my brethren ) that we be not deluded with the softly south wind ; take heed that there be not an euroclydon , that blows presently after ; were we sure to be delivered from that same euroclydon , we should be glad of continuance of soft blowings of the south wind : can you think of a safe peace that live under any arbitrary governments ? no ( that you 'l say ) and therefore we account our condition ill now , for we have arbitrary governments amongst us now , and who are they ? obj. do not the parliament themselves govern in that kind of way ? ans . give me leave in a word to answer this : consider of the difference between that arbitrary government the parliament complains of ; and what now you feel . ans . . that was then , when the kingdom was in a setled way , and then when there was no contrary arbitrary power to oppose it , yet then it went on , and surely then it did but make way for worse arbitrary government ; but now it is in a way , when the kingdom is unsetled , and in a way , where there is a necessity of some help beyond the ordinary course of law , because of a contrary arbitrary power , that is oppos'd ; and is it possible for any man , that hath any wisdom , or understanding in his head , that cannot see the difference between these two ? but i 'le shew you a greater difference than this . ans . . that which was before , those that did so govern suffer'd nothing in it themselves , but gained all ; now those that are accused for the present , ( if it be arbitrary , ) they suffer themselves as much as we do , and their posterity doth suffer as much as we do ; and therefore the thing is far different from what was before . and yet further , if you would not be carried away with words , but judge righteous judgment , consider this : ans . . can you think that if the adversarie should prevail , you should be only at the dispose of the king ? do you not think that those that are with him , and give such strength and assistance for the present , that you must lie at their mercy too , in great part ; and will that be safe for you ? i put it to every mans conscience , whether he can think that it is safer for church , or common wealth to be governed by the king , with those that are now about him , and an army of papists , than to be governed by the king , with his two houses of parliament ? which is the safest way in the consciences of any men living . and yet further than this , consider ( if you have your eyes in your heads ) answ . . that perhaps what you aim at as your end , your adversaries may aim at , but as their means ; and what will become of you then ? if that that you would have as an end , they shall look at , but as a medium ; consider what consequences may come of it . and yet lastly : answ . . you that do desire so much peace , to preserve your own portions here ; would you not willingly have such peace , as those that have appeared for you in houses of parliament , in citie , in the ministry , that have been most active , be preserved too ? are you so desirous of it , as to be willing to leave them to the fury and rage of their adversaries ? were not this one of the horriblest wickednesses that ever were committed in a kingdom ? if they from desire to save their own particular estates , should betray those that have been faithful to them , in their places of trust . it was once a speech of demosthenes to one that would fain have peace , he affirms , that it is a vain and preposterous thing , to desire peace with the flock , upon this condition , that the keepers of the flock may but be betraied , and taken away . the fair name of peace will never so prevail with a wise man , when this shall come to be the condition of it . the good people in chrysostoms time , ( however you may think of those that have most appear'd for you , & ventured themselves ) they thought it such a thing , to have but the mouth of one chrysostom stopt . and also they professed , that if the sun should take back , or bring back , or keep in his rayes , it were more tollerable , than that the mouth of john should be stopt ; they had such an high esteem of a faithful minister in those times . and therefore if you would be faithful to god , and to the kingdom , and to those that have appear'd for you , look after such peace , as wherein you and they may be safe ; god knows they would have been willing to have been as silent as you ; but suppose all the ministers in the kingdom , and men that had ability to appear publickly , had all been silent , so as the business had been wholly betraied , and at length an army of papists had risen , when you had had no help to have resisted them , would you not have cried out of ministers ? would you not have cried out of magistrates ? would you not have cried out of parliament men ? if they have ventured themselves to be faithful for you , know you can have no peace , except they have it ; and it were an unworthy thing , to think of your safety without theirs likewise . object . but you will say , we would not have our estates and peace thus , as you speak , upon any terms , without any regard to religion ; we have our portion in religion , as well as you , and we have our consciences to look after , as well as you , and god forbid it should be otherwise , but that religion should prosper too with our peace ; but we would not have sects and sectaries to be maintained in the kingdom ; let us have truth , and religion ; but away with them . ans . . do you understand what they are you speak of ? do you know wherein you and they differ ? you cry out of them , as if they were of another religion , whereas when it comes to be scan'd , the difference between you and them will not be so great . but further , i put this to you : ans . . do you spend as much breath in praying for these kind of men , as you do in railing upon them ? then somewhat may be said . ans . . it is a vain thing to think , that true religion can be maintain'd , and have the liberty of it , without some difference of opinion amongst us : indeed the turks have as much peace in their religion , as any religion hath in all the world ; and there is as little difference of opinions amongst the turks as there is in any religion whatsoever ; but well may that coat have no seam , that hath no shape ; if the truth of religion comes to appear , certainly it is impossible but many differences in opinion must come , and it is a most intollerable pride of heare , and tyranny in any whatsoever , to think by violent means to force all to be of the same opinion that they are of , in matters that are not of the foundation , and that may stand with the peace of a common-wealth too ; you take upon you in that more than christ doth , more than the apostles ever did . object . but you will say , if men be in an error , why should they not be forced ? shall every man be lest to his opinion , to do what he will ? answ . no , i plead not for that neither : therefore i except all opinions , . against the foundation of religion : . all those opinions that are against the foundation of civil government . take these two aside , and then for other opinions that are of a lower inferior nature ( i say ) there you take too much upon you , whosoever you are , if you should think to force men to be of the same opinion as you are ; and there is no such way to make disturbance in churches or commonwealths , as to force men to be of the same opinion , in things that are of an inferior nature . object . but you will say , if it be an error , they must not be left to live in it . answ . nay , stay there ; a man may be in an error , and yet you have nothing to do to offer violence unto him to bring him out of his error ; you may seek to convince him as much as you can , but to offer violence , you undertake more than god hath given you commission to do , whatever you are ; and i give this scripture for it , that is cleer , in romans , . . one beleeveth he may eat all things ; another eateth herbs . let not him that eateth , despise him that eateth not ; and let him that eateth not , not judge him that eateth . and so he tels us , who art thou that judgest another ? who art thou that judgest . these two opinions could not be true : one man doth eat herbs ; the other man makes conscience of it , and cannot do it ; certainly , one of these was a sin at that , time one of them was a sin , to eat herbs , and that he might eat no flesh , for god never commanded them , that they should eat no flesh ; to make conscience to eat no flesh was a sin , but yet though one were a sin , yet they that were in the right , must not by violence force those that were in the wrong , to their opinion , but they must leave them to god ; i say , in matters of such consequence as these , it is a point of antichristian tyranny , and pride , and notorious pride in men , that have taken so much upon them , as to force all to be of the same opinion ; this is not the way certainly for true peace . but thus much for the second corrallarie . the third follows . . corr. if men have their portion in this world , here is the reason that there is such a stir in the world by men to maintain this their portion ; what a deal of stir is there ? what rending and tearing is there , that they might maintain their estates ? especially if some men have a higher portion in the world than others , oh what a deal of stir is there to maintain it . i remember henry the fourth , writes to pope gregory , and tels him , that by reason of an emulation there was about the popedom , one being chosen in rome , and the other in another place , that there were . men lost their lives out of that emulation ; meerly about two men , two popes , it cost the bloods of two hundred & thirty thousand men . o what a stir is therein the world to satisfie the wils of a few men in the world ? certainly one day the world will be wiser , and will understand that they are men , and not dogs , that they were not made to be subject to the humours and the lusts of men , and that no man hath now any further power over him , but what they have by an agreement from them one way or other , either implicit , or explicit , one way or other , it is by their agreement , that any man hath any power over them , and can exercise any ; the world ( i say ) ere long i hope will be wise enough to understand this , and therefore will not so sacrifice their lives for the satisfying of the wills of a few men in the world , they shall not make such a stir in the world as heretofore they have done ; indeed men make a great stir now to maintain their portions , for the contention is not , de finibus , but de haereditate ; not about matters of bounds and limits , ( as he said ) but it is about the inheritance it self ; it is about their portion ; it is their god ; and do you say , what ails me , when you have taken away my gods ? here is the ground of all the stirs and combustions in the world , because carnal hearts look upon what they enjoy as their portion ; but how comes it thus to pass , that men should be so greedy of this their portion ? is it such an excellent portion that they are so greedy of it ? is it worth so much , that they contend so much about it ? this makes way for me to slip into the fourth particular . fourthly , to enquire what kind of portion this is , that these men of the world , have in this world , that they make such a stir about . and therefore to make way for that ; first . consider what poor things they are , that they make such a stir about . secondly . consider the tenure , upon which they hold whatsoever they do enjoy . thirdly . consider the mixture of evil , that there is in that they do enjoy . fourthly . the blessed portion that they lose , that they might enjoy . lastly . the dreadful end that there will be to such men that have their portion here . . the poor things , that men have here in this world ; what are they ? their comforts for the most part , are but imaginary ; in hosea , . . ephraim feeds upon the wind : and when a bladder is ful of wind , one prick lets it quite out ; and so when death comes , it lets out all their comforts : even as the wind goes all out at one prick in a bladder ; so all the comforts of the men of the world , go out by the prick of death . in prov. . . wilt thou set thy heart upon that which is not ? it is not , it hath no reality in it . and in acts , . when bernice and agrippa came in great pomp and state to the assembly ; that which you have in your books translated great pomp , it is in the greek , with great fancie : all the pomp and jollity in the world , it is but a fancy , this is their portion . . that which they have , it is of a very low nature ; this would be an argument , we might phylosophize in , if it were fit , or if we had time , but i 'le quickly pass over these things , it 's of a very low nature , it not much concerns the soul , all the portion they have ; therefore saith the text here , thou fillest their belly ; it 's but a belly full ; what is that to the soul ? indeed the rich man in the gospel could say , soul , take thy ease , for thou hast goods laid up for many yeers , eat , drink , &c. wilt thou say , soul , take thy ease , because thou hast goods laid up , and because you may eat , and drink ? what is all this to the soul ? ambrose hath such a speech upon the place , if the man had the soul of a swine , what could be said otherwise ? for indeed these things were sutable to the soul of a swine : you shall find that a man is not the better , because of outward things , not a whit ; the heart of the wicked is little worth ; his estate may be somewhat worth , his house may be somewhat worth , his lands may be somewhat worth ; but the heart of the wicked is little worth , prov. . and would not you think it to be a great evil , if so be that when you go up and down abroad , you should certainly know , that there is no man doth give you any entertainment , or any respect , but it is for your servants sake that tends upon you , would not that discourage you , and trouble you ? indeed you come to such a mans house , and he seems to make you welcome , and you have entertainment ; i but you come to know afterwards , that it was not for your sake , but for your servants sake that be loved ; would you think you had a good entertainment there ? the truth is , so all the respect you have in this world , it is for your servants sake , for your goods , house , and lands , it is not for any worth that is in you . it was a speech that socrates spake once , to one achilous , when he had a fine house , and a many brave things there ( saith he ) there are many come to see thy house , and thy fine things there , but no body comes to see thee ; they know there is a worth in thy fine house , and in thy fine furniture , but they see no worth in thee . indeed all these things are not souls meat , it is not mans meat they feed upon , it is but ashes , it is nothing to the soul of man. further : . suppose it were for the soul , what thou hast here , is but a very poor pittance , a scantie portion , thou hast not all the world neither , thou hast thy portion in this world ; if thou hadst the whol world at command , yea if god should make a thousand worlds more for thee to command , this were all but a poor pittance to put off an immortal soul withal : but now , that thou hast is but a little minnim in the world : all nations of the earth are but as the dust of the ballance , and drop of the bucket to god ; what is thy dust then ? what is thy house , and land then ? as socrates wittily rebuked the pride of alcibiades , when he was very proud , that he had so much land lay together ; he brought his map of the world to him , and saith he , pray shew me where your land lies here , one prick of a pen would have described it all . should we take a rich man here that hath a great deal of land , and bring a map of the world to him , all england , ireland , and scotland , are but three little spots unto the world ; and what are your farms , and your mannours you have ? you have but a little portion , if you had all , it were no great matter : the truth is , all you have in this world cannot be enough to make you live in fashion in the world , like a man ; it 's not enough ( i say ) for to live like a man in the world , to live like one that hath an immortal soul , like one that hath the image of god upon him , and was sent hither into the world to do some great service as every one of you was sent hither to do ; therefore it is but a mean thing , little cause you have for to rejoyce in it ; it 's true , they that are godly , account themselves unworthy of the least thing they have here in this world , but i 'le tell you a mystery of religion now , a practical maxime of religion , that is a great mystery to the world , and that is this , that a gracious heart , though he thinks himself unworthy of the least crum of bread , yet all the creatures in heaven and earth will not serve him to be his portion , will not satisfie him ; though he hath a heart that will be satisfied with any thing , as counting himself unworthy of the meanest condition in this world , as a present gift of god , but if god should give him heaven and earth , he hath such an unsatisfying heart , as he would not be satisfied with heaven and earth , except god gives him himself : therefore certainly thy portion is but a very little portion . . those things that thou hast , are things that will vanish , and quickly come to nothing . it is said , of the whol world , in job ; . . the whol earth hangs upon nothing ; and so all things of the earth do : and therefore it is said of abraham ; in hebrews , . that he sought a city that had foundations : all other things , are as things that have no foundation at all ; there is a worm in every creature , that will consume it in time ; and the scripture calls all our riches , vncertain riches ; and christian thou art made for an eternal condition , these things are fading ; when thou comest to enter in upon thy eternal estate , if thou should'st then ask , what shall i have now ? i have now thus much , and thus much , in my whol life , but what shall i have now i come to enter in upon my eternal estate , truly nothing at all . if a man were to go a great voyage to the indies , and all the provision he makes is this , he gets a vessel that can make shift to carry him as far as gravesend , that he will do , and what need he hath of provision to gravesrnd , or perhaps to the downs , he provides for ; he goes on , and should go on now to the downs , and begins his voyage to go to the indies , and is gotten into the ocean ; alas the vessel is a rotten vessel ; were not this an unwise man ? truly this is the condition of thousands in the world , man , woman , thou art ●●ade for an eternal condition ; god intends eternity to every mothers child that is here this day , & god expects that thy life should be spent in making provision for this eternal estate of thine , and thou thinkest of nothing but that thou maiest provide for a few years here , and live in some fashion , and be some body in the world here ; oh! when thou comest to enter upon the ocean of eternity , thou wilt give a dreadful shreek , and cry out , i am undone , i am undone , i have provided nothing for eternal life ; these things are very uncertain : oh what a deal of difference there is between the same men in two or three years ? i might tell you ( but the time so hastens ) that great difference two or three years have made between man and man , but i forbear it , because i see the time will not give leave : and yet further for the meanness of the portion . . what ever thou hast in this world , it is no other , but what may stand with the eternal hatred of an infinite god towards thee ; it may be the portion of a reprobate , and will this serve thy turn ? will this satisfie thee ? will that satisfie thy soul , that may be the portion of a reprobate ? there are many now that are sweltring under the wrath of the infinite god , that have had twenty times as much as any of you have , that are here before the lord this day , they have had greater estates than you , and lived merrier lives than you , and yet are now under the wrath of god ; wil a reprobates portion serve thy turn ? therfore surely it is but a mean thing , that will stand with gods eternal hatred ; consider it , to enjoy the dominion of all the world , may stand with gods eternal hatred ; but to have but the least dram of saving grace , cannot stand with gods eternal hatred : what a difference is there between the having the least dram of grace , and the enjoyment of al the world ? what a goodly portion is there here that thou so much rejoycest in ? it is certainly , because thy heart is so straight , that thou thinkest these things to be so big ; as in a narrow vessel , a thing will appear big , but in a mighty wide vessel , it appears little ; so when the lord by grace shall widen and enlarge thy heart , then all the things of the world will be little to thee ; grace hath the image of god in it , now what saith god of himself , in isa . . all the world is but as the drop of the bucket , and the dust of the ballance ; now grace hath gods likeness , and through the image of god in a gracious heart , the soul saith thus of the world , as god saith of the world , that all the world is but as the drop of the bucket , and the dust of the ballance to me ; when the lord promised to perswade japhet to dwell in the tents of shem ; the word that is translated perswade , it signifies to enlarge , that he would enlarge the heart of japhet ; and indeed when god doth convert a soul , the lord doth enlarge that soul , doth enlarge the heart , and therefore all the things of the world , are now but little ; indeed if a man be below here , and looks upon that which is next to him , that hath any bigness in it , it shews somewhat great , but if a man were advanced on high , upon the top of a pinnacle , then that which seemed great , appears but little to him ; so the men of the world , that here lie groveling below , and the curse of the serpent is upon them , vpon thy belly shalt thou go , and dust shalt thou eat ; they think the things of the world great matters ; but grace lifts up the heart on high to god and christ , mounts it up to eternity , and then they can look upon all these things here below , as mean things ; and this was the reason that luther , when he had great gifts sent in to him by many of the great men of saxony , he began to be afraid , lest the lord should reject him , here in this world , and he hath this expression , i did vehemently protest god should not put me off so ; that is his word , according to the manner of the man , you know the man , and his language ; according to the manner of his language thus he speaks , when there came in things of the world , and he began to be tickled with honor , and great men did respect him , oh ( thought he ) i shall be somebody now in the world , thus corruption began to work , but grace did prevail , and he breaks out with this expression , i did professe god should not put me off so , the lord shall not put me off so ; there are other things which i look for , things which are better and higher , these are poor pittances for this soul of mine to be put off withal , there are other things i must have from the lord , or else i cannot be satisfied . that 's the first thing , the poor things of the world , which is the portion of wicked men . secondly , consider the tenure by which they hold it . all you have in the world , you hold it not by a good tenure , it is not held in capite , that is not the tenure you hold it by : i confesse this , i think not the men of the world to be usurpers for what they lawfully get in the world , i do not think they shall answer meerly for their using what they do , meerly for their right to use that they have , but they shall answer for their not right-using ; they shall not answer ( i say ) for their right to use , but for their not right-using ; they have some right , but what right is it they hold it upon ? what tenure ? there is a threefold right : . a right from justice , that we may claim a thing by : one can claim by justice , such a thing is his due : that 's not your right , you cannot claim any thing . . there is a right from creation , that god gave to man at first creation : you have lost that too . . there is a right from promise ? god hath now promised all good things to his people ; you have not that right neither : you have neither the right of justice to claim ; nor the right from your creation ; nor the right from promise : what right then ? there is a fourth right , and that right i confess you have , and that is . . a right from donation : god is pleased to give to you , but just thus ; you hold all your honors and estates , that are ungodly men , just thus , even as a man that is condemned to die , and there being a little reprieving for two or three daies before his execution , the prince out of his indulgence , gives order to have provision made for him according to his quality , that if he be a gentleman , he shal have such provision , if a knight , a nobleman , a peer of the realm , he shall have provision according to his quality , till his execution ; now no man can say , this man usurps , though he hath forfeited all his right to his land and estate , yet if the king will give him this refreshment , he is no usurper , but it is a poor right he hath , it 's a right from donation : and thus god gives the ungodly men , in this world they have a right to outward comforts : you have your portion , but you see how you hold it . that 's the second thing . i have but one or two things more to dispatch of this particular : and two things further , and i shall wind up all as briefly as i can . ( i am told i may take some liberty at such a time as this is , and seeing it is only the preaching oportunity we meddle withal ; give me leave a little the more to transgresse upon your patience , in that i hope it will not be very much ) the next thing to be considered , it is , that this portion here , as it 's poor in regard of the mean things , and the tenure : so , thirdly ; there is a great deal of mixture here in this you have . . there is a manifold mixture of cumber , of trouble ; and the truth is , all the good things that wicked men enjoy in this world , will scarce bear charges ; that is , there is so much trouble they meet withal here in this world with their portion , that all they have will scarce bear charges : and if a man goes a voyage , we use not to count any thing he spends by the way to be part of his treasury . now all we have here in this world , is but spending-money to bear our charges , in regard god knows we shall be at a great deal of charges , and afflictions we shall meet with here . but besides : . there is a mixture of curse in every portion of an ungodly man. if any of you think you get such a rich match , you get an heir that is a very rich match , and you get her portion , and there you go and fetch away the bags of god that are her portion , but if it should prove that every bag of gold you have of your wives portion had the plague in it , it were but a poor portion . certainly it is thus with all ungodly ones in the world , that all the while they live , whatsoever they enjoy , so long as continuing wicked , they have a curse of god that goes along with it , and makes way unto eternal misery for them : as those that are godly have the blessing of god in outward things , that makes way for their eternal good ; so thou hast the curse of the lord mingled with all thy outward things that makes way for eternal evil unto thee . and then , consider , . what portion thou losest ; thou hast gotten one , but thou losest a great deal more : if a man had been at the exchange , and made some bargain about some petty thing , and afterwards when he comes home , knows that by not buying such a thing , he hath lost a bargain that would have made him and his posteritie , he hath little cause of rejoycing in that bargain he hath made : so though thou hast got a portion that may seem to satisfie thee somwhat , know thou hast lost a portion of infinit worth and value ; and it 's impossible to shew you what this portion is ; for the devil could shew christ all the glory of the world in the twinkling of an eye ; but if i should come to shew you the glory of heaven , i had need have eternity to shew you what the portion of the saints is , but though i cannot shew it you all , i will only give you a hint or two , that you may know somewhat , what it is : . it is such a portion , as is fit for the spouse of the lamb , as is fit for the spouse of one that is to marry the son of god , the second person in trinity . . it is such a portion , which is fit and sutable to an heir of life and glory , an heir of heaven and earth . . it is such a portion , as god doth give it unto them , to this very end , as to declare what the infinite power of god is able to do , to raise a poor creature to the height of happiness ; what think you this must be ? that ( i say ) it must therefore be done , that it might declare to angels , and all creatures , what the infinit power of god is able to do , to raise a poor creature to happiness and glory . this must be somewhat . . it must be such a one , as in which god must attain unto the great design that he had from all eternity in making the heaven , and earth ; the special design that god had in making heaven and earth , from all eternity , it was , to magnifie the riches of his grace , to a company that he had set apart to glory ; it must be such a portion , and guess you what this must needs be . . it is such a portion , as must require the infinite power of god to support a creature to be able to bear the weight of that glory : it 's such a portion . and do you but think what kind of portion that must needs be ? . all this must needs be now to all eternity . i remember when esau did but hear isaac his father tel what a blessing he had given unto jacob , the text saith , that esau fell a weeping . oh! that god would strike upon the hearts of men that have so little minded any thing , but the present things of the world ; thou hearest but a few words of what the lord hath reserved to all eternity for his saints , and compare but that with what is thy portion , and what is like to be thy portion ; and thou hast cause to weep ; i , but more cause you will have to weep , if so be you consider the last thing . fifthly . what is like to be thy end , thy portion is in this world ; if indeed thou couldst ruffle it out in this world , and enjoy thy hearts desire , and there an end , it were somewhat : oh but there is somewhat else remains afterwards : as first , . oh the perplexity of spirit that any worldly man will have , when death comes , when he shall see an end of all the comforts of this world , now farewell house , and lands , and friends and acquaintance , and all merry meettings , and jovialities , i shall never have comfort more in you . as it was the speech of pope adrian , when he was to die ; o thou my soul ! my soul ! whither art thou going ? whither art thou going ? thou shalt never have more jests , nor be merry , nor be jocund any more ; where art thou going ? so may a man that hath his portion in this world here , say at his death , where is this poor soul of mine going ? i have lived here thus many yeers , and i have had many merry meetings , and i have eaten of the fattest , and drunk of the sweetest , and gone in brave array , but now my day is gone , what shall become of me ? what peace have i now when all is gone ? i remember latimer hath such a story in one of his sermons that he preached before king edward , he tels a story of a rich man , that when he lay upon his sick bed , there came one to him , and tels him that certainly by all reasons they can judg by , that he was like to be a man for another world , a dead man : assoon as ever he hearts but these words , ( they are latimers words , i only repeat them as his words , and they were before a king , and so they will not be too broad words , nor too rude to speak before you ; assoon as ever he did but hear this ) what must i die ? send for a physitian ; wounds , sides , heart , must i die ? wounds , sides , heart , must i die ? and thus he goes on ; and there could be nothing got from him , but wounds , sides , heart , must i die ? must i die , and go from all these ▪ here was all ; here is the end of this man , that makes his portion to be in this world . another rich man that lived not far from the place that i my self lived in heretofore , when he heard his sickness was deadly , he sends for his bags of money , and hugs them in his arms , oh! must i leave you ? oh! must i leave you ? and another , that when he lay upon his sick bed , cals for his bags , and laies a bag of gold to his heart , and then bids them take it away , it will not do , it will not do . another when he lay upon his sick bed , his friends came to him and said , what lack you ? what would you have ? would you have any beer ? want you any thing ? oh no , ( saith he ) i want only one thing , peace of conscience ; that i would have : it is not beer , nor friends , nor an easie pillow i want , but ease of conscience . oh consider now , whether there be not like to be perplexity in your spirits ? . you must be called to an accompt for all ; though ( as i told you before ) not to accompt for the right to use , but for not right-using ; and do but now think with your selves , if you now have so much as you cannot reckon , how then will you be able to reckon for it , if you cannot now reckon it ? now you have so much as you cannot count , how will you be able to give an accompt of what you have now , especially when you have had no thoughts of this beforehand ? . there is at last a dreadful portion indeed at the day of judgment ; oh the shame and confusion that will be upon the faces of the men of the world ! especially when they shall see perhaps their poor neighbors have their portion with christ , in glory : perhaps a poor boy , a poor servant in the house advanced to glory , and they stand on the left hand to be cast out ; perhaps some of these poor hospital boyes shall be admitted to eternal glory , when as some of you that are their great masters , shall be cast out eternally ; and what an infinit shame and confusion would this be to you ? oh now i see what it is to trust in god , and not to trust in him ; these are happy that would trust for the future , but i miserable that dare not trust in him : and then the conclusion what will it be ? in psalm , . . the lord will rain snares and fire and brimstone , and this shall be the portion of their cup ; here is the portion of the ungodly at last : and in mat , . . appoint him his portion with hypocrites , where there is weeping and gnashing of teeth ; that is the portion of hypocrites in the conclusion ; now here thou seest the end of all , what do'st thou think then of thy portion now ? think but of one text and i have done this , in job , . . what hope hath an hypocrite though he hath gained , when god takes away his soul ? mark , there were many hypocrites that aimed to get in the world , and cannot get in the world , god crosses them here ; well , but suppose thou aimest at gain , and canst get what thou would'st have , thou hast got all thou would'st desire , but what hope hath an hypocrite though he hath gained , though he hath grown never so rich , and got all he desires , when god takes away his soul ? this time is coming , it will be ere long , and it may be ere long the portion of some that are here present ; and perhaps this text of mine , may then ring in their ears , when they lie upon their sick beds , perhaps within a month or six weeks , or a quarter of a yeer , when gods time shall be , and then this sermon , conscience may repeat in your ears ; i heard such a day , there were a generation of men , that have their portion in this world , and now i am afraid i am one of them , and there is an end of my portion , only i must go to my other portion ; that will be very dreadful . but i must not make an end , till i shall speak somwhat of the next , i shall leave the point very bare else ; i , but who have you spoke to all this while ? fifthly , who is the man that hath his portion in this world ? it is a poor portion you have set it out to us , but every one will go away and say , i hope it is not i , i hope it is not i , i hope god hath a better portion for me than this ; therefore give me leave to speak in the name of god to you , and i 'le only speak from god , and out of his word to you , to point out the man and woman , that is like to have his portion here , living and dying in such a condition , i now am speaking of ; that man that is in such a condition i shall open to you , in the present condition wherein he is , is certainly the man , and the lord pronounces it this day , that his portion is in this world . who is he ? . that man to whom god gives in this life nothing but what belongs to this life ; that is the man apparently : if god give thee thy estate , and if he give thee not somewhat besides thy estate , a principle that is a seed of eternal life in thee here in this world , certainly he never intends good to thee in the world to come ; there are many men have a great deal in this world , and they say , they hope god will be merciful to them in the world to come ; now this is a certain truth , that man to whom god denies spiritual mercies in this world , god will deny eternal mercy to him in the world to come ; this therefore should be thy care , doth god encrease my estate in this world ? oh that the lord would give a proportionable measure of grace too , else it is nothing ; lord thou givest me here a great estate , if thou givest not to me grace with it , a proportionable measure of grace to use it to thy glory , i had better have been without this ; is this thy care ? i put it to thy conscience ; as thy estate encreases , art thou solicitious at the throne of grace , that the lord would give thee a proportionable measure of grace , to mannage thy estate for his glory ; then peace be to thee , thou art not the man. and then further , you may examin it . . by the working of your hearts about your present portions . as first . . whether you enjoy what you have for it self , and whether your hearts be terminated in what you do enjoy : one that is godly , and hath his portion beyond these things , he enjoyes the creature ; i but it is god in it he enjoyes : it is sweet to me , that i can see and tast the love of god in it : i but a carnal heart enjoys the creatures , and runs away , and is terminated there , looks at the creature , but at little in god ; as divers of your hospital children , here , look more at the men that were their friends , to bring them into the hospital , when they were fatherless and motherless , and sisterless , than they look at the founders of the hospital , they little think of them , to thank god for them , but if they meet with him , that was the next cause to bring them in , they will thank him for his kindness . so it is with men , they look at that creature that was the first means of bringing them in ; but a godly heart looks at the root of all : i remember it is said of one that came into the treasuries of venice , he saw tables of gold , and silver there , and he points down and looks at the bottom of the table , and one asked him , why is your eye so at the bottom ? oh saith he , i am looking at the root of all this . oh! alas , it is a small matter for a man that hath a great trade to have a great portion : so many men , look not so much at the root ; whereas a godly man , though he hath but a little , yet he looks at the root , at the love of god , and the covenant of grace , that is the root of all ; and this is the thing that satisfies his heart : when a man takes a portion of physick , he puts it into the posset-ale , the posset-ale is not the thing that makes the physick work , though it is that that is the greater part , but it is the physick in it . so it is the goodness of god that satisfies a gracious heart , and not the creature that is operative so much upon a gracious heart : and then you may examine how your hearts are set upon these things of the world . . whether your hearts go out with full strength to them ; if you make your bellies to be your god , then your end will be destruction ( as the apostle speaks : ) that man that hath his heart swallowed up in the earth like corah , dathan , and abiram , that were swallowed up in the earth , if the things of the earth be a gulf to swallow thy heart up , there is another gulf to swallow thee up hereafter . . how do the loss of the things of the world take thy heart ? dost not thou count thy self an undone man , when thou hast lost some comforts ? dost not thou come home to thy wife and children , and say , i am an undone man : why ? what 's the matter ? i have lost some part of my estate : o carnal heart ! one that is gracious may have some crosses , but no losses at all , because he enjoyes all in god , he hath god to make up all his losses : and the truth is , if thou wert truly godly , whatsoever afflictions thou meetest withal ; ( as we say a man may put all in his eye ) so you may ( if you be godly ) put all your crosses in your eyes , you are so far from being undone . and further examin , . whether these things of the world , be not the only sutable things to your hearts ; whether you bless not your selves in these , as in your happiness : the ivie will clasp about a rotten tree , and cannot be taken off it without tearing : and so the heart of a worldling will clasp about these rotten-comforts as the only agreeable thing ; you may hear them sometimes tell with joy , that we were in such a place , and we were so merry , and had the bravest meeting : and what was there ? why there was singing , and roaring , and blaspheming of the name of god , and yet it was the bravest meeting that could be . when did you ever come from an ordinance of god , and say , oh! it was a brave day to me , the lord hath spoken to my heart this day : did you never go from the word with as merry a heart , and can rejoyce for it amongst your friends , as you did from a merry meeting ? you may fear you are the man , that have your portion here . and then this is more cleer , for every one to examin his heart in , and if i were to give but any one evidence , whether a man hath grace or no , i would give this assoon as any one ; a man that hath got some estate in the world , i put this to him : . what dost thou account to be the chiefest good of thy estate , more than thou hadst before , or more than another man hath ? a man that hath got an estate more than he had , or more than his brother : there are many good things in his estate , that he will think good ; now i may live in better fashion than i could before , now i may have more freedom than i had before , now i may have more credit in the world than i had before , now i may have my own mind , and satisfie my own lusts more than i had before , or than another man can do ; is not this the thing thou most rejoycest in ? yea , is not this a truth , that some of your hearts , if they were ripped up , this would be the language of them ; that you must rejoyce in your estates , because by them you have fuel for your lusts ? a poor man hath not so much fuel for his uncleanness as you have , nor so much fuel for his lust of pride and malice as you have ; and many rich men account the blessing , the good , and happiness of their estates to consist in this very thing ; that now they may have a larger scope for their lusts , than ever they could before ; alas a poor man cannot go abroad and drink as you can do , a poor man cannot lay out so much money on a whore , an unclean wretch , as you can do , and you rejoyce in this : and if this man have not his portion here , what man hath ? the lord strike such a mans heart . but on the other side , a gracious heart when god blesses him in this world , though there be but a little grace , it wil work thus , the lord hath raised my condition above my brother , & therein the lord gives me a larger opportunity to do him service , than my brother hath or than i had before ; there is such a poor man , he is an honest man , but god knows he can do but little in the place where he is , he hath but little means : but god hath given me means , and this means enlarges my opportunity to do god service , and for this my soul blesseth god ; i count my estate happier in this , because i now may be of more use , and do god more service than otherwise i could do ; have you such workings in heart , you rich men ? if you have not never be at quiet til you get your hearts working in this manner ; this will be a blessed testimony that god gives you a portion here , and intends another portion for you in the world hereafter . . what is that thing that you strive to make most sure ? that which a man strives to make most sure , that he counts his happiness to consist in ; oh for thy land , and debts , thou strivest with all thy might to make that sure , but as for the matter of thy salvation , and peace in christ , thou hast a good hope in god for , but takest no pains to make it sure . . what dost thou admire most men for ? o! such a man is happy , he hath so much coming in , and hath so much a yeer : but dost thou call the vile man happy ? it is a sign that thou hast not thine eye enlightened by the spirit of god ; but now , canst thou look upon even those that are poor , and mean in this world , that have the least portion here , yet as most happy creatures , because the lord gives them the grace of his spirit ; and think , well , 't is true , i have a greater estate than such a poor man that is my neighbor , or than such a poor man , but god knows he doth god more service than i do , he prayes more , and more heartily in one day than i do in a whol yeer : oh! the lord hath other manner of prayers , and sighs come from his poor cottage , than ever he had from my brave pallace ; i have my city-house , and country-house , but they were never so perfum'd with prayers ; some that live in poor cellers , send up more prayers , and god hath more honor from them , than he hath from me ; in my family ( perhaps ) there is cursing , and blaspheming of god ; in such poor cottages there is ( perhaps ) blessing , and praising of god. now see if thou lookest upon them as the most happy people in the world . . what , art thou careful to lay up for thy children ? that is like to be thy portion ; if the things of the world take up thy care for thy children most , that is an argument , thou thinkest thy children have a good portion , if thou canst leave them so many thousands , it is like it is thy portion too , if thou countest it theirs . and then further , . examin thy services what they are : . dost thou put off god with slight services ? then know thy portion is like to be of gods slight mercies . . art thou hypocritical in thy service ? dost thou aim at the praise of men in outward duties ? that is a sign thou hast thy reward here . . and are thy services forc'd , that thou art compel'd ? is it meerly conscience compels thee , and not an inward agreeableness between the frame of thy heart , and holy things ? then it 's like a servants portion is thine , and not a childs portion . . further , hast thou heretofore been a forward professor in religion , and hast thou forsaken the waies of god ? i 'le give you a dreadful scripture for this , in jer. . . all you that forsake the lord , shall come to be ashamed , and they that depart from him , shall be written in the earth . all that depart from god shall be written in the earth . if thou hast been forward heretofore , and now thou comest to be more ancient , thou art dead , and dull , and careless , here is a text for thee , go home and tremble lest thou be a man , whose name is written in the earth . . doth not god for the present curse thy portion ? thou findest the more thou hast , the worse thou growest ; as if a man should eat meat at ones table , and assoon as he hath eaten it , begin to swell , he will conclude certainly the meat was poysoned : so when thy estate rises , thy heart riseth with pride , surely it was poysoned with the curse of god that was in it . . examin thy heart by this , whether hath god convinced thee , of that which stops the great current of his mercy , i spake of even now ; that soul that hath its portion in this world , looks no further but to gods general bounty , and looks not to what stops the great current of gods grace , he is not brought to be sensible of his need of christ , and of his satisfaction unto divine justice ; but now the heart of god intends eternal good too , such a heart the lord causes to understand that there is such an infinite breach between god and it , as cannot be made up , but only by the meditation of the son of god ; and therefore lord , it is not in any righteousness of mine , nor in any thing of any creature in heaven and earth can do it , that i expect to have my portion from , but in the mediation of the son of god ; that i look after , and my heart closes with that mediation , and i look upon that as the spring of all my worth ; he is a man indeed that is not like to have his portion in this world , and i 'le only name that one more , what saiest thou to this ? . that man that spends his daies without having some fear , lest god should put him off with the things of this world ; there may be some danger of that : jude , . it is said of some , that they did feed themselves without fear . you can go now to a merry meeting , and can go and feed upon the cheer , and you eat without fear , you 'l never have such a thought in your heart , what if god should put me off with these things ? i hear indeed there are some men are put off so , what if it should prove to be my portion ? what a miserable creature were i ? i fear there are some men never had such a thought in their lives ; what if it should prove so , what a miserable creature were i ? the wicked are described to be men that eat without fear ; and thus we have done the fifth thing : there is only the sixth , and that is , sixthly . exhortation to you all , and then i have done all : and this exhortation it must be divided . first , vnto you that have some evidences that god hath given you a better portion , that god hath not put you off with the portion of this world . . oh bless the lord for his goodness to you ; the lord he hath shewed you better things than these are , your line is fallen into a good ground , you have a goodly inheritance . when david looked at the prosperity of wicked men , his conclusion is , in psal . . . i have clensed my heart in vain , and washed my hands in innocency ; but guide me with thy counsel , and afterward bring me to thy glory . . be content with thy portion here , do not murmur and repine , for though thou hast not so much as others have , yet thou hast that that will make thee happy for ever ; i remember that hierom in one of his epistles , tells of one dydimus , that was a learned godly preacher , but blind ; alexander comes to him , meeting of him , and asks him , what , are you not troubled for want of sight ? and he indeed confessed , it was a very sore affliction to him ; then alexander begins and chides him , what hath god given you that that is the excellency of an apostle , of a minister of christ , and are you troubled for want of your sight , that a pismire may have , that a brute beast , yea the very pismires ; the want of thy sight , of that that mice and rats may have ? are you troubled at that , and rather not taught for to bless god that hath given you so great a mercy , as to make you such an instrument in his service ? so may i say to you that are godly , hath god given you jesus christ ? hath god given you his son ? hath he given you his spirit ? hath he given you himself to be your portion ? and are you troubled that you have no more of that that beasts may have as well as your selves ? oh be ashamed of any mournful discontentments for want of the comforts of this world . and then ; . do not envy at any wicked men for their portion . i remember a story that i have heard of a poor souldier , that was condemned to die , meerly for taking a bunch of grapes from a vine ; for there was a strict law , that whosoever should take anything from that place they went thorough , should die for it ; and he had taken a bunch of grapes , and he was condemned to die , and as he went to execution , he went eating of the bunch of grapes , and some came to him , and said , thou should ' st think of somewhat else : he answered , i beseech you sirs , do not envie me my grapes , they will cost me dear . so may i say of all the men of the world , we have no need to envie them for any thing they have , it will cost them very dear . and lastly . . do you live like such as god hath not put off with the portion of this world ? manifest it in your conversations , that you look for higher and better things , than the things of this world , shew they are but slight in your eyes : zebulun and naphtali did jeobard their lives , they did look upon their lives as little worth for that cause : so look upon your estates as dispicable , be willing to improve them all for the publick good , in a publick cause , yea , to jeobard not estates only , but your names , your liberties , and your lives ; and those that shall do so , those whom god hath given hearts to do so amongst you , perhaps some of you may look upon them , as men in a sad condition , oh such a man in such a place , is look'd upon , and he is like to be undone , if not his life in danger ; but such a one that shall out of a good principle be willing to venture his life and estate , and appear in a good cause , that man shall be most honored , and look'd upon as the most happy man of all ; and indeed herein he shews himself to be a man that looks for an higher portion than these things here : as those in heb. . . by that they said and did , they shewed plainly , they looked for another country . so , see you men that might live as comfortably for outward things as you , and ( did their consciences give way ) they could be as quiet as you , but conscience puts them upon it , that seeing god cals them to a publick place , they should be content to put all at gods feet ; now though you may think it hard , and they are in most danger , they shew plainly they are men of another country , and should be most honored ; and take but this principle with you , the more any one gives up his estate , the more comfort he hath in his estate , whether in the enjoyment of it , or in the loss of it : i express it thus , when one resigns up all he hath , his estate , liberty , name , life to god , the oftner it comes into gods hands , the better it comes when god gives him them again ; a carnal heart when once he hath these things , he will not trust god with them , but he will have them at his own keeping : but now a gracious heart , though he hath all these from god , yet every day he is willing to give up all to god , and to trust god with them again ; though he be a rich man , he is willing every day to come and beg his bread at his fathers gate , and give up all ; now he gives up all in the truth of his heart to god , and god gives him it all again ; so long as in a lawful way he enjoyes it , he hath it afresh from god ; now this i say , the oftner any thing comes out of gods hand , the sweeter and better it is ! wicked mens estates come but once out of gods hands , and therefore there is not so much comfort in them ; but a godly mans estate comes an hundred and an hundred times from god , for every resignation gives it to god , and god gives it him again ; and therein is comfort : and oh! blessed are they that live so , as that they declare they look for another country , and that their portion is not here ; let the men of the world think them foolish ; that they will venture themselves so ; god and his saints , have declared that their portion is not here . secondly , to you all ; the word of exhortation from god is : that every one in this place would put on to make more sure of another portion , besides the portion here in this world . put on : why ? first , you are all made capable of higher and better things than the things of the world are ; never a one here , but hath an immortal soul , and therefore is capable of communion with father , son , and holy ghost , and that is another manner of business , than to eat and drink , and have pleasure with the flesh here a while ; hath god made your natures capable of such glory ? do not debase your selves , and that humanity god hath put into you , to satisfie your selves with husks , when there is meat enough in your fathers house ; and he may be your father for ought i know : and therefore , put on . and , secondly , let the poorest sort put on , to have but a little portion here , yet there is as fair a way for you to have the god of heaven and earth to be your portion , to have whatsoever jesus christ hath purchased by his blood to be your portion , to have heaven , and eternity , and immortallity to be your portion ; ( i say ) there is as fair a way for it , as for the greatesest prince in the earth ; you may come to have a portion : here indeed many a poor apprentise may say , my father is dead , and hath left me no portion . i but you that are poor apprentises and others , and the poor hospital boys , that live upon charity , it 's possible some poor wretches there may have their portion in god , and christ , and immortallity , aswel as the greatest and richest of all ; therefore raise up your hearts here , you that are the poorest and meanest ; and know , you are born for high things : if i should come and tell one that is a poor boy in a blew coat ; whatsoever you are now , there is such a rich man will adopt you to be his child , and make you his heir ; that would raise up his heart : well , how meanly soever you live now , you may be a glorious creature hereafter ; if so be you have an heart to put upon it , and to seek after it for your portion : then you 'l say , lord , what should we do , that our portion should be an higher portion than in this world ? the first thing i would put you upon , is this : . let the whole course of your life be steered ( as it were ) with the fear of god , lest that this should be all that you have ; as it was a sign before , so now i may make use of it as a means ; ( i say ) let your course of life be steer'd ( as it were ) with the fear of god , lest that god with this should put you off : hold forth this in every action , that any one may see by your conversation , surely this man , this woman hath some fears , lest god should put them off with a portion in this world : and especially you that have great portions in this life , and you know you have done god little service ; you know there are many poor people that live upon alms have done god more service than you ; you have most cause to fear ; they that are rulers , and governours have most cause to fear , unless they have mighty good evidence in their hearts : chrysostom upon the . of the hebrews , speaking of those that are governours ; i wonder that any governour should be saved : he hath such a speech there ; we will not say so , but he saith so , there is a great deal of hazard : christ tels us too , that a man that hath a great portion in this world , though it 's possible he may have more hereafter , yet it is doubtful . it is the counsel of one , to a king of portingal , ( saith he ) i desire you to grant me this favor , that every day you would but think of this text , what profits it a man. if he should gain the whol world , and lose his own soul . spend some little time every day , to think of this text , and pray to god that he would give you , the true understanding and sense of this text , and let it be the conclusion of al your prayers , that god would shew you what there is in this text , what shall it profit a man , if he shall gain the whole world , and lose his own soul ; the same counsel i give to you , daily pray to god , to make you understand what there is in this text , that there are men that have their portion in this world . . labor to take off your hearts from all these outward comforts that are here ; take off your spirits : he that will be rich shall fall into many temptations : know it is not necessary ( so you should conclude every one in your own hearts , it is not necessary ) i should have estate in this world , but it is necessary i should make my peace up with god : it is necessary i should provide for my soul , but how things are with me here there is no great necessity . and then ; . set you the glory of heaven and eternity daily before your eyes , and be trading for higher things than these are : you that are great merchants , you are trading for thousands ; when as many poor people now that go up and down in the streets , and cry some mean thing , they think well if they can get eighteen pence in a whole day , carrying things upon their heads , and crying in the streets : but a rich merchant can go out in the morning , and make a bargain , and perhaps get five hundred pound in an hour : he is trading for somewhat like . so the men of this world are like the poor women that go with things , about upon their heads , and get eighteen pence in a day ; but a godly man hath communion with god , and in a quarter of an hour gets that he would not lose for hundreds , nor for thousands . it was a speech of cleopatra to anthony ; why anthony thou art not to fish for gudgeons , and trouts , but thou art to angle for castles , and towers , and forts , and cities , thou art to fish for them ; so may i say , if thou hast an immortal soul within thee , thou art not so much to angle for to make provision for the flesh , for meat , and drink , and cloathes , &c. but for heaven , and immortality , set that continually before thine eyes . and the next thing is this . . honor god with thy substance here ; lay out thy portion here for god : and oh that i could but convince you of one principle of divinity more , and that is this , that there is more excellency and good in one vertuous action , than there is in all the creatures in heaven and earth , ( besides the works of angels and others of the saints , excepting them : ) take all creatures , sun , moon , stars , seas , earth , all the riches in the world , pearls , put all together , this is the true divinity , ( i say ) that there is more excellencie in one vertuous action , than there is if thou hadst all these things to be thy possession ; if men were convinced of this , they would be abundant in good works then : thou thinkest it a brave thing , thou hast so much coming in by the yeer ; do but one good action for god out of an upright principle , and there is more excellency in that one action , than there is in thy estate , if thou hadst ten thousand times more added to it : certainly , this will make them that are rich , to be rich in good works ; so the scripture saith , charge them that are rich in this world , that they be rich in good works : there is a richness in good works , as well as in an estate ; oh! improve , lay out thy estate for god : ambrose i remember upon that place , his sermons upon the rich man , saith he , is it not more honor that so many children shall ask of you as their father , than that so many pieces of gold shall call you their lord ? these pieces of gold they do ( as it were ) call you lord , and there are two or three children shall call you father ; is there not more excellency to have a couple of poor orphants while you are alive in this world , to call you father , than to have so many bags of gold cal you master ? oh therfore lay out your portion , give a portion to six and to seven . in cor. . . there the apostle tels the corinthians , that god should make them abundant in all grace ; fill you with grace that you may abound in all sufficiency : but what for ? in the . vers . being enriched in every thing in all bountifulness ; and then verse . for the administration of this service ; that you may be enriched in all bountifulness ; wherefore ? for the administration of this service : now the words in the greek are , for the administration of this leturgie : so the words are in the greek , that you may abound , and have all grace to abound in the administration of this leturgie . my brethren , oh how happy were it if so be that men were plentiful in this divine service , that i am speaking of , and well verc'd in this leturgie : the apostle cals bounty , a leturgie , the service of god , that is divine service indeed , that is a happy leturgie to be well verc'd in , and to be abundantly verc'd in this kind of leturgie ; for so the words are in the greek ; and then again , if you would not be put off with this portion in the world ; . be sure that all the services you perform to god be choice services ; if you expect choice mercies , let you services be choice services ; be sure your works be supernatural works ; you 'l say , how shall i know that ? if i had time i could make it out cleer to you , but only thus , a supernatural work is that which hath a supernatural principle , aims at a supernatural end , and done in a supernatural manner ; a supernatural principle , that is grace that makes it sutable to my heart , and not only that i do it out of conviction of conscience ; and a supernatural end , that i aim at god , and not at myself ; but the supernatural manner , what is that ? i remember seneca in giving of his rule , how to know the affections , when they are natural , and when not , ( saith he ) you shall know a natural affection by this , if it be kept within bounds , it is natural ; if it be out of bounds , it is not natural : i 'le make use of it in another way , when you come to the service of god , if you think to limit god in his service , this is but a natural service , you will go so far , and there stop ; but if it be supernatural service , you will let out your hearts ( if it were possible ) infinitely to god ; you cannot be infinite , that 's true ; but you will propound no bounds , no limits to your service ; and this is indeed the truth of grace , when it hath the impression of gods infinitness upon it ; gods infinitness is that , whereby he is without all limits ; so where god sets no limits , there the soul is without all limits , and bounds in the way of grace ; that is , desires to answer god ( if it were possible ) by an infinite way ; these are supernatural works : and then , would you not have your portion in this world ? . be willing to cast away whatever of your portion you have got sinfully : i in the name of god charge this as a special thing to take home with you ; whatsoever man or woman in this place , would not have his portion in this world , but would have his portion in the world to come , whatsoever of his portion he hath got in a sinful way , cast it away presently , never sleep with it , lie not down one night with it : that 's an old rule , but a true one , all the repentance you have in the world , and all your sorrowing for your sin , will never obtain pardon without restitution , if you be able ; unless you do what you are able to restore , you can never have comfort , or the pardon of that sin ; if you have goe it when you were young , apprentices , first set up , away with it , else it will spoil all , you will never have any other portion from god ; these hands of mine had once that given to them , to be a means to convey , to restore that which was got wrongfully , fifty yeers before , the wrong was done fifty yeers ago , and after fifty yeers , the conscience of the man troubles him , and he comes to bring , to restore that wrong , and desires it may be conveyed to such a place , where he had done wrong ; know therefore , that all the sweet morsels that any time you have so delightfully got down , they must up again , and therefore willingly let them go up ; resolve before you go out of this place , whatsoever thou hast gotten wrongfully , never keep it against thy will , but do it willingly , else thou canst not have any comfort in the portion thou hast , nor have any portion in the world to come ; if there be any true divinity in the world , this is true divinity : and yet it is hard to convince any covetous men , that have got much this way ; and if there be any wrong , those that have done wrong in things be trusted to them , as those that are masters of hospitals , be sure you keep not that , for certainly you 'l curse the time you ever took it ; and therefore let the charge of god be strong upon you this day , to cast out whatsoever you have got falsly . i read in a story of one that upon a time , hearing that place of scripture , in isa . . . read , wo to them that joyn house to house : he bursts out into a loud cry , if wo be to them that joyn house to house , then wo to me , and to my children . so upon this that you hear this day , there are a company shal have their portion in this world , and especially those that will keep any thing they have wrongfully got , many may have cause to say , wo to us then , and unto our children . . be willing to joyn with those that have suffered for god ; if you would have your portion in another life , be willing to joyn with the sufferers for christ ; so moses did , though he were in the way to preferment , yet he did chuse rather to suffer affliction with the people of god than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season ; joyn rather with them , than with jolly blades of the world ; it is safer to joyn with the sufferers , than to joyn with those that are the jolly and brave spirits . and so i have done , only desiring that the lord would settle all home upon your spirits ; if so be , because something may not be so pleasing to the pallat of every one , as some other , but if for that you should reject what hath been said , and go away , and slight this word of god , know that this text one day , may prove to be as scalding lead in your consciences ; and that that is said concerning doeg , in psalm , . . may prove to be your portion ; it is spoken of doeg ; this is the man ( saith the psalmist ) that did not make god his trust , but trusted in his great riches ; this is the man ; so you may be pointed out one day , this is the man : doeg was a great courtier , and because he was an officer of king sauls , and because he had his favour , he trusted in the favour of the king , and in his riches , and what did he care for david ? yea , by the text it appears he was one that made some shew of religion too , in the of sam. . . he was detained before the lord : tremelius thinks , either out of some religious vow , or to keep the sabbath , or somewhat concerning the law , he was detained before the lord , and yet he was a vile malignant against david , and all because he trusted in the great countenance he had at court : now this is the man that made not god his trust , but that trusted in his great riches : the lord forbid this scripture should be made true of any of you ; i leave this text with you that are rich men , take heed you trust not in your great riches , i leave this text with you , that are in places of dignity and honor ; take heed you have not your portion in this world . i leave this text to voluptuous men , given up to pleasures ; take heed you hear not one day , this , son , remember , in thy life-time thou hadst thy pleasure . i leave this with those that dare not trust god for a portion to come . and above all , i leave this with all hypocrites , let them take heed it be not said to them , here is your reward . consider what hath been said , and the lord give you understanding in all things . finis the alphabetical table . a abuse , see body adam first adam , what he was , and what he should have been , had he stood page the state of adam compared with the state of the saints admiration admiration of saints and angels adrian adrian the pope , his wofull death alexanders rebuke angels angels are the saints keepers angels , see love , honor anger anger must be avoided arbitrary arbitrary government , and the differences of it antichrist antichrists great design argument , see gospel b beginning beginings of sin to be feared beleevers beleevers draw strength from christ beleevers should manifest christ in their actions ibid beleevers cannot fall away beleevers are not without mixture of evil ib. beleevers under the law , were as children under age beleevers under the gospel are children of full age ib beleevers must not be of earthly hearts , and why beleeve the manner how to beleeve bishops , see prelats blood the blood of christ takes us off from vain conversations body the body of sin must be mortified the body of sin is unknown to nature abuse not your bodies , and why ? boldness , see saints boniface boniface his answer bowels bowels of mercy beseem the gospel branch , see christ c canaan the land of canaan a type of heaven carelesness , see profession christians carnal carnal worship opposeth the soul of godliness carnal , see weapons , heart ceremonies ceremonies condemned , and why chastisement chastisements for sin , what they are children , see beleevers christ christs love known in the gospel christ is the mercy of all mercies christs kept the law , and why ? christs self denial christ is the root , and we are the branches christs is a great king christ god-man , governs all things , and why ? christs rule christs law ibid see dependance , subjects , and peace christians christians must be carefull of their families christians should eye those whose conversations are above them christians subject to grow careless by degrees church church of god as a city circumvent we must not circumvent one another citizen a citizen's wretch'd speech . civil civil mens worship of god companions , see tribulation compulsion , see persecution . conscience liberty of conscience the way to procure it contentment motives to contentment conversation the meaning of this word conversation what conversation becomes the gospel our conversation must be looked to after conversion conversation becoming the gospel how our conversation should be manifested what conversation becomes the gospel see image , wanton cook cook his opinion of the martyrs covetousness covetousness unbeseeming a saint customs old customs an hindrance to spiritual worship d daies difference between daies of fasting and thanksgiving , and holy daies see observing danger , see help deceivers self - deceivers how ? dependance no dependance between the kingdom of christ , and this world design , see gospel despair the reason of despair despise despise not the meanest of men difference difference which the gospel makes difference betwen saints and worldly men divisions divisions , whence they come duty , see time dying dying one for another becomes the gospel e elevation elevation of spirit upon what ground enmity how enmity against god is kept up epistle the saints should be the epistles of christ . eternal life little mention of eternal life in the old testament excellency the excellency of a saints portion wherein it consists eyes the eyes of all are upon professors what the eyes of a christian should be set upon f faith faith acts upon christ as a king aswell as a savior necessity of living by faith fleshly-lusts fleshly lusts unsutable to the gospel g gentils , see partition german the speech of a german divine god gods willingnesse to be at peace with man see hatred , love , glory people , mercy god is full of goodness how the utmost of gods glory is manifested godly why godly men are willing to live gospel what the gospel is gospel-conversation , what it is gospel obedience proceeds from love difference between the law of adam and the gospel those that live under the gospel must live in an higher way of holiness than those that lived under the law the great design of the gospel the gospel cals for love gospel-arguments are the strongest arguments difference between the gospel & the light of nature see law , mallice , christ , conversation , dying , bowels , wanton , worship , beleevers , power . government , see arbitrary . great ones , see religion . h hard-hearted , see monster hatred gods hatred of sin , how to know it heart . carnal hearts will not trust god help helps against the danger of the times holy ghost the holy ghost dwells in our bodies honor how the honor of religion is kept up more honor put upon men than upon angels i jewes the error of the jews about christs kingdom see partition image how man holds out the image of god injustice a remedy against injustice institution whereon institution of worship depends institution is the rule of worship justice gods justice is no loser by his mercy k king wherein the kings of the earth ar not like christ see christ , subjects . kingdom christs kingdom is not of this world why christs kingdom is not of this world when the kingdoms of this world shall be submitted to christ see dependance l latimer latimers story law the law of god goes higher than the light of nature , and how ? the law considered under two considerations the law given to adam , what it was difference between the law of adam , and the law given by moses , difference between the law given by moses , and the gospel . ibid they under the law had somthing of the gospel ibid see gospel , christ , worship , and beleevers leturgie true leturgie , what it is . liberty , see conscience light of nature , see nature life , see spirit looseness , see profession love the love of god is more to men than to angels the love of god should work an answerable love in us see testimony & christ lusts , see flesh luther luthers opinion of the turkish empire luthers's protestation m magistrates how magistrates are helpful to the church malice malice is unbeseeming the gospel man , see world mercy mercy must be real , not verbal . gods infinit mercy gods mercy undervalued by worldly men ibid see transcendant , christ , bowels ministers ministers of the gospel , what they are ministers ought to rule over none but those they teach ministers should be eminent in their conversations every way ibid ministers charge over soules . mixture what mixture is in worldly portions monsters hard-hearted christians are monsters moses , see law n nature light of nature , its extent . difference between the light of nature before the fall , and since light of nature shews something of the mercie of god necessity , see faith o obedience the obedience of a beleever , is of an higher nature than adams in his innocency observing observing daies forbidden old , see customs opinions what opinions are not to be tollerated opposed world opposed to saints overseeing , see visitation p papists papists reproved parliament the parliament defended partition the partition wall between jew and gentile , taken down peace we should love peace peace with our brethren , what it should be difference between the worlds peace and christs why men should have peace upon any terms see god , and seek people why gods people are mean in this world perfection perfection comes by suffering persecution persecution unlawful persecution opposed pope a mortal choice of popes portion why wicked men have a portion the worlds portion described . rules to know who hath his portion only in this life see excellency power what the power of the gospel is prelates prelates reproved priviledges priviledges of the saints profession the reason why some mens profession vanisheth loosness of profession what mischief it doth the miseries attending a loose profession why forward professors turn persecutors see eyes promises difference between the promises of the gospel , and adams promises r reason we are not to live altogether according to reason reason discovers some sin reconciliation reconciliation to god rebels how the saints are rebells . redemption what the redemption of a soul is . religion religion comes to nothing without consideration of the duties of relation why religion is so little regarded by great ones see honor , weapons repentance repentance is a mighty work repentance is out of our power root , see christ s saints the saints shall condemn the world the saints may come to the throne of grace with boldness the saints shall judge the world see rebels , difference seek seek for peace self-denial , see christ selvishness selvishness unbeseeming a saint schism what schism is services gods services are choice services sin sin harboured in thought produceth sinful actions no sin is little the wages of sin is death ib. see hatred & beginings socrates socrates his rebuke soul souls immortallity proved souls pawn'd to the devil see worth , & redemption strength strength drawn from christ strive we must strive together , not asunder spirit the life of the spirit , what it is subjects difference between christs subjects and the subjects of other kings suffering , see perfection t temptations particular temptations must be looked to tenure the tenure men hold the world by testimonies testimonies of gods love to us testimonies of our love to god time the time sanctifies the duty transcendent the mercies of god are transcendent tribulation we have companions in tribulation turkish empire , see luther u unity unity of the saints visitation visitation of the wicked , what it is w wanton wanton conversation becomes not the gospel well-doing well-doing stops the mouthes of wicked men well-doing converts men ibid weapons carnal weapons not to be used in defence of religion wicked wicked men do something for god see portion wickedness wickedness is unbeseeming professors the wickednesse of the world . works our good works should shine before men difference between doing of good works that may be seen , and doing good works that [ they ] may be seen ibid women women-preachers , in what sense lawful worship we must set up the worship of god in our families the worship of the world is carnal god will have as much worship under the gospel as under the law ibid what worship becomes the gospel see institution worth the worth of the soul world how to know a man of this world see peace , opposed , saints , people , portion worldly why worldly men are cunning worldly men , see difference . worldly portion , see mixture . wronged we must seek peace of those that have wronged us finis . notes, typically marginal, from the original text notes for div a -e march . . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . march , . march , ● . april . . pet. . . humanae creationae . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . preached on easter munday april . . before isaac penington then lord major of london . mol. in psal . doct. . doct. . the rare jewel of christian contentment wherein is shewed, i. what contentment is, ii. the holy art or mystery of it, iii. several lessons that christ teacheth, to work the heart to contentment, iv. the excellencies of it, v. the evils of murmuring, vii. the aggravations of the sin of murmuring / by jeremiah burroughs. burroughs, jeremiah, - . approx. kb of xml-encoded text transcribed from -bit group-iv tiff page images. text creation partnership, ann arbor, mi ; oxford (uk) : - 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(eebo-tcp ; phase , no. a ) transcribed from: (early english books online ; image set ) images scanned from microfilm: (early english books, - ; : ) the rare jewel of christian contentment wherein is shewed, i. what contentment is, ii. the holy art or mystery of it, iii. several lessons that christ teacheth, to work the heart to contentment, iv. the excellencies of it, v. the evils of murmuring, vii. the aggravations of the sin of murmuring / by jeremiah burroughs. burroughs, jeremiah, - . [ ], [i.e. ], [ ] p. printed for peter cole ..., london : . "the first of the three volumes are published by thomas goodwyn, william greenhill, sydrach simpson, philip nye, william bridge, john yates, william adderley." "thou hast here a true catalogue of all the works of master ieremiah burroughs that are published by us: thomas goodwyn, william greenhil [sic], sydrach simpson, philip nye, william bridge, iohn yates, william adderly. the first volume: the rare jewel of christian contentment ... the second volume: gospel-worship ... [wing b ]. the third volume: gospel-conversation ... [wing b ]. all printed for peter cole ... london, "--p. 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bear in mind that in all likelihood such instances will never have been looked at by a tcp editor. the texts were encoded and linked to page images in accordance with level of the tei in libraries guidelines. copies of the texts have been issued variously as sgml (tcp schema; ascii text with mnemonic sdata character entities); displayable xml (tcp schema; characters represented either as utf- unicode or text strings within braces); or lossless xml (tei p , characters represented either as utf- unicode or tei g elements). keying and markup guidelines are available at the text creation partnership web site . eng contentment. christian life. - tcp assigned for keying and markup - spi global keyed and coded from proquest page images - robyn anspach sampled and proofread - robyn anspach text and markup reviewed and edited - pfs batch review (qc) and xml conversion the rare jewel of christian contentment : wherein is shewed , i. what contentment is . ii. the holy art or mystery of it . iii. severall lessons that christ teacheth , to work the heart to contentment . iv. the excellencies of it . v. the evils of murmuring . vi. the aggravations of the sin of murmuring . by jeremiah burroughs . the first of the three volumes that are published by thomas goodwyn , william greenhill , sydrach simpson , philip nye , william bridge , john yates , william adderley . london , printed for peter cole , at the printing-press in cornhil , near the royall exchange . . thou hast here a true catalogue of all the works of master ieremiah burroughs that are published by us thomas goodwyn , william greenhil , sydrach simpson , philip nye , william bridge , iohn yates william adderly the first volume . the rare jewel of christian contentment : wherein is shewed , . what contentment is : . the holy art or mystery of it : . severall lessons that christ teacheth , to work the heart to contentment : . the excellencies of it : . the evils of murmuring : . the aggravations of the sin of murmuring . the second volume . gospel-worship : wherein is shewed , . the right manner of sanctifying the name of god in general ; and particularly in these three great ordinances : . hearing the word : . receiving the lords-supper : . prayer . the third volume . gospel-conversation : wherein is shewed , . that the conversation of believers must be above what could be by the light of nature : . beyond those that lived under the law : . suitable to what truths the gospel holds forth . all printed for peter cole , at the printing-presse in cornhill , near the royal exchange , london , . to the reader . this worthy man , especially in his latter times , was surrounded ( through gods blessing on him ) with a very great confluence of what might give forth contentment to a vast spirit of his ranck and calling . he was enriched with a large measure of abilities and opportunities in serving his lord ( to glorifie whom , and do much good to others , is the divine part of a man gracious ( which he was ) the highest and most solid satisfaction , and in many respects exceeds what personall communion with god , singly considered , brings in ) besides , he lived and dyed in a fulnesse of honor and esteem with the best of men , of saints ; yea , the worst of enemies : likewise of estate , and outward comforts within his sphaere and rank ; all which might and did afford contentment to what was outward in him . in the midst of these his study was to finde out a more sublime way , and hidden art of selfe sufficiency , then was in the power of all things to contribute or teach : such a skill as did not only poyse & compose his spirit in the present enjoyment of all ; but might fortifie and furnish him with provision for the future against the losse of all , in times wherein no man knoweth what evil will be in the earth . this mark his first lines shew he shot at : this art some philosophers of old pretended themselves masters of , and to instruct other in , through the assistance of natural and moral elements , elevated to the utmost height their principles could carry them ; but in vaine : their chymistry in this kinde being able to produce no more but a sullen obstinacie and obduratenesse of minde . the natural spirit of a man feeling it selfe greater then all creatures , gathering up and consolidating it self into it self , is able ( as solomon saies ) to sustaine its owne , and all other infirmites . but that autarchy this author here presents , is a mystery , which none of these princes of the world knew , or the wisdome of man teacheth , but the holy ghost teacheth ; and which few , but those that are perfect , do attaine : teaching the soule to deny it selfe into weaknesse , emptinesse , in and to its selfe and all things else ; and thus dissolved to unite it selfe to him who onely hath blessednesse and all-sufficiencie , with whom associated and made intimate , it melts it selfe into all his interests , making them its owne , and thereby comes to have all that all-sufficiency of the high god to be its self-sufficiency : and then , what state can that soule be in , wherein it may not be content ? seeing it hath god to be the chiefest comfort in its best times , and onely comfort in its worst . this , though it be the inheritance of every saint , in the right and title to it , yet the possession and enjoyment of it , depepends upon an improvement of this inheritance , and that upon a skill which is to be learned by experience and much exercise ( as paul speaks ) i have learned in whatsoever estate i am , therewith to be content . this piece of learning this serious spirited man inured himselfe unto , and digging for it as rubies , as solomons scholler for wisdome , hath found it , and hath hewen forth this jewel ( a title given neither by himselfe , not us the publishers , to the subject it selfe , yet the materials themselves deserving it ) out of the rock , and hath artificially cut it ) that the innate rays of this so glorious a grace might shine forth to others . and here it comes to be presented , though set forth as the richest jewels are , often for awhile , in ruder mettal , untill bargained for , but then are placed in tablets worthy of them . the onely seat this is ordained for ; is the precious tablets of mens hearts , in and from which alone the native lustre of it will be made conspicuous . reader , buy it , set and wear it there , and it shall ( as solomon speaks ) be life unto thy soul , and grace unto thy neck : thou shalt not be afraid when thou liest down ; yea thy sleep shall be sweet unto thee : for the lord will be thy confidence . thomas goodwyn , sidrach simpson , william greenhil , philip nye , william bridge , john yates . william adderly . the contents of the insuing treatise of contentment , sermon i a he words opened page doctrine to be well skil'd in the mystery of christian contentment , is the duty , glory and excellency of a christian page christian contentment described page it is inward ibid it is quiet , which is not opposed . to sence of affliction page to complaint to god or man ibid to a lawful seeking of help , page but it is opposed to murmuring ibid to fretting and vexing ibid to tumult of spirit ibid to unsetledness of spirit page to distracting cares and fears ibid to sinking discouragments ib. to sinful shifting page to rising of the heart against god page it is a frame of spirit it is spread through the whol soul . it is a frame of soul page it is a habitual frame page it is a gracious frame opposed to natural stilness ibid to sturdy resolutions ibid to strength of natural reason . page it is a frame of spirit freely submitting the heart is readily brought over page it is not by constraint page it is not out of stupidity freely submitting ibid taking complacency in gods dispose ibid in gods dispose page in every condition page we must submit to god in every affliction for the kind page for the time page for the variety contentment a mysterie page a christian is content , yet unsatisfied page a christian comes to contentment by substraction page by adding another burden to that he hath page by changing the affliction into another page by doing the work of his condition page by melting his will into gods will page by purging out that that is within he lives by the dew of gods blessing page he hath the love of god in that he hath page it is sanctified for his good , ib there is no after-reckoning for it page it is by the purchase of christ it is an earnest of glory he reafter page a christian sees gods love in affliction page his afflictions sanctified in christ page he fetches strength from christ page he makes up his wants in god page he fetcheth contentment from the covenant page objection concerning the plague answered page he supplieth wants by what he finds in himself page he fetches supply from the covecovenant page in general ibid from particular premises page he reallizeth the things of heaven page he letteth his heart out to god ibid lessons whereby christ teacheth contentment self-denial whereby a christian knows page that he is nothing page that he deserves nothing ibid that he can do nothing page that he can receive no good of himself ibid if god withdraw himself he can mak use of nothing ibid that he is worse than nothing page that there is no loss of him if he perish ibid that he comes to rejoyce in gods waier page lesson , to know the vanity of the creature page lesson , to know that one thing , wherefore page lesson , to know his relation in this world page lesson , wherein the good of the creature is page lesson , the knowledge of his own heart page which helps to contentment by discovering wherein discontent lies ibid by knowing what is sutable to our condition page by this we know what we are able to mannage page lesson , to know the burden of a prosperous estate page which is four fold the burden of trouble ibid the burden of danger page the burden of duty page the burden of account ibid lesson , a great evil to be given up to our own hearts desire page lesson , the right knowledge of of gods providence page wherein four things the universality of it ibid the efficacy of it page the variety of it ibid gods particular dealing with his people page in three things they are ordinarily in affliction page when he intends them greatest mercies he brings them lowest ibid he works by contraries page the excellency of contentment excellency , by it we give god his due worship page excel . in it there is much exercise of grace there is much strength of grace ibid there is much beauty of grace page excel . the soul is fitted to receive mercy page excel . it is fitted to do service page excel . contentment delivers from temptation page excel . it brings abundance of comfort page excel . it fetcheth in that that we possess not page in particulars excel . contentment a great blessing of god upon the soule page excel . a contented man may expect reward page excel . by contentment the soul comes neerest the excellency of god himself page use to be humbled for want of contentment page the evils in a murmuring spirit it is an argument of much corruption in the soul page it is a note of a wicked man page murmuring is accounted rebellion page it is exceeding contrary to grace in conversion page the works of god in conversion to make us sensible of the evil in sin page a sight of the excellency of christ ibid taking the heart from the creature ibid casting the soul on christ for all good page subduing the soul to christ as king ibid giving up the soul to god in covenant page evil , murmuring below a christian page below his relation to god as a father ibid to christ as a spouse ibid to christ as a member page to christ as a co-heir ibid to gods spirit as a temple ib. to angels , as one with them ib. to saints , as of the same body ibid below his dignity every christian a king page it is below the spirit of a christian page below the profession of a christian page below the grace of faith ibid below the helps of a christian page below the expectation of a christian ibid below what other christians have done page evill , by murmuring we undo our prayers ibid evil , the effects of a murmuring heart loss of much time page vnfitness for duty ibid wicked risings of heart page vnthankfulness ibid shifting page evil , discontent a foolish sin ibid it takes away the comfort of what we have ibid we cannot help our selves by it page it causeth foolish carriage to god , and man ibid it takes out the sweetness of mercies before they come ibid it makes affliction worse page evil , it provokes the wrath of god ibid evil , there is a curse upon it page evil , there is much of the spirit of satan in it page evill , it brings an absolute necessity of disquiet ibid evil , god may justly withdraw his protection from such ibid aggravations of the sin of murmuring aggravation , the greater the mercies the greater the sin of murmuring page agrav . when we murmur for smal things page agrav . when men of parts and abilities murmur page agrav . the freeness of gods mercy ibid agrav . discontent for what we have page agrav . when men are raised from a low condition ibid agrav . when men have been great sinners page agrav . when those murmur that are of little use in the world page agrav . to murmur when god is about to humble us ibid agrav . when gods hand is apparant in an affliction page agrav . to murmur under long afflictions page pleas of a discontented heart plea , i am but sensible of my affliction sense of affliction takes not away sense of mercies page it hinders not duty ibid it will make us bless god for the mercies of others ibid plea , my trouble is for my sins it is not , if you were not troubled for sin before page when the greatest care is to remove affliction ibid if after affliction is removed sin troubles not ibid if there be not care to avoid sin after page there is the more cause to accept of the punishment ibid plea , god withdraws himself we think god is departed when he doth but afflict page disquiet is a sign and cause of gods departure ibid if god depart from us we should not from him page plea , i am troubled for mens ill dealing men are gods instrrments page we should rather pity them than murmur page we have righteous dealing with god ibid plea , it is an affliction i looked not for it is folly not to look for afflictions ibid we should be more careful of our carriage in it page plea , the affliction is exceeding great it is not so great as thy sins ibid it might have been greater page it is greater for thy murmuring ibid plea , it is greater than others afflictions answered in things page plea , if any other affliction they could be content answered in things page plea , my afflictions make me unservicable to god though thou art mean , thou art a member of the body page thy generall calling is high page thou art equal with angels ibid god highly esteems the actions of mean christians page faithfulness in a mean calling shall be rewarded ibid . plea my condition is unsetled every man in his setled estate is vanity page god will have us live in dependance ibid thy spiritual condition may be setled page plea i have been in a better condition thy eye should not he evill , because the eye of god hath been good page prosperity was to prepare thee for affliction ibid plea i am crost after much pains the greater the cross , the more the obedience page thy pains should be with submission to god page contentment in such a condition is a testimony of more love to god ibid plea distempers of heart accounted as words before god ibid considerations to work the heart to contentment consid . the greatness of the mercies we have page god is beforehand with us with mercies page the abundance of mercies we enjoy page all creatures in a visicitude , ib. the creature suffers for us ibid we have little time in the world page it hath been the condition of our betters page we were once content with the world without grace , and should now with grace without the world page when we had contentment we gave not god the glory ibid experience of gods doing us good in afflictions ibid directions to contentment there must be grace to make the soul steady page not to gripe too much of the world ibid have a cal in every business , page walk by rule ibid exercise much faith page labour to be spiritually minded page promise not your selves great things page get mortified hearts to the world ibid pore not too much on afflictions page make a good construction of gods wayes towards us page regard not others fancies , but what we feel page be not inordinately taken with the comforts of the world page the contents of the last sermon on exodvs , . . standing still , five waies evill page good three wayes page doct. when god is in a way of salvation he may bring his people into straights page reasons because god will humble them . page he delights in the exercise of their faith page he delights in their prayers , page to discover those that are evill ibid that the adversaries may vent theie malice page that christs work may appear the more ibid use . not to sink because of straights page doct. . in straights gods people are mightily troubled ibid reasons because there is much flesh in the best page there is a great deal of guilt , ib. there is self-confidence , ib. use . to blame our selves for sinking in straights , page to think what will become of wicked men ibid doct. in those straits we should quiet our selves , and look for gods salvation page . quiet our selves , because then we are fit to look to the wisdom , faithfulness and power of god , page because else we cannot make use of our graces , ibid we cannot shew our subjection to god , page nor our reverence to god ib. we cannot make use of that we hear ib. we shall hinder others , page to expect salvation from god , hereby we sanctifie gods name , ib. this shews the excellency of faith page it engageth god in our cause , ib. doct. the sight of salvation after straits a glorious thing page finis . the rare jewel of christian contentment . philippians . . . for i have learned in whatsoever state i am , therewith to be content . here is a very seasonable cordial to revive the drooping spirits of the saints in these sad and sinking times : for the hour of temptation is already come upon all the world to try the inhabitants of the earth ; and in special , this is the day of jacobs troubles in our owne bowels . our great apostle experimentally holds forth in this gospel-text , the very life and soul of all practical divinity ; wherein we may plainly reade his own proficiency in christs school ; and what lesson every christian that would evidence the power and growth of godliness in his own soul , must necessarily learn from him . these words are brought in by paul , as a plain argument to perswade the philippians that he did not seek after great things in the world , and that he sought not theirs , but them : he did not passe for a great estate ; he had better things to take up his heart withal . i do not speak ( saith he ) in respect of want , [ for ] whether i have or have not , my heart is fully satisfied , i have enough ; i have learned in whatsoever state i am , therewith to be content . i have learned . ] contentment in every condition is a great art , a spiritual mystery : it is to be learned , and so to be learned as a mystery ; and therefore verse . he affirms , i know how to be ab●sed , and i know how to abound , every where and in all things i am instructed : the word which is translated [ instructed ] is derived from that word which signifies mystery ; and it is as much as if he had said , i have learned the mystery of this business . contentment is to be learned as a great mystery ; and those that are throughly trained up in that art , have learned a deep mystery ; the which is , as sampsons riddle to a natural man. [ i have learned it . ] it is not now to learn ; neither had i it at first ; i have attained it though with much ado , and now by the grace of god i am become master of this art . in whatsoever state i am . ] the word [ state ] is not in the original , but , in what i am , that is , in whatsoever concerns or befals me , whether i have little or nothing at all . therewith to be content ] the word which we render content here , hath in the original much elegancy and fulnesse of signification in it . in strictnesse of phrase it is only attributed unto god , who hath stiled himself god alsufficiant , as resting wholly satisfied in and with himself alone ; but he is pleased freely to comunicate of his fulness to the creature so that from god in christ the saints receive grace for grace , joh. . . in somuch that there is in them an answerablenesse of the same grace in their proportion that is in christ . and in this sense paul saith , i have a self-sufficiency , as the word notes . but hath paul a self-sufficiency you will say ? how are we sufficient of our selves ? our apostle affirms in another case , that we are not sufficient of our selves to think any thing as of our selves ? cor. . . his meaning therefore must be , i find a sufficiency of satisfaction in my own heart , through the grace of christ that is in me ; though i have not outward comforts and worldly accommodations to supply my necessities , yet i enjoy portion enough betwixt christ and my own soul abundantly to satisfie me in every condition . and this interpretation is sutable to that place , pro. . ● . a good man is satisfied from himself ; and agreeable to what he verifies of himself in another place ; that though he had nothing yet he possessed all things ; because he had right to the covenant and promise , which virtually contains all , and an interest in christ the fountain and good of all , and having that , no marvell he saith that in whatsoever state he was in , he was content . thus you have the genuine interpretation of the text . i shall not make any division of the words , because i take them only to prosecute that one duty most necessary , viz. the quieting and comforting the hearts of gods people under the troubles and changes they meet withall , in these heart-shaking times , and the doctrinal conclusion is in brief this . doct. that to be well skill'd in the mystery of christian contentment is the duty , glory , and excellency of a christian . this evangelical truth is held forth sufficiently in scripture ; yet take one or two paralel places more for the confirmation of it . tim. . , & . you have both the duty exprest , and the glory thereof : having food and raiment ( saith he vers . . ) let us be therewith content , there is the duty ; but godliness with contentment is great gain , vers . . there is the glory and excellency of it : as if godlinesse were not gain except there were contentment withal . the like exhortation you have in heb. . . let your conversation be without covetousness , and be content with such things as you have . i do not find any apostle or writer of scripture treat so much of this spiritual mystery of contentment as this our apostle hath done throughout his epistles . for the cleer opening and proving of this practical conclusion , i shall indeavour to demonstrate these four things ; first , the nature of this christian contentment , what it is . secondly , the art and mystery of it . thirdly , what those lessons are that must be learn'd to work the heart to contentment . fourthly , wherein the glorious excellencies of this grace doth principally consist . concerming the first , take this discription ; christian contentment is that sweet , inward , quiet , gracious frame of spirit , freely submitting to , and taking complacency in gods wise , and fatherly dispose in euery condition . i shall break open this discription , for it is a box of precious ointment , very comfortable and useful for troubled hearts , in troubled time and conditions . first , contentment ( i say ) is a sweet [ inward ] heart thing , it is a work of the spirit within doors : it is not only a not-seeking help to our selves by outward violence , or a forbearance of discontented murmuring expressions , in froward words and carriages against god or others ; but it is the inward submission of the heart . psal . . . truly , my soul waiteth upon god ; and ver . . my soul wait thou only upon god , so it is in your books ; but the words may be translated as rightly , my soul be thou silent unto god ; hold thy peace o my soul : not only the tongue must hold it's peace , but the soul must be silent : many may sit down silently , forbearing discontented expressions , yet are inwardly swollen with discontentment ; now this manifesteth a perplexed distemper and a great frowardnesse in their hearts : and god notwithstanding their outward silence hears the peevish fretting language of their souls . the shoe may be smooth and neat without , whilst the flesh is pinched within : there may be much calmnesse and stilnesse outwardly , and yet wonderful confusion , bitternesse , disturbance and vexation within . some are so weak that they are not able to contain the disquietness of their own spirits , but in words and behaviour discover what woful perturbations there are within , their spirits being like the raging sea casting forth nothing but mire and dirt , being not only troublesome to themselves but to all those they live with : others there are who are able to keep in such distempers of heart , ( as judas did when he betrayed christ with a kisse , ) but still they boyl inwardly and eat like a cankes : as david speaks concerning some whose words are smoother than honey , and butter , and yet have war in their hearts ; and as he saith in another place , whilst i kept silence my bones waxed old ; so these , whilst there is a serene calme upon their tongues , have yet blustring storms in their spirits , and whilst they keep silence their hearts are troubled , and even worn away with anguish and vexation ; they have peace and quiet outwardly , but war from the unruly and turbulent workings of their hearts , that is within . if the attainment to true contentment were as easy as keeping quiet outwardly , there need be no great learning of it ; it might be had with lesse skill and strength than an apostle had ; yea than an ordinary christian hath or may have . therefore certainly there is a great deal more in it than can be attained by common gifts , and ordinary power of reason , which often bridles in nature . it is a heart-businesse . secondly , it is the [ quiet ] of the heart ; all is sedate and still there , and to understand this the better ; this quiet gracious frame of spirit , it is not opposed . to a due sense of affliction . god doth give leave to his people to be sensible of what they suffer : christ doth not say , do not count that a crosse which is a crosse , but take up your crosse daily . as it is in the body natural , if the body takes physick and is not able to bear it but presently vomits it up , or if it be not at all sensible , if it stir not the body ; either of these waies the physick doth no good , but argues the body much distempered and will hardly be cured . so it is with the spirits of men under afflictions ; if either they cannot bear gods potions but cast them up again , or are not sensible of them , and their souls are no more stir'd by them than the body is by a draught of smal beer , it is a sad symptome that their souls are in a dangerous and almost incurable condition . so that this inward quietnesse is not in opposition to the sense of affliction : for indeed there were no true contentment if you were not apprehensive and sensible of your afflictions when god is angry . it is not opposed . to an orderly making our moan and complaint to god , and to our friends . though a christian ought to be quiet under gods correcting hand , yet he may without any breach of christian contentment complain to god ; ( as one of the ancients saith ) though not with a tumultuous clamour and skreeking out in a perplexed passion , yet in a quit still submissive way he may unbosom his heart unto god. and likewise communicate his sad condition to his gracious friends , shewing them how god hath dealt with him and how heavy the affliction is upon him , that they may speak a word in due season to his wearied soul . it is not opposed . to all lawful seeking out for help into another condition , or simply endeavouring to be delivered out of the present affliction by the use of lawfull means . no , i may lay in provision for my deliverance , & use gods meanes , waiting on him , because i know not but that it may be his will to alter my condition , and so far as he leads me i may follow his providence , it is but my duty . god is thus far mercifully indulgent to our weakness , and he will not take it ill at our hands if by earnest and importunate prayer we seek unto him for deliverance , till we know his good pleasure therein . and certainly thus seeking for help with such a submission and holy resignation of spirit , to be delivered when god will , and as god will , and how god will , so that our wils are melted into the will of god , this is no opposition to the quietness which god requires in a contented spirit . quest . but then , what is this quietnesse of spirit opposed unto ? ans . to murmuring and repining at the hand of god ; as the discontented israelits often did , which if we our selves cannot indure either in our children or servants , much lesse can god bear it in us . to vexing and fretting ; which is a degree beyond murmuring . it is a speech i remember of an heathen , a wise man may greive under , but not be vexed with his afflictions . there is a vast difference betwixt a kindly grieving and a distempered vexation . to tumultuousness of spirit : when the thoughts run distractingly and work in a confused manner , so that the affections are like the unruly multitude in the acts , who knew not for what end they were come together . the lord expects that you should be silent under his rod , and as he said in act. . . you ought to be quiet and to do nothing rashly . to unsetledness and unfixedness of spirit , whereby the heart is taken off from the present duty that god requires in our several relations , both towards god , our selves , and others . we should prize duty at a higher rate than to be taken off by every trivial occasion ; a christian indeed values every service of god so much , that though some may be in the eye of the world and of natural reason , a slight empty businesse , beggerly rudiments , foolishnesse , yet seeing god cals for it , the authority of the command doth so over awe his heart , that he is willing to spend himself and to be spent in the discharge of it . it is an expression of luthers , ordinary works that are done in faith , and from faith , are more precious than heaven and earth . and if this be so , and a christian know it , it is not a little matter that should divert him : but he should answer every avocation , and resist every tentation , as nehemiah did chap. . . sanballat , geshem , and tobiah ( when they would have hindred the building of the wall ) with this , i am doing a great wo●k ( saith he ) so that i cannot come down , why should the work of the lord cease ? to distracting , heart-eating cares and fears . a gracious heart so estimates it's union with christ and the work that god sets it about , as it will not willingly suffer any thing to come in to choak it , or dead it . a christian is desirous that the word of god should take such full possession as to divide between soul and spirit , but he would not suffer the fear and noise of evil-tidings to take such impression in his soul , as to make a division and strugling there , like the twins in rebeckah's womb . a great man will permit common people to stand without his doors , but he will not let them come in and make a noise in his closet or bed-chamber when he purposely retires himself from all worldly imployments . so a well tempered spirit though it may inquire after things abroad without doors in the world , and suffer some ordinary cares and fears to break in to the suburbs of the soul , so as to have a light touch upon the thoughts : yet it will not upon any terms admit of an intrusion into the privy-chamber , which should be wholly reserved for jesus christ as his inward temple . to sinking discouragements . when things fall not out according to expectation , when the tyde of second causes runs so low that we see little left in the outward means to bear up our hopes and hearts . that then the heart begins to reason as he in the kings , if the lord should open the windows of heaven how should this be ? never considering that god can open the eyes of the blind with clay and spittle , he can work above , beyond , nay contrary to means ; he often makes the fairest flowers of mans indeavours to wither , and brings improbable things to passe , that the glory of interprizes may be given to himself . nay if his people stand in need of miracles to work their deliverance , miracles fall as easily out of gods hands , as to give his people daily bread . gods blessing is many times secret upon his servants that they know not which way it comes ; as kings , . . ye shall not see wind , neither shall you see rain , yet the valley shall be filled with water , god would have us depend on him though we do not see means how the thing should be brought to passe , else we do not shew a quiet spirit ; though an affliction be upon thee , let not thy heart sink under it . so far as thy heart sinks and thou art discouraged under thy affliction , so much thou wantest of this lesson of contentment . to sinful shiftings and shirkings out for ease and help . as we see in saul running to the witch of endor , and in his offering sacrifice before samuel came : nay the good king jehoshaphat joynes himself with ahaziah chron. . vlt. and asa goes to penhadad king of assyria for help , not relying upon the lord , ( chr. . , . ) though the lord had delivered the ethiopian army into his hands , consisting of a thousand thousand , chro. . . and good jacob joyned in a lye with his mother to isaac , he was not content to stay gods time , and use gods means , but made too great haste and stept out of his way , to procure the blessing which god intended for him : as many do through the corruption of their hearts and weaknesse of their faith , because they are not able to trust god , and follow him fully in all things and alwaies ; and for this cause the lord often follows the saints with many sore temporal crosses , ( as we see in jacob ) though they obtain the mercy . it may be thy wretched carnal heart thinks , i care not how i be delivered , so i may but get free from it : is it not so many times in some of your hearts when any crosse or affliction befals you ? have not you such kind of workings of spirit as this ; oh that i could but be delivered out of this affliction any way , i would not care ; your hearts are far from being quiet . and this sinful shifting is the next thing in opposition to this quietnesse , which god requires in a contented spirit . the eighth and last thing that this quietnesse of spirit is opposite to , is desparate risings of heart against god in a way of rebellion : that is most abominable . i hope many of you have learned so far to be content , as to keep down your hearts from such distempers ; and yet the truth is , not only wicked men , but sometimes the very saints of god find the beginnings of this , when an affliction lies long , and is very sore and heavy upon them indeed , and strikes them as it were in the master vein ; they find somewhat of this in their hearts , arising against god , their thoughts begin to bubble , and their affections begin to stir in rising against god himself ; especially such as together with their corruptions have much melancholy , and the devil working both upon the corruptions of their hearts , and the melancholy distemper of their bodies ; though there may lie much grace at the bottom , yet there may be some risings against god himself under affliction . now christian quietness is opposite to all these things : that is , when afflictions come , be it what affliction it will be , yet you do not murmur , though you be sensible , though you make your moan , though you desire to be delivered , and seek it by all good means , yet you do not murmur nor repine , you do not fret , nor vex , there is not that tumultuousness of spirit in you , there is not unsetledness in your spirits , there are not distracting fears in your hearts , no sinking discouragements , no base shiftings , no rising in rebellion any way against god : this is the quietness of spirit under an affliction , and that is the second thing when the soul is so far able to bear an affliction as to keep quiet under it . now the third thing i would open in the discription is this , it is an inward , quiet , gracious [ frame ] of spirit . it is a frame of spirit , and then a gracious frame of spirit . contentment it is a soule businesse , first it is inward ; secondly quiet ; thirdly it is a quiet frame of spirit . [ frame ] by that i mean these three things : there are three things considerable when i say , contentment consists in the quiet frame of the spirit of a man. first , that it is a grace that spreads it self through the whol soul : as thus , it is in the judgment , that is , the judgment of the soul of a man or woman tends to quiet the heart : in my judgment i am satisfied , that is one thing to be satisfied in ones understanding and judgment , as thus , this is the hand of god ; and this is that that is sutable to my condition , or best for me ; although i do not see the reason of the thing , yet i am satisfied in my judgment about it . and then it is in the thoughts of a man or woman : as my judgement is satisfied , so my thoughts are kept in order . and then it comes to the will , my will yeilds and submits to it , my affections are all likewise kept in order , so that it goes through the whol soul . there is in some a partiall contentment , and so 't is not the frame of the soul , but some part of the soul hath some contentment , as thus , many a man may be satisfied in his judgment about a thing , and yet cannot for his life rule his affections , nor his thoughts , cannot rule his thoughts , nor the wil , nor the affections though the judgments be satisfied : i make no question but many of you may know this by your own experience , if you do but observe the workings of your own hearts . cannot you say when such an affliction befals you , i can blesse god i am satisfied in my judgment about it , i have nothing in the world to say in respect of my judgment against it , i see the hand of god and i should be content : yea i am satisfied in my judgment , that my condition is a good condition in which i am ; but i cannot for my life rule my thoughts , and will , and my affections , me thinks i feel my heart heavy , and sad , and troubled more than it should be , and yet my judgment is satisfied . this seem'd to be the case of david , psal . . o my soul why art thou disquieted ? david as far as his judgment went , there was a contentednesse , that is , his judgment was satisfied in the work of god upon him ; and he was troubled , but he knew not wherefore , o my soul why art thou east down within me ? that psalm is a very good psalm for those that feel a fretting , discontented distemper in their hearts at any time , for them to be reading or singing : he hath it once or twice in that psalm , why art thou cast down o my soul ? in vers . . and why art thou disquieted within me ? hope thou in god for i shall yet praise him , for the helpe of his countenance . david had enough to quiet him , and that that he had had prevailed with his judgement , but after it had prevailed with his judgement he could not get it further . he could not get this grace of contentment to go through the whole frame of the soul. there is a great deal of stir sometimes to get contentment into their judgments , that is , to satisfie their judgment about their condition : come to many , that the hand of god is upon perhaps in a grievous manner , and seek to satisfie them , and tel them that there is no such cause to be disquieted , o not such cause saith the troubled spirit ! o then there is no cause that any should be disquieted ; there was never any such affliction as i have ! and a hundred things they have to put off what is said to them , so as you cannot so much as get into their judgments to satisfie them ; but there is a great deal of hope of contentment if once your judgments come to be satisfied , that you can sit down and say in your judgments , i see cause to be contented ; but though you have gotten thus far , yet you may have much to do with your hearts afterward : for there is such unrulinesse in our thoughts and affections , that our judgments are not able alwaies to rule our thoughts and affections , and that makes me to say , that contentment is an inward , quiet , gracious frame of spirit , that is , the whol soul , judgment , thoughts , will , affections and all are satisfied and quiet . i suppose in the very opening this , you begin to see it is a lesson that you had need learn , and it is not a thing soon got , if contentment be such a thing as this is . the second thing is this , which is very observable , that spiritual contentment comes from the frame of the soul. a man or woman that is contented in a right way , their contentment doth not so much come from outward arguments , or any outward thing that helps them to be content , as it doth from the disposition of their own hearts ; it is the disposition of their own hearts that causes this contentment ; that brings forth this gracious contentment rather than any external thing that doth it ; as thus i would open my self , one that is disquieted , suppose a child , or man , or woman , if you come and bring them some great matter to please them , that perhaps will quiet them , and they will be contented ; it is the thing you bring them that quiets them , but it is not the disposition of their own spirits , not from any good temper that there is in their own hearts : but from some external thing that is brought them : but when a christian is contented in a right way , the quiet doth come more from the inward temper and disposition of their own hearts than from any external arguments , or possession of any thing in the world . i would yet open this further to you in this similitude . the being content upon some external thing , it is like the warming of a mans cloathes by the fire ; but being content by the inward disposition of the soul , it is like the warmth that a mans cloathes hath from the natural heat of his body : a man that is of a healthful body , he puts on his cloathes , and perhaps when he puts them on at the first in a cold morning he feels his cloathes cold ; but after he hath them on a little while , they are warm ; why how come they warm ? they came not nigh the fire : no , but it came from the natural heat of his body . now a sickly man that hath his natural heat decayed , if he put on his cloathes cold , they will not be hot in a long time , but he must have them warmed by the fire , and then they will quickly be cold again ; so this will difference the contentments of men . there are some men now that are very gracious , and when an affliction comes upon them , indeed at first it seems to be a little cold , but after it hath been on a while , the very temper of their hearts being gracious it makes their afflictions easie , and makes them to be quiet under it , and not to complain of any discontentment . but now you shall have others that have an affliction upon them , that have not this good temper in their hearts , their afflictions are very cold upon them and greivous ; and it may be if you bring them some external arguments , somwhat from without , as the fire that warms the cloathes , perhaps they will be quiet for a while : but alas , wanting a gracious disposition within in their own hearts that warmth will not hold long . the warmth of the fire , that is , a contentment that comes meerly from externall arguments will not hold long , but that holds that doth come from the gracious temper of the spirit . it is from the frame and the disposition of the spirit of a man or woman , there 's the true contentment . but this we shall speak too further in the opening of the mystery of contentment . the third thing is this , it is the frame of spirit , that shews the habitualness of this grace of contentment . contentment is not meerly one act , a flash in a good mood ; you shall have many men and women , that take them in some good mood and they will be very quiet ; but this will not hold , this is not in a constant way , there is not a constant tenour of their spirits to be holy and gracious under affliction : but i say , it is the quiet frame of spirit , by that i mean , the habitual disposition of their souls , that it is not only at this time , and the other time when you take men and women in a good mood , but it is the constant tenour and temper of the heart ; that is a christian that hath learned this lesson of contentment , that in the constant tenour and temper of heart is contented , and can carry it's self quietly in a constant way , or else it is worth nothing : for there is no body that is so furious in their discontent , but will be quiet in some good mood or other . now first it is a heart-business ; secondly , it is the heart-quiet ; and then thirdly , it is the frame of the heart . but fourthly , it is the [ gracious ] frame of the heart . indeed in contentment there is a composition of all graces if the contentment be spiritual , if it be truely christian , there is i say a composition of all spiritual graces ; as it is in some oyls , there is a composition of a great many very precious ingredients : so in this grace of contentment , which we shall yet further speak of in the opening of the excellency of it . but now the gracious frame of spirit is in opposition to three things ; first , in opposition to the natural stilness that there is in many men and women . there is some of such a natural constitution that makes them to be more still and more quiet than others : others are of a violent and hot constitution , and they are more impatient than others . secondly . in opposition to a sturdy resolution . as some men through the strength of some sturdy resolution , they have not seemed to be troubled let come what will come ; and so it may be that through a sturdy resolution at some times they are not so much disquieted as others are . thirdly , in way of distinction , from the very strength of reason ( though not sanctified ) the strength of natural reason may quiet the heart in some measure . but now i say , a gracious frame of spirit is not a meer stilnesse of body through a natural constitution and temper , nor sturdinesse of resolution , nor meerly through the strength of reason . you will say , wherein is this graciousness of contentment distinguisht from all these ? more of this will be spoken to when we shew the mystery of it , and the lessons that are learned , but now we may speak a little by way of distinction here , as now , from the natural stilnesse of mens spirits , many men and women have such a natural stilnesse of spirit , and constitution of body , that you shall find them seldom disquieted . but now mark these kind of people that are so , they likewise are very dull , of a dull spirit in any good thing , they have no quicknesse , nor livelinesse of spirit in that which is good ; but now mark where contentment of heart is gracious , the heart is very quick and lively in the service of god , yea the more any gracious heart can bring its self to be in a contented disposition oh the more fit it is for any service of god , and is very active and lively in gods service , not dull in the service of god : and as a contented heart is very active and stirring in the work of god , so he is very active and stirring in sanctifying gods name in the affliction that doth befall him : the difference will appear very cleer thus , one that is of a still disposition , he is not disquieted indeed as others , neither hath he any activenesse of spirit in sanctifying the name of god in the affliction ; but now one that is content in a gracious way as he ●s not disquieted , but keep his heartt quiet in respect of vexing and trouble , so on the other side he is not dull nor heavy but is very active to sanctifie gods name in the affliction thas is upon him , for it is not enough meerly not to murmur , not to be discontented and troubled , but you must be active in the sanctifying gods name in the affliction . and indeed this will distinguish it from the other , from a sturdy resolution , i will not be troubled : but though you have a sturdy resolution that you will not be troubled , is there a conscionablenesse in you to sanctifie gods name in your affliction , and doth it come from thence ? that is the main thing that brings the quiet of heart , and helps against discontentednesse in a gracious heart . i say the desire and care that thy soul hath to sanctifie gods name in an affliction , it is that that quiets the soul , which doth not in the other . neither when it is meerly from reason : as socrates it is said of him ( though he were but an heathen ) that what ever befel him he would never so much as change his countenance , and he got this power over his spirit meerly by strength of reason and morallity : but now this gracious contentment comes from principles beyond the strength of reason . i cannot open that , ( from whence it comes ) till we come to open the mystery of spiritual contentment . i will only give you this one note of difference between a man and a woman that is contented in a natural way , and another that is contented in a spiritual way . those that are contented in a natural way , they overcome themselves when outward afflictions doth befal them , they are contented , yea and they are contented as well when they commit sin against god , either when they have outward crosses or when god is dishonoured it is all one , either when themselves are crost or when god is crost ; but now a gracious heart that is contented with it's own affliction , yet mightily rises when god is dishonoured . the fift is [ freely ] freely submitting to , and taking complacency in gods dispose , it is a free work of the spirit : now there are four things to be opened in this freedom of spirit . first , that the heart is readily brought over , that that one doth freely there is no great stir to bring them to it ; there are many men and women when their afflictions are grievous upon them , with much adoe they are brought to be contented , a great deal of stir there is to quiet their hearts when they are under affliction , yet at last perhaps they are brought to it , i but now this doth not come off freely : if i desire a thing of another and i get it perhaps with much adoe , and a great deal of stir there is , but here 's no freedom of spirit ; but when a man is free in a thing do but mention it and presently he comes off to it . so if you have learned this art of contentment , you will not only be contented after a great deal of do to quiet your hearts , but readily as soon as ever you do come to think that it is the hand of god , your heart presently closeth . secondly , freely , that is not by constraint , not patience by force ( as we use to say . ) as many will say that you must be content , this is the hand of god and there is no help for it ; o this is too low an expression for christians , yet when christians come to visit one another , they say friend or neighbour you must be content , this is to low an expression for a christian , must be content , no , readily , and freely i will be content . it is sutable to my heart to yeild to god , and to be content , i find it is a thing that comes off of it self , that my soul will be content . oh you should answer your friends so that come and tell you you must be content , nay i am willing to yeild to god , and i am freely content , that 's the second . and then a free act it comes after a rational way , that 's freedom , that is , it doth not come through ignorance , because i know no better condition , or that i know not what my affliction is , i but it comes through a sanctified judgment , for that is the reason that no creature can do an act of freedom , but the rational creature , the liberty of action is only in rational creatures , and it comes from hence , for that 's only freedom and out of liberty that 's wrought in a rational way , as a natural freedom is when i by my judgment see what is to be done , understand the thing , and then there is a closing with what i do understand in my judgment , that is freely done ; but now if a man doth a thing , and understands not what he doth , he cannot be said to do it freely . so if men are contented , but it is because they understand not what their affliction is , or because they understand no better , this is not freely : as for instance , suppose a child born in a prison and never in all his life went out , the child is contented , why ? because he never knew better , but this is no free act of contentation . but now for men and women that do know better , that know that the condition in which they are in it is an afflicted condition , and a sad condition , and yet they can bring their hearts to a contentation out of a sunctified judgment , this is freedom thirdly , this freedom it is in opposition to stupidness , for a man and woman may be contented meerly out of want of sence , this is not free , as a man in a dead palsie that doth not feel you nip his flesh , he is not freely patient ; but if one should have their flesh nipt , and feel it , and yet for all that can be able to bridle themselves , and do it freely , that is another matter . so it is here , many are contented meerly out of stupidnesse , they have a dead palsie upon them ; but now a gracious heart hath sence enough , and yet is contented , and therefore is free . sixthly , freely [ submitting ] to , and taking complacency in gods dispose . submitting to gods dispose , what is that ? the word submit , it signifies nothing else , but to send under ; as thus , one that is discontented , the heart will be unruly , and would even get above god so far as discontentment prevailes ; but now comes the grace of contentment and sends it under ; to submit , it is to send under a thing ; now when the soul comes to see the unrulinesse that there is in it , here 's the hand of god that brings an affliction , and my heart is troubled and discontented ; what saith the soul ? wilt thou be above god ? is it not gods hand , and must thy will be regarded more than gods ? o under , under , o thou soul get under , keep under , keep low , keep under gods feet ; thou art under gods feet , and keep under his feet , keep under the authority of god , the majesty of god , the soveraignity of god , the power that god hath over thee : keep under , that is to submit ; then the soul can submit to god when it can send it's self under the power and authority , and soveraignity , and dominion that god hath over it ; that is the sixth particular : yea but that is not enough , yet you have not got to this grace of contentment , except in the next place you take . seventhly , taking a [ complacency ] in gods dispose . that is thus , i am well pleased in what god doth , so far as i can see god in it , though as i said , i may be sensible of the affliction , and may desire that god in his due time would take it off , and use means to take it off ; yet i may be well pleased so far as gods hand is in it . to be well pleased with gods hand , that is a higher degree than the other : and this comes from hence , not only because i see that i should be content in this affliction , but because i see that there is good in this affliction . i find there is hony in this rock , and so i do not only say , i must , or i will submit to gods hand : no , but the hand of god is good ; it is good that i am afflicted . that it is just that i am afflicted , that may be in one that is not truly contented ; i may be convinced that god deals justly in this , god is righteous and just , and t is fit i should submit to what he hath done , o the lord hath done righteously in al his waies : but that is not enough , but thou must say good is the hand of the lord , the expression of old ely , good is the word of the lord , when it was a sore & hard word , that word that did threaten very grievous things to ely and his house , and yet , good is the word of the lord , saith ely. perhaps some of you may say as david , it is good that i was afflicted ; nay , you must come to say thus , it is good that i am afflicted . not good when you see the good fruit that it hath wrought , but when you are afflicted to say , it is good that i am afflicted : whatever the affliction be , yet through the mercy of god my condition is a good condition ; it is the top indeed , and the height of this art of contentment to come to this pitch , to be able to say , well , my condition and afflictions are thus and thus , and is very grievous and sore , yet i am through gods mercy in a good condition , and the hand of god is good upon me notwithstanding . now i should have given you divers scriptures about this , i shall but give you one or two that are very remarkable ; you will think this is a hard lesson to come thus far , not only to be quiet , but to have a complacency in affliction . prov. . . in the house of the righteous is much treasure , but in the revenues of the wicked is trouble . here 's a scripture now that will shew that a gracious heart hath cause to say , it is in a good condition what ever it be . in the house of the righteous is much treasure , his house , what house ? it may be a poor cottage , perhaps he hath scarce a stool to sit on ; perhaps he is fain to sit upon a stump of wood , a piece of a block , instead of a stool ; or perhaps he hath scarce a bed to lie upon , or a dish to eat in ; yet saith the holy ghost , in the house of the righteous is much treasure : let the righteous man be the poorest man in the world : it may be there are some that have come and taken all the goods out of his house for debt ; perhaps his house is plundered and all is gone , yet still , in the house of the righteous is much treasure ; the righteous man can never be brought to be so poor , to have his house rifled and spoiled , but there will remain much treasure within , if he hath but a dish or a spoon or any thing in the world in his house , there will be much treasure ; so long as he is there , there is the presence of god and the blessing of god upon him , and therein is much treasure ; but in the revenues of the wicked there is trouble : there is more treasure in the poorest bodies house , if he be godly , than in the house of the greatest man in the world , that hath his brave hangings , and brave wrought beds , and chairs , and couches , and cupbords of plate , and the like ; what ever he hath , he hath not so much treasure in it , as in the house of the poorest righteous soul ; therefore in a verse , or two after my text , no mervail though paul ( saith he ) was content , you shall see in phil. . . but i have all , and abound , i am full . i have all : alas poor man what had paul that could make him say he had all ; where was there ever man more afflicted than paul was ? many times he had not tatters to hang about his body , to cover his nakednesse , he had not bread to eat , he was often in nakednesse , and put in the stocks , and whipt and cruelly used , yet i have all ( saith paul ) for all that . yea you shall have it in . cor. . . he professes there , that he did possess all things , as sorrowful , yet alwaies rejoycing , as poor , yet making many rich , as having nothing , and yet possessing all things , but mark what he saith , it is , as having nothing , but it is possessing all things . he doth not say as possessing all things , but possessing all things ; it is very little i have in the world , but yet possessing all things : so that you see a christian hath cause to take complacency in gods hand , whatsoever his hand be . the eight thing in contentment it is [ in gods dispose ] submitting to and taking complacency in gods dispose . that is , the soul that hath learned this lesson of contentment , looks up to god in all things ; looks not down to the instruments or the means , as such a man did it , and it was unreasonablenesse of such and such instruments , and the like barbarous usage of such and such ; but looks up to god ; a contented heart looks to gods dispose , and submits to gods dispose , that is , sees the wisdom of god in all , in his submission sees his soveraignity , but that that makes him take complacency , it is gods wisdom ; the lord knows how to order things better than i , the lord sees further thā i do , i see things but at present , but the lord sees a great whil hence , and how do i know but had it not been for this affliction , i had been undone ? i know that the love of god may as well stand with an afflicted estate , as with a prosperous estate ; and such kind of reasonings there are in a contented spirit , submitting unto the dispose of god. the last thing is , this is in [ every condition , ] it may be in some things you could be content : you shall have many will say , if my affliction were but as the affliction of such a one i could be content , yea but it must be in the present affliction that is upon you . we use to say , there is a great deal of deceit in universals ; in the general , come to any man or woman and say will not you be content with gods dispose ? yes say they god forbid but we should submit to gods hand what ever it be ; you say thus in the general , it is an easie matter to learn this lesson , but when it comes to the particular , when the crosse comes sore indeed , when it striks you in the heaviest crosse that you think could befall you , what saith your heart now ? can you in every condition be content not onely for the matter , but for the time , that is to be in such a condition so long as god would have you , to be content to be at gods time in that condition , to have such an affliction so long as god would have the affliction abide upon you , to be willing to stay and not to come out of the affliction no sooner than the lord would have you come out of it ? you are not content in your condition else ; to be content meerly that i have such a hand of god upon me , and not to stay under the hand of god , that is not to be content under every condition , but when i can find my heart submitting to gods dispose in such particular afflictions that are very hard , and very greivous , and yet my heart is quiet , here is one that hath learned the lesson of contentment : contentment , it is the inward , quiet , gracious frame of spirit , freely submitting to and taking complacency in gods dispose in every condition : that is the discription . now in this there hath been nine several things opened . first , that contentment is a heart-work within the soul . secondly , it is the quieting of the heart . thirdly , it is the frame of the spirit . fourthly , it is a gracious frame . fiftly , it is the free working of this gracious frame . sixtly , there is in it a submission to god , sending the soul under god. seventhly , there is a taking complacency in the hand of god. eightly , all to gods dispose . ninthly , in every condition , every condition though never so hard , though continue never so long : now those of you that have learned to be content , have learned to attain unto these severall things ; the very opening of these things i hope may so far work upon your hearts as , first , that you may lay your hands upon your hearts upon this that hath been said , the very telling of you what the lesson is , i fay may cause you to lay your hands upon your hearts , and say , lord i see there is more in christian contentation than i thought there was , and i have been far from learning this lesson , i indeed have learned but my a b c in this lesson of contentment , i am but in the lower forme in christs school if i am in it at all ; but these we shall speak too more afterward ; but the special thing i aim'd at in the opening of this point , is to shew how great a mystery there is in christian contentment ; and how many several lessons are to be learned , that we may come to attain to this heavenly disposition , that saint paul did attain too . sermon ii. philippians . . . for i have learned in whatsoever state i am , therewith to be content . wee have made entrance ( you may remember ) into the argument of christian contentment . and have opened the words , and shewed you what this christian contentation is ; that it is , the inward , quiet , gracious frame of spirit , freely submitting too , and taking complacency in gods dispose in every condition . and therein came to this last thing , [ in every condition ] now we shall a little in large that , and so proceed : submitting to god in what ever affliction befalls us : for the kind . for the time and continuance of the affliction . for the variety and changes of affliction : let them be what they will , yet there must be a submitting to gods dispose in every condition . first for the kind , many men and women will in the general say , that they must submit to god in affliction ; i suppose now if you should come from one end of this congregation to another , and speak to every soul thus ; would not you submit to gods dispose , in what ever condition he should dispose of you too ; you would say , god forbid it should be otherwise , but we use to say , there is a great deal of deceit in generals . in general you would submit to any thing : but what if it be in this and that particular , that is most crosse to you ? then any thing but that : we are usually apt to think that any condition is better than the condition that god doth dispose us too , now here is not contentment ; it should not be only to any condition in general , but for the kind of the affliction , if it be that which is most crosse to you . god ( it may be ) striks you in your child , oh if it had been in my estate saith one , i should be content ; perhaps he striks you in your match , oh saith he i had rather have been strucken in my health ; and if he had struck you in your health , oh then if it had been in my trading i would not have cared ; but we must not be our own carvers , what particular afflictions god shall dispose us to , there must be contentment in them . secondly , there must be a submission to god in every affliction , for the time and continuance of the affliction . it may be saith one i could submit and be content , but this affliction hath been upon me a long time , a quarter of a year , a year , divers years , and i know not how to yeild and submit to it , my patience is even worn and broke ; yea it may be it is a spiritual affliction , you could submit to god you say in any outward affliction , but not in a soul-affliction , or if it were an affliction upon the soul , trouble upon the heart , if it were the withdrawing of gods face , yet if this had been but for a little time i could submit ; but seeking of god so long a time and yet god doth not appear , oh how shall i bear this ! we must not be our own disposers for the time of deliverance no more than the kind and way of deliverance , and i will give you a scripture or two about this ; that we are to submit unto god for the time as well as the kind , in the latter end of the . chap. of ezek. when i saw it i fel upon my face , and i heard a voice of one that spake , ( the prophet was cast down upon his face , but how long must he lie upon his face ) and he said vnto me , son of man stand upon thy feet and i will speak unto thee , and the spirit entered into me , when he spake unto me and set me upon my feet . ezekiel was cast down upon his face , and there he must lie till god bid him stand up , yea and not only so , but till gods spirit came into him to enable him to stand up : so when god casts us down , we must be content to lie till god bid us stand up , and gods spirit enter into us to enable us to stand up . so you know noah he was put into the ark , certainly he knew there was much affliction in the ark , having all kind of creatures shut up with him for twelve monthes together , it was a mighty thing , yet god shutting him up ( though the waters were asswaged ) noah was not to come out of the ark til god bid him : so though we be shut up in great afflictions , and we may think there may be this and that and the other means to come out of that affliction , yet till god doth open the door we should be willing to stay ; god hath put us in , and god is to bring us out : as we reade in the acts , of paul , when they had shut him in prison and would have sent for him out ; nay , saith paul they shut us in , let them come and fetch us out : so in a holy gracious way should a soul say , well , this affliction that i am brought into , it is by the hand of god , and i am content to be here till god brings me out himself . god doth require it at our hands , that we should not be willing to come out till he comes and fetches us out . in josh . . . you have a notable history there that may very well serve our purpose ; we reade of the priests , that the priests bear the ark and stood in the middest of jordan ; you know when the children of israel went into the land of canaan they went through the river of jordan : now the going through the river jordan was a very dangerous thing , only god bad them to go , they might have been afraid that the water might have come in upon them : but mark , it is said , the priest that bear the ark stood in the middest of jordan till every thing was finished that the lord commanded joshua to speak unto the people , according to all that moses commanded joshua , and the people hasted and passed over : and it came to pass when all the people were clean passed over , that the ark of the lord passed over , and the priests in the presence of the people . now it was gods dispose that all the people should passe over first , that they should be safe upon the land ; but the priests they must stand still till all the people be passed over , and then they must have leave to go , but they must stay till god would have them go , stay in all that danger ; for certainly in reason and sence there was a great deal of danger in staying : for the text saith , the people hasted over , but the priests they must stay till the people be gone , stay til god cals them out from that place of danger ; and so many times it doth prove that god is pleased to dispose of things so that the ministers must stay longer in danger than the people , and magistrates and those in publike place , which should make people to be satisfied and contented with a lower condition that god hath put them into : though your condition be low , yet you are not in that danger that those are in that are in a higher condition ; god cals them in publick place to stand longer in the gap and place of danger than other people , but we must be content to stay even in jordan till the lord shall be pleased to call us out . and then for the variety of our condition , we must be content with the particular affliction , and the time and all the circumstances about the affliction ; for sometimes the circumstances are greater afflictions than the afflictions themselves : and for the variety , if god will exercise us with various afflictions one after another : as that hath been very observable even of late , that many that have been plundered and come away , afterwards have fallen sick and died : they have fled for their lives and afterwards the plague hath come among them , and if not that affliction it may be some other affliction , it is very rare that one affliction comes alone , commonly afflictions are not single things but they come one upon the neck of another ; it may be god strikes one in his estate , then in his body , then in his name , wife or child or dear friend , and so it comes in a various way it is the way of god ordinarily ( you may find it by experience ) that seldom one affliction comes alone , now this is hard when one affliction followes after another , when there is a variety of afflictions , when there is a mighty change in a condition , up and down , this way , and that way ; there indeed is the tryal of a christian ; there must be submission to gods dispose in them . i remember it is said even of cato that was a heathen , that no man saw him to be changed , though he lived in a time when the common-wealth was so often changed , yet it is said of him , he was the same still though his condition was changed , and he ran through variety of conditions . oh that it could be said so of many christians , that though their conditions be changed yet that nobody could see them changed , they are the same . look what gracious sweet and holy temper they were in before , that they are in still : thus we are to submit to the dispose of god in every condition . obj. but you will say , this that you speake of is good indeed if we could attain to it , but is it possible for one to attain to this ? answer . it is if you get skill in the art of it , you may attain to it , and it will prove to be no such difficult thing to you neither , if you understand but the mystery of it ; as there 's many things that men do in their callings , that if a country man comes and sees , he thinks it a mighty hard thing , and that he should never be able to do it , but that 's because he understands not the art of it , there is a turning of the hand so as you may do it with ease . now that 's the business of this exercise , to open unto you the art and mystery of contentment : what way a christian comes to contentment , there is a great mysterie and art in it , by that hath been opened to you there will appear some mystery and art , as that a man should be content with his affliction and yet throughly sensible of his affliction too , to be throughly sensible of an affliction , and to endeavour the removing of it by all lawful means , and yet to be content , there 's a mystery in that , how to joyne these two together to be sensible of an affliction as much as that man or woman that is not content , i am sensible of it as fully as they , and i seek waies to be delivered from it as well as they , and yet still my heart abides content , this is i say a mystery that is very hard to be understood by a carnal heart ; but grace doth teach such a mixture , doth teach us how to make a mixture of sorrow and a mixture of joy together ; and that makes contentment , the mingling of joy and sorrow , of gracious joy and gracious sorrow together , grace teaches us how to moderate and to order an affliction so as there shall be a sence of it , and yet for all that contentment under it . there are divers things further for the opening of the mystery of contentment the first thing therefore is this , to shew that there is a great mystery in it . one that is contented in a christian way it may be said of him that he is the most contented man in the world , and yet the most unsatisfied man in the world , these two together must needs be mysterious , i say a contented man as he is the most contented so he is the most unsatisfied of any man in the world . you never learned the mystery of contentment except it may be said of you that as you are the most contented man so you are the most unsatisfied man in the world . you will say how is that ? a man that hath learned the art of contentment is the most contented with any low condition that he hath in the world , and yet he cannot be satisfied with the injoyment of all the world , and yet he is contented if he hath but a crust , but bread and water , that is if god disposes of him for the things of the world to have but bread and water for his present condition , he can be satisfied with gods dispose in that , yet if god should give unto him kingdoms and empiers , all the world to rule , if he should give it him for his portion he would not be satisfied with that , here 's the mystery of it , though his heart be so inlarged as the injoyment of all the world and ten thousand worlds cannot satisfie him for his portion ; yet he hath a heart quieted under gods dispose , if he gives him but bread and water , to joyn these two together , this must needs be a great art and mystery . though he be contented with god in a little , yet those things that would content other men will not content him ; the men of the world they seek after estates , and think if they had thus much , and thus much , they would be content , they aime at no great matters ; but if i had ( perhaps some man thinks ) but two or three hundred a year , then i should be well enough ; if i had but a hundred a year , or a thousand a year ( saith another ) then i should be satisfied : but saith a gracious heart , if he had ten hundred thousand times so much a year , it would not satisfie him , if he had the quintescence of all the excellencies of all the creatures in the world , it could not satisfie him , and yet this man can sing , and be merry , and joyfull when he hath but a crust of bread and a little water in the world : surely religion is a great mystery , great is the mystery of godlinesse , not only in the doctrinal part of it , but in the practical part of it also . godliness teacheth us this mystery , not to be satisfied with all the world for our portion , and yet to be content with the meanest condition in which we are . as luther , when he had great gifts sent him from dukes and princes , he refused it , and saith he , i did vehemently protest god should not put me off so ; 't is not that which will content me : a little in the world will content a christian for his passage : marke , here lies the mystery of it , a little in the world will content a christian for his passage , but all the world and ten thousand times more will not content a christian for his portion : now a carnal heart will be content with these things of the world for his portion ; and there is the differnce between a carnal heart and a gracious heart : but saith a gracious heart , lord do with me what thou wilt for my passage through this world , i will be content with that , but i cannot be content with all the world for my portion : so there is the mystery of true contentation . a contented man though he be most contented with the least things in the world ; yet he is the most unsatisfied man that lives in the world . that soul that is capable of god , can be filled with nothing else but god ; nothing but god can fill a soul that is capable of god : though a gracious heart knows that it is capable of god , and was made for god ; carnal hearts think of no reference to god , but a gracious heart being inlarged to be capable of god , and injoying somewhat of him , nothing in the world can fill a gracious heart , it must be only god himself ; and therefore you shall observe , that let god give what he will to a gracious heart , a heart that is godly , except he gives himself , it will not do ; a godly heart will not only have the mercy , but the god of that mercy as well as its self , and then a little matter is enough in the world , so be it he hath the god of that mercy he doth injoy ; in phil. . . . i shall need go no further to shew a notable scripture for this , compare vers . . with vers . . and the peace of god which passeth all understanding shall keep your hearts and minds through jesus christ . the peace of god shall keep your hearts . then in vers . . those things which ye have both learned and received , and heard , and seen in me , do : and the god of peace shall be with you , the peace of god shall keep you , and the god of peace shall be with you . this is that that i would observe from this text , that the peace of god is not enough to a gracious heart except it may have the god of that peace . a carnall heart could be satisfied if he might but have outward peace , though it be not the peace of god ; peace in the state and his trading would satisfie him : but mark how a godly heart goes beyond a carnal , all outward peace is not enough , but i must have the peace of god : but suppose you have the peace of god , will not that quiet you ? no , i must have the god of peace , as the peace of god so the god of peace , that is , i must injoy that god that gives me the peace , i must have the cause as well as the effect ; i must see from whence my peace comes , and injoy the fountain of my peace , as well as the stream of my peace ; and so in other mercies , have i health from god , i must have the god of my health to be my portion , or else i am not satisfied : it is not life , but the god of my life ; it is not riches , but the god of those riches that i must have , the god of my preservation , as well as my preservation ; a gracious heart is not satisfied without this , to have the god of the mercy , as well as the mercy . in psal . . . whom have i in heaven but thee , and there is none upon the earth that i desire besides thee . it is nothing in heaven or earth , can satisfie me , but thy self ; if god give thee not only earth but heaven , that thou shouldest rule over sun , moon , and stars , and have the rule over the highest of the sons of men , it would not be enough to satisfie thee , except thou hadest god himself ; there lies the first mystery of contentment ; & truly a contented man , though he be the most contented man in the world , yet he is the most unsatisfied man in the world , that is , those things that will satisfie the world , will not satisfie him . secondly , there is this mystery in christian contentation . a christian comes to contentment , not so much by way of addition , as by way of substraction , that is his way of contentment , and that is a way that the world hath no skill in . i open it thus , not so much by the adding to what he would have , or to what he hath , not by adding more to his condition , but rather by substracting of his desires , and so to make his desires and conditon to be even and equal . a carnal heart knows no way to be contented but this , i have such and such an estate , and if i had this added to it , and the other comfort added that now i have not , then i should be contented ; it may be i have lost my estate , if i could have but that given to me so as to make up my losse , then i should be a contented man : but now contentmet doth not come in that way , it comes not in i say by the adding to what thou wantest , but by the substracting of thy desires ; it is all one to a christian , either that i may get up unto what i would have , or get my desires down to what i have ; either that i may attain to what i do desire , or bring down my desires to what i have already attained ; my estate is the same , for it is as sutable to me to bring my desire down to my condition , as it is to raise up my condition to my desire . now i say a heart that hath no grace , and is not instructed in this mystery of contentment , knows no way to get contentment , but to have his estate raised up to his desires ; but the other hath another way to contentment , that is , he can bring his desires down to his estate , and so he doth attain to his contentment . so the lord fashions the hearts of the children of men : now if the heart of a man be fashioned to his condition , he may have as much contentment as if his condition be fashioned to his heart ; some men have a mighty large heart , but they have a straight condition , and they can never have contentment when their hearts are big and their condition is little ; but now though a man cannot bring his condition to be as big as his heart , yet if he can bring his heart to be as little as his condition , to bring them even , from thence is contentment . the world is infinitly deceived in this , to think that contentment lies in having more than they have ; here lies the bottom and root of all contentment , when there is an evennesse and proportion between our hearts and our conditions ; and that is the reason that many that are godly men that are in a low condition live more sweet and comfortable lives than those that are richer : contentment is not alwaies cloathed with silk , and purple , and velvets , but contentment is sometimes in a russet sure , in a mean condition as well as in a higher ; and many men that sometimes have had great estates , and god hath brought them into a lower condition , they have had more contentment in that condition than the other : now how can that possible be ? thus easily , for if you did but understand the root of contentment , it consists in the sutablenesse and proportion of the spirit of a man to his estate , and the evenness , when one end is not longer and bigger than another ; the heart is contented , there is comfort in that condition ; now let god give a man never so great riches , yet if the lord gives him up to the pride of his heart , he will never be contented : but now , let god bring any one into a mean condition , and then let god but fashion and sute his heart to that condition and he will be content . as now in a mans going , suppose a man had a mighty long leg , and his other leg were short , why though one of his legs be longer than ordinary yet he could not go so well as a man that hath both his legs shorter than he . i compare a long leg , when one is longer than another , to a man that hath a high condition , and is very rich , and a great man in the world , but he hath a great proud heart too , and that is longer and larger than his condition : now this man cannot but be troubled in his condition : now another man that is in a mean condition , his condition is low , and his heart is low too ; so that his heart and his condition is both even together , and this man goes on with more ease abundantly than the other doth : so that now a gracious heart works after this manner , the lord hath been pleased to bring down my condition , now if the lord bring down my heart and make it even with my condition , then i am well enough : and so when god brings down his condition , he doth not so much labour to raise up his condition again as to bring down his heart to his condition : the heathens themselves they had a little glimps of this ; they could say , that the best riches that is , it is the poverty of desires : that is a speech of a heathen , that is , if a man or woman have their desires cut short , and have no large desires , that man and woman they are rich when they can bring their desires to be but low : so this is the art of contentment . not to seek to adde to our conditions , but to substract from our desires . another hath this , the way to be rich , saith he , it is not by increasing of wealth , but by diminishing of our desires ; for certainly that man or woman is a rich man or woman that hath their desires satisfied ; now a contented man hath his desires satisfied , god satisfies his desires , that is , all considered , he is satisfied in his condition for the present to be the best condition , and so he comes to this contentment by way of substraction , and not addition . the third thing in the art of contentment is this , a christian comes to contentment , not so much by getting off his burden that is upon him , as by the adding another burden to him ; this is a way that flesh and blood hath little skilll in . you will say how is this ? in this manner , art thou afflicted , and is there a great load and burden upon thee by reason of thy affliction ? thou thinkest there is no way in the world to get contentment , but , o that this burden were but off , o it is a heavy load , and few know what a burden i have ! what doest thou think there is no way for the contentment of thy spirit but this getting off thy burden ? o thou art deceived , the way of contentment is to adde another burden , that is , labour to load and burden thy heart with thy sin , and the heaviour the burden of thy sin is to thy heart , the lighter will the burden of thy affliction be to thy soule , and so shalt thou come to be content : if thy burden were lightened that would content thee , thou thinkest there is no way to lighten it but to get it off , but thou art deceived , for if thou canst get thy heart to be more burdened with thy sin ; thou wilt be lesse burdened with thy afflictions : you will say this is a strange way , for a man or woman to get ease to their condition , when they are burdened , to lay a greater burden upon them ? you think there is no other way when you are afflicted , but to be jolly and merry , and get into company , oh no , you are deceived , your burden will come again , alas this is a poor way to get his spirit quieted , poor man , the burden will be upon him again ; but if thou wouldest have thy burden light , if thou canst get alone and examine thy heart for thy sin , and charge thy soul with thy s●n : if thy burden be in thy estate , for the abuse of it , or if it be a burden upon thy body , for the abuse of thy health , and strength , and the abuse of any mercies that now the lord hath taken away from thee , thou hast not honoured god with those mercies that thou hast had , but thou hast walked wantonly and carelesly ; and so fall a bemoning thy s●n before the lord , and thou shalt quickly find the burden of thy affliction to be lighter than it was before ; do but try this piece of skill and art , to get your souls contented with any low condition that god puts you into ; many times in a family , when any affliction befals them , oh what a deal of discontentment is there between man and wife , if crost in their estates at land , or ill news from sea , or those that they trusted are broke and the like , and perhaps somwhat in the family fals crosse between man and wife , or in reference to the children or servants , and there is nothing but brabling and discontent among them , now they many times are burdened with their own discontent , and perhaps will say one to another , this life is very uncomfortable for us to live thus discontented so as we do ; but have you ever tried this way , the husband and the wife ? have you ever got alone and said , come , oh let us go and humble our souls before god together , let us go into our chamber and humble our souls before god for our sin , whereby we have abused those mercies that god hath taken away from us , and we have provok'd god against us , oh let us charge our selves with our sin , and be humbled before the lord together , have you tried such a way as this is ? oh you would find the cloud would be taken away , and the sun would shine in upon you , and you would have a great deal more conntentment than ever yet you had : if a mans estate be broken , either by plunderers , or any other way ; now how shall this man have contentment ? how ? by the breaking of his heart , god hath broken thy estate , oh seek to him for the breaking of thy heart likewise ; indeed a broken estate , and a whole heart , a hard heart , will not joyn together , there will be no contentment ; but a broken estate , and a broken heart , will so sute together , as there will be more contentment than there was before ; adde therefore to the breaking of thy estate , the breaking of thy heart what thou canst , and that is the way to be contented in a christian manner , which is the third mystery in christian contentation . the fourth thing is this , it is not so much the removing of the affliction that is upon us , as the changing of the affliction , the metamorphosing of the affliction , when it is quite turned and changed into another thing : i meane in regard of the use of it , though for the matter the affliction abide stil . the way of contentment to a carnal heart it 's only the removing of the affliction , oh that it may be gone ; no but saith a gracious heart , god hath taught me a way for contentment though the affliction shall continue still for the matter of it ; but there is a vertue of grace to turn this affliction into good ; it takes away but only the sting and poyson of it ; as now , suppose poverty , a mans estate is lost ; well , is there no way to be contented till your estate be made up again ? till your poverty be removed ? yes , certainly christianity would teach contentment , though poverty continues yet it will teach you how to turn your poverty to spiritual riches ; that you shall be poor still for your outward estate ; but this shall be altered , whereas before it was once a natural evil to you , it comes now to be turned into a spiritual benefit to you ; and so you come to be content . it is a speech of ambrose , even poverty it 's self it is riches unto holy men : godly men do make their poverty turn to be riches , they get more riches out of their poverty then ever they get out of their revenues , out of all their trading in this world they never had such incomes as they have had out of their poverty ; this a carnall heart will think strange that a man shall make poverty to be the most gainfull trade that ever he had in the world ; i am perswaded that many christians have found it so , that they have got more good by their poverty than ever they got by all their riches , you find it in scripture , therefore think not this strange that i am speaking of , you do not find any one godly man that came out of an affliction worse than when he came into it , though for a while he was shaken , yet at last he was better for an affliction ; but a great many godly men you find have been worse for their prosperity , scarce one godly man that you reade in scripture of but was worse for prosperity ( except daniel and nehemiah , i do not reade of any hurt they got by their prosperity that they had ) scarce ( i think ) is any one example of any godly man , but was rather worse for his prosperity than better ; so that you see it 's no such strange thing , neither to one that is gracious that they shall get good by their affliction : luther hath such an expression in his comment upon the . chap. of the galatians ; in the . verse in his comment upon that place saith , a christian becometh a mighty worker and a wonderful creator , that is ( saith he ) to create out of heavinesse joy , out of terrour comfort , out of sin righteousnesse , out of death life , and brings light out of darknesse . it was gods prerogative and great power , his creating power to command the light to shine out of darknesse ; now a christian is partaker of the divine nature , so the scripture saith , grace it is part of the divine nature , and being part of the divine nature it hath an impression of gods omnipotent power that is , to create light out of darkensse , to being good out of evill , now by this way a christian comes to be content . god hath given a christian such a vertue , as can turn affliction into mercyes , can turn darkenesse into light ; if a man had the power that christ had when the water pots were fil'd , he could by a word turn the water into wine ; if you that have nothing but water to drink , yet if you had a power to turn it into wine then you may be contented : certainly a christian hath received this power from god , to work thus miraculously ; it is the nature of grace to turn water into wine , that is , to turn the water of your affliction , into the wine of heavenly consolation . if you understand this in a carnal way , i know it will be rediculous for a minister to speak thus before you , and many carnal people are ready to make such expressions as these to be rediculous , understanding them in a carnal way : just as nicodemus in the . of john , what can a man be born when he is old , can be enter the second time into his mothers womb and be born ? so when we speak of grace that it can turn water into wine , and turn poverty into riches , and make poverty a gainful trade , saith a carnal heart , let them have that trade if they will , and let them have water to drink , and see if they can turn it into wine : oh take heed thou speakest not in a scornful way of the waies of god ; grace hath the power to turn afflictions into mercies . two men shall have one affliction , and to one man it shall be as gall and wormwood , and it shall be wine , and honey , and delightfulness , and joy , and advantage , and riches , to another . this is the mystery of contentment , not so much by removing the evil , as by metamorphosing the evil by changing the evil into good . the fifth thing is this , a christain comes to this contentment by making up the wants of his condition , by the performance of the work of his condition . this is the way of contentment . there is such a condition that i am in , many wants , i want this and the other comfort , well , how shall i come to be satisfied and content ? a carnal heart thinks this , i must have my wants made up or else it is impossible that i should be content : no , but saith a gracious heart , what is the duty of the condition god hath put me into ? indeed my condition is changed , i was not long since in a prosperous condition , but god hath changed my condition : the lord hath called me no more naomi , but marah ; now what am i to do ? what can i think now , are those duties that god requires of me in the condition that he hath now put me into ? and let me put forth my strength , in the performance of the duties of my present condition . others they spend their thoughts in those things that shall disturb and disquiet them , and so they grow more and more discontented ; yea , but let me spend my thoughts in thinking what my duty is , what is the duty of my present condition which i am in : o saith a man whose condition is changed and he hath lost his estate , had i but my estate as i had heretofore , how would i use it to his glory ! but god hath made me to see that i did not honour him with my estate as i ought to have done : oh had i it again , i would do better than ever i did ! but this may be but a temptation , therefore you should rather think , what doth god require of me in the condition i am now brought into ? and thou shouldest labour to bring thy heart to quiet and contentnent , by setting thy soul on work about the duties of thy present condition : and the truth is , i know nothing more available for the quieting of a christian soul , and getting contentment then this , the setting thy heart on work about the duties of the very present condition that now thou art in , and take heed of thy thoughts about other conditions as a meer temptation . i cannot compare the folly of men and women that think to get contentment with their musing about other conditions better than to the way of children ; perhaps they are gotten upon a hill , and they look a good way off and see another hill , and they think if they were on the top of that , then they were able to touch the clouds with their fingers ; but when they are on the top of that hill ; alas then they are as far from the clouds , as they were before : so it is with many that think , if they were in such a condition , then i should have contentment ; and perhaps they get into that condition , then they are as far from contentment as before : but then they think if they were in another condition , they would be contented , and then when they have got into that condition , they are stil as far from contentment as before . no , no , let me consider what is the duty of my present condition , and content my heart with this , and say , well , though i am in a low condition , yet i am serving the counsels of god in that condition wherein i am ; it is the counsel of god that hath brought me into this condition that i am in , and i desire to serve the counsel of god in that condition . there is a notable scripture concerning david , it is said of him , that he served his generation , after david had served his generation according to the will of god , then he slept . it is a speech of paul concerning him , in act. . . so it is in your books , after he had served his generation according to the will of god : but now the word that is translated will , it is the counsell of god , and so it may be translated as well , that after david in his generation had served gods counsel , then he fell asleep . we ordinarily take the words thus , that david served his generation ; that is , he did the work of his generation , that is to serve a mans generation . but it is more plain , if you reade it thus , after david in his generation had served the counsell of god , then david fell asleep . o that should be the care of a christian to serve out gods counsels . what is the counsel of god ? the conditiō that i am in , god doth put me into it by his own counsel , the counsel of his own will ; now i must serve gods counsel in my generation , look what is the counsel of god in my condition , i must look to serve that ; and so i shall have my heart quieted for the present , and shall live and die peaceably , and comfortably , if i be carefull to serve gods counsel . a sixt thing in the mystery of contentment is this , a gracious heart is contented by the melting of his will and desires into gods will and desires , by this means he gets contentment ; and this is a mystery to a carnal heart . it is not by having his own desires satisfied as before , but by melting his will and desires into gods will : so that he comes to have ( in one sense ) his desires satisfied though he hath not the thing that before he did desire , yet he comes to be satisfied in this , because he makes his will to be all one with gods will. this is a little higher degree than submitting to the will of god. you all say , you should submit to gods will ; but a christian hath gotten beyond this ; that is , he can make gods will and his to be the same : so it is said of beleevers , that they are joyned to the lord , and are one spirit , that is , look what gods will is , i do not only see reason to submit to it , but gods will is my will : when the soul can make over ( as it were ) it's will to god , it must needs then have contentment . others would fain get the thing they do desire , o but saith a gracious heart , that that god would have , i would have too , i will not only yeild to it , but i would have it too ; a gracious heart hath learned this art , not only to make the commanding will of god to be it's own will , that is , what god commands me to do i will do it , but to make the providential will of god , and the opperative will of god to be his will too : god commands this thing , which perhaps you that are christians may have some skill in , but whatsoever god works , you must will as well as what god commands , you must make gods providential will , and his opperative will , as well your will , as gods will , and so you must come to contentment ; here a christian makes over his will to god , and in making over his will to god , he hath no other will but only gods ; as suppose a man makes over his debt to another man , if that man that i owe the debt to , be satisfied and contented , i am satisfied because i have made it over to him , and i need not be discontented and say , my debt is not payd , and i am not satisfied , yes , you are satisfied , for he that you made over your debt to , he is satisfied : just thus it is for all the world between god and a christian , a christian heart makes over his will to god , now then if gods will be satisfied , then i am satisfied , for i have then no will of mine own , it is melted into the will of god , for so that is the excellency of grace , grace doth not only subject the will to god , but it doth melt the will into gods will , so that they are now but one will ; what a sweet satisfaction must the soul have then in this condition , when all is made over to god ; you will say this is hard ? i will express it a little more : a gracious heart must needs have satisfaction this way , because godliness doth teach him this , to see that his good is more in god than in himself , the good of my life , and comforts , and my happinesse , and my glory , and my riches is more in god than it is in my self ; ( that perhaps we may speak too further , when we come to the lessons that are to be learned . ) but upon this it is , that a gracious heart hath contentment , he doth melt his will into gods , for saith he , if god have glory , i have glory , gods glory is my glory , and therefore gods will is mine , if god have riches , then i have riches , if god be magnified , then i am magnified , if god be satisfied , then i am satisfied , gods wisdom and holinesse is mine , and therefore his will must needs be mine , and my will must needs be his ; here is the art of a christians contentment , he melts his will into the will of god , and makes over his will to god , oh lord thou shalt choose our inheritance for us . psal . . the seventh thing in the art of contentment is this , the mystery consists not so much by bringing any thing without , to make my condition more comfortable , as to purge out something that is within . the men of the world now , when they would have contentment , and want any thing , oh they must have somewhat from without to content them ; but saith a godly man , let me get somthing out that is in already , and then i shall come to contentment ; as suppose a man hath an aguish humour that makes his drink taste bitter , now saith he , you must put some sugar into my drink , and his wife puts in some , and yet the drink tastes bitter , why ? because the bitternesse comes from a bitter cholerick humour within ; but let the physitian come and give him a bitter potion to purge out the bitternesse that is within , and then he can taste his drink well enough : just thus it is with the men of the world , oh such a condition is bitter , and if i could have such and such a mercy added , to this mercy , then it would be sweet ; now if god should put a spoonful or two of sugar in , it would be bitter still . but the way to contentment is to purge out thy lusts and bitter humours . jam. . . from whence are wars , and strifs , are they not from your lusts that are within you ? they are not so much from things without , but from within ; as sometimes i have said , it is not all the storms that are abroad that can make an earthquake , but the vapours that are got within : and so if those lusts that are within , in thy heart , if they were got out , thy condition would be a contented condition . these are the mysterious waies of godlinesse , that the men of the world never think of ; when didest thou ever think of such a way as this is , for to go and purge out the distempers of thy heart that are within : here are seaven particulars now named , there were a great many more that i had thought of , and now without the understanding of these things , and the practice of them , you will never come to a true contentation in your way , oh you will be bunglers in this trade of christianity ; but the right perceiving of these things , will help you to be instructed in it as in a mystery . sermon iii. philippians . . . for i have learned in whatsoever state i am , therewith to be content . the mystery of contentment will appear yet further . a gracious heart gets contentment in a mysterious way , a way that the world is not aquainted with eightly , he lives upon the dew of gods blessing . it 's the similitude of one adrian junius setting out a contented man by a grashopper , leaping and skipping up and down , that lives upon the dew , and he hath this motto , i am content with what i have , and hope for better . a grashopper doth not live upon the grass as other things do , you cannot know what it feeds upon , other things though as little as grashppers , yet feed upon seeds or little flies , and such things , but the grashopper , you know not what it feeds upon . so a christian can get food that the world knows not of , in a secret way is a christian fed by the dew of the blessing of god , a poor man or woman that hath but a little which hath grace , lives a more contented life than his rich neighbour that hath a great deal coming in , we find it so ordinarily , so that though they have but a little , yet they have a secret blessing of god going in it , that they are not able to expresse to any other man ; if you would come to them and say ; how comes it that you live so comfortably as you do ? they are not able to tell you what they have , but they find there is a sweetnesse in what they do injoy , and they know this by experience that they never had such sweetnesse in former times , that though they had more plenty in former times than now they have , yet they know they had not such sweetnesse ; but how this comes they cannot tell ; and we may shew some particulars , even in that godly men do enjoy , that make their condition to be sweet . as now , take these four or five particulars that godly men finds contentment in what he hath , though it be never so little . because in what he hath , he hath the love of god , he hath gods love to him in what he hath : if a king should send a piece of meat from his own table , it is a great deal more comfortable to a courrier than if he had twenty dishes at ordinary allowance , if the king send but any little thing and say , go and carry this to such a man as a token of my love , oh how delightful is that unto him ? are your husbands at sea and send you a token of their love , it is more than forty times so much that you have in your houses already : every good thing the people of god do injoy , they injoy it in gods love , as a token of gods love , and coming from gods eternal love unto them , and this must needs be very sweet unto them . . what they have it is sanctified to them for good ; other men have what they injoy in a way of common providence , but the saints in a special way ; others have what they have and there is all , they have meate , and drink , and houses , and cloaths , and money and that 's all . but a gracious heart finds contentment in this , i have it , and i have a sanctified use of it too ; i find god going along with what i have to draw my heart neerer to him , and sanctifie my heart to him : if i find my heart drawn nearer to god by what i injoy ; it 's more a great deal than if i have it without any sanctifying my heart by it ; there 's a secret dew that goes along with it , there 's the dew of gods love in it , and the dew of sanctification . . a gracious heart what he hath he hath it upon free-cost , he is not like to be called to pay for what he hath : the difference between what a godly man hath ; and a wicked man is in this : a godly man is as a child in an inne ; an in-keeper hath his child in his house , and the father provides his dyet , and lodging , and what is fit for him ; now there comes a stranger , and the stranger hath dinner and supper provided , and lodging , but the stranger must pay for all ; it may be the childs fare is meaner than the fare of the stranger , the stranger hath boyld , and rost and baked ; but he must pay for it , there must come a reckoning for it . just thus it is , many of gods people have but mean fare ; but god as a father provides it , and it is on free-cost , and they must not pay for what they have , it is paid for before ; but the wicked in all their pomp , and pride , and bravery , they have what they call for , but there must come a reckoning for all , they must pay for all in the conclusion , and is it not better to have a little upon free cost , than to come to have all to pay for ? grace doth shew a man that what he hath , he hath it on free cost , from god as from a father , and therefore must needs be very sweet . fourthly , a godly man may very well be content , though he hath but little , for what he hath he hath it by right of jesus christ , by the purchase of jesus christ , he hath a right to it , another manner of right to what he hath , than any wicked man can have to what he hath ; a wicked man hath these outward things ; i do not say they are usurpers of what they have , but they have a right to it , and that before god , but how ? it is a right by meer donation , that is , god by his free bounty doth give it to them ; but the right that the saints have , it is a right of purchase , it is paid for , and it is their own , and they may in a holy manner , and holy way , challenge whatsoever they have need of . we cannot express the right of a holy man , the difference between his right , and the right of the wicked more fully than by this similitude ; a malefactor that is condemned to die , yet he hath by favour granted to him his supper provided over night , and you cannot say though the malefactor hath forfeited all his right to all things , to every bit of bread , yet if he shall have a supper granted to him he doth not steal it , though all his right is forfeited by his fault , after he is once condemned he hath no right to any thing ; so it is with the wicked , they have forfeited all their right to all comforts in this world , they are condemned by god as malefactors and are going to execution ; but if god will in his bounty give them something to preserve them here in the world , they cannot be said to be thieves or robbers : now a man hath granted to him a supper over night before his execution , but is that like the supper that he was wont to have in his own house , when he eat his own bread , and had his wife and children about him ? oh a dish of green herbs at home would be a great deal better than any dainties in such a supper as that is ; but now a child of god hath not a right meerly by donation , but what he hath it is his own through the purchase of christ ; every bit of bread that thou eatest , if thou beest a godly man or woman , jesus christ hath bought it for thee , thou goest to market and buyest thy meat and drink with thy money , but know that before thou hast bought it , or paid money , christ hath bought it at the hand of god the father with his blood , thou hast it at the hands of men for money , but christ hath bought it at the hand of his father by his blood : and certainly it is a great deal better and sweeter now though it be but a little ▪ fifthly , there 's another thing that shews the sweetness that there is in that little that the saints have , by which they come to have contentment , whereas others cannot ; that is , every little that they have , it is but as an earnest penny of all the glory that is reserved for them , it is given them by god , but as the fore-runner of those eternal mercies that the lord intends for them ; now if a man hath but twelve pence given to him as an earnest penny for some great possession that he must have ; is not that better than if he had forty pounds given unto him otherwise ? so every comfort that the saints have in this world , it is an earnest penny to them of those eternall mercies that the lord hath provided for them ; as every affliction that the wicked have here it is but the beginning of sorrowes , and fore-runner of those eternall sorrows that they are like to have hereafter in hell ; so every comfort thou hast is a fore-runner of those eternal mercies thou shalt have with god in heaven ; not only the consolations of gods spirit are the fore-runners of those eternal comforts thou shalt have in heaven ; but when thou sittest at thy table , and rejoycest with thy wife and children and friends , thou mayest look upon every one of those but as a fore-runner , yea the very earnest-penny of eternal life unto thee . now then if this be so , no marvel though a christian be contented ; ( this is a mystery to the wicked : ) i have what i have out of the love of god , and i have it sanctified to me by god , and i have it of free-cost from god by the purcase of the blood of jesus christ , and i have it as a fore-runner of those eternal mercies that are reserved for me ; and in this my soul rejoyces , there 's a secret dew of gods goodness , and blessing upon him in his estate that others have not ; and by all this you may see the meaning of that scripture , prov. . . better is a little with righteousness , than great revenues without right . a man that hath but a little , yet if he hath it with righteousness , it is better than a great deale without right ; yea , better than the great revenues of the wicked : so you have it in another scripture ; that 's the next particular in christian contentment ; the mystery is in this , that he lives upon the dew of gods blessing , in all the good things that he doth enjoy . the ninth thing wherein the mystery of christian contentment consists , is this , not only the good things that he hath , he hath the dew of gods blessing in them , and they are very sweet to him ; but all the afflictions , all the evils that do befall him he can see love in them all : and can enjoy the sweetness of love in his afflictions , as well as in his mercies ; yea the truth is , the afflictions of gods people comes from the same eternal love that jesus christ did come from . and that speech of hierom , he is a happy man that is beaten when the stroke is a stroke of love . all gods strokes are strokes of love and mercy , all gods waies are mercy and truth , to those that fear him and love him , psalm . . . the wayes of god , the waies of affliction , as well as the waies of prosperity , are mercy and love to him . grace gives a man an eye , a piercing ye to pierce into the councels of god , those eternal counsels of god for good unto him , even in his afflictions , to see the love of god in every affliction as well as in prosperity . now this is a mystery to a carnal heart , they can see no such thing , perhaps they think god loves them when he prospers them , and makes them rich ; but they think god loves them not when he doth afflict them , that 's a mystery ; but grace instructs men in that mystery , grace inables men to see love in the very frowns of gods face , and so comes to receive contentment . in the tenth place , a godly man hath contentment in the way of a mystery , because as he sees all his afflictions come from the same love that jesus christ did ; so he sees them all sanctified in jesus christ , sanctified as a mediator ; he sees ( i say ) all the sting and venom , and poyson of them all to be taken out by the vertue of jesus christ , the mediator between god and man : as now for instance , thus , a christian when he would have contentment fals a working , what is my affliction ? is it poverty that god strikes me withall ? jesus christ had not a house to hide his head in , the fowls of the air had nests , and the foxes had holes , but the son of man not a hole to hide his head in : now my poverty is sanctified by christs poverty , i can see by faith the curse and sting and venom of my poverty , taken out by the poverty of jesus christ , christ jesus he was poor in this world to deliver me from the curse of my poverty , that it should not be cursed unto me , then my poverty is not afflictive , if i can be contented in such a condition . that is the way , not to stand and repine , because i have not what others have , no , but i am poor , and christ was therefore poor that he might bless my poverty to me . and so again , am i disgraced , dishonoured , is my good-name taken away ? why jesus christ he had dishonour put upon him , he was called beelzebub , and a samaritan , and they said he had a devil in him , all the foul aspersions that could be were cast upon jesus christ , and this was for me , that i might have the disgrace that is cast upon me to be sanctified unto me , whereas another man his heart is overwhelmed with dishonour , and disgrace , and he goes this way to work to get conntetment ; perhaps if you be spoken ill of , you have no other way to ease and right your selves , but if they do rail upon you , you will rail upon them again ; and thus you think to ease your selves : oh but a christian hath another manner of way to ease himself , others rail and speak ill of me , but did they not rail upon jesus christ , and speak ill of him ? and what am i in comparison of christ ? and the subjection of christ to such an evil , it was for me , that though such a thing should come upon me , i might know that the curse of it is taken from me through christs subjection to that evill ; thus a christian can be contented when any body speaks ill of him ; now this is a mysterie to you to get contentment after such a manner as this is : so if men jeer and scoffe at you , did they not do so to jesus christ ? they jeer'd and scoff't at him , and that when he was in his greatest extremity upon the crosse , say they , here 's the king of the jews , and they bowed the knee , and said hail king of the jews , and put a reed into his hand , and mocked him : now i get contentment in the midst of scorns and jeers , by considering that christ was scorned , and by acting faith upon that which christ did suffer for me . so , am i in great pain of my body ? jesus christ had as great pain upon his body as i have , though it 's true he had not such kind of sicknesses as we have , but yet he had as great pain and tortours in his body , and that that was deadly to him , as wel as any sicknesse is to us : the exercising of faith upon what christ did indure , that 's the way to get contentment in the midst of our pains : one lies vexing and fretting , and cannot bear his pain , art thou a christian ? hast thou ever tryed this way of getting contentment , to act thy faith upon all the pains and sufferings that jesus christ did suffer ? this would be the way of contentment , and a christian gets contentment under pains after this maner : sometimes one that is very godly and gracious , you shall have them lie under grievous pains and extremities very cheerfully , and you wonder at it , this is the way that he gets it , he gets it by acting his faith upon what pains jesus christ did suffer , thou art afraid of death ; the way to get contentment , it is by exercising thy faith upon the death of jesus christ ; yea , it may be thou hast inward troubles in thy soule , and god withdraws himselfe from thee , but still thy faith is to be exercised upon the sufferings that jesus christ indured in his soul , he poured forth his soul before god , then when he sweat drops of water and blood , he was in an agony in his very spirit , and he found even god himself in a way to forsake him ; now the acting thy faith upon jesus christ thus , brings contentment , and is not this a mysterie to carnal hearts ? a gracious heart finds contentment in a way of a mystery : no marvel though saint paul saith , i am instructed in a mystery , to be contented in whatsoever condition i am in . in the eleventh place , there is yet a further mystery ( for this i hope you will find a very useful point unto you ) and you will see what a plaine way there is , ( before we have done ) for one that is skil'd in religion to get contentment , though it 's hard for one that is carnal . i say the eleventh mystery in contentment is this , a gracious heart hath contentment by fetching strength from jesus christ , he is able to beare his burden by fetching strength from another : now this is a riddle indeed , and it would be a rediculous thing to be spoken of in the schools of philosophers , to say , if there be a burden upon you , you must fetch strength from another ; indeed to have another to come and stand under the burden , that way they would know , but that you shall be strengthened by anothers strength , that is not neer you to your outward view , that they would think rediculous : but now a christian finds satisfaction in every condition by getting strength from another , by going out of it's self to jesus christ , and by faith acting upon christ , and bringing the strength of jesus christ into it's own soul , and thereby is inabled to bear whatsoever god laies upon him , by the strength that he finds from jesus christ , of his fulnesse do we receive grace for grace , there is strength in christ not only to sanctifie and save us , but strength to support us under all our burdens and afflictions , and christ expects that when we are under any burden that we should act our faith upon him to draw vertue and strength from him , the acting of faith that 's the great grace that is to be acted under afflictions , it 's true , other graces should be acted , but the grace of faith it draws strength from christ , in looking upon him that hath the fulnesse of all strength to be convayed into the hearts of all beleevers . now if a man hath a burden upon him , yet if he can have strength added to him , if the burden be doubled , yet if he can have his strength to be tribled , the burden will not be heavier but lighter than it was before to our natural strength . indeed our afflictions may be heavy , and we cry out , oh we cannot bear them , we cannot bear such an affliction : though thou canst not tell how to bear it with thine own strength , yet what canst thou tell what thou shalt do with the strnegth of jesus christ ? thou saiest thou canst not bear it , why doest thou think that christ could not bear it ? if christ could bear it , why mayest not thou come to bear it ? you will say , can i have the strength of christ ? yea , that is made over to thee by faith , so the scripture saith that the lord is our strength , god himself is our strength , and christ is our strength , divers scriptures we have that way ; that christs strength is thine , made over to thee , that so thou mayest be able to bear whatsoever lies upon thee , and therefore we find such a strange kind of expression in the epistle of saint paul to the collossians , praying for the saints , that they might be strengthened with all might according unto his glorious power , unto what ? vnto all patience and long suffering with joyfulnesse . strengthned with all might , according to the power of god , the glorious power of god , unto all patience , and long-suffering with joyfulness ; you may not therefore be content with a little strength , so that you are able to bear what a man might bear by the strength of reason and nature ; but to be strengthened with all might , according to the glorious power of god , unto all patience , and to all long suffering ; oh you that are now under very heavy and sad afflictions more than ordinary , look upon this scripture , and consider how this scripture is made good in you , why may you not have this scripture made good in you , if you be godly ? you should not be quiet in your own spirits , except that you in some measure do get this scripture to be made good in you ; so that you may with some comfort say , through gods mercy i find that strength coming into me that is here spoken of in this scripture . you should labour when you are under any great affliction ( you that are godly ) to walk so , that others may see such a scripture made good in you ; here is the glorious power of god that doth strengthen his servants to all long suffering ; and that with joyfulness . alas it may be you do not exercise so much patience , as a wise man or a wise woman that hath but natural reason . but where is the power of god , the glorious power of god ? where 's the strengthening with all might , unto all long-suffering and patience and that with joyfulnesse ? it is true , the spirit of a man may be able to sustain his infirmities , may be able to sustain and keep up his spirits , the naturall spirit of a man , but much more then when this spirit is acted with grace and holinesse , and when it is fill'd with the strength of jesus christ ; this is the way of a godly mans getting contentment , the mystery of it , it is by fetching in strength from jesus christ . twelfthly , another mystery , that there is in it , it is , that a godly heart , injoys much of god in every thing it hath , and doth know how to make up all wants in god himself : that is another mystery , he hath god in what he hath ; that i spoke too somwhat before , in shewing the dew of gods blessing in what he hath , for god is able to let out a great deale of his power in little things , and therefore the miracles that god hath wrought , have been as much in little things as in great ; now as god lets out a great deal of his power in working miracles in smaler things , so he lets out a great deal of goodnesse and mercy , in comforting and rejoycing the hearts of his people in little things , as well as in great ; there may be as much riches in a pearl as in a great deal of lumber ; but now this is a distinct thing . further , a gracious heart as he lives upon gods dew in a little that he hath , so when that little that he hath shall be taken from him , what shall he do then ? then you will say , if a man have nothing , there can be nothing fetcht out of nothing : but if the children of god have their little taken from them , they can make up all their wants in god himself : such a man is a poor man , the plunderers came and took away all that he had , what shall he do then when all is gone ? but when all is gone , there is an art and skill that godlinesse teaches to make up all those losses in god. many men that have their houses burnt , go about gathering , and so get up by many hands a little ; but a godly man knows whither to go to get up all , even in god himself , so as he shall injoy the quintescence of the same good and comfort as he had before , for a godly man doth not live so much in himself as he lives in god. this is now a mysterie to a carnal heart , i say a gracious man doth not live so much in himself as he doth in god , he lives in god continually ; if there be any thing cut off from the stream he knows how to go to the fountain , & makes up all there ; god is his all in all while he lives , i say t is god that is his all in all . am not i to thee ( saith elkanah to hannah ) instead of ten children ? so saith god to a gracious heart , thou wantest this , thy estate is plundered : why ? am not i to thee instead of ten houses , and ten shops , i am to thee instead of all , yet not only instead of all , but come to me , and thou shalt have all again in me : this indeed is an excellent art , to be able to draw from god what it had before in the creature : christian , how didst thou injoy comfort before ? was the creature any other to thee but a conduit , a pipe that did convey gods goodnesse to thee ? the pipe is cut off saith god , come to me the fountain and drink immeadiately : though the beams be taken away , yet the sun remains the same in the firmament as ever it was ; what 's that that satisfies god himself , but because he doth injoy all fulnesse in himself , so he comes to have satisfaction in himself ; now if thou injoyest god to be thy portion , if thy soul can say with the church in lamentations , . . the lord is my portion , saith my soul , why shouldest thou not be satisfied and contented as god ; god is contented , he is in eternal contentment in himself ; now if thou hast that god to be thy portion , why shouldest not thou be contented with him alone ? god is contented with himself alone , if thou hast him thou mayest be contented with him alone , and it may be , that is the reason that thy outward comforts are taken from thee , that god may be all in all to thee : it may be whilst thou hadest these things here they did share with god in thy affection , a great part of the stream of thy affection ran that way , now god would have the full stream run to him : as you know it is with a man that hath water come to his house , and if there be several pipes , upon which he finds the water comes but scantly into his wash-house , he will rather stop the other pipes that he may have all the water come in where he would have it . so here it may be god had some stream of thy affection that ran to him then when thou didest enjoy these things ; yea , but a great deale was let out to the creature , a great deal of thy affections did run waste ; now the lord would not have the affections of his children to run waste , he doth not care for other mens affections , but for thine they are precious , and god would not have them to run waste , therefore doth he cut off thy other pipes that thy heart might run wholly upon him : as if you have children , because you have servants perhaps do feed them and give them things , you perceive that your servants do steal away the hearts of your children , you would hardly be able to bear it , you would be ready to turn away such a servant , and when the servant is gone , the child is at a great loss , it hath not the nurse ; but the father or mother intends by her putting away , that the affections of the child might run the more strongly towards himself , or herself ; and what losse hath the child that the affections that ran in a rough channel before towards the servant , it runs now towards the mother ? so those affections that runs towards the creature , god would have them run towards himself , that so he may be all in all to thee here in this world . and a gracious heart can indeed tel how to enjoy god to be all in all to him : that is the happiness of heaven , to have god to be all in all. the saints in heaven have not houses , and lands , and money , and meat and drink , and cloaths , you wil say , they do not need them ; why do they not ? it is because god is all in all to them imediatly : now while thou livest in this world , thou mayest come to enjoy much of god , you may have much of heaven ; while we live in this life we may come to enjoy much of the very life that there is in heaven , and what is that but the enjoyment of god to be all in all to us : there is one text in the revelations that speaks of the glorious condition of the church that is like to be even here in this world , revel . . . and i saw no temple therein , for the lord god almighty , and the lamb are the temple of it ; and the city had no need of the sun , neither of the moon to shine in it , for the glory of god did lighten it , and the lamb is the light thereof . they had no need of the sun or moon . it speaks of such a glorious condition that the church is like to be in here in this world ; this doth not speak of heaven : and that appears plainly that this is not spoken of heaven , but of a glorious estate that the church shall be in here , in this world , for it follows presently in the . and . verse , and they ( speaking of the kings of the earth : ) and the kings of the earth do bring their glory and honour unto it . why , the kings of the earth shall not bring their glory and honour into heaven ; but this is such a time , when the kings of the earth shall bring their glory and honour to the church . and in the . vers . and they shall bring the glory and honour of the nations into it ; therfore it must needs be meant here in this world and not in heaven : now if there be such a time here in this world , that god shall be all in all , that in comparison there shall be no such need of creatures as now there is , then the saints shall labour to live as neer that life as possibly they can , that is , to make up all in god : oh that you would but mind this mystery , that it may be a reality to the hearts of the saints in such times as these are , they would find this priviledge , that they get by grace , to be worth thousands of worlds : hence is that of jacob that i mentioned in another case , it is remarkable , and comes in fully here , in gen. . that notable speech of jacob when his brother esau did meet him , ye find in one place , that esau he refused jacobs present , in the . verse , when jacob gave his present to him , he refused it , and tould jacob that he had enough ; what meanest thou by all this drove which i meet ? and he said , these are to find grace in thy sight : and esau said , i have enough . now in the . verse , there jacob urges it still , ( and saith jacob ) i beseech thee take it for i have enough : now in your books it is the same in english , i have enough ( saith esau : ) and i have enough ( saith jacob : ) but in the hebrew , jacobs word is different from esau's , jacobs word signifies , i have all things , and yet jacob was poorer than esau . oh this should be a shame to us , that an esau should say , i have enough ; but now a christian should say , i have not only enough , but i have all : how hath he all ? because he hath god that is all. and it was an notable speech of one , he hath all things , that hath him that hath all things . surely thou hast all things , because thou hast him for thy portion who hath al things : god hath all things in himself , and thou hast god to be thine for thy portion , and in that thou hast all , and this is the mystery of contentment ; it makes up all wants in god , this is that that the men of the world have little skill in . now i have divers other things yet to open in the mystery of contentment . i should shew likewise that a godly man not only makes up all in god , but finds enough in himselfe to make up all , to make up all in himselfe , not from himselfe , but in himselfe , and that may seem to be stranger than the other : to make up all in god is somewhat , nay to make up all in himself , not from himself , but in himself , that is , a gracious heart hath so much of god within himself , that he hath enough there to make up all his wants that are without . in pro. . . a good man shall be satisfied from himself , from that that is within himself , that is the meaning , a gracious man he hath a bird within his own bosom that makes him melody enough , though he wants musick , the kingdom of heaven is within you : in luke , . . he hath a kingdom within him , and a kingdom of god : you see him spoken ill of abroad , he hath a conscience within him that makes up the want of a name and credit , that is instead of a thousand witnesses . thirtenth , a gracious heart fetches contentment from the covenant that god hath made with him . now this is a way of fetching contentment that the men of the world know not of ; they can fetch contentment , if they have the creature to satisfie them : but to fetch contentment from the covenant of grace that they have little skill in . i should here have opened two things , first , how to fetch contentment from the covenant of grace in generall . ( but i shall speak to that in the next sermon and now only a word to the second ) secondly , how he fetches contentment from the particular branches of the covenant , that is , from the particular promises that he hath for the supplying of every particular want : there is no condition that a godly man or woman can be in , but there is some promise or other in the scripture to help him in that condition . and that 's the way of his contentment , to go out to the promises , and fetch from the promise , that that may supply . but this is but a dry businesse to a carnall heart ; but it 's the most real thing in the world to a gracious heart ; when he finds want of contentment he repaires to the promise , and the covenant ; and fals a pleading the promises that god hath made . as i should have shewen several promises that god hath made let the affliction be what it will , i will but only mention one that is the saddest affliction of all ; in case of the visitation , and the plague . in psalm , . now those that cannot have their friends come to them by reason of the plague , and that cannot have other comforts , in other afflictions they might have their frinds and other things to comfort them , but in that they cannot , psal . . . there shall no evil befal thee , neither shall any plague come nigh thy dwelling ; then here is a promise for the penilence in the . and . verses , this is a scripture to those that are in danger of it , you will say , this is a promise that the plague shall not come nigh them , but mark these two are joyned there shall no evil befal thee , neither shall the plague come nigh thee ; the evil of i● shall not come nigh thee . object . you will say , it doth come to many godly men , and how can they make use of this scripture , it is rather a scripture that may trouble them , because here 's a promise that it shal not come nigh them , & yet it doth come nigh them as wel as others . ans . first , this is the answer i would give , the promises of outward deliverāces that were made ●o the people of god in the time of the law , were to be understood then a great deal more litterally , & fulfilled more litterally thā in the times of the gospel , god makes it up otherwise with as much mercy , though god made a covenant of grace & eternal life in christ with them , yet i think there was another covenant too , that god speaks of as a distinct covenant for outward things , to deal with his people by according to their waies , either in outward prosperity , or in outward afflictions , more than now , in a more punctual , set way , then in the times of the gospel ; and therefore when the children of israel did but sin against god , they were sure to have publique judgments to come upon them , and if they did well , alwaies publique mercies ; the generall constant way of god was to deal with the people of the jewes according as they did well or ill , ( in an ordinary way , ) with outward judgments , and outward mercies : but it 's not so now in these times of the gospel ; we cannot bring such a certain conclusion , that god did deal so severely with men by such and such afflictions , that he wil deal so with them now : and so , that they shall have outward prosperity as they had then : therfore that 's the first thing , for the understanding of this , and all other texts of that kind . the second answer i would give is this , it may be their faith doth not reach to this promise ; and god brings many times many outward afflictions , because the faith of his people doth not reach the promise , and that not only in the old testament , but in the times of the new testament , zachariah his time may be said to be in the time of the new testament , when he was struck with dumbness because he did not beleeve , and that is given to be the cause why he was struck with dumbnesse . but you will say now , hath faith warant to beleeve deliverance , that it shall be fully delivered ? i dare not say so , but it may act upon it , to beleeve that god will make it good his own way ; perhaps you have not done so much , and so upon that , this promise is not fulfilled to you . thirdly , when god doth make such promises to his people , yet still it must be with this reservation , that god must have liberty to these three things . . that notwithstanding his promise , he will have liberty to make use of any thing for your chastisement . . that he must have liberty , to make use of your estates , or liberties , or lives , for the furtherance of his own ends : if it be to be a stumbling block to wicked and ungodly men : god must have liberty , though he have made a promise to you he will not loose the propriety that he hath in your estates and lives . . god must have so much liberty to make use of what you have , for to shew that his waies are unsearchable , and his judgments past finding out , god reserves these three things in his hand still . object . but you will say , what good then is there in such a promise that god makes to his people ? first ; that thou art under the protection of god more than others . but what comfort is this if it doth befal me ? ans . thou hast this comfort , that the evill of it shall be taken from thee , that if god will make use of this affliction for other ends , yet he will do it so as he will make it up to thee some other way . perhaps you have given your children such a thing , but yet afterwards if you have use of that thing , you will come and say , i must have it , why father may the child say you gave it me ? but saith the father i must have it , and i will make it up to you some other way : now the child doth not think that the fathers love is ever a whit the less to him . so when there is any such promise as this is , that god by his promise gives thee his protection , and yet for all that such a thing befals thee , it is but as if the father should say , i gave you that indeed , but let me have it and i will make it up to you some other way that shall be as good ; saith god let me have your health and liberty , and life , and it shall be made up to you some other way . secondly , when ever the plague or pestilence comes to those that are under such a promise , it is for some special and notable work , and god requires of them to search and examin in a special manner to find out his meaning ; there is so much to be learned in the promise that god hath made concerning this particular evill , that the people of god they may come to quiet and content their hearts in this affliction . i reade in this psalm that god hath made a promise to his people , to deliver them from the plague and pestilence , and yet do i find it to come : it may be i have not made use of my faith in this promise heretofore ; and if god do bring afflictions upon me , yet god will make it up some other way , god made a promise to deliver me , or at least to deliver me from all the evil of it , now if this thing doth befall me and yet i have a promise of god , certainly the evil of it is taken away , this promise tels me that if it doth befall me yet it is for some notable end , and because god hath use of my life , and intends to fetch about his glory some way that i know not of : and if he will come in a fatherly way of chastisement , yet i will be satisfied in the thing : so a christian heart by reasoning out of the word , comes to satisfie his soul in the middest of such a heavy hand of god , and in such a distressed condition as that is . now carnal hearts they find not that power in the word , that healing vertue that there is in the word , to heal their destracted cares , and the troubles of their spirits ; but now , those that are godly when they come to hear the word they find out , that in the word there is as a plaister to all their wounds , and so they come to have ease and contentment , in such conditions as are very grievous and miserable unto others . but now , for other particular promises , and more generally for the covenant of grace , how , and in what mysterious way the saints do work to fetch out contentment and satisfaction to their souls , we shall refer to the next time . sermon iv. philippians . . . for i have learned in whatsoever state i am , therewith to be content . in the last exercise we spoke of divers things in the mystrie of contentment , and in the close we spoke of two more , but we could not have time to open either of them , i shall open them a little more largely , & then proceed to some few more , and so to other things in the point . that 's the next then , a christian heart hath not only contentment in god , ( and certainly , he that hath god , must have all , he that hath him that hath all , he hath all ) but he is able to make up all his outward wants of creature-comforts from what he finds in himself : that may seem to be more strange : it 's true , perhaps we may convince men though they doe not feel by experience what it is to make up all in god , yet we may convince them that if they have him that hath all things , then they have al ; for there is such a fulness in god , he being the infinite first-being of all things that may make up all their wants . but here 's another thing that 's further , i say a godly man can make up whatsoever he wants without the creature , he can make it up in himself , in the . of the prov. . a good man is satisfied in himself : as now , if he wants outward comforts , good chear , feasting ; a good conscience is a continual feast , he can make up the want of a feast by that peace he hath in his own conscience : if he wants melody abroad , he hath a bird within him that sings the most melodious songs that are in the world , and the most delightful . and then doth he want honour ? he hath his own conscience witnessing for him , that is as a thousand witnesses , the scripture saith in the . of luke , v. . neither shall they say , lo here , or lo there , for behold the kingdome of god is within you ; a christian then whatsoever he wants he can make it up , for he hath a kingdom in himselfe , the kingdom of god is within him . if one that is a king should meet with a great deal of trouble when he is abroad , yet he contents himself with this , i have a kingdom of mine own ; now here it 's said the kingdom of god is within a man ; truly , upon this scripture of the kingdom of god being within , those that are learned if they would but look into that coment upon the gospel that we have of a learned man , they shall find a very strange conceit that he hath about this very text , he confesses indeed it is unutterable , and so indeed it is ; the kingdom of god is within you , he makes it that there is such a presence of god and christ within the soul of a man , that when the body dies , he saith , that the soul goes into god and christ that is within him , the souls going into god and christ , and enjoying of that communion with god and christ that is within it's self , that 's heaven to it ( saith he ) he confesses he is not able to expresse himself , nor others cannot understand fully what he intends ; but certainly for the present before death , there 's a kingdom of god within the soul , such a manifestation of god in the soul that is enough to content the heart of any godly man in the world , the kingdom that he hath now within him , he shall not stay till afterwards , till he goes to heaven , but certainly there is a heaven in the soul of a godly man , he hath heaven already : many times when you go to comfort your friends in their afflictions , you will say heaven will pay for all ; nay , you may certainly find heaven pays for all already : there is a heaven within the souls of the saints , that 's a certain truth , no soul shall ever come to heaven , but that soul that hath heaven come to it first . when you die you hope you shall goe to heaven : but if you shall goe to heaven when you die , heaven will come to you before you die . now this is a great mysterie to have the kingdom of heaven in the soul , no man can know this but that soul that hath it , that heaven which is within the soul for the present ( i say ) it is like the white stone and the new name , that none but those that have it can understand it : it 's a miserable condition my brethren to depend upon creatures altogether for our contentment , you know that rich men account it a great happinesse , if they need not go to buy things by the penny as others do , they have all things for pleasure or profit upon their own ground ; and all their inheritance lies intire together , they have no body comes within them , but they have all within themselves , there lies their happinesse : whereas other poorer people are fain to go from one market to another to provide them necessaries , but yet great rich men they have sheep and beeves , corn and cloathing , and all things else of their own within themselves , and herein they place their happinesse : but this is the happinesse of a christian , that he hath that within himselfe that may satisfie him more than all these ; that place that we have in the first of james , seems to allude to that condition of men that have all their estates within themselves , jam. . . but let patience have her perfect work that we may be perfect , and entire , wanting nothing : the word there used signifies to have the whole inheritance to our selves , not a broken inheritance , but that where all lies within themselves ; as a man that hath not a piece of his estate here , and a piece there , but he hath it all lie together ; and the heart being patient under afflictions finds it self to be in such an estate as this is , finds his whole inheritance to be together , and all intire within it's self . and now still to shew this by further similitudes , it is with him being fil'd with good things , just like as it is with many a man that injoys abundance of comforts at home , at his own house , god grants to him a convenient habitation , a comfortable yoke-fellow , and fine walks and gardens , and hath all things at home that he could desire ; now this man cares not much for going abroad , other men are fain to go abroad to take the air , but he hath a sweet air at home , and they are fain to go abroad to see friends , because they have raylings and contendings at home ; many ill husbands will give this reason , ( if his wife make any moan , and complaint of his ill husbandry ) of their bad husbandry , and will make that their excuse to go abroad , because they can never be quiet at home . now we account those men most happy that have all at home ; those that have close houses that are unsavory , and smels ill , they delight to go into the fresh ayr ; i but it is not so with many others that have these at home ; those that have no good chear at home , they are fain to go abroad to friends , but those that have their tables furnished , they had as live stay at home : so a carnal man he hath but little contentment in his own spirit ; it 's austins similitude ( saith he ) an ill conscience is like a scoulding wife , a man ( saith he ) that hath an ill conscience he cares not to look into his own soul , but loves to be abroad , and look into other things , but never looks to himself , but one that hath a good conscience he delights in looking into his own heart , he hath a good conscience within him : and so a carnal heart , because there 's nothing but filthinesse , a filthy stink in himself , nothing but vilenesse and basenesse , within him ; upron this it is that he seeks his contentment else where : and as it is with a vessel that is full of liquor , if you strike upon it it will make no great noise , but if it be empty then it makes a great noise ; so it is with the heart , a heart that is full of grace and goodnesse within , such a one will bear a great many strokes , and never make any noise , but an empty heart if that be struck that will make a noise , those men and women that are so much complayning , and alwaies whyning , it is a sign that there 's an emptinesse in their hearts , but if their hearts were filled with grace they would not make such an noise as now they do . as a man that hath his bones fil'd with marrow , and veins fill'd with good blood , he complains not of cold as others do ; so a gracious heart having the spirit of god within him , and his heart fill'd with grace , he hath that within him that makes him find contentment . it is a speech of seneca , indeed those things that i suffer will be incredible heavy when i cannot bear my self ; but now if i be no burden to my self , if i have all quiet within mine own heart , then i can bear any thing : many men through their wickednesse they have burdens without , but the greatest burden is the wickednesse of their own hearts , they are not burdened with their sins in a godly way , that would ease their burden , but they have still their wickednesse in the power of it , and so they are burdens to themselves . the distempers of mens hearts are mighty burdens to them ; many times a godly man hath enough within to content him ; vertue it is content with its self , for to live well ; ( it s a speech of cicero , and its in one of his paradoxes ) it finds enough within its own sphere for the living happily : but how few are acquainted with this mysterie ? many think o if i had that that another man hath , how happily and comfortably should i live : oh but if thou beest a christian , whatsoever thy condition be , yet thou hast enough within thy self , you will say such and such men that hath all things they need not be beholding to any body , you shall have many that will labour and take pains when they are young , that they might not be beholding to others , i love to live of my selfe ; now a christian may do so ; not that he doth not live upon god ( i mean not so ) but upon that that he hath of god within himselfe , that he can live upon , although he doth not enjoy the comforts that are without himselfe , that 's it which i mean , and those that are godly and keep close to god in their communion with him , they understand what i mean by this , that a christian hath supply of all his wants within himselfe ; and here you may see that the spirit of a christian is a precious spirit , a godly spirit is precious , why ? because it hath enough to make him happy within himself . the next thing that the mystery of contentment consists in is this , that a gracious heart fetches supply of all from the covenant and so comes to have contentment ; which is a dry thing to a carnal spirit : now there are two things here . first , he fetches contentment from the covenant in general , that is from the great covenant that god hath made with him in christ . secondly , from the particular promises that god hath made with him in the covenant . first , from the covenant in general . i 'le give you one scripture for that , it 's very remarkable , in the second of sam. . vers . . although my house be not so with god , yet he hath made with me an everlasting covenant , ordered in all things , and sure : for this is all my salvation , and all my desire , although he make it not to grow . it 's a most admirable scripture of david , that yet had not the covenant of grace opened so fully as we have . but yet mark what david saith , although i find not my house so , that is , so comfortably every way as i would , although it be not so , what hath he to content his spirit ? saith he , he hath made with me an everlasting covenant ; this is that that helps all : i am not ( may some men say ) thus and thus with god , i do not find god come in so fully , or it 's not with my house and family as i hoped it might be , perhaps there is this or that affliction upon my house ; suppose you should have the plague come into your house , and your house is not safe , and you have not that outward comfort in your house as formerly you had , but can you reade this scripture , and say , although my house be not so blest with health as other mens houses are ; although my house be not so , yet he hath made with me an everlasting covenant , i am one yet in covenant with god , the lord hath made with me an everlasting covenant : as for these things in this world , i see they are but momentary , they are not everlasting , i see in a family when all was well but a week ago , now all is down , and the plague hath swept away a great many of them , and the rest are left in sadness and mourning : we see there is no resting in the things of this world , yet the lord hath made with me an everlasting covenant ordered in all things : i find disorder in my heart , in my family ; but the everlasting covenant , that 's ordered in all things ; yea , and that 's sure : alack , there 's no surenesse here in these things , i can be sure of nothing here , especially in these times , we know that a man can be sure of little that he hath , who can be sure of his estate ? perhaps some of you here that have lived well and comfortably before , and all was well about you , and you thought your mountain was strong , but you see within a day or two all taken away from you , so that there is no surenesse in the things of this world : but saith he the covenant is sure , what i venture to sea that 's not sure , but here 's an assurance offiice indeed , here 's a great assurance office for the saints , and they are not at charge , but only the exercising of grace , for they may go to this assurance office to assure every thing that they venture , either to have the thing it self , or be paid for it : in an assurance office you cannot be assured to have the very goods come in that you insured , but if they be lost the insurers do ingage themselves to make it good to you . and this covenant of grace that god hath made with his people , it is gods assurance office , and the saints in all their fears may and ought to go to the covenant to assure all things to them , to assure their estates and assure their lives . you will say , how are they sure , their lives and estates go as well as others ? but god ingages himself to make up all : and then mark what follows , this is all my salvation , why david wilt thou not have salvation from thine enemies and outward dangers , from pestilence and plague ? the frame of his spirit is quieted , as if he should say , if that salvation comes , wel and good , i shall praise god for it , but that that i have in the covenant , that 's my salvation , i look upon that as enough : yea and then further , this is all my salvation , and all my desire , why david is there not something else that thou wouldest have besides this covenant ? no saith he , it is all involved in this . now surely those men or women must needs live contented lives that have all their desires ; now saith the holy man here , this is all my desire , and though he make it not to grow . but for all this covenant perhaps you will not prosper in the world as other men do , true , but i am at a point for that : though god doth not make my house to grow , i have all my desires . thus you see how a godly heart finds contentment in the covenant , many of you speak of the covenant of god , and of the covenant of grace , but have you found it so effectual to your souls ? have you suckt this sweetnesse from the covenant and content to your hearts in your sad conditions ? it 's a speciall sign of the truth of grace in any soul , that when any affliction doth befal him , in a kind of natural way he doth presently repair to the covenant ; just as a child as soon as ever it is in danger , you shall not need to tell him and say , when you are in danger you must go to your father or mother , nature tels him so : so it is with a gracious heart , as soon as it is in any trouble or affliction there is a new nature that doth carry him to the covenant presently , and there it finds ease and rest : and if you find that your hearts do thus work , presently to be runing to the covenant , it is an excellent sign of the truth of grace : that 's for the general . but now for particular promises in the covenant of grace . a gracious heart looks upon every promise as comming from the root of the great covenant of grace in christ . other men look upon some particular promises , that god will help them in straights , and keep them and the like ; but they look not upon the conection of such particular promises , to the root , the covenant of grace : now christians do misse of a great deal of comfort they might have , from the particular promises in the gospel , if they 'd look upon their conectiō to the root , the great covenant that god hath made with them in christ . now i remember i spoke a little about that , that in outward promises in the time of the law , they might rest more upon them than we can in the time of the gospel . i gave you the reason why we that live in the time of the gospel cannot rest so fully , for a litteral performance of outward promises that we meet withall in the old-testament , as they might in the time of the law : for there was a special covenant , that god pleased to call a new covenant by way of distinction from the other covenant that is made with us in christ for eternal life : and so even the law was given to them in a more peculier way for an external covenant of outward blessings in the land of canaan ; and so god did deal with them in a more external covenant than he doth now with his people . yet godlinesse , hath the promise of this life , and that which is to come . we may make use of the promises for this life , but yet not so much to rest upon the litteral performance of them as they might ; but that god will make them good some way or other , in a spiritual way , if not in an outward way . we must lay no more upon outward promises than this , and therefore if we will lay more , we make the promise to bear more than it will bear out . for to give some instance ; to beleeve fully and confidently , that the plague shall not come nigh such a house ( i say ) it is to lay more upon such a promise than it will bear . i opened that promise in psal . . now if i had lived in the time of the law , perhaps i might have been somewhat more confident of the litteral performance of the promise , than i can now in the time of the gospel ; the promise now bears no more than this , that god hath a special protection over his people , and that he will deliver them from the evil of such an affliction ; and if he doth bring such an affliction it is more than an ordinary providence , it is some special providence that god hath in it . i had thought to have given you divers promises for the contentment of the heart in the time of affliction . isa . . . when thou passest through the waters i will be with thee , and through the rivers they shall not over-flow thee ; when thou walkest through the fire thou shalt not be burnt , neither shall the flame kindle upon thee . certainly though this promise was made in the time of the law , yet it will be made good to all the saints now , one way or other , either in the letter or some other waies . for so we find it plainly , that promise that was made to joshua , i will not fail thee nor forsake thee , josh . . . it 's applied to the christians in the time of the gospel . so that here is the way of faith in bringing contentment by the promises , that all the promises that ever were made to our forefathers , from the beginning of the world , the saints of god have an interest in them , they are their inheritances , and so goes on from one generation to another , and by that they come to have contentment , because they do inherit all the promises made in all the book of god , so heb. . . shews plainly , that it is our inheritance , and we do not inherit less now than they did in joshuas time , but we inherit more ; for you shall find in that place of the hebrews there is more said than is to joshua ; to joshua god saith , he will not leave him nor forsake him ; now in that place in the hebrewes in the greek there 's five negatives , i will not , not , not , not , not again , there is the elegancy of it very much , in the greek ( i say ) there is five negatives in that little sentence ; as if god should say , i will not leave you , no i will not , i will not , i will not , with such earnestnesse five times together : so that we have not only the same promises that they had , but we have them more inlarged and more full , though still not so much in the litteral sense , for that indeed is the least part of the promise , in esa . . . there god made a promise , that no weapon formed against his people should prosper , and every tongue that shall rise against them in judgment thou shalt condemne , ( and mark what follows ) this is the heritage of the servants of the lord , and their righteousness is of me saith the lord : this is a good promise for a souldier , though still not to lay to much upon the litteral sense : true , it holds forth thus much , that gods protection is in a special manner over souldiers that are godly , and every tongue that shall rise against thee in judgment thou shalt condemne : and this is against false witnesse too : oh you , that your friends never left you any thing , you wil say , my friends died and left not me a great , but i thank god , god hath provided for me ; but though thy father or mother died and left thee no heritage , yet thou hast a heritage in the promise , this is their heritage . so that there 's no godly man or woman , but is a great heir . therefore when thou lookest into the book of god and findest any promise there , thou mayest make that thine own . just as an heir that rides over divers fields and meadows , saith he , this meadow is my heritage , and this corn-field is my heritage ; and then he sees a fair house , and saith he , this fair house is my heritage ; and he looks upon them with another manner of eye than a stranger that shall ride over those fields . so a carnal heart reades the promises , and reades them but meerly as stories , not that they have any great intrest in them : but a godly man every time he reades the scriptures ( remember this note when you are reading the scripture ) and there meeteth with a promise , he ought to lay his hand upon it and say , this is a part of my heritage , it 's mine , and i am to live upon it , and this will make you to be contented . here 's a mysterious way of contentment , so in psal . . . and . . there 's divers other promises that brings contentment . in isa . . . and thus much for the mysterie of contentment by way of the covenant . there is two or three things more that shew how a godly man , hath contentment after another kind of way than any carnall heart in the world hath , it 's a mysterious way , as thus . he hath contentment by realizing the glorious things of heaven to him , he hath the kingdom of heaven as present , and the glory that is to come , by faith he makes it as present . so the martyrs they had contentment in their sufferings , for said some of them , though we have but a hard breakfast , yet we shall have a good dinner , we shall presently be in heaven ; do but shut your eyes ( saith one ) and you shall be in heaven presently . cor. . . we faint not ( saith the apostle ) why ? because these light afflictions that are but for a moment , worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory . they see heaven before them and that contents them . you marriners when you can see the haven before you , though you were mightily troubled before you could see any land , yet when you come nigh the shore and can see such a land-mark , that contents you exceedingly : a godly man in the middest of the waves and storms that he meets withall , he can see the glory of heaven before him and so contents himself ; one drop of the sweetnesse of heaven is enough to take away all the sower and bitter of all the afflictions in the world : indeed here we know that one drop of sower , or one drop of gall will make bitter a great deal of honey , put a spoonfull of sugar into a cup of gall or wormwood , that will not sweeten it , but if you put a spoonful of gall into a cup of sugar it will imbitter that ; now it s otherwise in heaven , one drop of sweet will sweeten a great deal of sower affliction , but a great deal of sower and gall will not imbitter a soul that sees the glory of heaven that is to come : now a carnal heart hath no contentment but from what he sees before him in this world but a godly heart hath contentment from that that he sees laid up for him in the highest heavens . the last thing that i would name is this , a godly man hath contentment by opening and letting out of his heart to god , other men or women they are discontented , but how do they help themselves ? by rayling , by ill language , such a one crosses them , and they have no way to help themselves but by railing and by bitter words , and so they ease themselves that way when they are angry , but a godly man when he is crost , how doth he ease himself ? he is sensible of his crosse as well as you , and he goes to god in prayer , and there opens his heart to god , and le ts out his sorrows and fears , and then can come away with a joyful countenance ; now do you find that you can come away from prayer and not look sad ? as it 's said ( in sam. . . ) of hannah , that when she had been at prayer her countenance was no more sad , there she was comforted ; and this is the right way of contentment . thus we have done with the mysterie of contentment . now if you can but put these things together that we have spoken of , you may see fully what an art christian contentment is ; paul had need learn it ; you see contentment is not such a poor business as many make it , to say , you must be content &c. but it is a great art and mysterie of godliness to be contented in the way of a christian , and it will appear yet further to be a mysterie , when we come to the third head ; and that 's to shew what those lessons are that a gracious heart doth learn when it learns to be contented . i have learn'd to be contented ; learn'd , what lessons have you lern'd ? as now a scholer that hath great learning and understanding in arts and sciences , how did he begin it ? he began ( as we use to say ) his a b c , and then afterwards he came to his testament , and bible , and accidence , and so to his gramer , and afterwards to his other books ; so he learn'd one thing after another : so a christian coming to contentment is as a scholer in christs school , and there are divers lessons to teach the soul to bring it to this learning : every godly man or woman is a scholer , it cannot be said of any christian that he is illiterate , but he is litterate , a learned man , a learned woman : now the lessons that christ teaches , to bring us to contentment , are these : the first great lesson is , the lesson of self-denial : and though it be a great lesson and hard ; as you know a child at first cries , it 's hard . it 's that that i remember bradford the martyr saith , whosoever hath not learned the lesson of the cross , hath not learned his a b c in christianity . here christ begins with his scholers , yea those in the lowest form must begin with this ; if you mean to be christian at all , you must buckle to this or you can never be christians : there is none can be a scholler except he doth learn his a b c : so thou must learn the lesson of self-denial or thou canst never come to be a scholler in christs school , to be learned in this mystery of contentment : that 's the first lesson that christ teaches any soul : oh self-denial that brings contentment , that brings down and softens a mans heart ; a thing ( you know ) that 's soft if you strike upon it it makes no noise , but if you strike upon a hard thing it makes a noise ; so the hearts of men that are full of themselves , and hardened with self-love , if they have any stroak they make a noise , but a self-denying christian yeilds to gods hand , and makes no noise ; as when you strike upon a woolsack it makes no noise because it yeilds to the stroke ; so a self-denying heart yeilds to the stroke and thereby comes to this contentment . now in this lesson of self-denial there are divers things , i will not enter into the doctrine of self-denial , but only shew you how christ teaches self-denial , and how that brings contentment . first , such a one learns to know that he is nothing , he comes to this , to be able to say , well , i see i am nothing in my self , now that man or woman which indeed knows that he or she is nothing , and hath learned it throughly will be able to bear any thing : the way to be able to bear any thing , it is to know our selves to be nothing in our selves . saith god to us , wilt thou set thine heart upon that which is nothing ? pro. . . speaking of riches ; why blessed god dost not thou do so ? thou hast set thy heart upon us and yet we are nothing . god would not have us set our hearts upon riches because they are nothing , and yet god is pleased to set his heart upon us , and yet we are nothing , that 's gods grace , free grace , and therefore it 's no great matter what i suffer for i am as nothing . secondly , i deserve nothing . i am nothing , and i deserve nothing : suppose i have not this and that that others have , i am sure i deserve nothing except it be hell : you will answer any of your servants so that is not content , i marvell what you deserve ? or your children , do you deserve it that you are so eager upon it ? you think to stop their mouthes thus ; so we may easily stop our own mouthes , we deserve nothing , and therefore why should we be impatient if we have not what we desire , if we had deserved any thing , we might have some trouble of spirit , as a man that hath deserved well of the state , or of his friends and he finds not an answerable incouragement , it troubles him mightily , but if he be conscious to himself that he hath deserved nothing he is content with a repulse . thirdly , i can do nothing . without me you can do nothing , saith christ joh. . . why should i stand much upon it to be troubled and discontented if i have not this and that , when the truth is i can do nothing ? if you should come to one that is angery because he hath not such dyet as he desires , and is discontented with it , you will answer him , i mervail what you do , what use you are of ? shall one that will sit still and be of no use , yet for all that he must have all the supply that possibly he can desire ? do but consider of what use you are in the world ; if you consider what little need god hath of you , and what little use you are of , you will not be much discontented : if you have learned this lesson of self-denials though god doth cut you short of such and such comforts , yet since that i do but little why should i have much , this very thought will bring down a mans spirit as much as any thing , that 's the third . fourthly , so vile i am that i can receive no good neither of my self , i am not only an empty vessel , but a corrupt and unclean vessel that would spoil any thing that comes into it : so are all our hearts , every one of our hearts is not only empty of good , but are like a mustie vessel that if any good licquor be powred into it it spoils it , and that 's the fourth thing . fifthly , if god doth cleanse us in some measure , and doth put into us some good licquor some grace of his spirit : yet in the fifth place , we can make use of nothing neither when we have it , if god doth but withdraw himself ; if god doth but leave us one moment after he hath bestowed upon us the greatest gifts , and whatsoever abilities we can desire , if god should say , i wil give you them , now go and trade now i have given you these and these abilities , we cannot stir one foot further neither if god doth but leave us . doth god give us gifts and parts ? then let us fear and tremble least god should leave us to our selves , for then how foully should we abuse those gifts & parts , you think other men and women have memorie and gifts and parts and you would fain have them , but suppose god should give you these and there leave you , you would utterly spoil them . sixtly , we are worse than nothing . for by sin we come to be a great deal worse than nothing ; sin makes us more vile than nothing , sin makes us contrary to all good : now it 's a great deal worse to have a contrariety to all that is good , than meerly to have an emptiness of al that is good , we are not empty pitchers in respect of good , but we are like pitchers fill'd with poison , and is it much for such as we are to be cut short of outward comforts ? in the seventh place , if we perish there will no loss of us . if god should anihilate me what loss would there be of me ? god can raise up another in my place , to do him other māner of service than i have done . now put but these seven things together and then hath christ taught you self-denial : i may call these the several words in our lesson of self-denial ; christ teaches the soul this , so that as in the presence of god upon a real sight of its self it can say , lord i am nothing , lord i deserve nothing , lord i can do nothing , i can receive nothing , i can make use of nothing , i am worse than nothing , and if i come to nothing and perish , there will be no losse at all of me , and therefore what great matter is it for me to be cut short here ? a man that is little in his own eyes , such a man or woman will account every affliction to be little , and every mercy to be great : saul , there was a time ( the scripture saith ) that he was little in his own eyes , and then his afflictions were but little to him , when some would not have had him to be king but spake contemptuously of him he held his peace , but when saul began to be big in his own eyes , then the affliction began to be great upon him . there was never any such contented man or woman at this self-denying man or woman : there was never any denied himself so much as jesus christ did , he gave his cheeks to the smiters , he opened not his mouth , he was as a lamb when he was led to the slaughter , he made no noise in the street , oh he denied himself above all , and was willing to empty himself , and so he was the most contented that ever any was in the world , & the neerer we come to learn to deny our selves as christ did , the more contented shall we be , and by knowing much of our own vileness , we come to learn to justifie god , whatever the lord shall lay upon us , yet , righteous is the lord , for he hath to deal with a most wretched creature . a discontented heart he is troubled because he hath no more comfort ; but one that is a self-denying man he rather wonders that he hath so much as he hath : oh saith one , i have but a little ; i but saith he that hath learned this lesson of self-denial , i rather wonder that god bestows upon me the liberty of breathing in the aire , knowing how vile i am , and knowing how much sin the lord doth see in me : and that 's the way of contentment , by learning self-denial . eightly , there is a further thing in self-denial which brings contentment , because thereby the soul comes to rejoyce and take satisfaction in all gods waies , ( i beseech you observe this ) if a man be selvish and have self-love prevail in his heart , those things that suits with his own ends he will be glad of them , but a godly man that hath denied himself he will suit with and be glad of all things that shall suit with gods ends : saith a gracious heart , gods ends are my ends , and i have denied mine own ends , and so he comes to find contentment in all gods ends and waies , and his comforts are multiplyed , whereas the comforts of other men are single , it 's but very rare that gods waies shall suit with a mans particular end , but alwaies gods waies suit with his own ends ; now if you wil only have contentment when gods waies suits with your own ends , you can have it but now and then , but a self-denying man denies his own ends and only looks at the ends of god and therein is contented : when a man is selvish he cannot but have a great deal of trouble and vexation , for if i regard my self , my ends are so narrow that i shall have a hundred things will come and jussel me , and i cannot have room in those narrow ends of mine own ; as you know in the the city what a deal of stir there is in narrow streets , as thames street being so narrow they jussel & wrangle and fight one with another because the place is so narrow , but now in the broad streets there they can go quietly ; so men that are selvish they meet and so jussel one with another , one man is for self in one thing , and another man is for self in another thing , and so they make a great deal of stir , but those whose hearts are inlarged , and make publicke things their ends , and can deny themselves , they can walk at breadth and never jussel one with another so as the other do . the lesson of self-denial is the first lesson that jesus christ doth learn men in the seeking of contentment . the second lesson is , the vanity of the creature . that 's the second lesson in christs school that he teaches those that he would make scholers in this art : the vanity of the creature , that whatsoever there is in the creature hath an emptines in it , vanity of vanities all is vanity , that 's the lesson that the wise-man learn'd , that the creature in it's self can do us neither good nor hurt , but it is all but as wind , there is nothing in the creature that is sutable to a gracious heart to feed upon for the good and hapdinesse of it . my brethren the reason why you have not contentment in the things of the world , it is not because you have not enough of them , that 's not the reason , but the reason is because they are not things proportionable to that immortal soul of yours that are capable of god himself ; many men think when they are troubled and have not contentment that it is because they have but a little in the world , and if they had more then they should be content . that were just thus , suppose a man is an hungrie , and so satisfie his craving stomak he should gape and hold open his mouth to take in the wind , and then should think the reason why he is not satisfied is , because he hath not enough of the wind ; no , the reason is because the thing is not sutable to a craving stomake , truly there is the same madnesse in the world ; the wind that a man takes in by gaping will as soon satisfie a craving stomake which is ready to famish , as all the comforts in the world can satisfie a soul that knows what true happinesse means . you would be happy , and you seek after such and such comforts in the creature ; well , have you got them , do you find your hearts satisfied as having that happinesse that is sutable to you ? no , no it is not here , but you think it is because you want such and such things : o poor deluded man , it is not because you have not enough of it , but because it is not the thing that is proportionable to that immortal soul that god hath given you . why do you lay out your money for that which is not bread , ( isa . : . ) and your labour for that which satisfieth not ? you are mad people , you seek to satisfie your stomaks with that that is not bread , you follow the wind , you will never have contentment , all creatures in the world say , contentment it not in us , riches saith contentment is not in me , pleasure saith contentment is not in me , if you look for contentment in the creature you will fail ; no , contentment is higher : when thou comest into the school of christ , christ teaches thee that there is a vanity in all things in the world , and the soul that by coming into the school of christ , by understanding the glorious mysteries of the gospel comes to see the vanity of all things in the world , that 's the soul that comes to true contentment . i could tell you of abundance of sentences from heathens that shews the vanity all things in the world , and yet they did not learn the vanity of the creature in the right school . but now when a soul comes into the school of jesus christ , and there comes to see a vanity in all things in the world , then such a soul comes to have contentment . if you seek contentment else where , you do like the unclean spirit , seek for rest but find none . a third lesson that christ teaches a christian when he comes into his school is this , he learns him to understand what that one thing is that is necessary which he never came to understand before : you know what he said to martha , o martha thou cumberest thy self about many things , but there is one thing necessary . the soul before sought after this and the other thing , but now saith the soul i see really that it is not necessary that i should be rich , but it is necessary that i should make up my peace with god , it is not necessary that i should live a pleasurable life in this world , but it is absolutely necessary that i should have pardon of my sin , it is not necessary that i should have honour and preferment , but it is necessary that i should have god to be my portion , and have my part in jesus christ , it is necessary that my soul should be sav'd in the day of jesus christ ; the other things are pretty fine things indeed , and i should be glad if god would give them me , a fine habitation , and comings-in , and cloaths , and promotion for my wife and childrrn , these are comfortable things , but these are not the necessary things , i may have these and yet perish for ever , but the other is absolutely necessary ; no matter though i be poor so be it i may have that that is absolutely necessary ; thus christ instructs the soul. there 's many of you have had some thoughts about this that it is indeed necessary for you to provide for your souls , but when you come into christs school , there christ causes the fear of eternity to fall upon you , and there he causes such a real sight of the great things of eternity and the absolute necessity of those things , that possesses your hearts with fear , and that takes you off from all other things in the world . now i should have shewn you how that will bring contentment to the soul when it comes to be instructed in the thing that is absolutly necessary ; but thus much for this time . sermon v. philippians . . . for i have learned in whatsoever state i am , therewith to be content . i mentioned three lessons the last time , that christ teaehes those schollers that comes into his school whereby they might come to get contentment . first , the lesson of self-denial . secondly , the lesson of the vanity of the creature . thirdly , the right understanding of that one thing that is necessary . a little to inlarge this one , & so to proceed to others . it is said of pompie , that when he was to carry corn to rome in time of darth , he was in a great deal of danger by storms at sea , but saith he , we must go on , it is necessary that rome should be releived , but it is not necessary that we should live . so it would he certainly when the soul is once taken up with the things that are of absolute necessity , it will not be much troubled about other things . what are the things that do disquiet us here but some by-matters in this world ? and it is because our hearts are not taken up with that one absolute necessary thing ; who are the men that are most discontented , but idle persons , persons that have nothing to take up their minds , every little thing disquiets and discontents them ? but now a man that hath businesse of great weight and consequence , if all things goes well with his great businesse that is in his head , he is not sensible of meaner things in the family ; but now a man that lies at home and hath nothing to do , he finds fault with every thing ; so it is with the heart , when the heart of a man hath nothing to do but to be busie about creature comforts , every little thing troubles him ; but now , when the heart is taken up with the weighty things of eternity , with the great things of eternal life , the heart being taken up with them , these things that are here below that did disquiet it before , are things now of no consideration with him in comparison to the other , so as how things fall out here is not much regarded with him , if the one thing that is necessary be provided for . the fourth lesson that the soul is instructed in to come to this knowledge in the art of contentment , is this : the soul comes to understand in what relation it stands in here to the world . by that i mean thus , god comes to instruct the soul effectually through christ by his spirit , upon what terms it lives here in the world , in what relation it is that it doth stand : as thus , while i live in the world my condition is to be but a pilgrim , a stranger , a traveller , and a souldiar : now the right understanding of this , & being taught this not only by rote , that i can speak the words over , but when i come indeed to have my soul possest with the consideration of this truth , that god hath set me in this world , not as in my home , but as a meer stranger and a pilgrim , that i am travelling here to another home , and that i am here a souldier in my warfare ; it is a mighty help to contentment in whatsoever befalls one : as now to instance in all these conditions , when a man is at home , if he hath not things according to his desire he will be finding fault , and is not contented , but if a man travels abroad , perhaps he meets not with conveniences as he desires , the servants in the house are not at his beck , or are not so diligent as his own serveants were , and his dyet is not as at home , and his bed not as at home , yet this very thought may moderate a mans spirit , i am a traveller , and i must not be finding fault , i am but in another mans house , and it were not manners for one to find fault when he is abroad in another bodies family though things be not so as in my own family ; if a man meets with ill weather he must be content , it is travellers fare ( we use to say ) both fair weather and foul weather , this is the common travellers fare , and we must be content with it ; but if a man were at home and it should drop down in his house , he would account it an ill thing , an affliction to him , and he cannot bear it : but when he is travelling abroad though he meet with raine and stormes he is not so much troubled : when you are abroad at sea , though you have not those many things that you have at home , you are not troubled at it , you are contented ; why ? you are abroad at sea , you are not troubled at storms that do arise , and though you have many things otherwise than you would have them at home , but still you are quieted with that you are at sea. marriners when they are at sea they care not what cloathes they have then , though they be pich't and tar'd , and but a clout about their necks , and any mean cloaths , but they think when they come home , then they shall have their fine silk stockings , and brave sutes , & lac'd bands and such things , and shall be very fine ; and so they are contented abroad upon that thought that it shall be otherwise with them when they come home , and though they have nothing but salt meat , and a little hard fare , yet when they come to their houses then they shall have any thing : thus it should be with us in this world , the truth is , we are all in this world but as sea-faring men , tost up and down on the waves of the sea of this world , and our haven is heaven , and we are here travelling , but our home it is another world , that long home . indeed some men have better accommodations than others have in travelling ; it 's true , it 's a great mercy of god to us in england , in that we can travell with such delight and accommodations more than they can in other countries ; and through gods mercy we have as great accommodations in our travelling to heaven in england as any place under heaven hath , but yet though we do meet with travellers fare sometimes , yet it should not be greiveous to us : the scripture tels us plainly that we must behave our selves here but as pilgrims and strangers , in peter , . . dearly beloved , i beseech you as strangers and pilgrims abstain from fleshly lusts , which war against the soul : consider what your condition is , you are pilgrims and strangers , do not think to satisfie your selves here . a man when he comes into an inn , if there be a fair cupbord of plate he is not troubled that it is not his own , why ? because he is going away ; so let us not be troubled when we see othar men have great estates , but we have not , why ? we are going away into another country , you are lodging here but as it were for a night , if you should live an hundred yeers in comparison of eternity it is not so much as a night , it is but as you were travelling , and were come into an inn : and were not this a madnesse for a man to be discontent because he hath not what he sees there , seeing it may be he is to go away again within half a quarter of an hour ? so you find it in david , this was the argument that brought off davids heart from the things of this world , and set him upon other manner of things , psal . . . i am a stranger in the earth , hide not thy commandements from me : i am a stranger in the earth ( what then ) then lord let me have the knowledge of thy commandements and it's sufficient , as for the things of the earth i stand not upon them whether i have much or little , but hide not thy commandements from me , lord let me know the rule that i should guide my life by . again , we are not only travellers but souldiers , this is the condition of the life in which we are here in this world : and therefore we are to behave our selves accordingly . so the apostle makes use of this argument in writing unto timothy , tim. . . thou therefore endure hardnesse as a good souldier of jesus christ . the very thought of the condition of a man that is a souldier , doth still his disquiet of heart : when he is abroad , he hath not that accomodations in his quarters as he hath in his own family ; perhaps a man that had his bed and curtains drawn about him , and all accomodations in his chamber ; now perhaps somtimes he must be put to lie upon straw , and he thinketh with himself , i am a souldier and it is sutable to my condition : he must have his bed warm'd at home , but he must lie abroad in the fields when he is a souldier ; and the very thought of this condition in which he stands quiets him in all things ; yea and he goes rejoycing , to think this is but sutable to my condition in which god hath put me : so it should be with us in respect of this world . now would it not be an unseemly thing to see a souldier go whyning up and down with the finger in the eye and complaying , that he hath not hot meat every meal , and his bed warm'd as he had at home . now christians they know that they are in their warfare , they are here in this world fighting and combating with the enemies of their souls and eternal condition , and they must be willing to endure hardnesse here . the right understanding of this , that god hath put them into such a condition , it is that that will content them , especially when they consider that they are certain of the victory , and that ere long they shall triumph with jesus christ , and then all their sorrows shall be done away , and their tears wiped from their eyes . a souldier is content to endure hardnesse though he knows not that he shall have the victory , but a christian knows himself to be a souldier , and knows that he shall conquer and triumph with jesus christ to all eternity . and that 's the fourth lesson that christ doth teach the soul when he brings it into his school , to learn the art of contentment , he makes him understand throughly the relation in which he hath placed him in , in this world . the fifth lesson that christ teaches , it is this , he teacheth us wherein consists any good that is to be enjoyed in any creature in the world . it 's true , before it hath been taught that there is a vanity in the creature , that is , take the creature considered in it's self , but yet though there be a vanity in the creature in it's self , in respect of satisfying the soul for it's portion , yet there is some goodnesse in the creature , though there be a vanity there 's some desirablenesse : but wherein doth that consist ? it consists not in the nature of the creature it self , for that is nothing but vanity , but it consists in the reference it hath to the first being of all things . this is a lesson that christ teaches , if there be any good in an estate , or in any comforts in this world , it is not so much that it pleases my sence , that it is sutable to my body , but the reference it hath to god the first being , that by these creatures there should be somewhat of gods goodnesse conveyed to me , and i may have a sanctified use of the creature to draw me neerer to god , and that i enjoy more of god , and be made more servicable for the glory of god in the place where god hath set me , here 's the good of the creature ; oh were we but instructed in this lesson , did we but understand , and throughly beleeve this to be a truth , that there is no creature in all the world hath any goodnesse in it any further then it hath reference to the first infinit supream good of all , that so far as i can enjoy god in it , so far it is good to me , and so far as i do not enjoy god in it , so far there is no goodnesse in any thing that i have in the creature , how easie were it then for one to be contented ; as thus , suppose a man had a great estate but a few years ago , and now it is all gone , i would but appeale to this man , when you had your estate , wherein did you account the good of that estate to consist ? a carnal heart would say , any body might know that ; that it brought me in so much a year , and that i could fare of the best , and be a man of repute in the place where i live , and men would regard what i said , i might be cloathed as i would , and lay up portions for my children , in this consisted the good of my estate ; this man now never came into the school of christ to know wherein the good of an estate did consist , no marvail if he be disquieted when he hath lost his estate : but now a christian that hath been in the school of christ , and hath been instructed in the art of contentment , when such a one hath an estate , he thinks , in that i have an estate above my brethren , in this consists the good of it tome , in that i have an opportunity to serve god the better , and i enjoy a great deal of gods mercy to my soul conveyed to me through the creature , and hereby i am inabled to do a great deal of good , and therein i account the good of my estate . now god hath taken this away from me , now if god will be pleased to make up the enjoyment of himself another way ; that is , will call me to honour him by suffering , and if i may do god as much service now in my way of suffering , that is to shew forth the grace of his spirit in the way of my suffering as i did in the way of prosperity , i have as much of god as i had before ; if i may be led to god in my low condition , as much as i was in my prosperous condition , i have as much comfort and contentment as i had before . obj. but you wil say , it is true , if i could honour god in my low estate as much as in my prosperous estate then it were somewhat , but how can that be ? answ . you must know the special honour that god hath from his creatures in this world , it is the manifestation of the graces of his spirit ; it 's true , god hath a great deal of honour when a man is in a publick place , and so he is able to do a great deal of good , to countenance godlinesse , and discountenance sin , but the main thing is in our shewing forth the vertues of him that hath called us out of darkness into his marvellous light . now if i can say that through gods mercy in my affliction i find the graces of gods spirit working as strongly in me as ever they did when i had my estate , i am where i was , yea i am fully in as good a condition , for i have that good now that i had in my prosperous estate , for i accounted the good of it but in my enjoyment of god , and honouring of god , and now god hath blest the want of it to stir up the graces of his spirit in my soul , and this is the work that now god cals me to , and i must account god is most honoured when i do the work that he cals me to , he set me a work in my prosperous estate at that time , to honour him in that condition , and now he sets me a work at this time to honour him in this condition : now god is most honoured when i can turn from one condition to another according as he cals me to it : would you account your selves to be honoured by your servants , when you set them about a work that hath some excellency , and they will go on and on , and you cannot get them off from it ? now let the work be never so good , yet if you will call them off to another work you do expect that they should manifest so much respect to you as to be content to come off from that , though they be set about a meaner work , if it be more sutable to your ends . so you were in a prosperous estate , and there god called you to some service that you took some pleasure in ; but suppose god saith , i will use you in a suffering condition , and i will have you honour me in that way , now here 's the honouring of god that you can turn this way or that way , as god cals you to it ; thus now you having learned this , that the good of the creature cansists in the enjoyment of god in it , and the honouring of god by it , you can be content , because you have the same good that you had before . and that 's the fifth lesson . the sixth lesson that christ doth teach the soul that hee brings into this school , is this , hee doth instruct such a man or woman in the knowledge of their own hearts : you must learn this or you will never learn contentment ; you must learn to know your own hearts well , to be good studients of your own hearts , you cannot al be scholers in the arts and sciences in the world , but you may all be students in your own hearts , you cannot reade in the book ( many of you , ) but god expects that every day you should turn over a leaf in your own hearts ; you will never come to get any skil in this mysterie , except you study the book of your own hearts : marriners , they have their books that they study , those that will be good navigaters , and scholers they have their books ; those that study logick , they have their books according to that ; and those that would study rhetorick and philosophy have their books according to that ; and those that study divinity , they have their books whereby they come to be helped in the study of divinity : but a christian next to the book of god is to look into the book of his own heart , and to reade over that , and this will help you to contentment these three waies : . by the studying of thy heart , thou wilt come presently to discover wherein thy discontent lies ; when thou art discontented , thou wilt find out the root of any discontentment if thou doest study thy heart well : many men and women they are discontented , and the truth is they know not wherfore , they think this & the other thing is the cause , but a man or woman that knows their own heart , they will find out presently where the root of their discontent lies , that it lies in such a corruption , and distemper of my heart , that now through gods mercie i have found out ; it is in this case as it is with a little child that is very froward in the house , if a stranger comes in he doth not know what the matter is , perhaps the stranger will give the child a rattle , or a nut , or such a thing to quiet it , but when the nurse comes she knows the temper and disposition of the child , and therefore knows best how to quiet it ; so it is here just thus for all the world , when we are strangers with our own hearts we are mightily discontented , and know not how to quiet our selves , because we know not wherein the disquiet lieth : and indeed when we are strangers to our own hearts we cannot tell how to quiet our selves , but if we be very well verst in our own hearts , when any thing fals out so as to disquiet us , we find out the cause of it presently , and so quickly come to be quiet . so a man that hath a watch , and he understands the use of every wheel and pin , if it goes amisse he will presently find out the cause of it : but one that hath no skill in a watch , when it goes amisse he knows not what the matter is , and therefore cannot mend it . so indeed our hearts are as a watch , and there are many wheels , and windings and turnings there , and we should labour to know our hearts well , that when they are out of tune we may know what the matter is . this knowledge of our hearts wil help us to contentment because by this we shall come to know what is most sutable to our condition . as thus , a man that knows not his own heart he thinks not what need he hath of affliction , and upon that he is disquieted ; but that man or woman that hath studied their own hearts , when god comes with afflictions upon them , they can say , i would not for any thing in the world have been without this affliction , god hath so suted this affliction to my condition , and hath come in such a way , that if this affliction had not come i am affraid i should have fallen into sin ; a poor country man that takes phisick , the phisick works , and he thinks it will kill him , because he knows not the ill humours that are in his body , and therefore he understands not how sutable the physick is to him ; but a physitian takes a purge , and it makes him extreamly sick , saith the physitian i like this the better , it doth but work upon the humour that i know is the matter of my disease , and upon that such a man that hath knowledge and understanding in his body , and the cause of his distemper , he is not troubled or disquieted : so would we be if we did but know the distempers of our own hearts , carnal men and women they know not their own spirits , and therefore they fling and vex upon every affliction that doth befall them , they know not what distempers are in their hearts that may be healed by their afflictions , if it please god to give them a sanctified use of them . by knowing their own hearts , they know what they are able to manage , and by this means they come to be content ; the lord perhaps takes away many comforts from them that they had before , or denies them some things that they hoped to have got ; now they by knowing their hearts know this , that they were not able to mannage such an estate , and they were not able to mannage such prosperity , god saw it , and ( saith a poor soul ) i am in some measure convinced by looking into mine own heart , that i was not able to mānage such a condition . a man desires greedily to gripe more perhaps than he is able to mānage , and so undoes himself : as countrey men do observe , that if they doe over-stock their land it will quickly spoyl them , and so a wise husband-man that knows how much his ground will bear he is not troubled that he hath not so much stock as others , why ? because he knows he hath not ground enough for so great a stock , and that quiets him ; so many men and women that know not their own hearts , they would fain have a prosperous estate as others have , but if they knew their own hearts they would know that they were not able to mannage it : if one of your little children of three or four yeers old should be crying for the coat of her that is twelve or twenty yeers old , and say , why may not i have a coat as long as my sisters ? if she had , it would soon trip up her heels , and break her face , but when the child comes to understanding she is not discontented , because her coat is not so long as her sisters , but saith , my coat is fit for me , and therein takes content ; so if we come to understanding in the school of christ we will not cry , why have not i such an estate as others have ? the lord seeth that i am not able to mannage it , and i see it my self by the knowing of mine own heart . you shall have children if they see but a knife , they will cry for it because they know not their strength and that they are not able to mannage it , but you know they are not able to mannage it , and therefore you will not give it them , and when they come to so much understanding as to know that they are not able to mannage it , they will not cry for it ; so we would not cry for such and such things if we knew that we were not able to mannage them : when you vex and fret for what you have not , i may say to you as christ saith , you know not of what spirits you are . it was a speech of oecolampadius to parillus , saith he ( when they were speaking about his extream poverty , ) not so poor , though i have been very poor , yet i would be poorer , i could be willing to be poorer than i am , for the truth is ( as if he should say ) the lord knew that that was more sutable to me , and i knew that my own heart was such , that a poor condition was more sutable to me than a rich ; so certainly would we say if we knew our own hearts , that such and such a condition is better for me than if it had been otherwise . the seventh lesson , is the burden of a prosperous estate . such a one that comes into christ's school to be instructed in this art , never comes to attain to any great skill in this art untill he comes to understand the burden that is in a prosperous estate . object . you will say , what burden is there in a prosperous estate . answ . yes certainly a great burden , and there needs a great strength to bear it : as men had need of strong brains that can bear strong wine , so they had need of strong spirits that are able to bear prosperous conditions , and not to do themselves hurt ; there 's a fourfold burden in a prosperous estate . many men and women look at the shine and glittering of prosperity , but they little think of the burden , but there 's a fourfould burden . there 's a burden of trouble . a rose hath it's prickles , and so the scripture saith that he that will be rich pierceth himself through with many sorrows , tim. . . if a mans heart be set upon it that he must be rich , and he will be rich , such a man will pierce himself through with many sorrows ; he looks upon the delight and glory of riches that appears outwardly , but he considers not what piercing sorrows he may meet withal in them : the consideration of the trouble in a prosperous condition i have divers times thought of , and i cannot tell by what similitude to expresse it better than by travelling in some champian country , where round about is very fair and sandy ground , and you see there a town a great way off in a bottom , and you think , oh how bravely is that town seated , but when you come and ride into the town , you shall ride through a durty lane and through a company of fearful durty holes , and you could not see the durty lane and holes when you were two or three miles off ; so sometimes we look upon the prosperity of men and think such a man lives bravely and comfortably , but if we did but know what troubles he meets withal in his family , in his estate , in his dealings with men , we would not think his condition so happy . one may have a very fine new shoe , but no body knows where it pinches him but he that hath it on ; so you think such and such men are happy , but they may have many troubles that you little think of . there is a burden of danger in it . men that are in a prosperous condition they are in a great deal of danger , you see some times in the evening when you light up your candles , the mothes and the gnats will be flying up and down in the candle , but they scorch their wings , and there they fal down dead ; so there is a great deal of danger in a prosperous estate , those men that are set upon a pinacle on high , these men they are in greater danger than other men are . honey we know doth invite bees and wasps unto it , and so the sweet of prosperity doth invite the devil and temptation . men that are in a prosperous estate are subject to many temptations that other men are not subject to . the scripture cals the devil beelzebub , that is the god of flies , & so beelzebub come where the honey of prosperity is , they are in very great danger of temptations that are in a prosperous condition . the dangers of men that are in a prosperous estate that have more than others , should be considered of by those that are lower , think with thy selfe , though they be above me , yet they are in more danger than i am , the tal trees are more shattered a great deal than low shrubs , so you know the ship that hath all the sails up , the top sail & all in a storm , this is in more danger than that that hath al the sails drawn in : and so men that have their top-gallant , and all up and brave , they are more like to be drown'd , drown'd in perdition than other men are ; and therefore you know what the scripture saith , how hard it is for rich men to go into the kingdom of heaven : such a text should make poor people to be contented with their estates . we have a notable example for that in the children of kohath , you shall find that they were in a more excellent estate than the other of the levites , but they were in more danger than the other , and more trouble . first , that the children of kohath were in a higher condition than other of the levites , that i 'le shew you out of the fourth of numb . . vers . there you shall find what their condition was . this shall be the service of the sons of kohath in the tabernacle of the congregation about the most holy things . mark , the levites were exercised about holy things ; but the sons of kohath , their service was about the most holy things of all : and you shall find in the . of joshua , vers . . that god did honour the sons of kohath in a more special manner than he did honor the other levites , which honour the children of aaron ( being of the families of the kohathites , who were of the children of levi ) had , for theirs was the first lot , and they were prefer'd before the other families of levi , those that were imployed in the most honourable imployment , they had the most honourable lot , the first lot fell to them : thus you see god honoured the children of the kohathites . but ( might other levites say ) how hath god prefer'd this family before us ? they were honoured more than the other were : but now , mark their burden that comes in with their honour , and that i 'le shew you out of two scriptures , the first is , numb . . , , , . and moses took the wagons and the oxen , and gave them unto the levites . two wagons and four oxen be gave unto the sons of gershom , according to their service : and four wagons and eight oxen he gave unto the sons of merari , according unto their service , under the hand of ithamer the son of aaron the priest . but saith he in the . vers . vnto the sons of kohath he gave none ; because the service of the sanctuary that belonged unto them , was , that they should bear upon their shouldiers . mark , the other levites had oxen , and wagons given to them , to ease them of their service : but ( saith he ) to the sons of kohath he gave none , but they should bear their service upon their shoulders ; and that 's the reason why god was so displeased , because that they would have more ease in gods service than god would have them , for whereas they should carry it upon their shoulders , they would carry it upon a cart : mark here , you see the first burden that they had , beyond what the other levites had . and those indeed that are in more honourable places than others , those that are under them think not of their burden that they are to carry upon their shoulders , when as others have means to ease them ; and many times those that are imployed in the ministrie , or majestracie , that sit at the stern to order the great affairs of the common-wealth and state , you think they live bravely : they lie awake when you are asleep ; if you knew the burden that lies upon their spirits , you would think that your labour and burden were verie little in comparison of theirs . . there 's another burden of danger more than the rest , and that you shall find in numb . . . and the lord spake unto moses and unto aaron , saying , cut ye not off the tribe of the families of the kohathites from among the levites , but thus do unto them that they may live and not die : when they approch unto the most holy things , aaron and his sons shall go in and appoint them every one to his service and to his burden ; but they shall not go in to see when the holy things are covered , lest they die . mark this text : saith the lord to moses and aaron , cut ye not off the tribe of the family of the kohathites from among the levites . cut them not off , why ? what had they done ? had they done any thing amisse ? no , they had not done any thing that provoked god : but the meaning is this ; take a great care of the family of the kohathites , to instruct them in their duty that they were to do ; for ( saith god ) they are in a great deal of danger , being to serve in the most holy things : if they should go in to see the holy things more than god would have them , it is as much as their lives are worth , and therefore if you should but neglect them , and not inform them thorowly in their duty they would be undone : ( saith god ) they are to administer in the most holy things , and if they should but dare to presume to do any thing otherwise than god would have them about those services , it would cost them their lives ; and therefore be not you carelesse of them , for if you neglect them you will be a means of cutting them off . thus you see the danger that the family of the kohathites were in ; they were prefer'd before others , but they were in more danger . so you think there are such men in a parish that bear the sway , and are imployed in publick service , and they carry all before them ; but you consider not their danger . and so the ministers , they stand in the fore-front of all the spight and mallice of ungodly men : indeed god imployes them in honourable service , and that service that the angels would take delight in ; but though the service be honourable , above the imployment of other works , yet the burden of danger , that likewise is greater than the danger of men that are in an inferiour condition . now when the soul comes to get wisdom from christ to think of the danger that it is in , then it wil be content with that low estate in which it is . a poor man that is in a low condition , thinks , i am low , and others are raised , but i know not what their burden is : and so , if he be rightly instructed in the school of christ he coms to be contented . . i a prosperous estate there is the burden of duty . you look only at the sweet and comfort that they have , and the honour and respect that they have that are in a prosperous condition ; but you must consider of the duty that they owe to god : god requires more duty at their hands than at yours , you are ready to be discontented that you have not such parts and abilities as such have , but god requires more duty of them that have more parts , god requires more duty of them that have greater estates than of you that have not such estates : oh you would faine have the honour , but can you carrie the burden of the duty . . the last is , the burden of account in a prosperous estate . there is a great account that they are to give to god that enjoy great estates and a prosperous condition : now we are all stewards , and one is a steward to a meaner man , perhaps but an ordinary knight ; another is a steward to a noble-man , an earle : now the steward of the meaner man , he hath not so much as the other hath under his hand : now shall he be discontented because there comes not so much under his hand as under the others ? no thinks he i have lesse , and i am to give the lesse account : so your account in comparison of the ministers and magistrates will be nothing ; you are to give an account of your own souls , and so are they , you are to give an account for your own family , and so are they , but you are not to give account for congregations , and for towns , and cities , and countries . you think of princes and kings , oh! what a glorious condition they are in . but what do you think of a king to give account for all the disorder and wickednesse in a kingdom that he possibly might have prevented ? what abundance of glory might a prince bring to god if so be that he bent his soul and all his thoughts to lift up the name of god in a kingdom ; now what god loses for want of this , that king , prince , or governour he must give an account for . it 's a speech of chrysostom in that place of the hebrewes , where it 's said that men must give an account for their souls , he wonders that any men in publick place can be saved , because their account is so great that they are to give . and i remember i have read a speech of philip that was king of spaine , ( though the story saith of him , that he had such a natural conscience , that he profest he would not do any thing against his conscience , no not in secret for the gaining of the world , yet when this man was to die ) oh saith he , that i had never been a king ; oh that i had liv'd a sollitary and privat life all my daies ; then should i have died a great deal more securely , i should with more confidence have gone before the throne of god to give my account : but here 's the fruit of my kingdom , that i had all the glory of it , it hath made my account to be harder to give to god : and thus he cries out when he was to die . and therefore you that live in private conditions remember this , if you come into christ's school , and be taught this lesson , you will be quiet in your afflictions , or private estate , in regard your account is not so great as others . it 's a speech i remember i have met withall in latimers sermons that he was wont to use , the half is more than the whole . that is , when a man is in a mean condition , he is but halfe way towards the height of prosperity that others are in : yet saith he , this is more safe though it be a meaner condition than others . those that are in a high and prosperous condition there is anexed to it the burden of trouble , and of danger and of duty , and of account . and thus you see how christ traines up his scholers in his school , and though they be weak otherwise , yet by his spirit he gives them wisdom to understand these aright . the eight lesson is this , christ teaches them what a great and dreadful evil it is to be given up to ones hearts desires . the understanding this lesson that it is a most dreadful evil , one of the most hideous and fearfull evills that can befall any man upon the face of the earth , for god to give him up to his hearts desires : when the soul understands this once , and together with it , ( for it goes along together ) that spiritual judgments are more fearfull than any outward judgments in the world , the understanding of this will teach any one to be content in gods crossing of them in their desires . thou art crost in thy desires , now thou art discontented and vext and fretted at it , is that thy only misery that thou art crost in thy desires ? no no , thou art infinitly mistaken , the greatest misery of all is for god to give thee up to thy hearts lusts and desires , to give thee up to thine own counsells : so you have it in psal , . , . but my people would not hearken to my voice , and israel would none of me [ what then ? ] so i gave them up unto their own hearts lusts , and they walked in their own counsels . oh saith bernard let me not have such a miserie as that is , for to give me what i would have , to give me my hearts desires , it is one of the most hideous judgments in the world for a man to be given up to his hearts desires . we have not indeed in scripture any certain evident sign of a reprobate , we cannot say except we knew a man had committed the sin against the holy ghost , that he is a reprobate , for we know not what god may work upon him , but the neerest of all and the blackest sign of a reprobate is this , for god to give up a man to his hearts desires , all the pain of diseases , all the calamities that can be thought of in the world , are no judgments in comparison of this , for a man to be given up to his hearts desires ; now when the soul comes to understand this , the soul then cries out , why am i so troubled that i have not my desires ? there is nothing that god conveys his wrath more through than a prosperous estate . i remember i have read of a jewish tradition that they say of vzziah , when god struck vzziah with a leprosie , they say that the beams of the sun was darted upon the fore-head of vzziah , and he was struck with a leprosie by the darting of the beams of the sun upon his fore-head ; the scripture saith , indeed the priests looked upon him ; but they say there was a speciall light and beam of the sun upon the fore-head that did discover the leprosie to the priests , and they say it was the way of conveying of it . whether that were true or no , i am sure this is true , that the strong beams of the sun of prosperity upon many men makes them to be leprous ; would any poor man in the countrey have been discontented that he was not in vzziahs condition ? he was a great king , i but there was the leprosie in his fore-head , the poor man may say , though i live meanly in the countrey yet i thank god my body is whole and sound , would not any man rather have russet and skins of beasts to cloath him with , than to have sattin and velvet that should have the plague in it ; the lord conveys the plague of his curse through prosperity , as much as through any thing in the world , and therefore the soul coming to understand this , this makes it to be quiet and content . and then spirituall judgments are the greatest judgments of all ; the lord laies such an affliction upon my outward estate , but what if he had taken away my life , a mans health is a greater mercy than his estate , and you that are poor people you should consider of that ; but is the health of a mans body better than his estate ? what is the health of a mans soul ? that 's a great deal better ; the lord hath inflicted externall judgements , but he hath not inflicted spirituall judgments upon thee , he hath not given thee up to hardnesse of heart , and taken away the spirit of prayer from thee in thine afflicted estate , oh then be of good comfort though there be outward afflictions upon thee , yet thy soul , thy more excellent part is not afflicted . now when the soul comes to understand this , that here lies the sore wroth of god to be given up to a mans desires , and for spiritual judgments to be upon a man , this quiets him , and contents him , though outward afflictions be upon him ; perhaps one of a mans children hath the fit of an ague , or the tooth-ach , but perhaps his next neighbour hath the plague , or all his children are dead of the plague , now shall he be so discontented , because his children have the tooth-ach when his neighbours children are dead ? now think thus , lord thou hast laid an afflicted condition upon me , but lord thou hast not given me the plague of a hard heart . now take these eight things before mentioned , and lay them together , and you may well apply that scripture in the . of isa . the last verse , saith the text there , they also that erred in spirit , shall come to understanding ; and they that murmured shall learn doctrine . hath there bin any of you ( as i fear many may be found ) that have erred in spirit , even in regard of this truth that now we are preaching of , and many that have murmured , oh that this day you might come to understand , that christ would bring you into his school , and seach you understanding , and they that murmured shall learn doctrine : what doctrine shall they learn ? these eight doctrines that i have opened to you . and if you will but throughly study these lessons that i have set before your eyes : it will be a speciall help and means to cure your murmurings against , and repinings at the hand of god : and so you will come to learn christian contentment . the lord teach you thoroughly by his spirit these lessons of contentment . sermon vi. philippians . . . for i have learned in whatsoever state i am , therewith to be content . i shall only adde one lesson more in the learning of contentment , & then i shal come to the fourth head , the excellency of contentment . the ninth and last lesson that christ teaches those that he doth instruct in this art of contentment , it is the right knowledge of gods providence , and therein are these four things . the universality of providence , that the soul must be throughly instructed in to come to this art , to understand the universality of providence , that is ; how the providence of god goes through the whole world , extends it's self to every thing : not only that god by his providence doth rule the world , and govern all things in generall , but that it reaches to every particular , not only to kingdoms , to order the great affairs of kingdoms , but it reaches to every mans family , it reaches to every person in the family , it reaches to every condition , yea to every passage , to every thing that fals out concerning thee in every particular , not one hair falleth from thy head , not a sparrow to the ground without the providence of god. there 's nothing befals thee good or evill , but there is a providence of the infinite eternal first-being in that thing , and therein indeed is gods infinitnesse , that it reaches to the least things , to the least worm that is under thy feet : then much more it reaches unto thee that art a rationall creature , the providence of god is more special towards rational creatures than any others : the understanding in a spiritual way the universality of providence in every particular passage from morning to night every day ; that there 's not any thing that doth befall thee but there 's a hand of god in it , it is from god , it is a mighty furtherance to contentment . every man will grant the truth of the thing that it is so , but as the apostle saith in heb. . . by faith we understand that the worlds were made , by faith we understand it : why by faith ? we can understand by reason that no finit thing can be from it selfe , and therefore that the world could not be of it's self , but we can understand it by faith in another manner than by reason . so whatsoever we understand of god in way of providence , yet when christ doth take us into his school we come to understand it by faith in a better manner than we do by reason . the efficacy that there is in providence ; that is , that the providence of god goes on in all things with strength and power , and it is not to be altered by our power ; let us be discontented and vext and troubled , and fret , and rage , yet we must not think to alter the course of providence by our discontent . some of jobs friends said to him , shall the earth be forsaken for thee , and shall the rock be removed out of his place ? job , . . when they saw him to be impatient . so i may say to every discontented impatient heart , what shall the providence of god change it's course for thee ? do'st thou think it such a weak thing that because it doth not please thee it must alter it's course ? be thou content or not content , the providence of god will go on , it hath an efficacie of power , of vertue , to carry all things before it : canst thou make one hair black or white with all the stir that thou keepest ? when you are in a ship at sea that hath all her sails spread with a full gale of wind , and swiftly sailing ; can you make it stand still with running up and down in the ship ? no more can you make the providence of god to alter and change it's course with your vexing and fretting , but it will go on with power do what thou canst . do but understand the power and efficacie of providence and it will be a mighty means for the helping to learn this lesson of contentment . the infinite variety of the works of providence , and yet the order of things , one working towards another ; there is infinite variety of the works of god in an ordinary providence , and yet all work in an ordinary way ; we put these two together ; for god in the way of his providence causes a thousand thousand things one to depend upon another , there are infinite several wheels ( as i may so say ) in the works of providence , all the works that ever god did from all eternity or ever will do , put them all together , and all make up but one work , and they have been as several wheels that have had their orderly motion to attain the end that god from all eternity hath appointed : we indeed look at things by pieces , we look at one particular and do not consider the reference that one thing hath to another , but god he looks at all things at once , and sees the reference that one thing hath to another : as a child that looks upon a clock , looks first upon one wheel , and then upon another wheel , he looks not at all together or the dependance that one hath upon another , but the workman hath his eyes upon all together and sees the dependance of all one upon another , and the art that there is in the dependance of one upon another ; so it is in gods providence . now observe how this works to contentment ; where there is such a passage of providence befalls me , that 's one wheel , and it may be if this wheel should be stopt , there might a thousand other wheels come to be stopt by this : as in a clock , stop but one wheel and you stop every wheel , because they have dependance one upon another : so when god hath ordered a thing for the present to be thus and thus , how do'st thou know how many things do depend upon this thing ? god may have some work that he hath to do twenty yeers hence that may depend upon this passage of providence , that fals out this day , or this week . and here ( by the way ) we may see a great deal of evil that there is in discontent , for thou wouldest have gods providence altered in such and such a particular , indeed if it were only in that particular , and that had reference to nothing else it were not so much , but by thy desire to have thy will in such a particular , it may be thou wouldest crosse god in a thousand things that he hath to bring about , because it 's possible there may be a thousand things depend upon that one thing that thou wouldest fain have to be otherwise than it is , just as if a child should cry out and say , let but that one wheel stop , though he saith but one wheel , yet if that stop , it is as much as if he should say they must all stop ; so in providence , let but this one passage of providence stop , it is as much as if a thousand stopt : let me therfore be quiet and content , for though i be crost in some one particular god attains his end , at least his end may be furthered in a thousand things by this one thing that i am crost in ; therefore let a man consider this is an act of providence , and how do i know what god is about to do , and how many things depend upon this providence ? now we are willing to suffer our friends will to be crost in one thing , so that our friend may attain to what he desires in a thousand things ; if thou hast a love and friendship to god , be willing to be crost in some few things , that the lord may have his work go on in the universal , in a thousand of other things . now that 's the third thing to be understood in gods providence , that christ doth learn those that he teacheth in the art of contentment . christ teaches them the knowledge of providence , that is , the knowledge of gods usual way in his dealings with his people more particularly . the other is , the knowledge of god in his providence in general : but the right understanding of the way of god in his providence towards his people and saints , is a notable lesson to help us in the art of contentment . if we come once to know a mans way and course we may better sute and be contented to live with him , than before we come to know his way and course : as when a man comes to live in a society with men and women , it may be the men and women may be good , but till a man comes to know their way and course and disposition , many things may fall very crosse , and we think they are very hard , but when we come to be acquainted with their way and spirit , then we can sute and cotten with them very well ; and the reason of our trouble is , because we do not understand their way . so it is with you , those that are but as strangers to god , and do not understand the way of god , they are troubled with the providences of god , and they think them very strange and cannot tell what to make of them , because they understand not the ordinary course and way of god towards his people . if a stranger sometimes comes into a family and sees such and such things done , he wonders what the matter is , but those that are acquainted with it , it troubles them not at all . so servants , when they come first together and know not one another , it may be they are froward and discontented , but when they come to be aquainted with one anothers waies , then they are more contented : just so it is when we come first to understand gods waies . object . but you will say , what do you understand by gods waies ? answ : by that i mean these three things . and when we come to know them we shall not wonder so much at the providence of god , but be quiet and contented with them . . the first thing is this , gods ordinary course is , that his people in this world should be in an afflicted condition : god hath revealed in his word , and we may there find he hath set down to be his ordinary way even from the begining af the world to this day , ( but more especially in the times of the gospel , ) that his people here should be in an afflicted condition . now men that do not understand this , they stand and wonder to hear of the people of god that they are afflicted , and the enemies prosper in their way ; for those that seek god in his way , and seek for reformation , for them to be afflicted and routed and spoiled , and the enemies to prevail , they wonder at it : but now , one that is in the school of christ , he is taught by jesus christ that god by his eternal counsels hath set this to be his course and way , to bring up his people in this world in an afflicted condition , and therefore saith the apostle , account it not strange concerning the fiery tryal . pet. . . we are not therefore to be discontented with it seeing god hath set such a course and way , & we know such is the will of god that it should be so . the second thing that is in gods way is this , vsually when god intends the greatest mercy to any of his people , he doth bring them into the lowest condition . god doth seem to go quite crosse and work in a contrary way ; when he intends the greatest mercies to his people he doth first usually bring them into very low conditions , if it be a bodily mercy , an outward mercy that he intends to bestow he useth to bring them bodily low , and outwardly low , if it be a mercie in their estates that he intends to bestow , he brings them low in that and then raises them ; and in their names he brings them low there , and then raises them , and in their spirits god doth ordinarily bring their spirits low and then raises their spirits , usually the people of god before the greatest comforts have the greatest afflictions and sorrows , now those that understand not gods waies they think that when god brings his people into sad conditions , that god leaves and forsakes them , and that god doth intend no great matter of good to them ; but now a child of god that is instructed in this way of god , he is not troubled ; my condition is very low , but ( saith he ) this is gods way when he intends the greatest mercy , to bring men under the greatest afflictions . when he intended to raise joseph to be the second in the kingdom , god cast him into a dungeon a little before . so when god intended to raise david and set him upon the throne , he made him to be hunted as a partrige in the mountain , sam. . . god went this way with his son ; christ himself went into glory by suffering , heb. . . and if god deal so with his own son , much more with his people ; as a little before break of day you shall observe it is darker than it was any time before ; so god doth use to make our conditions darker a little before the mercy come . when god bestowed the last great mercy at nazby , we were in a very low condition , god knew what he had to do before-hand , he knew that his time was coming for great mercies ; it is the way of god to do so . be but instructed aright in this course and tract that god uses to walk in ; and that will help us to contentment exceedingly . the third thing that there is in gods way and course is this , it is the way of god to work by contraries , to turn the greatest evill into the greatest good . to grant great good after great evil is one thing , and to turn great evils into the greatest good that 's another ; and yet that 's gods way , the greatest good that god intends for his people , many times he works it out of the greatest evil ; the greatest light is brought out of the greatest darknesse : and luther ( i remember ) hath a notable expression for this , ( saith he ) it is the way of god , he doth humble that he might exalt , he doth kill that he might make alive , he doth confound that he might glorifie ; this is the way of god ( saith he : ) but saith saith he , every one doth not understand this , this is the art of arts , and the science of sciences , the knowledge of knowledges to understand this , that god doth use when he will bring life , he doth bring it out of death , he brings joy out of sorrow , and he brings prosperity out of adversity , yea , and many times he brings grace out of sin , that is , makes use of sin to work furtherance of grace ; it is the way of god to bring good out of evil ; not only to overcome the evil , but to make the evil to work towards the good : here 's the way of god : now when the soul comes to understand this , it will take away our murmuring and bring contentment into our spirits : but i fear there are but few that understand it aright , perhaps they reade of such things , and hear such things in a sermon , but they are not by jesus christ instructed in this , that this is the way of god , to bring the greatest good out of the greatest evil . now , thus having dispach'd the third head , the lessons that we are to learn ; we come to the fourth , and that is , the excellency of this grace of contentment : and there is a great deal of excellencie in contentment ; that 's a kind of lesson too for us to learn. and this head likewise will be somewhat long . saith the apostle , i have learned . as if he should say , blessed be god for this : oh! it is a mercy of god to me that i have learned this lesson , i find so much good in this contentment , that i would not for a world but have it : ( i have learned it saith he . ) now the very heathens had a sight of a great excellency that there is in contentment : i remember i have read of antistenes a philosopher , that desired of his gods , ( speaking after the heathenish way ) nothing in this world to make his life happy , but contentment ; and if he might have any thing that hee would desire to make his life happy , he would aske of them , that he might have the spirit of socrates , that he might have such a spirit as socrates had , to be able to bear any wrong , any injuries that he met withall , and to continue in a quiet temper of spirit whatsoever befell him ; for that was the temper of socrates , whatever befell him he continued the same man , whatever crosse befell him no body could perceive any alteration of his spirit though never so great crosses did befall him . this a heathen did attain to by the strength of nature , and a common work of the spirit : now this antistenes saw such an excellency in this spirit : as when god said to solomon , what shall i give thee ? he asked of god wisdom : so saith he , if the gods should put it to me to know what i would have , i would desire this thing , that i might have the spirit of socrates : he saw a great excellency that there was in this . and certainly a christian may see abundance of excellency in it : i shall labour to set it out to you in this sermon that you may be in love with this grace of contentment . in the first place , by contentment we come to give god that worship that is due to him : it is a special part of divine worship that we owe to god , if we be content in a christian way , according as hath been opened to you ; i say it is a special part of the divine worship that the creature owes to the infinit creator , in that i do tender that respect that is due from me to the creator . the word that the greeks have that signifies to worship , it is as much as to come and crouch before another , as a dog should come crouching unto you , and be willing to lie down at your feet ; so the creature in the apprehension of its owne basenesse , and the infinit excellency that there is in god above it ; when it comes to worship god , it comes and crouches to this god , and it lies down at the feet of god , then doth the creature worship god. when you see a dog come crouching to you , and you can make him with holding your hand over him to lie down at your feet ; then consider , thus should you do before the lord , you should come crouching to him , and lie down at his feet even upon your backs or bellies , to lie down in the dust before him , so as to be willing that he should do with you what he will ; as somtimes you may turn a dog this way or that way up and down with the hand , and there he lies before you , according to your shewing him with your hand : so when the creature shall come and lie down thus before the lord , then a creature worships god , doth tender you that worship that is due to god. now in what disposition of heart do we thus ●ouch to god more , than when we have this contentation in all conditions that god disposed us unto ? this is a crouching unto gods dispose , to be like the poor woman of canaan , when christ said , it is not fit to give childrens meat to dogs , but ( saith she ) the dogs have crums . i am a dog i confesse , i but let me have but a crum . and so when the soul shall be in such a disposition as to lie down and say , lord i am but as a dog , yet let me have a crum , then doth it highly honour god. it may be some of you have not your table spread as others have , but god gives you crums ; now saith the poor woman , dogs have crums , and when you can find your hearts thus subjecting unto god , to be but as a dog , and can be contented and blesse god for any crum : i say this is a great worship of god , you worship god by this more than when you come to hear a sermon , or spend half an hour , or an hour in prayer , or when you come to receive a sacrament ; these are the acts of gods worship , i but these are but external acts of worship , to hear , and pray , and receive sacraments : but now this is the soul-worship , to subject its self thus to god. you that often will worship god by hearing , and praying , and receiving sacraments , and yet afterwards will be froward and discontented , know , that god regards not that worship , he will have the soul-worship in this subjecting of the soul to god. observe it i beseech you , in active obedience , there we worship god by doing that that pleases god , but by passive obedience we do as well worship god by being pleased with that that god doth . now when i perform a duty , i worship god , i do what pleases god : why should i not as well worship god when i am pleased with what god doth ? as it was said of christs obedience , christ was active in his passive obedience , and passive in his active obedience : so the saints they are passive in their active obedience ; they are first passive in their reception of grace , and then active : and when they come to passive obedience they are active , they put forth grace in active obedience , when they perform actions to god , then saith the soul , oh! that i could do that that pleases god , when they come to suffer any crosse , oh that what god doth might please me . i labour to do what pleases god , and i labour that what god doth shall please me , here 's a christian indeed that shall endeavour both these ; now this is but one side of a christian , to endeavour to do what pleases god , but you must as well endeavour to be pleased with what god doth , and so you shall come to be a compleat christian when you can do both . and that 's the first thing in the excellency of this grace of contentment . the second thing in the opening of this excellency of contentment is , that in contentment there is much exercise of grace , there is much strength of grace , yea there is much beauty of grace in contentment , there is much exercise of grace , strength of grace , and beauty of grace , i put all these together . much exercise of grace , there is a composition of grace in contentment , there is faith , and there is humility , and love , and there is patience , and there is wisdom , and there is hope , all graces almost are compounded , it 's an oyle that hath the ingredients of all kind of graces , and therefore though you cannot see the particular grace , yet in this oyl you have it all ; god sees the graces of his spirit exercised in a special manner , and this pleases god at the heart to see the graces of his spirit exercised . in some one action that you do you may exercise some one grace especially , but now in contentment you exercise a great many graces at once . there is a great deal of strength of grace in contentment , it argues a great deal of strength in the body , the body to be able to endure hard weather and whatsoever fals out , and yet not to be much altered by it ; so it argues strength of grace to be content : you that complain of weaknesse of memory , and weaknesse of parts , you cannot do what others do in other things , but have you this gracious heart-contentment that hath been opened to you ; i know that you have attained to strength of grace in this , when it is so spiritual as hath been opened to you in the explication of this point . as it is with a mans braine , if a man be distempered in his body and hath many obstructions in his body , hath an ill stomack , and his spleen and liver obstructed , and yet for all this his brain is not distempered , it is an argument of a great strength of brain , and though there be many ill fumes that riseth from his corrupt stomack , yet still his brain is not distempered but he continues in the free exercise of the use of his reason and understanding ; every one may understand that this man hath a very strong brain , that such things shall not distemper him , whereas other people that have a weak brain , if they do not disgest but one meals meat , the fumes that do arise from their stomacks , doth distemper their brain and makes them unfit for every thing , whereas you shall have others that have strong heads , and strong brains , though their stomacks be ill that they do not disgest meat , yet still they have the free use of their brain , this argues strength : so it is in a mans spirit , you shall have many that have weak spirits , and if they have any ill fumes , if accidents befal them , you shall presently have them out of temper , but you shall have other men that though things do fume up yet still they keep in a steady-way , and have the use of reason and of other graces , and possess their souls with patience . as i remember it 's reported of the eagle , it 's not like other fowls , other fowls when they are hungrie make an noise , but the eagle is never heard to make an noise though it wants food , and it is from the magnitude of his spirit that it will not make such complaints as other fowls will do when they want food , it is because it is above hunger , and above thirst : so it is argument of a gracious magnitude of spirit that whatsoever befals it , yet it is not alwaies whyning and complaining so as others are , but goes on still in it's way and course , and blesses god and keeps in a constant tenour whatsoever thing befals it , such things as causes others to be dejected and fretted and vexed , and takes away all the comfort of their lives , it makes no alteration at all in the spirits of these men and women , i say this is a sign of a great deal of strength of grace . it 's also an argument of a great deal of beauty of grace . it 's a speech that seneca a heathen once had , saith he , when you go abroad into groves and woods ; and there you see the talnesse of the trees and their shadows , it strikes a kind of awful fear of a deity in you , and when you see the vast rivers and fountains , and deep waters that strikes a kind of fear of a god in you but ( saith he ) do you see a man that is quiet in tempests , and that lives happily in the middest of adversities , why do not you worship that man ? he doth think him a man even to be honoured that shall be quiet and live a happy life though in the middest of adversities . the glory of god appears here more than in any of his works ; there is no works that god hath made , the sun moon and stars and all the world wherein so much of the glory of god doth appear , as in a man that lives quietly in the middest of adversity . that was that that covinc'd the king , when he saw the three children could walk in the midest of the fiery furnace & not be toucht , the king was mightily convinc'd by this , that surely their god was a great god indeed , & that they were highly beloved of their god that could walk in the mid'st of the furnace and not be toucht , whereas the others that came but to the mouth of the furnace were devoured , so when a christian can walk in the mid'st of fiery trials , and not his garments singed , but have comfort and joy in the mid'st of all ( as paul in the stocks ) can sing , ( that wrought upon the jaylour : ) so it will convince men when they see the power of grace in the middest of afflictions , such afflictions as would make others to rore under them , yet they can behave themselves in a gracious and holy manner ; oh it 's the glory of a christian . it is that that is said to be the glory of christ , ( for so by interpreters it is thought to be meant of christ ) in micah , . . and this man ( the text saith ) shall be the peace when the assyrian shall come into our land , and when he shall tread in our pallaces . this man shall be the peace when the assyrian shall come into our land ; for one to be in peace when there is no enemies it 's no great matter , but saith the text when the assyrian shal come into our land , then this man shall be the peace ; that is , when all shal be in an hubbub and uprore yet then this man shal be peace . that 's the tryal of grace when you find jesus christ in your hearts to be peace when the assyrian shall come into the land . you may think you find peace in christ when you have no outward troubles , but is christ your peace when the assyrian comes into the land , when the enemy comes ? suppose you should hear the enemy come marching to the city & had taken the works , and were plundering , what would be your peace ? jesus christ would be peace to the soul when the enemy comes into the city , and into your houses ; if there be any of you that have been where the enemy hath come , what hath been the peace of your souls ? that that 's said of christ may be applyed to this grace of contentment , when the assyrian , the plunderers , the enemies , when any affliction , trouble , distresse doth befal such a heart , then this grace of contentment brings peace to the soul ; at that time brings peace to their soul when the assyrian comes into the land : the grace of contentment it 's an excellent grace , ther●'s much beauty , much strength in it , there is a great deal of worth in this grace , and therefore be in love with it . the third thing in the excellency of contentment is this , by contentment the soul is fitted to receive mercy , and to do service , i 'le put those two together , contentment makes the soul fit to receive mercy , and to do service ; no man or woman in the world is so fit for to receive the grace of god , and to do the work of god as those that have contented spirits . those are fitted to receive mercy from the lord that are contented : as now , if you would have a vessel to take in any licquor , you must hold the vessel still , if the vessel stir and shake up and down you cannot powre in any thing , but you will bid hold stil that you may powre it in and not loose any ; so if we would be the vessels to receive gods mercy , and would have the lord powr in his mercy to us , we must have quiet still hearts , we must not have hearts hurrying up and down in trouble discontent and vexing , but we must have still and quiet hearts if we would receive mercy from the lord : if a child throws and flings up and down for a thing , you will not give it him then when he cries so , but first you will have the child quiet , though perhaps you do intend the child shall have the thing he cries for , but you will not give it him till he is quiet and comes and stands still before you and is contented without it and then you will give it him : and truly so doth the lord deal with us , ( for our dealing , with him are just as your froward childrens are with you ) as soon as you would have a thing from god if you have it not you are disquieted presently and all in an upprore ( as it were ) in your spirits : god intends mercy to you , but saith god you shall not have it yet , i will see you quiet first , and then in the quietnesse of your hearts come to me and see what i will do with you . i appeal to you , you that are any way acquainted with the waies of god , have you not found this to be the way of god towards you , when you have been troubled for want perhaps of some spiritual comfort , and your hearts were vext at it , you get nothing from god all that while ; but now if you have got your heart into a quiet frame , and can say , well , it 's fit the lord should do with his poor creatures what he will , i am under his feet , and am resolv'd to do what i can to honour him ; and let him do with me what he will i will seek him as long as i live , i will be content with what god gives ; and whether he gives or no i will be content ; yea , are you in this frame ( saith god ) now you shall have comfort , now i will give you the mercy . a prisoner must not think to get off his fetters by pulling and tearing , he may gall his flesh and rend it to the very bone , certainly he will be unfettered never the sooner , but if he would have his fetters taken off he must quietly give up himself to some man to take them off ; if a begger after he hath knockt once or twice at the door and you come not , and thereupon he is vext and troubled and thinks much that you let him stand a little while without any thing , you think that this begger is not fit to receive an almes , but if you hear two or three beggers at your door , and if you hear them out of your window say , let us be content to stay , perhaps they are busie , it 's fit that we should stay , it 's well if we have any thing at last , we deserve nothing at all , and therefore we may well wait a while ; you would then quickly send them an almes ; so god deals with the heart , when it is in a disquiet way then god doth not give ; but when the heart lies down quietly under gods hand , then is the heart in a fit frame to receive mercy : your strength shall be to sit still ( saith god , ) you shall not be delivered from babylon but by your sitting still . as fit to receive mercy , so fit to do service , oh the quiet fruits of righteousnesse , the peaceable fruits of righteousnesse ; they indeed do prosper and multiply most when they come to be peacable fruits of righteousnesse . as the philosophers say of every thing that moves , nothing that moves but it moves upon something that is immovable ; as a thing that moves upon the earth , if the earth were not still it could not move . object . the ships move upon the sea , and that is not still . answ . but the seas they move upon that which is still and immovable , there is nothing moves but it hath something immovable that doth uphold it : the wheels in a coach they move up and down , but the exletree that moves not up and down ; so it is with the heart of a man. as they say of the heaven , it moves up and down upon a pole that is immovable : so it is in the heart of a man , if he will move to do service to god he must have a steady heart within him , that must help him to move in the service of god , those that have unsteady disquiet spirits that have no steadfastnesse at all in them , they are not fit to do service for god , but such as have steadfastnesse in their spirits they are men and women fit to do any service , and that 's the reason that when the lord hath any great work for any servants of his to do , usually he doth first quiet their spirits , he doth bring their spirits into a quiet sweet frame to be contented with any thing , and then he sets them about imployment . the fift excellency is this , contentment it doth deliver us from abundance of temptations . oh the temptations that men of discontented spirits are subject to , the devil loves to fish in troubled waters . that 's our proverb of men and women , their disposition is to fish in troubled waters , they say it is good fishing in troubled waters , this is the maxime of the devil , he loves to fish in troubled waters , where he sees the spirits men and women troubled and vext , there the devil comes , saith he , there 's good fishing for me , when he sees men and women go discontented up and down and he can get them alone , then he comes with his temptations , saith he , will you suffer such a thing ? take such a shifting indirect way , do not you see how poor you are , others are brave , you know not what you shall do against winter , to provide fewell and get bread for you and your children , and so he tempts them to unlawful courses ; this is the special distemper that the devil fastens upon , when he brings men and women to give up their souls to him , it is upon discontent : that 's the ground of all those that have been witches , and so have given up themselves to the devil , the rise of it hath been their discontent , and therefore it is observable that those the devil worketh upon to make them witches , usually they are old and melancholy people , and women especially , and those that are of the poorer sort , that are discontent at home , their neighbours trouble them and vex them , and their spirits are weak and they cannot bear it , so upon that the devil fastens his temptations and draws them to any thing ; if they be poor , then he promises them money , if they have revengefull spirits , then he tels them that he will revenge them upon such and such persons , now this quiets and contents them . oh! there 's matter of temptation for the devil where he meets with a discontented spirit . as luther saith of god , god doth not dwell in babylon , but in salem , babylon signifies confusion , and salem signifies peace : now god doth not dwell in spirits that are in a confusion , but he dwels in peacable and quiet spirits . oh if you would free your selves from temptations , labour for contentment , it is the peace of god that guards the heart from temptation . i remember i have read of one marius curio that when he had bribes sent him , to tempt him to be unfaithful to his countrey , he was sitting at home at dinner with a dish of turnips , and they came and promised him rewards , saith he , that man that can be contented with this fare that i have , will not be tempted with your rewards , i thank god i am content with this fare , and as for rewards let them be offered to those that cannot be content to dine with a dish of turnips . so the truth is we see it apparently , that the reason why many do betray their trust , as in the parliament service and kingdom , because they cannot be contented to be in a low condition . let a man be contented to be in a low condition , and to go meanly cloathed if god sees it fit , such a man is shot-free ( as i may so say ) from thousands of temptations of the devil , that do prevail against others to the damning of their souls ; oh in such times as these are when men are in danger of the loss of their estates , i say these men that have not got this grace are in a most lamentable condition , they are in more danger for their souls then they are for their outward estates , you think it is a sad thing to be in danger of your outward estates that you may loose all in an night , but if you have not this contented spirit within you , you are in more danger of the temptations of the devil to be plundered that way of any good , and to be led into sin ; oh when men think thus , they must live as brave as they were wont to do , these men make themselves a prey to the devil ; but for such as can say let god do with me what he pleases , i am content to submit to his hand in it , the devil wil scarce meddle with such men . it 's a notable speech of a phylosopher that lived upon mean fare , and as he was eating herbs and roots , saith one to him , if you would but please dionisius you need not eat herbs and roots : but he answered him thus , if you would but be content with such mean fare you need not flatter dionisius . so temptations will no more prevail upon a contented man , then a dart that is thrown against a brasen wal . that 's the fifth particular . the sixth excellency is , the abundant comforts in a mans life that contentment will bring : contentment will make a mans life exceeding sweet and comfortable , nothing more than the grace of contentment ; many waies i will shew how it brings in comfort . as first , what a man hath he hath it in a kind of independent way , not depending upon any creature for his comfort . a contented man whose estate is low , if god raises his estate he hath the love of god in it , and then it 's abundantly more sweet than if he had it and his heart not contented : for if he had not the love of god in it , for it may be god grants to a discontented man his desire , but he cannot say it is from love ; if a man hath quieted his spirit first , and then god grant him his desire , he may have more comfort in it , and more assurance that he hath the love of god in it . this contentment is a comfort to a mans spirit in this , that it doth keep in his comforts , and keep out whatsoever may damp his comforts , or put out the light of them : i may compare this grace of contentment to a marriners lanthorn , a marriner when he is at sea let him have never so much provision in his ship , yet if he be thousands of leagues from land , or in a rode that he shall not meet with a ship in three or four moneths , if he hath never a lanthorn in his ship , nor nothing whereby he can keep a candle light in a storm , he will be in a sad condition , he would give a great deal to have a lanthorn , or some thing that may serve in stead of it . when a storm comes in the night , and he cannot have any light come above-board , but is puft out presently , his condition is very sad : so many men can have the light of comfort when there is no storm , but let there come but any affliction , any storm upon them their light is puft out presently , and what shall they do now ? when the heart is furnished with this grace of contentment ; this grace is ( as it were ) the lanthorn , and it keeps comfort in the spirit of a man , light in the midst of a storm and tempest . when you have a lanthorn in the midst of a storm you can carry a light every where up and down the ship to the top of the mast if you will , and yet keep it light ; so the comfort of a christian when it is enlivened with the grace of contentment , it may be keept light whatever storms or tempests come , yet he can keep light in his soul . oh! this helps thy comforts exceeding much . seventhly . there is this excellency in contentment , that it fetches in the comfort of those things we have not really in possession ; and perhaps many that have not outward things , have more comfort than those have that do enjoy them themselves : as now , a man by distilling herbs , though he hath not the herbs themselves , yet having the water that is distil'd out of them , he may enjoy the benefit of the herbs : so though a man hath not the reall possession of such an outward estate , an outward comfort , yet he by the grace of contentment may fetch it in to himself . by the art of navigation we can fetch in the riches of the east and west-indies to our selves ; so by the art of contentment we may fetch in the comfort of any condition to our selves , that is , we may have that comfort by contentment , that we should have if we had the thing it self . there is an notable story you have for this in plutarch , in the life of pyrus ; one sineus comes to him , and would very fain have had him desist from the wars , and not war with the romans ; saith he to him , may it please your majestie , it is reported that the romans are very good men of warre , and if it please the gods we do over-come them , what benefit shall we have of that victory ? pyrhus answered him , we shall then straight conquer all the rest of italy with ease . saith sineus , indeed it is likely which your grace speaketh : but when we have won italy , will then our wars end ? if the gods were pleased said pyrhus , that the victory were achieved , the way were then broad open for us to attain great conquests , for who would not afterwards go into africk , and so to carthage ? but ( saith sineus ) when we have all in our hands , what shall we do in the end ? then pyrhus laughing , told him again , we will then be quiet , and take our ease , and make feasts every day , and be as merry one with another as we can possible : saith sineus , what letteth us now to be as quiet , and merry together , fith we enjoy that presently without further travel and trouble which we should go seek for abroad , with such shedding of blood , and so manifest danger : cannot you sit down and be merry now ? so a man may think , if i had such a thing , then i would have another , and if i had that , then i should have more : and what if you had got al your desire ? then you would be content , why ? you may be content now without them . certainly our contentment doth not consist in the getting of the thing we desire , but in gods fashioning our spirits to our conditions : there 's some men that have not a foot of ground of their own , yet will live better than other men that are heirs to a great deal of land . i have known it in the country somtimes , that a man lives upon his own land , and yet lives very poorly , but you shall have another man that shall farm his land , and yet by his good husbandry , and by his care shall live better somtimes than he that hath the land of his own : so a man by this art of contentment may live better without an estate than another man can of an estate : oh! it adds exceeding much to the comfort of a christian : and that i may shew it farther , there is more comfort even in grace of contentment than there is in any possessions whatsoever ; a man hath more comfort in being content without a thing , than he can have in the thing that he in a discontented way doth desire . you think , if i had such a thing , then i should be content . i say , there is more good in contentment , than there is in the thing that you would fain have to cure your discontent , and that i shall open in divers particulars , as thus , . i would fain have such a thing , and then i could be content ; but if i had it then it were but the creature that did help to my contentment ; but now it 's the grace of god in my soul that makes me content : and surely it is better to be content with the grace of god in my soul , than with the enjoying of an outward comfort . . if i had such a thing , indeed my estate might be better , but my soul would not be better , but by contentment my soul is better , that would not be bettered by an estate , or lands , or friends ; but contentment makes my self to be better : and therefore contentment is a better portion than the thing is that i would fain have to be my portion . . if i get content by having my desire satisfied , that 's but self-love ; but when i am contented with the hand of god , and am willing to be at his dispose , that comes from my love to god in having my desire satisfied , there i am contented through self-love , but through the grace of contentment i come to be contented out of love to god ; and is it not beteer to be contented from a principle of love to god , than from a principle of self-love . . if i am contented because i have that that i have a desire to , perhaps i am contented in that one particular , but that one particular doth not furnish me with contentment in another thing ; perhaps i may grow more dainty and nice , and froward in other things : if you give children what they would have in some things , they grow so much the more coy and dainty , and discontented if they have not other things that they would have ; but if i have once overcome my heart , and am contented through the grace of god in my heart , then this doth not content me only in a particular , but in general , whatsoever befals me . i am discontented , and would fain have such a thing , and afterwards i have it : now doth this prepare me to be contented in other things ? no , but when i have gotten this grace of contentment , i am prepar'd to be contented in all conditions : and thus you see that contentment doth bring comfort to a mans life , fils a mans life full of comfort in this world : yea , the truth is , it is even a heaven upon earth , why ? what is heaven , but the rest and quiet of a mans spirit ; what 's the special thing that is in heaven , but rest , and joy , that makes the life of heaven , there 's rest and joy , and satisfaction in god : so it 's here in a contented spirit , there 's rest , and joy , and satisfaction in god : in heaven , there 's singing praises to god ; a contented heart is alwaies praising and blessing god ; thou hast heaven while thou art upon earth when thou hast a contented spirit , yea , in some regards it's better than heaven . how is that you will say ? there 's some kind of honour that god hath in it , and some excellency that he hath not in heaven , and that 's this , in heaven there is no overcoming of temptations , they are not put to any trials by afflictions : there in heaven they have exercise of grace , but they have nothing but encouragement to it , and indeed those that are there their grace is perfect , and in that they do excel us ; but there is nothing to cross their grace , they have no trials at all to tempt them to do contrary ; but now for a man or woman to be in the midst of afflictions , temptations and troubles , and yet to have grace exercised , and yet to be satisfied in god and christ , and in the word and promises in the mid'st of all they suffer , this may seem to be an honour that god hath from us , that he hath not from the angels and saints in heaven . is it so much for one that is in heaven that hath nothing else but good from god , hath nothing to try them , no temptations , is that so much for them to be praising and blessing god , as for the poor soul that is in the mid'st of trials and temptations , and afflictions , and troubles ? for this soul to go on praysing and blessing , and serving god ; i ( say ) it is an excellency that thou shalt not have in heaven , and god shal not have this kind of glory from thee in heaven , and therefore be contented , and prize this contentment , and be willing to live in this world as long as god shal please , and do not think , oh that i were delivered from all these afflictions and troubles herein this world ! if thou wert , then thou shouldest have more ease to thy self : but here 's a way of honouring god , and manifesting the excellency of grace here when thou art in this conflict of temptation that god shal not have from thee in heaven , and therefore be satisfied and quiet , be contented with thy contentment : i want such and such things that others have , but blessed be god i have a contented heart that others have not , then i say be content with thy contenement , for that 's a rich portion that the lord hath granted unto them , if the lord should give unto thee thousands here in this world , it would not be such a rich portion as this , that he hath given thee a contented spirit : oh go away and praise the name of god , and say , lord , it 's true these and these comforts that others have i should be glad if i had them , but thou hast cut me short , but though i want these , yet thou hast given me that that is as good and better , thou hast given me a quiet contented heart , to be willing to be at thy dispose . sermon vii . philippians . . . for i have learned in whatsoever state i am , therewith to be content . we proceed now . there are some two or three things more of the excellency of contentment and then we are to proceed to applycation of the point . the eight excellency is , contentment is a great blessing of god upon the soul. there is gods blessing upon those that are content , the blessing of god is upon them , and their estates , and upon all that they have . we reade in deut. of the blessing of judah the principal tribe ; this is the blessing of judah , and he said hear lord the voice of judah and bring him unto his people , let his hands be sufficient for him , and be thou an help to him from his enemies . let his hand be sufficient for him , that is , bring in a sufficiency of all good unto him that he may have of his own , that 's the blessing of judah . so when god gives thee a sufficiency of thine own , ( as every contented man hath ) there is the blessing of god upon thee , the blessing of the principle tribe of judah is upon thee . it is the lord that gives us all things to injoy , we may have the thing and yet not enjoy it except god comes in with his blessing now whatsoever thou hast thou do'st injoy it : many men have estates and do not enjoy them , it 's the blessing of god that gives us all things to enjoy , it is god that through his blessing , hath fashioned thy heart and made it sutable to thy condition . the ninth excellency , those that are content they may expect reward from god , that god shall give unto them the good of all those things that they are contented to be without , and this brings in abundance of good to a contented spirit : there is such and such a mercy that thou thinkest would be very comfortable unto thee if thou had'st it , but canst thou bring thy heart to submit to god in it ? thou shalt have the blessing of the mercy one way or other ; if thou hast not the thing it self in re ; thou shalt have it made up one way or other , thou shalt have a bill of exchange to receive somewhat in lieu of it , there is no comfort that any soul is content to be without , but the lord will give either the comfort or somewhat in stead of it : thou shalt have a reward to thy soul for what ever good thing thou art content to be without . you know what the scripture saith of active obedience , and the lord doth accept ( of his servants ) their will for the deed , though we do not do a good thing , yet if our hearts be upright , to will to do it , we shall have the blessing though we do not do the thing : you that complain of weaknesse , you cannot do as others do , you cannot do as much service as others do , if your hearts be as upright with god , and would fain do the same service that you see others do , you would account it a great blessing of god upon you , the greatest blessing in the world if you were able to do as others do ; now you may comfort your selves with this , having to deal with god in the way of the covenant of grace you shall have from god the reward of all you will do , as a wicked man shall have punishment for all the sin he would commit , so thou shalt have the reward for all the good thou wouldest do . now may not we draw an argument from active obedience to passive ; there is as good reason why thou shouldest expect that god will reward thee for all that thou art willing to suffer , as well as for all that thou art willing to do , now if thou beest willing to be without such a comfort and mercy when god sees it fit , thou shalt be no looser , certainly god will reward thee either with the comfort or with that that shall be as good to thee as the comfort , therefore consider how many things have i that others want , and can i bring my heart into a quiet contented frame to want what others have ? i have the blessing of all that they have , and i shall either possesse such things as others have , or else god will make it up one way or other , either here , or hereafter in eternity to me ; oh what riches are here ! with contentment thou hast all kind of riches . tenthly and lastly , by contentation the soul comes to an excellencie neer to god himselfe , yea the neerest that may be , for this word that is translated content , it is a word that signifies a self-sufficiencie , as i told you in the opening of the words . a contented man is a self-sufficient man , what is the great glory of god but to be happy and self-sufficient in himself ? indeed he is said to be all-sufficient , but that 's but a further addition of the word all , rather than of any matter , for to be sufficient , is all-sufficient , now is this the glory of god to be sufficient , to have sufficiencie in himselfe , el-shaddai , to be god having sufficiency in himself ? now thou comest neer to this , thou partakest of the divine nature , as by grace in generall , so in a more peculiar manner by this grace of christian contentment , what 's the excellency and glory of god but this ? suppose there were no creatures in the world , and that all the creatures in the world were anihilated , god would remain the same blessed god that he is now , he would not be in a worse condition if all creatures were gone , neither would a contented heart if god should take away all creatures from him , a contented heart hath enough in the want of al creatures and would not be more miserable than now he is . suppose that god should continue thee here , and all creatures that are here in this world were taken away , yet thou still ( having god to be thy portion ) wouldest be as happy as now thou art , and therefore contentation hath a great deal of excellency in it . thus we have shewed in many particulars the excellency of this grace , labouring to present the beauty of it before your souls that you may be in love with it . now my brethren what remains but the practice of this , for this art of contentment it 's not a speculative thing , only for contemplation , but it is an art of divinity , and therfore practicall , ye are now to labour to work upon your hearts , that there may be this grace in you , that you may honour god and honour your profession with this grace of contentment , for there is none doth more honour god , and honour their profession than those that have this grace of contentment . now that we may fall upon the practice there , is required , first , that we should he humbled in our hearts for the want of this , that we have had so little of this grace in us . for there is no way to set upon any duty with profit , till the heart be humbled for the want of the performance of the duty before ; many men when they hear of a duty that they should perform , they will labour to perform it , but first thou must be humbled for the want of it , therefore that 's the thing that i shall endeavour in the application , to get your hearts to be humbled for the want of this grace ; oh had i had this grace of contentment , what a happy life i might have lived ? what abundance of honour i might have brought to the name of god ? and how might i have honoured my profession ? and what a deal of comfort might i have enjoyed ? but the lord knows it hath been far otherwise , oh how far have i been from this grace of contentment that hath been opened to me ? i have had a murmuring , a vexing and a fretting heart within me , every little crosse hath put me out of temper and out of frame , oh the boisterousnesse of my spirit , what a deal of evil doth god see in my heart , in the vexing and fretting of my heart , and murmuring and repining of my spirit ? oh that god would make you to see it : now to the end that you might be humbled for the want of this , i shall endeavour in these particulars to speak unto it . first , i shall set before you , the evil of a murmuring spirit , there is more evil than you are aware of . in the second place , i will shew you some agravations of this evil , it 's evil in all , but in some more than in others . thirdly , i shall labour to take away the pleas that any murmuring discontented heart hath for this distemper of his . there 's these three things in this use of humiliation of the soul for the want of this grace of contentment . for the first , now at this time . the great evil that there is in a murmuring discontented heart . in the first place , this thy murmuring and discontentedness it argues much corruption that is in the soul , as contentment argues much grace , and strong grace , and beautiful grace ; so this argues much corruption , and strong corruption , and very vile corruptions in thy heart . as it is in a mans body , if a mans body be of that temper that every scratch of a pin makes his flesh to ranckle and to be a sore , you will say , surely this mans body is very corrupt , his blood and his flesh is corrupt , that every scratch of a pin shal make it ranckle , so it is in thy spirit ; if every little trouble and affliction shal make thee discontented , and make thee murmur , and even cause thy spirit within thee to ranckle , or as it is in a wound in a mans body , the evil of a wound , it is not so much in the largenesse of the wound , and the abundance of blood that comes out of the wound , but in the inflamation that there is in it , or in a fretting and corroding humour that is in the wound ; an unskilful man when he comes and sees a large wound in the flesh , looks upon it as a dangerous wound , and when he sees a great deal of blood gush out , he thinks these are the evils of it , but when a chirurgion comes and sees a great gash , saith he , this will be heal'd within a few daies , but there 's a lesse wound and there 's an inflamation or a fretting humour that is in it , and this will cost time ( saith he ) to cure , so that he doth not lay balsome and healing salves upon it , but his great care is to get out the fretting humour , or inflamation , so that the thing that must heal this wound it is some drink to purge ; but ( saith the patient ) what good will this do to my wound ? you give me somewhat to drink , and my wound is in my arme , or in my leg , what good will this do that i put in my stomack ? yes it purges out the fretting humour , or takes away the inflamation , and till that be taken away the salves can do no good . so it is just for all the world in the souls of men , it may be there is some affliction upon them that i compare to the wound ; now they think that the greatnesse of the affliction is that that makes their condition most miserable : oh no , there is a fretting humour , an inflamation in the heart , a murmuring spirit that is within thee and that is the misery of thy condition , and that must be purged out of thee before thou canst be healed , and let god do with thee what he will , till he purges out that fretting humour thy wound will not be healed ; a murmuring heart is a very sinful heart , so that when thou art troubled for such an affliction , thou hadst need turn thy thoughts , rather to be troubled for the murmuring of thy heart , for that 's the greatest trouble , there is an affliction upon thee and that is grievous , but there is a murmuring heart within and that 's more grievous . oh that we could but convince men and women that a murmuring spirit is a greater evil than any affliction , let the affliction be what it will be . we shall shew more afterward that a murmuring spirit is the evil of the evil , and the misery of the misery . secondly , the evill of murmuring is such , that god when he would speak of wicked men , and describe them , and slew the brand of a wicked and ungodly man or woman , he instances in this sin in a more special manner : i might name many scriptures , but that scripture in jude is a most remarkable one , in the . verse , and so forward , there it is said , that the lord comes with ten thousands of his saints , to execute judgement upon all , and to convince all that are ungodly among them , of all their ungodly deeds , which they have ungodly committed , and of all their hard speeches , which ungodly sinners have spoken against him ▪ mark here in this . verse , there is four times mentioned ungodly ones ; all that are ungodly among them , all their ungodly deeds which they have ungodly committed , and of all their hard speeches , which ungodly sinners have spoken against him : this is in the general . but now he comes in the particular to shew who these are , these are ( saith he ) murmurers : that 's the very first . would you know who are ungodly men , that god when he comes with ten thousand of angels shall come to punish for all their ungodly deeds that they do , and those that speak ungodly things against them ; these ungodly ones are murmurers , murmurers in the scripture are put in the fore front of ungodly one , it 's a most dreadfull scripture , that the lord when he speaks of ungodly ones puts murmurers in the very fore-front of all , you had need look to your spirits , you may see that this murmuring , which is the vice contrary to this contentment is not so small a matter as you think , you think you are not so ungodly as others , because you do not swear and drink as others do , but you may be ungodly in murmuring , it 's true there is no sin but some seeds and remainers of it are in those that are godly , but when they are under the power of this sin of murmuring , it doth convince them to be ungodly , as well as if they were under the power of drunkennesse , or whordom , or any other sin , god will look upon you as ungodly for this sin as well as for any sin whatsoever . this one scripture should make the heart shake at the thought of the sin of murmuring . thirdly , as it 's made a brand of ungodly men , so you shal find in scripture that god accounts it rebellion , that is contrary to the worship that there was in contentednesse : that 's worshiping of god , crouching to god and falling down before him , even as a dog that would crouch when you hould a staffe over him , but a murmuring heart it 's a rebellious heart , and that you shall find if you compare two scriptures together , they are both in the book of numb . . . but on the morrow ( saith the text ) all the congregation of the children of israel murmured against moses and against aaron , saying , ye have killed the people of the lord. they all murmured , now compare this with the chap. . & vers . . and the lord said unto moses , bring aarons rod again , before the testimony to be kept for a token against the rebels . in the . chap. they murmured against moses and aaron , and in the . chap. bring the rod of aaron again , before the testimony , for a token against the rebels . so that to be a murmurer , and to be a rebel you see in scripture phrase is all one , it is a rebellion against god : as it is the beginning of rebellion and sedition in a kingdom when the people are discontent , and when discontentment comes it grows to murmuring , and you can go into no house almost but there is murmuring when men are discontent , so that within a little while it breaks forth into sedition or rebellion . murmuring it's but as the smoke of the fire , there is first a smoke and smother before the flame breaks forth , and so before open rebellion in a kingdom there is first a smoke of murmuring , and then it breaks forth into open rebellion ; but because it hath rebellion in the seeds of it therefore it is accounted before the lord to be rebellion . wilt thou be a rebel against god ? when thou feelest thy heart discontented and murmuring against the dispensations of god towards thee , thou shouldest check thy heart thus , oh thou wretched heart , what wilt thou be a rebel against god ? wilt thou rise in a way of rebellion against the infinite god ? yet thus thou hast done , charge thy heart with this sin of rebellion , you that are guilty of this sin of murmuring you are this day by the lord charged as being guilty of rebellion against him , and god expects that when you go home you should humble your souls before him for this sin , that you should charge your souls for being guilty of rebellion against god , many of you may say , i never thought that i had been a rebel against god before , i thought that i had many infirmities , but now i see the scripture speaks of sin in another manner than men do , the scripture makes men ( though but murmurers ) to be rebels against god , oh this rebellious heart that i have against the lord that hath manifested it's self in this way of murmuring against the lord ? that 's a third particular in the evil of discontentment . a fourth particular in the evil of discontentment , it is a wickedness that is exeeeding contrary to grace , and especially contrary to the work of god , in bringing of the soul home to himself ; i know no distemper more opposite and contrary to the work of god in conversion of a sinner , than this is . quest . what 's the work of god when he brings a sinner home to himself ? answ . the usual way is for god to make the soul to see and be sensible of the dreadful evil that there is in sin , and the great breach that sin hath made between god and it , for certainly jesus christ can never be known in his beauty and excellency till the soule know that . i do not speak what secret work of the holy-ghost there may be in the soul , but before the soul can actually apply jesus christ to its self , it is impossible but it must come to know the evil of sin , and the excellency of jesus christ : there may be a seed of faith put into the soul , but the soul must first know christ , and know sin , and be made sensible of it . now how contrary is this sin of murmuring to any such work of god ; hath god made me see the dreadful evil of sin , and made my soul to be sensible of the evil of sin as the greatest burden ? how can i then be so much troubled for every little affliction ? certainly if i saw what the evill of sin were , that sight would swallow up all other evils , and if i were burdened with the evil of sin , it would swallow up all other burdens ; what am i now murmuring against gods hand ( saith such a soul ) when as a while ago the lord made me see my self to be a damned wretch , and apprehend it as a wonder that i am not in hell ? . yea , it 's mighty contrary to the sight of the infinit excellency and glory of jesus christ , and of the things of the gospel . what am i that soul that the lord hath discovered such infinit excellency of jesus christ to ? and yet shall i think such a little affliction to be so grievous to me , when i have had the sight of such glory in christ that is more worth than ten thousand worlds ? ( for so will a true convert say ) oh! the lord at such a time hath given me that fight of christ that i would not be without for ten thousand thousand worlds ; but hath god given thee that , and wilt thou be discontent for a trifle in comparison to that ? . a third work when god brings the soul home to himself it is , by taking the heart off from the creature , the disingaging the heart from all creature-comforts : that 's the third work ordinarily that the soul may perceive of its selfe . it 's true , gods work may be altogether in the seeds in him , but in the several actings of the soul in turning to god it may perceive these things in it ; the disingagement of the heart from the creature , that 's the calling off the soul from the world , whom the lord hath called he hath justified : what 's the calling of the soul but this , the soul that was before seeking for contentment in the world , and cleaving to the creature , now the lord calls the soul out of the world , and saith , oh soul , thy happinesse is not here , thy rest is not here , thy happinesse is else-where , and thy heart must be loosned from all these things that are here below in the world ; and this is the work of god in the soul to disingage the heart from the creature , and how contrary is a murmuring heart to such a thing ; a thing that is glued to another you cannot take off , but you must rend it , so it 's a sign thy heart is glued to the world , that when god would take thee off , thy heart rends , if god by an affliction should come to take any thing in the world from thee , if thou canst part from it with ease without rending , it 's a sign then that thy heart is not glued to the world . . a fourth work of god in the converting of a sinner , is this , the casting of the soul upon jesus christ for all its good : i see jesus christ in the gospel the fountain of all good , and god out of free grace tendering him to me for life , and for salvation , and now my soul casts its self , rouls it self upon the infinit grace of god in christ for al good ; now hast thou done so ? hath god converted thee , and drawn thee to his son to cast thy soul upon him for all thy good , and yet thou discontented for the want of some little matter in a creature-comfort ? art thou he that hath cast thy soul upon jesus christ for all good ? as he saith in another case , is this thy faith ? . the soul is subdued to god ; and then it comes to receive jesus christ as a king , to rule , to order and dispose of him how he pleases , and so the heart is subdued unto god. now how opposite is a murmuring discontented heart to a heart subdued to jesus christ as a king , and receiving him as a lord to rule and dispose of him as he pleases . . there is in the work of thy turning to god the giving up of thy self to god in an everlasting covenant ? as thou takest christ the head of the covenant to be thine , so thou givest up thy self to christ ; in the work of conversion there is the resignation of the soul wholly to god in an everlasting covenant to be his ; hast thou ever surrendred up thy self to god in an everlasting covenant ? then certainly this thy fretting , murmuring heart is mighty opposite to it , certainly thou forgettest this covenant of thine , and the resignation of thy self up to god , it would be of marvellous help to you to humble your souls when you are in a murmuring condition ; if you could but obtain so much liberty of your own spirits as to look back to see what the work of god was in converting you , there is nothing would prevail more than to think of that . i am now in a murmuring discontented way , but how did i feel my soul working when god did turn my soul to himself ? oh how opposite is this to that work , and how unseeming ? oh what shame and confusion would come upon the spirits of men and women , if they could but compare the work of corruption in their murmuring and discontent , with the work of god that was upon their souls in conversion , now we should labour to keep the work of god upon our souls that was at our conversion ; for conversion must not be only at one instant at first : men are deceived in this , if they think their conversion is finished meerly at first , thou must be in a way of conversion to god all the daies of thy life , and therefore christ saith to his disciples , except ye be converted and become as little children : ye be converted , why , were they not converted before ? yes they were converted , but they were still to continue the work of conversion all the daies of their lives , and what work of god there is at the first conversion it is to abide afterwards . as thus , alwaies there must abide some sight and sense of sin , it may be not in the way which you had , which was rather a preparation than any thing else , but the sight and sense of sin it is to continue still , that is , you are still to be sensible of the burden of sin as it is against the holinesse , and goodnesse , and mercy of god unto thee , and the sight of the excellency of jesus christ is to continue , and thy calling out of the creature : and thy casting of thy soul upon christ , and thy receiving christ as a king , still receive him day by day , and the subduing of thy heart , and the surrendring of thy selfe up to god in a way of covenant ; now if this were but daily continued there would be no space nor time for murmuring to work upon thy heart : that 's the fourth particular . the fift thing in the evil of discontentment , murmuring and discontentment is exceedingly below a christian ; oh! it is too mean and base a distemper for a christian to give place to it . now it 's below a christian in many respects . how below the relation of a christian ? the relation in which thou standest . with what relation ( you will say ? ) first , the relation thou standest in to god : do'st not thou call god thy father ? and do'st not thou stand in relation to him as a child ? what ? thou murmer ? in sam. . . it 's a speech of jonadab to amnon , why art thou , being the kings son , lean from day to day , wilt thou not tell me ? and so he told him ; ( but that was for a wicked cause ) he perceived that his spirit was troubled , for otherwise he was of a fat and plump temper of body , but because of trouble of spirit he was even pin'd away why ? what 's the matter ? thou that standest in this relation to the king and yet any thing should trouble thy heart , ( that 's his meaning ) is there any thing that should disquiet thy heart , and yet standest in such a relation to the king , the king's son ? so i may say to a christian , art thou the king's son , the son , the daughter of the king of heaven , and yet so disquieted and troubled , and vext at every little thing that falls out ? as if a king's son should cry out , he is undone for losing a bable , what an unworthy thing were this : so doest thou , thou criest out as if thou wert undon , and yet a kings son , thou that standest in such relation to god , as unto a father , thou doest dishonour thy father in this ; as if so be either he had not wisdom , or not power , or not mercy enough to provide for thee . . the relation that thou standest in to jesus christ , thou art the spouse of christ : what ! one married to jesus christ & yet troubled and discontented ? hast thou not enough in him ; doth not christ say to his spouse , as elkanah said to hannah , ( sam. . . ) am not i better to thee than ten sons ? so doth not christ thy husband say to thee , am not i better to thee than thousands of riches and comforts ? such comforts as thou murmurest for want of ; hath not god given thee his son ? and will he not with him give thee all things ? hath the love of god bin to thee to give thee his son in way of marriage ? why art thou discontented and murmuring ? consider thy relation to jesus christ , as thou art a spouse and married to him , his person is thine , and so all the riches of jesus christ is thine , as the riches of a husband are the wives , and though there are some husbands so vile as the wives may be forced to sue for maintainance ; certainly jesus christ will never deny maintainance to his spouse , it 's a dishonour for a husband to have the wife go whining up-and down ; what , thou art macht with christ & art his spouse , and wilt thou murmur now and be discontented in thy spirit ? you shall observe among those that are newly matched , when there is discontent between the wife and the husband , their friends will shake their heads and say , they do not meet with that that they did expect , ye see ever since they were married together how the man looks , and the woman looks , they are not so chearly as they were wont to be , surely ( say they ) it is like to prove an ill match . but it 's not so here , it shall not be so between thee and christ : oh jesus christ doth not love to see his spouse to have a lowring countenance : no man loves to see discontentment in the face of his wife , surely christ doth not love to see discontentment in the face of his spouse . thou standest in relation to christ not only as a spouse , but as a member , thou art bone of his bone , and flesh of his flesh ; and to have a member of jesus christ to be in such a condition , it 's exceeding unworthy . . he is thy elder brother likewise , and so thou art a co heir with him . the relation that thou standest in to the spirit of god , thou art the temple of the holy ghost , the holy ghost is thy comforter , it is he that is appointed to convey all comfort from the father and the son , to the souls of his people . and art thou the temple of the holy ghost , and doth he dwell in thee , and yet for all that thou murmur for every little matter . the relation that thou standest in to the angels , thou art made one body with them : for so christ hath joyned principalities and powers with his church , they are ministring spirits for good to his people , to supply what they need , and thou , and they are joyned together , and christ is the head of you and angels . the relation that you stand in to the saints , you are of the same body with them , they and you make up but one mystical body with jesus christ , and if they be happy you must needs be happy ; oh how beneath a christian is a murmuring spirit if he considers his relations in which he stands . secondly , a christian should consider , that murmuring and discontentednesse is below the high dignities that god hath put upon him : do but consider the high dignitie that god hath put upon thee ; the meanest christian in the world is a lord of heaven and earth ; he hath made us kings unto himselfe , kings unto god , not kings unto men to rule over them , and yet i say every christian is lord of heaven and earth , yea of life and death . that is , as christ he is lord of all , so he hath made those that are his members to be lords of all , all are yours saith the apostle , even life and death , every thing is yours . it 's a very strange expression that death should be theirs , death is yours , that is , you are as it were lords over it , you have that that shall make death to be your servant , your slave , even death it 's self , your greatest enemies are turned to be your slaves ; faith makes a christian to be as lord over all , to be lifted up in excellency above all creatures that ever god made except the angels , yea and in some respect above them , i say the poorest christian that lives is raised to an estate above all the creatures in the world except angels , yea and above them in divers respects too , and yet discontented , that thou who wert as a firebrand of hell , and might have been scorching and yelling and roring there to all eternity , yet that god should raise thee to have a higher excellency in thee than there is in all the works of creation that ever he made except angels , and other christians that are in thy condition , yea and thou art neerer the divine nature than the angels , because thy nature is joyned in an hypostatical union to the divine nature , and in that respect thy nature is more honoured than the nature of the angels . and the death of christ is thine , he died for thee and not for the angels , and therefore thou art like to be raised above the angels in divers respects : yea thou that art in such an estate as this is , thou that art set apart to the end that god might manifest to all eternity what the infinite power of a deity is able to raise a creature too ; for that 's the condition of a saint , a beleever , his condition is such as he is set apart to the end that god might manifest to all eternity what his infinite power is able to do to make the creature happy ; art thou in such a condition ? oh! how low and beneath this condition is a murmuring and discontented heart for want of some outward comforts here in this world : how unseemly is it that thou shouldest be a slave to every crosse , that every affliction shal be able to say to thy soul , bow down to us : we accounted that a great slavery , when men would say to our souls , bow down : as the cruel prelats were wont to do in imposing things upon mens consciences , they did in effect say , let your consciences , your souls bow down to us , that we may tread upon them ; that is the greatest slavery in the world , that one man should say to another , let your consciences , your souls bow down that we may tread upon them ; but wilt thou suffer every affliction to say , bow down that we may tread upon thee ? truly it 's so , when thy heart is overcome with murmuring and discontent : know that those afflictions which have caused thee to murmur , have said to thee , bow down that we may tread upon thee ; nay , not afflictions , but the very devil doth prevail against you in this : oh! how beneath is this to the happy estate that god hath raised a christian unto ! what! the son of a king , shal he have every base fellow to come and bid him bow down that he may tread upon his neck ? thus doest thou in every affliction : the affliction , the cross , and trouble that doth befal thee , saith bow down that we come and tread upon thee . thirdly , murmuring it's below the spirit of a christian . below his spirit , the spirit of every christian should be like the spirit of his father ; every father loves to see his spirit in his child , loves to see his image , not the image of his body only , to say , here 's a child for all the world like the father , but he hath the spirit of his father too : a father that is a man of spirit , loves to see his spirit in his child , rather than the feature of his body ; oh the lord that is our father , loves to see his spirit in us : great men love to see great spirits in their children , and the great god loves to see a great spirit in his children ; we are one spirit with god , and with christ , and one spirit with the holy-ghost , therefore we should have a spirit that might manifest the glory of the father , son , & holy-ghost in our spirits ; that 's the spirit of a christian indeed . the spirit of a christian should be a lyon-like spirit , as jesus christ is the lyon of the tribe of judah , ( so he is cal'd ) so we should manifest somewhat of the lyon-like spirit of jesus christ ; he manifested his lyon-like spirit in passing through all afflictions and troubles whatsoever without any murmuring against god : when he came to drink that bitter cup , and even the dregs of it , he prayed to god ( indeed ) that if it were possible it might passe from him , but presently , not my will , but thy will be done : as soon as ever he did mention the passing of the cup from him , ( though it were the most dreadful cup that ever was drunk since the world began , yet at the mentioning of it ) not my will , but thy will be done ; here christ shewed a lyon-like spirit in going through all kind of afflictions whatsoever with out any murmuring against god in them : now a murmuring spirit is a base dejected spirit , crosse and contrary to the spirit of a christian , and it 's very base . i remember that the heathens accounted it very base , plutarch doth report of a certain people that did use to manifest their disdain to men that were overmuch dejected by any affliction , they did condemn them to this punishment , to wear womens cloaths all their daies , or such a space of time at least they should go in womans cloaths in token of shame and disgrace to them because they had such effeminate spirits , they thought it against a manlike spirit , and therefore seeing they did un-man themselves they should go as women , now shall they account it an unmanlike spirit , to be overmuch dejected in afflictions ; and shall not a christian account it an unchristian-like spirit to be overmuch dejected by any affliction whatsoever ? i remember another compares murmuring spirits , to children when they are weaning , what a deal of stir have you with your children when you wean them , how froward and vexing are they ? so when god would wean thee from some outward comforts in this world , oh how fretting and discontented art thou ! children will not sleep themselves , nor let their mothers sleep when they are weaning ; and so when god would wean us from the world , and we fret , vex , and murmur , this is a childish spirit . fourthly , it 's below the profession of a christian . the profession of a christian , what 's that ? a christians profession is to be dead to the world , and to be alive to god , that 's his profession , to have his life to be hid with christ in god , to satisfie himself in god ; what is this thy profession ? and yet if thou hast not every thing that thou wouldest have to murmur and be discontent , thou doest in that even deny thy profession . fiftly , it is below that special grace of faith . faith is that that doth overcome the world , it is that that makes all the promises of god to be ours : now when thou tookest upon thee the profession of religion , did god ever promise thee that thou shouldest live at ease , and quiet , and have no trouble ? i remember austin hath such an expression , what is this thy faith ? what did i ever promise thee , ( saith he ) that thou shouldest ever flourish in the world ? art thou a christian to that end ? and is this thy faith ? i never made any such promise to thee when thou tookest upon thee to be a christian : oh it 's mighty contrary to thy profession , thou hast never a promise for this , that thou shouldest not have such an affliction upon thee : and a christian should live by his faith ; it is said , that the just do live by faith ; now thou shouldest not look after any other life but the life that thou hast by faith ; now thou hast no ground for thy faith , to beleeve that thou shouldest be delivered out of such an affliction ; and then , why shouldest thou account it such a great evil to be under such an affliction ? certainly that good that we have in the ground for our faith , it is enough to content our hearts here , and to all eternity : a christian should be satisfied with that that god hath made to be the object of his faith , the object of his faith is high enough to satisfie his soul , were it capable of a thousand times more than it is : now if thou mayest have the object of thy faith full , thou hast enough to content thy soul : and know that when thou art discontented for want of such and such comforts , if thou wouldest but think thus , god did never promise me that i should have these comforts , and at this time , and in such a way as i would have , but i am discontented because i have not these which god did never yet promise me , and therefore i sin much against the gospel , and against the grace of faith . there is yet another thing , it 's below the hopes of christians : oh! the most glorious things that the saints hope for . and against the helps that christians have , christians have great helps that may help them against murmuring . and it is against that which god expects from christians . god he expects other manner of things from them than this . yea , and it is below that that god hath from other christians . these things i shall open at another time . sermon viii . philippians . . . for i have learned in whatsoever state i am , therewith to be content . i mentioned divers things the last day to set out the evil of discontent ; i shall name two or three more . sixthly , it is below a christian in this , because it 's below those helps that a christian hath more than others have ; they have the promises to help them that others have not ; it 's not so much to have a nabal have his heart sink , because he hath nothing but the creature to uphold him , but it 's much for a christian that hath promises and ordinances to uphold his spirit which others have not . seventhly , it 's below the expectation that god hath of christians , for god expects not only that they should be patient in afflictions , but that they should rejoyce and triumph in them : now christians , when god expects this from you , for you not so much as to have attained to contentednesse under afflictions , oh this is beneath the expectation of god from you . eightly , it is below that that god hath had from other christians . others have not only bin contented with little crosses , but they have triumphed under great afflictions , they have suffered the spoiling of their goods with joy , reade but the latter part of the . of the hebrews , and you shall find what great things god hath had from his people , and therefore not to be content with smaler crosses , this must needs be a great evil . the sixth evil that there is in a murmuring spirit , is this , by murmuring you undo your prayers , for it is exceeding contrary to the prayers that you make unto god : when you come to prayer to god , you acknowledge his sovereignity over you , you come there to professe your selves to be at gods dispose , what do you pray for except you acknowledge that you are at his dispose , except you will stand ( as it were ) at his dispose never come to petition to him , if you will come to petition him , and yet will be your own carver you go crosse to your prayers , to come as if you would beg your bread at your fathers gates every day , and yet you must do what you list , this is the undoing of the prayers of a christian . i remember i have read of lattimer that speaking concerning peter that denyed his master , ( saith he ) peter forgot his pater-noster , for that was , hallowed be thy name , and thy kingdom come : so we may say , when you have murmuring and discontented hearts you forget your prayers , you forget what you have prayed for , for you must make the lords-prayer to be as a pattern for your prayers though you say not alwaies the same words , what do you pray , but give us this day our dayly bread ? for that 's christs intention that we should have that as a pattern , and is a directory ( as it were ) how to make our prayers , now god doth not teach any of you to pray , lord give me so much a yeer , or let me have such kind of cloath , and so many dishes at my table , christ doth not teach you to pray so ; but he teaches us to pray , lord give us our bread , shewing that you should be content with a little , what have you not bread to eat ? i hope there 's none of you here but have that . obj. but i do not know if i should die what should become of my children : or if i have bread now i know not where i shall have it the next week , or where i shall have provision for the winter . answ . where did christ teach us to pray , lord give us provision for so long a time ; no , but if we have bread for this day christ would have us content : therefore when we murmur because we have not so much variety as others have , we do ( as it were ) forget our pater-noster ; it 's against our prayers , we do not in our lives hold forth the acknowledgement of the sovereignity of god over us as we seem to acknowledg in our prayers ; therefore when at any time you find your hearts murmuring then do but reflect upon your selves and think thus , is this according to my prayers , wherein i held forth the sovereign power and authority that god had over me ? the seventh thing that i adde for the evil of discontentment , is , the wofull effects that comes to a discontented heart from murmuring , i 'le name you five , there are five evil effects that comes from a murmuring spirit . by murmuring and discontent in your hearts , you come to loose a great deal of time ; how many times do men and women when they are discontented let their thoughts run , and are musing and contriving through their present discontentednesse ; then let their discontented thoughts be working in them , for some hours together , and they spend their time in vain . when you are alone you should spend your time in holy meditation , but you are spending your time in discontented thoughts ; you who complain that you cannot meditate , you cannot think on good things , but if you begin to think of them a little , presently your thoughts are off from them , but if you be discontented with any thing , then you can go alone , and muse , and roul things up and down in your thoughts to feed a discontented humour : oh labour to see this evil effect of murmuring , the losing of your time . . it doth unfit you for duty : a man or woman that is in a contented frame , you may turn such a one to any thing at any time , he is fit for to go to god at any time ; but when one is in a discontented condition , then a man or woman is exceeding unfit for the service of god. and it causes many distractions in duty , it unfits for duty , and when you come to perform duties , oh the distractions that are in your duties , when your spirits are discontented ; when you hear of any ill news from sea and cannot bear it , or of any ill from a friend , or any losse or crosse , oh what distractions do they cause in the performance of holy duties ! when you should be in enjoying communion with god , you are distracted in your thoughts about the crosse that hath befallen you , whereas had you but a quiet spirit , though there should great crosses befal you , yet they would never hinder you in the performance of any duty . consider what wicked risings of heart , & resolutions of spirit there are many times in a discontented fit . in some discontented fits the heart rises against god , and against others , and sometimes hath even desperate resolutions what to do to help themselves . if the lord should have suffered you to have done , ( sometimes in a discontented fit ) what you had thought to do , what wonderfull misery had you brought upon your selves ! oh it was a mercy of god that did stop you , had not god stopt you , but let you go on when you thought to help your selves this way and the other way , oh it had been ill with you , do you but remember those risings of heart and wicked resolutions that sometimes you have had in a discontented mood , and learn to be humbled upon that . vnthankefulnesse , that 's an evil and a wicked effect that comes from discontent . unthankfulnesse the scripture doth ranke among very great sins . for men and women that are discontent though they enjoy many mercies from god , yet they are thankfull for none of them , for this is the vile nature of discontentment , to lessen every mercy of god , to make those mercies they have from god to be as nothing to them , because they have not what they would have . sometimes it 's so even in spiritual things , if they have not all they would have , the comforts that they would have , then what they have is nothing to them , do you think that god will take this well ? if you should give a friend , a kinsman , a purse of money to go and trade withal , and he should come and say , what do you give me ? they are but a few counters , they wil do me no good : you cannot bear this at his hand if he should do so , because he hath not as much money as he would : so for you to be ready to say , all that god hath given me is nothing worth , will do me no good , they are but counters ; though they are the precious graces of gods spirit that are more worth than thousands of worlds , yet for you to say , they are nothing , they are but common gifts , and all is but in hypocrisie , all counterfeit , oh! what an unthankful thing is this ! the graces of gods spirit are nothing to a discontented heart that hath not all that it would have ; and so for outward blessings , though god hath given you health of body , and strength , and hath given you some competency for your family , some way of lively-hood , yet because you are disappointed in somwhat that you would have therefore all is nothing unto you ; oh! what unthankfulnesse is here ? god expects that every day you should spend some time in blessing his name for what mercy he hath granted unto you , there 's not any one of you who are in the lowest condition but you have abundance of mercies to blesse god for , but discontentednesse makes them nothing . it 's an excellent speech that i remember luther hath , ( saith he ) this is the rhetorick of the spirit of god , ( it 's a very fine speech of his ) to extenuate evil things , and to amplyfie good things ; if there fals out a crosse , to make the crosse to be but little , but if there be a mercy to make the mercy to be great ; as thus , if there be a cross , if the spirit of god prevails in the heart , such a man or woman will wonder that it is no greater , and will blesse god that though there be such a crosse , yet that it is no more ; that 's the work of the spirit of god ; and if there be a mercy , wonders at gods goodnesse that god granted so great a mercy : the spirit of god extenuates evils and crosses , and doth magnifie and amplifie all mercies , and makes all mercies seem to be great , and all afflictions seem to be little . but ( saith he ) the devil goes quite contrary , the rhetorick of the devil is quite otherwise , he doth lessen gods mercies , and amplifie evill things , as thus , a godly man wonders at his crosse that it is no more , a wicked man wonders his crosse is so much , oh ( saith he ) none was ever so afflicted as i am ! if there be a crosse , the devil puts the soul upon musing on it , and making it greater than it is , and so it brings discontent : and then on the other side , if there be a mercy , then it 's the rhetorick of the devil to lessen the mercy , i indeed ( saith he ) the thing is a good thing , but what is it , it is no great matter , and for all this i may be miserable . thus the rhetorick of satan doth lessen gods mercies , and doth increase afflictions : and for this i 'le give you a notable example that we have in scripture , it is the example of korah , dathan & abiram , in numb . . , . and moses sent to call dathan , & abiram the sons of eliab : which said , we will not come up : is it a smal thing that thou hast brought us up out of a land that floweth with milk and honey , to kill us in the wilderness , except thou make thy self altogether a prince over us ? mark , they slighted the land that they were going unto , the land of canaan , that was the land that god promised them that should flow with milk and honey : but mark here their discontentednesse , because they met with some troubles in the wildernesse , oh it was to slay them , they made their affliction in the wilderness to be greater than it was , oh it was to kill them , though it were indeed to carry them to the land of canaan . but now their deliverance from egypt though it was a great mercy , they made that mercy to be nothing , for say they , you have brought us out of a land that floweth with milk and honey , what land was that ? it was the land of egypt , the land of their bondage , but they call it a land that flowed with milk and honey , though it were the land of their most cruel and unsupportable bondage ; whereas they should have blessed god as long as they had liv'd for gods delivering them out of the land of egypt , yet meeting with some crosse they make their deliverance from egypt no mercie , no , it was rather a miserie to them , oh ( say they ) egypt was a land that flowed with milk and honey . oh what basenesse is there in a discontented spirit ! a discontented spirit out of envie to gods grace will make mercies that are great to be little , yea to be none at all . would one ever have thought that such a word should have come from the mouth of an israelite that had been under bondage and cried under it , and yet when they meet with a little crosse in their way to say , you have brought us out of the land that floweth with milk and honey , to say they were better before than now , and yet before they could not be contented neither ; this is the usual unthankful expression of a discontented heart : and it is so with us now when we meet with any crosse in our estates , any taxations and trouble , especially if any among you have been where the enemy hath prevailed , you are ready to say , we had plenty before and we are now brought to a condition of hardship , we were better before when we had the prelats and others to domineer : and so we indanger our selves to be brought into that bondage again ; oh let us take heed of this , of a discontented heart , there is this wofull cursed fruit of discontent to make men and women unthankful for all the mercies god hath granted to them , and this is a sore and grievous evil . and lastly , there 's this evil effect in murmuring , it causes shifttings of spirit : they that murmur and are discontent , are lyable to temptations , to shift for themselves in sinful and ungodly waies , discontent is the ground of shifting courses and unlawful waies . how many of you may have your consciences condemn you of this , that you in the time of your afflictions have fought to shift for your selves by waies that have been sinful against god , and your discontent was the bottom and ground of it ? if you would avoid shiftings for your selves by wicked waies , labour to mortifie this sin of discontent , to mortifie it at the root . the eight evil that there is in murmuring and discontent is this , there is a great deal of folly , extream folly in a discontented heart , it 's a foolish sin . i shall open the folly of it in many particulars . it takes away the present comfort of what you have , because you have not somwhat that you would have . what a foolish thing is this , that because i have not what i would have , i will not injoy the comfort of what i have ? do not you account this folly in your children , you give them some victuals and they are not contented , perhaps ( they say ) it 's not enough , they cry for more , and if you do not presently give them more they will throw away that they have , and though you account that folly in your children , yet you deal thus with god ; god gives you many mercies , but you see others have more mercies than you and therefore you cry for more ; i but god gives you not what you would have and upon that you throw away what you have , is not this follie in your hearts ? it is unthankfulnesse . there 's a great deal of follie in discontentment , for by all your discontent you cannot help your selves , you cannot get anie thing by it . who can by taking anie carking care adde one cubit to his stature , or make one hair that is white to be black ? you may vex and trouble your selves , but you can get nothing by it . do you think that the lord will come in a way of mercie ever a whit the sooner because of the murmuring of your spirits , oh no , but mercie will be rather deferred the longer for it , though the lord were before in a way of mercie , yet this distemper of your hearts were enough to put him out of his course of mercie , and though he had thoughts that you should have the thing before , yet now you shall not have it . if you had a mind to give such a thing to your child , yet if you see him in a discontented fretting way you will not give it him ; and this is the verie reason why there are so manie mercies denied to you , because of your discontentment , you are discontented for want of them , and therefore you have them not , you do deprive your selves of the enjoyment of your own desires because of the discontentment of your hearts , because you have not your desires , and is not this a foolish thing ? there 's a great deal of folly in this , there are many foolish carriages commonly that a discontented heart is guilty of : they carry themselves foolishly towards god and towards men , there are such expressions , and such kind of behaviour comes from them , as makes their friends to be ashamed of them manie times , their carriages are so unseemlie , they are a shame to themselves & their friends . there is a great deal of folly in discontent and murmuring ; for it doth eat out the good and sweetnesse of a mercy before it comes . if god should give a mercie that we are discontented for the want of , yet the blessing of the mercie is as it were eaten out before we come to have it . discontent is like a worm that eats the meat out of the nut , and then when the meat is eaten out of it , then you shall have the shell . if a child should crie for a nut that hath the meat eaten out , or all worm-eaten , what good would the child have by having the nut ; so such an outward comfort you would fain have and you are troubled for the want of it , but the verie trouble of your spirits is the worm that eats out the blessing of the mercy , and then perhaps god gives it you , but gives you it with a curse mixed with it that you were better not have it than have it . that man or woman that is discontented for want of some good thing , if god doth give that good thing to them before they be humbled for their discontent that did proceed from them , such a man or woman can have no comfort of the mercie , but it will be rather an evil than a good to them : and therefore for my part if i should have a friend or brother or one that were as deer to me as my own soul , that i should see discontented for the want of such a comfort , i should rather pray , lord keep this thing from them , til thou wilt be pleased to humble their hearts for their discontent , let not them have the mercie til they come to be humbled for their discontent for the want of it , for if they have it before that time they will have it without any blessing : and therefore it should be your care when you find your hearts discontented for want of any thing , to be humbled for it , thinking thus with your selves , lord if that that i do so immoderatly desire should come to me before i be humbled for my discontent for want of it , i am certain i can have no comfort of it , but i shall rather have it as an affliction to me . many things which you desire as your lives , and think that you should be happy if you had them , yet when they do come you find not such happinesse in them , but they prove to be the greatest crosses and afflictions to you that ever you had , and upon this ground , because your hearts were immoderatly set upon them before you had them . as it was with rachel , she must have children or else she died , well saith god seeing you must , you shal have them , but though she had a child she died according to what she said , give me children or else i die . so in regard of any other outward comforts , people may have the thing , but often times they have it so as it proves the heaviest crosse to them that ever they had in all their lives , such a child as you were discontent for the want of it , it may be it was sick , and your hearts were out of temper for fear that you should lose it , and god restores it , but he restores it so as he makes it a cross to your heart all the daies of your lives . one observes concerning manna , when the people were contented with their allowance that god allowed them , then it was verie good , but when they would not be content with gods allowance , but would gather more than god would have them ; then ( saith the text ) there was worms in it : so when we are content with our conditions , and that that god disposes of us to be in , there 's a blessing in it , then it 's sweet to us , but if we must needs have more , and keep it longer than god would have us to have it , then there will be worms in it and no good at all . . there 's a great deal of folly in discontentedness , for it makes our afflictions a great deal worse than otherwise it would be ; it no way removes our affliction , nay , while they do continue they are a great deal the worse and heaviour , for a discontented heart is a proud heart , and a proud heart wil not pul down his sails when there comes a tempest and storme : if a marriner when a tempest and storme comes should be froward and would not pull down his sails , but is discontented with the storm , is his condition the better because he is discontented and will not pull down his sails ? will this help him ? just so is it for all the world with a discontented heart , a discontented heart is a proud heart , and he out of his pride is troubled with his affliction , and is not contented with gods dispose , and so he will not pull down his spirit at all , and make it bow to god in this condition in which god hath brought him ; now is his condition the better because he will not pull down his spirit ? no certainly abundantly worse , a thousand to one but the tempest and storm over-whelms his soul . and thus you see what a great deal of folly there is in the sinne of discontentment . the ninth evil of murmuring and discontentment is this , there is a mighty deal of danger in the sin of discontentment , for it exceedingly provoketh the wrath of god ; it 's a sin that doth much provoke god against his creature ; we find most sad expressions in scripture ( and examples too ) how god hath been provoked against many for their discontent ; in numb . . you have a notable text , and one would think that that were enough for ever to make you fear murmuring , in the . verse , it is said , the lord spake unto moses and unto aaron saying , what did he say ? how long shall i bear with this evill congregation which murmur against me ? how long shall i bear with them saith god , this evil congregation ; oh it 's an evil congregation that murmur against me ! and how long shall i bear with them ? they do murmur , and they have murmured : as those that have murmuring spirits , and murmuring dispositions , they wil murmur again , and again , how long shall i hear with this evil congregation that murmur against me ? how justly may god speak this of many of you that are this morning before the lord , how long shall i bear with this wicked man or woman that doth murmur against me , and hath usually in the course of their lives murmured against me when any thing falls out otherwise than they would have it ? and mark what follows after , i have heard the murmurings of the children of israel : you murmur , it may be others hear you not , nay it may be you speak not at all , or but half-words , yet god hears the language of your murmuring hearts , and those muttering speeches , and those half-words that comes from you . and observe further in this verse , how the lord repeats this sin of murmuring , how long shall i bear with this evill congregation which murmur against me ? secondly , i have heard their murmuring , thirdly , which they murmur against me : murmur , murmur , murmur , three times in one verse he repeats it ; and this is to shew his indignation against the thing : when you expresse indignation against a thing , you will repeat it over again , and again : now the lord because he would express his indignation against this sin , he repeats it over again , and again , and it follows in the . vers . say unto them , as truly as i live saith the lord , as ye have spoken in mine ears , so will i do to you . mark , god swears against a murmurer ; sometimes in your discontent you will be ready to swear ( it may be , ) do you swear in your discontent ? so doth god swear against you for your discontent . and what was it that god would do unto them ? verse , , . doubtless your carkeises shall fall in the wilderness , and you shall not come into the land concerning which i swear , to make you dwel therein : as if god should say , if i have any life in me , your lives shall go for it , as i live it shall cost you your lives . a discontented murmuring fit of yours may cost you your lives . you see how it provokes god , there is more evil in it than you are aware of , it may cost you your lives , and therefore look to your selves , and learn to be humbled at the very beginnings of such distempers in the heart . so in psal . . , . yea they despised the pleasant land , they beleeved not his word ; but murmured in their tents , and hearkened not unto the voice of the lord ; therefore be lifted up his hand against them to overthrow them in the wildernesse . here are divers things observable in this scripture . first , that which we spoke to before , how a murmuring heart doth slight gods mercies , so it is here , they despised the pleasant land : and that a murmuring heart is contrary to faith , they beleeved not his word , but ( saith the text ) they murmured in their tents , and hearkened not to the voice of the lord. many men and women will hearken to the voice of their own base murmuring hearts , that will not hearken to the voice of the lord ; if you would hearken to the voice of the lord there would not be such murmuring as there is : but mark what follows upon it , you may not think to please your selves in your murmuring discontentednesse , and think that no evil shall come of it ; therefore he lifted up his hand against them to overthrow them : you that are discontented , you lift up your hearts against god , and you cause god to lift up his hand against you ; perhaps god laies his finger upon you softly in some afflictions that are upon you , in your families or else where , and you cannot bear the hand of god that lies upon you as tenderly as a tender-hearted nurse that laies her hand upon the child , you cannot bear the tender hand of god that is upon you in a lesser affliction ; it were just with god to lift up his hand against you in another manner of affliction ; oh a murmuring spirit provokes god exceedingly . there is another place in . of num. compare the . verse , and the . vers . together , but on the morrow all the congregation of the children of israel murmured against moses and against aaron , saying , ye have killed the people of the lord : and mark in the . verse , and moses said unto aaron , take a censer and put fire therein , from off the altar , and put on incense , and go quickly unto the congregation and make an attonement for them , for there is wrath gone out from the lord , the plague is begun ; mark how gods wrath is kindled ; in the . verse , the congregation had murmured ; and they murmured but against moses and aaron , ( perhaps you murmur more directly against god ) and that was against god in murmuring against gods ministers , it was against god but not so directly ; but it may be the murmuring of your hearts is more directly against gods dealings with you , if you murmur against those that god makes instruments , ( because you have not every thing that you would have ) as against the parliament , or such and such that are publique instruments , it 's against god ; it was but against moses and aaron that the israelites murmured , and they said that moses and aaron had killed the people of the lord , though it was the hand of god that was upon them for their former wickednesse , in murmuring . it is usual for wicked vile hearts to deal thus with god , that when gods hand is a little upon them for to murmur again and again , and so to bring upon themselves even infinite kind of evils ; but now the anger of god was quickly kindled , oh saith moses , go , take the censer quickly for wrath is gone out from jehovah , the plague is begun : so while you are murmuring in your families , the wrath of god may quickly go out against you , quickly , in a morning or evening , when you are murmuring , the wrath of god may come quickly out upon your families or persons , you are never so prepared for present wrath as when you are in a murmuring discontented fit , those that stand by and see you in a murmuring discontented fit , have cause to say , oh let us go and take the censer , let us go to prayer , for we are afraid that wrath is gone out against this familie , against this person : and it were a verie good thing for thee that art a godly wife when you see your husband come home and fall to murmuring because things go not according to his desire , to go to prayer , and say , lord perdon the sin of my husband ; and so for the husband to go to god in prayer falling down and beseeching of him that wrath may not come out against his familie for the murmuring of his wife . and the truth is , at this day there hath been ( at least lately ) as much murmuring in england as ever was , and even in this very particular the plague is begun , and this very judgment it doth come many times upon murmuring upon those that are so discontented in their families and are alwaies grumbling and murmuring at any thing that fals out amisse , ( i say ) this text of scripture in numbers doth cleerly hold forth this , that the lord brings the plague upon men for this sin of murmuring , he doth it in kingdomes and families , and upon particular persons . though we cannot alwaies point out the particular sin that god brings this for , yet this should be examined how far we are guilty of the sin of murmuring ; because the scripture holds forth this so cleerly , that moses when he did but hear that they murmured , do they murmur ? ( saith he ) go forth quickly , and seek to passifie the anger of god , for wrath is gone out , and the plague is begun . and in cor. . . there you have an notable example of gods heavie displeasure against murmuring , neither murmur ye as some of them also murmured , and were destroyed of the destroyer . take heed of murmuring as some of them did , ( he speaks of the people of israel in the wildernesse , ) but saith he , what came of it ? they were destroyed of the destroyer . now the destroyer is thought to be the fiery-serpents that were sent among them : they murmured , and god sent fiery serpents to sting them . what do you think that such a cross and affliction doth sting you ? perhaps such an affliction is upon you , and it seems to be grievous for the present , what ? do you murmur and repine ? god hath greater crosses to bring upon you : those people that murmur for the want of outward comforts , for want of water , ( sometimes ) and for the want of bread , they murmur , but the lord sends fiery-serpents among them . i may say to a murmuring heart , wo to thee that strivest with thy maker : wo to that man , that woman that strives against their maker ; what doest thou else , but strive against thy maker ? thy maker hath the absolute dispose of thee , and wilt thou strive against thy maker ? what doth this murmuring discontented heart of thine do otherwise but wrangle and contind and strive even with god himself ? oh wo to him that strives against his maker ! i may further say to thee , as gods speaks to job : job , . , . when job was impatient , now god spake ( saith the text ) out of the whirlwind , and said , who is this that darkneth counsel by words without knowledge ? so , doest thou speak against gods waies , and his providences that hath fallen out concerning thy estate and outward comforts ? who is this ? who is this that darkneth counsel by words without knowledge ? where 's that man or woman whose hearts are so bold and impudent , as dares speak against the administration of gods providence ? the tenth evil of murmuring and discontent is this , there 's a great curse of god upon it , so far as it doth prevail in one that is wicked it hath the curse of god upon it . in psal . . . see there what the curse of god is upon wicked and ungodly men , let them wander up and down for meat , and grudge if they be not satisfied . that is the imprecation and curse upon wicked and ungodly men , that if they be not satisfied they shall grudge ; when thou art not satisfied in thy desires and findest thy heart grudging against god , apply this scripture , what , is the curse of the wicked upon me ? this is the curse that is threatned upon wicked and ungodly ones , that they shall grudge if they be not satisfied . and in deut. . . there it 's threatned as a curse of god upon men , that they cannot be content with their present condition , but they shall say in the morning , would god it were even ; and at even , would god it were morning ; and so they lie tossing up and down and cannot be content with any condition that they are in , because of the sore afflictions that be upon them ; and therefore it is further threatned as a curse upon them , in the . verse , that they should be mad for the sight of their eyes which they should see : this is but the extremity of their discontentednesse ; that is , they shall be so discontented , as they shall be even mad : many men and women in discontented moods are mad kind of people , and though you may please your selves in such a mad kind of behaviour , yet know , that it is a curse of god upon men to be given up to a kind of madness for evils that they suppose are upon them , and that they fear . in the . verse , there is a notable expression for to shew the curse of god upon murmuring hearts ; the lord threatning the curses that shall be upon them , ( saith he ) verse , , & . the curse shall pursue thee , and they shall be upon thee for a sign , and for a wonder , and upon thy seed for ever : because thou servedst not the lord thy god with joyfulness , and with gladness of heart , for the abundance of all things . god here threatens to bring his curse so upon them , as to make them a wonder and a sign to others , why ? because they served not the lord with joyfulness of heart , ( that may be added to that of the wrath of god upon men ) therefore god would bring such a curse upon them as would make them a wonder to all that were about them ; oh how far art thou then that hast a murmuring heart , from serving the lord with joyfulnesse ? the eleventh evill of discontent and murmuring is this . there is much of the spirit of satan in a murmuring spirit . the devil is the most discontented creature that is in the world : he is the proudest creature that is , and the discontentedst creature ; and the most dejected creature . now therefore so much discontentment as thou hast , so much of the spirit of satan thou hast . it was the unclean spirit that went up and down and found no rest ; so when a man or womans spirit hath no rest , it is a sign that it hath much of the unclean spirit , of the spirit of satan , and thou shouldest think thus with thy self , oh lord what have i the spirit of satan upon me ? it is satan that is the most discontented spirit that is , and oh! how much of his spirit have i upon me that can find no rest at all ? twelfthly , murmuring and discontent hath this evil in it , there is an absolute necessity that thou shouldest have disquiet all the daies of thy life . as if a man that is in a great croud should complain that other folks touch him ; while we are in this world god hath so ordred things that afflictions must befal us , and if we will complain and be discontented upon every crosse and affliction , why we must complain and be discontent all the daies of our lives , yea god in just judgment will let things fall out on purpose to vex those that have vexing spirits , and discontented hearts , and therefore there is a necessitie that they should live disquiet all their daies : and men will not much care to disquiet those that are continually murmuring , oh they will have disquiet all their daies . lastly , there 's this dreadful evil in discontent and murmuring , god may justly withdraw his care off you , and his protection over you , seeing god cannot please you in his administrations . we use to say so to discontented servants ; nay , if you be not pleased mend your selves when you will. if you have a servant not content with his diet and wages , and work , you say , mend your selves ; so may god justly say to us , we that professe our selves servants to him , to be in his work , and yet are discontented with this thing or that in gods family , god might justly say , mend your selves . what if god should say to any of you , if my care over you do not please you , then take care of your selves , if my protection over you will not please you , then protect your selves : now all things that do befall you , befall you through a providence of god , and if you be those that belong to god there is a protection of god over you , and a care of god. now if god should say , well , you shall not have the benefit of my protection anie longer , and i will take no further care of you : would not this be a most dreadful judgment of god from heaven upon you ? take heed what you do then in being discontent with gods will towards you , and indeed upon discontent this may befal you . and this is the reason why manie people though gods protection hath bin verie gracious over them for a time , and they have thriven abundantly , yet afterwards almost all that behold them may say that they live as if god had cast off his care over them , and as if god did not care what befell them . now then my brethren , put all these together , all that we were speaking of the last day , and these particulars that have been added now this morning for the setting out of a murmuring and discontented spirit , oh what an ugly face hath this sin of murmuring , and discontentednesse , oh what cause is there that we should lay our hands upon our hearts , and go away and be humbled before the lord because of this ! whereas your thoughts were wont to be exercised about providing for your selves , and getting more comforts to your selves , let the stream of your thoughts now be turned to humble your selves for your discontentednesse , oh that you may have your hearts break before god , for otherwise you will fall to it again , oh the wretchednesse of mans heart ! you shall find in scripture concerning the people of israel , how strangely they fell to their murmuring again and again , do but observe three texts of scripture , for that , the first in the . of exod. at the beginning , there you shall have moses and the congregation singing to god and blessing god for his mercy , then sang moses and the children of israel this song unto the lord , and spake saying , i will sing unto the lord , for he hath triumphed gloriously , the horse and his rider hath he thrown into the sea. and then , the lord is my strength and song , and he is become my salvation , he is my god and i will prepare him an habitation , my fathers god and i will exalt him ; and so he goes on , and who is like unto thee o lord amongst the gods , who is like thee , glorious in holinesse , fearful in praises , doing wonders ? thus their hearts triumphed in god , but mark before the chapter is ended in the . verse , when they came to marah ( in the same chapter ) they could not drink of the waters of marah for they were bitter , therefore the name of it was called marah , and the people murmured against moses . after so great a mercy as this was , what unthankfulnes was there here in their murmuring ! then god gave them water , but in the very next chapter they fell to their murmuring , ( you reade not that they were humbled for their former murmuring , and therefore they murmur again ) exod. . . &c. all the congregation of the children of israel came to the wildernesse of sin , &c. and the whole congregation ( in the second verse ) of the children of israel murmured against moses , and against aaron in the wildernesse , and the children of israel said unto them , would to god we had dyed by the hand of the lord in the land of egypt , when we sate by the flesh-pots , and when we did eat bread to the full . now they want flesh , they wanted water before , but now they want meat , they fell to murmuring again , they were not humbled for this murmuring against god , neither when god gave them flesh according to their desires , but they fell to murmuring again , they wanted somewhat else . in the very next chapter , ( they went not far ) in the of exod. beginning . and all the congregation of the children of israel journied from the wildernesse of sin and pitthed in rephadim , and there was no water for the people to drink : then in the second verse , wherefore the people did chide with moses , and said , give us water that we may drink , and moses said unto them , why chide you with me ? wherefore do you tempt the lord ? and in the third verse , and the people thirsted there for water , and the people murmured against moses and said , wherefore is this , that thou hast brought us up out of egypt , to kill us , and our children , and our cattell with thirst ? so one time after another , still as soon as ever they had received the mercie then they were a little quieted , but they were not humbled . i bring these scriptures for this to shew , that if we have not been humbled for murmuring , the next crosse that we meet withal we will fall to murmuring again . and now there are divers agravations of this sin of murmuring , i 'le mention but one now , and i shall but begin that . the first agravation is this . to murmur when we enjoy abundance of mercy , the greater and the more abundant the mercy is that we enjoy , the greater , and the viler is the sin of murmuring . as here now when god had newly delivered them out of the house of bondage , for them , now to murmur , because they want some few particulars that they desire , oh to sin against god after a great mercy this is a great agravation , and a most abominable thing . now my brethren , the lord hath granted us very great mercies , i 'le but speak a word of what god hath done of late , what mercies hath the lord granted to us this summer , heaped mercies upon us , one mercie upon another , what a condition were we in at the beginning of this summer ? and what a different condition are we in now ! oh what a mercie is it that the lord hath not taken advantages against us , that he hath not made those scriptures ( before mentioned ) good upon us for all our murmuring , the lord hath gone on with one mercie after another . we hear of mercie in bristol , and mercy to our brethren in scotland : but still if after this we should have any thing befall us that is but crosse to us , that we should be ready to murmur again presently ; oh let us not so requite god for those mercies of his ; oh let 's take heed of giving god any ill requital for his mercies ; oh give god praise according to his excellent greatness , to his excellent goodnesse and grace . and now hath god given to you the contentment of your hearts ? take you heed of being the cause of any greife to your brethren , think not that because god hath been gracious unto you , that therefore he hath given you liberty for to bring them into bondage , oh let not there be such an il effect of gods mercy to you , as for you to exclude by petitioning , or any other way your brethren that the lord hath been pleased to make instruments of your peace , let not that be the fruit of it , nor to desire any thing that your selves do not yet understand . god is very jealous of the glory of his mercy , and if there should be an ill use made of the mercy of god after we enjoy it , oh it would go to the heart of god! nothing is more grievous to the heart of god than the abuse of mercy : as now , if any way that is hard and rigid should be taken towards our brethren , and those especially that god hath made such special instruments of good to us , that have been so willing to venture their lives , and all for us ; now when we have our turns served , let god and his people , and servants that have been a means to save us shift for themselves as well as they can : oh! this is a great aggravation of your sin , to sin against the mercies of god : but for this aggravation , and specially in this particular , we shall speak to ( god willing ) the next day . sermon ix . philippians . . . for i have learned in whatsoever state i am , therewith to be content . now because it is very hard to work upon a murmuring spirit , there are divers aggravations ( i told you ) we are to consider of for the further setting out of the greatness of this sin ; i mentioned but only one the last day , now we shall proceed in that . the first agravation of the sin of discontent and murmuring is this , for men and women to be discontent in the mid'st of mercies , in enjoyment of abundance of mercies . to be discontent in any afflicted condition , is sinful and evil , but to be discontent when we are in the middest of gods mercies , when we are not able to count the mercies of god , yet after to be discontent because we have not all we would have , this is a greater evil . i only mentioned this the last day , that i might shew to you what a great sin it is at such a time as this . the lord this summer hath multiplied mercies one upon another , the lord hath made this summer to be a continued miracle of mercie ; never did a kingdom enjoy ( in so little space of time ) such mercies one upon another : now the publick mercies of god should quiet our hearts and keep us from discontent ; and the sin of discontent for private afflictions is exceedingly aggravated by the consideration of publick mercies to the land ; when the lord hath bin so merciful to the land , wilt thou be feetting and murmuring , because thou hast not in thy family all the comforts that thou would'st have ? as it is a great aggravation of a mans evill for him to rejoyce immoderately in his own private comforts when the church is in affliction , when the publick suffers grievous and hard troubles , if any man shall then rejoyce and give liberty to himself , at that time to satisfie his flesh to the uttermost in all outward comforts , this is a great aggravation of his sin : so on the contrary for any man to be immoderately troubled for any private afflictions when it goes well with the publick , with the churches , this is a great aggravation of his sin : it may be when the church of god was lowest , and it went worst in other parts , yet thou didst abate nothing of the comfort of thy flesh , but gavest full liberty to satisfie thy flesh as formerly , know this was thy great sin ; so on the other side when we have received such mercies in publick , we should have all our private afflictions swallowed up in the publick merci●s ▪ and we should think with our selves , though we be afflicted for our particular , yet ( blessed be god ) it goes well with the church , and with the publick ; the consideration of that should mightily quiet our hearts in all our private discontents , and if it doth not so , know that our sin is much increased by the mercies of god that are abroad . now shall gods mercies aggravate our sins ? this is a sad thing , this is to turne the mercies of god to be our misery . did'st not thou pray to god for these mercies that god hath sent of late to the publick , these great victories that god hath given , did'st not thou pray for them ? now thou hast them , is not there enough in them to quiet thy heart for some privat trouble thou meetest withall in thy family ? is not there goodness enough there to cure thy discontentment ? certainly they were not such mercies worthy to be prayed for , except they have so much excellency in them as to countervail some private afflictions . publick mercies are the aggravation of privat discontent , as so of publick discontent too ; if we receive so many publick mercies , yet if every thing goes not in the publick according as we desire , if we be discontent at that it will exceedingly aggravate our sin , god may say , what shall i bestow such mercies upon a people , and yet if they have not every thing they would have they will be discontent ? oh! it's exceeding evil . so in particular , the mercies that concerns thy self , thy family , if thou wouldest consider thou hast a great many more mercies than thou had'st afflictions , i dare boldly aver it concerning any one in this congregation , ( suppose thy afflictions be what they will ) there is never a one of you but that have more mercies than afflictions . object . you will say , i , but you do not know what our afflictions are , our afflictions are so as you do not conceive of them because you feel them not ? answ . though i cannot know what your afflictions are , yet i know what your mercies are , and i know they are so great as i am sure there can be no afflictions in this world so great as the mercies you have : if it we●e but this mercy , that you have this day of grace and salvation continued to you , it 's a greater mercie than any affliction , set any affliction by this mercie and see which would weigh heaviest , this is certainly greater than any affliction ; that you have the day of grace and salvation , that you are not now in hell , this is a greater mercie , that you have the sound of the gospel yet in your ears ; that you have the use of your reason ; this is a greater mercie than your afflictions ; that you have the use of your limbs , your sences , that you have the health of your bodies , health of body is a greater mercy than poverty is an affliction , there is no man that is rich but if he be wise , if he hath a sickly body , he would part with all his riches that he might have his health , therefore thy mercies are more than thy afflictions . we find in scripture how the holy ghost doth aggravate the sin of discontent from the consideration of mercies , you have a notable scripture for it in the , of numb . . verse &c. it 's a speech of moses to korah and his company when they murmured , and moses said unto korah , hear i pray you ye sons of levi , ( there 's somewhat that you are sons of levi , ) seemeth it but a small thing unto you that the god of israel hath separated you from the congregation of israel , to bring you neer to himself to do the service of the tabernacle of the lord , and to stand before the congregation to minister unto them ? korah and his company were murmuring , but mark how moses aggravates this ; seemeth it a smal thing unto you that the god of israel hath separated you from the congregation of israel to bring you neer to himselfe to do the service of the tabernacle of the lord ? &c. you see 't is a great honour that god puts upon a man a great mercy that he doth bestow upon any man to seperate him from others for himself , to come neer to him , to imploy him in the service of the tabernacle , to minister to the congregation in holy things , this is a great mercy , and indeed it 's such a mercy as one would think there should be none that god bestows such a mercy upon that should have a murmuring heart for any affliction ; it 's true , many ministers of god they meet with hard things that might discourage them , and trouble and grieve their spirits , but now this consideration that god is pleased to imploy them in such a service neer to himself , that though they cannot do good to themselves , yet they may do good to others , this should quiet them . and yet in the . verse , and he hath brought thee neer to him , and all thy brethren the sons of levi with thee , and seek ye the priest-hood also ? have not you enough already ? but still you are discontented with what you have and must have more , seek ye yet more ? seek ye the priest-hood also ? for which cause both thou and all thy company are gathered together against the lord : and what is aaron that ye murmur against him ? what hath god given you such things , and yet will you be murmuring , because you cannot have more ? me thinks that this place should keep ministers from murmuring , though they should meet with never such afflictions and crosses , and unkind dealings from men , yet still they should go on with hearts quieted and comforted in the work that god hath set them about , and labour to countervaile all their afflictions by being more abundant in the work of the lord. that is the first text of scripture that shews how the mercies we enjoy are aggravations to the sin of murmuring . and then a second scripture is in the . of job , . vers . a speech of job to his wife , what saith job when his wife would have had him curse god and die ? ( that was a degree beyond murmuring ) saith he , thou speakest as one of the foolish women , shall we receive good at the band of god and not evil ? you see job did help himself against all murmuring thoughts against the waies of god with this consideration , that he had received so much good from the lord ; what though we receive evil , yet do not we receive good as well as evil ? let us set one against the other , that 's the way we should go . in the . of ecclesiastes the . vers . you have a notable scripture there whereby you may see what course is to be taken when the heart rises in murmuring , in the day of prosperity be joyfull , but in the day of adversity consider ; what should they consider ? ( mark what follows ) god also hath set the one over against the other , to the end that man should find nothing after him . god also hath set the one over against the other , that 's thus , when thou art in prosperity , then indeed every man can be joyfull , but what if afflictions befals him , what then ? then consider , consider what ? that god hath set one over against the other , thou hast a great deal of affliction , and thou hast had a great deal of prosperity , thou hast many troubles , and thou hast had many mercies , make one column of mercies , and one column of afflictions , and write one against the other , and fee if god hath not fil'd one column as full as the other , you look altogether upon your afflictions , but look upon your mercies also ; for instance , it may be god hath afflicted you in one child , but he hath been merciful to you in another child , set one against the other , god afflicted david in absolom , but he was merciful to david in solomon , and therefore when david cryed out , oh absolom my son my son ! if david had thought upon solomon , and cried , oh solomon my son my son , it would have quieted him . and it may be god hath been merciful to thee in a wife , or in thy husband , set that against thy affliction , it may be god crosses thee in thy estate , but it may be he doth imploy thee in his service , it may be thou art afflicted in some of thy friends , but thou hast other friends that are great mercies to thee , and therefore you should set one against the other , and it doth concern you so to do , for those mercies will be aggravations of your sins , and you had better make gods mercies a means to lessen your sins , than to be the aggravation of your sins : if you make not the mercies of god to help you against your murmuring , you will make them to be aggravations of the sin of murmuring : i beseech you for this take but this one consideration further , and if you will but work it upon your hearts i hope you may find a great deal of power in it , you find afflictions , and your hearts are troubled and murmur , consider how gods mercies doth aggravate this sin , thus : in the midst of our sins we do make account god should accept of our services , do but consider thus , if in the midst of our manie sins we hope that god will accept of our poor services , why then should not we in the midst of our afflictions blesse god for his manie mercies ? shall god be thus gracious to us that notwithstanding our many sins , yet he will not cast away our poor duties and services that we perform , then why should not we in the midst of our sufferings accept of what mercies we have , and not slight them and disregard them ? if thou in the midst of gods mercies shalt not be willing to bear afflictions that god laies upon thee , then it were just with god that in the midst of thy sins he should not regard any of thy duties , now is there not as much power in thy manifold sins to cause god to reject thy duties and services , as there is power in afflictions ( in the midst of many mercies ) to take off thy heart from being affected with gods mercies ? and that 's the first aggravation of the sin of murmuring , to murmur in the midst of mercies . a second aggravation of the sin of murmuring is , when we murmur for smal things . saith naamans servant to him , father ( for so he called him ) if the prophet had required you to do some great thing , would not you have done it ? how much more this little thing . so i say , if the lord had required you to suffer some great matter , would not you have been willing to suffer ? how much more this little thing . i remember i have read in seneca a heathen , he hath this similitude which is a very fine one to set out the great evil of murmuring upon smaller afflictions , ( saith he ) suppose a man hath a very fair house to dwell in , and he hath fair orchyards and gardens , and set about with brave tall trees for ornament , if this man now should murmur because the wind blows off a few leaves off his trees , what a most unreasonable thing were it for him to be weeping and wringing his hands because he loses a few leaves off his trees , when he hath abundance of all kind of fruit ? thus it is with many ( saith he ) though they have a great many comforts about them , yet some little matter , the blowing off of a few leaves from them is enough to disquiet them . it was a great evil when ahab having a kingdom , yet the want of his neighbours vinyard had such power to disquiet him : so for us to murmur , not because we have not such a thing as we have need of , but because we have not what possibly we might have , this is a very great sin . suppose god gives a child that hath all the limbs and parts compleat , a child that is very comly , and hath excellent parts , wit , and memory , but it may be there is a wart that grows upon the finger of the child , and she murmurs at it , and oh what an affliction is this to her ! she is so taken up with that as she forgets to give any thanks to god for her child , and all the goodnesse of god to her in the child is swallowed up in that ; would not you say , this were a folly & a very great evil in a woman so to do ? truly our afflictions if we weighed them aright they are but such kind of things in comparison of our mercies . rebeckah she had a mighty desire to have children , but because she found some trouble in her body when she was with child , saith she , why am i thus ? as if she should say , i had as good have none , only because she found a little pain and trouble in her body . to be discontent when the affliction is small and little , that increases very much the sin of murmuring , it is to much for any one to murmur upon the heaviest crosse that can befall one in this world , but upon some small things to be discontent and murmur , that 's worse . i have read of one when he lay upon a heap of damask-roses , he complained that there was one of the rose leaves lay double under him : so we are readie thus for verie small things to make complaints and to be discontented with our condition . and that 's a second aggravation . a third aggravation is this , for men that are of parts and abilities , that god hath given wisdom to , for them to be discontent and murmur , that is more than if others do it . murmuring and discontentednesse is too much in the weakest , yet we can bear with it sometimes in children and women that are weak , but for those that are men , men of understanding , that have wisdom , that god imployes in publick service , that they should be discontent with every thing , this is an exceeding great evil ; for men in their families ( to whom god hath given parts and wisdom ) when things fall out amisse there , to be alwaies murmuring and repining , their sin is greater than for women or children to do it . a fourth aggravation , is the consideration of the freeness of all gods mercies to us . what ever we have it is of free cost , what though we have not all we would have , seeing what we have is free ? if what we have were earned then it were somewhat , but when we consider that all is from god , for us to murmur at his dispensations is verie evil . suppose a man were in a family entertained by a friend , and he did not pay for his board , but he hath it given him for nothing , it 's expected such a one should not be ready to find fault with every thing in the house , with servants or with meat at table or the like , i● such a one that hath plentiful provision and all given him gratis , and paies nothing for his board , should be discontented if a cup should not be filled for him as he would have it , or if he should stay a minute of an hour longer for a thing than he would , this we would account a great evil : so it is with us , we are at gods table every day , and it is upon free-cost whatever we have : it is accounted very unmannerly for a man at his friends table to find fault with things , though at home he may be bold : now when we are at the table of god ( for so all gods administrations to us are his table ) and are at free-cost , now for us to be finding fault and be discontented this is a great aggravation of our sin . a fift aggravation of the sin of murmuring is this , when men and women murmur and are discontented and impatient when they have the things that they were discontented for the want of before they had them . so it is sometimes with children , they will cry for such a thing , and when you give it them then throw it away , they are as much discontented as they were before . so it was with the people of israel , nothing would quiet them but they must have a king , samuel perswaded them to be contrary , and told them what kind of king they should have ; and when they had a king , hos . . . what shall a king do to us ? they were not contented when they had one . so rachel , she must have children or else she died , and when she had a little trouble she was discontented too ; so that we are neither well full nor fasting ( as we use to say . ) the sixt aggravation of the sin of murmuring is this , for those men and women to be discontent and murmur that god hath raised from mean and low estates and conditions ; this is a very great aggravation if thou be discontent now : there was a time when thou wert low enough , and perhaps when thou wert so low then thou didest say , oh if god would deliver me from such an affliction , or give me but a little more in my estate i should think my self in a good condition : but if god by his providence doth raise thee , thou art as greedy of more still as thou wert before , and as much discontented as thou wert before : this is an evil thing for people that had mean breeding , and poor beginings for them to be so nice , and dainty that nothing can please them , whereas there was a time not long since that they were low and mean enough ; but it is very ordinary for those that are raised from a low and mean condition to be the more nice and dainty , and more proud when they are raised than others that are of better breeding : it 's to much for a child to be discontented in his fathers house , but if a man hath taken a poor begger boy , if you had taken such a one into your house that lay begging at your door , and set him at your own table , could you bear that such a one should complain that such a thing is not well drest , or the like , you could not bear it if your children should do it , but you could bear it a great deal better with them than to hear such a one do it : but thou art a poor beggar , and god hath ( as it were ) taken thee into his great family , and if the lord hath been pleased to raise thee higher , that now thou hast a competency , that thou mayest live as a man , to be of use and service in the place where god hath set thee , now wilt thou be discontent because thou hast not every thing that thou desirest ? we know the prodigal , when he came to himself , oh! saith he , in my fathers house is bread enough . he did not say , there 's good-chear enough , and a great deal of dainties ; no , he thought of nothing but bread , there 's bread enough : so it 's ordinary for men and women when they are in a low condition , they think that if they may have bread , any competency , they will be contented and bless god , but when they have their bread and things convenient , they must have more or else they are not contented ; know that this is an exceeding great aggravation to thy discontentment , when you are raised from a very low condition and yet you cannot be contented with what you have . a seventh aggravation of this sin is this , for them to be discontent that have been very great sinners and ungodly in their former time . for men and women that have much guiltinesse upon them , the guilt of very many sins upon them , that have provok'd god exceedingly against them , and have brought themselves in a most dreadful manner under the sentence of gods justice , and yet god being pleased to reprieve them , for them to murmur and to be discontent with gods administrations towards them , this is exceeding evil , oh it were consideration enough to quiet any murmuring in our hearrs , to think thus , we are but sinners , why should not we be sufferers that are sinners ? but then consider , we that are such great sinners , guilty of such notorious sins , that it is a wonder that we are out of hell at this present , yet for us to be discontent and murmur , how exceedingly doth this increase our sin ! consider how we have crossed god in our sinnes , then if god should crosse us in the way of our sufferings , should not we sit down quiet without murmuring ? certainly thou never knewest what it was to be humbled for thy manifold sins , that art discontented at any administration of god towards thee . the eighth agravation of the sin of murmuring is , for those men that are of little use in the world , for them to be discontented . if you have but a beast that you make much use of , you wil feed it well , but if you have but litttle use of him then you turn him into the commons , little provision serves his turn because you make not use of him : if we liv'd so as to be exceeding useful to god and his church , we might expect that god would be pleased to come in in some encouraging way to us , but when our consciences tell us , we live and do but little service for god , what if god should turn us upon the commons , yet we are fed according to our work ? according to our imployment ? why should any creature be servicable to thee , who art so little servicable to god ? this one meditation would much help us , to think , i am discontent because such and such creatures are not servicable to me , but why should i expect that they should be servicable to me when i am not servicable to god ? and that 's the eighth aggravation . a ninth aggravation of the sin of murmuring is this , for us to be discontent at that time when god is about to humble us . it should be the care of a christian , to observe what are gods waies towards him , what is god about to do with me at this time ? is god about to raise me , to comfort me ? let me close with gods goodnesse , and blesse his name , let me joyn with the work of god , when he offers mercy to me to take the mercy he offers . but again , is god about to humble me ? is god about to break my heart , and to bring my heart down to him ? let me joyn with god in this work of his , this is for a christian to walk with god. it is said that enoch , and noah walked with god ; walked with god , what 's that ? that is , to observe what is the work of god that god is now about , and to joyn with god in that work of his ; so that according as god turns this way or that way the heart should turn with grd , and have sutable workings unto the workings of god towards him . now then , i am discontented and murmuring because i am afflicted ; therefore thou art afflicted because god would humble thee , and the great design that god hath in afflicting of thee , is to break and humble thy heart ; and wilt thou now maintain a spirit quite opposite to the work of god ? for thee to murmur and be discontented is to resist the work of god , god is doing thee good if thou could'st see it , now if he be pleased to sanctifie thy affliction to break that hard heart of thine , and humble that proud spirit of thine , it would be the greatest mercy that ever thou had'st in all thy life , now wilt thou yet stand out against god ? it's even as if thou shouldest say , well , the lord is about to break me , and humble me , but he shall not ; this is the language of thy murmuring and thy discontentednesse , though thou darest not say so , but though thou sayest not so in words , yet it is certainly the language of the temper of thy spirit , oh consider what an aggravation this is : i am discontented when god is about to work such a work upon me as is exceedingly for my good , but yet i stand out against him and resist him , and that 's another aggravation . a tenth aggravation of the sin of murmuring and discontent is this , the more palpable and remarkable the hand of god appears to bring about an affliction , the greater is the sin of murmuring and discontent under an affliction . it 's a great evil any time to murmur and be discontent , but though it be a sin , when i see but an ordinary providence working for me not to submit to that , but when i see an extraordinary providence working that 's a greater sin , that is , when i see the lord in some remarkable way working about such an affliction beyond what any could have thought of , shall i resist such a remarkable hand of god , shall i stand out against god when i see god doth expresse his wil in such a remarkable manner that he would have me to be in such a condition ? indeed before we see the will of god apparent we may desire to avoid an affliction , and may use means for it , but now when we see god expressing his will from heaven in a manner beyond ordinary and more remarkably , then certainly it is fit for us to fall down and submit to him , and not to oppose when god comes with a mighty stream against us , it 's our best way to fall down before him and not to resist ; for as it is an argument of a mans disobedience , when there is not only a command against a sin but when god reveals his command in a terrible way , the more solemn the command of god is , the greater is the sin in breaking that command ; so the more remarkable the hand of god is in bringing an affliction upon us , the greater is the sin for us to murmur and be discontented . then god expects that we should fall down when he ( as it were ) speaks from heaven to thee by name and saith , well , i wil have this spirit of thine down , do not you see that my hand is stretched out , my eyes are upon you , my thoughts are upon you , and i must have that proud spirit of thine down ? oh then it 's fit for the creature to yeeld and submit unto him . when you speak in an ordinary manner to your servants , or children , you expect they should regard what you say , but when you make them stand still by you and you speak to them in a more solemn way , then if they should disregard what you say , you are very impatient : so certainly god cannot take it well when ever he doth appeare from heaven in such a remarkable way to bring an affliction , if then we do not submit to him . the eleventh aggravation of the sin of murmuring is this , to be discontented though god hath been exercising of us long under afflictions , yet still to remain discontented . for a man or woman at first when an affliction befals them to have a murmuring heart then it 's an evil , but to have a murmuring heart when god hath been a long time exercising them with affliction it 's more evil . though an heifer at first when the yoke is put upon him he wrigles up and down and will not be quiet , but if after many monthes or yeers it shall not draw quietly , the husbandman would rather feed it fat and prepare it for the butcher than be troubled any longer with it : so though the lord was content to passe by that discontented spirit of thine at first , yet god having a long time kept the yoke upon thee , thou hast bin under his afflicting hand ( it may be ) divers yeers ; and yet thou remain discontent still ; it were just with god that he should bear thy murmuring no longer , and that thy discontent under the affliction should be but a preparation to thy destruction . so you see when a man or woman hath been long exercised with afflictions and yet are discontent , that 's an aggravation of the sin : mark that text in heb. . . now ( saith the scripture ) no chastening for the present is joyous , but grievous , nevertheless afterwards it yeeldeth the peacable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby . it 's true , our afflictions are not joyous but grievous , though at first when our affliction comes it is very grievous , but yet ( saith the text ) afterwards it yeeldeth the peacable fruit of righteousness to those that are exercised thereby ; when thou hast been a long time in the school of afflictions , thou art a very dullard in christs school if thou hast not learned this contentment , i have learned ( saith saint paul ) in every state therewith to be content : paul had learned this lesson quickly , thou hast been a learning many yeers , perhaps thou mayest say as heman did , that thou art afflicted from thy youth up , in the . psal . oh it 's a very evil thing if being exercised long with afflictions you are not yet contented : the eye in the body of a man is as tender a part as any part that a mans body hath , but yet the eye is able to continue in and bear a great deal of cold , because it is more used to it ; so those that are used to afflictions , those that god exercises much with afflictions , ( though they have tender spirits otherwise ) yet they should have learned contentednesse by this time . a new cart may creek and make a noise , but after the use of it a while it will not do so : so when thou wert first a christian and newly come into the work of christ , perhaps thou makest a noise and canst not bear affliction : but art thou an old chistian and yet wilt thou be a murmuring christian ? oh that 's a shame for any that are ancient professors , that have been a long time in the school of jesus christ to have murmuring and discontented spirits . and thus you have had eleven aggravations of this sin of murmuring and discontent . but now my brethren because this discontented humour is a very tough humour , and it is very hard to work upon , there 's none that are discontented but will have something to say for their discontent , i shall therefore desire to take away what every discontented heart hath to say for himself . the pleas of a discontented heart . in the first place , saith one that is discontented , it is not discontentment , it is the sence of my condition , i hope you would have me sensible of my condition : perhaps when god takes away a friend or some other comfort they are inordinatly sorrowful , and wringing their hands as if they were undone , and let any one but speak to them , ( say they ) would you not have me sensible of my affliction ? and thus many would hide their sinful murmuring under gods hand with this pretence , that it is but sensibleness of their affliction . to that i answer , first , there is no sence of any affliction that will hinder the sense of gods mercies , nay the more we are sensible of our afflictions if it be in a gracious manner , the more sensible we will be of gods mercy , but thou art so sensible of thy affliction as it takes away the sense of all thy mercies ; oh this is sinful discontent , this is not to be sensible of thy condition as god would have thee , but it is to be sensible in a wicked way , you go beyond your bounds : by this rule you may come to know when your sorrows and troubles for your afflictions goes beyond the bounds , we may be sorrowful when god afflicts , but oh! that i might know when my sorrow goes beyond the bounds of it ; truly thou mayest know it by this , doth the sence of thy afflictions take away the sense of thy mercies ? if it doth then it goes beyond the bounds . secondly , if it were but a bare sence of an affliction it would not hinder thee in the duties of thy condition , the right sence of our afflictions will never hinder us in the performance of the duties of our condition , but thou art so sensible of thy affliction as thou art made unfit for the performance of the duties of the condition that god hath put thee in , surely it's more then meer sence of thy affliction . thirdly , if it were but meer sence of thy affliction , yet then thou couldest in this thy condition blesse god for the mercies that others have , but thy discontentednesse usually breeds envie at it , when any one is discontented with their condition , they have an envious spirit at the conditions of those that are delivered from what afflictions they bear , certainly then it 's turn'd to be sowre and naught , when thou art so sensible of thy afflictions , and unsensible of mercies as thou art unfit for the duties of thy condition , and envious at others that are not afflicted as thou art . the second plea. but wil a discontented heart say , i am not so much troubled with my afflictions , but it is for my sin rather than my affliction , and i hope you wil give leave that we should be troubled and discontented with our sin , and were it not for sin that i see in my self i should not be so discontented as i am , oh! it is sin that is heavy upon me , and it 's that that troubles me more than my afflictions . deceive not thine own heart , there is a very great deceit in this , there 's many people that when gods hand is out against them they will say , they are troubled for their sin , but the truth is , it 's the affliction that doth trouble them rather than their sin , their heart doth exceedingly deceive them in this very thing : for , first , they were never troubled for their sin before this affliction came ; but you will say , it 's true , i was not before , for my prosperity blinded me , but now god hath opened mine eyes by afflictions : hath he so ? secondly , then thy great care will be rather for the removing of thy sin , than thy affliction , art thou more solicitous about the taking away thy sin , than the taking away of thine affliction ? thirdly , if it be thy sin that troubles thee , if god should take away thy afflictions , yet except thy sin be taken away , and thy heart be better , this would not content thee , thou couldest not be satisfied : but we see it ordinarily , that if god removes their afflictions there 's no more trouble for their sin . oh! many do bely themselves in this , in saying , that they are so troubled for their sin , and especially those that are so troubled that they are in danger to miscarry , and to make away themselves , there 's not one in ten thousand that are in such a condition as this is , but it is afflictions rather than sin that puts them to it ; indeed you lay all upon this , as if it were the work of the word or the spirit of bondage : i remember i heard not long since of a divine that being judicious , and used to such kind of things , there came a man to him mightily troubled for his sin , and he could not tell what to do , he was ready to despaire , the divine looks upon him , saith he , are you not in debt ? he confest that he was ; and at length the minister began to find it out , that that was his trouble rather than his sin , and so was a means to help him that way , that his creditors should not come upon him , and then the man was pretty quiet , and would not make away himself any longer , for it is a usual thing , that if any thing befals a man that doth crosse him , oh then it 's their sin that doth trouble them . sometimes it is thus with servants , if their governors crosse them , then they are vext and fre● , and come to deale with them , oh then they will say they are sorrowful for their sin : but we must take heed of dallying with god ▪ that is the seer and searcher of the secrets of all hearts , many of you go sullen and dumpish up and down your families , and then you say it 's your sin that lies upon you , when god knows it 's otherwise , it 's because you cannot have your wils as you would have . fourthly , if thou beest troubled for thy sin , then it will be thy great care not to sin in thy trouble ; not by thy trouble to increase thy sin , but thou art troubled in such a way as the truth is thou doest increase thy sin in thy trouble , and since thou sayest thou wert troubled for thy sin thou hast committed more sin than thou didest before . and then lastly , if it be thy sin that troubles thee , then thou hast the more need to submit to gods hand ; and accept of the punishment of thine iniquity , as it is in levit. . . there 's no such consideration to take away murmuring , as to look upon my sin ae the cause of my affliction . the third plea. oh saith another , i find my affliction is such that god withdraws himself from me in mine affliction , that is that that troubles me , and can any body be quiet then , can any body be satisfied with such a condition when the lord shall withdraw himself ? were my affliction never so great , yet if i find not god withdrawing himself from me i hope i could be content with any affliction , but i cannot find the presence of god with me in this affliction , as some times i have found ; and it is that that troubles me , and makes me to be in such a condition as i am . now to that i answer thus , first , it is a very evil thing for men and women upon every affliction to conclude that god is departed from them , it may be when it comes to be examined there is no other reason why thou thinkest that god is withdrawn and departed , but because he doth afflict thee , now for thee to make such a conclusion , that every time god laies an affliction upon thee he is departed ; this is a sinful distemper of thy heart , and is very dishonourable to god , and grievous to his spirit . in the . of exod. . verse , you may see how god was displeased there with such a kind of distemper as this is , and he called the name of the place massah and meribah because of the chiding of the children of israel , and because they tempted the lord , saying , is the lord amongst us or not ? mark , they did murmur because they were brought into afflictions , but see what the text saith , therefore the place was called massah and meribah , because they tempted the lord , saying , is the lord amonst us or not ? this was to tempt god , sometimes we are afraid god is departed from us , and it was meerly because we are afflicted , i beseech you observe that scripture , god cals it a tempting of him when he afflicts any , for them to conclude and say that god is departed from them . if a child should cry out of his father , and say that his father is turned to be an enemy to him , because he doth correct him , this would be taken ill , i beseech you consider of this one place , it may be of very great use to you , that you may not be ready to think that god is departed because you are afflicted . secondly , if god be departed , the greatest sign of gods departing is because you are so disquiet , you make your disquiet be the fruit of gods departing , and if it comes to be examined your disquiet is the cause of gods departing from you , if you could but cure your disquiet , if you could but quiet your own hearts and get them into a better frame of contentedness under gods hand in afflicting of you , then you would find gods presence with you , will you be thus disquiet till god comes again to you ? your disquiet drives him from you , and you can never expect gods coming to manifest himself comfortably to your souls , till you have gotten your hearts quiet under your afflictions ; and therefore here you see how crosly you reason , you reason , i am disquiet because god is gone , when the truth is god is gone because thou art disquiet ; reason but the other way , oh my disquiet hath driven god from me , and therefore as ever i would have the presence of god to come again to me , let my heart be quiet under the hand of god. thirdly , doest thou find god departing from thee in thine affliction ? wilt thou therefore depart from god too ? is this thy help ? can'st thou help thy self that way ? because god is gone wilt thou go too ? do i indeed feel god departing from me ? it may be it is so , it may be god for thy tryal is departed a little from thee , and is it so indeed ? what unwise course do i take ? i commit further sin and so i go further off from god , what a case am i in ? god goes from me , and i from god : if the child sees the mother going from it , it 's not for the child to say , my mother is gon yonder & i wil go the other way , no , but the child goes crying after the mother ; and so should the soul say , i see the lord is withdrawing his presence from me , and now it is best for me to make after the lord with all my might , and i am sure this murmuring humour is not a making after god , but by this i go further and further off from god , and what a distance is there like to be between god and me within a little while ? these are some of the reasonings and pleas of a murmuring and discontented heart : there are many others that we shall meet withal , and indeavour to speak to your hearts in them , that so this tough humour of discontent may ( as it were ) be cut with the word and softened with the word , that so it may passe away : for that 's the way of phisitians when they meet with a body that hath any tough humour then they give that that hath a peircing quality , when there is a tough humour that stops the water that it cannot passe , they give that that hath a peircing quality that may make passage for it ; and so thou hast need of such things that are piercing to make way through this tough humour that is in the spirits of men and women whereby they come to live very uncomfortably to themselves and others , and very dishonourable unto god. sermon x. philippians . . . for i have learned in whatsoever state i am , therewith to be content . now there are many pleas and reasonings yet remain , for there 's a great deal of do with a discontented murmuring heart . and i remember i find that the same hebrew word that signifies [ to lodge , to abide ] it signifies to murmur , they use one word for both , for murmuring is a distemper that doth lodge in men , where it gets in once it lodgeth abideth and continues , and therefore that we may unlodge it and get it out , we will labour to shew what are the further reasonings of a discontented heart . the fourth plea. me thinks i could be content with gods hand ( saith one ) so far as i see the hand of god in a thing i can be content : but when men deal so unreasonably and unjustly with me i know not how to bear it , i can bear it that i should be in gods hands , but not in the hands of men : my friends or acquaintance when they deal so unrighteously with me , oh this goes very hard unto me , that i know not how to bear it from men . for the taking away of this reasoning , first , though they be men that bring this crosse upon you , yet they are gods instruments , god hath a hand in it , and they can go no further then god would have them go . this was that that quieted david when shimei curst him , ( saith he ) god hath a hand in it , though shimei be a base wicked man yet i look beyond him to god. so , is there any of your friends that deal injuriously with you , and crosse with you , look up to god and see that man but as an instrument in gods hands . secondly , if this be your trouble that men do so wrong you , you are rather to turn your hearts to pity them than to murmur or be discontented : for the truth is , if you be wronged by other men , you have the better of it , for it is better to bear wrong than to do wrong a great deal , if they wrong you your heart cannot submit ; you are in a better condition than they , because it 's better to bear than do wrong . i remember it is said of socrates that being very patient when wrong was done to him , they asked him how he came to be so , saith he , if i meet with a man in the street that is a diseased man , shall i be vexed & fretted with him because he is diseased ? those that wrong me i look upon them as diseased men and therefore pity them . thirdly , though you meet with hard dealings from men ; yet you meet mith nothing but kind good and righteous dealings from god : when you meet with unrighteous dealings from them , set one against the other . and that 's for the answer to the fourth plea. a fifth plea. oh but that affliction that comes upon me is an affliction that i never lookt for , i never thought to have met with such an affliction , and that is that i know not how to bear , that is that which makes my heart so disquiet because it was altogether unlookt for and unexpected . for the answer of this , first , it is thy weaknesse and folly that thou didest not look for it and expect it , in acts , . , . see what saint paul saith concerning himself , and now behold , i go bound in the spirit unto jerusalem , not knowing the things that shall befal me there , save that the holy-ghost witnesseth in every city saying , that bonds and afflictions abide me . it 's true saith he , i know not the particular affliction that may befal me , but this i know that the spirit of god witnesseth that bonds and afflictions shall abide me every where , i look for nothing else but bonds and afflictions wheresoever go ; so a christian should do , he should look for afflictions wheresoever he is , in all conditions he should look to meet with afflictions , and therefore if any affliction should befall him , though indeed he could not fore-see the particular evil , yet he should think , this is no more than i lookt for in the general . therefore no affliction should come unexpectedly to a christian . a second answer i would give is this , is it unexpected ? then the lesse provision thou madest for it before it came , the more careful shouldest thou be to sanctifie gods name in it now it is come : it is in this case of afflictions as in mercies , many times mercy comes unexpected ( and that might be a third answer ) to you , set one against the other , i have many mercies that i never lookt for as well as afflictions that i never lookt for , why should not one rejoyce me as well as the other disturbs me ? as it is in mercies , when they come unexpected , the lesse preparation there was in me for receiving mercy , the more need i have to be careful , now to give god the glory of the mercy , & to sanctifie gods name in the enjoyment of the mercy ; oh so it should be with us now , we have had mercies this summer that we never expected and therefore we were not prepared for them , now we should be so much the more careful to give god the glory of them : so when afflictions come that we did not expect , then it seems we laid not in for them before hand , we had need be the more careful to sanctifie gods name in them , we should have spent some pains before to prepare for afflictions and we did not , then take so much the more pains to sanctifie god in this affliction now . and that 's a fift reasoning . the sixth plea. oh! but it is very great , mine affliction it is exceeding great saith one , and how ever you say , we must be contented , it 's true , you may say so that feel not such great afflictions , but if you felt my affliction that i feel you would think it hard to bear and be content . to that i answer , let it be as great an affliction as it will , it ●● not so great as thy sin , he hath punished thee lesse than thy sins . secondly , it might have bin a great deal more , thou mightest have bin in hell : and it is ( as i remember ) bernards speech , ( saith he ) it is an easier matter to be opprest than perish . thou mightest have been in hell , and therefore the greatness of the thing should not make thee murmur , grant it be great . thirdly , it may be it 's the greater because thy heart doth so murmur : for shackles upon a mans legs , if his legs be sore it will pain him the more , if the shoulder be sore the burden is the greater ; it is because thy heart is so unsound that thy affliction is great unto thee . and that 's the sixt reasoning . a seventh plea. but howsoever you may lessen my affliction , yet i am sure it is far greater than the afflictions of others . first , it may be it is thy discontent that makes it greater , when ( indeed ) it is not so in its self . secondly , if it were greater than others : why is thy eye evil because the eye of god is good ? why shouldest thou be discontented the more because god is gracious to others ? thirdly , is thy affliction greater than others ? then in this thou hast an opportunity to honour god more than others ; so thou shouldest consider , doth god afflict me more than other men ? god gives me an opportunitie in this to honour him in this affliction more than other men ? to exercise more grace than other men , let me labour to do it then . fourthly , if all afflictions were laid upon a heap together : it is an notable expression of solon that wise heathen ( saith he , ) suppose all the afflictions that are in the world were laid upon a heap , and every man should come and take a proportion of those afflictions , every one equally , there is scarse any man but would rather say , let me have the afflictions that i had before or else he were like to come to a greater share , a greater affliction if so be he should equally share with all the world : now for you that are poor , ( that are not in extremity of poverty ) if all the riches in the world were laid together , and you should have an equal share , you would be poorer ; but take all afflictions and sorrows whatsoever , if all the sorrows in the world were laid together in a heap , and you had but an equal share of them , your portion would be rather more than it is now for the present : and therefore do not complain , that it is more than others , so as to murmur because of that . an eighth plea. another reasoning that murmuring hearts have is this , they think that if the affliction were any other than it is , then they would be more contented . first , you must know that we are not to choose our own rod that god shall beat us with . secondly , it may be if it were any other than it is , it were not so fit for thee as this is , it may be therefore god chooses it because it is the most crosse to thee , as seeing it most sutable for the purging out of that humour that is in thee . if a patient comes to take phisick and finds himself sick by it , shall he say , oh! if it were any other potion i could bear it , it may be if it were any other than it is it would not fit thy disease ; yea if it did not work as it doth it would not fit thy disease : so when thou saiest of an affliction , if it were any other than it is thou couldest bear it , do but answer thy self with this , it may be if it were any other than it is it would not be fit for me , it would not hit right to that sinful humour that there is in my soul , and therefore god sees this to be the fittest and the most sutable for me . thirdly , know that this is the excellency of grace in a christian to be fitted for any condition , not only to say , if it were this or that , but if it be any . as now , a marriner if he hath skil he would not say , if it were any other wind but this , if the wind did blow in any point but this , i could tell how to mannage my ship , i could shew skil in other points but not in this ; would not marriners laugh at such a one ? it would be a shame for him to say that he hath skill in any other points but this : so it should be a shame for a christian to say that he hath skill in any other affliction but this : a christian should be able to mannage his ship if the wind blow any way ; to guide his soul any way . the fourth and last answer is this , know that the lord hath rewards and crowns for all graces , and for the honouring them in all conditions . it may be in such a way as thou thinkest thou couldest honour god , god hath a crown for that , and god hath another crown to set upon the heads of those that honour him in such a way as this is , yea he hath several sorts of crowns ( as i may so say ) in heaven , and those crowns he must put upon some bodies head , and therefore he exercises thee in variety of conditions , that so thou mightst have the several rewards and crowns that god hath to reward and crown those that are faithful in several conditions . a ninth plea. oh but the condition that god hath put me in makes me to be unservicable , and this troubles me ; it 's true , if it were only an affliction and trouble to my self it were not so much , but i am put into such a condition by this affliction as i am unservicable , and am like to do god no further service , god puts me into a mean estate , and what good can i do ? and how burdensome is my life to me because i can do no service for god! and this is grievous to me . indeed if it he true that this is thy great greife , it is a good sign , if thou canst say as in the presence of god , above all afflictions here in this world to be laid aside & not to be imployed in the service of god , i account that the greatest affliction : i had rather bear any trouble in the world so i might do more service , then to be freed from trouble and to be laid aside and do little service : canst thou say so ? it is a good sign of grace for a man to account afflictions to be great because he can do the lord but little service . few men account that no affliction at all . but yet there may be a temptation in this . to murmur at gods dispose when your calling is low and mean and you can do little service , this is many times a temptation to those that are poor , those that are servants and those that are of weak parts and are fain to work hard to provide bread for their families , it 's many times a greivous burden to them to think , such men the lord uses in publick service , and i live in an obscure way , and to what purpose is my life ? first , to help against this temptation that thou mayest not murmur against this condition , do but consider though thy condition be low and mean , yet thou art in the body , thou art a member of the body though thou beest but a mean member , the toe and the finger hath it's use in the body , though it be not the eye , though it be not the head , or the heart yet it hath it's use in the body . and it is an excellent expression that i remember austin hath about this , ( saith he ) it is better to be the meanest member in the body , than to be the highest member and more excellent and cut off from the body , it is better to be a little sprig in the tree joyned to the root , than to be an arme cut off from the root . now other men that have but common gifts in the world , that are not members of jesus christ , ( indeed ) they seem to have more excellency than those that are godly , that are in a mean condition , mean parts , mean callings , but they are not of the body , they are not joyn'd to the root , and therefore their condition is worse . as a great arme of a tree when it is cut off it hath a great many leaves upon it , and it seems a great deal more glorious than those little sprigs that are upon the tree , but that little sprig is in a better condition , why ? because joyned to the tree and hath sap from the root and flourisheth , but the other will wither and die within a while : so it is with the men of the world , they be but like great boughs cut off from the tree , though they have excellent parts , and have great estates and pomp and glory in the world , they have no union with jesus christ the root : but now others that live in a poor condition , a poor tradesman , a poor servant , a poor labouring-man that labours for his family everyday , yet he being godly , ( saith he ) though i have but little for the present , little glory , little credit , little comfort yet i am joyned to the body , and there i have supply and that that will feed me with comfort , blessing , and mercy to all eternity : so all that are in a poor condition in this world if they be godly , do but think of that ; though thou beest mean yet thou art in the body , and joyned to the root , thou art joyned to the principal of comfort , good , blessing , and mercy that will hold out to eternity , when thousand thousands of glorious pompious men in the world shall wither and perish everlastingly , and therefore be not troubled at thy mean condition . secondly , though thou hast but a mean calling in this world , and so art not regarded as a man of use in the world , yet if thou beest a christian god hath called thee to a higher calling , thy general calling it is a high calling , though thy particular calling be but low and mean : and for that you have a place in the chapter before my text , phil. . . i press towards the mark ( saith the apostle ) for the price of the high calling of god in christ jesus : so that every christian hath a high calling of god in christ jesus , god hath called him to the highest thing that he hath call'd any creature to that he hath made , the angels in heaven have not a higher calling than thou hast . thou that perhaps spendest thy time in a poor businesse , in the meanest calling , if thou beest a dung-raker , to rake channels , or cleanse places of filth or any other thing in the world that is the meanest that can be conceived of , thy general calling as a christian doth advance thee higher than any particular calling can advance any man in the world ; others indeed that are cal'd to mannage the affairs of the state , they are in a high calling , or ministers they are in a high calling , but thine in some respect is higher . a poor servant that must be scraping all day about poor mean things , many times may have such a temptation as this is , oh what a poor condition hath god disposed me to ! will god have regard to such a one that is in such a poor low place as i am ? oh yes , christ hath regard to the meanest member , as a man hath as true regard to the toe if it be in pain , and will tender that as truly and verily as any other member ; so christ hath regard to his lowest and meanest ones . thirdly , thou art in a high calling though thy outward calling be low in respect of men , yet in respect of god thou art in the same calling with the angels in heaven , and in some degree cal'd to that that is higher , for the scripture saith , that the angels come to understand the mysterie of the gospel by the church ; thou that art a christian in that general calling of thine , thou art joyned with principalities and powers , and with angels , in the greatest work that god hath called any creature to , and therefore let that comfort thee in this . fourthly , thy calling is low and mean , yet be not discontented with that , for thou hast a principle within thee ( if thou beest a godly man or woman ) of grace that doth raise thy lowest actions to be higher in gods esteem , than all the brave glorious actions that are done in the world ; the principle of faith doth it , for any man or woman to go on in obedience to god in a way of faith in the calling that god hath set them , ( i say doing this through a principle of faith ) it doth raise this action , and makes it a more glorious action than all the glorious victories of alexander and caesar , than all their triumphs and glorious pomp that they had in all their conquests ; it was not so glorious as for thee to do the lowest action out of faith . for , as luther speaks of a poor milk-maid , and yet being a beleever , and doth it in faith , he compares that action to all the glorious actions of caesar , and makes that a great deal more eminent and glorious in the eyes of god , therefore faith raises thy works that are but mean , raises them to be very glorious . yea , and the truth is , there is more obedience to submit to god in a low calling , than to submit to him in a higher calling , for it 's cleer obedience , meer obedience that makes thee go on in a low calling , but there may be much self-love that makes men go on in a higher calling , for there 's riches , credit and account in the world , and rewards comes in by that , which doth not in the other , to go on quietly in a low calling is more obedience to god. fifthly , know further in the last place , there is like to be more reward : for the lord when he comes to reward , he doth not come to examine what the work hath been that men and women have been exercised in , but what their faithfulnesse hath been , well done good and faithful servant saith the lord , he doth not say , wel done good servant for thou hast bin faithful to me in publick works , ruling cities and states , and affairs in kingdoms , and therefore thou shalt be rewarded , no , but well done good and faithful servant ; now thou mayest be faithfull in little as well as others are in more , by going on and working thy daies labour , when thou gettest but a couple of shillings to maintain thy family , thou mayest be as faithful in this as those are that rules a kingdom ; now god looks to a mans faithfulnesse , and thou mayest have as great a reward for thy faithfulnesse that art a poor servant in the kitchin all the day , as another that sits upon the throne all day , and as great a crown of glory thou mayest have at the day of judgement , as a king that sits upon the throne , that hath ruled for god upon his throne ; yea , thy faithfulnesse may be rewarded by god with as great glory , as a king that hath swaid his scepter for god ; because i say the lord doth not so much look at the work that is done , as at the faithfulnesse of our hearts in doing it , then why should not every one of us go on comfortably and cheerfully in our low condition , for why may not i be faithful as well as another ? it's true , i cannot come to be as rich a man and as honourable as others ; but i may be as faithful as any other man , that every one of you may conclude with your selves : what doth let but that you that are the poorest and meanest may be as faithful as the greatest , yea you may have as glorious a crown in heaven , and therefore go on comfortably and chearfully in your way . a tenth plea. there 's another reasoning that some may have and that is this . oh i could bear much affliction in some other way but this is very grievous to me , the unsetledness of my condition , though my condition were but low yet if it were in a setled way i could be content , but it is so unconstant , and so unsetled , that i can never know what to trust to , but am tost up and down in the world in an unsetled condition , and this is hard to be content with . now to that i answer , first , that the psalmist saith , that every man in his setled estate is vanity , in psalme , . . your books have it , every man at his best estate is vanity , the word is his setled estate ; you think if you were but setled , oh then you could be content , but the truth is , man in his setled estate is vanity . secondly , i answer thus , that perhaps god sees it is better for thee to live in a continual dependance upon him , and not to know what thy condition shal be one the morrow , then for thee to have a more setled condition in respect of the comforts of the creature ; do but remember that we spake of before , that christ doth not teach you to pray , lord , give me enough that wil serve me for two or three years , but , this day our dayly bread ; to teach us we must live upon god in a dependent condition every day for daily bread . here was the difference that is observable between the land of canaan and egypt , the land of canaan that depended upon god for the watering of it with showers from heaven , but egypt had a constant way of watering the country , that did not so much depend upon heaven for water , but upon the river nylus , which did at some certain time overflow the country : and they knowing that the watering of their country did depend upon that river and not upon heaven they grew more proud : and therefore the scripture , to express pharoah's pride , brings him in saying , the river is mine : he could order the river as he pleased , for it was his : canaan , which was a country which was to depend upon god , though they had rain at one time , yet they knew not whether they should have it at another time , and liv'd alwaies in a dependance upon god not knowing what should become of them : now god thought this to be a better land for his people than egypt , and this is given as one reason among others for it , because the lord lookt upon this , as more sutable to the state of his people that were to live by faith , to be continually depending upon heaven , upon himself , and not to have a constant setled way in the creature for their outward dependance : and we find it by experience , that when those that are godly live in the greatest dependance upon god , and have no setled comings-in from the creature , they do exercise faith more , and are in a better condition for their souls than before . oh! many times it fals out that the worse thy outward estate is the better thy soul is , and the better thy outward estate is the worse thy soul is . we reade in ezra , . . the objection that the enemies had against the people of israels building of the wall of the citie : their writing to artaxerxes against them , saith , be it known unto the king , that if the city be builded , and the wals set up again , then they wil not pay toll , tribute , and custome , and so thou shalt endamage the revenue of the kings . if the wall be built ( say thy ) then they will refuse to pay toll , tribute and custome to the king : that is thus , so long as they live in such a condition , where they have dependance wholly upon the king , and lie at the kings mercy , that is , they are in no city that hath walls built , but the king may come upon them when he will , so long they will pay custom to the king , but if once they come to build a wall , and can defend themselves , and have not their dependance upon the king as before , then they will deny paying toll , tribute , and custom . so it is thus for all the world between god and mens souls , when a soul lives in way of meer dependance upon god , that sensibly he sees god hath him at advantage every moment , oh then such a soul will pay toll and custome , that soul exercises faith , and begs every day his dayly bread ; but if god hedges that man about with an estate , with prosperity , perhaps he hath an inheritance befallen him , perhaps he hath a constant office that brings in so much yeerly to him duly paid , this man is not so sensible now of his dependance upon god , he begins now to pay lesse toll and custom to god than before , god hath lesse service from this man now than before . god sees it better for his people to live in a depending condition : we are very loth in respect of god to be dependant , we would be all independants this way , we would be of our selves , and have no dependance upon the lord , but god sees it better for us to live in a depending condition . further , this may be thy comfort , though for outward things thou art mightily unsetled , yet for the great things of thy soul and eternal estate , there thou art setled , there thou hast a setled way , a constant way of fetching supply , of his fulnesse we receive grace for grace , thou hast there abundance of treasure to go to , and fetch all that thou standest in need of ; and observe it , that now thy condition is more setled in the covenant of grace than it was in the covenant of works ; in the covenant of works there god gave man a stock to trade with , but he put it in his own hand , so that he might trade , and get or lose ; but now in the covenant of grace god makes sure , the stock is kept in the hand of christ , and we must go to him for supply continually , for christ keeps the stock ; perhaps we may trifle away somwhat in our trading , but god takes that care still we stall never spend the stock : as a man when his son breaks , having squandered away his stock that he gave him before , afterwards he puts his stock into a friends hand , and saith he , you shall keep the stock and it shall not be at his dispose ; so we are in a more setled condition in respect of our eternal estate then adam was in innocencie ; therefore let that comfort us in all our unsetled conditions in the matters of the world . a eleventh plea. but yet there 's another reasoning that many murmuring hearts think to feed their humour withal , ( say they ) if i never had bin in a better condition then i could bear this affliction , if god had alwaies kept me in so low a condition i could be content , oh but there was a time that i prospered more , and i had things at more full hand , and therefore now it is harder to me to be brought low ; as in these times , perhaps a man that had five or six hundred a yeer , but now hath had nothing for a great while , if that man had not bin born to so much , or never had prospered in any higher degree than now he is in , this affliction had bin less , perhaps he hath some mony and friends to live upon , but if he had never bin in a better condition he would not have accounted it so great a matter to have been without it now . this many times is our greatest wound , that once we were in a better condition ; and this is the most unreasonable thing for us to murmur upon this ground of any . for first , is thy eye evil because god hath been good to thee heretofore ? it 's an ill thing for us to have our eye evil because god is good to others , but to look upon our condition with an evil eye now , because god was once good to us ; hath god done thee any wrong because he was formerly more good to thee than he was to others ? secondly , thou didst heretofore more prosper , did god heretofore give thee more prosperity ? it was to prepare thee for afflictions , we should look at all our outward prosperity as a preparation to afflictions , if thou hadst done so then it would not have bin so difficult for thee to have indured affliction now ; when thou hadst a great estate , yet if thou hadst made use of this mercy of god to prepare thee for thy afflicted estate , then the change of thy estate would not be so greivous . that every christian should do : have i an estate now ? i should prepare for poverty , have i health now ? i should prepare for sickness , have i liberty ? let me prepare my self for imprisonment ? what know i what god may call me to ? have i comfort and peace now in my conscience , doth god shine upon me ? while i have this let me prepare for gods withdrawing from me : am i delivered from temptations ? let me prepare now for the time of temptations ; if thou wouldest do so , the change of thy condition would not be so greivous to thee : marriners that are in a calme will prepare for storms , would they say , if we never had calms we would bear storms ? but now we have had calms so many yeers or weeks together , this is greivous : in thy calme thou art to prepare for storms , and the storme would be lesse , thou shouldest reason quite contrary and say , now i am in an afflicted condition , oh but blessed be god i was in a comfortable condition , and blessed be god that he was a forehand with me in the waies of his mercy , this one consideration may help murmuring hearts . dost thou murmur because once thou wert better ? know god was beforehand with thee in the waies of mercy , thou shouldest rather think thus , i have lived for these many yeers ( forty yeers perhaps or more ) in a comfortable condition , i have liv'd in health , and peace , and plenty , what though the remaining part of my time have some sorrow and affliction ? the lord hath granted to me a comfortable sunshine all the day long till towards evening , and what if at seven or eight a clock at night it begins to rain ? let me thank god i have had so fair weather all day . you that are going a voyage , if you have a comfortable wind , and very fair for many months together , what if you have a little storm when you are within sight of land , will you murmur and repine ? oh no , but rather blesse god that you have had such a comfortable voyage so long : oh this consideration would help us all ; if it were so that now god should say , well , you shall never see comfortable day more for outward things in this world , oh then you have cause to fall down and blesse gods name that you have had so many comfortable daies : now you reason quite contrary , whereas you should blesse god that you have had so much comfort , you make what you have had before to be an aggravation of your afflictions now , and so murmur and are discontented . that which god gave you before , upon what terms did you hold it ? did you hold it so as you have in your writings , to have and to hold for ever , god gives no such thing , god gives to no man ( i say ) any thing but grace to run upon that tenour , there 's no such thing in all gods writings for any outward comforts , to have and to hold for you and your heirs ; indeed for grace he doth give it to your selves , to have and to hold for ever , though not for every one that comes out of your loines to have and to hold for ever ; god doth not give any outward thing so upon no such tenour as that is ; if god gives me an understanding of himself , and faith , and humility , and love , and patience , and such graces of his spirit he gives them me for ever , if he gives me himself and his christ , and his promise , and his covenant , he gives me them for ever , what am i therefore that the sun should alwaies shine upon me , that i must have fair weather all my daies ? that which god gives to me he gave it to me as a pledge of his love , let me return it to him as a pledge of my obedience , there 's all the reason in the world for it , all that a godly man receives from god he receives it as a pledge of gods love to him , therefore when he comes into an afflicted condition , saith god , return to me as a pledge for your obedience that that you had from me as a pledge of my love ; we should cheerfully come in to god and blesse god that we have any thing to render unto him as a pledg of our obedience , and say , oh it is thy love o lord that hath given us any thing , that doth enable us to render a pledge of our obedience to thee . when god cals for thy estate or any comforts that thou hast , god cals for it as a pledge of thy obedience to him . a twelfth plea. another reasoning of a murmuring heart is this . oh but after i have taken a great deal of pains for such a comfort , yet then i am crost in it , after a great deal of labour and pains that i have taken now to be crost , oh this goes very hard . first i answer , the greater crosse , the more obedience and submission . secondly , when thou did'st take a great deal of pains , was it not with submission to god ? did'st thou take pains with resolution , that thou must have such a thing when thou labourest for it ? then know that thou labourest not as a christian , but if thou did'st labour and take pains , was it not with resignation to god , lord i am taking pains in the way of my calling , but with submission , i depend wholly upon thee for successe and a blessing ; and what was it that thou did'st aime at in thy labour ? was it not that thou mightest walk with god in the place that god had set thee ? a christian should do so in his outward calling , i am diligent in my outward calling , but it is , that i might obey god in it ; it 's true , i do it that i might provide for my family , but the chief thing that i aime at is , that i might yeild obedience to god in the way that god hath set me : now if god cals thee to another condition to obey him in though it be by suffering , thou wilt do it if thy heart be right . thirdly , there will be the more testimony of thy love to god , if so be thou shalt now yeeld up thy self to god in that that cost thee dear , shall i offer that to god ( saith david ) that cost me nothing ? thy outward comforts hath cost thee much , and thou hast taken much pains to obtain them , and now if thou canst submit to god in the want of them , ( i say ) in this thy love is more shown that thou canst offer that to god that cost thee dear . now these are the principal reasonings of a discontented heart . a thirteenth plea. there 's one plea more that may be nam'd , and that is this , saith some , though i confess my affliction is somwhat hard , and i feel some trouble within me , yet i thank god i break not out in discontented waies to the dishonour of god , i keep in although i have much ado with my own heart . oh! do not satisfie your selves with that , for the distempers of your hearts , and their sinful workings are as words before god. my soul be silent to god : that we spake of in the begining of the opening of this scripture , it is not enough for thy tongue to be silent ; but thy soul must be silent , there may be a sullen discontentednesse of heart as well as a discontentednesse manifested in words : and if thou doest not mortifie that inward sullennesse , if thou beest afflicted a little more it wil break forth at last . and thus the lord i hope hath met with the cheife reasonings and pleas for our discontent in our conditions , i beseech you in the name of god consider these things , and because they do concern your own hearts , you may so much the better remember them . i had thought to have made a little enterance into the next head , and that is some way of helping you to this grace of contentment . it is a most excellent grace , of admirable use as you have heard , and the contrary is very sinful and vile . sermon xi . philippians . . . for i have learned in whatsoever state i am , therewith to be content . now we are coming to the close of this point of contentment that jesus christ doth teach those that are in his school : we have opened the point unto you , and shewed you wherein the art , and skill , and mystery of christian contentment lies ; and divers things in the way of application rebuking the want of this and the last day i finished that point of shewing the several reasonings of a murmuring and discontented heart . i shall now ( as being desirous to make an end ) leave what was said , and proceed to what remains . there are only these two things for the working of your hearts to this grace of christian contentment . first , the propounding of several considerations for the contenting of the heart in any afflicted condition . secondly , the propounding of directions what should be done for the working of our hearts unto this , the first consideration . we should consider ( in all our wants and inclinations to discontent ) the greatnesse of the mercies that we have , and the meanesse of the things that we want . the things we want , ( if we be godly ) they are things of very small moment in comparison to the things we have , and the things we have are things of very great moment ; for the most part that that people are discontent and murmur for the want of , it is because they have not such things as reprobates have , or may have ; why should'st thou be troubled so much for the want of that that a man or woman may have & yet be a reprobate , as that thy estate is not so great , thy health not so perfect , thy credit not so much , thou mayest have all those things and yet be a reprobate ; now wilt thou be discontent for that that a reprobate may have ? i shall give you the example of a couple of godly men meeting together , anthony and diddimus , diddimus was blind , and yet a man of very excellent parts and graces , anthony askt him if he was not troubled at this his want of sight , he confest he was , but ( saith he ) shall you be troubled at the want of what flies and dogs have , and not rather rejoyce & be thankful that you have what angels have ? god hath given you those good things that makes angels glorious , is not that enough to you , though you want what thing a fly hath ? and so a christian should reason the case with himself , what am i discontented for ? i am discontented for want of that that a dog may have , that a devil may have , that a reprobate may have , shall i be discontent for not having that , when as god hath given me that that makes angels glorious ? blessed be god ( saith the apostle in ephe. . . ) that hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places . it may be thou hast not so great blessings in earthly places as some others have , but if the lord hath blessed thee in heavenly places that should content thee , there 's blessings in heaven , and he hath set thee here for the present as it were in heaven , in a heavenly place , the consideration of the greatnesse of the mercies that we have , and the littlenesse of the things that god hath denyed us , is a very powerful consideration to work this grace of contentment . the second consideration . the consideration that god is beforehand with us with his mercies should content us ( i spake to this as an aggravation of our discontent , but now i shall use it as a consideration to help us to contentment ) thou wantest many comforts now , but hath not god bin beforehand with thee heretofore ? oh thou hast had mercy enough already to make thee spend all the strength thou hast and time thou shalt live , to bless god for what thou hast had already . i remember i have read of a good man that had liv'd to fifty yeers of age and enjoyed his health for eight and forty yeers exceeding well , and liv'd in prosperity , and the two last yeers his body was exceedingly diseased , he had the strangury , and was in great pain ; but he reasoned the case with himself thus ; oh lord thou mightest have made all my life to have been a life of torment and pain , but thou hast let me have eight and forty yeers in health , i wil praise thy mercies for what i have had , and will praise thy justice for what now i feel . oh it 's a good consideration for us to think that god is beforehand with us in the way of mercy : suppose god should now take away your estates from some of you that have lived comfortably a great while , you will say , that aggravates our misery that we have had estates ; but it is through thy unthankfulnesse that it doth so ; we should blesse god for what we have had , and not think that we are worse because we have had thus and thus , we might have been alwaies miserable , and certainly that mans condition is not very miserable that hath no other great aggravation of his misery but because once he was happy ; if there be nothing else to make you miserable , that is no such agravation but that thou mayest bear it , for there is much mercy in that that thou hadst once , and therefore let that content thee . a third consideration . the consideration of the abundance of mercies that god bestows & we enjoy . it is a speech of luther ( saith he ) the sea of gods mercies should swallow up all our particular afflictions , name any affliction that is upon thee , there 's a sea of mercy to swallow it up . if you powre a pail full of water on the flour of your house it makes a great shew , but if you throw it into the sea there is no appearance of it ; so afflictions considered in themselves we think they are very great , but let them be considered with the sea of gods mercies we do enjoy , then they are not so much , they are nothing in comparison . a fourth consideration . consider the way of god towards all creatures , god carries on all creatures in a visicitude of several conditions ; as thus , we have not alwaies summer , but winter succeeds summer , we have not alwaies day , but day and night , we have not alwaies fair weather , but fair and foul , the vegitive creatures do not alwaies flourish , but the sap is in the root and they seem as if they were dead , there 's a visicitude of all things in the world , the sun doth not shine alwaies to us here , but there is darknesse comes after light , now seeing god hath so ordered things with all creatures that there is a mixture of conditions ; why should we think it much that there should be a visicitude of conditions with us , sometimes in a way of prosperity , and sometimes in a way of affliction . a fifth consideration . a further consiadertion is this , the creatures do suffer for us , why should not we be willing to suffer , to be servicable to god ? god subjects other creatures , they are fain to lose their lives for us , to lose what ever beauty and excellency they have to be serviceable to to us , why should not we be willing to part with any thing in way of service for god ; certainly there is not so great a distance between other creatures and man-kind , as there is between man-kind and god. 't is an expression of that martyr master hooper , that we reade of in the book of martyrs , in labouring to work his own heart , and the hearts of others to contentedness in the mid'st of his sufferings ; he hath this similitude , and you may be put in mind of that every day , ( saith he ) i look upon the creature , and see what it suffers to be useful to me ; as thus , the bruit beasts must die , must be rost in the fire , and boyl'd , must come upon the trencher , be hackt all in pieces , must be chewed in the mouth , and in the stomack turn'd to that which is loathsome if one should behold it , and all to nourish me , to be useful to my body ; and shall not i be willing to be made any thing for god , for his service ? what abundance of alterations the creature comes under to be made useful for me , to preserve me : then if god will do so with me for his use , as he doth subject the creatures to me for my use , why should not i rest contented ? if god will take away my estate , and make me poor , if god will take away my life , hack me in pieces , put me in prison , whatsoever he doth , yet i shall not suffer more for god than the creature doth for me , and surely i am infinitly more bound to god than the creature is to me , and there is not so much difference between me and the creature as between me and god : such considerations as these wrought the heart of that martyr to contentedness in his sufferings ; and every time the creature is upon your trenchers you may think , what! doth god make the creature suffer for my use ? not only for my nourishment , but for my delight ; what am i then in respect of the infinit god ? a sixth consideration . another consideration for the working of contenement , it is , to consider that we have but a little be time in this world : if thou beest godly thou shalt never suffer but only in this world ; why do but shut your eyes and presently another life is come : as that martyr said to his fellow martyr , do but shut your eyes , ( saith he ) & the next time they are opened you shall be in another world . athanasius saith , it is but a little cloud ( when he was banished ) and it will be over ( notwithstanding ) presently . these afflictions they are but for a moment ? a marriner when he is abroad doth not think it much if a storm arises , especially if he can see the heavens cleer beyond it saith he , it will be over presently : consider we have not long to live , it may be it may be over before our daies be at an end , but suppose it should not , death will put an end to all , all afflictions and troubles will soon be at an end by death . a seventh consideration is this . consider the condition that others have been in that have bin our betters . we made some use of that before to shew the evil of discontentment : but further for to work this upon our hearts , it is a mighty argument to work upon our hearts a contentedness in any condition . thou many times doest consider who are above thee , but consider who are under thee . jacob that was the heir both of abraham and isaac , ( for the blessing was upon him ) and the promise ran along in him , yet was in a poor mean condition . abraham that was his grandfather was able to make a kind of army of his own houshold , . to fight with a king , yet jacob his grand-child he goes over jordan with a staffe , and lives in a very poor and mean condition for a long time : and moses that might have had all the treasures in egypt , and as some historians say of him pharoahs daughter adopted him for her son , because pharoah had no heir for the crown , and so he was like to have come to the crown , yet what a low condition did he live in when he went to live with jethro his father in law . yeers together , afterward when he returned to egypt , he and his wife and children , and all that he had , and yet he had but one beast to carry him to egypt , he went in a mean condition when he went from his father in law to egypt back again . and elijah we know how he was fed with ravens , and how he was fain to shift for his life from time to time , and run into the wildernesse up and down , and so did elisha , he was divers times in a very low condition , the prophets of god they were to be hid in a cave by obadiah , and there to be fed with bread and water , and the prophet jeremiah put into a dungeon , and oh how was he used ! and it were an endless thing to name the particulars of the great sufferings of the people of god. in former time we have sometimes made use of this argument other waies , the great instruments of god in the first reformation they lived in great straights , in a very low condition , even luther himself when he was to die ( saith he ) lord ( though he were a man of such publick use , and was a great man in the courts of princes ) lord i have neither house nor lands , nor estate to leave any thing to wife or children , but i commit them to thee : and so musculus that was a very choise instrument of god in his time , though he were a man that was worth even a kingdom for the excellency of his spirit , and learning , for he was one of the learnedst men of his time , yet sometimes he was put to dig in the common ditch to get bread for his family ; what would we do if we were in such a condition as these men were ? but above all set christ before us , that professes that the birds of the ayr had nests , and the foxes had holes , yet the son of man had no place to hide his head in , that low condition he was in ; the consideration of such things as these are very useful . it is likewise useful for men and women of estates to go to poor peoples houses and see how they live , to go to hospitals , and to see the wounds of souldiers and others , and to see the lamentable condition that people live in that live in some alms-houses , and what poor fare they have , and what straights they are put to , you hear sometimes of them , but if you went to see them it would not only stir up charity in your selves towards them , but stir up thankfulnesse in your hearts towards god , it would be a special means to help you against any discontent , you would go away and see cause to blesse god and say , if i were in such a condition as they are in what should i do ? how could i bear it ? and yet what reason is there that god doth so order and dispose of things that they should be so low in their estates and i so high : i know no reason but free grace , god will have mercy upon whom he will have mercy : these are some good considerations for the furtherance of contentment . the eighth consideration . a further consideration may be this , that before your conversion , before god wrought upon your souls , you were contented then with the world without grace , though you had no interest in god nor christ , why cannot you now be contented with grace and spiritual things without the world ? if you your selves were content with the world without grace , there 's reason you should be content with grace without the world ? certainly there 's infinitly more reason . yea , you see that many men of the world have a kind of contentment , do not murmur nor repine when the world comes though they have no interest in god and christ . then can'st not thou have as much contentment with god and christ without the world , as they can with the world without god and christ ? this is infinite shame it should be so . the ninth consideration . yea consider when god hath given thee such contentment , thou hast not given him the glory . when god hath let thee have thy hearts desire , what hast thou done with thy hearts desire ? thou hast not bin the better for it , it may be thou hast bin the worse many times and therefore let that satisfie thee : i meet with crosses , but when i had contentment and all things coming in , god had but little or no glory from me , and therefore let that be a means now to quiet me in my discontented thoughts . the tenth consideration . yea lastly , consider all the experience that you have had of gods doing good unto you in the want of many comforts . when god crosses you , have you never had experience of abundance of good in afflictions , it 's true , when a minister only tels men that god will work good out of their afflictions , they hear them speak , and think they speak like good men , but they feel little or no good , they feel nothing but pain ; but when we cannot only say to you that god hath said he will work good out of your afflictions , but we can say to you , that you your selves have found it so by experience , that god hath made former afflictions to be great benefits to you , and that you would not have been without them , or without the good that came by them for a world ; such experiences wil exceedingly quiet the heart and work it to contentment : therfore think thus with thy self , lord , why may not this affliction work as great a good upon mee as afflictions have done heretofore ? perhaps you may find many other considerations besides in your own meditations , these are the principal ones that i have thought upon : i 'le one add one word more to this , of one that once was a great merchant and trades-man , and it happened one a time that he suffered ship-rack , and saith he , i never made a better voyage and sail'd better than at that time that i suffered ship-rack : this was a strangs speech ( his name war zeno ) that he should never make a better voyage : it would be a strang parradox to you that are marriners , to say , that that 's a good voyage when you suffer ship-rack : but he meant because he got so much good by it , god was pleased to blesse it so far to him that he gained so much unto his soul by it , so much soul-riches that he made account it was the best voyage that ever he had : and truly , sometimes it is so , yea , to you that are godly i make no question but you find it so , that your worst voyages have proved your best , when you have met with the greatest crosses in a voyage , god hath been pleased to turn them to a greater good to you in some other way . it is true , we may not desire crosses that they may be turned to other advantages ; but when god in his providence doth so order things , that you meet with ill voyages , you may expect that god will turn them to a greater good , and those that have been exercised in the waies of godlinesse any long time , i make no question but they have abundance of experiences that they have gain'd by them : you know sometimes it 's better to be in a little ship , for they have advantage of greater ones in storms many times , in a storm a little ship can thrust into a shallow place and so be safe , but your great ships cannot , they must be abroad and tost up and down in the storm and tempest , and so many times split against the rocks . and so it may be god sees there is a storme a coming , and if thou beest in thy great ship thou maist be split upon rocks and sands , god therefore doth put thee into a lesser vessel that thou mayest be more safe . we wil lay aside the speaking of those considerations now , but i would not have you lay them aside and put them out of your thoughts , but labour ( those especially that most concern you ) to make use of them in the needful time , when you find any discontentednesse of spirit to arise in you . but the main thing that i intended for this exercise , it is propounding directions what to do for the helping of our hearts to contentment . for as for any further considerations we have prevented the speaking largly of them , because we have opened the most things in shewing what the lessons are that christ teaches men , when he brings them into his school , to teach them this art. i say there we have spoken of the special things that are most considerable for the helping of us to this grace of contentment . therefore now all that i shall further do about this point , shall be the giving of some directions what course to take that we may come to attain this grace of contentment . the first direction . the first is this , all the rules and helps in the world will do us little good except we get a good temper within in our hearts ; you can never make a ship go steady with propping of it without , you know there must be ballast within the ship , that must make it go steady : and so there is nothing without us that can keep our hearts in a steady constant way but that that is within us , grace is within the soul and that will do it . the second direction . secondly , if you would get a contented life , do not gripe too much of the world , do not take in more of the businesse of the world than god calls you to , be not greedy of taking in a great deal of the world , for if a man will go among thorns when he may go in a plainer way , there is no reason that this man should complain that he is prickt with them ; thou goest among thorns , is it thy way ? must you of necessity go among them ? then it 's another matter , but if thou wilt electively chuse that way when thou mayest go another , then thou hast no cause to complain ; so for men and women that will put themselves upon things of the world that they need not , then no mervail though they be prickt , and meet with that that doth disquiet them ? for such is the nature of all things here in the world , that every thing hath some prick or other in it , we are like to meet with disappointments , and discontentments in every thing we meddle with , and therefore those that have least to do in the world , ( that is , except god cals them to it , we must put in that ) they are like to meet with many things that will discontent tehm . the third direction . thirdly , be sure of thy call to every businesse thou goest about , though it be in the lea●t businesse be sure of thy call to it : then whatever thou meetest withal thou mayest quiet thy heart with this , i know i am where god would have me , there 's nothing in the world will quiet the heart so much as this ; when i meet with any cross , i know i am where god would have me in my place and calling , i am about the work that god hath set me , oh this will quiet and content thee when thou meetest with trouble : that that god cals a man to with that he may have comfort in whatsoever befals him , god is to look to thee , and to see thee blest if thou beest in the work god cals thee to . the fourth direction . and especially if i adde a fourth rule , and that is . that i walk by rule in that work i am call'd to . i am call'd to such a businesse , but i must mannage this work that i am call'd to by rule , i must walk by the word , order my self in this businesse according to gods mind so far as i am able , then adde this to the other , and then the quiet and peace of that soul may be made even perfect in a kind , when i know it is not the work i put my self upon but god hath call'd me to it , and i walk by the rule of the word in it , then let come what will come god he is to take care of me there . it was a spech of a heathen ( saith he ) if thou wilt subject all things to thy self , do thou subject thy selfe to reason , and by that thou wilt make all things to be under thee ; i may adde a little more to it , if you will subject all things under you , subject your selfe to god , and then the truth is all things are under you ; it hath been that that many times we have hinted , the reason why many of our gentry have been so malignant among us is , because they are willing to be slaves themselves under some above them at court , so they may keep their neighbours under to be slaves to them : for you know anyman heretofore that was great at the court , he could crush any country man that he was angry withal . if there were an arbitrary-government , then all those that would be willing to be vassals and slaves to the prince , they can make all others vassals and slaves to them . now be thou willing to be a vassal to god , to be absolutely under gods command , and then i say all things in the world are under thee , all are yours ( saith the apostle ) life and death , every thing is yours , and you are christs , and christ is gods : all things in the world are servicable to that man or woman that is servicable to god. it is a mighty commendations of gods service , be thou willing to be servicable to god and god makes all things in the world to be thy servants , for so they are . you will say , how are they my servants , i cannot command them ? they are servants in this , that god doth order them all to work for thy good , there 's nothing in the world but ( saith god ) it shall work for thy good , and be servicable to thee , if thou wilt be servicable to me ; who would not be now gods servant ? subject thy self to god , and all things shall be subjected to thee . now so long as we keep within our bounds we are under protection , but if once we break our bounds we must expect it should be with us as it is with the deer in the park ; while the deer keeps within the pale , there is no dogs come upon them , but they can feed quietly , but let the deer be got without the pale , and then every dog in the country will be hunting after them ; so it is with men , let men and women keep within the bounds of the command of god , of the rule that god hath set them in his word , and then they are protected by god , and they may go about their businesse with peace and never be troubled for any thing , but cast all their care upon god , god provides for them , but if they wil go beyond the pale , if they will pass their bounds then they may expect to meet with troubles , and afflictions , and discontent ; and therefore that is a fourth direction . walk by rule . the fifth direction . a fift rule is this , exercise much faith , that is the way for contentedness . after thou hast done with all considerations that reason may suggest to thee , if thou findest that these do not do it , oh then call for grace of faith , a man may go very far with the use of reason alone to help him to contentment , but when reason is at a non-plus then set faith a work . it was a speech of the reverend divine master perkins that god made so instrumental in his time , the life of faith ( saith he ) it is a true life indeed , the only life . exercise faith not only in that promise that all shall work together for good to them that fear god , but likewise exercise faith in god himself , as well as in his word , in the attributes of god. it was a speech of socrates a heathen , ( saith he ) since god is so careful for you , what need you be careful for any thing your selves ? it was a strange speech of a heathen . oh christian ! if thou hast any faith , in the time of extremity think thus , this is the time that god cals for the exercise of faith , what canst thou do with thy faith if thou canst not quiet thy heart in discontent . it was the speech of one theodosius that had been a king , and afterwards was brought to such a low condition to get his living by being a school-master , one comes and asks him , what have you got by your phylosophy from plato and others ? what have i got ( saith he ) i have got this , that though my condition be changed from so high a condition to so low , yet i have got this , i can be content . so what doest thou get by being a beleever , a christian ? what canst thou do by thy faith ? i can do this , i can in all estates cast my care upon god , cast my burden upon god , i can cōmit my way to god in peace , faith can do this . therefore when reason can go no higher , let faith get upon the shoulders of reason and say , i see land though reason cannot see it , i see good that will come out of all this evil . exercise faith in thy often resignation of thy self to god , in giving of thy self up to god and his waies , the more thou dost in a beleeving way surrender up thy self to god , the more quiet and peace wilt thou have ; that 's the fift thing . the sixth direction . the sixth direction for contentment is , to labour to be spiritually minded ; that is , be often in meditation of the things that are above , if we be risen with christ ( saith the scriptures ) let us seek the things that are above , where christ is that sits at the right hand of god. be much in spiritual thoughts , in conversing with things above ; many christians that have an interest in the things of heaven yet converse but very little with them , their meditations are not much upon heavenly things . it is that that some give as the reason why adam did not see his nakednesse , some think that he had so much converse with god and with things above sence , that he did not so much mind or think of nakednesse what it was , but whether that were so or no i will not say , but this i say and am certain of , the reason why we are so troubled with our nakednesses with any wants that we have , it 's because we converse so little with god , so little with spiritual things , the conversing with spiritual things would lift us above the things of the world ; those that are bit or stung with a snake , it is because they tread upon the ground , if they could be lifted up above the earth they need never fear to be stung with the snakes that are crawling underneath : so i may compare the sinful distemper of murmuring , and the temptations and evils that comes from thence to be like snakes that crawl up and down below , but if we could get higher we should not be stung by them : a heavenly conversation is the way for contentment . the seventh direction . a seventh rule is , do not promise to your selves too much before-hand , do not make account of too great things : it is good for us to take hold very low and not think to pitch too high , do not soar too high in your thoughts beforehand , to think , oh if i had this and this , and imagine great matters to your selves , but be as good jacob , you know he was a man that lived a very contented life in a mean condition , ( saith he ) lord if i may but have cloaths to put on , and meat to eat ; he lookt no higher , he was content with that : so if we would not pitch our thoughts high and think that we might have what others have , so much , and so much , when we meet with disappointments we would not be so much troubled : and so paul , if we have but meat and drink and cloathing , let us be therewith content ; he did not soar too high aloft , those that look at high things in the world they meet with disappointments and so they come to be discontent ; be as high as you will in spiritual meditations , god gives liberty there to any one of you to be as high as you will , above angels , but for your outward estate god would not have you aim at high things , seekest thou great things ( saith the lord to baruch ) seek them not , you shall have your life for a prey . in these times especially , it were a very great evil for any to aim at great things , seek them not , be willing to take hold low , & to creep low , and if god doth raise thee thou shalt have cause to blesse him , but if thou shouldest not be raised there would not be much trouble , one that creeps low cannot fall far , but it is those that are on high whose fall doth bruise them most ; that is a good rule , promise not your selves great matters , neither aime at any great things in the world . the eighth direction . labour to get your hearts mortified to the world , dead to the world : we must not content our selves that we have gotten some reasoning about the vanity of the creature , and such kind of things as these are , but we must exercise mortification , and be crucified to the world , saith paul , i die daily , we should die daily to the world , we are baptized into the death of christ , that is to signifie that we have taken such a profession as to professe to be even as dead men to the world , now there 's no crosses that fals out in the world that doth trouble those that are dead , if our hearts were dead to the world we should not be much troubled with the changes of the world , nor the tossings about of worldly things . as it is very observable in those souldiers that came to break the bones of christ , they brake the legs of one that was crucified with him , and of the other , but when they came to christ they found he was dead , and so they did not break his legs , there was a providence in it , to fulfil a prophesie , but because they found he was dead they did not break his bones . let afflictions and trouble find thee with a mortified heart to the world and they will not break thy bones ; the bones of those that are broken by crosses & afflictions are those that are alive to the world , that are not dead to the world ; but one that hath a mortified heart and dead to the world , no afflictions or troubles will break the bones of such a one , that is , they will not be very grievous or painful to such a one as is mortified to the world : this i fear is a mystery and riddle to many , for one to be dead to the world , to be mortified to the world . now it is not my work to open to you what mortification is , or death to the world is , but only thus , to have our hearts so taken off from the things of the world , as to use them as if one used them not , not to make account that our lives , our comforts , our happinesse doth consist in these things , they are things that are of another nature that our happinesse doth consist in , and we may be happy without these , this is a kind of deadnesse to the world . the ninth direction . let not men and women pore too much upon their afflictions , that is , busie their thoughts too much to look down into their afflictions ; you shall have many people that all their thoughts are taken up about what their crosses and afflictions are , they are altogether thinking and speaking of them , it 's just with them as with a child that hath a sore about him , his finger is alwaies upon the sore ; and so men and women their thoughts are alwaies upon their afflictions , when they awake in the night their thoughts are upon their afflictions , and when they converse with others ( nay it may be when they are praying to god ) they are thinking of their afflictions . oh! no mervail though you live a discontented life , if your thoughts be alwaies poring upon such things , you should rather labour to have your thoughts upon those things that may comfort you : you shall have many that if you propound any rule to them to do them good , they take it well while they are with you , and thank you for it , but when they are gone they soon forget it . it is very observable of jacob , that when his wife died in child-birth , his wife called the child ben-oni , that is , a son of sorrows ; now jacob , he thought with himself , if i should call this child ben-oni , every time that i name him it will put me in mind of the death of my dear wife , and of that affliction , and that will be a continued affliction to me , therefore i will not have my child have that name ; and so the text saith , that jacob called his name benjamin , and that was , the son of my right hand : now this is to shew us thus much , that when afflictions befals us we should not give way to have our thoughts continually upon them , but rather upon those things that may stir up our thankfulness to god for mercies . it it the similitude of basil , a learned man , faith he , it is in this case as it is with men and women that have sore eyes , now it 's not fit for those to be alwaies looking upon the fire , or upon the beams of the sun ; no ( saith he ) one that hath sore eyes must get things that are sutable to him , and such objects as are fit for one that hath such weak eyes , therefore they will get green colours , as that being a more easie colour and better for weak eyes , and they will hang green sarsnet before their eyes because it is more sutable to them : so weak spirits it 's the very same , a man or woman that hath a weak spirit , they must not be looking upon the fire of their afflictions , upon those things that deject , that cast them down , but they are to be looking rather upon that which may be sutable for the healing and helping of them , they should be considering of those things rather than the other . it will be of very great use and benefit to you if you do lay it to heart , not to be poring alwaies upon afflictions , but upon mercies . the tenth direction . i beseech you observe this though you should forget many others . make a good interpretation of gods waies towards you , if there can be any good interpretation made of gods waies towards you , make it . ye think it much if you have a friend that should alwaies make bad interpretations of your waies towards him , you would take that ill : if you should converse with people that you cannot speak a word in their hearing but they are ready to make an ill interpretation of it , and take it in an ill sense , you would think their company to be very tedious to you ; it is very tedious to the spirit of god when we make such ill interpretations of his waies towards us . if god deals with us otherwise than we would have him , if there can be any sense worse than other made of it we will be sure to make it ; as thus , when an affliction doth befal you , there may be many good senses made of gods works towards you , you should think thus , it may be god intends only to try me by this , it may be god saw my heart too much set upon the creature , and so intends to shew me what there is in my heart , it may be that god saw that if my estate did continue i should fall into sin , that the better my estate were the worse my soul would be , it may be god intended only to exercise some grace , it may be god intends to prepare me for some great work which he hath for me , thus you should reason . but we on the contrary make bad interpretations of gods thus dealing with us , and say , god doth not mean this , surely the lord means by this to manifest his wrath and displeasure against me , and this is but a furtherance of further evils that he intends towards me : just as they did in the wildernesse ; god hath brought us hither to slay us . this is is the worst interpretation that possibly you can make of gods waies , oh why will you make these worst interpretations when there may be better ? in cor. . . when the scripture speaks of love ( saith the text ) love thinketh no evil . love is of that nature that if there may be ten interpretations made of a thing if nine of them be naught and one good , love will take that which is good and leave the other nine ; and so though there might be ten interpretations presented to thee concerning gods waies towards thee , and if but one be good and nine naught , thou shouldest take that one that is good and leave the other nine . i beseech you consider , god doth not deal by you as you deal with him , should god make the worst interpretation of all your waies towards him , as you do of his towards you it would be very ill with you , god is pleased to manifest his love thus to us , to make the best interpretations of what we do , and therefore it is , that god doth put a sense upon the actions of his people that one would think could hardly be , as thus , god is pleased to cal those perfect that have but any uprightnesse of heart in them , he accounteth them perfect , be ye perfect as your heavenly father is perfect ; uprightnesse in gods sense is perfection . now alas when we look into our own hearts we can scarce see any good at all there , and yet god is plesed to make such an interpretation as to say , it is perfect : when we look into our own hearts we can see nothing but uncleannesse , god , he calls you his saints , he calls the meanest christian that hath the least grace under the greatest corruption , his saint ; you say , we cannot be saints here , but yet in gods esteem we are saints : you know the usual title the holy ghost gives ( in several of the epistles ) to those that had any grace , any uprightness , is , to the saints in such a place ; you see what an interpretation god puts upon them , they are saints to him , and so i might name in divers other particulars , god makes the best interpretation of things , if there be abundance of evil and a little good , god rather passes by the evil and takes notice of the good : that somtimes i have made use of , which is a very observable placs in peter , concerning sarah , sarah had a speech to her husband in genesis , . . she called her husband lord , but there was but that one good word in an ill speech , it was an unbeleeving speech , but yet when the apostle mentions that speech in pet. . . the holy ghost leaves all the ill , and commends her for calling her husband lord , for putting a reverend title upon her husband ; thus how graciously doth god deal with us ? if there be but one good word among a great many ill , what an interpretation god makes ! so should we do , if there be but any one good interpretation that we can make of a thing we should rather make use of the good one than of the ill ; oh my brethren , ( i would i could now speak only to such as are godly ) retain good thoughts of god , take heed of judging god to be a hard master , make good interpretations of his waies , and that 's a special means to help you to contentment in all your courses . the eleventh direction . do not so much regard the fancies of other men , as what indeed you feel your selves ; for the reason of our discontentment many times , is rather from the fancies of other men than from what we find we want our selves , we think poverty to be such a great evil , why ? because it is so esteem'd by others , more than what people feel in it themselves except they be in extremity of poverty : i 'le give you an evident demonstration that almost all the discontent in the world is rather from the fancies of others than from the evil that is upon themselves . you that think your estates to be low and you are thereupon discontent , and it is a greivous affliction to you , but if all men in the world were poorer than you , then you would not be discontent , then you would rejoyce in your estates though you had not a pennie more than you have : as take a man that can get but his twelve pence a day , and you will say , this were but a poor thing to maintain a familie ? but suppose there were no man in the world that had more than this , yea that all other men but your selves had somewhat lesse wages than you , then you would think your condition pretty good , you should have no more then than you have now , therefore it appears by this that it 's rather from the fancies of other men than what you feel that makes you think your condition to be so greivous , for if all the men in the world lookt upon you as happy , more happy than themselves then you would be contented ; oh let not your happinesse depend upon the fancies of other men . it is a speech of chrisostom i remember in this very case , let us not make the people in this case to be our lords , as we must not make men to be the lords of our faith , so not the lords of our comforts ; that is , that our comfort should depend more upon their imaginations , than upon what we feel in our selves . it may be others think you to be in an afflicted condition , yea but i thank god , for my self i do not so apprehend it , were it not for the disgrace , dis-esteem and slightings of other men , my condition would not be so bad to me as now it is , this is that that makes my condition afflictive . the twelfth direction . be not inordinately taken up with the comforts of this world when you have them . when you have them do not take too much content in them : that 's a certain rule that , look how inordinate any man or woman is in sorrow when a comfort is taken from them , so much immoderate were they in their rejoycing in the comfort when they had it : as now for instance , god takes away a child and you are inordinately sorrowful , beyond what god allows in a natural or christian way , now though i never knew before how your heart was towards the child , yet when i see this , ( though you be a meer stranger to me ) i may without breach of charity conclude that your heart was immoderately set upon your child or husband , or upon any other comfort that i see you greiving for when god hath taken it away ; if you hear ill tydings about your estates , and your hearts are dejected immoderately , and you are in a discontented way because of such and such a crosse , certainly your hearts were immoderatly set upon the world ; and so likewise for your credit , if you hear others report this or that ill of you , and your hearts are dejected because you think you suffer in your name , your hearts were inordinatly set upon your name and credit ; now therefore the way for you not to be immoderate in your sorrows for afflictions , it is not to be immoderate in your love and delights when you have prosperity . and these are the principal directions for our help that we may live quiet and contented lives . my brethren , to conclude all for this point , if i could tell you that i knew how to shew you a way never to be in want of any thing , i make no question but then we should have much flocking to such a sermon , when a man should undertake to mannifest to people that they should never be in want any more , but i have been now preaching unto you that that comes to as much , that that countervails this , that which is in effect all one . is it not almost all one , never to be in want , or never to be without contentment ? that man or woman that is never without a contented spirit , truly , can never be said to want much , oh! the word holds forth a way full of comfort and peace to the people of god even in this world , you may live happy lives in the mid'st of all the storms and tempests in the world , there is an ark that you may come into , and no men in the world may live such comfortable , cheerful , and contented lives as the saints of god : oh that we had learn'd this lesson : i have been many sermons about this lesson of contentment , but i am affraid that you will be longer in learning of it than i have been preaching of it ; it is a harder thing to learn it than it is to speak or preach of it . ( i remember ) i have read of one man reading of that place in the . psalm , i will take heed that i offend not with my tongue : saith he , i have been these . yeers a learning this lesson and have not learned it thorowly . the truth is , there are many ( i am affraid ) that have been professors neer eight and thirty yeers have hardly learn'd this lesson , it were a good lesson for young professors to begin to learn this betimes : but now , this lesson of christian contentment it is as hard , and perhaps you may be many yeers in learning it : i am affraid there be some christians that have not yet learned , not to offend grosly with their tongues : the scripture saith , all a mans religion is vain , if he cannot bridle his tongue ; therefore , those that make any profession of godliness , one would think they should quickly learn this lesson , such a lesson that except learned , it makes all their religion vain : but for this lesson of christian contentment it may take up more time to learn , and there 's many that are learning it all the daies of their lives and yet are not proficients ; but god forbid that it should be said of any of us concerning this lesson , as the apostle saith of widows in timothy , that they were ever learning , and never came to the knowledge of the truth . oh let us not be ever learning this lesson of contentment and yet never come to have skill in it . you would think it much if you had used the sea twenty years , and yet to have attain'd to no skill in your art of navigation , you will say , i have used the sea . or . yeers and i hope i may know by this time what belongs to sea ; oh that you would but say so in respect of the art of christianity ! when there is any thing that 's spoken concerning the duty of a christian , oh that christians could but say i have been a christian thus long , and i hope i am not to seek in such a thing that is so necessary for a christian , here is a necessary lesson for a christian that paul said , he had learned in all estates therewith to be content . oh be not content with your selves till you have learned this lesson of christian contentment , gotten some better skill in it than heretofore . now there is in the text another lesson , which is a hard lesson , i have learned to abound , that doth not so neerly concern us at this time , because the times are afflictive times , and there is now ( more than ordinary ) an uncertainty in all things in the world , in such times as these are , there is few that have such an abundance that they need to be much taught in that lesson . finis . the saints dvty in times of extremity . what the certainty of the cause of those fears that are upon the hearts of people is not yet apparant , but that there are many distracted fears in their hearts , that is apparant to the full ; and therefore though i prepared for that ordinary course as formerly , yet for this time i desire that you would turn to that scripture ( that i might speak a word in season ) in exodus , . part of the . vers . stand still , and see the salvation of the lord. the begining of the verse is thus , and moses said unto the people , fear ye not , stand still , and see the salvation of the lord. in the former chapter we have pharaoh dismissing israel out of egypt : in this chapter we have him pursuing israel with a new-heated fury , against all common sense and reason , his malice and rage besotted him , because god intented to destroy him : though gods hand appeared gloriously for his people before , yet pharaoh will not see the majestie of the lord , but he shall see it ; he gathers all the strength that possibly he can , and seems too rash in his way , he overtakes , and overtakes them in a place of the greatest advantage that possibly could be ; for the text saith , that they were before pi-hahiroth , in the first verse , between migdol and the sea , over against baal-zephon , and that by gods appointment too ; they were there when pharaoh comes to find them , there the sea is before them , all the strength of egypt is behind them , and they were at pi-hahiroth : carverna rupibus inclus● , so turn'd by some , not the proper signification , for pi is the mouth , and hahiroth that signifies f●ramen ; they were got into a hole , ( as it were ) into the mouth of a hole , that was compassed about with rocks one each side , that had high rocks about it , so the word imports : and not only so , but between migdol over against baal zephon , migdol signifies a tower ; so that in that place the egyptians had a tower built likewise : besides the advantage of the rocks and of the hills , there was a tower built for their further strengthening , and there the people of israel were , an unarmed people ; yea , not only by the tower , but they were over against baal-zephon . i remember in the last exercise , i shewed you what baal was , and what several baals there were that the heathens worshiped for their gods , a general name it is , sometimes for any other idol : this baal-zephon it was a god that they worshiped upon this ground , they had an idol set in that place , at the going out of egypt , that was to watch those that were to go out , for so zephon comes of zuri speculatus est , the god was to watch , was to stand and watch any run-away-servant , or any people that did go out of egypt without any leave , they trusting in this baal , that he would stop them , and stay them , and he was set in that place for that very purpose ; and thereupon his name was baal-zephon : as conjurers by their magick arts will have their spels , spirits that shall stop men in such a place , they shall not go out of such an orchyard , or such a yard where they come in : so the egyptians had there by their magical arts , they got ( as it were ) a spel , a baal-zephon , a god to stop people in that place where they would have them stopped : that is the meaning of this name of the idol baal-zephon . so that you see what a strait israel was in upon their going out of egypt , they were got before the sea , the egyptians had all their strength behind , in a hole of rocks , and a tower , and their god to stop them altogether , so that they themselves made sure of them , and said that they were intangled in the land of the wildernesse ; being in those great straits their hearts began to fail them , they began to be extreamly troubled , and in a most greivous distemper of spirit they were coming , and chiding with moses , and said to moses in the . vers . because there were no graves in egypt , hast thou taken us to die in the wilderness , wherefore hast thou dealt thus with us , to carry us forth out of egypt ? we had rather we had continued in egypt still , what! brought to these straits ! these extremities ! such a perplexity as we are now in ? would to god we had bin in egypt : this was the baseness of their spirits , they would rather be under vile bondage , than endure any hazard , then be put to any straits and difficulties : it is the baseness of the spirits of many at this day amongst us , because they see that those waies that have bin taken by the parliament brings some troublesom difficulties , some straits , they cry out of the times , i would to god we were , as we were before , we were well enough before , we were quiet enough before , we never knew what such stirs as these meant before , now we are brought into these perplexities , i , this they have brought us into ; & thus they are ready to murmur & repine . oh unthankful unworthy generation ! men , women of vile spirits that shall do so . it was a speech of cyrus , speaking unto his souldiers , the historian hath this expression of him . it is the part of a true valiant man , either to live honourably , or die honourably , one of them ; but that is the part of a base coward , rather to live basely than to die honourably , rather to be under any base servitude , than to be in any hazard of their lives , though perhaps their lives may be saved too . i remember philo tels us , even of women , ( for in these times , the publik cause of the kingdom , suffers exceedingly much by the timorousness of the spirits of women ) that being in danger of their enemies , of being brought into bondage by them , they took their children and threw them into the rivers , with these words , you shall not serve , we had rather see you die than be slaves . i commend not that fact that it was wel done , but to shew what a spirit the heathen women had to see their children die rather than have them bondslaves : indeed , what were our lives worth ? were they worth having if we return to our bondage again ? the utmost of the danger is , our lives , the killing of our bodies , yet we hope god will preserve them too , but suppose the worst , it is but death ; but if our lives should not be hazarded now , and if through base cowardice , we should decline the cause of god , surely our lives would not be worth taking up , the living after that manner we are like to live , in that bondage unto these cavalliers , notorious wretches , blasphemers of god himself , that would make our lives worth very little , nay your children perhaps to be brought up in popery , and to hold a candle to a masse-priest at the altar ; that may be the imployment of your children , if so be that they should live : but these people being now in this extremity , and manifesting so much passion , being in a distemper ; moses as the captain of the lord comes to the people , and speaks bravely to them , incouraging of them , saith moses , fear not , but stand stil , and see the salvation of the lord : stand still , the word is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 state , it signifies to settle and compose , to be in a setled condition ; it is a reflect word upon our selves , so the learned know , that it is to work upon our selves , to form , signifies so , it is as much as if he should say , do you work upon your own hearts , to get your hearts to stand still , work upon your hearts to do that , work arguments upon your spirits , and never leave working until you have wrought your hearts into such a frame , as that you may stand stil , & be quiet : at first even the dearest servants of god wil find their hearts to shake in time of hazards and extremities , but when they come to work upon their spirits , to bring arguments to lay to their hearts , there they get some advantage , that their hearts grow quiet quickly : for that we have a notable text in the example of david , in the . psalme , ( saith david there , in the , and . verses ) truly my soul waiteth upon god , from him cometh my salvation , hee onely is my rock and my salvation , he is my defence , i shall not greatly be moved ; mark , he begins to exercise faith , and he saies , he shall not greatly be moved , as if he should have said , i confesse , i cannot say , but that my heart is somewhat stirred , i am somewhat afraid , and i feel some working in my spirit , but i hope i shall not greatly be moved ; he fals a working upon his heart more , and considers of his innocencie ; and of the mischievous device of the ungodly ; how long will ye imagine mischiefe against a man , ye shall be slain all of you ; then again in the . verse ; my soul waite thou onely upon god , for my expectation is from him , he only is my rock : and then he repeats the words again , after he had been rubbing upon his heart the same meditation , then he fetches in the words again , that he had in the . verse ; he only is my rock and my salvation ; but mark now , what advantage he gets of himself , in the . verse , he only is my rock and my salvation , and my defence , i shall not be moved ; before , he is my rock , my salvation , my defence , i shall not greatly be moved , but after he had been working further upon his own heart , then he gains and saies , now he is my rock , and my salvation , and my defence , i shall not be moved ; i have overcome these distracting fears , i have got the advantage and the victory , blessed be god i have overcome them , god is my salvation , and my glory ; now he begins to glory and triumph after he had wrought upon himself ; so that he in this did indeed stand still in this phrase , by working upon his own heart , though he was stirred a little at first , yet he got the victory : so indeed not to be moved , the . turn this word , stand still stete only , but yet the notes upon it , they say it is read likewise stetite , that is , a standing fast , stand fast , it is a word , taken from souldiers in their ranks ; souldiers that are in their ranks when they apprehend a danger , they must not go out of their way , because of the danger , it is as much as their lives are worth , to go out of the way , but they must stand , they must stand stille , though there be never such danger , yet they must stand still in their ranks : that is the meaning of the word : i shall open more what the meaning of the holy ghost is by and by , what kind of stand still , this should be ; but thus for the word , it is such a stand still , as the souldiers have in their ranks , not to go out of their ranks for fear . the word is used in scripture divers times for , standing fast , as in the of philiphians , . that you stand fast in one spirit ; now the word fast , is not in the greek text , but only the other word in the greek text ; and so you have the same word in the other scriptures ; in the . of the corinthians , . . watch ye , stand fast in the faith , stetite , it is only two words in the greek , as it is in the english , stand fast ; so that this stand , it is not only a standing , but a standing fast , stand still in your ranks , fast , be not in a hurry up and down , and be not in a confusion : if upon danger souldiers should presently be in a confusion in the army , what would become of them ? and so the truth is , in a city , in any place , where there is any danger , if people grow to a confusion , they are gone , they are lost , you must stand still in your ranks , stand still ; there are several stand-stils , some very vile and naught , and others very good : there is first , a stand-still out of amazement , when a man through fear is at a stand , and dears not stir any further ; now this cannot be meant in the text ; for moses saith , fear not , but stand still , therefore it is not a standing still out of fear , because i am astonished . there is a stand-still , out of ignorance ; because i do not know which way to take ; and this is not in the text neither : thus many in our time , they stand still , they plead ignorance ; they stand still , they will be of no side , and they plead ignorance , they know not what to do ; they say , they know not what to do , one saith one thing , and another saith another thing , the king commands one thing , and the parliament another , they know not what to do ; to go against the king , is it not rebellion ? and so they stand still because they plead ignorance , & their consciences are not informed . it hath bin the work of divers ministers , that have hazarded themselves in this , to open to you the counsel of god , and to set your consciences at liberty ; divers things i have spoken in this place , but certainly men do blinde their own eyes , and are willing to stand still , to plead ignorance , after so much light revealed : it is strange that any rational man should speak of rebellion now , when as we know , that the king himselfe sent aid to the rochellers , and that ( we know ) in the case of their liberties , and religion ; they took up armes to defend themselves against their own king , & he sent help to them , surely he did not himself take them to be rebels , & king james in his answer to byron that enveighs against the protestants in france ; he doth stand to justifie what the protestants in france did , even king james himselfe in that book of his , in his answer to byron ; and besides we must acknowledge all the protestant churches in the world to be rebels , if it be rebellion , meerly to take up armes . know we not that our own king hath matched his daughter to the young prince of orange , now we know the prince of orange is the general of the states in their fields , as the earl of essex is the general of our forces here ; and their businesse against the king of spain ( it was their praise ) to defend their liberties , and religion , and still they maintain the same quarel , and the prince of orange he is their general , and undertakes it : we desire nothing but the maintainance of our liberty and of our religion , though things be not gone so far yet , as to take our estates , yet the cause that they began withal , it is our cause , and what the general was there , the same in a kind ( there is no great difference ) here ; and certainly if it were rebellion , our king would never have match'd his daughter unto the son of such a rebel ; if it should be rebellion meerly to take up arms to defend religion , and to defend the liberties of the countrey that are according unto laws ; yea , we know further , that the king himself hath acknowledged our brethren the scots , to be loving subjects , to be his loyal subjects , do we more than they ? do we more in our cause ? nay , have we done so much in our cause , as they have done ? how generally was it there in their kingdom , and shall it be acknowledged they are loving subjects doing so much , and we be accounted rebels ? surely no man can plead , to stand still through ignorance upon that ground . . there is a third stand-still , and the truth is , though it be not through ignorance , it is though a worse principle , and that is of neuteralizing ; that is , when men though they are informed well enough , yet they stand still to see which will be the strongest side , and are loth to appear yet , they know not which side will most prevail , but they have such a principle in their spirits , to go to the strongest side , which way soever it be , only they will stand still till it appear : my brethren , certainly we can admit of no neuters in these times ; the times are grown to a greater height , than that any should be admitted as a neuter , either for us or against us ; whatsoever is not for us at this time , now coming to this straight , may well be concluded to be against us . . there is a fourth wicked stand-still , and that is out of sullennesse of spirit ; and that is more particular , and that is of many men and women , especially that are in some troubles of conscience , and when they are seeking of god , and performing duties that god requires of them , and do not find that encouragement that their hearts desire , they leave off all , and have no mind to do any thing , but even stand still and die , and will even sink in a sullen discouragement , and go no further , leave off their work , leave off duty , what should i go on in doing duty , for i get no good by it , i am never a whit the better ? and so they stand still out of a sullen discouragement : the devil himselfe is the most discouraged spirit in the world , and yet he is the proudest spirit in the world ; and this standing still out of discouragement , may come out of pride , and stoutnesse of heart , though you think it is out of humility . . there is a sluggish standing still , and that is sinful and wicked , when people stand still because they are idle , and are loth to venture themselves , or to put themselves to trouble , to go forward in any work , this work is tedious ; and thus the sluggard he stands still , and is ready to catch at any argument , that may plead for his standing still : my brethren this is not that stand still here , that we should stand still and do nothing , and be sluggards ; no , but the stand still here is , after we have gone on , and done to the utmost that we are able , that then we should stand still , and commit the work to god , as if we had done nothing at all ; there is the stand still : i shall speak of more presently ; as that worthy divine said , he would labour to preach , as if he expected no assistance , and then he would expect assistance , as if he had not labour'd at all ; so warriors and people in danger , they should prepare in the use of all means , as if they expected no further help , and then they should expect help from god , as if they had used no means at all ; so we must use means : as that brave speech of joab , come let us play the men , let us fight for our cities , and the people of our god , and then let god do what seemeth him good ; then he would stand still , and look for his salvation of god ; a speech even of joab himselfe , not then a sluggish stand still , it is no hindrance at all to any preparations that may be used : therefore all these are naught . . there is an obediential stand-still ; that is , for the hearts of men and women to stand still , to wait , to know further of gods mind , what god revealeth , our hearts are willing to yeeld unto , and we will listen to hear what the mind of god further is , what god would have us to do ; to stand still , to hearken to what the lord would have us to do , with hearts resign'd up to him , and resolved to walk accordingly to it ; this is good , and that is somewhat of it , but that is not all . . there is a stand-still out of faith ; a beleeving standstill ; and that is when ( though in the greatest extremity ) i having used what means i can for helping me , yet i see my self wrapped up in extremity , i will now exercise faith. first , . to quiet my heart ; to get out of my spirit those distracting thoughts of that hurry and tumult that there is in the heart , and to get all silenced , all murmurings , all distractions , all giddinesse of spirit ; and upproar that many times is in the hearts of men and women in time of danger ; so by faith i come to quiet these , and to get my heart to be still , to be still within me ; be still o my soul ; and therefore the scripture expresses the waiting upon god out of faith by a word of silence , in the . psalme , at the beginning , and verse . my soul waits upon god , it is silenced , so the hebrew word signifies , it signifies a silence in god : there is many times in the hearts of men and women ( when they apprehend any danger ) a great deal of hurrying and noise in their hearts , all is in a combustion in their hearts ; it is a grievous thing to see a citie all in a combustion , and in a tumult ; there are many men and womens hearts , in as great a tumult upon apprehension of danger , as many times a whole city is , there is a rising in their hearts , and a mighty noise there : sometimes they keep ( it may be in private and publick exigencies ) their tongues silent , but their hearts boyle within them : but your hearts must be silent , you must cry to your heart , be silent there ; my heart is now in a mutinie , and a great deal of stir , cry silence to your hearts , that your hearts and thoughts may be composed ; that is the meaning of the word , that there should be a setled composed frame of spirit in the hearts of men and women , in the times of extremity : that is the first . secondly , . when it is out of faith , there should be a keeping our stations till god cals us out ; not to run up and down this way and that way , and to think of nothing but of shifting courses , to shift for our selves : as in time of danger ( i verily beleeve ) if we could look into the thoughts of many men and women , they scarce have any thought but meerly of shifting their place or house ; they think to shift for themselves : now we should not busie our thoughts so much about shifting , as about quieting our hearts in beleeving : for ( my brethren ) in times of extremity of danger , god calleth for courage more than discretion ; though it 's true , discretion is not excluded , yet that is not that explicite and special work that is called for in times of danger ; i mean discretion to shift for your selves ; but discretion so far as may improve courage : the main work that god now cals for at this time , it is courage and discretion , and prudence only so far as to mannage courage , and to drive it on further , and to improve it , not to abate it , that is not the discretion certainly that now is called for , but to keep our station . quest . but you will say , in time of danger may we not fly ? must men keep their stations ? is it not lawful to avoid danger and to fly ? then we shall accuse many of our brethren , that heretofore have fled in time of danger . resp . ( my brethren ) you are to know , that the case now is far different from the case that was heretofore ; the case heretofore was especially ( for the present ) directed against particulars , not against the generall , though there were plots against the general , but the hazard and the danger was against such , and such particular men , as especially your ministers that were most faithful and conscionable , they were the fore-front , they did bear the brunt , and it was aimed especially against them ; now the case is far different when the aime of the adversary is against particulars , and not against the godly in general ; when it is against particulars there may be all lawful means , by an avoyding and flying : when it is against the godly in general then every one should stand still , and keep in their waies and stations , to come in , and adde what strength they can to the publick cause ; and certainly those that shall shift then , and think to fly then , god may justly meet with them ; as we reade of jeremiah , and vrijah , vrijah the priest he flies in publick time of danger , and he was sent for , and catched , and put to death ; jeremiah staies , and is saved : but when the case is the danger of particular persons , then it is nothing against this text , to fly in any lawful way ; many people will cry out against flying by a lawful way in times of danger , because they think they may shift from flying themselves ; and if others that are in danger should not do so , they would be far enough from helping and assisting them in extremities , and yet they will be crying out against it ; peter martyr i remember hath this answer to it ; it is just for all the world in this case , as a man that hath a dangerous sicknesse upon him , and the physicians tell him , there is no way but by taking such strong physick , or by cutting off a leg , or a limb , now he comes and pleads , i will not so distrust god , and be so impatient of my present pain , as to take such a course to help me , i 'le rather continue patient and quiet , and endure my present pain , and trust in god , rather than put my self to any such hazard ; now is this man more patient , than another man that will take such strong physick or have a member cut off ? is it through the strength of his patience ? no , it is rather through the weaknesse of his spirit , because the other is a certain great pain and hazard , and while he goes on in the use of ordinary means , he hath a lesser pain , with hope that he may be delivered from a greater , and preserved himself . so this is the objection against flying in particular danger , because the flying is a certain great suffering , they that have fled , have found it so : now others will rather satisfie themselves to endure a little uncertain suffering , than to go upon a certain great suffering ; and that is the very ground . but that this is not against faith at all , to fly in danger , when it is particularly aimed at particulars , i 'le give you but a scripture or two for that to cleer it , that it is not against faith , it is remarkable ( we might spend a great deal of our time in this case here , but i have done with it ) in the . of matthew , when they persecute you ( saith christ ) in this citie , fly into another : he speaks of particular persecution of this or that body , and not of a whole kingdom : now flee ( say they ! ) we will be more beleeving , and trust in god , and not be afraid , have we not a good cause , and is not god with us ? this would argue too much fear ; mark , in the next words christ speaks after he had given them liberty , and commanded them to flie ; ( saith he ) fear them not therefore ( though it is the next thing he speaks of in the . verse ) and fear not them that can kill the body : you see these two can well stand together , that there is not fear of them that can kill the body , and yet there is a flying ; and so christ himself flies in the . of matthew , when he did but hear what herod did to john , when jesus knew it ( that was when the pharisees sought him , when he knew it ) he did withdraw himselfe , in the , and . verses , and when jesus heard of it , be departed thence , &c. when he heard but what was done to john , christ withdrew himself and went away : therefore it may stand with faith , so to avoid danger in particular cases : but now when persecution is general , we are to stand still and not avoid our station . the third thing in this stand still of faith is , the looking up for the salvation of god , the expecting a good issue one way or other ; i know not how salvation wil come , but that there will be salvation one way or other , that my soul rests upon ; i stand not still out of stoutness of spirit , or because i think i have means enough to resist , whether i have means or no , when i am put into the greatest extremitie , yet i can stand still , and look for salvation . what ▪ stand still , and look for the salvation of the lord ? what talk you of salvation ( might they say to moses ) when there is nothing but distruction before us ? true , if you look before you , behind you , and without you , and within your selves there is nothing but distruction , yet look up to heaven and there is salvation , stand still and see the salvation of the lord. i have done no more than the meer openning of the text , and what is contayned in it : there are these . doctrinal conclusions in the text. . doct. that when god is in a way of mercy and salvation to his people , he doth many times bring them into great straights , even then when he is in a way of salvation . . doct. that in time of these great straights , even the people of god are subject to have their hearts to be overwhelmed with trouble , distracting fears , and to be disquieted . . doct. that it is our duty to stand still , keep quiet , and look for gods salvation in the time of the greatest straights . . doct. that the sight of gods salvation coming after straights , is a glorious sight to behold : stand still , see the savation of god. these are the . for the first then . first , when god is in a way of salvation , yet he may and doth divers times bring his people into very great staits . truly , this straight in the text is exceeding remarkable : but i 'le shew you further , how when god was about to save this people of israel out of the egyption bondage , ( which is the work god hath now to do with us to save us out of the egyptian bondage that we were in , and that we were going further into , ) after they were delivered from this straight , from pharaoh and all his host ; yet in the . chap. you shall find , ( the very next chapter ; ) after they were come out of the sea , they presently wanted water to drink , yea , the waters were bitter that they could not drink them ( saith the text . vers . ) the waters were bitter , they could not drink them , they were ready to perish for want of water : as soon as ever they were delivered out of that strait , mark the . chap. they were in another as bad as that , there you shall find they want bread , and were ready to starve for hunger ; in chap. . , . and all the assembly were ready to be killed for hunger ( the text saith : ) well , moses cries to god , and god delivered them out of that straight too : in the next chap. they were in as great a straight too : they pitched at rephidim , and there they had no water to drink again : i might go through the story , and shew you in the wildernesse , what great straights god put them in , and yet god was working salvation for them . when they come to possesse the land , ( because i wil not go thorow the story the time wil not permit ) they have jordan to passe over without any bridge , whether the bridges were cut down , or whether there were none , i cannot tell ; but it was more danger to passe over the bridges ( if there were any ) because at that time ( the text saith ) it was that jordan flowed over all his banks : so then it was at the worst time that could be , when the banks of jordan were all overflowed , yet god delivered them out of that straight ; when they were got over , there i might shew you many other straights , but i shall mention only one , that was this : the first enemy the people of god fought with all in canaan , they were discomfited , they were beaten back at the first battel that ever they fought , when they came to set upon the land of canaan , and to fight with the adversary , there the adversary comes out , and gets the day and makes them fly before them , that was at the fight at ai , they fled before the men of ai , upon this joshua fell down upon the ground ; why lord ! what are we come to this ? after all these straights that we come now to fight with the people of canaan , and they at the very first blow have the day , and make us fly before them ? now all the people will come out against us . if so be people have such distracting fears now , suppose there should be a meeting of both armies , and you should hear that one army flies before another , that our men fly before those that come out against them , before the cavelliers , what a fear and distraction would there be then ? yet so it was with the people of israel , though god was coming in with such a mighty hand to deliver them , and to possesse them of canaan , yet at the very first blow , they had the worst , and the people overcame them : it would take a mighty deal of time to shew you the straights that david , and jos●ah , and jehoshaphat , and hezekiah werein , i 'le only give you a word or two about david , because it may be a very great help to poor troubled spirits in time of straights ; david he was in such straights sometimes , that he professes himself even overwhelmed , psal . . and the beginning : you shall find psal . . . he could not speak . many poor souls are in greivous afflictions , and when we put them to go and open their hearts to god and men , oh i cannot speak ( say they ) david was in such straights that he could not speak , yea he could not so much as look up , psal . . . not so much as look up to god , grievous straights that he was in . and the people of israel in their other captivity , there were mountains before them ; what straights did god put them into ? when they were come forth of babilon , in zech. . what art thou o great mountain , that art before them ? but examples will be needless to illustrate the thing , it is so cleer , that thus was gods dealing with his people . as with wicked men , when god is in a way of wrath against the ungodly , he many times suffers them to prosper in the highest way , with the most flourishing prosperity that ever they had in their lives : so when he is in a way of salvation of his saints , he lets them be in the lowest ebb that ever they were in in al their lives : as in job , . saith the text there at the . verse , in the fulness of his sufficiency be shall be in straights . in the fulness of his sufficiency ; what a phrase is here ! a wicked man shall be in straits when he is full , when he hath sufficient ( as he thinks , ) in the fulness of his sufficiency he shall be in straights : and on the other side , a godly man in his greatest straights , he hath a fulness of sufficiency ; i will shew you that cleer , in cor. . . as the sufferings of christ abound in us , so our consolation also aboundeth by christ : we have a fulness of consolation , when we have a fulness of suffering ; yea , not only abound , but do super abound , for so the word is ; in cor. . . i am ( saith he ) filled with comfort , i am exceeding joyful in all our tribulations : we are brought into tribulation , into great straights , and i have a fulness fil'd with comfort , and exceeding joyful , more than abundantly-joyful ; so the word signifies : there is abounding in the other text , but here is a super added to it , a super-abounding , more than joyfull , not in times of prosperity only : carnall hearts never know how to rejoyce but in times of prosperity , when they can eat , and drink , and play , then they can be merry ; but the saints know how to joy , how to be fil'd with joy , how to abound in joy , and how to be exceedingly abounding in joy when they are in tribulation : thus , as wicked men are in straights in their sufficiencies ; so godly men when god is in a way of comfort , they may be in a way of great affliction , and the reason of it may be , . reason . because god will humble his people , when he is in a way of salvation : when god intends the greatest good to his people , and to raise them the highest , he is very careful to keep them very low ; that hath alwaies bin the manner of gods administrations : you see the reason of the peoples having straights in the wilderness , it was from hence , in the . of deuteronomie , there god gives the reason , in the second verse , thou shalt remember all the way , which the lord thy god led thee these fourty years in the wilderness , to what end ? why were they so long in the wildernesse ? it was ( saith the text ) to humble them ; i brought thee into the wilderness , and it was to humble thee : doth god ( my brethren ) bring us into straights , now in these times ? certainly he is in a way of salvation for england , he is in a way of salvation to do us good in the latter end , but yet he is bringing us into straights , oh! we may thank the pride of our spirits , we have not been brought low enough to this very day : there hath been ( indeed ) some humiliation of some of the people of god , in fasting and praying , they have humbled their souls ; but yet though there hath been humble expressions , yet not humble hearts ; for after those times they have had ( many of them ) exceeding froward spirits , and that argues apparantly , their hearts are not humbled and broken , when their spirits after daies of humiliation , still should be froward and pettish as before : but especially for the generallity of the kingdom , how far are we from being an humbled people ! we are not yet capable of what mercy god intendeth for us , in this regard , because we are not humbled ; oh the exceding pettishness , envie , and pride ( and worse a great deal ) not only in many people of the land , but even in those that are godly and gracious ! how are the spirits of men , of one brother opposite to another ! that because there is some difference in judgment in such and such a thing ; o they could be content ( many of them ) to have them rid out of the land , and if god did not prevent ( whereas the persecution by bishops is now at an end ) who knows ( except god humble their hearts more ) whether many of gods dear servants , that do but differ in some point of judgement , might not meet with a great deale of sufferings , even from those that are godly , and that is the worst suffering , better a thousand times suffer from wicked men , it is not so hard to the spirits of godly men to suffer from never so many bishops , and wicked men , as to suffer from one godly man : oh! there wants that charity and tenderness of spirit one towards another that should be ; we are not yet humbled and brought upon our knees , and therefore it is just with god to lay us upon our backs a while , or that we should even be with our faces upon the ground , & confounded in our own thoughts before that great salvation comes that god intendeth for us . that 's the first reason . . reas . god brings to straights , because he takes much delight in the exercise of faith . ( my beloved ) faith , it is a most glorious grace , it is one of the most glorious things that ever god enabled any creature to do , and especially now , when there is so much guilt upon them ; it is a more glorious work than adam perform'd in innocency , for a poor creature to beleeve upon god , for his good here ; and in the midst of all extremities to rely upon him , it is a most glorious work , and god is exceedingly delighted in it , and therfore the scripture calleth faith , precious faith , in the beginning of the epistle of peter : now god loves the acting of precious things ; god loves to see the actings of all his creatures , every creature active in his way ; but when god hath put such a precious grace as faith into the heart ; oh! how god doth delight to see the acting of that precious faith : and therfore it hath been the way of god to go quite crosse , after the lord hath made a promise of mercy and salvation , he goes seemingly crosse , only to exercise faith ; i think i have told you sometimes of that to abraham , that there were but two promises made to him , first , that the country that god would give him , should flow with milk and honey : and secondly , his seed should be as the stars of heaven : and mark what way god goes to bring this about , assoon as ever he gets into canaan , he was ready to starve there ; is this the country that flows with milk and honey ? and then for the other , his seed should be as the stars of heaven ; he stayed twenty yeers before he had a child , & isaac stayed forty yeers before he had a child ; and yet his seed should be great ; and isaac must be killed too : and then there was another thing exercised his faith , he would give him the land , and yet notwithstanding , during his life , he must not possesse one foot of the land , but only a burying-place , and what was the reason of all this ? it was to exercise his faith ; and the promise god makes to his son christ , i will give thee the heathen for thine inheritance , and the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession ; yet christ must not have a hole to hide his head in , he hath not so much as the foxes and the birds have to hide his head in . thus the way of god is , to seem to go quite contrary , that he might draw forth that glorious work of faith he so much delights in , and because this is the only time of exercising this precious grace , and there shall be no such faith in heaven exercised as this is , and therefore god ( because he will have as much as may be of the excellency of this faith ) though he be in a way of salvation , he brings his people into straights . . reas . because the lord delights so much in the prayers of his people , that he might draw out their prayers : oh! the voice is sweet , the voice of prayer it is very melodious in the ears of god : it 's true , god delights in a praising voice too , but here in this world , rather in prayer , why ? because god shall have a praising voice to all eternity , gods saints shall be praising him to all eternity , but they shall not be praying to him to all eternity ; now god delighting so much in the praying voice of his saints , and he knowing he shall have a great deal of praise from his people when they are delivered from great troubles , no marvel he doth exercise his people : that which pleases god more than heaven and earth is , the exercise of the faith and the prayers of his people , they are the most pleasing things to god in all the world , and therefore he brings into straights . . reas . because god would discover wicked men : before he brings his great salvation , he would discover those that are vile and wicked , that they should not partake of that great salvation : as in our times , we know how god in every straight we have been in hath made some useful discovery to us , it hath been a discovering time , of many that we have known to be vile and naught , that we did not know before : luke , . . ( you know the place ) a sword shall pierce thorow thy soul , why ? that the thoughts of many may be discovered : there shall be great afflictions and troubles , and the end i aim at is , to discover the thoughts of many : how have mens thoughts been discovered by plots ? when god was bringing his people into canaan he would not have a rebellious generation come in among them ; and all the trouble they had in the wildernesse , it was by a mixture of a base and vile generation , that you have plain in num. . when they were in such a distressed condition , and in a murmuring and a vexing way , mark the . verse , the mixt multitude that was among them fell a lusting : they disturbed all the host of god : and certainly if men should not be discovered , more than they are , if god should come to set up a full reformation amongst us herein england , to bring us to that canaan we desire , we should be so troubled with a mixt multitude , the mixt multitude would so vex and trouble the church of god , that they should scarce ever have peace among themselves ; and therefore god in mercy will discover them beforehand , before canaan comes he will discover this mixt multitude . . rea. god will bring them into straits , because he might give occasion to the adversary to vent his malice to the utmost , and to ripen his sin that it may be ripe to the full , before god comes to deliver us ; that they may be gathered together to be a great sacrifice to the lord , therefore gods people are brought to such straights ; that if they will blaspheme , they shal blaspheme to the full . in our times now , the more straights we are brought into , the greater are the blasphemies of the wicked , and if god should bring us into more straights , and give them the better over us , i beleeve there will be that horrible blasphemy in england , that never was in any place in the world , the heavens never did hear , nor the earth never did bear such blasphemies , and blasphemers , as there would be , if god should but deliver up his people in any degree to the hands of their enemies ; we know not , but for the ripenning of their sins , and that so they may come to be remarkable for gods vengance on them here in this world , god may give them power over his people , and bring his people yet into greater straights . and then the last reason is , ( . reas ) because the work of jesus christ will more appear at the last , the greater the straight is ; and therefore in dan. . . he will build up the city even in troublesome times . every one can build in quiet times , but in troubled times christ will build up the city : and he rules in the midst of his enemies : christ loves to rule in the midst of his enemies , that so his rule may be the more conspicuous . . vse , is it so with us ? take heed then that we have not our hearts sinck , because of straights : let us not say , why is it thus with us ? if god be in a way of mercy , why deals he thus with us ? and presently be ready to conclude against the waies of god ; certainly all is gone , god is gone , surely whatsoever the hopes and confidences of such and such were , we see all is undone , all their hopes are undone . god forbid there should be such an unbeleeving heart in any of you , or such murmuring and repining speeches among any of you , whatsoever straight you are brought into ! doct. in these straights , gods people are mightily troubled . it was so here , in every straight they repin'd , and were in a distraction , and especially at this time ; stand still ( saith moses , ) what mean you to do ? they were all in a confusion ; and as it was there , so it is many times in many of gods saints . as the blessed man heman , that made that . psalm , you shall find in that psalm , he was distracted ; and yet though heman was one of the wisest men upon the earth , for so you shall find it in the . of kings , ( where the holy ghost speaks of wise men ) in . . solomon did exceed the wisedom of all in egypt , for ( saith the text ) he was wiser than all men , than heman , and yet heman was in woful perplexity , when he was brought into straights . and in the . of isaiah , it was the same case there , that seems to be ours now ; oh there was a confederacy , a confederacy , and many people did joyn together against gods servants , and upon that ( the text saith ) in the . verse , the lord spake to me with a strong hand , and instructed me that i should not walk in the way of this people saying , say ye not , a confederacy to all them to whom this people shall say , a confederacy , neither fear ye their fear . mark , god was fain to speak to the prophet with a strong hand , that he should not be so troubled , as other people were in the time of their fears . yea we shall find , that many of gods saints , that he hath delivered in a most glorious way , yet at some other times they have been too secure , their hearts have bin all in a confusion , and were not able to stand before the difficulties that they met withal : and for that you have a famous example , kings , . of elijah ; if you reade the . chap. you may see what a spirit elijah had , he would appear before ahab , as the lord of hosts lives , before whom i stand , i will surely shew my self to him , to day , ( to ahab : ) and he did shew himself to ahab , and tels him , it was he and his people , that troubled israel , when ahab said to him , art thou he that troubleth israel , no ( saith he ) it is thou , and thy fathers house that troubleth israel : and then he comes and gets the priests of baal together , and gets fire from heaven , to consume the sacrifice , and destroies all the priests of baal : and gets rain from heaven to rain upon the earth : what an excellent spirit had elijah in the chapter ? yet in the . chapter , jezabel did but threaten elijah , and he takes himself to his heels , and runs away at the threatning of wicked jezabel ; though he had such a brave spirit in the former chapter : so it is truly with many men , at some time their courage makes their adversaries afraid , and at other times , their cowardice makes their friends ashamed ; many have been so , they have been a terror to their adversaries one day , and a shame to their friends another day . reas . . because we have much flesh still in the best of us all , and we are much led by sence ; and because we are not throughly skilful in the waies of god , because the fear of god is so weak in us , therefore it is that the fear of man is so strong , and therefore we know so little of gods secrets ; the secrets of god are with them that fear him , did we fear god more we should know his secret waies , and not be so much troubled . reas . . because there is a great deal of guilt rests in the best , and that will make any one afraid ; where there is much guiltiness in their hearts , it is exceeding troublesome to the soul . reas . . because they are too to confident in the flesh , they are too to confident in themselves , thence it is that god withdraws himself from them ; and at what time they are afraid , they cannot trust in god , as david ( it is an admirable sweet text ) professes of himself , that at what time he was afraid , he would trust in god : there is many a man that for the present thinks he can trust in god , but he cannot do it at that time when he is afraid : psal . . . what time i am afraid , i will trust in the lord. when your passion comes , then you make no use of your faith , to trust in god : as now , many a man or woman can be meek & quiet , till they have a temptation , but when your passion is up , can you be meek then ? and rise then , and beat it down with the contrary grace ? so when the passion of your fears and troubles come up , can you then trust in god ? i , that is somewhat-like ; but because we trust so much in our selves , therefore when the time cometh we should trust in god , god withdraws himself from us , and we are most afraid . vse . this is that we should lay our hands upon our hearts , and charge our souls for , and be ashamed for before the lord : never a one here but hath cause to lay his hand upon his heart and say , oh that i , that have had so much experience of god , of his waies of helping and delivering me , out of six troubles and seven , and yet the lord knows upon any new trouble i am to seek as much as ever , and in any hurly-burly in as great distemper of fear as ever ; be ashamed of this before the lord. it is true , gods people may be so , and you are so , therefore be ashamed of it , and labour to prepare for such times ; those that are troubled with fainting fits , use to carry their bottle of aqua-vitae about with them ; so you that have been disquieted in times of trouble , lay up somewhat that may help in those times . though a candle light will serve to carry in a yard in calme weather , yet it must be a torch , a great light that must serve when the wind blows ; so a little may serve now , but a great deal must be laid up for times of extremity . first , lay up encouraging promises . secondly , lay up encouraging experiences , that may help you against such times of fainting and trouble . vse . but then , if it be so with the saints and gods own people , that when they are in straights , they are so ready to be troubled with distracting fears & cares , what shal become of the wicked and ungodly then ? when they come in straights , how must their hearts sink in horror , because all their straights are no other , but the beginning of eternal straights ? present sorrows making away to eternal sorrows , the way of their deliverance from present straights is , by being brought into greater straights : many women with child have strong pains in their child birth , yet when they think they shall be delivered , they have joy in stead of sorrow ; but a woman that is with child , and is only reprieved because she is with child , till she be delivered , though she have a great deal of trouble and pain before she be delivered , she desires not to be rid of it , because then she knows she shall come to greater , to be hang'd , and if she could live seven yeers together and never be delivered , she could be content with the trouble , because when that is gone , greater comes : so wicked and ungodly men that are in great straights for the present , may well be content with them , because when they are gone , greater will come . . doct. in the time of these straights , it is our duty , to stand stil and look for gods salvation , to quiet our spirits , and look up to god. first , for the quieting of our spirits . as they were to be delivered out of this bondage in that way ; so they were to be delivered out of the babilonish bondage in the same way : so you shall find it isa . . see what god saith for that deliverence , he tels them plainly at the . vers . in quietness and in confidence shall be your strength , and you would not : in quietness and confidence , it 's true , they were in a passionat way , and god tels them , that in quietness and in confidence is their strength , and they would not : so , come to many people that are in great extremities , to some women and others , ( when they are wringing their hands , and hanging about their husbands necks ) and tel them , your confidence must be in quietness , they wil be ready to row you off . but they would not ( saith god ) so in isa . . . i cried concerning this , their strength is , to sit still : my brethren , this day in the name of god , do i cry concerning al our straights , after we have used all the means we can , we are to sit still , and see the salvation of our god , to quiet our hearts with this beleeving stand stil , and look up to god for our salvation . it was their great fault , they did not so in their deliverance out of their captivity , there is one remarkable place for that jer. . . how long wilt thou go about ? oh thou backsliding daughter ! for the lord hath created a new thing in the earth : how long wilt thou go about , oh thou backsliding daughter ? what 's the meaning of this text ? it is thus , in the time of their deliverance from captivity , they met with a great deal of difficulty , many straights , and they went about to this and that sharking course , and did backslide , when they were in a good way , they went back again , and the prophet could not get the● 〈◊〉 stand stil 〈◊〉 ●ny way ; as if he should have said , go on right in the way , be not discouraged ; by difficulties , by extremities , seck not any shifting way , be not backsliding , but stand to your tackling and work god hath set you about , for the lord hath created a new thing ; perhaps you will say , there was never the like straight we are in ; well , god hath such mercy as he never shewed the like before ; god hath created a new thing ; many cry out in their straights , o my affliction , and my straitght is such as never was in the world ! well , gratifie them so ; ( as many times , we must needs gratifie distemper'd spirits , when they cry out of the greatness of their straights ) yet is there no comfort for them to stay them ? yes , isa . . . it was never known since the beginning of the world , what god hath laid up for them that wait for him : do but wait for him , and there was never such mercy shown in the world , as god hath laid up for thee ; so that come let us grant it , that there was never the like of that affliction that thou art under , yet there is reason enough for thee to wait , and look for the salvation of god , in such a way , in such a condition . i shall give some reasons of that part of the doctrine , that we are to stand still , and be quiet : for by our standing still , and our quieting our hearts in our straights , . reas , we are fit to look to the wisdom , faithfulness , and power of god ; we are not able to see gods wisdom , faithfulness , and power , nor to make use of it , except we get our spirits to be quiet : first get them quiet , and then we can look up to god , psalm , . . be still ( saith the text ) and know that i am god , there is a god in heaven that can help and succour , in time of great straights and extremities , but for all this , people are in a hurly-burly , and their spirits are distemper'd , and they are wringing their hands , and crying , they cannot know that god is god , they can have no use of all the power and goodnesse , and faithfulnesse , and mercy of god. first get your hearts still and quiet in your families , and in your own spirits , and then you shall know that god is god : god will not appear till first you be still . . reas . we are not able to make use of our own graces , till we be quiet and still ; if god have bestowed graces when we are in a hurly-burly , we have no use of them at all ; therefore saith the text , psalm , . stand in awe , sin not , commune with your own hearts upon your beds , and be still : commune with your own hearts : you have somewhat ( perhaps ) in your own hearts that may quiet you ; commune with your own hearts , and be still ; you are not fit to commune with your own hearts till you get them quiet ; first be quiet , and then commune : ( oh! my brethren ) a man or woman of a staid , sound , quiet , and still spirit , hath a mighty advantage of all passionate spirits ; there are many of you , that are passionate at all other times , and that is the reason that in such great extremities , you are so over-rul'd with passion ; you are so over-rul'd with your passion of anger at other times , and out of gods just judgment , you are over-rul'd with the passion of fear now : but if at other times you would labour to keep in your spirits , god would help you now . . reas . because without this stilness , and quietness , we cannot manifest that subjection to god we owe him ; for then there is a great deal of sin , and pride , and stoutness committed against god ; and therefore in that fourth psalm , the old latine hath it my soul be silent ; my soul is subject to god ; the subjection of our souls to god , depends much upon this quieting of our hearts . . reas . our reverence of god depends much upon it : and therfore in this . psalm , stand in aw and sin not , commune with your own heart , and be still : for us to behave our selves in such a manner as many people do , throwing out their hands , and wringing , and keeping such a stir as they do ; this shows there is not in their hearts that reverence they owe to god ; stand in awe ; if your hearts were possess'd with gods fear , you would not keep such a stir as you do in times of great danger . . reas . this makes people unfit to listen to any thing that is spoken to them ; let any thing be spoken to them , that is of any use , they eannor hear it , nor make use of it ; as we reade of the people of israel , exod. . . when moses came to tell them of their deliverance , the text saith , he spake to the children of israel , but they hearkned not to him : why ? for anguish of spirit : how many in trouble of conscience , and in other times of extremity , have their spirits in such anguish , that they never hearken to any thing that is delivered to them ; and therefore they come with the same objection over and over again , a hundred times in cases of conscience . . without this quietness of spirit , you are mighty hinderers of others , and you daunt and discourage the hearts of others , and many times the cause miscarries meerly upon the unquietness of the hearts of men and women in time of danger ; therefore you must be quiet , and look up to god for salvation ; for faith hath this excellency , that it is able to bring life out of death , light out of darkness ; it hath a kind of creating vertue ; as god himself brings one contrary out of another , so faith hath such a kind of working , if faith be of the right stamp , a genuine faith , it hath a mighty power in times of extremity to behold gods salvation , and make use of it : i 'le give you one example of the use of faith in times of extremity ; and that is of david , when he fled from saul , and when he was in the cave ; mark , be merciful to me o god , be merciful to me , for my soul trusteth in thee , yea , in the shadow of thy wings will i make my refuge . what was the shadow of gods wings ? poor david was got into the shadow of the cave , and the sun did not shine upon him , but he looked upon himself in the cave , as under the shadow of gods wings : you poor people that live it may be in cellers , and in poor dark holes and lanes , the sun scarce shines upon you in a year , yet if you be godly , you are under gods wings by faith . i shall now speak to the second part of the doctrine that we are to expect salvation from god. david did fly from absolom , and yet what confidence had david ( in that case ) in god ? reade but that third psalm , and you 'l see confidence enough in david , and yet flying too : divers grounds and reasons i shall give for this , why we must look up to god , as well as be still : rea. hereby we sanctifie gods name ; fear ye not their fear , but sanctifie god in your hearts ( saith the text . ) you sanctifie not god else : i suppose many of you would be loth to be guilty of swearing , and taking gods name in vain in that kind , but by your distracting thoughts , and unbeseeming carriage in times of danger , you take gods name in vain , you break the third commandement . . rea. this shews the beauty and excellency of faith , as david said , thou shalt see what thy servant can do : so now , there is a great deal of talk of faith in the world , let us see now what it can do ; the truth of love is , when i can love god for himself without his gifts ; so when i can beleeve in god without experience , i shew the excellency of my faith , when i can trust in god meerly upon his word ; as i love god meerly for himself , when my faith taks gods single bond without any security , that is the excellency of faith ; when i would have outward helps and assurances , there i call for sureties : so christians when they must needs have outward helps , and former experiences , they call to god for sureties , as if they would not trust god upon his simple bond ; that 's the excellency of faith to trust god upon his single bond . . rea. when we look up to god for salvation , we engage god in our cause ; god owns not the cause till then , and then he owns it : now how happy were we , if thus we could do in al our particular and private straights , stand still and look up to god for help and for salvation : it 's true , you cry out and complain , i have lost a dear husband , and a dear friend , never man lost such a friend , and these great straights i am brought into ; but lose not the quiet of thy heart too , take heed of that , that is a greater loss than any loss thou canst have in this world . i remember i have read of a phylosopher that had this expression , ( saith he ) if the gods would grant to me my desire , and bid me ask what i would have , i would ask of them this thing , that i might have the composed spirit of socrates , that i might have such a spirit as socrates had ; for it is observed of him , that he did scarce change his countenance upon any thing that befell him , he was alwaies in a quiet composed frame , ( and yet a heathen ; ) how much more should a christian say ; if god would give me my asking , i would ask nothing but that ; for indeed there is a great deal of glory and excellency in a composed spirit : this is worthy of the gospel ; therefore mark what the apostle saith , phil. . . only let your conversation be as it becometh the gospel of christ , that whether i come to see you , or be absent from you , i may hear of your affairs and that you stand fast in one spirit : this is to walk worthy of the gospel , to stand fast in one spirit : and observe this , that except we do stand fast , and quiet our hearts , we lose every thing that should help us : when we are in a hurly-burly in our spirits to get some help , alas , we lose all our help : therefore in phil. . let the peace of god keep your hearts , the word in the original is , guard your hearts ; the peace of god in your hearts , must be the best guard of your hearts in the time of danger , now because you would avoid trouble , you put away your guard , what a madnesse is this ? the casting away the peace of god , is the casting away of your guard , therefore keep that in your hearts , whatsoever you lose ; yea , it 's our arms , mark , ephes . . what is the arms of a christian ? first , the girdle of truth , fear dissolves the heart , and makes a man he cannot gird himself : when he is in fear , his heart is melted , and he hath little use of his truth , the girdle is loosed then ; in the text , there is the helmet of salvation , but in fear hope is gone ; there is the brestplate of righteousness , but in fear , a man hath no use of his righteous conversation , nor no use of the sword of the spirit , he can use nothing in times of such distracting fears , therefore lose not your arms : it is very observable , in the . of the ephes . how the holy ghost still cals upon us to stand , verse . my brethren be strong in the lord , and not only strong , but strong in the lord , and strong in the might of the lord , and in the power of his might ; put on the whol armour of god , that you may be able to stand ; then again , in the . verse , wherefore take ye all the whol armour of god , that ye may be able to withstand the evil one , and having done all , ●o stand : though perhaps , you have overcome at one time , yet still look to your own hearts , when you have done all , stand , four times we are called upon to stand , nothing , what a great advantage we have by standing ; it 's true , our afflictions are great , and the soul saith , the lord is my portion : perhaps temptations and afflictions say otherwise , but the soul saith , the lord is my portion ; and it is good for a man to say , what shall i that am so full of sin , yet not be willing to have some trouble , but be so full of fears upon every trouble that befals me ? why should not i yeild to gods providential will as well as to his commanding will ? how know i , but that god may have glorious ends , to work out of these extremities and troubles i am in ? why should i not give up my self to god , to have his will upon me ? and hath not god heretofore delivered me from great straights and extremities , even from the wrath of god himself , and from his justice ? greater and other manner of straights than those i am now in ; and if i beleeve not in god now , but be disquieted , perhaps these straights may be to bring me to greater straights ; what if these straights of affliction should bring me to greater straights ? and it 's just with god to leave me to fall into the straights of sin , that cannot bear the straights of afflictions , therefore let me stand stil and look up to gods salvation ; let us be so affected with our straights as to carry us up to god in prayer : pray as much as ye can , but still keep your hearts in a quiet frame ; and if your prayers be right , they will be to you , as luther saith , they were the leeches of his cares ; luther had a great many corrupt cares , ( as in a corrupt body , there is much corrupt blood ) but now his prayers were the leeches to suck out his cares : when you are distemper'd , go to prayer , and then examine what a deal of corrupt blood hath my prayers suckt out of my heart ? as hannah , when she had been at prayer , she lookt no more sad . there are many things i thought to have given you , to slay your hearts in time of extremities : peace shall be to that man , that hath his heart stayed on god , and blessed is that man that stayeth his heart upon god : and if ever people had cause to stay their hearts upon god , certainly we have at this day , for we have god with us ; therefore it 's unworthy of a christian to have a distempered spirit . i remember i have read of the romans , that when hannibal was just before them , yet they bought and sold their ground as they did at other times ; they were so quiet in their hearts . it was a speech that antigonor had , when some were afraid of the multitude that came against him , ( say they ) so many are coming against us , saith he , how many do you reckon me for ? so may we say , we hear of so many thousands coming against us ; but how many do you reckon jesus christ for ? how many reckon you him for , that is the captain of all our hosts : have not prayers been sent up to god ? why dispise you the prayers of the saints of god , as if there were nothing in their prayers ? is not gods name engaged in all this businesse ? oh therfore stand still and be not afraid : and especially let me speak a word to you , that are of timorious and fearful spirits , isa . . . say to them that are of a fearful heart , fear not : do not excuse your selves in this , that you are of a timorious nature ; ( saith god ) say to them that are of a fearful heart , fear not : and especially mark what the holy ghost speaks to women , in pet. . women they must cloath themselves with a meek and quiet spirit , ( that is in the . verse ) which is in the sight of god of great price , and in the . verse , and as sarah obeyed abraham , and called him lord , whose daughters ye are , as long as you do well , and are not afraid of any amazment : what should be the meaning of that , that woman must be the daughters of sarah upon these terms ? thus , abraham was brought into straights many times , and carried from his own country ; now sarah if she had been of such a spirit as many women are , oh how would sarah have hindered her husband abraham in every straight he was brought into ? and have said , husband , why go we from our own country , and our friends , and so are brought into such straights ? pray husband go back again , and venture not your self thus and thus : but it seems she was of a gracious spirit , and quieted her self in god , and was not afraid with amazement : if you would approve your selv's the daughters of sarah , do ye so , when god cals your husbands to any service , though it be with some hazard , do not you hang about their necks , and wring your hands , and say , i beseech you husband consider what will become of me and my children , will you leave me now ? take heed , you are not the daughters of sarah at such a time , if you hinder your husbands at such a time as this is . . doct. that the sight of salvation after straights , will be a glorious thing . if we be brought into straights , that that is comming will pay for all , there is enough to satisfie ; let us not be troubled at greater straights , than yet we have ; suppose blood should be shed ( beloved ) god hath such mercy for england , that shall pay for all the blood of his saints that shall be shed ; and the blood of his people , is a precious thing : every drop of the blood of his people is very precious ; and the adversary shal be accomptable for every drop ; god will value it , and there shall be a valuable consideration given for every drop of blood ; and the more difficulties we have in obtaining that mercy god is about to give us , the mercy shall be the greater : isa . . . o thou afflicted and tost with tempests , thy foundations shal be laid with saphires , and with precious stones . if we be afflicted and tossed with tempests , and the blood of gods people go for it ; comfort your selves with this ; the more precious blood that is shed in this business , the greater mercy is to come , for god will have a valuable consideration for all the blood of his saints . finis . an exact alphabetical table of all the principal truths in the fore-going treatise of contentment . a abundance abundance of mercies enjoyed , should make us content page account account of prosperity page account of great men page actions , see heart adversity , see quiet affections men unsatisfied in their affections page see wast afflictions faith to be acted in afflictions . page gods people to be ordinarily in afflictions page to be troubled for murmuring rather than afflictions page afflictions , how made worse page how to moderate grief in afflictions page gods hand apparant in afflictions page afflictions are not to be pored on too much page see fear , love , christ , mercy , look , great , chuse , fit , service , &c. all in all god all in all to his children page all-sufficiency all-sufficiency in the saints , how page angels a christian one with angels . page a christian neerer the divine nature than angels page a saints calling as high as angels page apparant , see afflictions . assurance , see covenant . b base a murmuring spirit , a base spirit page beams creatures convey comforts but as beams page being we enjoy creatures in reference to the first-being page best god interprets what we do to the best page better , see condition , soul beauty beauty of grace , wherein seen page blesse sence of afflictions will make us blesse god for the mercies of others page see dew bread we are to pray but for daily bread page broken a broken heart brings content page burden contentment , by adding a new burden page burden of sin makes affliction light page c call , calling calling of the soul , what page a christian general calling high page to be sure of a call in every thing page change to change affliction to another thing page all creatures go on in a way of change page child a murmuring spirit like a weaning child page christ what the saints have is purchased by christ page afflictions to the godly from the same hand that gave christ page what hinders the sight of the excellency of christ page in conversion , the soul cast on christ page christian see murmuring chuse we must not chuse our afflictions page command the more solemn gods command the greater the sin in breaking of it page complacency a christian takes complacency in gode dispose page complain we may complain to god in afflictions page comfort content brings comfort page comfort , how kept in the soul ibid comfort of what we have , how lost page see god condition a christian content in every condition page we should do the works of our present condition page how to know what saith our condition page our condition better than our betters page constraint not to submit in affliction by constraint page contentment contentment what it signifies page contentment , to be skil'd in the mystery of it page contentment , what page contentment , whereof it is made page contentment the bottom of it page contentment , the excellency of it page contentment , wherein it consists page to be humbled for want of contentment page contentment of former christians page considerations to move contentment page directions to contentment , page see worship , soul , condition , comfort &c. conversion . the work of god in conversion . page see life contrary god worketh by contraries page corruption argument of corruption in the soul page covenant christians comfort from gods covenant . gods covenant his assurance-office page particular promises part of the covenant page in conversion , we give our selves to god in covenant page see works creature to know the vanity of the creature page to enjoy god in the creature page in conversion , the heart taken from the creature page creatures , suffer for us page crowns god hath crowns for all graces page curse curse of god upon murmuring page d daily see bread danger danger of prosperity page dear a siggn of love to give him that that cost us dear page deliverance deliverance may be sought in afflictions , denial see self departed we think god is departed when we are afflicted page though god were departed from us , we should not from him page see disquiet dependance we should live in continual dependance upon god page deserve we deserve nothing of god page desires a christian should take from his desires page devil devil , his rhetorick page devil most discontented page dew a christian lives on the dew of gods blessing page dignity dignity of a christian page discouragement . discouragement opposite to contentment page discontent discontent , the reason of it page discontent , a sin of idle men page discontent , the root of it page discontent , how aggravated page discontent , pleas for it page see grace , shift , foolish , mercies , devil disgrace disgrace , how sanctified page dishonour a christian discontented when god is dishonoured page dispose , see freely disquiet disquiet the the cause of gods departing page see murmuring duty duty of a christian in prosperity page what unfits for duty page god accepts of weak duty page sence of affliction , hinders not duty page e efficacy efficacy of gods providence page ever god gives grace for ever page evil evil of afflictions taken from gods children page excellency excellency of god how we come neer it page excellency of god , what ibid expectation expectation of a christian page f faith ordinary works done in faith precious page murmuring below the grace of faith page exercise of faith brings contentment page see affliction , mean faithfulnesse god in rewarding looks to faithfulnesse page father god the father of a christian page we should labour for the spirit of our father page feel what we feel to be preferred to others fancies page fill see god fit god knows what afflictions are fit page grace makes fit for any condition ibid foolish discontent a foolish sin frame contentment a frame of spirit page free , freely &c. a christian freely submits to god page freedom what page god gives freely page freeness of gods mercies aggravate sin page fretting fretting opposite to a quietnss of spirit page g glory what a christian hath here , is an earnest of glory page glory of god , wherein it appears page glory to be given god in the enjoyment of blessings page god to look up to god in all conditions page nothing can fill the heart but god page happiness of a saint in god page saints enjoy all in god page outward comforts taken away , when they keep us from god page see life , creature , excellency , walk . good christians of themselves unfit to receive good page we should not be discontent that god is good to others page god doth good to his by afflictions page see sanctifie , christ grace grace much exercised in contentment page grace , the strength of it ibid grace , better than the creature page discontent contrary to grace , page grace should content us without the world page see beauty gracious contentment a gracious frame of heart page great afflictions not so great as our sins page affliction greater for murmuring page not to promise our selves great things page h habitual contentment an habitual frame , page had to praise god for what we had page heart contentment quiets the heart page the heart to be let out to god page the knowledge of our own hearts page benefits of knowing our own heart page a great evil to be given up to our own heart page rising of the heart page distempers of the heart , how esteemed with god page see gracious heaven heaven in the souls of the saints here page things of heaven real to a saint page heaven , what page contentment better than heaven ibid help help of a christian , what page no help by discontent page high , see calling , angels honour what is the greatest honour god hath of us in this world page humble we should not murmur when god would humble us page see contentment i idle , see discontent joy joy immoderat , how known page injoy godly men content with that that they injoy page good men injoy what they have page see god inward inward discontent page inward content ibid judgment many not content in their judgement page see affections k kind to submit to afflictions of every kind page king the soul subdued to christ as king page every christian a king page l life life of a saint , where it is page conversion , a work all our life page long long afflictions not to be murmured at page look afflictions to be looked for page care in afflictions not looked for page losse no loss of us if we perish page love love of god in what a christian hath page love in afflictions to the godly page love in a christians estate page love to god , a sign of it page low , lowest god brings lowest , when he intends the greatest mercies page men raised from a low condition should not murmur page obedience seen most in a low calling page the soul oft best in a low outward estate page m man man , gods instrument in affliction mannage , see heart mean actions of a mean christian accepted page faith makes mean works glorious ibid mercy how the soul is fitted to receive mercy page mercies lessened by discontent page discontent deprives of mercies , page the greater mercies , the greater sin to murmur page every man hath more mercies than afflictions page greatness of mercies should make us content page god is beforehand with his mercies to us page see discontent member every christian a member of christ page mean christians members of christs body page mystery contentment a mystery . mortified to get our hearts mortified to the world page murmuring murmuring opposite to quietness of spirit page murmuring , the evill of it , page murmuring , a note of a wicked man page murmuring , below a christian page murmuring , the effects of it , page murmuring breeds disquiet , page murmuring , the way to relaps into it page murmuring , aggravations of it ibid see affection , rebellion , losse , child , curse , mercy , small . n nature , see angels necessary the knowledge of one thing necessary page nothing how a christian comes to know he is nothing page a christian of himself can do nothing page naturally we are worse than nothing page see deserve , use o obedience when god gives in love , we should return in obedience page the greater affliction , the more obedience ibid one all gods works from eternity but one page p pain pain sanctified to a christian , how page parts discontent aggravated in men of parts page passage , see portion people . gods dealing with his people page three things in gods way with his people page perfection , see uprightnesse particular the creatures particular comforts page pity pity to men that deal ill with us page plague promises concerning the plague , , , . plea , see discontent portion a christian not content with little for his portion page possesse men discontent for what they possesse page poverty poverty sanctified by christs poverty page see prosperity prayers how we undoe our prayers page praise , see had profession profession of a christian page promise promises performed more literally to the jews . gods liberty in performing temporal promises page christians have interest in all former promises page see covenant , heritage prosperity many good men worse for prosperity page the burden of prosperity page prosperity should prepare for afflictions page see trouble , danger protection . protection of god from whom withdrawn page a great judgment to be out of gods protection page proud a proud heart never content , page punishment ground of accepting our punishment page providence knowledge of gods providence what it teacheth page providence of god not to be altered page see rational , efficacy , variety , universality . purchase see christ publick , see discontent q quiet quietnesse in adversity page see content r rational gods providence most over creatures rational page real , see heaven reason wherein natural reason may quiet the heart page rebellion murmuring accounted rebellion page rejoyce how the soul comes to rejoyce in gods waies page when a sin , to rejoyce immoderately page relation relation of a christian page reprobate . no certain sign of a reprobate in scripture page reward . a christian may expect a reward page he is rewarded for what he would do ibid great reward for christians in low callings page rhetorick , see devil right what right wicked men have to that they enjoy page righteously god deals righteously with us , though men do not page risings desparate risings in the heart against god page rule . a christian should walk by rule page s saints a christian one body with the saints page sanctified what a christian hath is sanctified page all afflictions to the godly sanctified page see poverty , disgrace , scorn scorn scorn sanctified by christ page self a christian can make up his wants in himself . see god self-love contentment in the creature from self-love page self-denial self-denial the way to contentment page christ the pattern of self-denial . page sence gods children have sence of their afflictions page want of sence in afflictions dangerous ibid serve , service what makes active in gods service page what fits the soul for service . page affliction grievous when it hinders from gods service page all things serve them that serve god page setled our spirituall condition setled . page shifting shifting opposite to contentment page shiftting caused by murmuring page sight , see sin silent grace makes silent in trouble . page small to murmur for small things . page sin sight of sin in a christian while he lives page great sinners should not murmur page when trouble for affliction , and not for sin page if trouble be for sin , we will not sin after trouble page see duty , command sorrow sorrow , when beyond bounds page see joy soul contentment spread through the whol soul page contentment , betters the soule . page it is a blessing on the soul page see heaven , worship souldier every christian a souldier page spirit spirituall judgements worst . page spirit of a christian page spirit of the devil page spiritual mind brings content page see father , base spouse a christian the spouse of christ page stilness stilness natural page steadfast grace makes the soule steadfast . page stranger a christian a stranger here page strength strength from christ to bear afflions page a christian strong by christs strength page stupid many seem content , that are stupid page submit to submit to god , what page pains taken without submission to god , not christian-like . page substraction contentment by subtraction . page sweetness sweetness of mercies eaten out . page t temple a christian the temple of the spirit page temptation how to be delivered from temptation page thorns the things of the world as thorns page time to submit in afflictions in respect of the time page loss of time by murmuring page our time little in this world . page trouble burden of trouble in prosperity . page see sin tumult tumult of spirit page v vanity every man in his settled estate is v●●ity page variety to submit in variety of conditions page variety of gods providence page unsatisfied a christian content , yet unsatisfied page unsearchable gods waies unsearchable page unsetled unsetledness of spirit page uprightnesse uprightness accounted perfection page use we can make use of nothing if god withdraw his grace page men of little use not to murmur page universal gods providence universal page unthankfulnesse unthankfulnesse whence it is , page w walk to walk with god , what ● want how to possess that we want page not to want and to be content , all one page wast the affections not to run wast . page way to interpret well god's wayes . page see rejoyce wicked wicked men may have that that christians murmur for page see murmuring will to melt our will into gods will. page within contentment by purging out that that is within page without , see within works difference between the covenant of grace and the covenant of works page see one world a christians relation in the world page wee were once content with the world without grace page not to grasp the world page not to be much taken with the comforts of the world page worship how we give god due worship page worship , what it signifies ibid soul-worship required page worship , active and passive . ibid wrath wrath of god , how provoked . page wrong better to suffer than to offer wrong page an exact alphabetical table of all the principal truths in the last sermon , on exodus , . . a page amazement standing still out of amazement page b baal-zephon baal-zephon , what page beauty beauty of grace , wherein seen page c cares prayer easeth of cares page cause god engaged in our cause , how page coward part of a coward page d disarm distracting fear disarms a christian page f faith standing still out of faith page exercise of faith in straights . page see beauty fearful arguments to establish the fearfull page flesh trouble in straights from the flesh page flying flying from danger , when lawfull page frowardnesse , see humble g glorious sight of salvation , when glorious page gospel a composed spirit becomes the gospel page graces vnquiet hinders the use of graces page guilt trouble in straights from guilt page h hear vnquietnesse makes us that we cannot hear what is said to us . page humble . gods people in straights to humble them page frowardness from want of humiliation page i ignorance standing still out of ignorance m malice malice of the enemy , how vented page n name name of god , how sanctified . page neutrality standing still out of neutrality . page o obedience standing still out of obedience . page others others hindred by unquiet spirits page p prayer god delights in prayer page q quiet how christians come to be quiet . page faith quiets the heart page in straights to quiet our spirits page arguments to quiet the spirit page r rebellion the present courses of gods people not rebellion page reverence reverence to god , when shewed page s salvation we should look for the salvation of the lord . selves trouble in straights , from confidence in our selves page sink our hearts should not sink in straights page sluggishnesse standing still out of sluggishness page stand still stand still in an evil sence page stand still in a good sence page station to keep our station , till god call us out page straights god brings his people to straights page christs works more glorious after straights page what will become of the wicked in their straights page suffering the greatest suffering , for one godly man to suffer from another page subjection what hinders shewing subjection to god page sullennesse standing still out of sullennesse page silence silence , & waiting the same page t trouble in straights gods people troubled page to be ashamed of distempers in trouble page w waiting , see silence wicked wicked men , how discovered . page wisdom wisdom of god , where seen by us page finis . notes, typically marginal, from the original text notes for div a -e tim. . . cor. . prov. . notes for div a -e 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , stepney . aug. . . aug. : . sept. . . oct. . . col. . . gospel-worship, or, the right manner of sanctifying the name of god in general and particularly in these three great ordinances, viz. [brace] . hearing of the word, . receiving the lords supper, . prayer / by jeremiah burroughs ; being the second of the seven volumns lately published by thomas goodwin ... [et al.] burroughs, jeremiah, - . approx. kb of xml-encoded text transcribed from -bit group-iv tiff page images. text creation partnership, ann arbor, mi ; oxford (uk) : - (eebo-tcp phase ). a wing b estc r ocm this keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the early english books online text creation partnership. this phase i text is available for reuse, according to the terms of creative commons . universal . the text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. early english books online. (eebo-tcp ; phase , no. a ) transcribed from: (early english books online ; image set ) images scanned from microfilm: (early english books, - ; : ) gospel-worship, or, the right manner of sanctifying the name of god in general and particularly in these three great ordinances, viz. [brace] . hearing of the word, . receiving the lords supper, . prayer / by jeremiah burroughs ; being the second of the seven volumns lately published by thomas goodwin ... [et al.] burroughs, jeremiah, - . [ ], [i.e. ], [ ] p. printed by peter cole ..., london : . half-title page reads: mr burroughs gospel-conversation. mr burroughs gospel-worship. includes index. numerous errors in pagination. reproduction of original in the huntington library. created by converting tcp files to tei p using tcp tei.xsl, tei @ oxford. re-processed by university of nebraska-lincoln and northwestern, with changes to facilitate morpho-syntactic tagging. gap elements of known extent have been transformed into placeholder characters or elements to simplify the filling in of gaps by user contributors. eebo-tcp is a partnership between the universities of michigan and oxford and the publisher proquest to create accurately transcribed and encoded texts based on the image sets published by proquest via their early english books online (eebo) database (http://eebo.chadwyck.com). the general aim of eebo-tcp is to encode one copy (usually the first edition) of every monographic english-language title published 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xml conversion gospel-worship : or , the right manner of sanctifying the name of god in general . and particularly in these three great ordinances : viz. . hearing of the word . . receiving the lords svpper . . prayer . by jeremiah burroughs . being the second of the seven volumns , lately published by thomas goodwin , william bridge , william greenhil , john yates , sydrach sympson , philip nye , william adderly . coat of arms or blazon cole . . london : printed by peter cole in leaden-hall , and are to be sold at his shop , at the sign of the printing-press in cornhil , near the royal exchange . . to the reader . ovr purpose in this preface , is not to speak either of the eminent worth of the author , whose memory is blessed in the hearts of all the godly in this nation ; or of this piece it self here published : but only to assure thee , that it is his . and although it riseth not up to that exactness and perfection as might have been in them , had he publish'd them himself ; yet with that different allowance which is to be given notes taken from his mouth in ordinary and frequent preaching , we doubt not but that in their use and benefit they may be as profitable to the saints as other of his writings , being as full of weighty and divine materials , having also the impress of the spirit and language of this holy man ( one of the greatest preachers of this age ) stampt all along upon them . we ( to whom this our brother was most dear and precious ) being entrusted with the publishing of his sermons , have thought good first to usher abroad these few , which if they receive that welcom they deserve , many other excellent pieces of his may soon after have encouragement to appear in publick view . the points treated of in these , are of great concernment , and therefore we conceive , the author though in handling of them , he had room enough for the discussing many of the controversies of the times , yet he purposely waved it , and bent himself to the single delivery of that which tended most to edification , and best suted with such a popular auditory as that was to whom he spake . the lord of heaven bless them to thy spiritual advantage , and enable thee by such means as these to sanctifie his name in the use of all his ordinances , which is the desire of thomas goodwyn , william greenhil , sydrach sympson , philip nye , william bridge , john yates , william adderly . the contents of the several ensuing sermons . sermon i. the occasion of the words the words opened observ . there must be nothing in gods worship , but what he hath commanded obs . . god stands upon little things in matters of his worship obs . . no priviledg can secure from gods stroke obs . . the more dignity the more danger ibid obs . . the beginnings of great matters meet with difficulties obs . . those that enter into publick places have need of the fear of god ib. obs . . we should pick out gods meaning from dark expressions in his word obs . . sinners may meet with judgments never threatned in the word obs . . god is very quick with some in the way of judgment obs . . the holiness of a duty will not bear a man out in his miscarriage in it . ib. obs . . the lord is terrible out of his holy places obs . . gods judgments are oft sutable to mens sins ib. obs . . we should take heed of bringing strange fire to gods service sermon ii. obs . . gods saints many times meet with afflictions in their children obs . . gods judgments come many times in an invisible way obs . . gods glory more precious to him than mens lives obs . . the nearer any are to god the more careful they should be to glorifie him ib. obs . . when judgments are exemplary we should look to the word how god makes it good obs . . the great honor of gods name in the making it holy . ib. obs . . true friendship to comfort friends in distress from the word obs . . the way to quiet the heart in affliction , is , to think god wil have honor by it doct. . in worshiping god we draw nigh to him in what respect we are said to draw nigh god in worship use . to take heed what we do when we worship god use . why guilty consciences fly from the worship of god use . why hypocrites meet with such severe judgments use . to neglect gods worship is to depart from him use . exhortation to be much in gods worship sermon iii. use . the honor of gods servants to draw nigh him doct. . we must sanctifie gods name in drawing nigh to him first , in preparation to his worship ib. because he is a great god the duties of gods worship are great our hearts are naturally unprepared the hindrances of gods worship are many ibid the heathens prepared to worship ship their idols ibid preparation shews sincerity of heart five things wherein preparation consists a right apprehension of god taking the heart from sinful waies ibid taking off the heart from the world ibid in watching and prayer in acting the faculties and graces four things of the excellency of preparation it will make duties easie ib. we shal do much in a little time ib. the lord will pass by weakness in duties it will make the heart alway ready for duty sermon iv. cases of conscience whether we be alway bound to set some time apart for preparation to duties whether being not prepared ; the duty may be omitted answered in . particulars . the omission of duty will not fit the soul for duty it is but a temptation to keep from duty if the duty be done in sincerity , though there be not due preparation it is better than to omit it ib. while people struggle with their corruptions , and seek not god , they fall into snares in what manner duties are to be performed that gods name may be sanctified ibid we must perform them so , that we may glorifie god as a god which is done when we offer all we have when we grieve that we can do no more there is an impression of gods infinitness on the duties of his saints ibid when the soul follows after god as a god when the soul comes expecting the choicest mercies of god ib. how the heart must behave it self to sanctifie gods name in respect of his greatness and glory ibid it must be a sanctified heart because the lord accepts the person before he accepts the action god looks more at the principle of the duty , than at the duty ib. according as the heart is , so will the duty be sermon v. in sanctifying gods name in worship we must have high thoughts of god we must have high ends in worshiping god several base low ends in worshiping of god. in subjecting his worship to our lusts ib. subjecting his worship to the praise of men making self our end in his worship which we do when we are weary of duties if we find not that we desire when men are streightned in worship , and envy others that are enlarged when men regard holy duties only in times of extremity ib. there must be reverence and fear in gods worship there must be strength in the duties of gods worship strength of intention affection faculties . there must be an humble frame of spirit which consists in admiring gods goodness that we are alive to come before him ib. to have no thought of any excellency in our selves to come without our own righteousness ibid to take off our hearts from all ability of grace ib. to wait gods leisure in regard of the time in sanctifying gods name we must bring that which is his own ibid the matter must be that which he hath commanded ibid we must be acted by the spirit when duties are acted by natural parts , and not the spirit of god if they change not the heart ib. if they carry not through difficulties ibid when men rejoyce in acting their parts ib. when there is little enlargement in secret when there is not constancy in duty ib. duties acted by natural conscience it gives no strength to do them ib. the heart loves not the duty ib. it doth not encrease communion with god ib. sermon vi. it makes not a duty strong to the soul it limits it self in duty ibid it is satisfied with little in the sanctifying gods name in worship , there must be a resignation of all to god ibid all worship must be tendred in the name of jesus christ how to sanctifie gods name in reference to his attributes god is a spirit and to be worshiped in spirit god is eternal , and how to worship him in that consideration god is incomprehensible , and therefore seeth us in every place god is unchangable , what that should teach us in our worship god is a living god , and what we should learn thence ibid god is almighty , what that should teach us in our worship god is omniscient , and what that should teach us god is a god of wisdom , and what that should teach us god is holy , and what that should teach us in our worship ib. god is merciful , and what that should teach us god is just , and what that should teach us god is faithful , and what we should learn thence sermon vii . reasons why god wil be sanctified in all the duties of his worship . god doth will himself the last end the especial glory god hath in the world , is , to be actively honored the duties of worship are the means to convey gods choicest mercies ibid we are not fitted to receive mercies , but by sanctifying gods name ibid else we should not hold out in duty application we have no cause to rest on our duties the work of religion is hard to flesh and blood we should be humbled that we have no more sanctified gods name exhortation to sanctifie gods name to consider we have to deal with god in worship not to come in our own strenghth not to be satiisfied with the duty done ibid god is displeased with the duties of wicked men god blasts such men god opens their eyes on their death-beds to see what they have done those that sanctifie gods name , he will sanctifie it in a way of mercy sermon viii . of sanctifying gods name in hearing the word hearing the word a part of gods worship we profess our dependance upon god for the knowing of his mind in hearing we wait on god in the way of an ordinance ibid in hearing the word there must be a preparation which is , to hear the word as the word of god to hear the word as gods ordinance for our good ib to plough up the fallow ground of the heart , and what is meant by it resolution to yield to all truths delivered a desire after the word ib. prayer before we hear the word the behavior of the soul in hearing the word . careful attention to it ib. means to help attention ib. an opening of the heart to receive it careful applying of the word ibid it must be mixed with faith how the word is to be mixed with saith ibid sermon ix . the word must be received with meckness it must be heard wich ae trembling heart with humble subjection to the word it must be received with love and joy it must be received into an honest heart we must hide the word in our hearts we must turn the word into practice sermon x. why god will be glorified in them that hear the word because there is so much of god in it ibid god hath appointed it to convey special mercies ib. it is quick and lively in working use . reproof of several sorts of men concerning the word neglected the fearful estate of those that do not sanctifie god in his word they lose the choicest opportunity ibid the word wil be a great aggravation of sin ibid they that reject the word , reject christ it is an argument of hardness of heart it is a sad sign of reprobation ibid to such there can be nothing sanctified they are nigh to a curse ib. it will turn to their damnation it will not comfort them in afflictions god will make his word good upon them the word shal judg them ibid god will blast them that sanctifie not his name in his word use . exhortation to glorifie the word of god god wil sanctifie his name in mercy upon those that sanctifie it in hearing the word all the good in the world is theirs ibid it is a certain evidence of their election god will sanctifie them by the word they wil be the glory of the ministers at the day of christ ibid it will rejoyce them hereafter when god shall magnifie his word sermon xi . of sanctifying the name of god in receiving the sacrament receiving the sacrament is a part of gods worship gods name must be sanctified in our receiving the sacrament because there are presented the greatest mysteries of salvation ibid it is an ordinance that christ hath lest out of his love ibid it is the sacrament of our communion with christ the covenant of grace is sealed in it ibid no duty is urged with more strength and severity ib. nothing strikes more upon mens consciences how many are to sanctifie gods name in the sacrament those that receive it must be holy because it is the seal of the covenant ibid it is an ordinance of spiritual nourishment because we are required to examine our selves ib. it is a sacrament of communion with god and the saints it must be received in an holy communion ibid wicked men not to be admitted to this communion sermon xii . addition to the former concerning holy communion the qualifications in the soul to fit it for receiving the lords supper knowledg ibid a broken heart actual purging the heart from sin hungring and thirsting after jesus christ exercise of faith exercise of spiritual joy thankfulness ibid renewing of covenant renewing of love towards god and our brethren sermon xiii . we must keep to the institution in the sacrament for the gesture delivering it to all in general , and not into every particular mans hand that the communicants be all the while exercised in their thoughts about the death of christ meditations in receiving the sacrament that the way of mans salvation it is through a mediator ibid this mediator between god and man is true man ibid that his body was broken , and his blood shed for us it was the body and blood of that person that is god , that reconciles us ibid to consider the dreadfulness of gods justice ibid the price of saving a soul the greatness of the evil of sin ibid the infinit love of god to mankind ibid that beleevers shall be nourished to eternal life ib. to meditate upon the covenant of grace to beleevers holy dispositions to be actuated in receiving the sacrament of sanctifying the name of god in prayer what preparation we are to make to prayer concerning the matter of prayer concerning the manner of prayer concerning wandring thoughts in prayer sermon xiv . a further enlargement concerning wandring thoughts in in prayer five rules to help against wandring thoughts set an high price upon the duties of prayer ibid to reuew resolutions against wandring thoughts to set the presence of god before us to account all wandring thoughts evil ibid to bless god if at any time he did help us against them for sanctifying gods name in prayer , there must be the breathings of the spirit there must be pure hearts and hands we must call upon god in truth ibid we must pray in faith in the spirit of adoption we must pray with constancy we must pray in humility ib. we must tender up all our prayers in the name of christ conclusion of all books printed by peter cole , at the printing-press in cornhil . london . seven books of mr. jeremiah burroughs , lately published ; as also the texts of scripture up in which they are grounded . the rare jewel of christian contentment , phil. . wherein is shewed , what contentment is , it is an holy art and mystery , the excellencies of it ; the evil of the contrary sin of murmuring , and the aggravations of it . gospel-worship , on levit. . . wherein is shewed , the right manner of the worship of god in general ; and particularly , in hearing the word , receiving the lords supper , and prayer . gospel-conversation , on phil. . . wherein is shewed , that the conversations of beleevers must be above what could be by the light of nature , beyond those that lived under the law , and sutable to what truths the gospel holds forth . to which is added , the misery of those men that have their portion in this life only , on . psal . . . a treatise of earthly-mindedness . wherein is shewed , what earthly-mindedness is , the great evil therof , on phil. . part of the . vers . also to the same book is joyned , a treatise of heavenly-mindedness , and walking with god , on gen. . . and on phil. . . an exposition on the fourth , fifth , sixth , and seventh chapters of the prophesie of hosea . an exposition on the eighth , ninth , and tenth chapters of hosea . an exposition on the eleventh , twelfth , and thirteenth chapters of hosea , being now compleat . twelve several books of mr. william bridg , collected into one volumn . viz. the great gospel mystery of the saints comfort and holiness , opened and applied from christs priestly office. satans power to tempt ; and christs love to , and care of his people under temptation . thankfulness required in every condition . grace for grace ; or , the overflowings of christs fulness received by all saints . the spiritual actings of faith , through natural impossibilities . evangelical repentance . the spiritual-life , and in-being of christ in all beleevers . the woman of canaan . the saints hiding-place in time of gods anger . christs coming is at our midnight . a vindication of gospel ordinances . grace and love beyond gifts . six sermons preached by dr. hill , viz. the beauty and sweetness of an olive branch of peace , and brotherly accommodation budding . truth and love happily married in the saints , and in the churches of christ . the spring of strengthning grace in the rock of ages christ jesus . the strength of the saints to make jesus christ their strength . the best and worst of paul. gods eternal preparations for his dying saints . a godly and fruitful exposition , on the first epistle of peter . by mr. john rogers , minister of the word of god at dedham in essex . a platform of church-discipline ; gathered out of the word of god , and agreed upon by the elders and messengers of churches assembled in the synod at cambridg in new-england . tears of repentance : or , a further narrative of the progress of the gospel amongst the indians in new-england : setting forth , not only their present state and condition , but sundry confessions of sin by diverse of the said indians , wrought upon by the saving power of the gospel ; together with the manifestation of their faith and hope in jesus christ , and the work of grace upon their hearts . the wonders of the load-stone , by mr. samuel ward of ipswich . an exposition on the gospel of the evangelist st. matthew , by mr. ward . clows chyrurgery . marks of salvation . christians engagement for the gospel , by john goodwyn . six several books by nich. culpeper , gent. student in physick and astrology . the anatomy of the body of man , wherein is exactly described the several parts of the body of man , illustrated with very many large brass plates . a translation of the new dispensatory , made by the colledg of physitians of london . whereunto is added , the key to galen 's method of physick . a directory for midwives ; or , a guide for women . galen's art of physick , with a large comment . the english physitian ; being an astrologo-physical discourse of the vulgar herbs of this nation ; wherein is shewed how to cure a mans self of most diseases incident to mans body , with such things as grow in england , and for three-pence charge . also in the same book is shewed , the time of gathering all herbs both vulgarly and astrologically . the way of drying and keeping them and their juyces . the way of making and keeping all manner of useful compounds made of those herbs . the way of mixing the medicines according to cause , and mixture of the disease , and part of the body afflicted . a new method both of studying and practising physick . great church ordinance of baptism . mr. love's case , containing his petitions , narrative , and speech . dr. prestons saints submission , and satans overthrow . the bishop of canterburies speech on the scaffold . the king's speech on the scaffold . a treatise of the rickets , being a disease common to children ; wherein is shewed , the essence , the causes , the signs , the remedies of the disease . published in latin by dr. glisson , dr. bate , dr. regemorter ; now translated into english . cum multis aliis — gospel-worship : or , the right manner of drawing nigh to god , in general : and particularly in these three great ordinances : viz. . hearing of the word . . receiving the lords supper . . prayer . leviticus , . . then moses said unto aaron , this is it that the lord spake , saying ; i will be sanctified in them that come nigh me , and before all the people i will be glorified . and aaron held his peace . these words are the speech of moses to aaron his brother , endeavoring to quiet and comfort his heart , which was ( no question ) exceedingly troubled upon that great and sore affliction that was upon him , in the strange death of his two sons , nadab and abihu : the story is this : after aarons sons were consecrated to the priestly-office , they coming to attend this their office , the very first day after their consecration to offer incense unto god , they ventured to offer incense with strange fire , with other fire than god had appointed : upon that the fire of gods wrath broke out upon them , and slew them both presently in the very sanctuary before all the people , for it was a solemn time : being the beginning of the solemn consecration of the priest-hood . upon this , the spirit of aaron could not but be exceedingly troubled , to see his two sons thus struck now moses comes to him and saith , this is that which the lord spake , i will be sanctified in them that draw nigh me , and before all the people i will be glorified . and upon this , aaron held his peace . we reade that once fire came down from heaven in a way of mercy to consume the sacrifices : but now fire comes down from heaven in a way of judgment to consume the sacrificers , even nadab and abihu : they were aarons sons , the sons of a godly man , the sons of the high-priest , they were his eldest sons , for aaron had other sons besides nadab and abihu , eleazar and ithamar , but these were his two eldest sons : they were two yong men , they were struck in the very prime of their age , they were two that were newly consecrated in the priests office , for so you find it in the . chap. and they were two men of renown in the country , and before all the people of israel two men that god had much honored heretofore ; as you shall find in exod. chap. . and the beginning ; this nadab and abihu were men of great repute , and great renown , that god did much honor in former times ; for when god called moses and aaron with the elders to come to him , he singles out nadab and abihu amongst the rest , and names them . and he said unto moses , come up unto the lord , thou and aaron , nadab and abihu , and . of the elders of israel . moses and aaron , nadab and abihu are only named , and then . of the elders in general , but moses , aaron , nadab , and abihu , as if these were the four eminent men of renown among all the people of israel , he names none of the . elders but these two , besides moses and aaron : therefore these two that were consumed by strange fire , were renowned men , and newly consecrated into their office. what was their sin ? their sin it was offering of strange fire , so the text saith that they offered strange fire , which god commanded them not , in the beginning of the chapter . but had god ever forbidden it ? where do we find that ever god had forbidden them to offer strange fire , or appointed that they should offer only one kind of fire ? there is no text of scripture that you can find from the beginning of genesis to this place , where god hath said in terminis , in so many words expresly , you shall offer no fire but one kind of fire . and yet here they are consumed by fire from god , for offering strange fire . i find in the . of exod. ver . . that there they were forbidden offering strange incense , but i do not find that they were forbidden offering strange fire . in levit. . . and divers verses in that chapter we find that god had appointed that they should keep constantly the fire on the altar burning , and never to let it go out : now that was ( it seems ) gods intention that therefore they should make use of that fire , and that fire only . god would have them to pick out his meaning : god sent fire down from heaven upon the altar , so in the latter end of the . chap. god sent down fire from heaven , and gave them a charge to keep that fire on the altar constantly , and never to let it go out : so that it seems god would have them pick out his meaning , that because he had sent down fire from heaven upon the altar , and gave them power to keep that constantly , god would have them therefore to understand , that what incense or sacrifice he would have the use of fire in , it should be only that fire and no other , though god did never say to them directly in these words , you shall make use of this fire and no other , but god would have them to understand this . that 's their sin therefore in offering of strange fire . now fire comes from the lord and doth consume them . some think this fire came from the altar , but surely it could not be any ordinary fire that did consume nadab and abihu at this time : for you shall find in the next ver . to my text , that the bodies of nadab and abihu were not consumed by the fire , no , not their cloathes , they were kil'd by the fire and yet their cloathes were whol , therefore it was not an ordinary fire , it was some coelestial fire struck into them to slay them , for so saith the text in the . ver . come neer , carry away your brethren from before the sanctuary out of the camp : and so they went and carried them in their crats out of the camp , so that their cloathes and bodies were not consumed , only they were kil'd by the fire : they were struck with a sudden death , and that in the presence of the lord : such a death as god had never threatned in the word before , god had never threatned the priests and said , if you offer strange fire you shall be consumed by fire : but yet god smites them with death by fire , they had not time to seek god , no not so much ( as we use to say ) as to say , lord have mercy upon me : they had no time to promise amendment at all : now upon this heavy judgment , the , heart of aaron could not possibly but be very much troubled , yea , and the spirit of moses too , for moses was their unkle , and aaron their father , they could not but be exceedingly much grieved : but moses being the brother of aaron , seeing his spirit ( no question ) exceedingly troubled , being under such a sad affliction , and that such a godly man even as aaron was , should have such a sad judgment befal his children : moses comes and speaks comfortably to him , and labors to support his spirit : and how doth he do it ? he comes not as ordinarily you use to visit your brethren , oh! you must be content with this : no , but he comes and applies the word of god , and shews how god must be sanctified ; and by that he comes to quiet the heart of his brother aaron this is that which the lord hath spoke saith moses : he seeks to stay the heart of his brother with that which god spake . but where do we find that god spake this ? it 's hard to find in any scripture these very words in terminis before this time : and therefore augustin thinks it was only the word god spake , but not written , and so they had it from hand to hand by tradition as many other things , as the prophesie of enoch that the apostle jude speaks of , you do not find it written in the book of god , and yet the apostle speaks of it , so that indeed it was from hand to hand : yea and we find in the new testament when paul speaks of a thing that christ should say , how that our lord saith , it is a more blessed thing to give than to receive ; you find it not recorded in the gospels that christ said so . so , this is that which the lord said , though it was not written from the beginning of genesis to this very place , or otherwise though it be not recorded in express terms , yet somthing is recorded to the same purpose and effect : and so it may seem to have reference to that scripture exod. . . there we have a scripture comes as neer to it as any i know . and there wil i meet with the children of israel , and the tabernacle shal be sanctified by my glory , that 's as much in effect , as i will be sanctified in those that come nigh me , in those that come to worship me in my tabernacle , i will be sanctified in all things that concern my worship , i will be sure to be sanctified there . i will be sanctified ] i will be hallowed , for it is the very same that you have in the lords prayer , hallowed be thy name , only that 's the greek word , and this is the hebrew : but if you would translate this word into greek , you must translate it by the same word that christ spake when he taught his disciples to pray , hallowed be thy name , hallowed and sanctified is all one . lord let thy name appear to be holy : so i will be sanctified , that is , i will have my name appear to be holy , i will be made known unto my people , and to all the world that i am a holy god : that 's the meaning of , i will be sanctified , i will be known to all the world that i am a holy god. and before all the people i will be glorified , so it is in the latter part of the verse , as if god should say i account it to be my glory that i should be manifested to be holy before all the world . i will be sanctified ; that is , i will have my people to demean and carry themselves so , as to hold forth their acknowledgment of my holiness so , as by their carriage i may appear to be a holy god. i will be sanctified by them , or otherwise if they shall not in an active way sanctifie my name , that is , if they shall not demean themselves so as to hold forth the glory of my holyness , then i will be sanctified upon them ; i will demean and carry my self towards them so , as by my actions upon them , i will make it appear what a holy god i am : so god is sanctified two waies , either by the holiness of his people , in their carriage towards him holding forth the glory of gods holiness : and so in that pet. . . sanctifie the lord god in your hearts ; the saints do sanctifie god in their hearts when they fear god as a holy god , and reverence him , and love him as a holy god , and so sanctifie him in their lives , when their lives do hold forth the glory of gods holiness , then god is sanctified . but then if we do not do so , then god sanctifies himself , that is in waies of judgment upon those that do not in waies of holiness sanctifie his name . and thus you have it , ezek. . . and say , thus saith the lord god , behold i am against thee o zidon , and i wil be glorified in the midst of thee , and they shal know that i am the lord , when i shall have executed judgment in her , and shal be sanctified in her . and this is al one with i wil be glorified in the midst of them . and in the . of ezek. . . you have to the same purpose , and thou shalt come up against my people of israel , as a cloud to cover the land : it shal be in the latter daies : and i wil bring thee against my land that the heathen may know me , when i shall be sanctified in thee o gog , before their eyes . and in the . ver . thus wil i magnifie my self , and sanctifie my self , and will be known in the eyes of many nations , and they shall know that i am the lord , in the way of the execution of judgment : thus i will sanctifie my self , so i will be sanctified in those that draw nigh me . in those that are nigh me ] nigh ones , so it may be read : that is , especially the priests that did approach to god. ezek. . . they approach to god especially . but it is meant generally of all those that shall have to deal in my worship , whosoever shall come to worship me , let them look to it , they must sanctifie my name , they must so demean themselves in my worship , as to hold forth my name to be holy : or otherwise , i will manifest my self against them in the waies of judgment , for i will appear to be a holy god. i will have the glory of my holiness one way or other ( saith god ) in those that come neer me ; as if god should say , though it 's otherwise with men , they indeed will be ready to favor those that are neer them , but i will not do so . men will sooner pass by the offences of those that are neer them , than those that are not : as suppose that a stranger commits an offence , you would be severe towards him ; but suppose it were one of your own children , or kinsmen , what would you do then ? do not we see that men will rather favor their own kindred than strangers , though the offence be the same ? but i will not do so saith god. suppose it be one of your own family , wil not you be ready to excuse them ? suppose it were your own child that should cōmit such an offence , oh! what friends would you make to take him off from punishment ? though men would do so towards their own , yet be bitter & severe towards strangers ; yet i wil not be so saith god : let those that are neer me look to it , i will be sanctified by them . i will be sanctified in those that draw neer me . now upon this , when moses said thus , that god would be sanctified in those that draw neer him : this was moses scope to aaron , as if moses should say , aaron , though i confess the hand of god is heavy upon you this day : yet it is fit for you to submit to god , 't is fit that god should be glorified what ever becomes of you ; you are dear to god , but gods name is dearer to him than you are : what ever the lives of your sons were , yet it is fit that god should be honored , and his name sanctified what ever become of your sons , or of your comforts , and therfore let your heart be quieted , you have had a great loss and affliction upon you ; but god hath had glory ; god hath glorified himself . how hath god glorified himself ? very much by this way ; for god by this way hath done an act to make all the people of the land fear before him ; to cause them to worship him with al reverence . all the people of the land seeing such a judgment as this , and hearing of it ; they will learn for ever to fear and reverence this god : they will say , how shall we appear before this holy god ? we had need take heed how we appear in his presence , and worship him according to the way that he himself would be worshiped ; as if moses should say , this honor that god hath by this means in the hearts of his people ; it is that that you should account a greater good than the lives of your children , what ever they are . this is the scope of moses speech to aaron . now upon this the text saith : aaron held his peace ] he was silenced . it may be before , he was expressing himself in grief , and sorrow'd exceeding much in words ; but now he was quiet and had nothing to say : he did by his silence acknowledge his children were deer to him , but it 's fit that god should be glorified what ever becomes of his children , and therefore aaron holds his peace . but the word that is here translated , holds his peace , it hath more in it than meer silence ; for the hebrews have another word that signifie meer silence of speech : but this signifies , a staying of the heart , that it doth not further proceed in and trouble of spirit , a silence in the very heart , and staying of it ; a staying of the motions of the heart . i find the same word to be used in scripture , when joshua said to the sun , stand still , stay thy self on gibeon , jos . . it is the same word that is here translated , and aaron held his peace , that is , he was stayed from further vexing or troubling of himself , or being disquieted ; whereas his heart was in a strong violent motion : now moses speech did stop him , and gave a stop to his heart to make it stand still in a wonderful manner , as the sun , when joshua spake to it to stand still . as if the lord should have spoken to his heart , aaron , thy heart is in a mighty strong motion , but consider that i must be sanctified in those that draw nigh me ; and let all those motions of thy heart be stopt and quiet . thus now you see the meaning of the scripture , and the scope of it . now in this scripture you have these three special and notable points . that in worshiping of god , there is a drawing nigh unto him. that when we do draw nigh to god , we should take heed to our selves that we sanctifie gods name . if we do not sanctifie gods name in our drawings nigh to him , then certainly god will sanctifie his own name upon us . these are the three points that i intend to handle ; and especially the second to handle largely among you . i confess upon another occasion in one sermon i have spoke out of these words , but now i intend not only in general , to shew you how you should sanctifie gods name in worship , but likewise in the particular acts of worship : as sanctifying his name in prayer , in receiving the sacrament , in hearing the word ; in the several chief parts of the worship of god , how his name should be sanctified : for in all these you do draw night to god. and for that end i have pitch'd my thoughts upon this scripture . but before i come to these three great points , that are the principal points in the words read unto you ; i shall take up divers other notes of observation that lie up and down as it were scattered , that are of great use , and will help us further to make use of this scripture in the other points that i shall come to afterward , and handle more largely . the first note is this , that in gods worship there must be nothing tendered up to god but what he hath commanded , whatsoever we meddle with in the worship of god , it must be what we have a warrant for out of the word of god. for this speech of moses is upon occasion of the judgment of god upon aarons sons for offering strange fire : they offered fire that god had not commanded . hence i say , that all things in gods worship must have a warrant out of gods word , must be commanded , it 's not enough that it is not forbidden : i beseech you observe it : it is not enough that a thing is not forbidden , and what hurt is there in it ? but it must be commanded : i confess in matters that are civil and natural , there this may be enough ; if it be but according to the rules of prudence , and not forbidden in the word ; we may make use of this in civil and natural things . but now when we come to matters of religion , and the worship of god , we must either have a command , or some what out of gods word by some consequence drawn from some command wherein god manifests his will ; either a direct command , or by comparing one thing with another , or drawing consequences plainly from the words . we must have a warrant of the worship of god. one would have thought that these priests offering incense to the true god , what hurt was there in taking other fire ? but there was no command for it , and therefore it was not accepted . it 's true , there are some things in the worship of god that are natural and civil helps , and there we need not have any command : as for instance ; when we come to worship god , the congregation meets , they must have a convenient place to keep the air and weather from them : now this is but a natural help , and so far as i use the place of worship as a natural help i need have no command . but if i will put any thing in a place beyond what it hath in its own nature , there i must look for a cammand . for if i account one place more holy than another ; or to think that god should accept of worship in one place rather than in aother : this is to raise it above what it is in its own nature . so that when any creature is rased in a religious way , above what it hath in it by nature ; if i have not scripture to warrant me i am therein superstitious . it 's a very useful rule for to help you : if any creature that you make any use of in a way of religion beyond what it hath in its own nature , if you have not some warrant from the word of god ( whatsoever specious shew there may be in it ) it is superstition . as now for the place , there was a place that was holy , but then it had an institution from god. and so for garments , to use those that are decent , the light of reason is enough : but if i will put any thing upon them beyond what there is in them in their own nature , as heretofore in a surplis , what , had that any more decency in its own nature , but only mans institution ? now when man shall put a religious respect upon a thing , by vertue of his own institution when he hath not a warrant from god ; here 's superstition ! we must al be willing worshipers , but not wil-worshipers ; we must come freely to worship god ; but we must not worship god according to our own wills , and therefore what ever we do in the worship of god , if we have not a warrant for it , when this is said , who requireth this at your hands ? it will stop our mouthes another day : in matthew . . in vain do they worship me , teaching for doctrin the commandements of men . in vain : it is a vain thing to worship god , when there is nothing but a commandement of man for this worship . if you would worship god , you must have a commandement of god for the worship : and in isa . . . there is a place to the same purpose , that shews how the lord is offended with any man that shal teach his fear by their own precepts , wherefore the lord said , forasmuch as this people draw neer me with their mouth , and with their lips do honor me , but have removed their heart far from me , and their fear towards me taught by the precepts of men . mark it : now if this be so , the lord have mercy upon us in this thing . you have cause to be humbled every one of you ; i beleeve in some degree or other , this congregation very much , and most congregations that have had the fear of god taught them by the precepts of men : how many things have there been in the worship of god that you can shew no warrant in the word for ? a great many things meerly mens inventions , however they are now cast out , because authority came in and cast them out , and so you submit to it ; but that is not enough for you to submit to it because authority would have it so ; but you ought to be humbled before god for all your will-worship , for all your yieldings to any thing in the worship of god , that was taught by the precepts of men : you see how severe god was to nadab and abihu for but taking other fire than that which god had appointed to offer up incense , though there was no direct commandement against it . if the lord hath spared you , and not manifested any displeasure upon you , you have cause to acknowledg gods mercy , and to be humbled for all your false worship ; certainly god doth expect it from this land to be humbled for their wil-worship , or otherwise they sow among thorns : all the reformation that is among us , if there be not a humiliation before , for all our false-worship ; 't is not enough that we set up now the true worship of god , but we must be humbled for our false worship . and that 's the first note ; that in the worship of god there must be nothing but what god commands . the second note is , in the matters of worship , god stands upon little things : such things as seem to be very small and little to us , yet god stands much upon them in the matter of worship . for there is nothing wherein the prerogative of god doth more appear than in worship : as princes , they stand much upon their prerogatives : now god hath written the law of natural worship in our hearts , as that we should love god , fear god , trust in god , and pray to god ; this god hath written in our hearts : but there are other things in the worship of god that are not written in our hearts , that only depend upon the will of god revealed in his word , which were no duties except they were revealed in his word . and these are of such a nature as we can see no reason for , but only this , because god will have them . as now , there are many kinds of ceremonies to manifest honor to princes that there is no reason for them at all , but meerly because it is a civil institution so appointed : so god would have some waies for the honoring of him , that the creature should not see into the reason of them , but meerly the will of god to have them so : now god stands much upon little things , though men would think it a little matter whether this fire , or that fire , and will not this burn as well as that ? but god stands upon it : and so for the ark , when vzza did but touch the ark , when it was ready to fall , we would think it no great matter , but one touch of the ark cost him his life . there is not any one minnim in the worship of god , but god stands mightily upon it : in the matter of the sabbath , that 's his worship , for a poor man to gather a few sticks , what great matter is it ? but god stands upon it . and so when the men of bethshemesh did but look into the ark , it cost the lives of fifty thousand threescore and ten men . if it be a matter of a holy thing that concerns his worship , he would not have it abused in any thing . let us learn to make conscience of little things in the worship of god , and not to think , o how nice such are , and how precise and nice in such smal things ! thou doest not understand the nature of divine worship if so be thou art not nice about it ; god is nice and stands upon little things in the matter of his worship . another note is this ; that there is no priviledges or dignities of man that can secure them from gods stroke . eirst , moses the man of god , he was their uncle , aaron that great instrument of gods glory , he was their father : they were men that were newly consecrated to the priests office , they were renowned , men that god put much glory upon ; yet if they will venture but to offend god in this little thing , gods wrath breaks out upon them , and kills them presently . let us take heed then of venturing , and do not think that any services that we have done heretofore can bear us out ; if the greatest cannot be bore out with all their priviledges , how dare we poor worms venture upon the displeasure of god ? thou that art a worthless creature of no use at all in the world , darest thou provoke this god , when as the lord is so angry against men that are of great use and service , to let out his wrath upon them suddenly ? if you should see a prince not spare his favorite , or his nobles that are about him , but upon one offence that we think is but a little offence , that the princes anger should be so much against them as to cost them their lives ; what cause is there for poor people to tremble then , when they have done that which may incur the anger of the prince ? you see all outward priviledges and greatness will not excuse from the stroke of gods justice , it should not excuse from the stroke of mans justice : it 's true , among men , poor people they go to it if they offend , but if great men offend , they escape ; but it is not so with god , for nadab and abihu were great and renowned men . the fourth note is , that the more the dignity of men is , the more is their danger if they look not to it : and this note i gather from hence , that nadab and abihu were the two eldest sons of aaron , and we find in the scripture that eleazer and ithamer that were the two other sons of aaron , they escaped and were not thus consumed . why ? because the two elder sons had the dignity and priviledg to come and offer the incense , and having greater dignity than the yonger , and not being careful to behave themselves as they ought to do , the lord smote them , and the yonger they escaped . and so many times they that are in a meaner condition they escape , when those that are in a higher condition they are struck . let men that are in higher conditions than others look to themselves , for their danger is greater : and you that are in a meaner condition , envy not those that are higher , for you may be more safe in that mean condition which you are in , than they in theirs . the fifth note is this , that the beginnings of things of high concernment , do meet sometimes with great difficulties and interruptions . this note i gather from hence , that nadab and abihu were struck at the very beginning of their priest-hood : as now , suppose there were a new office erected in a common-wealth that concern'd the publick good of the kingdom , and in the very first erecting of the office there falls out some hideous accident that rings throughout the whol kingdom , as if god from heaven had done something against them in that office : as now , suppose that the first time the judges should come at the bench , that god should strike them from heaven dead at the very bench , it would be a mighty matter to darken the glory and honor of that office. so one would think that it should have been a mighty matter to have darkned the glory and the honor of the priest-hood alwaies : but god stands not upon that , many times the beginnings of great things are darkned by sad accidents , and therefore let us not be offended though we see some sad accidents to fall out at the beginning of great things , for though accidents fall out sadly at first , yet god may prosper it afterwards , as he did the priest-hood . the sixth note is , that those that enter into publick places . and especially such places as concern the worship of god , they had need have the fear of god much upon them when they first enter into those places . now this were a very good point if i were to preach to an auditory of ministers . you see nadab and abihu upon their first consecration the lord smote them for this little miscarriage as we would think . and that 's a sixth note which especially concerns ministers , and therefore i pass it over . the seventh note that we have , and that 's very useful for us all , god would have us all to pick out his mind from dark expressions in his word . though he doth not express his will fully , and in express terms ; yet if there be any thing in his word whereby we may come to gather the mind of god , god expects that we should gather his mind out of his word , and if we do not it 's at our own peril . the mind of god about this strange fire that these offered , you will say , they were to pick it out : how could they have known that it was gods mind that they should not offer any fire but that on the altar ? they should have reasoned thus with themselves , what hath god let fire come down from heaven upon the altar , and hath he commanded that that should be preserved on the altar for his service ? surely this must be gods mind then , that we should make use of this fire rather than any other fire : god expects that they should have reasoned thus , but because they did not pick out gods mind by reasoning after this manner , therefore the hand of god came out upon them . they offended , and it may be it was through ignorance , but it was at their peril , if they were ignorant of the mind of god when it might be known though it were but darkly revealed , and were to be pickt out from several places compared together , it was at their peril . it is a point that we have a great deal of need of : for this is the vain heart of man , that if there be any thing that god would have that is not sutable to his own ends , he will stand wrangling against it , and cavelling at it ; how doth it appear ( will he say ) can you bring express scripture for it ? bring me express scripture in words for to prove it , and then i will beleeve it ; and so stands out till you bring so many words of scripture that forbids such a thing , or commands such a duty . now my brethren if you be of this temper , that you will forbear nothing , nor set up any thing but what you have directly express words of scripture for , you may run at your own peril into woful dangers , into woful sins : know that god hath so revealed a great part of his mind as it is only to be known by gathering one thing from another , and by comparing one thing with another . and god expects this from you , that if upon examination of scripture that one thing appear more likely to be his mind and will than another ; you are bound to go that way that is more likely . i told you before , that in matters of worship we must have warrant from the word ; but it doth not follow , that we must have a direct express warrant in every thing : as it is many times in some kind of picture , the great art , it is in the cast of the looks ; you cannot say , it 's in the drawing of this line , or the other line , but altogether , it is the cast of the looks that causes the beauty of the picture : so in the scripture , you cannot say that this one line , or the other line , take it single that proves it , but let them be laid all together and there will be a kind of aspect of gods mind , that we may see that this is the mind of god rather than the other , and we are bound to go that way . now so far nadab and abihu might have seen , that they should rather have taken fire off the altar than any other fire : but they presum'd because they had not express word , and you see it was at their peril . oh take heed of standing out , and wrangling against what is required , because you have not express words ; the lord hath laid things so , and especially in the new testament , for the ordering of the church in the new testament , as you have not express command for abundance of things , but sometimes an example in some things , and sometimes not a cleer example neither ; but compare one thing with another , and that which seems to be neerest the mind of god that should be bond enough to us , to tye us to go according to what the mind of god seems most probable to be in the scripture ; and an humble teachable heart will soon be convinced , when another man will not . we find it cleerly , that such things that are most sutable to mens own ends , a little matter will serve the turn to perswade men to it , though one might argue against it : i could easily shew it , but that i think it not so convenient in pulpits to meddle with such things as those are . those things i say which are sutable to mens own ends and waies , them they will close withal ; but other things that do cross the flesh , that are most opposite to loosness , and would bring men most under the government of christ , those things men stand out against , and they must have cleer and express words , express and cleer warrant out of the word in so many terms , or otherwise by no means they will not so much as yield to it : that 's a point that if god would but settle it upon our hearts , might be of very great use ; a gracious heart will see the truth through a very little crevis ; but it is mervailous to consider what a do there is to convince a man before he is humbled , of some part of gods will ; and how easie is it to convince a man after he is humbled . the eighth note is this , that sinners may meet with some judgments of god that were never threatned in his word . god did never threaten beforehand , and say , whosoever offers strange fire , i will consume them with fire from heaven ; but they meet with a judgment that was not threatned ; consider of this , it may be when we come to speak out of the word , and shew you plainly how god doth threaten such and such sins , you are afraid then ; but know , if thou venturest upon waies of sin , thou mayest meet with dreadful judgments executed that never yet were threatned : besides all those judgments that are threatned in the book of god , thou maiest meet with judgments unheard of , unexpected : as god hath mercies beyond what he hath expresly revealed in his word , for never was it heard since the beginning of the world what god hath laid up for them that love him : so god hath judgments beyond what is in his word . sometimes when the ministers of god do open the threatnings that are in gods word , you think that they are terrible : but know that god in the treasury of his judgments hath more dreadful things than ever yet hath been reveal'd in his word ; and therefore learn to tremble , not only at what is revealed in gods word against thy sin , but tremble at what there is in that infinite justice , power , and wisdom of god to find out , and execute upon sinners ; for thou art a sinner , and especially if thou beest a bold and presumptuous sinner ; thou mayest i say expect to meet with whatsoever evil an infinite wisdom is able to devise , and that an infinite power is able to bring upon thee that thou art capable of : thou committest such and such a sin ; perhaps thou doest not know of any particular judgment that is threatned against it ; but think thus , i that do provoke god by my sins , what may i look for ? 't is more than i know to the contrary , but that whatsoever the infinite wisdom of god is able to find out , and what misery soever i am capable of , that the lord may bring upon me . consider of this , and take heed of sin . the ninth observation is this , that god is very quick with some in the waies of his judgments . it may be he may spare others for a long time , but concerning thee he may say , thou shalt not offend twice . if thou wilt venture the first act , god may strike thee with death ; he did so here with nadab and abihu , for they were but newly consecrated , so i find it by interpreters , that they were to be in consecration for seven daies , and this was the first day that they came to their place , and in the very first act that they did , god did smite them : let us tremble : the lord is quick towards some , he is patient towards others , but do not thou presume because he is patient to others , he may take thee in the very first act of thy sin , and be quick with thee . the tenth note is this , that the holiness of a duty will never bear a man out in the miscarriage of it . this was a holy duty , they were the true priests of god , they came to offer incense to the true god , it was right incense that they offered , there was but this one miscarriage , they had not the same fire that god would have ; now this miscarriage god comes upon them for , and all the good there was in the duty it would not bear them out . consider of this , you that perform many holy duties , take heed of giving way to your selves in any miscarriage , for do not think , that because your duties are very good and holy , that by doing thereof you may venture upon mixture ; take heed of mixing any evil , any miscarriage in any holy thing , though you have performed a thousand holy duties , yet it will not bear you out in the miscarriage of them . the eleventh note is this , that the lord is very terrible out of his holy places . the note is the same that you have in psal . . . the lord is terrible out of his holy places : when we have to deal with god , who can stand before this holy god ? our god is a consuming fire : the lord manifests himself here most dreadfully to strike with fire these two priests , as in ezek. . . begin at my sanctuary , saith god. god is terrible , terrible towards those that shall dare to approach unto him , and yet are wicked and ungodly in their approaching , he is terrible to those that are neer unto him , god would have us all to tremble at his presence . in the twelfth place , gods judgments are often very sutable to mens sins . here they sinned by fire , and they are consumed by fire . they offended by strange fire , and god strikes them by a strange fire . the judgments of god are very sutable to the sins of men oftentimes . as here by fire , so another time we find it by water : pharaoh he sins by drowning the infants of the people of israel in the waters , and god drowns him in the sea. if you will be drowning by water , you shall have water enough saith god : and so here , if you will be medling with strange fire , you shall have strange fire saith god : god doth many times proportion judgments to sinners that his righteousness might the more appear : those very creatures in which we sin , many times god makes them , or others of the same kind , to be the executioners of his wrath. so it was with the jews , they would sell christ for . pieces of silver , and they were sold . of them for a penny afterwards . and so the story of adoni-bezek in the first of judges , that was so cruel in such a way to cut off thumbs and toes of kings , even so he was served in the like kind : and it 's ordinary for men that are of cruel fiery spirits , to meet with cruel fiery spirits likewise . and i would apply it in this particular , you that are stout children to your parents , if god lets you live , you many times meet with the very same in your children , and when you that are parents meet with stubborn children , you should reflect , doth not god come righteously upon me ? and so you that are servants , you are stout to your masters , and afterwards when you come to have servants they will be so to you ; and perhaps you were unfaithful to your governors , afterwards when you come to have servants , it 's a thousand to one but they will be so to you . now you should strike your hand upon your heart and say , it 's just with god that it should be so , and that he should come upon me in my own kind . another note is this , they offered strange fire . let 's take heed all of us , how we bring strange fire into gods service . bring strange fire into gods service , what 's that ? i find diverse writers speaking upon this , saith ambrose , lusts , and covetousness are this strange fire . that which i would have you consider of , is this , above all strange fire , take heed of the strange fire of passion and anger ; and especially in the worship of god ; and at any time when you find your hearts heated and fired with anger , when you are about to worship god , remember this scripture , nadab and abihu were consumed by god , with fire from god , for coming into gods presence with strange fire : now , o lord , how often have we come into thy presence with strange fire ! perhaps your hearts have been burning hot with passion when you have been coming into gods presence : you are to pray with fervency , for so the scripture saith : we are indeed to be heat in prayer , by the holy ghost in our hearts , but certainly not to come with the fire of passion and anger : lift up your hands without wrath and doubting . if you have been passionate , and your hearts have been heat that way , be sure you get your hearts cold before you go to prayer . and so when you come to hear the word , if your hearts have been heat with passion , be sure you get them cold before you come to hear the word : receive with meekness the ingrafted word that may save your souls . and so when you come to the lords supper , take heed of coming with wrath and malice , for then you come but to offer strange fire . it is a special consideration for ministers that come to preach , they should take heed of bringing strange fire into ther pulpits ; that is , of venting their own passions ; that hath been ever a rule , that i have been convinced of since i knew any thing of preaching , that that man that is appointed to reveal gods wrath , had need to conceal his own wrath : that 's certainly a rule for all preachers , for the lord sends his preachers to make known his wrath against mens sins ; but now , the more they make known his wrath , the more they should conceal their own ; and so by that means when they come in the openest way to manifest gods wrath , the more their preaching would be accepted . now it 's true , a carnal heart would be ready to think , that when a preacher speaks out of true zeal to god , he will be ready to say , that he hath aiming at himself : take heed of that , i beleeve you have had but little occasion of such a temptation in this place : but however this i know , it is the duty of the ministers of god to be sure to bring nothing but the fire of the spirit of god , the fire that they have from the alter ; their tongues being touch'd with one of these coals , and not that they should come with their own passions to further the righteousness of god , no , the wrath of man doth not accomplish the righteousness of god. there are some other particulars which being laid down , we shall come to the three main points . sermon ii. leviticus . . . i will be sanctified in them that come nigh me . wee began these words the last day , and shewed the scope of them , and opened the meaning of them , and spake of divers notes of observation that we gathered from this story of nadab and abihu , and of gods dealing with them . from the general story of it , there were many points of notable observation that were drawn from thence : i 'le ad some few now , and so come to the main doctrinal point in the text. a further note of observation is this , that many times even the dear saints of god do meet with very sore and grevous offlictions in their children . that the most eminent saints of god are not freed from very grievous afflictions even in their children ; it was one of the forest afflictions that almost ever any saint of god met withal in his children ; this affliction of aaron at this time , that two of his sons , and ( as i told you the last day ) renowned men in israel , newly consecrated to the office of priesthood , that the very first day they came to offer in their office , they were struck before all the people with fire from heaven , and were consumed : oh what a sad affliction was it to aaron their father , when he saw his sons in such a manner destroyed by god himself ! consider of this , you that have children , and are ready to murmur and complain of every little affliction that is upon you in respect of your children : if so be that your children be but a little sick , or there be any miscarriage of them , you think it is a heavy hand of god ; but especially if god take away your children by death , then you mourn and will not be comforted : yea , but though god have taken away your children by death , yea , perhaps it may be by a violent death , as being drowned , &c. yet they have not been strucken with fire from heaven by god , and they have not been of such publick use . these here were renowned men , and taken away in their very sin too ; your children which have gone upon their lawful imployments , and god hath taken away their lives , there is no such cause of murmuring here ; but when god takes away children in their sins , and in such a way as by fire from heaven ; thus god took away aarons children , and he was as dear to god as you are : and yet thus god deals with his saints , with aaron in regard of his children , and with his elder children , and with two of them together . this example may be enough to still and quiet the hearts of men and women that are afflicted in respect of any calamity that befals their children . you see what a hand of god is against the very children of aaron . a further note is this that gods judgments we see sometimes , though the effect of them be visible , yet they come in an invisible way . for you shal find if you reade on in this story , that they were smote with fire from heaven , but it did not appear what fire , for it did not so much as consume their cloathes , not their bodies , but went through all and struck them dead , and no body could tell how . gods judgments do come in a way that is invisible : if it had been in a visible flame of fire , all would have seen it , and it would have burnt their cloaths , or their bodies : but you shall find in the . verse , that they were carried away from the sanctuary in their cloaths , they were not burnt . another note is this , that though the lives of men be dear and precious to god yet they are not so precious as his glory . the glory of his name is a thousand thousand times more dear unto god than the lives of thousand thousands of people ; the lives of nadab and abihu must go , that god may be sanctified : if it comes so in the way ( as i may so say ) the lives of men , and the sanctifying of gods name , the glory of god must pass on , and must have its course let the lives of men go which way they will. we think much to have the lives of men taken away ; but if we know what the glory of god meant , and what infinite reason there is that god should be glorified , we would not think it much that the lives of never so many men should go for the glory of god. 't is mercy that our lives have not gone many times for gods glory ; how often might god have glorified himself in taking away our lives ? we have cause to bless him , that our lives have been preserved so long as they have . again note , that the neerer any men are unto god , the more they had need take heed that they glorifie him , for they must expect to be spared the less if they sin against him. nadab and abihu , the priests of god , and they came neer to god , yet by their transgression ; though i told you , we do not find in any place of scripture directly in words , that this fire is forbidden , but they should have gathered gods mind by consequence , and therefore by the way i only note . that we must not think to urge upon men in all things strict commands in very words , but if it be commanded so as we may draw it by any consequence , it 's a command ; as now here for the negative , they had not a negative prohibition in words , yet they had it by consequence : so for the affirmative , though we have not the affirmative in express words , yet if we may have it by consequence , it is an affirmative as well as the negative , when we have it by consequence . but now the note of observation is , that the neerer any comes to god , if they sin against him , they must not expect to be spared . do not think that god will spare you the more because you are professors of religion , or because you do often worship him : i suppose you that are acquainted with scripture , know that place in amos , . . you only have i known of all the families of the earth : therefore i will punish you for all your iniquities . another note is this , that when a judgment is exemplary , then we should have recourse to the word of god , to see how god doth make his word good in that judgment . so moses doth , this is that which the lord hath said . do you see any remarkable hand of god in the execution of a judgment upon one , have recourse to gods word , and presently begin to think this , what is there in gods word against that sin that this man hath been guilty of ? if you see a judgment of god upon a drunkard , remember the threats in the word of god against drunkenness , and so the judgments of god upon unclean persons , swearers , sabbath-breakers , lyars , or any prophane , and ungodly persons , have recourse to the judgments of god threatned in the word against such : and so likewise concerning scorners and opposers of religion , remember what is said in the word of god against such , and so learn to sanctifie gods name : we might have mentioned some particular threats of god against particular sinners for the helping of you , that when you see exemplary judgments : to have recourse to the word of god : but we let that pass . a further note from this story is this , that the great honor that god intends to his name , it is , the making of his name holy. i wil be sanctified in them that draw nigh me , and before all the people i will be glorified . as moses should say in gods name , i must , and will have glory from the people , and how ? by making my name appear to be holy , this is the glory that i stand upon above all other things , that my name may appear to be holy , that i may appear to be a holy god. i beseech you brethren consider of this , god stands upon nothing more than to appear to all the world to be a holy god , there 's the glory of gods name in an eminent way , god doth not so much stand upon this to appear to be a strong god , to appear to be a powerful god , to be a god of patience , long suffering , god doth not so much stand to be an omniscient god , though these attributes are dear to god , but that he may appear to be a holy god : that he stands upon . whatever glory of the name of god , that god shall be content to have ecclipsed in the world for a while , yet he is resolved he will have the glory of his holiness above all things : and therefore the angels when they are celebrating the glory of god , they do not say , lord almighty , almighty , almighty , or lord , omniscient , omniscient , omniscient ; but holy , holy , holy : those three together , the holiness of god , therein appears the glory of god above all : god stands upon it that he will appear to be a holy god. oh that those who profess themselves to be the servants of god , that they would especially endeavor to hold forth gods holiness ; you that are neer to god , you that hope you are gods children , and make profession of his name , labor you to hold forth the glory of his holiness above all things , in your holy lives and conversations : for god stands upon this , to have his name to be sanctified , i will be sanctified , saith god , and i will be glorified , so he doth interpret the glory of his name by being sanctified . as if god should say , that 's the glory that i look for , that my name may be extolled as holy : and therefore the very first petition that christ teaches us to pray in the lords prayer , it is , hallowed be thy name , which is all one with this , sanctified be thy name ; oh let the name of god appear to be holy in the world : that 's another note , that these two are joyned together , i 'le be sanctified in those that draw nigh me , and i will be glorifyed before the people . again observe , that it is the part of true friendship , to help friends in their distresses , and seek to comfort them from the word . though we our selves be in afflictions , yet we should seek to comfort our friends that are in greater afflictions , and to comfort them by the word , for so did moses : moses comes to comfort aaron , and applies the word , this is that which the lord hath said , i will be sanctified . now mark , no question moses was afflicted upon this heavy hand of god , for he was their uncle ; but though it was heavy upon the uncle , yet it was heavier upon the father , and therefore though moses was troubled , yet he knew that aaron was more troubled , and therefore he goes to aaron , and seeks to comfort him , and he makes use of this word in his comforting of him . learn this then , to go and comfort your brethren , for aaron was moses brother ; go and comfort them in their afflictions , and think not because that you have some afflictions upon you , that therefore you should not be a comfort to your brethren : their affliction is greater than yours , and when you come to comfort them , come not in a meer carnal way , and say , brother you must be content : but you must come and apply somewhat of the word of god to comfort them , and say , this is that which the lord hath spoke ; and to that end you should labor to be exercised in the word of god , that so you may be able to go to your brethren and comfort them in any affliction ; for there is no particular affliction , but there is some word of god that is sutable to that particular affliction , and those who are well exercised in the word of god , they can apply some word to every affliction : and indeed this is an excellent friend , and such a friend is worth his weight in gold , that can come to another friend in any affliction , and evermore hath somewhat of the word of god to apply to that affliction . the last observation is this , that aaron held his peace . from whence we may note , that there is no such way to quiet a gracious heart under any afflictions in the world , as that god will fetch out his honor by it . it is grievous to me , but god fetches out his glory , and honor by it . the applying of the word , and the consideration that god hath his way to fetch out his glory in our afflictions , is the only way to quiet a gracious heart . all these points might take up a a great deal of time , but i will let them pass , and come to the main point of all , i will be sanctified in those that come nigh me . there are these three points in these words . first , that in the worship of god , men and women draw nigh to god. secondly , that we ought to sanctifie gods name in drawing nigh to him . thirdly , that if we do not sanctifie it , god will sanctifie his own name upon us . . that in worshiping of god , there is a drawing nigh to god. quest . why , is not god in every place ? answ . yes certainly , we can never be in any place but we are nigh to god , god stands by us , and looks upon us : it is not only when you are worshiping of god that you are nigh him , but when you sin against him , when thou art swearing , prophaning his name , his day , god stands and looks upon thee , thou art nigh him : and it may be said or written upon every place , what was said of the city , in the last words of the prophesie of ezek. . . the name of the city was jehovah shamma , that is , the lord is there , the lord jehovah he is there , he is present in this place : oh that you would remember when you are in any place , that the name of that place is jehovah shamma , the lord is there , in him we live , we move , and have our being , therfore we are alwaies nigh him : yea , but though we are alwaies nigh god in regard of that essential presence of his , yet there is a more peculiar and special drawing nigh to god in the duties of his worship , and that the scripture seems to hold forth unto you . first i 'le shew you how the scripture holds it forth , and then in what respect the creature may be said to draw nigh to god in holy duties of worship ; for so it was here , they were coming to offer incense . . that we do draw nigh to god in holy duties , see jam. . . draw nigh to god ( so that you may be neerer god than you were ) that is , by holy services , and holy duties ; and hence it is in psal . . . let us come before his presence with thanks giving ; so that there is a more peculiar coming before gods presence when we come to worship him than at other times : and vers . . o come let us worship and how down , let us kneel before the lord our maker . so in psal . . . let us come before his presence with singing . for that 's one part of the worship of god. but the scripture is plain , that there is a special coming before god when we are coming to worship him , and in this respect the servants of god in psal . . . are said to be a people neer to god. it is a very remarkable expression , and sets forth much the honor of the saints of god : there 's the commendation of the excellent estate of the saints . he also exalteth the horn of his people , the praise of all his saints , even the children of israel , a people neer unto him . the saints of god , the children of israel , the church of god are said to be a people neer to god ; why neer him ? because that they worship god , they are much exercised in the worship of god. this is one respect though there may be divers others mentioned , yet in respect of their coming so much before god in his worship , therefore they are neer god. quest . neer him ! why , in what respects may a man be said to draw nigh to god when he worships him ? answ . to that i answer , there are three respects in which a man when he is worshiping god may be said to draw nigh to god : first , because when we come to worship god , we come to tender up that homage and service unto him , that is due from us as creatures to the infinite creator ; that 's the very end of worship . if you would know what it is to worship god , it is this : you come to tender up that homage and respect that is due from the creature to the creator . now when a subject comes to tender up his homage to his prince , he comes towards him , when he doth it immediately : so we have none to tender it up by but jesus christ , and when we tender it up we must come our selves too , for christ doth nor take our service and tender it up to god and we be absent , but we must come with christ , and christ takes us by the hand and so tenders it up to the father while we are in presence , so that we are said to come nigh to god in that respect , because of the immediate tendering up of that worship of ours to god ; i call it immediate in respect of any creature : but in respect of christ , indeed he is a mediator to do it , but yet he doth it in a spiritual way , and we have to do with none but god through jesus christ in the tendering up of our worship to him : we may make use of an institution that god hath appointed , but we do not tender up our worship to god through that creature , but in the use of that creature we do come to god , and our souls are to tender up that respect we owe to god immediatly . therefore in levit . . . it is said of the priests in their sacrifices , when they were to come to worship god , no man that hath a blemish of the seed of aaron the priest shall come nigh to offer the offerings of the lord made by fire . so that when any come to offer any offerings of the lord made by fire , it appears he came nigh to god ; he came to bring a present to god , therefore he comes nigh . so when we come to offer our spiritual sacrifices unto god , we come nigh to god to offer , it 's the offering of a sacrifice to god. and that 's the first thing , because the creature comes to bring a present to god , therefore he is said to draw nigh . and secondly , the soul is said to draw nigh to god in holy duties , because it doth present its self before god in those waies through which god doth use to communicate his choice , precious , most excellent and glorious mercies to his people ; i say , when we come to worship god , we come to set our selves before god in those waies that god doth use to communicate the choice , most excellent and glorious rich mercies that he hath to communicate to his creature . when we have to deal with creatures , as meat and drink , and our outward businesses we have to do with god in them ; but when we come to worship god , we come to present our selves before him in those things that he doth use to let out himself through in a more special and glorious manner to the souls of his people . what 's the reason why heaven is said to be the presence of god , and why those that are in heaven are said to live with god ? there they behold the face of god and are before him in a special manner , therefore when christ teacheth us to pray , he teacheth us to look up to heaven and to say , our father which art in heaven , &c. now certainly the essential presence of god is on earth as truly and really as in heaven , and god is not so as to have one part in one place , and another in another , but all god is in every place , but the reason why god is said to be in heaven , it is because the lord makes known himself there in a more glorious manner than in any other place , and therefore heaven is the presence of god in a more special way . now then if the communication of god unto a creature be enough to make the presence of god more special , if this be enough to make a creature to live with god , and to be before his face , because they are there where god doth most communicate himself , then certainly when we come to worship god , we come to be neer god , and be with god , because the duties of his worship are those means that the lord hath appointed for the letting out of himself in the glory of his goodness and mercy to his people : you may expect other manner of communication of god goodness through the duties of his worship than in any other way : and that 's the second respect wherein you may be said to draw nigh to god in holy duties . thirdly , you may be said to draw nigh to god , because then we should ( and if we worship god as we ought , we do ) act our faith and humility , and all the graces of the spirit ; we do act them , as it were , upon god , when we come to worship him : that 's required in every duty of worship , that you should stir up the faculties of your souls , and all the graces of the spirit of god , and you should act them upon god when you are worshiping of him . 't is not enough to come with grace when you come to worship god , but there must be an acting of that grace upon god. and so we find in scripture , that the acting of grace upon god , it is a drawing neer to him , therefore in isa . . . the lord complains there , this people draws neer to me with their lips , but their hearts are far from me : as if god should say , indeed they come and speak to me , and therefore they think they draw nigh to me , but i expect that their hearts should be acting upon me , that 's the meaning . and in zeph. . . god complains there of his people that they did not draw neer to him as they should : and it appears plainly , it was from hence , that their graces did not act so upon god as they ought , she obeyed not the voice : she received not correction : she trusted not in the lord : she drew not neer to her god. so that acting faith upon god is a drawing nigh to god , and so acting any grace upon god is a drawing nigh to god. now when is there a time for the acting of our graces upon god , so as when we come to worship god ? and therefore in isa . . . the lord complains there , that no man did stir up himself to take hold on him . when we come to worship god we should stir up our selves to take hold of god. and thus you see in what respects the soul may be said to draw nigh to god when it comes to worship him . now for the aplication of this point , and it is in divers particulars . the first is this . hence learn what you do when you come to worship god and consider of it every time you come to perform any act of worship . truly this one thing would be of marveilons use , and it would help forward to the next point of sanctifying of gods name . this you are all convinced of , that it is your duty to worship god ; when you pray , you come to worship god , when you come to hear his word you come to worship him , and when you receive the sacrament you worship him . now if i should come from one end of the congregation to the other , and ask every one of you this question , it is your duty to worship god , is it not ? yes , that you will all be ready to answer . and what do you do when you worship god ? i fear that this second question would gravel many . you will say , we must pray to god , and serve him , and hear his word , and go to the communion : yea , but what do your souls do in this work of worshiping of god ? this should be the answer , and so you should think with your selves , and charge this upon your own hearts , i am now going to worship god , either in prayer , word , or sacrament , i am now going to tender up that homage that is due from a creature to the infinit creator , so that i must so pray , as i must manifest that high respect that i owe to god as my creator ; but that i shall speak to more afterword : only now remember this , that you do profess every time you go to prayer , that you go to tender up that homage that you owe unto god , and so every time you come to hear the word , there is a profession that you come to tender up that respect and homage that you owe to the infinite god : and so likewise when you come to receive the sacrament . now when we come to offer a present to men , we know how we prepare , and with what sutable presence we desire to offer : but of that afterward when we come to speak of sanctifying gods name . secondly , remember , when i come to worship god , i come to set my self before the lord in those ways that god doth let out the choice of his mercies to his people in ; i have many mercies from god in the enjoyment of the creature , but when i come to worship him , i expect the communication of his mercy in another way than through any creature in the world . the duties of his worship are the chief channels that god doth let out the choicest of his mercies to the hearts of his people through , and now i am going to worship him , i am going to present my self before god. indeed there is a little glimmering of the light of god through other creatures to me , but the glorious beams of the light of god is through the duties of his worship . . and then thirdly , i am now going to act my soul upon god , so that if i have any abilities to close with god , to act my soul upon him , it must be put forth now at this time : i am indeed at all times to labor to enjoy communion with god , when i see the creatures , the sun , moon , and stars , to labor to lift up my heart to god , and when i see the glory of god in the sea , and for my meat and drink i am to bless god , and to acknowledg god in all , but when i come to worship god , then all the strength of my soul is to be acted upon god in a more special manner ; i must then above all labor to stir up whatsoever i have in my soul to act upon god : this is now to worship god. secondly , if to worship god , be to draw nigh to god , hence we see the reasons why guilty consciences have little mind to the duties of gods worship . when a man or woman hath given liberty to any licentious way , and sinned against their consciences , if they have any light in their consciences , it is one of the tediousest things in the world to come to the duties of gods worship ; they had rather do any thing than come to holy duties , as to prayer , and especially to secret prayer . a man or woman that hath an enlightned conscience , and is under the guilt of sin , the coming to god in holy duties , is a very grievous burden to them : why ? here 's the reason , because to worship god , is to draw to god , and the guilt that is upon them hath made the presence of god terrible to them , and therefore they had rather go into their company , and be merry , eat , drink , sport , or any thing rather than to come into gods presence . we know how it was with adam , when god appeared in the garden and called to him , he ran to hide himself ; why ? because he had guiltiness upon him . oh! the evil that the guilt of sin brings upon the soul , it makes the presence of god terrible . the presence of god it should be more comfortable to us , than our lives ; but our sin makes gods presence grievous and terrible . a child sometimes when it hath offended the father , and is conscious to its self of the offence that it hath given the father , it had rather be in the kitchin among the servants , than to come into the hall , or parlor , where the father is , because it hath offended him . and so it is with a guilty conscience when it is conscious to its self of some haunt of evil that it hath given it self unto , it hath no mind at all of coming into the presence of the father , but hangs off . my brethren , the very presence of god in the communion of his saints is terrible to a guilty conscience , the very looking upon a godly man is terrible to a guilty conscience : when as thou hast been abroad , and been loose and wicked in thy waies , i appeal to thy conscience , when thou comest into the presence of some holy , gracious man or woman that lives close with god , doth it not daunt thee ? now is the presence of god in the very faces of his saints , terrible to a guilty conscience : how terrible is the presence of god in his ordinances then ? indeed those men and women , whose consciences are not enlightened , but are ignorant and sottish , they can sin against god , and go into his presence without any trouble ; you shall have men swear , and be drunk over night , and come to the sacrament the next day ; what 's the reason ? because there is no light sn their consciences , their consciences are in darkness , they are besotted in their sin ; but i speak now of one who hath an enlightened conscience , the presence of god is terrible to such an one . a third use is this , here 's the reason why hypocrites do meet with such vengeance from god as they do . i confess we shall meet with this more especially afterwards , only by the way take notice of it , hypocrites above all men may expect the severest judgments of god upon them , because they come so nigh god , for they come often to the duties of gods worship ; now they that will come so nigh gods presence , and come with base and ungodly hearts , to cloak their villany , of all in the world they must expect to have the severe vengeance of god let down upon them ; they that stand nighest the bullet must expect to have the strength of it to be the more upon them ; so when the wrath of god proceeds out upon sinners , wicked men that stand nighest him , they have the greatest stroke of gods wrath : but of that more when i come to the third point , that god will be sanctified in those that draw nigh him. the fourth use is this , if to worship god , be to draw nigh him , then to neglect gods worship , is to depart from him ; that must needs follow . and this is a dreadful thing , it is the sentence that shall be at the last day of judgment , depart from me . thou now art willing to depart from god , oh consider of this you that neglect worship , the worship of god in your families , and in your closets , and in the congregation , in the communion of the saints , thou hast little minded or regarded the worship of god ( it may be ) all thy daies , what hast thou been doing all this while ? thou hast been departing from god all this while , and when thy conscience shall be but enlightned , and awakened to see how far thou art from god , how terrible will it be to thee ; remember this , you that have no mind to the duties of the worship of god , but love the commission of sin , you neglect gods worship , you were wont to worship him in a constant way in your closets , and families , but now you grow more loose , and so you grow more dead every day than other , you go off from god more and more . surely there can be no good to neglect gods worship . and those that are loth to worship god , because they cannot worship him as they ought ; from this point it appears plainly , that there can be no good gotten by neglecting gods worship , for it is departing from god , whatsoever plea there may be by any temptation to neglect gods worship certainly there is danger in it and therefore never listen to any such temptation as shall draw your hearts from the duties of gods worship . there are a generation of wantons in these times , that make little matter of continuing the duties of gods worship , they were wont constantly to worship god , and to attend upon the word , but now it is nothing to them , and they are even ready to thank god for it that they make not such conscience as they were wont to do in the duties of the worship of god , it may be they will say , that heretofore some slavish terror did carry them on in the duties of gods worship more than the understanding of the freeness of the grace of god would admit of : but shall the understanding of the freedom of the grace of god carry thee on less than thy slavish terror did ? oh blind and wanton spirit that knowest not the waies of god , nor the freeness of the grace of god , nor the riches of it ! oh what a dishonor art thou to jesus christ , and to the freeness of his grace , that thou canst go up and down from day to day and never worship god! did jesus christ come into the world for that end for to cause thee to depart more from god ? 't is plain out of the word , that the duties of gods worship are those duties whereby the soul comes to draw nigh to god : and i beseech you brethren , observe these men , whether there be that holinese in their lives , that spiritualness as there was wont to be ? no , you shall find them by degrees to grow loose , yea , run sometimes into gross sins , grow many times to lying and deceiving , and to drunkenness and company-keeping : yea , to worse things by degrees : perhaps they are at first ready to say , is thy servant a dead dog that i should do this ? but by departing from god they grow dead to holy duties : we find it by experience , that the professors of religion have not that holiness , heavenliness , spiritualness as they were wont to have in former times ; and no mervel , for now they keep not so nigh to god as they were wont . you that are sea-men and travellers , sometimes you are neer the sun , and then you are hot , but the further off the sun you go , you grow to be colder and colder : and so those that neglect the worship of god they go from warm sun , they go from the light of gods countenance , and from the presence of god , and so they grow cold and chill , and by degrees they grow to prophaness , and it is to be feared that many of them will grow to meer athiesm . another use is this , an use of exhortation , that we would be encouraged to worship god , and to be much in the worship of god. in heb. . . let us draw neer ( saith the text ) who would not draw neer to god ? oh what a good thing is it to be in the presence of god : is not the lord the fountain of thy life ? is it not a sweet thing to be in his presence ? we think it a sweet thing to be in the presence of godly men ; oh that we might alwaies , live with such men , and be nigh them ! that martyr doctor taylor rejoyced in this , that ever he came into prison to be acquainted with that angel of god , holy master bradford : and as i remember some among the heathens that profest they would rather be in prison with cato , than be in the greatest glory with some other . it is a blessed thing to be in the presence of god , to be with him that is the god of our lives , and the fountain of all good ; let us draw nigh to god often , let us know that it is a mercy that we may draw nigh to god ; we might have been banished from the presence of the lord long e're this time . this is that that the happiness of the glorious church is set out by , in rev. . . they shall see his face , and his name shall be in their foreheads . this is the priviledg of the church . and that it is such a blessing to draw nigh to god , you may see it by that in ephes . . . for through him , we both have an access by one spirit unto the father . through him ] through christ we have access by one spirit unto the father ; and now ( saith he ) ye that were strangers and forreigners , are made fellow citizens with the saints , and of the houshold of god. and vers . . but now by jesus christ , ye who somtimes were afar off , are made nigh by the blood of christ , and you have access through christ . so , our coming nigh to god is such a priviledg as cost the blood of christ ; and will not you improve it ? you were far off in your natural condition , but now you are nigh through his blood. lay but this text warm to your hearts this morning , that i that was far off , am made nigh by the blood of christ , made nigh to god ; it will be a means for ever to draw your hearts to all those waies whereby you may draw neerest to god. and by drawing nigh to god often , you will come to encrease your graces abundantly : your graces , how wil they act ? the presence of god wil draw forth the acts of grace , as the presence of the fire draws forth our heat , so the presence of god will draw forth our graces . and by this means we come to live most holy lives . we reade of moses , he was upon the mountain fourty daies with god , and when he came down his face did so shine , that the people were not able to bear it ; what 's the reason ? it was from hence , because he was so nigh to god : would you have your faces to shine in a holy conversation before men ? converse much with god , be often with god , be nigh to him , and that will make you shine as lights in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation . we find it so with some that converse much with god , there is a shine upon their very countenances . and further , it is a special sign of our adoption to love , to be nigh to god. what should a child love most but to be in the presence of his father ? would you know whether you have received the spirit of aboption yea or no ? i can hardly give you any one sign so cleer as this , for to love to go into gods presence : as david said , i was glad when they said , come , and let us go up unto the house of the lord. you shal have many that love to be in gods presence , so as they think on it over-night , and long for the time till it comes ; i never am better than when i am with god , me thinks when i get into gods presence , either in prayer or any duty of gods worship , i find my heart warmed and quickned , &c. they are ready to say with peter , master , it is good being here . and that 's another thing , it is that which will put us in mind of the life of heaven , it is the only thing in heaven to be in the presence of god. why , the more thou art nigh god in the duties of worship , the more thou art in heaven , and doest not thou pray , that the will of god may be done in earth as in heaven ? now the saints and angels are alwaies before god worshiping of him ; then be as much as thou canst in the presence of god , if thou wouldest be in heaven , be there : many of the saints they find it so : it is not so with carnal hearts , they are weary presently , when they are in prayer , or hearing the word , it is not so to them : yea , that 's because thou hast not the presence of god , as in mal. . what weariness is there ? thou canst be a gaming till one or two a clock at night , and though thou shouldest lose thy supper , or the work of thy family , it is not tedious to thee to be exercised in those things that pleaseth the flesh ; but when thou comest to worship god , how quickly art thou tir'd ? now what wilt thou do in heaven where there is nothing else done to all eternity but worshiping of god ; and then it must needs be delightful to god that thou shouldest come nigh him : there is nothing in the world more pleasant to god than to have his saints come into his presence . what doth a father more delight in than to have his children about him ? never did any father or mother love to have their children by them , so as god loves to have his children come nigh him , and be often with him . and the truth is , one great reason that god suffers you to fall into affliction so much , is , that you may come runing to him : how doth the child come running to the father or mother when it is afraid ? why , the lord is willing to permit men to do you wrong that you may run to him , that he might have more of your presence : thou that art such a poor creature , yet thou hearest this day that there is nothing in the world that god takes more pleasure in ( next to the presence of his own son jesus christ , and his saints and angels that he hath with him in heaven ) than to have his saints come nigh him , to have them to be alwaies under his wing . and then by coming often into gods presence in his worship there will grow a sweet and blessed familiarity between god and thy soul , for thou wilt be speaking to god , and god will be speaking to thee too : we know many times that dear friends who are very neerly linkt together , yet if they be long absent one from another there grows a strangeness , and so by degrees their friendship is deaded ; but now when they are together every day , and there is an intercourse of love and friendship , then their friendship is kept active and quick , but now if they be absent long ; indeed if they be absent in another country when they cannot come together , that they are sure it is not through any neglect , then it will not damp their friendship ; but when they are neer and come not one to another , then they think it is out of neglect , and so they grow strange . so it is with the soul , if there were no possibility of coming into gods presence , then it would not hinder the sweetness of the love of god to us . but now when we have those duties of worship wherein we may draw nigh to god , if we neglect them , our familiarity with god will quickly be lost , acquaint thy self with god and be at peace . god is willing to be acquainted with his servants , the lord loves to be familiar with the poorest of his saints , and wilt not thou maintain that sweet familiarity with god ? these two benefits will fallow upon thy familiarity with god. first , those that are most familiar with god they are most potent with god ; as now , a stranger cannot prevail in any petition so as a familiar friend can . thus my brethren , when strangers come into gods presence , god doth not so much regard them : but when his familiars come into his presence , the saints of god that keep close with him in constant communion and converse in the duties of his worship , god doth take them as his familiar friends , and they will prevail much with god. secondly , by this means the teror of death will be taken away , there is no such way to take off the terror of the thoughts of death as by keeping familiarity with god , death then is joyful to those that converse with him . that reverend divine that is now with god ( docter preston ) when he was to die he had this speech , i shall but change my place , i shall not change my company ; whereas its otherwise if thou growest-estranged from god , when death comes it will look with a terrible face , for then thou hast to deal with god , thou art then to go into the presence of the infinite dreadful god , into whose presence thou never hadst any mind to go before , but saith death , i must now carry thee into the presence of god. as thy body returns to the dust , so thy soul must return to god that gave it ; that is , to receive its eternal doom , &c. but now saith a saint , what must my boby return to dust and my soul to god that gave it ? it is he which i have been with every day , and can say as he said , my soul go forth , go forth , why art thou unwilling to go forth to him that thou hast conversed with all thy daies ? and then , what safety is there in being neer to god , especially in these dangerous times ? in the times wherein we live it is safe to be neer god ; in psal . . . be not far from me , for trouble is neer , saith david : lord , trouble is neer me , be not thou far from me . it 's a blessed thing to have god neer us when trouble is neer us . trouble is neer many of you , perhaps there 's not a spans breadth between death and us , what a blessed thing is it then to have god to be neer us ? when the poor chickin sees the kite come neer to seize upon it , and is like to be supprized ; if the hen be neer , it runs to the hen , and the hen covers it , and keeps it safe ; so it should be with us , for so christ saith of jerusalem , how often would i have gathered thee as a hen gathereth her chickens ? there are a company of kites abroad in the world , and we are poor shiftless creatures ; now how happy are we then if we can run under the shadow of gods wing ? there is a kind of shadow in the presence of god in the enjoyment of the creature ; but the shadow of god that we have in his worship that is as the shadow of his wing . there is the shadow of a tree , and that may help from some kind of troubles ; but there 's another manner of shadow under the shadow of the wing of the hen , because that nourishes the chicken : the men of the world they have the shadow of the tree , as it were , gods general providence which is over all creatures ; but the saints of god that draw nigh to god , they have the shadow of gods wing , like the shadow of the hens wing to the chicken , which doth comfort it , and safe-guard it . let us by the duties of worship thus draw nigh to god , and keep nigh unto him. sermon iii leviticus , . . i will be sanctified in them that come nigh me . i will only add one particular more to what we said the last day , and then proceed . if in the duties of worship , we are nigh to god , then hence appears the great honor that god puts upon his servants that do worship him : certainly the worshipers of god have great honor put upon them , because the lord vouchsafes them to draw nigh unto him , they are such as are precious and honorable in his eyes . i will not enlarge my self in this , only give you three scriptures that shew the great honor and respect that god puts upon those that he doth admit to come and worship him . the first scripture is in deut. . . there moses speaking of the people of israel , and the great respect that god shewed to them more than others ; for saith he , what nation is there so great , who hath god so nigh unto them , as the lord our god is in all things that we call upon him for ? what nation is there so great as you are ? ( so great ! ) how doth it appear that the nation of israel is a greater nation than other nations are ? how ? that hath god so nigh unto them in all things that they call upon him for : herein any man or woman , or nation , may be said to be great , that is , greatly honored by the lord god , in that they have the lord nigh unto them , and they are nigh unto him ; here 's the greatness of a nation : you would think that if one would describe the greatness of a nation , it should be in their great wealth , their great trading and traffick that they have , and the fertile place that they live in : no , this is not the greatness of a nation , but what nation is there so great , that hath the lord god so nigh to them ? there 's the greatness of a nation : and so a spiritual heart would account greatness to consist in having god to be nigh unto it . the second scripture is in numb . . . there we have moses speaking unto the sons of korah , rebuking them for their sin , and he brings this aggravation to them of the greatness of their sin , saith he , seemeth it but a small thing unto you , that the god of israel hath separated you from the congregation of israel to bring you neer to himself ? that is , that you should come to worship him , is this a small thing to you ? is not this honor enough ? as if moses should have said , why do you contend for any more honor , the lord hath separated you , to bring you neer to himself ? object . this you will say was spoken to the priests . answ . but it may be said of every gracious soul , for every beleever christ hath made a king , priest , and prophet unto himself ; now there is no beleever , but jesus christ hath separated him or her from the rest of the world to be neer unto god. this is the dignity that god hath put upon thee , that thou art separated by his grace to be one neer to him , whereas others of the world they depart from him , continually depart more and more from him ; but ( i say ) the lord by his grace hath set thee apart for himself , as he saith in psal , . . the lord hath set apart him that is godly for himself : thou art separated from the world , to what end ? it is , that thou mightest be neer to him , this is thy priviledg , and thou shouldest account it thy great honor ( thou hast not that honor and respect in the world as others have , but thou art one of gods separate ones , that thou art neer to him. a third scripture is in psal . . . there you may see how the prophet david did highly esteem of that great honor that the lord did put upon him in this in being neer to god : but it is good for me to draw neer to god. mark how he speaks , but it is good for me : why ? for loe , they that are far from thee , shall perish : thou hast destroyed all them that go a whoring from thee . as if he should say , there are some that did seem to be neer unto thee heretofore , that were as the wife to the husband , but they are gone a whoring from thee ; base hypocrites , base apostates , they are gone a whoring from thee , their hearts being carnal , they did not find that contentment and satisfaction in thy worship as thy saints do , and therefore they are gone a whoring from thee ; but it is good for me to draw neer to thee . it is an excellent scripture . do you see any yong ones , or others that were very forward not many yeers ago , and would speak of good things , and seem to rejoyce in the word , but now they are gone a whoring , they are departed from god and his waies , and the pleasures of the flesh hath taken their hearts ? thou wilt destroy them ( saith david ) that go a whoring from thee . so thou shouldest think with thy self ; oh miserable is the condition of those who once were forward in the profession of religion and now are gone a whoring from god ; but it is good for me to draw neer to god , they are gone from thee , and thou wilt destroy them ; but it is good for me to draw neer to thee ; i bless my self in drawing neer to thee , the lord , and bless the time that ever i did draw neer to thee , and that ever i knew those waies wherein my soul hath drawn neer to god. such as worship god aright , and do delight in the worship of god they are such as have a great honor put upon them , they do draw nigh to god. and thus we have finished the first point . the second point is that will hold us some time , and that is , the sanctifying gods name in our drawing neer to god. when we worship god we draw nigh to him , but let us take heed how we draw nigh , heb. . . let us draw neer with a true heart . look to thy feet when thou comest into the house of god , eccles . . . now for the sanctifying of gods name in drawing nigh to him we shall endeavor to open it . . in shewing you wherein the sanctification of gods name consists , or what we should do that we might sanctifie the name of god in drawing nigh to him. . the reason why god will have his name to be sanctified in those that do draw nigh to him. how we should sanctifie the name of god in drawing nigh to him , it is under these two heads : first , there must be a dew preparation unto the worship of god that we exercise our selves in at any time . secondly , a right behavior of our souls in it : in these two things consists the sanctifying of gods name in his worship . now under these two heads all that i shall speak about the opening of the sanctifying of gods name will be contain'd . at this time i shall only speak to the first : the due preparation of the soul unto the duties of gods worship : therein consists a special part of the sanctifying of gods name in drawing nigh to him . and that it is so , we find it in scripture , that preparation for worship it is called the sanctifying of our selves ; and by finding this in scripture , it hinted me upon this head , to speak of the preparation unto worship in our sanctifying gods name , because i find in scripture that the sanctifying of our selves for worship , and the preparation of our selves for worship , are al one : i 'le give you these two texts ; in sam. . . you shall find there , that samuel when he was sent by god to anoint david in bethlem , the text saith , i am come to sacrifice unto the lord : sanctifie your selves , and come with me to the sacrifice . do you come peaceably say they ? yes , what then ? sanctifie your selves and come with me to the sacrifice : that 's all one , as if he should have said , prepare your selves and come with me to the sacrifice : and so in job , . . there you shall find that the holy man job when his sons had been feasting , he was somewhat afraid lest there should be some miscarriage , and that they had sinned against god in their feasting ( as it is very hard to give liberty to please the flesh and not to sin , not to transgress bounds ) therefore job , though he did not hear of any notorious abuse of their feasting , yet he was afraid lest they should sin , he knew how dangerous it was to have so much satisfaction to the flesh and not to transgress bounds , therefore it is said , he sent to his sons and sanctified them . it was so ( saith the text ) when the daies of the feasting were gone about , that job sent and sanctified them : that job sent unto them to prepare them to offer sacrifice , to prepare them for the worship of god : so that the scripture holds forth this then , that to prepare for worship it is , to sanctifie for worship , and so it is one special thing that is required in our sanctifying of god , in our drawing nigh to god , to make a due preparation for his holy worship , now for the orderly handling of things : first , i shal shew you that we must prepare for the worship of god. secondly , i shall shew you , wherein this preparation for the worship of god doth consist . thirdly , the excellency that there is in this , or what great good there is in preparation for gods worship . fourthly , i shall answer a case of conscience or two . fifthly , i will shew you , what is the behavior of the soul in sanctifying gods name . sixthly , the reasons why god will be sanctified in the duties of his worship . first , that there must be preparation to the worship of god. for first , that god that we come to worship , is a great and glorious god , and we having to deal with such an infinite , glorious , dreadful majesty , it is fit that we should make preparation when we come nigh unto him : therefore in exod. . . when god came among the people to give them his law , he did require that they should be sanctified to day and to morrow , and that they should wash their cloaths and be ready against the third day , for the third day the lord would come down upon mount sinai in the sight of the people . god did not so much stand upon their cloaths , but it was to signifie an inward washing . now my breathren , if when god came to give the law they were so to prepare , then certainly when we are come to worship god in the way of the gospel , we are to prepare as well as they , because god is coming , for that that is observable is , why they were for two daies together to make such preparation , the argument is because of the presence of god ; the lord said to moses , go and sanctifie the people to day and tomorrow , and let them wash their cloaths , and be ready against the third day , why ? for the lord will come down in the sight of all the people upon mount sinai : the lord will come down in the third day , and therefore let them be sanctisied . so when thou goest to worship god , thou expectest , or shouldest expect that god will come to thee , and that thy heart shall be drawn to god , and therfore thou shouldest make some preparation . ( for the time of preparation we shall speak to afterward when we come to the cases of conscience about preparation for worship . ) and so in chr. . . david makes preparation for the house of god , because it was the house of god that he had to build , though he could not do it himself in his own time , yet being the house of god , what great preparation was made by david ? the moral of which is this , that the house of god being a type of the church , and the worship of god , as well as of christ ; it shews that there should be much preparation when we have to deal with god in his ordinances . secondly , as god is great that we draw nigh to , so the duties of gods worship are great duties , they are the greatest things that doth concern us in this world , and it is a sign of a very carnal heart to slight the duties of gods worship , to make account of them as little matters : carnal hearts ordinarily , the things that concern their businesses in the world they think great matters ; oh i may not neglect that , i may not neglect that , i may not neglect such a business , or i may not neglect to visit or gratifie such a friend ; but now for the worship of god it is good indeed , but whether it be done or not , it is no great matter therefore they can put off prayer ; if they have any business the time of prayer must pay for it ; they can put off that upon any slight occasion , they do not account the duties of gods worship great matters ; my brethren i beseech you learn this lesson this morning , to account the duties of gods worship great matters , they are the greatest things that do concern you here in this world ; for they are the homage that you tender up to the high god , as you heard , and those things wherein god communicates himself in his choise mercies , now being such great matters there is cause that we should prepare . for that one thing of prayer , saith luther , it is a great work , and a difficult work , and therefore there had need be preparation for it : business of great consequence we make preparation for , indeed if a business be a slight business we can fall upon it on a sudden , you make not preparation to go in a boat one the thames , but to go a voyage you make great preparation . now if men and women would but understand the duties of gods worship to be great , they would see a necessity to make a preparation ; many men for want of preparation to duties they lose a great part of the time , when they come to perform a duty of worship in prayer , they spend half the time that is convenient to be spent in prayer before they begin to pray ; and so in hearing the word , they are a long time before they can settle themselves to attend to the word , or in any other kind of worship ; i say a great deal of time in the worship is spent ordinarily before we can get our hearts to close with the worship ; now that is a sore and a great evil to lose any part of the time of worship : christians , i beseech you account highly of the time of your worship , you have been so long time at prayer , yea , but how much of it hath been lost because you have not prepared beforehand for it ? perhaps you kneel'd upon your knees , but you were a long time before you could get your hearts warm at your work , why you should have been warm before you had come : it is so oftentimes with many men , when they meet together and there is no preparation for their business , they come together and they are a long time before they can buckle to the business that they came about , because there is no preparation , but if there be preparation made , that every man knows beforehand what his work is , they can fall to it , and they can dispatch as much in one hour as others do in two or three ; but of that we shall speak more afterwards . thirdly , there must be preparation because our hearts are naturally , exceedingly unprepared for every good work , we are all naturally even reprobate to every good work , the duties of gods worship are high and spiritual , and holy things , but by nature our hearts grovel in the dirt and we are carnal , sensual , drossie , dead , slight , sottish , and vain , altogether unsit to come into the presence of god : oh that we were but apprehensive and sensible of the unfitness of our hearts to come into gods presence ! perhaps because thou knowest not god thou canst rush into his presence without any more ado , but if thou knowest thy self , and god , thou couldest not but see thy self altogether unfit for his presence , and so as to wonder that the lord should not spurn thee out of his presence every time thou comest unto him , there had need then be preparation because we are so unsit to come into his presence . fourthly , there had need be preparation because of the great hinderances of the worship of god. this business and the other business would hinder ; the intanglements , they would hinder ; the temptations of the devil , they would hinder ; sometimes the indisposition of our bodies doth mightily hinder ; and the stirrings of the passions of our minds they hinder : if there be any business fals out amiss in the family , and any thing go but cross , how are we put off the hinges and made unfit for holy duties ! there had need be preparation therefore because there are so many hinderances in the way ; many of you will complain that you are much hindered , but do you do what you can to make preparation beforehand ? do the hinderances that you complain of put you on to be so much the more carefull to make due preparation for holy duties . fiftly , we find that the heathens themselves by the light of nature when they did but worship their idol gods , they would make some preparation , such as was sutable to those gods that they worshiped , therfore they would wash their flesh and purge themselves , but though their preparation was but very poor , yet they taught us thus much , that they were convinc'd in their consciences that when god was to be worshiped , people should be prepared . the sixt and last reason hath a great deal in it , which i beseech you consider of ; we find that the scripture doth make the uprightness of the heart much to consist in preparation for worship ; and doth make the falsness of the heart to consist in this , that men do not prepare . perhaps you have not so much thought of this , but yet it is of excellent use unto you . we shall find the scripture doth make the very uprightness of the heart to consist in the preparation for duty ; and the falsness of a mans heart to consist in this , that he makes not conscience to prepare his heart for god and his worship : and this i will shew unto you very plainly and cleerly ; take these two examples , the first of rehoboam , and the second of jehoshaphat , one a wicked man whose heart was false , and the other a godly man whose heart was right with god. the falsness of the heart of the one is in chron. . . there you have what gods thoughts of rehoboam were in the verses before : but now he brings the reason of his sentence upon him , and saith the text , he did evil , because he prepared not his heart to seek the lord : there were many good things that rehoboam did : i might shew you some things ; as how he did obey the prophet of god , when he was seeking to avenge himself upon those that did rend themselves from his obedience : the lord did but send his prophet , and though he had an army ready to revenge himself upon those that in a way of rebellion did rend themselves from under his government , and he obeyed the word of the lord but for all that he did evil in the sight of the lord : god looked upon him as a man that had no uprightness in him , why ? for he did not prepare his heart to seek the lord : saith god , i look upon all rehoboam did , as nothing ; look upon his waies as evil , and himself as a wicked man , why ? because he did not prepare his heart to seek the lord , if his heart had been upright with me , he would have prepared his heart to seek me . i beseech you now lay this text to your hearts , do you prepare your hearts to seek god ? when ye go to prayr , can you say that you take pains in preparing your hearts for it ? and in hearing the word ; and so likewise for receiving the sacrament ? now for jehoshaphat a godly man , in chron. . . there you may see what the lord saith of jehoshaphat that was godly ; nevertheless , there are good things found in thee , in that thou hast taken way the groves out of the land , and hast prepared thine heart to seek god. jehoshaphat was found guilty in joyning himself to wicked men too much , the prophet comes and saith to him , wouldest thou help the ungodly , and love them that hate the lord ? therfore is wrath upon thee from before the lord. jehoshaphat here we see was very faulty in joyning with those that were wicked , and is rebuked by the prophet from the lord ; what wilt thou joyn with the wicked ? the wrath of god is upon thee : well , but for all that , ( i beseech you observe it ) that at that time when the lord is most displeased against jehoshaphat , and sends his prophet in his name to pronounce this , that the wrath of god is out against him ; yet for all this , god cannot but take notice of this , that he had an upright heart , though he failed in that particular , yet there is some good found in thee , in that thou hast prepared thy heart to seek god. indeed through some sudden temptations thou art drawn aside in this particular act ; yea , but it hath been thy care to prepare thy heart to seek me , and in that regard i do look upon thee as having an upright heart . and thus you see how much the scripture puts upon the preparation of the heart to seek god. and so in sam. . . you shall find that the scripture makes the uprightness of the heart to consist in this , and samuel spake unto all the house of israel saying , if ye do return unto the lord with all your hearts , ( what then ? ) then put away the strange gods : and ashtaroth from among you , and prepare your hearts unto the lord , and serve him only : as if samuel should say , if you will return indeed to the lord , if indeed your hearts be upright ( according to what you seem to profess in turning to god , ) then prepare your hearts to seek the lord. you do not in truth turn to god except you make conscience to prepare your hearts : therefore you that never yet knew what it was to make conscience to prepare your hearts for holy duties , know that you have not turned with all your heart unto the lord , there hath not been the true turning of your hearts unto the lord. thus you see there is much lies upon preparation to the duties of gods worship : well , you will say , seeing there lies so much in it , i pray open it wherein it doth consist . to that i answer , it consists in these five things , which i shall briefly name . first , in the possessing the heart with the right apprehension of that god before whom we come to tender our duties . then do we make conscience to prepare our hearts , when we labor upon our going to worship god , to get our hearts before-hand possessed with right apprehensions of the majesty of that god that we are going to worship , and of the greatness and weight of the duty that we are setting about , the nature of it , the manner how it is to be performed , the rule by which we are to be guided , the end that we are to aim at : meditation is a good preparation to holy duties . and these are the general heads of our meditation for our preparation to duty . viz. . what god he is we have to deal with . meditate of god in his attributes , and then meditate of the weight of our duties , and the nature of them , and the rule of them , and the end of them ; get your hearts possessed with meditations of this nature ; and in this , at a special thing , doth consist your preparation to holy duties . . the second thing wherein the preparation to a duty consists , it is this , the taking off of the heart from every sinful way , ( the endeavor at least ) if there be iniquity in thine hand or heart , labor to put it out : when thou art to come into god● presence , do not bring into the presence of god the love of any sin in thy heart , but labor to put it from thy heart : in chron. . . we find there what is required to preparation ; the text saith , hezekiah said unto them , hear me , ye levites sanctifie now your selves , and sanctifie the house of the lord god of your fathers , and carry forth the filthiness out of the holy place . that is sanctifying a thing , to carry forth the filthiness out of that thing that we would sanctifie : so the sanctifying of our hearts it is , by carrying forth the filthiness out of our hearts , so as to be fit for a duty . and in job . . , . if thou prepare thine heart , and stretch out thine hand towards him : ( what then ? ) if iniquity be in thine hand , put it far away , and let not wickedness dwell in thy tabernacles . these two must be together . . a third thing is this , the preparation of the heart it is , the dis-intangling of the heart from the world , and from all occasions and businesses in the world . i am to worship god , but how is my heart insnared and intangled in this and the othere business ; now when i come to worship god i must lay aside all , for there 's the preparation of the heart , the separating of it for such a work , for that 's the nature of sanctification , the separating of a thing from a common use ; i am to worship god , now i must labor to separate my heart from a common use : at other times god gives me liberty to let out my heart to common uses ; but now when i come to worship him , i must separate my heart from all common uses , that my heart may be wholly for god. i remember it is said in the story of cicil which was lord treasurer , that when he went to read , he would lay his gown off and say , lie there lord cicil : so when we go to duty , we should say , lie by world : ( and by laying aside the world i mean , laying aside of all houshold affairs , or affairs in trading , &c. ) i must be as one that hath nothing to do in the world for that time : it is true , the time cannot be said to be holy for this , as the time of the sabbath day is holy . you will say , why may not any time be said to be holy that i spend in holy duties ? no , that is not enough to make time holy , for the time that god makes holy , it is not holy because of the duties that i perform in it , but the duties that i perform then are more acceptable because they are done in such a time , and so that makes a place holy , not because it is appointed for holy duties and uses , but because it is so appointed by god ; and the performing a duty in that place is more acceptable to god than in another place : but now though we cannot make our time holy in that second sense , yet in the first , it is time set apart for a holy use , and in that regard it is holy , and so we should look upon it as not to have our outward business to devour that time that is holy in that regard , as nehemiah , when tobiah and sanballat sent to him to come and confer with them ; no , saith he , i cannot go , for the work is great that i have to do : so we must not intangle our selves to meddle with other things when we are to come to worship god , for our work is great . the fourth thing for preparation is , to watch and to pray : we should watch over our hearts lest they be made unfit for duties . so we should prepare for prayer all day long in this sense , that is , we should watch over our hearts that they be not let out so far as to hinder us in prayer when we come to do it . i remember that tertullian saith , that the christians did so sup as if they were to pray : so when thou art in company thou shouldest watch unto prayer . oh that you did so ! you cannot but be conscious to your selves , that oftentimes when you have bin in company your hearts have been put out of tune and frame , that you have been no way fit for prayer ; when you come home your house and family finds it so : you that take such delight in company , and sitting up late i appeal to your consciences , whether you can come home and find your selves fit either in your family , or closet to go and open you hearts to god. this is one note by the way wherby you may come to know whether you have been immoderate in company at any time ; god gives not men liberty to be busie in any outward occasions so as to unfit them for his service . preparation consists in that , in watching over your hearts , that you may not be unfitted for any holy duty when god calls you to it , but that you may be ready even to every good work the fifth note is this , preparation consists in the readiness of the faculties of the soul , and the graces of the spirit of god ' presently to act upon the setting upon an holy duty . when a man or woman shall find the faculties of their soul , and the graces that are in them , to be ready to act assoon as ever they fall upon duty : just as you see a company of ringers when they have made all preparation for the raising of the bells , then in an instant when thy begin to pul , all the bels go in that tune that according to their skil they set them in . and so it should be with our hearts , the faculties of our souls and graces , though now we are not upon duty , yet we should be so ready , that as it were upon a pul , all the faculties of our souls , and the graces of gods spirit should work in a melodious way ; there are those that keep their hearts so prepared , as at the very first moment that they set about the duty of worship , all faculties and graces begin to act and stir and are working towards god ; as a fire , when all the matter is ready laid , presently it comes to be kindled and flame out ; and thus it should be with our hearts : so that now you see wherein preparation of our hearts to duty consists . the next thing is , the excellency of this preparation : and that may be in way of application to you to make you to be in love with preparation for holy duties . there is abundance of good in it . as , first , by this means we come to make every duty of worship easie to us . things are difficult when we come upon them unprepared . if you have a friend come to dinner or supper to you , and should come suddenly , and you have nothing prepared , there would be a great deal of stir in the house ; but if you have every thing prepared , it would be carried on in an easie way : and the reason why people complain so much of difficulty in duty , it is , because their hearts are not prepared . indeed we have naturally many things that keep us off from god , but when the heart is prepared for a holy duty , it goes off as easie to god , even into the infinite ocean of all mercy and goodness , as a ship goes off to be lancht when you have made preparation for it ; so the heart can go with an holy holdness to god when you have made preparation for holy duties . in job . ( the place which i quoted before for the work of preparation , do but consider a verse or two further , and you shall find what abundance of good there comes upon the keeping of the heart prepared in things that are good ) vers . . if thou prepare thine heart , &c. and then vers . . then shalt thou lift up thy face without spot ; yea , thou shalt be stedfast and shalt not fear . when the heart is prepared for that that is good , when it comes into the presence of god , it is able to lift up it self without fear , in a stedfast comfortable way , and this will quit the cost of any labor . secondly , if the heart be prepared it will do a great deal in a little time . in a chron. . . it is said , that hezekiah rejoyced , and all the poeple that god had prepared the people ; for the thing was done suddenly . the thing came off freely and suddenly when as that they were prepared : hezekiah rejoyced , and blessed god for such a mercy as this was : it is a great mercy to have the hearts of people prepared unto a good work . and so in chron. . . the text saith , jotham became mighty , because he prepared his waies before the lord his god. jotham , he grew mighty by this . and so certainly the way to grow to be very strong & mighty , to be able to do a great deal in a little time , it is to make preration , there may be as much work done in one hour so , as in ten times so much time when the heart is not prepared for it . in ezra . . you shall find that the reason is given why ezra had such good success in his journey , it was , because he had prepared his heart . make preparation for holy duties , and you shall have success in holy duties . there is a notable scripture for that in psal . . . where the holy ghost saith , that god prepares the heart : and what then ? when god doth prepare the heart , he doth then cause his ear to hear . there was never a prayer made wherein the heart was prepared for it , but that prayer was heard , they go both together ; lord , thou wilt prepare their heart , and thou wilt cause thine ear to hear ; if god hath once prepared thy heart , thou wilt be sure to be heard then : is it not worth a world for to know ones self to be accepted of god in every duty of worship that we tender up to him ? this one scripture , psal . . . will shew it . oh the excellency that there is in preparation to duty ! there is one thing more that is very observable , and that is this , where the heart is prepared to duties , there the lord will pass by weaknesses and imperfections in duties . when thou comest to perform holy duties thou art troubled , will the lord have regard to such a duty as this is ? thou maiest have certain assurance that the lord will have regard if thou canst make this point good to thine own soul , that it was thy care to make preparation for this duty ; canst thou say , lord , i have endeavored and done what i could to fit my heart for duty , but o lord , i find when i am at it , wonderful distractions , much deadness and vanity , what shall i do ? why , canst thou make good the former , and appeal to god , that indeed it was thy care to make preparation ? i 'le give thee one scripture then for the quieting of thy heart in this , that the weakness of the duty shall be pardoned and past by where there is care to prepare beforehand ; the scripture is in chron. . , . but hezekiah prayed for them saying , the good lord pardon every one ; what , every one ? every one that prepareth his heart to seek the lord god of his fathers , though he be not clensed according to the purification of the sanctuary . as if he should say , oh lord , there are many things amiss in this people , they are not in many regards purified according to the order that thou hast set , but lord , if thou doest but see any heart prepared to seek thee , though they fail in such particulars , lord heal them and pardon them : and did god hearken to his prayer ? mark the following words , and the lord hearkned to hezekiah , and healed the people . nay saith god , i wil not stand so much upon the purification of the sanctuary if they have prepared their hearts to seek me . take this scripture , know it 's written for thine instruction , and thou mayest make use of it to thine own soul this day , if thou canst appeal to god that thou art careful to prepare thy heart , though thou shouldest not have that pureness of thy heart as thou doest desire , the lord will pardon thee and heal thee : make conscience of preparation to holy duties . again further , by being careful to make preparation for duties , within some little time thou wilt bring the heart to such a frame as it will alwaies be ready for duty without much ado ; indeed at first it is somewhat hard . you will say , are we bound to spend some time every time we go to prayer beforehand , or every time we come to the word ? that should have been one of the cases of conscience , but i cannot come to answer that , but this we may say , be careful to prepare for duties , you that are yong beginners , or you that have made profession a longer time , but yet have not had the weight of this duty upon your spirits ; now be careful for a while to prepare for every duty of gods worship , that god calls you to , and i say within a little time thou mayest bring thy heart into such a temper as thou mayest be ready at all times to perform holy duties : because you shall be able to come to that temper and frame that the apostle exhorts to , pray continually , for indeed so it should be with us , we should be alwaies prepared either for prayer , hearing the word , or receiving sacraments . now because sacraments are so rare those that have any enlightened conscience they think they dare not but prepare for sacraments , but you should be alwaies in a preparation for the receiving of the sacraments , as the primitive christians did . and those that have been acquainted with this point that i am upon , of preparing for duties , they have come to such a frame of spirit , as that there is not so much time required of them as of others , for they are in a constant fitness , so that there is no instant of time in the whol day , but if god calls them to prayer , they could presently fall down upon their knees and pray so as to sanctify gods name in prayer , that were an excellent temper indeed if you could find it so , that you walk so spiritually and holily before god as there could be never a quarter of an hour from morning to night , nor from the beginning of the week to the end , but if you were cal'd to pray , or to receive the sacrament , you had your heart fitted , that you could come into gods presence with a prepared heart , and were able to sanctify gods name in the duty . acquaint your selves with this work of preparation , and so you may have hearts fitted to come into gods presence at any time . sermon iii leviticus , . . i will be sanctified in them that come nigh me . wee proceed now to what remains . there are only for the perfecting of this point two cases of conscience to be resolved : and then we are to proceed to other things . the first is , whether we ought at all times to set apart some time for preparation to every duty of gods worship ? secondly , suppose we do not find our hearts prepared as we do desire ; whether it were better to leave off the duty than perform it ? for the first of these , viz. whether we are alwaies bound to set some time apart for preparation to the duty that we are to perform . the answer to that is this ; we must distinguish of persons ; there are some that are exercised in the way of godliness , and do keep their hearts close with god in the waies of holiness ; now for them it may be supposed that through their exercise in the waies of godliness , and keeping of their hearts constant with god in communion with him , walking with god closely , that they are at all times prepared to every good work , and fitted to fulfil that command of the apostle , pray continually , that is , in the disposition of their hearts , they are fit to pray at any time , there is no day in the week , nor no hour in the day , but they ( if god call them to it ) could fall down to solemn prayer . and indeed this is an excellent condition , and a good evidence of the hearts walking close with god , that there is no time but they are fit to pray , and fit for any ordinance , yea , to receive the sacrament of the lords supper . it is possible to keep the heart so close to god , as to be fit for prayer and for the hearing of the word , and for receiving the sacrament every day , or any hour in the day ; but this needs a very close walking with god and communion with god ; and the truth is , this is very rare ; most men let out their hearts so much to other things , as their consciences cannot but tell them , that if god call them to prayer at such a time in the day they are altogether unfit for it : if they were called to receive the sacrament , their consciences would accuse them , and tell them , they are unfit for it : but it is not so with those that walk close with god , though they be in the world . you wil say , if a man have business in the world , how can this be ? yes , though they have business in the world , yet they carry the heavenliness of their hearts along with them : our conversation is in heaven ( saith the apostle phil. . ) now the word that is translated , our conversation , it is a word that signifies our city converse , our trading is in heaven : when we go to the city , or exchange , or about any business , yet our trading is alwaies in heaven . but now there are other sorts of people that had need at all times to look to their hearts in way of preparation : as , first , those that first set upon the duties of religion , yong beginners , that begin at first to set their faces towards heaven , to worship god , they had need look to their hearts , they should spend some time in preparation when they come to holy duties , and the truth is , when the conscience of a man or woman is at first enlightned and awakened , they will be very careful in preparing to holy duties , the fear of god it is mighty upon their spirits at first ; and it should not be less afterward ; the constancy of gods fear should bring their hearts to such a holy temper as to make them fit for holy duties alwaies . secondly , those men and women that any time shall sin against conscience , shall commit such sins as shall in a kind even lay wast conscience , shall break their peace between god and their souls ; they had need spend some time in preparation for holy duties , they cannot come into the presence of god to enjoy communion with god , but they had need beforehand be very serious in the examination of their hearts , and to endeavor the working of their hearts into mourning for their sin , and to labor to possess their souls with the presence of god even before they come . these two sorts of people , such as have not been acquainted with the waies of godliness , or such as have broken their peace with god by some evil carriage of theirs towards god in some vile way , ( i say ) it is requied of them to be more solemn in the work of preparation . . but now for the second case , which indeed is the main ; suppose when we come to duties , and begin to examine our hearts , and begin to bethink our selves whether we be prepared yea or no to holy duties , and we do not find our hearts prepared according to that that we do desire , whether then we may let the duty go for that time , and forbear the performance of it ; as suppose prayer , or receiving the sacrament , or coming to the word , or any other holy duty ? and the reason of this doubt is because when any man or woman is consciencious , they think with themselves that they must sanctifie gods name in holy duties ; now if they cannot find their hearts in a fit disposition to sanctifie the name of god in holy duties , they are ready to think thus , were it not better to neglect this duty and lay it aside for the present ? will god accept of a duty when i perform it , and am not set for it ? therefore for the answer to this , because it is a temptation that sometimes carnal hearts have , and they are ready to take this temptation , and willing to neglect the duty upon such a thoughts as this , that they are not prepared : and the truth is , they are more glad to let the duty fall , than they are sorry for want of the preparation of their hearts for the duty . i beseech you consider of this , whether you have not found it so , that sometimes when you have not been fit to perform a holy duty , there hath not been a more secret willingness of the heart to let the duty go , than a sorrow of the heart because you are not fit for the duty . this is a very evil sign that the heart is very much distempered . those that are godly indeed when they find not their hearts prepar'd for the duty , it is the trouble of their souls , it is that which goes neer their hearts , when they think with themselves that they are now like to lose a duty of the worship of god , they are now like to lose their communion with god in a holy duty , they even look upon themselves in an evil case in regard of this ; and it makes them watchful for time to come to take heed of those things that have put them in such an unpreparation as they find their hearts to be in at this time : now if it be so with thee , it is a good sign that thy heart may be upright with god though through infirmity it comes at such a time to be unprepared for the duty . but yet suppose i find i am not prepared , i am griev'd and troubled at it , ( for that must be premised ) whether were i better to leave the duty for this time than to fall upon it in such an unpreparation as this is ? now for the answer to this question . first , that which i would answer to it is this , the omission of a duty , or the laying of a duty aside , will never fit the soul for a duty afterwards ; it is no way to make thy soul more fit afterwards , because thou hast laid it aside now for the present ; do but observe your own hearts that way , and you will find this by experience : such a time you have been busie in the world , and occasions have hindered you so as your heart is out of temper and frame for a duty , you lay it aside ; now are you more fit the next day ? if you do neglect duty in the morning upon any business , are you fitter to perform duty at night because of it ? you will not find it to be so : the forbearing a duty now , will not make the soul fitter for a duty afterwards ? therefore it is no wisdom to forbear a duty for want of preparation , because the forbearance will never help to further prepartion , but will make the soul more unfit for duty . it is an excellent speech that i read , that luther hath concerning himself , i have learned this by experience , that the oftener i do omit duty , the oftener do i make my self the more unfit for duty , and cause i have to abhor my self . it is not the deferring that makes thee the more fit . . therefore consider that this is but a temptation , and that is the second thing that i would propound to those that shall omit a duty because they are not prepared , that this is but a temptation to keep thee from it , to tell thee that thou art not prepared ; and if thou shalt forbear it because thou art not prepared , in this thing thou doest gratifie the devil , and the devil hath what he would have , and so would be encouraged to tempt thee another time because he hath now what he would have , in causing thee to forbear the duty ; first , he laboreth to unfit thee for it , and then he tempts thee to forbear it because thou art unfit , this is the subtilty of the devil . from whence is it that thou art unfit , but from the temptation of the devil ? and i find luther again , that was a man that had as much converse with god as any in his daies , and a man that had as much to draw his heart away , as many temptations , and as many businesses as any , for indeed the great cause of christ in all the christian world in a great measure under god lay upon his shoulders , and yet saith he , if any one think that prayer must be defer'd till the soul be purified from impure cogitations , he doth no other than help the devil , who is powerful enough ; he thinks to be wise in deferring the duty because he is not fit , and he hath many ill thoughts and troubles in his spirit , he doth nothing else ( saith luther ) but gratify the devil that is strong enough without this . oh let us take heed of gratifying the devil in his temptations , therefore remember it is a temptation for thee to omit a duty meerly because thou art not prepared for the duty . . in the third place , that which i would answer to this question is this , if any one perform a duty of worship in that sincerity and strength that he is able to do it , though he be not prepared as he ought , yet it is better to do it than to neglect it . it is true , some do perform a duty in a meer formal way , and to satisfie their consciences , or to cloak and cover ther sins and the like ; perhaps they may so perform it as it might be better to be unperformed than to perform it as they do , but if you do endeavor to the uttermost of your strength to do it , though you be not prepared as you do desire , yet it is better to do it than to omit the doing of it , and you will find it so , for one duty doth prepare for another . though it be not done as i desire it should be done , yet the doing of it as well as i can at this time will help me to do it better at another time , that is certain : as one sin doth prepare the heart for another sin , so one duty prepares the heart for another ; as now , suppose a man commits a sin , and he hath a conscience that is enlightened that doth hinder him from committing his sin with that full strength that he would do it ; many a man hath a mind to sin , but through the enlightening of his conscience he cannot sin with that delight as he would , because his conscience flies in his face and doth interrupt him , but yet for all this through the strength of his corruption he will break through to that sin ; now though at first they cannot commit that sin with that delight and freedom as they do at other times , yet if their corruptions be so strong as to break through the light of their consciences , the next time they come to the committing of that sin they will commit it with more freedom and ease a great deal . this is evident by experience ; there is none of you but if you well observe your hearts you will find this , a temptation comes to a sin , now you connot do it with so much freedom as you would , but yet you break through it , you will find that the next time you will commit it with more freedom , and so one sin will prepare for another , and it may be you have some trouble of conscience at first , but the next time you will have less trouble , till at length you can commit it freely without any trouble of conscience at all . as it is in sin , so it is in godliness many times , in some degree ; at the first you have a motion to a holy duty , but through the stirrings of your corruptions you are not fit for it , now do you but break through that difficulty , and the next time you will be more fit , and the next time after that you will be more fit , and so still more and more fit as it is in sin , if a man when he hath some trouble of conscience would but listen to his conscience and would not commit that sin his conscience would grow stronger upon him , and strengthen him against that sin ; so if any man or woman listens to the temptation to defer duty and put it off because they are not prepared , why after that the corruption will grow more strong , therefore set upon the duty , and the peformance of one duty will prepare for another . . in the fourth place , while men and women are strugling with their souls and the corruptions of their hearts , and do not fall upon seeking god , they by their very strugling to prepare themselves many times do ensnare themselves ; it may be thou hast thoughts of atheism or other wickedness , the very strugling with those thoughts may ensnare thy heart ; now the better way were to fall upon prayer , and to cry to god to help thee against them , for while thou art strugling and striving with those thoughts thou art striving with the corruption of thy heart and with the devil all alone : but now when thou fallest to the duty thou callest in the help of god and of jesus christ , and that is a great deal better , while thou art musing , plodding , and troubling thy heart that way , i say , thou art strugling alone , but now when thou fallest upon the duty then thou callest in help from god , and so thou art more able to the performance of the duty than thou wert before . and therefore it is the best way to fall upon a duty though thou canst not find thy heart prepared as thou doest desire , the very falling upon it will fit thee for it . and thus much for the answer unto those two cases of conscience . now then we are to proceed further in the opening of the sanctifying of gods name in holy duties . thus much for the preparation of the heart . but when the heart comes to it , in what manner should the duty be performed so as the name of god may be sanctified in the duty ? or what is the behavior of the soul in the sanctifying of gods name when it is in the very act of the duty ? to that i answer , first in general thus , when the soul labors to perform duties so as god may have such glory from the duty a● is fit for a god to have in some measure , then do i sanctifie gods name . you will say this is a very hard thing to perform a duty so as that we should give god the glory that is fit for a god to have : certainly this is not done by every manner of performance of a duty of worship : yet you shall hear this opened to you , and i hope you shall have it made very plain before you . first therefore i shall shew you , that when we are to perform a duty of worship , we should set our selves to glorifie god as a god ; that is , to do it in that manner that god may have that glory that is fit for a god to have . as now in the duty of praise , psal . . . make his praise glorious , that is do it so as you may lift up his name in it , and that god may be glorious in your praise . and rom. . . there the apostle speaking of the heathens ; he doth rebuke them ; for what ? it was for this , because that when they knew god , they glorified him not as god , neither were thankful : now this is spoken especially of the worship of god ; for he saith afterwards , ver . . that they changed the glory of the incorruptible god , into an image made like to corruptible men &c. so that it 's spoken of the worship of god ; that they glorified not god as god. that is then to sanctifie gods name , to glorifie god as god : and therefore our savior in the . of john when he spake to the woman of samaria , he tels her that god is a spirit , and must be worshiped in spirit and truth , that is , we must labor to suit our worship to what ther● is in god ; that our worship my be proportionable in some measure even to the nature of god himself : and therfore god being a spirit , his worship must be a divine worship . i have read of some of the heathens that dip worship the sun for a god , and they would offer to the sun something sutable ; therefore because they did so admire at the swiftness of the motion of the sun , they would not offer a snail to the sun , but a f●ying horse , a horse with wings ; now a horse is one of the swiftest creatures , and the strongest creature to continue in motion for a long time together , and they added wings to the horse , and they thought that sutable to be a sacrifice for the sun. so when we come to worship god , that is , to sanctifie his name , we must behave our selves so as to give him the glory that is fit for a god to have . as now in those three particulars which i opened to you when i shewed you wherein we draw nigh to god : this was one , i told you that when we come to worship god , we come to tender up some present to god , now then we must tender up such a present as is sutable to gods excellency . if a man should come to a poor man to give a present , if it were not worthy twelve pence , yet it may be taken well : but if you were to tender up a present to a prince , a monarch , an emperor , then you must tender a present that is fit for the quality of the preson . therefore in malachi , . . when the lord rebukes them for their sacrifices that they were such poor things : go ( saith god ) and tender up this to your governor , and see whether he will accept of it or no. so certainly that which may be accepted of by a mean man , would be accounted a scorn if you should tender it up to a prince , or an emperor . now when we come to worship god , we must consider that we are to tender up our service to god , who is the great king of kings , and lord of lords . but you will say , is it possible for any creature which comes to tender up its worship to god , to tender up that which is fit for a god to have ? this may rather be a discouragement unto prayer , or any other duty of worship than an encouragment . to that i answer thus , though we be very poor and mean , yet it doth not hinder , but we may tender up that to god which god will acknowledg to be sutable to his infinite excellency : as , first , if we tender up to god all that we have : though we be never so poor and mean , yet if god hath the strength of our souls , god accepts it . for we are to know that god doth not stand in need of what we have , or of what we do ; but that we might shew our respect to him : therefore if we give all that we have , god accepts it . as a child , if it puts forth all its strength that it hath to do a business which the father bids him , whether the business be doue or no , the father looks upon it and accepts it as sutable to the childs strength ; and it shews the respect that the child hath to his father . and as it is storied of an emperor , that when a poor man had nothing to offer him but a little water that he had taken up with his hand , he having nothing else , the emperor accepts of it . so that 's that which god looks for , that the creature should lift him above all . if therefore when thou comes to worship god , god hath more in thy heart than ever any creature in the world had , god accepts of that , and that you must look unto : can you say so , when you go to worship god ? lord it is true , there is much weaknes in my spirit , but thou that knowest all things , knowest , that thou hast more of my heart than ever any creature in the world had . this is sutable to god , god will account this ( in the covenant of grace ) to be a present sutable to himself . as in the law , when they offered to the building of the temple , every one could not offer gold and silver and precious stones , but some came and offered badgers-skins , and some women did spin and offered goate-hair to the building of the temple ; and so god accepted of that being the most they could do . . in the second place , when we do not only offer unto god the most we can , but when we ad to this the grief of our souls that we can do no more , when the soul shall strive to the uttermost it can , and when it hath done all , saith , i am an unprofitable servant , oh that i could do more ! this is sutable to god. . thirdly , the people of god though they be weak , yet the weakest servant of god is able to offer up to god somewhat that is sutable to the infinite majesty of god , upon this third ground , because there is a kind of impression of gods infinitnes in those services that a gracious heart doth tender unto god , and therefore sutable unto god. you will say , god is an infinite glorious god ; be it so , he is infinit that 's certain , but the duty of worship that a grations heart tenders unto god , it hath an impression of gods infinitness upon it . how is that ? if that can be made out , then indeed we may be encouraged to worship god. thus , that that a gracious heart tenders up to god hath an impression of his infinitness in this regard , because as god hath no limits of his being ; so a gracious heart when it comes to worship god , will not propound any limits or bounds , but in the desires of it would fain be enlarged infinitly if it could . if it were possible for a creature to been larged to god infinitly it would be . here lies ( i conceive ) the main difference between the most glorious hypocrite in the world , and one that hath true grace , yea , that hath but the least degree of grace : the most glorious hypocrite in the world , who ( it may be ) for the outward act doth more than one that hath true grace , yet such a one doth limit himself : he doth great things , but he doth it so , as he limits himself , that is , so much as may serve for such and such ends of his , so much as may serve his turn , either to satisfie his conscience , or to get credit and esteem , to be accounted eminent in such a way , so much he doth do , but his duty is alwaies limited within such bounds ; and if he could conceive that he might go to heaven , and that he might have as much credit and honor , and as much peace of conscience with doing less , he would do less . but now , one that hath grace , though but little , though but the least dram of grace , he goes farther , indeed saith he , though through the little grace that i have , i cannot do what another can do ; yet this doth so enlarge my heart , that i would have no bounds set in what i do for god , but i would have it enlarged to the uttermost latitude , if it were possible , beyond whatever yet was done for god in the world ; and the more i do , the more i do desire to do . that 's now a kind of infinitness that there is in the heart where grace comes : i say , grace enlarges the heart to a kind of infinitness , that the more it doth , the more it would do : there is no hypocrite but will have his periods , he will rise thus , and thus , and thus high ; ordinarily you shall find that if he lives in some company , there he is high ; but if he lives in other company , there he is lower : now there is nothing doth limit a gracious heart , but to all eternity it would work and work more and more for god : here now is a worship that is some way sutable to the infinite excellency that there is in god : here 's a kind of proportion ( as i may so speak ) even between the creature and god himself in this thing , but it is the grace of god in the creature ; here is the image of god indeed , because grace doth so enlarge the heart even to an infinitness ( as it were ) for god. and thus you see in the general what it is to sanctifie gods name to tender up to god that which is some way sutable to the glory of the infinite god. . you know there was a second thing , viz. that then i do sanctifie gods name when i come so to worship god as my heart works , and follows after god as a god , so as it doth beseem the soul of a creature to follow the infinite creator , and to work after the in●●nit creator : so david in psal . . . my soul followeth hard after thee , o god , and ( mark it 's a very sweet scripture thy right hand upholdeth me . those whose hearts follow hard after the lord , they have the right hand of god upholding of them : it 's a mighty encouragement to put forth the heart to the uttermost , because when 〈…〉 ●o the right hand of god upholds thee : so that thy heart must follow after god more than it followed after any creature . . when i come to draw nigh to god. i come to present my self for the cōmunication of the choicest of his mercies so then i sanctifie gods name when i labor to prepare and open my heart for god as for the choicest mercies that god 〈◊〉 to bestow upon his creature . when there is such a temper of heart that my conscience tels me it is sutable to that that is fit for a soul to have that expects to receive the choicest mercie from god ; but that we spake too more in the opening of our drawing nigh to god. now we are to come more particularly to this , to open the sanctifying gods name . first , in what particulars the behavior of the heart may be discovered to be sutable to god in respect of gods greatness and glory . secondly , what the behavior of the heart should be as sutable to the several attributes of god. it will cost us some time to open the particular things in the behavior of the heart as in reference to the greatness and majestie of god ; considered more generally ; as in psalm , . . great is the lord , and greatly to be praised . and so in mal. . . cursed be the deceiver which hath in his flock a male , and voweth and sacrificeth unto the lord a corrupt thing : why ? for i am a great king saith the lord , and therefore cursed is he that doth not offer a sacrifice sutable to my greatness . and in chron. . . we find that solomon when he was preparing for the temple , he would build a great temple , why ? because god was a great god that he would build it too : so that the worship of god must be some great thing because the lord is a great god , and it must be sutable to his greatness . now if you ask me in what particulars doth the behavior of the soul consist that is very sutable to the greatness of god in the general ? there are many things in this : the first is , you must be careful to bring a sanctified heart . you cannot tender up a worship sutable to his greatness except you bring a sanctified heart with you , there must be holiness in the heart : under the law you know , if any one came to offer a sacrifice in his uncleanness , he must be cut off : and so it must be here , we must look to it that we offer not to god in our uncleanness : wash you and make you clean , in isa . . and then , come , let us reason together . there is no coming to god without washing and making clean ; in psal . . . holiness becometh thy house o lord for ever : holiness becometh the presence of god for ever , we must look to get a sanctified heart . sanctification consists in those two parts , mortification , and vivification : there must be a mortifying of the lusts of the heart : we reade in the law , that every sacrifice was to be salted with salt ; that did signifie the mortification of our hearts when we come to offer up our selves as a sacrifice to god ; the salt did eat out the raw humors , and kept the flesh from putrifying ; so doth the grace of god in mortifying our lusts , in heb. . . you have a notable scripture for the clensing of our hearts when we come to offer any service to god , how much more shall the blood of christ who through the eternal spirit offered himself without spot to god purge your consciences from dead works to serve the living god : so that you cannot serve the living god until your consciences be purged from dead works : and how comes your consciences to be purged from dead works ? it is through the blood of christ , who through the eternal spirit offered himself without spot to god , he must purge your consciences ; so that here 's the way of sanctifying gods name by applying of jesus christ who was offered to god without spot that our consciences might be purged from dead works , that we might be purged from that natural filthiness and uncleannness in which we all were ; for the whol world doth lie in filth , as a carrion doth lie in his slime . now if we would worship god so as to sanctifie him , we must apply christ to our souls , and get our conscience purged from dead works , and to have the spirit of christ in us to quicken up our hearts in the waies of holiness ; to have the image of jesus christ in us , whereby we may be holy according to our proportion even as he himself is holy , this is the sanctifying of the heart ; there must be an habitual sanctification , and actual sanctification of the heart : an habitual , that is , that the heart must be changed through the work of regeneration ; there must be a regeneration in the heart , there must be divine principles of the graces of the spirit of god in the heart . but you will say , may not an unregenerate man pray ? to that i answer ; it is true , it is his duty to pray , powr forth thy wrath upon the heathen , and upon the families that call not upon thy name : but it 's as true , that they cannot sanctifie gods name in doing of it : but if we would sanctifie gods name in it , there must be an habitual holiness in the heart , for every thing doth act according to its principles , in nature it is so ; and so doth the heart when it comes to worship god , it doth act according to the principles that it hath . and then there must not only be habitual sanctification , but actual sanctification likewise ; as in exod. . , . there you see what ado there was to fit them for the hearing of the law , because god was to come among them : god is to come among us , and we are to come to god when we are to perform holy duties ; therefore it is not enough to have grace , but there must be an improving of grace , there must be an acting of grace , not only when you come to receive the sacrament , to think that then there must be an acting of grace , but every time you pray and hear , there must be an acting of grace ; a purging out of your corruptions and an acting of grace . so that one cannot sanctifie gods name in holy duties unless he come thus far , to be able to say , lord , thou that knowest all things , knowest , there is nothing that thou doest reveal to be contrary to thy will , but my heart is against it , that 's the least ; thou canst not have any peace of conscience in drawing nigh to god , until thou come thus far , to have thy heart to work thus against sin and to be set upon every good that god reveals to be his mind . you know when a man of quality comes to your house what a deal of stir there is , not only in sweeping , but in making all things as clean and tite and shining as possible can be : thus it should be when thou comest to god. and the reason why there must be this sanctifying of the heart is , first , because the lord doth first accept of the person before he doth accept of the action : men indeed do accept of the persons of men , because they do good actions ; but god accepts of the actions of men because thesr persons are good . if indeed we see a man do good , then we love him and accept of the person of the man , but god first will accept of the person before the action : as the lord accepted of abel first , and then he accepted his offering : so you must look to that , to have your persons first accepted of god before any duty can be accepted : you think though you be wicked and sinful , yet if you amend your life , god will accept of you , you go that way to work ; but certainly that is the wrong way ; you must first look after means of acceptation of your persons which is through the righteousness of jesus christ , and through the sanctification of his spirit , whereby you come to have his image , and life , and so are accepted , and then all that proceeds from you comes to be accepted . there is not any action which comes from you that comes to be accepted to eternal life , until your persons be accepted before god , and therefore there must be a sanctifying of the heart before there can be a sanctifying the name of god in the duties of his worship : therefore when you come to perform any duties of gods worship , you should consider this , is my heart sanctified ? i must sanctifie gods name , and how can i do that , except my heart be sanctified ? secondly , our hearts must be sanctified , because the lord doth look more to the principle from whence a thing comes , than at the the thing it self . as indeed were our hearts right as they should , then all the good things that come to us , we would not so much regard what the things are , that we do enjoy from god ; as what the principle is from whence they come , that is , whether what we do enjoy from god is from the love of god in jesus christ or no ? whether it it be from the general bounty and patience of god , or from the special love of god in jesus christ ? our hearts would regard that most if we were spiritual : now then , look as a godly man is not satisfied with enjoying any good thing from god , except he knows it comes from a principle of love to him in jesus christ ; so god is not pleased with any thing that comes from us , except he knows that it comes from a principle of love , grace , and holiness in our hearts . thirdly , according as the heart is , so will the service be ; certainly if the heart be unclean , the duty will be unclean ; perhaps the words may be fine and brave , but if there be an unclean heart , the duty will be unclean : as it is with a man that hath the plague , suppose he makes a brave oration , yet his breath is infectious ; so it is in our services with god : if so be that our hearts within us have the plague , then certainly the breath that comes from us , all our duties will be unclean , and therefore that is the first thing that we are to look for in the sanctifying gods name in holy duties : look to have thy heart sanctified , and consider from what principle it comes ; 't is for want of this that thousands of our duties are cast aside , and god never doth regard them : but this is the first particular , there are many more to speak of . sermon v. leviticus , . . i will be sanctified in them that come nigh me . wee proceed . the next thing therefore for the behavior of the soul in the sanctifying gods name in worship , is this : when we come to worship god , if we would sanctifie gods name , we must have high thoughts of god ; we must look upon god as he is upon his throne , in majesty , and in glory ; as in isa . . , . you shall find , that the prophet saw the lord upon his throne : it is an excellent thing when all who come to worship god , every time they come to worship him , have their eyes darted up to heaven , and behold the lord god sitting in his glory upon his throne : so you shall find in rev. . the . elders that worshiped god , they saw him upon his throne in his glory , and so they worshiped him ; they worshiped god to purpose ( indeed ) when they saw the lord in that majesty as he was . we should at all times have high thoughts of god : take heed of having low thoughts and apprehensions of the infinite majesty of god at any time , but especially when thou art to worship the great god , then look upon the lord in that infinite distance that there is between him and thy self , yea , that infinit distance that there is between him and all creatures in the world , look upon the lord as lifted up in glory , not only above all creatures , but above all excellencies that all angels and men , in heaven and earth are able to imagine : look upon the lord as having all excellencies in himself , joyned in one , and that immutably ; look upon him as the fountain of all excellency , good , and glory that all creatures in the world have : and look upon the lord every time thou comest to worship him , as that god whom angels do adore , and before whom the devils are forc'd to tremble ; behold him in this his glory , and this will help thee to sanctifie his name when thou comest to him . the great reason why people come and worship god in a slight way ; it is because that they do not see god in his glory , 't is a great mercy for god to give unto us a sight of himself , a sight of his glory here in this world while we are worshiping of him , this would keep our eyes and our thoughts from wandring , if we had a sight of the glory of god , and had high thoughts of god. what 's the reason why we wander so as we do , but meerly because we see not god ? as now , suppose you were in your house , and looking after every feather that were flying up and down , if you should hear that the king were come into the room , or any great person , it would compose your spirits , because you have high thoughts of such , as of those that are above you : so let us look upon god as in his excellency , and his glory , and have high thoughts of him , and this is that whereby we are to sanctifie gods name when we come before him in holy duties . and that 's the second thing . first a sanctified heart ; and then high thoughts of god. . a third thing is , high-ends , raised-ends in the worshiping of god : prov. . . the way of life is above to the wise : it is on high in this respect , when he worships god , his heart is lifted up on high ; there is a holy raising of the heart which is well pleasing to god : our hearts should be on high in regard of the high ends that we aim at in holy duties : lift up thy prayer saith hezekiah to the prophet in another case ; so i may say , lift up thy soul when thou comest to worship god in regard of the high ends that thou aimest at : when we are worshiping god we should have our hearts above all creatures , and above our selves . let not our hearts then be groveling upon the ground , mingled with base and drossie things , when we come to worship the lord : indeed it is fit that we should have our hearts low ( as we shall shew hereafter ) in regard of humility , but not low in regard of any baseness of spirit to mix with any base and low ends ; now there are low and base ends in worshiping of god. as , first , we must take heed we do not subject the worship of god unto our lusts , that is a cursed thing , thou art far from sanctifying gods name in worshiping of him that shalt subject his worship to thy base lusts , this is an abominable , and a cursed thing indeed ; you will say , who doth thus ? who is the man , or where is he that will do this ? subject the worship of god to his base lusts ! to that i answer , whosoever doth make use of any duty of worship , as prayer , hearing the word , or what ever it be , to cloak any kind of wickedness , whosoever is conscious to himself of any kind of secret wickedness , and yet shall think to cover it by the performance of duties , and shall reason in this manner , who will think me to be guilty of such a vile thing , when i pray so as i do , and am so careful to hear the word ? and i hope i shall cover some wickedness this way . if there be any in this place whose conscience tells them that they subject the worship of god to such a base end as this is , the lord rebuke them this day , and speak to their hearts ; if i knew any , i would set mine eyes upon them and say as the apostle to simon magus , i perceive that thou art in the gall of bitterness , and in the bond of iniquity ; and as he said to him that did seek to draw the deputy from the faith , o thou child of the devil , and full of all subtilty , to damn and undo thy self eternally , that seekest to cloak any wicked way by any duty of gods worship ; is it a great evil for a man or woman to make use of any of gods creatures to be serviceable to their lusts , as meat and drink & c ? what a damnable thing is it then to make use of any duty of gods worship , sometimes extraordinary worship , as fasting and prayer , to be a cloak to cover their wickedness ! thou art so far from sanctifying gods name , that thou pollutest gods name ; thou doest what in thee lies for to cast even dirt in the face of god himself that doest so . the second base end , is to subject the duties of gods worship to the praise of men , as to perform duties of gods worship for the esteem of men , and because we shall be well thought of ; take heed of this you yong ones , and others , you would fain be esteem'd well of by those that you live withal ; it is a desirable thing to have a good esteem from those that are godly ; but take heed that you do not subject the duties of gods worship to this . indeed it may be an encouragement to you , as david saith psal . . . this is good before thy saints : david did encourage ●●●self to praise god , because it was good before gods saints ; and i confess it may be an encouragement because holy duties are good before gods saints : but take heed that this be not thy highest end that thou aimest at , and that which carries thee on in the work , meerly to get the praise of men , and that they shall think that thou hast good gifts and parts , and therfore thou art inlarged in that regard ; take heed of that ; know , that now thou doest not worship god , but thou worshipest men , thou dost make the praise of men to be thy god , for whatsoever thou doest lift up in the highest place , that 's thy god , whatsoever it be ; therefore if thou liftest up the praise of men , and makest that they end , thou makest that thy god , and so thou art a worshiper of men , but not a worshiper of god. thirdly , take heed of making self thy end ; there are some that are not so base and low in their hearts , as to make the praise of men their end . but they aim and look at themselves , that is , they aim at their own peace , and satisfying their own consciences in the performance of duties ; now though it 's true , when we perform duties of gods worship , we may expect to receive some good to our selves , and we may be encouraged to the duties by the expectation of good to our selves ; yet we must look higher , we must look at the honor and praise of god , that the name of the blessed god may be honored : now i am going to prayer , oh that i may pray so , as i may lift up gods name : i am going to hear , oh that i may hear so , as god may be honored by my hearing ; 't is this that carries me on to hearing the word , and makes me rise readily , and to go forth cheerfully ; i hope that god may have some honor by my hearing this day , and god knows that this is the thing that i aim at , i do not come for company , nor to be seen of men , neither do i come meerly to satisfie mine own conscience : others go and hear such truths of god as do good to their souls , and if i should neglect them meerly for mine own ease , my conscience would not let me be quiet ; howsoever there are many whose consciences will be quiet enough , though they lose an opportunity in the worship of god ; but yet there are others whose consciences cannot do so , their consciences would tell them when they are lying and turning themselves upon their bed , how do you know but that god had something to speak to thy heart this morning , that may never be spoken to thy heart at any other time ? therefore they cannot be at quiet except they attend upon god in the duties of his worship : but still this is not enough meerly to satisfie conscience ; thy main end it must be that thou maiest this day know some part of the mind of god , that god may speak to thy heart , that so thou maiest be sitted to honor the name of god , that thou maiest be enabled to live to his honor the week following so much the better . as in this manner thy thoughts should be , lord , i find a drossie , carnal heart , i am busie in the world in the week time , and i find that my heart is sullied and defiled with the business of the world , and entangled , but lord , thou hast appointed thy sabbath , and word to be a means to sanctifie my heart , and to clense it ; oh lord , communicate thy grace to my soul through thy ordinances upon this day , that so i may be enabled the week following the better to live to thy honor , lord , i come into thy presence to that end , that i might know some part of thy will , and that i might get thy spirit to be conveyed through this word of thine into my heart ; this should be thy end when ever thou comest , and not only self . i wil give you two or three scriptures to shew that god regards little any duties where self is the highest end . the first is in hosea , . . they howled upon their beds , ( saith the text there ) but they cryed not to me . the lord there did acknowledg that they were very much affected in their prayers , but what was it ? it was but a howling upon their beds : and how so ? it was because only they did cry for themselves , they have not cried unto me ( saith the lord ) with their heart , when they howled upon their beds : it was but meerly for corn , and wine , and oyl , but not unto me ; they aim'd at themselves , and not at me. and in amos , . . there the lord professes , that he did reject the fat of their peace offerings : though ye offer me ( saith he ) burnt offerings , and your meat offerings , i wil not accept them , neither will i regard the peace offerings of your fat beasts . they were careful to offer their fattest beasts in their peace-offerings , and will not god regard them ? it was in their peace-offerings that they offered their fat beasts , and there they were to eat a great part of it themselves : indeed the burnt offering was wholly offered unto god , god had all that ; but the peace-offerings , those that did offer it , they did eat a great part of it themselves : now they were very careful in those offerings that they were to partake of themselves , to offer fat beasts : you do not see that the holy ghost takes any notice of fat beasts in their burnt offerings . now the note from hence is this , that in those things where men are interested themselves , they will be very careful to have the best things . but now the lord rejected the fat beasts of their peace-offerings : saith god , you were very careful to offer fat beasts in your peace-offerings where you may feed your selves , but for those offerings wherein i have all , there you are not so careful , and therefore i regard them not . the third scripture is in zach. . . there they did keep many daies in seeking of god , ( it is an observable scripture for these times ) speak unto all the people of the land , and to the priests , saying , when ye fasted and mourned in the fifth and seventh month , even those seventy years ; did ye at all fast unto me ? even unto me ? mark the phrase , you fasted in the fifth and seventh month , and for seventy yeers together , but saith the lord , did you at all fast unto me ? and then mark how he doubled it , to me ? even unto me ? noting that when we fast or pray , or do any thing in the worship of god , we should be sure to aim at god more than our selves , that god may not say of us another day , do you do it to me , even to me ? you may ask me this question , how may i know that i am acted by self-ends in holy duties ? for it is a hard thing for one to know ones own heart , when one is acted by principles of self , and when we aim at god in holy duties . now for that i will give you these notes , to try whether you be acted from your selves or no. the first is this , if a man loves holy duties , though he finds no present good comes in by them , because they are such things as god requires , and therefore though i get nothing by them , yet this is enough to carry me on , and to carry me on readily , and willingly in the worship of god : those that can delight in gods worship , even at that time , though they find nothing coming in to themselves : but now when we find not that coming in that we do desire , we begin to be weary of worship , and say , why have we fasted , and thou seest it not ? this is an argument that thou art acted by self rather than by god. secondly , to know whether we be acted by self-ends , or rather by high ends for god : those men that can rejoyce in others that are able to honor god in holy duties more than themselves , they may have a good evidence to their own souls , that when they worship god , they are acted by higher ends than self , but now , such as are straightned themselves , and when they see other more enlarged in the worship of god , they rather envy them , are griev'd and troubled ; know that self is a great ingredient in those duties that thou doest perform : if thy heart were raised high to god , though thou canst not thy self be enlarged in holy duties , yet thy soul would be glad that any others are , though i have a wretched and vile heart of my own , yet blessed be god that there are any others that can worship god better than i can . thirdly , a man that is acted by self in holy duties , he regards holy duties but little save in time of extremity , in time of fear , or in sickness , or in danger . but now , one that hath high ends in holy duties ; makes the duties of gods worship to be the joy of his soul in the midst of his prosperity , and that is an evident sign that thou art not acted by self ends , but by higher ends , canst thou in the midst of thy abundance say , lord , thou givest me all conveniences in this world , and all outward things that i want ; but lord , this is that which is the joy of my soul , this is that which makes my life comfortable , even communion with thy self , in the duties of thy worship , that i have free access unto the throne of thy grace to worship thee the lord , and there meet with thee when i am in the performance of holy duties ; o lord , thou that knowest all things , knowest , that this is the thing that makes my life comfortable ; it is not that i have a table furnished with variety of dishes , and that i can have liberty of time to go into company , and spend according as i please ; but lord , those incomes of thy spirit that i do find in the duties of thy worship , those are the things that makes my life blessed ( indeed ) unto me ? such a man is able thus to appeal to god , surely when he worships god , he is acted by high ends , and not by self-ends ; and that 's the third thing that is necessary for sanctifying gods name in holy duties , thou must have a sanctified heart , high thoughts of god , and high ends . in the fourth place , there must be much reverence , and much fear when thou comest into the presence of god to worship him : thou doest not glorifie god as god , except thou doest come into his presence with much fear & reverence of his great name : fear in worshiping of god it is so necessary , that many times in scripture we find that the very worship of god is called , the fear of god , they are put both for one ; i might give you divers scriptures for it : and hence it was that the name of god was called the fear of isaac , jacob did swear by the fear of his father isaac ; because isaac being a great worshiper of god , kept his constant times to worship god , and worshiped him in such a constant way , as ( except david and daniel ) we do not find mention of the constancy of any in the worshiping of god as we do of isaac's ; for it is said , that he walked but into the fields in the evening as he was wont to do , to meditate , and to pray ; and therefore god is called , the fear of isaac . in psal . . . is a notable scripture for this drawing nigh to god with fear : god is greatly to be feared in the assembly of the saints , and to be had in reverence of all them that are about him : god is to be had in reverence of all them that are about him , but in the assembly of his saints he is greatly to be feared , he is daunting terrible ( so the words are ) in the assembly of the saints . when thou comest nigh to god , thou hadst need have thy heart possest with much fear . so in psal . . . the kings and princes of the earth are called upon to serve the lord with fear : let them be never so great , yet when they come into gods presence , they must serve him with fear ! and so in psal . . . in thy fear will i worship toward thy holy temple . now this fear of god , it must not be a servile fear , but a filial and reverential fear ; for my brethren , there may be a great deal of slavish fear , where god is not honored ; there may be fear from some terrible apprehensions of god , which yet is not owned by god to be this grace of fear : i 'le give you two notable scriptures for that , in deut. . , . compared with the . it came to pass ( saith the text , vers . . ) when ye heard the voyce out of the middest of the darkness , for the mountain did burn with fire that ye came neer unto me , even al the heads of your tribes , and your elders , and ye said , behold the lord our god hath shewed us his glory and his greatness , and we have heard his voyce out of the midst of the fire : we have seen this day , that god doth talk with man , and he liveth ; now therefore why should we die ? for this great fire will consume us : if we hear the voyce of the lord our god any more then we shall die . see with what a terror they were struck at the apprehension of gods appearance ; you would think surely these men did fear god much , but mark in vers . . o that there were such a heart in them that they would fear me . why , did they not fear the lord ? were they not struck with such fear that they thought they should die ? they saw this presence so terrible , that they were afraid they should die , and yet , o that there were such a heart in them that they would fear me ! so that it appears by this , that one may be struck with much terror in the apprehension of gods presence , and yet have no true fear of the name of god : so some of you it may be in time of thunder or danger , are filled with terror ; but yet may it not be said presently after , o that there were the fear of god in the heart of this man or woman , this youth or maid ! they are terrified somtimes , but yet there is not a filial and reverential fear of god in them . and i find in king. . ( where you have the story of gods appearing in that most terrible manner unto the prophet elijah by fire , by thunder , and in a mighty wind ) the prophet was not so struck with fear of gods presence when he did appear in the mighty wind , or earthquake , or fire , as when god did appear in the smal still voyce , therfore in vers . . it is said , and it was so when elijah heard it : that is , the soft voyce , ( after the fire , and earthquake , and the mighty wind ) that he wrapped his face in his mantle and went out & stood in the entring in of the cave and behold there came a voice unto him and said , what doest then here elijah ? then his heart was more struck with fear where was most of gods presence ( though it was in a soft voyce ) than when the fire and earthquake did appear : it is a good sign of a gracious fear , when the soul can be struck with more fear from the word , and from the sight of god in enjoying of communion with him in his worship , than when god appears in the most terrible way of his works ; or when there is terror in a mans conscience through fear of hell , when god appears as though he would send him down presently to hell , though god expects to be feared then , but when the soul in enjoying communion with god in holy duties , and the more communion he hath with god , the more is he struck with reverence and the fear of god , this is a sign of sanctifying fear ; and then , doth the heart sanctifie the name of god indeed when it is so possessed with fear in the duties of worship ? now this fear of god should be indeed in the soul , and expressed outwardly when you are in the assembly , by such reverent carriage in prayer , as if a heathen should come in , he may see gods name sanctified , and may say , how great is this god that this people do worship ! and in your families , a reverent carriage , not lying all along in prayer upon your elbows sleeping , but carrying your selves so , that if a heathen should come into your families , they may say , o how great is this god that this people do worship ! and likewise this fear it must be an abiding fear , not only at that instant when you are worshiping of god , or speaking of any of gods titles and names , but a fear that must abide upon your hearts after duty is over ; that is , after you are come out from your closets one may perceive the fear of god upon you , and so walking all the day long in the fear of god , as it becomes those that have been solemnly setting themselves to worship him : now this fear and reverence is contrary to the slightness , vanity , the boldness and presumptuousness that there is in the hearts of men and women when they are worshiping of god. fifthly , the duties of gods worship must be full of strength , for they are not sutable to god else , because god is a god infinite in power and glory himself , therefore god cannot endure vain worshiping . in isa . . . i hate vain oblations : vanity of spirit in worshiping of god is very hateful to god , it doth defile the name of god , god is dishonored by the vanity of mens spirits . now this strength is three fold : first , the strength of intention . secondly , the strength of affection . thirdly , the strength of all the faculties of the soul , and the strength of body too , as much as we are able should be put forth in the worshiping of god. first the strength of intention . we must intend our work as if it were for our lives : if ever we were seriously intentive or attentive about any thing , it must be when we are worshiping of the name of god. when you are coming to pray , be intent about it . you shall see some when they are going in the street , when they have much intention about their businesse , their friends meet them , and they never mind them ; one may perceive as they are going , that they are mightily intent about their businesse . my brethren , look upon every duty of worship as a great thing which you must be intent in your thoughts about , and not give way to the wandring of your thoughts . i have read of one martyr , that when he was to die , and the fire a kindling , saith an officer , what! will you not speak when you see the fire kindling ? saith he , i am speaking to god : that is , he was praying , and he minded not at all what they were doing . oh what little things do take our thoughts away from holy duties ! when every toy , every feather , every light matter cals them off ; is this to sanctifie gods name ? would not we account it a dishonorable thing , if we were talking to one about serious businesse , and when we are talking , every one that comes by , he should be looking after them , and turning aside to talk with them ? if a superior be talking with you , he doth expect that you should mind what he saith . but when god is speaking to you , and you are speaking to god , every vain thought that comes by , you are turning aside too : as if it were a greater thing to talk to vain thoughts and temptations , than to the great and glorious god. therfore now that is the very time that the devil chuses for to bring temptations when we are in holy duties , for the devil knows then he doth two works at once : he doth disturb us in our duties , and call off our hearts to that that is wicked , and doth agravate our sin exceedingly . it may be thou wilt not dare to commit that sin that the temptation doth turn thy thoughts upon , yea but the devil hath spoiled the duty by it . the lord doth expect that there should be strength of intention when thou art upon the duty : and there is no time to parlie with temptations now , whatever thoughts come in . the truth is , though they be good thoughts that should come into thy mind , and that time that thou art praying , yet if they be not pertinent to the duty thou must cast them away as the temptation of the devil . you will say , can any thing that is good come from the devil ? certainly that which is materially good , and coming unseasonably , may be from the devil ; the devil may take advantage by what is in it self materially good , and bring in that in an unseasonable time , and so he may turn it to evil : as now , when thou art hearing the word , it may be the devil thinks he cannot prevail to cause thee to have thy heart running about uncleanness ; yea , but ( saith the devil ) if i can inject good thoughts , i will put into their minds some place of scripture that is no way pertinent to this , only to divert them : the devil gets much by this ; therefore look to it , and know that god expects the strength of thy spirit in duty ; that is , strong intention ; thou art worshiping of god , and therefore thou hadst need be intent about what thou art doing : indeed sometimes before you are aware , evil thoughts will come into your minds , as when a man is keeping of a door , and there is a crowd of people without that would come in , perhaps the man doth open the door for some gentleman that he hears is at the door , but when he opens it for one that is to come in , fourty others will crowd in : and so it is many times with the soul , that when it opens the door for some good thought , a great many evil thoughts will crowd in : those people might come in if they would stay their time , but they should not now come in . so , about worldly businesses , that are not in themselves unlawful , if they will stay the time they may come in ; but they must be bard out now at this time . there is required strength of intention . . secondly , strength of affection is required also : that is , the affections must work mightily after god , striving with god in prayer : if ever thou hadst a heart inflam'd in any thing , it should be when thou art praying , or attending upon the word ; as the heathens that worshiped the sun , sometimes i have told you that they would not have a snail , but a flying horse , they would offer that that was swift : so when we come to the living god , we must have living affections , our affections boyling ; and that will be the way to cure vain thoughts ; as the flies will not come to the honey if it be boyling hot , but when it is cold : so if the heart be boyling hot , and the affections a working , it will keep out vain thoughts and temptations : it is a sign of the breath of life when it is warm , but artificial breath you know it is cold ; as now , the breath that comes out of the body that is warm , but the breath that comes out of a pair of bellows that is cold ? so the breath of many people in prayer , it is discovered to be but artificial breath , because it is so cold , but if there were spiritual life , then it would be warm . ther must be strength of affection . . thirdly , there must be likewise the strength of all the faculties : we should stir up whatever we are , or have , or can do to work in prayer , then the bent of mind , and conscience , and will , and affection ; yea , and the body should be put to it also , and those that worship god to purpose , they spend their bodies in nothing so much as in the worshiping of god. it will be a sad thing another day when this shall be charged upon many , thou hast spent the strength of thy body upon lusts , but when didst thou spend any strength of the body about any holy duty ? what a riddle is this to most people , to tell them of spending the strength of their bodies in prayer , or hearing of the word , or sanctifying a sabbath ; they think the sabbath is a time of rest , i confess it is a time of rest from an outward labor , but it is a time of spending strength in a spiritual way ; and those that shall worship god a right on the sabbath , will find it a spending of a great deal of strength , and blessed is that strength that is spent in the worship of god , rather than in the waies of sin , as most spend their strength : if god gives thee a heart to spend thy strength in his worship , thou maiest think thus , lord , thou mightest have left me to have spent my strength in sin , how much better is it spent in the worshiping of thy name ? there is one notable scripture in jer. . . that shews how much strength the idolaters put forth in the worshiping of their idol , they would not do it in a slight and vain way , but their hearts were much in that false-worship , saith the text , and they shall spread them before the sun and the moon , and all the host of heaven , ( mark now ) whom they have loved , and whom they have served , and after whom they have walked , and whom they have sought and whom they have worshiped : all these are put together in reference to their idols ; oh that it could be said so of us in reference to god , when we come to worship him , whom we have loved , and whom we have served , and after whom we have walked , and whom we have sought , and whom we have worshiped ; there is all these several expressions to shew the strength of their spirits in following after their idols : and that is the fift thing in our sanctifying gods name . . the sixth is , if thou wilt sanctifie gods name in worship , there must be an humble frame of spirit , worship him with much humility of soul : abraham did fall upon the ground before the lord , and dust and ashes ( saith he ) hath begun to speak unto thee : yea , we reade of jesus christ groveling upon the earth , and the angels they cover their faces in the presence of god ; and so should we be humble when we come before the lord : there is nothing more abases the soul of man , than the sight of god ; and the great reason of the pride of all mens hearts , is because they never knew god : if thou didest but see god , thy heart must needs be abased ; and when doth the soul see god if not when it comes to worship him ? in job , . i have heard of thee by the hearing of the ear , but now my eye seeth thee , wherefore i abhor my self , and repent in dust and ashes . now this humility must be in the sense of our own meanness and baseness . ps . . . this poor man cryed to god : they are poor souls that come into gods presence that sanctifie gods name most ; even those souls that do apprehend , and are sensible of their own baseness , and meanness before god. this poor man cried to god : we use to say , give that poor man somewhat . it doth affect the heart of god when he sees much poverty of spirit : when we come before him , we must be sensible of our infinite dependance upon god. come as the woman of canaan , o lord , even dogs do receive crums , and though i be a dog , yet let me receive crums ; here is humility of spirit . now this humility of spirit appears in these things . . first , admiring gods goodness that we do live at this time , and that we have liberty to come before him ; we might have been past praying and worshiping of god : think thus , what a mercy is it that we are not banished out of gods presence , that the lord hath not spurn'd us out of his sight as filth , and cast us out as an everlasting abhorring , while others have been praying we might have bin yelling under the wrath of the eternal god : come with this apprehension of thy self , and adore gods goodness , that thou art alive to pray , and alive to hear gods word . and that it is not only a duty , but a rich priviledg and mercy that god will admit of thee to come into his presence . again , it is the goodness of god , that he will vouchsafe to look upon the things that are done in heaven , then if the lord doth humble himself to behold the things that are done in heaven , then how doth the lord humble himself to behold me a poor vile captive as i am in my self ; and yet that god should not only behold me before him , but invite me to come into his presence ; what mercy and goodness is this ! . our hearts must be taken off from the thoughts and apprehensions of all excellencies in our selves ; we must not come in the pride of our hearts , because we have abilities more than others , what do all thy parts commend thee to god ? thou hast ability in expressing of thy self in prayer : why , do thy parts commend thee to god ? whatever is natural in any of our duties is nothing to god , only that which is from his own spirit , and therefore thou shouldest come in thine own thoughts as vile as if thou hadst no parts and abilities at all . lay aside all such apprehensions of thy self , for the truth is , some poor broken hearted sinner that can but sigh out a few groans to god , and is not able to speak two or three sentences together in a right language , but only breath out his soul to god , may be a thousand thousand times more acceptable to god than thou that art able to make great orations when thou comest before him. . thou must come without any righteousness of thy own , thou must never come to gods presence but as a poor worm ; and if there be any difference that is made between thee and others in outward respects , it is nothing to thee : when thou art in the presence of god , thou art as a base vile worm , though thou beest a prince , or emperor . . thy heart must be taken off from what thou doest : if thou hast any abilities of grace yet thy heart must be taken off there , there may be pride not only from ones parts , but it may be god hath given me enlargements in prayer , the devil will come in and seek to puff up thy heart even because of this . but thy heart must be taken off there , and thou must deny thy self in all , when thou hast done the best service of all , yet thou must conclude , thou art an unprofitable servant ; when thou hast prayed the best , yet rise with shame , and take heed of having thy heart puft up even through the assistance of the graces of the spirit of god in holy duties . . lastly , thou must come with a humble resignation of thy self to god , to be content to wait upon god as long as he pleases , to wait upon god in regard of the time , and of the measure , and of the manner of the communication of himself , in regard of the means by which he will please to communicate himself , wait upon him ; let me have mercy though at the last hour . this now is an humble heart in prayer ; and when we come with such a poverty of spirit as this is , we may expect that the lord will accept of us , give this poor man somewhat , will god say : this poor man cryed , and the lord heard him . in the seventh place , we must bring that which is gods own in sanctifying gods name . i spake to this before in the point of preparation , viz. that in gods worship we must give him his own . i will only mention it here in the sanctifying of gods name in two regards : . first , to give god his own for the matter of it . . secondly , to give god his own , that is , what comes from the work of his own spirit , or else we do not sanctifie gods name . i will give you one text further about the matter of it , in exod. . if you reade the chapter , you shall find that there is ten times said , that they did as god had commanded moses : and then in the close of the chapter , when they had done as god had commanded in his worship ; the text saith , moses blessed them . that people is a blessed people that do observe the worship of god as god hath commanded them . but the main thing is , all that we do it must be acted by the spirit of god ; it is not enough to have true silver and gold , but it must have the rigbt stamp , or else it cannot go for current coyn . and so it is not enough that the things that we offer to god in his worship be gods own , be what we have warrant for out of gods word , but it must have the stamp of the spirit of god. in the worship of god there be two questions that he will ask , first , who required this at your hands ? but then if you can answer thus , thou o lord didst require it : it is well : but then god hath another question , whose image and superscription is this ? if thou canst not give an answer to that , it will be rejected too : thou must be acted by divine principles , in all that thou doest , there must be the stamp of the spirit upon that which is tendered to god , else it is nothing . to open this point fully will ask some time . first , therefore i will shew you how we may know when our duties are acted by our natural parts rather than by the spirit of god. secondly , how we may know whether our duties be acted by natural conscience rather than by the spirit of god. . first , if thou art acted by natural parts , they will not change thy heart : men that do perform duties by the strength of natural parts , they may be as large as others , and speak to the edification of others , but those duties do never change their hearts ; now if thou beest acted by the spirit of god , thou wilt be changed into the very image of his spirit . . secondly , if men are acted by natural parts , they will not carry them through difficulties and discouragements ; but now the spirit of god if thou hast acted by him , though thou doest meet with never such difficulties , and discouragements , thou wilt be carried through them all . . thou maiest know it by this , wherein dost thou account the excellency of a duty to consist , either in thy self or others ; thou performest a duty , now ( it may be ) thy parts do act very lively , and to thy credit , and yet thy conscience tells thee that thy heart was straightened : now canst thou rise up with joy because thou hast thy ends ? at another time ( perhaps ) thy heart is more troubled , and broken : but thou doest not express thy self so much , then thou art discouraged . and when thou seest another perform a duty , if thou seest but any failing in their expressions , thou pitchest upon that , and lookest upon it as a poor thing ; thou art not able to see an excellency in holy duties , except there be an excellency of natural parts ; but those that have the spirit of god , they can find the spirit of god acting in others , though they have not such natural parts . . those that are acted by their natural parts , in secret they are less enlarged , than they are before others a great deal . their parts act much before others , but what is there between god and their own souls ? . they that be so acted will not be very constant , you shall have yong ones , that begin to look towards religion , their parts are a little fresh , and they are mightily enlarged in holy duties , and the thing is good for them to make use of their parts ; but how ordinary it is , that after a few yeers they are deader and duller than they were before , and have less mind to the duties of gods worship than they had formerly ? were this the spirit of god , you would find as much savour and relish in them afterwards , as there was at that time . secondly , for natural consciences , which sometimes puts men upon acting of duties , and ( indeed ) is better than meerly natural parts . . if it be only natural conscience , it puts upon duties , but gives no strength to do them : but when the spirit of god puts thee upon a duty , it gives thee some strength to perform it , some strength whereby thou gettest some communion with god. . if it be natural conscience , it puts upon the duty , but makes not the heart glad of the duty , and to love the duty : but if it be the spirit of god , it makes thee to delight in it , and to love it . . if it be natural conscience , thou doest not by that encrease thy communion with god , thou doest thy duties as in a round ; but now when the spirit of god puts thee upon holy duties , it is not a task done , but thou findest more and more encrease in communion with god ; thy heart more raised to god , and more closing with the lord , and so still more and more in the course of thy life : i had a little converse with god at first when god began to acquaint my soul with his waies , but through his mercy now i find more communion with him ; and so thou 〈◊〉 bless thy self in god , in that converse that thou hast in communion with him , thou wouldst not lose that communion thou hast with god in holy duties , for all the world ; others have their companions , that they have their communion withal , ( much good may do them ) but the lord hath shewen me another manner of communion which my soul can have with himself , in which it hath sweet satisfaction . and thus you have had seven particulars for the sanctifying of the name of god in holy duties . sermon vi. leviticus , . . i will be sanctified in them that come nigh me . . again , as natural conscience doth give no strength to do the duty , so it makes not the duty to be strong to the soul ; that is thus , thre's no strength got by the duty ; they are not by one duty prepared for another , but the way of the lord is strength to the upright , that is , when a gracious heart is in the way of gods worship , it finds the very duty of the worship of god to be strength to it , and so it fits it for another duty . . further , a natural conscience limits its self , and is bounded ; that is , so much as will serve the turn for its own peace and quiet , so much it will do , and no more : but when one is acted by the spirit of god , one is enlarged without any limits at all , not bounded to ones own peace , for the more peace a gracious heart hath in duty , the more it is enlarged in duty : now a natural conscience , that puts to duty , and will act you when you want peace , when you are in trouble and fear , but when you are not in trouble and fear , then it puts not on the heart to performance of duty ; but the spirit of god puts on the soul to duty , when there is most peace and comfort . . a little will serve the turn to satisfie natural conscience , so be it they perform the duty , it is enough ; but one that is acted by the spirit of god in duty , must meet with much of god or else he is not satisfied , he goes mourning in the day time if he hath not met with much of god in the morning in the performance of duty , thus you see there is much difference between the acting of natural parts and conscience in duty , and the acting of the spirit of god. there be only now two things more for the sanctifying of gods name in duty , and then we are to come to shew how we should sanctifie gods name in duty in reference to the several attributes of god. but first for those two heads . further . . the seventh thing is this , when you come to perform holy duties , if you would sanctifie gods name , you must consecrate your selves to god , there must be a resignation of soul and body , estate , liberty , name , and all you are , have , or can do unto god : this is to sanctifie gods name , the consecration of your selves unto god : and the professing of this is the performance of duty , when you are to pray , were a very good thing , actually to profess your selves to be gods , to profess that you do give up all that you are , have , or can do , to god : lord , i am thy servant , take all faculties of soul , and members of body , improve all , lay out all to thine own praise to the uttermost , to bring glory to thy great name . if every time you came to god in prayer you did this , this were to sanctifie your selves to god ( i spake before of a sanctified heart , but now this is in a profession of your selves unto god ) do it secretly at least in your own thoughts ; if you do not every time express it in words , yet in your own thoughts do it ; devote yourselves to god every day . of admirable use it would be , if every day when men and women worship god , either in their closets or families , they did professedly devote and consecrate themselves to god ; and so likewise , every time they come to hear the word or to receive sacraments , god would account his name to be sanctified in such a work as this is . . lastly , that that must make all up , and without which all the other is nothing ; it is , that you must tender up al your worship in the name of jesus christ ; let a man or woman worship god never so well , yet when they have done all if they do not tender it up in the name of jesus christ , god will not account his name to be sanctified ; thou must by faith look upon jesus christ as the glorious mediator that is come into the world , by whom thou hast access unto the father : and act thy faith upon christ , and give up thy duties into his hand , as the hand of a mediator to be tender'd up to the father by him ; though thou hast labored what thou canst to perform duty as well as thou art able , yet thou must not think to tender it up by thine own hand unto god ; but thou must tender it up to the father by the hand of jesus christ the mediator , and so thou shalt sanctifie the name of god in holy duties . we reade in levit. . . that when aaron was to tender up the incense , he was to put the incense on the fire before the lord , that the cloud of the incense may cover the mercy-seat that is upon the testimony , that he die not . mark , it is as much as his life is worth , whether he doth it , or doth it not . now incense it is in the new testament called prayer , and so in the old testament too , it was a kind of emblem of prayer ; the offering up of our prayers , is the offering up of incense to god ; and the mercy-seat , it was a type of jesus christ . now the incense should cover the mercy-seat ; so our prayers must go up to jesus christ , must be upon him , and so must be accepted by the father . and as we reade in judg. . . when monah offered a sacrifice , the text saith , that the angel of the lord ascended in the flame : this angel of god here was jesus christ , as we might easily from this scripture make it out , and he ascends up in the flame from the altar . now though we do not offer such kind of sacrifices with fire and incense as they did in the time of the law , yet when we are offering up of our incense ; there must be a flame of fervency and zeal : but that is not enough , together with the flame of the altar , and the angel of god , jesus christ , the great angel of the new covenant , ( for angel signifies nothing but messenger ) the great messenger that is come into the world , about that great errend of his , to reconcile the world to himself ; he must ascend up in the flame , and so god will account his name to be sanctified , the name of god is not sanctified but through jesus christ : the acting of our faith upon christ as mediator is a special ingredient to the sanctifying of gods name in holy duties ; as you know the scripture saith , that the altar doth sanctifie the gift offered upon the altar . jesus christ is the altar upon whom all our spiritual sacrifices are to be offered , and this altar doth sanctifie the gift that is offered upon it , let never so great a gift be offered upon any other altar , it was not accounted holy , nor accepted : so let men by their natural strength or power that they have , offer up the most glorious and speciousest service to god , it is not accepted except it be offered up upon the altar jesus christ : we have an altar now , not the communion table , but jesus christ himself is our altar , upon whom we are to offer al our sacrifices , and this altar must sanctifie the gift ; we can never have our gift sanctified , no , nor gods name sanctified in this gift , except it be offered upon this altar , and our faith acted upon jesus christ . people little think of this , but of other things , viz. that when we worship god , we should worship him with fear , and reverence , and with humility , and with strength of intention ; such kind of things every one that hath any enlightening of conscience will think of at some time or other ; but people do least think of this , which is the greatest ingredient of all in the sanctifying of gods name in holy duties , that is , to come and tender up all to the father , in the name of jesus christ : how many men and women that have been professors of religion twenty or thirty years , and yet not acquainted with this great mystery of godliness , to tender up all to god in the name of his son. this is that that upon divers occasions i have spoken unto , and am willing upon every occasion as i meet with it to speak of , because it is a principal part of the great mystery of the gospel , without which , all our duties are rejected of god , and cast away . now then , put all these nine things together , and see by them what we ought to do that we may sanctifie the name of god in holy duties . but there is something further to be spoken that may help you to sanctifie gods name in holy duties , and that is , several workings of heart , sutable to the several attributes of god , for that is to sanctifie gods name , to have the duty to be such as is some way sutable to such a god as we are now worshiping . now then let us consider what the scripture saith of god , and then let us see what sutable dispositions we should have in us unto those things that the scripture saith of god : . first , you know the scripture saith , that god is a spirit , in joh. . . then presently christ saith , that he that worships him , must worship him in spirit ; that is , there must be a sutableness in our worship to what god is : is god a spirit ? then all that worship him , must worship him in spirit and truth ; that is thus , when i am to go to worship god , i must consider of him , as he is an infinite and glorious spirit ; well then , surely bodily worship is not sufficient for me : though i do kneel down in prayer , or do come and present my body to hear the word , or my body to receive the sacrament , this is not to worship god as a spirit : if indeed that our god were as the heathens , that were corporeal , then it were another matter , then bodily worship would serve the turn ; but god being a spirit , he must have spiritual worship , therefore my soul , and all that is within me , magnifie his name : saith david , my soul magnifie his name , not my lips only , but my soul : the apostle in tim. . . saith , that bodily exercise profits little ; it is no great matter for the body , god looks but very little at bodily exercise ; but it is godliness that is profitable , it is the work of the spirit ; when we come to pray , we must pray in the spirit ; that is , we must pray with our souls , we must powr forth our souls before god , and when we come to hear , our hearts must not go after our covetousness , we must set our hearts to what we hear , we must hear with our hearts as well as with our ears , our souls must be at work in hearing of the word ; when you hear , it is not enough for you to come and sit in a pew , and have the sound of a mans voice in your ears , but your souls must be at work : and so when you come to receive the sacrament , your souls must feed upon jesus christ : bodily-worship without soul-worship is nothing , but soul-worship may be accepted without bodily-worship ; therefore it is the soul that god doth principally look at in holy duties : if you be not able to worship god in your bodies , you may worship him in your souls , and god regards that bodily exercise in holy duties is little worth , somewhat it may be worth , i confess sometime bodily exercise may further the soul , as a reverend carriage of the body , and the like , but it is nothing in comparison , the great work is the work of the soul , for god is a spirit , and must be worshiped in spirit . and god is said to be a spirit , not only in that he is not of so thick a capital substance , but it notes the simplicity of god , he is without any composition , whatsoever is in god , is god himself , he is absolutely one , there are not divers things in god ; now then , those that come to worship him , must worship him in spirit and in truth ; that is , there must not be a heart and a heart , there must not be a compounded heart , but you must bring simple hearts before god , without any composition of dross in your selves , and of any kind of falsness , but in the simplicity of your hearts you must come to worship god , and thus you shall worship him with such worship as is some way sutable to him as he is a spirit . . further consider , god as he is an eternal god , what sutable disposition doth this require of me when i am to look upon god as an eternal being ? it requires this only , that therefore thy heart must be taken off from all temporal good things , and set upon that eternal good , thou mayest indeed desire these outward good things but in order to thy eternal good . then further , thou art worshiping an eternal god : hence then , whatsoever sin thou doest confess , although committed . or . yeers ago , thou must look upon it as if it were now presently committed , and be humbled as much before the lord as if it were now committed at this present ; you will say , why so ? because god is an eternal god ? yes : for if i understand gods eternity , i know that there is no succession in gods being ; therefore the sins that i committed in my youth , if i come to confess them , they are before god as if they were now a doing in regard of time , and therefore i must ( as much as i can ) look so upon them , and be humbled for them as if they were sins lately committed . many people are troubled for their sins the very day after they commit them , but a little time wears off their trouble : but if you did consider that you had to deal with an eternal god , then you would look upon your sins though a long time since committed as if they were but now done . likewise there will be this required from the consideration of gods eternity , you must come with such a disposition of heart as not to think much , though what you desired be deferred and not granted in your time when you would have it . for if there be no time that alters with god , but a thousand yeers are with god as one day , then that that we account long before it s done , it is nothing with god ; and therefore we must have our hearts so work towards god as towards an eternal god , as one with whom there is no alteration of time at all , with whom there is no succession of time . if we come to a man and seek any thing of him , if he doth not answer us presently , we will think that he will forget it , and other things will come into his mind : but when we come to worship god , we must look upon him as an eternal being , and that time alters nothing with him : thus understanding god in a right way wil much help us in his worship , and to sanctifie his name . we cannot sanctifie gods name , without knowing his name , without having serious thoughts about his name ; and getting our hearts to work accordingly . . thirdly , look upon god when you come to worship him in his comprehensible being : that is , as a god that fils all places , his being is real in the room that we are praying in , the place that we are meeting in , as it is in heaven . now then when we come to worship him , we must consider that that infinite glorious being stands before us , looks upon us , is at our elbow ; and therefore especially when you worship in secret consider this , it is good to consider it when you are with others , but especially ( i say ) consider it when you are in secret , and know that when you are most private , you have one that looks on you , and takes notice of you , who is more than if you had ten hundred thousand witnesses standing by you , and looking upon you : for it is the lord that stands by you , and sees your behavior , sees what you do in your worshiping of him ; take heed therefore that there be nothing done by you that is unbeseeming the presence of such a god as the lord is : suppose that some of you were praying , and there were some godly able minister stood neer you , it would be some means to stir up your hearts to mind what you did : but now the lord he is not in the next room only , but in the same room , and stands by you : let there be nothing done therefore unbeseeming the presence of that infinite holy god that stands by you ; and hold this truth forth , the lord is present with me , i acknowledg it , and i own it , and therefore i carry my self thus , and all because i would witness to angels and men , that i do acknowledg that the lord is present with me in this duty . . fourthly , consider god is an unchangable god , immutable . that is another attribute of god ; he is unchangeable . first , therefore our hearts must be taken off from these mutable things , and set upon god as that unchangable good . secondly , we must be humbled for our fickleness , and unconstantness ; there is no shadow of change in god , and there is no shadow of constancy in us . thirdly , when we come into the presence of a god who is unchangable , then we should look upon god as being the same now that ever he was heretofore ; he hath as much displeasure against sin now as ever he had , and that god that hath done such great things for his church in former times , is the same god to do good to his people as ever he was . and make use of this ; when you reade the word , and there find how god hath made himself appear to be glorious for his people ; and now every time i am to worship god , i should think that i am to deal with god that is the same that ever he was , a merciful , and gracious , and just , and powerful as ever he was , and so my heart is to work towards him . . fiftly , when i am to worship god , i am to look upon him as the living god , as that god that hath life in himself , and gives life unto his creatures . then what sutable behavior doth become me ? i must come before his presence with fear ; it is a fearful thing to fall into his hands that is the living god ; that hath my life under his feet , he hath the absolute dispose of my present and eternal condition , he gave me my life , he hath preserved my life , and so may take it away when he pleases , and bring death , eternal death unto me . these things may marvelously help your meditation when you are to come before him , you who are barren in your meditations , go over the attributes of god thus , and consider what you may be able to draw from thence . god , he is the living god : what behavior then doth beseem me towards this living god ? oh let me be afraid lest my soul depart from the living god : let me bring a living service to him , i must not bring a dead heart ; let me take heed how i come before the living god with a dead heart , and with a dead service , to sacrifice that which is dead before it comes , it 's like a carrion that lies dead in the ditch . oh let us be humbled for our dead hearts , and dead sacrifices ; it is a living god that i am worshiping , and therefore i must pray , lord turn away mine eyes from beholding vanity , and quicken my heart in thy law , psal . . . remember when thou comest to worship , that thou come with a quikned heart , for thou hast to deal with a living god : a man or woman that is of an active spirit , cannot endure a dull and heavy servant in the family ; but the lord is a pure act , and nothing else but act , and therefore he doth expect that all his people should have quick , active , and lively spirits . , when you come to worship god ; you are to look upon him as almighty . and so are , first , to fear his great power when you come before him. and secondly : then you are not to be discouraged by any difficulties . i come to seek for some great thing , and i come to seek to a great god , that hath all power in heaven and earth , and infinitely more power than there is in all creatures in heaven and earth ; i am praying to a god that can create peace , create help : my condition cannot be so desperate , but this infinite almighty god is able to help me : let me make him the object of my faith as he is so infinitely almighty : what a full object of faith is this god that hath all power in him ? let me therefore come to him as a strong tower ; run to the name of god as a strong tower , that can help in all straights whatsoever . there would be much drawing forth of our faith : if we could present the lord before us as an infinite almighty god : when we see outward helps and means neer at hand , then we can beleeve that we may have some succour from him , but when all outward helps and means fail then we are discouraged ; we do not sanctifie gods name , but we rather take this name of god in vain , when as our hearts are discouraged with any difficulties ; now the lord expects that all his children that come to worship him , should worship him as the almighty god , and so have their hearts working towards him ; there would be mighty workings of spirit towards god , if we saw him by the eye of faith as well as reason . . look upon god as an omniscient god , as a god infinitely understanding all things . now what doth this call for ? first , if god be a god of infinite understanding , then let not me bring a blind sacrifice to god , then let not me bring an ignorant heart to god ; this is the excellency of an understanding creature to know the rule and end of its own actions ; now thou comest to worship an infinite god , of infinite understanding , then know the rule of what you do , and know the end of what you do , and come with understanding in his presence . secondly , if he be so understanding , come with a free open heart , to open whatsoever is in thine heart to god ; take heed of keeping any secret resolutions in thine own heart , god knows thee , and can tell how to find thee out ; god knows all that is in thine heart before ; all the secret baseness that is in thine heart , the lord doth understand it , the lords eye is a piercing eye , he sees thorow and thorow thy heart . it 's a vain thing for thee to come and conceal any thing before him. you will say , if god understand a mans heart , what need he come and confess ? yes : he requires it as thy duty that thou shouldest come and open all before him : in spight of thy heart thou canst not cover any thing from the lords eyes ; but the lord will see whether thou beest willing of thy self that he should understand al : god doth not require us to come and confess our sins , that so he might know that which he knew not before , but for this end , that there might be a testimony , that thou art willing that he should know all that is in thy heart ; therefore now when thou comest to worship him , ransack every corner of thy heart , and confess all before the lord , and give glory to his name , as that god that is an all-seeing god , that knows all the windings and turnings of thy heart : now meditate of these things that be presented to thee , and it will be a mighty means to help thee to sanctifie his name . . god is a god of infinite wisdom , therefore when we come to worship god , let us be ashamed of our folly : when thou comest to have to deal with god , look upon him as a god of infinite wisdom , and i say be thou ashamed of thy folly then , and do thou exercise the grace of wisdom too when thou comest to god ; that is , by propounding right ends ( of which we spake before ) that is one part of wisdom to have right ends , and right means towards those ends , so that the meditation of the wisdom of god when we come to worship him will further us to sanctifie his name . and further ; this is to sanctifie gods wisdom , when thou comest into gods presence , in thy greatest straights , deny thy own wisdom , come with a resolution to be guided by the wisdom of god , in this manner , lord , i know not how to order my steps , there is much folly and vanity in my heart , but thou art a god of infinite wisdom , i come to thee for direction , and i profess here , i am willing to give up my whol soul to be guided by thy wisdom . if every time we come to worship god we came thus ; oh lord , whatsoever our thoughts have been heretofore , yet if thou shalt but reveal thy mind to us , we will hearken to thee , lord , we beleeve that thy wisdom it is thy self , and therefore we profess to give up our selves to thy wisdom . now this is to sanctifie the name of god. . consider the holiness of god ; god is a god infinitely pure from all sin , and therefore when we come to worship god , we must be ashamed of our holiness , as the prophet in isa . , when he heard the seraphins cry , holy , holy , holy , is the lord of hosts , he fals down and saith , wo is me , for i am undone , because i am a man of unclean lips . and is god a holy god ? then let me take heed when i come before him , that i bring not with me a love to any sin , for the lord hates it , and let me take heed that i do not cast dirt in the very face of gods holiness , but give up my soul to be rul'd wholly by him : and labor that there may be a sutableness between the holiness of thy heart , and of the infinite god. now this is to sanctifie gods name , when the consideration of this attribute of god hath such effect upon my heart , that i labor upon this to come with a sutable heart before god. . when thou comest before god , consider that thou comest to a merciful god : and what should this work ? first , it should make me come joyfully into his presence , as a god that is willing to do good to his poor creatures that are in misery . secondly , it should make me to come with a heart sensible of the need of this mercy ; o lord , i have had my heart let out to other vain things heretofore , but now lord , thy mercy it is that my soul comes for , as that wherein my chief and only good consists . thirdly , it should make me come with expectation of great things from god ; do not come unto god as unto an empty vine , but as unto a full vine , and the more thy faith is raised to expect great things from god , the more acceptable art thou to god : certainly the higher any ones faith is raised when they come into his presence , to expect the greatest things , the more acceptable . it is otherwise with god than men , if you come to men to beg a little thing , you may be welcome , but if you come to ask a great matter , they will look askew upon you : but the truth is , the greater the things are that we come to god for , the more welcome are we into gods presence ; and those that are acquainted with god they know it , and therefore they come the more fully . when they come to ask jesus christ himself and his spirit that is more worth than ten thousand worlds , they come with more freedom of spirit than when they come to ask their healths , and the like . fourthly , it will be likewise another means of sanctifying this attribute of god ; when thou comest to him : if thou doest come with a merciful heart towards thy brethren : take heed whensoever you come to worship god , that you come not with a rugged and cruel heart towards any of your brethren ; therefore you find that christ laies this upon you , in teaching how to pray , you most say , forgive us our trespasses , as we forgive our brethren that trespass against us : and you find it repeated again , if you forgive , then your heavenly father will forgive , and not otherwise . as if christ should say , when you come to beg mercy , be sure you bring merciful hearts . fifthly , it is a good way to sanctifie the name of god in this attribute , for the soul to be solicitous with it self : what is that that will hinder me from the mercy of god , and let me avoid it ? it is otherwise , a taking of the name of god in vain , for me to come to profess what need i have of gods mercy , and yet for al that , never regard to avoid those things that may hinder the work of his grace upon me . consider the justice of god , ( that 's another attribute ) consider that thou hast to deal with an infinite , righteous and just god : do not think that if thou beest a beleever , that thou hast nothing to do with the justice of god , for certainly thou art to sanctifie the justice of god. now you will say , how should a beleever sanctifie the justice of god ? thus : first , he should be apprehensive and sensible , how by sin he hath put himself under justice , and deserved the stroke of justice to be upon him to eternity ; he should consider what he is in himself : it 's true , that jesus christ hath come between a beleeving soul and the justice of the father , and hath taken the stroke of justice upon himself : yea , but though he hath done it it doth not hinder but that thou shouldst be apprehensive of what thou hast deserved thy self . secondly , here is a special thing in the sanctifying of the justice of god : when we come before him we should consider that we have to deal with an infinite just god , and therefore not to dare to come but through a mediator ; here you have the reason why we must tender up all in the name of jesus christ , because when we are to come before god , we are to sanctifie the name of his justice : for thee to think thus , i have sinned , and god is merciful ; and i will go and pray to him that he might be merciful , and there 's an end . is this all ? oh no , god requires the sanctifying of his justice , and there is nothing that doth sanctifie his justice so much as this , that when a poor creature sees the infinite distance that sin hath made between that infinite god and it , it sees that though sin , it hath made its self liable to justice ; and when it sees that there is an absolute necessity that infinit justice must have satisfaction , and thinks the sinner , if it comes to me that i must satisfie the justice of god i am never able to do it , but there is a mediator , and therefore i 'le fly to him , and by faith tender up to the father all the merits of his son as a full satisfaction to his infinite justice : when thou comest thus before the lord , thou sanctifiest his name indeed . many think that when they come to pray , they should look upon gods grace , and mercy , and not upon his justice ; but thou must look upon both . another attribute , it is gods faithfulness : consider thou hast to deal with a god of infinite truth , and faithfulness , and therefore look upon him as an object of thy faith to rest upon , and likewise thou must bring a faithful heart sutable some way to this faithfulness of god , that is , a heart faithful with him , to keep within the covenant that thou hast entered into and to perform all the vows that thou makest with god ; remember thou hast to deal with a faithful god , and as the lord delights to manifest his righteousness to poor creatures that seek his face ; so this god doth expect that thou shouldest be faithful in all the covenants that thou doest make with him , and this is to sanctifie gods name . now then put all these attributes of god together , and there you have his glory , the infinitness of his glory . the shine and lustre of all the attributes together is gods glory . i have then to deal with a glorious god , and let me labor to perform such services as may have a spiritual glory upon them , that some image of the divine lustre that there is in god may be upon my services ; and let me look for glorious things seeing i have to deal with such a glorious god. you will say , here is a great deal of do in serving of god , how much is here that we must do ? i appeal to any gratious heart , what canst thou want of any of these , or what wouldest thou want ? doest thou say , her 's a great deal ? can there be too much to make thee happy ? these things are not only thy duty , but thy happiness , glory and excellency consists in them : if any one should bring you a great many jewels and pearls , would you say , here 's a great deal ado ? oh no , the more the merrier . so say i , this one meditatiion would take off the thoughts of a deal , for in all these my happiness consists , and the more i have of these , the more shall i enjoy of god , the more happy shall i be both here and for ever . now i had thought to have given you some reasons why the name of god must be sanctified ; only i beseech you by all that hath been said go away with this thought , what little cause is there that any of us should rest upon any of our duties ; if this be required of us thus to sanctifie the name of god in duty , ( i say ) we have little cause any of us to rest on any duties that we perform . there are many poor creatures that have no other saviors to rest upon but their prayers , and coming to church , and taking the communion ; now if in all these the lord expects that thou shouldst thus sanctifie his name : thou hast little cause to rest upon any thing that thou hast done , thou hast cause rather to go alone and mourn for taking the name of god in vain in the duties of his worship : rest not in any of your performances ; labor to perform duties as well as you can , but when you have done , know that you are unprofitable servants after all , and renounce all as in the point of justification , and rest upon something else , otherwise you are undone for ever . sermon vii . leviticus , . . i will be sanctified in them that come nigh me . wee are coming now to the conclusion of this great argument of sanctifying gods name in holy duties for the general . god expects that we should all in our drawings neer to him in the duties of worship , sanctifie his name . now we are to consider of divers reasons why god will be sanctified in all the duties of his worship . . the first reason is this , it is the very nature of god to will himself the last end , and all other things to work sutable to the lifting up of himself as the last end : ( i say ) it is as essential to him as any thing , for him to will himself as the highest end , and that all things should work so as to be sutable unto that glory of his for the furtherance of it : god should cease to be god , if so be he should not will himself as the highest end , and so will that all things that have any being should some way or other work for himself : this is the very nature of god. it is that which i conceive the very nature of gods holiness consists in , the willing himself as the last end and so to work al things as sutable unto his own infinit excellency . now as this is gods holiness , so it is the holiness that god requires in his creatures ( that are capable of holiness ) that they should will him as the last end , and all things sutable to that infinite excellency of his. now if this be the nature of god , and this be his holiness , then certainly it must needs be a necessary duty in al those that would have cōmunion with god and would honor god , to wil as god himself doth will , that is , that all things should work sutable to the infinite excellency of god , that god may attain the glory of his infinite excellency , and this makes it to be a necessarie dutie , that when we come to worship him we should sanctifie his name : so that the first reason is taken from the very nature of god , it is the very being of god that all things should work to himself , and in such a sutable way as to lift up his excellency and glory . . secondly , we must sanctifie god in the duties of his worship , because it is the special glory that god hath in the world , to be actively honored ; for his passive glory , that is , to be glorified in a passive way , that he hath in hell , but the special glory that god would have , it is , that he might be glorified actively : now there is no such way of glorifying the name of god actively , as by worshiping of him in a holy manner , and therefore god stands much upon this , that when we come to worship him we sanctifie his name ; for saith god , if i be not sanctified in my worship , what active glory have i in the world ? it is the special active glory that god hath in the world , the sanctifying of his name in the duties of his worship . . thirdly , that which we have intimated before , that the duties of gods worship are the most precious things , the special conveyances of the choice mercies that he intends to bestow on his saints , and therefore though he loses his glory in any thing else , he would not lose it in that wherein he doth especially convey his mercy and goodness to his people . but that we spake too in shewing how we draw nigh to god in holy duties , and it may well come in here again as an argument why we should sanctifie gods name . . a fourth reason is this , because there is no way for us to be fitted for the receiving of mercy from god through those duties of worship , but by our sanctifying of gods name ; when thou comest at any time to worship god , what wouldest thou have ? there it some communion that thou wouldest enjoy with god , now there is no way to make thee a fit subject of mercy , or capable of the enjoying of communion with god , but by such a behavior of soul as this is that hath been spoken of , to sanctifie the name of god ; thou wouldest be loth to lose those duties of worship that thou doest perform , therefore it is required of thee to sanctifie his name lest thou doest lose all , for 't is this that makes thee the only capable subject of what good is to be had there . . we must sanctifie gods name in holy duties , because otherwise we should certainly never hold out in duties , but vanish and come to nothing ; now god would be worshiped so by his creatures , as to be constantly worshiped , he would have those that do worship him , to worship him alwaies , to worship him for ever , and he would have this worship that we perform to him , but to be the begining of that eternal worship that he shall have from us in heaven . and so the saints do worship god now , the worship which they perform , it is but as the beginning of that worship that hereafter in heaven they shall tender up to god , though there may be some difference in it , as there our prayers will be turned into praises , and it will not be in such outward ordinances as now we worship god in , there will be no preaching , nor sacraments ; yet notwithstanding , the soul worship that is now , will be in effect the same as it shall be in heaven . god would have us so to worship him as to continue to worship him : now ( i say ) ●nless his name b● sanctified in our worshiping of him , we will certainly fall off : and the truth is , this is the very ground of all apostacie in hypocrites ; some that have been very forward in the worshiping of god when they were young ones , and afterwards they have fallen off , they were wont constantly in their families , and in secret in their chambers to be worshiping of god , and they accounted it the very joy of their lives for the present to be worshiping of god ; but it is not so with them now as it was : yea , they are fallen off ( it may be ) from their very profession of religion , and turn'd loose ; and now to be in vain company , to drink or play , is better to them than any service of worship of god , they prize more to be in company with their sports , than to hear a sermon , or to be in communion with the people of god in prayer : heretofore they would not have changed one short time of private communion with god , for the enioyment of a great deal of pleasures and content in the world ; but now it is otherwise with them . how comes it to pass that these are apostatized thus from god ? surely this is the ground of it , that they did not sanctifie gods name in holy duties , at the most it was but a work of conscience that put them upon them , and they had but some flashes , there was no real sanctification of their hearts whereby they did sanctifie the name of god in holy duties , and upon this it is that they have left off . this i dare say , that there was never any soul that did know what it was to sanctifie gods name in worship , that ever was weary of worshiping god. it may be some of you may say , we have hard that there is much required in sanctifying gods name in duties , and that is the only way to weary the soul , and to make it fall off ; oh no , ( as we said the last day ) there is not any one thing that hath been opened for the sanctifiing of gods name in duties that any gracious heart can tell how to miss , and the more we do sanctifie his name , the more we shall be in love with worship . for it is from hence that those that sanctifie gods name in worship will hold out , because they will find the sweetness of worship , they will meet with god in holy duties , and so they come to be encouraged in worship , but as for others who do worship god in a formal way , their worship will prove to be tedious to them , for they perform the duties , but do not find god in the duties in that spiritual way as the saints do ; if they think they meet with god , it is but an imagination rather than any real meeting with him ; they do not find the influence of god in their souls in holy duties , so as those do that sanctifie gods name in holy duties ; here then you see the reasons why we are to sanctifie gods name in holy duties . now then for the application of all this . . if all this which you have be required of us for the sanctifying of gods name : hence we see how little cause we have to rest upon any duty of worship that we do perform , certainly the duties of worship that we perform are no such things as are fit to be rested upon for life and for salvation , and yet for the most part there is scarce any thing that people have to rest upon , or to tender up to god for acceptation to eternal life but only their prayers , and their coming to hear , and receiving of the communion , and such duties that they perform ; this is al they have to tender up for life and for salvation ; perhaps they may sometimes speak of christ , but the truth is that which their hearts rest upon for acceptation to eternal life is this . and is it but this ? it is a weak prop , a rotten reed that thou hast to rest upon ; let the duties of worship be performed never so well ; suppose we did sanctifie gods name to the uttermost that is possible for any creature to do in this world , yet such duties are not to be rested upon : abraham , isaac , and jacob , and the apostles , the most holy men that ever did preform duties in the most holy manner , yet wo to them if they have nothing to rest upon but their duties ; consider therefore of this , that what thou must rest upon for acceptation to eternal life , it must be that which must have so much worth in it , as must satisfie for all thy sins that formerly thou hast committed , yea , and for all the sins that ever thou shalt commit . now i appeal unto any ones conscience , is that which thou performest , is prayer , or receiving the sacrament , or hearing of the word , such a work as in thy conscience thou canst think , it hath so much worth in it , as to satisfie god for all the sins that ever thou didest or shalt commit ? i am preswaded if people that have rested upon duties heretofore , would but seriously have this thought in their minds , that i must rest upon nothing for my acceptation for life and salvation , but that that must have such worth in it , as to satisfie god for all my sins that ever have been committed , or shall be committed ; this would take them off for ever from resting in duties . yea , and it must be such as must be the object of the infinite holiness of god to take content in , surely the duties that we perform are no such duties to rest upon : the truth is , if we would seriously consider what they are , at they come from us , we would even abhor our selves in dust and ashes , and account of them as the prophet speaks of his own righteousness , as menstruous cloathes , they are such as if god should deal with us , as justly he may do , he might cast them and us to the dogs , for they are ( as the prophet saith ) torn and rent sacrifices ; now if a man in the time of the law should bring to the lord a sacrifice that was all torn and rent before he brought it , would such a sacrifice have been accepted ? all the duties we preform as they come from us they are such ; we reade in exod. . . concerning such things as were torn and rent , that they should cast them to the dogs , ye shall be holy men unto me ( saith he , verse ult ) neither shall ye eat any flesh that is torn of beasts in the field , ye shall cast it to the dogs , because ye are holy men unto me . must the people of israel manifest their holiness in this , that they must eat nothing torn by beasts , but cast it unto dogs ? or was the holiness of the people of israel such , as god required them , that they must eat nothing that was torn by beasts ? what then is the holiness of the infinite god ? our services that we perform are of themselves such as are torn by our beastly lusts many times : how many are there that bring sacrifices to god that are as carrion that swine have been tearing beforehand ? and yet these are the sacrifices that they bring to god , and not only think that god should accept of them , but they do rest upon them for their acceptation to eternal life . how infinitely are these people mistaken ! how little do they know of god , or of the way of acceptation to eternal life ! that is the first use . secondly , if all this be required for the sanctifying of gods name in duties , that we cannot perform the duties of worship without this behavior of soul ; hence we see that the work of religion is a hard and difficult work to flesh and blood . a main work of religion is , the work of worshiping of god ; for indeed , those that are not religious and godly , they never worship god to any purpose : then we come to worship god when we begin to be religious and godly . now it must needs be a busie work to be a religious and a godly man , because there is so much required in the sanctifying of gods name in holy duties : many people think it a very easie matter to worship god , and the worship that they tender up to god is an easie matter , there is little in it . if it were nothing else to worship god but meerly to go and say a few prayers , and come and hear a sermon , and take a piece of bread and wine , then it were the easiest matter in the world to come and worship god ; but there is more required in the duties of gods worship than thou hast been acquainted with , there is a power of godliness in it . that text of scripture is a very famous one , that shews the difficulty that there is in the worship of god , and how men are mistaken in thinking it such an easie and slight matter to worship god ; it is in josh . . . . where joshua doth call upon the people to worship god , and they came off presently , and said , they would worship him ( so you shall find them profess , verse . ) but mark what the text saith in verse . and joshua said unto the people , ye cannot serve the lord , for he is an holy god , he is a jealous god , and he will not forgive your transgressions and your sins . as if he should say , you think it is nothing to serve the lord , and that it is an easie matter to serve him , you think to put off god with any thing : alas you cannot serve the lord , for he is a holy god , and is a jealous god , and you must have other manner of hearts than yet you have , and you must understand his worship in another manner than yet you do : the lord will be sanctified in those that draw nigh him , and therefore until you understand god , and his waies and worship , you cannot serve the lord. know , that the work of religion is a very hard and difficult work , for it requireth all this , and therefore the soul had need to be very diligent and laborious that would come to worship god in a right way . thirdly , hence it is an use of humiliation to us all , even to the best of us ; oh how little ! how little hath the best of us all sanctified the name of god! how far have we all come short of the sanctifying of gods name in holy duties ! and when we look abroad in the world , and see what poor service god hath generally from the men and women of the earth , it should make our hearts bleed within us : where almost is the man or woman that according to that text in isaiah , stirs up himself to take hold on god ? and i verily beleeve that in the opening of this point , of sanctifying of the name of god in holy duties , that i have been in the bosoms of as many , as in the opening of any point whatsoever ; and as many may have cause to lay their hands upon their hearts , and say , certainly i have come short of what is required here , and have not been acquainted with this way , this mystery of godliness , of sanctifying of gods name in holy duties as i ought to be : oh be humbled for this , for all the uncleaness of your hearts in the performance of holy duties . exod. . , . you reade , that at the altar where the sacrifices were to be offered , the lord required that there should be a grate made . thou shalt make for it ( meaning the altar ) a grate of net-work of brass , and upon the net shalt thou make four brasen rings in the four corners thereof , and thou shalt put it under the compass of the altar beneath , that the net may be even to the middest of the altar . there was ( as it were ) a grate for the ashes of the altar to go thorow : as you have grates in your fires to make them burn cleer , and for the ashes to fall down ; so the lord would have such a grate for the ashes of the altar to fall down : we had need of such a grate . oh the ashes , dirt , and filth that there is in our services when we come to offer and tender them up to god! so that we have cause ( i say ) to be humbled for holy offerings . there be many godly people that through gods mercy , are able to keep from gross sins , they do not find it any great matter to keep from company , swearing , drinking , uncleanness , lying , or wronging of others , and such kind of sins as those are , so that they see not such need of humiliation in this regard , unless it be for that their natures be as corrupt as any though they break not forth into those actual gross sins , but the main work of the humiliation of those that are godly , it is , to be humbled for their thoughts , for the mispending of time , and for not sanctifying of gods name in holy duties ; those are the main things that are the subject of the humiliation of the saints , beside the body of sin and death that they carry about with them . and it would be a good sign that thy heart hath some tenderness in it when thou makest these to be the matter of thy humiliation : carnal people are little troubled for these , if they fall into such sins as that their consciences do fly in their faces , then they are troubled and humbled ; but for such things as these are , they are seldom humbled : to be humbled for thy holy offerings is a good sign of a gracious heart . we reade of cherubims that they had six wings , and with two of their wings ( the text saith ) they covered their faces : so my brethren , we had need have wings ( as it were ) to cover our best duties : they had wings , and with two they covered their legs , and with two their faces ; we had need , not only of a covering for our lower parts & meaner duties but a covering for our holy duties , to cover our faces , our best duties of all , the most heavenly duties we perform had need be purged by the blood of christ : in levit. . . we reade of their holy things , that there was need of purging them by blood ; and so it should be in our holy duties . let us be humbled for our best performance that ever we performed in our lives : the best had need be so . but then as for others that have made little or no conscience of sanctifying of gods name , how had they need be humbled ? thou hast something more to repent of than thou thoughtest of ; for the truth is , those that have not made conscience of sanctifying of gods name in holy duties , they never in all their lives did any service for the honor of god ; thou hast lived perhaps thirty or fourty , it may be sixty years or more , and didst never yet honor god in any one thing that ever thou didst in all thy life . you will say , god forbid : have not i prayed , and heard the word much , and received the communion often , and yet have i never honored god ? if thou hast not been acquainted with this mystery of godliness in sanctifying his name in these things , this is said from god to thee this morning , that thou hast never done any one action to the honor of god : thou hadst need begin presently for thy time is not long , and wilt thou go out of this world , and the name of god never to be honored by thee : yea , and further , thou hast lost all thy duties , all the time hath been lost that thou hast been in performance of duties : now it is an ill thing to idle away time in the things of the world ; when a man hath an opportunity for to gain in the world , if so be he loses his time and neglects it , we account it a very sad thing to him ; but now to lose our trading-time for heaven ( for the times of the worshiping of god are our trading times for heaven ) that 's sad indeed : and yet thou that makest not conscience of sanctifying the name of god in holy duties , all the time thou hast spent is lost . and yet further , you that have been false in the performing of duties , and hypocrites , not only all your pains and labor is quite lost ( for if that were so it might be well with you ) but you have aggravated your sins by your holy duties . those duties that others have enjoyed communion with god in , and furthered their eternal life by , thou hast aggravated thy sins by them , yet it was thy duty to do them ; but i say , by not sanctifying of gods name , thou hast aggravated thy sins so much the more . as those that are godly , they work out their salvation , even in their natural actions they sanctifie gods name , in eating and drinking , and following their business : they perform those actions in such a holy manner , as they honor god in them , and further their eternal peace ; but as they in their natural and civil actions work out their salvation ; so thou in the very religiousest actions dost work out thy damnation : certainly wicked men that are not acquainted with this work of godliness , to sanctifie gods name in holy duties , they work out their damnation even in the performance of them . you will say , then they had better not do them . yes , they are bound to do them ; but they are bound to do them in a right manner ; as sometimes i have given you this instance , and it is a ful and a cleer one , to shew that men are bound to perform holy duties , and not to leave them undone , and yet they may further their own damnation while they are doing of them : as for example , if so be that a prince should appoint a man to come into his presence such a day to petition for his life , which he hath forfeited by the law , if he do not come he may be a dead man : but now , if this man be drunk on that day , and come drunk into the kings presence , he may be a dead man too , for presuming to come drunk before him : so wicked and ungodly men , whether they worship or worship not , they are in danger to perish . but of this more when we come to shew that god will be sanctified . in the fourth place , here is an use of exhortation , that seeing we have this truth thus presented to us , and opened before us ; oh that we had hearts to apply our selves now to it with all our might , to seek to sanctifie the name of god when we draw nigh to him ! the lord hath shewen thee what it is that he requires of thee ; make conscience of it for time to come , thou doest not know what blessed communion thou mayest have with god if thou doest make conscience of this , the truth is , if you have not been acquainted with this , you have not been acquainted with the way of a christian in his enjoyment of communion with god , thou doest not know what the comfort of a christian life means ; do but make tryal of this for time to come , and thou wilt find more comfort in the waies of godliness , and more thriving in them in one quarter of a yeer than thou hast done before in seven yeers , one christian that keeps close to god in holy duties , and sanctifies the name of god in them , ( i say ) finds more comfort with god , and grows on in godliness more in one quarter of a yeer , than the other doth in seven yeers that goes on in an ordinary , dull , and formal way in the performance of the duties of worship : some there are in our time that cry out of duties , and what need we trouble our selves so much ? those that know not how to sanctifie gods name they think lightly of them ; but now do you apply your selves fully ( as you are able ) to this that i am speaking of , and you will find your selves to be ( as it were ) in another world , you will be able to say , well , i have not yet understood what it was to enjoy communion with god in prayer , in word , and in sacraments before ; this will make your faces shine in your conversations if you would do it ; and now to that end that you may do it , there are these two or three things that i would propound to you . . in the first place , learn to know god more , with whom you have to do , and present those things that you have heard before you in your meditations , when as you are to come to god in prayer , or in any other duty , and when you are worshiping of god , remember that you have to do with god and none else . you are every time you come to perform holy duties to be as a man or woman separated from all things . valerius maximus tels a story of a yong noble-man that attended upon alexander while he was sacrificing , this noble-man held his censer for incense , and in the holding of it , there fell a coal upon his flesh and burnt it so , as the very scent of it was in the nostrils of all that were about him , and because he would not disturb alexander in his service , he resolutely did not stir to put of the fire from him , but holds still his censer . if heathens made such ado in their sacrificing to their idol-gods , that they would mind it so , as no disturbance must be made what ever they endured : what care should we have then of our selves when we come to worship the high god ? and so josephus he reports of the priests that were sacrificing in the temple when pompey brake in to them with armed men , and though they might have fled and saved their lives , yet they would not leave off their sacrificing , but were slain by the soldiers : they did so mind it as a matter of great consequence . oh that we could mind the duties of gods worship as matters of great moment , that so we might learn to sanctifie the name of god in the performance of them more than ever we have done . . when thou comest to worship , take heed thou doest not come in thine own strength . for there is more required in sanctifying the name of god than thy strength is able to carry thee on in , and therefore act thy faith upon jesus christ every time thou comest to worship god , not only as i said before , to tender up thy services in his name , but act thy faith upon christ to give thee strength to do what thou hast to do . and what strength thou hast received from christ be sure to stir it up : many godly men and women have more strength than they know of themselves ; and if they would but stir up that strength that they have received , they might sanctifie the name of god a great deal more than they do . therfore remember that text before mentioned , none stirs up himself to take hold on god : quicken up thy heart , and rouze up thy spirit when thou art to worship god. . when ever thou art worshiping of god , do not satisfie thy self meerly in the duty done , but consider , do i sanctifie gods name in the duty ? every time thou worshipest him , examine thy heart , whether thou doest it , yea , or no. and if thou findest that thou hast not attained in some comfortable measure to this that hath been presented to thee , let the shame and the sorrow for that abide upon thy spirit until the next time thou comest to worship god ; at such a time i have been worshiping of god , and god knows i have been stirring up my heart in some measure ; but i find my heart dead , wandring , sluggish , and dull ; i say , when thou findest thou canst not do it according to what is required in any comfortable measure , let the shame and sorrow of heart for it abide upon thee till the next time thou comest to worship god , and that will mightily help thee : thou art now praying , and thou canst not now get up thy heart to what is required ; the next time thou comest to prayer , come in the shame and sorrow of thy heart for the want of sanctifying gods name the last time : and so for hearing of the word , or receiving the sacraments . and this will further thee mightily for the sanctifying the name of god in holy duties . but now that all may be sealed up unto you , and so that we may close the point , know , that god will be sanctified in those that do draw nigh to him. and there are these two things in the point . first , if we do not sanctifie gods name , god will sanctifie his name in a way of justice . secondly , if we do sanctifie his name , then he will sanctifie his name in a way of mercy towards us . for the first , god will manifest that he is displeased with such duties that thou doest perform , he will manifest it one way or other that he is a holy god , and he doth not accept of such unholy things as thou doest tender up to him ; for the truth is , if god should accept of such unholy things from men , god may be said to be like unto themselves . as a man if he doth entertain any as his familiar friend that is naught and wicked , it is his disgrace and dishonor ; a man may sometimes imploy in some business those that are naught and wicked , and it may be no disgrace to him , but if he doth entertain one in his house that is wicked , it is a dishonor to him : so god may imploy the most wicked men in the world in some outward services , but if he should accept of them in his worship , it would be a dishonor to god , and therefore god that he might sanctifie his own name , he will manifest his displeasure at one time or other against such duties of worship ; you that perform worship in a formal manner , and with unclean vile hearts ; i say , it stands upon the honor of god , if he will manifest himself a holy god , he must manifest some displeasure against that way of thy worshiping of him : this one meditation one would think , should mightily sink into the heart of any man that hath an enlightned conscience , to think thus , it stands upon the holiness of god , and he cannot appear to be a holy god except he doth some way or other appear to be against me in such duties that i tender up unto him . now you will say , how doth god appear , that he doth not accept of them ? he will appear in these three things : . first , by blasting those that do worship him thus in a formal way : it shall at first be secret , but afterwards it will appear more apparantly , and we see it by experience , that such as have been professors of religion , and worship god in hypocrisie , and in formality , they have been blasted in their parts and common gifts . the judgment of god upon nadab and abihu that did not sanctifie gods name , it was secret at first ; it struck them dead , and though by fire , yet if you reade the story , you shall find that their cloathes were not burnt , and yet they were burnt in their bodies : so the lord sometimes doth blast men inwardly in their spirits , in their souls , in their parts , in their common gifts ; he blasts them ( i say ) inwardly though it doth not appear outwardly , yet at length it will appear before men that they are blasted ; and in these times of the gospel the lord doth come with spiritual judgments rather than with outward temporal judgments . in the time of the law , those that did not sanctifie the name of god in holy duties , the lord did appear by some external and visible way upon their bodies ; but now in the time of the gospel , there god comes with more spiritual judgments upon mens souls , and those are the most terrible judgments : we have a notable scripture for this in isa . . . how god doth blast those that do not sanctifie his name in holy duties . wherefore the lord said , forasmuch as this people draw neer me with their mouth , and with their lips do honor me , but have removed their heart far from me , and their fear towards me is taught by the precepts of men : mark what follows : therfore behold i wil proceed to do a marvelous work amongst this people , even a marvelous work and a wonder : for the wisdom of their wise men shall perish , and the understanding of their prudent men shall be hid . what do they come and draw neer me with their lips , and their hearts are far from me , and do they worship me in a formal way ? i 'le take away the wisdom from the wise , and the understanding from the prudent : and that is the reason why so many great scholers are blasted in their very parts , because they would worship god according to the precepts of men , in a formal way ; and so all hypocrites , and formal worshipers , the lord doth blast them in one way or other ; the judgments of god upon the spirits of men were sometimes in the time of the law ; but in the times of the gospel there we find generally the judgments of god to be more spiritual upon the hearts and consciences of men ; we find it by experience god doth discover that he doth not accept of such as those are ; and therefore when you see any that have made profession of religion , that had excellent parts at first , many common gifts , and now are as we say , no body ; remember this text , that god will be sanctified in those that come nigh him. secondly , the lord doth manifest that he will be sanctified in those that draw nigh him , by awaking their consciences many times upon their sick beds and death beds , the lord doth force them to give glory to him , and there to acknowledg that they did not worship god in uprightness but in formality . and now they are in horror of conscience and cry out in the anguish of their souls upon the apprehension of the dreadful wrath of god that is upon them : take heed for the lords sake of this thing , when you are performing of the duties of worship , do not rest in the outward duties for they will never comfort you upon your sick and death beds , you may perhaps put off your consciences a little for the present , but when you come upon your sick beds there will be no comfort unto you , and then you will be forced to say , wel , all this while i have but taken the name of god in vain , and now god hath rejected me and all my services ; and you will then speak to those that come about your beds side , and bid them take warning by you : take heed that when you worship god you worship him to purpose , i have spent time in prayer , and hearing ; but for want of this i find i have no comfort at all , but the lord appears to be terrible to my soul and comes out against me as an enemy . i say now gods name is sanctified : whatever becomes of thee , he will force glory from thee one way or other , and it may be even here in this time of thy life ; but however , at the great day , when the secrets of all hearts must be disclosed before men and angles , then the lord will appear to be a holy god by rejecting all such services that thou didest tender up to him , and it will then be a great part of the work of the day of judgment for god to be sanctified in those that did worship him ; by declaring before men and angels , how did he reject such formal and hypocritical worship that they did tender up unto him , oh that god would strike this upon your hearts that it may abide upon you every time you come to worship him , to think thus , let me look to it to sanctifie his name now , for i hear that god will sanctifie it himself if i do not do it . but then on the other side , if so be that thou makest conscience of sanctifying gods name in duties , then he will sanctifie his name in a way of mercy ; that is , he will manifest how he doth accept of the least degree of holiness though there be much mixture : god hath a way to take away the mixture by the blood of his son , and then to accept of any holiness he sees in thee , he will sanctifie his name by meeting with thee , and revealing his glory to thee when thou art worshiping of him : there is an excellent scripture for this , exod. . . there i will meet with the children of israel , and the tabernacle shall be sanctified by my glory . thou that hast a gracious heart , and art worshiping of god in sincerity , thou art as a tabernacle of god , and god hath his service and worship from thee , thou art as the temple of god , and there will i meet with thee ( saith god ) and i will sanctifie my tabernacle by my glory . god wil sanctifie thy heart by his glory , if thou dost sanctifie his name . further , thou shalt ( it may be ) not alwaies have such glorious comforts , the full beams of the sun rising upon thee , but at one time or other the lord will break in upon thee and manifest his glory to thee , and it 's like if thou hast not such full comforts now , yet upon thy sick bed , though god doth not then alwaies manifest himself fully , for sometimes the disease may be a hinderance , yet it is ordinary that those that in their constant way did sanctifie gods name in holy duties , they do lie comfortably upon their sick beds , and a glorious entrance is made for them into the everlasting kingdom of our lord and savior jesus christ . and then again , all things are sanctified unto them : as on the other side , those that do not sanctifie gods name , all things are cursed to them , if thou doest not make conscience of sanctifying gods name in duties , god cares not to sanctifie any thing for thy good : but now , those that make conscience of sanctifying gods name in holy duties , the lord takes care , that all things shall be sanctified for their good , for the surtherance of their eternal good . and however it be here , yet hereafter at the great day of judgment it will be a part of the glory of god to manifest before men and angels how he did accept of those holy services that thou didst tender up to him ; when hypocrites shall be cast away and abhor'd , and thou who hadst an upright sincere heart shalt be owned before god , and before men and angels at that great day : and god shall say , well , it is a part of the glory of my holiness to make it appear that i have accepted of these holy things , that these my poor servants have tendered up to me . and this now is of marvelous use for the comforting of a gracious heart : those duties that thou doest now think thou hast lost , and there will nothing come of them , thou shalt certainly hear of them another day , god will make it appear , there is nothing that he stands more upon than the glory of his holiness ; and it is the glory of his holiness that is thy strength in this thing , and that makes it certain to thee that there must be a manifestation of thy acceptance : and therefore take these truths into thy heart about sanctifying the name of god. you have had only the point in general opened to you : oh that the spirit of god would bring things unto your remembrance . sermon viii . leviticus , . . i will be sanctified in them that come nigh me . wee have ( as you may remember ) preached many sermons upon that point , of sanctifying the name of god in the duties of his worship : we have spoken unto the point in the general , the last day we finished it . i do not intend to look back to any thing that was said , but we are to proceed to shew how the name of god should be sanctified in the particular duties of his worship . now the duties of gods worship , are especially these three : . the hearing of the word . . receiving of the sacrament . . and prayer . other things come under worship , but yet these are the three chief duties of worship ; and i intend to speak to al these three , and to shew how we should sanctifie the name of god in drawing nigh unto him , in the word , sacrament , and prayer . we might chuse several texts for all these , but they fall full within the general , and therefore it shall be sufficient , for to ground the sanctifying of gods name in these duties of worship upon this text. . of sanctifying the name of god in the hearing of the word . that which we are to speak to this morning , it is the sanctifying of the name of god in the hearing of his word ; if you would have the ground of what we are to say concerning this in a particular scripture , you may have it in luke , . . take heed therefore how ye hear : it is not enough to come to hear the word , that is good , and no question but god is pleased with the willingness of people to come to hear his word , but you must not rest barely in hearing , but take heed how you hear . now this is a point of great consequence , and i hope it may do good , to help to make many sermons to be profitable to you , and the point ( i hope ) is seasonable , and will be very sutable unto you : for those that come to hear so soon in a morning , and are willing , even in hard weather , to come out of their beds , they give some good testimony that they do desire to honor god in their hearing , and to get good by their hearing ; and 't is pity that labor and pains should be bestowed , and no profit , but hurt rather got by it , which god forbid . therefore now i am to speak to a point that may help you so to hear , as may recompence all your labor and pains in hearing . in preaching to those that come to hear , so that they may get good and benefit by it , there is a great deal more encouragement than to such as come in a formal way because they use to come ; therfore this point being a great point , i shall open it somewhat largely , and cast into this method : first , i shall shew you , that the hearing of gods word is a part of the worship of god ; for otherwise i could not ground it upon my text . secondly , i shall shew you , how we are to sanctifie gods name in the hearing of his word , either in regard of preparation unto it , or our behavior in hearing of the word . thirdly , why it is that god will be sanctified in this ordinance of his . fourthly , how god will sanctifie himself in such as do not sanctifie his name in the hearing of his word . fifthly , how god will sanctifie his name in waies of mercy to those that are careful to sanctifie his name in the hearing of the word . these are the five principal things that concern this argument . for the first , that the hearing of gods word , it is a part of gods worship . you heard in the opening of the worship of god in the general , what it was ; i told you it was , a tendring up of the creatures homage to god , as testimony of the respect that the creature did owe to god ; now if that be the nature of worship , certainly the hearing of gods word it is a part of the worship of god : for , in the hearing of gods word we , first , do profess our dependance upon god for the knowing of his mind and the way to eternal life : every time we come to hear the word , if we know what we do , we do thus much , we do profess , that we do depend upon the lord god for the knowing of his mind , and the way and rule to eternal life ; we do as much as if we should say , lord , of our selves we neither know thee , nor the way and means how we should come to be saved , and therfore that we might testifie our dependance upon thee for this thing , we here present our selves before thee . now this is a testimony of the high respect we owe to god. secondly , the hearing of gods word is a part of his worship , because in it we come to wait upon god in the way of an ordinance , to have that good conveyed to us by way of an ordinance beyond what the thing in it self is able to do , and therfore 't is worship ; i wait upon god when i am hearing the word ( if i know what i do ) to have som spiritual good conveied to me beyond what there is in the means it self , this makes it worship . when i am busied in natural and civil actions , there i must profess , that these things can do me no good without god , but i do not wait upon god in an ordinance for the conveyance of natural good beyond what god hath put into the creature , 't is his blessing with it , that god in the ordinary course of his providence doth convey such natural or civil good in the use of those creatures : but now , when i come to hear his word , i here come to wait upon god in the way of an ordinance for the conveyance of some spiritual good that this ordinance hath not in it self ( take it materially ) but meerly as it hath an institution in it , and is appointed by god for the conveyance of such and such things . god doth appoint meat to nourish me , and together with his appointment he hath given a natural power to meat to nourish my body , that in an ordinary course of providence is enough for the nourishment of my body ; but now when i come to hear the word , i must look upon that not only as a thing appointed to work upon my soul , and to save my soul by , not as a thing that hath any efficacy put into it in a natural way as the other hath ; it is not the nature of the thing that carries such a power in it , but it is the institution of god , and the ordinance of god in it ; now then , when i come to wait upon god in an ordinance for the spiritual good that is beyond the vertue of any creature to convey to me , certainly i worship god , that is a speciall part of worship to wait upon god in this way ; therefore in these two respects , the hearing of gods word it is a part of the worship of god , and i beseech you remember these two things every time you come to hear . i come now to give a testimony that i am not able to understand god and the way to eternal life of my self , but i do depend upon god for the knowledg of it . and here i come to wait upon god for the conveyance of that good to my soul that is not in the power of any creature to convey : now i worship when i do these . but further ( you shall find it more plain when we come to open how we should sanctifie gods name in the hearing of his word ) this is divine service , as much as any service can be performed . heretofore our prelates and those kind of men , made all the worship of god to be in their divine service ( as they call'd it ) which was of their own inventions , and made light of the preaching or hearing of the word , but the word is a great part of that divine service that god requires of us in his worship , and in it you do tender up your homage to god ; you therefore must not only when you come to hear , think , i come to get something , i come to understand more than i did , and to hear such a mans parts , and the like , but remember you come to tender up your homage to god , to sit at gods feet and there to profess your subjection to him : that is one end of your coming to hear sermons . now then you will say , what should be done in the hearing gods word , so as gods name may be sanctified ? for that , as we opened in the general , that in the duties of gods worship , there must be preparation , and then an answerable behavior of the soul . so here , there must first be a preparation of the soul to this work , and then an answerable behavior of the soul in it . . there must be a preparation of the soul , so as when you come to hear , you may with all readiness receive the word : the soul must be made ready , in act. . . there it is said , these were more noble than those of thessalonica , in that they received the word with all readiness of mind : the word is , with all alacrity as well as readiness ; their minds were in a fit preparation to receive the word : and the text saith , they were more noble : the word that is translated more noble , it signifies better bred ; for i do not take this scripture as if it were meant only of men that were earls , or lords , that did thus receive the word with readiness , but they were of a more noble disposition , they were well bred men , so the greek word signifies . a man sometimes preaching to a company of rude people , that never had any good breeding , they will behave themselves rudely , they slight the word , and like the swine regard acorns rather than pearls : and the word is seldom so profitable to a company of rude people that have no breeding at all ; but now , there is more hopes to preach to men that have breeding ; men that are exercised in arts and sciences , and have some understanding , and some ingenuity in them , they will hearken to reason . now there is a great deal of spiritual reason in the word , there is a great deal to convince men that are but rational men ; let a man be but a rational man , and willing to attend to the word , i say , there is a great deal of reason to convince him in it , and it is a sign of good breeding , of men of ingenuity , to be willing to hear the word ; who are those in a parish that so disregard the word as not to hear it , but the ruder sort ? there are many , i confess , that are men of parts , perhaps the word doth not so prevail with their hearts as to convert them , yet if they have any good breeding at all , if the word be preached in a convincing way , so that they see there is a pains taken , and preached as the word of god to them , they will vouchsafe their presence at least ; but the rude multitude that know nothing at all , they had rather be in ale-houses drinking and swilling , they never care to hear the word ; as in such a place as this , there are very few of your miserable poor people that come to hear the word : what place is there fuller of miserable poor people than this place is ? and yet what a poor appearance is there of such people at the hearing of the word ? but now those that have any ingenuity in them at all , or any breeding ( for so the word is ) they will receive the word with readiness : but this breeding here spoken of , was a little higher than natural breeding ; they were spiritually noble , and so they had a readiness in their hearts in receiving the word . now this readiness of heart in receiving the word consists in these particulars : first , when you come to hear the word , if you would sanctifie gods name , you must possess your souls with what it is that you are going to hear , that what you are to hear is the word of god , that it is not the speaking of a man that you are going to attend upon , but that you are now going to attend upon god , and to hear the word of the eternal god. possess your souls with this , you will never sanctifie gods name else , in the hearing of his word ; therefore you find that the apostle writing to the thessalonians , he gives them the reason why the word did them so much good as it did : it was because they did hear it as the word of god , thes . . . for this cause also ( saith he ) thank we god without ceasing , because when ye received the word of god , which ye heard of us , ye received it not as the word of men , but ( as it is in truth ) the word of god , which effectually worketh also in you that beleeve . mark , so it came effectually to work , because they received it as the word of god ; many times you will say , come , let us go hear such a man preach ; oh no , let us go hear christ preach , for as it doth concern the ministers of god that they preach not themselves , but that christ should preach in them : so it concerns you that hear , not to come to hear this man , or that man , but to come to hear jesus christ . we as the ambassadors of christ do beseech you , saith the apostle . . possess your hearts likewise with this consideration , that i come to hear the word as an ordinance appointed by god to convey spiritual good to my soul , and this is a very useful consideration , and especially it concerns men of understanding and parts for the helping of them to hear . for men that are of understanding and parts , when they come to hear , this temptation is ready to come upon them , that except they hear some new thing that they did not understand before , wherefore should they come ? i am able to understand as much in such a point as can be said : and when i have come and heard many times , i have heard but that i knew before , and upon that they think there is no use of coming to hear : now this is a great mistake ; when you come to hear the word , you do not come alwaies to hear what you did not know , it may be sometimes god may dart in something that you did not think of before , or so fully understand ; but suppose it be not so , you are to come to it as an ordinance of god , for the conveyance of spiritual good to your souls . you will say , cannot we sit at home and reade a sermon ? but hath god appointed that the great ordinance for the converting and the edifying of souls in the way to eternal life ? true , there is some use of it ; but the great ordinance is the preaching of the word , faith comes by hearing ( the scripture saith ) and never by reading ; so that though when you come to hear , you do not hear that which you heard not before , yet you come to attend upon this ordinance for the conveyance of some spiritual good that ( it may be ) hath not been conveyed before , or in a further degree than it hath been conveyed before : and so you should come to hear the word with your hearts possest with that meditation , that it is the word of god , and the great ordinance that god hath appointed for the conveyance of spiritual good ; so that i come now in obedience to god , and in this i do testifie my respect to god , that i wil attend upon this ordinance of his for the conveyance of spiritual good to me , and although i may think that this or the other means may do the deed as well , yet because god hath appointed this to be his ordinance , therefore in obedience to him i will attend upon this means rather than upon other means : as you know naaman he thought the other waters would have been as good as the waters of jordan to have healed him , but if god will appoint him the waters of jordan , that they should heal him rather than other waters , he must wash there : no question but other waters had as much natural vertue in them as they had , but because the waters of jordan were the ordinance that god for that time had appointed to cure his leprosie withal , he must come and wash in those waters rather than in any other : so , because preaching of the word is the great ordinance that god hath appointed to convey himself by , therefore he doth require that thou shouldest shew thy respect to him , so far as to attend upon him in this ordinance . the second thing that is to be done in way of preparation , it is , to plow up the fallow ground of your hearts , and not to sow amongst thorns ; as you have it in jer. . . and so in hosea . . the word of god ( you know ) is compared to seed , in that parable of christ , in mat , . and an auditory is compared to the ground : i suppose you are al acquainted with that parable of the sower , that it is to set out the ministry of the word , and what fruit it hath upon the hearts of men ; a congregation is like the field , and a minister preaching is like the sower that sows the seed in the field ; he knows not which truth , whether that or the other will prosper ; the seed being sowed , in some part of the ground is lost , and in another part it grows : so in one pew the seed of the word is lost , in another pew it grows up . but now , if people that are compared to the ground , would so hear the word , as gods name may de sanctified in it , their hearts must be plowed ; as if one should sow seed upon green soil , saw it in the fields upon green grass , what would become of it ? the ground must first be plowed for the preparation of the seed . but you will say , what is the meaning of the plowing of our hearts for the preparation of the word ? the meaning is nothing else but this , the work of humiliation , the humbling of the soul before the lord when it doth come to hear gods word . humble it in these two regards . first , be humbled for your ignorance , that you know so little of gods mind as you do . secondly , be humbled for all the sinfulness of your hearts , be sensible of the sinfulness and wretchedness of your hearts , and the miserable condition that you are in ; if you can get your hearts broken with the sence of your sin and misery , and come so to hear the word , it is very like the word may be of mighty use , and gods name may be very much sanctified in your hearing of the word . you will say , must we plow up our hearts before we come to hear ? it must be the word that must plow us , the word is the plow , and so the ministers of god are compared to plowmen in the word , he that puts his hand to the plow and looks back is not fit for the kingdom of heaven . it is true , it cannot be expected that the heart should be throughly plowed as it ought but by the word , therefore at the first coming to hear there is not hope that men will sanctifie gods name till the word gets into plow them , and so by getting at one time into their hearts they come to be prepared for hearing at another time . and yet somewhat may be done before , by that natural knowledg that men have they may come to know themselves to be sinners , and come to understand themselves to be very weak and ignorant by some knowledg that they may have by the works of god , and by conference with others , and by reading and the like , and so they may in some measure come to have their hearts to be humble . and it is good to make use of these to humble the heart : but now , you that have heard the word often , and yet have not sanctified gods name , there be truths that you have heard heretofore , that if you had made use of in private to have plowed up your hearts , they would have prepared your hearts for the next time in hearing of the word , if therefore you would hear the word with a great deal more profit than formerly , your hearts must be plowed by humiliation , secondly , the heart must be plowed , by laboring to get out those throns that are in the heart , those lusts that grow deep in the heart as throns grow in the ground : labor to pluck them out , that is , when thou comest to hear the word get thy heart into that frame , as to be willing to profess against every known sin that thou hast found in thy heart , labor to find out those lusts that are in thy heart , and then profess against them , that thou art willing to have them to be rooted out of thy heart : if men and women would but do thus when they come to hear , that god might see this in them , that they have before they come profest against every known sin , this would be an excellent thing indeed . . again in the third place , which will follow from hence , when thou comest to hear the word , come with resolution to yeeld to what ever god shall reveal to be his mind , i am now going to hear thy word o lord , to wait upon thee , to know what thou hast to say to me ; and thou that art the searcher of the secrets of all hearts , thou knowest that i go with such a resolution to yeeld up my self to every truth of thine , how would the name of god be sanctified if you did thus come to hear the word ! if you did come with such a resolution , job . . that which i know not , teach thou me ; and if i have done iniquity , i will do no more . in isa . . . you have a prophsie of the gentils , how they should come to the word , and many people shall go and say , come ye , and let us go up to the mountain of the lord , to the house of the god of jacob , and he will teach us of his waies , and we will walk in his paths : here 's a blessed disposition when you come to hear the word . some of you come together in streets and lanes , and over the fields ; when you come together , and meet one with another as you walk over the fields , make use of this text , oh! that this prophesie might be fulfilled in your coming over the fields every lord's day , morning , and at other times , that you would say one to another , or when you call one upon another to go to hear , come , let us go up to the house of the lord , and he will teach us of his waies and we will walk in his paths . we are resolved , that what ever the lord shall teach us to be his waies , we will submit unto it . this is a due preparation of the heart for the sanctifying of gods name in the hearing of his word . fourthly , when you come to hear the word , come with longing desires after the word , come with an appitite to it : as in pet. . . as new-born babes desire the sincere milk of the word , that you may grow thereby . do it as new-born babes . now you know little babes they do not desire milk to play withal , but only to nourish them : children of three or four yeers old , they may desire milk to play with ; but new-born babes never care for it but when they are hungry , to nourish them . and so it is true many come to hear the word to play with it . but now you should come to hear the word as new-born babes , with a hungring desire after the word , that your souls may be nourished therby . that were excellent , if every lords day , and at other daies you did come as hungry to the word , as ever you went to your dinner or supper , the word of god should be unto you more than your appointed food , and then you are like to grow by it , and to sanctifie gods name in it . fifthly , pray beforehand , that god would open thine eyes , and open thine heart , and accompany his word . thus did david , open mine eyes , o lord , that i may understand the wonders of thy law. and you know what is said of lydia , the lord opened her heart , to attend to the word that was spoken : now seeing it is an ordinance thou doest exspect more good from , than what it self of its own nature is able to convey , thou hadest need to pray , lord , i go to such an ordinance of thine , and i know there is no efficacy in it self , it is not able to reach to such effects as i exspect ; that is , to have my heart spoken too , and quickned , and to have mine eyes opened ; but o lord , open mine eyes , and open mine heart ; lord , my heart naturally is lockt up against thy word , there are such wards in my heart , that except thou are pleased to put in a key that may fit my heart , it will never open ; man , he is not able to know my heart , and therefore he cannot fit a key to answer every word , to resolve every doubt , to silence every objection ; but lord , thou canst do it : do thou lord therefore ●it thy word this day that may meet with my heart ; lord , i have gone often to thy word , and the key hath stuck in it , and it hath not opened ; but lord , if thou wouldst but fit it , and turn it with thine own hand , my heart would open . oh! come with such a praying heart to the word , and thereby shalt thou sanctifie the name of god in hearing his word : this is to come to the word , as to the word of god , you must not come to the hearing of the word as to hear a speech , or an oration , but come in such a preparation as this is : and so ( i say ) god will be glorified , and you shall be profited . the next thing is , what should be the behavior of the soul in the sanctifying gods name in the word when it is come . now to that there are these particulars : first , there must be a careful attention unto the word , you must set your hearts unto it , as moses in deut. . . he said unto the people , set your hearts unto all the words which i testifie among you this day , which you shall command your children to observe to do ; for it is not a vain thing for you , because it is your life . set your hearts to it , for it is not a vain thing , it is your life : when you come to hear the word , give diligent attention to what you hear . in act. . . it is said the people with one accord gave heed unto those things which philip spake . they gave heed . the word is used often in scripture , sometimes it is used for to beware of a thing , beware of the leaven of the pharisees , beware of them : as a man when he sees an enemy , and is aware of him , he is very diligent to observe how to avoid him : so , there must be as much diligence to get good by the word , as one would be diligent to avoid any danger whatsoever . and the word signifies somtimes to give such heed as a disciple gives unto his master , so they gave heed to the word . so in prov. . , . my son , if thou wilt receive my words , and hide my commandements with thee , so that thou incline thine ear unto wisdom . we must diligently attend , and not suffer our eyes and our thoughts to be wandring , but diligently attend to what is said : my brethren , there is all things that may challenge attention in the word . what would make you to attend to any thing ? first , if he that speaks were much above you , if it were a great prince or lord that spake to you , then you would attend . now , though it is true , it is but a man , that , it may be , is inferior to most of you , that speaks ; yet know , in him it is the lord of heaven and earth that speaks to you . and so you know what christ saith , he that heareth you , heareth me : so , though you would not attend in respect of the messenger so much , yet as it is the son of god that is speaking to you , it may challenge your attention . this day if you should hear a voice out of the clouds from heaven speaking to you , would you not then listen ? the truth is , we should listen as much to the voice of god in the ministry of his word , as if so be that the lord should speak out of the clouds to us . and i will give you a scripture for that , that the voyce of god in his word should be as much regarded of you , as if god should speak from heaven to you by an audible voice out of the clouds . in pet. . , . this voice which came from heaven we heard , when we were with him in the holy mount. but mark , in vers . . we have also a more sure word of prophesie , whereunto ye do well that ye take heed . mark , we heard a voice from heaven , saith peter ; yea , but we have a more sure word of prophesie , whereunto you do wel that ye take heed . there was a voice from heaven spake . you will say , if we had heard that voice , we would have given heed to that . saith the apostle , you have a more sure word of prophesie . now prophesie in scripture is taken for preaching ; despise not prophesie : as if the holy ghost should say , you must have regard to the word of prophesie as you would have regard to any voice from heaven ; suppose an angel should come and speak to you , would not you attend to him ? then whatsoever thoughts you had , they would be taken off , for there is an angel that is come down from heaven to speak : now mark what is said in heb. . . god who at sundry times , and in divers manners spake in times past to the fathers by the prophets , hath in these last daies spoken unto us by his son , whom he hath appointed heir of all things , by whom also he made the worlds . and then in vers . . he describes his son , and being made so much better than the angels , as he hath by inheritance obtained a more excellent name than they : if a prophet should come and speak , that is not so much as if the son of god comes , no , nor as if an angel should come , for jesus christ hath obtained a more excellent name than the angels , & it is christ that is the ministry of his word , he that heareth you , heareth me . secondly , that which would cause attention , is the greatness of the matter propounded : it 's true , if a man should speak of some slight and vain things , there need not so much attention . my brethern , the matters in the word are the great things of god , it is the voice of god , the great mysteries of godliness , those deep things that the angels themselves desire to pry into ; yea , the angels themselves by the churches they come to have the knowledge of the mysteries of god. i make no question but in the ministery of the word among the churches , the angels they attend and come to some knowledge in the mysteries of godliness ; for so the scripture saith , that they have it by the churches , there the greatest things of gods will , the greatest counsels of god that were kept hid from all eternity , are opened to you in the ministry of the word : we do not come to tel you tales , and the conceits of men , but to open the great counsels of god , wherein the depth of the wisdom of god comes to be revealed to the children of men , and therefore this cals for attention . thirdly , suppose they be great things , yet if they do not so much concern us , there is no such great reason of attention ; therefore in the third place , that which we speak , it is your life it is that concerns your souls and eternal estates : your souls and everlasting estates do lie upon the ministry of the word ; if that be made effectual to you , you are saved : if that be not made effectual to you , you are damned and undone for ever . if we should come to tel you of something whereby you might get some good bargain , or of a way how to get great riches , i make no question but you would rise though it were a cold or rainy morning : but know , when you are called to hear the word , you are called to hear that which may do you good for ever , that for which you may bless god for to all eternity with the angels and saints in the highest heavens ; if they be such things of so great concernment , then there had need be great attention : you know what christ said to martha when she was troubled about his entertainment , luke . . martha , martha , thou art careful and troubled about many things , but one thing is needful ; and mary hath chosen that good part which shall not be taken away from her . what did mary choose ? it was this , that she did diligently attend upon jesus christ to hear the word from his own mouth , when martha was busied in the house to provide for his entertainment ; but it is a better thing to attend upon the word than to entertain christ in your houses : you that are of loving dispositions , that if a good minister shall come to your houses , or a good christian , that you see but the image of christ in , your hearts spring within you , and you will do any thing to entertain them : well but what if jesus christ should come , if you knew that such a man that came within your doors were the son of god , how would you bestir your selves to entertain him ? but know , it is a more acceptable service to jesus christ to attend upon his word , than to provide for him in your houses : and there is great reason too that we should be diligent in drawing nigh to the word , and give ear unto it ; because you find that the lord doth express himself in the scripture , how he gives ear to us when we speak to him . god is said to encline his ear , sometimes to open his ear , sometimes to bow his ear , sometimes to cause his ear to hear , and divers such expressions there are to that purpose . now if god when we that are poor wretches speak to him , shall bow his ear , bend his ear , open his ear , cause his ear to hear , much more should we when we come to attend upon him. . secondly as there must be attending to the word of god , so there must be an opening of the heart to receive what god speaks to you ; it is true , it is the work of god to open the heart , but god works upon men as upon rational creatures , and he makes you to be active in opening your hearts , so that when you have any truth come to be revealed , you should open your understandings , your conscience , and will , and affections , oh lord , thy truth which thou art presenting here to my soul at this time , let it come in , let me receive it , as the expression is in prov. . . my son , if thou wilt receive my words , and then in ver . . when wisdom entereth into thy heart : the words of wisdom , the words of god , they must enter into the heart , get in ; it may be they get into thy ear , but that 's not enough , they must get into thy heart in job . . . there christ complains that his word had no place in them ; that 's a sad thing when the word of god shall have no place in the heart . if a temptation to sin comes , that hath a place in the heart ; but when the word comes , that hath no place in the heart ; i say , it is a very sad thing that we can find no room for the word ; we should get room for the word , open ye gates , stand open ye everlasting doors , that the king of glory may come in : know that when you come to hear the word , the lord is knocking at the doors of your hearts ; have not you felt it sometimes ? open , o open the doors , let all be opened to receive the word into your hearts . that is the second thing for the behavior of the soul in hearing . . the third thing is the careful applying of the word , so in prov. . . there must be an applying of the heart to the word , and an applying of the word unto the heart . all action is by an application of the thing that doth act unto the subject , there must be an application of the word to thy soul , as now , suppose thou comest to hear the word , and thou hearest of some sin that it may be thou knowest thou art guilty of , take the word , and lay it to thy heart and say , the lord hath met with my soul this day , the lord hath spoken to me , to the end that i might be humbled for this sin , and the other sin that my conscience tells me i am guilty of : so , doth the lord put thee upon a duty that concerns thee ; acknowledge this , the lord hath spoken to me this day , and put me upon the reformation of my family , and the reformation of mine own heart . is there a word presented ? apply that , and let not the trouble of thy heart cause thee to cast off that word that god hath spoken to thee : the application of the word to thy heart is of mervelous use , and it concerns not only ministers in general , to lay before people the doctrin of the gospel , but to apply it ; and know , that it concerns you as well as ministers to apply it ; and not only when they come to that that is called use , but all the way in the opening of the word , it concerns you all to apply it to your own souls , and to consider how doth it concern me in particular ? my brethren , there is no such way to honor god , or get good to your own souls , as the application of the word unto your selves . as a man that is asleep , if there be a noise made it will not awake him so soon , but come and call him by his name ( and say , john , or thomas , ) and that will awake him sooner than a greater noise will : so , when the word makes a noise when it is delivered only in the general , men take little notice of it ; but when the word comes particularly to the souls of men , and doth ( as it were ) call them by name , this awakens them : now , god many times doth speak to your hearts , but you should apply it ; you know the word is compared to meat , and it must be applied to the body , then do we worship god in a right way when as we take notice of gods word , as concerning us in particular ; as that notable scripture that you have in cor. . . where there come a poor man into the church of god , and hears prophesying , hears the word opened and the text saith , he is convinced of all , he is judged of all ; and then in vers . . thus are the secrets of his heart manifest , and so falling down on his face he worships god , and reports that god is in you of a truth : that is , when the word comes and meets with his soul in particular , that he finds himself to be aim'd at by the word , then he worships god , and saith that god certainly is in them . here 's the reason now that when you come to hear the word , you do not worship god because you apply it not to your selves , you are ready to say , this was well spoken to such a one , and it concerns such a one , but how doth it concern thy soul in particular ? sometimes the lord doth even force men and women to apply it whether they will or no , for that they think the minister speaks to them in partiticular , and that no body was spoken too in the congregation but themselves ; this is a mercy when the lord doth it unto you ; but it is a greater mercy when the lord gives you a heart to apply to your selves , and although it may trouble you a little for the present , yet be willing to apply it , and account it a great mercy from the lord , that the lord will be pleased to speak in particular to your souls . . fourthly , we must mix faith with the word , or otherwise it will do us but little good ; apply it and then beleeve it . in heb. . . it is said , that the word preached did not profit them , not being mixed with faith in them that heard it . wherefore there must be a mixture of faith , to beleeve the word that the lord brings unto you . now concerning that i 'le but propound these few particulars ; you will say , must we beleeve every thing that is spoken ? sometimes there are some things spoken that we cannot tell how to beleeve ? i do not mean so , to beleeve every thing meerly being spoken , for you must take heed what you hear , as well as how you hear ; but do thus much at least . . in the first place , whatsoever comes in the name of god to you , ( except you know certainly it is not according to the written word ) you owe so much respect to it , as to examin it , at least to try it whether it be so or no , as it is said of those well-bred men that i spake of , that they did examin whether things were so or no. do not cast off any thing presently that comes in the name of god : now any thing that hath the broad seal upon it , you must not disobey : you will say , it may be counterfeit : but do not disobey it till you be sure it be counterfeit . oh that men would give but this respect to all things that they hear , never to cast them off till they have examined and tried whether they be so or no. . secondly , do but grant this respect to the word that is spoken to you , as to think thus , what if all that i hear spoken against my sin , which laies open the dangerous condition that my soul is in , prove to be true , what a case were i in then ? this hath been the beginning of the conversion of many souls , the having but such a thought as this , it may be things are not so terrible as i hear , but what if they do prove so ? then i am undone for ever . dare i venture my soul and my eternal estate upon hopes that these things are not so bad as i hear ? i beleeve if you would put your selves to it , you would think it a bold adventure , and the comfort that any of you have grounded upon this , meerly hoping that things are not so bad as you hear ; it is a cursed comfort that hath no sure bottom : grant that respect therefore to the word . . thirdly consider this , it may be i do not see cleerly that these things are so which are delivered , i do not see enough to beleeve them now , but what if i were now dying ? what if i were now going to receive the sentence of my eternal doom ; would i not then beleeve these things ? would i not then think what i hear out of the word to be true ? it is an easie matter for men to reject the word while they have their healths , and prosperity ; but if you were to die , and upon your sick and death bed ; if you saw the infinit ocean of eternity before you , what would you say then ? were the word true yea , or no ? would you give belief unto the suggestions of the devil then ? we find it by exprience , that men that could easily cast off the word in their healths , yet when they have come to lie upon their sick bed , and death bed , they found the word true : beleeve it now as well as then . . consider , if thou doest not beleeve , what a case art thou in ? am i worse than the devils themselves ? the scripture tels me , that the devils beleeve and tremble ; why lord , do i come to hear sermons , and am i more hard to beleeve than the very devils themselves ? they do beleeve that word that i cast off , and they tremble at it , but my soul is not at all stirred , as if there were no reallity in such things that have been spoken to me . there be other things which may further help us towards beleeving of the word of god , but these shall suffice : and certainly my brethren till we come to this , to beleeve the word , though we should sit under it many yeers , it will do us little good , and we shall never sanctifie the name of god in the hearing of it . sermon ix . leviticus , . . i will be sanctified in them that come nigh me . the next thing for the right behavior of the soul for sanctifying gods name is this , we must receive the word with meekness of spirit , that you have in jam. . . wherefore lay apart all filthiness , and superfluity of naughtiness , and receive with meekness the ingrafted word which is able to save your souls . receive with meekness ; the former part of this scripture i confess concerns somewhat that was before , about the preparation of the soul , and we shall perhaps afterwards in the application come to open the former part of this vers . lay apart all filthiness , and superfluity of naughtiness : ( but only now we quote the place for this , ) receive with meeknes : the ingrafted word which is able to save your souls . let there be a quietness in your spirits in attending upon the word , no hurrying : there is a twofold distemper of passion in many people that is a great hindrance to the profit of the word , and sanctifying gods name in hearing it . . the first is a distemper of passion in those that have some trouble of concience in them , they are troubled for their sin , and their spirits are in a discontented froward humor because they have not that comfort that they do desire , and therefore the word of god when it come to be preached to them , if it doth not every way sute with their hearts , and if they do not find present comfort by it , their spirits are in a distemper and frowardness , and cast it off ; and if at any time there be never such comfortable things spoken in the word , yet there is an anger in their spirits because they are not able to apply the word to themselves , and they think , this doth not concern me : now there should be meekness of spirit in those that are in trouble of conscience above all ; they should quietly attend upon the word , and wait for the time that god will speak peace to their consciences : and if i cannot find the word sutable to me at this time , yet i may at another time : let me attend with meekness , let me receive every thing with meekness ; the word is above me , and if ever i have good , it must be by the word at last . it doth much concern those that are in trouble of conscience to have meek spirits . . there is another distemper in others , and that is worse ; that is , such as when they find the word come neer unto them , relating those sins that their consciences tells them they are guilty of , their hearts rise against god and his word , and ministers too : because it would pluck away some beloved corruption , because it rebukes them for some haunt of evil , some distemper of heart that they have been or are guilty of , it puts a shame upon them , and therefore their hearts do rise against it . it is a dreadful thing to have the heart rise against the word . as we reade of that froward prince jehoiakim in the prophesie of jeremiah , that when the roll was read in his hearing , ( sitting in the winter time by a great fire ) he took a penknife and cut it in pieces and threw it into the fire in anger : and i have read that the jews kept a fast every yeer to mourn for that great sin , and yet this jehoiakim was the son of josiah whose heart did melt at the hearing of the word , he had an humble and meek heart when the law was read , and yet see what a different spirit jehoiakim had either from his father or grand-father . it is a great dishonor to the name of god for men to give liberty to their passions to rise against the word ; take heed of passion either while you are hearing the word , or after the word ; as many of you while you are discontented with what is said , when you come in company , what a fury are many men in upon the hearing of some things in the word that comes close to their hearts ; remember when you are hearing of the word , that it is that which is above you , and it is not fit for one that is an inferior to shew himself passionate in the presence of a superior : it is true , the ministers they may be in as low a condition as you , and in a lower ; but the word they speak , it is above all the princes and monarchs upon the face of the earth ; and it is fit therefore , we having to deal with god , that we should behave our selves in a meek disposition . . the next thing for the sanctifying gods name in the hearing of the word , is this , we must hear it with a trembling heart , with fear as well as meekness , and for that you have that famous scripture , in isa . . beginning , thus saith the lord , the heaven is my throne , and the earth is my foot-stool , where is the house that the build unto me , and where is the place of my rest ? for all those things hath my hand made , and all those things have been , saith the lord ; but to this man will i look , even to him that is poor , and of a contrite spirit , and trembleth at my word . this is a most admirable scripture : mark how god lifts up himself in his glory , so great a god , as the heaven is my throne , and the earth is my foot-stool , where is that house that ye will build unto me ? but then may a poor soul say , how shall i be able to stand before this god that is so glorious ? saith god , be not discouraged poor soul who doest tremble at my word , for i look to you . and then this is a further thing observable , that god hath a regard to that soul that trembles at this word , rather than to any that should build the most sumptuous buildings in the world for him ; for saith god here , the heaven is my throne , and the earth is my foot-stool , where is the house that ye build unto me , and where is the place of my rest ? they have built a glorious temple to god , but what do i regard that saith god ? i regard one that trembls at my word more than that great house that you have built unto me . it is a notable scripture to shew what a high respect god hath to one that trembles at his word , he regards them more than this glorious temple that was built unto him ; if you were able to build such a place as this was for the service of god , you would think it a great matter , it is not so much regarded as if you could bring a trembling heart to gods word , that 's a special thing wherein the sanctifying of the name of god consists , when we come to see the dreadful authority that there is in the word of god , when we are able to see more glory of god in his word than in all the works of god besides , for there is more of his glory in the word than there is in the whol creation of heaven and earth , take the sun , and moon , and stars : you that are marriners , you have seen much of the glory of god abroad , that one would think might strike terror into all your hearts , but know , that there is more of the dreadfulness of gods name in his word than in all his works ; in psal . . . thou hast magnified thy word above all thy name ; the word it is magnified above all the name of god whatsoever , and it is a very good sign of a spiritual enlightened soul that can see the name of god more magnified in his word than in al his works besides ; i appeal unto your consciences in this thing , have you ever seen the name of god to be more magnified in his word than in all his works ; i may with very good confidence affirm this , that there is no godly soul upon the face of the earth , that hath the weakest degree of grace , but hath seen more of the glory of god revealed in his word , than he hath seen in all the vvorks of god besides , and his heart hath been more taken with it , it requires therefore a trembling frame of heart when we hear it . and then further , when this is considered that the word is that which bindeth the soul over , either to life or death , mens eternal estates are to be cast by the word , certainly then it requires a trembling heart to hear that by which the eternal estate of man is to be cast , we do not sanctifie gods name when we come to hear the word , except we come with trembling hearts , and they are the most likely of all men and women to understand the mind of god ; as for such as come with conceited spirits that they understand as much before they come , and think their reach of wit or capacity is beyond the capacity of any that shall open the word unto them ( yet that were not so much if it did but only rest upon the man , and not reflect upon the word it self . ) now these that are rich in their own thoughts and understandings are sent empty away , but those that come with trembling hearts to the word , they are the men that are like to understand gods counsels revealed in his word . in ezra . . , . shechaniah the son of jehiel one of the sons of elam answered and said unto ezra , we have transgressed against our god & have taken strang wives &c. yet now there is hope ni israel concerning this thing , now therefore let us make a covenant with our god according to the counsel of my lord , and of those that tremble at the commandement of our god ; so that those that tremble at gods word and such as are fittest to counsel , they understand most of gods mind ; and that 's another particular of the behavior of the soul in sanctifying gods name in hearing his word . . the next is a humble subjection to the word that we hear , our hearts must bow to it , must lie under the word that we hear , it is a very remarkable scripture that we have in chron. . . there it is said concerning a great king , zedekiah , he did that which was evil in the sight of the lord , his god , and humbled not himself before jeremiah the prophet , speaking from the mouth of the lord. it is a very strange expression as any we have in the book of god , that zedekiah a great king should be charged with this as a great sin , that he did not humble himself , humble himself , before whom you will say ? we are bound to humble our selves before god , but here it is that he did not humble himself before jeremiah the prophet ; why before the prophet ? because he spake from the mouth of the lord. if it be any messenger that speaks from the mouth of the lord , god expects that we should humble our selves , so that if any truth comes to be delivered unto you , the lord expects that you should fall down and yeild obedience to it , whatsoever your thoughts , your judgments , your opinions have heretofore been , if there come any thing in the word against it you must submit your judgments , submit your very consciences , you must submit your wills , whatsoever your hearts have been set upon , though it hath been never so contentful to your spirits before , yet now submit , and yeild though it go never so cross unto your minds , your wills , your ends , yet all must be submitted , and laid down flat before the word , so as to be willing to deny your selves of any thing in the world . when a man or woman can say thus , lord it is true , i confess before i heard thy word opened in the evidence and demonstration or the spirit unto me , i was of such a mind , and my heart went after such and such contentments , and i thought it was impossible that ever my heart should be taken from them but o lord thou hast been pleased plainly to shew to me by the opening of thy word in the evidence of thy spirit , what thy mind is ; now whatsoever becomes of my name , of my comforts , of my contentments in this world , lord , here i cast down al before thee , i submit unto thy word ; this is a gracious frame . now is the name of god extol'd , and lifted up in hearing of the word , the name of god is sanctified in such a word of spirit as this is . i have read of a german divine writing to oecolampadius another famous german divine , he hath this expression , oh let the word of god come , and though we had necks we would all submit them unto the word of god saith he . so it should be the temper of such as hear the word and desire to sanctifie gods name in it , let the word of god come this morning , let god speak and we will submit had we . necks , we will submit all we are , or have , to this word of the lord , it is the word of god , that we are willing should triumph over us : to have a congregation to lie down under the word of god that is preached to them is a most excellent thing , and gods name is much sanctified ; we do not brethren desire you should lie under us ▪ we are not only willing , but we are very desirous that you would examin what we speak to you , whether it be according to the word of god or no. but look to it , that if we do speak to you that which is the word from the mouth of the lord know then that god expects that you should submit your estates , your souls , your bodies , all that you are and have to this word , and that is another particular in the sanctifying of the name of god in hearing the word ; there must be an humble submission of the soul unto it . . another particular , wherein the behavior , of the soul for the sanctifying of gods name consists is this , the word it must be received with love , and with joy , it is not enough for you to be convinc'd of the authority of it , and to think thus , well i must yield to it , this is the word of god and if i do not yield to it i must expect the plagues and judgments of god to follow it : that is not enough , but you most yield to it with love , and with joy ; except you receive the word with love and with joy it is not sanctified ; you do not sanctifie gods name , nor is it sanctified unto you . you must receive the word , not only as the true word of the lord , but as the good word of the lord. in thess . . . we find it to be the cause of mens being given over to a spirit of delusion , because they received not the word of god in love : it is spoken of antichrist , that at his coming , he shall come with all deceivableness , and he shal prevail with them that perish : who are they ? they that receive not the love of the truth that they might be saved . it is not enough my brethren , to receive the truth that we might be saved , but we must receive the love of the truth if ever we would be saved : good is the word of the lord to my soul . and we must receive it with joy too as well as with love ; prov. . . when wisdom entereth into thy heart , and knowledge is pleasant unto thy soul ; then discretion shall preserve thee , understanding shall keep thee , &c. that is a great matter , when the word reveals some truth to thy understanding , and thou canst so receive it as it should be pleasant to thy soul , that thy soul rejoyces in it ; it is a good word it is that which doth me good at the heart : when a people can hear the word , and the word coming near unto them they can say , this word doth me good at the heart , it is pleasant to my soul ; that is excellent . in act. . the godly are described , ( those that did receive the word , so as to sanctifie gods name in it ) by this , that they gladly received the word , and were baptized : and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls . there were three thousand in one day that did gladly receive the word : what an auditory had peter at this time ! then the word it did them good , when they gladly received it . quest . but it may be said , w● reade in matth. . of the stony ground , the hearers that were not good and did not profit by the word so as to be saved , yet they received the word with joy . and herod , it is said of him , that be heard john baptist gladly . it seems then that it is not enough to receive it with gladness ? answ . to that i answer , first , there must be that which hypocrites may have , if there be want of that , we cannot sanctifie gods name . but you will say , we must go further , or else gods name is not sanctified . that i confess : therefore when i speak of gladness and joy , know , that i mean another kind of joy than the stony ground had ; and so certainly the pleasantness that is spoken of in prov. which i mentioned before ; and the gladness that the three thousand did receive the word withal , is different from the gladness of the stony ground . if you ask me , wherein it differs ? i would answer , it differs thus the gladness of an hypocrite in receiving gods word , it ariseth either from the novelty of it , because it is a new thing , and he gets new notions that he had not before ; or else he is joyful from some other carnal excellencies that he finds going together with the word , some esteem , or honor that he shall get by it , some selvishness there is that makes his heart to be glad , for there is a great deal of natural and carnal excellency that goes along many times with the word . but now this gladness that is spoken of in the acts , and in the proverbs , it is the gladness that ariseth from the apprehension of the spiritual excellencies that there is in the word , as that it is that word that reveals god and christ to my soul ; that word that comes neerest to my soul , to the mortifying of my lusts , and the sanctifying of my heart : this is that which makes me rejoyce in the word , the holiness and the spiritual excellency that i see to be in the word : thy word is pure ( saith david ) and therefore doth thy servant love it , and rejoyce in it . this no hypocrite can say ; i see the image of god in his word , i see the very glass of gods holiness in the word , i feel that in the word that may bring my soul to god , wherein my soul enjoys communion with god , and jesus christ , and it is this that glads my soul . if we receive the word with joy thus , we shall come to sanctifie the name of god in hearing of it . and that 's the eighth particular . . the ninth particular is this , if we would sanctifie the name of god in his word , we must receive the word into honest hearts . this you have in luke . . the parable of the sower ; you shall find there , that there are divers grounds that do receive the seed ; and by those divers grounds are meant divers sorts of hearers : there is first the high-way ground , that is , such as hear the word , and never regard what they hear , and assoon as ever they go out of the congregation , the seed of the word is quite gone , and is as if they had not heard at all . and then there is the stony ground , and the thorny ground , that is , those that hear with joy ( as was spoken of before ) but the cares of the world choak the seed of the word ; as soon as ever they are gone , they are upon their worldly business , and their thoughts and hearts runs that way . but then there is the good ground , that is , those that receive the seed of the word into a good and honest heart ; a good and an honest heart they are both ioyned together : by a good heart is meant , a heart that hath no malice in it , a heart that doth desire to empty it self of every thing that is against the word , and which is not sutable to the spiritualness of the word : a heart ( i say ) that entertains nothing in it that any way makes against the word , a good heart is a heart ( which as the apostle saith in jam. . . and that place may very well come in here to be opened ) is clensed from all silthiness and superfluity of naughtiness . the word that is there translated silthiness . it signifies excrements : that which is unclean , that which comes from the body , such is the sinfulness of your hearts ; you come to hear the word , if it be with evil hearts you mingle that very filthiness which is as vile before god as excrements are , and superfluity of naughtiness ; by that i take is meant , as if the holy ghost should say , do not think it enough for to purge away filthiness , that is , notorious stinking evils , abominable sins , that you do not come with such filthy vile hearts , but whatsoever there is in your heart that is any way against the word of grace , it is a superfluity of naughtiness , all kind of evil thoughts , and evil affections that are more than needs . look into your hearts and affections , and see whatsoever you find there that is more than ought to be , running out unto any thing that they should not , labor to purge out that saith he , do not satisfie your selves in any kind of evil whatsoever : it may be you are clensed from the notorious evils of the world : but if there remains any naughtiness , any kind of drossiness in your hearts that is not grace , it is to be purged out , for it is superfluity : so then that is a good heart that entertains no kind of evil in it , it may be there is some evil , but it doth desire to purge out , not only that that is silthy , nasty , and abominable ; but if there be any thing that should not be there , a good heart is against it . and that is a good heart that is willing to receive any thing that god reveals ; as we use to say , such a man is a good man ; that is , you can propound nothing to him that is fit to be done , but he is willing to hearken to you . a good man he hath no kind of evil ends in him , no evil designs at all , but he is willing to hearken to every thing that is good : so , a good heart whatsoever is good he is ready to entertain , if it be a good thing his heart is sutable to it , and runs presently unto it ; having a good heart it doth presently close with the good word of the lord. but what is meant by an honest heart ? by honesty of heart , certainly there is more meant than such a one that we call an honest man , that is , a man that is honest in his dealings between man and man ; there is many a man that is accounted a very honest man in the world , but hath not an honest heart : i beseech you observe it , that man that hath an honest heart to god , is one that receives the seed of the word , so as he goes beyond the high-way ground , the stony ground , or the thorny ground , he goes beyond those three sorts of professors ; he is one that hath an emenency in profession of religion beyond those three : now the world accounts many honest men that do not go beyond any of those three ; yea , the world doth ordinarily account any of those three to be honest men ; as the high-way ground , are there not many honest men in the world , that regard not the word of god at all , but only come to hear a sermon , and assoon as they have done , as it came in at one ear , so it goes out at the other ? i fear there are some men and women that are accounted honest men and women in the world , that can hardly give an accompt of any one sermon they have heard in all their lives ; hardly , i say , but the word which they heard is presently taken away from them ; and yet these are accounted honest men in the world : but this is not the honest heart the scripture speaks of . and many there are that go further than these , that come to hear the word with joy , and yet they have not this honest heart : yea , they may hear the word so as to bring forth a blade , and yet not have this honest heart . but this honest heart i take therefore to be meant this : an heart that deals squarely and truly with god , behaving it self in a beseeming manner sutable to that authority and excellency that there is in the word of god. as now for example : . first , among men , he is accounted an honest man that deals squarely and truly with men in all actions ; such a man you will say , is an honest man , as honest a man as ever broke bread ; that is , one that will deal squarely with men , not only in one thing , but turn him to any thing , and you shall find a proportion between one action and another : so this is an honest heart , not one that only will be forward for god in some one action wherein he may enjoy himself as well as god ; but one that deals squarely with god , let god put him upon duty , upon any service , god shall find him still to be the same man : put him upon any easie service ( as many will imbrace that ) or put him upon a difficult service , it is all one if it be the mind of god ; you shall find him square in every thing , though he be put upon that which he is like to suffer very much in , yet he goes on according to his principles . an honest heart is one that hath received gracious principles , and accordingly he acteth , all the world cannot take him off from his principles of godliness that the lord hath put into his heart . . secondly , an honest man is one that provides things honest before men , that doth all things in a seemly way in all those relations that he hath unto others , that we account honesty : so when a mans behavior towards the word is such as doth beseem the word of that god with whom he hath to deal , that look what excellency , what glory there is in the word of god , such a sutable behavior there is in the heart of a man to it , this is an honest heart . so that there are those two things , when a man is square with god in one thing as well as another , and when there is a sutableness in the behavior of the soul to what excellency there is in the word , when the heart of man will not abuse the word at all , but behaves it self honestly , according unto the gravity , holiness , and weight that there is in the word . and thus now with such a good and honest heart we are to receive the word if we will sanctifie gods name in it . . a tenth particular is this , if we will sanctifie gods name in the word , we must hide the word in our hearts , we must not only hear the word , but keep it , preserve it , and then we do declare that we account the word of god to be worth something indeed ; for , what is it to sanctifie god ( as we have opened before in the general ) but such a behavior towards him , as may testifie the excellency of the name of god so the behavior of the soul in hearing the word , must be such as must give a testimony to the excellency of the word , and manifest the high esteem i have of it . now if i received a thing that is of great value , if i slight it , and let any body take it from me , i do not give a testimony of the excellency of that thing ; but if i take it and lock it up , and keep it under lock and key , i do thereby give a testimony of the esteem that i have of the excellency of that thing : so now , when i come to hear the word , and meet with truths that i have gotten into my soul , i close with them , and am resolved within my heart as i am hearing of them , well , this truth i will keep through gods grace , this concerns me , and i will make much of it , and although i forget other things , yet i hope i shall remember this , to sanctifie gods name in hearing of the word : in isa . . . hear ( saith the holy ghost there ) for the time to come . when we come to the word , we must not only hearken for the present , as many of us while we are hearing , our hearts are stir'd for the present ; oh that we could but have that affection of heart alwaies , as we have when we are hearing of the word ! how many of you have said when you have been hearing such a sermon , oh! then me thought i could have gone through fire and water for god ? i , but mark it , you must hear for afterwards . and in psalm . . there the prophet david profest , that he did hide the word in his heart , the word was sweet unto him ; thy word ( saith he ) have i hid in my heart , that i might not sin against thee . you that come and hear those truths upon the lords day , if you would hide them thus in your hearts , and keep them all the week , they would help you against the many temptations that you meet withal ; you go abroad on the week daies into company , and there you meet with a temptation , and it overcomes you , and you complain , alas ! i am weak , i have met with a temptation and it hath foil'd me : but had you hid the word that you heard on the lords day in your heart , it would have kept you from the strength of your temptation that it should not have overcome you . those that are truly godly they have a care to hide the word in their hearts ; when they hear it they think , this word shall help me against such and such sins which i am prone to by nature , and when a temptation comes to that sin i hope i shall have use of the word that i have heard this day ; as now , suppose you hear a word against passion , then you should hide that word in your hearts against that time that temptation comes to passion . and you hear a word against sensuality , and abuse of the creatures ; you should hide that word against that temptation cometh . and you hear a word against unrighteousness and unjust dealings ; when a temptation comes to that sin you should hide that word against that time . so , you hear a word that speaks of obedience to parents and servants duties to governors , now you should hide that word in your hearts against that time ; i have hid thy word in my heart , that i might not sin against thee , you say , that you would fain withstand and not be overcome with temptations : then here 's the way , hide the word within thee , that thou maiest not sin against him . and so in prov. . . you have a scripture to the same purpose , about hiding the commandements within us . and then in john , . . i write unto you yong men because you are strong , and the word of god abideth in you , and ye have overcome the wiched one . i have written unto you yong men , you are yong , you have strong natures , and so strength of nature for god : but how comes this to pass ? you are strong , and the word of god abideth in you : here is an excellent scripture for all yong men , you have your memories fresh , and if you will exercise your memories about any thing , it should be in the word of god ; it is a comly and an excellent thing to see yong ones to have the word of god abiding in them , that if you come to them , not only a week , but a month after they have heard the word , they are able to give you an account of it i am verily perswaded that there are many yong ones in this place , that are able to give you old ones ( if you ask them ) an account of what it is to sanctifie gods name in the duties of worship ; and why ? because the word of god abideth in them . it is the honor of yong men to have the word of god to abide in them and hereby they overcome the wicked one . and on the other side , many yong people that do come to hear the word , it may be they are drawn to it by others , or it may be they love to have a walk in the morning , but the word of god abideth not in them , and therefore when the wicked one comes with temptations the week after they are overcome by him ; but those that have the word of god abiding in them they overcome the wicked one . and so in job . . . you have a very remarkable scripture for this purpose of keeping the word after we have heard it . then said jesus to those which beleeved on him , if you continue in my word then are you my disciples indeed . i beseech you observe it , it is said that the jews did beleeve in christ , and yet saith christ , if you continue in my word then are you my disciples , why were they not the disciples of christ that did beleeve in him ? by this beleeving therefore we must understand some kind of general notion that they had of christ , they began to think that christ might be the true messias , some kind of imperfect beleeving they had , but they were not throughly brought off , now saith christ , if you continue in my word , you are my disciples . as if he should say , do not you think it enough that you come to here me , and that you are taken by what i say ; you must continue in my word , and then you are my disciples : christ will not own that man or woman to be his disciple that doth not continue in his word . o that you would consider of this , you that satisfie your selves in having some flashes of your affections when you are heating the word , but do not think that you are the disciples of christ because of them , in tit. . . holding fast the faithful word as you have been taught , that is the thing you should labor for , to hold fast the faithful word , hold it fast , that it may not be taken from you , and so you shall come to sanctifie the name of god in the hearing of his word . . the last that i shall speak to is this , if thou wouldest sanctifie the name of god in hearing his word , turn it into practice , or otherwise the name of god is blasphemed , or at least is taken in vain by thee if thou doest not turn what thou hearest into practice ; so you have it in jam. . . he that is not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the word , this man ( saith he ) shall be blessed in his deed . and vers . . be ye doers of the word , and not hearers only , deceiving your own selves . the word here that is translated , deceiving your own selves , it 's a word taken from logicians , and signifies to make a false sylogisme . a man that hears the word and doth not do it , he doth as it were reason thus , those that do come to church ( as we use to say ) those surely are religious people , but i come to sermons and therefore i am religious : now this is a false reasoning , and thou doest but cozen thy self . be not a hearer only , but a doer of the word , that thou maiest not deceive thine own soul . so in rom. . . thinkest thou this o man that judgest them that do such things , & doest the same , that thou shalt escape the judgment of god ? as if he should say , you have the word , and you are able o judg thereby what you hear , but yet still you are wicked in your lives : this is despising of the riches of the goodness of god towords you . and in philippians , , . you have a remarkable text where the holy ghost saith of the phylippians , that he would have them hold forth the word of life . it were a most excellent thing if it might be said of this congregation , that as they come deligently to hear , and are willing to take pains to get out of their beds so early in the mornings , so all the week after they hold forth the word of god. you that are servants it may be your masters are naught , and the families naught from whence you come ; now when you go home , though it may be they will not let you repeat the sermon , yet you are to hold forth the sermon in your practice and conversation : how is the name of god glorified when we hold forth his word ! this is to let , not only your light shine , but the light of the word shine before men that they may belold it and glorifie your father which is in heaven . so that now put all these eleven particulars together , and then you have made good that expression we find in act. . . that the word of god was glorified . and to the same purpose we have another expression in thess . . finally , bretheren , pray for us , that the word of the lord may have free course , and be glorified even as it is with you . this is the commendation of a people , that they do glorifie the word of god : i beseech you brethren , in the name of jesus christ this morning that you that are hearers of the word would glorifie the word , and glorifie the name of god in the word ; oh that not one of you would be a disgrace or shame to the word of god ; this is the charge that god this morning laies upon you , as ever you expect to receive any good from the word , or to look upon the face of god with comfort whose word this is : do not be a shame to his word , and to the ministers of his word . put all these things together , i say and learn to make conscience of sanctifying gods name in hearing the word , that so there may be none of you that may give any just occasion to others to say , is this to hear sermons ? do you get nothing else but this by hearing sermons ? if you should open the mouths of men to say so of you , the word of god ( as much as lies in you ) would be disgraced by you ; you should rather think thus , it were better for me that i should die , and that i were under the ground and rotting there , than that the word of god should ever be disgraced by me : let me hold forth the glory of the word , the word is that which hath done good to my soul ; the word is that which i would not for ten thousand worlds but have heard it , and shall i disgrace this word ? shall i give any occasion that this word of the lord should be spoken ill of by reason of me ? o god forbid . therefore if you regard not your selves and your own honor , yet regard the honor of the word ; if ever you have got any good by the word , you should go away with this resolution , well , i will labor all the daies of my life to honor this word of god that i have got so much good by : if this were but the resolution of every one of your hearts this morning , it would be a blessed mornings work . sermon x. leviticus , . . i will be sanctified in them that come nigh me . now follow the reasons why god stands so much upon it , that he will have his name sanctified in this ordinance of hearing his word . . first , it is because there is so much of god in his word , and therefore we should sanctifie gods name . if it were possible there could be sin in heaven , that sin would be greater than sin committed here ; therefore the sin of the angels when they were in gods presence , in a more special manner was the greater : the name of god being in any thing , the greater will be the evil , if we do not sanctifie gods name in it ; now there is very much of god in his word , more of god there than in all the works of creation and providence . in ps . . thou hast magnified thy word above all thy name . there being therefore so much of god in his word , we must sanctifie the name of god in it . . secondly , god hath appointed his word to be the great ordinance to convey the special mercies that he intends for the good of his people . that we spake to before in the general , in shewing how the duties of gods worship are as a channel for the conveyance of special good to the saints : but none more than the word , that 's the ordinance to convey the first grace to those that belong to gods election . the sacraments is for strengthening , and therefore there is rather more in the word than in the sacrament , and yet every one thinks in conscience that he is bound to come carefully to the sacrament , and to look to sanctifie gods name there . it is an easier matter to convince men and women , that they are bound to sanctifie the name of god when they come to receive the holy communion , than for the hearing of the word : they think not so much of that , but certainly the word is appointed to be an ordinance of conveying more blessing than the sacrament , because it is appointed to convey the first grace , and to convey strength of grace as well as the sacrament : now being appointed to convey such great things to the souls of the elect , both the first grace and strengthening of grace , and comfort , and assistance thereof , the lord expects to have his name santifiied in it . . thirdly , the name of god must be sanctiffed in the word , because the word is very quick and lively , it works men or women to life or death , to salvation or damnation . in heb. . . the word of god quick and powerfull , and sharper than any two edged sword , piercing even to the deviding a sunder of soul and spirit , &c. it is very quick of operation ( the text saith ; ) that is when god hath to deal with men by his word , he wil not stand dallying and trifling with them , but he is very quick with them either to bring there soules to life , or to cast them away . the time of mens ignorance god winks at , but now he cals all men to repent . let them look to it now , god did forbeare in the time of ignorance , but he will not forbear so when the word comes , now is the ax laid to the root of the tree : and when was that ? when john baptist came to preach repentance , because the kingdom of heaven is at hand . though the tree were barren before , and did not bring sorth good sruit , yet it might stand still and not be cut down ; but when the powerfull ministration of the world comes , then the ax is laid to the root of the tree : either now come in and be saved , or resist the word and perish : and therefore that is very observable when christ sends out his disciples to preach , in mark . , . saith he , go ye into al the world and preach the gospel to every creature , and he that beleeveth and is baptized shall be saved ? but he that beleeveth not shall be damned : as if he should say , there shall be quick work made with them , go & preach , & those that belong to my election shal be brought in to beleeve and be saved , and the others shall be damned : as if god should say , if they will come in and imbrace the gospel they shall be saved , if they wil not they shall be damned , and there is an end of them . so that i say , we have need to look to it that we sanctifie the name of god in his word upon these three grounds , because there is so much of god in his word because he hath appointed it to convey the greatest mercies to his saints . and because god is very quick in his word , one way or other . we shall now proceed to the application of this point : and , first by way of reprehension to all those that do not sanctifie gods name in hearing the word ; and herein we shal shew their feareful condition , and how god will sanctifie his name upon them in waies of judgment , and then when we come to the use of exhortation , to exhort you to sanctifie the name of god , there we shall shew you likewise how god will sanctifie his name in waies of mercy upon those that do sanctifie him in waies of obedience in hearing of his word . . for the first , certainly if that be to sanctsfie the name of god that we have spoken of ; gods name is but very little sanctified by people that do come to hear his word , and we have no cause to wonder that there is so little good got by the word , because there are so few that make conscience to sanctifie gods name in hereing it ; some there are that are so far from sanctifying gods name in it , as they altogether neglect it , and make it a matter of nothing whether they come to hear it or no : saith christ in job . . . he that is of god heareth my word , ye therefore hear them not because ye are not of god. certainly he that hath the knowledg of god , and any interest in god , and that belongs unto him , nothing is more sweet to him than the hearing of his word , but because ye are not of god ( saith christ ) therefore you hear not his word . those men and women that have no interest in god , but live without god in this world , they regard not to hear his word . o how many have we that belong to this place that do so ! how many live without god in the world , and do declare to all the world that they are not of god ? they have no part nor portion in god in that they hear not his w●●● ▪ some there are that come to hear it , but they come to hear it as a meer matter of indifferency , in a meer formal and customary way , or for companies sake , or to give content to others : these are poor and low ends , thou shouldest come to hear the word , as expecting god should speak to thy soul for the furtherance of thy eternal good ; but your consciences may tell you what vain and wandring heart you have , when you come to hear it . the eyes of the fool ( saith solomon ) are in all the corners of the earth , up and down wandring , little minding that you are to com to hear god himself speak to you in the ministry of man. and if so be that it be minded , yet ordinarily the hearts of men do put off the word , and if it come any thing neer to them they think to shift it from themselves to others . we have a notable scripture in heb. . . for such men as shift off gods word when it comes many times very neer to them : see that ye refuse not him that speaketh : for if they escaped not who refused him that spake on earth , much more shall not we escape , if we turn away from him which speaketh from heaven : see that ye refuse not him that speaks the word , see that you do not put him off : and that is the signification of it : if you compare it with luke , . . you should find that there is the same word used , where speaking of those that were invited to the supper , it is said , they all with one consent began to make excuse ; they began to shift it off , that is the same word . oh take heed of this , that when you are hearing the word and christ comes and speaks to your hearts , and you begin to think that it way concern you , and your consciences begin to stir , take heed that you do not shift him off , take heed that you do not put away the word from you by any kind of pretence whatsoever . ( it may be ) you will say , if i were certain it were the word of god , and that god spake to me , god forbid but that i should submit unto it . but though it may be the hearts of men are not so notoriously rebellious as to resolve to sin against the word , which they will acknowledg to be the word of god , yet this is the deceit of the heart , when the heart hath no mind to obey , it will shift off the word , and have pretences and put-offs , oh take heed that you do not shift off him that speaks from heaven , by making any kind of excuse whatsoever , but when thou hearest , if the word of god come to thy conscience , do not listen to vain reasonings that are against it . others there are that cannot tell how to shift off the word , but it will come upon them when they are hearing ; it may be they are a little stir'd , but it is presently gone , so that they are far from holding the word , far from keeping it in their hearts . oh! how many of you have been stir'd when you have been hearing the word ! and how happy had it been for you if you had hid those words in your heart that the lord hath spoken to you in the ministry of it . if you had but the invitations of the spirit now , that sometimes you have had , how happy were it for you ? but it is with many in hearing the word , just as with you marriners when you are to go abroad , your friends come with you , take their leaves of you , and then you see them stand upon the shore a while , but when you sail a little further , your friends are out of sight , and then you see only the shore ; you sail on a little further , and then you see only the houses ; you sail a little further , and then you see only the steeples , and such high places ; and you sail yet a little further , and then you see nothing but the ocean : so it is in hearing the word ; it may be when you go home , there are some things fresh in your mind , but on the munday morning you have lost some ; but then there are some others that do yet present themselves before you , and then you lose more and more , untill you have lost the sight of all ; all truths are gone , you see no more of the word , as if you had never heard it ; this is not to sanctifie gods name ; you should treasure up the word as the most rich treasure that may be . another sort to be rebuked are those , who are so far from falling down before the lord to receive the word with meekness , as they can bless themselves in their wicked waies , notwithstanding the word comes and meets with them . i only name this , because of that notable scripture we have , in deut. . , . saith moses there to them , take heed , lest there should be among you a root that beareth gall and wormwood , ( what 's that root that beareth gall and wormwood ? ) and it come to pass when he heareth the words of this curse , that he bless himself in his heart , saying , i shall have peace , though i walk in the imagination of my heart , &c. take heed there be not among you , a root that beareth gall and wormwood ; this is a bitter root in mens hearts , when they can hear the word of god , and have their hearts rise against it , and think with themselves that there is no such matter , these are but meer words , but meer wind ; let the minister say what he will , and talk as long as he will , i will go on in my way , i shall do well enough ; that which he saith , it is but his opinion . i say , when men can bless themselves thus in their way , and when there are such tumulcuous and rebellious thoughts rising in their hearts , this is a root of gall and wormwood ; and take heed of it , it will bring forth bitter fruit one day . but i should quickly be prevented if i should lanch into this argument , to reprove the several waies of sinning against god in hearing of his word . and therefore i leave those , and come to shew what a fearful thing it is for men and women not to sanctifie the name of god in the hearing of his word , that so you may see that god will have his name sanctified upon them . and they are these : . in the first place , you that do not sanctifie gods name in hearing his word in those waies that have been opened to you , first , you lose the greatest and happiest opportunity of good that ever creatures had , for an outward opportunity : indeed when god moves by his spirit if that be neglected , that opportunity is more than meerly hearing his word , but otherwise except it be at such a time when god adds his spirit together with his word ; i say , you that are cast by the providence of god in such a place where the word of the gospel is preached to you , applied and urged upon you , if you sanctifie not the name of god , to hear as you ought , and to profit by it ; i say , you lose the greatest opportunity for good that is in the world : oh what hast thou lost that hast lived many yeers under the ministry of the gospel , and yet hast not been acquainted with this mystery of godliness in sanctifying gods name in the word . there are many thousand souls that are , and shall be blessing god to all eternity for what of god they have met withal in the word , but thou hast sat under it stuped as a block , dead and barren , and no good hath been done ; wherefore is there a prize in the hand of a fool , and he hath no heart to get wisdom ? this will lie upon thee heavy one day , the loss of such an opportunity , and that is the first . . in the second place , know that this word that is appointed by god for the conveyance of so much mercy to his elect , it will prove to be the greatest aggravation of thy sin that can be ; this is the condemnation , that light is come into the world , and men love darkness rather than light : this is [ the ] condemnation . if so be that light had not come among you , then the condemnation had not been so great , your sin had not been so great , and your punishment had not bin so great . in mat. . , . where speaking of those that did enjoy the word , and yet did not sanctifie gods name in it . whosoever shall not receive you ( saith christ to his disciples ) nor hear your words , when ye depart out of that house , or city , shake off the dust of your feet : verily i say unto you , it shall be more tolerable for the land of sodom and gomorah in the day of judgment than for that city . it is a most dreadful scripture ; their very dust must be shaken off in token of indignation , and it shal be more easie for the land of sodom and gomorah in the day of judgment than for that place . you would be very loth to be in a worse condition than sodom and gomorah that was consumed by fire from heaven , and now suffer the venegance of eternal fire , jude . certainly they shall not be so deep in judgments , as those that live under the ministry of the word , and sanctifie not the name of god in it . your sin is of a deeper dye , than the sin of the heathens ; yea , and in some respects than the sin of the devils , they never had the word of the gospel sent to be preached to them : and therefore this will aggravate your sin , not only beyond heathens , but beyond devils . look to it then that gods name be sanctified in the hearing of his word . . thirdly , know that so much as the word is rejected , jesus christ is rejected ; luke . . he that despiseth you , despiseth me ; and he that despiseth me , despiseth him that sent me . it is christ himself that is rejected when the word is rejected : thou hast not to do with man so much as with jesus christ in the hearing of the word , and the power of jesus christ is to be put forth either to do thee good by the word , or to avenge thy neglect of the word : therefore in matth. . . when christ sends forth his disciples to preach , he makes this preface , all power is given unto me in heaven and earth : go ye therefore and teach : as if he should say , i have received all power in heaven and earth ; through the power i received i send you to preach , and i 'le be with you to the end of the world : that is , al power in heaven and earth shal go along with you to assist your ministry , either for the good of those that shall embrace it , or for the misery of those that shal reject it ; so that whosoever stands out against the ministry of the word , stands out against all thē power heaven and earth that is given to christ : do not think that thou doest resist a poor weak mortall man , but thou doest resist all the power in heaven and earth . and is not this a dreadfull thing then , to be guilty of not sanctifying of gods name ? . fourthly , it is an argument of extream hardness of heart not to be wrought upon by the word . luk . , if they here not moses and the prophets , nether wil they be perswaded though one rose from the dead , saith , abraham . certainly that man or woman that shall not be wrought upon by the word so as to sanctifie gods name in it , i say to such , if one should rise from the dead they would not have there hearts wrought upon , and therefore much less are they like to be wrought upon by afflictions . it may be some of you think when you are upon your sick beds then you will repent ; no surely , if this that is the great ordinance to bring men to god shall not work upon you so as god shall be honored in it ; you cannot expect that sick ness and affliction should do it , no , if one shall come from the dead to tell you of all the miseries that were there certainly if the word work not upon you , that will not do it . but you wil say , one would think that there should be more power to work upon the heart : truly no , because it is such an ordinance appointed by god for working such great works upon the hearts and consciences of men , as the word is : it is true , the word is but a weak thing in it self , but here lies the strength that it is an ordinance of god appointed for to work upon the hearts of men ; therefore if this work not upon you to give god glory in the hearing of it ; there is no other means like to do it . . fifthly , when the word works not upon men , it is a dreadfull sign of reprobation , if our gospel be hid ( saith the apostle in . cor. . ) it is hid to those that are lost . it is a dreadful argument that here is a lost creature , one that god intends no good to . one the lord works upon , perhaps he lets pass another , one in a family and not in another . now where it is so that the word worketh not i say there is no such dreadfull brand of reprobation as this is . it is true , we cannot give any certain sign of reprobation ; therefore i cannot say of any man , he hath now such a mark upon him as doth evidently prove that he is a reprobate ; we cannot tell that , because we know not what god may do afterwards , but we may say this , that it is as dreadful a sign as any . there are not any more dreadful signs than these two . first , for a man to be suffered to prosper in a sinful course ; for god to let men go on and have their hearts desire satisfied in an ungodly way . and then secondly , for the lord to leave them to themselves , so as the ministry of the word shal not work upon them , that they shall be by gods providence so disposed of , as to live under a faithful and powerful ministry , and that it should not work upon them : these are the two blackest signs of reprobation ; and therefore it is a most dreadful thing to sit under the ministry of the word , and not to sanctifie gods name in it . . in the next place : surely there can be nothing sanctified to thee who doest not sanctifie gods name in his word . the scripture saith , that every thing is sanctified by the word and prayer . and how canst thou exspect that the word should sanctifie any thing unto thee , seeing that thou doest not make conscience of sanctifying gods name in the word ? the godly think thus , 't is the word that must sanctifie all things to my soul , and i had need then sanctifie gods name in that from which i exspect the sanctified use of all blessings . you therefore that can sit under it , and make not concience of sanctifying gods name in it , i say , you can expect no sanctified use of any thing that you have in this world . . such as do not sanctifie gods name in the word , are very nigh to a curse : there is a notable scripture for this in heb. . , . where the apostle compares the word to the rain that fals upon the ground , for the earth that drinketh in the rain that cometh oft upon it , and bringeth forth herbs meet for them by whom it is dressed , receiveth blessing from god : but ( saith he ) that which beareth thorns and bryars is rejected , and is nigh unto cursing , whose end is to be burned . the meaning is this plainly , the rain here is the word , & the good hearers they are like the ground that receive the rain and bring forth fruit , and receive a blessing : but now ill hearers that do not sanctifie gods name in his word , they are like ground that receives the rain as much as the other , hear as many sermons as the other , but they bring forth nothing but thorns and bryars : and mark what a dreadful expression is against them ; first , it is rejected , secondly , it is nigh to cursing . thirdly , whose end is to be burned . thou rejectest the word , doest thou ? the lord rejecteth thy soul . if thou hast no need of the word the word hath no need of thee ; it is a dreadful thing to be rejected of god. and then , thou art uigh unto cursing : it may be the lord may for the time withdraw himself from the soul , and manifest that it is at it were rejected ; but yet the soul hath not the curse of god upon it , to say , well let this soul perish for ever : but some there are that are under an actual curse , and saith god , well , my word shall never do good to this soul , such a one hath sate under it thus long , and hath rejected it , my word shall never do good to him : like as in luk. . where those that made excuses when they were bidden to the supper , the text saith at length , that the master of the feast was angry ( which was god himself that invited them by the gospel to partake of his son ; and when men would not come in but make excuses , and refused the offer of the gospel , ) verily ( saith he ) none of those men , that were bidden shall tast of my supper . they shall never partake of any good of the gospel . this is a dreadful curse . now the lord deliver you from having this curse pronounced against you , but yet i beseech you tremble at this scripture in the hebrews , they are nigh to cursing . who knows how nigh some soul in this place may be to this curse , for god to say , this soul hath been often invited , and yet hath made excuses , and put off all , he shall never tast of my supper , of the good things in jesus christ , the word that hath been so rejected shall never do them good more ; you had better never been born than to have this curse actually upon you . oh fear and tremble lest your condition be such as to be nigh to cursing : who knows what a day , a week may bring forth ? it may be the lord may spare and be willing to pass by the neglect of former sermons ; but who knows what the next actual rebellion against the lord in his word may do to bring the curse upon thee ? and then if so , the next part of the verse will prove to be thy portion , whose end is to be burned . oh! it is a dreadful thing to sin against the word : god stands much upon it . , eightly , know that if gods name be not sanctisied in it , the end that god hath appointed it for , will be turned quite contrary to thee ; the proper end that god hath appointed his word for , it is to save souls : but now , where gods name is not sanctified it is turned quite contrary ; so the apostle in cor. . . to the one we are the savor of death unto death , and to the other the savor of life unto life : it is a dreadful thing that the good word of god in which there is such treasures of gods mercy , wherein the counsels of god , concerning mans eternal estate comes to be revealed , that this should prove to be the savor of death unto death unto any soul , that is , to have such an efficacy in it , as to kill them by the very scent of it as it were ; as some things have such a poyson in them , as the very scent is enough to poyson one ; so saith the apostle , to some our word hath that efficacy being turned quite to the contrary end , some souls are sav'd , and are , and shal be blessing god to al eternity for the word ; and thy soul is damn'd by the word , so as thou wilt hereafter curse the time that ever thou camest to hear it : that wil be a dreadful thing , that the same word that others shal be blessing of god eternally in heaven for , that thou shalt be cursing eternally in hell for , it will be turned to the quite contrary end ; if it works not in the right way , it will work the other ; the truth is , it hardens mens hearts if it brings them not to god ; there is nothing that doth harden the hearts of men more than the ministry of the word : yet by accident , not by its self , there is no men in the world have such hard hearts as those that are wicked under the ministry of the word ; it is not only an argument that their hearts are hard , but they are hardened by it : that in isa . . , . is remarkable for this , and the rather because i find it so often quoted by christ , i think it is quoted three or four times in the gospel , and he said go and tell this people , hear ye indeed , but understand not , and 〈◊〉 ye indeed , but perceive not : make the heart of this people fat , and make their ears heavy , and shut their eyes , lest they see with their eyes , and hear with their ears , and understand with their heart , and convert and be healed . this is a strange scripture : what , must a prophet go to them to make their hearts fat , and to shut their eyes ? why , the word is appointed to open mens eyes , but here the prophet is sent to shut their eyes that they might not be converted ; this is dreadful , this is for the punishment of some former neglect of the word of god sent unto this people ; above all judgments you should be afraid of this ; it is not so much that a fire should be upon your houses , as that god should make his word to be a means to harden your hearts . in ezek. . we have a dreadful expression to this purpose , by the prophet there , where the lord saith , the people did come to enquire of him , with setting up their idols in their hearts , but saith god , i will answer them according to their idol . if men come to the ministry of the word with their beloved sins , and resolve that they will not part with them , the lord many times in his just judgment suffers some things in the word to be accidentally a means to harden them in that sin of theirs . i will answer them according to their idol : those men are in a dreadful estate whose hearts come to be hardened by the word . . ninthly , if thou doest not sanctifie gods name in the hearing of the word , what comfort canst thou ever have by the word in the day of affliction ? certainly when the day of thy affliction comes , then there is nothing can comfort thee but the word : vnless thy law had been my delight ( saith david ) i should then have perished in mine affliction : but thou having been exercised in the word so much , and gods name not sanctified , thou must not expect to have thy soul comforted in the day of thy affliction . no marvel then though the word hath been applied again and again to your hearts , and nothing would stick : i remember it was an expression of one in a great deal of terror of conscience ; many came to apply comfortable scriptures to him , and he himself for a while did take those scriptures and lay them upon his heart to passifie his troubled conscience , but a little before he died , he cries out with a most fearful terror , there is a fair plaister made but it will not stick on , it wil not stick on so died despairing : so there is in the word such a plaister as may help a wounded and troubled conscience , but canst thou expect that hast not sanctified gods name in thy life time that it shall stick upon thy soul in the day of thy afflction ? never expect it , for the lord hath said otherwise , prov. . because when i cryed and call'd ye would not hear , you shal cry and call and i will not hear ; the lord in his word cries to the , oh thou sinfull soul who are going on in the waies of sin and eternall destruction , return , return , that is the way that will bring thee to eternall miseries , but here is the way that wil bring thee to life and eternall salvation : thus the lord cries and cals to day , to day , and thou stopest thy ear , oh how just is it with god to stop his ear from thy crying and calling in the day of thy affliction . . further , know that thou that doest not sanctife the name of god in his word , that all the word of god wil be made good one day upon thee , god hath his time to magnifie his law and to make it honorable , isa . . . you slight gods law , you slight his word , and despise it , but god will magnifie it and make it honorable , there is not any sentence that thou hast heard in the word , but it shall be made good , whatsoever becomes of thy soul , thou thinkest that god is a merciful god , & he will not damn thee ; but though god be merciful and hath regard to his creatures , yet the lord hath ten thousand times more regard to his word than to all the souls of men and woman in the world , and god will stand to make that good , he will not have such regard to that wretched vile sinfull soul of thine as not to honor his word , he will honor his word whatsoever becomes of thee , and al that thou hast heard and rejected shall be made good upon the on day . . again the word that thou doest reject and sin against , it shall be the word that shall judg thee , joh. . . look to it as well as you will ; this book of god out of which we preach , and those truths that we delivered to you from his word , they must be called over again at the great day to judg your souls by the sentence of every of your eternal estates must be tryed out of this book : oh look upon it as the word that must judg your souls at the last day , and then you will see it a dreadfull thing not to sanctifie gods name in it . and then when the word doth judg you you shall obey it whether you will of no. now the word convinces you and you will not obey it ; but when god comes to judg you by the word , then you shall obey it : then when god comes to reade that sentence out of the word , go ye cursed into everlasting fire : then i say , you shall be forced to obey it . . lastly , there is yet one thing more ( which should have been mentioned before ) which is very remarkable ; that those men which do not sanctifie gods name in his word , they will be blasted , even here while they live , their parts and common gifts that they yet have will be blasted , wither , and come to nothing . we find it ordinarily , that many that are yong , had very good beginnings , and very good parts , that were very hopeful , and would speak very savorly where they came ; afterwards beginning by degrees to neglect the word , the lord hath blasted them , their gifts have withered , the common gifts of the spirit have been taken from them . i will give you one text for that in luke , . . take heed therefore how you hear . ( it is an exhortation that follows upon the parable of the sower that went out to sow ) because it is so that when the word is sowen as seed , there is so little of it doth prosper , and most hearers do not sanctifie gods name in it , therefore look to your selves ; why ? for whosoever hath , to him shal be given ; and whosoever hath not , from him shal be taken even that which he seemeth to have . you had need look to your selves how you hear , for the truth is , all depends upon it under god ; have you got any common gifts of the spirit of god , or any abilities to do any service for god ? do not be proud of them , neither be jolly , nor think that you are able to do better than others , and that those are but ordinary things that the minister speaks , and you are gotten into a higher form . look to your selves , take heed you come not to the word with a proud spirit , be not offended at the plainness of the word ; take heed how you hear , for if you do not , that that you seem to have shall be taken from you , saith christ : you seem to have excellent gifts , yea , you seem to have grace too , but take heed how you hear for all this , whatsoever parts you have got , though you be highly esteemed in the company where you come ; and you are able to do things more than others , yet i say , take heed how you hear , for otherwise that that you have will be taken away from you : have we not seen this in our own experience ? and it is apparant that they began to be withered and to be blasted by neglecting of the word . and therefore i beseech you look to this , that you doe sanctifie the name of god in his word , and let your hearts bow unto it as unto the ordinance of god , and wait upon it in the ministry of it , lest you wither and be blasted and come to nothing . and thus i have shewen the great evil of not sanctifying gods name , and how god will be sanctified . i shall be very brief in the use of exhortation . oh that the lord by this would cause something to stick upon your hearts , that what hath been preached in this point may be made useful for many sermons afterwards ! that it might be said of you in this place as it was said of them in act. . . when the gentils heard this they were glad , and glorified the word of the lord , and as many as were ordained to eternal life beleeved . oh! that god would make every one of you to be a means to glorifie the word of god! that should be our care that the word of god may be glorified by us ; we come to hear the word , but take heed that the word of god be not dishonored by us ; in thess . . . finally brethren pray for us , that the word of the lord may have free course , and be glorified , even as it is with you : oh that we were able to say so ! and yet through gods mercy in some degree we hope we can say so : and i could heartily pray that the word of god might be glorified in all places as it hath been with many of you ; but yet go on in this , and labor every one of you that it may be more glorified , that you may manifest the power of the word in your conversations , that all that do behold you may glorifie the word , and say , oh what hath the lord wrought in such a place , in such families , families that were wretched , vile , carnal , and liv'd without god in the world , prophane , swearers , foul-mouth'd , unclean ; now since they have attended upon the word , how hath it wrought upon them ! what a change is there in such men and women ! that the carnal husband may say , since such time as my wise hath attended upon the word , i have seen a beauty in her conversation , she it more holy , more gentle , and meek ; and so my servant , more submissive and faithfull , and so my children more obedient than before ; oh that the word may be thus glorified . take heed i beseech you that the word be not blasphemed by any of you : in tit. . . there the apostle gives divers exhortations , and among others to wives , and to servants , to be discreet ; chast , keepers at home good , obedient to their owne husbands , that the word of god be not blasphemed ; you must performe your duties unto your husbands and why ? that so the word of god be not blasphemed , that is , that neither your husband , nor any of your friends may blaspheme the word and say . what do you get this by going to sermons ? oh it should pierce your hearts when as your conscience tell you that you have given cause whereby the word of god should be blasphemed : and so he exhorts servants and others , and all in the strength of this argument , that the word of god be not blasphemed : you get up early in a morning to here the word , that 's good , but take heed you give no occasion that the word be blasphemed . now i shall shew what an excellent thing it is , so to sanctifie gods name in the hearing of his word as to honor it , and how god will sanctifie his own name in mercie to you . . first , all the good in the word is thine if thou dost sanctifie gods name . there is abundance of good in this word that we preach , it is the word of the gospell , and to have all the good in that to be thine , that must needs be an excellent thing ; you will say , smotimes i read and heare such things in the word that if i were but sure that these things were my portion , how happy should i be ? here 's one signe by which thou maiest be assured that they are all thy portion : is it thy unfaned care to sanctifie gods name in the hearing of his word ? oh peace be to thee ! all the good in the word in thine : and here we might fall into a commendation of the word of the gospel and if i should give way to that a great deal of time would quickly be gone , i will only give you one scripture for your encouragment to sanctifie gods name in the hearing of his word by way of commendation of it it is rom. . , ( a place i am afraid you have not heard the sweetnes of it for the want of understanding it ) it is quoted out of deut. for moses describeth the righteousnes which is of the law , that the man which doth those things shal live by them . but the righteousness which is of faith speaketh on this wise ; say not in thine heart , who shal ascend into heaven that is , to bring christ down from above ; or , who shal ascend into the deep , that is , to bring christ again from the dead ? but what saith it ? the word is nigh thee , even in thy mouth and in thy heart , that is , the word of faith which we preach . the text hath some difficulty , and yet exceeding sweet to us to know it ; i confess if the apostle paul had not quoted this place out of deuteronomy , and thus interpreted it , who could ever have thought in reading of deuteronomy , that by one had been meant the word of the law , and by the other the word of the gospel ? therefore the meaning is this , here is a comparison between the word of the law and the word of the gospel . concerning the word of the law , there is two things wherein that comes short of the word of the gospel . first , it is not so nigh thee , secondly , it is not so certain to assure thy soul what shall become of thee to all eternity : the word of the law saith , who shall ascend into heaven , &c. but the word of the gospel is nigh thee , even in thy mouth , and in thy heart . you will say , why is not the word of the law as nigh one as the word of the gospel ? i answer , the word of the law , you hear it in your ears , but it is not written in the heart as the word of the gospel is : the law cannot work savingly upon the heart of a man to bring salvation : those that are meerly legal , they can hear the duties that are required , but the word hath no power to write in their hearts what they do hear : but now when you come to hear the word of the gospel , that is nigh you , even in your very hearts as wel as in your ears ; god speaks in it , and it comes into your hearts , and there it works efficaciously , which the law cannot : the law is but a dead letter in comparison of the word of the gospel . if you come meerly to hear the law preached , add not in an evangelical way , you may hear it a hundred times , and it wil never be written in your hearts ? but when you come to hear the gospel in an evangelical way , that will come to be written in your hearts , so that the word of the gospel is nigh you . but what is the meaning of the other , say not , who shall ascend up into heaven & c ? the meaning is this , as if the apostle should say , the truth is , while you have no other but the righteousness of the law , you are at an infinite uncertainty about your eternal estates . the law saith , do and live ; but you can never know when you have done enough so as to be certain that you are well for eternity : that saith , who shal ascend into heaven to know the mind of god concerning me ? whether he will accept of me , and of that obedience and worship that i tender up to him ? who shall go down into the deep ? who shall go down to hell to know there , whether that place be prepared for him or no ? it is a phrase that only expresseth an uncertainty that one cannot be satisfied about his eternal estate , except he could go to heaven , and there see and read gods book , and so discover gods mind concerning him ; or go down to hell , and so know whether that place be appointed for him or not ; except i can do one of these i cannot certainly tell , ( meerly by the law ) whether i shall go to heaven or hell. as you that are merchants and dealers abroad , you are at a great deal of uncertainty what shall become of your estates . indeed if i could send one over to the indies to tell me now my ship prospered , then i could be at a certainty , then i should hear whether i were a rich man yea , or no , but except i could do such a thing i am at an uncertainty : such is the expression here , as if a poor soul should say , i would fain be saved , and loth to perish eternally : but all the while the soul remains under the law , it remains in an uncertain condition ; but now saith he , the word of the gospel is nigh thee , even in thine heart , and that is the word that we preach , that saith , rom. . . if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the lord jesus , and shalt beleeve in thine heart that god hath raised him from the dead , thou shalt be saved . as if he should say , this word of the gospel that is come into thine heart doth assure thy soul of thy eternal estate , so that though thou canst not go up to heaven , nor go down to hell , yet thou hast that in thine heart , that doth as it were assure thee that thou shalt be eternally saved , as if thou wert able to go up to the highest heavens and fetch news from thence . oh now , the good word of the gospel , how should we prize it , and keep it in our hearts ? for that 's in our hearts that will assure us of our salvation to all eternity , and of gods eternal purpose to do thee good in heaven . you would account it a great happiness if there could be any art to send abroad to the straits or to other place , to know how things fare with you : but now if thou hast the word of the gospel within thee , if that prevails in thy soul , thou hast alwaies got something in thy heart that will tell thee how things are with thee in heaven , and what shall become of thee for all eternity . oh who would not sanctifie the name of god in hearing of his word , seeing it is such a blessed word wherein the gospel is opened with more clearness than it hath been to many of our fore-fathers . . it is a certain evidence of your election , in thess . . . , . remembring without ceasing your work of faith , and labor of love , and patience of hope in our lord jesus christ in the sight of god and our father , knowing brethren , beloved your election of god ; why ? for our gospel came not to you in word only , but also in power , and in the holy ghost , and in much assurance . and know this excellency there is in sanctifying gods name in hearing the word , i beseech you mark it , that it is a more blessed thing , than if you did bear jesus christ in your wombs ; you that are women , would not you have accounted it a great happines if christ had been born in your wombs ? now if thou comest to the hearing of the word , and sanctifiest gods name in it , thou art in a better condition , and hast a greater blessing upon thee , than if thou hadest born jesus christ in thy womb . in luk . , . and it came to pass as he spake these things , that a certain woman of the company lift up her voice and said unto him , blessed is the womb that bear thee , and the paps which thou hast sucked . seeing christ and what gracious things came from him , she spake so ; but he said , yea , rather blessed are they that hear the word of god and keep it . that is labor to sanctifie my name , ( as hath been opened in the particulars ) rather is that woman blessed that doth so , than the woman that bear christ : me thinks this one scripture should be such a scripture for women , to cause them to sanctifie gods name in hearing of the word , instead of a hundred scriptures ; certainly thou maiest be so blessed , if thou wilt beleeve the word that comes from christs mouth . . do you sanctifie the name of god in the word , that will sanctifie you , by that your souls come to be sanctified , and it will comfort you in the day of your affliction , and it will save you at last . , you that do sanctifie gods name in hearing of his word , you will be the glory of the ministers of god at the great day of judgment : you will be an honor to them before the lord , and his saints and angels . in phil. . . holding forth ( saith the text ) the word of life . this is the duty of all the hearers of the word , that they must hold forth the word of life . when you go home , you must hold forth the power of the word you hear : well , what wil become of that ? that i may rejoyce in the day of christ , that i have not run in vain , neither labored in vain : let that be one motive amongst the rest . saith the apostle , this will be such a glory to me , that i in the day if iesus christ shall rejoyce , that i have not labored in vain , i shal bless god for all my studies and care , and all the pains that ever i have taken , and venturing my self for this people , i shall bless god in the day of jesus christ . would it not be a comfortable thing to you , that all the ministers of god that come to preach the word saithfully to you , if at the day of christ you should hear them blessing god that ever he did send them to preach the gospel in such a place , and you should hear them saying , o lord , it may be had i been sent to another place i should have spent all my strength in vain , but through thy mercy i was sent to a teachable people that were ready to imbrace thy word , oh! this is my crown and glory . would it not do good to any whose hearts are faithful , to think this , that their holding froth the word of life will not only be a glory to god , which is the chief , but it will be a glory to the ministers , to recompence all their labors , that you shall not only be saved your selves in the day of jesus christ , but you shall add to the glory of his faithful ministers likwise when they do appear before christ ? . i shall add one particular more , there is a time coming when god shall magnifie his word and make it honorable . what a joy shall it be to thee when the lord before men and angels shall come to magnifie his word , and make it honorable ; for thee then to think , this is the word that spoke to my heart at such and such a time this is that word that i did reverence , that i did obey ; that i did love , that i made to be the joy of my heart , this word the lord now doth magnifie and make to be honorable : this will be comfortable to thy soul . the eleventh sermon leviticus , . . i will be sanctified in them that come nigh me . the last day we finished the point fanctification of the name of god in the hearing of his word ; and now we will proceed to the sanctification of the name of god in receiving the sacrament ; that 's the next duty of worship . now first for the word , sacrament ; i confess we have not that word in all the scripture ; as neither have we the word trinity , and divers other words which ministers make use of to set forth the mysteries of religion by ; but yet it is usefull to consider the meaning why ministers in the church have given this name , unto those sings and seals that the church receives : sacrament , is to hallow a thing , or to dedicate , because in the sacraments there are outward things that are made holy , for holy and spirituall ends . secondly , we our selves do ( as it where ) hallow or dedicate our selves unto god in the vse of these ordinances : that one reason from whence it hath the name . or otherwise , as some will have it , sacramentum because it is to be received sacrament , with a holy mind , and therefore caled the sacrament . the churches have vsed it a long time ; in tertulliar's time ( which was above fourteen hundred years since ) he was the first that we find vsed this word , and most that would open the word unto us , say , that especially it was taken from the practice of solders , who when they came & listed themselves , bound themselves in to a solemn oath to be faithfull to their captain , and to the cause that they did undertake ; and the oath they were wount to call sacramentum , a sacrament . now in regard that christians when they come to this ordinance , they come to seale a covenant with god , and though they do not formally and explicitely take an oath , yet they bind themselves in a holy covenant , which hath the strength even of an oath in it ; ( for a solemn promise to the high god hath the strength of an oath in it ) and from thence they were call'd by these names , srcraments : but that for the word , that you may understand it . but the word the scripture useth to set out this sacrament , by that that now i am speaking of , is the communion of the body and blood of christ ; so you have it in cor. . . the cup of blessing which we bless , is it not communion of the blood of christ ? the bread which we break , is it not the communion of the body of christ ? i say we are now treating about this point , how we are to sanctifie the name of god , in that which the scripture cals the communion of the body and blood of christ ; and now for the opening of that first , we must know that this is a part of the worship of god , and we draw nigh to god in this , or otherwise it will not come up to our point . and then we shall shew that god is to be sanctified in this duty of worship . and then thirdly , how . first , we do in this draw nigh to god ; we worship god ; for when we are coming to receive these holy signs and seals , we come to present our selves before god ; and we have to deale with god himself in a service that he himself requires of us , in a holy , in a divine service ; we come to present our selvess to god for blessing , for communication of some higher good unto us than pobssily those creatures that we have to deal with , are able of themselves to convey to us , we come for a higher good than to tast a pece of bread , or to drink a draught of wine , we come ( i say ) to present our selves to god ; that we might have communion with him , and that we might have the blessing of the covenant of grace conveyed unto us through these things ; now certainly this is a drawing nigh to god , for to present our selves , for the conveyance of the blessing of the covenant of grace through these creatures , yea , that we might have communion with god himself in them , this is drawing nigh to him , when we come to his table ; therefore we draw nigh to god ; had not god instituted and appointed these creatures , bread and wine , and the actions about them to be the means of conveyance of blessing unto us , it had been will-worship for us to have expected any further presence of god in such creatures , than there is in the nature of them . it is true , god is present with every creature , when we eat and drink at our tables god is present there ; but we cannot be said to draw nigh to god , and worship god there ; for we there look for no further presence of god with us in them , to convey further good than the lord hath put into the nature of those things ; only when godly people take them , and receive them as blessings sanctified by the word , they take them as the blessings of god that come out of love to them . but now when we come to receive that which is cal'd the communion , there we expect things that are beyond the nature of these creatures , to convey that that is by an institution of god set apart for supernatural uses and ends , not to convey in any natural way such and such things , but in a supernatural way , through the institution of god , and so it comes to be worship . had we not i say a command for this , it were superstition and idolatry for us to make use of such creatures for such ends . if any man in the world should have appointed a piece of bread , or a draught of wine , to have signified and sealed the body and blood of christ , it had been superstition in any , and wil-worship , and sinful and abominable to you ; but we are to look upon god , setting apart these creatures for such holy and solemn ends , and therefore when we come to be exercised in them , we come to worship god ; and we come likewise to tender up our homage to god when we come to attend upon him in such ordinances as these are ; to tender up that homage that is due from us poor creatures , unto such an infinite and glorious god : and therefore we draw nigh to him in these . secondly , we must santifie gods name in drawing nigh to him ▪ whatsoever we do whether we eat or drink we must do all to the glory of god : now if your common eating and drinking we must do all to the glory of god , than certanly in this spiritual eating and drinking there must be some special thing done for the glory of god in this . . because there is so much of god in it ; for here there is a presenting before us the great , yea , the greatest mysteries of salvation , and deep councells of god concerning eternal life are presented before us in these outward elements of the bread and wine , and action thereof ; now when we come to eat and to drink those things that are appointed to set forth the great misteries of salvation , and the deepest of the councells of god concerning mans eternall good , wherein especally god will gloryfie himself ; we had need there sanctifie the name of god , for the things that are very great and glorious that are presented unto us . . this ordinance of the lords supper , or the communion it is an ordinance that christ hath left to his church , out of the abundance of his love ; and therefore you shall find if you read in the institution of it , in the of matthew that the same night wherein christ was betrayed , he took bread and brake it ; though christ was to die the next day , and to encounter with the warth of god , yea , that very night he was to be in an agony and to sweat drops of water and blood , and the next day to die and to have these tryals of wrath powered upon him , so as to put him to cry out , my god , my god , why hast thou forsaken me ? yet he busies his thoughts that every night to institute this supper ; surely this must be a great ordinance , & there is a great deal of love of christ in it . christ saw that his church had need of it , that he should that night when he was betrayed have his thoughts busied about such a thing as this is . one would think at that time , that he had enough to take up his thoughts concerning himself being to encounter with the law , and with the wrath of god for mans sin ; but for all that great work christ had to encounter with , yet his thoughts are busied about this great ordinance of the institution of the supper , and therfore there was great love in it , christ saw that it was a matter of great moment ; now if it be so , then there is great cause why we should sanctifie gods name in such an ordinance as this is , and not to account it as a common and ordinary thing . . we must sanctifie gods name in this , because it is the sacrament of of our communion with christ , wherein we come to have such a neer union and communion with him as to eat his flesh , and to drink his blood , and to sit at his table . we come to have communion with christ even in all our sences ; now christ coming so fully to us , that cals upon us to sanctifie his name when we come before him . . in this the covenant of grace is sealed , the covenant of grace comes to be sealed in both the parts of it ; now when we come to have to deal with god in the way of the covenant of grace , both to have the seal on his part , and the seal on ours , surely this must needs call for a sanctified use of such a thing as is so holy as this is . and that 's the first reason why we are to sanctifie gods name in this , because if we be in ordinary eating and drinking we must do it , then in this , wherin there is so much of god , wherein the mysteries of godliness are set before us , wherein there is so much of the love of christ , wherein we are to have close communion with jesus christ , and wherein the covenant of grace comes to be sealed on both sides : there had need therefore be sanctifying of gods name in the use of it . secondly , consider this , that there is no duty in al the book of god that i know of , that is urged with more strength and severity than this is ; as in that place cor. . sheweth , where you have required of every one that comes to receive the bread and wine in the lords supper , that they should examine themselves and so eat ; and you have the most dreadful expressions against those that do not do it , that i know are mentioned against the neglect of any duty in all the book of god ; there the holy ghost faith , that whosoever eats and drinks unworthily , first , he is guilty of the body and blood of christ ; and then secondly , he eats and drink● his own d●mnation : these two expressions have as much dreadfulness in them as can be imagined , and we do not find an exhortation to a duty backt with two such severe expressions ( in case we should neglect our duty ) as this exhortation . what if we do not sanctifie gods name in this dutie ? we come to be guilty of the body and blood of christ . blood guiltiness is a terrible thing ; you know david cries out , lord , deliver me from blood guiltiness ; to have but the blood of an ordinary man to lie upon one , to shed the blood of the vilest rogue that lives in a murderous way , it would lie upon the conscience and be very terrible ; it is impossible that such a man can be quiet all his daies , though he hath never such a seared conscience : an heathen could not be at quiet if he hath the guilt of blood lie upon him , but to be guilty of the blood of christ , whose blood is ten thousand thousand times more worth than the blood of all the men that ever lived upon the face of the earth must needs be a most dreadful thing ; it is a fearful expression , guilty of the body and blood of christ , that is , he offers such an indignitie to the body and blood of christ , as the lord will charge him of being guiltie of it , guiltie of abusing the body and blood of jesus christ . and then , he doth eat and drink his own damnation : but we shall speak more to that , when we come to shew how god will sanctifie his name in those that do not sanctifie it here in this holy ordinance . i will not therfore spend further time in those scriptures , for i bring them only now to shew that there is a necessity of it , that we do sanctifie the name of god in this ordinance . thirdly , there is nothing that strikes more upon a mans conscience ; we find it by experience , even upon wicked mens consciences , and especially upon such begin to be enlightned in the holiness of this ordinance , god hath put much honor upon it : i confess some men may use it superstitiously though it be an ordinance of christ , yet god hath put a great deal of honor upon this ordinance , that men that are very wicked otherwise , yet their consciences tell them that when they come to this ordinance then they must be good , then they must not sin , but have good thoughts , and good prayers at that time . and many times they dare not come , if their consciences tell them that they live in some sin . i knew one my self once that was to be executed , and he had never received this ordinance in all his life , though about fourtie yeers of age ; and being askt the reason why , he confest that he lived in some sin that he was loth to leave , and therefore would never come to that ordinance all his life , though herein the devil gul'd and deceived him ; but i mention it to shew what a power there is in the consciences of men about this ordinance ; this ordinarily is one of the first things that strikes upon the souls of men , when they come to have their consciences awakened , oh how have i prophaned the name of god in the ordinance of the holy communion and have not sanctified his name in it . that god should be sanctified in this ordinance , that 's cleer enough . but now the great work is , ( which is the third thing which i promised to shew ) how we should sanctifie gods name in this ordinance , certainly the name of god hath been much taken in vain , there hath been a great deal of pollution in the use of this ordinance , and in mens spirits when they have been exercising themselves in such an holy ordinance as this is ; therefore i will open this to you , and shall not be very large in it , only to shew you the main and principall things that may serve for the direction of us , that the name of god may not be taken in vain and dishonored as heretofore , and i shall cast what i intend to speak of into these particulars . . that whosoever was to partake of this must be holy himself ; none can sanctifie god , but he must have a sanctified heart himself . secondly , this ordinance it must be received in a holy communion ; there must be a communion of saints for this ordinance ; and it cannot be received any where else but in a communion of saints . thirdly , the holy disposition of soul particularly , or the qualifications of the soul that are required or the sanictfying of gods name in this ordinance . fourthly , the manner of the exiplcite going out of the soul , that there are to be at the very time of receiving . fifthly , the keeping of the institution of christ in our receiving . these things are required for the sanctifying of the name of god in this ordinance . for the first , those that come must be holy themselves . this is an ordinance not appointed for conversion , to make holy ; others that are not converted may come to the word , because the word is appointed to work conversion ; 't is appointed to work grace , to work the first grace , faith comes by hearing ; we do not find in all the scripture that this is appointed for conversion , but supposes conversion ; none are to come to receive this sacrament but men and women that before are converted by the word ; the word therefore is first to be preached to ●en for their conversion , and then this is an ordinance appointed for to seal them : therefore in the primitive times they let all come to hearing of the word . and then when the sermon was done , there was an officer stept up and cried , holy things for holy men , and then all others where to go out and therefore it was called missa ( though the papists did corrup it and so called it the mass afterwards , by mixing there own inventions instead of the supper of the lord , but it had that name at first ) i say , this holy communion was called by the name of missa , because that all others were sent away , and only such as were of the church , and accounted godly staid : holy things to holy men . and this must needs be so , because that the nature of it being the seal of the covenant of grace requires it ; it must be supposed that al that comes hither must be in covenant with god , they must be such as have been brought to submit to the condition of the covenant . now the condition of the covenant of grace is , beleeve and be saved ; it is therefore appointed for beleevers ; and as the nature of it begin a seal , supposeth a covenant , so none can have his covenant sealed to them , but those that do first submit to it , and are brought into covenant ; when you make an indenture , and put to the seal , certainly the seal belongs only to those that have their names in the indenture . now t is true , though mens names are not mentioned in the word , yet the condition is to those that are brought in to beleeve in jesus chrst ; saith god , i come now to seal all my mercies in christ to their souls . we abuse god if we come to take the seal to a blank , it is to make this ordinance a rediculous thing ; therefore there must be some transactions between god and your souls before you come to the seal ; if a man should say to you , come , set to your seal to such a thing , and there were never any kind of transactions between this man and you before , you would account it rediculous , after there hath been agreements between you , you use then to seal . so it must be here , i would appeal to many of your consciences that have come to the lords supper , what transactions have there been between god and your souls ? canst thou say the lord was pleased to reveal himself to me , to make known to me my wretched condition , and the way of grace and salvation , and shewed me that upon my coming in to receive his son , he would be merciful to me and pardon my sins , and i have found the spirit of god working my heart to jesus christ the lord from heaven speaking to me , and i sending an answer to heaven again , how willing my soul was to accept of the covenant , which the lord hath made with poor creatures in the word of his gospel ; canst thou say this in the uprightness of thy heart ; if not , know that this seal belongs not to thee , untill the lord hath by his word subdued thy heart to this agreement first with him . secondly this ordinance , it is the ordinance of spiritual nourishment , of eating the flesh of christ and drinking blood in a spiritual way . now it must needs suppose that first there must be life before there can be any nourishment received in if it be appointed to nourish and encrease grace , then surely there must be grace before ; what nourishment can a dead child take ? the very first thing that is to be done is nourishment here , the word hath power to convey life & then to nourish , but we reade of no such thing here , but that which is to be done here is presently to feed , to eat , and to drink , that is the end of the sacrament ; therfore it must be supposed that thou must have spiritual life , there must come no dead soul to this ordinance , but those who are quickned by the spirit of jesus christ , they must come for nourishment . thirdly , the act here required doth note , that only those that are holy and godly can receive this sacrament ; we are required by the apostle examine our selves . to examine our selves of what ? it must be of our godliness , examine what work of god hath been upon the soul , how god hath brought the soul to himself , and what graces of the spirit of god are there , and how we have been brought into covenant with god now if only those can receive worthily , and are to come that first examine themselves , then certainly such only as are godly are to come , for they only can perform those acts that are required fourthly , it is a sacrament of communion with god , and communion with the saints ; now what communion hath light with darkness ? what fellowship hath christ with belial ? if it be a sacrament of communion , of coming to the table of god ; will god have enemies to come to his table : you will invite no enemies to your tables , but your children and friends ; so they must be the children of god , and the friends of god , those that are reconciled to god in the blood of his son , and those that are his children that must sit at his table , therfore they must be holy . now this may suffice for that first thing , that this is not an ordinance for al sorts of people , but such as have submitted to the condition of the covenant before . such as have grace and ability to examin themselves of their graces , and such as are children and reconciled to god , and so are fit to sit at the table of god , and to enjoy communion with him and with his son , and with the saints ; for we are one body sacramentally when we come to this holy ordinance ; all others therfore certainly are to be kept from this sacrament but such . the second thing wil make it out more fully , and that is , it is not enough that we be holy our selves ; ( and so al ignorant prophane and scandalous , yea al that are meerly civil , that cannot make out any work of godliness upon their hearts , in bringing them to christ are excluded . ) but , it is to be done in a holy communion , and is cleer one of that place in cor. . , . the cup of blessing which we bless , it is not the communion of the blood of christ ? the bread which we break , is it not the communion of the body of christ ? and then saith the apostle in the . verse , for we being many , are one bread and one body : therefore all that come to receive the sacrament , thay must so come , as they must be one body , one spiritual corporation : this very consideration , that those with whom we receive the sacrament are one body with us , it hath a great deal in it , for the helping of us to sanctifie gods name ; this ordinance , i say , it is to be received only in a holy communion ; one christian cānot receive the sacrament alone , there must be a communion wheresoever it is to be administred ; it is not enough there is one godly man there , but there must be a communion of saints , and in that communion it is to be received . quest . you wil say , must it be received in a communion of saints ? what if wicked men do come there , will that hinder us from sanctifying gods name in partaking of the sacrament with them ? do not we find in scripture that the church had alwaies wicked men among them ? there are alwaies tares growing up with the wheat : if you reade even in the corinthians , you shall find that there were some in that church that were wicked , yea , and it 's thought that iudas himself did receive the sacrament ; therefore what if wicked men be there , doth that hinder ? answ . i answer , first it is true , that in the church of god there have been wicked men , and 't is like there will be wicked men to the end of the world ; but yet wheresoever there is a right communion of saints , there ought to be the power of christ exercised to cast out those wicked men , or at least to withdraw from them . this is the law of christ , that if there be any that have communion with you , if any of them do appear to be wicked , you are bound in conscience to go and tell them ; if they do not reform , you are bound to take two or three ; and if they do not yet reform , then you are bound to tell the church , to tell the assembly of the saints when they meet together , for so the word church doth signifie ; and we find in the cor. . chap. that when there was an incestuous person to be cast out , it was done in the presence of the congregation : thus far you are bound to do , otherwise you cannot say , that it is nothing to you if wicked men be there , for you have not discharged your conscience . and so you come to be defiled , and you do not sanctifie gods name in this ordinance , because you have not done to the utternost of your duty for the casting out of those wicked men . and mark , in cor. . . there the apostle writing to the church , bids them that they should purge out the old leaven , know ye nst ( saith he ) that a little leaven leaveneth the whol lump ; the apostle doth not speak there of sin , but of the wicked incestuous person , saith he , you must look to it that this man be purged out from you , or otherwise you are all leavened by it , that is , the whol church would be leavened by it , if there were not care taken to purge out that one man. you will say , shall we be the worse for one wicked mans coming ; no , if we be no way faulty in it , then we cannot be said to be worse and it cannot leaven us ; but now when it is our duty to purge him out , and we do not do it ; as in all communion of saints there is a duty , and there is not any one but may do somthing towards it ; thus far every communicant in every communion of saints must go ; if there be a wicked man there , if you come to know it , and do not go thus far as i have spoken , you are defiled by him , you are not defiled by the meer presence of wicked men ; ( for that is a meer deceit and gull that some would put upon men that differ from them otherwise ; ) but thus now you are defiled by their presence , if you do not do your duty , and the uttermost that you are able to purge them out ; yea , then the whol congregation is defiled , if they do not do their duty ; now this is the duty of every one in the congregation , to tell their brother , or to take two or three , and after that to tel the church , and so come to profess against them or if the church will not do their duty as they ought , yet then to free their own souls , as to profess , here is one that is so and so guilty , and may be proved thus and thus : and so for my part i to free my own soul profess that this man or woman ought not to have communion here ; and thus you come to free your own souls , and when you have done thus , though wicked men be there you may there eat and drink and not be defiled by their presence , for you cannot be said properly to eat with them now , not to have communion with them , no more than if a dog should come and skip upon the table , and take a piece of bread ; you cannot have communion with him because he takes it , no more have you with those wicked men when once you have dealt so fare with them you for your selves profess against them that you for your own particular cannot have communion with them herein , this is not to eat with them : the apostle in cor. . latter end , he doth there require , in the . v. that if any man that is called a brother be a fornicator , or covetous or an idolater , or a railor , or a drunkard , or an extortioner , with such an one no not to eat ; for what have i to do to judg them also that are without ? that is , the heathens and those that are in no communion with them , i have nothing to do to judg them ; but do not ye judg them that are within ? when we have so far freed out selvs as professing against their sin , then we cannot be said to have communion with them , and then we do withdraw from those that walk disorderly , when we do our duty thus far . thess . . . if any man obey not our word by this epistle , note that man , and have no company with him , that he may be ashamed ; and in the sixt verse of that chapter he commands them in the name of our lord jesus christ , that they should withdraw themselves from every brother that walked disorderly . so that till we do our duty we come to be defiled ; but now , if we do our duty , then it is not the mixture of a congregation that is enough to hinder any from receiving the sacrament there , and this will tend much to satisfie men about the receiving in mixt congregations where any are cast into them , and are actual members there but now on the other side , if we be in a place where either this congregation will not take upon them any such power to cast out unworthy ones , or are not convinc'd of this power , then there is no rule that christ hath set , that we must he forced al our dayes to continue to be in such a congregation as denies one of the ordinances of jesus christ ; if so be there be any such that are wicked , and we doe first what we can to have them cast out , and we wait with patience in such a congregation for to have them cast out , and yet we see that either the congregation doth not understand that they have any such power , or deny such a power that they have , and so upon that all people are left in a mixt way , i say then there is no rule in all the book of god that should force men to continue to be members of such a communion where they cannot enjoy one ordinance of jesus christ , which is the ordinance of separating the precious from the vile , the ordinance of casting out the wicked and ungodly . it where a very diseased body , and in danger quickly of the loss of life , to take in every thing into it , and to have no exexpulsive faculty to purge any thing out again ; so a congregation that is altogether without such an ordinance as that is of expelling such as are wicked and ungodly ; i say , i find no scripture that doth force people , and require them as bound in conscience to continue there where they may not injoy all the ordinances of jesus christ , and the right understanding of what i saw now , will help us to answer all those scriptures that are brought . as if it be that of judas , first it is hard to make it out cleer whether it were the lords sudper that he received yea , or no : but suppose it be granted that he did , yet i make no queststion but such as judas was , that shall continue to make such anoutward profession as he did , and could not be discovered in the church-way , but that we may receive with such as are close hypocrites . you will say , jesus christ knew him to be faulty , and he told john that lay in his bosom what he was ; but though he knew him as he was god , yet he deales with him in his ministerial way , and he had appointed before that none were to be cast out but were to be delt withal in such a ministerial way ; so that it is not enough though i knew by revelation from god that such a man were an hypocrite ; suppose god should reveale from heaven to me that such a man were an hypocrite , i think i might communicate with him still when he doth not so far discover himself that i can by witness prove his evil ; therefore though men be wicked , yet it doth not defile the communion where they are , if there hath been that way used that christ hath appointed for the observation in his church . and when that is done , then i am to withdraw from him , and to profess against communion with him , so that that 's enough to answer the case . we reade likewise that there were divers wicked men among the corinthians , and of tares that grew in the wheat . it 's true , there where wicked men among them , but they were enjoyned by the apostle to cast out those wicked men , and if they did not do it , it was there sin , and they were defiled by it . and for tares that were among the wheat , take it that this is meant concerning the church , suppose it where ( and yet christ saith plainly that the field is the world , and it 's the godly and the wicked living together in the world , and so i find many interpreters take it but howsoever take it that it is meant of the church-communion , yet thus far is cleer that it was through the fault of the officers that there should be any tares among the wheat ; for so the text saith plainly , that while the servants slept there did tares spring up ; therefore there should have been none . secondly , they were not such tares as would spoil the wheat , but as hierom saith in those countries the tares did grow much like wheat all the while it was in the blade , so that they were hardly to be distinguished , though some that were of more understanding were able to discern them from the wheat ; therefore though such as do grow up like unto the wheat may be suffered , and yet in this case only , that is , in case that it will prejudice the wheat , that is , when they are so close to the wheat as there will be danger by plucking them up to pluck up the wheat too , then they must be let alone : mark , first it was through the negligence of the officers ; they should have been kept out . secondly , if they do get in , yet while they grow so close to the wheat as there will be danger that when you pluck out them , to pluck out the wheat too , only in that case it must be forborn ; but this gives no libertie that therefore all sorts may be let into the church , and there should be no kind of ordinance to cast out those that are venemous weeds that will do hurt and mischief . but if you understand it ( as many do ) concerning the world , then the meaning is thus , the preaching of the gospel that comes to a place , and there 's only good seed sown , and is a means of the conversion of many , but together with the conversion of some ; there are others that do hear the gospel preached , and the truth is they being mingled among the hearers of the word instead of bringing forth good fruit according to the gospel , they bring forth the tares ; now saith the servant , lord , how comes it to pass that we preach such excellent truths in this place , and yet there are so many wicked men that bring forth such wicked fruit ? lord , is it thy mind that we should be wholly separated from them , and have nothing to do with them , that there should be a full separation while we live in this world ? no saith christ , not so ; for then the truth is , if all godly men should wholly withdraw from wicked men , and beleeve that they may not live among them , they could not live in the world . if you did beleeve it were your dutie not so much as to live neer a wicked man , nor to have any thing to do in any kind of converse with him , there would be no wheat growing in this field of the world here ; and therefore you must be content , when you live where the preaching of the gospel is , and the seed brings forth good fruit in some , and in others it brings forth tares , you must not be offended by this that here in this world god doth not by some visible stroke of judgment come and strike them dead , or that god doth not take some course that there should be a full separation here , but that they might live together til the day of judgment ; here i say you shall not have such a full separation ; so that you see it carries a very fair sense to take the field to be the world , and the kingdom of heaven there to be the preaching of the gospel in any place , and so we must be content while we live in this world to be where wicked and ungodly men are . but it doth not follow from this place that we are to have converse in the closest communion , in church-communion with wicked men , to be made body by eating the same bread , and drinking the same wine ; it holds not forth such close communion as this is ; so that there 's little strength can be taken from that place , but still it holds that wheresoever there is the sacrament of the lords supper , there must be a holy communion of saints . object . the scripture only saith , let us examine our selves . answ . i grant , for the benefit of mine own soul , i must look to examine my self more especially ; but now for another i am but only so far bound to look to him as to keep my self clean ; it is true , i am not bound to go and pry into his life and all his waies , so as to force him to give an account of things that are secret , but i am bound to keep a watch , and if any thing be done that offends me , then i am bound to go to him according to the formet rule of christ , and if he appears to be wicked , then i am bound to see him purged from the congregition ; for take but that other text in cor. . . know you not that a little leaven leaveneth the whol lump ? if i do not do so much as concerns my duty , than i am defiled by it . so as that you must not think that it is nothing to you how many wicked men comes to the lords table , and that it belongs only to the ministers and they are to look to it ; the truth is , that every one in his place is to look to it , and every one may be defiled , if he doth not perform this duty that god requires of him ; do not say , what have i to do with my brother ; am i my brothers keeper ? it was the speech of cain if thou beest of the same body , you are to have a care of your brother ; do not ye judg those that are within ? there is some kind of judgment that every one may pass upon such as do joyn with them in the same body ; surely it concerns me much ; what shall i do in such an action as to joyn with them to eat bread , whereby i must profess that i do beleeve my self to be of the same body , that this drunkerd is of , that this whoremaster is of , that this swearer is of ? whenever you receive the communion with any company , you do profess your selves to be of the same body with that company ; only in this case , if i have discovered any , and can particularly profess against any one , then i do not profess my self to be of the same body with him ; but now when i come in an ordinary way , and i know such to be wicked , vile , and prophane , and i professe nothing against them , nor take any course at all , i do then by partaking with them , profess my self to be of the same body that they are of . thou doest as it were openly declare , lord , here we come and profess that we are all of the body of jesus christ ; now when thou knowest such and such are notoriously wicked and prophane , and dost nothing in the world to help to purge them out , dost not thou think that gods name is taken in vain ? is not gods name prophaned here ? therefore it co●ce●●s us very much to look unto it that it be a holy communion that we receive the bread and wine in ; i beseech you therefore understand things aright that i have spoken of ; i have lab●●ed to satisfie men that there is a way that we may partake of the sacrament though wicked men be mixt with us : but this is that which is required of you for doing your duty , to keep your selves clean , that you may not be accessary to any way to any wicked mans coming to partake of this holy mystery of the body and blood of christ , there are divers things further about this , and the speciall thing i thought of , was to shew you the holy qualifications that there ought to be ; but this i conceive to be the necessary , and i should not have had peace in mine own conscience as being faithfull to you in what i am speaking , of sanctifyng the name of god in this ordinance , if i should not have mentioned this that i have spoken unto you , and ther 's an error on both sides , that i desire to meet withal ; either those that come hand over head , and think it concerns them not at all with whom they come to the sacrament but to look to their own hearts : and there 's an error on the other side , that if they do what they can to keep them away , and yet if they should be suffered to come , they may not come to partake of those things , now it is very usefull for us to know what we should do in this case . sermon xii . leviticus , . . i will be sanctified in them that come nigh me . i shall ad somthing to one particular , that i had the last day , concerning peoples withdrawing from such a congregation where they could not receive all the ordinance of jesus christ . as now , if i were in a church where i could have but a piece of the sacrament , suppose they deale with me as the papists do with the people that is , they will give them the bread and not the wine , certainly i were not bound to stay with them then , but i were bound to go where i might have the whol sacrament . so if a church will give me some one ordinance and not another , i confess so long as there is hope that i may enjoy it , and that they are in a way for injoyment , i think there should be a great forbearance to a church as wel as to a particular person ; as i must not withdraw from a particular man , where there is hope still of his reformation , that there may come good of my forbearance , so towards a church much more ; but i say , if i cannot enjoy neither doth there appear any hope of injoyment of all ordinances , certainly it were but a cruelty to force men to stay there , when as otherwhere they may enjoy all ordinances for the good of there souls . and this cannot be schism thus to do ; as now if this schism ? supose a man were in a place and joyned in such a communion , for his outward benefit he may remove his dwelling from one place to another if he can have better trading in another place ; than certainly if he may have more ordinance for the edification of his soul ; he may as well remove from one to another , as he may remove if his trading be better in one place than another . christ would have all his people look to the edification of there souls ; and should i account that schism , when a man or woman meerly out of tenderness and a desire to injoy jesus christ in all his ordinances for the benefit of there souls , , they find such want to there souls of all ordinances , that though they may have some in one place , yet if they cannot have all , their souls do not so thrive ; now if this be all the end why they remove , that they might have more edification to their souls , injoying the ordinances of christ more fully , god forbid that this should ever be acounted such a sin , that the scripture is to brand ; no that's schism when there is a violent rending out of malice , for the want of love ; for as a postasie is a rending from the head , so schism from the body , that is , when it is out of an evil spirit , from envie , or from malice , from want of love , or from any base sinister ends , and upon no just ground ; but now when it is meerly out of love to jesus christ , that i might have more edification to my soul and still i retaine love to the saints that are there as they are in communion , and so far as they have any thing good among them , i hold communion with them in that : only i desire in humility , and in meekness that i may be in such a place where my soul may be most edified , where i may enjoy al those ordinances that christ hath appointed for his church , certainly , that soul that can give this account to jesus christ for going from one place to another , will be freed by jesus christ from such a sin as this is that the world calls schism ; but the truth is , this word is in mens mouths that understand not what it means , and the devil alwayes will have some word or other cast upon them that are good ; for he hath heretofore gained much by it , so still he makes account to gain much by words and terms and therefore men should take heed of words and termes that they do not understand , and examine seriously what the meaning is and what is held forth in these words : and thus much for that point that it must be in a holy communion wherever there is the receiving of the lords supper , it must be received in an holy communion . now we are to proceed to that which is the main thing , and that is , what are the holy qualifications or dispositions of the soul , together with the actings fit in receiving of the lords supper , what is required in the soul , for he sanctifying of the name of god in this holy sacrament ? there are many things required . as first , there is required knowledg ; i must know what i do when i come to receive this holy sacrament ; knowledg applyed to the work that i am about , when some of you have come to receive this sacrament , if god would have spoken from heaven and have said thus to you , what are you doing now ? what do you go for ? what account had you been able to have given unto him ? you must understand what you do when you come thither . first you must be able to give this account to god , lord , i am now going to have represented to me in a visible and sensible way the greatest mysteries of godlines , those great and deep counsels of my will concerning my eternal estate , those great things that angels desire to pry into , that shall be the matter of eternal praises of angels and saints in the highest heavens that they may be set before my view ; lord , when i have come to thy word , i have had sounding in mine ears the great mysteries of godliness , the great things of the covenant of grace , and now i go to see them represented before mine eyes in that ordinance of thine that thou hast appointed . yea lord , i am now going to receive the seals of the blessed covenant of thine , the second covenant , the new covenant , the seals of the testimony and will of thine ; i am going to have confirmed to my soul thine everlasting love in jesus christ . yea lord i am going to that ordinance wherein i expect to have communion with thy self , and the communion of thy chief mercies to my soul in jesus christ . i am going to feast with the , to feed upon the body and blood of jesus christ . yea , i am now going to set the seal of the covenant on my part , to renew my covenant with thee , i am going to have communion with thy saints , to have the bond of communion with all thy people to be confirmed to me , that there might be a strong bond of union and love between me and thy saints than ever ; these are the ends that i go for , this is the work that i am now going about ; thus you must come in understanding , you must come with understanding , you must know what you are going about ; this is that which the apostle speaks of , when he spake of the disarming the lords body ; he rebukes the corinthians for there sin , and shew them that they were guilty of the body and blood of christ , because they did not descren the lords body , they look'd only upon the outward elements , but did not discren what their was of christ there , they did not understand the institution of christ ; they did not see how christ was under those elements , both represented , and exhibited unto them : that is the first thing , there must be knowledg and understanding . and now for the knowledg and understanding of the nature of the sacrament ; there need be knowledg in other points of religion , for we can never come to understand the nature of this sacrament , without knowing god , and knowing our selves , knowing in what estate we are by nature , knowing our fall knowing the way of redemtion , knowing jesus christ what he was , and what he hath done for the making of an atonement , the necessity of jesus christ , and what the way of the covenant is that god hath appointed to bring mens souls to eternall life by . the main points of religion must be known , but especially that which concerns the nature of a sacrament . now this knowledg likewise must be actual , not meerly habitual knowledg , but there must be a stirring up of this knowledg , that is , by meditation , i must be meditating , have actual thoughts and meditations of what i do know ; that ought to be the work of a christian in coming to receive the sacrament , to quicken up his knowledg , to have a renewed work of his knowledg by actual thoughts and meditations of the main points of religion , and especially of the nature and the end of this holy institution ; that is the first thing . secondly , as we must come understandingly , without which we cannot sanctifie gods name so we must come with hearts sutable to the work that we are about , that is , because the great thing that is here , is the breaking of christs body , and the powring forth his blood . a sutable disposition to this is brokenness of heart , sence of our sin , of that dreadful breach that sin hath made between god and the soul ; our sin should be upon our hearts so as to break them ; but this brokenness must be evangelical ; it must be through the applying of the blood of christ unto my soul ; i must come to be sensible of my sin ; but especially be sensible of it by what i see in the holy sacrament , that must make me sensible of my sin : there are a great many things to make me sensible of my sin : the consideration of the great god that thou hast sinned against , and the curse of the law that 's due to thee , the wrath of god that is incensed against thee for thy sin , and those eternal flames that are prepared for sinners , those everlasting burnings . but now those are not the things that will break the heart in an evangelical way , in a gracious way ; the main thing by which the soul must come to break its heart , must be the beholding of the evil of sin in the red glass of the blood of jesus christ , the beholding him broken ; and truly there is nothing in the world , that hath that power to break the heart of sin , as the beholding of that which is to be beheld in the holy sacrament , and that heart is a hard heart that can see what is there to be seen , & not break in the apprehension of sin ; when i here see what my sin cost , what a price was made for my soul , when i see the hatred of god against sin , and the justice of god in not sparing his son , but in breaking his son for my sin and in shedding the blood of his son for my sins , i see here that the making of my peace with god did cost more than ten thousand worlds is worth ; i see that by my sin such a breach was made between god and my soul , that all the angels in heaven , and men in the world could never make up this breach ; only the son of god , he that was god and man , that was thus broken by the burden of the wrath of his father for my sins , could do this , the truth is , when we come to this holy communion , we are to look upon christ as if we saw him hanging upon the cross , suppose thou hadst lived at the time when christ was crucified , and hadst understood as much concerning the death of christ as now thou doest , and what christ was , if so be that thou shouldest have beheld him in the garden and there sweating drops of water and blood , and lie groveling upon the ground , crying , if it be possible let this cup pass from me : and shouldest have followed him to the cross , and there have seen his hands and feet naied and his side pierced , and the blood trickling down , and have heard him crying out , my god , my god , why hast thou forsaken me ; would not such a sight as this is have broken thy heart for thy sin ? the truth is there is more , i won't say only so much , but i say there is more in this sacrament to break the heart for sin than such a sight as that . you will say , if you should haue christ to be crucified again before your eyes , if you should see the body of christ hanging upon the cross , and there behold him crucified , and hearing of him cry out , my god , my god , why hast thou forsaken me ; you would think if your hearts did not break for sin then , that they were desperately hard ; know every time that thou hast come to receive the sacrament , thou hast come to see such a sight and it is as great an aggravation of the hardness of thy heart if it hath not broken at this sight , as it would be if it should not break at that sight ; we reade in gal. . . of pauls speaking of the preaching of the gospel , he saith that christ was crucified before those that did hear the word : and foolish galatians who hath bewitched you , that you should not obey the truth , before whose eyes jesus christ hath been evidently set forth , crucified among you ; he doth not mean that christ was crucified in galatia , but that where the word was preached he was evidently set forth , and crucified among them ; but now my brethren , the crucifying of christ in the word , is not such a real , evident and sensible setting forth of christ crucified , as when he is set forth in this sacrament , and t is that which works with more efficacie to break the heart than that other sight ; and the reason that i give is this : because you do never find that god did set that apart as an ordinance : an institution appointed to that end that they should come to look upon that for the breaking of there hearts ; there was indeed a naturalness in it ; that if they did behold christ , it might break there hearts , but it was not such an ordinance it was not a sacrament as this is ; now this being in a sacramental way in the use of an ordinance appointed by jesus christ to set forth his sufferings , and al the riches of the covenant of grace to the soul , there may be expected here a further blessing than in the other , though it 's true the other might work mightily upon the heart but yet this being a great ordinance of christ in the church , a great institution of jesus christ for the setting out of his sufferings , it hath a more special blessing that goes along with it ; every ordinance hath a promise , and a more special blessing than any other thing that is not an ordinance . so when you come here to behold christ crucified before you , you cannot see christ naturally crucified as upon the cross : but you have christ crucified before you in the way of a sacrament , in the way of a solemn institution of jesus christ , that hath a special blessing which goes along with it ; therfore if the heart be not broken here , there is an aggravation of the hardness of the heart as great as if we should behold jesus christ upon the cross and our hearts not broken there ; and indeed this is a special reason why those are said to be guilty of the body and blood of christ that receive unworthily ; as if a man had been then alive and had been before the cross ; and there have seen how the blood of jesus christ , was shed for sin , and should not have been affected with it , but should have accounted it as a common thing , this man in some regard might have been said to be guilty of his death ; that is , to have joyned and consented with those that 〈◊〉 crucifie him ; for if a man sees another commit a sin , if he 〈◊〉 affected with that sin , and it does not stir his heart , he may come to be partaker of his sin ; so that those that come to see jesus christ crucified , and have not their hearts at all stir'd with the crucifying of christ , they are in som regard truly said to be guilty of the body and blood of jesus christ ; and that 's the second thing , brokenness of spirit is sutable to the light of a broken christ . . the third thing that is here to be done in the sanctifying of gods name , is the purging and clensing of the heart from sin ; and actuall clensing and purging the heart from sin there ought to be . the jews in there passover were to cast out all leaven and those that were of the custom of the jews , say that they were wont to do three things in the casting out of their leaven : . they made diligent search for leaven ; they lighted candles to look into every corner lest there should be any bit of leaven left in the house . . when they found it they cast it out . . they used an execration , they did curse themselves if they should willingly keep any leaven in the house . so my brethren , when we come to partake of this holy ordinance , there should be a diligent inquisition for sin , for sin in scripture is compared to leaven ; thou shouldest make a diligent search what sin there is in thy heart , in any of the faculties of thy soul , what sin there is in thy thoughts , in thy conscience , in thy understanding , in thy will , in any of thy affections , what sin there hath been in thy life , what family sins , what personall sins . thou shouldest make a diligent search to see whether there be not some leaven , some evil in thy heart ; and what ever sin thou shalt come to find out in thy heart , there must be a casting of it out ; that is , thy soul must be set against it to apose it with all thy might ; what ever beloved sin , whatever gainfull sin , whatsoever become of thee , thy soul must renounce that sin of thine ; yea and in a kind of execration of thy life : that 's thus , lord , as ever i expect to receive any good by this body and blood of christ , that i come now to receive , so lord , here i profess against every sin that i have found out in my heart ; i desire to find out all , and profess against all , and renouuce all , and would do to the uttermost that i am able for delivering of my soul fully , from every known or beloved sin ; oh that there might not be any remaining in my heart : this must be the disposition of the soul coming hither , and it must needs be thus , or else we cannot sanctifie gods name , because there is nothing more sutable than this disposition unto the receiving of the sacrament ; for we come here to profess , that we do acknowledg that sin did cost so much as it did , that it cost the blood of the son of god ; now this cannot chuse but cause the heart to renonnce sin ; if indeed i do beleeve that sin hath cost the blood of christ , that it cost him so deer as it did , that it did trouble heaven and earth , that there must be such a mighty wonderful way of satisfaction to god for my sin committed against him , certainly sin hath a dreadful evil in it , oh let me never have to do with such sin that was the cause of such sufferings to my savior that did shed his blood. if so be that thou sawest a knife that had cut the throat of thy dearest child , would not thy heart rise against that knife ? suppose you come to a table , and there is a knife laid at your trencher , and it was told you , this is the knife that cut the throat of your child , or father , if you could use that knife as another knife , would not any one say , there was but little love to your father or child : so when there is a temptation comes to any sin , this is the knife that cut the throat of christ , that pierc'd his sides , that was the cause of all his sufferings , that made christ to be a curse ; now wilt not thou look upon that as a cursed thing that made christ to be a curse ? oh with what detestation would a man or woman fling away such a knife ! and with the like detestation it is required that thou shouldest renounce sin , for that was the cause of the death of christ . i remember it is reported of anthony . when caesar was slain , he comes to stir up the people against those that had slain caesar , and he takes the cloaths that were bloody , and holds them forth to the people , and saith , here is blood of your emperor ; and upon that the people were enraged against those that had slain him , and went and pulled down their houses upon them : so when thou comest to this sacrament , thou seest the blood of christ gushing out , and for thy sin , if ever thy sin be pardoned ; either thy soul must be eternally damn'd for thy sin , or else thy sin cost the gushing out of the blood of christ ; now when thou seest this ; this should cause an holy rage in thy soul against sin that caused this ; surely the putting away sin , the rising of the heart against sin must needs be a disposition sutable to such an ordinance as this is . and that 's the third thing required in sanctifying of gods name in this ordinance , the purging out of sin , and rising of the heart against it . . the fourth thing that is to be done for the sanctifying of gods name here , it is , the hungring and thirsting of the soul after jesus christ ; whosoever comes hither , he comes to a feast , and the lord exspects that all his guests should come with stomachs unto his feast , come with hungring and longing for jesus christ ; this should be the disposition of the soul , oh that my soul might enjoy communion with jesus christ ; now , this is the end that i am come for ; oh! the lord , that knows the workings of my heart , knowes that this is the great desire of my soul , that i might enjoy communion with jesus christ ; oh! that i might have more of christ , that i might meet with christ , that i might have some further manifestation of jesus christ that i might have my soul further united to the lord christ , and so have further influence of christ to my soul ; i come with thirst after the lord christ , knowing my infinite need of him , and the infinite excellency that there is in jesus christ ; my soul doth famish and perish for ever without christ ; but in the enjoyment of christ , there is a fulness for the satisfying of my soul ; that i have had of christ somtimes in the word , and somtimes in prayer , that have been sweet unto me , but i expect a further communion with christ here , for this is the grand ordinance for communion with jesus christ ; indeed the word in this respect it is beyond this ordinance , that is it is not only for the increase of grace , but for the begetting ; this is only for the increase of grace , and not appointed for the begetting ; now in that respect the word is above the sacrament ; but now this sacrament is a more full ordinance for communion with jesus christ , this is the communion of the body of jesus christ , and of his blood , and therfore there ought to be hungring and thirsting desires of the soul after jesus christ , therefore you must take heed you do not come with your stomachs full of trash , as children when they can get plums and pears and fill their stomachs with them , when they come to your tables , though there be never so much wholsome diet , they have no mind at all to it ; so it is with men of the world , they fill their hearts with the trash of this world , and with sensual delights , and hence it is that when they come to such a great ordinance to enjoy communion with jesus christ , that then they feel no want at all of christ , only they come and take a little piece of bread and a draught of wine , but for any strong pausing desires to meet with jesus christ there in the ordinance , to come so as they know not how to live without christ , even as a man that is an hungred cannot live without his meat and drink ; and so for the soul to have such a disposition after christ , this is a rare thing ; but know that gods name is not sanctified , unless thou doest come in such a way unto his holy sacrament ; that 's the fourth thing , hungry and thirsty desires after christ , from a deep sence of the need of him , and the apprehension of the excellency in him . . in the fift place there must be an exercise of faith for the sanctifying of gods name here ; faith that is both the hand and the mouth of the taking of this spiritual meat ; and spiritual drink ; when thou comest to the feast of the lord , faith first is the eye , and then the hand and mouth ; it is the eye of thy soul to give a real sight to what there is here , you are not able to discern the body of the lord but by the eye of faith ; if thou comest only with bodily eyes to look upon what is here , thou seest nothing but a little bread and wine ; but now where the eye of faith is , there is a real apperance of jesus christ to the soul , as if christ were bodily present , and we need not have the bread truned in to his body ; for faith cannot see the body of christ through the bread , and the blood of christ gushing in the wine . and it is a mighty thing to have christ and such sprituall things made real and not to be a fansie . if one look upon the fire that is painted , one cannot heat ones self in cold wether with that , but fire that is really burning upon the harth ; so those that come to receive the sacrament , and not come with faith , that have only the eye of their bodies , they only see as it were a painted christ , they do not see christ really , his body and blood and those great mysteries of the gospel are not presented as real things to their souls ; and hence it is that they go away and get nothing ; but now when the soul comes with the eye of faith , the soul sees the wonderful things of god , it is the most glorious sight in the world ; al the glory of god in the heavens and earth is not like this sight of jesus christ and the mysteries of the gospel that do appear to the eye of faith ; therefore you may by this know whether you have come with faith or no to the sacrament , whether you have seen the most glorious sight that ever your eyes did behold , alas ! with our natural eyes , we behold a minister coming with a piece of bread , and a little wine : but when the eye of faith is opened , then we behold the glorious things of the gospel : many times when you come to hear the word , your hearts burn within you ; as they that went to emaus ; but when you are breaking bread , the eye of faith that must look upon jesus christ : and in this sense , those that have pierced christ must look upon him ; that scripture is fulfilled in zachariah , . latter end , they shall look on him whom they have pierced by their sins , and then mourn and lament : this eye of faith will cause mourning and lamenting for sin. and then , as faith is the eye to make what is here real , so faith is the hand to take it : when you come to a feast , you must have something to take the meat to you : so saith christ , he brake bread , and gave it unto his disciples , saying , take , eat this . take it ; how shal we take it ? by reaching out of the hand ; if you sanctifie gods name in this ordinance , as you reach out your hand to take the bread and wine , so there must be an actual reaching out of the soul by faith , putting forth an act of faith to receive jesus christ unto the soul , to apply the lord jesus christ unto thy soul with all his merits and good things that he hath purchased ; when the minister doth give out that ordinance , 〈◊〉 should look upon god the father giving out his son ; as if this were your condition i am now in the presence of the eternal father , who now doth actually give out his son to my soul ; and saith soul , here receive a new this day , my son with all that he hath purchased for thy good ; now then the soul acts upon this , and by stirring up an act of faith , comes and closes with this gift of the father and casts its selfe upon jesus christ , and saith as it were , amen : to what the father gives , oh lord , here i come and imbrace thy son as my life , as my savior , as the fountain of all my good , in whom i expect all the good i am like to have either here or to all eternity ; so that there must be a stirring up of the act of faith in an actual taking of christ , if thou beest a beleever ; canst thou remember what thou didst , when first thou didst take jesus christ ; when the lord in the preaching of his word did reveal jesus christ to my soul , what didst thou then , oh soul ; how did thy soul work in closing with christ ; as thy soul did then in closing with christ , so it must now renew the work ; there must be a renewal of the work at that time . so that when you come to the sacrament , you must not think that it is then a time to listen to doubts , fears , and scruples ; no , but it is a time that god cals for the exercise of faith , the casting of the soul upon christ , and his merits for life and for salvation , or else the name of god is not sanctified as it ought ; thou doest not sanctifie gods name , when thou art busying thy soul in doubts and scruples in thy receiving of the sacrament . and then faith is as the mouth ; when thou comest to eat and drink , how canst thou if thou hast not a mouth ; thou hast a bodily mouth to take in bread and wine ; but know that without faith thy soul cannot take in christ ; faith is as it were the mouth ; that is , by the act of faith the soul doth open it self for jesus christ , and not only opens it self , but takes in christ , to the soul , and makes christ and the soul as one , as our bread and wine is made one with our body , so faith takes in christ , and makes him as one with thee , and turns christ into the nourishment of thy soul , and thou and christ by faith are made as truly one , as the bread and wine that is put into thy body , is made one with thy body . this is the work of faith , without which we cannot sanctifie the name of god. sixthly , there must be spiritual joy ; that must be exercised here ; for it is a feast ; here we come to sit with christ at his table , we come as children to our fathers table , and to sit there with jesus christ our elder brother ; now as a father doth not love to have his child sit in a sullen and dogged way at his table , or to be crying , but he would have the child sit in comfort and with a holy cheerfulnes with a holy freedom of spirit ; not in a sullen way , but as a child in the presence of his father , and not as a servant with the master . obiect . you told us before , that there should be brokenness of spirit and sence of our sin . answ . that may be , and joy ; we rejoyce with trembling ; therefore that brokennese of spirit that i meant , must not be slavish horror and fear , but a kindly melting of the soul from the apprehension of the love of god unto it in jesus christ , that was willing to be at so great cost to purchase the pardon of sin : such a gracious mourning as may stand with joy ; and the truth is , that , that sorrow for sin in the sacrament that is not mixt with joy , is a sorrow that doth not sanctifie gods name ; godly sorrow and evangelical joy may stand together very well . and therefore know that this is not the time , neither to give liberty to have your hearts sink ; no , there must be no sinking sorrow of heart , but such a sorrow of heart as in the midst of it you may be able to look upon god as a reconciled father to you , and have a cheerfulness of spirit as in the presence of god ; you must look upon your selves as gods guests , to be merry at his table ; now this is a great mystery of godliness ; that there should be at the same time the sight of christ crucified , and yet at the same time a spiritual cheerfulness in the assurance of the love of god in jesus christ . i say , it is a mystery , and only those that are beleevers are able to understand this mystery , how to have their hearts break , and yet how to rejoyce at the same time in that unspeakable love of god that is here presented unto them in this sacrament . seventhly , in the next place , there must be thankfulness ; therefore it is called the eucharist , and in one of the evangelists where it is said , christ blest the bread , in another it is said , christ gave thanks ; christ when he instituted this sacrament , he gave thanks he gave thanks ; for what ? he gave thanks to god the father that he was pleased to send him into the world to die for poor souls ; now shall jesus christ give thanks unto god the father for that which did cost him his life ? yea saith christ , i see that here is a way to save souls , and let it cost me my life if it will , yet i bless thee o father , if souls may come to be saved though it cost me my life . christ rejoyced in his spirit in thanking his father for this ; then how should our hearts be enlarged with thankfulness when we come to this , that the ancients were wont to call the eucharist , that is , a thanksgiving ? we are to give god thanks for every mercy , you will not eat your own bread without giving of thanks ; but when we come to have this bread , this bread of life , here is matter of thankfulness , here is matter of enlargment of soul ; thou that hast the deadest and dullest soul ; and straightest spirit , yet when thou comest hither and understandest what thou doest , here thou canst not but see matter for the enlargment of thy heart , and wish that thou hadst ten thousand thousand times more strength to express the praises of the lord ; here is a thing that must be the subject of the hallelujahs and doxologies , that angels and saints must for ever sound out in the highest heavens ; dost thou know what the lord presents to thee here ? it is more than if the lord should say , i will make ten thousand worlds for the sake of this creature , and give all these worlds to him , thou wouldest think that thou wert bound to bless him then ; only when god in bread and wine , reaches out to the , the body and blood of his son , here is more matter of praise , then if ten thousand thousand worlds were given to thee , and therefore god expects that thou shouldest say to thy soul , my soul praise thou the lord , and all that is within me praise his holy name ; bless the lord o my soul , and forget not all his benefits ; who forgiteth all thine iniquitie , who healeth all thy diseases ; o poor soul , here is the foundation of all mercies ; dost thou praise god for justification , for sanctification ? here is a glorious application of the mercie of god to the souls of sinners , and therefore if ever thou wert thankfull , be thankfull here . the sabbath my brethren , that is appointed to be the set constant day of thanksgiving for the great mercies of god in christ , and there are other daies for national mercies ; now a special work of the lords day , is , the celebration of this holy sacrament ; and the christians in former times were wont to do it every lords day , because that is the day appointed by god for to be the day of thanksgiving for that great mercy ; the lord jesus christ : and that 's the reason why the sabbath was changed ; the last day in the week was the jewish sabbath , and that was to celebrate the memorial of the creation of the world ; and the first day now , it is to be the day of thanksgiving for al the work of god in mans redemption . eighthly , a further thing is this , if you would sanctifie gods name , you must be willing to renew your covenant ; that 's the end of it ; there must be an actual renewing of your covenant with god , that 's thus , i come to receive this bread & this wine , and this is to be as the seal of the covenant on gods part : now this will be emplied in the nature of the thing , that if i take the seals of gods covenant , that i must be willing to set to my seal too , to renew the covenant that god calls me to ; now know , all men and women that are sav'd , they are sav'd by the vertue of the covenant of grace ; and there god on his part promises and makes a cavenant , that he will bestow his son , life and salvation through him ; and thou must likewise come in on thy part , and beleeve on his son , and repent , which is the tenour of the gospel ; now every time thou comest to receive this sacrament , thou comest to renew this covenant ; as if thou shouldest say , lord , thou hast been pleased to make a covenant of grace ; as the first covenant was broken , and all men were cast by that covenant , now thou hast made a covenant of grace , and callest thy servants whom thou intendest to save , that they should renew their covenant with thee in this sacrament of thine ; lord , here i come , and lord , here i renew it and set to my seal , to promise and covenant with thee , that as ever i expect to receive any good from christ , so lord , here i will be thine , i will give up my self for ever to thee ; as thou hast given me the body and blood of christ for my salvation , so lord , here i consecrate my body and blood to thee , the last drop of my heart blood shall be given to thee , and so my strength and estate , and name , or what ever i am or have shall be thine have you done thus when you have come to receive the sacrament ? have you actually renewed your covenant with god ? you that have taken the body of christ , have you given up your body to christ ? what 's the reason then that you sin so much with your bodies ? that you abbuse your body with uncleanness , and drunkenness , and other wickedness afterwards ? oh you prophane the name of god , and the very body and blood of christ in this , except thou givest up the body and soul to god in way of covenant : ninthly , in the last place , for the sanctifying of gods name there is required the renewing of love ; the coming with lovely dispositions and the renewing of the grace of love , not only towards god , but towards our brethren ; for it is the feast of the lord , and it is an act of communion , communion , not only with christ , but with his churches , with his saints ; and as i have told you that there is a profession of our selves to be of the same body with jesus christ , then the lord requireth that his children should not fall out that come to his table , but that there should be love and peace ; there 's a mighty bond upon thee when thou comest to the sacrament ; and therefore , first , all heart burnings , and heart grudges , must be laid aside ; and secondly you must come with a willinness to be reconcilled one to another , willingnes to pass by all infirmities in thy brethren ; here i have the seal of gods wllingness to pass by al my sins . and therefore i must be willing to pass by all infirmities in my brethren ; i must now cast out all ill wishes towards others , and come with a disire of all good unto them ; and with a heart ready to imbrace any opportunity to do any good ; thou doest lye unto god except thou comest with such a heart as this is ; lord , thou knowest that i am willing to take all opportunities to do good to those , that i now do communicate with , for it is the neerest communion that possible can be in this world , between one creature and another , and this is the reason why there should be that ordinance of christ set up every where , to cast out those that are unworthy , because it is the greatest union and communion that possibly can be , for it is the sacrament and communion of the same body , they are the same members of christ : now if thou doest not think such an one to be a member of christ ; why doest not thou do what thou canst to have him cast out , but so long as thou hast done nothing in private to him , or in telling the church , thou doest own him to be a member of jesus christ ; if thou doest so , take heed how thy heart be estranged from him , take heed how thou behavest thy self to them ; take heed how thou livest in a jarring , and a contentious way with them , and holdest them off at staves end , or walking at a distance from them , though they be never so poor and mean , know that thou doest prophane this holy ordinance every time thou comest to it when thou comest with such an heart as this is ; if thou dost not find this renewed love , lord , there began to be a strangeness between me , and those that have communicated with me , but lord , thou art pleased to vouchsafe us to come once more to this ordinance , and lord , here we do profess , that this ordinance shall unite our hearts together more than ever they were ; i will study to do what good possibly i can to my brother ; that as we joyn here to the feast of the lord with comfort , so we may live together in peace & love as it becomes the saints of god , and the members of the body of jesus christ ; oh how far are people from any such work of god as this is ! the lord expects this should be in you every time you come to the holy communion . here hath been nine particulars now mentioned for the sanctifying of the name of god when we come to partake of the sacrament ; but o lord , what cause have we to lay our hands upon our hearts ! for if this be to sanctifie thy name then it hath been a riddle , a mysterie to us ; certainly my brethren , these things are the truths of god which i have delivered , and so fare as you have been wanting in any of these , know , so far you have taken gods name in vain is this holy ordinance , you have not been worthy receivers of this sacrament , you have cause to look back to your former waies , and spend much humiliation for your sin herein , and not to be so greedy of it as some are ; they must have the communion , but i put it to your consciences , have you repented you for the profaning of gods name ? and that 's that we should further have spoken of , that god will be sanctified ; that 's thus , if we do not sanctifie gods name , it will quite turn to the contrary ; it is the proper end of the sacrament , to seal up our salvation : but if we sanctifie not gods name , it will seal up our condemnation ; if it hath not been thy endeavor to sanctifie the name of god , so many times as thou hast received the sacrament , so many seals hast thou upon thee for the sealing up of thy condemnation . but yet for thy comfort , while thou art alive , it is possible that these sels may be broken open ; as we reade in the revelations , that john saw the book that had seven seals upon it , and none could be found that was able to open it ; at length the lamb that was slain he was found worthy to open the book : so i say , thy condemnation is sealed up with many seals , and there is no creature that is able to conceal these seals , only the lamb , jesus christ ; yea , that christ whose blood thou hast shed and been guilty of , only he is worthy ; and he is willing to open these seals ; for as it was with those that did crucifie christ , yet they were saved by the same blood that thay had shed , as in acts . so though thou hast been guilty of shedding the blood of christ again and again , by thy prophane coming to the sacrament , yet know , seeing there is life in thee , and the day of grace is continued , it is possible that thy soul may be sav'd by that blood that thou hast crucified : oh how many are cut off that have thus prophaned the name of god in this sacrament , and never came to understand this danger ! they are cut off , and now are undone for ever ; then bless god that thou art alive to hear more about this sacrament , and how gods name should be sanctified ; that thou art alive , and hast time to repent the of this great evil , of prophaning the name of god in this holy sacrament . sermon xiii . leviticus , . . i will be sanctified in them that come nigh me . there is one thing more about the sanctifying the name of god in the sacrament which cleerly concerns us ; and that is , to keep the institution of the sacrament ; for this is such a worship of god , as depends meerly upon institution ; that is , upon a positive law , upon the wil of god. there are some duties of worship which are natural , that we may know by the light of nature they are due to god ; but the sacrament is a duty of worship that is only by institution ; and if god had not revealed it , we had not been bound to it ; therefore in these duties of institution , god stands very punctual upon them ; we must be very exact , neither to err on the right hand , nor the left ; to make any alteration in the points of institution ; now therefore for the institution of this sacrament we find it in divers of the evangelists , in matth. . . there you shall find that christ and his disciples they eat the sacrament together ; and this was the way of it ; they were together sitting at the same table ; so it is called the table of the lord sometimes in scripture ; therefore that 's the first thing that is according to the institution , that those that do communicate must come to the table as neer as they can ; as many as can sit about it , and all to come as neer as they can , and the reason is , because that otherwise you will not be able to attain the end why god should have you come to receive ; the end is to remember the death of christ ; now except pou be able to see the sight , to see what is done , to have your eye as well as your ear exercised , you do not fully accomplish the end that is appointed ; for this is a sacrament , that doth present to our eyes the death of christ , and the great mysteries of salvation , and therefore it is according to the institution , that every communicant must be where he may behold what is done , he must be where he may see the breaking of the bread , and the powring forth of the wine ; certainly it hath been a disorderly way therefore for people to sit up and down in their pews every where in the congregation , and for the minister to go up and down after them ; so that they could see nothing nor scarce hear any thing : it is much for the attaining the end of the institution , for all communicants to look upon the breaking of the bread , and the powring forth of the wine in the sacrament , and therefore all should come together ; and there , as many as can sit at his table , or those that cannot , neer to it ; and the rather , because this is not only from the example of christ , that he did so , though that 's some what ; but because it hath a spiritual significancy in it , and that 's the reason that it should be done : we find in luke , . . the institution of the sacrament ; now mark , upon their coming , and being with christ at the table , saith christ in the , and . verses , and i appoint unto you a kingdom , as my father hath appointed unto me , that you may eat and drink at my table in my kingdom , and sit on thrones judging the twelve tribes of israel : he spake it upon that occasion of the disciples sitting with him at the table , when they did eat bread ; and when they took the cup ; upon that occasion christ spake to his disciples , and said , i appoint you a kingdom , that ye may eat and drink at my table , in my kingdom , that ye may eat and drink the twelve tribes of israel ; as if christ should say , you can sit with me at my table here , and know , that this sitting with me at my table , it is but as it were a preludium , a foresignification of the communion that you shal have with me in my kingdom ; you shall have that familiar communion with me when i come into my kingdom , there to sit ( as it were ) with me , to joyn with me in my kingdom , judging the twelve tribes of israel ; even as you do now in that holy fellowship joyn with me in sitting at my table : this is the meaning of christ , so that the gesture in the sacrament is not a meer indifferent thing ; heretofore it hath been thought unreasonable to contend for what gesture we should use . now that which hath been the institution of christ , and hath a spiritual significancy in it , is not indifferent ; for not only the eating the bread and drinking the wine is significative , but the gesture whereby we have fellowship with jesus christ here , to signifie that fellowship we shall have with him in the kingdom of heaven ; so that the people of god were depriv'd of a great deal of comfort , and of one special benefit of this holy sacrament , whereas they might not receive it sitting ; whereas christ saith that your sitting with me here is a signification of your sitting with me when i come into the kingdom of heaven . some say they must kneel because they may receive it with more reverence ; certainly were it a thing as some say indifferent , it were another matter ; but for to say it is not reverence to sit , in that they accuse christ himself for want of reverence , as if he would appoint a way , or would have his disciples use any such way as were not reverent : saith christ , i intend by your very gesture to have this signified unto you , that though you be poor wretched worms , yea , even such is my love unto you , as you shal sit with me when i come to my kingdom , and judg the twelve tribes of israel ; and every time you come to my table , and there sit at it , or about it , then you should be put in mind that there is a time , that though you be poor unworthy creatures , worthy to be among the dogs , yet the mercy of god is such unto us , as he hath appointed us to have a familiar fellowship with the lord jesus christ when we come in his kingdom to sit with him , and even to judg the twelve tribes of israel ; yea , to judg the whol world , for so saith the scripture : shall not the saints judg the world ? now this hinders spiritual medication and comfort , that the saints have , therefore we are to look to the institution and follow it : that 's the first thing in sitting with christ at his table . the second thing in the institution is , that the bread being taken by the minister , is to be blessed , broken , and then to be given ; christ took it , and blessed it , and brake it , and gave it : and the people they are to look upon all this , to look upon the ministers taking , blessing , breaking , and giving ; and then the cup by its self : we find christ in matth. . . he first blest the bread , and then he blest the cup distinctly by it self , saying , this is my blood of the new testament which is shed for many , for the remission of sins ; and you shall observe that the text saith , he drank it and said drink ye all of it ; so that this is not according to the institution , for a minister to go up and down , and to give it into every mans hand ; certainly this was not so from the beginning ; this is a way of mans own devising ; for the bread and the cup to be given into every bodies hand by the minister : christ did but give it once , he gave it to them all , and said , drink ye all of this , so it was done . quest . but you will say , is it not better for to be given into every ones hand ? answ . no , because that the giving of it once for all , doth signifie more fully the fellowship and communion that they have together ; as at a table it were a strange thing that every bit of meat must be given to every one particularly ; no , but the dishes must be set before them , and they must take it themselves : indeed if they be children you cut every piece of meat , and give it into their hands or mouths ; but that 's sutable to a fellowship at table , and communion ; to have the meat set before them , being blest , and then for all to partake of it . and besides this , giving it into every ones hand , certainly , it came to us from a popish and superstitous conceit of the papists ; for the papists will give it into their mouths , because the people must not defile it with their hands . and it was to bring more reverence to the sacrament ; now there 's a great deal of danger for to bring in mens devices for to cause more reverence ; we are to look to the ordinance of christ , he gave it once , and said drink ye all of it , in general to them all ; and so the ministers should do . and besides there is this in it more , and one would wonder that ministers should give it in particular and not in general to the church : for by this means ministers might abundantly ease themselves of a great deal of charge and guilt ; for upon this ground it will appear , that a minister , though as an eminent officer he is to look to his congregation that they be fit , yet the truth is , it concerns the church as well to look who comes there , and likewise the minister i say , to look about him that he doth not say , the body of the lord jesus christ was given to thee , when he knows they are prophane and wicked ; it concerns the minister to look that he doth not tell a lye ; but now when the minister gives it generally to the church , take , eat , and take , drink , he gives it particularly to no body ; now then his charge is divided to the church , and if there be any body that is unworthy , let the church look to it as well as he : though he as an eminent officer , it 's more especially in particular his duty than any others ; heretofore the charge would lie much upon the minister , but the minister according to the institution , should give the sacrament to no particular , but in generall to the church , and therefore if there were but any particular , that the minister upon a particular knowledg did know to be naught , he might in great part discharge himself , as professing against this or that particular man ; for it is not in his power alone to keep any from the sacrament , but if so be that he shall profess against such and such men , the church must joyn with him to labor to keep them from the sacrament , and that is the next thing for the institution , christ gave it not into any particular mens hands , but he gave it to all , saying , drink , and eat ye all of it . a third thing that is to be observed for the institution , of this ; that all the while the communicants are taking , eating , and drinking the bread and wine , they should all of them that while have their thoughts exercised about the death of jesus christ ; for that 's the institution ; do this in remembrance of me ; there should be no action intermingled , in the time of the receiving of the sacrament ; nothing but minding the work that you are about , that is , to remember the death of jesus christ ; and to discern the body of the lord , not only when you your selves take the bread and wine ; but when you see the bread and wine , broken or powred forth , and you see others taking the bread and wine , all that while , you should be thinking of the death of christ , and discerning the lords body ; and consider what these outward clements do signifie , and that they do seal the great benefit of the covenant of grace ; therfore it is not according to the institution to be singing of psalms in the mean time while the sacrament is receiving ; and so to have your thoughts about other things : singing of psalmes in its due time is a good thing ; but for you to do it at that time when as the death of christ is presented before you , and christ calls you to look upon his body , and to think upon what he hath done and suffered ; this is no seasonable , time of singing ; and if you read the institution , you shall find , that christ , after all was done ( the text saith ) they sang an hymn ; so that according to the institution , it is after the action is done of eating and drinking , then for the church to joyn together and sing a psalm in the praise of god ; and then they must mind all , the same thing together , for that 's the thing to be done in the sacrament , that look what one doth , al must mind together ; for when one part sings , and the other are waiting for the bread and wine , this is not sutable to the holy table-action , and that communion that god requires of us ; though the things in themselves are both good that are doing , yet when we are about this holy ordinance , being it is an ordinance for communion , all are to be doing the same thing at the same time ; and so when all have done eating and drinking , then for all to joyn together to the praise of god. now it may be , this at first seems strang to many ; yet certainly observe this , do but keep to the institution in the sacrament , though you may think it a more mean way , yet you will find a greater beauty in this ordinance than ever you found in all your lives ; for the more we keep to christs institution , and mingle nothing of our own , the more glory and beauty , and excellency doth appear in the ordinances of jesus christ ; but when any man shall mix any of his own inventions , though he may do it to a good end , and think to add to , and put a greater lustre upon the sacrament : the truth is , that wich he thinks to be a greater lustre , reverence , or honor put upon it , it doth rather take off the lustre and glory of the sacrament ; then are the institutions of christ glorious when there is no mixture among them ; thus we should sanctifie the name of god , in receiving this holy sacrament . you have had divers things propounded to you , whereby you may come to know and easily to see that there hath been a great deal of dishonor done to this sacrament , and the beauty and glory of it hath been darkened , and the sweet that the saints might otherwise have received in partaking , hath been exceedingly hindred . there is but one thing more that i shal propound to you , and that is , the several meditations that we should meditate on in receiving of the sacrament ; the most concerning meditations are suggested in the holy communion that are in any thing whatsoever , more concerning , more efficacious , more various meditations we have suggested here than in any thing , and it is a great sign that men and women do not discern the lords body , if so be their meditations be barren at that time . i will therefore suggest some nine or ten meditations that that ordinance of god may hold out very plainly and familiarly to every communicant , for the busying of their thoughts all the time that action is a doing . meditation . as first , that the way of mans salvation it was by a mediator , it is not only by gods mercy , gods saying that he is offended by sin , but he will be content to pass it by ; no , but it is through a mediator : now this meditation is suggested thus , when i see the bread and wine , if i discern what that signifies it will hold out this to me , that the way of mans salvation , it is not meerly from hence , that god saith , well , i will pardon them and no more , but there is required a great work of god to make an atonement between sinners and himself ; this sacrament doth hold forth thus much unto us , wherefore else have we bread and wine , but to signifie that the way of our reconciliation it must be through a mediator ? med. . the second meditation is this , that this mediator that stands between god and us , is verily and truly man ; he hath taken our nature upon him : the bread that puts us in mind of the body of christ , and the wine , of his blood , and therefore we are to meditate of the humane nature of jesus christ ; and this is a meditation that hath abundance that might spring out of it : what , hath the son of god taken our nature upon him ? hath he body and blood , and human nature upon him ? oh! how hath god honored humane nature ? then let not me abuse my body to lust , to wickednesse , seeing that jesus christ hath taken the body of man upon him , humane nature upon him , let me honor humane nature that is so neerly united to the divine nature . that 's the second meditation . med. . here is presented unto us , what this mediator hath done for the reconciling of us unto god , that his body was broken ; he hath subjected himself to the breaking of his body , and to the powring forth of his blood for the reconciling of us ; it is not meerly ( as before ) that god saith i will pardon them ; but christ undertaking to make peace between his father and us , it cost him the breaking of his body , and the powring forth of his blood ; this is an useful meditation : oh! what should we be willing to suffer for jesus christ in our bodies , even to resist unto blood , seeing christ hath been content to have his precious body broken , and his blood shed for us ! med. . again , a fourth meditation is this , that here we come to see we have occasion of meditating of what the scripture saith , that we are by the blood of god saved , it is the blood of god , they crucified the lord of glory , that 's the scripture phrase ; we should consider when we see the wine powred out , and so put in mind of blood ; whose blood and whose body is this ? it is no other but the body and blood of him that was truly god , the second person in trinity . this is the great mystery of the gospel , and this is very needful for us to be thinking of when we see the body broken , and the blood powred out : what , will the breaking of the body and shedding of the blood of a meer creature be sufficient to make peace between god and man ? surely no : therfore you must meditate whose body this is , and whose blood this is ; it is the body and blood of him that was god : it 's true , god hath no body nor no blood , but the same person that was god , had a body and blood ; that body and blood was united unto the divine nature in an hypostatical union , and from thence it came to have an efficacy for to satisfie god for to reconcile god and us together : this is the great mystery of godliness . med. . another meditation is this , when you see the bread broken , and wing powred out , oh! the infinit dreadfulness of the justice of god! how dreadful is the justice of god , that coming upon his own son , and requiring satisfaction from him , that should thus break him and bruise him , that should have his blood , that should require such sufferings even from his son ! dreadful is gods justice the justice of god it is to be feared and to be trembled at ; here we see what is required for the sin of man , and nothing would be bated to jesus christ himself . med. . another meditation is this , here i see presented to me what every soul that shall be saved cost ; whoever shall have his soul saved , he hath it sav'd by a ransom , by a price paid that is more worth than ten thousand thousand worlds ; thou slightest thine own soul ; but if it prove to be saved , it cost more than if thousands of worlds had been given for thee ; even the shedding of the blood of christ , every drop of which was more precious than ten thousand worlds . med. . again , from hence see what is the evil of sin , how great it is , that hath made such a breach between god and my soul , that only such a way , and such a means must take away my sin ; i must either have lain under the burden of my sin eternally , or jesus christ that's god and man must suffer so much for it ; oh what meditations are these to take up the hearts of men ! med. . behold the infinit love of god to mankind , and the love of jesus christ , that rather than god would see the children of men to perish eternally , he would send his son to take our nature upon him , and thus to suffer such dreadful things ; herein god shows his love ; it is not the love of god so much in giving you a good voyage , and prospering you outwardly in the world ; but , so god loved the world , that he gave his only begotten son ; and it pleased the father to break his son , and to powr out his blood , here is the love of god , and of jesus christ : oh! what a powerful , mighty , drawing , efficacious meditation should this be unto us ! med. . those that are beleevers they shall be nourished to eternal life , so that there is no fear that ever a beleever should quite fall off from god and die in his sin ; why ? because the body and blood of christ is given to him for his spiritual nourishment : though a beleever be never so weak yet seeing god hath appointed the body and blood of his son for him to feed upon and to drink in a spiritual way , surely then the weakest in the world will be strengthened to go through all the hazards , and dangers that there are in the world ; 't is this that strengthens beleevers to encounter with all kind of dangers , it 's this that preserves the weakest grace in a beleever , namely the spiritual nourishment that god the father hath appointed to them , even the feeding upon the body , and drinking the very blood of his son ; this is meat indeed , and drink indeed that will nourish to eternal life . med. . the last meditation is this , when you come to this , seeing the bread broken , and the wine powred out , you have an occasion to meditate of the whol new covenant , the covenant of grace , that god hath made with sinners ; for so the words of institution are , this is the cup of the new testament : the new testament which is all one with the new covenant , only different in this particular ; it contains the substance of the new covenant , but cal'd testament in this regard ; to shew that the lord doth do all in the new covenant , that is , he doth not only promise such and such mercies upon condition of our beleeving and repenting , but he doth work beleeving and repenting , and works grace , and therefore the same thing that is sometime call'd a covenant , is call'd a testament ; that is the will of god wherein the lord doth bequeath his rich legacies to his children , to those that shall be eternally saved , so that all the good things in the covenant of grace they are bequeathed by way of testament as well as covenant , and this is a mighty comfortable meditation to the saints ; for indeed when they look upon the way of the gospel as in a way of covenant , why then they think thus , this require somewhat of our parts to be done , and indeed god will keep covenant on his part , but it may be we shall not keep covenant on ours . and so we may fail at last ; but now when thou lookest upon all the good things in the gospel dispensed in the way of a testament , that is the will of god , the legacies that god doth bequeath to his servants , this is a mighty comfort to the foul , that all the precious things of the gospel come to me in the way of a testament and that 's the meaning of the new testament , that is , the mercies of god in christ coming now in the way of another administration , than they did before ; 't is not only new in respect of the covenant of works that god made with adam , but new in respect of the administration ; our fore-fathers , the patriarchs , they had the same things in substance , but administred in a darker way , and many differences there are ; but now when we hear of the new testament , there is presented unto us all the riches of the covenant of grace in the way of a legacy , and in the administration of it with cleerness , and with a great deal of mercy and goodness of god , the terror and harshness of the old administration being taken away . now these are the meditations , by which we should labor to sanctifie our hearts , when we are receiving of the sacrament ; and in the working of these meditations upon our hearts ; we shal come to sanctifie the name of god , when we are drawing nigh to him in that holy ordinance of his : thus for meditation . the next thing when we are there , must be an actuating of these holy dispositions that before we spake of ; 't is not enough for a christian to bring grace to the sacrament : but there must be a stirring of that grace at that time ; or otherwise the name of god is not sanctified in receiving of the sacrament and above al graces the actuating of the grace of faith ; 't is not enough that thou beest a beleever , but thy faith must act at that very instant ; as thus , first , when thou hearest the minister in the name of christ say thus , this is the body of jesus christ which was given for you , take , eat , thou shouldest have thy faith so acting upon the mercy of god , in giving jesus christ , for the nourishment of thy soul to eternal life , as if thou didst hear a voyce from heaven , saying , here is the body of my son given for thee particularly , take it and eat , apply it to thee , and so make christ one with thee by faith , as the bread is made one with thy body when thou doest eat it . and then when thou comest to take hold of the bread , thou art to put forth the act of faith , faith being as the hand of the soul , and at that instant , when thou takest the bread and puttest it into thy mouth to eat , thou shouldest stir up the act of faith afresh , laying more hold upon jesus christ ; look as once thou didst in thy first conversion , when christ was presented to thee in the word or in any other way there was an act of faith drawn forth whereby thy soul did cast it self , and roul it self upon jesus christ ; so shouldest thou renew it ; renew the same work of faith that thou didst find in the very first conversion ; and therby thou shalt come to have renewed comfort in the renewing of that act : i might name thee other graces and dispositions how there should be a stirring and an acting of them ; only remember i leave all this point with this note , that grace is not enough for partaking the sacrament of the lords supper , except there be an acting , and a stirring up of that grace ; many christians are careful to prepare , and examine before whether they have grace or no ; but at that time when they come to receive , then there is not a lively working and stirring of that grace , and so they come to lose the comfort and benefit of that ordinance . thus much shall suffice for this point of sanctifying gods name in receiving the holy communion ; i shall now come to the last point , which is the sanctifying the name of god in prayer . sanctifying the name of god in prayer . now this argument might take us up many sermons ; but upon occasion of the daies of prayer and hmiliation , i have preached divers sermons about the point of prayer ; therefore i shall be brief , and only now reckon up together , and set before your view , the several things that are to be done for the sanctifying of the name of god in prayer : first , for prayer in that we draw nigh to god , and it 's a duty of gods worship , that i suppose all of you cannot but acknowledg , that it is a natural duty of worship ; the other was instituted but this is natural ; it 's natural for the creature to draw nigh to god in prayer , wherein the creature tenders up his homage to god , and manifests his profession of his dependance upon god for all good that he hath , and acknowledges god as the author of all good , therefore this is worship , and it 's a great part of worship , prayer , it is such a part of worship as sometimes in scripture it 's put for the whol worship of god , he that calls upon the name of god shall be saved : that is , he that worships god aright , jer. . . and , powr out thy wrath upon the heathen that know thee not , and on the families that call not on thy name ; that do not pray ; that is , that do not worship thee : there one part of worship is put for the whol , as being a principal part of the worship of god. surely we must sanctifie gods name in prayer , for it is that which sanctifies all things to us ; tim. . . every thing is sanctified by the word of god , and prayer . and if the argument of christ was right , as no question but it was , that the temple was greater than the gold upon the temple , because the temple did sanctifie the gold : and the altar was greater than the offering that was offered upon it , because it did sanctifie the offering ; then prayer must needs be a mighty great ordinance , a greater than any other , because that it sanctifies all things . the word sanctifies the creatures ; but prayer sanctifies the very word unto our use ; and therefore when we reade the word , we are to pray for a sanctified use of the word : prayer is a great ordinance , a great duty of worship that sanctifies all ; prayer hath a casting voyce ( as i may so say ) in all the great works of god in the world , the great affairs of the kingdom of god , the kingdom of his power , and the kingdom of christ ; i say , prayer hath a kind of a casting voyce , and doth order , under god , the great things of the world , they are according to the prayers of the saints , they bring down blessings upon the godly , they powr forth judgments upon the wicked ; the prayers of the saints they are the viols that are powred forth in a special manner upon the heads of the wicked ; therefore gods name is to be sanctified in prayer . it is to be sanctified , first in preparation ; psalm , . . thou wilt prepare their heart ; thou wilt cause thine ear to hear : it is the lord that prepareth the heart ; and then he causes his ear to hear : and therefore in pet. . , we are there required to watch unto prayer ; men and women should keep a narrow watch over their hearts and minds , that they may not be hindred in their prayers , that they may be alwaies in a fit posture to pray ; watch unto prayer , it 's that that would help us against many temptations to evil ; if i give way not to such and such temptations , it will hinder my prayers : i shall not have that freedom and enlargement in prayer as otherwise , if i give way to such and such things , therefore let me take heed of this , or it will hinder my prayers . as if the apostle should say , this should be the care of christians ; then they are like to sanctifie the name of god in prayer , if this be their great care that there is nothing in the world that shall hinder their prayers ; o let me take heed i do nothing to hinder my prayers ; if i go abroad into company , and am merry and jocond , and there game and drink , and sprot my self in company ; will not this hinder my prayers ; will not this hinder the spiritualness of my heart in communion with god in prayer , when i come home at night ? i appeal to you , have you had that freedom in prayer , afterwards ? surely no , therefore watch unto prayer . now for the preparation of the heart to prayer , we must understand either , first , what is to be done in the course of ones life . or. secondly , what 's to be done just when one comes to prayer . for the first , the course of ones life : labor to keep all things even and cleer between god and your souls ; that so you may not come with shakles about your legs ; with guiltiness ( i mean ) upon your consciences ; men that have given way to any base sinful way , when thay come to prayer , the guilt of there hearts doth even sink them ; but those that can keep their peace with god in the course of thier lives , they have other manner of freedom in prayer , than you that walk loosly and contract guiltiness upon your spirits . and then the second thing is , to keep our hearts sensible of our continual dependance upon god ; sensible how we depend upon god , for whatsoever we are , whatsoever we have , whatsoever we do ; for the blessing of all is from god. the beams of the sun do not so depend upon the sun , as we upon god ; that if he doth but withdraw himself never so little from us , we all sink down to nothing and perish for ever ; that soul that every day and hour is sensible of the infinite dependance it hath upon god for its present and eternal estate , will be fit for prayer ; and that should be our care for to carry our selves , as any hour in the day , or minute in the hour , we might be fit to go to prayer ; and that 's one meaning of that place in the thessalonians pray continually ; not that every moment we should be praying , but that we should keep our hearts in a praying frame ; some of you when you have let out your passions and are in a distemper , what will you go to prayer now ? your conscience will tell you that you are not fit to go to prayer at that time , certainly if you be not fit to pray , you are not fit to live ; you are in an ill condition at any time if you be not fit to pray ; and there can be no excuse whatsoever , that can be sufficient to plead for your selves why you should not be fit to pray at any time ; there is that continual dependance upon god for all , and that need you have of the blessing of god for every thing , that there is reason you should be in a fit condition for praying at all times ; but now when you come to prayer at the set time , then there should be a special preparation . first , you should prepare your selves by getting fresh and powerful apprehensions of the glory of god , before whom you go ; prepare by meditation about the glory of that infinite god that you are now addressing your self unto ; possess your selves with thoughts and meditations of the glory of the great god ; that 's the first . secondly , labor to get your hearts sensible of what you go for . i am now going to god ; for what ? for pardon of sin , or for assurance of his love ; or for power against sin ; or for such and such mercies ; let me by meditation work my heart to be sensible of these things that i am going to god for , to set a due price upon those mercies that i am praying for , and to get my heart affected with them . thirdly , labor to get your hearts separated from the world , and from all things that are here below in the world ; and that should have been a third thing in the course of your lives , you should never let out your hearts to any creature , either to businesses or pleasures in the world so , but that you may have command of your hearts to call them when you will ; to call them in to god in prayer ; and then when you come to prayer there should be an actual separation of your hearts from all things in the world ; dedicating your selves to god for this time , as one that hath nothing to do with the world , nothing to do with anie thing but this dutie that now you are about ; this is the preparation of your hearts to prayer in the course of your lives . now then for the prayer its self . first , we must consider of the matter of prayer . and secondly , of the manner of it . first for the matter of it : we must look to it that it be according to gods will , john , . . this is the confidence that we have in him , that if we ask any thing according to his will he heareth us ; therfore for the matter we must be sure it must be good that we pray for ; it must be for the glorie of god , for the good of our selves , and the good of our brethren . first , for the glorie of god , that should be the chief matter that we are to pray for ; so christ when he teacheth us to pray , he begins the very first petition , matthew , . , ● . hallowed be thy name ; thy kingdom come ; thy will be done : first begin with the glorie of god , mind that in the chief place , above all other things . god gives you leave to pray for outward things ; but first for the glorie of god , minding that before your own benefit ; before the pardon of sin , and your dailie bread ; how few do sanctifie gods name in this ? people have little mind to pray , but when they are in outward afflictions , when they are upon their sick beds then they wil pray ; or at sea in storms , then they will pray , then it seems that the main matter of your prayer is onlie for your selves ; but how hath the matters of the glorie of the great god , and the good of the churches taken your hearts all this while ? how have your hearts been affected with this , that the name of god hath been so little sanctified in the world , and that the kingdom of god hath not come , and that the will of god hath not been done , have these things taken up your heart in prayer , the matters of the glorie of god , and the good of churches , though your selves have not anie particular interest in them ? if these things did but take up your hearts in prayer , then , when you are at sea , you would remember the cause of the churches , as much as your selves ; the church is as it were in the midst of the sea , tost up and down and in a great storm ; now why do not you pray as earnestly for the kingdom of christ among his churches , as for your selves when you are in a strom at sea ? yea , and spiritual things should be the chief matter of your prayer ; for they are the nearest to the glory of god ; though god hath his glory from other things , yet spiritual things are neerest the glory of god ; now in these daies of prayer , many will come to pray , that they might be freed from danger , that they might have outward peace ; this is good ; but spiritual things are the chief things ; and therefore the strength of your spirits should be thus powered forth to god oh that i could get my heart to god , and the assurance of the love of god! oh that i could get the shine of his face ! oh that i could get power over such and such corruptions ! and i beseech you observe this , that spiritual things may be prayed for absolutly ; but outward things must be prayed for conditionally . i may pray ( and never put any condition in at all ) that the lord would pardon my sins , and help me against my corruptions , &c. but when i pray for the health of my body , i ought to pray , if this be according to thy wil , then restore me to the health of my body , or the health of my husband or the health of my wife ; but thou maiest pray , lord , convert the soul of my husband or the soul of my wife , without any condition at al : when your estates at sea are in danger , when you pray for them , you must make conditions , lord , as thou seest best for me so do thou deale with me ; this shewes the excellency that there is in spirituall things above outward things ; surely spiritual things are more to be desired , for they are to be prayed for absolutly , and the others to be prayed for only conditionally . that 's for the first . in the second place , we are to pray for our owne good , god doth give us leave to do so ; onely here comes in a question . quest . whether it be sinfull to pray for afflictions , as somtimes some will be ready to do ? answ . to that i answer . frist , take it absolutely considered , we may not pray , that god would afflict us ; because afflione is in its self materially an evil thing , and a fruit of the curse , therefore we may not ( i say ) absolutely pray for it : but thus far we may pray for afflictions disjunctively , conditionally comparatively . disjunctively , thus , lord , either grant unto me a sanctified use of such a mercie , or otherwise let me rather be without it ; let me have a sanctified use of my siknes , or otherwise let my sickness be continued to me ; thus now you may pray for continuing in sickness . or thus , conditionally ' lord , if thou seest that my heart be so vile and wretched that i will abuse ( through my corruption ) such and such mercies , lord rather take them from me and let me be without them ; if thou seest that there be no way to break this proud heart of mine but such a way , lord let that be thy way to break it , if thou seest it according to thy will as the fittest way . then comparatively thus , lord rather let me have any afffiction then sin , rather let me suffer loss of my estate than sin against thee , than depart from thee : any thing lord rather than sin . thus you may pray for afflictions , but not absolutly . you must not pray that god would send you afflictions absolutely , for you do not know your hearts ; it may be if afflictions should come , your hearts may be as stubborn under your afflictions as they are now ; for affliction hath no power in it self to do us any good . and then for the good of others , for christ teaches us to pray , our father &c. there comes in here a rebuke of the wicked practice of divers in cursing , and then a question about it . it is a wicked thing to use curses ; but it 's a most wicked thing to wish evil to others in way of prayer ; yet how manie doe so ! though it may be they do not think it , they speak to god , and desire him to bring such and such evils upon their neighbors ; yea , somtimes parents , upon their children ; this is a wicked practice of men ; what , is it not wickedness enough for thee to have any desire that there should any evil befall thy brother , but wilt thou dare to presume to call god to be an instrument of the execution of thy base sinfull wrath , that god must be a drudg ( as it were ) to thy wrath , and to thy passion ? this is abominable wickedness . any of you that ever have been guilty of this sin , of cursing others , wives , children , servants , or friends , the lord rebuke you for this sin ; how far hast thou been from sanctifying gods name in prayer ? whereas instead of sanctifying the holy name of god , thou hast called god to be a servant and a drudg to thy passion , god must be call'd to help the venting of thy passion : oh! remember this you that have been at sea , and have been angry , and things not going according to your mind , have fallen a cursing , and wishing such and such evils might come upon those you are angrie with ; that 's a kind of prayer , but it 's a most fearful taking the name of god in vain in the highest degree : and certainlie god will not hold him guiltless that shall so take his name in vain ; therefore be humbled for this sin . object . but you will say , do not we reade in the book of psalms , where many times the prophet david doth curse the enemies of god , and wishes evil to come upon them . answ . to that i answer . first , that the prophet , and those that pen'd the psalms they had a prophetical spirit ; and those places that you reade that are in a way of cursing , they are rather prophetical predictions of evil , than direful imprecations ; they are rather fore-telling what shall be in a way of prophesie , than wishing what should be . secondly , if they be wishing what should be , then i answer that those which were endued with such a prophetical spirit , they did know who were the implacable enemies of god , and who were not ; as david praied against judas , so many hundred yeers before he was born : by a prophetical spirit he knew that he was the child of perdition ; indeed , if we could certainly know a man that were to be a cast-away eternallie from god , it were another matter : as the church in the time of julian , because of his apostasie being so abominable , it was determined almost generally by them , that he had committed the sin against the holy ghost , and upon that they curs'd him . now i say , those that had an extraordinarie spirit , that did know who these were , they might do it ; but this is no example for us in an ordinarie way to wish evil and curses upon others . but thus far we may do with the enemies of the church . first , we may curse them disjunctively , lord either take them out of the way , or keep them that they may not do such mischief in the church : or thus , conditionally , if thou seest lord that they be implacable , thou knowest them , if so , let thy wrath and curse pursue them ; lord , thou seest what evil they are set upon , and therefore rather than they should attain their mischievous designs , let thy wrath and curse pursue them : so we may do it , but not absolutely to curse any , though they should do us never so much wrong , we are called to blessing : but now in zeal to god , take heed that we be not carried on in our own passion ; but being sure it is zeal to god , we may wish the curses of god to pursue those that god knows to be implacable ; this is but an appealing to god , and not at all fastning it upon any particular persons that we know , but leaving it unto god for the execution of it , and so in a zeal to the glory of god , we may do it , and we are warranted so to do by the second petition , thy kingdom come : for that petition that requires us to pray for the coming of the kingdom of jesus christ , doth also require that we should pray against all means that hinder the coming of the kingdom of jesus christ , so that every time that the church praies , thy kingdom come , or any praies , thy kingdom come , they do as much as say , o lord , do thou set thy self against all the enemies of thy kingdom ; if they belong to thy election , lord convert them , but otherwise lord confound them . now thus we see how we are to sanctifie the name of god in prayer , in regard of the matter of the prayer ; but now for the manner of prayer . the most things i confess are there . first , when we come to prayer , we must be sure to pray with understanding , cor. . . what is it then ? i will pray with the spirit , and will pray with understanding also , god doth not love the sacrifice of fools ; we must not come babling to god in prayer to speak we know not what , and to multiply words we know not wherefore , but god doth require that those that come to prayer , come with understanding , that they offer to god a rational , a reasonable , an understanding sacrifice ; god is a spirit , and he will be worshiped in spirit and in truth ; now as it belongs to all other duties of worship , so especially in prayer , to know what we do when we pray , not to think to put off god with a meer emptie sound ; that 's the first thing . the second thing in the manner of prayer , it is , the giving up all the faculties of our souls in it ; i spake to that in the worship of god in general , we shall apply it now particularly to prayer , the giving up , not only our understandings , but wills , thoughts , affections , strength in prayer : in chron. . . it is said of jehoshaphat , that he set himself to seek the lord , he did give his whol self to seek the lord : we are to give our whol self , and not to divide in prayer . now this were an argument that indeed might well take up a whol sermon , in shewing the evil of the wandering of our spirits in prayer ; we should take heed of the wandering of our spirits in the hearing of the word , and receiving the sacraments , and so in prayer ; the people of god are much troubled with the wandering of their thoughts both in word and sacrament , and it is their great burden , and should be so , but i never hear any more complainings of the wandering of their spirits than in the time of prayer , the people of god are much pestered in their spirits with this evil , it is very grievous unto them , and many of them go under it as a grievous burden all their daies ; the chiefest burden that is upon their spirits is their wandering in prayer ; so that if god should speak to them as he spake unto solomon , and bade him ask what he should give him , i verily beleeve there are many in this congregation , that have already good assurance of gods love in christ , if they had not that , that would be the main thing that they would ask , but having attained that , if god would speak from heaven and say , what shall i give you for your selves , if he should ask you in the general , it may be you would ask something for the churches ; but if it be for your selves , you would put up this petition , oh lord , that i may be delivered from a wandring spirit in holy duties , and especially in the dutie of prayer , that i may thereby come to enjoy more holy communion with thy self than ever yet i enjoied , and they would account this to be a greater mercie than if god should give them to be kings or queens over the whol world ; if god should put these two into the ballance , either the whol world to possess , or otherwise to have more free hearts in coming to god in prayer , and to be delivered from that which hath so much hindred ther communion with god in prayer , they would despise and scorn the world in comparison of such a mercie as this is : howsoever carnal hearts they think little of it , but those that are the servants of god , they find it to be very grievous to them ; but being the time is past , i shall reserve that to speak yet a little more largely for the help of those that are under the burden of it . i 'le only speak one thing further now , and that shall be to those that are wicked and vile , and not only have vain wandring thoughts in prayer , but even in the very dutie of prayer manie times have wicked and ungodly thoughts ; how horrible are they ? unclean thoughts , murderous thoughts it may be , and most abominable . i confess even those which are godlie may somtimes have some blasphemous thoughts cast into them , for the devil is never more busie than at the time of prayer ; but they rather come from the devil than from the stream and corruption of their own hearts , which may be we may make out more cleerlie afterward ; but now i speak to such as have most wicked abominable thoughts , rising from the stream and corruption of their hearts , such thoughts as their hearts do close withal in prayer , and they can roll those thoughts about in their minds as a child will roll a piece of sugar in its mouth ; and this is the wickedness of manie men and womens hearts . take but this one note with you , that all those dreadful , vile , unclean , covetous thoughts of thine in prayer , they have been to god as if you had spoken them in words ; thoughts to god , are all one with him as words are to men ; for god is a spirit , and the spirit doth converse with god in thoughts , as well as men do converse with men in words ; and what a woful guiltines would have been upon you , had you spoken such vile and wicked things to men as somtimes hath been in your minds even when you have been praying to god , how would the company have even spit in your faces , and kick'd you from them ? none that have any face of godliness would have endured you in their company ; and yet here 's the evil of it , your hearts are not troubled , but you rise off your knees and away you go ; thou hast a cauterised conscience , a seared conscience , that canst entertain such vile thoughts at any time without having thy spirit afflicted , and going away with shame and confusion , as if the greatest evil had befallen thee ; therefore take heed of this . sermon xiv . leviticus , . . i will be sanctified in them that come nigh me . wee are first to sanctifie gods name in regard of the matters of our prayers . and secondly , in regard of the manner . for the first , we made an end of it the last day , and came unto the manner , and there where two things mentioned . first , that we must pray with understandining . secondly , we must give up our selves to prayer . now in the close of the exercise we had occasion to fall upon that argument about the wandering of our thoughts in prayer , and by that we come to take gods name in vain , instead of sanctifying of his name ; god expects that we should have our thoughts , and wills , and affection , our whol souls acting upon him in the duty of prayer , or els we do not pray to god as unto a god ; vain thoughts in prayer doe pick up the sacrifice like the brids that abraham drove away from the sacrifice , that they should not pick it . wicked lusts in mens hearts , are like swine to take the meat and al to hale it in the dirt , so their prayers are filthy and durty with their lusts ; but those that are otherwise godly , yet by their vaine thoughts the beauty and excellency of there prayers is taken away ; as wine and beer that have the spirits of them gone , so the life and spirit of our duties are gone by our vain thoughts , and therefore vain thoughts do dead the heart very much . so saith david in the . psal . turn away mine eyes from beholding vanity , and quicken me in thy law : while our eyes look upon vanity , there will be no quickness in our hearts in any service that we tender up to god ; now many of gods people have experience of the evil of this , and they groan under the burden of this : & as i said the last time , if so be that the lord should speak from heaven to them , and ask them what he should have , they having already the asurance of his love in christ , they would ask the deliverance from a vain spirit in the performance of 〈◊〉 duties : bring no vain oblation saith god in isa . . . oh what vain oblation do we bring by the vanity of our thoughts in prayer ! 't is true , the best of us al will have vain thoughts somtimes ; but yet as one compares the vain thoughts of men in paryer , like to a spaniel that goes out with a man , he walkes perhaps but half a mile , but the spaniel will be runing up and down this way and that way , and if all the space of ground which the spaniel hath gone over should me measured , it may be while you are walking half a mile , the spaniel fetching compasses here and there would be halfe a dozen miles ; so our fances are like a spaniel which will have fetches about this way and that way in a thousand vain thoughts ; but thus now it is with a godly man ; as a spaniel though running from his master , yet if he give him a call ; he is able to call him to him presently ; and it were well if it were so with us , though our fances be wild , yet if we were able to call in our fances , and to have them at command , it were well with us : and i find very much , that those that are new comers they complane much of the vanity of their thoughts , they were wount to pray before , and they never had such vane thoughts as now they have ; the reason why there is so much vanity of thoughts , or at least so much taken notice of . it is first , because there is but a little grace in the midst of a great deal of corruption in yong converts , like a spark of fire in the midst of a great deal of ashes ; now if there lies a heap of ashes and nothing else , you do not stir them ; but if there be ashes and some fire , then you will stir them and be blowing those sparks to kindle another fire by . now when you come to make any motion , then the ashes wil flie about , wheras before they lay still ; so it is here , before god wrought upon thy heart , there was nothing else but ashes upon thy soul , and then they lay still , but now god hath kindled some sparks of grace in thy heart , and god is blowing them up to a greater heat , and is bringing of them to a flame ; upon this motion that is in thy heart , and the stirring to kindle those sparks further in thy heart , it is that the ashes of thy corruption do as it were flie about thine ears , and that there is such stirrings of corruption more than there was before , 't is not because there is more corruption than there was formerly , but before there being nothing else but corruption it lay still , and now because there is something else , therefore it is that corruption doth so stir ; and besides , you know a man that was wont to keep lewd company , if god turn him that he will keep that company no more , at first he shall be more troubled with them than he was before ; and they will keep oftener knocking at his door , and laboring to get him to them again ; so 't is here , when the soul , vanity and lusts were as friends together there was no disturbance , and taking notice of any thing then , but now when the soul is casting out those sinful distempers , and will have no more of them , they for the present will be more importunate , active and stirring than they were before . and besides , the lord doth this to humble thy heart the more , that thereby thou mayest come to see the great corruption that was in thy soul before ; the working of thy corruptions will discover much evil in thy heart , that thou didst not think was there before ; when the corruptions of men and women lie still , they think there is no such thing in their souls ; as your civil men , what 's the reason that they bless themselves and think they are in a good condition , it 's because their corruptions lie still in them and do not stir , they cannot beleeve what abundance of wickedness there is in their hearts , if god should open the wickedness that there is in the hearts of men naturally , and so all unregenerate men they would think you spake strange riddles , whereas they bless themselves ; they bless god , they know no such thing in their hearts , no ? yes , there are such things , only they are not stir'd , but they lie quiet ; as mud in the bottom of a pond , there it is , yet you cannot see it till it be stir'd : at first conversion ( i say ) the lord suffers thy corruption thus to stir , that he may discover to thee what an evil heart thou hast , what abundance of sin there is in thy heart , and therefore your yong converts , they look upon themselves as more loathsom and vile than ever they thought they had been . and besides , the devil sees it a vain thing to tempt a yong convert to any gross act of sin ; when conscience hath life and power in it , he shall never prevail that way ; but now he thinks he may prevail to disturb them with vain thoughts , and therefore he laies his strength most that way ; therefore let not such be discouraged , that find their spirits anoyed and pestred with them , if they make them to be the burden of their souls ; notwithstanding much vanity of thoughts , the lord will accept of any desire that they have to sanctifie his name in holy duties ; and i shal give you these three or four rules to help you against these wandring and vain thoughts in holy duties , and especially in prayer . first , when thou goest to prayer , account it to be a great work ; set a high price upon thy prayer ; not as having any excellency in it as it comes from thee , but set an high price upon it as a great ordinance of god , wherein there is communion with god to be enjoyed , and the influence of the grace of god to be conveyed through it ; so set an high price upon prayer , at every time thou art going to prayer ; lord , i am now setting upon a work that is of very great consequence , and much lies upon it , and i would account it to be a sore and a great evil to me , if i should lose but this prayer : this would be a special means to compose thy spirit , and to keep thee from wandring ; as nehemiah in nehem. . . a place which i have sometimes quoted upon such an occasion ; when the enemies of nehemiah that would hinder the building of the temple , sent to him that they might talk together , no saith he ; i am doing a great work to that i cannot come down ; so when the devil and the vanity of thine own heart , would send to thee to parly , and talk as it were with thee , give an answer , i cannot stand parlying with these things ; the work that i am about is a great work ; there are verie few people that do account the work of prayer a great work ; if thou didst , it would help thee much against the vanitie of thy thoughts . secondly , every time thou goest to prayer , thou that art most troubled with such vain thoughts , renew thy resolutions against them ; i have been troubled with vain thoughts heretofore , and am afraid , if i look not to it , that i shall lose this prayer also ; and therefore o lord , here i renew my resolutions to set against them in this prayer with all my might ; it is very much that may be done with strong resolutions , and especially if thy strong resolutions be renewed resolutions ; for an old resolution begins to grow weak ; a man that hath resolved upon a thing a great while ago , it hath little power over him ; but now when a man hath resolved upon a thing but this morning , and just at the time when he is going about it , now he doth resolve upon it , and set himself upon it , and doth resolve through the grace of god , that whatsoever difficultie he meets withal , whatsoever it cost him , that he will go through this work , i say that resolutions renewed have a great deal of power ; and you cannot imagine what a great deal of power the renewing of resolution against vain thoughts will have , if they were renewed everie time thou goest to prayer , until thou gettest power over thy thoughts ; do but make trial of this ; thou hast lost many a prayer by vain thoughts ; and thou hast been troubled for them , and yet they come again ; do but trie for this week ; as i remember i said in the point of passion and anger , that we should resolve with our selves well , whatsoever falls out this morning , i am resolved i will bear it ; so bethink thy self how many prayers thou hast lost by vain thoughts : and now renew thy resolutions , and covenant with god , that for this prayer , i will set my self against them , whatsoever pains i take , i will be sure yet withal to look up to gods grace to assist me , i will be sure this prayer to keep my heart close to what i am about ; and perhaps that will help you a little ; but yet some vain thoughts wil come for all that ; then the next night renew them again ; and the next morning renew them again ; and that till thou comest to a habit of keeping thy heart close to the dutie , though now thou feelest thy heart so wild , that thou thinkest it is impossible to bring it into order , but certainly by such a means thy heart will be brought into order . thirdly , be sure to set the presence of god before you in prayer ; have a real sight of the infinite greatness , majestie , and glorie of that you present your selves unto , when you are calling upon him ; if so be that thou canst be a real sight of god in his glorie , it will keep thy heart close to the dutie , as if a man be wandring with his eyes , and looking after everie feather , if the king or some great person come into the room , all his thoughts would be about the king , or the great person that were coming in : so if you would present the lord in his glorie and greatness , excellencie , majestie , and power , before you , and what a dreadful god he is in himself , and yet what a merciful god he is to us in his son : this would mightily compose our hearts ; certainly men and women that are so wandring in their prayers , it is because their eyes are not open to look upon god in his glorie , they are as it were dreaming and do not apprehend that god stands and looks upon them , and observes them , and that god takes notice of everie wandring thought that comes from them ; they do not consider that god doth converse with the thoughts of men , as well as men do with the words of men : that 's the third rule . fourthly , take heed thou beest not deceived ; because that those thoughts thou hast in prayer , do not appear to be verie evil in themselves . this is a great deceit and hinders manie in the sanctifying of gods name in prayer ; there is sometimes darted in some vain thoughts ; now because the thought hath no great evil in it self , therefore they think they may play with it , and their hearts close with it , and so run along with it as the fish doth with the bait ; if the devil casts in a thought of blasphemie , that makes thee quake and shake ; but if thy thoughts have no great evil in them , but they are slight things ; matters of no moment one way or other , upon that thy heart begins to be dandling , and playing with them ; therefore remember this rule , that in the time of prayer , whatsoever thoughts be in thy mind that do not concern the present dutie , they are sinful before god , though the thoughts for the matter of them be never so good , yet thou art to abandon them as sinful at that time . therefore never be deceived with this , that the thoughts are not verie sinful : that 's another rule . in the last place , observe this rule , if ever god hath helped thee at any time in prayer , that thy heart hath been kept close to a dutie , and thou hast had communion with him , bless god for that , bless god for that help ; 't is a rule of verie great use for us to get further assistance from god in any thing , if so be our hearts be enlarged to bless god for any assistance we have had heretofore ; and the reason why we gain and prosper so little in our christian course , it is because we do not take notice of what god hath done for us , to give god glorie for mercies formerly received , and therefore god takes little or no delight in coming in with further mercies to us : as if you had a yong nurserie of trees , and they began to thrive very well , but there comes a companie of caterpillars , and spoils almost all the yong trees that are set , only two or three are kept from the caterpillars ; a man goes into his orchard , and looks upon his trees , and this is spoiled , and that is spoiled ; but he sees two or three , and these flourish fairly , and these are full of buds , and are like to come to something , and he rejoyces mightily in those , because they are sav'd when so manie others are spoil'd : and so do thou view thy prayers , and consider how many nie hath been spoiled as it were by these caterpillars ; for i compare wandring vain thoughts in prayer unto caterpillars that are upon the trees ; and we see that if stormy rainy weather comes , the caterpillars will fall ; and one would think that these blustering storms , and the hand of god that hath been out against us should have clensed our thoughts and souls from these caterpillars that have been upon our duties , but manie duties have been spoiled ; yet thou maiest say , that through gods mercie such a morning in my closet , the lord hath preserved a prayer to himself and i have gotten power over this vain heart of mine ; bless god for this , and so the spirit of god will be more readie to come in and help thee another time : but thus much shall suffice to speak to this . that 's the second thing , we must give up our selves wholly to this dutie . the third thing for the sanctifying of gods name in prayer is this , there must be the breathings of the spirit of god , otherwise gods name is not sanctified ; that in rom. . . is cleer for this , likewise the spirit also helpeth our infirmities : for we know not what we should pray for as we ought : but the spirit it self maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered . if any of you should say , how can we sanctifie gods name , we are poor and weak , we can do little ? mark , it is said here , that the spirit helpeth our infirmities to pray ; and the word is exceeding emphatical in the original : in your books it is but meerly helping our infirmities , but the meaning of the word is , in these two things the spirit helps ; that is , look how a man that is taking up an heavie piece of timber at one end , he alone cannot get it up , but there comes another , and takes it up at the other end , and so helps him : the word signifies such a kind of helping , as when a man takes a thing at the other end , or on the other side , one standing the one way , and the other standing the other way ; or one taking up one end , and the other the other end , that is the meaning of it ; he helps our infirmities ; the poor soul is pulling and tugging with its own heart , and finds his heart heavie and dull , like a log in a ditch ; and have not many of you found your hearts so ? but now , when you are tugging with your hearts , and would fain lift up your hearts to god in prayer , there comes the spirit of god at the other end , and takes the heaviest end of the burden and helps you to lift it up : if a child were at one end of the log , and that were but light , and the other end very heavie ; if one come and take up the heaviest end , a little strength will serve for the lighter end : so the spirit comes and takes up the heavier end in duty , and so helps our infirmities , helps together . and then the other word is , the spirit ; that is , together with the acting of the graces of the spirit in our hearts , you must not say so ; alas ! what can i do ? it must be the spirit of god that must do it . it 's true , he doth all . first , he gives converting and habitual grace , and assisting and actuating grace ; but now when the spirit hath wrought grace so as to convert the heart , and hath given habitual grace in thy heart , why then when the spirit comes to assist , it doth expect that thou shouldest stir up all the gifts and graces of the spirit , and the very strength of thy body ; the spirit of god expects that thou shouldest act to the uttermost thou art able , what power hath been given thee by god ; and when thou art in acting , then the spirit comes and helps together with us ; noting that we are to put forth what strength we have , and thus gods name will be sanctified , when as we putting forth the graces of the spirit in us , then the spirit comes and helps ; and what comes from us now comes from the breathings of the holy spirit in us , and then god who knows the meaning of the spirit , will know now the meaning of our sighs and groans ; therfore when thou art going to prayer , thou art to eye the spirit of god ; thou art by the eye of faith to look upon the spirit of god , and to cast thy soul upon the assistance of the spirit of god , thou art to look upon the holy ghost , as appointed by the father and the son to that office , to be a helper to his poor servants in the duties of worship , and especially in that great duty of prayer ; now upon the reading of this text , and having it thus opened ? this is one good help for thee in prayer ; reade this text , and then exercise thy faith upon it ; lord hast thou not said that thy spirit helps our infirmities , when we know not what we pray for nor how to pray for any thing as we ought ; but the spirit will come , now lord make good this word of thine to my soul at this time , and let me have the breathings of the spirit of god in me ; alas the breaths of men , if it comes from gifts and parts , i know thou wilt never regard it , except there be the breathings of the holy ghost in me in prayer ; now if you would know whether the spirit of god doth come in or no , you may know it by this ; the spirit of god carries unto god , and it makes the prayer sweet and delightful , so much of the spirit of god as is there , it comes to the soul in the duty , and it leaves a savour behind it ; a gracious savour is alwaies left behind , when the spirit of god comes to breath ; o the breath of the spirit of god is a sweet breath , and it makes prayers sweet ; it never comes into the soul but after it hath done any work it came for , it leaves a sweet scent , after that , the soul finds a sweetness in that prayer ; now many of you have been in the morning at prayer , but i appeal to you ; what sweet savor of the spirit of god is left behind ? certainly if the spirit hath been there it is like civit that is put into a little box , though you should take out the civit , yet there will be a sweet savor left behind ; so though the spirit of god , in respect of the present assistance , withdraws it self , yet it leaves a sweet savor behind . the fourth thing is puritie of heart ; pure hearts and hands in heb . rev. . . having every one of them harps , and golden vials ful of odors which are the prayers of saints ; mark , the prayers of saints are odours in golden vials ; the golden vials i may compare to the heart ; the hearts of the saints must be as golden vials , and then their prayers will be as odours ; in tim. . . the holy ghost giving directions how we should pray , it is with this qualification , i will therefore that men pray every where lifting up holy handes without wrath and doubting , the outward conversation must be pure , and the heart pure ; in job , . . mark what 's said concerning that holy man ; there 's a promise made to him for the lifting up of his face to god , putting away iniquitie from his tabernacle , that by putting away evil from our tabernacles , and from our hearts , we may be able to lift up our hearts with joy to go ; and that 's the fourth thing , puritie of heart and hands . the fift thing is , in truth , when we come to call upon god , we must call upon him in truth , psalm , . . vers . the lord is nigh unto all , to all that call upon him in truth ; you will say , what is the meaning of that ? to that i answer , first , there must be inward dispositions answerable to the expressions ; as for instance , when i come to express the greatness of the majestie of god , then i must have an inward disposition sutable to this expression , i must have a fear and reverence of the infinite majestie of god. secondly , when i come to confess my sin , to judg my self for my sin , there must be an inward disposition sutable to such a confession ; o how many men and women will come and speak great things against themselves for their sins , and judg themselves for their sins , and yet there , is no such disposition in their hearts sutable to their words ; you shall have some in praying with others , they will be a means to break the hearts of others , they will so follow their sin ; and take such shame and confusion upon themselves for their sin ; and yet god knows their hearts not stir'd all this while ; and then they will call upon god for pardon of sin , and for power against their sin , and yet god knows that their hearts do close with their sin , and are loth to part with their sin in the mean time , this is falsness of heart ; when the inward disposition is not answerable to outward expressions ; i beseech you my brethren consider of the prayers you have made , and especially you that pray much with others , look what expressions you have made , and see whether there be answerable dispositions to the expressions you have made , and how that the lord doth remember every expression that you have made . thirdly we must call upon god in truth , that is , conscionably to performe the engagements of prayer , prayer puts an engagement upon the heart ; now those that call upon him in truth are conscionable to perform the engagements ; as now , do i pray for any good thing ? i am engaged to endeavour in the use of al means for the attaning of the good thing : when you confess a sin , why , you are engaged by that means to endeavour all your might against that sin : and when you pray for my grace , you are engaged to make use of all means you can for the attaining of that grace ; and then besides , in prayer there is much profession unto god for our sinceritie and uprightness , and of our willingness to be at his dispose , perform these engagments that thou makest to god in prayer ; if god should present to us all our professions that we have made to him in prayer , and tell us how we have come short of them , it would make us be in shame and confusion in our own thoughts . another thing in prayer must be faith ; pray without doubting , as in the former scripture , the prayer of faith prevails much ; james , . . a man that wavereth and doubteth must not think to obtaine any thing of god. but i should have opened what that faith is that we should have in prayer , we must have faith to beleeve that the thing that we do pleaseth god , and faith in gods promises , and faith in gods providence , this should be exercised in the time of our prayers ; and therefore after we have done , to go away beleeving , as hannah in sam. . . we read of her , that after she had been praying she went away , and lookt no more sad , the text saith ; noting that after we have been powring forth our souls to god , we should beleeve and exercise faith and not go in as drooping a way as ever we did . object . you will say , yea , if we knew certainly that god would hear us . answ . the way to be assured that god will hear you , is by casting your selves upon god , how can you know that he will hear , but by resting upon him ? i have been with god , and i have been doing the duty of a poor creature , and for the success i leave it to god , and therfore it must be with faith . but i have so many sins mixt with my prayers , how can i beleeve ? you have an excellent scripture for that to help a soul , to exercise faith in prayer , notwithstanding there hath been many infirmiities ; in psal . . , . o thou that hearest prayers , unto thee all flesh shall come ; thou hearest prayers , but i haue a great manie sines that hinders ; no , mark what though iniquitie prevails against me , as for our transgressions , thou shalt purge them away ? oh make use of this scripture , though you remember not other things ; yet you that have dejected hearts and are afraid that god will not hear your prayers , see what text saith , thou hearest prayer lord but will not my sins hinder ? no saith david , iniquity prevails against me , as for our transgressions thou shalt purge them away ; exercise faith in this ; and know that god doth not hear prayer because thou art not sinful , because of thy worthyness , but meerly for his free grace . another holy disposition in prayer should be this ; the soul should come with a holy freedom , with the spirit of adoption to god , crying abba , father ; if thou comest to god meerly as to a judg ; though it 's true , those that do not know that god loves them , yet bound as creatures to pray , but thou canst never sanctifie the name of god , til thou hast a child-like spirit , the spirit of adoption ; the lord loves to have his children come with freedom of spirit to himself in prayer , to come as children , and not to come with dejected countenance , and discouraged hearts ; but come freely to open thy heart to god , as any child would open his heart to a gratious and loving father . another disposition is fervency in prayer ; the effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much , and that will be a means to help against vain thoughts too ; as when the honey is scalding hot then the flies will not come to it ; if thy heart were as it were scalding hot in prayer thou wouldest not have such vain thoughts , next there must be constancie in prayer ; in thess . . . by that i mean this , never to give over until we have that we pray for , or somthing else in leiu of it ; it may be thou heast prayed and nothing is come of it ; but not discouraged thou hast to deale with a great god , and therefore pray againe and againe , & again , and pray with this resolution , well , let god do with me what he will , i will as long as i live call upon him , and if god shall cast me away , yet he shall cast me away calling upon him , as the poor woman of canaan when christ called her dog , and discouraged her , yet stil she will pray ; i but dogs may have crums , that heart is in an ill condition that is discouraged in prayer , because it doth not get what he would , and therefore to think themselves i had as good not pray at all , take heed of any such thoughts . again if you would pray to god indeed , so as to sanctifie his name in prayer , there should be humility in your hearts so as to be sensible of your own unworthyness ; i spake somwhat about being sensible of the distance between god and us , when i spake about sanctifying of gods name in general . the last that i shall speak of this is , when you have done all this , all these qualifications will not sanctifie gods name , except all be tendered up in the name of jesus christ , and in the power of his merits ; let a man or woman pray with as much fervencie , zeal ; constancie , puritie , in truth and sinceritie ; yet except he puts up all in the name of christ , i say , he cannot be accepted ; our spiritual offerings must be tendered up in his , name ; but i have preached much about that . but now put all that hath been said together , and this it is to pray : that is , when as i pray understandingly ; when i give my self to prayer , when there are the breathings of the holy ghost in my prayer , when there is puritie of heart like a golden vial , together with sinceritie , when it is in truth of heart , when it is in faith , when it comes from a spiritual adoption , when it is in fervencie , when in constancie , reverence , humilitie , and all put up in the name of jesus christ ; now a man prayes , as it is said of saul , behold he prayeth ; so i may say of those that are instructed in ths art , behold they pray . you see now that prayer is more than to reade in a book , more than to say a few words ; ye see it is a verie hard thing to pray , a work of great difficultie , and no marval though we have lost so manie of our prayers as we have done ; we must not charge prayer and god with it , but look to our selves ( i mean not charge the ordinance of prayer ) but the vileness of our carriage in our prayers ; and let us for time to come know what a christian life means . it is said of christ in luke : , . that , as he was praying , the fashion of his countenance was changed . oh that , s an excellent thing , that when we have been in our closets at prayer , to come away with our faces shining ; my brethren could we but pray in such a manner as this is , the very fashion of our countenances would be changed , as moses when he came from the presence of god upon the mount , or as christ that had the fashion of his countenances changed . prayer , it is the sweet ease of ones spirit , it 's the help at a dead lift , it 's the great ordinance of our communion with god in this world , and therefore let us learn this art of sanctifying gods name in prayer . i shall conclude all in this , you have heard the mysterie of the sanctifying the name of god in worshiping god ; now i beseech you , you that have been a long time in the school of christ , as it were apprentices to christ to learn christianitie ; be ashamed that you have understood so little of this art in sanctifying the name of god in prayer ; it is an art and mysterie that you must be instructed in , and you are not christians till you are instructed in this , as in an art and mysterie : and that man and woman that shall be instructed truly in this art and mysterie in sanctifying gods name now in the worshiping of him , such a man and woman shall be to all eternity sanctifying the name of god in praising of him . there is a time coming when all the saints must be in the presence of god , and be alwaies praising of him , and they shall then sanctifie gods name for ever ; let us now learn this art of sanctifying gods name in praying , that we may eternally sanctifie his name in praising of him . the alphabetical table . a absolutely spiritual things to be prayed for absolutely page accept , acceptation acceptation of our persons the means of it god accepts not the duties of wicked men the services of the saints accepted act , actual , action , see grace . actual sanctification the lord accepts the person before the action god is a pure act , and requires actual service adoption sign of adoption to desire to be oft in gods presence we must pray in the spirit of adoption affections affections , the strength of them required in gods worship page aggravation aggravation of sin , to neglect due hearing of the word afflictions see honor they that sanctifie not god in hearing the word , can have no comfort from it in afflictions whether it be lawful to pray for afflictions afflictions in themselves materially evil all all that we have must be given to god all things sanctified to the godly altar christ is the altar upon which we must offer all our sacrifices angel angel , what it signifieth page angels , the aggravation of their sia . anger anger not to be brought into gods service apply we must apply the word in hearing it . apostasie , see schism apostasie , the ground of it assurance the gospel gives assurance of salvation attention attention must be given in hearing the word b beginners beginners in religion to be careful of preparation beleeving beleeving the condition of the covenant of grace birds wandring thoughts in prayer as the birds to abrahams sacrifice blast god blasts those men that sanctifie him not in worship god will blast those that neglect his word bless many bless themselves in evil waies to bless god for helping us against wandring thoughts in prayer blind blind sacrifice not to be offered to god blood a fearful thing to be guilty of christs blood breathing , see spirit broken , see heart what kind of broken heart is required in receiving the lords supper page christs body broken for us c children gods saints may meet with afflictions in their children ground of consentment in afflictions upon our children church church , what it signifies church defiled by wicked men uncast out civil , see worship christ all worship must be tendred in the name of christ all must be tendred in christ because of gods justice they that reject the word , reject christ all our prayers must be tendered in the name of christ command nothing must be tendred to god in worship but what he hath commanded no express command for many things in the new testament comfort , see word communion communion with god not encreased by duties done with natural conscience the sacrament the ordinance of our communion with christ the sacrament must be received in a holy communion how far the presence of wicked men hinder this communion no close church communion with wicked men more communion with christ in the sacrament than in the word page confession ground of confession to god conscience sinners against conscience need great preparation to duties . duties acted by natural conscience natural conscience limits it self in duties trouble of conscience should make men meekly hear the word consciences of wicked men troubled about the sacrament constant men acted by natural parts are not constant in duties there must be constancy in our prayers contrary the word will be made good on the contrary , to those that abuse it conversion conversion not wrought by the sacrament covenant in the sacrament we make a solemn covenant covenant of grace sealed in the sacrament those that receive the sacrament must be in the covenant of grace condition of that covenant ibid renewing of covenant in the sacrament crucified christ crucified in the sacrament curse they that neglect the word , are nigh to a curse cursing of others , sinful how far we may curse the enemies of the church d danger , see dignity dark , see mind . dead , death fear of death taken away , how page we must not bring dead services and hearts to the living god consciences of carnal men opened upon their death bed death of christ to be meditated on in the sacrament dear , see glory delight god delights in our drawing nigh to him depart to neglect gods worship , is to depart from him . dependance we should continually be sensible of our dependance on god desire we must hear the word with a desire after it devil devil gratified by omission of duties vnseasonable motions though materially good come from the devil wandering thoughts in prayer suggested by the devil difficulty natural parts in performance of duties will not carry through difficulties not to be discouraged in difficulties considering gods power the work of religion difficult dignity , see prerogative the more dignity the more danger dishonor it were a dishonor to god to accept the services of wicked men disposition inward disposition in prayer divine , see service doubt the time of receiving the sacrament no time of doubting we must pray without doubting page duty the holiness of a duty will not bear men out in the miscarriage in it omission of duty will not fit for duty . the doing of one duty prepares for another duties not to be rested on . to be humbled for our best duties all duties of carnal worshipers lost sin of hypocrites aggravated by holy duties ibid e easie preparation to make duties easie election evidence of election end , see extremity . our ends must be high in the worship of god base ends of men in gods worship ib. to have right ends a part of wisdom it is the nature of god to will himself the last end engagement engagements of prayer to be performed envy , see mean eternity eternity of god how to be considered in our worship excellency thoughts of our own excellency to be cast off in our worship exemplary exemplary judgments should make us look into the word how god makes it good extremity men that regard duties only in extremity make themselves their end examination examination required in partaking of the sacrament page eye faith as an eye to see christ in the sacrament f faith , faithfulness faithfulness of god , what it should teach us faith must be mixed in hearing the word faith exercised in receiving the sacrament faith how to act it in the sacrament we must pray in faith faculties all the faculties of the soul to be given up in prayer familiarity , see potent drawing nigh to god breeds familiarity benefit of familiarity with god falling away falling away the ground of it fear , see publick what fear we must have in gods worship in fear natural conscience puts on to duty fervency fervency required in prayer , fire fire from heaven two-sold fire that slew aarons sons , what strange fire , what folly to be ashamed of our folly when we come to god follow the soul is to follow after god as a god free , see grace friend , see word friends , who are the best page g gesture gesture in the sacrament , not meerly indifferent guilty , see blood guilty consciences flee the worship of god , why guilt to be removed when we come to pray god duties must be performed to god as a god the word to be heard as the word of god we are reconciled by the blood of that person that is god good good heart , what the word will be made good on the abusers of it we are to pray for our own good gospel gospel the tenour of it glory glory of god dear to him glory of god dearer to him than the lives of men glory of god is the lustre of all his attributes together the active glory of god is the especial honor he hath glory of god in his word the greatest why god will be glorified in them that hear the word those that will obey the word will be the glory of the ministers we should have apprehensions of gods glory in prayer the glory of god is the chief thing we should pray for spiritual things neerest the glory of god page grace grace to be acted especially in gods worship grace , the freeness of it should make us more diligent in the worship of god graces encreased by drawing nigh to god graces to be acted and stirred up in the sacrament we must act our own graces in prayer together with the spirit see covenant great a people are great that have god nigh them we should prepare to gods worship because he is great the duties of gods worship are great how to sanctifie gods name in respect of his greatness great things to be expected from god we must hear the word with attention , because of the greatness of him that sends it we must be attentive because the matters delivered are great h habitual habitual sanctification harden nothing doth harden the heart more than the word by accident hand faith is a hand to take christ in the sacrament the cup in the sacrament not to be delivered into every particular hand heart our hearts naturally prepared for duty page the heart in preparation to be taken from every sinful way as the heart is , so are the duties the heart is not changed by the acting of natural parts good heart , what the word of the law not in the heart a broken heart required in-receiving the sacrament hearing of sanctifying gods name in hearing the word hearing the word a part of gods worship how to know that god hears our prayers heathen heathens attend to worship their idols heaven being oft in gods presence , minds us of heaven the worship of god here , the beginning of that in heaven hide we must hide the word in our hearts highest what we lift highest in our worship , that is our god see thoughts , ends. hindrance hindrances in gods worship , many holy , holiness holiness the greatest honor of gods name holiness of god to be held forth by his servants drawing nigh to god , makes us holy time and place said to be holy , how god infinite holy those that receive the lords supper must be holy honest we must receive the word into honest hearts page honest heart , what honest amongst men , who honor to quiet the heart in affliction , is to know that god will have honor by it humble humbled , humility . humility of spirit requisite in the worship of god to be humbled for not sanctifying the name of god aright humiliation in preparing to hear the word wandring thoughts in prayer suffered by god to humble us humility required in our prayers see worship hungring there must be hungring after christ in the sacrament i incense incense , what it signifieth incomprehensible incomprehensibleness of god , what it should teach us in our worship infinite there is an impression of gods infinitness upon the duties of his servants infirmities infirmities of others to be passed by of those that receive the sacrament infirmities how helped by the spirit institution institution of the sacrament to be kept close to intention strength of intention required in the worship of god joy the mercy of god should make us come to him with joy page the word to be received with joy difference in the joy of hypocrites and true christians spiritual joy required in receiving the sacrament a broken spirit may consist with spiritual joy ibid judg , judgment sinners may meet with judgments never threatned in the word god is quick with some in the way of his judgments judgments many times sutable to the sias gods judgments many times invisible the word of god shall judg those that abuse it justice justice of god seen in the death of christ k knowledg knowledg required in receiving the lords supper knowledg in other points necessary to them that receive the sacrament knowledg actual required in receivers l leaven leaven how cast out by the jews life , living gods goodness in sparing our lives to worship him that god is a living god , what it should teach us the things delivered in the word concern our lives beleevers nourished to eternal life limited the duties of gods children not limited page little in matters of worship god stands upon little things lose the ground why we lose so many prayers love natural conscience makes not the heart love a duty the word must be received with love the sacrament ordained by christ out of love love to be renewed in the receiving the sacrament the infinite love of god seen in the death of christ lust the worship of god not to be subjected to our lusts . who they be that subject it to their lusts m man the mediator between god and man , is man mean mean men not to envy great ones , and why mediator the way of a mans salvation is by a mediator meditation meditation in preparing the heart to holy duties meditations in the receiving the sacrament meekness the word must be received with meekness mercy , merciful god is merciful mercy of god should teach us to be merciful to others page the duties of worship , the way to convey gods choyce mercies the word a means to convey special mercies mercy-seat . mercy-seat a type of christ mind we should pick out gods mind from dark expressions we come to know the mind of god when we come to hear the word mysterie the greatest mysteries of salvation presented in the sacrament . mixture mixture of mans inventions with gods ordinances unlawful mortification mortification requisite to the sanctifying gods name mouth faith , the mouth of the soul to receive christ n name no way to enjoy mercies , but by sanctifying gods name see sanctifie nature , natural some duties of worship are natural christ hath honored humane nature by taking it neer , nigh god wil be sanctified in those that come neer him those that are neerest god , should be most careful in worshiping god we should draw nigh to him in what respect we draw nigh to god in worship the word of the gospel nigh see grace , delight , adoption . neglect several sorts that neglect to sanctifie gods name in hearing the word page nourishment the lords supper an ordinance of spiritual nourishment belevers are nourished to eternal life o omniscient what we should learn that god is omniscient opening ground of opening the heart to god the heart must be opened to hear the word opportunity the happiest opportunity to sanctifie gods name is in hearing his word ordinance an ordinance of god , what ? the word an ordinance of god to convey good to us men are not to be forced to congregations where any of christs ordinences are wanting the lords supper the great ordinance appointed to set forth christs sufferings own we must bring to god in his service that which is his own p parts how to know when men are acted by natural parts in gods worship passion passion hinders the right hearing of the word wicked men in passion rise against god peace-offering difference between peace-offerings and burnt-offerings page person god accepts the person before he accepts the offering place the lord is very terrible out of his holy places god in his essential presence in every place see holy plowing plowing of the fallow ground of the heart , what men may do somwhat toward the plowing of their hearts see word potent familiarity with god makes us potent with him prayer prayer a great duty that needs preparation prayer required in preparation to duties vnregenerate men cannot sanctifie gods name in prayer we should pray before we hear the word of sanctifying the name of god in prayer prayer put for the whol worship of god see preparation , wandring . praise gods worship must not be subjected to the praise of men preparation preparation of the soul in the duties of gods worship preparation and sanctification all one preparation to gods worship , why ib. preparation , five things wherein it consists page preparation , the excellency of it in seveveral things those that walk closely with god are in continual preparation preparation , a special duty of yong beginners ibid good men grieved for want of preparation where there is sincerity , duties should be done though there want preparation preparation required in hearing the word preparation to be made to prayer see prayer , great , &c. prerogative gods prerogative appears most in his worship no prerogative can secure from gods stroke presence presence of god even in the godly , terrible to wicked men presence of godly men comfortable to set gods presence before us in prayer see guilty present when we worship god we tender a present to him sin committed long since to be looked on as present principle god looks more at the principle of the duty than at the duty good men look at the principle of the things they enjoy from god prize to prize those mercies we beg in prayer prayer to be highly prized promise every ordinance of christ hath a special promise publick those that are in publick place , have especially need of the fear of god page pure we must lift up pure hands in prayer q questions two questions god will ask his worshipers quick god is quick in way of judgment with some the word of god is quick in working quiet the best way to quiet the heart in affliction r ready what will make the heart ready for duty readiness to hear the word , wherein it consists reading reading not to be prefer'd before hearing reprobation not to sanctifie gods name in hearing the word a sign of reprobation two fearful signs of reprobation resign in gods worship we must resign all to god resolution we must hear the word with resolution to yield to it resolution against wandring thoughts in prayer s sabbath sabbath see strength sacrament sacrament , the meaning of the word page sacrament a part of gods worship we must sanctifie gods name in receiving the sacrament vnworthy receiving the sacrament severely threatned how we sanctifie gods name in receiving the sacrament whether judas received the sacrament of the lords supper safety safety wherein it consists salt salt of the sacrifice what it signifieth sanctifie sanctifie , what it signifieth gods name sanctified two waies ibid gods name to be sanctified when we draw nigh to him how gods name is sanctified in drawing nigh to him ibid how duties must be performed that gods name may be sanctified the heart must be sanctified in regard of gods greatness sanctification the parts of it ibid sanctification of the heart double , sanctifying of gods name the only way to sit us for mercies exhortation to sanctifie gods name nothing sanctified to them that do not sanctifie god in his word see sacrament satisfied natural consciences is satisfied with a little duty see sin schism no schism to depart from a church that hath not al christs ordinances schism , what difference between schism and apostasie page ib. secret men acted by natural parts are not enlarged in secret see the sacrament so to be delivered as all may see what is done self self not to be our end in our duties where self is the highest end , god regards not the duties service hearing the word is divine service shadow shadow of gods wing , what shift of those that shift off the word closely applied silence silence , what sin the committing of one sin prepares for another no salvation without satisfying for sin the heart must be purged from sin to receive the sacrament motives in the sacrament to abhor sin sin , the great evil of it singing singing psalms in the time of the sacrament unfit singing after the sacrament requisite sitting sitting at the sacrament the fittest gesture soul the price of the salvation of a soul spirit , spiritual we must be acted by the spirit in our worship page god must be worshiped in spirit spiritual things may be absolutely prayed for how to know when the spirit helps our prayers see glory , sweet strange , see fire strength strength required in gods worship strength required to spend the sabbath natural conscience gives not strength to duty we must not come to duties in our own strength strugling strugling alone against corruption oft times ensnares us subjection subjection required in bearing the word sufferings the sufferings of christ chiefly represented in the sacrament ground of suffering for christ superstition superstition , what sutable , see judgment sweet breathings of the spirit sweet t table those that come to the sacrament should come neer the table tares tares , what ment by them temptation time of temptation the time of worship we must hide the word in our hearts against temptation terrible , see place thankfulness thankfulness required in receiving the sacrament page motives to thankfulness time preparation makes us do much in a little time see holy thorns thorns must be plucked out of the heart when we hear the word thoughts in the worshiping of god we must have high thoughts of god wicked men have many times wicked thoughts in prayer thoughts are to god as words are to men ibid see wandring tremble we should tremble at the hearing of the word truth we must pray in truth truth , what meant by it ibid v vain where wicked men are willingly admitted to the sacrament , gods name is taken in vain unchangable god is unchangable understanding we must pray with understanding uncertainty the righteousness of the law leaves at uncertainty w wait we must wait gods leisure in regard of time ground of waiting from gods eternity wandring wandring thoughts in prayer page directions against wandring thoughts in prayer all wandring thoughts in prayer sinful see birds , humble , devil . warrant , see command watching watching required in preparation to duty weakness god passes by weakness where the heart is prepared to duty weary a man that makes himself his end will be weary of duty wicked wicked men are to be cast out or withdrawn from in the sacrament every man in the congregation to look to the casting out of wicked men ground of excluding wicked men will , willing . we must be willing , not will - worshipers things in gods worship depend only upon his will god requires that we will as he willeth our prayers must be according to gods will wisdom wisdom of god , what to learn from it wisdom of god to be our guide ibid womb those that sanctifie gods name in hearing the word , it is a greater blessing than to bear him in their womb word to comfort afflicted friends from gods word the heart must be plowed by the word the word must be glorified word , what should make us este●m ●t page the word hath much of god in it the word a means to convey spectal mercies ibid the word wherein the strength of it li●s all the good in the word for whom the devil 〈◊〉 advantage by fastning ill words upon th● good the word , in what respect above the sacrament the word sanct fi●d by prayer worship difference between civil things and gods worship natural helps in gods worship ib. we should be humbled for false worship worship of god , what page worship of god the means to convey h●● choyce mercies to he●d what we do in worship exhortation to be much in the worship of god hea●ing the word a part of gods worship 〈◊〉 makes hearing the word a worship prayer put for the wh●● worship of god see comman , li●d . , &c. world in preparation the heart must be taken from the world in prayer the heart must be taken from the world wrath preachers that 〈◊〉 gods wrath should conceal their own finis . coat of arms or blazon cole . notes, typically marginal, from the original text notes for div a -e stepney novemb. . notes for div a -e stepney , dec. . . notes for div a -e stepney , jan. . . notes for div a -e stepney jan. . . gospel-worship: or, the right manner of sanctifying the name of god in generall. and particularly in these . great ordinances, [brace] viz. [brace] . hearing the word. . receiving the lords supper . prayer. by jeremiah burroughes, the gospel-preacher to two of the greatest congregations in england, viz. stepney and criple-gate, london. burroughs, jeremiah, - . approx. kb of xml-encoded text transcribed from -bit group-iv tiff page images. text creation partnership, ann arbor, mi ; oxford (uk) : - (eebo-tcp phase ). a wing b thomason e _ estc r this keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the early english books online text creation partnership. this phase i text is available for reuse, according to the terms of creative commons . universal . the text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. early english books online. (eebo-tcp ; phase , no. a ) transcribed from: (early english books online ; image set ) images scanned from microfilm: (thomason tracts ; :e [ ]) gospel-worship: or, the right manner of sanctifying the name of god in generall. and particularly in these . great ordinances, [brace] viz. [brace] . hearing the word. . receiving the lords supper . prayer. by jeremiah burroughes, the gospel-preacher to two of the greatest congregations in england, viz. stepney and criple-gate, london. burroughs, jeremiah, - . goodwin, thomas, - . cross, thomas, fl. - , engraver. [ ], , - , [ ], - , [ ] p. [ ] leaf of plates : port. printed for peter cole and r.w. at the signe of the printing-presse in cornhill at the royall exchange., london, : [i.e. ] the portrait is signed: cross sculpt:. "to the reader" dated and signed: sept. . . thomas goodwin [and others]. the words "and particularly .. ordinances," and " . hearing .. prayer." are bracketed together on the title page. text continuous despite pagination. with a final errata leaf followed by an index. g v not numbered. variant: g v numbered " ". annotation on thomason copy: " ber [i.e. september] ", " "; the in imprint date crossed out. reproduction of the original in the british library. created by converting tcp files to tei p using tcp tei.xsl, tei @ oxford. re-processed by university of nebraska-lincoln and northwestern, with changes to facilitate morpho-syntactic tagging. gap elements of known extent have been transformed into placeholder characters or elements to simplify the filling in of gaps by user contributors. eebo-tcp is a partnership between the universities of michigan and oxford and the publisher proquest to create accurately transcribed and encoded texts based on the image sets published by proquest via their early english books online (eebo) database (http://eebo.chadwyck.com). the general aim of eebo-tcp is to encode one copy (usually the first edition) of every monographic english-language title published between and available in eebo. eebo-tcp aimed to produce large quantities of textual data within the usual project restraints of time and funding, and therefore chose to create diplomatic transcriptions (as opposed to critical editions) with light-touch, mainly structural encoding based on the text encoding initiative (http://www.tei-c.org). the eebo-tcp project was divided into two phases. the , texts created during phase of the project have been released into the public domain as of january . anyone can now take and use these texts for their own purposes, but we respectfully request that due credit and attribution is given to their original source. users should be aware of the process of creating the tcp texts, and therefore of any assumptions that can be made about the data. text selection was based on the new cambridge bibliography of english literature (ncbel). if an author (or for an anonymous work, the title) appears in ncbel, then their works are eligible for inclusion. selection was intended to range over a wide variety of subject areas, to reflect the true nature of the print record of the period. in general, first editions of a works in english were prioritized, although there are a number of works in other languages, notably latin and welsh, included and sometimes a second or later edition of a work was chosen if there was a compelling reason to do so. image sets were sent to external keying companies for transcription and basic encoding. quality assurance was then carried out by editorial teams in oxford and michigan. % (or pages, whichever is the greater) of each text was proofread for accuracy and those which did not meet qa standards were returned to the keyers to be redone. after proofreading, the encoding was enhanced and/or corrected and characters marked as illegible were corrected where possible up to a limit of instances per text. any remaining illegibles were encoded as <gap>s. understanding these processes should make clear that, while the overall quality of tcp data is very good, some errors will remain and some readable characters will be marked as illegible. users should bear in mind that in all likelihood such instances will never have been looked at by a tcp editor. the texts were encoded and linked to page images in accordance with level of the tei in libraries guidelines. copies of the texts have been issued variously as sgml (tcp schema; ascii text with mnemonic sdata character entities); displayable xml (tcp schema; characters represented either as utf- unicode or text strings within braces); or lossless xml (tei p , characters represented either as utf- unicode or tei g elements). keying and markup guidelines are available at the text creation partnership web site . eng theology, practical -- early works to . worship -- early works to . - tcp assigned for keying and markup - aptara keyed and coded from proquest page images - john latta sampled and proofread - john latta text and markup reviewed and edited - pfs batch review (qc) and xml conversion gospel-worship : or , the right manner of sanctifying the name of god in generall . and particularly in these . great ordinances , viz. . hearing the word . . receiving the lords supper . prayer . by jeremiah burrouches , the gospel-preacher to two of the greatest congregations in england , viz. stepney and criple-gate , london . london , printed for peter cole and r. w. at the signe of the printing-presse in cornhill at the royall exchange . . to the reader . our purpose in this preface , is not to speak either of the eminent worth of the author , whose memory is blessed in the hearts of all the godly in this nation ; or of this piece it self here published : but only to assure thee that it is his. and although it riseth not up to that exactnesse and perfection that might have been in them , had he publisht them himself . yet with that different allowance which is to be given notes taken from his mouth in ordinary and frequent preaching , we doubt not but that in their use and benefit , they may be as profitable to the saints as other of his writings , being as full of weighty and divine materials , having also the impresse of the spirit and language of this holy man ( one of the greatest preachers of this age ) stampt all along upon them . we ( to whom this our brother was most deare and precious ) being intrusted with the publishing of his sermons , have thought good first to usher abroad these few , which if they receive that welcome they deserve , many other excellent pieces of his may soon after have encouragement to appear in publick view . the points treated of in these , are of great concernment , and therefore we conceive , the author though in handling of them , he had roome enough for the discussing many of the controversies of the times , yet he purposely waved it , and bent himself to the single delivery of that which tended most to edification , and best suited with such a popular auditory as that was to whom he spake . the lord of heaven blesse them to thy spirituall advantage , and enable thee by such means as these to sanctifie his name in the use of all his ordinances , which is the desire of thomas goodwin . william greenhill . william bridge . sidrach simpson . philip nye . sept. . . gospel-worship : or , the right manner of drawing nigh to god in generall . and particularly in those three great ordinances : viz. hearing of the word , receiving the lords supper , prayer . leviticus . . . then moses said unto aaron , this is it that the lord spake saying , i will be sanctified in them that come nigh me , and before all the people i will be glorified : and aaron held his peace . these words are the speech of moses to aaron his brother , indeavouring to quiet and comfort his heart , which was ( no question exceedingly troubled upon that sore and great affliction that was upon him in the strange death of his two sonnes , nadab , and abibu , the story is this : after aarons sonnes were consecrated to the priestly office , they coming to attend this their office , the very first day after their consecration to offer incense unto god , they ventured to offer incense with strange fire , with other fire then god had appointed upon that the fire of gods wrath broke out upon them , and slew them both presently in the very sanctuary before all the people , for it was a solemne time : being the beginning of the solemn consecration of the priesthood . upon this the spirit of aaron could not but be exceedingly troubled , to see his two sonnes thus struck . now moses comes to him and saith , this is that which the lord spake , i will be sanctified in them that draw nigh me , and before all the people i will be glorifyed . and upon this aaron held his peace . we reade that once fire came downe from heaven in a way of mercy to consume the sacrifices : but now fire comes downe from heaven in a way of judgement to consume the sacrificers , even nadab and abihu : they were aarons sonnes , the sonnes of a godly man , the sonnes of the high-priest , they were his eldest sonnes , for aaron had other sonnes besides nadab and abihu , eleazer and ithamar , but these were his two eldest sonnes : they were two voung men , they were struck in the very prime of their age , they were two that were newly consecrated in the priests office , for so you finde it in the . chap. and they were two men of renown in the country and before all the people of israel , two men that god had much honoured heretofore ; as you shall find in the chap of exod. and the beginning , this nadab and abihu were men of great repute and great renown , that god did much honour in former times ; for when god called moses and aaron with the elders to come up to him , hee singles out nadab and abihu amongst the rest and names them . and hee said unto moses , come up unto the lord , thou and aaron , nadab and abihu , and . of the elders of israel . moses and aaron , nadab and abihu are only named , and then . of the elders in generall , but moses , aaron , nadab , and abihu , as if these were the foure eminent men of renown among all the people of israel , hee names none of the . elders but these two , besides moses and aaron : therfore these two that were consumed by strange fire , were renowned men and newly consecrated into their office. what was their sinne ? their sinne it was offering of strange fire , so the text saith that they offred strange fire , which god commanded them not , in the beginning of the chapter . but had god ever forbidden it ? where doe wee find that ever god had forbidden them to offer strange fire , or appointed that they should offer onely one kind of fire ? there is no text of scripture , that you can find from the beginning of genesis to this place , where god hath sayd in terminis , in so many words expresly , you shall offer no fire but one kind of fire . and yet here they are consumed by fire from god , for offering strange fire . i finde in the `of exod. ver . . that there they were forbidden offering strange incense , but i doe not find that they were forbidden offering strange fire . in levit. . . and divers verses in that chapter we find that god had appointed that they should keep constantly the fire on the altar burning , and never to let it go out : now that was it seemes gods intention that therefore they should make use of that fire , and that fire onely . god would have them to pick out his meaning : god sent fire downe from heaven upon the altar , so in the latter end of the . chap. god sent downe fire from heaven , & gave them a charge to keep that fire on the altar constantly , and never to let it goe out : so that it seemes god would have them pick out his meaning , that because he had sent down fire from heaven upon the altar , and gave them power to keep that constantly , god would have them therfore to understand , that what incense or sacrifice he would have the use of fire in , it should be onely that fire and no other , though god did never say to them directly in these words , you shall make use of this fire and no other , but god would have them to understand this . that 's their sin therefore in offering of strange fire . now fire comes from the lord and doth consume them . some think this fire came from the altar , but surely it could not be any ordinary fire that did consume nadab and abihu at this time for you shall find in the next ver to my text , that the bodies of nadab and abihu were not consumed by the fire , no , nor their cloathes , they were kil'd by the fire and yet their cloathes were whole . therefore it was not an ordinary fire , it was some celestiall fire struke into them to slay them , for so saith the text in the th ver . come neer , carry away your bretheren from before the sanctuary out of the camp : and so they went and carried them in their coats out of the camp , so tht their cloathes and bodies were not consumed , only they were kil'd by the fire : they were struck with a sudden death , and that in the presence of the lord : such a death as god had never threatned in the word before , god had never threatned the priests and said , if you offer strange fire you shall be consumed by fire : but yet god smites them with death by fire they had not time to seek god , no not so much ( as we use to say ) as to say lord have mercy upon me : they had no time to promise amendment at all : now upon this heavy judgement , the heart of aaron could not possibly but be very much troubled , yea and the spirit of moses too , for moses was their unckle , and aaron their father , they could not but be exceedingly much greived : but moses being the brother of aaron , seeing his spirit ( no question ) exceedingly troubled , being under such a sad affliction , and that such a godly man even as aaron was should have such a sad judgment befall his children : moses comes and speakes comfortably to him , and labours to support his spirit : and how doth he do it ? he comes not as ordinarily you use to visit your brethren , oh! you must be content with this : no , but he comes and applyes the word of god , and shewes how god must be sanctified ; and by that he comes to quiet the heart of his brother aaron : this is that which the lord hath spoke saith moses : hee seekes to stay the heart of his brother with that which god spake . but where do we find that god spake this ? it 's hard to find in any scripture these very words in ter minis before this time : and therefore augustin thinks it was onely the word god spake but not written , and so they had it from hand to hand by tradition as many other things , as the prophecie of enoch that the apostle jude speakes of , you doe not find it written in the book of god , and yet the apostle speakes of it , so that indeed it was from hand to hand : yea and we find in the new testament when paul speakes of a thing that christ should say , how that our lord saith , it is a more blessed thing to give then to receive ; you find it not recorded in the gospels that christ said so . so , this is that which the lord said , though it was not written from the beginning of genesis to this very place , or otherwise though it be not recorded in expresse terms , yet somthing is recorded to the same purpose and effect : and so it may seeme to have reference to that scripture exod. . . there we have a scripture comes as neere to it as any i know . and there will i meet with the children of israel , and the tabernacle shall be sanctified by my glory , that 's as much in effect , as i will be sanctified in those that come nigh me , in those that come to worship me in my tabernacle , i will be sanctified in all things that concerne my worship , i will be sure to be sanctifyed there . i will be sanctified ] i will be hallowed , for it is the very same that you have in the lords prayer , hallowed be thy name , only that 's the greeke word , and this is the hebrew : but if you would translate this word into greeke , you must translate it by the same word that christ spake when he taught his disciples to pray hallowed bee thy name , hallowd and sanctifyed is all one . lord let thy name appeare to be holy : so i will be sanctified , that is , i will have my name appeare to be holy , i will be made known unto my people , and to all the world that i am a holy god : that 's the meaning of i will be sanctifyed , i will be knowne to al the world that i am a holy god. and before all the people i will be glorifyed , so it is in the latter part of the verse : as if god should say , i account it to be my glory that i should be manifested to be holy before all the world. i will be sanctifyed , that is i will have my people to demeane and carry themselves so as to hold forth their acknowledgement of my holynesse so , as by their carriage i may appeare to be a holy god. i will be sanctifyed by them , or otherwise if they shall not in an active way sanctify my name , that is , if they shall not demeane themselves so as to hold forth the glory of my holynesse , then i will be sanctifyed upon them ; i will demeane and carry my self towards them so , as by my actions upon them , i will make it appeare what a holy god i am : so god is sanctified two wayes , eyther by the holynesse of his people , in their carriage towards him holding forth the glory of gods holynesse : and so in that . pet. . . sanctifye the lord god in your hearts , the saints doe sanctifye god in their hearts when they feare god as a holy god , and reverence him and love him as a holy god : and so sanctifie him in their lives , when their lives doe hold forth the glory of gods holynesse , then god is sanctifyed . put then if we do not do so , then god sanctifies himself , that is in wayes of judgement upon those that do not in wayes of holynesse sanctifie his name . and thus you have it ezek. . . and say , thus saith the lord god , behold i am against thee o zidon , & i will be glorified in the middest of thee , and they shall know that i am the lord , when i shall have executed judgment in her , and shall be sanctified in her . and this is all one with i will be glorified in the middest of them . and in the . of ezek. , . you have to the same purpose , and thou shalt come up against my people of israel , as a cloud to cover the land : it shall be in the latter dayes : and i will bring thee against my land , that the heathen may know mee , when i shall be sanctified in thee o gog , before their eyes . and in the . ver . thus will i magnifie my selfe , and sanctify my selfe , and i will be knowne in the eyes of many nations , and they shall know that i am the lord , in the way of the execution of judgment : thus i will sanctifie my self , so i will be sanctified in those that draw nigh me . in those that are nigh mee ] nigh ones , so it may be read : that is , especially the priests that did approach to god. ezek. . . they approach to god especially . but it is meant generally of all those that shall have to deale in my worship , whosoever shall come to worship me let them look to it ; they must sanctifie my name , they must so demeane themselves in my worship , as to hold forth my name to be holy : or otherwise i will manifest my selfe against them in the wayes of judgment , for i will appeare to be a holy god. i will have the glory of my holynesse one way or other ( saith god ) in those that come neere mee , as if god should say , though it 's otherwise with men , they indeed will be ready to favour those that are neere them , but i will not doe so . men will sooner passe by the offences of those that are neer them then those that are not as suppose that a stranger commits an offence , you would be severe towards him ; but suppose it were one of your owne children , or kinsmen , what would you doe then ? doe not we see that men will rather favour their owne kindred then strangers , though the offence be the same ? but i will not doe so saith god. suppose it be one of your own family , will not you be ready to excuse them ? suppose it were your own child that should cōmit such an offence , oh! what friends would you make to take him off from punishment ? though men will do so towards their own , yet be bitter and severe towards strangers ; yet i will not be so saith god : let those that are neer me looke to it , i will be sanctified by them . i will be sanctifyed in those that draw neere me . now upon this , when moses said thus , that god would be sanctified in those that draw neere him : this was moses scope to aaron , as if moses should say , aaron , though i confesse the hand of god is heavy upon you this day : yet it is fit for you to submit to god , 't is fit that god should be glorified what ever becomes of you ; you are deare to god , but gods name is dearer to him then you are : what ever the lives of your sonnes were , yet it is fit that god should be honoured , and his name sanctified what ever becomes of your sonnes , or of your comforts , and therfore let your heart be quieted , you have had a great loss and affliction upon you ; but god hath had glory ; god hath glorified himselfe . how hath god glorified himselfe ? very much by this way ; for god by this way hath done an act to make all the people of the land feare before him ; to cause them to worship him with all reverence . all the people of the land seeing such a judgment as this , and hearing of it ; they will learne for ever to feare and reverence this god : they will say , how shall wee appeare before this holy god ? wee had need take heed how we appeare in his presence , and worship him according to the way that hee himselfe would be worshipped ; as if moses should say , this honour that god hath by this meanes in the hearts of his people it is that , that you should account a greater good then the lives of your children , what ever they are . this is the scope of moses speech to aaron . now upon this the text saith : aaron held his peace ] hee was silenced . it may be before , hee was expressing himselfe in greife : and sorrow'd exceeding much in words ; but now he was quiet and had nothing to say : he did by his silence acknowledge , his children were dear to him , but it 's fit that god should be glorified what ever becomes of his children , and therefore aaron holds his peace . but the word that is here translated holds his peace , it hath more in it then meere silence ; for the hebrews have another word to signifie meere silence of speech : but this signifies a staying of the heart , that it doth not further proceed in any trouble of spirit , a silence in the very heart , and staying of it ; a staying of the motions of the heart . i find the same word to be used in scripture , when joshua said to the sunne si and still , stay thy selfe on gibeon , jos . . . it 's the same word that is here translated and aaron held his peace , that is , he was stayed from further vexing or troubling of himselfe , or being disquieted . whereas his heart was in a strong violent motion : now moses speech did stop him , and gave a stop to his heart to make it stand still in a wonderfull manner , as the sunne when joshua spake to it to stand still . as if the lord should have spoken to his heart , aaron thy heart is in a mighty strong motion , but consider that i must be sanctifyed in those that drawe nigh mee and let all those motions of thy heart be stopt and quiet . thus now you see the meaning of the scripture , and the scope of it . now in this scripture you have these three speciall and notable points . that in worshiping of god , there is a drawing nigh unto him . that when wee doe drawe nigh to god , wee should take heed to our selves that wee sanctifye gods name . if wee doe not sanctifye gods name in our drawings nigh to him , then certainly god will sanctifye his owne name upon us . these are the three points that i intend to handle ; and especially the second to handle largely among you . i confesse upon another occasion in one sermon i have spoke out of these words , but now i intend not onely in generall , to shew you how you should sanctifie gods name in worship , but likewise in the particular acts of worship : as sanctifying his name in prayer , in receiving the sacrament , in hearing the word in the severall chief parts of the worship of god how his name should be sanctified : for in all these you do draw nigh to god. and for that end i have pitcht my thoughts upon this scripture . but before i come to these three great points , that are the principall points in the words read unto you i shall take up divers other notes of observation that ly up and down as it were scattered that are of great use : and will help us further to make use of this scripture in the other points that i shall come to afterwards , and handle more largely . the first note is this , that in gods worship there must be nothing tendered up to god but what hee hath commanded : what soever wee meddle with in the worship of god , it must be what wee have a warrant for out of the word of god. for this speech of moses is upon occasion of the judgment of god upon aarons sonnes for offering strange fire : they offered fire that god had not commanded . hence i say that all things in gods worship must have a warrant out of gods word , must be commanded . it 's not enough that it is not forbidden . i beseech you observe it it is not enough that a thing is not forbidden , and what hurt is there in it ? but it must be commanded i confesse in matters that are civil and naturall , there this may be enough : if it be but according to the rules of prudence , and not forbidden in the word we may make use of this in civill and naturall things . but now when we come to matters of religion , and the worshipp of god ; we mu●● either have a command , or somewhat out of gods word by some consequence drawn from some command wherein god manifests his will either a direct command , or by comparing one thing with another , or drawing consequences plainly from the words . wee must have a warrant for the worship of god. one would have thought that these preists offering incense to the true god , what hurt was there in taking other fire ? but there was no command for it , and therefore it was not accepted . it 's true there are somethings in the worship of god that are naturall and civil helpes , and there we need not have any command : as for instance ; when we come to worship god , the congregation meets , they must have a convenient place to keep the ayre and weather from them : now this is but a naturall help , and so far as i use the place of worship as a naturall help , i need have no command . but if i will put any thing in a place beyond what it hath in it's owne nature , there i must look for a command . for if i account one place more holy then another : or to thinke that god should accept of worship in one place rather then in another : this is to raise it above what it is in its owne nature . so that when any creature is raised in a religious way , above what it hath in it by nature if i have not scripture to warrant mee i am therein superstitious . it is a very usefull rule for to help you : if any creature that you make any use of in a way of religion beyond what it hath in its owne nature , if you have not some warrant from the word of god ( whatsoever specious shew there may be in it ) it is superstition . as now for the place , there was a place that was holy , but then it had an institution from god. and so for garments to use those that are decent the light of reason is enough : but if i wil put any thing upon them beyond what there is in them in their owne nature , as heretofore in a surplis ; what , had that any more decencie in its owne nature , but only mans institution ? now when man shall put a relgious respect upon a thing , by vertue of his owne institution when he hath not a warrant from god : here 's superstion , wee must al be willing worshippers , but not will worshippers ; we must come freely to worship god ; but we must not worship god according to our own wils , and therefore what ever we do in the worship of god if we have not a warrant for it , when this is said , who requireth this at your hands ? it will stop our mouths another day . in matthew . . in vain do they worship me teaching for doctrine the commandments of men . in vain : it is a vain thing to worship god when there is nothing but a commandment of man for this worship . if you would worship god , you must have a commandment of god for the worship : and in isa . . . there is a place to the same purpose , that shews how the lord is offended with any man that shall teach his fear by their own precepts , wherefore the lord said , for asmuch as this people draw neer me with their mouth , and with their lips do honour me , but have removed their heart far from me , and their fear towards me is taught by the precepts of men : mark it : now if this be so , the lord have mercy upon us in this thing . you have cause to be humbled every one of you , i believe , in some degree or other , this congregation very much , and most congregations that have had the fear of god taught them by the precepts of men : how many things have there been in the worship of god that you can shew no warrant in the word for ? a great many things meerly mans inventions , however they are now cast out , because authority came in and cast them out , and so you submit to it ; but that 's not enough for you to submit to it because authority would have it so : but you ought to be humbled before god for all you will-worship , for all your yeildings to any thing in the worship of god , that was taught by the precepts of men ; you see how severe god was to nadab and abihu for but taking other fire then that which god had appointed to offer up incense , though there was no direct commandment against it . if the lord hath spared you , and not manifested any displeasure upon you , you have cause to acknowledge gods mercy , and to be humbled for all your false worship ; certainly god doth expect it from this land to be humbled for their will-worship , or otherwise they few among thornes : all the reformation that is among us , if there be not an humiliation before for our false worship : 't is not enough that we set up now the true worship of god , but we must be humbled for our false worship . and that 's the first note ; that in the worship of god there must be nothing but what god commands . the second note is , in the matters of worship god stands upon little things : such things as seem to be very small and little to us , yet god stands much upon them in the matter of worship . for there is nothing wherein the prerogative of god doth more appear then in worship : as princes , they stand much upon their prerogatives , now god hath written the law of natural worship in our hearts , as that we should love god , fear god , tru● in god , and pray to god : this god hath written in our hearts : but there are other things in the worship of god that are not written in our hearts , that only depend upon the will of god revealed in his word , which were no duties except they were revelead in his word . and these are of such a nature as we can see no reason for but only this , because god will have them . as now , there are many kind of ceremonies to manifest honour to princes that there is no reason for them at all , but meerly because it is a civil institution so appointed : so god would have some waies for the honouring of him that the creature should not see into the reason of them , but meerly the will of god to have them so , now god stands much upon little things , though men would think it a little matter whether this fire or that fire , and will not this burn as well as that ? but god stands upon it : and so for the ark , when vzza did but touch the ark when it was ready to fall , we would think it no great matter ; but one touch of the ark cost him his life . there is not any one minnum in the worship of god , but god stands mightily upon it : in the matter of the sabbath , that 's his worship , for a poor man to gather a few sticks , what great matter is it ? but god stand upon it . and so when the men of beth-shemesh did but look into the ark , it cost the lives of fifty thousand threescore and ten men . if it be a matter of a holy thing that concerns his worship , he would not have it abused in any thing . let us learn to make conscience of little things in the worship of god , and not to think , o how nice such are , and how precise and nice in such small things ! thou doest not understand the nature of divine worship if so be thou art not nice about it ; god is nice and stands upon little things in the matter of his worship . another note is this ; that there are no priviledges or dignities of men that can secure them from gods stroke . first moses the man of god , he was their uncle ; aaron that great instrument of gods glory , he was their father : they were men that were newly consecrated to the priests office they were renowned , men that god put much glory upon ; yet if they will venture but to offend god in this little thing , gods wrath breaks out upon them and kills them presently . let us take heed then of venturing , and do not think that any services that we have done heretofore can bear us out ; if the greatest cannot be bore out with all their priviledges , how dare we poor wormes venture upon the displeasure of god ? thou that art a worthlesse creature of no use at all in the world , darest thou provoke this god , when as the lord is so angry against men that are of great use and service , to let out his wrath upon them suddenly ? if you should see a prince not spare his favorite , or his nobles that are about him , but upon one offence that we think is but a little offence , that the princes anger should be so much against them as to cost them their lives ; what cause is there for poor people to tremble then when they have done that which may incur the anger of their prince ? you see all outward priviledges and greatnesse will not excuse from the stroke of gods justice , it should not excuse from the stroke of mans justice : it 's true , among men poor people they go to it if they offend , but if great men offend they escape ; but it is not so with god , for nadab and abihu were great and renowned men . the fourth note is , that the more the dignity of men is , the more is their danger if they look not to it : and this note i gather from hence , that nadab and abihu were the two eldest sons of aaron , and we find in the scripture that eleazer , and [ thamer that were the two other sons of aaron , they escaped and were not thus consumed . why ? because the two elder sons had the dignity and priviledge to come and offer the incense , and having greater dignity then the younger , and not being carefull to behave themselves as they ought to do , the lord smote them , and the younger they escaped . and so many times those that are in a meaner condition they escape , when those that are in a higher condition they are struck . let men that are in higher conditions then others look to themselves , for their danger is greater : and you that are in a meaner condition , envy not those that are higher , for you may be more safe in that mean condition which you are in , then they in theirs . the fifth note is this , that the beginnings of things of high concernment , do meet sometimes with great difficulties and interruptions . this note i gather from hence , that nadab and abihu were struck at the very beginning of their preisthood : as now , suppose there were a new office erected in a common-wealth that concern'd the publick good of the kingdom , and in the very first erecting of the office there falls out some hideous accident that rung throughout the whole kingdom , as if god from heaven had done some thing against them in that office . as now , suppose that the first time the judges should come at the bench , that god should strike them from heaven dead at the very bench , it would be a mighty matter to darken the glory and honour of that office . so one would think that it should have been a mighty matter to have darkned the glory and the honour of the preisthood alwayes : but god stands not upon that many times the beginnings of great things are darkned by sad accidents , and therefore let not us be offended though we see some sad accidents to fall out at the beginning of great things , for though accidents fall out sadly at first , yet god may prosper it afterwards as he did the priesthood . the sixth note is , that those that enter into publick places , and especially such places as concern the worship of god , they had need have the fear of god much upon them when they first enter into those places . now this were a very good point if i were to preach to an auditory of ministers . you see nadab and abihu upon their first consecration the lord smote them for this little miscarriage as we would think , and that 's a sixth note which especially concerns ministers and therefore i passe it over . the seaventh note that we have , and that 's very usefull for us all , god would have us all to pick out his mind from dark expressions in his word . though he doth not expresse his will fully , and in expresse terms ; yet if there be any thing in his word whereby we may come to gather the mind of god , god expects that we should gather his mind out of his word , and if we do not it 's at our own perill . the mind of god about this strange fire that these offered , you will say , they were to pick it out : how could they have known that it was gods mind that they should not offer any fire but that on the altar ? they should have reasoned thus with themselves , what hath god let sue come down from feaven upon the altar , and hath he commanded that that should be preserved on the altar for his service ? surely , this must be gods mind then that we should make use of this fire rather then any other fire : god expects that they should have reasoned thus , but because they did not pick out gods mind by reasoning after this manner , therefore the hand of god came out upon them . they offended , and it may be it was through ignorance , but it was at their perill , if they were ignorant of the mind of god when it might be known , though it were but darkly revealed , and were to be pickt out from several places compared together , it was at their perill . it is a point that we have a great deal of need of , for this is the vain heart of man , that if there be any thing that god would have that is not suitable to his own ends , he will stand wrangling against it , and cavelling at it ; how doth it appear ( will he say ) can you bring expresse scripture for it ? bring me expresse scripture in words for to prove it and then i will believe it , and so stands out till you bring so many words of scripture that forbids such a thing , or commands such a duty . now my brethren if you be of this temper , that you will forbear nothing , nor set upon any thing but what you have directly express words of scripture for , you may run at your own perill into wofull dangers , into wofull sins : know that god hath so revealed a great part of his mind as it is only to be known by gathering one thing from another , and by comparing one thing with another . and god expects this from you , that if upon examination of scripture that one thing appear more likely to be his mind and will then another ; you are bound to go that way that is more likely . i told you before , that in matters of worship we must have warrant from the word ; but it doth not follow , that we must have a direct expresse warrant in every thing : as it is many times in some kind of picture , the great art it is in the cast of the looks ; you cannot say it 's in the drawing of this line , or the other line , but altogether ; it is the cast of the looks that causes the beauty of the picture : so in the scripture , you cannot say that this one line , or the other line , take it single that proves it , but let them be laid all together and there will be a kind of aspect of gods mind , that we may see that this is the mind of god rather then the other , and we are bound to go that way . now so far nadab & abihu might have seen , that they should rather have taken fire off the altar then any other fire , but they presum'd because they had not expresse word , and you see it was at their perill . o take heed of standing out , and wrangling against what is required because you have not expresse words : the lord hath laid things so , and especially in the new testament , for the ordering of the church in the new testament as you have not expresse command for abundance of things , but sometimes an example in some things , and sometimes not a cleer example neither ; but compare one thing with another , and that which seems to be neerest the mind of god , that should be bond enough to us , to tye us to go according to what the mind of god seems most probable to be in the scripture ; and an humble teachable heart will soon be convinced when another man will not . we find it cleerly , that such things as are most suitable to mens own ends , a little matter will serve the turn to perswade men to it , though one might argue against it : i could easily shew it , but that i think it not so convenient in pulpits to meddle with such things as those are . those things i say which are suitable to mens own ends and wayes , them they will close withall : but other things that do crosse the flesh , that are most opposite to loo senesse and would bring men most under the government of christ , those things men stand out against , and they must have cleer and expresse words expresse and cleer warrant out of the word in so many termes , or otherwise by no means they will not so much as yeild to it : that 's a point that if god would but settle it upon our hearts might be of very great use ; a gracious heart will see the truth through a very little crevis : but it is marvelous to consider what a do there is to convince a man before he is humbled of some part of gods will ; and how easie it is to convince a man after he is humbled . the eighth note is this , that s●nners may meet with some judgements of god that were never threatned in his word . god did never threaten before hand and say , whosoever offers strange fire , i will consume them with fire from heaven ; but they meet with a judgement that was not threatned : consider of this , it may be when we come and speak out of the word and shew you plainly how god doth threaten such and such fins , you are afraid then ; but know if thou venturest upon wayes of sin , thou mayest meet with dreadfull judgements executed that never yet were threatned : besides all those judgements that are threatned in the book of god thou mayest meet with judgements unheard of unexpected : as god hath mercies beyond what he hath expresly revealed in his word , for never was it heard since the beginning of the world what god hath laid up for them that love him : so god hath judgements beyond what is in his word , sometimes when the ministers of god do open the threatnings that are in gods word , you think that they are terrible : but know that god in the treasury of his judgments hath more dreadfull things then yet ever hath bin revealed in his word and therefore learn to tremble not only at what is revealed in gods word against thy sin , but tremble at what there is in that infinite justice , power , and wisdome of god to find out and execute upon sinners ; for thou that art a sinner , and especially if thou beest a bold and presumptuous sinner , thou mayest i say expect to meet with whatsoever evill an infinite wisdome is able to devise , and that an infinite power is able to bring upon thee that thou art capable of : thou committest such and such a sin , perhaps thou doest not know of any particular judgement that is threatned against it : but think thus , i that do provoke god by my sins , what may i look for ? 't is more then i know to the contrary but that whatsoever the infinite wisdom of god is able to find out , and what misery so ever i am capable of , that the lord may bring upon me . consider of this and take heed of sin . the ninth observation is this , that god is very quick with some in the wayes of his judgements . it may be he may spare others for a long time , but concerning thee he may say , thou shalt not offend twice . if thou wilt venture the first act , god may strike thee with death , he did so here with nadab and abihu , for they were but newly consecrated , so i find it by interpreters , that they were to be in consecration for seven dayes , and this was the first day that they came to their place , and in the very first act that they did , god did siute them . 〈◊〉 tremble , the lord is quick towards some , he is patient towards others , but do not thou presume because he is patient to others , he may take thee in the very first act of thy sin , and be quick with thee . the tenth note is this , that the holinesse of a duty will never bear a man out in the miscarriages of a duty . this was a holy duty , they were the true preists of god , they came to offer incense to the true god. it was right incense that they offered , there was but this one miscarriage , they had not the same fire that god would have ; now this miscarriage god comes upon them for , and all the good there was in the duty it would not bear them out . consider of this you that performe many holy duties , take heed of giving way to your selves in any miscarriage , for do not think , that because your duties are very good and holy , that by doing thereof you may venture upon mixture ; take heed of mixing any evill , any miscarriage in a holy thing , though you have performed a thousand holy duties , yet it will not bear you out in the miscarriage of them . the eleaventh note is this , that the lord is very terrible out of his holy places . the note is the same that you have in psal . . . the lord is 〈◊〉 out of his holy places : when we have to deal with god , who can stand before this holy god ? our god is a consuming fire : the lord manifests himself here most dreadfully to strike with fire these two preists , as in ezek . . begin at my sanctuary , saith god. god is terrible , terrible towards those that shall dare to approach into him , and yet are wicked or ungodly in their approaching he is terrible to those that are neer unto him , god would have us all to tremble at his presence . in the twelfth place , gods judgements are often very suitable to mens sins . here they sinned by fire and they are consumed by fire . they offended by strange fire and god strikes them by a strange fire . the judgements of god are very suitable to the sins of men oftentimes . as here by fire , so another time we find it by water : pharoah he sins by drowning the infants of the people of israel in the waters , and god drowns him in the sea. if you will be drowning by water you shall have water enough saith god : and so here , if you will be medling with strange fire , you shall have strange fire saith god god doth many times proportion judgments to sinners that his righteousnes might the more appear those very creatures in which we sin , many times god makes them or others of the same kind to be the executioners of his wrath . so it was with the jewes , they would fell christ for pieces of silver , and they were sold of them for a penny atterwards : and so the story of adoni-hezek in the first of judges , that was so cruell in such a way to cut off thumbs and toes of kings , even so he was served in the like kind : and it 's ordinary for men that are of cruell fiery spirits , to meet with cruell fiery spirits too . and i would apply it in this particular , you that are stout children to your parents , if god lets you live you many times meet with the very same in your children , and when you that are parents meet with stubborn children , you should reflect , doth not god come righteously upon me ? and so you that are servants , you are stout to your masters , why afterwards when you come to have servants they will be so to you ; and perhaps you were unfaithfull to your governors , afterwards when you come to have servants , it 's a thousand to one but they will be so to you . now you should strike your hand upon your heart and say , it 's just with god that it should be so , and that he should come upon me in mine own kind . another note is this , they offered strange fire . le ts take heed all of us , how we bring strange fire into gods service . bring strange fire into gods service , what 's that ? i find divers writers speaking upon this , saith am●●rose , lusts , and covetousnesse are this strange fire . that which i would have you consider of it this , above all strange fire take heed of the strange fire of passion and anger , and especially in the worship of god and at any time when you find your hearts heated and fired with anger when you are about to worship god remember this scripture , nadab and abihu were consum'd by god , with fire from god for coming into gods presence with strange fire : now , o lord , how often have ●● come into thy presence with strange fire ! perhaps your hearts have bin burning hot with passion when you have bin coming into gods presence : you are to pray with fervency , for so the scripture saith : we are indeed to be heat in prayer by the holy gho●t in our hearts , but certainly not to come with the fire of passion and anger : lift up your ha●ds without w●ath and doubting . if you have been passionate and your hearts have been heat that way , be sure you get your hearts cold before you go to prayer . and so when you come to hear the word , if your hearts have been heat with passion , be sure you get them cold before you come to hear the word : receive with meeknesse the ingrafted word that may save your souls . and so when you come to the lords supper , take heed of coming with wrath and malice , for then you come but to offer strange fire . it 's a speciall consideration for ministers that come to preach , they should take heed of bringing strange fire into their pulpits : that is , of venting their own passions . that hath been ever a rule that i have been convinced of since i knew any thing of preaching , that that man that is appointed to reveal gods wrath , had need to conceal his own wrath that 's certainly a rule for all preachers , for the lord sends his preachers to make known his wrath against mens sins , but now the more they make known his wrath , the more they should conceal their own ; and so by that means when they come in the openest way to manifest gods wrath , the more their preaching would be accepted . now it 's true , a carnal heart would be ready to think , that when a preacher speaks out of true zeal to god , he will be ready to say , that he hath aiming at himself : take heed of that , i believe you have had but little occasion of such a temptation in this place : but however this i know , it is the duty of the ministers of god to be sure to bring nothing but the fire of the spirit of god , the fire that they have from the altar ; their tongues being toucht with one of these coales , and not that they should come with their own passions to further the righteousnesse of god , no , the wrath of man doth not accomplish the righteousnesse of god ; there are some other particulars which being laid down , we shall come to the main points . sermon ii. leviticus . . . i will be sanctified in them that come nigh me . wee began these words the last day , and shewed the scope of them , and opened the meaning of them , and spake of divers notes of observation that we gathered from this story of nadab and abihu , and of gods dealing with them . from the general story of it , there were many points of notable observation that were drawn from thence : i le adde some few now , and so come to the main doctrinal point in the text. a further note of observation is this , that many times even the dear saints of god do meet with very sore and grievous afflictions in their children . that the most eminent saints of god are not freed from very grievous afflictions even in their children ; it was one of the sorest afflictions that almost ever any saint of god met withall in his children ; this affliction of aaron at this time , that two of his sons , and ( as i told you the last day ) renowned men in israel , newly consecrated to the office of priesthood , that the very first day they came to offer in their office , they were strucke before all the people with fire from heaven and consumed : oh what a sad affliction was it to aaron their father when he saw his sonnes in such a manner destroyed by god himself ! consider of this you that have children , and are ready to murmur and complain of every little affliction that is upon you in respect of your children : if so be that your children be but a little sick , or there be any miscarriage of them , you think it is a heavy hand of god ; but especially if god take away your children by death , then you mourn and will not be comforted : yea but though god have taken away your children by death , yea perhaps it may be by a violent death , as being drowned , &c. yet they have not been strucken with fire from heaven by god , and they have not been of such publick use . these here were renowned men , and taken away in their very sin too , your children which have gone upon their lawfull imployments and god hath taken away their lives ; there 's no such cause of murmuring here , but when god takes away children in their sins , and in such a way as by fire from heaven ; thus god took away aarons children , and he was as dear to god as you are : and yet thus god deals with his saints ; with aaron in regard of his children , and with his elder children and with two of them together . this example may be enough to still and quiet the hearts of men and women that are afflicted in respect of any calamity befals their children . you see what a hand of god is against the very children of aaron . a further note is this , that gods judgements we see sometimes , though the effect of them be visible , yet they come in an invisible way . for you shall find if you read on in this story , that they were smote with fire from heaven , but it did not appear what fire , for it did not so much as consume their cloaths , nor their bodies , but went through and struck them dead , and no body could tell how . gods judgements do come in a way that is invisible : if it had been in a visible flame of fire all would have seen it , and it would have burnt their cloaths , or their bodies : but you shall find in the verse , that they were carried away from the sanctuary in their cleaths , they were not burnt . another note is this , that though the lives of men be dear and precious to god , yet they are not so precious as his glory . the glory of his name is a thousand thousand times more dear unto god then the lives of thousand thousands of people ; the lives of nadab and abihu must go that god may be ●anctified : if it comes so in the way ( as i may so say ) he lives of men and the sanctifying of gods name , the glory of god must passe on , and mast have its course let the lives of men go which way they will. we think much to have the lives of men taken away ; but if we know 〈◊〉 glory of god meant , and what infinite reason there is that god should be g●●ned , we would not think it much that the lives of never so many men should go for the glory of god 〈◊〉 't is mercy that our lives have not gone many times for gods glory : how often might god have glorified himselfe in taking away our lives ? wee have cause to blesse him , that our lives have been preserved so long as they have . again note , that the neerer any men are to god , the more they had need take heed that they glorifie him , for they must expect to be spared the lesse if they sin against him . nadab and abihu the priests of god , and they came neer to god , yet by their transgression : though i told you we do not find in any place of scripture directly in words that this fire is forbidden , but they should have gathered gods mind by consequence , and therefore by the way i only note , that we must not think to urge upon men in all things strict commands in very words , but if it be commanded so as we may draw it by any consequence , it 's a command , as now here for the negative , they had not a negative prohibition in words , yet they had it by consequence ; so for the affirmative , though we have not the affirmative in expresse words , yet if we may have it by consequence it is an affirmative as well as the negative , when we have it by consequence . but now the note of observation is , that the neerer any comes to god if they sin against him , they must not expect to be spared . do not think that god will spare you the more because you are professors of religion , or because you do often worship him : i suppose you that are acquainted with scripture know that place in amos . . you only have i known of all the families of the earth : therefore i will punish you for all your iniquities . another note is this , that when a judgement is exemplary , then we should have recourse to the word of god , to see how god doth make his word good in that judgement . so moses doth , this is that which the lord hath said . do you see any remarkable hand of god in the execution of a judgement upon one , have recourse to gods word , and presently begin to think this , what is there in gods word against that sin that this man hath been guilty of ? if you see a judgement of god upon a drunkard , remember the threats in the word of god against drunkennesse , and so the judgements of god upon unclean persons , swearers , sabbath breakers , lyars , or any prophane and ungodly persons , have recourse to the judgements of god threatned in the word against such ; and so likewise concerning scorners and opposers of religion , remember what is said in the word of god against such , and so learn to sanctifie gods names . we might have mentioned some particular threats of god against particular sinners for the helping of you , that when you see exemplary judgements , to have recourse to the word of god. but we let that passe . a further note from this story is this , that the great honour that god intends to his name , it is the making of his name holy. i will be sanctified in them that draw nigh me , and before all the people i will be glorified . as if moses should say in gods name , why , i must have glory from the people , and how ? by making my name appear to be holy , this is the glory that i stand upon above all other things that my name may appear to be holy , that i may appear to be a holy god. i beseech you brethren consider of this , god stands upon nothing more then to appear to all the world to be a holy god , there 's the glory of gods name in an eminent way , god doth not so much stand upon this , to appear to be a strong god , to appear to be a powerfull god , to be a god of patience , long-suffering , god doth not so much stand to be an omniscient god , though these attributes are dear to god , but that he may appear to be a holy god : that he stands upon . whatever glory of the name of god , that god shall be content to have eclipsed in the world for a while , yet he is resolved he will have the glory of his holinesse above all things : and therefore the angels when they are celebrating the glory of god , they do not say lord almighty , almighty , almighty , or lord omniscient , omniscient , omniscient , but holy , holy , holy. those three together , the holinesse of god , therein appears the glory of god above all : god stands upon it that he will appear to be a holy god. oh that those who professe themselves to be the servants of god , that they would especially indeavour to hold forth gods holinesse ; you that are neer to god , you that hope you are gods children , and make profession of his name , labour you to hold forth the glory of his holinesse above all things , in your holy lives and conversations : for god stands upon this , to have his name to be sanctified i will he sanctified saith god , and i will be glorified , so he doth interpret the glory of his name by being santified . as if god should say , that 's the glory that i look for , that my name may be extolled as holy : and therefore the very first petition that christ teaches us to pray in the lords prayer , it is , hallowed be thy name , which is all one with this , sanctified be thy name ; oh let the name of god appear to be holy in the world : that 's another note , that these two are joyned together , i 'le be sanctified in those that draw nigh me , and i will be glorified before the people . again observe , that it is the part of true friendship , to help friends in their distresses , and seek to comfort them from the word . though we our selves be in afflictions , yet we should seek to comfort our friends that are in greater afflictions , and to comfort them by the word , for so did moses : moses comes to comfort aaron and applies the word , this is that which the lord hath said , i will be sanctified . now mark , no question moses was afflicted upon this heavy hand of god , for he was their uncle ; but though it was heavy upon the uncle , yet it was heavier upon the father , and therefore though moses was troubled , yet he knew that aaron was more troubled , and therefore he goes to aaron and seeks to comfort him , and he makes use of the word in his comforting of him . learn this then , to go and comfort your brethren , for aaron was moses brother ; go and comfort them in thier afflictions , and think not because that you have some afflictions upon you , that therefore you should not be a comfort to your brethren : their affliction is greather then yours , and when you come to comfort , them , come not in a meer carnal way and say , brother you must be content , but you must come and apply somewhat of the word of god to comfort them and say , this is that which the lord hath spoke ; and to that end you should labour to be exercised in the word of god , that so you may be able to go to your brethren and comfort them in any affliction ; for there is no particular affliction but there is some word of god that is suitable to that particular affliction , and those who are well exercised in the word of god , they can apply some word to every affliction : and indeed this is an excelent friend , and such a friend is worth his weight in gold , that can come to another friend in any affliction and ever more hath some what of the word of god to apply to that affliction . the last observation is this , that aaron held his peace . from whence we may note , that there is no such way to quiet a gracious heart under any afflictions in the world as that god will fetch out his honour by it . it is grievous to me , but god fetches out his glory and honour by it . the applying of the word , and the consideration that god hath his way to fetch out his glory in our afflictions is the only way to quiet a gracious heart . all these points might take up a great deal of time , but i will let them passe and come to the main point of all , i will be sanctified in all those that come nigh me . there are these three points in these words : first , that in the worship of god , men and women draw nigh to god. secondly , that we ought to sanctifie gods name in drawing nigh to him . thirdly , that if we do not sanctifie it , god will sanctifie his own name upon us . first , that in worshipping of god , there is a drawing nigh to god. quest . why is not god in every place ? answ . yes certainly , we can never be in any place but we are nigh to god , god stands by us and looks upon us it is not only when you are worshipping of god that you are nigh him , but when you sin against him : when thou art swearing prophaning his name his day , god stands & looks upon thee thou art nigh him : and it may be said or written upon every place , what was said of the city in the last words of the prophecie of ezek. . . the name of the city was jeh●●ab-shammah , that is , the lord is there , the lord ●ehovah he is there , he is present in this place : oh that you would remember when you are in any place , that the name of that place is ●●chovah-shammah , the lord is there . in him we live , we move 〈…〉 being therefore we are alwaies nigh him yea but though we are alwaies nigh god in regard of that essentiall presence of his , yet there is a more peculiar and speciall drawing nigh to god in the duties of his worship , and that the scripture seems to hold forth unto you . first i le shew you how the scripture holds it forth , and then in what respects the creature may be said to draw nigh to god in holy duties of worship ; for so it was here , they were coming to offer incense . that we do draw nigh to god in holy duties , see jam. . . draw nigh to god ( so that you may be neerer god then you were ) that is , by holy services , & holy duties , & hence it is in ps . . . let us ( saith he ) come before his presence with thanksgiving , so that there is a more peculiar coming before gods presence when we come to worship him then at other times : and v. . o come let us worship and how down , let us kneel before the lord our maker . so in psal . . . let us come before his presence with singing , for that 's one part of the worship of god. but the scripture is plain , that there is a speciall coming before god when we are coming to worship him , and in this respect the servants of god in psal . . . are said to be a people neer to god. it is a very remarkable expression and le ts forth much the honour of the saints of god : there 's the commendation of the excellent estate of the saints . he al 's 〈◊〉 the h●rn of his people , the praise of all his saints even the children of israel , a people neer unto him . the saints of god , the children of israel , the church of god are said to be a people neer to god ; why neer him ? because that they worship god , they are much exercised in the worship of god. this is one respect though there may be divers others mentioned , yet in respect of their coming so much before god in his worship , therefore they are neer god. quest . neer him , why , in what respects may a man be said to draw nigh to god when he worships him ? answ . to that i answer , there are three respects in which a man when he is worshipping of god may be said to draw nigh to god : first , because when we come to worship god , we come to tender up that homage and service unto him , that is due from us as creatures to the infinite creator that 's the very end of worship . if you would know what it is to worship god , it is this : you come to tender up that homage and respect that is due from the creature to the creator . now when a subject comes to tender up his homage to his prince , he comes towards him , when he doth it immediately : so we have none to tender it up by but jesus christ , and when we tender it up we must come our selves too , for christ doth not take our service and tender it up to god and we be absent , but we must come with christ , and christ takes us by the hand and so tenders it up to the father while we are in presence , so that we are said to come nigh to god in that respect , because of the immediate tendering up of that worship of ours to god ; i call it immediate in respect of any creature : but in respect of christ indeed he is a mediator to do it , but yet he doth it in a spirituall way , and we have to do with none but god through jesus christ in the tendering up of our worship to him : we may make use of an institution that god hath appointed , but we do not tender up our worship to god through that creature , but in the use of that creature we do come to god , and our souls are to tender up that respect we owe to god immediately . therefore in levit. . . it is said of the priests in their sacrifices , when they were to come to worship god , no man that hath a blemish of the seed of aaron the priest shall come nigh to offer the offerings of the lord made by fire . so that when any come to offer any offerings of the lord made by fire , it appeares he came nigh to god : he came to bring a present to god : therefore he comes nigh . so when we come to offer our spirituall sacrifices unto god , we come nigh to god to offer , it 's the offering of a sacrifice to god. and that 's the first thing , because the creature comes to bring a present to god , therefore he is said to draw nigh . and secondly , the soul is said to draw nigh to god in holy duties , because it doth present it's self before god in those ways through which god doth use to communicate his choice , precious , most excelent and glorious mercies to his people : i say , when we come to worship god , we come to set our selves before god in those waies that god doth 〈◊〉 to communicate the choice , most excelent and glorious rich mercies that he hath to communicate to his creature . when we have to deal with creatures , as meat and drink , and our outward businesses we have to do with god in them ; but when we come to worship god , we come to present our selves before him in those things that he doth use to let out himselfe though in a more speciall and glorious manner to the souls of his people . what 's the reason why heaven is said to be the presence of god , and why those that are in heaven are said to live with god ? there they behold the face of god and are before him in a speciall manner , therefore when christ teacheth us to pray he teacheth us to look up to heaven and to say , our father which ●rt in heaven , &c. now certainly the essentiall presence of god is on earth as truly and really as in heaven , and god is not so as to have one part in one place , and another in another , but all god is in every place , but the reason why god is said to be in heaven , it is because the lord makes known himself there in a more glorious manner then in any other place , and therefore heaven is the presence of god in a more speciall way . now then if the communication of god unto a creature be enough to make the presence of god more speciall if this be enough to make a creature to live with god , and to be before his face , because they are there where god doth most communicate himself , then certainly when we come to worship god , we come to be neer god , and be with god because the duties of his worship are those means that the lord hath appointed for the letting out of himself in the glory of his goodnesse and mercy to his people : you may expect other manner of communication of gods goodnesse through the duties of his worship then in any other way : and that 's the second respect wherein you may be said to draw nigh to god in holy duties . thirdly , you may be said to draw nigh to god , because then we should ( and if we worship god as we ought , we do ) act our faith and humility , and all the graces of the spirit ; we do act them , as it were , upon god , when we come to worship him : that 's required in every duty of worship , that you should stir up the faculties of your souls , and all the graces of the spirit of god , and you should act them upon god when you are worshipping of him . t is not enough to come with grace when you come to worship god , but there must be an acting of that grace upon god. and so we find in scripture , that the acting of grace upon god , it is a drawing neer to him , therefore in isa . . . the lord complaines there , this people draws neer to me with their lips , but their hearts are far from me , as if god should say , indeed they come and speak to me , and therefore they think they draw nigh to me , but i expect that their hearts should be acting upon me , that 's the meaning . and in zeph. . . god complains there of his people that they did not draw neer to him as they should : and it appears plainly , it was from hence , that their graces did not act so upon god as they ought , she obeyed not the voice : she received not correction : she trusted not in the lord : she drew not neer to her god. so that acting faith upon god is a drawing nigh to god , and so acting any grace upon god is a drawing nigh to god. now when is there a time for the acting of our graces upon god so as when we come to worship god ? and therefore in isa . . . the lord complains there , that no man did stir up himself to take hold on him . when we come to worship god we should stir up our selves to take hold of god. and thus you see in what respects the soul may be said to draw nigh to god when it comes to worship him . now for the application of this point and it is in divers particulars . the first is this , hence learn what you do when you come to worship god , and consider of it every time you come to performe any act of worship . truly this one thing would be of marveilous use , and it would help forward to the next point of sanctifying of gods name . this you are all convinced of , that it is your duty to worship god , when you pray you come to worship god , when you come to hear his word you come to worship him , and when you receive the sacrament you worship him . now if i should come from one end of the congregation to the other , and ask every one of you this question , it is your duty to worship god , is it not ? yes : that you will all be ready to answer . and what do you do when you worship god ? i fear that this second question would gravell many . you will say , we must pray to god , and serve him , and hear his word , and go to the communion● yea , but what do your souls do in this work of worshipping of god ? this should be the answer , and so you should think with your selves , and charge this upon your own hearts , i am now going to worship god , either in prayer , word , or sacraments , i am now going to tender up that homage that is due from a creature to the infinite creator , so that i must so pray , as i must manifest that high respect that i owe to god as my creator ; but that i shall speak to more afterward : only now remember this , that you do professe every time you go to prayer , that you go to tender up that homage that you owe unto god and so every time you come to hear the word , there is a profession that you come to tender up that respect and homage that you owe to the infinite god : and so likewise when you come to receive the sacrament . now when we come to offer a present to men , we know how we prepare , and with what suitable presence we desire to offer : but of that afterward when we come to speak of sanctifying gods name . secondly , remember , when i come to worship god , i come to set my self before the lord in those ways that god doth let out the choice of his mercies to his people in : i have many mercies from god in the enjoyment of the creature , but when i come to worship him i expect the communication of his mercy in another way then through any creature in the world. the duties of his worship are the chief chānels that god doth let out the choicest of his mercies to the hearts of his people through , and now i am going to worship him , i am going to present my self before god. indeed there is a little glimmering of the light of god through other creatures to me , but the glorious beames of the light of god is through the duties of his worship . and then thirdly , i am now going to act my soul upon god , so that if i have any abilities to close with god , to act my soul upon him , it must be put forth now at this time ; i am indeed at all times to labour to injoy communion with god , when i see the creatures , the sun and moon and stars to labour to lift up my heart to god , and when i see the glory of god in the sea , and for my meat and drink i am to blesse god , and to acknowledge god in all ; but now when i come to worship god , then all the strength of my soul is to be acted upon god in a more speciall manner ; i must then above all labour to stir up whatsoever i have in my soul to act upon god , this is now to worship god. secondly , if to worship god , be to draw nigh to god , hence we see the reasons why guilty consciences have little mind to the duties of gods worship . when a man or woman hath given liberty to any licentious way & sinned against their consciences , if they have any light in their consciences , it is one of the tediousest things in the world to come to the duties of gods worship : they had rather do any thing then to come to holy dutys , as to prayer and especially to secret prayer . a man or woman that hath an inlightened conscience , and is under the guilt of sin , the coming to god in holy duties , is a very grievous burden to them : why ? here 's the reason , because to worship god is to draw nigh to god , and the guilt that is upon them hath made the presence of god terrible to them , and therefore they had rather go into their company & be merry , eat , drink , sport , or any thing rather then to come into gods presence . we know how it was with adam , when god appeared in the garden and called to him , he ran to hide himself ; why ? because he had guiltinesse upon him : oh the evill that the guilt of sin brings upon the soul , it makes the presence of god terrible ! the presence of god it should be more comfortable to us then our lives but our sin makes gods presence grievous and terrible . a child sometimes when it hath offended the father and is conscious to its self of the offence that it hath given the father , it had rather be in the kitching among the servants , then to come into the hall or parlour where the father is , because it hath offended him : and so it is with a guilty conscience , when it is conscious to its self of some haunt of evil that it hath given it self unto , it hath no mind at all of coming into the presence of the father , but hangs off . my brethren , the very presence of god in the communion of his saints is terrible to a guilty conscience , the very looking upon a godly man is terrible to a guilty conscience . when as thou hast bin abroad &c. bin loose &c. wicked in thy waies , i appeal to thy conscience , when thou comest into the presence of some holy gracious man or woman that lives close with god , doth it not daunt thee ? now is the presence of god in the very faces of his saints terrible to a guilty conscience ? how terrible is the presence of god in his ordinances then ? indeed those men and women whose consciences are not inlightened , but are ignorant and sottish , they can sin against god and go into his presence without any trouble ; you shall have men swear and be drunken over night and come to the sacrament the next day , what 's the reason ? because there is no light in their consciences , their consciences are in darknesse , they are besotted in their sin ; but i speak now of one who hath an inlightened conscience , the presence of god is terrible to such a one . a third use is this , here is the reason why hypocrites do meet with such vengeance from god as they do : i confesse we shall meet with this more especially afterwards , only by the way take notice of it ; hypocrites above all men may expect the severest judgements of god upon them , because they come so nigh god , for they come often to the duties of gods worship ; now they that will come so nigh gods presence , and come with base and ungodly hearts , to cloak their villany , of all in the world they must expect to have the severe vengeance of god let out upon them ; they that stand nighest the bullet must expect to have the strength of it to be the more upon them ; so when the wrath of god proceeds out upon sinners , wicked men that stand nighest him they have the greatest strok of gods wrath ; but of that more when i come to the third point , that god will be sanctified in those that draw nigh him . the fourth use is this , if to worship god be to draw nigh him , then to neglect gods worship is to depart from him , that must needs follow , and this is a dreadfull thing , it is the sentence that shall be at the last day of judgement , depart from me . thou now art willing to depart from god , oh consider of this you that neglect worship , the worship of god in your families , and in your closets , and in the congregation , in the communion of the saints , thou hast little minded or regarded the worship of god it may be all thy daies , what hast thou been doing all this while ? thou hast been departing from god all this while , & when thy conscience shall be but inlightened and awakened to see how far thou art from god , how terrible will it be to thee ? remember this you that have no mind to the duties of the worship of god but love the commission of sin , you neglect gods worship , you were wont to worship him in a constant way in your closets and families , but now you grow more loose , and so you grow more dead every day then other , you go off from god more and more . surely there can be no good to neglect gods worship . and those that are loth to worship god because they cannot worship him as they ought , from this point it appears plainly , that there can be no good gotten by neglecting gods worship , for it is departing from god , whatsoever plea there may be by any temptation to neglect gods worship , certainly there is danger in it , and therefore never listen to any such temptation as shall draw your hearts from the duties of gods worship . there are a generation of wantons in these times that make little matter of continuing the duties of gods worship , they were wont constantly to worship god , and to attend upon the word , but now it is nothing to them , and they are even ready to thank god for it that they make not such conscience as they were wont to do in the duties of the worship of god : it may be they will say , that heretofore some slavish terror did carry them on in the duties of gods worship more then the understanding of the freenesse of the grace of god would admit of : but shall the understanding of the freedom of the grace of god carry thee on lesse then thy slavish terrour did ? oh blind and wanton spirit that knowest not the waies of god , nor the freenesse of the grace of god , nor the riches of it ! oh what a dishonour art thou to jesus christ and to the freenesse of his grace , that now canst go up and down from day to day and never worship god! did jesus christ come into the world to that end for to cause thee to depart more from god ? 't is plain out of the word , that the duties of gods worship are those duties whereby the soul comes to draw nigh to god : and i beseech you brethren observe these men , whither there be that holinesse in their lives , that spiritualnesse as there was wont to be ; no , you shall find them by degrees to grow loose , yea run sometimes into grose sins , grow many times to lying and deceiving , and to drunkenesse and company keeping ; yea to worse things by degrees : perhaps they are at first ready to say , is thy servant a dead dog that i should do this ? but by departing from god they grow dead to holy duties : we find it by experience , that the professors of religion have not that holinesse , heavenlinesse , spiritualnesse , as they were wont to have in former times . and no marveile , for now they keep not so nigh to god as they were wont . you that are sea-men and travelours , sometimes you are neer the sunne , and then you are hot but the further off the sunne you go , you grow to be colder and colder : and so those that neglect the worship of god , they go from the warm sun , they go from the light of gods countenance and from the presence of god and so they grow cold and chill , and by degrees they grow to prophanesse , and it is to be feared that many of them will grow to meer athisme . another use is this , a use of exhortation , that we would be incouraged to worship god , and to be much in the worship of god. in heb. . . let us draw neer ( saith the text ) who would not draw neer to god ? oh what a good thing is it to be in the presence of god! is not the lord the fountain of thy life ? is it not a sweet thing to be in his presence ? we think it a sweet thing to be in the presence of godly men ; oh ' that we might alwaies live with such men , and be nigh them ! that martyr doctor taylor rejoyced in this , that ever he came into prison to be acquainted with that angel of god holy master bradford , and as i remember some among the heathens that profest they would rather be in prison with ca●o then be in the greatest glory with some other : it is a blessed thing to be in the presence of god , to be with him that is the god of our lives , and the fountain of all good ; let us draw nigh to god often , let us know that it is a mercy that we may draw nigh to god ; wee might have been banished from the presence of the lord long e're this time . this is that that the happinesse of the glorious church is set out by in rev. . . they shall see his face and his name shall be in their foreheads . this is the priviledge of the church . and that it is such a blessing to draw nigh to god you may see it by that in eph. . . for through him we both have an accesse by one spirit unto the father . through him ] through christ we have accesse by one spirit unto the father , and now ( saith he ) ye that were strangers and forreiners , are made fellow citizens with the saints , and of the houshold of god : and vers . . but now by christ jesus ye who sometimes were a far off are made nigh by the blood of christ , and you have accesse through christ : so our coming nigh to god is such a priviledge as cost the bloud of christ ; and will not you improve it ? you were far off in your naturall condition , but now you are nigh through his bloud ; lay but this text warm to your hearts this morning , that i that was far off am made nigh by the bloud of christ , made nigh to god , it will be a means for ever to draw your hearts to all those waies whereby you may draw neerest to god. and by drawing nigh to god often , you will come to increate your graces abundantly : your graces how will they act the presence of god will draw forth the acts of grace as the presence of the fire draws forth our heat , so the presence of god will draw forth our graces . and by this means we come to live most holy lives . we read of moses , he was upon the mountain forty daies with god , and when he came down his face did so shine , that the people were not able to bear it ; what 's the reason ? it was from hence , because he was so nigh to god : would you have your faces to shine in a holy conversation before men ? converse much with god , be often with god , be nigh to him , and that will make you shine as lights in the middest of a crooked and perverse generation . we find it so with some that converse much with god , there is a shine upon their very countenances . and further it is a speciall signe of our adoption to love to be nigh to god. what should a child love most but to be in the presence of his father ? would you know whither you have received the spirit of adoption yea or no ? i can hardly give you any one signe so clear as this , for to love to go into gods presence , as david said , i was glad when they said , come and let us go up unto the house of the lord. you shall have many that love to be in gods presence , so as they think on it over-night , and long for the time while it comes ; i never am better then when i am with god , me thinks when i get into gods presence , either in prayer or any duty of gods worship , i find my heart warmed and quickned , &c. they are ready to say with peter , master , it is good being here . and that 's another thing , it is that which will put us in mind of the life of heaven , it is the only thing in heaven to be in the presence of god. why , the more thou art nigh god in the duties of worship , the more thou art in heaven , and doest not thou pray , that the will of god may be done in earth as in heaven ? now the saints and angels are alwaies before god worshipping of him ; then be as much as thou canst in the presence of god , if thou wouldest be in heaven , be there : many of the saints they find it so , it is not so with carnall hearts , they are weary presently , when they are in prayer , or hearing the word , it is not so to them : yea , that 's because thou hast not the presence of god , as in mal. . what wearinesse is there ? thou canst be a gaming till one or two a clock at night , and though thou shouldest lose thy supper , or the work of thy family , it is not tedious to thee to be exercised in those things that pleaseth the flesh ; but when thou comest to worship god , how quickly art thou tir'd now what wilt thou do in heaven where there is nothing else done to all eternity but worshipping of god ? and then it must needs be delightful to god that thou shouldest come nigh him : there is nothing in the world more pleasant to god then to have his saints come into his presence . what doth a father more delight in then to have his children about him ? never did any father or mother love to have their children by them , so as god loves to have his children come nigh him , and be often with him . and the truth is , one great reason that god suffers you to fall into afflictions so much is that you may come running to him : how doth the child come running to the father or mother when it is afraid ? why , the lord is willing to permit men to do you wrong that you may run to him , that he might have more of your presence : thou that art such a poor creature , yet thou hearest this day that there is nothing in the world that god takes more pleasure in ( next to the presence of his own son jesus christ , and his saints and angles that he hath with him in heaven ) then to have his saints come nigh him , to have them alwaies to be under his wing . and then by coming often into gods presence in his worship there will grow a sweet and blested familiarity between god and thy soul , for thou wilt be speaking to god , and god will be speaking to thee too : we know many times that dear friends who are very neerly linkt together , yet if they be long absent one from another there grows a strangenesse , and so by degrees their friendship is deaded ; but now when they are together every day , and there is an intercourse of love and friendship , then their friendship is kept active and quick , but now if they be absent long ; indeed if they be absent in another country when they cannot come together , that they are sure it is not through any neglect , then it will not damp their friendship ; but when they are neer and come not one to another , then they think it is out of neglect & so they grow strange . so it is with the soul , if there were no possibility of a coming into gods presence , then it would not hinder the sweetnes of the love of god to us . but now when we have those duties of worship wherein we may draw nigh to god , if we neglect them our familiarity with god will quickly be lost , acquaint thy self with god and be at peace . god is willing to be acquainted with his servants ; the lord loves to be familiar with the poorest of his saints , and wilt not thou maintain that sweet familiarity with god ? these two benefits will follow upon thy familiarity with god. first , those that are most familiar with god they are most potent with god ; as now a strnger cannot prevaile in any petition so as a familiar friend can : thus my brethren , when strangers come into gods presence , god doth not so much regard them ; but when his familiars come into his presence , the saints of god that keep close with him in constant communion and converse in the duties of his worship , god doth take them as his familiar friends , and they will prevaile much with god. secondly , by this means the terror of death will be taken away , there is no such way to take off the terror of the thoughts of death as by keeping familiarity with god , death then is joyfull to those that converse with him . that reverend divine that is now with god ( doctor preston ) when he was to die he had this speech , i shall but change my place , i shall not change my company ; whereas its otherwise if thou growest estranged from god , when death comes it will look with a terrible face , for then thou hast to deale with god , thou art then to go into the presence of the infinite dreadfull god , into whose presence thou never hadst any mind to go before , but saith death , i must now carry thee into the presence of god. as thy body returns to the dust so thy soul must return to god that gave it ; that is , to receive its eternall doome , &c. but now saith a saint , what must my body return to dust and my soul to god that gave it ? it is he which i have bin with every day , and can say as he said , my soul go forth , go forth , why art thou unwilling to go forth to him that thou hast conversed with all thy daies ? and then what safety is there in being neer to god , especially in these dangerous times ? in the time wherein we live it is safe to be neer god ; in psal . . . be not far from me , for trouble is neer , saith david : lord , trouble is neer me be not thou far from me ; it 's a blessed thing to have god neer is when trouble is neer us , trouble is neer many of you , perhaps there 's not a spans breadth between death and us , what a blessed thing is it then to have god to be neer us ? when the poor chickin sees the kite come neer it to seize upon it , and is like to be surprized , if the hen be neer , it runs to the hen , and the hen covers it and keeps it safe ; so it should be with us , for so christ saith of jerusalem , how often would i have gathered thee as a hen gathereth her chickins ? there are a company of kites abroad in the world , and we are poor shiftlesse creatures ; now how happy are we then if we can run under the shaddow of gods wing ? there is a kind of shaddow in the presence of god in the injoyment of the creature ; but the shadow of god that we have in his worship that is as the shadow of his wing . there is the shadow of a tree , and that may help from some kind of troubles but there 's another manner of shadow under the shadow of the wing of the hen , because that nourishes the chickin : the men of the world they have the shadow of the tree , as it were , gods generall providence which is over all creatures ; but the saints of god that draw nigh to god they have the shadow of gods wing , like the shadow of the hens wing to the chickin , which doth comfort it and safeguard it ; let us by the duties of worship thus draw nigh to god , and keep nigh unto him . sermon iii. leviticus . . . i will be sanctified in them that come nigh me . i will onely adde one particular more to what we said the last day and then proceed . if in the duties of worship we are nigh to god , then hence appears the great honour that god puts upon his servants that do worship him certainly the worshippers of god have great honour put upon them because the lord vouchsafes them to draw nigh unto him , they are such as are precious and honourable in his eies . i will not inlarge my self in this , only give you three scriptures that shew the great honour and respect that god puts upon those that he doth admit to come and worship him . the first scripture is in deut. . . there moses speaking of the people of israel ; and the great respect that god shewed to them more then others ; for saith he , what nation is there so great , who hath god so nigh unto them , as the lord our god is in all things that we call upon him for ? what nation is there so great as you are ? ( so great ) how doth it appear that the nation of israel is a greater nation then other nations are ? how ? that hath god so nigh unto them in all things that they call upon him for : herein any man or woman , or nation , may be said to be great , that is , greatly honoured by the lord god , in that they have the lord nigh to them and they are nigh to him , here 's the greatnesse of a nation ; you would think that if one would describe the greatnesse of a nation , it should be in their great wealth , their great trading and traffique that they have and the fertile place that they live in ; no , this is not the greatnesse of a nation , but what nation is there so great that hath the lord god so nigh to them ? there 's the greatnesse of a nation , and so a spirituall heart would account greatesse to consist in having god to be nigh unto it . the second scripture is in numb . . . there we have moses speaking unto the sons of korah rebuking them for their sin , and he brings this aggravation to them of the greatnes of their sin , saith he , seemeth it but a small thing unto you that the god of israel hath separated you from the congregation of israel to bring you neer to himself ? that is , that you should come to worship him , is this a small thing to you ? is not this honour enough ? as if moses should have said , why do you contend for any more honour , the lord hath separated you to bring you neer to himsef ? object . this you will say was spoken to the priests ? answ . but it may be said of every gracious soul , for every beleever christ hath made a king , priest , and prophet unto himself ; now there is no beleever but jesus christ hath separated him or her from the rest of the world to be neer unto god. this is the dignity that god hath put upon thee that thou art separated by his grace to be one neer to him , whereas others of the world they depart from him , continually depart more and more from him ; but i say the lord by his grace hath set thee a part for himself , as he saith in psal . . . the lord hath set apart him that is godly for himself : thou art separated from the world , to what end ? it is that thou mightest be neer to him , this is thy priviledge , and thou shouldest account it thy great honour : thou hast not that honour and respect in the world as others have , but thou art one of gods separated ones that thou art neer to him . a third scripture is in psal . . . there you may see how the prophet david did highly esteeme of that great honour that the lord did put upon him in this , in being neer to god : but it is good for me to draw neer to god. mark how he speaks , but it is good for me : why ? for loe , they that are far from thee shall perish : thou hast desiroyed all them that go a whoring from thee . as if he should say , there are some that did seeme to be neer unto thee heretofore , that were as the wife to the husband , but they are gone a whoring from thee ; base hypocrites , base apostates , they are gone a whoring from thee , their hearts being carnall they did not find that contentment and satisfaction in thy worship as thy saints do , and therefore they are gone a whoring from thee , but it is good for me to draw neer to thee : it is an excellent scripture , do you see any young ones , or others that were very forward not many years agoe , and would speak of good things , and seem to rejoyce in the word , but now they are gone a whoring , they are departed from god and his wayes , and the pleasures of the flesh hath taken their hearts ? thou wilt destroy them ( saith david ) that go a whoring from thee . so thou shouldest think with thy self ; oh miserable is the condition of those who once were forward in the profession of religion and now are gone a whoring from god , but it 's good for me to draw neer to god , they are gone from thee , and thou wilt destroy them , but it is good for me to draw neer to thee ; i blesse my self in drawing neer to thee the lord , and blesse the time that ever i did draw neer to thee , and that ever i knew those waies wherein in my soul hath drawn neer to god. such a worship god aright , and do delight in the worship of god they are such as have a great honour put upon them , they do draw nigh to god ; and thus we have finished the first point . the second point is that will hold us some time , and that is , the sanctifying gods name in our drawing neer to god. when we worship god we draw nigh to him , but let us take heed how we draw nigh , heb. . . let us draw neer with a true heart . looke to thy feet when thou comest into the house of god , eccle. . . now for the sanctifying of gods name in drawing nigh to him we shall indeavour to open it ; first in shewing you wherein the sanctification of gods name consists , or what we should do that we might sanctifie the name of god in drawing nigh to him . the reason why god will have his name to be sanctified in those that do draw nigh to him . how we should sanctifie the name of god in drawing nigh to him , it is under these two heads : first , there must be a due preparation unto the worship of god that we exercise our selves in at any time . secondly , a right behaviour of our souls in it : in these two things consists the sanctifying of gods name in his worship . now under these two heads all that i shall speak about the opening of the sanctifying of gods name will be contain'd . at this time i shall only speak of the first : the due preparation of the soul unto the duties of gods worship ; therein consists a speciall part of the sanctifying of gods name in drawing nigh to him . and that it is so , we find it in scripture , that preparation for worship it is called the sanctifying of our selves ; and by finding this in scripture it hinted me upon this head , to speake of the preparation unto worship in our sanctifying gods name , because i find in scripture that the sanctifying our selves for worship , and the preparation of our selves for worship are all one : i 'le give you these two texts ; in sam. . . you shall find there , that samuel when he was sent by god to anoint david in bethlem , the text saith , i am come to sacrifice unto the lord , sanctifie your selves and come with me to the sacrifice , do you come peaceably say they ? yes ; what then ? sanctifie your selves and come with me to the sacrifice : that 's all one , as if he should have said , prepare your selves and come with me to the sacrifice : and so in job . . . there you shall find that the holy man joh when his sons had been feasting , he was some what afraid least there should be some miscarriage , and that they had sinned against god in their feasting ; as it is very hard to give liberty to please the flesh and not to sin , not to transgresse bounds ; therefore job though he did not hear of any notorious abuse of their feasting , yet he was afraid least they should sin , he knew how dangerous it was to have so much satisfaction to the flesh and not to transgresse bounds , therefore it is said he sent to his sons and sanctified them . it was so ( saith the text ) when the daies of the feasting were gone about , that job sent and sanctified them : that job sent unto them to prepare them to offer sacrifice , to prepare them for the worship of god : so that the scripture holds forth this then , that to prepare for worship it is , to sanctifie for worship , and so it is one speciall thing that is required in our sanctifying of god , in our drawing nigh to god , to make a due preparation for his holy worship . now for the orderly handling of things ; . first , i shal shew you , that we must prepare for the worship of god. secondly , i shall shew you , wherein this preparation for the worship of god doth consist . thirdly , the excellencie that there is in this , or what great good there is in preparation for gods worship . . fourthly , i shall answer a case of conscience or two . . fiftly , i will shew you what is the behaviour of the soul in sanctifying gods name . sixthly , the reasons why god will be sanctified in the duties of his worship . first , that there must be preparation to the worship of god. for first , that god that we come to worship , is a great and glorious god , and we having to deal with such an infinite , glorious , dreadfull majesty , it is fit that we should make preparation when we come nigh unto him : therefore in exod. . . when god came among the people to give them his law , he did require that they should be sanctified to day and tomorrow , and that they should wash their cloaths and be ready against the third day , for the third day the lord would come down upon mount sinai in the sight of all the people . god did not so much stand upon their cloaths , but it was to signifie an inward washing . now my brethren , if when god came to give the law they were so to prepare , then certainly when we are to come to worship god in the way of the gospel , we are to prepare as well as they , because god is coming . for that that is observable is , why they were for two dayes together to make such preparation , the argument is because of the presence of god ; the lord said to moses , go and sanctifie the people to day and to morrow , and let them wash their cloaths and be ready against the third day , why ? for the lord will come down in the sight of all the people upon mount sinai : the lord will come down the third day and therefore let them be sanctified . so when thou goest to worship god , thou expectest or shouldest expect that god will come to thee , and that thy heart shall be drawn to god , and therefore thou shouldest make some preparation ( for the time of preparation we shall speak to afterward when we come to the cases of conscience about preparation for worship . ) and so in chr. . . . david makes preparation for the house of god because it was the house of god that he had to build , though he could not do it himself in his own time , yet being the house of god what great preparation was made by david ? the morral of which is this that the house of god being a type of the church and the worship of god , as well as of christ ; it shewes that there should be much preparation when we have to deal with god in his ordinances . secondly , as god is great that we draw nigh to , so the duties of gods worship are great duties , they are the greatest things that doth concern us in this world , and it is a sign of a very carnall heart to slight the duties of gods worship , to make account of them as little matters : carnall hearts ordinarily the things that concern their businesses in the world they think great matters ; oh i may not neglect that , i may not neglect that , i may not neglect such a businesse , or i may not neglect to visit or gratifie such a friend but now for the worship of god it is good indeed , but whither it be done or not it is no great matter , therefore they can put off prayer ; if they have any businesse the time of prayer must pay for it ; they can put off that upon any slight occasion , they do not account the duties of gods worship great matters ; my brethren i beseech you learn this lesson this morning , to account the duties of gods worship great matters , they are the greatest things that do concerne you here in this world ; for they are the homage that you tender up to the high god , as you heard , and those things wherein god communicats himself in his choise mercies , now being such great matters there is cause that we should prepare . for that one thing of prayer , saith luther , it is a great work , and a difficult work , and therefore there had need be preparation for it : businesse of great consequence we make preparation for , indeed if a businesse be a slight businesse we can fall upon it on a sudden , you make not preparation to go in a boat in the thames , but to go a voyage you make great preparation . now if men and women would but understand the duties of gods worship to be great , they would see a necessity to make a preparation ; many men for want of preparation to duties they lose a great part of the time , when they come to performe a duty of worship in prayer they spend half the time that is convenient to be spent in prayer before they begin to pray ; and so in hearing the word , they are a long time before they can settle themselves to attend to the word , or in any other kind of worship ; i say a great deal of time in the worship is spent ordinarily before we can get our hearts to close with the worship ; now that is a sore and a great evill to lose any part of the time of worship : christians , i beseech you account highly of the time of your worship , you have bin so long time at prayer , yea but how much of it hath been lost because you have not prepared before hand for it ? perhaps you kneel'd upon your knees , but you were a long time before you could get your hearts warm at your work , why you should have been warm before you had come : it is so oftentimes with many men , when they meet together and there is no preparation for their businesse , they come together and they are a long time before they can buckle to the businesse that they came about , because there was no preparation , but if there be preparation made , that every man knows before hand what his work is , they can fall to it , and they can dispatch as much in one hour as others do in two or three ; but of that we shall speak more afterwards . thirdly , there must be preparation because our hearts are naturally , exceedingly unprepared for every good work , we are all naturally even reprobate to every good work , the duties of gods worship are high and spirituall , and holy things , but by nature our hearts grovell in the dirt , and we are carnal , sensual , drossie , dead , slight , sottish , and vain , altogether unfit to come into the presence of god : oh that we were but apprehensive and senfible of the unfitnesse of our hearts to come into gods presence ! perhaps because thou knowest not god thou canst rush into his presence without any more adoe , but if thou knowest thy self , and god , thou couldest not but see thy self altogether unfit for his presence , and so as to wonder that the lord should not spurn thee out of his presence every time thou comest unto him , there had need then be preparation because we are so unfit to come into his presence . fourthly , there had need be preparation because of the great hinderances of the worship of god. this businesse and the other businesse would hinder ; the intanglements , they would hinder ; the temptations of the devill , they would hinder ; sometimes the indisposition of our bodies doth mightily hinder ; and the stirrings of the passions of our minds they hinder : if there be any businesse fals out amisle in the family , and any thing go but crosse , how are we put off the hinges & made unfit for holy duties ! there had need be preparation therefore because there are so many hinderances in the way , many of you will complain that you are much hindered , but do you do what you can to make preparation before hand ? do the hinderances that you complain of put you on to be so much the more carefull to make due preparation for holy duties . fiftly , we find that the heathens themselves by the light of nature when they did but worship their idol gods , they would make some preparation , such as was suitable to those gods that the worshipped , therefore they would wash their flesh and purge themselves , but though their preparation was but very poor , yet they taught us thus much , that they were convinst in their consciences that when god was to be worshipped , people should be prepared . the sixt & last reason hath a great deal in it , which i beseech you consider of ; we find that the scripture doth make the uprightnes of the heart much to consist in preparation for worship ; and doth make the falsenesse of the heart to consist in this , that men do not prepare . perhaps you have not so much thought of this , but yet it is of excellent use unto you . we shall find the scripture doth make the very uprightnesse of the heart to consist in the preparation for duty ; and the falsenesse of a mans heart to consist in this , that he makes not conscience to prepare his heart for god and his worship . and this i will shew unto you very plainly and cleerly , take these two examples . the first of rehoboam , and the second of jehoshaphat , one a wicked man whose heart was false , and the other a godly man whose heart was right with god. the falsenesse of the heart of the one is in chron. . . there you have what gods thoughts of rehoboam were in the verses before : but now he brings the reason of his sentence upon him , and saith the text , he did evill because he prepared not his heart to seek the lord ; there were many good things that rehoboam did ; i might shew you some things ; as how he did obey the prophet of god when he was seeking to avenge himselfe upon those that did rend themselves from his obedience : the lord did but send his prophet , and though he had an army ready to revenge himselfe upon those that in a way of rebellion did rend themselves from under his government , & he obeyed the word of the lord but for al that he did evil in the fight of the lord god look'd upon him as a man that had no uprightnes in him , why ? for he did not prepare his heart to seek the lord , saith god , i look upon all rehoboam did as nothing ; i look upon his waies as evil and himself as a wicked man , why ? because he did not prepare his heart to seek the lord if his hart had bin upright with me he would have prepared his heart to seek me . i beseech you now lay this text to your hearts do you prepare your hearts to seek god ? when you go to prayer can you say that you take paines in preparing your hearts for it ? and in hearing the word , and so likewise for receiving the sacrament . now for jehoshaphat a godly man in chron. . . there you may see what the lord saith of jehoshaphat that was godly . neverthelesse , there are good things found in thee , in that thou hast taken away the greves out of the land , and hast prepared thine heart to seek god. jehoshaphat was found guilty in joyning himself to wicked men too much , the prophet comes and saith to him , wouldest thou help the ungodly , and love them that hate the lord ? therefore is wrath upon thee from before the lord. jehoshaphat here we see was very faulty in joyning with those that were wicked , and is rebuked by the prophet from the lord ; what wilt thou joyne with the wicked ? the wrath of god is upon thee : well , but for all that , ( i beseech you observe it ) that at that time when the lord is most displeased against jehoshaphat , and sends his prophet in his name to pronounce this , that the wrath of god is out against him ; yet for all this , god cannot but take notice of this , that he had an upright heart , though he failed in that particular , yet there is some good found in thee , in that thou hast prepared thy heart to seek god. indeed through some sudden temptations thou art drawn aside in this particular act ; yea , but it hath been thy care to prepare thy heart to seek me , and in that regard i do look upon thee as having an upright heart : and thus you see how much the scripture puts upon the preparation of the heart to seek god. and so in sam. . . you shall find that the scripture makes the uprightnesse of the heart to consist in this , and samuel spake unto all the house of israel saying , if ye do returne unto the lord with all your hearts , what then ? why then , put away the strange gods , and ashtaroth from among you , and prepare your hearts unto the lord , and serve him only : as if samuel should say , if you will return indeed to the lord , if indeed your hearts be upright according to what you seeme to professe in turning to god , why then prepare your hearts to seek the lord. you do not in truth turne to god except you make conscience to prepare your hearts : therefore you that yet never knew what it was to make conscience to prepare your hearts for holy duties , know that you have not turned with all your heart unto the lord , there hath not been the true turning of your hearts unto the lord. thus now you see there is much lies upon preparation to the duties of gods worship : well , you will say , seeing there lies so much in it , i pray open it wherein it doth consist . to that i answer , it consists in these five things , which i shall but briefly name . first , in the possessing the heart with the right apprehension of that god before whom we come to tender our duties ; then do we make conscience to prepare our hearts , when we labour upon our going to worship god , to get our hearts before hand possessed with right apprehensions of the majesty of that god that we are going to worship , and of the greatnesse , and weight of the duty that we are setting about the nature of it , the manner how it is to be performed , the rule by which we are to be guided , the end that we are to aime at : meditation is a good preparation to holy duties . and these are the generall heads of our meditation for our preparation to duty . viz. what god he is we have to deal with meditate of god in his attributes and then meditate of the weight of our duties , and the nature of them and the rule of them , and the end of them ; get your hearts possessed with meditations of this nature , and in this as a speciall thing doth consist your preparation to holy dutie , and that 's the first thing . the second thing wherein the preparation to a duty consists , it is in this , in the taking off of the heart from every sinfull way , the indeavour at least , if there be iniquity in thine hand or heart labour to put it out : when thou are come into gods presence , do not bring into the presence of god the love of any sin in thine heart , but labour to put it from thy heart : in chron. . . we find there what is required to preparation the text saith , hezekiah said unto them , hear me , ye levits , sanctifie now your selves , and sanctifie the house of the lord god of your fathers , and carry forth the filthinesse out of the holy place : that is sanctifying a thing to carry forth the filthinesse out of that thing that we would sanctifie so the sanctifying of our hearts it is by carrying forth the filthinesse out of our hearts , so as to be fit for a duty . and in job . . , . if thou prepare thine heart , and siretch out thine hand towards him : what then ? if iniquity he in thine hand , put it far away , and let not wickednessed well in thy tabernacles : these two must be together . a third thing is this , the preparation of the heart it is the disintangling of the heart from the world , and from all occasions and businesses in the world . i am to worship god , but how is my heart insnared and intangled in this and the other businesse ? now when i come to worship god i must lay aside all , for there 's the preparation of the heart , the separating of it for such a work , for that 's the nature of sanctification , the separating of a thing from a common use i am to worship god , now i must labour to separate my heart from a common use : at other times god gives me liberty to let out my heart to common uses ; but now when i come to worship him , i must separate my heart from all common uses , that my heart may be wholly for god. i remember it is said in the story of cieil which was lord treasurer , that when he went to read , he would lay his gown off and say , lie there lord cieil : so when we go to duty , we should say , lie by world : ( and by laying aside the world i mean , laying aside of all houshold affairs , or affairs in trading , &c. ) i must be as one that hath nothing to do in the world for that time : it is true , the time cannot be said to be holy for this , as the time of the sabbath day is holy . you will say , why may not any time be said to be holy that i spend in holy duties ? no , that is not enough to make time holy , for the time that god makes holy , it is not holy because of the duties that i perform in it , but the duties that i perform then are more acceptable because they are done in such a time , and so that makes a place holy , not because it is appointed for holy duties and uses , but because it is so appointed by god , and the performing a duty in that place is more acceptable to god then in another place : but now though we cannot make our time holy in that second sense , yet in the first , it is time set apart for a holy use , and in that regard it is holy , and so we should look upon it as not to have our outward businesse to devour that time that is holy in that regard , as nehemiah when tobiah and sanballat sent to him to come and confer with them ; no , saith he , i cannot go for the work is great that i have to do : so we must not intangle our selves to meddle with other things when we are to come to worship god , for our work is great . the fourth thing for preparation is , to watch and to pray : we should watch over our hearts least they be made unfit for duties . so we should prepare for prayer all day long in this sense , that is , we should watch over our hearts that they bee not let out so far as to hinder us in prayer when we come to do it . i remember that tertullian saith , that the christians did so sup as if that they were to pray , so when thou art in company thou shouldest watch unto prayer ; oh that you did so , you cannot but be conscious to your selves that oftentimes when you have bin in company your hearts have been put out of tune and frame , that you have been no way fit for prayer ; when you come home your house and family finds it so ; you that take such delight in company and fitting up late , i appeale to your consciences whither you can come home and find your selves fit either in your family or closet to go and open your hearts to god. this is one note by the way wherby you may come to know whither you have been immoderate in company at any time ; god gives not men liberty to be busie in any outward occasions in the world so as to unfit them for his service . preparation consists in that , in watching over your hearts , that you may not be unfitted for any holy duty when god cals you to it , but that you may be ready even to every good work . the fift is this , preparation consists in the readinesse of the faculties of the soul and the graces of the spirit of god , presently to act upon the setting upon a holy duty . when a man or woman shall find the faculties of their soul and the graces that are in them , to be ready to act as soon as ever they fall upon duty , just as you see a company of ringers when they have made all preparation for the raising of the bels , then in an instant when they begin to pull , all the bels go in that tune that according to their skil they set them in . and so it should be with our hearts , the faculties of our souls and graces , though now we are not upon duty , yet we should be so ready that as it were upon a pull , all the faculties of our souls and graces of gods spirit should work in a melodious way ; there are those that keep their hearts so prepared as at the very first moment that they set about the duty of worship , all faculties and graces begin to act and to stir and are working towards god , as a fire , when all the matter is ready laid , presently it comes to be kindled and flame out ; and thus it should be with our hearts : so that now you see wherein preparation of our hearts to duty consist● . the next thing is the excellency of the preparation ; and that may be in way of application to you to make you to be in love with preparation for holy duties . there is abundance of good in it . first , by this meanes we come to make every duty of worship easie to us , things are difficult when we come upon them unprepared , if you have a friend come to dinner or supper to you , and should come suddenly , and you have nothing prepared there would be a great deal of stir in the house , but it you have every thing prepared , it would be carried on in an easie way ; and the reason why people e●mplaine so much of difficulty in duty , it is because their hearts are not prepared . indeed we have naturally many things to keep us off from god but now when the heart is prepared for a holy duty , it goes off as easie to god even into the infinite ocean of all mercy and goodnesse , as a ship goes off to be lansht when you have made preparation for it and the heart can go with a holy boldne e to god when you have made preparation for holy duties . in job . the place which i quoted before for the work of preparation , do but consider a verse or two further , and you shall find what abundance of good there comes upon the keeping of the heart prepared in things that are good . vers . if thou prepare th●ne heart , &c. and then vers . . then shalt thou life up thy face without spot , yea , thou shalt be steadf●st and shalt not fear : when the heart is prepared for that that is good , when it comes into the presence of god it is able to lift up its self without fear , in a steadfast comfortable way , and this will quit the cost of any labour . secondly , if the heart be prepared , it will do a great deal in a little time in chron. . it is said , that hezekiah rejoyced , and all the people , that god had prepared the people for the thing was done suddenly . the thing came off freely and suddenly when as that they were prepared : hezekiah rejoiced and ble●ed god for such a mercy as this was it is a great mercy to have the hearts of people prepared unto a good work . and so in chr. . . the text saith , joth●m became mighty because he prepared his waie● before the lord his god. joth●m , he grew mighty by this , and so certainly the way to grow to be very strong and mighty , to be able to do a great deal in a little time , it is to make preparation , there may be as much work done in one hour ●● , as in ten times to much time when the heart is not prepared for it . in ezra . . you shall find that the reason is given why ezra had such good successe in his journy , it was because he had prepared his heart . make preparation for holy duties and you shall have success in holy duties there is a notable scripture for that in psal where the holy ghost saith , that god prepares the heart and what then ? when god doth prepare the heart , he doth then cause his eare to hear . there was never a prayer made wherin the heart was prepared for it but that praier was heard , they go both together , lord thou wilt prepare their heart , and thou wilt cause thine eare to hear : it god hath once prepared thy heart , thou wilt be sure to be heard then : is it not worth a world for to know ones self to be accepted of god in every duty of wo-ship that we tender up to him ? this one scripture psal . . will shew it . oh the excellency that there is in preparation to duty ! there is one thing more that is very observable , and that is this , where the heart is prepared to duties , there the lord will passe by weaknesses and imperfections in duties . when thou comest to perform holy duties thou art troubled , will the lord have regard to such a duty as this is ? thou mayest have certain assurance that the lord will have regard if thou canst make this point good to thine own soul , that it was thy care to make preparation for this duty canst thou say , lord i have indeavoured and done what i could to fit my heart for duty , but o lord , i find when i am at it , wonderful distractions , much deadnesse and vanity , what shall i do ? why canst thou make good the former and appeal to god that indeed it was thy care to make preparation ? i 'le give thee one cripture then for the quieting of thy heart in this : that the weaknesse of the duty shall be pardoned and past by , where there is care to prepare before hand the ●cripture is in chron. ● , . but hezekiah prayed for them saying , the good lord pardon every one , what every one ? every o●e that prepareth h●● heart to seek the lord god of his fathers , though he be not cl●aused according to the purifie ●tion of the sanctuary as if he should say , oh lord , there are many things amisse in this people , they are not in many regards purif●ed according to the order that thou hast set , but lord , if thou doest but see any heart prepared to seek thee , though the● fail in such particulars , lord heal them and pardon them : and did god hearken to his prayer ? mark the following words , and the lord hearkned to hezekiah and hea●ed the people . nay saith god , i will not stand so much upon the purification of the sanctuary if they have prepared their hearts to seek me . take this scripture , know it 's written for thine instruction , and thou mayest make use of it to thine own soul this day , if thou canst appeale to god that thou art carefull to prepare thy heart , though thou shouldest not have that purenesse of thy heart as thou doest desire , the lord will pardon thee and hea● thee , make conscience of preparation to holy duties . again furthe , by being carefull to make preparation for duties , within some little time thou wilt bring thy heart to such a frame as it will alwaies he ready for duty without much adoe ; indeed at first it is somewhat hard . you will say , are we bound to spend sometime every time we go to prayer before hand , or every time we come to the word ? that should have been one of the cases of conscience , but i cannot come to answer that , but this we may say , be carefull to prepare for duties , you that are young beginners , or you that have made profession a longer time , but yet have not had the weight of this duty upon your spirits ; now be carefull for a while to prepare for every duty of gods worship , that god calls you to , and i say within a little time thou mayest bring thy heart into such a temper as thou mayest be ready at all times to performe holy duties : because you shall be able to come to that temper and frame that the apostle exhorts to , pray continually , for indeed so it should be with us , we should be alwaies prepared either for prayer ; hearing the word , or receiving sacraments . now because sacraments are so rare , those that have any inlightened conscience they think they dare not but prepare for sacraments , but you should be alwaies in a preparation for the receiving of the sacraments , as the primitive christians did . and thos that have been acquainted with this point that i am upon , of preparing for duties , they have come to such a frame of spirit , as that there is not so much time required of them as of others , for they are in a constant fitnesse , so that there is no instant of time in the whole day but if god cals them to prayer they could presently fall down upon their knees and pray so as to sanctifie gods name in prayer , that were an excellent temper indeed if you could find it so , that you walk so spiritually and holily before god as there could be never a quarter of an hour from morning to night , nor from the beginning of the week to the end , but if you were cald to pray , or to receive the sacrament , you had your heart fitted , that you could come into gods presence with a prepared heart , and were able to sanctifie gods name in the duty . acquaint your selves with this work of preparation , and so you may have hearts ●itted to come into gods presence at any time . sarmon iv. leviticus . . . i will be sanctified in them that come nigh me . wee proceed now to what remaines . there are onely for the perfecting of this point two cases of conscience to be resolved : and then we are to proceed to other things . the first is , whither we ought at all times to set apart some time for preparation to every duty of gods worship ? secondly suppose we do not find our hearts prepared as we do desire ; whither it were better to leave off the duty then performe it ? for the first of these , viz. whether we are alwaies bound to set some time apart for preparation to the duty that we are to performe . the answer to that is this ; we must distinguish of persons ; there are som that are exercised in the way of godlinesse , and do keep their hearts close with god in the waies of holinesse ; now for them it may be supposed that through their exercise in the waies of godlinesse , and keeping of their hearts constant with god in communion with him walking with god closely , that they are at all times prepared to every good work , and 〈◊〉 fulfil that command of the apostle , pray continually , that is , in the disposition of their hearts , they are fit to pray at any time , there is no day in the week , nor no hour in the day but they ( if god call them to it ) could fal down to solemn ●raier . and indeed this is an exellent condition and a good evidence of the hearts walking close with god that there is no time but they are fit to pray , and fit for any ordinance , yea to recive the sacrament of the lords upper . it is posible to keep the heart so close to god , as to be fit for praier , and for the hearing of the word , and for receiving of the sacrament every day , or any hour in the day but this needs a very close walking with god and communion with god and the truth is this is very rare ; most men let out their hearts so much to other things , as their consciences cannot but tel them , that if god call them to praier at such a time in the day , they are altogether unfit for it : if they were called to receive , the sacrament , their consciences would fly in their faces and tel them , they are unfit for it but it is not so with those that walke close with god , though they be in the world . you will say if a man have businesse in the world how can this be ? yes though they have bu●●ne●e in the world , yet they carry the heavenlinesse of their hearts along with them ; our conversation is in heaven saith the apostle phil. . now the word that is translated our conversation , it is a word that signifies our city converse ; our trading is in heaven when we go to the city or the exchange , or about any businesse ; yet our trading is alwaies in heaven . but now there are other sorts of people that had need at all times to look to their hearts in way of preparation . as , first , those that first set upon the duties of religion : young beginners , that begin at first to set their faces towards heaven , to worship god they had need look to their hearts they should spend some time in preparation when they come to holy duties , and the truth is , when the conscience of a man or woman is at first inlightened , and awakened , they will be very carefull in preparing to holy duties , the fear of god it is mighty upon their spirits at first , and it should not be lesse afterwards the constancy of gods fear should bring their hearts to such a holy temper as to make them fit for holy duties alwaies . secondly , those men and women that at any time shall sin against conscience , shall commit such sins as shall in a kind even lay wast conscience , shall break their peace between god and their souls ; they had need spend some time in preparation for holy duties , they cannot come into the presence of god to enjoy communion with god , but they had need before hand be very serious in the examination of their hearts , and to endeavour the working of their hearts into mourning for their sinne , and to labour to possesse their souls with the presence of god even before they come . these two sorts of people , such as have not been acquainted with the waies of godlinesse , or such as have broken their peace with god by some evill carriage of theirs towards god in some vile way , i say it is required of them to bee more solemne in the worke of preparation . but now for the second case which indeed is the main ; suppose when we come to duties , and begin to examine our hearts , and begin to bethink our selves whether we be prepared yea or no to holy duties , and we do not find our hearts prepared according to that that we do desire , whether then we may let the duty go for that time , and forbear the performance of it , as suppose prayer , or receiving the sacrament , or coming to the word or any other holy duty ? and the reason of this doubt is , because when any man or woman is consciencious , they think with themselves that they must sanctifie gods name in holy duties , now if they cannot find their hearts in a f●t disposition to sanctifie the name of god in holy duties , they are ready to think thus , were it not better to neglect this duty and lay it aside for the present , will god accept of a duty when i performe it , and am not fit for it ? therefore for the answer to this , because it is a temptation that sometimes carnal hearts have , and they are ready to take this temptation , and willing to neglect the duty upon such a thought as this , that they are not prepared : and the truth is , they are more glad to let the duty fall , then they are sorry for want of the preparation of their hearts for the duty . i beseech you consider of this , whether you have not found it so , that sometimes when you have not been fit to performe a holy duty , there hath not been a more secret willingnesse of the heart to let the duty go , then a sorrow of the heart because you are not it for the duty . this is a very evil sign that the heart is very much distempered . those that are godly indeed when they find not their hearts prepar'd for the duty it is the trouble of their souls , it is that that goes neer to their hearts , when they think with themselves that they are now like to lose a duty of the worship of god , they are now like to lose their communion with god in a holy duty , they even look upon themselves in an evill case in regard of this ; and it makes them watchfull for time to come to take heed of those things that have put them in such an unpreparation as they find their hearts to be in at this time : now if it be so with thee it is a good sign that thy heart may be upright with god though through infirmity it comes at such a time to be unprepared for the duty . but yet suppose i find i am not prepared , i am greiv'd and troubled at it , ( for that must be premised ) whether were i better to leave the duty for this time then to fall upon it in such an unpreparation as this is ? now for the answer to this question . first , that which i would answer to it is this , the omission of a duty , or the laying of a duty aside , will never fit the soul for a duty afterwards it is no way to make thy soul more fit afterwards because thou hast laid it aside now for the present ; do but observe your own hearts that way , and you will find this by experience : such a time you have been busie in the world , and occasions have hindered you so as your heart is out of temper and frame for a duty , you lay it aside , now are you more fit the next day ? if you do neglect duty in the morning upon any businesse , are you fitter to perform duty at night because of it ? you will not find it to be so : the forbearing a duty now will not make the soul fitter for a duty afterwards ; therefore is no wisdome to forbear a duty for want of preparation , because the forbearance will never help to further preparation , but will make the soul more unfit for duty . it is an excellent speech that i read that luther hath concerning himself , i have learned this by experience , that the oftener i do omit duty , the oftener do i make my self the more unfit for duty , and cause i have to abhorre my self . it is not the deferring that makes thee the more fit . therefore consider that this is but a temptation , and that is the second thing that i would propound to those that shall omit a duty because they are not prepared , that this is but a temptation to keep thee from it , to tell thee that thou art not prepared : and if thou shalt forbear it because thou art not prepared , in this thing thou doest gratifie the devil , and the devil hath what he would have , and so would be incouraged to tempt thee another time because he hath now what he would have in causing thee to forbear the duty ; first , he laboureth to unfit thee for it , and then he tempts thee to forbear it because thou art unfit , this is the subtilty of the devil . from whence is it that thou art unfit but from the temptation of the devil ? and i and luther again , that was a man that had as much converse with god as any in his daies , and a man that had as much to draw his heart away , as many temptations , and as many businesses as any , for indeed the great cause of christ in all the christian world in a great measure under god lay upon his shoulders , and yet saith he , if any one think that prayer must be defer'd till the soul be purified from impure cogitations , he doth no other then help the devil who is powerfull enough ; he thinks to be wise in deferring the duty because he is not fit , and he hath many ill thoughts and troubles in his spirit , he doth nothing else saith luther , but gratifie the devil that is strong enough without this . oh let us take heed of gratifying the devil in his temptations , therefore remember it is a temptation for thee to omit a duty meerly because thou art not prepared for the duty . in the third place , that which i would answer to this question is this , if any one performe a duty of worship in that sincerity and strength that he is able to do it , though he be not prepared as he ought , yet it is better to do it then to neglect it . it is true , some do performe a duty in a meer formall way , and to satisfie their consciences , or to cloak and cover their sins and the like : perhaps they may so performe it as it might be better to be unperformed then to performe it as they do , but if you do indeavour to the uttermost of your strength to do it , though you be not prepared as you do desire , yet it is better to do it then to omit the doing of it , and you will find it so , for one duty doth prepare for another . though it be not done as i desire it should be done , yet the doing of it as well as i can at this time will help me to do it better at another time , that is certain as one sin doth prepare the heart for another sin , so one duty prepares the heart for another , as now , suppose a man commits a sinne , and he hath a conscience that is inlightened that doth hinder him from committing his sin with that full strength that he would do it many a man hath a mind to sin but through the inlightening of his conscience he cannot sinne with that delight as he would , because his conscience flies in his face and doth interrupt him , but yet for all this through the strength of his corruption he will break through to that sin : now though at first they cannot commit that sin with that delight and freedome as they do at other times yet if their corruptions be so strong as to break through the light of their consciences , the next time they come to the committing of that sin they will commit it with more freedome and ease a great deal . this is evident by experience , there is none of you but if you well observe your hearts you will find this , a temptation comes to a sin , now you cannot do it with so much freedom as you would , but yet you break through it , you will find that the next time you will commit it with more freedom , and so one sin will prepare for another , and it may be you have some trouble of conscience at first , but the next time you will have lesse trouble , till at length you can commit it freely without any trouble of conscience at all . as it is in sinne , so it is in godlinesse many times in some degree at the first you have a motion to a holy duty , but through the stirrings of your corruptions you are not fit for it , now do you but break through that difficulty , and the next time you will be more fit , and the next time after that you will be more fit , and so still more and more fit as it is in sin , if a man when he hath some trouble of conscience would but listen to his conscience and would not commit that sin , his conscience would grow stronger upon him , and strengthen him against that sin , so if any man or woman listens to the temptation to deferre duty and put it off because they are not prepared , why after that the corruption will grow more strong , therefore set upon the duty , and the performance of one duty will prepare for another . in the fourth place , while men and women are strugling with their souls and the corruption of their hearts , and do not fall upon seeking god , they by their very strugling to prepare themselves many times , do insnare themselves : it may be thou hast thoughts of athisme or other wickednesse , the very strugling with those thoughts may insnare thy heart ; now the better way were to fall upon prayer , and to cry to god to help thee again them , for while thou art strugling and striving with those thoughts thou art striving with the corruption of thy heart and with the devil all alone , but now when thou fallest to the duty thou callest in the help of god and of jesus christ , and that is a great deal better , while thou art musing , plodding , & troubling thy heart that way , i say thou art strugling alone but now when thou fallest upon the duty then thou callest in help from god and so thou art more able to the performance of the duty then thou wert before . and therefore it is the best way to fall upon a duty though thou canst not find thy heart prepared as thou doest desire the very falling upon it will fit thee for it . and thus much for the answer unto those two cases of conscience . now then we are to proceed further in the opening of the sanctifying of gods name in holy duties . thus much for the preparation of the heart . but when the heart comes to it in what manner should the duty be performed so as the name of god may be sanctified in the duty or what is the behaviour of the soul in the ●anctifying of gods name when it is in the very act of the duty ? to that ● answer . first in generall thus , when the soul labours to performe duties so as god may have such glory from the duty as is fit for a god to have in some measure : then do i sanctifie gods name . you will say this is a very hard thing to performe a duty so as that we should give god the glory that is fit for a god to have : certainly this is not done by every manner of performance of a duty of worship : yet you shall hear this opened to you , and i hope you shall have it made very plaine before you . first therefore i shall shew you , that when we are to perform a duty of worship , we should set our selves to glorifie god as a god , that is to do it in that manner that god may have that glory that is fit for a god to have . as now in the duty of praise psa . . . make his praise glorious , that is , do it so as you may lift up his name in it , and that god may be glorious in your praise . and rom. . . there the apostle speaking of the heathens ; he doth rebuke them ; for what ? it was for this , because that when they knew god , they glorified him not as god , neither were thankfull● now this is spoken especially of the worship of god : for he saith afterwards ver . . that they changed the glory of the incorruptible god , into an image made like to corruptible man &c. so that it 's spoken of the worship of god ; that they glorified not god as god. that is then to sanctifie gods name , to glorifie god as god : and therefore our saviovr in the . of john when he spake to the woman of samaria , he tels her that god is a spirit , and must be worshipped in spirit and truth , that is we must labour to suite , our worship to what there is in god ; that our worship may be proportionable in some measure even to the nature of god himselfe ; and therefore god being a spirit , his worship must be a divine worship . i have read of some of the heathens that did worship the sun for a god , and they would offer to the sunne somwhat sutable ; therefore because they did so admire at the swiftness of the motion of the sunne , they would not offer a snaile to the sunne , but a flying horse , a horse with wings ; now a horse is one of the swiftest creatures , and the strongest creature to continue in motion for a long time together ; and they added wings to the horse , and they thought that sutable to be a sacrifice for the sunne . so when we come to worship god , that is , to sanctifie his name , we must behave our selves so as to give him the glory that is fit for a god to have . as now in those three particulars which i opened to you when i shewed you wherein wee draw nigh to god. this was one , i tould you that when we come to worship god , we come to tender up some present to god , now then we must tender up such a present as is sutable to gods excellencie . if a man should come to a poor man to give a present , if it were not worth twelve pence , yet it may be taken well ; but if you were to tender up a present to a prince , a monarch , an emperour , then you must tender a present that is fit for the qualitie of the person . therefore mal . . when the lord rebukes them for their sacrifices that they were such poore things : go saith god and tender up this to your governour and see whether he wil accept of it or no. so certainly that which may be accepted of by a mean man , would be accounted a scorne , if you should tender it up to a prince or an emperour . now when we are to worship god we must consider that we are to tender up our service to god , who is the great king of kings , and lord of lords . but you wil say , is it possible for any creature when it comes to tender up it's worship to god , to tender up that which is fit for a god to have ? this may rather be a discouragement unto prayer or any other duty of worship , then an incouragement . to that i answer thus , though we be very poore and mean , yet it doth not hinder but we may tender up that to god which god wil acknowledge to be suitable to his infinite excelencie , as first , if we tender up to god all that we have . though we be never so poore and mean , yet if god hath the strength of our soules , god accepts it . for we are to know that god doth not stand in need of what we have , or of what we do ; but that we might shew our respect to him : therefore if we give all that we have god accepts it . as a child if it puts forth all it's strength that it hath to do a busines which the father bids him , whether the busines be done or no , the father looks upon it and accepts it as sutable to the childs strength ; and it shewes the respect that the child hath to his father . and as it is storied of an emperour that when a poore man had nothing to offer him but a little water that he had taken up with his hand , he haveing nothing else the emperour accepts of it . so that 's that which god looks for , that the creature should lift him above all . if therfore when thou comest to worship god , god hath more of thy heart then ever any creature in the world had , god accepts of that , and that you must look unto ; can you say so , when you go to worship god , lord it is true there is much weakness in my spirit , but thou that knowest al things knowest , that thou hast more of my heart then ever any creature in the world had . this is sutable to god : god will account this ( in the covenant of grace ) to be a present sutable to himself . as in the law , when they offered to the building of the temple , every one could not offer gold and silver and precious stones , but some came and offered badgers-skins , and some women did spin and offered coats-hair to the building of the temple , and so god accepted of that being the most they could do . in the second place , when we do not only offer unto god the most we can , but when we adde to this the grief of our souls that we can do no more , when the soul shall strive to the uttermost it can , and when it hath done all , saith , i am an unprofitable servant , oh that i could do more ! this is suitable to god. thirdly , the people of god though they be weak , yet the weakest servant of god is able to offer up to god somewhat that is suitable to the infinite majesty of god , upon this third ground , because that there is a kind of impression of gods infinitnes in those services that a gracious heart doth tender unto god , and therefore suitable unto god. you will say , god is an infinite glorious god ? be it so ; he is infinite that 's certain but the duty of worship that a gracious heart tenders unto god , it hath an impression of gods infinitnesse upon it . how is that ? if that can be made out , then indeed we may be incouraged to worship god. thus , that that a gracious heart tenders up to god hath an impression of his infinitnesse in this regard , because as god hath no limits of his being , so a gracious heart when it comes to worship god will not propound any limits or bounds , but in the desires of it would fain be inlarged infinitly if it could . if it were possible for a creature to be inlarged to god infinitly it would be . here lies i conceive the maine difference betweene the most glorious hypocrite in the world , and one that hath true grace , yea that hath but the least degree of grace : the most glorious hypocrite in the world , who it may be for the outward act doth more then one that hath true grace , yet such a one doth limit himself , he doth great things , but he doth it so , as he limits himself , that is , so much as may serve for such and such ends of his , so much as may serve his turn , either to satisfie his conscience , or to get credit and esteeme , to be accounted eminent in such a way , so much he doth do , but his duty is alwaies limited within such bounds and if he could conceive that he might go to heaven , and that he might have as much credit and honor , and as much peace of conscience with doing lesse , he would do lesse . but now one that hath grace , though but little though but the least dram of grace , he goes farther : indeed saith he , though through the little grace that i have , i cannot do what another can do , yet this doth so inlarge my heart , that i would have no bounds set in what i do for god , but i would have it inlarged to the uttermost latitude , if it were possible beyond what ever yet was done for god in the world ; and the more i do , the more i do desire to do . that 's now a kind of infinitnes that there is in the heart where grace comes : i say , grace inlarges the heart to a kind of infinitnesse that the more it doth , the more it would do : there is no hypocrite but will have his periods , he will rise thus , and thus , and thus high ; ordinarily you shall find that if he lives in some company there he is high , but if he lives in other company , there he is lower ; now there is nothing doth limit a gracious heart , but to all eternity it would work and work more and more for god. here now is a worship that is some way suitable to the infinite excellencie that there is in god : here 's a kind of proportion ( as i may so speak ) even between the creature and god himself in this thing , but it is the grace of god in the creature , here is the image of god indeed , because grace doth so inlarge the heart even to an infinitnesse as it were for god. and thus you see in the generall what it is to sanctifie gods name , to tender up to god that which is some way suitable to the glory of the infinite god. you know there was a second thing , viz. that then i do sanctifie gods name when i come so to worship god as my heart works , and follows after god as a god , so as it doth beseem the soul of a creature to follow the infinite creator , and to work after the infinite creator : so david in psal . . . my soul followeth hard after thee , o god , and ( mark it 's a very sweet scripture ) thy right hand upholdeth me . those whose hearts follow hard after the lord , they have the right hand of god upholding of them : it is a mighty encouragement to put forth the heart to the uttermost , because when thou doest so the right hand of god upholds thee : so that thy heart must follow after god more then it followed after any creature . when i come to draw nigh to god , i come to present my self for the cōmunication of the choicest of his mercies , so then i sanctifie gods name when i labour to prepare and open my heart for god as for the choicest mercies that god hath to bestow upon his creature . when there is such a temper of heart that my conscience tels me it is suitable to that that is fit for a soul to have that expects to receive the choicest mercies from god : but that we spake too more in the opening of our drawing nigh to god now we are to come more particularly to this , to open the sanctifying of gods name . first , in what particulars the behaviour of the heart may be discovered to be suitable to god in respect of gods greatnesse and glory . secondly , what the behaviour of the heart should be as suitable to the severall attributes of god. it will cost us some time to open the particular things in the behaviour of the heart as in reference to the greatnesse and majestie of god , considered more generally ; as in psal . . . great is the lord , and greatly to be praised . and so in mal. . . cursed be the deceiver which hath in his f●ock a male , and voweth , and sacrificeth unto the lord a corrupt thing . why ? for i am a great king saith the lord , and therefore cursed is he that doth not offer a sacrifice suitable to my greatnesse ? and in chron . . we find that solomon when he was preparing for the temple , he would build a great temple , why ? because god was a great god that he would build it too : so that the worship of god must be some great thing because the lord is a great god , and it must be suitable to his greatnesse . now if you ask me in what particulars doth the behaviour of the soul consist that is very suitable to the greatnesse of god in the generall ? there are many things in this : the first is , you must be carefull to bring a sanctified heart . you cannot tender up a worship suitable to his greatnesse except you bring a sanctified heart with you , there must be holinesse in the heart : under the law you know , if any one came to offer a sacrifice in his uncleannesse , he must be cut off : and so it must be here , we must look to it that we offer not to god in our uncleannesse : wash you , and make you clean . in isa . . and then come let us reason together : there is no comming to god without washing and making clean : in psal . . holinesse becometh thine house o lord for ever : holinesse becometh the presence of god for ever , we must look to get a sanctified heart . sanctification consists in those two parts , mortification , and vivification : there must be a mortifying of the lusts of the heart : we read in the law , that every sacrifice was to be salted with salt ; that did signifie the mortification of our hearts when we come to offer up our selves as a sacrifice to god the salt did eat out the raw humors , and kept the flesh from putrifying ; so doth the grace of god in mortifying our lusts : in heb . . you have a notable scripture for the clen●ng of our hearts when we come to offer any service to god , how much more shall the blood of christ who through the eternall spirit offered himself without spot to god , purge your consciences from dead works to serve the living god : so that you cannot serve the living god untill your consciences be purged from dead works : and how comes your consciences to be purged from dead works ? it is through the blood of christ , who through the eternall spirit offered himself without spot to god , he must purge your consciences . so that here 's the way of sanctifying gods name by applying of jesus christ who was offered to god without spot that our consciences might be purged from dead works , that we might be purged from that naturall filthinesse and uncleannesse in which we all were ; for the whole world doth lie in filth , as a carrion doth lie in his slyme . now if we would worship god so as to sanctifie him , we must apply christ to our souls , and get our consciences purged from dead works , and to have the spirit of christ in us to quicken up our hearts in the waies of holinesse ; to have the image of esus chri●●in us , whereby we may be holy according to our proportion even as he himself is holy , this is the sanctifying of the heart there must be an habituall sanctification and an actuall sanctification of the heart : an habituall , that is that the heart must be changed through the work of regeneration there must be a regeneration in the heart , there must be divine principles of the graces of the spirit of god in the heart . but you will say , may not an unregenerate man pray ? to that i answer ; it is true , it is his duty to pray , poure forth thy wrath upon the heathen , and upon the families that call not upon thy name : but it 's as true , that they cannot sanctifie gods name in doing of it : but if we would sanctifie gods name in it there must be an habitual holinesse in the heart , for every thing doth act according to its principles , in nature it is so ; and so doth the heart when it comes to worship god , it doth act according to the principles that it hath . and then there must not only be habitual sanctification , but actual sanctification likewise , as in exod. . , . there you see what a doe there was to fit them for the hearing of the law , because god was to come among them : god is to come among us , and we are to come to god when we are to performe holy duties ; therefore it is not enough to have grace , but there must be an improving of grace , there must be an acting of grace not only when you come to receive the sacrament , to think that then there must be an acting of grace but every time you pray and hear there must be an acting of grace ; a purging out of your corruptions and acting of grace . so that one cannot sanctifie gods name in holy duties unlesse he come thus far , to be able to say , lord , thou that knowest all things , knowest , there is nothing that thou doest reveale to be contrary to thy will , but my heart is against it , that 's the least ; thou canst not have any peace of conscience in drawing nigh to god , untill thou come thus far , to have thy heart to work thus against sin , and to be set upon every good that god reveals to be his mind . you know when a man of quallity comes to your house what a deale of stir there is , not onely in sweeping , but in making all things as clean and tite and shining as possibly can be : thus it should be when thou comest to god. and the reason why there must be this sanctifying of the heart is . first , because the lord doth first accept of the person before he doth accept o● the action : men indeed do accept of the persons of men because they do good actions but god accepts of the actions of men because their persons are good if indeed we see a man do good , then we love him and accept of the person of the man , but god first will accept of the person before the action : as the lord accepted of abe● first , and then he accepted his offering : so you must look to that , to have your persons first accepted of god before any duty can be accepted : you think though you be wicked and sinfull , yet if you amend your life god will accept of you , you go that way to work ; but certainly that is the wrong way ; you must first look after meanes of acceptation of your persons , which is through the righteousnesse of jesus christ , and through the sanctification of his spirit , whereby you come to have his image and life , and so are accepted , and then all that proceeds from you comes to be accepted . there is not any action which comes from you that comes to be accepted to eternall life , untill your persons be accepted before god , and therefore there must be a sanctifying of the heart before there can be a sanctifying the name of god in the duties of his worship : therefore when you come to performe any duties of gods worship you should co●●der this , is my heart sanctified ? i must sanctifie gods name , and how can i do that , except my heart be sanctified ? secondly , our hearts must be sanctified because the lord doth look more to the principle from whence a thing comes , then at the thing it self . as indeed were our hearts right as they should then all the good things that come to us , we would not so much regard what the things are , that we do injoy from god , as what the principle is from whence they come , that is , whether what we do injoy from god is from the love of god in jesus christ or no ? whether it be from the generall bounty and patience of god , or from the speciall ●oue of god in jesus christ ? ●ur hearts would regard that mo●● if we were spirituall : now then look as a godly man is not satisfied with injoying any good thing from god except he knows it comes from a principle of love to him ●esus christ ; so god is not pleased with any thing that comes from us , except he knows that it comes from a principle of love , grace , and holinesse in our hearts . thirdly , according as the heart is , so will the service be ; certainly if the heart be unclean the duty will be unclean ; perhaps the words may be fine and brave , but if there be an unclean heart , the duty will be unclean : as it is with a man that hath the plague , suppose he makes a brave oration , yet his breath is infectious : so it is in our services with god : if so be that our hearts within us have the plague , then certainly the breath that comes from us , all our duties will be unclean , and therefore that is the first thing that we are to look for in the sanctifying gods name in holy duties : look to have thy heart sanctified , and consider from what principle it comes t is for want of this that thousands of our duties are cast aside and god never doth regard them : but this is the first particular , there is many more to speak of . sermon v. leviticus . . . i will be sanctified in them that come nigh me . wee proceed . the next thing therefore for the behaviour of the soul in the sanctifying gods name in worship is this , when we come to worship god , if we would sanctifie gods name , we must have high thoughts of god ; we must look upon god as he is upon his throne , in ma●estie , and in glory as in isa . , . you shall find that the prophet saw the lord upon his throne : it is an excellent thing when all who come to worship god , every time they come to worship him , have their eyes darted up to heaven and behold the lord god sitting in his glory upon his throne : so you shall find in rev. . the elders that worshipped god , they saw him upon his throne in his glory and so they worshipped him they worshipped god to purpose indeed when they saw the lord in that majestie as he was ; we should at all times have high thoughts of god : take heed of having low thoughts and apprehensions of the infinite majestie of god at any time , but especially when thou art to worship the great god , then look upon the lord in that infinite distance that there is between him and thy self , yea that infinite distance that there is between him and all creatures in the world , look upon the lord as lifted up in glory , not only above all creatures , but above all excellencies that all angels and men , in heaven and earth are able to imagine : look upon the lord as having all excellencies in himself , joyned in one , and that immutably ; look upon him as the fountain of all excellencie , good , and glory that all creatures in the world have . and look upon the ●ord every time thou comest to worship him , as that god whom angels do adore and before whom the devils are forced to tremble : behold him in this his glory and this will help thee to sanctifie his name when thou comest to him . the great reason why people come and worship god in a slight way ; it is because that they do not see god in his glory , 't is a great mercy for god to give unto us a sight of himself , a sight of his glory here in this world while we are worshiping of him , this would keep our eyes and our thoughts from wandring , if we had a sight of the glory of god , and had high thoughts of god. what 's the reason why we wander so as we do ? but meerly because we see not god as now suppose you were in your house , and looking after every feather that were flying up and down if you should hear that the ●ing were come into the ●oom , or any great person , it would compose your spirits because you have ●igh thoughts of such as or those that are above you : so let us look upon god as in his excellencie , and his glory , and have high thoughts of him , and this is that whereby we are to sanctifie gods name when we come before him in holy duties , and that is the second thing : first a sanctified heart and then high thoughts of god. . a third thing is , high-ends , raised-ends in the worshipping of god : prov. . . the way of life is above to the wife : it is on high in this respect , when he worships god his heart is lifted up on high : there is a holy raising of the heart which is well pleasing to god : our hearts should be on high in regard of the high ends that we aime at in holy duties : lift up thy prayer saith hezekiah to the prophet in another case : so i may say lift up thy soul when thou comest to worship god in regard of the high ends that we aimest at : when we are worshipping god we should have our hearts above al creatures , and above ourselves . let not our hearts then be groveling upon the ground , mingled with base and drossie things , when we come to worship the lord indeed it is fit that we should have our hearts low ( as we shall shew hereafter ) in regard of humility , but not low in regard of any basenesse of spirit to mix with any base and low ends : now there are low and base ends in worshipping of god , as. first , we must take heed we do not subject the worship of god unto our lusts , that is a cursed thing , thou art far from sanctifying gods name in worshipping of him that shalt subject his worship to thy base lusts , this is an abominable and a cursed thing indeed : you will say , who doth thus ? who is the man or where is he that will do this subject the worship of god to his base lusts ! to that i answer , whosoever doth make use of any duty of worship , as prayer , hearing the word , or what ever it be , to cloak any kind of wickednesse , whosoever is conscious to himself of any kind of secret wickednesse , and yet shall think to cover it by the performance of duties , and shall reason in this manner , who will think me to be guilty of such a vile thing , when i pray so as i do , and am so carefull to hear the word ? and i hope i shall cover some wickednesse this way : if there be any in this place whose conscience tels them that they subiect the worship of god to such a base end as this is the lord rebuke them this day , and speak to their hearts , if i knew any , i would set mine eyes upon them and say as the apostle to simon magus , i perceive that thou art in the gall of bitternes●e and in the bond of iniquity ; and as he said to him that did seek to draw the deputy from the faith , o thou child of the devil , and full of all subtilty , to damne and undo thy self eternally , that seekest to cloak any wicked way by any duty of gods worship ; is it a great evill for a man or woman to make use of any of gods creatures to be serviceable to their lusts as meat and drink &c. what a damnable thing is it then to make use of any duty of gods worship sometimes extraordinary worship , as fasting and prayer , to be a cloak to cover their wickednesse ! thou art so far from sanctifying gods name , that thou pollutest gods name : thou doest what in thee lies for to cast even dirt in the face of god himself that doest so . the second base end , is to subject the duties of gods worship to the praise of men , as to performe duties of gods worship for the esteem of men , and because we shall be well thought of ; take heed of this you young ones , and others , you would fain be e●eem'd well of by those that you live withall : it is a desireable thing to have a good esteem from those that are godly : but take heed that you do not subject the duties of gods worship to this . indeed it may be an incouragement to you , as david saith , i sal . . . this is good before thy saints : david did incourage himself to praise god , because it was good before gods saints ; and i confesse it may be an incouragement because holy duties are good before gods saints : but take heed that this be not thy highest end that thou aimest at , and that which carries thee on in the work , meerly to get the praise of men , and that they shall think that thou hast good gifts and parts , and therefore thou art inlarged in that regard take heed of that , know that now thou doest not worship god , but thou worshippest men , thou doest make the praise of men to be thy god , for whatsoever thou doest lift up in the highest place , that 's thy god , whatsoever it be : therefore if thou liftest up the praise of men and makest that thy end , thou makest that thy god , and so thou art a worshipper of men , but not a worshipper of god thirdly , take heed of making self thy end there are some that are not so base & low in their hearts , as to make the praise of men their end , but they aime and look at themselves , that is , they aime at their own peace , and satisfying their own consciences in the performance of duties ; now though it 's true , when we performe duties of gods worship , we may expect to receive some good to our selves , and we may be incouraged to the duties by the expectation of good to our selves ; yet we must look higher , we must look at the honour and praise of god , that the name of the blessed god may be honoured : now i am going to prayer , oh that i may pray so as i may lift up gods name : i am going to hear , oh that i may hear so , as god may be honored by my hearing : t is this that carries me on to hearing the word , and makes me rise readily and to go forth chearfully : i hope that god may have some honour by my hearing this day , & god knows that this is the thing that i aim at i do not come for company nor to be seen of men , neither do i come meerly to satisfie mine own conscience : others go and hear such truths of god as do good to their souls , and if i should neglect them meerly for mine own ease , my conscience would not let me be quiet howsoever there are many whose consciences will be quiet enough ; though they lose am opportunity in the worship of god ; but yet there are others whose consciences cannot do so their consciences would tell them when they are lying and turning themselves upon their beds , how do you know but that god had some thing to speak to thy heart this morning , that may never be spoken to thy heart at any other time ? therefore they cannot be at quiet except they attend upon god in the duties of his worship : but still this is not enough meerly to satisfie conscience ; thy main end it must be that thou mayest this day know some part of the mind of god , that god may speak to thy heart , that so thou mayest be fitted to honour the name of god that thou mayest be inabled to live to his honor the week following so much the better . as in this manner thy thoughts should be , lord , i find a drossie carnall heart , i am busie in the world in the week time , and i find that my heart is fullied and defiled with the businesse of the world , and intangled but lord , thou hast appointed thy sabbath , and word , to be a means to sanctifie my heart , and to clense it ; oh lord , communicate thy grace to my soul through thy ordinances upon this day , that so i may be inabled the week following the better to live to thine honour , lord , i come into thy presence to that end , that i might know some part of thy will , and that i might get thy spirit to be conveyed through this word of thine into my heart : this should be thy end when ever thou comest and not only self . i will give you two or three scriptures to shew that god regards little any duties where self is the highe● end ; the first is in hos . . . they howled upon their beds , ( saith the text there , ) but they cryed not to me : the lord there did acknowledge that they were very much affected in their prayers , but what was it ? it was but a howling upon their beds : and how so : it was because only they did cry for themselves , they have not cryed unto me ( saith the lord ) with their heart , when they howled upon their beds : it was but meerly for corn , and wine , and cyle , but not unto me , they aim'd at themselves and not at me : and in amos . . there the lord professes that he did reject the fat of their peace offerings : though ye offer me saith he ) bur●●t offerings and your meat offerings i will not accept them , neither will i re●ard the peace offering of your fat beasts . they were carefull to offer their fattest beasts in their peace offerings , and will not god regard them ? it was in their peace offerings that they offered their fat beasts , and there they were to eate a grat part of it themselves : indeed the burnt offering was wholly offered unto god , god had all that , but the peace-offering , those that did offer it , they did eat a great part of it themselves : now they were very carefull in those offerings that they should partake of themselves to offer fat beasts ; you do not see that the holy ghost takes any notice of fat beasts in their burnt-offerings . now the note from hence is this , that in those things where men are interested themselves , they will be very carefull to have the best things . but now the lord rejected the fat beasts of their peace-offerings : saith god , you were very carefull to offer fat beasts in your peace-offerings where you may feed your selves , but for those offerings wherein i have all , there you are not so carefull , and therefore i regard them not . the third scripture is in zach. . . there they did keep many daies in seeking of god , ( it is an observable scripture for these times , ) speak unto all the people of the land , and to the priests saying , when ye fasted and mourned in the fifth and seventh month , even those seventy years , did ye at all fast unto me ? even unto me ? mark the phrase you fasted in the fifth and seventh month , and for seventy years together , but saith the lord , did you at all fast unto me ? and then mark how it is doubled , to me ? even unto me ? noting that when we fast or pray , or do any thing in the worship of god , we should be sure to aime at god more then our selves , that god may not say of us another day , do you do it to me , even to me ? you may ask me this question , how may i know that i am acted by self ends in holy duties ? for it is a hard thing for one to know ones own heart , when one is acted by principles of 〈◊〉 , and when we aime at god in holy duties . now for that i will give you these notes to try whither you be acted from your selves or no. the first is this , if a man loves holy duties ( though he finde no present good comes in by them ) because they are such things as god requirs , and therefore though i get nothing by them , yet this is enough to carry me on , and to carry me on readily and willingly in the worship of god : those that can delight in gods worship , even at that time , though they find nothing coming into themselves . but now when we find not that coming in that we do desire , we begin to be weary of worship ; and say , why have we fasted , and thou seest it not ? this is an argument that thou art acted by self rather then by god. secondly , to know whether we be acted by self ends , or rather by high ends for god : those men that can rejoyce in others that are able to honour god in holy duties more then themselves , they may have a good evidence to their own souls , that when they worship god , they are acted by higher ends then self , but now , such as are streightned themselves , and when they see others more inlarged in the worship of god , they rather envy them , are greiv'd and troubled ; know that self is a great ingredient in those duties that thou doest performe : if thy heart were raised high to god , though thou canst not thy self be inlarged in holy duties , yet thy soul would be glad that any others are , though i have a wretched and vile heart of my own , yet blessed be god that there are any others that can worship god better then i can . thirdly , a man that is acted by self in holy duties , he regards holy duties but little , save in time of extremity , in time of fear , or of sicknesse , or in dangers . but now , one that hath high ends in holy duties , makes the duties of gods worship to be the joy of his soul in the middest of his prosperity , and that is an evident sign that thou art not acted by self ends but by higher ends canst thou in the middest of thy abundance say , lord , thou givest me all conveniencies in this world and all outward things that i want but lord this is that which is the ●oy of my soul , this is that which makes my life comfortable , even communion with thy self , in the duties of thy worship , that i have free accesse unto the throne of thy grace to worship thee the lord , and there meet with thee when i am in the performance of holy duties . o lord , thou that knowest all things , knowest that this is the ●hing that makes my life comfortable ; it is not that i have a table furnished with variety of dishes , and that i can have liberty of time to go into company , and spend according as i please but lord those incomes of thy spirit that i do find in the duties of thy worship those are the things that makes my life ble●●ed indeed unto me ? such a man as is able thus to appeale to god , surely when he worships god , he is acted by high-ends , and not by self ends : and that is the third thing that is necessary for sanctifying of gods name in holy duties , thou mu●● have a sanctified heart , high thoughts of god , and high ends . in the fourth place , there must be much reverence , and much fear when thou comest into the presence of god to worship him thou doest not glorifie god as god , except thou doest come into his presence with much fear & reverence of his great name ; fear in worshipping of god it is so necessary , that many times in scripture we ●●nd that ●he very worship of god is called the fe●● of god , they are put both for one , i might give you divers scriptures for it and hence it was that the name of god was called the fear of isaac , jacob did swear by the fear of his father isaac , because isaac being a great worshipper of god , kept his constant times to worship god , and worshipped him in such a constant way , as except david and daniel , we do not find mention of the constancy of any in the worshipping of god as we do of isaacs ; for it is said , that he walked but into the fields in the evening as he was wont to do , to meditate , and to pray ; and therefore god is called , the fear of isaac . in psal . . . is a notable scripture for this drawing nigh to god with fear : god is greatly to be feared in the assembly of the saints , and to be had in reverence of all them that are about him : god is to be had in reverence of all them that are about him , but in the assembly of his saints he is greatly to be feared , he is daunting ●errible ( so the words are ) in the assembly of the saints . when thou comest nigh to god , thou hadst need have thy heart possest with much fear . so in psal . . . the kings and princes of the earth are cald upon to 〈◊〉 the lord with fear : let them be never so great , yet when they come into gods presence , they must serve him with fear : and so in psal . . . in thy fear will i worship toward thy holy temple . now this fear of god , it must not be a servile fear , but a ●liall and reverentiall fear ; for my brethren , there may be a great deal of savish fear , where god is not honoured ; there may be fear from some terrible apprehensions of god , which ●er is not owned by god to this grace of fear : he give you two notable scriptures for that , in deut. . , compared with the . it came to passe ( saith the text vers . . ) when ye heard the voice out of the middes● of the darknes●e , for the mountain did burn with fire , that ye came neer unto me , even all the heads of your tribes , and your elders , and ye said , behold the lord our god hath shewed us his glory and his greatnesse , and we have heard his voice out of the middest of the fire : we have seen this day , that god doth talk with man , and he liveth , now therefore why should we die ? for this great fire will consume us : if we hear the voice of the lord our god any more , then we shall die . see with what a terrour they were struck at the apprehension of gods appearance ; you would think surely these men did fear god much , but mark in vers . . o that there were such a heart in them that they would fear me . why , did they not fear the lord ? were they not struck with such fear that they thought they should die ? they saw his presence so terrible that they were afraid they should die and yet , o that there were such a heart in them that they would fear me ! so that it appears by this , that one may be struck with much terrour in the apprehension of gods presence , and yet have no true fear of the name of god : so some of you it may be in time of thunder or danger , are filled with terrour ; but yet may it not be said presently after , o that there were the fear of god in the heart of this man or woman , this youth or maid : they are terrified sometimes , but yet there is not a filiall and reverential fear of god in them . and i find in king. . ( where you have the story of gods appearing in that most terrible manner unto the prophet elijah by fire , by thunder , and in a mighty wind ) the prophet was not so struck with fear of gods presence when he did appear in the mighty wind or earthquake or fire , as when god did appear in the small still voice , therefore in vers . it is said , and it was so when elijah heard it : that is , the soft voice , after the fire and earthquake , and the mighty wind ) that he wrapped his face in his mantle and went out and stood in the entring in of the cave , and behold there came a voice unto him and said , what doest thou here elijah ? then his heart was more struck with fear where was most of gods presence , ( though it was in a soft voice ) then when the fire and earthquake did appear : it is a good sign of a gracious fear when the soul can be struck with more fear from the word , and from the sight of god in injoying of communion with him in his worship , then when god appears in the most terrible way of his works ; or when there is terrour in a mans conscience through fear of hell , when god appears as though he would send him down presently to hell , though god expects to be feared then , but when the soul in injoying communion with god in holy duties , and the more communion he hath with god , the more is he struck with reverence and the fear of god , this is a sign of sanctified fear , and then doth the heart sanctifie the name of god indeed when it is so possessed with fear in the duties of worship . now this fear of god should be indeed in the soul , and expressed outwardly when you are in the assembly , by such reverent carriage in prayer , as if a heathen should come in he may see gods name sanctified , and may say , how great is this god that this people do worship ! and in your families , a reverant carriage , not lying all a long in prayer , upon the elbows sleeping , but carrying your selves so that if a heathen should come into your families , they may say , o how great is this god that this people do worship ! and likewise this fear it must be an abiding fear , not only at that instant when you are worshipping of god , or speaking of any of gods titles and names , but a fear that must abide upon your hearts after duty is over ; that is , after you are come out from your closets one may perceive the fear of god upon you , and so walking all the day long in the fear of god , as it becomes those that have been solemnly setting themselves to worship him : now this fear and reverence is contrary to the slightnesse , vanity , the boldnesse and presumptuousnesse that there is in the hearts of men and women when they are worshipping of god. fifthly , the duties of gods worship must be full of strength , for they are not suitable to god else , because god is a god infinite in power and glory himself , therefore god cannot indure vain worshipping . in isa . . . i hate vain oblations : vanity of spirit in worshipping of god is very hatefull to god , it doth defile the name of god. god is dishonoured by the vanity of mens spirits . now this strength is three fold : first , the strength of intention . secondly , the strength of affection . thirdly , the strength of all the faculties of the soul , and the strength of body too , as much as we are able should be put forth in the worshipping of god. first the strength of intention . we must intend our work as if it were for our lives : if ever we were seriously intentive or attentive about any thing , it must be when we are worshipping of the name of god. when you are coming to pray , be intent about it . you shall see some when they are going in the street when they have much intention about their businesse , their friends meet them , and they never mind them ; one may perceive as they are going , that they are mightily intent about their businesse . my brethren , look upon every duty of worship as a great thing which you must be intent in your thoughts about , and not give way to the wandring of your thoughts . i have read of one martyr , that when he was to die , and the fire a kindling , saith an officer , what will not you speak when you see the fire kindling ? saith he , i am speaking to god : that is , he was praying , and he minded not at all what they were doing . o what little things do take our thoughts away from holy duties ! when every toye , every feather , every light matter cals them off ; is this to sanctifie gods name ? would not we account it a dishonourable thing , if we were talking to one about serious businesse , and when we are talking , every one that comes by he should be looking after them , and turning aside to talk with them ? if a superiour be talking with you , he doth expect that you should mind what he saith . but when god is speaking to you , and you are speaking to god , every vain thought that comes by , you are turning aside too : as if it were a greater thing to talk to vain thoughts and temptations , then to the great & glorious god. therfore now that is the very time that the devil chuses for to bring temptations when we are in holy duties , for the devil knows then he doth two works at once : he doth disturb us in our duties and call off our hearts to that that is wicked , and doth aggravate our sin exceedingly . it may be thou wilt not dare to commit that sin that the temptation doth turn thy thoughts upon , yea but the devil hath spoyled the duty by it . the lord doth expect that there should be strength of intention when thou art upon the duty : and there is no time to parlie with temptations now , what ever thoughts come in . the truth is , though they be good thoughts that should come into thy mind , and that time that thou art praying , yet if they be not pertinent to the duty thou must cast them away as the temptation of the devil . you will say , can any thing that is good come from the devil ? certainly that that is materially good , and coming unseasonably , may be from the devil ; the devil may take advantage by what is in it self materially good , and bring in that in an unseasonable time , and so he may turn it to evil : as now when thou art hearing the word , it may be the devil thinks he cannot prevaile to cause thee to have thy heart running about uncleannesse ; yea , but saith the devil , if i can inject good thoughts , i will put into their minds some place of scripture that is no way pertinent to this , only to divert them : the devil gets much by this ; therefore look to it , and know that god expects the strength of thy spirit in duty : that is , strong intention ; thou art a worshipping of god , and therefore thou hadest need be intent about what thou art a doing . indeed some-times before you are aware , evil thoughts will come into your minds as when a man is keeping of a door , and there is a croud of people without that would come in , perhaps the man doth open the door for some gentleman that he hears is at the door , but when he opens it for one that is to come in , forty others wil crowd in : and so it is many times with the soul , that when it opens the door for some good thought , a great many evill thoughts will crowd in : those people might come in if they would stay their time , but they should not now come in . so about worldly businesses that are not in themselves unlawfull , if they will stay the time they may come in ; but they must be bar'd out now at this time . there is required strength of intention . secondly strength of affection is required also : that is , the affections must work mightily after god striving with god in prayer : if ever thou hadest a heart inflam'd in any thing , it should be when thou art praying or attending upon the word ; as the heathens that worshipped the sun sometimes i have told you that they would not have a snail , but a f●ying horse , they would offer that that was swift so when we come to the living god , we must have living affections , our affections boyling ; and that will be the way to cure vain thoughts ; as the flies will not come to the hony if it be boyling hot , but when it is cold : so if the heart be boyling hot , and the affections a working , it will keep out vain thoughts and temptations : it is a sign of the breath of life when it is warm , but artificiall breath you know it is cold ; as now , the breath that comes out of the body that is warm , but the breath that comes out of a pair of bellowes that is cold : so the breath of many people in prayer , it is discovered to be but artificiall breath , because it is so cold but if there were spirituall life then it would be warm . there must be strength of affection . thirdly , there must be likewise the strength of all the faculties : we should stir up what ever we are or have , or can do to work in prayer , then the bent of mind , and conscience , and will , and affection ; yea , and the body should be put to it too , and those that worship god to purpose , they spend their bodies in nothing so much as in the worshipping of god. it will be a sad thing another day when this shall be charged upon many , thou hast spent the strength of thy body upon lusts , but when didest thou spend any strength of thy body about any holy duty ? what a riddle is this to most people , to tell them of spending the strength of their bodies in prayer , or hearing of the word , or sanctifying a sabbath ; they think the sabbath is a time of rest , i confesse it is a time of rest from an outward labour , but it is a time of spending strength in a spirituall way ; and those that shall worship god aright on the sabbath , will find it a spending of a great deal of strength , and blessed is that strength that is spent in the worship of god rather then in the waies of sin , as most spend their strength : if god gives thee a heart to spend thy strength in his worship , thou mayest think thus , lord , thou mightest have left me to have spent my strength in sin , how much better is it spent in the worshipping of thy name ? there is one notable scripture in jer. . . that shewes how much strength the idolaters put forth in the worshipping of their idol , they would not do it in a slight and vain way , but their hearts were much in that false worship , saith the text , and they shall spread them before the sun , and the moon , and all the host of heaven , ( mark now ) whom they have loved , and whom they have served , and after whom they have walked , and when they have sought , and whom they have worshipped : all these are put together in reference to their idols ; oh that it could be said so of us in reference to god , when we come to worship him , whom we have loved , and whom we have served , and after whom we have walked , and whom we have sought , and whom we have worshipped ; there is all these severall expressions to shew the strength of their spirits in following after their idols : and that is the fift thing in our sanctifying of gods name . the sixth is , if thou wilt sanctifie gods name in worship , there must be an humble frame of spirit , worship him with much humility of soul : abraham did fall upon the ground before the lord , and dust and ashes ( saith he ) hath begun to speak unto thee ; yea , we read of jesus christ groveling upon the earth , and the angels they cover their faces in the presence of god , and so should we be humble when we come before the lord : there is nothing more abases the soul of man , then the sight of god ; and the great reason of the pride of all mens hearts , is because they never knew god : if thou didest but see god , thy heart must needs be abased ; and when doth the soul see god if not when it comes to worship him ? in job . i have heard of thee by the hearing of the eare , but now my eye seeth thee , wherefore i abhorre my self , and repent in dust and ashes . now this humility must be in the sense of our own meanness and basenesse . ps . . . this poor man cryed to god : they are poor souls that come into gods presence that sanctifie gods name most ; even those souls that do apprehend and are senseable of their own basenesse and meannesse before god. this poor man cryed to god : we use to say , give that poor man some what . it doth affect the heart of god when he sees much poverty of spirit : when we come before him we must be senseable of our infinite dependance upon god. come as the woman of canaan , o lord , even doggs do receive c●ums , and though i be a dogg , yet let me receive crums ; here is humility of spirit . now this humility of spirit appears in these things . first admiring gods goodness that we do live at this time , and that we have liberty to come before him : we might have been past praying and worshipping of god : think thus , what a mercy is it that we are not banished out of gods presence that the lord hath not spurnd us out of his sight as filth , and cast us out as an everlasting abhorring , while others have bin praying we might have bin yelling under the wrath of the eternal god : come with this apprehension of thy self , and adorre gods goodnesse , that thou art alive to pray , and alive to heare gods word . and that it is not only a duty , but a rich priviledge and mercy that god will admit of thee to come into his presence . againe , it is the goodnesse of god , that he will vouchsafe to look upon the things that are done in heaven , then if the lord doth humble himself to behold the things that are done in heaven , then how doth the lord humble himself to behold me a poor vile cative as i am in my self : and yet that god should not only behold me before him , but invite me to come into his presence ; what mercy and goodnesse is this ! our hearts must be taken off from the thoughts and apprehensions of all excellencies in our selves ; we must not come in the pride of our hearts , because we have abilities more then others , what do all thy parts commend thee to god ; thou hast ability in expressing of thy self in prayer : why do thy parts commend thee to god ? what ever is natural in any of our duties is nothing to god , only that which is from his own spirit , and therefore thou shouldest come in thine own thoughts as vile as if thou hadest no parts and abilities at all . lay aside all such apprehensions of thy self , for the truth is , some poor broken hearted sinner that can but sigh out a few groans to god , and is not able to speak two or three sentences together in a right language , but only breath out his soul to god , may be a thousand thousand times more acceptable to god then thou that art able to make great orations when thou comest before him . thou must come without any righteousnesse of thy own , thou must never come into gods presence , but as a poor worm ; and if there be any difference that is made between thee and others in outward respects , it is nothing to thee : when thou art in the presence of god , thou art as a base vile worm , though though beest a prince or emperour . thy heart must be taken off from what thou doest : if thou hast any abilities of grace yet thy heart must be taken off there , there may be pride not only from ones parts , but it may be god hath given me inlargements in prayer , the devil will come in and seek to puffe up thy heart even because of this but thy heart must be taken off there , and thou must deny thy self in all , when thou hast done the best service of all , yet thou must conclude , thou art an unprofitable servant , when thou hast prayed the best , yet rise with shame , and take heed of having thy heart puft up even through the assistance of the graces of the spirit of god in holy duties . lastly , thou must come with a humble resignation of thy self to god , to be content to wait upon god as long as he pleases , to wai● upon god in regard of the time , and of the measure , and of the manner of the communication of himself , in regard of the meanes by which he will please to communicate himself , wait upon him ; let me have mercy though at the last hour . this now is an humble heart in prayer ; and when we come with such a poverty of spirit as this is , we may expect that the lord will accept of us , give this poore man some what , will god say : this poore man cryed and the lord heard him . in the seventh place , we must bring that which is gods own in sanctifying gods name . i spake to this before in the point of preparation , viz. that in gods worship we must give him his own . i will only mention it here in the sanctifying of gods name in two regards : first , to give god his owne , for the matter of it . secondly , to give god his owne , that is , what comes from the work of his owne spirit , or else we do not sanctifie gods name . i will give you one text further about the matter of it , in exod. . if you read the chapter , you shall find that there is ten times said , that they did as god had commanded moses : and then in the close of the chapter , when they had done as god had commanded in his worship ; the text saith , moses blessed them . that people is a blessed people that do observe the worship of god as god hath commanded them . but the main thing is , all that we do it must be acted by the spirit of god ; it is not enough to have true silver and gold , but it must have the right stamp or else it cannot go for current coyn . and so it is not enough that the things we offer to god in his worship be gods owne , be what we have warrant for out of gods word , but it must have the stamp of the spirit of god. in the worship of god there be two questions that he will ask ; first , who required this at your hands ? but then if you can answer thus , thou o lord , did'st require it : it is well , but then god hath another question , whose image and superscription is this ? if thou canst not give an answer to that , it will be rejected too : thou must be acted by divine principles , in all that thou doest , there must be the stamp of the spirit upon that which is tendered to god else it is nothing . to open this point fully will ask some time . first , therefore i will shew you how we may know when our duties are acted by our naturall parts rather then by the spirit of god. secondly how we may know whether our duties be acted by naturall conscience rather then by the spirit of god. first , if thou art acted by naturall parts , they will not change thy heart : men that do performe duties by the strength of naturall parts , they may be as large as others , and speak to the edification of others , but those duties do never change their hearts ; now if thou beest acted by the spirit of god , thou wilt be changed into the very image of his spirit . secondly , if men are acted by naturall parts , they will not carry them through difficulties and discouragements , but now the spirit of god if thou hast acted by him , though thou doest meet with never such difficulties & discouragements , thou wilt be carried through them all . thou mayest know it by this , wherein doest thou account the excellency of a duty to consist , either in thy self or others ? thou performest a duty , now it may be thy parts do act very lively , and to thy credit , and yet thy conscience tels thee that thy heart was streightned : now canst thou rise up with joy because thou hast thy ends ? at another time perhaps thy heart is more troubled , and broken : but thou doest not expresse thy self so much , then thou art discouraged . and when thou seest another performe a duty , if thou seest but any failing in their expressions , thou pitchest upon that , and lookest upon it as a poor thing : thou art not able to see an excellency in holy duties , except there be an excellency of naturall parts ; but those that have the spirit of god , they can find the spirit of god acting in others , though they have not such naturall parts . those that are acted by their naturall parts , in secret they are lesse inlarged , then they are before others a great deal . their parts act much before others , but what is there between god and their own souls ? they that be so acted will not be very constant , you shall have young ones , that begin to look towards religion , their parts are a little fresh , and they are mightily inlarged in holy duties , and the thing is good for them to make use of their parts ; but how ordinary is it , that after a few years they are deader and duller then they were before , and have lesse mind to the duties of gods worship then they had formerly ? were this the spirit of god , you would find as much savour and relish in them afterwards , as there was at that time . secondly for naturall consciences which sometimes puts men upon acting of duties , and indeed is better then meerly naturall parts . if it be only naturall conscience , it puts upon duties , but gives no strength to do them : but when the spirit of god puts thee upon a duty , it gives thee some strength to performe it , some strength whereby thou gettest some communion with god. if it be naturall conscience it puts upon the duty , but makes not the heart glad of the duty , and to love the duty ; but if it be the spirit of god , it makes thee to delight in it , and to love it . thirdly , if it be naturall conscience , thou doest not by that increase thy communion with god , thou doest thy duties as in a round , but now when the spirit of god puts thee upon holy duties , it is not a task done , but thou findest more and more increase in communion with god ; thy heart more raised to god , and more closing with the lord , and so still more and more in the course of thy life : i had a little converse with god at first when god began to acquaint my soul with his waies , but through his mercy now i find more communion with him , and so thou canst blesse thy self in god , in that converse that thou hast in communion with him , thou wouldest not lose that communion thou hast with god in holy duties for all the world ; others have their companions that they have their communion withall , much good may do them , but the lord hath shewen me another manner of communion which my soul can have with himself , in which it hath sweet satisfaction . and thus you have had seven particulars for the sanctifying of the name of god in holy duties . sermon vi. leviticus . . . i will be sanctified in them that come nigh me . againe , as naturall conscience doth give no strength to do the duty , so it makes not the duty to be strong to the soul ; that is thus , there 's no strength got by the duty , they are not by one duty prepared for another , but the way of the lord is strength to the upright , that is , when a gracious heart is in the way of gods worship , it finds the very duty of the worship of god to be strength to it , and so it fits it for another duty . further , a naturall conscience limits its self , and is bounded ; that is , so much as will serve the turn for its owne peace and quiet , so much it will do and no more : but when one is acted by the spirit of god , one is inlarged without any limits at all , not bounded to ones own peace , for the more peace a gracious heart hath in duty , the more it is inlarged in duty : now a naturall conscience , that puts to duty , and will act you when you want peace , when you are in trouble and fear , but when you are not in trouble and fear , then it puts not on the heart to performance of duty : but the spirit of god puts on the soule to duty , when there is most peace and comfort . a little will serve the turn to satisfie a naturall conscience , so be it they performe the duty it is enough ; but one that is acted by the spirit of god in duty , must meet with much of god or else he is not satisfied ; he goes mourning in the day time if he hath not met with much of god in the morning in the performance of duty . thus you see there 's much difference between the actings of naturall parts and conscience in duty , and the acting of the spirit of god. there be only now two things more for the sanctifying of gods name in duty , and then we are to come to shew how we should sanctifie gods name in duty in reference to the severall attributes of god. but first for those two heads further . the eight thing is this , when you come to performe holy duties , if you would sanctifie gods name ; you must consecrate your selves to god ; there must be a resignation of soul and body , estate , and liberty , name , and all you are , have , or can do unto god : this is to sanctifie gods name , the consecration of your selves to god. and the professing of this in the performance of duty , when you are to pray , were a very good thing , actually to professe your selves to be gods , to professe that you do give up all that you are , have , or can do to god : lord , i am thy servant , take all faculties of soul and members of body , and improve all , lay out all , to thine own praise , to the uttermost , to bring glory to thy great name . if every time you came to god in prayer you did this , this were to sanctifie your selves to god : i spake before of a sanctified heart , but now this is in a profession of your selves to god ; do it secretly at least in your own thoughts ; if you do not every time expresse it in words , yet in your own thoughts do it ; devote your selves to god every day : of admirable use it would be if every day when men and women worship god , either in their closets or families , they did professedly devote and consecrate themselves to god ; and so likewise , every time they came to hear the word , or to receive sacraments , god would account his name to be sanctified in such a work as this is . lastly , that that must make all up , and without which all the other is nothing ; it is , that you must tender up all your worship in the name of jesus christ ; let a man or woman worship god never so well , yet when they have done all , if they do not tender it up in the name of jesus christ , god will not account his name to be sanctified ; thou must by faith look upon jesus christ as the glorious mediator that is come into the world , by whom thou hast accesse unto the father : and act thy faith upon christ , and give up thy duties into his hand , as the hand of a mediator to be tender'd up to the father by him ; though thou hast laboured what thou canst to performe duty as well as thou art able , yet thou must not think to tender it up by thine own hand unto god ; but thou must tender it up to the father by the hand of jesus christ the mediator , and so thou shalt sanctifie the name of god in holy duties . we read in levit. . . that when aaron was to tender up the incense , he was to put the incense on the fire before the lord , that the cloud of the incense may cover the mercy seat that is upon the testimony , that he die not : mark , it is as much as his life is worth , whether he doth it , or doth it not : now incense it is in the new testament called prayer , and so in the old testament too , it was a kind of emblem of prayer : the offering up of our prayers is the offering up of incense to god , and the mercy seat it was a type of jesus christ . now the incense should cover the mercy seat ; so our prayers must go up to jesus christ , must be upon him , and so must be accepted by the father . and as we read in judg. . . when manoah offered a sacrifice , the text saith , that the angel of the lord ascended in the flame : this angel of god here was jesus christ , as we might easily from this scripture make it out , and he ascends up in the flame from the altar , now though we do not offer such kind of sacrifices with fire and incense as they did in the time of the law , yet when we are offering up of our incense there must be a flame of fervency and zeal : but that is not enough , together with the fame of the altar , the angel of god jesus christ the great angel of the new covenant ( for angel signifies nothing but messenger ) the great messenger that is come into the world , about that great errand of his , to reconcile the world to himself ; he must ascend up in the flame , and so god will account his name to be sanctified , the name of god is not sanctified but through jesus christ . the acting of our faith upon christ as mediator is a speciall ingredient to the sanctifying of gods name in holy duties ; as you know the scripture saith , that the altar doth sanctifie the gift offered upon the altar , jesus christ is the altar upon whom all our spirituall sacrifices are to be offered , and this altar doth sanctifie the gift that is offered upon it , let never so great a gift be offered upon any other altar , it was not accounted holy nor accepted ; so let men by their naturall strength , or power that they have , offer up the most glorious and speciousest service to god. it is not accepted unlesse it be offered up upon the altar jesus christ , we have an altar now , ( not the communion table ) but jesus christ himself is our altar upon whom we are to offer all our sacrifices , and this altar must sanctifie the gift ; we can never have our gift sanctified , no nor gods name sanctified in this gift except it be offered upon this altar , and our faith acted upon jesus christ . people little think of this , but of other things , viz. that when we worship god , we should worship him with fear , and reverence , and with humility , and with strength of intention , such kind of things every one that hath any inlightening of conscience will think of at sometime or other ; but people do least think of this , which is the greatest ingredient of all that is required in the sanctifying of gods name in holy duties : that is , to come and tender up all to the father in the name of jesus christ : how many men and women that have been professors of religion or years , and yet not acquainted with this great mysterie of godlinesse , to tender up all to god in the name of his son. this is that that upon divers occasions i have spoken unto , and am willing upon every occasion as i meet with it to speak of , because it is a principall part of the great mysterie of the gospel , without which all our duties are rejected of god and cast away . now then put all these nine things together and see by them what we ought to do that we may sanctifie the name of god in holy duties . but there is something further to be spoken that may help you to sanctifie gods name in holy duties , and that is , severall , workings of heart , suitable to the severall attributes of god , for that is to sanctifie gods name , to have the duty to be such as is some way suitable to such a god as we are now worshipping . now then let us consider what the scripture saith of god , and then let us see what suitable dispositions we should have in us unto those things that the scripture saith of god : first , you know the scripture saith , that god is a spirit , in joh. . . then presently christ saith , that he that worships him , must worship him in spirit ; that is , there must be a suitablenesse in our worship to what god is : is god a spirit ? then all that worship him , must worship him in spirit and truth : that is thus , when i am to go to worship god , i must consider of him , as he is an infinite and glorious spirit ; well then , surely bodily worship is not sufficient for me : though i do kneel down in prayer , or do come and present my body to hear the word , or my body to receive the sacrament , this is not to worship god as a spirit : if indeed that our god were as the heathens , that were corporeall , then it were another matter , then bodily worship would serve the turne , but god being a spirit , he must have spirituall worship , therefore my soul and all that is within me , magnifie his name : saith david , my soul magnifie his name , not my lips only , but my soul : the apostle in tim. . . saith , that bodily exercise profits little ; it is no great matter for the body , god looks but very little at bodily exercise ; but it is godlinesse that is profitable , it is the work of the spirit ; when we come to pray , we must pray in the spirit ; that is , we must pray with our souls , we must poure forth our souls before god , and when we come to hear , our hearts must not go after our coveteousnesse , we must set our hearts to what we hear , we must hear with our hearts as well as with our ears , our souls must be at work in hearing of the word , when you hear it is not enough for you to come and sit in a pew , and have the sound of a mans voice in your eares , but your souls must be at work : and so when you come to receive the sacrament , your souls must feed upon jesus christ : bodily worship without soul-worship is nothing , but soul-worship may be accepted without bodily worship ; therefore it is the soul that god doth principally look at in holy duties : if you be not able to worship god in your bodies , you may worship him in your souls , and god regards that bodily exercise in holy duties is little worth , some what it may be worth , i confesse sometime bodily exercise may further the soul , as a reverend carriage of the body and the like , but it is nothing in comparison , the great work is the work of the soul , for god is a spirit and must be worshipped in spirit . and god is said to be a spirit not only in that he is not of so thick a capitall substance , but it notes the simplicity of god , he is without any composition , whatsoever is in god is god himself , he is absolutely one , there are not divers things in god ; now then , those that come to worship him , must worship him in spirit and in truth : that is , there must not be a heart and a heart , there must not be a compounded heart , but you must bring simple hearts before god , without any composition of drofte in your selves , and of any kind of falsenesse , but in the simplicity of your hearts you must come to worship god , and thus you shall worship him with such worship as is some way suitable to him as he is a spirit . further consider god as he is an eternall god , what suitable disposition doth this require of me when i am to look upon god as an eternall being ; it requires this only , that therefore thy heart must be taken off from all temporal good things , and set upon that eternall good , thou maiest indeed desire these outward good things but in order to thy eternal good . then further , thou art worshipping an eternal god : hence then whatsoever sin thou doest confesse although committed . or . years ago , thou must look upon it as if it were now presently committed , and be humbled as much before the lord as if it were now committed at this present , you will say , why so ? because god is an eternal god ? yes : for if i understand gods eternity , i know that there is no succession in gods being : therefore the sins that i committed in my youth , if i come to confesse them , they are before god as if they were now a doing in regard of time ; and therefore i must ( as much as i can ) look so upon them , and be humbled for them as if they were sins lately committed . many people are troubled for their sins the very day after they commit them , but a little time wears off their trouble ; but if you did consider that you had to deal with an eternal god , then you would look upon your sins though a long time since committed as if they were now done . likewise there will be this required from the consideration of gods eternity , you must come with such a disposition of heart as not to think much , though what you desired be defered and not granted in your time when you would have it . for if there be no time that alters with god , but a thousand years are with god as one day , then that that we account long before it s done , it is nothing with god ; and therefore we must have our hearts so work towards god as towards an eternall god , as one with whom there is no alteration of time at all , with whom there is no succession of time . if we come to a man and seek any thing of him , if he doth not answer us presently , we will think that he will forget it , and other things will come into his mind : but when we come to worship god , we must look upon him as an eternall being , and that time alters nothing with him : thus understanding god in a right way will much help us in his worship , and so to sanctifie his name . we cannot sanctifie gods name , without knowing his name , without having serious thoughts about his name ; and getting our hearts to work accordingly . thirdly , look upon god when you come to worship him in his incomprehensible being ; that is , as a god that fils all places , his being is as reall in the room that we are praying in , the place that we are meeting in as it is in heaven . now then when we come to worship him , we must consider that that infinite glorious being stands before us , looks upon us , is at our elbow ; and therefore especially when you worship in secret consider this , it is good to consider it when you are with others , but especially i say , consider it when you are in secret , and know that when you are most private , you have one that looks on you , and takes notice of you , who is more then if you had ten hundred thousand witnesses standing by you , and looking upon you : for it is the lord that stands by you , and sees your behaviour , sees what you do in your worshipping of him ; take heed therefore that there be nothing done by you that is unbeseeming the presence of such a god as the lord is : suppose that some of you were praying , and there were some godly able minister stood neer you , it would be some meanes to stir up your hearts to mind what you did ; but now the lord he is not in the next room only , but in the same room , and stands by you : let there be nothing done therefore unbeseeming the presence of that infinite holy god that stands by you : and hold this truth forth , the lord is present with me , i acknowledge it , and i owne it , and therefore i carry my self thus , and all because i would witnesse to angels and men , that i do acknowledge that the lord is present with me in this duty . fourthly , consider god is an unchangable god , immutable . that is another attribute of god , he is unchangeable . first , therefore our hearts must be taken off from these mutable things , and set upon god as that unchangable good . secondly , we must be humbled for our ●icklenesse , and unconstantnesse ; there is no shadow of change in god , and there is no shadow of con●tancy in us . thirdly , when we come into the presence of a god who is unchangable , then we should look upon god as being the same now that ever he was heretofore he hath as much displeasure against sin now as ever he had , and that god that hath done such great things for his church in former times , is the same god to do good to his people as ever he was , and make use of this ; when you read the word , and there find how god hath made himself appear to be glorious for his people ; and now every time i am to worship god , i should think that i am to deal with god that is the same that ever he was , as mercifull , and gracious , and just , and powerfull as ever he was , and so my heart is to worke towards him . fiftly , when i am to worship god , i am to look upon him as the living god , as that god that hath life in himself , and gives life unto his creatures . then what suitable behaviour doth become me ? i must come before his presence with fear ; it is a fearfull thing to fall into his hands that is the living god ; that hath my life under his feet , he hath the absolute dispose of my present and eternall condition , he gave me my life , he hath preserved my life , and so may take it away when he pleases , and bring death , eternall death unto me . these things may marveilously help your meditation when you are to come before him , you who are barren in your meditations , go over the attributes of god thus , and consider what you may be able to draw from thence . god he is the living god : what behaviour then doth beseeme me towards this living god ? oh let me be afraid least my soul depart from the living god. let me bring a living service to him , i must not bring a dead heart ; let me take heed how i come before the living god with a dead heart , and with a dead service , to sacrifice that that is dead before it comes , it s like a carrion that lies dead in the ditch . oh let us be humbled for our dead hearts , and dead sacrifices ; it is a living god that i am worshipping , & therfore i must pray , lord , turn away mine eyes from beholding vanity , and quicken my heart in thy law. ps . . . . remember when thou comest to worship , that thou come with a quickned heart , for thou hast to deal with the living god : a man or woman that is of an active spirit , cannot iudure a dull and heavie servant in the family ; but the lord is a pure act , and nothing else but act , and therefore he doth expect that all his people should have quick active and lively spirits . when you come to worship god ; you are to look upon him as almighty . and so are to feare his great power when you come before him and , then you are not to be discouraged by any difficulties . i come to seek for some great thing , and i come to seek to a great god , that hath all power in heaven and earth , and infinitly more power then there is in all creatures in heaven and earth ; i am praying to a god that can create peace , create help : my condition cannot be so desperate , but this infinite almighty god is able to help me let me make him the object of my faith as he is so infinitly almighty : what a full object of faith is this god that hath all power in him ? let me therefore come to him as a strong tower ; run to the name of god as a strong tower , that can help in all streights whatsoever . there would be much drawing forth of our faith ; if we could present tht lord before us as an infinite almighty god : when we see outward helps and meanes neer at hand , then we can beleive that we may have some succour from him , but when all outward helps and meanes fail then we are discouraged ; we do not sanctifie gods name , but we rather take this name of god in vain , when as our hearts are discouraged with any difficulties ; now the lord expects that all his children that come to worship him , should worship him as the almighty god , and so have their hearts working towards him ; there would be mighty workings of spirit towards god , if we saw him by the eye of faith as well as reason . looke upon god as an omniscient god , as a god infinitly understanding all things . now what doth this call for ? first if god be a god of infinite understanding , then let not me bring a blind sacrifice to god , then let not me bring an ignorant heart to god ; this is the excellency of an understanding creature to know the rule and end of its own actions ; now thou comest to worship an infinite god , of infinite understanding , then know the rule of what you do , and know the end of what you do , and come with understanding into his presence secondly , if he be so understanding , come with a free open heart , to open whatsoever is in thine heart to god ; take heed of keeping any secret resolutions in thine own heart , god knows thee , and can tell how to find thee out ; god knows all that is in thine heart before ; all the secret basenesse that is in thine heart the lord doth understand it , the lords eye is a peircing eye , he sees through and through thy heart . it s a vaine thing for thee to come and conceale any thing before him . you will say , if god understand a mans heart , what need he come and confesse ? yes , he requires it it as thy duty that thou shouldest come and open all before him : in spight of thy heart thou canst not cover any thing from the lords eyes ; but the lord will see whether thou beest willing of thy self that he should understand all : god doth not require us to come and confesse our sins , that so he might know that which he knew not before , but for this end , that there might be a testimony , that thou art willing that he should know all that is in thy heart ; therefore now when thou comest to worship him , ransack every corner of thy heart and confesse all before the lord , and give glory to his name , as that god that is an all-seeing god , that knows all the windings and turnings of thy heart : now meditate of these things that be presented to thee , and it will be a mighty means to help thee to sanctifie his name . god is a god of infinite wisdome , therefore when we come to worship god , let us be ashamed of our folly : when thou comest to have to deal with god , look upon him as a god of infinite wisedome , and i say be thou ashamed of thy folly then , and do thou exercise the grace of wisdom too when thou comest to god ; that is , by propounding right ends ( of which we spake before ) that is one part of wisdome to have right ends , and right meanes towards those ends , so that the meditation of the wisdome of god when we come to worship him will further us to sanctifie his name . and further ; this is to santifie gods wisdome , when thou comest into gods presence , in thy greatest streights , deny thy own wisdome , come with a resolution to be guided by the wisdome of god , in this manner , lord , i know not how to order my steps , there is much folly and vanity in my heart , but thou art a god of infinite wisdome , i come to thee for direction , and i professe here , i am willing to give up my whole soul to be guided by thy wisdome . if every time we come to worship god we came thus , oh lord whatsoever our thoughts have been heretofore , yet if thou shalt but reveale thy mind to us , we will hearken to thee , lord , we beleeve that thy wisdome it is thy self , and therefore we professe to give up our selves to thy wisdome . now this is to sanctifie the name of god. consider the holinesse of god : god is a god infinitly pure from all sin , and therefore when we come to worship god , we must be ashamed of our unholinesse , as the prophet in isa . when he heard the seraphins cry , holy , holy , holy is the lord of hosts , he fals down and saith , wee is me for i am undone , because i am a man of unclean lips . and is god a holy god ? then let me take heed when i come before him , that i bring not with me a love to any sin for the lord hates it , and let me take heed that i do not cast dirt in the very face of gods holinesse , but give up my soul to be rul'd wholly by him : and labour that there may be a suitablenesse between the holinesse of thy heart and of the infinite god. now this is to sanctifie gods name , when the consideration of this attribute of god hath such effect upon my heart , that i labour upon this to come with a suitable heart before god. when thou comest before god , consider that thou comest to a mercifull god : and what should this work ? first , it should make me come joyfully into his presence , as a god that is willing to do good to his poor creatures that are in misery . secondly , it should make me to come with a heart senseable of the need of this mercy ; o lord , i have had my heart let out to other vain things heretofore , but now lord , thy mercy it is that my soul comes for , as that wherein my chief and only good consists . thirdly , it should make me come with expectation of great things from god ; do not come unto god as unto an empty vine , but as unto a full vine , and the more thy faith is raised to expect great things from god , the more acceptable art thou to god : certainly the higher any ones faith is raised when they come into his presence , to expect the greatest things the more acceptable ; it is otherwise with god then men , if you come to men to begge a little thing , you may be welcome , but if you come to ask a great matter , they will look a skew upon you : but the truth is , the greater the things are that we come to god for , the more welcome are we into gods presence and those that are acquainted with god they know it , and therefore they come the more fully . when they come to ask jesus christ himself and his spirit that is more worth then ten thousand worlds they come with more freedom of spirit then when they come to ask their healths and the like . fourthly , it will be likewise another means of sanctifying this attribute of god when thou comest to him : if thou doest come with a mercifull heart towards thy brethren . take heed whensoever you come to worship god , that you come not with a rugged and cruell heart towards any of your brethren ; therefore you find that christ laies this upon you in teaching how to pray ; you must say , forgive us our trespasses as we forgive our brethren that trespasse against us ; and you find it repeated again , if you forgive , then your heavenly father will forgive , and not otherwise . as if christ should say , when you come to begge mercy be sure you bring mercifull hearts . fifthly , it is a good way to sanctifie the name of god in this attribute , for the soul to be solicitous with it self : what is that that will hinder me from the mercy of god , and let me avoid it ? it is otherwise , a taking of the name of god in vain , for me to come to professe what need i have of gods mercy , and yet for al that , never regard to avoid those things that may hinder the work of his grace upon me . consider the justice of god , ( that is another attribute ) consider that thou hast to deal with an infinite , righteous , and just god : do not think that if thou beest a beleever , that thou hast nothing to do with the justice of god , for certainly thou art to sanctifie the justice of god. now you will say , how should a beleever sanctifie the justice of god ? thus ; first , he should be apprehensive senseable how by sin he hath put himself under justice , and deserved the stroke of justice to be upon him to eternity ; he should consider what he is in himself : it is true , that jesus christ hath come between a beleeving soul and the justice of the father , and hath taken the stroke of justice upon himself : yea but though he hath done it , it doth not hinder but that thou shouldest be apprehensive of what thou hast deserved thy self . secondly , here is a speciall thing in the sanctifying of the justice of god : when we come before him , we should consider that we have to deal with an infinite just god , and therefore not to dare to come but through a mediator : here you have the reason why we must tender up all in the name of christ , because when we are to come before god , we are to sanctifie the name of his justice : for thee to think thus , i have sinned , and god is mercifull ; and i will go and pray to him that he might be mercifull , and there 's an end . is this all ? oh no , god requires the sanctifying of his justice , and there is nothing that doth sanctifie his justice so much as this , that when a poor creature sees the infinite distance that sin hath made between that infinite god and it , it sees that through sin , it hath made its self liable to justice ; and when it sees that there is an absolute necessity that infinite justice must have satisfaction , and thinks the sinner , if it comes to me that i must satisfie the justice of god i am never able to do it , but there is a mediator , and therefore i 'le fly to him , and by faith tender up to the father all the merits of his son as a full satisfaction to his infinite justice : when thou comest thus before the lord , thou sanctifie● his name indeed . many think that when they come to pray , they should look upon gods grace , and mercy , and not upon his justice ; but thou must look upon both . another attribute it is gods faithfulnesse : consider thou hast to deal with a god of infinite truth , and faithfulnesse , and therefore look upon him as an object of thy faith to rest upon . and likewise thou must bring a faithful heart suitable some way to this faithfulnesse of god that is , a heart faithfull with him , to keep within the covenant that thou hast entered into and to performe all the vows that thou makest with god ; remember thou hast to deal with a faithfull god , and as the lord delights to manifest his righteousnesse to poor creatures that seek his face , so this god doth expect that thou should ● be faithful in all the covenants that thou doest make with him , and this is to sanctifie gods name . now then put all these attributes of god together and there you have his glory , the infinitnesse of his glory . the shine and lustre of all the attributes together is gods glory . i have then to deal with a glorious god , and let me labour to perform such services as may have a spirituall glory upon them , that some image of the divine lustre that there is in god may be upon my services ; and let me look for glorious things seeing i have to deal with such a glorious god. you will say , here is a great deal of doe in serving of god , how much is here that we must do ? i appeal to any gracious heart , what canst thou want of any of these , or what wouldest thou want ? doest thou say , here 's a great deal ? can there be too much to make thee happy ? these things are not only thy duty , but thy happinesse glory and excellency consists in them : if any one should bring you a great many jewels and pearls , would you say , here 's a great deal adoe ? oh no , the more the merrier . so say i , this one meditation would take off the thoughts of a great deal , for in al these my happinesse consists , and the more i have of these , the more shall i injoy of god , the more happy shall i be both here and for ever . now i had thought to have given you some reasons why the name of god must be sanctified ; only i beseech you by all that hath been said go away with this thought , what little cause is there that any of us should rest upon any of our duties ; if this be required of us thus to sanctifie the name of god in duty , i say we have little cause any of us to rest in any duties that we performe . there are many poor creatures that have no other saviours to rest upon but their prayers , and coming to church , and taking the communion ; now if in all these the lord expects that thou shouldest thus sanctifie his name : thou hast little cause to rest upon any thing that thou hast done , thou hast cause rather to go alone and mourne for taking the name of god in vain in the duties of his worship : rest not in any of your performances ; labour to performe duties as well as you can , but when you have done , know that you are unprofitable servants after all , and renounce all as in the point of justification , and rest upon something else , otherwise you are undone for ever . sermon vii . leviticus . . . i will be sanctified in them that come nigh me . wee are coming now to the conclusion of this great argument of sanctifying gods name in holy duties for the generall . god expects that we should all in our drawings neer to him in the duties of worship , sanctifie his name . now we are to consider of divers reasons why god will be sanctified in all the duties of his worship . the first reason is this , it is the very nature of god to will himself the last end , and all other things to work suitable to the lifting up of himself as the last end : i say it is as essentiall to him as any thing , for him to will himself as the highest end , and that all things should work so as to be suitable vnto that glory of his for the furtherance of it : god should cease to be god , if so be he should not will himself asthe highest end , and so will that all things that have any being should some way or other work for himself : this is the very nature of god. it is that which i conceive the very nature of gods holinsse consists in , the willing himself as the last end , and so to work all things as is suitable unto his own infinit excellencie . now as this is gods holinesse , so it is the holinesse that god requires in his creatures ( that are capeable of holinesse ) that they should will him as the last end , and all things suitable to that infinit excellencie of his . now if this be the nature of god , and this be his holinesse , then certainly it must needs be a necessarie duty in all those that would have communion with god and would honour god , to will as god himself doth will , that is that all things should work suitable to the infinite excellencie of god , that god may attain the glory of his infinit excellencie , and this makes it to be a necessary duty that when we come to worship him we should sainct●fie his name : so that the first reason is taken from the very nature of god , it is the very being of god that all things should work to himself , and in such a suitable way as to lift up his excellencie and glory . secondly , we must sanctifie god in the duties of his worship , because it is the speciall glory that god hath in the world to be actively honoured ; for his passive glory , that is , to be glorified in a passive way , that he hath in hell , but the speciall glory that god would have it is that he might be glorified actively : now there is no such way of glorifying the name of god actively as by worshipping of him in a holy manner , and therefore god stands much upon this , that when we come to worship him we sanctifie his name ; for saith god , if i be not sanctified in my worship , what active glory have i in the world ? it is the speciall active glory that god hath in the world , the sanctifying of his name in the duties of his worship . thirdly , that which we have intimated before , that the duties of gods worship are the most precious things , the special conveyances of the choice mercies that he intends to bestow on his saints , and therefore though he loses his glory in any thing else , he would not lose it in that wherein he doth especially convey his mercy and goodnesse to his people . but that we spake too in shewing how we draw nigh to god in holy duties and it may well come in here again as an argument why we should sanctifie gods name . a fourth reason is this , because there is no way for us to be fitted for the receiving of mercy from god through those duties of worship , but by our sanctifying of gods name ; when thou comest at any time to worship god , what wouldest thou have ? there is some communion that thou wouldest injoy with god , now there is no way to make thee a fit subject of mercy , or capable of the injoyment of communion with god , but by such a behaviour of soul as this is that hath been spoken of , to , sanctifie the name of god : thou wouldest be loath to lose those duties of worship that thou doest performe , therefore it is required of thee to sanctifie his name lest thou doest lose all , for 't is this that makes thee the only capable subject of what good is to be had there . we must sanctifie gods name in holy duties , because otherwise we should certainly never hold out in duties , but vanish and come to nothing ; now god would be worshipped so by his creatures , as to be constantly worshipped , he would have those that do worship him , to worship him alwaies , to worship him for ever , and he would have this worship that we perform to him , but to be the beginning of that eternall worship that he shall have from us in heaven . and so the saints do worship god now , the worship which they performe , it is but as the beginning of that worship that hereafter in heaven they shall tender up to god , though there may be some difference in it , as there our prayers will be turned into praises , and it will not be in such outward ordinances as now we worship god in there will be no preaching , nor sacraments : yet notwithstanding the soul-worship that is now , will be in effect the same as it shall be in heaven . god would have us so to worship him , as to continue to worship him : now i say , unlesse his name be sanctified in our worshipping of him we will certainly fall off ; and the truth is , this is the very ground of all apostacie in hypocrites ; some that have been very forward in the worshipping of god when they were young ones , and afterwards they have fallen off , they were wont constantly in their families , and in secret in their chambers to be worshipping of god , and they accounted it the very joy of their lives for the present to be worshipping of god ; but it is not so with them now as it was yea they are fallen off it may be from their very profession of religion , and turned lose : and now to be in vain company , to drink , or play , is better to them then any service or worship of god , they prize more to be in company with their sports then to hear a sermon , or to be in communion with the people of god in prayer : heretofore they would not have changed one short time of private communion with god , for the injoyment of a great deal of pleasures and content in the world ; but now it is otherwise with them . how comes it to passe that these are apostatised thus from god ? surely here is the ground of it , that they did not sanctifie gods name in holy duties , at the most it was but a work of conscience that put them upon them , and they had but some flashes , there was no reall sanctification of their hearts whereby they did sanctifie the name of god in holy duties , and upon this it is that they have left off . this i dare say , that there was never any soul that did know what it was to sanctifie gods name in worship , that ever was weary of worshipping god. it may be some of you may say , we have heard that there is much required in sanctifying gods name in duties , and that is the only way to weary the soul , and to make it fall off ; oh no ( as we said the last day there is not any one thing that hath been opened for the sanctifying of gods name in duties that any gracious heart can tell how to misse , and the more we do sanctifie his name , the more we shall be in love with worship . for it is from hence that those that sanctifie gods name in worship will hold out , because they will find the sweetnesse of worship , they will meet with god in holy duties , and so they come to be incouraged in worship , but as for others who do worship god in a formall way , their worship will prove to be tedious to them , for they performe the duties , but do not find god in the duties in that spirituall way as the saints do ; if they think they meet with god , it is but an imagination rather then any reall meeting with him ; they do not find the influence of god in their souls in holy duties , so as those do that sanctifie gods name in holy duties ; here then you see the reasons why we are to sanctifie gods name in holy duties . now then for the application of all this . if all this which you have heard be required of us for the sanctifying of gods name : hence we see how little cause we have to rest upon any duty of worship that we do performe , certainly the duties of worship that we performe are no such things as are fit to be rested upon for life and for salvation and yet for the most part there is scarce any thing that people have to rest upon , or to tender up to god for acceptation to eternall life but only their prayers , and their coming to hear , and receiving of the communion , and such duties that they perform ; this is all they have to tender up for life and for salvation perhaps they may sometimes speak of christ , but the truth is that which their hearts rest upon for acceptation to eternall life is this . and is it but this ? it is a weak prop , a rotten reed that thou hast to rest upon ; let the duties of worship be performed never so well ; suppose we did sanctifie gods name to the uttermost that is possible for any creature to do in this world , yet such duties are not to be rested upon : abraham , isaac , and jacob , and the apostles , the most holy men that ever did perform duties in the most holy manner , yet wo to them if they have nothing to rest upon but their duties ; consider therefore of this , that what thou must rest upon for acceptation to eternall life , it must be that that must have so much worth in it , as must satisfie for all thy sins that formerly thou hast committed ; yea and for all the sins that ever thou shalt commit . now i appeal unto any ones conscience , is that which thou performest , is prayer , or receiving the sacrament , or hearing of the word , such a work as in thy conscience thou canst think , it hath so much worth in it , as to satisfie god for all the sins that ever thou didest or shalt commit ? i am perswaded if people that have rested upon duties heretofore , would but seriously have this thought in their minds , that i must rest upon nothing for my acceptation for life and salvation , but that that must have such worth in it , as to satisfie god for all my sins that ever have been committed , or shall be committed ; this would take them off for ever from resting in duties . yea , and it must be such as must be the object of the infinite holinesse of god to take content in , surely the duties that we performe are no such duties to rest upon : the truth is , if we would seriously consider what they are , as they come from us , we would even abhor our selves in dust and ashes , and account of them as the prophet speaks of his own righteousnesse as menstruous cloaths , they are such as if god should deal with us , as justly he may do , he might cast them and us to the dogges , for they are ( as the prophet saith ) torne and rent sacrifices ; now if a man in the time of the law should bring to the lord a sacrifice that was all torne and rent before he brought it , would such a sacrifice have been accepted ? all the duties we performe as they come from us they are snch ; we read in exod. . . concerning such things as were torne and rent , that they should cast them to the dogges . ye shall be holy men unto we ( saith he verse ult ) neither shall ye eate any flesh that is ●orne of beasts in the field , ye shall cast it to the dogs , because ye are holy men unto me : must the people of israel manifest their holinesse in this , that they must eate nothing torne by beasts , but cast it unto dogs ? or was the holinesse of the people of israel such as god required them , that they must eate nothing that was torne by beasts ? what then is the holinesse of the infinite god ? our services that we performe are of themselves such as are torne by our beastly lusts many times : how many are there that bring sacrifices to god that are as a carrion that swine have been tearing before hand , and yet these are the sacrifices that they bring to god , and not only think that god should accept of them , but they do rest upon them for their acceptation to eternall life . how infinitly are these people mistaken● how little do they know of god , or of the way of acceptation to eternall life ! that is the first use . secondly , if all this be required for the sanctifying of gods name in duties , that we cannot performe the duties of worship without this behaviour of soul ; hence we see that the work of religion is a hard and difficult work to flesh & bloud . a main work of religion is the work of worshipping of god , for indeed those that are not religious and godly , they never worship god to any purpose : then we come to worship god when we begin to be religious and godly . now it must needs be a busie work to be a religious and a godly man , because there is so much required in the sanctifying of gods name in holy duties : many people think it a very easie matter to worship god , and the worship that they tender up to god is an easie matter , there is little in it . if it were nothing else to worship god but meerly to go and say a few prayers , and come and hear a sermon , and take a peice of bread and wine , then it were the easiest matter in the world to come and worship god ; but there is more required in the duties of gods worship then thou hast been acquainted with ; there is a power of godlinesse in it . that text of scripture is a very famous one that shewes the difficulty that there is in the worship of god , and how men are mistaken in thinking it such an easie and slight matter to worship god : it is in josh . . . . where joshua doth call upon the people to worship god , and they came off presently , and said , they would worship him ( so you shall find them professe , verse . ) but mark what the text saith in verse . and joshua said unto the people , ye cannot serve the lord , for he is an holy god , he is a jealous god , and he will not forgive your transgressions and your sins , as if he should say , you think it is nothing to serve the lord , and that it is an easie matter to serve him , you think to put off god with any thing : alas you cannot serve the lord , for he is a holy god , and a jealous god and you must have other manner of hearts then yet you have , and you must understand his worship in another manner then yet you do , the lord will be sanctified in those that draw nigh him , and therfore untill you understand god , and his waies and worship , you cannot serve the lord. know that the work of religon is a very hard and difficult work , for it requireth all this , and therfore the soule had need be very diligent and laborious that would come to worship god in a right way . thirdly , hence is a use of humiliation to us all , even to the best of us ; oh how little , how little hath the best of us all sanctified the name of god! how far have we all come short of the sanctifying of gods name in holy duties ! and when we look abroad in the world and see what poor service god hath generally from the men and women of the earth , it should make our hearts bleed within us . where almost is the man or woman that according to that text in isa . stirs up himself to take hold on god. and i verily beleeve that in the opening of this point of sanctifying the name of god in holy duties , that i have bin in the bosoms of as many as in the opening of any point whatsoever ; and as many may have cause to lay their hands upon their hearts and say , certainly i have come short of what is required here , and have not bin acquainted with this way , this mysterie of godlines in sanctifying gods name in holy duties as i ought to be : o be humbled for this , for all the uncleannesie of your hearts in the performance of duties in exod , . you read , that at the altar where the ●acrifices we●e to be offered , the lord required that there should be a grate made . thou shalt make for it ( meaning the altar ) a grate of net-work of brasse , and upon the net shalt thou make four brasen rings in the four corners thereof , and thou shalt put it under the compasse of the altar beneath , that the net may be even to the middest of the altar . there was as it were a grate for the ashes of the altar to go through , as you have grates in your fires to make them burn cleer , and for the ashes to fal down , so the lord would have such a grate for the ashes of the altar to fall down : we had need of such a grate . oh the ashes , and dirt , and filth , that there is in our services when we come to offer and tender them up to god! so that we have cause i say to be humbled for holy offerings . there be many godly people that through gods mercy are able to keep from grosse sins , they do not find it any great matter to keep from company , swearing , drinking , uncleannesse , lying or wronging of others , and such kind of sins as those are , so that they see not such need of humiliation in this regard , unlesse it be for that their natures are as corrupt as any , though they break not forth into those actuall grosse sins , but the maine work of the humiliation of those that are godly , it is to be humbled for their thoughts , for the mispending of time , and for not sanctifying of gods name in holy dnties , those are the maine things that are the subject of the humiliation of the saints , beside the body of sin and death that they carry about with them . and it would be a good sign that thy heart hath some tendernesse in it when thou makest these to be the matter of thy humiliation : carnall people little are troubled for these , if they fall into such sins , as their consciences do fly in their faces , then they are troubled and humbled . but for such things as these are they are seldome humbled : to be humbled for thy holy offerings is a good sign of a gracious heart . we read of the cherubims that they had six wings , and with two of their wings the text saith they covered their faces , so my brethren we had need have wings as it were to cover our best duties they had wings , and with two they covered their legs , and with two their faces : we had need , not only of a covering for our lower parts and meanner duties , but a covering of our holy duties , to cover our faces our best duties of all , the most heavenly duties we perform had need be purged by the bloud of christ . in levit. . . . we read of their holy things , that there was need of purging of them by bloud ; and so it should be in our holy duties : let us be humbled for our best performance that ever we performed in our lives : the best had need be so , but then as for others that have made little or no conscience of sanctifying of gods name , how had they need be humbled ? thou hast something more to repent of then thou thoughtest of ; for the truth is , those that have not made conscience of sanctifying of gods name in holy duties , they never in all their lives did any service for the honour of god , thou hast lived perhaps . or . it may be . years or more , and didest never yet honour god in any one thing that ever thou didest in all thy life . you will say , god forbid : have not i prayed , and heard the word much , and received the communion often , and yet have i never honoured god ? if thou hast not bin aquainted with this mysterie of godlinesse in sanctifying his name in these things , this is said from god to thee this morning , that thou hast never done any one action to the honour of god : thou hadest need begin presently for thy time is not long , and wilt thou go out of this world and the name of god never to be honoured by thee ? yea and further , thou hast lost all thy duties , all the time hath bin lost that thou hast been in performance of duties , now it is an ill thing to idle away time in the things of the world : when a man hath an opportunity for to gain in the world , if so be he loses his time and neglects it , we account it a very sad thing to him , but now to lose our trading time for heaven ( for the times of the worshipping of god are our trading times for heaven ) that 's sad indeed : and yet thou that makest not conscience of sanctifying the name of god in holy duties , all the time thou hast spent is lost . and yet further , you that have been false in the performance of duties , and hypocrites , not only all your pains and labour is quite lost ( for if that were all it might be well with you ) but you have aggravated your sins by your holy duties . those duties that others have injoyed communion with god in , and furthered their eternall life by , thou hast aggravated thy sins by them , yet it was thy duty to do them : but i say , by not sanctifying of gods name , thou hast aggravated thy sins so much the more . as those that are godly , they work out their salvation , even in their naturall actions they sanctifie gods name , in eating and drinking , and following their businesse ; they performe those actions in such a holy manner , as they honour god in them , and further their eternall peace ; but as they in their naturall and civill actions work out their salvation ; so thou in the very religious actions doest work out thy damnation : certainly wicked men that are not acquainted with this work of godlinesse to sanctifie gods name in holy duties , they work out their damnation even in the performance of them . you will say , then they had better not do them . yes , they are bound to do them ; but they are bound to do them in a right manner , as sometimes i have given you this instance , and it is a ful and a cleer one , to shew that men are bound to performe holy duties and not to leave them undone , and yet they may further their own damnation while they are doing of them : as for example , if so be that a prince should appoint a man to come into his presence such a day to petition for his life , which he hath forfeited by the law , if he do not come he may be a dead man : but now if this man be drunk on that day , and come drunk into the kings presence , he may be a dead man too , for presuming to come drunk before him ; so wicked and ungodly men , whether they worship or worship not , they are in danger to perish : but of this more when we come to shew that god will be sanctified . in the fourth place here is a use of exhortation , that seeing we have this truth thus presented to us and opened before us ; o that we had hearts to apply our selves now to it with all our might , to seek to sanctifie the name of god when we draw nigh to him . the lord hath shewen thee what it is that he requires of thee ; make conscience of it for time to come , thou doest not know what blessed communion thou maiest have with god if thou doest make conscience of this , the truth is , if you have not been acquainted with this , you have not been acquainted with the way of a christian in his injoyment of communion with god , thou doest not know what the comfort of a christian life meanes ; do but make tryall of this for time to come , and thou wilt find more comfort in the waies of godlinesse , and more thriving in them in one quarter of a year then thou hast done before in seaven years , one christian that keeps close to god in holy duties and sanctifies the name of god in them , i say finds more comfort with god , and growes on in godlinesse more in one quarter of a year , then the other doth in seven years that goes on in an ordinary , dull , and formall way in the performance of the duties of worship : some there are in our time that cry out of duties , and what need we trouble our selves so much ? those that know not how to sanctifie gods name they think lightly of them ; but now do you apply your selves fully as you are able to this that i am speaking of , and you will find yourselves to be as it were in another world , you will be able to say , well , i have not yet understood what it was to injoy communion with god in prayer , in word , and in sacraments before , this will make your faces shine in your conversations if you would do it ; and now to that end that you may do it , there are these two or three things that i would propound to you . in the first place , learn to know god more with whom you have to do , and present those things that you have heard before you in your meditations , when as you are to come to god in prayer , or in any other duty , and when you are worshipping of god , remember that you have to do with god and none else . you are every time you come to performe holy duties to be as a man or woman separated from all things . valerius maximus tels a story of a young noble man that attended upon alexander while he was sacrificing , this noble man held his censer for incense , and in the holding of it , there fell a coal upon his flesh and burnt it so as the very scent of it was in the nostrils of all that were about him , and because he would not disturb alexander in his service , he resolutely did not stir to put of the fire from him ; but holds still his censer : if heathens made such adoe in their sacrificing to their idoll gods , that they would mind it so as no disturbance must be made what ever they induted : what care should we have then of our selves when we come to worship the high god ? and so josephus he reports of the preists that were sacrificing in the temple when pampey brake in to them with armed men , and though they might have fled and saved their lives , yet they would not leave off their sacrificing but were slain by the souldiers . they did so mind it as a matter of great consequence : oh that we could mind the duties of gods worship as matters of great moment , that so we might learn to sanctifie the name of god in the performance of them more then ever we have done . when thou comest to worship , take heed thou doest not come in thine own strength . for there is more required in sanctifying the name of god then thy strength is able to carry thee on in , and therefore act thy faith upon jesus christ every time thou comest to worship god , not only as i said before , to tender up thy services in his name , but act thy faith upon christ to give thee strength to do what thou hast to do . & what strength thou hast received from christ be sure to stir it up many godly men & women have more strength then they know of themselves ; & if they would but stir up that strength that they have received , they might sanctifie the name of god a great deal more then they do . therfore remember that text before mentioned , none stirs up himself to take hold on god : quicken up thy heart , and rouze up thy spirit when thou art to worship god. when ever thou art worshipping of god , do not satisfie thy self meerly in the duty done , but consider , do i sanctifie gods name in the duty ? every time thou worshipest him , examine thy heart whether thou doest it yea or no. and if thou findest that thou hast not attained in some comfortable measure to this that hath been presented to thee● let the shame and the sorrow for that abide upon thy spirit untill the next time thou comest to worship god ; at such a time i have been worshipping of god , and god knows i have been stirring up my heart in some measure● but i find my heart dead , wandering sluggish , and dull i say , when thou findest thou canst not do it according to what is required in any comfortable measure : let the shame and sorrow of heart for it abide upon thee till the next time thou comest to worship god , and that will mightily help thee : thou art now praying , and thou canst not now get up thy heart to what is required ; the next time thou comest to prayer , come in the shame and sorrow of thy heart for the want of sanctifying gods name the last time ; and so for hearing of the word , or receiving the sacraments . and this will further thee mightily for the sanctifying the name of god in holy duties . but now that all may be sealed up unto you , and so that we may close the point , know that god will be sanctified in those that ●● draw nigh to him● and there are these two things in the point ; first , if we do not sanctifie gods name , god will sanctifie his name in a way of justice . secondly , if we do sanctifie his name , then he will sanctifie his name in a way of mercy towards us . for the first , god will manifest that he is displeased with such duties that thou doest performe , he will manifest it one way or other that he is a holy god , and he doth not accept of such unholy things as thou doest tender up to him ; for the truth is , if god should accept of such unholy things from men , god may be said to be like unto themselves . as a man if he doth entertain any as his familiar friend that is naught and wicked , it is his disgrace and dishonour ; a man may sometimes imploy in some businesse those that are naught and wicked , and it may be no disgrace to him , but if he doth entertain one in his house that is wicked , it is a dishonour to him : so god may imploy the most wicked men in the world in some outward services , but if he should accept of them in his worship , it would be a dishonour to god , and therefore god that he might sanctifie his own name , he will manifest his displeasure at one time or other against such duties of worship you that performe worship in a formall manner , and with unclean vile hearts ; i say , it stands upon the honour of god if he will manifest himself a holy god , he must manifest some displeasure against that way of thy worshipping of him : this one meditation one would think , should mightily sink into the heart of any man that hath an inlightened conscience , to think thus , it stands upon the holinesse of god , and he cannot appear to be a holy god except he doth some way or other appear to be against me in such duties that i tender up unto him . now you will say , how doth god appear , that he doth not accept of them ? he will appear in these three things : first by blasting those that do worship him thus in a formall way : it shall at first be secret , but afterwards it will appear more apparantly , and we see it by experience , that such as have bin professors of religion , and worship god in hypocris●e , and in formality , they have been blasted in their parts and common gifts . the judgement of god upon nadab and abihu that did not sanctifie gods name it was secret at first : it struck them dead , and though by fire , yet if you read the story you shall find that their cloathes were not burnt , and yet they were burnt in their bodies : so the lord some times doth blast men inwardly in their spirits , in their souls , in their parts , in their common gifts ●he blasts them i say inwardly though it doth not appear outwardly , yet at length it will appear before men that they are blasted : and in these times of the gospel the lord doth come with spirituall judgments rather then with outward temporall judgements . in the time of the law , those that did not sanctifie the name of god in holy duties , the lord did appear by some externall and visible way upon their bodies ; but now in the time of the gospel there god comes with more spirituall judgements upon mens souls , and those are the most terrible judgements : we have a notable scripture for this in isa . . . how god doth blast those that do not sanctifie his name in holy duties . wherefore the lord said , for asmuch as this people draw neer me with their mouth , and with their lips do honour me , but have removed their heart far from me , and their fear towards me is taught by the precepts of men : mark what follows : therefore behold i will proceed to do a marvelous work amongst this people , even a marvelous work and a wonder : for the wisdome of their wise men shall perish , and the understanding of their prudent men shall be hid . what do they come and draw neer me with their lips and their hearts are far from me , and do they worship me in a formall way ? i le take away the wisdom from the wise , and the understanding from the prudent : and that is the reason why so many great scholars are blasted in their very parts , because they would worship god according to the precepts of men , in a formall way ; and so all hypocrites and formall worshippers the lord doth blast them in one way or other , the judgements of god upon the spirits of men were sometimes in the time of the law ; but in the times of the gospel there we find generally the judgements of god to be more spirituall upon the hearts and consciences of men ; we find it by experience god doth discover that he doth not accept of such as those are ; and therefore when you see any that have made profession of religion , that had excellent parts at first , many common gifts , and now are as we say , no body ; remember this text , that god will be sanctified in those that come nigh me . secondly the lord doth manifest that he will be sanctified in those that draw nigh him , by awakeing their consciences many times upon their sick beds and death beds , the lord doth force them to give glory to him , and there to acknowledge that they did not worship god in uprightnesse but in formality . and now they are in horrour of conscience and cry out in the anguish of their soules upon the apprehension of the dreadfull wrath of god that is upon them : take heed for the lords sake of this thing , when you are performing of the duties of worship , do not rest in the outward duties for they will never comfort you upon your sick and death beds , you may perhaps put off your consciences a little for the present , but when you come upon your sick beds there will be no comfort unto you , and then you will be forced to say , well all this while i have but taken the name of god in vain , and now god hath rejected me and all my services and you will then speak to those that come about your beds side , and bid them take warning by you , take heed that when you worship god you worship him to purpose , i have spent time in prayer , and hearing but for want of this i find i have no comfort at all , but the lord appeares to be terrible to my soule , and comes out against me as an enemy i say now gods name is sanctified ; what ever becomes of thee , he will force glory from thee one way or other , and it may be even here in this time of thy life , but however , at the great day , when the secrets of all hearts must be disclosed before men and angels , then the lord will apeare to be a holy god by rejecting all such services that thou didest tender unto him , and it will then be a great part of the work of the day of judgment for god to be sanctified in those that did worship him ; by declaring before men and angels , how he did reject such formal and hypocritical worship that they did tender up unto him , oh that god would strik this upon your hearts , that it may abide upon you every time you come to worship him , to think thus , let me look to it to sanctifie his name now , for i hear that god will sanctifie it himselfe if i do not do it . but then on the other side if so be that thou makest conscience of sanctifying gods name in duties , then he will sanctifie his name in a way of mercy ; that is , he will manifest how he doth accept of the least degree of holines though there be much mixture : god hath a way to take a way the mixture by the bloud of his son , and then to accept of any holinesse he sees in thee , he will sanctifie his name by meeting with thee , and revealing his glory to thee when thou art worshiping of him : there is an excellent scripture for this , exod : . . there i will meet with the children of israel and the tabernacle shall be sanctified by my glory . thou that hast a gratious heart and art worshiping of god in sincerity , thou art as a tabernacle of god , and god hath his service and worship from thee , thou art as the temple of god , and there will i meet with thee ( saith god ) and i will sanctifie my tabernacle by my glory . god will sanctifie thy heart by his glory if thou doest sanctifie his name . further ; thou shalt it may be not alwaies have such glorious comforts , the full beames of the sun rising upon thee , but at one time or other the lord will break in upon thee and manifest his glory to thee , and its like if thou hast not such full comforts now , yet upon thy sick bed , though god doth not then alwaies manifest himself fully , for somtimes the disease may be a hinderance , yet it is ordinary that those that in their constant way did sanctifie gods name in holy duties they do lie comfortably upon their sicke beds , and a glorious entrance is made for them into the everlasting kingdom of our lord and saviour jesus christ . and then againe all things are sanctified unto them : as on the other side , those that do not sannctifie gods name all things are cursed to them , if thou doest not make conscience of sanctifying gods name in duties , god cares not to sanctifie any thing for thy good : but now , those that make conscience of sanctifying gods name in holy duties , the lord takes care , that all things shall be sanctified for their good , for the furtherance of their eternal good . and how ever it be here , yet hereafter at the great day of judgment it will be a part of the glory of god to manifest before men and angels how he did accept of those holy services that thou didest tender up to him ; when hypocrites shall be cast away and abhorr'd , and thou who hadest an upright sincere heart shalt be owned before god , and before men and angels at that great day ; and god shall say , well , it is a part of the glory of my holinesse to make it appeare , that i have accepted of these holy things , that these my poore servants have tendered up to me . and this now is of marveilous use for the comforting of a gracious heart ; those duties that thou doest now think thou hast lost , and there will nothing come of them , thou shalt certainly hear of them another day , god will make it appear , there is nothing that he stands more upon then the glory of his holinesse , and it is the glory of his holinesse that is thy strength in this thing and that makes it certain to thee that there must be a manifestation of thy acceptance ; and therefore take these truthes into thy heart about sanctifying the name of god. you have had only the point in generall opened to you oh that the spirit of god would bring things unto your remembrance . sermon viii . leviticus . . . i will be sanctified in them that come nigh me . wee have as you may remember , preached many sermons upon that point of sanctifying the name of god in the duties of his worship : we have spoken unto the point in the generall , the last day we finished it : i do not intend to look back to any thing that was said , but we are to proceed to shew how the name of god should be sanctified in the particular duties of his worship now the duties of gods worship are especially these three ; the hearing of the word . receiving of the sacrament . and prayer . other things come under worship , but yet these are the three chei● duties of worship and i intend to speak to all these three and to shew how we should sanctifie the name of god in drawing nigh unto him , in the word , sacrament , and prayer . we might choose severall texts for all these , but they fall full within the generall and therefore it shall be sufficient , for to ground the sanctifying of gods name in these duties of worship upon this text ; i of sanctifying the name of god in the hearing of the word . that which we are to speak to this morning it is the sanctifying of the name of god in the hearing of his word● if you would have the ground of what we are to say concerning this in a particular scripture , you may have it in luk. . . take heed therefore how you hear : it is not enough to come to hear the word , that is good , and no question but god is pleased with the willingnesse of people to come to hear his word , but you must not rest barely in hearing , but take heed how you hear . now this is a point of great consequence and i hope it may do good to help to make many sermons to be profitable to you , & the point i hope is seasonable & will be very suitable unto you : for those that come to hear so soon in a morning , and are willing even in hard weather to come out of their beds , they give some good testimony that they do desire to honour god in their hearing , and to get good by their hearing ; and it is pity that labour and pains should be bestowed and no profit but hurt rather got by it , which god forbid : therefore now i am to speak to a point that may help you so to hear , as may recompence all your labour and pains in hearing . in preaching to those that come to hear , that so they may get good and benefit by it ; there is a great deal more incouragement then to such as come in a formall way because they use to come ; therefore this point being a great point ; i shall open it some what largely , and shall cast it into this method : first , i shall shew you that the hearing of gods word is a part of the worship of god , for otherwise i could not ground it upon any text . secondly , i shall shew you how we are to sanctifie gods name in the hearing of his word , either in regard of preparation unto it , or our behaviour in the hearing of the word . thirdly , why it is that god will be sanctified in this ordinance of his . fourthly , how god will sanctifie himself in such that do not sanctifie his name in the hearing of his word . fifthly , how god will sanctifie his name in waies of mercy to those that are carefull to sanctifie his name in the hearing of the word . these are the five principall things that concern this argument for the first , that the hearing of gods word it is a part of gods worship . you heard in the opening of the worship of god in the generall what it was , i told you it was a tendering up of the creatures homage to god , a testimony of the respect that the creature did owe to god ; now if that be the nature of worship , certainly the hearing of gods word it is a part of the worship of god : for in the hearing of gods word we first do professe our dependance upon god for the knowing of his mind and the way to eternall life : every time we come to hear the word , if we know what we do , we do thus much , we do professe that we do depend upon the lord god for the knowing of his mind , and the way and rule to eternall life ; we do as much as if we should say , lord , of our selves we neither know thee , nor the way & means how we should come to be saved , and therefore that we might testifie our dependance upon thee for this thing , we here present ourselves before thee , now this is a testimony of the high respect wee owe to god. secondly , the hearing of gods word is a part of his worship , because in it we come to wait upon god in the way of an ordinance , to have that good conveyed to us by way of an ordinance beyond what the thing is able in it self to do , and therefore 't is worship . i wait upon god when i am hearing the word if i know what i do ) to have some spiritual good conveyed to me beyond what there is in the meanes it self , this makes it worship . when i am busied in natural and civil actions , there i must professe that these things can do me no good without god , but i do not wait upon god in an ordinance for the conveyance of naturall good beyond what god hath put into the creature ; t is his blessing with it , that god in the ordinary course of his providence doth convey such naturall or civill good in the use of those creatures . but now , when i come to hear his word , i here come to wait upon god in the way of an ordinance for the conveyance of some spirituall good that this ordinance hath not in its self , take it materially , but meerly as it hath an institution in it , and is appointed by god for the conveyance of such and such things . god doth appoint meat to nourish me , and together with his appointment he hath given a natural power to meat to nourish my body that in an ordinary course of providence is enough for the nourishment of my body ; but now when i come to hear the word , i must look upon that not only as a thing appointed to work upon my soul , and to save my soul by not as a thing that hath any efficacy put into it in a naturall way as the other hath ; it s not the nature of the thing that carries such a power in it , but it is the institution of god , and the ordinance of god in it ; now then , when i come to wait upon god in an ordinance for the spirituall good that is beyond the vertue of any creature to convey to me , certainly i worship god , that is a speciall part of worship to wait upon god in this way ; therefore in these two respects the hearing of gods word it is a part of the worship of god , and i beseech you remember these two things every time you come to hear . i come now to give a testimony that i am not able to understand god and the way to eternall life of my self , but i do depend upon god for the knowledge of it . and here i come to wait upon god for the conveyance of that good to my soul that is not in the power of any creature to convey : now i worship when i do these . but further ( you shall find it more plain when we come to open how we should sanctifie gods name in the hearing of his word ) this is divine service , as much as any service can be performed . heretofore our prelates and those kind of men , made all the worship of god to be in their divine service ( as they call it ) which was of their own inventions , and made light of the preaching or hearing of the word , but the word is a great part of that divine service that god requires of us in his worship , and in it you do tender up your homage to god ; you therefore must not only when you come to hear , think , i come to get something , i come to understand more then i did , and to hear such a mans parts , and the like , but remember you come to tender up your homage to god , to sit at gods feet and there to professe your subjection to him : that is one end of your coming to hear sermons now then you will say , what should be done in the hearing gods word , so as gods name may be sanctified ? for that as we opened in the generall , that in the duties of gods worship there must be preparation , and then an answerable behaviour of the soul . so here there must first ●e a preparation of the soul to this work , and then an answerable behaviour of the soul in it . there must be a preparation of the soul , so as when you come to hear , you may with all readinesse receive the word ; the soul must be made ready , in act. . . there it is said , these were more noble then those of thessalonica , in that they received the word with all readinesse of mind : the word is , with all a●aerity , as well as readinesse : their minds were in a fit preparation to receive the word : and the text saith , they were more noble : the word that 's translated more noble , it signifie better bred , for i do not take this scripture , as if it were meant only of men that were earls or lords , that did thus receive the word with readinesse , but they were of a more noble disposition , they were well bred men , so the greek word signifies . a man some times preaching to a company of rude people that never had any good breeding , they will behave themselves rudely , they slight the word , and like the swine , regard acorns rather then pearls : and the word is seldome so profitable to a company of rude people that have no breeding at all ; but now there is more hopes to preach to men that have breeding : men that are exercised in arts and sciences , and have some understanding , and so some ingenuity in them , they will hearken to reason . now there is a great deal of spiritual reason in the word , there is a great deal to convince men that are but rationall men ; let a man be but a rationall man and willing to attend to the word , i say there is a great deal of reason to convince him in it , and it is a sign of good breeding , of men of ingenuity to be willing to hear the word , who are those in a parish that so disregard the word as not to hear it , but the ruder sort ? there are many i confesse that are men of parts perhaps the word doth not prevaile with their hearts to convert them ; yet if they have any good breeding at all , if the word be preached in a convincing way , so that they see there is pains taken , and preached as the word of god to them , they will vouch safe their presence at least : but the rude multitude that know nothing at all , they had rather be in ale-houses drinking and swilling they never care to hear the word , as in such a place as this there are very few of your miserable poor people that come to hear the word● what place is there fuller of miserable poor people then this place is and yet what a poor appearance is thereof such people at the hearing of the word ? but now those that have any ingenuity in them at all , or any breeding ( for so the word is ) they will receive the word with readinesse : but this breeding here spoken of , was a little higher then naturall breeding ; they were spiritually noble , & so they had a readiness in their hearts in receiving the word . now this readinesse of heart in receiving the word consists in these particulars : first , when you come to hear the word , if you would sanctifie gods name , you must possesse your souls with what it is that you are going to hear , that what you are to hear is the word of god , that it is not the speaking of a man that you are going to attend upon : but that you are now going to attend upon god , and to hear the word of the eternall god. possesse your souls with this ; you will never sanctifie gods name else in the hearing of his word ; therefore you find that the apostle writing to the thessalonians , he gives them the reason why the word did them so much good as it did : it was because they did hear it as the word of god thess . . . for this cause also ( saith he ) thank we god without ceasing , because when ye received the word of god , which ye heard of us , ye received it not as the word of men , but ( as it is in truth ) the word of god , which effectually worketh also in you that beleeve , mark , so it came effectually to work , because they received it as the word of god ; many times you will say , come , let us go hear such a man preach ; oh no , let us go hear christ preach , for as it doth concern the ministers of god that they preach not themselves , but that christ should preach in them : so it concerns you that hear , not to come to hear this man or that man , but to come to hear jesus christ . we as the ambassadors of christ do beseech you , saith the apostle . possesse your hearts likewise with this consideration , that i come to heare the word as an ordinance appointed by god to convey spiritual good to my soule , and this is a very usefull consideration , and especially it concernes men of understanding and parts for the helping of them to heare . for men that are of understanding and parts , when they come to heare this temptation is ready to come upon them , that except they hear some new thing that they did not understand before wherefore should they come ? i am able to understand as much in such a point as can be said : and when i have come and heard many times , i have heard but that i knew before , and upon that they think there is no use of coming to hear : now this is a great mistake , when you come to hear the word , you do not come alwaies to hear what you did not know , it may be sometimes god may dart in some thing that you did not think of before , or so fully understand , but suppose it be not so , you are to come to it as an ordinance of god for the conveyance of spirituall good to your soules . you will say . cannot we sit at home and read a sermon ? but hath god appointed that the great ordinance for the converting and the edifying of soules in the way to eternal life ? true , there is some use of it , but the great ordinance is the preaching of the word , faith comes by hearing , the scripture saith , and never by reading , so that though when you come to hear , you do not hear that which you heard not before , yet you come to attend upon this ordinance for the conveyance of some spirituall good that it may be hath not bin conveyed before , or in a further degree then it hath bin conveyed before , and so you should come to hear the word with your hearts possest with that meditation , that it is the word of god , and the great ordinance that god hath appointed for the conveyance of spiritual good . so that i come now in obedience to god , and in this do i testifie my respect to god , that i will attend upon this ordinance of his for the conveyance of spirituall good to me , and although i may think that this or the other means may do the deed as well , yet because god hath appointed this to be his ordinance , therefore in obedience to him i will attend upon this means rather then upon other means , as you know naaman he thought the other waters would have bin as good as the waters of jordan to have heal'd him , but if god will appoint him the waters of jordan that they should heal him rather then other waters he must wash there ; no question but other waters had as much naturall vertue in them as they had , but because the waters of jordan were the ordinance that god for that time had appointed to cure his leprosie withall , he must come and wash in those waters rather then in any other , so because preaching of the word is the great ordinance that god hath appointed for to convay himselfe by , therefore he doth require that thou shouldest shew thy respect to him , so far as to attend upon him in this ordinance . the second thing that is to be done in way of preparation , it is to plow up the fallow ground of your hearts , and not to sowe amongst thornes , as you have it in jer. . . and so in ho● . the word of god you know is compared to seed in that parable of christ in mar. . and an auditory is compared to the ground , i suppose you are al aquainted with that parable of the sower , that it is to set out the ministry of the word , and what fruit it hath upon the hearts of men , a congregation is like the field , and a minister preaching is like the sower that sows the seed in the field : he knows not which truth whether that or the other will prosper , the seed being sowed in some part of the ground it is lost , and in another part it grows ; so in one ●ew the seed of the word is lost , and in another ●ew it grows up : but now if people that are compared to the ground would so hear the word as gods name may be sanctified in it , their hearts must be plowed ●as if one should sow seed upon green soil , sow it in the fields upon green grasse , what would become of it ? the ground must first be plowed for the preparation of the seed but you will say , what is the meaning of the plowing of our hearts for the preparation of the word ? the meaning is nothing else but this the work of humiliation , the humbling of the soul before the lord when it doth come to hear gods word . humble it in these two regards . first be humbled for your ignorance that you know so little of gods mind as you do . secondly be humbled for all the sinfulnesse of your hearts , be senceable of the sinfulnesse and wretchednesse of your hearts and the miserable condition that you are in , if you can get your hearts broken with the sence of your sin and misery , and come so to hear the word , it is very like the word may be of mighty use , and gods name may be very much sanctified in your hearing of the word . you will say , must we plow up our hearts before we come to hear ? it must be the word that must plow us , the word is the plow , and so the ministers of god are compared to plowmen in the word , he that puts his hand to the plow and looks back is not fit for the kingdom of heaven . it is true , it cannot be expected that the heart should be throughly plowed as it ought but by the word , therefore at the first coming to hear there is not hope that men will sanctifie gods name till the word gets in to plow them , and so by geting at one time into their hearts they come to be prepared for hearing at another time . and yet some what may be done before by that natural knowledg that men have they may come to know themselves to be sinners , and come to understand themselves to be very weak and ignorant by some knowledg that they may have by the works of god , and by conferrence with others , and by reading and the like , and so they may in some measure come to have their hearts to be humbled . and it is good to make use of these to humble the heart , but now , you that have heard the word often , and yet have not sanctified gods name , there be truths that you have heard heretofore , that if you had made use of in private to have , plowed up your hearts , they would have prepared your hearts for the next time in hearing of the word , if therefore you would hear the word with a great deal more profit then formerly , your hearts must be plowed by humiliation . secondly , the heart must be plowed by labouring to get out those thorns that are in the heart , those lusts that grow deep in the heart as thorns grow in the ground : labour to pluck them out , that is , when thou comest to hear the word get thy heart into that frame , as to be willing to professe against every known sin that thou hast found in thy heart , labour to find out those lusts that are in thy heart and then professe against them , that thou art willing to have them to be rooted out of thy heart , if men and women would but do thus when they come to hear , that god might see this in them , that they have before they come profest against every known sin , this would be an excellent thing indeed . again in the third place which will follow from hence , when thou comest to hear the word , come with a resolution to yeeld to what ever god shall reveal to be his mind , i am now going to hear thy word oh lord , to wait upon thee , to know what thou hast to say to me : and thou that art the searcher of the secrets of all hearts , thou knowest that i go with such a resolution to yeeld up my self to every truth of thine , how would the name of god be sanctified if you did thus come to hear the word . if you did come with such a resolution , job . . . that which i know not teach th●u me , and if i have done iniquity , i will do no more . in isa . . . you have a prophesie of the centils how they should come to the word , and many people shall go and say , comeye , and let us go up to the mountain of the lord to the house of the god of jacob , and he will teach us of his waies , and we will walk in his paths : here is a blessed disposition when you come to hear the word , some of you come together in streets and lanes , and over the fields , when you come together , and meet one with another as you walk over the fields , make use of this text , oh that this prophesie might be fulfilled in your coming over the fields every lords day morning and at other times , that you would say one to another , or when you call one upon another to go to hear , come let us go up to the house of the lord and he will teach us of his waies and we will walk in his paths . we are resolved that whatever the lord shall teach us to be his waies we will submit unto it . this is a due preparation of the heart for the sanctifying of gods name in the hearing of his word . when you come to hear the word come with longing desires after the word , come with an appetite to it . as in pet. . . as new born babes desire the sincear milk of the word that you may grow thereby . do it as new born babes , now you know little babes they do not desire milk to play withall but only to nourish them : children of three or four yeers old , they may desire milk to play with but new born babes never care for it but when they are hungry to nourish them , and so it is true , many come to hear the word to play with it , but now you should come to hear the word as new born babes , with a hungring desire after the word that your souls may be nourished thereby . that were excellent if every lords day , and at other daies you did come as hungry to the word as ever you went to your dinner or supper , the word of god should be to you more then your appointed food , and then you are like to grow by it and to sanctifie gods name in it . pray before hand , that god would open thine eyes , and open thine heart , and accompany his word , thus did david , open mine eyes o lord , that i may understand the wonders of thy law. and you know what is said of lydia , the lord opened her heart to attend to the word that was spoken : now seeing it is an ordinance thou doest expect more good from , then what it self of its own nature is able to convey ; thou hadest need to pray , lord i go to such an ordinance of thine , and i know there is no effi●acy in its self , it is not able to reach to such effects as i expect that is , to have my heart spoken too , and quickned , and to have mine eyes opened , but o lord open mine eyes and open mine heart lord my heart naturally is lockt up against thy word , there are such wards in my heart , that except thou a●t pleased to put in a key that may fit my heart , it will never open ; man he is not able to know my heart , and therefore he cannot fit a key to answer every ward , to resolve every doubt , to silence every objection but lord thou canst do it : do thou lord therefore fit thy word this day that may meet with my heart lord , i have gone often to thy word , and the key hath stuck in it and it hath not opened ; but lord , if thou wouldest but fit it and turn it with thine own hand , my heart would open . oh come with such a praying heart to the word , and thereby shalt thou sanctifie the name of god in hearing his word , this is to come to the word , as to the word of god , you must not come to the hearing of the word as to hear a speech or an oration , but come in such a preparation as this is , and so i say god will be glorified , and you will be profited the next thing is , what should be the behaviour of the soul in the sanctifying gods name in the word when it is come , now to that there are these particulars : first there must be a carefull attention unto the word , you must set your hearts unto it , as moses in deut. . he said unto the people . set your hearts unto all the words which i testifie among you this day , which you shall command your children to observe to do , for it is not a vain thing for you , because it is your life . set your hearts to it , for it is not a vain thing , it is your life ; when you come to hear the word give diligent attention to what you hear . in act. . . it is said , the people with one accord gave heed unto those things which philip spake . they gate heed , the word is used often in scripture , sometimes it is used for to beware of a thing , beware of the leven of the pharisees , beware of them ; as a man when he sees an enemy and is aware of him , he is very diligent to observe how to avoid him ; so there should be as much diligence to get good by the word , as one would be diligent to avoid any danger whatsoever , and the word signifies sometimes to give such heed as a disciple gives unto his master , so they gave heed to the word . so in prov. . , . my son , if thou wilt receive my words and hide my commandments with thee , so that thou incline thine eare unto wisdome : we must diligently attend , and not to suffer our eyes & our thoughts to be wandring , but diligently attend to what is said : my brethren , there is all things that may challenge attention in the word . what would make you to attend to any thing ? first if he that speaks were much above you if it were a great prince , or lord that spake to you , then you would attend now , though it is true , it is but a man , that it may be , is inferiour to most of you , that speaks , yet know in him it is the lord of heaven and earth that speaks to you : and so you know what christ saith , he that heareth you heareth me : so though you would not attend in respect of the messenger so much , yet as it is the son of god that is speaking to you , it may challenge your attention . this day if you should hear a voice out of the clouds from heaven speaking to you , would you not then listen ? the truth is , we should listen as much to the voice of god in the ministery of his word , as if so be that the lord should spake out of the clouds to us . and i will give you a scripture for that , that the voice of god in his word should be as much regarded of you , as if god should speak from heaven to you by an audible voice out of the clouds . in pet. . , . this voice which came from heaven we heard , when we were with him in the holy ●ount . but mark , in vers . . we have also a mere sure word of prophesie whereunto ye do well that ye take heed . mark ; we heard a voice from heaven , saith peter , yea but we have a more sure word of prophesie whereunto ye do well that ye take heed . there was a voice from heaven spake , you will say , if we had heard that voice , we would have given heed to that , saith the apostle , you have a more sure word of prophesie : now prophesie in scripture is taken for preaching , dispise not prophesie : as if the holy ghost should say , you must have regard to the word of prophesie as you would have regard to any voice from heaven : suppose an angel should come and speak to you , would not you attend to him ? then whatsoever thoughts you had , they would be taken off , for there is an angel that is come down from heaven to speak : now mark what is said in heb. . . god who at sundry times , and in divers manners spake in times past to the fathers by the prophets , hath in these last daies spoken unto us by his son , whom he hath appointed heir of all things , by whom also he made the worlds . and then in vers . . he describes his son , and being made so much better then the angels , as he hath by inheritance obtained a more excellent name then they : if a prophet should come and speak , that is not so much as if the son of god comes ; no nor as if an angel should come , for jesus christ hath obtained a more excellent name then the angels , and it is christ that is in the ministry of his word , he that heareth you heareth me . secondly , that which would cause attention , is the greatnes of the matter propounded : it is true , if a man should speak of some flight and vain things , there need not so much attention . my brethren , the matters in the word are the great things of god , it is the voice of god , the great mysteries of godlinesse , those deep things that the angels themselves desire to pry into ; yea the angels themselves by the churches they come to have the knowledge of the mysteries of god. i make no question but in the ministery of the word among the churches the angels they attend and come to some knowledge in the mysteries of godlinesse ; for so the scripture saith , that they have it by the churches , there the greatest things of gods will , the greatest counsels of god that were kept hid from all eternity , are opened to you in the ministry of the word : we do not come to tell you tales , and the conceits of men , but to open the great counsels of god , wherein the depth of the wisdome of god comes to be revealed to the children of men , and therefore this cals for attention . thirdly , suppose they be great things , yet if they do not so much concern us , there is no such great reason of attention , therefore in the third place , that which we speak , it is your life ; it is that concerns your souls and eternall estates : your souls and everlasting estates do lie upon the ministery of the word , if that be made effectuall to you , you are sav'd : if that be not made effectuall to you , you are damn'd and undone for ever . if we should come to tell you of something whereby you might get some good bargain , or of a way how to get great riches , i make no question but you would rise though it were a cold or rainy morning : but know when you are called to hear the word you are called to hear that which may do you good for ever , that for which you may blesse god for to all eternity with the angels and saints in the highest heavens . if they be such things of so great concernment , then there had need be a great attention : you know what christ said to martha when she was troubled about his entertainment l●●k . . martha martha , thou art carefull and troubled al●o t●m●ry things , but one thing is needfull , and mary hath 〈◊〉 that good part which shall not be taken away from her . what did mary choose ? it was this , that she did diligently attend upon jesus christ to hear the word from his own mouth , when martha was busied in the house to provide for his entertainment but it is a better thing to attend upon the word then to entertain christ in your houses : you that are of loving dispositions , that if a good minister shall come to your houses , or a good christian , that you see but the image of christ in your hearts spring within you , and you will do any thing to entertain them : well , but what if jesus christ should come , if you knew that such a man that came within your doors were the son of god , how would you bestir your selves to entertain him ? but know , it is a more acceptable service to jesus christ to attend upon his word then to provide for him in your houses and there is great reason to , that we should be diligent in drawing nigh to the word , and give eare unto it ; because you find that the lord doth expresse himself in the scripture , how he gives eare to us when we speak to him . god is said to incline his eare , sometimes to open his eare , sometimes to bow his eare , sometimes to cause his eare to hear , and divers such expressions there are to that purpose . now if god when we that are poor wretches speak to him , shall bow his eare bend his eare open his eare , cause his eare to hear , much more should we when we come to attend upon him . secondly as there must be attending to the word of god , so there must be an opening of the heart to receive what god speaks to you , it is true , it is the work of god to open the heart , but god works upon men as upon rationall creaturs and he makes you to be active in opening your hearts , so that when you have any truth come to be revealed , you should open your understandings , your conscience , and will , and affections , oh lord thy truth which thou art presenting here to my soul at this time let it come in , let me receive it , as the expression is in prov. . my son , if thou wilt receive my words and then in v. . when wisdom entereth into thy heart : the words of wisdom the words of god , they must enter into the heart , get in ; it may be they get into thy eare , but that 's not enough , they must get into thy heart , in joh . . there christ complains that his word had no place in them , that 's a sad thing when the word of god shall have no place in the heart . if a temptation to sin comes , that hath a place in the heart , but when the word comes that hath no place in the heart ; i say , it is a very sad thing that we can find no room for the word ; we should get room for the word , open ye gates , stand open ye everlasting doors , that the king of glory may come in : know that when you come to hear the word , the lord is knocking at the doors of your hearts ; have not you felt it sometimes ? open , o open the doors , let all be opened to receive the word into your hearts . that is the second thing for the behaviour of the soul in hearing . the third thing is the carefull applying of the word , so in pro. . . there must be an applying of the heart to the word , and an applying of the word unto the heart . all action is by an application of the thing that doth act unto the subject , there must be an application of the word to thy soul , as now , suppose thou comest to hear the word , and thou hearest of some sin , that it may be thou knowest thou art guilty of , take the word and lay it to thy heart and say , the lord hath met with my soul this day , the lord hath spoken to me , to the end that i might be humbled for this sin , and the other sin that my conscience tels me i am guilty of , so , doth the lord put thee upon a duty that concerns thee ? acknowledge this , the lord hath spoken to me this day and put me upon the reformation of my family , and the reformation of my own heart . is there a word presented ? apply that , and let not the trouble of thy heart cause thee to cast off that word that god hath spoken to thee ; the application of the word to the heart it is of marvelons use , and it concerns not only ministers in general to lay before people the doctrine of the gospel but to aply it , and know that it concerns you as well as ministrs to apply it ; and not only when they come to that that is called use , but all the way in the opening of the word , it concerns you all to apply it to your own souls , and to consider how doth it concern me in particular ? my brethren there is no such way to honour god , or get good to your owne souls , as the application of the word unto your selves . as a man that is asleep if there be annoise made it will not awake him so soon , but come and call him by his name ( and say john , or thomas , ) and that will awake him sooner then a greater noise will ; so , when the word makes a noise when it is delivered only in the general , men take little notice of it , but when the word comes particularly to the souls of men , and doth as it were call them by name , this awakens them ; now god many times doth speak to your hearts but you should apply it , you know the word is compared to meat , and it must be applyed to the body , then do we worship god in a right way when as we take notice of gods word as concerning us in particular , as that notable scripture that you have in cor. . . where there comes a poor man into the church of god , and hears prophesying , hears the word opened , and the text saith he is convinced of all , he is judged of all , and then in vers . , thus are the secrets of his heart manifest and so falling down on his face he worships god and reports that god is in you of a truth , that is , when the word comes and meets with his soul in particular , that he finds himself to be aim'd at by the word , then he worships god , and saith that god certainly is in them , here 's the reason now that when you come to hear the word you do not worship god because you apply it not to your selves , you are ready to say , this was well spoken to such a one , and it concerns such a one , but how doth it concern thy soul in particular ? sometimes the lord doth even force men and women to apply it whether they will or no , for that they think the minister speaks to them in particular , and that no body was spoken too in the congregation but themselves ; this is a mercy when the lord doth it unto you ; but it is a greater mercy when the lord gives you a heart to apply it to your selves , and although it may trouble you a little for the present , yet be willing to apply it , and account it a great mercy from the lord , that the lord will be pleased to speak in particular to your souls . fourthly , we must mix faith with the word , or otherwise it will do us but little good ; apply it and then beleeve it . in heb. . . it is said , that the word preached did not profit them , not being mixed with faith in them that heard it . wherefore there must be a mixture of faith , to beleeve the word that the lord brings unto you . now concerning that i le but propound these few particulars ; you will say , must we beleeve every thing that is spoken ? sometimes there are some things spoken that we cannot tell how to beleeve ? i do not mean so , to beleeve every thing meerly being spoken , for you must take heed what you hear , as well as how you hear ; but do thus much at least . in the first place , whatsoever comes in the name of god to you , ( except you know certainly it is not according to the written word ) you owe so much respect to it , as to examine it , at least to try it whether it be so or no , as it is said of those welbred men that i spake of , that they did examine whether things were so or no. do not cast off any thing presently that comes in the name of god : now any thing that hath the broad seal upon it , you must not disobey : you will say , it may be counterfeit : but do not disobey it till you be sure it be counterfeit . oh that men would give but this respect to all things that they hear , never to cast them off till they have examined and tryed whether they be so or no. secondly , do but grant this respect to the word that is spoken to you , as to think thus , what if all that i hear spoken against my fin , which laies open the dangerous condition that my soul is in , prove to be true , what a case were i in then ? this hath been the beginning of the conversion of many souls , the having but such a thought as this , it may be things are not so terrible as i hear , but what if they do prove so ? then i am undone for ever . dare i venture my soul and my eternal estate upon hopes that these things are not so bad as i hear ? i beleeve if you would put your selves to it , you would think it a bold adventure , and the comfort that any of you have grounded upon this , meerly hoping that things are not so bad as you hear ; it is a cursed comfort that hath no sure bottome : grant that respect therefore to the word . thirdly consider this , it may be i do not see cleerly that these things are so which are delivered , i do not see enough to beleeve them now , but what if i were now dying ? what if i were now going to receive the sentence of my eternall doome ; would i not then beleeve these things ? would i not then think what i hear out of the word to be true ? it is an easie matter for men to reject the word while they have their healths , and prosperity . but if you were to die , and upon your sick and death bed if you saw the infinite ocean of eternity before you , what would you say then ? were the word true yea or no ? would you give beleif unto the suggestions of the devill then ? we find it by experience , that men that could easily cast off the word in their healths , yet when they have come to ly upon their sick bed , and death bed , they found the word true : beleeve it now as well as then . consider , if thou doest not beleeve , what a case art thou in ? am i worse then the devils themselves ? the scripture tels me , that the devils beleeve and tremble ; why lord do i come to hear sermons , and am i more hard to beleeve then the very devils themselves ? they do beleeve that word that i cast off , and they tremble at it , but my soul is not at all stirred , as if there were no reallity in such things that have been spoken to me . there be other things which may further help us towards beleeving of the word of god , but these shall suffice : and certainly my brethren till we come to this to beleeve the word though we should sit under it many years , it will do us little good , and we shall never sanctifie the name of god in the hearing of it . sermon ix . leviticus . . . i will be sanctified in them that come nigh me . the next thing for the right behaviour of the soul for sanctifying gods name is this , we must receive the word with meeknesse of spirit , that you have in jam. . . wherefore lay apart all filthinesse , and superfluity of naughtiness , and receive with meekness the ingrafted word which is able to save your souls . receive with meekness ; the former part of this scripture i confesse concerns some what that was before , about the preparation of the soul , and we shall perhaps afterwards in the application come to open the former part of this vers . lay apart all filthiness & superfluity of naughtiness : but only now we quote the place for this , receive with meekness the ingrafted word which is able to save your souls . let there be a quietnesse in your spirits in attending upon the word , no hurring ; there is a twofold distemper of passion in many people that is a great hinderance to the profit of the word , and sanctifying gods name in hearing it . the first is a distemper of passion in those that have some trouble of conscience in them , they are troubled for their fin , and their spirits are in a discontented froward humour because they have not that comfort that they do desire , and therefore the word of god when it comes to be preached to them , if it doth not every way suit with their hearts , and if they do not find present comfort by it , their spirits are in a distemper and frowardnesse , and cast it off ; and if at any time there be never such comfortable things spoken in the word , yet there is an anger in their spirits because they are not able to apply the word to themselves , and they think , this doth not concern me : now there should be meeknesse of spirit in those that are in trouble of conscience above all ; they should quietly attend upon the word , and wait for the time that god will speak peace to their consciences : and if i cannot find the word suitable to me at this time , yet i may at another time : let me atend with meeknes , let me receive everything with meeknesse the word is above me , and if ever i have good , it must be by the word at last . it doeth much concern those that are in trouble of conscience to have meeke spirits . there is another distemper in others and that is worse ; that is , such as when they find the word come neer unto them , relating those sins that their consciences tels them they are guilty of , their hearts rise against god , and his word , and ministers too : because it would pluck away some beloved corruption , because it rebukes them for some haunt of evill , some distemper of heart that they have been or are guilty of , it puts a shame upon them , and therefore their hearts do rise against it . it is a dreadfull thing to have the heart rise against the word . as we read of that froward prince jehoiakim in the prophesie of jeremiah , that when the roll was read in his hearing , sitting in the winter time by a great fire , he tooke a penknife and cut it a pieces and threw it into the fire in anger ; and i have read that the jewes kept a fast every year to mourne for that great sin , & yet this jehoiakim was the son of josiah whose heart did melt at the hearing of the word , he had an humble and a meek heart when the law was read , and yet see what a different spirit jehoiakim had either from his father or grand-father . it is a great dishonour to the name of god for men to give liberty to their passions to rise against the word ; take heed of passion either while you are hearing the word , or after the word , as many of you when you are discontented with what is said . when you come in company , what a fury are many men in upon the hearing of some things in the word that comes close to their hearts ; remember when you are a hearing of the word that it is that which is above you , and it is not fit for one that is an inferiour to shew himself passionate in the presence of a superiour : it is true , the ministers they may be in as low a condition as you , and in a lower ; but the word they speak , it is above all the princes and monarchs upon the face of the earth ; and it is fit therefore we having to deal with god that we should behave our selves in a meeke disposition . the next thing for the sanctifying gods name in the hearing of the word is this , we must hear it with a trembling heart , with fear as well as meeknesse , and for that you have that famous scripture in isa . . begining . thus saith the lord , the heaven is my throne , and the earth is my footstool wher is the house that ye build unto me , and where is the place of my rest ? for all those things hath my hand made , and all those things have been saith the lord , but to this man will i look , even to him that is poor , and of a contrite spirit and trembleth at my word . this is a most admirable scripture . marke how god lifts up himself in his glory , so great a god as the heaven is my throne , and the earth is my footstool where is that house that ye will build unto me ? but then may a poor soul say , how shall i be able to stand before this god that is so glorious ? saith god , be not discouraged poor soul who doest tremble at my word , for i look to you ; and then this is a further thing observable that god hath a regard to that soul that trembles at his word , rather then to any that should build the most sumptuous buildings in the world for him , for saith god here , the heaven is my throne , and the earth is my footstool , where is the house that ye build unto me and where is the place of my rest ? they have built a glorious temple to god , but what do i regard that saith god ? i regard one that trembls at my word more then that great house that you have built unto me , it is a notable scripture to shew what a high respect god hath to one that trembles at his word , he regards them more then this glorious temple , that was built unto him , if you were able to build such a place as this was for the service of god , you would think it a great matter , it is not so much regarded as if you could bring a trembling heart to gods word , that 's a special thing wherein the sanctifying of the name of god consists , when we come to see the dreadfull authority that there is in the word of god , when we are able to see more glory of god in his word then in all the works of god besides , for there is more of his glory in the word then there is in the whole creation of heaven and earth , take the sun , and moon and stars , you that are marriners you have seen much of the glory of god abroad that one would think might strik terrour into all your hearts , but know that there is more of the dreadfulnesse of gods name in his word then in all his works ; in psal . . . thou hast magnified thy word above all thy name , the word it is magnified above all the name of god whatsoever , and it is a very good sign of a spirituall inlightened soul that can see the name of god more magnified in his word then in all his works besides ; i appeal unto your consciences in this thing , have you ever seen the name of god to be more magnified in his word then in all his works ? i may with very good confidence affirm this that there is no godly soul upon the face of the earth , that hath the weakest degree of grace but hath seen more of the glory of god revealed in his word , then he hath seen in all the works of god besides , and his heart hath been more taken with it , it requires therefore a trembling frame of heart when we hear it . and then further when this is considered that the word is that that bindeth the soul over either to life or death , mens eternal estates are to be cast by the world , certainly then it requires a trembling heart to hear that by which the eternal estate of man is to be cast , we do not sanctifie gods name when we come to hear the word , except we come with trembling hearts , and they are the most likely of all men and women to understand the mind of god , as for such as come with conceited spirits that they understand as much before they come , and think their reach of wit or capacity is beyond the capacity of any that shall open the word unto them ( yet that were not so much if it did but only rest upon the man and not reflect upon the word it self ) now these that are rich in their own thoughts and understandings are sent empty away , but those that come with trembling hearts to the word , they are the men that are like to understand gods counsels revealed in his word . in ezra . , . shechaniah the son of iehiel one of the sons of elam answerd & said unto ezra , we have transgressed against our god & have taken strange wives &c. yet now there is hope in israel concerning this thing , now therefore let us make a covenant with our god according to the counsel of my lord and of those that tremble at the commandment of our god ; so that those that tremble at gods word are such as are fitest to counsel , they understand most of gods mind ; and that 's another particular of the behaviour of the soul in sanctifiying gods name in hearing his word . the next is an humble subjection to the word that we hear , our hearts must bow to it , must lie under the word that we hear , it is a very remarkable scripture that we have in chron. . . there it is said concerning a great king zedekiah , he did that which was evil in the sight of the lord , his god , and humbled not himself before jeremiah the prophet , speaking from the mouth of the lord● it it a very strange expression as any we have in the book of god , that zedekiah a great king should be charged with this as a great sin that he did not humble himself , humble himself before whom you will say ? we are bound to humble our selves before god , but here it is that he did not humble himself before jeremiah the prophet ; why before the prophet ? because he spake from the mouth of the lord. if it be any messenger that speaks from the mouth of the lord , god expects that we should humble our selves , so that if any truth comes to be delivered unto you , the lord expects that you should fal down and yeeld obedience to it , whatsoever your thoughts , your judgments , your opinions have heretofore been , if there come any thing in the word agianst it you must submit your judgments , submit your very consciences , you must submit your wills , whatsoever your hearts have been set upon , though it hath been never so contentfull to your spirits before , yet now submit , and yeeld though it go never so crosse unto your minds , your wils , your ends , yet all must be submitted , and laid down flat before the word , so as to be willing to deny your selves of any thing in the world . when a man or woman can say thus , lord it is true , i confesse before i heard thy word opened in the evidence and demonstration of the spirit unto me , i was of such a mind , and my heart went after such and such contentments , and i though it was impossible that ever my heart should be taken from them , but oh lord thou hast been pleased plainly to shew to me by the opening of thy word in the evidence of thy spirit , what thy mind is ; now whatsoever becomes of my name , of my comforts , of my contentments in this world , lord here i cast down all before thee , i submit unto thy word ; this is a gracious frame . now is the name of god extoll'd , and lifted up in hearing of the word , the name of god is sanctified in such a work of spirit as this is . i have read of a germain divine writing to oecolampadius another famous german divine , he hath this expression , oh let the word of god come , & though we had . necks we would al submit them unto the word of god saith he . so it should be the temper of such as hear the word and desire to sanctifie gods name in it , let the word of god come this morning , let god speak and we will submit had we . necks , we will submit all we are , or have , to this word of the lord , it is the word of god , that we are willing should triumph over us : to have a congregation to lie down under the word of god that is preached to them is a most excellent thing , and gods name is much sanctified , we do not brethren desire you should lie under us , we are not only willing , but we are very desirous that you would examin what we speak to you , whether it be according to the word of god or no. but look to it , that if we do speak to you that which is the word from the mouth of the lord , know then that god expects that you should submit your estates , your souls , your bodies , all that you are and have to this word , and that is another particular in the sanctifying of the name of god in hearing the word ; there must be an humble submission of the soul unto it . another particular wherein the behaviour of the soul for the sanctifying of gods name consists is this , the word it must be received with love , and with joy , it is not enough for you to be convinct of the authority of it , and to think thus , well i must yeeld to it , this is the word of god and if i do not yeeld to it i must expect the plagues and judgements of god to follow it that is not enough , but you must yeeld to it with love , and with joy , except you receive the word with love and with joy it is not sanctified ; you do not sanctifie gods name , nor is it sanctified unto you . you must receive the word not only as the true word of the lord , but as the good word of the lord. in thessalon . . . we find it to be the cause of mens being given over to a spirit of delution , because they received not the word of god in love : it is spoken of antichrist , that at his coming he shall come with all deceivablenesse , and he shall prevail with them that perish , who are they ? they that receive not the love of the truth that they might be saved . it is not enough my brethren to receive the truth that we might be saved ; but we mnst receive the love of the truth if ever we would be saved ; good is the word of the lord to my soul . and we must receive it with joy too as well as with love ; prov. . . when wisdome entereth into thy heart , and knowledge is pleasant unto thy soul : then discretion shall preserve thee , understanding shall keep thee , &c. that is a great matter , when the word reveals some truth to thy understanding , and thou canst so receive it as it should be pleasant to thy soul , that thy soul rejoyces in it ; it is a good word , it is that that doth me good at the heart , when a people can hear the word , and the word coming neer unto them , they can say , this word doth me good at the heart , it is pleasant to my soul , that is excellent . in act. . . the godly are described , those that did receive the word so as to sanctifie gods name in it ; by this , that they gladly received the word and were baptized , and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls . there were three thousand in one day that did gladly receive the word ; what an auditory had peter at this time ? then the word it did them good , when they gladly received it . quest . but it may be said , we read in matt. . of the stony ground , the hearers that were not good and did not profit by the word so as to be saved , yet they received the word with joy . and herod it is said of him , that he heard john baptist gladly : it seems then that it is not enough to receive it with gladnesse ? answ . to that i answer first , there must be that that hypocrites may have , if there be want of that , we cannot sanctifie gods name . but you will say , we must go further or else gods name is not sanctified : that i confesse ; therefore when i speak of gladnesse and joy , know that i mean another kind of joy then the stony ground had ; and so certainly the pleasantnesse that is spoken of in prov. which i mentioned before ; and the gladnesse that the three thousand did receive the word withall is different from the gladnesse of the stony ground . if you ask me wherein it differs ? i would answer it differs thus , the gladnesse of an hypocrite in receiving gods word , it ariseth either from the novelty of it , because it is a new thing , and he gets new notions that he had not before , or else he is joyful from some other carnal excellencies that he finds going together with the word , some esteem or honour that he shall get by it , some selvishnesse there is that makes his heart to be glad , for there is a great deal of natural and carnal excellency that goes along many times with the word . but now this gladnesse that is spoken of in the acts and in the proverbs , it is the gladnesse that ariseth from the apprehension of the spirituall excellencies that there are in the word , as that it is that word that reveals god and christ to my soul ; that word that comes neerest to my soul to the mortifying of my lusts , and the sanctifying of my heart : this is that which makes me rejoyce in the word , the holinesse and the spirituall excellencie that i see to be in the word : thy word is pure ( saith david ) and therefore doth thy servant love it and rejoyce in it . this no hypocrite can say ; i see the image of god in his word , i see the very glasse of gods holinesse in his word , i feel that in the word that may bring my soul to god , wherein my soul injoyes communion with god and jesus christ , and it is this that glads my soul . if we receive the word with joy thus , we shall come to sanctifie the name of god in the hearing of it ; and that is the eight particular . the ninth particular is this , if we would sanctifie the name of god in his word , we must receive the word into honest hearts . this you have in luk. . . in the parable of the sower ; you shall find there that there are divers grounds that do receive the seed ; and by those divers grounds are meant divers sorts of hearers : there is first the high-way ground , that is , such as hear the word and never regard what they hear , and as soon as ever they go out of the congregation the seed of the word is quite gone and is as if they had not heard at all . and then there is the stony ground , and the thorny ground , that is , those that hear with joy ( as was spoken of before ) but the cares of the world choak the seed of the word ; as soon as ever they are gone , they are upon their worldly businesse , and their thoughts and hearts runs that way . but then there is the good ground , that is , those that receive the seed of the word into a good and honest heart , a good and an honest heart they are both joyned together . by a good heart is meant a heart that hath not malice in it , a heart that doeth desire to empty it self of every thing that is against the word , and which is not suitable to the spiritualnesse of the word : a heart i say that entertaines nothing in it that any way makes against the word : a good heart is a heart which ( as the apostle saith in jam. . . and that place may very well come in here to be opened ) is clensed from all filthinesse and superfluity of naughtinesse . the word that is there translated filthinesse it signifies excrements ; that which is unclean , that which comes from the body , such is the sinfulnesse of your hearts ; you come to hear the word , if it be with evil hearts you mingle that very filthinesse which is as vile before god as excrements are : and superfluity of naughtinesse ; by that i take is meant , as if the holy ghost should say , do not think it enough for to purge away filthinesse , that is notorious stinking evils , abominable sins , that you do not come with such filthy vile hearts , but whatsoever there is in your heart that is any way against the work of grace , it is a superfluity of naughtinesse , all kind of evill thoughts , and evill affections that are more then needs . look into your hearts and affections , and see whatsoever you find there that is more then ought to be , runing out unto any thing that they should not , labour to purge out that saith he , do not satisfie yourselves in any kind of evill whatsoever : it may be you are clensed from the notorious evils of the world ; but if there remaines any naughtinesse , any kind of drossinesse in your hearts that is not grace , it is to be purged out , for it is a superfluity : so then that is a good heart that entertaines no kind of evill in it . it may be there is some evill , but it doth desire to purge out not only that that is filthy , nastie , and abominable ; but if there be any thing that should not be there , a good heart is against it . and that is a good heart that is willing to receive any thing that god reveals ; as we use to say , such a man is a good man , that is , you can propound nothing to him that is fit to be done but he is willing to hearken to you . a good man he hath no kind of evill ends in him , no evill designes at all , but he is willing to hearken to every thing that is good : so a good heart whatsoever is good he is ready to entertain , if it be a good thing his heart is sutable to it , and runs presently unto it ; having a good heart , it doth presently close with the good word of the lord. but what is meant by an honest heart ? by honesty of heart , certainly there is more meant then such a one that we call an honest man , that is , a man that is honest in his dealings between man and man ; there is many a man that is accounted a very honest man in the world but hath not an honest heart : i beseech you observe it , that man that hath an honest heart to god , is one that receives the seed of the word , so as he goes beyond the high-way ground , the stony ground , or the thorny ground , he goes beyond those three sort of professors ; he is one that hath an eminency in profession of religion beyond those three : now the world accounts many honest men that do not go beyond any of those three ; yea the world doth ordinarily account any of those three to be honest men , as the high-way ground : are there not many honest men in the world , that regard not the word of god at all , but only come to hear a sermon , and as soon as they have done , as it came in at one eare , so it goes out at the other ? i fear there are some men and women that are accounted honest men and women in the world that can hardly give an account of any one sermon they have heard in all their lives : hardly i say , but the word which they heard is presently taken away from them , and yet these are accounted honest men in the world : but this is not the honest heart the scripture speaks of . and many there are that goe further then these , that come to hear the word with joy , and yet they have not this honest heart : yea they may hear the word so as to bring forth a blade , and yet not have this honest heart . by this honest heart i take therefore to be meant this , a heart that deals squarely and truly with god , behaving it self in a beseeming manner sutable to that authority and excellency that there is in the word of god. as now for example : first , amongst men he is accounted an honest man that deals squarely and truly with men in all actions ; such a man you will say is an honest man , as honest a man as ever broke bread ; that is , one that will deal squarely with men , not only in one thing , but turn him to any thing , and you shall find a proportion between one action and another : so this is an honest heart , not one that only will be forward for god in some one action wherein he may injoy himself as well as god ; but one that deals squarely with god , let god put him upon duty , upon any service , god shall find him still to be the same man : put him upon an easie service ( as many will imbrace that ) or put him upon a difficult service , it is all one if it be the mind of god ; you shall find him square in every thing , though he be put upon that which he is like to suffer very much in , yet he goes on according to his principles . an honest heart is one that hath received gracious principles , and accordingly he acteth , all the world cannot take him off from his principles of godlinesse that the lord hath put into his heart . secondly , an honest man is one that provides things honest before men , that doth all things in a seemly way in all those relations that he hath unto others , that we account honesty : so when a mans behaviour towards the word is such as doth beseem the word of that god with whom he hath to deal , that look what excellency , what glory , there is in the word of god , such a sutable behaviour there is in the heart of a man to it , this is an honest heart . so that there are those two things , when a man is square with god in one thing as wel as another , and when there is a sutablenesse in the behaviour of the soul to what excellency there is in the word , when the heart of man will not abuse the word at all , but behaves its self honestly , according unto the gravity , holinesse , and weight that there is in the word . and thus now with such a good and honest heart we are to receive the word if we will sanctifie gods name in it . a tenth particular is this , if we will sanctifie gods name in the word we must hide the word in our hearts , we must not only heart the word but keep it , preserve it , and then do we declare that we account the word of god to be worth something indeed ; for what is it to sanctifie god ( as we have opened before in the general ) but such a behaviour towards him as may testifie the excellency of the name of god , so the behaviour of the soul in hearing the word must be such as may give a testimony to the excellency of the word and manifest the high esteem i have of it . now if i received a thing that is of great value , if i slight it , and let any body take it from me i do not give a testimony to the excellency of that thing , but if i take it and lock it up , and so keep it under lock and key i do thereby give a testimony of the esteem that i have of the excellency of that thing , so now , when i come to hear the word , and meet with truths that have gotten into my soul i close with them , and am resolved within my heart as i am hearing of them , well this truth i will keep through gods grace , this concerns me , and i will make much of it , and although i forget other things , yet i hope i shall remember this to sanctifie gods name in hearing of the word , in isa . . . hear ( saith the holy ghost there ) for the time to come ? when we come to the word we must not only hearken for the present , as many of us while we are hearing , our hearts are stirr'd for the present , oh that we could but have that affection of heart alwaies as we have when we are hearing of the word , how many of you have said when you have been hearing such a sermon , oh then me thought i could have gone through fire and water for god ? i but mark it , you must hear for afterwards . and in psa . . . there the prophet david profest that he did hide the word in his heart , the word was sweet unto him , thy word saith he have i hid in my heart that i might not sin against thee . you that come and hear those truths upon the lords day if you would hide them thus in your hearts and keep them all the week , they would help you against the many temptations that you meet withall , you go abroad on the week daies into company , and there you meet with a temptation and it overcomes you , and you complain , alas i am weak , i have met with a temptation and it hath foyld me ? but had you hid the word that you heard on the lords day in your heart , it would have kept you from the strength of your temptation that it should not have overcome you , those that are truly godly they have a care to hide the word in their hearts , when they hear it , they think , this word shall help me against such and such sins which i am prone to by nature , and when a temptation comes to that sin i hope i shall have use of the word that i have heard this day ; as now suppose you hear a word against passion , then you should hide that word in your hearts against that time that temptation comes to passion , and you hear a word against sensuallity and abuse of the creatures you should hide that word , against that temptation cometh , and you hear a word against unrighteousnesse and unjust dealings , when a temptation comes to that sin you should hide that word against that time , so you hear a word that speaks of obedience to parents , and servants duties to governors , now you should hide that word in your hearts against that time , i have hid thy word in my heart that i might not sin against thee . you say that you would fain withstand and not be overcome with temptations ? why here is the way , hide the word within thee that thou mayest not sin against him ; and so in pro. . . you have a scripture to the same purpose , about hiding the commandements within us . and then in joh. . . i write unto you young men because you are strong , and the word of god abideth in you and ye have overcome the wicked one . i have written to you young men , you are youug , you have strong natures , and so strength of nature for god , but how comes this to passe ? you are strong and the word of god abideth in you ; here is an excellent scripture for all young men , you have your memories fresh , and if you will exercise your memories about any thing it should be in the word of god , it is a comely and an excellent thing to see young ones to have the word of god abiding in them , that if you come to them , not only a week but a month after they have heard the word they are able to give you an account of it : i am verily perswaded that there are many young ones in this place , that are able to give you old ones , if you ask them , an account of what it is to sanctifie gods name in the duties of worship and why ? because the word of god abideth in them , it is the honour of young men to have the word of god to abide in them , and hereby they overcome the wicked one . and on the other side many young people that do come to hear the word , it may be they are drawn to it by others , or it may be they love to have a walk in the morning , but the word of god abideth not in them , and therefore when the wicked one comes with temptations the week after they are overcome by him , but those that have the word of god abiding in them they overcome the wicked one . and so in job . . . you have a very remarkable scripture for this purpose of keeping the word after we have heard it . then said jesus to those which beleeved on him , if you continue in my word then are you my disciples indeed . i beseech you observe it , it is said that the jewes did beleeve in christ , and yet saith christ if ye continue in my word then are you my disciples , why , were they not the disciples of christ that did beleeve in him ? by this beleeving therefore we must understand some kind of general notion that they had of christ , they began to think that christ might be the true messias , some kind of imperfect beleeving they had , but they were not throughly brought off , now saith christ , if you continue in my word , you are my disciples . as if he should say , do not you think it enough that you come to hear me , and that you are taken by what i say ; you must continue in my word , and then you are my disciples : christ will not own that man or woman to be his disciple that doth not continue in his word . o that you would consider of this , you that satisfie your selves in having some flashes of your affections when you are hearing the word , but do not think that you are the disciples of christ because of them , in tit. . . holding fast the faithfull word as you have been taught , that is the thing you should labour for , to hold fast the faithful word , hold it fast , that it may not be taken from you , and so you shall come to sanctifie the name of god in the hearing of his word . the last that i shall speak to is this , if thou wouldest sanctifie the name of god in hearing his word , turn it into practice , or otherwise the name of god is blasphemed , or at least is taken in vain by thee if thou doest not turn what thou hearest into practice : so you have it in jam. . . he that is not a forgetfull hearer but a doer of the word , this man ( saith he ) shall be blessed in his deed . and vers . . be ye doers of the word , and not hearers only deceiving your own selves . the word here that is translated deceiving your own selves , it s a word taken from logicians , and signifies to make a false sylogisme . a man that hears the word and doth not do it , he doth as it were reason thus , those that do come to church ( as we use to say ) those surely are religious people , but i come to sermons and therefore i am religious : now this is a false reasoning , and thou doest but cozen thy self . be not a hearer only , but a doer of the word , that thou maiest not deceive thine own soul . so in rom. . . thinkest thou this o man that judgest them that do such things , & doest the same , that thou shalt escape the judgement of god ? as if he should say , you have the word , and you are able to judge thereby what you hear , but yet still you are wicked in your lives ; this is dispising of the riches of the goodnesse of god towards you . and in phillipians . . you have a remarkable text where the holy ghost saith of the philipians , that he would have them hold forth the word of life . it were a most excellent thing if it might be said of this congregation , that as they come diligently to hear , and are willing to take pains to get out of their beds so earely in the mornings , so all the week after they hold forth the word of god. you that are servants it may be your masters are naught , and the families naught from whence you come : now when you go home , though it may be they will not let you repeate the sermon , yet you are to hold forth the sermon in your practice and conversation : how is the name of god glorified when we hold forth his word ! this is to let , not only your light shine , but the light of the word shine before men that they may behold it and glorifie your father which is in heaven . so that now put all these eleaven particulars together , and then you have made good that expression we find in act. . . that the word of god was glorified . and to the same purpose we have another expression in thess . . . finally , brethren , pray for us , that the word of the lord may have free course , and be glorified even as it is with you . this is the commendation of a people , that they do glorifie the word of god : i beseech you brethren , in the name of jesus christ this morning that you that are hearers of the word would glorifie the word , and glorifie the name of god in the word ; oh that not one of you would be a disgrace or shame to the word of god ; this is the charge that god this morning laies upon you , as ever you expect to receive any good from the word , or to look upon the face of god with comfort whose word this is : do not be a shame to his word , and to the ministers of his word . put all these things together , i say , and learn to make conscience of sanctifying gods name in hearing the word , that so there may be none of you that may give any just occasion to others to say , is this to hear sermons ? do you get nothing else but this by hearing sermons ? if you should open the mouths of men to say so of you , the word of god as much as lies in you would be disgraced by you ; you should rather think thus , it were better for me that i should die , and that i were under the ground and rotting there , then that the word of god should ever be disgraced by me : let me hold forth the glory of the word , the word is that that hath done good to my soul ; the word is that that i would not for ten thousand worlds but have heard it , and shall i disgrace this word ? shall i give any occasion that this word of the lord should be spoken ill of by reason of me ? o god forbid . therefore if you regard not your selves and your own honour , yet regard the honour of the word ; if ever you have got any good by the word you should go away with this resolution , well , i will labour all the daies of my life to honour this word of god that i have got so much good by : if this were but the resolution of every one of your hearts this morning , it would be a blessed mornings work . sermon x. leviticus . . . i will be sanctified in them that come nigh me . now follow the reasons why god stands so much upon it that he will have his name sanctified in this ordinance of hearing his word . first , it is because there is so much of god in his word , and therefore we should sanctifie gods name . if it were possible there could be sin in heaven , that sin would be greater then sin committed here ; therefore the sin of the angels when they were in gods presence in a more especial manner was the greater : the name of god being in any thing , the greater will be the evill if we do not sanctifie gods name in it ; now there is very much of god in his word , more of god there , then in all his works of creation and providence . in ps . . . thou hast magnified thy word above all thy name : there being therefore so much of god in his word , we must sanctifie the name of god in it . secondly , god hath appointed his word to be the great ordinance to convey the special mercies that he intends for the good of his people . that we spake to before in the generall , in shewing how the duties of gods worship are as a channel for the conveyance of speciall good to the saints : but none more then the word , that 's the ordinance to convey the first grace to those that belong to gods election . the sacrament is for frengthning , and therefore there is rather more in the word then in the sacrament , and yet every one thinks in conscience that he is bound to come carefully to the sacrament , and to look to sanctifie gods name there . it is an easier matter to convince men and women , that they are bound to sanctifie the name of god when they come to receive the holy communion , then for the hearing of the word : they think not so much of that , but certainly the word is appointed to be an ordinance . of conveying more blessing then the sacrament , because it is appointed to convey the first grace , and to convey strength of grace as well as the sacrament : now being appointed to convey such great things to the souls of the elect , both the first grace and strengthning of grace , and comfort , and assistance thereof , the lord expects to have his name sanctified in it . thirdly , the name of god must be sanctified in the word , because the word is very quick and lively , it works men or women to life or death , to salvation or damnation . in heb. . . the word of god is quick and powerfull , and sharper then any two edged sword , peircing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit , &c. it is very quick of opperation the text saith ; that is , when god hath to deal with men by his word , he will not stand dallying and trifling with them , but he is very quick with them , either to bring their souls to life , or to cast them away . the time of mens ignorance god winks at , but now he cals all men to repent . let them look to it now , god did forbear in the time of ignorance , but he will not forbear so when the word comes , now is the ax laid to the root of the tree : and when was that ? when john baptist came to preach repentance because the kingdom of heaven is at hand . though the tree were barren before , and did not bring forth good fruit , yet it might stand still and not be cut down ; but when the powerfull ministration of the word comes , then the ax is laid to the root of the tree ; either now come in and be saved , or resist the word and perish : and therfore that is very observable when christ sends out his disciples to preach , in mark . , . saith he , go ye into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature , and he that beleeveth and is baptized shall be saved ; but he that beleeveth not shall be damned . as if he should say , there shall be quick work made with them , go and preach , & those that belong to my election shall be brought in to beleeve and be saved , and the others shall be damned : as if god should say , if they will come in and imbrace the gospel they shall be saved , if they will not , they shall be damned , and there is an end of them : so that i say , we have need to look to it that we sanctifie the name of god in his word upon these three grounds . because there is so much of god in his word . because he hath appointed it to convey the greatest mercies to his saints . and because god is very quick in his word , one way or other . we shall now proceed to the application of this point : and , first by way of reprehension to all those that do not sanctifie gods name in hearing the word , and herein we shall shew their fearful condition , and how god will sanctifie his name upon them in waies of judgement , and then when we come to the use of exhortation , to exhort you to sanctifie the name of god , there we shall shew you likewise how god will sanctifie his name in waies of mercy upon those that do sanctifie him in waies of obedience in hearing of his word . for the first : certainly if that be to sanctifie the name of god that we have spoken of ; gods name is but very little sanctified by people that do come to hear his word , and we have no cause to wonder that there is so little good got by the word , because there are so few that make conscience to sanctifie gods name in hearing it ; some there are that are so far from sanctifying gods name in it , as they altogether neglect it , and make it a matter of nothing whither they come to hear it or no : saith christ in joh. . . he that is of god heareth my word , ye therefore hear them not because ye are not of god. certainly he that hath the knowledge of god and any interest in god , and that belongs unto him , nothing is more sweet to him then the hearing of his word , but because ye are not of god ( saith christ ) therefore you hear not his word . those men and women that have no interest in god , but live without god in this world , they regard not to hear his word . o how many have we that belong to this place that do so ! how many live without god in the world , and do declare to all the world that they are not of god ? they have no part nor portion in god in that they hear not his word . some there are that come to hear it , but they come to hear it as a meer matter of indifferency , in a meer formall and customary way , or for companies sake , or to give content to others : these are poor and low ends , thou shouldest come to hear the word as expecting god should speak to thy soul for the furtherance of thy eternal good , but your consciences may tell you what vain and wandring hearts you have , when you come to hear it . the eies of the fool ( saith solomon ) are in all the corners of the earth , up and down wandring , little minding that you are come to hear god himself speak to you in the ministry of man. and if so be that it be minded , yet ordinarily the hearts of men do put off the word , and if it come any thing neer to them they think to shift it from themselves to others . we have a notable scripture in heb. . . for such men as shift off gods word when it comes many times very neer to them : see that ye refuse not him that speaketh : for if they escaped not who refused him that spake on earth , much more shall not we escape , if we turn away from him which speaketh from heaven : see that ye refuse not him that speaks the word , see that you do not put him off : and that that is the signification of it : if you compare it with luke , . . you shall find that there is the same word used , where speaking of those that were invited to the supper , it is said , they all with one consent began to make excuse , they began to shift it off , that is the same word : o take heed of this that when you are hearing the word and christ comes and speaks to your hearts , and you begin to think that it may concern you , and your consciences begin to stir , take heed that you do not shift him off , take heed that you do not put away the word from you by any kind of pretence whatsoever . it may be you will say , if i were certain it were the word of god , and that god spake to me , god forbid but that i should submit unto it . but though it may be the hearts of men are not so notoriously rebellious as to resolve to sin against the word , which they will acknowledge to be the word of god , yet this is the deceit of the heart , when the heart hath no mind to obey , it will shift off the word , and have pretences , and put offs , o take heed that you do not shift oft him that speaks from heaven by making any kind of excuse whatsoever , but when thou hearest , if the word of god come to thy conscience , do not listen to vain reasonings that are against it . others there are that cannot tell how to shift off the word but it will come upon them when they are hearing , it may be they are a little stirr'd , but it is presently gone , so that they are far from houlding the word , far from keeping it in their hearts . oh how many of you have been stirr'd when you have been hearing the word , and how happy had it been for you if you had hid those words in your heart that the lord hath spoken to you in the ministry of it . if you had but the invitations of the spirit now that sometimes you have had , how happy were it for you ? but it is with many in hearing the word , just as with you marriners when you are to go aboard , your friends come with you , take their leaves of you , and then you see them stand upon the shore a while , but when you sail a little further your friends are out of sight , and then you see only the shore , you sayl on a little further , and then you see only the houses , you sayl a little further and then you see only the steeples and such high places , and you sayl yet a little further and then you see nothing but the ocean : so it is in hearing the word ; it may be when you go home there are some things fresh in your minds , but on the munday morning you have lost some , but then there are some others that do yet present themselves before you , and then you loose more and more until you have lost the sight of all : all truthes are gone , you see no more of the word , as if you had never heard it ; this is not to sanctifie gods name , you should treasure up the word as the most rich treasure that may be . another sort to be rebuked are those , who are so far from falling down before the lord to receive the word with meeknesse , as they can blesse themselves in their wicked waies , notwithstanding the word comes and meets with them . i only name this because of that notable scripture we have , in deut. , , . saith moses there to them , take heed , lest there should be among you a root that beareth gall and wormwood , ( what 's that root that beareth gall and wormwood ? ) and it come to passe when he heareth the words of this curse , that he blesse himself in his heart , saying , i shall have peace , though i walk in the imagination of my heart , &c. take heed there be not among you a root that beareth gall and wormwood ; this is a bitter root in mens hearts , when they can hear the word of god , and have their hearts rise aganst it , and think with themselves that there is no such matter , these are but meer words , but meer wind , let the minister say what he will , and talk as long as he will , i will go on in my way , i shall do well enough , that which he saith it is but his opinion , i say when men can blesse themselves thus in their way , and when there are such tumultuous and rebellious thoughts rising in their hearts , this is a root of gall and wormwood , and take heed of it , it will bring forth bitter fruit one day . but i should quickly be prevented if i should lanch into this argument , to reprove the several waies of sinning against god in the hearing of his word . and therefore i leave those and come to shew what a fearful thing it is for men and women not to sanctifie the name of god in the hearing of his word , that so you may see that god will have his name sanctified upon them . and they are these ; in the first place , you that do not sanctifie gods name in hearing his word in those waies that have been opened to you , first you loose the greatest and happiest opportunity of good that ever creatures had , for an outward opportunity : indeed when god moves by his spirit if that be neglected , that opportunity is more then meerly hearing the word , but otherwise except it be at such a time when god adds his spirit together with his word ; i say you that are cast by the providence of god in such a place where the word of the gospel is preached to you , applied and urged upon you , if you sanctifie not the name of god , to hear as you ought and to profit by it , i say you lose the greatest opportunity for good that is in the world ? oh what hast thou lost that hast lived many yeers under the ministry of the gospel , and yet hast not been acquainted with this mystery of godliness in sanctifying gods name in the word . there are many thousand souls that are and shall be blessing god to all eternity for what of god they have met with all in the word , but thou hast fifteen under it stupid as a block , dead and barren , and no good hath been done ; wherefore is there a prize in the hand of a fool , and he hath no heart to get wisedome ? this will lie upon thee heavy one day , the losse of such an opportunity , and that is the first . in the second place , know that this word that is appointed by god for the conveyance of so much mercy to his elect , it will prove to be the greatest aggravation of thy sin that can be : this is the condemnation that light is come into the world and men love darknesse rather then light : this is [ the ] condemnation . if so be that light had not come among you , then the condemnation had not been so great your sin had not bin so great , & your punishment had not bin so great . in mat. . , . where speaking of those that did injoy the word , and yet did not sanctifie gods name in it . whosoever shall not receive you ( saith christ to his disciples ) nor hear your words , when ye depart out of that house or city , shake off the dust of your feet ; verely i say unto you , it shall be more tolerable for the land of sodom and gomorah in the day of judgement then for that city . it is a most dreadfull scripture ; their very dust must be shaken off in token of indignation , and it shall be more easie for the land of sodom and gomorah in the day of judgment , then for that place : you would be very loth to be in a worse condition then sodom and gomorah that was consumed by fire from heaven , and now suffer the vengeance of eternall fire , jude . certainly they shall not be so deep in judgments as those that live under the ministry of the word and sanctifie not the name of god in it . your sin is of a deeper dye , then the sin of the heathens , yea and in some respects then the sin of the devils , they never had the word of the gospel sent to be preached to them and therefore this will aggravate your sin not only beyond heathens but beyond devils . look to it then , that gods name be sanctified in the hearing of his word . . thirdly , know that so much as the word is rejected , jesus christ is rejected : luk. . . he that despiseth you despiseth me , and he that despiseth me despiseth him that sent me . it is christ himself that is rejected when the word is rejected , thou hast not to do with man so much as with jesus christ in the hearing of the word : and the power of jesus christ is to be put forth either to do the good by the word , or to avenge thy neglect of the word : therefore in matt. . , . when christ sends forth his disciples to preach , he makes this preface , all power is given unto me in heaven and earth , go ye therefore and teach : as if he should say , i having received all power in heaven and earth , through the power i received i send you to preach , and i 'le be with you to the end of the world : that is , all power in heaven and earth shall go along with you to assist your ministry , either for the good of those that shall imbrace it , or for the misery of those that shall reject it ; so that whosoever stands out against the ministry of the word , stands out against all the power in heaven and earth that is given to christ : do not think that thou doest resist a poor weak mortall man , but thou doest resist all the power in heaven and earth . and is not this a dreadfull thing then , to be guilty of not sanctifying of gods name ? fourthly , it is an argument of extreame hardnesse of heart not to be wrought upon by the word . luk. . . if they hear not moses and the prophets , neither will they be perswaded though one rose from the dead , saith abraham . certainly that man or woman that shall not be wrought upon by the word so as to sanctifie gods name in it , i say to such , if one should rise from the dead they would not have their hearts wrought upon , and therefore much lesse are they like to be wrought upon by afflictions . it may be some of you think when you are upon your sick beds then you will repent ; no surely , if this that is the great ordinance to bring men to god shall not work upon you so as god shall be honoured in it ; you cannot expect that sicknesse and affliction should do it , no if one should come from the dead to tell you of all the miseries that were there , certainly if the word work not upon you , that will not do it . but you will say , one would think that there should be more power to work upon the heart : truly no , because that is not such an ordinance appointed by god for working such great works upon the hearts and consciences of men , as the word is : it is true , the word is but a weak thing in it self , but here lies the strength , that it is an ordinance of god appointed for to work upon the hearts of men therefore if this work not upon you to give god glory in the hearing it ; there is no other means is like to do it . fiftly , when the word works not upon men , it is a dreadful sign of reprobation if our gospel be hid ( saith the apostle in cor. . . ) it is hid to those that are lost . it is a dreadfull argument that here is a lost creature , one that god intends no good to . one the lord works upon , perhaps he lets passe another , one in a family and not in another . now where it is so that the word worketh not , i say , there is no such dreadfull brand of reprobation as this is . it is true , we cannot give any certain sign of reprobation ; therefore i cannot say of any man , he hath now such a mark upon him as doth evidently prove that he is a reprobate ; we cannot tell that , because we know not what god may do afterwards , but we may say this , that it is as dreadfull a sign as any . there are not any more dreadfull signs then these two . first , for a man to be suffered to prosper in a sinful course ; for god to let men go on and have their hearts desire satisfied in an ungodly way . and then secondly , for the lord to leave them to themselves , so as the ministry of the word shall not work upon them , that they shall be by gods providence so disposed of , as to live under a faithfull and powerful ministry , and that it should not work upon them : these are the two blackest signs of reprobation : and therefore it is a most dreadfull thing to sit under the ministry of the word and not to sanctifie gods name in it . in the next place , surely there can be nothing sanctified to thee who doest not sanctifie gods name in his word . the scripture saith , that every thing is sanctified by the word and prayer . and how canst thou expect that the word should sanctifie any thing to thee , seeing that thou doest not make conscience of sanctifying gods name in the word ? the godly think thus , 't is the word that must sanctifie all things to my soul , and i had need then sanctifie gods name in that from which i expect the sanctified use of all blessings . you therefore that can fit under it , and make not conscience of sanctifying gods name in it , i say you cannot expect no sanctified use of any thing that you have in this world . such as do not sanctifie gods name in the word , are very nigh to a curse : there is a notable scripture for this in heb. . , . where the apostle compares the word to the rain that fals upon the ground , for the earth that drinketh in the rain that cometh oft upon it , and bringeth forth herbs meet for them by whom it is dressed , receiveth blessing from god : but ( saith he ) that which beareth thorns and briers , is rejected and is nigh unto cursing , whose end is to be burned . the meaning is this plainly . the rain here is the word , and the good hearers they are like the ground that receive the rain and bring forth fruit , and receive a blessing : but now ill hearers that do not sanctifie gods name in his word , they are like ground that receive the rain as much as the other , hear as many sermons as the other , but they bring forth nothing but thorns and briers ; and mark what a dreadfull expression is against them ; first , it is rejected . secondly , it is nigh to cursing . thirdly , whose end is 〈◊〉 burned . thou rejectest the word , doest thou ? the lord rejecteth thy soul. if thou hast no need of the word , the word hath no need of thee it is a dreadfull thing to be rejected of god. and then , thou art nigh unto cursing : it may be the lord may for the time withdraw himself from the soul , and manifest that it is as it were rejected ; but yet the soul hath not the curse of god upon it , to say , well , let this soul perish for ever : but some there are that are under an actual curse , and saith god , well , my word shall never do good to this ●oul , such a one hath sate under it thus long , and hath rejected it , my word shall never do good to him : like as in luk. . where those that made excuses when they were bidden to the supper , the text saith at length , that the master of the feast was angry , ( which was god himself that invited them by the gospel to partake of his son ; and when men would not come in but make excuses , and refused the offer of the gospel , ) verily ( saith he ) none of those men that were bidden shall taste of my supper . they shall never partake of any good of the gospel . this is a dreadfull curse . now the lord deliver you from having this curse pronounced against you , but yet i beseech you tremble at this scripture in the hebrews , they are nigh to cursing . who knows how nigh some soul in this place may be to this curse , for god to say , this soul hath been often invited , and yet hath made excuses and put off all , he shall never taste of my supper , of the good things in jesus christ , the word that hath been so rejected shall never do them good more ; you had better never been born then to have this curse actually upon you . oh fear and tremble lest your condition be such as to be nigh to cursing : who knows what a day , a week may bring forth ? it may be the lord may spare and be willing to passe by the neglect of former sermons ; but who knows what the next actuall rebellion against the lord in his word may do to bring the curse upon thee ? and then if so , the next part of the verse will prove to be thy portion , whose end is to be burned . oh! it is a dreadfull thing to sin against the word : god stands much upon it . eightly , know that if gods name be not sanctified in it , the end that god hath appointed it for , will be turned quite contrary to thee ; the proper end that god hath appointed his word for , it is to save souls , but now , where gods name is not sanctified it is turned quite contrary , so the apostle in cor. . . to the one we are the savour of death unto death , and to the other the savour of life unto life : it is a dreadful thing that the good word of god in which there is such treasures of gods mercy , wherein the counsels of god , concerning mans eternal estates comes to be revealed , that this should prove to be the favour of death unto death , unto any soul , that is , to have such an efficacy in it , as to kill them by the very scent of it as it were ; as some things have such a poyson in them , as the very scent is enough to poyson one . so saith the apostle , to some our word hath that efficacy being turned quite to the contrary end some souls are sav'd , and are and shal be blessing god to al eternity for the word , and thy soul is dam'd by the word , so as thou wilt hereafter curse the time that ever thou camest to hear it : that will be a dreadful thing that the same word that others shall be blessing of god eternally in heaven for ; that thou shalt be cursing eternally in hell for , it will be turned to the quite contrary end , if it works not in the right way it will work the other , the truth is , it hardens mens hearts if it brings them not to god ; there is nothing that doth harden the hearts of men more then the ministry of the word : yet by accident , not by its self , there is no men in the world have such hard hearts as those that are wicked under the ministry of the word ; it is not only an argument that their hearts are hard , but they are hardened by it : that in isa . . . . is remarkable for this , and the rather because i find it so often quoted by christ , i think it is quoted three or four times in the gospel , and he said go and tell this people , hear ye indeed , but understand not , and see ye indeed but perceive not ; make the heart of this people fat , and make their eares heavy , and shut their eyes , lest they see with their eyes , and hear with their eares , and understand with their heart , and convert and be healed . this is a strange scripture , what must a prophet go to them , to make their hearts fat , and to shut their eyes , why , the word is appointed to open mens eyes , but here the prophet is sent to shut their eyes that they might not be converted , this is dreadful , this is for the punishment of some former neglect of the word of god sent unto this people , above all judgements you should be afraid of this ; it is not so much that a fire should be upon your houses , as that god should make his word to be a means to harden your hearts . in ezek. . we have a dreadful expression to this purpose by the prophet there , where the lord saith , that the people did come to inquire of him , with setting up their idols in their hearts , but saith god , i will answer them according to their idoll . if men come to the ministry of the word with their beloved sins , and resolve that they will not part with them , the lord many times in his just judgment suffers some things in the word to be accidentally a means to harden them in that sin of theirs , i will answer them according to their idoll , those men are in a dreadful estate whose hearts come to be hardened by the word . ninthly , if thou doest not sanctifie gods name in the hearing of the word , what comfort canst thou ever have by the word in the day of thy affliction ? certainly when the day of thy affliction comes , then there is nothing can comfort thee but the word . vnlesse thy law had been my delight ( saith david ) i should then have perished in mine affliction , but thou having been exercised in the word so much and gods name not sanctifed , thou must not expect to have thy soul comforted in the day of thy affliction . no marvail then though the word hath been applied again and again to your hearts , and nothing would stick : i remember it was an expression of one in a great deal of terror of conscience many came to apply comfortable scriptures to him , and he himself for a while did take those scriptures and lay them upon his heart to passifie his troubled conscience , but a little before he dyed , he cries out with a most fearful terror , there is a fair plaister made but it will 〈◊〉 on , it will not stick on , so dyed despairing ; so there is in the word such a plaister as may help a wounded and troubled conscience , but 〈◊〉 thou expect that hast not sanctified gods name in thy life time that it shall stick upon thy soul in the day of thy affliction ? never expect it , for the lord hath said otherwise , prov. . because when i cryed and call'd ye would not hear , you shall cry and call and i will not hear ; the lord in his word cries to thee , oh thou sinful soul who art going on in the waies of sin and eternal destruction , return , return , that is the way that will bring thee to eternal miseries , but here is the way that will bring thee to life and eternal salvation : thus the lord cries and cals to day to day , and thou stoppest thy eare , oh how just is it with god to stop his eare from thy crying and calling in the day of thy affliction . further , know that thou that doest not sanctifie the name of god in his word , that all the word of god will be made good one day upon thee , god hath his time to magnifie his law and to make it honorable isa . . . you sight gods law , you slight his word , and despise it , but god will magnifie it and make it honorable , there is not any sentence that thou hast heard in the word , but it shall be made good , whatsoever becomes of thy soul , thou thinkest that god is a merciful god & he will not damn thee ; but though god be merciful & hath regard to his creatures , yet the lord hath ten thousand times more regard to his word then to all the souls of men and women in the world , and god will stand to make that good , he will not have such regard to that wretched vile sinful soul of thine as not to honour his word , he will honour his word whatsoever becomes of thee , and all that thou hast heard and rejected shall be made good upon thee one day . again the word that thou doest reject and sin against , it shall be the word that shall judge thee , joh. . . look to it as well as you will : this book of god out of which we preach , and those truths that we delivered to you from this word , they must be called over again at the great day to judge your souls by , the sentence of every one of your eternall estates must be tryed out of this book : oh look upon it as the word that must judge your souls at the last day , and then you will see it a dreadfull thing not to sanctifie gods name in it . and then when the word doth judge you , you shall obey it whether you will or no. now the word convinces you and you will not obey it ; but when god comes to judge you by the word , then you shall obey it : then when god comes to read that sentence out of the word , go ye cursed into everlasting fire : then i say you shall be forced to obey it . lastly , there is yet one thing more ( which should have been mentioned before ) which is very remarkable ; that those men which do not sanctifie gods name in his word , they will be blasted , even here while they live their parts and common gifts that they yet have will be blasted , wither , and come to nothing . we find it ordinarily , that many that are young , had very good beginnings , and very good parts , that were very hopefull , and would speak very favourly where they came , afterwards beginning by degrees to neglect the word , the lord hath blasted them , their gifts have withered , the common gifts of the spirit have been taken from them . i will give you one text for that in luk. . . take heed therefore how ye hear . ( it is an exhortation that follows upon the parable of the sower that went out to sow ) because it is so that when the word is sowen as seed , there is so little of it doth prosper , and most hearers do not sanctifie gods name in it , therefore look to your selves : why ? for whosoever hath , to him shall be given ; and whosoever hath not , from him shall be taken even that which he seemeth to have . you had need look to your selves how you hear , for the truth is , all depends upon it under god , have you got any common gifts of the spirit of god , or any abilities to do any service for god ? do not be proud of them , neither be jolly , nor think that you are able to do better then others , and that those are but ordinary things that the minister speaks , and you are gotten into a higher forme . look to your selves , take heed you come not to the word with a proud spirit , be not offended at the plainnesse of the word , take heed how you hear ; for if you do not , that that you seem to have shall be taken from you saith christ : you seem to have excellent gifts yea you seem to have grace too , but take heed how you hear for all this , whatsoever parts you have got , though you be highly esteemed in the company where you come , and you are able to do things more then others , yet i say , take heed how you hear , for otherwise that that you have will be taken away from you : have have we not seen this in our own experience ? and it is apparent that they began to be withered and to be blasted by neglecting of the word . and therefore i beseech you look to this , that you do sanctifie the name of god in his word , and let your hearts bow unto it as unto the ordinance of god , and waite upon it in the ministry of it , lest you wither and be blasted and come to nothing . and thus i have shewen the great evill of not sanctifying gods name , and how god will be sanctified . i shall be very brief in the use of exhortation . oh that the lord by this would cause some thing to stick upon your hearts , that what hath been preached in this point may be made usefull for many sermons afterwards ! that it might be said of you in this place as it was said of them in act. . . when the gentiles heard this they were glad and glorified the word of the lord , and as many as were ordained to eternall life beleeved ! oh that god would make every one of you to be a means to glorifie the word of god! that should be our care that the word of god may be glorified by us ; we come to hear the word , but take heed that the word of god be not dishonoured by us , in thess . . . finally brethren pray for us that the word of the lord may have free course , and be glorified , even as it is with you ; oh that we were able to say so ! and yet through gods mercy in some degree we hope we can say so and i could heartily pray that the word of god might be glorified in all places as it hath been with many of you ; but yet go on in this , and labour every one of you that it may be more glorified , that you may manifest the power of the word in your conversations , that all that do behold you may glorifie the word and say , oh what hath the lord wrought in such a place , in such families , families that were wretched , vild , carnal , and liv'd without god in the world , prophane , swearers , foul-mouth'd , unclean ; now since they have attended upon the word , how hath it wrought upon them ! what a change is there in such men and women ! that the carnal husband may say , since such time as my wife hath attended upon the word i have seen a beauty in her conversation , shee is more holy , more gentle , and meek ; and so my servant , more submissive and faithful , and so my children more obedient then before ; oh that the word may be thus glorified ! take heed i beseech you that the word be not blasphemed by any of you : in tit. . . there the apostle gives divers exhortations , and among others to wives , and to servants : to be 〈◊〉 chast● keepers at home , good , obedient to their own husbands , that the 〈◊〉 god be not blasphemed , you must perform your duties unto your husbands , and why ? that so the word of god be not blasphemed , that is , that neither your husbands , nor any of your friends may blasphem the word , and say , what , do you get this by going to sermons ? oh it should peirce your hearts when as your consciences tell you that you have given cause whereby the word of god should be blasphemed : and so he exhorts servants and others , and all in the strength of this argument , that the word of god be not blasphemed : you get up early in a morning to hear the word , that 's good , but take heed you give no occasion that the word be blasphemed : now , i shall shew what an excellent thing it is so to sanctifie gods name in the hearing of his word , as to honour it , and how god will sanctifie his owne name in mercy to you . first , all the good in the word is thine if thou doest sanctifie gods name . there is aboundance of good in this word that we preach , it is the word of the gospel , and to have all the good in that to be thine , that must needs be an excellent thing ; you will say , some times i read and hear such things in the word that if i were but sure that these things were my portion how happy should i be ? here 's one sign by which thou mayest be assured that they are all thy portion : is it thy unfained care to sanctifie gods name in the hearing of his word ? oh peace be to thee , all the good in the word is thine : and here we might fall into a comendation of the word of the gospel , and if i should give way to that a great deal of time would quickly be gone , i will only give you one scripture for your encouragement to sanctifie gods name in the hearing of his word by way of comendation of it . it is rom. . . ( a place i am afraid you have not had the sweetnesse of it for the want of understanding it ) it is quoted out of deut. for moses describeth the righteousness which is of the law , that the man which doth those things shall live by them . but the righteousness which is of faith speaketh on this wise ; say not in thine heart who shall ascend into heaven , that is , to bring christ down from above , or who shall descend into the deep , that is , to bring christ again from the dead ? but what saith it ? the word is nigh thee , even in thy mouth and in thy heart , that is the word of faith which we preach . the text hath some difficulty and yet exceeding sweet to us to know it ; i confesse if the apostle paull had not quoted this place out of deut. and thus interpreted it , who could ever have thought in reading of deut. that by the one had been ment the word of the law , and by the other the word of the gospel , therefore the meaning is this , here is a comparison between the word of the law , and the word of the gospel , concerning the word of the law , there is two things wherein that comes short of the word of the gospel . first , it is not so nigh thee . secondly , it is not so certain to assure thy soul what shall become of thee to all eternity : the word of the law saith who shall ascend into heaven , &c. but the word of the gospel is nigh thee even in thy mouth and in thy heart : you will say , why is not the word of the law as nigh one as the word of the gospel ? i answer , the word of the law you hear it in your eares , but it is not written in the heart as the word of the gospel is : the law cannot work savingly upon the heart of a man to bring salvation : those that are meerly legall they can hear the duties that are required , but that word hath no power to write in their hearts what they do hear : but now when you come to hear the word of the gospel , that is nigh you , even in your very hearts as well as in your eares , god speaks in it , and it comes into your hearts and there it works efficaciously , which the law cannot . the law is but as a dead letter in comparison of the word of the gospel . if you come meerly to hear the law preached , and not in an evangellicall way , you may hear it a hundred times and it will never be written in your hearts , but when you come to hear the gospel in an evangellicall way , that will come to be written in your hearts : so that the word of the gospel is nigh you : but what is the meaning of the other , say not , who shall ascend up into heaven , & c ? the meaning is this , as if the apostle should say , the truth is , while you have no other but the righteousnesse of the law , you are at an infinit uncertainty about your eternal estates . the law saith , do and live : but you can never know when you have done enough so as to be certain that you are well for eternity . that saith , who shall ascend into heaven to know the mind of god concerning me ? whether he will accept of me , and of that obedience and worship that i tender up to him ? who shall go down into the deep ? who shall go down to hell to know there , whether that place be prepared for him or not ? it is a phrase that only expresseth an uncertainty that one cannot be satisfied about his eternall estate , except he could go to heaven and there see and read gods book and so discover gods mind concerning him ; or go down to hell , and so know whether that place be appointed for him or not except i can do one of these , i can not certainly tell , ( meerly by the law ) whether i shall go to heaven or hell . as you that are merchants and dealers abroad , you are at a great deal of uncertainty what shall become of your estates . indeed if i could send one over to the indies to tell me how my ship prospered , then i could be at a certainty , then i should hear whether i were a rich man yea or no , but except i could do such a thing i am at an uncertainty : such is the expression here . as if a poor soul should say , i would fain be saved , and loth to perish eternally ; but all the while the soul remains under the law , it remains in an uncertain condition ; but now saith he , the word of the gospel is nigh thee even in thine heart ; and that is the word that we preach , that saith , rom. . . if thou shalt confesse with thy mouth the lord jesus , and shalt beleeve in thine heart that god hath raised him from the dead , thou shalt be saved . as if he should say , this word of the gospel that is come into thine heart doth assure thy soul of thy eternall estate , so that though thou canst not go up to heaven , nor go down to hell , yet thou hast that in thine heart , that doth as it were assure thee that thou shalt be eternally saved , as if thou wert able to go up to the highest heavens and fetch newes from thence . oh now the good word of the gospel how should we prize it , and keep it in our hearts ? for that 's in our hearts that wil assure us of our salvation to all eternity , & of gods eternal purpose to do the good in heaven . you would account it a great happines if there could be any art to send abroad to the straits or to other place , to know how things fare with you : but now if thou hast the word of the gospel within thee , if that prevails in thy soul , thou hast alwaies got something in thy heart that will tel thee how things are with thee in heaven , and what shall become of thee for all eternity . oh who would not sanctifie the name of god in hearing of his word , seeing it is such a blessed word wherein the gospel is opened with more clearnesse then it hath been to many of our fore-fathers . it is a certain evidence of your election , in thess . . , , . remembring without ceasing your work of faith , and labour of love , and patience of hope in our lord jesus christ , in the sight of god and our father ; knowing brethren , beloved , your election of god. why ? for our gospel came not to you in word only , but also in power , and in the holy ghost , and in much assurance . and know this excellency there is in sanctifying gods name in hearing the word , i beseech you mark it , that it is a more blessed thing , then if you did bear jesus christ in your wombes ; you that are women , would not you have accounted it a great happines if christ had been borne in your wombes ? now if thou comest to the hearing of the word , and sanctifiest gods name in it , thou art in a better condition , and hast a greater blessing upon thee , then if thou hadest borne jesus christ in thy womb . in luk. . . . and it came to passe as he spake these things , that a certain woman of the company lift up her voice and said unto him , blessed is the womb that bare thee , and the paps which thou hast sucked . seeing christ and what gracious things came from him , she spake so ; but he said , yea , rather blessed are they that hear the word of god & keep it . that is , labour to sanctifie my name , ( as hath been opened in the particulars ) rather is that women blessed that do so , then the woman that bare christ : me thinks this one scripture should be such a scripture for women , to cause them to sanctifie gods name in hearing of the word , instead of a hundred scriptures ; certainly thou maiest be so blessed , if thou wilt beleeve the word that comes from christs mouth . do you sanctifie the name of god in the word , that wil sanctifie you , by that your souls come to be sanctified , & it wil comfort you in the day of your affliction , & it will save you at last . you that do sanctifie gods name in the hearing of his word , you will be the glory of the ministers of god at the great day of judgement . you will be an honour to them , before the lord , and his saints , and angels . in phil. . . holding forth ( saith the text ) the word of life . this is the duty of all the hearers of the word that they must hold forth the word of life ; when you go home , you must hold forth the power of the word you hear , well what will become of that ? that i may rejoyce in the day of christ , that i have not runne in vain , neither laboured in vain ; let that be one motive among the rest , saith the apostle , this will be such a glory to me , that i in the day of jesus christ shall rejoyce that i have not laboured in vain , i shall blesse god for all my studies and care , and all the pains that ever i have taken , and ventring my self for this people , i shall blesse god in the day of jesus christ . would it not be a comfortable thing to you , that all the ministers of god that come to preach the word faithfully to you , if at the day of jesus christ you should hear them blessing god that ever he did send them to preach the gospel in such a place , and you should hear them saying , oh lord , it may be had i been sent to another place i should have spent all my strength in vain , but through thy mercy i was sent to a teachable people that were ready to imbrace thy word , oh this is my crown and glory . would it not do good to any whose hearts are faithful to think this , that their holding forth the word of life will not only be a glory to god , which is the cheif , but it will be a glory to the ministers , to recompence all their labours , that you shall not only be saved your selves in the day of jesus christ , but you shall adde to the glory of his faithful ministers likewise when they do appear before christ ? i shall adde one particular more , there is a time coming when god shall magnifie his word before men and angels : in i●● . . . he will magnifie his law and make it honorable , what a joy shal it be to thee when the lord before men and angels shall come to magnifie his word , and make it honorable , for thee then to think ; this is the word that spoke to my heart at such and such a time , this is that word that i did reverence , that i did obey , that i did love , that i made to be the joy of my heart , this word the lord now doth magnifie and make to be honorable ? this will be comfortable to thy soul. the eleventh sermon . the eleventh sermon . leviticus . . . i will be sanctified in them that come nigh me . the last day we finished the point of sanctification of the name of god in the hearing of his word ; and now wee will proceed to the sanctification of the name of god in receiving the sacrament ; that 's the next duty of worship . now first for the word sacrament , i confesse wee have not that word in all the scripture , as neither have we the word trinitie , and divers other words that ministers make use of , to set forth the mysteries of religion by , but yet it is usefull to consider the meaning why ministers in the church have given this name , unto those signes and seals that the church receives ; sacrament , is to hallow a thing , or to dedicate , because in the sacraments there are outward things , that are made holy , for holy and spirituall ends . secondly , wee our selves do as it were hallow , or dedicate our selves unto god in the use of these ordinances ; that 's one reason from whence it hath the name . or otherwise as some will have it sacramentum , because it is to be received sacramente with a holy mind , and therefore cald the sacrament . the churches have used it a long time ; in tertullians time ( which was above fourteen hundred years agoe ) he was the first that we find used this word , and most that would open the word unto us , say , that especially it was taken from the practise of souldiers , who when they came and listed themselves , bound themselves in a solemne oath to be faithful to their captaine , and to the cause that they did undertake ; and the oath , they were wont to call sacramentum , a sacrament . now in regard that christians when they come to this ordinance , they come to seale a covenant with god , and though they doe not formally and explicitely take an oath , yet they bind themselves in a holy covenant , which hath the strength even of an oath in it ; ( for a solemne promise to the high god hath the strength of an oath in it ) and from thence they were cald by these names , sacraments : but that for the word , that you may understand it . but the word the scripture useth to set out this sacrament , by that now i am speaking of , is the communion of the body and bloud of christ ; so you have it in cor. . . the cup of blessing which we blesse , is it not the communion of the bloud of christ ? the bread which we break , is it not the communion of the body of christ ? i say we are now treating about this point , how wee are to sanctifie the name of god in that which the scripture cals the communion of the body and bloud of christ ; and now for the opening of that . first , we must know that this is a part of the worship of god , and we draw nigh to god in this , or otherwise it will not come up to our point . and then wee shall shew that god is to be sanctifyed in this duty of worship . and then thirdly how . first , wee doe in this draw nigh to god ; we worship god ; for when we are comming to receive these holy signes and seals , we come to present our selves before god ; and we have to deal with god himselfe in a service that hee himselfe requires of us , in a holy , in a divine service : wee come to present our selves to god for blessing , for communication of some higher good unto us , then possibly those creatures that we have to deale with , are able of themselves to convey to us , come for a higher good then to tast a peece of bread , or to drink a draught of wine , we come i say to present our selves to god ; that wee might have communion with him , and that we might have the blessin of the covenant of grace conveyed unto us through these things ; now certainly this is a drawing nigh to god ; for to present our selves , for the conveyance of the blessing of the covenant of grace through these creatures , yea , that we might have communion with god himselfe in them , this is drawing nigh to him , when we come to his table ; therefore we draw nigh to god ; had not god instituted and appointed these creatures , bread and wine and the actions about them to be the meanes of conveyance of blessing unto us , it had been will-worship for us to have expected any further presence of god in such creatures , then there is in the nature of them . it is true , god is present with every creature , when we eat and drinke at our tables god is present there ; but we cannot be said to draw nigh to god , and worship god there ; for we there looke for no further presence of god with us in them , to convey further good then the lord hath put into the nature of those things : onely when godly people take them , and receive them as blessings sanctified by the word , they take them as the blessings of god that come out of love to them . but now when we come to receive that which is cald the communion , there we expect things that are beyond the nature of these creatures to convey that that is by an institution of god set apart for supernatural uses and ends , not to convey in any naturall way such and such things but in a supernaturall way , through the institution of god , and so it comes to bee worship . had we not i say a command for this , it were superstition and idolatry for us to make use of such creatures for such ends . if any man in the world should have appointed a peece of bread , or a draougth of wine to have signified and , sealed the body and blood of christ it hath been superstition in any , and wil-worship , and sinfull and abominable to you ; but we are to look upon god setting apart these creatures for such holy and solemne ends , and , therefore when we come to be exercised in them , we come to worship god ; and wee come likewise to tendes up our homage to god when wee come to attend upon him in such ordinances as these are to tender up that homage that is 〈◊〉 poor creatures unto 〈◊〉 as infinite and glorious god , and the 〈◊〉 we draw nigh to 〈◊〉 in these . secondly , wee must sanctifie gods name in drawing nigh to him : whatsoever we doe , whether we eat or drinke we must do all to the glory of god ; now if in our common eating and drinking we must do all to the glory of god , then certainly in this spirituall eating and drinking there must be some special thing done for the glory of god in this . . because there is so much of god in it , for here there is a presenting before us the great yea the greatest mysteries of salvation , and the deep counsels of god concerning eternall life , are presented before us in these outward elements of the bread and wine , and the action thereof ; now when we come to eat and to drinke those things that are appointed to set forth the greatest mysteries of salvation , and the deepest of the councels of god concerning mans eternall good , wherein especially god will glorifie himselfe ; we had need there sanctifie the name of god , for the things are very great and glorious that are presented unto us . . this ordinance of the lords supper , or the communion it is an ordinance that christ hath left to his church , out of the abundance of his love , and therefore you shall find if you read the institution of it , in the . of matth. that the same night wherein christ was betrayed , he took bread and brake it ; though christ was to die the next day , and to encounter with the wrath of god , yea that very night he was to be in an agonie , and to sweat drops of water and blood , and the next day to die and to have these tryals of wrath poured upon him , so as to put him to cry out my god my god why hast thou forsaken me : yet he busies his thoughts that very night to institute this supper ; surely it must be a great ordinance , and there is a great deale of the love of christ in it . christ saw that his church had need of it , that he should that night when he was betrayed have his thoughts busied about such a thing as this is . one would thinke at that time , that he had enough to take up his thoughts concerning himselfe , being to encounter with the law , and with the wrath of god for mans sinne ; but for all that great worke christ had to encounter with , yet his thoughts are bulied about this great ordinance of the institution of the supper , and therefore there was great love in it , christ saw that it was a matter of great moment ; now if it is so , than there is great cause why we should sanctifie gods name in such an ordinance as this is , and not to account it as a common and ordinary thing . . we must sanctifie gods name in this ; because it is the sacrament of our communion with christ ; wherein we come to have such a neer union and communion with him as to eath's flesh and to drinke his blood , and to sit at his table . we come to have communion with christ even in all our sences ; now christ comming so fully to us , that cals upon us to sanctifie his name when we come before him . . in this the covenant of grace is sealed , the covenant of grace comes to be sealed in both the parts of it ; now when wee come to have to deale with god in the way of the covenant of grace , both to have the seale on his part , and the seale on ours , surely this must needs call for a sanctifyed use of such a thing as is so holy as this is . and that 's the first reason why we are to sanctifie gods name in this , because if we be in ordinary eating and drinking we must doe it , then in this , wherein there is so much of god , wherein the mysteries of godlinesse are set before us , wherein there is so much of the love of christ , wherein we are to have close communion with jesus christ , and wherein the covenant of grace comes to be sealed on both sides : there had need therefore be a sanctifying of gods name in the use of it . secondly , consider this ; that there is no duty in all the book of god that i know of , that is urged with more strength and severity then this is ; as that place in cor. . sheweth where you have required of every one that comes to receive the bread and wine in the lords supper , that they should examine themselves and so eate , and you have the most dreadfull expressions against those that doe not doe it , that i know are mentioned against the neglect of any duty in all the book of god ; there the holy-ghost saith , that whosoever eats and drinks unworthily , first , he is guilty of the body and bloud of christ , and then secondly , he eats and drinks his owne damnation ; these two expressions have as much dreadfulnesse in them as can be imagined , and we doe not find an exhortation to a duty backt with two such severe expressions , in case we should neglect our duty , as this exhortation . what if wee doe not sanctifie gods name in this duty ? wee come to be guilty of the body and bloud of christ . bloud-guiltinesse is a terrible thing ; you know david cries out , lord deliver me from bloud-guiltinesse ; to have but the bloud of an ordinary man to lie upon one , to shed the bloud of the vildest rogue that lives , in a murderous way , it would lie upon the conscience and be very terrible ; it is impossible that such a man can be quiet all his dayes though he hath never such a seared conscience . a heathen could not be at quiet , if he hath the guilt of bloud lie upon him ; but to be guilty of the bloud of christ , whose bloud is ten thousand thousand times more worth then the bloud of all the men that ever lived upon the face of the earth , must needs be a most dreadfull thing ; it is a fearefull expression ; guilty of the body and bloud of christ , that is , he offers such an indignity to the body and bloud of christ , as the lord will charge him of being guilty of it , guilty of abusing of the body and bloud of jesus christ . and then he doth eat and drinke his owne damnation ; but wee shall speake more to that , when wee come to shew how god will sanctifie his name in those that doe not sanctifie it here in this holy ordinance . i will not therefore spend further time in those scriptures , for i bring them only now to shew that there is a necessity of it , that we do sanctifie the name of god in this ordinance . thirdly , there is nothing that strikes more upon a mans conscience ; wee find it by experience ; even upon wicked mens consciences , and especially upon such as begin to be enlightned in the holinesse of this ordinance , god hath put much honour upon it ; i confesse some men may use it superstitiously though it be an ordinance of christ , yet god hath put a great deale of honour upon this ordinance , that men that are very wicked otherwise , yet their consciences tell them that when they come to this ordinance then they must be good , then they must not sinne , but have good thoughts , and good prayers at that time . and many times they dare not come , if their consciences tell them that they live in some sin . i knew one my selfe once that was to be executed , and he had never received this ordinance in all his life , though about fourty yeares of age , and being askt the reason why , he confest he lived in some sin that hee was loth to leave , and therefore would never come to that ordinance all his life , though herein the devill gull'd and deceived him ; but i mention it to shew what a power there is in the consciences of men about this ordinance ; this ordinarily is one of the first things that strikes upon the soules of men , when they come to have their consciences awakened , oh how have i prophaned the name of god in the ordinance of the holy communion and have not sanctified his name in it . that god should be sanctified in this ordinance , that 's cleer enough . but now the great work is ( which is the third thing that i promised to shew ) how wee should sanctifie gods name in this ordinance . certainly the name of god hath bin much taken in vain , there hath been a great deale of pollution in the use of this ordinance , and in mens spirits when they have been exercising themselves in such an holy ordinance as this is ; therefore i will open this to you , and shall not be very large in it , only to shew you the maine and principall things that may serve for the direction of us , that the name of god may not be so taken in vaine and dishonored as heretofore , and i shall cast what i intend to speak of into these particulars . that whosoever was to pertake of this must be holy himself ; none can sanctifie god , but he must have a sanctified heart himselfe . secondly , this ordinance it must be received in a holy communion ; there must be a communion of saints for this ordinance ; and it cannot be received anywhere else but in a communion of saints . thirdly , the holy disposition of soule particularly , or the qualifications of soule that are required for the sanctifying of gods name in this ordinance . fourthly , the manner of the explicite goings out of the soule , that there are to bee at that very time of receiving . fifthly , the keeping of the institution of christ in our receiving . these things are required for the sanctifying of the name of god in this ordinance . for the first , those that come must bee holy themselves . this is an ordinance not appointed for conversion , to make holy ; others that are not converted may come to the word , because the word it is appointed to worke conversion ; t is appointed to worke grace , to worke the first grace , faith comes by hearing ; but we doe not find in all the scripture that this is appointed for conversion , but it supposes conversion ; none are to come to receive this sacrament but men and women that before are converted by the word ; the word first therefore is to be preached to men for their conversion ; and then this is an ordinance appointed for to seale them ; therefore in the primitive times they let all come to hearing of the word , and then when the sermon was done , there was an officer stept up and cried holy things for holy men , and then all others were to goe out , and therefore it was called missa ( though the papists did corrupt it and so called it the masse afterwards , by mixing their own inventions in stead of the supper of the lord , but it had that name at first ) i say this holy communion was calld by the name of missa , because that all others were sent away , and only such as were of the church , and accounted godly staid ; holy things to holy men . and this must needs be so , because that the nature of it being the seal of the covenant of grace requires it ; it must be supposed that all that come hither must be in covenant with god , they must be such as have been brought to submit to the condition of the covenant . now the condition of the covenant of grace is , beleeve and be saved ; it is therefore appointed for beleevers ; and as the nature of it being a seal supposeth a covenant , so none can have this covenant sealed to them , but those that doe first submit to it , and are brought into covenant ; when you make an indenture , and put to the seale , certainly the seale belongs only to those that have their names in the indenture : now t is true though mens names are not mentioned in the word , yet the condition is to those that are brought in to beleeve in jesus christ ; saith god i come now to seale all my mercies in christ to their soules . we abuse god if we come to take the seal to a blanke , it is to make this ordinance a ridiculous thing ; therefore there must be some transactions between god and your souls before you come to the seale ; if a man should say to you come set to your seale to such a thing , and there were never any kind of transactions between this man and you before , you would account it ridiculous ; after there hath been agreements between you , you use then to seale . so it must be here ; i would appeal to many of your consciences that have come to the lords supper , what transactions have there been between god and your soules ? canst thou say the lord was pleased to reveale himselfe to mee ; to make known to mee my wretched condition , and the way of grace and salvation , and shewed me that upon my comming in to receive his son , he would be mercifull to me and pardon my sins ; and i have found the spirit of god working my heart to jesus christ , the lord from heaven speaking to me , and i sending an answer to heaven againe , how willing my soule was to accept of the covenant , which the lord hath made with poor creatures in the word of his gospell ? canst thou say this in the uprightnesse of thy heart ? if not , know that this seale belongs not to thee : untill the lord hath by his word subdued thy heart to this agreement first with him . secondly , this ordinance , it is the ordinance of spiritual nourishment , of eating the flesh of christ and drinking his bloud in a spirituall way . now it must needs suppose that first there must be life before there can be any nourishment received in . if it be appointed to nourish and increase grace , then surely there must be grace before ; what nourishment can a dead child take ? the very first thing that is to be done is nourishment here , the word hath power to convey life and then to nourish , but we read of no such thing here , but that which is to be done here is presently to feed , to eat , and to drinke , that 's the end of the sacrament ; therefore it must be supposed that thou must have spiritual life , there must come no dead soule to this ordinance , but those who are quickned by the spirit of jesus christ , they must come for nourishment . thirdly , the act here required doth note that only those that are holy and godly can receive this sacrament ; we are required by the apostle to examine our selves . to examine our selves of what ? it must be of our godlinesse , examine what worke of god hath been upon the soule , how god hath brought the soule to himselfe , and what graces of the spirit of god are there , and how we have been brought into covenant with god now if only those can receive worthily , and are to come that first examine themselves , then certainly such only as are godly are to come , for they only can performe those acts that are required . fourthly , it s a sacrament of communion with god , and communion with the saints ; now what communion hath light and darknesse ? or what fellowship hath christ with belial , if it be a sacrament of communion , of coming to the table of god will god have his enemies to come to his table ? you will invite no enemies to your tables , but your children and friends , so they must be the children of god and the friends of god , these that are reconciled to god in the bloud of his son , and those that are his children that must sit at his table , therefore they must be holy . now this may suffice for that first thing , that this is not an ordinance for all sorts of people , but such as have submitted to the condition of the covenant before . such as have grace , and abilitie to examine themselves of their graces , and such as are children and reconciled to god , and so are fit to sit at the table of god , and to enjoy communion with him and with his son , and with the saints ; for we are one body sacramentally when we come to this holy ordinance ; all others therefore certainly are to be kept from this sacrament but such . the second thing will make it out more fully , and that is , it is not enough that wee be holy our selves ; ( and so all ignorant , prophane and scandalous , yea all that are meerly civil , that can not make out any work of godlinesse upon their hearts in bringing them to christ , are excluded . ) but it is to be done in a holy communion , and is cleer out of that place in cor. . , . the cup of blessing which wee blesse , is it not the communion of the blood of christ ? the bread which wee break , is it not the communion of the body of christ ? and then saith the apostle in the . verse , for we being many are one bread and one body ; therefore all that come to receive the sacrament , they must so come as they must be one body , one spiritual corporation ; this very consideration , that those with whom we receive the sacrament are one body with us , it hath a great deale in it , for the helping of us to sanctifie gods name ; this ordinance i say , it is to be received only in a holy communion ; one christian cannot receive the sacrament alone ; there must be a communion wheresoever it is to be administered ; it is not enough there is one godly man there , but there must be a communion of saints , and in that communion it is to be received . quest . you will say , must it be received in a communion of saints ? what if wicked men doe come there ? will that hinder us from sanctifying gods name in partaking of the sacrament with them ? doe not wee finde in scripture that the church had alwayes wicked men among them ? there are alwayes tares growing up with the wheat : if you read even in the corinthians , you shall find that there were some in that church that were wicked , yea and its thought that judas himselfe did receive the sacrament too ; therefore what if wicked men be there , doth that hinder ? answ . i answer , first it is true , that in the church of god there have been wicked men , and is like there will be wicked men to the end of the world ; but yet wheresoever there is a right communion of saints , there ought to be the power of christ exercised to cast out those wicked men , or at least to withdraw from them . this is the law of christ , that if there be any that have communion with you , if any of them doe appear to be wicked , you are bound in conscience to goe and tell them ; if they do not reforme , you are bound to take two or three , and if they doe not yet reforme , then you are bound to tell the church , to tell the assembly of the saints when they meet together ; for so the word church doth signifie , and wee find in the cor. . chap. that when there was an incestuous person to bee cast out , it was done in the presence of the congregation : thus farre you are bound to doe , otherwise you cannot say that it is nothing to you if wicked men bee there , for you have not discharged your conscience , and so you come to be defiled , and you doe not sanctifie gods name in this ordinance , because you have not done to the uttermost of your duty for the casting out of those wicked men . and marke in cor. . . there the apostle writing to the church , bids them that they should purge out the old leven , know yee not saith he , that a little leven leveneth the whole lump ? the apostle doth not speak there of sin , but of the wicked incestuous person , saith he , you must look to it that this man be purged out from you , or otherwise you are all levened by it , that is , the whole church would be levened by it , if there were not care taken to purge out that one man. you will say , shall we be the worse for one wicked mans coming ? no , if we be no way faulty of it , then we cannot be said to be worse and it cannot leven us ; but now when it is our duty to purge him out and we doe not doe it , as in all communion of saints there is a duty , and there is not any one but may do something towards it ; thus far every communicant in every communion of saints must goe ; if there be a wicked man there , if you come to know it , and doe not goe thus far as i have spoken , you art defiled by him , you are not defiled by the meer presence of wicked men , ( for that 's a meer deceit and gall that some would put upon men that differ from them otherwise ; ) but thus now you are defiled by their presence , if you doe not doe your duty , and the uttermost that you are able to purge them out ; yea , then the whole congregation is defiled , if they doe not doe their duty ; now this is the duty of every one in the congregation , to tell their brother , or to take two or three , and after that to tell the church , and so come to professe against them , or if the church will not doe their duty as they ought , yet then to free their own soules , as to professe , here is one that is so and so guilty , and may be proved thus and thus , and so for my part i to free my own soule professe that this man or woman ought nor to have communion here ; and thus you come to free your own soules , and when you have done thus , though wicked men be there you may there eate and drink and not be defiled by their presence , for you cannot be said properly to eate with them now , not to have communion with them , no more than if a dog should come and skip upon the table , and take a peece of bread ; you cannot have communion with him because he takes it , no more have you with those wicked men when once you have dealt so far with them , you for your selves professe against them that you for your own particular cannot have cōmunion with them herein ; this is not to eat with them : the apostle in cor. . latter end , he doth there require , in the . v. that if any man that is called a brother be a fornicator , or covetous , or an idolater , or a raylor , or a drunkard , or an extortioner , with such a one no not to eate ; for what have i to doe to judge them also that are without ? that is , the heathens , and those that were in no communion with them , i have nothing to do to judge them ; but doe not yee judge them that are within ? when wee have so far freed our selves as professing against their sin , then we cannot be said to have communion with them , and then wee do withdraw from those that walk disorderly , when wee doe our duty thus far . thess . . . if any man obey not our word by this epistle , note that man , and have no company with him , that hee may be ashamed ; and in the sixt verse of that chapter hee commands them in the name of our lord jesus christ that they should withdraw themselves from every brother that walked disorderly . so that till we do our duty we come to be defiled ; but now , if we do our duty , then it is not the mixture of a congregation that is enough to hinder any from receiving the sacrament there : and this will tend much to satisfie men about the receiving in mixt congregations where any are cast into them and are actuall members there . but now on the other side , if we be in a place where either this congregation will not take upon them any such power to cast out unworthy ones , or are not convinc'd of this power , then there is no rule that christ hath set , that we must be forced all our dayes to continue to be in such a congregation as denies one of the ordinances of jesus christ ; if so be there be any such that are wicked , and we do first what we can to have them cast out , and we waite with patience in such a congregation for to have them cast out , and yet we see that either the congregation doth not understand that they have any such power , or doe deny such a power that they have , and so upon that all people are left in a mixt way , i say then there is no rule in all the book of god that should force men to continue to bee members of such a communion where they cannot enjoy one ordinance of jesus christ , which is the ordinance of separating the pretious from the vile , the ordinance of casting out the wicked and ungodly . it were a very diseased body and in danger quickly of the losse of life , to take in every thing into it , and to have no expulsive faculty to purge any thing out again ; so a congregation that is altogether without such an ordinance as that is of expelling such as are wicked and ungodly ; i say , i find no scripture that doth force people , and require them as bound in conscience to continue there where they may not enjoy all the ordinances of jesus christ , and the right understanding of what i say now , will help us to answer all those scriptures that are brought . as if it be that of judas , first it is hard to make it out cleer whether it were the lords supper that he received yea or no : but suppose it be granted that he did , yet i make no question but such as judas was , that shall continue to make such an outward profession as he did , and could not be discovered in the church-way , but that we may receive with such as are close hypocrites . you will say jesus christ knew him to be faulty , and he told john that lay in his bosome what he was ; but though he knew him as he was god , yet he deals with him in his ministeriall way , and he had appointed before that none were to be cast out but were to be dealt withall in such a ministeriall way ; so that it is not enough though i knew by revelation from god that such a man were an hypocrite ; suppose god should reveale from heaven to me that such a man were an hypocrite , i think i might communicate with him still , when he doth not so farre discover himself that i can by witnesses prove his evill ; therefore though men be wicked , yet it doth not defile the communion where they are if there hath been that way used that christ hath appointed for to be observed in his church . and when that is done then i am to withdraw from him , and to professe against communion with him , so that its enough to answer the case . we read likewise that there were divers wicked men among the corinthians , and of tares that grew in the wheat . it 's true , there were wicked men among them , but they were enjoyned by the apostle to cast out those wicked men , and if they did not do it , it was their sin , and they were defiled by it . and for tares that were among the wheat , take it that this is meant concerning the church , suppose it were ( and yet christ saith plainly that the field is the world , and 't is the godly and the wicked living together in the world , and so i find many interpreters take it ; but howsoeuer take it that it is meant of the church-communion ; yet thus far is clear that it was through the fault of the officers that there should be any tares among the wheat ; for so the text saith plainly that while the servants slept there did tares spring up ; therefore there should have been none . secondly , they were not such tares as would spoyle the wheat , but as jerom saith in those countries the tares did grow much like wheat all the while it was in the blade , so that they were hardly to be distinguished , though some that were of more understanding were able to discern them from the wheat ; therefore though such as do grow up like unto the wheat may be suffered , and yet in this case only , that is , in case that it will prejudice the wheat , that is , when they are so close to the wheat as there will be danger by plucking them up to pluck up the wheat too , then they must be let alone ; mark , first it was through the negligence of the officers ; they should have been kept out . secondly , if they do get in , yet while they grow so close to the wheat as there will be danger that when you pluck out them , to pluck out the wheat too , only in that case it must be forborne ; but this gives no liberty that therefore all sorts may be let into the church , and there should be no kind of ordinance to cast out those that are venomous weeds that will do hurt and mischiefe . but if you understand it ( as many do ) concerning the world , then the meaning is thus , the preaching of the gospell that comes to a place , and ther 's only good seed sown , and is a means of the conversion of many , but together with the conversion of some , there are others that do heare the gospel preached , and the truth is , they being mingled among the hearers of the word , in stead of bringing forth good fruit according to the gospel , they bring forth the tares ; now saith the servant , lord , how comes it to passe that we preach such excellent truths in this place , and yet there are so many wicked men that bring forth such wicked fruit ? lord , is it thy mind that we should be wholly separated from them and have nothing to do with them , that there should be a full separation while we live in this world ? no saith christ , not so ; for then the truth is , if all godly men should wholly withdraw from wicked men , and beleeve that they may not live among them , they could not live in the world . if you did beleeve it were your duty not so much as to live near a wicked man , nor to have any thing to do in any kind of converse with him , there would be no wheat growing in this field of the world here ; and therefore you must be content , when you live where the preaching of the gospel is , and the seed brings forth good fruit in some , and in others it brings forth tares , you must not be offended by this , that here in this world god doth not by some visible stroke of judgement come and strike them dead , or that god doth not take some course that there should be a full separation here , but that they might live together till the day of judgement ; here i say you shall not have such a full separation ; so that you see it carries a very faire sense to take the field to be the world , and the kingdome of heaven there to be the preaching of the gospel in any place , and so we must bee content while we live in this world to bee where wicked and ungodly men are . but it doth not follow from this place that we are to have converse in the closest communion , in church-communion with wicked men , to be made one body by eating the same bread , and drinking the same wine ; it holds not forth such close communion as this is ; so that ther 's little strength can be taken from that place , but still it holds that wheresoever there is the sacrament of the lords supper , there must be a holy communion of saints . object . the scripture only saith let us examine our selves . answ . i grant for the benefit to mine own soule , i must look to examine my selfe more especially ; but now for another i am but onely so farre bound to looke to him as to keepe my selfe clean ; it is true i am not bound to goe and pry into his life and all his waies , so as to force him to give an account of things that are secret , but i am bound to keep a watch , and if any thing be done that offends me , then i am bound to goe to him according to the former rule of christ , and if he appears to be wicked , then i am bound to see him purged from the congregation ; for take but that other text in cor. . . know you not that a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump ? if i doe not do so much as concerns my duty , then i am defiled by it . so as that you must not thinke that it is nothing to you how many wicked men come to the lords table , and that it belongs only to the ministers and they are to look to it ; the truth is that every one in his place is to look to it , and every one may be defiled if hee doth not performe this duty that god requires of him ; do not say what have i to doe with my brother ; am i my brothers keeper ? it was the speech of cain ; if thou beest of the same body , you are to have a care of your brother ; doe not yee judge those that are within ? there is some kind of judgement that every one may passe upon such as do joyne with them in the same body ; surely it concernes me much ; what shall i do in such an action as to joyne with them to eat bread , whereby i must professe that i doe beleeve my selfe to be of the same body , that this drunkard is of , that this whoremaster is of , that this swearer is of ? whenever you receive the communion with any company , you doe professe your selves to be of the same body with that company ; only in this case , if i have discovered any , and can particularly professe against anyone , then i doe not professe my selfe to be of the same body with him ; but now when i come in an ordinary way , and i know such to be wicked , vile , and prophane , and i professe nothing against them , nor take any course at all , i doe then by partaking with them , professe my selfe to be of the same body that they are of . thou doest as it were openly declare , lord , here we come and professe that we are all of the body of jesus christ ; now when thou knowest such and such as are notoriously wicked and profane , and dost nothing in the world to helpe to purge them out , dost not thou thinke that gods name is taken in vaine ? is not gods name prophaned here ? therefore it concerns us very much to look unto it , that it be a holy communion that we receive the bread and wine in ; i beseech you therefore understands things aright that i have spoken of ; i have laboured to satisfie men that there is a way that we may partake of the sacrament though wicked men be mixt with us : but this is that that is required of you for doing your duty , to keep your selves clean that you may not be accessory any way to any wicked mans comming to partake of this holy mystery of the body and blood of christ , there are divers things further about this , and the speciall thing i thought of was to shew you the holy qualifications that there ought to be ; but this i conceived to be necessary , and i should not have had peace in mine own conscience as being faithfull to you in what i am speaking , of sanctifying the name of god in this ordinance , if i should not have mentioned this that i have spoken unto you , and there 's an error on both sides , that i desire to meet withall ; either those that come hand over head , and think it concerns them not at all with whom they come to the sacrament , but to look to their own hearts : and there 's an error on the other side , that if they do what they can to keep them away , and yet if they should be suffered to come , they may not come to partake of those things , now it is very usefull for us to know what wee should doe in this case . sermon xii . leviticus . . . i will be sanctified in them that come nigh me . i shall adde something to one particular that i had the last day , concerning peoples withdrawing from such a congregation where they could not receive all the ordinances of jesus christ . as now , if i were in a church where i could have but a piece of the sacrament , suppose they dealt with me as the papists doe with the people , that is , they will give them the bread and not the wine , certainly i were not bound to stay with them then , but i were bound to goe where i might have the whole sacrament . so if a church will give me some one ordinance and not another , i confesse so long as there is hope that i may enjoy it , and that they are in a way for injoyment , i thinke there should be a great forbearance to a church as well as to a particular person ; as i must not withdraw from a particular man , where there is hope still of his reformation , and that there may come good of my forbearance , so towards a church much more ; but i say , if i cannot enjoy , neither doth there appeare any hope of the injoyment of all ordinances , certainly it were but a cruelty to force men to stay there , when as otherwhere they may enjoy all ordinances for the good of their souls . and this cannot be schisme thus to do ; as now is this schisme ? suppose a man were in a place and joyned in such a communion , for his outward benefit he may remove his dwelling from one place to another , if he can have better trading in another place ; then certainly if he may have more ordinances for the edification of his soule , he may as well remove from one to another , as he may remove if his trading bee betterin one place then another . christ would have all his people look to the edification of their soules ; and should i account that schisme ? when a man or woman meerly out of tendernesse and a desire to enjoy jesus christ in all his ordinances for the benefit of their soules , they find such want to their soules of all ordinances , that though they may have some in one place , yet if they cannot have all , their soules doe not so thrive ; now if this be all the end why they remove that they might have more edification to their soules injoying the ordinances of christ more fully , god forbid that this should ever be accounted such a sin , that the scripture is to brand ; no thats schisme when there is a violent rending out of malice , for the want of love ; for as apostafie is a rending from the head , so schisme from the body , that is , when it is out of an evill spirit , from envie , or from malice , from want of love , or from any base sinister ends , and upon no just ground ; but now when it is meerly out of love to jesus christ , that i might have more edification to my soule , and still i retain love to the saints that are there as they are in a communion , and so farre as they have any thing good among them , i hold communion with them in that ; onely i desire in humility , and in meekenesse that i may be in such a place , where my soule may be most edified , where i may enjoy all those ordinances that christ hath appointed for his church , certainly , that soule that can give this account to iesus christ for going from one place to another , will be freed by iesus christ from such a sinne , as this that the world cals schisme ; but the truth is , this word is in mens mouthes that understand not what it means , and the devill alwayes will have some word or other cast upon them that are good ; for hee hath heretofore gained much by it , so still he makes account to gaine much by words , and termes , and therefore men should take heed of words and termes that they do not understand , and examine seriously what the meaning of these words , and what is held forth in those words ; and thus much for that point , that it must be in a holy communion ; wherever there is the receiving of the lords supper , it must be received in a holy communion . now wee are to proceed to that which is the maine thing , and that is , what are the holy qualifications or dispositions of the soule , together with the actings fit in the receiving of the lords supper , what is required in the soule , for the sanctifying of the name of god in this holy sacrament ; there are many things required . as first , there is required knowledge ; i must know what i doe when i come to receive this holy sacrament ; knowledge applyed to the worke that i am about ; when some of you have come to receive this sacrament , if god should have spoken from heaven and have said thus to you , what are you doing now , what do you go for , what account had you been able to have given unto him , you must understand what you doe when you come thither . first you must bee able to give this account to god , lord , i am now going to have represented to me in a visible and sensible way the greatest mysteries of godlinesse , those great and deep councels of thy will concerning my eternall estate , those great things that the angels desire to pry into , that shall be the matter of eternall praises of angels and saints in the highest heavens , that they may be set before my view ; lord , when i have come to thy word , i have had in mine eares sounding the great mysteries of godlinesse , the great things of the covenant of grace , and now i goe to see them represented before mine eyes in that ordinance of thine that thou hast appointed . yea lord , i am now going to receive the seales of the blessed covenant of thine , the second covenant , the new covenant , the seales of the testimony and will of thine ; i am going to have confirmed to my soule thine everlasting love in jesus christ . yea lord , i am going to that ordinance wherein i expect to have communion with thy selfe , and the communication of thy cheife mercies to my soule in jesus christ . i am going to feast with thee , to feed upon the body and bloud of jesus christ . yea i am now going to set to the seale of the covenant on my part , to renew my covenant with thee , i am going to have communion with thy saints , to have the bond of communion with all thy people to be confirmed to me , that there might be a stronger bond of union and love between me and thy saints then ever ; these are the ends that i go for , this is the work that i am now going about , thus you must come in understanding ; you must come with understanding , you must know what you are going about ; this is that which the apostle speaks of , when he speaks of the discerning the lords body ; he rebukes the corinthians for their sin , and shews them that they were guilty of the body and bloud of christ , because they did not discerne the lords body , they lookt only upon the outward elements , but did not discerne what there was of christ there , they did not understand the institution of christ ; they did not see how christ was under those elements , both represented , and exhibited unto them , that 's the first thing , there must be knowledge and understanding . and now for the knowledge and understanding of the nature of the sacrament ; there need be knowledge in other points of religion , for we can never come to understand the nature of this sacrament , without knowing god , and knowing our selves , knowing in what estate we were by nature , knowing our fall , knowing the way of redemption , knowing jesus christ what he was , and what he hath done for the making of an atonement , the necessity of jesus christ , and what the way of the covenant is that god hath appointed to bring mens soules to eternall life by . the maine points of religion must be known , but especially that that concernes the nature of a sacrament . now this knowledge likewise must be actuall , not meerly habituall knowledge , but there must be a stirring up of this knowledge , that is , by meditation , i must be meditating , have actuall thoughts and meditations of what i doe know ; that ought to be the work of a christian in comming to receive the sacrament , to quicken up his knowledge , to have a renewed work of his knowledge by actuall thoughts and meditations of the maine points of religion , and especially of the nature and the end of this holy institution , that is the first thing . secondly , as wee must come understandingly , without which wee cannot sanctifie gods name , so we must come with hearts sutable to the work that wee are about , that is , because the great thing that is here , is the breaking of christs body , and the pouring forth his bloud . a sutable disposition to this is brokennesse of heart , sence of our sinne , of that dreadfull breach that sin hath made between god and the soul ; our sin should be upon our hearts so as to break them ; but this brokennesse must be evangelicall ; it must be through the applying of the blood of christ unto my soule ; i must come to be sensible of my sin ; but especially be sensible of it by what i see in the holy sacrament , that must make me sensible of my sinne : there are a great many things to make me sensible of my sin : the consideration of the great god that thou hast sinned against , and the curse of the law that 's due to thee , the wrath of god that is incensed against thee for thy sin , and those eternall flames that are prepared for sinners , those everlasting burnings . but now those are not the things that will break the heart in an evangelicall way , in a gracious way ; the maine thing by which the soule must come to break its heart , must be the beholding of the evil of sin in the red glasse of the blood of jesus christ , the beholding him broken ; and truely there is nothing in the world , that hath that power to break the heart for sin , as the beholding of that which is to be beheld in the holy sacrament ; and that heart is a hard heart that can see what is there to be seen , and not break in the apprehension of sin ; when i here see what my sinne cost , what a price was made for my soule , when i see the hatred of god against sinne , and the justice of god in not sparing his sonne , but in breaking his sonne for my sinne , and in shedding the blood of his sonne for my sinnes , i see here that the making of my peace which god did cost more then ten thousand worlds is worth ; i see that by my sin such a breach was made between god and my soule , that all the angels in heaven , and men in the world could never make up this breach ; only the sonne of god , hee that was god and man , that was thus broken by the burden of the wrath of his father , for my sins , could do this . the truth is , when wee come to this holy communion , we are to look upon christ as if we saw him hanging upon the crosse ; suppose thou hadst lived at the time when christ was crucifyed , and hadst understood as much concerning the death of christ as now thou doest , and what christ was , if so bee that thou shouldest have beheld him in the garden , and there sweating drops of water and blood , and lie groveling upon the ground , crying if it be possible let this cup passe from me : and shouldest have followed him to the crosse , and their have seen his hands and feet nailed , and his side pierced , and the bloud trickling downe , and have heard him crying out my god , my god , why hast thou forsaken mee , would not such a sight as this is , have broken thy heart for thy sinne ; the truth is there is more , i won't say only so much , but i say there is more in this sacrament to breake the heart for sin then such a sight as that . you will say if you should have christ to be crucified again before your eyes , if you should see the body of christ hanging upon the crosse , and there behold him crucified , and hearing of him cry out , my god , my god , why hast thou forsaken me , you would think if your hearts did not break for sin then , that they were desperately hard ; know every time that thou hast come to receive the sacrament , thou hast come to see such a fight , and it is as great an aggravation of the hardnesse of thy heart if it hath not broken at this sight , as it would be if it should not break at that fight ; we read in gal. . . of pauls speaking of the preaching of the gospel , he saith that christ was crucified before those that did hear the word ; and , foolish galatians , who hath bewitched you , that you should not obey the truth , before whose eyes jesus christ hath been evidently set forth , crucified among you ? hee doth not meane that christ was crucified in galatia , but that where the word was preached he was evidently set forth , and crucified among them ; but now my brethren , the crucifying of christ in the word , is not such a reall , evident , and sensible setting forth of christ crucified , as when he is set forth in this sacrament , and t is that which works with more efficacie to break the heart , then that other sight ; and the reason that i give is this . because you doe never find that god did set that apart as an ordinance , an institution appointed to that end that they should come to look upon that for the breaking of their hearts ; there was indeed a naturalnesse in it , that if they did behold christ , it might break their hearts , but it was not such an ordinance , it was not a sacrament as this is ; now this being in a sacramentall way in the use of an ordinance appointed by iesus christ to set forth his sufferings , and all the riches of the covenant of grace to the soule , there may be expected here a further blessing then in the other , though its true , the other might worke mightily upon the heart ; but yet this being a great ordinance of christ in the church , a great institution of iesus christ , for the setting out of his sufferings , it hath a more special blessing that goes along with it ; every ordinance hath a promise , and a more speciall blessing then any other thing that is not an ordinance . so when you come here to behold christ crucified before you , you cannot see christ naturally crucified as upon the crosse : but you have christ crucified before you in the way of a sacrament , in the way of a solemne institution of iesus christ , that hath a speciall blessing which goes along with it ; therefore if the heart be not broken here , there is an aggravation of the hardnesse of the heart as great as if we should behold iesus christ upon the crosse and our hearts not broken there ; and indeed this is a special reason why those are said to be guilty of the body and bloud of christ that receive unworthily ; as if a man had been then alive , and had been before the crosse , and there have seen how the blood of iesus christ was shed for sinne , and should not have been affected with it , but should have acounted it as a common thing ; this man in some regard might have been said to be guilty of his death ; that is , to have joyned and consented with those that did crucifie him ; for if a man sees another commit a sin , if he bee not affected with that sinne , and it does not stirre his heart , he may come to be partaker of his sinne ; so those that shall come to see jesus christ crucifyed , and have not their hearts at all stir'd with the crucifying of christ , they are in some regard truly said to be guilty of the body and blood of iesus christ ; and that 's the second thing , brokennesse of spirit is suitable to the light of a broken christ . . the third thing that is here to be done in the sanctifying of gods name , is the purging and cleansing of the heart from sinne ; an actuall cleansing and purging the heart from sinne there ought to be . the iews in their passeover were to cast out all leaven , and those that write of the custome of the jews , say that they were wont to doe three things in the casting out of their leven . . they made diligent search for leaven ; they lighted candles to look into every corner least there should be any bit of leaven left in the house . . when they found it they cast it out . . they used an execration , they did curse themselves if they should willingly keepe any leaven in the house . so my brethren , when we come to partake of this holy ordinance , there should be a diligent inquisition for sin , for sin in scripture is compared to leaven ; thou shouldest make a diligent search what sin there is in thy heart , in any of the faculties of thy soule , what sinne there is in thy thoughts , in thy conscience , in thy understanding , in thy will , in any of thy affections , what sinne there hath been in thy life , what family sins , what personall sins . thou shouldest make a diligent search to see whither there be not some leaven , some evill in thy heart ; and what ever sin thou shalt come to find out in thy heart , there must be a casting of it out ; that is , thy soule must be set against it to oppose it with all thy might ; whatever beloved sin , whatever gainefull sin , whatsoever become of thee , thy soule must renounce that sinne of thine ; yea and in a kind of execration of thy selfe ; that 's thus , lord , as ever i expect to receive any good by this body and blood of christ , that i come now to receive , so lord , here i professe against every sin that i have found out in my heart ; i desire to find out all , and professe against all , and renounce all , and would doe to the uttermost that i am able for delivering of my soule fully , from every knowne or beloved sin ; oh that there might not be any remaining in my heart ; this must be the disposition of the soule comming hither , and it must needs be thus or else we cannot sanctifie gods name , because there is nothing more sutable then this disposition unto the receiving of the sacrament ; for we come here to professe that we doe acknowledge that sinne did cost so much as it did , that it cost the blood of the sonne of god ; now this cannot chuse but cause the heart to renounce sinne ; if indeed i doe beleeve that sinne hath cost the bloud of christ , that it cost him so deare as it did , that it did trouble heaven and earth , that there must be such a mighty wonderfull way of satisfaction to god for my sinne committed against him , certainly sinne hath a dreadfull evill in it ; oh , let me never have to doe with such sin that was the cause of such sufferings to my saviour , that did shed his blood . if so be that thou sawest a knife that had cut the throat of thy dearest child , would not thy heart rise against that knife ? suppose you come to a table , and there is a knife laid at your trencher , and it was told you , this is the knife that cut the throat of your childe , or father , if you could use that knife as another knife , would not any one say , there was but little love to your father or child ? so when there is a temptation comes to any sin , this is the knife that cut the throat of christ , that pierct his sides , that was the cause of all his sufferings , that made christ to be a curse ; now wilt not thou look upon that as a cursed thing , that made christ to be a curse ; oh with what detestation would a man or woman fling away such a knife ! and with the like detestation it is required that thou shouldest renounce sin , for that was the cause of the death of christ ; i remember it is reported of anthony when caesar was slaine , he comes to stir up the people against those that had slaine caesar , and he takes the cloathes that were bloudy and holds them forth to the people , and saith , here is the bloud of your emperour , and upon that the people were inraged against those that had slaine him , and went and pulld down their houses upon them ; so when thou comest to this sacrament , thou seest the bloud of christ gushing out , and for thy sin , if ever thy sin be pardoned ; either thy soule must be eternally damn'd for thy sin , or else thy sin cost the gushing out of the blood of christ ; now when thou seest this ; this should cause a holy rage in thy soule against sin that caused this , surely the putting away sin , the risings of the heart against sin must needs be a disposition sutable to such an ordinance as this is . and that 's the third thing required in the sanctifying of gods name in this ordinance , the purging out of sin , and rising of the heart against it . . the fourth thing that is to be done for the sanctifying of gods name here , it is the hungering and thirsting of the soule after jesus christ ; whosoever coms hither , he comes to a feast , and the lord expects that all his guests should come with stomacks unto this feast , come with hungring and longing for jesus christ ; this should be the disposition of the soule , oh that my soule might injoy communion with jesus christ ; now , this is the end that i am come for ; oh , the lord : that knows the workings of my heart , knowes that this is the great desire of my soule , that i might enjoy communion with jesus christ ; oh that i might have more of christ , that i might meet with christ , that i might have some further manifestation with jesus christ , that i might have my soule further united to the lord christ , and so have further influence of christ to my soule ; i come with thirsting after the lord christ knowing my infinite need of him , and the infinite excellency that there is in jesus christ ; my soule doth famish and perish for ever without christ ; but in the injoyment of christ there is a fulnesse for the satisfying of my soule ; that i have had of christ sometimes in the word , and sometimes in prayer , that hath been sweet unto me , but i expect a further communion of christ here , for this is the grand ordinance for communion with jesus christ ; in deed the word in this respect it is beyond this ordinance , that is , it is not only for the increase of grace , but for the begetting ; this is only for the increase of grace and not appointed for the begetting ; now in that respect the word is above the sacrament ; but now this sacrament is a more full ordinance for communion with jesus christ , this is the communion of the body of jesus christ , and of his bloud , and therefore there ought to be hungring and thirsting desires of the soule after jesus christ , therefore you must take heed you doe not come with your stomacks full of trash , as children when they can get plums and peares and fill their stomacks with them , when they come to your tables , though there be never so much wholsome diet , they have no mind at all to it ; so it is with men of the world , they fill their hearts with the trash of this world , and with sensuall delights , and hence it is that when they come to such a great ordinance to enjoy communion with jesus christ , that then they feele no want at all of christ , only they come and take a little peece of bread and a draught of wine , but for any strong pausing desires to meet with jesus christ there in the ordinance , to come so as they know not how to live without christ , even as a man that is an hungred cannot live without his meat and drinke , and so for the soule to have such a disposition after christ , this is a rare thing ; but know that gods name is not sanctifyed , unlesse thou doest come in such a way unto this holy sacrament ; that 's the fourth thing , hungry and thirsty desires after christ , from a deepe sence of the need of him , and the apprehension of the excellencie in him . . in the fift place , there must be an exercise of faith for the sanctifying of gods name here ; faith , that is both the hand and the mouth for the taking of this spirituall meat , and spirituall drink ; when thou comest to the feast of the lord , faith first is the eye , and then the hand and mouth ; it is the eye of the soul to give a reall sight of what there is here , you are not able to discerne the body of the lord but by the eye of faith ; if thou comest only with bodily eyes to look upon what is here , thou seest nothing but a little bread and wine ; but now where the eye of faith is , there is a reall appearance of jesus christ to the soule , as if christ were bodily present , and we need not have the bread turned into his body ; for faith can see the body of christ through the bread , and the body of christ gushing in the wine . and it is a mighty thing to have christ and such spirituall things made reall and not to be a fansie . if one look upon the fire that is painted , one cannot heat ones selfe in cold weather with that , but fire that is really burning upon the hearth ; so those that come to receive the sacrament , and not come with faith , that have only the eye of their bodies , they only see as it were a painted christ , they doe not see christ really : his body and bloud and those great mysteries of the gospel are not presented as reall things to their soules ; and hence it is that they go away and get nothing ; but now when the soule comes with the eye of faith , the soule sees the wonderfull things of god , it is the most glorious sight in the world ; all the glory of god in the heavens and earth is not like this sight of jesus christ and the mysteries of the gospell that do appeare to the eye of faith ; therefore you may by this know whether you have come with faith or no to the sacrament ; whether you have seen the most glorious sight that ever your eyes did behold , alas , with our naturall eyes , we behold a minister comming with a peece of bread and a little wine : but when the eye of faith is opened , then wee behold the glorious things of the gospell ; many times when you come to hear the word , your hearts burne within you , as they that went to emaus ; but when you are breaking bread , the eye of faith that must look upon jesus christ ; and in this sence , those that have pierced christ must look upon him ; that scripture is fulfilled in zach. . latter end , they shall look on him whom they have pierced by their sins , and then mourne and lament ; this eye of faith will cause mourning and lamenting for sinne . and then as faith is the eye to make what is here reall , so faith is the hand to take it ; when you come to a feast , you must have something to take the meat to you ; so saith christ he brake bread and gave it to his disciples ; saying , take eat this , take it ; how shall we take it ? by reaching out of the hand ; if you sanctifie gods name in this ordinance , as you reach out your hand to take the bread and wine , so there must be an actuall reaching out of the soule by faith , putting forth an act of faith to receive jesus christ unto the soule , to apply the lord jesus christ to thy soule with all his merits and good things that he hath purchased ; when the minister doth give out that ordinance , you should look upon god the father giving out his sonne , as if this were your condition . i am now in the presence of the eternall father , who now doth actually give out his sonne to my soule , and saith soule , here receive anew , this day my sonne with all that he hath purchased for thy good ; now then the soule acts upon this , and by stirring up an act of faith , comes and closes with this gift of the father , and casts its selfe upon jesus christ , and saith as it were amen to what the father gives , oh lord , here i come and imbrace thy sonne as my life , as my saviour as the fountaine of all my good , in whom i expect all the good i am like to have either here or to all eternity ; so that there must be a stirring up of the act of faith in an actuall taking of christ , if thou beest a beleever ; canst thou remember what thou didst , when first thou didst take jesus christ ? when the lord in the preaching of his word did reveale jesus christ to thy soule , what didst thou then oh soule ? how did thy soule work in closing with christ ; as thy soule did then in closing with christ , so it must now renew the work , there must be a renewall of the worke at that time . so that when you come to the sacrament , you must not thinke that it is then a time to listen to doubts , feares , and scruples ; no , but it is a time that god cals for the exercise of faith , the casting of the soule upon christ , and his merits for life and for salvation , or else the name of god is not sanctified as it ought ; thou doest not sanctifie gods name , when thou art busying thy foule in doubts and scruples in thy receiving of the sacrament . and then faith is as the mouth ; when thou commest to eat and drinke , how canst thou if thou hast not a mouth ? thou hast a bodily month to take in bread and wine ; but know that without faith thy soule cannot take in christ ; faith is as it were the mouth ; that is , by the act of faith the soule doth open it selfe for jesus christ , and not only opens it selfe , but takes in christ to the soule , and makes christ and the soule as one , as our bread and wine is made one with our body , so faith takes in christ , and makes him as one with thee , and turnes christ into the nourishment of thy foule , and thou and christ by faith are made as truly one , as the bread and wine that is put into thy body , is made one with thy body . this is the worke of faith , without which wee cannot sanctifie the name of god. sixthly , there must be spirituall joy ; that must be exercised here ; for it is a feast ; here we come to sit with christ at his table , wee come as children to our fathers table , and to sit there with jesus christ our elder brother ; now as a father doth not love to have his child set in a sullen and dogged way at his table , or to be crying , but he would have the child set in comfort , and with a holy cheerfulnesse with a holy freedome of spirit ; not in a sullen way , but as a child in the presence of his father , and not as a servant with the master . object . you told us before that there should be brokennesse of spirit and sence of our sin . answ . that may be and joy ; we rejoyce with trembling ; therefore that brokennesse of spirit that i meant , must not bee slavish horrour and feare , but a kindly melting of the soule from the aprehension of the love of god unto it in jesus christ , that was willing to be at so great cost to purchase the pardon of sin : such a gracious mourning as may stand with joy , and the truth is that that sorrow for sin in the sacrament that is not mixt with joy , is a sorrow that doth not sanctifie gods name ; godly sorrow and evangelicall joy may stand together very well . and therefore know that this is not the time ; neither to give liberty to have your hearts sinke ; no , there must be no sinking sorrow of heart , but such a sorrow of heart as in the midst of it , you may be able to look upon god as a reconciled father to you , and have a cheerfulnesse of spirit as in the midst of it , you must look upon your selves as gods guest , to be merry at his table ; now this is a great mystery of godlinesse , that there should be at the same time , the sight of christ crucified , and yet at the same time a spirituall cheerfulnesse in the assurance of the love of god in iesus christ . i say it is a mystery and only those that are beleevers are able to understand this mystery , how to have their hearts break , and yet how to rejoyce at the same time in that unspeakeable love of god that is here presented unto them in this sacrament . seventhly , in the next place there must be thankefulnesse ; therefore it is called the eucharist , and in one of the evangelists where it is said , christ blest the bread , in another it is said , christ gave thanks ; christ when he instituted this sacrament , hee gave thanks ; he gave thanks ; for what ? he gave thanks to god the father , that he was pleased to send him into the world to die for poor soules ; now shall iesus christ give thanks unto god the father for that that did cost him his life ? yea saith christ i see that here is a way to save soules ; and let it cost me my life if it will , yet i blesse thee o father , if soules may come to be sav'd though it cost me my life . christ rejoyced in his spirit in thanking his father for this ; then how should our hearts be inlarged with thankefulnesse when we come to this that the ancients were wont to call the eucharist , that is a thanksgiving ? we are to give god thankes for every mercy , you will not eate your owne bread without giving of thankes ; but when wee come to have this bread , this bread of life , here is matter of thankefulnesse , here is matter of inlargement of soule ; thou that hast the deadest and dullest soule , and straightest spirit , yet when thou comest hither and understandest what thou doest , here thou canst not but see matter for the inlargement of thy heart , and wish that thou hadst ten thousand thousand times more strength to expresse the praises of the lord ; here is a thing that must be the subject of the hallelujahs and doxologies , that angels and saints must for ever sound out in the highest heavens ; dost thou know what the lord presents to thee here ? it is more then if the lord should say , i will make ten thousand worlds for the sake of this creature , and give all these worlds to him , thou wouldest thinke that thou wert bound to blesse him then ; only when god in the bread and wine , reaches out to thee the body & bloud of his sonne , here is more matter of praise , then if ten thousand thousand worlds were given to thee , and therefore god expects that thou shouldest say to thy soule , my soul praise thou the lord , and all that is within me praise his holy name ; blesse the lord o my soule , and forget not all his benefits ; who forgiveth all thine iniquities , who healeth all thy diseases ; o poor soule , here is the foundation of all mercies ; dost thou praise god for justification , for sanctification ? here is a glorious application of the mercy of god to the soules of sinners , and therefore if ever thou wert thankfull , be thankefull here . the sabbath my brethren , that is appointed to be the set constant day of thankesgiving for the great mercies of god in christ , and there are other dayes for nationall mercies ; now a speciall work of the lords day is the celebration of this holy sacrament , and the christians in former times were wont to do it every lords day , because that 's the day appointed by god for to be the day of thankesgiving for that great mercy , the lord jesus christ : and that 's the reason why the sabbath was changed ; the last day of the week was the iewish sabbath , and that was to celebrate the memoriall of the creation of the world ; and the first day now , it is to be the day of thanksgiving for all the work of god in mans redemption . eightly , a further thing is this , if you would sanctifie gods name , you must be willing to renew your covenant , that 's the end of it ; there must be an actuall renewing of your covenant with god , that 's thus , i come to receive this bread and this wine , and this is to be as the seale of the covenant on gods part ; now this will be emplyed in the nature of the thing , that if i take the seales of gods covenant , that i must be willing to set to my seale too , to renew the covenant that god calls me to ; now know , all men and women that are sav'd , they are sav'd by the vertue of the covenant of grace ; and there god on his part promises and makes a covenant , that hee will bestow his son , life and salvation through him ; and thou must likewise come in on thy part , and beleeve on his son and repent , which is the tenour of the gospel ; now every time thou comest to receive this sacrament , thou commest to renew this covenant ; as if thou shouldest say , lord , thou hast been pleased to make a covenant of grace ; as the first covenant was broken , and all men were cast by that covenant , now thou hast made a covenant of grace , and callest thy servants whom thou intendest to save that they should renew their covenant with thee in this sacrament of thine ; lord here i come ; and lord here i renew it and set to my seale , to promise and covenant with thee , that as ever i expect to receive any good from christ , so lord here i will be thine , i will give up my selfe for ever to thee ; as thou hast given me the body and bloud of christ for my salvation , so lord , here i consecrate my body and bloud to thee , the last drop of my heart blood shall be given up to thee , and so my strength and estate , and name , and whatever i am or have shall be thine . have you done thus when you have come to receive the sacrament ? have you actually renewed your covenant with god ? you that have taken the body of christ , have you given up your body to christ ? what 's the reason then that you sinne so much with your bodies ? that you abuse your body with uncleannesse ? and drunkennesse ? and other wickednesse afterwards ? oh you prophane the name of god ; and the very body and blood of christ in this , except thou givest up thy body and soule to god in way of covenant . ninthly , in the last place for the sanctifying of gods name , there is required a renewing of love ; the comming with lovely dispositions and the renewing of the grace of love , not only towards god , but towards our brethren ; for it is the feast of the lord and it is an act of communion ; communion , not only with christ , but with his churches ; with his saints ; and as i have told you that there is a profession of our selves to be of the same body with jesus christ , then the lord requires that his children should not fall out that come to his table , but that there should be love and peace ; there 's a mighty bond upon thee when thou commest to the sacrament ; and therefore , first , all heart burnings , and heart grudges , must bee laid aside ; and secondly you must come with a willingnesse to be reconciled one to another , willingnesse to passe by all infirmities in thy brethren ; here i have the seale of gods willingnesse to passe by all my sins , and therefore i must bee willing to passe by all infirmities in my brethren ; i must now cast out all ill wishes towards others ; and come with a desire of all good unto them ; and with a heart ready to embrace any opportunity to do any good ; thou doest lye unto god except thou commest with such a heart as this is ; lord thou knowest that i am willing to take all opportunities to doe good to those , that i now doe communicate with , for it is the nearest communion that possibly can be in this world , betweene one creature and another , and this is the reason why there should bee that ordinance of christ set up everywhere , to cast out those that are unworthy , because it is the greatest union and communion that possibly can be , for it is the sacrament and communion of the same body ; they are the same members of christ now if thou doest not thinke such a one to be a member of christ , why doest not thou what thou canst to have him cast out ? but so long as thou hast done nothing in private to him , or in telling the church , thou doest owne him to be a member of iesus christ ; if thou doest so , take heed how thy heart be estranged from him , take heed how thou behavest thy selfe to them ; take heed how thou livest in a jarring way , and a contentious way with them , and holdest them off at staves end , or walking at a distance from them , though they be never so poor and mean , know that thou doest prophane this holy ordinance every time thou commest to it when thou commest with such a heart as this is ; if thou dost not find this renewed love , lord , there began to be a strangenesse between me , and those that have communicated with me , but lord thou art pleased to vouchsafe us to come once more to this ordinance , and lord here we do professe that this ordinance shall unite our hearts together more then ever they were ; i will study to doe what good possibly i can to my brother ; that is we joyne here to the feast of the lord with comfort , so we may live together in peace and love as it becomes the saints of god , and the members of the body of iesus christ ; oh how farre are people from any such worke of god as this is ; the lord expects that this should be in you every time you come to the holy communion ; here hath been nine particulars now mentioned , for the sanctifying of the name of god when wee come to partake of the sacrament ; but oh lord what cause have we to lay our hands upon our hearts ● for if this be to sanctifie thy name then it hath been a riddle , a mystery to us ; certainly my brethren these things are the truths of god that i have delivered , and so farre as you have been wanting , in any of these , know so farre you have taken gods name in vaine , in this holy ordinance , you have not been worthy receivers of this sacrament , you have cause to look back to your former waies , and spend much humilation for your sin herein , and not to be so greedy of it as some are ; they must have the communion , but i put it to your consciences , have you repented you for the profaning of gods name , and that 's that that we should further have spoken of ; that god will be sanctified ; that 's thus , if we doe not sanctifie gods name , it will quite turne to the contrary ; it is the proper end of the sacrament , to seale up our salvation ; but if wee sanctifie not gods name , it will seale up our condemnation ; if it hath not been thy endeavour to sanctifie the name of god , so many times as thou hast received the sacrament , so many seales hast thou upon thee for the sealing up of thy condemnation ; many mens or womens condemnations are sealed with three or foure hundred seales it may be . but yet for thy comfort , while thou art alive , it is possible that thse seales may be broken open ; as wee read in the revelations that john saw the book that had seven seals upon it , and none could be found that was able to open it ; at length the lamb that was slaine he was found worthy to open the book ; so i say , thy condemnation is sealed up with many seales , and there is no creature that is able to cancel these seales , only the lamb , iesus christ , yea that christ whose blood thou hast shed , and been guilty of , only he is worthy ; and he is willing to open these seales ; for as it was with those that did crucifie christ , yet they were sav'd by the same blood that they had shed , as in acts . so though thou hast been guilty of shedding the blood of christ againe and againe by thy prophane coming to the sacrament , yet know , seeing there is life in thee , and the day of grace is continued , it is possible that thy soul may be sav'd by that blood that thou hast crucified ; o how many are cut off , that have thus prophan'd the name of god in this sacrament , and never came to understand this danger ! they are cut of and now are undone for ever ; why blesse god that thou art alive to heare more about this sacrament , and how gods name should be sanctifyed ; that thou art alive , and hast time to repent thee of this great evill , of profaning the name of god in this holy sacrament . sermon xiii . leviticus . . . i will be sanctified in them that come nigh me . there is one thing more about the sanctifying the name of god in the sacrament which cleerly concernes us : and that is , to keep to the institution of the sacrament ; for this is such a worship of god , as depends meerly upon institution ; that is , upon a positive law , upon the will of god ; there are some duties of worship which are naturall , that we may know by the light of nature they are due to god : but the sacrament is a duty of worship that is onely by institution ; and if god had not revealed it , we had not been bound to it ; therefore in these duties of institution , god stands very punctuall upon them ; we must be very exact , neither to erre on the right hand nor the left ; to make any alteration in the points of institution ; now therefore for the institution of this sacrament we find it in divers of the evangelist ; in matth. . . there you shall find that christ and his disciples they eat the sacrament together ; and this was the way of it ; they were together sitting at the same table ; so it is called the table of the lord sometimes in scripture ; therefore that 's the first thing that is according to the institution , that those that doe communicate must come to the table as neer as they can ; as many as can set about it , and all to come as neer as they can , and the reason is , because that otherwise you will not be able to attain the end why god would have you come to receive ; the end is to remember the death of christ ; now except you be able to see the sight , to see what is done , to have your eye as well as your eare exercised , you do not fully accomplish the end that is appointed ; for this is a sacrament , that doth present to our eyes the death of christ , and the great mysteries of salvation , and therefore it is according to the institution , that every communicant must be where hee may behold what is done , he must be where he may see the breaking of the bread , and the powring forth of the wine ; certainly it hath been a disorderly way therefore for people to set up and downe in their pews everywhere in the congregation ; and for the minister to goe up and downe after them ; so that they could see nothing , nor scarce hear any thing ; it is much for the attaining to the end of the institution for all communicants to look upon the breaking of the bread , and the pouring forth of the wine in the sacrament ; and therefore all should come together ; and there as many as can sit at his table , or those that cannot , neer to it ; and the rather because this is not only from the example of christ , that he did so , though that 's somwhat ; but because it hath a spirituall significancie in it , and that 's the reason that it should be done ; we find in luke . . the institution of the sacrament ; now marke upon their comming and being with christ , at the table , saith christ in the . and . verses , and i appoint unto you a kingdome as my father hath appointed unto mee , that you may eat and drinke at my table in my kingdome , and sit on thrones judging the twelve tribes of israel ; he spake it upon that occasion of the disciples sitting with him at the table ; when they did eat bread , and when they tooke the cup ; upon that occasion christ spoke to his disciples , and said i appoint to you a kingdome , and so sit on thrones judging at my table in my kingdome , and so sit on thrones judging the twelve tribes of israel ; as if christ should say , you can sit with mee at my table here ; and know that this sitting with me at my table it is but as it were a praeludium , a foresignification of the communion that you shall have with me in my kingdome : you shall have that familiar communion with me when i come unto my kingdome , there to sit as it were with mee , to joyne with me in my kingdome judging the twelve tribes of israel : even as you doe now in that holy fellowship joyne with me in sitting at my table ; this is the meaning of christ , so that the gesture in the sacrament is not a meer indifferent thing ; heretofore it hath been thought unreasonable to contend for what gesture wee should use . now that that hath been the institution of christ , and hath a spirituall significancie in it , is not indifferent ; for not only the eating the bread and drinking the wine is significative , but the gesture whereby we have fellowship with jesus christ here , to signifie that fellowship we shall have with him in the kingdome of heaven ; so that the people of god were depriv'd of a great deale of comfort , and of one speciall benefit of this holy sacrament , whereas they might not receive it fitting ; whereas christ saith that your sitting with me here is a signification of your sitting with me when i come into the kingdome of heaven ; some say they must kneele because they may receive it with more reverence ; certainly were it a thing as some say indifferent , it were another matter ; but for to say it is not reverence to sit , in that they accuse christ himselfe for want of reverence , as if he would appoint a way , or would have his disciples use any such way as were not reverent ; saith christ i intend by your very gesture to have this signified unto you , that though you be poore wretched wormes , yet even such is my love to you , as you shall sit with me when i come to my kingdome , and judge the twelve tribes of israel ; and every time you come to my table , and there sit at it , or about it , then you should be put in mind that there is a time , that though you be poore unworthy creatures , worthy to be among the dogges , yet the mercy of god is such unto us , as he hath appointed us to have a familiar fellowship with the lord jesus christ when we come in his kingdome to sit with him , and even to judge the twelve tribes of israel , yea to judge the whole world ; for so saith the scripture , shall not the saints judge the world ? now this hinders spirituall meditation and comfort , that the saints have ; therefore we are to look to the institution and to follow it ; that 's the first thing in setting with christ at his table . the second thing in the institution is , that the bread being taken by the minister is to be blessed , broken , and then to bee given ; christ took it , and blessed it , and brake it , and gave it : and the people they are to look upon all this : to look upon the ministers taking , blessing , breaking , and giving ; and then the cup by its selfe , wee find christ in matth. . . hee first blest the bread , and then he blest the cup distinctly by its selfe saying , this is my blood of the new testament which is shed for many , for the remission of sinnes ; and you shall observe that the text saith he drank it , and said , drink yee all of it ; so that this is not according to the institution for a minister to goe up and downe , and to give it into every mans hand ; certainly this was not so from the beginning ; this is a way of mans own devising ; for the bread and the cup to be given into every bodies hand by the minister : christ did but give it once , hee gave it to them all , and said , drink yee all of this , so it was done . quest . but you will say , is it not better for it to be given into every ones hand ? answ . no , because that the giving of it once for all , doth signifie more fully the fellowship and communion that they have together ; as at a table it were a strange thing that every bit of meat must be given to every one particularly ; no , but the dishes must bee set before them and they must take it themselves : indeed , if they be children you cut every peice of meat , and give it into their hands or mouths ; but that 's sutable to a fellowship at table , and communion , to have the meat set before them , being blest , and then for all to partake of it . and besides this , giving it into every ones hand , certainly , it came to us from a popish and superstitious conceit of the papists ; for the papists will give it into their mouths , because the people must not defile it with their hands . and it was to bring more reverence to the sacrament ; now there 's a great deale of danger , for to bring in mens devices for to cause more reverence ; we are to look to the ordinance of christ , hee gave it once , and said , drink yee of it , in general to them all ; and so the ministers should do . and besides there is this in it more , and one would wonder that ministers should give it in particular and not in generall to the church : for by this meanes ministers might abundantly ease themselves of a great deale of charge and guilt ; for upon this ground it will appeare , that a minister , though as an eminent officer he is to look to his congregation that they be fit , yet the truth is , it concernes the church as well to look who comes there , and likewise the minister i say , to look about him that he doth not say , the body of the lord jesus christ was given to thee , when he knowes they are prophane and wicked ; it concerns the minister to look that he doth not tell a lie ; but now when the minister gives it generally to the church , take , eate , and take drinke , he gives it particularly to no body ; now then his charge is divided to the church , and if there be any body that is unworthy , let the church look to it as well as he : though he as an eminent officer , it s more especially in particular his duty then any others ; heretofore the charge would lie much upon the minister , but the minister according to the institution , should give the sacrament to no particular ; but in generall to the church , and therefore if there were but any particular , that the minister upon a particular knowledge did know to be naught , he might in great part discharge himselfe , as professing against this or that particular man ; for it is not in his power alone to keep any from the sacrament , but if so be that he shall professe against such and such men , the church must joyne with him to labour to keep them from the sacrament , and that is the next thing for the institution , christ gave it not into any particular mens hands ; but he gave it to all , saying , drinke , and eat yee all of it . a third thing that is to be observed for the institution of this ; that all the while the communicants are taking , eating , and drinking the bread and wine ; they should all of them that while have their thoughts exercised about the death of jesus christ ; for that 's the institution ; do this in remembrance of mee ; there should be no action intermingled , in the time of the receiving of the sacrament ; nothing but minding the work that you are about , that is , to remember the death of iesus christ ; and to discerne the body of the lord , not only when you take your selves the bread and wine ; but when you see the bread and wine , broken or powred forth , and you see others taking the bread and wine , all that while , you should be thinking of the death of christ , and discerning the lords body ; and consider what these outward elements do signifie , and that they doe seale the great benefit of the covenant of grace ; therefore it is not according to the institution , to be singing of psalmes in the mean time while the sacrament is receiving and so to have your thoughts about other things : singing of psalmes in its due time is a good thing ; but for you to doe it at that time when as the death of christ is presented before you , and christ calls you to look upon his body , and to thinke upon what he hath done and suffered ; this is no seasonable time of singing ; and if you read the institution , you shall find , that christ , after all was done ( the text saith ) they sung an hymne ; so that according to the institution , it is after the action is done of eating and drinking , then for the church to joyne together and sing a psalme in the praise of god ; and then they must mind all the same thing together ; for that 's the thing to be done in the sacrament ; that look what one doth all must mind together ; for when one part sings , and the other are waiting for the bread and wine , this is not sutable to the holy table action , and that communion that god requires of us ; though the things in themselves are both good that are doing ; yet when we are about this holy ordinance , being it is an ordinance for communion , all are to be doing the same thing at the same time ; and so when all have done eating and drinking , then for all to joyne together in singing to the praise of god. now it may be , this at first seems strange to many ; yet certainly observe this ; doe but keepe to the institution in the sacrament , though you may thinke it a more mean way , yet you will find a greater beauty in this ordinance , then ever you found in all your lives ; for the more wee keep to christs institution and mingle nothing of our owne , the more glory , and beauty , and excellency doth appeare in the ordinances of iesus christ ; but when any man shall mix any of his owne inventions , though he may do it to a good end , and think to adde to and put a greater lustre upon the sacrament : the truth is , that which he thinks to be a greater lustre , reverence , or honour put upon it , it doth rather take off the lustre and glory of the sacrament ; then are the institutions of christ glorious when there is no mixture among them ; thus wee should sanctifie the name of god , in receiving this holy sacrament ; you have had divers things propounded to you whereby you may come to know and easily to see that there hath been a great deale of dishonour done to this sacrament , and the beauty and glory of it hath been darkened , and the sweet that the saints might otherwise have received in plucking hath been exceedingly hindred . there is but one thing more that i shall propound to you , and that is the severall meditations that we should meditate on in receiving of the sacrament ; the most concerning meditations are suggested in the holy communion that are in any thing whatsoever , more concerning , more efficacious , more various meditations wee have suggested here then in any thing , and it is a great figne that men and women , do not discerne the lords body if so be their meditations be barren at that time . i will therefore suggest some nine or ten meditations that that ordinance of god may hold out very plainly , and familiarly to every communicant , for the busying of their thoughts all the time that action is a doing . meditation . as first , that the way of mans salvation it was by a mediator , it is not only by gods mercy , gods saying that hee is offended by sin , but he will be content to passe it by ; no , but it is through a mediator ; now this meditation is suggested thus , when i see the bread and wine , if i disceren what that signifyes it will hold forth this to me , that the way of mans salvation , it is not meerly from hence that god saith , well , i will pardon them , and no more , but there is required a great worke of god to make an aronement , between sinners and himselfe ; this sacrament doth hold forth thus much unto us ; wherefore else have we bread and wine , but to signifie that the way of our rconciliation it must be through a mediator ? med. . the second meditation is this , that this mediator that stands between god and us , is verily and truely man ; hee hath taken our nature upon him ; the bread that puts us in mind of the body of christ , and the wine of his bloud , and therefore we are to meditate of the humane nature of iesus christ ; and this is a meditation that hath abundance that might spring out of it ; what hath the son of god taken our nature upon him ? hath hee body and bloud and humane nature upon him ? oh how hath god honoured humane nature ? then let me not abuse my body to lust , to wickednesse , seeing that jesus christ hath taken the body of man upon him , humane nature upon him , let me honour humane nature that is so neerly united to the divine nature ; that 's the second meditation . meditation . . here 's presented unto us what this mediator hath done for the reconciling of us unto god , that his body was broken ; he hath subjected himself to the breaking of his body , and to the pouring forth of his blood for the reconciling of us ; it is not meerly ( as before ) that god saith , i le pardon them ; but christ undertaking to make peace between his father and us , it cost him the breaking of his body , and the pouring forth of his blood ; this is a usefull meditation ; oh what should we be willing to suffer for jesus christ in our bodies , even to resist unto blood , seeing christ hath been content to have his precious body broken , and his blood shed for us ! meditation againe , a fourth meditation is this , that here we come to see we have occasion of meditating of that the scripture saith , that we are by the blood of god saved , it is the blood of god , they crucified the lord of glory , that 's the scripture phrase ; we should consider when we see the wine poured out , and so put in mind of blood , whose blood and whose body is this ; it is no other but the body and blood of him that was truly god , the second person in trinity . this is the great mystery of the gospel , and this is very needfull for us to be thinking of when we see the body broken and the blood poured out : what will the breaking of the body and shedding of the blood of a meere creature be sufficient to make peace between god and man ? surely no ; therefore you must meditate whose body this is , and whose blood this is , it is the body and blood of him that was god ; it s true , god hath no body nor no blood , but the same person that was god , had a body and blood ; that body and blood was united unto the divine nature in a hypostaticall union , and from thence it came to have an efficacie for to satisfie god , for to reconcile god and us together , this is the great mystery of godlinesse . med. . another meditation is this , when you see bread broken and wine poured out , oh the infinite dreadfulnesse of the justice of god! how dreadful is the justice of god , that coming upon his own son , and requiring satisfaction from him , that should thus break him and bruise him , that should have his blood , that should require such sufferings even from his son ! dreadfull is gods justice , the justice of god , it is to be feared and to be trembled at ; here we see what is required for the sinne of man , and nothing would be bated to jesus christ himself . med. . another meditation is this , here i see presented to me what every soul that shall be saved cost ; whoever shall have his soul sav'd he hath it sav'd by a ransom , by a price paid that is more worth then ten thousand thousand worlds ; thou slightest thine owne soule ; but if it prove to be saved , it cost more then if thousands of worlds had been given for thee ; even the shedding of the blood of christ , every drop of which was more precious then ten thousand worlds . meditation . again , from hence see what is the evill of sin , how great it is that hath made such a breach between god and my soule , that only such a way , and such a means must take away my sinne ; i must either have laine under the burden of my sinne eternally , or jesus christ that's god and man must suffer so much for it ; oh , what meditations are these to take up the hearts of men ! meditation . behold the infinite love of god to mankind , and the love of jesus christ , that rather then god would see the children of men to perish eternally , he would send his sonne to take our nature upon him , and thus to suffer such dreadfull things ; herein god shows his love ; it is not the love of god so much in giving you a good voyage , and prospering you outwardly in the world ; but , so god loved the world that he gave his only begotten sonne ; and it pleased the father to break his sonne , and to poure out his blood , here is the love of god and of jesus christ ; oh , what a powerfull , mighty , drawing , efficacious meditation should this be unto us ! med. . those that are beleevers they shall be nourished to eternall life , so that there is no feare that ever a beleever should quite fall off from god , and die in his sin ; why ? because the body and blood of christ is given unto him for his spirituall nourishment : though a beleever be never so weak , yet seeing god hath appointed the body and blood of his sonne for him to feed upon and to drink in a spirituall way , surely then the weakest in the world will be strengthned to goe through all the hazzards , and dangers that there are in the world ; t is this that strengthens beleevers to encounter with all kind of dangers , it s this that preserves the weakest grace in a beleever , namely the spirituall nourishment that god the father hath appointed to them , even the feeding upon the body , and drinking the very blood of his son ; this is meat indeed , and drinke indeeed that will nourish to eternall life . med. . the last meditation is this , when you come to this , seeing the bread broken , and the wine powred out , you have an occasion to meditate of the whole new covenant , the covenant of grace that god hath made with sinners ; for so the words of institution are , this is the cup of the new testament : the new testament which is all one with the new covenant , only different in this particular ; it containes the substance of the new covenant , but calld testament in this regard ; to shew that the lord doth do all in the new covenant , that is , he doth not only promise such and such mercies upon condition of our beleeving and repenting , but he doth work beleeving and repenting , and works grace , and therefore the same thing that is sometime cald a covenant , is calld a testament ; that is the will of god wherein the lord doth bequeath his rich legacies to his children , to those that shall be eternally saved , so that all the good things in the covenant of grace they are bequeathed by way of testament as well as covenant , and this is a mighty comfortable meditation to the saints ; for indeed when they look upon the way of the gospell as in a way of covenant , why then they thinke this , this requires somewhat of our parts to be done , and indeed god will keep covenant on his part , but it may be we shall not keep covenant on ours , and so we may faile at last ; but now when thou lookest upon all the good things in the gospel dispensed in the way of a testament , that is the will of god , the legacies that god doth bequeath to his servants , this is a mighty comfort to the soule , that all the precious things of the gospel come to mee in the way of a testament , and that 's the meaning of the new testament , that is , the mercies of god in christ comming now in the way of another administration , then they did before ; t is not only new in respect of the covenant of workes that god made with adam , but new in respect of the administration ; our forefathers , the patriarchs , they had the same thing in substance , but administred in a darker way , and many differences there are ; but now when wee heare of the new testament , there is presented unto us all the riches of the covenant of grace in the way of a legacie and in the administration of it with cleernesse , and with a great deal of mercy and goodnesse of god , the terrour and harshnesse of the old administration being taken away . now these are the meditations , by which wee should labour to sanctifie our hearts , when we are receiving of the sacrament ; and in the working of these meditations upon our hearts ; wee shall come to sanctifie the name of god , when we are drawing nigh to him in that holy ordinance of his ; thus for meditation . the next thing when wee are there , must be an actuating of these holy dispositions that before wee spoke of ; t is not enough for a christian to bring grace to the sacrament : but there must be a stirring of that grace at that time ; or otherwise the name of god is not sanctifyed in the receiving of the sacrament , and above all graces the actuating of the grace of faith ; t is not enough that thou beest a beleever , but thy faith must act at that very instant , as thus . first , when thou hearest the minister in the name of christ say thus , this is the body of iesus christ which was given for you , take , eat , thou shouldest have thy faith so acting upon the mercy of god , in giving iesus christ , for the nourishment of thy foule to eternall life , as if thou didst heare a voice from heaven saying , here is the body of my sonne given for thee particularly , take it and eat , apply it to thee , and so make christ one with thee by faith , as the bread is made one with thy body when thou doest eat it . and then when thou commest to take hold of the bread , thou art to put forth an act of faith , faith being as the hand of the soule , and at that instant , when thou takest the bread and puttest it into thy mouth to eat , thou shouldest stirre up the act of faith afresh , laying more hold upon jesus christ ; look as once thou didst in thy first conversion , when christ was presented to thee in the word or in any other way , there was an act of faith drawne forth whereby thy soule did cast it selfe , and roule it selfe upon jesus christ ; so shouldest thou renew it ; renew the same work of faith that thou didst find in thy very first conversion ; and thereby thou shalt come to have renewed comfort in the renewing of that act ; i might name thee other graces and dispositions ; how there should be a stirring and an acting of them ; onely remember i leave all this point with this note , that grace is not enough for partaking the sacrament of the lords supper , except there be an actuating , and a stirring up of that grace ; many christians are carefull to prepare , and examine before whether they have grace or no ; but at that time when they come to receive , then there is not a lively working and stirring of that grace , and so they come to lose the comfort & benefit of that ordinance . thus much shal suffice for this point of sanctifying gods name in receiving the holy communion ; i shall now come to the last point , which is the sanctifying the name of god in prayer . sanctifying the name of god in prayer . now this argument might take us up many sermons ; but upon occasion of the dayes of prayer and humiliation , i have preached divers sermons about the point of prayer ; therefore i shall be breife , and only now reckon up together , and set before your view , the severall things that are to bee done for the sanctifying of the name of god in prayer . first , for prayer in that wee draw nigh to god , and its a duty of gods worship , that i suppose all of you cannot but acknowledge ; and that it is a naturall duty of worship ; the other was instituted , but this is naturall ; its naturall for the creature to draw nigh to god in prayer , wherein the creature tenders up his homage to god , and manifests his profession of his dependance upon god for all good that he hath , and acknowledges god as the author of all good , therefore this is worship , and its a great part of worship , prayer it is such a part of worship as sometimes in scripture it s put for the whole worship of god , hee that calls upon the name of god shall be sav'd , that is , hee that worships god aright , jerem. . . and , pour out thy wrath upon the heathen that know thee not , and on the families that call not on thy name , that do not pray , that is , that do not worship thee ; there one part of worship is put for the whole , as being a principall part of the worship of god. surely we must sanctifie gods name in prayer , for it is that that sanctifies all things to us ; tim. . . every thing is sanctifyed by the word of god and prayer ; and if the argument of christ was right , as no question but it was , that the temple was greater then the gold upon the temple , because the temple did sanctifie the gold ; and the altar was greater then the offering that was offered upon it , because it did sanctifie the offering ; then prayer must needs be a mighty great ordinance ; a greater thing then any other ; because that it sanctifies all things . the word sanctifies the creatures ; but prayer sanctifies the very word unto our use ; and therefore when wee read the word we are to pray for a sanctified use of the word ; prayer is a great ordinance ; a great duty of worship that sanctifies all ; prayer hath a casting voice ( as i may say ) in all the great works of god in the world , the great affaires of the kingdome of god , the kingdome of his power , and the kingdome of christ , i say prayer hath a kind of a casting voice , and doth order under god the great things of the world , they are according to the prayers of the saints , they bring down blessings upon the godly , they poure forth judgements on the wicked ; the prayers of the saints , they are the vyalls that are poured forth in a speciall manner upon the heads of the wicked ; therefore gods name is to bee sanctifyed in prayer . it is to be sanctifyed first in preparation ; psalme . . thou wilt prepare their heart ; thou wilt cause thine ear to hear ; it is the lord that prepareth the heart ; and then he causes his eare to hear ; and therefore in pet. . . we are there required to watch unto prayer ; men and women should keep a narrow watch over their hearts and minds , that they may not be hindred in their prayers , that they may be alwaies in a fit posture to pray ; watch unto prayer , it s that that would helpe us against many temptations to evill ; if i give way to such and such temptations it , will hinder my prayers ; i shall not have that freedome and inlargement in prayer as otherwise , if i give way to such and such things , therefore let me take heed of this , for it will hinder my prayers . as if the apostle should say , this should be the care of christians ; then they are like to sanctifie the name of god in prayer , if this be their great care that there is nothing in the world that shall hinder their prayers ; o let me take heed i doe nothing to hinder my prayers ; if i goe abroad into company , and am merry and jocond , and there game and drinke , and sport my selfe in company ; will not this hinder my prayers ? will not this hinder the spiritualnesse of my heart in communion with god in prayer , when i come home at night ? i appeal to you , have you had that freedome in prayer , afterwards ? surely no , therefore watch unto prayer . now for the preparation of the heart to prayer , wee must understand either , first , what is to be done in the course of ones life , or secondly , what 's to be done just when one comes to prayer . for the first , the course of ones life : labour to keepe all things even and cleare between god and your soules ; that so you may not come with shakels , about your legs ; with guiltinesse ( i mean ) upon your consciences ; men that have given way to any base sinfull way , when they come to prayer , the guilt of their hearts doth even sink them ; but those that can keepe their peace with god in the course of their lives , they have other manner of freedome in prayer , then you that walke loosely and contract guiltinesse upon your spirits . and then the second thing is to keep our hearts sensible of our continuall dependance upon god ; sensible how wee depend upon god , for whatsoever we are , whatsoever we have , whatsoever we do ; for the blessing of all is from god. the beames of the sun do not so depend upon the sun , as we upon god ; that if he doth but withdraw himselfe never so little from us , wee all sinke downe to nothing and perish for ever ; that soule that every day and houre is sensible of the infinite dependance it hath upon god for its present and eternall estate ; will be fit for prayer ; and that should be our care for to carry our selves , as any houre in the day , or minute in the houre , we might be fit to go to prayer ; & that 's one meaning of that place in the thessalonians , pray continually ; not that every moment wee should be praying ; but that we should keepe our hearts in a praying frame ; some of you when you have let out your passions and are in a distemper , what will you goe to prayer now ? your conscience will tell you that you are not fit to go to prayer at that time , certainly if you be not fit to pray , you are not fit to live ; you are in an ill condition at any time if you be not fit to pray ; and there can be no excuse whatever that can be sufficient to plead for your selves why you should not be fit to pray at any time ; there is that continuall dependance upon god for all , and that need you have of the blessing of god for every thing , that there is reason you should bee in a fit condition for praying at all times ; but now when you come to prayer at the set time , then there should be a speciall preparation . first , you should prepare your selves by getting fresh and powerfull apprehensions of the glory of god , before whom you goe ; prepare by meditation about the glory of that infinite god that you are now addressing your selfe unto ; possesse yourselves with thoughts and meditations of the glory of the great god ; that 's the first . secondly , labour to get your hearts sensible of what you go for . i am now going to god ; for what ? for pardon of sin , or for assurance of his love ; or for power against sin ; or for such and such mercies ; let me by meditation work my heart to be sensible of these things that i am going to god for , to set a due prior upon those mercies that i am praying for , and to get my heart affected with them . thirdly , labour to get your hearts separated from the world , and from all things that are here below in the world ; and that should have been a third thing in the course of your lives , you should never let out you hearts to any creature , either to businesses or pleasures in the world so , but that you may have command of your hearts to call them when you will ; to call them in to god in prayer ; and then when you come to prayer there should be an actuall separation of your hearts from all things in the world ; dedicating yourselves to god for this time , as one that hath nothing to do with the world , nothing to do with any thing but this duty that now you are about ; this is the preparation of your hearts to prayer in the course of your lives . now then for the prayer its selfe . first we must consider of the matter of prayer . and secondly of the manner of it . first for the matter of it , we must look to it that it be according to gods will john. . . this is the confidence that wee have in him , that if wee ask any thing according to his will hee heareth us ; therefore for the matter we must be sure it must be good that we pray for ; it must bee for the glory of god ; for the good of our selves and the good of our brethren . first , for the glory of god , that should be the cheife matter that we are to pray for ; so christ when he teaches us to pray , he begins the very first petition , matth. . , . hallowed be thy name ; thy kingdome come ; thy will be done ; first begin with the the glory of god , mind that in the cheife place , above all other things . god gives you leave to pray for outward things ; but first for the glory of god , minding that before your own benefit ; before the pardon of sin and your daily bread ; how few doe sanctifie gods name in this ? people have little mind to pray , but when they are in outward afflictions , when they are upon their sick beds then they will pray ; or at sea in stormes then they will pray , then it seemes that the maine matter of your prayer is onely for your selves ; but how hath the matters of the glory of the great god , and the good of the churches taken your hearts all this while ? how have your hearts been affected with this , that the name of god hath been so little sanctifyed in the world , and that the kingdome of god hath not come , and that the will of god hath not been done , have these things taken up your hearts in prayer , the matters of the glory of god and the good of the churches , though your selves have not any particular interest in them ? if these things did but take up your hearts in prayer , then , when you are at sea you would remember the cause of the churches , as much as your selves ; the church is as it were in the midst of the sea , tost up and downe and in a great storme ; now why do not you pray as earnestly for the kingdome of christ among his churches , as for your selves when you are in a storme at sea ? yea and spirituall things should be the cheife matter of your prayer ; for they are the neerest to the glory of god ; though god hath his glory from other things , yet spirituall things are neerest the glory of god ; now in these dayes of prayer , many will come to pray , that they might be freed from danger , that they might have outward peace ; this is good ; but spirituall things are the cheife things ; and therefore the strength of your spirits should be thus powred forth to god ; o that i could get my heart to god , and the assurance of the love of god! o that i could get the shine of his face ! o that i could get power over such and such corruptions . and i beseech you observe this , that spirituall things may be prayed for absolutely ; but outward things must be prayed for conditionally . i may pray ( and never put any condition in at all ) that the lord would pardon my sins , and help me against my corruptions , &c. but when i pray for the health of my body , i ought to pray , if this bee according to thy will , then restore mee to the health of my body , or the health of my husband , or the health of my wife ; but thou mayst pray , lord convert the soule of my husband or the soule of my wife , without any condition at all ; when your estates at sea are in danger , when you pray for them , you must make conditions , lord , as thou seest best for me so do thou deale with me ; this shewes the excellencie that there is in spirituall things above outward things , surely spirituall things are more to be desired , for they are to be prayed for absolutely , and the other to be prayed for only conditionally ; that 's for the first . in the second place we are to pray for our own good , god doth give us leave so to doe ; only here comes in a question . quest . whether it be sinfull to pray for afflictions , as sometimes some will be ready to do . answ . to that i answer , first , take it absolutely considered , we may not pray that god would afflict us , because affliction is in its selfe materially an evill thing , and a fruit of the curse , therefore we may not ( i say ) absolutely pray for it : but thus farre wee may pray for afflictions , disjunctively , conditionally , comparatively . disjunctively thus , lord , either grant unto me a sanctified use of such a mercy , or otherwise let me rather be without it ; let me have a sanctified use of my sicknesse , or otherwise let my sicknesse be continued to mee ; thus now you may pray for continuing in sicknesse . or thus , conditionally , lord , if thou seest that my heart be so vile and wretched that i will abuse ( through my corruption ) such and such mercies , lord rather take them from mee , and let mee be without them ; if thou seest that there be no way to break this proud heart of mine , but such a way , lord let that be thy way to break it , if thou seest it according to thy will as the fittest way . then comparatively thus , lord rather let mee have any affliction then sin , rather let me suffer losse of my estate then sin against thee , then depart from thee : any thing lord rather then sin . thus you may pray for afflictions , but not absolutely . you must not pray that god would send you afflictions absolutely , for you doe not know your hearts ; it may bee if afflictions should come , your hearts may be as stubborne under your afflictions as they are now ; for affliction hath no power in it selfe to do us any good . and then for the good of others , for christ teaches us to pray , our father . there comes in here a rebuke of the wicked practice of divers in cursing , and then a question about it . it is a wicked thing to use curses ; but it s a most wicked thing to wish evill to others in a way of prayer ; yet how many doe so ? though it may be they doe not think it , they speak to god , and desire him to bring such and such evils upon their neighbours ; yea , sometimes parents , upon their children ; this is a wicked practise of men ; what , is it not wickednesse enough for thee to have any desire that there should any evill befall thy brother , but wilt thou dare to presume to call god to be an instrument of the execution of thy base sinfull wrath , that god must be a drudge as it were to thy wrath and to thy passion ? this is abominable wickednesse . any of you that ever have been guilty of this sinne of cursing others , wives , children , servants , or friends the lord rebuke you for this sin ; how far hast thou been from sanctifying gods name in prayer ? whereas , in stead of sanctifying the holy name of god , thou hast called god to be a servant , and a drudge to thy passion , god must be cal'd to help the venting of thy passion : oh , remember this you that have been at sea , and have been angry , and things not going according to your mind , have fallen a cursing , and a wishing such and such evills might come upon those you are angry with ; that 's a kind of prayer , but it is a most fearfull taking the name of god in vaine in the highest degree , and certainly god will not hold him guiltlesse that shall so take his name in vaine ; therefore be humbled for this sinne . object . but you will say , do not wee read in the book of the psalmes , where many times the prophet david doth curse the enimies of god and wishes evill to come upon them . answ . to that i answer , first , that the prophets , and those that pen'd the psalmes they had a prophetical spirit ; and those places that you read that are in way of cursing , they are rather propheticall predictions of evill then direfull imprecations , they are rather foretelling what shall be in a way of prophecie then wishing what should be . secondly , if they be wishing what should be , then i answer , that those that were indued with such a propheticall spirit , they did know who were the implacable enemies of god , and who were not , as david prayed against judas , so many hundred years before hee was borne ; by a propheticall spirit , he knew that he was the childe of perdition ; indeed if we could certainly know a man that were to be a cast-away eternally from god , it were another matter ; as the church in the time of julian , because of his apostasie being so abominable , it was determined almost generally by them that he had committed the sinne against the holy ghost , and upon that they curst him . now i say , those that had an extraordinary spirit that did know who these were , they might do it ; but this is no example for us in an ordinary way to wish evill and curses upon others . but thus far wee may do with the enemies of the church . first , we may curse them disjunctively , lord , either take them out of the way , or keep them that they may not doe such mischiefe in the church : or thus , conditionally , if thou seest lord that they be implacable , thou knowest them , if so , let thy wrath and curse pursue them ; lord thou seest what evill they are set upon , and therefore rather then they should attaine their mischievous designes , let thy wrath and curse persue them ; so we may do it , but not absolutely to curse any , though they should do us never so much wrong , we are called to blessing ; but now in zeale to god , take heed that we be not carried on in our own passion . but being sure it is in a zeale to god , we may wish the curses of god to pursue those that god knowes to be implacable ; this is but an appealing to god , and not at all fastning it upon any particular persons that wee know , but leaving it unto god for the execution of it , and so in a zeale to the glory of god , we may doe it , and we are warranted so to doe by the second petition , thy kingdome come : for that petition that requires us to pray for the comming of the kingdome of jesus christ , doth also require that we should pray against all meanes that hinder the comming of the kingdome of jesus christ , so that every time that the church prayes thy kingdome come or any prayes thy kingdome come , they doe as much as say , o lord , do thou set thy selfe against all the enemies of thy kingdome ; if they belong to thy election , lord convert them , but otherwise lord confound them . now thus we see how we are to sanctifie the name of god in prayer , in regard of the matter of the prayer ; but now for the manner of prayer . the most things i confesse are there . first , when we come to prayer , we must be sure to pray with understanding , cor. . . what is it then ? i will pray with the spirit , and will pray with understanding also , god doth not love the sacrifice of fooles ; we must not come babling to god in prayer to speak wee know not what , and to multiply words we know not wherefore , but god doth require that those that come to prayer , come with understanding , that they offer to god a rationall , a reasonable , an understanding sacrifice ; god is a spirit , and he will be worshipped in spirit and in truth ; now as it belongs to all other duties of worship , so especially in prayer , to know what we doe when we pray , not to think to put off god with a meere empty sound ; that 's the first thing . the second thing in the manner of prayer , it is the giving up all the faculties of our soules in it ; i spake to that in the worship of god in generall , wee shall apply it now particularly to prayer , the giving up , not only out understandings , but wills , thoughts , affections , strength in prayer , in chron. . . it is said of jehosaphat , that he set himselfe to seek the lord , he did give his whole selfe to seeke the lord ; we are to give our whole selfe , and not to divide in prayer . now this were an argument that indeed might well take up a whole sermon , in shewing the evill of the wandring of our spirits in prayer ; wee should take heed of the wandring of our spirits in hearing of the word , and receiving the sacraments , and so in prayer ; the people of god are much troubled with the wandring of their thoughts both in word and sacrament , and it is their great burthen , and should be so , but i never hear any more complainings of the wandring of their spirits then in the time of prayer , the people of god are much pestered in their spirits with this evill , it is very grievous unto them , and many of them goe under it as a grievous burthen all their dayes ; the chiefest burthen that is upon their spirits is their wandring in prayers ; so that if god should speak to them as he spake unto solomon , and bade him aske what he should give him , i verily beleeve there are many in this congregation , that have already good assurance of gods love in christ , if they had not that , that would be the maine thing that they would aske , but having attained that , if god would speak from heaven and say , what shall i give you for your selves , if he should aske you in the generall , it may be you would aske something for the churches ; but if it be for your selves , you would put up this petition , oh lord that i may be delivered from a wandring spirit in holy duties , and especially in the duty of prayer , that i may thereby come to enjoy more holy communion with thy selfe then ever yet i enjoyed , and they would account this to be a greater mercy then if god should give them to be kings or queens over the whole world ; if god should put these two into the balance , either the whole world to possesse or otherwise to have more free hearts in comming to god in prayer , and to be delivered from that that hath so much hindred their communion with god in prayer , they would despise and scorne the world in comparison of such a mercy as this is : howsoever carnall hearts they think little of it , but those that are the servants of god they finde it to be very grievous to them ; but being the time is past , i shall reserve that to speak yet a little more largely for the helpe of those that are under the burthen of it . i 'le only speak one thing further now , and that shall be to those that are wicked and vile , that not only have vaine wandring thoughts in prayer , but even in the very duty of prayer many times have wicked and ungodly thoughts ; how horrible are they ? unclean thoughts , murderous thoughts it may bee , and most abominable . i confesse even those that are godly may sometimes have some blasphemous thoughts cast into them , for the devill is never more busie then at the time of prayer ; but they rather come from the devill then from the stream and corruption of their own hearts , which may be we may make out more cleerely afterward ; but now i speak to such as have most wicked abominable thoughts , rising from the stream and corruption of their hearts , such thoughts as their hearts doe close withall in prayer , and they can roule those thoughts about in their minds as a child will roule a piece of sugar in its mouth ; and this is the wickednesse of many men and womens hearts . take but this one note with you , that all those dreadfull , vile , unclean , covetous thoughts of thine in prayer , they have been to god as if you had spoken them in words ; thoughts to god , are all one with him as words are to men ; for god is a spirit , and the spirit doth converse with god in thoughts , as well as men doe converse with men in words ; and what a wofull guiltines would have been upon you , had you spoken such vile and wicked things to men as some times hath been in your minds , even when you have been praying to god , how would the company have even spit in your faces , and kickt you from them ? none that have any face of godlinesse would have indured you in their company ; and yet here 's the evill of it , your hearts are not troubled , but you rise off your knees and away you go ; thou hast a cauterised conscience , a seared conscience , that canst entertain such vile thoughts at any time without having thy spirit afflicted , and going away with shame and confusion , as if the greatest evill had befalne thee ; therefore take heed of this . sermon xiiii . leviticus . . . i will be sanctified in them that come nigh me . wee are first to sanctifie gods name in regard of the matter of our prayers . and secondly , in regard of the manner . for the first , we made an end of it the last day , and came unto the manner , and there were two things mentioned . first , that wee must pray with understanding . secondly , wee must give up our selves to prayer . now in the close of the exercise wee had occasion to fall upon that argument about the wandring of our thoughts in prayer , and by that we come to take gods name in vaine , in stead of sanctifying of his name ; god expects that we should have our thoughts , and wills , and affections , our whole soules acting upon him in the duty of prayer , or ese we doe not pray to god as unto a god ; vaine thoughts in prayer do pick up the sacrifice like the birds that abraham drove away from the sacrifice , that they should not peck it . wicked lusts in mens hearts are like swine to take the meat and all to hale it in the dirt , so their prayers are filthy and dirty with their lusts ; but those that are otherwise godly , yet by their vaine thoughts the beauty and excellencie of their prayers is taken away ; as wine and beer that have the spirits of them gone , so the life and spirit of our duties are gone by our vaine thoughts , and therefore vaine thoughts do dead the heart very much . so saith david in the . turne away mine eyes from beholding vanity , and quicken mee in thy law : while our eyes look upon vanity , there will be no quicknesse in our hearts in any service that we tender up to god ; now many of gods people have experience of the evill of this , and they groan under the burden of this , and as i said the last time , if so be that the lord should speak from heaven to them and aske them what they would have , they having already the assurance of his love in christ , they would aske the deliverance from a vain spirit in the performance of holy duties , bring no vaine oblations saith god in isa . . . oh what vain oblations doe wee bring by the vanity of our thoughts in prayer ! t is true , the best of all will have vaine thoughts sometimes ; but yet , as one compares the vaine thoughts of men in prayer , like unto a spaniel that goes out with a man , he walks perhaps but halfe a mile , but the spannel will be running up and down , this way and that way , and if all the space of ground which the spaniel hath gone over should be measured , it may be while you are walking halfe a mile , the spaniel fetching compasses here and there would be halfe a dozen miles , so our fancies are like a spaniel which will have fetches about this way and that way , in a thousand vaine thoughts ; but thus now it is with a godly man ; as a spaniel though running from his master , yet if he give him a call , he is able to call him to him presently ; and it were well if it were so with us , though our fancies be wild yet if we were able to call in our fancies and to have them at command it were well with us : and i find it very much that those that are new commers they complaine much of the vanity of their thoughts , they were wont to pray before , and they never had such vaine thoughts as now they have ; the reason why there is so much vanity of thoughts , or at least so much taken notice of , it is first because there is but a little grace in the midst of a great deale of corruption in young converts , like a spark of fire in the middest of a great deale of ashes ; now if there lies a heap of ashes and nothing else , ●ou do not stirre them ; but if there be ashes and some fire , then you will stir them and be blowing those sparkes to kindle another fire by . now when you come to make any motion , then the ashes will fly about , whereas before they lay still ; so it is here ; before god wrought upon thy heart , there was nothing else but ashes upon thy soule , and then they lay still , but now god hath kindled some sparks of grace in thy heart , and god is blowing them up to a greater heat , and is bringing of them to a flame ; upon this motion that is in thy heart , aud the stirring to kindle those sparks further in thy heart , it is that the ashes of thy corruptions do as it were fly about thine eares , and that there is such stirrings of corruption more then there was before , 't is not because there is more corruption then there was formerly , but before there being nothing else but corruption it lay still , and now because there is something else , therefore it is that corruption doth so stirre ; and besides you know a man that was wont to keep lewd company , if god turne him that he will keep that company no more , at first he shall be more troubled with them then he was before ; and they will keep oftener knocking at his doore , and labouring to get him to them againe ; so 't is here , when the soule , vanity and lusts were as friends together there was no disturbance , and taking notice of any thing then , but now when the soule is casting out those sinfull distempers , and will have no more of them , they for the present will be more importunate , active and stiring then they were before . and besides , the lord doth this to humble thy heart the more , that thereby thou maiest come to see the great corruption that was in thy soule before ; the working of thy corruptions will discover much evill in thy heart , that thou didest not think was there before ; when the corruptions of men and women lie still , they think there is no such thing in their soules , as your civill men , what 's the reason that they blesse themselves and think they are in a good condition , it s because their corruptions lie still in them and doe not stirre , they cannot beleeve what abundance of wickednesse there is in their hearts , if god should open the wickednesse that there is in the hearts of men naturally , and so all unregenerate men they would thinke you speak strange riddles , whereas they blesse themselves ; they blesse god ; they know no such thing in their hearts ; not yes there are such things , only they are not stird , but they lie quiet as mudde in the bottome of a pond , there it is , yet you cannot see it till it be stird ; at first conversion i say the lord suffers thy corruption thus to stir , that hee may discover to thee what an evill heart thou hast , what abundance of sin there is in thy heart , and therefore your young converts , they look upon themselves more loathsome and vile then ever they thought they had been . and besides the devil sees it a vaine thing to tempt a young convert to any grosse act of sin ; when conscience hath life and power in it , he● shall never prevaile that way ; but now hee thinks he may prevail to disturbe them with vaine thoughts , and therefore he layes his strength most that way ; therefore let not such be discouraged , that find their spirits anoyed and pestered with them , if they make them to be the burden of their soules ; notwithstanding much vanity of thoughts , the lord wil accept of any desire that they have to sanctifie his name in holy dutyes , and i shall give you these three or four rules to helpe you against these wandering and vaine thoughts in holy dutyes , and especially in prayer . first , when thou goest to prayer , account it to be a great worke ; set a high price upon thy prayer ; not as having any excellencie in it as it comes from thee ; but set a high price upon it as a great ordinance of god , wherein there is communion with god to be enjoyed , and the influence of the grace of god to be conveyed through it ; so set a high price upon prayer , at every time thou art going to prayer ; lord , i am now setting upon a worke that is of very great consequence , and much lies upon it , and i would account it to be a sore and a great evill to me , if i should lose but this prayer : this would bee a speciall meanes to compose thy spirit ; and to keep thee from wandering , as nehemiah , in nehem. . . a place that i have sometimes quoted upon such an occasion , when the enemies of nehemiah that would hinder the building of the temple , sent to him that they might talke together , no saith hee ; i am doing a great worke so that i cannot come downe ; so when the devill and the vanity of thine owne heart , would send to thee to parly , and talke as it were with thee , give an answer , i cannot stand parlying with these things ; the worke that i am about is a great worke ; there are very few people that do account the worke of prayer a great worke ; if thou didst , it would helpe thee much against the vanity of thy thoughts . secondly , every time thou goest to prayer , thou that art most troubled with such vaine thoughts , renew thy resolutions against them ; i have been troubled with vain thoughts heretofore , and am afraid , if i looke not to it , that i shall lose this prayer also ; and therefore o lord , here i renew my resolutions to set against them in this prayer with all my might ; it is very much that may be done by strong resolutions , and especially if thy strong resolutions be renewed resolutions ; for an old resolution begins to grow weak ; a man that hath resolved upon a thing a great while agoe , it hath little power ever him ; but now when a man hath resolved upon a thing but this morning , and just at the time when he is going about it , now hee doth resolve upon it , and set himselfe upon it , and doth resolve through the grace of god , that whatsoever difficultie he meets with all , whatsoever it cost him , that he will goe through this worke , i say that resolutions renewed have a great deale of power ; and you cannot imagine what a great deale of power the renewing of resolution against vaine thoughts will have , if they were renewed every time thou goest to prayer , untill thou gettest power over thy thoughts , do but make tryall of this ; thou hast lost 〈◊〉 prayer by vaine thoughts ; and thou hast been troubled for 〈◊〉 , and yet they come againe ; do but try for this weeke ; as i remember i said in the point of passion and anger , that we should resolve with our selves , well , whatsoever fals out this morning , i am resolved i will beare it ; so bethink thy selfe how many prayers thou hast lost by vaine thoughts ; and now 〈◊〉 thy resolutions , and covenant with god , that for this prayer , i will 〈◊〉 my selfe against them , whatsoever paines i take , i will be sure yet withall to look up to gods grace to assist one , i will be sure this prayer to keep my heart close to what i am about ; & perhaps that will helpe you a little ; but yet some vain thoughts will come for all that ; then the next night renew them again ; and the next morning renew them again ; and that till thou commest to a habit of keeping thy heart close to the duty , though now thou feelest thy heart so wild , that thou thinkest it is impossible to bring it into order , but certainly by such a means , thy heart will be brought into order . thirdly , be sure to set the presence of god before you in prayer , have a reall light of the infinite greatnesse , majestie , and glory of that you present your selves unto , when you are are calling upon him ; if so be that thou canst have a reall fight of god in his glory , it wil keep thy heart close to the duty , as if a man be wandring with his eyes , and looking after every feather , if the king or some great person come into the room , all his thoughts would be about the king , or the great person that were comming in : so if you would present the lord in his glory and greatnesse , excellencie , majestie , and power , before you , and what a dreadfull god he is in himselfe , and yet what a mercifull god hee is to us in his sonne : this would mightily compose our hearts , certainly men and women that are so wandring in their prayers ; it is because their eyes are not open to look upon god in his glory , they are as it were dreaming and do not apprehend that god stands and looks upon them , and observes them , and that god takes notice of every wandring thought that comes from them ; they doe not consider that god doth converse with the thoughts of men , as well as men do with the words of men ; that 's a third rule . fourthly , take heed thou beest not deceived ; because that those thoughts thou hast in prayer , doe not appeare to be very evill in themselves . this is a great deceit and hinder many in the sanctifying of gods name in prayer ; there is sometimes damed in some vain thoughts ; now because the thought hath no great evill in it selfe , therefore they thinke they may play with it ; and their hearts close with it , and so 〈◊〉 along with it as the fish doth with the bait ; if the devill casts in a thought of blasphemie , that makes thee quake and shake ; but if thy thoughts have no 〈◊〉 evill in them , but they are slight things ; matters of no moment one way or other , upon that thy heart begins to be dandling , and playing with them ; therefore remember this rule , that in the time of prayer , whatsoever thoughts be in thy mind that doe not concerne the present duty , they are sinfull before god , though the thoughts for the matter of them be never so good , yet thou art to abandon them as sinfull at that time . therefore never be deceived with this , that the thoughts are not very sinfull , that 's another rule . in the last place observe this rule , if ever god hath helped thee at any time in prayer , that thy heart hath been kept close to a duty , and thou hast had communion with him , blesse god for that , blesse god for that helpe ; t is a rule of very great use for us to get further assistance from god in any thing , if so bee our hearts be inlarged to blesse god for any assistance wee have had heretofore ; and the reason why we gaine and prosper so little in our christian course , it is because we do not take notice of what god hath done for us , to give god glory for mercyes formerly received , and therefore god takes little or no delight in comming in with further mercyes to us ; as if you had a young nursery of trees , and they began to thrive very well , but there comes a company of caterpillars and spoiles almost all the young trees that are set , only two or three are kept from the caterpillars ; a man goes into his orchard , and looks upon his trees , and this is spoild , and that is spoiled ; but he sees two or three and these flourish fairly , and these are full of buds , and are like to come to something , and he rejoyces mightily in those , because they are sav'd when so many others are spoil'd ; and so doe thou view thy prayers , and consider how many hath been spoiled as it were by these caterpillars ; for i compare wandring vaine thoughts in prayer unto caterpillars that are upon the trees ; and we see that if stormy rainy weather comes the caterpillars will fall ; and one would thinke that these blustering stormes and the hand of god that hath been out against us , should have clensed our thoughts and soules from these caterpillars that have been upon our dutyes , but many duties have been spoiled ; yet thou maist say , that through gods mercy such a morning in my closet , the lord hath preserved a prayer to himselfe , and i have gotten power over this vaine heart of mine , blesse god for this , and so the spirit of god will be more ready to come in and help thee another time ; but thus much shall suffice to speak to this , that 's the second thing , we must give up our selves wholly to this duty . the third thing for the sanctifying of gods name in prayer is this , there must be the breathings of the spirit of god , otherwise gods name is not sanctifyed ; that in rom. . . is cleere for this , likewise the spirit also helpeth our infirmities , for we know not what we should pray for as we ought , but the spirit it selfe maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered ; if any of you should say how can wee sanctifie gods name , we are poore and weak , we can doe little ? marke , it is said here , that the spirit helpeth our infirmities to pray , and the word is exceeding emphaticall in the originall ; in your books t is but meerly helping our infirmities , but the meaning of the word is , in these two things , the spirit helpes ; that is , look how a man that is taking up a heavy peece of timber at one end , he alone cannot get it up , but there comes another and takes it up at the other end and so helps him ; the word signifies such a kind of helping , as when a man takes a thing at the other end , or on the other side , one standing the one way , and the other standing the other way , or one taking up one end , and the other the other end , that is the meaning of it ; he helpes our infirmities , the poore foule is pulling and tugging with its own heart , and finds his heart heavy and dull , like a logge in a ditch , and have not many of you found your hearts so ? but now then when you are tugging with your hearts , and would faine lift up your hearts to god in prayer , there comes the spirit of god at the other end , and takes the heaviest end of the burden and helpes you to lift it up ; if a child were at one end of the logge , and that were but light , and the other end very heavy , if one come and take up the heaviest end , a little strength will serve for the lighter end ; so the spirit comes and takes up the heavier end in duty , and so helps our infirmities ; helpes together , and then the other word is the spirit ; that is together with the acting of the graces of the spirit in our hearts , you must not say so ; alasse , what can i doe ? it must be the spirit of god that must doe all ; it is true , hee doth all . first , he gives converting and habituall grace , and assisting and actuating grace ; but now when the spirit hath wrought grace so as to convert the heart , and hath given habituall grace in thy heart , why then when the spirit comes to assist it , doth expect that thou shouldest stirre up all the gifts and graces of the spirit , and the very strength of thy body ; the spirit of god expects that thou shouldest act to the uttermost thou art able , what power hath been given thee by god , and when thou art in acting , then the spirit comes and helpes together with us ; noting that we are to put forth what strength we have , and thus gods name will be sanctified , when as wee putting forth the graces of the spirit in us , then the spirit comes and helpes ; and what comes from us now , comes from the breathings of the holy-spirit in us , and then god who knowes the meaning of the spirit , will know now the meaning of our sighs and groanes ; therefore when thou art going to prayer , thou art to eye the spirit of god ; thou art by the eye of faith to looke upon the spirit of god , and to cast thy soule upon the assistance of the spirit of god , thou art to looke upon the holy-ghost , as appointed by the father and the son to that office , to bee a helper to his poore servants in the duties of worship , and especially in that great duty of prayer ; now upon the reading of this text , and having it thus opened , this is one good helpe for thee in prayer ; read this text , and then exercise thy faith upon it ; lord hast thou not said that thy spirit helpes our infirmities , when we know not what to pray for , nor how to pray for any thing as we ought ? but the spirit will come , now lord make good this word of thine to my soule at this time , and let mee have the breathings of the spirit of god in me ; alasse the breaths of men , if it come from gifts and parts , i know thou wilt never regard it , except there be the breathings of the holy-ghost in mee in prayer ; now , if you would know whether the spirit of god doth come in or no , you may know it by this ; the spirit of god carries unto god , and it makes the prayer sweet and delightfull , so much of the spirit of god as is there , it comes to the soule in the duty , and it leaves a savour behind it ; a gratious savour is alwaies left behind , when the spirit of god comes to breath ; o the breath of the spirit of god is a sweet breath , and it makes prayers sweet ; it never comes into the soule but after it hath done any worke it came for , it leaves a sweet sent , after that , the soule finds a sweetnesse in that prayer ; now many of you have been in the morning at prayer , but i appeal to you ; what sweet savour of the spirit of god is left behind ? certainly if the spirit hath been there it is like civil that is put into a little box , though you should take out the civit , yet there will be a sweet savour left behind ; so though the spirit of god , in respect of the present assistance , withdraws it self , yet it leaves a sweet savour behind . the fourth thing is , purity of heart ; pure heart and hands , in heb. . . rev. . . having every one of them harpes , and golden vials full of odours which are the prayers of saints ; mark , the prayers of the saints are odours in golden vials , the golden vials i may compare to the heart ; the hearts of the saints must be as golden vials , and then their prayers will be as odours ; in tim. . . the holy-ghost giving directions how wee should pray , it is with this qualification , i will therefore that men pray every where lifting up holy hands without wrath and doubting ; the outward conversation must be pure , and the heart pure ; in job . . marke what 's said concerning that holy man ; there 's a promise made to him for the lifting up of his face to god , putting away iniquitie from his tabernacle , that by putting away evill from our tabernacles , and so from our hearts , we may be able to lift up our hearts with joy to goe ; and that 's the fift thing , purity of heart and hands . the sixt thing is , in truth , when we come to call upon god , we must call upon him in truth , psal . . . the lord is nigh unto all , to all that call upon him in truth ; you will say what is the meaning of that ? to that i answer ; first , there must be inward dispositions answerable to the expressions ; as for instance , when i come to expresse the greatnesse of the majestie of god , then i must have an inward disposition sutable to this expression , i must have a feare and reverence of the infinite majestie of god. secondly , when i come to confesse my sin , to judge my selfe for my sin , there must be an inward disposition sutable to such a confession ; o how many men and women will come and speak great things against themselves for their sins , and judge themselves for their sins , and yet there is no such disposition in their hearts sutable to their words ; you shall have some in praying with others , they will be a meanes to break the hearts of others , they will so follow their sin ; and take such shame and confusion upon themselves for their sin , and yet god knows their hearts not stird all this while ; and then they will call upon god for pardon of sin , and for power against their sin , and yet god knowes that their hearts do close with their sin , and are loath to part with their sin in the mean time , this is falsenesse of heart ; when the inward disposition is not answerable to outward expressions ; i beseech you my brethren consider of the prayers you have made , and especially you that pray much with others , look what expressions you have made , and see whether there be answerable dispositions to the expressions you have made , and how that the lord doth remember every expression that you have made . thirdly , wee must call upon god in truth ; that is , conscionably to performe the ingagements of prayer , prayer puts an ingagement upon the heart ; now those that call upon him in truth are conscionable to performe the ingagements ; as now , do i pray for any good thing , i am ingaged to endeavour in the use of all meanes for the attaining of the good thing ? when you confesse a sin , why , you are ingaged by that meanes to endeavour all your might against that sin ; and when you pray for my grace , you are ingaged to make use of all means you can for the attaining of that grace ; and then besides , in prayer there is much profession unto god of our sincerity and uprightnesse , and of our willingnesse to be at his dispose , performe these ingagements that thou makest to god in prayer ; if god should present to us all our professions that we have made to him in prayer , and tell us how we have come short of them , it would make us be in shame and confusion in our owne thoughts . another thing in prayer must be faith ; pray without doubting as in the former scripture , the prayer of faith prevailes much ; james . , . a man that wavereth and doubteth must not thinke to obtaine any thing of god. but i should have opened what that faith is that wee should have in prayer , wee must have faith to beleeve that the thing that we doe pleaseth god , and faith in gods promises , and faith in gods providence , this should be exercised in the time of our prayers ; and therefore after we have done , to goe away beleeving , as hannah in sam. . . wee read of her , that after shee had been praying she went away , and lookt no more sad ; the text faith , noting that after wee have been powring forth our soules to god , wee should beleeve and exercise faith and not go in as drooping a way as ever we did . object . you will say , yea , if wee knew certainly that god will hear us . answ . the way to be assured that god will hear you , is by casting your selves upon god , how can you know that he will hear , but by resting upon him ? i have been with god , and i have been doing the duty of a poore creature , and for the successe i leave it to god , and therefore it must bee with faith . but i have so many sins mixt with my prayers , how can i beleeve ? you have an excellent scripture for that to helpe a soule , to exercise faith in prayer , notwithstanding there hath been many infirmities ; in psal . . , . o thou that hearest prayers , unto thee all flesh shall come ; thou hearest prayers , but i have a great many sins that hinders ; no , marke , what though iniquity prevailes against me , as for our transgressions , thou shalt purge them away ? o make use of this scripture , though you remember not other things ; yet you that have dejected hearts and are afraid that god will not hear your prayers , see what the text saith , thou hearest prayer lord , but will not my sins hinder ? no saith david , iniquity prevailes against me , as for our transgressions thou shalt purge them away ; exercise faith in this ; and know that god doth not heare prayer because thou art not sinfull , because of thy worthinesse , but meerly for his free grace . another holy disposition in prayer should be this ; the soul should come with a holy freedome , with the spirit of adoption to god , crying abba father ; if thou comest to god meerly as to a judge , though its true , those that doe not know that god loves them , yet are bound as creatures to pray , but thou canst never sanctifie the name of god , till thou hast a child-like spirit , the spirit of adoption ; the lord loves to have his children come with freedome of spirit to himselfe in prayer , to come as children , and not to come with dejected countenances , and discouraged hearts ; but come freely to open thy heart to god , as any child would open his heart to a gracious and loving father . another disposition is fervencie in prayer ; the effectuall fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much , and that will be a meanes to help against vain thoughts too , as when the honey is scalding hot then the flyes will not come to it ; if thy heart were as it were scalding hot in prayer thou wouldest not have such vain thoughts . next there must be constancie in prayer ; in thess . . . by that i mean this never to give over untill we have that wee pray for , or something else in lieu of it ; it may be thou hast prayed and nothing is come of it ; be not discouraged , thou hast to deal with a great god , and therefore pray again and again , and again , and pray with this resolution , well , let god doe with mee what he will , i will as long as i live call upon him , and if god shall cast mee away yet he shall cast me away calling upon him , as the poore woman of canaan when christ call'd her dogge , and discouraged her , yet still she would pray ; i but dogges may have crums , that heart is in an ill condition that is discouraged in prayer , because it doth not get what it would , and therefore to thinke with themselves i had as good not pray at all , take heed of any such thoughts . againe , if you would pray to god indeed , so as to sanctifie his name in prayer , there should be humility in your hearts so as to be sensible of your own unworthinesse ; i spake somwhat about being sensible of the distance between god and us , when i spake about sanctifying of gods name in general . the last that i shall speak of is this , when you have done all , this all , these qualifications will not sanctifie gods name , except all be tendred up in the name of jesus christ , and in the power of his merits ; let a man or woman pray with as much fervencie , zeale , constancie , purity , in truth and sincerity ; yet except hee puts up all in the name of christ , i say hee cannot be accepted ; our spirituall offerings must be tendered up in his name ; but i have preached much about that , but now put all that hath been said together , and this it is to pray . that is , when as i pray understandingly : when i give my self to prayer : when there are the breathings of the holy ghost in my prayer : when there is purity of heart like a golden viall : together with sincerity , when it is in truth of heart , when it is in faith , when it comes from a spirituall adoption , when it s in fervencie , when in constancie , reverence , humility , and all put up in the name of jesus christ ; now a man prayes , as it is said of saul , behold hee prayeth ; so i may say of those that are instructed in this art , behold they pray ; you see now that prayer is more then to read in a book , more then to say a few words ; yee see it is a very hard thing to pray , a work of great difficultie , and no marvell though we have lost so many of our prayers as we have done ; we must not charge prayer and god with it , but look to our selves ( i mean not charge the ordinance of prayer ) but the vilenesse of our carriage in our prayers ; and let us for time to come know what a christian life meanes , it is said of christ in luke . . that as hee was praying the fashion of his countenance was changed . oh that 's an excellent thing , that when wee have been in our closets at prayer , to come away with our faces shining ; my brethren could we but pray in such a manner as this is , the very fashion of our countenances would be changed , as moses when he came from the presence of god upon the mount , or as christ that had the fashion of his countenance changed . prayer , it is the sweet ease of ones spirit , it s the help at a dead lift , it s the great ordinance of our communion with god in this world ; and therefore let us learne this art of sanctifying gods name in prayer . i shall conclude all in this , you have heard the mystery of the sanctifying the name of god in worshipping god ; now i beseech you , you that have been a long time in the school of christ , as it were apprentices to christ to learn christianity ; be ashamed that you have understood so little of this art in sanctifying the name of god in prayer ; it is an art and a mystery that you must be instructed in , and you are not christians till you are instructed in this , as in an art and mystery : and that man and woman that shall be instructed truly in this art and mystery in sanctifying gods name now in the worshiping of him , such a man and woman shall be to all eternity sanctifying the name of god in praysing of him . there is a time coming when all the saints must be in the presence of god , and be alwaies praising of him , and they shall then sanctifie gods name for ever ; let us now learn this art of sanctifying gods name in praying , that we may eternally sanctifie his name in praising of him . finis . errata . page . line . for capitall , read corporeall . pag. . l. . for world , r. word . pag. . l. . f. come , r. we come . pag. . l. . f. which , r. with . pag. . l. . f. with , r of . pag. . l. . f. body , r. blood . pag. . l. . f. is , r. as , pag. . l. . f. whereas , r. when . pag. . l. . f. plucking , r. partaking . finis . an exact alphabetical table of all the principal truths in the foregoing sermons . a absolutly . spirituall things to be prayed for absolutly accept , acceptation acceptation of our persons the means of it god accepts not the duties of wicked men the services of the saints accepted act , actuall , action , see grace . actuall sanctification the lord accepts the person before the action god is a pure act and requires actuall service adoption . sign of adoption to desire to be oft in gods presence we must pray in the spirit of adoption affections . affections the strength of them required in gods worship aggravation . aggravation of sin to neglect due hearing the word afflictions , see honour . they that sanctifie not god in hearing the word , can have no comfort from it in afflictions whether it be lawfull to pray for afflictions afflictions in themselves materially evill all all that we have must be given to god all things sanctified to the godly altar . christ is the altar upon which 〈◊〉 offer all our sacrifices angel. angel what it signifieth angels the aggravation of their sin anger . anger not to be brought into gods service apply . we must apply the word in hearing it . apostacie , see schisme . apostacie the ground of it , assurance . the gospel gives assurance of salvation attention . attention must be given in hearing of the word b beginners . beginners in religion to be carefull of preparation beleeving . beleeving the condition of the covenant of grace birds . wandring thoughts in prayer as the birds to abrahams sacrifice blast god blasts those men that sanctifie him not in worship god will blast those that neglect his word blesse . many blesse themselves in evill wayes to blesse god for helping us against wandring thoughts in prayer blind blind sacrifice not to be offered to god bloud a fearfull thing to be guilty of christs bloud breathing , see spirit broken , see heart what kind of broken heart is required in receiving the lords supper christs body broken for us c children gods saints may meet with afflictions in their children ground of contentment in afflictions upon our children church church what it signifieth church defiled by wicked men uncastout civill , see worship christ all worship must be tendered in the name of christ all must be tendered in christ because of gods justice they that reject the word , reject christ all our prayers must be tendered in the name of christ command nothing must be tendered to god in worship but what he hath commanded no expresse command for many things in the new testament comfort , see word communion communion with god not increased by the duties done with naturall conscience the sacrament the ordinance of our communion with christ the sacrament must be received in a holy communion how far the presence of wicked men hinder this communion no close church communion with wicked men more communion with christ in the sacrament then in the word confession ground of confession to god conscience sinners against conscience need great preparation to duties duties acted by naturall conscience naturall conscience limits it self in duties trouble of conscience should make men meekly hear the word consciences of wicked men troubled about the sacrament constant men acted by naturall parts are not constant in duties there must be constancy in our prayers contrary the word will be made good on the contrary , to those that abuse it conversion conversion not wrought by the sacrament covenant in the sacrament we make a solemn covenant covenant of grace sealed in the sacrament those that receive the sacrament must be in the covenant of grace condition of that covenant , ibid renewing of covenant in the sacrament . crucified christ crucified in the sacrament curse they that neglect the word , are nigh to a curse cursing of others , sinfull how farre we may curse the enemies of the church d danger , see dignity . dark , see mind dead , death . fear of death taken away , how wee must not bring dead services and hearts to the living god consciences of carnall men opened upon their death bed death of christ to be meditated on in the sacrament dear , see glory . delight . god delights in our drawing nigh to him depart to neglect gods worship , is to depart from him , dependance . we should continually be sensible of our dependance on god , desire . we must hear the word with a desire after it devill devill gratified by omission of duties vnseasonable motions though materially good come from the devill wandering thoughts in prayer suggested by the devill , difficulty . naturall parts in performance of duties will not carry thorow difficulties not to be discouraged in difficultes considering gods power the work of religion difficult , dignity , see prerogative . the more dignity the more danger dishonour . it were a dishonour to god to accept the services of wicked men disposition inward disposition in prayer divine , see service . doubt . the time of receiving the sacrament no time for doubting we must pray without doubting duty . the holinesse of a duty will not bear men out in their miscarriage in it omission of duty will not fit for duty . the doing of one duty prepares for another duties not to be rested on . . to be humbled for our best duties all duties of carnall worshippers lost sin of hypocrites aggravated by holy duties ibid e easie . preparation makes duties easie election . evidence of election end , see extremity . our ends must be high in the worship of god base ends of men in gods worship ibid to have right ends apart of wisdom it is the nature of god to will himself the last end engagement . engagements of prayer to be performed envie , see mean. eternity . eternity of god how to be considered in our worship excellency . thoughts of our own excellency to be cast off in our worship exemplary . exemplary judgements should make us look into the word how god makes it good extremity . men that regard duties only in extremity make themselves their end . examination examination required in partaking of the sacrament , eye faith as an eye to see christ in the sacrament f faith , faithfulnesse . faithfulnesse of god , what it should teach us faith must be mixed in hearing the word faith exercised in receiving the sacrament faith how to act it in the sacrament we must pray in faith faculties all the faculties of the soul to be given up in prayer , familiarity , see potent drawing nigh to god breeds familiarity benefit of familiarity with god falling away falling away the ground of it fear , see publick what fear we must have in gods worship in fear naturall conscience puts in to duty fervency fervency required in prayer , fire fire from heaven two fold , fire that slew aarons sons what strange fire what folly to be ashamed of our follie when we come to god , follow the soul is to follow after god as a god free , see grace friend , see word friends , who are the best g gesture gesture in the sacrament not meerly indifferent guilty , see bloud guilty consciences flee the worship of god , why guilt to be removed when we come to pray god duties must be performed to god as a god when duties are offered to god as a god the word to be heard as the word of god we are reconciled by the blood of that person that is god good good heart what the word will be made good on the abusers of it we are to pray for our own good gospel gospel the tenour of it glory glory of god dear to him glory of god dearer to him then the lives of men glory of god is the lustre of all his attributes together the active glory of god is the especiall honour he hath glory of god in his word the greatest why god will be glorified in them that hear the word those that will obey the word will be the glory of the ministers we should have apprehensions of gods glory in prayer the glory of god is the chiefe thing we should pray for spirituall things nearest the glory of god grace grace to be acted especially in gods worship grace the freenesse of it should make us more diligent in the worship of god graces increased by drawing nigh to god graces to be acted and stirred up in the sacrament we must act our own graces in prayer together with the spirit see covenant . great a people are great that have god nigh them we should prepare to gods worship because he is great the duties of gods worship are great how to sanctifie gods name in respect of his greatnesse great things to be expected from god we must hear the word with attention because of the greatnesse of him that sends it we must be attentive because the matters delivered are great h habituall habituall sanctification harden nothing doth harden the heart more then the word by accident hand faith is a hand to take christ in the sacrament the cup in the sacrament not to be delivered into every particular hand heart our hearts naturally unprepared for duty the heart in preparation to be taken from every sinfull way as the heart is so are the duties the heart is not changed by the acting of naturall parts good heart what the word of the law not in the heart a broken heart required in receiving the sacrament hearing of sanctifying gods name in hearing the word hearing the word a part of gods worship how to know that god hears our prayers heathen . heathens attend to worship their idolls heaven being oft in gods presence minds us of heaven the worship of god here the beginning of that in heaven hide we must hide the word in our hearts highest what we lift highest in our worship that is our god see thoughts , ends. hindrance hindrances to gods worship many holy , holinesse . holinesse the greatest honour of gods name holinesse of god to be held forth by his servants drawing nigh to god makes us holy time , and place said to be holy , how god infinitly holy those that receive the lords supper must be holy honest . we must receive the word into honest hearts honest heart what honest amongst men who honour . to quiet the heart in affliction is to know that god will have honour by it humble , humbled , humility . humility of spirit requisite in the worship of god to be humbled for not sanctifying the name of god aright humiliation in preparing to hear the word wandring thoughts in prayer suffered by god to humble us humility required in our prayers see worship . hungring there must be hungring after christ in the sacrament i incense incense what it signifieth incomprehensible incomprehensiblenesse of god what it should teach us in our worship infinite there is an impression of gods infinitnesse upon the duties of his servants infirmities infirmities of others to be passed by of those that receive the sacrament infirmities how helped by the spirit institution institution of the sacrament to be kept close to intention strength of intention required in the worship of god joy the mercy of god should make us come to him with joy the word to be received with joy difference in the joy of hypocrites and true christians spirituall joy required in receiving the sacraments a broken spirit may consist with spiritual joy ibid judge , judgement . sinners may meet with judgements 〈…〉 in the word god is quick with same in the way way of his judgements judgements many times sutable to the sins gods judgements many times invisible the word of god shall judge those that abuse it justice justice of god seen in the death of christ k knowledge knowledge required in receiving the lords supper knowledge in other points necessary to them that receive the sacrament knowledge actuall required in receivers l leaven leaven how cast out by the jewes life , living . gods goodness in sparing our lives to worship him that god is a living god , what it should teach us the things delivered in the word concern our lives beleevers nourished to eternall life limitted . the duties of gods children not limitted little. in matters of worship god stands upon little things lose . the ground why we lose so many prayers love. naturall conscience makes not the heart love a duty the word must be received with love the sacrament ordained by christ out of love love to be renewed in the receiving the sacrament the infinite love of god seen in the death of christ lust . the worship of god not to be subjected to our lusts who they be that subject it to their lusts m man. the mediator between god and man is man mean. mean men not to envy great ones why mediator the way of mans salvation is by a mediator meditation meditation in preparing the heart to holy duties meditations in the receiving the sacrament meeknesse the word must be received with meeknesse mercy , mercifull . god is mercifull mercy of god should teach us to be mercifull to others the duties of worship the way to convey gods choice mercies the word a means to convey speciall mercies mercie-seat . mercie-seat a type of christ mind . we should pick out gods mind from dark expressions we come to know the mind of god when we come to hear the word mysterie . the greatest mysteries of salvation presented in the sacrament . . mixture . mixture of mans inventions with gods ordinances unlawfull , mortification . mortification requisite to the sanctifying gods name mouth faith , the mouth of the soul to receive christ n name . no way to enjoy mercies but by sanctifying gods name see sanctifie . nature , naturall . some duties of worship are naturall christ bath honoured humane nature by taking it neer , nigh . god wil be sanctified in those that come neer him those that are neerest god should be most carefull in worshipping god we draw nigh to him in what respects we draw nigh to god in worship the word of the gospel nigh see grace , delight , adoption neglect . severall sorts that neglect to sanctifie gods name in heating the word nourishment . the lords supper an ordinance for spirituall nourishment , beleevers are nourished to eternall life o omniscient . what we should learn that god is omniscient opening ground of opening the heart to god the heart must be opened to hear the word opportunity the happiest opportunity to sanctifie gods name is in hearing his word ordinance an ordinance of god what the word an ordinance of god to convey good to us men are not to be forced to congregations where any of christs ordinances are wanting , the lords supper the great ordinance appointed to set forth christ sufferings own we must bring to god in his service that which is his own , p parts how to know when men are acted by naturall parts in gods worship passion passion hinders the right hearing of the word wicked men in passion rise against god peace-offering difference between peace-offerings and burnt-offerings person god accepts the person before he accepts the offering place the lord is very terrible out of his holy places god in his essentiall presence in every place see holy. plowing plowing of the fallow ground of the heart , what men may do somewhat toward the plowing of their hearts see word . potent familiarity with god makes us potent with him prayer prayer a great duty that needs preparation prayer required in preparation to duties vnregenerate men cannot sanctifie gods name in prayer , we should pray before we hear the word of sanctifying the name of god in prayer prayer put for the whole worship of god see preparation , wandring . praise gods worship must not be subjected to the praise of men , preparation preparation of the soul in the duties of gods worship preparation and sanctification all one preparation to gods worship why ibid preparation , things wherein it consists preparation , the excellency of it , in severall things those that walk closely with god are in continuall preparation preparation , a speciall duty of young beginners ibid good men greived for want of preparation where there is sincerity , duties should be done though there want preparation preparation required in hearing the word preparation to be made to prayer see prayer , great , &c. prerogative gods prerogative appears most in his worship no prerogative can secure from gods stroke presence presence of god even in the godly , terrible to wicked men presence of godly men comfortable to set gods presence before us in prayer see guilty . present when we worship god we tender a present to him sin committed long since to be looked on as present principle god looks more at the principle of the duty then at the duty , good men looke at the principle of the things they enjoy from god prize to prize those mercies we beg in prayer prayer to bee highly priz'd , promise every ordinance of christ hath a speciall promise publick those that are in publick place have especially need of the fear of god pure we must lift up pure hands in prayer q questions two questions god will ask his worshippers quick god is quick in way of judgement with some the word of god is quick in working quiet the best way to quiet the heart in affliction r ready what will make the heart ready for duty readinesse to hear the word , wherein it consists reading reading not to be preferr'd before hearing reprobation not to sanctifie gods name in hearing the word a sign of reprobation two fearfull signs of reprobation resign in gods worship we must resign all to god resolution we must hear the word with resolution to yeild to it resolution against wandring thoughts in prayer s sabbath sabbath , see strength sacrament . sacrament , the meaning of the word sacrament a part of gods worship we must sanctifie gods name in receiving the sacrament , vnworthy receiving the sacrament severely threatned how we sanctifie gods name in receiving the sacrament , whether judas received the sacrament of the lords supper , safety safety wherein it consists salt salt of the sacrifice what it signifieth sanctifie sanctifie , what it signifieth gods name sanctified two waies ibid gods name to be sanctified when we draw nigh to him how gods name is sanctified in drawing nigh to him ibid how duties must be performed that gods name may be sanctified the heart must be sanctified in regard of gods greatnesse sanctification the parts of it , ibid sanctification of the heart double sanctifying of gods name the only way to fit us for mercies , exhortation to sanctifie gods name nothing sanctified to them that do not sanctifie god in his word see sacrament . satisfied naturall consciences is satisfied with a little duty see sin schisme no schisme to depart from a church that hath not al christs ordinances schisme , what ibid difference between schisme and apostacie ibid secret. men acted by naturall parts are not enlarged in secret see the sacrament so to be delivered as all may see what is done , self self not to be our end in our duties where self is the highest end god regards not the duties service hearing the word is divine service shadow shadow of gods wing what shift of those that shift off the word closely applyed silence silence , what sin the committing of one sin prepares for another no salvation without satisfying for sin the heart must be purged from sin to receive the sacrament motives in the sacrament to abhor sin sin , the great evill of it singing singing psalmes in the time of the sacrament unfit singing after the sacrament requisite sitting sitting at the sacrament the fittest gesture soul the price of the salvation of a soul spirit , spirituall . we must be acted by the spirit in our worship god must be worshipped in spirit spirituall things may be absolutly prayed for how to know when the spirit helps our prayers see glory , sweet . strange , see fire . strength strength required in gods worship strength required to spend the sabbath naturall conscience gives not strength to duty we must not come to duties in our own strength strugling strugling alone against corruption oft times en snares us subjection subjection required in hearing the word sufferings the sufferings of christ chiefly represented in the sacrament ground of suffering for christ , superstition superstition what sutable , see judgement sweet breathings of the spirit sweet , t table those that come to the sacrament should come neer the table , tares tares what meant by them temptation time of temptation the time of worship we must hide the word in our hearts against temtation , terrible , see place . thankfulnesse thankfulnesse required in receiving the sacrament motives , to thankfulnesse time preparation makes us do much in a little time see holy. thornes thornes must be plucked out of the heart when we hear the word thoughts in the worshipping of god we must have high thoughts of god wicked men have many times wicked thoughts in prayer , thoughts are to god as words are to men ibid see wandring . tremble we should tremble at hearing the word truth we must pray in truth truth what meant by it ibid v vain where wicked men are willingly admitted to the sacrament gods name is taken in vain unchangeable god is unchangeable understanding we must pray with understanding uncertainty the righteousnes of the law leaves at uncertainty w wait we must wait gods leasure in regard of time ground of waiting from gods eternity wandring wādring thoughts in prayer directions against wandring thoughts in prayer all wandring thoughts in prayer sinfull see birds , humble , devil , &c. warrant , see command . watching watching required in preparation to duty weaknesse god passeth by weaknes where the heart is prepared to duty weary a man that makes himself his end will be weary of duty wicked wicked men are to be cast out or with drawn from in the sacrament every man in the congregation to look to the ca●ing out of wicked men ground of excluding wicked men will willing we must he willing not will worshippers things in gods worship depend only upon his will god requires that we will as he willeth our prayers must be according to gods will wisdom wisdom of god , what to learn from it wisdom of god to be our guid ib. womb those that sanctifie gods name in hearing the word , it is a greater blessing then to bear him in their womb word to comfort afflicted friends from gods word the heart must be plowed by the word the word must be glorified word what should make us esteem it word hath much of god in it the word a means to convey speciall merices ibid. the word wherein the strength of it lies all the good in the word for whom the devil gets advantag by fastening il words upon the good the word in what respect above the sacrament the word sanctified by prayr worship difference between civil things & gods worship natural helps in gods worship ibid we should be humbled for false worship worship of god what worship of god the means to convey his choice mercies to heed what we do in worship exhortation to be much in the worship of god hearing the word a part of gods worship what makes hearing the word a worship prayer put for the whole worship of god see command , little , &c. world in preparation the heart must be taken from the world in prayer the heart must be taken from the world wrath preachers that reveal gods wrath should conceal their own finis . the contents of the severall ensuing sermons . sermon i the occasion of the words page the words opened observation there must be nothing in gods worship but what he hath commanded . observation god stands upon little things in matters of his worship observ . no priviledge can secure from gods stroak observ . the more dignity , the more danger ibid observ . the beginnings of great matters meet with difficulties observ . those that enter into publick places have need of the fear of god ibid observ . we should pick out gods meaning from dark expressions in his word observ . sinners may meet with judgements never threatned in the word observ . god is very quick with some in the way of judgement observ . the holinesse of a duty will not bear a man out in his miscariage in it ibid observ . the lord is terrible out of his holy places observ . gods judgements are oft sutable to mens sins ibid observ . we should take heed of bringing strange fire to gods service sermon ii observ . gods saints many times meet with afflictions in their children observ gods judgments many ●nes come in an invisible way observa . gods glory more precious to him then mens lives observ . the neerer any are to god the more carefull they should be to glorifie him ibid observ . when judgements are exemplarie we should look to the word how god makes it good observ . the great honour of gods name in the making it holy ibid observ . true friendship to comfort friends in distresse from the word observ . the way to quiet the heart in affliction is to think god will have honour by it doct. in worshipping god we draw nigh to him in what respect we are said to draw nigh god in worship use to take heed what we do when we worship god use why guilty consciences fly from the worship of god use why hypocrites meet with such severe judgments use to neglect gods worship is to depart from him use exhortation to be much in gods worship sermon iii use the honour of gods servants to draw nigh him doct. we must sanctifie gods name in drawing nigh to him first in preparation to his worship ibid because he is a great god the duties of gods worship are great our hearts are naturally unprepared the hinderances of gods worship are many ibid the heathen prepared to worship their idolls ibid preparation shewes sincerity of heart things wherein preparation consists a right apprehension of god taking the heart from finfull waies ibid taking off the heart from the world ibid in watching and prayer in acting the faculties and graces things of the excellency of preparation it will make duties easie ibid wee shall do much in a little time ibid the lord will passe by weaknesse in duties it will make the heart alway ready for duty sermon iv cases of conscience . whether we be alway bound to set some time apart for preparation to duties whether being not prepared the duty may be omitted answered in particulars . the omission of duty will not fit the soul for duty it is but a temptation to keep from duty if the duty be done in sincerity , though there be not due preparation it is better then to omit it ibid while people struggle with their corruptions , and seek not god , they fall into snares in what manner duties are to be performed that gods name may be sanctified ibid we must performe them so that we may glorifie god as a god which is done , when we offer all we have when we greive that we can do no more there is an impression of gods infinitnesse on the duties of his saints ibid when the soul follows after god as a god when the soul comes expecting the choicest mercies of god ibid how the heart must behave it self to sanctifie gods name in respect of his greatnesse and glory ibid it must be a sanctified heart because the lord accepts the person before he accepts the action god looks more at the principle of the duty then at the duty ibid according as the heart is , so will the duty be sermon v in sanctifying gods name in worship we must have high thoughts of god we must have high ends in worshipping god several base low ends in worshipping of god . in subjecting his worship to our lusts ibid subjecting his worship to the praise of men making self our end in his worship which we do when we are weary of duties if we find not that we desire when men are streightned in worship , and envy others that are enlarged when men regard holy duties onely in times of extremity ibid there must be reverence and fear in gods worship there must be strength in the duties of gods worship strength of intention affection faculties there must be a humble frame of spirit . which consists in admiring gods goodnesse that we are alive to come before him ibid to have no thought of any excellency in our selves , to come without our own righteousnesse ibid to take off our hearts from all abilities of grace ibid to wait gods leasure in regard of the time in sanctifying gods name we must bring that which is his own ibid the matter must be that which he hath commanded ibid we must be acted by the spirit when duties are acted by naturall parts , and not the spirit of god if they change not the heart ibid if they carry not through difficulties ibid when men rejoyce in acting their parts ibid when there is little enlargment in secret when there is not constancy in duty ibid duties acted by naturall conscience it gives no strength to do them ibid the heart loves not the duty ibid it doth not increase communion with god ibid sermon vi it makes not a duty strong to the soul it limits it selfe in dutie ibid it is satisfied with little in the sanctifying gods name in worship , there must be a resignation of all to god ibid all worship must be tendered in the name of jesus christ how to sanctifie gods name in reference to his attributes god is a spirit , and to be worshipped in spirit god is eternall , and how to worship him in that consideration god is incomprehensible , and therfore seeth us in every place god is unchangeable , what that should teach us in our worship god is a living god , and what we should learn thence ibid god is almighty , what that should teach us in our worship god is omniscient , and what that should teach us god is a god of wisdom , and what that should teach us god is holy , and what that should teach us in our worship ibid god is mercifull , and what that should teach us god is just , and what that should teach us god is faithfull , and what we should learn thence sermon vii reasons why god will be sanctified in all the duties of his worship god doth will himself the last end the especiall glory god hath in the world is to be actively honoured the duties of worship are the means to convey gods choicest mercies ibid we are not fitted to receive mercies , but by sanctifying gods name ibid else we shall not hold out in duty application . we have no cause to rest on our duties the work of religion is hard to flesh and blood we should be humbled that we have no more sanctified gods name exhortation to sanctifie gods name to consider we have to deal with god in worship not to come in our owne strength not to be satisfied with the duty done ibid god is displeased with the duties of wicked men god blasts such men god opens their eyes on their death bed to see what they have done those that sanctifie gods name he will sanctifie it in a way of mercy sermon viii of sanctifying gods name in hearing of the word hearing the word is a part of gods worship we professe our dependance upon god for the knowing of his mind in hearing we wait on god in the way of an ordinance ibid in hearing the word there must be preparation which is to hear the word as the word of god to hear the word as gods ordinance for our good ibid to plow up the fallow ground of the heart , and what is meant by it resolution to yeild to all truths delivered a desire after the word ibid prayer before we hear the word the behaviour of the soul in hearing the word carefull attention to it ibid means to help attention ibid an opening of the heart to receive it carefull applying of the word ibid it must be mixed with faith how the word is to be mixed with faith ibid sermon ix the word must be received with meeknesse it must be heard with a trembling heart with humble subjection to the word it must be received with love and joy it must be received into an honest heart we must hide the word in our hearts we must turne the word into practice sermon x why god will be glorified in them that hear the word because there is so much of god in it ibid god hath appointed it to convey speciall mercies ibid it is quick and lively in working use reproof of severall sorts of men concerning the word neglected the fearfull estate of those that do not sanctifie god in his word they lose the choicest opportunity ibid the word will be a great aggravation of sin ibid they that reject the word , reject christ it is an argument of hardnesse of heart it is a sad sign of reprobation ibid to such there can be nothing sanctified they are nigh to a curse ibid it will turn to their damnation it will not comfort them in afflictions god will make his word good upon them the word shall judge them ibid god will blast them that sanctifie not his name in his word use exhortatio to glorifie the word of god god will sanctifie his name in mercy upon those that sanctifie it in hearing the word all the good in the word is theirs ibid it is a certain evidence of their election god will sanctifie them by the word they will be the glory of the ministers at the day of christ ibid it will rejoyce them hereafter when god shall magnifie his word sermon xi . of sanctifying the name of god in receiving the sacrament receiving the sacrament is a part of gods worship gods name must be sanctified in our receiving the sacrament because there are presented the greatest mysteries of salvation ibid it is an ordinance that christ hath left out of his love ibid it is the sacrament of our communion with christ the covenant of grace is sealed in it ibid no duty is urged with more strength and severity ibid nothing striks more upon mens consciences how many are to sanctifie gods name in the sacrament those that receive it must be holy because it is the seal of the covenant ibid it is an ordinance of spirituall nourishment because we are required to examine our selves ibid it is a sacrament of communion with god and the saints it must be received in a holy communion ibid wicked men not to be admitted to this communion sermon xii addition to the former conerning holy communion the qualifications in the soul to fit it for receiving the lords supper knowledge ibid a broken heart actuall purging the heart from sin hungring , and thirsting after jesus christ exercise of faith exercise of spirituall joy thankfulnesse ibid renewing of covenant renewing of love towards god and our brethren sermon xiii we must keep to the institution in the sacrament for the gesture delivering it to all in generall and not into every particular mans hand that the communicants be all the while exercised in their thoughts about the death of christ mediations in receiving the sacrament that the way of mans salvation it is through a mediator ibid this mediator between god and man is true man ibid that his body was broken and his blood shed for us it was the body and blood of that person that is god that reconciles us ibid to consider the dreadfulnesss of gods justice ibid the price of saving a soul the greatness of the evill of sin ibid the infinite love of god to mankind ibid that beleevers shall be nourished to eternall life ibid to meditate upon the covenant of grace to beleevers holy disposition to be actuated in receiving the sacrament of sanctifying the name of god in prayer . what preparation we are to make to prayer concerning the matter of prayer concerning the manner of prayer concerning wandring thoughts in prayer sermon xiv a further enlargement concerning wandring thoughts in prayer rules to help against wandring thoughts set a high price upon the duties of prayer ibid to renew resolutions against wandring thoughts to set the presence of god before us to account all wandring thoughts evill ibid to bless god if at any time he did help us against them , for sanctifying gods name in prayer , there must be the breathings of the spirit there must be pure hearts and hands we must call upon god in truth ibid what it is to call upon god in truth ibid we must pray in faith in the spirit of adoption we must pray with constancy we must pray in humility ibid we must tender up al our prayers in the name of christ conclusion of all finis . notes, typically marginal, from the original text notes for div a -e observ . observ . observ . observ . observ . observ . observ . observ . observ . obser . obser . obser . obser . stepney , nov. . . obser . obser . obser . obser . obser . obser . obser . obser . that we draw nigh to god in holy duties . what it is to worship god. the second respect wherein the soule is said to draw nigh to god in holy duties . applic. applic. applic. applic. applic. by drawing nigh to god often we incre●se 〈◊〉 gr●●ts . we come to live holy lives a special signe of our adoption . we come to be put in mind of the life of heaven our drawing nigh to god delightfull to him , by coming into gods presence there is a blessed familiarity betweē god and the soul . our familarity with god makes us to be potent with him . by our communion with god the terror of death wil be taken away . safety in being neer to god. stepney , nov. . . applic. great honour god puts upon his servants . doct. . reason reason reason reason reason reason stepney decem. . . stepney dec. . stepney , dec. . stepney , janu. . . stepney , janu. . stepney , janu. . . stepney febr. . . a briefe answer to doctor fernes booke tending to resolve conscience about the subjects taking up of arms / by jer. burroughes. burroughs, jeremiah, - . this text is an enriched version of the tcp digital transcription a of text r in the english short title catalog (wing b ). textual changes and metadata enrichments aim at making the text more computationally tractable, easier to read, and suitable for network-based collaborative curation by amateur and professional end users from many walks of life. the text has been tokenized and linguistically annotated with morphadorner. the annotation includes standard spellings that support the display of a text in a standardized format that preserves archaic forms ('loveth', 'seekest'). textual changes aim at restoring the text the author or stationer meant to publish. this text has not been fully proofread approx. kb of xml-encoded text transcribed from -bit group-iv tiff page images. earlyprint project evanston,il, notre dame, in, st. louis, mo a wing b estc r ocm this keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the early english books online text creation partnership. this phase i text is available for reuse, according to the terms of creative commons . universal . the text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. early english books online. (eebo-tcp ; phase , no. a ) transcribed from: (early english books online ; image set ) images scanned from microfilm: (early english books, - ; : ) a briefe answer to doctor fernes booke tending to resolve conscience about the subjects taking up of arms / by jer. burroughes. burroughs, jeremiah, - . [i.e. ] p. s.n., [london? : ?] caption title. reproduction of original in the union theological seminary library, new york. eng ferne, h. -- (henry), - . -- resolving of conscience. war -- religious aspects. just war doctrine. great britain -- history -- civil war, - . a r (wing b ). civilwar no a briefe answer to doctor fernes booke, tending to resolve conscience, about the subjects taking up of arms. by jer. burroughes. burroughs, jeremiah c the rate of defects per , words puts this text in the c category of texts with between and defects per , words. - tcp assigned for keying and markup - spi global keyed and coded from proquest page images - john latta sampled and proofread - john latta text and markup reviewed and edited - pfs batch review (qc) and xml conversion a briefe answer to doctor fernes booke , tending to resolve conscience , about the subjects taking up of arms . by jer : burroughes . there came to my hand a book of d. fern , tending to resolve conscience in the case of the subjects taking up armes . i find it carryed on without giving any ill termes , but in farr expressions , sutable to a treatise that concernes conscience , and the more likely to prevail with it . onely now and then some bitternes breakes forth ; i shall very briefly , yet faithfully give you the strength of it : where he speakes right , i will acknowledge it ; and where he mistakes , i will fairly discusse and shew you whence the mistakes arise . i confesse he hath great advantage in the subject , because it is for the king : . because it is safer to plead for the king , though a man mistakes ; but if there be a mistake in lessening the kings right , a man endangers his utter undoing . . truth about this argument , hath alwayes been tenderly handled ; those who have pleaded for the king , have with courage vented themselves to the utmost ; but others have been forced to be silent , or else but even to whisper and speak halfe out , lest they presently meet with ( not arguments , but ) things of another nature to answer them . in which regard the power of kings hath been raised to the height , and men have drunk in such opinions of absolute power in them , as they have heard confidently affirmed , practised , and seen in books , and feeled by many taxations and censures ; but whatsoever might informe them hath layne in the darke , not daring to appeare : therefore well might the d. call what now people begin to heare , and enquire after , a new doctrine ; it is an old truth , but newly discovering it self . the name of king hath taken such impression in the hearts of people , that for a while they will be prejudiced against whatsoever may but sound of limiting his power , or maintaining our right against it . what there is in the epistle that may prejudice any mans conscience , will be answered in what follows . preamble to sect. i. so many good people that are come to a sense of religion and godlinesse , are miserably carryed away by a strange implicite saith , to beleeve whatsoever is said or done in the name of the parliament , &c. to be infallibly true and just . it seems those who have not a sense of religion , do not so easily beleeve the truth and justice of what is done in the name of the parliament . this is most certaine , who are hardest to beleeve what the parliament sayes , but papists , and notorious blasphemers , and prophane livers ? i condemne not all , but compare the generality of the one side , and of the other ; you shall finde an apparent difference in the lives of the one , from the lives of the other : yea , so it is now that if a man as heretofore were not prophane , or loose at least , or zealous for ceremonies , he was accounted a puritan ; so now a round-head , that is , in their ordinary interpretation , one for the parliament . if it be said , this is because religion is pretended on the parliaments side : so it is on the other , with as loud a cry as the parliaments . in such things where i must have regard to humane testimony , to what part i see the most that have the sense of religion to adhere , that side i will be on , except i see better grounds then yet the d. brings to draw me from it . prov. . : that thou mayst , walk in the way of good men , and keepe the paths of the righteous . sect. i. in this sect. these special things are considerable : . what he grants . . what we grant . . what he sayes we grant . he grants we may deny obedience to the king , nor onely in things unlawfull by the law of god , but by the established laws of the land . it is well this is granted ; heretofore we know this was the generall tenet , whatsoever was commanded by the king , yea by any men in authority , if but by a prelate , except it were against gods law , we were bound to obey it ; any thing that was not sinne , must be yeelded to and that for conscience sake . the d. in this is ingenuous ; he confesseth that not onely gods law , but mans law limits kings power : this is a great ease to many mens consciences to know so much . and further , if this be true , that all those scriptures that urge obedience to kings and men in authority , must be understood with this limitation , that is , if they command according to the laws of god , and according to the laws of the countrey over which they are . . he sayes , in point of resistance we grant it must be in such a case where there are omnes ordines regni consentientes , an unanimous consent of the two houses . there is no determination that the greater part present of either house agrees upon , but is as truly valid and legal , as if there were an unanimous consent of them both . it is so in all bodies where things are carried by vote . . he sayes , we yeeld it must be a meere defensive resistance . if the king should send any to mischiefe us , to say , we must onely defend our selves , so as not to offend them , is a contradiction ; as for the kings person , is it not the profession of the parl. to defend it ? therefore we neede not dispute now , about defending our selves against it . . he sayes , this likewise is granted that the prince must first be bent to overthrow religion , liberties , and laws , and will not discharge his trust , before there must be resistance . by this he would insinuate that our arms taken up are unlawfull , because the king hath not declared himselfe thus . what need we be put to meddle with any thing but this in the case in hand ? that a kingdom seeing it self in imminent danger of enemies to infringe the liberties of it , may stand up to defend it selfe ; yea although they come forth against it in the name of the king : this is our case , and if the d. disputes against any thing but this , he fights with his own shadow . if this be case as certainly it is , then a great part of the doctors book is impertinent to the businesse of the parliaments raising forces : for forces may bee raised upon other grounds then the kings being bent to overthrow religion . sect. ii. the strength of this section , and almost all the book , is in that place of rom. . and in this place i beleeve the d. will see , or if he doth not , others will , that he is utterly mistaken in the sense of that place . the apostle sayes expresly , whosoever resists , shall receive damnation . but he doth not say expresly , whosoever resists the highest men shall receive damnation , but whosoever shall resist the power : let every one be subject not to the wills of the highest men , but to the higher power : there is a great deale of difference betweene these two : the higher power , that is , that authority that god & man hath put upon such a man , it is {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} , not {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} , that must be subjected to , & not resisted . we professe against resisting power , authority , though abused : if those who have power to make laws , shall make sinfull laws , and so give authority to any to force obedience ; we say here there must either be flying or passive obedience ; but if one that is in authority command out of his own will , and not by law , i resist no power , no authority at all , if i neither actively nor passively obey , no i do not so much as resist abused authority . this may seeme strange at the first ; but if you thinke of it , you will beleeve it . the d. thinkes the answer to this place is onely from the limitation of the person , or the cause of resisting , as if we held that no particular men upon any cause , but states may resist upon such and such causes ; whereas we doe not answer so , but we distinguish betweene the man that hath the power , and the power of that man , and say , although the power must not be resisted according to the letter , and the sense of the text , yet the illegall will and wayes of the man may be resisted , without the least offending against the text . but we shall meete with this scripture again and again , and shall follow it with answers accordingly . he comes to examples , as first , the peoples rescuing of jonathan from saul . he sayes , the people were in arms already , and did but use a loving violence . this example is onely brought to prove that subjects may withstand illegal commands of kings , and no further , and that it plainly proves ; onely , he sayes , it is a loving violence . well then , it is a violence ; they resolve that the kings command shall not be fulfilled , yea though hee adds an oath to it . it was indeede a loving violence to jonathan ; so is all the violence that the parliament offers , a loving violence to the kingdome , yea and there is true love to the king too in it . the king hath not yet sworn that he will have such things as the parl. will not suffer , so as to come to our cognisance ; but saul swore that he would have such a thing done , and yet the people would not suffer it to be done , and yet you dare not blame them for this , nay you commend them for it . the second example is , david resisting saul , the d. sayes , it was to save his person from cut-throats . and is not our army to save parl. & people from cut-throats ? . he sayes , david did no act of hostility , but only defended himselfe . david had no authority over any that followed saul , for he was then a private man ; but our parl. hath authority over delinquents that follow the king . . david was loath indeede to venture upon a pitcht battail , or to exasperate saul or his subjects , because his strength was weake , . to a king , therefore he flies up and downe and takes not every advantage , that if it were possible he might gaine favour in the eyes of saul and his subjects : but if they had falne upon him , and his power had beene equall to theirs , who knowes what he would have done ? but we are sure as it is , it is defensive , and that is all it is to prove that subjects may take up arms to defend themselves against the injustice of their kings . for that example of david at keilah , all the answer to that is , that it is an uncertain supposition . but examine the place , you shall finde it as certain as a supposition can be ; it appeares plainly that david had some expectation that the men of keilah would have stood to him and kept off saul comming against him , and if they would , it is apparent by the text , that david would have stood to it though saul had come against him . in the text it is as plain , as this : suppose the king were neere hull going against against sir j. hotham , and sir j. hotham should seek to make sure of the men of hul , and enquire whether they would deliver him or not if the king came , and he should come to know that certainly they would , and upon that very ground slies away , is this now an uncertaine supposition that sir john hotham would willingly have the town stand to him , and if they would stand to him he would stay there and defend himselfe against the kings forces ? his last answer to davids example is , that his example was extraordinary because he was anointed to be king after saul . but yet for the present he was a private man , although god had bestowed somthing extraordinary upon him more then upon other men ; but it follows not therefore that in this case he had an extraordinary power to resist the prince : prince charls hath no more power to resist his father then the parliament hath . for the example of elisha using the kings messenger roughly , that came to take away his head , he sayes it sayes little to the question in hand . yet he grants as much as it is brought for , that defence is lawful against sudden and illegall assaults of messengers sent by the king ; if against sudden , why not against deliberate and plotted ? for , they are worse : this is one end of the raising of the army , to prevent such assaults : if it be lawful to be done by violence by . or . when the messenger is but one , then it may be done by . or . when the messengers are . for the example of the priests thrusting out the leprous king . that which this is brought to prove , is thus much , that there may be such uncleannesse in a king , that may cause subjects lawfully to resist him , when he would doe a wicked act . the doctor sayes , first gods hand was upon him . so when god shall leave a king to some horrible way of evil , certainly gods hand is upon him then . he answers , but he hasted to goe out himselfe . but the scripture tels us , the priests likewise thrust him out ; they would not suffer him to be in the temple . the next thing in the sect. is , a similitude from the naturall body : though a member may defend it selfe against outward violence , yet no member must be set against the head , for that tends to the dissolution of the whole . if the similitude may be followed , we say , that some members are as necessary to the life of the head , as the head is necessary to the life of those members . . a kingdome may sometimes have one head , sometimes another , but so cannot a naturall body . further , he grants , personall defence doth not strike at the order and power that is over us , but generall resistance by arms ( he saith ) doth . no , it may maintain and regulate order , and there may be as little injustice on the one side as the other . but the case is not as elishaes , for the king professeth he will use no violence , and we cannot know his heart . but that example of elisha is brought to prove the lawfulnes of using force against kings in using violence : and what violence hath been already used , the world knows . page . he comes to scriptures , denying resistance : let us see what full scriptures these are . the first is , num. . . &c. the conspiracie of corah and his company ▪ against moses and aaron . it is strange that this example must be paralleld with our parl. taking up arms : was it not a most unjust and vile conspiracie , meerly out of the pride of malicious spirits ? can the d. or any man think , that in justifying arms in some case , we justifie all villanous conspiracies and out-rages ? besides , this place condemns rising up against the priest , as well as the king . yea certainly , if they had risen against the meanest officer that god had appointed in church or common-wealth , as here they did against moses & aaron , it would have bin a very hainous offence ; yea if moses himself should have thus risen against any officer appointed by god , it had bin a vile sin in him ; therefore this proves no more against subjects resisting princes , then princes resisting subjects , or one subject resisting another . further , we do not rise against his majesty , as they rose up against moses & aaron ; we desire not that he should have lesse power then god & the laws have given him , but we would preserve this in him , and keep off the stroke of any further power , so that we need not for this thing so much as examine the cause upon which they rose , whether it were supposed or not , for the case is far differing in the end of the rising . but corah and his company supposed the cause sufficient . supposed causes for any thing is not enough ; now we are not examining the truth of the cause of taking up arms , but whether they may not be taken up by the subject against the mind of the king for any cause . wel , our consciences need not be much scrupled from this scripture : let us examine the rest he brings . the second is , sam. . , . where the oppression of the king is mentioned , and no means of help mentioned but crying to the lord . is the bare relation of the oppression of a king without mention in that place of any means of help , but crying to god , a sufficient proof that though kings oppresse never so much , yet there is no help ? suppose i bring a place o scripture , where there is a relation of subjects rising up in a wicked way against their prince , & in that place there is no other help mentioned , but only the prince committed this to god , & god revenged it , can there be drawn from thence an argument , that when subjects rise against princes that they have no other help against them , but committing the cause to god ? we need not go far for a scripture in this kind , the very place the d. brought before wil do it ; num. . when corah and his company rose against moses , we there read of no other help that moses used , but he committed the thing to god , & god revenged it . but you wil say , yet there are other places that shew that princes may make use of other help . so there is for subjects to make use of other helps against the oppression of their princes , many scriptures have been mentioned formerly and cleered . further , besides this , we answer , that the power of all kings is not alike , it is no argument because one king hath such and such power , therefore all must needs have . the power of kings is limited or enlarged by the severall laws of severall countries . let us see what the third scripture sayes , for yet our consciences are not scrupled , it is numb. . that the people might not go to war but by order from him that had the power of the trumpet . because there was a positive order there that moses must make trumpets and thus use them ; doth it follow that this must be so every where ? you may by as true a consequence urge the necessity of silver trumpets , and that the priests should blow them , as well as the former : the consequence would be full as good . no king can use trumpets in war but by the blowing of the priests , for it is commanded there , as that no people can go to war till the magistrates use the trumpets , because it is so ordered there ; we know the law is judiciall , and for those judiciall laws the equity binds no further then according to rules of prudence and justice , every countrey shall see behoofefull for their conditions . besides if this did binde , then it were a sinne for an act to passe to put the militia for any time into any other hands , for certainly it might not then be done , no , not with moses and aarons consent . the next scripture is , sam. . . who can stretch out his hand against the lords anointed and be guiltlesse ? why doth the d. speake of stretching forth the hand against the lords anointed ? who endeavours it ? doth not the parliament professe the defence of the kings person ? . doctor willet upon this place gives you this answer , that indeed it is not lawfull for a private man to lay hands , no not upon a tyrant , for it is not lawfull for a private man to kill a thiefe or a murderer , much lesse a magistrate , a prince . but secondly , he tels us of some that have laid hands upon a king , and yet have been guiltlesse , as ebud upon eglon king of moab : therefore from that scripture there cannot be a generall proposition drawn , that no man in any case may stretch forth his hand against a king . yea doctor willet answers in the third place , that yet tyrants and wicked governours may be removed by the whole state . he indeed limits this , and sayes , it must be understood of such kingdomes as goe by election , as in polonia , and gives this reason , from whom kings receive their authority , by them may they be constrained in keep within bounds . this it seems was good divinity in those dayes . this distinction he used , to deliver the opinion from opposition in england ; but if the distinction be examined , there will appeare little strength in it : we doe not find that d. willet was ever reproved , or his writings censured for this thing . concerning that restriction of his to kingdomes by election , we shall , when wee come to shew from whence all kings have their power , see , that if it proves true of them , it will prove true of others ; for the foundation of all power that such and such men have over others , will be found either from election or covenant , which will come to all one . d. ferne proceeds thus , if the king had come into the battel , his person might have been hurt as well as any . this had been but accidentally ; if a father should voluntarily goe into the army of the common enemy , against whom the childe is in service , and the child in discharging upon the enemy should slay his father being there , especially he being desired & beseeched by any meanes not to be there , but to withdraw himselfe ; doth the child contract guilt in such a case ? h●s next argument from scripture is , that the prophet reprehending the kings of israel and judah for idolatry and oppression , none ever called upon the people for this duty of resistance . first , there is much difference betweene kings now , and those kings : the people then did neither give them their power , nor limit their power ; they doe both now when first they are set up . secondly , if this be a good argument , that because when kings oppressed , the prophet did not cal upon people for resistance , therefore all resistance in any case is unlawful ; then , if when people have resisted , & cast off the government of their king , & the prophets have not reproved them for it ; then it is lawfull for people in some case to resist . he that will harken to his own reason , must acknowledge there is par ratio . if the prophets exhorted not to resistance , then there may be no resistance , sayes the doctor : then if when there is resistance , the prophets rebuke not that resistance , then there may with as good reason be resistance , say i. when the ten tribes cast off the government of rehoboam for his oppression , and hearkning to his young cavalliers about him , rather then to his ancient grave counsel ; the prophets did not rebuke the ten tribes for what they did , but rather seemed to take their parts , kings . . return every man to his house , for this thing is from mee . now the d. comes to his great place again , rom. . which he sayes be will free from all exceptions . nay , bate me an ace of that . the truth is , he vever so much as mentions , nor thinks of the great exception , which duly considered , will clear the text to be nothing to his purpose . first he supposes that the king is the supreme , as peter calls him , or the higher power , as here . . it is true , peter cals the king supreame , but in the same place he is made an ordinance of man , and therefore to be limited by man . he may be the chiefe man in authority , and yet limited in that authority ; he is supreame , but not absolute ; we grant that the houses of parliament , and we all , are his subjects , but not subjects to his will , but to that power of his that law gives him . . he takes for granted the king is the higher power . here observe his mistake . let it be granted that the king hath the highest power , yet what propriety of speech is it to say that he is the highest power ? it is proper to god to say that he is power in the abstract . well , the king hath the highest power , and we must be subject to this power of his , and not resist it . who denies all this ? when all this is granted , the d. hath got nothing at all ; for if we resist not that power which law hath given him , we do not resist the higher power , although we do not do nor suffer what hee would have us to do or suffer . then he reasons from the person , whosoever , every soule . there was then sayes he , the senate , &c. but what power the senate had for the present upon agreement , or how much of their power was now given up to the emperour by agreement , he shews not ; and if he shews not this , he sayes nothing . then he tels us of the cause christians had to resist , because their emperours were enemies to religion , and had overthrown laws and liberties . to the first we acknowledge we must not resist for religion ; if the laws of the land be against it , we must either suffer , or seek to enjoy our religion in the uttermost parts of the earth , rather then resist . for the emperors subverting laws and liberties , he must prove that the people & senate had not given absolute power to them for the present , for the preventing further evils they feared , or else it reacheth not our case , for we know our people and senate have not given any such absolute power . we must not be put to prove , they had , for it is his argument ; therefore if he wil make it good , he must prove they had not . and yet suppose they had not , if we should gratifie the d. in that thing , yet the argument would be but weak : for the apostle requires them not to resist their power , their {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} : hee doth not charge them not to resist their tyrannie . certainly they could have no power but that which was given them by some agreement ; if they challenged further , it was no authority at all : such kind of tyrannie as they would assume to themselves , the apostle forbids not the resistance of in that place . as for that he sayes , that some affirm that prohibition was temporary , let them maintain it that affirm it : i am ful of the d. mind in that , this prohibition is a standing rule . as for that distinction which he sayes , some make that they resist not the power , but the abuse of the power . we answer , it is not resisting abused power , for it is resisting no power at all . abused power is the ill use of what is given to men ; but the ill use of what was never given to them more then to any other , is abuse of their wils , but not abuse of their power . by power i do not mean strength , but authority . further , he sayes , these emperours ruled absolutely , therefore upon that ground men might resist , is for any thing . . although the emperors might use some force to bring themselves to an absolute power , yet whether the people were not brought to consent to prevent farther danger , that must be disproved , when our case ever fals , so as we shall be brought to consent to an absolute power , although it be out of feare ( which god forbid ) then this argument will concerne us , but not before . . what they got and held meerly by force , without any consent and agreement , was no power , no authority at all but might be resisted , notwithstanding that prohibition . the last thing in that sect. is , whereas we say that our religion is established by law , theirs was not : he answers . things . . shall the prohibition be good against christians under emperors persecuting religion , & not against subjects enjoying their religion ? if those who have power to make laws should prove so wicked as to make wicked laws against religion , yet i am rather bound to passive obedience in that case , then if men never so good should command according to their own will , and not according to law ; for there is an authority in the one , though abused , but none at all in the other . his second answer is , this prohibition did not concern christians only , but all people under the emperour . as before , . we know not but these people had given up their right . . if they had not , that prohibition doth not reach them in those things wherein they had not . thus his scriptures are answered , and i professe i have not answered from a humour of seeking to overcome in a dispute , to put glosses upon the one side , or to seek evasions from the strength of the other , but as in the presence of god to find out truth , and to satisfie conscience that hath to doe with god in a speciall manner . sect. iii. the first sect. is spent about the original of the power of kings . he first contends that the power is from god , and that he needs not contend for , we grant that the power not only of kings , but of all lawfull authority is gods ordinance , but that such and such men should have this power , and how much of this power should be put upon this man , and how much upon that , that is from man . hence it is very observable when the apostle speaks of the power , rom. . he sayes , it is of god ; but when peter speaks of the men upon whom that power is put , whether kings or those sent by him , he sayes , that is a humane ordinance , pet. . . yea , a humane creation , so the words are , {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} {non-roman} . yea the d. grants this , that though the power be from god , yet the designing the person to bear that power , yea , and the qualification and limitation is from men by the laws made with consent . the supreme magistrate is called the minister of god , rom. . we acknowledg him so , he is also said in the same place , to minister for thy good . i have said , ye are gods . this is true of inferiour magistrates as well as superiour , and yet none will say , but inferiors may be resisted . his conclusion is in this sect. that though the power be of god , yet the person designed , and the qualification of power in several forms of government , & limitation of this , is by the laws of men : this is as much as we desire . many go no further then the designation of the person to be from man , but the d. is more fair , he sayes the qualification is from man also . if so , mark what follows , then no man can have any of this ruling power , but according as he is designed to it , qualified for it , limited in it by men , whatsoever the name be by which you call him , emperor , king , prince , duke , lord , &c. sect. iv. this sect. is about the power of people to re-assume what power they have conferred upon magistrates , although gods power , yet conferred by them . he argues thus , if the power be gods , then people cannot re-assume . if the king gives power to an inferior magistrate , the power that this magistrate hath is likewise from god , for so the scripture sayes , rom. . all power is from god : may not this power be re-assumed therefore ? let none put this off , with saying , but people are not above kings , as kings are above inferior magistrates , for that is nothing to the argument . the argument that he makes is this , if the power be of god , it cannot be re-assumed : now the answer is , that the power of inferiour ▪ magistrates is of god , and yet it may be re-assumed , therefore his consequence is not good . further , a servant by stipulation makes a man his master , who was not before : now the power of the master is gods , may he therefore never be deprived of that power ? servants must serve christ in serving their masters , as truely as subjects must obey god in obeying their prince . pastors and teachers have a ruling and a ministeriall power , and this power is gods , may it therefore never be taken away from them ? his second argument is , we cannot recall what is once given , as in things devoted . . that can never be proved , that a thing devoted to a religious use , can never lawfully be imployed to no other . this is a groundlesse conceit , because he brings no proofs for it , eadem facilitate rejicitur , qua asseritur . but this that we speake of is a civill thing . and for kings , that the power they have may not be taken away , he gives that reason , because the lords hand and his oyle is upon them . so the lords hand and oyle is upon captains and other magistrates . ioshua and zecrubbabel are called the anointed ones . prophets , priests have gods hand and oyle upon them , and cannot the power for no cause be taken from these ? and yet how confidently doth the man conclude , this will not a true informed conscience dare to doe . certainly notwithstanding all the information in this argument , he may doe it . but he proceeds . how can conscience be satisfied , that this their argument grounded upon election and derivation of power can have place in this kingdome , when as the grown descends by inheritance , and hath often been setled by conquest . . there is no body here that yet hath attempted to take any power away from the king that law hath given him . . howsoever , the point of inheritance or conquest cannot hinder ; for first , none inherits but that which his progenitors had , & his progenitors had no more originally then by consent was given them : therefore the difference between kings by inheritance , and kings by election , in this case is not much . and for conquest , that onely settles former right , or makes way to some farther agreement , to adde to , what was former . the right comes not from power to conquer , or act of conquering , but from some agreement , precedent , or consequent . he further argues , it is probable indeed that kings were at first by choice here , as elsewhere ; but can conscience rest upon such remote probabilities for resistance , or think that first election will give power against princes that do not claime by it ? . is it but a remote probabilitie that kings were here first by election ? i demand , what first invested such a family with regall power , more then another ? it must be either god from heaven designing it , as david , or men appointing it , or taken by force : there is no quartum . it was not the first , and to say the third is the right , is an extream wrong to the king . ● meer force can give right , then whosoever is most forcible hath right ; it must therefore be something else : what can that be but the consent of people to such a family ? which is in effect all one with election . you may give it what name you will , it is not therefore a remote probabilitie , but a neere certaintie , that even here kings were at first either by choice , or by that which in effect is all one . the doctor sayes , that kings of england doe not claime their right by election . it may be they use not that word ; but if the doctor shall presume to dispute their claime for them , and think to get a better and surer claime then the agreement of people , that the regall power shall be in such a family , surely he will have no thanks for his labour . let him take heed of this . although he is pleased to call election a slender plea , yet i beleeve he cannot bring a stronger . he is at his place in rom. . againe , with the absolute monarchy of romane emperours . this hath been answered againe and againe . the next thing he discusses is the covenant the king enters into , and the oath he takes . and here he tels us our kings are kings before they enter into the covenant , or take this oath . although they be kings before they personally do covenant or sweare , yet their right comes in by their progenitors , who had their right conferred upon them by some agreement or other : so that they have covenanted in them . but this clause in the covenant or oath is not expressed , that in case he will not discharge his trust , it shall be lawfull to resist . we do not stand so much upon the oath that every king takes , as upon the originall agreement between people & king , whereby this power was conferred first upon such a family , and for that we say that no more power was conferred then was done by vertue of that agreement ; and why there should not be the same reason in the covenant between a countrey and a family in matters of so high a nature , as there is in other covenants amongst men , let the doctor shew , or any for him . the doctor confesseth , page . line . that lawes are for the restraint of the power of princes . but at length after the discussion of the businesse , he tels you that to argue any forfeiture of power by breaking his covenant , is an inconsequent argument . you must beleeve him , because he sayes so : if his bare word will not satisfie you , you are like to have nothing else . yet we would have him and all know , that we do not think that every breach of promise , and not performance of covenant in every thing , makes a forfeiture : this indeed were a dangerous consent . but the question is , whether no breach of covenant may possibly in any case make a forfeiture ? we confesse our selves not willing to dispute this too farre . he presently seemes to grant that there may be some force in the argument in states elective and pactionall , but not in this kingdome . if the ground of all power that one man hath over another in civill government , be some kinde of election , explicite on implicite , or some kind of agreement at the first , let the doctor shew how this kingdome is freed . but what if the king will not keepe to his agreement , may the subject doe nothing ? the dr. answers , yes , they may use faire means by petitions , and they may to what purpose are subsidies and ayds denyed , if the king hath power to take our estates when he pleaseth , and there must be no resistance ? though this he sayes may seeme unreasonable to people , and very impolitique to the states-man , yet plain scripture and reason forbids it . but this scripture and reason lies hid from us as yet , we have examined them as they have come , and we have found plain mistakes in the alledging them . sect. v. this section is spent in the argument of meanes of safety to a kingdome in case the king should tyrannize ; if they might not resist , it seemes god hath left them destitute of all helpe , they must needs perish . to this he first answers , that is the same argument that it used for the popes curbing of , or deposing princes in case of heresie , otherwise the church hath no meanes to preserve it selfe . the good of a church is spirituall , and god hath given it spirituall means enough to preserve its spirituall good , although there be no such power of the pope over princes , and we know the church was preserved and flourished in spirituall beautie when there was neither pope nor prince to preserve it . but the good of a kingdom is civill and naturall , therefore it must have civill and naturall meanes to preserve it selfe by in case of danger . hence then although it be no argument that popes may by power of armes curb kings , and because else the good of the church cannot be preserved , yet it may be a good argument the people may in some case take up arms to defend themselves against violence , although the king gives not his consent , because otherwise the civill and naturall good of men in a kingdome cannot be preserved . the second thing he sayes is , what meanes of safety had the christians in and after the apostles times ? god called them then to suffer ; for they were not the state ; though many particular men that are not a state , may easily be brought into such a condition as they have no meanes for safety , but they must needs suffer ; and so many states , when the externall violence is too strong for them ; but when god and nature gives them meanes of deliverance , there is no necessitie they should perish . when the doctor disproves resistance better , wee will either fly or suffer . as for the christians why they could not resist , the dr. speakes of a reason that he seemes to be satisfied in , because things were so enacted by law , therefore they could not resist : therefore he leaves their example , as invalid in our case , and so it were well that every one else would leave off urging , that we may never heare of the example of the christians in the primitive times applyed to our case more : for though it seems to be something at first view , yet it is nothing when it is examined . but then he sayes , the edicts that concerned others were arbitrary . to this the answer hath been already , either the people then gave up their whole right to their emperours , which we have not done to our kings , or otherwise they were not bound to their arbitrary government , but might have resisted for their own preservations . but if parliaments should degenerate and grow tyrannicall , what meanes of safety could there be for a state ? i confesse the condition of such a state would be very dangerous and like to come to confusion ; particular men could not help themselves , and the whole state ought to suffer much before it should helpe it selfe by any wayes of resisting : but if you can suppose a parliament so far to degenerate , as they should all conspire together with the king to destroy the kingdome , and to possesse the lands and riches of the kingdome themselves , in this case whether a law of nature would not allow of standing up to defend our selves , yea to re-assume the power given to them , to discharge them of that power they had , and set up some other , i leave to the light of nature to judge . you will say , this cannot be , because the higher powers must not be resisted by an● . this is not properly to resist the power , but to discharge the power , to set the power elsewhere . the servant doth not resist the power of his master , when he upon just grounds leaves him , and goes to another , if he be such a master , as is his master by his owne choice , for such and such ends and purposes , and had his power limited by agreement . i know this will be cryed out of as of dangerous consequence , wherefore god deliver us ( as i hope he will ) for ever making use of such a principle . it is hard to conceive it possible that a parliament can so degenerate , as to make our condition more grievous by unjust acts , then it would be if the power in a kingdom should returne to the law of nature , from whence at first it rose . divers lines together after the objection from want of safety in case of degenerating of parliament , be spends in commending the temper of our government in the three estates , with complaints of some distemper for the present . in the one i joyn with him : but for the other , i undertake not to satisfie all his apprehensions of distractions in the parliament . the man i beleeve lives at a distance from parliament , and so looks at it through multitudes of reports which usually ( and especially in these times ) are exceeding false mediums to looke through : straight things will seeme crooked , when the object is seene through water that is too thick a medium : reports doe so gather soile before they come to him , that when they come , they are an exceeding thick medium to see parliament proceedings by . whereas it is said , that many see more then one , and there is more safety in the judgement of many then one : he answers , why should an hundred in the house of commons see more then three hundred ? and twenty in the lords house see more then sixty that are of a contrary judgement ? if there were so many of a contrary judgement more then the others , why doe they not come and out-vote them in what things are amisse ? . this addes much validitie in common reason to what they determine , that they are alwaies a competent number , allowable by law to be houses of parliament , and they debate and determine things in such an assembly that is open for so many , which all the countreys and cities in the kingdom have chosen , to come to debate or contradict as they think fit . such determinations , although i doe not say they should be accounted infallible , yet they carry with them more likely reason , then those who are carried by a few in some secret way . further , why should such an objection be made against the houses of parliament , that no court of justice , no societie that carry things by vote , will admit , if it be once set ? that in such assemblies there shall be so many at the least , there may be three times more , yet so many makes up the assembly , so as to enable it to such and such purposes . how can this objection , without wrangling , be admitted ? oh but many were of another mind , or some belonging to the assembly were not present . after this the doctor proceeds to the commending of monarchy above aristocrasie , and the kings negative voice . this is nothing to our businesse . what though monarchy be the best ? and what though the king should have power of a negative voice in the passing all bils ? this is granted . then he comes again to his . to the rom. the argument from this place is worn exceeding bare by this time , if it were lawfull to resist power abused , it would open a way to people to overthrow powers duely administred . . we do not say that power abused should be resisted ; but will , where there is no power , may be resisted . . true , there is danger in the peoples abusing their liberties , and danger in magistrates abusing their power . he sayes he intends not to lay the least blemish upon the parliament . yet in the page before he sayes , the temper of the parliament is dissolved : and upon that saies , the distractions in the common-wealth , shew the distempers , and the danger of dissolution , and what is the cause of it . it would fill much paper to gather together the blemishes that this man casts upon the parliament , especially in his last page . but that is not my work , i would gladly have consciences resolved . he proceeds to shew the difference between the low-countreys and us , which no question is something , but not so as can make what they have done lawfull , and yet the doctors tenets right , nor what we have done unlawfull . he farther enlarges himself in discourse about the evils that accompany resisting of power . still we say power should not be resisted , and where it is resisted sinfully , yea where men in power are resisted , any way , there are like to follow sad consequences of affliction . but what is all this for the satisfaction to conscience about the lawfulnesse or unlawfulnesse of resisting men that have power in any case ? then he comes to the oath of supremacy and the protestation . the answer to this depends upon what hath been said , we swear onely to the legall power , we protest no further then the maintenance of that . he saies ; conscience will look at that power he hath as the ordinance of god . true , what power he hath , that is , what the laws give him , we say is an ordinance of god . but his abuse of power is a iudgement of god , that we must cry to god against , and a true informed conscience in that case will rather suffer then resist . he still takes abuse of his power to be the doing whatsoever he please : we denie that to be abuse of his power . we say in that he doth not exercise his authorative power at all , therefore he doth not abuse it . if indeed some uniust law should give him any power to do wrong , the execution of this would be the abuse of his power , and therein it is granted a true informed conscience would rather suffer then resist . but in the other case , when he doth what law inables not to do , all the arguments of the doctor cannot so inform our consciences , as to beleeve the state must rather suffer then resist . now the doctor casts up his reckoning , and thinks he finds it comes to thus much , that he hath found scripture and reason , speak plainly against resisting . he cries victorie to himself , he tels himself what the issue of his own thoughts come to ; but he reckons without his host , his conquest is too hastie , we are not of his mind . i will onely observe one thing more in the conclusion of this section . if any shall be carried away with the name of a parliament , as papists are with the name of the church , &c. if the church could do as much in matters of religion , as the parliament can do in matters of the state , the papists were not so much to be blamed for being taken so much with the name of the church , as as we are not for being taken so much with the name of the parliament . for . the church cannot make new articles of faith , or nullifie the old ; but the parliament can make new maximes to be accounted law , that were not before , and undoe what were before . . the church hath not a judiciall power of interpreting the law of god , but the parliament hath a judiciall power of interpreting the law of the state , so as that is to be accounted law , which they interpret to be so . i do not say that we are bound to beleeve , that whatsoever interpretation they make was the scope and intention of that law when it was first made : but this i say , that their interpretation must be accounted as much binding to us for obedience , as the scope and intention of that parliament that first made that law . thus i have done with his scriptures , and the rationall part of his book ; and i hope others will have done with it too . if mens consciences be satisfied in the lawfulnesse of the thing it self , subjects taking up arms against the will of the king : his other part , every one who understands how things are with us , that is willing to be satisfied , will be soon able to satisfie himself . the substance of all that follows is , suppose that subjects may take up arms ? yet whether there be sufficient cause for us to doe it . toward the conclusion of the book the dr. begins to be hot , and somewhat bitter , but i shall not here follow him in particulars , but in the generall thus : what the condition of our kingdom is , whether in danger or not ? what the condition of our houses of parliament , whether they be safe or not ? whether their priviledges be broke or not ? judge you whether doctor ferne or all the remonstrances and declarations we have had from both houses be able best to certifie us : we have received information enough , and seen and felt enough to make us beleeve that our kingdom is in great danger : but it may be the doctor sits in his study like another archimedis drawing his lines , and the swords must be about his eares before he will see or beleeve any danger towards us . the doctor puts the case thus , whether the conscience can be so perswaded , that the king is such and so minded , as that there may be sufficient cause to take up arms against him ; in this he is as miserably mistaken , as in all his other grounds from scripture , and his reasons , if he thinks this be the controversie . for . we take up no arms against the king . . whatsoever the kings mind be , there is sufficient cause to take up arms to defend our selves against others that seek our ruins . we know of the plots of bringing the armies in the north upon parliament and citie : we know of the great preparations of arms in forreign parts to send over hither , and time hath discovered their further attempts , although it hath indeed withall discovered they could not bring their attempts to their desired issue . we know of many delinquents that are fled from the justice of the parliament , which cannot be attached without force ; and if they may so scape as they do , to what purpose doth a parliament sit ? it will soon be made ridiculous in the eyes of the world . we know what is done in the execution of the commission of array , and that by force of arms , and all these things by those who are under the authoritie of the houses of parliament : wherefore if they cannot prevent these evils imminent , nor rectifie these disorders extant , but by power added to their authoritie , although there be no such horrible things as the doctor speaks of , namely , the kings intentions to subvert religion , and our laws and liberties , if the king do but denie to assist in the delivering us from those danger , not upon groundlesse jealousies feared , but upon certain proofs we know we are in , and in the delivering up of such delinquents as justice must not , our safety cannot suffer to escape , there is cause enough to satisfie our consciences in the lawfulnesse of our taking up arms . yea , our protestation and duty , though we had never so protested , binds us to maintain by all our strength the parliament in this ; and in maintaining them , we do not at all prejudice the king in any lawfull power of his . this generall is enough to satisfie in what is said in the two last sections : as for particulars mentioned there , many of them are answered alreadie in the former discourse ; others being matters of fact , it is more easie for any one to answer that hath a mind to examine what passages have falne out . to go through them particularly i shall leave to some who have more time to spare then i , they are far more easie to answer then what was before , but not so profitable , and yet the answer would exasperate more , they are subjects more suteable for lawyers and statists to treat about then for divines . wherefore whereas in the conclusion of all , the doctor desires those who will run the hazard of this resistance ; first to set their consciences before the tribunall of god , and consider whether they will excuse them there when they have shed blood , to say , we supposed our prince would change religion , overthrow liberties . no doctor , we can comfortably , and will freely and really set our conscience before gods tribunall in this case , but we will not make that our plea , but we will stand thus before the lord . lord thou who art the searcher of our hearts , and our iudge , thou knowest we aimed at no hurt to our king , we desired to live in peace , we according to our solemne vow and protestation , have only endeavoured to deliver our kingdom & parliament from the rage of ungodly , and violent bloody men , to bring forth the wicked unto justice , to preserve what thy maiestie , what the law of nature , and the law of the land hath made our own . if thou wilt please to call us to suffer for thy name , we hope we shall be readie ; but because thou tellest us that it is not the part of a christian but of an infidell , not to provide for his family , therefore we have not submitted our selves , wives and children to the rage of th●se bloody men : for the substance of what we have done , it hath been in thy name , that we may be faithfull to the king , kingdom , parliament , and to posteritie . what failings thou hast seen in the managing of it , lord pardon to us for christ his sake . thus we are willing to meet the doctor at gods tribunall , but he shall not lay our plea for us , we fear he will have enough to do to answer for himself , yea to answer for that book he hath put forth in such a time as this . for a conclusion of all . let none think that though we thus iustifie taking up arms , that therfore we are of those that delight in war ; god forbid . our souls desire after peace , we pray for peace , we would gladly lay down our lives . ( if we know our own hearts ) for peace . lately my name was injuriously added to a printed paper , wherein there was a petition against accommodations : it sayes i went along with it , whereas i knew nothing at all of it , untill neere a week after it was delivered to the house . thus are we at the mercy of every malignant spirit , if he can get a printer to assist him , to be rendred to the world as odious as he pleaseth . as great an injury i suffered before , though in another nature , when a few pieces of a sermon i preached to young men were gathered together , and patched up with a deale of non-sense , and additions of their owne as they pleased , and then put out as mine . although we live amongst men set on fire , yet god forbid but we should follow peace : but it must be the peace of jerusalem , not the peace of babylon . and the truth is , had the people knowne their liberties before , it is very probable these warres would have been prevented . this i am confident hath been the great encouraging , fomenting argument for these warres , if we goe in the name of the king , none will dare to stir against us ; what will they take up arms to resist their king ? had they seen the weaknesse of this their argument , at it is applyed to this businesse in hand , that bloud that hath been shed would have been prevented ; and if the people of the land knew the liberty that god , and nature , and law gives them , there would soone be an end of these warres ; but a few such doctors at this is , may helpe to prolong them , by dividing the people , and putting them into a maze , comming in so plausible a way to informe conscience ; whereas in truth he gives no bottome for conscience to rest on , but rather puts it to a stand , or rather into a labyrinth . there is a necessitie that in these times peoples consciences should be further satisfied in their liberties in this case then formerly , because the time is ( we hope ) at hand for the pulling down of antichrist , and we find by scripture this work at first will be by the people : revel. . . the angel came down from heaven and cryed mightily with a strong voice , babylon the great is falne , is falne : and vers. . i heard another voice from heaven , saying , come out of her my people : ver. . reward you her as she hath rewarded you : and so to the . ver. her destruction is threatned . now ver. . the text sayes , the kings of the earth who have committed fornication , and lived deliciously with her , shall bewaile her , and lament for her , saying , alas , alas . ver. . and the merchants of those things which were made rich by her , shall stand weeping and wailing , ver. . all her proctors , and commissaries , and chancellors that grew rich by her , they shall lament . no marvaile then though so many proctors get together to seek for peace upon any terms . here you see babylon must down , and yet the kings lament her fall : who then must pull her down but the people ? not that the people can raise a war meerly for religion , but god will so order things , that the papists shall by their malice be put upon such plots and enterprises , that they shall make themselves lyable to the justice of the law , so that kings shall have no legall power to rescue them from it , but inferiour magistrates , assisted by the people , shall in a just way fall upon them , even then when the kings of the earth and their merchants shall lament them . hence revel. . . the hallelujah that is begun upon the lord god omnipotents ralgning , is begun by the people , i heard the voice as of many waters , saying , hallelujah . now the scripture frequently sets forth the people by waters , as revel. . . the waters which thou sawest , were peoples . we reade cant. . . where the glory of christ is set forth , it begins at the head ; but cant. . where the glory of the church is set forth , it begins at the feet , how beautifull are thy feet ? surely the right knowledge of these liberties god hath given people , will much help forward the great things god hath to doe in this latter age . this makes me willing to publish what help i can in this thing , although i know full well i run the hazard of suffering much in it . let babylon fall , let the church prosper , it is enough , our lives are not much worth . and now i have shewne the commission of the lord of hosts for warres ; i shall not yet cease to pray for peace ; such a peace as may have as good a commission from the prime of peace as the present wars of the kingdom have from the lord of hosts . that which i have done is but as the taking of my pen to write a letter to a friend ; but a little strength is enough to oppose a little strength . finis . notes, typically marginal, from the original text notes for div a e- ans. ans. ans. ans. ans. sam. ans. sam. ans. sam. . . ans. ans. ans. chro. ans. ans. ans. ans. ans. ans. ans. ans. ans ans ans ans ans. ans. ans. ans. ans. ans. ans. ans. ans. ans. ans. ans. ans ans ans ans. ans. ans. ans. ans. ans. ans. ans. ans. ans. ans. ans. the excellency of holy courage in evil times by jeremiah burroughs ; published by thomas goodwin ... [et al.] burroughs, jeremiah, - . approx. kb of xml-encoded text transcribed from -bit group-iv tiff page images. text creation partnership, ann arbor, mi ; oxford (uk) : - (eebo-tcp phase ). a wing b estc r ocm this keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the early english books online text creation partnership. this phase i text is available for reuse, according to the terms of creative commons . universal . the text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. early english books online. (eebo-tcp ; phase , no. a ) transcribed from: (early english books online ; image set ) images scanned from microfilm: (early english books, - ; : ) the excellency of holy courage in evil times by jeremiah burroughs ; published by thomas goodwin ... [et al.] burroughs, jeremiah, - . [ ], p. printed by peter cole and edward cole, london : . "in which (besides many other seasonable truths) there is shewed, . that wicked men in power are very fierce in their wrath ... 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instances will never have been looked at by a tcp editor. the texts were encoded and linked to page images in accordance with level of the tei in libraries guidelines. copies of the texts have been issued variously as sgml (tcp schema; ascii text with mnemonic sdata character entities); displayable xml (tcp schema; characters represented either as utf- unicode or text strings within braces); or lossless xml (tei p , characters represented either as utf- unicode or tei g elements). keying and markup guidelines are available at the text creation partnership web site . eng bible. -- n.t. -- hebrews xi, -- commentaries. bible. -- n.t. -- hebrews xi, -- criticism, interpretation, etc. - tcp assigned for keying and markup - spi global keyed and coded from proquest page images - jonathan blaney sampled and proofread - jonathan blaney text and markup reviewed and edited - pfs batch review (qc) and xml conversion the excellency of holy courage in evil times . in which ( besides many other seasonable truths ) there is shewed . . that wicked men in power are very fierce in their wrath . . that faith will keep a gracious heart from immoderate fear of men of authority and power . . directions in our fear of authority . . directions how to order our selves . if authority enjoyn unlawful things . . how faith helpeth against the fear of man opened in fifteen particulars . . arguments against the fear of men ; and wicked men are less to be feared than others . . differences between natural boldness , and holy courage from faith. . how far we may lawfully avoid danger by flying . several cases of conscience concerning flying . . objections answered concerning flying . . how the heart may be taken off from the fear of man. . the power of faith to carry gods people through the most difficult works and services . . how to know whether faith wil carry us through difficult works . . helps to put on faith in our undertakings . . how faith carries the soul through the difficult work of forsaking egypt . . the wickedness of sodom and egypt compared with the wickedness of antichrist . by jeremiah burroughs , preacher of the gospel at stepney and criple-gate , london . published by thomas goodwin , william greenhil , sydrach simpson , philip nye , william bridge , john yates , william adderly . london : printed by peter cole , and edward cole printers and book-sellers , at the printing-press in cornhil , neer the royal exchange . . a testimony to the reader . what we have by way of preface set before the several books already published of this reverend author , mr. jeremiah burroughs , may sufficiently serve for all that are come forth : so that we only need now give letters testimonial to the world , that these ( viz. the sermons on hebrews , the . chapter , . verse ) we avouch likewise to be the painful and profitable labors of the same author , and published by the best and most authentick copies . thomas goodwin , william greenhil , william bridge sydrach sympson , philip nye , john yates , william adderley . books printed by peter cole , and edward cole , printers and book-sellers of london , at the exchange . mr. burroughs works viz. on matth. . christs call to all those that are weary and heavy laden to come to him for rest . christ the great teacher of souls that come to him . christ the humble teacher of those that come to him . the only basic way to heaven . the excellency of holy courage . gospel reconciliation . the rare jewel of christian contentment . gospel-worship . gospel-conversation . a treatise of earthly mindedness . exposition of the prophesie of hosea . the evil of evils , or the exceeding sinfulness of sin. precious faith. of hope . of walking by faith. twenty one several books of mr. william bridge , collected into two volumes . viz. scripture light the most sure light. christ in travel . a lifting up for the cast down . sin against the holy ghost . sins of infirmity . the fals apostle tried and discovered . the good and means of establishment . the great things faith can do . the great things faith can suffer . the great gospel mystery of the saints comfort and holyness , opened and applied from christs priestly office. satans power to tempt and christs love to , and care of his people under temptation . thankfulness required in every condition . grace for grace . the spiritual actings of faith through naturall impossibilities . evangelical repentance . the spiritual life , and in being of christ in al beleevers . the woman of canaan . the saints hiding place , &c. christ coming &c. a vindication of gospel ordinances . grace and love beyond gifts . new books of mr. sydrach simpson . viz. of unbelief , or the want of readiness to lay hold on the comfort given by christ . not goeing to christ for life and salvation is an exceeding great sin , yet pardonable . of faith , or , that beleeving is receiving christ ; and receiving christ is beleeving . of coveteousness . mr. hookers new books in three volumes : one in octavo , and two in quarto . these eleven new books of mr. thomas hoooker made in new edgland . are arrested in an epistle by mr. thomas goodwin , and mr. philip nye , to be written with the authors own hand : none being written by himself before . one volum being a comment upon christ's last prayer on the seventeenth of john. wherein is shewed . that the end why the saints receive all glorious grace , is , that they may be one , as the father and christ are one . that god the father loveth the faithful , as he loveth jesus christ . that our saviour desireth to have the faithful in heaven with himself . that the happiness of our being in heaven , is to see christs glory . that there is much wanting in the knowledg of gods love , in the most able saints . that the lord christ lends dayly direction , according to the dayly need of his servants . that it is the desire and endeavor of our savior , that the dearest of gods love , which was bestowed on himself , should be given to his faithful servants , that our union and communion with god in christ , is the top of our happiness in heaven . ten books of the application of redemption by the effectual . work of the word , and spirit of christ , for the bringing home of lost sinners to god. by thomas hooker . dr. hills works . the kings tryal at the high court of justice . wise virgin. published by mr. thomas weld , of new-england . mr. rogers on naaman the syrian , his disease and cure : discovering the leprosie of sin and self-love ; with the cure , viz. self-denial and faith. a godly and fruitful exposition , on the first epistle of peter . by mr. john rogers , minister of the word of god at dedham in essex . mr. rogers his treatise of marriage . the wonders of the loadstone . by samuel ward of ipswitch . an exposition on the gospel of the evangelist st. matthew . by mr. ward . the discipline of the church in new-england by the churches and synod there . mr. brightmen on the revelation . christians engagement for the gospel , by john goodwin . great church ordinance of baptism . mr. loves case , containing his petitions , narrative , and speech . a congregational church is a catholick visible church . by samuel stone in new-england . a treatise of politick powers . dr. sibbs on the philippians . vox pacifica , or a perswasive to peace . dr. prestons saints submission , and satans overthrow . pious mans practice in parliament time . barriffs military discipline . the immortality of mans soul. the anatomist anatomized . the bishop of canterbury's speech . woodwards sacred ballance . dr. owen against mr. baxter . abrahams offer , gods offerings : being a sernion by mr. herle , before the lord major of london . mr. spurstows sermon , being a pattern of repentance . englands deliverance . by peter sterry . the way of god with his people in these nations by peter sterry . mr. sympson's sermon at westminster . mr. feaks sermon before the lord major . the best and worst magistrate . by obediah sedgwick . a sermon . a sacred panegyrick . by stephen marshal . a sermon . the craft and cruelty of the churches adversaries . by matthew newcomen of dedham . a sermon . clows chyrurgery . marks of salvation . mr. stephen marshals new works . viz. of christs intercession , or of sins of infirmity . the high priviledg of beleevers , they are the sons of god faith the means to feed on christ . self-denial . the saints duty to keep their hearts , &c. the mistery of spiritual life . several physick books of nich. culpeper physitian and astrologer ; and a. cole , &c. idea of practical physick in twelve books . sennertus thirteen books of natural phylosophy . sennertus two treatises . . of the pox. of the gout . sennertus art of chyrurgery in six parts . . of tumors . . of ulcers . . of the skin hair and nailes . . of wounds . . of fractures . . of luxations . twenty four books of the practice of physick , being the works of that learned and renowned doctor , lazarus riuerius . physitian and councellor to the late king , &c , riolanus anatomy . veslingus anatomy of the body of man. a translation of the new dispensatory , made by the colledg of physitians of london . wherein is added , the key to galens method of physick . the english physitian enlarged . a directory for midwives , or a guide for women . galens art of physick . new method both of studying and practising physick . a treatise of the rickets . medicaments for the poor , or physick for the common people . health for the rich and poor , by diet without physick . the london dispensatory in follo , of a large character in latin. the london dispensatory in twelves , a smal pocket book in latin. to the physical reader . the greatest reason that i could ever observe why the medicines prescribed in these books above mentioned , and in many other physick books , do not perform the cures promised , is , the unskilfulness of those that make up the medicines . i therefore advise all those that have occasion to use any medicines to go or send to mr. ralph clarke apothecary at the sign of the three crowns on ludgate-hill , in london ; where they shall be sure to have such as are skilfully and honestly made . the contents of the treatise on hebr. . . chap. . the words opened ; six doctrines raised . page chap. . handling the first doctrine . page chap. . handling the second doctrine ; which is . page chap. . directions for the ordering our selves in our feare of authority . page chap. . some further directions , how we should order our selves , if we should be injoyned unlawful things . page chap. . the point prosecuted more strictly . page chap. . how faith helpeth against the fear of man ; opened in fifteen particulars . page chap. . arguments against the fear of man , taken from the consideration of man , first , as man in six particulars very observable , . what he is , . the vanity of man. . the dwelling of man. . the pomp of man. . the foundation of man. . the life of man. secondly , as a wicked man. . his baseness . . what he is in the greatness of his power opposing the godly . . how near the enemies of gods people are to ruine and destruction . page . chap. . how audaciousness and boldness of spirit differ from faith. . audaciousness makes us bold to sin . . it appears in causes that concern our selves , more then in those which concern god. . boldness the curing of one passion with another , faith the curing of passion by grace . . natural boldness makes men rash , and hinders consultation . . the cause of immodesty . . it is sudden and violent . . it proceeds and lives upon outward encouragements . . the issue of ignorance . . or despair . . more outward then inward . page . chap. . sheweth , how far we may lawfully avoid danger without fear of men . . religion doth not teach men to be foolish or desperate . . the care of a christian ought to be to do his duty , rather than to avoid danger , which may fal out in his duty . . when god brings his people into danger , he intends more to exercise their graces , then to try their discretion . . though danger may be avoided , yet it is more honorable for a christian to be called to exercise faith courage , patience , and in away of suffering , then his prudence in avoiding it . . take care of mistaking discretion , which is not wont to abate the vigor of gods graces , but to improve and increase them . . a christians greatest endeavor should be to get his will to submit to god. page . chap. . contains a further resolution of the former case in nine particulars . . god doth , give leave to his people to fly , and avoid danger ! . such avoiding of danger ( if rightly qualified ) argues neither distrust of god , nor defect of courage . . in some cases , christians not only permitted , but commanded to flee , as . when no extraordinary thing depends upon him in that station in which god hath set him . . when the hand of god looseth those relations , which would otherwise be obligations to him . . when god gives him an opportunity else where , to bring greater revenues of glory to him . . when a christian is doubtful about his call to suffer at the present . . there are some cases wherin it is utterly unlawful to flee , viz. the contrary to those above named . . mistakes in flying . . to flee upon every slight and trival thing . . when it tends to their spiritual disadvantage . . when having secretly denied the faith , men flee to prevent the shame of apostacie . . when they look at their own safety alone , without care to fit themselves for further service of god. . how to know when avoiding dangers proceeds from faith , or cowardise . . that which is by faith is not in a violent , rash , heady manner . . when it proceeds from faith , it is joined with a resolution to return and bear wittness to the truth , when god cals . . when we use the liberty we have to get hearts to return . the case of publique officers , magistrates , ministers , especially the latter . page . chap. . containing the eighth particular , to wit. answering some objections made against flying . ob . . men may not leave their country . answ . in two particulars . ob. . should none stay to suffer . ans . ob . , god alsufficient to help in greatest dangers . ans . ob . . fleeing a ceasing to give testimony to the truth of god. answ . ob . . many of gods servants had power to fly , and did not . answ . ob . . what shall become of those left behind , if they are forsaken by men of ability . answ . ob . . if men would master their fears , and stay a while , the cloud would blow over . answ . ninth particular , direrections for ordering our selves when we do fly . . leave as little guilt behind in the place as you can . . carry your selves so that the name of god may not suffer in the place to which you flee . . behave your selves as exiled people , as men mortified to the things of the world . . get a contented frame of heart . . when you are delivered keep your selves in the fervency of your spirits . , let those from whom you flee have your prayers . page chap. . how the heart may be taken off from the fear of man. first , it is against the solemn charge of god. secondly , it is an idolizing of the creature . thirdly , it becomes not the state and spirit and profession of a christian . fourthly , it dishonors god , and the cause of god. fifthly , it mightily heartens the enemies of gods people . sixthly , it is threatened as a great judgment of god upon a people . seventhly , the evil effects of the sinful fear of man . it distracts our thoughts . . weakens the heart . . eats out the true fear of god. . it indisposeth us to any service . . insnares a christian . . it. causeth other desperate fears . . procures the judgment of god in our destruction . page chap. . another doctrine . much difference between gods peoples spirits at several times , illustrated by examples . reasons , . from the different dispositions their hearts are in to receive truths . which proceeds from three causes , first , the abatement of the strength that is opposite to that truth . secondly . the stirrings or activity of those habits which are sutable to truth . thirdly , the prevalences of self interest . reas . . from the different representations of truth . reas . . because the graces of men do not burn so cleerly and purely at al times reas . . from the weakness of grace the parts and members of it are not consolidated . reas . . because our hearts are sometimes filled with more heavenly consolations then at other times . reas . . from the different breathings of the spirit of god. reas . . because men have somtimes a more clear and distinct sight of their call to suffer then at other times . . particular directions in this case . reas . . the different tempers of mans body . reas . . from the difference in the encouraging occurrency of gods providence . page chap. . containing the first use , which teacheh us to entreat god not to take the advantage of us when our hearts are low . page . chap. . another vse , to teach us not to be discouraged at this different temper of our spirits , but to be humbled for it . five helps against discouraging thoughts . two objections . page chap. . containing the third vse of direction : branched into four particulars . . if couragious , and fit for service , give god the praise . four reasons for it . . learn to rebuke unbelief . . labor to keep your hearts up . the manner how that may be done , in eight particulars . . improve this gracious working of god. page chap. . a fourth vse . to be restless till we get our selves into a good frame . page chap. . a fifth vse : to see the misery of being alwaies unfit for service . a sixt vse : to teach us to long for heaven . page chap. . shewing the power of faith to carry through the most difficult work . question , what is there in faith which helps the soul ? answered , in four particulars . . it settles the heart on the surest ground , which is gods call , and promises . . it fetches in the greatest strength . . it assists with the highest encouragements . . faith of its own nature is a mighty strong principle . the most illustrious work of faith. thirteen remarkable things concerning faith , and the difficulties which it breaks through . page . chap. . vses of the doctrine , use , first , let none think god an hard master , when he puts them upon service , because he affords them a principle to carry them through . use . secondly , to beleevers that they should expect to be put upon difficult things . . four considerations against discouragements . it is not to be accounted an affliction to be put upon difficult things for . reasons . use , thirdly , shewing it can be no concluding argument against a work because there are hindrances . use , fourthly , when you have been carried through difficult services consider , what it was which supported you . page chap. . quest . how to know whether faith wil carry us through difficult works , answered in several particulars , . faith goes upon spiritual grounds motives , and ends . . makes men sollicitous and careful for the enjoyment of gods presence with them . causes men to carry themselves in a gracious manner . . to have an high esteem of the name of god. makes them careful , that they may not be frustrated of their end . . it makes men satisfied with god alone . . faith is a continued work . that faith , which brought you out , will carry you through . page chap. . containing other uses of the point . use , . shews the reason why we faile in any thing we do ; it is for want of faith. use , . labor to rise in indignation against your unbelief . use , . consider what it is to faile in that work which concernes thy eternal estate . page chap. . helps to put on faith in any undertaking . . set before you the example of our great captain jesus christ . . make preparation for the work of faith by humiliation . . renew your faith in the covenant of grace . . in difficult times , set faith on work to purifie the heart . . take heed of shifting waies and dependances . . set loose from your own ends . . cast your selves upon the word of god. . plead the word with god in prayer . . refuse no meanes that god puts into your hands . . do nothing with a slavish spirit . . be not discouraged by miscarriages that are past . . take heed of the disturbance of passion in your work . . observe the dependances one work hath upon another . . lisson not to temptations . . take heed of perverse reasonings . . take heed of disorderly working , in four cases . . vse resolution and courage . . look on your selves as gods instruments . . be constant though you find nothing come of it . . encrease not the difficulty by your carriage . . look most at your encouragements . . vse not the difficulty in the way to reason against the work . . labor to harden your selves by faith against al difficulties . page chap. . containing a second consideration of the text , to wit , and allegoricall interpretation of moses forsaking egypt by faith. warrant for allegoricall interpretations . forsaking this world , renouncing our naturall estate , a difficult work ▪ fourteen reasons of it . page chap. . how faith carries the soul through the difficult work of forsaking egypt . their works of faith. . the discovering work , in two particulars . . the relying work. . the surrendring work . question resolved concerning the force of natural conscience , in three particulars , shewing the great difference between the actings of faith and natural conscience . application , . hence see the ground of miscarriages . . a rule of direction ; incouragements to faith and beleeving . . let delivered persons see what delivered them . faith which acts by a power without us . twelve considerable and useful directions in this matter . page chap. . containing the second allegoricall sence of the words , viz. concerning antichrist . the wickedness of sodom and egypt , compared with the wickedness of antichrist . . idolatry . . cruelty . the bondage of christians under antichrist . . outward , in estates , and lives . . inward , a soul bondage . the baseness of this shewed in several particulars , concerning ceremonies worse then egyptian bondage . faith must deliver us , deliverance difficult in several particulars . the work of faith in delivering people from this bondage , in . or . considerations quest . whether men may not reject the yoke of antichrist upon other grounds besides faith ? ans . in . particulars . page the excellency of holy courage in evil times . hebrews , . . by faith he forsook egypt , not fearing the wrath of the king , for he endured , as seeing him who is invisible . chap. i. the words opened ; six doctrines raised . having finished moses his choyce , namely what he did choose , the excellency of his spirit in making such a choice , and the principle of faith that enabled him thereunto , from this chapter vers . . . i now proceed to speak of another excellent fruit of the faith of this worthy of the lord , as it is set forth in vers . . and here we are to observe two things . . the act of his faith. . the argument by which it was strengthened to act . first , in the act we are to observe , two things . . that notable work of his going from egypt notwithstanding the wrath of the king. . his constancy , he endured in all that he did . secondly , the argument by which his faith was strengthened , was that sight he had of the invisible god. the opening of the words with the several doctrines in the text. by faith he forsook egypt ] by this forsaking of egypt the faith of moses was much set out : for him to undertake such a work as that was , to carry so many thousands out of egypt into a wilderness , not knowing what might become of them , they being unable to resist their enemies , and not knowing what provision they should have , this was very much . not fearing the wrath of the king ] he could not but think he was in danger of pharaoh , and his company to bee pursued by them : for howsoever pharaoh seemed willing at last to give them leave to be gone ▪ yet such was the disposition of pharaoh ( which moses was not ignorant of ) that he might quickly change his mind , and follow them with all his power to cut them off , as it appeares he did . yet moses feared no such matter , but he went on his way for he endured , as seeing him who is invisible . object . but it seems moses did forsake egypt for fear of the wrath of the king. answ . it is true , time was that in forsaking egypt he did fear the wrath of the king. in exod. . . it is said , moses seeing two hebrews smiting one another , he said to him that did the wrong , why smitest thou thy fellow ? and he said , who made thee a prince and a judge over us , intendest thou to kil me as thou didst the egyptian ? and then moses feared , and upon that he fled . and if we understand the text of this his first forsaking egypt , we may thus reconcile the apostle with that place . first he fled not fearing so much the king as that he should offend god ; if he offered himself to the danger , and did not make an escape , he should have tempted god by presuming : thus osiander . or thus , he fled not for fear in respect of himself , but least his calling should be hindred if he staied : so simler . but these words are rather to be understood of his second forsaking of egypt . the first time he forsook egypt out of fear ; but the second time he forsook egypt out of faith , and he did not fear : after he had slain the egyptian he was afaid , but when he came to take al the people of israel with him , then he forsook egypt and did not fear the wrath of the king. from whence we have these observations . doct. . first , that wicked men ( especially when they have power ) are very fierce and outragious in their wrath when any thing crosseth them . certainly , moses apprehended this wrath of pharaoh great , in that the holy ghost makes it a notable fruit of his faith not to fear the wrath of the king. it appeared his wrath was great , in regard of the power he raised against them , had it not been for moses . faith he would have feared . doct. . secondly , faith wil keep a gracious heart from immoderate fear of all the men in the world , let them be never so great , and have never so much power . doct. . thirdly , there is a great deal of difference between the spirits of gods people at somtimes and other times . there was a time when moses was afraid , now he goes on and is not afraid doct. . fourthly , faith wil carry a man through very hard services , and difficult works that god cals him unto . doct . fifthly , that it is the honor of the people of god to endure in the waies of god , notwithstanding all the hardships they meet withall . doct. . sixthly , the sight of an invisible god is a strong means to carry one on in the waies of god , notwithstanding al oppositions and difficulties they meet withall . these are the doctrinal conclusions we have in verse . chap. ii. handling the first doctrine . doct. . that the wrath of wicked men , especially when they have power , usually is very fierce and outragious . for the proof of this point . it must be acknowledged that somtimes god indeed restrains it , but usually it is so . there is in every one a great deal of distempered wrath that doth break forth and vent it self when occasion serves and when temptation comes , in most vile and fearful effects and fruits . a furious man ( saith the holy ghost in prov. . ) aboundeth in transgression : those that have hearts distempered with passion , anger , and wrath : they are such as abound in transgressithere breaks most horrible things from them , when they are in the heat of their passion and anger , not caring almost what they say or do , all the commands of god are broken then . we read of moses , when he came down from the mount , exod. . . and saw the people in their sin , his anger was stirred , and he broke both the tables : but there his anger was good , for though both the tables were broke , yet not one commandment was broke : but usually our wrath and anger is not good , and in our passion all the commandments in both tables are broke . the hebrew word that signifieth to transgress , doth signifie anger , because it is seldom that any in their passion do not transgress . it is the speech of one , that if there were two principles of things ( as the heathens are conceited there is , one principle from whence comes all good , and another principle from whence comes all evil ) then anger should be the principle of all evil , and god the principle of all good : much evil and very fearfull things come from wrath when it is distempered and let out . first : because it doth wonderfully blind the judgment of men . anger hinders the mind that it cannot see that which is true . and therefore in job . . . it is said , the counsell of the froward is carried headlong . it is a notable passage that i read of a poor woman , that had her cause pleaded before phillip king of macedon , who passed sentence in his passion , and shee apprehending her self wronged , saith shee i appeal , he smiled at that , being soveraign , and said , to whom wilt thou appeal ? saies shee , i appeal from thee when thou art angry , to thee when thou art not angry : noting that anger blinds the judgment . secondly : passion and wrath is compared to fire , and fire is active , and quickly goes beyond its bounds , and then there is no hold of it , but much evill may come of it , and so it is with wrath. thirdly : much evill comes of passion being inordinate , because , being as distempered fire that comes from a disease , it eats out the natural heat : as in the body , the heat of the feaver that is distempered , it consumes the true natural heat . and so , though there be some natural heat , or some kind of goodness , and kindness naturally in a man , that heat and goodness is taken away if he be in any passion ; and therefore one brings in this comparison . kindness is as one that is very hot naturally , when passion comes , it doth consume and take away the good natural heat , and he is altogether carried on in a distempered heat . fourthly : wrathful passion doth warm all the lusts that lodg in the heart , and put an activeness into them , whereas before they were cold , and like snakes , being cold do not stir , but if they come to be warm , then they craule about and sting : and so many corruptions lie in the hearts of men and women , that are congealed with cold , and like snakes lie and do not stir ; but when the heat of passion comes , it puts a heat into all those corruptions , and then they craul forth and make wofull work . now in all men there is a distempered wrath , and fearful fruits come from it , if it be not mortified : but when there is power joyned with passion then it is outragious indeed . as we see here , how violent in wrath was pharaoh against moses , and therefore the holy ghost commends moses that he was not afraid of the passion that was joyned with power . so saul . how violent was his passion when once he had power ? he seemed to be a man of a very quiet spirit ▪ whilest he was in a private condition , and withall at his first coming to the kingdom ( as you may read in sam. chap. . ) but when he was warm in the throne , and had power more settled in his hand , then you may read how outragious his passion was , as in sam. . . he caused doeg to slay at one time fourscore and five priests of the lord , and nob to be smitten with the edge of the sword and all this because david his supposed enemy had been there , and as doeg informed him , abimelech the priest had enquired of the lord for him . you may observe here how outragious men will be in their wrath , when it is for themselves , when in the mean time in the cause of god they can be quiet enough . as when god commanded saul to slay agag and the amalekites , and all their cattel , then he was loth to be so outragious , but out of compassion he spared some for sacrifice , but then the cause was gods : now when it was his own cause , then slay all , priests and men , and women , and sucklings , and oxen , and sheep , and all : thus many in the cause of god are content to forbear and pass by many things . many that have but power in families , parents or masters : if their children , or servants sin against god , they can put up that , but let their children or servants offend them , and then they are outragious in a fearful manner . thus violent and fierce is wrath where it hath power . and so rehoboam , when he had power he answered the people rigidly , in kings . . my little finger shall be thicker than my fathers loyns , my father hath chastized you with whips , but i will chastize you with scorpions . and you know likewise the example of jeroboam , having power in his hand , when the prophet came from god , and prophesied against the altar . lay hold of him saies he , as it is in kings . . and so jehojakim , when the will was read , he bad them cut it with a penknife and throw it into the fire . as you may read in jer. . . even gracious men having power in their hands in their passion wil do many evil things . as asa the king a gracious man , when the preacher angred him he strook him , see it in chron. . . but where there is no grace , there it is outragious beyond measure . as zerxes a great captain being angry , he shewed it aginst the water , for he cut a great river , and made it run another way . the reasons why wrath and anger are so outragious where there is power withal , are these . first , because power doth puff up the heart with pride and pride is the ground of passion : so much as men are passionate so much pride is not mortified in them . but as one man through the disposition of his body , may be more subject to passion than another , so some by the disposition of the body may be more subject to pride also : power and strength do much puff up the hearts of men and therefore in psalm . . . it is said , their strength is labor and sorrow . the word translated strength signifies pride , for they are ready to think the strength and power they have , is given them for some excellency and worth that is in them above others , whereas it may be far otherwise . it may bee god raiseth them above others , not out of esteem to them but out of indignation to others , that he means to scourge by them . anastatius arenus , tells us of a monk who was raised to be a bishop over a place , which was a very ill place , and he began to bee puffed up in pride that he was raised to honour above others : there was a voyce heard , not because you are worthy , but because they have deserved such an ill man. so god raiseth some to honor , not for any excellency in them , but out of indignation unto others . secondly , men that have power are mighty fierce in their wrath , because when any thing cross them it comes mighty unexpectedly , they cannot think any dare cross them . and therefore when the three children would not submit to that which nebuchadnezzar commanded , hee was full of fury , and his countenance was changed : what dare you resist me ? do you know who i am ? it is reported of one canutus that was a king , being puffed up with flatterers , thought that all creatures must submit to him , and therefore he caused his chaire to bee set by the sea , and gave his command that they should not presume to come neare his seat , because ( saith he ) you and the earth i sit upon is mine . so men that are in power think all is theirs , and therefore if any thing come cross unto them it is unexpected , and that causeth them to be so outragious . thirdly , there is naturally a revengful spirit in men , and where there is power men do run upon it , and think it their only glory to revenge : it is the glory of god to be mercyfull , and yet men think it a glory to revenge , fourthly , where men have power they look upon every offence through their own greatness . god may justly look at every sin against him as very great , because he looks through his own greatness ; and men that have power will be like god. men that have any greatness and above others , they are ready to look at all offences committed against them as through their owne greatness , and therefore think it unsufferable . fifthly , besides , men that are above others look upon all under them as meane and contemptible , as if it were better for them to perish as filth and dross then for them to be crossed , and prize the content of their humors more then the life and welfare of al under them . sixthly , further , those that are above others have nothing to keep in their wrath , as meaner men , though their anger be up yet it is kept in by higher power : but where there is nothing to keep it in , it will break over bounds . seventhly , again they have many flatterers that stir up their wrath , and put oyl into the fire , as the young men did rehoboam . eighthly , they think there is no way to maintaine their authority but their wrath , when as nothing doth more hinder the authority of a governour then distempered passion , nothing doth more hinder the reverence that governours should have then passion . ninthly , again , they think it beseemes their greatness for them to have more wrath , and more displeasure then others . it is a notable expression that seneca hath it is not the greatness of the mind that causeth wrathful anger , but the swelling of the mind . a leg that hath the gout , is bigger than the other , but it is not the commendation of the leg , but the swelling of the leg. so antiochus epiphanes was called by so me deifical epiphanes , yet the holy ghost calls him a vile person . and so rehoboams counsellors might tell him , this becomes thy great spirit , but the scripture calls him a child . tenthly , again , they have nothing else to satisfie them , nothing to make up any thing that crosseth them , therefore when they are crossed they are outragious in their wrath . vse . . hence wee learne , that it is a great judgment for any people to be under the power of those that are evil , and passionate , because their passion will be outragious , and then fearful , lamentable and greivous fruits are like to follow upon it . vse . hence see , that those who are under others which are passionate , have cause to seek god much for them , and to intreat god to moderate their passion and to quiet it . in psal . . . it is said , god restraines the remainder of wrath : and therefore upon that word seek god for those that are in place , and above others , that god would be pleased to moderate their passion . vse . . hence see what cause we have to admire gods goodness to his church in preserving his church , notwithstanding there are so many that have power over it , and are crossed mightily by the waies of gods people , that it is not swallowed up by them it is the lord that sayth to the proud waves , hither you shal go and no further , job . . and that place in psal . . . is further notable for this purpose , surely the wrath of man shall praise thee . it is god that turnes the wrath of man to his praise : & hee doth not onely preserve his church notwithstanding it , but makes it worke for the good of his church . vse . . here we have a good use of direction to those that have power over others , as parents and governors , to take heed this power be not abused ; and therefore consider with your selves : . who is it hath given me this power , is it not the lord ? . again , consider how have i provoked the wrath of god against my self , and yet god doth not use his power a●ainst me ? those that are over others and are given to anger should think , how is god provoked and crossed ? and if i do think because i am crossed to put forth all my power against them that cross me , how is it that god is so patient , and that he doth not put forth his power against me ? though i am over them , i am under god , and god might justly put forth all his power in the execution of his wrath against me , because i that have but little power when i am crossed , i put forth all my power against them . . and then in the third place : consider the power that you have over others , when it is the power of authority , it is a very glorious thing , it is that which hath a part of the image of god in it : wil you now then take your authority , and power to subject it to your lusts & make that an instrument of the devil which is a part of the image of god ? it must needs be a great evil , and the more authority & power any have , to use it in the devils service , the more evil it is . josephs speech to his brethren is very observable in gen. . . when they were afraid least he should at last revenge himself upon them , he answers them , fear not , for am i in the place of god ? there are many interpretations given of this , but it may wel carry this sense with it . that power i have is from god and under god , yea it puts me into the place of god , therefore i dare not abuse it to make it serviceable to revenge . the lord is to have the glory , is to have the glory of our strength , the psalmist hath such an expression . hath god given you strength & power over others ? let god have the glory of your strength and do not abuse it . many think it is a disparagement to yeild to others when they cross them , but they do not think it much to yeild to the devil . saith the scripture ephes . . . . let not the sun go down upon your wrath , neither give place to the devil : rather give way to any creature than to the devil : if any cross you , and you let your wrath go on against them , you give way to the devil , but rather give way to any creature . . again , it is a most pestiferous force not to be resisted : the greater a man is above others , the less passion he should have . . again , consider god may give you power rather in wrath than in mercy . a learned man said . you must distinguish between that which god gives in good pleasure , and that which he gives when he is angry : whatsoever we have from god in a way of favor , or in a way of anger : whatsoever god gives me in love , i must use it in fear , least god should not have honor from it : and if god give it me in his anger , i must take heed i do not abuse it to my perdition . many times god permits some to be above others nor only in his wrath to them that are under them , but in wrath to themselves , that they being above others might fal and break their necks : and therefore they that have place above others had need take heed they do not abuse it : consider , have you used it for god ? when you had power for god you were content then to forbear , and shall you now use your power for the maintenance of your lusts ? vse hence we learn , seeing those that are in power have such wrathfull and distempered passions , it should teach us to take heed of crossing any in power above us . many are under others , and yet have higher spirits than those above them . it is not good to stir up a lion ; and if we have not a good call to it , we shall have little comfort in any thing we suffer . let us go on in the way of god , and wee shall have false accusations enough against us , that will provoke those that are in authority , though we do nothing to provoke them justly . vse the last use that i wil name from hence is this : the more ordinary and usual it is for any that have power in their hands to be thus wrathful , the more honorable it is , they should be able to cross their anger and their passion . it is a blessed thing for a man or woman in power , to think it is more glory to use their power to cross their passion , than to use their power to revenge them that cross them . you think if you can make others to yeild to you , that is a brave thing : but you that have power over others be convinced of this , that it is a greater honor to use your power to command your own passion by , than to use it to make others to yeild to it . phillip the second king of spain , being intent about some great business in writing a letter to the pope , and requiring some hast , he sate up al night , and being done , his secretary standing by , and being half asleep , he bade him throw some sand upon i● , and he took the standish , and powred ink upon it : now though the king was crossed , yet he went away and put it up and made nothing of it . what a shame is it then for christians to be so revengeful ? and that phillip being spoken ill of by one cradon , some put him in mind to revenge himself on him , but he sent him many gifts , and spake well of him , then he asked what cradon spake of him , say they , no man better : then saith he , i am a better physitian than you . this is an honorable thing in whomsoever it is . and thus much for this first point . that the wrath of wicked men when they have power , is very fierce and outragious . chap. iii. handling the second doctrine ; which is , doct. . that faith helps against the immoderate fear of men of authority , of any creature . first : those that are godly ought to have , and have due & reverend respect unto all those that are in authority : though they be not afraid of the displeasure of the king , or of any in authority , in the cause of god , yet those that are truly gracious and godly , do give due reverence to them , in their persons and in their authority and power . though they are not so basely afraid as others are , to yeild to any thing against god , or conscience , yet so far as they may , no people in the world give that reverent respect unto authority , as gods people do . secondly : none do it up on such good grounds : because they do it for conscience sake , and submit to authority , further than others do : they dare not in their secret thoughts have any ill mind against authority : and they do it , because they see the image of god upon them , not to save themselves . . and thirdly . none do feare authority in so good a manner ; they do it willingly and cheerefully , not by force , but as being the will of god they should do it ; it is agreeable to the disposition of their souls for to do it . naturally , no man would be under another , but it is agreeable to grace to be so , and therefore no such subjects , as those that are godly , if it be rightly considered . it hath been a scandal cast upon religion in all ages that they did contemne authority , and did not give that feare that was due to authority . as pharoah said , they would rebell against him ; and so they said in nehemiahs time just in martyr and tertullian , were fain to make apologies for the christians in this particular , to convince them , that none were more obedient to authority then they . tertullian hath a notable expression in his apology . what is the reason you do not count us obedient to authority ? because we will not worship idolls , and pray to the idols for your governors ? yet we pray to the true god for your governors . like men in these days , because they wil not yeild their consciences prostrate to authority , and seek the honor of it in an unlawful way , therefore they are not subject to them , when as , none are so truly subject unto men , as those that are obedient unto god. and therefore we read of constantius he took this course to know his true subjects : he proclaimed , that whosoever would not worship idols must be banished the court , and those that would , should stay : now some rather than they would leave the court , and be banished , they would sacrifice to idols : others left the court : upon this he chose those that left the court , and banished the others : sayes he if you be not faithful to god , you wil not be faithful to me . can any man submit truly upon right grounds to a justice of peace , that wil not yeild to the king ? if he submit to the inferior , he wil submit to the superior . and so those that upon right grounds wil submit to authority , it is upon this ground , because they are subject to the authority of god : and indeed there can be no trust to any to be faithful to authority , but those that are godly . as that notable example of homizda , that was a great man in the king of persi's court , and the king would fain have perswaded him from christian religion , by all the flattering arguments he could , and to get him to sacrifice to idols : sayth he o king be not so eloquent to thy destruction : who shal think him to be faithful to man , that is not faithufl unto god ? if so be we do not obey the authority of god , how can we be obedient unto you . and therefore those that are godly do give a due , and reverent respect unto authority though they do not fear any authority in the cause of god , yet so far as god requires , their hearts do fear , and they do reverence them . before i come to the point , to shew how faith doth help against the feare of men , i will give some helps for the ordering your selves in the right feare of the authority of men ; though we must not feare it in any way against god , yet we must feare it : faith wil teach us not to feare it one way , and yet it wil teach us to fear it another way . as the apostle saith in rom. . . give feare to whom fear belongs . it is a christians duty to give feare to whom feare is due . luther speaking of obedience to authority . saith he ; i had rather obey than work miracles . and that is a very observable place we have in the epistle of peter ; where the apostle speaking of those that god wil come in judgment against , amongst the rest he reckons those that despise government : so that we see god would not have us to despise and contemne government . chap. . directions for the ordering our selves in our feare of authority . wherefore for the ordering our selves in our fear of authority , and those that are above us these things must be laid down as a ground . . first . that wee must feare no authority but as under a higher . . secondly , we must distinguish between authority and men in authority . . thirdly , it is necessary for us to know the several callings that men have to their places of authority . . fourthly , it is necessary to know the limits of authority . . fiftly , it is neccessary to know what we should do in case authority is abated . . lastly , we shal give some rules of direction to order our selves in our passive obedience to authority when it is abused . these six things containe this part of handling the point , and i wil be breife in them . first , this must be laid as a ground . no authority is to be feared and obeyed but in order to a higher . i remember their usual expression that was wont to be in england in their way of jubilies and commissions was this . in all things be sure there be no prejudice to the right of the king. and so among the turks when any were in the place of judgment or authority , one goes and proclaimes before him ; let nothing be done against the truth . it is reported of frederick the third being asked who were those that were most deare to him he gave them this answer . those that feare god more than me . and likewise it is an expression of augustine he doth not contemne power that doth choose to serve a higher power . o emperor , ( saith he ) give us leave not to serve thee in such and such things , for you threaten prison , and god he threatens judgment and hell . it is true , man in authority is gods vicegerent , but not only god is to be feared above his vicegerent but in every man there is a vicegerent that is to be obeyed rather than any other vicegerent , as the conscience of man ; so that man comes to be obeyed in the third ranke first , god is the highest . then there is a second , that is gods immediate vicegerent , that is conscience . and then there is a third , that is , the authority of man : he is a vicegerent that is under these two . nothing therefore is to be done against the highest authority , no nor against the authority of conscience . secondly . for our direction in our subjection unto those that are above us , and our right feare of them : wee must distinguish between authority and men in authority . that is authority that is enjoyned by vertue of a law-ful power that is given to any man in authority : but if so be any man in authority shal enjoine any thing that is not by vertue of that authority that is given him , though it be good , then it is not authority , but his own mind , and his own will. as sampson said , if i do thus and thus i am as another man. so a man in authority may be as another , because he doth only enjoine his own wil and therefore to disobey the mind and wil of men in authority , is not alwaies to disobey authority , if the thing be not enjoined by vertue of authority . in the third place . it is needfull for us in ordering our selves in our feare , to know the several calls that men have to the place of authority . this must be taken for granted . all lawful authority is from god yea the power of heathens is from god. but there is a two fold call to the place of government and authority . first , an immediate call ; as god called saul and david to the place of government . secondly . a mediate call : and that is when god by men doth put , either a particular person , or such a family into a place of government or authority . now when any shal be brought into government by those that have lawful power , though it be of man , yet they are in their place as by god , and are to be obeyed not only for feare , but for conscience sake . it is very needful for to know what it is that first ties a mans conscience to be in subjection unto an other man : there was a time when such men or such families had not the power of authority ; now there must be somthing that must give them power , it is not his strength that can do it , nor conquest , because my conscience is not tied to submit to one that hath more strength than i , as my governor , but only to regard my own safety ; and then if another come and get the victory , am i to leave my former sovereign and submit to him ? that will not be granted , that wee may upon any terms relinquish our sovereign to goe to another , because he hath more strength ; but what then must tie my conscience ? it must be some signification of gods mind that this is my governor , and this must be either immediately from heaven , by the prophets , or it must be by inclining the hearts of those that have power to put one in authority , to put this man , or this family into authority , and so far as gods mind is declared to me , so far i am bound in conscience to submit . . and from hence follows a fourth thing , and therein you must consider , how farr this authority is limited . if no particular man hath no authority , any further than god reveals his mind ; and god now reveales his mind , either immediately from heaven , or by inclining the hearts of those that have power to give authority , to give it to such an one ; then the limitations must be according to that power that conferts authority . if god doth immediatly confer authority , then it is to be limited by that , but if god doth confer power by man , then it is to be limited by that . in several kingdoms and countries there are several governments : one country is governed by states : another country a government of monarchy ; and other countries other kinds of governments : what is it that makes this difference of governments ? of necessity the difference must be made by that power that doth first confer this authority , and so it is to be limited by that authority . . but suppose those that are limitted : shall abuse their authority and go beyond it ? to that i answer . the persons that are in authority are to be reverenced , but their abuse may be two fold . when they command a thing that is unlawful : or when they do command a thing that is beyond their authority . as suppose a lord should command a thing that is beyond his lordly power and belongs to a prince ; if he doth command any thing that is beyond those limits where with he hath been limited from god by man , then it is not disobedience to authority to disobey , because authority doth not enjoine it : if it be beleeved , there must be power to confer authority , and this power must be from god , or man , and if god or man do not confer it , then they have no authority . but suppose . that any that are in authority do command a thing that is unlawful to be done and yet they do not go beyond the limits of authority ? how can that be ? it is true , god gives commission only to command things lawful , yet man may confer so much power upon others , as they shal by vertue of that power is given to them by man , command that which is unlawful : i do not say rightly , but their power wil work to it : now if any by the power which is given to them by man , shal command that which is unlawful , though we should not actively obey , yet we must obey passively , or slie : we must not right our selves by way of mutiny , or rebellion . and my ground is this , because it is between governor and subject , as it is between man and man. suppose , another man hath in his possession that which is my right , yet i cannot violently go and take my right from him ; i may justly be dealt withal as one that doth wrong , and be proceeded against as a malefactor ; i must be content to suffer til such time as i can legally recover my right out of his hands : and so if one in authority hath that in possession given him which he should not have , as to command things that are unlawful , by our forefathers or our own subjecting our selves to him , i must suffer til i can recover my right out of his hand in a legal way by the power that first gave it him . and this wil answer a great objection . the christians in the primitive times , that lived under persecuting emperors , they commanded them to worship idolls , that was a thing that was unlawful , yet they would not rise against them , though they had strength enough , but rather suffered . and upon this some think , whatsoever men in authority do command , there is no way to right it but by passive obedience . it is true the christians did not rise , but did suffer passively , because the emperors had power given into their hands , and they could not recover their right out of their hands , in a legal way , by the same power that gave them power . so that all wil arise to these three conclusions . the firsts is this that al true authority is from god. secondly , so farr as authority is administred lawfully . we are to submit , not only for fear but for conscience sake . thirdly , if authority be administred unlawfully , yet so long as it is authority , there must be passive obedience or flying . this shal suffice to give some light unto the bond of obedience to those that are obvoe us . chap. . some further directions , how we should order our selves , if we should be injoined unlawful things . but to give some further rules of direction ; if we should be enjoined things unlawful , and we could not in a legal way recover the power out of the hands of those that do injoine such things , how we should order our selves . . first , do not do any thing otherwise than authority enjoines rashly : forbeare as long as you can , and consult , and consider further about it , because we should loath to do any thing than that which is injoin'd by tho sthat are above us . if there be any arguments to shew that they may be done , we should listen to them . some assoon as they see a thing commanded that is forbidden . they flie upon it , before they try it , and therefore when they come to suffer they have little comfort in it : we are to try all our actions , especially when they shal seem to have any opposition against authority . secondly . if we be put upon it , that we must of necessity do those things that authority forbids , do them privately , that it may appear we are loth to disobey those that are in authority : because if we should do it openly , others that know not our grounds , may be brought into contempt of authority . thirdly , we are to do it as silently as we can , not to make a brag and boast of it : as many will take a delight and pride in it : if they have warrant enough to go against the command , they brag and boast of it wheresoever they come : it is enough for us to go on silently ; if we may do our duty to god , make little noise of it . fourthly , observe all circumstances of time and place , and so all other circumstances , so as to do it in a way that may as little exasperate them that are in authority as possible we can . many when their conscienc will not suffer them to do those things , which those that are above them do enjoyn , they wil go against it with such bitterness of spirit , as if they did take delight to exasperate them , this doth not become a christian . fiftly . howsoever we do those things that authority forbids , let us take heed we give as reverent respect unto authority as wee can : not to be violent in our words , nor to give revileing , provokeing speeches ; that shews our own pride of heart rather than any thing else . sixthly . be sure you keep to your principles ; that they may be convinced that what you do is out of conscience , and not out of any refractory humor : if so be you should plead you cannot do such & such things because of your conscience , and they shal observe that you wil do other things that are as apparent against conscience , they may see , it was not out of your conscience but out of your stoutness : but if they shal observe that there is nothing in which you dare go against the rule of your conscience , they shall see that it is not out of disobedience unto them , but in obedience to conscience : and therefore by how much the more you are forced to disobey in some things , by so much the more be careful , to obey in what you may . and this is usual , that those that are truly gracious and are in place of office , they wil labor to see those laws that may make for gods glory shal be executed , and so they are accounted rather two busy , because they wil do so much for authority : but howsoever , it ought to be the care of all gods people to be obedient to authority in what they can . and in the last place . if authority should deal never so hardly with you , take heed you have no thoughts of revenge , but commit your cause to god , and requite good for evil , and pray for those that persecute you . and these directions being premised , you see how far you are to fear the wrath of the king , and the displeasure of al that are in place above you . chap. . the point prosecuted more strictly . but now we come to the point more strictly : after you have observed these rules , and made use of these directions , you are to go on in your way resolutely and comfortably , and cheerefully , whatsoever falls out , not to baulk your way at all in the least degree that god requires at your hands , but to go on without feare . the scripture saith concerning a righteous man , in prov. . . he is as bold as a lion : if a man know he is in the way of god , he is to go on boldly like a lion ; and in prov. . . not to turne out of his way for feare of any creature . we find in scripture how the godly are commended for their resoluteness and courage of spirit , that they would not fear man and the creature . as those three prophets . in kings . . . . elijah , elisha , and micaiah . when elijah met ahab , saies he art thou he that troublest israel ? no saith he , it is thou and thy fathers house . and so elisha , when those three kings came down to him , the king of israel , and jehosophat , and the king of edom : saies he ; kings , . . were it not that i regard the presence of of jehoshaphat king of judah , i would not look towards thee nor see thee . and so micaiah , when they would have had him prophesie good things , sayes he , kings . . . what the lord sayth unto me , that wil i speak . i might give you many instances in job and david of their courage , not fearing the wrath of man. job hath a notable expression . job . . . did i feare a multitude , or did the contempt of families terrifie mee ? that i kept silence , and went not out of the door ? he was not affraid though he lived amongst those that were vile and wicked . and great courage you have in david in psal . . and others , though he walked in the shadow of death , and whatsoever befel him he would not be affraid . and so the church of god sayth in psal . . . . . verses , therefore we wil not fear though the earth be removed , and though the mountaines be carried into the middest of the sea. though the waters thereof roare , and be troubled , though the mountaines shake with the swelling thereof , there is a river the streams whereof shal make glad the city of our god. we enjoy the ordinances of god , and we wil not fear though there are such tumults abroad in the world . and so that which is said concerning jeremiah in chap. . . shall iron breake the northern iron and the steele ? though they were as iron that reasoned a-against jeremiah , yet jeremiah was to be as steel when iron strikes against steel . it doth not break it , but brighten it ; and so al the opposition that jeremiah had from all the great ones was but as the striking of iron against steel , it did not break his spirit but brighten it . and that of the three children in dan. . . shews the magnanimous spirit that they had . we are not careful to answer thee in this matter . and so that speech of saint paul. acts , . . what meane you to weep and break my heart ? for i am ready not to be bound only , but to dy at jerusalem for the name of the lord jesus . and so many expressions we have of the martyrs in the primitive times . justin martyr making his apologie for the christians to antonius pius , saith he ; we do not speak to dissemble to you , but for our own right , we can be hurt by no man , you can kill us , but not hurt us , if you like mad men will observe the customs of men before the truths of god , do then , we wil not . i do not name every speech of those servants of god as imitable , because we do not know what spirits they were carried on with , but to shew the strength of their spirits . and so that of ambrose , speaking to the emperor do not lift up thy self o emperor , if so be you would rule , be subject to god. and so odosius , that was a good man , when he had been crossed with the people of thessalonica , he caused many of them to be murdered ; upon that ambrose refused to give him the sacrament , though he came to the temple door , and desired it of him , and fell down upon the ground , yet ambrose stood and resisted him till there was through repentance manifested to the church . and so chrisostome . the emperess eudoxia had taken by wrong the vineyard of another ; chrisostome forbad her the communion . and likewise basil , he writ to julian the apostate : cr●tainly if you understood what we writ , you would not oppose that we writ . but ( saith he ) when i consider the dignity and crown you have , and the use you make of them , i tremble , for they are for your honor but they make you more dishonorable . and julian meeting pagmelius , saith he i thank god i see you , and when he replyed you cannot see , saith he , i thank god i can not see , you are an apostate . and that is a notable speech of luther , when he was to go to worms to answer for his faith , saith hee , though al the tiles of the houses of worms were devils yet i would go . and so divers women that were weak in regard of their sex , yet when faith came what abundance of courage had they . and thus you see by many examples both out of scripture and likewise out of ecclesiastical histories the magnanimous spirits of beleevers . that we are to do now , is to open the point in these three particulars . first to shew , wherein lieth the power of faith to help against the sinful feare of authority , and of man or any other creature . secondly , to shew , the difference between audaciousness of spirit , and that courage which proceeds from faith . thirdly , though we are not sinfully to fear man , yet to shew how far we may lawfully fear him . chap. . how faith helpeth against the fear of man ; opened in fifteen particulars . first , wherein lieth the power of faith to help aaginst the fear of man. much hath been said concerning the power of faith to help against sufferings , but now we have divers things to say concerning the power of faith in helping against the feare of man. first . wheresoever faith is , it putts the beleever into a very secure and safe condition , making sure of the safety of the soul , and that the termes between god and it are good , and by that meanes it delivers the soul from being transported by feare . there is nothing can secure the soul that the termes between god and it are good , but faith : and that it doth by putting the soul into the covenant of grace , and conveys the good of that everlasting covenant that can never be broken , unto the soul , and transferreth upon the soul the sure mercies of david : and that must needs make the soul in a secure condition . a man is not troubled with feares , when he knows he is provided for his life : so a beleeving soul is provided for eternity , what now can trouble such a soul ? the apostle in pet. . . would have us in the time of danger commit your soul to god in wel doing : when the soul is committed unto god in wel doing , there is no further fear . as if so be a man were travelling , and he had some precious jewel were worth abundance , and he apprehends himself in some danger if he can commit his jewel to some safe hand he is without fear . and therefore in some countries you have your banks : men that are affraid of their money , commit it to the bank , and there it is sure . so a soul that can commit it self to god in weldoing , and be sure of that , it is not troubled with much fear . qust . but should we not take care for our estates , and lives , and liberties ? answ . sayth the apostle , be at a point for them , but be sure you commit your souls to god , and you are wel enough . as in a time of common fire and burning , if a man have some lumber in the fire , he doth not care for them , but if he hath jewels and treasury , he commits them to some safe custody : and so a beleever having committed his soul to god by faith , and so being sure of the termes between god and it , his soul wil not admit of fear . we read of noah . gen. . . when he had made an ark , he pitched it about the ; word that is translated pitched , is the same word that is used for propitiation or attonement : noting , that pitch was to noahs ark , that the attonement of christ apprehended by faith is to the soul : whn a soul by faith can apprehend the sure meercies of david in the propitiation of christ , this is to the soul in the middest of dangers , to keep it from fears , as the pitch was to noahs ark in the midst of the waves , that kept it from the waters . and that is the first thing . secondly , faith keepeth from fear , because it hath a speiciall eye to the highest first being of all things , now that is a rule , no inferior cause can worke , but by an influence from the superior ; and therefore when by faith the eye can behold the highest supream cause , so as to see . first , there is no power in any creature but from that . secondly , the acting of that power is from that . thirdly . the force of that power , is from that . fourthly , the success of that power is from that cause ; and when the soul looks up to this highest cause and sees all cleare there , it needs not much to look how it is with the inferior causes . as if a man had an instrument , that hung upon many wheels , though the inferior moves , and it seems as if it would break and fall upon him , yet if he hath an eye upon the highest wheel that moves all , upon which all depend , and be sure that holds , he doth not much regard the other . and so it is with a spiritual eye . a carnal eye looks only at things that are objects of sence , he looks at the creatures , but a beleever looks at the highest supreme cause , and if that be right , he doth not looke at the lowest causes . we have a notable speech in isay . . . behold i have created the smith that bloweth the coales in the fire , and that bringeth forth an instrument for his work , and i have created the waster to destroy . are you affraid of the sword and the wasters ? i have created the smith that blows the coals , and i have created the waster to destroy ; if they have any power to do hurt , it is from mee ; why do you look upon the instrument and not upon the hand ? if there be any power in any instrument of war , they depend upon god , and he makes them to destroy : and therefore faith looks to the highest cause , and is conversant with that , and carries the affections to that ; it is not much affected with under causes ; it doth not fear the wrath of men , nor the power of any creature , because it looks so much at the highest cause that is above al. the confidence that carnal hearts have in outward helps , keeps them from fearing god , should not the confidence of the saints in god , keep them from fearing man ? thirdly . faith helps against the feare of man , because it helps the soul to overcome greater fear than any feare the creature can cause . a beleeving soul hath been conversant with other manner of fears than the wrath of a king , namely , the wrath of an infinite god , a beleever knows what the wrath of a deity means , what the terrour of conscience , and the curse of the law , and the flashes of hell meane , and he hath had some experience concerning the feare of these , and he hath received some thing of the spirit of bondage , that hath caused him to feare other manner of things than the feare of man , and when faith comes , that hath delivered the soul from these fears , others must needs vanish ; the power of faith soon extinguisheth them sam. . . as david when he was delivered from the mouth of the lion , and the paw of the beare , he was not affraid of goliah : so a beleeving soul is not affraid of the wrath of man , because it hath been delivered by faith , from the wrath of an infinite deity , and the terrors of the law and of conscience . in the . of isa . . mark how god brings the deliverance of his people from the fear of his wrath , as an argument to strengthen them against all other fears . behold i have taken out of thy hand the cup of trembling , even the dregs of the cup of my fury . to what end is this spoken ? in the beginning of the next chapter ( for chapters were not divided by the prophets , but afterward , and therefore they have an immediate connexion to one another ) awake , awake , put on thy strength o zion , put on thy beautiful garments . so sayth faith to a beleeving soul , why art thou affraid of the wrath and displeasure of men , be not feareful , for i have taken out of thy hand the cup of trembling : there was a time wherein there was a cup of trembling in thy hand , and thou wert affraid thou shouldest drink of that , i have taken that out of thy hand , and therefore awake , put on strength , be not affraid of man , being thou art delivered from such fear . it is a passage in the book of job . job , . . when god would bring job to feare , saith god , you seem to have some boldness : but have you seen the gates of death ? and hath the shadow of death been made known to you ? that were another matter if you had gone through those fears , and yet were bold ; but a beleeving soul may say , yea lord the gates of death , and the shadow of death hath been in some measure made known to me , and yet i am bold . the prophet saith in jer. . . be not thou a terror to me , for thou art my hope in the day of evil . lord let me be delivered from thy terror and all the world shall not terrifie me . those that have been brought up delicately , and know not what any danger means , if they heare of any commotion and danger , they tremble , but those that are used to warrs , that continually heate the noise of cannons , and see the affrighting objects , and desperate things that are there , they are not so soon made affraid , because they have been where terrors have been , and have been delivered from them and so a beleeving soul hath been acquainted with other manner of terrors than the terrors of men , and faith delivering from them , will deliver from these . fourthly , faith helps against the feare of men , and all dangers and evils , by implanting the true feare of god in the soul . where faith comes , as it brings all grace with it , so it brings the grace of the feare of god and the reason of al disorderly feare in the world , is for want of the true fear of god : i do not meane the fear of his wrath , but that reverence that we owe to god as creatures to the creator , that fear of god wherein a great part of gods worship consisteth : if the soul were possessed with that , other fears would vanish . as in other afflictions . true spiritual joy will overcome carnal joy , and the best way to cure carnal joy , is to have the heart possessed with spiritual joy : many take content in the flesh , but they never come to have their carnal joy mortified , till their souls be filled with spiritual joy . and therefore though in the time of sickness . they cry out against their carnal joy , it is not mortified , but they returne to it again , because they had only the conviction of conscience that their carnal joy was naught , but had not a contrary stream to fil their hearts . and so for sorrow , there is no way to mortifie carnal sorrow , as to sorrow for sin ; and so for desires : no way to mortifie sinful , creature desires , as to have desires sanctified for god. as in other afflictions , so in that of fear : no such way to mortifie carnal , sinful fear , as to have the true fear of god planted in the heart . as moses , when the rod was turned into a serpent , the magicians turned their rods into serpents , but the text saith , in exod. . . that moses serpent did devour the magicians serpents . so there is enough in the true feare of god to take up al the soul , that it hath no space for the fear of man ; as when god is truly worshipped , there he is only worshipped : so when god is truly feared there he is only feared , and all other fears are in subordination to that . where god is truly feared nothing else is feared , and indeed nothing else need be feared : as where god is not feared , no creature can help us : so where god is feared no creature can hurt us , in hosea . . . because we feared not the lord , what then should a king do to us ? so on the contrary , because we feare the lord , what then can a king , what can all the power in the world do against us ? fiftly , faith doth discover unto the soul , that it hath more with it than against it . you know the prophets man was affraid , when he saw their enemies about them ready to apprehend them : the prophet prayed to the lord to open his eyes , and to let him see in . kings , . . . there were more with him than against him . so till a mans eyes are opened by faith , he may see many enemies against him to cause fear ; but when god doth open the eyes of his soul to see more with him than against him all fears are gone . it sees al the attributes of god , all the waies of gods providence , all angels , all creatures working for the good of it ; and so it sees more with it then against it . if a child or man , be alone in danger he is affraid , but when he comes into the company of his freinds , that hath more with him than against him , he is not affraid . so by the eye of faith we see more with us than against us , and that frees from feare . sixthly , faith keeps from feare by bringing in the spirit of jesus christ into the soul , and makes the soul partaker of the spirit of christ : now christ is called the lyon of the tribe of judah , revel . . . he was full of courage , and did not feare any thing which opposed him in his way : now every christian doth partake of the lion-like spirit of christ , and hath something of it in him , and that puts strength & courage into him . in isa . . . we read of the spirit of christ that he was anointed withal , the spirit of wisdom and understanding , spirit of counsel , and might , the spirit of knowledg , and the fear of the lord. wheresoever the spirit of christ is , there is a spirit of might and strength , that will not easily yeeld to feare it is a sign of a poor low spirit , to ly down and feare every thing that is never so little feareful : but a spirit that is magnanimous , and a raised spirit wil not easily feare . the spirit of christ is a magnanimous glorious spirit , he hath the same spirit with his father , and so those that are christs come to have the same spirit of the son and of the father with them . and therefore saith saint paul in tim. . . we have not received the spirit of fear , but of power . the spirit of christ hath a great deal of power and strength in it , and when faith brings in the spirit of christ it must needs help against fear . seventhly . faith helps against feare , by taking off the heart from the creature , and from all the comforts that are in it . why doth a man feare ? but because he thinks the creature wil take away some comfort from him : now if the heart be taken off from the creature , and the comforts of it , and so from creature evils , neither esteeming the one , nor accounting much of the other , there is not much cause why he should feare , now faith takes off the heart from the creature . in revel . . . it is spoken of those that overcome antichrist , that they loved not their lives : and if they were taken off from the love of life , then by consequence they were taken of from the love of any creature . it is a notable speech that chrisostome hath concerning a worldly man. none more miserable , and more feareful than a man that is fastned to earthly things , for saith he , he doth continually live the life of care , and of trembling : but when faith comes , it takes off the heart from being fastned to the creature , and so such a one comes no longer to live the life of care , he doth not tremble any more . and suitable to his expression so was his life ; speaking of eudoxia the empres : saies he , what wil she do ? wil shee bannish me ? the earth is the lords and the fulness thereof . wil she cut me asunder ? so was isaiah . wil she drown me ? john was cast into the sea. will she stone me ? so was steven . will she behead me ? so was paul ; will she take away my substance ? my heart is taken a way from that already . it is reported of illaria meeting with theeves , say they are you not affraid ? no saith he i have nothing to loose : but we will kill thee ; saith he , i am prepared to die and to a heart seeing it hath nothing to loose , and it is prepared to die , it doth not fear ; it values no evil in the creature , nor any good in it , and therefore it is not affraid : now it is faith that glorious and mighty grace , takes the heart off from all creature evil , and creature good : and by this you may know the work of faith in your souls ; when you feel a principle within you taking you from the creature , and lifting you aboue creature comforts , and creature evils , that is the glorious work of faith. and that is the seventh thing . eightly , faith doth interest god in the cause of a beleever . whatsoever cause a beleever doth undertake , wherein he doth exercise faith , his faith doth interest god in it , so that it hath not only the countenance , command , and faithfulness of god to help it , but the name of god , and god himself . as in england if a man hath a debt , and knows not how to get it , he will turne it over to the king , and if he can interest the king in the debt , he thinks that will be a way to help himself . so here when a beleever is in a straight , and he knows not what to do , he looks this way and that way , and sees nothing but fears and terrours and knows not how to help himself , yet if he can but turne over the cause to god , and interest him in the cause , he is quiet . ninthly , faith hath a notable work to help against fear , in that it fils the heart with spirituall good : and the true boldness that is in any heart comes from the fulness of spirituall good that is in their souls . as the naturalists observe the reason why the lyon hath that courage and boldness , is , because he hath a heart compacted and filled with strong spirits . many things when they are empty are weake , but when they are filled ful of that which is sutable to them , it makes them strong : so when a soul hath a fulness of spiritual good in it , it is very strong , look what is the reason of the boldness and courage and impudence of wicked men in their sin , the contrary is the reason of the boldness and courage of gods people in the way of god. the speciall reason of the courage and boldness of the wicked in a way of evill , is the fullness of wickedness that is in their souls ; and therefore in that fact of ananias and saphira acts. . . saith the apostle ; why hath satan filled thy heart to lie unto the holy ghost : if satan had not filled your hearts , you could not have been thus bold to have lied to the holy ghost . and so it is a notable passage we have in esther . . . speaking concerning haman , saith the king , who is he ? and where is he that durst presume in his heart to do so ? in the hebrew it is who hath filled his heart to do this ? who hath a heart so ful as to venture upon such an evill as this ; as the filling of the heart with evill makes it bold and couragious in that which is evill , so the filling of the heart with spirituall good makes it forward in that which is good . as it is observed concerning steven ; after steven was filled with the holy ghost how bold was he ? he could look upon the face of his persecuters with boldness : in acts . . and the councell looked upon him , and saw his face , as it had been the face of an angel , because his heart was filled with the holy ghost . and so the apostles were very feareful before the holy ghost came down upon them , but when they were filled with the holy ghost they had no more feare . and so elisha , how full of courage was he when the three kings came to him , saith he , had it not been for jehosaphat i had not seen thy face : what was the reason ? he had the spirit of elijah double upon him , and therefore he was bold . as there is a plerophorie of evil that causeth boldness , so there is a plerophorie of good that filleth the heart with boldness , and nothing doth so fil the heart as faith : that fetcheth of the fulness of christ , and of his fulness we are full . in the tenth place ; faith hath a great deale of power to cause boldness and take off the heart from the feare of man ; because faith doth acquaint a beleever with the waies of god towards his people , and therefore he doth not fear : a beleever comes to have skill in the passages of gods providence , and his dealings towards his people , and thereby he comes to know that it is gods ordinary way to suffer the enemies of his people to rage against them and prevail against them , and to have much power over them , and yet they are his people . and it is no argument that god hath forsaken them because of their affliction : and therefore you know , the scripture speaks oftentimes of gods leading his people through the fire and the water , and that god will be with them there , isa . . . it is the way of god to choose his people , and set his heart upon them in the fiery furnace ; when he intends the greatest good to his people , he brings them through fire and water , and setteth them in wealthy places : psal . . . and if one be acquainted with gods way he doth not fear . if a souldier be not acquainted with the way of his general , when he seeth him undertake great things , and brings them into danger he is affraid : but one that is acquainted with the way of his general , how he will lay his stratagems , and knows that it is his way to go through such dangers , he is not affraid : and so it is true ; carnal hearts assoon as they see any danger , they are affraid , because they have not the skil to understand the mind and will of god in his way towards his people , when as the people of god know , that it is the ordinary way of god to work good out of evil. as luther saies , he doth kill that he may quicken , and cast down , that he may raise up , and the like ; and so he goes on in three or four lines together : but saith he , for to know this , this is the art of arts , and the knowledg of knowledges , very few do know and understand this way of god. it is a secret that god doth discover only to those that fear him ; faith doth not make one like a child to know nothing , but doth doctrinate the soul in the waies of god , and so doth enable it to overcome fears . in the eleuenth place . faith helps against feare : because it doth put the soul into a high and glorious condition , as into safety , so into a wonderful high condition . a man that is great in the world is not affraid as others are : now faith makes the place of gods people to bee very high and glorious in the isa . . . since thou wast precious in my sight thou hast been honourable and i have loved thee therefore wil i giue men for thee and people for thy life feare not for i am with thee . if a king should come to a poore subject and say feare not , you are honourable in mine eyes , i prize your life more than the lives of thousands , would not this keep him from being affraid ; god sayth so to every gracious soul , and faith closeth with it , and this keepes the soul from feare . mat. . . feare not sayth christ , you are more worth than many sparrowes : gods providence is over sparrowes but you are more worth than they . so precious are gods people to him , that he numbers every haire mat. . . and tels all their steps , and bottles up all their tears . psal . . . surely he values every drop of blood , and much more their lives , ps . . . and their spirituall priviledges . they are in a high and excellent condition aboue others . it is a notable expression that chrisostome hath of the preist azariah , because he resisted king vzziah when he would have offered sacrifice ; sayth he , every one that commits sin , is a servant to sin , and therefore base though he hath a thousand of crowns upon his head : but he that keepeth righteousness is more a king than any king , he is in a higher condition than any in the world , but a most excellent expression is that of tertullian concerning this why should i fear when the saints shall be raised to judg the world ? why should that man fear , that ought to be feared by angels , for he shal judge them , and ought to be feared by devils , he shal have power over them , and ought to be feared by al the world , he shal judge al the world . doth a judg fear the prisoner that is before him . this is the condition of a saint of god , and faith makes use of this , and knows what it is that god hath revealed of the high condition of his people , and therefore they do not feare . twelfthly . faith helps against fear , because faith doth much strengthen a good conscience ; wheresoever faith is , and according to the degree of it so a good conscience is strengthened ; they go together faith and a good conscience . therefore the scripture speaking of some , in tim. . . that they had made shipwrack of faith , they had put away a good conscience too . the one cannot stand without the other now we know what a great power there is in a good conscience to make one without feare : to know nothing ill concerning our selves , is a wal of brass ; the the breastplate of righteousness helps against any dart that comes ; and a good conscience holds forth the breast-plate of righteousness : and saith a good conscience , they accuse , but i will excuse , they condemn , but i wil justifie : i wil be with thee in death , and before the lord , and plead for thee . if a man come to be made a terror to himself , then no marvail if he be affraid of every thing else ; but if a man be not a terrour to himself , if he be able to behold god in righteousness , and his conscience be right and good , he may look with boldness upon any thing . job . . . . if iniquity be in thy hand , put it farr away , and let not wickedness dwel in thy tabernacles : for then shalt thou lift up thy face without spot , yea thou shalt be stedfast , and shalt not feare before men , no nor before the lord himself . againe , faith helps mightily against fear , by bringing in , and making use of all the gracious promises to help against fear . i wil name but two promises , and you shall see what a great deal of power is in those to help the soul against fear . deut. . . he it is that goeth before thee , he wil be with thee , he wil not fail thee nor forsake thee , fear not , neither be dismayed . mark how god heapeth up expressions . before he bids moses bid joshua be strong in the verse , first he goeth before thee , secondly , he wil be with thee . thirdly , he wil not fail thee . see isa . . . fear thou not , for i am with thee , be not dismayed , for i am thy god , i wil strengthen thee , yea , i wil help thee yea i wil uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness , thus god heaps up expressions to help against feare . faith makes the encouragements of the word real to the soul , faith brings the divine power and efficacy of them to the soul . againe , faith helps against fear by making use of al experiences of gods dealing with his people in former times , in habb . . throughout he makes use of the waies of god , and shews what god had done for his heretofore . psal . . . i will make mention of rahab and babilon , i wil make mention of what god hath done in rahab and in babilon . lastly . faith helps against the fear of man , because it causeth a christian to judge of men as god himself judgeth of them , and look at men as god looketh at them , and to have the same thoughts of men , as god hath and this is a mighty help against fear . now we must see how god hath revealed himself concerning man , and what little cause there is to fear men especially wicked men , and the enemies of gods people . i wil no fear saith the psalmist , in psal . . . what can man do unto me ? and i wil not feare what flesh can do unto me . in this same psalm . . . chap . arguments against the feare of man , taken from the consideration of man , first , as man in six particulars very observable , . what he is , . the vanity of man. . the dwelling of man. . the pomp of man. . the foundation of man. . the life of man. secondly , as a wicked man. . his baseness , . what he is in the greatness of his power opposing the godly . . how near the enemies of gods people are to ruine and destruction . first , we are to consider what the scripture says of man as man. secondly , what it says of man as a wicked man. there are these six things that we are to consider about man. first , what he is . secondly , the vanity of man. thirdly , the dwelling of man. fourthly , the pomp of man. fifthly , the foundation of man. sixthly , the life of man. in all these we have notable expressions to shew what a poor creature any man is , that we should be affraid of him . first , what he is , . he is earth , where the psalmist sayth , what is a man that i should be affraid of him , the word signifies earth . secondly , it signifies poor sickly sorry men , will any be affraid of earth or a sick man. thirdly , the scripture calls him a worm , job , . . wil any be affraid of a worme . fourthly , man is called clay . job , . . fifthly , man in scripture is called grass and the flower of the feild . isa . . . secondly , consider what the scripture saith concerning the vanity of man. . a man is like to vanity , psalm . . , . he walks in a vain shadow , psalm . , . . man is vaine himself . job , . . . . man is vanity it self . . altogether vanity . . every man is vanity . . in his best estate vanity , and al that you have in psalm . . . he is lighter than vanity . psalm . . , and if we could look at man as god looks at him we should not be affraid . thirdly , for the dwelling of man. in al his bravery and strong rich pallaces it is but as the dwelling of a moth , and as a booth in job , . , and as a house of clay . job . . . fourthly , the pomp of a man. put man into the greatest gallantness that can be , that causeth some feare in the hearts of men that are carnal : now in acts ▪ . . when bernice and agrippa came to sit in judgment they came with great pompe as judges use to do to strike feare into their prisoners : now the word signifies , they come with much phansy . faith makes men to judg of things as the holy ghost doth , and so keeps them from fearing of them . fifthly , the foundation of man. it is in the dust , job . . . and that which hath no foundation but the dust , it hath no great strength . sixthly , the life of man. some times compared to a buble and a vapor ; a weavers shuttle , and the wind in job , . , , he is compared to the eagle flying in the aire , and to the ship in the midst of the sea , and as the dayes of an hireling , job . . . and as a shadow . job , . . he is such a poore creature , that the moth crusheth him . job . , . now that which can crush a man must have a great deal of power over him : and his days are but as a hand breadth . psal . . . and his breath is in his nostrils . isa . . . this is to shew what little cause there is to feare man. now put all these together surely he is not a creature much to be feared : and here we see what wonderful dishonor god hath , when man is feared above god ▪ but now let us consider him as a wicked man , and then he is less to be feared , and there we wil consider of him in three respects . consider , . his baseness . . what he is in the greatness of his power opposing the godly . . how neare those that are wicked and enemies of gods people are unto destruction . first consider the baseness of wicked men , we do not feare things that are base . . wicked men let them be never so glorious in regard of outward things , they are but as dross and dust . psal . . . . . and then their root ( that which should uphold them , and be their power ) is rotten . isa . , . . they are as straw trodden down for the dunghil . isa . . . . they are compared to the froth and fome of the sea. hos . . , . his baseness is expressed by being compared to briars and thornes . ezek. . . why should wicked men be feared that are compared to such base things ? thus god judgeth of them , and those that have faith should judge so of them . but they have a great deale of power and much strength . secondly , let us therefore consider what god speaks concerning the power of wicked men . . it is all but a noise jer. . . egypt was a great kingdom , and the king of egypt with all his power is but a noise . . all their power is but a litle small dust isa . . . . in all their power , they are but as a company of beasts , or little children that have reeds in their hands . psal . . . rebuke the company of spearmen , the multitude of the beasts . the word translated spear-men is rather to be translated children that carry reeds instead of speares . . their power is cursed . psal . . . thou hast rebuked the proud that are cursed . when they are in the top of their pride and rage , and they look upon the servants of god with scorne and contempt , then they are cursed in their pride , and strength ; and that which hath the curse of god upon it , must needs come to nothing . . all their power is as nothing . isa . . and if their power be as nothing , there is no cause to feare their power . . they are less than nothing . isa . . . now what can be said more , for the power of all nations to be less than nothing . if we have the same judgment that the holy ghost hath cocerning man , there is no cause of feare of man. thirdly , and lastly : consider what the scripture saies of wicked men , in regard of their nearness to destruction . they are ready to perish . . they are compared to tow. isa . . a litle spark of fire doth presently blaze up tow . . they are like the crackling of thornes under the pott . eccles . . . . they are like to smoake . as psal . . . smoake the sooner it ascends the sooner it vanisheth : so the greater men are in their power , the sooner they perish . . they are compared to wax that melteth before the fire , and as the chaffe before the wind , and as stubble . as job . . . . and al their light is but as a candle ; solomon saith , the candle of the wicked shall be put out . prov. . . . and they are likewise compared to the tops of the eares of corne , that one can nip off with his finger . job . . . . the psalmist saith , god cutteth off the spirit of princes . psal . . . the word signifies such a cutting off as one with a knife would cut off a bunch of grapes . . againe they are like the blasted corne : and not only as grasse , but as grasse on the house top . isa . . . wicked men are going to destruction as a thing rouling before the wind . it is said they are set in slippery places , and the angell of the lord persecutes them . psal . . . if one be set upon the ice , and another come to persecute him , he cannot stand long . . and they are as a garment that the moth hath eaten . job . . . . and they are compared to the fat of lambs before the fire . psal . . . and as snow melting before the sun. first consider what man is in himself ; and wicked man in his baseness and power , and how neer they are to destruction , and this is a mighty meanes to help against feare . oh! let us be ashamed , that profess our selves to have faith , and yet when we see how the scripture doth judg of men , that we should be so conscious to our selves of so much fear of wicked men , how they will crush us , and we shall never goe on in quiet before them , and they are ready to put us out of our way . and thus we see wherein the power of faith lyeth to help against fear . there are two things yet behind for the explication of the point . to shew the difference between that boldness of spirit , and audaciousness that men have that have no faith , and that fearelesness that comes by faith. as also to shew how farr we may lawfully avoid danger , without feare of men . chap. . how audatiousness and boldness of spirit differ from faith. . audatiousness make us bold to sin . it appeares in causes that concerns our selves , then those which concern god. . boldness the curing of one pasion with another , faith the curing of passion by grace . . natural boldness makes men rash , and henders consultation . . the cause of immodisty . it is suden and violent . . it proseeds and lives upon outward encouragements . . the ishew of ignorance . . or despair . . more outward then inward . faith helps against feare , but it must be granted that men may be much helped against feare by a meer audaciousness of spirit . quest . but how shall we know the difference . answ . audaciousness of spirit , though when it proves to be in gods cause , it seems to be faith , yet there are many differences . first , where it is audaciousness of spirit , when occasion serves , they wil be bold in sin against god , as well as bold in that which is good for god : but now where faith is , though it doth make the soul to be bold and fearless for god in the way of god , yet there are none so affraid of sin : they tremble at the appearance , or occasion of sin : many that are mightily bold in sin are mightily affraid when they are in danger , others that are fearless in the way of god , thay have no boldness in the way of sin . wicked men that have had the basest spirits of all , have been bold in sin ; as manasseh , how audacious was he in sin ? and when he came into danger how feared he ? it is said he was found among the thorns , cor. . . and so ahaz , what a bold spirit had he in sin ? when he came into danger what a base spirit had he ? he was affraid and shook like an aspine leafe . and so it is reported of caligula , in isa . . . that was a bold wretch in sin , yet when he heard it thunder , he would run into a bench hole . and some may go so far , as not only to be bold in sin but to be bold in some danger too , and it may fal out to be in the cause of god , but know , if there be any boldness in sin , and if you do not fear every sin , al your boldness and fearlesness in any thing else never comes from faith . secondly , where there is natural audaciousness , then men are especially bold in causes that concern themselves more than in causes that concerne god. when any business concerns themselves in which they are opposed , they care not for any one that have more power then them selves , but they are not so in the cause of god : but others that are truly gracious , that are feareless from their faith , they are very yeildable and shamefaced in their own cause , in things that concern themselves , but in ●hings that concern god , there doth appear another spirit , they have a new spirit . thirdly , where the boldness is meerly natural , there is a curing of one passion with another ; but the boldness that comes from faith is the curing of passion with the contrary grace . as thus , where the boldness comes from natural audaciousness , there is the curing of the passion of fear with the passion of wrath and anger , they are never fearless and bold , but when their passion of anger is stirred up : where faith cures the passion of fear , it cures it not by stirring up another passion , but by sanctifying of this , and bringing in the true fear of god into the soul , it doth not put out one evil with another , but puts out an evil with a stream of the contrary good . fourthly , where men are naturally audacious , and bold , usually their boldness hinders their consultation , they have not command over their spirits , they are carried on rashly and headily in their boldness : therefore in isa . . . the word that is translated feareful , it signifies a rash heart , it is the same word you have in isa . . . the heart of the rash shal understand knowledg : to shew that fearfulness doth cause rashness where it is immoderate ; but where feare is moderate , and guided right , it makes men to have power to consult of things and advise of things , and examine of things : but your bold , impudent people care not , nor consider not what they say , but where fear is rightly ordered by saith , the heart is able to consider and advise best . fifthly , again , audaciousness when it is natural makes men to forget the distance that is between one man and another , makes them immodest , care not what they say to superiors that are above them : but when men are feareless by faith though they wil not be hindred in their way by feare of them , yet they know how to give due respect to them that are in superior place , which a natural audacious spirit doth not . sixthly , again , natural audaciousness is sudden , and violent , but a man that is feareless by faith , doth not presently , get up to this boldness of spirit ; but it comes by degrees and several steps , first , more fearful , and then less , and so by degrees he gets power over that spirit of his which before he found feareful , but the other is violently up , and doth not come by degrees . seaventhly , natural boldness it is according to outward encouragements , but the fearlesness that is from faith is by the breathings of gods spirit upon his heart ; & according to the several breathings of gods spirit upon their hearts , so they are more or less feareful : the other boldness being natural it works always alike , if they have but the same outward encouragements : but gods people though they have the same outward encouragements yet they are more fearless at some times then at other times because they have not the spirit of god breathing upon them alwaies alike . eightly , natural boldness comes from ignorance , and insensibleness , because people do not know or are not sensible of the danger they are in : but faith discovers the danger , and makes men sensible of the danger , and then it helps ; it is nothing to be bold when one is not sensible , and doth not understand the danger ; but a gracious heart conceives aright of the danger , and is sensible of it and then faith lifts above sence , and above reason . ninthly , men that are naturally bold , it is through desperateness , because they have nothing to loose , and care not what become of themselves : but by faith men are not fearless because they are desperate , but they see help in god , and in christ and his mercy , the more they hope , the less they fear , but the other are desperate and therefore they do not feare . tenthly , where audaciousness is but natural , it appears more outward then it is inward , but by faith men are less feareful inwardly then it appears outwardly : faith doth more cure fear within , then it is able to express courage , and boldness without : but your natural audacious people know , though they speak great words and make proud braggs , yet within their hearts do tremble ; but it is not so where there is true faith : there is an aspersion cast upon gods people , because they are forward in gods cause . they are bold impudent fellows : and those that are bold and impudent they go away as the men that have the only courage : now the scope of that i say is to shew that gods people are not impudently bold , but hold by the grace of god that comes from his spirit , and is maintained by faith , and others though they be bold in many things , yet they are far from this excellent spirit that gods people have . chap. . sheweth , how far we may lawfully avoid danger without fear of men . . religion doth not teach men to be foolish or desperate . , the care of a christian ought to be to do his duty , rather then to avoid danger , which may fal out in his duty . , when god brings his people into danger , he intends more to exercise their graces , then to try their discretion . , though danger may be avoided , yet it is more honorable for a christian to be called to exercise faith , courage , patience and in a way of suffering , then his prudence in avoiding it . take care of mistaking discretion , which is not wont to abate the vigor of gods graces , but to improve and increase them . . a christians greatest endeavor should be to get his will to submit to god. the last thing that is to be opened in the explication of the point is this . faith helps against the feare of danger and the feare of man. object , but some may say that which you have said hitherto may seem to embolden men to rush into dangers , this is the plea of many that bring themselves into dangers , and rush upon their ruine , we must not be affraid of men . answer . to that i answer , religion doth not teach men to be foolish or to be desperate ; it is too much boldness for any man to think god should give him assistance in foolish , desperate , rash ways . it is a speech of cyprian , god would rather have us stay to manifest our faith , til we are called by him , and see him go before us , then that we should go upon our own heads . faith as it hath the word evermore for its ground and bottom , in that great act of it , interesting the soul in the covevenant of grace ; so it hath the word for the ground of it in every action it puts the soul upon . we have a notable text for this in prov. . . the wise in heart wil receive commandements : but a prating fool shal . fal . the wise in heart , those that are truly gracious receive commandements : before they rush into danger , they wil stay for the commandement , for the word : but a prating fool shal fall , one that will boldly venture himself in danger , in speaking before he is called unto it , he shal fal in it , he must not expect the assistance of god in it . quest . but if we must not feare man , may we not flee from danger ? may we not labor to deliver our selves from it when it comes ? we must not rush into danger but suppose we see danger before us , may we not flee from it , and avoid it before it comes ? if we must not feare the creature , must we deliver our selves from it ? answ . first i shall give some general answers unto it , and then i will come more closely to answer to that case of conscience concerning fleeing from danger . for a general answer unto this , consider these five things . your question is , whether a christian may not flee danger ? i answer , first , that the greatest care of a christian ought to be to do his duty , rather then to avoid danger that may fal out in his duty : we should be more affraid of our own base , earthly , cowardly , unbeleeving hearts then we should be affraid of any evil that the malice and power of al the men in the world , and devills in hell can being upon us : no christian is in so much danger of evil from the malice and power of al the men in the world and devils in hell , as he is in danger of mischeif from his own heart , and that man that doth not feare himself and his own vile heart , more then he doth al the power and malice of the men of the world and the devils in hell , he doth not yet know his heart : it is a greater judgment to be delivered up to a mans own heart : then to be delivered up to the malice of al the enemies we have in the world ; yea , it is a greater judgment to be delivered up to ones own heart , then to be delivered up to the devil himself . those that are so sollicitous to deliver themselves from the danger and evil of the power of men , let them first labor that the strength of their sollicitousness be to deliver themselves from the danger and evil of their own hearts . secondly , you ask this question whether you may not flee danger ? i answer , when god doth so dispose of things , as to bring his people into danger , usually god intends more to exercise faith and courage , and patience , then to exercise discretion , though it call for both ? and that which is gods usual cheif intent , should be our chief care ; when as the care of most christians in the time of danger , is more to exercise their discretion for their safety . then to exercise faith , courage , and patience that god calls most for . thirdly , grant that the danger may be avoided , yet a christian should count it a more honorable thing to be called to exercise faith , courage , and patience in a way of suffering , then to be called forth to exercise his discretion in avoiding of suffering . indeed god doth not cal at all times to that which is the most honorable service , yet a christian should account that more honorable , and not bless himself that his condition is better then others , because god calls others to suffer , and there gives them an opportunity to exercise faith , and courage and patience , and that he gives him liberty to avoid suffering , wherein he gives me an opportunity to exercise my discretion , and wisdom ; i am to count them the most honorable christians that do suffer . fourthly , when god doth call for the exercise of discretion in avoiding suffering , there must be a great care in christians , not to mistake their discretion , to think that the work of christian wisdom , and discretion , is to abate the vigor , and activity and strength of any grace of gods spirit : but the work of it doth consist in the managing , improving , and increasing of al the graces of gods spirit . there is a great mistake in the world about this , many think they must be zealous . but there must be discretion exercised : what do they count discretion ? that which doth something take off the activity , and vigour of grace ; but there is not one grace is so an enemy to another , as to abate in any degree the vigor and activity of any grace whatsoever , but the work of discretion is to mannage and improve our faith , and courage , and patience , and all other graces wel for the glory of god , and the good of his people , this is discretion ; but if you account that discretion which abates the vigour and activity of grace , though you put that glorious name of discretion upon it , god cals it by other names , by cowardliness , self-seeking , and temporizing , and what wil become of those ? fiftly , you ask whether you may avoid danger , and suffering ? the cheife way that a christian should use in avoiding of danger should be in this ; namely , in laboring to get his heart to be willing to submit to god in a way of suffering to be willing to endure suffering when he calls to it . as it is the best way to obtain a mercy from god , to get our hearts to be willing to be without it , if god shal see it sit , so it is the best way to avoid danger and evil , to get our hearts willing to suffer that evil if god shal cal to it . these things being premised , there may be liberty to avoid danger . chap ii. containes a further resolution of the former case in nine particulars . . god doth give leave to his people to fly , and avoid danger . . such avoiding of danger ( if rightly qualified ) argues neither distrust of god , nor defect of courage . . in some cases , christians not only permitted , but commanded to flee . as , . when no extraordinarie thing depends upon him in that station in which god hath set him . . when the hand of god looseth those relations , which would otherwise be obligations to him . . when god gives him an opportunity else where , to bring greater revenues of glory to him . . when a christian is doubtfull about his call to suffer at the present . . there are some cases wherein it is utterly unlawfull to flee , viz. the contrary to those above named . mistakes in flying ▪ as , . to flee upon every slight and trivial thing . . when it tends to their spiritual disadvantage . . when having secretly denied the faith , men flee to prevent the shame of apostacie . . when they look at their own safety alone , without care to fit themselves for further service of god. . how to know when avoiding dangers proceeds from faith , or cowardise , . that which is by faith is not in a violent , rash , heady manner . ▪ when it proceeds from faith , it is joined with a resolution to return and beare witness to the truth , when god cals . . when we use the liberty we have to get hearts to return . . the case of publique officers , magistrates , ministers , especially the latter . but yet for the more close and full answer to this case of conscience , whether a man may flee from danger yea or no , i shall express my self in these eight or nine several particulars . . we shall lay this for a conclusion that god doth give his people leave to avoid danger . . that if it be done as it ought , it is no argument of distrusting of god , or want of courage , and magnanimity . . in some cases , some not only may , but are bound and ought to flee . . some in some cases , must not avoid danger , and must not flee from it . . i will shew you some mistakes that may be in the fleeing of danger . . i will shew you whether that avoiding of danger comes from faith or base feare . . i wil shew how far publick officers may avoid danger , especially the case of a minister . . i wil answer to some objections that may be made against the avoiding of danger . . i will give you some directions for the behaving and carrying of our selves in fleeing and avoiding of danger . for the first , god doth give leave to his people to flee and to avoid danger ( that in the general must be laid as a certaine conclusion ) you know that of christ in math. . . when they persecute you in this city , flee into another . there is leave given and injunction too . it is that which is according to the light of nature , and religion doth not extinguish the light of nature though it shews somewhat above it , and except there come in some other command above nature , we may follow the light of nature , if we do not mistake a false light for a true . and further we find it by plentiful example of gods people , yea christ himself avoided danger , and fled from it , and therefore he gives leave to it . as elijas was a man of spirit enough , and yet in kings , . . he fled for his life . and those prophets that obadiah hid were willing to avoid danger , as in kings , . . and the example of christ himself presently after he was born , when herod slew al the children of two yeers old and under , then there came a commission from god unto joseph to flee with christ into egypt . afterwards when christ came to yeers , when he saw himself to be in danger , he avoided it . divers texts we have for that in math. . . . john , . . and so saint paul. in acts. . . presently after god had miraculously and wonderfully appeared unto paul yet notwithstanding when he knew the jews laid waite for him to kill him , the disciples let him out by the wal in a basket in cor. . . it was a contemptible way of fleeing of danger , and yet notwithstanding that glorious word of god , that he was a chosen vessel to beare his name before the gentiles , in acts , . . he was content to avoid danger in that contemptible way . the case is cleere , that it may be done . secondly , but you wil say , though it may be done , it seems to be some abatement to faith , and courage . no , the avoiding of danger when it is in the way of god must not be counted the least abating of faith and courage ; and for that i will give you two texts of scripture that are very remarkable for that purpose , in math. . . where christ says , when they persecute you in one city flee into another : the next thing that he says is feare not them . vers . . and againe , feare not them that kill the body , verse . here seems to be a cross thing : they might say blessed saviour , doest not thou bid us flee ? how can we flee and not feare ? this shews there may bee fleeing from danger , that may not come from the least degree of cowardlyness and feare of man and there may be fleeing from danger , and yet no abatement of faith and confidence . as in psal . . the title of the psalme you have thus . a psalme of david , when he fled from absalom his son , when david saw himself in danger of absalom , he doth not venture boldly upon it , and say god hath established me in my kingdom , and made me many promises to uphold me why should i flee ? he did flee , but was it not an abatement of his faith and confidence in god ? no , at vers . but thou o lord art a shield for me , my glory and the lifter up of my head : to shew there may be fleeing and yet confidence in god as our sheild , and glory , and lifter up of our head and at verse . i laid me down and slept , i awaked for the lord sustained me , he fled , but he was quiet for al that in verse . . i wil not be affraid of ten thousand of people that have set themselves against me round about . he fled from his son and yet said he would not be affraid of ten thousands of people . in verse , . arise o lord , save me o god for thou hast smitten all my enemies upon the cheek bone , thou hast broken the teeth of the ungodly . his faith was so confident as it made him to think that which was to be done as done already and yet he penned this psalm in a fleeing condition . so that the second thing is appearent , thirdly , in some cases a man not onely may but must flee , he hath not only a permission but a command . when they persecute you in this citty flee into another . quest . what cases are those ? answ . first if the case be such as no extraordinary thing depends upon me in that station that god hath set me : there is no station but hath somthing depends upon it , therefore if we should say they may not flee , but when the case is that nothing depends upon it , then none should flee : but where there is nothing extraordinary depends upon it . secondly , when i feel the hand of god loose my relations which are otherwise tyes to me . thirdly , when god in the way of his providence doth open a door to me else where , where i may honor him ( may be ) honor him more . fourthly , when i find my heart doubtful about my call to suffer for the present : after much seeking of god and much examination of things , yet with a heart desirous to submit to god when the case is such no question there is a bond to fleeing , and it wil be a sin against god , and tempting of god not to do it . fourthly , there are some cases we must not flee in if you ask what they are ? it is breifely answered , the contrary to the other ; when as god hath set me in such a place as some special thing depends upon me ; or if i be convinced in my conscience ( being willing to be convinced ) that the cause of god , and people of god shall have more prejudice and hurt by my fleeing then by my staying . it is an expression of augustine in his epistle to honoratus about this argument : when any by fleeing shal do more hurt then he is able to requite by any worke in all his life ( as the case is so sometimes ) then he is bound to venture himself and not to flee . and it doth depend much upon a mans own conscience , and the judgment of others to know this : a man would be willing to favour himself in such a case , but let him be sure he deal uprightly with god and his own soul , and not go only upon his own judgment , but take the judgment of others , and then if conscience shal give him this dictate , his life cannot recompence that hurt he shal do by fleeing , he is to stay , when he shal see the cause of god shal suffer much in it , and god comes in by some especial assistance helping of him , in a more then ordinary way ; he may take it as an item from god , that god hath a speciall work for him to do . and this was the case of daniel . he saw the cause of god lay upon that work , and it would suffer if he should baulk his way , and god did come in with especial assistance , and strength to him , and rather then the cause of god should suffer , he would put himself upon that danger : men according to natural discretion would think he might have spared the opening of his window , but his conscience was convinced that his life was not of so much use as his witnessing to the cause of god at that time : and especially if we be in such a way , as we find god hemming of us in , and knocking off those things that may further our fleeing , that we cannot flee but we must do somthing against conscience and do somthing that is evil ; you are to know that god doth cal you rather to suffer , and to venture upon him in such a case . fiftly , those that flee to avoid danger if they take not heed , there may be many miscarriages in their fleeing , whereby they may much sin against god , and dishonor their cause . as . to flee upon every slight thing , that doth not beseem a christian , it should be somthing of weight that should cause him to leave his station : for there is no man or woman in any station , but god set them in that station , and therefore without the command of god we may not stir : we are all as souldiers , and god hath put us into our ranks , as a captain sets his souldiers in their ranks , now a souldier dare not presume to go out of his rank without a commission : whatsoever pretence he hath , though it be to do much good for his country : so we must have a commission from god , and not flee upon every slight thing . . many in their fleeing flee much to their spiritual disadvantage : as they wil flee for feare of suffering loss in their estates , and outward liberties , and care not whither they flee to further themselves in their spiritual course : though ( may be ) they might with some loss of their estates have more spiritual advantage then in the place whither they flee , yet they wil rather flee then loose some of their estates , this is a miscarriage . indeed if this be the care of a man when he flees , to flee where he may have most spiritual advantage , not outward trading , but god in his ordinances , he may have comfort in it ▪ but if men flee into places where they have no spiritual advantage , but onely for trading this is a miscarriage . . when secretly they have denied the truth before-hand not only fear what they may do but their hearts tells them if they be called to suffer they cannot stand out , and they flee only to prevent the shame of their apostacy ; they cannot tell how to look upon the faces of their acquaintance that shal know they are apostates , this is a miscarriage . tertullian hath a whol treatise upon this concerning fleeing in persecution , and i know no man that ever denied it might not be , but only he ; he would not have any flee in any danger for the case of religion ; and he brings in many arguments , but they are not such , but an ordinary understanding christian may answer , but this is one thing amongst the rest , says he , when you flee either you find in your hearts you shall deny the truth of god , or you have done it , or you know not whether you shal or no if you find in your hearts you shal deny the truth you have done it already : but if you know not whether you shal or no says he , it is in your own power or in gods power to uphold you ; if it be in your owne power , why should you not rather think you should stand for the truth of god ; if it be in gods power , why do you not depend upon god : but i bring this to shew , that if you already think you cannot stand for the truth you have declined already . . a fourth miscarriage is this , when people in their fleeing look at their own safety , but do not take care to fit themselves for further future service for god , or for suffering afterwards , if god shal at any other time cal them to it , never minding to make their chamber of hiding to be a place of provision for suffering afterward when god shal cal to it . . know a man may flee out of cowardlyness , and a man may flee out of faith . moses by faith forsooke egypt . quest . but how shal a man know when he flees , that it is of faith and not of cowardliness . answ . first , that which is by faith it is not in a violent , rash , and heady way , in the hurrying and confusion of a mans spirit ; in his flight he doth not run as one scared by common fire , or by the enemies coming upon them ; no , but his fleeing to avoid danger being from faith , it is in a quiet setledness of spirit , and for that take these two scriptures . the first , is that which before was named in psal . . . i laid me down and slept . he did not flee as a man agasted , but he was in the way that god opened to him , and his spirit was very quiet , he laid him down and slept . and again that which is observed by one in kings , . . concerning elijah , fleeing , he arose and went , he did not run eagerly , but he went on in the strength of that meate in the way that god would have him : the phrase denotes a quietness and sedateness of spirit : so those that flee by faith do it with much quietness of spirit , being contented with the hand of god , and not with bitterness and vexation of spirit , as many wil do , because conscience wil urge them they must flee or suffer , and they dare not go against the dictate of conscience , but will flee , but they wil do it with abundance of bitterness of spirit : a man thinks with himself there was a time i lived , and had al outward accommodations , a house and estate , and trading , and meanes coming in , and all my freinds about me , what a comfortable condition is this , and now i must break off all , and go into a strange land , among strange people , and i know not what shall become of me : this is far from that contentedness of spirit , that should be in leaving al for the cause of god : whereas christians should not only go on in a way of contentedness , but with joyfulness , because fleeing is suffering . . again where fleeing is a work of faith , such a man or woman that flees from danger , wil flee with such a disposition of spirit , as he is willing to returne again to witness for gods truth , if god calls him ; though now he doth not see his call clear : chrisostome speaking upon this text of moses fleeing : seems to take it for his first fleeing when he had slaine the egyptian , and when it came to be known , he fled from egypt : but ( says he ) the scripture saith moses was affraid , and here it says , he was not affraid , to that he answers thus . the scripture says he was affraid , but now it is not attributed to feare , because though when he was affraid , yet he had a heart willing to returne when god should cal him , he did feare because he did not see his call cleare ; yet he went away with such a disposition of heart , willing to witness in gods cause , when he called him to it , therefore the scripture says , he was not affraid . . it is an argument i flee out of faith , when i do but make that receptacle a chamber to fit me for suffering , and make use of al the liberty i have , to get such a heart to returne when god shal cal ; this is a fleeing that is rather to be attributed to faith then to fear . seventhly , for the case of those that are in publick office in magistracy and ministry , great care is to be had in their fleeing ; they above al men should most venture themselves ; yet in some cases , magistrates and ministers may flee and avoid danger . as the people would not suffer in sam. . . david to go out to warr least the light of israel should be put out . it is a notable expression augustine hath upon that in his epistle to honorius says he , he would have gone , he would not of himself have abstained from the danger least others should have been imitators of his sluggishness , but it was their work to keep him from it . but now to speak especially of the case of a minister , whose tye is most to stand out against danger in dangerous times he is not very readily to flee , especially when the persecution is general , and saint augustine hath notable expressions about this in his epistle that he writ to honorius in answer to this question , being against it . he that is weake shal perish by that knowledg , saith the apostle in cor. . s. . no , he that is weak , shal perish by thy ignorance rather . again says he , there is more cause to feare that the living stones of christs building should be demolished , we fleeing , then that the stones of the buildings of our earthly houses should be set on fire , we being present . againe saies he , let us rather feare that the members of the body of christ being destitute of their spiritual food should be hurt , then that the members of our bodies by the violence of our enemies should be tormented , and never so afflicted . but if it be so , then consider this . first , you that are the people , you must not lightly forsake a minister neither ; if ministers are so tyed to you in time of danger , as they must venture themselves for your good , surely people are not at liberty to depart from their ministers , for the tye is a mutual tye . you wil say , there is a difference between the minister and another member : it is true , in regard of use , but if you come to the tye , the tye of another member is as real and strong , as the tye of a minister : as in the body the eye is of more use then the hand , yet somtimes the hand may preserve life more then the eye , and though it be of more use , the hand is as strongly and as truly tyed to the body as the eye ; yea take al the members conjunctive , and there is a greater tye upon them to their minister , then upon their minister to them : the minister is tyed to the whole directly , and they are tyed to him by being tyed to one another : and if there be liberty for one member of a church to depart when he wil , then there is liberty for another , and so for all , and if liberty for them to depart , then there is liberty for the minister too : many cry out of the minister if he leave his people when he list , there is as much cause for a minister to cry out of his people if they leave him when they list . secondly , if there be such a tye upon a minister to venture thus for his people , he had need look to his cal : and the especiall cause why in other places , and we our selves when we were elsewhere , were so ready to fear , and flee upon every occasion , was because there did remain some kind of feare and suspicion of our call . thirdly , if there be such a tye upon a minister to his people , his people had need labor what possibly they can to encourage their minister , there need be strong union in their spirits , and they should take heed of catching of this body , and that body , or that melancholy suspicions be cast to hinder the least union , that if time of danger come , they may freely and chearfully venture themselves amongst them : we know not what things god may call us to , the way that we walk in , and desire to walk in , is that which the world and the devil hate , and though through gods providence we have a breathing time , yet if we resolve to walk in this way whatsoever befal , we may meet with much before we die ; and as we are bound to venture all that we are or have for you ; so al that you are or have should be bound to us . but in some cases a minister may be so affraid as to flee , and yet not to sin ; as the prophets , christ , and the apostles did flee in the time of danger . a minister may flee , if the persecution be personal , and not general , and so as his people be provided for otherwise by others , and so as he may be more useful to his people being absent , then he could have done being present , and if he flee being willing to returne again , when god shal shew him his way , and if people break their relations ; when things fal thus , then certainly he may flee . in that epistle of augustine to honorius , he instanced in athanasius , and justifies his fleeing ; because the emperour was incensed , and enraged against his person and he was willing to returne when god should give occasion . i might instance in al these , but i wil only instance in that if they flee being willing to returne as god gives occasion . as saint paul and barnabas in acts , . if you compare it with that in chap. . they fled two or three times from several places , and yet when there was respite they returned again to the very same places from whence they fled , in chap. . . they came to antioch , there the jews stirred up the devout and honorable women , and the cheif men of the city , and raised persecution against them , and expelled them out of their coasts : being persecuted , from thence they came to iconium , where they sped as before in chap. . . from thence they went to lystria at the begining of the verse where at first they thought them as gods , but afterwards so malicious were those of antioch , and iconium that when they heard they were at lystria , they came to persecute them there : so in all these three places they were persecuted even to death . yet at verse . they returned again to those three places : thus you see the practice of the apostles , but if the relation be broke between minister & people , then they may depart . in the time of persecution the case is more difficult , it is not so difficult for a minister to leave his people in regard of sickness and weakness of body , as in the time of persecution : and he is more bound to stay with them in the time of persecution ; then in the time of sickness . christ says the hireling when the wolfe comes he flyes from the sheep : a true shepheard undertakes to venture his life against the wolfe ; and for him to avoid that danger he undertakes , that must needs be unfaithfulness , jacob was content to watch his sheep in the night , in the frost and cold , as wel as in the day , and in summer time the scripture doth not say if a lyon come he is a hireling that shal fly away ; if the danger be such , as nothing but a miracle can preserve him , and his life may be more useful to the church in another place , then to lay it down there , then he is not as an hireling , but as a wise shepheard may avoid danger . chap. . containing the eighth particular , to wit , answering some objections made against flying . ob . . men may not leave their country . answ . in two particulars . ob . . should none stay to suffer . ans . ob . . god alsufficient to help in greatest dangers . ans . ob . fleeing a ceasing to give testimony to the truth of god. ans . ob . . many of gods servants had power to fly , and did not . ans . ob . . what shall become of those left behind , if they are forsaken by men of ability . ans . ob . . if men would master their feares , and stay a while , the cloud would blow over . ans . ninth parcular . directions for ordering our selves when we do fly . . leave as litle guilt behind in the place as you can . . carry your selves so that the name of god may not suffer in the place to which you flee . . behave your selves as exiled people , as men mortified to the things of the world . . get a contented frame of heart . . when you are delivered keep your selves in the fervency of your spirits . . let those from whom you flee have your praiers . and now i come to the eighth particular to answer some objections that may be made against this object , . it may be said men may not leave their country . answer , we know a mans country may be left on many occasions as for merchandising , to get estates to maintaine their families , so ruth and abraham and his sonns did : for learning as the queen of sheba did ; surely then for religion : it is true if we see any opportunity of setting up relgion in our own countrie , we are bound to set it up there rather then any where else , but if not we may leave our country , as the evnuch travelled and left his countrie to come to jerusalem for religions sake . besides ; god hath a great work of providence in scattering his people , and had it not been for persecution it is not like , the word of god should have been spread abroad in divers countries . objection , , but should none stay to suffer . answer , for this we are to know that fleeing is a suffering ; and if it be examined to the bottome , many plead with others to stay to suffer , and the bottome is because they are loath to suffer so much presently , as the departing from their country , and shops , and estates is . peter martyr in a treatise of his about fleeing from persecution , gives a notable answer to those people , and hath a pretty expression to set out the temper and humour of those people . it is like to many that are diseased , and the disease is such , as there must be the cutting off of a limbe , or the induring some great extremity to cure it , one that is delicate and loath to endure hardship ; if he can but get any one to plead his cause that this is not the way to cure this disease to put the patient to such pain , it may be cured by more gentle means , and it were better for to venture with more gentle meanes then to cut off a limb , now some through their loathness to indure some present certain paine wil venture to have it cured with more gentle meanes , though at length it cost them their lives . so some because they are loath to indure so much certain present trouble as to part from their countries and estates , they rather venture with more gentle meanes , when as many times they grow to deny the truth , and to defile their consciences with superstitious things , and shamefully to subject them unto others . but why do not they stay to suffer ; may be their time is not come ( as christ saies in another case ) if they had seen their time come they should have been as willing to stay as others , againe , if they should stay they should shew themselves unthankfull for the providence of god in opening to them a doore , to injoy the ordinances otherwhere . againe they dare not stay because they should tempt god , and trust in their own strength : if they should stay and have not gods call , they could not expect gods strength , and they know their own weakness . objection , . but is not god alsufficient and able to help in the greatest dangers . answ . . certainly if it were compared who trusts in gods power most , i beleeve it may be found that those that do fly to avoid danger have more exercise of their faith in trusting in gods power then many that stay and plead in that manner , as if so be we had not much need of the power of god for to support us and releeve us , and the trusting in gods power for that , is as much as an ordinary , yea , a strong faith is able to do . . again we must take heed of stretching gods power to work according to our minds , god hath power enough for the releife of his people , and he will put it forth for the defence of his people , but if we wil think to bring gods power , to work for our wills , it is not beleeving but presumption : if god will put forth his power in the upholding that way that he is in : who art thou man or woman , to think god should put forth his power in the upholding thy way ? besides god will put forth his power in the use of meanes . object . . but then we leave to give testimony to the truth , and is not the giving testimony to the truth of god more worth than our estates ? answ . . fleeing is giving witness , and those that plead against it are loath to give so much witness , for a man to leave his estate and country for a truth is not that witness ? . besides being absent they may by their writing , or by their practice give witness , & they may be reserved to give witness further . object . . but many of gods deare servants ( as the martyrs ) had power to flie , and they would not . answ . . to that i answer first , may be there were many engagements upon them , god did not loose al the tyes they had . . besides , secondly , much doth depend on circumstances which a christian that is faithful by compareing one thing with another may see in which most of gods glory is . . it may be they felt some extraordinary work of gods spirit in them , in away of assistance , and comfort , and emboldning of them , so as their example cannot be drawn into a general rule . object , . but what shal become of those that are left behind , if others that have abilities forsake them ? answ . . to that i answer first by the example of those that fly , what to do if god open a door , but if it be said they cannot flee , to those i answer . . secondly , though they cannot fly they may be confirmed in a truth by others , that do depart and are willing to suffer so much for the truth in their departures , and that more perhaps than they would have been by many exhortations . . and lastly , i answer , if god shut the door against them that they cannot flie , and open the doors to others though their parts and graces be weak ; if they be faithful they may comfortably expect , that god wil provide for them and come in with more blessings and more assistance , than those that have strong parts and strong graces could have expected , if they had not taken the way that god opened for them . object . . but if men would stay a while the clouds may blow over , but they are fearful and cannot stay . answ . to that i answer , we should be glad of that , that those that abide may enjoy so much as we do , and bless god for it , and shall not enjoy them at all , but though this should be , yet it is not enjoyed for the present . and if it be the enjoyment of the ordinances one year we should account it more than should countervail the loss of our estates all our lives . and thus we have finished the eight particular in answering this case of conscience , but that we may further direct christians in this , there are divers notes for the ordering of our selves when we do fly. when we are put into fear by man , and caused to flie , we must shew it as a work of faith ; and therefore let us learne so to order our selves in our fleeing , and when we are fled from danger as it may appeare it was a work of faith : as , . when any are put to flee danger , let them be careful they leave as little guilt behind them in that place they flee from as possibly they can , let them labor to purge out the guilt they brought on that place as much as they can , for there are none , that have not only brought guilt upon their own consciences , but upon the place where they lived , and consider whether that were your care to remove the guilt from the place , and if it were not our care , now we are gone , let us mourn for our sins , so as they may not bring judgment upon the place . again , in the place into which we are fled let us labor so to carry our selves as the name of god may not suffer among us , that they should have occasion to say , these are the men that flee for religion , do they live as such ? but let us labor so to walk as they may say , these people that make conscience of their waies , surely they did come for conscience sake ; their ways are according to that they profess . we have a notable expression of some that came from another country for religion , and yet walked so offensively , as the name of god suffered much by them that the heathen said , these are the people of the lord and are gone forth out of his land , ezekiel . . . we dare not say we are among heathens , but when they were among heathens they prophaned my holy name says god : and so many fleeing from their own country , profane the name of god in another country , that give occasion to the people among whom they are fled to say , look here are some that are gone from their own land , that profess themselves to be the people of the lord , and to flee for religion , look what kind of people they are ; thus gods name is profaned , let us take heed that we give no such occasion to the people with whom we live to say , these are the people of the lord that are fled for religion . . we should be careful to behave our selves , as those that are fled for religion , as exiled people , to be mortified to the things of the world , and to be content with any condition that god shal cal us unto , shal we repine when we meet with any trouble ? that were an argument we had too too delicate spirits when we flee from great danger and yet think we should meet with no trouble at all . . when we are fled , we should labor to get our spirits into a contented frame , and walk in subjection unto god , and give god praise , as if we were in the greatest prosperity that we could have been in , in our own country ; we should not have our hearts dulled with any inconveniency but keep up our spirits free in the service of god ; it is a notable expression we have of david if you compare two psalms together , psal . . with the . and the . psal . was when he fled from saul , and was in the care , but mark how davids spirit was kept up , he was not dulled and stupified as many are , that come from delicate houses and are faine to live in sellars and blind holes , their hearts begin to rise , oh! the fresh aire , and brave living that once they had : david was so , and yet his heart was kept up ; in the shadow of thy wings wil i make my refuge , a poor dark hole he was in , and he counted that dark hole the shadow of gods wings , againe i wil cry to god most high , though i be brought low and meane i have an interest in this high god , and wil cry to that high god , unto god that performeth al things . had god performed al things for david ? god promised david the kingdome , and david is brought into a poor hole to shift for his life , and yet david sayes he wil cry unto god that performeth all things for him : he shal send from heaven , and save me , though i be in this blind place , the god of heaven regards me , and shal send from heaven to save me , vers , . be thou exalted above the heavens , let thy glory be above al the earths , vers . . my heart is fixed o god , my heart is fixed , i will sing and give praise : al this was when he was in the cave , if you compare this with psal . . which was a psalm of thanksgiving , and rejoycing that he made upon his deliverance , and the same expression that david had within the cave , the same expressions he had when god had fulfilled his promises , and he was blessing his name for his great deliverance : noting thus much , look what temper of heart we should have in the enjoyment of the greatest mercies , we should labor to have that temper of heart in our submissions unto god when we are fled from danger . . again , let it be our care when we are delivered from the danger that we apprehended our selves to be in , to keep our selves in the fervency of our hearts , and spirits for god , and in the fervency of our love unto god and his truth as we had in danger . many when they are in danger of their enemies and afraid of them , their hearts are in a great deal of fervency , and zeal for god , and his truth ; and if they can get a few together to fast and pray or hear a sermon repeated , how do they rejoyce ; but when they are in safety their hearts are dead and flat , and if they meet together to pray or to commune about the word , their spirits are not so fervent as before , the lord keep this from us . . again , let us labor to do al the good we can to the place which we are fled from , by our prayers , or any other way we can ; as the people of god , when they were from their own country ; yet they would remember jerusalem : so ought we to do , for we are much bound to god for it , in regard of the good we have received in it . . lastly , let us labor to make that hiding place that god provides for us to deliver us from danger , to be but a preparing place for greater danger : let us not think because we have avoided some danger and are in some safety , that al is well , but this should be our care that those places that are our hiding places to hide us from some danger , should be our preparing places for greater dangers afterwards , and thus using these directions we shal honor god in our fleeing , and shal not have cause to repent us . and thus we have done with that argument , the answering the case of conscience about fleeing . chap. . how the heart may be taken off from the fear of man. first , it is against the solemn charge of god. secondly , it is an idolizing of the creature . thirdly , it becomes not the state and spirit and profession of a christian . fourthly , it dishonors god , and the cause of god. fifthly , it mightily heartens the enemies of gods people . sixthly , it is threatned as a great judgment of god upon a people , seventhly , the evil effects of the sinful feare of man. . it distracts our thoughts . . weakens the heart . . eates out the true feare of god. . it indisposeth us to any service . . insnares a christian . . it causeth other desperate fears . . procures the judgment of god in our destruction . a vvord of exhortation , how the heart may be taken off from the fear of man. there are two things that yet remain in this point , namely , to labor to take off the heart from the fear of man , or any danger , by shewing the evil that there is in the sinful fearing of man , or of any danger that may befal us : secondly , by laying down some means to bring off the heart from creature fear . first , a christian must take heed of sinful fear of man , and not to fear any creature in an inordinate sinful way , for there is much evil in it , more than we are aware of . . in the first place , it is that which is against so many solemn charges of god , whereby he charges his people against this to take heed of it as a thing that would be exceeding displeasing in his eyes , i scarce know any thing in scripture that god doth in a more solemn way charge his people to take heed of , then this ; as that place in deut. . . mark what several words god hath , let not your hearts faint , fear not ; do not tremble , neither be terrified , and so in isa . . . . fear not , i wil help thee , fear not thou worme jacob : though thou thinkest thy self a worme fear not , and so he goes on in that chapter useing many arguments , and giving many cavaets against fear . so in matth. . in a few verses you have two or three several expressions against fear , vers . . fear them not therefore , in vers . . fear not them that kill the body : and in vers . . fear ye not therefore : this shews our natures are subject to sinful fear , we are dul enough to the true fear of god , but to the feare of man our natures are exceeding prone : now that which is against so many solemn charges of god , that must needs be a very great evil . secondly , the fear of man , and of the creature , is an idolizing the creature , giving that to the creature which is due to god ; and as we set up the creature in the place of god , by loving it , desiring it , trusting in it , and rejoycing in it , in an inordinate way ; so by fearing it , yea fearing of it in a sinful way inordinately , not in subordination to god , is an idolizing the creature in a special manner , because the affection of fear is a mighty powerful affection , and darws the heart mightily after it ; and therefore god gives great charge that he himself should only be feared in isaiah , . . sanctify the lord of hosts himself , and let him be your fear , and let him be your dread . so that to fear the creature sinfully , is contrary to the sanctifying of gods name , and against the special worship that god challengeth to himselfe , and therefore in vers . . he would take off their hearts from the fear of man , and the fear of the creature . say ye not a confederacy , to al them to whom this people shal say a confederacy , neither fear ye their fear , nor be afraid . the fear of god is put for the whole worship of god , for one to say i fear the lord , and worship the lord , is all one : they are taught my fear by the precepts of men , they are taught my worship : isaac was sayed to fear the name of god because the special worship that isaac tendered to god was the fear of his name , and if the fear of gods name be such a special part of gods worship , for this to be given to the creature not in a way of subordination to god , that is a great evil . thirdly , in the third place it is that which is exceeding unbeseeming the estate , and spirit , and profession of a christian . . it is unbeseeming the estate of a christian . what is the estate of a christian ? it is a raysed estate , higher than the estate of the world , but this makes their estates low , for it subjects them to the iusts and humors of men , we need not fear what man can do when he walketh not by the rule , and when he abuseth his power , it is his lust , and when we fear sinfully we subject our selves to the lusts of men , and it is against the raised estate of a christian to subject himself to the lust of any man in the world , we must be subject unto the power of man according to gods rule , but be subject unto the lusts of no man though it were the greatest monarch in the world . the estate of a christian is a rich and established estate , but this fear makes it uncertaine , as if he had nothing to rest upon ; the estate of a christian hath many priveledges ; but this makes it seem as if there were no good to make up the least evil . the estate of a christian is such as all the attributes of god work for it , the power , and wisdom , and mercy , and truth of god : but this sinful fear shews as if we had nothing to help us in our straights and distresses . the estate of a christian is such as must make account of a great deal of trouble in his way , but this sinful fear shews as if we promised to our selves nothing but ease and contentment to the flesh . the estate of a christian is such as hath gone through a great many fears before , other manner of fears than the creature can cause ; the feare of the wrath of god , and the stroake of justice , and the curse of the law , but this sinful feare makes it seem as if we had never been acquainted with such fear . it is unbeseeming the spirit of a christian tim. . . we have not received the spirit of fear , that is unbeseeming a christian . the spirit of a christian is a raised spirit , this is a low spirit , the spirit of a christian is strong , this is a weak effeminate spirit ; the spirit of a christian is raised upon high principles ; this is from base principles ; the spirit of a christian is an ingenious spirit , this is a mean spirit discouraged upon every little danger ; the spirit of a christian is ful of love , this is ful of jealousy . the spirit of a christian is a clean spirit , this is a polluted spirit conscious to it self of abundance of evil . thirdly , it is unbeseeming the profession of a christian ; a christian doth make profession of special interest that he hath in god , and in the covenant of grace and the promises of the gospel and to be daunted with every little fear is quite cross to this . and therefore that 's observable of ezra , ezra , . . when he had made profession of gods being with them , he was ashamed to aske of the king a band of souldiers : he was ashamed to do any thing to shew that they feared the enemy ; and so when a christian shal profess interest in god , yet have such base sinful fear , this is mightily against the profession of a true christian . fourthly , a sinful fear is that which much dishonors god , and his cause , a great dishonor it is to god to have his people so affraid of every danger , it is a dishonor to his power , his truth , his faithfulness , and his care over his people , it is a dishonor to god , and so in that respect it is contrary to the sanctifying of gods name , and therefore you shal observe , where the lord chargeth his people with sinful fear , he charges them also that they did not remember him . isa . . . of whom hast thou been affraid , or feared t , hat thou hast lyed and hast not remembred me , where there is sinful fear it takes off the heart from god , as if there were no god in heaven to help a christian . therefore it was nehemiah in nehemiah , . . would not be affraid when he saw others sought to make him affraid , because it would have been a dishonor to god , and his cause . fifthly , besides sinful fear is that which doth mightily hearten the enemies of gods people and dishear tens gods people , it makes the enemies of gods people so much the more bold ; the fear of anenemy heartens an enemy , as gideon when he came to the host of his enemies , and heard their communication that they were affraid of gideon , then he was so much the more heartned ; and so the spies that went to the land of canaan , when they heard that the fear of them was amongst the people this heartened them , and so when one knows his adversary is affraid of him , he will be heartned ; a dog will follow another , that runs from him . and this discourages the people of god when they see others afraid in the cause of god. sixthly , it is a great evil , because it is that which is threatned as a great judgment of god upon a people , it is not only a sin but a punishment for some former sin , in deut. . . . this is gods judgment against wickedness , and therefore a sore , and great evil that christians should count to be upon them , if the spirit of fear be upon them . seventhly , the evil of it appears in the evil effects that proceed of it upon ourselves : as . . the distraction of our thoughts and therefore the word that is translated rash , in isa . . . it signifies fear , because it doth distract the thoughts of people , and makes them do they know not what , it is reported as an excellency that was in alexander and caesar , and other valorous spirits , that they were in the time of danger able to command their thoughts , and to consult and mannage any business , for usually fear distracts ones thoughts . . again it weakens the heart exceedingly , though a sudden fear may cause some strength , and the putting forth of the spirit , yet usually it doth weaken the spirit ; in cor. . . weaknes and fear go together , & in deut. . . fainting of spirit and fear go together . . fear of man is that which doth exceedingly eate out the true fear of god , as love of the creature eats out the love of god , and joy in sinful things eates out the true joy in god , so fear of the creature eates out the fear of god. in isa . . . of whom hast thou been affraid , or feared that thou hast lyed , and hast not remembred me , as if god should say my fear and the fear of the creature cannot stand together . . sinful fear makes one altogether unfit for any service , to be used in any employment for god ▪ in judg , . . god gives a command to the people by whom he would do great things , that all that were of a fearful heart should return back again , as if god should say they are not fit for me . . the fear of man is a great snare , . prov. . it brings a man to many sinful courses , and shifting ways and to commit sin against god in isa . . . of whom hast thou been afraid , or feared , that thou hast lyed : many servants when they have done any thing that they are affraid of the displeasure of their masters or mistresses , they are afraid and lie : and so in other cases , when as people are possessed with the fear of man , they wil take any sinful courses , and lie to avoid danger you know what the psalmist says in psalm , . the fear of the lord is clean , but the fear of man is very impure , the fear of god purgeth the heart ; but the fear of man defileth the heart and exceedingly polluteth it i was affraid says saul of the people and i obeyed their voice : in . sam. . . and so many in scripture were convinced that it was christ , but they were affraid and did not confess him ▪ in john , . . . the fear of the creature hath abundance of evil in it , in that it brings most desperate fears ; if you give way to the fear of any creature , to fear any danger and so to avoid it in a sinful way , you bring your selves by this means to most desperate fears : as it was the desperate condition of francis spira when he was affraid of those that had power over him and so denyed christ against his conscience , oh the dreadful horrors of conscience that he was sunke into ; and so it is usual , for men that wil balke the waies of god against conscience , when their consciences are enlightned , their hearts are burdened with such fears , as they cannot stand under them , other manner of fears then the fear of man , in jer , . . god says unto jeremiah be not dismayed at their faces least i confound thee before them : it is the same word that is translated before , dismayed ; do not fear least i fear thee ; be not dismayed least i dismay thee , and to reconcile both translations the meaning may be , do not fear least i so fear thee as to confound thee with fear so that you see this note is clear . by fearing the creature , fearing danger , we come to plunge our selves into the most desperate fears of al : and let this be a warning from god to us all , be not dismayed and affraid in any way of god , least god fear you in another manner , take heed you be not terrifyed least god terrifie you , many dreadful examples we have how many upon their sick beds , and death beds , have had dreadful fears , that they have done things against conscience out of fear . . and the last evil that wil come upon us in sinful fear , is the judgment of god in our destruction in revela , . . amongst those that shal be cast out into the lake of fire and brimstone are the feareful , and therefore we had need take heed of sinful fear and make god to be our only fear . but now that we may conclude this argument in a word of exhortation , as sinful fear is a most dreadful evil , so the trrue fear of god is a most precious jewel in isa . . . the fear of the lord is called the treasure of gods people , sinful feare hath a treasure of evil , and therefore to be avoided ; oh then let us take heed of sinful fear of the creature , as the lord by the prophet isa . . . say to them that are of a fearful heart be not affraid , do not plead and say i am of a fearful nature says god , say to them that are of a fearful heart be not affraid : so say i to you that are the people of god , in the way of god though you be by nature fearful , you that are of a fearful nature be not affraid whatsoever your natures have been , yet if your hearts have been brought under the power of the gospel , now there is a spirit of magnanimity put into you ; give me says lactantius , ( speaking of the power of christian religion upon the hearts of men ) a man fearful of pain of death & if once christian religion prevails in his heart , he shal presently contemn crucifying fyre , yea that cruel torture of phalaris his bull in which that cruel tyrant delighted to hear men roare being put into it when it was made burning hot . in the epistle of saint peter . you have the the holy ghost directing his exhortation to women who are naturally feareful peter , . . whose daughters you are as long as ye do well and are not affraid with any amazement : it seems very strange at first view , how the apostle brings in this to women . it is brought in thus : first if you consider sarah and as the wife of abraham ; abraham was to go out of his own country and was like to meet with many dangers and difficulties and to suffer hard things ; and this is the commendation of sarah and shee is set before al christian women as an example , that though shee was a woman , and so by nature fearful , yet shee was not an hinderance to him , she was not affraid with amazement , shee overcome the natural fear of her sexe by her faith and it is a notable note for women , when god cals their husbands to go out of their country , may be they would go but their wives are affraid of the sea and of difficulties and they are hinderances to them : but if you would be daughters of sarah , you must be daughters in this , not to be affraid with amazement , you should be true yoke-fellows to help them in that worke , & not to hinder them with passionate fear . further whose daughters you are this is spoken to christian women , now then many had infidels to their husbands , now the apostle would have them imitate this example of sarah and by faith to go beyond their sexe , may be their husbands would threaten them ; if you do thus and thus , you shal live such and such an uncomfortable life with me , this might discourage many , and hinder them in their way , how shall i be able to live with such a one that shal always be crossing and vexing of me because of such and such waies that i take ; therefore the apostles instance in this particular , if god have revealed his way and truth to you , whatsoever difficulties you are like to meet withal be not affraid with amazement . again they living in those times , whether they had good husbands or bad , they were like to suffer persecution : and now might they say how shall such poor women as we ; that are weaker usually then men , be able to lie in prison or burn in the fire ? this would bring down the spirit of the strongest man. the apostle therefore directs this to women , be not affraid with amazement , you have a strong god to be with you in whatsoever you are called to suffer . there are many gracious promises that we find in scripture that there is a time coming when god will deliver his people from the fear of man that wil be a blessed time , for much evil doth come to the people of god by the sinful fear of man , and we should labor to fulfil gods promises what we can . in isa . . . god promises . o thou afflicted , tossed with tempests and not comforted , behold i will lay thy stones with fayr colours and lay thy foundations with saphires ; where was this promise ever fulfilled ? the condition of the church shal be very glorious , that god wil lay the foundations with saphirs , and the stones with fair colours ; we use to lay the foundation with rubish , and ordinary stone , but god wil lay it with saphirs , vers . . in righteousness shalt thou be established , thou shalt be far from oppression , for thou shalt not fear ; and from terrour , for it shal not come neer thee : so in jeremiah . . i will set up shepheards over them which shal feed them , and they shal fear no more , nor be dismayed : many people have shepheards over them but they are affraid they should be taken away , but then they shal have shepheards and shal not fear , in jer. . . . and vers . , chap , . there is a blessed condition of gods people , and the more it is fulfilled to us , the more glorious shal our condition be . and this is an observable note , that i have met withal that some have concerning that place in cant. . . i charge you o daughters of jerusalem that ye stir not up nor awake my love till he please : in the former part of the book in cant. . . and in cant. . . the church charges after another manner , i charge you o ye daughters of jerusalem by the roes & hindes of the field , that you stir not up nor awake my love until he please : but in cant. . . the roes and hindes of the field , are left out , only she charges them , not to stir up her love til he please ; what is meant by stirring up her beloved ? and what is meant by the roes and the hindes ? stir not up my beloved till he please , that is when the church is brought into any comfortable condition , there is a charge that they do nothing to alter that condition , to make it more uncomfortable , not , to stir up christ so stir up christ so as to displease him . but she charges by the roes and the hindes . the roes and hindes are fearful shy creatures , that wil run away from every little motion , so some estates of the church are such , that many would come to joyne , but if they saw the least danger , or commotion they would presently run a way , and then the charge runs thus , you that are the church of god , when god hath granted any prosperity and peace , take heed you do not take such a course as to loose your prosperity , because many are looking at you and would joyne to you that are of fearful hearts and are not so established as to venture upon dangers , and troubles and therefore if you cause disturbances , and christ be stirred up before he please , those that stand by that are of fearful natures , will be afraid , and they will reason , we thought to have joyned with them , but we see what troubles are like to be among them , and these are the roes , and hindes that retreate : but now afterward the church came to be in a more established condition , and those that god intends to bring into his people should not be of such fearful natures , and therefore in cant. , he leaves out the roes , and the hinds and says take heed what you do : indeed now there is no such danger of fearful natures , those that god wil bring in they shal come through danger , and through trouble , they wil reason there hath been troubles amongst gods people ever since the beginning of the world , and they wil not go back because of them , yet take heed of troubles and disturbances : now there are many especiall means to help against these fears , as . labor to take off your love from the creature and you will not have much fear , says an ancient he that hath nothing in the world that he loves , he hath nothing in the world that he feares , for the foundation of all fear is love : according to the degree we love any thing so we fear the contrary , let us but mortify our love to the creature and we shal mortify the fear of the creature , . let us get and keep our interest in god , and that wil keep us from the fear of the creature . . let us labor to see clearly that the cause we are in is gods cause . . look to the call of that cause , though the cause be good if we have not as all to that cause , we cannot be helpt against fear . . labor to bring your hearts to count it honor , and riches , and pleasure enough to be employed in gods service any way , whatsoever comes of it , if i should endure such and such troubles in it , yet the wil of god be done , god cals for my estate , and liberty , and comfort to be employed this way , and that is enough that any thing i have may be employed in gods way , and if it be lost in gods service , it is well lost , if the heart be brought to this disposition , it wil not fear the loss of any thing . . keep the conscience upright in gods way , job , . . , if iniquity be in thy hand put it far from thee and let not wickedness dwel in thy tabernacle , for then shalt thou lift up thy face without spot ; yea thou shalt be steadfast and not fear : when the heart begins to decline in the least degree , then it is filled with fear . . keep a close and ful and comfortable communion one with another , let there be no fear with one another , as that is a notable place cor. . . concerning the care of saint paul over timothy , because he was young , and so weak , that he might be with the church without fears . as a means to help timothy in his way against whatsoever troubles he met abroad , so whatsoever dangers there be abroad in the world you will find this a notable means to strengthen your hearts to be without fear of all the world , to keep close one with another . . if you will needs fear , fear prosperity rather then trouble : and indeed there is more cause to fear our ease and our prosperity , then to fear any trouble in the world , there is more cause to fear the favors of men , then their threatnings , there is more cause to fear the world when it comes like a fox , then when it comes like a lyon , the joys of this present world are to be feared by a christian : now christians fear altogether present adversity , but you should labor to fear prosperity . . lastly , consider how little good , fear of any creature will do , it will never a whit free you from the evil you fear . but rather bring it sooner , as when peter was affraid of the waves , and affraid of sinking , did it help him ? no , it rather brought the waves upon him , and so in trouble your fear cannot help you , and deliver you but bring trouble sooner upon you . and therefore that is an observable note , the difference between john and the other disciples , when christ was apprehended all the disciples fled , except john , and john stood when he was in the priests hall , and when he was upon the cross , he said to him behold thy mother , so that he was not affraid of his life , now their was not one of all the disciples that fled for there lives , but dyed violent deaths , and their lives were taken away , and john that did not flee , lived fourscore years after christ , and continued in his ministry . so that you see god many times will preserve such as are least affraid , and let such as are affraid , fal into the trouble that they are affraid of , at that time they are affraid or afterwards ; and thus we have finished the second doctrinal conclusion from these words , that faith cures sinful fear . chap. another doctrine . much difference between gods peoples spirits at several times , illustrated by examples . reasons , . from the different dispositions their hearts are in to receive truths . which proceeds from three causes , first , the abatement of the strength that is opposite to that truth . secondly , the stirrings or activity of those habits which are sutable to truth . thirdly , the prevalences of self-interest . reas . . from the different representations of truth . reas . . because the graces of men do not burn so cleerly and purely at al times . reas . . from the weakness of grace , the parts and members of it are not consolidated . reas . . because our hearts are somtimes filled with more heavenly consolations then at other times . reas . . from the different breathings of the spirit of god , reas . . because men have somtimes a more clear and distinct sight of their call to suffer then at other times . . particular directions in this case . reas . . the different tempers of mans body . reas . . from the difference in the encouraging occurrency of gods providence . wee come now to the next doctrinal conclusion which was raised from hence , there was a time when moses was affraid , he did forsake egypt out of fear ; now moses by faith did forsake egypt and was not affraid ; the point is . doct. there is a great deal of difference between the spirits of gods people at some time , from that they are at other times . now moses seems to have further courage and strength then formerly ; we have many examples in scripture , and dayly experience of this that there is a wonderful difference between the spirits of gods people at sometimes and at other times , as elijah was a man of mighty courage that could look ahab on the face , and when ahab said , art thou he that troublest israel , nay ( saith he ) it is thou and thy fathers house , at another time he fled from jezebel , and god said to him , what dost thou here elijah , art thou fleeing from a woman that but the other day hadst such a courage : and so david , there was a time when david was affraid ; and behaved himself with much folly in his fear , as in the change of his behavior before the king of gath , at another time as in psalm . . he would not fear what man could do unto him , though he walked in the vally of the shadow of death . and so in many psalms you have his heart mightily dejected in the beginning of the psalm and before he had done mightily raised : and so abraham sometime he had mighty strength and confidence of his faith , at other times his faith failed him , and he was fain to equivocate , and shift for himself , and so jeremiah god said he would make him as a brazen wal , and he would give him a spirit of courage , at another time jeremiah was mightily dejected because of the reproach he met withal , and he would speak no more in the name of god unto the people . and so peter there was a time when he was affraid of a poor damsel , at other times who so bold as peter , as in acts . . and so joseph of arimathea ▪ he was a disciple of christ but secretly for fear of the jews , but afterward he came boldly and begged the body of christ at pilates hand ; and so nicodemus he was convinced that christ was a great prophet of god , and much good might be got by him , but he was affraid of the jews , and came to christ by night , afterward he went with joseph to begg the body of christ , and appeared publickly for christ , and so paul ▪ there was a time , when he was let down in a basket for fear , and he shifted for his life that way , but afterwards what abundance of courage had he . and so in after times many of the martyrs , sometime what mighty feare was upon them , and afterwards what strength and courage had they . as bilney , thar blessed martyr ; ( as latimer speaks of him ) he was in greivous perplexity , that those that came to apply any promises to him , did as it were strick daggers to his heart , afterwards he suffred a glorious martyrdome , and had abundance of courage , as may be read in his story . and so saunders when doctor pendleton came to him to strengthen him , says he , will you that have put your hand to the plow now give in , and you that have left antichrist wil you now follow him ? saunders , could not but have much fear that he should forsake christ , but so it fell out that pendleton fell off shamefully , and mr. saunders suffered and had abundance of comfort , and courage . and so mr. glover when he was in prison after he was condemned he had much fear , and a spirit of heaviness , yea the morning that he was called out to the stake he was troubled with doubtings , till he came to the sight of the stake , and then he had abundance of courage and joy : these are the examples ; but now the reasons . reason , . the first , reason of the differences of the spirits of gods servants is from the different disposition that their hearts are in for their receiving of the truths of god at some time , from that they are at othertimes ; that it is even to admiration sometimes to consider , that such a truth that there is but a hint of it given at one time , shal have such power upon their hearts as shal mightily prevail with them , they shal easily entertaine it , and easily be convinced by it , and overpowred with it ; at another time when there are strong arguments , to bring the truth a great deal more powerfully , and fully to the heart , it vanisheh and comes to little : we use to say ; whatsoever we receive is received according to the disposition of the receiver : what is the reason why people in the time of sickness are ready to heare of any truth , and ready to be convinced of it , and no wranglings and objections against it . if god come in their prosperity , and health with the same truthes , they are nothing to them , but wrangle , and object against them and wil not yeild and be convinced ? the truth is the same but the difference is in the disposition of the receiver . and so in regard of the temptation to sin , sometime when a temptation to sin is presented , the heart presently closes with it , without examining ; at other times through gods mercy when temptation comes , it doth not so easily take , but a mans heart wil stand out against it , sometimes a mans heart is to the temptation , as tinder to the fire , every spark wil take hold , at other times the heart is as the three children , though they walke in firy temptations , their hearts have not so much as the favour of them : there are three things that do cause the difference in the disposition of heart for receiving a truth of god or receiving a temptation to sin . first , the abating of the strength of that which is opposite unto any truth , or unto any temptation , when as a truth comes to a man , there is in every mans heart somthing opposite to that truth , now if the strength of that which is opposite be abated that it doe not stir , the truth prevailes whith a great deale of strength ; but if that which is opposite to a truth be working and stirring at such a time when they truth comes , then though it comes a great deal more strongly , it cannot prevaile : and so if temptation comes , and the principle that is opposite to that temptation be stirring at that time , a man can prevaile against it , but if a man have some principle of grace , and that ly dead when the temptation comes , then a great deal less temptation prevailes . secondly , that which makes a difference in the dispositions of the spirits of men for receiving a truth , or receiving a temptation , is the stirring or activeness of those habits that are sutable to a truth or unto a temptation : when there comes a truth presented to a man that cals for duties , service or suffering , if a man have principles sutable to the duty , and these principles be now stirring , then he can close with that truth and it prevailes powerfully . and so for sin if a man have seeds and habits of sin , and temptation come when these seeds and habits are stirring , then he closeth with it presently . thirdly , but the especial thing that makes the disposition of a man to receive a truth or a temptation different at one time from that it is at another , is when self is engaged in a business : as now take it in person or opinion ; suppose there is such a man or woman that i am any way ingaged to and serve my turn in ; in any thing that is spoken for them or their commendation , i am ready to imbrace it ; but suppose this man or woman do not serve my turn , but the ingagement is broke , then i beleeve the least evil that is spoken against them , when as i would not have beleeved ten times as much before , not that there is more in them then before , but only the frame and disposition of my heart towards them is otherwise then before : and so in opinion : if a man hold an opinion upon which there follows some consequents that he did not see before , after he hath held this opinon upon which such consequents will follow , he seekes with all his might to maintaine it , not because the consequents are true , but because it is his opinion that he holds . come to a man that is ignorant which holds an opinion , and tel him nakedly the consequents that will follow upon that opinion he holds , without any reference to that opinion , and he is mightily against them , but come another time and seeke to draw those consequents from that opinion which he holds , and he seek to maintaine them , which he would not do but for that ingagement he hath unto that opinion ; but when a gracious heart finds this that al ingagements to men , and the world , and selfe are broken , and he gives himself to be ingaged wholy in god , al that was self before in his credit , and liberty , and estate , and ease , and comfort , is put upon the name of god , the praise of god , the furthering the truth of god and his gospel , then any truth of god that comes to the soule at this time , it prevailes mightily , because the heart is ingaged in god and his truth : and indeed if so be we did understand aright , we should see more of our own good to consist in god , then in our selves ; and this is the ground and principle of self denial , when as the soule shall come to see my good is more in god , then in my selfe , and therefore i will deny my good and comfort so far as it is in my selfe and i will seeke my good and comfort in god : and indeed no men in the world seek themselves more then the godly , only the one seeks himself in himself , and the other seeks himself in god , the one is engaged to his self-ends and self-praise , and the other makes himself only ingaged in god , and when a man comes to be thus engaged in god , then any truth prevails with a mighty strength more then before . and this is the first reason ( which is a principal one ) that causeth the heart , to be at a different condition at one time , from that it is at another . reason . . the second reason is in regard of the differences of their presentations of a truth , though when we are indisposed let the truths come never so powerfully it is all one , but if the heart be fit in any reasonable manner to receive a truth , there may be a great deal of difference in the manner of the representation of a truth , somtimes the truth comes more cleerly , and with more evidences , more particularly , more powerfully : somtimes it comes with greater evidence of the spirit of god then at other times , there is not only a little gloss of a truth of god , but the shine of it , that a man cannot shut his eyes against it : somtime the truth comes more particularly to the heart , god doth not only present a truth in the general to him that this is a duty christians must do : but it shal come to the particular frame of the heart , and shal meet with every objection , and he shall find the secrets of his thoughts to be discovered and answered , so that the truth shal come like a key that is fitted to a lock ; if you bring a key to the lock though it may be like the right key and as strong a key as the right is , yet if it be not indeed the right , if it miss but in one ward of the lock , never so little , you may spoil both the lock and the key , but you cannot open the lock though you have never so much strength , but come with a key suted to that lock and do but turn it , and it opens presently : so when it pleaseth god to come with his truth to our souls , we were backward and we heard many truths , but they did not meet with all our objections , and therefore it was stopped with some one or other , but afterward it pleased god so to dispose of things , and to bring the truth so fully to the heart , as it meets with every objection , and then the heart quietly yeilds , and therefore it is said god opened lydias heart , paul preached to others and had much wringing with them and could not prevail , but saint paul came to lydia , and he prevailed presently , because god did so dispose of lydias heart as it was fitted to the truth saint paul spoke of : as many when they come to hear the word , cannot but say the truth of god hath met with me in every particular , and i have no secret object on in my heart , but it is answered , somtimes the truth comes more powerfully then at other times : as in isaiah , . . for the lord spake thus to me with a strong hand , & instructed me that i should not walk in the way of this people , god did not only tell the prophet his duty , but he spake with a strong hand , so when god comes sometimes he tels you what you ought to do , but he doth not alwaies come with a strong hand as sometimes he doth : job , . he openeth also their eares to discipline and commandeth that they returne from iniquity : does not god command men at al times to returne from their iniquities doth not god command men in prosperity to return from their iniquities , yes , but in the time of affliction ordinarily the truth comes with more commanding power , then he sealeth instruction as in job . . . when people came to hear the word they heard instructions to do such and such duties , but those instructions did not come with command , they were not sealed , but in affliction god seals them , if a man see a writing and see the hands of others to it , it is somthing to perswade him to see others are of that opinion , but when he sees the broad seal to it then it comes with authority , and so when men come and hear the word of god , they think it is but our opinion , and cast it off , but in affliction those truths come with authority , and have the seal of heaven upon them , and then they prevail , you have other manner of thoughts of them then before ; that which saint paul spoke it was in power to the hearts of the people ; and they could not resist the spirit wherewith stephen spake because he was ful of faith and power . so sometimes god speaks with so much power as they cannot stand out : we may see the different spirits of men by the different representation of a truth in our selves or in others , somtime when god pleaseth to convince us , and work upon us , we admire it our selves , did we not hear these things before , what was it that kept me from being convinced , i never was stirred before , and now methinks there is such mighty power in them as i cannot stand against them , what was the matter ? and so in others : let there be two men , that shal go upon the same principles , and their ends shal be the same , and both their hearts shal be upright , and yet they cannot yeild to the same thing , because the same thing is presented to the one , one way , and he sees it cleerly , and the same thing is presented to another , another way , and he cannot see it ; and therefore it should teach us to have patience when we have to deal with such as do not see a thing clear . as when we come to a lock that we have not the right key , and we try , and it wil not open , we do not presently throw it away , but we think , it may be there is some dust in it , we pick that out , and try again if it do not open , then we think may be we did not put in the key right , too far , or not far enough , and if it do not open then we think may be we did not turn the right way , we try again if it do not open then we think we did not turn strong enough : we try again , if it do not open then ; we think may be we have not the right key , if i choose another key that would open it : then we try again , if it do not open it , we are loath to loose the lock , we think may be there is some ward in the lock that is a little bent , if that were mended it would do , or the key is bent , and rather then we wil throw it away we wil mend that , may be i have bent some ward , and a man wil reason al he can before he wil throw away the lock : so when you have to deal with others that are of another opinion , do not throw them away ; reason this way , & that way , because there is much in ordering mens spirits , in the communication of a truth unto them , it is not alwaies the evidence of a truth that is sufficient to convince , but the manner of presenting of the truth , and that is the second reason of the difference of mens spirits . reason , . the third reason is because that somtime the graces of men do not burne out so clearly and purely as they do at other times , as in fire when you kindle a fire , first there is a great deal of smoke and we see little brightness in the fire , stay but a while , and the smoak wil be consumed , and the fire burne bright : so in the graces of men and women , sometime there is a great deal of corruption when grace is kindled at first , a great deal of smother but grace continues and workes out that corruption , and it burns more clearly : so in the sun when it riseth in the morning it may be a great mist , but when the sun is up a little while it consumes the mist , and shines clearly ; so children when they are young may be they have many il humors ; afterwards their natural strength consumes their humors , and so they are more active and stirring ; so though the godly have not that disposition of heart to do that for god they should , yet when grace comes to burne more clearly they can do it . reason , . fourthly , as grace is mixt at first , so somtimes it is weak , the parts and members not being consolidated , and strengthened : when an infant comes first into the world if you expose it to the cold it is not able to endure it , which afterward it wil do , when the joynts are set , and so young plants cannot endure that frost , which they wil do afterwards : and so christians at first are as children , carryed away with every wind of doctrine , til afterward they come to be more strong , and then they are fit for service . as christ would not have his disciples called to fasting and praying , they were hard duties while they were weak , he hath this expression ; no man puts new wine into old bottles , nor sow a new peice of cloath into an old garment , for the bottles wil break and the garment wil rend , in math , . . . the meaning is do not bring unsureable duties to mens spirits ; fasting and prayer is a duty but they are not strong enough for it yet , noting when people grow strong they shal be fitter for duty , service , or suffering . reason . . the fifth reason is because somtimes our hearts are filled with more heavenly consolation then at other times that does refresh the souls of gods people as with new wine , that they can go forth as a giant , cal them to any duty , and they can go through fire and water . as for sin when a mans heart is warmed with sin and they have had delight and satisfaction in their sin , come and speak what you wil against it and they can easily cast it off , and so for duty when gods people have been warmed by duty , and their spirits are refreshed in gods way , with what resolution do they go : and as that martyr mr. saunders sayd , that which made the difference in him was because god was pleased to come in with such refreshments to his spirit that he felt the consolation of god , not only upon his soul , but flow into his body ; and that put a great deal of courage in him : and in the stories that i have read of scotland mr. knox reports of a young man , of eighteen years of age , that suffered martirdome under the bishop of glasgow : and when he came to suffer he was mightily affraid , and thought to have recanted , and it pleased god that his spirit came in mightily to him at that time , and he fell down on his knees and blest god. blessed lord ( said he ) great is thy mercy to man kind , and to me poor wretch , that was like to forsake christ my saviour , and put my self into eternal damnation , and now thou hast come with the consolation of heaven , and hast filled my heart and now i am freed from those fears that suppressed my soul , let men do what they can i am ready . and to god somtimes comes to fill the hearts of his people with mighty consolations and that makes a mighty difference . reason , . the sixth reason is because sometimes the breathings of gods spirit , not only in consolation but in assistance comes more fully then at other times : the spirit of god bloweth where it listeth , and when it listeth , john , . . sometimes more fully , somtimes more scantly . saies christ in math. . . in that houre shal it be given you , as mr. glover . when he was in his dumps before , yet when he was at the stake he cryed to his friend austin , he is come , he is come . and so it was with sampson , sometimes the miraculous work of gods spirit came upon him , and then he was strong : and so in a spiritual way , the spirit of god comes upon his people and then they are strong , though they were weak before , isa . . . when the enemy shal come in like a flood , the spirit of the lord shal lift up a standard against him . so when there comes a strong temptation like a flood that would bear him down , then the spirit of the lord shal lift up a standard and come in with abundance of assistance . reason , . the seventh reason is because somtimes a man sees his call to dutie to suffering , a great deal more clear then at other times and that puts a great deal more strength as moses now saw a further call to stand out against pharoah and all his enemies , and here is a great deal of deceit in the hearts of men , when a man is loath to put himself to trouble , he cannot be convinced of his call , let us take heed of the deceit in this . question . what shall we doe to take heed of the deceit in this ? answer . . when there is any work to doe either in doing or suffering hard things : if you say ; i do not see the lord call me : put it to your hearts againe , and say deal truly and really with me , doe you not see the lords call . secondly observe this rule if so be you have put off service or suffering upon this ground , do but examine whether you find upon this that your hearts be as stiring and lively in all other services as before . usually if men from sluggishness , because they are loath to endure hardships shall put off the call of god their hearts wil fal more dead and sluggish in other things , and if you keep your life in al other things , then though you do not that thing which some require of you it is a comfortable argument that you put it off because your cal was not clear and not out of sluggishness . thirdly , you may take such a course as your sluggishness may get nothing by it , as thus , take the advantage of your hearts ; i cannot see that i am called to such a duty in which i must endure hardships , and so i have spared my self in that , yet the sluggishness , and deadness of my heart shal get nothing by it , for i wil put forth my self so much the more in those duties , that i am sure i am called to : if our hearts be thus we may have comfort , it is not from our sluggishness . reason , . the eighth reason is because there may be agreat difference by this in regard of the temper of a mans body especially in those that are sickly and weakly , they may find themselves in a mighty indisposition to that which is good at one time and a greater disposition at another time , and yet there may be no decay of grace but only the temper and ordering of a natural spirit . reason , . the ninth reason is because there may be a great difference in the spirits of men , in regard of the difference of the encouraging occurrences of gods providence somtime god guids them by his eye , psalm . . . there is a difference between gods guiding by his word and by his eye , by his word that is by some direction , but his eye , that is some providence to encourage them and according to the different occurrences of the encouraging providences of god , so there may be much difference in their spirits ; as in sin somtimes men shal find things so fit and pat for sin , as they would have it , and so somtimes gods people find the providence of god fal pat for them to encourage them , and that makes a difference . chap . containing the first use , which teacheth us to entreat god not to take the advantage of us when our hearts are low . use , . this should teach us all to entreate god , not to take the advantage of us when our hearts are low , when we are in a disposition to that which is naught , or an indisposition to that which good , but that god would pitty us , and favor us , and that god would never cal us to do any great service , or suffer for him , but when he sees we are in a disposition for it : it is a wonderful mercy of god , not to call out his people , but at such a time when they are fit . and so for temptation to sin : god sees what dispositions there are in the best of us all , he knows how corruption is working many times , and if a temptation to sin should come at that time , what should become of us , we could not but forsake god , and his cause , and wound our consciences , acknowledg the mercy of god towards you , in keeping the temptation from you at such a time , sometime we are wandering from god , if the roaring lyon should meet us then how like were it that we should be devoured ; somtimes we are ready to stumble upon every straw , and if god should lay stumbling blocks before us then , what should become of us , this is a mercy that god doth not grant unto others , for thus god very frequently deals with wicked men , when there is an opportunity for them to enjoy the greatest good , at that very time there shal be somthing fall out that shal put them in an opposition to that good : as perhaps somtimes god in his providence orders it ; that a minister should be partly upon such a subject as should be marveilous useful , and god is more then ordinary assisting of him , then somthing shal fall out to keep them from the exercise , or the corruption shal be up to harden their hearts , or there shal be some occasion to take up their minds , more than at another time , that they shal not get that good they might : but this is the mercy of god , to those he intends good to , that he will give them an opportunity to receive good , when they are fit for it : there was such a time if such a point had been handled , their hearts would have been unfit , but at such a time such a point shal be handled and pressed on , and says god i will order it so , they shal break through difficulties to come to the exercise ; and though corruption wil be stirring , i will order it so that corruption shal not be stirring at that time : and so sometimes for temptation to sin , god sees many times how a corruption is up , and he is fitted for a temptation , and if temptation should come at that time , he would be drawn , and would revive himself ; now those that god wil curse , he lets sathan eat upon them , and lets them go on at that time when their corruption is most up : as now in the cause of ahab , when ahab , would go to ramouth gilead , ( says god ) in kings , . . . . who shal perswade ahab , that he may go , there came forth a spirit , and said i will perswade him , how i will go , and i wil be a lying spirit in the mouth of all his prophets , goe says god and thou shalt do it . now had ahab been a godly man , god would have stopped him in his way , as many godly somtimes are in such a disposition to sin , as if they had any encouragement , they would do it , but says god to sathan do not go . it is very observable how god takes advantages upon wicked men ; as in gen. . . simeon and levi , ●ame upon the sichemites when they were sore ; so when many men are in such a disposition , as they have no ability to resist a temptation , then the devil comes upon him , as that is observable we have in those psalms , psalm . . . psalm . . . in the , psalm . . it is , let their way be slippery and dark , and let the angel of the lord persecute them : see how god takes the advantage of wicked men , they are in a dark way , and upon slippery ground , then the angel of god persecuted them , when a man is upon a slippery ground , he had need to have something to leane upon , but when he is in a slippery place to have his enemy persecute him , that is dangerous , so god deales with the wicked ; it is otherwise with the godly , when the godly are weak , and their way is slippery , god pities them , and the good angel preserves them : so when men are in a slippery way , and ready to fall into a sin , says god to the evil angel , now follow them in that sin , so in psalm , . . surely thou didst set them in slippery places , thou castest them down into destruction . learne for ever from this point , to entreat god that he would consider of your frame , and say , lord thou knowest i am in a slippery place , and not in the good temper i am in at other times , lord keep me from temptation now ; do not cast me down now : god hath promised : in cor. . . he wil not suffer his people to be tempted above their strength . somtime the godly can say my heart is fixed , speak lord here i am to do thy will , some times gods people are able to endure any danger , and then god brings his people to the tryal ; as the disciples after the holy ghost came upon them then they were called to suffer , they never were put to such tryals before ; and when god grants mercy to his people this way , it is a mercy indeed . chap. . another vse , to teach us not to be discouraged at this different temper of our spirits , but to be humbled for it . five helps against discouraging thoughts . two objections . use , . the second use of this point is this : if there be such a difference between the hearts of gods people at some time , from that they are at others , hence is an incouragement to the servants of god , to teach them , though they do not feel their hearts always in the same temper , and to have the same spirit to do good , not to be discouraged : it is true we should be humbled for want of having our hearts up at any time , but be not discouraged , because it is no other but what befals the most dear servants of god , and though you do not find your hearts up always as at some time , do not therefore conclude there is now no good at al in me , for gods people are ready and prepared for every good work , and my heart is thus dul , and heavy and dead , and it wil never be otherwise with me , i am afraid whensoever i shal be called to the service of god , my heart wil be thus , and i shal forsake god , and betray the cause of god ; do not reason thus to discourage your selves : take heed of those determining thoughts : to determine that your hearts wil be always so because they are so for the present , there is a great deale of difference between the spirits of gods people at some times , and at other times , and therefore there may be so in you . for your help against these discouraging thoughts . first , consider that you have union with a principle that is ful of al grace , though you do not feel the influence of it , at all times alike , you have union with a principle so ful that you have no cause to determine against your selves . secondly , know you have promises that are ful of grace , for the encouraging of gods servants : promises that there may be drawn abundance of good from ; and therefore you cannot determine that it shall not be otherwise with you . thirdly , know the glory of god is as deare and precious to him as your own souls are to you ; and therefore if so be the cause , the honor of god depend upon it ; know god wil take care for his own honor , you are afraid you should betray the cause of god because you find your hearts so down now , and perhaps if they were so down then when god calls you to stand for his cause it might be so : but what is it that troubles you ? you are afraid to bring guilt and misery upon your selves and dishonor god ; but know the glory of god is precious to him , and being it is engaged in you that you should dishonor him ; being one of his , he wil take care of you . fourthly , consider how god hath come in graciously to supply his people in the time of need , he hath filled their spirits in the time of straights when he hath called them to any hard work , and they have done that which they thought they should never have done , as it is with wicked men : you see some so vile and wicked , as you could never have thought they should have been , so the godly though som●imes their hearts are down , yet at other times they have such assistance , and enlargement and fulness of the spirit , as one would never have thought they should have had . fifthly , god hath made a mighty difference in your estates from that they were before , and therefore why should you not hope that god will make a difference between that we are now , and that we may be hereafter , if god have wrought the least degree of saving grace in you , he hath made more difference between you , and one that is in his natural condition , than there is between you and the gloryfied saints : ( as i have noted before ) and if god have made such a great difference , why should you disturbe your selves to think it wil never be other then it is now ? sixthly , nay i appeal to you , have you never found your hearts up for god ? was there never a time that there was quickning and enlarging of your hearts for god , that you have felt some comfortable fitness for service , or suffering ? object . i cannot but say it hath been so with me , but it is gone , and down again ; there are none but have some flashings , and stirrings , and some good moods , and mine may be no more for all i know ; grace is a constant thing , and the heart is established with it , and therefore though i feel my heart a little up sometimes , yet they are but such flashings as any may have , that have no grace . answ . to that i answer , there are some works of grace that are steady , and constant , that do more immediately flow from the principles , and being of grace : and there are other works of grace that are more remote , that are not so steady and constant . . there are some that are steady and constant ; as these two things : take gods people , and consider of them in any condition , if they know but their own hearts , they will find these two things : first , an approving of the life and power , and the strictness of the waies of godliness . secondly , they wil find a savor of that which is spiritual , either in ordinances , or in gods people , their hearts will savor them , though their hearts be very much down , yet these two things they find constant . . but for the abilities to perform duties , for abilities in service or suffering ; they do not lie so next the root of grace ; they are but as the leaves , or the blossoms , or the fruit : now though the sap be constant at the root , yet the blossoms , leaves , and fruit are not . object . but you wil say , being there may be good moods in men , take the worst of all , though their hearts be naught sometime , yet their hearts are up at other times , and may not you instead of encouraging gods servants , encourage the wicked ? they may think , we hear there is a difference between gods people , they are not alwaies alike : so it is with me , somtimes i am distempered , but at other times ( thanks be to god ) it is better with me , and so instead of taking away discouragements from those that are weak , there may be encouragement to the wicked , and therefore where lies the difference between the good moods that some have , that have no true grace , and the difference of spirit in those that have true grace ? to that i answer . first , there may be a difference discerned by that which hath been said ; there is somthing is constant : whether is that which lay at the root of grace in you still there ? if you do not find those two things constant ( viz. an approving of the life and power and strictness of godliness ; and a savor of that which is spiritual , either in ordinances , or in gods people ) all your good moods in the world , though your hearts be never so up , wil not discover the truth of grace . secondly , those that have only some good moods at some time , and no bottom of any true grace , they in their good moods are not humbled for that which was failing in them before ; their hearts indeed are somtimes up , and they bless themselves in that ; but now this doth not make them look back how it was heretofore with them , and to be ashamed and humbled for the wretchedness , and distempers of their hearts formerly : but where the heart is up for god in those that have truth of grace , when their hearts are most up , then they make use of this to be abased , and humbled in their own thoughts for the deadness and distemper that was in their hearts before ; the good moods of others rather puff them up , than further any work of humiliation for any evil that was in them before , they think these good moods now , and being in a good temper , shall satisfie god for their evil distempers that were in them before : but it is not so with a gracious heart , a gracious heart when it does get up , it makes use of this work of god upon it , to be ashamed and confounded in its self for those evil distempers that were in it before . the more the heart is up , the more discovery it hath of its own baseness , and vileness , and wretchedness , which others when their hearts are up , have not . thirdly , gods people when their hearts are up , that doth bring gracious discoveries of god unto them , and of those things that do wonderfully spirituallize their hearts : others though they have their hearts up , they only have some affections , but in those good moods of theirs , they have not those heavenly discoveries of god , so as to purge their hearts , and spirituallize their hearts , and make their hearts to be more heavenly as it doth the godly . fourthly , those that have only good moods , and no truth of grace , when they have their good moods , they are not by them carried out of themselves to a principle beyond themselves , but they rest in the workings that they feel in their hearts : whereas a gracious heart when god raiseth his heart , and puts it into a better frame , this carries it out of it self , to a principle beyond it self , and it dare not rest in those stirrings and workings it finds for the present , to think , now i am safe and well , because of them , but by these it is carried beyond it self . fiftly , where there are only good moods , and not the truth of the work of grace , they do not work so seasonably , and orderly , as the breathings of gods spirit in his servants do : but the breathings of a gracious heart coming from the spirit of god , it works seasonably , and orderly in their hearts , when there is a spiritual use of them , in that hour shall it be given to you , saies christ , the spirit shal come upon you when you have most use ; whereas in others , their good moods work only according to outward occasions , and as means come in ; but now at those times when they have most use of them , they are furthest from them . sixtly , where the heart is right , and truly godly , and god comes and breaths in it more than formerly , such a one wil watch over it self , and wil not be secure after this ; but the other grow less watchful , and more secure upon such moods . seventhly , those that are truly gracious , though they do not find their hearts up alwaies alike , yet when they find their hearts down , they count it their sickness , and their disease , and it is the disquiet and trouble of their spirits ; whereas others that have only some moods , they are not sensible of their hearts being down as their sickness and disease , and the burden and trouble of their souls . lastly , in those that have grace when their hearts are up at any time , it is but a preparation for some further service ; others having but moods , their hearts being up , this is the period of all their godliness , in which they rest ; but the godly , when their hearts are up , at some time more than at others , it is but a preparation for further service , chron. . . the hearts of the people were up , and david blest god for it , and saies he , prepare their hearts unto thee : unsound hearts would say , now our hearts are up , and we have offered thus freely ; are we but in a preparation ? yet david praies to god to prepare their hearts , as if all their heart and affection at that time was but a preparation to further duty : and this is the difference between the good moods of the greatest hypocrite , that come to the highest pitch , and the difference between the breathings of gods spirit ; and by these means only presented to you it may be some help to discern the difference between good moods at some time , and the different breathing of gods spirit in his people . chap. . containing the third vse of direction : branched into four particulars . if couragious , and fit for service , give god the praise . four reasons for it . . learn to rebuke unbelief . . labor to keep your hearts up . the manner how that may be done , in eight particulars . . improve this gracious working of god. use . thirdly , if there be such difference between the hearts of gods people at some times , and at other times ; this is an use of direction to all the people of god that are acquainted with this difference of gods breathing upon their hearts , in these four particulars : first , when you find your hearts up more at some times , than at other times , give god the glory . secondly , learn to rebuke your unbelief . thirdly , labor to keep your hearts up . fourthly , improve this great working of god. first , if so be you find your hearts more up at one time than at another ( as gods people do find much difference , and can say somtime , let my beloved come into his garden ) give god the glory and praise of it , for it is a great mercy . for , . it doth prevent , and deliver you from abundance of danger you were in : when your hearts were down , if a temptation had come , what abundance of danger had you been in ? now god hath prevented that danger . . if your hearts were right when they were down , then you powred out your complaints to god of the deadness of your hearts ; now if god be come in , it is a fruit of your seeking god , and of your humiliation before the lord : now that which comes in as a fruit of humiliation , and much seeking of god , surely that should be the matter of our praises . . this is a gracious visitation of god , god comes in with this , and here is the presence of god , and therfore there is much cause of praise . . it is an argument that god hath some especial service for you to do : now those that are godly , count this a great mercy , for god to have any employment for them : now that they have received an evidence to their souls that god intend to imploy them , this is a great mercy . secondly , learn to check your unbelief ; when your hearts were down , you were ready to say , it would never be otherwise : now check your hearts , and bring your hearts to this conclusion ; i will never think it in vain to seek god , though i do not find him come in presently ; and i will learn , though i may judg my self worthy that god should leave me , yet i will never determine that god will not come in , because i see gods waies are not as my waies , and gods thoughts are not as my thoughts . oh take heed of judging the waies and thoughts of god , according to your waies and thoughts . thirdly , is god come in ? and do you find that you have a spirit of courage and boldness more than before , now you find god sweetly breathing upon you to put life into that dead , and to raise that heavy heart of yours ? do you find god sweetly and comfortably enlivening your souls , and putting the spirit of confidence in that unbeleeving heart of yours ? labor to keep your hearts thus . there is a great deal of difficulty when a thing is fallen down to get it up ; but when a thing is up , if one be careful , it is not difficult to keep it up . it is a notable expression that david had , when he found the hearts of the people got up in their willing offering , chron. . . o lord god of abraham , isaac , and of israel , our fathers , keep this for ever in the imagination of the thoughts of the hearts of thy people , and prepare their hearts unto thee . so let it be thy prayer , and it is my prayer for thee : is thy heart up more than before ? pray , o god of abraham , isaac , and israel , keep this in the thoughts of the heart of this man or woman for ever : be careful now to keep your hearts up : so when you are well , or otherwise if you should lose this through this negligence . it wil make you cal into question the truth of these gracious breathings , yea , you wil think it was but a meer flash , such as hypocrites may have , yea , not cal this into question only ; but to cal the truth of al into question : this is that which makes men take the foundation of al , because their hearts somtimes are raised , and they through their negligence let them fall , and lose that spiritual life and courage once they had , and so bring abundance of sadness upon their hearts : now as you would have an evidence of the truth of gods work upon you , and the truth of grace , labor to keep up your hearts . labor to keep up your hearts otherwise if they fal off again , the waies of god wil come to be very tedious to you : as a man that walks unevenly in regard of the unevenness of his leggs , or the unevenness of the way , he is quickly tired : and so if a christians way be up and down , and there be not an evenness in his way , he is quickly discouraged ; and a main means to help one to go on with freedom and courage in gods waies , is to go on in an even course . if so be you lose this , you lose the beauty of your profession ; the beauty of the waies of godliness , consists much in the constancy , and if your way be up and down , there is no beauty in your conversation , it takes away the convincing power of your way and conversation ; if others saw your hearts up , and saw a constant evenness in your way , this would mightily convince them , that it is a work of gods spirit upon your hearts ; but somtimes your hearts are up , and down again , somtime you are patient and meek , at other times you are passionate and fretting ; this doth not convince them that it is the work of gods spirit , but only the stirring of a natural spirit . by this means you wil cause god to walk differently with you ; if you keep not up your hearts when god hath raised them , though god be in a way of mercy , you wil cause him to walk in a way of displeasure against you . again , when your hearts are up , that is the thing that the devil doth most watch to give you a trip in . as when daniel walked so strictly in al the matters of the kingdom , as they could find no fault in him , they accused him in the matter of his god , of his religion : so saies the devil , if i should tempt him to such and such sins , i cannot prevail , but there is such a way i may prevail ; and the devil doth labor there most to trip you . as he did with christ in another case ; when you are on the top of the pinacle , then he labors to throw you down : it is true , it is the work of god that hath brought you up to the pinacle , but there the devil doth labor to throw you down . quest . you wil say , how shall we come to keep up our hearts , whenas our hearts are in a better frame , than at some other times ? answ . first , when your hearts are up , labor to make use of that grace that raised your hearts ; improve it so as to make your hearts more holy , and more upright . a tree if it sprout upward only , and do not run down in the root proportionably , it wil wither , and die : and so if grace do work only upward in abilities , and performances of duties , and joy , and such things , and do not proportionably work downward in the root , it is like it will come to little , and you will soon lose all . secondly , work that grace you find in your inward , as wel as outward man : do not think it enough that you have stirrings of grace to enable you to do duties , but improve this grace for the working out of corruption : consider the corruptions of your heart , and now take the advantage to work them out . thirdly , be sure you take nothing that is gods due at this time ; that is , if god have raised your hearts , though the peace and joy of it be yours , the glory of it is gods , do not be fingering of that , take heed of lifting up of your hearts in a way of pride , it is enough your heart is lifted up in a way of grace , and you must be content with that , but many when god gives them a lift in a way of grace , they cannot be content with their part , the peace , and the joy , but they lift up themselves in a way of pride , and would have some of gods part of the glory , and that spoils all . fourthly , when you are in the best condition , prepare for the greatest suffering , to lie down at gods feet , and this will keep the heart in a sweet frame , many when they have got their hearts up for service , they never think of suffering , now they are in a safe condition , and free from trouble , and they bless themselves , and when trouble falls upon them unexpectedly their hearts sinke , and they think god is come against them in displeasure , and if that raysing of spirit had been true , god would have kept me from suffering such and such hard things : thou art deceived in that , a gracious heart that is wise , when he is most enabled to do service , he wil prepare for suffering . fifthly , take heed of depending upon the old stock , do not rest on grace received , but keep thy heart sensible of a need of a supply of grace , many when they have been seeking of god , and have in some measure got that they prayed for , they think they have stock enough , and they can trade prety well in the world , but though we had a hundred times as much grace as we have , and had not supply from christ , we should fail . sixthly , watch against the least declineing , and account it a very great evil to decline , and therefore be often calling of your selves to an account , at such and such a time it was so with me , how is it now ? is it now as it was then ? when people decline , it is hard , it is tedious to them to think of returning , and therefore they decline , and decline , and loose all ; wherefore observe the beginning of your declinings and cal your selves to an account dayly , that when you abate in the least degree , you may reforme it . seventhly , do not content your selves with what you have , but yet get higher and higher , the heart must be in motion upward , or downward , therefore the way to get establishment is to be in a continual motion upwards as in pet. . . . saies the apostle , beware least you also being led away by the eror of the wicked , fall from your own stedfastness : god hath brought you into a good temper , take heed you do not fal from your steadfastness , how shall we do ? grow in grace , and in the knowledg of our lord and savior jesus christ , labor to get higher . eightly , improve that you have well , and that wil be the way to contrive that you have , god justly takes it from you if you do not improve it . it were a blessed thing if our hearts might be kept up constantly , our lives would be comfortable to our selves , and wonderfully comfortable to others : we should cause the people of god to rejoyce in us , otherwise it takes away the comfort that gods people might have in us , though we be up at sometimes there is a great deal of crosness at other times . there is a notable expression for this of saint paul to the philippians , phil. . . i thank my god upon every remembrance of you . sometime a minister of god may thank god upon the remembrance of such and such workings upon the hearts of his people , but never to think of them but to thank god , this is a great matter . alwaies in every prayer of mine for you all , making request with joy : sometime a minister can make his request with joy for his people , but at other times it is with sorrow ; but people should labor so to walk , as that a minister may make request with joy for them . and so we pass to the last thing . fourthly , if god have raised your hearts , improve it , we have but a little time , and we have not many opportunities , and therefore we had not need lose any time then , it is not often we have abilities to do for god , and therefore when we have them we should improve them . as a scholler that hath a weak body , and is not alwaies fitted for study , if he find himself fitted at any time , he is loth to lose one hour of his study then : so with a merchant or marriner that lay long for a wind , when it does come , he is greedy of that opportunity : so we are fain to lie long for a wind , we see our duty , and are convinced of it , but we want the breathings , and assistance of gods spirit , and wait for a wind , if god do come in seasonably , we had need improve it ; if we had improved al those times that were sit , what abundance might we have got by this time ? when we are fit for outward imployment , we may do more in one hour , than we could have done in ten hours before ; at other times they do but bungle , and trouble themselves , and little good comes of it ; but when they are fit for work , and the work goes off well , what encouragement is it ? and so if we had taken all advantages that we found in our hearts , since we came to the knowledg of gods waies , what abundance might we have done ? indeed in comparison of that which god is worthy of , though we had spent al our lives in his service , it would have been but little ; but in comparison of that we have done , it might have been abundance . quest . but you wil say , how shall we improve this time ? answ . first , when god is come into you , look back to former neglects in your running with god in the time of unfitness : many times you have said , i am unfit for duty , and therefore you have left it undone , which you ought not to have done . now if god have put your hearts into a fitness , labor to make up your former neglects in your running with god : if a man decay in his estate , and break through negligence , and he be set up again , it is expected he should make up former neglects : and so doth god expect of us . secondly , set upon those duties that you never could do before . thirdly , gather up al the experiences of god towards you at this time ; if you have had more manifestations of gods presence with you than before , treasure them up . fourthly , when god doth grant unto you peace , and joy , make use of all the peace and comfort you have for the furtherance of the work of your grace , and that is a mighty improvement of that which god doth give you : do not only improve your grace , but that which comes in . many that have comfort and peace , rest in that as the fruit of al the good they do as their reward , but they do not look at that as a means of further service . fiftly , improve this work of god upon your hearts , by watching al opportunities ; let time now be precious unto you , let there none be lost . sixtly , labor for that christian skil to make up the graces of god every way , according as god calls for the use of them . there are divers uses of gods graces ; somtime for life and comfort , at other times for defence ; somtimes to draw in , at other times to let out , as isa . . . they shall beat their swords into plow-shares , and their spears into pruning books : they should have peace and their instruments should be of another fashion . but in joel . . it is otherwise , they shal beat their plow-shares into swords , and their pruning hooks into spears : so apply it to grace ; somtime grace is to bring life , and nourishment to the soul ; at other times it is to bring in grace . as faith , somtime it is to close with christ , and bring nourishment from him ; at other times faith is to be a shield : many christians look upon the work of grace to bring life and strength to themselves , but have not skil to make use of grace as a shield . so hope , somtimes it is to prop the soul , at other times it is to be a helmet . so we should labor to understand the use of graces , according to the several imployments that god calls for ; somtime one way , somtime another . and this is the third use . chap. . a fourth vse . to be restless till we get our selves into a good frame . use , . a fourth use is this : if it be so that gods people are in such a different frame of spirit ; somtime they are afraid , and their hearts are down ; at other times they have a spirit of courage , and fitness for any service that god wil have them to do : this should teach us when our hearts are down , and not in that fitness we desire , to be restless till we get our selves in a good frame : somtime the godly have their hearts in a good frame , and therefore it is possible to be had , and we should never be in rest til we had got it . quest . but how shall we get up our hearts when they are not in a frame fit for service ? answ . first , be sensible of the evil of an unserviceable heart , so as to be humbled before god for the want of it , and be more sensible of the evil of that , than sensible of the evil of want of peace and comfort : many when they find their hearts down , and not in that degree fit for service that they desire , they are troubled for it , but the reason is because their hearts being down , there arise doubts of their condition , and their peace is hindred , and they cannot have comfort in it , but they are not so much troubled because they are unserviceable , and want hearts fitted for duty , and that is the reason why their hearts are kept down : now this should be our care , to be more sensible of the unserviceableness of our hearts , than of the unpeaceableness of our hearts . secondly , observe which way the strength of your spirit is let out , and labor to recal your hearts from that ; as thus : if the strength of a mans spirit be not for god , it is let out to somwhat else , it is alwaies working some way or other ; if it be not let out to some one particular object , it is scattered and divided into divers objects . now if your strength be not let out for god , call your hearts to an account , where is the strength of my heart ? which way runs it ? if it can be discerned which way the strength of your heart is let out , whether to any creature , or any lust , that should be your care to get it off . thirdly , when you come to present your selves before god in his ordinances , come with hearts panting after strength : as when you come to the word , prayer , or sacraments , bethink your selves beforehand , i come before the lord that i may get this dull heart of mine quickned in such and such a particular , i find my heart unserviceable in such a particular . now my heart presents it self before god , and pants after god to be fitted for service in such a particular ; it is much may be done when we come to the presence of god panting for help from god in such particulars . fourthly , observe the beginnings of gods coming into your hearts , and acknowledg them , and improve them , and follow them , many times god is coming into the heart , and because god comes not in fully as much as they would at first , they take no notice of the beginnings of the work of god to imbrace them , and improve them : there are a great many sparks have fallen upon your hearts , if they had been gathered together , they might have been a flame by this time , but because god did not come in with a flame all together , they did not regard that ; you said , what can a spark do upon my heart ? if you had improved that little you might have had more by this time . fiftly , labor to recall all those soul quickning truths that ever you have felt working upon your hearts : there was a time my heart was more lively , i can remember since god did come in with his truth , and work mightily upon my heart , labor to recal those truths , and set them fresh before your hearts , with as much power as possibly you can , and keep your hearts in view of them continually , and by meditation chafe them into your hearts ; though the flesh be benummed , yet if it be rubbed , and exercised , there will come strength , and so those soul quickning truths that you have found before have quickned your hearts , if you present them afresh before the heart , and chafe them by meditation , they wil get some strength and life into the heart . lastly , look into the present condition you are in , and exercise the duties sutable to your present condition . chap. a fifth vse : to see the misery of being alwaies unfit for service . a sixt vse : to teach us to long for heaven . use . but now in the next place : if gods people find such a difference between themselves , that at somtimes it is far otherwise with them than at other times : hence then , what a miserable thing is it to be alwaies down , and alwaies unfit for service ? this is a thing that does not usually befal the people of god ; though somtimes their hearts are down in comparison of other times ; yet to be alwaies down , and unserviceable , this do not use to be the condition of the servants of god : this is a sad miserable condition to be so , as if you never felt the power of god upon your hearts , never felt the spirit of god breathing upon you , never felt the grace of god stirring upon you ; you come and hear the word , and those truths that are soul-quickning warming truths , that stir others , and their hearts lie lumpish as a log that lies in a flash of water seven yeers together , and is never stirred by them . like unto a vessel in a house , that is cast aside , and lies moulding and rotting , that is never imployed , nor fitted for any service , are these vessels of honor ? in tim. . . the scripture speaks of vessels that are in a great house , that are vessels of honor ; and he describes them that they are purged and fitted for the masters use , and prepared for every good work : now if a vessel lie alwaies moulding , and rotting , and never used , this is for the fire , and not for use : so those hearts that are alwaies moulding , and rotting , and never fit for service , they may fear they are vessels of dishonor , and for the fire . object . but may some say , i am afraid i am a vessel for the fire , for i cannot tell that ever i found my heart sit for any service that god called me to . answ . first , that heart that is sensible of unfitness , and is humbled before god for it ; it hath not such an unfitness as to prepare it for the fire . secondly , it may be it is thy unthankfulness that makes thee say thou art never fit for service , because you are not fit for that degree you desire , you do not take notice of the work of gods grace for the present . thirdly , may be now you are framing and fitting for service , if you be but making fit it is a signe you are not for the fire , if there be a vessel for the fire , there is no mending of it , but if the master of the house shall call for a vessel and require it to be cleansed , and washed , and there is some work about it , it is a signe it is not for the fire , so may be god is fitting and prepareing you for service . fourthly , may be it is that you mistake your work , you do not know what the work is that god calls you to , you are alwaies unfit for such , and such service , but that is not the work that god calls you to for the present , god calls you to a work of humiliation , and dependance upon himself , and seeking of his face , and a work of patience , do not say you are unfit for the masters use , because you are unfit for such and such a work ; may be the time is not yet , for the espicial work that god intend to use you in . use , . in the last place : if there be such a difference between the hearts of gods people , this may teach us to long for heaven , when our hearts shal be alwaies up there shal be such a difference from that estate we are now in , as it is more then we are able to imagine ; and there shal be no fear of the loss of it , it is an observation of mr. brightman , upon the . revel . . comparing it with reve. . and in reve. . . it is said , there was a door opened in heaven , in reve. . . it is said , heaven was opened , not only a little door was opened , but the gates and walles of heaven were opened . there is a great deal of difference in the estate of gods people here , somtimes they have a little door opened to them in heaven , sometimes the heavens themselves are opened to them , but a time wil come , when the heavens shal not only be opened for them , but it shal be replenished with them , the cheife glory of heaven shal be the saints there , and we shall take no pains to keep our hearts up ; it were wel if our hearts were up alwaies , though with never so much pains , they shal as naturally worke after god , as the sun doth naturally shine , and therefore let us comfort our selves in that time , let us strive and strugle a while , there is a time when our hearts shal be up , and we shall never take any pains . chap. . shewing the power of faith to carry through the most difficult work . question , what is there in faith which helps the soul ? answered , in four particulars . . it setles the heart on the surest ground , which is gods call , and promises . . it fetcheth in the greatest strength . . it assists with the highest encouragements . . faith of its own nature is a mighty strong principle . the most illustrious work of faith. thirteen remarkable things concerning faith , and the difficulties which it breaks through . now there is one point more out of these words , we have seen the faith of moses in taking away of the impediment of moses in his work , the great impediment was the fear of the wrath of the king , but by faith that was taken a way . now he goes upon the work : and went out of egypt , with a high hand ; from whence the point is this , doct. that faith will carry the hearts of gods people through difficult works and services . though the work be difficult , and they have many hinderances to let them , faith will carry them through it . i remember in the beginning of this argument , i handled that point of faith in carrying through sufferings , now the argument is , that faith will carry through difficult service , as this work of forsaking egyyt was a difficult work for moses to undertake difficult ; in many regards . first , in forsaking his own country . egypt was moses own country , and he himself might have shifted well enough , and have enjoyed abundance of prosperity , the egyptians would have made enough of him ; for him to forsake egypt his own country was something . secondly , for him to carry so many thousand poor people with him , unarmed into a wilderness without provision , and knew not what should become of them , flesh and blood would reason , what shal i carry this people into the wilderness ; what provision shal they have ? they have but a little dough at their backs , and if that be spent what shal become of them ? thirdly , then moses might think , pharoah is such a man that there is no hold of him , how if he follow us with his army and cut us off ? again , if we go to the wilderness al the nations round about us may come and cut us off . not withstanding al these difficulties moses went on . faith will carry a christian through works that have much difficulty in them , faith hath done mighty things in the world , and stil it mightily prevails where it comes , no difficulty is able to stand before it , faith breaks through all , it casts down all opposition , it overcomes all resistances , whatsoever it doth undertake , it does conquer , and al strength is but as weakness before it , we need no further testimony of the great things that faith hath done in carrying through difficult services then this . chapter of the hebrews , and therefore we will look no further to other scriptures . qustion , but you will say , what is there in faith that helps the soul , and carries a christian through the most difficult works and services ? answ . there are many things . first , faith doth it by setling the heart upon the surest ground ; if a man be set fast upon a ground that is sure , and unmovable , it may do great things : as one thought , if he could but have a sure ground , he might make such an engine as to shake the earth . now faith sets the heart upon a sure ground , gods call ; faith doth not only shew a christian his duty , and tell him what god doth call him to ( that may be done by bare knowledg ) but faith settles the heart upon gods promises , it doth bring unto the heart the authority , majesty , and soveraignty of god in this his call , and that hath a great deal of strength upon the heart to make it go through difficulty . secondly , faith doth fetch in the greatest strength , and doth bring it into the soul , it doth not only make the strength of god to be his , but the glorious strength of god , the chief of gods strength ( to speak after the manner of men ) if there be any thing more glorious in the strength of god than other , faith doth fetch in that for the strengthening of the soul in the service of god. for that we have two or three notable scriptures , ephes . . . which doth not only speak of the power of god in working of faith , but of the power of god in the sould after faith is wrought . first , it is the power of god. secondly , it is the mighty power of god. thirdly , the working of his mighty power . fourthly , the greatness of the working of his mighty power . fifthly , the exceeding greatness of the working of his mighty power . sixthly , the same power that raised christ from the dead . this is in be getting faith in the soul . now it is that power which a beleever being once a beleever , hath the use of afterwards . another text which is remarkable for this purpose , is eph. . . that he would grant unto you according to the riches of his glory , to be strengthened with might by his spirit , in the inner man : that which the apostle praies for , is that which a beleever by faith may fetch in , and make his own . first , there is strength in the inner man , and that is more than in the outward . secondly , it is strength by the spirit ( now spirit is a word that is used to express strength ) and that by gods spirit . thirdly , it is strength by the spirit with might ; one would think it were enough if he had said , strengthened by the spirit of god , that doth bring in might ; but it is , with might by the spirit in the inner man. fourthly , this is according to his glory ; it is such a strength , such a might of gods spirit as god is glorious in it ; it is the glory of the might of the spirit of god in the inner man. and yet there is one higher expression . fifthly , it is according to the riches of his glory ; whose glory ? the riches of the glory , of the might , of the spirit of god : of what god ? that god that is the father of our lord jesus christ , of whom the whol family of heaven and earth is named . surely this strength must enable to do mighty things , and this strength is a beleevers own , to work for him , and assist him in any service . what a shameful thing is it for any christian to complain of the want of strength in the performance of duty , when such a strength as this is made over to him , and he by faith may fetch it in , imploy it , and make use of it as his own ? another place to shew what strength it is that faith doth bring in , it is that in col. . . strengthened with all might according to his glorious power , unto all patience and long-suffering with joyfulness . now if in your lives you would shew that which is proper to a christian , you must do that which must manifest a glorious power of god. now what is it that you do , or have done in all your lives , that doth manifest a glorious power of god ? this shews the glory of a christian , that al that see him may say , the power of nature could not do this , the power of grace could not do this , and the power of all creatures in heaven and earth could not do this , yea , it is more than an ordinary power of god , it is a glorious power of god that must enable him to do this . but though the power of god be glorious , it is not alwaies put forth in enabling men to do duties ; but it is somtimes put forth in enabling of them with patience to undergo that which is laid upon them as wel as to do great things : may be you do not find the glorious power of god for to enable you to do great works ; god would somtimes have his glorious power work to make you patient ; therefore you must not only be patient , as an ordinary man or woman , but be so patient as to shew you have a glorious power of god to make you patient . somtimes you have been crost , and have had afflictions upon you , that have been sore afflictions , and have been long upon you , and may be you have been patient , but you must be so patient as to manifest the glorious power of god in your patience ; and therefore though i have been somwhat patient , yet , have i been so patient as to manifest the glorious power of god in it ? and have i been so long suffering towards those that have crost me , as to manifest the glorious power of god in it ? faith doth fetch in strength to enable to do that . and that is the second thing that faith doth to carry through difficult services , it doth fetch in the greatest strength . thirdly , that which faith doth in enabling the soul to any difficult work , is the assisting of the soul with the highest encouragements that possibly can be ; the encouraging promises of god , and the encouraging expressions that are in the word , that might put life into the deadest spirit in the world : the encouragements that are in the scripture , lay as it were dead to the heart , no but that there is life in them , but because of the deadness of the heart ; now faith comes and puts life into them . in this . chapter of the hebrews , faith i● commended by raising dead to life ; here is as great a commendation of faith , when faith shal raise a dead promise , and dead encouragement , and put life into it . we read a promise or an encouragement may be twenty times before , but it was as dead ; but now faith doth come and put life into it , and the soul can come and lay face upon its face , and mouth upon its mouth , and eyes upon its eyes , and it comes to be a mighty quickning thing to enable it to any service . fourthly , faith carries the soul through works that god cals to , because faith in it self ( besides that it brings in ) is a mighty strong principle : it is the most glorious work that ever creature was enabled to do in this world ; the angels in heaven were never able to put forth a more glorious work for the kind of it , than a beleeving soul doth put forth in the proper essential work of faith ; and if faith in the proper essential act of it be the most glorious difficult work that ever creature in heaven or earth did ; then surely it must have a mighty deal of power to enable the soul to do the most difficult , and glorious services . quest . you wil say , what is that proper essential work of faith , that is the most glorious difficult work that ever was performed ? answ . for a creature that doth apprehend it self by nature an enemy to god , a poor wretched defiled creature by sin , standing guilty in the presence of god , having the wrath of god incensed against it , the justice of god crying for satisfaction , and the law of god pronouncing an eternal curse upon it , for a soul to see this , and be sensible of it , and yet in this condition to raise up its self , to lay hold upon the perfect righteousness of a mediator , god and man , and to venture its eternal estate upon that righteousness , and to tender up to god by faith that righteousness as a ful satisfaction to his justice , and as sufficient to bear off the the wrath of god from it ; and notwithstanding al the pollution of its nature , yet to unite it self to the deity , in the neerest union that ever creature was united to the deity , except the personal union of christ to the divine nature : this is a glorious work ; and no marvel though such glorious power of god be in faith ; and a faith that can do this , may do any thing , as christ said , if you can beleeve , all things are possible : so say i to every one that hath low thoughts of faith , and think it a mean work , if you can beleeve , al things are possible ; it is a greater thing to beleeve truly , than for to work miracles ; a man may work miracles , and yet be damned ; but justifying faith doth so unite the soul to god that it is impossible the soul should be damned , and therefore it is a greater miracle than ever any was enabled to do ; though god enables angels to do great things , yet he never enables them to do such a glorious work as this . besides , though people think faith is an easie matter , yet it is the most difficult work in the world . first , difficult in regard of the impediments , no work hath such great impediments as this . the soul seeing an enmity between god and it , and seeing it self a polluted creature , and seeing the law of god in its strictness , and the justice of god must be satisfied , and sees the wrath of god burning against it , and having nothing in its self to satisfie god , yet faith doth break through al these , and if it can break through these , then certainly it wil break through any thing ; for there can be no greater impediment to any service that god calls to , than there was to this one work of beleeving : let us not therefore be feared by any difficulty and mountain that lies in our way to any work , because there can never be any mountain laid in our way to hinder us in any work , as did lie in our way to hinder us from beleeving , and if faith did burst through those impediments , it shal be able to break through al other impediments . secondly , it is difficult , not only because of the impediments , but because it is the highest duty of all ; to reach high is painful to the body ; so the high actions of the soul are difficult to the soul : now faith is high ; the object is high , the act is high , and the end is high : the object is the highest object , it is the perfect righteousness of a mediator , god-man ; and the act is of the highest nature , it is an act of uniting the soul with the deity : as by sin the soul departed from god , so by faith the soul comes to be made one , and for the end that is high , it is for the satisfaction of infinite justice , and for appeasing of infinite wrath , and for acceptation from infinite holiness : let god be never so holy , infinitely more than we can conceive of him , yet faith does procure acceptance ; for such a polluted filthy creature as man is , from the infinite holiness of god. thirdly , it is difficult , because it hath the least furtherance from any principle of nature : some other graces , as patience , and justice , and sobriety , they have some help from the principles in reason and nature ; but faith hath no help from any principles in reason or nature ; and therefore surely it is difficult , and if it be the most glorious , and difficult thing , surely it wil enable the soul to do most glorious and difficult works . fifthly , faith appears to be a most strong thing to carry the soul through any service , because it enables a soul to go on in any way of service that god calls to in a gracious manner , and this doth facillitate a work , a main thing that makes our services difficult is our blundering about them , and going about them in a confused untoward manner , we do not carry things graciously , and sweetly , in an outward work , to carry it on in a right manner doth mightily further the work ; so in any work that godsets us about if we went on in the right way that god set us about , it would help us against difficulty , we may thank our selves , because we go about our work unto wardly : as an apprentice that handles his tool untowardly , he works with as much strength as another , but not going in the right manner to work , he does but hack & spoil his work , wheras a mason , or carpenter that workes , by rule and goes to it in the right manner he goes through his work with ease , and if there be a knotty peice in the timber he knows how to order it , because he hath skil : when as others would throw away the work , and could not tell what to do . so many not having the grace of faith to guide them by the right rule , when they set upon any work in religion , they cry out of the difficultness , and how it tires them no marvel if you be tired when you do not know the right rule : but the principle of faith being begotten by the word , and being fed and nourished by the word , it will keep the heart close to the word , and give skill to the soul to apply it selfe to the rule , and therefore though the work be hard , yet to such a one in comparison it is easy , and so carries through abundance of difficulties which otherwise would hinder him . sixthly , faith carries through difficult works , things that are hard to be done , because by faith it is that the soul of a beleever hath much to do with god , with the supream cause , with the highest cause of all , and by reason of faith the great things that he undertakes are transacted between god and him ; the cheif difficulty of business lies most in second causes , in under causes , now if so be the thing be cleare between the supreame cause , and the agent that undertakes the work , it may go on and that with ease . as many times in the business and affaires of a country , if a man have to do with many under officers he may have a great deal of difficulty in his work , in passing through them , but if the business be transacted between him and the king and all be cleare there , he may carry his business with ease ; so all the business of a beleever is transacted between god and him , and faith keeps the soul to the supreame cause and works it that way , and this must needs procure much ease to a service , because the supream cause depends on no inferior , but all inferior depends upon it and the supream cause is enough to work without any inferior causes , and no inferior can any way resist the working of the supream ; yea it is a great particular of the glory of the supream cause , to work above and beyond all inferior causes , and faith having to deal with that , it is not so much scared with difficulties as others are seventhly , yet further faith helps through great difficulties , because it doth remove and cure the difficulties that are within the spirits of men and women , and if these be taken away , external difficulties have little in them , we complain of many difficulties in a work without , whenas indeed the greatest difficulties are within in our hearts , and faith hath a speciall efficacy for removing and curing of them ; as now unruly passions are great hinderances to any worke that we undertake , faith hath a mighty power in curing of them . and likewise distracting fears , ( but of that before ) and the reasoning of flesh and blood have a mighty deal of power to make a work difficult , and great care is to be had in curing of them : and the lumpish deadness of our spirits , and the base sluggishness of our hearts , and the base ends that a man hath : faith cures them , and cleanses the heart of them , and so foolish presumptions that people have and their false confidences , and resting upon rotten props , these and divers others may be named which are inward difficulties that faith helps against , and by removing of them doth easily overcome any difficulty that is without , therefore when you have any work which is hard , look not so much for the removing the difficulties that are without as the difficulties that are within . eighthly , the eighth particular wherein the power of faith is , that faith makes the work that god sets a christian about , to be suitable to his spirit ; let the work be what it wil be , if it be a work of god , any way of godliness , faith hath a power to work the heart to be suitable to that work , that there shal be an agreement between the frame and temper of heart , and the work that god sets it to , and then a work wil go on . if you set one to a work that does but bungle , the work does not go off hand , because it is a work that is not suitable to his principles : but if a man hath a work that is suitable to him , he can go to it with singing , and it goes off readily : as in nehem. . . the work went on , because the people had a mind to work ; though indeed it was a hard work . ninthly , again , another power of faith is this : faith hath power to make use of difficulties for the furtherance of the work , and therefore much more power for to carry through difficulties : faith can bring water out of the rock , it can make the mountains that lie in the way to be advantages to raise the heart upon : we have a notable place for this in hebr. . , . where it is said , out of weakness they were made strong : not that they were made strong being weak , that they were brought out of their weakness , and had strength conveyed to them ( that is not al ) but it is made a fruit of their faith , that they were made strong out of weakness : faith did make use of their very weakness to strengthen them by ; so that faith is not only able to strengthen those that are weak , but to take advantage by weakness for to strengthen , to turn al hindrances into furtherances : for so god having promised all shal turn to good , faith can take hold of that promise , and so turn all hindrances that can be into furtherances : faith hath a chymical art ; those that have that art wil get gold cut of stones or iron : so faith wil draw gold out of iron and stones , out of things that seem to be never so cross and contrary , it wil draw help . tenthly , faith helps against difficulty , because it works by love , and that hath a great deal of power to carry through difficulties ; much water cannot quench love : it is a speech of bernard . cant. . . the force of love is violent . saies the apostle in thess . . . remembring without ceasing your work of faith , and labor of love : love is very laborious , it will force through difficulty ; therefore that which makes so much use of love , and inflames that , that hath much power against difficulty . ly , another thing wherein the power of faith consists , is , before we enter on the work it assures of a certain good success : now when we know the success shal be good and certain before we begin , this wil help against any difficulty though the work be never so hard ; it is want of the hope of the success that deadens the heart : but this must not be mistaken ; faith doth not alwaies assure of a particular success , if we wil assure our selves of a particular success , which is more than the promise wil bear , this wil hinder faith : but faith wil assure of success in the general . ly , again , faith assures of the reward , chron. . . be ye strong therefore , and let not your hands be weak , for your work shall be rewarded : faith assuring of this wil make one strong , though god cal to never such hard things . marriners in hope of a good reward they wil venture themselves in storms & tempests , and in dangers on the sea. and so a soldier , if his captain wil give him a months , or two months pay , over and above , he wil venture his life . ly , lastly , faith quickens and stirs up al graces , cals in the help of every grace . now many hands will do great works : and so , where al graces do work together , much wil be done . and thus much for the explication of the work of faith in carrying through services that have so much difficulty : for use , chap. . vses of the doctrine , use , first , let none think god an hard master , when he puts them upon service , because he affords them a principle to carry them through . use , secondly , to beleevers that they should expect to be put upon difficult things . . four considerations against discouragements . it is not to be accounted an affliction to be put upon difficult things for . reasons . use , thirdly , shewing it can be no concluding argument against a work , because there are hinderances . use , fourthly , when you have been carried through difficult services consider , what it was which supported you . use , . first , now then let none think god to be an hard master , in putting his servants upon such difficulties as are hard to do ; though he do put them upon difficulties , yet he gives them a principle to carry them through , and then it is al one as if it were easyer : carnal hearts are ready to complaine of the tediousness and hardness of gods waies , and they are ready to complain of god as an hard master , how are they hard and tedious ? they are hard and tedious to you , because you want a principle to do them by , but they are not hard to the christian : indeed it was cruelty , and hardness to to pharoah to put the israelites upon work , and take away their straw , but god though he puts his servants upon hard works , he gives them a principle whereby to do them : if a man should put another upon an hard work , and give him an engine to carry him through , then it is not hard ; so though god puts them on hard works , he gives them an engine to carry them through ; saies daniel . . speak lord thou hast strengthened thy servant . so a godly man may say , true lord i have no strength in my self , to do this difficult work , but being thou hast strengthened thy servant , and given him this strong principle in some measure , now lord speak , command what thou wilt . use , . a second use is this . hence let all beleevers that have evidence to themselves that they are beleevers , or any hope that god hath wrought faith in them , let them expect to be put upon difficult things : because god hath put in them a principle to carry them through difficult things , and god delights to improve al his creatures according to the powers they have ; there is no power of nature , but god wil cal it forth , and improve it at some time or other , and if god delights to improve the power of nature , much more the power of grace , which is the speciall , and choice power that he doth communicate to any creature in the world ; and for the kind the choicest thing that he will communicate to any creature to al eternity , and therefore if you have not found hard things , expect them and make account that your faith should be called out , faith is the most glorious grace , able to do the most glorious things that ever creature is able to do , and have you it for nothing ? have you faith only to keep you in that ordinary way that the principles of nature are able to keep you in ? if god have given you faith , he hath given you it for to do great things , and therefore expect difficult things . and yet so expect them , as first , not to be discouraged , secondly , not to count it an affliction . first , be not discouraged : some think i can hardly do ordinary things , and therefore how shall i do such hard things . . if you have faith though you be called to difficult things , you cannot be called to a more difficult work than you have done already , and this is a great encouragement to faith : the weakest beleever in the world hath done as difficult a work as ever any shall be called to besides that , viz. the work of beleeving at first , when we look upon our selves as enemies to god , for god to justify the ungodly , this is a more difficult work then ever god will call you to ; and therefore if god hath carried you through the difficulties in the point of justification , never fear any difficulties that may follow hereafter : if a man be called to any hard thing he comforts himself in this , i am not called to a harder then i have done already , suppose god hath called you to an hard duty this not an harder duty then that you have done already , that is the work of faith in closing with christ in the point of justification . . though you know god will call you to hard things , god hath engaged himself that you shall never have any temptation befall you , but you shall have strength accordingly . . if you be called to any thing , god doth not call you to any hard work , nor never wil , in expectation that you should do it in your own strength , but in that strength which he will give you , and yet count it upon your own score , as if you did it in your own strength to reward you for it , indeed when we consider what little strength we have , we may be discouraged , but when god doth call us to any work he doth not expect we should do it in our strength , and yet he will reward it as our own , as in that . psalm . . through god we shal do valiantly , for he it is that shall tread down our enemies : is it god that treads down our enemies how do we do valiantly ? it is god that doth valiantly , we do nothing , yet says the text through god we shal do valiantly , for he it is that shall tre●…d down our enemies ; so that though the strength whereby god expects us to do any work by , be not our own , yet god accounts it as our own , and christians may reckon it their own to give god the glory of it . . further be not discouraged for fear of any difficult work you shall be called to , because there is no work of a christian , that he is called to , but as it spends strength it gives strength , it gives more then it spends , in the way of spending it gives : a man will never be affraid of cold in work that brings more heat then cold , the sluggard would not plow because it was cold , in prov. . but if he had plowed his labor would have brought in heat ; and so it is a sluggish reason to think , shall i do such an hard work and i have such little strength ? the work will bring in strength ; as if a man should say i am cold in the house , how cold should i be in the feild , and how cold when i take hold on the plow which is cold , and the earth which is cold ? indeed if there were nothing in the work to bring in heat we might say so ; but the work brings in more heat , then there is coldness in the ayr : and so people think i have scarce strength for that work which i have now , but if it be more difficult what then ? if it be more difficult , and it bring in more strength , then it would be better then it is now . secondly , count it no affliction ; do not complaine as if your case were worse then the case of any , that god put you upon such hard taskes and works that he doth not others , thou knowest not what thou doest in complaining of the hardness of thy worke . . know a difficult work is a most honorable thing . as if a captain have some great difficult work to do , that is of great consequence for the good of his countrie , he will not call out every base fellow , but his prime ones , and they count it an honour to be called out . and so if a master of defence have some difficult work to be done , he doth not call out the lowest in the schoole , but the chiefest , and it is an honor to him : and if he were called to do onely ordinarie things , and another were called to do great things , it would be a dishonor to him , and so it might rather be an affliction , for god to call you to do only ordinarie things . . it is a mighty opportunitie for the exercise of grace : now as the scripture saith , . pet. . . the tryall of grace is more pretious than gold. for the exercise of grace , grace it self is for exercise , and so the exercise is better than the grace , and if grace be pretious in the habit , it is more precious in the exercise , you should prize one exercise of grace more excellent then the whol world : people prize grace in the habits ; oh that god would bestow grace upon them , but they do not set a price upon every gratious act , but come to this , to set a high price upon every act of grace as wel as the habit , and you will not complain of difficult works . . the more difficult services you are called to , the more opportunitie you have to honor god , you have don but a litle all this while and the most part of your time hath been to little purpose , if god will give you an opportunitie to doe a great deale in a little time , will you murmure at it and count it your affliction . . difficult works are for the improvement of your graces : if a man have a stock , and he have had some improvement for it , but not full , he hath some mony ly dead by him or is not improved for that advantage it might , if he shal find a way to improve every penny of his stock , to the utmost advantage , will he count this an affliction ? he counts it an advantage ; who grow rich but those that have the full improvement of their stock : men count it a misery to have their stockly by them and not improved ; why do not you count it a misery to have gracely by you , and not exercised : would you count it a happiness that god should shew you a way to improve your outward stock to the full , and would you not count it a happiness that god should shew you a way to improve your grace to the full . use , . the third use is this : if faith enables to carry through difficult works , then it can be no concluding argument against a work , because there fall out many hinderances in the worke , for faith carries through nothing but that which is the work of god , and if it be to carry through hinderances , then hinderances and blocks in the way can be no concluding argument that this is not the work of god ; this is our weakness , we set upon many works and before we begin we consider whether it be the work of god , and we have considered and consulted with god , and his people , and we find it is gods work , and we begin to set upon it , and we would go on , and alwaies think it gods work if things went on wel , but as soone as we find any let that stops us , we begin to cal in question whether it were gods work or no. it is true when we find any hinderances in our work , it should make us reflect our thoughts upon our cal to it and see that be right ; and further , it should make us humble our selves before god to take away whatsoever hinderance god should lay in our way out of any displeasure ; for though god somtimes do lay hinderances as an honor to improve our graces , yet somtimes hinderances may be as chastizements to us ; and therefore it is useful for to humble our soules before god , that we may have more assurance nothing is between god and us , and that our hinderances do not come as a fruit of his displeasure , and the hinderances we meet withall should make us keep more close to the rule , because faith will beare us out in nothing , but according as we goe to the rule , and so we should improve hinderances to stir up our faith : but to make hinderances , and hard things that fall out to be an argument to think it is not the work of god , that is a great evil : and for that i only speak this one thing , & that is the way of god towards jacob in that work of his when god called him to goe from laban into his own country , you may read the story at your leisure , god from heaven calls jacob to goe to that journey : it was the work of god ; jacob might think it being gods work i shall meet with no hardship : but if you read the story , you shall find it was one of the most hard journeys that ever he undertook in his life as it appeares by these six things . first , after he went laban followed him with an intent to mischeife him , but that god stopt him , and there was some danger that jacob was in ; god freed him from that . secondly , his wise's nurse dyed , that was a great help to his wife , god took away even a right hand to his wife . thirdly , his wife dyed in that journey , this was a mighty cross , he might think god comes mightily to crosse me . fourthly , after this his daughter dinah goes out , and shee is defloured , fiftly , after this his two sons symeon and levi goe and commit that wofull outrage , and murdered so many innocent people . sixtly , his brother esaw came with rage and fury against him , intending to destroy him , and he was mightily affraid of his brother esaw : now this may quiet many that are to goe any journy ; first , let them see the call of god , and then go on in it whatsoever fals out , take it rather as a tryall of your faith , then any stop of god in your way . and so you that are weake , that have friends that undertake hard works , and hard voyages , you think they may doe it before danger come , but if danger come you are ready to think that it is not the right way ; if you have no other argument but that , know it comes from weakness , and you are to lay downe that weakness , and not to disturbe your selves , and your friends by your weakness , to think it is not the way of god , because of those hinderances : and that is the third use . use , . fourthly , if faith be the principle that carries through such difficult works : hence who ever have been carried through difficult works , look back to what god hath carried you through , reflect upon it and see what it was that did it ; such and such works god called you to , may be , as he did moses to forsake your owne country , which you have done , not out of any outward necessity , but in bare obedience to god , now may be you may meet with many hinderances , and inconveniences , you might have stayed and lived comfortable and full handed enough , if you could have dispensed with those things that others did , some hardship you had in leaving of those things ; and then the example of others might come and make the work difficult : but through gods mercy the work was undertaken , and gone through , now what is it that carried you through ? was it your own naturall resolutions ? the strength of your own purposes ? was it any assistance you hade from any friends ? or any help that we can imagine from any creature ? upon the reviewing of it cannot you say as in the presence of god , i know not what in the world carried me through , but gods giving me an heart to depend upon him in it . after what manner did god work upon thy heart ? did he first prepare thy heart , by a work of humiliation to seek him , and make up thy peace with him ? when he had done that : did god secondly take off thy heart from all creature props , creature confidences , and dependances ? after that did god cast in a word , and promise into thee , and by his spirit mightily draw thy heart to close with it , and fasten upon it ? did god draw out a work of faith to close with this wisdom faithfulness and power for the carrying of thee through when thou sawest no strength in thy self , nor didst not know what should become of thee ? wert willing wholly to venture upon god , to give up thy self unto him , to be at his dispose ? were thy ends good and right in this work ? didst not thou find that there was a principle in thee carrying thee beyond thine own thoughts , & beyond any strength that thou couldest possibly conceive to be in thy self , and that hath brought the work to an issue beyond they expectation ? surely there was faith in this , and if there were faith in this , consider what i have to say to thee . first , know that this work is wonderfully acceptable to god , god looks upon such works of nature as lovely , as the young man that came to christ , christ loved him , in mark , . . but if it be a work of faith god looks upon it and accepts it indeed , says the scripture , these obtained a good report by faith ; heb. . . they obtained a good report indeed , not only before men , but before god. secondly being a work of faith , thou mayest have abundance of peace , and joy in it , we never have gone through difficulty but it is pleasant to us , if we have gone some voyage , and have passed through difficulties , through many storms , and tempests , we prize it , the water that david longed for , when it was got with so much difficulty , he thought it too good to drink , but powred it before the lord. in sam. . . . as jacob saies of the portion he gave to joseph , gen. . . this i took out of the hand of the amorite with my sword and my bow . so any thing that we get hardly it is the more prized : so that when we get through difficulties by our faith : that we should prize much , and rejoyce in . thirdly , if so be that faith hath carried thee through difficulty , let this encourage thee for ever for time to come ; certainly there is no difficulty wil stand before thee : if difficulties have begun to fal , they wil fal , and wil not be able to stand before thee . you may reason as hamans friends , if thou beginnest to fall before mordecai , thou wilt fall , est . . . and therefore thou maist cal this work by the name that david called that place where his enemies began to fal before him ; baal-perizem , because god had made a breach upon his enemies , sam. . . he took that but as a pledg that god would make al his enemies fal before him . and so , hath god made some difficulties fal before thee ; then al difficulties wil fal . fourthly , let god have al the glory , neither thy self , nor the means ; those things that we do by faith , god is in them , little of our selves , or nothing at al ; boasting is excluded , saies the apostle , rom. . . by the law of faith , or by the law of works ? by the law of faith , and therefore that which is done by faith , excludes al boasting from our selves , and gives god the glory . . because faith of al graces hath least rooting in our selves : as for justice , and temperance , and patience , and love , they have some assistance in nature ; but faith hath nothing at al , and therefore god must have the glory of that chiefly . . faith of al graces hath the least influence into that which it doth , though it be under the rank of efficient causes ; it is but an instrumental cause , and though an instrument be an efficient , it is the least efficiency of al , and therefore the glory belongs to god. . of al graces faith is the most emptying grace , it carries a creature out of it self unto another ; and therefore whatsoever we do by faith we must give god the glory . . attribute nothing to means ; for though thou usest means , ye whatsoever was done by faith , was done above means , beyond means , and might have been done without means . . hath god carryed you through any difficult work ? and was this a principle : labor to prize the word of god upon which thy faith was built to nourish and increase this joy. . if you have found your faith hath carried you through great things , take heed thy faith do not fayl thee in less things , that will be a shame ; as a marriner that hath been in great stormes , and tempests , and hath wrought through them , if afterward he should come , and perish in the haven , or in some ordinary tempest , for want of skill that would grieve him more ; & so for a souldier that hath been in desperate battels afterwards to be overcome with a little strength , he looseth his honor , this is possible that a christian by his faith may be carried through wonderful great things , and yet his faith may fail him afterwards in lesser things , as many a man may escape great dangers , and recover great success , and yet afterwards die of a cold , and those that god hath carried through great things , may faile in lesser , but it is an infinite shame , take heed to your selves in that : as david speaks concerning saul , . sam. . . the shield of the mighty is vilely cast away , as though he had not been anointed with oyl . god hath given thee fayth as a shield , and it was the shield of the mighty , and now it is vilely cast away , an ordinary temptation comes and thou failest , as if thou hadst not been anointed with oyl , when god carried thee through difficult works , thou wert anointed with oyl , and now you fal as if you had not been anointed with oyl , you have been carried through many difficulties in that work of leaving of your country , now when you come here your faith will not serve you to order your ordinary business , and affaires , but it fails fowly in every ordinary dealing with man , and in your private dealings in your family what a shameful thing is it , that such a one as hath had such power , as to look upon the face of his enemies , and to testify for the truth before them , when he hath to deal with a servant , or child or wife he fails shamefully , and when he comes to deal with brethren , he knows not how to behave himself , as if he were not anointed with oyl , as if he never had faith , nothing but nature , as ful of frowardness , and pettishness of spirit , and all outward distempers , as those that never were acquainted with faith ? and so faith hath carried you through great difficulties , enabled you to deny your self to get to the ordinances , and when you are under them it fails you in assistance to make use of them , and to give god the glory of them , but you rather defile them , and spoile them , what a shameful thing is this ? be ashamed and confounded in your own thoughts , and stir up your faith. chap. . quest , how to know whether faith wil carry us through difficult works , answered in several particulars , . faith goes upon spiritual grounds , motives , and ends . . makes men sollicitous and careful for the enjoyment of gods presence with them . . causes men to carry themselves in a gracious manner . . to have an high esteem of the name of god. . makes them careful , that they may not be frustrated of their end . . it makes men satisfied with god alone . . faith is a continued work . that faith , which brought you out , will carry you through . qvest . it is true faith doth carry through difficult works , and amongst other difficult works the forsaking of ones own country : it is much that we forsake in forsaking our country , and we had need of faith to carry one through this , indeed a christian should look upon all the world as his country , he treads upon no ground but that which is his fathers ground . socrates used to call himself a citizen of the world when he was banished he counted it no banishment for the world was his country , and he being a man was a citizen of it , certainly god hath given the saints the world : the promise was to abraham and to his seed that he should be heire of the world , rom. . . and as it was said of the children of israel , deut. . . so it may be said of the saints , whatever ground you tread upon , it is your own for use : and further though the world be theirs yet they live above the world and therefore they care not in what part of the world they are : thus tertullian writing to martyrs to encourage them being driven from their own country it is no matter saies he in what part of the world you are who are separated from the world : yet there is much difficulty in le●●ing of a mans country , and he had need of faith to carry him through who doth leave it , but how shall we know that faith carries us through , there may be many other principles . answ . first , faith goes upon spiritual grounds , motives and ends , faith is a spiritual grace and it works exceeding spiritually , and the reasonings of faith are above the reasonings of flesh and blood , what were your motives and grounds and ends by that you might know whether out of faith you forsook your country , it may be it was from vexation or discontent that you left your country ; or from the example of others , or from engagement unto others , or out of novelty or out of carnal fears or out of vaine hopes , or for further providing for your selves , a great many things there may be that may put people on such a way , especially those three , novelty , example , and discontent : but if it be by faith the ground and the end wil be spiritual , for god and out of obedience unto god. it is observable of moses ( for i will go no further for notes of tryal then from the worke of moses ) moses when he pleads with pharoah to go out of his country , he did not plead the peoples bondage , you do so abuse the people here , and we are in such grievous bondage , that we cannot bear it , but saies he in exod. . . the lord hath commanded , we must go into the wilderness to worship him , that was his plea and ground and end rather then the bondage that the people did suffer : so when men forsake their country , outward things may come in , in subordination to higher things : and there may be faith in ordering the heart about them , but faith must go above them : now can your consciences witness , as in the presence of god , it was your longing desire , for to enjoy god in his ordinances and to keep your souls from defilement , this was the argument of moses , they could not set up the worship of god there , but they must go where god called them . . if faith be the thing that brings any from their country , above all things they will be very sollicitous , and careful , for the enjoyment of gods presence with them ; though they are in a subordinate way to provide for their families and to look how to live yet the great care of their souls is that they may enjoy the presence of god : this was moses argument : exod. . . except thy presence go with us lord carrie us not hence : now if so be it was thy care in departing to carry god , and his gracious presence with thee , let me stay here and suffer any thing , lie in prison and rot , rather then go without the presence of god , this is an argument it was of faith. . moses in forsaking his own country and going from egypt he carries it in a very gratious manner , when he came to pharoah though the people were vext and troubled , because their bondage did increase , he did not fall exclaiming against him , but rather yeilding to him in a way of submission as far as he could : he did not go on rashly , headily , foolishly , and self-confidently , as many do , which manifest a great deal of pride , and stoutness of spirit rather then any thing else , but he carries on the business with a great deal of sobriety and gravity , with much humility , and meekness of spirit , in a way of wisdom ; and so it is in every action of faith so far as faith is in it , now what was the maner of your forsaking your country , was it in a way of seeking of god , knowing the mind of god , with quietness of spirit , and humility , and wisdom that you were brought away , that is another note that it is of faith . . moses when he came from his country , above al things the name of god was dear to him after he was come away and especially upon this because their very departing from egypt held out the name of god much , and therefore he was very careful that that name of god , that was held out in their departing from egypt might not be polluted , when he was in any danger , presently he flees to this , lord what will become of thy great name : he does not so much plead in the behalf of the people , as in the name of god , so if faith hath brought you from your country , the name of god is much in it : you take a profession that you come from your country for the ordinances of god , and the further purity of his worship , now for one to leave friends , and estate , and country , and all upon this ground , if it were out of faith , how dear would the name of god be to such a one , least the name of god that is held out in his profession should be polluted ; when you come here and there should be divisions , and nothing but tearing , and rending of one another ; consider what shall become of the great name of god , thus moses reasoned what will the heathen say , that thou hast brought the people hither to destroy them ? so will others say , they are come out of their own country to tear and rend , and fight with one another . let that name that is held out ●n your profession be dear to you , and make that an argument to curb passion , and to order you in your dealings one with another . . moses was mightily careful that he might not be frustrat of his end : he went out of egypt that he might come to canaan : and when there was any danger that he was like to be frustrated in this , how it troubled him it went to his heart ; and he cried to god that god would let him see that good land : so if it be out of faith that you come from your country , great care will be had that you be not frustrate of your end , wherefore came you ? came you not to enjoy god ? to have further communion with god ? to walk with god in a more close way then you could do before ? are you careful to attaine your end ? doth it trouble your souls when at any time you see any danger to be frustrate of your end ? doth it come near to you that you find for the present you have attained so little of your end ? those that come out of other ends , let this go : but if you come out of faith , you will be mightily careful to attaine the end for which you came , that work that is done out of faith will work mightily to the end , and never leave working till it come at its end . . if so be you came out of your country by faith your souls will be satisfied with god alone and the cal and promise of god is that which your souls will have recourse unto continually for the satisfaction of your souls , so moses when he was in straight he presently had recourse to the call and promise of god , to bring his people out of egypt , and that satisfied him . . as it will quiet , and satisfie the soul , so that faith that brought you out will carry you through all difficulties , now you meet with many difficulties , and some you thought not of , if it were out of faith that you came , and that faith were a continued work it will carry you through the difficulties you meet withall , do you find that upon the difficulties you meet withall your hearts sink ? you may fear it was not faith that first brought you out . i would not have any gather any sinister conclusion from this which hath been said , to think that we make comparisons between our country and egypt : no but we bless god for the good we received in our own country , and do desire the good of it as far as we can , but only to shew the work of moses in forsaking egypt . but in those that came from egypt there was a mixt company ; and those mixt company were a continual trouble and disturbance to those that were the israel of god. numb . . . and the mixt multitude that was among them fell a lusting , and the children of israel also wept again and sayd who shal give us flesh to eate ? the mixt multitude they began the sin , and the children of israel fell with them : and so into these countries there are come many of the people of god that were gracious out of faith ; but there are a great many that are the mixt multitude , that were of broken estates , they knew not how to live , and coming upon those ends , the people of god are troubled with such , and they are the gratest contemners of the waies of godliness , they have kindness from the people of the country , but they meet with trouble from this mixt company , especially when any of those do creep into the church , and come to be members of it , but for those that come from their country by faith , we hope we shal enjoy comfortable communion with all such , and thus much for this fourth use . chap . containing other vses of the point . use , . shews the reason why we faile in any thing we do ; it is for want of faith. use , . labor to rise in indignation against your unbelief . use , . consider what it is to faile in that work which concerns thy eternal estate . use , . fiftly , if so be that it be faith that carries through difficulties , he●ce we see the reason why we faile in any thing that we doe , it is want of faith : it is not such a let , nor such a hinderance ; no , know it is the unbeleiving heart , it may be thou wentest in the resolution of thy own heart , and thought to carry it through in the strength of thy own spirit , and that would not do : as the apostle saith . heb. . . by faith they passed through the red sea as by dry land , which the egyptians assaying to do were drowned : so by faith such and such passed through such and such works to the glory of god : but others at other times , would assay to do them by their own resolutions , and they failed and were drowned ; it is true resolution may do great matters , but to carry a soule in a gracious manner through any difficultie it wil faile : know therefore where lay the cause of thy failing , and lay thy hand on the right place , and accuse thy self of an unbeleiving heart , use , . and upon that labour to rise in indignation against thy unbeleiving heart ; as suppose a man hath been in some great work , and some have letted him , and so let him , as to spoyle his work ; his heart riseth against him : i was in a good forwardness and such a one came and spoyled my work ; and so look upon thy unbelieving heart : i was in such a work that god set me about , but my unbelieving heart came and hindered me , and gods name lost the glory , and my own soul was wounded . use , . againe doth thy heart faile thee ? if my unbelieving heart make me faile in this work , what if i should faile through unbelief in that great work that concernes my eternal estate ? what should become of me then ? i seldom undertake a work but my unbelieving heart makes me faile in it ; now there is a work of infinite consequence , and nothing can carrie me through that but faith , and if my unbelieving heart come and spoyl me in that , it were better i had never been borne , it hath done me hurt enough in such and such things , i had need have a care it doe not spoile me in that : as if a man should say , there are such and such businesses i have miscarried in , and i have lost much by them , but there are such and such works if i miscarrie in i am undon , it is as much as my life is worth , and therefore i had need take heed of those things that have been hindrances to me in my other works : so if unbelief have done you hurt in these works , take heed it do not hinder you in the maine work . and for a word to those that are weake , who are ready to be discouraged , and think they shall miscarry : know god hath a speciall care of all his people though never so weak to keep off hinderances in that maine work , though god do suffer them to faile in other works , and his name suffer some dishonour by it , yet he will have a care they shall not faile in the maine work : and were we not sure of this that god will have a care that our unbeleeving hearts shall not spoile us in that maine work we have to do about our eternal estate , we could never have comfort know the covenant wil not bear this , the covenant will beare that god should let our faith faile in some works , but it will not beare this that god should suffer the least degree of faith to faile in that work which concerns the eternal good of the soul ; christ is called the mighty counseller , and the maine work of christ is to counsel the soul in those things that concern its eternal estate , and notwithstanding all its unworthiness , he will counsel it so far as it shall not miscarry in that great business , yet christ doth not alwaies afford his counsel in every particular action . as god deales in the way of his counsel , so of his power , though he may withdraw his strength so , as not to assist our faith in some particular actions , yet in the maine and great business that concerns our eternal estate , we shall not want necessary strength . as a father that is going along with his child , may be he goes in such waies as the child is in danger of many a fall , to get many a knock , and sore bruise , the father will say to him have a care , take heed : but if he come to a way , that if the child fall he lose his life the father wil not content himself with saying take heed , but he takes hold on him till he be past that place : so god in all our ordinary business saies look to your faith , exercise your faith , but for all that we get many a fall , and many a knock , but then may be there comes another work , that concerns our eternal estate , which if we faile in we are undone for ever , god takes hold of the soul there , and will not let them miscarry in that , which is the infinite mercy of god to us ; and were we not sure of gods mercy in that respect , being conscious to our selves of our unbeleeving hearts , we might fear , yea conclude we should faile . chap. . helps to put on faith in any undertaking . . set before you the example of your great captain jesus christ . . make preparation for the work of faith by humiliation . . renew your faith in the covenant of grace . . in difficult times , set faith on work to purifie the heart . . take heed of shifting waies and dependances . . set loose from your own ends . . cast your selves upon the word of god. . plead the word with god in prayer . . refuse no meanes that god puts into your hands . . do nothing with a slavish spirit . be not discouraged by miscarriages that are past . take heed of the disturbance of passion in your work . . observe the dependances one work hath upon another . . lisson not to temptations . . take heed of perverse reasonings . . take heed of disorderly working , in four cases . . vse resolution and courage . . look on your selves as gods instruments . . be constant though you find nothing come of it . . encrease not the difficulty by your carriage . . look most at your encouragements . . vse not the difficulty in the way to reason against the work . . labor to harden your selves by faith against all difficulties now doth god call you to any service or work that hath any difficulty in it ? you see what it is that will help . david by faith in psal . . . says , he could break through a troop and leap over a wall , and break a bow of steel , and paul could do all things through christ that strengthened him ; as christ said of miraculous faith , so it may be said of justifying faith. if you had faith but as a graine of mustard seed , you should say unto this mountaine be removed hence to yonder place , and unto this sycamine tree , be thou plucked up by the roots , and be thou planted in the sea and they shall obey you , in math. . . and in luke , . . and so faith if it come to a sin that is rooted , it will be able to pluck it up by the roots , and to remove mountains . there is nothing more weake , and unuseful then on ordinary conceited faith , that is but a bare opinion , and groundless hope , but nothing more strong and usefull then true faith , it hath the quintessence of all graces , as the root of the herb hath the vertue , and quintessence of all the fruite , and branches in it , so faith hath the quintessence of all grace , and therfore it will do great things . as it was said of luther that had much faith , he could do whatsoever he would : so it may be said of faith and the scripture saith so of it ; faith can do what it will , it was the speech of christ to the woman : o woman great is thy faith be it unto thee as thou wilt : in math. . . those whose faith is great it shall be to them as they will , but know it must be exercised , it is not enough to have it in the habit , but the activity , and exercise of it : wherefore for the putting on of your faith. . let us set before us the example of our great captaine the lord jesus christ you know what difficult works christ undertooke for the salvation of man , such difficult works as all the angells in heaven and creatures in the world would have sunke under : but christ went through them ; and there was a work of faith in christ that carried him through , though it was not such a work of faith as ours , justifying faith , yet he had a faith , his trust in his father that did help to carry him through great and difficult works . in heb. . . christ is propounded as an example unto us , saying i will declare thy name unto my brethren , in the midst of the church will i sing praise unto thee : christ in his own person did praise god , and he sung praises in the hearts of his people , so that by the way , take this as a comfortable note , to encourage us to publique duties , while we are praysing of god , christ is praysing of god while we are singing of psalms to god in a gracious manner , christ is praysing of god the father . and again i will put my trust in him , it is a speech of christ unto the father , christ put his trust in the father , and the example of the work of faith in christ to carry him through all the works he had to do , is brought as an incouragement unto christians , to cast their relyance on god the father , to carry them through all the hard works they have to do . and as christ did not only praise god in his own person , but in the church , so christ did not only in his own person trust in the father and so was carried through the difficult works he had to do , but he trusted in his father , in the hearts of his people , that they might be carried through the difficult works they have to do . . when any difficult work is to be done , labor to make preparation for the work of faith by humiliation , before you undertake the work and according to the nature of any difficult services there must be a proportionable measure of humiliation before you undertake that work : therefore when god hath called to extraordinary works , usually gods people have made preparation for their faith by extraordinary humiliation , as nehemiah , ezra and esther , that were to undertake great works , which they were to be carried through by faith , they made preparation by extraordinary humiliation before hand . it is in the putting forth of a new act of faith , as it was in the first act of faith , as especially humiliation was a preparation for faith at first , so especially humiliation is a preparation for the putting forth of a new act of faith , after we have it . . when any difficult service comes to be performed let there be oft renewing of faith in the great covenant of grace : and do not only think to exercise faith in this particular work , but let your care be about renewing faith in the great covenant , let the great charter be renewed , and inferiour grants wil come in . thus god dealt with abraham , when any thing befell abraham that he was in a great straight , then god renewed his covenant with him , i am god alsufficient ; god thought this a special meanes to carry him through ; if you have renewed the covenant ( in which all the promises are included ) this is a great help to faith , shall not god who hath given us his son with him also give us al things else ; the soul may reason strongly thus . . faith must be set on work when any difficult service is to be done , for the purifying of the heart , though you beleeve god will be with you , and strengthen you in the work , yet unless you make use of faith to purifie the heart , as well as beleeve , you may miscarry in the work , if there be any lust that lies next the heart , you wil never be able for to do great things ; for sin as it is of a defiling nature , so it is of a weakning nature . if you would have a spirit of power , you must have a sound mind . in nehemiah , . . when they were about a great work they separated the mixt company , & when you are about any great work , exercise faith to purge your hearts from corruption , saies david , psal . . . it is god that girdeth me with strength , and makes my way perfect . the girding of him with strength and making his way perfect went together : therefore : labor that the way with god in your own hearts may be perfect , and clean , and then god will gird you with strength . . in difficulties labor to exercise faith to get you off from all shifting waies , and creature dependances : it is observable of those that have to deal with mettals , when they are working of gold , that they might have it work the easier , they will mixe other mettals with it , and upon the mixing of lead and tinne with gold , it works the easier , but it is a great deal worse , it were better they would take more pains in the working of it , it would be purer . just so do many christians , that are ill workemen in the waies of god , when they are working of good actions and they find them difficult , and go somwhat hard off , they will be mixing their own carnall pollicy , and shifting courses , and to that end the work may go off easier , but though it be easier to be done yet it is a worse peece of work after it be done , then it would have been if it had been done with more paines . labor to exercise faith to get you off from al creature dependances , if the heart by faith be given up to god alone , it will do mighty things : but if so be we would have two strings to our bow , that if such a means do faile we may have some other to rest upon , we shall never do any great thing : and therefore when god would use any of his people to do great things , he first took them off from al creature helps they had before , as i have met with an observation that one hath from moses about this . in acts , , . it is said moses was an eloquent man , a man of mighty words . yet if you read the story in exod. . . you shall hear moses complaine that he was slow of speech , and not eloquent . this is answered , moses was a man of mighty words , but when god was about this work , and a little before god took away his excellency in words , that he might have further dependance upon god , then before he had : whether there be any reality in this or no i know not , yet certainly it is the way of god , when men have any creature helps , god doth take them off from them that they might have a sheere work of faith , for when the creature is used , it doth usually rob god of a great part of his honor : therfore when gideon had so many thousand , god said it was too great a multitude for him to deliver his people by . . faith must take us off from our own ends too , and ingage god in the business as much as we can , let god be seen in the work though we be not seen , let god have the glory , though it be not known who did that difficult work , great things will be done when god is ingaged in the business . and it is a special work of faith to take us off our own ends ; when you come to a great work , you think to exercise faith and not being taken off from your own ends ; faith looseth its vertue and power . . when we come to any work that is difficult , let us labor to exercise faith , to cast our selves upon the word , to find out some promise , and to roule upon it to venture our selves and the might of our work upon that word , as namely thus : suppose it be a work for the subduing of any sin ; that word in rom. . . sin shal not have dominion over you , look at the word , and make more account of it , then of all your endeavors against sin whatsoever , if it be laboring to get from under that difficulty , the guilt of conscience , and delivering your selves from the terror of it . that word in rom. . . there is no condemnation to those that are in christ jesus . if it be for the doing of any work that we are called to , that word that hath vertually a promise in it : he worketh all our works in us , and for us ; isa . . . if it be to stand against any opposition , that word which god gave to joshua , joshua . . . i will be with thee and will not leave thee : exercise faith to get a word and to rest your souls upon it . . take this word and plead it with god in prayer when you enter on any difficulty , do as it were shew unto god his bond : though god binds him self ; yet he wil not come in and help till the creature come and shew his bond : and upon the sight and pleading of the bond with god , god is pleased to come in with help , god is much taken , and delighted with this , when any of his servants in difficulty shall come , and plead his promises . the turning of promises into praier , and as it were the distilling of faith into prayer is a thing mighty prevailing with god : as there are some physicall things that have great operations , but unless they be distilled , or taken in such and such things they will not work ; but then they will work : so faith when it is distilled and turned in praier , and mingled with praier , and taken down in that , then it works : if a physitian should come and say , how did you take such a thing ? and you say i swallowed it down , he wil say you should have taken it in such and such a thing , and then it would have wrought ; so you beleeve god will help you , but have you distilled your faith into praier ? and taken it therein pleading with god to fulfill his word : that is a great means to do great things . . faith must refuse no means , if there be any means that god doth lay in your way , take them thankefully , use them faithfully , diligently , carefully as if there were nothing but means : and when you have used them depend upon god above means , as if there were no other means : idleness and presumption are quite contrary to faith : and therefore be faithful in the use of means . as it is observed , god saies he brought the people into canaan , by his mighty power and outstretched arme : yet there was a great many valiant souldiers and a mighty power of the people ; so that notwithstanding all means , faith knows how to give god the glory of his outstretched arme , knowing that all second causes work by the power of the first . . let us take heed that what we undertake to do , we do it not with a slavish spirit , meerly haled unto it but look upon every duty as a work of the gospel ; that that people do meerly in a compulsive way , out of a slavish spirit , they will never go through it , but by faith we are to look upon all duties as works of the gospel , not as works of the covenant of works , but as works of the covenant of grace , therefore that is observable concerning zerubbabel in zach , . where god saies mountains shall be made plaine before zerubbabel , difficulties shall be taken away , how ? at vers . . at the laying of the corner stones they shall crie grace , grace , magnifying the grace of god , looking higher at the garace of god , then at all the strength that zerubbabel had , and so being carried on in a spiritual way , crying grace , grace , that was a means to carry them through difficulties , and to make them as plains , for when you go about any great work , when you lay the first stone in that work crie grace , grace , this is a work that i must expect the free grace of god in for assistance , for acceptance , and for blessing and for the carrying me through all : the more you magnify the grace of god in any work , the more you will be enabled to go through that work . eleventhly , you must not be discouraged by miscarriages that have been before . you have set upon a work , and you have carried your selfe so in it as you have miscarried , and you think i have so miscarried , and sinned against god , as i must never expect gods help , if i had never miscarried in that work , i might have had hope , but now having so miscarried in that work , there is little hope : do not reason by former miscarriages : if we now set our hearts right to the work , and come and ask wisdom to be carried through it , though we have miscarried twenty times before , god will not upbraid us ; nor say , what doe you come to ask wisdom to do that work , when as you have set upon that work before , and have spoiled it , through the pride and sluggishness of your hearts ? therefore now away ; be humbled for miscarriages before , but be not discouraged by any miscarriages in that work or in any other ; yea though we have begun the work and miscarried at first , yet be not discouraged , many works have miscarried at first , and yet have come to a glorious issue at last , especially if miscarriages be through weakness : as jacob though he was strook lame , and the sinew of his thigh shrunk in wrastling with the angel , yet he prevailed ; so though there may be failings , that our sinews may be shrunk up , and we be lame in our work , yet there may be a prevailing at last , and therefore do not hinder your faith by being discouraged with former miscarriages . . againe take heed of the disturbance of passion in the performance of your work , that which is done in a way of passion , and frowardness and anger is seldom well done , if you have a servant , that will allwaies be busie , and doing of somewhat , but do it in an anger , you had better he should do nothing , they are the quiet and meek spirits that can carry a work sweetly and prosperously on : so in any work that god sets us about , let us go about it with quiet spirits , your strength shall be to sit stil , isa . . . saies the lord ; so the great strength of our hearts in the performance of any work , is to stand still , and be quiet . stand still and see the salvation of the lord , exod. . . not the stillness that is opposed to endeavor , but that stilness that is opposed to disquietness , and tumultuousness of our unruly affections : you would faine have the salvation of the lord , and help in such and such a work , why did you not stand stil , you are not in case to have the salvation of the lord , so long as you are in such a disturbance : many miscarry in a work this way , as many foolishly ignorant people that are in a boat , when the boat tosses they run up and down in the boat and will not be quiet , and so are drowned ; whereas if there be any skilful in the boat , they say , do but sit still and you are safe enough , but they think they cannot be too hasty to help themselves , and so run up and down and turne the boat over them ; so are unruly passions of men in their hearts , when they are in any work and apprehend any danger , their passions are up , and they think there is a necessity for them to be stirring , and it is in an unruly way , and so they overturne themselves , i beseech you observe it in moses . moses he was to do the great work in carrying the people from egypt , and he was of a very quiet spirit a great way ; but he was to go on in the work , and though he was the weakest man upon the earth , yet the very thing that did over throw moses in the work at last , that made him to miscarry for his own part , was the disturbance of his passion , when he came to strike the rock , to get water for the people , for not sanctifying the name of god , but did it in a passion , that was the thing that made him miscarry , as in psalm . . . . they angred him also at the waters of strife , so that it went ill with moses for their sakes . so you ( may be ) have done some works , so as you have found god strengthning of you , at length you come to a work where ( may be ) there is more difficulty then before , and there being more difficulty your hearts are disquieted ; take heed you miscarry not now , it is a special thing to carry on a hard work well ; to go on with quietness : disquiet and passion do much hinder ; as it was the case of the people of israel in the beginning of exodus ; when moses came they could not harken to him , because of the anguish of heart ; and the greatness of their bondage : so to apply it spiritually , you are sensible of some gri●vous bondage under some corruptions , and you have much anguish of spirit that you cannot overcome such and such corruptions , but take heed you be not so disturbed in your hearts , as your being in anguish under that bondage hinder you from hearkning to the lord in his word , and conceiving the mind and will of god a right and knowing how to order your selves in a right way : it was so with them , and truly this is just the case of many people , because they are sensible of the bondage they are in under their corruptions , they are so troubled , and their hearts are in such a toile , and tumult , that they cannot hearken to any thing that should guide themselves in this work . . another rule for the ordering of your faith to help you through difficult works , is to observe the dependances that one work hath upon another ; many see a work god would have them to do , and they presently set upon that , and do not observe what dependance , this hath upon somwhat else and so miscarry . suppose a mariner or some other should have a work to go and pull such a cable , such a rope , he goes to the place that is in view to pull that rope , but may be there is some other line ; that holdes it in some other place , and they may pull their hearts out , and never pull the thing they would . so many are striving and laboring , and tugging in many duties , but there is some secret holdfast that they observe not that those duties have dependance upon , and they can never bring their work to pass . as one complaines of the difficulty of getting a heart to go to god in prayer , god knows i have been in prayer & have striven with my soul with al my might , as in the presence of god for to get up my heart ; you strive and tug at this and may be you think of some promise , and exercise faith too , but there is some corruption that seems to be a great way off from this , that this hath dependance upon , which makes this difficult , and you should set your faith on work to deliver your selves from that , and then it will come off better , as now ( may be ) you have been striving to get your hearts up to god in prayer , and if you look well to it , it may be the frowardness and petrishness , and passion of your hearts in your families , with servants , or wife , or husband is that which keeps down your heart , when you come into gods presence , you should first have set your faith on work , to have cured that , and if you had cured that , you might have got up your hearts : many slip over many corruptions , and look at duties a great way off and they strive , and take pains , but if they had true christian wisdome , they should look what difficulty and hinderance lay between them and that dutie , and they should labor to take away that and so for faith , we cannot beleeve in god and in the promises , may be there lay a sluggish heart in your particular calling , it may be so far off , though you think there be but little dependance of faith in that and so in affliction you would faine have your hearts be patient , may be there laie a dead lumpishness of heart and drowsiness of spirit : and therefore look narrowly to corruption though never so far off , and set thy heart in general against all , one as well as another . againe take need of listening to temptation : when as you are about any hard work there will come abundance of temptation , what you go through this work ? those that have been stronger then you have miscarried , it is a mighty hard work , and you are a poor creature : if it be the work of the lord , go to it with a naked upright heart , if i miscarry so it is and do not mind temptations : a very observable place it is of nehemiah , in nehemi . . . when he was about the great work of god , the adversaries sent as if they would parly with them , and it was for nothing but to hinder his work , but mark what he saies . i am doing a great work , so that i cannot come , why should the work cease , whilst i leave it and come down to you ? so do you say to temptation , temptation would faine have you come , reason the case , but say i am about the worke of the lord , why should the work cease , and i spend my time and strength about reasoning with you ? . another rule for the putting on of your faith may be this : when you are doing any great work god calls you to do . take heed of perverse reasonings , as thus . when god calls me to do any service , i should reason ; if i were able to do thus and thus i could beleeve but who can beleeve when they have such a heart , so unable to do any thing , and so unable to overcome any corruption ? what a perverse reasoning is this ? if i could do this i could beleeve , you should reason i must beleeve , that i may do this : as if one should say , if i could do any work i hope i should have strength , you must have strength to do your work ; or if i were at my journies end i could go ; you must go to be at your journies end , if i were over sea i could venture into a ship , you must venture into a ship that you may come over sea : and so if i could do such a thing i could beleeve how should strength come in but by beleeving ? wilt stay beleeving till thou canst get strength ? it is as much as if one should say i wil stay going into a ship til i get over sea , his going into the ship is a means to get over sea , and so beleeving is the way to get strength : and therefore do not reason from thy want of strength to hinder faith but rather reason from thy want of strength to further faith . . again when you go about any work that is difficult , take heed of any disorderly working of your heart about that work . the disorderly work of the heart may be discovered in two or three part●culars . first , to look at the success , it looks at the duty principally , for one to look at the success more then at duty , this is a miscarriage and a hinderance to the work of faith . secondly , if you do look at the success , yet do not look at the particular success , though faith do assure of the general success , it doth not alwaies assure of the particular success . thirdly , take heed you do not judg of the final success , by some hinderances in the work at first , as many because they have not success at the beginning , they judg of the final issue by that . fourthly , above all take heed of determining before hand that you shall have no success , i may go about the work but it will never go on , it will never thrive : as a servant that is froward will say , well i may go about the work , but there will never come no good of it , so many will go about the work god sets them to do , but they determine before hand nothing will come of it this is a sinful boldness , who art thou man or woman , shal you be so bold with god , may you determine , what gods way shall be ? you may say , i deserve that nothing should come of that i do , but when it comes to determination , it is boldness and sinfulness against god what should not i determine i that am thus and thus vild , will god succeed any work in my hand ? you may say i that am thus and thus vild deserve that god should blast all that i do , but do not determine that i shall never overcome this hard heart of mine , and i shal never get a patient spirit . this is that which the prophet speaks against . hosea , . . though i have redeemed them yet they speak lies against me , so though god have redeemed men , and hath given them mercy , yet they speak lies against god , that they shall never have such and such a mercy , that they labor for , or when god is in a way of redeeming of you , and stirring your hearts for you to say there shal never be no success , nor help , this is to speak lies against god ; be humbled for that you have been guilty of before , and take heed of determining of the success for time to come : for assuredly , whatsoever unworthinss you see in your selves , yet know it is a temptation of the devil and a provoking sin . . againe it must be our care , together with our faith to put on that we do with resolution and courage ; as the psalmist saith in psal . . . be of good courage , and he shall strengthen your heart . so when you go to any difficult work , put on your faith with all the resolution you can , natural resolution helps much against difficulty : it is a notable speech of seneca , the mind of man , gets whatsoever it commands it self , if it will lay a command and charge upon it self it may obtaine it . that he saies concerning naural resolution , natural resolution is a mighty help to overcome difficulty , a man shall be able to do more then he thought he could have done , but if this be added with faith , that we can make use of our faith and then lay a necessity on the work ; it must be done whatsoever i hear , it is the command of god , this is a mighty thing to help forward the work . . another rule is in all services that god calls you to , look upon your selves as gods instruments in gods hand , and look upon the work as gods work enjoined by him and done for him , and not your own . i am nothing what is an instrument , an axe to the building of an house ? the work is hard and difficult , it is not mine , but gods , i am not the principal efficient , but the instrument and not in mine own hand , but in gods and such a weak instrument in the hand of a skillful workman , in his own work may do great things . . again whatsoever work god calls you to do go a●out i● , continuing in it , though you find nothing come of it , expect god to come in while you are working , and do not say , if god did come in i could have incouragment to work , work , expecting god to come in while you are working : and though you have been working these many years and found nothing , yet if god do come in it will be while you are working . as david said to solomon his son , up and be doing and the lord be with you . . chron. . . so say i to you do not say what shall i be doing without the lord , be doing and the lord wil come in : but i have been doing and the lord hath not come in . yet whensoever the time comes that god wil come in comfortably , it wil be while you are working , therefore be doing and the lord will be with you . . again let us take heed we do not increase the difficulty by our disorderly carriage , this we are many times guilty of , that when god sets us about any work and there be some hardness in it , we make it abundantly more hard by our untoward carriages : as a man that is fettered , by pulling and haling he pulls the skin off his legs , and by that means makes it harder to beare his fetters then before , the people of israel that went out of egypt , and went to canaan through the wilderness , it was a hard iourney , but they made it abundantly harder , by their carriage . from egypt unto the borders of palestine was but seventy miles , and to jerusalem but a hundred miles , and yet by their ill carriage they made it a businese of fourty yeares : so though indeed we are to go through a wilderness , & a difficult work , yet through our ill carriage we make it more difficult . let us take heed we do not make it more difficult really , by our complaints of it ; we complaine things are difficult when indeed they are not so in themselves , but because of the sluggishness of mens spirits in making complaints of the difficulty of the work . . againe be not all poring upon the difficulty , and looking at those things that are hard and may discourage you in the work that god set you about , but look at those things that may encourage you also , if there be any hardness in a work , men are alwaies looking upon that and they never look upon any sweet that may incourage them , it is never like that they shall goe on ; children if they have a sore upon the body the finger usually will be touching of that though it makes the sore to be worse , and causeth it to be more and more angry , and keeps it from healing : so many if they have any thing that is hard in their work , their thoughts will be upon that . difficulties in any work are like to bitter pills , that god gives us to take down : but what a childish thing were it for any that have pills to take down that are bitter , for them to chew them ; no marvel then though they spit them out and do not swallow them , they should swallow them down and not chew them : and so when god gives us any bitter pills , we must not alwaies be chewing of them in our thoughts but free the command of god , and so go on in our work . and labor to swallow difficulties as much as we can , we have a notable place for this purpose in psal . , . rejoyce the soul of thy servant , for unto thee o lord do i lift up my soul , for thou lord art good and ready to forgive , and plenteous in mercy unto al them that cal upon thee . thus we apply it ; the cause why many go so drooping in their way , and have no joy and comfort in any of their waies , is because they look downward in the dark , if a man were in the bottom of a deep pit , and alwaies looks downward he could never see light ; if he would see light , he must look upward to the sun : so mark the way of david . rejoyce the soul of thy servant , for unto thee o lord do i lift up my soul . if david had let his heart alwaies fall downward he would never had joy in his way , but when he would have joy he lift up his heart , so if there be any work that is difficult and your hearts are troubled , would you have that which should rejoyce you ? lift up your soules to god in those incouraging waies that he presents to you . for thou lord art good and ready to forgive , and plenteous in mercy . here is a way to get mercy , he lifts up his soul and looked upon god as good and ready to forgive , and plenteous in mercy . i appeale to you when did you lift up your soules , and look up to god as plenteous in mercy , you alwaies looked downward in the bottome of the pit and see the blackness of gods justice ready to seize upon you , but you should lift up your soul to god , and look to the sun , we should not alwaies be poring , upon those things that are difficult , but see those things that are incouraging . . do not make use of difficulties in your way to reason against your work , or to make you out of love with your work , but to reason against your hearts : indeed it is an hard work , but it is through my wretched sluggish heart , and because i do not make use of the means , and abilities that god affords me , many that have less means and helps then i , can go through harder works then i , and so labor to reason against your own hearts , and not the work , many when they feel the work , hard reason against the work : the lord knows i strive and do what i can , but i have so many letts and hinderances , god does not come in with his grace , to help me , and i can do nothing without god , how comes it to pass nothing is done ? because the work is hard , or because you do not use what power god gives to do it withall : now the safest way is rather to reason against your selves , that you have not done what you can , but you rather put off al the guilt from your selves and justify your selves , and that is all the reason why nothing is done , it is because the work is hard , and you have so many hinderances , and that god hath not given you his power : but if you look into your own hearts , you will find another reason , it is not so much the hardness of the work as the ill disposition of your hearts : and that should be your care not to reason against the work because it is difficult , but against your hearts . and to conclude all , this is all i say : we should labor to harden our selves by our faith against all difficulties : as unbeleefe is a hardning sin one way , so faith is a hardning grace another way , unbelief hardens in that which is evil , and faith hardens in that which is good : acts , . . but when divers were hardned and beleeved not . they were hardned because they did not beleeve , and faith hath the contrary effect , and wil do as much in that which is good , as unbelief can do in that which is evil : as unbelief wil make a man or woman so hard , as to be as iron to that which is good , so faith wil make a man as iron to that which is evil , and therefore the prophet jeremiah is compared to iron and steel , jer. . . shall iron break the northern iron and the steel ? god hath revealed himself to him gratiously , and he was hardned by it , now of all graces especially faith doth make the heart as iron , for god , as unbelief doth make the heart as iron to stand out against god : and therefore is the exhortation of the apostle , peter . . . ad to your faith vertue : the word ( virtus ) comes from strength because every vertue puts forth strength , so it is as much as if he should say , ad to your faith strength , put it forth strongly , that it may help you against strong difficulties , with a war-like power , vertue hath a power to oppose enemies : and so ad to your faith vertue . and if we do so , know it will be a very honorable thing , it is an honor to god , & honor to us , for us to go through difficult things , it is honor to god : as davids men that endured so much that broke through an host for to get him water , it was an honor to him , and so for us to do difficult things for god , it is an honor to god , and it is honorable to us , non so honorable as those that have gone through difficult works , it will make them honorable to others , as some observe from that place , in . cant. . if shee be a wal we will build upon her , a palace of silver . if shee be a wal to stand out against opposition , and temptation , we wil build upon her a palace of silver , she shal be made honorable and glorious : and so every christian if your heart be as a wall , to stand out against opposition and difficulty , and hinderances in the way of god , you shall have a pallace of silver built upon you , you shal be honorable in the eyes of god , and all his saints . and going through difficulty is a mighty strengthening to grace , and the more difficulty any go through , the more grace is strengthened . as it is a rule of any thing that opposeth another , if it do not overcome it , it strengthens it , as fire and water , if you cast so much water into fire as the fire can overcome it the fire gathernig strength to overcome the water that opposes it , burns the better : so in all oppositions : so in sin : if that a man comes to be opposed in his sinful way by the word , if the word do not overcome his lust , his lust grows stronger : and so in grace , if any lust or sin , or temptation , or any thing do come and oppose grace or any gracious act , and if they do not overcome grace , but grace overcome them , it is the stronger , and therefore let us go on in the way of god whatsoever difficulties come of it . chap. . containing a second consideration of the text , to wit , an allegoricall interpretation of moses forsaking egypt by faith. warrant for allegoricall interpretations . forsaking this world , renouncing our natural estate , a difficult work . fourteen reasons of it . now having finished the point in the literal sense , the going through that hard work which moses was set upon by god , let us speak a little concerning the allegorical sense : though that be not the thing which is especially intended , yet we know many times the holy ghost makes use of scripture in an allegorical way : and before i enter upon it , i will name two or three scriptures to shew a warrant for what i do in handling this scripture in a way of allegory . the holy ghost doth make use of scripture not only according to the primary sense , but according to the metaphorical and allegorical sense , as in psal . . . there is no speech nor language where their voice is not heard , their line is gone through all the earth , and their word is to the end of the world . this is apparently spoken of the sun and the going forth of the sun in the heavens : the heavens , and the motions in the heavens , and the great testification of gods power therein , are compared to a language and a voice : and the instruments that are to be drawn from them , are gone through the whol earth . but marke how the apostle makes use of this in a far different sense , rom. . . but i say , have they not heard ? yes verily their sound went into all the earth , and their words into the end of the world . having reference to this place he doth not go according to the direct primary sense , but he applies it to the preaching of the gospel , and the going forth of the apostles . and again in math. . . when christ was carried into egypt that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet , saying , out of egypt have i called my son. it hath reference to that prophesie in hos . . . which is meant of the calling his people out of egypt and there it is applyed to christ , and in that the holy ghost doth not only apply scripture according to the primary sense , but allegorically , and tipically we have liberty also to do so . and now we shal speak of this text in an allegorical sense two waies : and that . . in regard of the bondage we are in by nature under sin , and sathan as the israelites were in egypt under pharoah , and as moses by faith forsook egypt , so we must be delivered out of this spiritual egypt , from this spiritual bondage , that we are in by nature , under sin , and satan , by faith. . the scripture compares the power of antichrist , & the bondage that men are in under antichrist to egypt rom. . . there it is called spiritual sodom : and spiritual egypt : and as the israelites by faith , were delivered from the bondage they were in , in egypt : so faith does deliver people from the bondage of antichrist . i. then for the forsaking of egypt , we are al by nature bondslaves to sin and satan as the israelites were to the egyptians . and canaan was a tipe of heaven , and the promise of god unto them to bring them unto canaan , was to set out the condition of gods people how they should be brought to heaven : all gods waies towards the israelites in this work , were tipical to set out further things that were to be afterward . therefore by faith this egypt is forsaken , and the souls of gods people are carried on to canaan , through the wilderness of this world to heaven by faith , as they were through that wilderness to canaan : it must be faith that must carry through this difficult work . this is the difficult work of all works ; the bondage is the greatest bondage , and therefore the work is the most difficult work that may be . if we consider , . the carnal reasonings that are in mens hearts against the work of god in bringing them out of their natural estate . . if we consider the self confidences that are in men being confident of their estate , and no way sensible of their bondage . . if we consider the vaine hopes that are in the hearts of people concerning gods mercy . . if we consider the dangerous mistakes that are in people , mistaking the way of god , and the way of life , thinking they are in the way of life , when they are in the way of death . . if we consider the cursed prejudice that men have against the way of god naturally . . if we consider the strong ingagements that men have to keep them from returning . . if we consider the many lusts that are in the heart , that can never be overpowered , but by an almighty power . . if we consider the strong accusations and terrors that are in the consciences of men and women , when they come to be awakned . . if we consider the woful temptations of satan following and daunting the soul , when it would go from this egypt , as pharoah followed the israelites . . if we consider the wonderful discouragements that people have in their own thoughts , when they look into themselves , and see their disability to do any thing that is good , any unability to resist any thing that 's evil. . if we consider , the perswasions of the world from without , when they begin to forsake this spiritual egypt . . if we consider , how often times god himself seems to walk contrary to them , when they are forsaking egypt . . if we consider the difficulty of the waies of religion , at this first entrance , and the long time that the soul must have to go in through this wilderness before they come to canaan . . if we consider the great venture that the soul must make to venture its eternal estate and all its good upon the way of god that is revealed to it . these things and many others might be named , and inlarged , that make this a difficult work. chap. . how faith carries the soul through the difficult work of forsaking egypt . their works of faith. . the discovering work , in two particulars . . the relying work. . the surrendring work. question resolved concerning the force of natural conscience , in three particulars , shewing the great difference between the actings of faith and natural conscience . application , . hence see the ground of miscarriages . . a rule of direction ; incouragements to faith and beleeving . . let delivered persons see what delivered them . faith which acts by a power without us . twelve considerable and useful directions in this matter . but though it be a difficult work , yet faith carries the soul through : and brings it from this spiritual egypt : and it is only faith that doth this : the law may do somwhat to shew men their bondages ; and the spirit of bondage may make them sensible of their bondage , but this doth not deliver them ; as the children of israel when they were in bondage , they cryed out , but that did not deliver them , it was faith by which they were to go from egypt : so whatsoever there may be in a way of preparation : its faith only that delivers from it . quest . how doth faith do this ? answ . first , i wil shew how faith doth it . secondly , i wil shew whether a man may not be delivered in shew by some other things . there are three works of faith whereby we come to forsake this spiritual egypt . . the discovering work. . the relying work. . the surrendring work. first , the discovering work , its faith that discovers clearly and with power the great misteries of the gospel , the great work of god , wherein the glory of the great god appeares in providing such a way , for the reconciliation of lost man unto himself , such a glorious means of mediation for the satisfying of his justice , and for the making up of the breach that is between man and him . it s faith and only faith , that can hold out the excellency and beauty of god appearing in the gospel ; and to shew fully al that good that god intends to communicate to the children of men in this way of mediation . secondly , the discovering work of faith is , in setting before the soul not only the glory and excellency and certainty of the work of mediation in christ : but it discovers unto the soul the riches of the freeness of the grace of god in christ : it is faith that must perswade the soul that the way of deliverance comes only from free grace , that god doth justifie the ungodly , that it is nothing in the creature for which god comes to justifie . secondly : there is a relying work of faith : the soul having these things discovered in the glory and power and reality of them : faith comes to close with these things , and to cast it self upon this glorious rich free grace of god , and venture its self and all its good upon it . thirdly , the soul having thus ventured upon the free grace of god , it makes a surrender of its self up unto christ . to unite it self to him : i do not only desire to draw christ to me ; to be made mine . but i give up my self to jesus christ to be his . in uniting of two things i do not only lay one thing upon another , but joyne the other to that ; and so in uniting the soul to christ , there is not only a bringing of christ to the soul , but a surrendring of the soul to christ : to him in him , to him , and for him , and to be satisfied with him ; and when faith comes to discover with power , the glory and reality of the great misteries of the gospel , enabling it to cast and rowle it self , for all its good upon this way and surrender its self up to christ to be wholly his , here is the work of faith that delivers from this spiritual egypt . quest . but may not natural conscience help men through much difficulty in the way of deliverance from this spiritual egypt ? many come to see their bondage by sin , and seeme to be delivered , and may be it is only the strength of natural conscience , and not faith. answ . it is acknowledged that natural conscience may in a great degree deliver men from some hind of bondage under sin , and may deliver from a great deal of the power of their sin , but you shall observe the difference to be thus . first , natural conscience may help men to abstaine from sin , and set upon many duties , that it may seem they are delivered from this bondage , but whatsoever they abstaine from , and whatsoever duties they do , it is rather because conscience urgeth the necessity of it upon them , then any inward principle to approve , and like of the duties they performe , or to dislike and disapprove of the sin they abstaine from , they are forced out of egypt : but faith it doth not make men only abstain from sin , but is gives them a principle to make against sin ; and it doth not only perform duty , but the heartt is for that duty , and there is an agreeableness , and sutableness in the heart unto that duty . secondly , where it is only naturall conscience , that carries through many streights , it doth enable to do outward things , and abstaine from outward things , but there is but little inward change of the heart , it may keep them from some actions , they dare not commit such and such sins , no not in secret , though none in the world know it , but there is not an inward change in the heart . thirdly : where it is a natural conscience grace is desired for peace sake , where it is of grace the soul desires peace for the furtherance of grace . use . to apply this a little . is it faith that delivers from this spiritual egypt : hence let us see the ground of the miscarriages of most people in their deliverances from spiritual egypt : many people by the word , by the ministry of the law , they come to see their bondage , and woful wretched estate , & their consciences are much troubled , but they miscarry and it appears in the end that they were never delivered from the bondage of egypt , but they lived , and died , in egypt , and perished eternally . they were come neer to canaan , and yet they perished , and never come to canaan , because it is not faith that delivered them , they were not acquainted with the mistery of the gospel , and the covenant of grace : they must abstain from sin , be no more drunkards , and swearers , and adulterers , and sabbath breakers : they abstaine from them , and their religion is a meer natural work , and there they quiet themselves , and think they are delivered : but the glorious work of god in faith , is not mighty and powerful upon their hearts carrying their hearts to god in christ in the way of the gospel , and discovering the misteries of the gospel : and therefore they are not delivered . . hence is a rule of direction to such as are about being delivered from this spiritual egypt . are there any such , that god hath made sensible of their woful bondage and wouldest thou deliver thy soul from that spiritual bondage ? is it thy worke that thou art now about ? if any thing do it , it must be the work of faith. thou maiest get some quiet and ease by some other means , but for deliverance you can never get it but by faith : therefore do not content thy self with any reformation , that its better with thee then it hath been ; never rest till thou hast got the work of faith : and for the incouragement of such a soul to beleeve that it may be delivered by faith from that bondage , it is sensible of , and which it is now about . know , first , if thou beest sensible of thy spiritual bondage , know it is the great work that god hath set his heart upon above al the works of the world , to deliver souls from this spirituall bondage : many that are sensible of their spiritual bondage say , i am in such a condition , and will god ever regard me in this estate ? will he regard thee ? yes , know that the greatest thing that gods heart is upon , as the highest thing that he wil do , is upon those that are sensible of their spiritual bondage of this spiritual egypt to deliver them ? and though thou art not sure he wil do it for thee , yet this is a great incouragement . object , but though he may do it for others yet i am so vile , that though i have seen my sin , i have stil gone on , therefore he wil not do it for me . answ . . wherefore know in the second place that the great designe that god hath in this work , is not only to manifest his power , but to set out before men , and angels , to all eternity , the riches and glory of his free grace . and therefore those objections of thy unworthinss may be taken away : for thou maiest see god doth not intend to goe on with thee in a way of retribution or distributive justice , if thou dost so , and so and so , he wil do so , and so for thee , but he goes this way to work : that his great designe is to magnify his free grace , and whosoever he does deliver , it is for this end , to shew to men and angels , what the power of his infinite free grace is able to do ; and this is a great incouragement . . further jesus christ hath already removed all differences that are between god the father , and thy soul : the difficulties which make such a mighty vast dismal distance between god and thy soul , is the wrath of god , and the justice of god and the curse of the law : now it hath been the work of christ to take away all these difficulties : so that when thou lookest up and seest thy sin against an infinite god , that is , infinitely holy , and infinitely just , and seest the curse of the law against thee ; thou thinkest these are great difficulties , how is it possible for me to get over these : know it is the work of christ that great savior of the world , to remove those difficulties , and if he had not undertook it , it had been impossible for any soul to come to god , but he hath done it and therefore thou hast liberty to come to god ; if thou hast but an heart to venture upon his free grace , if thou saiest , how can i know , that christ hath removed these difficulties for me ? it s the work of faith that gives thee an interest . and therefore do not stay for any thing else : if thou doest but venture upon faith , thou needest not take care as those women did , who shall roule away the stone . who shall remove the difficulties of the curse of the law ? who shall pacifie the wrath of god that is burning against me for my sin ? if thou doest beleeve christ hath done it . fourthly , christ hath not only removed the difficulties between god the father , and thy soul ; but there are many gracious promises in the gospel ( for the removing of all difficulties in thy soul ) that thou hast as much right to lay claime to , as any one in the world that ever was delivered by christ : whatsoever ground any had to claime these promises , before the applying of them , thou hast the same ground ; the great hinderance that is in thee is an hard heart , a stout stubborne spirit : marke what is said ; that there shall be a way prepared for the lord : make his way strait , every high mountain shal be brought low , every valley shal be filled up , every crooked way shall be made strait , every rough way shall be made plaine . luke , . . . . now who hath right to laie hold on these promises , this applying of them doth give interest : doest thou find thy heart proud and canst not pul it down ? saies the lord every high mountaine shal be cast down dost thou say i have an unbeleeving heart , i know not how to beleeve gods word , but my heart sinks down in unbeliefe , that is as a valley dejected ? every vally shal be filled up . i have a perverse crooked heart ? every croked way shall be made strait . i have a rough knotty heart ? every rough heart , every rough way shall be made plaine : so that christ hath not only made things cleer between god and thee but in thy own soul. object . but he doth not make it clear for all . answ . thou hast as much ground to beleeve as any had before they did beleeve , i will take away thy strong heart saith god ; this is revealed to all , and therefore thou art to make use of them ; and whosoever did get good by them , they could not see any interest they had to them , more then thou canst see . use . . a third use is this , if faith be that which does deliver from this spiritual egypt : then those that are delivered , let them see what hath brought them out ; and magnifie the work of god ; let them stand and admire the grace of god in delivering them from al difficulties , and in carrying them through , that were so poor and weak as they were : know it was not thy endeavor but the work of faith , and the work of god in thee . faith workes by a power out of us , and not by our own power ; and god delivers the soul from this spiritual egypt by faith , because he would have the glory of it . therefore now if it have been a work of faith , let this exhortation prevail with you : labor to exercise your faith in going through the wilderness to canaan . there was a time you were in bondage under sin and satan and the law ; and now thou art delivered from the law , and brought to grace : is it faith hath done it ? let this faith be imployed to carry thee on through the wilderness unto canaan : and all the rules that i will give unto you , shall be from the people of israels going through the wilderness unto canaan , when they were delivered from egypt . direction . . first , they were not to stir , but upon gods direction , when the cloud and the pillar of fire went before them . so in thy way , keep close to the direction of god. let thy faith stick close to the word , and not to the direction of thine own heart . direction , . secondly , when they were delivered , this was a great evil , their murmuring because of the hardships they met withal : take heed thou beest not guilty of this : let not thy heart run out too far , to murmur against the waies of god , when you meet with any hardships : being god with his outstretched arm , and his mighty hand hath delivered thee , god forbid thou shouldest be murmuring upon every difficulty . direction , . thirdly , take heed you do not limit the holy one of israel , god was angry with them because they limited the holy one of israel , psalm . . . can god prepare a table in the wilderness ( say they ) so many when they are in the way to heaven , and they find any difficulty , can god help such a one as i ( say they ) take heed of limiting god ; do not propound limits to to what god can do : no nor to what god wil do . direction , . fourthly , take heed of slighting any thing that god gives you , as they did , when they were delivered , and had manna , say they , what is this manna ? exod. . . numh. . . they slight it , take heed you be not guilty of this spirituality : when god feeds you with manna , you say they are but huskes . and when god gives you his grace , you say they are but such things as hypocrites may have , and slight all . direction , . fifthly , take heed of having hard thoughts of god : as when they came into the wilderness the scripture saies deut. . . they said god brought them thither because he hated them , and meant to destroy them : so many out of the frowardness of their hearts , ( and that i tremble to speak of ) when god is in a gracious way , in doing good to them , and in bringing them to himself upon every difficulty they find , they are ready to say god does all this but to aggravate my sin , and because he hates me , and that my condemnation might be the more grievous , if i had never known so much , and never had such convincings of conscience , and had never prayed so much , my condemnation had not been so great ? this is an horrible abusing of the grace of god , just like those that were delivered out of egypt , this is because god hates us ( say they ) and means to destroy us it is true god hath wrought upon mee more then others but it is to aggravate my condemnation : let not us have such hard thoughts of god. direction , . sixthly , observe their way in the wilderness : and take heed of being discouraged by any hardship thou meerest withall in thy way ; they said . numb . . . . the land was a good land , but there were the anakins , and giants , and they should never overcome them . so many reason , heaven is a blessed place , but there are such oppositions , the children of anak , such strong lusts , and corruptions , they shall never overcome such giant like , anakish corruptions : but as david said , psalm . . . . one day i shall perish by the hand of saul . so one day i shall perish by the hand of my lusts . direction , . in the seventh place , take heed of a passionate throwing off all , as they did when they heard of the anaks , and of opposition . numb . , . let us make a captaine to returne againe into egipt : so when men are in their way from egypt going to canaan , they meet with strong oppositions within and without , and they say we had as good cast off all , and go back againe ; take heed of flinging off all . direction , . eightly , take heed of giving the least way to any lusting of thy heart after former corruptions , exod. . . . they would be lusting after their onions and flesh pots in egypt , and so were ready to commit sin . so many , when god is in the way of working his grace , they are ready to think what they had formerly , and they were not so strictly bound before , & they have some hankerings of heart after former lusts : and though thou darest not conclude i wil go and commit such and such sins , i say though thou doest not conclude , yet thy heart and thoughts have some hankerings after them ; take heed of that . direction , . ninthly , take head of forgetting gods dealings with thee , as they did when they were going to canaan notwithstanding god did such great things for them : psal . . . they presently forget them . so god did much for thee and thou forgeitest the gracious dealings of god ; god takes that very ill . direction , . tenthly , take heed of resting in means as they did when moses was absent : exod. . . we wote not what is becom of this moses : and they knew not what to do , they made them other gods. so many depend on meanes , and if such and such means faile us we shall never be able to go on . direction , . eleventhly , be not too hasty in applying any comfort any further then god gives leave , but be waiting upon god in his way and labor to cast thy self upon the promises ; you cannot be too hasty to believe , and rest your selves upon the promises , but to have eager desire of comfort , there may be too much hast . num. . . to the end . when god had them not go into canaan they would , and they fell by their enemies . so wait upon god , and see what he would have thee to doe , stay for to have comfort handed in by god and wait for his time . direction , . and lastly , take heed thou be not discouraged , beause the meanes is but weake thou hast to help thee . when they came to canaan the great city jericho , what have they to overcom it ? jos . . . . the preists must goe with rams-hornes and blow seven times about the city and the walls should fall down . a poore weake meanes , they might say ; have we been fourty yeares in the wilderness , and come to the strong city , and have no other meanes to help us but rams-hornes ? yet this is gods way : if we reason with flesh and blood , when we meet with difficulties , and look upon means , we shal turne back again , look not at means , but rest on faith and that faith which hath brought thee out of egypt , will carry thee on : and thus we have finished the first allegory . chap . containing the second allegorical sense of the words , viz. concerning antichrist . the wickedness of sodom and egypt , compared with the wickedness of antichrist . . idolatry . . cruelty . the bondage of christians under antichrist . . outward , in estates , and lives , . inward , a soul bondage . the baseness of this shewed in several particulars , concerning ceremonies worse then egyptian bondage . faith must deliver us , deliverance difficult in several particulars . the work of faith in delivering people from this bondage , in . or . considerations . quest , whether men may not reject the yoke of antichrist upon other grounds besides faith ? answ . in . particulars . the second allegory , is the bondage under antichrist , and faith doth carry also from that bondage , from that egypt : the seat of antichrist , and the bondage that we are in under antichrist is called in scripture , egypt . . rev. . and their dead bodies shal lie in the streets of the great city , which spiritually is caled sodom , and egypt : but because it is said , where also our lord was crucified : therefore some of the papists would have it meant of jerusalem : but he doth neither speak of the thing , nor the place litterally , but it is spiritually sodom , and spiritually egypt : and so , where christ is spiritually crucified , so that in a metaphorical sense , the cheif seat of antichrist is sodom , and egypt and spiritually christ is crucified there , there is no place in which christ is more crucified then in rome , in regard of his members . besides if you wil speak of christs being crucified literally , it may be said likewise of rmoe , because he was crucified by the roman power , & roman authority : but by comparing this place with other places in revelation , it must be meant , that in that place rome is sodom and egypt : i might spend much time in making comparisons between the most abominable wickednesses that were in sodom and egypt , and that are in that place . first , antichrist is like egypt , in regard of the most gross idolatries , of all places egypt was counted the most gross idolatrous place . they did not only worship the sun , moon , & stars , as other nations did , but cats and onions , and any base creatures : so the papists worship stocks , and stones , and all kind of holy reliques , even the haire that came from the taile of that beast that christ rode on ; and most base , vile things , that are too base to abuse an auditory to rehearse . secondly , it is compared to egypt in respect of the cruelty of the church of rome , none were so cruel and vild as egypt : and so of all men those that are under antichrist are more cruel , as if they were messengers came from hell to shew the power of malignant spirits : and therefore they are said , to be drunken with blood , and so have their clothes died in scarlet with the blood of the saints . rev. . . . . but the chiefe thing i aime at is to shew the bondage christians are in under antichrist , & the work of faith in delivering from it . the bondage under antichrist is , . outward , in estates and lives . . inward , a soul bondage . . an outward bondage , doth not he challenge power over kings and princes , and to free people from loyalty to their princes , that except there were a delusion upon the hearts of the great ones upon earth , it were unpossible for them to submit unto that base bondage . many crie out of the godly that they are no good subjects , they do not love to be under government , but what do you think of papists , that do teach for to free subjects from their loyalty : a papist hath this expression concerning antichrist , the pope their head , he is the sheppard , and the kings and princes are dogs , and if dogs will do their duty , they must be at their masters command , but if they will be lazey , and bite and not do as they ought , the sheppard must remove them . and for their estates : it s a woful estate that countries are in , in regard of their estates . i read a speech of bonner , in a preface to the treatise of gardener ; that the pope had neere as much out of england yeerly , as the revenues of the crown came to . and it was the speech of innocent the fourth pope of that name england was his pleasant garden and a wel that never was drawn dry and in england many things grew , & abounded and many things were to be had from it : so that the estates of men are in great bondage where antichrist prevails : as also , the lives , and liberties of men . . but especially , the thing which i will a little stick in , is the soul bondage , thus we have it in rve. . . the merchandise was slaves , and souls of men . so that men that are under antichrist are slaves , and if there were but a true heroicall spirit in men , they would not suffer themselves to be under that slavery : though they seem to be the bravest spirits , yet being under antichrist they are slaves : and the souls of men are his merchandise : the souls of men are under bondage . first , this is a base subjection and slavery of the souls of men under antichrist , in that he takes upon him to make articles of faith : that they are bound in conscience , upon paine of damnation to beleive , whatsoever he shal say in his chaire is infallible : what a base bondage is this ? when as we know what most abominable , sodomitical , horrible monsters have been in that chaire , and yet they shall be bound upon paine of damnation , to beleeve , whatsoever they say is infallible . secondly , whatsoever his decrees are ( though having no footing in the word ) they are bound in conscience to obey upon paine of damnation : so that if it were possible to obey all gods commandements , they may be damned for want of obedience , to some one of antichrists comands , which must needs be a miserable bondage for any man to make a new command , that is not under the command of god , and to make damnation to be the punishment of disobedience to it , then men are in danger of damnation a hundred of waies more then for sinning against gods law. thirdly , those that are under antichrist are under great bondage in being kept from the rule of life , from the scriptures , wherein the counsels of gods will , concerning their eternal estate are revealed : those that are slaves are kept in dangers , and cannot have the priviledges of subjects , or of children : so antichrist keeps all under him in the most base slavery , in depriving of them from this priviledg of children , that they cannot know the mind of their fathers , and the great things of god , that concerns their eternal estate ; what man that knows any thing of those great things concerning his eternal estate , would be under that slavery ? and yet if so be we had continued under the bondage of antichrist , we must have been deprived of this . fourthly , if they hear any thing of the word , they are bound to take no other interpretation , but the churches , the preists give them , though it be never so gross , now to bind mens consciencs to this , is a most abinable bondage , and yet what vile interpretations ? if it is blasphemy for the devil to say , he will ascend and be like the highest , no less to make god descend to be like the prince of darkness , to set the kings stamp upon false coyne , now to bind mens consciences to their wicked interpretations of scripture , this is a most abominable bondage . . this is a great bondage that no ordinance can be administred but by the power of antichrist , and those he shall give power unto ; and this is a great bondage to the church to be stinted in gods ordinances : they are the churches priviledges , especially that of prayer the spirit of prayer and supplication , is one of the especial priviledges of the church . gal. . . because you are sons , god hath sent forth the spirit of his son into your hearts crying abba father . there he speakes of the liberty of gods people as they are sons , & they have the fruit of their son-ship : now when as god doth give his spirit to his church as part of their liberty ; for them to be restrained in their liberty to pray just no more then the pope shal appoint , and so to have no ordinances but according to his power ; what abominable bondage is this , and what heart that knows any true christian liberty , would be in such a bondage . . he takes upon him power of absolving and binding , keeping men under the guilt of sin , and loosing of them from it when he pleases . from this power over mens consciences , is commited all manner of villanie . another bondage which is greater then all , is that he keeps men under the rigor and curse of the law by keeping men off from christ , and teaching the doctrin of justification to be by the works of the law , he keeps them under the bondage of the law , and under the rigour and curse of the law , and so keeps al that are under him from that precious liberty that christ hath purchased by his blood to deliver us from the law : and this is a greater burden then the other , this is a damnable bondage that doth indanger eternal destruction ; the other is not so dangerous . . he takes away al christian liberty in regard of the use of the creature , restraining the use of the creature , and time , and place . . the ninth is the bondage of human ceremonies ; we know that is a heavy bondage : the bondage of the ceremonies of the law was great . and the apostle said acts , . . it was a yoke , that neither they nor their fathers could beare . but the yoak of the papists is a great deale heavier . if we were to chuse to to be under al the ceremonies of the law , which the jews were under , which the apostle said was a yoak that we nor our fathers were able to beare , or to be under the ceremonies of the papists , if we did choose according to wisdom , we should rather chuse to be under al the ceremonies of the jews : yet if we read the . of gal. we shal see it was a great priviledg to be delivered from them . and if we were under the power of any to appoint religious ceremonies in the church . we have no benefit by the purchase of christ to deliver us from the ceremonial law , for it is a great deale better and easier to be under the ceremonies of the law then to have any man appoint ceremonies ; in several respects . . because the ceremony of the law was by divine institution : but when man appoints ceremonies they are but human , and any man had rather yield and be under the power of gods appointing ceremonies , then be under the power of men : you had rather be under princes then under meane officers ; so you had better be under the power of god , then under the power of man ; yet in the . col. they are called beggerly rudiments . . there is a great deale of doubt and scruple about the ceremonies of men : suppose that upon some distinctions we may yield to human ceremonies , yet it is not without doubt and scruple , but under the law there was no doubt nor scruple , and we had better be under a hundred where there is no scruple , then under one where there is doubts and scruples . . againe , those ceremonies were typicall , and the presence of god might be with them , and a spirituall efficacie might be expected ; but as for the ceremonies of men , there can be no such thing expected with them , and therefore it is apparent that the jews under the ceremonies of the law were in a better condition , then the christians should be in now , if they were under the power of any to appoint ceremonies , and therefore to be under the power of those that do appoint ceremonies , that is a miserable bondage . . again another bondage that they are in is , that they are urged to the waies of idolatry , and sin by violence , without regarding the weakness of any , or seeking to inform any , not regarding that place , ezek. . . when god complaines , they did rule his people with cruelty : and if any be weak and desire to be informed they jeer at them , and say a prison , or a fire , or a fagot , shall inform them . these and many other things might be named , to shew the most abominable and vilde bondage that those are in that are under antichrist ; but put both together the outward and the inward bondage , to be under those that are of such base and vile spirits this is mightily against the spirit of an ingenious man : and for a church of god , a thousand congregations , to be under the power of a base , filthy abominable , whoremaster , that is known to be so , to be troubled by him when he please , what a most horrible bondage is this ? and so for any congregation to be , in which there may be thousands of souls , to be under the power of a tapster , or hostler , or any base fellow , this is a mighty bondage : as now suppose a rich man die , and he hath a kinsman , though never so vile and base , then his land coming to him he hath the advowzen of the place , then may be he sends two or three hundred miles for a preist , may be one like himself , and though he be never such a blasphe men , and base fellow and swearer , then they not knowing of him , and so having nothing to say against him , they cannot keep him from the place ; now that one though never so wild , should have such power , to appoint whom he will , any drunkard , where master priest over such a congregation , and they must depend upon him , to have the ordinances of god administred by him this is a sore bondage . bondslaves are fed meerly with chaffe and brunn , so with what chaffe and husks are those fed withal that are under antichrist : many people are loath to submit to the true government of christ , to the true ministers of the gospel ; if they tell them of any sin they are guilty of , their hearts belk and swel , and they will not yeild , yet they will submit to the officers of antichrst , and they wil rule over them and do with them what they will. as saint paul saies in cor. . . for ye suffer , if a man bring you into bondage , if a man devoure you , if a man take of you , if a man exalt himself , if a man smite you on the face . other false teachers you can suffer , but the true apostles you cannot suffer them , if one come in his own name , you receive them , i come in my fathers name , and you reject me saies christ . john , . . and so many complain of the ministers of god , they take so much upon them , & they wil not yield to that they say , but if you live under popery you must live under every base preist , and what he saies you must believe as your faith , & venture your souls upon it , without examining of it , and you must not manifest any rejection : so that is apparent men wil yeild to any things rather then to god , rather count the subjection to god bondage , then count the subjection to antichrist bondage , rather be servants to antichrst , then servants to god. i speak this the rather , to see what cause we have to bless god for our deliverance from this : and that we may learn to know how to use our liberties . this bondage is worse then the bondage of egypt . . because it is soul bondage , and that was but upon the body , we do not read that pharoah or the egyptians did force them to idolatry . . it was not so great bodily bondage , they did not destroy them , they laid heavy burdens upon them , but did not put them to death , as antichrist doth , if they wil not submit unto them . . it was their misery to be under that bondage but not their sin : but it is a sin to be under the bondage of antichrist , look how much difference there is between misery and sin , so much difference there is betwixt their bondage , and the bondage of antichrist . . they were liable to the bondage of egypt , but they were not liable to the plagues of egypt : they were free from them , but those that are under the bondage of antichrist are liable to the plagues that shall come upon antichrist . but it must be faith that must deliver from this bondage , it is a difficult work , as it was a difficult thing to be delivered from egypt , so it is a difficult thing ( that cannot be done without faith ) to be delivered from this . . wee know most part of the christian world is educated , and the principles that are dropt into them from them are antichristian principles . . though it be a bondage , there is a great deale of outward pomp and glory in their idolatrous worship , that does much take sensual people , that doe live by sence ; they will not worship god in such a meane way as others do , but there is a great deale of pompe and outward shew . . though it be a bondage to the soul yet they give abundance of liberty to the flesh , and though somtimes they suffer pennance , and put the flesh to some hardship somtimes , yet those that are rich may give way to their lusts , and live as they list , for they may quickly be freed with a little mony . . besides there are so many examples of great men , and learned men , and some that are godly , that doe yeild to a great part of the yoaks , and their examples are mighty ingagements . . besides , if so be they begin to flinch , presently there are such violent afflictions and persecutions ; thundring out of excomunications , and loss of estates , and so many dangers that men are in . . besides , it is hard , because in the other of christs government there are but a few meane men , and to come and yeild to them this is hard to flesh and blood , and there must be a great deal of self deniall to yeild to the government of christ , they count that the greatest bondage , especially considering there may be miscarriages , & many scandals amongst those that are godly , & do profess the waies , and ordinances , and liberties of christ , that except the heart be gracious there is a great deal of difficulty in submitting to it , and people know not what to do but rather buckle under their bondage . . besides : it is a fruit of the curse : not that all that are under that bondage are under the eternal curse ; but as all outward judgments are part of the curse , so it is a part of the curse to be under the bondage of antichrist , and not to labor to get from it . i do not say that al that are sick and weak are cursed , but it is a part of the curse ; so men that are under that bondage , are under part of the curse , that god wil give them over to beleeve lyes : and though a man hath never so much learning and understanding , yet if there be a curse of god upon it , never talk of his learning and understanding , if his parts were a hundred times more , they could not help him : it is the work of faith to deliver from it . quest . what is the work of faith in delivering people from this bondage . answer . there are these six or seven things , that delivers from this bondage under antichrist . . faith discovers unto the soul the spiritualness of the government of christ , and without that there cannot be a true deliverance from the bondage of egypt . . faith shews unto the soul the fullness of the administration of all christs offices , of his preistly , prophetical call , and kingly offices : now until the soul understands this , it is never brought off from the government of antichrist to the government of christ . . faith shews the fulness and glory that is in the world , which is the rule for ordering and guiding of us in al our waies . . faith shews the necessity of a divine rule , for a spiritual efficacy , and that no humane invention can cause a spiritual efficacy : now the settling of this principle is never done but by faith. . another work of faith is to discover the beauty and glory that is in the ordinances of christ barely administred : no man but by the eye of faith can see the true lustre , and beauty , and glory , of a divine ordinance , except there be some outward earthly excellency mingled with it : as i told you in the exposition of that place in hosea , they made them altars , god would have an altar of earth , and if they would have it of stone , they must not lift up an instrument to hew it , and grave it , but it must be plaine . now a carnal eye cannot see the beauty of gods ordinances , unless it have some outward excellency . it must be the eye of faith , to discover the beauty of christs ordinances , in the naked beauty of them : and till that they are not willing to come from under the power of antichrist . . faith discovers to the soul the reality , and certainty of all the admirable and glorious promises that are in the gospel , made unto the true church of god : promises of the glorious presence of god with his people ; and promises of abundance of spiritual good , as it might ask half an hour to shew some excellent promises that are made to the church , which a carnal eie doth not see : but faith discovers there is abundance of certainty and reality in them , and when by faith they see them , this takes off , and enables them to go through any difficulties to be partakers of them . . again , faith does discover the fearful threats against those that follow antichrist , and those ( revel . . , . ) that do receive the mark of the beast but in their hand secretly : they shall have their portion in the lake that burns for ever , and shall be cast out from the presence of the lord. they that read these threats make nothing of them ; but when they read them by faith then the soul trembles , and feares , till it comes from under that bondage , it hears a voice continually crying to it : revel . . . come out from among them oh my people , come out , least being partaker of their sin , you also be partakers of their plagues : now faith by discovering these things brings the heart from under that antichristian bondage . quest . but may not men reject the yoake of antichrist upon other grounds besides faith ? answ . many times a spirit of contradiction may bring them from under the yoke of antichrist , though one good cannot be opposite to another good , yet one evil may be opposite to another evil , and many men may oppose the government of antichrist by that which is evil in them , but if it be not by the principle of faith it is not right , and it may be upon other principles . quest . but how shall we know that we do forsake this bondage from antichrist by faith. answ . i will give you some notes to shew you who those are that are delivered from this egypt by faith. and who those are that seem to be delivered upon other grounds . . those that are delivered by faith are those that are wel grounded in the doctrinal and maine points of religion : faith can never work off the soul from the government and ceremonies of antichrist , unless it be well grounded in the doctrine and principles of religion if i see men crie out of antichrist , and of the government of antichrist , and it appears that they have not a competent measure of knowledg in the grounds of religion and principles of faith , they are to be suspected : as many : come and examine them about church government , and they wil tell you a great deale ( not but that christians should labor to have knowledg in that ) but come to examine them the principles of religion , and there they are silly and ignorant : if they be not grounded in them it appears it is not a work of faith. . if it be a work of faith , it is a work of much humiliation , and prayer ; was there a time you were under the power and bondage of antichrist ? how came you from under it ? did god shew you the evil of it ? and you sought god in much humiliation and prayer , for the taking off your hearts from it , and shewing you his good way and did you find your hearts comming off , was by that meanes , that is a good argument it was of faith ; but many their consciences tell them , it was not a work of humiliation and prayer that brought off their hearts , they are to be feared . . if it be a work of faith it alwaies le ts in light : as in the point of the government of christ ; many cry out against antichristian government : and come and examine them about it , and they have no more light , no other arguments , nor further understanding then before but only a bitterness of spirit against it : if a man grow bitter against those things which before he yeilded too , he had need have more light , but if they grow exceeding bitter against them and have no further light and understanding then before , it is an argument it is a distemper of heart , rather then any thing else . and therefore casting off all at once is very suspitious ; where it is of faith god lets in light by degrees . it s said of luther in his reformation , first he saw the evil of one thing , and then the evil of another , and so by degrees saw the evil of all : and so those that forsake the bondage of antichrist . by faith , first god makes them suspect their way , surely this is not the right way , there is some better way , and then they fall a praying and humbling of themselves , and they fall examining , and so they come to see the evil of one thing , and then they examine another , and so light comes in by degrees , and then their hearts rise against them , and if according to the measure of light that you have , your hearts do come off , that is a good signe . . if you break from antichrist by faith , it will make you a separate from the world aswel as separate from them : many are separates from any thing that hath but the least dependancy upon antichristian government but they conform themselves to the world , that there appears no difference between them and the world , in their loose courses : that man that is a conformist to the world , is not a non-conformist to antichrist by faith. . if faith take you off from the bondage under antichrist it wil take you off from the bondage under any lust . that man that hath not the power of faith , to take him off from any lust , that man is not by faith taken off from the bondage of antichrist . if faith delivere from the bondage under antichrist , it will deliver from the bondage under sin , and sathan , and therefore though men do crie out of the bondage of antichrist never so much , and yet they go on under the bondage of any lust , it is not of faith. . that soul that is taken from under the power of antichrist by faith , is subject to the power and goverment of christ and the word : if faith takes from the one , it puts under the other : nothing but the word can be the ground of faith , and if faith takes a soul from under the bondage of antichrist , such a soul finds the word comes with divine power , and majesty upon the heart ; and it laies a trembling heart under the power and majesty of the word , and it dares not goe from it , no not in no other thing . you plead for the word in such and such things , but there are other things you do not yield to the power of the word in , this is very suspitious : those that by faith are brought from the power of antichrist , their hearts are put mightily under the power of the word , and they ly with trembling spirits before the majesty and authority of the word . . if it be faith that takes off the heart , such a one is not content that he is taken from under the antichristian government , unless he meetes with christ in the ordinances : he does not content it self with the bare huskes , and to make all his religion to consist meerly in church discipline , and church constitution , and to think therefore , he hath religion enough , because he hath the ordinances , and yet never finds any panting of heart , after union and communion with christ jesus in this way of church government , but goes on from year to year , mearly in the outward performances of religion . i do not speak against the thing it self but to shew it is not of faith , if men do not pant after union with christ , if they be not sensible of the want of it , and do not labor for the enjoyment of it . . if it be faith that brings thee from this way , certainly thou wilt grow more spirituall : as thy heart will pant after christ ; so there wil be a spiritualness of thy soul in the waies of christ , because thou comest neerer to the rule : and this is the difference between actions of religion , and civil actions ; civil actions that are done by civil rule have not alwaies success , but a spirituall action that is done by the rule , that hath a spirituall success , though not an outward success , it does make the heart ever more spirituall : but for people though they be come from the yoake of antichrist , yet to be as dead as ever no more spiritualness in their way then before , no more savour of godliness in their society and company then before : those that knew them before can say ; i knew them a great deale more spirituall and savoury in that which is good then they are now , this is a dangerous thing . . againe , if it be out of faith , such a one will give all the glory unto god for his deliverance , and he wil walk humbly in his own eyes , and think , i was disobedient , and wretched and should have gone on in that way , but god by his grace and power hath come , and hath taken off my heart , and it does magnifie the grace of god ; it doth not perke up it self , and contemne others , to think i have got more wisdom , and understanding then others , and so attribute it to his wit , and understanding ; but it gives the glory to god , and instead of censuring others , he prays for them , and saies it is not all the arguments under heaven can convince them , for i had arguments enough , but they were all as nothing , til it pleased god by his grace to set them upon my heart , and so though they may see arguments as wel as i , they will not do : therefore he pitties others and prays for them ; and he hath a reverent respect to the grace of others , though they be not in the same way that he is in , & he doth not presently cast them off saying , surely there is no grace , and godliness in them , this is a signe of a proud spirit ; there are none that are gracious but know there was a time when they went on in that way , and yet they did not goe against their light , but were willing to understand gods mind , and yet til god came in , their hearts were not taken off : and therefore they learn to have good thoughts of those that are godly , though in other waies . but especially , if it were out of faith that you were brought from this antichristian bondage , it will not leave in thee the spirit of antichrist : many are far from being under antichristian bondage , and yet have an antichristian spirit , a spirit of pride , a domineering spirit , a crooked , perverse spirit : and this is a great evil , that in the way of christ , there should be manifested an antichristian spirit : this should be lamented with tears of blood . now so much as an antichristian spirit does rule in any , though they be from under his goverment , so much it is to be suspected , it was not the work of faith , but somwhat else that took them off . we should have the spirit of christ , the spirit of love , and humillity , and gentleness , and peace , and as we would make it appear , we are taken off from the yoak of antichrist by faith let us shew the spirit of christ , as faith hath taken us off from antichristian power , so we should exercise faith to go on in the waies of christ , as beseems those that are delivered from antichristian power . finis . notes, typically marginal, from the original text notes for div a -e eorum certitudo , a. mont. interli● . jerusalems glory breaking forth into the world being a scripture-discovery of the new-testament church in the latter dayes, immediately before the second coming of christ. burroughs, jeremiah, - . approx. kb of xml-encoded text transcribed from -bit group-iv tiff page images. text creation partnership, ann arbor, mi ; oxford (uk) : - (eebo-tcp phase ). a wing b estc r ocm this keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the early english books online text creation partnership. this phase i text is available for reuse, according to the terms of creative commons . universal . the text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for 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(eebo-tcp ; phase , no. a ) transcribed from: (early english books online ; image set ) images scanned from microfilm: (early english books, - ; : ) jerusalems glory breaking forth into the world being a scripture-discovery of the new-testament church in the latter dayes, immediately before the second coming of christ. burroughs, jeremiah, - . adderley, william. [ ], p. printed by j.a. and are to be sold by most booksellers, london : . "preached ... by ... mr. jeremiah burroughes"--p. [ ] "to the christian reader" signed: william adderley. reproduction of original in the union theological seminary library, new york. created by converting tcp files to tei p using tcp tei.xsl, tei @ oxford. re-processed by university of nebraska-lincoln and northwestern, with changes to facilitate morpho-syntactic tagging. gap elements of known extent have been transformed into placeholder characters or elements to simplify the filling in of gaps by user contributors. eebo-tcp is a partnership between the universities of michigan and oxford and the publisher proquest to create accurately transcribed and encoded texts based on the image sets published by proquest via their early english books online (eebo) database (http://eebo.chadwyck.com). the general aim of eebo-tcp is to encode one copy (usually the first edition) of every monographic english-language title published between and available in eebo. eebo-tcp aimed to produce large quantities of textual data within the usual project restraints of time and funding, and therefore chose to create diplomatic transcriptions (as opposed to critical editions) with light-touch, mainly structural encoding based on the text encoding initiative (http://www.tei-c.org). the eebo-tcp project was divided into two phases. the , texts created during phase of the project have been released into the public domain as of january . anyone can now take and use these texts for their own purposes, but we respectfully request that due credit and attribution is given to their original source. users should be aware of the process of creating the tcp texts, and therefore of any assumptions that can be made about the data. text selection was based on the new cambridge bibliography of english literature (ncbel). if an author (or for an anonymous work, the title) appears in ncbel, then their works are eligible for inclusion. selection was intended to range over a wide variety of subject areas, to reflect the true nature of the print record of the period. in general, first editions of a works in english were prioritized, although there are a number of works in other languages, notably latin and welsh, included and sometimes a second or later edition of a work was chosen if there was a compelling reason to do so. image sets were sent to external keying companies for transcription and basic encoding. quality assurance was then carried out by editorial teams in oxford and michigan. % (or pages, whichever is the greater) of each text was proofread for accuracy and those which did not meet qa standards were returned to the keyers to be redone. after proofreading, the encoding was enhanced and/or corrected and characters marked as illegible were corrected where possible up to a limit of instances per text. any remaining illegibles were encoded as <gap>s. understanding these processes should make clear that, while the overall quality of tcp data is very good, some errors will remain and some readable characters will be marked as illegible. users should bear in mind that in all likelihood such instances will never have been looked at by a tcp editor. the texts were encoded and linked to page images in accordance with level of the tei in libraries guidelines. copies of the texts have been issued variously as sgml (tcp schema; ascii text with mnemonic sdata character entities); displayable xml (tcp schema; characters represented either as utf- unicode or text strings within braces); or lossless xml (tei p , characters represented either as utf- unicode or tei g elements). keying and markup guidelines are available at the text creation partnership web site . eng bible. -- o.t. -- isaiah lxii, -- sermons. church -- biblical teaching -- sermons. sermons, english -- th century. - tcp assigned for keying and markup - spi global keyed and coded from proquest page images - robyn anspach sampled and proofread - robyn anspach text and markup reviewed and edited - pfs batch review (qc) and xml conversion jervsalems glory breaking forth into the world being a scripture-discovery of the new-testament-church in the latter dayes , immediately before the second coming of christ . london , printed by j. a. and are to be 〈…〉 most booksellers . ● . to the christian reader . this precious treatise of the new testament church in the latter dayes , preached many years a-go by that evangelical prophet , mr. jeremiah burroughes ; was committed to us by a citizen of zion , to whose ready pen the world is much engaged , for preserving the mantles of divers of our late elijah's , which they let fall from their pulpits , before they went to heaven . if thou hast seen and tasted that gracious and warm spirit , which runs through his many other vvorkes , published by himself and his brethren ; it will certainly encrease in thee a spiritful thirst and longing after what else he hath received from his lord and master , and hath freely communicated , as his embassadour to his people , which are yet to be printed . the principal scope of this small , though weighty book , is , to give us scriptural notice that jesus christ will usher in his second coming , by making jerusalem , ( his church ) a praise in the earth , ( a glory throughout the world. ) this is plainly demonstrated according to the word by this apollos , mighty in the scriptures , and an interpreter one of a thousand . therefore seriously peruse every text without a prejudicate opinion , judge not rashly , lest thou be judged : for this master-builder hath set before thee , nothing but that which is grounded upon the pillar of truth , and which is according to the golden reed of the sanctuary . here is a singular collection of several scriptures of the old and new testament , looking one the other in the face , ( as the cherubims of gold did , which moses made at each end of the mercy seat ) and shaking hands together for the more evident and firm demonstration of this great gospel-truth , following the apostles rule , comparing spiritual things , with spiritual things ; so that you will find this soul-ravishing point , ( that christ's church shall be the praise and glory of all the world ) as the light of the sun , breaking forth more and more , to a perfect mid-day of glory . oh! how welcome will that day of christ's espousals and coronation , be to his love-sick spouse ; as the dove with the olive leaf was to noah , or the re-appearing of the star to the wise men ! let us resolve in the strength of christ ( who is the only supream head of his church ) constantly to make it our solemn business to plead at the throne of grace , those glorious prophesies and promises in his name , in whom they are yea and amen , even till he establish , and till he make jerusalem a praise ; till he have not only laid the foundations with saphirs , but finished this city of pearl ; not only brought forth the corner stone , but the top stone of jerusalem : and all the earth with shouting , cry , grace , grace to it . th . of this d. month , . less than the least of jerusalems remembrancers , william adderley . the epistle . the publisher of these sermons , is desirous they might pass with testimonial into the world , that they might pass with the greater freedom . but indeed the name of the author , so well known , may be sufficient argument for their reception in every place . these sermons are but some fragments , of the vvorthy authors judicious and pious labours ; but christ gave order to his disciples that the fragments should not be lost . faith may here find some food ; as it takes a prospect of the glory , that is hereafter to be revealed . for here you have the author's sentiments about the last times , and of the catastrophe of all things at last ; after the dragon and the beast have acted their parts in their opposition to the lamb , and his followers , wherein he hath presented to our view the many ancient prophesies recorded in scripture , that bear witness to these things . so far as you see prophetick light shine before you , take heed to it , which is all that is desired of the reader , and by the publisher . who having this commodity , i mean this copy lying by him ; was willing to bring it forth , as men bring corn and other necessaries to market for publick use and benefit ; only remember , that it was not in the author's intention for to have it so . had his own hand been upon the frame , you should have seen the lines drawn with more accuracy , and the truth more fully searched into . and if any hath thoughts different from the author 's in these ensuing sermons ; let him shew , however , that respect to so reverend a man , as to reject nothing rashly that is asserted by him ; and if he doth not receive , let him consider ; and let us all be waiting and preparing for the bride-groom's coming . amen , even so come lord jesus . isa. . v. . and give him no rest , till he establish , and till he make jerusalem a praise in the earth . sermon i. in the former chapter , there are many promises of an excellent and glorious state , that god would bring his church into , in his time : with those promises , the heart of this prophet isaiah was much taken , and therefore in the beginning of this chapter , ( saith he ) for zion's sake will i not hold my peace , and for jerusalem's sake i will not rest , until the righteousness thereof go forth as brightness , and the salvation thereof as a lamp that burneth : and as he himself would not rest , nor hold his peace , so he would that all the watchmen , that were set upon the walls of jerusalem , and so after , all the ministers of the church , that they should not rest ; yea he would that they should give god no rest , until he establish and till he make jerusalem a praise in the earth . give god no rest ; he speaks here after the manner of men , to note what importunity there should be among the people of god , in seeking of god , to make good all those glorious promises that he hath made to his church , for the raising of it up to a glorious state : as a man that is importunate of any business , he is not satisfied ; if he doth petition , and nothing comes of it , he falls to it again and again , and seeks to get by importunity , and resolves that he will be at no rest . and so god speaks after this manner , not that his rest , or not rest , doth depend upon us ; but that we should be as importunate with him for so great a mercy as this is , as with any man in the world , that we were resolved , that till he had given us an answer , we would give him no rest : and give him no rest until he hath established , and made jerusalem a praise in the earth . till he establish . till he makes good his word , till the church be brought to a settled way of mercy , and into a safe and sure condition : for sometimes ( as if the prophet should say ) we find the promises beginning to work , and god is doing good for us , but at other times things seem to go back again , therefore give him no rest till he establish , till we see things settled . as you mariners , when you are to go a great voyage , you love to see the wind settled in some place or other before you go forth : so faith the prophet , sometimes we find the mercy and goodness of god much towards us ; but things have gone back again , therefore give him no rest till he hath established . and till he hath made jerusalem a praise in the earth . by jerusalem we are to understand the church of god , not so much the city jerusalem that then was , but the church of god that was to be in the times of the gospel especially , for jerusalem was a type of it . as the praise of the earth ; the septuagint translates it , and the word signifies the glory , the exaltation of the earth : till he makes jerusalem the praise of the earth . now we know that prayer ought to be in faith , then those that pray to god , and especially that are importunate with god , they must believe that there is such a thing to be done , that the church of god is to be made the praise and glory of the earth : and if they believe it is to be done , they must have some word for it . now this is the main thing , that i intend at this time to make out unto you , that there is a time that god hath , to make his church , to be the praise and glory of all the world . in this world ; to be the glory of the earth , not only to be glorious its self in heaven ; that i suppose you all believe , that there is a time that the church militant here , shall be triumphant in heaven , and glorious there ; but that there is a time that god in this earth , shall make his church to be the glory of the earth : and therefore all the saints of god , to whom the glory of god is dear , who do desire that the honour of god may be raised and set out , they are to pray for this , and to be importunate for this , as a certain thing that is to be done and fulfilled by god : now because you cannot pray for it , and be importunate , to give god no rest till you see it plainly that it will be so , therefore this thing is now to be opened unto you . the truth is , jerusalem , the church of god , hath been in a low estate alwaies , in comparison of what god intends it to be at this time , when the prophet here saith , give god no rest till he make jerusalem the praise of the whole earth . jerusalem was in no glorious condition , it was but a little before god intended a captivity of judah and jerusalem : for this prophet , ( you shall find in the beginning of his prophecy ) did prophesie in the dayes of hezekiah ; now in the sixth year of hezekiah's reign did the babilonians come and sack samaria , kings . . and took the people into captivity : and it might be ( for ought we know ) not above a year or two before their captivity , that here the prophet calls upon this people to pray to god , and give him no rest till he set jerusalem up , as the praise of the whole earth ; and yet he knew it was it to go into captivity presently ; certainly then the prophet did not intend here any time that should be in his dayes , or in any little time after . the prophet therefore must needs have a reference to some notable time of the church , that must be in after dayes , the people of the jews were never the praise of the whole earth . if you look before this time , they were unto the other people , but a contemptible people , and lived in a little countrey , one way a little more than fourscore miles ; a very little countrey it was that all the people of the jews lived in , and very contemptible in respect of the other nations of the world : therefore it was not the praise of the whole earth before . not presently after this is spoken , for they were to go into captivity , and to be there so long a time . you will say , it may be 't is meant about the time when they were to return from captivity . no not so neither , for they were but very poor and contemptible in the eyes of the world after their captivity ; for when they did return , it was but by leave , and they were but as servants unto the medes still , they were but as servants unto cyrus , and the rest of them . when they went to build the walls of jerusalem again , they scoff at them ; and what doe these feeble jews ? and if a fox goes but upon their walls , it will break them down . certainly in their return from captivity , they were not the praise of the whole earth , no nor in after times ; they had many interruptions before they could bring any thing to any effect . many learned men compute that they were longer a building the wall than they were in captivity ; and we know that it was not long after their captivity , that they all did lye at the mercy of a wicked haman , who had gotten a decree to cut off all the people of the jews ; therefore they were not in any glorious condition , no not after their return from captivity : from that time till the time that the romans came and destroyed them , they were but in a low condition , and then afterwards they were low enough : so that it could not be meant literally of jerusalem , of that place , nor of the church of the jews ; therefore it must be meant of the state of the church in the times of the gospel : now when was that as the praise of the whole earth ? certainly though it were the praise of god , and god had his praise from his church at all times ; yet now this must be meant of some eminent time that was to come , and it must be some outward glory that they must have , so as the whole earth must take notice of it . and it was not in the time of christ himself , christ himself was the glory of god , but yet in the earth he was despised , a man that had no form nor comeliness in him ; in regard of outwards , they were then under herod , and rejected christ when he came , and within a while afterwards by titus vespatian they were destroyed , and an unspeakable havock was upon jerusalem , and the people of the jews , and so they have abode to this day , to be as a runnagate nation . for the apostles , nothing was more contemptible than they ; you know what st. paul saith , not only of himself but of other of the apostles , they were made the very off-scowring of the earth , the basest things of the earth ; even the apostles themselves , they were in no outward glory before the face of the world , that they could see it . and afterwards in the primitive times , you know they were under most dreadful persecutions , how they were massacred and hackt and hew'd , and what woful misery they were put to : all this while jerusalem was not the praise of the earth . well , but after those bloody persecutions ended , then came constantine , and then they had peace , and were in a more flourishing condition . but not then neither , for presently antichrist began to rise ; then , this day is poyson poured into the church : then they fell out one with another , by their contentions ; then arrianisme began to spread all over the world ; and within a little time they were brought into a great bondage , under an antichristian power ; and so great darkness did come upon all the churches . i find mr. brightman and some others , they begin the weeks , even from the time that the church did begin to flourish in some outward pomp and glory . then began the prelatical power presently upon that , and so they reckon the time of reigning from thence ; so that jerusalem hath not been yet the praise of the whole earth to this day : therefore this that the prophet here speaks of , must be meant of some other time that yet is not come to pass ; so that we live in these times wherein we are to look for the accomplishing of this prophecy , that god should make jerusalem the praise of the whole earth , yet in another manner than ever he hath done ; and that 's the thing that i especially shall endeavour to shew you , that yet there is a time for jerusalem , for the church to be in a more glorious condition than formerly it hath been , so that we may have our spirits awakened and stirred up , not only to pray , but be instumental all that we can , for the setting up of the glory of the church of god ; god is about the working of a great work this way , and therefore it 's pity that any that have love to god , and to his cause , but that they should put on all they can by prayer , and all the wayes they can , to further such a glorious work as this is : it was that , that was the comfort of the saints of god in the primitive times , and a little after , when they suffered hard things , yet had comfort that there was a time a coming , that jerusalem should be the praise of the earth , and that jesus christ should come and reign in his church in another manner , than ever yet he did . just in martyr , that lived about thirty years after john , prophesies ( in speaking of this point ) of a glorious time of the church that should be . both my self ( saith he ) and all that are orthodox do generally hold this , that there is such a time of the glorious condition of the church . and lactantius , that lived years ago ( or more ) he spends a great many chapters in shewing the glorious condition of the church of god that should be , and they longed for it ; now we are fallen into the times that are nearer ; our salvation is nearer than when they believed , yea , or when we our selves did at first believe . and therefore as in natural things , the nearer a thing comes to the center , the faster it moves , so the nearer the people of god come to the glorious condition that god intends for his people in the latter dayes , the more should their hearts outrun them , in giving god no rest till he come to establish it : wherefore then for the opening of this , christ hath great things to do for his church in this world , in making of it the praise of the earth . i 'le first shew it you by comparing divers scriptures together . and then i 'le shew you what the state of the church is like to be , when it comes to be made the praise of the whole earth ; or what god will do for his church , when he intends it to be the praise of the whole earth . for the first , to compare some scriptures ; the scriptures are very remarkable , especially in the prophet isaiah , compared with divers scriptures in the book of the revelations ; you may see ( as it were ) how they do eccho one to another , whereby we may see apparently , that isaiah was an evangelical prophet ( as he is called by many divines . ) the first is in the . isa . v. . compared with the . rev. . v. in the . of isa . then ( speaking of god's deliverance of his church from evil , then he makes this promise ) the moon shall be confounded , and the sun ashamed , when the lord of hosts shall reign in mount zion , and in jerusalem , and before his ancients gloriously . the moon shall be confounded , and the sun ashamed : the meaning of it is this : there shall be so much glory , as shall darken the glory of the sun and moon , and because their glory shall be darkned , they shall be as it were ashamed : as a man when he sees others come that have more glory than himself , it puts him to some shame ; so they shall be ashamed ; why ? because the lord of hosts shall reign in mount zion , and in jerusalem , before his ancients gloriously . certainly this hath not been yet fulfilled , the lord hath not so reign'd in mount zion and in jerusalem before his ancients gloriously , so as to darken the glory of the sun and moon . now in the th of rev. v. . it seems to have regard to this scripture , and shews you what the throne of christ is , when he shall come to reign in zion gloriously . and round about the throne were four and twenty seats , and upon the seats ▪ i saw four and twenty elders , sitting cloathed in white rayment , and they had on their heads crowns of gold ; and here the lord reigns before the ancients . there 's the throne of god set up ; and upon the seats i saw four and twenty elders , or ancients , sitting cloathed in white rayment , and they had on their heads crowns of gold. so that john seems to have regard to this text , and that prophesie of john is apparently of the state of the church that was to be in after times . and so there are other places of scripture , as that . of isa . and . of the revelat. in the . isa . v. . there 's a promise to the church that was afflicted ; o thou afflicted , tossed with tempest , and not comforted , behold i will lay thy stones with fair colours , and lay thy foundation with saphires ; and i will make thy windows of agats , and thy gates of carbuncles , and all thy borders of pleasant stones . here god promises that he would build his church with precious stones , the church that was so afflicted and tost : now mark the . of the revelat. and see there how st. john takes this prophesie , and doth plainly interpret it , that it is of the glorious state of the church that should be after : saith the text there , describing there the glorious estate of the church ; and the foundations of the wall of the city , were garnished with all manner of precious stones . here 's a prophesie it should be so , and john takes this prophesie , and tells , that this is to be understood of a time of the christian church , that it shall indeed be so . and again , in the . of isa . v. . compare it with the . rev. v. . in isa . there the text speaking of the glorious state of the church that should be , saith , the sun shall be no more thy light by day , neither for brightness shall the moon give light unto thee , but the lord shall be unto thee an everlasting light , and thy god thy glory . thy sun shall no more go down , neither shall thy moon withdraw it self , for the lord shall be thine everlasting light , and the dayes of thy mourning shall be ended . certainly this hath not yet been fulfilled . and in the . rev. towards the latter end , you have almost the same words : and the city ( saith the text ) had no need of the sun , neither of the moon to shine in it , for the glory of god did lighten it , and the lamb is the light thereof . i shall afterwards come further to open somewhat of the meaning of that , what it is , no to have no need of sun and moon , when we come to open wherein the glory of the church doth consist , that god intends to make the praise of the whole earth . i might name divers other scriptures , but i hasten rather to the other thing , ( which is the main ) to open wherein the church shall be the praise of the whole earth , or what shall make it to be the praise of the whole earth . first , more generally ; certainly when the condition jerusalem shall be in when gods time shall come , there will be a time of resurrection from the dead : there will be a kind of resurrection from the dead , before the general resurrection at the great day of judgment : we have divers scriptures that do seem to point at this , and indeed clearly to manifest it : the first scripture is in the chapter of the book of daniel , that speaks of a resurrection , another resurrection than that that shall be at the great day of judgment : saith the text , and at that time thy people shall be delivered , every one that shall be found written in the book . and many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth , shall awake , some to everlasting life , and some to shame and everlasting contempt ; and they that be wise , shall shine as the brightness of the firmament , and they that turn many to righteousness , as the stars for ever and ever . now that this must be an estate of the church before the great and general resurrection , is clear . first , it 's said here , some shall rise ; he speaks not of all shall rise : now at that day , good and bad , all shall rise . but then secondly , the uttermost glory of the most eminent godly men that shall rise , it shall be but to shine as the brightness of the firmament ; and the height of all is , that they that turn many to righteousness , as the stars , they shall but shine as the stars . surely those who are not only righteous themselves , but are means to turn others to righteousness , they are like to have the greatest degree of glory in heaven ; which is a mighty encouraging place , not only to ministers , but to all , to seek to convert all they can : for this scripture seems to hold forth this truth , that the lord will look upon them as instruments of his glory , and give them a higher degree of glory than others : but now , at the great day of judgment we know that the saints of god shall shine brighter than the stars ; they shall be as the sun : these bodies of clay , that we carry now about with us , in the great day , when christ shall come to judge all the world , they shall shine as the sun in the firmament : the poorest man , or woman , or child , that is godly , though their bodies are cloathed with rags now , yet at the day of christ their bodies shall be made to shine as the glory of the firmament ; nay , more than so , as the glory of the sun : yea , they shall be like to the body of jesus christ himself , &c. and the body of christ shall be beyond the glory of the sun ; therefore this is not meant of that time ; for the height of all the glory here is but as the stars . but then a third reason why it is not meant at that time , is , because the lord bids daniel to close up this prophecy , and tells him it shall be a thing kept hid . now , that there shall be a resurrection , that god shall come to judge the world , this was never any such secret , the light of nature will tell us this ; that there is a time that it must be well with the righteous , and ill with the wicked : the heathens could tell us of a time that god should judge the world : but now the prophet here speaks of this as a mystery , that it was not to be revealed till the latter dayes . yea , and then fourthly , the lord promiseth to daniel , as a peculiar and special favour unto him , that he should arise , and stand in the lot at the end of the dayes . now for daniel to arise at the day of judgment , that 's a thing that is common to all , good and bad ; but here it is promised to him as a special mercy , that he shall stand up in the latter dayes in his lot : and therefore , according to the reverend brightman , and others , this place is interpreted of the time of the calling in of the jews , when they and the gentiles shall joyn together ; and jerusalem shall then be set up as the praise of the whole earth . and the rather it makes me think so , because the apostle in the of the rom. vers . . speaking of the time of the calling of the jews , he doth make use of such a kind of phrase , that it shall be even a time of resurrection , it shall be no other but even a raising from the dead . in the verse , for if the casting away of them be the reconciling of the world , what shall the receiving of them be , but life from the dead ? therefore it seems that he had some reference to this very scripture here at this time . and in the of ezek. the beginning , the receiving of the jews there , is set out by the dry bones that were breathed upon by the breath of god , and so they stood up as an army , and had life . yea , and this shall be as a new creation : there will be as great works done , as god did when he made the world at first , and he will put forth as great a power . so you have it set forth unto you in the . of isa . there the prophet prophesying of a glorious condition of the church , what it should be , mark how he doth express it . for behold , i create new heavens , and a new earth , and the former shall not be remembred , nor come into mind . but be ye glad , and rejoyce for ever in that which i create ; for behold , i create jerusalem a rejoycing , and her people a joy. i create ( saith he ) new heavens , and a new earth . when will god do this ? why , saith he , be glad in it ; for behold , i create jerusalem a rejoycing , and her people a joy. when this jerusalem shall be made the praise of the whole earth , then there shall be new heavens , and a new earth created : that is , there shall be as great a change of things , as if there were new heavens , and new earth created : there shall be a mighty glorious power of god manifested towards his churches , as if god were creating new heavens and new earth again . oh! we do not know , but that either you or some of your children , may yet live to see such times as these are . and it 's another world indeed . it 's not the world that we live in now ; there shall be a kind of new world : and therefore some scriptures , that many times we think are meant concerning the life in heaven , after the day of judgment , because they are spoken of another world ; they are rather to be understood of the state of the church here in this world. and to the end that i may shew this , for otherwise all that 's said is but in vain : it may be you will say , that the prophet mean't that state of the church triumphant in heaven : and so the apostle st. john , in his reference to what the prophet saith ; he seems to mean it , of the glorious state of the church in heaven . and i verily believe the most of you that have read with observation the latter end of the book of the revelations , you have thought it hath been meant of the state of the church in heaven ; but that it cannot be be meant : i 'le give you a reason or two why the of the revelations cannot be meant of the church in heaven . first , because the text saith , that jerusalem shall come down from heaven ; after he had described it in the vers . he carryed me away in the spirit to a great and high mountain , and shewed me that great city , the holy jerusalem , descending out of heaven , from god. that is , the glory of jerusalem shall not come from the earth , nor from any earthly means : though men ought to do what they can , yet it shall be too great a glory for any earthly means to be able to bring ; but it shall come down from heaven ; there shall be some admirable glorious work of god from heaven , to bring jerusalem into such glory as it shall be brought into . and that 's one thing ; that it is not the state of heaven , for it comes down from heaven . and then besides , that that is an undeniable reason , is that which you have in the and verses ; and the nations of them which are saved shall walk in the light of it ; and the kings of the earth do bring their glory and honour into it . they do not bring their honour to the state of the church triumphant in heaven : the saints in heaven shall have no need of any of the glory of the kings of the earth ; the meanest , poorest servant , or boy that is godly , shall be more glorious than all the kings of the earth ever were in this world ; but this is such a state , that the kings of the earth shall bring their glory to it . and in the verse ; they shall bring the glory and honour of the nations into it : the meaning is , that when this time comes , the lord will make all the kings of the earth , and all the nations of the earth to be some way serviceable to the glory of his churches ; that 's the plain meaning of it : that whereas now the kings of the earth , and the nations do persecute the church generally , and ( as in the second psalm you have it ) the kings of the earth they combine themselves together against jesus christ , and will none of his government ; but yet for all this , the lord saith , that he will set his king upon his holy hill : and then here is the prophecy , that there shall be such a work of god upon the kings and nations of the earth , as they shall all come in , and bring their glory to jerusalem , to the church , to do the uttermost they can to make the church to be glorious . this is in general the state of jerusalem , when it shall be made the praise of the earth . but now that i might come to move particulars about this : the first thing is this ; when that time shall come , all tears shall be wiped from the eyes of saints ; the people of god shall be delivered from all enemies ; they shall never be any further pestered with wicked and ungodly men to be enemies to them , but be fully freed from them all : we groan under the burden of the enmity of wicked men , and their opposition ; i , but let us be content to bear it , and to endure oppositions from wicked and ungodly men ; for there is a time a coming , that thou shalt be delivered even in this world. you will say , when we come to heaven , we shall be above the malice of all the wicked men in the world. nay , there is a time when the saints shall be above the malice of wicked men upon this earth : in the of ezek. a chapter that speaks so much of the glorious condition of the people of god , verse . there shall be no more a pricking briar , nor any grieving thorn of all that are round about them that despised them . they shall be so far from having any power to do any mischief to the people of god , as they shall not be so much as able to prick them , no grieving thorn , nor no bryer pricking of the saints of god , as heretofore they have done . it will be a blessed time when the saints shall be delivered from the curse of the earth , the bryers and thorns it brings forth . where are wicked men , certainly those are the worst bryers and thorns in the world , and do the most mischief here in the world : now the lord hath promised that they shall be delivered wholly from them . rev. . . there is a scripture leading to that way ; and god shall wipe away all tears from their eyes , and there shall be no more death , neither sorrow , nor crying ; neither shall there be any more pain : for the former things are passed away . this is prophesied of for such times as these are ; for those that then liv'd ; the saints are like to live when christ shall come in that glorious state of judgment , and have no pain nor sickness , and therefore be delivered from all enemies , and from all evils both from without and within , in regard of any pain or misesery ; and in the of the revelations , we have it there prophesied of christ , that he shall come and have his vesture dipt in blood , in the overcoming all the wicked and ungodly ; verse . and he was cloathed with a vesture dipt in blood , and his name is called the word of god. and the armies which were in heaven followed him upon white horses , cloathed in fine linnen , white and clean ; and out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword , that with it he should smite the nations ; and he shall rule them with a rod of iron ; and he treadeth the wine-press of the fierceness and wrath of almighty god. but this is observable , why it 's said , that the garments of christ were dipt in blood , and the robes of the saints were white : the meaning is this ; that it is to note , that when this time comes , to set up jerusalem as the praise of the whole world , that jesus christ he shall come to be avenged of his enemies , of all the wicked and ungodly upon the earth ; and so he shall come in an hostile way against them : but those that follow him , they shall have their robes white , the saints shall triumph ; they shall do nothing but take the triumph : christ shall go before , and endure all the difficulty and hardship , and they shall come after in a triumphing way . thus the scripture speaks of deliverance from wicked men . and in the zech. verse . there you have a place likewise observable for this : and in that day will i make jerusalem a burdensome stone for all people ; all that burden themselves with it , shall be cut in pieces , though all the people of the earth be gathered together against it : i 'le make jerusalem a burdensom stone ; will they fight against it ? it shall be a burdensom stone to them ; and whosoever set themselves against jerusalem in that day , shall not prevail , but shall be cut in pieces . why that day hath not been yet : but there shall be a day , when whosoever throughout the world shall set himself against the church , shall not prevail , but shall be cut in pieces . and so we find in the of exod. the verse , that when the people of israel went out of aegypt , the text saith there was not a dog that did move his tongue against them . we know the deliverance from aegypt was typical : it notes the deliverance of the people of this new jerusalem from the tyranny of anti-christ . and therefore in the of the revel . you find that moses song it is sung again . in the of exod. after their deliverance from pharaoh , moses sings a song of thanksgiving ; and in the rev. they sing it over again , verse , . after their deliverance from their captivity . the dogs of the world they do move their tongues against the saints of god now , but there is a time coming that no dog shall move his tongue : they shall be so convinc'd of the inhabitants of jerusalem , that god is with them , that they shall not be able to move their tongues against them . and i remember , lactantius ( that i spake of before , that did speak so much in his time , so many hundred years agoe , that there was such a time a coming ; ) he hath this expression among others : at that time it shall be with wicked men as it was with the people of aegypt : when god ( saith he ) did deliver israel from the aegyptian bondage , he brought most dreadful judgments upon the aegyptians at that time ; so ( saith he ) whenever the time shall come , that god shall set up jerusalem as the praise of the whole world , then shall be most fearful judgments upon the ungodly . now indeed judgment begins at the house of god , and the saints in many places suffer most ; but then judgment shall fall upon the aegyptians , and god will destroy wicked men , or at least subdue them so far , as they shall not be able to do any hurt to the saints : and that 's the first thing that shall be , when jerusalem shall be made the praise of the whole earth ; the people of god shall be delivered from wicked men , and all oppression ; and much less shall they be oppressed by one another : it is that that darkens jerusalem now , that it 's under oppression from evil men , and that the saints do oppress one another so much . but for the union of the saints , that we shall speak of afterwards . but for the second thing , and that 's this : then shall all the expressions of the churches glory , that we have in the old testament in a typical way , be fully made good , and that visibly ; it shall be visibly and apparently to the world made good . you will say , what are those ? there are very many , the lord speaks very much of the glory of his church , when he had his church but among the jews ; but certainly the wayes of god towards his church then were typical , and god intended by his high expressions of the glory of his church then , some other thing that should be afterwards made good in a more apparent and visible way : as thus now , you have these things said of the church of god in the old testament . first , that it is the portion of god , yea , it is his pleasant portion , jer. . verse . by that that hath outwardly appeared , who would think that a few people that were contemptible to the world , were god's pleasant portion ? all that we read of the state of the church in the old testament will appear one day before all the world , that indeed god did not say in vain of his church , that it was his pleasant portion . secondly , we find that god saith , that his church is his inheritance . isa . . . it is his own inheritance ; yet how do the wicked break into the inheritance of god for the present ! but there is a time a coming , that the lord will make it appear to all the world , that his people are his inheritance . thirdly , the church is called the dearly beloved of gods soul , jer. . . it is a very high expression , the dearly beloved of his soul : and yet at that time the lord saith there , that he will give the dearly beloved of his soul into the hand of their enemies . oh! but how doth it appear then that the church is the dearly beloved of gods soul ? well , though it doth not so appear now to the world , god hath a time to make it appear before all the world , that his church is the dearly beloved of his soul. a fourth expression is , that it is the peculiar treasure of god , in the of exod. v. . ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto me above all people . men make much of their treasure , but especially treasures that are peculiar : now the lord hath another treasure besides the church ; the blessings of god in nature are god's treasure ; therefore in the of deut. . verse , the scripture saith , that god did bring out of his good treasure , when he speaks of the outward blessings of his people : when god gives us of the good things of nature , he gives us out of his good treasure ; i , but that 's a common treasure , the treasure of nature : but god hath a peculiar treasure , and that 's his church , there 's the riches of god : just as if a merchant should be trading for divers sorts of commodities , perhaps he trades for cloaths , or lumber stuff , there is some treasure there ; i , but he trades for jewels and pearls besides , and he hath them lockt up under divers locks , and there he accounts all his treasure to be : now i may compare all the good things of this world , in respect of the excellency of the church to a deal of lumber , of cloaths , and such things indeed as have some worth in them : but when you come to the church there be the jewels of god , the pearls of god , and the heart of god is upon them : there god communicates the riches of his goodness : oh! it 's a blessed thing to be one of gods people , then thou art one of his jewels , of his treasure , of his peculiar treasure . now doth it appear to the world that the church is the peculiar treasure of god ? why it 's trampled under foot by men ; but god tells us that there is a time that it shall not be so as now it is . in the third of malachi , there is a time that he will make up his jewels : now the jewels of god lie trampled under feet , they seem to lie in the dirt ; but vers . . they shall be mine , saith the lord of hosts , in that day when i make up my jewels , and i will spare them , as a man spareth his own servant that serveth him . there is a time a coming for god to make up his jewels , there are many precious jewels lie in the dirt , and no body regards them . but a time shall come , when it shall be known that there is a difference between him that feareth god , and him that fears him not ; why do not we know it now ? those that are spiritual know it . but this scripture seems to hold forth this thing , that there shall be a time that all the world shall know it . now the time is that we cannot discern by any outward things a difference between love and hatred ; but there will be a time that we shall discern between the love and hatred of god , apparently before the world : there will be a time when it shall be said , verily there is a reward for the righteous , verily there is a god that judgeth in the earth : that 's the fourth expression . the fifth is , the church is called the glory of god : in the fourth of isa . vpon all the glory shall be a defence ; and so in another place , i will place salvation in zion , for israel my glory . the house of gods glory ; so it 's called in the . of isa . v. . it 's called the crown of glory , in the . of isa . v. . and it 's called the throne of gods glory . jer. . . — the glory of god. — the house of his glory . — the crown of his glory . the throne of his glory : all these expressions hath the church of god in the old testament : certainly god intended that these being typical , should typifie some glorious condition that the church should be in , in time to come . we find that the church is called by way of type , gods ornament . ezek. . . as for the beauty of his ornament he set it in majesty . it 's the ornament of god : the beauty of his ornament : the beauty of his ornament set in majesty . all these three are in one verse spoken concerning the church of god. as for the beauty of his ornament , he set it in majesty , but they made the images of their abominations , and of their detestable things therein . the force of the argument is thus ; saith god , why , was not my church , and ordinances there , more glorious than their false worship ? was not my temple more glorious than their images ? as for the beauty of his ornament , that is , the temple that was a tipe of the church , he set it in majesty ; yet , saith he , they went and made images . o wretched people ! that when they had such a glorious temple , where my presence was so much , and yet that they should turn to worship stocks and stones ! as if god should say to any wretched man or woman , hast not thou come to the word , and heard the excellency of my son set forth unto thee ? and hast not thou had the glory of god in the gospel shining before thine eyes ? hast not thou heard of those blessed things that are revealed in the doctrine of grace ? and yet wilt thou turn after base things , to satisfie thy flesh , and mind nothing else but that ? o unworthy wretch that ever thou shouldest be partaker of any of those excellent and glorious things , that are revealed in my gospel ! just in such a manner doth the lord speak to this people . what , go and forsake my temple and ordinances , and go and turn to images , when it was so glorious ! o unworthy that ever they should receive mercy from the lord ! now was the temple of god at such a time as that gods ornament , so beautiful , and set in majesty , surely gods church that is tipified by it , is one day or other to be an ornament to god , and a beauty , and set in majesty and glory . and then it 's called the royal diadem , in the book of isa . there is a time therefore when this must appear to be so , which is , when the lord shall set up jerusalem as the praise of the whole earth . now if the state of the church in the time of the law that was typical , was so , mark what the apostle saith concerning the tipes and shadows of the law , heb. . . the law having a shadow of good things to come , and not the very image of the things , can never with those sacrifices which they offered year by year continually , make the comers● thereunto perfect . the law had but a shadow of the image of things , as is observeable . it had not so much as the image , it was but a shadow , then surely they could but barely resemble the good things to come : here this scripture may be understood by the way that limners or picture-drawers use when they would make a curious picture of a man. first they draw a shadow with a piece of chalk or cole , by which you may see a little proportion of the man , but what 's this to the image of the man ; now that 's more excellent , and much beauty there is in that ; but in the man himself there doth appear more glory still than in his image : why the time of the church under the law , that was like the drawing of a man upon a piece of board with a cole ; but now , the state of the church under the gospel , that 's like the image it self ; and the state of the church in heaven , that 's as the man himself : so then , i make use of this scripture thus : if the lord speak so of his church in the time of the law , when the state was but typical ; that it was his portion , — his peculiar treasure , — his inheritance , — and his diadem , — and ornament , and the like ; what shall it be in the time of the gospel , when we come to have the image of the thing , not the shadow but the image ? and then what must it be in heaven , when it comes to be the thing it self in glory ? and this is the second thing that shall be , when the church comes to be the praise of the whole earth . oh now give god no rest , lord let it appear thus : this point will help you to pray much , and you should put this into your petitions . lord make thy church appear to be thy portion ; thy treasure , thy glory , now come lord jesus , come quickly , o that that day might come ! the third thing is this , that when god sets up jerusalem as the praise of the whole earth , then god will make good the promises , that he hath made unto his church in the old testament : and the prophecies of the glory of his church , which are very many , that the truth is , we do not know what to make of them , we are fain to make allegories of them , when it 's very probable that they are to be in a literal way to be understood , and all for the want of the knowledge of this one thing , that there is a time for god to set up jerusalem as the praise of the whole earth . commonly we find that divines have opened the promises of the old testament either by way of an allegory , or of the state of the church in glory , so that there hath been a great mistake in this thing . we find in the of isa . v. . when the lord makes a promise to his church that no weapon that was formed against that should prosper , he concludes it and saith , this is the heritage of the servants of the lord. all the promises in the old testament , are the inheritance of the saints of god : it 's a very sweet place , it 's an excellent place to poor people , that have no riches , nor inheritance left them by their parents , but they have the promises for their inheritance . thou may'st look over the book of god , and watsoever promise thou findest made to the church , thou mayst look upon it as thine inheritance . many carnal men that have great inheritances other ways , they have nothing to do with the promises of the saints . but the poorest saint hath all the glory that there is in the promises of the word of god , they are their inheritance . but in the mean time i have little . why thou art under age yet , and god he is thy guardian , and god will be accountable to thee for all ; and the longer thou stayest before thou comest to thine inheritance , the more shalt thou have when thou comest to it : and therefore remember that all the promises in the word are to be made good to thee one way or other , and all that concern his people will be made good in this world , when god shall come and set up jerusalem as the praise of the whole earth . we shall understand that hereafter , and therefore we find in the th . of the revelations , that there the lamb , he only is able to open the seals of the book . there was brought a book seal'd , and a proclamation was made to know , who was worthy to open the book , and to loose the seals thereof . now the text saith , that john saw none found worthy . at length there appeared a lamb as it had been slain , and he was found worthy , and the book was given to him , and he opened the seals of the book : this book is the book of the prophecies of the state of the church in the new testament , and the promises of god for the glory of the church of the new testament . now these things have been kept sealed for a long time , and especially before christs time ; but jesus christ the lamb that hath been slain , it is he only that is able to open this book and the seals of it , and there is a time that he will open it , he opens it by degrees to his church . and therefore i find it 's very observable in the . of revel . vers . . there comes an angel to john , and said unto him ; these things are faithful and true . and the lord god of the holy prophets sent his angel to shew unto his servants the things which must shortly be done . why now john was before , speaking of the glorious condition of jerusalem , the jerusalem that came down from heaven ; now saith he , the lord god of the holy prophets sent his angel. why is it said here , the lord god of the holy prophets ? the meaning is this , that the lord now sends his angel to make his servants to understand what was in the prophets , and therefore the lord hath this title , the lord god of the holy prophets . it 's not said here , the great god , or the holy god only , or the father of christ , or any such title ; but the lord god of the holy prophets . that is , i here will manifest to my servants what i did inspire the holy prophets with in former times , and will open their prophecies unto them . o it will be a blessed time when we shall come to understand the prophecies of the old testament , and how they do aim at the new testament ; you read their book , and how often do you shut the book , and say , o lord i cannot understand , i do not know the meaning of these things , and so likewise the book of the revelations : and sometimes you are ready to think , why doth god write so in his word . but be satisfied in this thing , in your reading the scriptures there are some things very dark ; but now the main things that concern thine everlasting salvation , are clear enough ; and bless god for that . but now if you would know why other things are dark , they are dark because the lord intends in them to manifest some glorious thing , that he will do towards the latter end of the world for his people , that the truth is , god would not have generally known till then . you will say , why then have we the scriptures ? yes , we have them now , that god may appear so much the more glorious when they are fulfill'd , that they may be manifested to his saints that these are no other things than the prophets did prophesie of divers thousand years ago . now this will mightily add to the joy of the saints , when they shall come to see , o this is partly fulfilling of such a prophecy in isa . and in ezek. and in the revelations ; now it adds to the joy of the church , to know that these things that now they have , are no other than god did foretel by his holy prophets , as no question now when christ was prophesied of . for he was prophesied of for four thousand years before he came into the world , and in a mighty dark way , as now this first prophecy of christ : the seed of the woman shall break the serpents head ; what could they understand of this ? and yet under this prophecy was the whole gospel prophesied of : and he shall bruise thy heel ; there all the sufferings of jesus christ were prophesied of under that prophesie . now i am confident , that for the general part of the jews , they understood no more of that prophecy to be meant of christ and his sufferings , than we when we read in ezekiel and in the revelations , do understand what god will do for his church in time to come : but now when this prophesie is fulfill'd , that we find the seed of the woman is come , and how he hath overcome principalities and powers , and how the devil hath opposed him ; now we see the meaning of this prophecy : and now , we can bless god so much the more for christ . christ is no other than the lord did in paradise formerly prophesie of . and so divers other prophecies in the old testament ; as , the scepter shall not depart from judah unto shilo come . alas ! none of the jews almost did understand this : and that not a bone of christ should be broken ; and so i might name you forty such prophecies : so just as now , the prophecies that were prophesied of concerning christs coming in the flesh , were very obscure in the old testament , but were made clear by the fulfilling of them to us in the new : so the prophecies of the glorious state of the church , when jerusalem shall be made as the praise of the whole earth , they are obscure to us yet , but when it comes to be made clear , the saints of god will praise and bless god that now they come to enjoy that , that so many years ago was prophesied of : and therefore comfort your selves in this , when you read the prophecies in the word . — but certainly when it shall come , it will be a blessed time , and therefore pray for it , give the lord no rest till he set up jerusalem as the praise of the whole earth : for then shall the book of god be opened , and things shall be seen mighty plain when that comes . i will give you one scripture for that , of the clear opening of things when jerusalem shall be made the praise of the whole earth . you find in the fourth of the revelations and vers . . there was a door opened in heaven , nothing else but a door . but afterwards you find that heaven it self was opened : in the . chap. vers . . and i saw heaven opened , and behold a white horse , and he that sat upon him was called faithful and true , &c. first , a door was opened , and then the heaven of god was opened ; noteing that there should be a progress in the state of the church ; at the first they should have but a little knowledge , but afterwards they should have abundance of knowledge . and in the . chap. the . vers . and the temple of god was opened in heaven , and there was seen in his temple the ark of his testament , &c. how comes that to pass , for in the time of the law there was no such opening of the temple , as to see the ark of gods testament , for that was kept hid : but now , speaking of the glorious times of the church in the state of the gospel , the temple of god was opened in heaven , and there was the ark of the testament of god seen , it was made clear . then the ark of gods testament it was kept hid from the people , that they could not see it in the time of the law. but when jerusalem shall be made the praise of the whole earth , the temple shall be opened , and the ark shall appear , the word of god shall be made open in the promises and prophecies of it : therefore let us pray and believe , let us believe and pray that this time may be hastened . the second sermon . on a fast-day , at stepny . octob. . . in the fourth place , the time when jerusalem shall be made the praise of the whole earth , what shall be done then ? we shall be delivered from all oppressions , — the titles of the church made good visibly , — prophecies and promises fulfill'd . — and in the fourth place there shall be a wonderful confluence of people that shall joyn with the saints in the way of god's worship . it 's true , now there are but a very few that do joyn to worship god , how little is god known in the world ; and jesus christ , how little is he acknowledged in all the world : if we should divide the world ( as some have ▪ ) into thirty parts , we find not above five of those thirty that do so much as acknowledge jesus christ , all the other are heathens at this very day . and then among those that do acknowledge christ , in the grecian churches , though he is acknowledged to be christ the saviour , yet they are extream ignorant generally . and what a great part of the christian world hath popery under it ! and among those that make profession of christ , how few are there that do honour him , and worship him according to his own way ! but when this time comes , that jerusalem shall be made the praise of the whole world , you shall have a mighty confluence of people ; it shall not be said any more , little flock , fear not , little , little flock , but it shall be a great flock ; and therefore you find in the book of the revelations , that jerusalem , when it comes to be measured , it is said to be a great city , a mighty confluence shall be unto the church : in the of daniel , v. . it 's said there , ( speaking of the church , as i remember ) 't is by way of resemblance of a stone ; that it should grow great , as a mountain , and it should fill the whole earth ; there should be the generality of the world called in , the fulness of the gentiles , together with the jews ; i will not say every one , but generally they shall be called in to the true worship of jesus christ , and to the embracing of the gospel . — that scripture in the sixtieth of isa . ver . , . and so on , it is remarkable for this . and the gentiles shall come to thy light , and kings to the brightness of thy rising : lift up thine eyes round about and see ; all they gather themselves together , they come to thee : thy sons shall come from far , and thy daughters shall be nursed at thy side . then thou shalt see , and flow together , and thine heart shall fear , and be enlarged , because the abundance of the sea shall be converted unto thee ; the forces of the gentiles shall come unto thee . mariners and those that converse at sea , they shall be converted unto the church . 't is a prophecy shewing that the lord hath a special care of mariners , that have gone on in wayes of ignorance , not knowing christ , and the way of the gospel ; saith he , abundance of the sea shall be converted unto thee . he doth not mean the waters of the sea , but the people that do converse in the seas , mariners in the sea ; that they shall even come over the sea to joyn , when they hear the gospel comes to be set forth in the beauty and power of it . and so he goes on still further in the vers . the multitudes of camels shall cover thee , the dromedaries of midian and ephah , all they from sheba shall come , they shall bring gold and incense , and they shall shew forth the praises of the lord. read but this sixtieth of isaiah , and you shall find both this of the multitude of people : — and of abundance of glory of jerusalem that shall be ; which in the very reading of it you cannot think that this hath been yet fulfill'd since the time of this prophecy , and therefore is yet to come . — and so in the of isa . ( for this prophet isaiah is the most evangelical prophet , that speaks more of the glory of the times of the gospel than any prophet ; ) vers . , . before she travelled , she brought forth , before her pain came , she was delivered of a man-child . who hath heard such a thing ? who hath seen such things ? shall the earth be made to bring forth in one day , or shall a nation be born at once ? for as soon as zion travelled , she brought forth her children . — here 's the number , and the suddenness of it together . it shall be done even in a sudden way . that promise shall be then fulfilled to christ , wherein the lord hath said to him , that he would give unto him the heathen for his inheritance , and the uttermost parts of the earth for his possession : now , though that promise be made to jesus christ , yet the lord is a great while afore he doth make it good to the uttermost , that he did intend . well then may we be content to wait for the fulfilling of promises , when as the promise that god hath made to his own son , he is fain to wait for the fulfilling of it . and that 's the fourth thing : a great confluence of people shall come into jerusalem ; it shall be a great city . and then in the fifth place , where there are multitudes coming in , will there not be a great deal of dross and filthiness ? it is usual , that a church , while it hath but a few , it may continue in some purity ; but , let a church have many to joyn with it , have but any considerable number , it usually doth quickly corrupt . there grows a great deal of soyl and filthiness , where there are a number joyned together . but now , this shall be the glory of this jerusalem , that though it shall be very great , there shall be a mighty confluence of people , yet it shall abide in its purity , there shall be a great deal of purity in the ordinances that they shall have , and in the professors that shall joyn together : and for that , we have that prophecy in the . of ezek. verse . which is a place by all divines understood of the state of the gospel : thus saith the lord god , no stranger uncircumcised in heart , nor uncircumcised in flesh , shall enter into my sanctuary : not so much as uncircumcised in heart . ☞ mark here ; it seems , in the times of the gospel , a meer outward profession is not enough ; for one to profess himself to worship god , and the like ; but if he be uncircumcised in heart , he must not enter . you will say , how can we know the heart ? it 's true , we cannot know the heart , unless it be some way discovered ; but if there be any thing to discover wickedness in the heart , such a one in the times of the gospel must not be received into the church of god. ☞ and there will be a time of greater discerning than now there is , and therefore you find it in the . of revel . where st. john doth prophesie of the new jerusalem , at the last verse . and there shall in no wise enter into it any thing that defileth , neither whatsoever worketh abominations , or maketh a lie : but they which are written in the lambs book of life . in no wise , no , no , there 's two negatives there , though we in our english tongue make two negatives to be an affirmative , yet the holy ghost doth not ; there shall not , not , no , in no wise shall there enter any unclean thing into it . now it is apparent by divers things in this chapter , that this must be meant , not of the glory that there shall be in the highest heavens , but of some glory of the church here : for it is said in the . verse , that the nations of them which are saved shall walk in the light of it , and the kings of the earth do bring their glory and honour into it . now the kings of the earth do not bring their glory and honour to the highest heavens ; there 's no difference between a king , and the poorest and meanest ; they must there be stript of all their robes , and the kings of the earth shall bring no more glory to that , than meaner men . therefore it must be understood of an estate here , where the kings of the earth do bring their glory to it . 't is very hard to conceive , that it is impossible for any hypocrite to get in ; yet the scripture speaks so as it shall not be ordinary for an hypocrite to get in . indeed , in the state of the church as hitherto it hath been , or as yet it is , there are abundance of hypocrites ; and therefore that 's no argument against labouring to cleanse the church from prophane ones : to say , why the best of all have those that are hypocrites . though it 's true , yet when men do some way or other discover themselves to be hypocrites , they must not be received into the church . but now here 's the question , whether there should be any but those that should give such testimony of godliness , as may appear to the judgments of men to be so ; and if once they appear to be otherwise , they should be cast out of the church . this must be a certain rule ; those that ought to be cast out , if they were in , they must not be received in , if now they were to be received . if no prophane one but must be cast out , if they were got into the church , when they appear to be so ; why then certainly they are not to be taken in , appearing to be prophane . we are now to labour what we can to come as near to that glorious jerusalem as we are able : we are now to labour to promote the condition that the church shall be in then ; but we cannot expect for to have it yet , till the lord doth put another spirit upon men than hitherto . therefore when god intends to make jerusalem as the praise of the whole earth , there will be certainly another spirit upon men , than yet there is for the present . therefore in the sixth place , the gifts and graces of the saints shall be exceedingly raised and enlarged . those that are now poor , and low , and mean , shall be then very much enlarged and raised . for that take these scriptures ; isa . . . there shall be no more thence an infant of dayes , nor an old man that hath not filled his dayes ; for the child shall die an hundred years old , but the sinner being an hundred years old , shall be accursed . this apparently speaks of an estate in this world : but now the meaning is this ; that there shall thence be no more an infant of dayes ; that is , those that are weak , shall be raised to a very high pitch of ability and understanding ; even young ones shall be raised very high , to have the understanding of men in them ; and so proportionably the gifts of the saints shall be raised in that time . and in the . zech. verse , there it 's more clear . in that day shall the lord defend the inhabitants of jerusalem , and he that is feeble among them at that day , shall be as david , and the house of david shall be as god , as the angel of the lord before them . mark , he that is feeble shall be as david , at that day , and the house of david shall be even as an angel of god. those that are weak christians , yet at that day , when the lord shall set up jerusalem as the praise of the whole earth , weak christians shall be as david , and he that is strong shall be as an angel of god. now i would but know when was this ? what time was this ? was this ever in the time of the gospel ? i verily believe the times of the gospel are as glorious at this day , as ever they were since the apostles days , in regard of the graces of gods spirit . there is as clear revelations of christ , and as strange workings of the graces of gods spirit in the generality , ( i must except those that are eminent , as the apostles , and those that had miraculous and extraordinary gifts ; but to speak of the generality of christians , ) they have as much knowledg of jesus christ , and the wayes of christ , as ever any ; yet can we say now that even strong christians are like david ? if we should examine and see what david was , how short should we come ? where have we almost any that may parallel with david ? but there is a prophecy that the feeble shall be like david , and the strong ones shall be like the angel of god. in the forty fifth psalm , there the church is described : the cloathing of the kings daughter is of wrought gold , and she shall be brought unto the king in rayment of needle-work . which is but to signifie the excellent gifts and graces of the saints ; that they shall be cloathed , as it were , with their gifts , as princes daughters that have such cloathing . and revel . . , . there 's a prophecy that they shall continually stand before the lord , and serve him night and day ; they shall be unwearied in the service of the lord , they shall serve him night and day . now you are quickly tired , a little time in the worship of god doth tire you ; but there is a time coming , when the saints shall be so strengthened with the gifts and graces of the spirit of god , as they shall be able to serve him night and day . the seventh thing that shall be done , when jerusalem shall be raised , as the praise of the whole earth ; it shall be the glorious presence of christ that shall be amongst them . i say , the glorious presence of christ ; i do not say , the personal presence of christ in his body ; for that would require arguing and much dispute ; therefore we meddle not with it : but that there shall be a more glorious presence of jesus christ in his churches , than yet hath been : that the scripture seems to be clear enough in : as in the . revel . verse . and i saw no temple therein , ( that was , in the new jerusalem : ) for the lord god almighty , and the lamb are the temple of it : and the city had no need of the sun , neither of the moon to shine in it ; for the glory of god did lighten it , and the lamb is the light thereof . that is , there should not be such need of help as now there is , either from creatures , or ordinances , in comparison ; for the lord god shall be the light of that place , and the lamb shall be instead of the temple . in the pet. . . compared with the rev. . . there is very much to give light to this , and yet that we are not able to understand throughly the meaning of it : we have also ( saith he ) a more sure word of prophecy , whereunto you do well that you take heed , as unto a lig●● that shineth in a dark place , until the day dawn , and the day-star arise in your hearts . this more sure word of prophecy , he means certainly the scriptures that we have , and the way of gods revealing himself there : you do well to take heed , ( saith he unto them ) vntill the day dawn , and the day-star arise in your hearts . he seems to speak here , of another manner of manifestation of light from god , that shall be besides that sure word of prophecy ; that is , the day-star rising in their hearts . now compare this with the . revel . and the . there is promised to such as do overcome in antichristian times , that at length the lord will give unto them the morning star. now these two being compared together , may cause us thus much to see , that there certainly shall be some further presence of christ among the saints , than in former times hath been : for christ , he is the morning star , and god will give them the morning star ; that is , he will give them christ ; the presence of christ shall arise in the hearts of the saints in another way than formerly ; for they were godly to whom this morning star is promised ; but if you continue to be godly , and to overcome in the antichristian time , you shall have this blessing , you shall have the morning star : they had christ to justifie them , and to sanctifie them . but they were promised to have christ yet further , in another more high and glorious presence of his , to be as a morning star arising in their hearts . and in the of isa . v. . there it 's promised to them that are upright , that they should see the king in his glory . thine eyes shall see the king in his beauty . the promise is made to those that are described in the . vers . jesus christ , the king , that was so much desired in former times , shall appear in his beauty and glory unto them . and in the . psam there 's a clear prophecy of this estate of jerusalem , when the lord shall make it the praise of the whole earth . thou shalt arise , and have mercy upon zion , for the time to favour her , yea the set time is come , vers . . but in the . vers . so the heathen shall fear the name of the lord , and all the kings of the earth thy glory . when the lord shall build up zion , he shall appear in his glory . there will be a glorious appearing , when god shall come to build up zion , and make jerusalem as the praise of the whole earth . god hath appeared gloriously in all his works in former times ; but this great work is the greatest next the sending of his son into the world , to be made flesh ; it is the greatest that ever was done ; the building up of zion , then god shall appear in his glory . when the marriage of the saints shall be , the new jerusalem , that is , the spouse of christ . as parents do use to put on their best garments , in the time when they marry their children ; so in the time when the lord shall raise jerusalem , thus it shall be , as a great marriage-day of the church to christ . now there is a marriage of particular souls to christ ; but then there shall be a glorious marriage of the vniversal church to jesus christ , as in a body ; and then the lord shall appear in his glory : there shall be a more glorious presence of god and jesus christ with the saints , than yet we have had . the eighth thing , that there shall be when jerusalem shall be set up as the praise of the whole earth , powerful godliness , and the saints shall be honoured in the world. as they have been trampled under feet , and disgraced , and vilified in the world ; so when this time shall come , they shall be honoured in the world , and their enemies shall stoop to them . we have a great many scriptures that tend that way . in the . of isa . v. . you may read there how the enemies shall come and stoop to the saints , that did despise them before . and so in the d. revel . vers . . those that hated them shall come and bow unto them . i will make them of the synagogue of satan , which say , they are jews and are not , but do lie ; behold i will make them to come and worship before thy feet , and to know that i have loved thee . they will not own them now , but god hath his time to make wicked and ungodly men , to come and acknowledge that these are the beloved ones of the lord , verily these are the servants , yea they are the children of the most high god. and more specially those scriptures that you have in the prophecy of isaiah , chap. . . and so vers . . v. . the multitude of camels shall cover thee , the dromedaries of midian and ephah : all they from sheba shall come , they shall bring gold and incense , and they shall shew forth the praise of the lord. all the flocks of kedar shall be gathered together unto thee , the rams of nebaioth shall minister unto thee . and vers . . the glory of lebanon shall come unto thee , the fir-tree , the pine-tree , and the box together , to beautifie the place of my sanctuary , and i will make the place of my feet glorious . mark , the church it is the place of gods feet : it 's under god , but the lord hath his time to make it glorious before all the world : for if you speak of the spiritual glory of it , so it is so glorious now . gods church it was always glorious spiritually before god , and was the most glorious object that god had to view in the world : but here 's a promise that he will make it glorious before others . vers . . the sons also of them that afflicted thee , shall come bending unto thee , and all they that despised thee , shall bow themselves down at the soles of thy feet , and they shall call thee , the city of the lord , the zion of the holy one of israel . it may be they called them before nick names ; they call'd you hypocrites , and you were they that made such a show of religion , but you were a company of proud people that would seem to be holier than other men ; but now they shall call thee the city of the lord , and the zion of the holy one of israel . and vers . . whereas thou hast been forsaken and hated , so that no man went through thee , i will make thee an eternal excellency , a joy of many generations . this is not spoken only unto godly men , personally and particularly , but to godly men as in a society , as in the church ; they shall be made an eternal excellency , and a joy of many generations . and again , for the . of zech. v. . and the lord their god shall save them , in that day , as the flock of his people : for they shall be as the stones of a crown lifted up , as an ensign upon his land. they shall be as the stones of a crown lifted up : this shews the excellent glory that shall be put upon the saints : now they are as stones in the dirt ; but then they shall be as the stones in a crown that 's lifted up . and so in the . chap. vers . . and the governours of judah shall say in their hearts , the inhabitants of jerusalem , shall be my strength in the lord of hosts their god. it is not , shall be , that 's in another character , and they in that jerusalem , they shall be honoured by the governours of judah ; and the governours of judah shall say , well , our strength it is in the inhabitants of this jerusalem ; in the lord of hosts their god ; we accounted them before but as schismaticks and precise fools , but we see that god is with them . and the governours of judah shall say , our strength is in the inhabitants of jerusalem , in the lord of hosts their god. this will be a blessed time , when governours shall acknowledge the saints to be those that the lord doth own ; and they shall acknowledge the very strength of a nation to consist in the saints : they shall see that the saints have a propriety in god beyond others ; there is such a time a coming , however they be despised now . in the third of mal. v. . the lord makes a promise that he will gather up his jewels , and there shall be a time when there shall be a known difference between him that feareth god and him that feareth him not ; the saints of god are compared to jewels that lie in the dirt , and swine trampling upon the jewels , but there is a time that the lord will gather up these jewels , and at that day there shall be known a difference between him that feareth god , and him that feareth him not : this time is coming , and this is the time that my text speaks of , that we should give the lord no rest untill he make jerusalem thus : certainly when this is , it will be the praise of the whole earth . the ninth thing is , when jerusalem shall be made the praise of the whole earth , it will be made a quiet habitation ; there shall be a blessed union of the church , then shall divisions be taken away : now that that hinders the beauty of the church , and of the saints , and doth exceedingly darken their beauty , it is their divisions : were it that the saints of god could live in union one with another , and so grow up in holiness , they would be a great deal more beautiful in their conversations : my beloved is one , and the daughters saw her and blessed her . but the divisions and contentions that there are among the churches , do exceedingly take away the beauty and glory of them , and therefore they are not now the praise of the places where they live ; but many times they make themselves the scorn of the places ; but there is a time a coming that this spirit of division shall be taken away from among the saints , you will say , that will be a blessed time indeed : i 'le give you two or three scriptures that are very observable for this ; in the . of isa . vers . . there 's the first promise of vnion that there shall be among the churches . the envy also of ephraim shall depart , and the adversaries of judah shall be cut off ; ephraim shall not envy judah , and judah shall not vex ephraim . now ordinarily in scripture , ephraim and judah is made typical of the churches , there was a great deal of contention between ephraim and judah , one envying another : now this prophecy is not yet fulfill'd ; for we never read of ephraim , ( that is ) the ten tribes and judah were joyned in that near league and union one with another , as yet : for the ten tribes were carried captive , and never returned ; judah indeed was carried captive and they did return , but not the ten tribes . therefore it is spoken of an estate of the church afterwards : though my church shall be in after times , the times of the gospel , like ephraim and judah , one envying another , i 'le take away their envy , they shall not envy , but they shall love one another , and joyn one with another . ephraim shall not envy judah , and judah shall not vex ephraim . — and then another prophecy is , in the . zech. vers . . and the lord shall be king over all the earth ; in that day , shall there be one lord , and his name one : it 's true , all of us that are christians , we acknowledge but one lord ; but we call him by divers names , and one saith , this is his mind , and another faith , the other is his mind ; but saith he , in that day as there shall be but one lord , so his name shall be but one . there shall not be those different apprehensions of christ as now there are , but christians shall generally joyn together in one . there shall not be such opinions to divide christians one from another as now there are , there shall be but one lord , and his name shall be but one . — and a further prophecy which is very remarkable , is in the third of zeph. v. . for then will i turn to the people a pure language , that they may all call upon the name of the lord , to serve him with one consent . in the original it is , with one shoulder ; now how do christians shoulder one another , and push one another by the shoulder as it were , opposing one another what they can ; but then they shall joyn their shoulders together , and all shall be but as one shoulder ; they shall serve the lord with one shoulder , with one consent ; their hearts shall joyn in one , and then their strength shall joyn together : now this is that that shall be done , when the lord shall make jerusalem as the praise of the whole earth ; you that mind the lord , and the things of his glory , give him no rest untill he do establish this that he hath promised , and make jerusalem the praise of the whole earth . in the tenth place , there shall be a great change of things in the world at that time , a great change in the whole frame of the creation of heaven and earth : and i think verily that place in the eighth of the romans , ( and there is ground for it , why we should think so ) is meant of this time . vers . , . for the earnest expectation of the creature , waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of god ; for the creature was made subject to vanity , not willingly , but by reason of him who hath subjected the same in hope , because the creature it self also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption , into the glorious liberty of the children of god. for we know that the whole creation groaneth , and travelleth in pain together until now . and not only they , but our selves also , which have the first fruits of the spirit : even we our selves groan within our selves , waiting for the adoption , to wit , the redemption of our bodies . now that this should be then , in such an estate of the church in this world , this is the reason : either you must grant it to be so , or otherwise you must grant that after the day of judgment , in the state of glory that the saints shall have , ( which divines generally say shall be in heaven ) you must grant that then there shall be the continuance of all the creatures as now they are , and that the saints must live here : now that is hardly granted by any divines . but this speaks of the whole creation to be delivered from their bondage , and to come to partake of the benefit of the adoption of the sons of god : that is , at that time when the adoption of the sons of god shall appear gloriously , that there shall be such a change in all the creatures , that they shall be restored to the first perfection , that they had in the state of innocency : they groan to be delivered from the bondage , surely they do not groan to be annihilated and turned into nothing : therefore there is a time for the heavens , and earth , and sea , and plants , and beasts to be in another condition than now they are . and to say that this shall be at the day of judgment , or after , few divines have thought : but this is spoken of a time when all the creatures in this world shall have a mighty change put upon them . and to that end , the scripture likewise in the of peter the d. chap. though one would think ( in the reading of it ) if you did not mark it throughly , that it should be meant at the day of judgment ; but if you observe it throughly , it seems to be spoken of a great change , that there shall be when the creatures shall be delivered from bondage . in the . vers . but the day of the lord will come as a thief in the night , in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise , and the elements shall melt with fervent heat , the earth also and the works that are therein , shall be burnt up ; and now observe the . vers . nevertheless we according to his promise , look for new heavens and new earth wherein dwelleth righteousness . there shall be a mighty change in the world by fire , or some other way , and so as all things shall seem as if they were brought into nothing ; but saith the apostle by the holy-ghost , we according to his promise look for new heavens and a new earth wherein dwelleth righteousness : now suppose all the world were dissolved , how new heavens and a new earth then ? shall the saints after the day of judgment have a new earth , and live upon the earth here ? this i suppose you would think to be but a very strange doctrine ; but now this is such a change of things as shall have new earth , as well as new heavens , and this is according to the promise ; now what promise have we in all the book of god that this hath reference to ? i find all divines referr it to the . of isa . for you have no other scripture that you can refer this promise to in the . vers . for behold , i create new heavens and a new earth , and the former shall not be remembred nor come into mind . but be ye glad and rejoyce for ever in that which i create , for behold , i create jerusalem a rejoycing , and her people a joy. so that this scripture in peter , though in some passages of it may seem to referr to the great day of judgement , yet compared with isa . out of which it is taken , it appears to be but a very comment upon my text : and i find generally , interpreters do interpret this of isa . to be meant of the church of god in this world. and so by comparing one scripture with another , we may find out much truth . and besides , the prophets did prophesie very little about the eternal life after the day of judgment , though something there was about it , but very little in comparison , and therefore we have a great deal of reason to think it to be meant concerning this time of this new jerusalem , when god shall make it to be the praise of the whole earth . lastly , this shall add to the beauty of this new jerusalem , that prosperity shall do it no hurt ; and therefore as i remember in the th . of the revelat. the state of the church in this time is compared to an eagle : there were four beasts , the first like a lyon , the second like a calf , the third was like a man , and the fourth was like a flying-eagle : noting the four states of the church , and the last shall be as an eagle , that is , they shall be lifted above all these outward things : at first , when the church was raised from persecution in constantines time , the history of those times tells us , that there was a voice heard in the air , to day is poyson poured into the church ; it was at that time when constantine did endow the church with great endowments ; and we find it now , that we have weak stomacks , and are not able to bear much prosperity , and therefore god hath thought it rather fit to keep his church low ; but when that day comes , for jerusalem to be made the praise of the whole earth , there shall be no fear of hurt from prosperity ; for christ shall be all in all to them : there shall be a more immediate enjoyment of god , and that will keep them from taking hurt by what they have in the creature . now let 's put all these together , and see what a glorious condition the saints shall be in : surely , when all these things shall be fulfilled , then you must needs say , that jerusalem will be made a praise in the whole earth . that is , first , when there shall be a resurrection , a new creation , a new world , when all tears shall be wip'd away , when all wicked men shall be kept under . when the church shall appear to be the pleasant portion of god , his inheritance , his dearly beloved , his glory , and when all promises that have been made to them , and all prophecies of their glory shall be fulfilled ; when there shall be a wonderful confluence of the nations , jews and gentiles to them , and yet there shall be a great deal of purity in ordinances , there shall not be filth among them as now there is . and the gifts and graces of the saints shall be mightily inlarged and raised , when there shall be a glorious presence of the father and of jesus christ with them , when godliness , and the saints shall be honoured in the world as much as it is contemn'd , when there shall be a blessed union among all the churches , when there shall be a mighty change of the creatures , and when there shall be no fear of any danger , of any hurt by any prosperity that they shall enjoy : surely then will jerusalem be made a praise of the whole earth . therefore let the saints give the lord no rest until jerusalem be thus made as the praise of the whole earth . you will say , are these things so , are they so indeed ? this may seem to be very strange , and a strange point to some of you : but in former times , it was not so accounted : those that are learned will find that lactantius , . book , . , . chapters , spends them almost all upon this argument , and he speaks of very strange things , which i am loath to mention , ( it may be he might go too far ) and he liv'd about . years ago . — but justin martyr ( that was long before him , for he was but thirty years after john the disciple ) speaking about this point that i am speaking of . i , and all that are christians of the orthodox faith hold this , that there is such a time a coming , of a glorious condition of the church ; — i know that this hath been abused by those that they account millenaries ; there were some that did abuse this doctrine , and made the glory of the church to consist in fleshly pleasures , ( and the like ) and so they were condemn'd . but i make the glory especially to consist in spiritual good , yet so as it shall appear to all the world. and i find some expressions in the revelations , where the holy ghost speaks of this , of christs coming to appear in this glorious manner ; he hath another manner of phrase to express it , than i find in all the book of god , when other things are spoken of . in the . of the revel . v. . he had spoken before of the kingdom of christ . and he saith unto me , write , blessed are they which are called unto the marriage supper of the lamb. and he saith unto me , these are the true sayings of god. are there any false sayings of god ? it were blasphemy to think so ; one would think that if he did but say , these are the sayings of god , it were enough ; or these are true sayings : but to make it sure that we may believe it , these are the true sayings of god. not only the sayings , but the true sayings of god. now if you say , how can these things be ? to that i answer as in the eighth of zech. v. . thus saith the lord of hosts , if it be marvellous in the eyes of the remnant of this people in these days , should it also be marvellous in my eyes ( saith the lord of hosts ; ) it 's marvellous in your eyes , should it therefore be marvellous in my eyes ? i am the lord of hosts ! we may be ready to think these things cannot be ; but the lord intends to put forth an almighty power in bringing this to pass , and it is that that is much in the heart of god to do . these things , the nearer the time comes , the more they will be known , and therefore i think it very useful at some time or other , that people should be acquainted ; only ministers had need have a spirit of sobriety and moderation , because not yet being fulfill'd they are not throughly understood , and therefore we must not dare to be too bold in our guessing at things that are not clear : but such things as appear clearly , so as we may see there is footing for , we should exercise our selves in , and labour to make others acquainted with . but now , if you ask me when shall these things be ? when shall jerusalem be made the praise of the whole earth ? i answer thus : the third sermon . it 's very hard to determine the particular time ; but surely at the end of antichrist's reign it must be : and how long antichrist shall reign , that we know certainly ; only the difficulty is to reckon the very time of the beginning of his reign : i say , how long his reign shall last , we have certain knowledge of that , that antichrist shall reign for years . and we have such parallel scriptures for this , that there is nothing more evident than it is ; and generally divines agree upon it . those two scriptures in the book of the revelations are sufficient , especially compared with some in daniel . rev. . , . the court which is without the temple leave out , and measure it not ; for it is given unto the gentiles , and the holy city ( which is the church ) shall they tread under feet forty two months . and i will give power unto my two witnesses , and they shall prophesie a thousand two hundred and threescore dayes cloathed in sackcloath . now these forty two months , and one thousand two hundred and threescore dayes , will come to the same , that is , a day for a year , wherein the church should be under the power of antichrist . and he saith , two witnesses ; not as if he meant only two men , but because by two or three witnesses every thing is established . but the spirit of god means by the witnesses ( whatever they are ) those that shall witness to his truth in the true church of god , in all places of the world , those that witness to his truth : they shall prophesie in sack-cloath : that is , in a mourning condition , they shall go on in their witness for dayes , years . — and so in the of the revelations , there we read of the wom●n ( by which the church is set out ) that fled into the wilderness , where she had her place prepared of god , that they should feed her there , even dayes . the holy ghost falls upon this number , which is years . now all the difficulty is about the beginning of this dayes ; that is , when antichrist did prevail , and when the church was driven into the wilderness . i find generally , those that make a computaiton of the reign of anti-christ , they pitch it upon two periods ; either upon such a time as will be ended within a very few years , as mr. brightman and others ; he thinks it will be ended so as that the beginning of these dayes will be a matter of five or six years hence . — and others in the year . but there is another computation of those that think anti-christ did not begin to reign so soon , and they conceive it will be a matter of two hundred , or more years before the beginning of these times . but i think god hath not left it fully clear to determine about the time , only this , god by his strange kind of workings among us , doth seem as if he were hastening of the time , as if it were near at hand . wherefore then , we leave all uncertainties , and come to shew you what use you are to make of what hath been said about this time , of jerusalems being made the praise of the whole earth . vse . the first is , the consideration of this , that god hath his time to bring his church to be in such a glorious condition here in this world , this should be a great incitement to us all to come in and embrace jesus christ , to be godly ; — why , because the lord intends to glorifie himself so much in the church ; — and though i dare not tell you the time , yet there 's nothing to the contrary but that it 's possible it may be in your dayes , that you may live to see these times : or if you should not live , yet in the of daniel we read of a resurrection that should be at that time ; however , when we do but think that there is a time that jesus christ shall be honoured in the world , and godliness shall be had in high esteem in the world , it 's a mighty argument to cause man and woman to come in and imbrace religion . — but if it should prove to be in your days , as nothing appears to the contrary , but many probabilities there are for it ; it would go very hard with you , if so be these times should come upon you unawares , and you not found to be godly : for the scripture speaks most dreadfully against those that have liv'd in the places where christian religion hath been known , and yet have been naught and ungodly , and these times found them so : — after these times were described to john in the book of the revelations , then saith he in the chap. . vers . but the fearful , and vnbelieving , and the abominable , and murderers , and whoremongers , and sorcerers , and idolaters , and all lyars shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone ; which is the second death . mark , the very fearful and vnbelieving ; and i take it , the reason why the fearful and vnbelieving are here placed among these notorious sinners , it is because that in the time that anti-christ shall prevail , many out of fear of trouble and danger shall deny the truth , and cleave to the antichristian party , and because they see things go very hardly with the godly party , they will forsake them through their unbelief ; and therefore they are reckoned in among the notorious vile sinners , and the rather because that a little before this time shall come ; ☞ there will be a great tryal and hour of temptation . men will be put to it to be tryed what they are , whether they have faith in the word , or not , or whether they have courage for god , or not . now therefore , because god intends to put men to the tryal a little before these times come , ( therefore he saith , ) the fearful and unbelieving ; he reckons up them among the notorious sinners : as if the lord should say ; when i am about to set up this new jerusalem , there will come a time of tryal , and abundance of you that made fair professions , while you met with some evils and troubles , through your fear and unbelief you will forsake my cause , and will rather cleave to them . but know , you shall have your portion in the lake of fire and brimstone , which is the second death . — and so in the revelations ; there the holy ghost speaks of men that are unjust , when this time shall come , and saith he , he that is unjust , let him be unjust still , he which is filthy , let him be filthy still : if men will go on in their injustice and filthiness , let them go , saith god , i intend not now to work further upon them ; but as these times shall meet with them , so it shall be with them to all eternity . the nearer the approaching of these times , the less will wicked men be wrought upon : therefore now let us come in , and embrace the truth ; for this truth that is preached to you , and the works of god that you are put upon , they will be honoured one day ; we love to be of the strongest side , the side that will prevail , we love to joyn unto it : certainly the side of godliness , and the truths of christianity is of the side that will prevail one day , and therefore come in and joyn with them : though it's true , there are many things now that seem to darken religion , but certainly religion is getting up in the world ; though the devil doth bestir him as much as ever he did since he was a devil , to darken religion , and the glory of it in the world , yet certainly religion is getting up , and it will prevail . take heed you be not like the five foolish virgins , which i find divers do apply to this very time when the bridegroom shall come , when christ shall come in his glory to set up jerusalem as the praise of the whole earth , that then the wise virgins shall enter in with him , and be partaker of the glory of the times ; but the foolish virgins shall knock at the door , saying , lord , lord , open to us , but he shall say , i know you not , depart , ye workers of iniquity . you that make but a meer out-side of religion ; and have but a formal profession of religion , you have lamps but you have no oyl in your lamps burning , when christ shall come , you shall be shut out , and not be partakers of the glorious jerusalem , that shall be made the praise of the whole earth . and likewise this is a great argument to move you to bring up your children in godliness , and to instruct them in the wayes of godliness ; because if you should not live to it , yet your children may : therefore labour to infuse what you can , the knowledge of christ into them now betimes , that so they may partake of those glorious things that are spoken of in the word . but secondly , is there a time that jerusalem shall be made as the praise of the whole earth ? let us be willing to mourn with jerusalem while it is in a mourning condition , and be willing to suffer for jesus christ a while , seeing there is a time that all sorrows shall be turned into joy , and all sufferings shall be done away , and wherein the saints shall be all honoured and recompensed abundantly . in the eleventh of the revelations you find , that the witnesses were to prophesie in sackcloath , in a mourning condition , for a long time . it can't be meant of two men , because they were to prophesie years ; but what made them go on in that mournful condition ? they did believe this time . therefore in the . verse you shall find how they that had prophesied in sackcloath for so long a time , they were slain a little before this time came , and for three years and an half together , there was a slaughter made of them ; and the text saith , after three dayes and an half , that is , three years and an half , the spirit of life from god entred into them ; and they stood upon their feet ; and great fear fell upon them which saw them ; and they heard a great voice from heaven , saying unto them , come up hither . and they ascended up to heaven in a cloud , and their enemies beheld them . they were mightily honoured before their enemies : those that had been prophesying in sackcloath , and were willing to suffer for christ for a long time , now they were called up , and honoured before their very enemies . let us be willing to suffer , and that will be an evidence that we shall rejoyce with this new jerusalem , when it shall come to be made the praise of the whole earth . so in the of isa . v. . rejoyce ye with jerusalem , and be glad with her , all ye that love her , rejoyce for joy with her , all ye that mourn for her . all that mourn'd for jerusalem when the glory of it was darkened , shall come and rejoyce with jerusalem , when jerusalem shall be made as the praise of the whole earth . — and the very book of the revelations is written on purpose for to encourage the saints to be willing to suffer all the time of anti-christ's reign . and hence it hath been , that in the time that antichrist hath reign'd , there hath been so little known of the book of the revelations , because it hath been applyed only in a metaphorical way , and all the glory hath been interpreted of the glory of heaven : because , i say , there hath been a darkness on the face of the earth in the time of antichrist's prevailing . and it hath been the care of antichrist to darken this , and to keep under the saints , and to make them suffer very hard and grievous things . but , as i remember , i have read of caius the emperour ; that when agrippa had spoken for him before he was emperour , and suffered for his sake ; after caius came to be emperour , he put a chain of gold about his neck , and gave it him , just as heavy as his iron chain had been before . so , look what any one suffers for jesus christ now , before he comes to take this kingdom to himself , before the time comes when the voice shall be heard from heaven , saying , the kingdoms of the earth are become the lords , and his christs , and he shall reign for ever ; i say , look what measure of sufferings any have for christ now , christ will put a chain of gold upon them as heavy as ever their sufferings were . and especially now we had need prepare for sufferings , if it should prove that this time be at hand ; for we find that a little before this glorious time there 's like to be as great sufferings to the people of god as at any time ; as in the of the revelations , where it 's spoken of the witnesses prophesying in sackcloath , they prophesied for years . but they were not slain until three years and a half before this glorious time was risen , and then they were slain . so that immediately before the time that christ shall come and appear in his glory , there will be greater sufferings unto his churches than there were in former times ; for you find , that just upon their slaying , that they were call'd up to heaven . and the seventh trumpet sounded presently after , and there were great voices in heaven , saying , the kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our lord , and of his christ ; and he shall reign for ever and ever . as if the holy ghost should say , now all sufferings are done with all , and now the kingdoms of the world are become the kingdoms of the lord , and his christ ; and he shall reign for ever and ever . and the four and twenty elders which sate before god on their seats , fell upon their faces , and worshipped god , saying , we give thee thanks , o lord god almighty , which art , and wast , and art to come ; because thou hast taken to thee thy great power , and hast reigned . whereas before men had power , now god hath taken his great power to himself . ☞ this follows presently upon it , which is a very great argument why those witnesses are not yet slain , because immediately upon their being slain there should follow such strange things as these are . and then the kingdoms of the earth should be the lords , and his christs . you will say , are they not now ? no certainly , not so as then , in that we do not see such an eminency of christs taking the kingdoms of the earth , now more than formerly ; and i say , this is an evident argument that the witnesses are not slain . in the of daniel , there you have a prophecy of the same times that we have here . but mark how he begins this prophecy ; there , saith he , in the vers . and at that time shall michael stand up , the great prince which standeth for the children of thy people , and there shall be a time of trouble , such as never was since there was a nation , even to that same time ; and at that time thy people shall be delivered , every one that shall be found written in the book . though the time of trouble without be great , such as never was the like , yet these that are written in the book shall be delivered . and so he goes on , describing the glorious condition of the church of god as it shall be : i spake something to that in the opening of the glory of this new jerusalem , and shewed you , that it could not be meant there of the glory of heaven ; but of the glory of the church here that should be upon the earth . and then in the d. of revel . vers . . we read of an hour of temptation that should be throughout the face of the earth ; there is a time of temptation that shall go quite through the whole world , and whether yet this is come upon us , doth not certainly appear , and therefore let the consideration of this prepare us for suffering before hand . for god will cause sufferings to try men , who are true and will cleave to him , and who are not , but will desert him : and so i remember lactantius ( the former author quoted ) he speaks as clearly of this , as if so be that he did live and had seen it : saith he , a little before these times , times wil grow so evil in comparison of the times that we live in now , in which wickedness one would think were grown to the greatest height that possibly could be , yet in comparison of these , there shall come such evil times just before this glorious time of the church , as our times may be accounted golden and happy times in respect of those sad times ; for , saith he , good men they shall be a prey to wicked men , and they shall be in contempt and poverty ; all right among men shall be confounded , all law shall perish , and no man shall know what 's his own ; things shall be in such a cumbustion and confusion that no law shall prevail , and no man shall know what 's his own ; this shall be a little before ( saith he ) the glorious state of the church wherein christ shall appear : now if he could say so , so long before , certainly none then having scripture so suitable to it , have cause to fear that yet we may live to meet with very hard things . ☞ although it will be but short , that 's the comfort ; if there should be great sufferings just before the day break , and it should be darker than it was , yet it will continue but a while , three years and an half will be the most : but the times of the great sufferings of the church before jerusalem is to be made the praise of the whole earth , these three years and a half will put men so to it , that if they have not true grace they will fall off . the administration of gods providences are very strange , we have had thoughts that all had been blowing over , that we should have liv'd in safety and peace , but clouds gather still : and though the former clouds seem'd in some measure to be gone , yet new clouds are gathering , and therefore it 's wisdom for the people of god , that fear god and look into his word , to see what god hath made known in his word ; i say it 's their wisdom to prepare for the hardest that possibly can come : that they may be bright , and made white with all the troubles that they meet with , and be not among them that shall not be found written in the book , and so to be cast out of all the good of this jerusalem that shall be made the praise of the earth . thirdly , though we should prepare for sufferings , yet let us strengthen our faith , and rejoyce in the hope of such times as these are , in the midst of sufferings rejoyce : it 's an excellent thing when a christian is able in the midst of sufferings to rejoyce in the assurance of a promise , when things go never so contrary , yet to keep in gods ways upon the expectation of a promise to be fulfill'd . you have an excellent scripture in the . of isa . vers . . thou meetest him that rejoyceth and worketh righteousness , those that remember thee in thy ways : behold , thou art wroth , for we have sinned . in those is continuance , and we shall be saved . if you read this chapter you shall find that the church was in a sad condition ; but mark , thou meetest him that rejoyceth and worketh righteousness : in the saddest times there were some that did not only work righteousness , but did rejoyce and work righteousness ; though god was wroth , and all things did seem to be very dismal , yet there were some that went on in the ways of righteousness , and rejoyced in the ways of righteousness : it 's a most excellent scripture , and of marvellous use to us if god should bring us into sad times , for us not only to keep in the ways of righteousness , but to rejoyce in the ways of righteousness , to rejoyce that ever we were brought into it , and that 's upon an expectation that the lord will save us . whatsoever sufferings you meet withall , yet strengthen your faith , and rejoyce in the expectation of this glory of jerusalem . the believing of such times as these are , really makes life desirable , especially because god is so stirring in this age ; not for any great matters that we shall have outwardly in the world for a while , but that we may come to see the issue of all these stirs ; and at length , out of all the confusion , to see jerusalem to be the praise of the whole world . and therefore in the . psalm . which i think verily hath reference to these times , you shall find the title of it to be , a prayer of the afflicted when he is overwhelmed , and poureth out his complaint before the lord. but mark , in his pouring out his complaint before god , how he comforts himself , in the . vers . thou shalt arise , and have mercy upon zion , for the time to favour her , yea the set time is come . for thy servants take pleasure in her stones , and favour the dust thereof , so the heathen shall fear the name of the lord , and all the kings of the earth thy glory . when the lord shall build up zion , he shall appear in his glory . the lord shall appear in his glory in building up zion that is now cast down , i say it 's a prophetical psalm , of the disposition of christians a little before this kingdom shall be made the praise of the earth . now mark , what those do desire that shall live a little before these times . in the . vers . i said , o my god , take me not away in the midst of my days . as if he should have said , o lord , i hope that e're long thou wilt build up zion , and appear in thy glory , and fulfill thy promises concerning jerusalem ; o lord , take me not away in the midst of my days : it is ( i say ) a prophetical prayer of the christians that shall live a little before gods building up of zion . but you will say , why shall any desire to live , for if one should die ( if he be godly ) he shall go to heaven ; and will it not be as good to be in heaven , as to live to see jerusalem the praise of the earth ? to that i answer , that though it 's true , it will be as good for the soul ; but for soul and body , to live here to see that glorious administration of god in the world , to see god honoured upon the earth , where he hath been so much dishonoured , certainly it cannot but be an abundant satisfaction and contentment to those that are gracious , and that it is desirable ; notwithstanding the objection , i make it clearly thus , from the promise that god gave to children that did obey their parents , in the fifth commandment , honour thy father and thy mother ; why ? that thy days may be long in the land which the lord thy god giveth thee . god makes a promise that they should enjoy the land of canaan . and why ? godly children , should go to heaven if they had died : but it was accounted a mercy to live long in the land of canaan . now the land of canaan was but a type of the glorious church , so that this is a more glorious promise : therefore ( i say ) it is desirable to live to see what god intends to do in these concussions . it is observ'd by some , that john did never fall down to worship the angel but twice , and twice he fell down and worshipped the angel. but you shall observe it , if you examine the places ; it was when the angel brought him the tidings of this glorious jerusalem : and johns heart was so taken with these tidings , as indeed he forgets himself so far as to fall down and worship the angel , which was sinful : but i note it for this end , to shew how mightily the heart of john was taken with the tidings of this new jerusalem : and god expects that though we have but a glimpse of it now , yet that our hearts should be much taken with the tidings of this glorious jerusalem , when it shall be made the praise of the earth . christ hath humbled himself in this world , and hath been dishonoured here , and therefore the father will advance him , and honour him in this world as well as in heaven . and the heathen , and uttermost parts of the earth , are given to christ for a possession , but christ hath not had it yet , and therefore let us strengthen our faith , and joyfully expect such a time as this is . those whose hearts are carnal and sensual , they mind only carnal and sensual things , and cannot believe these things ; but such as have faith to believe , they are able to rejoyce in the expectation of this glory that is to be revealed . fourthly , these truths that have been delivered about this glory of the new jerusalem , they call for heavenly hearts , they call off all our hearts from the earth , why should we have our hearts : groveling upon the earth , when as god hath revealed such glorious things as these are ? in the . of isa . v. . arise , shine , for thy light is come , and the glory of the lord is risen upon thee . i may make use of it , at least by way of allusion , thus : o arise , and shine in heavenliness , and shake off the dust of this earth , for here you hear of the glory of this lord , and who knows but it may very suddenly , within a little time arise upon us ? yet the very hearing of it were enough to cause us to shake off all earthliness from our spirits : when john was shown the new jerusalem , he was carryed up upon the mountain ; so if we would understand the glory of this jerusalem , we must get up our hearts on high . it is an observation of mr. brightman , upon the th . of revel . where we have described the four living creatures , the lyon , the oxe , the man , and the eagle . now ( saith he ) these four living creatures do set forth the four estates of the church . the lyon sets forth the state of the church in the primitive times , they had lyon-like spirits , that were able to encounter the rage of persecuting emperors , to endure all kind of torment without having their hearts daunted at all . — the second state of the church was the oxe , that is , antichrist prevailing , they were as an oxe that is a heavy and dull creature , fit to bear burthens . — but then the third is the man , that is , a man comes to inquire after the reason of things , and to understand things , and doth desire liberty . why now ( saith he ) in the beginning of the reformation , the state of the church was like a man. they would not be under such base thraldom to take the yoke of antichrist as they did before ; before they were lead like beasts , but now they were as men , they would understand what they did . — and then the fourth was like an eagle , that is , soaring aloft , on high . when the church shall be in this glorious condition , men shall be of heavenly minds , they shall soar up like the eagle , to be above the earth . and certainly such dispositions are fit for this new jerusalem , and though it be not yet come , yet we should labour to be of such dispositions as are fit for it . and that 's the fifth use , to prepare for these times , fit our selves . first , by the wedding garment , for now comes the bridegroom , and we should prepare for him by the wedding garment . you will say , what is the wedding garment by which the saints are prepared to meet with christ ? the applying of the righteousness of jesus christ by faith , that 's the wedding-garment ; when christians come to understand clearly the point of justification without mistake . there are some kind of hastenings about it in these times more than before , and inquiring after the very grace of god in the point of justification , but certainly that point is darkened much by many errors : but now the clear understanding the point of justification , of gods righteousness applyed by faith , this is the garment by which we are to meet with jesus christ , when he shall appear in his glory ; and i verily believe , that in the time of the new jerusalem , the point of the righteousness of jesus christ will be the main point of religion that then will be known , and that the hearts of the saints will be taken up withall , the main point of religion ; and as we see , the nearer we grow unto these times , the more clearer is the point of justification revealed to us : o what strange conceits in times of popery had people of justification , and i verily believe that many of your consciences may tell you , that a very few years since , you had very strange thoughts about that point , and understood but little of it ; but it begins to be clear more and more , and we should study that point more ; for surely it is that point of religion that will take up the heart of the people of god most in such times as these are . it is called the fine linnen of the saints , which is the righteousness of the saints : that that 's translated in your books righteousness , it is the righteousnesses of the saints , that 's this . not only the knowledge of the righteousness of christ applyed by faith ; but righteousness before men too , is the fine linnen of the saints , they shall appear righteous before men , and righteous , being cloathed with the righteousness of jesus christ . and i would therefore commend that to those that speak much of the righteousness of jesus christ ; know , they must have righteousnesses , in the plural number ; that is , not only be careful to have righteousness before god through christ , but righteousness before men : and that 's the second thing that is to be done for preparation of us for christs coming , to have our lamps burning , holiness shining in our conversations before men , to live convincing conversations , to make the ways of godliness amiable . — and then let 's watch , o take heed of slumbering . — and let us be constant in our holy profession , take heed our lamps do not go out . — and let us humble our selves for our former defilement ; we have defiled our selves by superstitious vanities in former times ; o let us humble our souls for them , thereby shall we be fitted for this glorious time . if new jerusalem should come , and you not humbled for your former defilements , you would be unfit for this time . sixthly , seeing there is such a time for this new jerusalem , why then let us labour to further what we can the cause of god in his church , to make the church as near to jerusalem as we can now . for though it 's true , it shall be brought to pass by the almighty power of jesus christ , yet he requires that his saints should put their hands to it , and indeed , this should be the care of all that make profession of godliness , to do what they can to make jerusalem to be the praise of the world now . o 't is a blessed thing to live to see the glory of god as it shines in this new jerusalem . but if it be blessed to see it , it is more blessed to have a hand in it : o let us be willing to consecrate all that we are , or have , for the furtherance of the glory of this new jerusalem ; let us labour to draw all that we can to godliness , and be godly our selves : that should be the work of all those that profess godliness , to labour now to walk so as to make every body in love with godliness , and to labour to wipe off all the aspersions that are cast upon the ways of godliness ; there are strange errors and miscarriages of men , why now those that are faithful should labour to wipe off all those things . but on the other side , let them know , that make profession of religion now , and walk scandalously , and are abominably erroneous in their opinions , they do what they can to hinder the glory of this jerusalem : though it 's true , god will bring it about , but thou dost what thou canst to hinder it . o wo to thee that thou wert born to such a time as this is ! it 's ill that thou shouldest live in such a time as this is , to cast any stain upon religion , that religion should suffer any thing for thee . now every one that makes but any profession of religion , o they should labour to walk exactly , and humbly , and faithfully , and conscionably , that they may win others , and so others being won by their conversation , why then the people of the land might joyn together , and say , well , verily it is these are the servants of the living god , and we will joyn with them , and set up their ways , for we see them to be the ways of god ; i , this were very hopeful , that jerusalem were lifting up indeed ; if so be we would convince men by our holy conversation : but now when there appears so much folly and baseness of spirit in those that are professors , why it makes men hate religion more than ever they did ; and indeed , but that we know god can bring the greatest good out of the greatest evil , one would think that there were as great a stop to the glory of the church in these times , as ever there was , but wo to those that are the stoppers . and howsoever some cry out , such men stop it , and such men stop it , but the lord i hope will come e're long , and will make it appear who hinders the glory of his churches ; whether it be those that in the sincerity of their hearts labour to raise up godliness to the strictest form of all , or those that will content themselves with a form . certainly those that give up themselves to promote the most strict way of godliness , and the most pure ordinances , they are not those that hinder the reformation ; but christ will own them to be those that further the glory of this reformation . the scripture speaking of this jerusalem , saith , that no impure thing should enter into it ; that is , men should be as careful as possibly they can , to keep out all things that are impure , and so to raise up the ways of godliness to the strictest and highest rule that possibly they can ; these are they that further the glory of this jerusalem . the last thing is that we have in the text , give god no rest till this be . we might make it a several point of doctrin , but i only bring it in here by way of use . the truth is , when christ taught us to pray , thy kingdom come , he had an eye at this ; for the kingdom of christ is not fully come till this time be come ; and as in that . of ezek. . when the lord had promised there such glorious things to his people , saith he , i will yet for this be enquired of by the house of israel , to do it for them . so though god doth intend to raise up jerusalem thus , yet the lord will be sought unto , for it must be furthered by prayer : all gods people should cry out , come lord jesus , come quickly ! how long , how long , holy and true , will it be before thou dost this , before these things come to pass , my precious lord ! god loves importunity , especially in such things as these are . divers motives i had thought of to have put you on to this , to be mighty in prayer . first , till this time , till jerusalem be thus raised , the truth is , the earth is under a curse , a curse all that time . for , first , all creatures are subject to vanity , and that vanity shall not be taken off , nor the bondage , till this time . secondly , there will be trouble and wars continually till this time , there will be no certainty nor settledness of things till jerusalem come to be made as the praise of the earth . there will attend affliction to the people of god ; yea and to others too . yea , and there is a curse upon mens spirits , which will not be taken off till this time comes . the truth is , when we look upon what is in the earth , we can see little that should make us desire to live , in respect of the earthly comforts that are here ; and for my own part , thinking in my thoughts about this point , this meditation came into my mind : i wonder why men that live here , and are not useful , and serviceable , to do service for god ; i wonder why they should desire to live ! for what pleasure is there in the earth ? the earth is under a curse . now were it not for this one thing , that we might live to make our peace with god , and to do god service ; i say it 's a wonder that any should desire to live ; for the truth is ; afflictions , and fears , and troubles , will countervail the comforts of any that do live : but indeed , that will countervail our affliction , if we may live to do service for god , but let us give god no rest till this be ; because till then , the earth is under a curse : it is this that brings a glory to the earth ; o! it will be worth living in the world , when god shall be set up in the world , ( when jesus christ shall rule in the world , ) it will be worth the living , and not till then . and then further , give god no rest , because that the time is near now ; howsoever , it is near in respect of what it was when this prophet thus spoke , for ●t was above two thousand years ago ●hat the prophet spake these words . now the end of the world it 's even up on us , and christ seems to be even at the door . now as it is in nature , a heavy thing , the nearer it comes to the center the faster it moves ; so the nearer we are come to this time , the more should our hearts be stirred , for the time is even at hand , and therfore let us pray now mightily : as we find in the th . of daniel ; daniel did understand by books that the time of their deliverance was near : mark at the third vers . the text tells us , that daniel set his face to seek the lord , o then he fasted and prayed indeed . my brethren , when you have such things as th●se presented to you , and some h●●●●●l arguments presented likewi 〈…〉 are near ; learn to set your 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the lord , and resolve never to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 king , till he make this jerusalem to be the praise of the whole earth . o my brethren ! now a praying heart is worth something ; it is a miserable thing for any man or woman not to have a spirit of prayer in these times , a dangerous sign that such a one shall never be partaker of the glory of this new jerusalem , that hath not a praying spirit in these times . yea , now we find there are mighty stirrings abroad in the world , the hearts of men are more raised to expect it than ever they were before . i remember it 's observed of the woman of samaria , you may see by her that there was a general expectation raised of the messias , at the time that he came ; saith she , when the messias comes , he will tell us all things : and truly there is the greatest expectation of the saints of god , and those that are the most strict and holy , the greatest expectation of these times , as ever yet was , and we find the lord is so stirring in the world , as makes us think that he is bringing about some glorious things ; and therefore pray , pray , pray ; and you that want matter to pray , among other things , put this into your prayer , both in your closets and families , pray the lord , and cry to him so as to give him no rest every day : o lord , make jerusalem the praise of the earth ! o lord , we see abundance of darkness in thy churches , and godliness is little honoured in the world , but o lord , make thy churches glorious , set up the glory of godliness in the world ! pray thus privately , and so publickly . and a further motive to give god no rest , is this : that in this your heart doth joyn with the work of god that is most acceptable to god , and that his soul doth take delight in ; and that 's a comfortable thing . and besides , give him no rest , for god hath appointed prayer to be a special engine , and a great means to further this . in the . psalm ( saith the text ) the lord will regard the prayer of the destitute . alas ! may some say , i am a poor weak christian , a poor body , i am able to do but little , i may sigh to god , but what are my prayers worth ? mark the text , speaking of the glory of these times , and of the way to further it ; the lord will regard the prayer of the destitute : though thou beest but as a poor shrub , the lord will regard thy prayer ; and mark what the text saith , this shall be written for the generation to come , vers . . this is written for thee , prayer hath done great things , hath made a mighty change of things ; and if ever people were encouraged to pray , now they may be encouraged , because they have seen so much that prayer hath done already . we have many scriptures which i had thought to have spoken of , for the encouragement of you in prayer for these things , that you might go on and not faint . though you see things seem to go very cross , yet be not troubled at it , but still go on , give him no rest ; it may be god will do nothing now , yet still give him no rest , but be constant till the thing be done ; for certainly it will be done at length , and if it should not come to pass in your life , yet this i will conclude withall , when you die , die in the faith of it : any of you that have been earnest in prayer for this thing , and yet you see little come of it , yet die in the faith of it , when you die ; as it is said of joseph , in the . of gen. . behold i die , and god will surely visit you , and bring you out of this land , unto the land which he sware to abraham , &c. so you may speak to your children , i die now , i must not see this new jerusalem , but there is hope that god will bring you into it , though i perhaps shall not see it : and close your eyes with this belief when you are to die , i die , yet in the faith that there is a time a coming , that the lord will make jerusalem as the praise of the whole earth . finis . notes, typically marginal, from the original text notes for div a -e the witnesses not yet slain . four usefull discourses viz. ... / by jer. burroughs ... burroughs, jeremiah, - . approx. kb of xml-encoded text transcribed from -bit group-iv tiff page images. text creation partnership, ann arbor, mi ; oxford (uk) : - (eebo-tcp phase ). a wing b estc r ocm this keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the early english books online text creation partnership. this phase i text is available for reuse, according to the terms of creative commons . universal . the text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. early english books online. (eebo-tcp ; phase , no. a ) transcribed from: (early english books online ; image set ) images scanned from microfilm: (early english books, - ; : ) four usefull discourses viz. ... / by jer. burroughs ... burroughs, jeremiah, - . [ ], p. printed for thomas parkhurst ..., london : . reproduction of original in the union theological seminary library, new york. (from t.p.) the art of improving a full and prosperous condition for the glory of god ... -- ii. christian submission ... -- iii. christ a christians life, and death his gain ... iv. the gospel of peace sent to the sons of peace ... created by converting tcp files to tei p using tcp tei.xsl, tei @ oxford. re-processed by university of nebraska-lincoln and northwestern, with changes to facilitate morpho-syntactic tagging. gap elements of known extent have been transformed into placeholder characters or elements to simplify the filling in of gaps by user contributors. eebo-tcp is a partnership between the universities of michigan and oxford and the publisher proquest to create accurately transcribed and encoded texts based on the image sets published by proquest via their early english books online (eebo) database (http://eebo.chadwyck.com). the general aim of eebo-tcp is to encode one copy (usually the first edition) of every monographic english-language title published between and available in eebo. eebo-tcp aimed to produce large quantities of textual data within the usual project restraints of time and funding, and therefore chose to create diplomatic transcriptions (as opposed to critical editions) with light-touch, mainly structural encoding based on the text encoding initiative (http://www.tei-c.org). the eebo-tcp project was divided into two phases. the , texts created during phase of the project have been released into the public domain as of january . anyone can now take and use these texts for their own purposes, but we respectfully request that due credit and attribution is given to their original source. users should be aware of the process of creating the tcp texts, and therefore of any assumptions that can be made about the data. text selection was based on the new cambridge bibliography of english literature (ncbel). if an author (or for an anonymous work, the title) appears in ncbel, then their works are eligible for inclusion. selection was intended to range over a wide variety of subject areas, to reflect the true nature of the print record of the period. in general, first editions of a works in english were prioritized, although there are a number of works in other languages, notably latin and welsh, included and sometimes a second or later edition of a work was chosen if there was a compelling reason to do so. image sets were sent to external keying companies for transcription and basic encoding. quality assurance was then carried out by editorial teams in oxford and michigan. % (or pages, whichever is the greater) of each text was proofread for accuracy and those which did not meet qa standards were returned to the keyers to be redone. after proofreading, the encoding was enhanced and/or corrected and characters marked as illegible were corrected where possible up to a limit of instances per text. any remaining illegibles were encoded as <gap>s. understanding these processes should make clear that, while the overall quality of tcp data is very good, some errors will remain and some readable characters will be marked as illegible. users should bear in mind that in all likelihood such instances will never have been looked at by a tcp editor. the texts were encoded and linked to page images in accordance with level of the tei in libraries guidelines. copies of the texts have been issued variously as sgml (tcp schema; ascii text with mnemonic sdata character entities); displayable xml (tcp schema; characters represented either as utf- unicode or text strings within braces); or lossless xml (tei p , characters represented either as utf- unicode or tei g elements). keying and markup guidelines are available at the text creation partnership web site . eng christian life -- congregational authors. sermons, english -- th century. - tcp assigned for keying and markup - aptara keyed and coded from proquest page images - john latta sampled and proofread - john latta text and markup reviewed and edited - pfs batch review (qc) and xml conversion four useful discourses : viz. i. the art of improving a full and prosperous condition , for the glory of god ; being an appendix to the art of contentment : in three sermons on philip iv. . ii. christian submission , on i sam iii. . iii. christ a christian's life ; and death his gain ; on philip i. . iv. the gospel of peace sent to the sons of peace ; in six sermons on luke x. , . by jer . bvrrovghs , late preacher of the gospel at stepney and cripplegate . published by his hand who put forth some of his books when mr. burroughs was living by his approbation ; and most of those which came forth since his death . london , printed for thomas parkhurst , and sold at the bible and three crowns in cheapside , and at the bible on london bridge , to the reader . it may too truly be said of the ministers of christ , that it often fares with the births of their brains , as with the fruit of their loyns ; their books have the same fate with their children , who though well maintained , and much respected in the life time of their parents ; yet are afterwards exposed to neglect , and often to contempt ; unless their own merits renew the lease of that which none could ever yet call inheritance . the posthumous works of the servants of christ , will ( like helpless orphans ) suffer by the rough hands of violence and injury , unless they can redeem themselves at more than an ordinary rate of worth . wherefore this book , now put into thy hands , hath brought its redemption money with it for that purpose . though the name alone of the author ( being among the first three ) might have given it a reputation in any age but this , his works having said that for him in the gate , which envy it self cannot gain say : yet notwithstanding it bids so high for the acceptation of all , by its own worth and excellency , that he must be condemned for a man of unexercised senses in the matters of good and evil , that shall not embrace it upon its own terms . the publishing the labours of such men of worth , is of an happy tendency to promote our communion with them in the spirit , whom it may be we never saw in the flesh ; and it is to be reckoned among our mercies , when the dead are made to speak , that the living may be perswaded to hear : for this thou art indebted to the faithful pen of a ready writer , whose indefatigable and ( for ought i yet know ) unparallel'd industry , hath already blessed the world with so many of the grateful labours of this servant of christ , whose name knows no rottenness . m. m. stepney september . sermon i. phil. . . in all things i am instructed , both to be full , &c. you may remember the last day we finished the doctrine of christian contentment . the close of that point , it was the propounding several considerations for christian contentment , and , secondly , we gave several directions what to do , that we might have the exercise of the grace of christian contentment : and among all others , that 's one special thing that then i commended , and still would but pick out , to name that concerns the power of god ; and that is , the making of a good interpretation of gods mercies and dealings towards them . have good thoughts of god , and make good interpretations of what the dealings of god are towards you . it 's very hard to live comfortably and cheerfully among friends , when one makes hard interpretations of the words and actions of another : the onely way to keep sweet contentment and comfort in christian societies , and to make the best interpretation of things as we can . and so , a chief way and help to keep comfort and contentment in our hearts , is to make good interpretations of gods dealing towards us . but i would not look back to any thing that i have spoken concerning that argument , but leave those things that have been delivered , to the blessing of god upon you ; hoping that when any temptation arises for discontentment , that some truths that have been delivered , may come into your minds : and that some of you may be able , when you see others discontented , as the wife with the husband , the husband with the wife , or one brother or friend with another , to make use of something out of the text for this grace of contentment . for though we have been preaching a long time of it , yet it is longer a learning then it is a teaching ; you need be longer time to learn it than i have been a preaching of it . it is not a few weeks that will learn it , we had need be years a learning this great lesson . well , but now we are come to another lesson that is as hard to learn as this ; and that is , how to be full . i have learned , saith he , how to be content in all estates ; i am instructed how to be full . now this , though it be a hard lesson , yet because these times are times wherein that generally people suffer , and have not things so full as formerly ; therefore i told you , i would not be so large upon this argument as upon the other ; that being more suitable : and yet because the truth is , we that live here , in comparison of our brethren in other parts , though we be not so full as we have been , yet we may be said to be full ; and the lesson will be useful and profitable ( i hope ) to us to learn how to be full , and it 's the onely way for god to hasten our fullness , if we be taught how to be full when it comes . i shall come to speak of this lesson , i am instructed how to be full ( saith the apostle ) any condition , either full or empty , any way . there 's many people , they are neither well ( as we use to say ) full nor fasting . if they be in affliction , then they are froward and discontented ; if they be in prosperity , there they are wanton ; just like children , if you let them not have what they would have , then they cry and are froward ; and if you do let them have what they would have , then they are wanton ; and so they are not in order any way . there are some of such cross and untoward dispositions , that in whatever condition they be put into , they are untoward . as i remember i have read of hannibal , he said concerning marcellus , he can neither bear good nor ill fortune ; so he called it : that is , if he be conquered , he cannot tell how to bear that ; no nor he cannot tell how to be a conqueror . so there are some , having untoward hearts , are untoward in every state they are put into : but paul by the work of the grace of god , he was fitted for all estates ; not only for affliction , but if god did will him prosperity , he could tell how to make use of that . a place somewhat parallel to this we have in the cor. . . saith paul , when he shews the different condition that he went through ; by honour and dishonour , by evil report and good report . sometimes the apostles had honour , sometimes they had dishonour ; sometimes people reported well of them , and sometimes they reported ill of them ; yet , saith he , we went through all , we carried on the work of the gospel in all things : and so in the th . verse , as sorrowful , yet alwayes rejoycing ; as poor , yet making many rich ; &c. whatever our condition were , yet through the grace of god we were carried through it ; and so as to sanctifie gods name , and to further the gospel in it . many men are fit for one condition , but they are not fit for another : but this was the excellency of the grace of god in the apostle , that he was fit for any condition ; god might turn him to any thing . now then , for the lesson , of being full , that 's our point . that a christian is taught by god to know how to be full . he learns this lesson . there 's many would be glad to hear of a lesson how they should get to be full ; but to know how they should sanctifie gods name in their fulness , this they think not so much needful . if i could preach a sermon or two to you , to teach you all how you should get , how to supply your want , and be made full ; i make no question but we should have very full congregations : for such sermons as these , to teach poor people how they should get to be rich , to teach those that are disgraced , how they should get to be honoured ; to teach men how they should get good and prosperous voyages ( and the like . ) but i am teaching you a lesson as from god , or god rather than man , at this time ; that is better , and is a better lesson ; for one to know how to honour god in fullness , then it is to know how they should get to be full . and it were a good sign of truth of grace for you to judge this to be the better thing : that is , i had rather know how to honour god in what good thing ▪ i have , then to know wayes how to get more : i had rather know how i might behave my self in the enjoyment of those good things god hath given me , then to know how to get more of those good things . god hath given me some competent measure of estate , that my house hath a fulness in it ; for i have all things needful . it may be you have not so much bravery as others have , but what do many of you want in your houses , you have all kind of houshold-stuffe that is needful for you , and convenient diet that is needful for you . then you are full , when you have things needful , though your eye be not full . we use to say , it 's better to fill a childs belly than his eye . perhaps your fancy is not full , but your necessity is supplied ; and when the necessity of a man or woman is supplied , his condition may be said to be full : and therefore let not those that are in a poorer condition than others , think that this condition concerns not them . thou hast not so much as others have , i but you have enough to keep you in health and strength , fitted for the service of god. now that 's a full condition . now we are to be taught this lesson , how we should honour god in the fulness that god hath set any of us in ; and i shall cast what i shall speak of this lesson into these seven heads ; yet i intend to be but very brief in them , though they might take up as much time as the former lessons have done . these are the seven heads : . when may a man be said to have learned how to be full . i am instructed , saith paul , and know how to be full . . i shall shew you the difficulty of this lesson . . the necessity of this lesson , what great need there is that we should learn how to be full . . the excellency of this lesson , what an excellent thing it is for a man to know how to be full . and then , . the mystery of godliness that there is in this lesson . there is a mystery in this as well as in the other . . what are the several lessons that christ doth learn ●●e soul that he doth learn how to be full . as i shewed ●ou what were the several lessons that christ learns the soul that he learns to be content in want ; so there are several lessons that christ doth teach the soul , when he learns it how to be full . and then , . the application of all . these are the seven heads that i shall cast the matter into . for the first , when hath a man learned how to be full ? what do you mean , when you say that christ doth teach his people to know how to be full ? a man hath learned how to be full , when he hath attained to these several particulars : first , when a man hath learned to set a due price on his fullness . when he hath learned to set a due price and value upon those mercies that god hath been pleased to grant unto him : when he can prize them , not too high nor too low , but as they are , those mercies that god grants him . a man doth not learn to be full , when he doth not understand what the mercies are that god hath granted to him . as no man can attain to the grace of christian contentment that is stupid under affliction , he must understand his affliction , and know his affliction , or else he cannot come to christian contentment : so neither can we learn how to be full , except we know what the mercies are that god hath granted to us . if a man should enjoy many mercies , and doth not understand them , he is not taught how to be full ; he must prize the mercy that god hath granted to him , at a due rate . as he must look upon ( even these outward mercies ) as the good blessings of god to him , he must not slight them ; and he must look upon them as coming to him from the promise . godliness hath the promise of this life , and the promise of the life to come ; as a fruit of the promise of god to him , and as gods goodness for the encouraging of him in the way 〈◊〉 righteous god hath set him in . he must so look upon the outward things that he doth enjoy . he must look upon them as good utensils ( as i may so speak ) as affording opportunity to do god service in the place where god hath set him : and so good things , in that regard he must prize them according to the due value of them . a man that slights gods mercies and thinks there is little in them , he doth not know how to be full . but now , as he must not prize them at too low a rate , his health and estate , and comfort that he hath ; neither will he prize them at too high a rate ; they are mercies , but they are but outward mercies : they come to me from gods goodness , i but it 's from gods general goodness . though it 's true , a christian may look upon every mercy that he hath , as coming from another fountain than the ungodly ; but yet the general goodness of god is enough to bestow the things themselves : for the matter of them , they are mercies , but they are but common mercies : indeed i have them , but yet they are no other , but that a reprobate may have as well as my self . they are good things , but they are not such good things as they make any one to be good . there are good things , that are not only given by god freely , but they do make those acceptable unto god , that god gives them . here 's the difference between all the good things that we are speaking of now , as the fullness of estate , the outward comforts of this world , and the things of grace : why the things of grace are given by god freely , and they make those that they are given unto to be acceptable to god ; they are such things as makes them to be good in gods eye . but now , let god give never so much outward things , they make one to be never a whit the better in gods eye . though we say , such a man is the best man in the parish , yet certainly , such things makes not a man the better . grace makes a man or woman the better . but now , as the fulness of prosperity , it hath onely a goodness in it so far as it makes them to be good , but grace that 's good in its self . but now , these things are good as a man may have , and not good to him . if they be good to him , it must be from some goodness that he hath himself ; as he shall use them : that 's the first thing . when a man shall come to know the true value of the fulness of his outward mercies , not prize them at too high a rate , nor at too low a rate ; then he learns to be full : that 's the first thing . secondly , then doth a man learn to know how to be full , when he can tell how to make use of what he hath : when he can tell how to proportion the use of that fulness that god gives him . when he can tell how much will serve his turn for the use of it , and how little ; and at what time to make use of such and such comforts of the creature , and how much use to make of them : then he hath lerned how to be full . there 's many men that when they have a fulness , first , they know not how to prize it ▪ they know not the worth of it . secondly , they know not how to make use of what they should , how much or how little , or at what time they should make use of the good things that god doth give unto them : so as they come to be excessive , yea defective in the enjoyment of what the lord grants to them . some are excessive , that because they have abundance of the creature , they still are taking in of more than is any way useful to them for their fulness : they think that they may do what they will with their own . 't is not enough ( my brethren ) because a man's drink is his own , therefore to drink as much as he pleases : or because his meat is his own , therefore to eat as much as he will , and not to know how to order and moderate : or because his estate is his own , therefore to spend it as he list , in an excessive way . i remember for that , it was the answer of a philosopher zeno , when he did reprove an excessive feasting : this was answered to him , and why do you reprove it , he spends nothing but his own . the philosopher could answer thus , is this a good answer , that you spend of your own ; suppose you had a cook that had a great deal of salt , and he should put two or three handfuls into your meat , for the seasoning of it ; and being askt why he did so , he should answer , i had salt enough ; and the salt did not cost much : there was enough in the place where i had it : or i can have more at an easie rate . would this be good answer ? saith he . so , 't is not enough , for to say , that our estates are our own , and therefore we may be excessive in the use of the creature . no , thou hast not learned how to be full , till thou hast learned how much will serve thy turn for thy use . it may be god gives thee a great deal of the creature , but he intends that thou shalt not make use of it all for thy self . god gives thee so much a year , it is not because that thou shouldest spend it all upon thy own back and belly . thou hast not learned how to be full , till thou hast learned how to proportion the use of thy estate and outward comforts that thou dost enjoy , according to thy need . then doth a man learn , that though he be in the midst of abundance , yet he makes no more use of that he hath than is fit for him . though a man be at a feast where there are a great many dishes , is it enough for him to say , there was a great deal of cheer , and therefore for him to be a glutton . then doth a man know how to be temperate , when he is in the midst of a great many dishes , and knows which is fittest for his body , and feeds moderately on them . that 's the second thing , first , how to put a due valuation upon mercy , and then , secondly , how to proportion the use of mercy , so much at such a time , and so much at another time . and then , thirdly , when a man can use the comforts of the creature , and yet so as he is inabled to avoid the evil of the temptation that goes along with the creature : as we shall shew afterwards , there are abundance of temptations that go along with fulness . now then doth a man learn how to be full , when he can make use of the creature ; and yet still so as to deliver himself from the evil of those temptations that are joyned together with the creature . and that 's a wise man , a wise woman , that knows how to make use of all the comforts that god gives unto them , that they have any use of , and yet can tell how to avoid the temptations ; can be able to distinguish between the good and the evil of temptation that doth cleave unto the good thing . you many times swallow down all , all is fish that comes to net ; you think there is no temptation in the fulness that you have , but take it down without any consideration of what temptation may be joyned with the fullness . you are wiser with your selves other wayes . if you eat a fish that is full of little bones , you will be picking out those little bones ; you will not presently swallow it down in whole bitts : so you should consider , when god gives you fullness , o there may be many little bones together with it ; yea , if you do not take heed , it may be wrapt up in such a skin , that may be bitterness to you , unless you pick out something . if you swallow it down whole , it may be a poyson to you . now doth a man or woman know how to be full , when they can tell how to pick out the temptation ; to enjoy the thing , and yet avoid the temptation . there are some , because they hear there are many temptations in the enjoyment of the comforts of the creature , they think there is no way but to fling away the creature . as that aristippus , because he saw that so many were hurt by their wealth , he cast his money into the sea , saying , i will drown you , least you should drown me . now this is not to learn how to be full , that is , because i would avoid the temptation , not to enjoy the comfort and the blessing ; as many men and women , through weakness and tenderness of conscience , being afraid that they shall get hurt by the use of the creatures that god doth give them : upon that they deny themselves abundance of comfort in the creature that they should have . now , though god may accept of their desires to honour him , and of their fearfulness of sinning against him ; but yet this argues a great deal of weakness . the strength of a christian is to enjoy gods creatures , to take the use of that that god doth afford , to take out the sweetness , and yet to avoid the temptation ; to take away that that 's good , and cast away that that is naught . as there 's many kind of meats , which you may not eat all of them ; and a child , who must either have all or none , you will not give it meat that hath something mingled with it that is naught , because he knows not how to pick it out : but now , one that hath understanding , he knows how to pick out the good and fling away the naught ; and not to fling it all away , because there 's something that is naught as well as good . now that 's the third thing , and there 's very few that understand this lesson ; but they must swallow down all , without thinking of any temptation that is annexed to the fullness that they do enjoy . fourthly , then doth a man know how to be full , when he can have all that he doth enjoy , under his command , and he can have the command of his own spirit in what he doth enjoy . as thus , when he is not a slave to what he hath , but he makes what he hath a slave to him . some men that are rich , you say they have such possessions ; the truth is , their possessions have them rather , than they their possessions ; they are under their possessions . but now , then a man knows how to be full , when all that he hath he makes his underling , he makes his servants ; he makes it to be serviceable to him , and he can command any thing that he hath , according as there is use of it . he will never be a servant to his servant . it 's a sordid disposition for any man or woman to be a servant to their servant ; but now , to your estates you will be a servant , they shall command you ; and your credit and you will be a servant . but it 's a sign you know not how to be full . as a man doth not know how to rule , if he will be under his servant ; so he doth not know how to be full , except he hath a command over what he doth enjoy in the world ; yea and a command over his own spirit in the use of what he doth enjoy . that 's thus , when a man or woman can let out as much of his heart to the creature as is useful , and no more ; and can call it in again , when there is cause : as ordinarily people do not let out their spirits a little to joy , but they let them out so as they have no command over their spirits ; but they have lost the command of their spirits : they cannot call in their spirits again , to be serious and humble , and to be mourning for sin , when god calls them to it . as now for instance , when you say you will be merry , and go and visit your friends , and have good cheer ; god gives you leave to do so ; if you know how to make use of this : but now , do not you let out your hearts so far , as you cannot call them in again ; you let them out so , that when you should come at night to go and humble your souls before god in prayer , your hearts are light and vain , and you have no command over your spirits at all ; and perhaps the next day you are worse for it . it s just with your hearts as with little children ; let them have but their wills a little while , and you shall have no rule over them for many dayes , many weeks after . so when you let your hearts have liberty a little while to rejoyce in the creature , you have little command over your hearts for many weeks after . now you may be merry , religion keeps not one from mirth , but yet so as to have a command over our spirits ; that i can call my heart in again , when there is occasion . i will rejoyce in the creature , i but i will reserve my chief joy for something else ; there is something else that i am to rejoyce in , more than in the use of the creature . if you let out your heart so , when you rejoyce in the creature , as you make it your chief joy , your onely joy ; your joy is not right . but it is not so with the heart that knows how to be full . fifthly , then hath a man or woman learned how to be full , when they can so use the creatures of god , as yet they are in a readiness to part with all their comforts , if god will call for them . if i enjoy comfort , but in such a manner as my heart lies down before god ready prepared to give up those comforts that i do enjoy ; whenever god will have me : then i have learned to be full . when a man or woman shall have their hearts taken so with the creature , as they cannot leave them , whatever comes of them : they must preserve their estate , now having had full estates , and lived full handed ; they cannot live meanly : rather venture upon sin or any thing in the world , to preserve their estates . o how is it possible for a man as hath had such bringing up as i ( saith one ) now to be put to straits , that i can scarce have bread . and upon this the hearts of men rather then they will come to part with the comforts of the creature , when god would have them ; they will keep them , as it were , whether god will or no. o thou hast not learned how to be full . if thy heart were right in thy fulness , thou wouldst take the comfort of the creature , when god gives them . but lord , if thou hast use of them , any other way , here i am , do with me what thou pleasest : the lord gives , and the lord takes , and blessed be the name of the lord. i 'll take them as long as thou wilt have me , and when thou wilt sanctifie thy name in my want , lord take them . we are too eager upon the creature when our hearts cleave to it and we cannot be taken from it , without the rending of our hearts . it is with many mens spirits , as it is with the bee , when it comes to sting , it thrusts its sting so far in that it cannot get it out , but leaves it there : so our hearts are so riveted into the creature , that we cannot part with the creature ; and when god would take away the creature from us , it is as dear unto us , &c. and that 's the reason that people do so cry out , and complain that they are undone , and wring their hands , if they have but lost any part of their estates ; though they have a great part still remaining : oh how they wring their hands as if they were undone . oh thou didst not learn when thou wert full , how to be full . that man or woman that is immoderately sorrowful , when god takes away the creature from them , did never learn how to be full ; that is , to know how to be full : when we can tell how to enjoy them , and how to be without them . o think of this when you are at your full tables . now i have al things about me , but can i now , if god should call me to suffer poverty , could i be content to be laid in a prison for his name sake ? paul he could , when he was at the fullest , readily come off : o lord , if thou wilt honour thy self by me , in a prison , or poverty , or disgrace , why lord , here i am : he was ready prepared . and know , that you have not learned how to be full , except you can find your hearts in the midst of your fulness ; to be ready prepared to part with all your fulness for jesus christ . now in the very naming of these things , i suppose you all think this is hard lesson ; you think it 's hard for poor people to know how to want ; that 's hard , but the truth is , it 's rather the harder of the two to know how to be full : that 's the fifth thing , when a man knows how to be full . sixthly , then doth a man know how to be full , when he can make all his fulness to be furtherance of his graces , to act his graces , to exercise his graces , to draw forth his graces : as now , when he can make the fulness that he hath , to be a means to act and draw forth the grace of love ; to love god in all his fulness : not so much to love the creature , as to love god in the creature . when he can make his fulness to be a means to help his faith : thus , lord , thou hast said , that godliness hath the promise of this life and the life that is to come ; why lord thou hast made thy promise good unto me , and so it strengthens my faith : when a mans fulness can exercise the grace of charity to others : when a mans fulness can exercise his grace of heavenly mindedness ; as in this manner , o lord , these comforts that thou givest me in thy creatures , o they are sweet ; but how sweet is thy self ! how sweet is jesus christ , that is the fulness of all this fulness ! and if so be that this life be so sweet here in this world , what hast thou then in the heavens , to make me to long after heaven ! then a man hath learned how to be full , when he knows how to exercise his graces by his fulness ; that that which deads the graces of other men , shall be a means to exercise his graces . seventhly , and so i might make that another consideration , when this fulness doth lead him to the fountain of his fulness ; that is , when his grace leads him to god , to acknowledge him in all , and to be thankful to god in all ; when it stirs up his thankfulness to god ; and when it encourages him in the duties that god doth require of him . o i receive much wages , saith a gracious heart ; i receive much from god , then surely there must needs be much work required at my hands . i receive more than others do , and therefore it is fit that i should do more work than others do . thus a christian learns to be full , when it can further his graces , and carry him to god , that is the fountain of all his fulness . eighthly , then a christian learns to be full , when he can improve and lay out all his fulness for god. i use it , i but i do not use it for my self so much as for god. when i can consider what are the opportunities of service that god grants unto me in this my fulness . doth not god give unto me a larger opportunity of service than unto others , o then let me improve it for publick work . perhaps i am made a publick man , whereas others that are poor , that are fit for publick service as well as i , in regard of their gifts and graces , but because of their estate they cannot be employed in publick work as i. now i will improve my fulness in publick work , that i may be a useful man in the place where god hath set me ; that i may be as full of good works as possibly i can ; that i may be a publick blessing to the place where the lord hath cast me . why then doth a man learn to be full . and then , ninthly , when a man doth so use the world as if he used it not . when a man enjoys his fulness of outward things , but as things by the by ; that is , so as his comforts doth not depend upon them . i have comfort in them , but it doth not depend upon them . most people do so enjoy their fulness , that the truth is they have it as all their fulness ; they do not use them as things by the by , but as their end . not as means to the end , but as their end . then a man learns to know how to be full ( i say ) when he can use his fulness , not as his end , but means to the end : not as things that he doth depend upon for his happiness , but as things by the by . put all these together now , and here 's the man that learns to be full . and thus st. paul , i am instructed as well to be full and rich , as to need . o i beseech you , before this can come to be applied in the whole , apply these particulars to your hearts . in the mean time , i appeal this day in the name of god to your conscience ; have you learned to be full ? you are full many of you , as to outward things ; but have you been in christs school , to learn to enjoy your fulness in such a manner as this is . i am verily perswaded that many of your consciences will cause mis-giving thoughts to be in you this day about this thing , if you do believe that these are the truths of god , as i cannot imagine but any man may be convinc'd of this ; and therefore i do not stand to enlarge and bring proofs for them : but every mans conscience will tell him , certainly i have not learned these things , i have not learned to be full ; that is , i have not learned to sanctifie the name of god by my fulness . now give conscience liberty to reprove you for being truant in the school of jesus christ ; and let this humble your souls before the lord. i shall speak more to that afterwards ; but for the present , know , that this is your work , to go and be humbled before the lord , that you have not understood what it is to sanctifie god in the fulness that you enjoy . lord , through thy mercy i have all my dayes been full of outward comforts ; thou hast been full-handed towards me , in the wayes of thy mercy : but lord , though i have had fulness a long time , o how far have i been from knowing how to be full . if this be to know it , then i have been a stranger to it hitherto . tenthly , a man doth know how to abound , when he knows how to make use of the comforts he doth enjoy of the world ; so as not to be hindered by the afflictions or troubles that doth attend his comforts . in mens abounding and being full of comforts in this world ; they cannot but have some affliction and some troubles attending these comforts ; for all creature comforts are mingled comforts : now then , then a man knows rightly how to be full , when he enjoyes his fulness , so as though he hath some affliction mixed , yet he can tell how to make use of his affliction for his humiliation , and his comforts for thanksgiving unto god at the same time : whereas now abundance of people when they enjoy comfort , if they meet with any trouble and affliction mixed with their comfort , they are filled so with vexation and bitterness , and their spirits are so troubled , that they lose all the good of their comforts : as haman , he did abound , but he did not know how to abound ; therefore when he was but crossed in one thing , that mordecay did not bow the knee to him , why all the comfort of his prosperity was taken away , and his spirit was filled with rage and bitterness , and malice . and thus it is with many people , that have abundance in their families ; they are full of outward comforts , they have their yoke-fellows , comfortable children ; they have estates , they have their tables furnished , and all things that one would think might content the heart of a man almost : but now , if any one cross doth fall out that doth displease them , they are put into such a vexation and fretting humour , as they lose all the benefit of the comforts . do'st thou know how to abound , when as thou goest abroad and something crossest thee , or thy servant doth something amiss , why presently thou art in a rage and fretting , and all thy thanksgiving to god for all thy mercies , that 's forgot . nothing but fretting and vexing in the family for one cross , when as there are a hundred mercies that thou shouldest bless god for . thou dost not know how to to abound , when thou canst not tell how to sever the good of mercy , from the consideration of affliction : and though god doth afflict thee in something , yet he gives thee abundance of occasions to bless him and praise him . but now , when thou canst bless god for all mercies , and be humbled for all afflictions at the same time ; if god doth grant me more mercies then affliction , he shall have more thanksgiving from me then sorrow , or then trouble ; i le have more joy then i will have trouble , if i have more mercy then i have correction . this man knows how to abound , that can do thus then . eleventhly , lastly , that man knows how to abound , that in his abundance yet knows himself . such a man or woman knows how to be full , and to abound ( i say ) that if they are full and abound , yet they know themselves . it s ordinary for people not to know themselves , when once they come to abound . saul was little in his own eyes when he was in a mean estate , but when saul came to abound he knew not himself : and so it hath been ordinary with people , that their abundance hath taken away the very knowledge of themselves ; they have grown wanton and foolish and proud , that they have not known themselves when they have abounded . but now , when a man in the midst of abundance knows his own meaness , and wretchedness , and sinfulness , and vileness , notwithstanding his abundance ; here 's a man that hath learned this lesson of the apostle , how to abound . but this is a very difficult lesson : if there be such things as as these in learning how to abound , surely the lesson must needs be difficult . you that are mariners think if you have sea-roome enough you are safe ; you care not then : but it 's otherwise in this that we are speaking of , your sea-roome may be your undoing ; and the more abundance you have , the more difficult it will be for you to know how to order your selves in your way . i gave divers reasons why this lesson was more difficult then the other ; to know how to be full than to be empty ; which few people in the world will think so , but certainly it is so . now though the very naming of these things may shew he difficulty of it , yet we shall come in the second place , to shew that there 's a great deale of difficulty in mens and womens knowing how to be full : and i name this the rather , because i would put your hearts upon exercise , that you may not lightly pass over what is said , when we speak of knowing how to be full ; for it is ordinary for men that have estates and outward comforts , to slight the word . well , let me have what will satisfie me , and for this lesson , to know how to be full , i hope we shall do well enough for that . now for this , that you may not slight the lesson ; i shall shew you something about the difficulty of it . you that are marriners , if you may have sea-roome enough , you care not ; you think then you can do well enough , but though you can do well enough in your art , when you have sea-roome ; yet the truth is , you do the worst for your selves , when you have the greatest sea of prosperity , there you do worst of all ; and it is your sea-room that doth undo you : i mean the abundance of outward prosperity , it is that ordinarily which doth undo men . so it is easier a great deal , you know , for one to manage a little boat in the thames , then for one to be able to manage an east-indian ship. the truth is , less skill will serve for the ordering of a mans estate when it is low and mean in the world , than when he comes to be full . it were a mad thing for a man that can but onely row in the thames , to undertake the command of one of your greatest ships : and so it is for those that are mean , if god doth not teach them how to be full , they are like to undo themselves by their fulness as well as any way . it is easier for a man to manage a little estate that he hath , then for him to manage great merchandizing . there is more difficulty and skill required in fulness , than in other wayes ; as extremity of heat is harder to bear than cold : though it be very cold , yet by exercise we may get our selves a heat : but when it is extream hot weather , that 's very tedious , and it breeds diseases . and so it is easier to carry a cup that is but half full steadily , than to carry a cup that is brim-full . and a traveller ( you know the expression ) the storm and the tempest makes him to get his cloak closer together , and to hold it faster : but when the warm beams of the sun comes and shines upon him , that makes him cast off his cloak . you know the fable of the sun and the wind to get the travellers cloak , which should do it ; when the wind came blustering , that could not do it ; but the warm sun beams , that made him throw it off . so many times those that can hold fastest in the time of adversity , yet in the time of prosperity they lose the seeming graces that they had before ; and so let all go . now there are divers reasons that i should give you why it is thus difficult to learn this lesson ; as , first , because we are most of us flesh , we are more flesh than spirit of our selves : now because we have so little spirit in us , therefore all those things that shall come for to joyn with the flesh ( i do not now speak of corruption ) but to joyn with our natural part and sensual part , we having so little spirit in us , it must needs be dangerous for us to manage those things that joyn with our natural part , that is flesh , though it were not corrupt ; yet because we have so little spirit . that is , first , we have lost the image of god. the best of us have but little of the image of god , others have lost is quite ; and then our very reason is wounded by our fall : therefore having so little strength in our spirits , all those things that come to joyn with the flesh , do very much endanger us ; and do indeed very much weaken our better part . now adversity , that pulls from the flesh , that takes from the flesh ; and many times the spirit is much the stronger ; but what doth add to the strength of the flesh , doth endanger us : as it is more dangerous to set a child upon a pamper'd horse , than upon a horse that is wearied out with work : and so for us that are weak in our spirits , to have our flesh to be pampered and satisfied ; i now speak but of our natural flesh and sensual part , to be pampered and fully satisfied , there 's a great deal of danger in that . and then farther , in prosperity there are more duties required than in adversity . a man that is in a mean estate and condition , there are not so many duties required of him ; but a man that enjoys a fulness , there 's abundance of duties required of such a man : every comfort that he enjoys is an obligation to some special duty . a poor man that works hard at his dayes labour , he hath nothing to do but to bless god when he comes into his family , and look to his own heart ; and to see that the service of god is in his family : but now , take a man that is full , that is of an estate in the world , god requires of him to look abroad in the publick ; and god gives him charge , look that my worship be set up , look that justice be executed , i will require these things at your hand ; look that my sabboths be not prophan'd , look that godliness be countenanced , look that sin is discountenanced . but perhaps you will say , every man that is rich , he is not a justice of peace , or in place . i but by your countenance you may make friends to this and the other ; every one is tied to be a friend to those that are rich . there are a great many duties that lie upon you , that do not lie upon those that are poor . if indeed a man that had an estate , had nothing else to do but to sit by the fire side , and have his servants to bring him his provision ; if this were all to be full , it were easie for a man to know how to be full : but you must know that there is much more lies upon you then so , which you must answer for , and give an account of before god ; now this is the thing that makes the difficulty . and then the third thing is , the variety of temptations that do attend upon a full condition : o abundance of temptations there are in a full estate , more than there are in a mean estate . i confess extream poverty hath many temptations with it , very sore and grievous temptations that do attend extremity of poverty ; but yet not so many as do attend upon a full estate . as the flies come in abundance to sweet things , honey ( and the like ) so belzebub , that signifies the god of flies ; o the devils that have that name , they come in abundance , where they see sweetness , where they see is much prosperity . rats and mice come to full barns , not to empty ones ; and so the vermin of temptations , as i may call them , do attend upon full estates . a tree that hath nothing on it , the traveller that comes by will not fling at it ; but a tree that is full of fruit , a traveller flings at that : so those that are in a mean and low condition , the devil passes by them , but he especially labors at those that he sees hath much of the world , and he hath more hopes of gaining of them : as it 's a very observable place concerning joseph , do but consider the scripture that speaks of the condition of joseph and his blessing ; we may compare two scriptures together for it , the one is in the book of genesis , where you have jacob blessing of joseph ; and the other is in the book of deuteronomy , where moses's blessing was , chap. . . and of joseph he said , blessed of the lord be his land , for the precious things of heaven ; for the dew , and for the deep that coucheth beneath : and for the precious fruits brought forth by the sun , and for the precious things put forth by the moon , and for the chief things of the ancient mountains ; and for the precious things of the lasting hills ; and for the precious things of the earth , and fulness thereof , &c. here 's for all his outward blessings , what a many precious things are here , that joseph had , and the fulness thereof . but mark , of all the tribes , what is said concerning joseph , gen. . . joseph is a fruitful bough , even a fruitful bough by a well ; whose branches run over the wall . but now mark in the . verse , the archers have sorely grieved him and shot at him , and hated him . there 's none of the tribes , where it is said , that the archers did so shoot at , as at joseph ; and there is none of the tribes that is blessed with so many several pretious things as joseph is blest withal . so that by comparing these two scriptures , you see , that those that have most of the pretious things of this world , they are like to be shot at most ; and the devil shoots at them more then he doth at others . and then , as the variety of temptations is greater , so the suitableness of temptations is more ; the devil can prevail more in his temptations with fulness , than where there is want and emptiness ; why , because though there be temptations in a poor condition , yet they are not so pleasing to a mans own nature as the temptations of a full condition . a poor man is tempted , but what is he tempted to , he is tempted to impatience , but that 's no pleasing thing but a tedious thing ; and he is tempted to despair , but that hath no pleasingness with it ; and he is tempted to take shifting courses , i but there 's fear in that , least he should be discovered and so be punished : so that their temptations that are in poverty , are not so suitable to their nature , as the temptations of one that is in a full estate ; for his estate is a temptation to pride , to uncleanness , a temptation to intemperance : now such things are very suitable to the very nature of a man , therefore there 's a great deal more danger in the temptations that comes by fulness than by want , because the temptations of one are tedious to a mans nature ; but the temptations of the other are suitable to a mans nature . as it 's more dangerous to have rats-bane lie about the house for your children , than to have alloes or wormseed : suppose that alloes had a poyson in it , it 's true it may do hurt , but it 's not so likely as rats-bane ; because though rats-bane hath poyson in it , yet it hath sweetness in it too . there is poyson sometimes in a poor condition , that is , there are temptations to great evils in a poor condition ; i but their temptations have a bitterness in them . but the temptation of a full condition hath a sweetness in them ; and therefore there 's a greater danger in them , and more difficulty to avoid those temptations . and then further , the temptations that come from fulness , they are more subtle ; those that come from want they are not so subtle , they are more apparent ; but the temptations lies in fulness for the most part in lawful things , it is in lawful things that we most fail in : and the temptation comes so fairly , why , why may not a man take liberty to comfort himself in gods creatures , may not a man take his own , may not a man make use of his own ? for the most part ( i say ) all the temptations of fulness , or great part of them , lies in things that seem to have no hurt in them ; and therefore they are very subtle , and a man need be very wary of them : they are ( as we said before upon occasion ) like little bones in the fish that you can hardly see them , and therefore there 's great deal more danger in swallowing of them down , then of other prickly things . and so the temptations of a full estate lies very secret ; it 's very hard to see them unless you look very narrowly . and then further , which is a main thing ; because fulness doth not onely afford a temptation to sin , but fewel for all kinds of lust ; fulness will feed them if you have not learned to be full . as now , if a man hath the lust of pride , there he hath enough to act his pride , he will feed it to the full ; and will make a proud man to be a scornful man : so that he will scorn and jeer , not onely at his brethren , but at god , and his truth , and ministers , and religion , and all because he is full ; his pride is so fed to the full . and fulness of estate it will feed self-love extreamly . when a man hath a kind of self-sufficiency in himself , then he sees no need that he hath of god , nor christ , nor mercy , nor of the word and promises . it feeds his malice , if he hath a malicious spirit against another man , he can undo him , and he can spend so much to have his will ; it feeds his stubbornness . if he will be unclean , he can , and who will meddle with such an one . and it will feed his licentiousness , he can take his liberty and ride up and down from place to place . a poor man hath as much mind perhaps to satisfie his lusts , but he must fall to his work , or else his family will starve : i but a man that is full , he hath elbow-room enough to serve his lusts , and he can go abroad in the morning and stay till midnight ; and spend from the beginning of the week to the end of it , and not want . o this is mighty pleasing to flesh , and this feeds a mans lusts , and makes him strong . and this is the reason why there are so few that are full , that ever the word doth good upon . ordinarily the poor receive the gospel , so the scripture saith ; not many rich , not many mighty , not many great ones . why here 's the reason of it , because they have so much matter to feed their lusts withal , that their lusts grows too strong , that it doth resist the word , resists all means that should do them any good ; and therefore it 's a very hard lesson for a man to learn to know how to be full . and that that shews it to be a hard lesson , also shews it to be a necessary lesson . o lord what case is a man in then that is full , and yet for all that hath not learned to be full . if he hath such matter for his lusts , and knows not how to order himself , he is like to be a lost man. there is one thing more why it is so difficult to learn how to abound , and that 's this , because that a full estate is in danger to hinder those graces that are the especial graces of a christian . the graces of a christian that are the most peculiar and proper graces of a christian , are in an exceeding danger by a prosperous estate ; that if a man doth not learn to abound , those graces will especially be hurt ; and it is very difficult for a man or woman to carry themselves in an even course ; so as when there is ( as it were ) siege laid to those graces that are the special graces of a christian . as thus , the graces of a christian are faith , self-denial , humility , patience , tenderness , and such kind of graces as these are . now a prosperous estate doth mightily endanger these graces . as now , faith , you know the nature of that grace is for one to be emptied of himself , and to be nothing of himself ; and for to rely upon that that is without . this is the grace of faith , to be taken from our own bottom , from our selves , and from the creature ; to cast our selves upon free grace , upon the goodness and mercy of god , upon the righteousness of another . but now , when men abound , and have a fulness in themselves , why 't is very natural for them to depend upon themselves and not upon another . a full estate hinders very much the depending life , which is the life of a christian . i the life of a christian is a more depending life then the life of adam was : and therefore a low condition is more suitable to a depending life , then a full condition . and so for self-denial , one that is in a low condition , it 's easier for such a one to deny himself : but now , when one comes to have much of self , and to have self to be cockered ( as it were ) then yet to deny a mans self , and to be nothing in his own eyes , this is a great deal harder . and so for humility , it 's not so much for one that is poor , and in a low condition to have his heart low , but to have his heart low when his estate is high , that 's the difficulty . you know there 's nothing more natural to men , then to have their hearts rise as their estates rise ; as the comforts of the creatures rises , so their hearts will rise ; and therefore it 's hard to learn this lesson , how to be full . and then that grace likewise of tenderness , of a tender heart , a soft heart , that 's a grace that belongs to a christian in a special manner ; that they should keep constantly tender , soft spirited . now though many in time of affliction have their hearts tender and soft , yet when they come to prosper once , then their hearts are hard ; the prosperity of the world doth bake ( as it were ) their hearts , and hardens their hearts . as the sun doth harden the clay , so prosperity doth harden the hearts of men , and takes away that tenderness as was wont to be ( as might be shewn in many examples . ) sermon ii. i shall now give unto you some further evidences of this , that it is a very difficult lesson to know how to abound . the evidences are , first , the solemn and frequent charges of god to his people , to take heed to themselves when they are full . we do not find in scripture that god doth so solemnly and frequently charge people to take heed to themselves when they are low ; that they don't then forsake him : though there are some commands that way , but nothing so much in such a solemn way as god doth when he speaks to those that are like to be in a full condition ; then saith god , look to your selves ; as i 'll give you two or three scriptures . the first is in deut. . . there god saith what he would give unto them , they should have houses full of all good things , which thou filledst not , and wells digged , which thou diggedst not ; vineyards and olive-trees which thou plantedst not . when thou shalt have eaten and be full ( saith the text ) what then ? then beware lest thou forget the lord , which brought thee forth out of the land of egypt , from the house of bondage . that 's a time when poople are least careful at all , when they eat and be full , then they think of no danger at all ; i but this is the charge of the spirit of god , that when thou shalt have eaten and be full , then beware in a more especial manner . o that you would remember this , you that have full tables ; o that this scripture were written over your tables , and were in your thoughts when you come to full dishes ; you eat and drink and are full . it would be but a melancholy thought to some of you to think of this , o i must beware now in a more especial manner . some of you that have been in a poor estate , perhaps you were but poor sea-boys at first ; but in some few voyages have raised up an estate : then this is a text that concerns you . hath god given you such voyages , that now your house is full ; you were wont to have your houses empty , but ordinarily you marriners have your houses full of good things that you bring from beyond sea. now when your houses are full , saith the text , beware of that , that you forget not the lord ; but then fear him . and so in deut. . . you have again this charge renewed , the lord doth not give it you once , but presently again he renews this charge ; when ( saith he ) thou hast eaten and art full , th●n thou shalt bless the lord thy god , for the good land which he hath given thee . beware that thou forget not the lord thy god , in not keeping his commandments and his judgments and his statutes , which i command thee this day ; least when thou hast eaten , and art full , and hast built goodly houses , and dwelt therein ; and when thy heards and thy stocks multiply , and thy silver and thy gold is multiplied , and all that thou hast is multiplied : then thine heart be lifted up , and thou forget the lord thy god. still see what charges are here , as if god should say , i am not so solicitous about you , while you are in the wilderness , while you are empty ; but i am very solicitous about you , what you will do when you are full ; i am afraid then you will forget me : therefore you see how it is renewed : yea , you have it renewed again in deut. . . and ( saith he ) i will send grass in thy field for thy cattel , that thou mayest eat and be full . take heed to your selves , that your heart be not deceived , and ye turn aside and serve other gods. take heed you be not deceived when you are full . there is a great deceitfulness in riches ; so you know the scripture speaks of the deceitfulness of riches . you will say , why when we are full , we hope we may eat and drink , and have the pleasure of what god gives us . o but take heed you be not deceived . now that god should give such caution and solemn charges again and again , in the th . th . and th . chapters , and so repeat them again and again ; surely by this god would have us to learn that there is a great deal of danger in being full ; and therefore it is a difficult lesson for us to know how to be full and abound . another evidence that it is so difficult , is this ; when do you find throughout all the book of god , that ever a full condition did ever turn any soul to god , or was the means of it , that was not turned to god before . i can find in scripture that an afflicted condition hath been blest so by god , as it hath been an occasion to turn some to god : as you know manasses in his affliction he sought the lord. and so god speaks once and twice , and men hear not ; but then he opens their ears by correction : and in their affliction they will seek me early : but do you ever find it , that those that did not seek god before , were drawn to god by a full condition . truly i know no certain example of any , where the prosperous estate of a man was any occasion to his conversion : therefore that shews that there is a great deal of danger in a fuller condition . yea further , where do you find that any of gods children that were brought into a full condition , but were rather worse for it than better . i confess there is one or two examples , that we read not that they were worse for their prosperity ; as nehemiah and daniel : but where have you an example else , but almost all of them , when they were full , they forgat god. when they were afflicted , they would learn ; david had learned to be content in his afflicted condition , and to get abundance of good by his afflicted condition ; o but he could not learn so well to be full . and therefore you shall find that the most excellent psalms that ever david penn'd , it was in his afflicted condition : there was a fulness of the spirit of god in him then , then in a more especial manner : and therefore i remember that it 's said in one place , that solomon did not do according to the first works of his father david . the first works of david were the works when david was not so full ; but when he grew to be full , his works were not so good then . and generally all the people of god were worse in a full condition : so solomon , you know how his fulness had almost spoil'd him ; solomon , though he had so much wisdom that he understood all things almost , yet he want●d wisdom to know how to be full . there was never a man of that greatness in the world ( that was a meer man ) that had the wisdome as solomon had ; and yet all his wisdome was not enough to teach him this lesson , to know how to be full . and then , this is an evidence that it 's a very difficult thing to learn to be full ; because that the way of god constantly hath been , even from the beginning of the world to this day , to keep his people down low in affliction ; and especially in the times of the gospel . now why is it that the lord hath so ordered things in the waves of his providence , as that the most part of his churches and his saints , should be kept under the hatches , under afflictions . why god could as easily fill them with fulness of outward blessings , as fill them with the holy ghost ; but those that god fills with the holy ghost , yet he doth not fill them with outward blessings , in his ordinary way ; but the people of god have been in afflictions . this is an evidence to us that god sees that it is more safe for them to be in a mean estate than in a high , because they can better learn how to be empty than to be full . the lord sees it 's a hard lesson for his people to learn how to be full , and therefore he doth but very rarely bring them into a full condition . and daily experience teaches it too , who are those that are the most spiritual and heavenly christians , are they those that are fullest ? we see it plainly otherwise . o god hath a great deal more glory from poor mean christians , and there is more spiritual communion between god and them , than there is between god and those that are in a fuller estate . the ecclesiastical story is notable for this , i suppose you have heard of ; that at the time when the church was delivered from persecution , and constantine had endowed it with great possessions , the story saith , there was a voice heard in the air , saying , this day is poyson poured into the church . and so it fell out indeed , for the church grew far worse after it was delivered from persecution . it was in a worse condition by far , then it was when it was under persecution ; they could not learn to be full , so as they could learn to be afflicted and empty ; then they fell to contending and wrangling one with another , and then heresies began to prevail a great deal more than they did when they were under persecution ; and we find it so by our experience . is it not so , that when we are lowest , then we are in the best condition for the most part ; for as soon as we have prosperity and are full , we begin to spurn with the heel . but i have spoken to that at other times . and thus much for that second particular , that it is a very difficult lesson to learn to be full . but yet it is very necessary , there is a kind of absolute necessity of it , a great necessity . why , many wayes there is need of this , and it would be a very sad thing , if you do not learn this lesson . for , first , those that are full , if they have not learned how to be full , they will be guilty of the abuse of the creatures of god more than other men ; the creatures of god that they enjoy in a fuller way than others , will be under bondage , and will cry out against them : so , do not you enjoy a great many creatures more than others that are in a poor condition . but if thou hast not learned how to use them for god , night and day do these creatures of god cry to heaven against thee : as if they should say , lord , we were made for thee , and we have a propensity in us to be serviceable to thy glory ; but here 's one to whom thou hast given the possession of us , and he doth abuse us , and force us from the end that thou hast made us for ; and that we would fain be useful in . lord , we are forced to do that that is contrary to our nature , we were never made to be serviceable to the lusts of men , and yet here 's a man that doth abuse us to his lusts : lord why should we be in bondage to such men as know not how to use us . you love not to be a servant to one that knows not how to use you . the creatures of god they groan under the bondage they are in , when men and women enjoy them in the fulness of them , and yet abuse them ; not working them to the end that god hath made them for : there is a cry that god hears from his creatures , though you hear not the voice of it . yea , and secondly , if you be in a prosperous condition , and have not learned to be full , then you will be guilty of sinning against mercy more than others ; the mercies of god towards you will be but an aggravation to your sinfulness ; and this is a grievous condition . o mercy , my brethren , is a tender thing , and to sin against mercy is very grievous . those that are in a low condition , they have many mercies , but not so many as you ; therefore they are not guilty of sinning against mercy so much as you are . what a sad thing is this , that gods mercy , that might do us so much good , should be of no other use to us , but meerly to aggravate our sins at last . there 's no greater aggravation of sin than that that comes from mercy ; and therefore when the lord would speak to the very heart of his people , so as to perswade , he brings them to that , to consider of his mercy towards them . in deut. . . do you thus requite the lord , o foolish people and unwise . so , dost thou thus requite the lord , hath god made thy condition more comfortable than anothers ? another he wants bread , and fares hardly , lies hard , and is in the cold ; and lives in a poor condition , and thou hast all things full about thee , and yet art thou worse ? do'st thou thus requite the lord , o foolish heart ? and so you know it was the aggravation of the sin of david , in . sam. . after david had committed that great sin , the lord sends the prophet to him to convince him of his sin ; and mark how he aggravates it ver . . thus saith the lord god of israel , i annointed thee king over israel , and i delivered thee out of the hand of saul , and i gave thee thy masters house , and thy masters wives into thy bosome ; and gave thee the house of israel and of judah , and if that had been too little , i would moreover have given unto thee such and such things : wherefore hast thou despised the commandement of the lord ? o this was that that struck the heart of david ; i have sinned , saith david . and in nehem. . , . you have a remarkable scripture for that , setting out there the mercy of god ; so they did eat and were filled , and became fat , and delighted themselves in thy great goodness ; nevertheless they were disobedient and rebelled against thee ; and cast thy law behind their backs , and slew thy prophets , &c. here 's the aggravation , they were filled with good things , nevertheless they were disobedient . o may not this scripture be made good upon many of you . the lord hath filled your houses with abundance of mercy , you cannot look into any of your families , but you see mercy ; yet nevertheless a carnal heart for all this , nevertheless a swearer , a company-keeper , a prophaner of sabboths , a neglecter of the worship of god in thy family . notwithstanding , an unclean wretch , for all those mercies that the lord would wooe thee to obedience by . that 's the second thing that shews the necessity of learning to be full , otherwise we shall be guilty of sinning against much mercy ; and likewise the mercy of god will serve for no other end but to aggravate our sin . and , thirdly , if men do not learn to be full , they will grow extream wicked . how our fulness doth afford fewel for lusts , that we spoke to . i onely now speak to it , as to shew the necessity that we learn to be full ; lest we come to grow most abominably wicked . sin will come to be out of measure sinful , if so be we learn not to be full . as a man that hath a weak distempered body , and lives at a full table , and hath a strong appetite , and yet if he doth not learn how to order his diet , he will grow full of diseases ; so when thy heart is weak ( at least ) and thou comest to a full diet , and knowest not how to order thy self , thou art like to grow extreamly diseased ; and therefore you find in scripture , that those that were in a full condition , and yet had not grace to know how to be full , they are described to be the most wicked people that are in the world . job . . therefore they say unto god , depart from us ; for we desire not the knowledge of thy wayes . and in psal . . there you may read at large of the prosperity of the wicked , from the beginning and so on ; and in isa . . , . their land also is full of silver and gold , neither is there any end of their treasures ; their land is also full of horses , neither is there any end of their chariots ; then mark in the th . verse , their land also is full of idols . these two are joyned together . o so it is in many families , this family is full of all outward good things , and it 's a family full of sin ; and here 's a man that hath a full estate , and a man that is full of sin , as he is full of his estate . if thou do'st not learn to abound , thou wilt certainly abound in sin ; and therefore it is an absolute necessary lesson for us to learn to abound . and then , thirdly , if thou dost not learn to abound , thy portion will be in this life , if there doth not go together with thy abundance the grace of god to teach thee how to abound ; this will prove to be thy condition , to be a man or woman that god hath said shall have no other portion from him then in this world . if the lord gives a man an estate , and doth not withal give him some proportionable measure of grace to know how to use it , and abound in it , that 's a man that god saith , his portion shall be in this world ; it is as much as if god should say from heaven concerning this man , here 's one , whose portion is in this world . in the th . psalm , at the latter end , there the psalmist speaks of men who have their portion in this world ; here 's their consolation , thou hast a full estate , and doth god give thee nothing with thy full estate , it is like to be thy all. you will say , is this so great a matter ? i a thousand thousand times better thou hadst never been born , though thou hadst a thousand times more in the world then thou hast , if this should prove to be thy portion , thy all : for thou art made for eternity , and those creatures were not : and therefore if thou should'st onely have hopes in this world , thou art a wretched creature . shall st. paul say , if we have onely hopes in this life , we were most miserable of all men : o may i say concerning thee , if thou hast onely hope in this life , thou art most miserable of all creatures , except the devils themselves . o it 's a dreadfull thing for a man or woman to have their portion in this world : but now , those have it , that have a great deal in this world , and yet know not how to use it for god. o consider of this , you that god hath given more portion to than others ; do you think thus in the night , lord , thou hast indeed made my condition more comfortable then others , i am full handed , and have means coming in ; but lord , what if it should prove that my portion should be here . i remember it 's reported of gregory , that was the pope , he did profess that there was no scripture that did strike to his heart , so much as that scripture ; wo to you , here is your consolation ; fearing least his portion should be here . and the truth is , that scripture , and that other in the th . psalm , should go to the hearts of rich men , and of those that have a full estate in this world ; except their consciences tell them , that through the grace of god , they have learned in some measure to know how to use it for the glory of god as for their own comfort . you account it an ill thing for a man to have an estate , and knows not how to use it for himself : as now , if a man should be born to a great inheritance , and should be a fool ; you know his estate is begged : why now to have an estate and know not how to use it for god ; is it not as great an evil ? is that onely an excellency to be able to know how to use an estate and improve it for your own advantage , and is it not as well to improve it for god ? o it 's a miserable condition that any man is in , that is full , and knows not how to be full ; there 's a man that is like to have his portion in this world . i but that 's not all neither , if god gives you an estate , and you know not how to be full ; then all that thou hast is cursed to thee : there is a secret curse of god goes a long with it . as now , when a man gives a thing in an anger , saith he , here take it if you will and choke with it . such kinde of speech men have when they give things in anger . but if you give to your children things out of love , you do not onely give it them , but if there be any danger , you have a care that there be a right use of the things . so now , when god gives out to his own people , god hath a care of them after he hath given them ; i give it them , but i must have a care least this turn to their hurt . but now , when god gives to a wicked man , take them , saith god , if you will ; but god never minds them farther , to look after them , to see whether this shall do them good or no ; god never minds them , but lets them take them , and spoil themselves with them , god doth not care . were it not a sign of hatred to a man , if i should see one that is a mad man ; and give him a sword into his hand , i may be guilty of murther : it is as great an argument of hatred , that god doth hate a man , when he doth give him an estate , and yet doth not give him a heart to make use of that estate ; he puts ( as it were ) a sword into a mad mans hand . but though i cannot do it justly , yet god may do it justly , as a punishment of sin . the curse of god is mixed with wine as well as water ; and then it 's stronger in psal . . , . there you may see how full comforts may be cursed unto men ; it is threatned as a punishment of their sin : let their table become a snare before them : and that which should have been for their welfare , let it become a trap . o this is a terrible text , let their table become a snare : it is a prophesie against those that gave christ gaul for his meat , and vinegar when he was upon the cross ? and so it is against all such as shall insult over the people of god in their affliction . as men , when they are full and rich and prosperous in the world , they will add to the affliction of gods people . now this is the curse of god upon them , that shall add to the affliction of the people of god ; let their table become a snare before them , and that which should have been for their welfare , let it become a trap . thou hast a table well furnished , but how do'st thou know but that it is a snare for thee , and a trap ? we set traps to catch vermin withal , and if thou hast a wicked heart , god looks upon thee but as a vermin , and doth set this to be a trap to catch thee withal : now perhaps thou do'st not see it : why mark the word that follows , let their eyes be darkened , that they see not . the curse lies secret , that thou canst not see ; now this is part of the curse . how few men do see a curse upon their tables . no , this ( i say ) is part of the curse of god upon them that they should not . o what need is there that we that have any fulness of the creature , learn to be full ; least that which should have been for our welfare , is turned into a curse unto us . well , but though it be cursed , yet if he may enjoy it still , a wicked man will be content . then that 's the next thing in the evil of that mans condition , that hath not learned to be full ; that god justly may rend away what thou hast in his wrath from thee : and because thou knowest not how to use it , it were just with god in his wrath to rend it from thee . as you will do , if you have servants , or any in the house , if they have a knife in their hand , and you see that they are ready to do mischief with it , you will snatch it from them : nay , if you know not how to use it , you shall have it no longer . it is just with god to come upon thee in his wrath , and to take away all thy outward comforts , because thou do'st not know how to use them . thou knowest not how to make use of a child for god , or of an estate for god ; and so he may justly take it from thee , thou not knowing how to use it . so god doth threaten in psal . . , . man ( saith he ) did eat angels food , he sent them meat to the full ; but in ver . . so they did eat , and were well filled ; for he gave them their own desires . but then it follows , they were not estranged from their lusts , but while the meat was yet in their mouths , the wrath of god came upon them . they eat to the full , and had enough , i , but they onely sought out of greediness to satisfie themselves ; and the wrath of god came upon them , while the meat was in their mouths . it provokes the wrath of god upon men , when they have a fulness , and yet have not learned to be full . and as god may justly rend it all away from them , so when they come to an affliction , o how sad will it be to those men that have not learned to be full ; o then there will be matter for conscience to gnaw upon and terrifie the soul withal . afflictions will be dreadful to those men that have had a full estate and not learned to be full : then conscience will upbraid them , and say , o you once had plenty , you once had the comforts of the creature to the full ; o but how did you use them , what glory had god by them ? were they not made fuel for your lusts , and serviceable to your wickedness ? and now it is a righteous thing with god to take these things from thee ; and these sorrows that are now upon thee , are but the beginning of sorrows . o the conscience of a man that hath been rich , and afterwards is crossed in his estate , if while he was rich , he was not godly ; this mans conscience will tear him and rend him . though now you enjoy fulness , yet you may not expect to enjoy it alwayes . what do you think will become of you , when your fulness shall be taken from you ? o then it will be terrible to you . yea and further , if a man be in a full condition , and learns not to be full ; such a man will do abundance of hurt in the place where he lives ; not onely to himself but to others . o the evil he may do in a town and in a family , and in a kingdom . one rich man , if god doth not sanctifie his heart and his estate , may do more mischief than an hundred other wicked men . god doth not so much look at the hurt that base drunkards , that go up and down , from one alehouse to another can do . they may destroy their own souls , but now a man that is a man of an estate in the place where god hath set him , if he spend nights in chambering and wantonness ; if he contemn the wayes of god and religion ; o the hurt that comes by that man , and the guiltiness that will come upon his spirit that way . o how is the gospel hindered by such men as they , that have outward prosperous estates ; and yet for all that have not hearts to make use of it : whereas i shall shew presently the contrary will be in those that have learned to be full . but onely now , to shew the danger of a full condition , if we have not learned to be full ; and all to put you upon this , that you may beseech god to learn you to be full , when god doth give you a fulness ; least you should contract the guilt of the sins of thousands of others upon you . and then , if thou do'st not learn to be full , thy full estate will endanger thy salvation exceedingly . it is easier for a cammel ( saith christ ) to go thorow the eye of a needle , than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of heaven . now christ doth not interpret at first what is a rich man , but at another time he doth , those that trust in them . chrysostom hath this passage upon that to the hebrews , he wonders how any governor can come to be saved . the fulness of a mans condition doth much endanger his salvation , if god doth not teach him how to be full . and then it will make death to be more terrible . o death , how terrible will it be to a man that hath not learned to be full . when death shall come , and now he must be deprived of all , bid an everlasting farewel to his house and estate , and lands comming in . never such merry meetings as he was wont to have , i but now they are gone ; there 's an end of those dayes , he shall never have them more . o then ( i say ) death will gnaw upon a man , and then a mans conscience indeed will terrifie him . if he be afflicted , they will come upon him to terrifie him . but when he sees that he must bid an everlasting farewel to all those things , then death will terrifie him to purpose . o conscience will tell him , now art thou going to give an account before the great god of all that thou didst enjoy in this world . it 's a sad message that this will be to some that are full . you think because you have money to pay for what you eat and drink , and do enjoy , you think you shall be called to no farther account . o yes , you must be called to an account for all the creatures that you do enjoy . now if men can scarce count the mercies that they do enjoy , o then how will you be able to give an account for them . well , all this is but to awaken the hearts of people that have the comforts of this world , that they may not satisfie themselves with what they enjoy ; but seek what they can to learn to be full . and the excellency of this lesson of learning to be full , is very great . for first , it shews a great deal of ingenuity in the heart of a man. ingenuity in these two regards , first , because hereby it appears that this man is not onely for his own turn . it 's a sordid spirit for a man to seek to serve his own turn upon others , and when his turn is served , never to care for any body ; but now , an ingenious spirit , when that hath its own turn serv'd , it is as careful again to return answerable respect to those that were useful to him ; as it was desirous to have its own turn serv'd before . so it is in those that have learned to be full , they have ingenuity ; they are as careful to return answerable respects to god , as they are to receive any mercy from him . and their ingenuity is in this , that they are thankful spirits . an ingenious heart is a thankful heart , and loves to acknowledge whence he had any mercy . and then further , that 's great ingenuity for one to be moved by good , and be moved by mercy . 't is a slavish spirit that 's onely mov'd by necessity and force and violence . that 's nothing for a man to be forced to do a duty . the basest slave by a whip will be put to do that that is his duty , i , but for one to be wrought upon by love and by goodness , this is ingenuity . now if the lord hath given thee an estate , and thou findest it doth draw thy heart to god more , and works upon thy heart , that thou art affected by gods mercy ; o this is a sign of an ingenious heart . and then , what grace such a man hath , is a great deal more conspicuous than others mens graces , and more beautiful . as a diamond , that is set in gold , there is a beauty in it . a diamond set in a crown of gold , doth sparkle more gloriously , than when it is wrapt up in a dirty rag. so the graces of many that are poor and mean in the world , are ( as it were ) wrapt up in a dirty rag ; as sometimes they wrap up their money . but now a man that is eminent in the world , and godly too , his graces are like diamonds upon a crown ( as it were ) that are so conspicuous before the world , that the world takes much notice of them , and gives glory to god for them . thirdly , it 's an excellency , because it is so rare . it 's a very rare thing for a man to be instructed in this lesson of being full . it 's a speech of bernard , not to be lifted up , when a man is put high , that is very unusual ; now , saith he , the more unusual it is , the more glorious thing it is . it is a very rare blessing of god upon a man , for him to learn to be full . i remember the same learned man bernard , writing to eugenius , that was advanced to great favour ; he speaks of the grace of god towards him , and blessing god for it , his promotion did not succeed his former estate , but was added to his former estate . that 's thus , the promotion of many men doth succeed their former estate ; that is , the former ingenuity they had , and ingenuity that they seem'd to have ; that 's gone , and the promotion doth come and succeed it . but the promotion of this eugenius was not so , he continued in the former estate that he was in before , that is , the former humility and heavenly-mindedness , and holiness as he seem'd to have before , so he had the same still : so that his state and promotion did not succeed , but was added to it . i , this is an excellency indeed , when a mans fulness is added to his former condition , and doth not succeed it ; that is , he is the same man now that he was before : that 's a rare blessing of god upon one . fourthly , it argues a great deal of strength of grace , for a man that is full , and knows how to be full , and to improve it . it argues not onely grace , but strength of grace : as it argues a great deal of strength in mens bodies , that they can drink a great deal of wine , and not be drunk . some think that they may take liberty to themselves to drink wine , so they do not stagger in the streets . but you know the scripture saith , wo to those that are strong to drink wine . it 's a speech of seneca , that moderation is a sign of a strong breast . moderation in the midst of prosperity , is a sign of a strong heart . it 's a sign god hath given thee strength of grace , if thy conscience can witness this to thee , well , through gods mercy , though i have many weaknesses , and fail in all that i do , yet i can say , to the praise of god , that my estate hath not estranged my heart from god ; but my heart doth cleave to god , and i have communion with god in the creatures that god sonds me . and when god doth give me the best voyages , i find my heart in the best temper , and i have more sweet communion with god then than at other times . can you say so ? i appeal to your consciences now , whether you can say , as in the presence of god , i never found my heart in a more heavenly spiritual temper , than when i have found god blessing me in my labors ; and i have enjoyed god in them . o now , if thou canst say so , be of good comfort ; thou hast learned a lesson that is a thousand times worth more than all thy prosperity . this is thine excellency , not that thou hast a fuller estate than others , but that god hath taught thee such a lesson as this is . and then farther , such a one may do abundance of good . what abundance of glory may god have from one man that way ; whereas a man that is of an estate , and hath not grace withal , he is like a great elder-tree in the midst of a garden . such a tree , why it spoils the flowers and doth hurt there . i but one that hath an estate and is rich , and godly withal , he stands as a prime flower in the garden , that is an ornament to it : as commonly , in the midst of your knots you set a prime flower there , to be an ornament to all the rest . so the lord will have some to be rich , that may be an ornament and a shelter to his servants . o many , many hundreds of people , will bless god , that ever god set such a man in such a place ; and that god did give them their estate . we say of some men that they have good estates , i , and it 's well bestowed on them ; for they do a great deal of good with them . but now , when they are not onely so , but their hearts are to improve their estates for the furtherance of the gospel , for the beating down of sin , and the countenancing of religion , o then all the people of god that live about them , will bless god , o for such a man. had it not been for some few in a place that god gave estates unto , that was stirring , what would have become of the gospel ; religion would have been trampled under feet . o will not this be a greater comfort in the day of jesus christ , when christ shall own this , and say , i gave you an estate in the world , and i acknowledge that you did make use of it for my glory and religion . i made you an instrument to uphold it in the place where you were used . o if christ should own this , would it not be a thousand times worth your estates . and then , when you come to die , o how sweetly will you die ; when you can say , o lord remember me for good . as nehemiah did in the close of his book , look upon the very last words of nehemiah ; he was a man that was full in outward blessings , and he improv'd them to purpose for god ; and that was the very close of all , lord remember me for good ; and so may'st thou when thou comest to die . thy conscience shall not upbraid thee , as others will ; thou comest to god for mercy , what come to me for mercy ? i have bestowed mercy upon you already , and how did you abuse it ? with what face can you cry to me for mercy , that have abus'd it so ? o but when your consciences can tell you that you have not abused gods mercy , but his mercy in outward things hath drawn your hearts unto him , and you have imploied it in his service : now thou may'st with joy and encouragement say , lord remember me for good . and if god should ever bring thee into afflictions in this world , it will be sweet and comfortable to thee , if thou hast used thy prosperity well . for that man that is willing to give up the comfort of his prosperity to god , which he doth enjoy ; god will have a care to take away the gaul and the bitterness of affliction from that man when he is under affliction . o there 's nothing more comfortable to a man in affliction , than to consider that he hath made use of his prosperity for the honour & glory of god. when i was in prosperity , god had honour , and now i am in affliction , i can comfortably fly to god for peace and comfort to my soul . and in this , god doth attain to his end and the end of his creatures . god hath his end especially from these men ; the end of his works of creation and providence . why ▪ the lord hath made this world and filled it with abundance of excellent things ; but now , how shall god attain his end : that is , to have glory from the excellent things that he hath made in the world ? why , most men takes them and abuses them to gods dishonour ; now were there not some men that had hearts to give god the glory of their estates , why god should have no glory from all his works ; all his works would be as it were to no purpose . but now it seems god hath called thee out to give him the glory of his works ; so that thou art the man among so many that doth pay as it were to god the rent that he requires for all the great things that he hath done in the world ; which cannot but bring in a great deal of comfort to thee , and shews the excellency of it . i have now but two other things for the opening of it before we come to the application , yet all the way as we have gone along , we have indeavoured to apply it ; shewing wherein it consists , the difficulty of it , and the excellency of it : now for the close at this time , let these things sink into your hearts ; i 'll give you one scripture that you may go a way and seek to god to teach you how to be full , and to learn this lesson ; it is in the ver . of the epistle of jude , these are spots in your feasts of charity , when they feast with you , feeding themselves without fear . there 's the description of wicked and ungodly men . how are they described ? they feast themselves without fear , that they may be fed to the full ; they care for nothing else . o this is a sign of a wretched wicked man , to feast himself without fear . hath god given thee a full estate , and what , do'st thou take it without fear . if god hath given thee an estate , and all outward comforts in this world according to thy hearts desire , it stands thee upon to fear least thou should'st not improve it for god. and o that god would send you away from his presence upon the consideration of what you have heard , even with trembling hearts . lord , thou hast given us these and these outward comforts ; ( and let husband speak thus to the wife , and wife to the husband , when they see all things comming in in a plentiful way : ) o the lord hath given us these mercies more than others , o but how if we should not improve them for god , how if we should abuse them , and if we have not answerable grace to make use of them , what should become of us ? now having your hearts possest with the fear of this , you will be the more like to be driven to god in prayer ; to seek of him that he would learn you this lesson , to teach you how to be full . and there is a great mystery in this , as there is a mystery of godliness in contentment , so there is a mystery in this ; and i shall shew you further that it is done in a kind of mystical way . there are indeed some natural rules , whereby we may propound to men how to make use of their prosperity ; and it were well if all of us were wrought upon in a natural way . but i shall endeavor to go further with you than so , to shew you in a spiritual way how you should learn to be full , according to the rules of the gospel ; to manifest the mystery of godliness in the giving god the glory of your estates and all the comforts that you do enjoy in this world . sermon iii. we shall now come to what remains , there are but three things more in this point that now we are to finish . and the first is , to shew you what a mystery of godliness there is in a right learning how to be full . secondly , what are the several lessons that are to be learned . and then the application of all from the point . and this is the method we observed in the learning how to want . the mystery of godliness . and i told you that from the word in my text , i am instructed , so it is in your books ; but in the original it is , i am taught as in a mystery ; so that there is a mystery in both these . i have shewn you in many things wherein the mystery of godliness lies in learning how to be content . a godly man knows how to abound after another manner than any other can do . perhaps a man by some strength of natural prudence and wisdom may know how to order his estate , so as not to be very inordinate and wicked in the management of his outward estate . a man that hath civility and natural wisdom , may make some good use of the blessings of god , that god hath given him : but a gracious heart comes to sanctifie the name of god in his estate and outward blessings that god hath given him , in another manner than natural wisdom will teach a man. grace will raise a mans spirit higher , and that in these particulars , first , a gracious heart learns how to be full , by often resigning up the estate that it doth possess unto god. he learns how to enjoy his estate , by resigning up all his estate and comforts unto god. this is a way that a natural man understands little of , to know how to enjoy his comforts by resigning up his comforts ; yet that 's the way of a gracious heart . he doth very frequently , when he gets alone into his closet , resign up his estate ; lord , thou hast blessed me with many outward comforts , more than thou hast done others of my brethren : lord , i here profess all to be thine , and give up all to thee ; all belongs to thee : and i desire to enjoy no farther than i may be useful to thee in the place where thou hast set me . here lord , i give up my self and all my fulness unto thee , take all , dispose all , lay out all for thine own praise and glory . and by this means , when he hath done this , he comes to enjoy more sweetness than what he hath in any other way . it is not in a greedy use of what he hath , that he comes to enjoy his fulness ; but by resigning up what he hath to god : and so he comes to enjoy his fulness in a better manner and more comfortably than ever he did before . this a godly heart finds by experience ( as divers times upon occasion i have hinted to you ) that the oftner any thing comes out of gods hand , the better and sweeter it is ; and therefore he is willing to give up often what he hath into the hand of god : and that 's the first way . but , secondly , he learns how to be full in this way of mystery ; he doth seek to preserve his comforts and enrich himself ; by communicating what he hath : not onely by resigning to god , but by communicating his comforts he seeks to preserve them ; and he seeks to enrich himself , by communicating of his riches . now this is a mysterious way , yet the scriptures shews this to be the way of a gracious heart . a carnal heart he would enjoy his fulness , but how ▪ that is , by keeping it to himself : i but a godly heart that learns in the way of mystery how to be full ; looks upon it as the onely way to preserve his estate , by communicating his estate , by doing many good works , by making use of his estate for the publick good , the glory of god and the good of his brethren . in isa . . you have a notable scripture for that , that that 's the way that a godly man uses for the preserving of his estate ; ver . . but the liberal deviseth liberal things . what then , he doth not onely take the opportunity when he is called to communicate of his estate , but studies with himself how he may communicate his estate for good . i but he may quickly communicate all away , you will say , and grow a begger himself . no , but mark what the text saith , and by liberal things shall he stand : that 's the way that he takes for the preservation of what he hath : he will trust god with that . and indeed he comes to enjoy the comfort of his life by the communicating of the comforts of his life . and then he seeks to get riches by communicating of his riches . that scripture you have for this in tim. . . charge them that are rich in this world that they be not high-minded , nor trust in uncertain riches , but in the living god ; who giveth us richly all things to enjoy . that they do good , that they be rich in good works ; ready to distribute . the more good works he doth , the richer he makes account himself is . now , ordinarily a carnal heart , when he is call'd to do good works , he cannot for shame but do something ; i but he thinks he is the poorer by it . what will you get away all my estate and make me a begger ? why , these often contributions draws away my estate , and they think they have so much of their heart-blood drawn away , and so they grow poorer and poorer . but a godly man he makes account that the more good works he doth , the richer man he grows . why god himself accounts his riches to be in the works of mercy . in eph. . there you shall find that the riches of god are in the works of his mercy . that in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness towards us . why god is not said to be rich in power so much as in grace ; in the works of his mercy , in the works of kindness . and so a godly man , that hath learned by the grace of god to be full , doth account himself made rich in the communicating what fulness god hath given him , for the glory of his name and the good of others . this is a second mysterious way of a godly mans learning how to be full . and then the third way of a godly mans learning how to be full is this ; he doth learn how to have comfort in his estate , by mortifying of his affections to his estate ; and by moderating of his spirit in the joy that he hath in his estate , he comes to receive the greater joy in what he hath given to him . this you will say is a riddle , for a man to have greater joy in outward things , by moderating of his joy , and to have a greater fulness in his abundance , by keeping himself within bounds . this is the way of a godly man , the more he keeps himself within bounds , the more comfort he hath in his abundance ; and the more he can mortifie his affections to the comforts of the world , the more comfort hath he in these comforts of the world . now because this may seem to be a great riddle and mystery ( for so it is ) i will give you one scripture that will make it out fully ; and it is in phil. . , . rejoyce in the lord alway , and again i say rejoyce . here the apostle puts people to rejoyce , to rejoyce in the lord ; that is , not onely in spiritual things , but rejoyce in all gods blessings in a spiritual way . now the men of the world , when they are put upon it to rejoyce , and again to rejoyce , they think they know nor how to reioyce but by letting out their hearts without any bounds ; they know not how to keep any bounds . but mark the words that follow , let your moderation be known unto all men . as if the apostle should say , and would you rejoyce indeed truly and graciously and fully , i exhort you to rejoyce , and again to rejoyce . well then . this is pleasing to the heart of a man , we will give our selves liberty to rejoyce , we will enlarge our selves in our joy . i but , saith the apostle , let your moderation be known to all men though : so that in that he adds this exhortation , let your moderation be known to all men , it 's apparent that he means the joy in outward things as well as in spiritual things : let your moderation be known to all , so that he doth not envy your rejoycing in your estate . you may rejoyce in the comforts of this world that god hath given you . but would you have true joy , that that should glad your hearts indeed , let your moderation be known to all men , and do so bound your selves in your joy , and let your hearts be so mortified to the world , as that you may rejoyce in god , even while you rejoyce in the outward blessings that god hath given to you . and although many men may think this to be a mystery , and scarce to be believed ; yet those who are truly godly , find this by experience . i appeal to you , when have you had the greatest comfort and joy in your estates and comings in , but at that time when you have found your hearts mortified to the world , and that you could keep your selves in bounds . if a man goes abroad , and among company , if he can keep his appetite in bounds and eat moderately , he hath more comfort in his meat and drink than another man hath that eats excessively . a man that eats and drinks moderately , he preserves his health , and by preserving his health he hath more sweetness in his meat and drink in a constant way , than those that eat and drink immoderately ; and when a man hath been abroad among company , and let out his heart profusely in way of laughter and merriment , and all upon the merry pin ; why in the midst of this laughter his heart is even sad , and when he comes home , he comes home with a dead spirit . he is like nabal , you know that when he was feasting , his heart was merry ; but as soon as his drunkenness was gone from him , his heart died like a stone . many company-keepers that give liberty to themselves in jollity and mirth , why the next day their hearts are even as dead as a stone ; and there 's a great deal of guilt upon their spirits , and their consciences fly in their faces ; so that they have not so much joy in their spirits as those that can keep within bounds . those that can go in a sober way and meet with their neighbours , and rejoyce one with another ; they when they come home , can bless god for this their refreshing that they have had ; and the next morning their hearts are in a sweet and joyful frame . the more we keep our selves in bounds in the use of the creature , the more comfort have we in the use of the creature . that 's the third way of a gracious hearts learning how to abound . he learns how to enjoy the world , by mortifying his heart to it , and by keeping himself within bounds in the use of the creature . and then the fourth way of mystery of the godlies learning how to abound , it is this ; he learns how to abound , by getting all that he hath to be sanctified by the word and prayer . it was one way of knowing how to want , by having our afflictions sanctified to us ; and so it is the way to know how to abound . now this is a way that carnal hearts have little skill in , they think they know how to abound by their natural wisdom ; i but the way that a gracious heart hath for abounding , is this ; god hath prospered me in my way and course in any kind ; now let me go to god and exercise faith in his word , and seek unto him in prayer , that i may have a sanctified use of all these things then that god hath granted to me . in tim. . , . every creature of god is good , and nothing to be refused , if it be received with thanksgiving ; for it is sanctified by the word of god and prayer . a little to open this scripture , that the creature is sanctified by prayer , that i suppose is easie for you to understand ; that is , when i have any good in any creature , then i am to seek to god by prayer for a sanctified use of it unto me . but how is it sanctified by the word ? now that that the apostle doth intend here in sanctifying by the word , is this , that he would shew to us , that a godly man hath another kind of interest in the creature than another man hath ; saith he , all things are good , but how shall they be good to me ? how shall i know that they are good to me ? that must be by the word ( saith he ) i cannot know that they are good to me , that i have a sanctified use of them , that is , that all the comforts i have , i do enjoy them in order to eternal life ; for then a thing is sanctified , when it is consecrated ( as it were ) and made holy : that is , when it is made useful to the highest and last end . as a place is sanctified , when it is separated from other things for god ; so when the blessing of god is upon my estate , to make it to be to his glory and my last good , then it is sanctified . now how comes this ? this is by the word of god ; for we by our fall have lost all our interest in the creature unto our outward comfort . now god indeed out of his bounty doth give to some men abundance here in this world , i he gives them those things that are in themselves good ; i but how shall they come to be good to him ; that must be by the word saith he , that is , god by the word of his gospel , the covenant that he hath made with his poor servants in christ revealed in his word ; it is that that gives the godly man a sanctified use of what he hath . if he hath it in a natural way , it may prove a curse to him ; if he hath it onely by gods general providence , by the command of god in his works of providence , that is no sanctified use . but now , if a man comes to enjoy what he hath by the word of the promise , by the word of the gospel , that reveals christ unto us , and our renewed interest unto all we do enjoy by jesus christ . this is the word that sanctifies all to us . most men look upon what they enjoy , onely but in a way of general providence . now a gracious heart looks upon what he enjoys by the word of the promise , the word of the covenant , that gives him a sanctified use ; and through the power of this word , he comes to know how to be full : and use all his abundance in a right way : so that the way he takes for the making use of his fulness , it is , when god blesses him , presently to exercise faith in the word , in the promise ; to look into the covenant . godliness hath the promise of the things of this life , and of that which is to come . and so he comes to make use of the promise , and improve it by faith ; and so comes to have a sanctified use and improvement of all the good things that he doth enjoy in this world . is not this a mystery to most rich men . doth it put them upon prayer more than before , and upon the exercise of faith in the word more than before . one that is godly , never prayes more than when god doth prosper him in this world . it is usual for men to pray much in times of affliction . in their affliction they will seek me early . i but that 's a sign of a carnal heart . but now , a godly man , when god prospers him , he sees cause to pray most then . i it is for poor people to live by faith , that have nothing in the world . you will think it 's fit for them to believe and trust in god. i but a godly man uses the more faith , when he hath the most in the world . that 's a good way in the mystery of knowing how to be full . and then a fifth way in the mystery of knowing how to be full , is this . a godly heart by his fulness growes to increase his humility , growes sensible of his unworthiness by his fulness . now this is a way of mystery too , it is a good thing for a man to have humility together with his fulness , but to have humility by his fulness , this is a very great mystery ; it 's a rare thing to see humble prosperity ; but to see a man humble by his prosperity , this is rare indeed . affliction will humble men , that 's true , every one can understand that ; but how prosperity should humble men , that 's very hard to understand . i 'll give you a clear scripture for this , how prosperity will humble a gracious heart ; it 's in the sam. . . the lord there had told david of great things that he would do for him , and spake to him of the honour that he had put upon him , and that he would still put upon him , and he would continue his house to be a great house , and honourable , like the great men of the earth . mark , one would have thought that the heart of david should have been raised up , when god told him not onely the great things that he had done , but the great things he would do . this would have pufft up a carnal heart . but then mark , in the verse , then went king david in , and sat before the lord , and he said who am i , o lord god , and what is my house , that thou hast brought me hitherto ; and this was yet a small thing in thy sight , o lord god ; but thou hast spoken also of thy servants house for a great while to come ; and is this the manner of men , o lord god ; and what can david say more unto tbee ; for thou lord god knowest thy servant for thy words sake ; and according to thine own heart hast thou done all these great things , to make thy servants know them : wherefore thou art great o lord god. he doth not bless himself , o god hath made me great ; but , wherefore thou art great ; and what am i , and what is my house , and it is according to thine own heart ; and not according to any thing in me , saith david . the larger god was in telling of him the great things he had , and should have , the more humble was the heart of david . o this is a good sign of true humility , when you find your comings in to be more then heretofore , as if you have had a great voyage , many hundreds coming in of clear gain : then for you to get alone , as it 's said that david did go then and sat down before the lord. go and set thy selfe before the lord , and fall humbling thy soul ; o lord , who am i that thou should'st deal thus graciously with me , that thou should'st make such a difference between me and others . when your rents come in it may be quarterly more then others ; why think with your selves , lord , what is it that hath made the difference between me and others ? others have their pence a day for the providing for their families , and thou givest me hundreds together . o lord , what am i , that it should be thus with me more than with others ! o if it were thus , it were right indeed ; and yet this is the way of a godly mans learning how to be full . his fulness teaches him humility , and by being taught humility by his fulness , he comes to know how to be full for the glory of god and the good of his church . sixthly , another mystery there is in a godly mans learning how to be full , is , he accounts it better to lose for , and return to god ; than to gain for , and keep to himself . a godly heart when he hath a fulness , he doth rejoyce in it according as god will have him , in the outward blessings that he hath ; i but he rejoyceth more in this , that he hath something to venture and lose for god , than that he hath gain for himself . one man rejoyces that he hath an estate to live merrily withal , and bravely in the world ; the other man rejoyces that he hath an estate that he may venture for god , and his returning any thing to god , he doth account a greater priviledge to him than receiving from god. this is a way of mystery too ; and of this there was something spoken likewise in the way of contentment ; and therefore i shall but name it now . seventhly , and then the last way is this , a godly man learns to abound , by abounding in holiness : the more he abounds in worldly riches , the more he seeks to abound in holiness and in the duties of gods worship . now this is a mystery to the men of the world , they think indeed , poor men that have not so much to do in the world , they may be often in the worship of god , and hear sermons , and meditate ( and the like . ) but for them that have so many things to take them off , they think it cannot be expected from them : whereas godliness will teach men to abound in their many businesses and outward prosperity that they have , and the great things of the world , by adding a proportionable abounding in the performance both of the worship of god and in holiness . they think that because they have so many things to draw them aside , that they cannot be so holy as others : but now , godliness will teach them to be more holy , according to the proportion of their estate : as eminent above others , so they will labour that their holiness shall be eminent above others . o this were an excellent thing indeed , if all rich men should never satisfie themselves in this barely , that they have more than others , but look to what a degree god hath made them higher then others in their estates ; that they should indeavour and never be satisfied till they attain to it , till they be in the like degree above others in holiness . why now for men to do this , is a mysterious thing , and where this is , certainly those are well instructed in the mystery of godliness . thus you see that a gracious heart learns how to abound , not in a meer natural way , by natural wisdom , but in a way of mystery of godliness . but then there are divers lessons that he learns by learning this lesson : as i told you in knowing how to be content , one need learn a great many lessons before he get to be instructed in the art of contentment in affliction ; so in abounding in the same manner : as now , first , ( i 'll but name these things ) he must learn the lesson of the principle from whence all he hath comes , the fountain from whence all his good comes ; be thorowly instructed in that . why i do enjoy these and these outward comforts ; from whence have i these ? why god hath blessed my endeavors and skill , that god hath given me more than others . i but it is the blessing of god in all beyond my skill . such and such friends have left me so much means ; i but the fountain is on high , from whence all the outward good that i have comes . this in general is acknowledged , but the learning of it indeed in a gracious manner will work mightily upon the heart ; the understanding of the fountain of all my outward good as well as spiritual good . yea , and this fountain , it is not onely god the first being , the creator of all , in his providence , but it is god in christ : for we are to know that the very preservation of the world is through the mediation of jesus christ ; the world would fall about our ears else : and all the good things in the creature are preserved by the power of christ now . and so a gracious heart looks upon the fountain of all , not onely as god the creator of all ; but god through christ the mediator , that doth preserve the world : the world would otherwise fall into confusion . and so all the good that i have , it comes from the work of gods wisdom and goodness , ordering things through christ unto me . and then , the lesson of our unworthiness , that 's to be learned throughly ; your unworthiness of the least crum of bread , the least drop of water for the cooling of you . this would teach you how to be content in want , ( that we spake to before ) and it will likewise teach you how to abound , when you can learn your own baseness and vileness before the lord. and i now speak it , not to learn it by your prosperity , that was before in the mystery of it , but to learn it any way ; by considering your sinfulness , and your inability to use what you have ; and considering how little service you have done for god : learn to know your selves , that was the lesson in learning to want , to know our selves ; but above all men , rich men had need to learn to know themselves . and then , to learn the vanity of the creature and the uncertainty of it ; that helps you how to want , and so it will help you to abound too . it 's true , i have these things , but what are these things to the portion of an immortal soul ; is there not a vanity in all these things in the world ? they make no such great difference between me and others , but they are such things as often i have heard may stand with the hatred of god , such things as a reprobate may have for his portion : that meditation will make men willing to be content in the want of them . i abound now in these things , why what great reason is there that i should have my heart lifted up thereby , here 's many now in the world that are lower then i , and there are abundance in hell that had more than i. o this will be a meanes to moderate thy heart , and help thee to know how to abound , when thou considerest of the vanity of the things of the world , and of the uncertainty of them ; i have them now , how quickly may they be gone ; my house bravely furnisht , how quickly may god send a fire . o consider the uncertainty of all you have , and this will teach you how to make use of what you have in a loose way : charge men that are rich in this world , that they be not high minded , nor trust in uncertain riches . or if god should not take away your riches , why let god but turn some humour in your bodies , and bring some pain or disease ; and what will all your riches do you good ? let god but touch me in my brain , i shall not know how to make use of my estate ; or touch me in my body , a little in the kidnies , or pain in the bowels ; what 's all the world then . o consider of the vanity and of the uncertainty of all things ; the learning of that lesson is a great help in knowing how to abound . and then , the learning that all these things are but talents , god gives me them to trade withal , and i am but a steward ( put them together ) i am but gods steward , and god puts me to trade for him in all that i do : this will teach men how to abound . when you imploy factors , if they be faithful , the very consideration of this , this is my masters goods , and i am but a steward , and i am to give account , and must keep my books even : the consideration of this will call off his thoughts from other things , and make him look to his books to keep them even . o if you would but learn this lesson , that all outward comforts are talents that are given you to husband for god , and you are his stewards ; it would make you to keep the books even : every day you would be casting over the books : are things even between god and me ? what doth god aim at , why i should have a prosperous estate and others not ? by searching to know gods end , a mans conscience will presently tell him , surely god did not aim at this , that i should have more satisfaction to my flesh ; there is some thing else that god did aim at : let me learn to know gods end . and then , learn this lesson , and it would be a great help to you for the learning how to abound : that is , that god doth but very seldom trust , his own people with these outward comforts ( that we have spoken to in the opening of it ) but now i bring it in as a lesson that is to be learned , and shew you how that will help you how to abound : i spoke of it by way of evidence that it is a difficult thing for us to learn how to abound . now this lesson will put us upon this , to learn to be so much the more watchful over our selves . and then , let not me bless my self in my abundance . and then , let me desire proportionable measure of grace to what i have , least what i have turn to my hurt rather than for my good . such and many other lessons might be named for the helping of us to abound ; but the truth is , there 's nothing almost will help us to know how to want , but it will likewise help us to abound ; and therefore i do but name these things . we come now as briefly as we can to wind up all in a word of application . you have had these six particulars opened to you , when a man knowes how to abound ; and the difficulty of it ; and the necessity of it ; and the excellency of it ; and the mystery of it ; and the lessons to be learned . now then my brethren , from all that hath been said , it serves to rebuke those men who take care onely how they may get fulness in the world ; and never are satisfied there : but to know how they may use this for god , and how to manage their fulness , it 's scarce in all their thoughts . i appeal to you this morning , as in the name of god , have these things been in your thoughts that have been spoken to you ? i dare not lay it so , that every particular should be in your thoughts ; but in the general hath it been in your thoughts and care , as much to know how you should abound , as to get your abundance . god knows it is otherwise , and your consciences may tell you , that that 's your care how you may improve and get abundance ; but how to abound , that hath been but little known : but by what hath been said out of the scripture the lord hath rebuked you for one that hath a carnal heart , a sensual and an earthly heart ; for one that 's little acquainted with the wayes of god , and spiritual things : o that thou would'st charge thy own soul in thy retired thoughts and meditations ; and that god would make what hath been said out of this to stick upon thy heart . and then , secondly , hence we are taught what an excellent thing religion is , that it helps every way . it helps us how to want , it helps us how to abound . if we be in a low estate , there comes in a help ; if we be in a high estate , there comes in a help . o religion is of admirable use , grace and godliness is of other manner of use then the world thinks for . and as it is of use to all , so it is above all to rich men . o that rich men would believe this , that they have the greatest need of grace . o that rich men by this would learn to be in love with godliness , and with those means that might work grace upon them ; because there 's nothing can do them so much good as religion . o if grace be answerable to their estates , then they are happy men indeed . if the lord please to add his upper spring to the neather springs , then they are happy creatures . god gives you abundance in the neather springs , but doth he give you the upper springs too ? o have thy thoughts working thus , the lord hath given me enough for this world , to carry me thorow this pilgrimage of mine ; o but had i grace added to all that i have , then i should be a happy man indeed . o learn to know the excellency of grace , and what need you have of it above other men . thirdly , hence upon what we hear , me thinks all our desires should be moderated in respect of this world ; and you poor people , you should not be so much troubled for want of abundance : for you see there 's a great deal of difficulty in learning how to abound : and when our spirits are set upon the things of this world , let us curb them in this ; i see there 's a great deal of difficulty in knowing how to use things , and therefore let me be more moderate in my desires after abundance . and , fourthly , you that have rich friends any of you , you see what need you have here to pray for them . it was the speech of a holy man once , when he met an acquaintance of his , that he had not seen a long time before , and it seems he had a great estate befallen him ; as soon as he met him , o sir ( saith he ) i had never need to pray for you so much as now . his friend stood amazed at it , supposing that he had heard of some great evil that had befallen him . he gives him this answer , i hear you have a great estate befallen to you . certainly there 's no men in the world , that have so much need of prayer , as those that are high in estate . and then , you who do abound , be you exhorted to what you have heard , and now to set upon the work , to learn how to abound . learn this one lesson farther ( that should have been spoken ) learn throughly your dependance upon god in all your abundance ; to see as much need of god in the midst of your abundance , as in the greatest depth of affliction . that 's one thing that is of very great use . a man hath attain'd to a good measure of grace when he comes to this , that he sees he hath as much need of mercy from god in his abundance , as in the lowest afflicted estate in the world . many men and women they think that they have need of god in their affliction ; then they depend upon god. i but you should depend upon god as much if you had all the world to possess , as the poorest beggar in the world . this you may either put into the mystery that there is in it , or into the lessons ; for indeed it is a mystery to the men of the world : and therefore christ teaches not onely poor people to come and say , lord give us this day our daily bread ; but the richest men in the world is to pray so : the greatest prince and monarch in the world is every day to come to god , to the gates of mercy , to beg his bread . now if rich men would be so sensible of their condition , that , they depend upon god for the enjoyment of what they have every moment ; have as much need of mercy as the poorest wretch that lives upon the face of the earth : this would be a mighty help for them to learn how to abound . i beseech you , examine whether this be so in you or no ? when you have been poor , and afflicted , then you acknowledge you had need of mercy : i , but now , whether do you find that your life is as much a life of dependance upon god now , as ever it was ? if god should take away all you have , then you would think , o , i must live altogether the life of dependance ; but certainly , you should now live the life of dependance , as if you knew not where to have your dinner or supper : man lives not by bread only , saith the scripture , or by meat ; but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of god : he lives by it . there is much in this that i am speaking : but a little for the further putting of you on in this , that you may learn this lesson of aboundance : consider but this , what a great mercy of god it is to you , that your great work that you are put now upon , it is how to improve mercy ; whereas the work of other men , it is how to get mercy : other men , all their care and thoughts is , how they should get necessaries ; and now that that god calls you to , it is to improve what you have . the life of many men and women , is this , nothing else but to improve mercy , not to bear affliction much , or to seek to get ; but the whole course of their life is to be spent in improving mercy . think but of this one thing , and it will make you thankful ; when you are in your families , what have i to do in the morning when i rise ? nothing but to improve the mercy that god gives me : mercy meets with me when i rise ; mercy goes forth with me ; mercy comes in with me , and i have nothing to do from the beginning of the year , to the end of the year , but to make use of mercy : why this is the lives of many to receive in mercy , and make use of it for god : o the comfortable life that thou hast ! therefore seeing that god puts thee upon such a notable and excellent imployment thou hadst need be faithful . thy work is a great deal better , and more comfortable than the works of others ; therefore often examine thy heart . and , o that i could but prevail thus far with men and women , that have great estates , that there should never a day pass but they would call themselves to examination ! have i learned to be full ? do i enjoy my fulness for god , yea or no ? do not let the reckoning between god and thy soul , run too long , but keep thy book even every day with god , and then thou shalt have abundance of comfort in thy fulness . and set before you the example of those that have miscarried in their fulness , and that will be a very good help unto you . such and such men have miscarried , lord help me that i may not miscarry , as they have done : yea , thy most eminent servants have miscarried , the lord help me that i may not miscary . and for the close of all , o you that god hath given these mercies to ; bless him for his blessings : but especially bless him that he hath blessed his blessings to you . when we receive a blessing , we should bless god ; i , but when god hath blest this blessing , then our blessing of him should be double and trebble too . o think thus with thy self , what all this and heaven too ! such convenient habitations , and compassed round about with mercy wheresoever you are ! all this , and heaven , house and estate , and friends , and health of body , and every thing that i want : o the greatest thing that i want , is a thankful heart , for if i had but that , then i were happy indeed . now for a man to have all things in a fulness , and only scantiness in thankfulness ; every thing is full , but only the heart is empty . the heart of the wicked is little worth . thy house is full , and thy estate , but what 's thy heart in the mean time ? but now , if god gives thee so much mercy in the world , and all this but the beginning of heaven to thee : o then , how sweet is thy life made to thee by god! and all things that are the means of undoing of others , are the means to help thee to honour god. o by this the mercies of god are raised indeed : bless god for so great a blessing , it is not an ordinary thing . only one thing more for the close of all in my text , and that is the joyning of both these things together , that i learn how to be content , and how to be full . there should have been that note . and that is , that grace wil ! help men to carry themselves evenly with god , and graciously with god in variety of conditions . let the condition be up and down , this way , and then another , yet grace helps a man to lie square any way , like a dye ; cast it which way you will it lies square : so put a gracious heart into any condition , full or empty , yet grace will help him in any condition whatsoever , as the apostle saith in the corinthians : through honour and dishonour , by evil report and good report , by the armour of righteousness , on the right-hand and on the left. we find use of our weapons on the right hand , and on the left , the armour of righteousness helps not only on the left-hand to fence off the evil of adversity , but on the right-hand , to fence off the evil of prosperity : here 's a christian souldier , that can make use of the armor of righteousness , both on the right-hand and on the left. i had thought to have given some grounds , why it is that grace will help any way ; as a watch in a mans pocket , if it be a good watch , though a man sit upon it , and it is tumbled up and down , yet the wheels they keep a constant steady motion . so it is with the heart of a man , if there be grace within , and the wheels work aright , yet grace makes the heart stedfast within , let the condition be never so various ; to be tost up and down , this way , or that way ; yet the heart keeps the same . the motto of queen elizabeth may be the motto of every gracious heart , alwayes the same . so in a constant way , either in prosperity or adversity , still he continues in an evenness with god. if god casts him upon his sick bed there he rejoyces in god and blesses god , and you will find savory and spiritual things come from him then ; and if god deliver him , and you find him in prosperity , there his heart is heavenly still , and gracious and spiritual , and raised above the creatures ; which way soever he be put . i cannot give you the grounds , i 'll onely compare a scripture or two together ( and so conclude all ) to see the evenness of the heart of a godly man in all conditions , let them be what they will. in psal . . to the chief musician al-taschith , mictam of david , when he fled from saul in the cave . that 's the title of the psalm . a psalm that david made in his very great affliction , when he fled from saul for his life in the cave . see what he saith , and comparing that same with psal . . where it is , to the chief musician upon shushan-eduth , mictam of david ; to teach , when he strove with aram naha●aim , and with aram zobah , when joab , returned and smote of edom in the valley of salt , twelve thousand . david was low when he fled from saul in the cave , there david had not the kingdom ; well but afterwards david was high and had the kingdom , joab was his officer , and smote of edom in the valley of salt twelve thousand : now you would think that this different condition of david , should have made a different work in his spirit ; yet you shall find a great part of that psalm to be the very same : in the th . psalm , ver . . my heart is fixed , o god , my heart is fixed ; i will sing and give praise ; awake up my glory , awake psaltery and harp , i my self will awake early , i will praise the lord among the people , i will sing unto thee among the nations , &c. why , you shall find likewise , that david in the th . psalm , he hath much of this , of blessing god as well in his prosperous state in which he was , as in his afflicted estate . let us compare this with the th . psalm , ver . . be thou exalted , o god. there david was in his prosperous estate : and here 's the same expression ; o god , my heart is fixed , saith he , i will sing and give praise with my glory . awake psaltery and harp , i my self will awake early : i will praise thee , o lord , among the people , and i will sing praises unto thee among the nations , &c. just he goes on in the very same words . but now the th . psalm , is to be compared with the th . where it is , god hath spoken in his holiness , i will rejoyce : i will divide shechem , and mete out the valley of succoth : gilead is mine , ephraim also is the strength of my head , judah is my law-giver , &c. now in the psalm , god hath spoken in his holiness , i will rejoyce , i will divide shechem , &c. this is the note from hence ( and so we have done . ) that david in his various conditions , though at some times more prosperous than others , yet still you find him in the same spirit , and almost the very same words . be he ●n the cave , or when joab had overcome , or be he afterwards how he will , in a higher condition ; for the th . psalm was made in a time after this : yet davids heart is the same , praising god , blessing god , believing in his word , trusting in his word : now that 's the note . you should observe ; whether you can make use of the same scripture in one condition , as in another : those scriptures that are comfortable to you in one condition , make use of them in another . and whether you can praise god in one condition , in the same way as in another . why grace doth so satisfie and strengthen the heart , as the things that are without in the world , makes very little alteration : there is very little alteration , that external things can make in a gracious heart . when a man or woman is so , that a prosperous condition puffs him up , or adversity makes him dejected , it 's a sign of very little grace , or no grace . but thus much for this text. a sermon . sam. . the latter part of the th . verse . and he said , it is the lord , let him do what seemeth him good . these words are the expression of a gracious , humble , submissive heart , to gods dispose . the words of ely the priest , who when the hand of god was revealed against his family , he here falls down before him , and saith , it is the lord , let him do what seemeth him good . it is the lord : whatever the means be , that such and such sad things should fall upon my family , yet , it is the lord. let him do what seemeth him good . the things seem hard to me , but they may seem otherwise to god ; whatever things seem to me , however dark they look , yet to god , things may seem after another manner ; and therefore let things be done rather as they seem to god , than as they seem to me . we have in the words before you , these four doctrinal points . the first is , that a gracious heart looks much to god in every affliction that doth befal it : it is the lord. secondly , the sight of god in an affliction , is , that that causes a gracious heart humbly to fall down , and to submit : it is the lord , let him do what seemeth him good . thirdly , that things seem oftentimes far otherwise to us , than they do to god ; god looks upon things otherwise than we do : then let him do what seemeth him good . not what seemeth good to me , nor what seems good to others , but unto god. then fourthly , that this is a very commendable and acceptable work , upon the first manifestation of any displeasure of god , presently to yield and submit without any more adoe : not after a great deal of riggling and stir , then to yield ; but to yield presently ▪ upon the first manifestation against his family , he presently falls down , and saith , it is the lord , let him do what seemeth him good . these are the four conclusions in the text , and i shall desire to go through them all , and speak to mine own heart and yours in them : it is the second that is the chief and main , there we shall pitch most . but briefly of the first : that a gracious heart in all afflictions , looks up to god : it is the lord. not this cause , and the other cause , or this accident , or the other thing , that takes up his thoughts so much , but god in it . the truth is , a heart that is truly gracious , loves to converse with god in every thing . if it be a mercy , presently the heart gets through the creatures , by which god bestows a mercy , and looks up to the god of that mercy : and so if it be afflictions , the heart that is gracious , having some of the divine nature in it , presently works it's self up to god , in the th . of micah , ver . . there 's a famous scripture for this : saith the prophet there , the lords voice crieth unto the city , and the man of wisdom shall see thy name ; hear ye the rod , and who hath appointed it . the man of wisdom shall see thy name : the name of god is written upon his rod , and where there is a man of wisdom , he sees the name of god that is there written . it 's a special part of the wisdom of a christian , to be able to see gods name , and to read gods name written upon his rod : the men of the world have not the skill to read the name of god written upon his rod ; but it 's a priviledge of the saints , that they see gods name written there . it is a special part of the worship that is due to god , the acknowledgment of god in all his administrations . that 's worship , when we acknowledge god in all his providences towards us , in all thy wayes acknowledge him ; and in all his wayes he must be acknowledged : as we must acknowledge god in all our wayes , so we must acknowledge god in all his wayes , and thereby we come to worship him. secondly , it 's a means to compose the heart , to strike the heart with awful fears and reverence of god , when we look at him in our afflictions , and beyond the creature . it is a way to make us search and examine our hearts , what there is between god and us ; when once we take notice it's god that doth it , this presently puts the heart upon a scrutiny ; what is there between god and my soul ? what is there between god and my family ? and then it is a special means to put the soul on to seek god for help , for assistance , for blessing , for a sanctified use of what ever affliction is upon it . there 's a great deal of good in seeing the lord in an affliction , in seeing that we have to deal with him ; but the special good is , that that we shall come to in the second point : the working of the humble submission of the heart to god. only for the present , let this rebuke such who are of carnal and atheistical spirits , that whatever befals them , look no higher than the creatures by which god works . it 's an argument that they have little to do with god , that they know not what it is to converse with god , that will cry out of their afflictions : they howl upon their beds , as the holy ghost saith in the th . of hosea , but they seek not to me , or turn not to me. and such as have slight and vain hearts in the time of their afflictions , it 's a very ill thing that ; for men to think to take courage to themselves , so as not at all to be sensible of the hand of god. god expects we should be so , though we should not have dishonoured hearts , yet we should have precious hearts . for when one have to deal with god in any thing , we had need be serious , the presence of god should work our hearts to seriousness : and therefore slightness and vanity of spirit in the day of affliction , it is very unbeseeming . thou doest not sanctifie the name of god in that administration of his towards thee , who hast●● vain and slight spirit in the day of thine affliction ? and surely that 's an argument that thou never sawest god in his mercy , when thou doest not see him in thine afflictions : but that thou didst enjoy gods mercy but in a brutish way , when thou doest behave thy self under thine afflictions in a brutish way . but this shall suffice for the first . the second , and that 's the main : that the sight of the hand of the lord , is that that hath a great deal of power in it , to work the heart that is gracious , to an humble submission to him. it is the lord , let him do what seemeth him good . that that 's here spoken of ely , we may find mentioned by divers of the servants of god in scripture : i 'll give you but only two scriptures for it , and those are concerning david . in this book of sam. . . if i shall flnd favour in the eyes of the lord , he will bring me again , and shew me both it , ( that is ) the ark and the city , and his habitation ; but if he should say , i have no delight in thee , behold , here am i , let him do to me , as seemeth good unto him . so you see how david , he looks up to god here : if i find favour in the eyes of the lord , he will bring me again ; and if he say , i have no delight in thee , behold , here i am , let him do what seemeth good unto him . and in the th . psal . ver . . i was dumb , i opened not my mouth , because thou diddest it . it was the sight of the lord in it , that made him dumb , and not open his mouth : and you know what he did in the case of shimei , when he curst him , the lord hath bid him , saith he . now this point is very large , i shall briefly propound unto you , the several considerations from the hand of god in an affliction , for to quiet the heart , and to help the heart to sanctifie his name . as first ●●us , it is the lord : it is he that is infinitely above me , above us all , and therefore he must be submitted to . it is the great and blessed god , that is infinitely above angels , and above all creatures that hath done it ; and therefore he must be submitted to . it may may be you could not tell how to bear a box on the ear from an inferiour , or an equal , or from one a little above you : but if so be a king should be near and strike you , you could bear that ; you would not be so ready to rise against him , as against an inferiour mans striking of you . why , 't is the lord , that is infinitely above us ; that is the infinite , glorious , and blessed god. he must be submitted to . yea , secondly , it is the lord , that hath the absolute right to us , and all that we have ; more than we have to our selves , or any thing that we enjoy . it is the lord , that hath the absolute authority over us , to do with us what he will ; you have not so much authority over a worm under your feet , as god hath over you , and over all your comforts ; you have not so much right to kill a fly , as the lord hath to take away your lives : he hath more right a thousand thousand times over your lives , familie , comforts , and all you have , than you have over the meanest creature , he hath the absolute right over you all . if any thing be done amiss in a family , and the servants be falling out one with another , and one saith you did thus and thus , and the other saith you did it , and so are wrangling one with another ; now if the master comes , and saith , why ? it was i that did it : he makes account that this should still them all , because it was he that had right to do it . why , it is the lord , and therefore it is not for us to stand fretting against any means : for it is the great , soveraign lord , that hath the absolute power and dominion over us . and then , thirdly , it is the lord we have sinn'd against , and hath us at infinite advantages that way : it is the lord that we are liable unto . while we are here in this world , and carry about with us so much sin , we cannot have any serious thoughts of god , but we must needs have thoughts how we have sinn'd against this god , and what advantages this god hath us at , in respect of our sins . oh! it is the lord , that we have offended and sinn'd against . fourthly , hence it follows , it is the lord , and therefore it is he ; that if he hath brought a little affliction , he may bring abundantly more if he pleases . it is he , whose power as it is not shortned in a way of help , so not in a way of affliction : hath he afflicted in one kind , he might in a hundred , if he pleased ? hath he afflicted thee in thy estate , he might have afflicted thee in thy body ? hath he afflicted thee in thy body , he might have afflicted thee in thy soul ? hath he afflicted thee in thy soul here , he might have sent thee down to hell eternally ? is it upon any within thy dwelling-place , it might have been upon thy self ? it is the lord that hath us under his feet . and if he bring the least evil , he might have brought as much as he pleased : he might have afflicted us abundantly more than he hath done . and this is a mighty humbling consideration to quiet the heart , under the hand of god. and then , fifthly , it is the lord. why , it is the lord that hath done all the good that ever we have enjoyed : it is he that hath done all good to us . you have an affliction , but have you no mercies ? do you enjoy no good ? why , from whence was it , was it not from the lord ? shall i receive good from the hand of the lord , and not evil , saith job . why , even the savage beasts will bear strokes from them that feeds them . the very bears will suffer the bearherd that brings them meat , to strike them ; they will not suffer a stranger so much , but those that bring them meat : they receive good from them , and therefore they will submit to them . now we receive infinite good from god , daily good , and that 's a very useful meditation for us to consider of , in times of affliction : there 's this good , or that particular good taken from me , but what do i enjoy , or what have i enjoyed ? it 's a usual thing in afflictions ; to keep the sight of god from us : as the putting a thing but as big as a two-pence upon the eye , it will keep the sight of all the heavens from us ; and so a little afflictions many times keeps the sight of all the good that we do enjoy from us . but when we consider it is the lord , the infinite fountain of all good , this is a mighty quieting consideration . sixthly , it is the lord : he is just and righteous in all his proceedings , there 's nothing but righteousness in him in all his wayes : in very faithfulness , saith david , hast thou afflicted me . it may be some affliction may come from men , and we may think they deal unrighteously and unjustly ; but it is the lord , and there is nothing but righteousness in all his wayes . if we should think , why , these afflictions , they fall upon me , and such and such , they escape . you must not reason so , it is the lord , and therefore it is righteous . you think it might be better thus and thus , but it is the lord , that is just and righteous in all his proceedings , and in all his wayes . yea , seventhly , as righteous , so infinitely wise : he is infinitely wise , and so knows how to order things in the best way that may be ; he knows what 's fittest both for us , and for his own glory : we are poor weak creatures , but it 's the lord that sees infinitely beyond us . eightly , it is the lord , that hath alwayes very holy ends ; in all his dealings he hath holy ends , and aims at great and holy things , though perhaps we know them not ; and therefore he is to do whatsoever he will. we use to say of a man , if we see him to be a wise and understanding man , yea , a just man , and to be a man that doth all things alwayes from good principles , and for good ends , let him alone , though we do not understand what he is doing , yet let him alone , he knows what he doth : it is the lord , let him alone in his work , let him do what seemeth him good . ninthly , it is the lord , and he is able to bring good out of the greatest evils , to bring light out of darkness ; yea , to bring the greatest good out of the greatest evils . i verily believe , that many of the people of god have found it so , that the greatest blessings that ever they have had since they were born , have been ushered in by the greatest afflictions . certainly , as the lord would not suffer sin in the world , were it not for his infinite power , to bring about good from the sins of men ; so neither would he suffer afflictions in the world to his saints , but that he knows he hath power enough to bring good to them , even out of their greatest afflictions . it is the lord , that hath this power . one would be loath to trust ones self with one in any danger , that cannot tell how to bring him out again : you would be loath to see your child held over the water by another little child , or over a fire ; but if a strong man hath your child in his arms , and holds it over the water , and you know him to be your loving friend , it troubles you not at all : why ? because you know he hath strength enough to keep your child from the danger . why , it 's the lord , that though he holds his children over fire or water , and brings them into fear and afflictions ; yet he hath power enough not only to preserve them , but to bring a great deal of good out of all , and therefore let him do what seemeth him good . tenthly , it is the lord , therefore submit to him , for his counsel must stand , and his work must go on , there 's no striving with the almighty : are we greater than he ? no : instead of striving , let there be submitting and yielding . eleventhly , yea , and further , it is the lord , and therefore he is worthy that his designs should be brought about , though we should be ruined : there is such infinite excellency in this god ( as i say ) he is worthy to have his own designs brought about , and his own will fulfilled , though it be to our ruins : doth god think man so excellent a creature , as that he shall give thousands of other creatures for to help him , with the loss of their own lives ? and shall not we think the lord to be infinitely worthy , if he have use of our lives , or liberties , or names , or any thing ; that he should not have all , to bring about his designs withal ? o , he is worthy , and therefore let him do what seemeth him good . if so be he will raise up any building of his in our ruins , we should be willing to be serviceable to god in it ; we should be willing to lie down and let all that we have go , that may be any way serviceable to god in his designs ; for the lord is worthy . these considerations may be very useful to help you in the day of affliction , to meditate of god ; and so to work your hearts to an humble submission : but especially if you add this one more . twelfthly , when you do not onely see him to be jehovah , the lord ; but if you can see that you have any interest in him , as that he is the lord your god ; this is of mighty power to quiet the heart : as if he be your god , why then he is in covenant with you , and if he be in covenant with you , then he hath engaged all his wisdom , and all his power , and all his mercy , for to be working eternally for your good ; and that 's more than a meer consideration that it is the lord ; and that he is above us , and just and holy , and that it is in vain not to submit unto him. but it is the lord that is in covenant with me , and in that covenant he hath engaged all his power and wisdom , and mercy and goodness for me . did we but understand what the covenant of god in jesus christ was , that he hath taken his servants into ; o then this thought , it is the lord in covenant with me , would be enough to enable us to resign up our selves wholly to his dispose . thirteenthly , yea , 't is the lord that is our father . you know what christ saith , shall i not drink the cup that my father giveth me to drink . that was the argument of christ : o that this were in all our thoughts at all times , when any thing , though it be never so grievous , befals us , shall i not drink the cup that my father giveth me to drink ? whatsoever it be , if it comes out of a fathers hand , why let him do what seemeth him good . you know when christ came to the disciples walking upon the waters , and the disciples were afraid ; be not afraid , 't is i ; saith christ . they were troubled at it , and thought that one came as an enemy to do them hurt ; but be not afraid , 't is i ; saith christ . so my brethren , we should look in all afflictions to see who it is that comes ; we apprehend an enemy coming , but now those that are godly , they may look upon him that comes as god , be not afraid , saith the lord , it is i ; it 's i that am reconcil'd to you in my son. upon this the soul may with abundance of sweetness and comfort , go to god in prayer , and open it self to god ; having an interest in him . you know , if a great dog should come with full mouth upon one , why indeed , if so be that he that comes to a house be a thief , he hath cause to fear ; but if he be a child , he can call to his father , the master of the house , take off your dog. so when afflictions come to the wicked , they come with open devouring mouth , and they have cause to be afraid ; but those that have interest in god , may go with freedom unto god in prayer , and cry to the lord to take off the dog , the affliction ; to keep it that it should do them no hurt at least . it is the lord. object . i but you will say , that though it be the lord , yet it 's this indeed that rather makes my affliction the greater ; to consider it comes from god : the thought that it's god in it strikes terror ; because i am conscious of sin against god. it is an affliction that comes for my sin , and therefore i see the displeasure of god in it ; and this makes it more grievous . i would rather bear any thing from a creature , than to bear the displeasure of god in a creature ; that 's that that is the greatest stick of all , and therefore every time i think it is the lord , it rather adds to mine affliction . answ . to that i answer , first , it 's true , many men that think that all is well between god and them in the time of their health and prosperity , yet when affliction comes , god appears to them , and they look upon god as an enemy ; this is dreadful : it 's a fearful thing when god is a terror to a man in the day of calamity . you know what jeremy saith jer. . . be not thou a terror to me , o lord , for thou art my hope in the day of evil . if the soul may have god to be the hope of it in the day of evil , there 's no evil terrible ; but if god be a terror then too , and write bitter things against the soul in the time of affliction , that 's dreadful . but yet suppose thou seest god , even as an enemy coming against thee ; yet the consideration that it is the lord , should make thee submit at least : for it is time for thee then to submit , if so be that god as an enemy appears against thee : it 's time for thee to make haste to make thy peace with god , yea , and thou hast the more cause to bless god , that he hath not destroyed thee . what , dost thou apprehend god as an enemy ? o then , it 's infinite mercy thou art not destroyed . certainly , if he be an enemy to thee now , he was an enemy before ; only we are ready to judge according to present administration . but this is certain , if god be an enemy now , he was an enemy all the time thou hadst thy health , and wast in thy uttermost prosperity ; it 's time for thee then to fall down , and make peace . and what infinite cause hast thou to wonder , that thou art not utterly destroyed , and therefore reason to submit unto him. but yet it is a weakness in the saints , and a temptation , often to judge of gods dealings thus , and to think that every time god appears against them , as if he were in hatred : as the people of israel , in their murmuring discontented mood , he brought us out of egypt into this wilderness , because he hated us ; say they . o , this was wicked , and displeased god exceedingly . as we are not to judge of gods love by outward prosperity , so not of his hatred by outward afflictions . object . . but though i dare not think that god comes in a way of hatred and enmity , yet there 's a great deal of displeasure for my sin ; and it 's that that makes it grievous to me . and mark , even this that was threatned to ely , it was threatned for his sin , and yet he falls down and submits , and saith , it is the lord , let him do what seemeth him good . yea , and we find the servants of god , when they apprehended god appearing against their sin , that consideration did quiet them so much the more : in mich. . . i will bear the indignation of the lord , because i have sinned against him : ( because . ) and that fore-named place concerning david , sam. . . where you have such a wonderful gracious and humble submission unto the dispose of god ; where he saith , if he hath no pleasure in me , let him do what seemeth him good . why david was under almost as sore an affliction as a man could be under , and it was for his sin too : yea , it was for a great sin , it was for his sin of uncleanness , and his sin of murder , that he was sain to flie for his life , even before his own son. it was as sore and hard an affliction , and there was as much of the sting of the guilt of sin in it , as any affliction of any of the people of god , that ever we read of : and yet how humbly he submits , if he saith i have no delight in him , behold , here i am , let him do what seemeth him good . however , there is a vain conceit abroad in the world , as if god chastised not his people for sin at all : yet certainly , the people of god , that walk close with god , they find there is a chastisement , and a fatherly displeasure , though not the revenge of a judge . and certainly , there can be no argument taken from the absolute satisfaction of christ , to prove that there is no chastisement for sin ; for christ did satisfie as fully for david and ely , that were under the law : they had the satisfaction of christ perfect as well as you . would it have been ( do you think ) a good argument then , that if god chastised for sin , he did not do justly , because christ satisfied gods justice : why did not christ satisfie gods justice then ? it was not a good argument then , certainly it is not so now : and for the new testament , you are chastised of the lord , that you might not be condemned with the world , cor. . . but i 'll give you one other scripture , and that is is the epistle of james . , . is any sick among you , let him call for the elders of the church , and let them pray over him , &c. the prayer of faith shall save the sick , and the lord shall raise him up ; and if he have committed sins , they shall be forgiven him . here the apostle writes to the saints , and speaks of godly people , and speaks of them indefinitely : if any of them , if the most godly in all the church were sick , why , saith he , let him send for the elders and let them pray ; and if he hath committed sins , then they shall be forgiven him . so that any of the saints may be in such a condition , as they may be afflicted , and afflicted for their sin ; if they have sinned , then they shall be forgiven . to make this supposition , and yet that this shall be a truth , that it 's impossible for any godly people to be afflicted for their sin , were a contradiction : for to say thus , if any godly people be sick , let them take this course , let them send for the elders , and let them pray ; and if they have committed sin , it shall be forgiven them . and yet the other to stand true , that no godly people can be afflicted for their sin : certainly , these two cannot stand together , you will say , if they have committed sin , it shall be forgiven : was it not forgiven before ? true , they are forgiven in respect of gods eternal wrath , or in respect of the guilt that binds them over to the satisfying of revenging justice : they are forgiven that , but they are not so forgiven , but that they need a fatherly forgiveness still . christ hath taken away already at first the revenge of a judge , but he hath not taken away all fatherly displeasure by his satisfying ; for that 's not at all to satisfie justice : but god doth reserve this to himself , to deal with them as a father . indeed , through christs satisfying , god will never deal with his people as a judge to revenge ; but this doth not put them out of his way of dealing with them as a father , and they have need of fatherly forgiveness still . and this is that that christ teaches every one to pray ; forgive us our sins , forgive us our trespasses . some other pleas and objections may be made , but i shall rather hasten to the use of the point . is the sight of god that , that should cause us humbly to submit ? o let what hath been said in these several considerations , serve to rebuke our impatiency , our fretting , and sinking discouragements . who art thou ? and what art thou , that thou shouldest keep a stir under any hand of god ? do not say , it is so great , and if it were any other affliction , i would bear it ; it is not for thee to choose thy rod : and thou canst not speak more of thy affliction , than david might have done of his : and therefore whatever thy thoughts may be , be humbled before god , that thou hast had any kind of murmuring , or impatience under the hand of god , any stirrings that way : who art thou , that thou must not be dealt withal , so as god hath dealt with others of his saints before , or as he doth deal with any others now ? there 's a notable scripture ; o that it might have but such an effect as it had on job ! compare these two in the book of job , job . . who is this that darkneth counsel by words without knowledge . the lord saith thus to job : who is this whose heart doth fret and is so impatient , who is it ? mark now afterwards , if you read the scripture , from this place till you come to chap. . you shall find that god is manifesting himself there , and revealing himself in his glory and righteousness to job : now in the d. verse , job takes up the very words to himself , that god had before spoken : saith job , who is he that hideth counsel without knowledge ? therefore have i uttered that i understood not , things too wonderful for me , which i knew not . god he saith , who is this that uttereth words without knowledge ? and then he shews himself ; look upon me , is it not i that have done it ? then job saw that it was god that did it . i have meddled with things that i understood not , i have troubled my self like a fool in things that i did not understand : o foolish wretched heart that i have ! and then afterwards he saith , i have heard of thee by the hearing of the ear , but now mine eye seeth thee ; wherefore i abhor my self , and repent in dust and ashes . as if he should say , i 'll never be impatient more , i 'll never have any risings of heart more against any of thy dealings towards me : for , lord , now i see that i heard of thee ; before i could have said , all things come by the providence of god : i could have said so , i , but now mine eyes see thee , i have the sight of that glorious , infinite majesty of thine , that art so infinitely great , blessed , and holy ; and therefore now i abhor my self in dust and ashes : let become of me what will , i have learned for ever to sanctifie that holy name of thine , it is the lord , let him do what seemeth him good . and therefore by way of exhortation : o my brethren , i beseech you apply these things unto your selves : in some of your thoughts ( it seems ) i have been as dead , hear then somewhat that i am this day to say to you ; as you know dives said , if one come from the dead , they will hear him . here what i have to say to you from this point . first , o let this sinck into your hearts , as if one should come from the dead to speak it to you , namely this , that god is so infinitely worthy of honour from you , that you should be at a point , whether you honour him either in the enjoyment of mercy , or suffering of affliction , it 's no great matter : the honour of god should be so dear to you , and you should so much love him , your hearts should be so much with god , as you should leave it wholly to himself , which way he would be honoured by you . surely , though we think we have a love to god , and we would honour him , yet our love to god , and desire to honour him , is very little ; if so be that we do not wholly resign up our selves to him , to do in us and by us as he will : then indeed , is the heart right . and this is honouring god as a god , when there is a full yielding up of the heart , and when it is in a manner indifferent what way god will take . then your hearts are come to a right frame . secondly , the second thing that i would say to you , is this , that there is so great evil in sin ( and o that god would make it take as great an impression upon you , as if one from the dead spake it ) as the least stopping one in the way of sin , the least abating the power of sin hath so much good in it , as it 's enough to countervail the greatest evil in the greatest afflictions in the world. o this principle would be of mighty use in the hearts of people , when any affliction doth befal them or their family ; but doth god by this ( at least ) stop me in any way of sin ? doth not god by this , some way , or other , help me against some sin ? o then , the affliction is well paid for . i have now a greater good abundantly , than the evil of the affliction comes to ; there was a little bitter , but here 's a great deal more sweet . thirdly , there is more good in any exercise of any grace , than there is evil in the bearing of any affliction : if god doth bring an affliction but for the exercise of any grace , or for the stirring up thy heart but to look towards him , there may be more good in that , then there is evil in any affliction . perhaps thou art going up and down muddling in the world , and thy thoughts were but little upon him before ; why if by afflictions thou comest but to look after god , his is a greater good than the evil of the affliction comes to . but if god blesses thee so as thou comest to exercise grace in it , humility , patience , self-denial , faith ; o here thine affliction is abundantly made up : oh! labour therefore upon the consideration of this , that it is the lord , to submit humbly to him ; this is acceptable to god. suppose you have two children that were sick , it may be one he riggles and keeps a stir , and will take nothing that you give him ; but now you have another child lies , and he is sick too , and he saith , father , mother , i 'll do what you will have me , i 'll take what you will give me , do but tell me what you would have done , i 'll presently do it ; though it be never so grievous and bitter , i 'll take it . now would it not make your hearts relent towards such a child , that should be so yieldable , will lie this way , or that way , take this thing , or that thing , and all because it comes from a father : if the child should say to you , it 's true , i am sick and ill , but i know you love me , and know what 's better for me than i do , and therefore i 'll take it : would not this be very acceptable ? o this it is which the lord accepts , when his children do behave themselves so under his afcting hand . and my brethren , this further helps against a great many temptations : when job did but say this , the lord giveth , and the lord taketh away , let him do what seemeth him good . the devil saw his hopes gone , then his hopes of doing that hurt and mischief that he intended was gone . o the heart is in a safe condition , that is thus submissive unto god : others that have fretting impatient hearts , are subject to abundance of temptations , but the danger of temptation is over , when thy heart comes to this . and this will make the affliction very easie unto thee , when thou bringest thy heart to this : it may be others may think that 's very sore and hard with thee , i , but thou findest it very easie , abundance of sweetness comes in with this : yea , i appeal to the experience of the saints , that knows but what this means ; whether ever had you more comfort in all your lives , than at that time when you have been most afflicted , and yet brought your hearts to this temper and disposition . o therefore learn to work these things upon your hearts . it 's an easie matter for men and women to speak these things , but to have the effectual working of these things upon the heart , that 's not so easie : to sanctifie gods name in the fire . carnal hearts , they have many poor things to help themselves in their afflictions : they say this , it is my ill fortune this befel me ; and another saith this , this befals all men , one or other , it 's common : others say thus , we must , we cannot help it , and we must submit to it . another thinks thus , why , i hope , it will be over . these are poor reasonings to work upon the heart , in the day of affliction : but now a gracious heart should get up higher above all these ; it is the lord , and there look into the counsels of god , and seek to know the mind of god , and to sanctifie the name of god. o , grace ( my brethren ) hath many excellencies in it ; but among other things , this is not the least , that it hath such a mighty power to help men in the day of their affliction ; a mighty power to sweeten the heart , and to take away the sting and evil of all afflictions , and to carry the soul on comfortably in the time of all dangers and trials . o labour to have this wrought upon your hearts ! for by this you will manifest much beauty in grace , much excellency in grace ; it will be a means to convince all that are about you . all those that profess godliness , should labour to behave themselves so as to do that that others cannot do in the time of affliction : they should then shew what grace can do . as david in another case , said to the king of achish , thou shalt see what thy servant can do . so now in the time of affliction , a gracious heart should put it to this ; come let 's see what grace can do . and certainly , this will be the way for removing of afflictions sooner , when the heart is brought thus to yield unto the lord : wherefore that you may bring your hearts to this in the day of your affliction , labour in the constant course of your life , to converse much with god. those that walk with god ( according to the text that you know i am upon ) and converse much with god in the day of their health , why their hearts will in a kind of natural-way , work up to god in the time of affliction ; then the thoughts of god will be as suitable to thee , as fire is to fire : fire ascends up to fire , because of the suitableness of the fire that is here , to that that is above . why so the heart will work up to god in a kind of natural-way , because god is so suitable to the heart , the heart having so much converse with god in the day of prosperity . and labour throughly to convince your hearts of this thing , that there is no good in any creature , but only in the reference that it hath to god : there is no good in health , in liberty , in your names , in your lives , in your estates , any further than they have some reference to god , the infinite first good , the chief and high good. it 's an easie matter in a way of reason , to convince any one that this is a truth . but now to have this principle indeed wrought upon your heart , not only to say so in a way of arguing , but i account in my soul of no good in any thing further , than it hath reference to god. as now , i have for the present health of body : where doth the good of the health of my body lie ? it is , that while i have health , i have ability to serve god , and be useful in the place where god hath set me . i have an estate , wherein lies the good of it ? it lies in this , that by this i may be instrumental for god , more than others . if i live , wherein lies the good of life ? why that i may be useful to the church , in the way wherein god hath set me . now when the heart is principled in this , then if god takes away my health then it seems god hath no further use of my health for the present , but would rather honour himself in another way upon me ; why now there is no good in my health . and if god take away my estate , then he would rather honour himself in the exercise of my humility , and of my patience . if god takes away my life , then god will rather have his honour from my soul , to joyn with angels and saints , in honouring of him that way , rather than in imploying of me any further in this world. such a principle as this is , would mightily help the heart in the day of affliction . certainly our happiness doth not depend upon what we have here in this world : the reason why the heart is so troubled in the time of affliction , it is because of this , that men and women look upon their happiness to consist in the enjoyment of these things : o no , thou dishonourest the name of christ , and thy holy profession , to think that thy happiness should depend upon such poor things as these are . surely , jesus christ hath not come to shed his blood , and to purchase happiness for the saints ; and when all comes too , it should be so poor as to depend upon all the uncertainty that we have in this world : no , no , thy happiness lies hihger , thy life is hid with christ in god. if a man hath a jewel worth many thousands , and his house should be on fire , why though he loses the lumber and stuff in the house , yet if he be sure the jewel is safe , he is quiet . now the saints they may be sure that they are safe for eternity , and therefore it is not much what other things be . oh consider of these things , and work them upon your hearts . that 's the second point . but a word or two of the other , that is : that that which seems ill to us , may seem good to god. it is the lord , let him do what seemeth him good . certainly , for the present it did not seem very good to ely : if that ely's judgement had been askt of those things , ely would have said , that they had been very sad . i , but as i remember , luther once said , when he was condemn'd and rail'd upon at noremberg , saith he , there 's one thing concluded at noremberg , and another thing concluded in heaven : in heaven there 's not the same judgment of my cause , as at noremberg . and so it may be said concerning affliction , there 's one thing many times concluded in my wretched , weak , foolish , and unbelieveing heart ; and another thing in heaven : one thing concluded in the world , and in mens rumours ; and another thing in heaven . it 's some comfort to a man though he hears rumours abroad in the world , if then he can have his own heart to contradict them . if he had nothing else to think but this , well that that 's spoken in the world is one thing , and that that i find in my heart is another ; that 's comfortable : but this is greater comfort , thou art my portion , saith my soul ; saith the church in the book of the lamentations ; as if she should say , well , the temptation saith that god hath left me , the devil saith thus ; i but thou art my portion , saith my soul : that was comfortable . if so be that god speaks peace , it 's more than if our own souls speaks peace : thou shalt choose our inheritance : thy choice is better then our own . if we had alwayes what 's good in our own eyes , wo were to us , we were undone . you would not think it , but certainly it is as heavy a judgment as can befal one in this world ; that god should say , you shall do and you shall have what is good in your own eyes . suppose that god should say but this morning concerning every one of you , well , you shall hencforward have whatsoever is good in your own eyes . why you would think that you might go away and be glad of this ; glad , you had cause of going away with ringing of hands , and howling and crying , if god should say thus , concerning any of you . o no , it 's better that our lives , liberties , estates , comforts , happiness , and all be in gods hands than our own , to be disposed of so as seemeth good in gods eyes , rather than to be disposed of so as seemeth good in our own eyes . i verily believe that many of you may be able to look back to the providences of god towards you , and to say , that suppose god had twenty years ago said to me , i 'll give you leave to dispose of your selves as you would : o many may be able to say , they certainly could never have disposed so well of themselves as god hath : and they would be loath to go back again to the twenty years past , though they should begin and have liberty to dispose of themselves as they please : in heb. . . saith the apostle there , no affliction for the present seemeth joyous to us but grievous , but afterwards , saith the text , it works thus and thus . i , but things do seem to god as they are present alwayes , but they do not seem so to us till afterwards . after the affliction is over then they seem good to us , but they seem good to god at the very present . we judge things by the outward appearance , but god judges things according to what they are . things seem to us according as they either make for or against our outward good , we are led so much by sense : but they seem to god according as they are for or against his glory and the last good of all . they seem good or ill to us according as they are for or against some particular good ; if they strike at such a particular we judge by particulars : but now , god he judges things by the proportion they have to the general , to all things at once . it 's that that makes us to give very wrong judgment of things when we look but to particulars , and do not compare one with another , and raise a judgment upon things all things considered . so god doth , god doth not so much look at things how they are in reference to this or the other good ; but how things are in reference to all together in the general . we know some things may cross some particular , but they may be useful to another . now that that 's good in the general doth seem good to god , though it may go cross to some particular . and then further , we look at things but just as they appear present to us , but now god looks upon things as they shall be a great while hence : god is working that that we shall not understand perhaps in our lives ; or working in his administrations towards us , some thing that he intends shall come to pass a great while hence , so that if they come to pass in our lives , yet we shall not have the fruit of them for many years . god he looks a great way off . wherefore learn by this , not to be too sudden , nor so peremptory , in the judging of gods administrations : why ? why because whatever they may seem to you , they may seem otherwise to god ; stay till you know gods judgment about them . as you , if you have any wisdom , when you hear of strange rumours , if you know that there be any that knows the thing better than you , you will not give a judgment upon it ; till you have the judgment of such and such , that you know may understand it better than your self . so in the wayes of god towards us , let not us presently give a judgment upon those things , but let us stay first till we have the mind of god. o let 's learn to resign up our judgments to gods , and let him judge . neither let us trouble our selves about other mens judgments . as things seem otherwise to god than to us , so they seem otherwise to god than to other men . as we should not trust too much to the judgments of our own hearts , so we should not be so much troubled at other mens judgments . for whatever they think , still it is otherwise in gods account . men , they will say , 't is for this cause , and the other cause , and the like ; but it 's otherwise concluded in heaven . and that 's the third point . the last should have been this , that 't is not enough for christians after a great deal of ado , to submit to god ; that is , after the affliction hath been upon them a great while , and when they see they cannot help themselves ; then to begin to have thoughts of yielding to god. it 's well that they do it at last : o , but it 's more commendable a great deal , if we do it at first . at what instant god strikes , presently for the heart to come in and yield . as it is a most excellent thing to yield to gods word when god first speaks , upon the least intimation of gods will ; o this is acceptable unto god. for those that are young ones , the first time they come to hear the word ; or if not the first time they come to hear it , yet the first time god speaks to their hearts ; the very first word that speaks , presently for them to yield , it 's a most excellent thing . so in the time of affliction , for the heart to bow and submit presently to god : o this is an argument of much cleanness that there is in the heart , that the heart is very clean , that there is not much corruption there ; for then there would be a standing out against god , and it would manifest it self in time of affliction . as we know where there is corruption in the body it will manifest it self , if it come to endure hardship ; so it is with the soul , &c. and it argues much grace , as little corruption . so there is strength of grace that can make the heart bow presently to god. when grace reigns in the heart ; when grace can say come , and the soul comes ; go , and it goes ; when grace can say , this is the administration of god towards you ; and now you must work thus , and presently the soul doth it . it should not be enough to us , that we hope that we have that grace , which possibly may bring us to heaven at last : but we should labour to have that grace that may reign in the heart now , and bring all into a due order . as in a family , when the governors are wise , you shall have them , if there be but the least disturbance , speak but a word , and all is quiet : and you shall have other families , that where the reins of government are loose , if there be but a little disturbance , it grows more and more , and to such a height , that it 's tedious for one that hath a quiet spirit , to be in the family : and so it is in the heart , though the best hath some disturbance . but now where grace rules and governs , it stills all presently , without any great ado : but now in other men , though they have some grace , yet if the heart begins to be in a disturbance , it 's a long time before it can be quieted . my brethren , i have gone through these points briefly , and you will say , 't is a harder thing to do this , than to speak it . it 's true , it is , yet some of the saints have done it : they have through the mercy of god , been brought to these things that have been spoken , and it 's possible to be done : some have attained it , and there is strength enough in christ , for the weakest to attain it : and he delights as much to communicate his strength in helping of his poor servants in the times of affliction , as at any time . consider what hath been said in these several truths , and lay them up against the day of your affliction , that you may say , it is the lord , let him do what seemeth him good . a sermon . phil. . . for to me to live , is christ ; and to die is gain . this blessed apostle paul , had in the course of his life , many things befel him that seem to be very cross , much opposition , great were his sufferings , even unto bonds : and much hard usage he had , not only from open enemies , but from false brethren , whose spirits were full of envy against him : and who can stand before envy ? they were vexed to see how his ministery prevailed in the hearts of people ; to see what great esteem he had , how precious his name was among the saints : they knew not what course to take to darken him , and therefore among others , some of them would set upon preaching christ as well as he , and see what they could do that way ; they would be as forward as he . well , saith paul , all this makes for my good , and i rejoyce in it , so be it i may be any occasion that christ may be preached , whether of good-will , or envy : i am glad christ is made known by this , and this shall turn ( saith he ) to my salvation , to the glory that i expect from christ , and with christ : that shall be furthered by it , so long ( saith he ) as christ is honoured , i shall never be ashamed : no matter what becomes of my body , of my life , so that christ may be magnified in my body , whether it be by life , or by death : for to me to live is christ , and to die is gain . and this is the coherence of the words . here then we have a man of brave resolution , of a truly noble raised spirit ; while other men are grovelling here in the world , in seeking contentment unto the flesh : here 's the spirit of paul raised above life and death . to me to live is christ , to die is gain . to me to live is christ . you have it in your english , only so ( to live , and to die : ) but those that understand the original , know , that besides the word that signifies to live : there 's an article in the greek , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and besides that word , there 's an article 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . so that if you would have it translated according to the propriety and elegancy of the greek , it is thus : to me the thing that is to live is christ , and the thing that is death is gain . as if he should say , that thing that you call life , is nothing but christ : if christ may be magnified in me , if i may be of any service for him any way , then i am content to live ; but if so be that he may be no more served by me here , let me die , and i shall lose nothing by that neither : for that same thing you call death , the thing that people keep such a stir about , and are so scar'd withal , that to die ; it 's nothing to me , but that which will be gain . so that the words , they speak out the frame of gracious heart , blessing it self in jesus christ , both in life and death : to me to live : i 'll not make any curious definition , nor raise more points than i shall go through at this time , and the points will be nothing but the opening of the text in both parts . first , that a true godly man accounts christ to be his life . and , secondly , to a godly man , death is gain . for the first , to me to live is christ : that same thing that you call life , it 's christ , all is wrapt up in him : i account nothing life but jesus christ . as for my natural life , that 's no way considerable ; but so far as christ is in it , christ is the life of the saints . it 's more indeed then if he should say , christ is my life 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the thing that is to live is christ ; it 's a greater elegancy than to say christ is my life . christ is the life of the saints : first in this , that they are by him freed from a legal death . every man by nature is under the curse of the law , he is a dead man , as we say of a man that is condemn'd , he is a dead man ; dead by the law. but now the saints in christ , are dead to the law. gall. . . but they live to god , they are freed from that legal death , and so christ brings life to them . secondly , christ is the principle of spiritual life in them . it 's christ that brings me to the fountain of life , that unites my soul again to god ; and puts me in a principle of life , to inable me to live to god , and to injoy communion with him ; i in my self am as a dead carkass without jesus christ . to me to live is christ . thirdly , christ is the preserver of this life of mine . notwithstanding all the corrupt and silthy and dead stuff that is in me , yet jesus christ preserves this life in me . and then in the fourth place , which i take to be the chiefe meaning of what the apostle intends ; to me to live is christ , that is , the great comfort of my life , that 's christ . a man doth not live except he hath comfort in his life : for so the scripture calls life , when a man hath comfort , joy , and contentment in his life , psal . . . but mine enemies are lively ; so you have it in your books : mine enemies are living , so you may translate it ; the meaning is this , mine enemies are jolly , and jocond in their wayes : and so it follows , and they are strong : they are jolly and jocond in their wayes ; and they that hate me wrongfully , are multiplied . there 's a like phrase in eccles . . . for what hath the wise more than the fool , what hath the poor that knoweth to walk before the living : that is , before the rich men that have all comforts in their lives , to live bravely , according to their hearts desire . what 's the wise more than the fool ? all things comes alike to them , and there 's no great difference in their lives . and what hath , ( the word hath is not in the original ) but what a poor that knoweth to walk before the living . if a poor man hath but health of body , and hath but ability to work , and wisdom to carry himself , and order his affairs ; why he can walk before rich men , and can live a comfortable life before them . before the living , that is , before the rich that have all things to live bravely in the world. so that 's the meaning of life in scripture , not only in opposition to death , but to sorrow and trouble . now saith the apostle , to me to live is christ : will you take life in this sense , that is , for a comfortable , a contented , a joyful life ? why i have it saith paul : where had paul such a joyful and contented life ? for alas , look upon him in the course of his life , and he suffered almost as much as ever man did ; sometimes he wanted bread , and he wanted clothes to cover the nakedness of his body , and whipt like a rogue , and yet he accounted himself to live a brave life notwithstanding all this : but where lay all this ? in christ . i find it all made up in christ , whatsoever i want in the creature , whatever is cast upon me , whatever scorn and imprisonment ; whatever it be that here i suffer , yet i find it all made up in christ , and in him i have as comfortable a life , as a mans heart can desire . that 's his meaning by this same 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , that is , in christ , because i am imployed in the service of jesus christ : and i bless god that christ hath honour by me , that i do the work of christ , and so , to me to live is christ . that 's the fourth thing . fifthly , to me to live is christ , that is , christ is the end of my life : so you have the five particulars . . i am by christ freed from a legal death , being dead by the law. . christ is the principle of my spiritual life . . the preserver of it . . the comfort and contentment of my life . . the end of my life : thus to me to live is christ . but because these two last are the two chief that i verily believe are intended here by the apostle , i will a little open them more than the former . now to shew how christ is the comfort and contentment of a christians life , that i 'll shew unto you in several particulars : though he hath not comfort as others have , though he hath not such a table , and such comings in as others have , yet he hath a life more comfortable than others . as first , the very contemplation of jesus christ , it is incomparably sweet and comfortable to a gracious heart . for what doth a godly man see in christ ? in christ i see the brightness of the glory of the father , i see the character of the ingraven image of god the father in him : when i look upon the world it 's comfortable , it 's comfortable to the eye to behold the light : but there i see but the foot-steps of god , but in christ i see the face of god ; the face of the living and eternal first-being of all things : that i behold in him , and this is life to me . it 's eternal life to know thee , o lord , and thy son , whom thou hast sent into the world. . o the sweet influences of the grace of god that i feel , out of his fulness do i receive , and grace for grace ; i have the flowings of the water of life into my soul daily , and therefore christ is to live to me . . i have the love of god shed abroad into my soul. o the beams of the love of the eternal god , that are shed abroad in my soul by christ , and those beams of gods love , they are life to me . . in him i have an interest in all the treasures of the riches of the grace of the infinite god , they are all mine , they are all made over to me in jesus christ . . and then fifthly , in him i have blessed rest and satisfaction to my soul for my eternal estate ; i am sold for eternity in him. . and then in him i have the joy of the holy ghost shed abroad into my heart , and it is the comfort of my soul to see him honoured any way , more than to enjoy any good to my self . . in him , o the communion that i have with him , is more than life ; those lettings out of my heart to him , and those lettings out of his heart again to my soul : what is it ? it 's more than a thousand lives unto me . . in him i have the conveyance of all the good that god the father conveys to the hearts of his saints , in order to eternal life ; and therefore , o the comfort and contentment my soul hath thereupon . and then , he is the end of my life : to what purpose do i live , if it were not in order to him ? for he is the first that god did aim at in all his works , ab extra , and therefore christ is called the first-begotten of all : he was the first in gods intention , yea , the scripture saith in ephes . . . all things are by him , and for him. now if christ be the end of all the works of god the father , god in all that ever he aim'd at in his councils from eternity , he did aim at the setting up of the honour of christ , and at his own honour in him and by him : therefore surely , he is my life , he is that i aim at , he is the end of my life . and all the glory that god the father hath from all his creatures , it is through him , ephes . . . then while i live to him , i serve the greatest designs that god the father hath : i am useful unto god in the greatest designs that ever he had from eternity , or ever shall have ; and therefore for me to live is christ . thus you have the opening of what the apostle saith . now then by way of application for this , in the first place , learn to examine your hearts from this , what your life is : examine in this thing , what is your life ? whether you can say as the apostle here did , to me to live is christ ? what do you account your lives to be ? it would be a very near point , if god would but help you to understand it , and seriously to weigh it . i say , what do you account your lives to consist in ? why some men think , o for me to live , it 's to get an estate , that 's my life . another thinks , to me to live , why it is , to have company , to be merry , to eat and drink , that is life to me . another , to live , why it 's to be great in the world , to be accounted some body , to get honour , to get places : the lives of men consist in such things as these are , most men account it to be their lives , to enjoy the contentments of the world ; so be it they can have so much coming in as they may please the flesh , and satisfie the lusts of the flesh ; there 's a brave life . who do you account to be the men that live the brave lives in the world ? o that you would answer as in the presence of god now : whether do you account the men that have all the contentives to the flesh , that possibly may be , as honour , repute , and esteem , and live at ease , and can ride up and down , and have attendance about them , and brave in their clothes , to live the brave lives ? or whether those men that are serviceable to the great ends of god , in setting forth the honour of jesus christ ? which are the men that god accounts most happy ? would you account a man that were very mean and low in the world , and despised by the world , yet if he be serviceable to christ in the world , and enjoy christ himself in the world , to be a more happy man in this life ? not only that he should be a more happy man in the life to come , but in this life , then he that lives the bravest life , in all the jollity and contentment here in this world ? certainly , the disposition of your hearts in this thing , doth much discover what they are in reference unto god. that 's the first . secondly , here see what the excellency of a christian is : o the excellency of a saint in god! why ? because he lives such a life as he doth ; he lives a supernatural life , he lives a divine life , he lives an eternal life : the lives of the saints are such as depend not upon any thing in the world. let the world go which way it will , yet they have a life , and a livelihood too : they have whereupon to live . how do men account this to be a great happiness , let there be as hard times as can be , i hope i have enough to live on , saith a man. if there should come famine , or troubles , yet i have a livelihood , i have enough to live on . the saints they have enough to live on , come what times will ; for to them to live is christ : you know christ saith in the gospel , that his flesh is meat indeed , and his blood is drink indeed ; and he that eats his flesh , and drinks his blood , hath eternal life . that is , he that lives upon him by faith , and draws forth the virtue that is in him by faith , he lives . it doth not beseem therefore christians , to be whining and complaining in the world , while they want some outward contentment , for their present bodily lives : for , your lives consists not in abundance . though it 's true , god for a while doth preserve mens natural lives by the creature : i , but it 's but a natural life , it 's not the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , that 's but a by thing . but the thing that is to live , that 's in christ ; and depends wholly upon him : it should be therefore indifferent to a godly man or woman , how things be with them in respect of this present life : for , to them to live is christ . surely , it 's the most noble and glorious life that can be , when christ is the principle of it . sometimes some have thought that possibly there may be other worlds than we have here , and other kind of creatures than them we have here ; and some mens thoughts will be roving : why cannot the infinite power of god make thousands of worlds besides this , only they are not revealed to us ? and perhaps in those worlds , the meanest creature there may be as far above the sun , as the sun is here above a piece of dirt. but suppose there were never so many worlds , and such glorious creatures that god had made : if god should say , well , i by mine infinite power have made this world , and i will make a thousand worlds more , and i will make every creature in those to be so high in glory above the sun that you have now , as the sun is beyond a piece of dirt ; yet in those worlds there would be no creature could live a more glorious life than the saints do . it 's true , in heaven , for the degree it 's more glorious , but for the kind of that life , none of those creatures could live a higher , and a more noble life than a christian : why , for to him to live is christ . it 's christ that is his life : and if god would make never such excellent things , he could not make any thing more excellent than christ is : therefore so long as christ is the life of a christian , it 's the most noble and excellent thing of all . thirdly , then , o let christ be as dear to us as our lives ! let his honour be maintained by us as our lives ! let us work for him as we see a man work for his life : whatever we do for christ , let us do it for him as for our life , with all our strength : for , for us to live ( if we be christians ) it is christ . it 's christ that is the element of life , and therefore whither should our lives work but only unto him , and for him. that 's the most blessed life that hath christ most in it : we should not account that we do live , but when we do something for christ . i remember it 's said of the emperor titus , he would say , when he had not done some good to some of his subjects : i have not reign'd to day . why ? because he had done no body any good turn . and so we should even say , we have not liv'd to day , except that we have done somewhat for christ : for , for us to live is christ . and if to us to live be christ here , o what will it be in heaven then ! for it is but a very little of christ that we do enjoy here . that 's the next use . when christ who is our life , shall come to be revealed , when we shall come to enjoy the fulness of all the good that there is in christ , what will christ be then unto us ? and lastly , from hence we may see the reason why the saints can deny themselves so much in their outward condition , in that that the men of the world make account their lives consist in , as their estates , and credit , and liberty , and esteem : the people of god , they can deny themselves in such things as these are . they can die daily unto the world : why ? because they have another life . indeed , a man that hath no other life but that that consists in abundance , in his estate , pleasures , liberties and delights , he knows not how to deny himself in them ; but now a man that hath another life beyond this , he can deny himself in these things , cor. . . see what the apostle saith there concerning himself , for we , saith he , who live , are alwayes delivered unto death for jesus sake , that the life also of jesus might be made manifest in our mortal flesh : even this mortal flesh that must die ere long , in suffering for christ here , it doth manifest the life of christ . and is it not a greater good to us , to have our mortal flesh to manifest the life of christ , than to have our mortal flesh to live here a natural life ? we would be loath to have this flesh of our bodies to be dead flesh : while we are willing to suffer for christ , this flesh of ours doth manifest the very life of jesus christ : therefore the saints are dead to the world , but they are alive to jesus christ . but thus much for this first part : to me to live is christ . and to die is gain . to whom christ is to live , to them death is gain . the more we enjoy christ , and live to christ here , the more gainful will death be to us , and the more shall we be able to look upon death as gain . and here we have a scripture ( if we had no other ) sufficient to prove the immortallity of the soul : how could death be gain unto the apostle , if so be that the soul should die together with the body ? indeed , christ would be gain for another life hereafter , that is , at the day of judgment , there christ would be gain . and those that do deny the immortallity of the soul , yet they are not so vile as some take them : to think that man should die like a beast , and there 's an end of him ; and that there shall be no resurrection . no : but those that do deny the immortallity of the soul , they say , that though the soul dies with the body , yet at the day of judgment , both soul and body shall rise again and live for ever . but all they deny , is this , that the soul between death and the day of judgment , shall live : they think , that the soul between death and the day of judgment , shall die , and then by the almighty power of god , they shall be both raised again : that 's their opinion . but , though it be not so bad as some would make it , yet an opinion false . for this text shews that paul was in a straight , he knew not whether to live or die ; but that was the conclusion , that it was better for him to die ; for then he should be with christ . he could not mean that when he was dead , he should be with christ when the general resurrection comes : but he must needs mean that he should be with christ immediately after his death , and enjoy another manner of communion with jesus christ , than he did here while he was living . and it is upon this account , that he saith , it is gain for him to die . why paul enjoyed much communion with jesus christ here ; and though he had some sin in him , yet considering the grace he had , and the service he did for christ ; certainly it were better for him to live , than to be in a condition where he should enjoy nothing of christ , and do no service for christ . but the apostle lookt upon the state of death before the day of judgment , to be a better estate than that he had while he lived . though , saith he , i have the grace of christ , and i do service for him , yet there is a better condition between death and judgment : if my soul were gone from my body , it would be in a better estate than now it is : to me to die is gain , and so you have it in cor. where the apostle speaks of his departing out of the body , in chap. . therefore we are alwayes confident , knowing that whilst we are at home in the body , we are absent from the lord. we are confident , in verse . i say , and willing rather to be absent from the body , and to be present with the lord. so that 't is apparent , that upon the souls absence from the body , it is present with the lord. now if the soul did die as the body doth , it were not present with the lord ; no , not so much as when it is in the body . but now the apostle saith , that when it is out of the body , then it 's present with the lord ; and when it is in the body , it is absent from the lord. and so it is upon this ground especially that the apostle saith , that to him to die was gain : because he should be absent from the body , but present with christ , which is best of all . to be with christ , it is more than to have christ with us . the difference lies here : for us to be with christ , it is for us to be brought to christ , where he is like himself in all his glory and excellency ; and for us to enjoy him in a proportionable way . but now for christ to be immanuel , god with us , it is for christ to come down as it were to us ; and to manifest so much of himself as is sutable to our condition : therefore christ humbles himself to come to be with us . for there he is a man of sorrows , he is with us sutable to our mean and low condition ; but when we come to be with him , we are there sutable to his high and glorious condition : there lies the difference . mark , the apostle doth not here say , to me to die is gain : upon this ground , because i shall be delivered from my troubles . as a great many are ready to think , it were well for me to be dead . if they be but a little discountented , their outward trouble , makes them willing to go out of the world : yea , and if their bodies be weakly , and their stomachs gone , and cannot eat as others do , or sleep as others do ; or are very poor , and live in a mean condition , they are weary of this world. now to think death gain upon such a poor ground as these , is not according to the spirit of paul : paul suffered as much as many of you do , for outward things in this world , and yet he did not desire to die : o then , i shall be afflicted no more , be persecuted no more in the world ; no , but when i die i shall be with jesus christ , and shall enjoy communion with him ; and it 's this that makes me look upon death with comfort , and in this respect it's gain . though paul had enjoyed all the world at will , yet he would have accounted death to have been gain to him . and though paul was a man of great esteem among the saints , ( though persecuted by others ) yet death was gain to him . yea , though paul enjoyed all ordinances , yet christ was gain to him . and though he did a great deal of service for christ , ( as i verily believe there was never any man since the world was made , did more service for jesus christ than paul did ) and yet death was gain to him ; he should get much by it : why many things might make the death of paul gainful . i remember the last time i spake to you , i spoke about an argument of the victory over death , that we have by christ ; i will not speak now of what then i spake to , but meerly confine my self ; for otherwise the argument might be very large , to shew the gain of death to believers : but i 'll confine my self to the very thing that the apostle speaks of here in this chapter , that he should be present with christ . therefore now i 'll speak of the gain of being with christ . now i confess there are many things that might be opened : the communion of the soul departed with jesus christ , as first , it shall be immediate , the souls of the saints while they are in the body , they have communion with christ ; but it is mediately , by other things , by ordinances and means , whereby christ conveys himself to them ; but there they shall have communion with christ immediately , only christ and the soul together . now the more immediate the communion is with christ , it is the more pure : here we have some communion with christ , but a great deal of sin mixt together with it . that that is immediately from the fountain is more pure , that that comes in the streams hath dirt mixed with it . so that that we shall have with christ immediately shall be pure , we shall have communion with him and nothing else : we shall have no mixtures at all of any evil in our own spirits . and then secondly , immediate communion with christ , it is more sweet : as the more pure , so the more sweet . as now , the wine that comes immediately from the grape , it hath more spirits , and is more delightful than that that is poured from vessel to vessel . that which we have here from christ , it is that that is poured from vessel to vessel ; but that which souls departed have from christ is immediate , and so comes more sweet . as if the child suck milk from the breast , it is more sweet to the child than the milk in a spoon . that that we have from christ here , is milk as it were from the spoon ; but that that souls have that are departed , they suck from christ immediately , and so comes to be more sweet . thirdly , and more especially , we account that that comes immediately , to have more love in it . as that that a friend gives by his own hand , is better and more comfortable to us . so that that comes from god immediately , it 's a great deal more sweet : as now here while we live in the world , the more immediate a mercy is , the more sweet it is to a gracious heart . indeed , a mercy that comes by second causes , it 's comfortable , because god over-rules all the causes ; but when it can see god immediately in a mercy , the more immediate the hand of god is here : though god doth not work so immediately here as he will do afterwards ; but the more immediate god is here , the more sweet it is . and therefore in a judgment , the more immediate the hand of god is , the more terrible , as in the plague . so in a mercy , though every mercy is sweet , yet the more immediate god is in a mercy , the more sweet it is . and then , o how sweet is all the good that the saints have immediately from christ , therefore it 's gain to them . and then , fourthly , it 's more strong . the first rebound is more powerfull than : a second ; and the first gushings out are more strong . the beams of the sun when they are first reflected , than if you take a glass and reflect them again and again . and so that that comes gushing out ( as it were ) of the very heart of god , it 's more strong a great deal ; and there is greater impressions upon the heart by it , than that that comes by second causes . fifthly , that that comes immediate , it comes without labour . the soul draws it from christ , and is not put to so much pain and labour as now we are put to . if we would have communion with jesus christ , we must stir up our selves to the humbling of our hearts , to the acting of our faith , to exercise our graces , and put the body to it . if you would have any communion with christ in prayer , it must put you to some labour : and : so in the word and sacraments : and the labour of a christian is very great . but when we come to have immediate communion with christ , it will be the flowings in of christ to the soul , without any labour at all . sixthly , it shall be more full , when we come to be united to the very fountain it self ; there it will be more full than the stream . certainly , there is that good and excellency in christ , that is too much for any creature in the world to convey ▪ yea , take all the creatures in the world , and ordinances , they are too scant to be able to convey the good that is in christ ; yea , that good that christ takes delight to communicate to the souls of his people . and that 's the reason that here we have but a little . why ? because the conduits are so narrow and small , that there can be but a little let out through those conduits ; but when the soul is with christ immediately , then it hath the fulness of the lettings out of gods mercy : there will be an eminency of every sort of good to every poor christian . i remember jerom , speaking of that text , christ being all in all : he makes this interpretation of it , saith he , christ is here but some to some ; but not all to all . as for instance , saith he , here some men have some eminency of some particular grace conveid to them , and some other eminency of some particular grace . as moses had an eminency of meekness , abraham an eminency of faith , job an eminency of patience , and solomon an eminency of wisdom , but , saith he , where was there ever a man eminent in all graces ? but then ( saith he ) christ shall be all in all : that is , christ shall convey all grace to all his saints , that all the saints shall have an eminency and fulness in all grace whatsoever . this will be an excellent thing . surely it 's gain then to die , for a gracious heart , where christ shall be thus all in all to them , to convey this fulness of good in all things unto them . those saints that are the meanest now , whose souls have the least degree of true grace , they shall have an eminency of all grace . wouldst not thou think thy self happy , if thou hadst as much faith as abraham , as much meekness as moses , and as much patience as job , and as much insight into the misteries of the gospel as paul ? now , hadst thou as much as all the saints ever had , were not that gain ? why now as soon as thy soul is departed from the body , thou shalt have an eminency in all graces , as much as all the saints ever had , since the beginning of the world. therefore surely , it 's gain to die for a godly man. ly , further , it 's gain in this respect , when they receive immediately , they shall receive all united in one , and all together : they shall have such influence from christ , as hath all good united in one beam of excellency , and so receive it all together . as now , a man may take the quintesence of several herbs ; there 's this herb hath this virtue , another another , and a third a third ; but now if you still all these herbs together , you will have the virtue and quintesence of all in one drop . so christ here scatters his excellencies , one in one creature , another in another ; but when we come to enjoy him immediately , then we shall have all in one , because all his excellencies whatsoever is united in one in him. eighthly , further , all our good shall be in continal act. here we have a great deal of good in the habit , but now when we come to have this immediate communion with christ , there all our graces shall be acted continually . the sun , you know , how it doth act the earth ; whatsoever there is in the earth , it draws it forth and makes it flourish . so the presence of the sun of righteousness , oh how gloriously will it act all our graces ! in numb . . . we read of aarons rod , it blossom'd : and the text saith , it blossom'd before the lord. when the souls of the saints shall be before the lord , and be in the presence of the lord christ : o they shall blossom and flourish , and all their graces shall flourish in a most glorious manner . ninthly , and then lastly , we shall enjoy what is in christ without any intermission : what 's the reason of any intermission here ? but something that comes between christ and our souls . but now when there shall be nothing between christ and the soul , then there will be no intermission . that sweetness and comfort thou hast in communion with christ at any time , thou shalt have it at all times : and how good is that ? o saith many a soul , could i have but the communion with christ at all times , as i have at some times : o that would be comfortable ! now when the soul hath immediate communion with christ , it shall have it at all times . what 's the reason of ecclipses ? it is the interposition between the moon and the sun , or some interposition between the sun and us . so our ecclipses of the light that we have from christ , it is some interposition : take away the interposition , and then there will be no intermission . now put all these together , and is it not gain to die , and to be with christ . now by way of use : it is gain thus to be with christ . hence then , if it be gain for one that doth so much service for christ as paul did , surely than those that are believers , and are made little use of in any service for christ , they will get by their death . paul was a man that one would wonder how the churches could spare him , he did so much for christ ; and yet paul would get by death . if thou beest a believer , thou shalt have thy immediate communion with christ , as paul had . alas , here while thou livest , thou hast but little communion between christ and thee , and doest him but little service in the world : then why should you so much desire to live in the world , that have nothing to countervail the trouble that you have , and the sin that is committed in the world ? o , surely , it will be gain for you . secondly , hence it follows , that it is a self-denial to a believer , to be willing to live here in the world. you will say , if it be so much gain , why should any be so desirous to live ? it 's this , first , nature will have its work , though in their judgments they are convinc't , that it 's better to be with christ ; yet the body will be working , and the affections will follow the body very much . further , though they be convinc't that it is gain , yet god lays a tie upon them , to preserve their lives as long as they can here in this world , in obedience to god : they do desire to avoid dangers , and preserve their lives . it is not for them to be where it is best for them to be , but to be where god would have them to be ; and therefore god doth charge them to seek to preserve their lives , and to go on till he himself shall dissolve the body and soul. it 's god that is the lord of our life , and as god gave us our lives , so it is he that must take them away , and not any body else . but yet , i say , there is some self-denial in it : we must look upon our selves here , as in a very low and mean condition , in comparison of what we hope to be within a while after . therefore observe this one note , those that do believe the gain of death , they had need labour what they can , to countervail the forbearance of the gain , by somewhat or other . if a man hath a great gain , and it comes not in his present possession , he thinks , what shall i have for my forbearance ? you will say , what is it that any believer can have in lieu of his forbearance of that gain ? truly , the most excellent thing is this , that he may do christ service while he lives . now then , is that the main thing ? o learn from hence , to be of as much use in your lives , as possibly you can , for you have nothing else ( to speak of ) in forbearance of that great gain . why , lord , i expect to enjoy thee for ever before long , but thou art pleased to prolong my life here for a while ; in the mean time i meet with many temptations and troubles , and vexations , and much sin i have : but yet , lord , thou knowest it 's my desire to honour thee , and serve thee ; and through thy mercy , i am some way or other serviceable to thee , in the place where thou hast set me ; and , lord , this is the thing contents me , while i am absent from thee . thirdly , hence we see the great difference that there is between the death of a believer , and the death of a wicked man. i shewed you , i remember in the death of an ungodly man , when the siery serpent comes with his sting , and takes him in his natural estate , death is not gain to such a one : o , no ; death takes away all his gain : but now , death is the greatest gain to the saints . that 's an excellent scripture you have in cor. . the latter end , whether paul , or appollos , or cephas , or the world , or life , or death , or things present , or things to come , all is yours . in christ , death comes to be made yours : death is part of the possession of the saints : o the difference between the death of the saints , and the death of wicked and ungodly men ! do but put two men , a wicked man , and a godly man , lying both together upon their death-beds , ( you must take a wicked man that hath an enlightned conscience ) he lies beholding the wrath of the infinite god , ready to swallow him up , and his conscience tearing and rending of him , and so the black dismal bottomless gulf , ready to swallow him ; see the fiery serpent sent from an angry god , twisting himself about his middle , with a sting at his heart , ready to take away his life , that he might not live any longer to dishonour his god ; he lies cursing himself for his wickedness and folly , and the company that he hath liv'd in , and wishing that he had never been born. now the godly man , he lies blessing of the name of god for his goodness ; and in that , god did shew to him in the time of his life , the things that concern his eternal peace : he blesses god that ever he knew him , that ever he knew his wayes : he blesses god , that the time of his departure is so near , and he sees jesus christ ready to receive him , and the angels attending about him : o the blessed day when i shall go to enjoy an immediate , full , and eternal communion with jesus christ , that is best of all . and there he lies encouraging all that comes to see him , to know christ and god betimes . o here 's the difference between the death of the godly , and the death of the wicked : one is the greatest terror , and the other is the greatest gain . and , my brethren , let these things that i have now spoken to you , let them prepare you for death , and welcome death whensoever it comes . do not think of what you must leave in the world , but what you are going to : it is to go to christ , that is best of all . and manifest the power of those things , lay them up against such a time . and let all that hath been said , teach you to be godly , to prize christ and the gospel : here 's that will recompence all troubles and afflictions you meet withal in the wayes of god , to be able upon your death-bed , to say with paul : to me to die is gain . it will recompence whatever pains you take in the wayes of religion . and i appeal to you : do you think that there was ever any since the world began , that was sorry upon their death-bed , that they had taken too much pains in the wayes of god ? there have been thousands that have cursed themselves for the neglecting of the day of grace and salvation , but never sorry for taking so much pains . o no! when thou comest upon thy death-bed thou wilt have need of all , and thou wilt bless god for any pains that thou hast taken for christ . lay then this sentence unto thy heart , it will teach thee to live , and to die : and , certainly , he must needs live joyfully whose life is christ : and he must needs die comfortably , whose death is gain . a sermon . luke , . , . and into whatsoever house ye enter , first say , peace be to this house . and if the son of peace be there , your peace shall rest upon it : if not , it shall turn to you again . these words are part of christs direction unto the seventy disciples , that he sent forth to preach the gospel . as exod. . last . we read of twelve wells of water , and threescore and ten palm trees , where israel encamped after their coming through the red-sea , for their refreshing . so christ sends forth his twelve apostles , and seventy disciples , for the refreshing of the world , with the glad tidings of the gospel . there were seventy . i find many interpreters keep much ado about the number , austin , and jerom , with others : they say , this number hath reference unto the seventy several languages of the world. for , they say , that at the confusion of languages at babel , there were seventy ; and so according in proportion unto them , christ sends forth these seventy . these are but surmises , and many other such guesses there are ; but particular reason for the number , we have not exprest in scripture , neither have we their names . we have the apostles names , the twelve , but not these seventy . some god is pleased to make men of names , honourable in the world , and leave their names as honourable : others the lord imploys in great works and services , but their names are buried . it is enough for these , that christ tells them in the th . verse of this chapter , that their names are written in the book of life . let god imploy us in his work , and write our names in the book of life , it is no matter for to name us in this world. there are many remarkable things in christs sending out of these seventy . as first , he sends them forth by two , and two ; so you have it in ver . . of the chap. to the end that they might be a mutual support , comfort , encouragement , assistance one to another ; which is the duty of all ministers , that god by his providence shall joyn together in any service . secondly , christ tells them , the great work that they were sent about : the harvest truly is great , saith he , and the labourers are but few . i send you out into a harvest , which is a great labour , a useful labour , a joyful work , isa . . . joy in the time of harvest , is the greatest joy in the world : it is a harvest that you are sent into , and it is a very great one , and therefore you have encouragement because there is so much work to do . in mat. . latter end , there it is said that christ look'd upon the multitude with compassion , and said , the harvest is great , but the labourers but few . when ministers look upon great congregations , multitudes of people , and especially such as come readily and willingly to hear the word of god , he should not look upon them without compassion ; as looking upon them as a great harvest , as much work to be done there . yea , in john . . after the woman of samaria and others were converted , as the first fruits ; christ tells the disciples of the regions , that they were white unto harvest : as if he should say , there are multitudes here in this place , that are very ready to entertain the gospel . a great encouragement indeed it is , when the ministers of god shall see people so readily to attend upon the word , as they shall look upon the regions as white unto harvest , that they are in a preparation to receive the word . the harvest is great ; saith christ , the labourers are but few , pray ye therefore the lord of the harvest , that he will send forth labourers into his harvest . there were threescore and ten sent out together , and yet they were few , and they must pray for more . it is the duty of all people , especially of ministers , to pray to god , that he will send forth more painful labourers . and then , thirdly , christ tells them what difficulties they are like to meet withal in their work : go your wayes , saith he , in ver . . behold i send you forth as lambs among wolves ; you are to be as i am , of lamb-like dispositions , innocent among people where you live. but know before-hand , lest you be discouraged with those difficulties you are like to meet wtthal ; you shall not only meet with dogs that will bark at you , nor with foxes that seek cunningly to vndermine you , but with wolves that will seek violently to destroy you . and you shall find it in mat. . that he sends out his apostles , and he tells them the like : and indeed , it did so fall out . for there was not any one of the twelve apostles , but did die a violent death ; was putto death by the rage of ungodly men , except john. it were easie to shew you partly out of ecclesiastical stories , how every one except john , was put to death ; some hanged , some ston'd , some crucified , and some by the sword : one way or other , the twelve were put to death , that were the greatest instruments of doing god service , that ever were in the world ; and yet this recompence they all had from this wicked world , save only one ( i say ) and yet the scripture tells us that he was banisht . and ecclesiastical stories tell us , that he was cast into scalding lead ; but withal they tell us , that he was delivered by a miracle out of it : so that he wanted not his sufferings too . that 's the third thing . and then the fourth thing that there is in christs direction unto these , it is this : he tells them , that all their living that they are like to have , it is to be had by their work : they are to be maintain'd for their work , and they should take no further care , for the labourer is worthy of his hire . but then , fifthly , which seems to be more strange , christ doth bid them , that they should salute no man by the way . why would christ have his disciples to be uncivil , not so much to salute men in a civil way ? that , surely , cannot be the meaning : but it was to signifie , that they were to tend the great work that they were sent about , with all diligence , and to take heed that nothing did interrupt them . they were not to stay upon any complemental salutations , visitations , that spends a great deal of time oftentimes ; they had not so much time as other men. men , indeed , who have little to do , they spend their day , as your great gentry , and others , spend a great part of their time in complemental salutations , and visitations : i but , saith our saviour , do not you spend any time that way ; imploy all your time in the work you are sent about . men that have great businesses to do , they can spare no time for salutations : so saith christ to his disciples , your errand is of great consequence , you are to be embassadors of reconciliation between god and man ; be not hindred any wayes that usually men are hindred in their work. and therefore people should not expect such things from ministers , in any complemental visitation of that kind ; but they are to know , that the work of ministers should take up their whole heart and time : this seems to have some reference unto the direction of the prophet elisha unto his servant , when he was to go to heal the shunamites son , which you have in ● kings . . gird up thy loyns saith the prophets , and take my staff in thine hand and go thy way : if thou meet any man , salute him not ; and if any man salute thee , answer him not again . that is , go in haste to the child , and let nothing hinder thee : so this is the meaning of this , salute no man by the way . not that they should be uncivil , or uncourteous , but that they should take heed that no such thing hinders them , and take up their time as usually doth other mens . and then having given them that direction , now comes the direction in my text , that i have read unto you : and into whatsoever house you enter , first say , peace be to this house . that is , do not force your selves upon any people , do not come in a forceable way into any house , but with their leave ; and first say , peace be to this house . this was the ordinary salutation of the hebrews , peace be to you : peace be to this place . for they comprehended all good by the name of peace . now , though the disciples were not to salute any by the way , yet those they came to preach to , they were to salute them with this salutation , peace be to this house : which was but to shew unto them the gentleness , and the lovingness of their spirits ; they were to make this appear to people that they were sent to preach unto , that they were men of soft , loving , sweet , gentle spirits , therefore they come with this salutation , peace be to this house . secondly , this is not only a salutation , but as chrisostom , it was a benediction . they in the name of god , were to bless the place where they came , and say , peace be to this place , as a benediction . thirdly , it was to give them a taste of the great errand they come to the house for , it was to tell them of the message , that they came from christ unto them about , and that was , to bring peace unto them . secondly , here 's a discription of the entertainers of this peace , if the son of peace be there : the son of peace , that is , if there be any , first , that are ordained by god , to have the benefit of this peace that you bring to them , then let your peace abide . so the scripture uses this phrase , son of a thing , to shew one appointed to it : as , the son of perdition ; so , the son of peace : that is , one appointed by god , to enjoy the benefit of this peace . secondly , the son of peace : that is , one that will attend unto peace , will manifest himself to be a child of peace indeed , by attending diligently upon the ministry of peace that you do bring unto him . and so you have it , as i remember , in matth. . . where the apostle speaks of the child of the bride-chamber : now the words in the greek are , the sons of the bride-chamber : that is , those that do attend upon the business of the bride-chamber . so the sons of peace , that is , those that are willing to attend upon this great doctrine of peace , that is to be delivered to them . and then thirdly , the sons of peace : that is , such as will be obedient unto the peace of the gospel . so in ephes . . . as those that will not obey , are called the children of disobedience : so those that obey , may be called the sons , or the children of peace . so then , the meaning is this , if a son of peace be there , that is , if one appointed to eternal peace ; if one that will attend upon your gospel of peace ; if one that will be obedient unto those conditions of peace that you are to bring : if such a one be there , then , let your peace abide upon him . there 's the blessing of those that are thus the sons of peace , they shall have all the good that there is in that blessed peace of the gospel that you bring ; they shall not only have the benefit of it for the present , but they shall have it abide upon them : they shall be exceeding gainers , your peace shall abide upon them . but , if not : if there be any that are not appointed to it , or that attend not upon it , that are not obedient unto it , then your peace shall turn to you again . what 's that ? that is , first , this is by way of encouragement unto the disciples . and , secondly , by way of threatning unto those that shall reject the offers of the gospel . first , to the disciples , two wayes . first , though their ministry should not do good to souls , yet they should not be losers , but the blessing of the peace shall return into their own bosoms . look what good they endeavoured to do to the people they preached unto , if they did not receive it , then this good should return upon their own hearts , they should get by it themselves . secondly , which i think to be as much intended as the former , and that 's this : your ministry , the ministry of your peace : for so this peace is , it shall return to you . that is , it shall be of as much vigour , strength , power , and efficacy to be carried to others , as it was at the first . they may think thus , if we do go and preach to a people and shall be rejected , then our ministry is like to be vile : for if one shall reject us , it 's like another will. it is so indeed , in matters of the world ; if a worldly business receive any foil in one , it 's more like to receive a foil in another . but , saith christ , be not you troubled about this ; but if you should preach to any people where you should have any to reject your ministry , it should return to you again ; it shall have as much efficacy and power , as if it never had been rejected when you go to carry it to another people . whatsoever disrespect is cast upon the ministers , or upon their ministry , yet as the apostle saith , the word of god is not bound , though we are bound , though the ministry prevails not in one people , yet it retains the power of it , as much as if it had never been rejected . and as for those that do reject it , let them know : first , that they shall have no blessing of that peace . secondly , let them know that it shall not continue long among them : no , not in the ministry of it , but that god will deal very quick with them ; for if they will not receive it , it shall return to you again . and thus you have both the scope , and the dependance , and the meaning of these words read unto you . now then , there are many observations of excellent note unto us . as from ver. . into whatsoever house ye enter , first say , peace be to this house . observ . . first , that the ministers of the gospel ought to be men of gentle , and fair , loving dispositions , first say , peace be to this house . observ . . that ministers of the gospel , ought to bless the people among whom they come , say , peace be to them . observ . . the great errand and business a minister comes about to a people , it is to bring peace to them . observ . . that a minister hath warrant and commission to offer peace to any place wheresoever he comes , let them be what they will be ; he hath a commission from christ , to offer peace to them . observ . . that the first thing a minister is to do in his preaching , it is to offer peace ; first say peace before any thing else . and these are the five notes of observation from ver. . now then from ver. . and if the son of peace be there . from hence there 's this : observ . . first , note , that when god sends the ministers of the gospel unto a place , it is very probable that there are some appointed for the good of it ; that there will be some sons of peace there . observ . . that those that do entertain the gospel , they are ( the ) sons of peace . obser . . whosoever are sons of peace , shall certainly have all the blessing of the peace of the gospel to rest upon them . obser . . yet sometimes where god sends the ministry of the word , it is rejected : if not , and gods ministers must expect it . obser . . wheresoever it is rejected , those certainly are deprived of the benefit of the gospel : if not , it shall return to you again . observ . . that those that are faithful ministers , shall not lose their labour , though they should not convert souls to god , it shall return . observ . . and then lastly , those that shall reject the gospel , are not like to enjoy it long ; god will deal with them very quick : if not , your peace shall return to you again , and there 's an end of them ; saith god. these are the several notes of observation , out of this direction of christ to the disciples for their preaching . and into whatsoever house ye enter , first say , peace be to that house . first , you see how ministers of the gospel should come to a place , with gentleness , and chearfulness , and manifest a sweetness of spirit , in coming to any place ; and so to gaine upon people that way . in lev. . the lamps in the temple were to be of pure oyle olive , beaten , to note that the lights that god sets up in his church should be of peaceable and gentle spirits , of sweet spirits ; you know that the olive it is the emblem of peace and sweetness . so in rev. . . the two witnesses there , which especially are the ministers of the gospel ; they are said to be the two olive branches . those who christ sends , especially to witness to himself and unto his truth , they are to be olive branches , men of peaceable , and gentle , and loving dispositions . so we find that the apostle st. paul saith concerning himself , thes . . . but we were gentle among you , even as a nurse cherisheth her children . so in tim. . . the servant of the lord must not strive ; but be gentle unto all men , apt to teach , patient ; in meekness instructing those that oppose themselves , if god peradventure will give a general repentance to the acknowledging of the truth . and this must be first , because that god in whose name they come , is the god of peace . secondly , christ whose embassadors they are , is the prince of peace . and , thirdly , the spirit of god , by whose assistance they preach , is set out by the dove , that they say hath no gall ; it was wont to be said of beza , that he was a man without any gall. and the gospel that is their message , that 's a gospel of peace , and the end that they are to aime at in their ministry it is to bring peace to mens souls . and besides , sometimes there is a necessity for ministers to preach things that are hard unto people ; things that they think to be very hard and grievous unto them ; though their main scope be the gospel of peace ; yet there are many things that belong to their commission that seem to be very hard to people , as the opening of their lost and miserable condition by nature , and the like , and to threaten sometimes in the name of god : now therefore , that they might convince people that they aim onely at good unto them in this ; therefore they must be of as loving , and gentle , and quiet , and patient spirits as possible may be , especially in their own cause , and that 's the tryal . you sometimes prehaps hear a minister preach hard things , and you think they come with much harshness to you , and your hearts are ready to rise against them : but examine whether in all their dealings else , and in things concerning themselves , whether they be not of loving and gentle spirits , and full of bowels of compassion . and they must be of such dispositions , that they might win upon people and draw their hearts , as in hos . . . i drew them with cords of a man , and with the bands of love . and indeed this is one special reason why god sends men to be the ministers of the gospel rather then angels , that there might not be any terror strook into the hearts of people . if angels should appear they would be exceeding dreadful and terrible ; but god doth rather choose man to be a minister , that so he might sute himself to the dispositions of men , and draw with the cords of man : and what 's that ? that 's with the bands of love . mans nature will rather be drawn then driven . and my brethren , as it ought to be in ministers to be of such dispositions , so you that are the people should shew your selves to be of the like dispositions towards them again ; of sweet , and loving , and gentle , and fair dispositions towards them ; not of rugged and ridged tempers . we read of the building of the temple , that there was not one whit of iron us'd in it ; which is observable . we do not read ( i say ) of iron that was brought to the building ; they made their pinns of wood and other things , and plates of gold and silver , but brought no iron . god when he is about to build a church , and call a people home to himself ; he will call such as are of gentle spirits , or make them such . god doth either refuse such ridged spirits , or else he doth change their natures : that 's the first note . say , peace be to this house . the second is this , that ministers ought to bless their people ; for so these words are to be considered not onely as to manifest their dispositions , to give them a taste of their spirits ; but as a benediction to them . peace be to this place . we in the name of the lord bless you with peace . and this is more than to pray for them ; ministers are to pray for people ; god forb●d , saith samuel , that i should sin against the lord in ceasing to pray for you : but ministers should do more , they are in the name of the lord to bless them . prayer it is a speaking unto god ; but blessing , it is to speak from god to man , and that with some kind of authority . therefore we find in scripture , that the lesser is blessed of the greater . and that the ministers were appointed to bless the people , in the old law , numb . . . speak unto aaron , and to his sons , saying , on this wise ye shall bless the children of israel , saying unto them , the lord bless thee , and keep thee ; the lord make his face to shine upon thee , and be gracious unto thee ; the lord lift up his countenance upon thee , and give thee peace . here was blessing in the old law. and they retain'd some part of it , in coming to any place , when they said , peace be to this place . we read of men of great esteem among the people of the jews , that were wont to bless those that they came unto : as you find that of boaz , in ruth . . he prays for them , and they bless him . here was a sweet salutation of a man , that did set other men on work : boaz came into the field , and said unto the keepers , the lord be with you : and they answered him , the lord bless thee . many men when they go among their work-men , they go with raging and cursing , if things be not done according to their mind . now what an unseemly thing is this , among those who profess themselves christians ? but on the other side , this is gracious-like , to come among their servants and work-men , and thus to bless them , the lord be with you : and they to pray for them , and the lord bless thee . and so we read of pure parents to bless their children . and it hath been the use of the church , to bless the people . therefore in all congregations where you meet with the exercises of religion , you use to have a blessing before you go ; and you are not to flight it : and except god call you out by extraordinary occasion , you are to abide and stay the blessing . we read of some that were appointed by god to stand upon mount gerisim , in deut. . and their work was only to bless , to bless the people ; and there were some who stood upon mount ebal , and they were to curse . but now , mark , if we search who they are that are appointed to bless , you shall find them to be more honourable , than those that were appointed to curse : for those that were appointed to curse , there was reuben , he had lost his birth-right , and gad , and ashur , and dan , and napthali , they were children of the hand-maid ; they were not begotten in the way of marriage , but only by the hand-maid , or by a concubine : most of these that were to stand upon mount ebal for cursing , they were of the meaner sort of the tribes . this notes thus much , that blessing is the chief work that ministers should rejoyce and delight in . therefore though they do sometimes pronounce the threats of god against you , to awaken secure , drowsie sinners , which is their work likewise ; yet certainly , there is nothing more sutable unto the heart of a godly minister , than to be alwayes blessing of his people , and to be bringing of the message of blessing unto them : and if this be so , then certainly , the ministers of the gospel , they are a great blessing in the world. and you that are people , you should encourage your ministers to bless you , and to bless god for you ; your carriage towards them should be such , as they may with chearfulness in the name of god , bless you ; and they may in secret , when they are between god and themselves , bless god for you . o when as the minister shall first look upon the people , and bless them in the name of god , and bless god for them ; and the people shall look again upon the minister , and pray to god for a blessing upon him , and bless god that ever they knew him : i say , happy is the minister that thus blesses , and blesses god for a people ; and happy likewise the people , that do thus pray for a blessing upon , and bless god for a minister . but more blessed is that god , that shall joyn such ministers and people together : and that 's the second note . that ministers are to bless people when they come among them . but , thirdly , ministers are to bring the message of peace to a people . the great errand that a minister of the gospel comes about , it is to bring peace ; it is to be a messenger of peace unto you : and indeed , the ministry of the gospel , doth many times bring outward peace unto a people . when was there ever a kingdom upon the face of the earth , that hath had longer continuance of outward peace , than england hath had ? and the reason why our outward peace is taken from the kingdom for the present , it is because the ministry of the gospel hath been rejected ; and the sword comes to avenge the covenant of the lord , it comes to avenge the rejection of the gospel of peace ; and if we reject the gospel of peace , god saith , we shall not have outward peace for our state : if we will not imbrace peace for our souls , we shall not have outward peace for our bodies . but though the ministry of the word bring you outward peace many times , yet the main thing it is to bring is spiritual peace , peace be to you . as if the apostles should say , we are come unto you from the great god of gods , to be the embassadors of peace for your souls , to preach unto you the doctrine of peace between god and you : this is the great errand that we come about ; peace be to you . and saith the apostle , to us is committed the word of reconciliation : that 's the great thing that is committed to ministers to preach to a people , the word of peace . the work that they are sent about , it is to treat between god and man , upon terms of peace : it is , i say , to treat with your souls for peace , that you might come to have peace with god , that a blessed peace might be made between god and you : this is the great errand that they come about , and whatsoever they preach to you else , if it be to shew you what your miserable condition is ; yet it is in order to this still , to bring peace to your souls . and indeed , all faithful ministers are careful of this , to shew at the very first , what their scope is ; it is to bring them to life and salvation : ( but that in the next point : ) but this certainly ought to be their scope , whatsoever is preached , it must aim at the great treaty between god and their souls for reconciliation . our scope , when we come to preach unto you , it is not so much to civilise you to enveigh against notorious crying sins , drunkards , and whore-masters , and thieves , and blasphemers ; though according as we meet with these things in the road , we are to speak against them . but suppose we should cry out against these sins , this were good , and we had cause to bless god for it : i , but we had not done our work , the great work that we are to do , it is to treat with your souls about peace with god ; to shew you how the enmity that is between your souls and god naturally , is to be taken away ; that so there may be a blessed reconciliation between god and you . this is the great errand of the ministers of the gospel , unto a people ; and if this be the errand of it , then , what an honourable work is this to set man about ? and the truth is , it is in some regard a more honourable work , than ever angels were sent about : god doth not send the angels about this work , to treat with mankind about terms of peace with god. they are made ministring spirits , for the good of gods elect , and are made by god to be executioners against wicked men : but we never read that god hath committed the word of reconciliation to angels , god hath not appointed them to be the preachers of peace to people ; therefore it is the most honourable work that ever creature was set about , to come to a place , and say , peace be to this place , in the name of god. and being it is such a work as this , o how detestable and vile , and cursed , is laziness or idleness , in any one that should profess himself a minister of the gospel ! what ? come about such a work as this , to be an embassador of reconciliation from the great god of heaven and earth ? o , he should have his heart and thoughts taken up about this ! night and day he should be studying how he should manage this great work , that god sends him about to poor people . and , o how acceptable should the ministry of the gospel be unto you : you need not fear any hurt it will do : it is but to treat with your souls about peace with god , there 's all that is intended in this ministry . do not fear it , though things sometimes are spoken that you apprehend to be terrible to you ; yet all tend to this end , to bring peace unto you . therefore as the prophet , in isa . . . saith , how beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him that bringeth good tidings , that publisheth peace . o his very feet should be beautiful in your eyes , this scripture the apostle doth quote , in rom. . . how shall they preach except they be sent ? as it is written : how beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace : here it is , that bring good tidings . so indeed , the great work of the gospel , it is nothing else but a good message , good tidings ; and so our english word is to the same effect , good news , good tidings . and certainly , did people but understand what the scope of christ were , to carry things about so in the wayes of his providence , to bring ministers of the gospel to preach peace to their souls : it could not be , but they should open their very hearts unto them . we read of noah , when he sent forth his dove , after the ark had been a long time upon the waters , the dove brings an olive branch to the ark ; and noah puts forth his hand and takes in the dove . the ministers of the gospel are as this dove , and they come with an olive leaf in their mouths ; and they do not get it from the wilderness , but they take it from paradice ; they bring it from the scriptures , from those blessed things of the gospel , that are revealed in the word , and bring it to your souls . now therefore you should open your hearts , and take in the blessed message of peace and reconciliation . and then further , if so be that this be the great work of the ministers of the gospel , what a vile world is this that can hardly bear with the ministers , nor ministry of the gospel , but accounts them to be great disturbers of the places where they live ? so they did to the prophets and apostles : elisha , art not thou the troubler of israel ? and so of paul , he was said to be a pestilent fellow . the apostles were said to turn the world up side-down . and so luther , he was said to be the very trumpet of rebellion ; so he was called by ungodly men . it is not a new thing for the world to have such an esteem of ministers of the gospel : and what do they do ? it is only preaching peace to the souls of men. but , lastly , if this be so , that the errand is to bring peace to your souls : then hence you learn what you are to come for , when you come to hear sermons ; you hear that at such a time there is such a sermon , or a new man there is come among you , and you come to hear what he can say ; or you hear that in such or such a place , there is a very witty man , and of excellent parts ; and you come to hear what he can say : but alass , you deceive your own souls all this while : you should come with a disposition of spirit , i am now going to hear the doctrine of peace between god and my soul , to attend upon the ministry of reconciliation this day . and though the very word be not spoken of peace , yet the word , that doth tend to the making peace between god and my soul. and indeed , when you feel the ministry of the gospel working of your hearts into peace with god , then hath it had the true genuine proper effect upon your hearts , that god hath appointed it for . but if you only shall sit under the ministry of the word , and it may be only gain some further knowledge in the things of religion , that you never knew before , or be inabled to discourse of something in divinity , more than you could before : what 's this to the fruit of the ministry of the gospel ? no : but can you say , blessed be god , the lord hath made known to my soul , what my estate was by nature : the lord hath opened to me , the doctrine of reconciliation : the lord hath shewn to my soul , how i am to make peace with god , and that in another manner of way than ever i thought of : i come now to see it to be another manner of mistery of godliness , than ever i imagined before . can you say so now ? hath the gospel had this end of it upon your hearts ? o then , it hath had the effect that the lord doth send it for . and thus much for the third note of observation , that the work of ministers is to bring peace , the message of peace to people . observ . . the fourth point is this , that the ministers of the gospel are to offer peace unto every one : for so you have it , into whatsoever house ye enter , say peace be to it : offer terms of peace to it . if you come to a place where there are the most notorious sinners of all , yet offer peace to them : though they be the most prophane , and ungodly people that should live , yet offer peace to them : though they be old sinners that have liv'd a long time in most vile sins , yet offer peace to them : into whatsoever house you come , you have a command to offer peace in the name of god , even to them . for , my brethren , the merit of christ , it is of such infinite value , that we may ( if we knew what the meaning of that is ) comfortably offer peace to the most notorious vile sinners , that do live upon the face of the earth . we read of christ , that he would have his disciples to go and preach in the high-wayes , mat. . saith christ unto his servants , go your wayes into the high-way , and as many as you shall find , bid to the marriage . into the high-wayes ; to note those that were the most unlikely , the most vile and wicked , go unto them , and bid them to the marriage . and in the last of mat. . go ( saith christ ) into all the world , and preach the gospel to every creature . they might say , lord , perhaps we shall meet with some that are most notorious villains , and blasphemers , and prophane and ungodly creatures : must we preach the gospel to them ? i , go and preach the gospel to every creature . into any place whatsoever you come , you shall offer peace unto them . i , but you will say , this may harden many in their prophaneness , if god would have his ministers offer peace to the most prophane people that are : then may some prophane one say , i hope we shall do well enough then . to that , i answer , the lord will venture this . the lord is so desirous of magnifying his grace , to offer it to those that belong to his election , as that he will venter the hardning of other men : if they will be hardned , saith god , let them be hardened . and so , though a minister ought to be as careful as he can to prevent all stumbling blocks , yet , certainly , he is to venter the hardning of many hundreds , rather than not to preach the gospel of god to any one soul : he should more regard the offering of the gospel of peace , in hope that there are some few that belong to gods election , than to fear the hardning of many hundreds . and if you should be hardned by the offer of the gospel of peace , there could be no greater brand of your rejection , and that will make it appear , that you are no such son of peace . i , but then may some say , that are more civil and fair , what if god send the gospel to the most prophane , surely there is no question but god will have mercy upon us ; for he doth appoint his ministers to offer the gospel of peace to the worst ? i , but know what christ saith , that the publicans and harlots did enter into the kingdom of god , rather than the scribes and pharisees . god offers to the worst , yea , many times makes it more effectual to the worst , than he doth to some that are more fair and civil in their conversations , because , indeed , they do not see the need that they have of peace . i suppose you would think it to be one of the most hard and harsh things in the world , if you should be told , that all of you naturally were enemies to god ; and yet there is nothing more plain in the scripture than this . now because it is so hard to convince civil men of this , therefore they are not so soon wrought upon as prophane ones are . wherefore then , my brethren , if this be so , it is an encouragement : first to ministers , when they come to any place , never to be troubled whatsoever people they be , if he come to preach to them , and offer the gospel of peace to them ; for who knows , but those that are the worst and vilest ones , may come in and embrace the gospel of peace ; may be vessels of mercy , and may hereafter stand and admire at the riches of gods goodness ; and may live eternally to bless his name , for this blessed peace that is made between their souls and himself . and , secondly , all you that do hear this point , stand for the present and admire at gods goodness , that ever this should be so , that ever you should hear such a truth as this is ; that christ would have his ministers offer terms of peace to the worst in the world. i say , admire at this goodness of christ , and especially you that are prophane ones , stand and wonder at the goodness of god ; whereas he might have curst thee , and sent thee long since down to thine own place ; yet he doth give his ministers charge to offer peace to thy soul. think thus , the lord in this hath done more to me , than he hath done to all those thousand millions of angels that sinn'd against him. those that were once glorious angels , and did sin against god , the lord took advantage against them for their first sin , and upon that cast them down into chains of eternal darkness ; and did resolve that he would never so much as enter into a plea about any condition of peace with them to all eternity . this was the way of god towards the angels that did sin against him , that are now devils . o you that think the lord to be a god of mercy altogether , do : but consider of this , and consider to tremble before him , that god should take advantage against millions of angels ; for so they were . for we read in scripture , that legions of devils were in one man , and they were once angels , and they did but commit one sin against god , and the lord would not plea with them about terms of peace . but mark now , the same god that was so severe against angels , that were his own creatures , as well as thou , and were more glorious creatures , and committed but one sin , yet would never enter into any terms of peace with them ; this god is not only willing to treat with thy soul , to be at peace with thee ; but he sends forth his messengers unto thee to treat in his name , and doth give them command , that when they come to thee they should offer terms of peace to thy soul. admire at this thou that hast not been guilty of one sin but of thousands ; thou that hast liv'd like a monster in the place where thou hast liv'd , and hast liv'd in rebellion against the lord ; yet he doth give command to his ministers to offer peace to thee . i say , stand and admire at this when thou goest home , lay it to thy heart : o that the great god should so condescend to me , rather than to angels ! he doth so this day , and in his name , i say , according to the text : peace be to every soul that shall yet come in and return , yet come and repent ; whatsoever they have been : whether thou mayst live to have any further offer of peace or no , the lord knows . it is an offer that thou hast this day , look to thy self , come in , for there are many things in the text , that might put you on : for if there be not a son of peace , this peace will turn back again . observ . . but the last point of all is this , that ministers of the gospel are , when they come to a place , to say , first , peace be to this place . it should be the first message that they should declare ; they should begin with this : and there is a great deal of emphasis in this word , first say . first , so we read of john baptist , his first sermon was this , repent , for the kingdom of heaven is at hand . and likewise , the first sermon of christ , in mat. . , . and again , the apostles , you shall read of them , repent , for the kingdom of heaven is at hand . the first sermon of john baptist , of christ , and of the apostles , was this , repent , for the kingdom of heaven is at hand . and the first sermon that the seventy disciples was to preach , was peace . and in this the lord deals with sinners , according to the order he gave , in deut. . . the lord required that the first thing the children of israel should do , when they came against a city , it was to proclaim peace . and we read of alexander , the first thing that he did , was to set up a lamp , and his white colours , and to proclaim , that whosoever did come in before that lamp was out , should have his life and peace . so when the lord sends ministers of the gospel to any place , he sets up a lamp in that place , and the first thing that he would have done , it is to proclaim to all people to come in , that so they might have peace : and it is to be done in the first place . first , because the bowels of gods compassions are very strong , and gods mercy lies at his heart uppermost , and therefore that is most ready , and he is most ready to vent it : that 's the most proper work of god , that he doth delight to vent his mercy , jer. . . secondly , because that when the offer of peace is , that hath a great deal of power to work upon the hearts of people : now the lord therefore would have that done at first , that is like most to prevail . we know that people at first when a minister comes amongst them , they are set upon novelties ; now it is good to take advantage of that their humour , and when they are hearkning after novelty , that they should come to have some principal doctrine of salvation to be secretly instill'd into them , that they should drink in that before they are aware . so the lord uses to work upon mens self-love : every creature loves it self , and therefore the lord sees that it is a good advantage to work upon mens self-love , to offer terms of peace . and the truth is , that is it that gains the heart of a sinner : and god will out-bid the world , and devil , and flesh : what do they offer any thing that may delight you , saith god , i will out-bid them all ? christ out-bids the world , and devil , in offering unto sinners a greater good than world , or devil can possibly bring unto them . and indeed , this offer of peace doth out-bid the world ; that is , doth proffer a greater good to a sinner , than world or devil can possibly proffer to them . nay then , saith the soul , if i see that i may have a greater good by repenting and believing , than by going on in my sin , i will go that way ; i will rather attend upon the word : for i hear of great things that are there , about reconciliation between god and man. now this is the way to take the hearts of men , and it is the way to break them of their stoutness and stubbornness : for certainly , every man naturally , hath a very stout and stubborn heart against god. therefore if first he be opposed , he will be ready to rise against god , and against his truths , and against his servants . therefore it is good to come first with those things that their hearts may close with all , that so they may be in a more preparation , that they may hearken to what the lord shall reveal after , as necessary unto them . but , you will say , if it be thus , why is it then that ministers do preach so much of our miserable condition in which we are ? the answer is , it 's true , at first there should be a tender of peace ; and i make no question , but you have had it so here : but now it 's true , before the full doctrine of reconciliation with god is to be opened unto you , there is something to be opened unto you , about your miserable state by nature ; for it is impossible to open the doctrine of peace and reconciliation , without the opening of that : and that may well be justified . that though the first thing should be to say , peace ; yet before this can be opened at large unto people , they must come to know what their natural state is . there is some that would at first and at last say , peace ; and would have nothing else preached , and crys out against preaching of any thing of the law of god ; which is meerly through their ignorance , in not rightly understanding the nature of the thing . for though at first , we are to open this peace , yet when we come to open it , this hath that in the very bowels of it , that will shew the most woful condition of man by nature , that possibly can be . as for instance , peace between god and us : why , what are we enemies ? is there an enmity between god and us ? yes , that comes here : we cannot open the meaning of this peace , but if we come once to open it , we must of necessity fall upon the doctrine of mans state by nature ; and shew what a breach sin hath made between god and the soul : and what infinite need there is of such a redeemer , that we could no other way be redeemed , but that we must have such a saviour , that must be both god and man. now when we come to open the nature of this , it must needs shew you what your miserable condition is by nature . but a word or two for the application of this : god doth appoint his ministers at first to come to you , and to make the proffer of peace unto your souls ; then it should teach you presently to be willing to come and close with that message . gods heart is sofull of mercy towards you , as at the very first he will have this offered to you ; then your hearts should likewise come in as well to god , and at the very first come in and close with that blessed offer of grace and mercy . o , it is a great encouragement to a minister , when people come in at the very first offer . we have a notable scripture for this , in psal . . . mark , as soon as they hear of me , they shall obey me. that 's indeed a blessed thing , that when a people comes to hear of christ , and of the doctrine of reconciliation , that as soon as they hear of it , they shall come in presently and obey ; that a minister shall find his first labours to be fruitful and effectual . i could tell you of one , as in cor. . the beginning : and so i could say , that i knew one twenty years ago , or more , that at the very first day of preaching of the doctrine of the gospel of that truth unto a people , at the first day god pleased to bring in a soul , and continue him to this very day ; and make him a godly , gracious , and holy man , that was a desperate and prophane wicked wretch before . o that it might please god to incourage the hearts of his ministers so , that at their first coming to people , they might find some fruit of their labours : for one that is faithful , and comes among a people , he looks after his ministry , and considers what he doth , and what effect that hath , and so doth give account to god of what effect that hath upon the hearts of people . and , o what an incouragement is this , and how honourable to a people , if a minister of god shall give up this account , and say , lord , as soon as ever thou didst send me among such a people , they did begin to hearken after the doctrine of peace , and began to consider what it was that was spoken : and they were exceedingly hopeful by their attention , and by other wayes they have given exceeding good hope , that they have received the doctrine of peace , that thou didst send me about . and those , certainly , are most to be honoured , that do first come in ▪ though it's true , if men come in at the last hour , there is a possibility to get to heaven : but those that come in at the first , they are the most acceptable to god , mich. . beginning , my soul desired the first ripe fruit . so the soul of god doth this day long after the first fruits of every minister , that comes among you : o , he looks into this congregation , to see where shall be the first fruits of the ministry of such a one , and of such a one that comes among you , in rom. . . it is spoken to the honour of epenetus , that he was the first fruits of achaia unto christ . o epenetus , he is one that god did honour , for he was the first fruits of achaia unto christ . and it is the honour of england , that it was the first kingdom that profest christian religion by the authority of the publick magistrate ; and god hath some special regard to england , to this very day , i make no question , for that : and so in any place when god comes to them , and offers the conditions of peace ; i say , they that come first in upon this first offer , will be most acceptable unto god. therefore do not defer , and think i may come in at last ; and before i die , time enough : but if god be so timely with thy soul , that he would have his ministers so begin with thee , do thou answer to god , and begin with this god betimes , and especially you that are young ones , do not you reject it . o when god shall come to thy soul , and say , peace be to thee ; i say , take heed of rejecting the first offer . for you that are young , what though you may be guilty of much vanity and folly other wayes , yet it may be you have not been guilty to this very day , of rejecting the offer of the gospel : o take heed of contracting that guilt upon you ! know if you do , it will make you a great deal harder , and that guilt will be a great deal worse , than of all your other sins besides ; therefore come in betimes , as we read in mark . . there comes a young man running to christ , and saith , good master , what shall i do to inherit eternal life ? he was a young rich man , a gentleman , one that had great possessions ; and the text saith , he came running to christ . o that god would perswade young ones , and those of quality , seeing the lord is pleased to begin with their souls , that they would hasten , and come running to christ , to know what are the terms of peace and reconciliation ; as it is said concerning john baptist , in mat. . . the text saith , and from the dayes of john the baptist until now , the kingdom of heaven , suffered violence , and the violent take it by force . the meaning is this , because that this great doctrine of , repent , for the kingdom of heaven is at hand , was not preached before john baptist : he was the first that came to preach this in the plainness of it in a gospel way . now saith the text , and from the dayes of john the baptist until now , doth the kingdom of heaven suffer violence . o the hearts of people were mightily stirred , ever since the dayes of john baptist ; and why ? because that he preached , that the kingdom of heaven is at hand . now that consists of peace and joy , and the doctrine of reconciliation between sinners , and the blessed god ; that indeed is the special part of the kingdom of heaven . now he preaching this kingdom of heaven , saith the text , from that day the kingdom of heaven suffered violence ; and every one comes to know , lord what shall i do , that i may enter into this kingdom . o what a blessed thing is it for congregations , when the lord shall send those amongst them , to bring peace between god and their souls : that it may said , from such a day , from such a time , that the lord did send such among them that opened this doctrine of peace , that the kingdom of heaven hath suffered violence . there hath many poor souls come in and said , o men and brethren , what shall i do to be saved . and blessed are they upon whom the tender of the gospel shall have this effect . now if there be any sons of peace here that shall entertain this , here 's the blessing that is to be upon them : that the peace of the gospel shall rest upon them , upon that parish , upon that house , upon that soul. sermon ii. luke . . and if the son of peace be there , your peace shall rest upon it : if not , it shall turn to you again . to leave what was said in the former verse , and to proceed to what remains : in this verse , you have , first , a supposition , if the son of peace . secondly , a description of a good hearer of the gospel , he is a son of peace . thirdly , the blessing upon him , your peace shall rest upon him . ( we shall speak to no more , only these three things at present . ) first , the supposition , if the son of peace be there . here there is a supposition , that when the lord sends the ministry of the gospel unto any place , that there will be some sons of peace ; it were a hard thing if we should come and find no sons of peace . if the son of peace be there : as if christ should say , it is hopeful you may find some sons of peace . from whence the point of doctrine is this : that when god doth send the ministery of the gospel to any place , there is hopes that there is some sons of peace there . there may be hope to ministers and others , that they shall find some that will entertain their gospel : in acts . , . then spake the lord to paul in the night , by a vision , be not afraid , but speak , and hold not thy peace : for i am with thee , and no man shall set on thee to hurt thee : for i have much people in this city . when god sent paul to preach , there was a great deal of opposition : well , saith god , for all that opposition , you shall preach in this place : why ? for i have much people in this city . so that when god by his providence , shall order the word to come to any place , there is a hopeful argument at least , that god hath people in that city . in mat. . where you have christ sending of the apostles to preach , he bids them in ver . . go not into the way of the gentiles , and into the cities of the samaritans , enter ye not , saith christ : but go rather to the lost sheep of the house of israel . as if christ should say , as for the gentiles , and the samaritans , i have yet none to call there ; the time is to come for the gentiles to be called : i would not therefore have you go thither , i would not have you lose your labour : but go unto the lost sheep of the house of israel . there are many of the house of israel , that are as lost sheep , that are wandering from god , and their own happiness : i would have you go thither , saith christ ; thereby intimating that there were some to be call'd there , rather than in the other place . the ministry of the gospel , it is the great gift of jesus christ , that he gave when he ascended on high : and to what end did he give it ? mark , in ephes . . , . to what end it is : and he gave some apostles : and some prophets : and some evangelists : and some pastours and teachers : for the perfecting of the saints : ( so it is translated in your books : ) but the word in the original is , for the joynting of the saints ; the putting of them into joynt : at first , to put them into christ , ( and then that they may grow up ) for the work of the ministry , for the edifying of the body of christ . for the building up of the body of christ . and this text is quoted out of that prophesie that we have in psal . . . thou hast ascended on high , thou hast led captivity captive , thou hast received gifts for men , &c. here 's a prophesie of christ clearly : and the apostle doth apply it in ephes . . christ received gifts for men , here it is : and there it is , that he hath dispensed gifts to men. and mark , yea , for the rebellious also . those men that are the most rebellious , yet christ hath received gifts for them : what gifts ? the ministry of the gospel is the great gift , that god the father hath given to christ , and jesus christ hath given it unto his ministers , and sends them among the rebellious . and to what end ? that the lord god might dwell among them . so that by this it appears till god send the ministry of the word among a people , the lord god doth not dwell there ; for it is , that the lord god might dwell among them . they are without god in the world , but when that comes unto a place , then the lord god comes to dwell among them . so that then , you see the point clear by scripture , when the lord sends the ministry of the gospel , there is some hope that there is some good intended for some in that place . and the reasons are these , . because christ sends his ministers , according as his father sent him. now thus we have it in john . . then said jesus to them again , peace be unto you ; as my father hath sent me , even so send i you . mark , as god the father sends christ , so christ sends ministers . well , how doth god the father send christ ? compare this scripture with john . . thus god the father sends his son , he doth not send his son into the world that he might condemn the world : that is not gods primary end to condemn the world , but that that god doth aim at , in sending his son into the world , it is , that by him the world may be saved . now then compare this scripture with that other ; saith christ , as my father sent me , so send i you . now my father sent me into the world , not to condemn the world , though by accident the world shall be condemned , the rather because of christs comeing among them , and they refusing him : but this is the scope of my fathers sending of me into the world , that by me the world may be saved ; and so do i send you ▪ i send you to places , not to condemn them ; not to aggravate their sin and their condemnation : that is not my primary intention , though this may fall out ; but i send you to a place , that through your ministry , souls in that place may come to be saved . reas . . a second reason is , from the promise of christ unto his ministers , when they go to any place to preach . in the last words of the gospel by saint matthew , christ sends them to preach ; and saith he , lo , i am with you alwayes , even unto the end of the world ; i am with you to assist you , and to bless you whithersoever you go , even to the end of the world. that is , with you , and with all that shall succeed you to preach this gospel in any place , unto the end of the world. reas . . further , we know that the gospel , it is the arm of god , isa . . . who hath believed our report , and to whom is the arm of the lord revealed . and rom. . . it is the power of god unto salvation . and if god arm , and gods power unto salvation come among a people , there is hopes that there is an intention of some good unto some of them . reas . . the preaching of the gospel : it brings the day of grace and of salvation , to any place wheresoever it comes ; and so long as that doth continue to any place , so long the day of grace and salvation continues to the place . this you have clearly , cor. . beginning , we then as workers together with him , beseech you also , that ye receive not the grace of god in vain . for he saith , i have heard thee in a time accepted , and in the day of salvation have i succoured thee : behold , now is the accepted time , behold , now is the day of salvation . now : when was that now ? that was , when the apostles came and preached among them , the doctrine of reconciliation : now is the accepted time , now is the day of salvation . now if you come in , you may be accepted : now is the time , that if you be appointed to be sav'd , you must come in now . reas . . and this scripture doth put me upon a fifth reason of the point , and that is : that when the gospel comes to be preached to a place , it doth not only make an accepted time , and a day of salvation : but it is the fruit of the prayer of jesus christ , even of that prayer that christ hath made to god the father , that he would in such a time send the ministry of the gospel , to be clearly and powerfully taught in that place . and if you ask me where the place is that doth prove it , it is in isa . . . you have there almost the very some words that you have here : thus , saith the lord , in an acceptable time have i heard thee , and in a day of salvation have i helped thee . now this is clearly meant of christ , if you look both unto the coherence of the words , with what hath been before , and that which follows after : for , saith he , i will preserve thee , and give thee for a covenant of the people , to establish the earth , to cause to inherit the desolate heritages . now saith god concerning christ : thus , saith the lord , in an acceptable time have i heard thee . what is that acceptable time ? it is that which the apostle doth interpret to be , a day of salvation . the apostle speaks of an acceptable time , and of a day of salvation ; and saith he , now it is . now while we are preaching the glad tidings of the gospel unto you . and here , saith the holy ghost , the lord hath heard thee in an acceptable time , and in a day of salvation . that is , when as jesus christ did pray to god the father , for his church that should be ; that god would send the ministry of the gospel , unto those whom the father had given unto him from all eternity : i say , jesus christ did pray unto the father for them . now , saith god , i have heard thy prayer , and i have granted what thou prayest for . and this hearing of thy prayer , it is an acceptable time , and it is a day of salvation . thou hast a day of salvation according to thy prayer ; and this very day the apostle doth interpret of sending the gospel unto any place : so that where the gospel comes , it is not to be lookt upon as a thing that comes meerly by accident , or by an ordinary providence of god , as other things ; but it is that that comes unto a place by virtue of the prayer of jesus christ , of the intercession of jesus christ unto the father , for that particular place , or town , or parish . and this is the reason why the lord leaves some places destitute of help , in ignorance and darkness , that they scarce ever come to hear of jesus christ : and others that it may be are in themselves as unworthy as the other ; they come to have the great things of the gospel opened to them : the reason of the difference is , jesus christ hath interceeded before the father for the one , and not for the other ; and one is the fruit of the prayer of jesus christ , and the other christ hath let go , because they do not so belong unto him : he hath not those among them , that are to be made the sons of peace . reas . . yet further , when the gospel comes to a place , there is hope of good , because that the gospel hath in it self so much power . i say , it is not only as an ordinance to convey the word of god. but though mans words and ministry hath little in it , yet the truths of the gospel , they have in them a mighty strength ; there are such wonderful things that the gospel doth reveal wheresoever it comes , that one would wonder that the hearts of all people should not be taken with it . yea , there are such things that are made known in the gospel , that one would think might break the heart of any devil in hell. that if god should send the gospel unto the devils ( if they were not gone irrecoverably ) one would think that what is made known in the gospel , might break the heart of a devil . o that god should be reconcil'd to man ! to send his own son to die for base worms , upon whom the lord might have glorified his infinite justice upon to all eternity . there is that in the gospel , that it is to admiration , that all people do not come in unto it . what doth christ say , if the son of peace . it is a wonder that all do not come in to imbrace the blessed gospel . the patience of god doth lead to repentance ; then what might the grace of god do , that is held out in the gospel ? the lord doth reveal such arguments to draw people , that to speak after the manner of men , we may conceive : that if the lord should have studied and contriv'd with his own infinite wisdom , what strong arguments he would use to work upon the hearts of the children of men ; one would not have imagined how an infinite wisdom , should have found out such to perswade men to come in . one may say of the arguments of the gospel , as the master of the vineyard said , when he had let out his vineyard to husbandmen , and sent for fruit ; one servant was beaten , and the other was misused : but at last , saith he , i will send my son , for surely they will reverence my son. why now , this may be said of other arguments . to compare those things that are in the gospel , with all other things that can be preached unto people : indeed a minister of god may come with many strong arguments , to draw the hearts of people from their sin , and to draw them unto repentance . but now , this argument will not do it , nor the other argument will not do it ; they stand out this and that argument : i , but saith the lord , i will send the ministry of my gospel among them , i 'll reveal my son unto them . certainly , they will reverence this argument , and their hearts will be taken with this argument . that 's another reason why there is great hopes , when the ministry of the gospel comes , that there should be some sons of peace found there . reas . . further , another is this , because it is the way of god with a people , when he sends them the gospel in the power of it , and the clearness of it : i say , the way of god then , is not so much to have regard to any of their sins , that ever were committed before that time , but now to go as it were upon a new score : i do not say , but if they should perish , then they must perish for their old sins too : but i mean thus , that when the lord sends the ministry of the gospel to a place , the lord now doth not so much look at any sin that they liv'd in before , in the dayes of their ignorance ; there is none of those sins now that shall damn them , upon condition that they now do imbrace the gospel that is offered to them : therefore there is a great deal of hope , that there may be some sons of peace : for the riches of gods mercy hath not yet had the glory ; the turn as it were of it towards this people , that yet have not had the gospel in the clearness , and in the power of it brought amongst them . now god looks thus upon a people , that he sends his gospel unto . it 's true , they have liv'd in blindness , in darkness , in prophaneness , in sabboth-breaking , in ungodliness : alas , they did not know what the councels of my will were , concerning the eternal state of their souls , which is revealed in that gospel of mine . they knew no better things that to eat and drink , and make provision for the flesh , therefore for all that time of their ignorance , i will not regard , i will wink at it . but now god calls for repentance : so you find it in acts . . and the times of this ignorance god winked at , but now god calleth all men every where to repent . as if the lord should say , as for the times of your ignorance , though you were very prophane , very superstitious , very ungodly , yet i am content to wink at it ; but now i am content to go , as it were , upon a new score . now come in and repent , and your souls shall live . now , my brethren , when mercy comes to have a turn towards a people , who knows what may be done . as thus , now suppose that a man hath lain sick a long time , and his sickness increases upon him , and it is very dangerous : if you should come to such a man , and say , what means have you used ? what phisicians have you had ? now it appears that he hath not used such a medicine that is soveraign for such a disease , it hath not been tried ; now if that medicine hath not been used , you will have a great deal of hope concerning the life of your friend , until it be tried , and you see it doth no good , that it makes no alteration upon the body of your friend . so it is here , people that have liv'd prophanely , and ungodlily , and their hearts have not been brought to god. i , but what hath god revealed his grace in christ unto their souls ? have they known the blessed things of the gospel ? if not , there may be a great deal of hope : for when gods mercy shall come to have its turn upon this people , it 's very like there are many , whom god intends everlasting good unto . but now to wind up this point in a word of application . if this be so , o do not frustrate hope ! there are hopes that god intends mercy to a people , when he sends the gospel to be preached to them at any time ; though they may say , we have had it preached to us before : yet if he sends it a-fresh , it seems that mercy must have the second turn to this people . i say now , do not frustrate hope . first , the hope of god himself . you will say , the hope of god , why , god knows whether it will work upon people , yea or no ; and that cannot be frustrated . but for the answer to that , we are to know , that god is pleased in scripture , to speak after the manner of men , and god himself doth speak after this manner , as if he had some good hopes that people would be wrought upon , when he sends his ministers among them . as that place which i named before , i will send my son , surely they will reverence him : i hope that will prevail . and a suitable place we have of gods expressing himself after this manner , in jer. . , . take thee a roll of a book , and write therein all the words that i have spoken unto thee against israel , and against judah , &c ▪ it may be ( saith god ) that the house of judah will hear all the evil that i purpose unto them . go your way and preach saith god unto the prophet , it may be they will hear , and return every man from his evil way . this was not now the ministery of the gospel but of threatings ; and yet god speaks with some expectation , as if so be he did expect that they should ; it may be they will , saith god. and so in zeph. . . i said , surely thou wilt fear me , thou wilt receive instruction , so their dwelling should not be cut off ; howsoever i punished them , but they rose early , and corrupted all their doings : god was frustrated in his expectation ; yet i said , surely thou wilt fear me . thus the lord , though he knows all his works from all eternity , yet he speaks after the manner of men ; and saith , surely such and such means may do good upon such and such people : o therefore , let not the expectation of the lord be frustrated ; and let not the expectatitions of the ministers of the gospel be frustrated . certainly , when they come to any place , they are to come with their hearts filled with hope , that there are sons of peace in that place ; and there is nothing that can incourage a faithful minister of the gospel to spend his time in studying , and opening of the mysteries of grace more then this ; that he comes with his heart filled with hope , that there are some sons of peace in that place . o do not frustrate this expectation . it is a vile thing for the ministers of the gospel to come to any place , but to gain sons of peace : and indeed upon this expectation the heart of a faithful minister , who understands what the meaning of peace with god is , cannot but be drawn forth towards a people ; why he comes with this expectation , and he looks after his ministery to see what becomes of it . o therefore do not frustrate the expectations of your ministers in this : do not give them occasion to make their complaint , that they have spent their strength in vain . yea , and further , as it is the expectation of the ministers that preach , so it is the expectation of all the saints of god. none of gods people that know a place that hath liv'd in darkness and blindness before , but if they see the lord by his providence , carrying the ministry of the gospel with power in that place , they think thus with themselves , whom is it that the lord intends good unto ? surely the lord hath a mercy to such a people . and they will wait to see who it is that god will pitch upon . o likewise , do not frustrate the expectation that the angels themselves , in cor. . a place , i suppose you know , where the women are to be covered , because of the angels : it doth appear by that text , that the angels are in congregations , when a congregation is met together to hear the word of god preached , and for other accounts , there the angels are met ; and i make no question , but this place is as full of angels as of men , and they are here present , and do look upon our behaviour , and wait for the time when god will be pleased to work upon the hearts of some or other . o to what family , to what particular soul doth god intend good unto . o that we might know it , that we might have joy in heaven : for so the scripture tells us , that at the conversion of sinners , there is joy in heaven , and surely they wait for it . o that we might see the ministry of the gospel work effectually upon souls , that so we might joy for it . and now let every particular soul reason thus with it self : what is it so , that there is hope that there may be some sons of peace ; why may it not be i , though vile , though a very wretched creature ? yet i hear that the time of ignorance god winks at , only now he calls to repent : if i feel god beginning to jogg my heart now , i may be the man or woman , that the lord intended from all eternity . for we are to know , that which god doth now in time , is no other than he did determine from eternity : and i say , if you feel your hearts stirred , and wrought upon by the ministry of the gospel , you may know that god did intend you in particular . and christ , when he did pray to god the father for this acceptable time , that you were particularly intended in that prayer of his ; and you are not excluded to be saved any more than any , and therefore it may fall upon you . perhaps in a family , it may fall upon the poor servant , or child , and the others may be left : but some or other it is like , it will fall upon . and , my brethren , if this be so , if there be hopes when the gospel comes to be preached , that there are sons of peace in that place , it is a most cursed thing for any to stand to oppose the gospel , when it comes to any place . it is very seldom but some or other will be railing , and crying out against it : but take heed what thou dost , wilt thou stand against god , to cross god in such a blessed end as this is ? it may be the lord hath some souls in that place , he intends eternal good unto : and wilt thou stand out against that , and cross god ? but especially take heed you do not oppose the gospel , in any place where there is not only a remote hopes , but it comes to be nearer and fuller than it was before , and there is some real manifestation that god intends good unto some : o take heed of thy opposition of it there . this was the reason that paul was so mightily provok'd , when elimas came to resist his ministry ; of which you may read in acts . there was one sergius paulus , which sent for barnabas and saul , and desired to hear the word of god. now this sergius paulus was a chief man in the place where paul preached , he was the deputy , and there was good hopes that god would convert his soul. and elimas the sorcerer , he stood and opposed , and sought to turn away the deputy from the faith. now when paul was in so good a hope that he should gain not only a soul , but a publick man , that might do a great deal of good : o the spirit of paul was mightily provok'd ! he looks upon elimas , and sets his eyes upon him ( the text saith ) and and said : o full of all subtilty , and all mischief , thou child of the devil , thou enemy of all righteousness , wilt thou not cease to pervert the right wayes of god , &c. paul was a man of a very quiet and meek spirit , and yet mark how full of passion he was at this time : o this provok'd the spirit of paul , he was not able to bear it . we never read that paul was so troubled when they persecuted him , when they put him into prison : but as if paul should say , do with me what you will , put me into prison , do what you will with my carcass ; but do not frustrate my expectation in gaining a chief man , that may do a great deal of service for god. when he was but in fear that he should be frustrated of his hope , he was not able to bear it . and certainly , nothing can go so near to the heart of any faithful minister , as that there should be any to stand to frustrate his hope of gaining of souls . perhaps in a family , if one or two doth but go to hear the word , the others will be scorning and jeering ; and one neighbour will be scorning at another , and all to frustrate the hopes of god , of his ministers , and of the saints and angels . but know , when thou do'st any thing to oppose the ministry of the gospel , thou do'st set thy self what in thee lies , both to frustrate the hopes of god and his ministers , and his saints and angels ; and thou wilt find this to be a hard work , thou do'st but kick against the pricks . and thus much for this point , we come now unto the next . that good hearers of the gospel , are called the sons of peace : if the son of peace be there . they are sometimes called , the children of the kingdom , as in mat. . there they have that title given unto them . those that are good hearers of the word , in the parable that you have about the seed . those that imbrace the gospel , and are the good hearers of it , they are the sons of peace , and that in a five-fold regard : first , because they are such as are ordained to peace , as the son of perdition , one that is appointed to perdition . secondly , they are those that do attend upon the gospel of peace , as in mark . . the children of the bride-chamber , those that do attend upon the gospel . thirdly , because they are obedient unto the gospel : as the sons of belial , are sons of wickedness ; so the sons of peace , such as yield obedience unto the gospel of peace . fourthly , the sons of peace , because they are begotten by the ministry of the gospel . fifthly , because they are such as shall inherit the peace of the gospel , therefore sons of peace . there is somewhat that every one of these may afford unto us , but i take the first three are principally meant ; therefore of the other i shall speak of but a little by the way . the first is , because they are appointed unto that benefit of the gospel of peace : so that from thence the point is this : that all those that are good hearers , and entertainers of the ministry of the gospel that comes to any place , they are such as are appointed from all eternity to enjoy the peace of the gospel . judas was not more a son of perdition , than such a one is a son of peace . that is , there was no more evidence that judas was appointed to eternal perdition , than there is certain evidence that such a one is appointed from all eternity to enjoy the benefit of the gospel . i shall give you these two scriptures for it , the first is in acts . latter end , and the lord added to the church , ( that is , converted to himself , made his gospel effectual ) daily such as should be saved ; such as were appointed to be saved . and another scripture there is , which saith , that all those which were ordained to eternal life , believed . but above all , i will give you this one scripture , in thes . it is a most excellent text for this purpose , and a mighty encouraging text to all those , that shall be found good hearers of the gospel : chap. . , . knowing , brethren beloved , your election of god. we know that you are those whom god hath eternally elected : how do you know that ? were you in the counsel of god , in gods treasury , to know what his thoughts were : how can you tell the election of god ? mark , the words following doth give you the reason for what he saith , knowing your election of god : for our gospel came not unto you in word only , but also in power . indeed when the gospel comes to a place , if it comes in word only unto a congregation , they come indeed to hear , and flock to hear what a man can say ; this is no argument of a mans election : but when it comes not only in word but in power , when you begin to feel the power of the word upon your hearts . though you come , it may be , at first out of curiosity and novelty , and took notice of nothing that would be done ; but when you came there , the gospel took hold upon your spirits , and over-powered your hearts . now by that you may know , that you are one that are appointed unto the benefit of the gospel of peace , that you are elected of god. those souls that feel the power of the gospel upon them , may know certainly that they were elected from all eternity . as if god should speak from heaven , and say , such a man or woman , they are elected from all eternity ; we may now as well doubt of that voice , as we may doubt of a man or woman , that hath the power of the gospel upon their hearts : so that is appears by this text , that where there are good hearers of the gospel , they are the sons of peace ; that is , appointed for all eternity to have the benefit of peace . and there are these particulars in this : first , they may know that the lord had thoughts upon them in particular , before the world was ; yea , that the lord , when he saw the great lump of mankind before him , he set apart these for the praise of his grace in christ for ever : left others , and set apart these . yea , they may know , that there were transactions between the father and the son , about their souls in particular , from all eternity . yea , you may further know , that god the father did give them unto his son from everlasting : for so christ saith , that those come to him , whom the father hath given him. there are a certain number , that god the father hath given to jesus christ , to redeem from all eternity ; and said to him , son , take these souls , and do you undertake for them : and he hath made answer , father , i do undertake to satisfie thy wrath and justice for them . now were it not a blessed thing to know , that when there were such transactions between the father and the son , that thou wert mentioned in particular , that god the father did give thee by name to his son. certainly , if thou beest an entertainer of the gospel , thou mayest be certain of this thing . further , thou mayst know this ; as god the father did give thee to his son , so he did make a promise to save thee . there was a covenant between the father and the son for thy salvation , according to that text in tit. . . that scripture speaks of a promise of eternal life before the world began : how could there be a promise before the world began ? to whom could it be made ? when there is a promise made , there must be some body to receive it ? surely it was : the promise was between the father and the son , from all eternity , concerning thy soul in particular . yea , and further , thou may'st know , that when god did send his son to take mans nature upon him , he sent him into the world , to have a care of thy soul , as well as any others . yea , and further , that when god did from all eternity appoint , that at such a time and place , such means should be for good ; that he did likewise aim at thee . and indeed , many may see the work of god wonderful this way . thus those that are good hearers of the gospel , they are the sons of peace , in this first regard , because they are appointed by god , unto the benefit of the peace of the gospel , from all eternity . and it may be a mighty encouragement unto those , who do begin to feel the gospel to be powerful upon their hearts . secondly , the other is , a son of peace , that doth attend upon the gospel . that is , when the ministry of the gospel doth come , he doth make it his care to make preparation for it ; he doth come to hear the gospel as a matter of great moment ; and when he doth come to hear , he doth bend his whole soul to attend to what is heard , and he dares not give liberty to the wandering of his thoughts : and he doth charge his memory with such and such truths , to think of these whatsoever he doth forget . and here 's now a son of peace ; as the children of the bride-chamber , they are such as do attend there : so he , a son of peace , attends upon the ministry of the gospel . now by this second , thou mayst know the first ; thou mayst know whither thou beest a son : that is , whither thou beest one that from all eternity , wert set apart by god the father , to obtain the peace and benefits of the gospel . but , thirdly , the son of the gospel , is to be as an obedient child : to come with a resolution , when he comes to hear the word , whatsoever the lord shall this day make known of his mind unto me , the lord knows , that i would fain yield unto it . i come with this resolution , every time i come to hear the ministry of the gospel : this is now a son of peace , that comes with such a heart , resolved to be obedient unto it . . he doth open his understanding , and is easily convinc'd of those truths , that he doth hear revealed in the ministry of the gospel , he doth not stand opposing of them . . he doth open his heart , to accept of the conditions of the covenant ; when the lord reveals the doctrine of the covenant of life and peace , the soul doth open it self , to admit of the conditions of the covenant . lord speak , thy servant hears : reveal what thou wilt , my soul is here ready and willing , to accept of the covenant whatever it be . further , he doth give up himself to be moulded by the gospel , according to that phrase , in rom. . . the doctrine into which ye were delivered . so it is in the original , that is , there is a delivering of the soul up to the ministry of the word , as the mettle is to the mould , to be fashioned by it . so here , a son of peace doth give up his soul to be moulded by the word ; whatsoever he was before , yet here he is now ready to give up his soul to be fashioned , to be framed by the word . here 's a son of peace . further , he doth in his conversation , act what he doth hear in the ministry of the word ; and he doth indeavour to live according to the glorious gospel that he doth hear , and he doth labour to become the gospel : so that one may know in such a ones family , and in such a ones life , a mighty deal of alteration . and again , such a one as is begotten by it , is not only obedient , but indeed , there is the work of regeneration wrought , and therefore he may be called a son , saith the apostle , i have begotten you by the gospel . and so , by the word of truth , you are begotten . abundance of scriptures might be for this : those that the gospel works savingly upon , the gospel doth not only stir their hearts , but put a new life into them . they live by new principles , by new rules ; they find a mighty power in the gospel to beget them again : and such as these are , are sons , because they are heirs of the gospel , children of the kingdom . but that we shall have more use of in the other place , when we speak of the blessing of the gospel that shall be upon them . now to apply these in a few words . the good hearers of the gospel , are the sons of peace . o what a blessed thing it is , to be the sons of peace ! better to be the son of peace , than a monarch , than of the greatest of the world ; better to be this son of peace , than to injoy all the world. if the lord should give thee the inheritance of all the world , he doth not do so much for thee , as when he makes thee to be a son of peace . it may be many of you were born very mean , and you are like to inherit but little of this world ; but if the lord work upon your hearts in the ministry of the gospel , that which comes by this , makes you blessed creatures for ever : for by this means , you come to be the sons of the living god : you come to be the children of life , and co-heirs with jesus christ . o how industrious should ministers of the gospel be , to beget such sons of peace to god. st. paul , in gal. . he tells the galatians there , that he did labour and travel in birth , till christ was formed in them : my little children of whom i travel in birth again , until christ be formed in you ▪ a faithful minister of the gospel doth even travel in birth , that he might beget sons of peace to jesus christ . and , o the blessedness of this work , for god to set men on earth to this work , to beget sons of peace . if we should beget you to be children of the bond-woman , it were somewhat ; that is , to strike fear into your hears by the terror of the law : i , but to beget you to be children of peace , and of the free-woman ; this is a great deal more . this is such a work , as it is that which doth satisfies the soul of jesus christ when he sees it : it satisfie his soul for all his sufferings : as in isa . . , . yet it pleased the lord to bruise him : that is , it pleased god the father , to bruise jesus christ . for this is an evangelical chapter . when thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin . mark , he shall see his seed , he shall prolong his dayes ; and the pleasure of the lord shall prosper in his hand : he shall see some children born unto him , some sons of peace . but , mark , he shall see of the travel of his soul , and shall be satisfied . so that when there is a son of peace , he is the fruit of the travel of the soul of jesus christ ; and he is the fruit at the second hand , of the travel of the souls of gods ministers , their souls travel , as you heard before in paul , but that not so much . he is the fruit of the travel of the soul of jesus christ ; the soul of christ travels with this birth , and this work of god upon the heart of such a one , it is the fruit of this travel of the soul of christ . and mark further , and he shall be satisfied . as if the holy ghost here should say , let but jesus christ see a soul brought in to himself , let him but see any begotten to be the sons of peace , christ saith , i am satisfied , for all the blood that i have shed , for all my sufferings ; i have been willing to come from the bosom of my father , to take your nature upon me , and i did endure the withdrawings of my father , when i cried , my god , my god , why hast thou forsaken me . i was made a man of sorrows , and my father did bruise me , and my soul was made an offering for sin . but now , what will satisfie the soul of jesus christ for all this ? saith he , let me see the travel of my soul , let me see the ministry of the gospel to work upon some soul , to make them to be sons of peace , i have then what i have travelled for , i am satisfied ; i think this is even worth my suffering , i account my sufferings well answered ; i account my blood well laid down , that i might gain these souls unto my self . o what an encouragement is here unto souls to imbrace the gospel , to be the children of peace . and how should you seek unto god , for your children and friends . o that god would make his gospel effectual to beget them to be sons of peace . you that are tender mothers , you should look upon your children , and think thus : it may be the lord hath some thoughts of good unto this child ; and when they come to hear the word , you should pray earnestly for them , that the lord would speak a word to their souls : and you should take as much pains , and as earnestly pray , that the second birth may be perfected , as you did for the first birth . so it was with austins mother , he saith , she did take as much pains , and shed as many tears for the conversion of his soul , as she did at his first birth ; and so she obtain'd her labour . i put this to you that are mothers , you complain of your children : have you laboured as much for the second birth of your children , as your labour was when you did bear them in your wombs ? it was so with that gracious mother for her son. you have sons , it may be , that are rather sons of belial , now you should strive with god in prayer , and labour to the uttermost of your power , that they may be wrought upon by the gospel , to be made the sons of peace by it . sermon iii. luke . . and if the son of peace be there , &c. we proceed , now follows the blessing upon those that shall be entertainers of the gospel , that are the sons of peace , your peace shall be upon them . that is , they shall have all the good of the gospel to be theirs : that 's the meaning . for it was wont among the jews to be the expression of all kind of good : peace be to you . by the name of peace , they did express all good . so that your peace shall abide upon them : that is , all the good of the gospel , that you carry to them shall be theirs : so then , from these words , from the blessing that is upon the right entertainers of the gospel , here you have these four points ; first , that those that entertain the gospel , shall have the peace of the gospel . secondly , that this is a great mercy from god , and the portion of the sons of peace , not only to have some sudden apprehensions of the excellency of the gospel ; but to have the good and the blessing of the gospel to abide upon them , to rest upon them : that 's the second . and then , thirdly , that those that do entertain the gospel , do bring a blessing upon the places where they live. for so , if you observe it , and look into the words , you shall find that it is not said , and if the son of peace be there , your peace shall rest upon him : but if the son of peace be there ; that is , in the house into which you come , your peace shall rest upon it : upon the house , upon the place where the son of peace is . ( so that that 's the third point , where there is any that do imbrace the gospel , such a one doth bring a blessing to the place and the family where he lives . ) fourthly , the consideration of the great good that a minister of god shall bring unto a place , in case he be entertain'd , is a mighty encouragement to them in their ministry . saith christ , go your way and preach , perhaps you may meet with some difficulties ; but this is your errand that you are sent withal , to preach the peace of the gospel . and this is the great good that you shall bring to all those that shall entertain your message : that if they be the sons of peace , and entertain you , you shall be the instrument to bring all the good of the gospel upon them . these are the four doctrinal points clearly in this blessing , your peace shall rest upon them . it is the second of these that i shall stick most on ; the first , i confess , is a large point , that 's this : that whosoever entertains the gospel , shall have the blessing of the gospel upon them , the peace of the gospel , your peace shall be upon them . that which is here promised , you have promised almost in the same words in the same case , mat. . . and if the house be worthy , let your peace come upon it . if it be worthy . and in gal. . . as many as walk according to this rule , peace be upon him , and upon the israel of god : that is , he that submits to the rule of the gospel , he shall have the peace of the gospel : the words in the greek are , to this canon : the canon of the gospel , he shall have the peace of the gospel . as if christ should say , if there be any good in the gospel , if i have purchased any good by my blood ; they shall have that good , and that blessing . now to open what the benefit and blessing of the peace of the gospel is , i confess , would be a large argument : and because i have else-where opened the doctrine of reconciliation , the doctrine of the peace of the gospel ; i shall for the present , here pass very briefly over it , and give you a little of the substance of it , and then pass as soon as i can to the second point , where we shall spend the greatest part of the time . your peace shall be upon it : what 's that ? you shall have the peace of the gospel . o this is an inestimable blessing indeed ! for the peace of the gospel . it is , first , peace with god himself : whereas if they did understand themselves and know god , they would know that they are enemies unto god , and that the wrath of the eternal god is out against them : but if they come but to entertain your message , they shall be reconciled unto this infinite god ; the wrath of the infinite god shall be turn'd quite away from them , so as they shall never be in danger of any one spark of the wrath of god to come out against them , there shall be this peace : whereas before they were in such a condition , as if they knew themselves and god , the presence of god would be terrible unto them . but if they entertain your message , they shall come to be able to look upon that god that was an infinite provoked deity , as a friend ; they shall look upon his face with joy , they shall have free access unto his presence , as children unto the presence of their father : whereas before they had cause to fear every moment some dreadful fruit of the wrath of god , to pursue and sink them . but now , whatsoever judgments of god shall be abroad in the world , they shall be in a secure condition ; they shall be free from all , they shall be built upon the rock ; when tempests and storms shall be abroad to sink others , they shall not be stirred , for they shall have peace with god. your peace , that is , even peace with all creatures ; they shall have the blessing of that peace too : whereas before , all the creatures of god were as the hosts of god , his armies ready prepared to avenge the quarrel of god upon them : every creature as it were crying unto god , lord send me , lord send me , that i may strike this sinner , that i may strike this blasphemer , this unclean wretch , and this prophane wretch ; and if god would but give commission to any one creature , it would presently be their destruction : but upon their entertaining of your message , there shall be peace between them and all creatures , so as no creature in all the world , shall ever be able to do them hurt . though they shall live in the midst of an evil world , yet this shall be their condition , that all good creatures shall be made useful to them for good , and there is no evil creature shall ever be able to do the least evil to them . and again , they shall have a peace of conscience , whereas before their consciences were ready to flie in their faces . and they , indeed , sought many wayes and means to quiet their consciences , but could never get any true quiet of conscience . but upon their entertainment of your message , their consciences shall be pacified in the blood of the messiah ; therefore bid them be of good comfort , their consciences shall be able to answer all accusations that can be laid against them . for so the scripture tells us of the answer of a good conscience , pet. . . thus , let the devil , let temptation , charge upon one that is reconcil'd to god what they can , a good conscience through the resurrection of jesus christ , is able to answer all accusations and temptations . this shall be the peace that shall be upon them . and , fourthly , the word of god shall be at peace with them . they shall have interest in all the promises that are in the word of god , the whole word shall speak nothing but good unto them : whereas before , the word of god was full of terror , and came against them as their enemy ; but now all that is in the word , shall be peace unto them , if the son of peace be there . this is the peace that you shall bring upon them , peace with god , and with the creatures , and with their consciences , and with the word . and then , o the blessing that is upon all the entertainers of the gospel . o the happy condition that the entertainers of the gospel are in . this , my brethren , is the reason why there are some that do prize the gospel , and their hearts are so much upon it . do not blame them , they find this good in it , they find the blessing of the gospel upon them : and therefore though you feel not the sweetness and good that there is in it , and so neglect it ; their souls feel it , and they bless themselves in their god , and bless the lord that ever they heard of the gospel . certainly , there are many thousands this day in heaven , blessing god that ever they heard of the gospel , because of the blessings that they do partake of , by and through the gospel . object . you will say , i , but there are many that are the sons of peace , and the entertainers of the gospel , and yet they do not feel the blessing of this peace ; they are as much troubled as any are . answ . to that i answer , they have certainly that which is the matter for peace , and their trouble comes for want of understanding it : others have matter for terror , and their peace comes for want of the knowledg of what matter for terror there is . it 's true , they have not for the present the full sense of this blessing of peace , though they have that which will bring it at last . as for instance , when the blustering tempestuous winds do cease , the waves of the sea do not presently cease from their tumultuous working , and roaring , and noise , and yet that which was the cause of their working , that 's gone . so here , those who entertain the gospel , they presently upon the entertaining of it , have the tempest over ; there is no more tempest of the wrath of god against them , but yet there may be some trouble in their spirits ; but it will be allaid within a while , because that which is the reason of their trouble , that certainly is over : and therefore a strong argument here you have to entertain this blessed gospel , that is sent among you . when you hear it preached , you hear what it brings to you ; it brings all the good that christ hath purchased with his blood : this it offers to you . and can the world offer to you as much as this comes to ? can there be any thing to draw your hearts away from it , that shall be equal with this good ? certainly , this is the peace that is infinitely above all earthly things . what would not we do to purchase a good and sure peace here in the kingdom ? if we account a firm and sure peace to be so sweet , would not we be willing to lay down our lives ? certainly , that man or woman cannot be accounted to be a good member of a common-wealth , that should not be willing to lay down their lives in such times as these , to purchase a sure and firm peace . but now , here the gospel preaches to you another manner of blessing , than this outward peace : the gospel holds forth unto you , that peace that was purchased to you by the blood of the son of god : it was such a peace that christ thought his own blood not too dear to lay down for the purchase of this peace of the gospel . it is that peace that passes all understanding , a soul peace , an everlasting peace ; and therefore you should come to hear the gospel , as the great ordinance of god that is appointed by him , to bring this glorious peace unto your souls . do not come meerly to hear what a man can say , or to hear the gifts and abilities of a man , or to get a few new notions , and the like : but when you come to attend upon the gospel , come , i say , unto it as the great ordinance that is appointed by god , to bring peace to the souls of those , that he doth intend eternal good unto : and this is to come in a right way and manner , to the preaching of the gospel . this , i say , is to have a right understanding of what good there is in the gospel . and if any of your souls have had a peace before you have come to a right understanding of the gospel , know that all that peace is naught , it will undo you , you will never have any good by it . you have had peace in your own spirits a great while , and you bless god that you are not troubled : how came you by that peace which you have had for these many years ? you have gone on quietly , and the terms between god and your souls , have not troubled you . but i this day , in the name of god demand of you , how came you to have this peace ? how came god and your souls to be friends ? this i can tell you , that there was a time that every one of you were enemies to god. if god hath revealed any truth in this book , this is a certain truth , that every one in this place , was an enemy to god. now then , how you have made up your peace , your had need look to it . certainly , it must come by the gospel , or else it is a delusion : if so be that the treaties between god and your souls , were not the treaties of the gospel ; that is , the gospel revealing the great counsels of god unto you about this , and the terms upon which he would be reconciled ; and then your souls sending up your answer to god , how you would be willing to accept of those conditions , that are propounded in the gospel . i put this to your souls , what treaties hath there been between god and you ? have you found the ministry of the gospel to be powerful upon you , and to bring this peace into you ? if it hath not come in this way , i say it is but a delusion , and the great work of reconciliation between god and your souls , is to make up at this day . but thus much for this first point . but secondly , your peace shall rest upon it . shall rest , that is , whosoever entertains it , they shall not only have some sudden apprehensions of those excellent things that you bring unto them , they shall not only have some flashie comforts in those things , and feel some present sweetness in them ; but the good and the blessing of that blessed doctrine of peace , it shall abide with them all the days of their lives , and to all eternity . that 's the meaning , your peace shall rest upon them . so that this is our point now , that such as do entertain the gospel . now what the entertainment is , that is , what it is to be a son of peace : that was a great part of our work , the last lords day . but if you be such sons of peace as was opened to you , i say , the lord will not only grant you present apprehensions of the glorious things of the gospel , and some present sweetness , but he will cause the blessing of it , and the good things of it to abide upon your spirits , to continue there for your eternal good . many upon the first hearing of the message of the gospel , upon the first opening of that blessed doctrine , have their hearts taken , and begin presently to be stirr'd and affected ; but we find by experience , that many times all is but a meer flash , it all vanishes again . the good of the gospel they did apprehend , doth not abide upon them : as the stony ground , in mat. . , . but he that received the seed into stony places , the same is he that heareth the word , and anon with joy receiveth it : yet hath he not root in himself , but endureth for a while . he doth but continue a while , he received it in a little way , and that with joy : he hath some present taste of the sweetness of the word , he takes it in with joy ; but it doth not rest upon him , it doth not abide in him : the seed doth not lie there so long as to fructifie , as to bring forth fruit , but comes to nothing ; as the ears of corn upon the house top , they quickly are blasted and come to nothing : thus it is with many hearers . there were some that were the high-way ground , and they were your ordinary ignorant and prophane people ; the word took no impression upon them , but it was presently taken away by the fowls of the air. but there were others that did seem to be affected with the word of the gospel , to have it enter a little into their hearts , their spirits were taken with sudden joy. o it is a blessed gospel that we hear , this is a blessed ministry indeed that we enjoy : but mark , it was but for a while . the seed of the word , it did but abide a little while , it did not rest in them . so in luke . there upon the preaching of christ , the text saith in ver . . that when one of them that sat at meat with him heard these things , he said unto him , blessed is he that shall eat bread in the kingdom of god. when christ had been preaching unto them about the things of the kingdom of god , mark , there were some of his auditors , that were taken with his preaching . o blessed is he that shall have communion with these things . and yet you may observe by the very words that follow after , the parable that christ uses , that even those that were thus affected and taken , were such as prized their oxen and farms , and other things above the gospel , and have that doom pronounc'd upon them , that those men that were bidden , should not taste of the supper . and so in john . . it is spoken concerning john , he was a burning and a shining light , and ye were willing for a season , to rejoyce in his light. mark , john was an admirable preacher , he came as the fore-runner of christ , and preached , repent , for the kingdom of heaven is at hand . john did open the kingdom of heaven unto his hearers , and they were mightily taken with him : but now , mark , what the text saith , for a little time they did rejoyce in the light , but they did not continue . and in john . there you have a notable place , concerning christs preaching unto the jews , and christ did preach so , as did take their heart in some measure , the text saith , that some of them did believe , in ver . . as he spake those words , many believed on him. but , mark , what christ saith , in ver . . then said jesus to those jews which believed on him , if ye continue in my word , then are ye my disciples indeed . mark , christ would not own them to be his disciples , though their hearts were taken with what he preached , but upon these terms , if you continue in my word : which is all one , if the word abide in you , and you abide in the word , then are you my disciples . i beseech you observe it : christ doth not own a man or woman to be his disciple , meerly because of some sudden flashes of affection , because they are taken with the word ; and perhaps are convinced by the word , and stirred for a time : i say , christ doth not own them to be disciples , except that his word abide in them , and they abide in the word . and in gal. . you have a most excellent text for this purpose : the apostle shews there , that the galatians were mightily taken with the ministry of the gospel at first when paul came among them , but it seems in great part it vanished from them , ver . . saith paul , where is then the blessedness you spake of ? for i bear you record , that if it had been possible , you would have plucked out your own eyes , and have given them to me . the meaning is this , when the gospel came at first to be preached among them , generally they cried out : o this blessed gospel ! o the blessedness ! o these blessed truths that is come among us , such truths as we were not acquainted withal : o they are blessed truths indeed . mark , they were thus taken with the truths of the gospel , when they were first preached : but now , saith paul , where is the blessedness ye spake of ? your hearts are not now so taken with the gospel , as they were at first ; now you seem to be taken off from it : where is the blessedness you spake of ? i make no question , but many ministers in many congregations , have cause to make use of these words of the apostle , when god sent them at first : the hearts of people were taken with the ministry of the gospel , but within a while they are off again . and well may their ministers say , where is the blessedness you spake of ? the peace of the gospel , it doth not abide upon them , but one thing or other takes it off from them . so in heb. . there you read of some , that yet were not sav'd by the gospel , or were not in a condition ( at least for the present ) to be sav'd ; yet they had a taste of the heavenly gift : they did not only hear the word and understand it , but they had a taste of the good word of god. o they said , it was the good word of god. and , mark , of the powers of the world to come : that is , of those powerful truths , of those truths that do concern the world to come , that were powerful truths . for so , certainly , my brethren , the truths that do concern the world to come , as powerful truths ; they have a mighty deal of power to work upon the heart . and these had , not only the apprehensions , but a taste of the powers of the world to come ; and yet it appears that they had not those things that did accompany salvation . many other scriptures might be shewed , that there are many that are affected with the gospel , yea , they are convinc'd , and they have some taste of it ; and their spirits taken , yea , almost perswaded ( with him that we read of ) almost perswaded to become a christian ; and yet for all this , this mercy that is here promised to the sons of peace , is not their portion : the peace of the gospel doth not rest upon their spirits . it is a blessing beyond that which any hypocrite in the world hath , to have this peace of the gospel , to rest and abide upon his spirit . that is , first , to be set up as a constant light before the soul , not to come as a meer flash of lightning , suddenly come , and suddenly gone ; but then it may be said to rest when the lord sets up those glorious truths of the gospel , as a constant light before the soul. and secondly , when as the lord works those truths by meditation upon the heart , the lord causes those truths to follow the thoughts of the mind , and so to work them upon the heart ; yea , into the heart of the thoughts of the mind , when the lord gives a constant real taste of those truths , and savour of them ; that though they be not alwayes hearing of them , yet the savour and relish , doth abide in a constant way upon their hearts , when the lord causes those truths of the gospel to spread all over the faculties of their souls : that it is , as the holy ghost compares it in scripture to leven : the kingdom of god is like unto leven , which in a little time doth leven the whole lump . so when the lord causes the truths of the gospel not only to be in the mind , in the understanding , in the conscience , but to get into the heart ; to get into the affections , and as it were to leven ( in a good sense ) the whole soul by the sweetness , and the goodness , and the excellency of those truths . yea , when the lord shall cause those truths to be dearly rooted in the heart , to take such root as temptations , and deducements , any provocations without , shall never be able to take out those truths which are upon the heart . when the lord shall cause them to stick so fast , to sinck so deep into the heart , let there come what will to take off the heart from them , or take them out of the heart , yet they shall never be able to take them out of the heart . as a martyr said , saith he , you may take my heart out of my body , but you shall never take the belief of these things out of my heart . o the blessing , and the truths of the gospel did so rest upon his soul , and they had gotten so near into his heart , that nothing in the world could take it off . many people that are a little stirr'd upon the hearing of the gospel , and they think it is good , and the truths are blessed truths , and they had good resolutions ; but perhaps when they come home from hearing of the word , they shall have a fellow-servant jearing of them , or the father or mother speaking against them ; or the husband the wife , or the wife the husband , and so perhaps they come to lose all those truths which formerly they were so taken with : but those that are the sons of peace , they have the peace of the gospel resting upon them , as hath been opened to you ; and this is a very great blessing of god. o this is a mercy indeed , for the lord to grant the truths of the gospel , and the good of it thus to rest upon the heart ; that the heart doth keep it as a treasure within it , it is a great mercy . first , because it is a special fruit of the covenant of grace ; according to that text in jer. . where god promises as the fruit of the covenant , that he will write his law in their inwards parts . now , certainly , by the law , it is not meant the letter of the ten commandments : but when he saith , i will write my law , that is , my will : the great counsels of my will. and the saving truths of god are there meant by the law. for when david expresses his love to the law , he means also the soul-saving truths , that are revealed in the word of god ; and certainly there , because it was in the time under the law , the language of the holy ghost was suitable to the time. but certainly , it is meant in a more especial manner , the truths of the gospel : that look as the law was written in adams heart at first , so now those that are received into the covenant , have the law of the gospel , and the truths of that written in their hearts : that is , when ever they shall come to hear the truths of the gospel opened to them , they shall find as it were a counterpain of the blessed truths of the gospel in their hearts . yea , further , to have the word of the gospel in the heart , and for the heart to keep it . it is a very great and close mercy , a greater mercy than to have christ to be born of the body of a woman , in luke . . and it came to pass as he spake these things , a certain woman lift up her voice , and said unto him , blessed is the womb that bare thee , and the paps which thou hast sucked . but he said , yea , rather blessed are they which hear the word of god , and keep it . those that when they have heard the word of the gospel , and shall keep it in their hearts , and not let it vanish away from them , but keep it , i say , in their power and life upon their hearts , they are rather blessed , than the womb was blessed that bare jesus christ , or than the paps were blessed that gave jesus christ suck . i suppose there is no woman here but would account her self a blessed woman , if her womb had porn jesus christ , and if her paps had given jesus christ suck : now here is a greater blessedness than this , for a woman to hear the word of the gospel preached unto her , and to have this word of the gospel to rest in her heart , and for her to keep it in her heart , in the power and life , and efficacy of it ; this woman now hath a greater blessing , than if she had born jesus christ in her womb. surely , it is a great blessing to have the blessed things of the gospel , to be kept in the soul after the hearing of them . and further , a great mercy , because there is such a wonderful power in the good things of the gospel , and therefore it must needs be a great mercy to have those things abide upon the heart : they have such a mighty power to work good upon the heart , a mighty convincing power they have , to convince any soul in the world. let a man or woman be never so wicked or prophane , yet there are such blessed truth in the gospel , that is enough to convince his soul , i say , though it be never so vile , and to take his heart : and we have little cause to fear the working upon the hearts of people only , if we could but procure this , that those things that we speak , might but abide upon their hearts . if we were but sure , that what we deliver in the name of god , would but abide upon their spirits , we need not fear the working upon any soul living , let them be never so vile ; there is such a mighty power and efficacy in those blessed things of the gospel , when they come to be revealed . and so there is a mighty comforting power , to comfort the soul with such consolation , as is infinitely above all consolation , that ever it was acquainted withal before . there is a mighty power to resist any temptation . if the truths of god were but kept in the soul , we might make little of all temptations in the world : the devil could have little hope to prevail with any temptations , if the word of the gospel did but abide upon the heart of a man or woman that doth hear it . this is the advantage that the devil hath at any time , when one hath been hearing of the word , if he knows that the word is past from them , and it doth not abide ; then he can come with temptations , and makes no question of prevailing . but if the devil knows that those truths do abide and rest upon the soul , the devil can have little hope to prevail : the peace of god shall keep your hearts ? fro resi , shall guard your hearts . it shall be as a troop of horse , to keep you from temptations , from the power and strength of temptations . you complain , and say , o that you would do better , but temptations are so strong , that they prevail upon you . why are temptations so strong ? it is because thy soul is not acquainted with the blessed and glorious things of the gospel ; and the power and life of them doth not abide upon thy spirit . and likewise , the truths of the gospel : o they have a mighty deal of power to cleanse your hearts , pet. . . there you have mentioned the power of the knowledg of the gospel , when it abides in one that might be an hypocrite , and therefore not of that efficasie that the true saving knowledg is . yet observe , what is said there , for if after they have escaped the pollutions of the world , through the knowledge of the lord and saviour jesus christ . now then , if that knowledg have such a cleansing power , o what power then hath the true saving power of the great things of the gospel , and the glorious things of it , to cleanse the heart . yea , if those truths do abide upon the spirits , they have a transforming power , they have a power to change the heart into the same likeness : according to that scripture , cor. . . but we all , with open face beholding as in a glass , the glory of the lord , are changed into the same image , from glory to glory , even as by the spirit of the lord. now this gospel of the lord , is nothing else but the good things of the gospel : we behold them , and that as with open face , as we do behold the gospel of the lord. and what then ? we are changed into the same image . oh! this is a blessed abiding , it is a blessed thing for the things of the gospel to rest upon the soul. why ? because they have such a power in them to change the heart , to transform the heart into the very image of them , and the truths of the gospel have the clearest image of god upon them ; the glory of god is imprinted upon the truths of the gospel . now that these should rest upon the spirit , it must needs be a great mercy . another is this , it is that which makes them indeed to be saving : all those blessed things of the gospel that are revealed , they never come to be saving , until they come to rest upon the soul ; to be got into the heart , and there to dwell and rest . mark that scripture , in james . . wherefore lay a part all filthiness , and superstuity of naughtiness , and receive with meekness the ingraffed word , which is able to save your souls . mark , receive with meekness the word : but how ? the ingraffed word , which is able to save your souls . the word of god can never save your souls , till it comes to be an ingraffed word . now these things i premise , to shew you the excellency of this , that so i might have the more ground for an exhortation by and by : to labour to keep the word of god , i mean those truths of the gospel , that at any times comes to be discovered to you . now by way of application , as brief as may be . first , in the first place , hence we see cause , the ministers of the gospel especially , see cause bitterly to lament the want of this in their auditory ordinarily . it 's true , there are few that are faithful preachers of the gospel , but they do find that god doth at sometime or other convice men , and somewhat stir their hearts : o , but this is that that they have cause bitterly to complain of , that those things that they deliver to them , that are the precious and glorious things of jesus christ , yet though they stir them a little for the while , yet they do not rest upon them . it was a complaint of chrisostom , saith he , we ministers are in a worse condition , than any work-men whatsoever : take a carpenter , he comes and works , and leaves his work over-night , and comes the next day and finds it where it was as he left it ; his work is no more forward , neither backward . oh! but it is not so with us preachers , for we come and work upon the hearts of people , and we bring it into a reasonable good forwardness , and we leave it one night and come the next day ; but woe to us , we find it not where we leave it : we work upon their hearts one lords day , and it may be they go away with some resolutions , that they will break off their evil way , and they will attend to the ministry of the word ; but before the next lords day , they are quite off again : they are got again into some wicked company or other , and they begin to harden their hearts against those blessed truths ; so that our condition is worse than any work-mans whatsoever . but though it be a sad condition for the ministers of the gospel , yet know it is a sadder condition for your selves : you that heretofore have heard those blessed things of the gospel , and your hearts have been taken with them , have they rested upon you ? i put this to you in the name of god , i say , hath the peace of the gospel rested upon your hearts ? it may be , some of you may know two or three years ago , god began to work upon you , you began to have some enlightning of jesus christ , and of the kingdom of god ; and you began to say , blessed are those that shall be partakers of those things , but have these rested upon you . hath not the ministry of the gospel been to some of you like a ship , that when it is sailing in the water , it makes a great impression for the present , but let the ship be gone and the water is as smooth as ever it was ? so many times , when the minister comes and open the blessed truths of the gospel , they make a mighty dent upon the hearts of their auditors ; but within a little while their hearts are like the water : no man can see that ever there was an impression of any truth upon their hearts . now know that this is a very sad thing to have the gospel begin to affect the heart , but not to rest . first , consider , how vile is thy heart , it is an argument of strong corruption that is in thy heart that the things of the gospel cannot stick there . and consider , how vild it is , that wicked thoughts , vile base , unworthy , unclean , filthy thoughts can abide upon you . if the devil dart in temptations they will abide and rest , why when he darts them in over-night , he can find them in the morning ; perhaps if you have some vain or unclean thoughts , you can role them up and down in your mind for half a night together ; perhaps day after day , and night after night , base and filthy thoughts are rol'd up and down in your spirits ; these things can abide . now what shall vile , filthy , ungodly thoughts rest in your hearts and shall not the blessed and glorious truths of jesus christ and the things of the kingdom of god rest upon your hearts ? yea , consider further , that it is a most dangerous thing for an essay of mercy to pass away and to do no good , for mercy to come and as it were make a trial upon the heart , and then leave it and no good done ; this is a sad condition : it is not so dangerous while men and women are in such an estate as the mercy of god hath not made an essay as it were upon them . but now , when the grace of the gospel shall come to make an essay upon the heart , to make as it were a tryal upon the heart and to have the repulse , this is a dangerous thing ; for an offer of gods grace to be rejected is very sad , to loose one opportunity of gods mercy is a very sad thing ; how dost thou know that ever they will come upon thy heart with that power that once they did , and therefore thy condition is very sad . and know further , that when the lord begins to reveal to thee the things of the gospel , and thou puttest them off ; those flashes of affection and conviction that thou hast had will prove to be matter of terror of conscience another day . some poor soul may say , then lord what shall become of me , god knows this is my condition ; i come many times to hear the word and i meet with those truths that do mightily take my heart for the present , but the lord knows all vanishes again : i think i could remember every thing that the minister speaks while i am hearing of them , but they go out again ; i hear that this is the blessing of god upon the sons of peace , that the truths of the gospel should abide upon their hearts and rest there ; o they do not rest with me : now and then they come to me , but they do not rest with me . now for the answer to this , perhaps they may not rest in thy memory , but yet if the fruit and effect of them doth rest in thy heart , thou hast the gospel resting in thy heart . as thus , why perhaps the water may pass through a vessel , go quite through it and not stay ; i , but yet there is so much fruit of the passage of it thorow , as to keep the vessel sweet : though you cannot take up any water from it , but it is all gone ; yet i say it keeps the vessel sweet : so i may say to those that have the weakest memories , and yet the lord hath wrought any degree of grace , though thy memory be so weak that thou canst not remember ( i speak this to those that have weak memories naturally ) and there is nothing that their souls do more desire then this ; o that they might keep those things that they hear , they would think themselves the most happy creatures in the world ; if those truths that sometimes they hear might rest upon them : i speak to those . is it so with thy heart ? then though thou canst not remember , yet if those truths keep thy heart sweet , they keep thy heart from filthy lusts that they do not abide in thy heart , thy heart is kept savory by them ; if there be this effect abiding upon thy heart to keep it savory and sweet , this peace of the gospel may rest with thee though thou canst not remember particulars . a man or woman perhaps they cannot remember what meat they ate a little while since , but they find themselves nourished by that meat . so for the word of god , that is the food of thy soul , though thou canst not remember and give an account of such and such things thou do'st hear in the word , but yet do'st thou find that thou art nourished by it ; i say , the good things of the gospel then do rest upon thy soul. then if this be so great a blessing , o that i could but convince you this day to go away with your hearts taken with this blessing ; o that all of you were convinc'd this day . we hear that it is not enough for us to have sudden apprehensions , when we hear the blessed things of the gospel ; but that that is indeed the blessing of god upon a son of peace , it is to have the good things of the gospel abide and rest upon them . o then , that it might be so with us ! o that the lord would help us , that whatsoever we hear , we may not only be taken with the hearing of it , but that it might rest upon our hearts . i shall propound some rules unto you . first , when you come , you must endeavour to bring soft hearts , and tender spirits : what truths you do know , you must work upon your hearts before you come , to labour to soften your hearts . we know that the truths of god are compared in scripture to nails , that are fastened by the ministers of god in the assemblies , eccles . . . now when you come to fasten a nail or a goad , if the thing be a stone , you cannot fasten it : a work-man if he would drive a nail into a wall , if he meet with a flint , the nail cannot enter , but there must be some thing that must yield to make it rest : so you must labour to bring yielding and soft hearts . secondly , when you come to hear , come so as to make account that now you come to attend upon god , and that while any truth of the gospel is revealing to you , god is coming nigh unto your souls , in those things that concern your eternal good . if the hearts of people did attend upon the ministry of the gospel thus , that is , we are here , o lord , in thy presence now , to hear what thou hast to reveal unto us ; and we believe that in this thine ordinance , when thou art making known any truth of the gospel to us , thou art coming nigh to our souls in a matter that concerns our eternal good . if you did attend thus , certainly every truth would get into your hearts . thirdly , when you find the truth beginning to work upon your hearts , then dart up some ejaculations in your own thoughts : lord , set home this . so you may do , and not hinder your hearing : lord , thou beginnest to stir my heart , o lord , keep my heart in this frame . as we read of david , when as he saw the people in a good frame , chron. . . saith he , o lord god of abraham , isaac , and of israel our fathers , keep this for ever in the imagination of the thoughts of the heart of thy people . and the truth is , we would willingly dart up such a prayer to god , if we knew how god did begin to stir you ? but you know how god is communing with your hearts , when you hear us speaking to you , therefore do you your selves dart up such an ejaculation to god : o lord god , keep this truth in the thoughts of my heart for ever . a fourth rule is this , you must not trust your own hearts , never trust to sudden affections and resolutions . this text is most excellent for this purpose , mark how david prays , keep this in the thoughts of the heart of thy people , and prepare their hearts unto thee . why were they not prepared to god ? their hearts were mightily up for god , and yet it appears that david would not take this scarce for a preparation , but the lord must still work further and further . so when thou feelest thy heart a little stirr'd , do not think that the work is presently done , but pray to god to prepare thy heart , and that he would go on with that blessed work of his. and then another rule is this , labour after thou art gone , to work the truths upon thy heart by meditation , that so they may abide . would you have a salve that should do good to an affected member ? it is not only the laying of the salve upon the body , but to rub it that it may get in and supple the part . so when the lord comes to present the blessed truths of the gospel to you , you must labour to rub them upon your hearts by meditation . another rule is , turn all that you hear into prayer : that is , when you have heard any truth that hath taken and affected your souls , get alone into your closets , and before you go about any other business , fall down before the lord , and turn that which you have heard into prayer ; it were a good rule for your direction , and you will find an admirable benefit by this , you will find this to help your memory much . do but henceforward observe this rule that now is tendered unto you as from the lord , work the matter that you hear upon your hearts by prayer . and further , take heed of temptations , keep a narrow watch over your hearts , take heed that some temptations do not come secretly to steal away that blessed truth that you have heard : for the devil will labour , as i told you , the place is full of angels , and so it is full of devils too : the devil is watching who it is that is stirred with the hearing of the gospel , and he presently is labouring to draw out all the power and efficacy : therefore watch against temptations . another rule will be this , often call your hearts unto an account , oftentimes be communing with your own hearts in this manner : o my soul , was there not such a time that thou wert stirr'd and affected , when thou did'st hear such and such things ? why what is become of all thy stirrings , and of all those resolutions and truths , that thou hast heard ? o my soul , where are they ? what hast thou done with them ? o , it would be of admirable use , if you would take an account of your hearts . but when men and women are stirr'd sometimes , and go away and never call their hearts to an account what is become of them ; no marvel though the things of the gospel do not abide , but vanish all , and are as water spilt upon the ground . and further , take heed of secret sins : thou hast no power to purge thy heart , but thou may'st in great measure abandon the acts of sin . that man or woman that lives in a secret sin , i say , that secret sin will either eat out the truths that he hath heard , or the truth will eat out that sin . thou comest to hear the word , and hast many blessed things revealed to thee , i say , they will either eat out thy secret sin , or thy secret sin will eat out them : and which of the two do'st thou think , thou hadst best be rid of ? and if thou wouldst have them abide , turn all into practice ; that is , fall a doing : do not content thy self with affections and resolutions , but fall a doing ; and that doth mightily settle the truth , when it comes once to be practised . as now in a temptation , the temptation is not settled until the devil hath got something done according to the temptation ; and when something is done , then the temptation settles . so concerning the truths of the gospel , a man it may be hath some resolutions and desires , but till there be somewhat done , some duties set upon , some reformation in thy way and life , the truth doth not settle ; but the doing somewhat according to what thou do'st hear , that doth mightily settle the truth upon thy soul. o think thus , there is such and such a thing made known to me ; o , it may do my soul good for ever : and if you did but keep those things that you hear , they would do your souls good ; they would do your souls good in time of affliction : if the truths of the gospel did rest upon your hearts , they would comfort you then . so it was with david , i had perished in mine affliction , but thy word did comfort me . so if you would lay up that which you hear , when you come upon your sick-beds , or in any trouble , it would mightily help you and comfort you . o these truths of the gospel , would be very good companions when you are in your journey , or in your business , they would commune with your hearts : and , o what comfort would they be unto your souls ? so we read in prov. . . bind them continually upon thine heart . so i may say , what truths of the gospel you hear , bind them continually upon thy heart , and about thy neck ; when thou goest it shall lead thee , when thou sleepest it shall keep thee , and when thou awakest it shall talk with thee : when you awake in the night season , you toss up and down upon your beds , and know not what to think upon ; but had you kept the truths of the gospel , they would talk with you , yea , you might converse with jesus christ even as you lie in your beds . and if they did rest in your hearts , then when death did come they would be comfortable , then they will be sweet one day . ask a dying soul , what peace with god is worth ? how many have lain upon their sick and death-beds , and then remembred , o the sweet truths that once i heard , i would give a thousand worlds i had them again . o that they did but come now at this time to my heart , with as great a power as they did at such a time . now that you might have those blessed things of the gospel to comfort your hearts , keep them now . and besides , they will be a means to make you to be very useful to others . what 's the reason why men and women , when they go to visit their sick neighbours , they are so barren in their conference , they say , how do you ? and god comfort you ; and so : i , but what have you of the doctrine of reconciliation with god , and the way of attonement with god ? what have you to help their troubled consciences , and to pacifie them ? can you bring unto them any truths you have heard ? you have liv'd under the ministry of the gospel a long time , what is become of them ? if you had been a child of peace , then you would have been able to have carried these things unto your sick neighbours , and to have done a great deal of good unto them . but alas , you go with a barren heart , and carry nothing at all : and why ? because the truths of the gospel have not abode with you . o how full should our hearts be with jesus christ , if but one truth , every sermon we heard , did rest in our hearts . and take but this one meditation along with you , the blessed things of the peace of the gospel are such , as if ever i be sav'd , i must be praising of the name of god for unto all eternity . now shall i not labour that they should rest upon my heart here , seeing they must be the matter that i must bless the name of god everlastingly for . and thus ( though i have past some things over ) you have had the substance of what i intended to speak of : and that is , that those that are the sons of peace , have this blessing upon them : they have not only the sudden apprehensions and flashes of affection , in being moved with the glorious things of the gospel , but all the good things of the gospel abides and rest upon them . sermon iv. luke . . your peace shall rest upon it , &c. the third note from the blessing that here the entertainers of the gospel shall have , is this : that where there is but any one in a place , or in a family , that shall entertain the gospel , the whole family shall be the better for that one . and the note is raised from this particle , it : your peace shall rest upon it . he doth not say , your peace shall rest upon him only , though that 's true , it shall rest upon him principally : but he saith , your peace shall rest upon it : that is , if a son of peace be in the family , your peace shall rest upon the family ; that is , there shall be some good come unto the family , by reason of any one son of peace that 's there : if there be but one that doth entertain the gospel , the family may come to have a blessing by that . if it be but a poor servant , or poor child that shall receive the gospel , there may come a great deal of good to the family , by such a servant ; but if it be a governour of the family , then the blessing will be more . for we find in the gospel often , where the governour of the family believed , it is said , that the whole houshold did believe and were baptized : and we find often in the gospel of believing families , and indeed there is a greater blessing of god upon a family , where the governours are believers , than we are aware of : a blessing , i say , upon the family : that let there be any governour , or any that is a son of peace , the family is the better for it ; god many times will spare them the rather , because of them . in isa . . . thus saith the lord , as the new wine is found in the cluster , and one saith , destroy it not , for a blessing is in it : so will i do for my servants sake , that i may not destroy them all . many times in a place where there are a great many ungodly ones , yet if there be but a few that are godly , as the new wine in the cluster , the lord saith , destroy it not , for a blessing is in it . there are some good grapes there , though a great many rotten ones ; and a blessing is in it , and therefore destroy it not : so saith god many times of a family , where there are some good ones , destroy it not , saith god , for a blessing is in this family . it is very observable , that which we read concerning the house of jeroboam , kings . . compared with ver . . in ver . . there the lord threatens , that he will bring evil upon the house of jeroboam , and will cut off from jeroboam , &c. well , but this must not come presently , the lord would not presently bring the evil upon them ; but he would stay till he had taken away one out of the family , ver . , . arise thou therefore , get thee to thine own house ; and when thy feet enter into the city , the child shall die . and all israel shall mourn for him and bury him : for he only of jeroboam shall come to the grave , because in him is found some good thing towards the lord god of israel , in the house of jeroboam . mark , how god takes notice of any in a wicked family : if there be but any one , a child , that hath some good thing in it ; because but some good thing , the lord takes special notice of such a one in the family . therefore , though his house should be destroyed , yet this child must be taken away first , because in him there is found some good thing towards the lord god of israel . mark , it is but some good thing , and towards the lord god of israel , and a child ; but this was in the house of jeroboam . let there be but a child that hath some good thing in a wicked family , the lord takes special notice of it , and there may come a blessing upon the family , even for the sake of such a one . the reason of it is , because if there be any in a family that entertains the gospel , there the lord hath the glory of his name , that he doth most rejoyce in . it cannot but please the lord to have the glory of his name to be owned in a family , and held forth : and if there be but any one in a family that shall entertain the gospel , who knows what good such a one may do . if there be one in a family to hold forth christ , here is a way and means to draw others , to the love of christ . if god convert the husband , he may draw the wife ; or if god convert the wife , she may draw the husband , cor. . . for what knowest thou , o wife , whether thou shalt save thy husband ? or how knowest thou , o man , whether thou shalt save thy wife ? it is spoken in the case of unbelievers , where one was an unbeliever , and the other god had converted : and in that case , the question was , whether they were to stay one with another , one being an infidel , and the other a believer ? yea , saith the apostle , for what knowest thou , o wife , whether thou shalt save thy husband ? or thou , o husband , whether thou shalt save thy wife ? and so , i say , what knowest thou , o child , whether thou mayest save thy brother , or sister ? or thou , o servant , whether thou mayest save thy fellow-servant ? and if thou be so , then how vile are they that shall malign and oppose , scorn and contemn , any in a family , when god doth begin to work any good upon them ? we know it is ordinary , that if the lord begins to strike one soul in a family , the child , or the servant , with some work of his spirit , that they begin to inquire after the things of god , and to entertain the things of the gospel , his brother will scorn him , or sister , or fellow-servant will deride him : perhaps his master that lov'd him before , will now hate him , and be ready upon all occasions to shew displeasure against him . yea , perhaps the very father , out of whose loyns the poor child comes , will deride him : what shall we have of you now ? o , you are grown so precise , that now you will be spoil'd , and good for nothing : and so perhaps the mother , out of whose womb it came , will now hate it . but , o thou wretched parent , thou shouldest rather bless god , that god begins to work in thy family , that he begins to work upon one that came out of thy loyns ; for thou do'st not know , but that this child may do thy soul goood . thou wert the means for the natural life of it , who knows but god intends to make this child to be a means for thy eternal life . and so wretched master and mistress in a family , that shall less regard a servant when god begins to work upon their hearts , than you did before . and you , whom god is pleased to begin to reveal the blessed things of the gospel to , and to give your hearts to entertain them , and yet you live in wicked families ; do you labour to be blessings to the family : improve what god hath given you , for the good of the family . and do you walk so , as to manifest the power of the gospel , that your souls doth entertain , that you may live convincingly in the family where you live ? and though they do hate and scorn you for the present , yet with your humble walking , they may be forced to say , verily god is working upon this servant , and god is working upon this child . it should be the care of children , or servants , or wives , or husbands , that live among such as are wicked , when god begins to work upon them , they must be very careful to hold forth the glory , and beauty of the gospel in their lives , to convince those that they live withal . and you that are in such a family , if god doth begin to stir any in the family , do you improve them to the uttermost you can : and howsoever you may think there is little in it , yet when god begins to stir the heart of one , salvation may be come to the house ; and the lord doth expect that you should improve that work of his upon your own hearts , or otherwise your consciences will terrifie you another day . o , i saw god working upon my fellow-servant , or brother , or sister , but i neglected it , otherwise my soul might have had good . and so much for that note : if the son of peace be there , your peace shall rest upon it : that is , upon the family . the last note is , go , saith christ , and into whatsoever house , or city you enter , do thus and thus : and if the son of peace be there , your peace shall rest upon it . that is , you shall be made an instrument of good unto them , so as to bring the glorious peace of the gospel unto them . from whence the note is this : that it is a great encouragement to the ministers of the gospel , to think what abundance of good they may do , if god shall be but pleased to bless their ministry . christ did foretel both his disciples and apostles , that they were like to have hard work of it , in the carrying of his name abroad in the world : but for their encouragement , he tells them this ; go your way and preach , and if there be any son of peace , your peace shall rest upon it . as if he should say , you shall be made a glorious instrument of doing good unto them , and let this be your encouragement : and , indeed , it is a great encouragement for any minister of god , to venture his very life , and to do or suffer any thing in the world ; though but upon this supposition , that if god shall be pleased but to bless my ministry , then the lord shall make me an instrument to bring peace to that place , even peace between god and their souls ; to be the means to convey all the good unto them , that jesus christ hath purchased by his blood. this seem'd to be the encouragement that god gave to jeremiah , in chap. . and that was in another kind , jeremiah was to go and reveal the threats of god ; but mark what his encouragement was , in ver . . it may be that the house of judah will hear all the evil which i purpose to do unto them , that they may return every man from his evil way , that i may forgive their iniquity and their sin. saith the lord to jeremiah , go about this work , though it be a hard work , and let this be your encouragement : it may be : though but upon a may be ; the house of judah will hear all the evil which i purpose to do unto them , that they may return every man from his evil way , that i may forgive their iniquity and their sin. now if this were jeremiah's encouragement , surely a greater encouragement it is for a minister to go and preach the gospel upon a meer may be , that there are some that shall entertain the gospel . and we find it was paul's encouragement , in divers scriptures as i might shew you , but that 's most notable , in tim. . . but is now made manifest by the appearing of our saviour jesus christ , who hath abolished death , and hath brought life and immortality to light through the gospel : whereunto i am appointed a preacher , and an apostle , and a teacher of the gentiles . mark , saith he , the gospel reveals jesus christ , who hath abolished death , and hath brought life and immortality to light : and , saith he , god hath appointed me to be a teacher of this , for the which cause , i also suffer these things . i am content to go on in this work of the gospel whatsoever i suffer . what , is this the errand that i am sent about , to go and preach the gospel , that brings life and immortality to light ? let me suffer what can be , i am content to go on in this work : o , it is a glorious errand that i am sent about ! if it please god i speed but upon one soul , o , it were worth my life . so the excellent fruit that should come upon the entertainment of the gospel , is here given to these disciples for their encouragement in the ministry . now what is it that should encourage the heart of a minister in his work , more than these three things . first , that he shall be an instrument to glorifie god. secondly , an instrument to do good to souls . thirdly , he shall have a crown of glory so much the more . these three things are the greatest encouragements in the world , to any gracious heart . first , that he shall be an instrument of the glory of god. for one to live to be instrumental of the glory of god must needs make his life comfortable , whatsoever he suffer . now there can be no such glory that any creature can be made a greater instrument of , than the glory that god hath from souls that are sav'd by jesus christ . it is the highest glory that god hath from all his creatures , that there should be some souls that should understand jesus christ , that should admire at him , should glorifie god in jesus christ . it is the highest glory that god doth injoy in heaven , next unto the glory that he hath in himself , and in his son ; that is , in the trinity : but for the glory that he hath , ab extra , from his creatures , that is the highest glory that ever god had , or shall have . now for the lord to make a man to be an instrument of this , to bring some souls to be eternally glorifying god for jesus christ : o , it is worth all a mans strength , though he should shorten his life seven years ; yet if there be but one or two souls brought by his ministry , that shall injoy the good things in christ , this is well worth the labour and pains . for , indeed , in this the lord doth honour men more than angels : the lord hath not put the angels in heaven , upon such an honourable work as this , to be the embassadors of god and christ , for reconciliation : the lord hath not committed the word of reconciliation to angels , to go and preach that in an ordinary way : they are not deputed by christ , to be as his officers . we never read of any such thing in the word of god , though they be sometimes appointed to be ministring spirits for the good of gods elect , to help them , to comfort them , to avenge them of their enemies ; but we never read that the word of reconciliation was committed to them , and to the ministers of the gospel : and therefore there is no such glory that they can bring to god , as the lord is pleased to make man to be an instrument of . in this the lord doth honour man more than the angels , that he shall be appointed to be the great ordinance under jesus christ , for the bringing of souls unto jesus christ ; and so the bringing of them to magnifie the infinite riches of the grace of god in christ , to all eternity . now , is not this worth any ones labour and life ? o what encouragement is this , whatsoever one suffers in it . secondly , can there be next unto this , a greater encouragement , than to be an instrument of good to our brethren , of good to mankind ? those are the most happy men in the world , that are the most useful for mankind , that the lord shall be pleased to make use of , for the good of mankind ; and therefore it should teach all to be as serviceable as they can to others . for the happiness and the true comfort of a mans life , it doth not depend in this , that he can get an estate , and go brave and fine , and eat and drink of the best ; but it is in this , that the lord will make him useful in his place , an instrument of good to others . it is a very comfortable thing for any , that are chief in a place where they live , that the lord makes them instruments of the civil good of the places where they are : of the good of the people for their bodies , to keep them in peace and order : but to be appointed by god to be an instrument of soul-good , of eternal good ; this is a higher priviledge that god doth grant in his mercy to some . and it might be a mighty encouragement , the considering of this . what saith saint james , speaking to christians to encourage them to labour to do good to their brethren : brethren , if any of you do erre from the truth , and one convert him , let him know that he which converteth a sinner from the errour of his way , shall save a soul from death , and shall hide a multitude of sins . let him know , saith he , that he that converteth a sinner from the errour of his way , let him know : what shall he know ? that he shall save a soul from death , and shall hide a multitude of sins . though it may be , he takes a great deal of pains , and suffers much in it ; yet for his encouragement , let him know that he shall save a soul , and hide a multitude of sins . further , if the other should not be a sufficient encouragement , yet for his own good ; many times there is much self in the hearts of the best ministers . now there is these two things that cannot but follow , if the lord bless their ministry , to bring the peace of the gospel to any soul. first , such a soul will bless god for him . now for a man to be so in the hearts of the saints of god , as that he should have them bless the lord for him , and bless the time that ever he saw him : blessed be the lord , and blessed be thou ; as david said to abigail , when it did but hinder him in one sin by her counsel . but now , if so be the lord doth bless the ministry of the gospel to any , so that the peace of jesus christ comes to the soul , there is not the hinderance of one sin , but of multitudes ; and there is the obtaining of the pardon of all sins : and therefore how much more cause have they to say , blessed be god , and blessed be thou , and blessed be thy counsel , and blessed be thy ministry : here 's a great encouragement in this , they through whose ministry souls comes to be blessed , they will bless them , and bless god for them . and further , at the great day of jesus christ , they shall have abundance of joy in those that god made them instrumental of good unto . in phil. . you have a notable text for that , saith the apostle , in way of exhortation to the philippians , to hold forth the word of life , in ver . . holding forth the word of life , that i may rejoyce in the day of christ ; that i have not run in vain , neither laboured in vain : saith he , if you do thus and thus , and shew forth the power of the grace of god , that god hath been pleased to bless my ministry . if you do so , why then i shall rejoyce . o , do you shew forth the power and efficacy of the ministry of the gospel , of that ministry of mine upon you : why ? that i may rejoyce in the day of christ , that i have not run in vain , neither laboured in vain : so that where the ministry of the gospel is blessed to any people , there those ministers being faithful themselves , shall rejoyce in the day of jesus christ , that they have not run in vain . therefore to wind this up , it should be one strong motive to people , to imbrace the ministry of the gospel , even for the encouragement of those whom the lord doth send among them , that they may be willing to draw forth their hearts , and to venture their lives among them . as , certainly , not one man of forty , of a hundred scarce , that should preach to such a congregation as this , but must expect a venturing of his life in it : but lot this message be but entertain'd , it will be thought to be throughly recompenced . for it will be a joy to those that do venture themselves among you : it will be a joy in the day of jesus christ , that they have not run in vain . but we leave that point , and come to the last part of the text. if the son of peace be there , your peace shall rest upon it : but what if not ? if not , it shall turn to you again . o , that this should be heard , if not : this is a sad supposition indeed , if not . what shall the lord send embassadors of peace ? the lord from heaven send to his poor creatures the ministry of his gospel , and offer peace between their souls and himself , purchased by the blood of his son : and shall it be said , if not ? if there be any that will not imbrace it ? is it possible that jesus christ , wheresoever he comes , should not be entertain'd ? truly , this very supposition that there should be a possibility for any soul to whom christ is revealed , ever to reject ; doth argue the extream sinfulness of the hearts of men. o , woe to us that such a thing should be supposed as possible , if not : that christ should come to any place and should not be entertain'd : what , that the ministry of the gospel should come and be rejected , when as it is nothing else but the bringing of the message of peace to a people , between god and them . they may think , perhaps , that it comes to trouble them : but the truth is , the errand of all the ministers of the gospel among people , it is no other in the conclusion , and in the issue , but to bring eternal peace to their souls : and shall this be rejected ? sometimes it is so . now in this we have these three things . first , a sad supposition , that sometimes the ministry of the gospel comes where it is rejected by some . secondly , the encouragement of ministers in this case : christ doth not only encourage them in case their ministry prevails , that then they shall be instruments of so much good to souls ; but he doth encourage them in case it doth not prevail . as if the disciples should say , i indeed , if our ministry prevails that we may bring peace to souls , we have enough : but what if not ? it shall return to you again . and then , thirdly , a dreadful denunciation against all those that do not entertain the gospel : and that is , that they shall have no benefit of the peace of the gospel : that the ministry of the gospel shall be taken from them , and that god will be very quick in his dealings with them . now then at this time for the first . first , if not : this sad supposition . from hence the point of doctrine , or note of observation , is this : that the gospel doth sometimes go to places , the ministery of the gospel is sometimes sent to places where it is rejected by men : as before , if the son of peace , that supposes that where god doth send the gospel , there are some sons of peace . so , if not ; here 's a supposion that the ministry of the gospel , may be sent to a place , and yet there may be some that will reject this blessed ministery . you know what is said of christ himself , and well then may it be said of them he sends to preach : when christ himself came to his own john . his own received him not : his own , those that he had a pecular right in , the people of the jews ; even such as were the only people that did profess the true god upon the face of the earth : i beseech you observe it , when jesus christ came into the world , there was but a handfull of people upon the face of the earth , that did so much as profess the worship of the true god , but the generallity of all the world , except a little country of canaan , that was a matter of fourscore miles one way , and but a very little another way ; except that little country , there was none upon the face of the earth but worshipped the devil ; went according to the immaginations of their own hearts , did not so much as acknowledge god in his worship ; onely i say , there was a little handful of people in canaan , and they were the children of abraham , and christ came to them , they were his own ; you would think surely if christ comes to them , seeing all the world else are idolaters , they will entertain him . no , when christ came himself , the blessed son of god taking our nature upon him , who was the brightness of the glory of his father ; yet his own did not receive him . and we find it said directly , that christ in his ministery , in luke . should be for a stumbling-block to many , in ver . . and simeon blessed them , and said unto mary his mother , behold , this child is set for the fall and rising again of many in israel , and for a sign which shall be spoken against . you have little cause therefore to be discouraged , because you are spoken against . and we find that christ himself preaching what poor entertainment he had , no marvel then , if this supposition be concerning his disciples : if not . it may possibly be , that some will not receive your ministry ? do but observe what entertainment christ himself had sometimes , when he went to preach himself , in luke . . you have there the history of a most excellent sermon , that jesus christ preached ; and when he had done his sermon , do but see what requital he had , as soon as he had done , the text saith , and all they in the synagogue when they heard these things , were filled with wrath , and rose up , and thrust him out of the city , and led him unto the brow of the hill ( whereon their city was built ) that they might cast him down headlong . they sought to break his neck as soon as he had done , so that you see how he came to his own and his own received him not . and in luke . : there you shall see his entertainment ; upon another sermon , the text saith , and the pharisees also who were covetous , heard all these things : and what then ? and they derided him. the greek word is , they blew their . noses at him : they snuffled in their noses at him : they scorned him , as we express scorn and contempt , by blowing the nose . this is the propriety of the word that in your english is translated , they derided him. and who were these ? the pharisees , that were the most seeming righteous men that did live ; and the greatest scholars , and those that liv'd the most honestly among men. and why did they deride him ? but only because they were covetous . you shall have , not only covetous men , but any who live in a way of sin , if the ministry of the word comes against that sin , they will secretly scorn and contemn the word : thus they did to christ . and st. paul , you may see when he came to preach the gospel , what entertainment he had : st. paul , he was the most famous preacher that ever liv'd upon the face of the earth , next unto jesus christ . austine had three wishes , and one of them was : that he might have seen paul in the pulpit , and heard him preach ; because he was a man of such an admirable spirit . but i shall shew you what entertainment the preaching of paul had , who was such an admirable preacher . there are a great many scriptures to shew the hard entertainment that paul had , in acts . , . and the next sabboth day , came almost the whole city together to hear the word of god. there was a strange preacher came among them , and there came a mighty company , the whole city ; that is , the generality of the city came together to hear the word of god. but mark , in ver . . but when the jews saw the multitude , they were filled with envie , and spake against those things which were spoken by paul , contradicting , and blaspheming . just thus it was with the jews , they were filled with envy , and spoke against those things which were spoken by paul , contradicting and blaspheming . it were endless to shew you all his hard entertainment , how he was put in the prison , and in the stocks , and whipt , as if he had been a very rogue ; when as , ever since the world began , the lord had never a more glorious instrument , to shew forth his praise ; and yet he was whipt up and down like a rogue , and scarce a ragg to hang upon his back ; he was accounted the off-scowring of the world. but there is a most notable thing about pauls ministry , if you compare two scriptures together , in acts . . with what follows : and a vision appeared to paul in the night : there stood a man of macedonia , and prayed him , saying , come over into macedonia and help us . paul had a mighty strong call to go and preach to macedonia , he had a vision by night . and it was not a delusion , but even the voice of god which did call to paul , come over to macedonia and help us : therefore , saith the text , immediately we endeavoured to go into macedonia , assuredly gathering , that the lord had called us for to preach the gospel unto them . we were sure that god had called us , and this was a very strong call. now you will say , what paul ? such a preacher , and had such a strong call : certainly , he would prevail with them all , and bring them all home . but , mark , what the success of pauls ministry was , in ver . . and from thence to philippy , which is the chief city of that part of macedonia , and a colony : and we were in that city , abiding certain dayes . here 's no mention of any fruit of his ministry : there we sat certain dayes , to wait what opportunity we might have to preach the gospel there . and in ver . . and on the sabboth , we went out of the city by a rivers side , where prayer was wont to be made ; and we sat down , and spake unto the women which resorted thither . mark , it seems he had no opportunity to preach in the city , they had no mind to hear him : but , saith he , on the sabboth-day we went out of the city by the rivers side , and we sat down and spake to the women : there were but a company of poor women , the great ones of the city , they would not come ; but a company of women came to us , and yet paul had this mighty call of god. and when he comes to the chief city of macedonia , he was forced to go out of the city if he would preach ; and there comes a few women , and among these women , saith the text , ver . . a certain woman named lydia , a seller of purple , of the city of thyatira , which worshipped god , heard us : whose heart the lord opened , that she attended unto the things which were spoken of paul. here 's the fruit of his ministry , a certain woman . among them all , none but the women would come : and among these women , there was a certain woman , one poor woman called lydia , and it pleased god to open her heart : certainly , if god had opened the hearts of any other , they would have been mentioned as well . and you shall find that paul had very ill entertainment among the rest of the multitude , ver . . and the multitude rose up together against them ( see what entertainment he had ) and the magistrates rent off their clothes , and commanded to beat them . and when they had laid many stripes upon them , they cast them into prison , charging the jayler to keep them safely . who having received such a charge , thrust them into the inner prison , and made their feet fast in the stocks . here 's the man that had such a mighty call of god by a vision from heaven , and yet you see how his ministry doth prevail . thus you see , that the gospel may be sent to places , and that by a strange work of gods providence , and yet a very few imbrace it ; yea , it may be rejected by the greatest part . i might shew unto you examples of the same kind : and just as it was with the apostles , so it was with the prophets . as those three famous prophets , isaiah , jeremiah , and ezekiel . see the working of isaiah's ministry , in isa . . who hath believed our report , and to whom is the arm of the lord revealed . we come and preach things to the people , and they come and hear us , and think they are very strange things that they hear the minister say , but they do not believe it . who doth believe it ? yea , you know that the lord doth complain , that he did streach out his hands even all the day , isa . . . i have spread out my hands all the day , unto a rebellious people , which walketh in a way that is not good , after their own thoughts . i spread out my hands : that is , i come in my ministry , saith god by his prophet , and i there open the arms of my mercy , and open the riches of my grace to their souls ; but they walk in wayes that are not good . and what wayes were they ? according to their own thoughts . look what their own thoughts are , and what is most pleasing to them . they more regard their own thoughts , than all those blessed and glorious truths , that are made known unto them in the ministry of the word . and as for jeremiah you have it in chap. . ver . . you have very strange kind of expressions about him : since i spake , i cried out , i cried violence and spoil , because the word of the lord was made a reproach unto me , and a derision daily . o the word of the lord was made a reproach and a derision to jeremiah . and for ezekiel , do but read chap. . of that prophesie , and there you shall find , that god tells him before-hand , that he did send him to a rebellious house ; yea , god told him that he should live among bryars and thorns . and yet it is observable , that this prophet ezekiel , did prophesie in the time of their captivity , was sent unto the people of israel , when they were in captivity . one would have thought , that in the time of their affliction , that if ever they would have attended to the word of the lord , then they would . no : but in the time when they were in captivity , when god had fulfilled the words that were threatned by the former prophets ; though they saw how god had made good his words by the former prophets , yet they continued a rebellious people . o this was an extream thing ! it was not so much for them to reject jeremiah , that did prophesie of their captivity ; i , he tells us of nothing but judgments , but we hope god is a more merciful god ; and upon that perhaps they rejected him , i , but surely when they were in captivity , now they should , one would have thought , acknowledged that to the lord belongs glory , but to us nothing but shame and confusion . no : but yet their hearts continued hard , as a brick in the fire , it is harder for the fire ; and so were their hearts in the time of their affliction . i shall not need to instance in any further particulars , it is clear that god sends the ministry of the gospel to places sometimes , where it may be it will be rejected . now for the opening of the point , there are these two things i intended . first , how it comes to pass that it is rejected , or why men do reject the gospel . secondly , what 's the reason that god will send it to those places , that he knows before-hand that it will not be entertain'd . the lord sends the ministry of peace , the offer of peace by jesus christ to souls , and yet they do not regard it , but cast it off . because indeed , first , the generallity of people , they do not know god , they do not know that they have to deal with an infinite and glorious god in all their wayes ; they do not know whom it is that they have sinned against , and therefore do not understand their danger ; and upon this the ministry of the gospel is but a dry thing unto them : whereas , did but the souls of men and women , understand what an infinite and a glorious majesty , they had to deal withal ; and thereby what a dreadful thing it is , to have the wrath of god to be revealed to their souls , they would hearken to the ministry of the word . that this is the reason , it appears , in john . , . saith christ to his disciples , remember the word that i said unto you , the servant is not greater than the lord : if they have persecuted me , they will also pesecute you : if they have kept my saying , they will keep yours also : but now , mark , ver . . but all these things will they do unto you for my names sake , because they know not him that sent me . here 's the reason why they will do thus unto you , they will be far from entertaining of you , but will rather oppose you : why ? because they know not him that sent me . as if he should say , did they but know him that sent me , did they but know what a god the lord is , what the father is , what an infinite majesty , and dreadful deity they have to deal withal ; did they but understand that , certainly they would not cast you out : but they will not entertain you , because they know not him that sent me . secondly , there is nothing that doth discover more the vileness of sin , than the gospel . o the gospel being preached aright , ( i say ) nothing in the world can discover the hainousness of sin , the vileness , the abominable nature of sin , more than the gospel . all the terrors of the law , and the curses of the law , cannot discover so much of the dreadfulness of the evil of sin , as the gospel : and we know that men that love their sin , cannot endure that which doth discover the evil of it . but you will say , how doth the gospel discover so much of the evil of sin ? certainly , you may see more of the evil of sin , by the ministry of the gospel , than by the dreadful threats of the law : for the gospel shews that sin makes such a dreadful breach between god and the creature , that only the son of god made man , and put under a curse , can make up the breach again : in the red-glass of the blood of jesus christ , that is preached to you in the ministry of the gospel the evil of sin , is more fully discerned , than in the bright crystal-glass of the law ; that doth discover somewhat , but this shews you more : it shews you that those beloved sins of yours that you have imbrac'd , and have had a great deal of sweetness and gain by , o they are such snakes and vipers in your bosom , as makes such a breach between god and your soul ; that only the son of god , paying an infinite price for the satisfying for these , can take away from you . and further , the gospel doth discover more to debase a man , than any thing can possibly be imagined : there is nothing that doth more discover that which may abase men , and bring them low , and make them vile in their own eyes , than the gospel . why ? the gospel doth shew unto them , that they are by nature the enemies to god. it is the gospel doth discover that , because it is the doctrine of reconciliation , and it doth discover , that all a mans righteousness is nothing , his own righteousness is nothing in point of salvation , for justification ; that whatsoever righteousness a man hath by common gifts , by his good nature , it will not serve his turn in the day of jesus christ , he may perish notwithstanding : it takes a man off from all his civil righteousness , and so makes him to be as a vile wretched creature before the lord , and one that must lie upon meer pure mercy , or else must perish to all eternity : whatsoever he thought himself , he must be taken from his own bottom , even from that which his soul imbrac'd , and was as dear unto him as his own soul , he must be taken from all : o now , this is a hard saying , and who can bear it . the gospel doth teach self-denial , that we must deny our own excellency , every beloved lust , and to be nothing in a man 's own eyes . i , indeed , it is the first lesson of the gospel ; saith christ , if any man will follow me , let them deny themselves . now men naturally are proud and haughty , and what , for them to come and appear before the lord as vile wretched caitiffs in themselves , and to have all their righteousness to be counted as filthy rags ; now to see that they must be sav'd by a righteousness that is above them , and beyond them , and without them : o this is very hard . the gospel requires conditions that are very hard to flesh and blood , that we must be willing to sell and part with all for christ , as the wise merchant did . and besides , it is a very high mystery , a thing that is above the reach of any natural man living ; and people generally are of slight , vain , and proud spirits . now being partly slight and vain , and partly proud , they will not bend their minds to dive into those things that they are not presently able to read . it is that mystery that the angels do stoop down to pry into , and it requires a great deal of pains to behold the glory of god in it . now the vain , and drossy , and proud hearts of men and women , they pass it over lightly , because they see no present need of it : they thrive and injoy their estates , and they are well enough for the flesh ; and all things that are savory to them , they have according to their hearts desire ; and what need have they to trouble themselves . many other things might be named , to shew that when the gospel comes to places , why it is not entertained . quest . but you will say , why doth god send it , god knows it will not be entertain'd ; it is not with god as it is with us , to go to a place at paradventures ? it is said , if they hear them : there can be no ifs with god , god knows every thing . now if god knows that before a man comes , it will not be entertain'd , why doth god send it ? answ . . to that i answer , first , that gods wayes and judgments are unsearchable , and past finding out in this thing . for , indeed , there is nothing wherein god doth appear more wonderful in his wayes and judgments , past finding out , than in this , in sending the gospel sometimes to a place , where he sees it will not prevail ; and denies it to another place , where he sees that if it were among them , it would be likely more to prevail . you will say , this is strange ; and yet this is certain . this is the administrations of god , that sometimes god denies the gospel to a place where he doth see , that if he sent it they would entertain it more , and sends it to another place where he sees they will not entertain it . now to make this out by scripture , that text is clear for it , in mat. . . wo unto thee , chorazin , wo unto thee , bethsaida , for if the mighty works which were done in you , had been done in tyre and sydon , they would have repented long ago in sack-cloth and ashes . it is a strange speech , almost as any one that is in scripture : here 's chorazin , and bethsaida , have the gospel sent to them , and they did not entertain it : saith christ , if the works that were done in you , had been done in tyre and sydon , they would have repented , and yet i denied it to them , and sent it to you . now there can be no reason given of this , but only this : the judgments of god are unsearchable , and his wayes past finding out ; gods mercies are his own , the gospel is his own , and he will send it where he pleases . secondly , but then , secondly , the lord sends his gospel : for though perhaps it be rejected for the generallity , yet there may some one soul entertain it , among a people that shall so much reject it , and for the sake of that one , god may send it : god may send ministers to a congregation , to spend their very heart , and strength , and life , and it may be may intend some one or two souls , that are as unlikely as others ; perhaps some one or two poor servant or child , and it is worth the life of any man , if he may be blest to call home one or two in his life time . you know the lord lets it rain , and the intendment of the rain , it is to water the earth ; but abundance of it falls upon tiles , and stones , but likewise it falls upon your beds in your gardens , and the intendment , i say , is for the benefit of the ground . so the ministry of the gospel , gods chief intent is for the good of souls , though god causes the ministry of it to be generally : the gospel is preached to congregations , and for the generallity it doth but as it were rain upon the tiles and stones ; i , but there are some beds that have some good seeds in them , and god intends them . if you water your gardens in these dry times , you aim at the herbs , but yet the water will fall among the weeds : so the lord he aims at his herbs and flowers , though the gospel be dispensed to others . thirdly , though god sees there be none for the present , yet god layes in for time to come : god will send his gospel to a place , though he sees this generation will get no good by it ; and god may intend the good of the generation that is to come , by sending his ministry in this particular generation ; though he sees that they will not entertain it , yet some that may come after them , may entertain it . as they say in china , they prepare work for many hundred years before : the parents they are preparing work for their children to enjoy . and so the lord layes in , in one generation , for the children that are coming after , and therefore whether you entertain it or no , god notwithstanding will have his end accomplisht . fourthly , another reason why god sends his gospel , where he knows it will not be entertain'd by the generallity , it is this , to leave men wholly without excuse . i may put these two together , to discover the abominable sinfulness of the hearts of men , and to leave them wholly without excuse . there is nothing in the world that doth discover the sinfulness of mans heart , more than this , that when the lord sends this gospel among them , yet it is rejected . the preaching of any moral truths , do nothing so much argue the sinfulness of mans heart in the rejection of them , as when the gospel is preached , and that is rejected . that argues the abominable wickedness of mans heart , yea , for ought we know , more than is in the very devil . we do not know that there is so much perversness in any of the devils in hell , as there is in the heart of that man that doth reject the ministry of the gospel . and why ? because god never tried them , god never put it to trial , to offer any terms of peace to them , and never told them that he would be reconcil'd to them upon any terms : and therefore whether they have such perverseness of heart or no , it is not discovered so as thine is . but if thou livest where the ministry of the gospel is preached , and yet continuest wicked and ungodly , thou art discovered to have that wickedness in thy heart ; that for ought thou knowest , it is beyond the wickedness of any devil in hell. the devils might say , lord , hadst thou offered terms of peace to us , we would not have so rejected it : and then it doth leave men utterly without excuse . i do not say , that this is gods primary intention , but this comes in : why , the lord doth suffer the gospel to be preached , to leave them wholly without excuse . and for that , you have that text in the fore-named place , john . . if i had not come and spoken unto them , they had not had sin : but now have they no cloak for their sin . sin : why are there any men in the world that have no sin ? why , did christ coming bring sin to them ? it did not add sin , but it did discover their sin , and it took away their cloak for their sin : now upon my coming to them , and when they shall reject me , and the offer of grace that i bring from my father ; now they have sin to purpose , now their sin is of a scarlet colour , now they have no plea , they cannot say , lord , if thou hadst sent to us , to reveal to us thy mercy , and the danger of our sin . the danger of your sin , may god say : did not i send those to you that did preach , that nothing but the heart blood of my son , could pacifie for your sin . could there have been any thing more to reveal the evil of your sin , than this was ? o now you have no excuse at all for your sin . fifthly , another reason is this , which is one of the chief : that the lord might cause all those hereby that do not entertain the gospel , to see the freeness of his grace towards them . a poor soul that the lord is pleased to work upon by the gospel , hath no cause to attribute any thing to himself : there are others , and such a multitude of people , more learned than i , and men and women that had greater parts than i , they had the gospel preached to them , and they do not see those things that the lord hath revealed to me : i can tell no reason of this difference , only free-grace . and certainly , those people whom god is pleased to make the gospel effectual , upon the hearing of this point , and seeing how it is verified in the examples of others ; o they have cause to cry out , grace , grace , to the lord. what is there in me rather than others ; as proud , and stout , and vile hearts as any ; and we see the gospel is rejected by them : and what reason is it that it is not so with me ? john . . it 's a speech of judas , ( not of him that betrayed christ ) lord , how is it that thou revealest thy self unto us , and not unto the world ? lord , we cannot devise how it should be , that thou shouldst manifest thy self to us , and not unto the world : we see that the world rejects thee : o this is , that we may have the more cause to bless the name of god here , and to magnifie his free-grace to all eternity afterwards . sermon v. luke . . your peace shall rest upon it , &c. application . first , is it so , that even the blessed ministry of the gospel , the opening of jesus christ , and the riches of gods grace may be rejected by people , and is often . the consideration on of this first , should teach us to bewail the horrible wickedness of mans heart , and the dishonour that is done to god in this : when those riches of gods grace , that glorious work of god in christ , the blessed son of god , coming to ransom souls , and to deliver them out of the neathermost hell ; yet he rejected . there 's no object that ever was in the world , that is such an object of lamentation as this is . when christ came to jerusalem , he falls a weeping : upon what ground ? o , if thou hadst known , saith he , at least in this thy day , those things that concern thy peace : thou didst not know those things that did concern thy peace . perhaps it may be meant , outward peace . in great part it is . but if that be such an object of lamentation , as to draw tears from christ , what an object of lamentation is it to rend , indeed , the hearts of those that understand what christ is , what the offer of christ means ; that christ should be preached in any place , and yet rejected . when jeremiah went to preach ( though not such a message as this is that now we are speaking of ) yet when he saw the people would not hear , chap. . ver . . hear ye and give ear , be not proud , for the lord hath spoken . but in ver . . but if ye will not hear it , my soul shall weep in secret places for your pride , and mine eyes shall weep sore , and run down with tears , because the lords flock is carried away captive . if ye will not hear : that indeed should be the work of the ministers of the gospel , when they are rejected . not to be careless , and say , i have done my work , and what need i care . but they should take it to heart , and lament it as the greatest affliction that can befal them ; yea , more than any affliction whatsoever : that the blessed message that they are sent withal , is rejected by wretched and sinful men. secondly , if god in christ be sometimes rejected , all the mercy of god in his son ; we should not think much , though our love and kindness towards others be many times slighted , and disregarded . indeed , there 's nothing goes more to any ingenuous heart , than to have his love and kindness to be disregarded : but when we find our hearts troubled at this , o that such a one that i have done so much for , and yet that he should deal thus with me ; lay thine hand upon thy heart , and consider what god hath done for thee in christ , and how ill thou hast requited him. is it so much for thee a poor worm , not to have thy love and kindness imbrac'd : what is it then for the infinite god , not to have that infinite love and mercy of his to the children of men , not imbraced but rejected ? thirdly , let 's learn from hence , never to trust our own hearts . we think often , had we such means as others have , then we should not do as they do ; surely we should do better . men are very ready to trust their own hearts , and in the use of means : but let us learn from hence never to trust in our own hearts , or in the use of any means . god may send you means , and reveal glorious truths unto you ; yet it may so fall out , that you may never come to be partakers of the good of those things : it hath been so with many , and you must look to your own hearts . do not bless your selves in this , through gods mercy the lord hath sent us his word plentifully , and the gospel comes to be opened clearly among us : that 's not enough , what god hath done , but look you into your own hearts , how you imbrace it ; otherwise the gospel may come among you , and yet you never come to be saved by it . but this , indeed , is a sad condition , wheresoever it is . fourthly . further , gods ministers are to learn from hence , not to be discouraged . they come and preach , and with an expectation to prevail with the hearts of people , to draw them to christ . when they have been in their studies , labouring to find out some truths of the gospel , and to sit it to the hearts of their auditors , and have been praying over it : they come now with expectation that some good may be done , that some soul may be drawn in to christ , yet perhaps find it quite otherwise , and the people to sit dead under it ; it may be slight it , contemn it , scorn it , disobey it : but they must not be , i say , discouraged in this , as if so be a strange thing had befallen them . what art thou more than jesus christ thy master ? what art thou more than paul and other of the apostles ? they have been rejected all in their ministry , and what art thou that thou canst not bear any rejection ? indeed , it is the hardest thing to be born by a minister of the gospel , that possibly may be : but consider , that it is not a new thing for the gospel , to be rejected . i remember , i have read of melancthon , he had such thoughts , that when he began to preach , he should convert all that heard him . he thought there was so much reason in what he spake , and so much evidence and power to prevail with the hearts of people , that he thought he should prevail with every one ; but he found it otherwise by experience . and though , indeed , when any minister that is acquainted with the glorious things of god and christ , come to open them to people , they are ready to think , such things will surely prevail with the hearts of people , but the lord teaches him to know that the blessing depends upon himself : that though the things be never so excellent and moving , yet all will not do except the lord comes in by his almighty power . fifthly , let all those with whom the ministry of the gospel doth prevail in any measure , bless god that makes such a difference between them and any others . it is preached unto many , but doth them no good . but the lord hath called thee out , and it hath struck thy heart , converted thy spirit : thou seest cause to stand and admire at the glory of god in christ , and thou wonderest perhaps that all people are not taken with the riches of the glory of gods grace in christ : well , bless god that hath made a difference between thee and others . it may be in the same family another scorns it , and contemns it , perhaps one that came out of the same womb despises it , and god hath taken thee , and revealed himself to thee , it may be thy rich neighbour contemns it ; but god looks upon thee ( a poor creature ) and makes himself known to thee . it may be a learned man he slights it , and makes nothing of it ; and thou who art but a babe , hast those things revealed . thou hast cause to thank god for it , for christ doth : he thanks his father for this thing , that he should be pleased to pass by the wise and great ones of the world , and chuse babes , mat. . . at that time , jesus answered and said , i thank thee , o father , lord of heaven and earth , that thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent , and hist revealed them unto babes . now this scripture that i bring , not only to shew you that god doth sometimes reveal the great mysteries of the gospel to babes , and hide them from the wise , but as a text to stir up your hearts to bless god , if he hath done so for any of you . upon this ground jesus christ doth thank his father for it ; then surely thou hast cause to thank god the father for this great mercy of his , to put such a difference between thee and others . for , indeed , it is one of the most glorious works of god , this work of the lord making known the great and high mysteries of the gospel to poor weak ones ; when as the great , and rich , and mighty , and learned of the world , do not come to understand it . it is one of the great miracles by which the lord doth confirm the gospel to be his own , as great a miracle as other miracles that were wrought by christ . and for that , this is very observable that we have in the place where john sends to christ , to know whether he were the messias , or no. now mark the answer that christ gives unto john's messengers , jesus answered and said unto them , go and shew john again those things which ye do hear and see , the blind receive their sight , and the lame walk , and the lepers are cleansed , and the deaf hear , and the dead are raised , and the poor have the gospel preached to them : and as some of the evangelists have it , poor receive the gospel . observe why christ brings this , he brings it in as an argument that he was the messiah . john would know whether he was the messiah : how shall he know it ? why go and tell him , the blind receive their sight , the lame walk , the lepers are cleansed , the deaf hear , the dead are raised . these are good arguments to prove that christ was the messias . if christ could work such miracles as to give sight to the blind , to make the lame to walk , to cleanse the lepers , to cause the deaf to hear , and to raise the dead ; these indeed were good arguments . but how comes in the last , and the poor receive the gospel ? how is this an argument that christ is the messias ? one would think that this should rather be an argument , that he is not the messias . they might say , i indeed , there are these great things done by him , but there is one thing makes us suspect that he is not the messias : for our great , rich , and learned men , they do not receive him , only a company of poor ignorant people , this vulgar sort : for so was the arguing of the pharisees there , in john . . say they , ( when the officers were affected with the ministry of christ ) have any of the rulers , or of the pharisees believed on him ? have any of them believed on him ? but this people that knoweth not the law , are cursed . only a company of poor ignorant people , they believe on christ . but the rulers , have any of the rulers , or of the pharisees , the great men , and the rich men , the learned men , have they believed ? you see that this was a stumbling-block , whereby they would perswade men , that christ was not the messias . but mark , that which men make the great stumbling-block , why christ is not the messias , that christ makes unto john the great argument , why he was the messias : because the poor receive the gospel . and christ doth put this among his other miracles . and you will say , how is this an argument ? thus , it is one of the greatest miracles that ever christ wrought , and it may well be reckoned among those miracles , of giving eyes to the blind , and hearing to the deaf . thus , to make one that is a poor weak creature , that hath but a mean capacity , yet that such a one shall be able to see into the great , and high , and glorious mysteries of the gospel , that the angels desire to pry into : so to see into the reolity , and the certainty , and the glory of those mysteries , that he dares venture his soul and his eternal estate upon : i say , this is as great a work of a ●od , as ever any work that god did in this world , and therefore it may well be put among christs miracles , ●nd an argument that christ is the messias . if christ shall reveal such glorious things , that are the objects of the understanding of angels , to poor illiterate people , when as the wise of the world shall not be able to see them , but shall reject them : they shall not see so much as to dare to venture the loss of a lust for them , of any creatures contentment for them ; but a poor weak . man or woman illiterate , that understands but little in other things , shall come to see so much the glory of god shining in the face of christ , as he dares venture not only all outward comforts in this world , but his soul and eternal estate , upon the grace of god in his son. here 's a mighty work of christ . the poor they come then to receive the gospel , it is preached to them and they receive it ; and hereby christ shews his power . now hath christ shown such a miraculous work of his upon thy soul , when he hath past by others that are understanding , and men of parts , & yet reveal'd such deep and hidden mysteries of the gospel unto thee . oh admire at the grace of god in his son to thee , and bless him , for this is not an ordinary mercy ; it is a choice mercy . the gospel is rejected many times where it comes , and thou seest it ; only god hath made a separation between thee and others : as i told you of that speech of judas , not iscariot , lord , saith he , why is it that thou revealest thy self unto us , and not unto the world. thou hast cause to wonder at it indeed . sixthly , and then further , that we may hasten to what remains : if this be so , that gods sends the gospel where it is rejected , hence be not scandalized when you see it despised and contemned . let none be scandalized at it , so saith christ , in mat. , when he saith , the poor have the gospel preached to them : in the next words , and blessed is he , whosoever is not offended in me . for men are ready to be offended , when they see great ones reject the ministry of the gospel : but you hear that god sends it where it is rejected , therefore be not you offended ; do not think that because others do not imbrace it , therefore there is nothing in it , and why should i : there is this temptation in the hearts of many , though while they are hearing of the gospel preached , their hearts are taken with what they hear , and they are convinc'd ; but when they go away , and are among their companions and others that they find to slight all and to disregard all ; their hearts are taken off likewise . but , o learn by this point , never to be scandalized by others casting off the gospel : for it is that which christ hath forewarned his ministers when they go to preach ; he doth intimate to them that they must expect that their ministry must not prevail with all . ly . lastly , is this true , that god sends the preaching of the gospel where he sees it will and doth not prevail with many ? now let every one of you lay his hand upon his heart , and think thus with himself ; is it i ? am i the man ? am i the woman to whom jesus christ shall be preached , and shall not prevail ? o the lord forbid that this should be so , though it doth not prevail with others ▪ such and such , yet god forbid that it should not prevail with my heart ; let me imbrace it so much the rather . do i see jesus christ rejected by others ? o it is that which should go neer to my heart , that the lord is rejected by any , and shall he be rejected by me too , the lord forbid ; that as christ said to his disciples when others forsook him , and will ye also go away ? o whither shall we go from thee saith peter , for with thee are the words of eternal life ; so dost thou see others slight and neglect the glorious ministry of the gospel , and wilt thou do so ? wilt thou add to the dishonour of the gospel too ? o the lord , the lord forbid ; but let me the rather embrace it , by how much the more it is neglected , and dis-regarded by others . what , shall such a glorious gospel be preached in vain ? what , shall the precious blood of jesus christ be shed in vain ? and it is in vain in respect of many souls , and shall it be in respect of my soul ? the lord forbid . o that the lord would put such kind of thoughts into your hearts , when you see others live under the ministry of the gospel in a sinful way . and thus much for this supposition , if not : what follows ? if not , let it return to you again . here we have first an encouragement to gods ministers , in case their ministry is rejected . and secondly , a dreadful denunciation against those that shall reject the gospel . first , the encouragement of the ministers of god in case their ministry be rejected , let it return to you again . in this we have these two things . first , that when any minister preaches christ to a people , if the people get no good by his preaching , yet he shall have the benefit of it upon his own soul ; that 's the first : let it return to you again if they will not embrace it , so as to have the good and benefit of it to them , it shall return to you , and you shall have the benefit and blessing of it upon your own souls . secondly , let it return , that is , though it prevails not here , yet it shall not lose any thing of its efficacy , of the life , of the vigor of it , but it shall return to you with as much efficacy and life as ever , so as if you be sent to some other place , there may be as much hopes of doing good as ever you had ; these are the two things that are for the incouragement of gods ministers , in case their ministry be rejected . briefly of these : first , that whena people rejects the gospel , gods ministers they shall not lose by it , they shall have the blessing of their ministry ; in isai . . . then i said , i have laboured in vain , i have spent my strength for nought , and in vain : here 's a dreadful complaint ; but mark what follows : yet surely my judgment is with the lord , and my work with my god : there is a correcting of himself as it were ; as if he should say , what did i say it was in vain , that i had spent my strength in vain , to no purpose , that i had gotten nothing by what i had done ? no , let me correct my self , surely my judgment is with the lord , and my work with my god , i shall not lose my labour ; though i do no good upon people , yet i shall not lose my labour : the truth is , even this complaint is not spoken so much in the person of the prophet , as of jesus christ : it is a complaint of christ , for it is apparent in the reading of this chapter , that it is prophetical of christ ; for it follows , and now saith the lord , that formed me from the womb to be his servant , to bring jacob again to him , though israel be not gathered , yet shall i be glorious in the eyes of the lord , and my god shall be my strength : and he said , it is a light thing that thou shouldest be my servant , to raise up the tribes of jacob , and to restore the preserved of israel : i will also give you for a light to the gentiles , that thou maist be my salvation to the ends of the earth , &c. now who was he that was a light to the gentiles , and the salvation of god to the ends of the earth ? it was jesus christ , and yet christ himself is brought in here complaining , that he had laboured in vain , and spent his strength for nought , and in vain : but god comes in and incourages him , and tells him that he should not lose the benefit of their labours ; his judgment should be with the lord , and his work with his god. and further , that though he did not prevail with some , yet he should with others , he should be given as a light to the gentiles . and likewise that place is well known in the cor. . , . for we are unto god a sweet savour of christ , in them that are saved ; i that 's true , but mark what follows , and in them that perish : a sweet savour of christ , in them that are saved , and in them that perish : as truly in them that perish , as in them that are saved , gods ministers are a sweet savour of christ , therefore their labour is not in vain . to us belongs faithfulness ; we are to look to be faithful in our work , but for the success that belongs to god himself . it is a note that bernard hath on the cor. . . saith the apostle there , by the grace of god i am that i am , and his grace that was bestowed upon me , was not in vain : but i laboured more abundantly then they all . saith bernard here , he doth not so much glory in the fruit of his labours , as in his labouring , for indeed we are to glory rather in our work , than in the faithfulness of our hearts in our work , rather than in the success . ministers many times may look too much after the success of their labour , and yet if there be any thing in the world that a man may look for the success of his labour in , it is in the work of the ministry ; but especially he is to look after his faithfulness in his labour : and if he be faithful there , he shall not lose his labour : but , saith bernard , you must have a care rather to discharge your work , to take care of souls , rather than the curing of them : it is your work to take care of them , but it is gods work to cure them ; that 's to be left to god. there is a question among divines , whether a minister that converts many souls here by his ministry , or another that is as faithful every whit as he , and as painful , and yet doth not convert souls , or but very few ; which of these shall have most glory in heaven , whether the one or the other ? many think rather the second , because the one hath a great part of his comfort here , and his incouragement ; the other goes on in his painfulness and faithfulness , though he hath not such comforts and incouragements . and indeed , of all works , it is the hardest work for a man to go on comfortably in the work of the ministry without success ; there is no work so hard as that is : what , for a man to think , o that the lord should send me to a people , to what end ? to preach the gospel indeed , but to harden them , but to aggravate their sin , but so as their condemnation shall be increased : o it is a dreadful thought unto the heart of a minister , to think that he should be sent about such a task as this is . jeremy was even weary , and said , he would preach no more in the name of the lord , only the word of god was as fire in his bones , and he could not forbear ; but had not gods word been as fire in his bones , certainly he would have forborn : hence it is that we read , when god was to send his ministers to people , that they should not prevail withall , the lord made mighty preparations , and there was much ado for to get the hearts of his servants to go about their work : i 'll give you two instances remarkable for this : the first is in the prophet isaiah , the lord had a message to send by the prophet , he would send him to preach , but to a people where he should not prevail ; yea the text saith , go and tell this people , hear ye indeed , but understand not ; and see ye indeed , but perceive not : make the heart of this people fat , and make their ears heavy , and shut their eyes , lest they see with their eyes , and hear with their ears , and understand with their hearts , and convert and be healed . the lord sends his prophets to go and to harden the hearts of people ; as the truth is , there is nothing in the world will harden mens hearts more than the ministry of the word , if it doth not soften them . if it doth not prevail with mens hearts to convert them , i say there is nothing will harden mens hearts more . there are no people in the world have harder hearts than those that live under the ministry of the gospel . go and make the heart of this people fat ; but this was a mighty hard message : how must this prophet be prepared ? there needs be a mighty deal of preparation to make him go chearfully on in his work . you shall see that the prophet had a most glorious vision to prepare him : he saw the glory of god silling the temple , and above it stood the cherubims , and one cryed to another , and said , holy , holy , holy is the lord of host ; the whole earth is full of his glory , and the posts of the door moved at the voice of him that cryed , and the house was filled with smoak . then said i , woe is me . the lord was fain first to reveal his glory to him ; secondly to humble his heart ; then said i , wo is me , for i am undone , because i am a man of unclean lips : thirdly , the lord caused a serophim to fly unto him , having a live coal in his hand , which he had taken with the tongues from off the altar ; and he laid it upon my mouth and said , lo , this hath touched thy lips , and thine iniquity is taken away , and thy sin purged . here 's three notable works of god to prepare the heart of this prophet : then in v. . i heard the voice of the lord , saying , whom shall i send , and who will go for us ? then i said , here am i , send me . after he had first seen the glory of god ; secondly , after he had been humbled for his sin ; and thirdly , after he had had such an extraordinary testimony of the pardon of his sin . now lord , as if he should say , send me about the hardest work that thou hast to do , and then the lord tells him what that hard message should be that he should carry ? he should go to a people and preach , but it should be to harden their hearts , and not to prevail with their spirits . and the like we have in the prophet ezekiel , if you read the second , and the beginning of the third chap. the lord tells him , that he was to go to a rebellious house ; but you shall observe such a strange work of god for the preparing of his heart for it in the most part of the first chapt. the prophet had a most glorious vision of god for the setting of him a work ; that teaches us , that indeed there is nothing will set us so much a work as the sight of god. secondly , such a voice of god as humbled him , for when i heard , i fell upon my face ; and then god comes and comforts him , and sets him upon his feet . further , the spirit enters into him , and spake unto him , and then declared his message , and gave him the roul , and bid him eat it ; and made it to be sweet unto him , though it was a message of threatning : i speak all this to this end , to shew that there is no work more difficult than the work of a minister , and especially when his ministry hath not success ; and therefore this point is very reasonable to tell unto them all , that though they have not the success that they desire , yet the good of their ministry shall return upon them again . are there a people that they are sent to , to whom do they offer christ ? why they would fain gain their souls unto christ , that they may live for ever in praising the riches of the grace of god in christ in the highest heavens . but will they not , know , thou shait have the blessing of that peace ; look what glory and comfort they should have had , it shall return into thy bosom . it is here in the ministry of the word , as in other duties ; suppose you pray for a child , or friend , or kinsman , you do not see that he is turned to god according to your prayers ; but know , your prayer is not lost for all that ; the blessing of your prayer shall return into your bosom , and therefore be encouraged in every good work as ministers should be encouraged in their ministry , though they have not success ; so you , every one in your measure , should be encouraged in every work that god hath called you unto ; go on therefore with peace and with comfort in all the work that heretofore you have been so much discouraged in ; for the reward is to your faithfulness , and not to the success of your works . the next to this is : your peace shall return ; that is , as i shewed you , it shall return with as much power and efficacy ; for they may think thus , lord , do we go to preach to this people , and do they reject it ; what hope shall we have that now the gospel shall do good ? it hath received a foil , and now the edge seems to be off , and never like to do good any where . no saith christ , do not reason so , do not think that your gospel hath lost the edge of it ; it shall return to you again with as much power as ever it did at first . it is not so with the gospel as with other things . many things in the world , if once they receive a repulse , their edge is taken off ; but the gospel , though it doth receive a repulse , yet still the edge of it shall continue , and the power of it : this is that which the apostle saith , tim. . . wherein i suffer trouble as an evil-doer , even unto bonds ; but the word of god is not bound : mark , though i suffer bonds , yet the word of god is not bound : i am slighted and contemned , i but the word is not bound ; the word is the same that ever it was , though i be hated and cast out , that am the minister of the word ; yet it remains in as much strength as ever it did : i indeed am cast into a dungeon , but the gospel will prevail ; all the persecutions of wicked men , all the scorn that is cast upon the gospel by them , shall not take away the edge and power and life of the gospel ; but that shall continue as much as ever : all the rage of hell , and devils , and tyrants shall not take away the power of the gospel . indeed they may restrain such and such men in the preaching of it , but after they are dead and rotten , and roaring in hell , the gospel shall prevail . we find it so at this day , ever since christ came , the gospel hath been opposed by ungodly men , yet it doth remain in as much life , and vigor , and power as ever it did ; and i have no cause to question but it will prevail ere long , more than ever it did in the world ; though its true , sometimes we find ministers preach sermon after sermon , and there are but few converted to the gospel : what shall we think that therefore in hath lost the power of it ? no , gods time is not come . when the time of god shall come to call home those that belong to his election of grace , it shall appear that the gospel shall arise in power and glory , and prevail in the world again ; therefore let 's never despair , but that the gospel will prevail in the world as at first , when as there were but a few poor fishermen to preach it , and all the world was enraged against it ; the emperors and princes of the earth was enraged against it , and yet these poor fishermen did subdue a great part of the world by the power of the gospel : therefore let not us be discouraged , for when gods time is come , it shall prevail in a glorious manner more than ever . and so as it is with the gospel , so it should be with the professors of it : if god be dishonoured by other , yet let not your edge be taken off , but do you continue in the power , and life , and vigor , as much as ever . now the second part , which is the main that i intend ; and that is the dreadful threatning of those that do reject the gospel : only take this one point , ( there are these three : ) first , that where a people reject the gospel , god may justly take it away from them , yea they are in danger to have it taken from them : it shall return . secondly , such shall not have the blessing of the gospel upon them ; this shall be their doom , as they shall lose the ministry of it , so they shall be cast out from the blessing of it . and then thirdly , which is yet the principal of all , and that is , that god will deal very quick with those that do reject the gospel , your peace shall return ; no more ado , there 's an end of them . these are the three things in this sentence against those that are not the sons of peace , where the gospel is preached . but a little of the first , we will leave the other . first , that where a people do reject it , and that presently ; for so it is , when you come to a house and offer it , if they do not embrace it , let your peace return again : christ here compares his disciples unto chapmen that should go and offer rich wares , they have diamonds , and precious stones , things worth thousands , and they come perhaps to poor country-people , and open their cabinet of diamonds and precious stones , and make offers to them , but they do not know the worth of them , they will bid nothing for them : now when he sees that they reject and despise them , saith he , give me my wares again , and so he packs them up again , and away he goes ; for saith he , this is not a people that is fit for such things as these are ; so saith christ , you are such chapmen , i send you abroad with the most rich pearl of the gospel , to go and shew the excellency of it to people , and to offer it to them ; and the truth is , i require thus much of them , that if they would have this pearl , they must sell all : now the ministry of the gospel comes , and they are ignorant of this pearl , that they have brought this rich commodity . they can tell them indeed that here is an exceeding rich pearl , but this is the tenor , that you must be content to part with all for this pearl , that is thus : first , you must actually lay down and renounce every beloved sin . secondly , you must enter into bond as it were with god , that whensoever he calls for your estates , your liberties , your outward peace , and comforts that you have in the world , shall be at gods dispose : thus you enter into bond , as in your dealing for commodities , when you see a great and rich commodity , you lay down somewhat for the present , and give bond for the rest to be paid when it shall be called for . when you go to buy pedling things , there you lay down all at first , and no entring into bond ; but when it is a great purchase , then there is a little laid down for the present , and entring into bond for the rest . now certainly in this bargain of the merchant , there is first a laying down for the present , thy lusts , thy sin ; as if the soul should say , o lord , let me have my part in christ , in this glorious peace of the gospel ; as for any wayes of sin that i have lived in heretofore , lord i renounce them ; and will not live in any way of known sin , lord grant me thy grace to do it : indeed this is the way of the hearts coming in at first ; i but saith god , i will not only have thy sin renounc'd , but thy estate , and liberty , and life at my dispose ; and thou shalt enter into bonds to lay down all ; yes lord , this is the very english of the covenant : the soul seeing the glory of god in christ , saith the soul , lord i will not only renounce my sin , but lord , whatsoever i am , whatsoever i have , whatsoever i can do shall be at thy dispose ; and here i enter into bond lord , that is , i covenant , and vow , and bind my self by the strongest bonds that a poor creature possibly can do , that whensoever thou shalt call for any of my estate , of my liberty , or my outward comforts , when thou shalt call for my life , lord they shall be at thy dispose . now have you sold all ? have you thus bought the pearl ? when we come to bring the pearl of the gospel to you , have you embrac'd it ? o if our ministry prevails , this hath been the frame and working of your hearts ; but if not , our ministry hath not yet prevail'd with you ; but when your hearts begins to work thus , then our ministry begins to work to purpose in your souls . but we may come to most people and open the pearls of christ , and open the ministry of reconciliation , and they will do neither of these two ; neither lay down any thing for the present , renounce no known sin ; and as for entring into bond , to have their estates , and liberties , and lives , and all to be at gods dispose , so as they are resolved that they will never enjoy any of them , but only in god , and for god : o how far are people from this ? no , they love their estates too much , and they will see what they shall have before they part with them : and thus that all the ministers of the gospel preach unto you concerning god and christ , are but meer notions ; but we are sure our money and estates have something in them , and so their hearts embrace this present world , and reject jesus christ : and do you so ? well saith god , pack up your commodities again , i have no more people in this place , therefore go and carry them some-where else ; there is another people that will know the worth of these things ; there is a people in the world that will be willing to renounce their lusts , and to give up all that they have unto me , if they may have but this gospel preached to them ; therefore go somewhere else : just as we read of the apostles in the acts . . then paul and barnabas waxed bold , they were not daunted , and said , it was necessary that the word of god should first have been spoken to you , but seeing ye put it from you , and judge your selves unworthy of eternal life ; lo , we turn to the gentiles . indeed you are the jews , and in profession the only people of god for the present , and therefore we were to come to offer it at first to you ; but seeing you judg your selves unworthy of eternal life , that is , if you by your carriage do manifest that you are a people no wayes suitable to this glorious gospel , then we turn to the gentiles ; we will pack up our commodities , and go to some others that will buy it : and indeed , if there be any thing in the world that makes a faithful minister go from any place , it is the rejection of his ministry : other things are no such arguments as this is , and if there be any thing can warrant it , this as much as any thing , by vertue of this scripture , and by vertue of my text , let your peace return to you again , and be gone to some other place : we know the scripture saith , that pearls are not to be cast before doggs , and swine : and indeed when men shall prise their swinish lusts before the pearl of the gospel , all the good that is tendred to them in jesus christ ; what are they in gods esteem but as swine ? and why should pearls always lye before them , that they should trample them under-foot ; and therefore the lord would have his light to be removed : god warrants his ministers in some cases so to do . but let people know that this is a dreadful condition , if this should fall out concerning them : if the lord should begin to make a tender of the mercy of christ to a people , or particular souls ; and if god should take it away again , that soul or people is in a most dreadful condition : perhaps you think you may spare it well enough ; but know , if you can do well enough without the gospel , the gospel can do well enough without you ; when that is taken away from a place , the very light of that place is taken away , there is double darkness . i remember i have read of the christians in chrysostoms time , howsoever people now make little esteem of the preaching of the gospel , yet the christians were so affected with chrysostom's ministry ; the story saith , that when he was silenced by a wicked empress , they did profess , that they would rather have the sun withdraw the beams of light from the world , then that the mouth of john chrysostom should be stopt ; they saw so much good in his ministry , he preaching christ to them , that if it were put to their choice whether they would be without the beams of the sun , or his ministry ; they would rather chuse to be without the beams of the sun than his ministry . it 's true , we are not to arrogate such things to any particular man now , we do not speak to that end , no , but to the ministry it self . what if god take away a faithful ministry , we do not speak of any particular men that are sent to preach the gospel to you : but certainly if god take away the clear light of the gospel indeed , that gospel that opens jesus christ , and the way of salvation and eternal life to your souls . o what if god take away that from you : either take that from you , or you from that , that you shall never come to hear the mysteries of it opened more , ( but instead of the glorious things of it , you should hear some pleading for ceremonies , cross or surplice , or cringing , and that should be the chaff that you should be fed withall ) i say , when god takes away this from a people , he takes away the light from them , and leaves them in darkness : it is not such a fruit of love and mercy from the lord to give fruitful seasons , and to bless you in your trading , as for the lord to send the ministry of peace among you to open the unsearchable treasures and riches of jesus christ ; that 's the special token of gods love to such a place , and when that 's removed , then the special note of the love of god is removed ; and when he takes away that , he takes away the bread of life from you ; and therefore the absence of the word is called a famine : we read of the poor people in egypt , they came and sold all , that they might have bread : it may be some of you complain of great taxations , and want of trading , and your estates decay , and the like ; i but doth not god recompence this with a more plentiful use of the gospel than ever he did before ? and doth not this recompence you for the trouble that you suffer , and the loss of your estates ? i make no question but there are many souls since the beginning of this parliament that are now in heaven , that were alive , and did suffer much for a while , but are now in heaven , and blessing god for these two or three years ; and i know no greater argument of a carnal , base , and vile heart than this , for them to be alwayes complaining of the loss of their estates , and not to think it at all made up with the liberty of gods ordinances , and with the more clear light of the glorious gospel that shines among them ; whereas did the gospel take your hearts indeed , you would bless god. it 's true lord my estate is less than before , but blessed be thy name that we live to hear jesus christ , and the way of life and salvation opened further to us than heretofore . if god should take you away , perhaps then your consciences would accuse you , and say , we had an opportunity wherein we heard jesus christ opened to us in his natures , and in his offices ; o had we taken that time , how happy had it been for us ? further , perhaps carnal hearts may think it nothing to have the gospel taken from them , yet when that is taken from you , know that the kingdom of god is taken from you ; that place in mat. . . is very remarkable , o this is one of the dreadfullest threats ; therefore say i unto you , the kingdom of god shall be taken from you , and given to a nation bringing forth the fruits thereof . when you have the preaching of the gospel in the clearness if it among you , know that you have the kingdom of god among you : now god doth require that you should bring forth the fruits thereof ; therefore examine your own hearts what fruits of the kingdom of god are in my life , in my family : why , the kingdom of god is among us , that 's the meaning of christ's and johns preaching , repent , for the kingdom of heaven is at hand ; that is , now comes the revelation of jesus christ in the gospel , and he calls people to repent upon this ground . o repent and turn from your sins ; why ? for the revelation of jesus christ is come among you . i say to you in this place , therefore repent , repent now , for the lord is coming to open the kingdom of heaven , and to reveal the grace of christ , and the glorious things of eternal life to you ; and therefore if you should please your selves rather in sporting upon the lords day , and going to ale-houses and wicked places rather than attending upon the word , why the lord may take away this gospel , and so take away the kingdom of heaven from you ; and the taking that from you , it is but a fore-runner to the depriving of you from the everlasting kingdom that the saints shall have to all eternity . and know there is no dallying with god , for when thou comest to the offer of mercy in christ , saith christ either come in or not ; christ calls for your answer quickly : though the lord be very patient towards men that never yet understood the offering of the gospel of christ , but if they come once to have christ preached to them , they must not expect the like patience . when john began to preach christ , you know what he said : now is the axe lay'd to the root of the tree : and why now more than before ? because now the kingdom of heaven is to be preached to them ; and now , every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit shall be hewn down , and cast into the fire . perhaps they have gone this thirty or forty years , and there was no hewing of them down ; but now the axe is lay'd to the root of the tree . you know that of christ to his apostles , go your wayes and preach , saith he , he that believes shall be saved , and he that believes not shall be damned : there is no more ado , either believe and be saved , or believe not and be damned ; there is quick work , and indeed that 's a point that i would very gladly have been upon , even the consideration of the quick work of god upon those souls that shall reject the ministry of the gospel . sermon . vi. luke . . if not , it shall return to you again . there are two points more remaining , which is to be the subject of this excercise . the first is this : that those that are not the sons of peace , ( what is means you have had already opened ) that do not imbrace the ministry of the gospel , they shall have no blessing from the peace of the gospel , they shall not be partakers of the good of the gospel . secondly , that god is very quick with those that do not embrace his gospel ; go and say peace , if there be a son of peace well and good , they shall have peace ; if not , it shall return , saith christ . from the manner of the phrase that note was raised , that god doth use to be very quick with those that do not embrace the gospel : i shall be very short in the former of these two , because i would gladly have a little more time in the latter . those who entertain not the gospel , they shall not have the blessing of it . i shall not need to go far for another scripture , which is indeed a very dreadful one to this purpose , luke . . for i say unto you , that none of those men which were bidden shall taste of my cup. we have there a parable , a certain man made a great supper , and bade many : the meaning is this , it is to set out god the fathers preparing of his son , and of these blessed dainties at the marriage of his son : the scope of it is to shew the excellent things of the gospel , that they are no other but the dainties that are prepared by the great king of heaven at the marriage of his son : the scope of it is to shew the excellent things of the gospel , that they are no other but the dainties that are prepared by the great king of heaven at the marriage of his son unto souls , unto believers . well , there are sent his ministers , they are the servants of this king , they are sent to invite to this marriage , to invite men to partake of the blessed things of the gospel . upon this invitation we see , that generally it was rejected , one saith he hath bought a farm , another a yoak of oxen , and another hath marryed a wife , &c. and the ministers they come in and give this account to god , lord we have according to thy command invited them to come in to partake take of the good things of the gospel ; but these are their excuses , their hearts are set upon other things : now mark their doom in ver . . for i say unto you , that none of those men which were bidden shall taste of my supper : that is , do they thus reject it , and slight it , and disregard it ? i say to you , i profess it that there 's not one of them shall make such a slight account of that blessed gospel of mine , and the glorious things contained therein ; not one of them that shall taste of my supper . only one text more in rom. . . but unto them which are contentious , and do not obey the truth ; ( that must needs be meant of the truth of the gospel ) but obey unrighteousness , indignation , and wrath , tribulation and anguish upon every soul of man that doth evil , of the jew first , and also of the gentile : those who are set upon their evil wayes , and will not obey the truth , you see what their doom is : the first is privative , that they shall not taste of the supper : the other is positive , wrath ▪ and indignation and anguish shall be upon them . you will say , that this shall return . what then ? what great evil wil follow upon this ? what most dreadful evils ? why first , the very want and privation of the infinite good that the gospel tenders to thee is evil enough , and the remaining under all those evils that the gospel would have delivered thee from , that 's evil enough ; as thus , what , doth the gospel return , and the blessing from you ? why then you remain under the guilt of all your sins , and stand charged before the great god to answer for all unto the infinite justice ; and this the gospel would have delivered you from , had you entertained it . doth it return from you ? why then you stand before the lord under the sentence of condemnation , a condemned creature even to eternal death , and this the gospel would have freed you from . doth the gospel return again ? why then you stand a child of wrath before the great god , under all the viols of his infinite wrath , ready every moment for ought thou knowest to be poured out upon thee : and this the gospel would have freed thee from . doth the gospel go away from thee ? why then thou standest under the curse of the law , and all those dreadful threatnings that are written in the book of god , they are all thy portion , and this the gospel would have freed thee from . is the gospel returned from thee ? then thou standest before god as an enemy unto him ; he looks upon thee as one that is an enemy to him , and thou canst expect no other but to be dealt withal as an enemy ; to have god in all his attributes to come out against thee ; to have all his creatures to come out against thee to avenge gods quarrel upon thee , and this the gospel would have freed thee from . and so we might further name infinite evils ; no peace to the wicked ; no peace to those who are so wicked as to reject the glorious gospel ; and therefore thy case is dreadful . secondly , if the blessing of the gospel be returned from thee , then know , thou hast lost the most happy opportunity of good that ever creature had : never can a creature be made capable of a happier opportunity of good than the creature hath , when jesus christ comes to be preached to it . here 's the most blessed opportunity of good i say that a creature can have , to have jesus christ come to be offered to him . now when the gospel is returned , thou hast lost this opportunity of mercy , the tender of salvation that 's worth ten thousand thousand worlds , such an opportunity as the devils and damned in hell would give worlds to have it , and yet that is come to thee , and is gone and lost ; and therefore it is a sad thing for the blessing of the gospel to return . thirdly , if it doth return from thee , thou dost not know whether it will ever return back again upon thee ; whether ever it will come any more : when god offers grace and it is rejected , many times he doth cause the offer to pass away , and it never comes more again . thou mayest perhaps lye hereafter in the distress of thy conscience , and think of former dayes that thou hadst , and cry out , o that i had such dayes again ! o that i had jesus christ preached to me again as i had at such a time ! o that i had such stirrings of the spirit of god as i had at such a time ! but now no friend . time was when thou hadst them , and thou didst reject them , and therefore they are gone ; and thousands of worlds will not purchase them again . i do not now speak only of taking away the ministery of it , but of the blessing of the gospel ; perhaps thou mayst live under the ministery of it , and yet the blessing of the gospel may be returned . fourthly , if the gospel come and return with the blessing of it , thou art now in a far worse condition than any heathen whatsoever ; a heathen is not in so sad a condition . some times you will speak in way of indignation , what do you think me a heathen , a turk ? thou art in a worse case than any heathen whatsoever , because they never had the offer of jesus christ , and the course of mercy hath never come to them , but to thee , and left thee ; there 's hope before god makes a tryal as it were , before mercy hath as it were her turn upon the creature , that it may belong to gods election ; but now when mercy hath had her turn and left the soul , then it is a sad condition ; it hath not done so to the heathens , and therefore it is worse with thee than with the heathens in that regard . yea fifthly , hence follows , that there is the greatest judgment ( except being sent to hell it self immediatly ) as a punishment of the greatest sin that ever creature committed , but only the unpardonable sin , the sin against the holy ghost : for god to take away the gospel from us , the blessing of it to return ; it is the greatest judgment that can befall a man in this world , except god should send him quick to hell presently : a greater judgment than if thy house were fired , or thy body diseased and tormented ; that were no such judgment as this , and this is the fruit of the greatest sin , the sin of the rejection of the gospel , except the sin against the holy ghost . now that man or woman is in a sad condition that hath the greatest judgment that god can inflict in this world , but only that one excepted ; i say this is an exceeding sad condition . fifthly , yea further , then it is to be feared lest christ should dye in vain as for thee ; though christ hath come into the world , and shed his blood to save souls , yet all should be in vain as for thee , o this thought will pierce thy heart one day , if it doth not now for the present ; the very thought that there should be so great salvation , and i not be made partaker of it , it is a soul-wounding thought . yea and lastly , hereafter it shall be to thy extream torment , when thou shalt see others that have embrac'd the gospel and sav'd eternally , and thou thy self cast out : i heard the same sermon that converted such and such a one , and they are now saved in heaven for ever ; o i was at the same sermon , and rejecting of it am now cast down here to be sweltering under the wrath of god. will not these be sad thoughts another day ? if not , your peace shall return ; and you see the dreadful fruit of the returning of peace . wherefore then a word by way of application , for indeed the point it self is enough to strike our consciences . the very naming of these things , and the opening of them , hath power to stir and awaken the heart ; and therefore i will only say thus much . learn to know , that when you come to hear the preaching of the gospel you do not come to a matter of indifferency , it being no great matter whether you received it , or received it not : many people they come to hear sermons , and look upon them as a very indifferent matter whether their hearts be taken with what they hear or no , whether they yield and submit to what they hear or not ; but learn to know that it is not a matter of indifferency : i may well make use of that speech of moses to the people in deut. . , . and he said unto them , set your hearts unto all the words which i testifie among you this day , which ye shall command your children to observe to do , all the words of this law : mark it , why , what 's the matter ? v. . for it is not a vain thing for you , because it is your life . it may be some of them , when they heard moses declaring the law of god , they would be ready to think it is a good law , and moses doth well in telling of us the law , but there is no great consequence of it how our hearts be taken with it ; o but saith moses do not you come to hear the law upon such tearms , but set your hearts upon what you hear ; why ? because it is your life . much more cause have the ministers of the gospel thus to say when they come to preach jesus christ to a people , set your hearts to what is delivered . when they come and say , peace be to this place , to this people , & the doctrine of the gospel be preached to them , o set your hearts to what is delivered : why , for it is your life . when you come to hear a sermon , you should come so as to consider that your life may lye upon that sermon , for ought you know ; and the rather look to it , because the lord with whom you have to deal is a great god , and a god that will not be dallyed withal , and trisled withal ; but if you disobey the message of the gospel , the lord may deal very quick with you ; and that let 's me into the last point which now we are to finish this text in , and that is this : that those that shall not entertain the gospel , the lord will deal very quick with them ; your peace shall return again : the lord will not stand long about the matter . i in the naming of the point have already spoken of a scripture or two , now is the axe lay'd to the root of the trees , when john baptist came to preach the kingdom of god. and that in the last of mark v. . go and preach saith christ to his disciples , he that believes shall be saved , he that believes not shall be damned : the lord christ tells how quick the lord will be with those that shall not entertain the gospel ; and there are many texts that are very full for this purpose : and because it is a great point , and that it should strike much upon your consciences , therefore i will present it in the fulness of the evidence of scripture . that place that you have in matth. . it is just parallel to this in luke . there where christ sends his apostles forth , as he doth the . he gives the same directions in effect ; but mark here , saint matthew goes farther than saint luke , let your peace return to you ; and whosoever shall not receive you , nor hear your words , when you depart out of that house or city , shake off the dust of your feet : verily i say unto you , it shall be more tollerable for the land of sodom and gomorrah in the day of judgment , than for that city . see here the quickness of god with those that do reject the gospel : so in john . that is very famous for this , in ver . . he that believeth on him is not condemned , but he that believeth not is condemned already . you will say he is condemned already , because his natural condition is such that he is under condemnation : no , but i take it , the scripture doth aim at something further ; he is not only condemned by reason of his sins against the law , but he is condemned already , because he hath not believed on the name of the only begotten son of god. how could he believe in the name of the only begotten son of god before ever he heard it ; but here it is spoken of light that is come into the world , for so it follows in ver . . and this is the condemnation , that light is come into the world , and men love darkness rather than light ; because their deeds were evil : that is , when christ shall come to be preached to any people , and they will not believe ; presently there is a sentence of condemnation , that 's the meaning of the text , he is condemned already , the lord is very quick with such . and in acts . . a place famous , and the times of this ignorance god winked at . he saw and would not see as it were , he overpast that ; but now , saith he , that is , now , when christ comes to be preached , now he commandeth all men every where to repeent ; as if he should say , look to your selves that you repent now , whatsoever you did before ; though you could prophane sabbaths before , look to your selves now ; though you were vain , and superstitious , and carnal , take heed now to your selves ; as if the holy ghost should say , the lord is willing to pass by all that was before , but for rejection of his son , look to that ; he will not pass by that so easily , that one sin so easily , as he will pass by all the other . all the sins that men have committed all their lives before , may more easily be past by , than that one sin of rejection of the offer of grace by jesus christ : now he calls all men to repentance . and then a third text is , that in cor. . a text that i made use of the last day for another purpose : for we are unto god a sweet savour of christ in them that are saved , and in them that perish ; to the one we are the savour of death unto death : what 's the meaning of that ? it is somewhat a strange phrase and expression , we are the savour of death unto death ; savour of death : i take the meaning of the phrase to be thus : he compares his ministery that was the ministry of the gospel , unto those things that had a mighty efficacy in them , a strong vertue ; so strong , as their very savour was enough , either to kill or to make alive : as there are some things so strong , as the very sent of them can kill a man , or even raise a man from a sound , so saith the apostle , our ministry to sin is the savour of death unto death ; it is a deadly savour to them . thus you may see that the ministry of the word , it hath a mighty quickness in it one way or other , either from heaven or hell , to save or to destroy . and another scripture we have in heb. . there the apostle speaking of the word , the word of the gospel , for certainly that 's that that he speaks of , v. . for the word of god is quick and powerful , and sharper than any two edged sword , piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit , and of the joynts and marrow , and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart . the word of the gospel whensoever it comes to any congregation , it is no dull matter ; you may not look to sit dully under that , but it is a quick word , it will either slay thy sin , or slay thy soul , one of the two ; it must slay one , and that quickly . and in heb. . there the apostle compares the preaching of the word of the gospel to the rain that comes down from heaven upon the ground : now saith he in v. . for the earth which drinketh in the rain that cometh oft upon it , and bringeth forth herbs meet for them by whom it is dressed , receiveth blessing from god ; but that which beareth thorns and bryars is rejected , and is nigh unto cursing , whose end is to be burned : so those people that do receive the dews and showers of the blessed truths of the gospel , and brings forth fruit and works meet for him that doth dress them , and grants them such showers ; these shall receive blessing from god : but mark v ▪ . but that which beareth thorns and bryars is rejected , and is nigh unto cursing , whose end is to be burned : that is , those people that live under the showers of the gospel , and yet bring forth nothing but bryars and thorns , that is , wicked works , they live prophanely and ungodlily notwithstanding all the showers of the word that comes upon them : mark what the text saith , such a one is nigh unto cursing ; he doth not say presently he is cursed , no not so ; but he saith , he is rejected , and is nigh to cursing , whose end is to be burned , that is , continuing so , his end is to be burnt . you will say , how long shall he continue so ? no , he cannot continue long , for the text saith , he is nigh to cursing . and in rev. . you read there of the witnesses , those witnesses the ministers of the gospel especially that stood up to witness for christ ; in vers . . they are called two olive trees : the ministers of the gospel , for they are the special witnesses to christ , they are two olive-trees , that is , they bring peace to people . do not think that these things can any ways contradict what was said before , they do bring peace ; and because their message of peace is such a blessed message , therefore it is that the lord is so severe against those that do reject it . they are as olive-trees to bear the emblem of peace , and as candlesticks standing before the god of the earth ; but then mark in vers . . if any man will hurt them ; if any man will oppose them , fire proceedeth out of their mouths and devoureth their enemies ; and if any man will hurt them , he must in this manner be killed : they are olive-trees , they come and bring peace ; but if they be opposed and hurt , then even fire comes out of their mouths : it is strange that those that are olive-branches should have fire in their mouths . the witnesses of christ they are olive-branches that have the message of peace , but if they be opposed and rejected , and hurt , then fire comes out of their mouths and devours their enemies : by this fire is meant the ministry of their word , the lord makes it be as a consuming fire to the souls of those that shall reject their ministry ; and that you may see gods quickness in dealing with those that he calls to repentance , and offers any mercy to ; you have in the old testament somewhat : but in the old testament the lord never revealed his grace so clearly , and therefore we cannot expect so much of gods quickness there as in the new ; and yet mark what he saith in jer. . . and at what instant i shall speak concerning a nation , to build and to plant it ; if it do evil in my sight , that it obey not my voice , then will i repent of the good wherewith i said i would benefit them : if i come and speak unto a nation , and offer them mercy , and tell them of my grace , if that nation doth evil in my sight , at that very instant when i speak , if they do not turn from their evil wayes , i will repent of all the good , and i will take all my goodness from them . you see that god expects to have you at an instant : you many times would have your children and servants come as soon as you do call , or else you are ready to fly in their faces ; certainly god may justly expect that at what instance he should call , that you should come in . the lord may be too quick for you , your day may be past , the day of grace and salvation may be past , i say before you are aware ; before your repenting time comes , gods forgiving time may be past : though it is true , you will say , at what time a man repents , i , that is , if god give him a heart : but what if god will not give thee a heart , but will harden thy heart , and give thee up to thy self ? at what instant saith the text : and then another text is in mal. . beginning , behold i will send my messenger , and he shall prepare the way before me , and the lord whom ye seek shall suddenly come to his temple : now this is apparently meant concerning christ ; but saith he , who may abide the day of his coming ? so he goes on and shews how severe he will be : and then in vers . . i will come near to you to judgement , and i will be a swift witness against the sorcerers , and against the adulterers , and against false swearers , and against those that oppress the hireling in his gates , &c. christ when he comes , he comes to be a swift witness against them that live in their wicked wayes after his coming . indeed all mens sins do witness against them , but now those that live in prophaneness and wickedness , when christ is come among them , i say they are to expect christ to be a swift witness against them . how quick did the lord deal with his people upon their rejection of the land of canaan , they did often sin against god in the wilderness , but when they came to the land of canaan , and had an offer of the land of canaan , having sent spies to see the good land , and they came and declared what a good land it was ; and yet some discouraging of them , because of the children of anack , they were rebellious , and would not go to the land to enter upon it because of the difficulty they should endure ; no , god presently swears against them , he takes a solemn oath , that they should never enter into his rest ; so you have it in heb. . god did never swear against them , till they came to have the proffer of the land ; and upon their first rejection of it after the offer , and declaring to them the good fruit of it , upon the very first rejection , the lord swears in his wrath that they should not enter into it ; and so they were to turn back again into the wilderness . now we are to know this land of canaan to be a type , not only of the church , but of heaven it self , and of the good things of the gospel . now those that live in the wilderness , and do not know the good land of canaan , and have not the offer of it , the lord may bear a long time with them ; but now when it comes to this , that the lord doth reveal unto them the blessed things of christ , and make an offer to them of the blessed things of christ , to enter into his rest , for so it is apparent that the apostle doth apply it to the blessed things of the gospel : if i say when the lord shall discover these things unto them , they shall not enter into this rest , but they shall pretend a great many difficulties , o the way is so strict and hard , and they shall suffer so much ; and upon this do refuse the land of canaan , the blessed things of jesus christ ; then is the time if ever , to swear against a soul that it shall never be made partaker of jesus christ ? now then i had thought to have opened the point further , in three particulars : first , to shew what the dealings of god doth use to be with such , in what way he deals so quick with them ; secondly the reasons of it ; and thirdly to have answered some objections about this : but i shall give you but a word or two of each , and so come to the application . for the first , the way of gods dealing with such ; it is either as you heard the last day , to take away the ministry from them , that he doth sometimes ; or if not so , the lord passes a sentence against them , they shall not taste of my supper : and so a man may live a long time under the ministry of the word , under a sentence . or further , that sometimes the lord gives him up to himself , to his own hearts lusts ; for this the gospel is the counsel of god , for so it is called in one of the evangelists : now mark what gods dealings was with those that rejected but his counsels , in psalm . i gave them up to their own hearts lusts , and they walked in their own counsels . and that famous place in rom. . from the middle of it , there the apostle shews that those that did reject but the very light of nature , god gave them up to a reprobate sense ; much more those that shall reject the light of the gospel : that 's the way of god to give them up sometimes to the power of their sin ; as if god should say , they will have none of christ , nor of my grace and mercy , their hearts are set upon their lusts , lust take them , such a lust of uncleanness take them , such an earthly lust take full possession of them . the lord gives them up to their own hearts lusts , the lord saith of them , he that will be filthy , let him be filthy still , as you have it in revelations the last , he that will be filthy let him be filthy ; and let him have the satisfying of his lusts to the uttermost . and sometimes it is to cut them off by some extraordinary and fearful judgment , the lord many times appears most dreadfully against them . the reasons that should have spent me a great part of the time , and it might very well require a whole exercise , to have opened to you why the lord is so provok'd against this sin rather than another sin whatsoever it be : for the opening of the great evil that there is in the sin of unbelief and rejection of the gospel ; you that understand any thing must needs know that it must require a very large time to open it all : but in a very few particulars take them thus . you that reject the gospel , you sin against the greatest mercy that ever god tendred to creatures ; he never tendred such a mercy to the angels that sinned against him as to you : indeed here are the bowels of gods mercy , as the scripture calls them , the tender bowels of gods mercy : now to sin against the gospel , it is to spurn at the very bowels of god. many men speak of mercy , and desire to hear much of mercy , o but you had need look to your selves when you hear much of mercy , for when you hear of mercy your souls lye at the stake one way or other : god deals more quick with those that hear much of mercy , than he doth with others . one sermon of mercy rejected may send a man nearer to hell by far , than ten sermons of judgment . though you should not reform after many sermons of judgment , yet they do not make your condition so dangerous as one sermon of mercy ; and therefore you had need at any time when you hear mercy opened to you , you had need have your hearts shake the more , and tremble to think thus , lord here 's a sermon upon which my soul doth more lye , than it may be ten sermons before , yea perhaps than any that ever i heard in all my life . thou comest to hear a sermon of mercy , and goest away and sayest , o what an excellent sermon is this ! it was a sermon of the most mercy that ever i heard in my life ; i say , was it so ? then thy soul lay more upon that sermon than upon any that ever thou heardest in thy life . mercy is such an attribute which god doth put such a price upon , that it is resolved he will revenge the wrong done to his mercy : whatsoever god doth bear with , he is resolved he will not bear the abuse of his mercy ; and therefore you had need look to it when you come to hear of mercy , especially the mercy of the gospel . there is a great deal of mercy in gods works , i but when he comes to preach jesus christ to thee , there 's mercy of another nature , there look to thy self : if thou dost dally and trifle with gods mercy , then thy condition will be most dreadful . i 'll name these one or two arguments to thee , because when thou sinnest against the offer of the gospel , then thou sinnest against the help of thy soul , the means to do thee good . the preaching of the gospel it is as a board after shipwrack , for every poor soul is as a man that hath suffered shipwrack , and he is in the midst of the sea upon a board of the ship , and there 's all his help : now were it not a mad thing for this man to put off this plank from him when he hath no other help . now we are ready to be swallowed up of the sea of gods wrath , and now god casts in a plank to waft us to the shore , if possibly may be . or rather thus , the offer of the gospel it is like the casting of a rope into a river , unto a man that is in danger of drowning . there is a man that is fallen into the thames , and you cannot get him up , but you will get a line and throw it into the place where he sunk , and there is no way for him to be sav'd , but only that : now if such a man put off the time from him , what help can there be of that man. thus it is , all men and women naturally , they are even ready to sink into the bottomless gulf of eternal misery ; this is thy condition . now the lord in mercy sends his ministers to come and make an offer of the gospel , and cast a line to congregations , and make this proclamation , in the name of god , every soul that will take hold of this , may be saved from sinking into the bottomless gulf of eternal horror and despair ; and there is no way to save any sinking soul but only this . now if men slight and disregard this , and put it off , is it not just that men should sink down ; this that i speak will eb foundgood one day : the lord forbid that any one soul in this place should find this similitude made good upon them ; that is , to sink into the bottomless gulf : and there to consider with himself , had not i a line cast to me for the saving of me , and had i catch'd hold of it as others did , might not i have been saved as well as they . this i say the lord will make good one day . but now , because much may be said , as doth not god call at the eleventh hour and the like ? and grant god may call at the eleventh hour , i but it is not said god will call eleven times ? that is , god may let men and women go a long time , and at length call them ; but what have you in scripture after rejection of calls to call again ; do not mistake me , i do not say but that god may call eleven score times ; i but it is more than such a one may expect : the lord calls at the eleventh hour : but you do not hear , if they refuse then , what he will do afterwards . so you say , that the theef on the cross was called at the last hour , but who knows whether ever he did hear of jesus christ before that time ; therefore your case is not his , though it 's true he was saved at the last : i but it may be he did never reject christ in his life , and it was the first time that ever jesus christ was made known to him for ought any can tell ? and do you so ? though you be old sinners , yet upon the offer of the gospel if you shall presently come in , then you may be received ; but what may be after the offer of the gospel i cannot tell . you will say , that we find by experience , that god doth convert those that lives a long time under meanes ; it 's true he may be patient towards them , i but it is more than they can expect , that it should be so ; and mark it , you must not venture upon gods patience with another , to think that he will be patient so long with thee : i will give you a notable scripture for that , the example is in manasses , in chron. . . there you have the story of manasses , how wicked a man he was ; and manasses did reign fifty five years , though he were a very wicked man , yet the lord suffered him to reign fifty five years , and it is like most of this time was in his wickedness : but now comes his son amon after him v. . and perhaps amon he might think thus ; why may not i do as my father did ? the lord was patient with my father many years , and why may not i venture as he did ? and so he did venture to live in the wickedness that his father had lived in ; but mark , god was quick with him ; though he spared manasses the father , yet he was quick with amon the son , in vers . . god spared him but two years , for he died wickedly , as the story shews you afterwards ; so that you must know gods patience is his own . god may be patient with one perhaps twenty or thirty years , and he will not with another so many moneths . wherefore then by way of application , thus much : first , hence ministers may see cause when they come to preach jesus christ to a people , to come with trembling hearts ; and the truth is , though it be that that their souls desire above all , and they account themselves ( or should do ) in their element , when they are opening jesus christ unto you ; yet upon the consideration of this point , they cannot preach christ unto you without trembling hearts ; for they have these thoughts whatsoever you have , lord i am now going to preach christ , and open the mysteries of grace to this people ; i but if they should reject it , how quick will the lord deal with them ; the ministry of my word , how soon may it be to cut them down , and to send them to their own places ? therefore those that know what they do , cannot but come with trembling hearts . secondly , from hence , let all those that have liv'd under the gospel , and yet the lord hath been patient towards them for a long time , o let them learn to bless the name of god : i perhaps was born of godly parents , and they instill'd good principles into me , and they were careful to set me under good preaching , yea and i not only had the outward offer of grace , but god knows how often gods spirit came & offered christ to my soul , and yet i went on stubbornly and stoutly a long time . o the rich mercy of god , that he did not wholly give me up , and cut me off ! rich mercy ! and what hath god yet come and strove with me again for all this rejection ? o the riches of the grace of god towards me more than towards others ! thou hast cause to magnifie god , for it is not an ordnary thing for god to deal so with people as he hath dealt with thee . thirdly , let all those that do come to hear the ministry of the gospel , to hear the word of the gospel , and yet their consciences tell them that they are opposers of it , and secret contemners of it , and are resolved to go on in their wayes , let there be said what will be , yet they resolve to go on , and to continue as vile as formerly : o that the lord would strike some such bold sinner this day by this word . by this point that hath been thus preached unto thee , the lord strike thy heart thou bold sinner that darest be bold even against the face of the mercy of god in jesus christ , that darest be bold to kick as it were god in his bowels : if the lord hath any purpose to do good unto thee , he will strike thy heart , and humble thee before him , in that that thou hast gone on thus against so much rich grace as thou hast done ; as jehu said in another case , what hast thou to do with peace , get thee behind me : so is god a merciful god , and the preacher preaches mercy ; howsoever thou wilt live in the face of the mercy of god in thy wicked wayes , what hast thou to do with mercy ? now if this be so , hearken to the exhortation in the second psalm , kiss the son lest he be angry ; there indeed lies the emphasis , kiss the son saith the psalmist : what shall the son of god , that is jesus christ , come to be preached to you , and do you reject him ? no , take heed what you do , kiss him ; and that expression it is a sign of obedience , for so it was used in those times , they came and kiss'd the prince as a sign of their subjection to him : kiss the son , obey the gospel , submit to it , why ? lest he be angry ; lest the son of god be angry : the anger of the son of god is a dreadful anger ; the anger of god the father is dreadful , and yet the anger of the son of god in some respect is more dreadful ; as the anger of the holy ghost is most dreadful of all , because the scripture saith , the sin against him can never be forgiven . and next , kiss the son , and that because there is so much mercy in the son ; therefore if he be rejected , his anger is so much the more dreadful , and lest you perish in the mid-way ; that is , when you hope to live many years , to have many more merry-meetings with your companions , and do not think your selves to be nigh to perishing ; saith the text , in the mid way : the lord comes upon such when they least think of it . the lord comes upon many , and cuts them off in the middle of their years . this consideration no question it was in part that caused saint paul when the lord christ was revealed to him , that he dared not put off a day , no saith the text , gal. . , . when it pleased god who seperated me from my mothers womb , and called me by his grace to reveal his son in me , that i might preach him among the heathen ; immediately i conferred not with flesh and blood ; immediately , as soon as ever god was pleased to reveal christ to me , or in me , i did not confer with flesh and blood , that is , i dar'd not so much as reason about the difficulty of the way , or what i should suffer if i took this course ; i dar'd not go to my company and take their advice and counsel , no , saith he , but as soon as ever the lord was pleased to reveal christ in me , i presently went about the work ; and so in the th . of the acts , where he tells the story of his conversion , speaking of gods revealing himself to him in that glorious way of a vision , whereupon o king agrippa i was not disobedient to the heavenly vision ; the very first vision i presently submitted to : paul he fell down and said , lord what wilt thou have me to do ? upon the first manifestation of christ unto him : o do you take heed that you be not disobedient to the heavenly vision ; perhaps together with the ministry of the word the lord may grant to some of your souls a vision , that is , he may come with his spirit and shew some of the glory of his son to you ; o be not disobedient to the heavenly vision , but immediately yield to it , and confer not with flesh and blood . o but you will say this is hard , you come at first and say peace to us , but this is very severe to tell us how quick the lord is . but observe it , it is but severity to those that put off mercy : then if you love mercy so well , what need you fear this severity . but further , know that upon your receiving of the gospel the lord will be as quick with you in wayes of mercy , as he is in judgments to those that do reject it . you will say , how quick will the lord be in the wayes of his mercy ? thus quick , that upon thy receiving the gospel , and believing , the very first instant of thy receiving it , thou shalt be delivered from all thy sin , the guilt of all thy sin , thou shalt be made as clear from the guilt of sin as the child that is new born , and more clear a great deal : how quick is god now . yea thou shalt be made as clear from the guilt of all thy great sins that thou hast committed , i say as clear from the guilt of them as the saints are in heaven , and this at the first moment of thy entertaining of jesus christ ; thou shalt be as clear as abraham , isaac , and jacob ; thou shalt be equal with abraham , isaac , and jacob in the point of thy justification ; yea in regard of any guilt of sin , thou shalt be as unspotted before the lord as the saints are in heaven : o the lord is willing to be quick with you in wayes of mercy . now then consider of both , here we set life and death before you ; we know it is not in mens power indeed , but we know god doth use to bless his ministry so as to convey power by his ministry : god is quick both wayes ; upon entertaining he is quick in wayes of mercy , presently to clear the soul from all those horrible wicked sins that thou hast been guilty of ; and if thou shalt reject it , then thou may'st fear that the lord will be quick with thee another way . o consider what hath been said in this point , and in this text , and the lord give you understanding . finis . notes, typically marginal, from the original text notes for div a -e doct. notes for div a -e appl. obs . notes for div a -e exhort . his house being visited , it was thought he was dead . doctr. notes for div a -e doctr. appl. vse . notes for div a -e doct. . doct. . notes for div a -e reas . . appl. doct. doct. appl. notes for div a -e doct. appl. notes for div a -e doct. . reas . doct. doct. notes for div a -e doct. . . notes for div a -e appl. doct. appl.